AJ Allmendinger

Anthony James "AJ" Allmendinger, nicknamed “The Dinger,” is a professional stock car racing driver. He competes full time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 16 Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing.

Allmendinger began his professional career in American open-wheel racing, earning five wins and finishing third in the 2006 Champ Car season. He transitioned to NASCAR with Team Red Bull and later drove for Richard Petty Motorsports, Penske Racing, Phoenix Racing, and JTG Daugherty Racing in the Cup Series.

After losing his full-time ride with JTG Daugherty Racing in 2019, Allmendinger joined Kaulig Racing as a part-time driver in the Xfinity Series. He also worked as a television analyst for NBC, serving as a color commentator for IMSA races and as an analyst on “NASCAR America.” He returned to full-time racing in 2021.

In addition to his NASCAR career, Allmendinger competed in the 24 Hours of Daytona with Michael Shank’s team nearly every year from 2006 to 2021, winning the event in 2012.

Allmendinger first ventured into broadcasting with Fox Sports’ “NASCAR Race Hub,” serving as a recurring driver analyst while still competing full time for JTG Daugherty Racing. In December 2018, NBC Sports announced he would join its IMSA SportsCar Championship coverage as an analyst and contribute to NBCSN’s “NASCAR America.”

In 2019, he expanded his broadcasting role by serving as an analyst for NBCSN’s coverage of American Flat Track and joined the NBC broadcast booth for the IndyCar Series event at Iowa Speedway, working alongside Leigh Diffey and Paul Tracy.