Kaulig Racing
Kaulig Racing is an American professional stock car racing team that competes in the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Kaulig fields two Cup Series Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 teams: the No. 10 full-time for Ty Dillon and the No. 16 full-time for A. J. Allmendinger. They also field five full-time Truck RAM teams: the No. 10 truck for Daniel Dye, the No. 12 truck for Brenden Queen, the No. 14 truck, the No. 16 truck for Justin Haley, and the No. 25 truck, with various drivers as the flagship team for RAM. The team is owned by Matt Kaulig, an owner of team sponsor LeafFilter. The team has a shop on the Richard Childress Racing campus in Welcome, North Carolina, and formerly operated out of the NTS Motorsports facility. The team previously competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Cup Series
Car No. 10 history
; Ty DillonTy Dillon was announced as the driver of Kaulig's second entry in 2025. Along with Dillon driving, the team said they will be using the No. 10.
Car No. 13 history
Part-timeKaulig Racing announced that they will field a third car on a part-time basis with Xfinity driver Chandler Smith driving for five races starting with the [2023 2024 United Rentals 300|Daytona 500|Daytona 500] with sponsorship for that race coming from Quick Tie. Smith failed to make the Daytona 500 after finishing eighteenth in Duel 1 of the 2023 Bluegreen Vacations Duels. Smith made his official Cup debut at Richmond, finishing seventeenth. On March 9, the team announced dirt racer Jonathan Davenport would be driving the entry in his Cup Series debut at the Food City Dirt Race. He finished 36th in the race.
In 2024, A. J. Allmendinger would drive No. 13 in the road course races when Shane van Gisbergen was driving the No. 16. Allmendinger made his first start in the No. 13 at Circuit of the Americas, where he finished sixth. Allmendinger would drive the car at Chicago and Watkins Glen, but failed to finish both races with an accident at Chicago and suffering a transmission failure at Watkins Glen.
In 2025, it was announced that Will Brown would drive the No. 13 Chevrolet at the Chicago Street Race.
Car No. 16 history
Part-timeOn January 10, 2020, Kaulig Racing announced they would make their NASCAR Cup Series debut at the Daytona 500, fielding the No. 16 for Justin Haley. The Fraternal Order of Eagles would sponsor Haley's entry. On February 8, Kaulig announced the team was looking to do more races in 2020. The next day, Haley made the field by posting the fastest qualifying speed of all the non-charter teams. After failing to run more Cup races in 2020 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the team announced plans during the offseason to run the superspeedways and road course races in 2021. On January 13, 2021, it was announced that Kaz Grala would attempt to qualify for the Daytona 500 in the No. 16 car for Kaulig. Grala also attempted the GEICO 500 at Talladega, finishing a career best sixth place. A. J. Allmendinger returned to Cup by racing at the Daytona RC, then Circuit of the Americas.
On April 28, 2021, Matt Kaulig announced on SiriusXM Radio that Kaulig Racing would race full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series in the 2022 season. On June 18, the team announced that it purchased two charters from Spire Motorsports and would have Haley drive full-time in 2022. On August 15, Allmendinger gave Kaulig Racing their first Cup Series win at the Indianapolis road course in only the team's seventh Cup Series start. At the 2021 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, Grala suffered a foot injury from one of the race's accidents.
Daniel Hemric, A. J. Allmendinger, and Noah Gragson
On December 14, 2021, Kaulig Racing announced the 2022 lineup for the No. 16, with Daniel Hemric and Noah Gragson joining the previously announced A. J. Allmendinger. Hemric is to run 8 races, Gragson will run 14, and Allmendinger will run 16 including the Clash and the All-Star Race. While Hemric drove his eight races, Gragson only drove ten as near the end of the season, he drove in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 for five races as Alex Bowman recovered from injury. Allmendinger drove the remainder of Gragson's scheduled races, making it eighteen races in the No. 16 for Allmendinger.
On May 3, 2022, crew chief Matt Swiderski was suspended for four races due to a tire and wheel loss at Dover.
A. J. Allmendinger
On October 5, Kaulig Racing announced that Allmendinger would drive the No. 16 full-time in 2023, marking his first full-time Cup season since 2018. Despite not making the playoffs, Allmendinger scored a win at the Charlotte Roval. Allmendinger would not return to the Cup Series full-time in 2024, instead competing full-time in the Xfinity Series, with a part-time schedule in Cup.
Rotation of drivers
The team used multiple drivers for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season. Allmendinger would remain in the car running in a part-time capacity. The team also announced that the team's other NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers, Josh Williams, and Shane van Gisbergen, would also run races. On February 22, 2024, Derek Kraus was announced for a six-race slate beginning at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. On March 25, 2024, Kaulig announced that Ty Dillon would drive a five-race schedule, beginning at Richmond Raceway. On October 16, crew chief Travis Mack left the team. Darian Grubb replaced him at Las Vegas.
Return to A. J. Allmendinger
On August 15, 2024, Kaulig announced that Allmendinger would return full time to the No. 16 in 2025.
Car No. 31 history
Justin HaleyOn June 18, 2021, when Justin Haley was announced to drive full-time for Kaulig Racing in 2022, the team announcement stated that he would pilot the No. 16, which was the number Kaulig used for its Cup Series races in 2020 and 2021. However, following the news that Kaulig's other chartered entry would use the No. 16, the team announced on December 15, 2021, that Haley would drive the No. 31 in 2022. Haley finished 23rd at the 2022 Daytona 500, but following the race, crew chief Trent Owens was suspended for four races due to a tire and wheel loss during the race. On May 17, Owens was once again suspended for four races due to a tire and wheel loss during the 2022 AdventHealth 400 at Kansas.
Haley began the 2023 season with a 32nd-place finish at the 2023 Daytona 500. On March 15, the No. 31 was served an L2 penalty after unapproved hood louvers were found installed on the car during pre-race inspection at Phoenix; as a result, the team was docked one hundred driver and owner points and ten playoff points. In addition, Owens was suspended for four races and fined 100,000. On April 5, the National Motorsports Appeals Panel amended the penalty, upholding the fine, Owens' suspension, and 10 playoff points, but reducing the 100 driver and owner points deduction to 75 points. On April 19, the Final Appeals Officer rescinded all points deductions levied against the team at the request of NASCAR.
It was announced on July 20, 2023, that Haley would be leaving the team in 2024 after signing a multi-year agreement with Rick Ware Racing.
Daniel Hemric
On September 15, 2023, Kaulig Racing announced that Daniel Hemric would drive the No. 31 in 2024. This would mark Hemric's first return to full-time Cup Series competition since his Rookie of the Year campaign in 2019.
Xfinity Series
Kaulig Racing began its Xfinity Series operations in 2016. On October 28, 2025, the team announced it will pause its Xfinity program after the 2025 season to focus on the Cup Series and Truck Series.Car No. 10 history
Part-timeIn 2018, Austin Dillon drove the 10 Car for one race, that being at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He would finish 8th in the race.
On January 31, 2019, Kaulig Racing announced that Ross Chastain would drive the No. 10 car for three races from Daytona, Chicagoland, and Texas. Dillon returned to the team for the Las Vegas spring race, while Elliott Sadler, who had retired from full-time racing after the 2018 season, drove the No. 10 at Richmond and the fall Vegas event. A. J. Allmendinger joined the team on March 21 for a five-race schedule at Daytona, Watkins Glen, Mid-Ohio, Road America, and the Charlotte Roval. At the 2019 Circle K Firecracker 250 at Daytona, Allmendinger finished third, but was disqualified after a post-race vacuum inspection revealed a discrepancy in his car's engine. Allmendinger was once again disqualified at the 2019 Zippo 200 at The Glen at Watkins Glen International on August 3, 2019, when his second-place finishing car was discovered to be too low on both rear corners during post-race inspection. He held off Tyler Reddick to win at the Charlotte Roval, scoring Kaulig Racing's second win of the season. Days prior to the Kansas race, the No. 10's hauler lost control on a North Carolina highway and crashed, leaving the hauler's drivers injured and the race car damaged.
Ross Chastain
The team would run full-time in 2020 with Alex Yontz as crew chief. On October 15, 2019, it was announced that the driver, competing full-time for the Xfinity Series championship, would be Ross Chastain. It was also announced a month later that his replacement in 2021 would be Jeb Burton, moving over from JR Motorsports. Despite not winning a race and failing to qualify for the team at Daytona, Chastain finished a career-best seventh in the final standings in Kaulig's No. 10, including five runner-ups, and 27 top-tens. Chastain would depart from the team and series after 2020 to replace Matt Kenseth in Chip Ganassi Racing's No. 42 Cup car in 2021. Jeb Burton would replace him for the 2021 season.
;Jeb Burton
On April 24, 2021, Burton recorded his first career victory at Talladega after taking the lead from his cousin Harrison Burton in lap 82 and staying in front with 23 laps left after a caution caused by a seven-car wreck before NASCAR called the race finished due to heavy rain. It was also the second career victory for Kaulig's No. 10. Despite this, Kaulig Racing confirmed on September 21 that Burton's primary sponsor Nutrien Ag Solutions would depart from the team after the season and leave NASCAR entirely amid executive changes at the company. On October 11, Burton announced that he would not return to Kaulig Racing in 2022. He finished 11th in the final standings.
Landon Cassill
On December 9, 2021, Kaulig Racing announced Landon Cassill as Burton's replacement in the No. 10, with Cassill moving over from JD Motorsports alongside sponsor Voyager Digital, which signed a two-year extension with Cassill after beginning to sponsor him in 2021.
Multiple drivers
On January 18, 2023, Cassill announced he would not return to the No. 10 full-time for 2023 as a result of his sponsor Voyager Digital filing for bankruptcy in July 2022. Kaulig has since announced the No. 10 entries will be an "All Star Car" with cup drivers. So far, Kaulig Cup drivers Justin Haley and A. J. Allmendinger as well as affiliate driver Austin Dillon have been announced as drivers. Kyle Busch drove the car at Las Vegas and Phoenix. Kyle Larson took the car to victory lane at Darlington. Allmendinger scored wins at Circuit of the Americas and Nashville. On September 6, 2023, it was announced that Daniel Hemric would move from the No. 11 Chevy to the No. 10 starting at Kansas through the end of the season, as the No. 11 is unlikely to clinch a playoff spot in the owner's championship, while the No. 10 had already clinched a spot. Hemric was eliminated at the conclusion of the Charlotte Roval race, however the No. 10 car did advance to the next round to fight for the owner's title.
Daniel Dye
In 2024, Kaulig fielded the No. 10 car part-time for Daniel Dye.
On August 23, 2024, Kaulig Racing announced that Dye will pilot the No. 10 full-time for 2025.
Car No. 11 history
Blake KochIn June 2015, Blake Koch announced he and longtime sponsor LeafFilter Gutter Protection would re-sign with TriStar Motorsports for the 2016 season. However, in the 2015 offseason, LeafFilter owner Matt Kaulig decided to start his own team, Kaulig Racing. He brought along Koch, who he had sponsored the past two seasons, to pilot the No. 11 Chevy. Longtime NASCAR crew chief Chris Rice was hired as the team's general manager and crew chief. Kaulig Racing formed a technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing for the 2016 season. The team also used the owner's points of TriStar's former No. 8 team. In the team's debut, they finished 9th at Daytona after a strong showing, followed by a twentieth-place finish at Atlanta the following week. For the team's third race Koch was running solidly in the top-fifteen before mechanical problems regulated him to a 26th-place finish six laps down. At Fontana, Koch finished 12th and on the lead lap, after running in the top 10 for much of the day. The team would later have several top-10 and top-fifteen runs, enough to get into the new Xfinity Chase, and also made to the 2nd round as well, but was unable to get to the final round, as he missed out by seven points after finishing a strong eighth after running in or near the top-five all day. Blake finished seventh in the points, a career best for Koch.
Ryan Truex
On January 9, 2018, Kaulig Racing announced that they parted ways with Koch and had signed Camping World Truck Series driver Ryan Truex to drive the No. 11. Truex finished seventh in his team's debut. Truex was also very mediocre, having only one top-five all year long and an average finish of 14.0.
Justin Haley
After the 2018 season, the team announced on December 1, 2018, that Truex would be replaced by NASCAR Truck series title contender Justin Haley, who would compete for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in 2019. Haley would finish twelfth in the points standings in 2019, but the next year scored three wins at both Talladega races and the summer Daytona race and wound up making the Final 4 round of the playoffs, finishing a team-best third in the points standings. Haley was in October 2020 confirmed to drive the car again in 2021. In his third year driving for Kaulig, Haley won the summer Daytona race and advanced to the Round of 8 in the playoffs, though a DNF in the cutoff race at Martinsville prevented Haley from reaching the Final 4.
Daniel Hemric
With Kaulig Racing expanding to the Cup Series full-time with a two car team and Haley as one of its drivers, on September 25, 2021, Daniel Hemric was announced to pilot the No. 11 in 2022. On September 6, 2023, it was announced that Daniel Hemric would move from the No. 11 Chevy to the No. 10 starting at Kansas through the end of the season, as the No. 11 was unlikely to clinch a playoff spot in the owner's championship, while the No. 10 has already clinched a spot. Derek Kraus, Layne Riggs and Jordan Taylor split driving duties of the No. 11 for the rest of the season.
Josh Williams
On November 16, 2023, it was announced that Josh Williams will drive the No. 11 car for the 2024 season.
Williams started out the 2025 season in the No. 11 car; however, on July 30, 2025, Kaulig Racing and Williams agreed to part ways after 21 races. Multiple drivers were used through the final twelve races of the year: Carson Hocevar replaced Williams at Iowa. Michael McDowell, Justin Haley, Will Brown, Daniel Hemric and Brenden Queen also competed for the team.
Car No. 14 history
Justin HaleyOn August 8, 2022, Kaulig Racing announced that Justin Haley would make his Xfinity Series return at Daytona in a newly established No. 14 car sponsored by DaaBin Store. Haley was up front for most of the race but finished 25th after wrecking out late during an overtime attempt. In 2024, Kaulig partnered with SS-Green Light Racing to field the No. 14 for Daniel Suárez. Suárez crashed and finished 35th.
Car No. 16 history
Ross ChastainOn June 27, 2019, Kaulig announced Ross Chastain would drive a third car, the No. 16, at the 2019 Circle K Firecracker 250 at Daytona. After a grueling race at Daytona, Chastain led 49 laps, won stage one, and later went on to score Kaulig Racing's first win.
A. J. Allmendinger
It was announced in early 2020 that A. J. Allmendinger will drive the No. 16 on a part-time basis starting at Daytona, in which he DNQ'd. Allmendinger won at Atlanta for the team, giving Kaulig Racing their third career win and their second with Allmendinger. Allmendinger would go on to win again that season at the Charlotte Roval for a second year in a row. On December 1, 2020, Kaulig announced Allmendinger would drive the No. 16 on a full-time basis for the 2021 Xfinity season.
In his first full-time season with Kaulig, Allmendinger scored wins at Las Vegas, Mid-Ohio, Michigan, and Bristol and stayed consistent enough to clinch the Regular Season Championship. During the playoffs, Allmendinger won at the Charlotte Roval for Kaulig a third consecutive time, and made the Championship 4, finishing fourth in the final standings.
Allmendinger started the 2022 season with a second-place finish at Daytona. He racked up wins at Citcuit of the Americas, Portland, Indianapolis and Talladega, and stayed consistent enough to win his second consecutive Regular Season Championship. During the playoffs, Allmendinger would win back-to-back races at Talladega and the Charlotte Roval, making it four straight victories at the latter. However, subpar finishes at Las Vegas and Martinsville eliminated Allmendinger from competing for the Xfinity Championship at Phoenix. Allmendinger would finish fifth in the points standings.
Chandler Smith
On October 5, 2022, Kaulig Racing announced that Chandler Smith would replace Allmendinger in the No. 16 in 2023, as Allmendinger would return to a full-time schedule in the Cup Series, Smith began the season with a 12th-place finish at Daytona. Two months later, he scored his first Xfinity win at Richmond.
A. J. Allmendinger
On December 7, 2023, it was announced that, after a year in Cup, Allmendinger would compete full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2024. Despite not winning a race during the regular season, he stayed consistent enough to make the playoffs. During the playoffs, Allmendinger won at Las Vegas to lock himself into the Championship 4.
Christian Eckes
Christian Eckes was announced as the driver for the 2025 season on August 31, 2024, replacing Allmendinger who returned to the Cup Series with Kaulig.
Car No. 97 history
Shane van GisbergenOn December 13, 2023, in alliance with Trackhouse Racing, it was announced that three-time Supercars champion, Shane van Gisbergen would drive for Kaulig full-time in 2024. Van Gisbergen started the season with a 12th place finish at Daytona. He scored his first two Xfinity Series wins in back-to-back races at Portland and Sonoma. Van Gisbergen earned his third Xfinity win at Chicago. He ended the season 12th in the points standings and moved to the Cup series full-time with Trackhouse in 2025.
Craftsman Truck Series
On August 23, 2025, Kaulig Racing announced it will compete in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Ram Trucks in 2026, fielding up to five trucks including the No. 10. This marks the first time since 2012 that a factory supported team will carry the Ram badge in NASCAR. The No. 10 was announced after being used as a show car. On October 16, 2025 Kaulig announced that 2025 ARCA Menards Series champion Brenden Queen had joined the team. On October 29, Kaulig announced that Justin Haley and Daniel Dye will join the Ram Trucks roster. On November 17, Ram Trucks announced a "Free Agent Program" for the No. 25 truck for the 2026 season. While the drivers will not be competing for the championship, they will be eligible to win a prize by Ram Trucks at the end of the season, based on their individual track performance. On December 4, Kaulig announced their Truck Series numbers. On January 9, 2026 Kaluig announced the reality competition "Race for the Seat" to determine the team's final driver.Truck No. 10 history
Daniel Dye (2026)
The No. 10 truck was announced as an official show car for the program. On December 4, 2025, Kaulig officially confirmed Dye was set to drive the No. 10.Truck No. 12 history
;Brenden QueenOn October 16, 2025, Kaulig Racing announced that 2025 ARCA Menards Series champion Brenden Queen will drive for the team for the 2026 season.
Truck No. 14 history
;TBAOn December 4, 2025, Kaulig Racing announced their truck numbers.
On January 9, 2026, Kaulig announced the competition "Race For The Seat" in partnership with Dana White's Thrill Sports Productions, to be aired on Fox. The competition pitted 15 young drivers against each other for a chance to drive the team's No. 14 truck full time during the 2026 season.
Truck No. 16 history
;Justin HaleyOn October 29, 2025, Kaulig Racing announced Justin Haley, along with Daniel Dye, as the next pair of drivers to their roster.
Truck No. 25 history
;Free Agent ProgramOn November 17, 2025, Ram Trucks announced a "Free Agent Program" for the No. 25 truck for the 2026 season. While the drivers will not be competing for the championship, they will be eligible to win a prize by Ram Trucks at the end of the season, based on their individual track performance. On January 13, 2026, Kaulig Racing announced that Tony Stewart will drive the truck at Daytona.