Several late changes have reshaped Saturday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series entry list at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
Three drivers originally scheduled to compete in the FaithFest 250 will no longer take the green flag, with teams confirming replacement drivers ahead of the weekend. Two of those replacements will make their NASCAR national series debuts, while another is one of the sport’s biggest stars making an emotional return.
Here’s every confirmed driver change before Saturday’s race.
Chase Elliott takes over Kyle Busch’s scheduled ride
The most significant change comes at Spire Motorsports, where Chase Elliott will drive the No. 07 Chevrolet that was originally scheduled for Kyle Busch.
Before his passing in May, Busch had planned to compete in eight Truck Series races during the 2026 season after NASCAR expanded the participation limit for veteran Cup Series drivers from five starts to eight. He competed in four of those races, winning at Atlanta and Dover while also racing at Bristol and Texas.
North Wilkesboro was originally slated to be Busch’s seventh Truck Series appearance of the season.
Instead, Elliott will make his first Truck Series start since the 2023 season opener at Daytona. The appearance also carries added meaning, as Elliott has been among the most vocal drivers honoring Busch’s legacy following his passing, including publicly advocating for Busch to receive this year’s Most Popular Driver Award posthumously.
Toni Breidinger replaced by NASCAR debutant
Rackley WAR also made a late change to its lineup.
Toni Breidinger was originally scheduled to drive the No. 27 Chevrolet as part of her expanded 2026 Truck Series schedule. Instead, the team will field 18-year-old Kasey Kleyn, who will make his NASCAR national series debut on Saturday.
The Quincy, Washington, native has competed in the ASA STARS National Tour and recently earned his first ARCA Menards Series West victory at Tri-City Raceway.
Kleyn’s agreement with Rackley WAR extends beyond North Wilkesboro. He is also scheduled to compete for the team at Richmond Raceway and Martinsville Speedway later this season.
Breidinger is still expected to return next weekend at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park before making additional scheduled starts later this year.
Cleetus McFarland’s truck gets a new driver
Niece Motorsports also made a change after bringing back its No. 4 Chevrolet.
The truck was driven by YouTube personality Cleetus McFarland, whose real name is Garrett Mitchell, in his two previous Truck Series starts this season. McFarland posted a career-best 25th-place finish at Michigan International Speedway last month.
For North Wilkesboro, however, the team has turned to Donovan Strauss, who will make his NASCAR national series debut.
Strauss arrives after competing in the CARS Late Model Stock Tour, where he raced full-time in 2025 and has continued to build experience this season.
McFarland still has one remaining Truck Series start on his 2026 schedule at Talladega Superspeedway later this year.
A different look to Saturday’s field
While entry list changes are common throughout a NASCAR season, North Wilkesboro features three notable driver swaps in one weekend.
Two rising prospects, Kleyn and Strauss, will make their NASCAR national series debuts, while Elliott returns to the Truck Series in one of the weekend’s most anticipated storylines after taking over the ride Busch was originally scheduled to drive.
With practice and qualifying both on Friday and the FaithFest 250 taking place Saturday, fans will see a noticeably different Truck Series lineup than the one originally expected earlier this season.
NASCAR North Wilkesboro Entry List Shake-Up: Three Drivers Out, Three Replacements Confirmed