Kaulig Racing enters the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season driven by the momentum built during a year of progress in 2025, and eyes are on the organization to see if recent gains can translate into victories. This Kaulig Racing 2026 season preview explores how both drivers, Ty Dillon and AJ Allmendinger, will look to advance on last year’s achievements as they compete from their Welcome, North Carolina base with Chevrolet power.
Kaulig Racing Gears Up for the 2026 Cup Series
Maintaining its partnership with Chevrolet and ECR Engines, Kaulig Racing continues as a two-car team for 2026, with Ty Dillon leading the No. 10 entry alongside crew chief Andrew Dickeson, and AJ Allmendinger piloting the No. 16 car with Trent Owens calling the shots. The team’s measured optimism stems from highlighted accomplishments last season, as both drivers returned to full-time competition after partial schedules in 2024. Allmendinger delivered the team’s first-ever oval-track pole, while Dillon’s surprising deep run in the inaugural In-Season Challenge fueled wider belief in the program’s direction.
Spotlight on Ty Dillon: Pursuing Consistency and Results
Ty Dillon, returning for his second straight campaign with Kaulig, finds the continuity valuable—his first back-to-back seasons with any squad since his 2017-2020 stretch at Germain Racing. Filling out his experience with 281 Cup Series starts across seven full seasons, Dillon finished 33rd in the final 2025 standings, gathering 13 finishes inside the top 20 and logging a single top 10. He did not claim a win or a pole last year and led 19 laps, but the ongoing partnership with Andrew Dickeson is seen as essential for developing stronger results in 2026. There is recognition that the groundwork has been laid—and now, further gains are expected as the team seeks to break through the mid-pack.
AJ Allmendinger: Veteran Experience and Versatility
With a decade of full-time Cup competition and 482 starts behind him, AJ Allmendinger continues to demonstrate why he remains a threat across disciplines. In 2025, Allmendinger captured his first pole in ten years at the Bristol Motor Speedway qualifying session and achieved the milestone of his first oval pole since 2012 at Kansas Speedway. He finished 26th in points, with no wins, two top-five runs, and seven top 10s, while leading 42 laps on the year. Allmendinger’s reputation as a road course specialist endures, and he has been a formidable contender on intermediate ovals, highlighted by top finishes at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Darlington Raceway, and Homestead-Miami Speedway. Another season working alongside Trent Owens is anticipated to further strengthen the No. 16’s performance, as they lean on the updated data collected during 2025.
Building on Momentum for 2026
The collective experience of drivers Ty Dillon and AJ Allmendinger, along with their respective crew chiefs, has fostered a sense of stability at Kaulig Racing. Returning to full-time roles has allowed both to deliver high points—Dillon’s “Cinderella” run in the In-Season Challenge and Allmendinger’s pole at Bristol—positioning the team to chase higher goals in the new year. With Chevrolet support, a dedicated base in North Carolina, and a year’s worth of gains to build on, Kaulig Racing looks to convert optimism into tangible results during the 2026 Cup Series season.
If both teams can unlock more consistency and capitalize on last season’s breakthroughs at tracks like Homestead-Miami Speedway and Kansas Speedway, Kaulig Racing could emerge as a surprise factor in the hunt for wins and playoff contention.
