Sammy Smith won't return to JR Motorsports for 2027 O'Reilly season

Sammy Smith's time with JR Motorsports is coming to an end. Last month, Smith announced that he will not return to the No. 8 car for JR Motorsports during the 2027 NASCAR O'Reilly Series season. The driver of the No. 8 car didn't announce his next race team in NASCAR at this time.

Smith sits seventh in the Chase standings with a 92- deficit to the championship lead. In fact, Smith had the best performance of any JR Motorsports driver in the Chase opener at Darlington Raceway. The driver of the No. 8 car finished in fourth place as the only JR Motorsports competitor in the top 10 spots.

There are several openings in the NASCAR O'Reilly Series, giving Smith opportunities in race-winning equipment. In fact, there have been social media rumors that Smith and Sam Mayer could swap seats, sending the former to Haas Factory Team. For now, Smith's next team is unknown, but he should have several options.