Home Blog

NASCAR 2025: Ultimate Guide to Driver Moves and Team News

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.

NASCAR Cup Series

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.

Haiden Deegan Clinches Back-to-Back Monster Energy Supercross Western Divisional Championships in St. Louis

Ken Roczen Goes Back-to-Back in 450SMX Class to Tighten Title Fight

ST. LOUIS (April 4, 2026) – The return of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship to the “Gateway City” was headlined by the annual Love Moto Stop Cancer Supercross honoring the kids at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the fight against childhood cancer. With specially decorated race bikes and gear that will be auctioned off for fundraising, an already special race turned into a championship celebration inside The Dome at America’s Center as the Monster Energy SMX World Championship returned to St. Louis for the 12th race of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan came into St. Louis with a shot at securing a second straight Western Divisional 250SMX Class Championship and did so by dominating against a full field of the class’ top talent during the East/West Showdown.

With a win, Deegan needed a finish of sixth or worse from teammate Max Anstie to secure the title. As the second 15 Minutes + 1 Lap Showdown Main Event in three weeks got underway, it was fellow Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing teammate Cole Davies, the Eastern Divisional points leader, who grabbed the holeshot and seized control of the early lead over the Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki duo of Seth Hammaker and Nick Romano. Deegan started sixth but wasted little time making his move to the front, as he quickly stormed into second place just a few minutes into the race. Just over three seconds separated the Yamaha pair, but Deegan took chunks out of his deficit and soon made a quick pass on Davies to grab the lead with just over nine minutes to go.

Deegan proceeded to open a margin of more than 15 seconds over the field and cruised to his sixth win of the season by 15.6 seconds over Davies, who was never challenged in second. Hammaker rode to a quiet fifth consecutive podium finish in third.

The most dominant win of the season for Deegan, combined with a 15th-place finish for Anstie, was more than enough to wrap up the Western Divisional Championship. It’s the sixth career title for Deegan and puts a finishing touch on one of the most decorated 250SMX Class careers of all time. Davies, meanwhile, added to his lead over Hammaker in the Eastern Divisional title fight, with 11 points now separating the pair with four races remaining.

Haiden Deegan
Haiden Deegan
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan captured a second straight Western Divisional title with a dominant victory in the East/West Showdown.

Haiden Deegan – 1st Place – 250SMX Class East/West Showdown
“I’m so grateful. This 250 career has been insane. As a kid I wanted to win one championship, that’s every kid’s dream. This is number six. We’re going to keep digging. I ain’t done yet. I’m not done ticking [championships] off and we’re coming to the 450 Class swinging.”

Cole Davies – 2nd Place – 250SMX Class East/West Showdown
“I’m happy with tonight. That track was gnarly. I just rode it home. I’m happy I gained points [in the Eastern Divisional Championship], because there was no need to push it in those conditions. Congrats to Haiden [Deegan].”

Seth Hammaker – 3rd Place – 250SMX Class East/West Showdown
“We’re coming to the closing stretch here [in the championship], so it’s going to be time to take a little more risk and leave a little bit more out there. I try my hardest each and every race. I try to be smart and try to be consistent, but Cole [Davies] has been riding super well. One of the gnarliest tracks I’ve ever ridden tonight, so I’m glad to get through it and get another podium. Four races left. We’ve got to get some more wins and attack.”

The 20 Minutes + 1 Lap 450SMX Class Main Event began with Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrance out front with the holeshot ahead of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado and Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen, last weekend’s winner. Behind them, points leader and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Eli Tomac started ninth. Prado went on the attack and briefly got by Lawrence for the lead, only for the Australian to fight back and regain the top spot. Roczen, meanwhile, took advantage of this and made it a three-rider battle for the race lead, as the German native made his way by Prado and then leaned on Lawrence to grab the lead. Prado slotted into second as Lawrence regrouped in third.
 
Roczen’s intense pace early on allowed him to establish a multi-second lead over the field, which left Prado and Lawrence to battle for second. Prado proceeded to strengthen his hold of the position as Lawrence soon lost third to Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Justin Cooper. The leaders settled in through the middle of the race, with Roczen continuing to add to his lead, before the battle for second picked up between Prado, Cooper, and Lawrence. Cooper was persistent and made the move around the Spaniard for second, while Lawrence soon followed through into third.
 
Back out front, Roczen was in a class of his own for the second consecutive weekend and took the checkered flag by 13.2 seconds over Cooper, who equaled his career-best result. Lawrence rebounded from his worst outing of the season one week ago with his ninth podium of the year in third. Roczen’s back-to-back triumph is his first since the 2021 season and gives him three wins on the year.
 
Roczen’s victory, Lawrence’s podium, and a sixth-place finish from Tomac, who never factored into the race, has dramatically tightened the battle for the championship. Lawrence has regained a share of the points lead with Tomac, while Roczen has moved to within five points of the lead with five races to go.

Ken Roczen
Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen has moved within five points of the championship lead following back-to-back victories.

Ken Roczen – 1st Place – 450SMX Class
“I honestly still can’t believe it. That track was absolutely brutal and on top of that, it was just extremely busy. It was a brutal Main Event. Even when I had that gap, you just don’t want to make any silly mistakes that allow them to get closer and make it tight at the end. I just can’t believe I pulled off this back-to-back win. I just never stop believing. We’ve got the ball rolling. We’re going to hunker down and keep hammering.”

Justin Cooper – 2nd Place – 450SMX Class
“Three fourth places in-a-row has been a little bit frustrating, so it’s nice to get back on the box here. I think it was the toughest [race] of the year. It was challenging all day, but our setup worked. There was a little bit of cat and mouse in the beginning with Hunter [Lawrence] and Jorge [Prado], and I didn’t do myself any favors there. I couldn’t see Kenny [once into second] but I feel like my pace was really good and we brought it home.”

Hunter Lawrence – 3rd Place – 450SMX Class
“I’m pretty happy. My wrist is still really sore from the crash last weekend so I’m happy to still be in the fight. This track was so freaking gnarly and probably the worst conditions for having a sore wrist. We got in and out in one piece and got the red plate back; or sharing it. How good is this title fight narrowing down to the end? I’m looking forward to this.”

The Monster Energy SMX World Championship and Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship will continue next Saturday, April 11, with Round 13 from Nissan Stadium in Nashville. Live broadcast coverage will be highlighted by a network showcase on NBC at 3 p.m. ET, in addition to comprehensive coverage on Peacock, beginning at 9 a.m. ET with Race Day Live, followed by the Gate Drop at 3 p.m. ET. Additionally, a domestic Spanish language broadcast is available on Peacock while international viewers can choose from dedicated English, French, and Spanish broadcasts via SMX Video Pass (www.SMXVideoPass.com).

All 17 rounds of the 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and 11 rounds of the Pro Motocross Championship are on sale. Tickets for the SMX World Championship Playoff Rounds and Final are now on sale at SuperMotocross.com. Saturday FanFest will take place at all postseason races, Friday FanFest and camping will be available in Columbus and Ridgedale, additional details to follow.

For information about the Monster Energy SMX World Championship, please visit www.SuperMotocross.com and be sure to follow all of the new SMX social media channels for exclusive content and additional information on the latest news:

About the Monster Energy SMX World Championship:
The Monster Energy SMX World Championship™ is the premier off-road motorcycle racing series in the world that combines the technical precision of stadium racing with the all-out speed and endurance of outdoor racing. Created in 2022, the Monster Energy SMX World Championship Series combines the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and the AMA Pro Motocross Championship into a 28-round regular season that culminates with the season-ending SMX World Championship Playoffs. Visit SuperMotocross.com for more information.

About Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship:
Monster Energy AMA Supercross is the most competitive and highest-profile off-road motorcycle racing championship on the planet. Founded in America and sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) since 1974. Over 17 weeks, Supercross attracts some of the largest and most impressive crowds inside the most recognizable and prestigious stadiums in North America to race in front of nearly one million live fans and broadcast to millions more worldwide. For more information, visit SupercrossLIVE.com.

About Pro Motocross Championship:
The Pro Motocross Championship features the world’s fastest outdoor motocross racers, competing aboard homologated bikes from one of seven competing manufacturers on a collection of the roughest, toughest tracks on the planet. Racing takes place each Saturday afternoon, with competition divided into two classes: one for 250cc machines, and one for 450cc machines. MX Sports Pro Racing, the industry leader in off-road powersports event production, manages the Pro Motocross Championship. For more information, visit ProMotocross.com.

About Feld Motor Sports, Inc.:
Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is the worldwide leader in producing and presenting specialized arena and stadium-based motorsports entertainment. Properties include Monster Jam®, Monster Energy AMA Supercross, and the Monster Energy SMX World Championship. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is a subsidiary of Feld Entertainment, Inc. Visit monsterjam.com, SupercrossLIVE.com, and feldentertainment.com for more information.

About MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.:
MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc., manages and produces the world’s premier motocross racing series – the Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. MX Sports Pro Racing is an industry leader in off-road powersport event production and management, its mission is to showcase the sport of professional motocross competition at events throughout the United States. Through its various racing properties, partnerships and affiliates, MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc., organizes events for thousands of action sports athletes each year and attracts millions of motorsports spectators. Visit MXSportsProRacing.com for more information.

RCR NOAPS Race Recap: Rockingham Speedway

Loose Wheels Dampen the Day for Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Team at Rockingham Speedway

Finish: 27th
Start: 2nd
Points: 2nd

“We were excited for today’s race at Rockingham Speedway after a fast effort in practice and qualifying with the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet team. Unfortunately, we had a winning day get away from us after having to pit under green multiple times. Somehow our wheels worked themselves loose after normal solid pit stops. So frustrating, but another week where we had all the potential in the world. On a positive note, we have a good pit stall for Bristol Motor Speedway next week.” – Jesse Love

Austin Hill and the No. 21 1-800-PACK-RAT Chevrolet Team Battle to 11th-Place Finish in Challenging Rockingham Speedway Race

Finish: 11th
Start: 11th
Points: 4th

“I’m honestly not sure how our 1-800-PACK-RAT Chevrolet was so good during practice yesterday, but so off during the race today. On the initial start, our car was wrecking loose on entry and loose on throttle down. Chad (Haney, crew chief) and the guys made adjustments and we got on the other side of it, but then the balance was too tight. By the end, we were running competitive lap times to the leader. Our No. 21 group just kept battling and came home 11th. We wish it was better, but we’ll keep working on it.” -Austin Hill

Day of Learning for Cleetus McFarland and the No. 33 Tommy’s Express Car Wash Chevrolet Team at Rockingham Speedway

Finish: 32nd
Start: 35th
Points: N/A

“That was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, driving the No. 33 Tommy’s Express Car Wash Chevrolet. Qualified 35th. Finished 32nd. Whoo! Three positions! I spun out four times, but did I ruin anyone’s day besides my own? No, I didn’t. This was a hell of an opportunity, and I got my butt kicked today, but I learned so much. I made so many mistakes. At one point, I drove down on a guy who was inside of me. I recovered from that. I spun out early. I abandoned the whole plan of chilling and I went three wide and spun out. Got past that. The third spin was just on my own. I went into the corner too fast. Then, I think the fourth spin, the guy below me hit me. That one, I’ll take only 50% credit for. All in all, made a ton of mistakes. I learned a lot. I hoped to stay more out of the news than I did. I’ve got a lot to learn.” -Cleetus McFarland

Carson Brown Finishes a Rock-Solid Second at Rockingham

17-Year-Old Racer Continues to Shine in ARCA Menards Series

Date: Saturday, April 4
Event: Rockingham ARCA Menards East 125
Series: ARCA Menards Series
Location: Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway (.94-mile oval)
Length: 125 laps (117.5 miles)
Start/Finish: 3rd / 2nd (Running, completed 125 of 125 laps)

Overview:

Carson Brown came up one spot short in his bid for back-to-back ARCA Menards Series victories. The 17-year-old from New London, North Carolina, finished second in the Rockingham ARCA Menards East 125 Saturday at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway, trailing his Pinnacle Racing Group teammate Tristan McKee by 1.446 seconds. Brown came into the 125-lap race around the .94-mile oval after having won from the pole in his previous ARCA start March 5 at Phoenix Raceway. In that race, Brown led every lap and beat McKee by .299 of a second in a green-white-checkered finish. At Rockingham, it was a bit of a role reversal, with McKee winning the pole and leading all 125 laps. But Brown still made it interesting. He qualified third and took second place from Joe Gibbs Racing driver Max Reaves on the opening lap. Brown then settled into the No. 2 position, stalking McKee and waiting for an opportunity to make a move. With 20 laps to go, that opportunity finally came with McKee navigating lapped traffic. Brown made a bold dive to the inside of a lapped car going into turn three as McKee took the outside lane. Brown’s No. 28 Distributor Wire & Cable Chevrolet went into a four-wheel drift through the middle of the corner, allowing McKee to reassert his position at the front of the field. Brown held firmly in second, with his runner-up finish giving him an average result of 2.75 in his four career ARCA starts.

Carson Brown, driver of the No. 28 Distributor Wire & Cable Chevrolet for Pinnacle Racing Group:

“It was a very fun race. We struggled at first. I’m not sure what was wrong, but the car was really loose. We just struggled to get going, but it finally felt like it was coming to us. I almost wrecked both of us at one point – me and Tristan – but I was able to hold onto it and keep it straight. After the break we were decent because we made some changes. Our Distributor Wire & Cable Chevrolet fired off better, but was still a little bit of a struggle. Overall, it was a good day.”

Notes:

● Brown qualified third for the Rockingham ARCA Menards East 125 with a time of 22.702 seconds at 153.819 mph. In four career ARCA starts, Brown has never qualified lower than sixth.

● Brown made his ARCA debut last March at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida, when he finished sixth in the ARCA East season opener. His second ARCA start came in November at Phoenix in the ARCA West finale when he finished second. His victory March 5 at Phoenix came in just his third ARCA start.

Next Up:

Brown returns to the zMAX CARS Tour for the Tootsie’s Music City Showdown April 11 at Nashville (Tenn.) Fairgrounds Speedway. It will serve as good preparation for his next ARCA start, which comes May 2 in the Cook Out Music City 150 at Nashville. Across ARCA, the ASA Stars National Tour, the zMAX CARS Tour and select Late Model races, Brown is scheduled to compete in 53 pavement races in 2026.

William Sawalich motors to first O’Reilly career victory at Rockingham

William Sawalich Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.

William Sawalich earned his first NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series career victory after dominating the final stage of the North Carolina Education Lottery 250 at Rockingham Speedway on Saturday, April 4.

The two-time ARCA Menards Series East champion from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, led twice for 80 of the 250-scheduled laps. He started in 14th place and methodically carved his way to the front. After recording a pair of top-five results between the event’s first two stage periods at Rockingham, Sawalich commenced the third and final stage period by briefly challenging Jesse Love for the lead, and despite leading a single lap, he was outdueled by the latter.

During a brief restart with 79 laps remaining, Sawalich overtook teammate Brent Crews and maintained the top spot at Rockingham through two late-race cautions and restarts. This included the event’s final restart with 38 laps remaining. With the lead in his possession, Sawalich never looked back as he beat teammate Brandon Jones by eight-tenths of a second to achieve his first elusive victory in his second full-time campaign in the O’Reilly division.

On-track qualifying determined the starting lineup at Rockingham on Friday, April 3. Corey Day claimed his first pole position with a pole-winning lap at 148.963 mph in 22.717 seconds. Day was joined on the front row with Jesse Love, the latter of whom clocked in the second-fastest qualifying lap at 148.545 mph in 22.781 seconds.

Before the event, the following names, which included Garrett Smithley, Joey Gase and Austin Green, dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments that were made to their respective entries.

When the green flag waved and the event at Rockingham commenced, Corey Day launched his No. 17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro entry ahead from the outside lane through the frontstretch. Day proceeded to lead Jesse Love through the first two turns while Parker Retzlaff and Justin Allgaier briefly got sideways after the former made contact with the latter entering the backstretch. As the field fanned out and jostled from the backstretch, Day cycled back to the frontstretch and led the first lap. 

Over the next four laps, Day’s early advantage stood at three-tenths of a second over Love while third-place Allgaier followed suit by seven-tenths of a second. Behind, Taylor Gray and Carson Kvapil occupied the remaining top-five spots at Rockingham over Retzlaff, Sam Mayer, Brandon Jones, Sheldon Creed and Brent Crews. Meanwhile, Day grew his lead to seven-tenths of a second over Love at the Lap 10 mark.

Through the Lap 20 mark, Day was leading by nine-tenths of a second over Love. Allgaier, Kvapil and Gray trailed by two seconds. Meanwhile, sixth-place Retzlaff and seventh-place Jones trailed by three seconds. Mayer, Creed, Crews, William Sawalich, Ryan Sieg, Austin Hill, Rajah Caruth, Anthony Alfredo and Dean Thompson trailed by single digits, respectively.

Meanwhile, Jeremy Clements trailed in 17th place by more than 10 seconds along with Harrison Burton, Kyle Sieg and Brennan Poole. Sammy Smith was mired in 21st place ahead of Lavar Scott, Blaine Perkins, Patrick Staropoli and Jeb Burton. Amid the battles at the front, Cleetus McFarland, who got loose through the first two turns amid an early three-wide battle with Nathan Byrd and Josh Bilicki, was mired at the tail end of the lead lap category in 36th place while Day stretched his lead to more than a second by Lap 25.

Just past the Lap 30 mark, Day led by two seconds over Love. Behind, teammates Allgaier and Kvapil battled for third place. Retzlaff fended off Jones to retain sixth place while Gray maintained fifth place. In addition, Sawalich cracked the top 10 as he was up into ninth place. Mayer dropped to 12th place. Meanwhile, Day, who was navigating through lapped traffic, retained the lead by nearly two seconds over Love on Lap 40.

On Lap 48, the event’s first caution flew when Blake Lothain spun toward the outside wall in Turn 2. He then slid down the track and was dodged by oncoming traffic. The caution occurred as 11 competitors, including McFarland, were lapped by the leader, Day. During the event’s first caution period, nearly the entire field led by Day opted to pit. The rest, which included Taylor Gray, Anthony Alfredo, Sammy Smith and Kyle Sieg, remained on the track. 

The next restart on Lap 54 featured Gray rocketing ahead of the field from the inside lane as he was pushed by both Sammy Smith and Day. At the launch, Day wasted no time diving beneath Smith and assuming the runner-up spot through the first two turns. The field behind fanned out and jostled for spots through the backstretch. Amid the battles, Gray led the next two laps until Day used his four fresh tires to reassume the top spot on Lap 57. 

When the first stage period concluded on Lap 60, Day captured his first O’Reilly career stage victory. Gray maintained second place over teammate Jones, Allgaier and teammate Sawalich. Love, Sammy Smith, teammate Brent Crews, Caruth and Retzlaff were scored in the top 10, respectively. By then, 27 of 38 starters were scored on the lead lap.

Under the event’s first stage break period, some led by Gray and including Sammy Smith, Alfredo, Jeb Burton, Kyle Sieg and Patrick Staropoli pitted their respective entries while the rest led by Day remained on the track. Meanwhile, Mayer, who was dealing with a mechanical issue to his No. 41 Audibel/Haas Factory Team Chevrolet Camaro entry, lost two laps to the leaders as he pitted to have the issue inspected. 

The second stage period started on Lap 69 as Day and Jones occupied the front row. At the start, Day used the inside lane to muscle ahead through the first two turns while the field behind fanned out through the backstretch. Despite having Jones close within his rearview mirror, Day led the next lap. Behind, Sawalich battled Allgaier, teammate Crews and Love for third place before the former motored ahead during the proceeding lap. Love would then drop to seventh place as Caruth overtook him while Day led by three-tenths of a second by Lap 75.

At the Lap 90 mark, Day, who has led since the start of the second stage period, was leading by four-tenths of a second over Jones while Jones’ two Joe Gibbs Racing teammates, Sawalich and Crews, trailed by a second in third and fourth, respectively. Behind, Allgaier trailed the lead by two seconds in fifth place while Love, Caruth, Jeremy Clements, Kvapil and Retzlaff occupied top-10 spots over Harrison Burton, Ryan Sieg, Creed, Austin Hill and Sammy Smith. Meanwhile, Gray was mired in 17th place behind Alfredo.

Three laps later, the caution flew when Clements, who was racing in ninth place and battling both Caruth and Kvapil for more, got loose and spun from the top to the bottom of the track through the first two turns. During this caution period, some that included Love, Ryan Sieg and Clements pitted while the rest led by Day remained on the track.

As the event restarted under green on Lap 99, Day motored ahead from Jones, Sawalich and the rest of the field. Day led the next lap, Lap 100, over a trio of Joe Gibbs Racing competitors that consisted of Jones, Sawalich and Crews while Allgaier reeled in on Crews from fifth place. Behind, Caruth was in sixth place before he was overtaken by teammate Kvapil. Caruth would then maintain seventh place in front of Retzlaff, Creed, Harrison Burton and Austin Hill while Day retained the lead by six-tenths of a second over Jones on Lap 105.

When the second stage period concluded on Lap 120, Day cruised to the second stage victory of his O’Reilly career and of Saturday’s event at The Rock. Sawalich trailed in second place by four-tenths of a second and he was followed by Allgaier and teammate Crews while teammate Jones fell back to fifth place. Caruth, Retzlaff, Creed, Clements and Kvapil were scored in the top 10, respectively, while 27 of 38 starters were scored on the lead lap.

During the event’s second stage break period, nearly the entire lead lap field led by Day pitted for service while Love remained on the track. Following the pit stops, Ryan Sieg exited pit road first after he only took fuel to his entry while Sawalich, Jones, Crews, Allgaier and Day, all of whom pitted for both fresh tires and fuel, followed suit, respectively. Amid the pit stops, Clements was penalized for speeding on pit road.

With 121 laps remaining, the final stage period commenced as Love and Ryan Sieg occupied the front row. At the start, Love launched ahead from the inside lane until Sawalich drew beneath Love in a bid for the lead through the first two turns. Amid his side-by-side battle with Love for a full circuit, Sawalich led the next lap as both drivers continued to duel through the first two turns. Then through the backstretch, Crews made a move beneath teammate Sawalich. This allowed Love to motor ahead entering Turn 3 as Crews then made slight contact against Sawalich’s No. 18 Soundgear Toyota Supra entry. The contact caused Sawalich to drift high and drop to fourth as both Crews and Ryan Sieg overtook him. Meanwhile, Love motored ahead to lead the next lap.

With 115 laps remaining, Love was leading by four-tenths of a second over Crews while Allgaier, Sawalich, Ryan Sieg, Caruth, Jones, Day, Retzlaff and Kvapil followed suit, respectively. Seven laps later, Crews navigated past Love to assume the lead for the first time. While Crews proceeded to lead with 100 laps remaining, Allgaier trailed in the runner-up spot by eight-tenths of a second while Sawalich, Caruth and Jones were up in the top five, respectively. Meanwhile, Day, who endured a slow pit service during the second stage’s break period, was mired in seventh place behind Retzlaff and Ryan Sieg was scored in 10th place ahead of Sammy Smith while Love had dropped to 13th place.

Down to the final 90 laps of the event, Crews stretched his advantage to more than a second over Allgaier while Caruth was reeling in Sawalich for third place. Behind, Day trailed the lead by seven seconds in eighth place while he also trailed Jones, Retzlaff and teammate Kvapil for more while Love, who pitted to address a loose wheel, was mired three laps behind in 31st place.

Four laps later, the caution flew when Alfredo spun off of Turn 4 and shredded his right-front fender as he nursed his entry back to pit road. During this caution period, the lead lap field led by Crews pitted for service. Following the pit stops, Crews maintained the lead by exiting pit road first while Allgaier, Clements, Sawalich and Caruth followed suit, respectively.

The next restart with 79 laps remaining only last a single lap before the caution returned. The caution was due to Clements getting hit by Ryan Sieg and sliding through the first two turns. Compared to the first incident on Lap 93, Clements hit the outside wall and damaged his rear end before he spun back down the track and was dodged by oncoming traffic. At the moment of caution, Sawalich, who used the one-lap shootout to get beneath teammate Crews and overtake him through the first two turns and the backstretch, was leading Crews while Allgaier, teammate Jones and Creed were in the top five ahead of Gray, Caruth, Kvapil, Retzlaff, Austin Hill and Day while Mayer took his entry to the garage.

When the event restarted under green with 71 laps remaining, Sawalich maintained the lead over teammate Crews while a three-wide scuffle that involved Caruth and Retzlaff ensued through the backstretch. Amid the late action, the field managed to cycle back to the frontstretch under green flag conditions as Sawalich also maintained the lead over teammates Crews and Jones, Creed and Allgaier. 

Down to the final 60 laps of the event, Sawalich, who has led since the previous restart, stretched his late lead to more than a second over teammate Crews while teammate Jones, Creed and Allgaier all trailed in the top five, respectively, by three seconds. Behind, Kvapil was up into sixth place ahead of Gray, Hill, Retzlaff and Caruth while Ryan Sieg, Harrison Burton, Brennan Poole, Sammy Smith and Day were mired in the top 15, respectively. 

Fifteen laps later, the caution flew at Rockingham when Cleetus McFarland, who was racing four laps down and outside the top-30 mark, got loose and spun his No. 33 Tommy’s Express Car Wash Chevrolet Camaro entry in Turn 4. At the time of caution, Sawalich stabilized his advantage to more than a second over teammate Crews while Creed muscled his way up to third place as the latter trailed by nearly three seconds. 

As the event restarted with 38 laps remaining, Sawalich fended off teammate Crews entering the first turn to lead. With Crews fending off teammate Jones and Creed for the runner-up spot, the field fanned out as Sawalich led the next lap. Over the next two laps, Jones overtook both Creed and Crews to move into the runner-up spot.

During the following five laps at Rockingham, Creed overtook Crews for third place while Allgaier, Gray and Kvapil all overtook Crews, who reported a potential tire issue. At the same time, Sawalich maintained the lead by nearly two seconds. Crews would then make an unscheduled pit stop under green flag conditions with 29 laps remaining, but he lost two laps by the time he returned on the track.

Down to the final 25 laps of the event, Sawalich was leading by nearly two seconds over teammate Jones while Creed, Allgaier and Kvapil were scored in the top five ahead of Caruth, Gray, Retzlaff, Austin Hill, Ryan Sieg and Sammy Smith, while Day was mired in 12th place. Amid Jones’ effort in chopping the deficit by four-tenths of a second, Sawalich continued to lead by more than a second with less than 20 laps remaining. 

With 10 laps remaining, Sawalich continued to lead by one-and-a-half seconds over teammate Jones. Third-place Allgaier trailed by more than two seconds. Behind, fourth-place Creed and fifth-place Kvapil trailed by four seconds apiece ahead of Caruth, Gray, Retzlaff, Hill and Ryan Sieg. Sawalich maintained the lead at Rockingham by a second with five laps remaining. 

When the white flag waved and the final lap started at Rockingham, Sawalich remained in the lead by a second over teammate Jones. With Jones unable to reel in and make up the deficit, Sawalich was able to smoothly navigate around The Rock and lapped traffic smoothly for a final time before he cycled back to the frontstretch and claimed his first checkered flag by eight-tenths of a second.

With the victory, Sawalich, who won in his 42nd start, became the 183rd competitor overall to win in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series division and he became the 15th competitor overall to record a first O’Reilly career victory while driving for Joe Gibbs Racing. He also joins David Pearson, Ward Burton, Ernie Irvan and Matt Kenseth as competitors to record a first O’Reilly career victory at The Rock.

Sawalich’s Rockingham victory marked the first win for Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 Toyota team since Sammy Smith won at Phoenix Raceway in March 2023 and the first for crew chief Jeff Meendering since the latter won with Chandler Smith at Richmond Raceway in March 2024. It was also Joe Gibbs Racing’s first O’Reilly victory since winning at Martinsville Speedway with Taylor Gray in October 2025.

Sawalich’s Rockingham victory was also a redemptive moment for the Minnesota native at The Rock after he was involved in an early controversial accident by wrecking the lapped competitor of Katherine Legge and collecting veteran Kasey Kahne during last year’s event.

No. 18
Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.

“I mean, [the win] means everything,” Sawalich said on the frontstretch on the CW Network. “It was obviously a tough year last year and a tough start this year. These [No. 18] boys mean everything to me. They were here with me through everything in my family. It feels good to get it done here in Rockingham, in front of an awesome crowd. Thank you everyone for coming out. Our Soundgear GR Supra was on rails today. [The car was] Good in stage one, stage two and obviously, amazing in clean air.”

“What a hard-fought battle today,” Jones said. “I left Martinsville a little frustrated with myself last week. We just weren’t quite aggressive enough at times. Today, I was really adamant on I’m going to be super aggressive today. I’m going to take all the runs I can get. I’m going to put people in bad situations if I can and try to go forward. I think we did a really good job of it. We kept fighting both sides of the balance today. [Crew chief] Sam [McAulay] did a really good job at the end of taking all my feedback and making a car capable of winning. It just was a matter of trying to get some track position and [Sawalich] got such a big jump and a big lead on that last restart that it was hard to catch him. Congrats to them. I know it’s been a long time coming for the No. 18 group. I’m hungry. I want one [win]. We’re really close.”

Justin Allgaier and Rajah Caruth finished third and fourth, respectively. The JR Motorsports duo, along with race winner Sawalich and runner-up Jones, will contend for the first Dash 4 Cash bonus of the 2026 season. The Dash 4 Cash program begins next Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Carson Kvapil finished in fifth place in the O’Reilly event at Rockingham, as Sheldon Creed, Taylor Gray, Parker Retzlaff, Ryan Sieg and Corey Day completed the top 10 in the final running order. Notably, Austin Hill, who was racing in ninth place with two laps remaining, dropped to 11th place in front of Sammy Smith. In addition, Jeremy Clements, Brent Crews and Jesse Love finished 25th, 26th and 27th, respectively, while Cleetus McFarland settled in 32nd place in his O’Reilly debut.

There were eight lead changes for six different leaders during the race. The event at Rockingham also featured seven cautions for 44 laps. In addition, 21 of 38 starters finished on the lead lap.

Following the eighth event of the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season at Rockingham, Justin Allgaier continues to lead the standings by 126 points over Jesse Love, 131 over Sheldon Creed, 145 over Austin Hill and 150 over Corey Day.

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Results at Rockingham:

  1. William Sawalich, 80 laps led
  2. Brandon Jones
  3. Justin Allgaier, one lap led
  4. Rajah Caruth
  5. Carson Kvapil
  6. Sheldon Creed
  7. Taylor Gray, six laps led
  8. Parker Retzlaff
  9. Ryan Sieg
  10. Corey Day, 118 laps led, Stages 1 & 2 winner
  11. Austin Hill
  12. Sammy Smith
  13. Harrison Burton
  14. Brennan Poole
  15. Lavar Scott
  16. Nathan Byrd
  17. Jeb Burton
  18. Alex Labbe
  19. Josh Williams
  20. JJ Yeley
  21. Andrew Patterson
  22. Ryan Ellis, one lap down
  23. Blaine Perkins, one lap down
  24. Anthony Alfredo, one lap down
  25. Jeremy Clements, one lap down
  26. Brent Crews, two laps down, 30 laps led
  27. Jesse Love, two laps down, 15 laps led
  28. Dean Thompson, two laps down
  29. Garrett Smithley, four laps down
  30. Blake Lothian, five laps down
  31. Joey Gase, five laps down
  32. Cleetus McFarland, six laps down
  33. Austin Green, seven laps down
  34. Patrick Staropoli, eight laps down
  35. Dawson Cram, nine laps down
  36. Josh Bilicki, nine laps down
  37. Kyle Sieg – OUT, Electrical
  38. Sam Mayer – OUT, Engine

Next on the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series schedule is Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee, for the Suburban Propane 300. The event is scheduled to occur next Saturday, April 11, and air at 7:30 p.m. ET on the CW Network, PRN Radio and SiriusXM.

WILLIAM SAWALICH WINS FIRST O’REILLY SERIES RACE AT ROCKINGHAM

Sawalich, Brandon Jones sweep top-two positions for Joe Gibbs Racing

ROCKINGHAM, NC (April 4, 2026) – William Sawalich scored his first career NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series win at Rockingham Speedway on Saturday evening. Sawalich earned stage points in the first two stages, before a dominate performance in the final stage – leading 80 (of 250) laps. He drove away from his teammate Brandon Jones on the final restart, and went unchallenged to the checkered flag, which Jones finishing in second. Sawalich and Jones gave Joe Gibbs Racing their first 1-2 sweep of the season, and for Jones, it is his second runner-up finish in the last three races this season (Darlington).

Sawalich and Jones are now Dash 4 Cash eligible at Bristol Motor Speedway. They will compete against Justin Allgaier and Rajah Caruth for 100k next Saturday.

For Toyota, it was the second 1-2 sweep in as many days, after TRICON Garage teammates Corey Heim and Kaden Honeycutt took the top-two spots in the Truck Series race from Rockingham Speedway on Friday.

TOYOTA RACING Post-Race Recap
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (NOAPS)
Rockingham Speedway
Race 8 of 33 – 230 miles, 250 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, WILLIAM SAWALICH
2nd, BRANDON JONES
3rd, Justin Allgaier*
4th, Rajah Caruth*
5th, Carson Kvapil*
7th, TAYLOR GRAY
13th, HARRISON BURTON
26th, BRENT CREWS
28th, DEAN THOMPSON
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

WILLIAM SAWALICH, No. 18 SoundGear Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 1st

How rewarding is this moment after all of the trials and tribulations you went through?
“It means everything. Honestly, tough year last year and tough start to the year this year. These boys mean everything to me. They were here with me through everything and my family. Gosh, it feels good to get it done here in Rockingham, in front of an awesome crowd. Thank you to everyone for coming out. Our SoundGear GR Supra was on rails today. Good in stage one and stage two, and obviously amazing in clean air.”

What were you trying to remind yourself as you went through the lap traffic?
“Well, funny enough, lap traffic took me out last year, so it was running through my head a little bit. I just studied the race last year and just calmed down and everything was fine.”

BRANDON JONES, No. 20 Menards/Pelonis Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 2nd

How would you describe the race you put together?

“What a hard fought battle today. I want to thank Menards and Pelonis for being our GR Supra today. It has been cool to get them a couple of really good runs here the last few weeks. I left Martinsville a little frustrated at myself last week. We weren’t quite aggressive enough at times, so today, I was super adamant on being super aggressive. I am going to take all of the runs I can get. I’m going to put people in bad situations, if I can, and just move forward. I think we did a really good job of it. We kept fighting both sides of it with balance today. Sam (McAuley, crew chief) did a great job taking all of my feedback and making a car, I think, capable of winning. It was just a matter of trying to get some track position, and he got such a big restart on that last restart that it was hard to catch him. Congrats to them. I know it has been a long time coming for the 18 group. Happy for Jeff Meendering (crew chief, William Sawalich) and William (Sawalich) and all of those guys. I’m hungry. I want one. We are really close.”

TAYLOR GRAY, No. 54 Operation 300 Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 7th

How was it working back through the field all day?

“It was tough. Track position was pretty huge today. Just tough to pass, but really proud of everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing, TOYOTA RACING – thanks to them for bringing a really fast Operation 300 Toyota GR Supra. Big thanks to Black’s Tire for coming on board this weekend. Good points weekend for the 54 team. We’ve struggled the last few weeks just being able to finish races, so good step forward here and we will go to Bristol.”

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 nearly 49 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In spring 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 31 electrified options.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Tristan McKee wins ARCA race at Rockingham in Flag-to-Flag Run

Tristan McKee In ARCA Victory Lane at Rockingham, Photo Credit: ARCA Photo

Tristan McKee dominated the ARCA Menards Series East 125, winning the race after qualifying on the pole. He led all 125 laps over his teammate, Carson Brown, in what was his second consecutive victory since winning at Hickory.

It was the second race of the ARCA Menards East Series and took place early Saturday morning at Rockingham Speedway as part of a doubleheader day with the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.

“(The race) got sketchy a little bit there a few times with the lap cars, some of those guys are all over the place and the closing rates are really fast,” McKee said, “so it was definitely tough to keep my mental state and fight through it all to get through the lap cars,” McKee said in his victory interview.

“It was definitely a lot of fun and this track is awesome. This is my first time here. Totally a lot of fun,” McKee emphasized. “Thanks to Campers Inn for coming on board this week and all the PRG guys for all their hard work. Had a bad fast racecar and our team got one-two in the running order, which is really cool. That’s the second one for PRG this year. Thanks to everyone at Spire Motorsports for allowing me to do this.”

The series had its 2026 season opener last weekend at Hickory Motor Speedway, which saw some fireworks late in the going between Tristan McKee, Landon S. Huffman, and Max Reaves. McKee, who is driving the No. 77 Pinnacle Racing Group entry, ended up winning the race in a five-lap dash and came into this weekend with tons of momentum.

During qualifying for the ARCA race at Rockingham, McKee qualified on the pole position with a lap time of 22.459 seconds at 155.483 mph, with Reaves in second and Phoenix winner, Carson Brown, in the third position. By qualifying on the pole and being the recent race winner in the East Series, McKee was seeking his second consecutive back-to-back wins. The halfway race break occurred at or around Lap 63.

Through the first half of the race, McKee dominated, leading every lap and fending off challengers from his teammate Brown, Reaves, and Gavan Boschele. However, there were a couple of notable incidents. During the first 10 laps of the race, Reaves made slight contact with the wall off Turn 2 and was able to get away without any incident. Unfortunately, trouble came calling several laps later for Reaves at Lap 35, as the Joe Gibbs Racing driver had a left-rear tire go flat and went off the pace. He would eventually return to the track just three laps down.

The race went green for about 10 laps before the second caution of the event flew at Lap 45. Boschele, driving in the No. 25 Nitro Motorsports entry, also had a flat tire and wound up hitting the wall in Turn 2. This time, it was the right front and Boschele wasn’t as lucky as Reaves. He was unable to finish the race and had to settle for a DNF.

One more yellow flew at Lap 54 for debris on the frontstretch of Rockingham, which came off the No. 70 of Wesley Slimp. Shortly thereafter, the field went for a two-lap dash and the caution came out once more at the halfway break on Lap 63. McKee, Brown, Connor Hall, Garrett Mitchell, Isaac Kitzmiller, Jackson McLerran, Slimp, Cory Roper, George Siciliano, and Reaves rounded out the Top 10.

As the race went back to green-flag conditions following the break, two more yellows slowed the event. One at Lap 81 for the No. 0 of Siciliano, who went sideways in Turns 1 and 2, but did not hit anything. The other caution occurred with 15 laps to go as the No. 99 of Michael Maples came to a stop in Turn 3 after heavy contact with the No. 24 of Maples.

Before the caution at 15 to go, race leader McKee and his teammate Brown had fierce battles for the top spot. At one point during the battle, Brown got sideways in the middle of Turns 3 and 4, and almost took the leader, McKee, out with him. Despite losing some ground in the process, Brown threw another challenge at McKee for the lead before the caution and ultimately, the red flag to clean up fluid from Maple’s car.

The final restart came with nine laps to go, with McKee, Brown, Kitzmiller, Mitchell, and Slimp the top five. Off the restart, Kitzmiller had a slight battle with Brown, but Brown got the better of him and set his sights on McKee to challenge for the win. However, the victory went to McKee, who would lead every lap from pole position.

Brown had to ultimately settle for a second-place finish at Rockingham, despite having some great battles with McKee late in the going.

“I’m not quite sure what I needed in the final laps,” Brown said to Flo Racing after coming one spot short. “I’m just happy to be standing here, honestly. It was a very fun race. Unfortunately, we struggled there at first and we had something wrong.

“Just wrecking free at the start and fired off really bad, and kind of struggled to get going there. Finally, it was coming to us a little bit. I almost wrecked both of us at one point with Tristan. I was just trying to hang on there. When we stopped at the break, we were decent and we made a few changes. Fired off better and better, but still kind of struggled. Big thanks to PRG and all the guys.”

Last year’s ARCA Menards East Series champion, Kitzmiller, rounded out the podium finishers in third position.

“That was a good day for CR7 Motorsports and A.L.L. Construction, Carter Cat, and everyone else who works on these cars,” Kitzmiller told Flo Racing on the fronstretch post race. “Super awesome to get a top three. We started firing off super loose there and we got it (the car) tightened up at halfway. Just can’t thank these guys enough. We almost had the 28 passed, but he was just a little better on the long runs. Like I said, can’t thank these guys enough and it’s super awesome to race here at The Rock.”

Tristan McKee, Carson Brown, Isaac Kitzmiller, Garrett Mitchell, Wesley Slimp, Jackson McLerran, Cory Roper, Max Reaves, George Siciliano, and Craig Pellegrini Jr rounded out the Top 10 finishers. There were five cautions for 28 laps and zero lead changes.

Up Next – The next ARCA Menards East Series race is slated for Saturday night, May 2nd, live on Flo Racing at the Nashville Fairgrounds. Additionally, the next ARCA Menards West Series is scheduled for Saturday, April 11, at Tucson Speedway. It will be aired live on Flo Racing. The national ARCA Menards Series tour is still off for two weeks. The next race will occur at Kansas Speedway, Saturday, April 18, live on Fox Sports 1 at 12:30 p.m./ET.

Complete Results – ARCA Menards Series East 125:

Pos | Driver

1. Tristan McKee

2. Carson Brown

3. Isaac Kitzmiller

4. Garrett Mitchell

5. Wesley Slimp

6. Jackson McLerran

7. Corey Roper

8. Max Reaves

9. George Siciliano

10. Craig Pellegrini Jr

11. Brian Weber

12. Dystany Spurlock

13. TJ Harris

14. Austin Vaughn

15. Dustin Hillenburg

16. Nate Moeller

17. Connor Hall

18. Toby Blanton

19. Michael Maples

20. Gavin Boschele

21. Quinn Davis

22. Mike Basham

Front Row Motorsports: Rockingham Speedway NCTS Race Report- Layne Riggs / Chandler Smith

Layne Riggs | Chandler Smith
Rockingham Speedway NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Race Report
Black’s Tire 200
Date: Friday, April 3, 2026
Event: Race 5 of 25
Series: NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series
Location: Rockingham Speedway (1.0-mile)
Length of Race: 200 laps over one hour, 46 minutes, 0 seconds

FRM Finish:

Layne Riggs (Started 5th, Finished 3rd / Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)
Chandler Smith (Started 33rd, Finished 36th / DQ, completed 200 of 200 laps)

FRM Points Standings:

Layne Riggs (3rd)
Chandler Smith (4th)

Layne Riggs Key Takeaways

Stage One: 4th / Stage Two: 4th / Race Result: 3rd

“P3 at the Rock to get Bare Knuckle Boxing a podium finish,” said Riggs. “Overall, it was a great day. I felt like we were a fifth to 10th place truck, we just couldn’t quite get the track position and balance where I wanted it, but Dylan (Cappello) and the team gave me the proper adjustments to help me finish strong. Really happy with everything. We need these strong, solid days to get a title.”

Chandler Smith Key Takeaways

Stage One: 36th / Stage Two: 36th / Race Result: 36th

“Man, what a race,” said Smith. “Started dead last and ended up driving up to 4th. Truck was pretty good, just a game of track position all race. Unfortunate what happened following post-race inspection but we’re going keep chipping away with our heads up headed to Bristol.”

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization competing in the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. Founded in 2004 by entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, FRM has earned top honors including a 2021 Daytona 500 victory and the 2022 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series championship. Based in Mooresville, N.C., FRM fields the No. 4, No. 34, and No. 38 entries in the NASCAR Cup Series, along with the No. 34 and No. 38 teams in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. For more information, visit teamfrm.com and follow Front Row Motorsports on social media — X: @Team_FRM, Instagram: @teamfrm, Tik Tok: @Team_FRM, YouTube: @FrontRowNASCAR, and Facebook: facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

2026 Niece Motorsports NCTS Race Recap: Rockingham Speedway

NIECE MOTORSPORTS
NCTS RACE RECAP: ROCKINGHAM SPEEDWAY
Event: Black’s Tire 200 (200 laps / 188 miles)
Round: 5 of 25 (Regular Season)
Track: Rockingham Speedway
Location: Rockingham, NC
Date & Time: Friday, April 3 | 4:30 PM ET

No. 4 Comprehensive Logistics Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Connor Hall | Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett

Start: 27th
Stage 1: 27th
Stage 2: 23rd
Finish: 20th
Driver Points: 42nd
Owner Points: 34th

  • Key Takeaway: Connor Hall and the Comprehensive Logistics team pressed on and learned a lot together at Rockingham. Hall, who made his second-career NCTS start, qualified 27th for the 200-lap event. In the beginning of the race, he noted that the balance was very free, which prompted the No. 4 crew to make heavy adjustments. As the race continued, Hall began to slowly chip away at it and pick up speed. Towards the end of the event, Hall ran lap times similar to those of the leaders, despite being a couple of laps down. He brought the truck home cleanly in 20th-place.
  • Connor Hall’s Post-Race Thoughts: “Obviously, that wasn’t the game plan for us to fight back from so much adversity – but we showed up with the goal of running all 200 laps and gaining experience, and for the betterment of my career at Niece Motorsports, everyone here understands that I need time to learn. I understand that I need time as well, and would say that the Connor on lap 200 compared to the Connor on lap one has a way better understanding of truck racing.

I thought there at the end, we were right behind some of the front runners and maintained our pace with them. We could make speed, but it’s just part of the learning process on finding out what the adjustments do. I thought we started off behind on our balance, and it took to the last stage to hone it in. Our goal was to run the full race and get better in every stage, learn aero, and have a building day. I wish we could have finished a little better, but I learned a lot and had a ton of fun. Huge thanks to Josh Morris, Greg Fowler, Cody Efaw, and everyone at Comprehensive Logistics, Niece Motorsports, and Team Chevy.”

About Comprehensive Logistics: Comprehensive Logistics (CLI) is a full-service inbound-to-manufacturing logistics partner specializing in high-volume, high-velocity, and highly complex operations, including warehouse management, value-added services, sequencing, transportation, and sub-assembly manufacturing. By integrating advanced technology, data-driven insights, and process engineering with experienced teams, CLI delivers high-precision, reliable logistics solutions tailored to evolving customer needs. For more information, please visit complog.com.

No. 42 Vetted Ventures Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Parker Eatmon | Crew Chief: Landon Polinski

Start: 8th
Stage 1: 8th
Stage 2: 14th
Finish: 26th
Driver Points: 46th
Owner Points: 21st

  • Key Takeaway: Parker Eatmon and the Vetted Ventures team gave it their all in their first race together at Rockingham. Eatmon was impressive in his first time in qualifying trim, and started eighth in his debut. The rookie held his own in the first stage, and nabbed three bonus points in the process. As the run continued, however, he slowly began to lose track position. After getting caught with an untimely caution after a green flag pit stop, Eatmon lost a couple of laps towards the end of the race. His No. 42 Chevrolet crossed the line in 26th-place.
  • Parker Eatmon’s Post-Race Thoughts: “We started off really good today, I just made a couple of rookie mistakes that put us in bad positions later in the race. I think that I need to clean up some stuff on my end, but overall, it was a solid day. I finished all of the laps with a clean truck, so I can’t complain too much. I just want to be better in the future, but I definitely learned a ton out there and was proud of everyone on the No. 42 team for all the work they put into this weekend. I’m very thankful to all of them, everyone at Vetted Ventures, our ownership group, and I can’t wait to go out there again for my next race.”

About Vetted Ventures: Vetted Ventures is a pioneer in revolutionizing private sales and acquisitions management through an ecosystem of exclusive clients with the ability to be represented by one company across different industries. We aim to provide our clients with the opportunities they seek backed by the service they deserve. To learn more about the company, please visit www.Vetted-Ventures.com.

No. 44 Precision Vehicle Logistics De Mexico Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Andrés Pérez de Lara | Crew Chief: Wally Rogers

Start: 12th
Stage 1: 35th
Stage 2: 34th
Finish: 32nd
Driver Points: 15th
Owner Points: 22nd

  • Key Takeaway: Andrés Pérez de Lara and the Precision Vehicle Logistics De Mexico team fought an uphill battle in Rockingham. After starting in 12th-place, Pérez de Lara was just getting settled in at the start when he broke loose and made contact with the outside wall. The No. 44 was forced to pit under green on multiple occasions and lost several laps in the process. Though the team was able to finish the race, they did not secure the result they had hoped for. The sophomore driver was credited with a 32nd-place finish.
  • Andrés Pérez de Lara’s Post-Race Thoughts: “I messed up there early in the race, and wish we could have had more laps to show our real speed, but we’re never going to get to know how today could have gone if that didn’t happen. It’s a shame that we have had two unfortunate results back-to-back, but I know we can build back from them. Thank you to Precision Vehicle Logistics de Mexico, our team owners, and all of the No. 44 guys for having my back. I’m looking forward to Bristol next week; it’s a place that we feel confident at and have a lot of speed with our team. It’s going to be a good one.”

About Precision Vehicle Logistics: Precision Vehicle Logistics is a customer-focused group of professionals committed to service excellence in finished vehicle logistics. Precision offers a unique combination of talented experience, industry-leading software and systems, and a network of partners and resources to deliver customized solutions to the world’s leading automakers.

No. 45 J.F. Electric Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Landen Lewis | Crew Chief: Phil Gould

Start: 9th
Stage 1: 10th
Stage 2: 12th
Finish: 14th
Driver Points: 19th
Owner Points: 3rd

  • Key Takeaway: Landen Lewis and the J.F. Electric team ran consistently throughout the race in Rockingham despite a handful of setbacks. Lewis qualified inside the top-10 to start the day, and gained an extra point in stage one. After a slight mistake on pit road, the No. 45 slid back a tad in the second run. Mired back in the field with a blistering pace, Lewis lost a lap in the final stage. Just after becoming eligible to take the wave around, however, the right-front tire went flat and forced him to pit. The rookie had to settle for a hard-earned 14th-place finish.
  • Landen Lewis’ Post-Race Thoughts: “I felt like we had a top-10 truck and were making it better, but I made a mistake on pit road and that cost us a lot of track position. Then, we had a right-front tire go down when it looked like we were going to get back in the hunt. It was just a rough day all together, but I feel like my truck was really good. I just want to thank J.F. Electric, Greg Fowler, Josh Morris, Cody Efaw, and everyone that gives me this opportunity to come race. I need to clean up my mistakes and be better for next time. It was a good learning day, and as long as I learn from it, we’ll continue to make progress.”

About J.F. Electric: J.F. Electric is an electrical contractor that provides engineering expertise, backed by construction and installation know-how in a diverse range of service offerings, from utilities and commercial projects, to industrial and telecommunications customers. When having a long family history in an industry, a company not only builds on its knowledge and experience, it takes pride in cultivating a solid understanding of client needs, all the while nurturing strong relationships with its employees. Evolving through five generations of the Fowler family, J.F. Electric has matured into a well-managed and thoughtfully diversified electrical contractor which is poised to continue its growth and expansion into the future.
About Niece Motorsports: Niece Motorsports is a professional auto racing team that has competed in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series since 2016. The team is owned by Josh Morris of DQS Solutions and Staffing and the Fowler Family of J.F. Electric and Utilitra, and was founded by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. At its 80,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Salisbury, NC, Niece Motorsports is a full-service race vehicle build shop as well as a customizable fabrication shop for any manufacturing needs.

Follow the Team: To keep up to date with the latest team news, visit niecemotorsports.com or connect on Facebook and Instagram (@NieceMotorsports) as well as X (@NieceMotorsport).

Corey Heim dominates for thrilling Truck victory at Rockingham

Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Corey Heim capped off a dominant run by outdueling teammate Kaden Honeycutt in a thrilling finish to win the Black’s Tire 200 at Rockingham Speedway on Friday, April 3.

No. 1 Toyota team
Photo by Logan Allen for SpeedwayMedia.com.

The reigning NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion from Marietta, Georgia, led three times for a race-high 178 of 200-scheduled laps in an event where he started in seventh place and led for the first time on Lap 18. After sweeping the event’s first two stages and dominating a majority of the final stage period, Heim was one of seven competitors who benefited from a late caution that flew with 35 laps remaining to remain on the lead lap and pit for fresh tires and enough fuel to the event’s scheduled distance.

During a 28-lap dash to the finish, Heim had a steady advantage slowly evaporate as he had a potential tire issue while leading in the closing laps. This allowed teammate Kaden Honeycutt to reel in and challenge Heim with less than five laps remaining. Amid two tight challenges from Honeycutt, including a side-by-side battle on the final lap, Heim benefited from Honeycutt getting blocked behind teammate Tanner Gray. With enough horsepower to muscle ahead, he beat Honeycutt, adding another Truck victory. He also added a $50,000 bonus to his resume and part-time 2026 racing schedule.

With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Friday, Jake Garcia claimed the pole position with a pole-winning lap at 154.570 mph in 21.893 seconds. Garcia shared the front row with Tanner Gray, the latter of whom posted the second-fastest qualifying lap at 153.115 mph in 22.101 seconds.

Before the event, Chandler Smith dropped to the rear of the field to replace a broken shock on his No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford F-150 entry.

When the green flag waved and the event commenced, Jake Garcia gained a brief launch from the outside lane through the frontstretch, but Tanner Gray muscled back and drew alongside Garcia through the first two turns. After dueling with Garcia for nearly a full circuit, Gray used the inside lane through Turns 3 and 4 to muscle his No. 15 Black’s Tire Toyota Tundra TRD Pro entry ahead. With the clean air to his possession, Gray led the first lap while Kaden Honeycutt and rookie Cole Butcher engaged in a three-wide battle with Garcia for the runner-up spot.

Over the next four laps, Gray maintained a steady advantage over Ty Majeski while Honeycutt, Butcher, and Garcia followed suit in the top five, respectively. Meanwhile, Andres Perez De Lara, who started 12th but hit the wall on the right side on two separate occasions as he continued to race on the track, dropped to 28th place. Amid the early actions around The Rock, Gray retained the lead by two-tenths of a second over Majeski at the Lap 10 mark while Honeycutt, Corey Heim, Butcher, Garcia, Layne Riggs, Parker Eatmon, Giovanni Ruggiero, and rookie Brenden Queen were racing in the top 10, respectively.

On Lap 18, Heim, who exhibited a fast pace at the start, overtook teammate Gray to assume the lead for the first time. Heim proceeded to stretch his advantage to a full second by Lap 20, and he added another second to his advantage by Lap 25. As Heim dominated at the front, teammate Gray trailed in the runner-up spot while Majeski, Honeycutt, Riggs, Butcher, Garcia, Eaton, Ruggiero, and Queen were racing in the top 10, respectively. Meanwhile, Landen Lewis, Dawson Sutton, Carson Hocevar, Grant Enfinger, Daniel Hemric, Stewart Friesen, Justin Haley, Christian Eckes, Tyler Ankrum, and Sammy Smith were mired in the top 20, respectively, allowing Heim to grow his advantage to three-and-a-half seconds at the Lap 30 mark.

When the first stage period concluded on Lap 45, Heim, who increased his advantage to more than four seconds, cruised to his second Truck stage victory of the 2026 season. Majeski settled in second ahead of Honeycutt, Riggs, and Gray. Butcher, Garcia, Eatmon, Ruggiero, and Lewis were in the top 10, respectively. By then, 22 of 36 starters were on the lead lap. Several notables, including rookie Mini Tyrrell, Luke Baldwin, Ben Rhodes, Michael Christopher Jr., Kris Wright, Adam Andretti, and Ty Dillon, were a lap behind.

Under the event’s first stage break period, Carson Hocevar, who was scored in 13th place, pitted prior to pit road being accessible to the field. This was due to a mechanical issue with his No 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado RST entry. Once pit road became accessible to the field, the lead lap field led by Heim peeled off the racetrack to pit for the first time. Following the pit stops, Heim exited pit road first. He was followed by Grant Enfinger, Honeycutt, Majeski, Gray, Stewart Friesen, Ruggiero, Riggs, Daniel Hemric, and Garcia, respectively. Amid the pit stops, Ruggiero received a penalty for speeding on pit road.

The second stage period started on Lap 54 as Heim and Enfinger occupied the front row. At the start, Enfinger, who only opted for a two-tire pit service during the first stage’s break period, received a push from Majeski from the inside lane to launch ahead of Heim through the first two turns. With the clean air to his advantage, Enfinger maintained the lead and led the next lap while Heim barely fended off Majeski to retain the runner-up spot. Enfinger then led up until Lap 57 before Heim used the outside lane through Turns 3 and 4 to reassume the lead.

On Lap 60, the caution flew when Adam Andretti, who was making his third Truck career start in the No. 5 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro entry for TRICON Garage, wrecked hard against the backstretch’s inside wall. At the moment of caution, Heim was leading by three-tenths of a second over Majeski. Honeycutt, Enfinger, Gray, Riggs, Friesen, Hemric, Garcia, and Butcher were in the top 10 over Sutton, Eatmon, Lewis, Corey LaJoie and Queen, respectively.

As the event restarted under green on Lap 67, Heim, who restarted on the inside lane, rocketed ahead of Majeski and teammate Honeycutt through the first two turns. Heim proceeded to lead the next lap, and Majeski retained the runner-up spot over Honeycutt while Queen, who was racing within the top-15 mark and within a three-wide battle, scrubbed the outside wall through the first turn, but he continued despite dropping to 23rd in the running order.

Through the Lap 75 mark, Heim was leading by six-tenths of a second over Majeski and by a second over third-place Honeycutt while Enfinger and Gray trailed in the top five ahead of Riggs, Friesen, Hemric, Butcher, and Garcia, respectively. While Sutton, Eckes, LaJoie, Lewis, and Eatmon occupied top-15 spots ahead of Chandler Smith, Ruggiero, Tyler Ankrum, Sammy Smith, and Justin Haley, Heim continued to lead by a second at the Lap 80 mark.

When the second stage period on Lap 90, Heim captured both his second Truck stage victory at Rockingham and the 45th of his career. Majeski claimed the runner-up spot over Honeycutt, Riggs, and Enfinger, while Friesen, Hemric, Butcher, Garcia, and Sutton, respectively. By then, 22 of 36 starters were on the lead lap. Queen was in 23rd place after losing a lap to the leaders.

During the event’s second stage break period, the lead lap field led by Heim returned to pit road for service. Following the pit stops, Heim retained the lead after exiting pit road first, while teammate Ruggiero, Majeski, teammate Honeycutt, Chandler Smith, Gray, Ankrum, Friesen, Riggs, and Enfinger followed suit in the top 10, respectively.

With 102 laps remaining, the final stage period commenced as teammates Heim and Ruggiero occupied the front row. At the start, Heim fended off Ruggiero through the first two turns to retain the lead. As Ruggiero fended off Majeski and Honeycutt, starting from the backstretch to the frontstretch, to retain the runner-up spot, Heim led the next lap. Heim stabilized his lead to half a second with 100 laps remaining while Ruggiero, Majeski, and Honeycutt followed suit in close pursuit. Meanwhile, Gray outdueled Chandler Smith for fifth place while Enfinger was reeling in Ankrum for seventh place.

Down to the final 90 laps, Heim extended his advantage to more than two seconds over Majeski while TRICON Garage teammates, Ruggiero and Honeycutt, trailed by within three seconds. Gray, Heim’s fourth teammate at TRICON, trailed by five seconds in fifth place. Chandler Smith, Ankrum, Enfinger, Sutton, Riggs, Friesen, Hemric, Garcia, Eckes, and Butcher ran in the top 15, respectively.

Fifteen laps later, Heim’s lead stood at three seconds over Majeski while Honeycutt, Ruggiero, and Gray trailed by as far back as nearly nine seconds. Amid Heim’s dominance, Hocevar retired from competition due to a drivetrain issue. With Hocevar out of competition, Heim added another second to his lead as he led by four seconds over Majeski with 70 laps remaining while Honeycutt, Ruggiero, and Gray retained top-five spots over Chandler Smith, Riggs, Ankrum, Enfinger, and Sutton, respectively.

With 60 laps remaining, Heim led Majeski by six seconds while third-place Honeycutt trailed by eight seconds. Meanwhile, Riggs, who overtook Ruggiero for fifth place two laps earlier and was muscling his way to the front, trailed the lead by 13 seconds. Two laps later, Hemric, who dropped to 25th place and was voicing concerns of having a loose wheel, pitted his No. 19 NAPA Chevrolet Silverado RST entry under green and lost three laps to the leaders. Amid Hemric’s late issues, Enfinger muscled his way back into the top five in fifth place over Ruggiero, Gray and Chandler Smith while Heim led by nearly six seconds with 50 laps remaining.

Then, with 50 laps remaining, Gray made a green-flag pit stop from the top-10 mark, and he lost two laps in the process of pitting early. Teammate Ruggiero then pitted with 41 laps remaining before Sutton, Eckes, and runner-up Majeski pitted over the next five laps.

The caution then flew with 35 laps remaining when Michael Christopher Jr. spun in front of Hemric through Turn 2 and entering the backstretch. The caution pinned Gray, Sutton, Eckes and Ruggiero, all of whom pitted two laps behind the leaders. Meanwhile, Majeski, after pitting for only two fresh tires, was pinned a lap down. By then, only seven competitors, including the leader Heim, were on the lead lap. During the latest caution period, the lead lap field led by Heim and including Honeycutt, Riggs, Chandler Smith, Friesen, Enfinger, and Ankrum pitted their respective entries for fresh tires and fuel to the scheduled distance.

The start of the next restart, with 28 laps remaining, featured Heim motoring his No. 1 Robinhood Toyota Tundra TRD Pro entry ahead from the inside lane through the first two turns. As Honeycutt fended off Enfinger for the runner-up spot, Heim led the next lap, and he proceeded to stretch his late advantage to nearly half a second. Heim’s lead stood at four-tenths of a second over teammate Honeycutt with 25 laps remaining. Riggs, Enfinger, Friesen, Chandler Smith, Ankrum, LaJoie, and Majeski, all of whom were scored on the lead lap, were racing in the top nine, respectively. Meanwhile, Garcia was the first competitor scored a lap down in 10th place.

Down to the final 20 laps of the event, Heim stabilized his lead to half a second over teammate Honeycutt. Behind, Riggs trailed by more than a second in third place while Enfinger, Chandler Smith, and Friesen trailed in the top-six mark, respectively, by four seconds. Amid Heim’s dominance, Eckes, Sutton, Gray, and Ruggiero, all of whom took the wave around to reclaim one of their two lost laps during the previous caution period, were all pinned a lap down while racing from 14th to 17th, respectively.

With 10 laps remaining, Heim, who methodically navigated his way through lapped traffic, slowly increased his advantage up to nine-tenths of a second over teammate Honeycutt while Riggs trailed by two seconds in third place. As Chandler Smith and Enfinger retained the remaining top-five spots over Friesen, Ankrum, LaJoie, and Majeski, Heim, who started to have his steady advantage decrease, was leading by only four-tenths of a second over a hard-charging Honeycutt and the No. 11 Safelite Toyota Tundra TRD Pro entry.

Then, with four laps remaining, Honeycutt, who reeled in towards Heim’s rear bumper for nearly a full lap, gained a huge run and got to Heim’s bumper through Turns 3 and 4. Honeycutt then tried to make a move to draw alongside Heim’s right side through the frontstretch during the next lap, but Heim fended off the challenge as he proceeded to navigate past his lapped teammate of Ruggiero.

TRICON Garage’s No. 1 Toyota team
Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Two laps later, Heim reported a potential issue with his entry. This resulted in him being boxed behind the lapped competitors of Sutton and teammate Gray. Heim’s struggles through Turns 3 and 4, to go along with trying to lap Gray, allowed Honeycutt to use the outside lane as both he and Heim went side-by-side for the lead to start the final lap.

Amid the side-by-side battle, Honeycutt gained a slight advantage from the outside lane before Heim muscled back from the inside lane through Turns 1 and 2. Despite having the preferred outside lane, Honeycutt was boxed behind teammate Gray while also drawn alongside teammate Heim through the backstretch. Honeycutt then appeared to have the momentum by drafting Gray. But by still being boxed in between the wall, Gray, Heim motored back ahead and cleared Honeycutt entering Turn 3. Honeycutt then tried to mount a final challenge on Heim entering the frontstretch, but the former’s challenge was not enough as Heim had enough momentum to claim the checkered flag by 0.090 seconds and win at The Rock for the first time.

With the victory, Heim, a development competitor for 23XI Racing, notched his 25th career win in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series division, which is the fourth-most victories of all-time in the series. He also achieved back-to-back Truck victories in his career for a fourth time as he doubled down from his Darlington Raceway victory two weeks ago by winning at The Rock. By making Rockingham Speedway the 21st venue to which he has won a Truck race, Heim also recorded the first victory for TRICON Garage’s No. 1 Toyota team.

Corey Heim
Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.

As added bonuses, Heim, who earned $50,000 for winning the first Triple Truck Challenge event at Darlington, received a $100,000 bonus for notching the program’s second bonus at The Rock. This tallied Heim’s current winnings within the program to $150,000.

Heim will drive for TRICON for next Friday’s third and final Triple Truck Challenge event of this season at Bristol Motor Speedway as he attempts to become the first competitor to sweep the program’s three events in a single season. Should Heim achieve this feat, he will pocket a $500,000 payday.

“I didn’t feel like I was pushing any harder than the previous run, so I didn’t feel like it did any more damage to the right front,” Heim said on the frontstretch on FS1. “All of a sudden, the thing was like with four [laps] to go, I had to turn more right down the straightaway to keep it straight and the wheel was clogged like 20 degrees to the right and then, we started to shatter really bad in the corner, so I was like, ‘Oh boy, here we go.’ We’re gonna lose this one in the worst way possible. [I] Hung in there and just had to use a couple of lapped car picks to fend [Honeycutt] off. Respect to Kaden for racing me clean there. I had to do what I had to do at the end.”

“Thank you to Toyota, TRICON [Garage] for having me back again,” Heim added. “I really enjoy doing this. Definitely a stressful ending there, but I got it done. Go for 500k next week. It means a lot. I don’t really think about [the bonus] in the truck, but it’s cool to reflect on it. I think I’d be the first person to sweep all three if I’m able to do it. Lot of motivation for these guys on the No. 1 camp. With Celsius as a primary [sponsor] next week, so I’m super excited about that. Glad that we come here to win with Robinhood today and get their first win.”

As Heim celebrated, teammate Honeycutt was left disappointed on pit road. He ended up 0.090 seconds shy of his first Truck career victory. However, he was also pleased with the run and with contending for the victory. And now, he sets his sights on next Friday’s event at Bristol Motor Speedway to bid for the victory.

“That was everything I had, no doubt about that,” Honeycutt said. He added, “Thank you to Safelite and everyone on this No. 11 team. I had a really good truck today,” he continued, “I know Corey was definitely really good today. I finally got the adjustment at the end that I thought I needed, and finally got the track position to be behind him and to race him at the end.

“We went down into [Turn] 3 and unfortunately, my teammate [Gray] was right there. It just kind of hindered our way to the finish, but congrats to Corey, the whole No. 1 team, TRICON [Garage]. This organization’s been really, really good the last five weeks, and it just shows how good our trucks are…Our time will come. We got plenty of races to go and got a lot of good points today, so that was good. We’ll just keep cutting into that lead and see if we can go for the end of it in the title and win a lot of races this year.”

Layne Riggs, teammate Chandler Smith, and Stewart Friesen finished in the top five, but Smith would be disqualified from his fourth-place result due to his entry failing to meet the post-race rear heights requirement. This resulted in him being demoted to the tail end of the results in 36th place. With Smith’s disqualification, Friesen and Grant Enfinger were promoted one spot each to the top-five mark. Tyler Ankrum, Corey LaJoie, Ty Majeski, pole-sitter Jake Garcia, and Cole Butcher completed the top 10 in the final running order.

There were six lead changes for four different leaders. The event featured four cautions for 28 laps. In addition, nine of 36 starters finished on the lead lap.

Following the fifth event of the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season, Kaden Honeycutt leads the standings by 11 points over Layne Riggs, 17 over Chandler Smith, 22 over Ty Majeski, and 41 over Giovanni Ruggiero.

*Heim’s Rockingham victory tied him with teammate Kaden Honeycutt for the points lead in the standings. Despite competing for Truck Series points, Heim is ineligible for this year’s series’ Chase battle due to not competing in every scheduled Truck event this season.

Results:

  1. Corey Heim, 178 laps led, Stages 1 & 2 winner
  2. Kaden Honeycutt, one lap led
  3. Layne Riggs
  4. Stewart Friesen
  5. Grant Enfinger, four laps led
  6. Tyler Ankrum
  7. Corey LaJoie
  8. Ty Majeski
  9. Jake Garcia, one lap down
  10. Cole Butcher, one lap down
  11. Sammy Smith, one lap down
  12. Justin Haley, one lap down
  13. Christian Eckes, one lap down
  14. Landen Lewis, one lap down
  15. Dawson Sutton, one lap down
  16. Tanner Gray, two laps down, 17 laps led
  17. Giovanni Ruggiero, two laps down
  18. Ben Rhodes, two laps down
  19. Kris Wright, two laps down
  20. Connor Hall, two laps down
  21. Luke Baldwin, two laps down
  22. Ty Dillon, three laps down
  23. Michael Christopher Jr., three laps down
  24. Daniel Hemric, three laps down
  25. Mini Tyrrell, three laps down
  26. Parker Eatmon, three laps down
  27. Brenden Queen, four laps down
  28. Spencer Boyd, five laps down
  29. Clayton Green, five laps down
  30. Timmy Hill, six laps down
  31. Frankie Muniz, eight laps down
  32. Andres Perez De Lara, 13 laps down
  33. Caleb Costner, 13 laps down
  34. Carson Hocevar – OUT, Drivetrain
  35. Adam Andretti – OUT, Accident
  36. Chandler Smith – Disqualified

Next on the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule is Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee, for the Tennessee Army National Guard 250. The event is scheduled to occur next Friday, April 10, and air at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, NASCAR Racing Network, and SiriusXM.

TOYOTA RACING – NCTS Rockingham Post-Race Report – 04.03.26

HEIM WINS IN DOMINATE TRUCK PERFORMANCE AT ROCKINGHAM, RACING FOR 500K IN BRISTOL
Heim, Honeycutt deliver 1-2 finish for Toyota and TRICON

ROCKINGHAM, NC (April 3, 2026) – Corey Heim won his second consecutive race this season as he delivered a dominate performance at Rockingham Speedway on Friday night. Heim led 178 laps but had issues in the closing laps and battled his Toyota and TRICON Garage teammate Kaden Honeycutt to the line to pick-up his 25th career victory, which makes him solo in fifth all-time in the series. It was also Heim’s second consecutive Triple Truck Challenge win, which means the No. 1 TRICON Garage team will win 500k at Bristol Motor Speedway if they deliver their third straight victory. It was a record-breaking day for Heim as he led the most laps he has ever led in a single race, took over the all-time record with consecutive Truck Series races with laps led with 29 and won on his 21st track in the Truck Series which breaks the tie for third all-time. Heim is also the first driver with a ‘perfect’ race in the new points format as the Georgia-native ran the best lap, won both stages and secured the victory, earning 76 points.

Kaden Honeycutt had another impressive drive as he nearly won his first Truck Series race before finishing second – tying his career-best finish. Stewart Friesen also had a strong run, giving Toyota three of the top-five as the Canadian finished in fifth.

TOYOTA RACING Post-Race Recap
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS)
Rockingham Speedway
Race 5 of 23 – 188 Miles, 200 Laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, COREY HEIM

2nd, KADEN HONEYCUTT

3rd, Layne Riggs*

4th, Chandler Smith*

5th, STEWART FRIESEN

17th, TANNER GRAY

18th, GIO RUGGIERO

24th, MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER JR.

31st, TIMMY HILL

36th, ADAM ANDRETTI

*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

COREY HEIM, No. 1 Robinhood Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, TRICON Garage

Finishing Position: 1st

Can you walk us through those last few laps?

“Yeah, I don’t know. I felt like I didn’t push it any harder than any previous run or do any more damage to the right front, but it was like all of a sudden with four to go, my truck started just – I had to turn more right down the straightaway to keep it straight. My wheel was clocked at like 20 degrees to the right and it was chattering really bad in the corners, and I was like oh boy here we go, we’re going to lose this one in the worst way possible, but it hung in there and I just had to use a couple of laps trucks to hold him off. Respect Kaden (Honeycutt) for racing me clean. I did what I had to do there at the end, but first win for Robinhood. First win in my J’s (Jordan Brand) – my race shoes. Thank you to Toyota, TRICON for having me back again. Really enjoy doing this. Definitely stressful at the end there.”

What is it like on days like this where you have the dominate performance that you did?

“It’s fun for sure. This group did an incredible job. I worked with them at Atlanta – but Atlanta is a drafting track. You don’t get to really understand your speed and what the truck is capable of, but these guys – Jerame (Donley), my crew chief – this entire 1 crew, Nick Payne on the spotters stand, thank you to all of these guys for sure.”

What does it mean to win 100k and take the second leg of the Triple Truck Challenge?

“Yeah, it means a lot. I don’t really think about it in the truck but being able to reflect on it – it would be cool to be the first person to sweep all three if we are able to do it. There is a lot of motivation for these guys in the 1 camp with Celsius as our primary next week, so super excited about that. Proud to get it done with Robinhood today, and get their first win.”

KADEN HONEYCUTT, No. 11 Safelite Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, TRICON Garage

Finishing Position: 2nd

What could you have done differently at the end?

“I don’t know. I was hoping everyone would have moved when we started racing each other, but it is part of it – it is part of racing and you have to navigate it. He did an excellent job there at that last corner. I tried to shove Tanner (Gray) as far as I can and hoped that he would have gone to the bottom or something like that, but I don’t really know what I could have done differently other than run me and him down in the marbles and all that. I didn’t want to do that, but I wanted to make sure that me or Corey (Heim) won the race, and I obviously wanted to win it, but it was good that our TRICON organization could do that. Our team has been really, really good this year – across all teams. I think this shows that. Corey’s done great with the 5 and the 1. Hate that we didn’t get that for sure, but thank you to Safelite. TOYOTA RACING, the whole TRICON Garage team – Scott Zipadelli (crew chief) and our whole team has done just a great job. Fast race trucks every week, and I think our time will come.”

STEWART FRIESEN, No. 52 Halmar International Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, Halmar-Friesen Racing

Finishing Position: 5th

How was the Rock?

“It was fun there at the end. I just have to do a better job qualifying – get the Halmar Tundra TRD Pro seeded a little bit better to get stage points in the first stage, but all our guys are doing such a great job in the shop preparing Tundras that can run hard 200 lappers like today. I feel really good at the end of the run, just got to get a little more speed to qualify, but proud of the effort. Thank you to Chris (Larsen), everyone at Halmar International that supports this race team and does a lot of work behind the scenes, everyone at Mohawk Northeast. The guys have been working hard. We went to two trucks this year and it has been a lot of work, but it is pretty damn cool when I go to the shop and get to do a little detail work or help out where I can – it’s pretty cool to see those two trucks side-by-side on the plate. It is really special.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs nearly 48,000 people in the U.S. who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of more than 35 million cars and trucks at our 11 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina began to assemble automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.