What’s Happening?

Despite rumors that they could return to NASCAR’s secondary series in 2026, a NASCAR insider claims that Team Penske and Spire Motorsports have no intentions of doing so.

Unless something has changed in last week or two, team executives at Penske and Spire who would be responsible for putting personnel and equipment in place have repeatedly told me they are unaware of any plans for their organizations to race Xfinity (O'Reilly Series) in 2026. https://t.co/TLG0qb6nku

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) September 24, 2025

Throughout the 2026 NASCAR Silly Season, rumors have surrounded both organizations’ potential return to what is currently known as the Xfinity Series.

Historically, Penske was one of the top organizations in the series before stepping away after the 2021 season. In turn, Spire has never entered a car at that level in its short history in NASCAR.

In the fallout of Wednesday’s announcement that Carson Kvapil will not return to JR Motorsports full-time in 2026, Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports shot down these rumors.

Pockrass posted on X that he has been told multiple times by Penske and Spire executives who “would be responsible for putting personnel and equipment in place” that they are unaware of plans for a return to the newly dubbed O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.

Where Did These Rumors Come From?

Rumors of a debut in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series for Spire Motorsports first circulated amid concurrent rumors of an abrupt downsizing of their Craftsman Truck Series program this summer.

On July 23, prior to Spire officially downsizing, Brakehard posted on X that he expected Spire “to go Xfinity racing in 2026.” Since that post, some have claimed to have heard similar rumors of Spire’s plan, while others have claimed it was not going to happen.

Expect Spire to go Xfinity racing in 2026 https://t.co/AtFhNQLS8y

— BrakeHard (@BrakeHardBlog) July 23, 2025

Though a Spire O’Reilly Auto Parts Series team may not be happening now, that does not mean that Spire didn’t have plans to race in the 2026 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series that fell through at some point between the summer and now.

For Penske, rumors of their return came from two different news storylines, though these rumors were less prominent than Spire’s rumors and were more based on speculation from fans.

These rumors kicked off after online claims that Team Penske had signed JRM Rookie Carson Kvapil to a developmental deal. Though neither the team nor the driver has confirmed they have a contract, most assumed this meant a return to the Xfinity Series was imminent.

These rumors resurfaced after the recent news that the Haas Factory Team, the premier Ford team in the Xfinity Series, will switch to Chevrolet in 2026. While it seems other teams may be interested in Ford, many fans speculated that the return of Penske seemed like an easy route for Ford to maintain a top spot in the series.

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