TC Daily Pit Stop: Chris Rice Shuts Down Rumors of Kaulig Racing Xfinity Program Closing
TC Daily Pit Stop: Friday, August 1st, 2025
Despite Rumors, Chris Rice Says Kaulig Xfinity Program ‘Not Shutting Down’
Following Kaulig Racing parting ways with Josh Williams, the driver of its No. 11 NASCAR Xfinity Series entry, with 12 races remaining in the season, Chris Rice, the team’s President, joined SiriusXM NASCAR Radio to address the future of the organization, and to shut down a persisting rumor.
The rumor mill has speculated whether the Kaulig Racing NASCAR Xfinity Series program would remain for the 2026 season. Rice says that the Xfinity program, which Kaulig Racing has fielded for a decade, is a cornerstone for the team and will continue to be into the future.
“I’ve seen something where everybody said the Xfinity program is shutting down. It’s not shutting down. That’s our cornerstone.”
As far as how many full-time cars the team will field in the series next season, that’s the part that is up for debate.
“Will we have three cars? Man, I don’t know, it just depends on funding,” Rice added. “We are sitting there with like 74 Xfinity chassis and bodies and stuff, so I mean, we have a lot of equipment sitting in the shop, so it’s not like it’s going anywhere. We have a lot of people there and we’re going to be around a long time, and we run Xfinity, and if the funding comes through, we’ll be there with three, and if not, we’ll be there with two.”
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XFINITY: Fourth Straight Win Would Put Connor Zilisch in Rarified Air
Connor Zilisch, a 19-year-old rookie of the year contender in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, has been nothing short of impressive this season.
The JR Motorsports driver has already amassed five victories this season, and heading into this weekend’s event at Iowa Speedway, Zilisch has the opportunity to join a very rare club — drivers that have won four consecutive NASCAR Xfinity Series races.
Four consecutive wins is an achievement that has only been pulled off twice in the history of the NASCAR Xfinity Series, which spans back to 1982. Sam Ard pulled off four-straight wins in 1983, and Noah Gragson accomplished the achievement in 2022.
If Zilisch can pull it off this weekend, it would be quite the feat for the young budding superstar, and it would position him well for potentially winning five races in a row, as the next event after Iowa will be at Watkins Glen, where Zilisch won last season.
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Carson Hocevar to Pilot No. 11 Kaulig Racing Car in Xfinity Race at Iowa
Josh Williams, Kaulig Racing Parting Ways With Immediate Effect
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Report: Mexico City Off Cup Schedule in 2026, Chicagoland Likely to Return
NASCAR Suspends Austin Hill From Iowa Xfinity Race Following Indianapolis Actions
Iowa Weekend Resources:
2025 NASCAR Season Resources:
Schedules: NASCAR Cup | NASCAR Xfinity | NASCAR Trucks
Driver Points: NASCAR Cup | NASCAR Xfinity | NASCAR Trucks
Owner Points: NASCAR Cup | NASCAR Xfinity | NASCAR Trucks
Rookie Standings: NASCAR Cup | NASCAR Xfinity | NASCAR Trucks
Manufacturer Standings: NASCAR Cup | NASCAR Xfinity | NASCAR Trucks
2025 Driver/Team Charts: NASCAR Cup | NASCAR Xfinity | NASCAR Trucks