Aside from two backmarker teams in Haas Factory Team and Rick Ware Racing switching back to Chevrolet from Ford, giving the Bowtie twice as many teams as the Blue Oval after a season in which they were both responsible for fielding six organizations, there wasn't much action in NASCAR Cup Series silly season this year.
The big change was one that many fans saw coming even before the 2025 season actually started, and it revolved around the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet.
Though Daniel Suarez had won a race and qualified for the playoffs in 2024, he was entering a contract year, and his overall performance, specifically relative to teammate Ross Chastain, had left a bit to be desired. Trackhouse Racing development driver Connor Zilisch was rumored to be his replacement.
Amid a dominant season in the Xfinity Series with JR Motorsports during which he won 10 races, Zilisch was indeed confirmed as Suarez's replacement, albeit in a renumbered No. 88 Chevrolet.
Connor Zilisch the lone NASCAR Cup Series rookie in 2026
Shane van Gisbergen used the No. 88 in 2025 but is set to use the No. 97 in 2026; the No. 99 is not set to be run by the team.
Suarez landed elsewhere fairly quickly, with Spire Motorsports capitalizing on the opportunity to sign him to replace the struggling Justin Haley behind the wheel of the No. 7 Chevrolet.
Haley dropped down to the Truck Series to reunite with Kaulig Racing, the team he was with from 2019 to 2023 across the Xfinity Series and Cup Series, as they prepare to begin their new partnership with Ram Trucks.
Other than that, there were no changes made to the Cup Series driver lineup. It means that in addition to Haley being the only driver to leave the series and Suarez being the only driver to move from Cup team to Cup team from 2025 to 2026, Zilisch is set to be the series' only new full-time driver in 2026.
It means that he has effectively locked up the Rookie of the Year Award, as long as he simply shows up to the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in a couple of months.
Tune in to Fox at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 15 for the live broadcast of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season-opening 68th annual Daytona 500 from Daytona International Speedway.