It was about as uneventful of a NASCAR Cup Series silly season as there has been in recent history this past year, with very few changes to speak of across the driver lineup between the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
All things considered, two teams that finished outside of the top 30 in the 2025 owner standings switching manufacturers for the 2026 season might have been among the most exciting things to happen from a silly season standpoint.
But there still were a couple of actual changes, with three total drivers affected by those changes. All things considered, 34 of the 36 full-time drivers from the 2025 season have remained with their respective teams, even though two of them are set to be driving for different manufacturers.
Of the two not set to be back with the same teams in 2026, one of them is still set to compete in the Cup Series, meaning that the series has only actually seen one full-time newcomer, the driver who technically already knows he is in line to claim Rookie of the Year honors. Additionally, one other driver has swapped car numbers.
Here's a breakdown of all six lineup changes for 2026.
Connor Zilisch
After a 10-win season in the Xfinity Series as a rookie with JR Motorsports, Trackhouse Racing development driver Connor Zilisch received a promotion to the Cup Series to replace Daniel Suarez.
But Zilisch, who made select Cup Series starts in 2025, won't use the No. 99 that Suarez used during his five years with the Justin Marks-owned team. Instead, he is set to drive the No. 88 Chevrolet that teammate Shane van Gisbergen used in 2025.
Shane van Gisbergen
Shane van Gisbergen is set to return for a second full season with Trackhouse Racing, but he has switched car numbers, as a result of Zilisch's arrival. He is set to use the No. 97, which is the number he used in both Australian Supercars and during his rookie Xfinity Series with Kaulig Racing in 2024.
The team will not use the No. 99 in 2026.
Daniel Suarez
Daniel Suarez is the only and only driver in the 2025 Cup Series lineup who is set to drive for a completely new Cup Series team in 2026. He is set to replace Justin Haley behind the wheel of the No. 7 Chevrolet at Spire Motorsports.
There were rumors that Suarez could drop down to the Xfinity Series (now O'Reilly Auto Parts Series) as Zilisch's replacement, specifically after he won the 2025 Xfinity Series race at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, but he is instead set to remain at the Cup level.
Justin Haley
And Justin Haley is the one and only full-time driver in the 2025 Cup Series lineup who is no longer set to compete full-time in the Cup Series in 2026. He has reunited with Kaulig Racing as a full-time driver for their new Ram Trucks Truck Series team.
Haley spent three seasons (2019 to 2021) with Matt Kaulig's team in the Xfinity Series before competing for the organization for two years (2022 and 2023) in the Cup Series.
Haas Factory Team
Gene Haas' Haas Factory Team, formed after the 2024 shutdown of Stewart-Haas Racing, are set to switch from Ford to Chevrolet, and they are set to have a technical alliance with Hendrick Motorsports. Stewart-Haas Racing had been a Chevrolet team themselves prior to their post-2016 switch to Ford.
Cole Custer is set to be back for another year with the team, this time behind the wheel of the No. 41 Chevrolet. Custer's Cup Series career, which also includes a three-year stint with Stewart-Haas Racing from 2020 to 2022, has only ever seen him drive for Ford thus far.
Rick Ware Racing
You have to go back to 2017 to find the most recent season in which Rick Ware Racing ran exclusively with Chevrolet, and that was when they only competed part-time. That is set to change in 2026.
Rick Ware's team had been a Ford team since 2022, after having run Chevrolets, Fords, and Toyotas over the years. They had a technical alliance with Stewart-Haas Racing in 2022 and then formed a new one with RFK Racing in 2023. In 2026, they have joined forces with Richard Childress Racing. Cody Ware is set to return as their full-time driver behind the wheel of the No. 51 Chevrolet.
These manufacturer changes mean that Chevrolet is now responsible for eight of the sport's 15 full-time teams, twice as many as Ford with four just months after both were responsible for six. Toyota remains responsible for three.
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 starting at 2:00 p.m. ET. Start a free trial of FuboTV and don't miss it!