A.J. Allmendinger and longtime Kaulig Racing partner CELSIUS have teamed up to create a special CELSIUS Spritz Vibe Car for this Sunday's 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season finale at Phoenix Raceway.
The ever-growing presence of CELSIUS, the energy drink featuring healthy-energy formulas clinically proven to deliver significant health benefits to dedicated consumers and race car drivers, in NASCAR is set to continue his weekend with a scheme centered around the newest addition to a lineup that now features close to three dozen flavors.
"I have tried the new Spritz Vibe flavor," Allmendinger told Beyond the Flag. "I was at the shop Tuesday, and Skylar, my PR girl, brought it out to me. I’ll be honest, it immediately became my favorite flavor. It tastes really good. I told her right away, ‘You can just hand this to me all weekend, we’re good to go.’"
A.J. Allmendinger talks CELSIUS appreciation
Allmendinger, whose story of how he was first introduced to the brand several years ago is as good as it gets, understands that elite partners such as CELSIUS can be hard to come by at the top level of stock car racing.
"I like all the vibe flavors: the Arctic Vibe, the Peach Vibe, those I always enjoy," he said. "The Cola one, actually, I’m usually not a Cola fan, but that one surprised me. I really enjoyed it. I’m pretty easygoing. I always joke, beggars can’t be choosers. Luckily, I pretty much like all the flavors, so whatever we’ve got at the race track that weekend, I use it. That’s the good thing about CELSIUS; it’s a brand I actually enjoy using and use a lot. It’s nice.
"That’s the great thing about this partnership. As a race car driver, as an athlete, you sometimes get sponsored by things you don’t really use. But with CELSIUS, it’s something I use daily for everything. I enjoy it, and it’s been a great partnership for the race team and myself. I hope it continues for a long time."
He spoke about just how much he uses it, and it definitely extends far beyond the race track and his training routine.
"It’s a daily thing for me, whether it’s training or, more often than not, on the golf course," he admitted. "One, two, maybe three get used up there, depending on the day. If we do 36 holes, definitely more!"
He is particularly excited to run at the four-turn, 1.022-mile (1.645-kilometer) Avondale, Arizona oval in the new Spritz Vibe-themed No. 16 Chevrolet.
"The new car looks awesome this weekend," he continued. "It just fits for Phoenix, kind of got a little desert vibe to it with the light colors. I think it’ll really pop on TV. So yeah, it’s really cool to end the season with this new scheme and the limited edition flavor. I think the fans will love it for sure."
A.J. Allmendinger looking to carry momentum into 2026
Though he's not a playoff driver this year, Allmendinger is still trying to balance carrying momentum into 2026 with his desire to achieve strong results to close out 2025.
"It’s still about results," he said. "Even this weekend, we can gain a couple spots in points, and that’s big money for the team. You want to finish as high as you can.
"We could easily be top 20 in points, but we’ve had eight DNFs from wrecks and bad luck. That’s a lot of points left on the table. Still, we’re learning every week. Even at Martinsville, we didn’t run well but learned things for next year. Phoenix will be the same."
Allmendinger's three career Cup Series wins have come in road course races, but he doesn't have a road course win since October 2023.
In fact, some of his best results of 2025, his first full season since 2023, have come on ovals, including both of his top five finishes – fourth place at Charlotte Motor Speedway and fifth at Darlington Raceway – in crown jewel races (Coca-Cola 600 and Southern 500).
"Definitely something [crew chief] Trent [Owens] and I need to evaluate in the offseason, where we’ve missed it," he said regarding the No. 16 team's road course struggles. "We’ve had speed, but with Goodyear bringing softer tires, we’ve just burned them off. Like at the Roval, we were top three fast, but burned the rears. Some of that’s on me and my driving style; some of it’s setup.
"We’ll work on that in the offseason. I know I can drive ovals; I’ve got Xfinity wins there. But in Cup, the cars are just more important. Everyone’s good on road courses now; you don’t just show up and expect top 10s. We have to be better, and we’ll dig into that."
Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race is set to be shown live on NBC from Phoenix Raceway beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET. Start a free trial of FuboTV now and don't miss it!