AJ Allmendinger will be driving Kaulig Racing’s No. 10 RAM 1500 entry for the upcoming NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at Darlington Raceway on Friday, March 20.
The announcement was made on Kaulig Racing’s social media page on March 18. It also occurred a day after Daniel Dye, the original full-time competitor of Kaulig’s No. 10 entry, was indefinitely suspended by both NASCAR and Kaulig. Dye’s suspension was due to the driver making homophobic comments and mockery towards NTT IndyCar Series competitor David Malukas during a recent live stream on Whatnot, a live-stream platform where users sell items and host online video auctions.
As part of his suspension, Dye will undergo NASCAR’s sensitivity training before he can be considered for reinstatement. Following his suspension, Dye, who is ranked in 13th place in the Truck driver’s standings, issued an apology through his social media page.
With Dye suspended, Allmendinger will be pulling double-duty efforts this upcoming weekend at Darlington by competing in Dye’s No. 10 RAM entry in the Truck division alongside Allmendinger’s No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry in the Cup division, the latter of which will occur on Sunday, March 22.
To date, Allmendinger has 14 career starts in the Truck division, with his latest start occurring at Watkins Glen International in August 2021. He recorded two top-five results and three top-10 results, with his best result being a runner-up result at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May 2007. This Friday night’s event at Darlington is scheduled to mark Allmendinger’s first series start at Darlington.
In 15 Cup starts at Darlington, Allmendinger holds an approximate average finishing result of 23.07. He achieved his highest-finishing result at the track this past September by placing in fifth place. Allmendinger has also made six O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts at Darlington. He holds an approximate average-finishing result of 17.67, two top-10 results and a best on-track result of third place that occurred in September 2022.
Allmendinger, who is campaigning as a full-time Cup Series competitor for Kaulig, is currently ranked in 18th place in the 2026 driver standings. He is tied with Shane van Gisbergen and Daniel Suarez for the 16th and final transfer spot to make the Chase with 21 regular-season events remaining.
AJ Allmendinger’s one-race return to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series division for Kaulig Racing at Darlington Raceway is scheduled to occur this Friday, March 20, for the Buckle Up South Carolina 200. The event’s broadcast is slated to commence at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM.
