Home Blog Page 121

Ryan Preece earns first Chase berth with first Cup career victory at Daytona

By
Andrew Kim
-
Photo by Andrew Boyd for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Ryan Preece solidified his statement emphasized earlier in the week that he would race his way into the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Chase. He did so by notching his first-ever career victory in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, August 29, following an overtime shootout.

The 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion from Berlin, Connecticut, led five of 166 over-scheduled laps in an event where he rolled off the starting grid in fourth place and raced upfront in the early stages. While battling for the first stage victory during the stage’s final lap, Preece nearly had his Chase hopes jeopardized when he was involved in an incident with teammate Chris Buescher and Kyle Larson through the tri-oval. Despite the incident, Preece, who managed to grab eighth place and three stage points during his spin, continued and rallied to a runner-up finish, along with nine additional stage points, when the second stage period concluded.

Restarting in 12th place during the event’s third and final stage period, Preece, who also pitted for what would be his final time prior to the stage’s start, kept his entry intact and drafted his way to the front in the closing laps. After avoiding a three-car incident in Turn 4 that drew a late-race caution and sent the event into overtime, fuel concerns began to linger for Preece during an extended caution period. Despite the concerns, Preece remained on the track and dueled with Zane Smith at the start of overtime before he was shuffled out of the lead prior to the final lap.

Then on the final lap, Preece seized a final charge beneath Smith and drag-raced with the latter before Smith got loose while trying to block Tyler Reddick and ignited a multi-car wreck entering the backstretch. With the lead in his possession, Preece maintained the lead from Daniel Suarez through the backstretch before a race-ending caution flew and handed Preece a victory worth remembering at the World Center of Racing, which also enabled him to clinch his first-ever Chase berth.

With on-track qualifying determining the starting lineup on Friday, August 28, Ross Chastain qualified on pole with a pole-winning lap of 184.396 mph in 48.808 seconds. Chris Buescher qualified in second place with a lap of 184.204 mph in 48.859 seconds.

Prior to the event, Harrison Burton dropped to the rear of the field due to a driver change as he replaced Riley Herbst while Herbst recovers from lingering effects following last weekend’s incident at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Casey Mears also dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments to his entry.

When the green flag waved and the event commenced, pole-sitter Ross Chastain and Chris Buescher dueled for the lead as the field started to fan out to three-packed lanes through the first two turns. Through the backstretch, Chastain motored ahead of Buescher, and he built an early gap through Turns 3 and 4. As the three-wide stacked field of 40 competitors cycled back to the frontstretch, Chastain led the first lap over Buescher.

During the second lap, Kyle Larson charged from the outside lane with a draft from Chase Briscoe as he led the second lap over Chastain. Chastain would reassume the lead and lead the next lap despite having to go on defensive mode amid three-stacked lanes led by Larson on the outside lane, Shane van Gisbergen in the middle lane and Buescher on the inside lane. With Chastain, Buescher and Larson racing in three-wide formation and leading a triple-stacked field back to the frontstretch, Buescher led the fifth lap mark while the field of 40 was separated by within two seconds of one another.

On the sixth lap, teammates Buescher and Ryan Preece led the stacked field as they both transitioned towards the outside lane and in front of Chastain and Larson while van Gisbergen tried to mount a charge from the middle lane. Meanwhile, Austin Hill led the inside lane before he motored ahead of van Gisbergen, moved in front of the latter to lead the middle lane and attempted to mount a charge while Connor Zilisch led the inside lane. Shortly after and with most of the field settling in two-stacked lanes, Larson motored his way into third place and he managed to overtake Buescher with help from Hill to lead the 10th lap.

Through the Lap 15 mark, Hill, who has led since the 11th lap, continued to lead Larson, Buescher, Preece, Chastain and Briscoe in single-line formation towards the outside wall. By then, they were all slightly ahead of the pack while teammates van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch dueled for seventh place in front of two stacked lanes. Behind, Corey Heim and Ty Gibbs rounded out the top 10 while William Byron, Bubba Wallace, Austin Cindric, John Hunter Nemechek, Michael McDowell, Erik Jones, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Alex Bowman and Tyler Reddick were racing in the top 20, respectively. Meanwhile, Christopher Bell, Cody Ware, Daniel Suarez, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Zane Smith, Carson Hocevar, Harrison Burton, Austin Dillon and Ty Dillon were mired in the top-30 mark while Chase Elliott, Todd Gilliland, Noah Gragson, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Joey Gase, Casey Mears, Josh Berry, Cole Custer, Daniel Dye and AJ Allmendinger rounded out the 40-car field.

At the Lap 20 mark and with the field continuing to settle in two-wide formation, Hill maintained a steady advantage over Larson, Buescher and Preece. By then, the top-four competitors were ahead of the pack while Chastain dueled with teammate van Gisbergen from the inside lane and he also tried to gain a draft from Briscoe to move forward. With Chastain only getting as high as fourth while mounting drafted charges from the inside lane through the turns, Hill retained the lead over Larson by Lap 25. Chastain continued to struggle mounting forward from the inside lane as Hill proceeded to lead Larson, Buescher, Preece and van Gisbergen, respectively, on Lap 30.

Then on the final lap of the first stage period, trouble struck at the front when Buescher, who overtook Hill for the lead amid the draft a lap prior, got turned into the outside wall entering the frontstretch after being bumped by Larson when Buescher moved in front of Larson. The contact sent the latter two veering back to the left as they, along with Preece, spun through the frontstretch’s grass.

Amid the incident, van Gisbergen, who holds the 16th and final Chase berth by 31 points, navigated his way through to capture his second Cup stage victory of the 2026 season. Ty Gibbs navigated his way into the runner-up spot ahead of Joey Logano, Erik Jones and Briscoe while Larson slid into sixth place. Bubba Wallace settled in seventh place, which was enough for him to clinch a berth for the 2026 Chase with four critical stage points. Preece slid to an eighth-place result while John Hunter Nemechek and Austin Cindric were scored in the top 10, respectively. By then, all but one of 40 starters were scored on the lead lap as Buescher pitted early to have his entry assessed for any critical damage.

Under the event’s first stage break period, most of the field led by van Gisbergen peeled off the racetrack to pit for service while the rest, which included Austin Dillon, Noah Gragson, Ryan Blaney, Carson Hocevar, Cody Ware, Buescher, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Josh Berry, Joey Gase, Casey Mears, Allmendinger and Cole Custer, remained on the track. Following the pit stops, Logano exited pit road first ahead of Gibbs, van Gisbergen, Erik Jones and Todd Gilliland. With numerous competitors making multiple trips to pit road to top off with fuel, and those who initially stayed on track pitting throughout the first-stage break, Logano cycled to the overall lead.

The second stage period started on Lap 42 as Logano and van Gisbergen occupied the front row. At the start, the latter two led a stacked field through the first two turns that soon became slightly dispersed entering the backstretch. Van Gisbergen then used the inside lane to motor ahead and move in front of Logano, which allowed the former to lead the next lap as Gilliland mounted a charge from the inside lane with drafting help from Briscoe. The front-runners then quickly fanned out and Briscoe got shuffled out of the draft entering the backstretch before settling back in two-wide formation, with Gilliland leading the next lap. By then, Buescher took his entry to the garage as Gilliland and Hill dueled for the lead before the latter motored ahead by Lap 46.

At the Lap 50 mark, the top-39 competitors were separated by three seconds of one another as Briscoe stormed his way to the lead over Hill, Chastain, Zane Smith, Gilliland, Chase Elliott, Wallace, van Gisbergen, Byron and Nemechek while Logano, Gibbs, Gragson, Daniel Suarez, Erik Jones, Cody Ware and Bowman were separated by a second of one another. Two laps later, Chastain, who got shuffled out of the draft in the closing laps of the first stage period, mounted a drafting charge from the inside lane with help from Zane Smith while Briscoe continued to lead both the outside lane and slightly of the overall race lead. Both Briscoe and Chastain continued to duel in front of two-stacked lanes just past the Lap 55 mark before the field slowly began to fan out to three lanes.

On Lap 60 and with the field stacked up in three-wide formation, Chastain, who has led since Lap 56, went on defensive mode as he maintained the lead over Elliott, Ware, Byron and Preece while the top-28 competitors were separated by a second of one another. Elliott was then drafted out in front four laps later, and he maintained control of the event over the next three laps while being drafted by teammate Byron before Zane Smith came storming up to the front from the inside lane and moved in front of Elliott within the draft on Lap 67. Preece, who rallied from the spin at the conclusion of the first stage period, also navigated his way to the front with drafting help from teammate Keselowski before Elliott repaid the favor to Smith by overtaking and sliding back in front of the latter during the following lap. With the field stacked up in two-wide formation, Smith proceeded to lead the Lap 70 mark over Elliott.

At the halfway mark on Lap 80, the top-28 competitors were racing within a second of one another in a pack, and the on-track intensity started to crescendo with the field fanning out to two and three lanes. At the front, Elliott, who has led the previous 10 laps, continued to hold a steady advantage over Preece, Zane Smith, Byron, Blaney, Cindric, Bell, Logano, Briscoe and Chastain while Hill, Wallace, Gilliland, Keselowski, Larson, van Gisbergen, Ty Dillon, Harrison Burton, Suarez and Nemechek were scored in the top 20, respectively, over Jones, Gibbs, Cole Custer, Austin Dillon, Reddick, McDowell, Corey Heim and Allmendinger, with Gragson and Hocevar rounding out the top-30 mark.

During the next five laps, Team Penske’s trio of competitors that included Blaney, Cindric and Logano navigated their way to the front, with Blaney taking the first stab at the lead and Logano remaining in pursuit before Cindric navigated to the front by the Lap 85 mark. Despite being challenged by Elliott and Preece for the next lap, Cindric maintained the lead as he also led the outside lane while Blaney led the inside lane with drafting help from Logano and Larson. Amid Blaney’s charge from the inside lane, Cindric had Preece drafting the latter with the slight advantage as Cindric led the Lap 90 mark before Elliott, who, despite expressing concerns about not having enough fuel to complete the second stage period under full pace, motored back ahead during the following lap.

When the second stage period concluded on Lap 95, Blaney, who executed a crossover move beneath Elliott through the backstretch a lap prior, captured his eighth Cup stage victory of the 2026 season. Preece, Zane Smith, Byron, Gilliland, Larson, Briscoe, Suarez, Elliott and Hill were scored in the top 10, respectively, while Cindric and Logano were shuffled back to 13th and 21st, respectively. By then, all but two of 40 starters were scored on the lead lap while van Gisbergen ended up in 12th place as he did not garner any stage points during the latest stage.

During the event’s second-stage break, the leader, Blaney, and Elliott pitted before pit road opened to the field. Once pit road became accessible for the field, most of the field led by Preece pitted for service while Chastain, Reddick, Gibbs, Berry, Blaney, McDowell, Gragson, Custer, Hocevar, Zilisch, Stenhouse and Elliott remained on the track. Following the pit stops, Gilliland exited pit road first ahead of Briscoe, Preece, Cindric and Hill while Suarez bumped and spun Nemechek as the latter was trying to enter his pit stall. With numerous competitors making trips to pit road to top off with fuel, Gilliland cycled to the overall lead.

With 59 laps remaining, the final stage period commenced as Gilliland and Briscoe occupied the front row. At the start, the former, who restarted on the outside lane, motored ahead through the first two turns. Gilliland then maintained the lead through the backstretch before he went into defensive mode through Turns 3 and 4 over Briscoe and Cindric, which allowed Gilliland to lead the next lap. With the field fanned out to three lanes, a majority of the front-runners lined up in single-line formation towards the outside wall that was led by Gilliland as Gilliland maintained a steady advantage over Cindric, Logano, Austin Dillon and Casey Mears with 55 laps remaining.

Down to the final 50 laps, Keselowski, who overtook Briscoe for the lead a lap later, was leading Ware and Briscoe, the latter of whom had led the previous five laps, while Gilliland, Elliott, Byron, Cindric, Hill, Logano and Zane Smith were in the top 10. As Keselowski maintained the lead in front of two-stacked lanes with drafting help from Ware on the inside lane, the top-17 competitors were separated by less than a second of another while the top 30 were separated by less than two seconds.

With 40 laps remaining, the field of 38 was stacked in three-packed lanes as all were racing within two seconds of one another. At the front, Keselowski, Ware and Elliott primarily dueled against one another in three-wide formation for the lead, with the trio having also swapped the lead over the previous 10 laps. A lap later, Chastain, Custer, Austin Dillon, Hill, Stenhouse, Zilisch and Mears all pitted for fuel under green. While the latter group all trailed the lead group with a wide disadvantage following their pit stops, Ware, Keselowski, Byron, Elliott and Briscoe proceeded to lead the rest of the field with 35 laps remaining.

As the event reached its final 30-lap mark, most of the field raced in single-file toward the outside lane as Byron led teammate Elliott, Briscoe, Ware, Gibbs, Wallace, Ty Dillon, Gragson, Larson and Gilliland, respectively. By then, Chastain, Austin Dillon, Custer, Stenhouse and Zilisch, all of whom pitted nine laps earlier, trailed the lead group by 22 seconds while Hill trailed by 24 seconds. With the field of 31 remaining on the track and no groups being formed to pit for a final time amid concerns of fuel shortages, Byron continued to lead with 25 laps remaining while Chastain, who was scored in 32nd place, trailed the pack by 20 seconds.

Down to the final 20 laps, the top-10 competitors pulled slightly ahead of two-stacked lanes as Byron had teammates Elliott and Larson lined up behind him in the draft, while Ware, Nemechek, Reddick, Briscoe, van Gisbergen, Ty Gibbs and Ty Dillon were part of the lead group. By then, Chastain, Austin Dillon, Custer, Stenhouse and Zilisch trailed the lead group by 19 seconds while the rest of the pack, led by 11th-place Blaney, tried to reel in the lead group.

Two laps later, another group led by the leader Byron along with Larson, Elliott, Briscoe, Ware, Ty Dillon and Allmendinger pitted under green. Amid the latter group’s pit stops, they were overtaken by the first group, which pitted first, led by Chastain, as Nemechek cycled to the lead for the next lap. Reddick then moved into the lead with 15 laps remaining, and he led the next four laps while being drafted by Hocevar before Zane Smith came storming past Reddick with drafting help from Preece through the frontstretch. Preece then navigated his way into the lead as he was scored the leader over Smith, Reddick, Blaney, Hocevar, Gibbs, Jones, Suarez, Nemechek, van Gisbergen and a field of 24 competitors racing within two seconds of one another with 10 laps remaining.

Then with six laps remaining, the caution flew when Hocevar, who was battling at the front and was trying to execute a left-handed move on Preece for the runner-up spot exiting the backstretch, snapped to the left and veered sideways to the apron before he veered back up the track to the right, slammed against the outside wall hard on the right side in Turns 3 and 4 and was hit in the rear by Erik Jones while Ty Gibbs, who barely dodged Hocevar’s slide, spun to the bottom of the track.

At the moment of caution, where the rest of the field dodged the carnage and the event was sent into overtime, Zane Smith, who executed a crossover move on Preece to lead a lap prior, was leading Preece, Blaney, Reddick and Suarez while Cindric, Berry, Bowman, McDowell and Logano were scored in the top 10. During the caution period, some led by Nemechek and including Gibbs, van Gisbergen, Gragson, Keselowski, Wallace, Dye, Larson, Byron, Elliott and Zilisch pitted while the rest led by Zane Smith and Preece remained on the track.

After a lengthy caution period to clear the carnage site, the field restarted in overtime. At the start, Smith and Preece dueled in front of Blaney, Reddick and the field through the first two turns. Then through the backstretch, multiple competitors reeled in the leaders amid the draft as Reddick, who drove to the rear of Preece’s bumper, darted to the right to gain a draft from Berry. With the move, Preece was pinned in a three-wide battle for second alongside Reddick and Blaney while Smith stormed ahead with the lead through Turns 3 and 4.

When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Smith remained in the lead as Preece, Reddick, Suarez, Berry and the field reeled back in through the frontstretch. Preece then reeled in and dueled with Smith for the lead as Smith went up the track to fend off Reddick. Then during the duel, Smith got loose off the front nose of Reddick. This caused Smith to hit the outside wall and clip the side of Berry before he spun as Logano wrecked with Gilliland against the wall.

More competitors, including Ty Gibbs, van Gisbergen, Chastain, Allmendinger, Cody Ware, Larson, and Daniel Dye, wrecked in the backstretch as Preece led with the event remaining under green-flag conditions. Seconds later, Stenhouse turned Blaney into the wall towards the front. Combined with the first multi-car wreck, the caution flew, and the event was deemed official. At the moment of caution, Preece was ahead of a hard-charging Daniel Suarez and was declared the official winner.

With the victory, Preece, who had flipped wildly twice at Daytona between the previous three seasons, became the 210th competitor overall to win in NASCAR’s premier series. He also became the sixth competitor over the previous 16 Coke Zero Sugar 400 events to notch a first Cup career victory in the latter event, the fourth first-time winner of the 2026 Cup season and the 12th winner through 26-scheduled events this season. Preece’s Daytona victory was the seventh for RFK Racing under its current banner, the sixth of this season for Ford and the first for crew chief Derrick Finley.

Above all, Preece, who entered Daytona in 17th place in the standings and 31 points below the top-16 Chase cutline, boosted his way above the cutline and clinched a Chase berth with his Daytona victory. With the Chase reset, Preece will commence his first Chase as a championship contender in 16th place in the standings with 2,000 points.

Preece will also square off against regular-season title winner Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Tyler Reddick, Ty Gibbs, Chase Briscoe, Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, Chris Buescher, Daniel Suarez, Carson Hocevar, William Byron, Bubba Wallace and Austin Cindric over the next 10 weeks in a 10-race postseason Chase stretch for the 2026 title.

NO. 60
Photo by Andrew Boyd for SpeedwayMedia.com.

“I’m just speechless right now,” Preece said on the frontstretch on NBC. “Those guys, that No. 60 group, we’re fighters, and when you put our back against the wall, we swing hard. Two years ago, there was a lot of keyboard warriors saying I was nothing. Well, we just kicked their butts tonight. It’s just a testament of how prepared these race cars are. I’m a racer. I know what it takes to build speed. Every man and woman at RFK [Racing], thank you for giving me a rocket ship so I can go to the moon tonight.”

Amid Preece’s celebration and securing a Chase berth, Shane van Gisbergen, who was forced to pit for fuel prior to the overtime shootout, was left out of the Chase picture after he was involved in the final-lap carnage and dropped to 28th place in the final running order. As a result, van Gisbergen will not make the Chase for a second consecutive season, and Trackhouse Racing will have no competitors represented in the 2026 Chase.

Shane van Gisbergen
Photo by Andrew Boyd for SpeedwayMedia.com.

“One night doesn’t sum up our year, I guess,” van Gisbergen said. “We haven’t been good enough, but it’s been cool to be close. Shame we’re not in [the Chase]. Bits of [our regular-season stretch] were good. As a team, obviously, we’ve struggled. I’m proud that I’ve been able to match my teammates on the ovals. I think I’ve stepped up this year, but obviously, you want to be in that Chase. Didn’t make it.”

Daniel Suarez, a 2026 Chase contender, settled in second place as he finished ahead of top-five finishers Tyler Reddick, Michael McDowell and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., respectively, while Austin Cindric officially solidified his berth to the Chase by finishing in sixth place. Austin Dillon, Alex Bowman, Josh Berry and Cole Custer completed the top 10 in the final running order while Denny Hamlin settled in 11th place.

Notably, Brad Keselowski, who had a long shot chance of making the Chase, missed the postseason as a competitor after settling in 14th place, though his two co-owned competitors, Preece and Chris Buescher, will contend for the title in the Chase.

This event featured 41 lead changes for 22 different leaders, and featured four cautions for 21 laps. In addition, 31 of 40 starters finished on the lead lap.

NASCAR Cup Series Reseeded Driver Points

RankDriverNoPointsLdrNxtRace WinsStage Wins
1Denny Hamlin1121000045
2Ryan Blaney122075-252538
3Tyler Reddick452065-351051
4Ty Gibbs542060-40525
5Chase Briscoe192055-45510
6Christopher Bell202050-50504
7Kyle Larson52045-55505
8Chase Elliott92040-60522
9Joey Logano222035-65522
10Chris Buescher172030-70500
11Daniel Suarez72025-75511
12Carson Hocevar772020-80510
13William Byron242015-85503
14Bubba Wallace232010-90502
15Austin Cindric22005-95501
16Ryan Preece602000-100512

Results:

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

The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Chase is scheduled to commence next Sunday, September 6, at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina, for the Cook Out Southern 500. The event is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. ET on USA Network, MRN Radio, SiriusXM, and HBO Max.

TOYOTA RACING – NCS Daytona Quotes – Jimmie Johnson – 08.29.26

By
Official Release
-
DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - AUGUST 29: Legacy Motor Club unveiled the # 48 Carvana Toyota driven by Jimmie Johnson prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on August 29, 2026 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

TOYOTA RACING – Jimmie Johnson
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 28, 2026) – Prior to Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB driver Jimmie Johnson debuted the paint scheme for the No. 48 Toyota Camry XSE that he will run in the 2027 Daytona 500.

JIMMIE JOHNSON

What emotions did you have debuting the paint scheme that you’ll run in the 2027 Daytona 500 tonight in Daytona?

“It was neat. As I drove down pit lane the remaining pit stalls – there were probably 10 or 15 stalls – all the teams were coming off the wall and showing their support which was completely unexpected. I saw my little brother at the end of pit lane, he works for Monster Energy, and he was down at the end losing his mind. My daughter was able to ride in the car, and my dad was able to pull off the tarp so a lot of great emotions. And the fans in the stands were pumped as well.”

What does it mean to you to have all your longtime sponsors and the iconic No. 48 for your final NASCAR race?

“When I first called Rick (Hendrick) about the idea he was in immediately. I still knew there was a lot of work to be done with Lowe’s, Ally, Carvana and all these pieces and how it would play out. But Mr. Hendrick’s commitment to speak to everyone at Lowe’s, looping in our existing partners and obviously Toyota’s support – once the snowballs started rolling, it all came together. The neat thing is we’ve got a lot of time between now and the Daytona 500 to continue to amplify this opportunity.”

You mentioned Toyota, what does it mean to you to be able to drive in a Toyota Camry for your final NASCAR race?

“It’s extremely special for me to wear the Toyota badge in my final race. Toyota’s commitment to our race team, the deep bond and relationships we’ve created and how important we are to their motorsports program, it’s a nice full circle moment to be able to bring this all together in a Toyota Camry. And honestly, I’m grateful for their willingness to do this scheme and look that was with a different OEM, but once again they’re great people. They get it, they understand and they want what’s best for the fans and what the fans what to see. They’ve been fully supportive since day one.”

About Toyota

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

Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of over 50 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina began to assemble automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.

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

JIMMIE JOHNSON UNVEILS NO. 48 TOYOTA FOR FINAL NASCAR CUP SERIES START AT DAYTONA

By
Official Release
-

Carvana, Lowe’s and Ally come together on a one-of-a-kind tribute honoring Johnson’s past, present and the road ahead

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. | AUGUST 29, 2026 — LEGACY MOTOR CLUB and owner Jimmie Johnson today unveiled the No. 48 Toyota Camry XSE he will drive in the 2027 DAYTONA 500, bringing together Carvana, Lowe’s and Ally on the car for the final NASCAR Cup Series start of his legendary career.

Johnson gave fans their first look at the car during the Coke Zero 400 pre-race show, then climbed behind the wheel of the No. 48 for a ceremonial lap around Daytona International Speedway. The moment offered a preview of his final Cup Series start, scheduled for Feb. 21, 2027, in the 69th running of the DAYTONA 500.

The unveiling followed Johnson’s July 26 announcement that Rick Hendrick, Hendrick Motorsports and Ally Financial had agreed to loan LEGACY MOTOR CLUB the Hendrick Motorsports stylized No. 48 car number for his farewell race.

Revealed at Daytona International Speedway, the special paint scheme celebrates the people, partners and defining chapters behind one of the most accomplished careers in American motorsports. The design connects Johnson’s record-setting history with Lowe’s, his final full-time Cup Series seasons with Ally, and the next chapter of his racing career and team ownership journey with Carvana.

Lowe’s served as Johnson’s primary partner throughout his full-time tenure at Hendrick Motorsports from 2001 through 2018, sharing in all seven championships and 83 Cup Series victories during one of the sport’s most successful partnerships. Ally became Johnson’s primary sponsor for the 2019 and 2020 seasons, including his final full-time Cup campaign. Carvana partnered with Johnson during his move to INDYCAR and has continued its relationship through his return to NASCAR competition and ownership role at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB.

“Seeing this car for the first time brings back a lifetime of memories. Lowe’s was there for the foundation of my Cup career and so many of its greatest moments. Ally supported me through my final full-time seasons and helped make it possible for the 48 to return for this race. Carvana believed in what came next and has continued to support my journey as a driver and team owner. To have all three represented on this car is incredibly meaningful. It honors where I’ve been, the relationships that made it possible and the people who are still beside me for one last ride,” said Johnson.

The No. 48 is synonymous with Johnson’s Hall of Fame career. Together, Johnson and the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team won a record-tying seven NASCAR Cup Series championships, including an unprecedented five consecutive titles from 2006 through 2010, and earned 83 points-paying Cup Series victories. Those wins included the DAYTONA 500 in 2006 and 2013.

“Jimmie has been an incredible partner and friend to Carvana, and it’s a privilege to be alongside him for the final start of his NASCAR career,” said Ryan Keeton, Carvana Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer. “Bringing Carvana, Lowe’s, and Ally together on the iconic No. 48 is a fitting tribute to Jimmie’s incredible legacy and everything he’s meant to this sport. We’re proud to play a part in giving Jimmie and his fans one more unforgettable moment.”

“Jimmie will always hold a special place in Lowe’s history and in the hearts of the associates, customers and fans who cheered on the No. 48 for nearly two decades,” said Marvin Ellison, Lowe’s chairman and CEO. “Our associates took tremendous pride in Team Lowe’s Racing and everything Jimmie accomplished — from 83 wins and seven championships to the meaningful work he did with Lowe’s in communities across the country. We’re grateful to have been part of his remarkable journey, and it’s an honor to be along for his final ride at Daytona.”

“Jimmie transformed the 48 into an icon of excellence and became an indelible part of the Ally family, so we knew this final ride would be special for him and so many others,” said Andrea Brimmer, Chief Marketing and PR Officer at Ally Financial. “It’s rewarding to see how fans are responding already and the way all three brands who played distinct roles in Jimmie’s racing journey are collaborating to bring it to life. This will be an historic moment that Ally is proud to be a part of, and we’re looking forward to the road ahead.”

Merchandise, to include the pre-sale of diecast replicas, will be immediately available trackside at Daytona and on www.LEGACYMOTORCLUB.com.

For Johnson, whose personal philosophy has become “Never Stop Starting,” the unveiling is more than a tribute. It is the first tangible glimpse of one final start in the number that defined his career — and a celebration of the partners, teammates and fans who helped build everything it represents.

ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB: (LEGACY MC) is a premier auto racing organization owned by seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and 2024 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, Jimmie Johnson and Knighthead Capital Management, LLC. Drawing from a rich tradition of success, LEGACY MC is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of motorsport and setting new standards of excellence. The CLUB competes under the Toyota Racing banner in the NASCAR Cup Series with the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE piloted by Erik Jones and the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE driven by John Hunter Nemechek. Johnson also races on a limited basis in the No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE. With NASCAR legend and Hall of Famer Richard Petty, “The King”, serving as CLUB Ambassador, LEGACY MC blends timeless racing traditions with a new forward-thinking vision. As an inclusive community for motorsport enthusiasts, LEGACY MC honors both its storied past and the promising future of its members, always striving for victory and championship glory at the pinnacle of NASCAR competition.

ABOUT CARVANA: Carvana’s mission is to change the way people buy and sell cars. Since launching in 2013, Carvana has revolutionized automotive retail and delighted millions of customers with an offering that is fun, fast, and fair. With Carvana, customers can find a car, get financing, trade in, and complete a purchase entirely online with the convenience of delivery or local pickup as soon as the same day. Carvana’s unique offering is powered by its passionate team, differentiated national infrastructure, and purpose-built technology.

For more information, please visit www.carvana.com.

ABOUT LOWE’S: Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is a FORTUNE® 100 home improvement company with total fiscal 2025 sales of more than $86 billion. Lowe’s employs approximately 300,000 associates and operates over 1,750 home improvement stores, 540 branches and 120 distribution centers. Lowe’s is a core value S&P 500 equity stock and a dividend aristocrat. Based in Mooresville, N.C., Lowe’s supports the communities it serves through programs focused on creating safe, affordable housing, improving community spaces, helping to develop the next generation of skilled trade experts and providing disaster relief to communities in need. For more information, visit Lowes.com.

Riley Herbst to miss regular-season finale at Daytona

By
Andrew Kim
-
Photo by Adam Lovelace for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Riley Herbst will not be competing in the 2026 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, August 29.

Herbst’s decision not to compete was due to the Las Vegas native experiencing lingering effects from last weekend’s incident at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, an incident that also involved Connor Zilisch ramming into Herbst’s wrecked entry after the latter was bumped by Michael McDowell exiting the backstretch on Lap 225 of 301. 

Just a day prior, Herbst qualified in fifth place for Saturday night’s regular-season finale of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season at the World Center of Racing. Herbst is currently ranked in 26th place in the 2026 standings on the strength of three top-10 results, five laps led and an average-finishing result of 22.2.

Through a released statement by 23XI Racing, the organization noted that it was in the best interest of itself and Herbst for the latter not to compete. As a result, Harrison Burton will pilot 23XI Racing’s No. 35 Toyota Camry XSE entry. 

Burton, a full-time O’Reilly Auto Parts Series competitor for Sam Hunt Racing, will compete alongside teammates Corey Heim, Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace. Saturday night’s event at Daytona is scheduled to mark his 110th career start in the Cup Series division and first since the 2024 finale at Phoenix Raceway.

The 2026 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway is scheduled to commence on Saturday, Augst 29, at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN Radio, SiriusXM and HBO MAX.

Pierson Upstages Title Contenders With First Career Pole in Milwaukee

By
Official Release
-

WEST ALLIS, Wis. (Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026) – On a day of agony for two of the three INDY NXT by Firestone title contenders, Josh Pierson found ecstasy by earning his first career pole in the INDYCAR development series Saturday at the Milwaukee Mile.

Pierson, in his third full INDY NXT season and fourth overall, produced the fastest two-lap average qualifying speed on the historic 1.015-mile oval at 153.434 mph in the No. 29 Starchive Andretti car of Andretti Global. That’s a series track record for a two-lap average qualifying speed, breaking the mark of 152.639 set last year by Dennis Hauger.

The breakthrough pole came for Pierson in his 52nd career start in the series after he was a disappointing 11th in practice this morning. His previous best qualifying spot was third, recorded five times, including in May for the second race of the doubleheader at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.

“Finally,” Pierson said. “It’s such a relief. For me, I feel like it’s just always been a little bit, I’m always just lacking something. And to finally break through means the world to me. I owe it all to this crew, everyone on this 29 car.

“In practice, we kind of struggled. We really had to shake things up and try something with the car, and I’m really happy where things turned out.”

The 90-lap race starts at 11 a.m. ET Sunday (FS1, FOX One, INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls).

Rookie Tymek Kucharczyk was the only one of the three main title contenders to find speed in qualifying, ending up second at 153.382 in the No. 71 HMD Motorsports car. Kucharczyk is third in the standings, 18 points behind leader Enzo Fittipaldi and 17 behind second-place Nikita Johnson with three races remaining this season.

Fittipaldi qualified seventh at 152.336 in the No. 67 HMD Motorsports machine. Johnson struggled even more, qualifying a season-worst 15th at 151.350 in the No. 21 Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR car.

Rookie Jack Beeton backed up the speed that helped him lead practice this morning by qualifying third at 153.280 in the No. 45 HMD Motorsports car, tying his career-best starting spot. Niels Koolen continued his second-half upswing by qualifying a career-best fourth at 153.094 in the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing car.

JM Correa qualified fifth at 152.852 in the No. 68 Cusick Morgan Motorsports entry, while Max Taylor took the sixth spot at 152.747 in the No. 28 Susan G. Komen car of Andretti Global.

Two drivers made wall contact during qualifying.

James Roe did a half-spin exiting Turn 2 and hit the SAFER Barrier with the left side of the No. 8 Chip Ganassi Racing car. Alessandro de Tullio slapped the right side of his No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing entry in Turn 2 on his second lap, ending his run. Neither driver was hurt, and both cars suffered moderate damage.

It was a case of “what if?” for de Tullio, seeking to tie the series record with his ninth pole this season. His first lap of 154.231 was quicker than Mark Hotchkis’ 30-year-old track record for one lap in INDY NXT and appeared to set the table for a record-tying pole before his car slammed the wall on his second lap.

ARCA Menards Series at Madison International Speedway: Atlas 200 Post-race Notes

By
Official Release
-
  • Tristan McKee (No. 77 Zeigler.com Chevrolet) scored his third ARCA Menards Series victory of the season in Friday’s Atlas 200 at Madison International Speedway. McKee, who led 105 laps, traded the lead with rival Max Reaves (No. 18 Cook Out / Victory Junction Gang Camp Toyota, who led the other 95, throughout the middle stages of the race and then held off his Pinnacle Racing Group teammate Carson Brown (No. 28 Grizzly Coolers Chevrolet) over three late-race restarts to secure the victory.
  • Brown finished second to give PRG the organization’s fourth 1-2 finish of the season. Brown won at Phoenix Raceway with McKee in second, Connor Mosack won at Chicagoland Speedway with Lanie Buice in second, and McKee won at Iowa two races ago with Brown in second.
  • After winning at Madison in 2025, Reaves finished in third, his sixth top-five finish in ten starts this season.
  • ARCA Menards Series championship points leader Jake Bollman (No. 20 Nitro Motorsports Toyota) finished fourth while his main rival for the title Thomas Annunziata (No. 70 JBL Audio Toyota) finished fifth, unofficially giving Bollman a five-point lead in the standings with four races remaining.
  • Isaac Kitzmiller (No. 79 A.L.L. Construction / Carter CAT Chevrolet) traded paint with Annunziata several times over the final laps but was forced to settle for sixth at the finish.
  • Isabella Robusto (Np.55 Mobil 1 Toyota) recovered from an early spin that brought out the first caution flag of the night at lap 17 that left her two laps down to finish in seventh on the lead lap. Robusto stayed out at the first scheduled race break of the night to regain one of those laps, and then was able to stay as the first car one lap down until the second break which allowed her to return to the lead lap.
  • Will Robinson (No. 25 Mander Collision and Glass Toyota) recovered from a mid-race spin and an unscheduled pit stop in the final 50 laps to finish in eighth, his second top-ten finish of the season. He finish seventh in his series debut earlier this season at Berlin Raceway.
  • Jason Kitzmiller (No. 97 A.L.L. Construction / Carter CAT Chevrolet) finished ninth and Tony Cosentino (No. 10 Fast Track Racing Ford) rounded out the top ten.
  • There were six caution flags for 33 laps.
  • McKee’s margin of victory was 1.046 seconds.
  • The next race for the ARCA Menards Series is the Audubon Park 100 at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds on Sunday, September 7. The race, set to begin at 8:30 pm ET / 7:30 pm CT, will be televised live on FS1. ARCARacing.com will have live timing & scoring data throughout all on-track activity and live race audio. Follow @ARCA_Racing on X (formerly Twitter) for up-to-the-minute updates.

About ARCA 
The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum in Toledo, Ohio, and acquired by NASCAR in April 2018, is the leading grassroots stock car sanctioning body in the United States. Bridging the gap between NASCAR’s top three national touring series and weekly and regional tour racing all across the country, the organization to sanctions over 100 races per year in the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, ARCA Menards Series West, ASA STARS National Tour, ASA CRA Super Series, ASA Midwest Tour, ASA Southern Super Series plus weekly racing at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways. For more information about ARCA visit , or follow ARCA on Facebook (@ARCARacing) and Twitter (@ARCA_Racing). 
About Menards
A family-owned and run company started in 1958, Menards is recognized as the retail home center leader of the Midwest with 236 stores in 15 states.  Menards is truly a one-stop shop for all of your home improvement needs featuring a full-service lumberyard and everything you need to plan a renovation or build a home, garage, cabin, shed, deck, fence or post frame building.  You’ll find a large selection of lumber, roofing, siding, construction blocks, trusses, doors and windows, plus cabinets, appliances, countertops, flooring, lighting, paint, plumbing supplies and more.  To complete the job, Menards has quality hand tools, power tools, fasteners, electrical tools plus storage options and supplies for everyone from the weekend warrior to the pro!
 
Menards has what you need to complete your outdoor projects and keep your yard in tip-top shape including mowers, trimmers, blowers, pressure washers and more, plus a beautiful garden center stocked with plants, shrubs, trees, landscaping tools, grass seed, fertilizer options, outdoor décor and patio furniture.  Menards also has everyday essentials like health & beauty products, housewares, pet and wildlife supplies, automotive items and even groceries.  And at Christmas, an Enchanted Forest display area with impressive trees, lighting, decorations, ornaments, inflatables and more. 

Menards is known for friendly Customer Service and as the place to “Save Big Money” with low prices every day, and sales too!  For more information, please visit Menards.com to learn about our store locations, offerings and services.

TOYOTA RACING – NOAPS Daytona Post-Race Report – 08.28.26

By
Official Release
-

Jones Scores Top-Five Finish in Regular Season Finale at Daytona

Joe Gibbs Racing Teammates Taylor Gray and Brandon Jones Qualify for Chase Field

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 28, 2026) – Brandon Jones was the top-finishing Toyota with a fifth-place result in Friday’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (NOAPS) race at Daytona International Speedway. Harrison Burton joined Jones in the top 10 with an eighth-place finish at the 2.5-mile Florida superspeedway.

Taylor Gray joins Jones in the 10-driver Chase field, who will compete for the NOAPS championship in the final nine races of the season.

TOYOTA RACING Post-Race Recap
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (NOAPS)
Daytona International Speedway
Race 24 of 33 – 250 miles, 100 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, Ryan Sieg*
2nd, Austin Hill*
3rd, Carson Kvapil*
4th, Anthony Alfredo*
5th, BRANDON JONES
8th, HARRISON BURTON
26th, TAYLOR GRAY
27th, DEAN THOMPSON
35th, BRENT CREWS
37th, WILLIAM SAWALICH
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

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

Finishing Position: 5th

What is your reaction getting out of here with a top-five and making the Chase field?

“I want to first start by thanking Sylvania, Barracuda Pumps and Menards for an awesome season up to this point. I think today was even a really good way to kind of cap the regular season off. It’s a lot of momentum to be able to finish top five here at this track and even got stage points throughout the day too. I know it wasn’t higher than we kind of wanted to, but still, just executed the day really well. I think we kind of majorly did what we needed to do aside from go win the race. But a top five any day is really strong here. So, I hate our other two didn’t make it, but cool to see the 54 (Taylor Gray) as well get in. But now onward and forward. We’ve got a lot of really good tracks in this Chase that benefit this 20 team specifically a lot. I’m excited. We’re kicking it off with Darlington, where we’ve been so strong before and had multiple wins and a few poles. It’s nice to go in there with a lot of confidence, knowing exactly how to get it done at that racetrack.”

TAYLOR GRAY, No. 54 Homes For Our Troops Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 26th

Is making the Chase the biggest positive you’ve had this season after a trying year?

“Yeah, first of all thank you to everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota Racing. We had Home For Our Troops on the car and they are here this weekend. We had a great race car today and it sucks because I wish I could’ve challenged and fought for a better position – a top five or whatever it may be. Just once we got past that stage 2 the bigger picture got a bit brighter. To answer your question, yeah, I think it does. We’ve had a lot of speed this year and shame on me for putting us in this position going into Daytona. We could’ve won a handful of races that I’ve given up, and I’ve tried to learn a lot.”

BRENT CREWS, No. 19 Yahoo Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 35th

How frustrating was it to not even have a shot at the Chase after being involved in an early incident?

“Yeah, it’s definitely frustrating, but ultimately, I put myself in that position when I cost us 20 points at Iowa. So, it goes back to all the ifs and what’s and buts, but I know it happened for a reason. This team worked so hard, and I’m so grateful to be in the position that I am with them. It’s amazing having Yahoo on board. I wish we could’ve had a better run for them. I’m grateful for the opportunity, and to drive a great race car. I’m excited to finish out the year strong.”

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

Finishing Position: 37th

How do you summarize how today’s race ended for you?

“Just tried to make the three wide work there in the top lane and I think the 17 (Corey Day) thought about blocking me and came down and wasn’t clear at the time. I hate it for the team. We worked really hard after Chicagoland to make up the point deficit, I spent a lot of time in the simulator, and it just ended like this.”

About Toyota

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

Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of over 50 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina began to assemble automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.

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

Ryan Sieg achieves first elusive O’Reilly career victory at Daytona

By
Andrew Kim
-
Photo by Andrew Boyd for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Ryan Sieg made career start No. 424 in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series one to remember for the ages. He made it memorable by scoring his first career win in the Winn-Dixie 250 at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, August 28, amid an overtime shootout.

The 39-year-old Sieg from Tucker, Georgia, led the final two of 105 over-scheduled laps in an event where he started in 12th place, kept his entry intact and utilized only a fuel-service stop prior to the final stage period to restart towards the front. While racing towards the front throughout the final stage period, Sieg was scored in fifth place when a caution for a single-car spin with three laps remaining sent the event into overtime.

During an overtime shootout, Sieg seized an opportunity and utilized a draft from Austin Hill to duel against Carson Kvapil for a full lap before he motored ahead prior to the final lap. For a final circuit around Daytona, Sieg utilized strong defensive moves by fending off Kvapil, Hill and a stacked field before he claimed his first elusive checkered flag under the lights at the World Center of Racing.

With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Friday, Rajah Caruth achieved his first career pole position with a pole-winning lap at 183.232 mph in 49.118 seconds. Teammate Carson Kvapil qualified in second place with a lap of 182.856 mph in 49.219 seconds.

Before the event, Dean Thompson and newcomer Andy Jankowiak dropped to the rear of the field after unapproved adjustments to their respective entries.

When the green flag waved and the event commenced, pole-sitter Rajah Caruth, who elected to start on the outside lane, gained the first advantage through the frontstretch as he motored his No. 88 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro entry ahead of the field. Entering the first turn, he transitioned from the outside lane to the inside lane to line up in front of Kvapil within the draft while Sheldon Creed led the outside lane. As both Caruth and Creed dueled in front of two-stacked lanes for a full circuit, Creed managed to lead the first lap by 0.003 seconds over Caruth.

From the second to sixth lap, Caruth emerged as the leader in front of the field while Caesar Bacarella made an unscheduled pit stop on the third lap. Amid Caruth’s early advantage in front of the pack, he was challenged by Kvapil, Creed and a hard-charging Austin Hill before Creed reassumed the lead for the next two laps. Jesse Love would then navigate his way to the front and lead at and just past the 10th lap mark before Sam Mayer used the inside lane to assume the lead by the 12th lap.

Through the Lap 15 mark, Hill, who just assumed the lead for the first time, was leading Mayer, Taylor Gray, Creed, Sammy Smith, Caruth, Nick Sanchez, Kvapil, William Sawalich and Brandon Jones, respectively as the top-18 competitors in the leaderboard were racing under a second of one another. Hill proceeded to lead the next four laps, where the field had scattered, before Kvapil stormed atop the leaderboard by Lap 20. Hill, however, wasted no time reassuming the lead with a strong slingshot move beneath Kvapil exiting the backstretch during the next lap, and he led the next two laps before Mayer and Kvapil led the next two apiece, respectively.

Then on Lap 27, the event’s first caution flew when Patrick Staropoli, who was racing within the top-10 mark exiting the backstretch, got loose off the front of Jeremy Clements and spun in the middle of the track. Staropoli’s spin ignited a multi-car wreck that involved Josh Williams, Daniel Dye, Mayer and Brent Crews. The incident ignited major Chase implications for the latter two, though Mayer continued while Crews’ No. 19 Yahoo! Toyota Supra entry was taken to the garage for repairs.

The Lap 27 multi-car wreck was enough for the first stage period to conclude under caution. As a result, Hill, who reassumed the lead on Lap 27, was awarded his sixth stage victory of the 2026 season. Kvapil, Caruth, Anthony Alfredo, Sammy Smith, Harrison Burton, Justin Allgaier, Brandon Jones, William Sawalich and Taylor Gray were scored in the top 10, respectively, as 32 of 38 starters were scored on the lead lap.

Under the event’s first stage break period, the field led by Hill peeled off the racetrack to pit for service. Following the pit stops, Kvapil edged Corey Day off of pit road first despite contact being made between the two as Day had to make a sharp right-hand turn out of his pit box to avoid hitting Kyle Sieg’s pitted entry. Hill, Caruth, Sawalich, Sammy Smith, Gray, Harrison Burton, Alfredo and Clements followed suit, respectively.

The second stage period started on Lap 35 as Kvapil and Hill occupied the front row. At the start, Kvapil and Hill dueled in front of Day, Caruth and the field through the first two turns. Amid the side-by-side duel, Kvapil led the next lap and he proceeded to lead the next seven laps while he kept Hill, Day, Sawalich, Caruth and the fanned-out field behind. Hill would then lead, starting on Lap 43.

On Lap 44 and just as Hill fended off Caruth through the tri-oval to retain the lead, the caution flew when Day, who was racing towards the front, was bumped by Alfredo, veered sideways to the left and clipped Sammy Smith. The contact sent Smith head-on into the outside wall and into the path of William Sawalich, which left Sawalich’s No. 18 CW NXT Heatwave/SoundGear Toyota Supra demolished on the front end, while the rest of the field scattered to avoid the carnage. The incident terminated Sawalich’s event and it also implicated his Chase hopes.

The start of the next restart on Lap 52 featured Hill being pushed ahead by Kvapil briefly and from the outside lane through the frontstretch before the inside lane led by Caruth came storming back with momentum. With a push by Alfredo and Allgaier, Caruth assumed the lead as he also moved in front of Hill from the draft through the backstretch. Amid Hill’s challenge, Caruth maintained the lead over the next three laps.

Then on Lap 55, the caution returned when Hill, who tried to execute a crossover move beneath Caruth through the frontstretch, barely made contact across the front nose of Alfredo and spun in circles through the frontstretch’s inside lane and the grass while the rest of the field dodged Hill’s carnage, though Hill was able to proceed without sustaining significant damage. Hill’s incident concluded the second stage period, which allowed Caruth to capture his third stage victory of the 2026 season. Alfredo, Kvapil, Allgaier, Jeb Burton, Creed, Mayer, Jesse Love, Blaine Perkins and Brandon Jones settled in the top 10, respectively, as 31 of 38 starters were scored on the lead lap.

During the event’s second stage break period, the field led by Caruth returned to pit road for service. After the pit stops and mixed pit strategies, Jones, who opted for a two-tire service, edged Ryan Sieg and Perkins off pit road first, while Kyle Sieg, Kvapil, Caruth, Creed, Allgaier, Jeb Burton and Love followed suit, respectively.

With 38 laps remaining, the final stage period commenced as Harrison Burton and Jones occupied the front row. At the start, Burton was pushed ahead of the field by Perkins through the first two turns, but Jones would assume the lead, where the latter would lead the next five laps. Soon after, Kvapil navigated his way to the front with 33 laps remaining, and he maintained the lead with 30 laps remaining while Creed, Hill, Jones, Jeb Burton, Caruth, Love, Allgaier, Leland Honeyman Jr. and Nick Sanchez followed suit, respectively.

Down to the final 25 laps and with the field scattered, Kvapil was leading ahead of Creed, Caruth, Allgaier, Honeyman, Ryan Sieg, Hill, Alfred, Jeb Burton and Love, respectively, while the top-14 competitors were separated by a second of one another. Caruth and Allgaier navigated their way into second and third behind teammate Kvapil on the track with 20 laps remaining, and the trio maintained the top-three spots ahead of Honeyman, Ryan Sieg and the field with 15 laps remaining while the top-14 competitors were separated by a second of one another.

With less than 10 laps remaining, Kvapil continued to lead teammates Caruth and Allgaier, followed by the field as most of the field lined up in single-line formation behind Kvapil towards the outside lane. The field led by Kvapil remained in single-line formation with five laps remaining.

Then with three laps remaining, the caution flew when Allgaier bumped and got Caruth loose exiting the backstretch. This caused Caruth to spin below the track before he slid back up the banking in Turn 3 and hit the outside wall on the right side despite being dodged by the oncoming field. Despite dropping out of the lead lap category, Caruth managed to continue with his damaged entry as he remained in Chase contention.

As the event restarted in overtime, Kvapil motored ahead of the field through the frontstretch. He then transitioned to the outside lane to line up in front of teammate Allgaier in the draft. This allowed Ryan Sieg, with drafting help from Hill, to challenge from the inside lane entering the backstretch. Amid the side-by-side battle, Sieg started to muscle his No. 38 Superior Integrity Services/SciAps Chevrolet Camaro entry ahead and he cleared the field with the lead in his possession when he took the white flag and started the final lap.

During the final lap, Sieg went into defensive mode as he fended off an outside lane charge by Kvapil through the first two turns before he veered back to the inside lane to receive another drafting advantage by Hill. With the field fanned out and stacked through the backstretch, Sieg maintained the lead over a side-by-side battle between Kvapil and Hill while Jones and Alfredo came storming through. With both Kvapil and Hill bouncing and side-drafting off of one another without generating a run, Sieg was able to fend off both lanes and cycle back to the frontstretch to win by a tenth of a second.

With the victory, Sieg, who is in his 13th consecutive full-time season as a competitor, became the 186th competitor overall to win in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series division and the first competitor to record a first career win in the O’Reilly division at Daytona since Austin Hill achieved the latest feat in February 2022. The Georgian also became the fifth first-time winner of the 2026 season while notching the 21st victory of this season for the Chevrolet nameplate and the second ever win for RSS Racing.

Despite not being in contention to make the 2026 Chase, Sieg was left enthusiastic and beaming with pride as he achieved a long-awaited first win in the O’Reilly division. Prior to the Daytona victory, Sieg had finished as high as second place five times.

NO. 38
Photo by Andrew Boyd for SpeedwayMedia.com.

“This is incredible,” Sieg said on the frontstretch on the CW Network. “Unbelievable, especially doing it here at Daytona. I’ve been coming here since I was a baby. We’ve come here every summer race, and to do it right now in the way we did it, that’s amazing. Just go to thank…everybody that helps us out to get to here. My mom and dad, my girlfriend, all the support, the whole team,…everybody is just all in and this has been a long time coming. [At Iowa Speedway], we got the pole and we came back to Daytona where I really wanted to win, so we freaking did it.”

Mired from Sieg’s victory was the outcome of who made the 2026 Chase field and who did not. In the end, Parker Retzlaff, Sam Mayer, Taylor Gray and Rajah Caruth secured the final four vacant berths to the Chase after they finished 14th, 25th, 26th and 32nd, respectively. For Caruth, he utilized the 19 stage points he accumulated throughout the first two stage periods combined with his 32nd-place result to claim the 12th and final Chase berth by five points.

No. 88
Photo by Andrew Boyd for SpeedwayMedia.com.

“There was a couple of times early in the year that I threw away some points, so glad to mostly capitalize tonight,” Caruth said. “In the moment, I’m pretty bummed about the end of the race because I felt we were in a great spot [to win], but we’ll go to a new chapter tomorrow and get to work [for the Chase].”

For Gray, he and Brandon Jones will be the only Joe Gibbs Racing competitors who will contend for this year’s championship in the Chase. Meanwhile, teammates Brent Crews and William Sawalich, both of whom entered Daytona above the cutline, were left out of the Chase picture after their respective wrecks capped off their nights in 35th and 37th on the track, respectively. Overall, Sawalich and Crews missed the Chase by five and six points, respectively.

“It’s definitely frustrating, but ultimately, I put ourselves in that position,” Crews said. “I cost us 20 points at Iowa. It goes back to all the ifs and what’s and buts, but I know it happened for a reason. This team worked so hard, and I’m so grateful to be in the position that I am with them. Grateful for the opportunity. [Joe Gibbs Racing]’s done such a great job with these race cars and [I’m] excited to finish out the year strong.”

“We’ve had a lot of speed this year, and shame on me for being in this position going into Daytona,” Gray said. “There’s been a handful of races that I’ve given up. I’ve tried to learn a lot from those mistakes and hopefully, won’t make them. There’s gonna be some mistakes, but I feel like there’s a lot of really good racetracks for us here in the postseason that we can excel at. Just gotta cross the t’s and dot the i’s.”

Austin Hill, who won at Daytona in February, settled in second place behind Sieg on the track while Carson Kvapil, Anthony Alfredo and Brandon Jones finished in the top five, respectively. Justin Allgaier, Brennan Poole, Harrison Burton, Jeb Burton and Sheldon Creed completed the top 10 in the final running order on the track.

This event featured 21 lead changes for 11 different leaders, and four cautions for 25 laps. In addition, 27 of 38 starters finished on the lead lap.

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Reseeded Driver Points

RankDriverNoPointsLdrNxtRace WinsStage Wins
1Justin Allgaier721000068
2Carson Kvapil12075-252522
3Sheldon Creed02065-351010
4Jesse Love22060-40503
5Austin Hill212055-45526
6Brandon Jones202050-50513
7Corey Day172045-55522
8Sammy Smith82040-60501
9Parker Retzlaff992035-65500
10Sam Mayer412030-70501
11Taylor Gray542025-75512
12Rajah Caruth882020-80503

Results:

  1. Ryan Sieg, two laps led
  2. Austin Hill, 22 laps led, Stage 1 winner
  3. Carson Kvapil, 50 laps led
  4. Anthony Alfredo, two laps led
  5. Brandon Jones, five laps led
  6. Justin Allgaier
  7. Brennan Poole
  8. Harrison Burton, one lap led
  9. Jeb Burton
  10. Sheldon Creed, three laps led
  11. Josh Williams
  12. Garrett Smithley
  13. Leland Honeyman Jr.
  14. Parker Retzlaff, one lap led
  15. Blaine Perkins
  16. Nick Sanchez
  17. Ryan Ellis
  18. Lavar Scott
  19. Mason Maggio
  20. Jesse Love, three laps led
  21. Kyle Sieg
  22. Natalie Dekcer
  23. Joey Gase
  24. Carson Ware
  25. Sam Mayer, five laps led
  26. Taylor Gray
  27. Dean Thompson
  28. Josh Bilicki – OUT, Accident
  29. Corey Day, one lap down
  30. Andy Jankowiak, two laps down
  31. Caesar Bacarella, two laps down
  32. Rajah Caruth, two laps down, 11 laps led, Stage 2 winner
  33. Jeremy Clements, 11 laps down
  34. Patrick Staropoli, 32 laps down
  35. Brent Crews, 44 laps down
  36. Sammy Smith – OUT, Accident
  37. William Sawalich – OUT, Accident
  38. Daniel Dye – OUT, Accident

The 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Chase commences next Saturday, September 5, at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina, for the Fleetio 200. The event’s broadcast time is slated to start at 7:30 p.m. ET on the CW Network, MRN Radio, and SiriusXM.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Chase Field Is Set – Here Is How It Breaks Down

By
SM
-
Photo by Logan Allen for SpeedqwayMedia.com

Saturday’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway settled the last remaining questions about the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series playoff picture. Ten drivers are locked in, and seven races beginning Sept. 17 at Bristol Motor Speedway now separate each of them from a championship. The field is set. The calendar is already moving.

Riggs Enters as the Dominant Favorite, Honeycutt and Smith Trail at Close Range

Layne Riggs heads into the Chase at +25 points and with a résumé that makes the title conversation feel somewhat one-sided. Six wins, 10 top-fives, 11 top-10s, and 598 laps led across the 2026 regular season put him in a class of his own among the ten contenders. Winning Saturday at New Hampshire only reinforced that standing — he carries momentum and a three-week buffer before Bristol.

The gap between Riggs and the rest of the top tier is real, though Kaden Honeycutt has kept pace well enough to remain a genuine threat. Sitting at -25 points with 2 wins, 11 top-fives, 13 top-10s, and 319 laps led, Honeycutt’s numbers reflect a driver who, by Yardbarker’s measure, could plausibly have four or five wins this season rather than two. His No. 11 TRICON Garage team won the 2025 Truck Series championship with Corey Heim and has not missed a beat carrying that operation into 2026. That institutional continuity matters over a seven-race stretch where execution counts as much as raw speed.

Chandler Smith rounds out the top three at -35 points. His 2 wins, 9 top-fives, and 12 top-10s place him squarely in contention, though 145 laps led suggest he has spent less time dictating races than either Riggs or Honeycutt. One notable detail surrounds the equipment context: Smith’s No. 38 truck comes from the same Front Row Motorsports stable as Riggs’ No. 34. That shared infrastructure can cut both ways — shared data and resources are an asset, but the championship can only go to one driver.

A Croatian Sports-Media Observer Reads the Contender Map

Zlatan Vukić, an iGaming compliance manager with eight years of experience following international motorsport coverage, notes that the favorites-versus-long-shots framework visible in this Chase field crosses geographic lines without losing much in translation. The contrast between Riggs’ six-win dominance and Ben Rhodes’ near-silent season despite two prior championships is exactly the kind of evaluative structure that resonates with audiences far outside the United States. Vukić follows how Croatian sports media handle international motorsport, and he points to HRSPORT as the outlet that publishes this same contender-by-contender breakdown style for Croatian sports followers — covering who the title favorite is, who snuck in on points, and how steep the gap looks heading into a playoff run.

“The separation between Riggs and someone like Rhodes tells you everything about how a championship field can contain both a clear front-runner and a former champion who has gone quiet for most of the year. That contrast is exactly what makes this format work for audiences who want to understand where a series actually stands.”

The Middle Tier Must Find Victory Lane to Stay Alive

Christian Eckes sits fourth at -40 points and represents perhaps the most straightforward problem in the field. No wins in 2026, 6 top-fives, and 11 top-10s made him consistent enough to qualify for the Chase, but Yardbarker’s assessment is direct: Eckes will need a win or two during the playoff run to remain a genuine title contender. Consistency that builds points in the regular season does not carry the same weight once the bracket tightens.

Gio Ruggiero is fifth at -45 points with a similar profile — no wins, 4 top-fives, and 9 top-10s. What makes his case slightly more complicated is what happened Saturday. Ruggiero was in winning contention at New Hampshire before a mistake ended that opportunity. Whether that near-miss reads as evidence of growing pace or as a costly stumble may depend on how Bristol goes.

Ty Majeski carries the most complicated story of the three. The 2024 Truck Series champion arrives at the Chase sixth at -50 points, with no wins, 5 top-fives, and 8 top-10s in what Yardbarker calls a topsy-turvy 2026. A defending champion who has not yet visited victory lane is not an unusual playoff entrant in NASCAR, but the deficit and the overall shape of his season signal that the path back to a title runs through some significant change in form over the next seven races.

Four Long Shots with Slim but Specific Credentials

Grant Enfinger sits seventh at -55 points. His lone win of 2026 came on a road course at Lime Rock Park, and 3 top-fives and 5 top-10s across the season paint a picture of a No. 9 team that, by Yardbarker’s read, has taken a step back from prior years. A road course win demonstrates range, but the points gap entering Bristol is steep.

Daniel Hemric is eighth at -60 points, without a win in 2026 and with only 2 top-fives across 18 races. He did win a race during the 2025 regular season, which at least establishes that the capability exists somewhere in the program. Still, the 2026 numbers offer little to suggest a championship run is imminent.

Ben Rhodes carries two titles — 2021 and 2023 — into a Chase where he sits ninth at -65 points. Zero wins and only 4 top-fives in 2026 have defined what Yardbarker describes as a team that has been “radio silent for 2/3 of the campaign.” Prior championships establish pedigree, and playoff formats have produced stranger outcomes, but the gap between Rhodes’ resume and his 2026 production is wide.

Tyler Ankrum holds tenth place and the weakest statistical position of the group, sitting at -70 points with no wins and 1 top-five this season. He clinched his Chase berth by dragging a truck described as having hardly any brakes to a 16th-place finish at New Hampshire — a finish that secured his playoff spot by the thinnest possible margin.

That near-brakeless New Hampshire run is where the field closes, and Bristol on Sept. 17 is where the running starts again. The odds are stacked for most of these ten drivers. They are still alive.

Ross Chastain scores first Cup pole of 2026 at Daytona

By
Andrew Kim
-
Photo by Andrew Boyd for SpeedwayMedia.com

Ross Chastain nabbed the final Busch Light Pole Award of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series regular-season stretch for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, August 28.

The event’s starting lineup was determined through a two-round qualifying session. The first session featured 41 competitors battling for 40 starting spots, all of whom cycled once around the track to post the fastest lap. At the end of the first session, the top-10 fastest qualifiers moved on to the second and final round, where they contested pole position. 

During the session, Chastain posted the fourth-fastest lap at 183.831 mph in 48.958 seconds in the first round. After being one of 10 competitors to transfer to the second and final qualifying round, he posted a lap at 184.396 mph in 48.808 seconds. The lap was enough for the 2025 Coca-Cola 600 champion from Alva, Florida, to claim the top-starting spot at the World Center of Racing for Saturday night’s main event.

With the pole, Chastain achieved his third career pole in the Cup Series division, his first on a superspeedway venue and his first since Watkins Glen International in September 2024. Chastain’s pole was also the third of the 2026 season for Trackhouse Racing and the organization’s first at Daytona International Speedway.

Chastain’s pole award eased the sting for him and his No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet team, with the driver eliminated from contention for making the 2026 Cup Series’ Chase. It also left him pleased with the rebound following last weekend’s last-place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway due to a mechanical issue as he sets his sights on contending for race victories, starting this Saturday night’s 400-mile event at Daytona.

“I’m not sure that we expected [the pole] leaving the shop, to be honest,” Chastain said. “You’re always trying to be efficient. You’re trying to have the least amount of drag when you’re coming to Daytona. You’re trying to put the most grip in it with this new package. Hats off to Trackhouse, ECR. To have our issues last week [at New Hampshire], to come right back and redeem all of us, with steam under the hood and to take both poles this year at Daytona for ECR out of the Welcome [North Carolina] shop. It’s a Busch Light pole award, and as a Busch Light driver, this means a lot.”

Chastain will share the front row with Chris Buescher, the latter of whom won the Coke Zero Sugar 400 in 2023 and is one 13 competitors who have clinched berths to this year’s Chase. Buescher posted the second-fastest lap during Friday’s qualifying session at 184.204 mph in 48.859 seconds. 

Austin Hill, who is set to drive for Richard Childress Racing for the entire 2027 Cup Series season, qualified in third place with a lap of 184.188 mph in 48.863 seconds. Ryan Preece, who was the fastest during the first qualifying session, posted the fourth-overall fastest lap at 184.121 mph in 48.881 seconds in the final round. Preece is currently scored 31 points below the top-16 cutline to make this year’s Chase as he attempts to race his way above it for this weekend’s main event.

Riley Herbst qualified in fifth place ahead of top-10 starters Shane van Gisbergen, Connor Zilsich, Austin Cindric, Joey Logano and Kyle Larson, respectively.

Notably, van Gisbergen and Cindric, both of whom currently possess two of three vacant spots to the Chase, will start in the top 10. Bubba Wallace, who holds the third vacant spot, will start in 26th place. Wallace is currently scored 75 points above the cutline while Cindric and van Gisbergen are 44 and 31 points above, respectively. Brad Keselowski, who is 66 points below the cutline, will start in 21st place.

With 41 competitors vying for 40 starting spots, Gray Gaulding was the lone competitor who did not make the main event.

Daytona – Qualifying Position, Best Speed, Best Time:

  1. Ross Chastain, 184.396 mph, 48.808 seconds
  2. Chris Buescher, 184.204 mph, 48.859 seconds
  3. Austin Hill, 184.188 mph, 48.863 seconds
  4. Ryan Preece, 184.121 mph, 48.881 seconds
  5. Riley Herbst, 183.763 mph, 48.976 seconds
  6. Shane van Gisbergen, 183.602 mph, 49.019 seconds
  7. Connor Zilisch, 183.599 mph, 49.020 seconds
  8. Austin Cindric, 183.408 mph, 49.071 seconds
  9. Joey Logano, 183.397 mph, 49.074 seconds
  10. Kyle Larson, 183.367 mph, 49.082 seconds
  11. Corey Heim, 183.296 mph, 49.101 seconds
  12. Chase Briscoe, 183.284 mph, 49.104 seconds
  13. William Byron, 183.236 mph, 49.117 seconds
  14. Ty Gibbs, 183.214 mph, 49.123 seconds
  15. Erik Jones, 183.150 mph, 49.140 seconds
  16. Cole Custer, 183.135 mph, 49.144 seconds
  17. Tyler Reddick, 183.132 mph, 49.145 seconds
  18. Michael McDowell, 183.117 mph, 49.149 seconds
  19. Ryan Blaney, 183.098 mph, 49.154 seconds
  20. Alex Bowman, 183.016 mph, 49.176 seconds
  21. Brad Keselowski, 182.912 mph, 49.204 seconds
  22. Chase Elliott, 182.808 mph, 49.232 seconds
  23. Daniel Suarez, 182.778 mph, 49.240 seconds
  24. Josh Berry, 182.622 mph, 49.282 seconds
  25. Cody Ware, 182.548 mph, 49.302 seconds
  26. Bubba Wallace, 182.445 mph, 49.330 seconds
  27. John Hunter Nemechek, 182.426 mph, 49.335 seconds
  28. Carson Hocevar, 182.423 mph, 49.336 seconds
  29. Austin Dillon, 182.397 mph, 49.343 seconds
  30. Denny Hamlin, 182.334 mph, 49.360 seconds
  31. Ty Dillon, 182.330 mph, 49.361 seconds
  32. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 182.278 mph, 49.375 seconds
  33. Todd Gilliland, 182.231 mph, 49.388 seconds
  34. Zane Smith, 182.179 mph, 49.402 seconds
  35. Christopher Bell, 181.873 mph, 49.485 seconds
  36. AJ Allmendinger, 181.873 mph, 49.485 seconds
  37. Noah Gragson, 181.818 mph, 49.500 seconds
  38. Casey Meras, 181.745 mph, 49.520 seconds
  39. Daniel Dye, 181.616 mph, 49.555 seconds
  40. Joey Gase, 180.242 mph, 49.933 seconds

The 2026 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway is scheduled for Saturday, August 29, at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN Radio, SiriusXM, and HBO MAX.

1...120121122...6,964Page 121 of 6,964