Rumor Mill: New NASCAR O’Reilly Series Team Nearing Debut?

What’s Happening?

The 2026 off-season was one of the strangest in recent history for Ford teams in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.

Not only did the OEM lose both of its multi-car, full-time teams, Haas Factory Team and RSS Racing, but it also gained a new team in the form of Hettinger Racing.

While Hettinger only made it through the first 11 races, fielding an assorted group of drivers, they weren’t the only Ford team on track.

In the first seven races of the 2026 OAP Series season, they were joined by AM Racing, who, fresh off their first-ever postseason appearance, had as odd an offseason as it gets.

On November 14, 2025, AM Racing confirmed a long-rumored sale to the well-known ARCA Menards Series team Sigma Performance Services. The team, then under the name SPS Racing, pushed on with preparations for the 2026 season, though the sale fell through just weeks before Daytona.

Following the announcement that SPS had “terminated” their plans to race, AM scrambled to prep for the new year, signing 2025 rookie class standout Nick Sanchez. However, this would also fall apart, as the team would pull out of the race at Rockingham and cease operations weeks after.

Even then, at least as of earlier this summer, it seemed the fallout of the deal with AM had yet to reach its conclusion, as a lawsuit filed by AM Racing in June alleged that SPS has continued to use AM’s intellectual property and still possesses several of their chassis.

While AM’s story in the OAP Series may be done, it seems that Sigma’s may be starting, as a new rumor making the rounds in the NASCAR community suggests that they could make their OAP Series debut soon.

What’s the Rumor?

Monday afternoon, a well-known NASCAR rumor account on Instagram posted that they have heard the team is preparing to make its OAP Series debut in the series Chase race at Bristol.

While the post initially listed Daniel Dye as a driver, the poster later returned to state that “I’ve now been told plans for Dye in the car fell through,” adding that the team “still hopes to make their debut.”

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Does This Rumor Make Sense?

Of course, just because their OAP Series plans fell through earlier this season doesn’t mean that SPS is left out to dry, as they continued operations in ARCA.

During the 2026 season, the team has entered three ARCA Menards Series East races and seven main ARCA Menards Series races, including the combined event at Toledo.

As for what OEM the team could race with in their series debut, while some may think Ford could be an option, the original post on Instagram did note that it could be Chevrolet.

While there are no other rumblings that the team could make its OAP Series debut soon, it is important to remember that these are just rumors, and, even if they have any weight, plans can fall through just as fast as they come together.

So for now, fans will have to wait and see if SPS makes its OAP Series debut, or if this is another footnote in what has been a wild season for part-time (and planned full-time) NASCAR OAP Series teams.

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