A busy week for NASCAR teams continued into the heart of December as multiple locked up drivers and sponsors for the 2026 season.

These announcements occurred as 23XI Racing, Front Row Motorsports, and NASCAR continued an antitrust trial in uptown Charlotte, which they ultimately settled on Thursday morning.

With this trial taking all of the attention, the driver and sponsor announcements fell by the wayside. Let’s go through the list and recap some of the moves.

JR Motorsports

Carson Kvapil, a championship contender last season, previously confirmed that he will compete full-time again in 2026 while driving for JR Motorsports in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. Now, he has added a sponsor to support the effort.

Wilde Protein Snacks will join JR Motorsports to serve as a primary sponsor of Kvapil for three events in 2026. The first race will be at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 14. The other two primary races will be at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 25 and World Wide Technology Raceway on Sept. 12.

Additionally, Wilde Protein Snacks will serve as a 23-race associate partner of Rajah Caruth, who drives the No. 88 for the majority of the season.

“I am so grateful to have the support of Wilde as we head into 2026,” said Kvapil. “The team and I are putting in a lot of work over the off season to come back stronger than ever and we are ready to embody the Wilde brand both on and off the track and get them up front and battling for some wins.”

Frankie Muniz

Muniz competed full-time in the Truck Series for the first time last season. He made 21 starts, missing four due to an injury, and he delivered a top-10 finish at Daytona International Speedway.

Muniz will return for the 2026 season as he joins the rebranded Team Reaume once again. He will drive the No. 33 full-time while gaining Truck Series experience.

He will also compete full-time in the SRO GT4 America series in a Ford Racing Mustang GT4. He will work alongside co-driver Tyler Stone as they compete for TechSport Racing.

I thought I was done.
I really did. Hung up the helmet, said “that’s a wrap” on racing… then realized I’ve still got way too much unfinished business on track.

So here’s the news I’ve been dying to share…
I’m coming back FULL TIME in 2026.

• Full season in the NASCAR… pic.twitter.com/itY2lWOy53

— Frankie Muniz (@frankiemuniz) December 8, 2025

McAnally-Hilgemann Racing

The championship-contending Truck Series team previously announced a reunion with Christian Eckes after one year apart. Now, McAnally-Hilgemann Racing has added two more drivers to the lineup.

According to announcements, Kris Wright and Daniel Hemric will both compete full-time for the Chevrolet-affiliated team. Hemric will return to the No. 19 after winning at Martinsville Speedway last season and making the playoffs. He will continue to have NAPA Auto Parts as a primary partner.

“I’m incredibly appreciative of the opportunity to come back and drive this No. 19 NAPA Auto Care Chevrolet again,” Hemric said. “We have a lot to build on after winning a race last year, but we didn’t make as big of a run as we wanted to in the playoffs.

“Working with Kevin (Bellicourt, crew chief) for a second year will give us the consistency to keep developing and hopefully get to victory lane more often. Having the support from NAPA Auto Care, the store owners, and all their suppliers is incredible, especially going on 36-straight years. We want to do all we can to reward them with running up front and win races.”

Wright will join the team for the full season. He will drive the No. 81 Chevrolet for the first time while continuing his long partnership with sponsor First National Bank. Wright previously made two starts for the team while setting the stage for this full-time run.

“I’m really looking forward to next year and being a part of the MHR program,” Wright said. “This is the biggest organization I’ve had the chance to race with, and it’ll be a great opportunity to put the resources to good use.

“I felt really good about working with Darren (Fraley) in the two races we ran this fall. There’s a lot of familiarity there, so I’m really encouraged that we can have a strong season in 2026.”

Alpha Prime Racing streamlines the operation

Managed by Tommy Joe Martins, Alpha Prime Racing fielded three entries last season. Brennan Poole, Parker Retzlaff competed full-time while a rotating group of drivers shared the third Chevrolet.

The situation changes in 2026. The team will downsize to only two full-time entries. A third car will compete in select races on the schedule.

Poole will return to the No. 44 Chevrolet for the third consecutive season. The Texas native has seven top-10 finishes and three top-fives in two seasons with the team, and he will aim to continue building in 2026.

A new driver will join the fold as Alpha Prime Racing downsizes. ARCA championship contender Lavar Scott will drive the No. 45 for his rookie season in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. Like Poole, he will compete full-time.

🚨 Alpha Prime Racing will operate as a two car organization for the 2026 season.

The focus will be set on our two full-time drivers with a third entry running select limited races announced at a later date.

44 – @brennanpoole
45 – @LavarScott #NASCAR | @TheCW_Sports pic.twitter.com/GrAuawbZNj

— Alpha Prime Racing (@TeamAlphaPrime) December 8, 2025

Garrett Smithley

A veteran of all three NASCAR series, Smithley will return to SS Green Light Racing after making 25 starts for the team last season. He will share the No. 0 Chevrolet with some other drivers, who the team will reveal at a later date.

This number change marks a special moment for Smithley, who previously drove the No. 0 for JD Motorsports in 2016-2019 while competing full-time.

“I am super happy and thankful to be back with SSGL and BRK racing,” Smithley said. “Last year was the first time working with Bobby (Dotter, owner) for more than a couple ‘one off’ races and he was great to work with.

“We definitely want to continue to improve the program, so having Beth (Knighton) and Randy (Knighton) back will be instrumental in that. We have put some things in place to make the 2026 season a success and I’m very thankful for all the support from our sponsors and fans!

“Being back in the (No.) 0 car feels like home. This is the 10 year anniversary of my first season in the 0 with JD Motorsports, so this year will be a special one!”