With Ricky Stenhouse Jr. not participating in this weekend’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event in St. Petersburg, Florida, Landen Lewis has been tapped as his replacement for the No. 45 Chevrolet entry. The change occurs as the Truck Series makes history by racing its inaugural street course event while Stenhouse competes elsewhere, highlighting a significant shift for both teams and fans.
Landen Lewis Steps in as Stenhouse Sits Out St. Petersburg Race
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., now in his 18th season of NASCAR national series competition, entered the 2026 season with no previous starts in the Craftsman Truck Series. That changed at the season opener at Daytona International Speedway, where he placed sixth driving the No. 45 Chevrolet for Niece Motorsports. He followed up that performance by finishing second in the Daytona 500 for Hyak Motorsports in the NASCAR Cup Series.
He continued his Truck Series involvement by competing again with Niece Motorsports at EchoPark Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway), where he finished ninth. Despite these appearances, Stenhouse has no further Truck Series starts scheduled for the 2026 season. Notably, this weekend presents a scheduling conflict, with the Truck Series racing in St. Petersburg and the Cup Series heading to Circuit of the Americas for its first road course event of the year. As a result, no full-time Cup drivers will participate in the inaugural Truck Series street course race.
A Look at Landen Lewis and His Truck Series Opportunity
Landen Lewis, a 19-year-old from Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, and the 2025 CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour champion, will pilot the No. 45 Chevrolet for Niece Motorsports this Saturday. Although Lewis has three Truck Series starts to his name, his debut came at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course with Roper Racing in 2023, where he finished 24th—his highest finish in the series so far. Both of his subsequent starts were on ovals, and he hasn’t raced in the series since 2024.
Lewis’s return to the Truck Series at the historic St. Petersburg street course is notable not just as his first start of the year but also as a landmark event in NASCAR. He is expected to have more opportunities in the No. 45 truck throughout 2026, but the remainder of his schedule remains unconfirmed. This marks a major chance for Lewis to showcase his growth since his last run and potentially secure a more regular slot in the series.
Team Lineup and Future Truck Series Plans
Aside from Lewis, full-time Trackhouse Racing Cup Series driver Ross Chastain is the only other confirmed pilot for the No. 45 truck in 2026. Chastain is slated to compete in eight races this year, although the specific events have not yet been detailed. This season thus sees a blend of established Cup Series talent and rising drivers like Lewis filling the seat, pointing to an adaptive strategy for Niece Motorsports as they approach both established venues and new race formats.
The OnlyBulls Green Flag 150 will air live on Fox at noon Eastern Time this Saturday, providing fans an opportunity to witness the first-ever Truck Series street course event on the streets of St. Petersburg. The historic significance of this event, combined with the lineup developments, highlights a season of adaptation and opportunity for both drivers and teams involved in the NASCAR Truck Series.
