Dean Thompson — Driver Profile
Car: No. 26 | Team: Sam Hunt Racing | Manufacturer: Toyota Crew Chief: Kris Bowen | Sponsor: Thompson Pipe Group Status: Full-time | Hometown: Anaheim, California | Age: 24
2026 Season
Dean Thompson is in his second consecutive full-time season with Sam Hunt Racing and is 21st in the 2026 O'Reilly Series points standings through eight races. His best finish of the year — a seventh at Martinsville — is the bright spot in a season that has also included a 35th-place DNF at Daytona. The average finish of 23.0 reflects the mid-tier resource gap, but the Martinsville result shows Thompson can capitalize on short tracks that suit his style.
2026 Stats (through 8 races): 21st in points (112 pts) | 0 wins | 0 top 5s | 1 top 10 | 22.9 avg. start | 23.0 avg. finish
Career
Thompson drives for a team largely sponsored by his family's business, Thompson Pipe Group, giving him a funding base that has secured back-to-back full-time seasons with Sam Hunt Racing. The California native arrived at the national level without the typical multi-year buildup at lower rungs, making 2026 a critical development year as he builds race-by-race experience at one of the sport's most demanding levels.
The Story
Thompson's 2026 season is a development file more than a results file. Sam Hunt Racing is a mid-tier operation with two full-time drivers in 2026 — Thompson and Harrison Burton — and both are building week by week. The question for Thompson is whether a second consecutive full-time season accelerates his development enough to produce more top-15 finishes before the year is out.