The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series grid may appear locked, but the offseason has quietly reshaped several key seats, including Kyle Busch’s. As teams finalize their post-2025 plans, a handful of crew chief shake-ups stand out. With the 2025 NASCAR season closed, silly season has moved fast. Daniel Suárez steps into the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, replacing Justin Haley. Connor Zilisch takes over the No. 88 at Trackhouse Racing. Those changes headline the driver movement, but the more meaningful shifts sit with the leaders calling the races. Thanks for the submission! These changes shape performance as much as any driver swap, and a few stand out heading into the new season. Below are the four major changes inside the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series grid. 4. Daniel Suárez Spire Motorsports No. 7 Daniel Suárez’s move from Trackhouse to Spire sets up one of the more intriguing resets of 2026. The team has not finalized its crew chief, leaving an important piece unresolved heading into the winter. Ryan Sparks handled the No. 7 late in 2025 after Rodney Childers’ exit, but Spire continues to evaluate long-term options. For Suárez, the seat brings stability after a transitional year. The No. 7 program already has its systems in place, yet the missing crew chief decision will shape how competitive this pairing can be next season. 3. Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing No. 1 Trackhouse Racing made one of the boldest pit-box calls of the offseason. Brandon McSwain will lead the No. 1 entry next year, replacing Phil Surgen. McSwain arrives with a strong engineering résumé, including 16 wins and a recent run with William Byron that helped refine Hendrick’s consistency. Trackhouse shifts Surgen into another in-house role, signaling confidence in its broader structure. For Chastain, the change resets the voice guiding his races. McSwain’s background suggests a more data-driven approach, something Trackhouse believes can help the No. 1 regain lost ground from 2025. 2. Connor Zilisch Trackhouse Racing No. 88 Connor Zilisch enters his rookie Cup season with a high-profile crew chief. Randall Burnett, who guided Kyle Busch through most of the last three years, will lead the No. 88 team for Trackhouse. Zilisch moves into the seat Daniel Suárez vacated but will use Shane van Gisbergen’s former number, with SVG shifting to the No. 97. Zilisch enters his rookie NASCAR Cup campaign with good momentum after a 10-win Xfinity season. 1. Kyle Busch Richard Childress Racing No. 8 The No. 8 team gets one of the most significant changes of the offseason. Jim Pohlman takes over as Kyle Busch’s crew chief after guiding Justin Allgaier to an Xfinity title in 2024. This marks a return to RCR for Pohlman, who previously worked on early Next Gen development before leaving for JR Motorsports. Kyle Busch enters 2026 looking for a rebound, and RCR believes Pohlman’s familiarity with the organization’s processes will help re-anchor the program.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/nascar/news-4-huge-changes-hidden-inside-nascar-s-fully-set-2026-cup-grid-ft-kyle-busch-s-crew-chief
