AJ Allmendinger faces a must-win scenario at the upcoming Coke Zero Sugar 400 held at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday. Currently 181 points shy of the playoff cutoff, Allmendinger’s path to the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs hinges entirely on securing a victory, making the race critically important for his season’s hopes.
While the challenge is clear, prevailing on a superspeedway like Daytona remains a daunting task. Speaking with On3 before the race, Allmendinger expressed strong confidence in his No. 16 CELSIUS Chevrolet, trusting that the vehicle will hold the speed and durability needed. His main focus is on staying clear of “the big one” wrecks typical of such races and positioning himself strategically to push for the lead in the third and final stage.
Allmendinger Shares His Perspective on the Daytona Season Finale
Looking ahead to the race, Allmendinger highlighted the simplicity and intensity of his mindset:
“I guess the positive way to look at it is we don’t have to worry about anything besides winning. We don’t have to worry about points, we don’t have worry about stages, if we’re not up front at the end of the stages. The focus is just winning,”
Allmendinger said.
“I’m confident we’re going to have a fast CELSIUS Chevy every time we come to these superspeedway races. Kaulig Racing and with the help of ECR horsepower — we have a fast car. This race is hectic and it’s chaotic… [there’s] about 20 or 22 guys in desperation mode. There’s really only two of them that probably got to be a little careful and then there’s 14 that don’t have to worry about anything because they’re already locked in.”
He continued to outline his approach for the race’s critical moments:
“We’re just going to go out there and try to be there at the end. That’s the first thing is you’ve got to be there at the end of this race. You got to be aggressive at times, but you got to do it in the right scenarios and with 15 or 20 laps to go, you got to be full tilt and leave everything out there. So, I think the biggest thing about this race is the way these cars draft now, you just got to be up front a lot earlier than you did in the past with the old cars. I would say kind of in that third stage, you got to get up to the front and try to do everything you can to stay there.”
Allmendinger has a history of strong performances at Daytona, placing sixth in both the 2023 and 2024 Daytona 500s and having secured a third-place finish in the 2018 Coke Zero Sugar 400. Nevertheless, for the 2025 playoff berth, only winning will suffice.
Reflection on Allmendinger’s 2025 Season Prospects
Allmendinger’s last victory came at the 2023 Charlotte ROVAL, where his affinity for road courses is well known. However, this season he was unable to replicate that success on road tracks, managing just one top 10 finish in five road-course races, a sixth-place at the Chicago Street Race.
Admitting some shortcomings on road courses, Allmendinger noted the difficulties he faced with the current tire setup, which negatively affected his results. Conversely, he found more success on the oval circuits, securing multiple top 10 finishes at venues including Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, and Charlotte Motor Speedway. He remarked that compared to previous years, Kaulig Racing’s consistency and speed have improved markedly, making 2025 a season with renewed optimism despite some missed opportunities.
“If you kind of look at where our program was last year, the cars were kind of low 30s in points. We had some good runs last year. Daniel Hemric had some good runs, I had some good runs at times,”
Allmendinger explained.
“Looking at the whole totality of this year, our speed is a lot better. We’re building a lot faster race cars. I think we’re overall a lot more competitive than last year. The thing that stands out and there’s a lot of teams that can say this, but we’ve had a lot of speed at times and probably haven’t gotten the results for that. There’s been three or four races where one thing or another happened, and we just haven’t gotten that finish. A team like ours, that’s disappointing when you have fast race cars because sometimes there’s gonna be times when you struggle.”
“As a whole, I’m happy with where we’re at speed-wise. We’re always trying to improve and we know we have a good ways to go to get to the Hendrick and Gibbs consistently, but we’ve shown we can run there. Our road course — we’ve been off a little bit. I’ve got to be better; this tire has thrown me off a little bit, so that’s been a little disappointing, just our road course results. Other than that, I’ve been happy with what we’ve done and what the future is for our race team.”
The Role of CELSIUS in Allmendinger’s Racing Journey
A crucial and consistent part of Allmendinger’s career at Kaulig Racing has been his partnership with CELSIUS, the official energy drink sponsor since 2021. This collaboration has grown significantly, and Allmendinger values what the brand represents both on and off the track. In 2023, he brought CELSIUS its maiden NASCAR Cup victory at the Charlotte ROVAL, a memorable achievement he hopes to build upon with a win in Daytona.
“It’s just been a great partnership,”
Allmendinger reflected.
“You can say seven years they’ve been a part of the race team, I remember walking into the shop in 2019 and this just shows to me how CELSIUS has grown, not just in North America, but we’ve seen throughout the world with like their partnership with Ferrari and just different sports and different mega athletes. I remember walking into the shop in 2019 and just seeing CELSIUS inside the race shop and to be quite honest, I was like I’ve never seen this before. To see where the partnership has grown, to be able to be in Victory Lane with them a few different times, get them a Cup win (Charlotte ROVAL, 2023) — it’s been huge, and their continued belief in me to associate and be a part of Kaulig Racing, but also be on the 16 car and have our partnership together, I really enjoy it.”
“The CELSIUS product is something I use on a daily basis. That’s what I love about it is I don’t have to fake it… This is [something] that I literally will use on the golf course, working out, here at the racetrack — it’s essential to my life. It’s been great and as I said about my career, I hope this partnership keeps continuing and we keep growing together.”
Daytona’s Impact on Allmendinger’s Playoff Dreams
The upcoming Daytona race is not just another event for Allmendinger—it represents a vital crossroads in his quest to qualify for the 2025 NASCAR playoffs. Superspeedway races are notorious for their unpredictability and the high risk of multi-car crashes, often referred to as “the big one,” which can derail even the fastest cars. Allmendinger understands that remaining patient but aggressive at the right moments is the key to securing the victory he needs.
His confidence in Kaulig Racing’s speed and the CELSIUS Chevrolet’s performance offers hope to fans and the team alike. With roughly 20 drivers facing desperation-mode challenges, the competition at Daytona will be intense, amplifying the pressure on Allmendinger’s need to outlast and outperform the pack during the critical final laps.
Allmendinger’s ability to capitalize where others may falter will determine if he reaches Victory Lane and punches his ticket into the playoffs. Given his history of solid finishes on superspeedways and the team’s improvements over the past year, he enters Daytona with a blend of hope and resolve, fiercely determined to keep his championship aspirations alive.