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What’s one more piece in the silly season puzzle at this point? Lee Spencer recently spoke out on the rumors she’s been hearing in the garage, one of those in particular around AJ Allmendinger. Allmendinger confirmed earlier in the season that he would be back with Kaulig in 2024, but left in what capacity open-ended.
The whispers in the garage are pointing all to AJ Allmendinger going back to the Xfinity Series. He was very vocal that the grueling length of the schedule was a large reason why he stepped away from the Cup series in 2018. But he made sure to mention that he was prepared for the mental taxation the Cup schedule has when he made his full-time return in 2023.
As someone who has spoken about the length and gruel of the schedule before, it is possible that this is playing into his decision. Especially considering that he and his wife Tara are expecting their first child any day now. Moving down to the Xfinity series would decrease his number of races and increase his off-weekends throughout the season.
The numbers don’t lie. In 98 Xfinity starts he has racked up a total of 17 wins; while on the other hand, out of 420 Cup starts, he has only walked away victorious twice. Wanting to win is in every driver’s DNA. You can’t say that Allmendinger isn’t thinking about where he has a better chance to end up in Victory Lane.
There truly is only one option for AJ Allmendinger to step down, and that’s to switch over to an Xfinity car for Kaulig. Which car, however? That’s up for debate. He could be a full-time driver for the 10 or perhaps replace Daniel Hemric or Chandler Smith should one of them take his position in one of Kaulig’s Cup cars.
