Following the Haas Factory Team’s exit from Ford and their jump to Chevrolet, another blow has landed for the American manufacturer. RSS Racing announced it will end its long-running partnership with Ford ahead of the 2026 season in the NASCAR O’Reilly Series (formerly the NASCAR Xfinity Series) and move its entire program to Chevrolet, closing the book on its long association with Ford engines and bodywork.
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The team will continue fielding the No. 38 car for Ryan Sieg and the No. 39 car for Kyle Sieg. The Sieg brothers finished P15 and P25 last season, their results shaped by aggressive driving styles that have become their hallmark.
RSS Racing’s switch to Chevrolet will bring a major technical shift in their cars, though. Both cars will run Hendrick engines next season, adding the program to one of the strongest engine stables in the sport. Chevrolet’s engine arm has become a cogent, with Hendrick Motorsports supplying its own teams and select partners, while ECR Engines supports the broader Chevrolet fleet.
With this move, only one organization in NASCAR’s Tier 2 series remains tied to Ford: AM Racing, which currently fields two cars. Their No. 15 Ford Mustang Dark Horse was driven this year by Harrison Burton. But on October 8, 2025, Burton announced he would not return to AM Racing in 2026.
Meanwhile, their second entry, the No. 76 car, will go to Kole Raz as he attempts his first full-time season in the O’Reilly Series after running two events this year at Gateway and Kansas.
Last season, Ford’s full-time representation in the series consisted solely of AM Racing and Joe Gase Motorsports. The departure of the Haas Factory Team and now RSS Racing comes at a moment when NASCAR is expanding to include four manufacturers, with Dodge’s Ram entering the Craftsman Truck Series.
Ford’s developmental model has long relied on Chevrolet and Toyota pipelines to cultivate rising talent at the grassroots and stock-car levels. That dependence becomes even more pronounced now.
The O’Reilly Series once served as an important feeder system for Ford prospects such as Sam Mayer, Sheldon Creed, and Harrison Burton. With the manufacturer’s presence dwindling, that flow of young talent will now be funneled through Chevrolet or Toyota instead.
However, RFK Racing co-owner Brad Keselowski has never viewed the O’Reilly Series as the ideal development ladder for the Cup level. For a few years now, he has floated the idea of steering RFK’s developmental efforts toward IMSA, arguing that the series better prepares drivers for Cup competition.
He has not rushed the move, but he continues shaping a long-term vision that could shift Ford’s developmental philosophy entirely.
