AJ Allmendinger blasts away the nerves with heavy metal

AJ Allmendinger is just like the rest of us: he’s trying his best to stay hydrated and not be too hard on himself. But it’s not easy.

Allmendinger is, as he admits, in the late stages of his career. He’s 42 years old, with 17 years and 400-plus NASCAR races under his belt (plus time in Champ Car, IndyCar, IMSA, and WEC). He’s had highs (including 20 NASCAR wins) and lows. And through it all, one thing’s remained consistent—and relatable: self-imposed pressure.

“It’s not probably the best mental health thing, the way I challenge myself,” says Allmendinger. “You can win a race and you wake up the next day, like, Yeah, you’re still not good enough. Go do it again.”

Right now he’s got a few reasons to feel good. Most immediately, he and the No. 16 Camaro are about to enter the Xfinity playoffs, which kick off in a couple weeks. And Allmendinger has a big 2025 on the horizon: it was recently announced that he’ll be returning full time to the Cup Series next year with Kaulig Racing and main sponsor Celsius, after he ran a part-time schedule this season.

Just a couple days before Allmendinger heads to the site of his first-ever NASCAR win, Watkins Glen — where he’ll to run the Xfinity race on Saturday and the Cup race on Sunday — he talked to Motorsport.com about where his head’s at on the eve of the playoffs, the hauler-shaking music he cranks up to block out nerves, and reclaiming his road course mojo.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

First off, congrats on next year. You and Kaulig going back full time in the Cup Series — I imagine that’s got to feel good, knowing how your 2025 is going to look already.

Allmendinger: It’s good to get the news out. You know, for me, when stuff like this gets announced, I kind of laugh because everybody is like, “Oh, congrats!” and I’m like, yeah, I’ve already known. And there was never a question on whether, probably [here near] the end of my career, what the car name is going to say. It’s always going to be Kaulig Racing — whether it’s the Xfinity series or the Cup series. [Driving with Kaulig] is the way I want to finish my full-time life in racing.

Does knowing that 2025 is a Cup season change anything for, here in the tail end of the season, and how you approach a race?

Not really. I mean the ultimate goal is still to go out there and try to win the Xfinity Championship. We’ve had a really up-and-down year. Some bad luck….