Last year, when it became clear that the Xfinity Series was about to be left at the curb like last week’s garbage, we did the responsible thing. We stepped in with solutions. Big solutions. The kind that could’ve made NASCAR history.
The Waffle House Late Shift Series. The Buc-ee’s Beaverspeed Series. The OnlyFans Pole Position Series. Brilliant ideas, every one of them. Imagine a green flag under the neon glow of a 2 a.m. Waffle House sign. Imagine a six-foot beaver mascot waving the checkered flag. Imagine—well, maybe don’t imagine the OnlyFans one too vividly, but you get the point.
And yet, NASCAR ignored all of that.
Instead, they went with O’Reilly Auto Parts.
Yes, beginning in 2026, America’s second-tier stock car brawl will be known as the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. Which means every Saturday afternoon you’ll hear that infernal jingle—“O-O-O-O’Reilly!”—until it’s rattling around your skull like loose lug nuts in a pit box.
On the official side, NASCAR is calling this a “landmark partnership,” marrying two American-born powerhouses. And to be fair, O’Reilly is no small-time player. Founded in 1957, they’ve grown to more than 6,400 stores, have nearly 93,000 employees, and have already dabbled plenty in NASCAR sponsorships. They’ve got the money, the reach, and the heritage. What they don’t have, sadly, is hashbrowns scattered, smothered, and sideways.
“The success of NASCAR on The CW has shown that millions of fans will consistently tune in,” The CW’s Brad Schwartz said. Which is true. But wouldn’t even more fans tune in for the Flex Seal 3000 Series? Just slap tape on the quarter panel and send it back out. NASCAR meets late-night infomercial. That’s television.
What Could Have Been…
Just imagine how this might have sounded on TV if NASCAR had shown some courage:
Waffle House Late Shift Series
“Green flag’s out at Charlotte, cars are three-wide into Turn 1 — and don’t forget, fans, tonight’s winner gets free hashbrowns for life. Smothered, covered, and possibly collected in the Big One!”
Flex Seal 3000 Series
“And that’s another Camaro into the wall! But no problem — the crew’s breaking out the Flex Tape. Look at that! They’ve sawed the car in half, patched it up, and he’s back out on track. NASCAR innovation at its finest.”
Buc-ee’s Beaverspeed Series
“Lap 72 here at Texas, and the Buc-ee’s Beaver mascot is on pit road handing out brisket sandwiches to the crews. Meanwhile, the bathrooms are cleaner than the garage floor. That’s efficiency.”
OnlyFans Pole Position Series
“And there’s your pole sitter, brought to you by… well, let’s just say she’s earning more on side hustles than the race purse. Subscribe for exclusive behind-the-scenes pit content — tasteful, of course.”
Spirit Airlines Buck Wild Series
“Drivers only got one carry-on tire for today’s race, so strategy is wild. Oh, and here comes turbulence in Turn 4!”
But instead of any of that, we get O’Reilly Auto Parts. Reliable, respectable, and responsible. Which is exactly the problem. NASCAR went for steady money when it could’ve gone for absolute chaos — and frankly, isn’t chaos the point?
So congratulations, NASCAR. You’ve secured your future. But you also missed the boat. The Waffle House boat. The Buc-ee’s boat. The TikTok TurnLeft boat. And that, friends, is the real tragedy.
Greg was a writer for DriveTribe supporting Amazon's The Grand Tour and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, and a Masters degree in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek and a regular contributor to Forbes.
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