JR Motorsports Set to Return to NASCAR Cup Series Action in 2026
What’s Happening? JR Motorsports will enter its second-ever NASCAR Cup Series race in February as Justin Allgaier and the team’s No….
Groovy Hollow Recap
One of the best parts of any NASCAR season is the part-time, un-chartered, or “open” cars that make starts throughout the season. These cars feature veterans and rookie drivers and sometimes win a race. Several of these teams plan to enter races in 2026, so here’s who they are.
These part-time teams are unchartered, meaning they do not own NASCAR Cup Series charters. Charters give teams valuable revenue sharing with NASCAR and, most importantly, automatic entry into points races.
Last season, 13 open teams made 73 starts throughout the NASCAR Cup Series season. The best finish amongst these teams came from Jimmie Johnson, who finished third at the Daytona 500 in Legacy Motor Club’s No. 84.
What’s Happening? JR Motorsports will enter its second-ever NASCAR Cup Series race in February as Justin Allgaier and the team’s No….
After years of speculation, JR Motorsports announced that it would finally enter a NASCAR Cup Series race in 2025. With sponsor Traveller Whiskey and Justin Allgaier behind the wheel of the No. 40, JRM brought home a top ten finish in their debut race at the Cup Series level. Though JRM did not race in any more Cup Series races in 2025, they will return in 2026 with Allgaier back behind the wheel of the Traveller Whiskey and No. 40.
What’s Happening? Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson has announced he will race in the June 21, 2026, NASCAR Cup…
After entering nine races in the No. 84 during the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season, Legacy Motor Club owner and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson cut his schedule back to two races in 2025. These would be career starts number 699 at the Daytona 500 and 700 at the Coca-Cola 600. In 2025, Johnson also scored his best finish as a part-time driver (since 2023) with his third-place finish in the Daytona 500.
Despite rumors that he could retire with 700 starts, in November 2025, the team announced that Jimmie Johnson would return in 2026 for at least one race. This race will be NASCAR’s inaugural Street race in San Diego, California, at Naval Base Coronado.
What’s Happening? Trackhouse Racing Owner Justin Marks claims in a new report that the team is “pretty close” to finalizing plans…
After not racing during the 2024 season, Trackhouse Racing’s Project91 entry, perhaps the most successful unchartered entry in NASCAR history, made its return to the 2025 Daytona 500. After having to qualify for the race using NASCAR‘s then-new Open Exemption Provisional, driver Hélio Castroneves would crash out and finish 40th.
In late November 2025, team owner Justin Marks claimed that the team is likely to return in the 2026 season.
This list will be updated as teams make car and driver announcements throughout the season.
