Entering the 2026 NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series season, former Spire Motorsports Craftsman Truck Series driver Rajah Caruth was named the primary replacement for Connor Zilisch behind the wheel of the No. 88 Chevrolet at JR Motorsports, as Zilisch had been promoted to the Cup Series full-time with Trackhouse Racing.
However, Caruth's deal was for just 23 of the 33 races on the schedule. JR Motorsports opted to have the four Hendrick Motorsports Cup Series drivers split time in the No. 88 car for the other 10 events.
Kyle Larson and William Byron were each scheduled to run three races, while Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman were each scheduled to run two.
But the plan changed when Bowman was sidelined earlier this season due to vertigo, which caused him to miss four Cup Series starts. He had also been lined up to run the O'Reilly Series race at Darlington Raceway, but Larson ended up replacing him.
Alex Bowman replacement confirmed for Nashville
Bowman returned to Cup Series action in mid-April at Bristol Motor Speedway, and he has run every race since. The plan was for him to compete in this coming Saturday night's O'Reilly Series race as well, but now that plan has changed.
Instead, it's Larson who is set to be behind the wheel of the No. 88 Chevrolet on Saturday night at Nashville Superspeedway. The 2021 Cup Series winner at the four-turn, 1.333-mile (2.145-kilometer) Lebanon, Tennessee oval has never run an O'Reilly Series race at the track, but he was instantly among the favorites to win on Saturday once the entry list was released.
The No. 88 team is second in the owner standings, and Larson is responsible for both of its victories. He won at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March and Texas Motor Speedway earlier this month. He also placed fourth at Darlington and second at Bristol, after winning the first two stages in both events.
Beyond this weekend, Larson is not lined up to run any more O'Reilly Series races this year, and it appears that Bowman will ultimately not run any this year at all. He has run at least one race in the series each year since 2022.
There are just three races remaining on the No. 88 car's schedule for the Hendrick Cup drivers this year. Byron is set to return for the June race at Pocono Raceway, while Chase Elliott's two starts are scheduled to take place in July at Chicagoland Speedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Live coverage of the Sports Illustrated Resorts 250 is set to be provided by the CW Network from Nashville Superspeedway starting at 7:30 p.m. ET this Saturday, May 30. Catch all of the action with a free trial of FuboTV!
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