Brent Crews is taking on a new challenge by launching his very own Brent Crews Motorsports team. The 17-year-old standout from North Carolina has stormed through ARCA with three wins in 2025 at Phoenix, Rockingham, and Lucas Oil IRP, plus multiple poles and dominant runs that marked him as one of NASCAR’s top young prospects.
He will be debuting the No. 70 Toyota and the Truck Series with his new team. However, a new team requires executives, and reports have mistakenly tied a pair of Xfinity stars to leadership roles on the team, adding some drama to Crews’ bold step into ownership.
Connor Zilisch and Jesse Love said they support Brent Crews’ adventure but remain happy with their Chevy teams
The NASCAR community is about to witness a resurgence of driver-owned teams. And though Crews is starting a new venture, he won’t abandon his commitments elsewhere, though. He will continue his previously scheduled starts in the Tricon Garage No. 1 truck while piloting his newly minted No. 70 in select events.
To fund this bold new venture, Crews made some major sacrifices. According to Jeff Gluck of The Athletic, the teenager sold his micro sprint cars and his TA2 Trans-Am car, pouring the proceeds directly into his team. At just 17, he is technically too young to hold official ownership papers, which will come next year when he turns 18, but as Crews clarified on X, the operation is his in every way that matters. Backing this debut will be Pristine Auction, which signed on to sponsor the No. 70 truck at Watkins Glen. The move is already sparking conversation about whether this could signal a new wave of driver-owned teams or whether it might remain an ambitious experiment that fails just as quickly.
But with the excitement came a bit of confusion. When The Athletic broke news of Brent Crews Motorsports, the article mentioned JR Motorsports‘ Connor Zilisch and Richard Childress Racing’s Jesse Love being listed as executives of the team. That tidbit raised eyebrows, but it turns out the label was nothing more than an inside joke that spiraled. The young drivers are simply close friends, not business partners steering the ship. Connor Zilisch quickly cleared the air with his own statement online. He said, “There was a misunderstanding in conversations with Brent’s new truck team and me being an executive. I’m excited to cheer him on as a friend next weekend at Watkins, and I’m pumped to go for 4 in a row this weekend in Iowa with JRM, Chevy, and Trackhouse!”
There was a misunderstanding in conversations with Brent’s new truck team and me being an executive. I’m excited to cheer him on as a friend next weekend at Watkins and I’m pumped to go for 4 in a row this weekend in Iowa with JRM, Chevy, and Trackhouse! https://t.co/S3oCEEkBqc
— Connor Zilisch (@ConnorZilisch) August 1, 2025
The clarification didn’t change the bigger picture. Dale Jr.’s teenage phenom Connor Zilisch is still regarded as potentially generational Series talent, which includes Brent Crew as well. In fact, Max Papis, a two-time Daytona 24H winner, called Crews, “ one of the best talents I ever seen in racing.”
Then came Jesse Love’s statement. The Richard Childress Racing driver was quick to respond and reply to Zilisch’s post, saying, “There was a misunderstanding in conversations talking with Brent about me and Connor’s involvement with his new truck team at WGI. We all share a strong friendship. But I just wanted to be clear, I’m not associated with any team outside of RCR or Chevy.”
Jesse Love’s 2025 season has cemented him as one of NASCAR’s brightest young talents, and there are no signs of him leaving RCR anytime soon. In the Xfinity Series, the 20-year-old sits fourth in points with one win at Daytona, five top fives, 14 top tens, and two poles across 21 starts, showcasing speed on both superspeedways and road courses. With consistent results and growing versatility, Love is firmly in the Xfinity title hunt and positioning himself for a full-time Cup future.
Finally, NASCAR Truck Series driver Brent Crews steps in to settle the matter once and for all. Taking to X, he posted, “Connor and Jesse are great friends of mine, but we went a little overboard in exaggerating their roles. To be clear, they have no official capacity, other than they are friends who want me to do well.”
And as Connor Zilisch just made history with JR Motorsports, delivering their 100th win, Connor has also set his eyes on the NASCAR Xfinity title. He has been compared to the likes of NASCAR legends Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon by Dale Earnhardt Jr., and now his sister, Kelley Earnhardt, confirmed that comparison. But Brent Crews swims in uncharted territory as a team owner for the first time; his options for other racing series have come to light.
What does the future hold for Brent Crews?
As 2026 looms, the question on everyone’s mind is simple. What is next for Brent Crews? Once he turns 18, the restrictions that currently keep him off certain tracks will be gone, opening the door for him to compete full-time in ARCA, the Truck Series, or even Xfinity. One thing feels certain: Crews doesn’t need another year in ARCA. His talent, résumé, and ambitions already placed him well beyond that stage.
This new team could be a clue to his bigger picture. In a press release, Crews shared that he was inspired by stories of drivers like Brian Keselowski, who script together their own equipment, hustle to the track, and live the gritty, true-to-roots racing lifestyle. Crews wanted a piece of that journey, too, a chance to build something of their own from the ground up rather than slotting into someone else’s program.
But that raises an interesting point: why pour time, effort, and money into launching a Truck Series operation if there is no plan to run it in 2026? Trucks aren’t cheap, and neither is hauling them across the country. In a recent statement, Brent made his view clear, saying, “I don’t really know where this is going to go, but with all the buzz around road course guys right now, it didn’t seem right to miss Watkins Glen. I love the track. … Watching on TV was NOT an option.”
It’s possible that Brent could run full-time Xfinity with Joe Gibbs Racing while using his No. 70 truck selectively on short tracks and road courses, a hybrid schedule that could give him the best of both worlds. The operations are wide open, and the pieces are starting to move. For now, Brent admits the path isn’t entirely mapped out. What is clear is that Brent Crews Motorsports will operate out of the Nitro Motorsports shop for the time being, with more announcements expected soon. Whatever ultimate plan Crews has, he has made one thing obvious: he is thinking big, and he is thinking long-term.
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