It has been over a month since the end of the 2025 NASCAR racing season; but the team owners have been far from complacent, they are very busy shoring up their teams and crews for the new season in February. And for some teams, the crews must prepare brand new vehicles after owners changed manufacturers.
When the 2025 season ended, there were still a number of drivers unsure of where they would be driving…if at all… when the new season begins.
During the season, Kaden Honeycutt revealed that he had signed with a new team but gave no further details. After Honeycutt made the announcement, his Niece Motorsports owner released Honeycutt. After a horrific accident that knocked Stewart Friesen out of his number 52 truck, Honeycutt was signed to finish the 2025 season.
Kaden Honeycutt has signed on with Tricon Garage to take over the driving duties of the number eleven truck in the Craftsman Truck Series.
Speaking on the move Honeycutt said via a team release, “I’ve waited my entire career for an opportunity like this. I can’t thank Toyota and Tricon enough for trusting me to carry the torch for the No. eleven Safelite Tundra and continue its incredible run of success. I’m truly honored and fired up to chase a championship with this team in 2026.”
Tricon Garage partner and general manager Kevin Ray added, “we’ve watched Kaden perform and overcome uncertainty, and we admire the grit it’s taken to reach this point. We have no doubt he’s worthy of this opportunity and look forward to him continuing to put Tricon and our number eleven team in a position to win races and contend for championships.”
Reigning NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Corey Heim set record after record last season on his way to a 12 win season…and the championship. After the end of the season, Heim has left Tricon Garage and has signed with 23XI Racing as one of the Toyota Development Drivers. While he does not have a full time ride; or even a set driving schedule, but 23XI co-owner Denny Hamlin noted that Heim will be running some races next season – he just did not specify which races.
Craftsman Truck Series driver Rajah Caruth is moving up to the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series where he will be splitting his time between two teams. Caruth has signed on to drive 10 races for Jordan Anderson Racing; while filling out the season as one of the drivers in the number 88 JR Motorsports car that is being vacated by Connor Zilisch as he moves up to Trackhouse Racing and the Cup Series to driver the number 88 car. Shane van Gisbergen will move over to driver the number 97 car (the same number he drives in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series).
Owner Jordan Anderson spoke on Rajah Caruth as a part time driver in the number 32 car saying, “we’ve enjoyed getting to know Rajah and watching him continue to grow each year as a driver. He brings great energy to our group and works well with everyone here. We’re excited to have him back in our Chevrolets and to play a key role in helping him run the full season and chase a championship.”
Anderson will announce the remaining driver lineup for the number 32 car in the coming weeks.
Cole Custer will be returning to the Haas Factory Team to driver the number 41 car but Custer will not be driving a Ford, Haas announced that they would be switching back to the Chevrolet beginning next season.
Viking Motorsports has expanded to a two car team in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series with Anthony Alfredo driving the number 96 car and Parker Retzlaff driving the number 99 car.
Despite the current court battle going on between NASCAR and Front Row Motorsports and 23XI Racing; FRM has signed Zane Smith to a multi-year contract. Layne Riggs will be returning to drive the number 34 truck for FRM.
After being released by Trackhouse Racing, Daniel Suarez has signed on to Spire Motorsports to driver the number seven car after Spire chose not to resign Justin Haley.
After saying he needed some time when Kyle Larson beat him out for the Cup Series championship, Denny Hamlin has signed a multi-year contract with Joe Gibbs Racing to stay behind the wheel of the number eleven car.
Josh Bilicki will be driving full time in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series next season driving the 07 car for SS GreenLight Racing.
Joe Gibbs has signed 17 year old Brent Crews to drive the number 19 car next season in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. Crews will take over the driving duties beginning at COTA – he is ineligible to drive non road course tracks over 1.25 miles until he has turned 18. JGR has not announced who will drive the 19 for the first four races of the year.
The Haas Factory Team is not the only team changing car manufacturers next season, O’Reilly Auto Parts Series RSS Racing is also moving over to a Chevrolet and will maintain their technical alliance with the HFT. The Sieg brothers Ryan and Kyle will continue driving their number 39 and 28 cars.
Josh Williams is returning to DGM Racing for the 2026 season and a full time ride in the number 92 car.
Young’s Motorsports is expanding to two teams in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series with Ryan Ellis joining the team to drive the number 02 car.
Corey Day will be driving the Hendrick Motorsports number 17 car full time in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series next season.
Sam Hunt Racing is expanding to two teams in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series next season with Dean Thompson in the number 26 car and Harrison Burton in the number 24 car.
Sammy Smith and Justin Allgaier will be returning to JR Motorsports in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series next season.
Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer will be returning to the Haas Factory Team O’Reilly Auto Parts Series next season; but this time driving a Chevrolet.
Christian Eckes is making a return to the Craftsman Truck Series next season driving for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing in the number 91 truck. He will be joining Tyler Ankrum in the 18 truck at MHR for 2026.
Tyler Reif will be the anchor driver in the Niece Motorsports number 42 truck next season in the Craftsman Truck Series.
When Ram announced that it would be joining NASCAR as a part of the Craftsman Truck Series next season, Kaulig Racing announced a pause in their Xfinity/O’Reilly Auto Parts Series cars to concentrate on getting the truck program launched. Kaulig will be running five Ram trucks in the series with Daniel Dye, Justin Haley, and Brenden Queen all running in the series.
Last season long time driver Matt Crafton announced that he would be retiring from full time driving in the Truck Series. Teammate Ty Majeski will be taking over the driving duties of the bright yellow number 88 truck. A new driver for the number 98 car that Majeski drove has yet to be announced.