The series one step below NASCAR’s Cup Series will be entering a new era in 2026 and beyond. Xfinity has ended its 11-year partnership with NASCAR title sponsorship, and O’Reilly Auto Parts, known for its catchy commercial jingles, has been named the new series title sponsor. What’s expected of the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in year one?

Storylines

• Jesse Love, driver of the #2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, hopes to defend his 2025 championship.
• NASCAR Cup Series drivers with more than three years of experience will now be allowed to run ten races per regular season, up from five from 2020-2025.
• Richard Childress Racing is looking for its fifth consecutive win in the season-opening Daytona race on Valentine’s Day.
• The Playoff format used from 2016-2025 has been outlawed in favor of the Chase format. The top twelve drivers in points will fight for a championship during the final nine races of the season. The driver with the most points following the checkered flag at Homestead-Miami will win the title.

Driver/Team Changes

• Kaulig Racing has paused competition in the series to focus on their new Ram operation in the Craftsman Truck Series.
• Haas Factory Team has switched from Ford to Chevrolet this season. Drivers Sheldon Creed (#00 Chevrolet) and Sam Mayer (#41 Chevrolet) will remain with the team. RSS Racing and drivers Kyle Sieg (#28 Chevrolet) and Ryan Sieg (#39 Chevrolet) have also made the switch.
• SS-Greenlight Racing’s #14 Chevrolet has been re-numbered to the #0, featuring drivers Garrett Smithley (23 races), Alex Labbe (5 road courses), and Cole Custer (5 races). They have also hired Josh Bilicki to drive their flagship #07 Chevrolet full-time. Bilicki was previously the anchor driver of DGM Racing’s #91 Chevrolet. He will work with crew chief Paul Clapprood.
• Carson Kvapil will be racing for JR Motorsports full-time in 2026, but not solely in the #1 Chevrolet. Cup Series driver Connor Zilisch will split the season with Kvapil. Kvapil will race in a different JRM car whenever Zilisch is driving. Rodney Childers has been named crew chief.
• Ryan Ellis will move to Young’s Motorsports and the #02 Chevrolet team in 2026. He previously drove DGM Racing’s #71 Chevrolet. Eddie Troconis will be atop the pit box.
• Late model team Hettinger Racing has joined the series with their #5 Ford. This car will feature multiple drivers, starting with Luke Fenhaus at Daytona. Joe Williams Jr. is the crew chief.
• Corey Day will run for Rookie of the Year honors in the Hendrick Motorsports #17 Chevrolet. Day raced part-time in the O’Reilly (Then Xfinity), Craftsman Truck, and ARCA Menards Series in 2025. Adam Wall is his crew chief.
• Brent Crews will race full-time for Joe Gibbs Racing in the #19 Toyota but will skip the first four races due to age. Crews raced part-time in the ARCA Menards and Craftsman Truck Series last year. He will be paired with crew chief Seth Chavka.
• Harrison Burton, previously the driver of AM Racing’s #25 Ford, moves to Sam Hunt Racing and the #24 Toyota team. His crew chief is Brian Gainey.
• AM Racing will remain in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series after a sale to Sigma Performance Services fell through. Nick Sanchez will race full-time for the team in the #25 Ford. Dewey Townsend IV will call the shots.
• Former NASCAR driver Stanton Barrett has purchased a stake in Cope Family Racing, rebranding the team Barrett-Cope Racing. The #30 Chevrolet will feature a rotating cast of drivers, including Carson Ware and Baltazar Leguizamon. The crew chief will be George Church.
• Rajah Caruth will join the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series full-time, splitting time between the JR Motorsports #88 Chevrolet and the Jordan Anderson Racing #32 Chevrolet. Caruth previously drove full-time in the Craftsman Truck Series from 2023-25. Ross Chastain and Jordan Anderson, among others, will drive the #32 when Caruth is in the #88. Mark Setzer will lead the #32 team, which was previously a part-time entry.
• Carney’s Point, NJ’s Lavar Scott will race full-time in Alpha Prime Racing’s #45 Chevrolet. He previously raced in the ARCA Menards Series for two full seasons, without scoring a victory.  Kase Kallenbach leads the operation.
• Eye doctor Patrick Staropoli will run his first full-time NASCAR season, driving the #48 Chevrolet for Big Machine Racing. Originally, Nick Sanchez was supposed to return to this car after driving it in 2025, but the team released him at the last minute, in favor of Staropoli. The doctor raced part-time in the O’Reilly (Xfinity), Craftsman Truck, and ARCA Menards Series a season ago. Crew chief Patrick Donahue remains with the team.
• Austin Green, the son of former driver David Green, will run his first full-time season in the #87 Peterson Racing Group Chevrolet. The road course specialist, who drove the #32 Chevrolet in partnership with Jordan Anderson Racing, has been paired with crew chief Jody Measmer.
• Josh Williams returns to DGM Racing for another stint in the #92 Chevrolet. Williams previously raced for Kaulig Racing before being released midseason. Veteran crew chief Steve Addington will be paired with Williams.
• Viking Motorsports is expanding from one car to two in 2026, but without 2025 driver Matt DiBenedetto. Anthony Alfredo, previously with Young’s Motorsports, will drive the new #96 Chevrolet. Former Alpha Prime Racing driver Parker Retzlaff will drive the flagship #99 Chevrolet. Crew chiefs Joshua Graham and Danny Efland are ready to work with their new team, too.

Schedule Changes

• The season finale returns to Homestead-Miami Speedway for the first time since 2019, just like the Cup and Craftsman Truck Series. The finale was previously at Phoenix Raceway from 2020-2025.
• The series will make its debut at Naval Base Coronado’s street course in San Diego on June 20. The other two series will also be present.
• Chicagoland returns for the first time in seven years.
• No more Portland, Mexico, or Chicago Street.
• Darlington will only have one date.
• Charlotte will have two oval dates, just like the other two series.

The new era of NASCAR’s second-tier series is ready to begin. Who will become the first ever O-O-O-O’Reilly Auto Parts (OW!) Series champion? We will get our answer the evening of November 7.