Who Drives the Big Machine Racing No. 48 in 2026?

What’s Happening?

Most NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series teams have their lineups set for the coming season, though now a winning team has opened the door for another top spot in the series, so who will drive Big Machine Racing’s No. 48 in 2026?

Last week, Nick Sanchez shocked the NASCAR fanbase by announcing that he would not return to Big Machine Racing’s No. 48 for the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.

Of course, this announcement, which saw a winning combination of driver and team, was surprising this late in the offseason, after all, Sanchez had previously claimed he would return in 2026.

Ultimately, this seems to be a change in course from the team’s original plans, with Sanchez saying he was just as surprised as NASCAR fans during an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

As of press time, Sanchez has yet to announce his plans for 2026, much like Big Machine, which now has the best open seat in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. So, despite little rumors on who will drive the No. 48, who will the team turn to for the coming season?

Known Free Agents with OAP Series Experience

A major problem facing BMR this late in the off-season is the low number of known free agent drivers with experience worthy of a ride in NASCAR’s secondary level.

As of press time, a majority of 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers have announced their plans for 2026 or are expected to announce their plans for the coming year in due time. But, on the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series side, there are two drivers known to be on the move in 2026.

These drivers are Jack Wood, who Christian Eckes is replacing in McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s No. 91, and Connor Mosack, who lost his spot in MHR’s No. 81 to Kris Wright.

Mosack is a notable free agent as he has a healthy amount of experience at the NASCAR OAP Series level, having made 34 starts with a laundry list of teams since 2022, showing a knack for racing at road courses, scoring all four of his career top tens at those tracks.

Mosack also finished out the 2025 season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Viking Motorsports. Former Viking driver Matt DiBenedetto would also be a solid option for the team following a disappointing end to his 2025 season.

Of course, there are some drivers with more diverse experience in the series still on the board.

2025 Part-Timers

Every NASCAR series has its fair share of part-time drivers, and the NASCAR OAP Series is no different.

During the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, one manufacturer, Toyota, led the way in fielding competitive part-timers in the series. This list included seven drivers across their top two teams, Joe Gibbs Racing and Sam Hunt Racing.

For SHR, veteran names like Jeffrey Earnhardt and Ryan Truex showed their chops for the series alongside Patrick Staropoli, who made his debut in the series nearly ten years after his NASCAR National Series debut.

At JGR, road course ace Jack Perkins and NASCAR Whelen Modified tour star Justin Bonsignore took on part-time schedules, alongside a long list of NASCAR Cup Series names.

While these part-time names, Earnhardt, Truex, Staropoli, Perkins, and Bonsignore, would all be great options for the team, there is a clear top-tier name from the Toyota camp of part-time drivers that should at least be considered an option for the BMR.

Aric Almirola

After racing full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series for 12 seasons, NASCAR veteran Aric Almirola retired from full-time racing at the conclusion of the 2023 season.

But, this did not mean he was stepping away from the sport, with Almirola announcing plans to race part-time with JGR during the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season shortly after leaving the now-defunct Stewart-Haas Racing.

That season, Almirola made fourteen starts for the team, winning three races and taking the team’s No. 20 to the Championship Four in the owners’ standings.

Last season, the now 41-year-old returned to JGR for 17 races, winning another three races and, once again, piloting a JGR car in the owners’ standings playoffs.

The former Cup Series driver has now raced in more than ten races in back-to-back seasons, leading fans to think he could look at a full-time schedule in the near future.

Though he has not expressed any plans to do so, and there are no rumors tying the team and driver together, if BMR wants a shot at winning, Almirola is a top option for the team to do so.

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