NASCAR 2025: Ultimate Guide to Driver Moves and Team News

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January 10, 2025

NASCAR will return to competition on Sunday, February 2nd, 2025, at 8 pm ET with the NASCAR Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. It marks NASCAR’s return to the quarter-mile track for the first time since 1971.

Saturday will feature four 25-lap heats to help determine the starting lineup. To finalize the lineup, there will also be a 75-lap last-chance qualifying race on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET before the main event.

In anticipation of the 2025 season, we’ve got the scoop on the latest driver moves and team news.

*Please check back regularly for updates.

Anthony Alfredo, Beard Motorsports

On Jan. 9, Beard Motorsports announced that Anthony Alfredo will attempt to qualify for the Daytona 500 in the No. 62 Chevrolet with Fortify Building Solutions as a sponsor.

Front Row Motorsports will expand to a three-car team in 2025

Front Row Motorsports confirmed on May 29 that they will expand to a three-car team in 2025.

“We have a very positive outlook on the future of NASCAR, and as the sport plans for success, so do we,” commented Bob Jenkins, Owner of Front Row Motorsports. “Today that means having a plan for expanding back to three cars in the NASCAR Cup Series. I always have the vision to continue to grow and improve our team, and that commitment and desire never changes. I am committed to the sport and its passionate fans and partners.”

Todd Gilliland, Front Row Motorsports Ford

The team announced on June 5 that Todd Gilliland will return to the NASCAR Cup Series with Front Row Motorsports in 2025 after signing a multiyear deal and will move from the No. 38 Ford to the No. 34 Ford. On December 12th, it was announced that Chris Lawson would return to Front Row Motorsports as crew chief for Gilliland.

Noah Gragson, Front Row Motorsports Ford

In July, it was announced that Gragson has signed a multi-year deal with Front Row Motorsports as they expand to three charter teams in 2025. On Jan. 3 it was revealed that Gragson will drive the No. 4 Ford Mustang with Drew Blickensderfer as his crew chief.

“It’s definitely exciting times,” Gragson said during a press conference. “When we started out this year, I didn’t know how I was going to run. I didn’t know if I had the potential to run in the Cup Series just based off how the 2023 season went, and to be able to get my feet underneath me with the opportunity at Stewart-Haas, it definitely opened people’s eyes. And with the challenges that have come about with Stewart-Haas, we were looking for a home for a long time, and that’s when I got introduced to Bob and Jerry [co-owners].”

Zane Smith, Front Row Motorsports Ford

On January 2 the team announced that Zane Smith will return to Front Row Motorsports in 2025 to drive the Cup Series No. 38 Ford. Ryan Bergenty will be his crew chief.

“I’ve always felt at home with Front Row Motorsports,” Smith said “They believed in me when I signed with them to race in the Truck Series initially in 2022 and we shared so much success together, winning six races and a championship in two seasons. Unfortunately, everyone had to make tough decisions because there were only two Cup cars available at Front Row Motorsports going into last season when I was ready to move up full-time. Now, going into next year, Front Row has really taken their Cup program to another level and I cannot think of a better lineup of teammates.”

Garrett Smithley, Garage 66 (Formerly MBM Motorsports)

MBM Motorsports has rebranded their Cup Series team to Garage 66 as of Jan. 16.

Garrett Smithley will drive the No. 66 Ford in the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on Feb. 2 No announcements have been made as to whether the team will attempt to qualify for the Daytona 500, or who the driver will be.

Chandler Smith, Garage 66 (Formerly MBM Motorsports)

It was announced on Jan. 23 that Smith would drive the No. 66 Ford and attempt to qualify for the Daytona 500.

Haas Factory Team (NCS/NXS)

After the news that Stewart-Haas Racing would cease operations at the end of 2024, Gene Haas announced on June 20 that he would field one Cup charter and two Xfinity Series teams under the name Haas Factory Team in 2025.

“My commitment to motorsports hasn’t changed, just the scope of my involvement,” Haas said. “Operating a four-car Cup Series team has become too arduous, but, at the same time, I still need a platform to promote Haas Automation and grow HaasTooling.com.”

On Jan. 7, the team announced Nick Sandler as the competition director for the Cup Series program and Adam Gravitt as the competition director for the Xfinity Series program.

Cole Custer, Haas Factory Team

After two seasons in the Xfinity Series, Cole Custer will return to the Cup Series in 2025 to drive the No. 41 Haas Factory Team Ford.

“I’ve grown up with Haas Automation, and having their name on my firesuit is something I take a tremendous amount of pride in. I’m driven to win for Gene and everyone at Haas Automation because they’ve been such a big part of my career,” Custer said.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Hyak Motorsports (formerly JTG Daugherty)

JTG Daugherty Racing announced in November that they would rebrand with a new name (Hyak Motorsports) under new ownership, effective immediately. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will continue to drive the No. 47 Chevrolet with crew chief, Mike Kelley.

Chris Gabehart, Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing

On November 22nd, Joe Gibbs Racing announced a couple of major changes for next season regarding the No. 11 team. Chris Gabehart, Hamlin’s crew chief for the previous six years, will advance to the role of competition director in 2025. Chris Gayle, Ty Gibbs’s crew chief for the past two seasons, will be Hamlin’s crew chief in 2025.

“Denny is obviously a first-ballot Hall of Famer,” said Gayle. “I’m looking forward to working with him and the guys on the No. 11 team. He and Gabehart have established an incredible culture that is a very good barometer for our other drivers and teams to strive to match. I have all the confidence in the world we can hit the ground running and continue the success that this group is accustomed to in 2025.”

Martin Truex Jr., No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

On June 14, Truex announced his decision to retire from full-time competition at the end of the 2024 season. He will compete in a few select races in 2025, beginning with the Daytona 500.

“It’s been incredible. It’s been a hell of a ride. I’m excited about the future, and I’m not really sure what that looks like yet,” Truex said.

Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

On June 25, ChaseBriscoewas named as Truex’s successor in the NASCAR Cup Series after signing a multiyear contract to drive the No. 19 Toyota beginning in 2025.

“I have to win. Like there’s no excuse not to win,” Briscoe said. “You have to make the playoffs. If you don’t make the playoffs, then there’s no reason I should be driving this race car. So yeah, I definitely think that you have to win races. You have to be running up front consistently, and I think they feel like I’m capable of doing that. But I have to show that, so hopefully, that’s what I can do.”

Tyler Allen, Joe Gibbs Racing

On December 2nd, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Tyler Allen will move from crew chief of the No. 20 Toyota in the Xfinity Series to crew chief for Ty Gibbs and the No. 54 team in the Cup Series in 2025.

“It’s an honor to be named crew chief for Ty Gibbs and the 54 Team as we head into the 2025 season,” said Allen. “This opportunity has been a dream of mine since starting here at JGR 10 years ago, and I’m thankful for the support and guidance I’ve received from my mentors, teammates, and everyone along the way. Ty has shown a lot of speed and potential the last two years, and I look forward to building on that experience to get the 54 car in victory lane.”

Justin Allgaier, JR Motorsports

JR Motorsports announced on Jan. 15 that they will attempt to qualify for the Daytona 500 in the No. 40 Chevrolet with driver Justin Allgaier and make their Cup Series debut. Greg Ives will be Allgaier’s crew chief and they will have sponsorship from Chris Stapleton’s Traveller Whiskey.

AJ Allmendinger, Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

Allmendinger will return to the Cup Series in 2025 to drive full-time for Kaulig Racing and will drive the No. 16 Chevrolet.

Ty Dillon, Kaulig Racing

It was announced on September 28th that Ty Dillon will drive the No. 10 Chevrolet full-time for Kaulig Racing in 2025.

“I am incredibly grateful for another opportunity to run full-time in the Cup Series, and to be able to do it with the men and women at Kaulig Racing means a lot to me personally,” said Dillon. “They gave me a chance this year to go out and prove myself in a handful of starts. The team and I were able to connect early on, and we put together a few strong runs in the No. 16. I’m really looking forward to what 2025 brings with this team. We have a bright future ahead of us and we’re going to give it our all each and every race next season.”

Erik Jones, LEGACY Motor Club Toyota

The team confirmed that Jones will return to drive the No. 43 LEGACY Motor Club Toyota entry after signing a multiyear deal with the team. Jones will continue to pilot the coveted 43 Toyota Camry XSE for the 2025 NASCAR season and beyond.

“I’m looking forward to what we can build at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB. I’ve been with the No. 43 car for a handful of years and feel like I’m coming into some of the best years of my career. I am hoping to grow alongside LEGACY M.C. in the seasons to come,” said Jones.

Jimmie Johnson, LEGACY Motor Club

On Jan. 16, Jimmie Johnson confirmed that he will attempt to qualify for the 2025 Daytona 500 in the No. 84 Legacy Motor Club Toyota. He has also signed up for the Memorial Day Weekend Coca-Cola 600 on May 25, his second of two planned appearances. If he qualifies for both events, it will give him 700 career starts.

Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing

On Nov. 20, Richard Childress Racing announced that Austin Dillon will be paired with a new crew chief in 2025 as Richard Boswell takes over on the pit box for the No. 3 Cup Series Chevy. Bass Pro Shops and Winchester confirmed on Jan. 17 that they will sponsor Dillon for 17 races this season.

Jesse Love, Richard Childress Racing

Richard Childress Racing confirmed on October 31st that Love will be back to drive the No. 2 Xfinity Series Chevrolet in 2025.

“I’ll always be grateful that we were able to give Whelen their first NASCAR win earlier this season (2024) and I know we have more victories in our future together,” said Jesse Love.

Tim Brown, Rick Ware Racing

Rick Ware Racing announced on November 17th that Bowman Gray Stadium star Tim Brown, the track’s all-time wins leader (101 Modified Division victories), will drive the Rick Ware Racing No. 15 Ford and attempt to qualify for the Clash exhibition race on February 2nd at the quarter-mile oval.

Corey LaJoie, Rick Ware Racing

On Jan. 27, the team announced that LaJoie will run a limited schedule during the 2025 Cup Series season in the No. 01 Ford Mustang, beginning with the Daytona 500. He will also join the Prime Video 5-race Cup Series broadcast team as an analyst.

Matt McCall, RFK Racing

On November 7th, RFK Racing announced that Matt McCall would not return as crew chief for the No. 6 Ford driven by Brad Keselowski in 2025.

Jeremy Bullins, RFK Racing

Brad Keselowski will have a new crew chief next year. On Nov. 21, RFK Racing announced that Jeremy Bullins will be Keselowski’s crew chief in 2025. Bullins and Keselowski worked together for two seasons (2020 and 2021) at Team Penske and captured five wins.

“I’m excited and grateful for the opportunity to work with BK again, this time in the iconic No. 6 car with RFK,” said Bullins. “We were able to accomplish a lot as a team previously, but we had a couple of unfinished goals like a Daytona 500 win and a championship together and I’m ecstatic we get the opportunity to compete together again. From the outside looking in it’s been obvious the trajectory RFK is on, and I look forward to being part of the growth and future success of the team.”

Ryan Preece, RFK Racing

On November 19th, RFK Racing announced that Ryan Preece will drive the No. 60 Ford full-time in 2025. Kroger will also move its sponsorship from JTG Daugherty Racing to sponsor all of the RFK Racing teams (Preece, Keselowski, and Buescher).

“I’m a racer. I’m somebody that wants to win races. I want to compete for championships. My entire career has certainly been unorthodox, but I have unfinished business, and I want to win really bad,” said Preece. “I’m eager and ready to get to the Clash and get to Daytona and finish out that goal.”

Veteran Derrick Finley was announced as Preece’s crew chief on Jan. 14. Finley has over 20 years of experience in NASCAR on the pit box and in various roles throughout the NASCAR organization.

Brad Keselowski, co-owner and driver for RFK Racing said, “His experience and technical knowledge of the sport will play a crucial role in the initial development and growth of the No. 60 team.”

Michael McDowell, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

On May 8, Spire Motorsports announced they had signed a multiyear contract with Michael McDowell to drive the No. 71 full-time.

“This is a new chapter for my family and me, and we’re incredibly thankful for the opportunity that’s in front of us,” said McDowell. “It’s going to take some hard work, but I feel like everything is in place for us to be successful as a race team, to win races and contend for championships. People are the greatest asset to any organization, and with Spire’s vision, ambition, knowledge, and dedication, we will achieve great things. Failure is not an option, and that’s the mindset that it will take to achieve our goals.”

Rodney Childers, Spire Motorsports

After the announcement that Stewart-Haas Racing would cease operations at the end of the 2024 season, Spire Motorsports hired Rodney Childers as the crew chief for the No. 7 team (Justin Haley) beginning in 2025. The current crew chief, Ryan Sparks, will move to the role of competition director.

“I think the biggest thing is seeing how Spire Motorsports has grown over the last couple of years,” said Childers. “They are investing in people, and that’s what makes a difference these days. We all buy the same chassis, bodies, and parts. What makes a difference is the people. Spire continues to invest in the people within the team, and they seek out good people to add depth to an already strong group.”

Justin Haley, Spire Motorsports

Spire Motorsports announced on September 20th that Haley had signed a multi-year contract to drive the No. 7 Chevrolet.

“Spire Motorsports gave me my first few starts in the Cup Series,” said Haley. “My first was in the No. 77 at Talladega on my 20th birthday. We had a lot of great runs in our first year together in 2019, and there’s still a lot of familiar faces around there who were on the team back then. I’m excited to come home. This is where I got my start in the Cup Series, and I’m excited to go out there and compete with (crew chief) Ryan Sparks and the No. 7 team. The next seven races will give us a nice head start and a baseline for next season.”

Haley began driving the No. 7 Chevy Camaro at the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway while Corey LaJoie finished the 2024 season in Rick Ware Racing’s No. 51 entry.

Matt McCall and Dax Gerringer, Spire Motorsports

On November 25th, Spire Motorsports announced that veteran crew chief Matt McCall will join the team as Director of Vehicle Performance. Dax Gerringer, the former lead engineer at Stewart-Haas Racing, will join the organization as Technical Director.

“This is a great addition for our team and one that means a lot to me, personally,” said Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson. “Matt is a longtime friend, one of my first handful of NASCAR clients I had when I was a young agent, and we’ve always shared the same view of how race cars work and race teams operate. I’m happy the stars finally aligned for us to work together, and I look forward to adding him to an already impressive group for 2025.”

Stewart-Haas Racing will close at the end of the 2024 season (NCS/NXS)

Stewart-Haas Racing announced on May 28 that the team would cease operations at the end of the 2024 season and sell its four charters. In 2008, NASCAR Hall of Famer Stewart joined forces with Haas to form SHR for its inaugural season in 2009, starting with a two-car team with drivers Stewart and Ryan Newman with a technical alliance with Hendrick Motorsports.

“We have made the difficult decision to close Stewart-Haas Racing at the conclusion of the 2024 season. It is a decision that did not come easily, nor was it made quickly. Racing is a labor-intensive, humbling sport. It requires unwavering commitment and vast resources, with a 365-day mindset to be better than everyone else. It’s part of what makes success so rewarding. But the commitment needed to extract maximum performance while providing sustainability is incredibly demanding, and we’ve reached a point in our respective personal and business lives where it’s time to pass the torch.”

Daniel Suárez, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Trackhouse Racing announced on Friday, August 9th, that Daniel Suárez will return as the No. 99 Chevrolet driver in 2025, marking their fifth season together.

“Trackhouse is home to me, and I have enjoyed every minute I have been here,” said Suárez. “We plan to keep working, growing, and winning more races. We can only do that with the support of my Amigos and Amigas at Freeway Insurance. They have backed me for the last several years and we have grown close with their customers and employees.”

Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing

Shane van Gisbergen will transition from the Xfinity Series to drive the No. 88 Chevrolet full-time in the Cup Series for Trackhouse Racing in 2025.

“This is what I have planned for, and I am ready,” van Gisbergen said. “I know there is a tough learning curve ahead, but the best way to learn is to go out and do it.” He added, “I feel I have made progress running the Xfinity Series this year with Kaulig Racing, and I can’t thank everyone there enough. I look forward to the Cup Series. Those drivers and teams are the best in the world, and it will be an honor to be part of their races.”

On Jan. 23 it was announced that Red Bull would serve as the official energy drink of Trackhouse Racing and the primary partner on Shane van Gisbergen’s No. 88 Chevrolet in five NASCAR Cup Series races.

Connor Zilisch, Trackhouse Racing

Trackhouse Racing also announced on Jan. 23 that Zilisch will make his Cup Series debut at Circuit of the Americas on March 2 in the No. 87 Chevrolet with Red Bull as his primary sponsor. As noted below, Zilisch is racing full-time in the Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports.

Martin Truex Jr., TRICON Garage

On Jan. 16, TRICON Garage announced that Martin Truex Jr. will attempt the Daytona 500 in the No. 56 Cup Series car with technical support from Joe Gibbs Racing. Cole Pearn will serve as the crew chief for the entry.

Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing

23XI Racing confirmed on September 26th that Wallace has signed a multiyear renewal to drive No. 23 Chevrolet in 2025 “and beyond.”

“From day one Bubba has been an integral part of 23XI,” said a statement on social media. “We’re excited to announce that he has signed a multi-year renewal and will continue to play a key role in helping 23XI grow and succeed. #ForwardTogether”

Riley Herbst, 23XI Racing

On November 21st, 23XI Racing announced that Herbst will join the team in the No. 35 Toyota as their third full-time driver in 2025.

“It’s an honor to join 23XI and Toyota for the opportunity to race in the Cup Series each week,” Herbst said. “Racing full-time in the Cup Series has been my goal since I started in NASCAR, and I’m excited to start my Cup career with such an accomplished and driven team. What 23XI has accomplished in a short time is impressive,e and I look forward to building on their success as the organization grows. It’s also great to continue representing Monster and I’m excited about adding to their legacy in NASCAR.”

Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing Ford

Josh Berry will drive for Wood Brothers Racing in 2025. He replaces Harrison Burton in the No. 21 Ford, who will move to the Xfinity Series with AM Racing next season.

“First and foremost just the history, the heritage, the family atmosphere that the Wood Brothers provide. It just really feels like a great fit for me. I feel like I fit their brand, and who they are and how I’ve gotten here, and how they’ve gotten here. I feel like this is a great fit. I’ve really enjoyed my relationship with Ford, and to continue that on was something that’s important to me, and I appreciate, and I’m thankful to have that opportunity. It just really means a lot to drive an iconic car like the 21. I feel like it’s a great opportunity for me. I feel ready to provide results, and I think that all in all, it’s gonna be a great relationship.” Berry said.

A longtime employee of Team Penske and seasoned race engineer in the NASCAR Cup Series, Miles Stanley will transition to Wood Brothers Racing in 2025 to serve as crew chief of the famed No. 21 Ford Mustang with driver Berry.

Parker Retzlaff, Alpha Prime Racing

On December 18th Alpha Prime Racing confirmed that Retzlaff will pilot the No. 4 Chevrolet full-time in 2025. Joe Williams was announced as his crew chief on Dec. 20. Sponsorship details have not been released. Rettzlaff joins Brennan Poole who returns for a second season in the No. 44 Chevrolet.

“We all want to win races, be consistent, and prove we’re here to compete,” Retzlaff said in a press release. “Everyone here has told me how much they believe in me and what I can do.”

Hailie Deegan and AM Racing Ford “Part Ways”

After competing in the first 17 Xfinity races of 2024 in the No. 15 Ford, it was announced on July 8th that Deegan and AM Racing had decided to “part ways effective immediately.” On October 14th, she issued a statement sharing her decision to move to open-wheel cars and compete in a full season next year in Indy NXT, an IndyCar development program, with HMD Motorsports.

“This year, I took the opportunity to hop into the F3 car. And it was one of the coolest experiences I honestly had. I just fell in love with it. One thing went to the next literally, and I went to a few Indycar races I think. Being in the pit sparked so much conversation so I flew up to Indie, checked out a few shops, met with a few of the teams, met with HMD, and I am so excited to be a part of HMD Motorsports.”

Harrison Burton, AM Racing

On September 20th, AM Racing announced that Harrison Burton would join the team to compete full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2025 after three seasons in the Cup Series with Wood Brothers Racing.

Nick Sanchez, Big Machine Racing

Sanchez will move from the Truck Series to drive full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2025 for Big Machine Racing.

“This is a huge opportunity for me,” Sanchez said Wednesday in a virtual conference. “When I look at the [Xfinity] schedule and when I look at the places I need to improve as a driver, I think it just offers more for me. I’m excited to get to the race track next year and try to collect trophies for Scott and the whole team. This team has everything to be successful. I look forward to plugging into the team and chasing trophies.”

“I’m excited to join AM Racing and help build it into the race-winning race team I believe it can and will be,” said Burton. “I think this will be a great opportunity for me to take the things I’ve learned in the Cup Series, bring those to the Xfinity Series, and be the best driver I can be. It’s a blessing to continue my NASCAR journey, and I intend to make the most of this opportunity.”

Cope Family Racing

On Jan. 2, it was announced that Cope Family Racing (CFR) will debut in 2025 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Daytona International Speedway in the No. 70 Chevrolet. The team is a family-owned organization with Derrike Cope as the team’s General Manager. Driving duties will be split between Leland Honeyman Jr. (17 races) and Thomas Annunziata. Honeyman will begin the season in the driver’s seat for the season-opener at Daytona.

“I’m excited to join Cope Family Racing as they launch their NASCAR Xfinity Series program,” said Honeyman. “It’s an honor to be part of a team with such a racing legacy, and I can’t wait to contribute to this new chapter in their history book. I’m ready to take on 2025 and continue chasing success on the track.”

“I’m super excited to be racing part-time with CFR in 2025,” Annunziata responded. “Derrike Cope and the Cope Family are rich in NASCAR experience from his driving days and running the team for StarCom Racing in the Cup Series. Although it’s a new team, CFR has assembled an experienced group to compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. I’m ready and more motivated than ever to be a part of this exciting project. Time to go to work.”

Ryan Ellis, DGM Racing

DGM Racing announced on October 18th that Ellis will drive full-time next season in the Xfinity Series.

“Chatting with Mario (Mario Gosselin, team owner) about his plans for the program in 2025 convinced me that joining DGM was something I couldn’t pass up. He’s a racer, and his enthusiasm was immediately contagious,” Ellis states. “I have so much respect for what the Gosselin family has built, and I hope that we can turn some heads together next year. I’ve seen just how high the potential is at DGM, and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”

Sam Mayer, Sheldon Creed, Haas Factory Team

Haas Factory Team announced on August 17th that Mayer (No. 41 Ford) and Sheldon Creed (No. 00 Ford) will complete their Xfinity Series driver lineup for 2025. Crew chief Jonathan Toney will be paired with Creed, and Jason Trinchere will be on the pit box for Sam Mayer. On Jan. 7, the team announced Adam Gravitt as the competition director for the Xfinity Series program.

“I’ve won in every division I’ve raced in, and I feel like I’ve earned my place in the Xfinity Series, but that’s not enough. I want to win in the Xfinity Series,” said Creed, who currently drives for Joe Gibbs Racing. He continued, “I watched what Cole Custer did last year on his way to the Xfinity Series championship and when I talked with him about the set-up of the organization, everything he said resonated with me. I feel like Haas Factory Team is a place where I can succeed and where Sam and I can work together to win races and be championship contenders.”

“The Xfinity Series is a really great place to learn and grow and get yourself ready for the NASCAR Cup Series,” Mayer said. “Cup is my ultimate goal, and to really push myself to become the kind of driver who can succeed in Cup, I needed to get out of my comfort zone, challenge myself, and hone my race skills so that when that Cup moment comes, I’m ready. The Haas team got Cole Custer ready for his moment and it’s a place that will help get me and Sheldon ready for our moments.”

Corey Day, Hendrick Motorsports

Hendrick Motorsports announced on Jan. 9 that they have signed a multiyear agreement with Corey Day. He will compete in approximately 30 pavement races across the Xfinity Series, CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, ARCA Series and the Trans-Am Series with sponsorship from HendrickCars.com.

Mark Setzer, Jeremy Clements Racing

On December 12th, the team announced that Mark Setzer would not return as crew chief in 2025. Kase Kallenbach will replace Setzer as the crew chief for the No. 51 team.

“Mark [Setzer] has done a lot to help grow our program here at JCR. We have had some memorable moments with him on the pit box for sure, and I am grateful for all his hard work over the last four seasons. We wish him nothing but the best in whatever comes next.” said Jeremy Clements.

Brandon Jones, Joe Gibbs Racing

Jones will return to Joe Gibbs Racing after signing a multiyear contract on September 3rd to drive full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2025. He drove for JGR from 2018 to 2022 and, most recently, for JR Motorsports (2023, 2024).

“I’m beyond excited to be returning to Joe Gibbs Racing and rejoining the Toyota Racing family,” said Jones. “My time with JGR was some of the most rewarding of my career, and I’m eager to build on that success as we chase more wins and a championship together. I’m ready to hit the ground running and make the most of this incredible opportunity.”

Taylor Gray, Joe Gibbs Racing

Taylor Gray will race full-time in 2025, driving the No. 54 Toyota in the Xfinity Series.

“I am very thankful for this opportunity,” Gray said. “I feel like I have learned a lot in the races I have run this year, and we can build on that next season. Being able to work with Tyler (Allen, crew chief) and these guys for a few races has been a great head start on next season and getting that chemistry going, so I’m really excited about what we can do running together full-time.”

William Sawalich, Joe Gibbs Racing

On October 21st, Joe Gibbs Racing confirmed that William Sawalich will compete full-time in the No. 18 Toyota in the Xfinity Series next season.

“I am honored to be driving the No. 18 full-time in the Xfinity Series next year,” Sawalich said. “It has been really cool to drive for Joe Gibbs Racing (ARCA Series), and I feel like I have developed so much as a driver over the past two years. I still have a lot to learn, especially with moving to a new series, so I am looking forward to taking this next step in racing.”

Justin Bonsignore, Joe Gibbs Racing

Justin Bonsignore will return to Joe Gibbs Racing to pilot the No. 19 Toyota for five NASCAR Xfinity Series races in 2025. He made his Xfinity Series debut with the team in 2024 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Greg Van Alst, Joey Gase Motorsports with Scott Osteen

Joey Gase Motorsports confirmed on December 16th that the team has signed ARCA Menards Series veteran, Greg Van Alst, to compete in most of the 2025 Xfinity Series races in the No. 35 Chevrolet. His first race will be the United Rentals 300 at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, February 14, 2025.

“I am thrilled about this opportunity to compete in most of the NASCAR Xfinity Series season with Joey Gase Motorsports with Scott Osteen,” said Van Alst. “This is an essential step in my racing career, and with a tunneled vision focused on the Xfinity Series, I believe I can step up to the plate and not only be competitive but also produce some strong finishes that can propel our team into the spotlight. I’m ready to get to work and make the most out of the opportunity to make my NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Daytona in about two months.”

Austin Green, Jordan Anderson Racing

Green will return to Jordan Anderson Racing to run a partial Xfinity Series schedule in the No. 32 Chevrolet focusing on road courses and short tracks.

Connor Zilisch, JR Motorsports

On August 7th, JR Motorsports announced thatZilisch will join the team in 2025 to drive the No. 88 Chevrolet full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with veteran crew chief Mardy Lindley.

“There’s a lot of good Chevrolet-affiliated teams with Kaulig and RCR (Richard Childress Racing), but at the end of the day, when you look at the Cup Series and the guys who have come through JR Motorsports and gone to the Cup Series, I feel like they’ve had the most success. And I do think there’s a lot of really good resources at JR Motorsports that I’ll be able to go and learn from as we look on to the years to come. I feel like I’m in a really good spot with a lot of great people around me that’ll help guide me in the right direction as I get into the Xfinity Series next year.”

JR Motorsports Drivers/Crew Chiefs

Jim Pohlman will return to the No. 7 team with Justin Allgaier.
Phillip Bell will move to the No. 8 team with Sammy Smith.
Andrew Overstreet will be on the No. 1 pit box with rookie driver Carson Kvapil.
Mardy Lindley will join the No. 88 team as crew chief for Connor Zilisch.
Corey Shea joins the No. 9 part-time All-Star entry team as crew chief for nine races with Trackhouse Racing’s Chastain and van Gisbergen.

Daniel Dye, Kaulig Racing

On August 23rd, Kaulig Racing announced that Dye will drive the team’s No. 10 Xfinity Series Chevrolet full-time in 2025.

“I’ve really enjoyed driving the Xfinity car this year, and I’m excited for the opportunity to continue working with Kaulig Racing in 2025,” said Daniel Dye. “It’s been a fun experience learning the car and trying to navigate the different feeling compared to the truck. I’m looking forward to finishing out the season, running for the Truck Championship and making the most of my remaining races in the No. 10.”

Christian Eckes, Kaulig Racing

On August 31st Kaulig Racing announced that Eckes will move from the Craftsman Truck Series to drive the team’s No. 16 Chevrolet full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2025.

“Just super excited for this opportunity,” Eckes said. “This is something I feel like it’s been a long time coming, and to do it with Kaulig Racing, Chris (Rice, team president), Matt (Kaulig, team owner) and so many great teammates as well is something that I’m really looking forward to. Obviously, have a lot to achieve this year still, but very excited for the future. Just ready to get to work.”

Kaulig Racing, Crew Chief Lineup

Kaulig Racing revealed their Xfinity Series crew chief lineup on December 19th. Kevin Walter will be paired with Daniel Dye (No. 10 Chevrolet), Eddie Pardue with Josh Williams (No. 11 Chevrolet), and Alex Yontz with Christian Eckes (No. 16 Chevrolet).

Tyler Tomassi, No. 66, MBM Motorsports

MBM Motorsports announced today (Jan 15) that Tyler Tomassi will drive the No. 66 Ford Mustang in two NASCAR Xfinity Series events in 2025 – Martinsville Speedway in March and Bristol Motor Speedway in April.

Kris Wright, Our Motorsports

On November 20th, Wright announced he would drive the No. 5 Chevrolet full-time in 2025. He will replace Anthony Alfredo.

“I am thrilled to join Our Motorsports for the 2025 season,” said Kris Wright. “I’m equally excited to make my return to the NASCAR Xfinity Series and look forward to hitting the road for 33 weeks to take on the challenges of a full season together.”

Dean Thompson, Sam Hunt Racing

On Jan. &, Sam Hunt Racing announced that Dean Thompson will pilot the No. 26 Toyota full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2025.

“I’m very excited to join the Sam Hunt Racing group and continue to pursue my dreams in NASCAR,” Thompson said. “The team made me feel at home after the two races we shared last year. Everything clicked with us, and we are both in a spot where we could fulfill each other’s needs to help our growth as a race team and driver. I’m lucky to have this opportunity to take the next step, which most can only dream of reaching, and I’m grateful to share it with such an awesome group of people.”

Garrett Smithley, SS-Greenlight Racing

SS-Greenlight Racing announced on Mon., November 19th, that Garrett Smithley will return to the team in 2025 and compete full-time in the No. 14 Chevrolet with crew chief, Jason Mille and will be sponsored by Trophy Tractor.

“I’m incredibly excited and grateful to be a full-time driver at SS-Greenlight Racing,” Smithley said in a team release. “I haven’t been full-time since 2019, so beyond excited to get to work with Bobby (Dotter, owner) and Jason Miller (crew chief). Daytona can’t come soon enough!”

SS-Greenlight Racing, No. 07

On Jan. 16 the team announced that Patrick Emerling, Alex Labbe and Nick Leitz will split SS-Greenlight Racing’s No. 07 entry for the 2025 Xfinity Series season. Emerling will compete in the season opener at Daytona.

Matt DiBenedetto, Viking Motorsports

On Jan. 16 Viking Motorsports announced that DiBenedetto will drive the No. 99 (new car number) for Viking Motorsports again in 2025 for a full Xfinity Series season with Pat Tryson as crew chief.

Anthony Alfredo, Young’s Motorsports

On Jan. 12 Young’s Motorsports announced that Anthony Alfredo will drive the No. 42 Chevrolet full-time in the 2025 Xfinity Series with sponsors Dude Wipes and RANDCO.

Chandler Smith, Front Row Motorsports

On December 12th, Front Row Motorsports announced that Chandler Smith had signed with them for the 2025 season as they expanded to add a second entry to their Truck Series lineup. He joins returning Rookie of the Year, Layne Riggs. The Truck number and sponsors for Smith will be announced later.

“I’m excited to join Front Row Motorsports truck program,” said Smith. “They are a top contender in the Truck Series and have proven so with championships and wins. I like what they are building here and am honored to have the opportunity to add to it. We are getting a bit of a late start, but I am excited about the caliber of talent we are talking to in being a part of this program for 2025.”

Daniel Hemric, McAnally-Hilgemann Racing

McAnally-Hilgemann Racing announced on November 20th that Hemric will drive the No. 19 Chevrolet full-time in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2025, replacing Christian Eckes.

“This is a great opportunity for me to compete for wins and chase another championship,” Hemric said. “Thanks to Bill McAnally, Bill Hilgemann, NAPA, Chevrolet and everyone involved for the opportunity. It’s a big milestone season to be a part of with NAPA’s 100th anniversary and the 35th year of Bill’s partnership with them. We’re going to do everything we can to get the NAPA Auto Care Chevrolet in victory lane and be in contention for a championship.”

Tyler Ankrum, McAnally-Hilgemann

On November 25th, the team confirmed that Ankrum will return to drive the No. 18 Chevrolet with crew chief Mark Hillman. It will be his seventh season in the Truck Series.

“I’m really glad to be staying at MHR with Mark and the entire LIUNA team,” Ankrum said in a released statement. “This last year was probably the best of my career with the consistency we showed throughout the season. Making the playoffs was a huge goal for us and we were in the mix all the way to Martinsville, so we want to take another step and make it to Phoenix in 2025. We all want to get back to victory lane, and I think keeping this group together and continuing to develop as a team will help us get there.”

Connor Mosack, McAnally-Hilgemann Racing

On December 3rd, McAnally-Hilgemann Racing announced that Mosack had been signed to drive the No. 81 Chevrolet in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2025. Mosack’s resume includes 11 starts in the Truck Series and 28 in the Xfinity Series throughout his career.

“I’m ecstatic to start 2025 with everybody at MHR and want to continue this team’s success in the playoffs,” Mosack said. “All four MHR teams had great performances this past year, so this is a big opportunity to race with a winning organization. It’s great to continue being part of Team Chevy and appreciate NAPA Nightvison and everyone at MHR for making this a reality. I’m looking forward to working with Blake and we want to become one of the weekly contenders, compete for wins, and lock ourselves in the playoffs.”

Jack Wood, McAnally-Hilgemann Racing

McAnally-Hilgemann Racing (MHR) announced on December 3rd that Jack Wood will return to the team in 2025 to compete in the Truck Series full-time in the No. 91 Chevrolet Silverado with crew chief Kevin Bellicourt.

“I’m definitely thankful and excited to be back at MHR next season,” Wood said in a released statement. “We had a lot of bright spots this past season and have a great foundation to build on. I have a lot of trust in Kevin [Bellicourt], [team owner] Bill [McAnally], and everyone at MHR, so that makes me excited for what’s ahead of us next year. It’s great to have Adaptive One Calipers board with us and looking forward to activating with their customers throughout the season.”

Kaden Honeycutt, Niece Motorsports

On Oct. 1, Kaden Honeycutt was announced as the full-time driver of the No. 45 Chevrolet for Niece Motorsports in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2025. It will be his first full-time ride in a national series.

“I can’t even begin to tell you how much this opportunity means to me,” Honeycutt said. “Before I got connected with Al (Niece) and Cody (Efaw), last year, I thought my career was over. Both of them took a big chance on me leading into this year and it’s kept me hungry to make them proud. My group of guys on the No. 45 team have become brothers to me, and we’ve been able to share such a good relationship.”

Christian Rose, Niece Motorsports

On December 16th, Niece Motorsports announced that Christian Rose would move up from the ARCA Menards Series to drive the team’s No. 44 Chevrolet Silverado full-time in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2025.

“For me, it’s a huge opportunity to make the jump from the ARCA Series,” said Rose. “I got my feet wet a little bit in the Truck Series a few years ago, but I believe in everything that we have going on in this building and am very excited to get to Daytona. The speed that we’ve seen from this team is a big reason why we signed our deal, and I’m just excited to make that transition. I think if we do the right things and show up and put the work in, we can have a lot of great things to look forward to next year.”

Dawson Sutton, Rackley W.A.R.

On October 17th, Rackley W.A.R. announced that Sutton would compete full-time in the Craftsman Truck Series next year in the No. 25.

“This is really a phenomenal opportunity,” he said. “I’ve dreamed for this day to come, and my goal is to make it to NASCAR’s Cup Series that represents the best of the best. It’s all a little hard to believe right now, but I know I have a big job to do, and that’s exactly how I look at it.”

Frankie Muniz, Reaume Brothers Racing

Reaume Brothers confirmed on October 22nd that Muniz will race the No. 33 Ford full-time in 2025.

Cody Dennison, Reaume Brothers Racing

On Jan. 21, Reaume Brothers Racing announced that Dennison will drive the No. 2 Ford in the Craftsman Truck Series part-time in 2025. He will make his debut at Martinsville Speedway on March 28th.

Tyler Tomassi, Reaume Brothers Racing

Reaume Brothers Racing announced on Jan. 14 that Tomassi would return and run two Craftsman Truck Series races in the No. 2 Ford. He will compete at Nashville Superspeedway on May 30 and Bristol Motor Speedway on Sept. 11.

Rajah Caruth, Spire Motorsports

On December 13th, Spire Motorsports confirmed that Caruth will return to Spire Motorsports in 2025 to drive the No. 71 Chevrolet for a second season in the Craftsman Truck Series with sponsorship from HendrickCars.com.

“It is great to have a home and stability heading into next year,” Caruth said in a released statement. “I believe this is the first time in my career I won’t be with a new team or competing in a different series at the start of the season. I really appreciate the opportunity [owners] Jeff [Dickerson] and T.J. [Puchyr] have given me, and I’m excited to continue preparations for 2025. Our organization has really grown over the past year, and we have shown what we are capable of. We have set the bar high for the season, and the expectation is to win more races and compete for a championship.”

Corey Heim, Tricon Garage

On November 7th, it was announced that Heim will return in 2025 to drive the No. 11 Toyota for the team along with crew chief, Scott Zipadelli.

“I am excited to be back with TRICON for my third full-time year,” said Heim. He continued, saying, “I have developed so much alongside this organization in the last two years, and we have made some incredible memories along the way. I can’t wait to continue this journey in 2025 with my No. 11 crew.”

Tanner Gray, Tricon Garage

Tricon Garage confirmed on November 18 that Gray will return to drive the Craftsman Truck Series No. 15 Toyota full-time in 2025.

“TRICON has become a second home to me, and I am looking forward to another year as the driver of the 15,” said Gray. “I feel like we have some unfinished business after this past season, and I am as motivated as ever to compete in the postseason in 2025.”

Toni Breidinger, Tricon Garage

Tricon Garage announced on November 26th that Toni Breidinger will advance from the ARCA Menards Series to drive the team’s No. 5 Toyota full-time next year in the Craftsman Truck Series.

“Racing full-time with TRICON is a dream for me. It’s been a 15-year process to get here but I’m so excited for this moment and ready to capitalize on it,” Breidinger said. “I wouldn’t have this opportunity if it wasn’t for Toyota, Raising Cane’s, CELSIUS, and Sunoco. I’m beyond grateful to have these partners and team in my corner to take this next step in my career.”

Gio Ruggiero, Tricon Garage

On December 2nd, Tricon Garage announced that Gio Ruggiero, who claimed nine top 10s in the ARCA Menards Series in 2024, will drive the team’s No. 17 Toyota in 2025. Ruggiero earned nine top 10s in the ARCA Menards Series in 2024.

“I am super thankful to have the opportunity to run full-time with TRICON in 2025,” said Ruggiero. “I look forward to getting to work with all of the guys on the 17 team and contending for wins this season.”

Tricon Garage, No. 1 “All-Star” Entry

William Sawalich will begin the season as the driver of the No. 1 at Daytona International Speedway. He will also race at Atlanta Motor Speedway (Feb. 22), Las Vegas Motor Speedway (March 14), Nashville Superspeedway (May 30) and Watkins Glen International (Aug. 8).

Brandon Jones will drive the No. 1 for seven races, beginning at Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 21. His schedule also includes the Bristol Motor Speedway spring race on April 11, Rockingham Speedway (April 18), Texas Motor Speedway (May 2), Kansas Speedway (May 10), Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 23) and Pocono Raceway (June 20).

Brent Crews will make nine starts beginning at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 17 and followed by Lime Rock Park (June 28), Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (July 25), Richmond Raceway (Aug. 15), Bristol (fall, Sept. 11), New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Sept. 20), Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval (Oct. 3), Martinsville (fall, Oct. 24), and the season finale at Phoenix Raceway (Oct. 31).

Lawless Alan will compete in four races in 2025 – Martinsville (spring, March 28), Michigan International Speedway (June 7), Darlington Raceway (Aug. 30) and Talladega Superspeedway (Oct. 17). Jake Hampton will lead the No. 1 team on the pit box.

TRICON Garage, Crew Chief Lineup

On December 16th, TRICON Garage announced its crew chief lineup for the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Scott Zipadelli will return to lead the No. 11 team with rookie driver, Gio Ruggiero. Jeff Hensley will return and transition to the No. 15 team with driver, Tanner Gray. Jerame Donley will lead the No. 17 team with rookie Gio Ruggiero, and Derek Smith will serve as crew chief for Toni Breidinger in her first full-time season in the No. 5. Matt Puccia will be back as the team’s competition director.

Young’s Motorsports, Nathan Byrd

Young’s Motorsports announced on Jan. 27 that Byrd will drive the team’s No. 02 Chevrolet in a minimum of 15 during the 2025 season beginning with the season-opener at Daytona.

Young’s Motorsports, Stefan Parsons

On Jan. 27, Young’s Motorsports also revealed that Stefan Parsons will join the organization in 2025. His schedule will be announced at a later date.

Chase Briscoe ‘frustrated’ on falling short of Kansas victory

By

Andrew Kim

-

September 27, 2026

20260927184050-19a7ba49-me — Photo by Ron Olds for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Chase Briscoe had a late opportunity to spoil Kyle Larson’s dominant run spoiled for himself in the closing laps that ultimately cost him a victory in the 2026 Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, September 27.

The two-time Southern 500 champion from Mitchell, Indiana, started in 23rd place per a qualifying metric formula after inclement weather canceled on-track qualifying initially planned for Saturday, September 26. During the early laps of the event on Sunday, Briscoe managed to navigate his No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE entry up into 15th place prior to a competition caution that flew on Lap 35. After pitting with the field and restarting in 14th place on Lap 40, Briscoe only managed to gain two spots on the track before the first stage period concluded on Lap 80.

Restarting in 10th place to commence the second stage period on Lap 86, Briscoe dodged two early cautions (Lap 113 and Lap 123 restart) by remaining above the top-10 mark on the track. As Briscoe continued to steadily march his way closer to the front, he accumulated seven critical stage points by finishing in fourth place at the second stage’s conclusion on Lap 165.

For the third and final stage period that started with 96 laps remaining, Briscoe restarted alongside Larson on the front row. He then spent a lap outdueling Austin Cindric for the runner-up spot before he reeled in on Larson for the lead a lap after. Despite Briscoe’s charge, he was unable to execute his runs to draw alongside Larson and challenge the latter for the lead. Even as Briscoe strategically pitted from the runner-up spot under green with 52 laps remaining, Larson managed to blend in front of Briscoe and enter pit road first, with Larson just exiting pit road ahead of Briscoe.

Then with 31 laps remaining, an opportunity struck for Briscoe as the latter had methodically reeled in Larson for the lead and used Larson’s aero-blocking moves to gain grounds. With Larson aero-blocking Briscoe through the turns and straightaways, Briscoe had enough momentum to get beneath Larson, drag-race with the latter through the frontstretch, assume the lead a lap later through the first two turns and fend off Larson’s challenge of regaining the lead.

Despite leading by as high as eight-tenths of a second over a 20-lap run, Briscoe began to have his late advantage shrink due to managing late handling issues labeled, ‘free’ while leading as Larson started to regain his deficit. With 11 laps remaining, both front-runners barely scrubbed the backstretch’s outside wall. Despite keeping their respective entries straight, Briscoe managed to retain the lead over the next four laps before he was overtaken by Larson with seven laps remaining. Briscoe would then barely scrub the backstretch’s outside wall a lap later, which allowed Larson to slightly establish a steady gap. Amid Briscoe’s efforts to reel Larson as the laps dwindled, he made additional scrubs into the outside wall, which allowed Austin Cindric to overtake the latter for the runner-up spot. Ultimately, Briscoe was edged by teammate Denny Hamlin at the finish line for third place, with the latter settling in fourth place in the final running order.

With the result, Briscoe collected his 11th top-five result of the 2026 Cup Series season, his fourth top-five result in a row at Kansas Speedway after he finished third at the venue in mid-April and his highest-finishing result in the 2026 Chase for the Cup Series title. The Hoosier’s fourth-place run gained him and his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team a spot in the Chase standings from ninth to eighth, though they trail points leader Kyle Larson by 123 points with six Chase events remaining until this season’s conclusion.

Despite being left disappointed over falling short of winning and garnering additional bonus points, Briscoe shifts his focus to the remaining six Chase events of this season to contend for additional victories like his regular-season victory at Chicagoland Speedway in early July and cap off the Chase on a competitive note.

“[I] Just went really, really free, ultimately,” Briscoe said. “It was actually better for me to be in second. Just being behind [Larson], especially with how much he was aero-blocking. It would just tighten me up and allow me to actually be a little bit better. As soon as I’d get the lead, I would just go really, really free again. Frustrating, for sure. I just felt like I had a win there to stay in contention for a championship…It’s probably not going to happen but yeah, we’ll keep trying for Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Toyota. Just nice to finally have a good Chase. It’s been a rough go to start. I got six more weeks or whatever to try to go win as many races as we can and that’s what we’re doing.”

Chase Briscoe’s 2026 Chase for the Cup Series championship continues next Sunday, October 4, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the South Point 400. Having previously racked up three top-10 results in 11 Cup starts at Vegas, Briscoe, who won both O’Reilly Auto Parts Series event at the venue in 2020, will strive to add a Cup Vegas victory to his resume that could enable him to remain within striking distance of his first Cup Series championship this season.

The 2026 South Point 400’s broadcast time is slated to commence at 5:30 p.m. ET on USA Network, PRN Radio, SiriusXM and HBO MAX.

Kyle Larson Secures NASCAR Cup Series Victory at Kansas Speedway

By

Briar Starr

-

September 27, 2026

20260927184054-b1c3068d-me — Photo Courtsey of (Ron Olds/Speedway Media)

Kansas City, KS – The fourth race of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Chase for the Championship took place today at Kansas Speedway. Joey Logano started on the pole after practice, and qualifying was canceled on Saturday morning due to weather. He was looking for his first victory since World Wide Technology Raceway a few weeks ago. However, other Chase drivers were looking to take the spotlight as well.

At the end of the 267-lap race, Kyle Larson would dominate the Hollywood Casino 400 by leading the most laps, sweeping the stages, and even rallying back to take the lead away from Chase Briscoe in the final 10 laps.

“I really thought when Chase (Briscoe) got by, he was just going to stretch out,” Larson said to USA Sports on the frontstretch. “I got some lines going where I could just kind of settle in and try to take care of my tires. I think it’s just easier to be the hunter rather than the hunted. I think a lot of the same. With me out front, I’m just defending and trying to guess on what lines are fast. When he got in front of me, I could see he was starting to get really loose. That was fun. That was such a good day. Max points.

“I was going to be happy with second with how the race went, but to get the lead, that’s a big race for the points. Proud of my team. Happy 50th anniversary to Hendrick Automotive group. All of us (Hendrick Motorsports’ drivers) are just blessed to get to work with such amazing people. Here’s to 50 more amazing years for Hendrick Automotive Group.”

Stages 80-85-102 would make up the 267-lap race.

Stage 1 – Lap 1 – Lap 80

Kyle Larson broke out ahead of pole sitter Logano and Bell to lead the first lap. Ty Gibbs started in the sixth position, but dropped to 11th in the opening laps. At Lap 13, Kansas Spring race winner Tyler Reddick fell all the way back to 33rd place. At Lap 20, Denny Hamlin was up to second, 5.8 seconds back from the race leader, Larson, while Austin Cindric was up to third, just 7.3 seconds from Larson.

There was a competition yellow at Lap 35 because there was no practice or qualifying yesterday due to the weather. Larson was the leader at the time of the yellow and had led every lap to that point unchallenged. At one point, he easily had over a seven-second lead.

The restart came at Lap 40 with Larson and Hamlin as the leaders. At Lap 43, Carson Hocevar was up to the third position. The first stage completed at Lap 80 with no incidents, and Larson wound up the stage winner over Hamlin by 0.374 seconds. The Top 10 for this stage were Larson, Hamlin, Cindric, Hocevar, Christopher Bell, Logano, William Byron, Chase Elliott, Ty Gibbs, and Ryan Blaney. The stage victory was Larson’s seventh of the season.

Larson won the race off pit road to retain the top spot. Alex Bowman had to drop to the rear prior to the Stage 2 restart due to an uncontrolled tire.

Stage 2 – Lap 86 – Lap 165

The Top 10 for the restart were Larson, Hamlin, Bell, Byron, Cindric, Elliott, Logano, Hocevar, Gibbs, and Chase Briscoe. Hamlin briefly challenged Larson for the race lead, but Larson managed the lead position. At Lap 100 (65 laps to go in the stage), Larson had a 2.5-second lead over Hamlin. Five laps later at Lap 105, Cindric moved into the second position and was 4.4 seconds back from Larson.

The third caution and first for incident came out at Lap 113 for the No. 4 of Noah Gragson, as the engine expired going into Turns 1 and 2. The leaders came down pit road for a round of pit stops, but Larson still won the race off pit road regardless.

The restart came at Lap 121 (44 laps to go in the stage) with Larson and Hamlin in the front row, but an immediate caution came out for a multi-car collision going into Turn 1. Hocevar, Bubba Wallace, Josh Berry, Zane Smith, Gibbs, and Erik Jones were involved. According to replay, Brad Keselowski got into the rear bumper of Hocevar, which caused Hocevar to move up into a different lane and thus causing a collision. Hocevar reported on his radio that he could have a toe link and a right-front flat tire.

The following restart would be seen at Lap 127 (38 laps to go in the stage) with Larson and Hamlin still the leaders.

Larson ended up sweeping the stages by winning the second stage. The Hendrick Motorsports driver won the stage over Cindric by 1.392 seconds. For the Top 10, it was Larson, Cindric, Hamlin, Briscoe, Bell, Byron, Blaney, Logano, Gibbs, and Keselowski.

Stage 3 – Lap 171 – Lap 267

The third and final stage went back to green with 96 laps to go, with Larson maintaining the top position over Briscoe. Throughout the final stage, Larson had the lead and was not challenged before the final 60 laps. Briscoe began rallying and started inching closer and closer in an attempt to challenge Larson for the lead. At one point, Briscoe was side-by-side with him and tried two times to take the top spot. With 51 laps to go, Larson and Briscoe both pitted. Larson came out in front of him as they exited pit road. This would begin the final round of pit stops with other Chase drivers following suit.

Unfortunately, there was a long pit stop on Reddick’s machine during this cycle, which caused him to lose valuable seconds in the race.

Briscoe began closing back in on the race leader, Larson, with 33 laps to go. Briscoe finally took the lead from Larson with 30 laps to go off Turn 2. With 20 laps to go, Larson started to close back in on the race leader, Briscoe, but Briscoe would keep Larson at bay.

However, Larson challenged Briscoe for the lead with 10 laps to go, as both made brief contact with the Turn 2 wall. With seven laps to go, Larson took the lead from Briscoe off Turn 4. Briscoe then made slight contact with the wall again on the backstretch after being passed.

Larson would hang on to win despite multiple challenges from Briscoe to win his second race of the season and his first since World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. It was also Larson’s fourth win at Kansas since April 2025. Furthermore, he led six times for 235 laps en route to victory. This win was also his second Chase for the Championship win as well.

There were five cautions for 26 laps and seven leaders among 13 lead changes. The margin of victory was 0.565 seconds.

Official Race Results Following the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway

Kyle Larson, won both stages, led 235 laps
Austin Cindric, led one lap
Denny Hamlin, led two laps
Chase Briscoe, led 23 laps
Ryan Blaney, led four laps
Christopher Bell
William Byron
Chase Elliott
Bubba Wallace
Ryan Preece
Tyler Reddick
Brad Keselowski
John Hunter Nemechek
Daniel Suarez
Ross Chastain, led one lap
Erik Jones
Ty Gibbs
Alex Bowman
Todd Gilliland
Joey Logano
Austin Dillon, 1 Lap Down
AJ Allmendinger, 1 Lap Down
Chris Buescher, 1 Lap Down
Shane Van Gisbergen, 1 Lap Down
Riley Herbst, 1 Lap Down
Austin Hill, 1 Lap Down
Michael McDowell, 1 Lap Down
Ty Dillon, 1 Lap Down
Connor Zilisch, led one lap, 1 Lap Down
Cole Custer, 1 Lap Down
Zane Smith, 1 Lap Down
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 1 Lap Down
Carson Hocevar, 3 Laps Down
Cody Ware, 5 Laps Down
Josh Berry, 10 Laps Down
Noah Gragson, OUT, Engine

Updated Chase for the Championship Standings

Kyle Larson, 2,282 points
Denny Hamlin, -26
Christopher Bell, -50
Joey Logano, -67
Ryan Blaney, -91
Ty Gibbs, -94
Tyler Reddick, -111
Chase Briscoe, -123
Austin Cindric, -140
Bubba Wallace, -140
Carson Hocevar, -150
William Byron, -158
Chase Elliott, -161
Ryan Preece, -173
Chris Buescher, -186
Daniel Suarez, -187

Up Next – The next NASCAR Cup Series race is next Sunday at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the South Point 400, live at 5:30 p.m./ET on USA Network and the NASCAR Racing Network.

Ford Racing Notes and Quotes – Cindric Charges to Second Place Finish in Kansas

By

Official Release

-

September 27, 2026

Ford Racing Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Kansas Race 2 — Kansas Speedway
Sunday, September 27, 2026

CINDRIC CHARGES TO SECOND PLACE FINISH IN KANSAS

NASCAR CUP SERIES RACE RECAP

Austin Cindric led all Ford drivers at Kansas Speedway finishing second in the No. 2 Discount Tires Ford Mustang Dark Horse.
Ryan Blaney’s No. 12 Mustang came to life late in the going to score a fifth place at the checkered flag. Ryan Preece also broke the top ten finishing tenth in the No. 60 RFK Ford.
Despite a frustrating finish to his day, Joey Logano holds fourth in the Chase standings, 67 points behind the leader, Kyle Larson. Blaney is fifth (-91). With his runnerup Kansas finish, Cindric is ninth (-140).

Ford Unofficial Finishing Results:

2nd – Austin Cindric

5th – Ryan Blaney

10th – Ryan Preece

12th – Brad Keselowski

19th – Todd Gilliland

20th – Joey Logano

23rd – Chris Buescher

31st – Zane Smith

35th – Josh Berry

36th – Noah Gragson

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “I definitely wish I would have had a shot there. You know, I thought we were really strong all day. We made some decent adjustments and got ourselves good for those long runs for the final run. We just lost a bit too much time in the pit cycle. I think there’s definitely some things I could have done better. I stayed long in the stall and threw off the stop a bit. When you lose by only half a second, it comes down to all the little stuff. Those guys had a hell of a battle for the lead to give me a shot. Super proud of the effort from everyone at Team Penske, Discount Tire and Ford.I feel like I had a car that could have won today but didn’t. I can be happy and pissed about that at the same time. Hopefully we can transfer that over to next week and the week following because I don’t see the reason why we can’t. I think these are the tracks you have to be critically good on. We saw pieces of this from Chicago and I felt like we took some bits and pieces and applied them to Kansas, and obviously, you can see what it did. I’m super proud of everybody on the team, keeping us in it all day and unloading super close.”

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards/Cardell Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “We were moving at the end. And, gosh, seven or eight more laps and I might have actually had a shot to win the thing. We were mowing them down rapidly the last 10, 12 laps. Just a good job by them sticking with it. Starting where we did, you know, and just working on it. Getting a little bit better through the day, I thought. Our last run or two of the day was our best run of the day. So really proud of that effort. This is a place where we’ve worked really hard to try to figure out how we can be better here. I thought we had a great day. The 2 [Austin Cindric] had a really good day. It was fast all day. Solid effort. We definitely got better at the start of stage three. I thought that’s where we really got it better. I think a lot of it was just getting some track position, right? You’re buried in traffic and you’re trying to figure out what does your car need to do well there. And then as you get cleaner air, it’s like, all right, now you’re adjusting again and trying to play catch up there. It just kind of took some time to do that. But, they stuck with it and made good changes.”

CHRIS BUESCHER, No. 17 Castrol Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “It’s a tough race. We were just on the tight side at the start. We were able to fight around the top 10 there. We were trying to work forward, to make some adjustments, and then we got caught up in the wreck on the restart and got some damage. It seemed to really put us behind from there. We struggled to get it back. From there, we just weren’t really able to find anything to get us heading in the right direction. Unfortunate. I thought it was gonna be a really good night.”

RYAN PREECE, No. 60 Dillons/Celsius Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “We just kind of fluttered and floated around that eighth to 15th all day. I felt like Derek had a good move strategy wise to get us a top 10. So that was about what we had.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “We had a solid Shell-Pennzoil Ford all day. We stayed in the top 10 and picked up some stage points, but we were chasing the balance a little bit all afternoon. We worked hard to keep ourselves in the mix, so it was frustrating to have the tire issue at the end. We’ll put this one behind us and see if we can keep the momentum heading to Vegas.”

STAVRINOS MOVES INTO JBS EQUIPMENT NHRA PRO MOD SERIES POINTS LEAD WITH ROCKINGHAM WIN

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Official Release

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September 27, 2026

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. (Sept. 27, 2026) – Michael Stavrinos jumped into the points lead in the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports on Sunday at Rockingham Dragway, defeating Justin Bond on a holeshot in the final round as part of this weekend’s NHRA Nationals at The Rock.

It was the ninth of 11 races in the category and the key Road to the Championship race was powered Culp Lumber this weekend.

In a thrilling final round, Stavrinos’ run of 5.664-seconds at 254.09 mph held up thanks to a .039 reaction time, which was enough to hold off Bond’s 5.656 at 257.29. It gave Stavrinos his second victory this season and fifth in his career, also moving the standout into the points lead.

His lead stands at just nine points over Bond, but the victory over Bond handed Stavrinos the points lead for the first time this season. He defeated Kevin Rivenbark, reigning world champion J.R. Gray and Rickie Smith to reach the final round, turning in another brilliant performance in the final round.

“I was focused as I could be. What a day at Rockingham,” Stavrinos said. “This place is awesome and to get the first win here, that’s just great. I love it here and my team is amazing.”

Bond reached the championship round for the fourth time this year by defeating Mike Castellana, Tony Wilson and Derek Menholt.

With two races remaining in the Road to the Championship, Menholt is third at 43 points out of first, while Billy Banaka is 84 points behind in fourth.

The JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports returns to action Oct. 2-4 as part of the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis.

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. — Final finish order (1-16) at the Inaugural NHRA Nationals at The Rock at Rockingham Dragway. The race is the ninth of 11 events in the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports.

PRO MODIFIED:

Mike Stavrinos; 2. Justin Bond; 3. Rickie Smith; 4. Derek Menholt; 5. Tony Wilson; 6. Nick Januik; 7. JR Gray; 8. Steve Jackson; 9. Billy Banaka; 10. Mike Castellana; 11. Chip King; 12. Stan Shelton; 13. Mike Thielen; 14. Shane Gray; 15. Lyle Barnett; 16. Kevin Rivenbark.

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. — Sunday’s final results from the Inaugural NHRA Nationals at The Rock at Rockingham Dragway. The race is the ninth of 11 events in the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports.

Pro Modified — Mike Stavrinos, Chevy Camaro, 5.664, 254.09 def. Justin Bond, Camaro, 5.656, 257.29.

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. — Final round-by-round results from the Inaugural NHRA Nationals at The Rock at Rockingham Dragway, the ninth of 11 events in the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports.

PRO MODIFIED:

ROUND ONE — Justin Bond, Chevy Camaro, 5.665, 255.54 def. Mike Castellana, Camaro, 5.679, 253.24; Tony Wilson, Chevy Willys, 10.055, 86.72 def. Stan Shelton, Ford Mustang, Foul – Red Light; Derek Menholt, Chevy Corvette, 5.685, 252.10 def. Lyle Barnett, Camaro, Foul – Red Light; Rickie Smith, Mustang, 5.673, 253.24 def. Mike Thielen, Mustang, 5.722, 248.07; Steve Jackson, Camaro, 5.671, 247.39 def. Billy Banaka, Camaro, 5.664, 256.41; Mike Stavrinos, Camaro, 5.669, 251.54 def. Kevin

Rivenbark, Mustang, Foul – Red Light; JR Gray, Camaro, 5.705, 251.40 def. Shane Gray, Camaro, 5.736, 249.86; Nick Januik, Camaro, 5.691, 253.24 def. Chip King, Dodge Charger, 5.681, 255.83;

QUARTERFINALS — Bond, 5.671, 256.12 def. Wilson, 5.691, 252.38; Menholt, 5.691, 249.03 def. Januik, 5.702, 253.38; Smith, 5.669, 251.68 def. Jackson, Broke – No Show; Stavrinos, 5.664, 254.52 def. J. Gray, 14.451, 56.66;

SEMIFINALS — Bond, 5.674, 255.68 def. Menholt, 5.689, 250.56; Stavrinos, 5.671, 254.52 def. Smith, Foul – Red Light;

FINAL — Stavrinos, 5.664, 254.09 def. Bond, 5.656, 257.29.

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. — Point standings (top 10) following the Inaugural NHRA Nationals at The Rock at Rockingham Dragway, the ninth of 11 events in the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports.

Pro Modified

Mike Stavrinos, 1,029; 2. Justin Bond, 1,020; 3. Derek Menholt, 986; 4. Billy Banaka, 945; 5. JR Gray, 940; 6. Stan Shelton, 865; 7. Mike Thielen, 864; 8. Lyle Barnett, 857; 9. Kevin Rivenbark, 837; 10. Chip King, 789.

Rick Ware Racing: Hollywood Casino 400 from Kansas

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Official Release

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September 27, 2026

RICK WARE RACING
Hollywood Casino 400
Date: Sept. 27, 2026
Event: Hollywood Casino 400 (Round 30 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Kansas Speedway in Kansas City (1.5-mile oval)

Format: 267 laps, broken into three stages (80 laps/85 laps/102 laps)
Race Winner: Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

RWR Finish:

● Cody Ware (Started 35th, Finished 34th / Running, completed 262 of 267 laps)

RWR Points:

● Cody Ware (35th with 226 points)

Race Notes:

● Kyle Larson won the Hollywood Casino 400 to score his 34th career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his second of the season and his fourth at Kansas. His margin over second-place Austin Cindric was .565 of a second.

● This was Chevrolet’s 889th all-time NASCAR Cup Series victory and its eighth of the season. Chase Elliott won for the Bowtie Brigade March 29 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, Carson Hocevar won April 26 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, Elliott won again May 3 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Shane van Gisbergen won May 10 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International, Daniel Suárez won May 24 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, van Gisbergen won again June 28 at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway and Larson won Sept. 13 at World Wide Technology Raceway near St. Louis.

● This was Chevrolet’s series-leading 18th NASCAR Cup Series victory at Kansas. Chevrolet won the inaugural race at Kansas on Sept. 30, 2001, with NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon.

● There were five caution periods for a total of 26 laps.

● Only 20 of the 36 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.

● Larson remains the championship leader after Kansas with a 26-point advantage over second-place Denny Hamlin.

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the South Point 400 on Sunday, Oct. 4, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The fifth race in the 10-race Chase starts at 5:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by USA Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Kyle Larson takes command of NASCAR Cup Chase with determined Kansas win

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Official Release

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September 27, 2026

20260927184612-c73ec60e — Photo by Ron Olds for SpeedwayMedia.com

By Reid Spencer
NASCAR Wire Service

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Kyle Larson made a statement in Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.

Retaking the lead from Chase Briscoe with seven laps left, Larson won for the second time in three races and took control of the NASCAR Cup Series Chase presented by Mobil 1.

Larson’s fourth victory at the 1.5-mile track left him 26 points ahead of second-place Denny Hamlin, who entered the Chase as the top seed. Christopher Bell is 50 points back in third after finishing sixth on Sunday.

“I really thought when Chase got by, he was just going to stretch out, but I got some lines going where I could settle in and try to take care of my tires,” said Larson, who lost the lead to Briscoe on Lap 238 of 267. “I don’t know. I think it’s just easier to be the hunter rather than the hunted.

“With me out front, I’m just defending and trying to guess on what lines are fast. When he got in front of me, I could see he started getting really loose. Yeah, that was fun. That was such a good day. Max points. I was going to be happy with second with how the race went, but to get the lead, that’s a big deal for the points.”

The victory was Larson’s second of the season and 34th of his career, tying him with Kurt Busch and Martin Truex Jr. for 26th all-time.

Though Larson, the defending series champion, won the first two stages, led 235 laps, and set the fastest lap (30.076 seconds on Lap 2) to score a maximum 76 points for the day, the win was hardly a foregone conclusion after the final cycle of green-flag pit stops.

After following Briscoe to pit road on Lap 216 with a last-second call, Larson regained the top spot at the end of the pit cycle, but he scraped the wall early in the final run. Briscoe ran Larson down from 1.5 seconds back and passed the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet for the lead on Lap 238.

Briscoe held the top spot for 23 laps, but his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota developed a loose condition late in the run, and Larson made up the ground he had lost. On Lap 261, Larson darted to the inside of Briscoe’s Camry and completed the winning pass.

Contact with the wall cost Briscoe in the final laps, as both runner-up Austin Cindric and third-place Hamlin passed him on the way to the checkered flag. Briscoe held fourth, followed by Ryan Blaney, who is now fifth in the standings, 91 points behind Larson.

“Yeah, just went really, really loose,” Briscoe said of the closing laps. “I kind of had that the run before when we did the green-flag pit stop. I got it in the wall so many times that I had a little bit of a leak. Just went really, really free ultimately.

“It was better for me to be in second. Just being behind (Larson), especially with how much he was aero blocking, it would just tighten me up and allow me to actually be a little bit better. And then as soon as I would get the lead, I would just go really, really free again.

“So, yeah, frustrating for sure. Yeah, just felt like I had a win there to stay in contention for a championship, and obviously now losing, I don’t know, 123 points back (in eighth place), that’s probably not going to happen.”

With perhaps the fastest long-run car in the race, Cindric closed to 0.565 seconds behind Larson at the finish.

Cindric, however, lost time on the track by pitting one lap later than Larson and Briscoe. He was 4.6 seconds down to the leader when pit stops cycled out and spent the rest of the race trying to close the gap.

“I just feel like that cycle could have gone better for us,” Cindric said. “I feel like just the way it all played out with three cars coming in front, and I slipped through the box a little bit, having some stuff on my tires. I could have done a better job there.

“When you only lose by half a second, I wish I would have had at least a shot at it. I felt like we could have at least joined the fun at least. But, no, proud of the effort and great points for today.”

Cindric scored 52 points to Larson’s 76 and is tied with Bubba Wallace for ninth in the Chase standings, 140 points behind Larson.

Behind Bell, William Byron ran seventh, followed by Chase Elliott, Wallace and Ryan Preece. Tyler Reddick made a remarkable recovery after running 33rd in his ill-handling Toyota early in the race and finished 11th. Reddick’s rally could have been even better, but for a blown pit stop under green in the final cycle.

Joey Logano, who started from the pole by the rule book when rain washed out time trials, finished 20th and fell from third to fourth in the standings, a distant 67 points out of the lead.

Ten of the 16 Chase drivers are now 111 points or more behind Larson, with 14th-place finisher Daniel Suarez 187 points down in 16th place.

After finishing fourth in Stage 1, Bristol pugilist Carson Hocevar was part of a six-car restart wreck on Lap 122. With severe damage to the splitter on his No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, Hocevar finished 33rd and dropped three spots to 11th in the standings, 150 points in arrears.

NASCAR Cup Series Race – Hollywood Casino 400

Kansas Speedway

Kansas City, Kansas

Sunday, September 27, 2026

            1. (2)  Kyle Larson (C), Chevrolet, 267.

            2. (11)  Austin Cindric (C), Ford, 267.

            3. (6)  Denny Hamlin (C), Toyota, 267.

            4. (23)  Chase Briscoe (C), Toyota, 267.

            5. (25)  Ryan Blaney (C), Ford, 267.

            6. (3)  Christopher Bell (C), Toyota, 267.

            7. (8)  William Byron (C), Chevrolet, 267.

            8. (18)  Chase Elliott (C), Chevrolet, 267.

            9. (7)  Bubba Wallace (C), Toyota, 267.

            10. (9)  Ryan Preece (C), Ford, 267.

            11. (15)  Tyler Reddick (C), Toyota, 267.

            12. (16)  Brad Keselowski, Ford, 267.

            13. (26)  John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota, 267.

            14. (14)  Daniel Suarez (C), Chevrolet, 267.

            15. (13)  Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 267.

            16. (30)  Erik Jones, Toyota, 267.

            17. (5)  Ty Gibbs (C), Toyota, 267.

            18. (33)  Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 267.

            19. (20)  Todd Gilliland, Ford, 267.

            20. (1)  Joey Logano (C), Ford, 267.

            21. (19)  Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 266.

            22. (24)  AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 266.

            23. (12)  Chris Buescher (C), Ford, 266.

            24. (17)  Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet, 266.

            25. (34)  Riley Herbst, Toyota, 266.

            26. (32)  Austin Hill(i), Chevrolet, 266.

            27. (22)  Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 266.

            28. (36)  Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 266.

            29. (27)  Connor Zilisch #, Chevrolet, 266.

            30. (29)  Cole Custer, Chevrolet, 266.

            31. (28)  Zane Smith, Ford, 266.

            32. (31)  Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, 266.

            33. (4)  Carson Hocevar (C), Chevrolet, 264.

            34. (35)  Cody Ware, Chevrolet, 262.

            35. (10)  Josh Berry, Ford, 257.

            36. (21)  Noah Gragson, Ford, Engine, 112.

Average Speed of Race Winner: 139.156 mph.

Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 52 Mins, 41 Secs. Margin of Victory: .565 Seconds.

Caution Flags: 5 for 26 laps.

Lead Changes: 13 among 7 drivers.

Lap Leaders: J. Logano (C) 0;K. Larson (C) 1-36;R. Chastain 37;K. Larson (C) 38-39;D. Hamlin (C) 40;K. Larson (C) 41-168;C. Zilisch # 169;K. Larson (C) 170-215;A. Cindric (C) 216;D. Hamlin (C) 217;R. Blaney (C) 218-221;K. Larson (C) 222-237;C. Briscoe (C) 238-260;K. Larson (C) 261-267.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Kyle Larson (C) 6 times for 235 laps; Chase Briscoe (C) 1 time for 23 laps; Ryan Blaney (C) 1 time for 4 laps; Denny Hamlin (C) 2 times for 2 laps; Ross Chastain 1 time for 1 lap; Austin Cindric (C) 1 time for 1 lap; Connor Zilisch # 1 time for 1 lap.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 5,11,2,77,20,22,24,9,54,12

Stage #2 Top Ten: 5,2,11,19,20,24,12,22,54,6

HAGAN, LANGDON, G. STANFIELD & GADSON ROLL TO WINS AT NHRA NATIONALS AT THE ROCK

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Official Release

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September 27, 2026

Hagan gets fourth FC win of 2026
Langdon wins with another booming TF run
G. Stanfield takes PS points lead with win
Gadson tops teammate in PSM final

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. (Sept. 27, 2026) – Funny Car points leader Matt Hagan rolled to his fourth victory of the season for Tony Stewart Racing on Sunday in front of a near-capacity crowd at Rockingham Dragway, defeating Paul Lee in the final round at the NHRA Nationals at The Rock.

Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel), Greg Stanfield (Pro Stock) and Richard Gadson (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the 16th of 20 races during the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season and the second of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Hagan went 3.922-seconds at 327.75 mph in his 12,000-horsepower Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car, powering past Lee, who lost traction midway through the run. It is Hagan’s 59th career victory as the four-time world champion defeated Dave Richards, Ron Capps and J.R. Todd to reach the final round.

He now has an 84-point lead over Jordan Vandergriff with four races left in the season, advancing to the finals for the fourth straight race, including back-to-back appearances to open the playoffs.

Hagan won in Brainerd and now Rockingham during that stretch, as he remains in command in his search for a fifth Funny Car world championship, which would pair the veteran with John Force as the only two drivers in NHRA history to win five or more Funny Car world titles.

“It’s unbelievable that I get to have a great race car underneath me, and it’s going down the racetrack, and I know that every time I sit in that car every Sunday morning, I have an opportunity to win, and that’s huge,” Hagan said.

“The points chase is super competitive. There’s six cars that could just change the landscape at any given moment. As much as I’d love to sit here and say how great we’re doing, it takes one or two races of going out the first round, and it changes it. We have to keep working hard and keep putting that foot forward. I want to win this fifth championship not just for me but for my crew chief and the team. I’m excited for what we have. I’ve been very, very successful in this sport as far as four championships and so many races and a bunch of world records and all other stuff that’s happened, but I’ve never had what I’ve had what I have right now with this group.”

Lee reached his first final of 2026 with round wins against Cruz Pedregon, Alexis DeJoria and Austin Prock. Todd is currently third, 106 points behind Hagan.

Top Fuel’s Shawn Langdon saved his best for last and delivered in a big way, giving Rockingham Dragway its first 340 mph run by defeating Kalitta Motorsports teammate Doug Kalitta in the final round on a holeshot with a 3.739 at a booming 342.73 in his 12,000-horsepower Kalitta Air dragster.

Kalitta ran a quicker 3.722 at 330.40, but Langdon left first with a .024 reaction time, holding off the reigning world champion at the finish line, in part thanks to the massive speed in the championship round.

It’s the second time this year the points leader has won three straight races, giving the past world champion his sixth victory of the year and the 29th in his career. This one comes at a perfect time, as Langdon has strung together victories at the U.S. Nationals and now the first two races in the Countdown to the Championship, opening up a 25-point lead over Kalitta.

The pair of teammates have put significant distance between themselves and the next batch of competitors, as Tony Stewart is currently third in points, a distant 155 points behind Langdon. On Sunday, Langdon defeated Cam Ferre, Billy Torrence and Shawn Reed to reach the final round, moving one step closer to a second world title.

“We knew for the final round we had to make a picture-perfect run,” Langdon said. “AJ [Alan Johnson, Doug Kalitta crew chief] has been running really well. He’s got a great handle on that car. The Mac Tools guys have been doing a great job, and Doug’s been really lights-out this year. I knew going to the final, I had to figure out a way to find something on the starting line, and Brian [Husen crew chief] knew we were down four-hundredths in the semis, and we’re going back to that same lane and AJ wasn’t going to lay up. Brian was very, very aware of that, so he was doing some homework and I knew I had to do everything I could.

“Brian’s really worked with the guys and the guys have done a great job working together to be perfect. We’re out here to win races and you have to be perfect in order to do things like this. We’re just bonding together and working hard and keeping our heads, working just as hard for the next one.”

Kalitta reached the finals for the eighth time this season and 134th time in his career with wins against Rit Pustari, Maddi Gordon and Will Smith.

Greg Stanfield helped Elite Motorsports stay undefeated in the Pro Stock championship race, moving into the points lead and knocking off rookie Cody Anderson in the final round on a holeshot with a run of 6.537 at 210.48 in his Janac Brothers Racing car.

Stanfield was a deadly .019 on the starting line, which was enough to hold off Anderson’s 6.525 at 209.99, denying the standout first-year driver his first career win. It gave Stanfield his second victory this season and continued a strong performance in the Countdown to the Championship for Elite Motorsports, following Troy Coughlin’s victory at Martin last week.

It was a huge day for Stanfield, moving past Matt Hartford for the points lead and finishing his day at Rockingham Dragway with his eighth career Pro Stock victory. To reach the final round, Stanfield had to get by his son, Aaron, Matt Latino and reigning world champion Dallas Glenn, posting an incredible .005 reaction time against Glenn in the semifinals.

His lead stands at 31 points over Hartford and 39 over Glenn.

“To be able to do this today, it definitely feels good,” Stanfield said. “Any time you can hold a Wally, it’s a great day. I’m just trying to do the best I can and not let everybody down who works their butt off for me to be able to drive. I think I’ve let our team down through the year, getting to the semis, then not closing it. For me to be able to close it out today, it means a lot. There’s a lot of young drivers that are really talented right now, and for me to try to rise up to their level and race with them is tough.

“Anybody can win in this class right now. I mean, it’s incredible how tight it is. So, the points battle is going to go all the way to the end. I feel like it’s going to be that way. So what’s going to happen next week? I can’t predict it. We’re just going to try to work hard, work smart and if it’s meant to be, it’ll be.”

Anderson reached the final round for the first time in his young career by knocking off Erica Enders, his father, six-time champion Greg Anderson and Hartford.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Richard Gadson got the victory on the starting line when teammate Gaige Herrera went red in the championship round, handing the points leader and reigning world champion his third victory of the year on his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki.

Herrera left .018 early, handing the victory to Gadson, who delivered a solid run of 6.789 at 199.65 en route to his seventh career victory. After an early loss last week in the playoff opener, Gadson got back on track in a major way, opening up a 64-point lead over Herrera with four races remaining.

On Sunday, he got past Geno Scali, Ryan Oehler and Chase Van Sant to reach the final round and set up another marquee matchup with his Vance & Hines teammate. They’re now 3-3 against each other in final rounds, but it was Gadson who took the victory at Rockingham Dragway to keep him in a great position to win a second straight world championship.

“I feel like I got away with one here this weekend. It’s kind of been our M.O. It wasn’t fancy. It wasn’t glamorous. It wasn’t headline-worthy, but you know, we’re here holding our third diamond Wally,” Gadson said.

“Gaige and I are extremely competitive with each other, sometimes to the point where the lines are blurry in our competitiveness because he’s a friend. I’ve got a lot of respect for the guy, but I’m playing mind games the whole time. He’s playing games the whole time, and you know I said. ‘It’s his race to lose,’ hoping that he would lose the race somehow. In order to win the race, you’ve got to be green four times. Gaige went for the E.T., and he got away with it three rounds, but we decided we’re just going to race our lane, so it’s a lot of strategizing, and it paid off.”

Herrera reached the finals for the fourth time this season and 36th time in his career thanks to round wins against Lance Bonham, Clayton Howey and Joey Gladstone. M. Smith is 81 points back in third.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action Oct. 2-4 with the 15th annual NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis.

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. — Final finish order (1-16) at the Inaugural NHRA Nationals at The Rock at Rockingham Dragway. The race is the 16th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

TOP FUEL:

Shawn Langdon; 2. Doug Kalitta; 3. Will Smith; 4. Shawn Reed; 5. Leah Pruett; 6. Maddi Gordon; 7. Clay Millican; 8. Billy Torrence; 9. Tony Schumacher; 10. Dan Mercier; 11. Josh Hart; 12. Cameron Ferre; 13. Antron Brown; 14. Justin Ashley; 15. Tony Stewart; 16. Rit Pustari.

FUNNY CAR:

Matt Hagan; 2. Paul Lee; 3. J.R. Todd; 4. Austin Prock; 5. Jordan Vandergriff; 6. Alexis

DeJoria; 7. Daniel Wilkerson; 8. Ron Capps; 9. Chad Green; 10. Jack Beckman; 11. Cruz Pedregon; 12. Dave Richards; 13. John Smith; 14. Spencer Hyde; 15. Jon Capps.

PRO STOCK:

Greg Stanfield; 2. Cody Anderson; 3. Dallas Glenn; 4. Matt Hartford; 5. Stephen Bell; 6.

Greg Anderson; 7. Troy Coughlin Jr.; 8. Matt Latino; 9. Eric Latino; 10. Erica Enders; 11. Shane Tucker; 12. Deric Kramer; 13. Aaron Stanfield; 14. Kenny Delco; 15. Jeg Coughlin.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:

Richard Gadson; 2. Gaige Herrera; 3. Joey Gladstone; 4. Chase Van Sant; 5. Clayton Howey; 6. Angie Smith; 7. Matt Smith; 8. Ryan Oehler; 9. Geno Scali; 10. Marc Ingwersen; 11. John Hall; 12. Lance Bonham; 13. Steve Johnson; 14. Marcus Hylton; 15. Malcolm Phillips Jr..

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. — Sunday’s final results from the Inaugural NHRA Nationals at The Rock at Rockingham Dragway. The race is the 16th of 20 in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel — Shawn Langdon, 3.739 seconds, 342.73 mph def. Doug Kalitta, 3.722 seconds, 330.40 mph.

Funny Car — Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.922, 327.75 def. Paul Lee, Charger, Foul – Outer Boundary.

Pro Stock — Greg Stanfield, Chevy Camaro, 6.537, 210.48 def. Cody Anderson, Camaro, 6.525, 209.99.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.789, 199.65 def. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, Foul – Red Light.

Competition Eliminator — Joe Carnasciale, Chevy Cavalier, 8.876, 152.08 def. Monty Bogan, Pontiac G5, 8.450, 137.57.

Super Stock — Bryan Worner, Chevy Camaro, 9.940, 119.55 def. Dan Fletcher, Camaro, Foul – Red Light.

Stock Eliminator — Cody Phillips, Chevy Corvette, 10.351, 126.76 def. Brad Plourd, Chevy Nova, 10.634, 114.56.

Super Comp — Hayden James, Dragster, 8.920, 167.35 def. Mike Robilotto, Dragster, 8.881, 170.07.

Super Gas — Tim Powell, Chevy Corvette, 9.957, 157.89 def. Jock Lisenby, Chevy Camaro, 9.854, 157.51.

Top Dragster — Brad Plourd, Dragster, 6.202, 224.10 def. Steve Furr, Dragster, Foul – Red Light.

Pro Modified — Mike Stavrinos, Chevy Camaro, 5.664, 254.09 def. Justin Bond, Camaro, 5.656, 257.29.

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. — Final round-by-round results from the Inaugural NHRA Nationals at The Rock at Rockingham Dragway, the 16th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:

TOP FUEL:

ROUND ONE — Maddi Gordon, 3.755, 337.08 def. Justin Ashley, 4.005, 241.42; Will Smith, 3.767, 330.88 def. Josh Hart, 3.829, 320.74; Leah Pruett, 3.775, 324.91 def. Tony Schumacher, 3.776, 330.40; Clay Millican, 3.800, 330.40 def. Tony Stewart, 4.069, 222.44; Doug Kalitta, 3.743, 334.57 def. Rit Pustari, 8.382, 84.51; Shawn Langdon, 3.718, 336.83 def. Cameron Ferre, 3.938, 308.22; Billy Torrence, 3.743, 332.59 def. Dan Mercier, 3.796, 330.40; Shawn Reed, 3.783, 327.03 def. Antron Brown, 3.988, 267.86;

QUARTERFINALS — Reed, 3.851, 323.97 def. Millican, 4.522, 179.64; Smith, 3.772, 333.33 def. Pruett, 3.772, 327.75; Kalitta, 3.763, 331.61 def. Gordon, 3.790, 328.95; Langdon, 4.373, 183.97 def. Torrence, Foul – Red Light;

SEMIFINALS — Langdon, 3.797, 333.33 def. Reed, 7.396, 77.84; Kalitta, 3.751, 335.82 def. Smith, 4.472, 192.47;

FINAL — Langdon, 3.739, 342.73 def. Kalitta, 3.722, 330.40.

FUNNY CAR:

ROUND ONE — Jordan Vandergriff, Chevy Camaro, 3.869, 331.61 def. Chad Green, Ford Mustang, 3.912, 330.64; Alexis DeJoria, Camaro, 3.959, 318.92 def. John Smith, Dodge Charger, 4.429, 209.79; Austin Prock, Mustang, 3.892, 331.86 def. Jon Capps, Charger, 6.061, 111.52; Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 3.892, 334.08 was unopposed; Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.931, 327.27 def. Jack Beckman, Camaro, 3.916, 324.44; J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 3.911, 336.57 def. Spencer Hyde, Mustang, 4.469, 202.13; Paul

Lee, Charger, 3.931, 325.85 def. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 4.265, 226.70; Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.916, 329.19 def. Dave Richards, Mustang, 4.407, 205.48;

QUARTERFINALS — Lee, 3.923, 328.95 def. DeJoria, 3.924, 328.95; Todd, 3.942, 334.08 def. Wilkerson, 3.961, 324.68; Prock, 3.916, 322.81 def. Vandergriff, 3.905, 329.19; Hagan, 3.941, 328.23 def. R. Capps, 4.035, 309.07;

SEMIFINALS — Hagan, 3.916, 331.86 def. Todd, 3.931, 336.83; Lee, 3.883, 329.91 def. Prock, 5.451, 137.87;

FINAL — Hagan, 3.922, 327.75 def. Lee, Foul – Outer Boundary.

PRO STOCK:

ROUND ONE — Troy Coughlin Jr., Chevy Camaro, 6.517, 210.87 def. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.514, 210.18; Stephen Bell, Camaro, 6.532, 210.97 def. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 8.574, 118.51; Greg Stanfield, Camaro, 6.511, 211.67 def. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, Foul – Red Light; Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.482, 210.28 def. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.536, 210.28; Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.518, 209.59 was unopposed; Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.499, 211.67 def. Shane Tucker, Camaro, 6.528, 212.26; Matt Latino, Camaro, 6.507,

209.69 def. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 7.655, 129.83; Cody Anderson, Camaro, 6.499, 209.59 def. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.523, 210.58;

QUARTERFINALS — Hartford, 6.564, 210.87 def. Coughlin Jr., 13.159, 83.32; G. Stanfield, 6.531, 210.28 def. M. Latino, 16.144, 51.89; Glenn, 6.518, 210.48 def. Bell, 6.568, 209.40; C. Anderson, 6.532, 209.30 def. G. Anderson, 12.026, 73.43;

SEMIFINALS — C. Anderson, 6.562, 209.59 def. Hartford, 6.821, 208.91; G. Stanfield, 6.532, 210.77 def. Glenn, 6.554, 209.69;

FINAL — G. Stanfield, 6.537, 210.48 def. C. Anderson, 6.525, 209.99.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:

ROUND ONE — Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 12.540, 42.33 def. John Hall, Buell, Foul – Red Light; Angie Smith, Buell, 6.804, 196.85 was unopposed; Ryan Oehler, 6.742, 199.56 def. Malcolm Phillips Jr., Suzuki, Broke – No Show; Clayton Howey, Suzuki, 6.806, 196.94 def. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 8.156, 131.58; Joey Gladstone, Buell, 6.804, 197.37 def. Marc Ingwersen, 6.948, 197.63; Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.742, 200.71 def. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 6.927, 196.08; Matt Smith, Buell, 6.738, 202.43 def. Marcus Hylton, Buell, 12.220, 64.68; Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.683, 201.97 def. Lance Bonham, Buell,

Foul – Red Light;

QUARTERFINALS — Van Sant, 6.870, 198.68 def. A. Smith, Foul – Red Light; Gadson, 6.797, 200.09 def. Oehler, Foul – Red Light; Gladstone, 6.876, 181.16 def. M. Smith, 7.544, 125.77; Herrera, 6.699, 201.25 def. Howey, 6.822, 196.59;

SEMIFINALS — Gadson, 6.790, 198.85 def. Van Sant, 6.825, 198.06; Herrera, 6.714, 201.16 def. Gladstone, 6.791, 197.89;

FINAL — Gadson, 6.789, 199.65 def. Herrera, Foul – Red Light.

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. — Point standings (top 10) following the Inaugural NHRA Nationals at The Rock at Rockingham Dragway, the 16th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series –

Top Fuel

Shawn Langdon, 2,335; 2. Doug Kalitta, 2,310; 3. Tony Stewart, 2,180; 4. Leah Pruett, 2,168; 5. Antron Brown, 2,148; 6. Billy Torrence, 2,131; 7. (tie) Maddi Gordon, 2,128; Josh Hart, 2,128; 9. Will Smith, 2,118; 10. Clay Millican, 2,088.

Funny Car

Matt Hagan, 2,321; 2. Jordan Vandergriff, 2,237; 3. J.R. Todd, 2,215; 4. Ron Capps, 2,209; 5. Jack Beckman, 2,195; 6. Austin Prock, 2,177; 7. Alexis DeJoria, 2,151; 8. Daniel Wilkerson, 2,120; 9. Chad Green, 2,089; 10. Spencer Hyde, 2,065.

Pro Stock

Greg Stanfield, 2,277; 2. Matt Hartford, 2,246; 3. Dallas Glenn, 2,238; 4. Greg Anderson, 2,211; 5. Troy Coughlin Jr., 2,172; 6. Cody Anderson, 2,165; 7. Jeg Coughlin, 2,141; 8. Matt Latino, 2,138; 9. Erica Enders, 2,121; 10. Aaron Stanfield, 2,093.

Pro Stock Motorcycle

Richard Gadson, 2,286; 2. Gaige Herrera, 2,222; 3. Matt Smith, 2,205; 4. John Hall, 2,201; 5. Angie Smith, 2,190; 6. Ryan Oehler, 2,185; 7. Jianna Evaristo, 2,169; 8. Chase Van Sant, 2,155; 9. Clayton Howey, 2,094; 10. Steve Johnson, 2,067.

CHEVROLET NCS: Larson Dominates at Kansas Speedway to Earn Second Victory of the Season

By

Official Release

-

September 27, 2026

NASCAR Cup Series
Kansas Speedway
Hollywood Casino 400
Team Chevy Post-Race Report
September 27, 2026

Larson Dominates at Kansas Speedway to Earn Second Victory of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Season

Kyle Larson wrapped up a dominate afternoon at Kansas Speedway with a trip to victory lane in the Hollywood Casino 400. The win – Larson’s second of the season and his fourth in NASCAR’s top division at Kansas Speedway – came alongside a perfect day as the reigning champion drove to a stage sweep, clocked-in the fastest lap of the race, recorded 235 of 267 laps led, and tallied the victory to earn a 76-point day. With four races complete, Larson has extended the points lead to 26 points over Denny Hamlin.

A trio of Hendrick Motorsports-powered Chevrolet’s completed the Team Chevy top-10 at the Midwest-based oval. William Byron and the No. 24 team joined Larson with a pair of points-earning stages, going on to earn a seventh-place result. Chase Elliott drove his No. 9 Chevrolet to the team’s 10th top-10 finish of the season as he ended the day with an eighth-place finish.

RACE RECAP:

Stage One:

With yet another practice and qualifying day for the NASCAR Cup Series canceled due to weather, Kyle Larson’s second-place effort last weekend put the reigning champion on the front row of the starting lineup for the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway. Lining up on the outside lane, a masterful start saw the No. 5 Chevrolet take the lead on the opening lap and quickly extend his margin to just over three-seconds in only 10 laps around the 1.5-mile circuit. Also showing early speed within that distance was his teammate, William Byron, who turned an eighth-place starting position into a spot within the top-four. With a competition caution slated around the 35-lap marker, Larson continued to set an impressive pace even as he reached lap traffic – ending the green flag run with a 2.8-second cushion over second. While the field hit pit road under the competition caution, it was a four tire call by crew chief Cliff Daniels as the No. 5 pit crew kept their driver in the top position for the restart. Electing the inside lane, it was a drag race with Denny Hamlin for the top position as the pair ran side-by-side for the entirety of the opening lap of the run, but it was the Team Chevy driver that narrowly edged the No. 11 at the line by just .01-seconds to maintain the lead. While Hamlin was able to keep Larson within reach for the beginning portion of the run, the reigning champion progressively started to build his lead as the race reached 20 laps to go in the stage. Despite the added challenge of lap traffic in the closing laps, Larson was able to capitalize on his lead to comfortably take the first green-white checkered flag. Also driving to a points-earning effort in Stage One included three fellow Team Chevy Chase contenders with Carson Hocevar in fourth and teammates, Byron and Chase Elliott, in the seventh and eighth positions, respectively.

Stage Two:

With a call for four tires and fuel under the stage break, the No. 5 pit crew fired off a stop to keep Larson in the top position once again for the start of Stage Two. While Hamlin briefly challenged Larson for the lead on the restart, it was the Team Chevy driver that effortlessly maintained the lead and quickly started to build a gap on the No. 11 within the opening laps. While Larson remained a steady fixture in the command position, Hocevar began to endure a challenging stage when a slow stop under a caution near the midway point saw the driver fall to the 12th position for the restart. But calamity coming to the green flag saw a handful of cars, including Hocevar, go spinning down the frontstretch. Coming to the attention of crew chief Luke Lambert, the No. 77 team went to work on damaged sustained to the right-front splitter. Despite spending a lengthy amount of time on pit road for repairs, the team was able to keep Hocevar on the lead lap for the restart. With a caution-free run to the end of the stage, it was Larson that continued to pace the field en route to a stage sweep.

Final Stage:

The No. 5 pit crew continued to be undefeated in the race off pit road with a quick four tire and fuel stop under the stage break putting Larson back on the front row for the start of the final stage. This time, Larson was accompanied by Toyota’s Chase Briscoe for the restart, but the speed of his Chevrolet-powered machine put him back at the point for the final run of the race. Just past the 200-lap marker and approaching another long green flag run, Briscoe was the first true challenger of the day for Larson as he reached the back bumper of the No. 5 as the pair maneuvered through lap traffic. Approaching the window for the first green flag pit cycle of the day, Daniels called Larson to pit road with 52 laps to go with Briscoe in tow. An 8.7-second stop by the No. 5 pit crew and a strong exit off pit road by Larson saw the team build a solid one-second gap back towards Briscoe as they cycled back to the front of the field and on the horizon of the longest run of the race. Having led all but three laps of the day as the race hit 30 laps to go, a tight battle between the two saw Larson fall to second, but as the race hit single-digits, his speed prevailed as a masterful pass saw Larson regain the lead and never look back en route to his second trip to victory lane of the season.

Team Chevy Unofficial Top-10 Results

Pos. Driver

1st – Kyle Larson
7th – William Byron
8th – Chase Elliott

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 30 NASCAR Cup Series races complete:

Wins: 8
Poles: 6
Top-Fives: 51
Top 10s: 101
Stage Wins: 21

The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Chase will continue at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with the South Point 400 on Sunday, October 4, at 5:30 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on the USA Network, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Post-Race Driver Quotes:

Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Finished: 21st

“Proud of everyone on the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Magnum Pheasant Chevrolet team today at Kansas Speedway for fighting until the last lap. We didn’t have practice and qualifying yesterday, so we knew we were going to learn a bit about the car’s balance in the initial laps. We started off a touch loose, but overall good, and then made an adjustment that made me way too tight. The team went back to the drawing board and were able to reverse that and get it to where the car’s balance was pretty good, we were making top-10 lap times and I was driving forward. We’ll make some notes for 2027 and turn our focus to Las Vegas next week.”

Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Finished: 1st

Just kind of describe what it’s like to have such a dominant performance at a racetrack that’s been so good to you.

“Yeah, it was great. Obviously, starting on the front row helped a lot, as well as just controlling the race, having good restarts and great power by our No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevy. It wasn’t easy. I know it looked easy at times. There were definitely runs that were easier, but when the sun came out, it got difficult just to maintain my grip. I would stretch out, and then I’d catch traffic and I would just not be very good. I guess that the way that run just played out there, maybe coming out in traffic and the pace being down a little bit helped me live a little bit longer. I think it’s just sometimes easier to be the hunter rather than being hunted. I could see he (Chase Briscoe) was starting to struggle in front of me and still pushing really hard. I was just trying to take it easy, let him make a mistake and build some runs on exit. We were able to do that. Just proud of the team.”

Throughout the course of the day, you expressed a little concern about your car once you come off the top. You worried about lap traffic. What did you finally have to do? Did you figure it out, or was it just a matter of making it work best possible?

“Yeah, I think it’s just kind of a matter of making it work. I did have to change my line up there a lot. Once (Chase) Briscoe got by me, maybe that helped me just discover something that helped me a little bit. I was just not very good when I would catch traffic, but out in clean air, we were amazing.

Huge thank you to everybody at Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet. Congratulations to everybody at the Hendrick Automotive Group too, celebrating their 50th anniversary. We’ve gotten a couple special wins here for Mr. H, and I’m glad to do this one for all the 10,000 plus employees at Hendrick.”

What is that like to have that crew pit on the car and to be able to drive off pit road first?

“Yeah, it takes a team, and our pit crew has been on it all year. They have been ranked towards the top all season. It was a great day on pit road and hopefully they’re leading again. Huge thank you to them. And again, thanks to Cliff Daniels (crew chief), everybody on this No. 5 team for not having any practice and having the balance as good as it was.”

Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Finished: 8th

“It was an improvement from last week, for sure. Our No. 9 Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet was pretty good. We had a couple runs there in the middle stages where it got a little tight. I just made a couple bad decisions on restarts, and everything we had gained, I felt like I lost it all right there. We finally started to get our balance back and going the right direction. I think I had given up a bit too much at that point of time.

Overall, it was definitely an improved day from where we’ve been. We just have to try and build on that. Hopefully we can just put some of these solid days together and try to continue to build on the good stuff from the day. There were some high spots for us, more than there has been lately, so we’ll see where it goes.”

William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Finished: 7th

“I thought the speed of our No. 24 Raptor Chevrolet was hard to judge. We were just tight all day, and we couldn’t really get it to rotate on the restarts. I felt like our pit crew was doing a really good job of getting track position on pit road. On every restart, we just couldn’t fire off and couldn’t go with speed. We just fought that throughout the day. I thought our long runs were reasonable, but we still fought some balance issues. We just didn’t have the balance we wanted, but I thought our Chevy was pretty good.”

Is there anything you and Rudy Fugle (crew chief) can work on for the next two intermediate tracks?

“Yeah, we’ll definitely keep working on it. Obviously, we have a good baseline at Hendrick Motorsports now. Congrats to Kyle (Larson, race winner) and the No. 5 team. We just have to keep working.”

Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Finished: 26th

“Our Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet had speed on the long run, but we struggled on fire off. For the first 15-20 laps, our car was really tight and it would take too long to come in. At the same time, we were at the limit of the rears at the end of a run. If we could have found a way to not lose so much ground at the beginning, I think we could have had a solid finish because most runs, we would drive back forward at the end. We’ll learn from today and try to come back better next season.”

Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Finished: 27th

“A messy day here in Kansas, we had a few things not go our way and we fell behind pretty quick. From there, the balance wasn’t where we needed to be to make up the ground we had lost. It’s tough, our Delaware Life Chevrolet showed signs of solid speed early in the day. Once we got pushed back to the back half of the field, it felt like we couldn’t recover from there. I have faith in our group, we have a few more 1.5-mile tracks coming up, so it’s going to be important to maximize those going forward and build into next season.”

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future.

GM Motorsports, including the Cadillac Formula 1® Team develops and proves advanced technologies in the most demanding environments, accelerating innovation in performance, safety, efficiency, and electrification for its production vehicles. Cadillac Racing is one of the leading manufacturers in the IMSA and FIA World Endurance Championships (WEC). Chevrolet competes in single seaters in the US IndyCar series, and in NASCAR with multiple team partners and drivers. Corvette customer teams compete in GT series across the globe including IMSA and WEC. Learn more at GM.com.

TOYOTA RACING – NCS Kansas Post-Race Report – 09.27.26

By

Official Release

-

September 27, 2026

CHASE BRISOCE LEADS LATE AT KANSAS; TOYOTA PLACES THREE CARS IN THE TOP SIX
Hamlin and Briscoe Bring Home Top Five Finishes as the Championship Battle Heats Up

KANSAS CITY (September 27, 2026) – Denny Hamlin passed Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe late in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway to lead Team Toyota with a third-place finish.

Briscoe took the lead with 29 laps to go, but eventual race winner Kyle Larson reclaimed the top spot 23 laps later, and Briscoe crossed the finish line fourth. Including Hamlin and Briscoe, four Toyota drivers finished inside the top 10 Sunday, with Christopher Bell sixth and Bubba Wallace ninth.

Hamlin and Bell continue to battle Larson for the championship points lead. Hamlin trails Larson by 26 points in second, and Bell is 50 points behind the leader in third with six races remaining in the Chase.

TOYOTA RACING Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Kansas Speedway
Race 30 of 36 – 400.5 miles, 267 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, Kyle Larson*
2nd, Austin Cindric*
3rd, DENNY HAMLIN
4th, CHASE BRISCOE
6th, CHRISTOPHER BELL
9th, BUBBA WALLACE
11th, TYLER REDDICK
13th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
16th, ERIK JONES
17th, TY GIBBS
25th, RILEY HERBST
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 Sport Clips Haircuts Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 3rd

It was a great day, but what kept it from being exceptional?

“Winning. That’s the only difference. Just didn’t quite have it today. Just was hanging around. We could be really good in the long run, but the short run, you know, the 5 (Kyle Larson) was really good, 2 (Austin Cindric) was good. We just couldn’t quite hold those guys off or keep them close enough in the short run. Obviously at the end we ran a lot down, but just not enough time and track position. Obviously gained a few spots there at the end. Overall, just that’s kind of what we had. Third-place car, driver, and everything today.”

You’re still second, but now 26 points back. Does this feel like the first real threat to you being able to win a title?

“I mean, there’s always been a threat. I haven’t won it before, so I just feel like we’re still in it, still really close. You know, we just got to continue to put together days like this, and we also got to win. We got to win a few races between now and the end of the year.”

CHASE BRISCOE, No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 4th

What happened the back end of the final run of the race?

“Just went really, really loose. I kind of had that the run before when we did the green flag pit stop. I got it in the wall so many times that I had a little bit of a leak. Just went really, really free ultimately. It was better for me to be in second. Just being behind him, especially with how much the aero blocking, it would just tighten me up and allow me to actually be a little bit better. And then as soon as I would get the lead, I would just go really, really free again. So, yeah, frustrating for sure. Yeah, just felt like I had a win there to stay in contention for a championship, and obviously now losing, I don’t know, 123 points back, that’s probably not going to happen We’ll keep trying for Bass Pro Shops, Tracker, Toyota. It’s nice to have a good finish in this Chase. It’s been a rough go to start. I have six more weeks to go try to win as many races as we can, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

How do you not mentally defeat yourself before you even hit the racetrack?

“I thought today, I think I was 87 out going into it, and I felt like I had to at least knock off 10 from the cut line. I didn’t get points the first stage, which I knew that was going to be hard. Ultimately, I had to win to be able to even stay somewhat around 80 or 90 back. I don’t know, it’s still possible, but you’re going to have to win five or so of the next six races. A little Tony Stewart 2011 run or something. We’ll see what we can do and yeah, go on to the next one.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of over 50 million cars and trucks at our 14 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.

RCR NCS Race Recap: Kansas Speedway

By

Official Release

-

September 27, 2026

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Magnum Pheasant Chevrolet Team Stay Persistent to Earn 21st-Place Finish at Kansas Speedway

Finish: 21st
Start: 19th
Points: 24th

“Proud of everyone on the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Magnum Pheasant Chevrolet team today at Kansas Speedway for fighting until the last lap. We didn’t have practice and qualifying yesterday, so we knew we were going to learn a bit about the car’s balance in the initial laps. We started off a touch loose, but overall good, and then made an adjustment that made our Chevy way too tight. The team went back to the drawing board and were able to reverse that and get it to where the car’s balance was pretty good. We were making top-10 lap times and I was driving forward. We’ll make some notes for 2027 and turn our focus to Las Vegas next week.” -Austin Dillon

Austin Hill and the No. 33 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet Team Show Long Run Speed at Kansas Speedway

Finish: 26th
Start: 32nd
Points: 31st

“Our Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet had speed on the long run, but we struggled on fire off. For the first 15-20 laps, our car was really tight and it would take too long to come in. At the same time, we were at the limit of the rears at the end of a run. If we could have found a way to not lose so much ground at the beginning, I think we could have had a solid finish because most runs, we would drive back forward at the end. We’ll learn from today and try to come back better next season.” -Austin Hill

SpeedwayMedia.comOnline Resource for Motorsports Information

SpeedwayMedia.comOnline Resource for Motorsports Information

Anthony Alfredo, Beard Motorsports

Front Row Motorsports will expand to a three-car team in 2025

Todd Gilliland, Front Row Motorsports Ford

Noah Gragson, Front Row Motorsports Ford

Zane Smith, Front Row Motorsports Ford

Garrett Smithley, Garage 66 (Formerly MBM Motorsports)

Chandler Smith, Garage 66 (Formerly MBM Motorsports)

Haas Factory Team (NCS/NXS)

Cole Custer, Haas Factory Team

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Hyak Motorsports (formerly JTG Daugherty)

Chris Gabehart, Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing

Martin Truex Jr., No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Tyler Allen, Joe Gibbs Racing

Justin Allgaier, JR Motorsports

AJ Allmendinger, Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

Ty Dillon, Kaulig Racing

Erik Jones, LEGACY Motor Club Toyota

Jimmie Johnson, LEGACY Motor Club

Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing

Jesse Love, Richard Childress Racing

Tim Brown, Rick Ware Racing

Corey LaJoie, Rick Ware Racing

Matt McCall, RFK Racing

Jeremy Bullins, RFK Racing

Ryan Preece, RFK Racing

Michael McDowell, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Rodney Childers, Spire Motorsports

Justin Haley, Spire Motorsports

Matt McCall and Dax Gerringer, Spire Motorsports

Stewart-Haas Racing will close at the end of the 2024 season (NCS/NXS)

Daniel Suárez, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing

Connor Zilisch, Trackhouse Racing

Martin Truex Jr., TRICON Garage

Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing

Riley Herbst, 23XI Racing

Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing Ford

Parker Retzlaff, Alpha Prime Racing

Hailie Deegan and AM Racing Ford “Part Ways”

Harrison Burton, AM Racing

Nick Sanchez, Big Machine Racing

Cope Family Racing

Ryan Ellis, DGM Racing

Sam Mayer, Sheldon Creed, Haas Factory Team

Corey Day, Hendrick Motorsports

Mark Setzer, Jeremy Clements Racing

Brandon Jones, Joe Gibbs Racing

Taylor Gray, Joe Gibbs Racing

William Sawalich, Joe Gibbs Racing

Justin Bonsignore, Joe Gibbs Racing

Greg Van Alst, Joey Gase Motorsports with Scott Osteen

Austin Green, Jordan Anderson Racing

Connor Zilisch, JR Motorsports

JR Motorsports Drivers/Crew Chiefs

Daniel Dye, Kaulig Racing

Christian Eckes, Kaulig Racing

Kaulig Racing, Crew Chief Lineup

Tyler Tomassi, No. 66, MBM Motorsports

Kris Wright, Our Motorsports

Dean Thompson, Sam Hunt Racing

Garrett Smithley, SS-Greenlight Racing

SS-Greenlight Racing, No. 07

Matt DiBenedetto, Viking Motorsports

Anthony Alfredo, Young’s Motorsports

Chandler Smith, Front Row Motorsports

Daniel Hemric, McAnally-Hilgemann Racing

Tyler Ankrum, McAnally-Hilgemann

Connor Mosack, McAnally-Hilgemann Racing

Jack Wood, McAnally-Hilgemann Racing

Kaden Honeycutt, Niece Motorsports

Christian Rose, Niece Motorsports

Dawson Sutton, Rackley W.A.R.

Frankie Muniz, Reaume Brothers Racing

Cody Dennison, Reaume Brothers Racing

Tyler Tomassi, Reaume Brothers Racing

Rajah Caruth, Spire Motorsports

Corey Heim, Tricon Garage