AJ Allmendinger’s return to the NASCAR Cup Series as a full-time driver has been confirmed. Kaulig Racing, which has been his professional home since 2019, made the announcement, ushering in a new phase in Allmendinger’s illustrious career. At 42, Allmendinger moves to the Cup Series full-time after competing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for three of the last four seasons with Kaulig Racing.

This season, aside from his Xfinity Series commitments, Allmendinger has been no stranger to the Cup Series, competing in 10 races and driving Kaulig’s No. 16 car, sharing duties with fellow drivers Ty Dillon, Derek Kraus, Shane van Gisbergen and Josh Williams.

Allmendinger first joined Kaulig Racing in 2019. He only ran five Xfinity Series races but made a lasting impression by scoring a win in NASCAR’s national series, his first in nearly five years. His partnership with Kaulig fully blossomed in 2021 as he became a fixture in the Xfinity Series. During his tenure, he scored 17 Xfinity Series victories and added two more NASCAR Cup Series victories to his resume – all under the Kaulig banner.

Kaulig Racing shared the news on social media and posted:

“We know where he’ll be in 2025. @AJDinger will return to full-time NASCAR Cup Series competition for Kaulig Racing!”

Kaulig Racing itself is expanding within NASCAR. The team entered the Cup Series in 2020 with a one-off Daytona 500 entry for Justin Haley and developed into a full-time team with two chartered cars by 2022.

Looking at Allmendinger’s performance this season before his full-time move, he currently sits sixth in the Xfinity Series standings after earning three top-five finishes in 20 starts. This weekend, he will compete in both the Xfinity Series Cabo Wabo 250 and the Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

Current status of the NASCAR Cup Series

1. Kyle Larson – 779 points
2. Denny Hamlin – 758 points
3. Christopher Bell – 701 points
4. William Byron – 678 points
5. Ryan Blaney – 702 points
6. Tyler Reddick – 774 points
7. Chase Elliott – 773 points
8. Brad Keselowski – 636 points
9. Alex Bowman – 615 points
10. Joey Logano – 557 points
11. Daniel Suarez – 497 points
12. Austin Cindric – 451 points
13. Martin Truex Jr. – 662 points
14. Ty Gibbs – 602 points
15. Bubba Wallace – 587 points
16. Chris Buescher – 584 points
    (PLAYOFF CUT-OFF)
17. Ross Chastain – 584 points
18. Chase Briscoe – 485 points
19. Kyle Busch – 465 points
20. Todd Gilliland – 454 points
21. Michael McDowell – 431 points
22. Carson Hocevar – 414 points
23. Josh Berry – 412 points
24. Noah Gragson – 400 points
25. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – 376 points
26. Ryan Preece – 341 points
27. Erik Jones – 337 points
28. Justin Haley – 329 points
29. Corey LaJoie – 327 points
30. Daniel Hemric – 323 points
31. Austin Dillon – 319 points
32. John Hunter Nemechek – 313 points
33. Zane Smith – 262 points
34. Harrison Burton – 243 points
35. Kaz Grala – 166 points
36. Cody Ware – 47 points
37. Joey Hand – 43 points
38. Jimmie Johnson – 39 points
39. Derek Kraus – 32 points
40. David Ragan – 17 points
41. Kamui Kobayashi – 8 points
42. Will Brown – 6 points
43. Cam Waters – 2 points