What Is the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series?
The O'Reilly Auto Parts Series is NASCAR's second-tier national touring series, sitting one level below the Cup Series in the NASCAR ladder. Formerly known as the Xfinity Series, the series was rebranded for 2026 after O'Reilly Auto Parts secured the entitlement sponsorship in a deal announced on August 18, 2025.
The series has operated under several names over the decades — the Busch Series, Nationwide Series, and Xfinity Series — but its role has remained consistent: a proving ground for young drivers ascending toward the Cup Series and a competitive home for career series regulars who make their living at this level.
2026 Format
The 2026 season features 33 races split into two segments:
Regular Season: 24 races (February through August) The Chase: 9 playoff races featuring 12 drivers competing for the championship
The Chase Format
The 2026 season introduces a revamped playoff system called The Chase. Key details:
- 12 drivers qualify for the Chase based on regular-season points
- 55 points awarded per race win — wins are heavily rewarded but a single victory no longer guarantees a playoff spot
- The top seed enters the Chase at 2,100 points with a 25-point advantage over second place
- Drivers are separated by 5-point increments down to 12th (2,020 points)
- The Chase culminates at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 7 for the championship finale
Field Size
The O'Reilly Auto Parts Series typically fields 38 cars per race — larger than the Cup Series field and offering more opportunities for smaller teams to compete.
2026 Teams and Drivers
JR Motorsports
The powerhouse of the series, co-owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kelley Earnhardt Miller, L.W. Miller, and Rick Hendrick. Based in Mooresville, NC.
- #7 Justin Allgaier — 2024 OARS champion with 30 career wins (7th all-time). The dominant driver of early 2026 with three wins in the first seven races. Also filling in for injured Alex Bowman in the No. 48 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports in the Cup Series.
- #8 Sammy Smith — Full-time competitor and consistent points contender.
- #9 Lee Pulliam — Four-time NASCAR weekly national champion. Made his OARS debut at Martinsville in March 2026, finishing 5th and leading 40 laps.
- #88 Rajah Caruth — Full-time entry, with select shared starts by Cup drivers William Byron and Kyle Larson.
- #1 Carson Kvapil / Connor Zilisch — Carson Kvapil (two-time CARS Tour champion) is the full-time entry. Zilisch, who won 11 Xfinity races in 2025, shares the ride while running full-time in Cup with Trackhouse Racing.
Richard Childress Racing
Legacy NASCAR organization based in Welcome, NC.
- #2 Jesse Love — 2025 OARS champion defending his title. Currently 2nd in 2026 standings. Sponsored by Whelen Engineering.
- #21 Austin Hill — Won the 2026 season opener at Daytona. Full-time competitor.
Haas Factory Team
- #00 Sheldon Creed — Former Truck Series champion. Won at Atlanta in 2026. Switched to Chevrolet for 2026.
- #41 Sam Mayer — Full-time competitor.
Joe Gibbs Racing
Toyota's primary OARS organization, based in Huntersville, NC. Four full-time entries for 2026.
- #18 William Sawalich — Full-time competitor.
- #19 Brent Crews — 17-year-old prospect. Eligibility restricted on ovals over 1.25 miles early in the season.
- #20 Brandon Jones — Veteran competitor, consistent top-10 finisher.
- #54 Taylor Gray — Full-time entry.
Hendrick Motorsports
- #17 Corey Day — Hendrick's first full OARS program since 2006. A significant investment in the series.
Sam Hunt Racing
- #26 Dean Thompson — Full-time competitor.
- #24 Harrison Burton — Returned to OARS for 2026 after Cup tenure.
Other Notable Entries
- Shane van Gisbergen — New Zealand native and 2023 Supercars champion. Won at COTA in 2026. Runs select OARS events while competing full-time in the Cup Series.
- Kyle Larson — Cup Series star who runs select OARS events in JR Motorsports equipment. Won at Las Vegas in 2026.
2026 Race Winners (Through 7 Races)
| Race | Track | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daytona | Austin Hill |
| 2 | Atlanta | Sheldon Creed |
| 3 | COTA | Shane van Gisbergen |
| 4 | Phoenix | Justin Allgaier |
| 5 | Las Vegas | Kyle Larson |
| 6 | Darlington | Justin Allgaier |
| 7 | Martinsville | Justin Allgaier |
Justin Allgaier leads the championship with 373 points and three wins — the dominant story of the 2026 season so far.
Notable 2026 Schedule Highlights
Rockingham Speedway — "The Rock" returns to the NASCAR national schedule. One of the most beloved tracks in stock car racing history, hosting Race 8 on April 4.
Chicagoland Speedway — Back on the schedule for the first time since 2019, hosting a July 4th weekend race.
Coronado Street Course — NASCAR's first-ever street course event in San Diego, debuting in June.
Homestead-Miami Speedway — The 2026 championship finale on November 7.
How to Watch
Every O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race in 2026 airs exclusively on The CW Network — a free, over-the-air broadcast television network. No cable package or streaming subscription required. Practice and qualifying stream free on The CW App. The series is averaging 1.1 million viewers per race, up 17% year-over-year and pacing to be the most-watched since 2018.
Recent Champions
| Year | Champion | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Jesse Love | Richard Childress Racing |
| 2024 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports |
| 2023 | Cole Custer | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 2022 | Ty Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing |
Key Storylines for 2026
Justin Allgaier's dominance — Three wins in seven races and a commanding points lead. Allgaier is having the best season of his career at age 37.
Connor Zilisch's dual role — The 19-year-old races full-time in the Cup Series with Trackhouse Racing and makes select OARS starts with JR Motorsports. Zilisch is the most talked-about young driver in NASCAR and a CARS Tour graduate.
Kaulig Racing pauses — Kaulig Racing, which had competed in the series since 2016 with 27 wins, is pausing its OARS program for 2026 to transition to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with RAM trucks.
Hendrick enters the series — Hendrick Motorsports fielding a full-time OARS entry for the first time since 2006 is a significant competitive development.
Why It Matters
The O'Reilly Auto Parts Series is where NASCAR careers are made or broken. For Grand National Today, OARS is the top rung of our core coverage — the national series where the drivers and teams we follow in the CARS Tour and Virginia Triple Crown aspire to compete. Every OARS race weekend produces storylines that ripple through the entire stock car racing ecosystem.