Getty Kaulig Racing has confirmed its crew chief/driver lineup for 2023.
Kaulig Racing has answered a lingering question ahead of the 2023 Cup Series season. The team has confirmed that there will not be any major changes to its crew chief lineup.
Kaulig Racing announced the news on January 5 with a tweet. The team confirmed that Trent Owens will be back on the No. 31 pit box for the second consecutive season. Matt Swiderski will return to the No. 16 pit box for the third consecutive season while switching his attention to only one driver.
🚨 𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒 🚨
Crew Chief Matt Swiderski will return to the No. 16 Chevrolet to become @AJDinger‘s full-time Crew Chief.
Crew Chief Trent Owens will return for year two with @Justin_Haley_ and the No. 31 Chevrolet.
The No. 16 has featured a variety of drivers since the 2021 season when Kaulig Racing first made its foray into the Cup Series. Swiderski has guided AJ Allmendinger, Justin Haley, Kaz Grala, Daniel Hemric, and Noah Gragson while celebrating one win (Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2021).
Swiderski will now have one driver in control of the No. 16. Allmendinger will take on the full, 36-race schedule while trying to contend for more wins, a spot in the playoffs, and the Cup Series championship.
Justin Haley Had Strong Performances With Owens
GettyAJ Allmendinger (left) & Justin Haley (right) watch practice at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Allmendinger has a win with Swiderski as his crew chief in the Cup Series, and they will continue to hunt more trophies together in 2023. Meanwhile, Owens and Haley will pursue their first Cup Series win together.
Owens has worked with a variety of drivers during his tenure as a Cup Series crew chief. He guided Aric Almirola to a win in 2014, and he helped both Ryan Preece and Chris Buescher stack numerous top-10 finishes and top-fives.
Owens joined forces with Haley for the first time in 2022. They took on the majority of the full 36-race schedule together — Owens had to serve two suspensions due to lost wheels.
This time together led to some strong performances on the track. This run included a third-place finish in the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway and a seventh-place finish in the Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The No. 31 team did not reach the playoffs, but there were two more strong performances once the fall arrived. Haley finished third at Texas Motor Speedway and then he finished fifth at the Charlotte Roval.
Haley Will Have 1 Change for 2023
GettyJustin Haley waves to fans at Darlington Raceway.
While Haley and Allmendinger will have the same crew chiefs for the 2023 season, the driver of the No. 31 will have one big change for his return to Kaulig Racing. He will work with a new spotter after having Brett Griffin guide him in 2022.
The veteran spotter confirmed the news during the December episode of the “Door, Bumper, Clear” podcast. He explained that he will step back to a part-time schedule in 2023 while Haley moves forward with a new spotter. Griffin specifically mentioned Jason Jarrett during the episode.
Both Kaulig Racing drivers will move forward into the 2023 season, and they will draw attention during the regular season. NASCAR fans will keep an eye on Allmendinger approaching the road courses based on his success at the style of track throughout his career. There will also be questions focusing on his playoff chances.
Haley, for comparison, will enter the season with one career Cup Series win — the rain-shortened Coke Zero Sugar 400 in 2019. Now he will enter 2023 with the goal of winning a race for Kaulig Racing, and he will draw some attention based on some strong performances in 2022.
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Kaulig Racing Sets Cup Series Crew Chief Lineup