AJ Allmendinger set to return to NASCAR Cup Series with Kaulig Racing

AJ Allmendinger is officially returning to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2026 with Kaulig Racing. The confirmation came via a post on X by journalist Matt Weaver, who reported team president Chris Rice’s remarks following Allmendinger’s strong performance at the Coca-Cola 600 this year.

The tweet, posted by Weaver, disclosed Chris Rice’s reasoning behind renewing AJ Allmendinger. He wrote,

“AJ Allmendinger will be back in the Cup Series next year for Kaulig Racing and Chris Rice says it's because their driver just picks them up, repeatedly. All you have to do in return, Rice says, is take AJ golfing.”

AJ Allmendinger’s performance in the Cup Series this year has been effective. After 13 races, he ranks 18th in the standings, just 13 points behind the final playoff spot.

His fourth-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway was critical, especially after consecutive DNFs at Texas and Kansas. Prior to those setbacks, Allmendinger had been sitting comfortably in 14th, within the playoff picture.

The Texas race ended early after he was involved in a crash, and at Kansas, a blown engine forced him to retire after just six laps. These back-to-back failures caused him to drop to 25th in the standings. However, Allmendinger bounced back at Charlotte by scoring 16 stage points and finishing fourth.

Speaking after the race, AJ Allmendinger credited his crew and crew chief Trent Owens for staying composed. He shared,

“When we have a car like we did... none of us made mistakes today. The pit crew was on it. Trent was on it,” (via The Sporting News).

Kaulig Racing has made it clear that Allmendinger won’t split his time between series in 2026. The goal is to make a full push for the Cup playoffs. Team president Chris Rice said,

“We’ve told him, he’s not running any Xfinity because we are focused on making the playoffs over here and he’s the guy to get it done for us.” (via The Sporting News)

The team expects strong results from the 43-year-old over the summer stretch, particularly on the road courses—Allmendinger’s specialty. With four road races left in the regular season, the playoff hunt is very much alive.

---

AJ Allmendinger admits frustration got the better of him after engine failure

AJ Allmendinger recently addressed his outburst toward ECR Engines after his race at Kansas was cut short by engine failure. His #16 Chevy blew an engine just six laps into the opening stage, while he was running in 29th place. Smoke was seen coming from the car as it exited turn four, forcing him to retire early. Over the team radio, an angry Allmendinger lashed out at ECR, saying:

“Hey [ECR Engines], you guys [expletive] suck,” as reported by MotorsportsWire.

Later, he offered a public explanation. Speaking on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, AJ Allmendinger clarified that his comments were made in the heat of the moment and came from a place of emotional distress. He stressed that he has a deep respect for ECR as he has worked with them for over a decade.

“I’ve worked with ECR for over 10 years. And it’s just rare that we’ve had a couple of engine issues,”

He pointed out that such failures are uncommon and that his emotional reaction was driven by how much he cares about the team’s performance. Kaulig Racing is one of the three full-time teams in the 2025 Cup Series that uses ECR power units.

The other two are Richard Childress Racing and Trackhouse Racing. Non-chartered team Beard Motorsports also runs ECR engines.