Kaulig Racing Withdraws from NASCAR Xfinity Series for the foreseeable future
Kaulig Racing announced on Wednesday that it will not compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series next season, as confirmed by team president Chris Rice during a SiriusXM NASCAR Radio appearance. This decision follows a prior indication via social media from the team late Tuesday.
“The Xfinity Series is where we were born and raised, and we’ve decided to focus on our Truck and Cup Series programs,” Rice stated. “Yes, we will return to the Xfinity Series in the coming years, but for now, we need to pause and push ourselves to build competitive trucks for Ram while maintaining our presence in the Cup Series.”
Currently, the organization fields three cars—the Nos. 10, 11, and 16—set to race in the Xfinity Series season finale this Saturday at Phoenix Raceway. Matt Kaulig, the team’s owner, initially entered NASCAR in 2015 as a sponsor before establishing his own racing team.
As part of its new strategic focus, Kaulig Racing will begin fielding five Ram teams in 2026, having partnered with the manufacturer as its anchor team. Drivers announced so far include Brenden Queen, Daniel Dye, and Justin Haley.
Rice affirmed the gravity of the decision: “We didn’t have a choice. We have to ensure the Ram trucks are competitive, and we are committed to building this program. We have a lot of work ahead of us, including constructing two sets of simulators for both Cup and Xfinity.”
While recognizing the emotional toll of leaving the Xfinity Series for now, Rice emphasized, “This is a pause, not a departure. We love the Xfinity Series and plan to return.”
