NASCAR team changes drivers (again) for Martinsville race

NASCAR team changes drivers (again) for Martinsville race

As a seasoned NASCAR fan with decades of racing under my belt, I must admit that Kaulig Racing’s driver rotation strategy this year has left me spinning like a tire on gravel! It’s like watching a game of musical chairs, but instead of chairs, it’s the coveted No. 16 Chevrolet.


Among the two chartered entries in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series, I’ve noticed that the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet isn’t tied to a single driver, with different drivers taking the wheel throughout the season.

This year, a total of five individuals have taken turns driving the car. Among them, the permanent drivers for Kaulig Racing in the Xfinity Series, A.J. Allmendinger and Shane van Gisbergen, have made the most appearances, with 12 starts each by Allmendinger and 10 starts by van Gisbergen.

In the recent series of events, Josh Williams, Ty Dillon, and Derek Kraus have driven the car on selected occasions. However, Allmendinger and van Gisbergen have been behind the wheel for ten out of the past eleven races.

Kaulig Racing switch drivers (again)

For seven weeks in a row, there’s been a different driver behind the wheel of the No. 16 Chevrolet in successive races, a pattern that started after van Gisbergen raced in the opening two playoff races and the final two regular season races prior to that. This trend is expected to persist this weekend as well.

Last Sunday, Allmendinger raced at Homestead-Miami Speedway, while van Gisbergen was behind the wheel at Las Vegas Motor Speedway the week before. This coming Sunday afternoon, van Gisbergen is expected to return for the Xfinity 500 race at Martinsville Speedway.

Williams made the second of his two starts this season at Martinsville back in April.

As a gamer, I’m excited to share that I, personally, am confirmed to be back in action next weekend at Phoenix Raceway! It’s been a while since my last race at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway in June. Now, I’m getting ready to end this season with a bang behind the wheel of the No. 16 Chevrolet. This means an eighth consecutive weekend with a lineup change for me! Let’s see what we can do on the track!

In the current season, Kraus has raced for Kaulig Racing in a total of five events. Interestingly, he also participated in a race held at Phoenix way back in March.

In the upcoming year, Kaulig Racing plans to field two permanent drivers. Akin to his role in 2023, Allmendinger will pilot the No. 16 Chevrolet on a weekly basis. On the other hand, Dillon is scheduled to take over from Daniel Hemric, driving the renumbered No. 10 Chevrolet (formerly No. 31).

For this coming weekend, Kaz Grala will be behind the wheel of Rick Ware Racing’s Ford, which is one of the additional shared charter entries for the 2024 season. Grala has already raced in this car 21 times this year, including the recent race at Homestead-Miami. However, the team has not yet announced who will drive for them during the Phoenix finale next weekend.

Tune in to the Xfinity 500 live on NBC from Martinsville Speedway, starting at 2:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, November 3. Sign up for a free trial of FuboTV today and catch all the action!

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2024-10-29 18:02

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