For the first time in the 2026 NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series season, JR Motorsports fielded a fifth car, the No. 9 Chevrolet, two weekends ago at Circuit of the Americas (COTA), and it was full-time Trackhouse Racing driver Shane van Gisbergen who drove it.
To nobody's surprise, the road course ace drove the No. 9 car to victory lane.
The car did not appear in this past weekend's race at Phoenix Raceway, where JR Motorsports focused only on their four full-time entries and won the race with new points leader Justin Allgaier in the No. 7 Chevrolet, but it is set to return this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Shane van Gisbergen replacement confirmed
Ironically, it's a full-time driver who is set to replace SVG in the part-time entry this weekend, and that full-time driver is Carson Kvapil.
Kvapil is driving a full schedule between JR Motorsports and DGM Racing with Jesse Iwuji Motorsports this season, and the JR Motorsports portion of his calendar features two cars.
Kvapil drove the No. 1 Chevrolet full-time a year ago, and that is his primary car for 2026. However, Trackhouse Racing Cup Series rookie Connor Zilisch is also driving the No. 1 part-time this year, and he is set to make his second start of the season this weekend at Las Vegas. As a result, Kvapil is set to make his first appearance in the No. 9 car.
Zilisch drove the No. 1 car at COTA, while Kvapil made his first start in the No. 91 Chevrolet for DGM Racing with Jesse Iwuji Motorsports. Kvapil is expected to return to the No. 1 car for next weekend's race at Darlington Raceway.
As for the No. 9 car, van Gisbergen does not currently have any other starts lined up this season, although that is subject to change.
Lee Pulliam is set to make his O'Reilly Series debut in the entry Martinsville Speedway later this month, while Ross Chastain, another full-time Trackhouse Racing Cup Series driver, is expected to drive it in select races as well. Chastain has already competed in multiple O'Reilly Series race this year for Jordan Anderson Racing.
The LiUNA! is set to be shown live on the CW Network from Las Vegas Motor Speedway beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET this Saturday, March 14. Start a free trial of FuboTV now and don't miss it!