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Tyler Reddick achieves historic three-peat victory at COTA

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Jake Daugherty for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Tyler Reddick etched a new milestone by becoming the first competitor to win the first three events in a NASCAR Cup Series schedule. He accomplished this feat by winning the DuraMax Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, March 1.

The 2026 Daytona 500 champion from Corning, California, led three times for a race-high 58 of 95 scheduled laps at COTA. He lost the lead on the opening lap and through the first turn despite starting on pole position. However, he remained within striking distance of the lead group.

Reddick led his first 18 laps during the second stage period and executed his pit strategies to perfection. He chose to pit before the conclusion of the event’s first two stage periods and cycled to the front for the event’s third and final stage period at COTA.

Then, through a late cycle of green flag pit stops and a restart with 17 laps remaining, Reddick, who had dominated the final stage period, managed to retain the top spot during the latest restart. But he had road course ace Shane van Gisbergen reeling him in. Amid van Gisbergen’s late challenges, Reddick maintained his ground and did not miss his beat for the remainder of the event. This enabled Reddick to achieve the victory and keep both himself and 23XI Racing perfect to start the 2026 Cup Series season.

With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Saturday, February 28, Tyler Reddick secured his first pole position of the 2026 Cup Series season with a pole-winning lap at 88.380 mph in 97.760 seconds. Joining Reddick on the front row was Ross Chastain, the latter of whom qualified at 88.256 mph in 97.897 seconds. Before the event, Erik Jones dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments that were made to his No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota Camry XSE entry.

When the green flag waved and the event commenced, Tyler Reddick was pinned in the middle of an early three-wide battle for the lead as Ross Chastain and Chase Briscoe challenged the pole-sitter through an uphill climb that led to the first left-hand turn to Turn 1. As the field fanned out through the first turn, Briscoe managed to move in front of Reddick and lead through the Esses, a series of right- and left-hand turns from Turns 2 to 6A. The field continued to bump, fan out, and jostle for early spots from Turns 6B to 20 as Reddick tried to regain the lead from Briscoe. With the clean air to his advantage, Briscoe managed to cycle back to the frontstretch and lead the first lap while Chastain challenged Reddick for the runner-up spot.

Over the next four laps, Briscoe retained his advantage and even stretched it to as high as nine-tenths of a second by the fifth lap mark. Behind, Ryan Blaney navigated his way into the runner-up spot over Chastain and Reddick. Christopher Bell trailed in fifth place by two seconds. Another lap later, Reddick dropped out of the top-five category as he was overtaken by both Bell and Michael McDowell while Blaney started to reel in on Briscoe for the lead. 

On the eighth lap, Blaney, who first made his move and dueled with Briscoe for the lead in Turn 12, gained the upper advantage and seized the top spot in Turn 15. Blaney proceeded to lead his first lap on the ninth lap and extend his lead to a second over Briscoe by the 10th lap. Behind, Chastain trailed in third place by two seconds while Bell and Shane van Gisbergen, the latter of whom was posting fast lap times, were in the top five. McDowell, Chase Elliott, Reddick, William Byron and AJ Allmendinger followed suit in the top 10 while Chris Buescher, Kyle Larson, Ty Gibbs, Alex Bowman, Carson Hocevar, Zane Smith, Denny Hamlin, Todd Gilliland, Connor Zilisch and Joey Logano were racing in the top 20, respectively.

Through the Lap 15 mark, Blaney extended his advantage to more than five seconds over Chastain while van Gisbergen was up into third place. Meanwhile, Briscoe fell back to sixth place as he was overtaken by McDowell and Reddick while Byron, Larson, Bell and Buescher followed suit in the top 10, respectively, along with Allmendinger, Elliott, Ty Gibbs, Bowman and Zilisch.

Another lap later, mixed strategies within the field occurred as Bell, Larson and Byron pitted their respective entries under green. Reddick, Briscoe, Zilisch, Joey Logano, Todd Gilliland, Daniel Suarez, Cole Custer, John Hunter Nemechek, Noah Gragson and Erik Jones all pitted on Lap 17 before the leader, Blaney, pitted on Lap 18. By then, pit road became inaccessible as the first stage period was nearing its conclusion. Meanwhile, Chastain, who was among several who elected not to pit but to pursue stage points, cycled to the lead.

When the first stage period concluded on Lap 20, Chastain cruised to his first Cup stage victory of the 2026 season. Teammate van Gisbergen followed suit in second place by two-and-a-half seconds while McDowell, Chris Buescher, AJ Allmendinger, Ty Gibbs, Alex Bowman, Chase Elliott, Carson Hocevar, and Denny Hamlin were scored in the top 10, respectively. By then, Blaney, Reddick, Briscoe and Bell were mired in 14th, 17th, 26th, and 28th, respectively.

Under the event’s first stage break period, a majority of the field led by Chastain, including those who did not pit before the first stage’s conclusion, pitted while the rest led by Blaney, including those who did pit prior to the first stage’s conclusion, remained on the track. For those who pitted, van Gisbergen exited pit road first and he was followed by Buescher, Allmendinger, Gibbs and McDowell, respectively.

The second stage period started on Lap 24 as Blaney and Reddick occupied the front row. At the start, the field quickly fanned out to multiple lanes as the front-runners navigated through the uphill climb to the first turn. Prior to the first turn, Connor Zilisch, who restarted in the top 10, was bumped by Daniel Suarez and sent spinning entering the first turn, but he was dodged by the field as the event remained under green. At the front, Reddick retained the lead for a full lap and he also remained on the track despite reporting concerns of a loose wheel. 

At the Lap 30 mark, Reddick, who remained on the track and did not report any recurring concerns of a loose wheel to his entry, continued to lead by four-tenths of a second over Blaney while third-place Byron trailed by a second. Behind, Suarez and Larson were racing in the top five ahead of Bell, Briscoe, van Gisbergen, Gilliland and Allmendinger while Ty Gibbs, McDowell, Austin Dillon, Logano, Cole Custer, Buescher, Chastain, Bubba Wallace, Bowman and Kyle Busch were mired in the top 20 ahead of Austin Cindric, Nemechek, Erik Jones, Zane Smith and Ty Dillon. Meanwhile, Noah Gragson, who spun from 16th place in the middle of Turns 6A and 6B just past the Lap 25 mark, was at the tail end of the field in 37th place.

By Lap 35, Reddick stabilized his steady advantage to four-tenths of a second over Blaney while third-place Byron trailed by more than two seconds. Behind, Suarez retained fourth place and he trailed the lead at COTA by nearly six seconds while Larson also trailed by six seconds in fifth place. A lap later, van Gisbergen overtook Larson for fifth place as Briscoe, Bell, Ty Gibbs and McDowell pursued from the top 10. 

A lap after the Lap 40 mark, where Reddick was still leading by more than a second over Blaney, a handful of competitors that included Buescher, Bowman, Hamlin, Jesse Love and Cody Ware strategically pitted under green. The leader Reddick along with numerous names that included Briscoe, McDowell, Bell, Logano, Chastain, Kyle Busch, Austin Cindric, Ryan Preece, Nemechek, Elliott, Ty Dillon, Erik Jones, Zilisch, Hocevar and Gragson, pitted on Lap 42 before Blaney, who initially inherited the lead, pitted by Lap 43 along with Byron, van Gisbergen and Larson. With pit road becoming inaccessible for the field as the second stage period was nearing its conclusion, Ty Gibbs cycled to the lead.

When the second stage period at COTA concluded on Lap 45, Ty Gibbs captured his first Cup stage victory of the 2026 season. Allmendinger settled in second ahead of Suarez, Gilliland and Reddick while Bubba Wallace, Blaney, Cole Custer, Byron and van Gisbergen were scored in the top 10, respectively. By then, all 37 starters were scored on the lead lap while Briscoe, McDowell, Bell, Larson, Buescher and Chastain were mired within the top-20 mark.

During the event’s second stage break period, some led by Ty Gibbs, including those who did not pit prior to the second stage’s conclusion, pitted while the rest led by Reddick remained on the track. 

Final Stage

With 45 laps remaining, the final stage period commenced as Reddick and Blaney occupied the front row. At the start, Reddick fended off Blaney and a hard-charging Briscoe to lead through the first turn and the Esses. As the field navigated through the Esses along with the remaining national circuit turns that led back to the frontstretch, Reddick maintained the top spot and led the next lap while numerous jostling, bumping and on-track contact ensued within the field.

As the event reached its final 40-lap mark, Reddick was being pressured by Blaney for the lead. Despite being pressured by Blaney through every straightaway and turn over the previous five laps, Reddick maintained the top spot while third-place Briscoe and fourth-place Byron both trailed by two seconds. Meanwhile, van Gisbergen was trailing by nearly four seconds in fifth place while McDowell, Bell, Chastain, Larson and Cindric occupied the top-10 spots ahead of Kyle Busch, Zilisch, Logano, Buescher, Preece, Elliott, Ty Dillon, Ty Gibbs, Love and Hamlin.

Then with 33 laps remaining, Bell, who was racing outside the top-10 mark and was rubbing fenders with Larson a few laps earlier, pitted under green. Another lap later, teammate Briscoe limped to pit road as he reported a transaxle issue. As Briscoe took his entry to the garage, teammate Gibbs, Elliott, Suarez, Zane Smith, Austin Dillon and Hocevar all pitted before more that included Buescher, Kyle Busch, Logano, Wallace and Custer pitted during the following lap. As Reddick continued to lead by eight-tenths of a second over Blaney with 30 laps remaining, Larson, Preece, Love, Berry, Ware and Keselowski all pitted under green.

With 27 laps remaining, the leaders at COTA, Reddick and Blaney, pitted under green along with Riley Herbst while van Gisbergen cycled to the lead. By the time both Reddick and Blaney exited pit road, the former barely fended off the latter to muscle ahead when both blended back on the racing groove. Van Gisbergen would then surrender the lead to pit during the next lap, along with teammate Connor Zilisch, the latter of whom was up to third place. Allmendinger, Ty Dillon, Hamlin, Nemechek and Gilliland also pitted with 25 laps remaining, while Byron, who led the previous lap, pitted along with Chastain, Cindric, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. This left the leader, Michael McDowell, as the lone competitor who had yet to pit.

Then with 21 laps remaining, the caution flew when Chastain went off course at COTA and lost his right-rear wheel between Turns 19 and 20. At the time of caution, McDowell, who has yet to pit, was leading by six seconds over both Reddick and Blaney while Bell, van Gisbergen, Larson, Zilisch, Gibbs, Kyle Buch and Buescher were scored in the top 10. During the caution period, Myatt Snider, who was pit spotting for Jamie Little, took over driving responsibilities of Alex Bowman’s No. 48 Ally/Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry due to Bowman parking in the garage and battling illness.

Back on the track at COTA, some led by McDowell and including Bell, Larson, Gibbs, Busch, Buescher, Preece, Logano, Ty Dillon, Wallace and Allmendinger pitted while the rest led by Reddick, Blaney, van Gisbergen, Zilisch and Byron remained on the track.

As the field restarted with 17 laps remaining, the field fanned out through the uphill climb to the first turn as Reddick retained the lead. Behind, a multitude of on-track bumps ensued as both Cindric and Byron collided into Zane Smith, which sent both Smith and Zilisch spinning. With the event remaining under green, Reddick led through the first turn and the Esses while van Gisbergen overtook Blaney to assume the runner-up spot. Despite being pressured by van Gisbergen from Turns 6A and 6B through Turn 20, Reddick maintained the lead by six-tenths of a second during the next lap.

With less than 15 laps remaining, Reddick extended his advantage to a second over van Gisbergen while Blaney, Byron and Bell pursued in the top five ahead of Elliott, Hamlin, Gibbs, Mcdowell and Larson. Riley Herbst, Allmendinger, Nemechek, Wallace, Gilliland, Buescher, Preece, Custer, Logano, and Love all trailed in the top 20, respectively, while Zilisch, Cindric, and Zane Smith were mired in 29th, 32nd, and 33rd following their late restart contact. Not long after, Buescher was sent for a spin in Turn 20 after Kyle Busch bumped teammate Jesse Love into Buescher, but the event remained under green.

Down to the final 10 laps of the event at COTA, Reddick continued to lead by three-tenths of a second over a hard-charging van Gisbergen, with the latter regaining his momentum and reeling in Reddick. Behind, Bell, who was charging his way towards the front on fresh tires after he pitted during the previous caution, bumped and overtook Blaney for third place while Byron continued to occupy fifth place. Over the next five laps, Bell, who retained third place, trailed the top-two leaders by three-and-a-half seconds while Gibbs and McDowell moved up to fourth and fifth, respectively, in front of Larson, Blaney, Elliott, Hamlin, and Allmendinger as Byron dropped to 11th place. Meanwhile, Reddick stretched his lead at COTA up to more than a second over van Gisbergen.

Victory

When the white flag waved at COTA and the final lap started, Reddick remained in the lead by four seconds over van Gisbergen. With van Gisbergen unable to reel in from his deficit and Reddick not missing his mark while navigating around COTA for a final time, the latter cycled the No. 45 Chumba Casino/23XI Racing Toyota Camry XSE entry back through the frontstretch and claimed the checkered flag by nearly four seconds over van Gisbergen.

By becoming the first ever competitor to win the first three events in a NASCAR Cup Series schedule, Reddick also achieved his 11th Cup career victory, his second at COTA and his eighth driving the No. 45 Toyota entry for 23XI Racing. The victory was also the 12th overall for 23XI Racing and the 10th for crew chief Billy Scott as Reddick, who extended his series’ points lead, also became the first repeat Cup winner at COTA.

No. 45 Chumba Casino/23XI Racing Toyota Camry XSE
Photo by Jake Daugherty for SpeedwayMedia.com.

“[The win] means the world,” Reddick said on FOX. “It’s so fitting. We get going at the end there. I’m leading, and there’s [van Gisbergen], the guy I’ve been trying to beat for a while now. To be able to outlast him there and hold on for the win, it’s incredible. [I’m] Just really proud of the Chumba Casino Toyota Camry, everyone at 23XI [Racing]. We worked really hard. We did not like getting beat like that at road courses, and it’s one race, but it was so important. So fitting that we were able to get three in a row and make history.”

“[I was] Just trying to remember everything that I knew was going to be important there at the end and just tried to minimize the mistakes,” Reddick, when describing his late battle with van Gisbergen, added. “Shane, that’s what he’s so good at, man. He does not make mistakes, and I certainly made a couple, and just doing everything I could to just manage the gap and just stay away from him, if you know what I mean. If I let him get close enough, it was going to be probably hard to hold him off.”

Like Reddick, co-owner Michael Jordan was left elated for a third consecutive week in having his organization going three-for-three to commence the 2026 season.

“It’s time for change, and the [23XI Racing] guys feel the same thing,” Jordan said. “Tyler came here with the most pressure, I guess. Everybody expected him on he had the chance to win three in a row. That’s the hardest one to win. He kept to his strategy. Man, the [23XI Racing] guys put together a great car. I think [crew chief] Billy [Scott] did an unbelievable job in calling the game, calling the race and Tyler did a good job. He beat some good competition. You see [van Gisbergen] coming back there, you get a little nervous, but I think he had them covered pretty much the whole day.”

“I’m proud of the team that we put together,” Jordan added. “Denny [Hamlin], I’m sure, [feels] the same way. He feels the same way as I do. I think a lot of credit goes to him because I think he’s the mastermind behind finding Tyler, putting together Billy Scott, and all that. I just put up the money. I’m just a competitor, but I think Denny’s done an unbelievable job in terms of helping build this team. I think the team has done a good job in just taking our leadership and going out and winning. That’s what it’s about. Winning. I’ll be at Phoenix [next weekend]!”

Van Gisbergen, who was attempting to win a road course event in the Cup Series for a historic sixth consecutive time, settled in the runner-up spot as he also fell short of sweeping the weekend at COTA following his O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victory on Saturday. Despite ending up one position short, van Gisbergen achieved his first top-five result of the 2026 season.

“It’s weird to be disappointed with second,” van Gisbergen. “This area’s just at a high level. I felt OK. We got our Safety Culture Chevy a lot better than yesterday, but just following Tyler, his driving was immaculate. His car was very good too. I tried, but didn’t quite have enough. Still a great points day for the No. 97 [team].”

Christopher Bell rallied from a two-race slump to start the 2026 season by finishing third while teammate Ty Gibbs and Michael McDowell finished in the top five. Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, AJ Allmendinger, and Denny Hamlin completed the top 10, respectively.

There were 14 lead changes for nine different leaders. The event featured three cautions for 10 laps. In addition, 33 of 37 starters finished on the lead lap.

Following the third event of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season at COTA, Tyler Reddick continues to lead the standings by 70 points over teammate Bubba Wallace, 72 over Chase Elliott, 86 over Ryan Blaney, and 96 over both Shane van Gisbergen and Joey Logano.

Circuit of the Americas (COTA) Results:

1. Tyler Reddick, 58 laps led
2. Shane van Gisbergen, two laps led
3. Christopher Bell
4. Ty Gibbs, five laps led, Stage 2 winner
5. Michael McDowell, five laps led
6. Kyle Larson
7. Chase Elliott
8. Ryan Blaney, 11 laps led
9. AJ Allmendinger, one lap led
10. Denny Hamlin
11. Bubba Wallace
12. Kyle Busch
13. William Byron, one lap led
14. Connor Zilisch
15. Joey Logano 
16. Ty Dillon
17. John Hunter Nemechek
18. Ryan Preece
19. Austin Dillon
20. Brad Keselowski
21. Todd Gilliland
22. Noah Gragson
23. Riley Herbst
24. Chris Buescher
25. Daniel Suarez
26. Josh Berry
27. Jesse Love
28. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
29. Cole Custer
30. Cody Ware
31. Carson Hocevar
32. Austin Cindric
33. Zane Smith 
34. Erik Jones, two laps down
35. Ross Chastain, two laps down, four laps led, Stage 1 winner
36. Alex Bowman, six laps down
37. Chase Briscoe – OUT, Transaxle, eight laps led

Next on the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series schedule is Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona, for the Straight Talk Wireless 500. The event is scheduled to occur next Sunday, March 8, and air at 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM and HBO MAX.

Alex Palou whoops field at St. Pete

By
Tucker White
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - MARCH 1: Alex Palou, driver of the #10 DHL Honda, celebrates victory in the NTT IndyCar Series Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 1, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Florida. Photo: Chris Owens/Penske Entertainment

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Alex Palou dominated and won an IndyCar race.

The driver of the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda pulled an overcut to take the lead under the second caution and led 59 of 100 laps on his way to winning on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, for the second year in a row.

“Incredible,” he said. “I mean, I don’t know what to say from this team anymore. It’s been a long offseason. I was sad last year that the season ended. I just wanted to continue going, because I knew it was so magical and so tough to get such a great car, such a great team behind me.

“Yeah, this team has done it again here for this weekend. It’s very early on, but still, I think that shows all the preparation they did, and I had by far the best car today.”

It’s his 20th career victory in his 99th NTT INDYCAR Series start and first of the 2026 season.

Pole sitter Scott McLaughlin overtook Kyle Kirkwood in Turn 10 with seven laps to go to finish runner-up. Christian Lundgaard followed suite in Turns 11 and 12 to round out the podium.

“Obviously you want to be top step,” McLaughlin said. “I think that was a solid day for us. I think we maximized our strategy. I think it was going to go one way or the other with tires.

“I maybe thought the black tire could have probably performed a little bit better in that first stint, but yeah, my car just didn’t probably turn that tire on well enough. Wanted to pull a gap, but I was also trying to save fuel and make it a two-stop in some ways.

“Yeah, it was a difficult first stint, and then I sort of got stuck behind the Andretti guys when they were losing their tires. I thought our car was really good. Just probably was a little bit hidden today just where it was position on track, but that’s okay.

“Like I said, I think we maximized our day. No mistakes. Pit road was great. Yeah, just good start.”

“Yeah, I mean, I didn’t know I led a lap, so that’s a bonus, I guess,” Lundgaard said.

“No, it was a good race. I think we just very clearly just missed it in qualifying yesterday. We made some changes after P2 that just simply didn’t work.

“Got out of the car. Obviously didn’t transfer from Q2 and wasn’t necessarily that upset, because I knew exactly where we had gone wrong. It was just undo that, and I think the car just came alive like we expected it to today.

“Again, you have to do the job out there, and I thought it was a very exciting way to start out the season.”

Kirkwood posted the fastest lap on his way to a fourth-place finish and Pato O’Ward rounded out the top-five.

Marcus Ericsson, Josef Newgarden, Romain Grosjean, Rinus VeeKay and Dennis Hauger rounded out the top-10.

Alex Palou whoops field at St. Pete

Race summary

McLaughlin led the field to green at 12:28 p.m. ET. Caution flew on the first lap when Sting Ray Robb pulled inside of Santino Ferrucci and locked up in Turn 4. Which put them both into the tire barrier and collected Mick Schumacher, too. Robb received a 30-second stop-and-hold penalty for avoidable contact.

Back to green on Lap 6, the field settled into a green flag run. Green flag pit stops commenced on Lap 22. McLaughlin pitted from the lead on Lap 35 and took Firestone reds. Ericsson pitted from the lead on Lap 36, took Firestone reds and cycled out ahead of McLaughlin. They made contact with each other on the exit of Turn 3 on Lap 38. Palou pitted from the lead on Lap 38, took Firestone reds and cycled out ahead of Ericsson. Scott Dixon, who pitted under the pitted from the lead on Lap 39. After exiting the pits, Dixon’s lost his right-rear wheel in Turn 4 and caution flew for the second time on Lap 40. Louis Foster pitted from the lead under the caution and Palou cycled to the lead.

Back to green on Lap 44, the race again settled into a green flag run. By Lap 60, Palou pulled out to a seven-second lead over Ericsson. By Lap 63, the gap grew to nine seconds. On Lap 65, McLaughlin overtook Ericsson into Turn 1 for second. Kirkwood kicked off a round of green flag stops on Lap 66. Palou pitted from the lead on Lap 67 and took Firestone blacks. McLaughlin pitted from the lead on Lap 68. Christian Lundgaard pitted from the lead on Lap 69. Josef Newgarden pitted from the lead on Lap 70 and Palou cycled back to the lead.

As he did in the previous run, Palou pulled away from the field on his way to victory for the second year in a row at St. Petersburg, Florida.

Alex Palou whoops field at St. Pete

What else happened

David Malukas, in his first race for Team Penske, locked up into Turn 1 on the Lap 6 restart. On Lap 12, his left-front tire went flat and he limped his way to pit road. He went a lap down in the process.

Will Power, in his first race for Andretti Global, brushed the wall in Turn 10 on Lap 21, in a carbon copy of his wreck in practice, and made an unscheduled stop. He radioed that the “right-rear suspension is bent.” He hopped out of the car, but the team repaired the damage and he returned to the race 30 laps down.

Alex Palou whoops field at St. Pete

Nuts and bolts

The race lasted one hour, 52 minutes and 21 seconds, at an average speed of 96.118 mph. There were eight lead changes among seven different drivers and two cautions for seven laps.

Palou leaves St. Petersburg, Florida, with a 13-point lead over McLaughlin.

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES returns to action, Saturday, at Phoenix Raceway.

RCR NCS Race Recap: Circuit of The Americas

By
Official Release
-

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 BREZTRI AEROSPHERE (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate)® Team Show Adversity En Route to Top-20 Finish at Circuit of The Americas

Finish: 19th
Start: 33rd
Points: 34th

“This No. 3 team just never gives up, man. We had to work hard for that one today. Things kept putting us in the back and we would drive forward. I flat-spotted a tire in the opening laps which affected the balance of our BREZTRI AEROSPHERE (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate)® Chevrolet in Stage 1. We made a good pit call to gain track position and showed the pace that our car had in Stage 2. Unfortunately, a bolt came loose in our shifter handle which put us behind to start the last stage. We kept chipping away at it and then got behind again with contact on pit road. That’s just the way the cookie crumbles sometimes. Proud of the effort.” -Austin Dillon

Kyle Busch and the No. 8 Rebel Root Beer Whiskey Chevrolet Persevere Making Impactful Adjustments to Finish Inside the Top-15 at Circuit of The Americas

Finish: 12th
Start: 30th
Points: 22nd

“The entire No. 8 Rebel Root Beer Whiskey Chevrolet team battled all day here at Circuit of The Americas. We started deep in the field and were able to make the needed adjustments to drive inside the Top 15. I’m proud of everyone’s efforts today and now we’ll turn our attention West as we head to Phoenix next weekend.”-Kyle Busch

Jesse Love and the No. 33 C4 Energy Chevrolet Show Flashes of Brilliance at Circuit of The Americas, Finishing the Day 27th

Finish: 27th
Start: 27th
Points: N/A

“We ended up with some tow link damage today that affected our race, but overall the No. 33 C4 Chevrolet was pretty good. We got our handling better throughout the day and even though we made gains at it, we never got it exactly where I wanted it to be. All of the pieces were there today but we never put them together.” – Jesse Love

Rick Ware Racing: DuraMax Grand Prix from COTA

By
Official Release
-

RICK WARE RACING
DuraMax Grand Prix
Date: March 1, 2026
Event: DuraMax Grand Prix powered by RelaDyne (Round 3 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas (2.4-mile, 20-turn road course)
Format: 95 laps, broken into three stages (20 laps/25 laps/50 laps)

Race Winner: Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Ross Chastain of Trackhouse Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Ty Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

RWR Finish:

● Cody Ware (Started 37th, Finished 30th / Running, completed 95 of 95 laps)

RWR Points:

● Cody Ware (33rd with 37 points)

Race Notes:

● Tyler Reddick won the DuraMax Grand Prix to score his 11th career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his third of the season and his second at COTA. His margin over second-place Shane van Gisbergen was 3.944 seconds.

● There were three caution periods for a total of 10 laps.

● All but four of the 37 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.

● Reddick remains the championship leader after COTA with a 70-point advantage over second-place Bubba Wallace.

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Straight Talk Wireless 500k on Sunday, March 8 at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. The race begins at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Wood Brothers Racing – Race Report: Circuit of The Americas

By
Official Release
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Event: DuraMAX Texas Grand Prix
Location: Circuit of The Americas, Austin, Texas
Date: Sunday, March 1, 2026
Start: 22nd
Finish: 26th

Thanks to a late surge in Sunday’s DuraMAX Texas Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas, Josh Berry and the No. 21 DEX team were in contention for a top-25 finish before ultimately coming home 26th.

Berry started the first road-course race of the season from 22nd and finished Stage 1 – a 20-lap green-flag run – in the same position.

Following a pit stop during the Stage break, he restarted 33rd in Stage 2 and advanced to 22nd by the end of the 25-lap segment.

After another trip down pit road for service and adjustments to the DEX Ford Mustang Dark Horse, Berry restarted 37th and steadily worked his way up to 18th before making another stop on Lap 65. He rejoined the race in 34th and climbed back inside the top 30 before a caution flew for an incident involving Ross Chastain.

Berry made his final pit stop on Lap 76 of 95 and quickly returned to the top 30, briefly breaking into the top 25 with eight laps remaining. He slipped back one position in the closing laps to finish 26th, matching his result at the Austin, Texas, road course one year ago.

Berry and the Wood Brothers team now turn their focus to next Sunday’s Straight Talk Wireless 500 at Phoenix Raceway.

TOYOTA RACING – NCS COTA Post-Race Report – 03.01.26

By
Official Release
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REDDICK MAKES HISTORY WITH THIRD STRAIGHT VICTORY TO START CUP SERIES SEASON
Christopher Bell, Ty Gibbs and Denny Hamlin Round out strong day for Toyota Camry XSE’S at Circuit of America’s

AUSTIN (March 1, 2026) – Tyler Reddick won his third consecutive NASCAR Cup Series race at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) on Sunday. Reddick, who started on the pole, battled for the win in his No. 45 Toyota Camry XSE with road course ace Shane Van Gisbergen coming down the stretch en route to victory lane. Reddick is the first driver in Cup Series history to win the first three races of the season after notching victories at the season-opening Daytona 500 and last Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Christopher Bell (third) and Ty Gibbs (fourth) brought Toyota three out of the top four finishers Sunday afternoon with Gibbs winning the second stage and leading x overall laps. Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) also posted three cars inside the top-10 with Denny Hamlin coming home with 10th-place finish.

With the strong start to the season Reddick and 23XI Racing teammate Bubba Wallace remain 1-2 in the Cup Series point standings.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Circuit of the Americas
Race 3 of 36 – 228 miles, 95 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, TYLER REDDICK
2nd, Shane Van Gisbergen*
3rd, CHRISTOPHER BELL
4th, TY GIBBS
5th, Michael McDowell*
10th, DENNY HAMLIN
11th, BUBBA WALLACE
17th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
23rd, RILEY HERBST
34th, ERIK JONES
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

TYLER REDDICK, No. 45 Chumba Casino Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing

Finishing Position: 1st

What does it mean to you to make history winning three races in-a-row to start the season?

“It means the world. Yeah, it’s so fitting. We get going at the end there and I’m leading and there’s SVG (Shane Van Gisbergen), the guy I’ve been trying to beat for a while now. Just to be able to out last him there and hold on for the win is just incredible. Just really proud of this Chumba Casino Toyota Camry, everyone at 23XI. We worked really hard. We did not like getting beat like that at road courses. It’s one race, but it was so important, so fitting that we were able to get three in-a-row and make history.”

What did it take to hold off SVG in the closing laps?

“Yeah, just trying to remember everything that I knew was going to be important there at the end and just tried to minimize the mistakes. Shane is — this is what he’s so good at. He does not make mistakes. I certainly made a couple and just doing everything I could to just manage the gap and just stay away from him, if you know what I mean. If I let him get close enough, it was going to be probably hard to hold him off.”

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 DeWalt Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 3rd

How did you end up with a top-five finish?

“We got really fortunate with the strategy. They dropped the green flag and they had a great start and I’m like ok, we are going to have something and it just went away. It got tight and it got loose and I’m sliding around and the next thing I know I’m in 12th. We were just super aggressive on strategy jumping the stages keeping out track position the best that we could. We gambled making an extra pit stop there in the third stage and it got us a good finish out of it, but clearly I wasn’t going to run with the top guys in our DEWALT Camry.”

You were on an alternate strategy, what else did you need there at the end of the race?

I got that great restart on new tires, and I’m like, I’m in position here, baby, we’re going to do this. Just sold out. All race long whenever I was on equal tires with guys I was falling backwards. So strategy worked out. Super thankful that Adam Stevens called a really good race, got us on offense, got me a tire advantage over the field, and then I was able to salvage a good finish out of it. Yeah, it was an off road course race for us. Normally we’re stronger than that and got saved by some newer tires.”

TY GIBBS, No. 20 SAIA Freight & Logistics Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 3rd

How does it feel to bring home a top-five finish today?

“It was really great. I had a great Toyota Camry. They helped me out so much today. Had a lot of fun, and we passed a lot of cars, obviously. My guys Tyler (Allen, crew chief) and the boys did a great job on the strategy. I didn’t really know what was going on because we pitted and I was in last, and then we went back up to the front, and it just was so much fun. It gets kind of hectic. It kind of feels like Richmond with the pit cycles and everything at the end. Just stayed at it, and I was up at the front at the end and just kept digging just didn’t have enough time. But felt really good. Thank you to Monster Energy and everybody that helps me out with my career, and thank you to the man above and we’ll keep going and keep racing.

CHASE BRISCOE, No. 19 Columbia Bank Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 37th

What did you feel and what put you out of the race?

“Something in the transaxle I guess broke coming out of the corner. Went to shift and it was like I was in neutral and it was trying to spin the one side and not the other. It’s really unfortunate, felt like we were good enough to win truthfully, top five car pretty easily. Just frustrating, it will obviously set us back points wise and next week. But Phoenix has been a really good track for us so we will see what we can do. Thanks to Columbia Bank and Toyota for all the support this weekend.”

About Toyota

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

Toyota directly employs 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.

Champ Palou Opens Season with Dominant March to St. Pete Win

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Official Release
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Sunday, March 1, 2026) – Alex Palou picked up right where he left off in 2025, opening the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season with a dominant victory in the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

Palou won his third consecutive and fourth overall series championship last season by a whopping 196 points, an advantage of more than three races, and he and Chip Ganassi Racing showed the same swagger on a sun-splashed Sunday in Florida.

Reigning event winner Palou, from Spain, cruised to his 20th career victory in just his 99th start, driving his No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda to a 12.4948-second victory over the No. 3 DEX Team Penske Chevrolet of NTT P1 Award winner Scott McLaughlin.

“This team keeps on improving, keeps on making new changes, and they just keep on raising the bar,” Palou said. “It’s pretty impressive. It’s a long season in front of us, but what a great way to start the season.”

Christian Lundgaard, who started 12th, rallied to complete the podium finishers in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. Kyle Kirkwood dropped from second late in the 100-lap race to finish fourth in the No. 27 JM Bullion/Gold.com Honda fielded by Andretti Global.

Pato O’Ward put two Arrow McLaren cars into the top five after finishing fifth in the team’s No. 5 Chevrolet.

This was the first race in which INDYCAR rules mandated the use of at least two sets of the softer Firestone Firehawk alternate tire with red sidewalls, throwing an additional strategic element into the racing mix. And, as usual, Palou and longtime strategist Barry Wanser made all the right calls.

The decisive moment of the race came on Laps 36 and 37. Team Penske called leader McLaughlin to the pits at the end of Lap 35, with Marcus Ericsson assuming the lead from second in the No. 28 Delaware Life Honda. Andretti Global summoned Ericsson to the pits at the end of Lap 36, with Palou taking the top spot.

But instead of calling Palou to the pits on the next lap, Wanser and Palou decided to stay out until the end of Lap 38 on their original set of alternate tires in an “overcut” strategy. It worked.

Palou blended back on the 14-turn, 1.8-mile temporary street circuit in front of McLaughlin and Ericsson. Once the rest of the leaders cycled through their pit stops, Palou found himself out front by Lap 42. He would only surrender the top spot during pit stop cycles to finish the race, leading 59 of the 100 laps.

There was a bit of suspense when Palou made his final pit stop at the end of Lap 67 with a 14-second lead on McLaughlin. Palou had used the required two sets of Firestone alternate tires in his first two stints and opted for the harder, but slower, Firestone primary tires for his final run to the finish.

Kirkwood and McLaughlin made their final stops at the end of Laps 65 and 68, respectively, both taking the softer but faster Firestone Firehawk alternate tires. That tire choice offered a glimpse of hope that Palou could be reeled in after he took the lead on Lap 70, but Kirkwood never got closer than 5.5 seconds in his pursuit despite the more grippy tires.

Palou, who started fourth, then pulled away at an astonishing rate over the closing laps to win by the largest margin in the 23 editions of this event.

“Those Firestones were like everlasting,” Palou said. “They would just keep going. I had an amazing car today.”

There was drama in the final 10 laps as McLaughlin and Lundgaard both took advantage of fresher tires to pass Kirkwood for the second and third positions on Lap 94.

“Our Chevy was fast, but it’s just a mixed bag on what tire you start on,” McLaughlin said. “Maybe we come back here again, and maybe you start on reds (alternate) and just get them out of the way. Overall, made the passes we needed to make at the right times, and I thought we maximized our day.”

Dennis Hauger, who qualified an impressive third, was the top finisher among the three rookies in the race, 10th in the No. 19 Ault Block Chain Honda of Dale Coyne Racing.

The next NTT INDYCAR SERIES race is the Good Ranchers 250 on Saturday, March 7 at Phoenix Raceway, part of the “Desert Double” weekend at the 1-mile oval that also features a NASCAR Cup Series race Sunday.

Johnson Feasts on Home Cooking To Earn First Win at St. Pete

By
Official Release
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Sunday, March 1, 2026) – Nikita Johnson earned his first INDY NXT by Firestone victory Sunday, winning his hometown Grand Prix of St. Petersburg after prevailing in a duel of talented teenagers.

Johnson, from St. Petersburg, delivered his first victory in just his fourth career start in the INDYCAR development series. It also was the first INDY NXT victory for Cape Motorsports, which Johnson joined this offseason after a part-time foray last season in the series with HMD Motorsports.

“I can’t thank the boys from Cape Motorsports enough and everyone from ECR who has been helping us,” Johnson said. “It’s a pretty amazing feeling to get my first win in INDY NXT and Cape’s first win in INDY NXT. I can’t wait to see all my friends and family.”

Series rookie Johnson, 17, drove his No. 21 Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR entry to victory by .6990 of a second over pole sitter Max Taylor, 18, in the No. 28 Susan G. Komen car of Andretti Global. Rookie Tymek Kucharczyk rounded out the podium finishers in his first INDY NXT start by placing third in the No. 71 HMD Motorsports entry, 5.055 seconds behind Johnson.

Andretti Global took three of the top five spots. Seb Murray placed fourth in the No. 27 Prosperity machine, while Lochie Hughes rounded out the top five in the No. 26 car.

Johnson wasted no time asserting his command of this race, scheduled for 45 laps but halted on time after 55 minutes. He started second and used a bold, sweeping move to the outside of Taylor in Turn 1 at the start to grab a lead he would never relinquish.

“It was pretty straight up,” Johnson said. “I reviewed some video from previous years on YouTube, the INDY NXT channel. I knew I wanted to get up front quickly, and I did just that. I went into Turn 1 and knew what he (Taylor) was going to do before he did it and just went around the outside. After that, I kept it pretty simple, tried to keep a nice gap.”

Caution periods ended up being Johnson’s biggest foe besides Taylor. The race was slowed by four full-course yellows, but Johnson held off Taylor on each of the restarts.

Perhaps Taylor’s best chance came on a restart on Lap 20. He tried the same move Johnson used to gain the lead on Lap 1, but his attempt at a sweeping, outside pass was unsuccessful.

“All the restarts were pretty difficult,” Johnson said. “He (Taylor) caught on at one point, and I had throw in a little curve ball and change it up.”

Taylor maintained pressure on Johnson for the entire race, never trailing by more than a second and keeping his car usually within six- or seven-tenths of the leader. But Taylor also never got close enough after restarts to mount a serious challenge to the race lead.

The two teens traded blows over the closing laps. Johnson turned his quickest lap of the race on Lap 38, but Taylor countered with the speediest lap overall on Lap 39.

“Good race overall, good points,” Taylor said. “Showed a lot of pace but just messed up on the start.

“The restarts were very difficult to get right. Just kept trying to apply the pressure, trying different things. Probably could have had an opportunity to pass him there, but you live and you learn.”

The next INDY NXT by Firestone race is the Grand Prix of Arlington on Sunday, March 15 on the streets of Arlington, Texas.

Exploring Bad Credit Car Finance Options: Finding the Right Solution for Your Situation

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SM
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Photo by depositphotos at https://depositphotos.com/

Financial setbacks can happen to anyone, such as redundancy, illness, relationship breakdown, or simply poor money management during difficult periods. These circumstances often leave lasting marks on credit files, making traditional borrowing seem impossible. However, reliable transportation remains essential for maintaining employment, managing family responsibilities, and participating fully in daily life. Fortunately, the UK finance market has evolved considerably, and a wide range of bad credit car finance options are now available to help people with imperfect credit histories get back on the road.

Understanding the various finance options available when you have bad credit, knowing how they differ, and recognising which might suit your circumstances best transforms what feels like an insurmountable obstacle into a manageable challenge with clear pathways forward.

Understanding Your Credit Situation

Types of Credit Problems

Bad credit encompasses a spectrum of issues, each affecting financial applications differently. Minor problems include occasional late payments or temporary overexceeding credit limits. Moderate issues involve defaults on credit agreements, accounts sent to collections, or high credit utilisation. Serious problems include County Court Judgements (CCJs), Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs), debt relief orders, or discharged bankruptcy.

Understanding where your credit issues fall on this spectrum helps set realistic expectations about available options and likely terms.

Checking Your Credit Report

Before applying for finance, obtain your credit report from agencies like Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion. These reports reveal exactly what lenders see, including any errors that could unfairly damage your score. Disputing inaccuracies can improve your credit profile before applying.

Your report also shows when negative markers will naturally disappear; most adverse information disappears after six years, offering light at the end of the tunnel.

Main Finance Options for Bad Credit

Hire Purchase (HP) Agreements

Hire purchase remains the most accessible option for customers with bad credit. You pay a deposit followed by fixed monthly instalments over 24-60 months. The lender owns the vehicle until you complete all payments, at which point ownership transfers to you automatically.

HP suits those wanting straightforward arrangements with clear ownership pathways. Predictable monthly costs aid budgeting, and successfully completing agreements effectively rebuilds credit.

Personal Contract Purchase (PCP)

PCP arrangements are less common for applicants with bad credit, but are occasionally available. These involve lower monthly payments than HP, with a large final balloon payment if you wish to keep the vehicle. Many customers return cars at term end, starting fresh agreements on newer vehicles.

PCP works for those comfortable with never owning their vehicle outright or confident they’ll be able to afford the final payments. However, mileage restrictions and excess wear charges require careful consideration.

Conditional Sale Agreements

Similar to hire purchase, conditional sale involves fixed monthly payments with ownership transferring after the final payment. These frequently feature in bad credit lending, providing lender security through retained ownership whilst offering customers clear routes to vehicle ownership.

The main difference from HP is technical; with conditional sale, you cannot voluntarily terminate the agreement halfway through, as you can with HP under certain conditions.

Guarantor Loans

Guarantor finance involves a third party, typically a family member or close friend with good credit, who guarantees your repayments. Their strong credit history reduces lender risk, potentially allowing them to access better interest rates or larger loan amounts than they’d qualify for on their own.

Guarantors must understand that they become legally liable if you default, which could damage their credit and your relationship. Only proceed when you’re genuinely confident you can maintain repayments.

Logbook Loans

Logbook loans use your existing vehicle as collateral for the loan. Whilst technically available with bad credit, these carry significant risks, extremely high interest rates, short repayment terms, and vehicle loss if you default. These should be absolute last resorts, considered only when other options are genuinely unavailable.

For those navigating credit challenges and seeking appropriate solutions, exploring comprehensive car finance options with specialist providers ensures you understand all available pathways and can select arrangements best suited to your individual circumstances and financial recovery goals.

Factors Affecting Which Option Suits You

Your Current Financial Stability

Employment status and income significantly influence the options available. Secure employment with a steady income opens more doors than irregular work or recent job changes. Self-employment requires additional documentation, but doesn’t prevent approval with specialist lenders.

Consider your complete financial picture, existing commitments, regular expenses, and realistic affordability when assessing which finance structure works best.

Deposit Availability

Larger deposits dramatically improve the available options and terms. If you can provide a 20-30% deposit, you’ll access better interest rates and a broader range of lender options. Even 10-15% makes meaningful differences compared to zero-deposit applications.

Consider briefly delaying the vehicle purchase if saving additional deposit funds could substantially improve financing terms.

Vehicle Requirements

Your vehicle needs to be eligible for the appropriate financing types. If you require vehicles for specific work purposes or have large families who need particular vehicle types, this will determine whether flexible PCP arrangements or straightforward HP agreements serve you better.

Similarly, if you drive high annual mileages, mileage-restricted PCP arrangements may prove impractical compared to ownership-focused HP agreements.

Improving Your Chances Across All Options

Building Your Application

Regardless of which finance option you pursue, certain steps strengthen applications across the board. Register on the electoral roll at your current address, close unused credit accounts that suggest over-reliance on credit, and demonstrate stable residency by avoiding frequent address changes in the months before applying.

Maintain your bank account responsibly, avoiding overdrafts and ensuring regular income deposits are clearly visible to lenders reviewing affordability.

Timing Your Application

Applying immediately after credit problems often results in declines or poor terms. Where possible, wait 3-6 months after resolving credit issues to demonstrate financial stability. This patience frequently results in significantly better terms offered.

However, if transportation is genuinely urgent for employment or essential commitments, don’t delay excessively; specialist lenders regularly approve applications despite very recent credit difficulties.

Realistic Vehicle Selection

Choose modest, reliable vehicles rather than expensive or impractical options. Lenders view applications for sensible cars more favourably, seeing them as evidence of financial responsibility and realistic expectations.

Popular family cars, efficient smaller vehicles, and models with strong reliability records typically receive easier approval than luxury, high-performance, or unusual vehicles.

Understanding Costs and Commitment

Interest Rate Expectations

Bad credit finance carries higher interest rates than prime lending, typically ranging from 15-30% APR depending on credit severity and individual circumstances. Whilst these seem steep compared to advertised prime rates, they reflect the genuine risk lenders accept when working with adverse-credit customers.

View these rates as temporary costs on your journey to improved credit rather than permanent conditions you’ll endure indefinitely.

Total Cost Calculation

Compare total amounts repayable across different finance options, not just monthly instalments. Lower monthly PCP payments might seem attractive until you factor in final balloon payments or the fact that you won’t own the vehicle without additional cost.

Calculate complete ownership costs, including insurance, tax, maintenance, and fuel, alongside finance repayments to ensure genuine affordability.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which finance option is easiest to get with bad credit?

Hire purchase agreements are typically most accessible to customers with bad credit, as lenders retain ownership until final payment, reducing their risk. Guarantor loans can also be easier when you have supportive family or friends with good credit who are willing to guarantee repayment.

Can I get finance with a CCJ less than a year old?

Yes, many specialist lenders approve applications with recent CCJs, though you’ll likely face higher interest rates and may need larger deposits. Demonstrating current financial stability and steady income improves approval chances despite recent judgments.

Should I use a broker or apply directly to lenders?

Brokers access multiple specialist lenders, potentially finding better matches for your circumstances than you would by applying directly. However, ensure brokers perform soft searches initially rather than multiple hard searches, which can further damage credit. Reputable brokers charge no upfront fees and earn commission only when the finance completes successfully.

How long before I can refinance at better rates?

After 12-24 months of consistent on-time payments, many customers successfully refinance at substantially improved rates. Your credit score will have improved through positive payment history, and demonstrating reliability makes you attractive to a broader pool of lenders offering competitive terms.

What if I’m refused by everyone?

If mainstream bad credit lenders decline your application, consider guarantor options, wait 3-6 months whilst building financial stability, then reapply, or explore alternative transport solutions temporarily whilst improving your credit position. Sometimes, brief delays lead to dramatically better outcomes than forcing approvals on poor terms.

Conclusion

Bad credit doesn’t mean you’re without options for car finance; it simply means working with specialist lenders and understanding which finance structures suit your particular circumstances. Whether hire purchase, conditional sale, PCP arrangements, or guarantor loans, each option offers distinct advantages for different situations. By honestly assessing your current financial position, demonstrating stability through responsible banking and employment, and choosing realistic vehicles with appropriate deposits, you can successfully secure the finance needed to maintain essential mobility whilst also rebuilding your credit profile for a better financial future. The key lies in approaching the process with realistic expectations, thorough preparation, and commitment to maintaining repayments that gradually restore your financial standing.

Eli Tomac Becomes Most Decorated Racer in Daytona International Speedway History with Eighth Monster Energy Supercross Victory at Iconic Venue

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Official Release
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Seth Hammaker Goes Wire-to-Wire for Dominant 250SMX Class Win

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 28, 2026) – It was a historic night inside The World Center of Racing for Round 8 of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship, as Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac cemented his place atop the all-time greatest racers at Daytona International Speedway with a record breaking eighth Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship win at the iconic venue. The Colorado native broke a three-year tie with NASCAR legend Richard Petty, owner of seven Daytona 500 victories, to become the most decorated athlete of the speedway’s celebrated 67-year history.

450SMX Class

It wasn’t an easy path to victory for Tomac, as he began the 450SMX Class Main Event in fourth, behind each of his primary competitors in the championship. Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence, last week’s winner and current points leader, opened the 20 Minute + 1 Lap race with the holeshot, but was quickly passed by Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb, the defending series champion, slotted into third ahead of Tomac, which set the stage for a thrilling battle between the best in the class. As Roczen and Lawrence settled in out front, Tomac started his pursuit of the lead with an early pass on Webb for third. The top three continuously searched for faster lines on the ever-changing rutty, technical, sandy racetrack and sat within 1.5 seconds of one another with around 14 minutes remaining.

As the race approached the halfway point Tomac elected to make his push and took advantage of a couple sections on the track where he excelled to attack his rivals. He first made an assertive pass on Lawrence for second and on the ensuing lap railed the outside of an option lane to shoot past Roczen as they sprinted to the finish line jump. Tomac seized control of the lead with about 12:30 left on the race clock and quickly opened up a multi-second margin. Roczen held strong in second until the race closed in on the final five minutes, when Lawrence’s patience and persistence paid off and allowed the Australian to take over second. About three seconds separated Tomac from Lawrence, but the championship leader was unable to make significant inroads on his deficit as the race drew to a close.

Tomac was never challenged once he moved into the lead and carried on to take his fourth win of the season and the 57th victory of his career by 1.3 seconds over Lawrence. Roczen finished in a distant third while Webb was largely on his own en route to fourth, with Quad Lock Honda’s Joey Savatgy in fifth.

Tomac closed to within a single point of Lawrence in the championship standings, while Roczen and Webb now sit tied for third, 20 points out of the lead.

Eli Tomac
The fourth win of the season for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac made him one of the most transcendent figures in motorsports history at Daytona with eight victories at the iconic speedway.

Eli Tomac – 1st Place – 450SMX Class
“[The wins] are all awesome, but somehow, I’ve won eight of these. I don’t want to think about how old I am. I just go out there and roost the berms like I’m at my home track [in Colorado]. I love this dirt and just love how this track develops. Of course, I had to work for it there and went through all my main competition. I just had a great time on my motorcycle and happy to make up points this weekend.”

Hunter Lawrence – 2nd Place – 450SMX Class
“It was a tough [Main Event] on a really tough track. I was figuring out where to compensate with the bike and it just took me too long to do that. In the end I was kind of making it work, but it was too late and Eli [Tomac] got his eighth win here. I really wanted to stop that tonight, but I couldn’t make up the difference.”

Ken Roczen – 3rd Place – 450SMX Class
“I gave it my best out there and led for a bunch. I had a really good start too and in the Main Event that really counts. I was searching a little bit in the beginning, it was a tricky track and a lot faster than what we’ve seen the past few years here. Once I got passed, I knew those guys were maybe a little bit faster, so I tried to hang on and follow some lines. I was right there until the end and just got messed up by some lappers and those guys got away a little bit. I just wasn’t the best tonight, but I’m happy with a podium.”

250SMX Class

The second race of the Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class Championship featured an impressive showing from Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker, who entered the night show banged up from a hard crash in afternoon qualifying. The Pennsylvania native was able to secure the holeshot over Honda HRC Progressive’s Jo Shimoda and established a firm grasp on the lead from the outset of the 15 Minute + 1 Lap Main Event. Behind them was Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Nate Thrasher, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Drew Adams, and Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Pierce Brown, the opening round winner and points leader.

As Hammaker and Shimoda asserted themselves out front, Adams continued what was turning into a breakout night with a pass for third. Behind them, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies was making moves as the fastest rider on the track. The New Zealander made an impressive climb from ninth off the start to pass both his teammates and move into fourth. He then set his sights on Adams and successfully made the pass for third with six minutes to go. Not long after that Adams crashed out of the race, which allowed Brown to assume fourth.

With just over a minute remaining Shimoda went down in the sand section as he simultaneously looked to close in on Hammaker and fend off Davies. The defending SMX World Champion remounted quickly, but not before Davies and Brown got by for second and third. Hammaker completed a dominant wire-to-wire effort by a margin of 4.2 seconds over Davies, while Brown rounded out the podium. Shimoda was forced to settle for fourth, with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Daxton Bennick in fifth.

Hammaker’s fourth career win ended a reign of dominance for the Star Yamaha effort, which had won every 250SMX Class race of the season up to that point. The Kawasaki rider’s victory moved him into second in the Eastern Divisional standings, where he is now two points behind Brown for the lead. Shimoda dropped to third, five points back.

Seth Hammaker
Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker dominated the Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class Main Event with a wire-to-wire performance.

Seth Hammaker – 1st Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class
“It feels unreal [to win at Daytona]. I had a big crash in qualifying, and I feel like it really tests you mentally how you come back from that. I’m proud of the effort tonight and the team crushed it. It’s super cool to get a win at Daytona. It’s an unreal feeling. Really good to get this win and keep the momentum rolling.”

Cole Davies – 2nd Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class
“They didn’t prep the gates all day, so I didn’t get good traction out the gate and was buried off the start. It was a good comeback. I did what I could. I wanted that win, but still a good ride.”

Pierce Brown – 3rd Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class
“It was a battle. Not the best start. I took a gamble with my gate, and we chose the wrong one. It happens. We battled and were there late when other riders made mistakes to salvage a third. I can’t be too mad about it. We’re in good shape [in points] and will keep doing our thing.”

SMX Next

Daytona also signified the third race of SMX Next – Supercross, which featured 22 of the top A and B class prospects in amateur motocross. Two different winners stood atop the podium through the first two races and that trend continued as a third different up-and-coming racer claimed victory at Daytona. Triumph Racing’s Deacon Denno opened the 8 Minute + 1 Lap with the holeshot and led early before he gave way to Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Kade Johnson. Denno fought back to reclaim the lead after just a lap and carried on to become the third different SMX Next winner in as many races. It was the first SMX Next victory for the 17-year-old Texan as well as the first for the budding Triumph amateur program. He took the checkered flag 4.4 seconds ahead of 18-year-old Landen Gordon, who rides for Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing, while 16-year-old Vincent Wey rounded out the podium for Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green.

Deacon Denno
Triumph Racing’s Deacon Denno became the third different prospect to emerge victorious in SMX Next – Supercross competition this season.

Deacon Denno – 1st Place – SMX Next – Supercross
“I got the start but then jumped the whoops for the first time after skimming all day and lost the lead. It was a dumb move by me, but I made the pass back. Last year here in Daytona I finished 14th. There’s a lot that’s been done since then and just proves that if you work your butt off you can be up here like I am. I knew I could do it and I put the track together. I’m so stoked.”

The Monster Energy SMX World Championship and Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship will continue next Saturday, March 7, for the ninth race of the season from Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium, which will signify the second Triple Crown race of the 2026 season. Live broadcast coverage on Peacock will begin at 1 p.m. ET with Race Day Live, followed by the Gate Drop at 7 p.m. ET. Additionally, a domestic Spanish language broadcast is available on Pea cock 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:
Instagram: @supermotocross
Facebook: @supermotocross
X: @supermotocross
YouTube: @supermotocross
TikTok: @supermotocross

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.

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