This Week in Motorsports: August 24 – 30, 2026
NCS/NOAPS: Daytona International Speedway – Aug. 28-29
ARCA: Madison International Speedway (Wisconsin) – Aug. 29
PLANO, Texas (Aug. 26, 2026) – NASCAR’s Cup and O’Reilly Series return to Daytona International Speedway where both reach their regular season finale, ultimately setting the field for each series’ postseason ‘Chase.’
The ARCA Menards Series remains in action this weekend, staying in the Midwest at Madison International Speedway in Oregon, Wisconsin.
NASCAR National Series – NCS/NOAPS
Cup Series regular season concludes … Currently, five Toyota Camry XSE drivers are locked into ‘The Chase’ field ahead of Saturday night’s 400-mile race around Daytona International Speedway – led by Denny Hamlin who clinched the No. 1 seed last weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Following Hamlin is Ty Gibbs in third, Tyler Reddick in fourth, Christopher Bell in fifth and Chase Briscoe in sixth. Bubba Wallace currently sits 14th in the series point standings and comes to Daytona with a 75-point advantage over the cutline. Wallace can clinch a spot in the Chase field with two points total scored, or a 35th-or-better finishing position.
Bell, Gibbs continue their strong runs … With fourth and sixth-place finishes, respectively, last Sunday in New Hampshire, Bell and Gibbs remain on their strong pushes to close out the Cup Series regular season and head into ‘The Chase’ with serious momentum. Bell has four consecutive top-10 finishes entering this weekend, and seven in the last eight races. Gibbs has seven such results in the last 10 races, which includes his win at Iowa Speedway three races ago.
Reddick seeks Daytona sweep … Beginning his historic run at the start of the 2026 Cup Series, Reddick captured victory in the Daytona 500 – his first career win in ‘The Great American Race’ and the fourth for Toyota. Reddick returns to Daytona this weekend in hopes of a season sweep at the 2.5-mile superspeedway. Saturday night will be his 15th career start at Daytona, where he owns four top-five finishes, along with his win in February.
Sawalich, Crews and Gray battle for postseason berth … The final few spots in the O’Reilly Series’ Chase are at play for three Toyota GR Supra drivers in William Sawalich, Brent Crews and Taylor Gray. Sawalich and Crews currently own the final two spots in ‘The Chase’ field, sitting 11th and 12th in the series point standings, respectively, while Gray sits just out in 13th. Sawalich and Crews are tied in points, while Gray is a mere one point behind them.
Sawalich eager to continue strong push … Sawalich arrives to Daytona this weekend amid a strong run, with three consecutive top-five finishes, including a third-place result last time out at Iowa Speedway earlier this month. This was the second time this season the driver of the No. 18 Toyota GR Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has earned three consecutive top-five results. Friday night’s race marks the fourth career start for Sawalich at Daytona.
NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA Menards Series
Toyota goes for fifth consecutive Madison win … Madison International Speedway has been another strong track for Toyota in the ARCA Menards Series as the manufacturer seeks its fifth consecutive triumph, and eighth overall, around the half-mile short oval. Going after that win for Team Toyota will be Max Reaves in the JGR No. 18 Toyota Camry, while Nitro Motorsports fields Jake Bollman in the No. 20, Will Robinson in the No. 25, Isabella Robusto in the No. 55 and Thomas Annunziata in the No. 70. Bollman and Annunziata continue their tight battle for the series championship, with Bollman leading Annunziata by just four points entering the weekend.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs approximately 48,000 people in the U.S. who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of more than 36 million cars and trucks at our 11 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina began to assemble automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.
For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.
