There wasn't a ton of movement throughout the NASCAR Cup Series garage this past silly season, with only two total driver changes. The series is set to see just one new full-time driver, one driver with a new team, and one driver no longer in the series.
The one new driver is Connor Zilisch, who has joined Trackhouse Racing as Daniel Suarez's replacement following a 10-win season in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series with JR Motorsports. Zilisch had been signed by Trackhouse Racing since 2024, when he joined as a development driver.
Suarez is the only driver who has switched teams, and he has replaced the only driver who won't be back in the series in 2026: Justin Haley.
Justin Haley back with Kaulig Racing, but not in Cup
Suarez is set to drive the No. 7 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports in 2026. Haley had driven the No. 7 car since he was effectively traded to Spire Motorsports from Rick Ware Racing during the 2024 season.
Instead, he has dropped back down to the Truck Series, where he most recently competed full-time in 2018. He has realigned with Kaulig Racing as a full-time driver for their new Ram Trucks program. He competed for Matt Kaulig's team full-time in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series from 2019 to 2021 and then in the Cup Series in 2022 and 2023.
The only other Cup Series silly season changes include Trackhouse Racing's Shane van Gisbergen switching from No. 88 to No. 97, with Zilisch set to use the No. 88 rather than Suarez's old No. 99, and Haas Factory Team and Rick Ware Racing both switching from Ford to Chevrolet for their single-car programs.
Haley placed 22nd in Friday night's Truck Series season opener behind the wheel of the No. 16 Ram.
The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season is scheduled to get underway on Sunday, February 15 with the 68th annual Daytona 500, which is set to be shown live on Fox from Daytona International Speedway beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET. Start a free trial of FuboTV and catch all of the action!