Fans are excited over NASCAR’s silly season, but it seems this season might be better dubbed as ‘Penalty Season’ with all the drama unfolding off the track. From equipment violations to unapproved adjustments, the sanctioning body is cracking down hard, making sure everyone plays by the rules. It’s a shift that’s got the whole NASCAR garage on edge, wondering who’s going to get caught next. Chase Briscoe and JGR were the first ones to walk on a tightrope after being penalized 100 points after the Daytona 500. Then there was Chris Buescher, who saw his playoff hopes slipping after the Kansas race weekend.

In both cases, the respective teams appealed and successfully argued their case, resulting in some form of relief. But the situation is looking grim for A. J. Allmendinger and Kaulig Racing at Nashville Superspeedway as they were caught red-handed trying to bend the rules. The scene was straight out of a NASCAR drama. Officials had their eyes on AJ Allmendinger’s No. 16 Kaulig Racing car while it was on pit road during Saturday’s practice and qualifying sessions, suspecting the team had made unapproved adjustments. Sure enough, after pulling the car into inspection, NASCAR confirmed their suspicions: The team had tampered with the car’s splitter, which wasn’t within the limits of the rulebook.

Hence, the car was taken back to the garage. Reporter 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.”

Gluck was right because by Saturday night, NASCAR issued the following penalties:

• Allmendinger will have to start at the rear of the field (he originally qualified 17th). He will also have to perform a stop-and-go penalty.
• The team will lose its pit stall selection for Sunday’s race.
• Car chief Jaron Antley will be ejected for the remainder of the weekend. Additionally, his credentials will be confiscated.

But what did the driver say about the issue?

“It’s just a part of NASCAR life,” Allmendinger shared. “NASCAR saw something they didn’t like when we were sitting there, we had to go back, (and) my guys did a good job. We got back through there…only lost 10 or 12 minutes of practice, and the way these practices work, you almost run out of tire anyway so it’s not like you gotta be out there for 25 minutes.”

Well, the driver understands that such issues are a part of motorsport. But he also knows that any potential points penalty could be detrimental to his playoff hopes.

A comeback amid controversy for Allmendinger

Even with the Nashville penalty hanging over him like a dark cloud, there’s a ray of sunshine for AJ Allmendinger and Kaulig Racing that’s got fans feeling hopeful. Just recently, Kaulig Racing shared some big news that’s being called a sensational comeback for the NASCAR veteran—they’ve confirmed Allmendinger will be back with the team full-time in the Cup Series for the 2026 season.

It’s a moment that feels like the pieces of a puzzle coming together, especially after Allmendinger’s journey through the ups and downs of racing. Right now, in 2025, he’s sitting 18th in the Cup standings, just 13 points away from making the playoffs, and his steady hand has lifted Kaulig Racing’s game to new heights. Team president Chris Rice didn’t hold back, saying with a firm “100 percent” that Allmendinger is their guy for the No. 16 car next year.

With four road course races lined up on the schedule, there’s a huge potential that one of them could see Allemdinger take Kaulig Racing back to victory lane. Despite the back-to-back DNFs at Kansas and Texas and the radio rant aimed at ECR engines, the veteran driver bounced back with a P4 finish at the Coca-Cola 600.

Kaulig is hoping for a repeat of 2021 and 2023 when Allemdinger won at the Indy road course and Charlotte Roval. And given their current program, and the races lined up next, he is an ideal candidate for them to continue at least until 2026. What do you think?