NASCAR O’Reilly Silly Season Shifts: Alfredo, Cope and Green

MOORSEVILLE, N.C. — The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts silly season is in full swing with Anthony Alfredo, Derrike Cope and Austin Green making moves.

Viking Motorsports Expands to 2 Entries

Viking Motorsports will expand to two entries next season, signing Anthony Alfredo for a full-time NASCAR’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series ride in 2026 in their new No. 96 Chevrolet.

The 26-year-old has been a mainstay in the second division of NASCAR since his departure from his NASCAR Cup Series ride with Front Row Motorsports in 2021. 2026 will be his fifth straight NOAPS season with five teams.

Now, Fast Pasta will have a teammate for the first time since his part-time schedule for RCR back in 2020.

Alfredo will be joined by crew chief Josh Graham. Graham sat on top of the box for Alfredo during his stint at Our Motorsports in 2024.

Graham comes up from the No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing program in the Craftsman Truck Series entry to reunite with his former driver once more.

“I’m really excited to be working with Josh again… him and I certainly punched above our weight with a smaller program,” Alfredo said.

Alfredo is confident this program can break into the playoffs. Viking Motorsports recently strengthened its technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing for 2026, a move that could elevate the team’s performance.

As Hendrick Motorsports’ current test and simulator driver, Alfredo will have plenty on his plate next season if the team’s competitiveness takes the expected step forward.

Cope Family Racing and Stanton Barrett Motorsports Join Forces

Cope Family Racing and Stanton Barrett Motorsports will merge for the upcoming 2026 O’Reilly Series in the newly numbered No. 30 entry.

CFR previously raced the entire 2025 NOAPS season with drivers Leland Honeyman Jr. and Thomas Annunziata finishing 31st in the standings while collecting a season-best finish of 12th with Honeyman Jr. at EchoPark Atlanta.

In a joint press release, Derrike Cope said, “Kevin Cope and I are excited about forming this alliance with SBM…We have made great strides acquiring race cars to be ready for Daytona and the first part of the year, including being reunited with veteran crew chief George Church.”

Church has over 400 career NASCAR starts on top of the box, most recently working for Cope in the Cup Series with the now defunct StarCom Racing.

The new co-owner, Stanton Barrett, commented, “I am excited to have the opportunity to partner with CFR and continue the long history of SBM.”

Barrett and his team were fixtures in the series from 2001–2008. They returned periodically with select starts in the years since.

No sponsorship or driver announcements for the 2026 campaign have been made yet but the groundwork is clearly being laid for a full-scale return.

Austin Green Full-Time Finally

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series road course standout Austin Green will race full-time in the series in 2026, Peterson Racing announced Friday.

Green will drive the team’s No. 87 Chevrolet full-time in the NOAPS in 2026 with technical support from Richard Childress Racing. The technical partnership with RCR is new for 2026 and, according to the team, will strengthen their established relationship with ECR Engines. 

Peterson has fielded cars for Green in 21 NOAPS races since 2024. Green has excelled, earning two top-five finishes, eight top-10s and an average finish of 18.8 with the familiar yellow paint scheme with red numbers.

On road courses and street courses, Green earned two top-fives, seven top-10s and an average finish of 11.6 in 12 starts on the track types.