by Crystal Clay, Chief Motorsports Correspondent
AVONDALE, Ariz.,--AJ Allmendinger was the first to make it to the NASCAR Xfinity Championship 4, gifting Kaulig Racing team owner Matt Kaulig a special birthday present in Las Vegas. The team's first win of the 2024 season was sealed with a kiss to the camera.
The California driver now has the opportunity of a lifetime to win a championship in Phoenix with the same #16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet he piloted to victory in the Ambetter Health 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
“I’ve had a rough, I’d say, 6 months thinking about getting AJ a win. Been so close, yet been so far away. It’s been a rollercoaster ride for me, probably because AJ’s probably one of my best friends I’ve ever had as a driver. So winning here was something pretty special,” said Kris Rice, President of Kaulig Racing.
Allmendinger, with 18 victories in 130 Xfinity Series starts, had a rollercoaster of a season. After having to earn his way into the Playoff Round of 8 on points, the Vegas win became an emotional moment. Allmendinger attributes his success this year to his deep love for the organization and its people, which fuels him to give his best effort.
Allmendinger is a two-time NXS Regular Season Championship but has yet to win the NXS Series Championship.
"I want to win this championship. For me personally, it’s something you add to your resume. Like I said, there are a lot of people who don’t get the opportunity, but does it change my life whether I’m standing in victory lane with a championship on Saturday? It doesn’t change my life,” he shrugged.
“I know what I’m doing next year. I know that Matt and Chris have made the commitment to me that I can be here for as long as I want to be, but the satisfaction might change other people’s lives inside the race team, and that’s where the determination and intensity this week will come from. Trying to bring a championship to Matt, Chris, and all the men and women because I’ve seen the hard work, and I feel at times I’ve let them down. So, it means more to me for them than it would ever for me.”
When reflecting on the times he feels he’s let the team down, Allmendinger admits he doesn’t necessarily evolve from those moments.
“Ha! I don’t ever think I’ll evolve from it,” he chuckled.
While he acknowledged that it’s not an ideal approach, this determination to prove himself and work through challenges helps him stay focused and resilient, especially under high pressure like NASCAR Championship Weekend.
“It’s what I do because I just love everybody in the organization so much, and I see the effort. More often than not, they’re picking me up, in the sense of saying they believe in me and things like that. So, it’s not the best way, I think, to go about life—the ups and downs—but it’s the way I motivate myself. The biggest thing I’ve always said, for anybody that’s on my race car or anybody that I drive for, is I just want them to know how much I care. Like, that’s the only thing I’ve ever said: ‘Man, I want them to walk away and be like, THAT GUY CARES and drives his tail off, every lap that he’s in the racecar.’ The best way I can go about it is to go win a championship, bring home the championship, and show ‘em how much I appreciate ‘em.”
Allmendinger has a strong sense of responsibility not only to himself but also to his team, especially to those who believe in him. His desire to ensure that his teammates—no matter the team—know how much he cares about the effort he puts in, and to repay that belief with success, highlights the importance of team loyalty and performing for others.
WATCH Video: AJ Allmendinger talks to Racing Refresh at NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship 4 Media Day. NOVEMBER 08, 2024 at Phoenix Raceway, Avondale, Arizona.
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