There were rumors over the offseason that Richard Childress Racing might add the No. 33 Chevrolet to their lineup for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway for superspeedway ace Austin Hill, but they ultimately opted against it.
Hill would have been in a nine-car battle for four spots just to qualify for the 200-lap race around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) high-banked Daytona Beach, Florida oval, and his focus on the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series events ultimately netted him another Daytona victory. Additionally, his lone Daytona 500 qualifying attempt with Beard Motorsports back in 2023 resulted in a DNQ.
Richard Childress Racing also stuck with just their two full-time entries, the No. 3 Chevrolet for Austin Dillon and the No. 8 Chevrolet for Kyle Busch, this past weekend at EchoPark Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway), where Hill nearly won again. But this weekend, they are set to add a third car.
In fact, the No. 33 car is the only non-chartered (open) car on the entry list, as the No. 44 NY Racing Team Chevrolet and the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet, which were driven by J.J. Yeley and B.J. McLeod, respectively, at both Daytona and Atlanta, are not entered.
Jesse Love to compete in NASCAR Cup race at COTA
Reigning O'Reilly Series champion Jesse Love is set to drive the No. 33 Chevrolet in this Sunday's DuraMAX Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas (COTA), the first of four non-oval races on the 2026 schedule.
Love placed sixth at COTA in the O'Reilly Series in 2024, when the race was contested on the full 20-turn, 3.41-mile (5.488-kilometer) layout, and he placed sixth again in 2025, when the race was contested on the shorter 17-turn, 2.4-mile (3.862-kilometer) layout.
Love made his Cup Series debut and ended up running three races for Richard Childress Racing and two for Beard Motorsports in 2025, but none came on road courses. He recorded a top finish of 24th place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The No. 33 car is expected to make several other appearances this season, but thus far its only other confirmed race is the late April race at Talladega Superspeedway. Love, who has also yet to run a Cup Series superspeedway race but does own two career O'Reilly Series superspeedway wins, is set to drive it again in that event.
Tune in to Fox at 3:30 p.m. ET this Sunday, March 1 for the live broadcast of the 95-lap DuraMAX Grand Prix from COTA. Start a free trial of FuboTV and don't miss the 2026 season's first road course action!