Haas Helps Out Family Team Ahead of 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Season
Haas factory has switched from Ford to Chevy, as Haas helps out the family team ahead of the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season. They have consistently outperformed Jeremy Clements Racing (JCR). Two-time winners and having made the playoffs more times than that, they will be in an alliance with them for 2026.
Jeremy Clements and Haas’ Great History
Jeremy Clements is one of the most storied drivers in the history of the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. Being one of the few drivers who’s ever started 500 races in NASCAR’s second division with 526 total starts heading into 2026.
He’s also one of the most talented drivers ever to drive in the division. He came from needing ten surgeries after a crash in 2004 at a dirt track, after the driveshaft went through his right hand.
He then got his first career win in ARCA three years later at Pocono with Ken Appealing Racing, a team that never won before and never won again. Winning with them on speed at the peak of ARCA’s competitiveness.
Since 2009, Clements has raced in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series with his family’s team and has consistently outdriven his equipment since first entering the series. Earning two wins at Road America and Daytona.
Clements’ Recent Success
And has made the playoffs on speed, like in 2021. Plus, he has gotten multiple top tens at drivers‘ tracks at Dover and Bristol in equipment that was millions of dollars less and rented out from some of the top tens they beat to get those results.
But since his 2022 win, Clements and JCR have been struggling, with only one top ten from 2023 to 2024 and career lows in points. In 2025, he earned four top tens, his most since 2022. But he finished 21st in points, the lowest they’ve ever finished since becoming full-time.
Why the Haas Alliance Is a Great Move
Which is what makes this Haas alliance perfectly timed for JCR. Haas is in the opposite position right now. In 2025, Haas had both their cars driven by Mayer and Creed, who made the playoffs. Mayer even won in 2025.
This checks with the history of Haas, who’s been winning in NASCAR’s second tier since starting with the underrated as heck Johnny Sauter and has won multiple titles. Winning it with Custer in 2023.And with Haas switching back to Chevy, which gave them the perfect chance to help out Chevy loyalist JCR.
The Clements clan has a long history in racing, with Jeremy’s granddad serving as Wendell Scott’s crew chief and his father starting his own late-model engine program. This is where Clements gets all his impressive skill and car expertise from. So it’s kind to help them out, but what does this mean for JCR’s future?
Haas and JCR’s 2026
Clements showed last year his immense talent with top tens at tracks like Rockingham and Bristol, as well as at plate tracks like Daytona and Atlanta. Showing everyone he isn’t washed. Clements’ struggles stem from standing still while the series quickly moves forward.
The very thing that propelled JCR from backmarkers to one of the best midpack teams in the series has become what pushed them back to the back of the field. Their shocking win in 2017 clinched their playoff spot and gave them more end-of-season winnings than they’d ever seen.
Other ambitious drivers and corporate America caught on, especially after Kaulig’s rise from midpack to title contenders. You’ve seen many new teams; APR, AM Racing, Sam Hunt Racing, etc., all came into the NASCAR Xfinity Series, all of which had better funding from the start than JCR ever did. So is Haas going to inject them with all the money they need to return to their peak? Maybe, maybe not.
Final Thoughts
Haas is continuing their alliance with another family team, Ryan Sieg Racing. Who’s switching from Ford to Chevy to follow them? And they have their two cars, they still want to win a title with. But with the increased funding and Jeremy Clements’ incredible talent, it should be enough to compete with and beat many of those new teams. Thanks a bunch for reading!
