Ross Chastain, Shane van Gisbergen returning to run select races for JR Motorsports in 2026

JR Motorsports announced Tuesday that Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen will return in 2026 to run select races for the team in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. Chastain and van Gisbergen will pilot the No. 9 Chevrolet, as they did for eight combined races this season.

Another round with the boys from the (Track)house.@RossChastain and @shanevg97 return to the No. 9 Chevrolet for select races in 2026. pic.twitter.com/6JsEj3K904

— JR Motorsports (@JRMotorsports) October 21, 2025

Both had success in a JRM car. Chastain tallied four top 5s, while van Gisbergen took the checkered flag for the second consecutive season at the Chicago Street Course. Each of van Gisbergen’s three starts came on road courses.

In the Cup Series, Chastain and van Gisbergen are teammates at Trackhouse Racing. They both made the playoffs, however, they were eliminated before the Round of 8. Van Gisbergen, a rookie in Cup, has five wins this season, second-most among drivers.

JR Motorsports making big moves ahead of 2026 season

JRM, meanwhile, continues to finalize its roster for the 2026 season. Justin Allgaier will continue on in the No. 7, while Sammy Smith will be behind the wheel of the No. 8. Connor Zilisch and Carson Kvapil will split the driving duties in the No. 1 with Rodney Childers serving as crew chief.

Earlier on Tuesday, they announced that Rajah Caruth will run a part-time schedule in the No. 88 Chevrolet. The 23-year-old has 22 starts under his belt in NASCAR’s second tier series. He has yet to score a top 10, finishing a career-best 12th in the 2022 and 2023 fall Martinsville Speedway races. Caruth made three starts this season in the Xfinity Series, finishing as high as 18th last month at Kansas Speedway.

In the Truck Series, Caruth has been a breakout star in 2025. He took the checkered flag at Nashville Superspeedway, his second win in Trucks. Caruth made the playoffs for the second consecutive season, and he’s in good shape to advance to the Championship 4. Caruth heads into this Friday’s Round of 8 finale at Martinsville second in the playoff standings, 14 points above the cutline.