NASCAR driver carousel: COTA
NASCAR’s lineup shuffle continues after Las Vegas — a championship contender was temporarily replaced and part‑time deals are shifting seats, with the No. 91 Chevrolet running at COTA before its main driver returned. Timmy Hill is also set to make his second Cup start of the season at COTA after a Carl Long‑owned team returned to the schedule. ( )
The No. 91 Chevrolet at COTA carried Carson Kvapil for DGM Racing with Jesse Iwuji Motorsports, where Kvapil started sixth and finished 19th in the Focused Health 250 on Feb. 28, 2026. (driveraverages.com) Kvapil was back in JR Motorsports’ No. 1 the weekend after COTA and produced a season‑best third‑place finish at Phoenix Raceway, vaulting him to fourth in the points standings. (beyondtheflag.com) JR Motorsports’ part‑time shuffle leaves Kvapil’s next scheduled start with DGM Racing listed not until the May Watkins Glen Xfinity race, keeping the No. 91 entry off the spring schedule until then. (beyondtheflag.com) Connor Zilisch is slated to resume the primary No. 1 JR Motorsports role at Las Vegas after Kvapil’s temporary move into the No. 91 earlier in the season. (beyondtheflag.com) The Carl Long‑owned Garage 66 (MBM Motorsports) will reappear in the Cup Series at Darlington with Timmy Hill penciled in for the team’s second start of the 2026 season; Hill’s most recent Cup outing at Darlington in August 2025 resulted in a 35th‑place finish. (beyondtheflag.com) Garage 66 has confirmed at least eight additional Cup starts in 2026 and named Chad Finchum for Bristol and Texas and Josh Bilicki for Watkins Glen on its partial schedule. (beyondtheflag.com)
