For Ford, since some time, NASCAR’s second-tier landscape, has been in flux. After the closure of several Ford-backed outfits, the grid looked thinner than ever for Ford in the series formerly known as Xfinity. Meanwhile, one organization quietly stepped forward to try and rebuild what was lost.

Sigma Performance Services (SPS) Racing, previously known for its runs in ARCA, recently acquired AM Racing. That move immediately put SPS Racing in the running to become the primary Ford team in the newly christened NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series for 2026. And now, their emergence could be the ray of hope for Cup Ford drivers who want those additional OAP Series starts as well.

Ford’s Xfinity hole gets a plug

Ford has been in a tough spot in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series for a while. They had a championship in 2023 with Stewart-Haas Racing, but then everything unraveled. Penske bailed after 2021. SHR shut down after 2024. Haas Factory Team and RSS Racing jumped to Chevy. Suddenly, Ford went from solid to barely there, with just a couple teams hanging on.

There was no place for young drivers to grow. Chevy and Toyota have these perfect ladders from late models to ARCA to Xfinity to Cup. Ford? Not so much.

Enter Sigma Performance Services Racing. They just bought AM Racing outright and rebranded it SPS Racing, all with Ford’s full backing. Starting next year SPS will run in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, ARCA Menards, and a bigger late-model program. The plan is to make SPS Racing a major junction for Cup drivers wanting to drive more in the second-tier series.

Wade Moore, managing partner of SPS Racing, pitched this long-time goal.

“Essentially what we’ve kind of pitched at them [Ford] and talked about is something that’s been a goal of ours for a long time: to be a home for the guys from the Cup series, want to see some extra laps, mainly at the road courses.”

This isn’t a quick flip. It’s about creating that missing ladder. A kid can start in their late models, move to ARCA, then slide into Xfinity without ever changing teams. Ford’s technical help will make the whole thing sharper, from shocks to setups.

Joe Farre, the owner, also mentioned how they could occasionally enter two cars. He said it’s about taking what both groups already had and making it stronger. With Ford’s support, they’re betting on people, data, and speed to be ready to fight from day one in 2026.

Wade Moore, who led AM Racing, loves that the team’s core stays the same: hard work, honesty, and real chances for drivers. Now it just has more tools and a tighter focus on winning. Driver announcements, numbers, crew details, and sponsors are coming soon, but the foundation is set. Ford finally has a home for its talent, and if SPS delivers, it could change how the manufacturer competes for years.

All that rebuilding means some tough goodbyes, and Christian Eckes is the first big one.

Eckes goes back to the Truck House that built him

After a year in Kaulig’s Xfinity program, he’s dropping back to Trucks for 2026 to drive the No. 91 Chevy for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing. Kaulig called it bittersweet, and that feels spot on. They appreciated his professionalism and the open talks they had, and still plan a sit-down interview with him.

“I couldn’t be happier to be back at MHR. We had a lot of success in 2023‑24 … It’s great to stay in a Chevrolet and have their commitment to MHR,” said Eckes.

Eckes spent seven seasons in Trucks, four full-time, with his best two at McAnally-Hilgemann in 2023 and 2024. Four wins each year, only one bad finish in 2024, Championship 4, third in points. He even ran two races for them this year, 12th at Richmond and ninth at New Hampshire. Now he’s in the No. 91 with Tyler Ankrum in the No. 18. Daniel Hemric and Connor Mosack from last year’s rides are still figuring out 2026.

His Xfinity rookie year was strong too: six top-fives, including thirds at Pocono and Gateway, nine top-tens, 13th in points as the best non-playoff guy. Losing him stings for Kaulig, but they’re in full rebuild mode with RAM and Stellantis, chasing factory-level support and a new identity. Shane van Gisbergen is climbing, A.J. Allmendinger is the rock, and the team is hunting the exact mix that fits a decade-long climb.

Eckes heading home to a winning shop is smart for him, and for Kaulig Racing, it’s the cost of chasing bigger dreams. If the whispers about engines and factory deals turn real, this kind of tough call is what gets you there.