Nick Sanchez was initially supposed to return for a second NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series season behind the wheel of the No. 48 Chevrolet for Big Machine Racing in 2026, after winning a race and qualifying for the postseason in his first full season in the series a year ago.
However, the team surprisingly opted to replace him with Patrick Staropoli, who has yet to finish higher than 13th place and finds himself 22nd in the point standings through the season's first 16 races.
Sanchez was able to land a deal with AM Racing, which was considered a blessing in disguise since he became the only full-time Ford driver in the series. Given Ford's overall lack of depth in their current talent development pipeline, his ride with the No. 25 Ford put him in a prime position to potentially move up to the Cup Series.
Yet after seven races, which included a third place finish at the same EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta Motor Speedway) track where he won in 2025, AM Racing unexpectedly withdrew from the entry list at Rockingham Speedway, and they later confirmed that they had shut down entirely, leaving Sanchez without a ride for the second time in under six months.
Nick Sanchez lands new NASCAR deal
Sanchez hasn't competed since the late March race at Martinsville Speedway, but he is set to return next weekend at Pocono Raceway; the O'Reilly Series has off this weekend, while the Cup Series and Craftsman Truck Series are both set to be in action at Michigan International Speedway.
He is set to replace Austin Green behind the wheel of the No. 87 Peterson Racing Chevrolet as a part of a new six-race deal, which is also set to include five straight races in July and August at Chicagoland Speedway, Atlanta, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Iowa Speedway, and Daytona International Speedway to wrap up the regular season.
Green is set to be in the No. 87 car again for the upcoming inaugural race at the new Qualcomm Circuit street course on Naval Base Coronado in San Diego, California, as well as the upcoming road course race at Sonoma Raceway later this month.
The team's plans for the No. 87 car have not been confirmed beyond the regular season finale at Daytona.
The 2026 season is the Doug Peterson-owned team's first season running full-time in the O'Reilly Series. They entered the year having made just five series appearances, including three starts and two DNQs.
Green, known for his road course racing prowess, finished second in the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval race back in October, and he has recorded two top 10 finishes this season, including a top finish of ninth at Watkins Glen International. He is 24th in the point standings.
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