AJ Allmendinger wants to challenge himself in his full-time Cup return

The Dinger analyses the hectic schedule ahead of his return to the Cup Series.


AJ Allmendinger wants to challenge himself in his full-time Cup return

AJ Allmendinger of Kaulig Racing.

AJ Allmendinger is back to competing full-time in the Cup Series, driving the No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Kaulig Racing. The 41-year-old, who has previously driven for Richard Petty Motorsports, Penske Racing, Phoenix Racing, and JTDG, announced his return to the Cup grid in October 2022. After his retirement in 2018, Allmendinger, a.k.a “The Dinger,” returned to the Xfinity series running a part-time schedule for Kaulig Racing, No:16 in the Cup and Xfinity series.

ADVERTISEMENT

As it’s been quite some time since he raced in the NASCAR Cup Series, he sat down with Fox Sports to talk about his full-time commitment. Last year Allmendinger ran 53 races. When asked if the other drivers would treat him any differently this season, he had an amusing response, “I don’t talk to them much during off season”. 

However, he conveys that his focus remains the same and that his schedule is packed as they have no off weekend. The two times Xfinity Series regular-season champion said that he does it to challenge himself and that this season will be busier.  He said, “Last year I did 53 races so I’m just cutting my schedule down, you know I think its one of those things that we had a good rhythm at the end of the last year, my crew chief’s win and mine, both cars are racing so we’ll get better, I’m just trying to figure out where we settle early in the season, and we’ll go from there” 

Related: AJ Allmendinger returns to the cup series with more passion than ever

ADVERTISEMENT

AJ Allmendinger opens up about his relationship with fellow Cup drivers and his plans to continue golfing

Allmendinger was asked about his relationship with fellow Cup drivers in the off-season. He replied, “If we are being brutally honest, I don’t really talk to many of the drivers off season, so no. I mean, my focus is still the same as going out there, its no different from Xfinity, obviously the schedule is more packed and busier with no off weekend really except for one, but at the end of the day, my job is to go out there and first and foremost my job is to try and get the most out of the race cars. More than anything, I do this to challenge myself, and that’s what its always been about, that doesn’t change,”.

It is no secret that Allmendinger loves to play golf whenever possible. He mentioned a few years back that success or failure in golf falls upon the individual player, unlike in NASCAR, where there is a team behind. When questioned whether he’d be seen playing more golf or less this season. The stock car racing driver chuckled. He said, “We’ll see how the year goes, ill tell you right now, less golf is probably a good thing for me because mentally, more golf is not helping, and that’s why I have to go full time racing anyway because I was golfing everyday more than racing, less golf is probably a better thing”,

Fans have already predicted that it will be an amazing 2023 season for the driver. He is driving for Kaulig Racing along with Justin Haley and Chandler Smith. His teammates will be seen taking part in the Xfinity Series as well. 

In case you missed it:

ADVERTISEMENT