{
  "id": 3638422,
  "title": "Late Model veteran earns full-time ride for Peterson Racing Recent news, and rumors from NOAPS Silly Season",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/late-model-veteran-earns-full-time-ride-for-peterson-racing-recent",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-27T01:43:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/model-veteran-earns-full-time-014339988.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "NASCAR's O'Reilly Auto Parts Series is set to enter a new era as veteran driver Lee Pulliam secures a full-time ride with Peterson Racing, the team's first driver in this capacity. Pulliam, a four-time champion of the NASCAR Local Racing Series, will make his debut at Las Vegas and Martinsville Speedway, having previously driven the #9 JR Motorsports entry at Martinsville and earning a top five finish. Pulliam, who has won 51 races in his career, is poised to become a fan favorite in the series.\n\nAustin Hill, aged 32, is temporarily filling in at Richard Childress Racing (RCR) after the tragic passing of Kyle Busch. Hill, a five-time O'Reilly Series driver, has scored four wins in the past three seasons, totaling 16 wins, 58 top fives, 97 top tens, and over 1,400 laps led throughout his career. In Hill's absence, Chandler Smith will take his place in the Cup Series, sponsored primarily by 1-800-Pack-Rat portable storage moving company.\n\nAs Austin Hill moves up to the prestigious Cup Series, his former #21 Richard Childress Racing car is set to be filled by 18-year-old Carson Brown, who currently races for Peterson Racing in the zMAX Cars Tour. Brown will be sponsored by Whelen Engineering, a company with a history of sponsoring this specific #2 car. Sammy Smith, who has recorded only two wins, 21 top 5's, and 178 laps led with JR Motorsports, is expected to depart the team, leading to speculation about his future moves. Rumors suggest a possible driver swap between Smith and Haas Factory Team's Sam Mayer, though this has not been confirmed.",
  "summary": "As the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series approaches the Chase, there have been many new developments in regards to driver lineups next season. Some are making the expected jump to the next level, while others are finally catching their big break. Let’s break down all of the news, and then discuss the implications of said…",
  "key_points": [
    "Lee Pulliam joins Peterson Racing full-time, first driver in series",
    "51 career wins, four-time champion of NASCAR Local Racing Series",
    "Austin Hill replaces Kyle Busch at Richard Childress Racing"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Lee Pulliam's full-time ride with Peterson Racing and Austin Hill's promotion to the Cup Series set the stage for a youth movement and new rivalries in the O Reilly Auto Parts Series.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "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."
}