What’s Happening?

Shane Van Gisbergen has performed very well in his first NASCAR Xfinity Series season with two road wins already. However, his contract with Trackhoue and the likelihood of the team purchasing a third charter puts the future of his race team into question. Today, we look at what this race team, Kaulig Racing, could do if SVG moves up to the Cup Series.

• Kaulig Racing opened up a third full-time Xfinity Series car in 2024 for the first time in their history. This was to accommodate SVG and his development contract with Trackhouse, with whom Kaulig is aligned.
• That alliance also doesn’t seem like it’s going anywhere anytime soon. Kaulig Team President Chris Rice recently said on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio about the alliance between the two, “We will be close to Trackhouse for a while.”
• Fans are curious to see where SVG ends up in 2025. However, fewer are focusing on the ramifications of Kaulig as a race team.

What If It Stays a Kaulig/Trackhouse Alliance?

The first option with this race team is that it stays a Trackhouse/Kaulig-aligned race team. If that’s the case, it becomes an easy place for a Trackhouse driver to land in 2025. Zane Smith could end up here if Trackhouse runs out of room in the Cup Series, or maybe Connor Zilisch could also race here once he turns 18.

However, what if Kaulig has another driver they want to bring through the pipeline? Daniel Dye has made a few starts with Kaulig this year in the No. 10 car. Could we see something like that happen as well?

Ultimately, it depends, but how long can an alliance like this last? Will Kaulig and Trackhosue be okay with sharing these kinds of resources for long? That’s the big question with this race team.

What If Kaulig Gets Rid of the Team Entirely?

There is also the unlikely option that this team dissolved entirely. This is only if Trackhouse decides they have no interest in the team anymore and Kaulig cannot find the funding to run the team as a result. This seems very unlikely for multiple reasons.

Trackhouse still has the issue of too many drivers and not enough seats for them. How does cutting their current seats by one more race team benefit them?

Kaulig may struggle with developing a prospect they won’t be able to use, but SVG has brought them two wins so far. It gives them more opportunities to win races, which means more exposure to sponsors, income, etc.

What If Trackhouse Takes Over the Team Entirely?

Another option is for Trackhouse to simply absorb the operations of this race team and use it to start their own in-house Xfinity Series program. Trackhouse could use an extra seat somewhere with five drivers currently under contract. The question is, who fills the seat in this scenario?

Connor Zilisch is an obvious choice as Trackhouse’s youngest driver under contract. He’s performed well in virtually every car he’s gotten into this season and will be 18 years old in 2025. He could jump up to NASCAR full-time, and it would make perfect sense to have him finally in the fold as the next Trackhouse prospect.

Zane Smith is another candidate. He currently sits last in Cup Series points amongst drivers who compete full-time, and he could probably use a confidence boost. Why not put him in top-tier equipment in a lower series where he can win races? However, that leaves Trackhouse with the question of what to do with Zilisch.

What If Kaulig Keeps It?

The other option is that Kaulig Racing just outright keeps it and Trackhouse moves on to something different. Again, this is very unlikely given that Rice has publicly stated that the relationship between Kaulig and Trackhouse will continue for a while.

If this does happen, Kaulig’s options are a bit more limited. They could bring in Daniel Dye, as we just mentioned. Maybe Rajah Caruth is an option too, but he has support from Hendrick Motorsports. Christian Eckes could be an interesting pickup, but how much funding does he bring?

Again, this seems very unlikely, but it’s a possibility. If Kaulig keeps this race team in-house with no alliance, it opens up another option for them to work drivers up the pipeline.

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