Just a week ago, AJ Allmendinger was the talk of the NASCAR world after his impressive fourth-place finish at the 2025 Coca-Cola 600. Fans and pundits alike were buzzing about his gritty drive and Kaulig Racing’s momentum, with some even whispering about a possible playoff run. But in NASCAR, fortunes can flip faster than a well-executed pit stop.
One week, you’re celebrating in the spotlight, and the next, you and your team are facing questions in the garage. That’s exactly where AJ Allmendinger found himself at Nashville, as a promising qualifying run was suddenly overshadowed by controversy. Before he could even lock in his place on the grid, the No. 16 team was thrust into the center of a rulebook drama that would shake up their weekend plans.
Penalty drama unfolds after AJ Allmendinger’s qualifying run
AJ Allmendinger put his No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevy 17th on the grid for the 2025 Nashville Cup Series race. However, just hours before qualifying, NASCAR officials grew suspicious of the No. 16 team’s activity on pit road. Thus, they pulled the car aside for a closer look. Jeff Gluck shared an update about the situation with a post on X: “From NASCAR: Officials suspected AJ Allmendinger’s team made unapproved adjustments to the car on pit road. NASCAR pulled it from pit road and found indeed the team had done that. The team was then required to fix it. They will be allowed to qualify, but more penalties could be issued later.”
The car was sent back to the Cup garage and run through the underbody scanning station (USS). The team made the required repairs, bringing the car back into compliance before practice and qualifying. AJ Allmendinger was still allowed to qualify, but the infraction triggered immediate and severe penalties. NASCAR held the No. 16 team for 10 minutes at the start of practice, and they also lost their pit stall selection for the race, a crucial disadvantage at a track where pit position can make or break a day. However, this wasn’t even the biggest blow.
In a dramatic turn of events, after initially being allowed to attempt to qualify, AJ Allmendinger will have to start at the rear of the field and perform a stop-and-go penalty after taking the green flag. That’s a brutal blow for a driver sitting just outside the playoff bubble, especially after recent engine woes. For Kaulig Racing, the chances of a good result at Nashville and the road to postseason just got a lot steeper. All thanks to a split-second decision that NASCAR deemed a step too far.
NASCAR has released the update on Allmendinger’s team penalty. pic.twitter.com/JIakGHVVrk
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) June 1, 2025
But the penalties didn’t stop there either. Car chief Jaron Antley was ejected for the weekend, and his hard card was confiscated—an unmistakable message from NASCAR that rule-bending will not be tolerated. It seems like nothing can go consistently right for Allmendinger. A blown engine at Kansas led to a scathing rant on his radio against the ECR engines, but AJ bounced back at Charlotte, and so did a fellow ECR driver for Trackhouse Racing, Ross Chastain, who won the race! So, if it’s not blown engines, it’s pit road errors that have stalled Allmendinger’s progress. Despite that, Kaulig Racing has committed to the veteran.
Kaulig Racing confirms AJ Allmendinger’s full-time return
Kaulig Racing has made a decisive call about AJ Allmendinger’s future. After weeks of speculation, team president Chris Rice confirmed that Allmendinger will return to the NASCAR Cup Series full-time in 2026. This announcement comes after Allmendinger’s strong run at the Coca-Cola 600, where he finished fourth and reignited his playoff hopes.
Rice praised Allmendinger’s impact, jokingly stating, “All you have to do in return is take AJ golfing.” The team believes Allmendinger consistently lifts their performance, especially when momentum matters most. After 13 races, he sits 18th in the standings, just 13 points outside the playoff cut. His Charlotte result was crucial, helping him recover from back-to-back DNFs at Texas and Kansas that dropped him as low as 25th.
AJ Allmendinger credited his crew and crew chief Trent Owens for their composure at Charlotte, saying, “None of us made mistakes today. The pit crew was on it. Trent was on it.” The team is now focused solely on the Cup Series for 2026. Rice emphasized, “He’s not running any Xfinity because we are focused on making the playoffs over here and he’s the guy to get it done for us”.
Kaulig expects Allmendinger’s road course prowess to pay off, with four such races left in the regular season. The team’s overhaul, including a dedicated competition director, signals their commitment to Cup success. Despite the setback in Nashville, Kaulig Racing’s faith in Allmendinger remains unshaken. With his full-time return secured and momentum building, the No. 16 team still has time to turn the tide.
If AJ can weather the storm, his comeback story might just be one worth cheering for.
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