The 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season is the 32nd season of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, a pickup truck racing series sanctioned by NASCAR in the United States. The season started on February 13 with the Fresh From Florida 250 at Daytona International Speedway and will end with the Baptist Health 200 on November 6 at Homestead–Miami Speedway.
This is the first season with Ram as a manufacturer since 2012. [1] It is the first season since 2000 without Matt Crafton competing full-time after his retirement from full-time racing after the 2025 season. This will also be the first season since 2008 to have Jimmie Johnson run in the Truck Series, as he will run the race at Coronado. [2] This is also the first season since 2005 to have Tony Stewart as he ran the season opening race at Daytona. [3]
Corey Heim, the reigning Craftsman Truck Series champion, will not defend his title, switching to a part-time campaign with his team Tricon Garage.
Rajah Caruth moved up to the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2026, driving full-time between JR Motorsports and Jordan Anderson Racing. [96]
Daniel Dye returned to the Truck Series full-time after driving full-time in the Xfinity Series for one year in 2025. Justin Haley returned to the Truck Series full-time for the first time since 2018. He competed in the NASCAR Cup Series full-time from 2022 to 2025. [43] Christian Eckes returnd to the Truck Series full-time after driving full-time in the Xfinity Series for one year in 2025. He returnd to McAnally–Hilgemann Racing, the team he drove for full-time in 2023 and 2024. [10]
Cole Butcher competed full-time for Thorsport Racing. [97] Brenden Queen, the 2025 ARCA Menards Series champion, competed full-time for Kaulig Racing. [48] Mini Tyrrell, winner of Ram: Race for the Seat, completed full-time for Kaulig Racing.
After competing full-time in the Truck Series for 25 years and winning three championships, Matt Crafton retired from full-time racing following the 2025 season. Ty Majeski, his ThorSport Racing teammate, will move from the No. 98 truck to the No. 88 truck for 2026. [39] Crafton will return to ThorSport on a part-time basis in another one of their trucks in 2026. [78]
Derek Smith, who was previously the crew chief of the Tricon Garage No. 5 truck driven by Toni Breidinger, will moved to CR7 Motorsports to crew chief their No. 9 truck driven by Grant Enfinger. [4] Darren Fraley replaced Blake Bainbridge as the crew chief of the No. 81 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing truck. Fraley was crew chief for the team's part-time No. 16 truck in 2025. [9] Dave Elenz, who was last a crew chief for Legacy Motor Club in the Cup Series in 2024 and was also an O'Reilly Auto Parts Series crew chief for JR Motorsports for several years, will be the new crew chief of the McAnally-Hilgemann Racing No. 91 truck. [10] He replaces Joshua Graham, who left the team to crew chief for Viking Motorsports in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series. [98] Todd Myers will be the new crew chief of the Reaume Brothers Racing No. 2 truck. That truck had a rotation of different crew chiefs in 2025. [31] Mike Hillman Sr. will replace his son Mike Hillman Jr. as the crew chief of the Freedom Racing Enterprises No. 76 truck. Hillman Sr. crew chiefed for Joey Gase Motorsports in the then-Xfinity Series in 2025. [5]
NASCAR Cup Series drivers with three or more years of experience can participate in eight (up from five) regular season races. They are still prohibited from participating in The Chase. [99]
Similar to the Cup Series, NASCAR changed the Chase format for the first time since the Craftsman Truck Series adapted the playoffs in 2016, the format changed on January 12, 2026. [100] The amount of races in the Chase would remain. The win-and-you're-in, as well as the playoff point after a driver won a stage has been removed. [100]
On January 16, 2026, NASCAR announced that drivers who enter the garage during a race will no longer be eligible for the "Xfinity Fastest Lap Award". However, the driver's fastest lap before they entered the garage will still stand. [101]
The schedule was released on August 20, 2025. [102]
Notes:
The series raced at the St. Petersburg street circuit and the Coronado Street Course for the first time. [110] [111] Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Pocono Raceway were dropped from the schedule. [102] Dover Motor Speedway returned for the first time since 2020. [112] The Charlotte Motor Speedway fall race will move away from the roval layout to the oval, after one year as a road course race. [113] This is one of only two tracks that will have multiple dates on the 2026 schedule, along with Bristol Motor Speedway.
2024 series champion Ty Majeski won the pole at Daytona. The race featured the return of Tony Stewart and Ram in the sport since 2016 and 2012, respectively. Carson Hocevar won stage 1, and Chandler Smith won stage 2. Smith made a thrilling four-wide move in the tri-oval on the final lap to win the race. [114]
Jake Garcia won the pole at Atlanta. Corey Heim won stage 1, and Stewart Friesen won stage 2. The race was shortened due to time constraints with the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race, ending ten laps short. Kyle Busch would win the race, marking his third consecutive win for the Truck Series race at Atlanta. [115]
Connor Mosack won the pole at St. Petersburg, the first ever Truck Series race on a street course. Ben Rhodes won stage 1, and Layne Riggs won stage 2. Riggs, who dominated the later half of the event, with 41 laps led, would win the race. [116]
Kaden Honeycutt won the pole at Darlington. Christian Eckes won stage 1. Honeycutt won stage 2. Carson Hocevar a Cup Series regular, crashed on lap 145, causing overtime. Ross Chastain was leading the race late, however, Corey Heim overtook him on the last corner of the last lap. [117]
Jake Garcia won the pole at Rockingham. Corey Heim swept the stages. Heim held off teammate Kaden Honeycutt to win the race, winning back to back races in the Triple Truck Challenge, becoming the first driver to do so. [118]
| No. | Race | Pole position | Most laps led | Fastest race lap | Winning driver | Manufacturer | No. | Winning team | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fresh From Florida 250 | Ty Majeski | Carson Hocevar Justin Haley Michael McDowell [N 1] | Daniel Hemric | Chandler Smith | Ford | 38 | Front Row Motorsports | Report |
| 2 | Fr8 208 | Jake Garcia | Ben Rhodes | Tanner Gray | Kyle Busch | Chevrolet | 7 | Spire Motorsports | Report |
| 3 | OnlyBulls Green Flag 150 | Connor Mosack | Layne Riggs | Layne Riggs | Layne Riggs | Ford | 34 | Front Row Motorsports | Report |
| 4 | Buckle Up South Carolina 200 | Kaden Honeycutt | Kaden Honeycutt | Carson Hocevar | Corey Heim | Toyota | 5 | Tricon Garage | Report |
| 5 | Black's Tire 200 | Jake Garcia | Corey Heim | Corey Heim | Corey Heim | Toyota | 1 | Tricon Garage | Report |
| Reference: [119] | |||||||||
(key) Bold – Pole position awarded by time. Italics – Pole position set by final practice results or owner's points. * – Most laps led. 1 – Stage 1 winner. 2 – Stage 2 winner
(key) Bold – Pole position awarded by time. Italics – Pole position set by final practice results or owner's points. * – Most laps led. 1 – Stage 1 winner. 2 – Stage 2 winner
| Pos. | No. | Truck Owner | DAY | ATL | STP | DAR | CAR | BRI | TEX | GLN | DOV | CLT | NSH | MCH | COR | LRP | NWS | IRP | RCH | NHA | BRI | KAN | CLT | PHO | TAL | MAR | HOM | Points | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Kevin Ray | 28 | 51 | 27 | 10 | 1*12F | 191 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | 11 | Johnny Gray | 8 | 21 | 5 | 4*2 | 2 | 190 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | 45 | Greg Fowler | 6 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 14 | 186 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | 7 | Jeff Dickerson | 24* | 1 | 13 | 5 | 11 | 185 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | 34 | Bob Jenkins | 31 | 27 | 1*2F | 12 | 3 | 179 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | 38 | Bob Jenkins | 12 | 6 | 4 | 17 | 36 | 173 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | 88 | Rhonda Thorson | 4 | 28 | 2 | 31 | 8 | 168 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | 17 | David Gilliland | 2 | 3 | 25 | 8 | 17 | 149 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | 91 | William Hilgemann | 3 | 36 | 15 | 31 | 13 | 143 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | 5 | Johnny Gray | 11 | 12 | 23 | 1 | 35 | 142 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | 99 | Duke Thorson | 12 | 4* | 31 | 36 | 18 | 138 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | 10 | Matt Kaulig | 17 | 13 | 17 | 11 | 7 | 120 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13 | 52 | Chris Larsen | 10 | 202 | 26 | 25 | 4 | 119 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | 62 | Chris Larsen | 5 | 8 | 36 | 6 | 23 | 117 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | 77 | Jeff Dickerson | 35*1 | 2 | 10 | 22F | 34 | 116 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pos. | No. | Truck Owner | DAY | ATL | STP | DAR | CAR | BRI | TEX | GLN | DOV | CLT | NSH | MCH | COR | LRP | NWS | IRP | RCH | NHA | BRI | KAN | CLT | PHO | TAL | MAR | HOM | Points | ||||||||||
| Reference: [121] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
After 5 of 25 races
| Pos | Manufacturer | Wins | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toyota | 2 | 211 |
| 2 | Ford | 2 | 202 |
| 3 | Chevrolet | 1 | 187 |
| 4 | Ram | 0 | 141 |
| Reference: [121] | |||
13: Cole Butcher, 88: Ty Majeski, 98: Jake Garcia, 99: Ben Rhodes
(@ 6:14) I'm not fully retired. I mean, like ThorSport put out the post that said that I was not doing it full-time in the No. 88 truck, No. 88 Menards truck anymore, so everybody took that as retiring and I was actually- we're just doing it part-time. So I'm just going to run a select amount of races, 5 to 10 races, next year