Kaulig Racing Overview
Kaulig Racing is an American professional stock car racing team founded in 2016 by businessman Matt Kaulig. The team currently competes in the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, with its primary operations based in Welcome, North Carolina. The organization is led by Chris Rice in the role of CEO and general manager, and it fields Chevrolet entries in the Cup Series alongside Ram Trucks entries in the Truck Series.
Headquartered on the Richard Childress Racing campus, Kaulig Racing has grown from a single Xfinity Series operation into a multi-team NASCAR program. The team’s Cup Series lineup includes the No. 10 driven by Ty Dillon and the No. 16 driven by A. J. Allmendinger, while its Truck Series program features up to five Ram entries. Long-time primary sponsor LeafFilter Gutter Protection, the company of owner Matt Kaulig, anchors the team’s commercial identity.
Founding and Organizational Origins
Kaulig Racing was established during the 2015 offseason when LeafFilter Gutter Protection owner Matt Kaulig decided to launch his own motorsports operation. The new team absorbed the personnel and sponsor relationships of TriStar Motorsports, including driver Blake Koch, who had been backed by LeafFilter for two seasons. Chris Rice, a longtime NASCAR crew chief, was hired as the team’s general manager and crew chief, giving the start-up an experienced technical leader from day one.
To accelerate its growth, Kaulig Racing entered a technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing for its debut 2016 season, which gave the young team access to established engineering resources, chassis setups, and parts supply. The team also assumed the owner points previously held by TriStar’s No. 8 Xfinity Series entry, ensuring it would inherit a starting position in the field without having to qualify on speed. The first race under the Kaulig banner was the 2016 PowerShares QQQ 300 at Daytona International Speedway, where Koch finished ninth.
Growth Into NASCAR Cup Series Competition
After five seasons developing its Xfinity Series program, Kaulig Racing announced on April 28, 2021, that it would field a full-time NASCAR Cup Series entry beginning in 2022. The team purchased two charters from Spire Motorsports to lock in guaranteed starting positions, with Justin Haley confirmed as the lead driver. A. J. Allmendinger was also named to the Cup program, bringing road-course expertise and an established winning pedigree in the Xfinity ranks.
The team’s Cup Series debut had actually come one year earlier at the 2020 Daytona 500, when Justin Haley wheeled the No. 16 entry. That first Cup start was followed by a steady buildup of part-time appearances throughout 2020 and 2021, including road-course races, superspeedways, and the Indianapolis road course, where Allmendinger delivered the team’s first Cup Series victory in August 2021. The expansion into Cup marked a turning point that pushed Kaulig Racing from a developmental Xfinity team into a multi-series NASCAR operation.
Kaulig Racing Competitive Journey
Kaulig Racing has progressed steadily from a single-car Xfinity Series entrant in 2016 to a multi-series organization fielding cars in the Cup Series and Craftsman Truck Series by 2026. Along the way, the team has recorded 29 total victories across its three NASCAR series, including 27 wins in the Xfinity Series and 2 in the Cup Series. The organization has also produced 20 pole positions and logged 514 combined race starts.
Early Seasons and Development (2016–2018)
The team’s first three seasons were defined by consistent mid-pack performances and gradual improvement. Blake Koch’s 2016 campaign was the team’s strongest early year, as he finished seventh in Xfinity Series points and advanced to the second round of the Xfinity Chase. Koch was replaced by Camping World Truck Series driver Ryan Truex for 2018, but the team continued to post steady results without breaking through for a win.
Foundational progress was made off the track as well. The technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing helped Kaulig’s engineers refine car setups, while Chris Rice’s leadership established the operational discipline that would support future expansion. By the end of 2018, the team was ready to make a serious playoff push and add a second car.
Breakthrough in the Xfinity Series (2019–2020)
The 2019 season marked Kaulig Racing’s first victory, scored by Ross Chastain at the 2019 Circle K Firecracker 250 at Daytona after he led 49 laps and won stage one. That breakthrough opened the door for a much stronger 2020 campaign, when A. J. Allmendinger joined the team and won at Atlanta and at the Charlotte Roval, giving Kaulig three career wins in a single year.
The growth continued into 2021, when Allmendinger moved to a full-time Xfinity ride in the No. 16. He scored wins at Las Vegas, Mid-Ohio, Michigan, Bristol, and the Charlotte Roval, captured the Xfinity Series Regular Season Championship, and advanced to the Championship 4. The 2022 season produced more of the same, with Allmendinger winning at Circuit of the Americas, Portland, Indianapolis, and Talladega, and earning a second consecutive Regular Season Championship.
Modern Program and Current Direction (2023–Present)
Beginning in 2022, Kaulig Racing committed to a two-car full-time Cup Series operation, with Haley in the No. 31 and Allmendinger running a split schedule. In 2023, Allmendinger moved to a full-time Cup ride in the No. 16 and won at the Charlotte Roval, while Chandler Smith replaced him in the Xfinity Series entry. On October 28, 2025, the team announced it would pause its Xfinity program after the 2025 season to focus on Cup and Trucks.
On August 23, 2025, Kaulig Racing confirmed a major new chapter by announcing its entry into the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for 2026 in partnership with Ram Trucks, becoming the first factory-supported Ram team since 2012. Up to five trucks are planned, with confirmed drivers including Brenden Queen in the No. 12, Justin Haley in the No. 16, and Daniel Dye in the No. 10 before his release. Ty Dillon returned to the Cup lineup in the No. 10 for 2025, while Allmendinger was named full-time in the No. 16.
Philosophy and Competitive Strengths
Kaulig Racing has built much of its identity on road-course and superspeedway success, where driver skill and fuel strategy often outweigh raw horsepower. The team’s Cup and Xfinity wins have come largely at venues such as the Charlotte Roval, Indianapolis road course, Circuit of the Americas, Mid-Ohio, and Daytona and Talladega, suggesting a program tailored to technical circuits and pack racing. The LeafFilter sponsorship, long-term technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing, and the leadership of Chris Rice have all reinforced a patient, alliance-driven approach to growth.
Key Milestones and Major Moments
Among the most important moments in team history are the first Xfinity win at Daytona in 2019, A. J. Allmendinger’s first Cup Series victory at Indianapolis in 2021, Jeb Burton’s last-lap rain-shortened win at Talladega in 2021, and the 2025 announcement of the Ram Trucks factory partnership. In January 2026, Kaulig launched a reality competition titled “Race for the Seat,” in which Mini Tyrrell won the full-time No. 14 Truck ride.
Kaulig Racing Achievements and Results
Across its NASCAR programs, Kaulig Racing has accumulated 29 total race victories, 20 pole positions, and 514 starts, all without a driver’s championship at any of the three national-series levels. The team’s win list spans the Xfinity Series, the Cup Series, and is poised to grow with the new Truck Series program beginning in 2026. Wins have come in clusters at specific tracks, most notably the Charlotte Roval, where Allmendinger won four consecutive Xfinity races from 2019 through 2022.
Cup Series Achievements
Kaulig Racing’s Cup Series program is still young, but it has already produced two wins, two pole positions, and 171 race starts. A. J. Allmendinger scored the team’s first Cup victory at the Indianapolis road course in August 2021, and he added a Charlotte Roval win in 2023. The team expanded to a second full-time Cup entry in 2025 with the addition of Ty Dillon in the No. 10, joining Allmendinger in the No. 16.
Xfinity Series Achievements
The Xfinity Series remains the foundation of Kaulig Racing’s identity, with 27 wins, 18 pole positions, and 330 starts. The team’s first victory came in 2019 at Daytona with Ross Chastain, and the program went on to capture two consecutive Regular Season Championships in 2021 and 2022 with Allmendinger. After the 2025 season, Kaulig Racing will pause its Xfinity operations to redirect resources toward the Cup and Truck programs.
Craftsman Truck Series Achievements
Kaulig Racing’s Truck Series effort is its newest program, announced in 2025 and launched in 2026 with a multi-truck Ram Trucks operation. Up to five entries are planned, including the Nos. 10, 12, 14, 16, and 25, with confirmed drivers Brenden Queen, Justin Haley, Mini Tyrrell, and a rotating cast behind the wheel of the No. 25 “Free Agent Program” truck. The team has recorded 13 Truck Series starts to date without a victory, though the program is still in its opening season.
