Sammy Smith has announced his departure from Dale Jr.’s O’Reilly Series team. Smith shared a note of gratitude toward JR Motorsports with an X post.
Smith joined the team in 2024 and nabbed two wins in two years. This season, the 22-year-old has logged six top-5s and 10 top-10 finishes.
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With a Chase berth secured, Smith has one more go at the title before moving on from Dale Jr.’s team.
“After this season, I’ll be moving on from @JRMotorsports and into a new chapter. I’m incredibly grateful for everyone at JRM who has been part of the last three years. Being a part of this No. 8 team has given me so much to be proud of, and I’ll always be thankful for the people who have helped me get to this point,” Smith wrote on X.
“But the job isn’t finished yet. My full focus is on this championship run, for my team, our partners and everyone who has believed in me along the way. Nothing is given. Everything is earned,” he added.
Reports suggest that Sam Mayer may return to Dale Jr.’s team next year, taking over Smith’s seat, while the latter is also rumored to replace Mayer at Haas Factory Team.
The driver swap comes on the heels of Mayer’s failure to land a Cup Series drive, as he remains winless with HFT in 2026. JR Motorsports recently announced a contract extension with current season leader and former champion, Justin Allgaier.
Their part-time driver, Carson Kvapil, has also secured a full-time deal after back-to-back wins this season.
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Dale Jr. flags concern over wet-weather pit stops
Nov 1, 2025; Avondale, Arizona, USA; NASCAR Xfinity Series team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr during the Xfinity Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Dale Jr. recently weighed in on having wet-weather pit stops and whether they were safe. The NASCAR veteran wasn’t convinced teams were ready for the switch.
“It is dangerous, our drivers don’t have any experience pitting a live stop in that condition. I think as we get a couple more of these type of events under our belt, maybe the confidence for NASCAR goes up. Maybe they hear the public screaming for live stops in these scenarios. We all want it,” Dale Jr. said via X/Dirty Mo Media.
Dale Jr. further added that live wet-weather stops provide a layer of strategy that’s often missing in such situations. The recent New Hampshire race was a testament to this scenario, as a competition caution was induced to transition from wet-weather tires to slicks.
The non-competitive pit stop erased the seven-second lead that Shane van Gisbergen had built. Kyle Larson pointed it out on the latest episode of the ‘Door Bumper Clear’ podcast, where he explained how a normal stop would’ve aided SVG’s odds, while many drivers would’ve gone a few laps down.
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