The rumor mill for the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is nothing short of insane — especially considering it’s only April 2025.
It started with rumors and reports that a fourth manufacturer (likely Dodge) would return to the Truck Series in 2026. After that, Canadian news outlets reported that the Truck Series would join the Xfinity Series in a return up north, competing at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal instead of Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (where the Truck Series used to go when they crossed the northern border).
Now, the latest rumor is perhaps one of the wildest yet.
Recently, an Instagram post by an account named “NASCAR Rumors and Nostalgia” — an account that is generally correct in the rumors it puts out — stated that Dodge would indeed return and its first team to bite will be … are you ready for this?
GMS Racing.
That’s right, the latest rumor involves GMS returning to the series after shutting down after 2023 and doing so with the newest manufacturer to enter the series.
But who would be the driver?
Well if GMS returning was shocking enough, what if I told you the driver was the son of the team’s owner?
Remember Spencer Gallagher?
The son of GMS team owner Maury Gallagher? The driver who won the Xfinity race at Talladega Superspeedway in 2018 and said he’d “party like it’s 1999” in victory lane, only to get suspended the very week after winning? The driver who got in one of the goofiest fights in all of sports history with the late John Wes Townley?
Yes, him.
The rumor mill states that Gallagher will return to driving in 2026 with the revived GMS Racing, under the Dodge banner.
To say this rumor is wild is an understatement. Three parties all making a comeback to the Truck Series in 2026? With each other? At the same time? That seems too specific of a scenario to even happen.
So how much weight does the rumor hold? More than you think.
Let’s start with addressing the Dodge rumors.
A fourth manufacturer has been something NASCAR has tried to chase ever since Dodge left the sport following 2012. As talks of a fourth manufacturer joining (originally thought to be Honda) ramped up, reports have swirled that Dodge will return in 2026, but only in the Truck Series to start.
While not much has come out since that original report, and Dodge has not publicly commented on the prospect of re-entering NASCAR, many still hold out hope that the rumor becomes reality. And in this author’s opinion, this rumor seems to be the most realistic of the trio, due to the longevity of the rumor and the whispers we’ve heard over the years that get a little louder this year.
Then there’s the rumor of GMS restarting again after shutting down following the 2023 season. The main reason for GMS closing its doors was likely due to team owner Maury Gallagher’s involvement with the Cup Series team Legacy Motor Club. With majority ownership from Gallagher and minority ownership from seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, the team switched to Toyotas for 2024 and beyond. GMS and Legacy both ran Chevrolets at the time, so with Legacy changing manufacturers and GMS likely unwilling or unable to, Gallagher shut down his Truck Series operation.
But at the beginning of this year, it was announced that Johnson became majority owner of Legacy Motor Club, with Gallagher giving up most (maybe even all) of his share of majority ownership. He, along with other seven-time Cup champion Richard Petty (who was also a co-owner before being all but forced out) now serve as ambassadors for the team while Johnson runs the show.
With Gallagher (who is also the CEO of Allegiant Air) no longer a true owner of Legacy, he now has the time to refocus on a Truck Series team — meaning he himself doesn’t have manufacturer ties. He reverted to ambassador just in time to unite with Dodge for a return in 2026.
It’s also no coincidence that his son would be back behind the wheel for the first time since 2018.
Spencer retired from driving following the 2018 season to focus on becoming a true part-owner of GMS. As far as I’m aware, the younger Gallagher hadn’t had any part in Legacy Motor Club (or its previous iteration, Petty GMS Motorsports). So once GMS shut down at the end of 2023, Gallagher was likely not involved with NASCAR.
On April 11, it was announced that Gallagher would surprisingly get back behind the wheel of a race car, competing in four ARCA Menards Series races for Sigma Performance Services. His first race is actually this Friday (April 18) in the East race at Rockingham Speedway.
It’s understandable to run a one-off here and there. This year, we’ll see Kasey Kahne in an Xfinity one-off at Rockingham, and we’ve already seen some one-offs from other former drivers like Johnson and Casey Mears. But Gallagher will be running four races — and all in a row. Rockingham’s East race will be followed by three straight main races at Talladega Superspeedway, Kansas Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway. And who knows? Maybe he’ll get a few other races this year with SPS, or another team.
The Truck Series schedule isn’t that demanding, at only 25 races — Gallagher could easily make a full-time slate work, even for not being behind a wheel in seven seasons. It’s still an odd driver choice, given the current talent out there who could be promoted to the Truck Series. But Gallagher could also serve as a one-year buffer to get GMS running again and re-acclimate Dodge to racing again.
So I ask again — how much weight does this rumor hold? After all, it’s just that — a rumor. It could be completely made up.
But recent moves by the Gallagher family are certainly stirring the pot.
Truckin’ Tidbits
- Have you noticed the consistency in entry lists for the Truckers this season? It seems like this season in particular features more of the same faces. TRICON Garage put eight drivers in its No. 1 last season, but the reduction to four means more consistency in faces in the truck. Same with Niece Motorsports — its all-star truck has become a Bayley Currey truck mixed with sporadic starts here and there by Ross Chastain and Matt Gould. Even the smaller teams like Reaume Brothers Racing and Young’s Motorsports have seen less of a rotation of drivers behind the wheel. The only real changes to the entry lists every week are the part-time trucks that enter the races. Sure, a lot of teams still have all-star trucks — but there are considerably less drivers behind the wheels of those machines.
- Speaking of Reaume, Morgen Baird will run at least two races for the team at Kansas Speedway and Michigan International Speedway.
Follow @AnthonyDamcott on X.
Anthony Damcott joined Frontstretch in March 2022. Currently, he is an editor and co-authors Fire on Fridays (Fridays); he is also the primary Truck Series reporter/writer and serves as an at-track reporter. He has also assisted with short track content and social media, among other duties he takes/has taken on for the site. In 2025, he became an official member of the National Motorsports Press Association. A proud West Virginia Wesleyan College alum from Akron, Ohio, Anthony is now a grad student. He is a theatre actor and fight coordinator in his free time.
You can keep up with Anthony by following @AnthonyDamcott on X.