Despite hoping to carry momentum from a fourth-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600 into Nashville, A.J. Allmendinger’s No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet faced a challenging start with NASCAR officials demanding the car be brought back to the garage during practice preparation. Officials suspected unapproved adjustments were made to the car after pre-qualifying inspection when a crew member caught their attention working underneath the car.
Upon failing its first inspection attempt in the garage, the team raced against time to rectify the issues before practice began. Eventually passing inspection on the second try, the car was still penalized with a delayed start to practice. Allmendinger, despite the setback, remained nonchalant, stating it’s just part of NASCAR life and that his team handled the situation well.
Currently 18th in the championship standings, Allmendinger was only 13 points away from the cut-line prior to the race in Nashville. Kaulig Racing had yet to secure a victory in the 2025 season’s first 13 races, with their strongest performance being Allmendinger’s top-five finish in the previous weekend’s 600 event.
