Whilst most people are fully focused on the NASCAR 2025 finale at Phoenix this weekend, one team have announced exciting plans for next season.

Sam Hunt Racing have confirmed that they will be expanding their organization heading into the next campaign, now set to enter two full-time entries into the 2026 O'Reilly Auto Parts Series (now Xfinity Series).

In 2025, SHR competed with just one full-time entry in the Xfinity Series - the No. 26 Toyota driven by Dean Thompson - achieving eight top 10 finishes across the season so far.

Elsewhere, the team fielded the No. 24 Toyota on a part-time basis, with responsibilities having been shared by drivers such as Ryan Truex, Corey Heim, Jeffrey Earnhardt and Kaz Grala.

In 2026, both the Nos. 26 and 24 will be full-time, with Thompson continuing to pilot the former, and Harrison Burton joining the organization to drive the latter.

Sam Hunt Racing expands to two full-time entries

Naturally, when confirming the news, Sam Hunt, Owner/President of Sam Hunt Racing, was delighted.

“It’s extremely fulfilling for me to not only see SHR’s on-track growth, but to witness the organization’s culture continue to blossom," Hunt said.

"We have created a competitive environment that attracts good people, and I believe the human element is the most important component to building a successful race team."

Why Thompson and Burton?

Continuing further, Hunt offered an insight as to why he has selected Thompson and Burton to lead the team into this new era.

“I couldn’t be prouder of Dean’s maturity, humility, and work ethic this year," Hunt added.

"His on-track success is a direct result of his growth as a person, and his buy-in to wanting not only himself, but this entire organization to succeed. He has more than earned his spot within this team and this garage.

"Bringing Harrison in full-time is another major step in this team’s growth process, and I couldn’t be more excited to have him. He not only brings a new level of experience to SHR but is the perfect fit for our team’s culture and vision.

"I am grateful to everyone involved and am ready to get to work on our next step.”

Additional information on SHR's 2026 plans, including team partnerships, will be released at a later date.