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Nick Sanchez drives the No. 25 Paynuit/Travel Curious Ford during the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series NFPA 250 at Martinsville Speedway on March 28, 2026 in Martinsville, Virginia.

Another NASCAR organization has officially disappeared from the garage area in the middle of the 2026 season.

AM Racing, which competed full-time in the NASCAR O’Reilly Series, has formally ceased operations ahead of this weekend’s race at Dover Motor Speedway. The story was first reported Friday by Motorsport.com’s Matt Weaver.

Motorsport.com reported that the team will not return to competition after Rockingham and that operations ended this week. The shutdown comes during the middle of the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Series season and leaves the future of the No. 25 Ford Mustang program unclear.

AM Racing had become a familiar underdog organization in the O’Reilly Series garage over the last several seasons, regularly competing against significantly larger and better-funded teams.

The closure marks another difficult moment for NASCAR’s independent team landscape, where smaller organizations continue fighting rising costs, sponsorship pressure and increasingly difficult financial realities.

AM Racing Had Become a Familiar O’Reilly Series Team

AM Racing fielded the No. 25 Ford Mustang in the NASCAR O’Reilly Series and had become a recognizable underdog organization over the last several seasons.

The team had not competed since withdrawing from the Rockingham race at the end of March. Motorsport.com reported that AM Racing has now formally ceased operations, with employees released from their duties.

While the organization was not considered one of the O’Reilly Series’ powerhouse teams, it maintained a steady presence in the garage and routinely fought through the challenges that come with competing as a smaller independent operation.

NASCAR’s Financial Pressure Continues to Hit Smaller Teams

AM Racing’s closure once again puts a spotlight on the financial strain facing smaller NASCAR organizations.

The cost of competing full-time across NASCAR’s national series continues to rise, particularly for independent teams attempting to secure sponsorship while racing against larger, heavily funded operations.

Travel costs, personnel expenses, equipment development, crash damage, and sponsorship uncertainty can quickly create impossible situations for organizations without major backing.

That reality has become increasingly visible across the NASCAR garage in recent years as several smaller teams have either scaled back operations or disappeared entirely.

The timing also stunned many in the garage, with the shutdown arriving during Dover race weekend preparations.

For now, the future of the No. 25 entry remains uncertain.

Matt Weaver of Motorsport.com first reported the story.