Ford Racing and Roush Yates Engines have inked a partnership with a new team for the 2026 O'Reilly Auto Parts Series season. They will join forces with Hettinger Racing as the team makes the move to the secondary NASCAR series.
Videos by FanBuzz
According to a press release, the team will field the No. 5 Ford Mustang in 2026 as it takes on the full O'Reilly Series schedule. Ford Racing will provide technical support while Roush Yates Engines will provide the power for the stock cars.
The team has acquired the owner points from the No. 70 Cope Family Racing. The team no longer needs them after merging with Stanton Barrett Motorsports.
Hettinger Racing will announce its driver and partner plans as the team prepares for the Jan. 27-28 O'Reilly Auto Parts Series open test at Rockingham Speedway. The team announced that former Alpha Prime Racing crew chief Joe Williams will oversee all competition aspects.
🚨 NEWS ALERT! We will compete fulltime in the #NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2026 with the No. 5 Ford Mustang. Technical support will come from @FordRacing. @RoushYates will supply engines. Joe Williams Jr. is the crew chief. Stay tuned for driver plans. pic.twitter.com/jak2PcIj6g
— HettingerRacing (@HettingerRacing) December 23, 2025
"This is about putting our race team in the right place at the right time," Hettinger said in a press release. "The NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series has incredible momentum. It features great racing and the series gets significant exposure thanks to coverage from The CW.
"Combining that platform with the support of Ford Racing and Roush Yates Engines gives us the opportunity to grow our program into one that competes at a national level."
Hettinger, a former racer, has fielded multiple entries in the zMAX CARS Tour while featuring multiple drivers. His team has also competed in the Craftsman Truck Series on a limited basis after acquiring Bret Holmes Racing.
Hettinger Racing is a newcomer to the O'Reilly Series, but it will have an opportunity to produce quickly with this support from the Blue Oval.
Two of the other main Ford teams, Haas Factory Team and RSS Racing, will move to Chevrolet for 2026. This leaves Sigma Performance Services Racing — which acquired AM Racing — as the other primary Ford-affiliated organization.
