AO Racing is making waves beyond just IMSA. According to multiple reports, AO Racing’s Chief Commercial Officer Brian McKinley has floated the idea that the team is “considering entering other forms of racing in the coming years, including NASCAR and IndyCar.” That’s a big statement, and for good reason: AO has built a reputation rapidly in endurance sports car competition, and this would be a bold leap into open-wheel and stock car territories.

AO Racing’s rise in IMSA has been remarkable for such a young operation. Founded only a few years ago, the team has already made a name for itself with its race cars nicknamed “Rexy,” “Roxy,” and “Spike,” sporting distinctive dinosaur and dragon-themed liveries.

That branding has also translated into a commercial engine. McKinley revealed that AO typically sells about US $100,000 to $120,000 in merchandise on a race weekend, with a significant portion of revenue coming from international fans. The combination of on-track performance and strong brand identity gives AO a foothold from which to contemplate expansion.

But moving into NASCAR or IndyCar is more than just planting a logo on a car. These series have steep barriers, including different technical regulations, different business models, and, in NASCAR’s case, the charter system for Cup Series entries.

In the current rights landscape (starting 2025), NASCAR has split its schedule among multiple platforms (Fox, Amazon, NBC, etc.), and there will be pressure on teams to be competitive both on track and in media rights. Meanwhile, IndyCar is evolving some of its own mechanisms, such as proposals for chartered teams or stable seat ownership. AO would have to decide if it wants to run full seasons or selectively enter marquee events.

One advantage AO has is that IMSA is already under the NASCAR Holdings umbrella, meaning there is some structural synergy between sports car and stock car racing. If AO enters NASCAR, it may try a partial schedule, co-sponsorships, or partnerships with existing teams at first, rather than plunging immediately into a full Cup operation. Several industry observers suggest the interest is exploratory, not imminent.

McKinley himself brings relevant experience. Before joining AO, he worked in the NASCAR world, including a stint with Stewart-Haas Racing, giving him insights into how NASCAR’s commercial, sponsorship, and media environments work. That prior exposure could help AO bridge the cultural and business gaps between endurance racing and stock car or open-wheel formats.

If AO does make the jump, fans should watch how they balance brand identity with performance. Will they carry their dinosaur and dragon aesthetic into a NASCAR paint scheme? Could we see “Spike” or “Rexy” themed stock cars? Also interesting will be how they manage logistics, talent acquisition (drivers accustomed to NASCAR or IndyCar), and capital outlays (car development, pit crew, etc.).

Reddit has been in a frenzy since AO’s NASCAR tease, with fans stunned by the idea of dino-themed stock cars hitting the grid.

Fans on Reddit go wild

“Please. saw a dude on iRacing with one of those schemes on an Xfinity car and it looked amazing,” one user gushed. AO’s “Rexy” and “Roxy” liveries are already a hit in IMSA, and sim racers have modded them into NASCAR cars, building buzz before a real entry. That grassroots love shows AO’s branding could translate, turning a Porsche GT team into a fan favorite in stock cars.

“I think we can safely jump to the conclusion that Porsche is the manufacturer rumoured to be interested in joining NASCAR /s,” another joked, poking at the obvious. AO’s Porsche ties in IMSA make a NASCAR jump with the German marquee a natural guess, but the /s flags the mismatch because NASCAR’s spec chassis and engines don’t play nice with Porsche’s GT world. Fans are having fun speculating, but it underscores the leap AO’s eyeing.

“I love AO, but hope they go IndyCar instead. NASCAR is such a money pit, I don’t want them to get stuck,” one worried. Entering NASCAR’s Cup means charters, massive budgets for development, and pit crews, costs that have sunk smaller teams. IndyCar’s single-chassis setup is cheaper and less demanding, a safer bet for AO’s growth. The sentiment is protective, rooting for the team’s success without the financial wreck.

“Are the vultures ready to swoop in on 23XI’s charters already?!” a user asked, tying it to the 23XI-Front Row legal mess. With a U.S. appeals court vacating an injunction on their charters, NASCAR’s eyeing reassignments, and AO could be in line for one. The “vultures” line captures the garage’s opportunism, but it’s a smart play if AO wants in without starting from scratch.

“Makes sense, lots more fans in NASCAR, they can threaten to sue compared to IMSA…” one snarked, hinting at NASCAR’s litigious side. The sport’s charter lawsuits and antitrust chatter make it a legal minefield, unlike IMSA’s smaller scale. It’s a cheeky nod to AO’s potential headaches, but fans see the draw because NASCAR’s massive audience could supercharge their $100,000–$120,000 race-week merchandise sales.