AM Racing took to social media to reveal the signing of Nick Sanchez as the team’s full-time competitor for the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season.
Sanchez, the 2022 ARCA Menards Series champion and 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Rookie-of-the-Year recipient from Miami, Florida, will pilot AM Racing’s No. 25 Ford Mustang, which was driven by Harrison Burton this past season.
The news comes as Sanchez is coming off his first full-time campaign in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series division with Big Machine Racing. Throughout the 33-race schedule, the Miami native recorded his first career victory at Atlanta’s EchoPark Raceway in July and made the series’ Playoffs, finishing 11th in the final standings. He also recorded seven top-five results, 12 top-10 results, 87 laps led and an average finish of 17.1.
Amid a strong campaign in 2025, Sanchez was revealed not to be retained by Big Machine Racing for the 2026 season on December 8, 2025, as the team replaced Sanchez with Dr. Patrick Staropoli, the latter of whom was signed on December 23.
The 2026 NASCAR season is set to mark AM Racing’s fourth in a row competing in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series division. This past season, the organization achieved its first pole with Harrison Burton at Martinsville Speedway in October and its first appearance in the Playoffs, along with two top-five results, 10 top-10 results, and a career-best third-place result with Burton at Rockingham Speedway in April.
Following the 2025 season, in which Burton finished 12th in the final standings before parting ways to join Sam Hunt Racing, AM Racing was initially reported to have been purchased by Sigma Performance Services. Nevertheless, the transaction was never finalized, and AM Racing revealed this past January to return to compete in the 2026 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season.
Through a combined 99 starts in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series division, AM Racing has achieved a pole, three top-five results, 21 top-10 results, and 72 laps led as the organization continues its strive for a first victory in NASCAR.
The 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season is scheduled to commence this upcoming Saturday, February 14, at Daytona International Speedway for the United Rentals 300. The event’s broadcast time is slated to start at 5 p.m. ET on the CW Network, MRN Radio and SiriusXM.
