What’s Happening?

As of right now, A.J. Allmendinger’s 2025 plans remain up in the air. He is back in the Xfinity Series with Kaulig Racing and is enjoying a solid season, sitting seventh in points despite no wins. Could we see Allmendinger jumping up to the Cup Series again in 2025, or is it a return to the Xfinity Series once again?

• Bob Pockrass reported in late June that Allmendinger could rejoin the Fup Series program at Kaulig in 2025, but the rides will ultimately come down to sponsorship and funding. Does Allmendinger have what he needs to jump back up to Cup?
• There’s also a fair question about whether it is worth it for Allmendinger to get back into the Cup Series. Would that be a better move for him and Kaulig than competing in the Xfinity Series like he is today?
• Fans are waiting to see how every Silly Season story works out. Whether they are discussing Allmendinger or other NASCAR drivers looking for their next seat, fans are looking to see the next move.

What We Know

According to Pockrass’ report, Allmendinger is at least a possibility for a Cup Series ride at Kaulig. It’s also hard to imagine Allmendinger going anywhere else outside of the organization. He willingly stepped down to the Xfinity Series and did not go elsewhere, and the bulk of his success in NASCAR has come with Kaulig (17 out of his 20 wins between Cup and Xfinity).

However, we also do know why he is in the Xfinity Series. It’s not due to performance, as he won a Cup Series race last year with Kaulig at the Charlotte Roval. It’s due to sponsorship, and Chris Rice told Jordan Bianchi as much following Allmendinger’s win at the Roval. The full quote from “The Teardown” podcast episode following the race is here.

I talked to Chris Rice before the press conference one on one, and [Bianchi] asked the question, ‘It’s not all about performance is it?’ [Rice] goes, ‘No, it’s not. It’s a lot about sponsorship dollars, and funding, and that kind of thing.’ That’s where there’s a gap right now. They just don’t have the funding in place for that 16 car

Jordan Bianchi

Has the funding situation improved from 2023 to 2024? Well, in the Cup Series in 2023, A.J. Allmendinger’s primary sponsor was a Matt Kaulig company for at least 16 out of 36 (44%) races, and in the Xfinity Series this season, a Kaulig company has sponsored Allmendinger for nine out of the first 17 (53%) races. The funding situation doesn’t seem to have improved much.

Where Does Allmendinger Go?

When looking at Kaulig’s driver roster, Allmendinger is easily the most accomplished driver when talking about NASCAR specifically. Sure, SVG was a superstar in Supercars and has three NASCAR wins already, but he’s only been in NASCAR for one year. Daniel Hemric may be an Xfinity Series Champion, but that’s his only win.

Even look at this season. Allmendinger has all three top-10s the 16-car has recorded and has as many top-10s as Hemric. Remember that Hemric competes full-time, while Allmendinger has only made seven Cup Series starts so far this season.

Unfortunately, that’s not everything when getting a Cup Series ride. It takes the correct amount of money to make everything work, and if a driver does not bring money with them it’s tough to make it in the Cup Series, and even the top drivers are not always immune. Kyle Busch, the winningest current driver on the circuit, lost his ride at JGR after 2022 due largely to M&M’s pulling out of the sport.

Now, there is one silver lining for Allmendinger. Chris Rice teased back in May that Kaulig had something big planned for 2024, but he said he wanted to see the charter agreement done first.

Could this move provide the funding necessary for Allmendinger to move up to the Cup Series in 2025? It’s hard to say for now, but it’s certainly not impossible.

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