NASCAR expanding Cup driver eligibility in lower series for 2026

NASCAR confirmed to RACER that it is expanding driver eligibility requirements for Cup Series competitors running in its two lower national divisions next season. They are the first such changes since the current limits were put in place in 2020.

Cup Series drivers with more than three years of full-time experience will be allowed to enter a maximum of 10 races in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (the new name for the current Xfinity Series) in 2026 – an increase from the existing five-race limit.

In the Truck Series, Cup drivers will be eligible to enter a maximum of eight races – also up from the current five races allowed.

NASCAR will keep certain restrictions in place, though. In the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Cup drivers remain ineligible to compete in the regular-season finale and postseason races. The same restrictions also continue to apply for those Truck Series races.

Additionally, NASCAR is lowering the minimum age requirement for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series to 17 at road courses and ovals of 1.25 miles or less. By doing so, NASCAR's age requirements will go in ascending order – 16 years old to make a start in the Truck Series, 17 years old to do so in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, and 18 years old to do so in the Cup Series.

“We look at these eligibility requirements on a yearly basis and if it’s still making sense,” Meghan Miley, NASCAR managing director of racing operations, told RACER. “We’ve made adjustments in the past. In 2025, we allowed Cup drivers to participate in Dash 4 Cash and the Triple Truck Challenge. When we looked again this year, as we always do, we felt that potentially expanding the eligibility of both of those series could benefit both competition and marketing. I think we hear a lot of the drivers love competing with the top talent; it’s a development series, and it’s important that they get that track time, and we’ve heard that time and time again on the driver's side.

“There are benefits from a marketing perspective and from more eyeballs on the sport, potentially, so I think it’s good from a track perspective and with our broadcast partners. Expanding it a little bit potentially creates a little bit more benefit for a number of our stakeholders.”

Said changes will allow drivers who are prone to double-dipping during race weekends to run a fuller slate of races than the handful they have been limited to in recent years. Ross Chastain, for instance, who was recently announced to be sharing a seat with teammate Shane van Gisbergen at JR Motorsports in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, is expected to run the slate of races he’s allowed. Hendrick Motorsports drivers, who have entered more races in the series in recent seasons, would also have that option and are expected to continue making appearances in JR Motorsports cars.

The ability to use Cup Series drivers in their programs will be a welcome sight to some team owners and executives. One told RACER that Cup Series drivers help develop younger drivers on the roster, even though there is a difference between the Xfinity/O’Reilly Series cars and the Cup Series cars.

One Xfinity Series team owner told RACER he was frustrated by NASCAR’s decision, saying he feels it hurts the overall identity of the Xfinity Series.