On Wednesday evening, Sammy Smith confirmed in a social media post that he will not return to JR Motorsports for the 2027 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season, ending a three-year partnership that began with the 2024 season. On Thursday morning, JR Motorsports officially welcomed Carson Kvapil, who has pieced together a full-time schedule between multiple teams in 2026, as the full-time driver of the No. 8 Chevrolet for next season.
It’ll be a full-circle moment for Kvapil next season as he rose to the NASCAR National Series level after showing standout ability in the Late Model world, driving the No. 8 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports.
While Kvapil had been fast since his debut in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2024, Victory Lane had proven to be quite elusive for the young developmental talent. However, this season, Kvapil finally broke through in a big way, as he scored his first career NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Kvapil followed up his first career win with his second career win in his very next start, which came at Iowa Speedway.
As the series approaches the start of The Chase, Kvapil sits second in the championship standings, behind only his teammate and former series champion Justin Allgaier. Kvapil very much looks the part of a championship contender this season.
So, what’s next for Smith? That remains to be seen, but the three-time NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race winner has been heavily linked in the rumor mill to Haas Factory Team. If that organization ends up with an opening, Smith could very well slide into the stable next season.
Dean Thompson has already been announced as the driver of a third full-time Haas Factory Team NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series entry for next season, but the other two cars within the organization haven’t had official driver announcements just yet. Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer are the current drivers at Haas Factory Team.
