The 2022 No. 16 Kaulig Racing entry in the NASCAR Cup Series will be piloted by three of the four drivers in the 2021 Xfinity Series Championship 4.
The team announced today that fan favorite A.J. Allmendinger would join Daniel Hemric and Noah Gragson in the second car for the team.
Justin Haley will be the full-time driver of the No. 10.
“We think our roster for the 2022 season features some great drivers,” team president Chris Rice said in a release. “Having three out of the four Xfinity Series championship contenders helping to build our new Cup Series program, is truly a tremendous opportunity for this Kaulig Racing team. While these guys have been fierce competitors for the last few years, having them bring that same tenacity as teammates will be extremely fun to watch and a great way for this team to grow in its first, full season in the Cup Series.”
Gragson is slated to participate in 14 Cup Series races for the team in 2022.
Allmendinger and Hemric will split the remaining 22 races.
“I have had the chance to race against some great drivers over the past few years,” Hemric said in the release. “AJ (Allmendinger) is a great competitor, who can win on any track, and Noah [Gragson] and I have been teammates in the past at JR Motorsports. Each of us are different, but seeing how intense both AJ and Noah are as professionals gets me excited for this upcoming season. Now we have the opportunity to be able to lean on each other and try to build a program here at Kaulig Racing at the highest level of our sport. I feel fortunate to be a part of this.”
“This is a really unique opportunity I have with Kaulig Racing to be able to share the No. 16 with two of my biggest competitors in the Xfinity Series,” Gragson said. “I’ve had the chance to work with Daniel before, but it will be a new experience working with AJ. We’ve raced against each other for a few years now, and I think working as teammates will only help us get better as drivers.”
The 2022 season will get kicked off in February as NASCAR visits LA for the Clash at The Coliseum on February 5.
