NASCAR: Top 5 driver changes for the 2023 season
By Asher Fair
Top NASCAR driver moves for 2023: Honorable mention – A.J. Allmendinger
A.J. Allmendinger isn’t replacing anybody at Kaulig Racing, but adding him as their second full-time driver is a strong move for a team preparing for their second full season of NASCAR Cup Series competition, and that makes him this list’s honorable mention.
Kaulig Racing made their Cup Series debut in 2020, competing in just one race, and ran a nine-race schedule in 2021. In just their seventh ever start, Allmendinger found victory lane at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.
The team began competing full-time in 2022, doing so with two charters they purchased from Spire Motorsports. Justin Haley drove the No. 31 Chevrolet full-time while three drivers — Allmendinger, Noah Gragson, and Daniel Hemric — spent time behind the wheel of the No. 16 Chevrolet.
For their first full season, it was advantageous to have multiple drivers behind the wheel of the second car. But in terms of long-term growth, they needed to add a second driver to capitalize.
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Allmendinger was the best option, and they took advantage of it. Couple his road course prowess with how much he has grown on ovals since joining Matt Kaulig’s Xfinity Series program in 2019, and the new full-time driver of the No. 16 Chevrolet could be a dark horse playoff contender.