NASCAR’s second premier division underwent a name change this past offseason, rebranding from the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) to the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (NOAPS). Despite the series’ name change, the hunger for improvement and urgency for results hasn’t changed a bit.
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There are three drivers who, compared to their 2025 campaigns, have exceeded public and industry expectations.
Disclaimer: To be eligible for this list, drivers must have completed full seasons in their respective series in both 2025 and 2026.
#1 Carson Kvapil — JR Motorsports
Despite making the championship last season, Kvapil’s 2025 campaign was considered disappointing. Heading into 2026, expectations were high for the son of longtime NASCAR driver and NASCAR Cup Series winner Travis Kvapil.
With that pressure mounting, Kvapil finally scored his first career NASCAR national series win at Indianapolis last weekend, although he unfortunately made headlines for the wrong reasons. Many were quick to criticize the 23-year-old for performing his burnout on the Yard of Bricks. While he should not have done that, it does not take away from the reality that, despite having one of the most difficult day-to-day schedules, Kvapil has been one of the most consistent drivers in all of NASCAR.
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In addition to his first win, Kvapil has already matched his top-five total from last season (seven). He has also improved his average finish from 13.7 to 11.6 and has led 122 laps this season, 18 more than he totaled throughout all of 2025.
The most impressive part of Kvapil’s season, however, has been the summer stretch he is currently on. In his previous 11 races, Kvapil has not finished outside the top 15 once. During that 11-race stretch, Kvapil drove only five races in his primary No. 1 JR Motorsports entry, while also competing in three races with the No. 91 DGM Racing car and three races with the No. 9 JR Motorsports part-time entry.
Kvapil’s win last week was the first time since April that he drove the same car in consecutive weeks. The 23-year-old can also claim he is the only driver inside the top 12 in points who has not driven the same car every week.
Many would consider that a major disadvantage, but it has not seemed to matter for Kvapil, who sits second in the championship standings behind only his veteran teammate Justin Allgaier.
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With such a revolving door in his day-to-day life, it would have been easy to expect someone like Kvapil to struggle. Instead, it has been a sight for sore eyes to see him become one of NASCAR’s weekly contenders.
#2 Parker Retzlaff — Viking Motorsports
After bouncing around from team to team over the past few seasons, Retzlaff and Viking Motorsports have clicked in 2026.
In 2025, driving the No. 4 Alpha Prime Racing entry, Retzlaff finished 22nd in points, recorded one top-five finish, three top-10 finishes and an average finish of 22.7.
In 2026, through 22 races, Retzlaff finds himself ninth in the championship standings with four top-five finishes, 10 top-10 finishes and an average finish of 12.8. Retzlaff has improved his average finish by 10 positions and sits 13 spots higher in the championship standings than he did one year ago.
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Parker’s 2026 campaign has changed the narrative around him from a mid-pack field filler to a legitimate candidate for top-level equipment. It is also worth mentioning that Viking Motorsports expanded to a two-car operation this season, fielding the No. 96 of Anthony Alfredo, who currently sits 16th in the championship standings.
Retzlaff is still searching for his first career win, but the conversation has changed from a question of “if” to a question of “when.”
#3 Sheldon Creed — Haas Factory Team
Our third most improved driver on this list is not one many expected, but like Carson Kvapil, Sheldon Creed was finally able to capture his first career win earlier this season.
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His victory not only lifted the monkey off his back, but it also ended his streak of 15 runner-up finishes before a win in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, which now stands as the all-time series record.
While Creed’s success has tapered off during the summer months, the No. 00 team was rolling during the spring. While Kvapil has recently been on fire, Creed frontloaded that statistical success early in the season.
Following Creed’s win at Atlanta, he went on to finish 11th or better in 10 consecutive races.
Sheldon has improved his average finish from 16.1 to 10.8 in 2026 and, similar to Carson Kvapil, has already matched his 2025 season total of top-five finishes with eight this year.
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He currently sits fourth in points, which is five spots higher than his ninth-place championship finish last season. The No. 00 is only behind the aforementioned Carson Kvapil, 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion Justin Allgaier and defending NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion Jesse Love.
Creed is in his fifth full-time season in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, but the competition better not mistake Sheldon for the shell of himself he was previously.
He has already proven this season that the No. 00 can be dangerously consistent and, in addition to being a heavily improved unit, can be a legitimate contender for the 2026 championship.
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