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Layne Riggs rallies for last-lap Truck victory at Nashville

By
Andrew Kim
-
Photo by Logan Allen for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Layne Riggs notched a thrilling NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory over Rajah Caruth and teammate Chandler Smith in the rain-delayed Allegiance 200 at Nashville Superspeedway on Friday, May 29.

The 23-year-old Riggs from Bahama, North Carolina, led twice for a race-high 99 of 150-scheduled laps in an event where he was awarded the pole position based on the metric qualifying formula and swept the event’s first two stage periods. Then after being shuffled towards the top-10 mark due to various pit strategies and struggling to launch forward with fresh tires, he spent the majority of the final stage period trying to navigate his way back to the front.

Through two late-race cautions and ensuing restarts, including the final one with 16 laps remaining, Layne Riggs used his fresh tires and the restarts to muscle his way up the leaderboard. With three laps remaining, he overtook teammate Chandler Smith for the runner-up spot. Then on the final lap, he outdueled Rajah Caruth to storm back atop the leaderboard and cruise to his third Truck victory of the 2026 season.

The event’s starting lineup was determined by a qualifying metric formula because on-track qualifying was shortened and canceled due to inclement weather. As a result, Layne Riggs, winner of last weekend’s event at Charlotte Motor Speedway, was awarded the pole position, and he shared the front row with Kaden Honeycutt.

Before the event, rookie Mini Tyrrell was dropped to the rear of the field due to repairs and unapproved adjustments to his No. 14 Kaulig Racing RAM 1500 entry. Andres Perez De Lara was also forced to start at the rear of the field and serve a drive-through penalty at the event’s start due to technical issues with his No. 44 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado RST entry.

When the green flag waved and the event commenced under the lights following a delay that lasted more than two hours due to inclement weather, Layne Riggs motored his No. 34 Love’s Ford F-150 entry ahead from the inside lane, and he quickly transitioned to the outside lane to fend off Kaden Honeycutt through the first two turns as the field fanned out. Amid a series of on-track battles around the superspeedway venue, Riggs led the first lap.

Over the next four laps, Riggs increased his early advantage to more than a second over Honeycutt while Jesse Love, Christian Eckes and Giovanni Ruggiero occupied the top-five spots over Ben Rhodes, Tanner Gray, Brandon Jones, Daniel Hemric and Jake Garcia, respectively. Riggs stabilized his lead to one-and-a-half seconds over Honeycutt at the Lap 10 mark as all but one of 36 starters, minus Andres Perez De Lara amid the latter’s opening lap drive-through penalty through pit road, were scored on the lead lap.

Through the first 20-scheduled laps at Nashville, Layne Riggs added another second to his advantage as he was leading by more than two seconds. Honeycutt, Love, Eckes, Ruggiero, Rhodes, Tanner Gray, Chandler, Smith, Brandon Jones and Hemric trailed in the top 10, respectively. Jake Garcia, William Sawalich, Stefan Parsons, Grant Enfinger, Tyler Reif, Ross Chastain, Corey LaJoie, Parker Retzlaff, Stewart Friesen and Ty Majeski were mired in the top 20 ahead of Tyler Ankrum, Rajah Caruth, Dawson Sutton, Cole Butcher and Daniel Dye while Justin haley, Mini Tyrrell, Brenden Queen, Carson Ferguson and Kris Wright rounded out the top 30 ahead of Frankie Muniz, Clayton Green, Spencer Boyd, Derek Lemke, Andres Perez De Lara and Caleb Costner, respectively.

Ten laps later, Riggs built his advantage to three seconds over Honeycutt while third-place Love and fourth-place Eckes trailed by eight and nine seconds, respectively. Meanwhile, Ruggiero trailed in fifth place by 11 seconds while Chandler Smith, who started in 22nd place, was up to sixth place amid an earlier battle with Ben Rhodes. Jones, Garcia and Hemric rounded out the top 10, respectively, as Riggs, who lapped 12 competitors racing at the tail end of the field, continued to lead by more than four seconds by Lap 35.

When the first stage period concluded on Lap 45, Riggs, who lapped Dawson Sutton and Corey LaJoie over the previous 10 laps, cruised to his third Truck stage victory of the 2026 season. Honeycutt trailed in second by two seconds while Love, Eckes, Ruggiero, Chandler Smith, Rhodes, Tanner Gray, Garcia and Hemric were scored in the top 10, respectively. By then, 22 of 36 starters were scored on the lead lap. LaJoie managed to fend off Sutton to be the first competitor scored a lap down and was awarded the free pass.

Under the event’s first stage break period, the lead lap .ield led by Riggs peeled off the racetrack and pitted for the first time of the event. Following the pit stops, Riggs exited pit road first ahead of Honeycutt while Eckes, Jones, Grant Enfinger, Tanner Gray, Chandler Smith, Love, Ruggiero and Garcia followed suit, respectively. Amid the pit stops, Mini Tyrrell sent Parker Retzlaff for a spin in his pit box. Also, both Friesen and Rhodes returned to pit road as Friesen had a left-front tire that was flat.

The second stage period started on Lap 54 as Riggs and Honeycutt occupied the front row. At the start, Riggs gained another strong launch from the inside lane as he motored ahead of the field that had fanned out and jostled for spots. A lap later, the caution returned due to Tyler Reif getting loose beneath teammate Stefan Parsons, spinning and rear-ending his No. 42 Comprehensive Logistics Chevrolet Silverado RST entry against the outside wall from Turns 3 and 4.

The start of the next restart on Lap 60 only lasted two turns before the caution returned due to Carson Ferguson getting loose through the first two turns and wrecking the No. 25 ‘Free Agent’ RAM 1500 entry for Kaulig Racing hard against the outside wall. At the moment of caution, Riggs fended off Honeycutt and was scored as the leader. Riggs managed to motor ahead of the field during the next restart on Lap 67 while Honeycutt, Eckes and Chandler Smith battled for the runner-up spot in front of Enfinger. The caution flew on Lap 68 due to Jesse Love, Tanner Gray and Garcia wrecking through Turns 3 and 4.

As the event restarted on Lap 75, Riggs extended his strong launch from the inside lane as he both maintained and rocketed away from the field for a full lap. As Riggs led, Eckes navigated his way into the runner-up spot over Honeycutt as the field that had been fanned out since the restart continued to instigate with a series of on-track battles ensuing. The caution then returned on Lap 78 due to debris on the course that came off the damaged entry of Garcia. During this latest caution period, some, including Ross Chastain, Rajah Caruth, Ruggiero, Retzlaff, LaJoie, and Tyler Ankrum, pitted while the rest, led by Riggs, remained on the track. Ruggiero was then penalized for speeding on pit road.

When the event restarted on Lap 84, Riggs motored ahead from the inside lane while Eckes was pinned in a tight three-wide battle with Honeycutt and Chandler Smith for the runner-up spot. The field fanned out, scattered and jostled for spots as Riggs led the next lap. With Riggs leading Honeycutt, the battles all around the field continued to ensue as Chandler Smith, Eckes and Enfinger were racing in the top five ahead of Rhodes, Daniel Dye, Majeski, Hemric and Chastain, respectively.

When the second stage period concluded on Lap 95, Riggs captured his fourth Truck stage victory of the 2026 season and his second of tonight’s event at Nashville. Honeycutt followed suit in the runner-up spot by more than a second while Chandler Smith, Eckes, Enfinger, Rhodes, Dye, Majeski, Hemric, and Chastain were scored in the top 10, respectively. By then, 23 of 36 starters were scored on the lead lap. The 24th-place competitor, Cole Butcher, was awarded the free pass by being the first competitor to be scored a lap down.

During the event’s second stage break period, a majority of the field led by Riggs pitted while the rest led by Chastain, Caruth, Ankrum and Perez De Lara remained on the track. Following the pit stops and with mixed strategies in place, Retzlaff exited pit road first, ahead of LaJoie and Ruggiero, while Honeycutt followed suit, ahead of Sutton, Riggs and Chandler Smith.

With 47 laps remaining at Nashville, the final stage period commenced as Chastain and Caruth occupied the front row. At the start, Chastain led Ankrum, Caruth and the field through the first two turns as the field fanned out, scrambled and jostled for late spots through the backstretch. Chastain and Caruth dueled for the lead through the frontstretch to start the next lap before Caruth used the inside lane to muscle his No. 7 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Silverado RST entry ahead of Chastain through the first two turns. As Caruth led, Honeycutt navigated his way to third place while Riggs was mired in 12th place. Chastain maintained the runner-up spot over Honeycutt, Perez De Lara and Ankrum as Caruth continued to lead with 44 laps remaining.

Down to the final 40 laps of the event, Caruth was leading by six-tenths of a second over Chastain as Honeycutt continued to reel in Chastain for the runner-up spot. Caruth spent the next five laps extending his late advantage to a second over both Chastain and Honeycutt while Ankrum and Perez De Lara remained in the top five over LaJoie, Enfinger, Retzlaff, Eckes and Rhodes, respectively. Then, with 34 laps remaining, Honeycutt dropped off the pace from third place due to losing power and having electrical issues with his No. 11 Safelite Toyota Tundra TRD Pro entry. Honeycutt would then draw a caution with 32 laps remaining as his entry crept to the entrance of pit road and needed a wrecker to have the entry pushed to his pit stall. During this caution period, some, like Retzlaff, Friesen, Riggs, Brenden Queen, Jones, Ruggiero, Sutton and Tyrrell pitted while the rest, led by Caruth, remained on the track.

The next restart with 26 laps remaining featured Caruth receiving an excessive push from Ankrum to motor ahead of Chastain from the inside lane through the fronstretch. As the field fanned out through the first two turns, LaJoie scrapped the outside wall due to contact from Rhodes as the field fanned out, but the event remained under green flag conditions as Caruth led the next lap. Caruth proceeded to lead by more than a second over Chastain before the caution flew with 22 laps remaining due to a left-rear wheel being detached from Rhodes’ No. 99 Nashville Stampede Ford F-150 entry.

As the event restarted with 16 laps remaining, Caruth and Chastain dueled for the lead through the frontstretch after Caruth did not get the push needed from Ankrum from the inside lane at the launch and briefly got loose. Following a duel with Chastain, Caruth managed to fend off the latter and lead the next lap. He then built a reasonable lead within half a second with 14 laps remaining. Chandler Smith, Chastain, Perez De Lara, Ankrum and a hard-charging Riggs followed suit, respectively. Riggs was then mixed in a tight battle with Friesen, Enfinger, Eckes and Perez De Lara to maintain sixth place while Caruth maintained his lead to six-tenths of a second over runner-up Chandler Smith and by more than a second over third-place Chastain.

Down to the final 10 laps of the event, Caruth continued to lead by half a second over Chandler Smith as Smith had fresher tires than Caruth. As both Chastain and Riggs trailed by two seconds within the top-four mark, Smith continued to reel in Caruth through every turn and straightaway, but he had teammate Riggs reeling in on both him and Caruth. Riggs then overtook Smith through the backstretch and the former proceeded to reel in Caruth as he had fresher tires than Caruth.

When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Caruth remained in the lead by a narrow margin as he briefly fended off Riggs by trying to slide in front of him entering the frontstretch. Riggs, though, managed to draw even with Caruth from the outside lane through the first two turns until he motored his No. 34 Love’s Ford F-150 entry ahead entering the backstretch. With both Caruth and Smith battling for the runner-up spot, Riggs used the clean air to drive away and claim the checkered flag first by four-tenths of a second over both Caruth and Smith.

Riggs
Photo by Logan Allen for SpeedwayMedia.com

With the victory, Riggs notched his eighth NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career victory in his 65th start, his third of the 2026 season and his second in a row in recent weeks after he won historic past Sunday’s event at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This marks the second time in Riggs’ career that he notched back-to-back Truck victories, as he is coming off last Sunday’s victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Riggs previously won back-to-back races at the Milwaukee Mile and Bristol Motor Speedway between August and September 2024. Riggs’ Nashville victory was his first at the track, and he joins his father, Scott, as a Truck winner at Nashville. It was also the fourth Truck victory of the 2026 season for both Ford and Front Row Motorsports.

“[I didn’t know I had Caruth] Until I passed him and cleared him,” Riggs said on the frontstretch on FS1. “That’s how you win a NASTruck race right there, boys and girls. I hope I put on a show for you, guys. I didn’t want to fall back, but I don’t know what happened with that set of tires. [The truck] was literally undrivable. [Crew chief] Dylan [Cappello] made the right adjustments there, got me the tires. He got me the motivation. [I] Drove it to the front. Thank you to everybody, Ford Performance, Ford Racing, Love’s Travel Stops, Front Row Motorsports. All these guys on this [No. 34] team. This pit crew, right here, did a great job all night. Awesome finish there with [Chandler Smith]. He gave me the push for the win. Great racing there with Chandler. Awesome night of racing.”

Rajah Caruth, who led 44 laps and was attempting to win the Truck event at Nashville for a second consecutive year, fended off Chandler Smith to settle in the runner-up spot. Caruth, who drove the No. 7 Chevrolet entry for Spire Motorsports in place of the late two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, was disappointed over the outcome, but still pleased with the late strategic call that nearly netted him another victory to his Truck resume.

“I was trying to make this [No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet] as wide as possible, obviously, on the tire disadvantage,” Caruth said. “That was a great call by [crew chief] Brian [Pattie]. I think we were strong. Just starting at the back with no qualifying impacted our night. We got the truck really, really strong there. There’s probably some things I should’ve done better there, but huge congrats to Layne. He’s done a great job and they’re the championship threat. Glad to give these HendrickCars.com and Spire guys a good result. [I] Really wanted to get that [win] for everybody that was at [Kyle Busch Motorsports], [Kyle Busch]’s family and whatnot…I just didn’t close it out.”

Chandler Smith finished in third place ahead of Ross Chastain and Tyler Ankrum. Stewart Friesen, Grant Enfinger, Christian Eckes, Giovanni Ruggiero and Daniel Dye completed the top 10 in the final running order.

There were five lead changes for three different leaders. The event featured eight cautions for 48 laps. In addition, 21 of 36 starters finished on the lead lap.

Following the 11th event of the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season, Layne Riggs leads the standings by 37 points over Kaden Honeycutt, 93 over Christian Eckes, 96 over Chandler Smith and 106 over Giovanni Ruggiero.

Results:

  1. Layne Riggs, 99 laps led, Stages 1 & 2 winner
  2. Rajah Caruth, 44 laps led
  3. Chandler Smith
  4. Ross Chastain led seven laps
  5. Tyler Ankrum
  6. Stewart Friesen
  7. Grant Enfinger
  8. Christian Eckes
  9. Giovanni Ruggeiro
  10. Daniel Dye
  11. Parker Retzlaff
  12. Ty Majeski
  13. Brandon Jones
  14. Andres Perez De Lara
  15. Daniel Hemric
  16. Cole Butcher
  17. Dawson Sutton
  18. Stefan Parsons
  19. Brenden Queen
  20. Mini Tyrrell
  21. Derek Lemke
  22. Corey LaJoie, one lap down
  23. Kris Wright, one lap down
  24. Frankie Muniz, one lap down
  25. Caleb Costner, two laps down
  26. Spencer Boyd, two laps down
  27. Kaden Honeycutt, three laps down
  28. Ben Rhodes, five laps down
  29. Clayton Green, nine laps down
  30. William Sawalich, 30 laps down
  31. Justin Haley – OUT, Suspension
  32. Jake Garcia – OUT, Accident
  33. Tanner Gray – OUT, Accident
  34. Jesse Love – OUT, Accident
  35. Carson Ferguson – OUT, Accident
  36. Tyler Reif – OUT, Accident

Next on the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule is Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan, for the DQS Solutions & Staffing 250. The event is scheduled to occur next Saturday, June 6, and air at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM.

LANGDON, PEDREGON, ANDERSON & A. SMITH OPEN INAUGURAL NHRA POTOMAC NATIONALS PRESENTED BY JEGS IN TOP SPOTS

By
Official Release
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MECHANICSVILLE, Md. (May 29, 2026) – Coming off back-to-back Top Fuel wins, points leader Shawn Langdon made the quickest run on Friday in NHRA’s debut at Maryland International Raceway, powering to the provisional No. 1 position at the inaugural NHRA Potomac Nationals presented by JEGS.

Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Angie Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the seventh of 20 races during the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Langdon, who already has three wins in 2026, went 3.758-seconds at 336.23 mph in his 12,000-horsepower Kalitta Air dragster, putting on a remarkable show in his first appearance at the facility. The past world champion is after his third No. 1 qualifier of the year and 25th in his career as he continues to enjoy a spectacular start to NHRA’s 75th anniversary season.

“We didn’t think we could make that kind of run here today,” Langdon said. “We actually underestimated the track on the first run, and so Brian [Husen, crew chief] realized he could get after it a little more and we were able to take the No. 1 from Doug. This is just such a great team effort from everyone at Kalitta Motorsports, starting with Connie, and I’m just proud to be able to drive the car.

“Tomorrow, we’ll just have the kind of mindset that we had today. Just try to make some good runs, but also win the Mission #2fast2Tasty Challenge, too.”

Langdon’s Kalitta Motorsports teammate, reigning world champion Doug Kalitta, is second going a 3.774 at 333.91 as part of the thrilling side-by-side run with Langdon. Tony Stewart is third thanks to his 3.790 at 333.33.

In Funny Car, Cruz Pedregon hopes Friday marks the turnaround of his season, as the two-time world champion vaulted to the top in his 12,000-horsepower Snap-on America 250 Dodge Hellcat with a strong pass of 3.951 at 323.19.

The veteran has endured his share of struggles early this season, not qualifying in Pomona and failing to make it out of the first round at the first six races. But he’s qualified well the last two races and Friday marked another solid step forward as Pedregon looks to qualify No. 1 for the first time this season and 66th time in his stellar career.

“That probably won’t stay No. 1. I think there’s a .92 or (.93) out there, and we’re going to give it a shot tomorrow,” Pedregon said. “It’d be nice to stay No. 1. It doesn’t win the race, but it gives you some confidence. We’re in the numbers game, so you know, being in that top three or four is important.

“The thing about this place, it’s near the ocean. Anytime you get near the ocean at sea level, you’re going to get good atmospheric conditions. The challenge for our cars is we have more power than we really need, so the challenge for us is to pull it back and not get too fancy and cute. We had a good balance, and it ripped, man. It was a good run.”

Spencer Hyde, the reigning NHRA Rookie of the Year, is second with a 3.953 at 323.58 and Valdosta winner Jordan Vandergriff is currently third thanks to a 3.970 at 321.88.

Pro Stock’s Greg Anderson wasted no time in sending a message at Maryland International Raceway, dipping into the 6.40s and taking the provisional top spot with a run of 6.494 at 211.79 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro.

Anderson entered the weekend second in points following a runner-up showing in Chicago, but he’s hoping for a better result at this new track on the NHRA schedule than the first one of the year. The six-time champ qualified No. 1 in Valdosta but was upset on a massive holeshot in the opening round, something he’s eager not to replicate this weekend at Maryland International Raceway.

“I remember so many times coming here back 25 years ago when I worked with Warren Johnson as a crew chief, and we’d come up here and we would race the Wednesday night before Englishtown and the grandstands would be packed, so it’s just a great atmosphere,” Anderson said.

“We love going to sea-level type tracks, because we don’t have a blower, we don’t have any type of power. We’re dependent on Mother Nature. So, we hope and pray we get races somewhere through the season that have conditions like this. These are fantastic conditions; they’re basically Disneyland conditions and you’ll see the cars all run faster tomorrow. You should see a lot of 6.40 runs tomorrow.”

Points leader Dallas Glenn pulled close to Anderson, going 6.497 at 211.26 and Matt Latino is third after a pass of 6.504 at 212.56.

On an emotional day for Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Angie Smith, the talented veteran made the quickest run of the day as she continues to impress in qualifying, going a career-best 6.690 at 202.97 on her Denso Auto Parts Buell.

Her husband, six-time world champion Matt Smith, was hospitalized Friday morning and will be unable to race this weekend. Chip Ellis will be riding his bike, but with M. Smith urging on the team – and still making tuning calls – his wife put together a standout pass as she looks for her third No. 1 qualifier of the season.

She’s also coming off a heartbreaking final round in Chicago against her husband when her bike broke on the starting line. It’s made for a rollercoaster of emotions in recent days, but Smith was proud of how the team handled everything on Friday.

“My run was awesome. I cried. I don’t usually cry at the racetrack because I’m usually pretty tough, but I was just scared, you know? I have made probably 5,000 runs down a racetrack, and zero have been without Matt Smith,” Smith said. “I knew he was watching, I’m pretty sure he was proud. Matt tuning from the hospital is pretty remarkable to me, because he’s not here to look at the weather conditions, look at the track and do a lot of the things that he takes into account when he makes a tune-up call. So all I can say is, ‘Honey, you did a remarkable job.’

“I’m relieved, to say the least. It’s just been a lot the last 24 hours and this whole day has been a blur. I’m just glad that we ran well. I’m glad that all the bikes went down and everybody was safe. That was my main goal. I’ve never had this much responsibility, and the whole team rose to the occasion.”

Points leader Richard Gadson is in the second spot after a run of 6.729 at 201.31 and filling in for M. Smith, Ellis is third on his bike with a 6.743 at 201.16.

Qualifying continues at 12:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at the NHRA Potomac Nationals presented by JEGS at Maryland International Raceway.

MECHANICSVILLE, Md. — Friday’s results after the first two of four rounds of qualifying for the Inaugural NHRA Potomac Nationals presented by JEGS at Maryland International Raceway, seventh of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday’s final eliminations.

Top Fuel — 1. Shawn Langdon, 3.758 seconds, 336.23 mph; 2. Doug Kalitta, 3.774, 333.91; 3. Tony Stewart, 3.790, 333.33; 4. Leah Pruett, 3.799, 323.43; 5. Maddi Gordon, 3.805, 332.34; 6. Josh Hart, 3.811, 333.91; 7. Antron Brown, 3.823, 329.42; 8. Clay Millican, 3.839, 321.88; 9. Shawn Reed, 3.865, 323.50; 10. Spencer Massey, 3.865, 323.27; 11. Justin Ashley, 3.868, 322.50; 12. Billy Torrence, 3.891, 323.81; 13. Will Smith,

3.959, 295.92; 14. Lex Joon, 4.345, 197.31; 15. Tony Schumacher, 5.386, 144.30.

Funny Car — 1. Cruz Pedregon, Dodge Charger, 3.951, 323.19; 2. Spencer Hyde, Ford Mustang, 3.953, 323.58; 3. Jordan Vandergriff, Chevy Camaro, 3.970, 321.88; 4. Chad Green, Mustang, 3.985, 320.36; 5. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.989, 326.87; 6. J.R. Todd, Toyota GR Supra, 4.015, 327.03; 7. Blake Alexander, Charger, 4.018, 319.90; 8. Jack Beckman, Camaro, 4.018, 316.30; 9. Alexis DeJoria, Camaro, 4.025, 318.32; 10. Austin

Prock, Mustang, 4.036, 316.90; 11. Ron Capps, GR Supra, 4.050, 321.88; 12. Dave Richards, Mustang, 4.058, 321.42; 13. Paul Lee, Charger, 4.114, 311.13; 14. Del Worsham, Toyota Supra, 4.261, 250.00; 15. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 5.309, 130.49.

Pro Stock — 1. Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.494, 211.79; 2. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.497, 211.76; 3. Matt Latino, Camaro, 6.504, 212.56; 4. Cody Anderson, Camaro, 6.505, 211.56; 5. Greg Stanfield, Camaro, 6.506, 211.86; 6. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.512, 211.76; 7. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.518, 211.56; 8. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.535, 212.06; 9. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.535, 210.87; 10. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.562, 210.60; 11.

Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.592, 211.79; 12. Brandon Miller, Dodge Dart, 6.602, 209.56; 13. Shane Tucker, Camaro, 6.607, 211.43; 14. Alan Prusiensky, Dart, 6.795, 193.49; 15. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 12.658, 98.77; 16. Erica Enders, Camaro, 16.655, 59.96.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.690, 202.97; 2. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.729, 201.31; 3. Chip Ellis, EBR, 6.743, 201.16; 4. John Hall, Beull, 6.746, 202.55; 5. Ryan Oehler, Buell, 6.770, 201.10; 6. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.773, 199.82; 7. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.778, 200.32; 8. Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.787, 202.06; 9. Clayton Howey, Suzuki, 6.788, 200.02; 10. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.818, 198.47; 11. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.828, 195.11; 12. Brayden Davis, Buell, 6.838, 157.39; 13. Geno Scali, Suzuki,

6.921, 197.13; 14. Charles Poskey, Suzuki, 6.942, 196.90; 15. Wesley Wells, Suzuki, 6.960, 191.87.

Layne Riggs awarded Truck Pole at Nashville

By
Andrew Kim
-
Photo by Logan Allen for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Layne Riggs will start on the pole position for the Allegiance 200 at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tennessee, on Friday, May 29.

The event’s starting lineup was going to be determined through an on-track qualifying session that consisted of a single-truck, single-lap qualifying format. During the session, each of the 38 competitors vying for 36 starting spots would cycle around Nashville Superspeedway once to post the fastest lap amongst one another. The competitor who posts the single fastest lap wins the pole position.

Friday’s qualifying session was canceled due to inclement weather. Only 24 of 38 competitors posted a qualifying time before the session’s delay and eventual cancellation. As a result, the starting lineup was determined through a qualifying metric formula per the NASCAR rule book. Based on the metric formula, Riggs, who won last weekend’s rain-shortened Truck event at Charlotte Motor Speedway, was awarded the pole position. Riggs managed to post the fastest lap at 164.034 mph in 29.189 seconds during a rain-shortened practice session that occurred prior to qualifications on Friday.

Riggs is currently in second place in the 2026 driver’s standings. His No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford F-150 entry is also in second place in the owner’s standings, will lead the field to the start of a Truck event for the first time in 2026 for Friday night’s main event at Nashville. His best result at Nashville is third place, which occurred this past season, as he pursues his third victory of the 2026 season.

Riggs will share the front row with Kaden Honeycutt, the latter of whom finished in the runner-up spot behind Riggs at Charlotte and is leading in both the driver’s and owner’s standings. Jesse Love, Giovanni Ruggiero and Christian Eckes will start in the top five, respectively. Ben Rhodes, Brandon Jones, William Sawalich, Tanner Gray and Daniel Hemric completed the top-10 starting grid, respectively.

With 38 competitors vying for 36 starting spots, Toni Breidinger and Jonathan Shafer were the only two competitors who did not make the main event.

Nashville – Starting Lineup:

  1. Layne Riggs
  2. Kaden Honeycutt
  3. Jesse Love
  4. Giovanni Ruggerio
  5. Christian Eckes
  6. Ben Rhodes
  7. Brandon Jones
  8. William Sawalich
  9. Tanner Gray
  10. Daniel Hemric
  11. Jake Garcia
  12. Corey LaJoie
  13. Stefan Parsons
  14. Tyler Reif
  15. Justin Haley
  16. Grant Enfinger
  17. Tyler Ankrum
  18. Parker Retzlaff
  19. Andres Perez De Lara
  20. Carson Ferguson
  21. Ross Chastain
  22. Chandler Smith
  23. Dawson Sutton
  24. Stewart Friesen
  25. Rajah Caruth
  26. Frankie Muniz
  27. Ty Majeski
  28. Spencer Boyd
  29. Cole Butcher
  30. Brenden Queen
  31. Derek Lemke
  32. Kris Wright
  33. Mini Tyrrell
  34. Clayton Green
  35. Caleb Costner
  36. Daniel Dye

The 2026 Allegiance 200 at Nashville Superspeedway is scheduled to occur on Friday, May 29, at 8 p.m. ET on FS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM.

Conor Daly returns for Truck event with Kaulig Racing at Lucas Oil IRP

By
Andrew Kim
-
Photo by Adam Lovelace for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Conor Daly will pilot the No. 25 ‘Free Agent’ Ram 1500 entry for Kaulig Racing for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (IRP) in Brownsburg, Indiana, on July 24.

The news comes as the 34-year-old Daly from Noblesville, Indiana, is coming off his 13th career start in the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. During the he competed with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing in a one-race NTT IndyCar Series deal of the 2026 season. He started eighth and led four laps before he finished 12th in his 133rd career start in the IndyCar circuit.

Daly is no stranger when it comes to competing in NASCAR. He has made six career starts in the Craftsman Truck Series division and three in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series division. Daly has also made three Cup Series starts. The Cup starts included the 2023 Daytona 500 with The Money Team Racing. Between all three series, Daly’s highest-finishing result is 14th in the O’Reilly event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July 2024.

Between six Truck career starts, Daly’s highest-finishing result was 17th at Kansas Speedway in September 2024 with Niece Motorsports. He will make his first-ever NASCAR national touring series start at Lucas Oil IRP with Kaulig as he strives to execute a strong performance in front of his home crowd.

“I’m pumped to get this opportunity at IRP,” Daly said. “Racing in front of the hometown crowd is always electric, and climbing into a Ram truck with Kaulig Racing for this race is going to be a blast. I know I’ll have a lot of folks cheering at IRP!”

Kaulig Racing launched its free-agent driver program ahead of its inaugural Craftsman Truck Series campaign in November 2025. The program features various competitors from multiple racing divisions and disciplines. Each will compete in at least a single Truck event in one of Kaulig’s RAM 1500 entries numbered 25. The competitors who compete in the entry would not compete for the 2026 Truck Series driver’s championship. They will, however, be evaluated by their on-track performance for a season-ending program prize.

Currently, Kaulig Racing’s No. 25 entry, led by crew chief Alex Yontz, is ranked in 23rd place in the 2026 owner’s standings after 10 of the 25-race schedule. The entry is one of five that is fielded by Kaulig. It competes alongside the No. 10 entry piloted by Corey LaJoie, the No. 12 entry piloted by rookie Brenden “Butterbean” Queen, the No. 14 entry piloted by newcomer Timothy “Mini” Tyrrell and the No. 16 entry piloted by Justin Haley.

Tony Stewart, Ty Dillon, Colin Braun, Corey LaJoie, Carson Ferguson, Parker Kligerman, AJ Allmendinger, Clint Bowyer, and Travis Pastrana have piloted the entry at least once. Dillon is the only competitor who has piloted the No. 25 entry twice. Allmendinger has recorded the entry’s highest-finishing result of sixth place at Watkins Glen International in early May.

Carson Ferguson will make his second career Truck start in the No. 25 RAM entry this weekend at Nashville Superspeedway. Parker Kligerman is on the schedule to make his second Truck start in the No. 25 entry next weekend at Michigan International Speedway (6/6). Jamie McMurray will pilot the entry for the series’ inaugural event at Qualcomm Circuit in San Diego, California (6/19).

Kaulig’s selection and reveal of drivers for the remainder of this season, including the remaining July events at Lime Rock Park (July 11) and North Wilkesboro Speedway (July 18) remains to be determined.

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ event at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park will occur on July 24 at 8 p.m. ET on FS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM.

Palou Back on Top in Opening Detroit Practice

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DETROIT (Friday, May 29, 2026) – Alex Palou sent a reminder to the rest of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES field Friday after the first practice for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear: I’m still here.

Palou entered this race on the streets of downtown Detroit last season on the biggest of highs after sweeping the Month of May at Indianapolis by winning the Sonsio Grand Prix and 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. He won the pole for both races this month but finished fifth and seventh, respectively, in the two races.

But points leader and three-time defending series champion Palou returned to his familiar perch atop the time sheets with a best lap of 1 minute, 2.7722 seconds in the No. 10 HRC Chip Ganassi Racing Honda on the tight, nine-turn, 1.645-mile temporary street circuit. Palou won this race in 2023, the first year it returned to downtown Detroit after 30 years at Belle Isle Park.

“Good start,” Palou said. “It’s just super tough to get a lap here when everything feels good. Although we looked very good, I think we need to work on the car and try to make it a little bit better because I think there was a ton of people that couldn’t really get a good lap.”

Reigning Detroit winner Kyle Kirkwood led two Andretti Global drivers in the top five after a disappointing Indianapolis 500 for the team, ending up second at 1:02.7914 in the No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda. His teammate and three-time Belle Isle winner Will Power was third at 1:02.9433 in the No. 26 TWG AI Honda.

Marcus Armstrong was fourth at 1:03.1743 in the No. 66 Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Honda. 2021 Belle Isle winner Pato O’Ward rounded out the top five at 1:03.1825 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet.

Felix Rosenqvist, who won the closest finish in Indianapolis 500 history last Sunday, was 11th at 1:03.4064 in the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Honda carrying a special livery featuring the SiriusXM station of legendary Detroit rapper Eminem.

Up next is another practice session at 9 a.m. ET Saturday, followed by NTT P1 Award qualifying at 1 p.m. ET. Both sessions will be broadcast on FS1, FOX One and INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls.

The 100-lap race is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. ET Sunday (FOX, FOX One, INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls).

Hughes Leads Andretti Power Play in Opening Detroit Practice

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Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix

DETROIT (Friday, May 29, 2026) – Lochie Hughes led four Andretti Global drivers in the top five spots Friday after the opening practice for the INDY NXT by Firestone Detroit Grand Prix.

Hughes paced the 45-minute session with a best lap of 1 minute, 7.2741 seconds in the No. 26 Andretti Global machine around the 9-turn, 1.645-mile temporary street circuit.

Australian Hughes entered this season as the top returning driver for the team that also fielded the championship-winning car of Dennis Hauger in 2025, as Hughes was third in the series standings as a rookie. This season hasn’t started as well, as he is fifth in points with new teammate Max Taylor ahead of him in third.

“Really happy with the balance,” Hughes said. “The track felt a bit weird, especially compared to the first session last year. Just a bit slippery in a few places, which is to be expected.

“Yeah, that was nice. Back where we belong. I kind of so far this year have felt like a chameleon in a bag of Skittles. Just been a bit confused. That was really good, and it’s nice to start a weekend off on the right foot.”

Series veteran and Andretti newcomer Josh Pierson was second at 1:07.3555 in the No. 29 Starchive Andretti car, followed by veteran teammate Seb Murray at 1:07.3832 in the No. 27 Megatron machine as Andretti Global drivers swept the top three spots.

Matteo Nannini was the only non-Andretti driver in the top five, ending up fourth at 1:07.3864 in the No. 20 Enve Motorsports car of Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR. Andretti Global driver Taylor rounded out the top five at 1:07.4789 in the No. 28 Susan G. Komen entry.

Experience paid off on the challenging, tight street circuit, as veterans of the INDYCAR development series filled the top six positions on the time sheet. Series leader and rookie Nikita Johnson ended up 12th at 1:08.1277 in the No. 21 Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR car.

There was one incident involving contact. Rookie Max Garcia hit the concrete barrier at the exit of Turn 1 in the No. 12 Abel Motorsports car, sitting against the wall in a blind corner. The trailing No. 11 Chip Ganassi Racing machine driven by rookie Carson Etter then couldn’t evade Garcia’s stricken car and hit the rear of it. Neither driver was hurt.

Up next is another practice session at 8 a.m. ET Saturday, followed by qualifying at noon ET. Both sessions will be broadcast on FS1, FOX One and INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls.

The 45-lap race is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. ET Sunday (FS1, FOX One, INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls).

“I think it’s going to change a lot,” Hughes said of the circuit grip levels. “Especially with a two-hour IMSA race tomorrow. Indy cars are rolling out now, too.

“I think practice 2 is going to be very different. Even for us with the temperature. We’re at 8 a.m. in the morning. At 8 a.m. this morning, I was still asleep.”

Tri-City Raceway to Honor Fallen Home Track Hero in ARCA Menards West NAPA Auto Parts Greg Biffle Memorial 150 on June 6

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Greg Biffle signs autograph for a young fan at the 2025 ARCA Menards Series West race at Tri-City Raceway (Bryan Hayes/ARCA Photo)

TEMPERANCE, Mich. – (May 29, 2026) – Tri-City Raceway, in West Richland, Washington, will honor one of its own next Saturday in the ARCA Menards West NAPA Auto Parts Greg Biffle Memorial 150.

Biffle was a two-time Tri-City Raceway champion before moving into NASCAR national series competition where he would eventually become the 2000 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion, the 2002 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion, and a 19-time NASCAR Cup Series race winner. Retired from full-time competition, Biffle returned to his roots in 2024 and 2025, racing in the ARCA Menards West race at his home track. He finished third in 2024 and fourth in 2025, thrilling the thousands of fans who came out to see Biffle take on the tricky half-mile tri-oval.

Biffle
Greg Biffle takes a photo with fans at the 2025 ARCA Menards Series West race at Tri-City Raceway (Brian Hayes/ARCA Photo)

Biffle, along with his wife Cristina, their children Emma and Rider, pilot Dennis Dutton and his son Jack, and Craig Wadsworth all perished in a plane crash in Statesville, North Carolina last December.

“Greg came into the ARCA booth at the Performance Racing Industry trade show in December of 2023 just to say hello and asked how the schedules were coming together for 2024,” said ARCA communications manager and ARCA Menards West play-by-play caller Charles Krall. “I told him the West series was going back to Tri-City for the first time in many years and his eyebrows raised up immediately. He said he really wanted to run that race.

“Sometimes you don’t know if someone is serious or just being polite, and with someone who won 19 times in the Cup Series you could understand if he was just being polite. But he called me at the office a week later to start trying to find teams to talk to. He landed with Joe Farre’s Sigma Performance Services team and they were strong both times they raced together at Tri-City.”

Biffle, known off the track for his humanitarian efforts, was never one to take the support of his fans for granted.

“We had an on-track autograph session scheduled right before the race in 2024, and Greg’s line was so long there was no way he would get to everyone in the time we had allocated,” said Tri-City Raceway marketing director Laci Tolar. “Greg called us over and said he would stay after the race to make sure everyone who was waiting in line would have a chance to see him, get an autograph, or get a picture with him.

“He went on to do really great things in NASCAR, but he never forgot where he came from. His fans were his people and we really enjoyed every moment we had with him over the last couple of years. It still doesn’t seem real that he won’t be here racing and visiting with his fans.”

The track will honor Biffle during pre-race activities leading into the night’s 150-lap main event; fans will be encouraged to sign a memorial banner that will be gifted to the Biffle family, many of whom will be in attendance.

The NAPA Auto Parts Greg Biffle Memorial 150 at Tri-City Raceway is scheduled for Saturday, June 6. ARCA Menards West practice is scheduled for 2:45 pm PT, followed by Sioux Chief PowerPEX Pole Qualifying at 4:45 pm ET. A 50-minute on-track autograph session is scheduled at 6:35 with the NAPA Auto Parts Greg Biffle Memorial 150 to follow at 8:00 pm PT. The race will be streamed live on FloRacing and live timing & scoring data will be available on ARCARacing.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow @ARCA_Racing on X (formerly Twitter).

Tickets for the ARCA Menards Series West NAPA Auto Parts Greg Biffle Memorial 150 are available at tricityraceway.com.

About ARCA

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

About Menards

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

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.

Juncos Hollinger Racing Carries Indy 500 Momentum into Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix

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Official Release
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Juncos Hollinger Racing heads to the Streets of Detroit this weekend for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix, carrying momentum from a landmark Month of May that delivered the best Indianapolis 500 result in team history.

Rinus VeeKay’s superb sixth-place finish in the No. 76 Chevrolet – achieved via a Fast 12 starting position – set a new benchmark for JHR at the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

VeeKay enters Detroit 14th in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Championship standings with 125 points, while Sting Ray Robb sits 25th with 62 points following a challenging afternoon at Indianapolis shaped by tire vibration issues. With ten races remaining, both drivers head to Michigan focused on building momentum through the second half of the season.

Few venues on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES calendar carry the significance of Detroit. The Motor City is the historic heartland of the American automotive industry – home to General Motors, and a city whose identity has been shaped by the car for well over a century.

Racing through its downtown streets as a Chevrolet-powered team competing at the home of GM, the occasion has particular meaning. This year the weekend introduces a new Spirit of Detroit-inspired event trophy and the 1,250-hp Corvette ZR1X as official pace car – fitting symbols of the city’s enduring automotive legacy.

The 1.645-mile, nine-corner layout is the shortest road circuit on the calendar, and represents one of the most technically demanding environments of the season. The surface is characteristic of street circuit racing – a mix of roads surfaces and transitions accumulated from years of everyday city use, requiring drivers to continuously adapt to shifting grip levels across different sections of the lap. Residue from urban traffic adds further unpredictability, with grip evolving significantly across the course of the weekend as rubber is laid down. Overtaking opportunities are limited by the circuit’s tight confines, making qualifying position and early race execution especially important.

One of Detroit’s unique features is its twin pit lane configuration, with JHR’s entries operating from the left-side lane. Getting the setup right from the outset is critical – the narrow technical nature of the circuit leaves little margin for error, and the rapid transition from the oval at Indianapolis demands a complete setup reset across Practice.

Team Perspective

Rinus VeeKay, No. 76 JHR Chevrolet:

“Coming off Indianapolis, there’s definitely a lot of confidence in the team right now. Getting our best Indy 500 result was a huge achievement for everyone at Juncos Hollinger Racing, and you can really feel the momentum we’re building. Everybody is working incredibly hard, and it’s exciting to be part of that progress.

“Detroit is a completely different challenge. It’s tight, bumpy, and you have to be really committed around a street course like this. If we can execute well and stay on top of things all weekend, I think we have a good opportunity to fight for a solid result.”

Sting Ray Robb, No. 77 JHR-Goodheart Chevrolet:

“Street courses demand a lot from you as a driver because there’s very little room for error, and you have to be precise and disciplined every lap. But I think we’re approaching the weekend with confidence. We’ve continued learning and improving as a group, and if we execute well, I think we can put ourselves in a good position to compete and come away with a strong result.”

Dave O’Neill, Team Principal, Juncos Hollinger Racing:

“Indianapolis was a huge moment for this team. To come away with our best result in our history at the Indy 500 is something everyone in the organization can be proud of, and it’s a reflection of the work and commitment everyone is putting in to move us forward.

“Detroit is a very different challenge – tight, technical, and unforgiving in a completely different way. But we approach it with a similar mindset: prepare thoroughly, execute well, and put out drivers in the best possible position to be able to compete. We have real confidence heading into the second half of the season, and we’re looking forward to seeing what we can do on the streets of Detroit.”

KELLY CLONTZ EAGER TO SHOW OFF HOME TRACK AT NHRA POTOMAC NATIONALS PRESENTED BY JEGS

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MECHANICSVILLE, Md. (May 29, 2026) – This weekend marks a special opportunity for Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Kelly Clontz and she’s determined to make the most of it as the NHRA Mission Drag Racing Series makes its debut at Maryland International Raceway for the inaugural NHRA Potomac Nationals presented by JEGS.

Clontz, a Hughesville, Md. native, got her racing start at the facility, winning track championships and advancing her career. But this weekend is the first time she’ll compete at the track on her Steamfitters UA Local 602/ArchKey Solutions Suzuki in Pro Stock Motorcycle, meaning the excitement level is at an all-time high for the veteran rider.

With hundreds of family and friends expected to be on hand for this weekend’s NHRA debut at Maryland International Raceway, Clontz is eager to show off a facility that means a great deal to her.

“This facility has always been top-notch and I think everyone is excited about this weekend,” Clontz said. “You could see the energy building up ever since the announcement was made that NHRA was coming here. Everyone is excited and I think everyone is in for a treat.

“I grew up selling t-shirts at the souvenir stand here. Royce (Miller, owner of Maryland International Raceway) runs a top-notch deal. I grew up with his kids at the track and this is just awesome to see. I think it’s a great fit between NHRA and MIR, and it’s going to be a really amazing weekend.”

The 2026 NHRA Potomac Nationals presented by JEGS includes action in all four Mission Foods Drag Racing Series classes and coverage of the event will be broadcast on FOX, with elimination coverage beginning at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 31. It is also the seventh of 20 races during the 2026 milestone campaign.

As part of a full weekend, there’s a host of NHRA 75th anniversary events at Maryland International Raceway, including:

  • An appearance from NHRA legend and three-time Top Fuel world champion Shirley Muldowney and a tribute to Muldowney’s trailblazing history in the sport.
  • On Sunday, a free, limited-edition NHRA pennant will be given to the first 4,000 fans in attendance.

As someone who has made a huge number of runs at the facility, Clontz also knows it’s a passionate fanbase in the area, especially when it comes to motorcycles. That adds to her excitement level as she looks forward to the enthusiasm the Pro Stock Motorcycle category will get this weekend at MIR.

In between playing host and showing off the facility, Clontz is ultra-focused on the task at hand on the track. She’s hoping for a breakout performance after making solid steps all year on her Vance & Hines Suzuki.

The ultimate payoff would be going rounds on Sunday at her home track, but she knows it will be a challenging weekend taking on the likes of points leader and reigning world champ Richard Gadson, Gaige Herrera, Angie Smith, Chase Van Sant, John Hall, Jianna Evaristo, Clayton Howey and Steve Johnson.

But Clontz and her husband, Chris, have a bike capable of performing well and Clontz is confident they can put together a strong weekend.

“Chris gives me a great bike and it’s just a matter of me being consistent and staying focused,” Clontz said. “For all the people who support us, this is just really cool to have this opportunity. It’s going to be big and a whole community here. I know what I have to do and I’m on a mission to do it. That’s what you have to do. Having all these people here to support me, it’s going to be exciting, but I know what I need to do and I’ll be ready.”

Top Fuel points leader Shawn Langdon is after his third straight win in 2026 and will look to stay red-hot against a field loaded with standouts, including teammate and reigning world champ Doug Kalitta, Tony Stewart, Leah Pruett, Justin Ashley, four-time champ Antron Brown, Josh Hart, Clay Millican and Tony Schumacher.

The Funny Car class continues to be ultra-competitive, with Ron Capps earning two wins in 2026. He’s tied for the points lead with past world champ J.R. Todd, with four-time champion Matt Hagan in third. Other standouts include Chicago winner Chad Green, Jordan Vandergriff, Alexis DeJoria, Jack Beckman and Spencer Hyde.

Reigning Pro Stock champ Dallas Glenn currently leads the points with two wins in 2026. Matt Hartford also has two victories this year, while six-time world champ Greg Anderson picked up the win in Pomona. Fans at MIR will also see six-time champion Erica Enders, Chicago winner Aaron Stanfield, Jeg Coughlin Jr. and T.J. Coughlin.

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 1:30 and 4 p.m. ET on Friday and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. ET on Sunday. Television coverage includes qualifying on FS1 at 7 p.m. ET on Friday and 9 p.m. ET on Saturday, with eliminations action on Sunday at 3 p.m on FOX.

To purchase tickets to the 2026 NHRA Potomac Nationals presented by JEGS, fans can visit www.NHRA.com/tickets. Children 12 and under are free in general admission areas with the purchase of an adult ticket. For more information about the NHRA, visit www.NHRA.com.

About JEGS High Performance

Founded in 1960 by drag racing champion Jeg Coughlin Sr., JEGS Performance has grown into one of the most recognized and trusted names in the automotive aftermarket industry. JEGS serves racers, builders, restorers, and automotive enthusiasts across the country through an extensive catalog and e-commerce platform featuring more than 2 million products from over 900 trusted brands. From drag racing and street performance to off-road, truck, restoration, and garage equipment, JEGS provides solutions for nearly every type of automotive project and passion. The company’s long-standing commitment to performance, innovation, and automotive culture has helped make JEGS a go-to destination for generations of car enthusiasts and racers. For more information visit www.jegs.com

About Mission Foods

MISSION®, owned by GRUMA, S.A.B. de C.V., is the world’s leading brand for tortillas and wraps. MISSION® is also globally renowned for flatbreads, dips, salsas and Mexican food products. With presence in over 112 countries, MISSION® products are suited to the lifestyles and the local tastes of each country. With innovation and customer needs in mind, MISSION® focuses on the highest quality, authentic flavors, and providing healthy options that families and friends can enjoy together. For more information, please visit https://www.missionfoods.com/

About NHRA

NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports and NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™ at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series presented by Hoosier and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With more than 100 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

VERIZON FRONTLINE TO SPONSOR POCONO RACEWAY’S VETERANS VILLAGE DURING JUNE 12-14 NASCAR WEEKEND

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  • The village will play host to U.S. veterans, active-duty military members and first responders, along with their families, during the upcoming NASCAR weekend.

LONG POND, Pa. (May 29, 2026) – Verizon Frontline will continue its support of military members and first responders at Pocono Raceway by sponsoring the Veterans Village during the June 12-14 NASCAR race weekend.

Veterans Village, often referred to as Vet Village, is a dedicated area within Pocono Raceway’s Fan Fair that honors U.S. veterans, active-duty military members and first responders, along with their families, during the annual NASCAR event. Now in its fourth year, the village will host more than 50 individuals and serve as a hub of activity throughout the weekend where fans can visit, engage and show their support for those who serve.

“We’re proud to continue growing Veterans Village into one of the most meaningful and impactful areas of our NASCAR weekend,” Pocono Raceway President Ben May said. “It’s an opportunity to honor the men and women who have served our country and communities while also connecting them with organizations, resources and experiences that celebrate their sacrifices. Verizon Frontline has been an outstanding partner in helping us recognize and support our military members, veterans and first responders in a first-class way.”

Highlights of the Vet Village include:

  • Charitable Initiatives & Support Organizations: The village typically hosts a large number of veteran-based organizations and support groups, providing a space for vets to connect with resources and for fans to learn how to get involved. Vet Village also is home to various foundations to aid veterans in need. This year’s participants include the Wounded Warrior Project, America’s VetDogs & Guide Dog Foundation, VALOR Clinic Foundation, Reserve Component Transition Assistance Advisor Program, Valhalla Veterans Services, and more.
  • Gold Star Breakfast & Dedication Ceremony: The Vet Village is a focal point for military tributes, including ceremonies and a special breakfast for more than 250 Gold Star family members, along with programs that recognize service members’ sacrifices.
  • Delayed Entry Program: New military enlistees officially commit to join the Armed Forces on Sunday morning in Victory Lane surrounded by family, friends and fans.
  • Interactive Displays: A 100,000+ square-foot area featuring military equipment demonstrations, service animal appearances and promotional booths. Some of the military equipment being featured this year are a Blackhawk Helicopter, 1942 M3A1 Stuart Light Tank, and 1xMTVR and 1xM777 Howitzers. The footprint also includes other military assets as well as live music from several military rock bands.

Verizon, a long-time partner of Pocono Raceway, has been an integral part of the Raceway’s complimentary fan Wi-Fi system while Verizon Frontline also has helped shine a spotlight on military members and first responders through initiatives such as the first responder pre-race lap prior to the NASCAR Cup Series race.

“Verizon Frontline has a long-standing history of supporting our nation’s first responders and military members, a partnership built on trust and a deep respect for their mission,” said Cory Davis, Vice President, Verizon Frontline. “Helping bring the Veterans Village at Pocono Raceway to life is just another example of our commitment to honoring these brave men and women, their families, and the profound sacrifices they make to keep our communities and country safe.” 

Verizon Frontline is the advanced, award-winning network and technology built for first responders, developed over three decades of partnership with public safety officials and agencies on the front lines, to meet their unique and evolving needs.

The weekend will feature a race each day, beginning with the ARCA Menards Series 150 on Friday, June 12, at 3 p.m. ET, and followed by the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series MillerTech Battery 250 presented by KOA on Saturday, June 13, at 4 p.m. ET. The Great American Getaway 400 presented by VISIT PA NASCAR Cup Series race culminates the weekend on Sunday, June 14, at 3 p.m. ET.

For additional information about Pocono Raceway and the NASCAR race weekend, please visit www.poconoraceway.com.

About Verizon

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) powers and empowers how its millions of customers live, work and play, delivering on their demand for mobility, reliable network connectivity and security. Headquartered in New York City, serving countries worldwide and nearly all of the Fortune 500, Verizon generated revenues of $138.2 billion in 2025. Verizon’s world-class team never stops innovating to meet customers where they are today and equip them for the needs of tomorrow. For more, visit verizon.com or find a retail location at verizon.com/stores

About Pocono Raceway  

Pocono Raceway, also known as “The Tricky Triangle,” is family-owned and situated in the beautiful Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. In business for over 60 years, the Raceway hosts multiple, national motorsports events including the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and ARCA Menards Series events. The facility’s calendar also consists of over 300 events including Elements Music & Arts Festival and a wide range of entertainment events, car clubs and racing schools. Pocono Raceway is recognized as the world’s first, privately-owned solar-powered sports facility. Their 25-acre, three-megawatt solar farm provides the energy needs of the Raceway, as well as, adds electricity to the local power grid. Each member of our raceway staff is committed to creating exciting experiences and lifelong memories. For more information, please visit www.poconoraceway.com. 

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