LEXINGTON, Ohio – When Kaulig Racing was announced in mid-January as a new NASCAR XFINITY Series team, many weren’t sure what to expect.
A promising, yet still somewhat unknown driver armed with a new sponsor, a devoted passionate owner and a veteran team manager and crew chief. Seems like a recipe for success, right?
Not always.
But, Kaulig Racing owned by entrepreneur Matt Kaulig doesn’t fail and his latest endeavor from upping his game from a full-time sponsor to a full-time team owner and sponsor, failure wasn’t or will be an option.
Leaving the keys to driver Blake Koch and team manager and crew chief Chris Rice to run the day-to-day operations, the thriving trio has captured the attention of a national audience, but more importantly their competition.
“It’s been absolutely amazing, said Kaulig. “We just started the team basically at the beginning of the year, just right at the end of the last year. And to be here at Mid-Ohio in mid-August and literally in 12th, right in the thick of the (XFINITY) Chase and moving on, be kinda in the playoffs, it’s more than we would have even expected. It’s great.”
Described as an owner who is going to do it right or not do it at all, Kaulig proved he meant business when his team formed an alliance with Richard Childress Racing (RCR) to supply cars and engines for the 2016 season.
The relationship has proven to be extremely beneficial, not only allowing Koch to earn his career-best finish in competition, but realistically allow others to point to the No. 11 LeafFilter Chevrolet Camaro as a viable championship contender.
Entering Saturday’s Mid-Ohio Challenge at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, the 30-year-old Koch has been thriving on consistency and finishing races.
“Mid-Ohio though is probably the biggest race of the year for our Kaulig Racing team,” Koch said. ”This race is almost like the Daytona 500 for our race team. Hopefully, we put on a good show for them.”
Starting off their season with a then career-best ninth place in their debut at Daytona International Speedway in February instantly created chatter in the garage about their capabilities. An eighth place finish two months later at Richmond International Raceway only provided the momentum the team needed to carve their foundation as a single-car team.
Even with a few bumps along the way that could have thwarted the team’s spirit and passion, the team has used those finishes to stand up and thrive without heavily relying on the available resources readily available to them.
While grateful for their alliance with RCR, Kaulig Racing, housed on the RCR compound is set to build their own destiny, fulfill their own dreams and conquer their goals the old-fashioned way.
Without boasting though, it’s that approach and the RCR partnership in their back pocket that is paying off and likely could see a first-year team contend for the XFINITY Series championship.
The main goal for Kaulig when his race team was born.
“I’m here to win championships,” said Kaulig. “We 100 percent plan on being in the XFINITY Series for like forever. I mean, I have no plans or desire to be in Cup. We want to win (XFINITY) championships.”
Of course winning a series championship is any team’s obvious pure goal, but nearly all the stars have to align in order to earn that crown at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November.
Part of having those stars align is surviving the brutal summer stretch in the XFINITY Series where 20 races are run in a 21-week stretch. That long-haul continues in Saturday’s 75-lap showdown at Mid-Ohio, the hometown race for Kaulig and his company, LeafFilter.
They’ll start 13th.
“Our corporate headquarters are about an hour and a half from here,” he added. “We have about 220 employees coming to the track. If you came to the corporate headquarters, it’s decked out in race gear. We had the race team up on Thursday, Blake, Chris Rice and the whole race team came to corporate and saw that we had a race car in our courtyard right outside corporate, the whole corporate headquarters is decked out in racing gear.
“We’ve really integrated racing into our culture at LeafFilter. The fact that we’re racing right in our backyard is just gigantic not only for our employees, but their family and friends and everyone else to come out and root on their race team but their product.”
His product is shining on and off the track. With a driver like Koch, well respected and liked by his peers and the media to a knowledgeable and personable crew chief like Rice, Kaulig Racing has burst onto the XFINITY scene showing racing can be fun and serious both at the same time.
It’s that same mentality that the team is thriving on during their inaugural season that could provide the energy but yet motivation to carry them to the final four at Homestead in a little over 90 days from now.
Still, even if the team falls short – Kaulig said it himself, they aren’t going anywhere and they’ll be back.
As for Kaulig, who resides primarily in Ohio to run his successful empire, he’s enjoying the perks of being an owner.
“Absolutely, whose dream isn’t to own a NASCAR race team? It’s awesome. Love it.”
And with that kind of attitude – Kaulig Racing has the structure, connections and passion to remain a forefront in the XFINITY Series for many, many years to come.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
