This Week in Motorsports: February 23 – March 1, 2026
NCS/NOAPS: Circuit of the Americas (COTA) – Feb. 28 – March 1
NCTS: Streets of St. Petersburg – Feb. 27 – 28
ARCA WEST: Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway – Feb. 27 – 28
PLANO, Texas (Feb. 25, 2026) – Team Toyota will be busy this weekend with stock car action across three states. The NASCAR Cup Series and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series head to Circuit of the Americas (COTA), just outside of Austin, Texas, for the first road course race of the season, while the Truck Series debuts on the street circuit of St. Petersburg, Florida, for their first road course as well. The ARCA Menards Series West heads to Kevin Harvick’s Kern Speedway in Southern California, for the first race of their season.
NASCAR National Series – NCS/NOAPS/NCTS
Reddick looks for three-peat to begin 2026 … Tyler Reddick became the sixth driver in Cup Series history to win the first two races of a season, and the first since Matt Kenseth in 2009, after following up his Daytona 500 win with a victory at EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta) on Sunday. Should Reddick claim victory this weekend at COTA, he would be the second driver in the Cup Series’ Next Gen era to win three straight races, joining Christopher Bell who accomplished the feat last season.
23XI Racing holds top-two points spots … After the first two races of the 2026 season, 23XI Racing teammates Reddick (first) and Bubba Wallace (second) lead the Cup Series points standings. Reddick’s two race victories give him a 40-point lead over Wallace, who has two stage wins, along with two top-10 finishes to begin the season. Wallace also leads the Cup Series in laps led through the two races with 86, while Reddick is third with 54 laps led. The teammates are also two of only three drivers to earn top-10 finishes in both races to start the season.
Bell seeks COTA repeat … After a thrilling victory at COTA last year, the first of his four wins in 2025, Christopher Bell returns to the Texas road course in search of a second consecutive triumph this weekend. The Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) driver is also looking for his fourth consecutive top-five finish on a road course, coming off a fifth-place result at Sonoma Raceway, a runner-up at Watkins Glen International and a third-place finish at the Charlotte ROVAL to end the road course stretch last year.
Crews makes O’Reilly debut … Toyota Development Driver Brent Crews will make his debut in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (NOAPS) this weekend at COTA, piloting the No. 19 Toyota GR Supra for JGR. The 17-year-old North Carolina native has had a highly-successful young career, highlighted by championships in late model and SCCA competition, multiple race wins across the ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards Series West, as well as two top-five and three top-10 finishes in 10 Truck Series races last season.
Sawalich returns to favorable road courses … Like Bell in the Cup Series, William Sawalich of JGR seeks to extend a streak of solid finishes on road courses this weekend in COTA. Sawalich ended the 2025 road course slate with a second-place result at Portland International Raceway and a seventh-place finish at the Charlotte ROVAL in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
Franchitti takes on St. Pete … Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner and four-time INDYCAR champion Dario Franchitti is set to pilot the No. 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro for TRICON Garage this weekend at the St. Petersburg, Florida, street course. This will be one of his first professional starts since retiring from full-time racing in 2013. The Scotland native has made one career Truck Series start, coming in 2007 at Martinsville Speedway. He also has 10 career Cup Series starts and 18 NOAPS starts to his credit. Additionally, Jimmie Johnson will crew chief Franchitti this weekend.
NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA Menards Series West/Late Models
Avedisian returns to ARCA … Jade Avedisian will pilot the No. 70 Toyota Camry for Nitro Motorsports in the ARCA Menards Series West race at Kern Raceway this Saturday. The Toyota Development Driver made two starts in the West series last year at The Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring and Phoenix Raceway, as well as a start in the national ARCA series at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds in Illinois. Avedisian has already been victorious in 2026, winning a Super Late Model race at New Smyrna Speedway in Florida earlier this month.
Harvick makes Toyota debut … After announcing a long-term driver development deal with Toyota earlier this week, Keelan Harvick will pilot his No. 62 Toyota Camry for the first time in this week’s CARS TOUR at Southern National Motorsports Park in North Carolina. Harvick will compete in the Pro Late Model class that’ll take the green flag mid-afternoon on Saturday. The 13-year-old has made history in his very short racing career, becoming the youngest winner of the Snowball Derby 125 and winning six overall CARS TOUR races in 2025, as well as winning at Florence Motor Speedway’s Icebreaker earlier this month.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs nearly 48,000 people in the U.S. who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of more than 35 million cars and trucks at our 11 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina began to assemble automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.
For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.
