NASCAR team notifies employees they are relieved of duties and it will cease operations
NASCAR team notifies employees they are relieved of duties and it will cease operations
Jarrod Castillo Sun, May 17, 2026 at 11:05 PM UTC
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AM Racing told its employees that they were being let go and operations were ceasing (Image: Getty)
NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series team AM Racing (AMR) will cease to exist.
AMR competed in NASCAR's secondary series, being one of the only teams to field a Ford this season. That said, the team has seemingly been in dire straits, culminating in the head of the organization's decision to shutter operations.
The update on AMR comes just months after the team signed rising star Nick Sanchez after he was dropped by Big Machine Racing (BMR) just days before the start of the 2026 season.
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On Friday, it was reported that AMR notified its employees that the team formally ceased operations and had relieved all employees from their duties, according to Motorsport.com.
It was also stated that AMR's Vice President of Competition, Matthew Lucas, reportedly "told employees that he made efforts to stabilize" the team, but the "inability to continue normal business activity eventually resulted in its closure."
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Nick Sanchez was one of AM Racing's stars this season (Image: Getty)
Motorsport.com's Matt Weaver also reported that employee paychecks had been bouncing, though the team is working with them to find a solution. AMR's closure comes weeks after the team withdrew from Rockingham in April, with no explanation for the decision.
This year, AMR had banked on Sanchez being the team's star driver after he was made available. Sanchez finished third at Atlanta, the highlight of the young star's season and the team's as a whole. What's more, it was believed that AMR looked into adding a second entry to the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, though it never came to fruition.
It remains to be seen what will happen with those associated with AMR and Sanchez, especially as he is effectively out of a job.
The news is a far cry from the excitement both AMR and Sanchez showed when the partnership between the two was announced. After Sanchez was dropped by BMR, it was not long before the star found himself on a new team, with AMR releasing a statement.
"AM Racing is excited to announce the signing of rising phenom Nick Sanchez as the driver of the team's No. 25 Ford Mustang Dark Horse in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series," the statement read at the time.
The rising star also posted on X: "Excited for this new chapter with @AMRacingNASCAR & @FordRacing. Ready for this opportunity and focused on the season ahead!"
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Source: “AOL Money”
