It was a relatively quiet NASCAR Cup Series silly season in the buildup to the 2026 season, with only one full-time driver from 2025 switching teams, one full-time driver leaving the series, and one new driver entering the series full-time. One driver also switched car numbers.
The only other major changes came on the manufacturer side, and they affected two teams that finished outside the top 30 in the owner standings a year ago.
In 2025, there were six full-time Chevrolet teams and six full-time Ford teams, to go along with three full-time Toyota teams. Now there are suddenly twice as many Chevrolet teams as Ford teams.
Two NASCAR Cup Series Ford teams move to Chevrolet for 2026
Single-car teams Haas Factory Team and Rick Ware Racing have both switched from Ford to Chevrolet for the 2026 season. Cole Custer is set to remain behind the wheel of the No. 41 Haas Factory Team entry, and Cody Ware is set to remain behind the wheel of the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing entry.
Haas Factory Team was formed in 2025 after Stewart-Haas Racing shut down and team co-owner Gene Haas opted to retain a charter following the 2024 campaign. Stewart-Haas Racing had been a Chevrolet team before their 2017 switch to Ford. They now have a technical alliance with Hendrick Motorsports.
Rick Ware Racing had run with all three manufacturers at various points before committing to Ford in 2022, and they hadn't run exclusively with Chevrolet since 2017. At that time, they were still only running a part-time schedule. Their technical alliance is now with Richard Childress Racing, after they had been aligned with Stewart-Haas Racing in 2022 and RFK Racing since 2023.
Chevrolet's other six chartered teams include Hendrick Motorsports, Trackhouse Racing, Spire Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing, Kaulig Racing, and Hyak Motorsports. Remaining Ford teams include Team Penske, RFK Racing, Front Row Motorsports, and Wood Brothers Racing. Toyota teams include Joe Gibbs Racing, 23XI Racing, and Legacy Motor Club.
The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season is set to get underway on Sunday, February 15 with the 68th running of the Daytona 500. Fox is set to provide live coverage from Daytona International Speedway beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET. Start a free trial of FuboTV today and don't miss any of the action!