Former Canada Series champion makes a strategic 2026 return for SS-Greenlight Racing in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series

Alex Labbe is set for a partial schedule with SS Greenlight Racing in the 2026 NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series season. The 32-year-old will compete in all five road course events, including the newly introduced one at Naval Coronado Base, San Diego.

Labbe has a history of running with SSGR, in addition to his extensive time with DGM Racing, where he had his first full-time season in 2021. He has over 150 starts in the second-tier series, with his best result coming from a fourth-place finish at Charlotte Roval in 2020.

The former NASCAR Canada Series champion drove the No.07 Chevy in 2025, racking up three top-15 finishes in seven starts. He's now set to share his seat with the No.0 SSGR team's primary driver, Garrett Smithley. The two-car outfit also fields Josh Bilicki as their full-time driver in the No.7 Chevy.

Toby Christie announced Labbe's 2026 schedule with an X post, writing,

"@AlexLabbe36 will run the five road course events in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2026, driving the No. 0 for @SSGLR0708"

Reflecting upon his continued partnership with SS Greenlight Racing, Labbe said(via Toby Christie.com)

“I’m really excited to be staying with SS-GreenLight Racing. We have had some great runs over the years, and I’m looking forward to building on that with some good runs this year.”

Bobby Dotter, owner of SS Greenlight Racing, chimed in with his own statement.

"We are so excited to have Alex [Labbe] back in the car next year. He has brought so much to our program, and we can’t wait to build on the successes we have had in the past,” he said.

Alex Labbe's season debut will be at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, on Saturday, February 28.

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Xfinity reaffirms partnership with NASCAR Cup Series

After 11 years as title sponsor for NASCAR's second-tier series, Xfinity gives way to O'Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2026. The move marks the end of an era, but the brand's journey is far from over.

When a fan thanked the company for its farewell from the series, Xfinity reiterated it's existing collaborations with the Cup Series.

"We’re still a Premier Partner of the NASCAR Cup Series, a team sponsor of @23XIRacing, have the Xfinity 500 for fall @MartinsvilleSwy, & the Xfinity Fastest Lap Award for all three national series. It’s only a farewell for that part."

During Xfinity's tenure with NASCAR, the series recorded its best viewership numbers in four seasons since debut with The CW. The 2025 Xfinity Series season grew alongside Connor Zilisch's stellar run with 10 wins and 15 consecutive top-5s, recording an average viewership over 1 million. At its peak, the finale at Phoenix Raceway recorded 1,191,000 total viewers.

Get the latest NASCAR All-Star race news, Xfinity Series updates, breaking news, rumors, and today’s top stories with the latest news on NASCAR.

Edited by Vignesh Kanna