Lee Pulliam will compete full-time in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in the No. 87 Chevrolet for Peterson Racing in 2027.
The news comes nearly five months after the four-time NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series champion from Semora, North Carolina, made his O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut at Martinsville Speedway with JR Motorsports, where he finished in fifth place.
Ahead of his full-time campaign in 2027, Pulliam will be driving Peterson Racing’s No. 87 Chevrolet entry at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on October 3 and at Martinsville Speedway on October 31.
“I couldn’t be any prouder and more excited to be given this opportunity”, Pulliam said. “So many people have helped me get to this moment in my career and believed in me along the way. This proves that hard work and determination is still rewarded today. Big thanks to Doug (Peterson) for the opportunity to do this together. I have dreamt of this moment ever since I could walk. Racing has always been in my blood, and I’ve dedicated my entire life to the sport.”
“I am looking forward to this challenge and working hard to make the most of this opportunity,” Pulliam added. “I couldn’t be any more excited to work side by side with Jody Measemer (crew chief) and Brad Brinkley (shop foreman) as they are two guys I have respected greatly throughout my short track career. We all know what the other person is capable of and I think this makes it very exciting to see what we can accomplish together.”
In addition to being a four-time champion in the Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series division, Pulliam is a two-time winner of the prestigious ValleyStar Credit Union 300 late model event at Martinsville Speedway, a six-time consecutive winner of the Thunder Road 200 at South Boston Speedway and a two-time Virginia Triple Crown champion in late model stock car competition. He is also an owner of Lee Pulliam Performance that has developed many competitors across the CARS Tour and late model divisions, including Corey Heim and Brenden Queen.
Peterson Racing is in its first full-time campaign in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series division after the organization competed on a part-time basis over the previous two seasons. Austin Green, who competed with the organization during the part-time campaign, was initially slated to run the entire 2026 season in the No. 87 entry, but he was replaced by Nick Sanchez after running the first 18 of 19-scheduled events. Sanchez, who first competed with Peterson Racing at Pocono Raceway in mid-June, has since competed in the latest four O’Reilly events and is scheduled to compete through Bristol Motor Speedway in mid-September.
Currently, Peterson Racing’s No. 87 team is ranked in 22nd place in the 2026 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series’ owner’s standings with four top-10 results through 23-scheduled events as the organization continues the pursuit of its first victory in the series.
“It is a pleasure for our young organization to welcome an accomplished racer like Lee,” Chris Seibel, General Manager for Peterson Racing, said. “We have continued to grow our program over the second half of this season, and we feel the addition of someone with the talents of Lee will help even more. Lee is someone who deserves this opportunity, and we are confident he will take full advantage of it.”
Lee Pulliam’s first scheduled O’Reilly Auto Parts Series start with Peterson Racing is scheduled to occur at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the Focused Health 302 on October 3 at 7:30 p.m. ET on the CW Network, PRN Radio and SiriusXM. His second start will occur at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia, on October 31 at 4 p.m. ET on the CW Network, MRN Radio and SiriusXM.
The 2027 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season is scheduled to commence at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, on February 20.
