HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Brent Crews will race for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championship with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2026.

Photo: Jonathan Fjeld/TRE

Crews will drive JGR’s No. 19 Toyota GR Supra for 29 of 33 NOAPS races in 2026. Before he turns 18 on March 30, Crews will miss four of the first six races — Daytona, EchoPark Atlanta, Las Vegas and Darlington — but will race at Circuit of the Americas in February and Phoenix in March. Then he’ll be in every race beyond the seventh race of the season at Martinsville.

NASCAR will likely give Crews a waiver to remain playoff- and championship-eligible, as they have done in previous instances — including teammate Taylor Gray in the 2023 when he turned 18 years old after the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season started.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to be able to race with a winning organization and Toyota,” Crews said. “I’ve learned a lot so far with the ARCA program and at the track with the No. 19 team. I have a lot to prepare for this season, but I feel confident with all the resources that JGR and Toyota provide to help with an easy transition.”

Photo: Jonathan Fjeld/TRE

Crews will have Seth Chavka as his crew chief. During the 2025 season, Chavka led the No. 19 team to three wins and the owners championship.

“We are excited to have Brent continue his racing career with us this upcoming season,” said Steve de Souza, executive vice president of O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and development for JGR. “He showed a lot of success in our equipment throughout the 2025 ARCA season, and we are confident that he will continue to be a top contender in the O’Reilly Series.”

Crews comes to JGR proper as the youngest champion in the Trans-Am TA2 Series (2023), the youngest driver to win a POWRi National Midget Series race (2021) and 12 national championships earned between 2016 and 2021. That talent has translated to NASCAR national series success with ARCA wins in nine starts and a pair of top-five finishes and 100 laps led total in 10 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts. In fact, Crews contended for wins before a late-race caution at the Charlotte Roval and a transmission issue late in the season finale race at Phoenix took him out.

JGR has confirmed Brandon Jones will race full-time for them in NOAPS in 2026. Taylor Gray and William Sawalich are also expected to be back.

While JGR hasn’t announced who will run the No. 19 car in Crews’ missing races, Denny Hamlin hinted at the possibility of racing at Daytona on his podcast.

Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.

A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.

Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick’s final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen’s stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers’ stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.

Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com