AJ Allmendinger might have been emotional after getting his first victory of the season, but the reality check that he projected regarding today’s Cup Series races is indeed impossible to ignore. Such is the current playoff structure, like beauty and a beast, in its own way. A driver could be finishing in the top 5 or top 10 consecutively and yet fail to make it into the playoffs based on points, win just one regular season race, and sit easy on your couch, preparing for the round of 16.

Allmendinger, who was a career journeyman through the course of his NASCAR career prior to landing a solid position at Kaulig Racing, says it’s a special feeling to help build a program up off the ground floor. But if a driver fails to qualify for the playoffs, it could affect their future in the series. Moreover, it could also cost them their relationship with sponsors, and that could decide their future with the team. Interestingly, that’s not the case for Kaulig Racing team driver AJ Allmendinger, as he revealed while talking to ‘Motor Racing Network’.

AJ Allmendinger exposed how Matt Kaulig’s team lags behind Joe Gibbs’ team

Given how strong the team appeared at the close of the 2022 season, there was a lot of optimism that Allmendinger could join the organization and turn Kaulig’s fledgling NASCAR Cup Series team into a playoff contender this season. However, the Californian claims that when 2023 started, he and the team internally anticipated that they would be slightly knocked back to Earth.

When 40 cars, each of them almost similar in terms of components and specifications, run at full throttle trying to ace the race, it becomes extremely difficult for a driver to get a huge room to dominate his competitors. It’s often a slugfest to keep surviving till the finish line, and at the end, the survivor takes the trophy. AJ Allmendinger exclaimed, “…it’s hard to win a cup race.“

Amidst all the odds that this sport has to offer, AJ explained how Joe Gibbs Racing was way ahead of their team. He stated that executing everything to perfection is a challenge for everyone. However, being a bigshot team like Joe Gibbs Racing comes with its own perks. Advanced machinery, a more experienced crew, and manufacturer support—they have it all! Kaulig Racing has been around the scene for no more than a couple of years.

Allmendinger said, “Let’s be honest, with our race team, you have to be almost perfect. There are other teams that the 24s(…) and the Gibbs teams, they don’t have to be perfect, they can make a couple of mistakes and they’d still have a shot to win the race.”

“I call it a second season as a cup racing team and that’s what we’ve been at Kaulig Racing. We’ve gained some momentum and some speed, but man, it’s hard to get upfront and execute everything. I wanna raise us always to the next level,” he added.

Watch this story: A.J. Allmendinger’s Uncertain Future in NASCAR

For AJ Allmendinger, Kaulig Racing is not just a team: “End my career in a Kaulig Racing Chevy”

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This season has not been very favorable for road-course master AJ Allmendinger. But this is not the first time he is riding a Cup car. Allmendinger has driven in the Cup Series for Legacy Motor Club from 2009 to 2011 and for JTG Daugherty Racing from 2014 to 2018. All three of his Cup Series wins came on road courses, with two of them coming with Matt Kaulig’s team. His latest unexpected win at the Charlotte Motor Speedway came as a non-playoff driver!

Whether the number 16 Chevy star will be coming back full-time next year is still not confirmed. However, that doesn’t defenestrate Allmendinger totally out of the Cup Series arena. While talking to the ‘MRN Live’ podcast, AJ said, “No matter if I’m back in the Xfinity series full time, I’m still gonna do Cup races. So it’s not like I’m not gonna be in those races.”

But even the 41-year-old driver doesn’t know how many races that would be. But one thing he knows for sure: he will be racing for the rest of his life in a Kaulig Racing Chevrolet. “No matter which series, I’m gonna end my career in a Kaulig Racing Chevy, whenever that is,” he added.

It remains to be seen if Allmendinger will be back next year! After the iconic Cup Series win at the Roval, perhaps fans can expect some more action from the veteran!

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