AVONDALE, Ariz. — For the final time, Kaulig Racing crews pushed three Chevrolet entries through the garage after an Xfinity race. This could have been a sad moment for owner Matt Kaulig, but he viewed the situation differently.
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He just looked at where the team started and how much it has grown. This created a sense of pride for the former college quarterback-turned-businessman.
"Our goal, seriously, starting out, honestly, was one, just winning one," Kaulig told FanBuzz in the Xfinity Series garage. "I mean, these things are impossible to win. I always say they're impossible to win.
"And so for us to have the run that we've done — two regular-season championships, 27 wins — I mean, we couldn't be more proud."
This isn't a permanent. Kaulig Racing CEO Chris Rice said ahead of the season finale at Phoenix Raceway that the Xfinity Series program would just go on pause for the time being.
The team needs to focus on its inaugural Craftsman Truck Series season while representing the Ram brand. It will also continue to compete in the Cup Series with two full-time entries.
In fact, Kaulig told FanBuzz that he is sure the team will run a couple O'Reilly Auto Parts Series races in 2026. It just won't have a full-time driver in the series battling for wins and championships as in the past.
"We plan on doing the same thing in the Truck Series," Kaulig said. "And I think we will. I mean, our odds are in our favor with five trucks (laughs). But that's what we're focused on.
"And just the whole overall Kaulig Racing in NASCAR with all the series, we feel really good. We're super excited about what the future holds."
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Kaulig Racing will certainly remain in NASCAR while competing in two national series, yet it will be surreal heading to Daytona in February and not seeing a single entry from the team in the field.
After all, this team has competed in the secondary series since 2016 while fielding multiple cars, winning 27 races, and contending for dozens more. This team has certainly made its mark on the Xfinity Series and at Daytona, in particular, with three of these wins.
"I mean, we feel like we're just getting started," Kaulig said when asked about his team's legacy in Xfinity. "We're a decade in now. I mean, it was like we were the team that was like, 'All right, who's this guy coming in?' We're the young team. Like, what's going on? But now we've got experience, even with Ty Norris and as much experience as Chris Rice has.
"I mean, we're still young, and we're going to be in the sport a whole lot longer than probably most of these teams that are in the sport now. And so we're excited about that, and we're going to make a splash. And we're having fun in our own way."
