NASCAR Executive Suggests Potential Massive Overhaul For O’Reilly Auto Parts 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…
Following backlash over an interview with a NASCAR executive, officials within the sport have stepped up to clarify confusion about a potential shift in on-track equipment in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts 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…
Monday, the NASCAR world was sent into a frenzy following comments from NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer John Probst.
During an interview with Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal, Probst mentioned that, in an effort to address the changing automotive industry and give the series a more independent identity, NASCAR had discussed using Crossover-Utility, or CUV, body styles in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
In the early 2020s, NASCAR developed a CUV body style based on the NASCAR Next Gen platform. However, this body was built around electric vehicle formats and was frequently promoted and tested in 2024 and 2025.
While Probst noted in his interview that this was merely something they were considering, the comment sparked a debate within the online NASCAR community about not only the use of CUVs in the series but also EVs.
This debate included Hall of Famers Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr., with the latter, who is an owner in the OAP Series, saying on X, “I hope this never happens.”
Now, after a day of fiery discussion, NASCAR is making it clear that not only is the CUV body style not a guarantee, but that EVs were not a major part of these discussions.
In the aftermath of this story, NASCAR Managing Director for Racing Communications Mike Forde took to the Hauler Talk podcast to clear the air.
Forde says that planning for the future is just part of Probst’s job, noting his part in the infamous “Gold Codes” plan that came to light in the 23XI Racing/NASCAR Antitrust trial last fall.
In this case, sedans, which have historically been the model of cars used in NASCAR, are slowly disappearing from showroom floors.
If this trend continues further, to the point where NASCAR’s classic look is gone, the sport needs to be ready to work with Manufacturers to still promote their products on track, specifically if the industry continues to shift to CUVs.
“If you look at the production car landscape, sedans aren’t what they used to be, and CUVs are the hot thing right now. So that’s just something that we need to be ready for in case there are no sedans in 10 years. So this was a 5 to 10-year thing that’s down the line, not something that’s imminent.” — Mike Forde
He also addressed the backlash from the fanbase, saying that NASCAR listens to its fans and, stressing that he agrees that the OAP Series on-track product and TV Ratings are great, so there is no need to fix something that isn’t broken, those problems emerge from outside of those two categories.
“We don’t need to fix it,” Forde said. “But if we need to fix it for some other reason besides the racing has fallen off or anything like that, really, it’s more external problems or issues or pressures, then we’ll be ready if we need to cross that bridge.”
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One of the major talking points from the interview with Probst was the mention of EV’s.
In his report, Stern said, “Probst said NASCAR is evaluating the potential of one day using its crossover utility vehicle EV in the second-tier O’Reilly Auto Parts series to give that division a better brand identity.”
This, alongside the close relationship of NASCAR’s CUV body and the EV prototypes shown off over the past few seasons, led to even more pushback from the NASCAR community, with fans fearing the sport could turn a beloved, “traditional” racing series into an all-electric series.
Even Dale Earnhardt Jr. mentioned electrification on his podcast, The Dale Jr Download, saying:
“It’s my belief that absolutely the electric car and that body style, and all that, is something that NASCAR is looking at as a possibility for the future of the O’Reilly Series.” — Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Though he did not address EVs on Hauler Talk, in a follow-up post on X, Forde clarified that Probst was not talking about converting the series to an EV series or even launching an EV series, but rather about the potential to morph the series into one that races CUV bodies.
This post has raised concerns in the NASCAR community. However, some remain opposed to any changes in the OAP Series.
Nonetheless, as some have pointed out, the series is working with increasingly outdated equipment, and NASCAR will reach an inflection point down the line where they have to decide what the future holds for the series.
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