On Tuesday, Kaulig Racing announced that three of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship 4 will round out the schedule for Kaulig Racing’s No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro in 2022.
A.J. Allmendinger, Daniel Hemric and Noah Gragson will each compete in the No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro next season. Justin Haley – the driver originally announced as the driver of the No. 16 — will utilize a different number, which will be announced at a later date.
“We think our roster for the 2022 season features some great drivers,” said team president, Chris Rice. “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.”
While Hemric and Allmendinger have been tapped to drive for the race-winning organization in the second-tier series in 2022, Gragson will return to JR Motorsports’ No. 9, while also attempting the Daytona 500 for Beard Motorsports in the No. 62.
“I have had the chance to race against some great drivers over the past few years,” said Hemric. “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.”
Gragson is scheduled to run 14 NASCAR Cup Series events for Kaulig Racing, while Hemric and Allmendinger will round out the remaining 22 events on the series’ schedule,
“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,” said Gragson. “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.”
2022 marks the first full-time season at NASCAR’s top-level for Kaulig Racing, who will be fielding two chartered, full-time entries. Additional details regarding sponsorship and race schedules will be announced at a later date.
