When the green flag waves at Sonoma Raceway, one driver will have officially set a major milestone. A.J. Allmendinger, driver of the No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro for Kaulig Racing, will make his 500th career start in the NASCAR Cup Series.
“I think it’s something I’ll look back on when I’m done,” the 44-year old continued. “It’s pretty amazing that I’ve gotten to do so many of them, but right now I’m just looking to be better.”
The Early Days
Allmendinger has been a Kaulig Racing driver since 2019, with starts in all three national touring series for the team. 2021, 2022, and 2024 saw full-time NASCAR O’Reilly Series campaigns with partial Cup schedules while 2023, 2025, and 2026 have seen full Cup schedules.
Notably, Allmendinger has made two starts in the Craftsman Truck Series in Kaulig’s No. 25 Ram 1500. Interestingly, this is not the 44 year old’s first time racing for a new manufacturer in NASCAR. Allmendinger’s first Cup Series starts were in 2007 during Toyota’s debut Cup season. Like with Ram, Toyota saw growing pains their first season. In 36 attempts, Allmendinger only actually started 17 races with a best finish of only 15th-place.
“If you were to ask 2007 A.J. (about getting to 500 starts), I’d have been like ‘there’s not a chance in hell. I’m literally just trying to get to the next one’,” Allmendinger said.
The next season was not much better, as it started with three DNQs in the opening three races. Following this, Allmendinger was benched five races for series veteran Mike Skinner, but returned for the next twenty races. Despite showing progress, the driver/team combination split up following their second top-10 at Kansas Speedway. After a one off with Michael Waltrip Racing, Allmendinger moved to Gillett Evernham Motorsports. This, following a merger with Petty Enterprises, would be his home until 2011.
In three seasons for Richard Petty Motorsports, he earned four top-5s and 24 top-10s. Allmendinger is currently known as a top-tier road course racer in the series, and that reputation started in these years. In six road courses, he earned a top-5, three top-10s, and no finish worse than 13th-place. Following a strong 2011 campaign, Allmendinger would get the opportunity of a life-time: A chance to drive the No. 22 for Team Penske.
Mid-way through the season, Allemendinger failed a drug test due to the presence of amphetamines. In the opening 17 races, the No. 22 earned a pole, three top-10s, and a runner up at Martinsville Speedway. A chain of events from Dale Earnhardt Jr’s concussion allowed Allmendinger four races for Phoenix Racing later that season as well as nine races the next season. Allmendinger also found a long term home that season, as nine races for JTG Daugherty Racing led to five full seasons in their No. 47.
First Retirement and Return
In these five full seasons, Allmendinger saw 26 top-10s, 6 top-5s, and his first career win at Watkins Glen International in 2014.
“This is what I live for — this is all I talk about,” the at the time driver of the No. 47 said on his win. “I don’t want to hear that A.J. might be the next first-time winner — I’m tired of hearing that.”
Despite the win in 2014, and finishing 22nd or higher in points in four out of five seasons, JTG decided to go in a different direction for 2018. Due to this, Allmendinger thought he was done racing. He even signed a TV deal with NBC.
“I would have been miserable thinking I hadn’t done enough in my career,” Allmendinger said.
2019 also saw five O’Reilly starts for Kaulig, highlighted by a win at the Charlotte Roval. 2020 saw an expanded schedule with 11 starts with two wins, a repeat at the Roval and a first oval win at EchoPark Speedway.
2021 saw a full-time NOAPS season and a part-time return to the Cup Series. At the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, Allmendinger won his second of three races. 2022 saw a similar schedule, and 2023 saw a first full Cup season since 2019. 2023 also saw his third Cup win at the Roval. 2024 was another part time Cup season with a return to Cup in 2025 where he remains to this day.
Reflection and Looking Forward
Despite a career of three Cup wins and 18 O’Reilly wins, Allmendinger still believes there is more left to prove.
“Everybody on our race team is like ‘you have nothing to prove’,” he said, “and I still have to wake up tomorrow and prove to myself (that I still belong here).”
Start 500 has not been much of a thought for the driver of the No. 16.
“I didn’t even think about the 500 until our race team started posting about it,” Allmendinger said. “Immediately my mind goes to, ‘damn I wish I won more’.”
As for how he made 500 starts?
“I give myself credit that I’ve tricked a lot of owners to keep me in their racecars still,” the driver of the No. 16 joked.
Heading into Sonoma, Allmendinger sits 20th in Cup Series points, 29 points outside the Chase cutline. Even being in a Chase position is impressive given that Kaulig Racing has zero manufacturer support.
“We have no support,” Allmendinger said, “we guess every weekend. We have no sim or anything.”
NASCAR has moved away from a win and you’re in format, meaning a win at Sonoma would not guarantee a Chase birth. Despite this, a win would certainly help their chances and would mean a lot to the 44-year old.
“You might have to carry me out of Victory Lane,” Allmendinger said on what that win would mean.
