AJ Allmendinger is slated to be the next NASCAR driver to make history. How is that so? Allmendinger will be making his 500th career NASCAR Cup Series start when he takes the green flag on Sunday, June 28, at Sonoma Raceway.
The feat marks Allmendinger as the 2nd driver to reach 500 career races this season. Casey Mears achieved the same historic mark at Pocono Raceway back on June 14, 2026.
Advertisement
The best part of this matter, however, may not solely be that Allmendinger will make history in starts. It will be that Allmendinger could reasonably make history in winning fashion. The veteran driver is known as a fan-branded ‘Road Course Ringer.’
His average finishing position in NASCAR is 20.7, but on road courses alone, Allmendinger averages 15.0. He has 3 career wins on such track types, spanning 48 starts. Those are the only 3 wins Allmendinger has ever achieved in his career, which is 499 starts deep.
Can Allmendinger really win this week? That answer is: probably not. Allmendinger is 30-to-1 to win the race, per FanDuel Sportsbook. While it is possible, Shane van Gisbergen and Tyler Reddick are far more likely to get the job done, while Allmendinger more reasonably aims for a top-10 finish.
Advertisement
A Career Recap of AJ Allmendinger in the Cup Series
AJ Allmendinger Celebrates Victory at The Charlotte Roval. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)(Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
Allmendinger made his Cup Series debut in 2007, racing in the No. 84 for Team Red Bull. After signing a deal in October of 2006, Allmendinger was ready to be a young rising star in the Cup Series. He teamed up with Brian Vickers, who drove the No. 83. However, the rookie season lacked much to be desired, achieving zero top-10 finishes.
The rookie season, which was a struggle for Allmendinger, ended his Team Red Bull stint rather quickly. Allmendinger signed on to Gillett-Evernham Motorsports, racing in their No. 10. Allmendinger made his debut with the team late in that same 2007 season, racing 5 races with 0 top-10 finishes, but a much better average finish of 16.4.
Advertisement
Allmendinger’s career remained hectic. He briefly raced with Michael Waltrip Racing, then was retained by Gillett-Evernham Motorsports, which eventually became Richard Petty Motorsports. Over 3 seasons, the team still failed to find victory lane, but Allmendinger would achieve 24 top-10 finishes in 108 starts.
Fast forward to 2012, Allmendinger joined a big team, Team Penske, but his suspension ended that one-year run quickly due to a failed drug test. Allmendinger then joined JTG Daugherty Racing in 2013, where he remained for 6 seasons. Allmendinger won his first career race in 2013 at Watkins Glen.
Finally, Allmendinger found his current home with Kaulig Racing in 2021. Since then, he has remained with the team, now driving the No. 16 Chevrolet. He won in 2021 at the Indy Road Course and again in 2023 at the Charlotte Roval. Allmendinger is currently 20th in the 2026 driver standings, 21 points outside of the 16th-place bubble that is owned by Ryan Preece.
Advertisement
What The Future Holds for the NASCAR Veteran?
Allmendinger has been locked up by Kaulig Racing, and the 44-year-old will remain under contract through the 2029 season, with options through 2032. He teams with Ty Dillon, who races the No. 10.
While any further wins will be hard to come by, the team remains confident it can get its driver to the playoffs. A 2026 appearance is certainly possible, especially if Allmendinger can run strong at Sonoma this weekend, which will be the final road course race of 2026.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jun 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the Racing section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Read the full article here