Safe Online Casinos in 2026: How to Choose a Reliable Platform

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September 16, 2026

Selecting a reliable online platform in 2026 requires navigating an evolving digital landscape shaped by heightened cybersecurity demands, automated identity verification, and shifting regulatory frameworks. The online gambling market has grown increasingly sophisticated, making distinguishing a truly secure gaming hub from an unverified one essential. Evaluating a platform’s safety involves examining core operational features, account management tools, and financial security protocols.

Core Indicators of Safe Online Casinos in 2026

Evaluating online platforms relies on verifiable security features and structural policies rather than surface design or promotional offers.

1. Licensing and Regulatory Compliance

A valid operational license is the foundation of platform safety. Legitimate gaming operators function under jurisdictions that enforce player protection standards, financial audits, and game fairness controls. Common licensing authorities include:

Malta Gaming Authority (MGA)
UK Gambling Commission (UKGC)
Curaçao eGaming
Anjouan and Panama Regulatory Bodies

These regulatory frameworks require platforms to maintain sufficient capital reserves, segregate operational funds from player accounts, and establish dispute-resolution channels.

2. Advanced Technical Security and Data Protection

In 2026, baseline web security standards demand modern encryption protocols. Platforms must implement end-to-end TLS 1.3 encryption (or advanced SSL equivalents) to protect sensitive data transfers during login, registration, and payment execution.

Account-level controls are equally critical. High-security environments integrate mandatory or optional Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) via authenticator apps or SMS passcodes, alongside integrated identity verification platforms like Inclave.

3. Certified Game Fairness and RNG Audits

A visually appealing platform is meaningless without verified game mechanics. Legitimate casinos rely on Random Number Generators (RNGs) to determine unpredictable outcomes across slots, table games, and video poker. Independent testing agencies verify these systems:

Gaming Labs International (GLI)
iTech Labs
eCOGRA

These certifications ensure game payout percentages (RTP — Return to Player) match stated software metrics. Selecting verified environments—such as checking modern portals like Dolly Casino – helps users review platforms that prioritize software integrity and technical compliance.

Assessing Financial Integrity and Cashout Security

A platform’s financial operations reveal its structural safety. Payment processing, withdrawal limits, and verification requirements demonstrate operational legitimacy.

Safety Parameter	Secure Operator Standard	Red Flag / High Risk
Identity Verification (KYC)	Standardized documentation check prior to first cashout.	Zero verification requested on large payouts or arbitrary KYC delays.
Withdrawal Processing	Clear timeframes (1–2 hours for crypto, 1–3 business days for fiat).	Unexplained pending holds lasting longer than 5–7 business days.
Account Segregation	Player funds held separately from operational bank accounts.	Player deposits mixed with corporate balance sheets.
Bonus Wagering Terms	Low to moderate rollover (10x–30x) with clear game restrictions.	Excessive rollover requirements (60x+) with vague voiding conditions.

Financial Protocols: Cryptocurrencies vs. Traditional Fiat

Modern platforms support both traditional fiat systems (credit/debit cards, bank wires, e-wallets) and decentralized cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum). Safe operators provide clear transaction details regardless of payment type:

Crypto Cashouts: Offer high transaction security and faster turnaround times (often processed within 1 to 2 hours), utilizing wallet-address validation to mitigate processing delays.
Fiat Cashouts: Require standard banking rails, taking 1 to 5 business days, subject to direct banking compliance checks.

Step-by-Step Selection Guide

Step 1: Verify the License and Security Controls

Action: Scroll to the footer of the homepage to locate the licensing badge and company registration details.
Verification: Cross-check the license number directly against the official portal of the issuing authority (e.g., MGA or Curaçao registry). Ensure the web address employs active SSL/TLS certificates.

Step 2: Audit the Promotional Terms and Conditions

Action: Review the promotional terms before claiming welcome packages or deposit matches.
Verification: Look for realistic wagering requirements (ideally between 10x and 35x). Avoid promotions that impose tight cashout caps relative to deposit size or vague rules regarding voided winnings.

Step 3: Evaluate Software Providers and Testing Badges

Action: Examine the game directory for recognized, accredited software developers (such as Pragmatic Play, BGaming, Evolution, Betsoft, or RealTime Gaming).
Verification: Confirm the presence of independent RNG audit seals (such as GLI or iTech Labs) to verify operational fairness.

Step 4: Test Support Channels and Identity Procedures

Action: Contact customer support via live chat or email before depositing.
Verification: Assess response speed, clarity regarding cashout times, and details on account verification requirements. Legitimate operators provide clear guidelines on required verification documents (ID, proof of address, payment ownership).

Responsible Gaming Frameworks in 2026

Operational security extends beyond financial transactions to include player protection controls. Reliable gaming platforms incorporate self-regulation tools within account management settings:

Deposit and Loss Limits: Configurable thresholds capping daily, weekly, or monthly spend.
Session Timeouts: Automated notifications monitoring active playtime.
Self-Exclusion Registers: Features allowing temporary or permanent account suspension upon request.

Conclusion

Choosing a safe online casino in 2026 requires a diligent evaluation of structural indicators rather than superficial appeal. By verifying official licensing credentials, technical security protocols like SSL encryption and 2FA, certified RNG fairness, and transparent financial terms, players can safeguard both their personal data and funds. Prioritizing platforms that integrate comprehensive responsible gaming controls ensures a balanced, secure, and protected online experience.

How to Know When Your Transmission Needs Attention Before It Gets Expensive

By

SM

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September 16, 2026

Your transmission doesn’t usually fail with fireworks and dramatic sound effects. It tends to complain in quieter, more annoying ways first. If you catch those signals early, you can save yourself from a brutal repair bill and a car that refuses to cooperate at the worst possible time. You don’t need to be a master mechanic to spot trouble, but you do need to know what to watch, hear, and feel before a small issue turns into a wallet-emptying disaster.

A Professional Inspection Can Save You Thousands

Once symptoms appear, guessing is a risky game. Transmission systems are complex, and one issue can mimic another. What feels like a slipping transmission could involve fluid pressure, electronics, torque converter problems, or worn internal parts.

Getting the car checked early gives you a much better shot at a simpler fix. In many cases, a leak repair, fluid service, or sensor replacement costs far less than waiting until the transmission needs a rebuild or replacement.

If you’re dealing with rough shifting, leaks, or suspicious noises, having experienced transmission repair specialists inspect the system can help you catch the exact problem before it grows.

A proper inspection may include:

– Computer diagnostics

– Fluid condition check

– Road test

– Leak detection

– Internal performance evaluation

That kind of targeted diagnosis beats crossing your fingers and hoping your car suddenly finds inner peace.

Pay Attention to the Way Your Car Shifts

One of the clearest signs of transmission trouble shows up when your car shifts gears. If it hesitates, jerks, slips, or takes too long to respond, something is off. A healthy transmission should feel smooth, not confused.

You might notice the engine revving higher than normal before the car finally moves. You may also feel a thud when it changes gears. Those aren’t quirky personality traits. They’re warning signs.

Common shift-related symptoms include:

– Delayed movement after shifting into drive or reverse

– Sudden jerking during gear changes

– Slipping out of gear while driving

– High RPMs without matching acceleration

If your car starts acting like it forgot how gears work, don’t ignore it. Transmission issues rarely fix themselves out of sheer determination.

Watch for Fluid Leaks and Changes in Color

Transmission fluid plays a huge role in lubrication, cooling, and hydraulic pressure. If the fluid level drops or the fluid breaks down, the system can’t do its job properly. That’s when expensive problems start lining up.

Fresh transmission fluid is usually bright red or pink and has a slightly sweet smell. Old or damaged fluid often turns dark brown and may smell burnt. If you spot puddles under your car, don’t assume it’s harmless. Transmission fluid leaks can escalate quickly.

Check your driveway, garage floor, or parking space for signs of leaking. Then check your owner’s manual to see whether your vehicle allows easy fluid inspection.

Red flags include:

– Reddish fluid under the car

– Burnt smell after driving

– Dark or dirty transmission fluid

– Low fluid level on the dipstick

Fluid is basically your transmission’s survival juice. When it’s low or contaminated, damage can pile up fast.

Strange Noises Are Never Background Music

Cars make noise. That part is normal. Unfamiliar noise linked to shifting, accelerating, or idling is a different story. If your transmission is struggling, it may produce whining, humming, buzzing, clunking, or grinding sounds.

Automatic transmissions often whine or hum when fluid is low or internal parts wear down. Manual transmissions may grind when gears don’t engage properly. Either way, your car is trying to tell you something, and it’s not being subtle.

Try to notice when the sound happens:

– While shifting into gear

– During acceleration

– At certain speeds

– When the engine is warm

That detail helps a technician narrow down the source much faster. Random mystery sounds tend to stay mysteries only when nobody writes them down or pays attention.

Dashboard Warnings and Burning Smells Matter

A check engine light can mean dozens of things, but transmission trouble is one of them. Modern vehicles use sensors to monitor performance, pressure, and temperature. When a transmission starts misbehaving, your dashboard may be the first place you see it.

Another major sign is a burning smell. Overheated transmission fluid loses its protective qualities, and heat is rough on internal components. Once overheating starts, seals, clutch packs, and metal parts can wear faster than you’d expect.

Don’t assume the warning light is minor just because the car still moves. Many drivers keep going until performance drops hard, then the repair becomes much larger.

Take quick action if you notice:

– Check engine light or transmission warning light

– Burnt odor after short trips

– Sudden drop in fuel efficiency

– Trouble accelerating uphill or merging

A warning light isn’t your car being dramatic. It’s your early invitation to avoid a nastier repair later.

Driving Habits Can Speed Up Transmission Wear

Transmission problems don’t always begin with bad luck. Sometimes your driving habits quietly pile on stress. Aggressive acceleration, hard braking, towing beyond capacity, and constant stop-and-go driving all increase wear.

Ignoring maintenance makes things worse. Some drivers treat transmission fluid like a mythical lifetime substance. That idea has cost plenty of people real money.

If you want your transmission to last longer, build better habits:

– Come to complete stops before shifting between drive and reverse

– Avoid sudden launches and heavy throttle use

– Follow service intervals in your owner’s manual

– Use the right transmission fluid for your vehicle

– Don’t overload the car or tow beyond limits

Heat and friction are the villains here. The more often you push the system without proper care, the more likely it is to push back.

What You Should Do the Moment You Notice a Problem

The best move is simple: don’t wait for the issue to become impossible to ignore. Small symptoms often create a false sense of safety because the car still runs. It may run today and fail next week.

Start by writing down what you notice. Include when the problem happens, how often it happens, and whether it gets worse when the car is hot or cold. That information helps speed up diagnosis and can reduce wasted labor time.

Then take a few practical steps:

– Check for leaks under the vehicle

– Avoid long trips if shifting feels unsafe

– Don’t tow heavy loads

– Schedule an inspection quickly

– Ask for a clear explanation of repair options

A transmission doesn’t usually collapse out of nowhere. It tends to leave clues first. If you catch those clues early and act on them, you give yourself the best chance to protect your car, your schedule, and your bank account from a very rude surprise.

Long Race Day Ahead? Don’t Make These Breakfast Mistakes

By

SM

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September 16, 2026

Long Race Day Ahead — Photo by Benoit Fraikin on Unsplash

Race days can start early and run long. Between traffic, parking, walking to the venue, finding your seat, waiting through delays, and staying until the final lap, breakfast has to do more than simply get you out the door.

The biggest mistake is treating it like an ordinary morning. A breakfast that works fine before a quiet day at home may leave you hungry, sluggish, or searching for expensive food before the event has really started. A few simple choices can make the whole day easier.

Don’t Build Breakfast Around One Small Item

Coffee and a pastry may be convenient, but they often do not provide much staying power when you have hours ahead of you. Start with something more substantial and make protein part of the meal instead of an afterthought.

Eggs are an obvious breakfast choice, but they are not the only option. If you want more variety, carnivoresnax.com offers ideas for getting protein from other foods when eggs are not appealing or practical.

Yogurt, cottage cheese, meat, cheese, or other protein-rich options can all help create a breakfast that feels more like a real meal. Add carbohydrates or other foods according to what normally works well for you.

The goal is simple: leave home satisfied enough that your first priority at the track is finding your seat, not finding food.

Don’t Try a Completely New Breakfast on Race Morning

Race day is a bad time to experiment with an enormous breakfast you have never eaten before.

If your usual morning meal is moderate, suddenly adding several heavy or greasy foods can leave you uncomfortable during the drive or while walking around the venue. The same applies to new supplements, unusually strong coffee, or foods you know sometimes upset your stomach.

Stick reasonably close to meals your body already handles well.

You can make breakfast larger than usual if the day demands it, but increase familiar foods instead of creating an entirely new routine.

This becomes even more important if you are traveling for the race. Hotel buffets and roadside restaurants make it tempting to turn breakfast into an event of its own, but remember that you still have the actual event ahead of you.

Don’t Forget How Long It May Be Until Lunch

It is easy to think you will simply eat again around noon.

Race days rarely cooperate that neatly.

You may spend longer getting into the venue than expected. Lines can be long, food areas crowded, and the most convenient meal options may be nowhere near your seats. If you arrive several hours before the race begins, lunchtime can also come surprisingly early in the day.

Build breakfast around the real schedule rather than the clock.

If you know you will leave the hotel at 7 a.m. and may not get a proper meal until 1 or 2 p.m., breakfast needs to carry more weight than it would on a normal workday.

Packing a small snack can help too. Even if outside food rules limit what you can bring into the venue, having something available during the trip can prevent a long gap before you enter.

Don’t Drink So Much That You Spend the Morning Looking for Restrooms

Hydration matters, particularly at outdoor races in warm weather, but overdoing it before you leave creates its own problem.

Drink normally with breakfast rather than trying to consume half the day’s water at once. Then continue drinking gradually as the morning progresses.

The same caution applies to coffee. If you normally have one cup, race morning may not be the best time for three because you woke up earlier than usual.

Too much caffeine can leave you jittery, thirsty, or repeatedly searching for a restroom at exactly the moment traffic is building or you are trying to reach your section.

Bring water when practical and check venue policies in advance. Spreading fluids across the day is usually much more comfortable than trying to prepare for hours outside by drinking everything before breakfast is over.

Don’t Make Breakfast So Heavy That You Feel Tired Before You Arrive

There is a difference between eating enough and eating as much as possible.

An oversized breakfast packed with fried food, rich sauces, pastries, and multiple sides may keep hunger away, but it can also leave you feeling slow during a morning that may involve a surprising amount of walking.

Aim for substantial rather than enormous.

A good race-day breakfast should leave you satisfied without making you want to go back to bed. Protein, a sensible portion of carbohydrates, and familiar foods usually make more sense than treating the morning like an all-you-can-eat challenge.

If you want a heavier meal, consider saving it for later when you are settled in and no longer navigating parking lots, stairs, and crowded walkways.

The best breakfast supports the day rather than becoming the first obstacle in it.

Don’t Assume Venue Food Will Fix a Bad Start

A race venue will probably have food, but that does not mean you want to depend on it from the moment you arrive.

Prices can be high, lines can be unpredictable, and the options closest to your seats may not be what you actually want. Starting the day hungry can push you into buying the first thing available rather than enjoying the food you planned to try later.

Eat enough before you go and treat track food as part of the experience rather than an emergency solution.

That also gives you more freedom. If a particular stand looks good later, you can wait until you genuinely want it instead of joining a long line because breakfast failed two hours earlier.

Race day is already full of things you cannot control: traffic, weather, delays, crowds, and the result itself. Breakfast is one of the easiest parts to get right.

Keep it familiar, make it substantial, include enough protein, hydrate sensibly, and think about the actual length of the morning. You will arrive feeling ready for a long day instead of needing your first pit stop before the engines even start.

How UK Audiences Are Embracing the Next Generation of Television

By

SM

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September 16, 2026

depositphotos_24186567-stock-photo-adults-watching-tv-and-pc — Photo by depositphotos at https://depositphotos.com/

The British television landscape is changing quickly. Viewers increasingly expect entertainment to be flexible, accessible and compatible with the devices they already use. This is one reason IPTV UK services have attracted growing interest among households looking beyond traditional television packages. For consumers exploring British IPTV, United Kingdom IPTV, or comparing an IPTV subscription, the modern streaming experience offers a different approach to watching live and on-demand entertainment.

From scheduled television to on-demand viewing, iptv UK MAx services are part of a changing entertainment landscape where viewers increasingly want flexible access to television content across compatible devices. For decades, television in Britain revolved around fixed schedules and traditional broadcasting. Streaming has changed that expectation. Viewers now want greater control over their entertainment, whether they are watching a film after work, following a sporting event or catching up with a favourite programme.

From Scheduled Television to On-Demand Viewing

Internet-delivered television fits naturally into this evolution because compatible services can be accessed through connected televisions, streaming devices, computers and other supported platforms.

However, choosing an IPTV service should involve more than looking at a large channel list. Reliability, usability, device compatibility, customer support and legitimate content licensing are all important factors.

What Makes a Good IPTV Experience?

The phrase best IPTV UK can mean different things to different viewers. A sports fan may prioritize reliable live playback, while a family might care more about an intuitive interface and a broad selection of entertainment.

Reliable playback: Consistent streaming is essential for live television.
Picture quality: HD and 4K support can make a major difference on modern screens.
Device compatibility: Viewers should check whether the service works with their preferred hardware.
Simple navigation: Well-organized categories make finding programmes easier.
Transparent pricing: Subscription terms should be easy to understand.
Content licensing: Consumers should verify that the provider has appropriate rights to distribute its programming.

The technology behind IPTV is legitimate, but the legality of an individual service depends on the content it distributes and whether it has permission to distribute that content.

Why UK Viewers Are Looking Beyond Traditional Packages

The growth of connected televisions has made internet-based entertainment increasingly convenient. Instead of relying exclusively on a traditional set-top box, households can combine different forms of digital entertainment around their internet connection.

For viewers researching British IPTV, flexibility can be particularly attractive. A modern television setup may include live channels, streaming platforms, catch-up services and other digital entertainment—all accessed through connected devices.

This broader change is also creating more competition between entertainment providers. Consumers have more options, but they also need to become more selective when comparing services.

IPTVUKMax and the Changing UK Viewing Experience

Platforms such as IPTVUKMax are part of this wider movement toward internet-based television. The service provides UK-focused information for viewers researching IPTV and modern streaming options.

Rather than choosing a service purely because it advertises the largest number of channels, consumers should consider whether the platform provides a dependable experience, supports their preferred devices and clearly explains its subscription offering.

The Future of Television in Britain

The future of British television is unlikely to be defined by one technology alone. Traditional broadcasting, subscription streaming and internet-based television can coexist, giving consumers more control over how they watch entertainment.

For anyone considering an IPTV subscription, the most useful approach is to compare providers carefully and look beyond marketing claims. Reliability, usability, transparent terms, device support and legitimate content rights should remain central to the decision.

As connected-TV technology continues to evolve, IPTV will remain part of the conversation about how British audiences discover, access and enjoy television and entertainment.

Ford Racing – Bristol Night Race Advance

By

Official Release

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September 15, 2026

BRISTOL 2

Thursday, September 17 — NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, 8 p.m. ET (FS1)
Saturday, September 19 — NASCAR Cup Series, 7:30 p.m. ET (USA)

While the NASCAR Cup Series hosts its third race in the Chase this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway for the annual Night Race, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will be competing in its first postseason event on Thursday night. Ryan Blaney is currently the highest ranked Ford driver in Cup (fourth) while Layne Riggs leads the way in Trucks.

FORD DRIVERS IN THE CHASE

4th – Ryan Blaney (-33 behind leader Denny Hamlin)

6th – Joey Logano (-51)

12th – Austin Cindric (-108)

13th – Chris Buescher (-111)

14th – Ryan Preece (-113)

BLANEY LOOKING TO REBOUND

Ryan Blaney was one of many drivers to suffer brake issues last weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway and his 35th place finish dropped him one spot to fourth in the NASCAR Chase standings with eight races remaining in the season. Blaney, who went from 16 points behind leader Denny Hamlin to 33, will be making his 20th career start at Bristol Motor Speedway and has a streak of four straight finishes of sixth or better. He’s coming off a second place effort in the spring race, an event in which he won the pole, led 190 laps and finished third or better in all three stages.

LOGANO CUTS DEFICIT

Joey Logano had one of the dominant cars last weekend before eventually finishing third. After winning the pole, the Team Penske driver took the first stage and was second in stage two as he scored 54 points. That enabled him to move up two spots in the standings (sixth) and cut his deficit from 72 to 51. Logano is a two-time winner of the Bristol Night Race and in 32 career starts has 12 top 10 finishes and seven top five results.

BUESCHER NETS FIRST RFK WIN

Chris Buescher earned the first win for the rebranded Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing in 2022 as he and teammate/owner Brad Keselowski spent much of the night in front of the field. The two drivers combined to lead 278-of-500 laps with Buescher leading a race-high 169. That included the final 61 circuits when he and his team opted for two tires on their final stop, which enabled the No. 17 Ford Mustang Dark Horse to get off pit road with a lead it never lost.

LOGANO WINS BACK-TO-BACK NIGHT RACES

Joey Logano held off a hard-charging Kevin Harvick over the final 25 laps to win the Bristol Night Race for the second consecutive year in 2015. Logano led four times for 176 laps, including all but four of the final 147 laps and that was because he pitted when the caution came out with 71 laps to go while Penske teammate Brad Keselowski opted to stay out for track position. Even though Keselowski had the lead on the ensuing restart, Logano’s four fresh tires enabled him to get the lead immediately and he held on over the final 64 circuits to post his 11th career victory.

FOUR F-150 DRIVERS SET FOR CHASE

Ford Racing has four F-150 drivers competing for this year’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship, led by No. 1 overall seed Layne Riggs. The Front Row Motorsports driver leads the series with six victories and is in the midst of a career year that has seen him surpass his career victory total from the previous two seasons combined (5). In addition, Riggs has won the pole in four of the last five series events. Chandler Smith starts the postseason third while Ty Majeski is sixth and Ben Rhodes ninth.

FORD DRIVERS IN THE CHASE STANDINGS

Layne Riggs – 1st

Chandler Smith – 3rd (-35)

Ty Majeski – 6th (-50)

Ben Rhodes – 9th (-65)

EIGHT IS GREAT

Ford Racing’s eight NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series wins this season is the most since 2006 when the manufacturer also won eight times. During that season, Mark Martin was the dominant driver as he went to Victory Lane six times for owner Jack Roush, similar to what Layne Riggs has done this year with Front Row Motorsports. Riggs has six victories, including five of the last nine overall.

FRONT ROW AT THE FRONT

The Front Row Motorsports duo of Layne Riggs and Chandler Smith have combined to win three of the last four NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races at Bristol Motor Speedway. Riggs, in fact, is going for his third straight victory in this event while Smith captured the spring event in 2025. A year ago, Riggs only led once, but it was the final 110 laps as he beat fellow F-150 driver Ben Rhodes to the finish line by .759 seconds. Ty Majeski ended up fourth as Ford placed three drivers in the top five.

FORD’S NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS AT BRISTOL (DOES NOT INCLUDE DIRT)

1963 – Fireball Roberts and Fred Lorenzen

1964 – Fred Lorenzen (Sweep)

1965 – Junior Johnson and Ned Jarrett

1966 – Dick Hutcherson (1)

1968 – David Pearson (Sweep)

1969 – David Pearson (2)

1970 – Donnie Allison (1)

1971 – David Pearson (1)

1988 – Bill Elliott (1)

1990 – Davey Allison (1)

1991 – Alan Kulwicki (2)

1992 – Alan Kulwicki (1)

1993 – Mark Martin (2)

1994 – Rusty Wallace (2)

1996 – Rusty Wallace (2)

1997 – Dale Jarrett (2)

1998 – Mark Martin (2)

1999 – Rusty Wallace (1)

2000 – Rusty Wallace (Sweep)

2001 – Elliott Sadler (1)

2002 – Kurt Busch (1)

2003 – Kurt Busch (Sweep)

2004 – Kurt Busch (1)

2005 – Matt Kenseth (2)

2006 – Matt Kenseth (2)

2007 – Carl Edwards (2)

2008 – Carl Edwards (2)

2014 – Carl Edwards and Joey Logano

2015 – Joey Logano (2)

2018 – Kurt Busch (2)

2020 – Brad Keselowski (1) and Kevin Harvick (2)

2022 – Chris Buescher

FORD’S NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES WINNERS AT BRISTOL

1995 – Joe Ruttman

2004 – Carl Edwards

2006 – Mark Martin

2014 – Brad Keselowski

2015 – Ryan Blaney

2024 – Layne Riggs (2)

2025 – Chandler Smith (1) and Layne Riggs (2)

The Ford Mustang® coupe is America’s best-selling sports car and has a global racing presence. With Mustang-based race cars competing in international sports car competition (GT3 and GT4), NASCAR, NHRA, Formula Drift, in Supercars, at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and in its own bespoke regional one-make series – Mustang Cup and Mustang Challenge – the platform has an unprecedented global reach. This weekend, 52 Mustang race cars are scheduled to compete across all active disciplines. Learn more about Mustang at www.FordRacing.com.

NHRA GREAT LAKES NATIONALS: ELITE MOTORSPORTS ENTERS 2026 COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP

By

Official Release

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September 15, 2026

MARTIN, Mich. (Sept. 15, 2026) — After closing out the 2026 regular season, Elite Motorsports is heading to U.S. 131 Raceway Park for the Dodge NHRA Great Lakes Nationals, race one of six in the Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship. The points have reset and the championship title is up for grabs as the Countdown opens with three back-to-back race weekends with two events that are new to the calendar. It’s been 66 years since NHRA has raced a national event at U.S. 131 and the Elite Motorsports camp is looking to start the championship chase with a long race day capped off in the winners circle.

Greg Stanfield and the Janac Brothers Racing team lead Elite Motorsports heading into the Countdown to the Championship from the No. 3 spot. Arguably the most consistent car in the Elite camp, Greg picked up a win at the NHRA Sonoma National and started race day from the No. 1 spot at the Potomac Nationals in Maryland. The veteran, who is racing in his 300th Pro Stock nationals event this weekend, has had only one first round exit all season with seven semifinal finishes and a final appearance in Seattle.

“I’m looking forward to the Countdown to the Championship. This whole year has been a dog fight. We’ve been lucky to come out on top a few times and to be entering the Countdown third in points is a great position to be in,” Stanfield said. “We aren’t getting too comfortable. Now the real work begins. With three back-to-back races, there’s no chance to let up, no one else is. If we want to stay at the top we need to keep our heads down and keep working like we have been all year. All the long days, the extra testing, this is where it pays off. Hopefully we can make a splash early, create some separation after the points reset, and keep ourselves in the championship conversation until the very end.”

Tony Stewart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel team are entering the Countdown to the Championship sitting fourth in points just 18 behind wife Leah Pruett in third. Stewart picked up his first win for Elite Motorsports at the NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, California in April and added a runner-up finish at the U.S. Nationals just two weeks ago.

“I like things that stir the pot a little bit, and to see us go to a track that nobody’s been to yet, and for it to be the first race of the Countdown, nobody has historical data to go off of, so it’s absolutely the biggest equalizer you can ask for,” Stewart said. “With where this R+L car is at right now, I feel comfortable going into a new track like this. Mike Green and Joe Barlam and all our guys are in a good spot, our car’s in a good spot. When it comes to experience in the Countdown, I’m probably the youngest guy on tour, besides Maddi Gordon. So anything that’s different or has the potential to shake things up, I feel like it only helps us. I think it’s a great way to start the Countdown and depending on what the racetrack gives us, things could get pretty exciting.”

Erica Enders and her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage / Melling Performance / R+L Carriers Pro Stock team will start their championship chase from fifth. The six-time Pro Stock world champion earned her No. 5 position after a runner-up finish to Greg Stanfield in Sonoma and five semi-final exits along with a No. 1 qualifying position in Chicago.

“We’re still trying to figure out clutch program, our race car program. These are all new race cars, so its just going to take some time. To have such a strong group of drivers, like we have, is pretty important, especially at this point in the season,” Enders said. “If you had told me earlier in the year that we would be entering the Countdown fifth in points, it wouldn’t have made much sense. I think it’s a fine start. We’ve won championship from worse positions than that. After these next three in a row, we’ll have a really good idea of where we stand. We’ve just got to go out there and give it our all and play with all the heart we got.”

Jeg Coughlin Jr. and the classic yellow and black of his JEGS machine will start the Countdown tied for seventh with teammate Aaron Stanfield. Jeg Jr. is coming off a dominating showing at the U.S. Nationals where he finished runner-up from the No. 13 qualifying position.

“As we enter round one of six of the Countdown to the Championship, we are heading to a new event for the NHRA tour at a venue that is very near and dear to my heart,” Jeg Jr. said. “I grew up at U.S. 131 Dragway in Martin, Michigan. I’ve ridden my bicycle on every single inch of that ground, the motocross track, everywhere on the racetrack, around the pits. It was one of those iconic spots in the 70s, always so cool to go to. My dad was racing an Alcohol dragster, and then later in Top Fuel. And it hosted one of the biggest meets outside of the national event in the late 70s called the Popular Hot Rodding Event, so cool. Let’s fast forward to 2026 though, we’ve got some great momentum coming off of a nice showing at Indy. The new car is definitely continuing to respond to changes and fixes that we’re giving to it. I’m really excited to unite with our Michigan fans and fans nearby in Indiana and Ohio. It should be an amazing event, and it’s coming at a great time of the year. This track usually has teeth on a bad day, so I’m sure it’s going to be really good for the NHRA tour.”

Aaron Stanfield and his JHG / Melling / Janac Brothers team had mid-season success that earned them their No. 7 spot along side Jeg Jr. Aaron raced to victory at the event in Chicago and later in Norwalk, Ohio. The young phenom also

“It’s going to be a fight this year. It always is. This Elite Motorsports team probably hasn’t had a day off all year. These guys have been back in the shop, looking for changes and tweaks that can be made to get us ahead. Testing, changing chassis, all of it is for these last six races. The points have reset and it’s really anybody’s championship to claim. These first three races, back-to-back the way that they are, could really help build momentum, but they’ll also start to show who is really making a run for the No. 1 spot. We plan to be right at the top, in contention until that last pass down the track in Pomona. Hopefully we’re surrounded by the rest of our Elite Motorsports teammates. It should be exciting, I know I’m looking forward to it.”

Troy Coughlin Jr. and the midnight JEGS team will look to capture their first championship from the No. 10 starting spot. Troy Jr. is 110 points out of the lead after a runner-up finish at South Georgia Motorsports Park and a pair of semi-final finishes in Maryland and Sonoma, Calif. where, for the first time in history, there was an all-Elite Motorsports semi-final round.

“Heading into the Countdown is exciting. The points reset and it really evens the playing field,” Troy Jr. said. “We’re entering with the same mindset as those sitting at the top of the leaderboard. We owe that to our partners, our teammates and to ourselves. Elite has been working tirelessly to give us all the best shot at winning a title. This JEGS team is knocking on the door. We’ve turned some corners with our program and I think we’re going to be some party crashers.”

Stephen Bell, will be returning to competition at race two of six in the Countdown to the Championship, the NHRA Nationals at The Rock in Rockingham, N.C. at Rockingham Dragway. Bell won’t be in contention for the 2026 Pro Stock Championship but the 1320 LLC team will look to build on their second season progress.

“It’s going to be good to be back in the seat. I’m grateful for the time away, lots of focus on family and business, but I’m looking forward to racing again. I may not be in contention for the championship, but I can’t say I’m not looking forward to maybe hurting some feelings and helping my Elite teammates out a bit. We’ll see how it goes. These last six races are so important. I hope we can get some round wins, take down a few competitors who might be in the way of one of our cars getting ahead. That would be ideal, have a solid showing and lend a hand at the same time. One this is for sure, it should be a good time.”

Riggs, Majeski, Rhodes and Smith Ready to Chase NCTS Championship

By

Official Release

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September 15, 2026

Ford Racing Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Chase Media Day
Tuesday, September 15, 2026

CHANDLER SMITH, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford F-150 – HOW FULFILLING WOULD IT BE TO WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP WITH STARTING THIS TEAM FROM SCRATCH A COUPLE YEARS AGO? “Very. It’s something I’ve been talking about all day today on media day is the fact that, to your point, yes, I am moving on next year, but I am very much attached to this group. All of these men and women that came over from different places took a gamble on Front Row Motorsports and took a gamble on me and trust the process of we’re building a new race team. This is going to take time, but trust the process and we’ll see the fruits of the labor and I think here recently with the consistently that we’ve been showing is fruits of the labor. It takes a good three years for a brand new team to be a “championship-caliber team” and I mean like through and through week in and week out championship-caliber team, and last year we won races and this year we’ve won races, but here recently we’ve really started being more consistent. We’ve started seeing the fruits of that labor, so my goal is to go and win a championship for Bob Jenkins. Bob has poured so much time and so much money into me and invested a lot into me and this Truck Series program and took a chance on me when nobody else would when I got let go at Joe Gibbs Racing. He was like, ‘Hey, buddy. You’re gonna be racing, whether it’s in a Cup car or a Truck. I’m not gonna allow you not to be racing.’ And for that security the owner has given me I have a tremendous amount of respect for Bob because of that. I want to get him a championship. I do, but, likewise, I also want to do it for my team as well, but I would like to also leave them on a good note with a good, solid foundation that whatever driver may be coming in that they are confident that what they have can go out and win races and contend for championships – that they have the notebook, they have the trucks, they have everything capable right there at their disposal to take a driver and plug and play him and go and have instant results.”

YOU’VE BEEN HERE BEFORE CONTENDING FOR A TRUCK CHAMPIONSHIP. WHAT MAKES THIS YEAR DIFFERENT? “First and foremost, the format is different. It’s the Chase format. It’s not the playoff format. I’m honestly just excited that I have been partnered with a team that has championship caliber equipment. We’ve got a good team that made it to the Chase, so to be a part of the Chase and be a part of the format that I grew up watching Jimmie Johnson just dominate and Kyle Busch dominate, Tony Stewart, those guys, to be a part of what that format looked like now is really cool for me. I grew up watching them do it and wanted to be a part of it and here I am. It’s a little bit of a dream come true. Another thing that makes it different from this year to last year is I believe we’ve got almost another whole year working as a team together. Like I said, the fruit of that labor has been showing here recently with the consistent finishes. Chemistry is big. It takes time. It takes patience and I’m proud to see that the 38 team is continually growing and getting better week in and week out.”

DO YOU FEEL YOU CAN SLIDE IN THERE AS THE THIRD SEED AND WIN THIS CHAMPIONSHIP? “I do, for sure. We’re 35 points out and when you look at the last few races of the regular season how we started cutting that points deficit back in. We really got that points deficit from me being silly at Charlotte and then getting wrecked at San Diego. Without those two races and we finish where we needed to finish in those two races, it would have been a great regular season finale of duking it out between Layne and I, but those two races we didn’t get the points and Layne actually won both of those races, ironically enough. So, with that being said, I’m very excited about it. I think our team is in a good spot right now. We’ve got really good inventory, good products that are gonna be hitting the racetrack for the Chase. The team is in a good spot. The driver is in a good spot. I’m really looking forward to seeing what the Lord has in store for this Chase.”

NON-CHASERS HAVE BEEN IN THE HEADLINES IN THE OTHER SERIES. HOW AWARE DO YOU HAVE TO BE OF THOSE GUYS AND NOT MAKE ENEMIES WITH THEM? “You definitely need to be aware of it, but, at the same time, I’m not the driver that goes out of my way and races like a tool bag either. I’ll continue racing people like I always have. If I make a mistake or something to a non-playoff driver or even a playoff driver, go right then and there after the race and make it right. For me, I don’t go out of my way racing people like tool bags, truthfully, so the way I race other non-playoff drivers isn’t gonna be any different. I wouldn’t consider myself an extremely overly aggressive race car driver as it is.”

YOU’RE LEAVING FRONT ROW AFTER THIS YEAR, BUT DOES IT FEEL LIKE A WEIGHT IS LIFTED OFF YOUR SHOULDERS KNOWING YOUR PLANS FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS? “Yes, 120 percent. Any driver that will come in and they don’t have a deal signed for next year and say it’s not a distraction, I’m telling you up front that’s baloney. They’re not being honest. Anybody with a right mind that can put their pride and ego to the side can all say, ‘Yes, it is a distraction.’ So, for me to be able to have my deal done this early and not only know I have my deal done, but I have a multi-year contract, I can truly focus on the task at hand. I can truly give my 110 percent to the end of this year for my race team and the No. 38 team and Bob Jenkins and Jerry Freeze. I’m looking forward to it with no distractions at all. I know what the Lord has in store for me next year and for my family and what’s to come, but, more importantly, for the task at hand I know what the opportunity that he’s blessed me with now and I’m very grateful that I don’t have any distractions that’s going to be hindering me from giving it my all and all focus.”

WHAT IS THE DYNAMIC LIKE WITH YOU AND LAYNE BOTH COMPETING FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP. HAS ANYTHING CHANGED? “No, not at all. It’s status quo. At the end of the day Layne is a mature enough race car driver that he also understands that one of us needs to get Bob Jenkins a championship, whether it’s me or Layne. Selfishly, I want it to be me. Selfishly, he wants it to be him, but we both have the common understanding that one of us needs to win this championship for Bob Jenkins. So, with that being said, we need to make sure that we’re not going out of our way screwing each other up, going out of our way – still helping each other out because at the end of the day there are eight other guys that can win the championship, so statistically speaking we still have a lower chance of winning – one of us not winning than not – so we’ve got to make sure that we’re going out and executing for our own team but, at the same time, not going out of each other’s way to screw each other up and hurt each other’s performances as well. We just need to go and race it out, race each other with respect and let the best man win.”

LAYNE RIGGS, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford F-150 – WHAT IS YOUR LEVEL OF CONCERN SEEING THE STRUGGLES THE POINTS LEADERS IN CUP AND O’REILLY HAVE HAD SO FAR? “I think that it shows 25 points is nothing, even though it sounds like it’s a decent lead. I feel like being passive inside the Chase is not gonna win you a championship. A lot of people are saying, ‘Oh, the winner might not even win a race inside the Chase.’ That’s not gonna happen. The winner of the championship is gonna win I’d say at least two races if he thinks he has a shot at it. Being passive and running just top five the whole time isn’t gonna win you a championship. I think that just staying on the same path we’ve been on the same way we’ve been points racing all year, we just have to stay on that exact same kind of mindset and don’t psych ourselves out about it.”

HOW DO YOU NOT BE PASSIVE AND BE AGGRESSIVE AT BRISTOL TO KICK IT OFF WITHOUT CAUSING YOURSELF MORE TROUBLE? “I feel like we’ve balanced a happy medium all year long with myself and my team. We’ve been aggressive. When we had trucks to win the race, we do. When we don’t, we just make sure we do the best we can. Statistically, out of seven races something is gonna go wrong in one of those races, either speeding on pit road, you’re gonna have a flat tire, you’re gonna get in a wreck. Something is gonna happen at some point, so it’s all about for us, how are we gonna recover on those days – not even just the next weekend, but say something happens in stage one or two, how are we gonna recover to have the best finish that we can at the end of the day because so many times I feel like just with the age of my team we’ve done a lot of compounding. We have one issue that compounds into another that compounds into another, but we’ve been getting stronger at that of keeping our minds sharper in situations that aren’t ideal for us and we’ve got to keep that same mindset rolling that we’ve been doing all year long. Like I said, this is nothing new to us. We’ve been points racing the entire year. The top two, I mean until the very end right there, me and Kaden had a pretty tight points battle and Chandler led for the first majority of the year. We’ve been swapping the lead around a lot all season long. It hasn’t been just one clear winner, so just what we’ve been doing the last two months is what we really have to focus on and keep doing it. Like I said, don’t do anything different if it’s working.”

DO YOU LIKE HAVING A TARGET ON YOUR BACK? “I do because everybody wants to be me. Who doesn’t want to be the number one guy with a target on your back. Somebody else said, ‘How do you like being hunted?’ And I’m like, I’m still the hunter. I’m hunting for a bigger points lead. I’m not on defense. I’m on just as much offense as I have been all year long and that’s not gonna change.”

YOU AND YOUR TEAM HAD GREAT MOMENTUM GOING INTO THE BREAK. IS THAT AN ADVANTAGE OR A DISADVANTAGE? DO YOU WISH YOU HADN’T HAD IT? “I like the breaks, personally, especially being the most recent winner. You’ve got four weeks of being the most recent winner, which I feel like it was a year ago, but our season is very interesting. It’s like you’ve had the regular season and then you have the Chase, which is like two separate seasons in itself, but for the Truck Series and Truck teams, it’s good to have breaks. We don’t have the personnel and the manpower to race every single weekend. Our road crew guys are the same ones that are assembling the trucks and building the trucks. It’s not like the Cup Series where the road crew guys get there and it’s already ready to go and setup to go to the racetrack. It’s a building process. For us, it’s been nice to kind of sit back and have a break, get all of our ducks in a row, get all of our bullets lined up. We’ve got the next three trucks pretty much ready to go to the racetrack, just to be able to focus a little bit ahead into the future. Like I said, I like being able to step back and make sure everything is ready before you go. I feel like time away does nothing but help me. I went to the Bahamas. I’m currently wiping dead skin off my back where I got burned. That’s a process that’s been good, and I just got to clear my mind and relax and get set on kill.”

DO YOU FEEL THERE IS A WEAKNESS WITH YOUR GROUP AND DO YOU FEEL LIKE THIS IS YOUR CHAMPIONSHIP TO LOSE? “I think it is our championship to lose. I think anything less than a championship would be a disappointment for myself and my team just with the success we’ve had so far. I think we’re firing on all eight cylinders right now as a team. Any race that we had like a really bad result was because something happened. If we had a clean race, we’ve finished inside the top five all year long and I don’t see that changing in these seven races. Like I said, for us, I feel like in the most recent history it’s just been compounding, snowball negativity. If something goes wrong in the race that causes something else to go wrong and it just snowballs and you end up having a really poor day. A race that I look at this year is Nashville that we had the tire issue after leading the entire race. We fell to the very back, got tires and drove all the way through the field to win on the last lap. That was a championship performance and that was keeping our minds in the right spot, staying focused to the task at hand and not getting in our heads when something doesn’t go perfectly. I think that just proves right there that that was our last little weakness that we needed to clean up and we’ve proved that we got that covered.”

HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO BE AWARE OF THE NON-CHASERS AND NOT MAKE ENEMIES WITH THEM? “I don’t see that being as much of a problem in our series. I feel like right now the consistent guys that run up front are all in the Chase, which is good. Obviously, we might have some one-offs come in. I know Sawalich is in the 62 truck this weekend and is probably gonna be pretty fast. Just staying focused on the task at hand. Hopefully, they’ve all seen that and understand what the outcome was and maybe have a little bit more respect for us. Guys that are racing in the Chase, I know it’s always been for years like, ‘Respect the guys that are racing for a championship.’ We haven’t really seen it in the other two series. I’m hoping that was a little bit of an eye opener for everybody else to try to be a little bit cleaner and smarter in that aspect, but, at the end of the day, I feel like that’s not something that I can control. I just have to race my race no matter what every weekend. It doesn’t matter who I’m next to I’m gonna race everybody the same way, just make sure my finish is the best possible. I don’t think a beef is gonna start. I don’t think it’s gonna get into that with anybody that’s not in the Chase, at least for me. I’m willing to be passive in areas like that and I feel like I have good situational awareness.”

ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH BEING IN THE TRUCK SERIES AGAIN IN 2027, AND IS A NON-ZERO PERCENT CHANCE YOU ALSO DO SOME CUP STUFF AS WELL? “Yeah, for sure. That’s all undetermined at the moment – no pens to paper. Like I said, we were kind of uncertain of Front Row’s future. That’s all been kind of lined up as of now, but my goal is to have the year that Corey Heim had two years ago or whenever. I’m gonna race full-time Trucks again next season for Front Row and I would love to sprinkle some Cup starts in there however that may work out. But my goal is to make a Cup Series start by the end of 2027 and I stay pretty firm on that no matter how that turns out or how that happens.”

DOES YOUR TEAM HAVE A BASELINE OF POINTS YOU’RE TRYING TO AVERAGE THROUGHOUT EACH RACE? “I think once you kind of get into it you can see how the first two or three go to get on that line, but I feel like you can’t go in with that mindset like, ‘I have to have the two wins.’ Really, you’re just racing the guys around you. If I’m the leader and second, third and fourth all wreck one day, that’s an automatic bonus, so I feel like that’s more for later – you kind of have to do some calculations and figure out what our goals are gonna be, but, for us right now, we’re not changing our mindset at all. We go to qualify on every pole and lead every lap and win the race. For us, there’s nothing different that we can do or should be doing right now that we’ve been doing all year long.”

SO YOU ARE RETURNING TO FRONT ROW IN THE TRUCK SERIES NEXT YEAR? “Yes. I can confirm with all the media that I am returning to Front Row next year to race in the Truck Series. They have picked up my option and I’m looking forward to it.”

WHY DID THAT MAKE SENSE FOR YOU? “They’ve been a great team for me. I’m under contract with them. They’ve done a great job of giving me trucks and gave me my first opportunity racing in the Truck Series and got me to where I’m at today and got me to the name that I’m at and the success that I’ve had. I love racing Trucks. I think it’s a lot of fun. I’m having the absolute time of my life and wouldn’t want to do it with anybody else.”

BEN RHODES, No. 99 ThorSport Racing Ford F-150 – THE SEASON HASN’T GONE THE WAY YOU GUYS WANTED, BUT HAVE THE MULTIPLE WEEKS OFF ALLOWED YOU GUYS TO RESET? “I was appreciative of the break, really. Honestly, if any of these truck teams are being honest with themselves, I would say that they would all consider it a good thing. We have eight weeks with seven races going forward. That’s a lot for the Truck Series schedule. At least from what I know in our own shop and from other race teams in the Truck Series, a lot of these road crew guys are the same ones that are putting in a lot of effort at the shop to get these things assembled and built. What that means is that they’re doing monstrous hours, just huge hours getting these things assembled and set up and pulled down. It’s just a lot of work, so in the heat of the season you don’t get as much time for R&D as you would like. You’re building the trucks and building them with your best foot forward the way you think you need to, but the two weeks we used it as a building session. I can go into the race shop right now at ThorSport Racing and I can see a fleet of trucks ready to go. So, that’s a really good, comforting sign and that allows us the time to really massage on it and start working ahead. That’s really what you need to do. You’ve got to do that right now. To your point, you said that the season hasn’t been going the best up until now, and, yeah, I would agree with that. It started out strong and we’ve tapered off a bit, but I think the Chase has some good tracks for us. Bristol, Talladega, Martinsville, Homestead are all killer race tracks for us, I think in my opinion. But the ones that are in question for me would be Kansas, Charlotte, and I could kind of toss Homestead in there maybe. I think Kansas and Charlotte, if we do well at those tracks, it’s a learning opportunity to set ourselves up for Kansas. I want to kind of stay in the same realm of setup and preparation with these race trucks for those three racetracks.”

IT’S BEEN A WHILE SINCE THORSPORT HAS WON A RACE. WHAT DO YOU THINK HAS BEEN MISSING AND HOW DO YOU TURN IT AROUND? “I wish I could put my finger on one solid thing and say, ‘That’s it.’ In certain instances I can say execution. There’s been some mistakes made by me or even by others and then there’s been some bad luck that has happened this year. But you can’t use that as an excuse to say that we don’t need to be searching for more speed. We always need to. That’s the name of the game. That’s racing. I wish I could say that there’s one single thing and if I could say it, I probably shouldn’t be able to say it with all of our partners involved, but I think it’s a combination of stuff. I would say that if you were to talk to Ty he would probably echo my sentiment on that. Now, going forward, we are focusing on a lot of more basic, simple things. We’re not going to go and take too much risk right now in the Chase. We know the execution is key, so we’re gonna focus in on that, and then we’re gonna kind of go with what we know. We’re focusing in for Kansas and Charlotte, pulling from a lot of Texas notes where we qualified on the pole and won the first stage. Bristol was a very strong showing for us in the spring, and if Kansas goes well, hopefully we can take a similar setup or strategy to Kansas and Homestead. Martinsville has been very good for us in the past. Phoenix, we’ve won some championships there, top five runs, so I couldn’t have really dreamed up a better schedule for us, to be honest with you, in the Chase. I’m actually really happy about it.”

WHAT MAKES 2026 DIFFERENT SO FAR FROM A PREP STANDPOINT AND WHAT IS THE CURRENT STATE OF THE 99 TEAM? “I would say 2026 will be considerably different on the strategy we use within the Chase, versus the old playoff system. The old playoff system it was every three races it cycled and it was a reset. It was a fresh page. The only fresh start that we have is right here right now. Throughout the rest of 2026 and from this point forward, big picture ahead of you at all times. In the past, we would maybe be a bit more intentional at times on the way we’d run our strategy in the race. We know at this race we need this amount of points. Well, there’s a bit more of a long game at play now, which I’m totally fine with. It’s still the Chase. The intensity is still high, but I want that intensity to be just as high as it was in the past. I find when the intensity is up, it can force some mistakes or force errors and I like that. I feel like our team is experience enough that I would like to say we won’t be baited into that too much. If we make a mistake, it’s not from nerves or pressure, it’s probably just from stupidity, so hopefully we don’t make any mistakes.”

REALISTICALLY, HOW MANY WILDCARD RACES DO WE HAVE IN THE CHASE? “Well, I mean Talladega is for sure, but apart from that, Martinsville can be that. We’ve seen it become chaos, not only in the Truck Series, but the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series it certainly seems like it’s chaos every year for the fall race, so I could toss it up to a wildcard. I’ve been in no way, shape or form putting myself in a bad position at that place and then been caught up in somebody else’s mess, just because they’re too aggressive, maybe they’ve got something to prove for next year, they’re trying to get their deal finished or they’re trying to get points. So, my best estimation would be Talladega and Martinsville.”

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR CREW CHIEF, CALE GALE? “Really good. I think that’s a great question because I’ve known Cale since 2013 when I was running for Turner Scott Motorsports in the K&N Pro Series, so I’ve known him since then. We kind of lost track of each other for awhile and then coming back together now 13 years later is just incredible. I feel close to him. I feel like he understands me. He knows me well and then we’re relying on each other pretty heavy because I’ve been in the Truck Series for all this time, so he doesn’t have that recent context of where the series is at and what we’ve been doing. But on the flip side, he’s got this absolute wealth of knowledge and understanding of vehicle dynamics and just race cars and race trucks and all these things, so I’m relying on him really heavy. It’s a really good match. We’re gonna find our stride and I think we’re gonna hit it now.”

HOW DO YOU LOOK AT BEING CAREFUL TO START THE CHASE IN YOUR SITUATION? “Hopefully, I didn’t cause any confusion. If I could alter what I was saying a little bit. I guess intentional would be my word. Intentional for every single race, that we’re intentional about what our goal is for this race in relation to the big picture. Now for Bristol, for me, I plan on going there and winning it. Our truck in the spring should have won that race, in my opinion. I would like to go there and make up a quarter of our points deficit to half, if possible, and then at that point we’ll reevaluate and we’ll be intentional for the next race. But every decision that we’ll make in the race is going to be in relation to the big picture. So, when the caution comes out and it’s lap 110, what are we doing for strategy? What does that mean for stage points? Can we get the 10 stage points or can we win the race and get the extra bonus points? There’s always a gamble there, but some of these guys that haven’t been in this position before, you can lose it very quickly by being aggressive as well. It’s still a lot of racing and if anything from the last couple of weeks has taught us is that you can lose points very quickly. You don’t have to be in it to experience that and understand that. You can just watch from afar and know it. I saw myself in ‘23 when Hocevar and Corey Heim were going back and forth and Corey passed me and he was so aggressive during the race that if I didn’t lift in one instance off of turn three, we both would have wrecked. That was right after a pit cycle. We both had new tires on. Go on. There are 100 laps left in the race and then 30 laps later they’re both wrecked and we win the championship. Were we the fastest truck that day? I don’t think so, but you have to be smart in your situation, understanding the big picture because anything can happen and the biggest thing is not to force any mistakes on our side.”

WHAT HAS YOUR EXPERIENCE TAUGHT YOU ABOUT BEING INTENTIONAL VERSUS BEING ON GO 100 PERCENT OF THE TIME? “The on go part I learned early on, actually. I didn’t need a championship to teach me that on go is bad all the time. I made a lot of enemies with veterans early on. Here’s a quick story. It was like my first race ever in the Trucks and we’re at Martinsville. I thought I was fast and I moved Matt Crafton out of the way. Well, he goes on to win the race and I get caught up in a mess. I was too on go. I wasn’t patient. Obviously, he was patient. He let some kind in his first race move him out of the way and then he goes on and wins it. To this day, he will still give me a hard time about it and says, ‘I owe you one for knocking me out of the way.’ I’m like, ‘You won the race, Crafton. You won the war.’ But that was a big learning point. There’s always something to learn if you’re paying attention, so I learned early on that on go can equal bad things if not well maintained and adjusted.”

HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO BE AWARE OF NON-CHASERS AND NOT MAKE ENEMIES? “It’s very important. It’s something that I’ve focused on in year’s past, 100 percent, especially in year’s past with the playoffs where those drivers would then be bumped out. So, you’re considering guys that are racing really hard right now currently to stay in the playoffs, they get out of it and now you’re in the Championship 4. They can make your day really hard if you’re not careful. Now, things are a bit different in the Chase. We’re all in it together for the whole time, but there are still really fast race trucks that are not in the Chase right now. It all plays to an effect. We saw it last week in the O’Reilly Series and I’ve thought about that for years. I always try to race people with respect for that reason because they can make things tough on you, but in recent times maybe all the way across NASCAR, but even in the Truck Series people are just racing hard all the time. There’s really not a lot of give and take. Myself and Daniel Hemric were back here talking just now and he’s like, ‘Man, I feel like we don’t normally talk that much.’ I’m like, ‘It’s probably a good thing. You think about it, you’re probably one of the better drivers for giving and taking on the track. I like to think that I do, so if we’re not talking, it’s probably because we’re not running into each other. You’re showing respect. I’m trying to be respectful back.’ We both kind of laughed about it because it’s probably true. There’s probably a shred of truth in that. I do live in Kentucky, so that’s part of it, but that give and take there’s not a lot of that right now.”

THIS WEEKEND IS YOUR 250TH CONSECUTIVE TRUCK SERIES START. YOU HAVE TWO CHAMPIONSHIPS. DO YOU FEEL YOU’VE HAD A HALL OF FAME CAREER AND, IF NOT, WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED TO DO? “I’m gonna be honest with you, that is so far away from anything I’ve ever thought about. I just want to win races and championships. I’m pretty hungry right now based on this winless streak that we’ve had. The last thing that I won was our championship in ‘23. To go from the highest of highs to not even having a win since then has been really tough, so I’m truly just focused on that right now. I really just want to win races and win championships. I’m very hyper focused on Bristol this Thursday. I haven’t really thought about it. I would like to keep racing, though, as long as Duke Thorson and ThorSport Racing will have me. I want to keep racing as long as there are opportunities to do it in this sport, whether that’s Trucks, O’Reilly or Cup or wherever. I want to race. I’ve always wanted that, but I’ve never really thought about that. I just want to win.”

TY MAJESKI, No. 88 ThorSport Racing Ford F-150 – HOW DO YOU LOOK AT YOUR SITUATION IN REGARDS TO BEING AGGRESSIVE IN THE CHASE? “I think it’s quite interesting. I think I may have a different opinion a few weeks ago. Once we kind of saw how the Cup and the O’Reilly races, the first couple races in their playoffs have shaken out, it kind of jumbled a lot. Guys have made mistakes and either used their mulligan or have given up the buffer that they worked all season to build. I think, for us, we have tracks circled in the playoffs that we feel we can win. We circled those as the tracks that we’re gonna be aggressive at and go for the win. The tracks that maybe we aren’t as good at or they’re earlier in the playoffs, we’re gonna maybe try and go and hit a single or a double and maybe try not to take unnecessary risks and take yourself out of maybe a race that you didn’t think you had as good of a chance to win anyways. I think, for us, it’s about getting through the first three. If we can get through the first three and sort of push, still be right around that 50-point back mark, then when we get into Phoenix, a place we think we can win. Talladega is obviously a big wildcard, and then Martinsville, another place we feel like we can win, and then Homestead – we’ve won there before. I think, for us, it’s about taking maybe a little bit more of a careful approach the first three and then being aggressive in those last four at all places we feel are more in our wheelhouse and feel like we have a good chance to win. So, like I said, we’ve seen a lot of guys take themselves out of it in these first couple races and we don’t want to be one of those guys. We want to have a fighting chance once we get to the final four.”

IT’S AN INTERESTING FORMAT. HOW DO YOU LOOK AT IT WHILE WATCHING THE CUP GUYS? “I think that’s great for everybody watching and the industry as a whole. I look at Christopher Bell. He’s the sixth seed, I think, on the Cup side – 50 points back, just like we are. One win gets you there. You’re in the mix after one race, so from our perspective, if we go into Bristol, for example, and make a mistake and take ourselves out of it, we go from 50 back to 75 or 80 or even worse. Now you’re out of it before it ever really started, so, for us, it’s just about going to those first couple races and hopefully the first three races finishing in the top 10 in all nine stages and giving yourself a fighting shot at going into the races that we feel are our strongest heading into the final four. So, that’s kind of our mindset. Obviously, it doesn’t always go how you planned, but I think that’s probably the most realistic mindset that we should have and gives ourselves the best chance at making a run at this thing.”

HOW FAR IS THE GAP BETWEEN YOU GUYS AND THE GUYS AHEAD OF YOU FROM FRONT ROW AND TRICON? CAN THAT GAP CLOSE FROM A PERFORMANCE PERSPECTIVE? “We’re certainly off. I’m not gonna sugarcoat it. I feel like there are areas where we need to get better. I feel like our peak is there. We’ve shown race-winning speed at a handful of tracks, but a handful of tracks isn’t good enough. We have to find that consistency. We need to have our off days be fifth to seventh and right now our off days are more like 10th to 12th. We have to raise the bar and put ourselves in better positions to win. If you only put yourself in position to win five or six of these races, it’s hard to win one. You have to do it on a consistent basis in order to truly compete for championships and compete for wins. It hasn’t gone unnoticed. We’ve had an up and down season – the every other race top 10 and then a DNF, top 10 and then a DNF. We have to clean that up or it’s obviously not gonna last very long in the Chase in the new format, so we’ve got to figure out a way to be consistent throughout these seven races and we’re gonna have to figure out a way to also peak at one or maybe two of them to truly have a chance heading into Homestead.”

HAS YOUR STANCE SOFTENED IN REGARDS TO COMPETING IN THE SNOWBALL DERBY THIS YEAR? “Honestly, I don’t know yet. There are a lot of factors that go into that decision. Right now, I’m not really ready to make any changes to my original schedule that I put out at the beginning of the year. I’m not gonna rule it out, but at this point we don’t have any plans.”

HOW DO THOSE 3 DNF’S FROM THE REGULAR SEASON WEIGH ON YOUR MIND? HAS IT IMPACTED YOUR PLAN TO START CAREFULLY AND THEN BE MORE AGGRESSIVE? “I feel like I’ve had more than that, but I think I’ve just had races where I’ve limped across the start-finish line, but I feel like I’ve had five or six races where I finished in the thirties. Even though they weren’t DNFs, they might as well be. Obviously, we have to clean that up. If we have one of those in the next seven races, it’s over for us. We don’t have the luxury of a points buffer. We’re not within 20 points of the leader. We’re 50 back. That’s basically one whole race we have to make up in seven races, so there’s no room for any DNFs anymore. There’s no room for a hiccup. We have to execute on all levels. We obviously have to have faster trucks than what we’ve put out on the racetrack and the execution level team wide, it’s not just Joe or the pit crew of myself, it’s all of us. We all have to pull the rope in the same direction and up the level of execution in order to truly compete for this championship. We’ve had 20 days to reflect and figure out what went wrong and way and be honest with ourselves about what we can do in the future to not let that happen again, so I feel like we’re in a good spot from a mindset standpoint, but we just have to go put it to work here these next few races and start the Chase off on a good note.”

Spire Motorsports Bass Pro Shops Night Race Advance

By

Official Release

-

September 15, 2026

In 25 previous NASCAR Cup Series starts at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, Spire Motorsports has two top-10 and seven top-15 finishes. Carson Hocevar earned the team’s best result in Sept. 2025 with a seventh-place effort. Spire Motorsports fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the Cup Series with Daniel Suárez, Michael McDowell and Hocevar, respectively.
The Bass Pro Shops Night Race will be televised live on USA Network Saturday, Sept. 19 beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The 29th of 36 points-paying races on the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series calendar will also be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Daniel Suárez – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Daniel Suárez will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation (CRSF) empowers communities with clean, safe places for underserved youth to play, learn, and grow. Since 2018, Group 1001 and the CRSF have combined efforts to build 17 youth development parks and install 20 STEM centers nationwide. Group 1001 employees have joined CRSF to host and volunteer for four Community Enhancement Projects. CRSF and Group 1001 have impacted over 100,000 youth in their joint effort to promote active lifestyles and educational opportunities. For more information, visit https://ripkenfoundation.org/.
Suárez will make his 16th Cup Series start at Bristol where he’s led five laps, earned two top-10 and 10 top-20 finishes. His series/venue best came in 2019 when he finished eighth in both Bristol races that season. He finished 12th in April in the division’s most recent visit to “Thunder Valley.”
With eight races remaining to determine the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Champion, Suárez sits 16th in points after last weekend’s race at World Wide Technology Raceway (WWTR) – 119 markers behind the leader – and a handsome 13 positions ahead of where he was in the standings at this point last season. He enters Saturday’s race with one win, three top-five, seven top-10 and 21 top-20 finishes on the year. Over 28 races this season, he holds a 14.0 average starting position and a 15.4 average finish.
Last Sunday at WWTR, the No. 7 Chevy picked up cosmetic damage early in the race, but the No. 7 team was able to affect repairs and keep their driver on track. Unfortunately, an incident on Lap 229 caused extensive damage, forcing Suárez to retire from the race 18 laps early from the 247-lap conclusion.
Suárez is a veteran of 351 Cup Series starts and earned three wins, 27 top fives and 82 top-10s in NASCAR’s premier division. He’s led 949 laps and earned three poles since 2017. Suárez has collected checkered flags at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway (2022), Atlanta Motor Speedway (2024) and Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (2026).

Daniel Suárez Quote
Heading back to Bristol, what are your thoughts going into the night race?
“Bristol at night is a race I really enjoy. Last fall was a tough race, but I am excited to get back there with the No. 7 team. We’ve learned a lot since the spring race, where we had a decent finish. The fans, the lights, the atmosphere, is what is really exciting at the night race. Hopefully, this time we can put together the kind of night I know this team is capable of.”

Ryan Sparks – Crew Chief, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Ryan Sparks is the Crew Chief of Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 with driver Daniel Suárez in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Sparks’ best finish at Bristol came in the Spring, when he guided Suárez to a 12th-place finish. In total, he has played a leading competition role in nine races at “The Last Great Colosseum” in NASCAR’s premier division.
The Winston-Salem, N.C., native has called 230 Cup Series races, earning one win, seven top-five and 17 top-10 finishes since making his Cup Series debut atop the pit box in 2020.
Sparks joined Spire Motorsports in 2021, where he served as both Crew Chief and Competition Director, leading the organization’s competitive and technical efforts. In 2026, Sparks serves in a singular role as crew chief for Daniel Suárez. He brings more than a decade of experience across all three of NASCAR’s national touring series, highlighted by 13 seasons at Richard Childress Racing and contributions to title-winning campaigns in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (2011) and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (2013).

Michael McDowell – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Michael McDowell will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 RCA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
RCA is one of the most recognized names in the electronics industry, delivering innovative and reliable technology that has been entertaining families for over 100 years. Consumers throughout the world depend on the RCA brand to provide products and services that feature the latest technology and design, are easy to use, and deliver the highest value and longevity. Generations of families continue to rely on the RCA brand for their home entertainment and lifestyle. RCA is a global trademark of established, Inc.
RCA has its own celebrated, winning history in the NASCAR Cup Series and previously sponsored Cale Yarborough Motorsports. Drivers Jeremy Mayfield and John Andretti both spent time in an RCA-sponsored entry throughout the mid-90’s, with Andretti taking the company to Victory Lane in the 1997 Pepsi 400 after fighting off NASCAR Hall-of-Famers Terry Labonte and Dale Earnhardt to collect the checkered flag.
In addition to the vibrant red RCA livery, the No. 71 machine will showcase K9s for Warriors on the rear bumper of McDowell’s ride. K9s for Warriors is the nation’s leading supporter of trained service dogs for veterans.
McDowell has 29 starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, where he’s earned two top-10 finishes.
In the Cup Series’ most recent visit to “The Last Great Colosseum”, McDowell qualified 19th and finished 24th at the controls of the No. 71 Delaware Life Chevrolet.
Over the four Bristol races run on the traditional half-mile circuit from 2022-2024, McDowell collected a 9.75 average finish, including one sixth-place effort and three 11th-place results.
The veteran racer has five NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts at Bristol, including a series-best 10th-place finish in 2009.
Last weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway, the father-of-five sustained damage early in Stage 1 but an industrious repair effort on pit road allowed McDowell to forge a respectable top-20 effort.
Dating back to New Hampshire Motor Speedway four races ago, the 19-year Cup Series veteran has generated a 14.2 average finish, a 9.3 position increase compared to his previous three races (Indianapolis – Richmond).
In 28 races this season, McDowell has led 24 laps while logging three top-five and six top-10 finishes. He’s recorded a 16.3 average start, an 18.8 average finish and currently sits 20th in points.

Michael McDowell Quote
What is your outlook heading into one of the most highly anticipated races of the season?
“Bristol is such a great weekend when it comes to the night race. I didn’t come from a traditional short track racing background, my upbringing was sports cars and road courses, unlike a lot of the other drivers. So, I have always felt like if I could win at Bristol then I can finally say I have made it as a Cup Series driver, which can be a little contradicting after almost 20 years of stock car racing. It is an incredible environment. Travis (crew chief Travis Peterson) and I had some success there early in our career together. We finished 11th two times and sixth before that. Track position is critical to maximize your day. We have also seen some unpredictable tire wear in the past, so that is always a factor, but our Spire organization has started to find some success there in the last year or so and feel like we have the notebook to compete.”

Travis Peterson – Crew Chief, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Travis Peterson serves as the Crew Chief for driver Michael McDowell and Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Across 141 starts serving in the crew chief role, Peterson has called eight poles, one win, 10 top-five and 29 top-10 finishes.
Across six NASCAR Cup Series races in the crew chief role at Bristol, Peterson has earned an average start of 14.3 paired with an average finish of 16.5, all with McDowell behind the wheel.
The duo of Peterson and McDowell secured a venue-best sixth-place finish in the 2023 Bristol Night Race after qualifying a career-high, fourth.
As a former race engineer at RFK Racing, Peterson played a key role in Chris Buescher’s 2022 Bristol win. After qualifying 20th, the team led 169 of the 500 laps en route to Buescher’s second career victory.

Carson Hocevar – Driver, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Carson Hocevar will race Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Zeigler Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Saturday night’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, the third of 10 races in The Chase.
Zeigler Automotive Group is one of the largest privately-owned dealer groups in the U.S. with 88 franchises across 41 locations in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. Vehicle brands represented include all the domestic and majority of the imported manufacturers. Besides its extensive automotive portfolio, the organization owns and operates Zeigler Motorsports, an 85,000-square-foot motorsports dealership and action park, offering 19 different powersports brands, plus its own onsite restaurant: Trak Houz Bar & Grill. Additionally, Zeigler Motorsports houses the Elevate Leadership & Team Building Academy, an executive training company. The Kalamazoo-based dealer group also owns three Byrider franchises, three finance companies, several insurance firms, and a leasing firm.
The Zeigler Auto Group Chevy Camaro will debut a new look this weekend, trading its traditionally black design for a predominantly yellow livery.
Hocevar and the No. 77 team, along with teammate Daniel Suarez and the No. 7 team, are competing for 2026 NASCAR Cup Series championship honors. The opportunity marks the first appearance in The Chase for Hocevar and the first time a Spire Motorsports team will compete for a Cup Series title. Through two of 10 races in The Chase, the No. 77 team sits ninth in points, 29 markers behind eighth.
Through 28 races, the Portage, Mich., native has already set career-highs in multiple categories:
Season-to-date results of one win, five top fives, 10 top 10s
159 laps led
733 points scored
12.8 average start
16.2 average finish
The 23-year-old driver has been one of the most improved on the circuit throughout the 2026 campaign. The team’s average starting and finishing positions have each improved by over five spots compared to this point in 2025. Hocevar is on pace to improve his average finish by 5.4 positions at the end of the season – the third-best of all drivers – while his ninth position in points is a 14-position improvement compared to the end of 2025 – the largest improvement in the field.
In six career NASCAR Cup Series starts at “The Last Great Colosseum, Hocevar secured a venue-best seventh-place finish in the 2025 night race. In the series’ most recent trip to Bristol this April, he was in position to secure his third top-five finish of the season until a caution flag waved on Lap 478. While most of the drivers on the lead lap ducked to pit road for fresh Goodyear Racing Eagles, the No. 77 team chose to remain on the track and restart second. Unfortunately, Hocevar was unable to hold off his challengers on fresher tires, but still managed to turn in a solid 10th-place finish.
The six-time NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race winner has tallied five Truck Series starts at Bristol, earning a venue-best fourth-place result in September 2023.
Last Sunday at World Wide Technology Raceway, the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year qualified sixth and was running inside the top 10 when he was forced to return to pit road to secure a loose wheel. Despite restarting 30th on Lap 206, he negotiated several multi-car incidents to turn in a spirited top-10 effort, his 10th top-10 finish of the season. The solid effort propelled him three positions, from 12th to ninth, in the standings.
Hocevar registered his first-career victory earlier this season at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. He survived a late-race restart with three laps remaining and brought home the checkered flag to register Spire Motorsports’ second Cup Series win and first since the 2019 Coke Zero Sugar 400.

Carson Hocevar Quote
You’re ninth in points and have a two solid runs to start The Chase. How do you and Luke (Lambert, Crew Chief) ) stack up at Bristol?
“I enjoy it. We run well there. I felt like we had a really good shot, and probably the best chance we’d had to win a race last fall before the caution came out late in the pit cycle. It is Luke’s favorite race, and he’s won there a couple times, so we all look forward to that one.”

Luke Lambert – Crew Chief, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Luke Lambert is the Crew Chief of Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the NASCAR Cup Series with driver Carson Hocevar.
Lambert is in his third season at Spire Motorsports and fourth with Hocevar. The duo has logged three pole awards, one win, eight top-five and 25 top-10 finishes in 108 races.
The 16-year veteran crew chief has called 27 NASCAR Cup Series races at Bristol, earning one top five and eight top 10s, highlighted by a fifth-place finish in April 2015 with Ryan Newman.
As a former race engineer at Richard Childress Racing, the Mount Airy, N.C., native played a key role in Jeff Burton’s Bristol victory in March 2008. Burton inherited the top spot on a green-white-checkered restart after the leaders tangled, earning the win and leading the charge on a one-two-three RCR finish.
The North Carolina State University graduate owns two wins in three NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races at Bristol. He first led Elliott Sadler to Victory Lane March 17, 2012 before Noah Gragson took the checkered flag in “Thunder Valley” on Sept. 16, 2022.

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

The team, co-owned by longtime NASCAR industry executive Jeff Dickerson and TWG Motorsports CEO Dan Towriss, earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado its first NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win April 7, 2022, at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The team’s most recent victory came May 24, 2026, when Daniel Suárez won the NASCAR Cup Series’ Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.

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

NASCAR 26 Continues to Deliver the Most Authentic Representation of the Sport

By

SM Staff

-

September 15, 2026

Early access began today for NASCAR 26 (Gold Edition, $79.99) from NASCAR and iRacing Studios. NASCAR 26 is the newest addition to the best-selling racing game franchise and is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. Notably, the Standard Edition ($59.99) will release on September 18.

The Gold Edition unlocks the full game along with the Season Pass, featuring four monthly DLC packs through the end of the year, including new paint schemes, fire suits, and career mode perks.

Like the previous version, NASCAR 25 lets you create your own driver and race as your favorite driver across all NASCAR premier series: NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and the ARCA Menards Series.

New and improved for NASCAR 26:

Favorite Drivers & Tracks: Race across all four of NASCAR’s premier series (the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and ARCA Menards Series) with your favorite drivers and tracks from each series, with an enhanced paint kit and all-new fully customizable driver ratings for 2026.
Improved Career Mode: Career Mode returns deeper than ever, featuring new weekly strategic planning decisions with Facility Upgrades that shape your journey from day one, along with performance coaching and tips from NASCAR greats Steve Letarte and Jamie McMurray.
New Game Modes & Features: Experience the thrill of The Chase, a new customizable standalone mode where you fight for a championship over the last 10 races of the season against the field of your choice, along with a new Peak Performance training mode to perfect your abilities on every track, plus cross-platform multiplayer.
New Upgrades & Enhancements: Enjoy visual upgrades across the entire game, including improved graphics, skies, and dynamic lighting and cloud interactions, plus better replay cameras and an all-new particle system for enhanced smoke, debris, and additional effects. On the track, you’ll experience an all-new tire and braking model for a more authentic racing experience, along with dynamic track technology that changes the grip over the course of a race weekend.
Cool additions: If you win, burn them off with the new burnout celebrations complete with a trophy room. All-new Ram truck, a new spotter (Freddie Kraft)
New Tracks: NASCAR 26 adds three tracks: Qualcomm Circuit at Naval Base Coronado, Chicagoland Speedway, and St. Petersburg.

I enjoyed NASCAR 25, so I’m excited that NASCAR 26 is available and continues to deliver the sport’s most authentic representation. In 26, there is an improved Career Mode, take on opponents in competitive cross-platform online multiplayer, and fight for the championship in “The Chase”, a new standalone mode where you race the final chase races only to win the series championship.

Also new are dynamic track conditions that evolve each race weekend, a new “Peak Performance” training mode, and dramatically improved graphics and lighting built on iRacing’s simulation technology. In case you didn’t know, iRacing Studios took over the official NASCAR video game license in 2023, after Motorsport Games and its subsidiary 704Games sold the rights.

“The response to NASCAR 25 reflected the momentum we’re seeing across NASCAR and gave us a strong foundation to build from,” said Nick Rend, Vice President of Interactive & Emerging Platforms at NASCAR. “Over the past year, we’ve worked closely with iRacing Studios and listened to our community to identify where we could make the experience better. NASCAR 26 is the result of that work, and you can see it across the game, from how the cars drive and tracks evolve to cross-platform play that brings players together.”

The game features an all-new tire and braking model that makes every chassis feel more distinct, along with improved driver AI and a 750-horsepower package for even more racing realism.

Right off the bat, the first few things that I noticed were the upgraded dynamic lighting and improved cloud interactions; the skies looked more realistic, along with better replay cameras. But once you get into racing and battle it out, you will quickly notice the new particle system enhancing smoke, debris, rubber buildup on the track, and the cool scraping along the walls, which happens a lot when I play.

What I was glad to experience, and completely surprised by, is that when you finally win a race, you can now do a burnout celebration. That just adds more to your hard-fought race and win.

NASCAR 26 also features a new Ram truck and a noticeable spotter upgrade from real-world spotter Freddie Kraft.

The Games Modes

The Chase

The new chase mode is a pretty cool addition. It’s a customizable, standalone championship format covering all four of NASCAR’s Series, where players fight for the championship title in the final 10 races against a field of drivers they choose themselves rather than a fixed roster. This mode adds a lot of fun since you can compete against the best of the best and see who wins. Or, in my case, maybe select the worst of the worst so that you have a chance of winning. I have almost finished one trial of this mode. I find it probably the best addition to the game so far.

Career Mode

The Career Mode is back for 26, and it includes new weekly strategic planning and a Facility Upgrades system that shapes a player’s progression from day one, plus coaching and tips from NASCAR veterans Steve Letarte and Jamie McMurray. It works much like NASCAR 25, with some solid improvements.

Peak Performance

The new Peak Performance training mode gives all players, new or old, a dedicated mode to sharpen skills on specific tracks outside of race conditions, and driver ratings are now fully customizable, building on the real NASCAR Insights data introduced in NASCAR 25. From short intermediates (6) to intermediates (7), and then superspeedways (3) and road courses (4), there are six episodes to watch and take advantage of.

Cross-platform multiplayer

Now you won’t have to make hard decisions about which version to buy if you want to play with family or friends. Cross-platform multiplayer is new for NASCAR 26 and lets players race friends regardless of platform, a first for iRacing’s console NASCAR entries.

Dynamic Track Conditions

NASCAR 26 adds Dynamic Track technology, which changes grip levels and racing conditions over an entire race weekend rather than keeping the racing surface the same. It’s pretty cool to race under different conditions over the weekend.

Final Thoughts

Although NASCAR 26 has some noticeable improvements, it’s not a huge change from NASCAR 25. However, I don’t have a professional setup, only the option of a keyboard or gamepad, so I use the gamepad. So I may be missing some of the other improvements. The visuals and effects are noticeable and completely make the game more enjoyable and realistic. The Chase mode is something new and unique, and a great addition to the game, and the peak performance allows you to practice and get a lot better at certain tracks or configurations. Since I don’t have a professional setup, I didn’t try the online part of the game. But I am sure a lot of players are glad I didn’t.

So is NASCAR 26 worth giving it a try? Yes, it is. Is it worth upgrading from NASCAR 25? I believe so. It’s not a huge difference, but the additions are great and only improve your racing experience. So give it a look on Steam or iracing.com.

ARCA Menards Series at Bristol Motor Speedway: Bush’s Beans 200 Pre-race Notes

By

Official Release

-

September 15, 2026

THE RACE:      Bush’s Beans 200
THE PLACE:    Bristol Motor Speedway
THE DATE:       Thursday, September 17, 2026
THE TIME:        5:30 pm ET
TV:  FS1, Live

The ARCA Menards Series will take to the concrete high banks at Bristol Motor Speedway for the ninth time in series history in Thursday’s Bush’s Beans 200, a combination race with the ARCA Menards Series East. The race will be the 19th of 20 for the ARCA Menards Series in 2026 and will be the final race of eight for the ARCA Menards Series East.
Jake Bollman (No. 20 Nitro Motorsports Toyota) extended his lead in the ARCA Menards Series standings to 13 points over his Nitro Motorsports teammate Thomas Annunziata (No. 70 JBL Audio Toyota) last Saturday night at Salem Speedway. Bollman scored his fifth runner-up finish of the season while Annunziata, who won earlier this season at Lime Rock Park, was involved in a late-race incident and finished seventh.
Tristan McKee (No. 77 Freeway Chevrolet) leads the ARCA Menards Series East standings by one point over Max Reaves (No. 18 Cook Out Toyota) headed into Thursday’s season finale at Bristol. If either driver wins, they will be the series champion. If the points totals end in a tie, McKee will earn the championship based on wins, 4-2. Before bonus points come into play, Reaves must finish two positions ahead of McKee to earn the title.
Another Nitro Motorsports driver, Isabella Robusto (No. 55 Mobil 1 Toyota), moved to third in the ARCA Menards Series standings with her fifth-place finish at Salem Speedway. It was her 14th career top-five finish, extending her record for most top-five finishes for a female driver in series history. Robusto is a virtual lock to finish third in the final ARCA Menards Series standings, which would tie her with Hailie Deegan for the best finish in the final series standings by a female driver in series history. Deegan finished third behind champion Bret Holmes and Michael Self in 2020.
The No. 18 team has won each ARCA Menards Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway since 2021. Winners include Ty Gibbs (2021), Sammy Smith (2022, as Kyle Busch Motorsports), William Sawalich (2023, 2024) and Brent Crews (2025). Crews led all 204 laps en route to the victory last year, while Gibbs led 197 of 200 laps in his 2021 victory.
Two-time winner Kaden Honeycutt (No. 17 MMI / Jailbreaks Potato Chips Toyota) returns to the ARCA Menards Series for his third start of the season driving for Bruce Cook and Steve McGowan. Honeycutt won his previous two starts this season at Watkins Glen International and Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. He will be joined out of the Cook Racing Technologies stable by Taylor Mayhew (No. 42 MMI Chevrolet), son of seven-time ARCA Menards West winner David Mayhew. Honeycutt will be doing double duty on Thursday as he’s also competing for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship driving for TRICON Garage.
Two former Talladega Superspeedway winners will make their return to the ARCA Menards Series at Bristol. Andy Jankowiak (No. 71 DK Chevrolet), who won earlier this season, will return for the first time since he finished eighth at Iowa Speedway in July. Jake Finch (No. 1 Phoenix Racing Chevrolet), who won at Talladega in 2023, will make his third start of the season and first for his father James’s Phoenix Racing team. The younger Finch finished 20th at Daytona International Speedway and 12th at Talladega Superspeedway in his two previous series starts this season.
Nitro Motorsports will field five cars in the Bush’s Beans 200. In addition to Bollman, Annunziata, and Robusto, the team has filed entries for Jade Avedisian (No. 15 Yahoo! Toyota) and Gavan Boschele (No. 25 Toyota Racing Toyota).
Defending ARCA Menards East champion Isaac Kitzmiller (No. 79 A.L.L. Construction / Carter CAT Chevrolet) has a mathematical chance to score his second consecutive title. He comes into the race 17 points out of the lead in third and would need to finish 18 positions ahead of McKee and 19 positions ahead of Reaves without any bonus points being scored to take the title.
Craig Pellegrini, Jr. (No. 10 Let’s Be Frank / Fleet Reps Toyota) has a 21-point advantage over Quinn Davis (No. 85 Orlando Health / Dollywood Parks & Resorts Ford) in the battle for fourth in the ARCA Menards East standings. Davis has an outside chance at tying Stephanie Moyer for the highest finish by a female driver in the ARCA Menards East standings, fourth, set in 2022.
Davis, who is originally from Tucson but now resides in Sparta, Tennessee, will be making at appearance at Dollywood in Gatlinburg on Tuesday. She is one of three Tennessee-based drivers on the entry list; she is joined by MAN Motorsports drivers Hunter Wright (No. 95 Tennessee 811 / Visit Wilco Toyota), from Lebanon, and Jackson McLerran (No. 96 Midsouth Electric / JSJ Construction Toyota), from Portland.
There will be one scheduled break at or near lap 100. Teams can change tires, add fuel, make any adjustments and repairs at that time. Teams can change tires and add fuel on the same pit stop but cannot do it simultaneously. Any caution flag is an opportunity to pit, but tires can only be changed and fuel may only be added at the two scheduled breaks.
Former ARCA Menards Series winners at Bristol Motor Speedway include Bobby Watson (1968), Ramo Stott (1969), Sam Mayer (2020), Ty Gibbs (2021), Sammy Smith (2022), William Sawalich (2023, 2024), and Brent Crews (2025).
Former ARCA Menards East winners at Bristol Motor Speedway include Nelson Piquet, Jr. (2012), Dylan Kwasniewski (2013), Eddie MacDonald (2014), Kyle Benjamin (2015), Chad Finchum (2016), Harrison Burton (2017), Todd Gilliland (2018), Sam Mayer (2019 – 2. 2020), Ty Gibbs (2021), Sammy Smith (2022), William Sawalich (2023, 2024), and Brent Crews (2025).
The record for most cautions in an ARCA Menards Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway is 13 for a record 87 laps, set in 2024. The record for the fewest cautions in an ARCA Menards Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway is 5 for a record 38 laps, set in 2025.
ARCA Menards Series races at Bristol Motor Speedway have been extended into overtime on two previous occasions, both being each of the last two races. Should the race be extended into overtime, there will be unlimited attempts at a two-lap “green-white-checkered” finish. Should the caution be displayed after the white flag has been shown, there will be unlimited attempts at a one-lap “green and white together” finish.
The Bush’s Beans 200 is set for 5:30 pm ET on Thursday, September 17. The race will be televised live on FS1. Live timing & scoring data and live race audio will be available on ARCARacing.com; for up-to-the-minute updates please follow @ARCA_Racing on X (formerly known as Twitter).

About ARCA 

The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum in Toledo, Ohio, and acquired by NASCAR in April 2018, is the leading grassroots stock car sanctioning body in the United States. Bridging the gap between NASCAR’s top three national touring series and weekly and regional tour racing all across the country, the organization sanctions over 100 races per year in the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, ARCA Menards Series West, ASA STARS National Tour, ASA CRA Super Series, ASA Midwest Tour, ASA Southern Super Series plus weekly racing at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways. For more information about ARCA visit www.arcaracing.com, or follow ARCA on Facebook (@ARCARacing) and Twitter (@ARCA_Racing). 

About Menards

A family-owned and run company started in 1958, Menards is recognized as the retail home center leader of the Midwest with 236 stores in 15 states.  Menards is truly a one-stop shop for all of your home improvement needs featuring a full-service lumberyard and everything you need to plan a renovation or build a home, garage, cabin, shed, deck, fence or post frame building.  You’ll find a large selection of lumber, roofing, siding, construction blocks, trusses, doors and windows, plus cabinets, appliances, countertops, flooring, lighting, paint, plumbing supplies and more.  To complete the job, Menards has quality hand tools, power tools, fasteners, electrical tools plus storage options and supplies for everyone from the weekend warrior to the pro!

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

About Musco

For more than 50 years, Musco has specialized in sports and large area lighting and technology, designing systems for neighborhood fields, major stadiums and international racecourses. Our solutions have revolutionized sports and entertainment for a variety of venues around the world. Musco’s TLC for LED® technology makes responsible lighting affordable with unmatched light quality, control, reliability, and glare reduction, backed by a long-term parts and labor warranty. To learn more, visit www.musco.com.

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