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Kaulig CEO Says Team “Didn’t Have a Choice” in Pausing Xfinity Series Program

AUSTIN, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 28: Chris Rice, President of Kaulig Racing speaks to a driver on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Focused Health 250 at Circuit of The Americas on February 28, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

Kauy Ostlien

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Royal T Grafix

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What’s Happening?

In 2026, Kaulig Racing will not field a NASCAR Xfinity Series car, marking the end of a 10-year run in the series. During a recent interview, Kaulig CEO Chris Rice explained what went into this difficult decision to pause their efforts in the series.

Kaulig Racing is one of the great NASCAR underdog stories of the past decade.

At one point in the team’s history, their only notable highlight was a pole win at Talladega in 2017. However, since their first Xfinity Series win in 2019 with A.J. Allmendinger, the team has risen to become a leader in the series and a staple in the NASCAR Cup Series.

In August, the team announced a partnership with the Stellantis brand Ram, which is returning to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2026. This partnership has the potential to pay off in the long run, as fellow Stellantis brand Dodge is expected to enter the NASCAR Cup Series in the coming years.

However, this new partnership, which is a massive undertaking for both team and OEM, is flanked by some key issues.

First, the team currently fields Chevrolets in the NASCAR Xfinity and Cup Series, a clear conflict of interest, which raises questions about their status with the bowtie brand.

Second is the increased need for staff and resources for their Truck Series program, which will field a series-high five full-time trucks.

The latter of those two issues has resulted in the team putting its storied Xfinity Series (soon to be O’Reilly Auto Parts Series) program on hold, despite past claims from CEO Chris Rice that the team was merely scaling back for the coming year.

During an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Wednesday morning, Rice explained what went into this decision, saying that Kaulig “really didn’t have a choice” in the matter.

“It’s Not Like We Want To”

First and foremost, Rice directly addressed their new Truck Series program’s relationship with this decision. He confirmed the rumors that they were turning their full focus to the program, saying, “We have made a choice that we need to focus really hard on our truck program and our cup program to push it forward.”

This announcement was a sad day for many, as one of the Series’ top teams stepped away ahead of what is set to be another milestone season in NASCAR’s secondary series, with new title sponsor O’Reilly Auto Parts coming aboard.

But, on a positive note, Rice also confirmed rumors that they will return to their old stomping grounds in the future.

“You guys will see us back in the Xfinity Series in the coming years, but we have to pause it for a little bit, and we have to sit back and push ourselves to build five wonderful trucks for Ram and also keep our Cup program where it’s at,” Rice said.

Although the promise of a return hasn’t made the move any less emotional for Rice or team owner Matt Kaulig, Rice explained that the decision was made over the past month, suggesting that they were perhaps initially planning to scale back, with the overhaul feeling more like a necessity than a choice.

“It’s not like we want to. We really don’t have a choice. Honestly. We got to make sure that the Ram trucks are where they need to be, those guys are taking a huge chance on us and we want to show them we’re behind them to build this thing pretty big.” — Chris Rice on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

As of press time, all but one of Kaulig’s Xfinity drivers from this season are sorted out.

The team parted ways with Josh Williams prior to this announcement, and Brenden “Butterbean” Queen, who drove the No. 11 for a majority of the leftober schedule, will join their Truck program with Daniel Dye, who drove the team’s No. 10 car this season.

The only driver left out of the picture as of press time is Christian Eckes, who has yet to announce his plans for the coming year, with rumors suggesting the truck series veteran could return to the series with or without Kaulig.

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AUSTIN, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 28: Shane Van Gisbergen, driver of the #9 Safety Culture Chevrolet, drives during the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Focused Health 250 at Circuit of The Americas on February 28, 2026 in Austin, Texas.

O’Reilly: SVG Wins at COTA

by Cody Williams

What’s Happening?

The checkered flag is out for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series competitors at COTA, and it was Shane van Gisbergen who was left standing tall at the end of the race. His 5th career O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victory, it was his first at the track.

  • The opening stage was dominated by the JRM duo of Connor Zilisch and Shane van Gisbergen with the No. 1 of Zilisch looking to be the stronger of the two early on. Prior to the end of the stage, both short-pitted, making a long-term play for the win. SVG still managed to end the stage in 10th.
  • Austin Hill stayed out after a disappointing showing in Atlanta last week to collect some stage points. Also running strong in the first stage were Justin Allgaier, Sam Mayer, Brandon Jones, and Jesse Love.
  • Despite not being in his usual ride, Carson Kvapil was very competitive in his DGM No. 91 Chevy. Granted, the car was prepared by JR Motorsports ahead of this race, but it was DGM guys running the show. They did an admirable job, bringing the car home in the 19th position after falling off late. He’ll have 5 more starts in the car later this year to fill out the remainder of his schedule.
  • The second stage belonged to Sam Mayer. Finishing 2nd in the first stage and winning Stage 2, he had a mighty good points day today. Meanwhile, his former teammate Justin Allgaier also had a strong finish in stage 2. That’s a promising sign, considering his heartbreaks in Daytona and Atlanta, respectively.
  • Connor Zilisch had far from a perfect race today. Sure, he led a bulk of the opening stage, but mechanical issues plagued him later in the race. Extra time on pit road making repairs put him behind the 8 ball in Stage 2. This put the race firmly in the hands of SVG. He did manage to battle back to the top 5 before he was dumped by Corey Day and the controversy around that driver continues to build. Zilisch brought it home in 21st with significant damage.
  • With Connor Zilisch’s issues, it was more or less a cakewalk for Shane van Gisbergen in the JRM No. 9. He went on to win, scoring his 5th career win in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. He has an opportunity to sweep the weekend. He starts tomorrow’s Cup race in the 13th position.

Race Results

Caution Tracker
  • Lap 20: End of Stage 1
  • Lap 35: Baltazar Leguizamon spins
  • Lap 40: End of Stage 2
  • Lap 57: Sage Karam

Points Standings

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AUSTIN, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 28: Shane Van Gisbergen, driver of the #9 Safety Culture Chevrolet, Connor Zilisch, driver of the #1 Roto-Rooter Chevrolet, and Austin Hill, driver of the #21 Bennett Transportation Chevrolet, race during the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Focused Health 250 at Circuit of The Americas on February 28, 2026 in Austin, Texas.

O’Reilly: Mid-Race Report, It’s the Zilisch and SVG Show!

by Cody Williams

What’s Happening?

The first two stages are in the books for the stars of tomorrow in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at COTA. Predictably, Connor Zilisch and Shane van Gisbergen dominated the first two stages. As they short-pitted at the end of each stage, Austin Hill and Sam Mayer both went to collect stage wins, respectively. Here are the key takeaways from the race so far.

  • Austin Hill, after a disappointing finish to last week’s race in Atlanta following being sent by Ross Chastain, won the opening stage of the race. This was, of course, after Connor Zilisch and SVG short pitted, playing the long game for the win. Zilisch led a bulk of the opening stage, leading 12 of the opening 20 laps. On pit road, SVG managed to leapfrog Zilisch for the would-be race lead.
  • The only incident to note in the opening stage was when Jeremy Clements got off course. The caution did not fly, and he finished the stage in the 30th position.
  • Key drivers earning stage points in the opening stage include Austin Hill (10), Sam Mayer (9), Justin Allgaier (8), Brandon Jones (7), Jesse Love (6), Carson Kvapil (5), Corey Day (4), and Rajah Caruth (2).
  • The second stage wasn’t quite as cut and dry as the first. While battling for the lead, Connor Zilisch overdrove a corner, making an uncharacteristic mistake. He went over the radio to complain that it felt like his car was pulling to the right, an indication of a possible issue with his left side brakes.
  • There was a late caution in the stage as Baltazar Leguizamón suffered a brake failure and plowed hard into the tire barrier. He was okay but this effectively ended his day. SVG and Connor Zilisch both came down pit road during this caution. Zilisch had a slow stop as his No. 1 crew started to check out the right side of the car for potential brake problems. Sam Mayer went on to win the stage.
  • Earning stage points in the second stage were Sam Mayer (10), Justin Allgaier (9), Carson Kvapil (8), Jesse Love (7), Austin Hill (5), Sammy Smith (4), Brandon Jones (3), and Ryan Sieg (1).

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AUSTIN, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 28: Shane Van Gisbergen, driver of the #9 Safety Culture Chevrolet, and Austin Hill, driver of the #21 Bennett Transportation Chevrolet, lead the field during the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Focused Health 250 at Circuit of The Americas on February 28, 2026 in Austin, Texas.

What to Keep an Eye on in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Race at COTA

by Cody Williams

What’s Happening?

The NASCAR Saturday Double-Header continues with O’Reilly Auto Parts Series action from Circuit of the Americas (COTA). Here’s what you need to look out for and what to expect in today’s race.

  • Road course heavy hitters, Connor Zilisch and Shane van Gisbergen, are in the field today. You know what that means: another slobber knocker of a race between them as everyone else struggles to keep up. And, you guessed it: they both are starting on the front row with Zilisch claiming the pole in his No. 1 JRM Chevy. SVG is driving the No. 9.
  • Since Zilisch is in the No. 1, Carson Kvapil has been demoted to the No. 91 of DGM Racing. While the car is prepared by JR Motorsports, it won’t be his usual pit crew. Rather, his crew is made up entirely of DGM employees. So, there are a lot of unknowns for him heading into today’s race. He’s starting 6th.
  • Speaking of JRM, Rajah Caruth turned some heads in the first two races of this season. How will he fare on a road course? That No. 88 team is used to winning on these types of tracks. Keep an eye on him. Caruth is rolling off 19th.
  • Austin Hill bounces back after a disappointing finish last week in Atlanta, thanks to the ruthless bumper of Ross Chastain. He’s rolling off in the 3rd position.
  • Coverage for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at COTA begins at 3 PM EST on the CW.

Starting Lineup

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