Top Dog: AJ Allmendinger
Trophy hunting.
That is the mission and phrase that Kaulig Racing holds itself to when the team hits the track on Saturdays and Sundays. It’s the hashtag used in many of their social media posts as well.
Kaulig has claimed that trophy prize on several occasions. In 2021, AJ Allmendinger earned the organization its first NASCAR Cup Series win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.
At the time, it was in the midst of a part-time season in a pathway to joining 23XI Racing and Trackhouse Racing as new teams at NASCAR’s premier level. While 23XI and Trackhouse were experiencing growing pains, Allmendinger’s win set Kaulig up to be the most successful of the new trio.
As time wore on, 23XI and Trackhouse got stronger in a short amount of time and now are competing as title contenders.
Kaulig? Not so much. Both its lucrative NASCAR Xfinity Series program and its Cup program seemed to tail off at times between 2022 and 2023. Still, its veteran leader Allmendinger continued to shed rays of hope with strong runs.
Up until the Charlotte ROVAL (Oct. 8), that Indy win stood as Kaulig’s lone Cup win. Allmendinger changed that at the last road-course event of 2023.
After pacing himself to a steady start in the opening stages of the race, the door opened for the 41-year-old as stage two was wrapping up.
Two-time ROVAL winner Chase Elliott looked to have assumed control of the race, taking the lead in the second stage and setting himself up for a shot at the victory. But as Elliott went to pit before the stage’s end, a caution flew, forcing him to stay on track. One caution wiped away all of Elliott’s track position.
Allmendinger started on the front row to begin