NASCAR is weighing changes to its driver participation rules, and former driver Kenny Wallace has made it clear where he stands. The sanctioning body is reviewing its restrictions on how many races Cup drivers can enter in the lower-level divisions. Wallace believes letting stars from the top series compete more often in the sport's second and third tiers is a good thing for both development and entertainment.The review comes as part of a bigger shift for NASCAR's No. 2 series, which will be renamed the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series starting in 2026. During the announcement of the new partnership, NASCAR President Steve O'Donnell admitted that the Cup driver rules are on the table for possible adjustment."We're going to look at who is able to race in the series in the future as well and maybe make some changes down the road. You look at all of our series and we've had limits on, 'Could a Cup driver compete? How many races could they compete? So we've certainly had discussions?" O'Donnell said via Sports Business Journal.Currently, Cup Series drivers with more than three years of experience are limited to five Xfinity races and five Truck races per year. They cannot appear in playoff events or in regular-season finales to prevent them from shaping championship outcomes.The policy was designed to keep dominance in check, but Kenny Wallace argues that it hasn't worked as many thought it would. Instead of protecting younger drivers, he thinks the presence of Cup talent can sharpen them. He pointed to the battles between Connor Zilisch and Shane van Gisbergen in the Xfinity Series as proof."You see Connor Zilisch win four of the last five Xfinity races. Well, it made Connor famous. You know why? Because he outran SVG. Imagine if Shane Van Gisbergen was not in that Watkins Glen race or in some of those other races, then it would have been, 'Oh Connor hasn't faced real competition yet'... So, that made Connor the real deal because he outran SVG," Wallace said on Coffee with Kenny (4:14 onwards).Zilisch, who runs full-time with JR Motorsports in the No. 88, squared off against Van Gisbergen's No. 9 part-time entry at multiple races this year. While SVG has been nearly unbeatable on Cup road courses, winning four, Zilisch got the better of him in Xfinity races. Wallace argued that's exactly the kind of validation young talent needs.Kenny Wallace reflects on Xfinity changes and sponsor historyKenny Wallace (28) during the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series presented by O'Reilly Auto Parts at Darlington Raceway. Source: GettyFor Kenny Wallace, the discussion comes with personal weight. He made 547 starts in the Xfinity Series from 1988 to 2015, the most of any driver, giving him a unique perspective on its evolution. And part of that story is the long list of title sponsors the series has carried.Since 1982, the second-tier championship has been branded under Budweiser, Busch, Nationwide, and, most recently, Comcast's Xfinity brand. Starting in 2026, the O’Reilly Auto Parts deal will usher in the series' fifth title sponsor."Well, it's good to see the sponsor continue to get people that want them. That's the way I look at it... The Busch Series was great... Then, of course, we had Nationwide... And then of course the third one made sense, Xfinity - the wires, the cell phones. And now the auto parts. I must say that the NASCAR Xfinity Series as we know it right now has had a pretty good run with well-known sponsors," Kenny Wallace said in an earlier Coffee with Kenny episode (2:36 onwards)The Xfinity era lasted more than a decade under a 10-year deal with Comcast. Now O’Reilly, which operates over 6,400 stores across North America, takes over. The company has already been a race sponsor at several NASCAR events and will now expand its role significantly, believes Kenny Wallace.The newly named O'Reilly Auto Parts Series will continue to air exclusively on The CW, which has helped deliver a 17% year-over-year increase in viewership. Comcast, despite ending its naming rights, confirmed it will remain active in the sport with other sponsorship commitments.