{
  "id": 10867643,
  "title": "Sammy Smith won't return to JR Motorsports for 2027 O'Reilly season",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/sammy-smith-wont-return-to-jr-motorsports-for-2027-oreilly-season",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-30T05:22:31.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/sammy-smith-wont-return-jr-052231199.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Sammy Smith has decided not to return to JR Motorsports for the 2027 NASCAR O Reilly Series season. The driver of the No. 8 car has not yet announced his next race team. Currently, Smith is seventh in the Chase standings, with a 92-point deficit to the championship leader. During the Chase opener at Darlington Raceway, Smith delivered his best performance with the JR Motorsports organization, securing a fourth-place finish as the team's sole competitor in the top 10. JR Motorsports now faces several vacant spots in the NASCAR O Reilly Series, offering Smith numerous opportunities for a race-winning ride. Social media speculation has suggested a potential seat swap between Smith and Sam Mayer, with Smith moving to the Haas Factory Team. At present, the identity of Smith's next team remains uncertain, but he can look forward to a variety of options.",
  "summary": "Sammy Smith won't return to the No. 8 car for JR Motorsports during the 2027 NASCAR O'Reilly Series season.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "5 best Sammy Smith landing spots for the 2027 NASCAR season",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/5-best-sammy-smith-landing-spots-for-the-2027-nascar-season",
        "published": "2026-09-30T06:00:26.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}