Strauss heading back 'home' for 2026

Although it was previously announced that Donovan Strauss was joining Tom Usry Racing for 2026, he will be running for AK Performance this year.

In November of 2025, Strauss announced he would join Tom Usry Racing in 2026 to run a partial CARS Tour schedule as well as attempt the Virginia Triple Crown and other Late Model Stock Crown Jewel events. However, Strauss will now be with AK Performance this year, the team he started his Late Model career with.

While Strauss contested the 2025 CARS Late Model Stock Tour with Hettinger Racing, he entered the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville Speedway with AK Performance. His rookie year was in 2024, where he competed at Florence weekly with the team. He developed a close relationship with team owner Kendall Sellers, and a conversation last year brought the two back together for this year.

“Our relationship has grown since I stopped driving for him, he’s someone in my corner I honestly needed and I’ve grown as a person being around him” said Strauss. “[Sellers] is somebody I’ve always had a relationship with since I started driving for him, even on a personal level. I want to give him the results more than anything. About a month ago I had a good honest conversation with him, and we talked about it and put a deal together. It was really good.

“We put a good deal together, and we made it work. He’s put a lot of time and effort into me over the last few years. Whether it’s personally or racing wise he’s always helped me, and that’s why I’m back here.”

The decision to team back up with Sellers and AK Performance was Strauss’s choice and he has no qualms or issues with Tom Usry Racing, he simply wanted to be back “home.”

“I want to have fun no matter the good or bad days, I love this sport with everything in me, I’m a first generation racer who will do whatever it takes and I want to be remembered for the person I was and the relationships I had, and I want to be great in whatever I’m doing and the success comes with it” Strauss said. “At the end of the day, if you’re not having fun, why are you doing it? I want to have fun doing it and I want to do it with the people I love doing it with and people I have that relationship with, because at the end of the day, that’s where success stems.

“It took me a while to realize this, but we’re all writing our own story, and this happens to be mine. My relationship with the guys at AK Performance has been there from the start. [At] Martinsville, It was just great being back around everyone. I didn’t feel like there was any pressure on me, we went out there and ran strong with the other two cars. It was good energy and an awesome weekend, it was great to be back with everybody and be in that group.”

The racing schedule will remain similar to what Strauss’s plan was with Usry. They also hope to attempt the full CARS Late Model Stock Tour schedule.

“We have a plan in place to do a little bit of everything,” Strauss said. “We are going to be at the first CARS Tour race, that will be our first race. We’ve agreed to keep going [in the CARS Tour] until the wheels fall off. I feel like I should’ve ended [2025] fifth or sixth in points with the speed that was there at the end of the year, and with us most likely gone full time, I think there’s a great shot for the sky being the limit.

“I hope I can report back in 10 months and say that the wheels didn’t fall off. I hope I can say that, but you never know with how the Tour works. It’s a long year and a lot goes into it. We just have to see where we’re at and plan it by ear. I like it that way because there is no pressure or stress, you can decide your destiny.

“[We will race] the [Virginia] Triple Crown for sure. Definitely a good amount of CARS Tour races. All the crown jewels, as in the South Carolina 400 and Thanksgiving Classic and the Triple Crown. The Triple Crown isn’t something I’ve done yet and it’s something I want to do, so unless something crazy happens, I’m definitely going to go for the Triple Crown championship.

“I have a really great opportunity to do something really big I haven’t done yet in my career this summer. I’m really looking forward to announcing that. I’m not giving anyone hints yet, but it’s going to be really cool.”

The first race for Strauss and the CARS Tour will be at Coastal Plains raceway on Saturday, February 21. FloRacing will be streaming the race live on FloRacing.com