Nick Sanchez signs with AM Racing: The 'rising phenom' takes over the No. 25 Ford for full 2026 NASCAR season

Nick Sanchez, one of the brightest talents in American stock car racing, has landed his next major career opportunity. AM Racing confirmed Monday that the 24-year-old driver will drive the No.

25 Ford Mustang for the full NASCAR season in 2026. This historic agreement will keep Sanchez a full time competitor in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, while also putting a proven, young star in the driver's seat.It finally puts an end to weeks of speculation about Sanchez's status after he and his last org parted ways following the conclusion of the 2025 season. He was told late in the off-season that he wasn't going to be brought back to Big Machine Racing, despite strong performances last year.

Now, Sanchez has a chance to reset his career trajectory in the second season under AM Racing ownership, a chance to set an upward course toward becoming a consistent championship contender.

AM Racing secures a young star for the future

Signing Sanchez is a significant step for AM Racing as it aims to bolster its efforts in NASCAR's national series. It was a long winter of speculation about a potential sale and reorganization for the team. But when those plans fell through, AM Racing was soon hard at work attempting to bring competitive talent to the team in 2026.

He fits perfectly with what the team was looking for long term, and team officials have called Sanchez the exact type of driver they want to continue developing around. He was already well known, plus he had that impressive, damned Irish driving style, aggressive when necessary but always disciplined and controlled. AM Racing has handed the keys to the No. 25 Ford to the young driver for a full season, clearly indicating their desire to grow with him rather than make him a stopgap solution.

Nick Sanchez eager for new opportunity

The new team should provide both stability and something to strive for, Nick Sanchez. Over the past few years, the native of Florida has risen through the NASCAR lottery system. He won the ARCA Menards Series championship early in his career and later won the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Rookie of the Year. It was those feats that helped bring his name onto the list of top prospects in the sport.In the 2025 season, Sanchez showed he was worthy of a higher level by taking his first O’Reilly Auto Parts Series win at Atlanta Motor Speedway. After that victory, he turned in several strong rides to take 11th in the season championship standings. Despite that success, he was left seeking a new home after leaving Big Machine Racing.