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The driver of the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet Camaro is off to a very strong start in 2022. AJ Allmendinger is the only NASCAR Xfinity Series driver to post a top-10 finish in every single race.
The Dinger finished fourth overall at Richmond Raceway on April 2 while Ty Gibbs won his third race of the year. He secured his spot in the second round of the Dash 4 Cash and he moved himself to first overall in the championship standings. He now has a 20-point lead over Gibbs and Noah Gragson.
While Allmendinger is the only driver to finish inside the top 10 in every single race, there is only one other within striking distance. Gragson, the winner of the Phoenix race, has a total of five top-10 finishes in 2022 while several others have four. He finished 26th at Atlanta Motor Speedway and then 22nd at Richmond Raceways due to major brake issues.
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Allmendinger Started His Season Quickly
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GettyAJ Allmendinger has continued to contend for wins.
Allmendinger kicked off his season with a runner-up finish behind Austin Hill in the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway. He followed it up with top-10s at Auto Club Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and Phoenix Raceway before moving back up to the top five at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Circuit of the Americas, and Richmond Raceway.
This start bodes well for Allmendinger’s second full-time season with Kaulig Racing. He captured the regular-season championship in 2021 on the strength of four wins and 13 other top-10 finishes. He then added another win and four more top-fives during the playoffs that helped him reach the championship four.
While Allmendinger had a strong performance overall, he did not start out as consistently during the 2021 season. He finished 35th overall at the Daytona Road Course — the second race of the year — 14th at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and 13th at Martinsville Speedway.
Allmendinger’s average finish during the first seven races of the 2021 season was 11.14, and he sat sixth overall in the championship standings after the trip to Martinsville. His average finish through seven races in 2022, by comparison, is 4.71. This is a major improvement statistically, but Allmendinger will have to maintain this early consistency in order to fight for the regular-season championship once again.
Allmendinger Will Compete Once Again At Richmond Raceway
While Dinger did not secure the win during the Xfinity Series race, he will have another opportunity to secure the win with another start at the Virginia short track. He will suit up for the Cup Series race while driving for Kaulig Racing.
Allmendinger will return to the No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro one week after contact from Ross Chastain sent him off the track and took away the opportunity to secure a weekend sweep. The veteran driver will make his third Cup Series start of the season while pursuing at least a top-10 finish.
Allmendinger has made 23 total starts at Richmond Raceway as a Cup Series driver dating back to his debut in 2007. He has never won, but he has three top-10 finishes to his name. He finished eighth overall while driving for Richard Petty Motorsports in 2010 and then seventh overall the following year. Allmendinger added his third top-10 finish in 2014 while driving for JTG Daugherty Racing.
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