Dean Thompson
Sam Hunt Racing
2026 Xfinity Stats
Points
196
Starts
11
Wins
0
Poles
0
Top 5
0
Top 10
2
2026 Fantasy Outlook
The 24-year-old Californian completed his first full season in this division of NASCAR last year. Thompson would impress with eight Top-10 finishes and a reasonably impressive 16th-place finish in the driver point standings. Sam Hunt Racing announced last October that Thompson would be back in the No. 26 Toyota for the upcoming season. That's great news for both this young driver and this race team. Sponsorship seems to be pretty steady and Kris Bowen is still calling the shots from atop the team's war wagon. Partnering with new teammate, Harrison Burton, should be a net benefit to Thompson. The two can share information and the younger driver can learn a lot of Burton's depth of experience. We expect some modest growth in Thompson's performance in the upcoming campaign. Read Past Outlooks
Season-best finish at Talladega
Thompson recorded his best finish of 2026 in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Ag-Pro 300, ending the day in sixth place.
ANALYSIS
After recording eight Top 10s and an average finish of 17.9 as a rookie, Thompson's performance has dipped in his second full-time season with Sam Hunt Racing. His average finish is down to 20.5 and Saturday's sixth-place result was only his second Top 10 of 2026. He now sits 18th in the overall point standings heading into Texas, where Thompson's previous O'Reilly Auto Parts Series start resulted in a 27th-place finish.
After recording eight Top 10s and an average finish of 17.9 as a rookie, Thompson's performance has dipped in his second full-time season with Sam Hunt Racing. His average finish is down to 20.5 and Saturday's sixth-place result was only his second Top 10 of 2026. He now sits 18th in the overall point standings heading into Texas, where Thompson's previous O'Reilly Auto Parts Series start resulted in a 27th-place finish.
Racing Stats
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Track Stats
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2025
2024
2023
Thompson promotes from the truck series and takes over a No. 26 Toyota that has enjoyed a good deal of success over the last several years with various drivers. This team collected five Top-10 and 10 Top-15 finishes with a lineup of multiple drivers. Thompson gets the full slate of races in the upcoming campaign after making only two starts in the car last year. The 23-year-old driver has enjoyed limited success in the truck series over the past three seasons and will look to make a smooth transition to the next level in NASCAR development. The No. 26 SHR team is headed up by crew chief Kris Bowen and has good sponsorship and resources in place. Thompson can have a successful first season of Xfinity Series racing with this team.
More Fantasy News
Third in Love's RV Stop 250
Thompson finished third in the Love's RV Stop 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Talladega Superspeedway Saturday afternoon.
ANALYSIS
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Third in NC Education Lottery 200
Thompson finished third in the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway Friday night.
ANALYSIS
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Cleared for action
Thompson was cleared by Nascar on Thursday to compete in the Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend.
ANALYSIS
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Joins TRICON Garage for 2023
TRICON Garage announced on Monday that Thompson will pilot the No. 5 Toyota full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2023.
ANALYSIS
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