Mike Hurley is setting the record straight regarding a report that Kyle Hardy would be racing for him on the World of Outlaws tour in 2026.

It was originally reported earlier this week by Dirt Behind The Scenes that Hardy would “pursue the World of Outlaws Late Model Series Rookie of the Year honors while also chasing the Outlaws championship in 2026.”

The report added, “Hardy will be driving for Mike Hurley Motorsports out of Goldvein, Virginia marking a huge step forward for a driver who has long been one of the strongest regional standouts.”

Hurley responded to the report noting, “We’re excited to share that there is a potential World of Outlaws opportunity on the horizon for Kyle Hardy. While nothing has been finalized, we are currently in discussions with several large motorsports themed companies regarding funding for a possible 2026 campaign.”

“These conversations are positive, and we’re encouraged by the interest, but it’s important to note that no agreements are in place at this time,” he stated. “No matter what, we plan to kick off the season at the World of Outlaws event at Hendry County Motorsports Park in Florida this February, and we’re looking forward to getting things rolling.”

Following Hurley’s post Dirt Behind The Scenes shared an update stating, “After speaking with team owner Mike Hurley this morning, the plan to chase the full Outlaws tour was dependent on a major sponsor that had been lined up. As of now, that sponsorship has fallen through, meaning a full national Outlaws campaign is not currently in place.”

“The team will continue to explore additional sponsorship opportunities to help offset the cost of what a national tour truly entails,” the outlet added. ” In the meantime, Kyle Hardy will be attempting the Hendry County Speedway Crate Racing USA portion of events, along with the World of Outlaws events held there.”

A few days earlier, Hardy had shared to Facebook that he and his team would be competing at Hendry County for the CRUSA 3-day event as well as the World of Outlaws two-day event for Swamp Cabbage Weekend at the end of February.

According to My Race Pass, Hardy went to victory lane 10 times this past year in 42 feature appearances across multiple divisions and series including CRUSA Dirt Late Models, Limited Late Models, Super Late Models, RUSH Late Models, Late Model Sportsman, and Pro Late Models. He had 23 tops 5s and 37 top 10s. None of his wins came in a super; however, he had a couple of top 5s at Port Royal and Hagerstown.

He did have a number of wins in the RUSH Dirt Late Model Series including at Lernerville, Tri-City Raceway Park, Tyler County, and Winchester Speedway. He finished second in the RUSH Late Model points behind Jeremy Wonderling.

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