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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — AJ Allmendinger‘s NASCAR career will come full circle in 2023 when he returns to the Cup Series full-time to drive for Kaulig Racing.

Allmendinger retired after the 2018 season but was lured back into competition by his close friends Matt Kaulig and Chris Rice. The duo was attempting to build Kaulig Racing into a legitimate team that could move to NASCAR’s top series and coaxed Allmendinger into helping.

He started with five Xfinity Series races in 2019, and Kaulig persuaded Allmendinger to increase his schedule to 11 races the next year. By 2021, as Kaulig was preparing to move up to the Cup Series, Allmendinger ran five Cup races for the team and the full Xfinity Series schedule.

Kaulig Racing is now a two-car Cup team with Justin Haley as its full-time driver; its second car is used for “trophy hunting” and Allmendinger already has driven it 13 times this season.

Now, fresh off a win last week at Talladega Superspeedway that pushed Allmendinger into the next round of the Xfinity Series playoffs, the 40-year-old will return to NASCAR’s top level next year in the No. 16 Chevrolet.

Haley will remain in the No. 31, and Chandler Smith, a Truck Series driver for Kyle Busch Motorsports, was named Wednesday to replace Allmendinger in Kaulig’s Xfinity Series program.

“It’s crazy how the last five years of my life have gone,” Allmendinger said. “More than anything, I love this organization. I know the fans get tired of me talking about all the men and women of Kaulig Racing. This is not a race team. This is a huge family. There will be tough times and growing pains, for sure. But I love what they’re about, and they believe in me. I’ll be OK whether it’s good or bad.”

Rice, the general manager of Kaulig, said the journey with Allmendinger has been amazing considering its rough start.

“I first called AJ in 2019 to ask if he would run a couple Xfinity Series races for us,” Rice said. “He agreed to do five, and he was disqualified in the first two races. Although it was two tough results, AJ saw what we were trying to build here at Kaulig Racing, and better yet, he believed in what we were building.

“After the success we’ve had together since then, we think the next step is for him to help us do the same with our young, Cup Series team.”

Allmendinger has won the last two Xfinity Series regular-season championships and went into the finale last year with a shot at the title. As his role with Kaulig grew, so did the results sheet.

Allmendinger scored Kaulig’s second career win at the inaugural race on the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course in 2019, then won two of 11 races in 2020. He added five Xfinity wins in 2021 and won the Cup Series race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in Kaulig’s seventh Cup start.

Allmendinger next races Saturday at Charlotte, where he is 3-for-3 on its road course and the current Xfinity Series championship leader.

“When I first went to Kaulig Racing to compete part time in 2019 and 2020, I remember how I felt on the weekends that I wasn’t racing and how much I missed it,” Allmendinger said. “Competing full-time is a mentally tough battle at times. No matter how much work you put in as a driver, there’s a chance you will not achieve success.

“For a while, I think I lost that competitive drive to be the best. Kaulig Racing helped me find that again. I now feel more competitive than ever and believe there is more success to be earned as a team.”

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‘Gritty’ McBain secures 5-year deal from Mammoth

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'Gritty' McBain secures 5-year deal from Mammoth

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Mammoth re-signed center Jack McBain to a five-year contract worth $21.25 million on Monday.

McBain will count $4.25 million against the salary cap through the 2029-30 NHL season, which was announced a little more than 24 hours since the team elected salary arbitration with the restricted free agent forward.

“He is a big, strong, physical player who competes hard on a nightly basis and brings a gritty toughness to our group,” general manager Bill Armstrong said. “Jack is an important part of the championship-caliber team we are building, and we look forward to having him back on our roster for the foreseeable future.”

McBain, 25, is coming off setting a career high with 27 points and playing all 82 games. He was one of six players to skate in every game of the organization’s first season in Salt Lake City.

“Jack’s versatility as a player, his care for his teammates and his demonstrated willingness to do whatever it takes to win, are all critical elements to our future team success,” president of hockey operations Chris Armstrong said.

McBain has 82 points in 241 games with the franchise, which moved to Utah from Arizona. Since debuting in April 2022, he ranks third in the league with 832 hits.

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Johnson, 2-time Cup winner with Lightning, retires

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Johnson, 2-time Cup winner with Lightning, retires

Tyler Johnson has announced his retirement after playing 13 NHL seasons and winning the Stanley Cup twice with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Johnson called it a career in a lengthy message posted on social media Monday. Johnson had battled injuries in recent years and is set to turn 35 on July 29.

“As a short kid from a small town, I saw my chances of playing in the NHL as very slim,” Johnson wrote on Instagram. “But my family — my parents, Ken and Debbie, and my grandparents — believed in me when doubt clouded my mind. Their unwavering faith turned that dream into reality.”

Listed at 5-foot-8 and 191 pounds, Johnson won at just about ever level, capturing the Western Hockey League and Memorial Cup championships in 2008 with his hometown Spokane Chiefs and the Calder Cup championship with Norfolk of the American Hockey League in 2012.

The NHL brought more success, as he skated in 863 regular-season and playoff games since debuting in the league in 2013, putting up 498 points. Johnson was part of the Lightning’s core when they reached the final in 2015 and helped them hoist the Cup back to back in 2020 and ’21.

Johnson finished with Chicago, playing three seasons with the Blackhawks, and Boston, signing with the Bruins early last season following his training camp tryout.

“After a lifetime devoted to hockey, I’m ready for what’s next,” Johnson said. “This moment is bittersweet, but I leave the game with no regrets.”

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‘Workhorse’ York nets five-year deal from Flyers

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'Workhorse' York nets five-year deal from Flyers

Cam York and the Philadelphia Flyers agreed to terms Monday on a five-year contract worth $25.75 million, with re-signing the restricted free agent defenseman completing perhaps the team’s last important piece of offseason business.

York, 25, will count $5.15 million against the salary cap through the 2029-30 NHL season. That price could turn out to be a bargain with the upper limit rising from $88 million this past season to $113.5 million by 2027-28.

“Cam has been a workhorse for our team over the last few seasons,” general manager Danny Briere said. “We’re excited by his development and look forward to his continued growth and emergence as a young leader within our group.”

The Flyers are trying to shift from rebuilding to contending, and York was the final player on the roster without a contract. They acquired Trevor Zegras in a trade from Anaheim last month and signed fellow center Christian Dvorak and backup goaltender Dan Vladar on the first day of free agency.

York, the 14th pick in the 2019 draft, has skated nearly 21 minutes a game so far in his pro career, all with Philadelphia. He has 77 points in 235 games for the Flyers, who have not made the playoffs since 2020.

“I believe in this team, and I love the direction we are heading,” York said. “I couldn’t be more excited to continue this journey and build something special together.”

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