Aug 22, 2025; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Carson Kvapil (1) during the Wawa 250 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images

JR Motorsports has made a shocking change to its 2026 NASCAR O'Reilly Series driver lineup. On Wednesday afternoon, JR Motorsports announced that Rodney Childers will be the full-time crew chief of the No. 1 team during the 2026 season. However, the drivers listed for the entry might have been the most notable part of the press release.

According to JR Motorsports, Carson Kvapil will no longer drive the No. 1 car full-time, as Connor Zilisch will also compete in select events. JR Motorsports describes Kvapil and Zilisch's time in the No. 1 car as a "dual role." Kvapil currently drives the No. 1 car full-time and sits fourth in the playoff standings after the Round of 12 opener.

This is a shocking development, even though Kvapil has failed to win a race for JR Motorsports during the 2025 NASCAR season. Zilisch will be full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series next year, so he will jump down to the O'Reilly Series for starts in the No. 1 car. The rest of JR Motorsports' driver lineup will be announced at a later date, but it won't include Kvapil as a full-time competitor.

This article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: JR Motorsports makes shocking change to NASCAR driver lineup for 2026

Reporting by Austin Konenski, Motorsports Wire / Motorsports Wire

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect