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TOYOTA RACING – NCS Dover Quotes – Denny Hamlin – 05.16.26

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Official Release
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TOYOTA RACING – Denny Hamlin
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

DOVER, Del. (May 16, 2026) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin was made available to the media on Saturday after winning the pole for the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race from Dover Motor Speedway.

It is his second career All-Star Race pole. He won the pole in 2015 and drove to his only All-Star Race victory.

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 Progressive Insurance Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Can you talk about your lap and your spin to getting the pole?

“Yeah, it was quite eventful for sure. I was trying to get an extra rep there on the bottom. I saw so many guys having issues leaving pit road, so I tried to get an extra rep there and it just, I mean, I just spun out. I don’t know. I didn’t think I was being that aggressive but spun out. At that point, just tried to minimize the damage. I mean, I did do some splitter, did do some underbody damage to it. Flat spotted the tires. That wasn’t ideal, but then I just committed to run the lap as hard as I could, and it was still good enough.”

Do you like this qualifying format?

“Yeah, I think it really challenges you. I mean, this is my first – I think the pole I had before was because of the pit crew, if I remember right. I’ve never been close when it comes to qualifying in this type of format towards the front. I just, it’s in my DNA. I’m a little conservative on all aspects. I’m never usually P1 in any metric of coming to pit road or leaving pit road or rolling, I’m usually pretty decent, so this is a challenging format for me, and it has been for all of my career. It is a risk reward. I certainly think that it’s certainly one that challenges the driver, especially having to come in and do it cold like this, overnight, and no reps – just going. It definitely is a team effort that, you know, puts the spotlight on everybody that’s involved.”

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.

Spire Motorsports ECOSAVE 200 Race Report

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Official Release
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Race Notes:

  • Kyle Busch won the ECOSAVE 200 at Dover Motor Speedway to score his 69th victory in 184 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races.
  • This is his second victory and fourth top-10 finish in four starts for Spire Motorsports this season.
  • Friday’s win marks Busch’s fifth victory and seventh top-10 finish in 10 races at Dover Motor Speedway.

Kyle Busch – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado RST

START: 1ST
FINISH: 1ST
OWNER POINTS: 1ST

It was a flashback Friday at Dover Motor Speedway with Kyle Busch leading a race-high 147 laps in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series ECOSAVE 200 to extend his series-leading win total to 69. Busch dominated in his first Truck Series event at “The Monster Mile” since 2014, extending his win streak in NASCAR’s third division to four and increasing his overall win total in trucks at Dover to five.

Busch collected his 35th career Truck Series pole earlier in the day and remained out front until a caution came out with six to go in the opening stage. After pitting for fresh Goodyear tires and full load of Sunoco fuel, he lined up for the ensuing restart on the top of the second row. He quickly made his way back out front during the one-lap shootout to collect the stage win.

The Las Vegas native picked up right where he left off in Stage 2, checking out to a one-second lead early to maintain the top spot throughout the stage. Busch reported that his HENDRICKCARS.COM Silverado lacked overall grip before visiting pit road at the break. After the over-the-wall crew administered a four-tire and fuel stop with a small chassis adjustment, the 41-year-old driver was the third competitor off pit road. He quickly made his way to the runner-up position after the Final Stage went green and closed in on the leader.

A caution with 70 laps remaining in the race brought Busch to pit road, despite having a tight fuel window to make it to the end of the race, while the leader elected to remain on track. Once the race returned to green, NASCAR’s winningest driver would make his way back in the top spot with just under 60 laps to go. Busch opened up over a two-second lead with 10 to go while continuing to save fuel, and crossed the finish line 3.039 seconds ahead of second place.

The win was Busch’s second of the season in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and helped the No. 7 team extend their lead by 38 points in the owner’s point standings.

Kyle’s Post-Race Comments
“It’s awesome to be a part of Spire Motorsports. Thanks to Jeff (Dickerson, co-owner), Dan (Towriss, co-owner) and Mr. H for the opportunity, as well as everyone at HENDRICKCARS.COM. It takes a lot of great people behind you and you know Brian Pattie (crew chief) and this bunch on this team were a part of the group from KBM, right, and so it’s nice to be able to come back over here and win some more races again with that group. I love coming to Dover, always one of my favorite places to race, and definitely some managing of the fuel there, managing of the tires there. It was an interesting strategic battle from the driver’s seat. Thanks to all the fans. I appreciate everybody for being here at Dover and the Monster Mile for All-Star Weekend.”

Carson Hocevar – Driver, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado RST

START: 18TH
FINISH: 31ST
OWNER POINTS: 10TH

Carson Hocevar, driver of Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Delaware Life Chevrolet Silverado RST, endured a tire issue that limited him to a 31st-place finish in Friday afternoon’s ECOSAVE 200 at Dover Motor Speedway.

Hocevar started 18th, but worked the outside lane on the opening lap to reach 12th by the end of the first circuit. As Stage 1 continued, the Portage, Mich., native relayed he was battling a severely loose-handling Chevy, but held on to the 11th position when a Lap-41 caution flag was displayed. Crew chief Chad Walter called the six-time CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race winner to pit road for four tires and fuel, while also making air pressure and chassis adjustments. The No. 77 team picked up three spots on pit road, ultimately lining up 10th for a one-lap shootout to end the segment. Hocevar pulled off multiple daring maneuvers to capture a fifth-place finish in Stage 1.

The 23-year-old driver started Stage 2 in fourth, but finished the stage sixth, registering a total of 11 stage points on the day to aid in the No. 77 team’s fight for a CRAFTSMAN Truck Series owners’ title. During the ensuing stage break, the crew took the opportunity to fix damage on the left-front headlight stemming from an incident near the end of Stage 1. The process forced Hocevar to restart 23rd on Lap 99. After making progress from the drop of the green flag, a flat right-front tire forced Hocevar to pit road under green flag positions. The team continued to fight through tire and handling woes, but was ultimately credited with a 31st-place finish.

Carson’s Post-Race Comments
“Tough day for us. Spent Stage 1 super free, but made an adjustment that made it pretty good. When we had that flat tire, we had to pit under green and just couldn’t recover. Excited to get to Charlotte next week.”

Up Next…
The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series takes on Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway on Friday, May 22. The North Carolina Education Lottery 200 will be televised live on FS1 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).

The 10th of 25 points-paying races on the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series calendar will be broadcast live on the NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

To stay up-to-date on all the latest news and exclusive content, follow Spire Motorsports on Facebook, X and Instagram, and visit Spire-Motorsports.com.

About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports fields full-time entries in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing.

The team, co-owned by longtime NASCAR industry executive Jeff Dickerson and TWG Motorsports CEO Dan Towriss earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado its first NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win April 7, 2022, at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The team’s most recent victory came May 1, 2026, when Carson Hocevar won the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series’ SpeedyCash.com 250 at Texas Motor Speedway.

In 2026, Spire Motorsports campaigns the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NASCAR Cup Series and the Nos. 7 and 77 Chevrolet Silverado RSTs in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The Mooresville, N.C., organization also fields the No. 77 410 sprint car in Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing competition.

Dystany Spurlock Makes NASCAR History with Truck Series Debut at Dover Motor Speedway

By
Official Release
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Despite her groundbreaking start in the ECOSAVE 200 ending early, Spurlock became the first Black woman to compete in one of NASCAR’s three national touring series.

DOVER, Del. — Dystany Spurlock made motorsports history Friday at Dover Motor Speedway, becoming the first Black woman to compete in one of NASCAR’s three national touring series with her debut in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series ECOSAVE 200.

Driving the No. 69 Foxxtecca Ford for MBM Motorsports and Garage 66, Spurlock cemented her place in NASCAR history when the green flag dropped at the “Monster Mile.”

The landmark moment ended earlier than expected, however, after an incident in the race’s opening stage cut her debut short.

Spurlock qualified 34th in the 36-truck field, which included Cup Series regulars Kyle Busch, Christopher Bell, and Ross Chastain. After taking the start from Row 17, she settled into a steady rhythm around the high-banked concrete oval and worked her way up to 32nd position in the early going.

But Spurlock said the track conditions had changed significantly from earlier in the day. “After our practice and qualifying, the Cup guys had their practice session, and once we got back out there the track surface was completely different,” she explained. “It was tight everywhere, so I had to really minimize how much throttle I could get into through the corners.”

The race-ending incident took place coming out of Turn 2 on lap 37 as another truck pulled up tightly to her inside. 

“Once that happens, you pretty much have to let him go, which I tried to do as much as I could,” Spurlock said. “But by the time he went past me, it sucked the air from under me and got me really loose. I tried to save it as much as I could, and then another truck came to the other side and sucked the air from that side and just snapped me around. At that point, there was nothing I could do.”

Spurlock was almost able to gather the truck back up before the banking and tight quarters of Dover ultimately sent the No. 69 into the outside wall. The front-end damage was too severe to continue.

“But I was fine,” she added.

While the result was disappointing, the start itself was a monumental achievement, and the experience gained throughout the weekend will serve both Spurlock and the team moving forward.

In fact, it was a challenging day from the start. The team had lost 20 minutes of practice time after failing pre-race technical inspection. Once on track, Spurlock’s truck repeatedly shut off because of a failed crank position sensor, limiting her practice laps. Despite the complications and shortened track time, Spurlock still managed to post a respectable pace.

But the historic significance of the moment remains undeniable. Spurlock’s debut represented another important step forward for diversity and representation in stock car racing while also marking a major milestone in her fast-developing racing career.

Earlier this season, Spurlock became the first Black woman to compete in the NASCAR-owned ARCA Menards Series East when she started—and finished an impressive seventh—at Hickory Motor Speedway. She added another milestone shortly after by stepping up to the national ARCA Menards Series and earning another top-10 finish at Kansas Speedway.

Primary sponsor Foxxtecca remains fully committed to Spurlock both on and off the racetrack as she works toward building experience and creating future opportunities at NASCAR’s highest levels.

“History was made,” said Chris Harris, co-founder of Foxxtecca. “Regardless of the outcome, this moment is monumental for sports, women in sports, and the continued progress of equality and diversity. 

“The competitor in all of us wanted a better result, but that’s racing,” he added. “Foxxtecca will continue to support Dystany and diversity in the mobility industry. There is a lot of change that needs to happen in motorsports and mobility, and Foxxtecca is proud to be a disruptor for positive change. We aren’t going anywhere. On to the next race.”

Based in Detroit and co-founded by Harris and Kellie Crawford, Foxxtecca is an experiential media and events company operating at the intersection of mobility, culture, and technology. The company connects the automotive industry with new and diverse audiences through storytelling, education, and live experiences.

Foxxtecca is also producing the docuseries Driven by Dystany: The Road to NASCAR, which follows Spurlock’s progression through the motorsports ranks. The behind-the-scenes series has helped bring widespread attention to her career while continuing to grow her fanbase and national profile.

Spurlock is scheduled to compete next in the ARCA Menards Series Henry Ford Health 200 at Michigan International Speedway on June 5. The event will mark her first appearance at the fast 2-mile D-shaped superspeedway known for its high speeds, 18-degree banking, and intense racing.

ABOUT FOXXTECCA

Foxxtecca is a Detroit-based experiential events and media company operating at the intersection of mobility, culture, and technology. Co-founded by Chris Harris and Kellie Crawford, Foxxtecca amplifies underrepresented voices in the mobility and technology industries through motorsports, education, and culturally driven experiences.

Should You Upgrade from Third-Party to Comprehensive Car Insurance?

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SM
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Car insurance is not only a renewal formality; it is a financial decision that affects how well your vehicle and legal liabilities are protected. Many Indian car owners choose basic third-party insurance because it meets the legal requirement under the Motor Vehicles Act. Yet, as repair exposure, traffic density, and vehicle usage patterns change, upgrading to comprehensive cover can offer broader protection.

In this article, you will explore when upgrading makes sense and when third-party cover may still suit you.

Why You Should Upgrade to Comprehensive

Comprehensive car insurance is designed for car owners who want protection beyond third-party liability. While third-party insurance covers liabilities towards another person, vehicle, or property, a comprehensive policy can also cover damage to your own car, depending on the policy wording, add-ons, and applicable terms.

You Want Wider Protection for Your Own Car

A third-party policy keeps you legally compliant, but it does not cover repair expenses for your own vehicle after an accident. This can become a concern when your car is used daily, parked in open areas, driven through busy roads or exposed to unpredictable weather.

A comprehensive policy may cover your own vehicle against events such as:

  • Accidental damage
  • Theft
  • Fire-related damage
  • Natural calamities
  • Certain man-made events
  • Third-party liability

This makes the policy more suitable for car owners seeking a broader financial safety net.

Your Car Still Has Good Market Value

Upgrading is worth considering when your car still holds meaningful value. Even a single major repair can affect your savings, especially when parts, labor, and technology-led components are involved.

A comprehensive policy can make sense when:

  • Your car is new or relatively new
  • You rely on your car for daily travel
  • You park in public or shared spaces
  • You drive regularly in high-traffic areas
  • You prefer structured claim support for own-damage events

The aim is not to buy more insurance than you need. The aim is to match your policy with your car’s usage, value and risk exposure.

You Want Add-on Flexibility

One major reason to upgrade from third-party cover is the option to add comprehensive insurance. Add-ons vary by insurer and policy, but they can allow you to customize coverage based on your driving habits and vehicle needs.

Common add-ons may include:

  • Zero depreciation cover
  • Engine protection
  • Roadside assistance
  • Consumables cover
  • Return to invoice cover
  • No-claim bonus protection

These add-ons are usually available at an additional premium and should be selected after carefully reading the policy wording.

You Are Renewing after a Change in Usage

Your car insurance should reflect how you use your vehicle today, not how you used it in the past. For example, a car that was used occasionally may now be used for office travel, family trips, or intercity driving.

When you renew car insurance, it is a good time to review:

  • Your car’s age and condition
  • Your current driving frequency
  • Your parking arrangement
  • Your claim history
  • Your need for add-ons
  • Your comfort with paying repair expenses yourself

A renewal should not be treated as an automatic repeat of last year’s policy. It is an opportunity to reassess whether third-party cover is still sufficient.

When to Stick with Third-Party

Third-party insurance may still be suitable for some car owners. The right choice depends on your vehicle, budget, usage and financial comfort.

Your Car Is Older and Used Sparingly

For an older car with lower resale value, some owners may choose third-party cover to handle minor repairs themselves. This may be reasonable when the car is not used often and is driven only for short distances.

Third-party insurance is the minimum legal requirement for driving a car on public roads in India. It protects you against liabilities arising from injury, death or property damage caused to a third party, depending on the applicable law and policy terms.

You Are Comfortable Taking Own-Damage Risk

Some car owners prefer to pay for their own repairs rather than buy comprehensive cover. This choice may suit someone who rarely drives, has a well-maintained older car, and has enough savings to cover repair expenses.

Conclusion

Upgrading from third-party to comprehensive car insurance is usually worth considering if your car is high-value, regularly used, or at higher risk of accidents, theft, or weather-related damage. Third-party cover may suit limited-use or older cars when you mainly need legal compliance. Before you renew car insurance, compare both options carefully, read the policy wording, and choose coverage that matches your vehicle, usage, and financial comfort.

Kyle Busch dominates for second Truck victory of 2026 at Dover

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Logan Allen for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Kyle Busch executed a masterclass performance by notching a dominant NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory in the ECOSAVE 200 at Dover Motor Speedway on Friday, May 15.

The two-time Cup Series champion from Las Vegas, Nevada, led three times for a race-high 147 of 200 scheduled laps in the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet. Busch was also the fastest in practice, qualified on the pole position and captured the event’s first two stage periods. After restarting in third place to commence the third and final stage period, Busch spent the following two restarts dueling with Ross Chastain for the lead.

Despite being outdueled by Chastain twice through a pair of restarts amid Chastain’s late tire gamble for track position, Busch used fresher tires by pitting his Spire entry before the final stage with the field to overtake Chastain for a final time with 58 laps remaining. From there, Busch managed through his fuel tank, tires and fended off Ty Majeski for the event’s remainder to add another Truck victory at Dover to his accomplished racing resume.

With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Friday, Kyle Busch secured his first Truck pole position of the 2026 season with a pole-winning lap at 161.740 mph in 22.258 seconds. Busch shared the front row with Ty Majeski as the latter clocked in the second-fastest lap at 161.544 mph in 22.285 seconds. Before the event, Stewart Friesen dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments that were made to his No. 52 Halmar Friesen Racing Toyota Tundra TRD Pro entry.

When the green flag waved and the event commenced, Kyle Busch and Ty Majeski dueled for the lead for half a lap until Busch motored his No. 7 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Silverado RST entry ahead from the outside lane entering Turns 3 and 4. As Busch led the first lap, Majeski retained second place ahead of Kaden Honeycutt. Brandon Jones, Giovanni Ruggiero, Christopher Bell, Ross Chastain and the field pursued amid close-quarters racing.

Over the next four laps, Busch extended his early advantage to six-tenths of a second over Majeski while Honeycutt, Ruggiero and Jones occupied the remaining top-five spots ahead of Bell, Chastain, Jake Garcia, Ben Rhodes and Daniel Hemric. Amid a series of early on-track battles around Dover, Busch proceeded to lead by a second at the Lap 10 mark while Honeycutt started to reel in Majeski for the runner-up spot.

Through the first 20 scheduled laps, Busch was leading by more than a second over Honeycutt, who assumed the runner-up spot from Majeski on Lap 11. Behind, Ruggiero and Bell occupied the remaining top-five spots over Jones. Chastain, Rhodes, Garcia, Hemric, while Layne Riggs, Andres Perez De Lara, Carson Hocevar, Cole Butcher and Chandler Smith trailed in the top 15 ahead of Mini Tyrrell, Grant Enfinger, Parker Eatmon, William Sawalich and Brenden Queen, respectively. Meanwhile, Tanner Gray, Justin Haley, Clint Bowyer, Christian Eckes, Luke Baldwin, Dawson Sutton, Tyler Ankrum, Stewart Friesen, Corey LaJoie and Kris Wright were mired in the top 30, respectively, while Natalie Decker, Dystany Spurlock, Toni Breidinger, Spencer Boyd and Frankie Muniz were all lapped by Busch.

Ten laps later, Kyle Busch added another second to his advantage as he led by more than two seconds over Honeycutt and Majeski while Bell and Ruggiero were racing in the top five ahead of Jones, Chastain, Rhodes, Riggs and Garcia. Meanwhile, Hemric plummeted to the bottom of the leaderboard as he fell off the pace due to a low fuel pressure and coasted his No. 19 CRC Brakleen Chevrolet Silverado RST entry to pit road. Amid Hemric’s issues, Busch retained the lead by more than two seconds over Honeycutt by Lap 35.

On Lap 39, the event’s first caution flew when Dystany Spurlock, who made history in being the first African American female competitor to compete across NASCAR’s top three national touring series at the event’s start at Dover, got loose entering the backstretch as she was racing in front of Andres Perez De Lara. After trying to gain control of her No. 69 Foxxtecca Ford F-150 entry through the backstretch, she then snapped to the right and hit the outside wall head-on, which concluded her debut with a wrecked entry.

During the event’s first caution, select names led by Cole Butcher, Brenden Queen, Dawson Sutton, Stewart Friesen and Corey LaJoie remained on the track while the rest led by Busch pitted. Following the pit stops, Honeycutt exited pit road first over Busch while Majeski, Ruggiero and Chastain followed suit. Amid the pit stops, Honeycutt and Rhodes were sent to the tail end of the field due to speeding on pit road.

When the event restarted for a one-lap dash to cap off the first stage period, Butcher was pushed by Busch ahead of Queen from the outside lane through the frontstretch before Busch used the outside lane to overtake Butcher for the lead through the first two turns. As Busch used his fresh tires to motor away from the field, the field fanned out and jostled through the backstretch before they navigated through Turns 3 and 4. At the front, Busch stormed to the first stage victory over Majeski, Butcher, Chastain, Hocevar, Ruggiero, Garcia, Bell, Enfinger and Riggs, respectively.

Under the event’s first stage break period, the following names that included Butcher, Queen, Sutton, Friesen and LaJoie pitted while the rest, led by Busch, remained on the track.

The second stage period started on Lap 53 as Busch and Majeski occupied the front row. At the start, Busch motored ahead of Majeski from the outside lane through the frontstretch. He then transitioned to the inside lane and retained the lead through the first two turns and the backstretch while the rest of the field trailed and jostled for spots. Busch led the next lap over Chastain while Majeski dropped to third in front of a side-by-side battle with Ruggiero and Hocevar. As Bell navigated his way past Hocevar for fifth place while trailing Ruggiero, Busch continued to lead by eight-tenths of a second on Lap 60.

At the Lap 70 mark, Busch maintained an advantage of a second over Chastain while third-place Majeski trailed by more than a second ahead of Ruggiero and Bell. While Hocevar, Garcia, Riggs, Jones and Enfinger occupied the remaining top-10 spots ahead of Honeycutt, Chandler Smith, Eckes, Tyrrell and Rhodes, Busch maintained his lead by seven-tenths of a second over Chastain by Lap 80.

When the second stage period concluded on Lap 90, Kyle Busch, who was mired in lapped traffic, fended off Chastain by 0.088 seconds to claim his second consecutive Truck stage victory of the event. Majeski, Ruggiero, Bell, Hocevar, Riggs, Jones, Honeycutt and Enfinger settled in the top 10, respectively, while 24 of 36 starters were scored on the lead lap.

During the event’s second stage break period, the lead lap field led by Busch pitted for service. Following the pit stops, Chastain exited pit road first ahead of Majeski, Busch, Ruggiero, Riggs, Bell, Honeycutt, Enfinger, Garcia and Jones, respectively.

With 102 laps remaining, the final stage period commenced as Chastain and Majeski occupied the front row. At the start, Chastain motored ahead of Majeski and Busch through the frontstretch, the first two turns and the backstretch while Busch and Majeski battled for second place. As the field behind jostled for late spots, Chastain led the next lap over Busch, Riggs, Majeski and Ruggiero while Bell fended off Honeycutt for sixth place. In addition, Bowyer, who made contact with Hocevar entering the first turn at the third stage’s start, was mired in 19th place ahead of teammate Mini Tyrrell while Chastain retained the lead by four-tenths of a second over Busch with 99 laps remaining.

With 83 laps remaining, the caution flew when Luke Baldwin, who had a handful of on-track run-ins with Bowyer, got loose entering Turn 3 and made slight contact with Brenden Queen before he slid up the track, hit the outside wall, slid down the Turn 4 track and hit the inside wall. Prior to Baldwin’s wreck, Hocevar made an unscheduled pit stop under green to have a flat right-front tire addressed. During this caution period, the leader Chastain remained on the track while the rest of the field, led by Busch, pitted for service.

The next restart, with 76 laps remaining, featured Busch and Chastain dueling for the lead for nearly a full lap as Chastain managed to fend off Busch from the outside lane despite being on a tire advantage. Amid a series of on-track battles, contact and jostles within the field, Chastain led the next lap and he managed to motor ahead and maintain a steady lead over Busch over the following three laps.

The caution then returned with 72 laps remaining due to Tyrrell spinning his No. 14 Kaulig Racing RAM 1500 entry through the frontstretch and making contact with the inside wall. Tyrrell’s incident was due to the driver getting loose entering the frontstretch while dueling with teammate Bowyer as Bowyer was bolting past Parker Eatmon, as Eatmon remained on the track with worn tires.

As the event restarted under green with 67 laps remaining, Chastain and Busch battled dead even, starting from the frontstretch through the backstretch, before the former prevailed for a second time from the outside lane and with older tires than Busch entering Turns 3 and 4. As Chastain led the next lap over Busch, a series of on-track battles ensued while Majeksi, Riggs and Bell were racing in the top five ahead of Honeycutt. Meanwhile, Bowyer was racing with a left-front tire rub that was generating smoke through the turns. This was due to Chandler Smith getting loose and hitting Bowyer’s left side amid the latest restart, though Bowyer continued to race towards the top-20 mark. Meanwhile, Chastain maintained a steady lead over both Busch and Majeski with 60 laps remaining.

Then, with 58 laps remaining, Busch overtook Chastain and returned atop the leaderboard. Busch proceeded to lead by nearly half a second over Majeski with 50 laps remaining while Riggs, Bell and Honeycutt trailed in the top five, respectively. Meanwhile, Chastain dropped to sixth place as Busch retained the lead by half a second over Majeski with 40 laps remaining.

Down to the final 30 laps of the event, Busch slightly increased his lead to eight-tenths of a second over Majeski while Riggs, Bell and Honeycutt trailed in the top five ahead of Rhodes, Jones, Chastain, Sawalich and Garcia, respectively. Busch grew his lead to a second with 25 laps remaining and to one-and-a-half seconds with 20 laps remaining while Majeski retained the runner-up spot. Meanwhile, Chastain, who pitted his No. 45 Delaware Office of Highway Safety Chevrolet Silverado RST entry for fresh tires under green with 22 laps remaining, dropped to 22nd place and out of the lead lap category.

With 15 laps remaining, Busch grew his lead to more than two seconds over Majeski while Bowyer pitted and spent multiple laps in his pit stall due to a broken wheel on the No. 25 Kaulig Racing RAM 1500 entry. As Busch was told to preserve his fuel tank to the scheduled distance, he had his lead shrink to nearly one-and-a-half seconds with five laps remaining as Majeski tried to reel in Busch. Nevertheless, Busch maintained a steady lead through each turn and straightaway as the laps dwindled.

When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Busch remained in the lead by two-and-a-half seconds over Majeski. With Busch showing no signs of having any fuel issues or stumbling for a final time, he cycled back to the frontstretch to claim the checkered flag by three seconds over Majeski.

With the victory, Busch, who won in his fourth of eight Truck starts this season with Spire Motorsports, notched his 69th career win in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series division, which extends his all-time record of having the most victories in the series. He also notched his second victory of the 2026 season and his all-time leading fifth victory at Dover, with the Truck division returning to race at Dover for the first time since August 2020.

The 2026 season marks Busch’s 18th season of winning multiple Truck events, as he won earlier in mid-February at EchoPark Speedway. Busch’s next two Truck events are over the next two Fridays. The first will be at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina (May 22) and the second at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tennessee (May 29).

Kyle Busch
Photo by Logan Allen for SpeedwayMedia.com.

“You never know when the last [win] is,” Busch said on the frontstretch on FS1. “I know all too well, unfortunately, with the Cup stuff, but here with the Truck stuff right now, it’s awesome just to be a part of Spire Motorsports. It feels good to have another Kyle being able to [win] and putting ourselves in Victory Lane. [I] Love coming to Dover. Always one of my favorite places to race and definitely some managing of the fuel there, managing of the tires there. It was an interesting strategic battle from the driver’s seat…It’s nice to be able to come back over here [in the Truck Series] and win some more races again with that [No. 7 Spire Motorsports] group. It’s fun and you want to keep doing it.”

Ty Majeski settled in the runner-up spot for a second time in the 2026 season and for his fifth top-10 result through nine Truck events this season. With the result, Majeski picked up two spots in the points standings and is ranked in fifth place as he continues his season-long pursuit of a first victory in the No. 88 ThorSport Racing Ford F-150 entry.

“[We’re] Trending up,” Majeski said. “We just got to keep it flat right here. What a great recovery from the last couple weeks. [I] Had fast trucks all year. Just circumstances have prevented us from getting some finishes that we’ve deserved. Everybody at ThorSport’s [Racing] been working their guys out during this six-week stretch to keep our trucks competitive. We were in the game today…Sold effort. Can’t wait for Charlotte next week.”

Layne Riggs finished in third place while Kaden Honeycutt and Christopher Bell finished in the top five. Brandon Jones, Christian Eckes, Corey LaJoie, Jake Garcia and Justin Haley completed the top 10, respectively, in the final running order. Notably, Ross Chastain, who led 49 laps, settled in 18th place while Clint Bowyer, who was unable to finish due to his late tire hub issue, settled in 29th place.

There were five lead changes for four different leaders. The event featured five cautions for 28 laps. In addition, 13 of 38 starters finished on the lead lap.

Following the ninth event of the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season, Kaden Honeycutt leads the standings by 38 points over Layne Riggs, 39 over Chandler Smith, 61 over Giovanni Ruggiero and 70 over Ty Majeski.

Results:

  1. Kyle Busch, 147 laps led, Stages 1 & 2 winner
  2. Ty Majeski
  3. Layne Riggs
  4. Kaden Honeycutt, one lap led
  5. Christopher Bell
  6. Brandon Jones
  7. Christian Eckes
  8. Corey LaJoie
  9. Jake Garcia
  10. Justin Haley
  11. Stewart Friesen
  12. Chandler Smith
  13. Brenden Queen
  14. William Sawalich, one lap down
  15. Grant Enfinger, one lap down
  16. Tanner Gray, one lap down
  17. Kris Wright, one lap down
  18. Ross Chastain, one lap down, 49 laps led
  19. Ben Rhodes, two laps down
  20. Giovanni Ruggiero, three laps down
  21. Parker Eatmon, three laps down
  22. Spencer Boyd, four laps down
  23. Dawson Sutton, four laps down
  24. Frankie Muniz, four laps down
  25. Tyler Ankrum, five laps down
  26. Toni Breidinger, six laps down
  27. Mini Tyrrell, six laps down
  28. Andres Perez De Lara, 11 laps down
  29. Clint Bowyer – OUT, Hub
  30. Daniel Hemric, 23 laps down
  31. Carson Hocevar – OUT, Suspension
  32. Luke Baldwin – OUT, Accident, Accident
  33. Cole Butcher – OUT, Accident, three laps led
  34. Natalie Decker – OUT, Too Slow
  35. Caleb Costner – OUT, Vibration
  36. Dystany Spurlock – OUT, Accident

Next on the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule is the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. The event is scheduled to occur next Friday, May 22, and air at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, NASCAR Racing Network, and SiriusXM.

Kyle Busch Survives Fuel-Mileage Thriller to Win ECOSAVE 200 at Dover Motor Speedway

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  • This victory marked Busch’s 69th Truck Series win and his fifth win at Dover in the Truck Series.
  • Busch set a new Truck Series track record during qualifying with a lap time of 22.258 seconds, securing the pole position.

Dover, Del. – (May 15, 2026) Kyle Busch conquered The Monster Mile once again Friday evening, but this time it took more than pure speed to get the job done.

After dominating the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series ECOSAVE 200 at Dover Motor Speedway, Busch was forced to manage his fuel over the closing laps while Ty Majeski closed in behind him. In the end, the two-time Cup Series champion had just enough fuel left in the tank to seal another victory at The World’s Fastest One-Mile Oval.

The win is the 69th of his NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series career and his fifth Truck Series victory at Dover. The win also counts as his 13th victory at Dover Motor Speedway between all three of NASCAR’s national touring series.

“You never know when the last [win] is,” Busch said after the race. “It feels really good to put it in victory lane again.”

Busch’s statement weekend started before the green flag even waved for the ECOSAVE 200. During qualifying, he shattered the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series track record at Dover with a lap of 22.258 seconds to earn the pole position.

Once the race began, Busch showed exactly why he has long been one of the best drivers to ever tame Miles the Monster. He controlled the early pace and led the field through the opening run before the first caution came out on Lap 39, when Dystany Spurlock made contact with the wall in her NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series debut.

Busch stayed firmly in command after the restart, capturing Stage 1 before continuing his dominance with a Stage 2 victory to sweep both opening stages.

The race tightened up again on Lap 119 when Luke Baldwin spun in Turn 3 and hit the inside wall, bunching the field together for a green-flag run to the finish.

As fuel strategy became the deciding factor late in the race, Busch had to balance saving fuel while still maintaining enough pace to keep Majeski behind him.

“Definitely some managing of the fuel there, managing the tires there. It was an interesting strategic battle, I guess, from the driver’s seat,” Busch said. “Thanks to the fans and all the people for being here.”

The gap shifted back and forth over the closing laps as the two veterans played a strategic game of chess around the high banks of Dover.

“We were playing cat and mouse a little bit with Kyle there,” Majeski said after his runner-up finish. “We’ve got some momentum heading in the right direction, for sure.”

Kaden Honeycutt also impressed throughout the evening, fresh off securing his first career victory last week. Honeycutt brought home a fourth-place finish after running near the front for much of the race.

“It was a good day for us and a lot of fun,” Honeycutt said. “The top widened out in Turns 3 and 4 — should be a good Cup Series race on Sunday.”

Clint Bowyer finished 29th in his return to the Truck Series. “I had a ton of fun,” Bowyer said. “This is a cool racetrack, a demanding racetrack and neat to see Kyle Busch in Victory Lane, NASCAR needs that and it gives him so much confidence moving into tomorrow’s event and Sunday.

For Busch, the win added another chapter to his long history of success at Dover Motor Speedway. He looks to add another win in the NASCAR All-Star Race on Sunday at 1 p.m.

NASCAR TICKETS:
Visit DoverMotorSpeedway.com to purchase tickets for Saturday’s BetRivers 200 or Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race, explore camping and parking options, or sign up for email updates.

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2026 Niece Motorsports NCTS Race Recap: Dover Motor Speedway

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NIECE MOTORSPORTS
NCTS RACE RECAP: DOVER MOTOR SPEEDWAY
Event: Ecosave 200 (200 laps / 200 miles)
Round: 9 of 25 (Regular Season)
Track: Dover Motor Speedway
Location: Dover, Delaware
Date & Time: Friday, May 15 | 5:00 PM ET

No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Parker Eatmon | Crew Chief: Landon Polinski
Start: 20th
Stage 1: 19th
Stage 2: 18th

Finish: 21st
Driver Points: 36th
Owner Points: 26th

  • Key Takeaway: Parker Eatmon and the No. 42 team had a solid run in Dover, but an untimely pit stop cost them a shot at a good result. Eatmon started in 20th, but adapted quickly to the Monster Mile and learned a lot about ‘aero-racing’. The team was in play to gain a lot of track position through a gutsy strategy call, but a loose wheel forced a green flag pit stop. Eatmon kept his nose clean all race and finished 21st in his second-career start.
  • Parker Eatmon’s Post-Race Thoughts: “That was a lot of fun today, I felt like we had a really fast truck. Once my team explained our strategy call there at the end of the race, I totally felt like I was on the same page. As soon as I got comfortable out there, I could really keep up with the fast guys. I think we would have had a really solid day if we didn’t have that loose wheel on the right front. That’s unfortunate, but it’s something to build on for my next truck race in a couple of months.”

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

No. 44 Precision Vehicle Logistics De Mexico Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Andres Perez de Lara | Crew Chief: Wally Rogers
Start: 9th
Stage 1: 12th
Stage 2: 31st

Finish: 28th
Driver Points: 15th
Owner Points: 22nd

  • Key Takeaway: Andrés Pérez de Lara and the Precision Vehicle Logistics De Mexico team brought a fast Chevrolet to Dover, but flat tires derailed their finish. Pérez de Lara started off strong with his second top-10 qualifying run of the season in ninth-place. He was in position for a solid outing, but picked up a vibration and was forced to pit under green with a flat right-front tire. The team had to make several stops throughout the remainder of the race and came home in 28th-place.
  • Andrés Pérez de Lara’s Post-Race Thoughts: “We had a top-10, maybe even top-five day going for us that slipped away again for us after we got that flat tire. From there, our day just went downhill. It’s so tough to have this bad luck continue to strike us, but I’m confident that it is going to turn around. Hopefully we can have some better luck next time so we can show our real speed.”

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

No. 45 Drive Sober Arrive Alive DE Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Ross Chastain | Crew Chief: Phil Gould
Start: 8th
Stage 1: 4th
Stage 2: 2nd

Finish: 18th
Driver Points: N/A
Owner Points: 6th

  • Key Takeaway: Ross Chastain and the Drive Sober Arrive Alive DE team had a shot at the win in Dover, but the strategy did not play out how they had hoped it would. Chastain qualified inside the top-10 and climbed into the top-five for both stages before taking the lead. The No. 45 team was out front for 49 laps, and elected to save a set of tires for late in the race in hopes of a caution. Unfortunately, the yellow flag never flew and Chastain needed to pit under green late in the going. He crossed the line in 18th-place.
  • Ross Chastain’s Post-Race Thoughts: “We didn’t think the entire field was going to try and stretch their tires like fuel there on that last run. I felt like all of the trucks gave up a lot of pace during those first two stages, so the thought of going 75 laps on tires was not something I was excited about. I regret leading the field and staying out. Clearly it was the wrong call, and when I saw they were all pitting, I should have reacted. We stuck with our plan. It was just us and our teammates on the No. 42 on that strategy, but we never got the caution we needed to benefit us. We had a top-three truck for sure and could have been capable of racing with those guys. It was a bad call, but I’ll be the first one to say that it’s on me. I should have stayed out.”

About The Delaware Office of Highway Safety: The Delaware Office of Highway Safety was established on July 19, 1968. We are a division of the Department of Safety and Homeland Security and funded by federal grants from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. By focusing our efforts on the state’s identified highway safety priority areas, developing statewide partnerships and increasing the public’s awareness of safe driving habits, the Office of Highway Safety is striving to make Delaware’s roadways the safest in the country.

About Niece Motorsports: Niece Motorsports is a professional auto racing team that has competed in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series since 2016. The team is owned by Josh Morris of DQS Solutions and Staffing and the Fowler Family of J.F. Electric and Utilitra, and was founded by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. At its 80,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Salisbury, NC, Niece Motorsports is a full-service race vehicle build shop as well as a customizable fabrication shop for any manufacturing needs.

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

Rosenqvist Pushes Speeds Past 233 MPH To Lead ‘Fast Friday’ at Indy

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Official Release
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INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, May 15, 2026) – Sometimes speed arrives at Indianapolis Motor Speedway when you don’t expect it. Just ask Felix Rosenqvist.

Rosenqvist became the first driver this week to top 233 mph by leading “Fast Friday” practice for the 110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, turning a top lap of 233.372 mph in the No. 60 SiriusXM Honda of Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian.

The session, scheduled for six hours, was shortened to five after morning rain forced a two-hour delay of the start of the final practice before PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying this weekend on the 2.5-mile oval.

“We started pretty slow, to be honest,” Rosenqvist said. “It’s kind of rare you’re able to crawl out of a hole like that. I think our first run was like a 230-something. We just found basically 3 mph. That’s kind of cool. The car felt pretty good.

“Sometimes that happens, like once you find a little speed, it kind of comes. It kind of starts flowing. The balance was really good.”

The top speed of the week soared by more than 5 mph Friday because the Honda and Chevrolet engines that power the field featured approximately 100 more horsepower due to increased boost levels, which also will be available during qualifying this weekend.

A pre-qualifying practice takes place from 8:30-9:30 a.m. Saturday (FS2, INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls), with qualifications from 11 a.m.-5:50 p.m. (11 a.m.-2 p.m., FS2; 2-4 p.m., FS1; 4-6 p.m., FOX; INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls).

Positions 16-33 for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” will be locked in Saturday, with the 15 fastest cars advancing to the final rounds of qualifying Sunday to determine the coveted NTT P1 Award winner and the first five rows of the starting grid.

Six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion and 2008 “500” winner Scott Dixon will be the first driver in the qualifying line Saturday morning after his son, Kit, chose the coveted No. 1 coin in the blind qualifying draw after today’s practice.

2016 “500” winner Alexander Rossi was second at 232.932 in the No. 20 Java House Chevrolet of Ed Carpenter Racing. 2024 pole winner Scott McLaughlin led early in the session but ended up third at 232.674 in the No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet.

Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato was fourth at 232.655 in the No. 75 Amada Honda of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. 2022 “500” winner Marcus Ericsson rounded out a stacked top five with his best lap of 232.622 in the No. 28 Phoenix Investors Honda of Andretti Global.

Rosenqvist’s top lap came with the benefit of an aerodynamic tow, but he was sixth-fastest on the “no-tow” list at 232.324, validating his solo speed for qualifying this weekend.

McLaughlin was fastest without aerodynamic help at 232.674, turning just seven laps on the day due to satisfaction with his car’s speed. Reigning “500” winner and four-time and reigning series champion Alex Palou was second fastest solo at 232.532 in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

Rosenqvist, who welcomed his first child with wife, Emille, on May 4, also was the fastest of drivers in simulated four-lap qualifying attempts. His best four-lap average was 232.828. McLaughlin had the second-fastest qualifying sim among his paltry seven laps on track, with a four-lap average of 232.572. Rossi was third on the qualifying sim speed chart with his four-lap average of 232.543.

An incident-free week of practice continued as all 33 drivers combined to turn 836 laps, the lowest total of the event due to the shortened session and teams’ focus on four-lap qualifying simulations. Jack Harvey was the busiest driver, recording 42 laps in the No. 24 DRR INVST Chevrolet of Dreyer & Reinbold Racing.

The 110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge is scheduled for Sunday, May 24 (10 a.m. ET, FOX, FOX Deportes, FOX One, INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls).

TOYOTA RACING – NCTS Dover Post-Race Report – 05.15.26

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Official Release
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HONEYCUTT LEADS THREE TUNDRAS IN THE TOP-SIX AT DOVER
The Toyota Development Driver continues to lead points on strength of series-leading sixth top-five of the year

DOVER, Del. (May 15, 2026) – Kaden Honeycutt was able to drive back through the field after an early pit road speeding penalty and led Toyota with a fourth-place finish in the NASCAR Truck Series race at Dover Motor Speedway on Friday evening. Honeycutt remains in control of the points lead after his series leading sixth top-five finish this season. Six of the last seven races have yielded top-five results for the Texas-native.

Honeycutt was followed to the line by Christopher Bell in fifth and Brandon Jones in sixth. Bell, who was making his first Truck Series start since his win at Bristol, delivered his third top-six in as many starts this season, while Jones is now two-for-two in top-10 finishes in his starts this year.

TOYOTA RACING Post-Race Recap
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS)
Dover Motor Speedway
Race 9 of 23 – 200 Miles, 200 Laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, Kyle Busch*
2nd, Ty Majeski*
3rd, Layne Riggs*
4th, KADEN HONEYCUTT
5th, CHRISTOPHER BELL
6th, BRANDON JONES
11th, STEWART FRIESEN
14th, WILLIAM SAWALICH
16th, TANNER GRAY
20th, GIO RUGGIERO
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

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

Finishing Position: 4th

How did you come back up through the field for a top-five finish?

“Yeah, self-inflicted there with the speeding penalty and all, but we had a great truck. I really thought we were faster than the 34 (Layne Riggs) on speed. I just had to save a lot of fuel. I really thought I had enough to go get him before I attacked him, but it was either run out trying to run third or save and finish fourth. It was a good day. Another top-five. We have a lot of them thankfully, but hopefully we can go get that first oval win at Charlotte next week, but thank you to Safelite, Foster Love, TRICON Garage – this whole TOYOTA RACING team did a great job bouncing back for sure.”

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 62 Halmar Infrastructure Development Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, Halmar Friesen Racing

Finishing Position: 5th

Can you describe your level of satisfaction with this finish?

“After practice, I was super optimistic with our Halmar, Pristine Auction Tundra. I felt really good about our chances – it just never materialized. It is what it is. We probably stacked up about fifth. If you put me out front, I probably don’t beat Kyle (Busch) or the 88 (Ty Majeski), but I was certainly every bit as good as the 34 (Layne Riggs) and the 11 (Kaden Honeycutt). It is what it is.”

BRANDON JONES, No. 1 Spectracide Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, TRICON Garage

Finishing Position: 6th

Clean day, and you brought the truck home in six. How was your race?

“Overall, it was definitely fun. I learned a lot for tomorrow in our Spectracide Tundra. They sprayed the track this weekend with the resin, and they put it on all of the lanes on the corners. My goal definitely was to figure out which lane was better and while I was moving up and where the cues were to move around a little bit. So, I got that out of it at least for sure. I think we were honestly a little bit better than sixth all day. We may not have been a truck capable of winning the race, but I think we were slightly better than where we ended up. It comes down to just getting track position, and we lost a little bit early on with a couple of hang ups on pit road, and a couple of things. There was one turning point in the race where we had a restart and it was getting stacked up, and I was working the three-wide, but I kept seeing people get loose, and I was like, ‘let’s just save it to the end I would hate to get taken out early on and not be able to see the finish.’ I had a couple of those moments today, but overall, I don’t get many fuel saving moments. As fun as it is not, it is still really good practice to be able to walk through that and try to save some gas and see how you can do that. It comes down to when you are lifting, how much on throttle time you have. There is no great way to do it, but it was definitely good practice. I’m excited for our O’Reilly (Series) race tomorrow. Excited to come home with a clean truck, and almost a top-five.”

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.

KALITTA, BECKMAN, ENDERS & A. SMITH START IN PROVISIONAL NO. 1 SPOTS AT GERBER COLLISION & GLASS ROUTE 66 NHRA NATIONALS

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CHICAGO (May 15, 2026) – Reigning Top Fuel world champion Doug Kalitta made the quickest run on Friday at Route 66 Raceway, taking the provisional No. 1 spot at the 26th annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK.

Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Angie Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the sixth of 20 races during the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Kalitta, who is currently second in points behind Kalitta Motorsports teammate Shawn Langdon, went 3.720-seconds at 338.17-mph in his 12,000-horsepower Mac Tools dragster, putting the veteran in line for his second straight No. 1 qualifier this season and the 68th in his career.

He is also after his second victory of the season and first at Route 66 Raceway in 20 years. Kalitta, who has two world titles in the past three years, has three career victories at the standout Chicago facility.

“I was happy to hear that Alan [Johnson, crew chief] was happy on the starting line. That was cool. I was super happy,” Kalitta said. “It was kind of interesting before that run. They put weight on the clutch, and the next thing you know, they’re doing this, doing that so you can kind of tell that they’re hopping it up. It looked like we needed every bit of it because everybody’s running super close.

“This place is a cool place to run. It’s close to home, and we’ve just got a lot of our friends from Michigan here, so, you know, we’re just happy that we have a good run in.”

Rookie sensation Maddi Gordon, who made a pair of 340-mph runs in Valdosta, is second with a strong 3.738 at 334.90 and Billy Torrence’s run of 3.746 at 336.32 has him third. Points leader Shawn Langdon is currently 13th.

Funny Car’s Jack Beckman is on a good path to repeating last year’s win at Route 66 Raceway, making an impressive run of 3.913 at 329.99 in his 12,000-horsepower PEAK Chevrolet SS for John Force Racing.

Beckman performed well at his sponsor’s race a year ago and is off to a good start again in 2026, which bodes well after an early exit two weeks ago in Valdosta. Should that number hold, the past world champion would pick up his first top qualifier of the year and the 34th in his career. He also knows just how important it is to perform well on a weekend like this.

“That last run was entertaining and scary. It was just a handful and it was entertaining. I hope everybody in the stands was half as entertained as I was,” Beckman said.

“I’m just incredibly satisfied that we’ve got some bonus points so far. We’ve made two absolutely solid runs, one in each lane. We have great data. We can now afford to push on Saturday and if we push too hard, that’ll teach us something as well. So, it really just sets us up for a lot more race day success.”

Ron Capps, who has a pair of wins in 2026, is second with a 3.916 at 330.31 and Cruz Pedregon sits third thanks to a 3.920 at 324.59. Points leader J.R. Todd is right behind in fourth with a 3.942 at 332.26. Valdosta winner Jordan Vandergriff sits 16th after his run in the second qualifying session was disqualified due to a pinned parachute.

In Pro Stock, it appears Erica Enders’ early-season struggles are behind her, as motorsports’ winningest female driver put on a show at the site of her first Pro Stock victory, taking the top spot with a standout run of 6.542 at 209.92 in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/R+L Carriers entry for Elite Motorsports. Should that stay atop the field, the six-time world champion would pick up her first top qualifier since the 2024 season.

It hasn’t been an ideal start for the 50-time national event winner, either, as Enders sits an uncharacteristic seventh in points. Qualifying had been a struggle, but Enders advanced to the semifinals in Valdosta and took another big step on Friday with a pair of strong runs. She has a chance for her 50th Pro Stock win this weekend, which would be meaningful for it to come at the site of her historic first victory in 2012.

“It’s definitely a good feeling and I’m excited,” Enders said. “It’s fun to have the provisional number one after the first session. I’m obviously surprised that we stayed number one, but I honestly don’t think that we’re fast. The (2025) season was extremely rough for our entire organization and ’26 hasn’t started off on the right foot, either, but we’ve been working really hard, and it’s about tenacity and not giving up, and just keep plugging away at it, and that’s what my guys are really good at.

“I love coming here. I’ve been coming here my entire life and embracing it in all different categories, but I remember vividly winning here in 2012 and being in this very press room, and I was talking to the media, and Bob Glidden called my phone and I’ll never forget it. That was so cool because he was my hero and a legend, and that was my first win. It’s been a long, crazy, crazy road, but I think it is serendipitous, and I love racing here. So, I think it would be great if this were the turning point.”

Jeg Coughlin Jr. is second with a 6.543 at 210.21 and Greg Stanfield helped make it a clean sweep for Elite Motorsports in the top three after going 6.549 at 210.11.

Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Angie Smith continues to perform well in qualifying, making the quickest run in both sessions on Friday at Route 66 Raceway, including a 6.738 at 200.17 in the opening session on her Denso Auto Parts Buell.

That puts Smith in a great position to collect her second top qualifier in the first four races of the year, also continuing the dominant start – especially in qualifying – for Matt Smith Racing. Smith and her husband, Matt, who won in Valdosta, have been atop the field at the first three races and it could be a fourth this weekend.

The only thing missing for Angie is a victory, something she would love to change this weekend in Chicago.

“It felt really good,” Smith said. “We went home, and after Valdosta, since we had some time, we took my motor out and freshened it up.

“I knew it was a good run. I did not think that it would hold, just because of Gaige [Herrera], Richard [Gadson] and Matt’s [Smith] success with tracks like this that are fast tracks, but it did, and I’m pretty happy with it. We’ve been working really, really hard. We’ve been working hard on our 60-foot program, because there have been a couple of other people in the class talking a little bit of smack, telling us that we needed to go to work on our 60-foot program.”

Gadson is currently second with a 6.778 at 200.38 and Herrera, who is undefeated at Route 66 Raceway, took third on the first day after a run of 6.784 at 197.94.

Qualifying continues at 12 p.m. CT on Saturday at the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK at Route 66 Raceway.

JOLIET, Ill. — Friday’s results after the first two of four rounds of qualifying for the 26th annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at Route 66 Raceway, sixth of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday’s final eliminations.

Top Fuel — 1. Doug Kalitta, 3.720 seconds, 338.17 mph; 2. Maddi Gordon, 3.738, 335.32; 3. Billy Torrence, 3.746, 336.32; 4. Tony Stewart, 3.754, 334.40; 5. Leah Pruett, 3.756, 335.15; 6. Shawn Reed, 3.763, 331.36; 7. T.J. Zizzo, 3.774, 331.61; 8. Clay Millican, 3.784, 334.57; 9. Justin Ashley, 3.797, 332.02; 10. Tony Schumacher, 3.817, 330.88; 11. Antron Brown, 3.822, 319.22; 12. Josh Hart, 3.846, 318.47; 13. Shawn Langdon,

4.105, 214.28; 14. Will Smith, 5.109, 136.30; 15. Krista Baldwin, 5.999, 106.18.

Funny Car — 1. Jack Beckman, Chevy Camaro, 3.913, 329.99; 2. Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 3.916, 330.31; 3. Cruz Pedregon, Dodge Charger, 3.920, 324.59; 4. J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 3.942, 332.26; 5. Austin Prock, Ford Mustang, 3.951, 329.50; 6. Chad Green, Mustang, 3.960, 324.05; 7. Blake Alexander, Charger, 3.961, 323.35; 8. Spencer Hyde, Mustang, 3.962, 320.36; 9. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.964, 330.55; 10. Alexis DeJoria,

Camaro, 3.994, 329.42; 11. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.998, 319.90; 12. Dave Richards, Mustang, 4.010, 313.07; 13. Jeff Arend, Charger, 4.045, 313.88; 14. Chris King, Charger, 4.142, 266.79; 15. Justin Schriefer, Charger, 4.574, 195.53; 16. Jordan Vandergriff, Camaro, broke.

Pro Stock — 1. Erica Enders, Chevy Camaro, 6.542, 209.92; 2. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.543, 210.21; 3. Greg Stanfield, Camaro, 6.549, 210.11; 4. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.553, 209.88; 5. Matt Latino, Camaro, 6.558, 210.28; 6. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.558, 209.36; 7. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.563, 209.82; 8. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.570, 209.33; 9. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.575, 208.81; 10. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.578,

209.17; 11. Chris Vang, Camaro, 6.585, 208.30; 12. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.591, 209.01; 13. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.593, 209.65; 14. Cody Anderson, Camaro, 6.837, 207.75; 15. Joe Wilczek, Ford Mustang, 6.985, 198.03; 16. Derrick Reese, Mustang, 11.055, 80.54.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.738, 200.17; 2. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.778, 200.38; 3. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.784, 197.94; 4. Ryan Oehler, Buell, 6.787, 196.59; 5. John Hall, Beull, 6.806, 200.47; 6. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.813, 200.38; 7. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.832, 198.41; 8. Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.847, 200.86; 9. Clayton Howey, Suzuki, 6.852, 197.77; 10. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.863, 195.14; 11. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.872, 195.76; 12. Marc Ingwersen, Buell, 6.919, 194.86; 13. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 6.946, 194.66; 14. Brayden Davis, Buell, 6.956, 167.22; 15. Wesley Wells, Suzuki, 6.999, 190.16.

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