The NASCAR community is remembering Greg Biffle after he was among the seven people killed in a plane crash Thursday in Statesville, North Carolina.

Biffle, his wife and two kids, along with Craig Wadsworth and Jack and Dennis Dutton, died in the crash.

A former driver in the NASCAR Cup Series with 19 wins in 515 starts and seven playoff appearances in 14 seasons, including a runner-up points finish in 2005, Biffle not only went up against the best but beat the best

Biffle’s 19 Cup wins often relegated champions to finish second — most commonly Jimmie Johnson (5 second-place finishes to Biffle), Tony Stewart (2) and Jeff Gordon (2)

Johnson, Stewart and Gordon who combined for 14 championships in 22 season, from 1995 to 2016. They each paid tribute to Biffle after his passing:

Biffle’s spotter for his wins, Joel Edmonds, expressed his condolences and reflected on living life with Biffle and his family:

Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.

A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.

Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick’s final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen’s stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers’ stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.

Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) announced its motorsport program for the 2026 season on Friday, December 19. It covers all racing activity in non-top tier categories like F1, IndyCar, NASCAR, WEC or IMSA.

2026 Motorsport Activities

• TGR will continue to strengthen industry collaboration in the top categories in Japan, SUPER GT and the Japanese SUPER FORMULA Championship, to build further excitement for motorsports in Japan. In the SUPER GT GT500 class, TGR will aim for fourth consecutive Drivers’ and Team Championship titles, while in Super Formula, it has set the goal of reclaiming the Drivers’ Championship.
• In the Japanese Rally Championship, TGR will once again build a team consisting of its employees and conduct human resource development as it has in the past. Through the MORIZO Challenge Cup within the JN3 class, the team will support the development of young drivers who are aiming for the WRC and promote the active participation of female drivers.
• In the Super Taikyu Series and Nürburgring races, TGR will practice its philosophy of making ever-better motorsports-bred cars and fostering talent. In the Super Taikyu Series, the team will also continue to take on the challenge of expanding new options toward achieving carbon neutrality through purposeful passion and action. At the Nürburgring, the starting point of making ever-better cars, the team will compete in the 24-hour race with the goal of completing the race.
• TGR will enter the American Rally Association (ARA) National Championship for the first time with a rally car based on the GR Corolla, taking on the challenge of making ever-better motorsports-bred cars on American roads.
• In the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC), driver Akira Miura, supported by TGR, will compete in the T1 class from the second round onward following the Dakar Rally.
• In the KYOJO CUP, TGR will continue to support the series in 2026 to promote diversity and expand the motorsports fan base and participant community with the aim of making motorsports more sustainable. The team will also support female drivers and help create an environment where they can thrive in motorsports.
• In driver development, TGR will continue to develop talent capable of competing in top categories both in Japan and overseas by building an environment where they can demonstrate their potential and maximize their abilities. The TGR Driver Challenge Program (TGR-DC) and TGR-DC Racing School will support a total of 16 drivers. The WRC Challenge Program will welcome its fifth-generation drivers and new global participants, bringing a total of nine drivers and co-driver to the program.
• In participatory motorsports, TGR will continue to expand participation through entry-level events such as the GR86/BRZ Cup, Yaris Cup, and Rally Challenge. The team will also work with circuits and local governments across Japan to ensure safe and well-organized races and rallies.

Through these motorsport activities, TGR is committed to developing human resources and fostering talent capable of thriving both in Japan and overseas. At the same time, TGR will continue to engage in the making of ever-better motorsports-bred cars and in initiatives that make motorsport more attractive and sustainable.

■Highlights from the 2025 Season

Championships In Japan	SUPER GT	TGR TEAM au TOM’S won the season championship -Team Champion -Drivers’ Champion (Sho Tsuboi / Kenta Yamashita)

SUPER GT

GT500 Class

• The team will compete again in 2026 with the GR Supra GT500.
• Through TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Development (TGR-D), support will be provided to six teams with six vehicles.
• Rikuto Kobayashi will join the lineup as a new driver.

Team	Vehicle	No.	Driver	Tires
TGR TEAM ENEOS ROOKIE	ENEOS X PRIME GR Supra	14	Kazuya Oshima (Japan)	BS
			Nirei Fukuzumi (Japan)
TGR TEAM WedsSport BANDOH	TBD (Base: GR Supra GT500)	19	Yuji Kunimoto (Japan)	YH
			Sena Sakaguchi (Japan)
TGR TEAM au TOM’S	au TOM’S GR Supra	36	Sho Tsuboi (Japan)	BS
			Kenta Yamashita (Japan)
TGR TEAM Deloitte TOM’S	Deloitte TOM’S GR Supra	37	Ukyo Sasahara (Japan)	BS
			Giuliano Alesi (France)
TGR TEAM KeePer CERUMO	KeePer CERUMO GR Supra	38	Toshiki Oyu (Japan)	BS
			Rikuto Kobayashi (Japan)
TGR TEAM SARD	DENSO KOBELCO SARD GR Supra	39	Yuhi Sekiguchi (Japan)	BS
			Sacha Fenestraz (Argentina)

Tires: BS = Bridgestone, YH = Yokohama

GT300 Class

• TGR will continue to support customer motorsports activities for teams competing with GR and LEXUS brand vehicles.

Team	Vehicle	No.	Driver	Tires
HYPER WATER Racing INGING	HYPER WATER INGING GR86 GT	2	Yuui Tsutsumi (Japan)	BS
			Kazuhisa Urabe (Japan)
SHADE RACING	TBD	20	Katsuyuki Hiranaka (Japan)	MI
			Eijiro Shimizu (Japan)
HOPPY team TSUCHIYA	TBD (Base: GR Supra)	25	TBD	YH
			TBD
apr	apr GR86 GT	30	Hiroaki Nagai (Japan)	YH
			Hibiki Taira (Japan)
			Manabu Orido (Japan)
	apr LC500h GT	31	Kazuto Kotaka (Japan)	BS
			Miki Koyama (Japan)
			Charlie Wurz (Austria)
Saitama Green Brave	Green Brave GR Supra GT	52	Hiroki Yoshida (Japan)	BS
			Seita Nonaka (Japan)
LM corsa	Syntium LMcorsa LC500 GT	60	Hiroki Yoshimoto (Japan)	DL
			Shunsuke Kohno (Japan)
K-tunes Racing	K-tunes RC F GT3	96	Morio Nitta (Japan)	TBD
			Shinichi Takagi (Japan)

Tires: BS = Bridgestone, MI = Michelin, DL = Dunlop, YH = Yokohama
Only teams with confirmed third drivers are listed.

Japanese SUPER FORMULA Championship

• Toyota GAZOO Racing Development (TGR-D) will supply the teams with 2.0-liter inline 4-cylinder direct-injection gasoline turbo engines (TRD 01F).
• Kalle Rovanperä, Rikuto Kobayashi, and Charlie Wurz will participate in the races for the first time.
• TGR will supply engines to TEAM GOH, a team committed to developing drivers who can compete globally.
• TGR will review the structure of KDDI TGMGP TGR-DC, a team for driver/engineer/mechanic development.

Team	No.	Driver
REALIZE KONDO RACING	3	TBA
	4	TBA
KCMG*	8	Kenta Yamashita (Japan)
	69	Kalle Rovanperä (Finland)
NTT docomo Business ROOKIE	14	Nirei Fukuzumi (Japan)
WECARS IMPUL with SDG	19	Zak O’Sullivan (U.K)
VANTELIN TEAM TOM’S	36	Sho Tsuboi (Japan)
	37	Sacha Fenestraz (Argentina)
SANKI VERTEX PARTNERS CERUMO・INGING	38	Sena Sakaguchi (Japan)
	39	Toshiki Oyu (Japan)
KDDI TGMGP TGR-DC	7	Kamui Kobayashi (Japan)
	28	Rikuto Kobayashi (Japan)
TEAM GOH	53	Charlie Wurz (Austria)

*Provisional

Japanese Rally Championship

• TGR will enter the MORIZO Challenge Cup (young-driver development category held within the JN3 class) with the GR Yaris.
• As in previous years, under team director Tomoyuki Shinkai (former TGR-WRJ driver through 2024), TGR will practice human resource development with its engineers and mechanics.

Team	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing – WRJ
Vehicle / Class	GR YARIS / JN3 (MORIZO Challenge Cup)
Main specifications	Engine	1.6-liter in-line 3-cylinder intercooler turbo
	Drive System	GR-FOUR sport 4WD system
Driver / Co-driver	Mako Hirakawa / Ryo Tomimoto

Nürburgring 24 Hours

• TOYOTA GAZOO ROOKIE Racing (TGRR) will compete with the aim of finishing the world’s toughest course with a GR Yaris that has been further refined through the 2025 entry.

Team	Vehicle	Drivers
TOYOTA GAZOO ROOKIE Racing	GR YARIS	MORIZO
		Daisuke Toyoda
		Hiroaki Ishiura
		Kazuya Oshima

Super Taikyu Series

• TGR will enter the series with three mixed teams of professional drivers, its employees, and gentleman drivers to strengthen the cars.
• TGRR will accelerate the making of ever-better cars by fielding the same driver lineup as at the Nürburgring.

Team	Car	Drivers
TOYOTA GAZOO ROOKIE Racing	GR Corolla H2 concept	MORIZO
		Daisuke Toyoda
		Hiroaki Ishiura
		Kazuya Oshima
GR Team ORC Field	GR Yaris M-concept	Yasuhiro Ogura
		Masahiro Sasaki
		Takamitsu Matsui
GR Team SPIRIT	GR Yaris DAT Racing Concept	Shunsuke Kohno
		Kenta Yamashita
		Tokiya Suzuki

ARA National Championship

• TGR will newly enter the ARA National Championship from Round 2 in 2026, with the aim of developing cars on North American roads and making ever-better motorsports-bred cars.
• The rally car based on GR Corolla will compete in the RC2 class (roughly equivalent to Rally2 level).
• The driver will be young American Seth Quintero, who will compete in ARA in parallel with W2RC.
• TGR’s employees will also participate as engineers and mechanics to conduct hands-on develoment of pit human resources.

Team	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team (TGR-WRT)
Vehicle / Class	GR Corolla Rally RC2 / RC2
Main specifications	Engine	1.6-liter in-line 3-cylinder turbocharged
	Drive System	4WD
Driver / Co-driver	Seth Quintero / Topi Luhtinen

W2RC

• Akira Miura, who has competed in Dakar Rally’s T2 class with Toyota Auto Body, will conclude his entry with Toyota Auto Body at Dakar 2026. From Round 2 onward, he will compete in the T1 class with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing W2RC, with support from TGR. After Miura moves to the T1 class, Toyota Auto Body will continue to compete in the T2 classs, which is designated for vehicles that are based on production models.

Team	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing – W2RC
Vehicle / Class	DKR GR Hilux / T1
Main specifications	Engine	V35A production-spec
	Drive System	4WD
Driver / Co-driver	Akira Miura / Armand Monleón

KYOJO CUP

• TGR will support the team entries and activities of female drivers with the aim of building an environment where female drivers can thrive in motorsports.

Team	Driver
NTT docomo Business ROOKIE	Mako Hirakawa (Japan)
TOM’S*	Aimi Saito (Japan)
	Hana Burton (U.S.)
ITOCHU ENEX TEAM IMPUL with Dr.DRY*	Rio Shimono (Japan)*
KCMG*	Miki Onaga (Japan)
	Rami Sasaki (Japan)
OPTIMUS CERUMO・INGING	Riona Tomishita (Japan)
	Kokoro Sato (Japan)
AIWIN Re-Kobe*	Itsumo Shiraishi (Japan)

*Provisional

Driver Development

１）TGR Driver Challenge Program (TGR-DC)

• TGR will continue its program to develop drivers capable of excelling in top categories worldwide.
• Across diverse challenges, TGR will create an environment that expand opportunities for drivers to maximize their abilities.
• TGR will support the following drivers in 2026.
  -Kalle Rovanperä will race in the Japanese SUPER FORMULA Championship and Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy.
  -Ritomo Miyata will compete in the FIA Formula 2 Championship.
  -Jin Nakamura will enter the FIA Formula 3 Championship, and the Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy (FRO) .
  -Yuki Sano will compete in the Formula Regional European Championship (FREC) and Formula Regional Middle East Championship (FRMEC).
  -Rikuto Kobayashi, and Charlie Wurz will race in the Japanese SUPER FORMULA Championship and SUPER GT.
  -Kiyoshi Umegaki and Tokiya Suzuki will race in the Japanese Super Formula Lights Championship and SUPER GT.
  -Oscar Wurz will race in the Japanese Super Formula Lights Championship.

Driver	Category	Team (provisional)
Kalle Rovanperä (Finland)	Japanese SUPER FORMULA Championship	KCMG
	Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy	Hitech
Ritomo Miyata (Japan)	FIA Formula 2 Championship	Hitech
Rikuto Kobayashi (Japan)	Japanese SUPER FORMULA Championship	KDDI TGMGP TGR-DC
	SUPER GT (GT500)	TGR TEAM KeePer CERUMO
Charlie Wurz (Austria)	Japanese SUPER FORMULA Championship	TEAM GOH
	SUPER GT (GT300)	apr
Miki Koyama (Japan)	SUPER GT (GT300)	apr
Jin Nakamura (Japan)	FIA Formula 3 Championship	Hitech
	Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy	Hitech
Yuki Sano (Japan)	Formula Regional European Championship	R-ace GP
	Formula Regional Middle East Championship	R-ace GP
Kiyoshi Umegaki (Japan)	Japanese Super Formula Lights Championship	TOM‘S
	SUPER GT (GT300)	CARGUY MKS RACING
Tokiya Suzuki (Japan)	Japanese Super Formula Lights Championship	TOM‘S
	SUPER GT (GT300)	TBD
Oscar Wurz (Austria)	Japanese Super Formula Lights Championship	TOM‘S
Yuzuki Miura (Japan)	Formula Regional Japanese Championship	TOM’S FORMULA
Masana Muto (Japan)	Formula Regional Japanese Championship	TOM’S FORMULA

２）TGR-DC Racing School

• TGR will conduct training to develop professional drivers through the FIA-F4 Championship series in Japan.
• Details of the 2026 selection trials will be announced later. From the trial participants, outstanding and promising drivers will receive support for race entries in subsequent seasons.

［2026 TGR-DC Racing School Drivers］

(All drivers are Japanese)

Driver	Category	Team
Yuzuki Miura	Japanese FIA-F4 Championship	TGR-DC Racing School
Masana Muto
Masaki Hamabe
Tomoki Terashima
Buntaro Igarashi
Ryo Sakai

３）WRC Challenge Program

• Based in Finland, TGR will conduct training in Europe to develop drivers and co-drivers who can excel in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC)
• 2nd-generation driver Yuki Yamamoto will tackle a full WRC season with a Rally2 car.
• 3rd-generation drivers Shotaro Goto and Takumi Matsushita will step up to Rally2 class; 4th-generation drivers Rio Ogata and Kanta Yanaguida and co-driver Tomiya Maekawa will step up to Rally3 class.
• Hiroya Minowa and Zeal Jones from the 5th generation will newly participate in the program in 2026.
• Jasper Vaher (Estonia, 18) who will join the program and compete with a Rally2 car. TGR expands the program by welcoming a driver from outside Japan for the first time.

Driver	Category	Team
Yuki Yamamoto (Japan)	Rally2	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team
Shotaro Goto (Japan)	Rally2
Takumi Matsushita (Japan)	Rally2
Rio Ogata (Japan)	Rally3
Kanta Yanaguida (Japan)	Rally3
Tomiya Maekawa (Japan)*Co-driver	Rally3
Hiroya Minowa (Japan)	Rally4
Zeal Jones (Japan)	Rally4
Jasper Vaher (Estonia)	Rally2

Grass-root Motorsports

TGR will collaborate with circuits and local governments nationwide to provide opportunities to enjoy the true appeal of cars—controlling them and enjoying driving. The team will also implement support for those who aim to take on the challenge of participatory motorsports, prioritizing the safety of all participants.

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing GR86/BRZ Cup

• A one-make series using GR86 / SUBARU BRZ (ZN8/ZD8), delivering exciting, close races thanks to minimal performance differences.
• Competing cars are the GR86 Cup Car Basic and SUBARU BRZ Cup Car Basic, available for purchase at Toyota and Subaru dealerships nationwide.
• Two series: Professional Series (for professional drivers) and Clubman Series (for ambitious drivers aiming for the top). The 2026 season plans seven rounds at seven major circuits nationwide.

Details: https://toyotagazooracing.com/jp/86brz/

Event	Date	Location
Rd.1	Sun, Apr 5	Autopolis
Rd.2	Sat–Sun, May 16–17	Sportsland SUGO
Rd.3	Sat–Sun, Jun 27–28	Okayama International Circuit
Rd.4	Sat–Sun, Aug 8–9	Tokachi Speedway
Rd.5	Sat–Sun, Sep 5–6	Fuji Speedway
Rd.6	Sat–Sun, Oct 3–4	Suzuka Circuit
Rd.7	Sat–Sun, Nov 21–22	Mobility Resort Motegi

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Yaris Cup

• Competing cars are Yaris Cup Cars based on the Yaris with a 1.5-liter engine, and the series accept both MT vehicle and CVT vehicle entries. In 2026, the series will again be held nationwide, divided into five regional series to allow entrants to choose based on their place of residence, with enhanced support so first-time challengers can participate confidently.
• Some 2026 rounds will introduce a Novice Class for beginners, broadening entry options.

Details: https://toyotagazooracing.com/jp/yariscup/

Series	Round	Date	Venue
Hokkaido	Rd.1,2	May 24 (Sun)	Tokachi Speedway
	Rd.3	Aug 9 (Sun)	Tokachi Speedway
	Rd.4	Sep 27 (Sun)	Tokachi Speedway
Tohoku	Rd.1	May 16 (Sat)	Sportsland SUGO
	Rd.2	Sep 13 (Sun)	Mobility Resort Motegi
	Rd.3	Oct 24–25 (Sat–Sun)	Sportsland SUGO
Kanto	Rd.1	Apr 25 (Sat)	Mobility Resort Motegi
	Rd.2	Jun 20 (Sat)	Fuji Speedway
	Rd.3	Nov 28 (Sat)	Fuji Speedway
Kansai	Rd.1	Apr 18–19 (Sat–Sun)	Suzuka Circuit
	Rd.2	Jun 28 (Sun)	Okayama International Circuit
	Rd.3	Nov 21–22 (Sat–Sun)	Suzuka Circuit
Kyushu	Rd.1,2	Apr 5 (Sun)	Autopolis
	Rd.3	Jul 25 (Sat)	Autopolis
	Rd.4	Nov 1 (Sun)	Autopolis
Special Round		Dec 12 (Sat)	Fuji Speedway

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Rally Challenge

• An introductory rally with beginner-friendly courses, allowing first-time entrants to easily enter with peace of mind.
• JAF NATIONAL B license holders can enter not only with a GR Yaris or GR86, but also with HEVs and AT vehicles such as Yaris and Aqua—welcoming rally beginners and female participants.
• In 2026, TGR plans 12 rounds nationwide, including a special round, enhancing support to build an environment where first-time challengers can participate with confidence.

Details: https://toyotagazooracing.com/jp/rallychallenge/

2026 Series Event Schedule

Round	Date	Event Name	Area	Format
Rd.1	Mar 14–15	Okinawa	Okinawa Prefecture	Standalone
Rd.2	Apr 18–19	Yatsugatake Chino	Nagano Prefecture	Standalone
Rd.3	May 16–17	Mt. Fuji Susono	Shizuoka Prefecture	Standalone
Rd.4	Jun 13–14	Kanzaki & Yoshinogari	Saga Prefecture	Cup Event (Regional)
Rd.5	Jun 27–28	Shibukawa Ikaho	Gunma Prefecture	Standalone
Rd.6	Jul 11–12	Dinosaur Katsuyama	Fukui Prefecture	Standalone
Rd.7	Aug 22–23	Akitakata	Hiroshima Prefecture	Standalone
Rd.8	Sep 12–13	Rankoshi	Hokkaido	Standalone
Rd.9	Sep 26–27	Lake Biwa Takashima	Shiga Prefecture	Standalone
Rd.10	Oct 10–11	Rifu	Miyagi Prefecture	Cup Event (Regional)
Rd.11	Oct 24–25	Takaoka Manyo	Toyama Prefecture	Standalone
Special Round	Nov 28–29	Toyota	Aichi Prefecture	Standalone

2026 – Other Event Schedule

Pre-event

Feb 7–8

Iwate

Iwate Prefecture

Standalone

e-Motorsports

• TGR will continue engaging in e-Motorsports activities to help create an environment where anyone can aspire to become a race car driver. Details will be announced once preparations are complete.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Every day, Gene Overcash walks around NASCAR history. 

“Oh, man, this is the best job in the world,” said Overcash, Curb Records and Motorsports manager.  

He describes it as an honor to see and touch cars with significant and unique history.

“We’ve got just like a Todd Gilliland’s car that won the championship in 2016. We got Dale Earnhardt’s first championship car. We got the Richard Pettis 199 win car,” Overcash said. 

Another special car is Greg Biffle’s Red Man-sponsored ride.

“They brought this car, and I cannot remember the day they brought it in here, but the way I understood it was that they took the backup products off of race cars. And this was one of the last cars on the track with tobacco products,” he said. 

Biffle and six others were killed in a plane crash Thursday morning.

Overcash and Biffle were also neighbors on Lake Norman. He spent three years working in the sport and says Biffle was one of the nicest people to him. Losing him is a blow for racing.

“It’s just not the sport. It’s all the contributions that he did,” Overcash said. 

Biffle was known for using his own helicopter to get supplies to western North Carolina residents after Hurricane Helene. He flew in supplies like water, food, and even medication for storm victims.

“He’s one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet,” he said. 

ARCA MENARDS SERIES, ARCA MENARDS SERIES EAST, ARCA MENARDS SERIES WEST, NWMT, CANADA

UPDATED: 12/19/2025

* = COMBO ARCA RACE W/ NATIONAL SERIES

** = NASCAR CANADA DOUBLEHEADER WEEKEND

What began as a casual moment on a golf course ultimately reshaped Denny Hamlin’s career beyond the driver’s seat. During a rare round of golf, Hamlin decided to text Michael Jordan after coming across a speculative news article suggesting that the two might be interested in buying into a NASCAR team. At the time, the idea felt exploratory rather than inevitable. Ironically, golf, once central to those early conversations, now barely fits into Hamlin’s schedule.

Hamlin confirmed the details during an appearance on Sean Kelly’s Digital Social Hour podcast. He explained that golf once anchored his weekly routine, especially during the early days of the pandemic when NASCAR sat idle. He spent countless hours on the course then, using the time to reset. As the ownership project gained traction, those free days disappeared.

Hamlin said, “I like to (play golf). I certainly don’t have as much time to play golf as I used to. Um, I used to, you know, before I started the race team with Michael, um, you know, my weeks, you know, in in between the Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, I could do whatever I wanted. Now those days are designated to… I’m the owner of the team.”

Hamlin explained how ownership reshaped his weekly responsibilities. He said, “So I do all the meetings you know whether it be from sponsorship from the social digital side of things everything competition. I have my hand in everything there.

“So, I have to do that Tuesday through Thursday, and then kind of the Monday and the weekend is all designated to being a driver itself.”

When Hamlin traveled to Florida to meet Jordan in person, the conversation again happened on a golf course. That setting became the backdrop where Hamlin formally pitched the concept of forcing open a new door in NASCAR ownership. Backed by Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing, Hamlin laid out the vision.

Jordan, a six-time NBA champion, listened, engaged, and ultimately bought in. It soon turned into a partnership that would alter the Cup Series landscape.

Hamlin’s motivation extended beyond the downtime created by the COVID-19 shutdown, though that pause did play a role. The sport’s eight-week break removed racing from the calendar and left him with long, unstructured days. Still, the opportunity only truly crystallized when Germain Racing stepped away.

Their exit created an opening that rarely presents itself, and Hamlin recognized the moment. Owning a team had never been part of his post-retirement blueprint, but the timing aligned too perfectly to ignore. That opening gave birth to what would become 23XI Racing.

Germain Racing shut its doors in September 2020, and 23XI Racing acquired its guaranteed starting position, known as a charter, clearing the path for the new organization to enter the Cup Series in 2021. With that move, Hamlin transitioned into one of the sport’s most unique roles.

Hamlin now competes weekly for Joe Gibbs Racing while simultaneously owning a team that lines up across the garage. The last comparable situation of the #11 JGR driver’s dates back three decades, when Dale Earnhardt raced for Richard Childress while owning Dale Earnhardt Inc.

It would be hard to remember a NASCAR Cup Series silly season with less action that this past year’s had. Two of the highlights, quite frankly, were backmarker teams Haas Factory Team and Rick Ware Racing switching from Ford to Chevrolet following finishes outside the top 30 in the owner standings.

All things considered, 35 of the 36 drivers who ran full-time in 2025 are set to be back with the same team in 2026. While the Cup Series can’t quite claim what Formula 1 could between 2023 and 2024, that there were no offseason driver changes whatsoever for the first time in series history, it was about as close as it gets.

Here’s a look at who is in, who has switched teams, and who is out.

Who’s in?

Congratulations to Connor Zilisch on being crowned NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year for 2026, provided he, at the very least, shows up to the season-opening Daytona 500.

The lone rookie in the 2026 driver lineup, who is coming off of a 10-win Xfinity Series rookie season with JR Motorsports, is set to join Trackhouse Racing behind the wheel of the No. 88 Chevrolet. But he won’t be replacing Shane van Gisbergen, who is simply set to run the No. 97 car after using the No. 88 in 2025.

Who’s switching teams?

It’s Daniel Suarez, not van Gisbergen, who has been replaced by Zilisch, and the No. 99 he used during his five-year run with the Justin Marks-owned team will simply not be used by anybody in the Cup Series in 2026.

But Suarez isn’t out of the Cup Series entirely, as he is set to move to Spire Motorsports to pilot the No. 7 Chevrolet. Spire Motorsports is set to be his fifth different team in 10 full seasons at the sport’s top level.

Who’s out?

The one and only driver who competed full-time during the 2025 Cup Series season but has no plans to do so in 2026 is Justin Haley, whom Suarez is set to replace.

Haley is set to move back down to the Truck Series, and he is set to reunite with Kaulig Racing, the team for which he competed in the Xfinity Series from 2019 to 2021 and then in the Cup Series in 2022 and 2023, as they embark upon their new partnership with Ram Trucks with a five-truck team after shuttering their Xfinity Series (O’Reilly Auto Parts Series) program.