Dr. Patrick Staropoli, who works as a retina surgeon, is continuing his journey into the stock car racing world. In 2026, he will replace Nick Sanchez as the full-time driver of the No. 48 Big Machine Racing Chevrolet.
Staropoli made his O'Reilly Auto Parts (formerly Xfinity) Series debut earlier this year, running four races with Sam Hunt Racing. He finished as high as 16th at Martinsville. Staropoli also ran four Truck races this past year, finishing as high as 15th -- also at Martinsville. His 2025 schedule also included six ARCA races, scoring three top tens.
