Overview

• Denny Hamlin said on his Actions Detrimental podcast that he has heard NASCAR is telling Truck teams to transition to spec vehicles by 2028, with the Xfinity Series also moving to a spec model, and he emphasized it is a rumor.
• The Cup Series already races a Next‑Gen car built with single‑source parts intended to increase parity across the field.
• The Truck Series runs Ilmor NT1 spec engines approved in 2018, which lowered barriers to entry but narrowed performance differences.
• Coverage highlights potential ripple effects if a broader spec mandate arrives, including one‑time costs to replace existing equipment alongside possible gains in competitive balance.
• NASCAR’s second tier will take on O’Reilly Auto Parts branding in 2026 under a new multi‑year title deal, adding commercial context to the debate over costs and parity.