With less than two months before the 2026 NASCAR season begins, the annual carousel of driver changes better known as the Silly Season continues with a major update.
Hettinger Racing has announced that they will be fielding a car in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series next season full time. This marks the first time that Hettinger will field a car for an entire season.
The number five Ford Mustang will have a technical alliance with Ford Racing and get their engines from Roush Yates.
RSS Racing and the Haas Factory Team both switched from Fords to Chevrolets for the 2026 season. Hettinger will be naming the driver for the number five in the coming weeks.
Team owner Chris Hettinger spoke on the new team via statement saying, “this is about putting our race team in the right place at the right time. The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series has incredible momentum. It features great racing and the series gets significant exposure thanks to coverage from The CW. Combining that platform with the support of Ford Racing and Roush Yates Engines gives us the opportunity to grow our program into one that competes at a national level.”
A Michigan native, Hettinger drove late models and open-wheel midgets before turning his hand to ownership where he has fielded cars in the CARS Tour, ARCA Menards Series and the Craftsman Truck Series.
Planning to run the car at Daytona in February, Hettinger has purchased owner’s points for the Cope Family Racing number 70 car to ensure an entry spot in the race. It is not uncommon for teams to bring more cars than there are opening spots at the super speedway tracks like Daytona and Talladega.
President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines, Doug Yates spoke on Hettinger saying, “I’ve been impressed by what Chris Hettinger has already built, and Roush Yates Engines is proud to be a part of Hettinger Racing’s future growth. Chris is a racer and a very good businessman who is taking a smart and methodical approach to 2026. All of us at Roush Yates Engines are committed to him and his vision for Hettinger Racing.”
In other Silly Season news, retina specialist Dr. Patrick Staropoli has secured a full time ride for the 2026 season with Big Machine Racing.
With the departure of Nick Sanchez, Dr. Staropoli will be taking over the driving duties in the number 48 car.
Last season the racing doctor field a part time schedule as an independent owner to quench his love of racing.