Kaulig Racing entered NASCAR with a clear mission: to hunt for trophies. Since their debut season in the Xfinity Series in 2016, they have achieved notable success, securing 23 wins and 15 poles under the leadership of Matt Kaulig and Chris Rice. However, their performance in the Cup Series has not mirrored this success.
The team ventured into the Cup Series in 2020, winning two races with A.J. Allmendinger driving the No. 16 Chevrolet. This season, Allmendinger has returned to the Xfinity Series full-time, leaving the No. 16 Chevrolet in the Cup Series without a full-time driver. So far, it has been driven by five different drivers: Allmendinger, Xfinity Series regulars Josh Williams and Shane van Gisbergen, Derek Kraus, and Ty Dillon.
In contrast, the relatively new Chevrolet Cup Series team Trackhouse Racing Team has been on an upward trajectory. They entered NASCAR quietly in 2021 with veteran driver Daniel Suarez in the No. 99 Chevrolet. Since then, the team, co-owned by Justin Marks and Pitbull, acquired Chip Ganassi Racing, expanded to include a second car, and brought on former Kaulig Racing driver Ross Chastain.
Chastain has gained fame for one of NASCAR’s most viral moments and has also achieved four wins, finishing as high as second in the point standings within just over two seasons with Trackhouse Racing. Essentially, Trackhouse Racing Team has accomplished what Kaulig Racing once aimed to achieve.
Recently, a rumor about a potential merger between Kaulig Racing and Trackhouse Racing Team emerged on the Door, Bumper, Clear podcast during discussions of the latest silly season rumors. However, this rumor has been strongly denied.
Kaulig Racing team president Chris Rice addressed these rumors on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio’s The Morning Drive, firmly stating that “we’re not merging and we’re not doing anything like that.” Rice explained that while Kaulig Racing maintains a close relationship with Trackhouse Racing Team—evidenced by van Gisbergen racing full-time for Kaulig in the Xfinity Series while being contractually tied to Trackhouse—they also have a significant relationship with Richard Childress Racing.
