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Rosenqvist Keeps Good Times Rolling for MSRWith Long Beach Pole

By
Official Release
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LONG BEACH, Calif. (Saturday, April 18, 2026) – Three down, one to go for Meyer Shank Racing this weekend at Long Beach.

Felix Rosenqvist continued the team’s California dreaming by winning the NTT P1 Award for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Saturday with a lap of 1 minute, 7.4635 seconds in the No. 60 SiriusXM/Acura Honda fielded by Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian.

SEE: Qualifying Results

MSR won the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race earlier today at Long Beach after capturing the pole for that event, too.

“What a day for us,” Rosenqvist said. “Meyer Shank Racing wins the IMSA race from the pole followed by pole here. Pretty lost for words.”

Rosenqvist can complete a perfect weekend for the Ohio-based team by winning the 90-lap race, which starts at 5:30 p.m. ET Sunday (FOX, FOX Deportes, FOX One, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls). A 30-minute warmup is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET (FS1, FOX One, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls).

Pato O’Ward, Rosenqvist’s good friend and former teammate at Arrow McLaren, will start from the front row after qualifying a season-best second at 1:07.5076 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet.

Reigning and four-time series champion Alex Palou will start third after his lap of 1:07.5289 in the No. 10 OpenAI Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. He will be joined in the second row by series leader and defending Long Beach winner Kyle Kirkwood, who qualified fourth at 1:07.6199 in the No. 27 JM Bullion/Gold.com Honda of Andretti Global.

David Malukas will start fifth after his lap of 1:07.6508 in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet. Scott Dixon will round out the third row after qualifying a season-best sixth at 1:07.8566 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, his first Firestone Fast Six appearance since March 2025 at St. Petersburg.

Swedish driver Rosenqvist earned his seventh career pole and the second ever for MSR, as he claimed the team’s first top spot in 2024 at Long Beach. But this one was different, as each driver received one lap in the new Firestone Fast Six street course qualifying format introduced last month at Arlington, a change from the group final sessions of the past. Rosenqvist was the third driver on the 11-turn, 1.968-mile temporary street circuit and had to watch and wait as three drivers unsuccessfully tried to topple his time.

“That was nerve-wracking to watch,” Rosenqvist said. “My old buddy Pato there at end, that was close. That was a good lap.”

Rosenqvist tied his career best by finishing sixth in the standings last season, his second year with MSR. But he has endured a slow start to 2026, 14th in the standings after four races, which he said gave the team extra focus this weekend.

“It’s been a tough start of the year,” Rosenqvist said. “We said we wanted to do a little bounce-back here, and we did. Phenomenal day for us.”

Tyler Reddick Wins NASCAR Cup Series Pole At Kansas

By
Briar Starr
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Tyler Reddick wins NASCAR Cup Series pole at Kansas Speedway. Photo by Ron Olds.

Kansas City, KS – With a lap time of 29.142 seconds at 185.300 mph, Tyler Reddick and his No. 45 23XI Racing team won the pole position for Sunday’s Advent Health 400 at Kansas Speedway, his third of the season and 14th of his Cup Series career. The pole position is also Reddick’s first at Kansas since 2017 when he drove for Chip Ganassi Racing in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.

“It’s really awesome,” Reddick said after qualifying. “The Toyota Camry was really, really solid in practice. We elected to give up rolling out first, get those adjustments we wanted to. Just really, really good handling on our Toyota Camry. So just proud of everyone’s efforts at 23XI.To have a Saturday go like this, just great handling out of our Camry, is exactly what we want to see.”

Denny Hamlin, Ty Gibbs, Kyle Larson, Chase Briscoe, Carson Hocevar, Chris Buescher, Daniel Suarez, Ryan Blaney, and Bubba Wallace rounded out the Top 10. Reddick will seek his fifth win of the season.

The AdventHealth 400 will be broadcast live on FOX Sunday at 2 p.m. ET with radio coverage provided by MRN Radio.

“It’s really awesome,” Reddick said after qualifying. “The Toyota Camry was really, really solid in practice. We elected to give up rolling out first, get those adjustments we wanted to. Just really, really good handling on our Toyota Camry. So just proud of everyone’s efforts at 23XI.

“To have a Saturday go like this,” he added, “just great handling out of our Camry, is exactly what we want to see.”

Starting Lineup for NASCAR Cup Series AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway:

  1. Tyler Reddick
    29.142
  2. Denny Hamlin
    29.161
  3. Ty Gibbs
    29.192
  4. Kyle Larson
    29.192
  5. Chase Briscoe
    29.199
  6. Carson Hocevar
    29.212
  7. Chris Buescher
    29.227
  8. Daniel Suarez
    29.230
  9. Ryan Blaney
    29.231
  10. Bubba Wallace
    29.280
  11. Christopher Bell
    29.325
  12. Ryan Preece
    29.367
  13. Chase Elliott
    29.402
  14. William Byron
    29.504
  15. Joey Logano
    29.507
  16. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
    29.532
  17. Shane van Gisbergen
    29.537
  18. Michael McDowell
    29.541
  19. Erik Jones
    29.561
  20. Austin Dillon
    29.569
  21. Brad Keselowski
    29.577
  22. Riley Herbst
    29.583
  23. Kyle Busch
    29.653
  24. Corey Heim
    29.664
  25. Zane Smith
    29.670
  26. Todd Gilliland
    29.723
  27. AJ Allmendinger
    29.726
  28. Noah Gragson
    29.739
  29. Cole Custer
    29.739
  30. Josh Berry
    29.768
  31. Ross Chastain
    29.781
  32. John Hunter Nemechek
    29.831
  33. Alex Bowman
    29.849
  34. Austin Cindric
    30.014
  35. Cody Ware
    30.199
  36. Connor Zilisch
    30.246
  37. Ty Dillon
    31.364

GMG Racing and Tom Sargent Victorious in IMSA Carrera Cup North America in Long Beach

By
Official Release
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  • Sargent Secures Second-Straight Win with GMG Racing and Third Consecutive in Global Porsche Competition in “Back to The Beach” Victory on the Streets of Long Beach
  • Sargent Victorious From the Pole in One-Off Race Weekend in Teammate Kyle Washington’s No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 Cup

LONG BEACH, California (April 18, 2026) – GMG Racing and team driver Tom Sargent scored a convincing victory from the pole Saturday morning in the first of the weekend’s two 40-minute IMSA Porsche Carrera Cup North America races at the Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Carrying the flag for sidelined GMG Racing owner James Sofronas and teammate and car owner Kyle Washington, Sargent opened up a comfortable lead from the start and then drove a smart race to the finish for a 2.245 seconds margin of victory in the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 Cup.

Sargent, a former race winner and championship runner-up in Carrera Cup, was a late call up for the one-off drive this weekend at Long Beach to continue the Southern California team’s consistent participation and tradition of success at the nation’s premier temporary street course race.

Team founder and driver Sofronas – a three-time career winner at Long Beach – was set to defend GMG Racing’s stellar record on the 1.968-mile as recently as earlier this week only to learn a recent non-racing accident left him with several broken ribs. With Washington not scheduled to compete this weekend, the quick decision was made to go with Sargent in the more familiar No. 32 Carrera as GMG Racing’s sole entry at Long Beach.

“I am grateful to both Tom and Kyle for not hesitating to make this late change up,” Sofronas said. “This is GMG Racing’s 25th season in racing, and to not have a car in our home race at the Grand Prix of Long Beach was not an option. Tom was the obvious choice, he is one of the hottest drivers in international sports car racing right now, knows our team and all of our Porsches and has winning experience in Carrera Cup. He drove great today in in a car perfectly prepared by the GMG Racing crew. We are looking forward to closing out the weekend with another win Sunday morning. Winning doesn’t make my injuries go away but it is certainly eases the pain!”

A little over three weeks ago, Washington and Sargent co-drove to a milestone victory at Sonoma Raceway in the first three-hour GT World Challenge America powered by AWS race in the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo. Just last weekend, Sargent took the checkered flag in a similar Proton Competition GT3 R Evo to secure a victory in his European Le Mans Series debut in Barcelona with co-drivers Matt Kurzejewski and Richard Leitz.

“As a race car driver, you’re naturally just looking to keep bettering yourself,” Sargent said. “For me, the end goal is still a factory drive with Porsche. I need to prove myself for that, and the last three weeks or so have been a good start for that, but there is still a long way to go. I just need to keep hitting the marks, keep improving, and the big thing is every year that’s gone by I’m just driving more and more and more. I think that shows in the results. I have been in the car several weeks in a row and have three more straight weeks coming. I owe Kyle a lot, and that’s no lie, he’s helped me to get where I am right now. James and the team are from here, they were down the road in Santa Ana now they are headquartered at the Thermal Club. It is cool to be able to do this for them at their home track. A lot of supporters for Kyle and the GMG Racing team are out here, and a lot of family and friends. It’s a big deal for them.”

Saturday’s victory was the 10th in IMSA Carrera Cup for GMG Racing and first in the Pro class. While GMG Racing celebrates its 25th season of competition this year, the team surprisingly never raced in IMSA Carrera Cup before the 2023 finale at Circuit of The Americas (COTA). Sofronas swept that weekend’s Pro-Am races in his and the team’s series debut, a breakout performance that has seen him and GMG Racing continue to win at least two races a season through last year. Sofronas has secured eight of the 10 career Carrera Cup victories GMG Racing has captured as the team begins just its fourth year in the competitive series.

Sunday’s second and final Carrera Cup race of the Long Beach weekend is scheduled to go green at 11:20 a.m. PDT. Livestream coverage is available on NBC’s Peacock as well as on IMSA.TV and IMSA’s YouTube Channel.

About GMG Racing: Founded in 2001, GMG Racing quickly established itself as North America’s premier performance tuning facility. What began as a small 1,200 sq. ft. shop, maintaining two race cars, has grown into a state-of-the-art performance tuning, racing and service facility relocated last year to The Thermal Club and a 28,000 sq. ft. trackside motorsports facility. The staff, attention to detail and passion are what make GMG the choice of professionals and enthusiasts worldwide. GMG, in its early years, was located directly across the street from Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA). This close proximity allowed GMG to build a strong relationship with the legendary racing brand which has helped the company support its customers to the highest level possible. We have since won several Championships, not only with Porsche, but with Audi, Lamborghini, Aston Martin and McLaren. From club racing to Sebring, Daytona, Spa, Montreal, COTA and The Thermal Club, GMG can take you as far as you want to go. More information can be found at www.gmgracing.com.

TOYOTA RACING – NCS Kansas Quotes – Tyler Reddick – 04.18.26

By
Official Release
-

TOYOTA RACING – Tyler Reddick
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

KANSAS CITY (April 18, 2026) – 23XI Racing driver Tyler Reddick was made available to the media on Saturday after winning the pole for the NASCAR Cup Series race from Kansas Speedway.

This is Tyler Reddick’s third pole this season (COTA, Darlington). This is Toyota’s fifth pole in the last six races at Kansas Speedway.

Toyota swept the top-three in qualifying for the second time this season (Las Vegas).

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

What did you find in practice, and ultimately led you getting you the first starting spot tomorrow?

“Yeah, I think for us, we came here a year ago, and really struggled all weekend long, and that was a tough pill to swallow, for sure. We had felt like this has been kind of our playground for a number of years, and we came here this past spring, we just, I mean, start to finish on the whole weekend, just miss the mark pretty bad. So, when we came back here last fall, it was a huge emphasis for us, obviously, it’s in the playoffs and everything as well, at the time. We wanted to come back here with something better, and we didn’t need a lot of laps with the car that we had, but I felt like it was much more the direction where we needed to be. So, I was very happy with that, and we kind of used that as our starting point coming back here, and, yeah, for me, just today was just a car that had great handling, certainly the speed was there as well in the sheet, but very, very comfortable what I had. I feel like we did a good job of building off of last fall, and when you’re able to do that, you can be comfortable, consistent, and run good laps, and then when it comes to qualifying, you have the confidence to put a lap like that down.”

What is about you and your team’s ability to transfer the pole speed to race winning speed?

“Yeah, well, funny enough, I feel like if we were to qualify for Atlanta, even though we got the pole, didn’t count, whatever. We had a lot of good handling in our car for Atlanta. COTA obviously I felt like the 12 (Ryan Blaney) and Shane (van Gisbergen) were really strong. I think just good handling, handling that you can trust, handling that stays with you in the long run. So, Darlington, same thing.

Here, the speeds were a bit higher, and I didn’t know if we’d be able to get the pole, but it was really nice to see that the handling that we have, the short run speed that we have is appears to be all there today.”

When you are in the car and doing a single lap how noticeable is the speed difference?

“It is very noticeable, certainly. You notice that, and that, you’re not going to lift. You feel it in just the amount of grip the car has, the track and the tires have at the cooler temperature, too. We were able to run, like, a 29.50-something in practice, and that’s a lot faster than normal practice pace. So that kind of got us ready for it, but yeah, we started seeing the speeds get down to where they did before we went. We knew that it was going take a big lap, and you just have to commit to doing it.”

What is the plan with pedal car?

“I’m going take it back home and put it with the other three pedal cars. I don’t really fit on it, but I got one for me, one for Beau, and one for Rookie, when he gets a little bigger. So we got a full fleet now.”

Do you feel any sense of relief that you continue to have speed?

“After today, yes, more relief. I did feel like we went to Vegas, and, unfortunately, just kind of missed the mark at a track, where I feel like we’ve typically been right there in that top five mix all day long, and so, that was a little concerning, but it was a good little, gut check for us on, okay, it was where we need to be. This is where we got to kind of stay within, and so to miss it like we did in Vegas, in my opinion. Then come back here, and correct – I know they’re a little bit different track wise, but the same kind of ideology goes into it, and for us to build off a last fall and then really nail it today, definitely makes us feel good. Whether it was Martinsville, I know we did have the screaming speed, but we ran better than we typically do, Bristol, we ran a lot better than we typically do, and then at our tracks that should be our strength, to be able to put together days like this, is promising. Makes us feel good.”

How do you not lose focus with the points lead that you have?

“Just one week at a time. I think that really helps, if you get too far ahead of yourself or let one bad moment snowball into a series of bad moments. That’s the biggest thing, is just one race, one stage at a time. I think certainly, on paper, I seem to be a pretty aggressive driver, appears that way, but, when you have to think about the entire season, and running smart races, and scoring points, you are not necessarily trying to hang on to the lead you have, but grow it and grow it smart throughout, throughout good races. So for me, the start we had is great, and I feel like we’re in a really good spot to be able to hopefully, with performances like today, translating to tomorrow, continue to grow the point lead.”

About Toyota

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

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

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

Dystany Spurlock Enters History Books with Top-10 Finish in National ARCA Menards Series Debut at Kansas

By
Official Release
-

Spurlock preserves the result with a clean save after getting bumped and going sideways in the closing laps of the Tide 150.

KANSAS CITY, KS — Dystany Spurlock made history Saturday at Kansas Speedway, becoming the first Black woman to compete in a national ARCA Menards Series event and earning a remarkable 10th-place finish in the Tide 150. A dramatic late-race save after contact kept her car clean and secured the top-10 result in overtime.

Piloting the No. 66 Foxxtecca Ford for MBM Motorsports and Garage 66, Spurlock started dead last in the 29-car field after qualifying was rained out a day earlier. Unfazed, she came out hot and within the first few laps had sliced through nearly half the grid to reach 16th.

A restart around lap 25 produced an intense mid-pack battle, with Spurlock holding her position while banking consistent, mistake-free laps. By the halfway point, she had settled into 17th on the strength of smart, disciplined racecraft.

A well-timed move on the restart around lap 60 propelled Spurlock into the top 15 as she continued building momentum through the second half of the race.  

With about 25 laps to go, Spurlock navigated around a fourth caution to claim 12th. The “free pass” rule, awarded to the first eligible driver who’s one or more laps down at the time of a caution flag, put her back on the lead lap. Digging in, she passed another pair of drivers to lock down 10th.

In the closing laps, contact from behind sent Spurlock sideways at full speed. But she executed a textbook save using the full width of the track, maintaining control and keeping the car clean to preserve the top-10 finish.

“It was an amazing day!” Spurlock said. “I’m continuing to race and learn and prove to myself and others that I belong here. I wasn’t happy about getting punted at the close of the race, but I made the best out of it. I’m looking forward to the next race!”

With her start in the Tide 150, Spurlock cements her place in the history books while continuing her climb up NASCAR’s developmental ladder. The debut marks not only a breakthrough in her career, but also a notable milestone in the sport’s ongoing push toward greater diversity and inclusion.

“This moment is significant, not just because of the history attached to it, but because of what it represents,” said Chris Harris, co-owner of Foxxtecca. “Dystany competing at this level is a direct reflection of preparation, opportunity, and an intentional support system. She’s a monster, and she is showing that she belongs here—and, more importantly, that others belong here. This is a step forward for everyone who hasn’t traditionally seen themselves in this space.”

Spurlock will look to build on her Kansas performance in her next start on May 8 at Watkins Glen International. The General Tire 100 at the Glen presents a different kind of challenge, with the team taking on the technical 2.45-mile road course in upstate New York. The event provides another opportunity to gain valuable experience as she continues working toward her long-term goal of competing at NASCAR’s highest levels.

Blazing new trails has become a recurring theme for Spurlock. Before transitioning to stock cars, she made her name in motorcycle drag racing, becoming the first woman to win the Real Street class in the XDA Motorcycle Drag Racing Series and setting a world record in the process. In 2025, she also became just the second Black woman to compete in the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle category. 

She’s currently scheduled to compete in two of the NHRA’s biggest events later this season: the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, IN, on Sept. 4–7, and the Texas NHRA FallNationals in Dallas, TX, on Oct. 16–18, both with Arana Racing. 

Spurlock’s journey is also being documented in Driven by Dystany: The Road to NASCAR, a docuseries produced by Foxxtecca. The series has helped draw widespread attention to her story, building fans and supporters as she continues to break new ground in motorsports.

ABOUT FOXXTECCAFoxxtecca 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.

Gio Ruggiero Holds Off Daniel Dye For ARCA Kansas Victory

By
Briar Starr
-
Photo by Ron Olds for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Kansas City, KS – The ARCA Menards Series visited the Kansas Speedway Saturday afternoon for its fourth race of the 2026 season. Gio Ruggiero and the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team won their second race of the year, his first since the season- opener at Daytona. Ruggiero held off Daniel Dye in an overtime restart to win the race.

Practice and qualifying for the Tide 150 were canceled Friday afternoon due to severe weather in the area. Jack Wood and the No. 28 Pinnacle Racing Group started on the pole position. A competition caution would occur at Lap 20, while the halfway race break took place at Lap 50.

As the green flag flew, Wood was dominant in the early going, leading through the competition caution. During the caution flag period, most of the race leaders came down to pit road for fresh tires and fuel. Meanwhile, Dye, who was making his stock car return, assumed the race lead at Lap 27.

The first caution of the race would fly just a few laps later at Lap 33 when Robbie Kennealy in the No. 11 Fast Track Racing team rolled to a stop at the start/finish line due to a mechanical issue. Afterward, a brief 17-lap dash to the halfway break was seen. Before the halfway break at Lap 50, Dye had led for 16 laps from Lap 24 to Lap 39.

Coming to the restart at Lap 60, Ruggiero and Dye were on the front row. Ruggiero continued to lead the way even with multiple yellows late in the going. One of those yellows occurred with 25 laps to go, when Garrett “Cleetus” McFarland had a blown engine going into Turn 1.

As McFarland blew an engine, he left fluid and oil on the racetrack. In doing so, Isabella Robusto and Andy Jankowiak would spin out in the process. Both Robusto and Jankowiak were left with a DNF due to a wrecked car. Due to the fluid on the track, there was a brief red-flag period for cleanup.

Following the caution, the race would resume at Lap 81. Ruggiero led for five laps until Wood passed him at Lap 86 and led through Lap 101. While it looked as though Wood would potentially go on to lead the final few laps of the event, a late race caution came out with just three laps to go, prompting the race to go into the first overtime. The caution was for the No. 66 of Dystany Spurlock, who spun off the No. 18 of Ruggiero.

As the race went back green for the second overtime restart, the No. 28 of Wood brought out another yellow, after spinning on the backstretch off the No. 25 of Gavan Boschele’s car.

For the final restart of the race, Ruggiero and Dye were the leaders in a two-lap dash to the finish. Dye began to gain momentum, catching Ruggiero in the process. However, Dye was unable to catch the Joe Gibbs Racing driver, and Ruggiero went on to claim his second career ARCA Menards Series victory by 0.190 seconds.

“You just got to do whatever it takes to win,” Ruggiero said after the race. “That’s what I did. I thought we had a really strong car, and I just couldn’t let these guys down and lose the race. My crew chief, Matt Ross, just had a baby, so I needed to get him a nice gift (which was) to win. I definitely executed on those last restarts and did what it took.”

There were six cautions for 33 laps and seven lead changes among four different leaders. Ruggiero led three times for 50 laps en route to victory.

The next ARCA Menards Series national series race is slated for Saturday, April 25, at Talladega Superspeedway, live on Fox Sports 1 with radio coverage provided by MRN Radio.

Official Race Results Following The Tide 150 at Kansas Speedway

  1. Gio Ruggiero, led 52 laps
  2. Daniel Dye, led 16 laps
  3. Jake Bollman
  4. Gavan Boschele, led three laps
  5. Lanie Buice
  6. Jason Kitzmiller
  7. Jade Avedisian
  8. Monty Tipton
  9. Thomas Annunziata
  10. Dystany Spurlock, 1 lap down
  11. Ryan Vargas, 2 laps down
  12. George Siciliano, 2 laps down
  13. Bobby Earnhardt, 3 laps down
  14. Matt Kemp, 3 laps down
  15. Alex Clubb, 5 laps down
  16. Michael Maples, 5 laps down
  17. Jeff Maconi, 6 laps down
  18. Jack Wood, OUT, Crash, led 39 laps
  19. Takuma Koga, 7 laps down
  20. Garrett Mitchell, OUT, Mechanical
  21. Andy Jankowiak, OUT, Crash
  22. Isabella Robusto, OUT, Crash
  23. Brayton Laster, OUT, Mechanical
  24. D.L. Wilson, OUT, Mechanical
  25. Robbie Kennealy, OUT, Mechanical
  26. Brad Smith, OUT, Mechanical
  27. Craig Pellegrini, Jr, OUT, Mechanical
  28. Will Kimmel, OUT, Mechanical
  29. Nate Moeller, OUT, Mechanical

ARCA Menards Series at Kansas Speedway: Tide 150 Post-race Notes, Unofficial Race Results

By
Official Release
-

ARCA Menards Series at Kansas Speedway:
Tide 150 Post-Race Notes

  • Gio Ruggiero (No. 18 1st Auto Group Toyota) scored his second ARCA Menards Series win of the season in Saturday’s Tide 150 at Kansas Speedway. Ruggiero took the lead from Jack Wood (No. 28 Pinnacle Racing Group Chevrolet) on the first of two overtime restarts and then held off Daniel Dye (No. 24 Champion Container Chevrolet) on the second and final overtime attempt to hold on for the win. Ruggiero won the season opener at Daytona International Speedway in his only other ARCA Menards Series start of 2026.
  • Dye, who led for 15 laps, finished second in his second start of the season for the Sigma Performance Services team; it is his 18th career top-five finish and his best since he finished second at Phoenix Raceway in 2022.
  • ARCA Menards Series championship points leader Jake Bollman (No. 20 Nitro Motorsports Toyota) finished third, his second top-five finish of the season. He finished second in the season opener at Daytona.
  • Despite scuffing the backstretch wall and later damage to the left front nose of his car, Gavan Boschele (No. 25 All-Pro Auto Reconditioning Toyota) finished fourth in his second career ARCA Menards Series start and his first since he finished eight in his debut at Berlin Raceway in 2024.
  • Lanie Buice (No. 77 Sunoco Chevrolet) finished fifth to earn her first career top-five finish in five career ARCA Menards Series starts.
  • Jason Kitzmiller (No. 97 A.L.L. Construction / Carter CAT Chevrolet) finished sixth, his best finish of the season. Kitzmiller, who entered the race second in the ARCA Menards Series standings, finished seventh at Daytona.
  • Jade Avedisian (No. 15 Yahoo Toyota) finished seventh, the third female driver in the top seven finishers. The record for the most female drivers in the top ten is four in 2024 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds (Isabella Robusto, second; Taylor Reimer, third; Toni Breidinger, sixth; Amber Balcaen, eighth). Three female drivers finished in the top ten last year at Toledo Speedway (Robusto, fourth; Reimer, sixth; Becca Monopoli, tenth).
  • Monty Tipton (No. 17 Bare Bones Toyota) finished eighth in his second career ARCA Menards Series start and his first ever on a 1.5-mile speedway. Tipton was driving for Cook Racing Technologies, the team that won the 2023 ARCA Menards West owners championship.
  • Thomas Annunziata (No. 70 JBL Toyota) rallied late from a lap down to finish ninth, the final car on the lead lap.
  • Dystany Spurlock (No. 66 Foxxtecca Ford) started last in the 29-car field and steadily climbed through the field to finish tenth in her ARCA Menards Series debut. By taking the green flag, Spurlock became the first Black female driver to ever compete in an ARCA Menards Series race.
  • The only incident of the race occurred on lap 76 when Garrett Mitchell (No. 30 BaldEagle.com Ford), known to his millions of fans as Cleetus McFarland on YouTube, lost an oil line on the front stretch immediately in front of Isabella Robusto (No. 55 Mobil 1 Toyota) and Andy Jankowiak (No. 71 Sbarro Toyota). Mitchell slid in the fluid all the way through turns one and two while Robusto made contact with the outside wall and Jankowiak slid through the infield grass. All three were evaluated and released from the infield care center.
  • The next race for the ARCA Menards Series is the General Tire 200 at Talaldega Superspeedway at 12:30 pm ET / 11:30 am CT on Saturday, April 25. The race will be Televised live on FS1 and on select affiliates of the MRN Radio network nationwide. ARCARacing.com will have live timing & scoring data for all on-track activity.

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 – NCS Kansas Quotes – Denny Hamlin – 04.18.26

By
Official Release
-

TOYOTA RACING – Denny Hamlin
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

KANSAS CITY (April 18, 2026) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin was made available to the media on Saturday prior to the NASCAR Cup Series race from Kansas Speedway.

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 National Debt Relief Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

What are some of the things you are looking for in practice and qualifying here in Kansas?

“Because we’ve had some success here, I’ll know right away, whether it’s got all the good feels to it that it’s supposed to. Not a whole lot of changes from last year. We’re doing a little bit of fine tuning to see if we can slightly improve what we had here in the fall, but that was obviously very strong, and so the room for improvement is very small, but you still got to keep going for those margins, and, there’s just little things I feel when I go in the corner that need to be a certain way, and if I’ve got that, then it’s good.”

How much are you watching with Chevrolet is doing this weekend?

“Zero. zero. Not even a second.”

Why?

“Like, if they were a second faster lap, like, what am I supposed to do about that? You know what I mean? There’s nothing I can do. All my focus is, like, how can I get the most out of my car? I know that if I do that, then we’re going to be right there. So, not really looking at any other cars, manufacturers, and there’s certain guys that are historically really good here, and some of them are in Chevrolets. I absolutely will be using them as like my baseline of how I practice kind of verse them with a certain offset of my mind, knowing that, I’m typically not super fast here on Saturdays, but it’s just a comparison of that. It’s not necessarily – I need to look out for, see how fast they are.”

What do you want to get out of the Chicagoland test and are you at an advantage having run that track before?

“I mean, maybe. Maybe a third of the field hasn’t seen it. I don’t know. I don’t know if it’s an advantage. The advantage comes from having the track time. That’s ultimately where the advantage comes from. Now, that surface hasn’t seen racing in quite some time. So, what we have to do is temper our expectations of what happens out there on the test, we’re going to be going out there probably blowing dust off the thing for a few days. When we go back for the race weekend, I think that track will be totally different. But the good news is we got some good comps, which is the guys that are going be running there for the other manufacturers are guys that I would suspect, we’re going to have to race, but there is some sort of advantage knowing that I have run well there, have won there, and know what a car needs to feel like at that track. I have no idea what kind of conditions it’s in till we get there.”

How messy were some of the conversations last fall after the two best cars didn’t win?

“It certainly played a factor, kind of in the manufacturer battle as well, right? I mean, you go from winning one to now your competition actually won. There were definitely a lot of negatives to the way that race ended, but it certainly was I just feel like, I was trying to go for it, certainly, and used a little bit too much aggression, for sure, in turn three. But overall, you’re going to have that in racing. When you have teammates, manufacturer guys that you all share information with, we’re going to always be right around each other. So sometimes those racing incidents happen in a one out of 20 times.”

What has been the biggest surprise about racing under this new points format?

“Nothing has really surprised me. I think the format is doing what it was designed to do, which is reward the cars that run up front, finish up front, and win races. I thought when we were talking about kind of where the format was going to go and whatnot, I kind of resigned to the fact, well, we’re going to break this thing up into three, four races, and still have cutoffs and stuff, and, when they went all the way, it was shocking from my perspective, but it was a wow, I wish this had been around for much longer. So, I think it’s going to reward your top guys, and you’re going to see, I think you’re going to continue to see them continue to pull away because they’re the ones that are winning and getting those 15 extra points in the regular season. They’re going to be higher in the regular season points. Other than that part, nothing else has changed in the regular season. There’s no extra points for anything else other than just winning. So, I don’t necessarily feel like it’s any different than any other year.”

On your podcast, when you didn’t know how Chase Elliott won – did you really just forget?

“I really forgotten (laughter). Yeah, I had no idea. I can’t hold, but so much, like, when something else new comes in, something has to go out (laughter). You know what I mean? I mean, but I figured it out. The main thing was that, I mean, for the last six years, if someone else wins a Kansas race, I’m just trying to figure out how we didn’t win, because we’re always just so fast here. We found 10 to 12 different ways to not win here, and I thought I saw the stat this week that there has only been, I think (Kyle) Larson’s been the only repeat winner here of the last 11 races, and it was like, the fact that we haven’t is just criminal. So, hopefully we can change that.”

About Toyota

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

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

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

TOYOTA RACING – NCS Kansas Quotes – Ty Gibbs – 04.18.26

By
Official Release
-

TOYOTA RACING – Ty Gibbs
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

KANSAS CITY (April 18, 2026) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Ty Gibbs was made available to the media on Saturday prior to the NASCAR Cup Series race from Kansas Speedway.

TY GIBBS, No. 54 Zep Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Can you take us through a couple of cool moments from this week?

“Yeah to get a Cup win is super cool, and then to have my family there was super cool, really special, and to have Monster Energy on the car was awesome, along with all of our other partners, but Monster’s been with me since I’ve been super young, and, and I’ve known Mitch Covington since before I was racing in motocross stuff. So, to have them on was super special.”

Has there been any surprises with point system?

“No, I think what Denny (Hamlin) said was perfect in his podcast – it’s rewarding the guys are consistent and not just people that have won a race. I think it’s been great. I think it is the most fair that points could be for what everybody wants. So I think NASCAR did a really good job with that, so kudos to them.”

Do you know about your fan Zach, and have you seen him respond to fans this past week?

“No, I haven’t, but Zach’s been a huge supporter of my career and he’s been a fan, and his page is really cool and he does a really cool job and has a lot of statistics and stuff. Zach kind of is known by all of us on the 54 team. I think that’s pretty funny. It’s cool. It was always going happen. I guess they maybe regret saying that Zach’s got them covered on that side.”

What does it mean to have his and other fans support?

“Yeah, super cool. Zach’s been a great fan, but it’s not just him. There are a lot of other great people out there and to see this week how many more people are wearing 54 shirts is awesome. So, it’s just it’s super cool. It’s just very special to have people like that root for you every week like that’s not on the team or whatever. I think that’s super important, and for me, I really appreciate all of that. I think it’s cool.”

How much relief is it to get this first win?

“Yeah, it’s cool. I’ve obviously had great opportunities to have that win, and it didn’t happen. So for me, it wasn’t like it was life changing. But I really appreciate it. This is more for my team than for myself. I’ve been through a lot as a whole organization, especially in the last couple months, so it’s been cool and we’ll keep working for more.”

How hard is it to make the transition to Cup with no testing and fewer practices?

“Yeah, it’s really hard, and I think it’s equally as hard nowadays with this Next Gen car, how important track position is. You guys probably know that more than me. It’s just really hard and the cars are way different and you have no practice time. So, you come from Xfinity and the guys aren’t as good. I think I got a false sense of how easy it was, and then same with the ARCA, and it’s not even remotely close. It’s hard for sure, but I mean you have to get your ass kicked to get better for sure. I think watching, maybe me and some other guys, go to Cup, like maybe rethink – maybe I need to stay down here for a couple more years and win, like, a lot of races and championships instead of just some races and go right to Cup racing, I think it’s hard, but I love the challenge. I’ve had enjoyed the whole ride and, even when it doesn’t seem like I have, I’ve loved every second of it.”

Do you think they rushed you a bit or no?

“No, I mean, it was just what the timing was. I mean, it’s God’s timing. Everything that happened at the end of 2022 is pretty crazy and with people and driving different places. I mean, I don’t know, maybe I would be here or somewhere else, but yeah, I’m fine with it. I’m having so much fun. I’m having a lot of fun in my career so far, and I hope to just keep going. Yeah, it’s been a lot of fun, a lot of hard work and a lot of dedication. Yeah, I love it.”

What does it mean to you and your team to say that you are a Cup Series winner?

“Really cool. Yeah, really cool experience, really, really cool memory. It’s an honor for sure. I’ve grown up watching, a lot of people win races for our team, but as a driver, it’s super cool and it’s just really special for me.”

About Toyota

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

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

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

TOYOTA RACING – NCS Kansas Quotes – Erik Jones – 04.18.26

By
Official Release
-

TOYOTA RACING – Erik Jones
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

KANSAS CITY (April 18, 2026) – LEGACY MOTOR CLUB driver Erik Jones was made available to the media on Saturday prior to the NASCAR Cup Series race from Kansas Speedway.

ERIK JONES, No. 43 AdventHealth Toyota Camry XSE, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB

How are you feeling about your season?

“I think we’re kind of in the middle where we want to be and where we are, but we’ve had some performance that – we haven’t gotten the finishes necessarily the last couple of weeks. We’ve been caught in some wrecks, so we’ve been getting some okay points, and keeping at least in the fight of getting in the Chase. We will keep battling and keep getting our cars better. Excited to see where we stack up again on a mile and a half. I didn’t think Vegas was great for us, but we made some good changes, I think, and some big changes to see where they’re going to put us this week, and we’ll see what we have here this afternoon.”

This is obviously a big, big weekend for your sponsor, AdventHealth. What are you doing around being the entitlement partner for the Cup race?

“Yeah, it’s great. I’ve been with them for coming to, I think, three or four years now, and they just spent a great partner to me. We expanded our partnership a little bit more this year. They had a few more races. Kansas is obviously a big market for them with the race entitlement, as well as a bunch of hospitals in the area here and support around the area. I’ve done a lot of work with them, with my foundation, and things they support, and what they’ve done for me. So, enjoy that relationship and hope we can get a good run for him. Be nice to get him up front and get them challenging for a win.”

What’s made this place so challenging for you in recent years?

“Getting crashed (laughter). I think I’ve been wrecked here over and over it feels like. The restarts are really chaotic, and we’ve got caught up on some incidents. I think last fall, we avoided them and ran maybe 13th or 14th, but I don’t know, our performance just hasn’t been great even beyond the wrecks, really. We just need some more pace, we haven’t really had that, I don’t think. We’ve qualified okay. But honestly, qualifying is just a test of who wants to hold it wide open a little bit, and not necessarily maybe your car. I think the race is showing some of our weakness, just not having speed on the long runs. That’s been our biggest challenge, I think, is the migration we went through. Mostly you’re fighting going extremely free on the long runs, and that’s kind of held us up from some better runs, I feel like.”

You’ve had some changes in the organization lately with Michael Guttilla, as the new president, and Darius Rucker becoming a partner. Have you had a chance to meet Michael, and what sort of impact do you think that might have?

“Yeah, I didn’t know him beforehand. But I had a chance to sit down and spend some time with him in the last week and a half. I think he’s a super impressive guy. His resume’s really strong, and he’s done a lot of things, and in motorsports, and in manufacturing and production cars. He has a pretty broad range of skills, and I think he has a lot of managerial skills. I think the role he’s in is great, obviously, but I think he can bring a lot to the table and sense of understanding the engineering side as well. I don’t think he’s a guy that is just well versed in business, but I think he’s well versed in competition and performance. I’m excited to have him. We’ve been kind of waiting to fill that role and find the right guy, and that’s been a role that wasn’t just randomly filled when Michael became available. It was something that’s been in the works, and we’ve been trying to find the right fit for a while. I was excited to do that, excited to have him, and see what he can bring. It’s still super early. It’s been a couple of weeks, but I really, I think his influence is already starting to be felt a bit.”

We almost can’t call Justin Alexander your new crew chief anymore because you guys kind of get further into the season, but what’s the relationship been like?

“Yeah, you get to know each other pretty quickly in competition, and just in week to week, like this, but I think, for me, just, is confidence and calmness on the radio has been nice. I just want somebody who, when they’re going to make a call, they’re going to stick to it, whether that’s good or bad, and just be direct on the radio. No games and back and forth of what maybe we’re doing, what maybe we’re not doing, adjustments we may, may or not be doing. Justin’s (Alexander) usually pretty straightforward with all of that. So, I’ve enjoyed that part of it. I think he’s been a good team leader for the 43 guys. I’ve been with them for a couple of years now, obviously, seeing a change from Ben (Beshore) last year to Justin this year, and I think the relationship there is strong. The season’s just been okay right now for me. I wish there was some races we could have done a bit better, but overall, I think the relationship with Justin, I’ve enjoyed working with him, and he’s been doing a good job during the race, making good changes, so that’s been fun.”

About Toyota

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

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

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

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