TOYOTA RACING – Chase Briscoe NASCAR Cup Series Quotes
TALLADEGA, Ala. (October 24, 2026) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Chase Briscoe was made available to the media on Saturday prior to the NASCAR Cup Series race from Talladega Superspeedway.
CHASE BRISCOE, No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
How do you balance your personal agendas with the plans for your teams and manufacturer?
“I think like Kyle (Larson) was saying, you have kind of a plan going into it and it’s different, from the Daytona 500 to the fall Daytona race to this race. For our group, at least there’s still four of us that are kind of in serious contention. So, yeah, you’re probably not going to cut each other a break. We’re all knowing what we’re racing against and what we’re racing for. I think the biggest thing you just ask that those other, for our sake, our other Toyota teammates, just kind of are aware of what’s going on and what we’re racing for, which I feel like they do a pretty good job of. But, yeah, I don’t know. I feel like this place is super hard just to have a plan and have that plan ever to actually come together.”
Did NASCAR make the right decision in bringing Chase back as it has played out, as you would have hoped, and what it’s doing for a championship?
“I would just echo a lot of what Ryan (Blaney) said, I definitely think it’s just made aware every stage, every weekend matters. Where in the past, you would advance early or win the first race of a round, really the next two weeks didn’t really mean a whole lot unless you won the race, and even then, you were only getting five additional bonus points. So, yeah, I feel like I found myself way more dialed into the points even during the regular season. Like, you have a bad week, you just feel that way more now, and even a good week, like it just boosts you way more than what it typically did. So, I’ve really enjoyed racing under this format. I think the balance has been great, and I do think that winning has probably mattered more than any of his realized. I mean, when we started this, we all talked about how you got to be the top five or six in points. I feel like that’s kind of gotten thrown out to a certain extent just with how much volatility there’s been. So yeah, I’ve really enjoyed it.”
Do you see Talladega as more pressure filled or more opportunity filled?
“Yeah, I would just echo a lot of what Kyle (Larson) said. I feel like it’s definitely an opportunity for the good and the bad, right? When you think of the next kind of two places, we’ve been earlier, the other six or so places we’ve been, like the more off than not, the Chase guys are for the most part all in the top 10 where here, like, you can just have such big swings, so that that’s an opportunity. If you do have a good points day, then you can just gain a ton of points on guys, but also, you can lose a lot of points too. So, yeah, I think it’s an opportunity for both sides. They’re just obviously a little bit more out of our control here. So yeah, I don’t know. Just try to come in with an open mind. Hope you go away with a solid day.”
About Toyota
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Jesse Love qualified on pole position for The Progress Group 250 at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday, October 24.
The event’s starting lineup was determined through a two-round qualifying session. The first session featured 41 competitors battling for 38 starting spots, all of whom cycled once around Talladega to post the fastest lap. At the end of the first session, the top-10 fastest qualifiers advanced to the second and final round, where they contested for the pole position.
Love was the third-fastest qualifier during the first qualifying round at 182.150 mph in 52.572 seconds. After being one of 10 competitors transferring to the second and final round, his lap during the latest round was at 182.626 mph in 52.435 seconds. The latter lap was enough for the reigning O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion from Menlo Park, California, to claim the top-starting spot for Saturday afternoon’s main event at Talladega.
With the pole, Love notched his third NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series pole of the 2026 season and his fifth in a row at Talladega. As a result, the Californian swept both pole positions at Talladega in the O’Reilly division this season and became the first O’Reilly competitor to win five consecutive poles at a single venue. Love also recorded his ninth O’Reilly pole on a superspeedway event and the 99th overall for Richard Childress Racing.
Love, who is coming off last weekend’s Chase event at Phoenix Raceway, is currently leading the Chase standings by 36 points over Justin Allgaier. The former has three-scheduled events, including this weekend’s event at Talladega, to maintain the top spot in the standings as he strives to defend his series’ championship.
Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.
Love will share the front row with Jake Finch, the latter of whom was the fastest during the first qualifying round and is making his sixth O’Reilly start of the 2026 season. Finch’s latest qualifying lap was at 182.619 mph in 52.437 seconds.
Chase contenders Sam Mayer, Carson Kvapil, Austin Hill and Rajah Caruth will start in the top-six mark, respectively. Anthony Alfredo, Brent Crews, William Sawalich and Corey Day, all of whom transferred to the second qualifying round along with Love, Finch, Mayer, Kvapil, Hill and Caruth, complete the top-10 starting grid. Day, however, will start at the rear of the field after he was unable to post a qualifying lap during the latest round due to an engine change.
With six of 12 Chase contenders (Love, Mayer, Kvapil, Hill, Caruth and Day) qualifying in the top-10 mark, the remaining Chasers that include Sammy Smith, Sheldon Creed, Justin Allgaier, Brandon Jones, Taylor Gray and Parker Retzlaff qualified 11th, 12th, 14th, 16th, 17th and 26th, respectively.
Notably, Lee Pulliam did not post a qualifying lap due to braking issues, though he was awarded the 38th and final starting spot.
With 41 competitors vying for 38 starting spots, Lavar Scott, Carson Ware and Patrick Emerling were the three who did not qualify for the main event.
Talladega – Starting Lineup:
Jesse Love, 182.626 mph, 52.435 seconds
Jake Finch, 182.619 mph, 52.437 seconds
Sam Mayer, 182.508 mph, 52.469 seconds
Carson Kvapil, 182.452 mph, 52.485 seconds
Austin Hill, 182,431 mph, 52.491 seconds
Rajah Caruth, 182.071 mph, 52.595 seconds
Anthony Alfredo, 181.991 mph, 52.618 seconds
Brent Crews, 181.846 mph, 52.660 seconds
William Sawalich, 181.694 mph, 52.704 seconds
Corey Day, 0.000 mph, 0.000 seconds
Sammy Smith, 181.439 mph, 52.778 seconds
Sheldon Creed, 181.415 mph, 52.785 seconds
Nick Leitz, 181.405 mph, 52.788 seconds
Justin Allgaier, 181.281 mph, 52.824 seconds
Jeremy Clements, 181.230 mph, 52.839 seconds
Brandon Jones, 181.178 mph, 52.854 seconds
Taylor Gray, 181.041 mph, 52.894 seconds
Caesar Bacarella, 181.011 mph, 52.903 seconds
Harrison Burton, 180.928 mph, 52.927 seconds
Ryan Ellis, 180.836 mph, 52.954 seconds
Patrick Staropoli, 180.625 mph, 53.016 seconds
Josh Williams, 180.580 mph, 53.029 seconds
Connor Mosack, 180.570 mph, 53.032 seconds
Mason Maggio, 180.526 mph, 53.045 seconds
Ryan Sieg, 180.397 mph, 53.083 seconds
Parker Retzlaff, 180.339 mph, 53.100 seconds
Dean Thompson, 180.336 mph, 53.101 seconds
Joey Gase, 180.230 mph, 53.132 seconds
Kyle Sieg, 180.210 seconds
Will Rodgers, 179.942 mph, 53.217 seconds
Leland Honeyman Jr., 179.656 mph, 53.302 seconds
Jeb Burton, 179.625 mph, 53.311 seconds
Daniel Dye, 179.517 mph, 53.343 seconds
Brennan Poole, 179.443 mph, 53.365 seconds
Josh Bilicki, 179.031 mph, 53.488 seconds
Blaine Perkins, 178.971 mph, 53.506 seconds
Garrett Smithley, 177.508 mph, 53.947 seconds
Lee Pulliam, 0.000 mph, 0.000 seconds
*Bold indicates Chase Drivers
The 2026 Progress Group 250 at Talladega Superspeedway is scheduled to occur on Saturday, October 24, at 3:30 p.m. ET on the CW Network, MRN Radio and SiriusXM.
NASCAR Cup Series Talladega Superspeedway Team Chevy Driver Quotes October 24, 2026
Austin Hill, driver of the No. 33 Camaro ZL1 and No. 21 Camaro SS for Richard Childress Racing, met with the media in advance of running double duty in the NASCAR Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Talladega Superspeedway.
Media Availability Quotes:
Austin, a lot has changed at Talladega. Can you talk to us about your season so far and your hopes for the races this weekend?
“Yeah, so this season, in general, has just been a lot of rollercoasters. You know, being tasked with doing the Cup side has thrown kind of a little bit of a curveball in some things. Going back and forth between the two is not the easiest thing to do, especially the way that both series of cars drive. Trying to still put all the effort into the O’Reilly side and the Cup side together, you know, it just kind of creates a little bit of a task. But I feel like we’ve been doing an okay job with it. You know, ever since the Chase started, we’ve just had things happen. Whether it’s been my doing, like last week speeding on pit road, or having right front tires go down, having loose wheels at Gateway; there’s just been things that have happened that’s kind of, I wouldn’t say fully knocked us out of the Chase on the O’Reilly side, but, man, we would have to really put it on them these last three races and we’d have to have some guys that have some misfortune starting this weekend.
So, you know, I’m not going to sit here and say that we’re out of it by any stretch of the matter. I’m planning on going and winning both stages and winning the race today, hopefully. But you just never know, with it being Talladega, we might wreck on lap one. But yeah, I mean, our season’s been okay. I’ve learned a lot about the Cup side. I think that the Cup cars are getting a lot easier for me to drive and the understanding about them has been a little bit better. But it’s still a work in progress and something that during the offseason I’m going to have to really dive deep into to get a little bit better on these Cup cars.”
Yesterday in the Truck Series, there seemed to be some tire issues. You guys have the same change to your right sides. Do you guys have any concerns? I don’t know if you’ve had time to kind of debrief and talk about any changes in plans for today.
“I’m worried about it, for sure. My crew chief, Chad, he said he’s talked to Goodyear. They don’t think that it should be an issue for us today. They think that it was kind of self-induced with some of the Truck teams. But it’s been a long time since we’ve seen tire issues on a superspeedway, even if the Truck guys were doing something funky. So that part of it kind of worries me a little bit. I think it could change a little bit of our strategy going into at least the race starting stage one, you know, for the first pit stop to see kind of where we’re at on tires, how much tire wear we’re getting and that sort of thing.
But at the end of the day, I mean, we can’t race scared, and we just got to hope that the air stays in the tires. Goodyear does a great job each and every week, and we don’t normally have issues like this. So, hopefully, maybe there’s a little bit different recommendation that they can have on air pressure for today or something like that that could kind of help us if there is any issue at all.”
How would you kind of sum up this experience, overall, in the Cup car having to enter it after Kyle’s passing?
“Yeah, it’s been very eye-opening on just the transition from the O’Reilly car to the Cup car and how much different it is. And, you know, as I’ve kind of ran more and more each week, learning how the air works, the dirty air is a lot different in these cars than the O’Reilly car. I almost feel like it’s easier the times that I go run the O’Reilly car now on working the dirty air. The Cup car, it’s really tough with how the dirty air works. If you have your car set out to the left or set out to the right, or if you’re directly behind somebody on how bad the dirty air is on the Cup side; I think that that’s something that I’ve gotten a little bit better at, but it’s still something that I’m going to have to work on in the offseason and really look at a lot of data. I think restarts are a premium in the Cup car. If you can get four or five spots on a restart, even if your car falls off a little bit, it seems like you can kind of work the air a certain way and still kind of have a net gain if you have some good restarts. So that’s something that I’ve been really working on and trying to perfect over these last several weeks and still have a lot of work to do.
But it’s been an experience, that’s for sure, going back and forth between the two. I didn’t want to have this opportunity in the Cup car this way, but this is kind of here we are. You know, this is what life is now and I’m trying to make the most of it.”
Your O’Reilly Series drafting record speaks for itself. Does that door close after today or could we see you make select starts next year and in the future?
“I want to run next year. I don’t know if I’m going to be able to run or not for sure with sponsorship and such, but I do want to run next year. I’d love to run the Daytona race to start the year to try to go for whatever number it is, number five, or whatever it is. Obviously, Atlanta being my home track, I’d love to run Atlanta. And then, honestly, I’d like to throw some road course races even in there and run some road courses. Those are kind of my two types of tracks that I’d love to run next year. Don’t know if it’s going to happen, but I hope that this isn’t the last time that I run an O’Reilly Series race on a drafting track. I have a lot of fun with it. I’ve talked about it before, I used to hate superspeedway racing, and now, I have a lot of fun with it because I have a different mindset coming into these weekends. It’s not that with all the success that we’ve had that I just expect to go win today. It’s just that I just have a little bit more relaxed demeanor and I’m not as stressed out when I come to these events because I know that we could either win the race or we could end up on the hook or run anywhere in between. You just don’t know. There’s just so much uncertainty, and I’ve kind of gotten better at not thinking that way. I just think about going and doing my job and hope it’s enough at the end of the race and it’s worked out for us. So, hopefully, this isn’t the end for us.”
Back at Daytona, you guys had kind of the updated aero package, and now, you have a slightly different version of that same package. What is the level of unknowns kind of heading into this race, especially the differences between Daytona and Talladega?
“I don’t think there’s as many unknowns as there was when we ran Daytona a little while ago. I thought that we made a pretty good improvement from the times that I have ran the Cup car to when we just ran that Daytona race. There’s still a ways to go, and I think that doing what we’re doing with the spoiler and all is the next step for that. I don’t think that that’s going to be the full fix, but I could be proven wrong. I still think that there’s an area that we’ve got to work on, too.
I think, for us, to have better Cup racing, my opinion for the superspeedway stuff, is we’ve got to have some type of bubble effect out of the back of the car. That’s what makes the O’Reilly Series so good on the superspeedways is you have that bubble effect. You have to create your runs. You can’t just throttle up and drive into the back of somebody to create a run. You actually have to work at it and back up to the guy behind you; get connected with them, create that run, that sort of thing. You have to break through that bubble. On the Cup side, you don’t really have that. I know that that was something that we were working on for Daytona. I felt like we got closer in the sense of being able to run more single file stuff. We were able to have the top rolling and you could pull out a line and make moves if you needed to, if you had some guys lined up around you. There’s still an area that we’ve got to get that bubble effect. If we get that, and maybe this will be the fix, if we get that going into this weekend; I think the Cup racing will be just as good, if not better, than the O’Reilly Series.”
About General Motors
General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future.
GM Motorsports, including the Cadillac Formula 1® Team develops and proves advanced technologies in the most demanding environments, accelerating innovation in performance, safety, efficiency, and electrification for its production vehicles. Cadillac Racing is one of the leading manufacturers in the IMSA and FIA World Endurance Championships (WEC). Chevrolet competes in single seaters in the US IndyCar series, and in NASCAR with multiple team partners and drivers. Corvette customer teams compete in GT series across the globe including IMSA and WEC. Learn more at GM.com.
The series previously competed last Saturday night at the Belle Clair Fairgrounds Park Speedway, which saw Michael “Buddy” Kofoid take home the victory for the 16th time this season and looked to extend his win count to 17 tonight.
The race was a wild one and featured numerous incidents, but the checkered flag went to Carson Macedo, who was piloting the Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 classic paint scheme to victory lane in a thriller over David Gravel.
“The trophy is going to be with me forever, that thing is so cool,” Carson Macedo told Dirtvision in victory lane. “We drew the eighth in the dash and I didn’t know if we were going to be able to get it done tonight, to be honest with you. In the beginning of the race, I felt like I was trying to be smart and trying to be patient. I knew it was 41-laps and that’s a long time. I knew a lot would change. I got an extremely good restart the one time when I got to the lead, and I thought, man, two really good racecar drivers in front of me with Logan (Schuhart) and David (Gravel), and I didn’t think I would get the opportunity to get it.
“Unfortunate luck for the 1S (Schuhart), but the lap car wrecking didn’t leave him very much option. He tried throttling up around him and ended up not too good for him. It gave me an opportunity. Phil (Dietz, Crew Chief) made some adjustments on the red and gave me a couple of tips on what I should do different. Obviously, it worked pretty good there.
“First time I went to the top of (Turns) 3 and 4, I thought, man, that was a huge run. If I could get close enough to break momentum, and that’s what we were able to do. Hats off to Phil Dietz. What a cool deal to win this race is really special to me. Jason Johnson built this team from the ground up, and all of his family is here, his mom and dad, his son Jaxx. To be able to get on the wing with him (Jaxx) was really special. I couldn’t believe it. When I crossed the start/finish line, I was super pumped.”
39 Sprint Cars competed in the Jason Johnson Classic.
Feature Race Recap – 41-Laps – $20,000 To Win
Thanks to his dash victory, Sheldon Haudenschild started on the pole with Cole Macedo on the outside pole. Cole Macedo took the lead using the high line to his advantage. Meanwhile, the first yellow of the night flew on the second lap for Kofoid after making contact with Haudenschild in Turns 3 and 4 while racing for the second position. Kofoid hit the left-rear of Haudenschild, which sent him spinning up toward the wall.
Macedo brought the field to green with a great restart out of Turn 4. Logan Schuchart quickly moved into the second position off the restart. As Schuchart was closing in on the race leader, Cole Macedo, the second caution slowed the field on Lap 8 for Brenham Crouch, who was slow on the frontstretch due to no brakes on his car.
The race went green once more with Cole Macedo trying to fend off Schuchart. Schuchart continued to pressure Cole Macedo for the top spot for numerous laps, but couldn’t make the pass work to take the lead. Eventually, Gravel entered the picture along with Carson Macedo, all within 2.6 seconds of each other.
Schuchart finally grabbed the lead from Cole Macedo on Lap 27 in Turns 1 and 2 by using a slide job. After spinning earlier in the race, Kofoid worked his way back in the top five with less than 15 laps to go. A caution came out with 11 laps to go for Donny Schatz, who was stopped sideways in Turn 2.
For the restart, it was Schuchart on the inside and Gravel on the outside lane. Carson Macedo took the lead on the restart off Turn 2, but an immediate caution was flown for numerous cars involved in a wreck in Turn 4. There were six cars involved, which included Tyler Courtney, Spencer Bayston, Joe B. Miller, Bill Balog, Garet Williamson, and Howard Moore. During the caution flag, a right-rear tire was going down on Kofoid’s car, who was running in the fourth position at the time of caution. Kofoid stayed on the track.
Due to the caution flag coming out, Schuchart was still the leader prior to Carson Macedo taking the official lead, thus putting Schuchart at the top spot for the next restart.
A wild circumstance occurred at Lap 35 when Moore was stalled on the track and spun around in Turns 1 and 2. Meanwhile, race leader Schuchart attempted to go to the right side and wound up going upside down.
Unfortunately for Schuchart, he was unable to keep the lead since he was involved in the accident instead of spinning around to avoid the accident. This ultimately put Gravel as the race leader.
On the restart, Carson Macedo peeked at the leader, Gravel, and eventually took the lead with two laps to go off Turn 4 using the outside line. Carson Macedo would go on to win by 1.111 seconds over Gravel.
Heat Race Recaps – Top Five Transfer – 10 Laps A Piece
In Hot Laps, Gavel paced the session with a time of 12.894 seconds. For qualifying, Gravel again was the quickest in Flight A with a time of 12.429 seconds, while Kofoid was the fastest in Flight B with a lap of 12.456 seconds.
Heat 1 – Gravel had the pole for the first heat. The two-time Sprint Car champion got out to a great start, but his quick pace was slowed for a red flag displayed on Lap 4 for a major flip in Turns 1 and 2. The car was Steven Snyder Jr who went upside down. Dirtvision replay shows Snyder Jr. got up on the cushion and went over. Snyder Jr. was okay as he exited the car.
As the field got ready to go back to green, Brady Baker got on the cushion and lost a lot of spots. Gravel went on to win the heat race and was followed by Cole Macedo, Schatz, Bayston, and B. Miller in the top five.
Heat 2 – Courtney had the pole for the second heat. Courtney got the victory with no issues and was followed by Carson Macedo, Rees Moran, Crouch, and Chris Windom for the transfers.
Heat 3 – Kofoid would have the pole for the third heat and was unchallenged for the majority of the heat race before he got to lap traffic with two laps to go. This allowed Haudenschild, who was in the second position, to close in on Kofoid, but Haudenschild was unable to catch Kofoid, and Kofoid went on to claim the heat victory. Haudenschild, Balog, Williamson, and Skylar Gee were the transfers.
Heat 4 – Brady Bacon had the top spot for the fourth and final heat of the evening with Logan Schuchart on the outside pole. Schuchart jumped to the lead at the start of the green-flag and never looked back since he went on to win the heat race. Emerson Axsom, Brent Marks, Bacon, and Landon Crawley rounded out the transfers.
As the checkered flag flew, the caution was also displayed for Riley Goodno, who was stopped on the backstretch. However, Schuchart had already taken the checkered flag and determined the heat race winner.
In the Toyota Racing Dash to determine the pole position for the main event, the victory went to Haudenschild.
Bryce Lucius won the Last Chance Showdown with Blake Hahn, Moore, and Ashton Torgerson taking transfer spots.
For those who missed the feature, you can watch the highlights below.
Official Race Results Following Night 1 at Texarkana 67 Speedway
Carson Macedo
David Gravel
Sheldon Haudenschild
Cole Macedo
Michael Kofoid
Brent Marks
Emerson Axsom
Ashton Torggerson
Chris Windom
Brady Bacon
Tyler Courtney
Donny Schatz
Garet Williamson
Spencer Bayston
Bill Balog
Blake Hahn
Logan Schuchart
Skylar Gee
Landon Crawley
Bryce Lucius
Howard Moore, DNF
Joe B. Miller, DNF
Rees Moran, DNF
Brenham Crouch, DNF
Up Next – Night 2 of the World of Outlaws Nos Energy Drink Sprint Car Series takes place Saturday night, live on Dirtvision.
It was a month ago that the Outlaw Late Models last raced, when they had a two-night series at I-55 Federated Auto Parts Series Raceway in Pevely, Missouri, in September. World 100 winner at Eldora Speedway, Nick Hoffman claimed the two nights that were called “King of the Arch.”
Meanwhile, Bobby Pierce, who has won a season-high 20 races in one season, continues to lead the overall championship points by 96 over Hoffman.
When all was said and done at the end of the 40-lap feature, the checkered flag went to Cody Overton, who fended off Pierce in a late-race rally to secure his first-ever career victory with the Outlaw Late Models.
“I really didn’t think nothing about it,” C. Overton said to Dirtvision in victory lane when asked about Pierce running him down. “I kept telling myself, he’s going to have to kill me to come through here. Anybody that tries to (pass) me, because I’m telling you, I was driving my heart out, man. This has been a long time. No one understands how hard it is to win one of these (races). This is a dream come true, it is. I can’t thank James (Trantina III, Team Owner), and I know it’s not a lot of money, but these are the hardest races to win, and no one gets it. I got one.”
39 Dirt Late Models were on the entry list for tonight’s event.
Feature Race Recap – 40-Laps – $12,000 To Win
C. Overton started on the pole thanks to the re-draw dash, and Garrett Smith started on the outside pole.
C. Overton led the first lap and had the lead at Lap 10 with no yellows. At Lap 14, C. Overton began lapping Eli Johnson’s car. C. Overton continued to lead at the halfway mark with Garrett Smith, Chris Madden, Hudson O’Neal, and Jonathan Davenport, who completed the top five. The first yellow occurred on the same lap for Carson Ferguson, who spun off Turn 2 due to contact from Tyler Erb. Johnson also pulled in the infield during the stoppage. The second yellow didn’t take long as it came out on Lap 25 for Johnson, who had spun around in Turn 4.
The green flag flew with 16 laps to go and had a short run before the third caution was displayed with seven laps to go for Erb. Erb pulled his car in the infield and fixed the minimal damage on the right-rear quarter panel. The team later reported it was a broken axle for Erb, and he was done for the night.
Pierce slipped into the third position with five laps to go on the restart and inched his way closer to the race leader of, C. Overton. Despite the rally from Pierce, C. Overton held on to win his first career World of Outlaws Super Dirt Late Models victory.
— World of Outlaws Late Models (@WoOLateModels) October 24, 2026
Heat Race Recaps – Top Four Transfer – 8 Laps A Piece
Prior to the heat races, there was a Hot Lap and Qualifying session. Carson Ferguson was fastest in Hot Laps with a time of 15.119 seconds. In Flight A qualifying, Tim McCreadie was originally the fastest, but was disqualified; therefore, the fastest in Flight A went to Mike Marlar instead, with a time of 15.511 seconds. For Flight B qualifying, the fastest went to Hoffman with a time of 15.750 seconds.
Heat 1 – Chris Madden had the pole for the first heat. Hunter Kohn got up high off Turn 2 on the first lap and slowed a little bit, but no yellow was thrown. On the next lap, Marlar also had trouble and was slow in the same turn.
Madden went on to win the heat race with Daulton Wilson, Tristan Chamberlain, and Ethan Dotson taking the top four.
Heat 2 – Garrett Smith was on pole for the second heat. Garrett would take the heat race victory with Brandon Overton, Michael Brown, and Kyle Strickler transferring.
Heat 3 – Hoffman had the top spot for the third heat. C. Overton took the lead from Hoffman going into Turns 3 and 4 after being side-by-side with Hoffman on the first lap. Meanwhile, Pierce stuffed the wall off Turn 2 on Lap 3, but kept going without issue.
C. Overton won the third heat with Hoffman, O’Neal, and Chris Ferguson as the top four transfers.
Heat 4 – Davenport started first and finished first for the fourth and final heat, and took home the heat victory. Carson Ferguson, Erb, and Trey Mills rounded out the transfer spots.
In the World of Outlaws Re-draw dash for the top eight starters, it was C. Overton who took the No. 1 spot and started on the pole for the feature. Garrett Smith drew second, Madden third, Davenport fourth, Hoffman fifth, Daulton Wilson sixth, Brandon Overton seventh, and Carson Ferguson eighth.
There were two Last Chance Showdown features that were 10 laps a piece, with the top three rounding out the final transfer spots. Ross Bailes won the first showdown, while Ryan Gustin took the second showdown win. Others moving on from the LCS were Ethan Wilson, Dennis Erb Jr., Pierce, and Logan Zarin.
For those who missed the feature, you can watch the highlights below.
Official Race Results Following Night 1 at Modoc Speedway
Cody Overton
Bobby Pierce
Jonathan Davenport
Chris Madden
Nick Hoffman
Hudson O’Neal
Brandon Overton
Dennis Erb Jr
Trey Mills
Garrett Smith
Ethan Dotson
Daulton Wilson
Tim McCreadie
Dustin Sorensen
Ethan Wilson
Ryan Gustin
Michael Brown
Ross Bailes
Kyle Strickler
Tristan Chamberlain
Tyler Erb
Chris Ferguson
Carson Ferguson
Logan Zarin
Eli Johnson
Brent Larson
Up Next – Night 2 of the Modoc 100 continues Saturday night at Modoc Speedway, live on Dirtvision.
Kris Wright and the No. 81 Warranty Solutions Chevrolet finished 32nd in Saturday’s Love’s RV Stop 225 at Talladega Superspeedway after an early incident ended their day on lap 18. Wright showed speed from the start, earning a season-best 12th-place qualifying effort before climbing to sixth on lap one. He remained inside the top-10 and was scored seventh after some shuffling on lap 13 as the field battled three-wide throughout the opening laps.
Unfortunately, Wright’s day came to an early end on lap 18 when a competitor suffered a tire failure and spun into the right rear of the No. 81 Warranty Solutions Chevrolet Silverado RST, sending Wright into the outside wall. Wright was evaluated and safely released from the care center following the incident.
Kris Wright Quote:
“Yeah I feel alright. Yeah I really got to thank Bill McAnally for building really safe trucks, that was the hardest hit of my career, but I’m feeling alright. All I saw was a truck get into my right rear and then I went up into the wall and that was the end of it.”
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FINISH: 35th Start: 27th Laps Led: 0 NCTS Point Standings Position: 7th
‘Dega Deals a Short Day to Hemric
Daniel Hemric’s afternoon at Talladega Superspeedway succumbed to the track’s typical infamous chaos on Friday evening. The driver of the No. 19 Motion Industries Chevrolet Silverado RST was credited with a 35th-place finish after being swept up in one of the numerous multi-truck incidents in the early stages of the event. With two races remaining, Hemric sits seventh in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks Series (NCTS) points standings.
Hemric took the green in 27th starting position and immediately made a concerted effort to draft with teammate Christian Eckes. The duo connected in the third lane in order to drive towards the front of the field and briefly cracked the top-10 by lap eight. Misfortune began to strike on lap 14 when Hemric lost his drafting help, as Eckes suffered a right front tire. Hemric regained momentum and drafted back up to the outside lane. On lap 17, calamity struck when the No. 52 suffered a flat tire in the middle of the pack, triggering a massive nine-truck accident which caused terminal damage to the Motion Industries Chevrolet.
Daniel Hemric Quote:
“I had a full head of steam coming to three to go in the stage. We had all gotten separated about five laps earlier when somebody cut a tire off of Turn 4. So, trying to use the momentum, use every run, you got to take them. Looked like the No. 52 or somebody, two or three rows up, had a tire go down or got a bad push, something happened. He shot left in a hurry and I was committed to go to the top. He hooked someone in the right rear and they all came across the racetrack. It’s an unfortunate way to end it for our Motion Industries Chevrolet.”
FINISH: 21st Start: 20th Laps Led: 0 Points Position: 5th
Eckes’ Effort at Talladega Gets Deflated
Christian Eckes endured a day filled with trials and adversity to record a 21st-place finish on Friday evening at Talladega Superspeedway. The driver of the No. 91 NAPA AccuFit Chevrolet Silverado RST managed to reach the checkered flag after suffering multiple flat tires and significant contact with the frontstretch wall but salvaged valuable championship points. With two races remaining in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks Series Chase, Eckes sits fifth in the standings, three points out of third.
Eckes took the green flag from 20th and immediately linked up with teammate Daniel Hemric in the third lane to gain ground towards the front of the pack. On lap 13, Eckes was dealt adversity as a chain reaction on the outside lane caused Eckes to make contact with another truck and suffered damage to the nose of his Chevrolet. One lap later, he suffered a punctured tire and made hard contact with the outside frontstretch wall. He was forced to pit lane for repairs under green and lost three laps to the leaders.
Eckes was scored 31st at the end of Stage 1, but earned the Lucky Dog award to regain one of his laps. However, Stage 2 held the same fate for the No. 91 team as Eckes was forced to pit road under green for another flat tire and lost another lap. When the final stage went green on lap 46, Eckes was scored in 26th after gritty repair work by the NAPA AccuFit team. He hung onto the lead draft for most of the duration of the event and gained five positions to take the checkered flag in 21st position.
Christian Eckes Quote:
“Just a tough day for our NAPA AccuFit team. Proud of the fight and effort from our team with all the repairs that we had to go through today. We had the top lane working for a little bit with Daniel [Hemric] and a few other guys to get towards the front. Then had that big check up in Turn 4, cut a right front and just had a tough time from there. We’ll go on to Martinsville next week and try to make something happen these last two weeks.”
Ankrum Comes Up One Spot Shy of Victory at Talladega
Tyler Ankrum, driver of the No. 18 LIUNA Chevrolet set the scene for his best finish of the 2026 season at Talladega Superspeedway after racing his way to a second-place finish. The young driver started the day with a hot qualifying lap that set him up to start the Love’s RV Stop 225 seventh in line. In true superspeedway fashion, the pack got dicey early on and a caution with four laps to go in the first stage forced the field to end the segment under yellow and Ankrum settled for a 14th-place finish in Stage One. The San Bernardino, Calif. native reported to his team that his race truck was pretty darty and a little loose. A quick trip down pit road for four tires, fuel and a round out of the right rear sent the young driver on his way to gear up for Stage Two.
Restarting 12th in line, Ankrum settled into the pack and went to work. He held strong in the middle of the pack for the majority of the second stage shuffling with the field. Another unfortunate late-stage caution caught the young driver back in 14th to end Stage Two. The driver of the No. 18 reported that overall balance was decent, but the late cautions were killing their chance to get up to the front to gain stage points and track position. Another solid stop by the No. 18 crew for four fresh tires and some Sunoco race fuel gained Ankrum five very valuable spots on pit road to restart the closing laps inside the top 10.
Throughout the final stage, No. 18 spotter Eddie D’Hondt guided Ankrum through chaos as the field started to wreck every few laps. Steering clear of any damage throughout the gaggle of cautions that arose, Ankrum found himself in fifth when a yellow flag fell with seven laps to go, forcing the field into a green-white-checkered finish. Ankrum chose the top to restart the final two laps in sixth. Staying steady right where he needed to be, the young driver pushed with all he had to the front as an incident broke out behind him headed to the white flag. The pack stayed green and Ankrum could see the finish line through the windshield. Powering through the final turn, the young driver pushed it four-wide across line as he came up just one spot shy of the victory to bring home a clean second-place finish at Talladega.
Tyler Ankrum Quote:
“What a run today at Talladega, man. Mark (Hillman, crew chief) and the guys brought me an absolute rocket ship today and we really solid all day long. Balance was overall pretty good, we just kept getting stuck behind the cautions which neglected us of stage points, unfortunately. The momentum we had today is something we will carry into the final two races and hopefully snag a win before the season is over. Great effort by this entire No. 18 LIUNA team today. Huge thanks to everyone from the LIUNA OVSS region that came out today to support us and all the contractors that showed up. Thank you to CHevy and MHR and everyone that helps make this deal happen.”
Key Takeaway: Landen Lewis and the J.F. Electric team put together an impressive race at Talladega. Lewis qualified deep in the field in 30th-place, but took a methodical approach to slice through the field early on. The No. 45 Silverado just barely missed out on capturing points in stage one in 11th, but backed it up with a sixth-place effort in stage two. In his first super speedway start, the rookie managed a clean, mistake-free run throughout the event. He crossed the finish line in sixth-place, right in the middle of a thrilling three-wide finish.
Landen Lewis’ Post-Race Thoughts: “That was a blast, that’s for sure. I learned so much that I can’t even put into words. I’m definitely going to have to go back and digest this one to try and take good notes when we come back for Daytona next year. It was a great day overall; we ran up front all day long after starting 30th, and it was just a solid outing for me. I guess the biggest thing to take away from the super speedways is to not take anything for granted, because the next one could go completely sideways. I’m proud of Phil Gould and the whole No. 45 team and am thankful to J.F. Electric and Chevrolet for everything they do for us. We’ll build on this one and go to Martinsville.”
About J.F. Electric: J.F. Electric is an electrical contractor that provides engineering expertise, backed by construction and installation know-how in a diverse range of service offerings, from utilities and commercial projects, to industrial and telecommunications customers. When having a long family history in an industry, a company not only builds on its knowledge and experience, it takes pride in cultivating a solid understanding of client needs, all the while nurturing strong relationships with its employees. Evolving through five generations of the Fowler family, J.F. Electric has matured into a well-managed and thoughtfully diversified electrical contractor which is poised to continue its growth and expansion into the future.
No. 42 Niece Equipment Chevrolet Silverado RST Driver: Conner Jones | Crew Chief: Landon Polinski
Key Takeaway: Conner Jones and the Niece Equipment team were having a solid outing in Talladega before being collected in a multi-truck crash, which took them out of the running. Jones started the 225-mile race in 28th and played it smart in the opening two stages. After finishing 12th in stage one, Jones was dealt a pit road speeding violation and had to restart from the tail of the field. He drove the truck back up inside the top-15 in stage two, and continued to gain experience, setting up for the final stage. On lap 57, Jones made contact with another truck in front of him and was sent spinning down the backstretch. His truck was heavily damaged and could not complete the race, resulting in a 27th-place finish.
Conner Jones’ Post-Race Thoughts: “It was fun out there today and we had a fast Niece Equipment Chevy. I just have to do better next time to not wreck and put myself in a bad position, I guess. I really don’t know what happened; I haven’t had a chance to see a great replay yet. It sucks that we couldn’t finish, but we will move onto Martinsville next week.”
About Niece Equipment: For over 40 years, Niece Equipment has provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Our reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. Each of our water and fuel/lube trucks are engineered with quality and durability in mind. Our capability ranges from 2,000 gallon water trucks to 12,000 gallon water towers. The fuel/lube trucks we offer range from 600 to 4,000 gallons.
No. 44 Acceptance Insurance Chevrolet Silverado RST Driver: Andrés Perez de Lara | Crew Chief: Wally Rogers
Key Takeaway: Andrés Pérez de Lara and the Acceptance Insurance team had a promising run go array early in Talladega. Pérez de Lara rolled off from the 25th position, but made quick work to climb inside the top-10 in stage one. Just as he was pushing the middle lane forward with a couple of laps remaining in the first stage, the truck in front of him blew a tire which caused “the big one”. With nowhere to go, Pérez de Lara slammed into the outside wall and was done for the day. He was relegated to a 31st-place finish.
Andrés Pérez de Lara’s Post-Race Thoughts: “It’s just a really unfortunate way for us to end our day with the Acceptance Insurance Chevy. I feel like we were putting ourselves in the right positions, but once the No. 52 (Stewart Friesen) had a problem in front of us, we were just passengers after that. We’re just going to regroup at Martinsville next week. It’s obviously not ideal, and I just feel bad for the team since they have to rebuild the truck. We’ll just look forward to next week and try to get a solid result there.”
About Acceptance Insurance: Acceptance Insurance is a proud member of Confie, the largest personal lines agency in the U.S. We believe in investing in the communities we serve by offering affordable insurance solutions so our customers can have peace of mind. Our agents and team members uphold our values, which include promoting excellence, responsibility and caring.
Acceptance has been in business for over 50 years. We have over 700 agents in over 288 neighborhood locations ready to give you the service, respect and savings you deserve. We come to you so you can find the solutions you need, regardless of your background and driving record. We offer easy solutions to meet your unique needs.
No. 4 Blues Hog Chevrolet Silverado RST Driver: Cleetus McFarland | Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett
Key Takeaway: Cleetus McFarland and the Blues Hog team had their race end early due to a crash in stage one at Talladega. McFarland’s No. 4 Chevrolet qualified the highest out of the team in 24th, and was on its way forward when “the big one” struck on lap 16. As he was avoiding the crash ahead of him, contact from another competitor sent McFarland careening into the inside wall. The truck had too much damage to continue the race, and was credited with a 36th-place finish.
Cleetus McFarland’s Post-Race Thoughts:
Interviewer: Cleetus McFarland has been checked and released from the infield care center. I heard the frustration from you on the radio; what happened from your vantage point?
“It just sucks. You know, I honestly just saw the wreck and was slowing down heavily. I was getting called down and was trying to get down and out of the way and I don’t know how or where, but I lightly got tapped on the back-left and it sent me on a trajectory that just bent up the front of my hot rod. I felt like my truck was really tight, so I got out of the way. I was riding and having a great race, I was learning, it was phenomenal. I saw the wreck and got on the brakes and I was totally good, and then I just got spun and I just wrecked. It sucks.”
About Blues Hog: Blues Hog is a nationally recognized producer of premium barbecue products, trusted by top chefs, champion pitmasters, and restaurateurs worldwide. Known as “The Award-Winning Choice of Champions,” Blues Hog offers a diverse lineup of sauces, seasonings, marinades, fuels, meat sticks, and heat-and-eat meats—all crafted to elevate any barbecue experience, from backyard cookouts to elite competitions. With an unwavering commitment to exceptional flavor and quality, Blues Hog delivers next-level taste by blending authentic barbecue tradition with modern convenience. For more information, visit www.BluesHog.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).
