AJ Allmendinger and other Kaulig Racing drivers have pulled double duty in past seasons. This will no longer be the case in 2025 as the organization keeps its Xfinity and Cup drivers in separate cars.
Team President Chris Rice provided the insight Saturday morning at Darlington Raceway while introducing the newest Xfinity driver, Christian Eckes. Rice explained that Eckes and the other Xfinity drivers will focus solely on Xfinity races as they try to win a championship.
Allmendinger will focus solely on his Cup races as he returns to the top level of NASCAR instead of occasionally dropping back to the second-tier series to go Trophy Hunting.
"We've made some mistakes by running people too many times," Rice explained. "But (Eckes's deal) is strictly Xfinity to try to get -- we want to win a championship for Matt Kaulig. That is something that we're very passionate about, and we definitely want to do it."
The decision to bring Eckes under the Kaulig banner was part of this streamlining process. One reason why Allmendinger has pulled double duty over the years is that he has been a key part of Kaulig Racing's growth.
He has helped the team identify ways to get better, and he has delivered this information after running full seasons in both Xfinity and Cup for Kaulig Racing.
As Rice explained, Allmendinger sees Eckes as someone who can come into the building and make the team better. This way, the veteran driver can simply focus on the Cup program.
Kaulig Racing will move forward with three full-time Xfinity cars and two full-time Cup cars. This is the plan as the team tries to make gains across the board.
The team has fielded a fourth Xfinity car at times, including this season, but Rice does not believe this will happen in 2025. He doesn't expect Allmendinger to drop down to try to win once again at the Charlotte Roval or for the third time at Circuit of the Americas.
Allmendinger will just prioritize turning the Cup program into one that can consistently contend for wins and playoff appearances.
"We did that two years ago, and that was not good," Rice said. "And we want him to focus solely on the Cup cars, and we want him to try to get that to where it needs to be. That's what's been most important to us."