We have reached the point in the season where rumors begin to swirl about the futures of drivers and race teams, and announcements regarding the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series campaign start to be revealed. While the silly season in the NASCAR Cup Series appears like it might be rather subdued, that is not the case in NASCAR’s second-tier series.
Here are some of the major storylines:
- An Opening at JRM:
- With Connor Zilisch expected to go NASCAR Cup Series racing, there’s destined to be a vacancy at JR Motorsports. So, who takes it? Daniel Suarez seems to be a contender, but could somebody else sneak in and get the opportunity of a lifetime?
- Another Great Rookie Battle?
- The rookie class in the NASCAR Xfinity Series has been SENSATIONAL in 2025, with the rookies showing up and performing from the drop of the green flag in Daytona. It appears we could be shaping up for another solid rookie battle in 2026. Some possible candidates include Brent Crews, Corey Day, Rajah Caruth, and maybe Corey Heim.
2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series ROTY Contenders
- None, yet.
CONFIRMED ENTRIES:
NOTE: Listed below are the drivers/teams that have confirmed rides for 2026 — whether that be through a formal announcement, a reputable report, or the verbiage in their initial announcement (i.e., multi-year).
| # | Driver | Team / Manufacturer | Sponsor(s) | Crew Chief(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00 | Sheldon Creed | Haas Factory Team Chevrolet | ||
| 1 | Carson Kvapil Connor Zilisch | JR Motorsports Chevrolet | Rodney Childers | |
| 2 | Jesse Love | Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet | Whelen | |
| 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports Chevrolet | BRANDT | |
| 8 | Sammy Smith | JR Motorsports Chevrolet | Pilot TMC Transportation Allstate Peterbilt Group | |
| 17 | Corey Day | Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet | HendrickCars.com | Adam Wall |
| 18 | William Sawalich | Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota | SoundGear Starkey | |
| 20 | Brandon Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota | Menards | |
| 24 | Harrison Burton | Sam Hunt Racing Toyota | Brian Gainey | |
| 26 | Dean Thompson | Sam Hunt Racing Toyota | Kris Bowen | |
| 41 | Sam Mayer | Haas Factory Team Chevrolet | ||
| 48 | Nick Sanchez | Big Machine Racing Chevrolet | Patrick Donahue | |
| 51 | Jeremy Clements | Jeremy Clements Racing Chevrolet | ||
| 88 | Rajah Caruth (PT) | JR Motorsports Chevrolet | HendrickCars.com | |
| 99 | Parker Retzlaff | Viking Motorsports Chevrolet | Danny Efland |
PART-TIME ENTRIES:
NOTE: Listed below are the drivers/teams that have confirmed rides for 2026 — whether that be through a formal announcement, a reputable report, or the verbiage in their initial announcement (i.e., multi-year).
| # | Driver | Team / Manufacturer | Sponsor(s) | Crew Chief |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Shane Van Gisbergen Ross Chastain Carson Kvapil | JR Motorsports Chevrolet |
UNCONFIRMED / POSSIBLE ENTRIES:
NOTE: Listed below are the drivers/teams that have not confirmed entries into the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, plus teams that have been rumored to be joining the series for the upcoming year.
| # | Driver | Team / Manufacturer | Sponsor(s) | Crew Chief(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07 | Patrick Emerling (?) Nick Leitz (?) Alex Labbe (?) | SS-GreenLight Racing Chevrolet | ||
| 4 | Alpha Prime Racing Chevrolet | |||
| 14 | Garrett Smithley (?) | SS-GreenLight Racing Chevrolet | ||
| 19 | Justin Bonsignore (?) Brent Crews (?) | Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota | ||
| 21 | Austin Hill (?) | Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet | ||
| 25 | Harrison Burton (?) | AM Racing Ford | ||
| 27 | Jeb Burton (?) | Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet | ||
| 28 | Kyle Sieg (?) | RSS Racing Ford | ||
| 29 | RSS Racing Ford | |||
| 31 | Blaine Perkins (?) | Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet | ||
| 32 | Katherine Legge (?) Austin Green (?) | Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet | ||
| 35 | Joey Gase Motorsports MULTIPLE | |||
| 39 | Ryan Sieg (?) | RSS Racing Ford | ||
| 42 | Anthony Alfredo (?) | Young's Motorsports Chevrolet | ||
| 44 | Brennan Poole (?) | Alpha Prime Racing Chevrolet | ||
| 45 | Alpha Prime Racing Chevrolet | |||
| 53 | Joey Gase Motorsports MULTIPLE | |||
| 54 | Taylor Gray (?) | Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota | ||
| 70 | Cope Family Racing Chevrolet | |||
| 71 | DGM Racing x JIMS Chevrolet | |||
| 74 | Mike Harmon Racing Chevrolet | |||
| 76 | Kole Raz (?) | AM Racing Ford | ||
| 87 | Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet | |||
| 91 | Josh Bilicki (?) Josh Williams (?) CJ McLaughlin (?) | DGM Racing x JIMS Chevrolet | ||
| 92 | Josh Bilicki (?) Josh Williams (?) CJ McLaughlin (?) | DGM Racing x JIMS Chevrolet | ||
| ?? | Sigma Performance Services Chevrolet? Ford? | |||
| ?? | Peterson Racing Group Chevrolet? |
