Connor Zilisch is preparing for his rookie NASCAR Cup Series campaign, and he’ll have veteran crew chief Randall Burnett on pit road after leaving Kyle Busch and Richard Childress Racing mid-way through 2025. Zilisch, 19, was confirmed by Trackhouse Racing mid-season, long before the Xfinity Series Championship 4 race in Phoenix, where he fell painfully short to Jesse Love despite dominating the competition year-long.

To support the teenager, Trackhouse made immediate moves to provide Zilisch with veteran experience in the Cup Series. And so, they hired Burnett to be Zilisch’s crew chief.

Burnett and Busch parted ways after underwhelming seasons and missed back-to-back playoff appearances. Zilisch is pleased to have Burnett in his corner, with the crew chief bringing a wealth of experience, having joined RCR in 2020. Before that, Burnett had several years of experience as a crew chief in the Xfinity series.

“He’s a great guy. He worked with a lot of younger guys. He was with Tyler and Xfinity and worked with him in Cup as well, and then he’s also worked with guys like, obviously, Kyle Bush, one of the most pronounced guys in our sport, and so he’s got a lot of experience,” Zilisch said.

Burnett isn’t a rookie when it comes to working with first-year drivers, either. “I think that experience is gonna help me, and the fact that he’s worked with a rookie before, he understands the growing pains. That way, I kinda know what to expect. I think that’s gonna be really helpful for me and him in our relationship,” Zilisch added.

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Likewise, Burnett is looking forward to his “fresh start” with Zilisch. “I’m excited about my opportunity over there, and you know, obviously, something’s got to change on this 8 car,” Burnett told NASCAR.com. “We haven’t been performing the way we needed to.

“I think everybody needs a fresh start. I got a really good opportunity with where I’m going. Obviously, Connor’s a great young talent. I miss working with the younger guys. So, you know, just kind of all worked out.”

Before Zilisch’s Xfinity championship heartbreak, Burnett identified that the Cup Series won’t be plain sailing for the NASCAR phenom. “I think he’s going to have a lot to learn in the Cup Series,” Burnett said.

“Obviously, the races are longer. These cars definitely race a little different than what he’s used to on the Xfinity side right now, and the talent level over here is incredible, you know what I mean.

“I think he’ll have a pretty steep learning curve when he gets over here, but I want to help guide him with that and try to coach him up. Obviously, the kid’s got an immense amount of talent — there’s no question about that.

“So it’s just going to be taking that and harnessing it and trying to get the wins and the finishes he deserves over here, and we’re going to work hard on that this winter.”

The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series sees relatively few driver swaps compared to prior years, with the lineup largely stable and no open full-time chartered seats (barring any lawsuit outcomes). Key moves include one major driver switch, several crew chief shuffles, and some team alliances/manufacturer changes. Here’s a breakdown by category:

–by Mark Cipolloni–

NASCAR Cup Driver Changes

– Daniel Suárez: Leaves Trackhouse Racing (No. 99 Chevy) after mutual agreement and joins Spire Motorsports (No. 7 Chevy), replacing Justin Haley.
– Connor Zilisch: Promoted from Xfinity (JR Motorsports No. 88) to full-time Cup with Trackhouse Racing (No. 88 Chevy, formerly van Gisbergen’s number).
– Shane van Gisbergen: Stays with Trackhouse but switches car numbers from No. 88 to No. 97 Chevy.
– Cody Ware: Returns full-time to Rick Ware Racing (No. 51 Chevy) for a second season.
– No other full-time driver seats are changing hands; veterans like Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, and Chase Elliott are locked in with extensions.

NASCAR Crew Chief and Personnel Changes

– Ross Chastain (Trackhouse No. 1): New crew chief Brandon McSwain (formerly an engineer with Hendrick’s No. 24). Previous chief Phil Surgen moves to another role at Trackhouse.
– Kyle Busch (RCR No. 8): New crew chief Jim Pohlman (from JR Motorsports Xfinity). Randall Burnett shifts to Trackhouse for Zilisch.
– Connor Zilisch (Trackhouse No. 88): Crew chief Randall Burnett (from RCR No. 8).
– Daniel Suárez (Spire No. 7): Retains Ryan Sparks as crew chief; Matt McCall promoted to competition director at Spire.
– Erik Jones (Legacy No. 43): New crew chief Justin Alexander (RCR veteran); Ben Beshore moves to race engineering director.
– Noah Gragson (Front Row No. 4): New crew chief Grant Hutchens; Drew Blickensderfer becomes competition director.

NASCAR Team and Manufacturer Changes

– Trackhouse Racing: Expands effectively with Zilisch’s promotion; car number swap (88 and 97); new Red Bull sponsorship for Zilisch and van Gisbergen (25 races total).
– Haas Factory Team (No. 41): Switches from Ford to Chevrolet with Hendrick alliance; Cole Custer full-time.
– Rick Ware Racing: Switches from Ford to Chevrolet with RCR alliance; ownership shift to T.J. Puchyr; Corey LaJoie runs partial schedule in No. 15.
– Other Stables: Front Row, Hendrick, Joe Gibbs, Penske, Roush Fenway Keselowski, 23XI, Legacy, and Kaulig see no major team expansions or folds, but various sponsorship renewals (e.g., Dollar Tree/Family Dollar through 2028 for Legacy).
– Technical Boost: NASCAR increases horsepower to ~750 on short ovals (<1.5 miles) and road courses (up from 670).

Changes in Other Series (Xfinity/O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and Trucks)

For completeness, here’s a high-level overview of notable shifts mentioned in broader silly season coverage:
– O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (formerly Xfinity): Rebranded with new sponsorship. Key driver moves include Brent Crews to Joe Gibbs No. 19 (29 races), Rajah Caruth splitting JR Motorsports No. 88 and Jordan Anderson No. 32, Corey Day to Hendrick No. 17 full-time, and Harrison Burton to Sam Hunt No. 24. Teams like Viking Motorsports expand to two cars, Kaulig pauses operations, and RSS switches to Chevrolet. Age minimum lowered to 17 for certain tracks.

– Craftsman Truck Series: Michael McDowell heads to Trucks (as noted in your article), Ross Chastain gets a new crew chief in some reports, and Justin Haley joins Kaulig full-time. Other moves: Rajah Caruth leaves Spire No. 71; expansions at Jordan Anderson and Young’s Motorsports. Additionally, RAM returns as a manufacturer for the first time since 2012, partnering with Kaulig Racing and Cummins; they’ve introduced a reality show (“Race for the Seat”) to select a driver for one of their entries.

2026 Schedule Highlights

Several tracks shift dates: Chicagoland returns (July doubleheader), North Wilkesboro hosts first Cup points race in 30 years, All-Star at Dover, In-Season Challenge back with new tracks ending at Indy. Trucks add St. Petersburg and San Diego; finale at Homestead.

Guven joins the already confirmed trio of Thomas Preining, Ricardo Feller and Klaus Bachler in the “Grello” liveried No. 911 entry.

In a post on social media, Manthey wrote: “A new season, a new chapter — and we’re rolling into Daytona with serious intent. Before we hit the High Banks, there’s one more update to our driver line-up for the first 24h race of the year: reigning DTM Champion Ayhancan Güven joins the No. 911 crew at Daytona. The No. 912 is fully prepped as well, ready to take on our IMSA debut season.”

Guven made his IMSA debut in the 2025 Rolex 24 At Daytona, finishing second in Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) with Wright Motorsports.

Meuspath “After the first IMSA test in Daytona in November, we are now looking forward to the official start of the season in January. We are particularly pleased to be able to count on a very strong driver line-up with close ties to Manthey: with Ryan, Riccardo, Morris and Richard as the fourth man for the 24-hour race, we are relying on absolute constants in the Manthey 1st Phorm car – we have gained a lot of experience and celebrated many successes with each of them. Well-known and proven faces will also be at the start for us at the wheel of the starting number 911. Alongside Thomas and Klaus, we are delighted to welcome on board Ricardo, who joins us with valuable IMSA experience.  We are excited to see what we can achieve in the coming season,” says Patrick Arkenau, Director Racing at the Manthey Racing GmbH.

Nicolas Raeder, Managing Director of the Manthey Racing GmbH, adds: “With the start of the IMSA season, a new and exciting chapter will begin for us very soon. We can rely on experienced drivers, most of whom already know our team from the DTM, WEC and the Nürburgring, and we are proud that these seven will represent us in America next year. I am looking forward to laying the foundation for a successful season with this team at the first race in Daytona.”

After the official Daytona pre-test, known as ROAR, from 16 to 18 January, the IMSA season opener for Manthey is scheduled for 24 January 2026 with the 24 Hours of Daytona. This event will be followed by four more endurance races in Florida, New York, Wisconsin and Georgia, each lasting between six and twelve hours.

In a major boost for team finances, head of Penske Entertainment, Roger Penske, has committed an additional $11 million to the IndyCar Leaders Circle program over the 2026, 2027, and 2028 seasons. This increase effectively adds $500,000 per qualifying contract annually, providing critical support as teams prepare for the significant costs of introducing the all-new ‘spec’ Dallara IR-28 chassis in 2028.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

The Leaders Circle program, established in the early 2000s, delivers guaranteed prize money to the top 22 finishers in the annual entrants’ championship. These payouts reward full-season participation and help offset the high costs of competing in the NTT IndyCar Series. The program is exclusive to the series’ 25 charter entries, which compete for the 22 available contracts.

In 2025, Penske Entertainment allocated $31.9 million for the Leaders Circle, with each contract valued at approximately $1.145 million. Starting in 2026, the per-contract amount rises to $1.645 million — an increase of $500,000 per team. This marks the largest single-year jump in the program’s history since its inception in 2002 and will apply through 2028.

IndyCar President Doug Boles highlighted the significance of the move, stating: “Roger [Penske] made a pretty big commitment to the charter teams and the Leaders Circle by increasing the Leaders Circle by $11 million in ’26, ’27, and 28 from where it was in ’25. That was just Roger doing the right thing to help IndyCar teams, his partner teams, be more successful and have a little more cash to move forward.”

The timing of this financial enhancement is particularly strategic. Teams currently face annual operating budgets ranging from $8-10 million (and up to $11-12 million for top programs) per entry, driven by factors like engine leases, hybrid technology (introduced in 2024), and general inflation in racing costs. The $500,000 boost represents roughly 17-20% of a typical team’s budget, offering meaningful relief.

More crucially, the increase aligns with preparations for the 2028 chassis transition. The current Dallara DW12 chassis, in service since 2012 (with updates like the aeroscreen and hybrid integration), will be replaced by the new IR-28. Teams are expected to budget upwards of $1 million per car for the switch to the updated Dallara model. The IR-28 promises a lighter overall weight (targeting an 85-100 lb reduction, including a 25-lb lighter gearbox), a more powerful 2.4-liter twin-turbo V6 engine (up from the current 2.2-liter), and continued hybrid evolution — all aimed at enhancing performance, safety, and fan appeal.

On-track testing for the new chassis is slated to begin in early 2026, with prototypes potentially ready by late 2025 and manufacturer testing targeted for mid-2026. The full rollout in 2028 will mark the first clean-sheet chassis redesign in over 16 years, addressing accumulated modifications and setting the stage for future competition.

This Leaders Circle enhancement follows smaller adjustments in recent years, including a $100,000 increase for 2025 (bringing contracts to $1.2 million) and prior fluctuations tied to hybrid upgrades and economic factors. With the series benefiting from a recent 33% stake sale to Fox Corporation and ongoing growth efforts, the commitment underscores Penske Entertainment’s focus on team stability and long-term competitiveness.

As IndyCar continues its upward trajectory—highlighted by competitive ‘spec series’ racing, the iconic Indianapolis 500, and expanding visibility — this financial support positions charter teams to invest more effectively in development, talent, and operations ahead of the exciting 2028 era. Stay tuned to AutoRacing1.com for further updates on the IR-28 rollout, engine developments, and the 2026 season.

Four changes have already been made to the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs ahead of Monday’s announcement of the championship format. NASCAR is set for a potentially landscape-changing week, with the governing body poised to announce changes to its championship format following sustained discontent from fans, as well as past and present drivers.

Pressure on NASCAR to change its championship format increased following last November’s finale in Phoenix, Arizona, which saw Denny Hamlin fall painfully short of being crowned Cup Series champion to Kyle Larson. The Joe Gibbs Racing star dominated proceedings and was a few laps away from the checkered flag when a caution threw his victory into doubt.

Hamlin’s No. 11 was then undercut by Kyle Larson on pit road, with the Hendrick Motorsports star taking two tires instead of four. Larson finished ahead of Hamlin, therefore being crowned Cup Series champion for a second time. The finish sparked outrage over Hamlin’s heartbreak, as the race was his last chance to be crowned champion before his father, Dennis, passed away. Dennis was seriously ill last year, but died last month on Dec. 28, following a devastating house fire that also left his mom hospitalized.

Hamlin was one of many critics of NASCAR’s playoff format and had long called for changes to be made. It was speculated shortly after that changes would be made to NASCAR’s championship format.

Still, official confirmation won’t come until Monday, which also follows last month’s bitter antitrust lawsuit between Hamlin and Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing/Front Row Motorsports against the governing body, which was eventually settled.

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However, before Monday’s format announcement, four changes have already been made to NASCAR’s playoffs. Homestead-Miami will replace Phoenix as the host of NASCAR’s championship races in 2026. Phoenix will be pushed back to the Round of 8.

Phoenix Raceway is taking over as the opening race of the Round of 8 (Race 33), replacing Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Talladega Superspeedway and Martinsville Speedway remain unchanged and will continue to close out the semifinal round as Races 34 and 35.

Las Vegas is still part of the postseason, but its role has been pushed back to the Round of 12, filling the spot vacated by New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

New Hampshire had long been in a traditional position as the round opener, but Las Vegas will instead host the middle race (Race 31). Kansas Speedway will open the Round of 12 (Race 30), while the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval will once again serve as the cutoff race (Race 32) in that stage.

The Round of 16 remains untouched, with Darlington Raceway opening the playoffs (Race 27), followed by stops at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway (Race 28) and Bristol Motor Speedway (Race 29).

New Hampshire is the lone race on the 2025 playoff schedule that will not carry over into the 2026 postseason.

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., together with Nissan Motorsports & Customizing Co., Ltd. (NMC), has revealed the Aura NISMO RS Concept at the Tokyo Auto Salon 2026, showcasing a bold vision for a next-generation high-performance electrified hot hatch and hinting at potential future production.

Developed as a technical validation model, the concept evolves from the Aura NISMO and integrates the high-output e-POWER system from the X-Trail NISMO, combining motorsports-inspired engineering with mass-production vehicle technologies. Nissan confirmed it is exploring the feasibility of bringing the concept to market.

Aggressive design with functional aerodynamics

The Aura NISMO RS Concept builds on the brand’s “Agile Electric City Racer” philosophy with a more muscular and track-focused design. Wider fenders expanded by 145 mm, a 20 mm lower ride height and a broader stance give the car a low center of gravity and commanding road presence.

A full aerodynamic package — including a front spoiler, side skirts, rear diffuser with signature NISMO red accents, airflow-optimized front fenders, side air splitters and a dedicated rear spoiler — has been developed to increase downforce while minimizing drag. The concept is finished in an exclusive Dark Matte NISMO Stealth Gray, designed to maintain visual consistency under varying light conditions.

Motorsports-driven performance upgrade

At its core, the concept pairs the compact, lightweight Aura NISMO platform with Nissan’s high-output series-hybrid e-POWER drivetrain, delivering a significant increase in power to the wheels and sharper throttle response.

Handling and stability are enhanced through the widened body, high-grip tires and NISMO-tuned e-4ORCE all-wheel control technology, offering improved traction and cornering capability. Braking is reinforced by large opposed-piston calipers — four-pot units at the front and two-pot at the rear — ensuring strong stopping performance despite an approximate 100-kg weight increase over the standard Aura NISMO.

Nissan and NMC stated that the concept will continue to be refined, with possible applications in motorsport as well as future commercialization.

Strategic importance for NISMO

“Under our Re:Nissan strategy, we are committed to introducing heartbeat models at speed that resonate with customers,” said Yutaka Sanada, President and CEO of NMC. “The Aura NISMO RS Concept is our first offering born from the collective expertise of NMC. NISMO has always pushed people and technology to the limit in motorsports, and we will continue delivering that excitement to customers and fans worldwide.”

Key specifications (Aura NISMO RS Concept)

• Length: 4,262 mm
• Width: 1,880 mm
• Height: 1,485 mm
• Kerb weight: 1,490 kg
• Front motor: 150 kW / 330 Nm
• Rear motor: 100 kW / 195 Nm
• Power generation engine: 1.5-litre turbo (106 kW / 250 Nm)
• Drivetrain: e-POWER with e-4ORCE AWD
• Wheels: NISMO LM GT4, 18×9.0J
• Tyres: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 (245/45R18)

With its blend of aggressive styling, electrified performance and motorsports DNA, the Aura NISMO RS Concept highlights Nissan’s intent to redefine the future of performance-oriented hybrid vehicles.