NASCARâs Nashville weekend is bringing another round of lineup changes across the Truck Series garage, with several teams arriving at Nashville Superspeedway with different drivers behind the wheel.
Some of the changes come after one-off appearances at Charlotte Motor Speedway, while others continue the season-long trend of rotating developmental drivers and part-time veterans through competitive entries.
And with Nashville Superspeedway presenting one of the more physically demanding intermediate tracks on the calendar, several replacement drivers will immediately face a difficult challenge under the lights Friday night.
Connor Zilisch Replacement Confirmed for Nashville
After Connor Zilischâs third-place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway â his first Truck Series oval start since racing for Spire Motorsports at Martinsville Speedway in November 2024 â the No. 77 truck will have a different driver behind the wheel at Nashville.
Richard Childress Racing OâReilly Auto Parts Series driver Jesse Love is set to replace Zilisch in the Spire Motorsports entry this weekend.
Love has continued building momentum across NASCARâs national series ranks and now gets another opportunity in quality Truck Series equipment.
He has never competed in a Truck Series race at Nashville Superspeedway, though he previously recorded finishes of ninth at World Wide Technology Raceway, 13th at Kansas Speedway and fourth at Phoenix Raceway during prior Truck appearances.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Replacement Confirmed for Nashville
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will not return to the No. 4 truck this weekend after making his first Truck Series start of the 2026 season at Charlotte.
Instead, Stefan Parsons is set to make his first NASCAR national series appearance of the year as Stenhouseâs replacement at Nashville Superspeedway.
Parsons has competed part-time across the Truck Series and OâReilly Auto Parts Series since 2018. His most recent Truck Series start came in the 2024 season finale at Phoenix Raceway driving for Niece Motorsports.
Now, he gets another opportunity behind the wheel at Nashville as teams continue leaning on experienced part-time drivers to fill rotating entries throughout the season.
Travis Pastrana Replacement Confirmed for Nashville
Travis Pastrana also will not return to the No. 25 truck at Nashville after his 22nd-place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Instead, it will be Carson Ferguson returning to the truck this weekend, making him just the second driver to compete in the No. 25 entry more than once this season.
Ty Dillon previously drove the truck at both EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta Motor Speedway) and Rockingham Speedway earlier this year.
Pastranaâs NASCAR appearances continue to remain selective, with the action sports icon balancing limited stock car starts rather than a full-season schedule.
Even so, his return to NASCAR competition earlier this year generated significant attention throughout the garage and among fans.
Dystany Spurlock Replacement Confirmed for Nashville
Dystany Spurlock will not be back behind the wheel of the No. 69 truck this weekend after Carl Longâs team skipped Charlotte and returns to the grid at Nashville Superspeedway.
Jonathan Shafer is set to replace Spurlock in the truck for Friday nightâs race.
Shafer attempted to qualify for the Rockingham Speedway race earlier this season but failed to make the field. His last Truck Series starts came in 2023 driving for On Point Motorsports.
One of those appearances came at Nashville Superspeedway, where he recorded a career-best 24th-place finish.
The change continues another season of rotating developmental and part-time drivers throughout the Truck Series garage as smaller organizations search for opportunities and sponsorship flexibility.
Why Nashville Creates So Many Driver Changes
Nashville Superspeedway has quietly become one of the more physically challenging intermediate tracks on the NASCAR schedule.
The concrete surface creates unique tire wear characteristics and places a major emphasis on long-run speed, patience and adaptability â especially during warmer summer races.
Because of that, teams frequently use Nashville weekend to rotate developmental drivers, evaluate prospects or strategically manage part-time schedules.
The Truck Series, in particular, has become increasingly fluid over the last several seasons, with lineup changes happening almost weekly across the garage.
And historically, Nashville has rewarded drivers who can quickly adapt to changing conditions and maximize unexpected opportunities.
A Weekend Worth Watching
The lineup changes may not dominate headlines entering the weekend, but Nashville has a history of turning surprise opportunities into breakout performances.
With several replacement drivers stepping into competitive equipment Friday night, some of the biggest stories from Nashville Superspeedway may come from drivers fans were not originally expecting to watch.
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