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It is plain for anyone to see when an athlete becomes so accustomed to winning, and so accustomed to the routine of winning, they go through the motions of it all and don't so much as come close to their emotional maximum -- which is what makes moments like AJ Allmendinger's win at the Charlotte Roval that much easier to appreciate.

Even by the standards he's set, Allmendinger hit the emotional chip celebrating his third career Cup Series win. He screamed over the radio in triumph taking the checkered flag, then spoke practically in sobs on his cooldown lap before emerging victorious on the frontstretch. His post-race interview yo-yo'd between a waterfall of tears and hooting and hollering, and then he capped it all off by running up into the grandstands to celebrate with the fans.

In the moment, Allmendinger explained he was as emotional as he was about winning a Cup race "because you don't know when you're gonna do it again." And anyone who has seen the arc of Allmendinger's career in NASCAR can understand that sentiment.

Allmendinger came to NASCAR in 2007 from the ranks of open-wheel racing, where he won five times in Champ Car the previous season. It took him seven years, with plenty of adversity in between, to finally get his first Cup win at Watkins Glen in 2014. Then came another long dry spell, to the point that Allmendinger's career as a full-time racer looked to be over after the 2018 season.

It was an experience that reinforced a lifelong mentality to never take winning for granted.

"I have always enjoyed and embraced winning since I started racing BMX bikes when I was five years old," Allmendinger told CBS Sports. "In NASCAR, I went so many years without winning and that's why I never take any win for granted. You truly never know when your next win will happen."

Allmendinger's sustained enthusiasm and exuberance is especially appreciable given the point he has now reached in his life. Months before turning 42, Allmendinger is a new father -- he and his wife, Tara, welcomed their first child, Aero, in September -- and is now resolved to continue racing and making memories with his son as long as he enjoys it and feels competitive. 

Allmendinger has also become a team leader and the standard bearer for Kaulig Racing, where he has found an environment he can thrive in. Allmendinger's personality and drive to win has suited team owner Matt Kaulig and team president Chris Rice to a T, and the pairing has enjoyed their greatest successes together since Allmendinger first joined the team in 2019.

"I have always been so appreciative of Matt and Chris for letting me be myself since I joined the organization," Allmendinger said. "I've always told them, the day I stop showing emotion and passion for this race team is the day they need to hire someone else. All of the men and women at Kaulig Racing deserve a driver who is going to give it their all, on and off the track, for the team and it's important to me that they get that."

Allmendinger won 10 times and became a championship contender in the Xfinity Series in two full seasons with Kaulig, and he also got the organization its first Cup win at Indianapolis in 2021 while running a partial schedule. The next logical step for Allmendinger was to take the wheel of their No. 16 Cup car full-time, which is precisely what happened in 2023.

In some ways, the 2023 season has been a success: Allmendinger now has a win, four top fives -- a career-best in that category -- seven top-10 finishes and currently sits 20th in the championship standings. Teammate Justin Haley also has a top five and a career-best six top-10 finishes, and he almost got Kaulig in Victory Lane at the Chicago Street Course before ultimately being passed for the win and ending up second.

Neither team, though, made this year's playoffs. And as opposed to a second-year jump in Kaulig's second year as a full-time Cup team, the 2023 season has shown they still have a ways to go to become the sort of top-tier organization they are at the Xfinity level.

"We started the season not quite where we expected to be," Allmendinger said. "When you give these big race teams an off-season with the new car, they are going to get every bit out of it that they can, so we expected to start the season a little bit off from other teams. We had several races at the beginning of the season where we put together a solid race and we were on track to get a decent finish, but we'd get caught up in a wreck near the end. No matter what the outcome of the race was, our team kept pushing and we continued to get better. We worked on our Roval set up for about a month to get it exactly where we needed to be to unload and be competitive. 

"As a group, we know we can win races and contend for the playoffs on both the Xfinity side and the Cup side. Being in our second full-time season on the Cup side, to win a race at any point in the season is a big deal. Our goals stay the same for 2024. If we keep doing our job and improving, we will have the opportunity to contend for wins and the playoffs."

Exactly what Allmendinger's role at Kaulig will be in 2024 remains up in the air. Allmendinger has said he will be back in Cup, but whether he runs full-time or part-time will likely boil down to sponsorship.

One partner that could help aid Allmendinger on that front is Celsius, whose growth into a premier energy drink brand has mirrored Kaulig Racing's growth from a small Xfinity team into a two-car Cup team and an Xfinity powerhouse. Allmendinger's win at the Roval was the first for Celsius as a primary sponsor on a Cup car.

"It's been awesome to have Celsius along for the ride at Kaulig Racing," Allmendinger said. "When I first started with the team in 2019, I honestly didn't know what Celsius was. Now it has become a part of my daily fitness routine and you see it everywhere. It's at the track, at the grocery store, on the golf course and everywhere in between. 

"To see the brand grow over the years and to have them in victory lane to celebrate with us twice this season, in the Xfinity series at COTA and most recently in the Cup series at the ROVAL, has been really special for our partnership."