{"id":36905,"date":"2025-08-19T14:57:26","date_gmt":"2025-08-19T18:57:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/?p=36905"},"modified":"2025-08-19T14:57:26","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T18:57:26","slug":"crafton-retiring-after-2025-season-xfinity-series-becomes-oreillys-series-nascar-news-flash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/2025\/08\/19\/crafton-retiring-after-2025-season-xfinity-series-becomes-oreillys-series-nascar-news-flash\/","title":{"rendered":"Crafton Retiring after 2025 Season, Xfinity Series Becomes O&#8217;Reillys Series: NASCAR News Flash"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Matt Crafton announces his retirement from Thorsport, the Xfinity Series gets a new title sponsor, and NASCAR is considering rule changes on Cup drivers in Xfinity and Truck races. This is your NASCAR News Flash for the third week of August.<\/p>\n<h2>Matt Crafton Announces Retirement, O&#8217;Reilly Auto Parts Becomes Title Sponsor of Xfinity Series, and more: NASCAR News Flash<\/h2>\n<p>While the races at Richmond dominated the headlines throughout the weekend, the NASCAR industry awoke to some exciting news about a new sponsor and rules in the Xfinity Series and the retirement of one of the most senior drivers in the garage.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_36947\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-36947\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-36947 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2229277230-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2229277230-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2229277230-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2229277230-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2229277230-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2229277230-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2229277230-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2229277230-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-36947\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">WATKINS GLEN, NEW YORK &#8211; AUGUST 09: William Sawalich, driver of the #18 Soundgear Toyota, and Sam Mayer, driver of the #41 Audibel Ford, race during the NASCAR Xfinity Series Mission 200 at The Glen at Watkins Glen International on August 09, 2025 in Watkins Glen, New York. (Photo by Chris Graythen\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Matt Crafton to Retire at the End of the 2025 Truck Series season:<\/h3>\n<p>Matt Crafton, 26 26-year veteran of the Craftsman Truck Series, announced that he will retire after the 2025 season. This comes after he failed to make the playoffs for the second year in a row and has not won since 2020.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/hsw2m2XoRF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/hsw2m2XoRF<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 ThorSport Racing (@ThorSportRacing) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ThorSportRacing\/status\/1957467962908008937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">August 18, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The partnership between Menards and the No. 88 Thorsport truck is one of the longest tenured sponsorships in NASCAR. And it will continue, with teammate Ty Majeski taking over that truck in 2026.<\/p>\n<p>I think this is the correct move for Matt Crafton. Open up a Truck for a good rookie or another veteran at one of the winningest teams in the Series. It is always sad to say goodbye, but the writing has been on the wall for a while for Crafton. Let&#8217;s hope he can go out with one final win.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>O&#8217;Reilly Auto Parts will become the title sponsor for the Xfinity Series in 2026:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Longtime partner, Xfinity, will not be the title sponsor for NASCAR&#8217;s second-tier touring series. O&#8217;Reilly Auto Parts will become the title sponsor in 2026. O&#8217;Reilly&#8217;s joins competitors Advance Auto Parts and NAPA Auto Parts as sponsors in the largest motorsport in the United States.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">A bold new chapter is about to be written.<\/p>\n<p>The NASCAR Xfinity Series becomes the NASCAR <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/oreillyauto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@OReillyAuto<\/a> Parts Series starting in 2026. <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/djqon33he1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/djqon33he1<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 NASCAR (@NASCAR) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NASCAR\/status\/1957412287087616357?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">August 18, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The discourse around the name has become a topic of conversation on social media. Many are saying, &#8216;I will still call it the Xfinity Series&#8217; or &#8216;I never stopped calling it the Busch Series&#8217;. It brought up a good topic: should NASCAR return to calling the second-tier racing series, the Grand National Series?<\/p>\n<p>I believe it would be a good change, the NASCAR O&#8217;Reilly Auto Parts Grand National Series. It&#8217;ll take a bit of getting used to, but it would stop some of that confusion. The Series has had several different title sponsors in the last two decades, and the Cup Series has gone back to just its original title of &#8216;NASCAR Cup Series&#8217;.<\/p>\n<p>An exciting addition to one of the best racing series in the world.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Read More:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/2025\/08\/11\/ugly-road-racing-overshadows-connor-zilischs-xfinity-series-win-at-watkins-glen\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Ugly Road Racing Overshadows Connor Zilisch&#8217;s Xfinity Series Win at Watkins Glen<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>NASCAR Considering Lifting Limit on Cup Drivers in Xfinity and Trucks<\/h3>\n<p>Continuing on the topic of Xfinity and Trucks, Adam Stern from the Sports Business Journal, is reporting that NASCAR is considering changing the limit of races Cup Series drivers are allowed to participate in, in the lower series. The current limit is that a driver who is declared for the Cup Series championship points can run five races in a lower series.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">.<a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NASCAR?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@NASCAR<\/a> is considering changing its rules in the coming seasons to allow Cup drivers to compete in Xfinity and Truck races more often. <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/d4rrEmyNcW\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/d4rrEmyNcW<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Adam Stern (@A_S12) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/A_S12\/status\/1957778632153161732?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">August 19, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The current rule change was made in 2020, changing from seven races to the current limit of five. Busch-wacking, as it was coined in the Early 2000&#8217;s saw drivers like Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch win titles in both Xfinity and Trucks, absolutely dominating the fields.<\/p>\n<p>Steve O&#8217;Donnell, NASCAR&#8217;s President, was quoted in Stern&#8217;s article, saying&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;You look at all of our series and we\u2019ve had limits on, \u2018Could a Cup driver compete?\u2019 \u2018How many races could they compete in?\u2019 So we\u2019ve certainly had discussions with The CW and in the Truck Series as well (about), \u2018Does that rule as it stands now make the most sense to continue as it is? Do we tweak it?\u2019 So we\u2019re looking at a lot of things over the offseason and talking to a lot of the teams and drivers.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Nothing in the works right now, but NASCAR has some exciting things it can do with its new partner, O&#8217;Reilly&#8217;s. I would expect any changes to be announced following the 2025 season.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Read More:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/2025\/07\/06\/jr-motorsports-makes-right-call-with-svg-in-xfinity-series-win-at-chicago-street-course\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">JR Motorsports Makes Right Call with SVG in Xfinity Series Win at Chicago Street Course<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Main Photo:\u00a0<\/strong>Kyle Rivas, Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>Recording Date: 6\/17\/2022<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Matt Crafton announces his retirement from Thorsport, the Xfinity Series gets a new title sponsor, and NASCAR is considering rule changes on Cup drivers in Xfinity and Truck races. This is your NASCAR News Flash for the third week of August. Matt Crafton Announces Retirement, O&#8217;Reilly Auto Parts Becomes Title Sponsor of Xfinity Series, and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4347,"featured_media":36948,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5,1666,1665],"tags":[331,14,1947],"class_list":["post-36905","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nascar","category-nascar-camping-world-truck-series","category-nascar-xfinity-series","tag-matt-crafton","tag-nascar","tag-thorsport"],"modified_by":"Hayden Murdock","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36905","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4347"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36905"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36905\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36950,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36905\/revisions\/36950"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36948"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36905"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36905"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36905"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}