Brent Crews is the driver many NASCAR fans have their eyes on as a potential long-term replacement candidate for Denny Hamlin whenever Hamlin decides to retire from Cup Series competition, and Crews took the first step toward making that a reality by signing a full-time deal with Joe Gibbs Racing's O'Reilly Auto Parts Series team for 2026.
The only problem is that he isn't set to turn 18 years old until Monday, March 30, 2026, so he won't actually be allowed to run the full schedule behind the wheel of the No. 19 Toyota.
While it's unlikely that the 17-year-old Hickory, North Carolina native wouldn't be granted a playoff waiver, provided the playoffs still exist, his age puts Joe Gibbs Racing in a position to choose another driver (or drivers) for four of the first seven races on the 33-race 2026 calendar.
Joe Gibbs Racing needs at least one more driver
Crews will not be allowed to take part in the season's first two races at superspeedways Daytona International Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway, but because Circuit of the Americas is a road course and Phoenix Raceway is considered a short oval, the rules state that he may compete in the third and fourth events of the year, even at the age of 17.
But he must then miss the races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Darlington Raceway. The following race at Martinsville Speedway is scheduled to take place two days prior to his 18th birthday, but he is set to be allowed to compete in that one because Martinsville is a short track.
His first race as an 18-year-old is set to be the following weekend's race at Rockingham Speedway in early April.
In 2025, the No. 19 Toyota was run as the team's "star car" and actually won the owner championship despite not having a full-time driver, primarily due to Aric Almirola's three wins and strong playoff performance. Which driver or drivers will help the cause and fill in before Crews' 18th birthday?
Almirola would certainly seem like a viable option after running 17 races this past year, and really any of the team's full-time Cup Series drivers could step in, especially with NASCAR having loosened the restrictions on experienced Cup drivers running lower series races.
Aside from Brandon Jones in the No. 20 Toyota, the rest of the team's driver lineup hasn't yet been confirmed for 2026. In 2025, rookies William Sawalich and Taylor Gray drove the No. 18 Toyota and the No. 54 Toyota, respectively.