Connor Zilisch will advance to the NASCAR Cup Series for the 2026 season with Trackhouse Racing, replacing Daniel Suarez and driving alongside Shane van Gisbergen and Ross Chastain. This move comes after Zilisch’s strong performance in the Xfinity Series (now the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series), and marks a significant step as he takes on the No. 88 Chevrolet in Cup, rather than the No. 99 which is being shifted to RFK Racing for the Daytona 500 entry of Corey LaJoie.
Zilisch’s Cup Series Leap and Team Changes
Trackhouse Racing’s 2026 lineup will consist of Zilisch in the No. 88 Chevrolet, Ross Chastain returning to the No. 1 car, and Shane van Gisbergen moving from the No. 88 in 2025 to the No. 97. RFK Racing will field the No. 99 Chevrolet for Corey LaJoie, specifically for the Daytona 500. These updates reflect a reshuffling among top teams and drivers which is expected to create fresh dynamics in both the Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
Despite his Cup Series commitment, Zilisch remains slated for a partial schedule in the O’Reilly Series with JR Motorsports, where he achieved 10 wins in 2025. However, in 2026, he won’t drive the No. 88 that brought him past successes. Instead, Zilisch is set to share the No. 1 Chevrolet with Carson Kvapil, who ran the entry full time last season. Kvapil will continue to have a full-time presence, picking up additional starts in the No. 9 Chevrolet, which the team will field in a limited number of events.
Confirmed Replacement Drivers for Zilisch
With Zilisch’s transition to Cup, several drivers are set to cover his former rides in the O’Reilly Series. Initially, Rajah Caruth was announced as a part-time replacement for the No. 88 Chevrolet, but the 2026 season will feature more variety as four additional drivers are confirmed to fill in throughout the schedule.
Hendrick Motorsports steps in prominently, with their entire Cup Series driver lineup—Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, William Byron, and Alex Bowman—dividing ten starts in the No. 88 car. Caruth will manage the remaining 23 events, providing a blend of established experience and rising talent for the upcoming season.
Hendrick Motorsports Drivers Share the No. 88 Car
Kyle Larson will take the wheel for the No. 88 Chevrolet at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 14, Bristol Motor Speedway on April 11, and Texas Motor Speedway on May 22. Chase Elliott will handle two outings: Chicagoland Speedway on July 4 and Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 25. William Byron is assigned to Phoenix Raceway (March 7), Kansas Speedway (April 18), and Pocono Raceway (June 13). Alex Bowman will round out the group with appearances at Darlington Raceway (March 21) and Nashville Superspeedway (May 30).
Rajah Caruth, after handling a part-time slate, will now race at Daytona International Speedway on February 14 to begin the season, and take on all other remaining races, including the crucial last four regular-season events and every playoff contest.
Hendrick Motorsports’ Full-Time Return to Series
This season, Hendrick Motorsports not only supplies drivers for the No. 88 Chevrolet, but also returns to having a full-time team in the O’Reilly Series—a move not seen since 2006. Corey Day will drive the No. 17 Chevrolet throughout 2026, marking a notable commitment by Rick Hendrick’s team since their return to the series in 2022, their first participation at this level since more than a decade earlier.
The 2026 NASCAR season promises pivotal changes, with Connor Zilisch’s leap to the Cup Series opening up key opportunities for a lineup of renowned and emerging drivers in the O’Reilly Series. The collaborative efforts by Hendrick Motorsports to fill the No. 88 seat represent both confidence in their driver pool and a strategic vision for ongoing competitiveness. Motorsports fans will closely watch this evolving landscape as the season begins at Daytona and carries forward with significant shifts among prominent teams and drivers.
