Kaulig Racing Weekly Preview | Auto Club Speedway

February 22, 2023

Pala Casino 400
Auto Club Speedway
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Sunday, February 26 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX

Kaulig Racing has made two starts at Auto Club Speedway in the NCS, both in 2022 with Justin Haley and Daniel Hemric
Hemric currently holds the best finish at Auto Club Speedway for the team, after earning a top-10 finish in the 2022 Wise Power 400

AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Nutrien Ag Solutions FARMSMART Camaro ZL1

Sunday will be AJ Allmendinger’s first start with Kaulig Racing at Auto Club Speedway in the NCS
In Allmendinger’s only NXS start at Auto Club Speedway with Kaulig Racing in 2022, he earned the team’s first pole award at the track and recorded a seventh-place finish

“Auto Club is a fun race track that always allows a lot of passing. It’s the last race there on this configuration; it’s very bumpy and very line-sensitive at times, but it’s also a race track that when you’re hooked up, it can be a lot of fun to drive. I felt like the cars last year in the Cup race were really quick. Hopefully we can unload, be really fast, and I can get comfortable with the race track really quickly and try to carry the momentum that we have from last week.”
– AJ Allmendinger on Auto Club Speedway

Justin Haley, No. 31 Cirkul Camaro ZL1

Justin Haley made his first start at Auto Club Speedway in the NCS in 2022 with Kaulig Racing, where he finished 23rd.
Haley and Kaulig Racing had previous success together at Auto Club Speedway in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS), when Haley earned one top five and a top-10 finish in two starts with the team

“Auto Club is a track we actually kind of struggled at last year, as well as the other two-mile racetracks. We have definitely put some time into figuring out what we need arrow-wise to be faster, so I feel like we got a good grasp of it going into the weekend. Multi-groove racetracks are extremely fun to race on and have a lot of character to them, so this a fun one I’m looking forward to.”
– Justin Haley

Production Alliance Group 300
Auto Club Speedway
NASCAR Xfinity (NXS)
Saturday, February 25 at 5:00 p.m. ET on FS1

Kaulig Racing has made nine starts in the NXS at Auto Club Speedway
The team has recorded one pole award, one top five and four top-10 finishes at Auto Club Speedway

Austin Dillon, No. 10 LA Golf Chevrolet

Austin Dillon has made six starts at Auto Club Speedway in the NXS
Out of those six starts, Dillon recorded one win and five top-five finishes
The Production Alliance Group 300 will mark Dillon’s sixth start with Kaulig Racing in the NXS since 2018

“Auto Club Speedway is one of my favorite tracks, and I’ve been successful there before in the NASCAR Xfinity Series so I can’t wait to get there this weekend with Kaulig Racing. Those guys have such a strong program. It’s a bigger track, and the bigger tracks suit me well because you can really move around and find speed. Restarts are going to be very important. You have to have speed at the beginning of a run and then hold it for a long run. If you can’t take off you get beat on the restarts and if you can’t hold on they’re going to lap you at the end of a run. You have to have a good balance between the short and the long run. If you can do that, you’ll be pretty good.”
– Austin Dillon on Auto Club Speedway

Daniel Hemric, No. 11 Poppy Bank Chevrolet

Daniel Hemric has made four starts at Auto Club Speedway in the NXS
Out of those four starts, Hemric has led 20 laps, recorded one top five, two top-10 finishes, and has an average start of fourth and average finish of ninth

“I’m proud of everyone at Kaulig Racing and their efforts to kick the West Coast swing off. I’m excited to go to a track that everyone loves and enjoys visiting. With this being the final time that we race on the two-mile configuration at Auto Club, we are going there treating it like it could be the last time we walk out of there. The possibility of winning would be ideal, and that’s just what everyone on the No.11 Poppy Bank Chevrolet is trying to do. I’m looking forward to that chance.”
– Daniel Hemric on Auto Club Speedway

Chandler Smith, No. 16 Quick Tie Chevrolet

Smith has no prior experience at Auto Club Speedway.
Smith will make his first NXS start at Auto Club Speedway in the Production Alliance Group 300

“I’ve never raced at Auto Club Speedway before, so this will be a new experience altogether for me. I’m looking forward to taking the Quick Tie Chevy Camaro away from the superspeedway and to a track that relies on more throttle control and driver input. Hopefully, we will build off our 12th-place finish at Daytona and grab our first top-ten of the season.”
– Chandler Smith on Auto Club Speedway