Despite being in his 18th season of NASCAR national series competition, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. had never raced in the Craftsman Truck Series until the 2026 season began. He made his debut by driving the No. 45 Chevrolet for Niece Motorsports in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway, where he finished in sixth place. He also secured a second-place finish in the Cup Series season opener, the Daytona 500, driving his usual No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet.
Stenhouse continued his involvement in the Truck Series by competing in his second race with Niece Motorsports at EchoPark Speedway, formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway, where he finished ninth. However, Stenhouse does not have any further Truck Series races scheduled for 2026. Since the Truck Series and Cup Series are competing at separate locations this weekend, he will not participate in the Truck race at St. Petersburg.
Upcoming Schedule Split Between Cup and Truck Series
This weekend marks a significant change for NASCAR as the Truck Series holds its first-ever street course race in St. Petersburg, Florida, while the Cup Series heads to Circuit of the Americas (COTA) for its first road course event of the year. This separation means no full-time Cup drivers, including Stenhouse, will compete in Saturday’s inaugural Truck Series race on the St. Pete street circuit.
Landen Lewis to Drive No. 45 Truck at St. Pete
Landen Lewis, who won the 2025 CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour championship, will drive the No. 45 Chevrolet in his first Truck Series start of the year at St. Petersburg. Lewis, 19, hails from Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. He has made three Truck Series starts previously, including his 2023 debut at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course with Roper Racing, achieving a best finish of 24th there. His other two starts have been on oval tracks, with the most recent in 2024.
Lewis is expected to compete in multiple Truck Series races in 2026, although his full schedule has yet to be finalized. Besides Lewis, only Ross Chastain, a full-time Cup Series driver for Trackhouse Racing, is confirmed to drive the No. 45 truck this season. Chastain is slated to participate in eight races, with his exact events still unannounced.
Broadcast and Viewing Information for the St. Pete Race
The OnlyBulls Green Flag 150 will air live on Fox, beginning at 12:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 28. Fans can watch the historic first street course race in Truck Series history from St. Petersburg by accessing Fox through streaming services like FuboTV.
“It’s exciting to see new talent like Landen stepping up for this unique race, especially as the Truck Series expands into street course racing.” ?Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing Cup Series driver
