Rumor Mill: Is This the Next NASCAR Prospect to Make Their Cup Series Debut?

What’s Happening?

Last year, NASCAR fans got the chance to see two top prospects, Jesse Love and Connor Zilisch, make their debuts on the sport’s highest level.

The 2026 season, however, has not had the same level of prospect turnover, with Brent Crews technically making his series debut at Naval Base Coronado after Christopher Bell hopped out of the No. 20 car.

Still, Crews is one of a few prospects in NASCAR’s lower divisions that fans believe should be getting seat time in the Cup Series, with most signs pointing to him replacing Denny Hamlin in the No. 11 when Hamlin retires down the road.

Nonetheless, a new rumor from a recent podcast episode suggests that another Cup Series debut could be in the works for the back half of 2026, this time in the Ford camp.

What’s the Rumor?

With Corey Heim leaving full-time Truck Series competition at the conclusion of 2025, the keys to the Truck Series kingdom were left open for the taking.

This year, third-year Front Row Motorsports driver Layne Riggs quickly snatched them up, sitting atop the series standings through the first 14 races of the year with a series-high four wins.

While Riggs has yet to announce any plans beyond this season, during a discussion on the latest episode of Brakehard’s podcast Closing Laps, his co-host, a former NASCAR pit crew athlete, claimed that he has heard rumors that Riggs could make his Cup Series debut this season in Front Row Motorsports’ part-time No. 36 car.

“Layne’s gonna be running some Cup races this year, is what I’ve heard. . . That’s what I’ve heard is that he’s gonna be running the 36 car for FRM.”

Even though little was said beyond this, if this rumor turns out to be true, it could have larger implications on Silly Season as a whole.

Does This Rumor Make Sense?

As of right now, FRM or Riggs has yet to announce plans to race in the Cup Series, and, as with any NASCAR rumor, this is just a rumor, meaning that even if it does have weight, nothing is official until the team announces it.

Of course, many fans have felt that Riggs is the next great graduate of the FRM Truck Program, following in the footsteps of Todd Gilliland and Zane Smith.

Both of those drivers now race full-time for the team in the Cup Series and are expected to be there for the long haul.

Nonetheless, this does not mean there is a logjam for Riggs, as plenty of Silly Season discussions have pointed to No. 4 driver Noah Gragson as potentially out of that car at year’s end.

Still, Gragson seems to be locked in his car for now, though fans will likely keep an eye on him.

Returning to the idea of Riggs racing the No. 36, it’s not a long-shot idea for the team, as they have done so a handful of times in the Next Gen era.

While the team opted not to field the No. 36 in 2025, the car has made an appearance, albeit a short one, with Riggs Truck Series teammate Chandler Smith behind the wheel in a failed attempt to qualify for the Daytona 500.

Regardless, one issue Riggs could have is sponsorship for both a part-time and full-time opportunity, something that insiders like Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports have reported could be a holdup for the 24-year-old in getting the Cup Series in 2027.

So for now, unless more rumors emerge about Riggs’ potential Cup Series debut, fans will have to wait and see if this one comes true.

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