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TOYOTA RACING – NCS Martinsville Quotes – Chris Gayle, Adam Stevens and James Small – 10.31.26

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Official Release
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TOYOTA RACING – Chris Gayle, Adam Stevens and James Small
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (October 31, 2026) – Joe Gibbs Racing crew chiefs Chris Gayle, Adam Stevens and James Small were made available to the media on Saturday prior to the NASCAR Cup Series race from Martinsville Speedway. All three crew chiefs are part of top contenders in this year’s Chase with two races remaining in the season.

CHRIS GAYLE, Crew Chief of No. 11 Kings Hawaiian Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

ADAM STEVENS, Crew Chief of the No. 20 Rheem Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

JAMES SMALL, Crew Chief of the No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

For Chris, what have you learned about Denny (Hamlin) and what he likes in a car here at Martinsville?

GAYLE: When I came over in 2025, he thought he was in a spot where he didn’t have exactly what he needs. It was an opportunity to kind of experiment with something a little different, which we obviously did out of the gate. And I think we’ve just kind of exploited what we’ve done there more each time, you know. And I think that directionally has been correct for us. From our perspective, it’s a really clear go get all the points, be as aggressive as possible to stay in contention going into next week.”

Do you still consider this year a success considering all Denny has gone through in the past year?

GAYLE: “It’s a tough scenario for he and the team, right? Coming off last year, all the things he went through in the off season. So, for him to reset himself coming into it, I think you saw that in Daytona. He was asking to give him a few weeks to get into this fully, right? But I think it speaks volumes for him, volumes for our team. Right? There’s lots of things that could have gone awry and let yourself have a hangover from a bad experience the previous year, and none of us did that. It’s also really easy to get focused right now. We live week to week. And everything we can to have the best run next week. And sometimes you punish yourself more harshly one week when it’s a bad week, and then you don’t back away and look at the whole season. We wait till the end of it and do that. But I think four wins, an All-Star race win. We’ve led points for a long time. There are great things we’ve done this year and the majority of the teams in the garage would look at that and would love to have that position. It’s a successful year, no matter what happens. Obviously, we’re still focused on this week, and it’s not over yet. And if we can close the gap, then we have a shot next week.”

For Adam and James, how much of this is trying to keep the 5 (Kyle Larson) honest over the next two weeks?

STEVENS: “That’s a big part of it. This is a 10-race playoff. It’s not a not a nine-race playoff. So, you got to bring your best every week. It’s going to be tough for anybody to make up 70 or however many points we have to make up, but it’s not mathematically impossible. I think it’s going to take some special circumstances, but we’ve been a victim to special circumstances plenty this year. Stuff like that can happen. But you don’t want to put them in a position where all I have to do is show up, and I don’t think they’re quite there yet. But another weekend like last and they certainly will be.”

SMALL: “I think objective for us is just to come out of here and give ourselves a chance next week. So that’s all we can ask for, given the lead they have.”

For Adam, what have you learned about Christopher Bell this year through the injury and kind of the a guy who hates to lose finishing second a lot?

STEVENS: “I think just the resilience has really impressed me. It’s been a very odd year for us to be as competitive as we’ve been and really not have a lot of show for it. And he still brings his best every single weekend, and has done a much better job, I think, focusing forward. He doesn’t get too distracted by whatever happened last week or the week before that, and that’s a big part of the sport. You race a lot of times every year. It’s 38 times we show up, and even these guys beside me that have had outstanding years, 30 times they go home disappointed. And it’s been a few more than 30 for us, but having a season like this is something that we can certainly build off of. We’ve been bringing competitive cars, and he’s been doing a fantastic job. And sometimes that’s just not enough. And I think it’s shown a lot of growth in for Bell, especially through his injury and some of the trials and tribulations we’ve had this year. And I think that’s something that’s going to pay dividends in his future.”

How was any more difficult you feel for him to put this past weekend behind him and look forward?

STEVENS: “He’s driving the race car that we prepared, so it’s not all on him by any means. And we haven’t had green flag stops with this new package, and it’s a pretty small box that we’re in setup wise to make these things do what they need to do on the racetrack and it’s on all of us, it’s not just on him. It’s whoever does the best over these 10 and Talladega is one of those 10 and we didn’t do our best last week and that’s the situation we put ourselves in.”

For James, what has the process been like behind the scenes with him working in the simulator, and how do you approach that on race day as far as you know as giving him cues over the radio?

SMALL: “Really just drive like Denny. As the years have gone here and you know the tires have gotten softer, you’ve lost rear downforce, you’ve got more power. It really goes further away from his natural style, and he’s done a great job this year. He’s taken a huge step forward. You saw it at North Wilkesboro and Richmond, and then this is another beast again. Just the patience you need, all starting from the braking area through the corner back to the gas, we worked really hard on the simulator this week, just trying to work purely on technique and just trying to get him in the zone. It’s what practice is going to be about today, just going out there and running as many laps and just trying to get into a rhythm. It’s very, very different to how he’s typically driven here. I think if he can accomplish that, then we stand a chance because a long run here has really not been our friend in the past.”

What have you guys learned about this year’s Chase that maybe you didn’t think about going into this?

STEVENS: “I think we’re all going to have the same answer. Just the amount of volatility is not something that I would say most of the models would have predicted. But with the winner getting such a bump in the points, it really moves the needle quickly. And a lot of places if you don’t qualify well or you have an issue early and you’re not able to score stage points, it can really compound your weekend. And we’ve seen pretty enormous jumps in one-week spans, but certainly over two week spans of cars going forward. I think that’s something that none of us really expected.”

GAYLE: “It’s the same answer. Although you try to look at it ahead of times and how is this going to play out. You go back and you look historically. But what’s not fair with that historically is you’re applying the points to a different set of rules, right? And people would have probably made different decisions in those circumstances. So it really doesn’t show you. We came into it thinking if we just do what we’ve done the regular season or more, which we haven’t, we’ll be in a good spot. And I think technically we would have been, but you always know that the one thing, like you talk about the points for winning, if someone goes on a stretch like the five did at the beginning of these playoffs, it eliminates all of that head start you might have had and then you necessarily can’t overcome that without a little bit of volatility. If they hadn’t had Phoenix, we wouldn’t be talking here about what’s going to happen next week. The ups and downs of all that over 10 races definitely changes things.”

SMALL: “It’s come down to a series of execution. Like we’ve all had fast cars every week, but some of us haven’t executed perfectly on a week, and that swung the points a lot. And then the rainouts and not qualifying, and not you know guys starting at the back and not getting stage points in the first stage. It’s made small differences, but it all adds up in the end.”

For Chris, for as good as you guys were here in the spring, how much more do you after being so you know close to such a perfect weekend?

GAYLE: “If you bring back the exact same thing, typically that doesn’t work well for you. You know, regardless of how many laps you led, we didn’t win the race, and there were things we could still improve on. And so you’re always looking to find setup changes, tweaks that improve those things that you still needed help with. And I think that’s kind of been our big focus.”

One of the big talking points in the regular season was the seeding, and everybody was thinking that a top six seed was going to be the way to go. Given the volatility that we’ve all seen with how quickly you can gain or lose points, does that does the gap between seeds need to be adjusted at all?

GAYLE: I’ll speak since I’m the one that’s the points. I would like to see that larger, but I’m subjectively playing to my situation currently. I feel like 25 points you saw was pretty small of an advantage and it went away pretty quickly, right? Is that the intent? Is that what NASCAR wants? To me, I feel like you know for 26 races the reward should be a little more than that for the regular season. Just even if it’s proportioned a little more, I don’t know how to exactly look at it, but it feels small for sure to me.”

Suppose the cautions fall tomorrow in a way that the field is able to flip the stages, would you guys pit? Do you feel forced to have to take the points and then try and make it back up later?

STEVENS: “That’s a fantastic question. I think I’m going to need a lot more details to answer that one. Depends on a lot of things. It depends on how our day’s going, right? How competitive our car is, how many points we’re going to score, or giving up scoring. In the type of day that the five is having, so there’s a lot of variables that go into those game time decisions. But certainly that’s on the table, and we’ll all be paying attention to each other in that regard and assessing your risk and reward versus everybody else’s.”

I know you don’t know because you’ve never run the format, but how intense is it to be a crew chief in the NASCAR Cup Series?

STEVENS: “I guess I’ll pipe up and say something. I think a big difference between our sport and a lot of other sports is we’re not playing head-to-head, right? We’re playing against a lot of competitors. Now the list of people that you need to beat and outrun gets a little bit shorter as we go, but with this format, you really have to elevate your game and really eliminate the mistakes as well. And I think you’ve seen that with the five (Larson). You know, much credit to Cliff and his bunch. They’ve been able to elevate from their regular season performance, all the while minimizing those mistakes. Now they haven’t got through all 10 clean. Phoenix didn’t go great, but on average, they’re doing better than the rest of us, and that’s not an easy task and it’s not enough to you can beat another team because they had a bad day, but if you have to beat 16 other guys or whittle it down to five or six or seven, they’re not all going to have bad days. So you have to have an elevated program, and you have to reduce those mistakes. That’s what this playoff format is about. And I would say that we all quite prefer this one compared to the old one. But that’s what we’re up against now.”

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Kris Wright’s NCTS Martinsville Speedway Reca

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Official Release
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Black’s Tire 200 | Martinsville Speedway

Race Results

Venue: Martinsville Speedway
FINISH: 21st
Start: 28th
NCTS Point Standings Position: 24th

Rollercoaster Night Falls Wright’s Way in the Closing Laps

Kris Wright and the No. 81 F.N.B. Corporation Chevrolet Silverado RST team finished 21st in Saturday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) race at Martinsville Speedway. Wright qualified 28th for the 200-lap event after posting the 23rd fastest time in practice.

Wright moved to 25th on lap two before reporting a tight center and loose exit. He went a lap down on lap 33 while stuck in traffic, but a caution came out three laps later. Crew chief Darren Fraley told Wright to stay out, even without receiving the wave-around, to put the No. 81 F.N.B. Corporation Chevrolet Silverado RST in free pass position for a short sprint to the end of stage one. On the lap 44 restart, Wright battled hard through the remaining laps and held onto the free pass position, getting back on the lead lap at the stage finish in 27th. During the stage break, Wright came to pit road for fresh tires and fuel, along with track bar, tire pressure and grille tape adjustments.

Wright restarted 26th for stage two and worked his way through lapped traffic after taking the green flag at the tail end of the field. He settled into 27th before going a lap down again on lap 85. Wright maintained position through the remainder of the stage, taking the green-and-white checkered flag 26th and one lap down.

Wright took the green flag for the final stage 27th and one lap down. After a pair of early cautions and a red flag, he restarted 25th on lap 125 and continued working through traffic. Two consecutive cautions presented opportunities to regain the lead lap, with Wright coming up one position short of the free pass on both occasions before finally securing it on lap 147. Back on the lead lap, he continued to make progress, reaching 20th by lap 165. Wright battled inside the top 25 over the closing laps, moving as high as 19th before taking the checkered flag 21st.

Kris Wright Quote:

“We came away with a decent result tonight given everything we fought through with this F.N.B. Corporation team. We definitely had some speed during certain points of the run, but the balance shifted constantly and we could never quite dial it in. Regardless, we did a great job staying out of trouble and I feel good about completing all 200 laps with the amount of cautions in the later portions. We’ve got one more race together this season and I’m excited to get down to Miami and finish out the year on a high note.”

Martinsville Speedway Photos

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CHEVROLET NCS AT MARTINSVILLE 2: Cliff Daniels Media Availability Quotes

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Official Release
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NASCAR Cup Series
Martinsville Speedway
Team Chevy Crew Chief Quotes
October 31, 2026

Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team, met with the media in a panel with fellow Chase-contending crew chiefs – Adam Stevens, James Small and Chris Gayle – in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice qualifying session at Martinsville Speedway.

Cliff Daniels Media Availability Quotes:

As the team leading entering this weekend, this stretch, what is the number one objective for you guys? Is there any plan to go on defensive or is it all out to maximize?

“Yeah, I mean, really, our game plan hasn’t changed a lot the last handful of weeks, even with the ups and downs, and I think that that’s probably true for all of us sitting here. We’ve all seen and we’re all very aware of how quickly the points can swing, so every week you’ve just got to be focused on maximizing your day and whatever that’s going to take. This is certainly a race where the No. 11 (Denny Hamlin) could go lead all 500 laps and we’ve still got to have a strong day, so our game plan really hasn’t changed much.”

Going into this Chase, there was kind of some preconceived notions of how we thought this was going to go, what we thought was going to be important, that kind of thing. As we now are in race nine, what have you guys learned about this format that maybe you didn’t think about going into this?

“I think it’s been a bit eye-opening to see the swing of the points, when earlier in the season, you had the No. 45 (Tyler Reddick) hot, and then consistently hot to start, and then the same thing with the No. 11 (Denny Hamlin) through the summer. I don’t know that we all quite had the picture or the window into what that could look like. And then, when everybody shows up and brings their best in The Chase and then you have some tumultuous weeks where unexpected things happen, it certainly shows that the points can be very dynamic and very unpredictable every week. So, from our perspective, it’s been exciting and it’s been fun to see that, just not knowing every week what can happen and what can unfold with how the points outlook moves along each week.”

With Richmond, New Hampshire, the last couple of races with this tire; do you feel like maybe it helps you guys be better this weekend than you were in the spring?

“Yeah, they’ve been solid steps for us at both of those tracks on this tire. Phoenix was such a bad miss for us that you still always have that asterisk of the short track package on this tire. We’ve certainly had a decent notebook here at Martinsville for a while. Our teammates have been strong. The No. 9 (Chase Elliott) and the No. 24 (William Byron) have been really strong here, historically and consistently, and we’ve also consistently been a top-10 car, so we’re not straying too far from home. We still have to evolve as the sport does, as the field does, of things that you learn and apply. So, yeah, we’ll see, but certainly trying to put it all together this weekend.”

One of the big talking points in the regular season, obviously, was the seeding and everybody was thinking that a top-six seed was going to be the way to go. Given the volatility that we’ve all seen with how quickly you can gain or lose points, does the gap between seeds need to be adjusted at all?

“Yeah, I don’t have a great answer. Tell us what the format is, and you’ve got to play to it. There’s always going to be unknowns. You know, from what Chris (Gayle) had alluded to earlier, you used to think of how you would strategize your final 10 races, but it was three races at a time. So, even when you look at history and how people play through those races, those decisions are predicated on the points format and what you had to do to advance. Even how we call a race now is a little bit new, just with the territory of having 10 races over a stretch.

I don’t know how you need to have it seeded. Whatever it is, we’re going to make our pit strategy, we’re going to make our pit calls, we’re going to make our play calls based on whatever that is.”

This isn’t easy, so don’t take that the wrong way, but is it almost easier to have all the resources of Hendrick Motorsports behind one driver as opposed to these three guys splitting everything on their level with each of their teams?

“My answer to that comes back at Charlotte when we had the unfortunate crash with the No. 24 (William Byron) and the No. 48 (Alex Bowman). We lined up on one of those restarts with three Toyota’s ahead of us, three Toyota’s behind us, the No. 12 (Ryan Blaney) was in the mix, and there were no friendlies that were going to help us out. I think it would be a little short-sighted for us to just completely turn the tables lopsided to the No. 5 team and where all of our resources go.

At the end of the day, for Hendrick Motorsports, we’re still focused on preparing four fast racecars and try to keep them up front because the more that we have ourselves up there, theoretically, the more points we can take from these guys and keep ourselves in a good spot.

So, no, all of the focus of Hendrick Motorsports is not solely on the No. 5 team. Of course, we’ve put the proper amount that needs to be there, but we still have three teams that have a responsibility to their sponsors, their teams, their seasons for what they need to accomplish, and we need to have all four Hendrick cars up front.”

Tyler Monn (spotter) said he’s seen Kyle rededicate himself this year, just pour his full focus into NASCAR as opposed to the sprint car racing, and Kyle addressed that himself. How have you seen Kyle just go completely invested in what needs to be done?

“Yeah, he’s done a great job, and that’s across many fronts; from his workout regimen to how he meets with the team, the time and effort that he’s put into the sim. And, oh, by the way, he still had a really good sprint car season, too, so he was able to do a lot of great things. The way he’s applying himself, of course, professionally to his craft, but he’s also spent a lot of time with his kids. You know, he’s been at Millbridge when they’ve been racing, been very supportive of them. I’m super proud of the growth that he’s shown in all of those areas, and I think it’s just part of the journey of him pushing himself to be better and to continue to hone his skills.

When you see a guy like Denny (Hamlin), who’s above the age of 40 and still be operating at such a high physical and mental racer IQ level, that’s a really good benchmark to look at. I think Kyle wants to hold himself to a really high standard in that regard, and hopefully, we continue it not only for the next two races, but I think he’s going to for quite some time.”

The 51-race drought that Kyle had, it’s just almost like a switch got flipped. I know you talked about Kyle’s dedication back to racing and focus, but what about the technology in the car and some of the things that you’ve done? What has your input been, as far as turning this whole thing around almost like on a dime?

“Yeah, I mean, just in general, we certainly got off to a slow start at Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet, at large, just trying to get our arms around the new body and the balance difference of that. But I would also argue, during the month of May and I think early June, we had a lot of top-fives in a row. The Toyota’s were still ahead of us, but we were kind of the best of the rest. And even in the summer, when you look at our finishes that weren’t great, we were probably going to have a really good day in Indy. We had a few other races that we were up front, or at least in the mix, that got away from us.

So, from our lens, I don’t think it looks quite so digital, you know, because of the change of the course of our season. As you go through the year and you learn little things to balance out your car, find a little speed, tune your setups and just get into the rhythm that we started to find; that’s what anyone hopes for down the stretch of a Cup season. We’ve certainly been able to dig into that a bit just with our prep and how it’s all coming together. It’s been not one big thing, but a lot of little things over time. I’m proud of our team for the effort to get us here. Like I said, now we’ve got two more that we’ve got to stay strong.”

What does it take in this day, in this format, in general, to win the championship, to earn it?

“I don’t think any of us have done it yet in this format, so I look forward to answering your question, hopefully, in a couple weeks.

I mean, just in general, everyone knows we have a long season; 36 competitive events with a lot of great teams, and certainly, the four teams at this table. But there’s more out there that we’ve been competing against every week. It’s a grind. It’s a physical and mental challenge on your team and on the people that support you back at home at the shop. It takes a lot of great people to be dedicated to a car or to an organization to see it through for how long our season is. That’s probably a common answer that they would all give. We still don’t know yet what it looks like to win in this format, none of us do, so we’ll find out.”

This marks 10 years since Jimmie Johnson won his seventh championship. You were their lead race engineer on that team. Are there things that you remember from that run that you still apply in your position now? I believe Jimmie won at Martinsville that year, and then went on to win his seventh championship. Are there things that you still use today in your role now as the crew chief?

“Yeah, certainly. Any chance you have an opportunity to work with or be around Jimmie Johnson, Chad Knaus, Rick Hendrick; those guys know how to operate at such a high level. To see it and experience it in person, just their dedication to the details week in and week out. Kind of like Adam (Stevens) was just alluding to, you have to elevate your game so much during this 10-week stretch. It’s not just this great burst of energy and preparation that you can take for a week or two. You have to sustain it across 10 weeks. You know, back then, it was still the round-style playoffs, but getting to see the way that they were so focused and so intense on their preparation every week was a really cool experience for me. I certainly learned a lot working with somebody like Chad. You learn how much all the little details of the team – the team culture, chemistry and preparation – matter more than just building the racecar. It’s pit stops, behind-the-wall pit support, so many different aspects that you have to have buttoned up. Even working with other guys in our company like Alan Gustafson, who’s been around for a long time. Alan is great with perspective in these types of situations. And also, Jeff Andrews and Jeff Gordon that have done it and lived it.

Yes, it was super special, of course, to work with Chad and Jimmie during that year, but we’re surrounded by a lot of good people that set a very high bar for what it takes to be prepared and compete at a high level.”

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Tyler Ankrum’s NCTS Martinsville Speedway Recap

By
Official Release
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Black’s Tire 200 – Race Results

Venue: Martinsville Speedway

FINISH: 7th
Start: 9th
Stage One: 8th
Stage Two: 8th
NCTS Playoff Point Standings Position: 9th

Ankrum Continues Top-10 Streak at the Paperclip

The top-10 streak continues for Tyler Ankrum, driver of the No. 18 LIUNA Chevrolet after an impressive run at Martinsville Speedway Friday night under the lights for a seventh-place finish. The young driver set the No. 18 ninth in line to start the 200-lap event in the Friday afternoon qualifying event and jumped up to eighth on the opening lap. By lap 13, Ankrum reported to the team he was starting to build tight during the run and was having trouble with handling in the rubber. The young driver held on and finished out Stage One in the eighth position.

Crew chief Mark Hillman made the call to stay out under the stage break along with the majority of the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) field to restart the second segment eighth. A clean and calm Stage Two saw the driver of the No. 18 Chevrolet really struggling on the bottom and in the rubber while still battling tight conditions overall. Under the stage break, Ankrum came down pit road for four fresh Goodyear tires with an air pressure adjustment, an adjustment in the right-rear jackbolt, and a splash of gas. The San Bernardino, Calif. native lost two spots on pit road but the crew was able to get all the adjustments in to help the young driver feel better in his race truck for the closing laps.

Intensity began to rise and all through out the field, chaos started to unfold. Caution after caution, Ankrum continued his drive to the front, dodging damage left and right. The short runs in between cautions were causing the driver of the No. 18 Chevrolet to get tighter as they continued and he was still constantly battling handling on the bottom in the rubber. The final restart had occurred with just seven laps to go. Battling adversity all night long, Ankrum powered through and was able to bring home a clean truck in the seventh position with just one race remaining on the NCTS schedule at Homestead-Miami Speedway next week.

Tyler Ankrum Quote:

“Super quiet night for us at Martinsville. Pretty much ran inside the top-10 all night long just really struggled on the bottom and the rubber was fighting us all race. Solid performance for the No. 18 LIUNA team and proud of the momentum this team has carried the last few races, just wish we could have locked in this momentum all year long. Final run next week at Homestead so looking forward to carrying this effort into next week and closing out the season on a high note.”

Martinsville Photos

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Ricky Thornton Jr Claims Night 1 of the Halloween Nationals at Portsmouth Raceway Park

By
Briar Starr
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Photo Courtsey of Michael Boggs Photography

Night 1 of the American Late Model Iron-Man Series took place Friday night at Portsmouth Raceway with the Super Late Models. It was the inaugural Halloween Nationals in Portsmouth, Ohio. While regulars like Colten Burdette has a 128-point championship lead over Rod Conley, Mikes Cook II, and more are racing, there were national drivers competing in the event such as Josh Rice, Jason Jameson, Ryan Montgomery, Adam Strickler, Ricky Thornton Jr, Nick Hoffman, Tyler Erb and more are also competing in the event.

Erb dominated much of the feature before a flat right-rear tire took him out of the lead late in the going. A computer glitch caused a late-race yellow with three laps to go and saw RTJ go on to win the feature.

“Yeah, obviously we don’t want to see a competitor get a flat, let alone Terbo (Tyler Erb) leading,” RTJ told Flo Racing in victory lane. “Obviously, he had a little bit better car than we did. He put himself in position, and unfortunate luck for him. I definitely know how that goes this year. I felt like our car was really good from the get go. I moved up and got back by (Josh) Rice, and I was like, man, I’m just running way too hard right now. I slowed myself back down and moved to the bottom, and just kept saving.

“Really, I didn’t feel like my pace picked up. Just those guys slowed down that much more. This place is so silky and grady, it’s easier to hurt your tires. I figured if those guys was going to go all out right away, I could wait saving and try to do something at the end. I love coming to this place, and hopefully next year, we get to come back again.”

There were 34 Late Models on the entry list for Friday’s feature.

Feature Race Recap – 30-Laps – $10,000 To Win

Hoffman had the pole for the main event while Erb had the outside pole position.

Erb originally took the lead from Hoffman off Turn 2, but the first yellow of the night was flown and was a complete restart. This time around, Erb again got to the top spot over Hoffman on the backstretch using the high line off Turn 2. While Erb broke away early, Hoffman still kept him honest by being not too far from his rear bumper. Near the halfway mark, Hoffman had momentum and closed in rapidly, with Rice in third position. A lead change would take place at Lap 16 at the start/finish line, but Erb retook the lead on the backstretch one lap later.

As Erb had a nice lead over Hoffman, his car got high off Turn 4 and allowed Hoffman to go by and take the lead with five laps to go. The second yellow quickly came out for Erb as he had a flat right-rear tire go down, which took him out of contention.

Hoffman led the field back to green with Ricky Thornton Jr. in second. RTJ threw his car down in the middle of Turns 3 and 4, and grabbed the lead from Hoffman. RTJ’s lead was short-lived as the third yellow was displayed with three laps to go for a computer glitch. This caused a green-white-checkered restart with RTJ, Hoffman, Rice, Drake Troutman, and Jameson in the top five.

Despite the late race yellow, RTJ had a great restart and went on to win the feature.

Heat Race Recaps – Top Three Transfer – 8 Laps A Piece

Prior to the heat races, there was a hot lap and qualifying session. Mike Benedum was the fastest in hot laps with a time of 14.807 seconds. There was a split qualifying session with Flight A and Flight B. Hoffman had the fastest time in Flight A with 14.764 seconds, while Erb held the quickest time in Flight B with 14.987 seconds.

Heat 1 – Hoffman had the pole for heat one and easily won the first heat with Dustin Sorensen and Jameson transferring.

Heat 2 – Troutman had the pole for heat two. As the field went green, the yellow came out for a complete restart. The second start was much cleaner. No more issues were seen in this heat, and Troutman went on to win. Rice and Seth Daniels completed the top three.

Heat 3 – Erb was the top starter for the third heat and claimed the win. He was followed by Tristan Chamberlain and Michael Chilton for the transfers.

Heat 4 – Thornton Jr. had the pole for the fourth and final heat. RTJ claimed the heat win with Montgomery and Burdette taking the final transfers. 

Eddie Carrier Jr. won the first B-Main, while Justin Cooper took the second B-Main.

For those who may have missed the feature, you can check out the highlights below.

Official Race Results Following Night 1 of the American Late Model Iron-Man Series at Portsmouth Raceway

  1. Ricky Thornton Jr
  2. Josh Rice
  3. Drake Troutman
  4. Nick Hoffman
  5. Jason Jameson
  6. Dustin Sorensen
  7. Michael Chilton
  8. Tristan Chamberlain
  9. Ryan Montgomery
  10. Eddie Carrier Jr
  11. Levi Yetter
  12. Colten Burdette
  13. R.J. Conley
  14. Tyler Erb
  15. Adam Stricker
  16. Miles Cook II
  17. Rod Conley
  18. Justin Cooper
  19. Seth Daniels
  20. Kevin Wagner
  21. Mike Benedum

Up Next – Night 2 will take place Saturday night live on Flo Racing and Hunt the Front TV.

LANGDON, BECKMAN, HARTFORD & HERRERA ROLL TO PROVISIONAL NO. 1 SPOTS AT MOPAR NHRA LAS VEGAS NATIONALS

By
Official Release
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LAS VEGAS (Oct. 30, 2026) – Top Fuel points leader Shawn Langdon powered to the top on Friday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, taking the provisional No. 1 position to open this weekend’s MOPAR NHRA Las Vegas Nationals powered by Dodge.

Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 19th of 20 races during the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season and the fifth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Langdon went 3.672-seconds at 332.59 mph in his 12,000-horsepower Kalitta Air dragster, putting the past champion on track for his ninth No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 31st in his career. He’s also been dominant when bonus money is on the line this year, as Langdon won Friday’s “Ted Wiens Trick or Traction Award,” which comes with a $3,500 bonus.

There’s also the opportunity for Langdon to clinch his second world championship this weekend, as he’ll head into Saturday 144 points up on Kalitta Motorsports teammate, reigning world champion Doug Kalitta.

“Typically here it’s really dry, so this is a little different conditions with the [water] grains up a little bit, a little bit of moisture in the air,” Langdon said. “So it’s just a matter of finding the power and then it’s just applying it to the track. The track’s good, so you just have to get the power level right and then get the clutch right for the track. Having two good runs today definitely gives you a little bit of confidence going into tomorrow.

“Tomorrow and for the rest of the year, we just have to do what we did today. At the end of the day, we can’t falter because we know the history of Alan Johnson and Doug Kalitta, and we know what they’re capable of. We still have to go out there and do our jobs at the end of the day because if we falter, they will capitalize.”

Tony Stewart is currently second after going 3.676 at 339.28 and Josh Hart is third with a run of 3.688 at 325.61.

In Funny Car, Jack Beckman put on a stellar show under the lights in Vegas, delivering an impressive blast of 3.836 at 335.32 in his 12,000-horsepower PEAK Chevrolet SS and earning the “Ted Wiens Trick or Traction Award.”

That means a $3,500 bonus for Beckman, who moved a step closer to his fifth top qualifier of the year while also making the second quickest run of the 2026 season. He went a touch quicker in Martin, Mich. earlier in the Countdown and turned in another impressive pass on Saturday as he looks to end the year on a strong note.

Beckman is currently fifth in points with two wins this year, but the veteran and past champion can still have a big finish to another standout season.

“When you get conditions like this, it’s always an educated guess on what you think you can get away with,” Beckman said. “We were still in the window here, but we had a couple of delays. You don’t want this to go too long and the track to get out of that area. Clearly, we had some pretty good data for that. When these things are on a run like that, it’s hard to put words to how cool nitro Funny Car is, and the fact that I had my hands full, it stayed stuck and it put up that number, fantastic and good for our team.

“Barring a miracle, we’re not going to catch [points leader Matt] Hagan. Our goal is to win two races, and if that means we finish second, that’s good. Whoever wins this year clearly is going to earn it. Nobody backed into getting into the Countdown and everybody in the top six are killer cars right now.”

His John Force Racing teammate, Alexis DeJoria, is currently second with a 3.874 at 333.33, while J.R. Todd, who entered the weekend third in points, is third after going 3.889 at 336.82. Points leader Hagan is currently ninth with a 3.945.

Pro Stock’s Matt Hartford won the $1,500 bonus for the “Ted Wiens Trick or Traction Award,” going 6.632 at 206.57 during the second session in his Total Seal Chevrolet Camaro.

It was an impressive run in tricky conditions for the championship contender and Hartford came through impressively, giving him the chance to earn his fourth No. 1 qualifier of the season. He entered the weekend third in points and 41 back of leader Dallas Glenn. Hartford, though, isn’t looking that far ahead, and is instead focused on running well again on Saturday.

“There were definitely tricky conditions out there tonight,” Hartford said. “We thought we could go to the front. We were trying to go to the front, but we also knew that there was a chance that it might not get down tonight.

“When you’re in conditions like this, with more headwind, and you got a lot of water in the air by comparison for what we see in Vegas, it’s a lot of different gearing in the car. There’s a lot of changes that we have to make and there’s a lot of differences we have to make for the weather conditions. Tomorrow is just another day. We have to go out there, execute, try to try to hold on to No. 1. The conditions will be good enough that this isn’t a guaranteed hold the pole.”

Matt Latino is qualified second after a 6.635 at 205.79 and Stanfield is third after going 6.639 at 204.63.

Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Gaige Herrera made the quickest run of both sessions, doing that right off the trailer when the two-time world champion went 6.835 at 195.42 on his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki.

Herrera is on track to earn his fifth No. 1 qualifier of the season and, remarkably, the 36th in his young career, but he’s more concerned with trying to track down his teammate, points leader and reigning world champion Richard Gadson. Herrera is second in points and trails Gadson by 58 points entering the weekend, looking to make up ground in Las Vegas before heading to the finale in Pomona.

“I feel like the last couple races have been fighting the weather, the wind,” Herrera said. “I feel like every time we come to Vegas, usually the wind is blowing the opposite direction than it is right now. So, I had to change up our bike setup for here compared to normal.

“It’s Richard [Gadson, teammate] and Matt [Smith] basically, still in the championship battle, and you know it puts me in a different mindset. It just makes me hungrier when there’s a mix of riders to go out there and do the best I can, cut good lights, and try to ride as best as I can.”

Gadson is second with a 6.841 at 194.41 and Joey Gladstone took third after a 6.856 at 195.65. Gladstone also earned the “Ted Wiens Trick or Traction Award” and the $1,000 prize.

Qualifying continues at 11 a.m. PT on Saturday at the MOPAR NHRA Las Vegas Nationals powered by Dodge at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

LAS VEGAS — Friday’s results after the first two of four rounds of qualifying for the 26th annual MOPAR NHRA Las Vegas Nationals powered by Dodge at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 19th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday’s final eliminations.

Top Fuel — 1. Shawn Langdon, 3.672 seconds, 332.59 mph; 2. Tony Stewart, 3.676, 339.28; 3. Josh Hart, 3.688, 325.61; 4. Doug Kalitta, 3.695, 335.73; 5. Spencer Massey, 3.719, 332.67; 6. Leah Pruett, 3.720, 321.65; 7. Maddi Gordon, 3.724, 340.56; 8. Billy Torrence, 3.728, 335.48; 9. Clay Millican, 3.728, 333.49; 10. Antron Brown, 3.741, 325.77; 11. Will Smith, 3.756, 327.11; 12. Tony Schumacher, 3.762, 322.19; 13. Justin Ashley, 3.775, 328.70; 14. Shawn Reed, 3.845, 319.37; 15. Chris Powers, 3.883, 315.78; 16. Cameron Ferre, 4.218, 282.72.

Funny Car — 1. Jack Beckman, Chevy Camaro, 3.836, 335.32; 2. Alexis DeJoria, Camaro, 3.874, 333.33; 3. J.R. Todd, Toyota GR Supra, 3.889, 336.82; 4. Spencer Hyde, Ford Mustang, 3.901, 328.46; 5. Jordan Vandergriff, Camaro, 3.909, 332.02; 6. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.914, 328.14; 7. Paul Lee, Dodge Charger, 3.921, 327.74; 8. Hunter Green, Charger, 3.921, 324.75; 9. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.945, 327.03; 10. Chad Green, Mustang, 3.948, 319.45; 11. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.966, 320.97; 12. Dave Richards, Mustang, 3.979, 278.00; 13. Jeff Arend, Charger, 4.070, 303.09; 14. Jason Rupert, Mustang, 4.094, 312.93; 15. Austin Prock, Mustang, 4.158, 240.85; 16. Jeff Diehl, Toyota Camry, 4.173, 245.00.

Not Qualified: 17. Terry Haddock, 4.212, 299.40; 18. Julie Nataas, 4.475, 193.27; 19. Ron Capps, 4.623, 211.39.

Pro Stock — 1. Matt Hartford, Chevy Camaro, 6.632, 206.57; 2. Matt Latino, Camaro, 6.635, 205.79; 3. Greg Stanfield, Camaro, 6.639, 204.63; 4. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.646, 205.82; 5. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.651, 205.44; 6. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.655, 204.76; 7. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.657, 206.92; 8. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.661, 205.35; 9. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.669, 205.32; 10. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.673, 205.01; 11. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.683, 204.73; 12. Cody Anderson, Camaro, 6.721, 204.20; 13. Shane Tucker, Camaro, 6.737, 206.07; 14. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.743,

203.83; 15. Alan Prusiensky, Dodge Dart, 6.927, 197.39; 16. Chris Vang, Camaro, 7.591, 165.07.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.835, 195.42; 2. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.841, 194.41; 3. Joey Gladstone, Buell, 6.856, 195.65; 4. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.857, 195.11; 5. Ryan Oehler, EBR, 6.882, 194.86; 6. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.896, 196.39; 7. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.927, 194.27; 8. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.933, 193.24; 9. Clayton Howey, Buell, 6.945, 191.73; 10. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 6.954, 192.88; 11. GT Tonglet, Suzuki, 6.962, 193.27; 12. John Hall, Buell, 6.973, 190.30; 13. Marc Ingwersen, EBR, 6.986, 189.82; 14. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 7.093, 184.09; 15. Ronnie Procopio, 7.407, 144.75; 16. Brad Hawkes, Suzuki, 7.723, 167.68.

Not Qualified: 17. Chris Bostick, 8.255, 110.62.

2026 Niece Motorsports NCTS Race Recap: Martinsville Speedway

By
Official Release
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NCTS RACE RECAP: MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY
Event: Black’s Tire 200 (200 laps / 105.2 miles)
Round: 24 of 25 (The Chase)
Track: Martinsville Speedway
Location: Ridgeway, VA
Date & Time: Friday, October 30 | 6:00 PM ET

No. 44 Telcel Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Andrés Perez de Lara | Crew Chief: Wally Rogers

Start: 13th | Stage 1: 9th | Stage 2: 9th
Finish: 6th | Driver Points: 15th | Owner Points: 21st

  • Key Takeaway: Andrés Pérez de Lara and the Telcel team managed a great race in Martinsville, resulting in their best finish of the season. Pérez de Lara rolled off the starting line from 13th, but it didn’t take him long to advance into the top-10. He stayed consistent by finishing ninth in both of the opening two stages, and continued to move forward as the laps clicked off. Everything went to plan for the No. 44 team, and the speed was reflected in the end result. Pérez de Lara was thrilled as he picked up his best-career finish in sixth-place.
  • Andrés Pérez de Lara’s Post-Race Thoughts:

Interviewer: Andrés Pérez, sixth-place on the night. It looked like you might get up there and play spoiler against the Chase guys. What was clicking for you tonight?

“Yeah, it was a very solid day. Obviously, we had a really, really fast truck since the get-go in practice and qualifying. We battled some brake issues throughout the whole night, but I think we just managed it really well and still had some really good pace. We just executed. I feel like this season, and even last year, we’ve had some solid races that we didn’t finish where we deserved, so finally, I’m just happy to finish where we deserved.”

Interviewer: This race, there was caution after caution at the end of it. How do you stay in a rhythm and still perform at a high level when it was ending like that?

”Obviously, cautions bring a lot of chaos in the restarts and stuff like that, but we just stayed out of the trouble. We have nothing to lose in the Chase standings, but we are trying to race smart. Like I said, we had big pace in the truck, so that really helped. So yeah, I think overall it was a really solid day. I was not trying to get in anybody’s way, but I was also not giving an inch. Just a solid day, and hopefully we can finish with this momentum in Homestead.”

About Telcel: Telcel is Mexico’s leading telecommunications company, providing nationwide coverage, cutting-edge mobile connectivity, and high-speed internet services to millions of users. With over 30 years of experience, Telcel continues to innovate in digital communication, offering solutions that keep people connected anytime, anywhere.

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

Start: 12th | Stage 1: 11th | Stage 2: 18th
Finish: 19th | Driver Points: 20th | Owner Points: 10th

  • Key Takeaway: Landen Lewis and the J.F. Electric team had a character-building race in Martinsville. Lewis qualified the highest out of the team in 12th-place, and fought just outside the top-10 in stage one. Lewis fell back in stage two after wrestling the handling on his truck, and nearly had to come to a complete stop to avoid a crash in turn one. The No. 45 was issued a restart violation penalty in the final stage which prompted Lewis to make a pass-through under green. After getting the free pass, Lewis was able to get back on the lead lap during the last caution, which allowed him to cross the finish line in 19th-place.
  • Landen Lewis’ Post-Race Thoughts: “We had an up-and-down race tonight. I just have to clean up a lot of mistakes on my end. We lost some track position early, and it just kind of honestly all fell apart from there. I got back in the pack and turned into a ping pong ball. We almost rebounded into the top-10, but there was a wreck in front of me and I had to stop to not pile in, and lost all the track position again. Overall, I just need to clean up my mistakes and be better for Homestead to try and finish the year off strong. Thank you to everyone at J.F. Electric, Niece Motorsports, and Team Chevy for their support.”

About J.F. Electric: J.F. Electric is an electrical contractor that provides engineering expertise, backed by construction and installation know-how in a diverse range of service offerings, from utilities and commercial projects, to industrial and telecommunications customers. When having a long family history in an industry, a company not only builds on its knowledge and experience, it takes pride in cultivating a solid understanding of client needs, all the while nurturing strong relationships with its employees. Evolving through five generations of the Fowler family, J.F. Electric has matured into a well-managed and thoughtfully diversified electrical contractor which is poised to continue its growth and expansion into the future.

No. 42 Utilitra Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Tyler Reif | Crew Chief: Landon Polinski

Start: 16th | Stage 1: 17th | Stage 2: 19th
Finish: 27th | Driver Points: 30th | Owner Points: 24th

Read Tyler’s Bio

  • Key Takeaway: Tyler Reif and the Utilitra team experienced a roller coaster of a night in Martinsville. After qualifying 16th, Reif held serve in stage one and found his footing in stage one. Things took a turn at the conclusion of the second stage when Reif spun off the nose of another competitor in turn four. The No. 42 team pressed on and was able to rally back inside the top-10 after dodging a couple of crashes. With less than 20 laps to go, however, Reif found himself facing the wrong direction on the backstretch with significant damage. NASCAR officials then dealt Reif a reckless driving penalty for the contact, which relegated him to a 27th-place finish.
  • Tyler Reif’s Post-Race Thoughts:

Interviewer: First off, do you think that penalty was necessary, or do you think that you didn’t deserve that?

“Well, I think from mine and the team’s perspective, we’re always going to say no, right? I think we’re all in over our head and that’s what 25 to go at Martinsville produces – especially when you’re running really good. I think we were right up to ninth there before that last caution and had a good shot at a top-10, maybe top-eight. I don’t know, we had a good night and nobody gave us room there. It’s not like I tried to wreck him, but the No. 25 (Carson Ferguson) drove in there five car lengths, maybe six car lengths too deep and completely missed the corner and put us both in the asphalt. I got it to turn before he did, and I got into him, but he just didn’t save it. I probably picked him up a little too aggressive, but nothing they didn’t do different the 30 laps prior.”

Interviewer: Did you guys talk afterwards, or no?

”Me and Ty Norris talked a little bit. Like you said, it’s just racing at Martinsville and it is what it is. Frustrations and tempers are high.”

About Utilitra: Utilitra is a woman-owned firm specializing in utility and technology solutions with a diverse team of specialized professionals. Utilitra is committed to solving their client’s unique challenges, whether one expert or a team of experts is needed. By adapting to the needs of their respective industries, Utilitra has built a range of services for their utility and technology partners.

No. 4 Niece Equipment Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Conner Jones | Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett

Start: 21st | Stage 1: 25th | Stage 2: 36th
Finish: 36th | Driver Points: 41st | Owner Points: 33rd

  • Key Takeaway: Conner Jones and the Niece Equipment team had an early end to their race in Martinsville. Jones started the 200-lap race in 21st, gained a few positions early, and elected to make a pit stop before the end of the first stage. With a handful of laps remaining in stage two, the No. 4 truck began to drop back with a rear gear issue. Jones drove the truck behind the wall on lap 95 and was out of the race in 36th-place.
  • Conner Jones’ Post-Race Thoughts: “We had a pretty good truck tonight. I qualified in the back, and this place is all about track position. It’s hard to fight your way back through, and it just sucks to have a mechanical failure. The spotter was saying that we were running top-10 lap times, so maybe we could have finished there if we didn’t have that happen.”

About Niece Equipment: For over 40 years, Niece Equipment has provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Our reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. Each of our water and fuel/lube trucks are engineered with quality and durability in mind. Our capability ranges from 2,000 gallon water trucks to 12,000 gallon water towers. The fuel/lube trucks we offer range from 600 to 4,000 gallons.

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).

Daniel Hemric NCTS Martinsville Speedway Recap

By
Official Release
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Black’s Tire 200 – Race Results

Venue: Martinsville Speedway

FINISH: 15th
Start: 15th
Laps Led: 0
NCTS Point Standings Position: 8th

Hemric Runs Through Adversity at Martinsville to Finish Top-15

Daniel Hemric made a late comeback for a 15th-place result in Friday night’s slugfest at Martinsville Speedway. The driver of the No. 19 Arnott Suspension Products Chevrolet Silverado RST responded after being collected in a multi-truck incident after halfway to rebound and record a top-15 run in the second-to-last event on the calendar. Heading into next week’s season finale, Hemric resides eighth in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks Series points standings.

Hemric lined up 15th for the green flag and managed to advance forward in the opening laps. He had moved to 13th position by the race’s first caution flag on lap 37, which offered an opportunity to elect a contrarian pit strategy. Crew chief Kevin Bellicourt brought Hemric to pit lane for four tires, fuel, and an adjustment to aid the lack of front grip. Hemric used those fresh tires to go from 15th on the lap 45 restart back up to 13th by the Stage 1 checkered on lap 50.

With a significant tires advantage versus the rest of the field, Hemric stayed on track during the stage caution and made gains over the next 43-lap run. By lap 63, Hemric cracked the top-10 but began to be hampered by a lack of braking power on the tight corner entries. Despite the hindrance, Hemric was scored 11th at the end of Stage 2 on lap 100.

He pitted with all lead lap trucks during the second stage caution for four tires, fuel, and a track bar adjustment, which positioned him 15th for the restart on lap 115. Two successive cautions kept the field bunched up and triggered a multi-truck incident in Turn 1 on lap 136, which collected Hemric. His Arnott Suspension Products Chevy sustained minor nose damage in a spin but was able to continue. Despite restarting 23rd, Hemric was able to advance back into the top-15 on the final 12-lap run of the evening and took the checkered flag in 15th position.

Daniel Hemric Quote:

“Definitely a trying evening for our No. 19 group. We were limited on entry and lacked rotation with the front tires on our Arnott Chevrolet. We had pretty decent pace in the first stage and gave ourselves a good opportunity on fresher tires before halfway. Unfortunately, the aggression ramps up with every restart later in the race and we got caught up in that mess into Turn 1. Glad this group stayed in the fight and get back to where we did at the end.”

Martinsville Speedway Photos

At Arnott, we believe every driver deserves a suspension system that restores confidence, comfort, and control. That belief drives our mission to engineer smarter, longer-lasting solutions that elevate the driving experience. We see every challenge in a vehicle’s suspension not as a failure, but as anopportunity to innovate, improve, and redefine reliability.

What inspires us most is knowing the difference our work makes every day. From the first idea to the final product, our teams are guided by a shared commitment to quality, innovation, and pride in craftsmanship. We do what we do because we care about the people behind the wheel, and we want every ride to feel as good as it did the day the vehicle first hit the road.

Christian Eckes NCTS Martinsville Speedway Recap

By
Official Release
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Black’s Tire 200 – Race Results

Venue: Martinsville Speedway

FINISH: 10th
Start: 7th
Stage 1: 6th
Stage 2: 7th
Laps Led: 0
NCTS Point Standings Position: 5th

Eckes Records Top-10 in Topsy Turvy Martinsville Outing

Christian Eckes endured a volatile night at Martinsville Speedway on Friday to record a 10th-place finish in the season’s penultimate round. The driver of the No. 91 NAPA Auto Care Chevrolet Silverado RST earned points in both stages and his 15th top-10 result of the 2026 campaign. He scored the seventh-most points on the evening with 36 and sits fifth in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks Series (NCTS) Chase standings entering next week’s season finale.

Eckes began the 200-lapper from the seventh position, with a rebooted white and blue NAPA Auto Care color scheme. The opening segment ran under green flag conditions for the first 37 laps, during which Eckes began to combat a loose balance. He took control of sixth position as the first caution waved and efficiently protected it on the ensuing restart to earn five points at the end of Stage 1 on lap 50.

The No. 91 team stayed on track with the majority of the lead lap trucks during the stage caution and restarted sixth on lap 59. The event’s green flag flavor continued in Stage 2 as a 43-lap run immediately followed. After restarting on the outside lane, Eckes fell into line in seventh on lap 63 and held that position until the second stage checkers waved on lap 100.

Crew chief Dave Elenz brought Eckes to pit road under the second stage caution period for four tires, fuel, and a chassis adjustment to improve the NAPA Auto Care Chevy’s forward drive and rotation capability. Eckes restarted ninth on lap 115 but quickly faced a significantly unpredictable balance. After falling to 16th, he pitted under the lap 129 caution flag to address the issue. He restarted 21st on lap 136 and picked his way forward throughout a flurry of cautions and an excessively tight condition. By lap 172, Eckes rejoined the top-15 and took advantage of the night’s final restart on lap 189 to advance from 13th to take the checkered flag in 10th position.

Christian Eckes Quote:

“Certainly not what we were hoping for tonight. Our balance wasn’t ever consistent on our NAPA Auto Care Chevy. We were okay in the first stage, just too free and lacked overall grip compared to everyone else. It got really free on entry after our first pit stop and started plowing tight after halfway. We’ll get to the bottom of it, make improvements and we’ll try to finish the year strong at Homestead next week.”

Martinsville Speedway Photos

Through nearly 6,000 auto parts stores and over 18,000 auto care centers in the U.S., NAPA has America’s largest network of parts and care. The NAPA Network is supported by nationwide distribution centers with approximately 800,000 available parts, accessories and supplies. Widely recognized for quality parts, rapid availability and knowledgeable people, NAPA Auto Parts stores serve automotive service professionals, do-it-yourselfers and everyday drivers with quality parts, accessories and supplies to keep cars, trucks and equipment performing safely and efficiently. In 2025, NAPA proudly celebrates its 100th anniversary by honoring its innovative spirit and centennial legacy through community initiatives and a renewed commitment to driving the industry forward for the next century. For more information, visit www.napaonline.com.

Parker Kligerman scheduled for third Truck start with Kaulig Racing at Homestead

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Parker Kligerman will cap off Kaulig Racing’s Free Agent Program by piloting the organization’s No. 25 RAM 1500 entry for next weekend’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season-finale event at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The news comes as Kligerman, a 36-year-old native of Westport, Connecticut, made two previous Truck starts with Kaulig earlier this season. He finished 11th in his first start at Texas Motor Speedway in early May before he finished 16th at Michigan International Speedway in early June. Kligerman would then compete in the next two Truck events at San Diego’s Naval Base Coronado and Lime Rock Park with Henderson Motorsports and Spire Motorsports, respectively. During the latter event at Lime Rock, he notched a fourth-place result.

The 2026 finale at Homestead will mark Kligerman’s fourth start in the Truck division at Homestead, a track in which he has notched three top-10 results, including a ninth-place result during his latest start in 2022 and his highest-finishing result of seventh place in 2012. The Connecticut native has also recorded a pair of seventh-place results in five O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts at Homestead and a single Cup Series start at the venue, the latter of which occurred in 2013.

“Getting the opportunity to jump into the No. 25 Ram 1500 this year has been an absolute blast,” Kligerman said. “Ram created something genuinely cool with the Free Agent Program, and getting the call to come back a third time and close out the season means a lot to me. Homestead is one of the most challenging, fun tracks on the schedule because you’re constantly running up against the wall and the weather is usually beautiful. It’s my favorite place to end the season.”

“This program was designed to generate buzz and give fans something unique every single week,” Kligerman added. “To be trusted with the wheel for three races—and to bring the curtain down on Ram’s comeback season at Homestead—is an honor. Kaulig Racing built a powerful five-truck team this year, and we’re looking to end the year with a great finish.”

Kaulig Racing launched its free-agent driver program ahead of its inaugural Craftsman Truck Series campaign in November 2025. The program features various competitors from multiple racing divisions and disciplines. Each will compete in at least one Truck event in one of Kaulig’s RAM 1500 entries numbered 25. The competitors who compete in the entry would not compete for the 2026 Truck Series driver’s championship. They will, however, be evaluated by their on-track performance for a season-ending program prize.

Currently, Kaulig Racing’s No. 25 entry, which is led by crew chief Dan Stillman, is ranked in 27th place in the 2026 owner’s standings after 24 of the 25-race schedule. The entry is one of five that is fielded by Kaulig. It competes alongside the No. 10 entry piloted by Corey LaJoie, the No. 12 entry piloted by rookie Brenden “Butterbean” Queen, the No. 14 entry piloted by newcomer Timothy “Mini” Tyrrell and the No. 16 entry piloted by Justin Haley. 

Tony Stewart, Ty Dillon, Colin Braun, Corey LaJoie, Carson Ferguson, Parker Kligerman, AJ Allmendinger, Clint Bowyer, Travis Pastrana, Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman, Conor Daly, Elliott Sadler and Regan Smith have piloted the entry at least once. Dillon, Braun, Ferguson, Kligerman, Daly, Smith and Stewart have each piloted the No. 25 entry multiple times, with Ferguson being the latest competitor to drive the entry at Martinsville Speedway.

At the conclusion of the finale at Homestead, Kligerman will tie Braun, Daly and Ferguson with the most starts in the No. 25 Kaulig entry at three apiece. The entry’s best on-track result is sixth place, which was achieved by Allmendinger at Watkins Glen International in early May, as Kligerman strives to cap off the Free Agent Program on a strong note at Homestead amid Kaulig Racing’s inaugural campaign in the Truck Series division.

Parker Kligerman’s third Craftsman Truck Series start of the 2026 season at Homestead-Miami Speedway is scheduled to occur next Friday, November 6, at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM.

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