Kaulig Racing Weekly Preview | Bristol Motor Speedway

April 9, 2025

Former Steelers Linebacker and Kaulig Racing Jackman on Why Bristol Feels Familiar:

For one of Kaulig Racing’s pit crew members, Bristol Motor Speedway feels like home. Former NFL linebacker and current Jackman on AJ Allmendinger’s No. 16 Camaro ZL1, Marshall McFadden loves when the NASCAR schedule brings him to Bristol, his favorite track on the circuit.

“Bristol definitely reminds me of the football atmosphere; with the jumbotron and its arena-like setting, it gives me chills every time I go. The best part is the singing of the national anthem and the flyover; that’s the best feeling in the world to me.” – McFadden on why Bristol Motor Speedway is special to him

McFadden played for the Oakland (Las Vegas) Raiders, St. Louis (LA) Rams, and the Pittsburgh Steelers, before retiring from football in 2016. He transitioned into NASCAR the following year when a friend invited him to a pit-crew practice session.

*McFadden during his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 40); Image Source: mmcfadden5 on instagram*

“For me, there’s quite a bit that carries over from football to being a pit crew athlete, like my competitive nature and pedigree. That, along with intuition and athletic IQ helped make for a smooth transition out of one sport and into another. All of those things play a vital part in my role as a jackman. The intangibles allow me to do my part and also know what everyone else on my team is going to do next.” – McFadden on the transition from the NFL to NASCAR

Kaulig Racing on the Move:

AJ Allmendinger and Ty Dillon both earned stage points last weekend in Darlington. Allmendinger earned one point in Stage 1 and Dillon earned three points in Stage 2.
After earning points in both stages and a seventh-place finish at Darlington Raceway, Christian Eckes jumped four spots in the NASCAR Xfinity Series points standings.

At Bristol Motor Speedway:

Kaulig Racing has made eight NASCAR Cup Series starts at Bristol Motor Speedway and earned a best finish of seventh with AJ Allmendinger.
Allmendinger also earned the team its only victory at Bristol in the NASCAR Xfinity Series after a last-lap battle saw him claim the win and the 2021 regular-season championship.
The team has also earned two runner-up finishes, four top five and 12 top 10s at Bristol in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

10 Team Info
Crew Chief: Andrew Dickeson
Partner: Okuma

Ty Dillon, No. 10 Okuma Camaro ZL1

Okuma: This weekend Ty Dillon and the No. 10 team will debut new partner Okuma.

Okuma offers world-class machine tools, service, and support. Their machine tools, including vertical and horizontal machining centers, lathes, double column machining centers, and grinders, are built with the exact balance of power, speed, and size to meet any application. They hold tight tolerances, perform sophisticated cuts, and create precision-crafted parts time and time again.

Each machine tool is backed by their extensive distribution network that delivers superior service and support. With over 2,000 support personnel across the Americas, their customers’ needs are met with trusted, local resources. With 125+ years of experience, they have what it takes to turn manufacturing challenges into successes. To learn more about their solutions, history, and mission, please visit okuma.com.

Meet Ty Dillon:
- Saturday, April 12
  - Ty Dillon will join teammate AJ Allmendinger on the Food City Stage in the Bristol Motor Speedway Fan Midway for a Q&A from 12:15 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET.
- Sunday, April 13
  - Ty Dillon will be at the NASCAR Classics Merchandise trailer from 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET to meet fans and sign autographs on Sunday, April 13.

At Bristol:
- Ty Dillon has made 27 combined starts at Bristol Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
- In those 27 starts, Dillon has a career-best finish of 15th in the Cup Series (2017 and 2019), fourth on two occasions (2014 and 2015) in the Xfinity Series and sixth in the Truck Series (2013).
- Dillon has a total of four top-five finishes, nine top-10 finishes and 12 top-15 finishes across all three series.

“Bristol is one of the tracks that I’ve maybe gone to one of the most in my whole life, just watching races. I’ve always loved racing there and, you know, the style of racing around Bristol has changed probably three or four times in my career and I still feel really confident every time I go there. I have had some opportunities to win Xfinity Series races there and have run good in the Cup car, just haven’t had the results, but have run up front. I think it’s going be a great track for us and every every chance is a good opportunity for us, especially at Bristol.”
– Ty Dillon on Bristol Motor Speedway

16 Team Info
Crew Chief: Trent Owens
Partner: Grizzly Nicotine Pouches

AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Grizzly Nicotine Pouches Camaro ZL1

Grizzly Nicotine Pouches: Grizzly Nicotine Pouches expands their partnership with Kaulig Racing and AJ Allmendinger as the primary on the No. 16 Chevrolet. Grizzly Nicotine Pouches are a tobacco leaf-free product available nationwide, where permitted.

Meet AJ Allmendinger:
- Saturday, April 12
  - AJ Allmendinger will be at the NASCAR Classics Merchandise trailer from 11:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. ET to meet fans and sign autographs on Saturday, April 12.
  - Allmendinger will then join teammate Ty Dillon on the Food City Stage in the Bristol Motor Speedway Fan Midway for a fan Q&A from 12:15 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.

At Bristol:
- AJ Allmendinger earned his best finish of seventh at Bristol Motor Speedway in NASCAR Cup Series with Kaulig Racing in 2022.
- In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Allmendinger has never finished outside the top 10 at Bristol Motor Speedway. In 2021, Allmendinger won the race after only leading the final lap, crossing the finish line sideways and securing the Regular Season Championship.
- Following last weekend’s race at Darlington where the No. 16 earned a stage point in Stage 1, Allmendinger advanced two spots and currently sits 16^th in driver points.

“Bristol has been fairly good for us in the past; we’ve had some good results there. I feel like we have a lot more speed in the race car this time around so I’m optimistic that we can go out there, execute and have another solid run. Over the last few weeks, we have been getting closer to where we need to be, and Bristol is a track we can go to and take advantage of the opportunity.”
– AJ Allmendinger on Bristol Motor Speedway

10 Team Info
Crew Chief: Kevin Walter
Partner: Champion Container

Daniel Dye, No. 10 Champion Container Chevrolet

Champion Container: Champion Container, a family-owned business specializing in industrial packaging and container solutions, will be onboard Dye’s No. 10 Chevrolet at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Meet Daniel Dye:
- Saturday, April 12
  - Daniel Dye will be at the Food City Stage in the Bristol Motor Speedway Fan Midway for a fan Q&A on Saturday, April 12 from 1:45 p.m. – 2 p.m. ET

At Bristol:

Daniel Dye will make his first NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend in the SciAps 300.
Dye previously made three starts at Bristol in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

“Bristol hasn’t been one of my best tracks in the past, but we’ve been doing a ton of work on the simulator in preparation. Our race wasn’t great at Darlington, but we showed speed in qualifying, which was a confidence builder for this 10 team. We know we have had the speed to run up front. There’s a lot more positives to take from last week than negatives, so I think we are on the right track.”
– Daniel Dye on Bristol Motor Speedway

11 Team Info
Crew Chief: Eddie Pardue
Partner: Call811.com

Josh Williams, No. 11 Call811.com Chevrolet

Call811.com: Call811.com returns to the No. 11 car for the SciAps 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Last on the Chevy at Phoenix, Call811.com is the national call-before-you-dig phone number, and anyone who plans to dig should call 811 so they don’t unintentionally dig into an underground utility line.

At Bristol:

Josh Williams has started 11 races at Bristol Motor Speedway.
In 2020, after starting in 23rd, Williams gained 14 positions en route to his best finish at the track, ninth place.
In 2022, Williams made a NCS start at Bristol when it was transformed into a dirt track. He ran all 250 laps and gained 11 spots to finish in 25th.

“It just feels right to be going back to Bristol in the spring. I’m happy that, as a series, we’re going there two times again this season. We’ve had a difficult last couple of weeks, so hopefully this is going to be the race that swings our momentum around a bit. We have things to build off of from the last time we came here [in fall 2024].”
– Josh Williams on Bristol Motor Speedway

16 Team Info
Crew Chief: Alex Yontz
Partner: LeafFilter Gutter Protection

Christian Eckes, No. 16 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet

LeafFilter Gutter Protection: Christian Eckes and LeafFilter Gutter Protection will team up once again for the SciAps 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway. LeafFilter is America’s #1 rated gutter protection system trusted by more than a million homeowners. LeafFilter’s patented technology keeps gutters free of debris and is backed by a lifetime transferable warranty.

Meet Christian Eckes:
- Saturday, April 12
  - Christian Eckes will be at the Food City Stage in the Bristol Motor Speedway Fan Midway for a fan Q&A on Saturday, April 12 from 2:45 p.m. – 3 p.m.

At Bristol:

Christian Eckes will make his first NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend in the SciAps 300.
Eckes made five starts at Bristol in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, where he earned a win in 2024, two pole awards, and has completed 100% of laps.

“I feel like Bristol is one of my stronger race tracks. I’m fortunate to have some success there in the past, and with Kaulig Racing’s impressive performances there, everyone on this 16 team is looking forward to unloading on Saturday. We’ve done a good bit of work on the simulator preparing for Bristol and have shown speed the past couple of weeks, so I think our mindset as a team is exactly where it needs to be going forward. We are working cohesively as a group and are motivated to keep overcoming challenges.”
– Christian Eckes on Bristol Motor Speedway