During the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs, it was announced that full-time JR Motorsports driver Carson Kvapil would be sharing the No. 1 Chevrolet with Connor Zilisch in 2026, rather than driving it for the entire season like he did in 2025.
Zilisch drove the team's No. 88 Chevrolet full-time and won 10 races in 2025, but unlike Kvapil, he had already landed a full-time ride for 2026, as he is set to join Trackhouse Racing's Cup Series team as Daniel Suarez's replacement after serving as their development driver for the past two years.
So this announcement meant that Kvapil was effectively demoted, or so it initially seemed.
From that point forward, the 22-year-old Mooresville, North Carolina native went on somewhat of a surprise run to the Championship 4. While his first career win still eludes him after his first full season in the series, he proved he belongs and can compete for a championship.
Carson Kvapil back full-time with JR Motorsports after all
It was later announced that Kvapil, whose career-best finishes are second place finishes at Dover Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, and Talladega Superspeedway after just over one year of experience in the series, would indeed be returning full-time to JR Motorsports in 2026.
The only difference from 2026 is that he's not set to run the same car in every race, but he is still set to run all 33 races for the same team, something that seemed like it would no longer be the case following the September announcement of him splitting time with Zilisch in the No. 1 entry.
JR Motorsports run four cars full-time, and they also run the No. 9 Chevrolet part-time. Like the No. 1 Chevrolet, the No. 88 Chevrolet is set to be a shared full-time entry in 2025, and thus far, its only confirmed driver is Rajah Caruth.
So in addition to the No. 1 car, expect to see Kvapil spend time in the No. 9 car, the No. 88 car, or both throughout the 2026 season as he aims to score his first win and get back to the Championship 4 to compete for an O'Reilly Auto Parts Series title.
Both Justin Allgaier and Sammy Smith are set to be back in the team's No. 7 car and No. 8 car, respectively, full-time in 2026.