Sammy Smith is set to return to JR Motorsports for a third season, continuing his tenure in the No. 8 Chevrolet in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, the organization officially confirmed in an announcement on Monday.
A three-time winner in the second-tier series, Smith will continue to have financial backing from his long-time sponsors Pilot, TMC Transportation, and Allstate Peterbilt Group. The Johnston, Iowa-native will be tackling his fourth season in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series when the green flag drops at Daytona in February 2026.
“We are thrilled to have Sammy [Smith], Pilot, TMC, and Allstate Peterbilt Group back for 2026,” said Kelley Earnhardt Miller, CEO of JR Motorsports. “It’s been a pleasure getting to know and work with Sammy these past two seasons, and we’re looking forward to seeing what the future will hold next year after our run for a championship with the No. 8 team in 2025.”
Before tackling the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series campaign, Smith and JR Motorsports are focused on competing for a championship in the NASCAR Playoffs, which will begin this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway.
The 21-year-old driver locked himself into this year’s post-season courtesy of a victory at Rockingham Speedway – his third career victory. A multi-time champion of the ARCA Menards Series East, Smith has also secured victories at Phoenix (2023) and Talladega (2024).
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“I am looking forward to continuing to build on what we’ve accomplished together here at JR Motorsports,” Smith said in a team release. “I am thankful for the continued support from Pilot, TMC, and Allstate Peterbilt Group as we go into these playoffs and into next season as a team.”
In the opening 26 events of the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series campaign, Smith has recorded one victory (Rockingham), five top-five results, and 13 top-10s, with a career-high average finish of 14.7 heading into the postseason.
Smith is the second driver to be confirmed as part of the JR Motorsports lineup for the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, after Justin Allgaier signed a multi-year contract extension to continue as the driver of the No. 7 Chevrolet in October 2024, which will bring him through next season.
The No. 8 Pilot Chevrolet will return to the racetrack this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, with the Food City 300 taking place on Friday, September 12 at 7:30 PM ET. Coverage of the event will be on The CW, Performance Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
