Kaulig Makes 2023 Driver Announcements For Both 16 Cars

By: Tom Luttermoser Images Via: Chandler Smith Twitter & nascarcasm Twitter

Wednesday at the Kaulig Racing shop, the team made 2 huge announcements about the full-time future of both of their 16 entries. 

AJ Allmendinger will be leaving his Xfinity ride to run his first full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series since leaving JTG Daugherty Racing at the end of 2018. He will officially field the #16 Kaulig Chevrolet in the Cup Series to add to his trophy hunting and 2 Cup Series victories. AJ will be replaced by none other than Chandler Smith from KBM and Toyota in the Truck Series.

It was well known, especially after it was clear KBM would not return under the TRD banner in 2023 that Smith was not a TRD contract driver like his teammates of John Hunter Nemechek or Corey Heim. I figured Chandler would stick with KBM under the Chevrolet banner or move up to the Xfinity Series with Jr Motorsports or Kaulig. It's great to see a great young talent remain in some very competitive equipment for 2023. As they said during the press conference, he's got some very big shoes to fill in that 16 car.