After nearly two years of waiting, Argentine professional racing driver Baltazar Leguizamon finally got to make his NASCAR debut in 2025 in the Xfinity Series. That year, he drove for Joey Gase Motorsports, and despite all the expectations, he failed to make a mark, finishing 37th due to mechanical issues. But his story wasn’t over yet.

Fast forward to 2026, the Argentine star is all set to return to the second tier of stock car racing once again. This time, with Barrett-Cope Racing. However, fans on social media are sceptical about the 25-year-old as they shared underwhelming reactions to the announcement regarding the Latin American star.

Baltazar Leguizamon set to return to NASCAR in 2026

For the second time in his career, Baltazar Leguizamon will be racing in NASCAR. He will return to the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (previously Xfinity) next year. As per reports, the Argentine will drive the #30 Chevrolet.

Leguizamon will race thrice this year, unlike 2025. Like 2023, he will first participate in the race at the Circuit of The Americas in late February. Then, in the race at Martinsville Speedway on March 28. This will be followed by the third race at Watkins Glen International on May 9.

However, the Argentine star will look to add more races to his name during the course of the season after he manages to grab the full NASCAR license.

Taking to his official X account, Leguizamon broke the news.

“I’m very excited to announce that in 2026 I’ll be racing in a multi-race @NASCAROReillyAP Series program for Barrett-Cope Racing!

“I’ll be driving the Chevrolet Camaro No. 30, powered by ECR engines, with a Satoro Racing Brembo partnership. The goal is to add more races during the season, especially on ovals, to close the year with the full license.”

Team owner Derrike Cope also shared his excitement, saynig, “He is a very accomplished road race driver and a determined individual, with a huge desire to succeed in NASCAR. Our focus will be on ovals to acquire the necessary experience that will allow it to become a stable presence within the category.”

Baltazar Leguizamon tried to enter the sport in 2023. However, due to sponsorship difficulties, the Argentine driver never made it to the track.

But Leguizamon’s luck favored him in 2025, when he raced in the Xfinity Series — in the Focused Health 250 at COTA.

With that said, the races in the upcoming season is set to be a testing ground for his skills. But why are fans not happy?

Fans are sceptical about Leguizamon’s NASCAR return

As Baltazar Leguizamon’s announcement on his return surfaced on social media, fans shared their reactions on Reddit.

A fan wrote, “He is… let me put this as nicely as I can… he is very well qualified to write a check. His racing record, even in Argentina, is not good. He races because he wants to and can afford it.” This comes in light of the fact that Leguizamon’s father is a businessman and a former racing driver. Therefore, he comes with connections.

Another fan wrote, “He has only one Xfinity start, and that’s at COTA in 2025. He posted the slowest qualifying time, but got in on owners’ points. The two DNQs that posted times that day were both faster (Retzlaff and Perez)”

Well, the fan is statistically right, as Leguizamon has yet to establish himself as a driver to look out for.

Another fan shared a nonchalant reaction to Leguizamon’s announcement. He wrote, “Honestly, I care more about who is running the ovals, especially the restrictor plate tracks, as the Cope team was a legit contender in all of those races last year.”

“Well, Jeff Burton trying to pronounce this name would be amusing. I want to see Larry McReynolds to give it a try also,” another fan wrote. Jeff Burton and Larry McReynolds are well-known NASCAR broadcasters with Southern accents, and fans frequently joke about them struggling to pronounce foreign or uncommon names on air. In this case, it’ll be interesting to see how they call the Argentine.

Another fan wrote on the same line, as Leguizamon seemed like a “pay” driver to him. He wrote, “Bro legit sounds like a Pokemon, but sad to see that he is another pay to drive fella rather than a truly deserving Argentine representative in NASCAR.”

So the fans are questioning his competitiveness and labeling his seat as a “paid one” rather than a hard-earned one through performance.

The reactions indeed show a negative, or rather a lack of interest from the fans. It will be interesting to see if Baltazar Leguizamon manages to prove them wrong this year and fetch himself a permanent ride in 2027.