Still one of the most exciting teams in the Cup Series, Trackhouse Racing soldiers into 2026 with an intriguing roster. Swapping out Daniel Suarez for phenom prospect Connor Zilisch, the Trackhouse lineup features a trio that could be heavy hitters in 2026. Even in a “down” season, the Chevy organization managed to pull off 6 wins. That mark was the third most from one organization in Cup. With the addition of Zilisch, that win total could be bumped up if Trackhosue can rebound in terms of equipment. If so, the talent alone could push Justin Marks’s team into the top tier of the Cup Series. Time to do the 2026 Season Preview for Trackhouse Racing.
#1 – Ross Chastain
Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images
Crew Chief: Brandon McSwain
2025 Points Finish: 10
2026 Announced Sponsors: Busch Beer, Moose Fraternity, Kubota, Jockey
On the surface, 2025 was a massive step back for Ross Chastain. Across the board, Chastain’s statistics were his worst since joining Trackhouse. The most jarring dip is seen in the laps led category. After losing half of his total from 2023 to 2024, that number was cut by two-thirds into the double digits. That said, Chastain performed well above his statistics. He dragged the 1 team kicking and screaming into relevancy last season. His restart proficiency and 3.2 improvement from average start to finish demonstrates his talent was still there. The vehicle performance was not.
2026 Expectations
Ultimately, the question of Ross Chastain’s expectations for 2026 comes down to Trackhouse. If they can return to the caliber of equipment from 2022 and 2023, then Chastain could be a dark horse for the championship. His ability to maximize his equipment is impressive. Plus, his aggressive style has cooled a bit since Rick Hendrick tattled on him to Chevy. Until there is sustainable proof though, it is difficult to believe that Trackhouse will return to form. Still, Chastain will likely find his way into victory lane at least once and qualify for The Chase.
The Chase Factor
Despite the struggling equipment, the 1 team should be a safe bet for The Chase. Chastain consistently sits within or right behind the Top-10 in points. It would be a shock if Chastain is not one of the 16 to qualify. Once in though, his ceiling will likely be at the Top-5. Once again, the question of where Chastain can finish this season is down to equipment.
#88 – Connor Zilisch
Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images
Crew Chief: Randall Burnett
2025 Points Result: N/A (2nd in O’Reilly Series)
2026 Announced Sponsors: Red Bull, Roto-Rooter
A dominate season in the Xfinity (now O’Reilly Auto Parts) Series somehow did not result in a championship for Connor Zilisch. Welcome to NASCAR. In the worst kept secret for most of 2025, Zilisch was destined to take over for Daniel Suarez in 2026. Taking over the 88 number from Shane van Gisbergen, Zilisch will look to avoid the Gen7 plague that has hurt other promising prospects. At the very least, Zilisch will be crowned Rookie of the Year (by default).
2026 Expectations
Based on recent lower series call-ups, expectations should be muted for Connor Zilisch. Especially for drivers in the O’Reilly Series, the transition to Cup has not been a smooth one. Maybe Zilisch will be the outlier in that group, but the safe bet will be a trying rookie season. The lone exception will likely be road courses, but even those tracks might take Zilisch a start or two to warm up. A Top-20 points finish with a few non road course Top-10s should be considered a successful season.
The Chase Factor
Unlike his teammate, Connor Zilisch will not get to benefit from the win-and-in system with his road course prowess in his rookie campaign. Instead, Zilisch will have to point his way in against tough competition. In the Cup Series, the drivers who usually sit in the teens in points provide significant competition. If Zilisch can race up to his potential, he has a shot at making The Chase. That said, it is difficult to bank on Zilisch hitting his stride early enough in the first 26 races to think he can beat some of the Cup veterans.
#97 – Shane van Gisbergen
Photo by Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Crew Chief: Stephen Doran
2025 Points Result: 12
2026 Announced Sponsors: Red Bull, Jockey, Safety Culture
Outside of Joey Logano, NASCAR’s recent decisions seem to be mostly directed at attacking Shane van Gisbergen. First, win-and-in has been removed. Then, the ROVAL is eliminated. Two major elements that played into Shane van Gisbergen’s strengths. Although win-and-in is gone, van Gisbergen should not be written off for the 2026 season. Using The Chase format for last year, SVG would have been in The Chase thanks to the lobsided point total for winning. With 4 road courses in the first 26 races, that could benefit SVG again.
2026 Expectations
Shane van Gisbergen should take the next step in his development in 2026. By the tail end of 2025, SVG was starting to put together better runs on the ovals. The more he got familiar with a track, the better he ran. At Kansas, he picked up his first Top-10 on a non-road course. It would not be surprising to see SVG break into double digit Top-10s in 2026. His oval strengths seem to be on the “cookie cutter” intermediates and flatter short tracks. Throw in a superspeedway Top-10 for good measure and that would get Shane van Gisbergen to that double digit mark.
The Chase Factor
It should not be a preposterous thought to think Shane van Gisbergen will be in the Top-16 of points after the summer Daytona race. Yes, SVG would have made The Chase if this format was there last year. Obviously, the entire field would drive differently so that cannot be an apples t0 apples comparison. Still, it is a good benchmark to see how winning helps specialist drivers. With his improvements on ovals, SVG could comfortably find his way into The Chase this year.
Project 91
The program that introduced NASCAR to Shane van Gisbergen, Project 91 has not been seen since last year’s Daytona 500. Technically, Connor Zilisch did drive a fourth entry for Trackhouse last year in the 87. However, that would not be considered Project 91. Helio Castroneves was the last proper driver to pilot that entry. Although it is not expected to make a return to the Daytona 500, Justin Marks said in November that they are working on plans for the car to return in 2026. Red Bull apparently will be a key piece in this as well, which might give an insight to which drivers might make the jump to NASCAR for a one-off start.