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Kris Wright NCTS Bristol Motor Speedway II Recap

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UNOH 250 | Bristol Motor Speedway

Race Results

Venue: Bristol Motor Speedway

FINISH: 27th

Start: 32nd

NCTS Point Standings Position: 24th

Wright Grabs Positions Late to Salvage Long Night at Bristol

Kris Wright, Driver, No. 81 iHeartRadio / F.N.B. Corporation Chevrolet Silverado RST

Kris Wright and the No. 81 iHeartRadio / F.N.B. Corporation Chevrolet Silverado RST team finished 27th in Thursday night’s UNOH 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS). Wright started 32nd after qualifying was set by the metric following a lightning delay. He moved forward early, passing a truck on the outside on lap five and reaching 30th by lap 12 before falling two laps down by lap 50.

The team made a stop for four tires, fuel and chassis adjustment during the Stage One break, including a track bar adjustment and changes to the rear of the truck. Wright restarted 34th for Stage Two and found additional speed midway through the run, posting five top-10 lap times during the middle portion of the run while holding off the race leader. The truck began to tighten toward the end of the segment, and was scored 30th at the end of Stage Two.

Wright restarted 30th for the final stage and settled into 31st before a caution on lap 168. Wright got loose due to oil on the track and tagged the outside wall, which necessitated the team inspecting the right front suspension. He restarted 31st on lap 181 and continued to battle through the remaining laps, moving to 29th by lap 230 and gained two more positions to finish 27th.

Kris Wright Quote:

“Tonight could’ve been a much worse result. I really wanted to bring this iHeartRadio / F.N.B. Corporation Chevrolet Silverado RST home clean, but there wasn’t much I could do. It’s unfortunate for the guys back at the shop, but I’m looking to finally get back on a 1.5-mile track, one of my personal favorite tracks to run, and hopefully bring home a good result for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing.”

Christian Eckes NCTS Bristol Motor Speedway Recap

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UNOH 250 presented by Ohio Logistics – Race Results

Venue: Bristol Motor Speedway

FINISH: 30th

Start: 21st

Laps Led: 0

NCTS Point Standings Position: 8th

Adversity Greets Eckes in Bristol Chase Race

Daniel Hemric, driver of the No. 19 Motion Industires Chevrolet Silverado RST

The first round of the Chase for the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks Series (NCTS) title dealt Christian Eckes a dose of adversity on Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS). The driver of the No. 91 Motion Industries Chevrolet RST was credited with a 30th-place finish after suffering contact with the backstretch wall midway through the first stage. After the first of seven Chase races, Eckes is now positioned eighth in the title standings, 58 markers out of the lead.

Eckes and the Motion Industries team began the day exhibiting tremendous speed in practice, posting the fourth-fastest lap in race trim and led the field in 15-lap average. After weather scrapped qualifying, Eckes started from 21st position as the lineup was set per the metric.

Once the green flag dropped, Eckes made a beeline towards the front by advancing from 21st to 12th in 19 laps. After the groove began migrating off the bottom and towards the rim of the high banks, Eckes attempted to continue his ascent by using the inside. On lap 40, Eckes tried to complete a pass on the No. 9 truck exiting Turn 2 but made contact down the backstretch and turned the right front fender into the wall. The contact necessitated a trip to pit road to clearance the fender under green and resulted in trapping him six laps down.

Despite the misfortune, Eckes and company were running at the finish and their persistence was rewarded with gaining four spots in the final 50 laps to take the checkered flag in 30th.

Christian Eckes Quote:

“We made a mistake off Turn 2, tried to get up in front of the No. 9 and just wasn’t clear. A lot of Chase trucks looked like they had trouble tonight, so we didn’t lose as much as I expected to. I thought we had a Motion Chevrolet capable of contending tonight. Made a run up to about 12th, so we’ll go to Kansas and try to make up for it there.”

Daniel Hemric NCTS Bristol Motor Speedway Recap

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UNOH 250 presented by Ohio Logistics – Race Results

Venue: Bristol Motor Speedway

FINISH: 12th

Start: 7th

Stage 1: 7th

Laps Led: 0

Points Position: 7th

Hemric Gains Ground in Chase Opener at Bristol

Daniel Hemric, driver of the No. 19 Delphi Chevrolet Silverado RST

Daniel Hemric gained ground in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks Series (NCTS) standings as the Chase opened on Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS). The driver of the No. 19 Delphi Chevrolet Silverado RST battled throughout the 250-lap outing to record points in both stages and en route to a 12th-place finish. Hemric was tied for scoring the fourth-most points among Chase contenders and sits seventh in the point standings, 56 markers behind the lead.

After weather forced the cancellation of qualifying, Hemric took the green flag from seventh position. The Delphi Chevrolet immediately established himself as a contender with strong pace during the opening 65-lap run. Hemric ran as high as sixth for most of the stint but began to deal with a wavering balance. A tight condition developed as the run progressed, yet Hemric still banked four points in seventh position at the end of Stage 1 on lap 65.

Crew chief Kevin Bellicourt called Hemric to pit road for four tires, fuel, and air pressure adjustments to improve the rotation in the Delphi Silverado RST. Hemric restarted eighth on lap 77 and fought with a progressively tighter condition as more rubber stacked on BMS’ concrete, running 13th at the end of the second stage on lap 130.

Bellicourt employed a two-tire strategy during the second stage caution in hopes to gain track position, and armed Hemric with a sizable track bar adjustment. He restarted eighth on lap 142 yet continued to deal with a tight balance, hampering his center corner speed. While running as high as seventh, Hemric’s handling condition deteriorated and was scored 15th when the final yellow flew at lap 213. The Delphi crew bolted on a cooler set of scuff tires and returned Hemric to the track in 17th position. The call paid dividends as it produced a net gain by the time the checkers were unfurled. Hemric was able to gain five positions to drive up to 12th and scored 29 points on the evening.

Daniel Hemric Quote:

“The first run fired off really well. Maybe about 30 laps in, I had a weird front tire slip that I hadn’t experienced. We managed that in Stage 1 and progressively got worse in Stage 2 and Stage 3. Kevin Bellicourt and everyone on the No. 19 Delphi Chevrolet did what they could to adjust and adapt and try to make it better. Took a swing at track position putting two tires on. When we put two tires on, we really struggled, backed up hard…We managed the night as best we could, and knew we just needed to get to the end of the race seeing what was going on with the guys were racing against. We lived to fight another day at Kansas next week and we’ll try to make up some more ground.”

2026 Niece Motorsports NCTS Race Recap: Bristol Motor Speedway II

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NCTS RACE RECAP: BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY II
Event: UNOH 250 Presented by Ohio Logistics (250 laps / 133.25 miles)
Round: 19 of 25 (Chase Opener)
Track: Bristol Motor Speedway
Location: Bristol, TN
Date & Time: Thursday, September 17 | 8:00 PM ET

No. 45 Utilitra Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Landen Lewis | Crew Chief: Phil Gould

Start: 28th | Stage 1: 18th | Stage 2: 17th
Finish: 14th | Driver Points: 22nd | Owner Points: 9th

  • Key Takeaway: Landen Lewis and the Utilitra team executed a solid outing at Bristol Motor Speedway. The No. 45 Chevrolet rolled off the starting grid from 28th-place after qualifying was cancelled, but Lewis made quick work in the opening stage to climb to 18th. Lewis held his track position and gained a spot in stage two, but most importantly was able to remain on the lead lap to fight it out. In the final stage, Lewis moved forward and was able to bring his truck home without a scratch on it in 14th-place.
  • Landen Lewis’ Post-Race Thoughts: “Tonight went a lot better for us compared to our last couple races. We made all of the laps and I was able to learn a lot out there. 14th is obviously not where we want to be with our Utilitra Chevy, but we will continue to grind at it and continue to get better. I feel like tonight was a good way to start off our Chase run because we were at least able to finish the race. The last two races had just not went our way, so as funny as that sounds, I think it’s a good thing that we were able to finish the race, get our marbles back together, and get back on the right path. We’ll continue to work on it as I go to my first mile-and-a-half next week in Kansas.”

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

No. 44 BLAC / GoKartMania Academy Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Andrés Perez de Lara | Crew Chief: Wally Rogers

Start: 27th | Stage 1: 21st | Stage 2: 21st
Finish: 17th | Driver Points: 15th | Owner Points: 21st

  • Key Takeaway: Andrés Pérez de Lara and the BLAC / GoKartMania Academy team rebounded from early challenges to end with a decent result in Bristol. Starting in 27th-place, Pérez de Lara passed a handful of trucks to move into 21st for both stage one and stage two. With a blistering pace set by the leaders, the No. 44 lost two laps in the opening stages, but was able to get back on the lead lap through strategy calls. Pérez de Lara worked hard to pick up track position late, resulting in a 17th-place finish.
  • Andrés Pérez de Lara’s Post-Race Thoughts: “We had a lot of ups and downs throughout the night with our BLAC / GoKartMania Academy Chevy. I feel like we lacked some pace which made the day difficult overall, but we gave it everything we could. I feel like we executed what we could in terms of positioning, and fortunately, we were able to get our lap back. I feel like our result tonight is a reflection of how much work everyone on our team put in tonight. We know where we were lacking speed, and we know we have to get to work on it. Bristol was a strong track for us last year, so we just need to get back to that for next time we come back here.”

About BLAC: BLAC is a technology and logistics company specializing in real-time tracking, asset visibility, and intelligent monitoring solutions for transportation, providing also location and condition data in real time for all shipments in the entire supply chain operations. With operations and coverage at an international level, BLAC provides advanced tracking technology designed to help companies reduce risk, improve operational control, and protect high-value cargo through real-time visibility and smart alert systems.

Through its innovative platform and 24/7 monitoring capabilities, BLAC supports businesses across multiple industries with scalable solutions focused on logistics security, transportation efficiency, and asset recovery. With years of experience in GPS tracking, supply chain visibility, and transportation security, BLAC continues to position itself as a trusted technology partner for companies seeking smarter and safer logistics operations.

About GoKartMania: GoKartMania is Mexico’s leading indoor go-kart track, a 100% Mexican company with a global presence. Their karts are of European origin and feature the most precise timing system. At GoKartMania, you’ll find activities for the whole family and a wide variety of race formats and activities.

GoKartMania is the ideal place for both beginners and seasoned motorsport enthusiasts. From a fun-filled, adrenaline-fueled afternoon with the family to competing in high-level series and championships, including position races, knockout format, endurance races, and karting clinics. They also offer

No. 4 AutoVentive / Precision Vehicle Logistics Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Connor Hall | Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett

Start: 26th | Stage 1: | Stage 2:
Finish: | Driver Points: 42nd | Owner Points: 31st

  • Key Takeaway: Connor Hall and the AutoVentive / Precision team had an eventful run in Bristol. Initially slated to start in 26th-place, Hall had to drop to the tail after the team replaced brake components before the start of the race. Not to be deterred, Hall gained ground in the first two stages and was rising through the field. Unfortunately, Hall ran over debris which cut the right-rear tire down and forced him to make two green flag pit stops in the final stage. He crossed the finish line in 29th-place.
  • Connor Hall’s Post-Race Thoughts: “Man, we had a lot going on tonight. I was telling the guys on the radio, with as good as we were in practice and qualifying earlier today, I never imagined that our race would play out like this. I learned a lot out there, and continue to get better every time I get to race one of these trucks. Going from Richmond to Loudon was an improvement, and Loudon to Bristol was another improvement. With that being said, hopefully Kansas will be better for us speed-wise and hopefully the race will fall our way. Big thank you to Cody Efaw, Precision Vehicle Logistics, Greg Fowler, Josh Morris, and everyone on this No. 4 team for their hard work.”

About AutoVentive: AutoVentive is an industry-leading Software as a Service (SaaS) applications developer providing customized solutions to the automotive logistics industry. The company is part of Liberty Hill Equity Partners, LLC, a Cincinnati-based private equity firm.

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

No. 42 Vetted Ventures Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Parker Eatmon | Crew Chief: Landon Polinski

Start: 11th | Stage 1: 22nd | Stage 2: 32nd
Finish: 31st | Driver Points: 31st | Owner Points: 24th

  • Key Takeaway: Parker Eatmon and the Vetted Ventures team fought electrical issues throughout the race in Bristol. Eatmon started 11th in the 250-lap event, but slipped back in the first two stages. Noting that his truck was reporting signs of low voltage, Eatmon came to pit road at the end of stage two so the crew could diagnose the issue. The team was able to replace the battery, but lost multiple laps in the process. Eatmon nursed the truck home to a 31st-place finish.
  • Parker Eatmon’s Post-Race Thoughts: “It was a frustrating night for our Vetted Ventures Chevy. We lacked overall speed on entry and through the center of the corners. It’s unfortunate that we had the voltage issues, but I know it’s not from a lack of hard work on my team’s part. We will regroup moving onto Kansas next week, and hopefully have a better day there.”

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

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

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

Jake Garcia Captures First NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Victory

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Ford Racing Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
UNOH 250 — Bristol Motor Speedway
Thursday, September 17, 2026

JAKE GARCIA CAPTURES FIRST NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES VICTORY

  • Jake Garcia won the first race of his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career tonight.
  • Ford has nine wins this season and has won seven of the last 10 events overall.
  • This marks the first win for ThorSport Racing since Ty Majeski won the championship race at Phoenix Raceway to end the 2024 season.
  • Ford’s other NCTS wins this year have been by Layne Riggs (6) and Chandler Smith (2).
  • Overall, Ford has won 138 series races.

JAKE GARCIA, No. 98 Quanta Services/Curb Records Ford F-150 – VICTORY LANE INTERVIEW – YOU’VE BEEN PUSHING FOR THIS FOR SO LONG. HOW DOES IT FEEL? “I’ve been pushing for it for 94 starts, but I’m really proud of all my guys. They brought an amazing truck tonight. It was good today, but qualifying got rained out. We had a good strategy that helped us come from the back, got some track position and started stage three with the lead and kind of took off from there. We had some adversity on that last restart, but, fortunately, the truck was fast enough to overcome that and just really proud of this moment.”

YOU BREAK THE WINLESS STREAK FOR THORSPORT AS WELL. WHAT DOES THIS WIN PROVE TO YOU? “ThorSport Racing is a really strong team, especially historically, so I’m just proud of all my guys on the 98 team for being able to end that winless streak. It’s been so long since we’ve gotten a win, so it feels really good to be the one to get it done.”

Ford Finishing Results:

1st – Jake Garcia
9th – Ty Majeski
11th – Ben Rhodes
19th – Luke Baldwin
24th – Chandler Smith
28th – Cole Butcher
32nd – Layne Riggs
33rd – Frankie Muniz
36th – Jackson Macenko

LAYNE RIGGS, No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops/Peak Ford F-150 – “We lost that one on pit road tonight. I don’t know what happened there. We had a really slow stop first of all, and then we didn’t even get the wheel tight either. Once you’re mired in the back and your two laps down, you’re just riding around with the guys in the back. I guess the 1 just lost talent and wrecked. I don’t really know what happened there. It’s probably one of the top three hardest hits of my life. I can’t believe the truck was still rolling after that. I feel like we had the truck to beat. This one stings really bad.”

WHAT’S IT LIKE WHEN YOU TRAPPED TWO LAPS DOWN AND THERE’S NOTHING YOU CAN REALLY DO? “At that point you’re just riding around and staying in front of the people that were two down. At that point, there’s really nothing you can do. You just have to beat the guys that are on your lap, so you’re not doing much racing back there.”

ANY CONSOLATION THE OTHER GUYS AROUND YOU HAD ISSUES TOO? “It could have been a lot worse of a day. We’ve got to clean that up if we’re gonna win a championship.”

CHANDLER SMITH, No. 38 QuickTie Ford F-150 – “It was an interesting day to say the least. Our No. 38 QuickTie Products Ford F-150 was solid the first two stages. We were right where we needed to run, top three, a third place truck. We came in and the crew did a great job on the pit stop and the driver sped, so I ended up losing all of the track position. I was coming back through the field and the crew chief did a great job on making a call on the adjustment and got the truck way better. I felt like I was capable of getting to the right place with some cautions and all that and doing a good job on restarts we could go up there and contend for the win. That didn’t turn out to be the plan. We ended up having a problem with the right-front tire. The stud completely broke off and the rim is completely broke and shattered and everything and had to pit with I don’t know how many laps down we finished. Nevertheless, we had a really good truck before we started having mechanical issues, so I’m proud of that. We had good speed today, so, regardless, we still have forward momentum going to Kansas.”

JAKE GARCIA WINNER’S PRESS CONFERENCE

JAKE GARCIA: “Obviously, that last restart was really hectic. We dropped back to second and were getting passed for second, and so we just had to rebound and figure out a way around the 52. After a couple of laps behind him I kind of felt like we were faster, but this is a place where it’s really hard to pass, especially if someone starts rolling the top well. So, I had to wait for him to go to the bottom and I went to the top and I was able to get the momentum to get beside him, and then after that I kind of inched my way by him. We ran side-by-side for couple of laps, but it was definitely a stressful situation. We were three-wide coming out of two on that restart, but, fortunately, my truck was fast enough. I was able to come back and get around the 52 and get the win.”

WHAT IS THIS WHOLE EXPERIENCE LIKE? “I have done a press conference before after a pole, but I wasn’t sure what you guys wanted me to do. It’s just surreal doing the burnout, doing the interview on the frontstretch, going to Victory Lane. All of that stuff is really cool and it’s really cool to check all of that off the bucket list. It feels even better to be able to say you did it after all this time. Not having a win wears on you a little bit. We’ve been really close a handful of times, but just haven’t had things go our way and tonight everything went well for us.”

DO YOU START TO WONDER IF IT’S EVER GOING TO HAPPEN? “Maybe a little bit. Obviously, it’s a really good opportunity to be able to drive for ThorSport in the NASCAR Truck Series. Last year, all of my teammates were champions, so, obviously, you can get it done at ThorSport Racing, so there was a little bit of pressure to perform to that level. We as a team have kind of been in a slump the last couple of years, but being able to break that and show that we can bring really fast trucks to the racetrack, I think that’s a morale boost and confidence boost for the whole shop. It feels really good to kind of get the monkey off of our back a little bit and hopefully it’s the first of many.”

THE LAST RESTART YOU HAD TO FIGHT OFF THE 52. IT SEEMED LIKE YOUR TRUCK WAS ABLE TO WORK ON THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF THE TRACK. WHAT WAS THAT MOMENT LIKE? “I was really frustrated when we lost the lead on that last restart. I didn’t really even foresee us getting put three-wide until I was almost off the corner and it was kind of a big moment. I kind of got sandwiched and then immediately I’m thinking, ‘Oh, we’re gonna have a tire go down or something.’ But being able to come back from that, fortunately all of our tires stayed up. I did have a truck that was able to maneuver well. That’s something that we struggled with in the spring and kind of focused on bringing back a really similar setup, but just trying to make sure we could work well on the top and the bottom and I think that’s what helped us at the end of the race. When he would go to the top, I could go to the bottom and try to work on him that way, and if he would go to the bottom, I could go to the top and try to get runs on him by running the top. Having a truck that can move around is really important here, especially in traffic.”

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO WIN THE FIRST CHASE RACE AND BEAT ALL OF THE GUYS WHO ARE COMPETING FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP? DO THAT ADD ANYTHING TO THIS MOMENT? “I don’t really care, honestly. It’s the Chase. We’re not in it, but we didn’t really deserve to be in it, either. I’m sure those guys bring their A-game every week, but it does feel good to get a win and know that you can beat the best. Even though we got the lead off of pit road, I still felt like coming from 12th to fourth in that first stage showed how much speed we had. Even that next run I thought we were really good and I was just trying to manage my stuff because I knew what our strategy was gonna be. I definitely thought we had the best truck, but the weather delay in qualifying set us back quite a bit.”

TOYOTA RACING – NCTS Bristol Post-Race Report – 09.17.26

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BAYLEY CURREY DELIVERS CAREER-BEST IN SEASON DEBUT AT BRISTOL
Kaden Honeycutt cuts points deficit to single digits heading to Kansas

BRISTOL, Tenn. (September 17, 2026) – Bayley Currey made his season debut count as he led Toyota with a career-best second-place finish in the NASCAR Truck Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Thursday evening. Currey, who is the truck chief on the no. 1 TRICON Toyota Tundra, scored his best finish across nearly 200 starts in NASCAR’s top-three divisions.

It was a strong night for non-Chase drivers as Currey and fellow Tundra driver Stewart Friesen battled for the final two podium finishes in the closing laps with Friesen scored in third. He led the charge in a stellar night for Halmar-Friesen Racing (HFR), as William Sawalich delivered in his HFR debut, finishing seventh.

Gio Ruggiero led all Chase drivers with a sixth-place finish, while Kaden Honeycutt drove through the field after a late pit stop to finish eighth. With the result, Honeycutt has cut his points deficit to first place to just to just three points.

TOYOTA RACING Post-Race Recap
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS)
Bristol Motor Speedway
Race 19 of 25 – 133.25 Miles, 250 Laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, Jake Garcia*
2nd, BAYLEY CURREY
3rd, STEWART FRIESEN
4th, Justin Haley*
5th, Tristan McKee*
6th, GIO RUGGIERO
7th, WILLIAM SAWALICH
8th, KADEN HONEYCUTT
16th, TANNER GRAY
22nd, TIMMY HILL
34th, NICK LEITZ
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

BAYLEY CURREY, No. 5 Monster Truck Wars Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, TRICON Garage

Finishing Position: 2nd

What do you take away from tonight?

“I’ve still got it, I guess. Just huge, huge thank you to everyone at TRICON, Toyota – just a great opportunity and glad we were able to make the most of it. I thought I was going to fumble it there at the end, but we were able to fight there and bring it home p2. Obviously wanted to win, but coming off the couch, I’m alright with it.”

Hard fought battle. What are the emotions right now?

“They are all good ones. Huge thank you to TRICON, Toyota. The effort these guys put in is unmatched. I’ve been truck chiefing all year, but to be a part of it and get a good finish for these guys is truly special.”

STEWART FRIESEN, No. 52 Halmar International Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, Halmar-Friesen Racing

Finishing Position: 3rd

How difficult was that final run?
“It wasn’t that bad. We had a really, really good Halmar Tundra TRD Pro. The guys did a good job getting me the track position, and track position was key for us. Clean air was good – had the lead there, but just too many laps left to hold on. We started losing front turn with 15, 20 to go. Just kind of hanging on those last five. Proud of the effort from these guys. Found a brake problem in practice and was able to, somewhat, get that remedied – but proud of these guys. It was close. I was hoping for another green-white-checkered or something to be able to mix it up from the top again. Another good top-five. We will keep building and keep digging.”

GIO RUGGIERO, No. 17 First Auto Group Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, TRICON Garage

Finishing Position: 6th

Top Chase finisher, and mostly clean truck except for the fluid being on the track. How was your race?

“There was fluid all over the track, and I just got into it. It felt like ice off of turn four there, and thought we were going to have some serious damage but no, it was a decent race from where we started. This is a super hard race, track position wise, if you start in the back – it is just so hard to pass when the bottom is super locked down. I thought our First Auto Group Tundra was really, really good in the first stage, and on that initial start I lost some ground actually and as the long run came, I kind of made it up and felt really good about our truck – just getting in the second stage I was a little bit tight, and struggled being tight throughout the rest of the race, but to have a good clean day at the end of it and have a decent points day is good for us and good momentum to start the Chase. I’m excited for Kansas and Charlotte. I feel like if we keep bringing the speed we had today and actually are able to qualify for the next two and be able to start up front we will be in a lot better position.”

KADEN HONEYCUTT, No. 11 Mobil 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, TRICON Garage

Finishing Position: 8th

What was it like behind the wheel tonight?

“It definitely sucks. Our Mobil 1 Tundra was so good tonight. I didn’t lead a lot of laps, but were throwing it at the 34 (Layne Riggs). I felt like we were better than him for sure. I just needed a long run, and the 98 (Jake Garcia) had clean air and I was just biding my time, waiting for the track to widen out and attack and as soon as I went to go and attack is when I had the vibration. It was getting worse and worse. Thank goodness we had the caution and I was able to come down and fix it. Just man so unfortunate. Thanks to Mobil 1, Safelite – this whole team 11 – everyone does such a great job. My pit crew has been amazing – it’s probably the second mistake I’ve seen them make all season. They are the best, and I will stand by that all day. Win and lose as team. We will go into these next six weeks and keep bringing trucks like this each week.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of over 50 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina began to assemble automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.

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

ARCA Menards Series / ARCA Menards East at Bristol Motor Speedway: Bush’s Beans Post-Race Notes

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  • Carson Brown (No. 28 Distributor Wire & Cable Chevrolet) started from the Sioux Chief PowerPEX Pole and led every lap to win the ARCA Menards Series / ARCA Menards Series East Bush’s Beans 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway. It was Brown’s third win of the season, following his wins at Phoenix Raceway and DuQuoin State Fairgrounds, and his second win in his last three starts.
  • The victory unofficially closes the gap in the ARCA Menards Series Owner Point Standings to 11 points between the leading Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 team and the Pinnacle Racing Group No. 28 team with just next week’s finale at Kansas Speedway remaining.
  • Tristan McKee (No. 77 Freeway Insurance Chevrolet) locked up the 2026 ARCA Menards East championship with his runner-up finish. McKee scored wins at Hickory Motor Speedway, Rockingham Speedway, Toledo Speedway, and Iowa Speedway and had a runner-up finish at Flat Rock Speedway and a third-place finish at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. McKee’s only finish outside the top three was a 32nd-place finish at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.
  • McKee is the 27th different driver to earn at least one ARCA Menards Series champion since the series’ inception in 1987.
  • Kaden Honeycutt (No. 17 MMI / Jailbreaks Potato Chips Toyota) finished third, his first non-victory in three ARCA Menards Series starts in 2026. Honeycutt won in his other two starts at Watkins Glen International and Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
  • Three drivers entered the Bush’s Beans 200 with a mathematical chance to win the ARCA Menards East championship. Max Reaves (No. 18 Cook Out Toyota) came in just one points behind McKee in the standings but fell short by five points after finishing in the fourth position. Defending series champion Isaac Kitzmiller (No. 79 A.L.L. Construction / Carter CAT Chevrolet) came in 18 points out of the lead and finished fifth, locking himself into third in the final series standings.
  • The Bush’s Beans 200 marked just the second ARCA Menards East race of the season that neither McKee nor Reaves led at least one lap. The only other time that happened in 2026 was at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park where Carson Brown and Kaden Honeycutt led all of the laps.
  • ARCA Menards Series championship points leader Jake Bollman (No. 20 Nitro Motorsports Toyota) finished sixth and added three points to his lead over Thomas Annunziata (No. 70 JBL Audio Toyota) who finished ninth. Annunziata started on the front row but was penalized for beating Brown to the start/finish line and had to battle back from a pass-thru penalty that put him a lap down.
  • Jade Avedisian (No. 15 Yahoo! Toyota) finished seventh, her fourth ARCA Menards Series top-ten finish in five 2026 starts.
  • Andy Jankowiak (No. 71 DAK’s Markets/DK Chevrolet) finished eighth, his fifth top-ten finish in 11 starts this season.
  • Taylor Mayhew (No. 42 MMI Chevrolet) rounded out the top ten, giving team owner Bruce Cook’s Cook Racing Technologies team two top-ten finishers; teammate Kaden Honeycutt finished third.
  • There were five cautions for 55 laps. Early accidents eliminated Hunter Wright (No. 95 Tennessee 811 / Visit Wilco Toyota) and Bobby Dale Earnhardt (No. 89 Tim Goulet For Hire Chevrolet) at lap 45; Zachary Tinkle (No. 53 Tinkle Family Foundation / Racing for Rescues Toyota) at lap 90, and Con Nicolopoulos (No. 06 Wayne Peterson Racing Toyota). All drivers were evaluated and released from the Infield Care Center with the exception of Nicolopoulos, who was transported to a nearby hospital for further evaluation.
  • Brown’s winning average speed was 73.800 miles per hour; his margin of victory was 2.056 seconds.
  • The next race for the ARCA Menards Series is Menards 150 at Kansas Speedway on Friday, September 25. The race, set to begin at 8 pm ET/7 pm CT, will be televised live on FS1 and carried on select affiliates of the MRN Radio network nationwide. ARCARacing.com will have live timing & scoring data throughout all on-track activity and live race audio. Follow @ARCA_Racing on X (formerly Twitter) for up-to-the-minute updates.

About ARCA 
The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum in Toledo, Ohio, and acquired by NASCAR in April 2018, is the leading grassroots stock car sanctioning body in the United States. Bridging the gap between NASCAR’s top three national touring series and weekly and regional tour racing all across the country, the organization to sanctions over 100 races per year in the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, ARCA Menards Series West, ASA STARS National Tour, ASA CRA Super Series, ASA Midwest Tour, ASA Southern Super Series plus weekly racing at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways. For more information about ARCA visit , or follow ARCA on Facebook (@ARCARacing) and Twitter (@ARCA_Racing). 
About Menards
A family-owned and run company started in 1958, Menards is recognized as the retail home center leader of the Midwest with 236 stores in 15 states.  Menards is truly a one-stop shop for all of your home improvement needs featuring a full-service lumberyard and everything you need to plan a renovation or build a home, garage, cabin, shed, deck, fence or post frame building.  You’ll find a large selection of lumber, roofing, siding, construction blocks, trusses, doors and windows, plus cabinets, appliances, countertops, flooring, lighting, paint, plumbing supplies and more.  To complete the job, Menards has quality hand tools, power tools, fasteners, electrical tools plus storage options and supplies for everyone from the weekend warrior to the pro!
 
Menards has what you need to complete your outdoor projects and keep your yard in tip-top shape including mowers, trimmers, blowers, pressure washers and more, plus a beautiful garden center stocked with plants, shrubs, trees, landscaping tools, grass seed, fertilizer options, outdoor décor and patio furniture.  Menards also has everyday essentials like health & beauty products, housewares, pet and wildlife supplies, automotive items and even groceries.  And at Christmas, an Enchanted Forest display area with impressive trees, lighting, decorations, ornaments, inflatables and more. 

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

Carson Brown Scores Dominant Win in ARCA Race at Bristol

By
Official Release
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18-Year-Old Racer Leads Every Lap From the Pole to Earn Third Career ARCA Victory

Date: Thursday, Sept. 17
Event: Bush’s Best 200
Series: ARCA Menards Series
Location: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (.533-mile oval)
Length: 200 laps (106.6 miles)
Start/Finish: 1st / 1st (Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)

Overview:

Carson Brown dominated the Bush’s Best 200 ARCA Menards Series race Thursday night at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. The driver of the No. 28 Distributor Wire & Cable Chevrolet for Pinnacle Racing Group (PRG) started from the pole and led all 200 laps to take his third career ARCA victory. Despite the domination, it was far from easy. Brown had to thread his way through lapped traffic during the entire race, and do it quickly as his PRG teammate Tristan McKee was in second place and poised to take advantage of any hiccup, as was third-place Kaden Honeycutt. It never happened. Brown was steady in slicing through the field, taking the checkered flag by a healthy 2.056 seconds over McKee.

Carson Brown, driver of the No. 28 Distributor Wire & Cable Chevrolet for Pinnacle Racing Group:

“This victory ranks pretty high up there, to be honest. Just a big thank you to everyone at Distributor Wire & Cable, RCR, Wise Optimization, Chevrolet and Pinnacle Racing Group, and Derek Nealon, my spotter up there on the tower. He was working his butt off to help me out and be my other set of eyes. Lapped traffic kind of forced me to the top line, and it was rolling really fast there at the end. I was just doing everything I could to move around, chase that top line, and make it as easy as possible to get by some of those lapped cars and not cut anything too close. It was a tough one, and I’m glad I was able to bring it to victory lane for all these guys. We’ve been really strong all year, had a lot of speed. Just been missing this factor, right? Knew that this was one everyone here wanted, and we worked really hard for it.”

Notes:

● This was Brown’s third career win in the ARCA Menards Series. Brown earned his maiden ARCA victory March 5 at Phoenix Raceway when he started from the pole and led every lap. He won his second race Sept. 6 at the DuQuoin (Ill.) State Fairgrounds, where he again started from the pole and led all but 10 of the race’s 100 laps.

● This was Brown’s eighth overall victory of 2026. In addition to his three ARCA wins, Brown has four ASA STARS National Tour victories. He won Feb. 10 at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway, March 14 at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida, June 21 at Slinger (Wis.) Speedway and July 25 at Newport (Tenn.) Speedway. Brown also earned his first CARS Tour West win Aug. 15 at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington, by leading every lap from the pole.

● This was Brown’s first start of any kind at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. You’d never know it, as Brown led practice with a best time of 15.427 seconds at 124.379 mph, scored the pole with a time of 15.334 seconds at 125.134 mph and won the race by leading all 200 laps.

● This was Brown’s seventh career ARCA pole – a number that includes National and East/West divisions. It was also Brown’s sixth pole in the last three months. Brown won his first ARCA pole March 5 at Phoenix.

● This was Brown’s 17th career ARCA start, a number that includes National and East/West divisions. He has now finished among the top-three 12 times, a mark highlighted by his three wins this season.

Next Up:

It will be back-to-back ARCA races for Brown. The 18-year-old from New London, North Carolina, returns to the developmental series next weekend driving the No. 28 Whelen Chevrolet for Pinnacle Racing Group in the season-ending Menards 150 on Sept. 25 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City.

Carson Brown Leads Every Lap To Win ARCA Race at Bristol – Tristan McKee Wins ARCA Menards East Series Championship

By
Briar Starr
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Photo Courtsey of (Logan Allen/Speedway Media)

The 2026 ARCA Menards Series season continued tonight at the famous Bristol Motor Speedway for what was their second-to-last race of the year, the penultimate round of the national tour championship before they head to Kansas Speedway next weekend to determine this year’s overall champion. Carson Brown, the newly signed Richard Childress Racing driver for the 2027 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season, qualified on the pole position with a lap time of 15.334 seconds at 125.134 mph. This would be the scene of the night as he went on to lead every lap of the race to win the race.

“Man, just a big thank you to everyone at Distributor Wire & Cable, Pinnacle Racing Group,” Brown said to Fox Sports 1 in victory lane. “(Spotter) Derek Kneeland up on the tower, he was working his butt off to help me out there and honestly, just be my other set of eyes. This was a tough one. I’m glad I was able to bring it to Victory Lane for these (No.28) guys. Before we came, they were like, ‘Bristol owes us one.’ So, I’m just glad I could do that for them. Just trying to catch up to Kyle Busch’s legacy here.”

Meanwhile, this event was also a combination event with the East Series, which saw their champion crowned tonight as well. Heading into their last race of the season, two drivers who have battled each other all season long were separated by one point. Those two drivers were young phenoms: Spire Motorsports’ Tristan McKee and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Max Reaves. Reaves won the previous ARCA Menards Series event at Salem Speedway, just four days ago.

For either driver to win the championship, one would have to finish ahead of the other, but if the points end in a tie, McKee would win the championship as he had the tiebreaker due to having more wins than Reaves of 4-2. Before the bonus points, Reaves would have to finish two spots ahead of McKee. For qualifying, McKee qualified third and Reaves seventh. The championship would be decided at the end of the 200-lap race. There was also a halfway race break, which occurred at Lap 105.

Thomas Annunziata led the first lap over Brown after taking the lead on the bottom, but Brown would retake the lead on the second lap as Annunziata had a restart violation. Annunziata had to serve a pass-through on pit road after beating Brown to the start/finish line. After serving the penalty, Annunziata was relegated to 33rd, 1 lap down.

At Lap 25, Brown still had the lead over current ARCA Menards Series national points leader Jake Bollman by 0.577 seconds. McKee was third and Reaves fifth. The first caution of the evening fell at Lap 37 for the No. 34 of Ivis Earley, who was stopped on the frontstretch. Earley was sent spinning off Turn 4 after getting bumped from behind.

The race resumed at Lap 43 with Brown and Bollman on the front row, but it was short-lived with another caution coming out a lap later for a multi-car accident on the front stretch. On the replay, it showed the No. 95 of Hunter Wright getting loose off Turn 4 and going around sideways before hitting the inside wall and suffering major front-end damage.

Meanwhile, Bobby Dale Earnhardt in the No. 89 machine also got sideways coming out of Turn 4 and went spinning. Others involved in the incident were the No. 06 of Con Nicolopoulos and the No. 85 of Quinn Davis as well.

Following the lengthy cleanup, the green flag came back out at Lap 54. The third yellow came out at Lap 90 for the No. 53 of Zachary Tinkle. Tinkle was stopped on the frontstretch after cutting down a right-front tire.

The race went to green again at Lap 98 and the halfway race break was extended to Lap 105 due to the late yellow. Despite the extension of the scheduled break, Brown was scored as the leader. He was followed by Bollman, Gavan Boschele, Isaac Kitzmiller, Isabella Robusto, McKee, Reaves, Kaden Honeycutt, Andy Jankowiak, and Jake Finch in the Top 10. Brown had led every lap of the race up to this point.

After the break, it was time to go back racing with 86 laps to go. Annunziata was back on the lead lap in 16th position. Another yellow was called with 73 laps to go for the No. 06 of Nicolopoulos, who had heavy front-end damage after wrecking on the frontstretch and hitting the inside wall. There was a brief fire on the motor, but it was quickly put out by safety officials.

Once the long cleanup was over due to oil leaking from Nicolopoulos, the green flag waved with 52 laps to go, with Brown and Isaac Kitzmiller on the front row. McKee moved to the second position a few laps later following the restart and was ahead of Reaves, who was in the sixth spot. With 30 laps to go, McKee was 0.629 seconds behind Brown. Five laps later, McKee lost ground and was 1.6 seconds back.

With 10 laps to go, Brown had the advantage of 0.722 seconds over McKee, who was challenged by Honeycutt. Brown maintained his pace and went on to lead every lap to win the Bush’s Best 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway over McKee by 2.346 seconds. It was Brown’s first victory since the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds win at the start of this month and the fourth win for the No. 28 by the Pinnacle Racing Group of the season. Furthermore, it was the third overall victory of the year as well. The win also counted toward the East Series since it was a combination event.

However, the bigger story was McKee, as he finished two spots ahead of Reaves (finished fourth) to win the 2026 ARCA Menards East Series championship by three points over Reaves. It was McKee’s first career ARCA title in his career, but his first championship since winning the Trans Am 2 championship last year.

“(The championship) feels really good,” McKee said to Fox Sports 1 on pit road. “It means a lot just to get a championship in Trans-Am and the lower levels of NASCAR starting out. It’s definitely really cool. We had a good year and I knew we just had to put it together here today. The whole (Pinnacle Racing Group) group’s done a really good job. It’s been a good year.”

There were five cautions for 55 laps and zero lead changes among one driver.

Official Race Results Following Bristol Motor Speedway

  1. Carson Brown, led all 200 laps
  2. Tristan McKee
  3. Kaden Honeycutt
  4. Max Reaves
  5. Isaac Kitzmiller
  6. Jake Bollman
  7. Jade Avedisian
  8. Andy Jankowiak
  9. Thomas Annunziata
  10. Taylor Mayhew, 1 Lap Down
  11. Jason Kitzmiller, 1 Lap Down
  12. Andrew Patterson, 1 Lap down
  13. Gavan Boschele, 1 Lap Down
  14. Ty Fredrickson, 1 Lap Down
  15. Gabriel Casagrande, 1 Lap Down
  16. Jackson McLerran, 4 Laps Down
  17. Craig Pellegrini Jr, 6 Laps Down
  18. Austin Vaughn, 8 Laps Down
  19. Brian Weber, 8 Laps Down
  20. Isabella Robusto, 12 Laps Down
  21. Alex Clubb, 16 Laps Down
  22. Chase Buscaglia, 18 Laps Down
  23. Jeff Maconi, 20 Laps Down
  24. Takuma Koga, 21 Laps Down
  25. Quinn Davis, 26 Laps Down
  26. Michael Maples, 38 Laps Down
  27. Ivis Earley, 50 Laps Down
  28. Jake Finch, OUT, Mechanical
  29. Con Nicolopoulos, OUT, Accident
  30. Zachary Tinkle, OUT, Accident
  31. Brad Smith, OUT, Mechanical
  32. Hunter Wright, OUT, Accident
  33. Bobby Earnhardt, OUT, Accident
  34. Brad Perez, OUT, Mechanical
  35. Nate Moeller, OUT, Mechanical

Up Next – The 2026 ARCA Menards Series season concludes next Friday night with the national championship at Kansas Speedway, live on Fox Sports 1 and MRN Radio at 8 p.m./ET. Bollman leads Annunziata by 16 points heading into the last event of the ARCA Menards Series season. The next ARCA Menards West Series race is next Saturday night at Madera Speedway, live on Flo Racing.

What Your Car’s VIN Reveals Online Before You Sell It

By
SM
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Photo by depositphotos at https://depositphotos.com/

Selling a used car today involves more than washing the body, taking good photos, and preparing maintenance records. Before contacting a seller, many buyers search the vehicle identification number online. A single VIN can lead them to old listings, auction pages, photographs, mileage records, damage descriptions, and other information collected over the years. That makes a vehicle’s online footprint an important part of preparing it for the used-car market.

Why Buyers Search a VIN Before Purchasing a Car

A VIN gives potential buyers a convenient starting point for researching a vehicle. Instead of relying entirely on an advertisement, they can compare the seller’s description with information available through search engines, vehicle databases, and archived auction pages. This is particularly common with vehicles that have previously appeared at salvage or insurance auctions.

The information found online can provide useful context, but older pages do not always reflect the vehicle’s current condition. A car photographed immediately after an accident may later have been professionally repaired and driven for years. Nevertheless, the original images can remain searchable long after the circumstances surrounding them have changed.

A VIN search may lead a buyer to several types of historical information:

  • auction photographs showing the vehicle at the time it was listed;
  • lot numbers and previous auction locations;
  • recorded mileage from an earlier point in the vehicle’s history;
  • primary or secondary damage descriptions;
  • sale dates, auction status, and previous bid information;
  • technical specifications copied from an original listing.

Taken separately, these details may represent only one stage in a much longer ownership history. For a buyer, however, they can strongly influence the first impression of a vehicle before the current seller has an opportunity to explain repairs, maintenance, or changes made since the original listing.

Old Auction Photos Can Remain Searchable for Years

Cars sold through large auctions often generate a considerable amount of digital information. An auction listing can include numerous photographs as well as the VIN, mileage, damage type, specifications, location, and sale details. After the auction ends, copies of this information may remain on vehicle databases and aggregator websites.

This creates a digital footprint that does not disappear simply because the vehicle has changed owners. Services such as HideAutoVin can be relevant when an owner wants to identify and manage publicly accessible VIN-related records before putting a vehicle back on the market. The process should be viewed separately from the seller’s responsibility to provide accurate information about the vehicle and its material condition.

Check the Vehicle Online Before Creating the Sale Ad

Sellers routinely inspect tires, paint, lights, fluids, and interior condition before advertising a car, yet many never perform the same online search a prospective buyer is likely to make. Searching the complete VIN before publishing an advertisement can reveal what information is already associated with the vehicle and whether old pages are still appearing in search results.

A basic digital check before selling should include several steps:

  • search the complete VIN in quotation marks to locate exact matches;
  • review image results for old auction or salvage photographs;
  • check whether outdated listings are still publicly accessible;
  • compare historical information with the documents currently available;
  • identify records that may require context when speaking with a buyer.

This preparation is useful even when the seller has no intention of requesting removal of any online record. Knowing what buyers can find makes it easier to answer questions consistently and prevents an old auction photograph or listing from becoming an unexpected issue during negotiations.

Transparency Still Matters When Selling a Used Vehicle

Managing public online records should not be confused with misrepresenting a car. If a vehicle has a relevant accident, title, repair, or ownership history that must be disclosed, removing a third-party webpage does not change those facts. Sellers should follow applicable disclosure requirements and provide accurate information about the vehicle they are offering.

At the same time, there is a meaningful difference between legitimate vehicle history and an outdated third-party page that continues circulating photographs or information without context. Owners may reasonably want to understand where such records appear and what options are available for managing them while still communicating honestly with prospective buyers.

A Car Now Has a Digital Footprint as Well as a Mechanical History

Used-car preparation has expanded beyond the garage. Mechanical condition, maintenance records, appearance, and documentation remain essential, but searchable online information has become another factor sellers should consider. A buyer with a smartphone can investigate a VIN before making a call, arranging an inspection, or visiting the vehicle.

Checking that footprint in advance gives the seller a clearer picture of what the other side of the transaction may already know. It also creates an opportunity to prepare documents, explain older records, and address outdated public information before negotiations begin. In a market where vehicle research often starts online, understanding what a VIN reveals has become a practical part of preparing a car for sale.

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