JR Motorsports O’Reilly Auto Parts Team Preview
TRACK – World Wide Technology Raceway (1.25-mile oval)
NOAPS RACE – Nu Way 225 Powered by Bobcat and Sauced by Blues Hog
(180 laps / 225 miles)
TUNE IN – CW, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90, ESPN Mobile App at 7:30 p.m. (ET)
Carson Kvapil
No. 1 – WILDE Crackers Chevrolet
Kvapil 2026 NOAPS Stats
Starts: 25
Wins: 2
Top 5s: 9
Top 10s: 15
Laps Led: 201
Avg. Finish: 10.9
Points: 3rd
Carson Kvapil will head to World Wide Technology Raceway this weekend for the second time in his NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series career.
In 34 career starts on tracks 1-2 miles in length, Kvapil has recorded eight top-fives and 14 top-tens.
Through the first race of The Chase, Kvapil sits third in the standings, just 19 points behind points leader Justin Allgaier.
The new WILDE crackers will be showcased on Kvapil’s No. 1 Chevrolet this weekend.
Carson Kvapil
“We have been working hard in the sim this week preparing for St. Louis. I know Rodney (Childers, crew chief) and this entire No. 1 WILDE Cracker team will unload another rocket ship at the track this weekend. We just need to go out and execute like we know we can and if we do, we will continue to chip away at the points deficit.”
Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
Allgaier 2026 NOAPS Stats
Starts: 25
Wins: 6
Top 5s: 14
Top 10s: 18
Laps Led: 619
Avg. Finish: 9.7
Points: 1st
Justin Allgaier heads to St. Louis atop The Chase standings with eight races remaining in the NOAPS season.
This weekend marks a homecoming for Allgaier, who hails from Riverton, IL, just 98 miles north of WWTR.
Additionally, this weekend is also a homecoming for primary partner BRANDT Professional Agriculture. BRANDT is headquartered in Springfield, IL, just 95 miles north on I-55.
In four previous NOAPS starts at WWTR, Allgaier has earned a best finish of third, coming in 2010. In this event last year, Allgaier led for 28 laps and was in contention for the win before being collected in a multi-car incident late in the race.
Justin Allgaier
“It’s always special to be able to come back and race this close to home. Not only for me, but for everyone at BRANDT Professional Agriculture as well. They are going to have a strong presence at the track this weekend and hopefully we can go out there and put on a great show for them. Andrew (Overstreet, crew chief) and all the guys on this team have been working hard all week long and we are ready to go.”
Sammy Smith
No. 8 Pilot Chevrolet
Smith 2026 NOAPS Stats
Starts: 25
Wins: 0
Top 5s: 7
Top 10s: 11
Laps Led: 51
Avg. Finish: 12.3
Points: 7th
Sammy Smith will head to WWTR this Saturday for his second NOAPS start on the Illinois oval as the seventh seed in The Chase, just 55 points behind the leader.
At this event last year, Smith qualified 22nd and was nearing the top-10 before mechanical issues relegated Smith to a 33rd-place finish.
Smith has 61 NOAPS starts on tracks measuring 1-2 miles in length and of those, he has tallied two wins, 10 top-five and 29 top-10 finishes.
Pilot will share the TV panel with Standard Trucking, LLC. It is a Detroit, MI based company who has services capabilities of transportation, distribution and truck repairs.
Sammy Smith
“This No. 8 team had a solid run last weekend in Darlington to start off The Chase which was good to have leading into Gateway. We found speed there last year so I’m looking forward to carrying this momentum over and building on what we had last time here. Cory (Shea, crew chief) and this No. 8 team are putting in their all to bring fast cars to the track so I know we’ll have a shot on Saturday with Pilot.”
Rajah Caruth
No. 88 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet
Caruth 2026 NOAPS Stats
Starts: 25
Wins: 0
Top 5s: 2
Top 10s: 8
Laps Led: 87
Avg. Finish: 17.6
Points: 12th
Rajah Caruth and the No. 88 HENDRICKCARS.COM team head to WWTR this weekend for the second race of The Chase.
Caruth has three previous NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts at WWTR, recording a best finish of 11th. The 1.25-mile track also holds significance for Caruth as the site of his first career Truck Series start in 2022.
This season, on tracks between 1-2 miles in length, Caruth has earned a best finish of fourth, coming at Rockingham Speedway in April.
Caruth enters this weekend 12th in The Chase standings with eight races remaining in the championship battle.
Rajah Caruth
“St. Louis is a place I know pretty well from my time in the Truck Series, and I’m looking forward to getting back there this weekend. This No. 88 team had a lot of success there last year, so hopefully we can build off what they learned and have another fast HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet. There are still eight races left in the Chase, so our focus is on executing, putting together complete weekends and getting everything we can each week.”
JRM Team Updates
JR Motorsports at World Wide Technology Raceway: JR Motorsports has competed at World Wide Technology Raceway a combined 14 times in NOAPS since 2006. In those starts at the 1.25-mile oval, the organization has recorded one win, two top-fives, and six top-10s. The average finish is 17.6.
Souvenir Rig: JRM drivers Carson Kvapil, Justin Allgaier, Sammy Smith, and Rajah Caruth will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports / HMS WB + AB souvenir rig on Saturday, September 12th, from 3:45 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. CT.
