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Gardner White Furniture, Elite Rewards and Black’s Tire Team Up With TRICON for Michigan

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Official Release
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Tanner Gray to Sport New Look on No. 15 Tundra

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (June 1, 2026) – TRICON Garage (TRICON) is pleased to announce Black’s Tire is expanding its existing slate of events with driver Tanner Gray, welcoming Gardner White Furniture and Elite Rewards as additional partners on the No. 15 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro at Michigan International Speedway.

Gardner White Furniture & Mattress is the leader in Michigan’s mattress market, differentiating itself by offering twice the selection of other retailers, with galleries featuring more than 100 options. With locally warehoused inventory, Gardner White delivers speed, convenience, and award-winning customer service making it easier than ever to customers to find the right fit.

“It’s truly exciting to have our friends at Gardner White as primary sponsor for Michigan. Working alongside fellow family businesses that share the same commitment to quality, customer service and community impact is something we truly value,” said Ricky Benton II, VP of Purchasing, Sales & Marketing for BTS Companies.

Black’s Tire, which has operated for over 95 years, features more than 75 locations across North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia & Eastern Tennessee and remains committed to being a local, family-owned tire retailer and wholesale distributor. Black’s Tire and Gray share a rich partnership history spanning multiple truck series seasons, where the pair most recently celebrated a top-10 performance from at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Joining Black’s Tire and Gardner White is Elite Rewards, a national provider of loyalty, incentive, and engagement solutions designed to help retailers drive customer retention, increase sales, and strengthen brand loyalty.

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race at Michigan will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 on Saturday, June 6 at 1:30 P.M. ET, with radio coverage provided by SiriusXM and the NASCAR Racing Network.

About TRICON Garage

TRICON Garage is a professional racing organization fielding five full-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series entries. Serving as the flagship Truck Series partner of Toyota Racing Development, the team plays an integral role in the NASCAR development ladder. Headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina, TRICON has quickly established itself as the premier home for cultivating the next generation of motorsports industry professionals. Actively involved in three different industries – racing, fabrication and transportation, the team operates out of three buildings totaling 60,000 square feet.

About Black’s Tire

Black’s Tire Service (BTS) was founded as Black’s Service Station by W. Crowell Black in Whiteville, N.C. in 1929 and celebrating 97 years of business in 2026. With more than 75 locations in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia & Eastern Tennessee, Black’s remains a local, family owned- and -operated tire sales and service and vehicle repair business. In addition to the retail and commercial locations, Black’s also operates 15 warehouse/distribution centers, BTS Tire & Wheel Distributors, a commercial sales division, and a tire-retreading business, Carolina Retreads. Today, the Black’s Tire family includes more than 1,200 team members. To learn more about Black’s Tire or to find a location, visit www.blackstire.com. Follow Black’s Tire on social media: Twitter at @BlacksTire, Instagram at @BlacksTire and Facebook at facebook.com/blackstire.

About Gardner White

Family-owned and operated for 114 years across four generations, Gardner White is Michigan’s #1 furniture and mattress retailer with 32 stores serving Michigan and beyond and parent company to GW HOME. Headquartered in Warren, Michigan, Gardner White is rooted in providing customers quality products, great value and innovative services, and is deeply dedicated to the communities they serve. Gardner White is the presenting sponsor of America’s Thanksgiving Parade and was recently named Top 100 Retailer in the United States, and Best Places to Work by Furniture Today and Crain’s Detroit Business. For more information, visit www.gardner-white.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube and X.

About Elite Rewards

Elite Rewards is a national provider of loyalty, incentive, and engagement solutions designed to help retailers drive customer retention, increase sales, and strengthen brand loyalty. With more than 15 years of proven success and deep expertise in the furniture and mattress industry, Elite Rewards now serves retailers across multiple verticals, including retail, appliance, surface and flooring, home improvement, and financial services. Through its philanthropic arm, Elite Cares, the company has supported more than 50 organizations and helped raise over $1.7 million for community causes. Elite’s innovative programs, advanced technology, and dedicated support teams deliver measurable results for partners of all sizes.

Nick Sanchez Joins Peterson Racing

By
Official Release
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June 1, 2026 (Sanford, North Carolina) – Peterson Racing is proud to announce that driver Nick Sanchez has joined the organization for a limited schedule of races. The 24-year-old native of Miami, Florida will make his debut behind the wheel of the No. 87 Chevrolet for the June 13th event at Pocono Raceway.

“I am excited and ready for this opportunity with Peterson Racing”, stated Sanchez. “The Peterson Racing organization has all the pieces in place, and I hope to be a great asset to their growth. I have been in a similar situation before with their team alliance and am familiar with the people and processes.”

In addition to the Pocono event, Sanchez will pilot the No. 87 Chevrolet in three additional races – July 4th at Chicagoland Speedway, July 11th at EchoPark Speedway and July 25th at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“We are excited to have Nick join the Peterson Racing team,” stated Jody Measamer, crew chief for Peterson Racing. “We are in a growth process with our program with our sights set on expanding to a multi-car operation in the future and this allows us to have a second driver in our cars at this point. The goal is to provide additional input and help us build our program further. Austin (Green) has been instrumental in our growth thus far and will continue to be a valuable asset to Peterson Racing.”

As a first-year full-time competitor in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Peterson Racing has shown great potential, highlighted by four top-16 finishes in the last six races. With growth in the sport comes challenges, but the fledgling organization has its sights set on continued growth and expansion.

“Of course, I am disappointed in not being in the car for a few races, but I welcome Nick to the team,” stated Green. “Doug Peterson has done a lot to get this organization to this point, and I am committed to helping with our continued growth. I will be in Pocono, Chicago, Atlanta and Indianapolis to learn and help the team any way I can.”

The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series has a week off before heading to Pocono Raceway on Saturday June 13th for the running of the MillerTech Battery 250 presented by KOA.

4 Reasons Hands-On Auto Education Matters in the Age of Smart Vehicles

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

Gone are the days when a loose wire or a dirty spark plug could be sorted out with a simple socket set and a bit of elbow grease in the driveway. Today, stepping into a garage feels more like stepping into a Silicon Valley server room, with complex wiring harnesses, dozens of onboard computers, and driver-assist sensors staring back at you. For anyone trying to break into the automotive industry or just learn how to fix their own ride, this shift from pure mechanics to rolling software can make you feel entirely locked out of the trade. Luckily, programs built around real, working systems—such as the hybrid and EV training equipment from AutoEDU—are designed to bridge that gap and help you understand your vehicle even better. Here’s why hands-on auto education is vital in the age of smart vehicles.

1. Muscle Memory Beats a Screen Every Single Time

You can watch a ten-minute video on how to replace a wheel bearing or calibrate a radar sensor three times over, but the moment you’re standing in front of a rusted bolts-and-nuts assembly, that digital knowledge evaporates. There is a specific, tactile feedback that your brain needs to truly understand a mechanical system. You need to know exactly how much pressure it takes to snap a stubborn clip, or what a properly torqued bolt feels like through the handle of a wrench. That’s something a tablet may not teach you.

When you’re dealing with smart vehicles, this physical intuition becomes even more critical because the stakes are so much higher. One loose ground wire or a slightly misaligned camera bracket can cause a cascade of error codes that shuts down the entire vehicle’s safety system. By physically manipulating these components in a workshop environment, you build a mental map of how the digital and physical worlds connect.

2. The Art of Diagnosing Ghost Faults

Here’s a secret that the big tech companies don’t always like to talk about: diagnostic computers lie. Or, to be more precise, they can only tell you what is failing, not why it’s failing. A scanner might spit out a code saying a blind-spot monitor has gone dark, but it won’t tell you that a stray pebble cracked the plastic housing or that a tiny mouse chewed through the harness behind the bumper. If you only know how to read a screen, your immediate instinct is just to swap out the expensive sensor, which doesn’t fix the root problem.

Hands-on education teaches you how to think like a detective rather than just a parts-changer. When you’re forced to trace a faulty signal using a physical multimeter, checking the continuity of a wire inch by inch, you start to see the bigger picture. You’ll also learn to ask the right questions. Is the sensor broken, or is it just starved of power because of a corroded ground strap? This type of analytical reasoning can only be sharpened when you’re facing a live, physical puzzle on a vehicle that refuses to start.

3. Overcoming the High-Voltage Fear Factor

With the massive surge in hybrid and electric vehicles on the road today, auto education isn’t just about avoiding grease anymore; it’s about staying safe around hundreds of volts of electricity. It’s completely natural to feel a bit terrified when you see those bright orange high-voltage cables running along the underside of a chassis. That fear is healthy, but if it locks you up, it stops you from working effectively. The only way to replace that anxiety with genuine competence is through rigorous, supervised, hands-on practice.

In a physical workshop, you learn the exact sequence of safety protocols required to completely de-energize a smart vehicle’s battery pack before you even think about touching a component. You practice putting on the high-voltage insulated gloves, checking them for microscopic air leaks, and pulling the physical safety plugs yourself. This turns a potentially dangerous procedure into a calm, systematic routine.

4. Keeping Pace with Constantly Evolving OEM Technology

Modern vehicle platforms change faster than the textbooks can be reprinted. ADAS calibration procedures, 800-volt EV architectures, over-the-air software updates, and new sensor stacks roll out every model year, and a curriculum that only lives on paper is outdated the moment it’s published. Sitting in front of a classroom slide describing a CAN bus is not the same as physically probing one with an oscilloscope on a current-generation vehicle.

This is exactly where workshop-grade training rigs earn their keep. When you spend your training hours interacting with genuine OEM components—real injectors, real battery packs, real ECUs—you stay aligned with what employers, dealerships, and independent shops are actually working on. That fluency with current hardware is what makes a graduate hireable on day one, instead of someone who still needs six months of on-the-job retraining before they can be trusted with a customer’s car.

Summing Up

A car will always be a mechanical object that has to survive the brutal realities of the open road, no matter how many microchips the engineers pack into the doors. While the digital side of modern automotive engineering is incredibly impressive, it’s completely useless without the physical infrastructure to back it up. Choosing a han

Alex Palou whoops field in chaotic Detroit race

By
Tucker White
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DETROIT - MAY 31: Alex Palou, driver of the #10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, celebrates victory in the NTT IndyCar Series Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix on May 31, 2026, in Detroit. Photo: Joe Skibinkski/Penske Entertainment

While not a 10 out of 10 drive, Alex Palou, as he’s done much of his career, dominated on the streets of the motor city and took the checkered flag.

The driver of the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda regained the lead thanks to an undercut and a caution on Lap 39. From that point on, aside from a pit cycle, he never relinquished it. Even with multiple late restarts, the last with seven laps to go, Palou, on hard tires, held off a late charge by Kyle Kirkwood, on soft tires, to win the Detroit Grand Prix

“It was good. It was not an easy day at all,” Palou said. “It was not like a straight — there’s races where it’s just straightforward and whatever it looks like it’s going to be, it is. But today was plenty of action, struggling a lot on restarts, and didn’t know if we were going to make it with Kyle or not because he was on alternates and kind of — I think he had a small advantage on the first two restarts, but then at the end, I think he just didn’t have enough grip on the tires.”

It’s his 23rd career victory in his 106th NTT INDYCAR SERIES start, second on the streets of Detroit and fourth of the 2026 season.

Despite the on paper tire advantage, Kirkwood used up the good in his tires, ran out of laps and settled for a runner-up finish.

“Yeah, it was a good race,” Kirkwood said. “I wish we had another opportunity or two to be able to try and pass Palou there. I think the yellows kind of hindered that.

“Yeah, overall good day. You can’t be very upset with starting sixth and finishing second. We did all the right things. Pit stops were great, strategy was great. I kind of made the decision to run primes when we did, which I think was probably the right call in hindsight. I don’t know what we could have done better. All the stones were left unturned.”

Graham Rahal rebounded from a Lap 39 spin to round out the podium, his third of the season and most since 2020.

“Yeah, it was good,” Rahal said. “A good battle, I should say. I don’t think overall I was not very pleased in the early phase with Kyffin (Simpson). Battling hard there in the top-seven, eight, nine, but it’s early in the race. You’ve got to let it kind of come to you.

“I felt like — I don’t even know what happened. All I know is I got hit hard in the back, and that was very frustrating, kind of put me on the back foot.

“But as much as you want everything to go smooth, this is a race that I think you’re often predicting issues, and we knew that the last stop we wanted to be on the early side of the window no matter what and bank on yellows. Bank on that Honda fuel mileage, number one, but number two, on the yellows. Both came through for us today, so we’ll take it. We’ll move on to St. Louis now and hopefully have a good run there.”

Pato O’Ward and Christian Lundgaard rounded out the top-five.

Felix Rosenqvist, Louis Foster, Marcus Ericsson, Kyffin Simpson and Josef Newgarden rounded out the top-10.

Alex Palou whoops field in chaotic Detroit race

Race summary

Palou led the field to green at 12:53 p.m. ET. Will Power pulled to his outside into Turn 3, but Palou maintained the lead with the inside line. Exiting Turn 3, Scott McLaughlin powered by Power on the inside for second. The field settled into a green flag rhythm, until Christian Rasmussen pounded the wall exiting Turn 1, broke the right-front wheel and stopped on track on the backstretch. Four drivers (Rosenqvist, Dennis Hauger, Newgarden and David Malukas) pitted under the caution. Two drivers (Sting Ray Robb and Rinus VeeKay) pitted before the caution flew.

Back to green on Lap 15, Power returned the favor and overtook McLaughlin into Turn 3 to retake second on Lap 16. The next lap, Power out-braked Palou into Turn 3 to take the race lead. For the next few laps, the gap from him to Palou hovered between eight-tenths of a second to a full second. By Lap 23, he pulled out to a 1.5 second lead. Four laps later, Palou closed the gap to half a second. Ericsson kicked off a cycle of green flag stops when he pitted from eighth on Lap 29. By Lap 30, Palou cut the lead to three-tenths of a second. He made his move on Lap 32, going outside of Power into Turn 3, but couldn’t complete the pass and lost second to McLaughlin. On Lap 35, he went outside of Power into Turn 3, but couldn’t complete the overtake. Exiting Turn 3, however, Power got loose and McLaughlin powered by him. McLaughlin ducked onto pit road and Lundgaard assumed the lead. He pitted from the lead on Lap 37. Caution flew on Lap 39 when Simpson turned Rahal in Turn 3, for which Simpson served a drive-through penalty for avoidable contact. Marcus Armstrong pitted just as the caution flew and Rosenqvist took over the lead. Because Armstrong pitted under a closed pit lane, INDYCAR dropped him to the back of the field on the restart. When Rosenqvist pitted under the caution, Palou cycled back to the lead.

Back to green on Lap 45, Palou pulled out to a full second over Kirkwood in a lap. By Lap 48, he stretched it out to two seconds. Ten laps after the restart, Palou pulled to a 3.5 second lead over Kirkwood. By Lap 59, however, Kirkwood, on the hard tire, cut the gap down to 2.9 seconds. Three laps later, he cut the lead to 2.1 seconds. One lap later, he cut the gap to under two seconds. During this, Rahal kicked off a cycle of green flag stops on the same lap. Palou pitted from the lead on Lap 64 for a set of hard tires. Caution flew on Lap 66 when Santino Ferrucci bumped VeeKay and turned him in Turn 5, for which Ferrucci served a drive-through penalty for avoidable contact. Palou stayed out while Kirkwood and the first five drivers pitted under the caution on Lap 69 and he retook the lead. Just like Armstrong, Alexander Rossi, who restarted second, served a drive-through penalty for pitting under a closed pit lane.

Back to green on Lap 73, caution flew on the same lap when Malukas and Mick Schumacher made contact into Turn 5 and both wound up in the runoff (with Schumacher in the tire barrier).

Back to green on Lap 77, Kirkwood cleared Rossi before he ducked onto pit road. One lap later, Kirkwood closed a two-second gap to right on his tail. Caution flew with 21 laps to go when Ferrucci’s car stalled on track.

Back to green with 17 to go, Palou wasted no time and pulled out to a one second lead over Kirkwood. With 14 to go, Palou locked up into Turn 1 and Kirkwood closed the gap to under a second. With 11 to go, Palou stretched the lead out to 1.8 seconds. Caution flew with 10 laps to go when Rossi locked up on his crossover move on Romain Grosjean into Turn 3 and punted him into the wall, for which Rossi served a stop-and-hold penalty for avoidable contact.

Back to green with seven to go, Palou got a strong run off Turn 2, but couldn’t pull away like he did on the previous restart. Kirkwood held the gap to within half a second. With five to go, Palou was down to 11 seconds of push-to-pass. While Kirkwood had 15. Coming to the line with four to go, Palou stretched the lead to 1.3 seconds. With two to go, Palou pulled out to a two-second lead and drove on to victory.

Alex Palou whoops field in chaotic Detroit race

What else happened

During pace laps, Rossi hit the wall off Turn 7.

Scott Dixon ran wide and into the runoff in Turn 8 on Lap 53. He was running seventh, but quickly spun his car around and rejoined the race in 10th.

During the third caution, bits of asphalt came up between Turns 3 and 4.

On the Lap 77 restart, Power went to McLaughlin’s outside in Turn 3 for third. Exiting the turn, McLaughlin nudged him into the wall. During the fourth caution two laps later, Power pulled into his pit stall and retired from the race.

Alex Palou whoops field in chaotic Detroit race

Nuts and bolts

The race lasted one hour, 59 minutes and eight seconds, at an average speed of 82.842 mph. There were seven lead changes among six different drivers and five cautions for 23 laps.

Palou leaves Detroit with a 62-point lead over Kirkwood.

The NTT IndyCar Series returns to action, Sunday, June 7, at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois.

RFK Racing – Nashville Superspeedway Executive Summary

By
Official Release
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RFK RACING
NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY – EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Date: May 31, 2026
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Nashville Superspeedway (1.33 mile concrete oval) – Lebanon, TN
Format: 399 miles / 300 laps with three stages. Stage 1: Ends at lap 90, Stage 2: Ends at lap 185, Stage 3: Ends at lap 300

NOTES Qualifying was canceled because of rain and the starting order was established by the rule book.

RFK Racing RACE SUMMARY: RFK Racing faced a challenging night at Nashville Superspeedway, with each team battling through setbacks along the way. Brad Keselowski overcame handling issues and used strategy to earn a Stage Two top-10 finish before contact from behind ended his race in the final stage. Chris Buescher steadily improved throughout the event, climbing into the top 15 and putting himself in position for a stronger finish before a brake issue led to a crash, cutting his night short. Ryan Preece’s race was hampered by radiator damage that required lengthy garage repairs and ultimately ended his evening early.

DRIVER HIGHLIGHTS

Brad Keselowski – No. 6 Trimble Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Finish: 34th
Start: 12th
Laps Led: —
Stage Results: S1-15TH, S2-10TH
Headline takeaway: Keselowski recovered from early handling challenges and scored stage points in Stage Two points before being collected in a late-race incident.

Keselowski Quote: “We had a car that was capable of running up front at times tonight and the team did a good job making adjustments throughout the race. We were able to gain some track position with strategy and put ourselves in position to fight for stage points in the second stage, which was encouraging. Unfortunately, our night ended before we had a chance to see what we really had in the final stage. It’s frustrating anytime you’re taken out of contention, especially when you’ve worked hard to overcome track position and build momentum.”

Chris Buescher – No. 17 Castrol Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Finish: 29th
Start: 22nd
Laps Led: —
Stage Results: S1-25th, S2-16th
Headline takeaway: Buescher steadily worked forward throughout the race before a brake rotor broke resulting in a hard crash in the closing laps of the race, spoiling a potential top-15 finish.

Buescher Quote: “Frustrating end to the day. We finally were starting to figure it out, and were about to make a charge toward the front. Until the brake rotor blew up and ruined the day.”

Ryan Preece – No. 60 Kroger / Celsius Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Finish: 36th
Start: 28th
Laps Led: —
Stage Results: S1-35th, S2-DNF
Headline takeaway: Radiator damage, caused by a piece of broken brake rotor from another car going through it, forced Preece to the garage and ultimately ended his night before he could return to competition.

Preece Quote: “It was just one of those frustrating nights. We never really got the balance where we needed it, and we were fighting a tight condition from the start. The guys kept making adjustments and working hard to improve it, but unfortunately we had a piece of brake rotor go through the radiator and that ended our night. It’s disappointing because you always want the opportunity to keep working on it and see what you can salvage, but sometimes things happen that are out of your control. We’ll put this one behind us and focus on getting ready for next week.”

Point Standings:

Buescher: 8th
Keselowski: 13th
Preece: 17th

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is June 7 at Michigan International Speedway (Brooklyn, MI). The race begins at 3:00 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by Amazon Prime and the Motor Racing Network.

Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report – Nashville

By
Official Release
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Cracker Barrel 400
Lebanon, Tenn. – May 31, 2026

AUSTIN CINDRIC No. 2 MENARDS/RICHMOND FORD MUSTANG DARK HORSE
START: 36TH STAGE 1: 20TH STAGE 2: 4TH FINISH: 26TH POINTS: 16TH
RACE RUNDOWN: Austin Cindric and the No. 2 Menards/Richmond Ford Mustang Dark Horse team battled through a challenging night at Nashville Superspeedway on Sunday to finish 26th in the Cracker Barrel 400. After inclement weather washed out qualifying on Saturday, the starting lineup was set per the NASCAR Rulebook, leaving Cindric to take the green flag from the 36th position. The No. 2 team steadily worked to improve the handling of the car throughout the opening two stages, using strategy and adjustments to gain track position. Cindric advanced to 20th by the end of Stage 1 before gaining valuable track position late in Stage 2. A series of cautions allowed crew chief Brian Wilson to employ strategy that moved the No. 2 Ford near the front of the field, and Cindric was scored fourth when the second stage ended under caution. Any momentum gained during the opening portions of the race was erased shortly after the start of the final segment. On Lap 193, Cindric was collected in an incident when another spinning car slid into his path, leaving him with substantial damage. The No. 2 team made multiple trips to pit road for repairs and worked through issues that included damage to the suspension. Despite the setback, Cindric remained on track and completed the event, ultimately crossing the finish line in 26th place.

CINDRIC’S THOUGHTS: “Obviously a frustrating result. We kept working on the balance and got ourselves some track position and stage points, but getting caught up in that incident hurt us. The guys did a great job repairing the damage and getting us to the finish. We’ll regroup and head to Michigan.”

RYAN BLANEY No. 12 ADVANCE AUTO PARTS FORD MUSTANG DARK HORSE
START: 7TH STAGE 1: 3RD STAGE 2: 14TH FINISH: 8TH POINTS: 3RD
RACE RUNDOWN: Ryan Blaney and the No. 12 Advance Auto Parts Ford Mustang Dark Horse team came away with an eighth-place finish Sunday night at Nashville Superspeedway, marking the team’s third-consecutive top-10 effort at the 1.33-mile oval. Following just over an hour rain delay, Blaney battled inside the top-10 during the opening run before a caution on lap 72 prompted crew chief Jonathan Hassler to make the call for right side tires and fuel, allowing the Advance Auto Parts Ford to win the race off pit road and restart from the outside of row two as a pair of teams opted to stay out. After taking the green flag with 11 laps remaining in the segment, Blaney charged to the lead before the caution flag flew to set up a one-lap shootout to the stage end, as he ultimately settled for a third-place finish. The No. 12 team opted to stay out between stages as Blaney went on to settle into fourth in the running order during the opening run of Stage 2. Hassler opted to run long when the green flag pit cycle began to take shape as Blaney eventually took over the lead on lap 141 before the caution flag flew four laps later with a majority of the field trapped a lap down. With several teams having to take the wave around, Blaney retained the lead after his trip to pit road under caution and went on to open up a two-second lead on the field following the restart. A caution on lap 173 saw a mix of strategies unfold as the No. 12 team opted for a four tire stop in order to stay out at the conclusion of the stage, resulting in a 14th-place finish in Stage 2. Several cautions at the start of the final segment only further varied the strategies throughout the field as Blaney was one of three cars to pit following the caution on lap 214, setting him up to restart 19th with 80 laps remaining. Blaney went on to charge up towards the top-10 from there, reaching as high as second in the running order as green flag pit stops were underway. Hassler called Blaney to pit road for another two tire stop with 27 laps left, allowing him to remain on the lead lap scored 14th at the time. A caution with 13 laps to go saw all but two cars ahead of Blaney hit pit road, prompting him to come down one final time for four tires prior to what ended up being the final restart of the night. After lining up to take the green flag from 11th with four laps to go, Blaney fought his way through two and three-wide battles to make his way up to eighth by the time the checkered flag flew.

BLANEY’S THOUGHTS: “It kind of got mixed up there when the yellow came out late in Stage 2. I had the lead and then we stayed out and some guys took two [tires] and we took four and I just couldn’t really get going on restarts and I’d lose one here and there. And then, yeah, we decided to pit and put rights on it there with 70 something to go and just try to do something. Ended up figuring we couldn’t make it. We came in and put four on and it ended up an OK finish. I just couldn’t really go anywhere when I was buried. But I appreciate Advance Auto Parts for doing what they do.”

JOEY LOGANO No. 22 SHELL-PENNZOIL FORD MUSTANG DARK HORSE
START: 9TH STAGE 1: 13TH STAGE 2: 26TH FINISH: 14TH POINTS: 18TH
RACE RUNDOWN: Joey Logano and the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse team finished 14th Sunday night at Nashville Superspeedway. Following an hour-plus rain delay, Logano took the green flag from ninth and fought a tight-handling condition during the first run of the night before the competition caution came out on lap 35. Crew chief Paul Wolfe made the call for right side tires only – one of five teams on the same strategy – as the No. 22 team gained Logano 11 spots to take the ensuing restart from the outside of row one with 49 laps remaining in the opening segment. Logano went on to settle into fifth in the running order before a caution on lap 72 saw varying strategies shake up the field as the Shell-Pennzoil hit pit road for a four tire stop in order to stay out in between stages. Following a 13th-place finish in Stage 1, Logano worked to regain track position during the opening run of Stage 2 before a caution in the middle of the green flag pit cycle trapped the No. 22 team a lap down after completing a four tire stop just five laps prior. After taking the wave around to rejoin the lead lap, Logano battled through traffic to eventually reach 26th in the running order by the conclusion of Stage 2. Logano continued to battle inside the top-20 as the final segment wore on before coming to pit road towards the start of the final green flag cycle of the night on lap 260. The final caution of the night flew with 13 laps to go as Wolfe called Logano to pit road for a set of four fresh tires prior to the final restart with four laps remaining as the Shell-Pennzoil Ford went on to take the checkered flag 14th.

LOGANO’S THOUGHTS: “We had our struggles early on and I think the call we made at the competition caution was what we needed in terms of track position. It didn’t play out the way we needed it to with the way the cautions fell and we weren’t able to regain those spots from there. A hard-fought night making the most of what we had, for sure.”

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, June 7 for the FireKeepers Casino 400. Coverage begins at 3 p.m. ET on Prime, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Wood Brothers Racing – Race Report: Nashville Superspeedway

By
Official Release
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Event: Cracker Barrel 400

Location: Nashville Superspeedway, Lebanon, Tennessee

Date: Sunday, May 31, 2026

Start: 33rd

Finish: 31st

Josh Berry and the No. 21 eero Ford Mustang Dark Horse team overcame a challenging starting position and showed steady improvement throughout Sunday night’s Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway before a late-race incident cut their evening short.

After inclement weather forced the cancellation of qualifying, the starting lineup was set according to the NASCAR rulebook, leaving Berry to start 33rd in the 300-lap event at his home track.

Rain also delayed the start of the race, but once the green flag waved, Berry and the No. 21 team focused on improving the balance of their eero Ford Mustang Dark Horse and gaining track position. Berry finished Stage 1 in 28th place before advancing to 23rd at the conclusion of Stage 2.

The Hendersonville, Tennessee, native continued to work his way forward during the final stage and broke into the top 20 before trouble struck on Lap 214. An incident ahead caused traffic to stack up entering the corner, leaving Berry with little room to avoid contact. The No. 21 sustained significant front-end damage after making contact with John Hunter Nemechek’s car, ending the team’s chances for a stronger finish.

Berry was credited with a 31st-place result, marking the second consecutive week that an accident prevented the team from capitalizing on a competitive race car.

Next up for Berry and the Wood Brothers Racing team is the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

Blaney and Smith Lead at Nashville NASCAR Cup Race

By
Official Release
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Ford Racing Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Cracker Barrel 400 – Nashville Superspeedway
Sunday, May 31, 2026

Blaney and Smith Lead at Nashville NASCAR Cup Race

Lebanon, Tenn. – After a delayed start for rain, the second half of the NASCAR Cup Series regular season officially got underway tonight at Nashville Superspeedway. Ryan Blaney would lead all Ford Racing finishers with an eighth place finish in the No. 12 Advance Auto Parts Ford Mustang Dark Horse. Blaney led 46 laps of the Cracker Barrel 400 on Nashville’s 1.33-mile concrete oval. Close behind was Zane Smith driving to ninth place in the No. 38 Speedy Cash Ford Mustang Dark Horse. Smith spent 18 laps at the front of the field before being ultimately overtaken for the lead with 12 laps to go.

Nashville marked the final race in the 32 year Ford Racing career for Pat Di Marco. Di Marco recently announced his retirement from Ford after leading the NASCAR program to a combined 704 NASCAR victories and 29 championships across its top three series. As Manager, NASCAR and Analytics, Di Marco added his 704th career win on Friday night at Nashville when Layne Riggs charged to victory lane in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race driving a Ford F-150.

Ford Unofficial Finishing Order:

8th – Ryan Blaney

9th – Zane Smith

14th – Joey Logano

16th – Noah Gragson

20th – Todd Gilliland

26th – Austin Cindric

28th – Chad Finchum

29th – Chris Buescher

31st – Josh Berry

34th – Brad Keselowski

36th – Ryan Preece

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Advance Auto Parts Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “It kind of got mixed up there when the yellow came out late in stage two. I had the lead and then we stayed out and some guys took two [tires] and we took four and I just couldn’t really get going on restarts and I’d lose one here and there. And then, yeah, we decided to pit and put rights on it there with 70 something to go and just try to do something. Ended up figuring we couldn’t make it. We came in and put four on and it ended up an OK finish. I just couldn’t really go anywhere when I was buried. But I appreciate Advance Auto Parts for doing what they do. Sincere apologies to Tyler. I was trying to push the 9 top of 3 and got Chase sideways, he ended up hooking Tyler, so I hope he’s OK. Gosh, I didn’t mean to do that, but I hope he’s all right.”

ZANE SMITH, No. 38 Speedy Cash Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “Just weird. A weird race there at the end. Another really good Ford Mustang Dark Horse all weekend and that’s what’s most exciting really. It’s so much fun when it’s like that. But, I thought I was racing the 12 for the win there and was just playing cat and mouse with him and, obviously, he has way more experience than me. So it was just judging off of him and I was just trying to keep him lined up and make sure that I was gonna stay in control to the best of my ability. And then I saw him peel off, so I just went into save mode and the 20 was just making too much lap time, really. I mean, I probably had, I don’t know, three to four more tenths and saving fuel, but still, that wasn’t enough for the laps he was putting down, and I think he had like 40 lap fresher tires than me. So, it was just a knife to a gunfight there once he caught me. But with that said, I mean, man, we gave everything we could tonight, and we’re here to try to win a Cup race for Front Row Motorsports and all the men and women back at the shop. And Speedy Cash and Ford Racing, of course, and all of our partners. But, just didn’t quite play out. And that’s okay. Just need to get better on restarts. The past couple weeks there’s been ridiculously tight on restarts and that’s, uh, it’s just been brutal. I know everyone is, but I’m slow on them. And so I need to be better. And yeah, working towards that. But, hopefully ours is coming soon. My mindset is high after the past couple weeks, you know? We’re leading laps. We’re hopefully being talked about because our speed is there and performance is there. You just have to have everything go right to win these, and that’s why it’s so special too. We need to do the little things a little bit better… and one time it will go our way.”

HAMLIN PREVAILS IN THRILLING 1-2-3 FINISH FOR TOYOTA AT NASHVILLE

By
Official Release
-

Toyota Claims First NASCAR Cup Win at Nashville, Places Five Camry XSE’s inside Top-11

LEBANON, Tenn. (May 31, 2026) – Denny Hamlin prevailed in a three-way Joe Gibbs Racing battle during the closing laps of Sunday night’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway.

Toyota drivers led 145 of the race’s 300 laps, but a late caution reset the field and set up a dramatic finish. Hamlin and teammate Christopher Bell raced side-by-side for most of the final four laps, while fellow Joe Gibbs Racing driver Chase Briscoe made it a three-wide battle as the trio took the white flag. Hamlin ultimately cleared both competitors and secured his 62nd career Cup Series victory.

Toyota drivers were a constant presence near the front of the field. Bell finished second, followed by Briscoe in third. Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing placed sixth, while Erik Jones of LEGACY MOTOR CLUB finished 11th.

Reddick continues to lead the Cup Series standings, but Hamlin narrowed the gap with Sunday’s victory and now trails by 97 points.

TOYOTA RACING Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Nashville Superspeedway
Race 14 of 36 – 399 miles, 300 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, DENNY HAMLIN

2nd, CHRISTOPHER BELL

3rd, CHASE BRISCOE

4th, Ricky Stenhouse Jr.*

5th, Shane Van Gisbergen*

6th, TYLER REDDICK

11th, ERIK JONES

13th, TY GIBBS

17th, RILEY HERBST

24th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK

25th, COREY HEIM

32nd, BUBBA WALLACE

*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 Progressive Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 1st

Question?

What a finish between you and your JGR teammates. How did you pull it off in those final laps?

“Well, I think the 20 and the 19 were battling so hard on the first corner, just let me get to the inside of the 20 on the first corner there on the restart. From there, side by side with the 20. He drove in so deep on that last lap into 1, but it allowed me to barely clear off of (turn) 2. Man, what an unbelievable day – starting first, going to last, and back to first.”

How did you know that you needed the patience to get through this entire race after jumping the start?

“I definitely jumped the start, no doubt about that. Yeah, just looking back on it, just didn’t wait quite long enough. I want to say hi to Mari and Trish from Progressive, this whole team, Sport Clips. Martha’s retiring. Happy retirement to Martha. Toyota, Jordan Brand, Yahoo, National Debt Relief, King’s Hawaiian, Bob’s Discount Furniture, just thanks to all the sponsors I’ve got. It’s been amazing. Thank you to the sellout crowd. I appreciate you all sticking around. It’s been an honor.”

How does it feel to be the first Toyota driver in the Cup Series to win at Nashville?

“It’s amazing.”

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 DeWalt Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 2nd

What was the last lap like from your perspective?

“It was great racing. I hope the fans enjoyed that, it was a great show. I’m just disappointed in myself and disappointed in my team. They brought a great racecar and I didn’t get the job done.”

CHASE BRISCOE, No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 3rd

What opportunity did you have to win the race with Denny and Christopher?

“I kept trying to — we were running side by side. I kept trying to back up my entries to get a big run and take it three wide. They kept running each other up the racetrack, so I kept trying to hit the bottom. Denny went to the apron. I was going to go three wide to the bottom because I knew, if I hit the bottom, they were all going to run up. He covered it, so then I went to the top and was able to get to Christopher’s right rear. We were all driving so deep that we slide up the racetrack. I was in no man’s land after that. Hate that we weren’t on the better end of it. We had a really, really good Bass Pro Shops Tracker Toyota, just felt like it was certainly capable of winning, ended up third. Great day for JGR, went one, two, three. Wish we were the ones in first.”

Where is the speed coming from at JGR?

“All the incredible people at Joe Gibbs Racing and the resources we have at Toyota and TRD. Just very blessed and fortunate to get to drive this thing. It’s a lot of fun going to the racetrack at the Cup level knowing you can win any given weekend. Hoping we can keep it rolling and end up on the better end of one of these.”

BUBBA WALLACE, No. 23 Hardee’s Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing

Finishing Position: 31st

What happened that put you out of the race?

“Minding our own business again. Another week our team doesn’t get the finish they deserve. I’m tired, man. It’s hard to be in the same boat constantly every week. You got to figure out how to put it behind you and show up. I somehow become the bad guy the days following this, but I got to figure out how to be better and learn from it. It’s really hard when you are driving your best and trying to just make progress throughout the race and you get wiped out. On to Michigan.”

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.

RCR NCS Race Recap: Nashville Superspeedway

By
Official Release
-

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 BREZTRI AEROSPHERE (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate)® Chevrolet Team Battle Throughout the Night at Nashville Superspeedway En Route to Top-20 Finish

Finish: 18th
Start: 32nd
Points: 24th

“None of us are happy with finishing 18th at Nashville Superspeedway but after the day the No. 3 BREZTRI AEROSPHERE (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate)® Chevrolet team had, that’s a pretty good recovery. That’s the way to fight. And how about that last restart? Wish we could have battled like that all day. Well take it.” -Austin Dillon

Top-20 Effort Spoiled for Austin Hill and the No. 33 BetMGM Chevrolet Team at Nashville Superspeedway

Finish: 27th
Start: 25th
Points: N/A

“Not the result we hoped for with the BetMGM Chevrolet. A lot of different things happened throughout the night, but everyone on this team kept making the most of each situation that was thrown our way. I thought we were on our way to a top-20 finish but it just wasn’t in the cards tonight. We’ll continue to learn and fight for RCR heading into Michigan International Speedway next week.” -Austin Hill

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