NASCAR News: A.J. Allmendinger returning to Cup full-time in 2025

Kaulig Racing announced Thursday that A.J. Allmendinger will return to the Cup Series full-time next season, once again driving the No. 16 for the team.

The No. 16 has been split among several drivers this year, including Allmendinger, while he has run in the Xfinity Series full-time.

Allmendinger has driven for the Kaulig organization since 2019, when he signed on for five Xfinity Series races. That stint included his first NASCAR national-series victory in nearly five years, and Allmendinger’s workload increased to full-time duties in 2021.

His victory total has also grown. Two of his three career triumphs in the NASCAR Cup Series have come during his time with Kaulig, and his Xfinity Series win count now stands at 17 — with 15 of those achieved in the last five-plus seasons.

Kaulig ventured into the Cup Series in 2020 with a one-off Daytona 500 effort for Justin Haley, but quickly grew to be a full-time Cup operation two years later by fielding two full-time, chartered cars. Allmendinger returned to Cup full-time in 2023, producing his most recent win at the Charlotte Motor Speedway oval and road-course layout, before returning to Xfinity on a full-time basis this season.

Allmendinger currently ranks sixth in the Xfinity Series standings, with three top-five finishes in 20 starts. He is slated for double duty this weekend at Michigan International Speedway, where he’ll drive the No. 16 Chevy in Saturday’s Xfinity Series Cabo Wabo 250 (3:30 p.m. ET) and Sunday’s Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 (2:30 p.m. ET), both races broadcast on USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.