This Week in Motorsports: September 28-October 4, 2026
NCS/NOAPS: Las Vegas Speedway – October 3-4
ARCA WEST: The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – October 2
PLANO, Texas (Sept. 30, 2026) – TOYOTA RACING makes its second stop of three 1.5-mile ovals in-a-row with a visit to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, while the ARCA Menards Series West is on-track for the second straight week at The Bullring.
NASCAR National Series – NCS/NOAPS
Hamlin looks for third straight Las Vegas victory…Denny Hamlin looks to add yet another Las Vegas victory. The Virginia-native has won the last two races at the track, including his milestone 60th Cup Series victory last fall. Last October, Hamlin took the lead in the closing laps to claim the win, while he was dominant in the spring – leading 134 of 267 laps on his way to victory.
Bell pursues first Las Vegas victory … Christopher Bell continues to pursue his first Las Vegas win despite several close near misses. The Oklahoma-native has won the pole four times and finished in the top-five five times at the track, including three runner-up finishes. Bell sat on the pole, led 31 laps and finished fourth in the Spring.
Joe Gibbs Racing Vegas top-five streak … Joe Gibbs Racing has placed three drivers in the top-five the last two races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, led by Hamlin’s victories in both events. Bell finished third in this race one year ago before being scored in fourth in the Spring. Chase Briscoe was fourth last Fall, while Ty Gibbs added a fifth here in March.
Toyota continue to rank high in point standings … Hamlin and Bell lead six Toyota drivers in the top-10 in the championship battle. Hamlin (second) paces the Toyota contingent in second, with Bell one spot behind in third. Ty Gibbs, Tyler Reddick, and Chase Briscoe rank sixth through eighth in the standings while Bubba Wallace continues to hold down 10th overall.
19 team looks to battle for another Las Vegas win… Toyota Development Driver Brent Crews makes his Las Vegas Motor Speedway debut this weekend, but his team has delivered recently at the track. Briscoe finished second in the Spring, while Aric Almirola won this race one year ago as he paced the field for 107 of the 201 circuits. The Rookie of the Year leader is looking for his first NASCAR O’Reilly Series triumph. Crews is coming off his 10th top-five finish of the season at Bristol Motor Speedway two weeks ago where the 18-year-old finished third.
Taylor Gray climbing standings… Taylor Gray has started the Chase strong with three straight top-10 finishes to climb to a season-high eighth in the point standings. Gray looks to be strong in Las Vegas as well. He finished inside the top-10 in this race last fall and led 21 laps earlier this year before being involved in an accident battling for the race lead.
NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA Menards West
Lovell looks to close season strong … Arizona-native Mia Lovell continues to race close to home as she takes on the newly repaved Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. At Madera on Saturday, Lovell qualified in the top-five and was battling for a top-five finish before having mechanical issues late in the race. She makes her track debut at the Las Vegas Bullring this weekend.
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 approximately 48,000 people in the U.S. who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of more than 36 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.
