When the at-fault driver has no car insurance in Florida, you may still have options for paying your medical bills, vehicle repairs, and other losses. In many cases, the key is whether you have uninsured motorist (UM) coverage on your own auto policy, because Florida law generally does not require drivers to carry bodily injury liability insurance.
St. Petersburg sees heavy traffic on roads such as I-275, 4th Street North, and U.S. 19, where crashes can happen in seconds. A collision with an uninsured driver can be especially stressful because the person who caused the crash may have little money or no insurance to cover your losses. After a crash in the area, an uninsured motorist accident lawyer in St. Petersburg, FL, can help you understand your insurance coverage and the options available for pursuing compensation.
The most important step is to check your own policy before assuming you are on your own. Florida’s rules on uninsured motorists, personal injury protection (PIP), and insurance claims can affect what you can recover and how you should proceed after the accident.
What Happens After an Uninsured Driver Hits You?
Your first source of coverage may be your own auto insurance. Florida requires PIP coverage for covered drivers, and Florida Statute § 627.736 generally provides up to $10,000 in PIP benefits, including 80% of reasonable medical expenses, when you receive initial care within 14 days of the crash. PIP applies without regard to who caused the wreck.
You should also check for uninsured motorist coverage. Under Fla. Stat. § 627.727, insurers that issue auto liability policies with bodily injury coverage generally must provide UM coverage unless it is rejected or changed as allowed by law. UM coverage can help pay damages when you are legally entitled to recover from an uninsured driver.
Florida Has Limited Required Liability Coverage
Florida’s insurance rules can be confusing. The law requires vehicle owners and operators to maintain financial responsibility for property damage. Under Fla. Stat. § 324.022, that requirement is $10,000 for damage to another person’s property in one crash. The statute allows several ways to meet that requirement, including qualifying insurance.
That does not mean every Florida driver carries bodily injury liability coverage. So, after a serious injury crash, the at-fault driver’s lack of insurance can leave you relying on your own coverage or pursuing the driver directly.
What Can Pay for Your Losses?
There may be more than one source of money after an uninsured driver causes a crash. It depends on what coverage you bought, what kind of damage you suffered, and how serious your injuries are.
Your PIP coverage: Florida generally requires PIP coverage, and Fla. Stat. § 627.736 provides benefits for covered medical expenses and lost income after a crash. PIP can apply even when the other driver caused the accident.
Uninsured motorist coverage: This is often the most important coverage to check after an uninsured-driver crash. Under Fla. Stat. § 627.727, UM coverage may help pay for bodily injury losses when the at-fault driver has no applicable liability insurance, subject to your policy and the law.
Collision coverage: If your car was damaged, collision coverage may help with repairs or replacement. You will usually have to pay your deductible.
The other driver’s own money or property: You may have the right to seek payment directly from the driver. The problem is practical: a judgment only helps if the person has assets or income you can actually collect from.
The easiest mistake to make is assuming that “no insurance” means “no claim.” It does not. Start with your own policy and find out exactly what protection you have.
What Should You Do Next?
Get the other driver’s information, report the crash, seek medical care promptly, and notify your insurer. Keep photos, medical records, repair estimates, wage-loss records, and other proof of your losses.
Do not assume the other driver’s lack of insurance ends your claim. Your own policy may provide more protection than you expect, and the exact coverage can depend on your policy language, selected limits, and the facts of the crash.
Key Takeaways
The other driver’s lack of insurance does not necessarily end your claim.
Your PIP coverage may help with medical bills and some lost income.
Uninsured motorist coverage may cover injury-related losses caused by an uninsured driver.
Florida requires financial responsibility for certain property damage, but that does not mean every driver carries bodily injury coverage.
Collision insurance may help pay for damage to your vehicle, minus your deductible.
You can sometimes pursue the uninsured driver personally, but collecting money may be difficult.
BRISTOL, TENNESSEE - SEPTEMBER 18: Sheldon Creed, driver of the #00 Ollie's Chevrolet, lifts the Food City 300 trophy in victory lane after winning the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 18, 2026 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images).
Sheldon Creed made the inside lane and a late tire advantage work in his favor at the right time for an overtime shootout that enabled him to capture a late victory in the Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday, September 18.
The 2020 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion from Alpine, California, led the final three of 305 over-scheduled laps in an event where he earned a front-row starting spot based on a qualifying metric formula and navigated through the event’s first two stage periods with top-10 results. Then, while racing in 10th place when a late-race caution flew with 26 laps remaining, Creed was among a handful of competitors who opted to pit for fresh tires while most of the front-runners remained on the track. The late decision to pit paid off for Creed during a 15-lap dash that enabled him to move into the runner-up spot. Following another caution that flew with three laps remaining and sent the event into overtime, Creed used his fresh tires and the inside lane to fend off William Sawalich and the field to double down in the Chase under the lights at Thunder Valley and make another emphatic championship statement.
The event’s starting lineup was determined by a qualifying metric formula after precipitation canceled Friday’s on-track qualifying session. As a result, Jesse Love, winner of last weekend’s event at World Wide Technology Raceway, was awarded the pole position, and he shared the front row with Sheldon Creed. Prior to the event, Lavar Scott dropped to the rear of the field due to an engine change.
When the green flag waved and the event commenced, Jesse Love used the outside lane to gain the upper advantage and motor his No. 2 Samsara Chevrolet Camaro entry ahead of Sheldon Creed and the field for a full circuit, where the former led the first lap. While Creed was being pressured by Carson Kvapil and Brent Crews for the runner-up spot, Love led by six-tenths of a second by the fifth lap.
Through the first 10 laps, Love led by more than a second over Creed as Kvapil, Crews, Taylor Gray, Sam Mayer, Justin Allgaier, Parker Retzlaff, Brandon Jones, Rajah Caruth and Sammy Smith followed suit in the top-11 spots, respectively. Meanwhile, Austin Hill and Corey Day were mired in 18th and 19th, respectively, as Love stretched his advantage up to one-and-a-half seconds by Lap 15. With Crews moving up into third place, Love, who started to lap the competitors racing at the tail end of the field, stabilized his early advantage by one-and-a-half seconds just past the Lap 20 mark before his advantage increased by nearly two seconds on Lap 25.
At the Lap 30 mark, Love continued to lead by one-and-a-half seconds over Creed before the latter was overtaken by Crews for the runner-up spot a lap later. Kvapil followed suit in third place another lap later as both Gray and Allgaier, both of whom were fiercely battling for fifth place in front of Mayer, reeled in on Creed for fourth place. Meanwhile, the remaining Chase contenders, including Jones, Retzlaff, Caruth, Sammy Smith, Day and Hill, were mired in eighth, ninth, 10th, 11th, 14th and 19th, respectively, as Love led by two-and-a-half seconds on Lap 40. With Allgaier proceeding to battle teammate Kvapil and Crews for the runner-up spot, Love added another second to his advantage over the next five laps before the latter retained the lead by more than three seconds over Allgaier at the Lap 50 mark.
By Lap 60, Love maintained his advantage by nearly four seconds over Allgaier while Kvapil, Crews and Mayer followed suit, respectively. By then, 10 of the top-11 spots were occupied by Chase contenders while Day and Hill were the two lowest-running Chasers in 13th and 19th, respectively. Five laps later, Caruth made an unscheduled green-flag pit stop to address a flat right-front tire. Earlier, Jeb Burton had pitted after he got into the wall and had a flat right-front tire. With Caruth losing multiple laps in the process, Love had his advantage decrease by more than a second over Allgaier at the Lap 70 mark before the latter reeled in and trailed Love by only half a second five laps later.
With Austin Hill pitting under green due to a flat right-front tire by Lap 75, Allgaier trailed Love, who was mired in lapped traffic, by within two-tenths of a second during the next five laps before the former used lapped traffic, including bumping into the rear of Nick Sanchez as Sanchez nearly turned Josh Williams into Jeremy Clements through the frontstretch, to motor his No. 7 BRANDT Chevrolet Camaro entry with a damaged nose ahead of Love with the lead another two laps later.
When the first stage period concluded on Lap 85, Allgaier, who grew his lead up to eight-tenths of a second, captured his 10th O’Reilly stage victory of the 2026 season. Teammate Kvapil followed suit in second ahead of Crews, Love and Mayer, while Sammy Smith, Gray, Creed, Retzlaff and Corey Day were scored in the top 10, respectively. By then, nine of 12 Chase contenders racked up the event’s first round of stage points while the remaining Chasers, including Jones, Hill and Caruth, were mired in 12th, 37th and 38th, respectively. In addition, 16 of 38 starters were scored on the lead lap while both Hill and Caruth were three laps behind the leaders.
Under the event’s first stage break period, the lead lap field led by Allgaier pitted. After the pit stops, Kvapil exited pit road first, ahead of Love and Allgaier, as Crews, Mayer, Sammy Smith, William Sawalich, Creed, Gray and Day followed suit, respectively.
The second stage period started on Lap 98 as Kvapil and Love occupied the front row. At the start, Kvapil rocketed his No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Camaro entry ahead of Love, who stumbled on the inside lane, through the frontstretch before Allgaier, who restarted behind Kvapil, also drew himself alongside Kvapil for a full circuit from the outside lane. Allgaier, who outdueled Kvapil at the start, led the next two laps before he was pressured by Kvapil and Crews entering the first two turns. With the latter two nearly pinning Allgaier in the middle of a three-wide battle, Allgaier then put Crews into the backstretch’s outside wall. This allowed Kvapil to get beneath Allgaier and reassume the lead through the first two turns by Lap 101. As Kvapil stabilized his advantage by three-tenths of a second on Lap 105, Love navigated his way into second place over Allgaier as Crews, Mayer, Gary, Sammy Smith, Day, Creed and Retzlaff followed suit, respectively.
By Lap 115, Kvapil extended his lead up to a second over Love, Allgaier, Crews and Mayer while Gray, Smith, Day, Creed and Retzlaff continued to trail in the top 10, respectively. Meanwhile, Jones, Hill and Caruth were mired in 16th, 25th and 34th, respectively, with Hill being scored two laps behind and Caruth three laps behind. Kvapil retained his lead by up to nine-tenths of a second on Lap 120 before the caution flew three laps later due to Natalie Decker spinning below the backstretch after she got bumped by Anthony Alfredo. During the latest caution, Jones and Nick Sanchez pitted their respective entries. More names that included Clements, Stefan Parson, Anthony Alfredo, Hill and Jeb Burton pitted while the red led by Kvapil remained on the track.
Kvapil proceeded to fend off Allgaier, Love and the field for the next start on Lap 131. By Lap 140, Kvapil’s lead grew to eight-tenths of a second before his lead stood at more than a second at the event’s halfway mark on Lap 150. By then, 18 of 38 starters were scored on the lead lap as eight Chasers led by Kvapil and including Allgaier, Love, Mayer, Gray, Day, Creed and Retzlaff were in the top-10 mark, respectively. Meanwhile, Jones and Sammy Smith were mired in 15th and 17th, while Hill and Caruth continued to run multiple laps down in 25th and 31st, respectively. Through the on-track battles that had brewed since the event’s start and continued to ensue around Bristol, Kvapil added another second to his lead as he led by more than two seconds over Allgaier and Love at the Lap 160 mark.
When the second stage period concluded on Lap 170, Kvapil motored his way to his fourth O’Reilly stage victory of the 2026 season. Allgaier, Love, Mayer and Gray followed suit in the top-five mark while Crews, Day, Sawalich, Creed and Retzlaff were scored in the top 10, respectively. By then, eight of 12 Chasers (Kvapil, Allgaier, Love, Mayer, Gray, Day, Creed and Retzlaff) racked up the event’s second round of stage points while the remaining Chasers, including Jones, Sammy Smith, His and Caruth, were mired in 14th, 17th, 25th and 30th, respectively. In addition, 18 of 38 starters scored on the lead lap.
During the event’s second stage break period, the lead lap field led by Kvapil returned to pit road for service. Following the pit stops, Kvapil maintained the lead by exiting pit road ahead of Allgaier, Gray, Mayer and Love while Sawalich, Crews, Creed, Day and Nick Sanchez followed suit, respectively.
With 118 laps remaining, the final stage period commenced as teammates Kvapil and Allgaier occupied the front row. At the start, Kvapil fended off Allgaier amid a scattered start to lead the following lap. With the field behind jostling for late spots, Kvapil led by four-tenths of a second with 115 laps remaining over Allgaier, Gray, Love and Mayer while Crews, Sawalich, Creed, Sanchez and Harrison Burton followed suit, respectively.
Down to the final 100 laps, Kvapil was leading by nine-tenths of a second over Allgaier while Gray, Love and Mayer trailed in the top five, respectively. Behind, teammates Crews and Sawalich battled for sixth place in front of Creed, Sanchez and Retzlaff while Harrison Burton, Day, Jones, Dean Thompson and Ryan Sieg were in the top 15, respectively. Behind, Sammy Smith trailed in 16th place, Hill was mired a lap down in 23rd place, and Caruth was pinned three laps down in 27th place.
With less than 90 laps remaining, Kvapil increased his late lead by nearly two seconds over Allgaier while third-place Gray trailed by two seconds. Behind, fourth-place Love trailed by three seconds and fifth-place Mayer trailed by four seconds as Kvapil stabilized his lead by two seconds over Allgaier and Gray with 80 laps remaining. Despite having the advantage decrease to a second with 70 laps remaining, Kvapil retained the lead over Allgaier as Gray, Love and Mayer continued to trail in the top five, respectively.
As the event reached its final 55-lap mark, Kvapil, who was mired in heavy lapped traffic and reporting a loose wheel on his entry, continued to lead by six-tenths of a second over Allgaier while Gray, Love and Mayer trailed by as far back as three seconds in the top five, respectively. Meanwhile, Hill, who pitted a lap earlier due to a flat right-front tire under green, lost an additional four laps as he was mired in 27th place.
Soon after, Allgaier assumed the lead from Kvapil through Turns 3 and 4 with 52 laps remaining. Gray followed suit shortly after into the runner-up spot while Kvapil, who started to have smoke coming out of his car, fell back to third place. Kvapil then dropped off the pace and limped his entry below the apron before he pitted under green within the final 45-lap mark. With Kvapil mired back in 24th place and four laps behind, Allgaier led by half a second over Gray with 40 laps remaining.
Down to the final 30 laps, Allgaier maintained his late lead by seven-tenths of a second over Gray while third-place Love trailed by nearly four seconds. Meanwhile, Sawalich was the highest-running non-Chaser in fourth place ahead of Mayer, Crews and Retzlaff while Day, Sanchez, Creed and Jones followed suit, respectively. As Sammy Smith was mired in 15th place, Kvapil occupied 23rd place in front of Caruth, both of whom were four laps behind, while Hill was also four laps down in 26th place.
Then four laps later, the caution flew when Patrick Staropoli spun down the backstretch. During this caution period, some, including Crews, Day, Creed, Ryan Sieg, Harrison Burton, Dean Thompson, Sammy Smith, Jake Finch, and Jeremy Clements, pitted while the rest, led by Allgaier, remained on the track.
The next restart with 15 laps remaining featured Allgaier motoring ahead of Love, Gray and the field for a full circuit. Then during the following lap, Love executed a strong run and crossover move beneath Allgaier through Turns 3 and 4 along with the frontstretch to duel alongside Allgaier. With the two champions dueling through the first two turns, Love then moved up the track, rubbed and forced Allgaier into the outside wall. The contact allowed Gray to briefly duel with Gray through the backstretch before Love motored back ahead to lead the next lap. As Retzlaff, Ryan Sieg, Mayer and Day got bobbled up while battling for sixth place behind Creed, Love, who barely scrubbed the outside wall a lap prior, maintained a steady lead over Gray.
With 12 laps remaining, a side-by-side battle boiled over between Love and Gray. The latter two duked it out during the next lap before Gray then tried to slide in front of Love entering Turns 3 and 4. Instead, both made contact and Love hit the outside wall. In the process, Gray lost his momentum as teammate Sawalich moved into the lead with 10 laps remaining. Allgaier also motored his way up to battle Gray and Creed for the runner-up spot while Love fell back to fifth. As Love continued to lose ground to the front-runners, Creed used his fresh tires to move into second place over Gray and Allgaier with nine laps remaining while Sawalich maintained the lead. Sawalich proceeded to lead by less than six-tenths of a second over a hard-charging Creed while Allgaier, Gray, Retzlaff, Crews, Ryan Sieg, Day, Mayer, Harrison Burton and Love followed suit, respectively.
Then with three laps remaining, the caution flew when Ryan Sieg, who was locked in a tight three-wide battle with Day and Retzlaff for sixth place, got forced into the left-front area of Retzlaff by Day through the backstretch. The contact turned Sieg’s right-side into the outside wall. After bouncing off the wall, Sieg’s No. 39 Sci Aps Chevrolet Camaro entry turned left into the right-rear end of Day’s No. 17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro in an attempt to keep the former’s straight before Sieg veered back to the right and hit the outside wall a second time in Turns 3 and 4. The incident knocked Sieg out of contention and sent the event into overtime. At the time of caution, Sawalich maintained the lead over Creed, Allgaier, Gray and Crews, respectively.
The start of overtime featured Creed using his fresh tires to motor his No. 00 Ollie’s Chevrolet Camaro entry ahead from the inside lane while Crews tried to follow suit in the runner-up spot next to teammate Sawalich. With Allgaier, Day and the rest of the field pursuing behind, Sawalich used the outside lane to motor ahead of Crews through the backstretch. He then tried to mount a charge through Turns 3 and 4, but Creed maintained a slight advantage from the inside lane through Turns 3 and 4.
When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Creed remained in the lead by a tenth of a second over a hard-charging Sawalich. Sawalich then used the outside lane to nearly draw himself alongside Creed through the first two turns, but Creed managed to motor ahead from the inside lane entering the backstretch. With Sawalich unable to mount any momentum from the outside lane through Turns 3 and 4, Creed used the inside lane to cycle back to the frontstretch out in front and claim the checkered flag by two-tenths of a second.
With the victory, Creed earned his third career win in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series division both in the 2026 season and in his career. He became the first repeat winner in this year’s Chase, and he notched his first victory at Bristol Motor Speedway after finishing in the runner-up spot in the fall event over the previous two seasons. Creed’s Bristol victory was also the 24th of the 2026 season for Chevrolet and the third for Haas Factory Team.
As an added bonus, Creed, who entered Bristol Motor Speedway with the points lead by three points, added another eight points to his lead as he continues his pursuit for his first O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championship with six Chase events remaining in 2026.
“Just great call by my crew chief and engineer there to put tires on,” Creed said on the frontstretch on the CW Network. “Great pit stop by my guys to get my out first to be the first one on tires. To be honest, I wasn’t really good all night. I struggled with the balance of our Ollie’s Chevrolet. Man, just hats off to these guys. They just never give up. I just think the [overtime] restart there, I tried to time [Sawalich] well. Just me being on a lot newer tires, it was easier for me to get going. I got clear and I was trying to watch [Sawalich] up top and it seemed like he had good momentum, but just extremely proud of everyone at Haas Factory Team.”
“I don’t know if [winning tonight] makes us a title favorite,” Creed added. “[There’s still] A long way to go. Six [races] to go. I thought we were gonna just lose some points tonight, but winning kind of helps us salvage that a bit. I’d like to think we’re a favorite. If not, we’re at least talked about now. It’s really a team effort to get out here and do this. Just to open [the Chase] up with one, two, one [finishes] is amazing.”
As Creed celebrated the race victory, Allgaier was left dejected on pit road and wasted no time marching his way to Love’s entry, sticking his head inside of Love’s cockpit and exchanging words to express his displeasure over Love’s late-race contact that forced Allgaier to scrub the wall and lose both the lead and the eventual event. Allgaier, who led 49 laps, settled in fourth place while Love fell back to 17th place. As a result, Allgaier trails points leader Sheldon Creed by 11 points, while Love trails by 41 points and is situated in fourth place in the Chase standings.
“[I’m] Really disappointed,” Allgaier said. “I felt like we raced clean all night. [Love] didn’t even try to make the corner. Just disappointed in coming out here fourth. I don’t know how many races I’ve been leading with 20 [laps] to go here and haven’t won, but I told [team owner] Dale [Earnhardt Jr.] I think it’s 100. All in all, we got 11 points to the lead. We got race cars and a bunch of good racetracks coming up for us in the next couple [weeks].”
“I would’ve done a lot of things different,” Love said. “I guess we came off of [Turn] 4, kind of still side-by-side. I needed to run my best corner, and instead, I got caught up in the moment racing [Allgaier]. In turn, that led me down the path to make an enemy I did not need to make and make a terrible decision that took ourselves out of contention to win. I’m just really frustrated at myself. Obviously, I owe an apology to [Allgaier], not that that’s gonna cut it, but also, an apology to my team and everybody back at Welcome, North Carolina. I’m 21 years old, and I’ve been racing since I was five years old. I know better than to do that.”
William Sawalich, who led 13 laps, capped off the night at Bristol as the highest-finishing non-Chaser in the runner-up spot while teammate Brent Crews finished third for his 10th top-five result in his rookie O’Reilly campaign. Allgaier and Corey Day finished in the top five while Taylor Gray, Sam Mayer, Parker Retzlaff, Dean Thompson and Sammy Smith completed the top 10 in the final running order.
Notably, Brandon Jones, Jesse Love, Austin Hill, Rajah Caruth and Carson Kvapil, the latter of whom led a race-high 156 laps, were the four lowest Chase finishers at Bristol in 15th, 17th, 22nd, 23rd and 24th, respectively.
The third NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series’ Chase event of the 2026 season featured eight lead changes for five different leaders, and five cautions for 47 laps. In addition, 17 of 38 starters finished on the lead lap.
Race Results:
Sheldon Creed, three laps led
William Sawalich, 13 laps led
Brent Crews
Justin Allgaier, 49 laps led, Stage 1 winner
Corey Day
Taylor Gray
Sam Mayer
Parker Retzlaff
Dean Thompson
Sammy Smith
Jake Finch
Harrison Burton
Brennan Poole
Jeremy Clements
Brandon Jones
Nick Sanchez
Jesse Love, 84 laps led
Logan Bearden, one lap down
Andrew Patterson, two laps down
Kyle Sieg, two laps down
Stefan Parsons, three laps down
Austin Hill, four laps down
Rajah Caruth, four laps down
Carson Kvapil, four laps down, 156 laps led, Stage 2 winner
Jeb Burton, four laps down
Patrick Staropoli, six laps down
Ryan Ellis, six laps down
Josh Williams, six laps down
Carson Ware, seven laps down
Ryan Sieg – OUT, Accident
Josh Bilicki, eight laps down
Anthony Alfredo, 15 laps down
Garrett Smithley – OUT, Engine
Blaine Perkins, 75 laps down
David Starr – OUT, Suspension
Lavar Scott – OUT, Oil Cooler
Natalie Decker – OUT, Transmission
JJ Yeley – OUT, Fuel Pump
*Bold indicates Chase Drivers
Following the third Chase event of the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season, Sheldon Creed leads the standings by 11 points over Justin Allgaier. The rest of the 12-car Chase field is displayed below.
Chase Standings:
Sheldon Creed
Justin Allgaier -11
Carson Kvapil -37
Jesse Love -41
Sam Mayer -78
Corey Day -92
Sammy Smith -92
Taylor Gray -104
Austin Hill -106
Parker Retzlaff -111
Brandon Jones -114
Rajah Caruth -164
Next on the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series schedule is the Focused Health 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event is scheduled for October 3 at 7:30 p.m. ET on the CW Network, PRN Radio, and SiriusXM.
Kyle Larson was awarded the pole position for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday, September 18.
The event’s starting lineup was initially going to be determined through an on-track qualifying session that consisted of a single-car, two-lap qualifying format. During the session, each of the 37 competitors vying for 37 starting spots would cycle around Bristol twice to post the fastest lap amongst one another. The competitor who posted the single fastest lap was awarded the pole position.
Friday’s qualifying session, however, was canceled due to inclement weather. As a result, the lineup was determined using a qualifying metric formula from the NASCAR rulebook. This resulted in Larson being awarded the first-place starting spot as he is coming off a victory in the series’ recent event at World Wide Technology Raceway on September 13 and is currently ranked in second place in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series’ Chase standings.
With the awarded pole, Larson, a two-time Bristol Night Race winner and the reigning two-time Cup Series champion from Elk Grove, California, will lead the field to the green flag in first place for a first time this season. With only a nine-point deficit behind points leader Denny Hamlin, Larson strives to return atop the points standings and maintain it for eight Chase events en route to defend his series’ title.
Larson will share the front row with Joey Logano, a 2026 Chase contender who finished in third place this past weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway and is currently tied for sixth place in the standings. Like Larson, Logano is a two-time Bristol Night Race winner (2014-15) as he attempts to become the eighth competitor to achieve at least three victories in the event.
Points leader Denny Hamlin along with William Byron and Carson Hocevar will start in the top five, respectively. Non-Chasers Alex Bowman and Ross Chastain occupy the sixth- and seventh-place starting spots, respectively, ahead of Chaser Austin Cindric, non-Chaser Austin Dillon and Chaser Bubba Wallace. The remaining Chase contenders that include Christopher Bell, Ty Gibbs, Ryan Preece, Tyler Reddick, Chris Buescher, Chase Briscoe, Chase Elliott, Daniel Suarez and Ryan Blaney will start 12th, 13th, 16th, 20th, 23rd, 26th, 27th, 28th and 29th, respectively.
With 37 competitors vying for 37 starting spots, all made the main event.
Starting Lineup:
Kyle Larson
Joey Logano
Denny Hamlin
William Byron
Carson Hocevar
Alex Bowman
Ross Chastain
Austin Cindric
Austin Dillon
Bubba Wallace
Brad Keselowski
Christopher Bell
Ty Gibbs
Erik Jones
Connor Zilisch
Ryan Preece
Cole Custer
AJ Allmendinger
John Hunter Nemechek
Tyler Reddick
Michael McDowell
Shane van Gisbergen
Chris Buescher
Todd Gilliland
Austin Hill
Chase Briscoe
Chase Elliott
Daniel Suarez
Ryan Blaney
Cody Ware
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Josh Berry
Ty Dillon
Riley Herbst
Zane Smith
Noah Gragson
Josh Bilicki
*Bold indicates Chase Drivers
The 2026 Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway is scheduled to occur on Saturday, September 19, at 7:30 p.m. ET on USA Network, PRN Radio, SiriusXM and HBO MAX.
NASCAR Cup Series Bristol Motor Speedway Team Chevy Driver Quotes September 18, 2026
With the NASCAR Cup Series qualifying canceled due to weather, the lineup for tomorrow’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway will be set by the rulebook, putting Kyle Larson and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team on the pole.
Media Availability Quotes:
After Daytona, before Darlington, you were kind of bit by the metric. Now, you’ve benefited from the metric. Is this one of those kind of ‘live by the sword, die by the sword’ kind of situations?
“Yeah, I guess so. I mean, it’s better to be off on this side of it than the other.
But yeah, I don’t know. It’s good. I mean,. it goes off the previous week’s work, so yeah, we didn’t do too hot at Daytona and got bit by it at Darlington.”
How valuable is the track position here from a stage point standpoint, being able to manage the race and try to win this race?
“Yeah, I mean it’s definitely important, for sure, as far as you’re gaining those stage points in the first stage. You still don’t really know how the race is going to play out, but I would rather start up front than not. We’ve started mid-pack or worse here and raced our way up to the lead before, so I mean you can you can do it if you have a good car. But yeah, I’m happy, in a way, that it rained out, but I just hope we can get out and practice now.”
If you don’t get any practice, how does that impact things for tomorrow?
“I mean again, yeah, I would rather practice than not, but I’m also okay if we aren’t able to get out there to practice. I feel like our package here is decent. I feel like I can hopefully get into a rhythm pretty quickly. It’s going to be the same for everybody. We did some sim work and feel like we got our package a little bit more balanced, so we’ll see how it reacts to real life. But it’s Bristol. It’s a fun place and you just really got to go out there and race no matter how your car is.”
Was a week after a win any different than a week after not winning?
“Not really. It was a pretty straightforward week, I guess. I mean Monday, we went to the Chiefs game, but that was planned anyways. But outside of that, for me and I think even our team, it was just kind of a straightforward, business-as-usual, style week. Nothing changed really on my end, and I’m sure Cliff (Daniels, crew chief) as well. Maybe a couple more interviews than normal, but other than that, you just try not to live in the high too long because you can get your focus not in the right direction for this weekend.”
Being nine points out of the points lead now, do you feel any differently about your championship contention now that there’s a tangible gap from what it was when you started the Chase?
“Yeah, I mean definitely, it’d be hard not to look at it and feel like you’ve got a legitimate shot now. I think I was open before we even went to Darlington that I wasn’t like the most confident. But yeah, we’ve started the Chase off way better than I anticipated. I was hopeful of both of those races being good, but not really one where I thought we would go win, especially at Gateway. We had a great race at Darlington and only gained six points on the lead, so I was a bit bummed after that because I felt like we had such a good race and felt like we were scoring more points than we actually did. But then at Gateway, we scored way more points than I ever expected to. When you leave there and you look at it, you know, it definitely gives you better hope. But there’s still eight more races. That’s a long time, and a lot of good could happen or some bad could happen. But we’re just going to show up to the track and try and do the best job that we can do, as we try to do every week, and see what see where it ends up.”
You said last week that we got our swagger back after the win. Do you still feel that way coming into here?
“I mean, always coming into here, I feel confident. So yeah, I do believe we could come here and have a good weekend. But I would say even prior to Darlington, I felt like we were back to being the No. 5 team-ish, in a way. You know, it had been so long since we were battling for a win and calling races for winning, so that was fun at Darlington. And then, you go ahead a week to Gateway and put on a performance like we did, yeah, I feel like were getting closer to where we want to be. But we still have room to go, for sure, a lot of room to go, to be dominant. But at least as far as team prep, execution and all the things it takes; I felt like these first-two weeks have gone really strong.”
With you being nine points behind Denny (Hamlin), we know you two have a very competitive relationship and just historically these next few tracks, do you see you and Denny going back and forth? Do you view him as one of your chief rivals for the championship, and what is it going to be like racing him, especially tomorrow night?
“Yeah, I mean definitely, they’ve been the fastest car, team and driver, consistently, throughout the year. He won the regular season points, so he came into the Chase as the No. 1 seed. So yeah, I mean if I’m battling him these next few weeks, it means we’re probably battling him towards the front, which is a good thing.
So yeah, we’ll see. We’ve had a lot of great battles over the course of my career, but especially the last five or six seasons now. It’s always fun battling him. You know, I feel like our two teams, just from the outside looking in, operate very similarly. We’ll see, but I don’t think I’m lying and I don’t think our team would disagree if I was to say I still believe he’s got the faster car at this point. But that doesn’t mean we can’t go out there and beat him, as well as the others. You know, I’m not just looking at Denny. I think we could all say he’s the favorite, but you still have to beat everybody as we’ve seen these last few races.”
About General Motors
General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future.
GM Motorsports, including the Cadillac Formula 1® Team develops and proves advanced technologies in the most demanding environments, accelerating innovation in performance, safety, efficiency, and electrification for its production vehicles. Cadillac Racing is one of the leading manufacturers in the IMSA and FIA World Endurance Championships (WEC). Chevrolet competes in single seaters in the US IndyCar series, and in NASCAR with multiple team partners and drivers. Corvette customer teams compete in GT series across the globe including IMSA and WEC. Learn more at GM.com.
Ford Racing Notes and Quotes NASCAR Cup Series Bristol Night Race Media Availability — Bristol Motor Speedway Friday, September 18, 2026
Today’s scheduled NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session was cancelled due to rain and lightning. Before that announcement, a number of Ford drivers visited the infield media center and answered questions about this weekend and the Chase.
JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse – YOU ARE 51 POINTS BEHIND. IS THAT TOO FAR OUT TO WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP? “No, we can do it from where we’re at. I think we’re on the edge. It’s not gonna be easy. It’s gonna be challenging. We did have a good weekend last weekend and scored a lot of points. We’re scratching and clawing and there’s still a lot of racing to go. There are lots of points available and lots of crazy things that can happen, so we’re keeping ourselves in the story. We’re still in the game.” DO YOU THINK WE’RE GOING TO SHRED TIRES TOMORROW? “I don’t think so. No, I don’t. It’s pretty warm and a lot of it depends on temperature, but I don’t see it happening personally. It’s pretty warm out.” WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IT AS A WAY TO SHAKE THINGS UP? “I like it. I think it’s awesome. Maybe I’m one of the few, I don’t know, but I think it’s pretty interesting and it changes it up. It’s kind of fun because you don’t know what’s gonna happen until it starts happening and then everyone is scrambling. I think it’s fun. I like it. It changes things up.” HOW EASY WAS IT TO TURN THE PAGE AFTER LAST WEEK WITH ONLY GETTING 54 POINTS. IT’S A GREAT DAY, BUT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR MORE. “You just keep moving on. It’s racing. It is what it is. You can’t change the past. You’ve got to look to the future. Was it bittersweet? Yeah, that’s the best word you can use for this whole thing because on one hand, to your point, 54 points is a pretty great day, but the 74 that was sitting there would have been a lot better. That’s because we’re greedy race car drivers. That’s what we do. It’s always like, ‘I always want a little bit more.’ That’s the competitive person inside all of us in this sport. You always think about what could have been, but, at the same time, you still think of what could have been and it could have been way worse. It just didn’t play out like we needed it to at the end of the race. You move on. You chalk it up and say, ‘OK, we’ve got to go to Bristol and score a bunch of points.’ That’s the bottom line.” IS THIS THE SAME SCENARIO FOR YOU AS LAST WEEK? “Yeah, I think so. I think we’ve got to get ourselves to where we’re 20 points back or so at some point in the next few weeks. You’ve got to expect the guys that are gonna win the championship are gonna have a hell of a run here and, yeah, there’s been some crazy things happening, especially last week, but you’ve got to think at some point somebody is gonna go on a run and get themselves far out there, so we’ve got to keep ourselves close enough to where we can score the points we need to win this thing. I believe where we’re at in points it’s possible to go out and win the championship. I think we’re at the tail end of it though. We were at the tail end of it going into Gateway last week and we’ve kept ourselves at the tail end of it. We’re just squeeking by, but we know that. Even going into the Chase to start we were like, ‘Yes, we have a shot at winning the championship, a good shot at it, but we’re at the tail end of that good shot.’ That’s just where we’re living right now, but that’s a product of how we were in the beginning part of the year.”
RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 WABASH Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WE’VE SEEN SOME GUYS MAKE UP POINTS ON FIRST PLACE. DOES THAT TELL YOU THAT YOU HAVE TO WIN IN THIS CHASE TO BE THE CHAMPION? “Yeah, I think so, for sure. I think you’re gonna have to win multiple races in the Chase to just keep up. Big stage days like those guys have had. Winning the race they’ve made up gobs of points, so you’re gonna have to be winning through these 10 weeks multiple times and hopefully we can start contributing to that.” HAVE YOU USED YOUR MULLIGAN AFTER LAST WEEK? “Yeah. You don’t want to use one early, but I guess if you’re gonna use one, maybe use it early. It stinks what happened last week. We did a great job through the race of getting us where we need to be and then not finishing obviously is a bummer, but that’s racing and that’s the way it goes. We’re fortunate to where we’re not as far back out of the lead as I thought we were going to be after we had our problem, so it’s still attainable for sure. Like you just said, all of the point swings that can happen if you go win a couple, the next thing you know you’re right back in the thick of it. We’re not really dwelling on last week. You hate to throw points away, but you understand you’re gonna have problems and it’s how do you rebound from those problems and hopefully we can learn from that stuff going forward and respond in a big way.”
RYAN PREECE, No. 60 Body Guard by Fastenal Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT NASCAR CHANGING THE WET WEATHER TIRE POLICY? “I’ve always been a fan of let us make the decision. We’re not children. We’re grown men and we have teams that are professionals that are more than capable of making good decisions, so I think it’s probably best that they let us make those decisions because it also creates strategy and different strategies also create good racing.” DO YOU THINK THE TRACK WILL CONTINUE TO WIDEN OUT LIKE IT DID IN THE TRUCK RACE? “I was surprised as well usually with the trucks they don’t, at least in practice it never really gets wide, but their race got wide quick. Last year, it kind of did the same thing, and I think we all figured that it was gonna lay enough rubber and we weren’t gonna kind of see the tire shredding or high tire wear race that we didn’t really expect last year. That’s why it kind of makes me think that we’re definitely potentially in for one tomorrow. I don’t know.” WHAT IS THE CHALLENGE OF BRISTOL? “There’s three different ways you can really run this place. One is the way Kyle Larson does, which he likes running the top, and then the other one is the one I prefer which is ripping the bottom and being right against the line. That becomes a balance of which one is gonna make more speed and which one is pissing the tire off more.”
Jesse Love was awarded the pole position for the Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday, September 18.
The event’s starting lineup was initially going to be determined through an on-track qualifying session that consisted of a single-car, two-lap qualifying format. During the session, each of the 39 competitors vying for 38 starting spots would cycle around Bristol twice to post the fastest lap amongst one another. The competitor who posted the single fastest lap was awarded the pole position.
Friday’s qualifying session, however, was canceled due to inclement weather. As a result, the lineup was determined using a qualifying metric formula from the NASCAR rulebook. This resulted in Love being awarded the first-place starting spot as he is coming off a victory in the series’ recent event at World Wide Technology Raceway on September 12 and is currently ranked in fourth place in the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series’ Chase standings.
With the awarded pole, Love, who was the third-fastest competitor in practice earlier on Friday, will lead the field to the start of an O’Reilly event from first place for a third time this season. The reigning O’Reilly champion from Menlo Park, California, snapped a yearlong winless drought this past weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway. Despite trailing the points lead by 16 points, Love has seven Chase events remaining to make up his deficit and contend to defend his series’ title prior to this year’s finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November.
Love will share the front row with Sheldon Creed, a 2026 O’Reilly Chase contender who currently leads the standings and finished in the runner-up spot behind Love at World Wide Technology Raceway. Chasers Sam Mayer, Carson Kvapil and Taylor Gray will start in the top five, respectively. Brent Crews will be the highest non-Chase contender on the starting grid in sixth place while Chasers Parker Retzlaff, Sammy Smith, Justin Allgaier, Rajah Caruth and Brandon Jones will follows suit in the top 11, respectively. Notably, Austin Hill and Corey Day will be the two lowest-starting Chase contenders on the grid in 20th and 26th, respectively.
With 39 competitors vying for 38 starting spots, Landon S. Huffman was the lone competitor who did not make the main event.
Starting Lineup:
Jesse Love
Sheldon Creed
Sam Mayer
Carson Kvapil
Taylor Gray
Brent Crews
Parker Retzlaff
Sammy Smith
Justin Allgaier
Rajah Caruth
Brandon Jones
Dean Thompson
Jeb Burton
Ryan Sieg
Kyle Sieg
William Sawalich
Brennan Poole
Patrick Staropoli
Anthony Alfredo
Austin Hill
Blaine Perkins
Josh Williams
Andrew Patterson
Stefan Parsons
Garrett Smithley
Corey Day
Ryan Ellis
Josh Bilicki
Jeremy Clements
David Starr
Logan Bearden
Lavar Scott
Nick Sanchez
Harrison Burton
Carson Ware
Jake Finch
Natalie Decker
JJ Yeley
*Bold indicates Chase Drivers
The 2026 Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway is scheduled to occur on Friday, September 18, at 7:30 ET on the CW Network, PRN Radio and SiriusXM.
NASCAR Cup Series Bristol Motor Speedway Team Chevy Driver Quotes September 18, 2026
Carson Hocevar , driver of the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Media Availability Quotes:
Racing in the Bristol Night Race, as someone who is such a fan of the sport and growing up watching this event, what’s it like for you to be able to compete in it now, and do you sense that aura of the event going into it during pre-race and whatnot?
“Yeah, I do, I enjoy it. This is Luke (Lambert), my crew chief, it’s his favorite race of pretty much the whole schedule. This is always his favorite race. This is the race he grew up going to. I know our whole team enjoys going to it. I think it was Luke and I’s second-ever race and we ran like fifth that night for the majority of the race, and then we had a loose wheel but still finished good. Yeah, we just have a lot of good memories at this track. When you talk about NASCAR and you talk to new fans about what events you have to go to, I feel like one of the highest is always the Bristol Night Race. So yeah, I always enjoy it. I feel like NASCAR has done a really good job of trying to keep the prestige of this race, or the energy rather, and the excitement every time it comes up.”
With the fans being as close as they are to the action here, as well as the sword trophy, what would your celebration look like if you were to win tomorrow night? How much planning goes into your winning celebrations?
“I don’t know… I would take advantage of not having to fly home, I know that. Yeah, I don’t know how the banking would be, you know, if I tried to recreate what I did at Talladega. But that would be all good problems to have. Watching the Truck race last night, we kind of laughed that Jake (Garcia) just kept doing laps. I was like, I wonder how many laps you could just keep doing before people would just start wondering what the hell you were doing. So we were laughing about how many laps it would take before they would actually step in and say, ‘no, do your burnout’, and you just kept doing laps and acting like you didn’t know the race was over. We were joking about that. But yeah, I don’t know what I would, but I think all of us would enjoy going up the ramp, obviously.”
Before the Chase, you swore you weren’t going to look at the points. Do you know how many points back you are now?
“I have no idea. I have tried not to look. Sadly, I think I know where I’m at because we had our Monday debrief and we were going through excel sheet. It showed the points and I was like, ‘dang it’. It was just right there. So I remember where I’m at, but we’re trying not to look at it and just enjoy it. I think, ultimately, us looking at it gets us focused on stuff like, oh, we’re racing this guy or this guy behind us. But if we just raced the whole field and tried to run up as far forward as we can in the race itself, it’s all going to take care of itself. I mean, you know, if we get a loose wheel, it’s like we’re going to give up all these points and everything. But then all of a sudden, they started taking each other out and you’re like, oh, cool, we’re getting some of those points back. It can just flip like that, so if we can just focus on finishing good, the points are going to take care of themselves. I think a single-digit at the end of the season. would be really strong for our whole team.”
You talk about your good results here at Bristol Motor Speedway. What is it about this track that maybe fits your driving style or tendencies behind the wheel?
“I think, ultimately, being able to move around sort of suits by style. Obviously, I like dirt racing. I don’t call myself a dirt guy, but dirt guys tend to run really well here. I feel like I watch enough dirt racing that I can kind of understand it. I really love that you can run the top and get a huge run, as well as run the bottom. I just give Luke (Lambert) a hard time like, oh, I think we’ll run good this weekend because this is your favorite race and you’re going to try this weekend. I asked him on the plane last weekend, I was like, ‘are you going to try this week’. He got all excited and I was like, ‘you finally get to try, maybe we’ll win’.
But yeah, for whatever the reason, I think Bristol kind of fits my sort of style and I take advantage of it. But it always helps that Spire Motorsports has been good at these tracks for a couple of years now, so it’s a good marriage there that my best track is one of their best tracks.”
Where did the idea come from to have the fans come down to the pit wall last week, and is that something you’re going to try at other tracks? Did any other drivers join you for that?
“No, so, I think they were already open to that. They did it for the Truck race here at Bristol, they opened the gates. We were sitting there on pit road, kind of BS’ing, and all of a sudden the fans kind of noticed me. I was like, well, I’m going to go sign for them, so I walked away from Jeff (Dickerson). And then at St. Louis, same deal — I remember getting out of the car and I could hear (Kyle) Larson doing his celebration. And also, they started cheering really close to me, so I was like, that’s weird, what’s happening? And I realized they were all cheering for me, just because I happened to acknowledge them, I guess, and wave at them. So I was like, oh, that’s really cool, too. So obviously I do all the TV, radio, and everything, and then I started walking. All the fans happened to start crossing, and I was like, well, I’m not going to say no. We were within me to you right now, and I can’t just be like, oh, I’m apparently blind and deaf, I don’t hear you. Luckily, I have a team and support system that if I’m going to be a little late to the plane, a good reason is that I’m signing an autograph for fans.
So yeah, nobody else joined, but hopefully I can start a trend here, maybe, or whatnot. But yeah, obviously I don’t love running away from fans, but also don’t like running away from the races. I like to kind of enjoy the track when it’s quiet to relax and enjoy it. Luckily, I have a team and a support system around me that supports that.”
I kind of want to build on that a little bit. When I saw you signing the autographs for the fans last weekend, it’s something I’ve not seen since Richard Petty did it when I was growing up. I was also impressed that you told the adult one time that the child was getting the autograph, as well, and then Brad Daugherty, when Richard did it for him, it’s why it was in his contract, his number would be 43. What is it that makes you want to connect with the fans, and also what’s some of the coolest experiences you’ve had in connecting with the fans, signing the autographs, and how does that energize you?
“Yeah, for me, I remember my first memories of racing was at Kalamazoo Speedway. You know, if the race wasn’t that entertaining, you had the last race of the night, so you were fine to jump out of your seat to go run down to the fence because you knew the second the last race was over that they would open the fence and you would get to go down to the pit area. I’ve always loved that. I grew up doing that, and I remember how fun it was. I think, ultimately, I enjoyed going to the racetrack sometimes more because I got to be in the pits around all those people. I would be like five years old and acting like I’m 35, so it was fun for me.
But yeah, I just enjoy that. Bristol has had that for a while. Obviously, they don’t really let them in, but for the tunnel, every year I’ve been here, you walk out of the tunnel and they’re lined up all the way to pretty much the driver/owner lot. I’ll sit there and sign. Every year, it’s been a little bit more, so I’m excited to see what the crowd is after tomorrow. Hopefully, it’s late for them because that means we ran really well. I enjoyed the fact that St. Louis did that because I did it as a kind, and I know that there are a lot of fans that are going to enjoy that more than the race itself.”
Has there been one special autograph experience that you’ve given a child or someone?
“Yeah, at Darlington, I thought was super cool, there was a fan that made his electric car match my Cup car, which I thought was super cool. Yeah, that stuff’s just fun because obviously they — I don’t think anybody sells it, the family themselves are making it, so the fact they take the time to do that, bring it to the track and haul it there, is super cool for me.”
I know this week is all about Bristol, but can you talk about next week at Kansas and your thoughts about that?
“Yeah, I’m looking forward to Kansas (Speedway). I think we led some laps last year, so we’ve been getting a little bit better here and there at Kansas. At mile-and-a-half tracks, we’ve been fast at, so I enjoy that track. You get to move around and run the top for a while. The fall race tends to always have a little bit different variation, just because it either is going to be super-hot or it’s going to start cooling down, and that tends to always change the track up a little bit. I feel like that one has put on a lot of good races that are always fun to go be a part of.”
I know it’s only two races in, but with this format being a little bit different than the previous formats, has anything surprised you or stood out to you about how the Chase has gone so far gone two races in?
“No, I think I’ve just enjoyed it, even just following it myself. I think from the fan’s perspective, I think everybody’s kind of enjoyed it. I think as everybody started to crash or have struggles, you’re looking at the top of the pylon and how that’s switching and not looking at the bottom. So I think that’s a good thing for fans to follow or understand and enjoy, that the goalpost isn’t moving and confusing of who you should be following every three weeks, right? You kind of just look from the bottom all the way up rather than you look from the top down with this format. So I think it’s been really solid. I’ve enjoyed it a lot, even just seeing the fan engagement from it. Like this weekend, they get to promote this race, of all places, probably the two best here right now are the top-two in the points.”
You have noticed anything different on the track in the last two races?
“I mean, they wrecked a lot, so I think that just shows the intensity of every point, right? I think a lot of those guys wouldn’t be racing like that for eighth or whatever it is. They know every point matters against each other, versus round one, you’re just kind of like, oh, as long as you survive, it resets and I’m good to go. I’m sure Denny (Hamlin) was panicking at times when he was watching (Christopher) Bell lead. I’m sure everybody’s starting to panic any time a Chase guy’s in front of you and you know you’re racing them in points because that’s points you’re just giving up. There are no more resets, there’s no more get backs. You don’t know when your mulligan’s going to happen.”
After you got your first win at Talladega, did you find that that has fueled even greater desire to win the second race, even maybe more so than you had to win the first one?
“Yeah, I think so. I think all of us want to go back to that feeling because you know what it felt like. I think that you don’t know what you don’t know, right? And once you have that feeling — it’s like racing, even when you first start racing, you don’t know you missed racing until you take a week off or whatnot, and then you want to go back again. So yeah, hopefully we can kind of itch that soon.”
About General Motors
General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future.
GM Motorsports, including the Cadillac Formula 1® Team develops and proves advanced technologies in the most demanding environments, accelerating innovation in performance, safety, efficiency, and electrification for its production vehicles. Cadillac Racing is one of the leading manufacturers in the IMSA and FIA World Endurance Championships (WEC). Chevrolet competes in single seaters in the US IndyCar series, and in NASCAR with multiple team partners and drivers. Corvette customer teams compete in GT series across the globe including IMSA and WEC. Learn more at GM.com.
NASCAR’s postseason celebration moves to Miami following Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway
The NASCAR Channel to livestream awards ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 10.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 18, 2026) – NASCAR announced today that the annual NASCAR Awards will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, bringing the sport’s champions, stars and industry leaders together just two days after the NASCAR Cup Series championship is decided at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The move to Miami marks the first time the NASCAR Awards for all three of the sport’s national series will be held together in the city, adding a new destination and fresh energy to one of the sport’s signature celebrations. Following Championship Weekend, the NASCAR community will come together to celebrate the drivers and teams who conquered the 2026 season and claimed NASCAR’s ultimate prizes.
The evening will honor the newly crowned champions of the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, along with the drivers, teams and personalities who helped define the 2026 season.
“The championship is the culmination of everything our drivers and teams work for all season, and we want the celebration that follows to feel just as big,” said Michael Verlatti, NASCAR Vice President, Signature Experience Group. “Miami is one of the world’s most dynamic cities, and it provides an incredible backdrop to celebrate our champions and bring the energy of Championship Weekend into a new setting. We’re excited to give our fans and industry a NASCAR Awards experience unlike any we’ve had before.”
The celebration begins Sunday, Nov. 8, when the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Homestead-Miami Speedway crowns the 2026 champion. Two days later, the spotlight shifts from the racetrack to Miami for an evening celebrating the season’s biggest moments, most memorable performances and newest champions.
The NASCAR Awards ceremony will be livestreamed beginning at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 10 exclusively on the NASCAR Channel, giving fans around the world a front-row seat to the postseason celebration. The NASCAR Channel is a free, ad-supported streaming channel available on Xumo Play, Tubi, The Roku Channel, Samsung TV Plus and Prime Video.
The NASCAR Awards were most recently held in Scottsdale, Arizona last season. The move to Miami underscores NASCAR’s continued commitment to bringing its biggest events and experiences to dynamic markets and creating meaningful opportunities to connect the sport with fans beyond the racetrack.
NASCAR will host a celebration for the NASCAR Regional Series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, ARCA Menards Series West, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series) and the NASCAR International Series (NASCAR Brasil Series, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Mexico Series and NASCAR Whelen Euro Series), on Friday, Nov. 20 in Charlotte, N.C. at the Charlotte Convention Center.
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 14 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Series, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Euro Series, NASCAR Mexico Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Local Racing Series Powered by O’Reilly Auto Parts). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in five cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 11 countries and more than 30 U.S. states.
For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X and Facebook.
TOYOTA RACING – Christopher Bell NASCAR Cup Series Quotes
BRISTOL, Tenn. (September 18, 2026) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell was made available to the media on Friday prior to the NASCAR Cup Series race from Bristol Motor Speedway.
CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 DEWALT Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Can you talk about why you love Bristol and this race so much?
“I love Bristol, the track, just because of how it races, and the multiple grooves that it offers, the lap traffic, the long green flag runs, the physical demands that this place has. Then you add The Night Race on top of it with the energy, the atmosphere, all of the pre-race ceremonies that they do here, it just is truly one of a kind. It feels like SMI (Speedway Motorsports, Inc.) just doesn’t really good job with their events and this one’s special.”
What’s your thoughts on the new wet weather policies?
“I don’t know that I spent a lot of time thinking about it, honestly. I don’t know. I know that there has been a lot of talk about how different the setups are. I don’t know. That’s a good question. You kind of stumped me. I didn’t expect to be talking about that, but I guess I like it from the aspect that it puts more in the team’s hands. So, I don’t know that I have much for you. I guess it’s a positive, though.”
What are your expectations when you go to Kansas, Las Vegas and Charlotte?
“Yeah, our expectations are high, for sure. I think that’s been our, the Toyota’s bread and butter. Speaking at the media day, whenever I was talking about the champion being a Toyota, or that’s how I felt, I mean, those races really came to mind for those three intermediate races, the Homestead race. I think that there’s going to be a lot to be gained, or lost on a very similar type of track coming up the next three weeks at Kansas, Vegas, Charlotte. The points are tight and I think it’s going to be a battle for sure, but those three races, I think the same contenders are going to be up front. So, whoever runs good at Kansas, I think is going to have a good opportunity to elevate themselves between Kansas, Vegas, Charlotte, compared to the competition.”
What are your thoughts on the 54 car and paint scheme?
“It’s pretty wild. I was there whenever they unveiled it earlier this week. It’s going to be really weird, for sure, seeing that thing out there and just happy that the memories and that I think it’s going to be a really, really cool tribute and it’s going to be fun to see it out there.”
Is the Bristol Night Race a Crown Jewel?
“I mean, in my head it is. I would say that, I don’t know, I think that’s for you guys, the media, and for the fans to decide, really, it’s not really on the drivers, but for me, you know, the Bristol Night Race has always been my favorite race of the year. So it is a Crown Jewel to me but I would say that it’s not for us to decide what our Crown Jewels are and what are not crown jewels.”
How has trying to race here change over the years?
“So some things have been similar, but probably the single biggest change was going to the Next Gen car, and that just really affected how you approach this track, how you pass on this track, how you approach making lap time here, and how you pass here. So, between the trucks, the O’Reilly car and the old cup car, there was a lot of, well, just talking about passing, you could really pack air on people and get them loose. That was a very successful tactic to pass between all three of those series, the trucks being the hardest, and then O’Reilly cars, probably, and the Cup cars were pretty easy to do when we had the low downforce too. That technique is completely gone with this car in all of the tracks. So now passing has really become just finding a different groove, and hopefully you can have enough pace in that groove. So I think it puts more emphasis on the track prep to make sure that you don’t get a single dominant groove, whether that’s the bottom or the top. Then the Next Gen car, I don’t know, it just feels like it’s become more of a momentum style track where with the previous generation car, it was a little bit more stop and go. You had less tire so you could get more wheel spin on exit. You really focused a little bit more on drive, where now it’s just keeping it free, keeping it free, keeping it rolling, and keeping momentum up. So the Next Gen car has really changed it to momentum style racing, and then not having the ability to pack air has made passing slightly more difficult than it used to be.”
How much did the Spring race at Bristol gnaw on you? Is there more motivation because of it?
“A lot. A lot. Yeah, just reading through my notes, the last sentence of my notes for the spring race was, man, I can’t wait to go back. The spring race a couple of months ago was probably one of my best cars I’ve ever had at Bristol. That thing was just awesome, and I made a mistake. So I have had this one circled for a while to come back and redeem myself. I love this racetrack. Whether I have a good car, bad car, good race, bad race, it’s just a lot of fun to make laps here. It’s a lot of fun to race here, so I’ve very, very much been looking forward to this one.”
What was so good?
“I don’t know, it just handled really well. That was the first race here with the high horsepower, low downforce package and talking about, what I mentioned to Matt (Weaver) earlier. It got a little bit more to the old school Bristol of having more power, having to focus on your exits a little bit more, less about momentum, and it seemed like passing was easier in the spring than it was in years past with the lower horsepower stuff. Yeah, just this place is a lot of fun and giving us more power and less grip is makes it, it definitely makes it more enjoyable.”
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of over 50 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina began to assemble automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.
ULMER, S.C. — After sweltering temperatures created brutally hot conditions inside and outside the Mud Trucks during Twitty’s Mud Bog earlier this summer, competitors can expect at least a slight break from the extreme heat when the popular mud racing venue comes alive again this weekend in Ulmer, South Carolina
While temperatures are still expected to be plenty warm, Gus Dean knows the competition will remain as hot as ever when he returns behind the wheel of his fan-favorite Mega Truck, VENGEANCE, for Twitty’s Mud Bog’s annual fall Ronald McDonald House event.
Dean and his team will make the trek to the South Carolina venue to put together a productive weekend, make consistent passes, and keep learning as they work through the remaining events on their 2026 Mud Truck schedule.
“Every time we come to Twitty’s, we know we’re going to be surrounded by a lot of good people and some really strong competition,” said Dean. “We’ve continued working on VENGEANCE, trying to learn what the truck likes and what we can do better every time we unload.
“Our expectations are pretty simple. We want to make good, clean passes, take care of our equipment and hopefully improve every time we get an opportunity in the pit. If we can do those things, we’ll see where we stack up at the end of the weekend.”
Twitty’s Mud Bog has become a familiar destination for Dean and the VENGEANCE team over the past several seasons, providing a challenging environment against competitors who continue to raise the level of Mud Truck racing throughout the region.
Dean enjoyed one of his program’s most memorable moments at the Ulmer facility with a victory during the fall event last season, but his most recent trip to Twitty’s in June proved considerably more challenging.
Rather than dwelling on the difficult outing, Dean and his team have used the experience as another opportunity to learn, regroup and better understand what VENGEANCE needs heading into this weekend.
“This type of racing can humble you pretty quickly,” Dean added. “We’ve had some really good days at Twitty’s, and we’ve also had days where things just didn’t come together the way we wanted. June was one of those weekends.
“But that’s part of racing. You go back to work, look at what you can do differently and try to come back better the next time. We’re still learning every time we race this truck, and we have a lot of respect for the competition.
“Our focus this weekend is simply on making good passes, improving throughout the event and seeing where that puts us.”
Beyond the competition, this weekend carries additional significance with Twitty’s Mud Bog once again bringing racers, teams and fans together in support of Ronald McDonald House.
For Dean, the opportunity to compete while being part of an event designed to help others adds another layer of importance to the weekend.
“This is one of those weekends that is about more than just racing,” Dean continued. “We all come to Twitty’s because we enjoy the sport, the competition and being around the people who make the Mud Truck community what it is, but knowing the weekend also helps support Ronald McDonald House makes it even more meaningful.
“Hopefully, everyone comes out, has a great time, enjoys some great racing and, most importantly, we can all help make a difference for families who need that support.”
Under the hood, Dean will once again rely on the horsepower of Wicked Racing Engines, continuing his relationship with the respected engine-building operation led by fellow Mud Truck competitor Duke Bohanon.
The partnership has provided Dean and the VENGEANCE team with valuable support as they continue developing their Mud Truck program and working to maximize the package’s performance and reliability.
“Duke has been in my corner for a long time, and the relationship we’ve built means a lot to me,” said Dean.
“It’s more than just horsepower — it’s trust, hard work and knowing you have people around you who care about what you’re trying to accomplish.
“There are a lot of pieces that have to come together to have a successful weekend in this sport. We appreciate everything Duke and Wicked Racing Engines continue to put into our program, and hopefully, we can put together a solid weekend for everyone involved.”
Whether competing on asphalt or slinging mud, Dean continues to embrace opportunities to compete across different forms of motorsports.
A three-time ARCA Menards Series winner, Dean has increasingly immersed himself in Mud Truck competition with VENGEANCE, embracing not only the challenge behind the wheel but also the camaraderie and passionate fanbase surrounding the sport.
His involvement has also provided Dean with an opportunity to use lessons learned throughout his motorsports career to encourage continued conversations surrounding driver safety.
A longtime advocate for improved driver safety, Dean has used his experience competing across multiple motorsports disciplines to encourage greater awareness of cockpit protection, quality safety equipment and continued education throughout the Mud Truck community.
As the sport continues to grow and attract larger fields and crowds, Dean believes safety should continue evolving alongside it.
“I love seeing the sport grow because the fans and competitors are what make Mud Truck racing so special,” said Dean. “At the same time, I’d love to see us continue raising the bar when it comes to safety. You never want to take away from what makes this sport exciting, but there’s always room to make things safer without changing what people love about it.
“I also think we have an opportunity to keep learning from each other and continue raising the bar when it comes to safety. You can keep everything that makes Mud Truck racing exciting while also looking for ways to better protect the people inside these trucks.
“It’s encouraging to see more and more drivers becoming aware of the importance of safety and investing in equipment that can help better protect them. That’s progress, and it’s something I’ll always support.”
As the engines roar to life and the mud begins to fly at Twitty’s Mud Bog this weekend, Dean will once again climb behind the wheel of VENGEANCE with a straightforward approach: concentrate on his own program, make the most of each pass and continue building toward a strong conclusion to the season.
With competitive fields and little margin for error, Dean understands that success in Mud Truck racing is earned one pass at a time.
“We always want to run well, and obviously, anytime you show up at an event, you’d love to leave with something to celebrate,” Dean said. “But we also understand you have to earn that.
“There are a lot of talented people doing this, and nobody is going to give you anything. Our focus is on doing our jobs, learning throughout the weekend and trying to get a little better every time we make a pass.
“We’re thankful we get to do this, we appreciate everyone who supports us and we’re looking forward to seeing everyone at Twitty’s.”
Following his Twitty’s Mud Bog run, Dean still has unfinished business in 2026, with additional opportunities remaining to compete with VENGEANCE before turning the page toward his 2027 plans.
For more on Gus Dean, please visit GusDean.com, like him on Facebook (Gus Dean Racing) and follow him on Instagram (@GusDean) and X | Twitter (@GusDean).
