BRISTOL, Tenn. – A.J. Allmendinger will return to the seat of the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet Camaro for the upcoming NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Allmendinger, who piloted the car for the season opener at Daytona Int’l Speedway back in February but failed to qualify for the event, will carry sponsorship from Ellsworth Advisors as he makes his first-ever Xfinity Series start at the .533-mile, high-banked concrete oval.

Bristol was not among the initial eight-race schedule that Allmendinger was planning to run in the Xfinity Series this season prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has drastically altered the series’ calendar and forced a shutdown in racing of more than two months.

“I’m back and I’m pumped to be in the Ellsworth Advisors No. 16 for Kaulig Racing and to be back with my Kaulig family at Bristol,” said Allmendinger. “It will be a slight challenge. I haven’t been there in two years, and I’ve never been there in a Xfinity car. With no practice and the fact I’ll probably be starting near the back, I’m a little nervous about it, but overall I couldn’t be more excited that Matt Kaulig and everyone at Kaulig Racing have given me the opportunity to go to Bristol. It’s one of the toughest race tracks in the world.

“I’ll try to get myself, and my TV body, back into racing shape, but we’re ready to go,” he added. “The Kaulig Racing Chevys have been so fast this year. I can’t wait to work with Justin Haley and Ross Chastain, go to the front, win some races and collect trophies.”

While Allmendinger doesn’t have any track time at Bristol in an Xfinity Series entry, he has made 21 starts in NASCAR Cup Series action at The Last Great Coliseum, with a best starting spot of second in 2012 and a best finish of ninth there in 2016.

Of note, series sponsor Xfinity will salute a variety of military community employees from across the company on Monday by placing the employees’ names on the windshield headers of each car.

Allmendinger’s car will salute retired Air Force serviceman Corey Summers, who now serves as a CommTech for Xfinity.

The Cheddar’s 300 presented by Alsco is set for 7 p.m. ET Monday night, with live coverage on FS1, the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.