AJ Allmendinger and Kaulig Racing are preparing to chart their own course as Dodge makes its official return to the Craftsman Truck Series. Since entering NASCAR in 2016, Kaulig has relied on a long-running technical partnership with Richard Childress Racing, even operating a satellite shop on RCR’s campus in Welcome, North Carolina. The shift will create challenges the team has never faced, having long benefited from the safety net that came with Richard Childress and his operation.
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The organization will field five RAM-supported trucks in 2026, effectively redrawing the boundaries of its historic Chevrolet relationship and bringing its alliance with RCR to an end. CEO Chris Rice confirmed the split during an interview on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio in October 2025, stating that Kaulig Racing will operate independently beginning in 2026.
Rice acknowledged that the organization had gained enormously from its time aligned with RCR, but said the next step in its evolution required standing on its own two feet.
Allmendinger echoed the sentiment, saying, “Any time you’re trying to do something on your own, I think there’s challenges, but there’s also positives. Because there’s things that maybe that we want to do that we haven’t been able to do, that we can go try…”
“There’s definitely going to be times where if we’re on our own, you miss it, and you’re just stranded a little bit, and you’ve got to figure it out. I look forward to those challenges for sure,” Allmendinger added.
#NASCAR – @KauligRacing will not have an alliance with RCR, which will certainly create some challenges for the Cup Series program.
But when I spoke to AJ Allmendinger about this, he pointed to a positive side effect. https://t.co/cePfGY1Dn3— John Newby (@JohnNewby_) November 29, 2025
With that mindset, Kaulig Racing’s roster and leadership remain optimistic about 2026 and the years ahead, knowing they have an opportunity to build a deeper foundation in the sport and fully shape their identity without leaning on another organization’s framework.
They also realize that some weekends will stretch them thin as they face powerhouse operations with more resources and experience, and frustration will come with the territory, but so will growth.
The team seems prepared to balance progress and adversity as it continues to expand its staff and strengthen its long-term structure.
Although the technical alliance with RCR is ending, Kaulig Racing will still rely on ECR engines. The engine supplier will remain in their corner, and both organizations will continue handling various business matters together.
What changes is the strategic autonomy. Kaulig will now gather and develop its own data and information, elements previously supplied through its partnership with RCR.
