Ross Chastain is going to be keeping himself quite busy during the 2026 NASCAR season, committing to Niece Motorsports for a total of eight NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events.
The Alva, Florida-native will return to the organization for a ninth consecutive season, piloting the No. 45 Chevrolet Silverado RST — the same entry that he drove to a Championship 4 berth in 2019. Phil Gould, a long-time NASCAR Truck Series crew chief, will be the shot-caller for the entry.
During the off-season, NASCAR made adjustments to the eligibility rules for drivers competing full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series. Now, under the tweaked rules, drivers with three or more years of full-time experience at NASCAR’s top-level are able to run eight races, instead of five. It’s a rule change that Chastain is taking full advantage of.