KANSAS CITY, Mo. – JR Motorsports announced this week that Sammy Smith will be back behind the wheel of the No. 8 Chevrolet for the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season, currently the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
This will be Smith’s third term driving a Chevrolet for JR Motorsports. The team will be joined by their long-term partners Pilot, TMC Transportation, and Allstate Peterbilt Group.
“We are thrilled to have Sammy, Pilot, TMC and Allstate Peterbilt Group back for 2026,” said JR Motorsports CEO Kelley Earnhardt Miller. “It’s been a pleasure getting to know and work with Sammy these past two seasons and we’re looking forward to seeing what the future will hold next year after our run for a championship with the No. 8 team in 2025.”
Smith and the No. 8 team begin their pursuit of a championship this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. Smith locked up his position in the playoffs with a win at Rockingham Speedway in April. Smith has two top eight finishes in the playoffs the last two years.
“I am looking forward to continuing to build on what we’ve accomplished together here at JRM,” Smith said. “I am thankful for continued support from Pilot, TMC and Allstate Peterbilt Group as we go into these playoffs and into next season as a team.”
The NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs get underway Friday night with the Food City 300 at 6:30 p.m. CT on The CW.
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