NASCAR Clears the Air on Major Overhaul of O’Reilly Series
What’s Happening? Following backlash over an interview with a NASCAR executive, officials within the sport have stepped up to clarify confusion…
Recent talk of NASCAR converting the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series to an electric, crossover body style series has the NASCAR community in an uproar, and now, team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr is throwing his hat into the ring.
Update: Following the discussion surrounding this potential change, NASCAR’s Mike Forde clarified that there is no set plan to implement crossover-style bodies in the series, and that, specifically, the conversation was not about the implementation of EVs, but rather a change to the traditional body style of the series to CUVs.
What’s Happening? Following backlash over an interview with a NASCAR executive, officials within the sport have stepped up to clarify confusion…
NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer John Probst claimed in a new report from Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal that NASCAR officials have looked into using their crossover-style EV as the future car of the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
Probst said that this move would help develop an identity for the Series, just as the Truck Series and Cup Series stand out with their unique names, something the OAP Series has lacked for the majority of its lifetime, as the series is often referred to by its title sponsor’s name.
“These are the things that are on the roadmap to consider, so you’d have a Truck, a CUV, and a Cup, that’s three very different bodies that are relevant for our OEMs today to create that brand identity for each series,” Probst said.
While this would create relevance for the OEMs, as crossovers are popular cars seen on the street today.
Nonetheless, the revolt from the NASCAR fanbase has been brutal, with many begging NASCAR not to abandon the series that, since the introduction of the NASCAR Next Gen car to the Cup Series in 2022, resembles the closest thing to what the sport used to be.
Tuesday afternoon, NASCAR Hall of Famer and Championship-winning OAP Series team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. added his opinion to the mix, posting on X, “I hope this never happens.”
Eanrhardt, who has co-owned and operated JR Motorsports in the series since 2005, is one of the series’ most prominent owners and the most successful, with the team boasting 111 wins and four championships in its two decades of competition.
He also isn’t the only Hall of Famer to speak out against this proposed idea for the series future, as Mark Martin, who contributed a win to JRM’s all-time total, posted a response of his own on X, saying, “They say hope is not a strategy, but that’s really all I’ve got for now.”
As of press time, the idea of converting the series away from a “traditional” NASCAR sedan-style body and gasoline-powered engines seems to be little more than a discussion point.
But not even a full day after this report, the idea has seen unprecedented pushback from fans, drivers, and now team owners in the series.
What’s Happening? NASCAR Executive John Probst has NASCAR fans talking after he suggested using NASCAR’s crossover-style EV in the NASCAR O’Reilly…
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