Rumor Mill: Major Changes on the Way for Former Xfinity Series Playoff Team

CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA - OCTOBER 04: Harrison Burton, driver of the #25 DEX Imaging Ford, drives during the NASCAR Xfinity Series Blue Cross NC 250 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 04, 2025 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

What’s Happening?

A new rumor circulating in the NASCAR community suggests that 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff team AM Racing may undergo a significant change ahead of the 2026 season.

After a trying 2024 season, AM Racing took a new approach for the 2025 season.

Initially, Hailie Deegan was set to drive their No. 15 team for the entire 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. However, the team and driver would part ways after race 17 of the season at Nashville Superspeedway.

While the details were not known at the time, the team regrouped, opting to field six drivers, including Joey Logano and Josh Berry, among others, to round out the season.

For 2025, the team went a different direction, looking towards Xfinity Series veteran Harrison Burton, who had just lost his NASCAR Cup Series ride, to drive a newly renumbered No. 25 this season.

Although they have not yet reached victory lane, the team qualified for the NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs. However, since their elimination from the playoffs, the team has been in a state of flux.

Of course, we already know that AM Racing will not be the same in 2026, as the team announced on October 8 that Harrison Burton would not return for a second season.

Now, a new rumor, which claims that the team could see even more changes ahead of 2026, is making its way through the NASCAR community. This rumor, originating from a well-known Instagram account, even claims that they have heard that an ARCA Menards Series team, Sigma Performance Services, could be a potential buyer.

As of presstime, neither of these teams has announced such a plan or any related details, and this is, as always, just a rumor, one that could fizzle out as we enter the offseason.

What Does This Mean?

Following the announced departure of their driver, reports that Burton would move to Sam Hunt Racing (which the team announced this past weekend) gave fans the impression that this was more about Burton returning to Toyota than a sign of an impending overhaul at AM Racing.

In fact, most assumed that the team’s ARCA Menards Series driver, Kole Raz, who has made two Xfinity Series starts this year in the team’s first-ever part-time entry, would take over full-time duties at AM Racing in 2026.

Furthermore, the rumor that Sigma might buy the team has seemingly emerged out of nowhere. The team, an ARCA Regular, may not be a household name to race fans, as Sigma is mostly known for its entries in the series’ regional series, the ARCA Menards Series East and West.

Although they field competitive cars in ARCA, a dramatic leap to the NASCAR National Series by Sigma would be just as shocking as the thought of AM Racing not returning in 2026.

Nonetheless, NASCAR Xfinity Series (soon to be the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series) Silly Season has been as chaotic as advertised. For example, another team, Kaulig Racing, has already announced that it is placing its storied program on pause for the time being amid the addition of a five-truck Craftsman Truck Series team.

If this rumor is an indication of anything, the 2026 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Silly Season is far from over, and after the checkered flag falls on the 2025 season Saturday night, even more moves could be on the way.

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DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 06: Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, drives during the NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway on April 06, 2025 in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Lionel Racing Reveals First Wave of 2026 NASCAR Authentics Diecast

What’s Happening?

Lionel Racing finally confirmed the first wave of 2026 NASCAR Authentics 1:64 scale diecast for Monday morning, with the line of retail-exclusive diecast featuring a new look for the new year.

  • This line will include six throwback paint schemes from NASCAR’s 2025 throwback weekend at Darlington Raceway. Though they did not release one in 2025, this move restarts an annual tradition of Lionel releasing at least one wave of cars carrying the colors of that prior season’s throwback designs.
  • Included in this wave of cars are Austin Cindric, Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, William Byron, and Sammy Smith. Alongside these paint schemes’ debuts in the Authentics line is a new design for the packaging of the 2026 line of NASCAR Authentics.
  • Last season was somewhat turbulent for Lionel as, alongside issues with tariffs, the brand only released three waves of NASCAR Autentics, one wave of NASCAR Autentics Winners Circle diecast, and two waves of Haulers.
  • Lionel announcing the first wave of 2026 early on in the new year is perhaps a sign that 2026 could return this line to its regular release schedule. The post from Lionel Racing also confirmed that the brand will announce another wave by the end of the week, further hinting at a recommitment to the Authentics line.

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SPARTA, KY - JUNE 26: Chase Pistone, driver of the #9 NTS Motorsports Chevrolet, talks with his crew during practice for the NASCAR Camping World Series UNOH 225 at Kentucky Speedway on June 26, 2014 in Sparta, Kentucky. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

Chase Pistone, NASCAR Trucks and Nationwide Series Driver, Passes Away

What’s Happening?

Chase Pistone, a former competitor on the short track racing circuit in addition to NASCAR’s National Series, has passed away. Pistone, now a successful Legends Car owner, was 42.

  • Chase’s brothers Nick and Tom Pistone confirmed the North Carolina natives’ passing to LegendsNation.com. The cause of Pistone’s passing is unknown. The family asked that media share the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline number, which is 988.
  • Pistone, the grandson of NASCAR legend “Tiger” Tom Pistone, made his way to NASCAR after competing on short tracks in Legends cars and Late Models. He would make his jump to NASCAR via the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2005, racing for Green Light Racing at Martinsville Speedway.
  • Pistone would continue his NASCAR pursuits in 2006, racing in ARCA and the NASCAR Busch Series. Unfortunately, these two starts, at Martinsville with the Busch Series and Iowa with ARCA, would be his last for nearly a decade.
  • Pistone returned to NASCAR in 2014, racing in a combined eight NASCAR Camping World Truck and Nationwide Series races. During this season, his final in NASCAR, the then 30-year-old scored his best National Series finish, ninth place in the Truck Series annual trip to Gateway.

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8 Takeaways From NASCAR At COTA

Three races in, the 2026 season is finally starting to show its hand. COTA shifted narratives, exposed weaknesses, and raised new questions about contenders, pretenders, and everything in between.

  • Has Shane van Gisbergen officially been proven mortal after getting outraced late at Circuit of the Americas?
  • Is 19-year-old Connor Zilisch already ahead of schedule after slicing through the field multiple times?
  • With three straight wins, is Tyler Reddick basically a lock for the postseason this early?
  • And how concerned should the 48 team be after a rough weekend for Alex Bowman?

From substitute drivers being forced into action to points gaps growing faster than expected, COTA delivered more than just a road course chess match. There were momentum swings, reputation hits, and at least one young driver stacking up enemies before stacking up results.

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