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Chase Elliott's Return to JR Motorsports Cut Short at Atlanta

2026-07-15 · Chase Elliott · Club News

Chase Elliott's Return to JR Motorsports Cut Short at Atlanta

Chase Elliott's return to JR Motorsports was short-lived, as the team has confirmed that Rajah Caruth will drive the No. 88 Chevrolet at EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta.

What happened?

Elliott made his first NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series start of the 2026 season last weekend at Chicagoland Speedway, finishing second in the No. 88 Chevrolet. However, he won't be behind the wheel for the team's home track event.

Why it matters for Chase Elliott

Elliott's one-off appearance has officially closed the book on his O'Reilly Series appearance of the year before his scheduled return later this season. The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion is expected to make one more start in the No. 88 Chevrolet later this season at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, giving him two scheduled appearances for JR Motorsports this year.

What comes next?

Rajah Caruth returns to the seat for Saturday night's event at EchoPark Speedway, where he opened the season with an eighth-place finish in February. Caruth has split time this season between JR Motorsports' No. 88 Chevrolet and the No. 32 Chevrolet for Jordan Anderson Racing. Through nine starts in the No. 88, he has recorded four top-10 finishes, helping keep the team second in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series owner standings entering Atlanta weekend.

Elliott's brief stint at JR Motorsports may have been short, but it was a reminder of his skills on the track. The veteran immediately reminded fans why he's one of NASCAR's premier road and oval racers, charging to a runner-up finish in his return. Now, the No. 88 program shifts back to Caruth as JR Motorsports continues its pursuit of both the owner championship and a playoff berth heading into the final stretch of the regular season.

Caruth currently sits 14th in the driver standings, just outside the playoff cutoff, but his focus remains on strengthening his postseason position before the regular-season finale later this summer. With Elliott's O'Reilly Auto Parts Series schedule for 2026 not over yet, fans can expect to see more of the champion's skills on the track in the coming weeks.

The event date is Saturday, July 15, 2026, at EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta.

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