ANOTHER Ford Team Reportedly Defecting to Chevrolet in 2026
What’s Happening? The Haas Factory team may not be the only NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series team leaving Ford ahead of…
Gifts for NASCAR Fans
Ford is getting its footing back in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series with the addition of Hettinger Racing to its lineup after a mass exodus this offseason.
Entering the offseason, Ford’s NASCAR operation was facing a crossroads with the departure of two NASCAR Cup Series teams and two NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series teams.
These withdrawals began with the Haas Factory, taking their Cup Series entry and two NASCAR OAP Series entries to Chevrolet; followed by RSS Racing, also taking their two NASCAR OAP Series entries to Chevrolet; and finally, Rick Ware Racing, which, in moving to Chevrolet, takes a second Cup Series car from the Ford camp.
While these moves took none of the brand’s major Cup Series teams off the board, it essentially gutted the brand’s already depleted NASCAR OAP Series lineup, taking away four of the five cars that raced the full season with Ford.
What’s Happening? The Haas Factory team may not be the only NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series team leaving Ford ahead of…
In the destruction, the only remaining team in NASCAR’s Secondary series was AM Racing, which sold its operation to SPS Racing, a former ARCA Menards Series team, in November, saving Ford’s footprint in the OAP Series.
Though it seemed Ford might be limited to one entry in 2026, relief is finally here, as Hettinger Racing, known for its efforts racing in Late Models, has announced it will race full-time in the series with technical support from the manufacturer.
The team plans to announce the finer details of their new entry at a later date, though the team will enter the No. 5, most recently run by Alpha Prime Racing and Our Motorsports in 2026.
Regardless of who pilots the car, this announcement takes the pressure off Ford to find another team in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
Though they are far from returning to their days of dominance with Team Penske, Roush, and Stewart-Hass Racing, teams like SPS and Hettinger give Ford not only a heartbeat in the OAP Series but a place for Cup Series drivers to get extra seat time and, most importantly of all, a spot to put young drivers.
What’s Happening? The President of Ford’s new NASCAR team, Sigma Performance Services, claimed in a recent interview that the team could…
What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
