Every NASCAR Cup Series Driver’s Current Contract Status in 2026
What’s Happening? NASCAR drivers, much like any athletes, have a period of free agency and multi-million dollar contracts. Based on information…
With the list of 2027 NASCAR Cup Series Silly Season rumors growing, two more names are joining the fray as JR Motorsports owner Dale Earnhardt Jr shared a rumor he has heard about two O’Reilly Auto Parts Series drivers during his latest podcast episode.
Last year’s NASCAR Cup Series Silly Season was somewhat lackluster, with just one driver leaving the Cup garage, one driver switching teams, and one driver promoted.
But entering 2026, insiders had often told fans that the 2027 NASCAR Cup Series Silly Season would be a different story, as rumors suggested over a dozen drivers were set to hit the free-agent market.
Among drivers potentially switching teams (something that has yet to happen for 2027), fans are also keeping an eye on promotions, and, during the latest episode of The Dale Jr Download, NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr shared two of the rumored names looking to make the jump.
Amid a conversation about Richard Childress Racing prospect Jesse Love, who is well known to be looking to make the jump to Cup, Earnhardt added that there are a lot of O’Reilly Auto Parts Series drivers in that same camp, including Haas Factory Racing teammates Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer.
“There’s a lot of guys that are sitting there in the in the O’Reilly series that are ready to get out of there. I mean, I’m hearing rumors, . . . both the guys over at Haas, [Sheldon] Creed and Sam [Mayer] are itching for Cup opportunities.” — Dale Earnhardt Jr
While many young drivers, especially those with the resumes of Mayer and Creed, would like to make the jump, some are happy to let the current situation take them to the top over time.
This is, of course, not the first time these two names have been a part of these rumors, with Mayer in particular, popping up as a driver interested in Cup racing over the past two Silly Seasons.
Still, the problem is that while many drivers are in contract years, some of the dominoes fans expected to fall have not yet, or will not, fall.
This scenario means that Mayer and Creed, and even names like Jesse Love or Austin Hill, even if they had the funding, would not have a spot in the Cup Series garage unless a team decided it was time to move on.
But even then, both HFT drivers have shown significant improvement over the past few seasons.
While he has had a slow start to 2026, Mayer was one of the breakout drivers of the 2025 season in his inaugural year with the team. On the other hand, Creed, after years of struggling, finally found victory lane and has yet to look back, sitting second in points to a dominant Justin Allgaier.
Silly Season is still young, and while there may not be a line to the Cup Series for either driver just yet, both drivers could have their chance as the 2026 season drags on.
What’s Happening? NASCAR drivers, much like any athletes, have a period of free agency and multi-million dollar contracts. Based on information…
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