NASCAR silly season continued this week as another team announced driver plans for 2026.
In an official team statement, McAnally-Hilgemann Racing (MHR) has confirmed that Kris Wright will be driving for the team throughout the 2026 NASCAR Truck Series season.
The 31-year-old Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native has previously raced in both the Xfinity (now O'Reilly Auto Parts) and Truck Series, racking up a total of 83 national NASCAR appearances since his debut in 2020.
Those 83 outings include two for MHR in their No. 16 Chevrolet last season at the Charlotte Roval and Talladega. However, it will be the No. 81 Chevrolet that Wright pilots in 2026.
Wright excited to race with big organization
MHR's official statement also confirmed that the driver will be paired with Darren Fraley as the No. 81 team's crew chief.
“I’m really looking forward to next year and being a part of the MHR program,” Wright said after the announcement.
“This is the biggest organization I’ve had the chance to race with, and it’ll be a great opportunity to put the resources to good use.
"I felt really good about working with Darren [Fraley] in the two races we ran this fall. There’s a lot of familiarity there, so I’m really encouraged that we can have a strong season in 2026.”
Elsewhere, MHR team owner Bill McAnally added: “We’re glad we were able to run Kris in a couple of races before the end of the season and to have him on board in 2026.
“With Darren [Fraley] leading the No. 81 team, we’re making sure Kris has strong team behind him and motivated to elevate his career in his first full-time season.”
Wright's debut for the team is set to come at the Truck Series season opener on February 13 at Daytona International Speedway.
The race will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1 and gets underway at 7:30pm ET.
