The No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet will not compete or even be entered at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race this weekend. Despite securing three victories this season, the team sits 15th in the owner standings due to a limited schedule.
Fantasy & Market Impact
- The No. 9 car’s absence from the entry list locks out any potential owner-standing gains at Las Vegas for JR Motorsports’ part-time entry.
- Finch remains scheduled for two final appearances at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.
Why is a three-win team sitting out Las Vegas?
The No. 9 JR Motorsports entry has run just 17 of the first 27 races on the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series schedule. Even with that limited footprint, the car is tied for third in the series with three victories this year.
Full-time Trackhouse Racing Cup drivers Shane van Gisbergen and Ross Chastain drove the car to those victories. SVG captured road-course wins at Circuit of the Americas and Sonoma Raceway, while Chastain won at Charlotte Motor Speedway for his first series victory since 2019.
Who drove the No. 9 Chevrolet during the regular season?
SVG and Chastain combined for eight starts in the entry. Carson Kvapil made five starts in the No. 9 car while sharing the team’s No. 1 Chevrolet with Trackhouse Cup driver Connor Zilisch, allowing Kvapil to retain his status as a full-time driver and title contender.
Aside from a single start by Lee Pulliam at Martinsville Speedway in March, Jake Finch represents the only other driver to pilot the No. 9 car this season. Finch made his lone regular-season appearance at EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta Motor Speedway) and has since run two of the first three postseason races at Darlington Raceway and Bristol Motor Speedway, where he recorded a career-high 11th-place finish.
| Driver | Affiliation | Key Contributions to No. 9 Entry |
|---|---|---|
| Shane van Gisbergen | Trackhouse Racing Cup Driver | Road-course wins at COTA and Sonoma |
| Ross Chastain | Trackhouse Racing Cup Driver | Victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway |
| Carson Kvapil | – | Five starts to support title contention status |
| Jake Finch | – | Starts at Atlanta, Darlington, Bristol (11th-place career-best) |
What are the remaining plans for the No. 9 team in 2026?
Following his 11th-place run at Bristol, Jake Finch will not travel to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and JR Motorsports has left the No. 9 car off the entry list entirely. The team has no plans to field the entry for any other driver at Las Vegas, Phoenix Raceway, Martinsville Speedway, or Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Finch is slated to return to the car for two more events before the conclusion of the season. He will compete next weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway and two weekends later at Talladega Superspeedway. Saturday’s Focused Health 302 broadcasts live on the CW Network from Las Vegas Motor Speedway at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 3.
Disclaimer: The fantasy and market insights provided are for informational and entertainment purposes only and do not constitute financial or betting advice.
