NASCAR team makes another driver change after Bristol race

From race to race, the only instance in which Kaulig Racing have kept the driver of their No. 16 Chevrolet the same this year came at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway, when Derek Kraus made the first two starts of his NASCAR Cup Series career in the 2024 season's third and fourth events.

A.J. Allmendinger, who drove the car full-time last year before dropping back down to run the full Xfinity Series schedule this year, opened up the year with a sixth place finish in the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.

Things did not go nearly as well for the No. 16 Chevrolet in the following weekend's drafting race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where fellow full-time Xfinity Series driver Josh Williams, who was making his first Cup Series start since 2022, was knocked out on only the second lap.

Following Kraus's two appearances, which netted him a 28th place finish at Las Vegas and a DNF at Phoenix, Allmendinger returned at Bristol Motor Speedway and finished in 23rd.

Another new Kaulig Racing NASCAR Cup Series driver for 2024

In this coming Sunday afternoon's race at Circuit of the Americas, a fourth different driver is set to drive the No. 16 Chevrolet: Shane van Gisbergen.

Like Allmendinger and Williams, van Gisbergen competes full-time for Matt Kaulig's team in the Xfinity Series. He got his start in the Cup Series last year as a part of Trackhouse Racing Team's PROJECT91 program and became the first driver to win his first start in 60 years, doing so in the inaugural race at the Chicago Street Course.

Van Gisbergen remains tied to the Justin Marks and Pitbull-owned team, but his Cup Series starts this year are all scheduled to come with Kaulig Racing.

In addition to Circuit of the Americas this coming Sunday afternoon, he is also slated to compete at Talladega Superspeedway (Sunday, April 21), Charlotte Motor Speedway (Sunday, May 26), Chicago (Sunday, July 7), Daytona International Speedway (Saturday, August 24), Watkins Glen International (Sunday, September 15), Talladega again (Sunday, October 6), and Las Vegas (Sunday, October 20).

Of the 31 races remaining on this year's schedule, the No. 16 Chevrolet is still without a driver for 18, including next weekend's Easter Sunday race at Richmond Raceway. Williams is set to return for the following weekend's race at Martinsville Speedway, while Kraus is set to make the next of his six scheduled starts at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, May 5.

Allmendinger is still set to compete in this coming Sunday's race, and for Kaulig Racing. But he is set to do so in a third non-chartered car, the No. 13 Chevrolet.

Daniel Hemric is the team's full-time driver of the No. 31 Chevrolet.

Tune in to Fox at 3:30 p.m. ET this Sunday, March 24 for the live broadcast of the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix from Circuit of the Americas. If you have not yet begun a free trial of FuboTV, do so today and don't miss it!