The lineup for JR Motorsports’ No. 88 in the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season has been solidified, with Hendrick Motorsports’ NASCAR Cup Series roster joining Rajah Caruth in the car, Hendrick and JRM announced Jan. 20.
The HendrickCars.com-sponsored car will feature Caruth for 23 races, while the rest of the schedule will be split between Hendrick’s four Cup drivers.
Of that 10-race balance, William Byron and Kyle Larson will each make three starts, while Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott will be in two.
The first non-Caruth race will come from Byron at Phoenix Raceway, and he’ll also pilot the car at Kansas Speedway and Pocono Raceway.
Larson’s three events are at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway.
As for Bowman, he’ll be in the No. 88 at Darlington Raceway and Nashville Superspeedway, while Elliott will drive at Chicagoland Speedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“We couldn’t be happier to welcome back all four of Hendrick Motorsports’ drivers into the JRM family to join Rajah behind the wheel of our No. 88 Chevrolet,” JRM CEO Kelley Earnhardt Miller said in a team release. “Chase, William, Alex and Kyle all have such a unique history with us and it’s just a testament to the relationship that we have built with Mr. [Rick] Hendrick, Hendrick Motorsports and HendrickCars.com that we can bring them all together with Rajah to race for an owner’s championship in 2026.”
“We’re looking forward to our program with JR Motorsports, both on and off the track,” Hendrick added. “Having our four Cup Series drivers join Rajah in the No. 88 provides HendrickCars.com a powerful platform with a championship organization. This team is capable of competing for race wins throughout the 2026 season, and we’re excited about what’s ahead.”
The announcement moves Hendrick’s Cup drivers back to JRM for 2026. In recent years, its roster had competed in a Hendrick-owned entry, the No. 17, which in 2026 will be raced full time by Corey Day.
Kevin Rutherford is the executive editor of Frontstretch, a position he gained in 2025 after being the managing editor since 2015, and serving on the editing staff since 2013.
At his day job, he's a journalist covering music and rock charts at Billboard. He lives in New York City, but his heart is in Ohio -- you know, like that Hawthorne Heights song.