When you’re coming off back-to-back DNFs, it’s hard to feel the motivation. Just ask Dale Jr. It was the 2004 Cup Series Championship fight, and while Junior was still in contention, two consecutive accidents at Martinsville and Atlanta had left him stranded. Dale knew he needed a comeback. With everything on the line, the pieces came together at the 2004 Checker Auto Parts 500. Starting in 14th place, his No. 8 car clawed its way to the top, leading for 118 laps, and the win belonged to him. And although Junior may be retired, when he sees a comeback story, he knows he has to talk about it. That’s what happened when A. J. Allmendinger went against the odds at the Coca-Cola 600.

Talking about it on the Dale Jr. Download, he said, “They were awful last year, they made a massive gain in times in terms of speed, it’s actually one if not the most impressive story in terms of the team improving over the last year. AJ was upfront all night, strong all night, really good at practice.” Earnhardt started off with a big shoutout to Kaulig’s jaw-dropping comeback.

Dale’s got a point. Last season, Allmendinger was running on fumes. No top-five finishes and a handful of top-10 finishes. Combine that with an average starting and finishing position greater than 20th, and that’s when you have a recipe for disaster. But 2025? It’s like the driver has reinvented himself! Allmendinger, back in the No. 16 Chevrolet full-time, shook things up, finishing in the top 10.

When it came to the Coca-Cola 600, it wasn’t just a race-day performance. Allmendinger’s practice sessions were incredible, clocking in at a personal best time of 30.11 seconds and a top speed of 179.31 mph. To put that into context, he was third in practice standings. He even managed to break past the 30-second barrier in qualifying! With a car like that, it’s no wonder Allmendinger was all praises for his team at the end of the night. “To finish inside the top five, top six in all the stages and be there all night is really good for our team. We need a little bit more to get to the next level, but super proud of everybody at Kaulig Racing. We’ve had a tough three weeks so to come back and show up with a lot of speed was important.”

Dale, however, remained laser-focused on the numbers, especially since they translated into race performance. “You see those practice times for AJ, he was in second in 5, 10, and 15 lap averages, and you’re like, is that real? Will he run good in this race? Because sometimes you’ll have people who do those things in practice and you’re like **** that’s a fast car. Second in all those 15 laps averages, I would be pretty happy if I was that driver. But the race starts and they just drop to the back over the course of the race, he stayed up in the top 10 or 8.”

Starting fifth, he slipped to 10th early but fought back, coming in at fifth in Stage 1, sixth in Stage 2, and sixth in Stage 3. And that’s not all! His fourth-place finish was his best ever in the Coca-Cola 600 and his top non-drafting oval result since Homestead 2022. In 2025, his 15.5 average starting position and 21.1 average finish across 13 races show consistency, but Charlotte was a game-changer. But why stop there? Junior has a plan for Allmendinger’s playoff qualification. “Raced even at top five at times, had a really really solid night. In that bracket, if he survives Atlanta, he’s got a great shot there in Sonoma to keep alive.” 

While Kaulig Racing plots its next move in the playoffs race, let’s see what is brewing behind the scenes for A.J.

Is A. J. Allmendinger getting a new contract at Kaulig?

After the Coca-Cola 600, Kaulig Racing knew they had left a mark on NASCAR’s crown jewel. It reflected perfectly in crew chief Trent Owens’ words. “It was a good weekend for us to show speed off the truck in practice and to qualify well. We were able to collect a lot of stage points and come away with a fourth-place finish. It was just an outstanding day for Kaulig Racing and it’s pretty amazing what AJ’s brought to the table with getting this car in the top 10 at these tracks this year. It’s been a lot of fun and hopefully we’ll continue that through the season. I’m really happy with everybody at the shop and everybody that travels on the crew. We’re looking to keep the momentum going and carry that into the summer.”

With a driver on board who looks like he can take the team to the playoffs, what can Kaulig do to add a little extra incentive? Well, word on the street is that there is a contract extension being readied for Allmendinger. According to Bianchi, Kaulig Team President Chris Rice wants A. J. on board next year. “Chris Rice told me, 100 percent certainty, A.J. Allmendinger is going to be back in the Cup car next year,” Bianchi revealed on a recent episode of the Teardown.

That’s certainly a positive sign for the driver. Just a few weeks ago, after consecutive issues in Texas and Kansas, Allmendinger’s place in the standings had taken a hit, but with the Coca-Cola 600, he’s in 17th place, just two points behind Ryan Preece. And with road course races still remaining, who knows? Perhaps he takes a win and goes ahead!