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Chase Briscoe edges Christopher Bell at Charlotte for back-to-back Chase victories of 2026

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Chase Briscoe made an emphatic championship statement for a second consecutive Chase event in recent weeks after he edged teammate Christopher Bell in a thrilling finish to win the Bank of America 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, October 11.

The two-time Southern 500 champion from Mitchell, Indiana, led twice for 62 of 267 scheduled laps in an event where he started on the front row based on a qualifying metric formula and battled upfront before settling in second place at the conclusion of the first stage period. For the second stage period, Briscoe commenced the period by extending his momentum and battling towards the front before he dropped to within the top-10 mark during a caution period just past the Lap 115 mark. Despite losing ground on the lead, Briscoe settled in seventh place at the second stage’s conclusion.

Briscoe restarted in third place when the final stage period commenced with 95 laps remaining and was racing in second place with 63 laps remaining when a single-car spin drew a caution and generated an opportunity for Briscoe to strike. During the ensuing pit stops, Briscoe’s pit crew delivered as they got the driver off of pit road first ahead of Bell and Kyle Larson. After motoring ahead of the field for the event’s final restart with 57 laps remaining, Briscoe maintained the top spot over Bell as the laps dwindled before Bell reeled in the latter on the final lap. Then, as Bell tried to make a move beneath Briscoe, contact ensued as Bell slid up the track and hit Briscoe to stall the momentum through the frontstretch. Amid the contact, Briscoe managed to retain the top spot when he crossed the finish line and took home the race victory by 0.029 seconds and remained within striking distance of his championship hopes for the 2026 Cup Series season. 

Inclement weather canceled on-track qualifying scheduled for Saturday, October 10, so the event’s starting lineup was determined by a qualifying metric formula. As a result, Kyle Larson, the Chase’s points leader entering the event, earned pole position and shared the front row with Chase Briscoe, who won last weekend’s event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. 

When the green flag waved and the event commenced, Kyle Larson and Chase Briscoe fiercely dueled for the lead in front of two stacked lanes for half a lap. Amid Briscoe’s attempt to assume the lead from Larson from the outside lane, Larson used the inside lane to motor his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry ahead through Turns 3 and 4. This enabled Larson to cycle ahead on the inside lane and back to the frontstretch, where he led the first lap.

Over the next four laps, Larson stretched his early lead up to seven-tenths of a second over Tyler Reddick as the latter overtook Briscoe through Turns 3 and 4 for the runner-up spot. Behind, Chase contenders Ryan Blaney, Austin Cindric, William Byron, Bubba Wallace, Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott trailed in the top 10, respectively, while the remaining Chasers that include Ty Gibbs, Christopher Bell, Carson Hocevar, Chris Buescher and Daniel Suarez were mired in 12th, 13th, 15th, 16th and 17th, respectively. Meanwhile, Ryan Preece was the lowest-running Chaser in 25th place, and Shane van Gisbergen was the highest-running non-Chaser in 11th place as Larson continued to extend his lead by more than a second at the Lap 10 mark.

Through the Lap 15 mark, Larson stabilized his early advantage by more than one-and-a-half seconds over Reddick while third-place Briscoe and fourth-place Blaney both trailed by two seconds. By then, the top-12 spots were occupied the Chase contenders as Bell outdueled van Gisbergen for 12th place. Within the top-12 mark, Blaney, Cindric, Byron, Wallace, Hamlin, Logano, Elliott and Ty Gibbs occupied spots fourth through 11th, respectively. Behind, Hocevar, Buescher, Suarez and Preece continued to trail in 15th, 16th, 17th and 25th, respectively, as Larson maintained his advantage that stood above a second by Laps 20 and 25.

When a scheduled competition caution flew on Lap 35, Larson, who lapped Gray Gaulding, BJ McLeod, and John Hunter Nemechek, barely retained the lead over a hard-charging Cindric, the latter of whom slid in front of teammate Blaney on the backstretch and ran into the side of Reddick entering the frontstretch earlier to carve his way into the runner-up spot. Trailing behind Larson and Cindric on the leaderboard were Chasers Reddick, Byron, Briscoe, Hamlin, Wallace, Blaney, Logano, Ty Gibbs, Bell and Elliott, respectively, while Hocevar, Buescher, Suarez and Preece were mired in 15th, 16th, 17th and 27th, respectively.

During the competition caution, the field led by Larson pitted for service. Following the pit stops, Larson retained the lead by exiting pit road over Cindric, Byron and Briscoe while Reddick dropped two spots to fifth place. Teammate Wallace, Blaney, Gibbs, Bell and Logano followed suit, respectively. Amid the pit stops, Hamlin was penalized and sent to the tail end of the field for a safety violation due to a. Wheel rolling into Connor Zilisch’s pit box. Blaney was also penalized for speeding on pit road while Elliott pitted for a second time to address a loose lug nut.

The event’s next restart on Lap 40 featured Larson motoring ahead from the field that fanned out through the first two turns. Within the stacked field, Reddick, who restarted within the top-five mark, slowly slid up the track and scrubbed the outside wall as he was hit in the rear by Ty Gibbs, which got Gibbs also scraping the wall and loose through the turns, but the latter managed to keep his No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Camry XSE entry pointed straight entering the backstretch. Seconds later, however, Gibbs dropped off the pace and slipped sideways through Turns 3 and 4 due to a broken rear toe link. With Gibbs getting sideways, Brad Keselowski also got sideways and ran into the left side of Gibbs’ spinning entry before he spun, which drew a caution. At the time of caution, Larson retained the lead over Wallace, Briscoe, Cindric and Byron while Logano, who ran into the rear of Gibbs during the latter’s first incident, plummeted to 22nd place. Logano would pit to have his damaged front splitter addressed along with Gibbs and Keselowski.

For the next restart on Lap 46, Briscoe tried to mount ahead of Larson from the outside lane through the first two turns. It was then where Bubba Wallace ignited a three-wide move beneath both Larson and Briscoe as the trio dueled through the backstretch. With Briscoe backing out through Turns 3 and 4, Larson and Wallace dueled for the lead for the following lap until Wallace used the inside lane through the first two turns to motor his No. 23 Hardee’s Toyota Camry XSE entry ahead with the lead. Larson tried to execute a crossover move, but Wallace maintained his strong momentum and led the next lap. 

As Wallace proceeded to lead at the Lap 50 mark, Briscoe and Suarez battled for third place in front of Alex Bowman, Bell, Cindric, Byron, Reddick and Austin Dillon while Hamlin and Blaney were mired in 24th and 26th, respectively. In addition, Logano was mired in 31st and Gibbs was pinned multiple laps down at the tail end of the field (39th) while Wallace maintained his lead by half a second over Larson on Lap 55. By the latter mark, Hamlin and Blaney battled for 21st place while Suarez dropped to sixth place behind Briscoe, Bowman and Bell, respectively. Hamlin proceeded to drop to 24th place on the leaderboard as Blaney and Logano overtook him while Larson reassumed the lead from Wallace through the backstretch on Lap 58. 

Just past the Lap 60 mark, Larson led by seven-tenths of a second over Briscoe while Wallace dropped to third place. Behind, fourth-place Bell started to reel in on Wallace for third place while Bowman continued to race as the highest-running non-Chase contender in fifth place ahead of Chasers Cindric, Suarez, Byron, Reddick and Hocevar, respectively. Meanwhile, Corey Heim navigated his way up to 11th place and reeled in on Hocevar for 10th place as Austin Dillon, Buescher, Ross Chastain and Michael McDowell trailed in the top-15 mark, respectively. With Elliott and Blaney mired in 16th and 17th, Hamlin occupied 20th place in front of Erik Jones and Logano while Preece and Gibbs were mired in 32nd and 39th, respectively. 

At the Lap 70 mark, Larson stabilized his lead by a second over Briscoe while Bell outdueled Wallace for third place. Behind, Bowman and Cindric reeled in Wallace for fourth place while the latter two also battled amongst themselves for fifth place. Cindric would outduel Bowman for fifth place before he overtook Wallace for fourth place by Lap 73. Behind, Byron reeled in teammate Bowman for sixth place as Larson had his lead slightly decrease down to seven-tenths on Lap 76.

Then on Lap 77, the caution flew for a heavy multi-car wreck that ignited through the first two turns when Bowman, who was battling Wallace towards the front, got loose from the inside lane, veered sharply right up the track and collided into Wallace. The contact sent both competitors’ entries hard against the outside wall, with Bowman’s wrecked entry getting hit by teammate Byron. As Byron nursed his damaged entry to the garage, Wallace and Bowman slid their wrecked entries below through the backstretch’s infield, where they exited under their own power. 

The multi-car wreck concluded the first stage period under caution as Larson was awarded his ninth Cup stage victory of 2026 season. Briscoe, Bell, Cindric, Reddick, Suarez, Heim, Hocevar, Buescher and Blaney were scored in the top 10, respectively. By then, Chasers Elliott, Hamlin, Logano and Preece were in 13th, 15th, 18th and 28th, respectivley, and Gibbs was mired being seven laps down in 39th while Wallace and Byron were knocked out of contention. During the event’s first stage break period, the field led by Larson pitted and Larson retained the lead by exiting pit road first. Briscoe, Bell, Cindric, Reddick, Heim, Suarez, Hocevar, Austin Dillon and Blaney followed suit in the top 10, respectively.

The second stage period started on Lap 86 as Larson and Briscoe occupied the front row. At the start, Larson maintained the lead for a full cycle over Briscoe, Bell, Cindric, Hocevar and the field. Larson retained the lead by four-tenths of a second over Briscoe by Lap 90 before the advantage slightly grew up to eight-tenths of a second on Lap 95. Two laps later, Bell overtook teammate Briscoe for the runner-up spot as Larson continued to lead by seven-tenths of a second at the Lap 100 mark.

On Lap 107, Bell reeled in and overtook Larson for the lead. As Cindric, Reddick and Blaney occupied the remaining top-five spots over Briscoe and Hamlin, Bell had his lead grow up by nearly six-tenths of a second by Lap 110 before he extended it up to a second. By then, eight of 16 Chase contenders (Bell, Larson, Cindric, Reddick, Blaney, Hamlin, Briscoe and Hocevar) were racing in the top-10 mark on the track while the remaining Chasers on the track that included Elliott, Logano, Suarez, Buescher, Preece and Gibbs were in 11th, 12th, 13th, 21st, 27th and 36th, respectively.

Then on Lap 116, the caution flew when John Hunter Nemechek got loose and made slight contact with the frontsretch’s outside wall before he spun through the frontstretch’s infield grass and tore the right-front fender from his entry while trying to nurse it back to his pit stall. During this caution period, the field led by Larson pitted for service. Following the pit stops, Bell maintained the lead by exiting pit road ahead of Larson, Blaney, Hamlin, Reddick, Cindric, Briscoe, Hocevar, Elliott and Logano, respectively.

During the next restart on Lap 122, Bell motored ahead with the lead while Hamlin made contact with Larson, which got Larson sideways from the outside lane and dropped Larson down to seventh place for the next lap. Amid the contact, Hamlin settled in third place behind Blaney, and Bell maintained the lead by Lap 125 as Reddick, Hocevar, and Cindric trailed in the top-six mark, respectively. Larson proceeded to overtake Cindric for sixth place, but he trailed the lead by three seconds as Bell led by more than a second over Blaney and Hamlin while Reddick and Hocevar continued to race in the top five on Lap 130.

At the event’s halfway mark between Laps 133 and 134, 33 of 39 starters were scored on the lead lap, minus Gibbs as the latter was pinned seven laps down in 36th place. At the front, Bell continued to lead by more than a second over Chasers Blaney, Hamlin, Reddick, Hocevar, Larson and Cindric while non-Chasers Berry and Ross Chastain were in eighth and ninth, respectively. Behind, Chasers Briscoe and Elliott occupied 10th and 11th in front of van Gisbergen, Suarez, Heim and Logano while Buescher and Preece were mired in 20th and 23rd, respectively.

Through the Lap 145 mark, Bell extended his lead by two seconds over Blaney while third-place Hamlin trailed by three-and-a-half seconds. Behind, Larson was mired in fifth in between Reddick and Cindric while Berry was the lone non-Chase contender in the top-10 mark (seventh place). Berry raced ahead of Briscoe, Hocevar and Elliott while Logano was in 15th place behind Suarez. Buescher and Preece trailed in 18th and 22nd, respectively, as Bell retained the lead by more than two seconds on Lap 150.

When the second stage period concluded on Lap 165, Bell captured his sixth Cup stage victory of the 2026 season. Blaney followed suit in the runner-up spot by more than two seconds while Hamlin, Larson, Reddick, Cindric, Briscoe, Berry, Elliott and Hocevar were scored in the top 10, respectively. By then, nine of 16 Chasers (Bell, Blaney, Hamlin, Larson, Reddick, Cindric, Briscoe, Elliott and Hocevar) were racing in the top-10 mark on the track while the remaining Chasers on the track, including Suarez, Logano, Buescher, Preece and Gibbs, were in 14th, 15th, 17th, 22nd and 36th, respectively.

During the event’s second stage break period, the field led by Larson returned to pit road for service. Following the pit stops, Blaney exited pit road ahead of Larson and Bell while Briscoe, Hamlin, Cindric, Reddick, Elliott, Berry and Hocevar followed suit, respectively. Amid the pit stops, Elliott was penalized for speeding on pit road.

With 95 laps remaining, the final stage period commenced as Blaney and Larson occupied the front row. At the start, Blaney briefly motored ahead from the inside lane before Larson muscled back alongside Blaney entering the backstretch. Through the backstretch, Bell went beneath both Blaney and Larson and overtook both to assume the lead for the next lap. As Bell led, Briscoe navigated his way into the runner-up over Blaney and Larson while Hamlin was in fifth place ahead of a tight battle for sixth place that involved Cindric, Hocevar and Reddick. Berry and Logano would reel in the latter three as Bell maintained the lead over teammate Briscoe by four-tenths of a second with 90 laps remaining. 

Down to the final 75 laps of the event, Bell was leading by nearly two seconds over Briscoe while Blaney, Larson and Hamlin trailed in the top five ahead of Reddick, Cindric, Berry, Logan and van Gisbergen, respectively. By then, Larson trailed the lead in fourth place by more than four seconds, and Blaney trailed in third place by more than two seconds while Buescher and Hocevar were mired in the top-15 mark. Behind, Preece, Suarez and Elliott occupied spots 20th, 25th and 27th, respectively, as Bell continued to lead by more than a second over Briscoe with 70 laps remaining. 

Then with 63 laps remaining, the caution flew when Reddick, who was racing in sixth place, slid up the track and made contact with the lapped competitor of Gray Gaulding entering the backstretch. The contact caused Gaulding to scrape the wall and spin from the top to the bottom of the track, with a broken toe link spotted on Gaulding’s entry. During this caution period, the field led by Bell pitted for service. Following the pit stops, AJ Allmendinger exited pit road first ahead of Briscoe, Bell, Larson, Hamlin, Cindric and Reddick, while Blaney dropped to eighth place following a brief stumble while having his right-rear wheel changed during his pit stop. Berry and Chastain followed suit before Allmendinger pitted, which handed the lead over to Briscoe.

As the event reached its final 57-lap mark, the event restarted under green as teammates Briscoe and Bell occupied the front row in front of teammate Hamlin, Larson, Reddick and Cindric. At the start, Hamlin shoved teammate Briscoe from the inside lane, which allowed Briscoe to motor ahead through the first two turns before Briscoe then slid up the track to stall any run from Bell. With the field fanned out through the backstretch, Briscoe cycled back to the frontstretch and led the next lap while teammates Hamlin and Bell fiercely battled for the runner-up spot in front of Reddick, Larson, Blaney and Berry. Following his battle with Hamlin, Bell motored ahead to maintain the runner-up spot as Hamlin was then starting to be pressured by Larson for third place. Meanwhile, Bell reeled in Briscoe for the lead, with the former trailing the latter by three-tenths of a second.

With 40 laps remaining, Briscoe maintained his lead by three-tenths of a second over teammate Bell while third-place Hamlin tracked the latter two by two seconds. Meanwhile, fourth-place Larson trailed by four seconds while fifth- and sixth-place competitors Reddick and Blaney both trailed by five seconds. As Berry, van Gisbergen and Chastain raced as the highest non-Chasers from seventh through ninth, Logano was up into 10th place in front of Heim as Buescher, Suarez, Riley Herbst, Cindric, Hocevar, McDowell and Elliott followed suit, respectively. 

Ten laps later, Briscoe slightly extended his advantage up to eight-tenths of a second over Bell. Behind, Hamlin retained third place while trailing the lead by three seconds, Larson trailed the lead by five seconds in fourth place, Blaney trailed by more than six seconds in fifth place and Reddick, who continued to fight with loose-handling grip for nearly the entire event, maintained sixth place on the track. Seconds later, Reddick would lose sixth place to Berry while Briscoe stretched his lead by more than a second with 25 laps remaining. Bell would then have his deficit grow up by two seconds another lap later as Bell began to fight loose conditions. Meanwhile, Briscoe, who was approaching lapped traffic, continued to lead by nearly two seconds with 20 laps remaining.

Down to the final 15 laps, Briscoe stabilized his lead by more than two seconds over teammate Bell and by four seconds over Hamlin, currently in third place, while Blaney and Larson trailed in the top five by five and seven seconds, respectively. Briscoe maintained a two-second advantage over Bell with 10 laps remaining before the lead slightly decreased to 1.8 seconds with five laps remaining.

When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Briscoe, who had his lead steadily shrink while navigating through lapped traffic, remained in the lead by four-tenths of a second over Bell. Then, after Briscoe maintained a steady advantage over Bell for half a lap, Bell bolted his No. 20 DeWalt Toyota Camry XSE entry to the bottom lane as Briscoe kept his No. 19 Free Bird Toyota Camry XSE entry racing up towards the outside wall through Turns 3 and 4. Bell then briefly got loose and ran into the left rear of Briscoe. The contact got both Joe Gibbs Racing teammates loose as they dueled to the finish line. At the line, Briscoe managed to beat Bell by 0.029 seconds to win.

With the victory, Briscoe notched his eighth career win in the NASCAR Cup Series division, his first at Charlotte Motor Speedway, his third of the 2026 season and his second in a row in recent weeks. This season marks the first time ever that Briscoe has achieved back-to-back victories in the Cup Series division, and he became the fifth competitor to achieve victories both on Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Roval and oval circuits.

Prior to Charlotte, Briscoe, who won last weekend’s Chase event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, was mired in sixth place in the standings and he trailed the points lead by 84 points. With his victory at Charlotte, Briscoe jumped two spots in the standings to fourth place and he trails the lead by 65 points with four races remaining, with Briscoe remaining within striking distance of contending for his first Cup Series championship.

Chase Briscoe
Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.

“I just felt like I was gonna knock the wall down at any point,” Briscoe said on the frontstretch on USA Sports. “[The car] just quit turning. I don’t know what it is about these finishes. I gotta quit making it so exciting at the end. Just an amazing car. What an amazing run we’ve been on. [It] Should be three [wins] in a row. Just glad we were able to redeem ourselves. Amazing job to this team. This pit crew has just been unbelievable. My hero’s Tony Stewart. He made a pretty unbelievable run [to win the title in 2011] and hopefully, we can do the same thing. I’m having a lot of fun driving these race cars right now. Looking forward to the next one.”

Amid Briscoe’s celebration both on the frontstretch and in Victory Lane, Bell, who led 93 laps and emphasized the importance of winning the remaining Chase events to regain his points deficit, was left dejected on pit road and with his eighth runner-up result of the 2026 season. Bell’s runner-up result kept the Oklahoma native in third place in the standings and he trails the points lead by 51 points while remaining within striking distance of contending for his first title.

No. 20
Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.

“I got a lot closer than I thought I was going to,” Bell said. “We should be really good at the next couple of races. Hopefully, we can keep bringing these fast race cars and see what happens.”

Ryan Blaney rallied from his early speeding penalty to finish third while Josh Berry netted his third top-10 result through the first six Chase events as a non-Chase contender by finishing in fourth place. Denny Hamlin settled in fifth place amid his issues navigating his way around his pit box in front of Connor Zilisch and not having enough speed at the event’s conclusion to contend for the victory, while points leader Kyle Larson, who led a race-high 97 laps, settled in sixth place. 

Shane van Gisbergen, Tyler Reddick, Joey Logano and Chris Buescher completed the top 10 in Charlotte’s final running order. With eight of 16 Chase contenders (Briscoe, Bell, Blaney, Hamlin, Larson, Reddick, Logano and Buescher) finishing in the top 10 on the track, the remaining Chasers that include Chase Elliott, Daniel Suarez, Carson Hocevar, Ryan Preece, Austin Cindric, Ty Gibbs, Bubba Wallace and William Byron settled in 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 17th, 34th, 37th and 39th, respectively.

The sixth Cup Series Chase event of the 2026 season in Charlotte produced 11 lead changes among five leaders and six cautions over 33 laps. In addition, 27 of 39 starters finished on the lead lap.

Race Results:

  1. Chase Briscoe, 62 laps led
  2. Christopher Bell, 93 laps led, Stage 2 winner
  3. Ryan Blaney, four laps led
  4. Josh Berry
  5. Denny Hamlin
  6. Kyle Larson, 97 laps led, Stage 1 winner
  7. Shane van Gisbergen
  8. Tyler Reddick
  9. Joey Logano
  10. Chris Buescher
  11. Corey Heim
  12. Chase Elliott
  13. Daniel Suarez
  14. Carson Hocevar
  15. Ryan Preece
  16. Ross Chastain
  17. Austin Cindric
  18. Riley Herbst
  19. Michael McDowell
  20. Zane Smith
  21. Connor Zilisch
  22. Todd Gilliland
  23. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
  24. Erik Jones
  25. Noah Gragson
  26. Austin Dillon
  27. Cole Custer
  28. AJ Allmendinger, one lap down
  29. Brad Keselowski, one lap down
  30. Ty Dillon, one lap down
  31. Cody Ware, one lap down
  32. Austin Hill, two laps down
  33. BJ McLeod, three laps down
  34. Ty Gibbs, eight laps down
  35. John Hunter Nemechek, eight laps down
  36. Gray Gaulding – OUT
  37. Bubba Wallace – OUT, Accident, 11 laps led
  38. Alex Bowman – OUT, Accident
  39. William Byron – OUT, Accident

*Bold indicates Chase Drivers

Following the sixth Chase event of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, Kyle Larson continues to lead the standings by 49 points over Denny Hamlin, 51 over Christopher Bell and 65 over Chase Briscoe. The rest of the 16-car Chase field is displayed below.

Chase Standings:

  1. Kyle Larson
  2. Denny Hamlin -49
  3. Christopher Bell -51
  4. Chase Briscoe -65
  5. Ryan Blaney -85
  6. Joey Logano -92
  7. Tyler Reddick -114
  8. Austin Cindric -145
  9. Ty Gibbs -156
  10. Carson Hocevar -180
  11. Chase Elliott -185
  12. Bubba Wallace -185
  13. William Byron -208
  14. Daniel Suarez -215
  15. Chris Buescher -216
  16. Ryan Preece -227

Next on the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series’ Chase schedule is Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona, for the Freeway Insurance 500. The event is scheduled to occur next Sunday, October 18, and air at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network, MRN Radio, SiriusXM, and HBO MAX.

Rick Ware Racing: Bank of America 400 from Charlotte

By
Official Release
-

RICK WARE RACING
Bank of America 400
Date: Oct. 11, 2026
Event: Bank of America 400 (Round 32 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)

Format: 267 laps, broken into three stages (80 laps/85 laps/102 laps)
Race Winner: Chase Briscoe of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

RWR Finish:

● Cody Ware (Started 35th, Finished 31st / Running, completed 266 of 267 laps)

RWR Points:

● Cody Ware (35th with 235 points)

Race Notes:

● Chase Briscoe won the Bank of America 400 to score his eighth career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his third of the season and second straight, and his first at Charlotte. His margin over second-place Christopher Bell was .029 of a second.

● There were six caution periods for a total of 33 laps.

● Twenty-seven of the 39 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.

● Kyle Larson remains the championship leader after Charlotte with a 49-point advantage over second-place Denny Hamlin.

Sound Bites:

“Just a really disappointing way to end the day. Got some contact with a lap-down car and we were kind of on our back foot from there, but I’m really proud of this team. They brought a fast 51 Jacob Construction Chevrolet. We learned a lot going into next year with these 1.5-mile ovals.” – Cody Ware, driver of the No. 51 Jacob Construction Chevrolet

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Freeway Insurance 500k on Sunday, Oct. 18, at Phoenix Raceway. The seventh race in the 10-race Chase starts at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by USA Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Four Ford Mustangs Post Top-10 Finishes in Charlotte Cup Chase Race

By
Official Release
-

Ford Racing Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Bank of America 400 — Charlotte Motor Speedway
Sunday, October 11, 2026

Ford Finishing Results:

3rd – Ryan Blaney
4th – Josh Berry
9th – Joey Logano
10th – Chris Buescher
15th – Ryan Preece
17th – Austin Cindric
20th – Zane Smith
22nd – Todd Gilliland
25th – Noah Gragson
29th – Brad Keselowski
36th – Gray Gaulding

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Discount Tire Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “I was able to come back from that [pit road speeding penalty], so proud of that effort. Yeah, just keep going, and I’m looking forward to the next month.” ON RECENT HISTORY AT PHOENIX – “I look forward to it, but I look forward to going no matter where it’s at every week. I think this team can do a great job at figuring out things when we need to, whether that’s going to a track we’ve been successful at, or going to tracks we need to work at. They’ve done a really good job. Phoenix [Raceway] has been a good one for us, and hopefully it’ll be a good one again next week.”

JOSH BERRY, No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse – YOU JUST STAYED IN THE HUNT AT THE END. HOW GOOD WAS YOUR CAR IN THE FINAL STAGE? “I felt like our car was really strong all day. We made some good progress at the start and then when the 54 got the wall on that restart we went all the way to the back again because it was right in front of us. We battled back from the back again and I was really happy with the car the majority of the race. We just kind of plugged along and finally had a real good long run there at the end and was able to make some progress.” DID THEY MAKE ANY CHANGES FOR THAT FINAL RUN TO CONTEND WITH THE LEADERS? “We felt like we were a better car on the long run and then early in that stage I tried to just manage myself a little bit just in case it ran long and ultimately it did. I think some of those guys started to cord their tires and fall off, but it was just a really good job by Miles and the whole group. That’s another good finish. We’ll go to Phoenix and try to do it again.” HOW MUCH HAVE THE FORDS IMPROVED ON THESE 1.5-MILE TRACKS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR? “I think everybody has been working really hard and it’s certainly gotten a lot better. Last week, I really liked my car in practice before we had the tire issue. I think that just kind of screwed the whole weekend up from there on out, but we kind of went back with what we learned last week there and the guys brought a really good car. Hat’s off to all of them for sticking with it and working hard. It was a lot of fun today.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “We’ve got to win now, we’re 90-whatever something back. We’ve got to do some special stuff from here on out to make up the 100 points. We got that damage early in the race. I don’t know what happened. They all stacked up in front of me and I packed the nose in, unsealed the splitter, which surely didn’t help any. Yeah, we were ninth, maybe we could’ve been top five-ish if I didn’t have the damage. You know, it could’ve been worse, but we just didn’t get any stage points, that’s the worst part.”

CHRIS BUESCHER, No. 17 Fifth Third Bank Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “It’s a top 10. We’ve been needing a good, solid run. We’ve been kind of inching up on it the last couple of weeks, but to drive in the top 10 and get some stage points on the day, that’s some progress. We’re not all the way there, for sure, but I’m proud of everybody to take this Fifth Third Bank Ford Mustang and work hard at it. We had a pit stop mishap and I’m proud of everybody for calling it out and catching it and not letting us go out there and have a bigger issue. Thanks to the 60 bunch for tightening it up and we clawed back from there. They did a solid job on pit road the rest of the night, so it was good work by everybody. We’ve got to raise our ceiling. I feel like we’ve been looking at it as though our ceiling is about 10th place right now, so we kind of maximized what I felt like we had today. WIthout the penalty, we might have had another spot or two, but it was a solid day overall.”

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 2 Menards/Libman Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “It’s a shame that our final run of the race went the way it did. It was pretty uncharacteristic from the other portions of the race. Past that, I thought that we had a pretty fast Menards/Libman Ford. Yeah, it’s just a shame that last run was by far our worst of the race. We’re going to have to go back and review that, but we still got some solid points.”

FORD PROUD TO HONOR VETERANS DAY CLASSIC

The inaugural Ford Proud To Honor Veterans Day Classic is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 11 at Daytona International Speedway. Ford, in collaboration with NASCAR, Blue Star Families, IMSA and HSR, is bringing together motorsports, music and a shared mission of military support all in honor of service members, veterans and their families. This is a first-of-its kind military tribute race with all six branches of the armed forces being represented by 12 Ford Racing drivers. In addition, Zac Brown Band will be performing. For fans wanting more information and to purchase tickets, they can go to the official website at fordveteransdayclassic.com.

PETERSON RACING WELCOMES HARRISON BURTON TO PILOT NO. 78 IN MULTI-YEAR DEAL

By
Official Release
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“Growing Organization Also Announces Move to New Race Shop in Welcome, N.C.”

October 11, 2026 (Sanford, North Carolina) – Peterson Racing is proud to announce that Harrison Burton has joined the organization with a multi-year agreement to compete in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. Burton joins the growing organization as teammate to Lee Pulliam and will pilot the No. 78 Chevrolet starting with the 2027 season opening event at Daytona International Speedway in February.

“I am really excited to join Peterson Racing and be a part of what they are building,” stated Burton. “It is a blessing to continue my career, and I feel this is a great opportunity to grow alongside this team as we focus on becoming a race winning organization. They have done a great job in putting together a group that is primed to take the next steps in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. I just feel that Peterson Racing and I are a great fit and share the same goals of going to the racetrack and winning. I am excited to get to work and chasing that goal together.”

Burton has 287 career starts in NASCAR’s top three series with 136 of those coming in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. He has four wins in the series to his credit with the most recent coming at Martinsville Speedway in the fall of 2020. In that 2020 season, Burton became the first driver born in the 2000’s or later to win a NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race, and in 2024 became the first to win a NASCAR Cup Series race with his victory that summer at Daytona International Speedway.

“We are excited about adding Harrison to our program and expanding to a two-car operation in 2027,” stated Chris Seibel, General Manager for Peterson Racing. “Harrison is a great fit with what we have built so far at Peterson Racing, and we feel he will be a key piece to our continued growth process. We think that Harrison and Lee make a special combination of drivers and we look forward to them representing us on the track in 2027.”

In preparation for the 2027 season, Peterson Racing also announces it will be moving into a new race shop on the campus of Richard Childress Racing in Welcome, North Carolina. The move will come at the end of the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season.

“The move to the RCR campus is another strong step in the growth of this Peterson Racing organization,” added Harrison. “I feel confident that bringing my experiences gained from racing with other organizations throughout my career combined with working alongside the structure they have built thus far at Peterson Racing that we will be able to continue this growth process. I am excited to have a teammate the caliber of Lee Pulliam and I think we will be great assets for each other. This is truly a unique situation that I embrace and am excited about.”

Harrison Burton joins Peterson Racing for 2027 O’Reilly season

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Harrison Burton will be joining forces with Peterson Racing and drive the organization’s second Chevrolet entry numbered 78 for the 2027 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season.

The news, which is a multi-year basis, comes as the 26-year-old Burton from Huntersville, North Carolina, is campaigning in this fourth consecutive season in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series division and first with Sam Hunt Racing. This season, Burton, who is ranked in 20th place in the 2026 standings, has recorded three top-10 results, 28 laps led and an average-finishing result of 21.0. He will compete alongside Lee Pulliam, the latter of whom will drive the No. 87 Chevrolet entry for his first full-time campaign next season.

“I am really exicted to join Peterson Racing and be a part of what they are building,” Burton said. “It is a blessing to continue my career, and I feel this is a great opportunity to grow alongside this team as we focus on becoming a race winning organization. They have done a great job in putting together a group that is primed to take the next steps in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. I just feel that Peterson Racing and I are a great fit and share the same goals of going to the racetrack and winning. I am excited to get to work and chasing that goal together.”

Burton made his first nine O’Reilly starts in 2019 with Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), where he achieved a season-high fourth-place result at Iowa Speedway. After being elevated to a full-time driving role with the organization for the 2020 season, he notched his first career victory in the season’s third event on the schedule at Auto Club Speedway. He proceeded to notch additional victories at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and Martinsville Speedway. After making the Playoffs, he settled in eighth place in the final standings. The following season, he went winless, but he made his second consecutive Playoffs and finished in eighth place in the standings for a second consecutive year. Between the latter two seasons, he notched a combined 25 top-five results, 44 top-10 results and 475 laps led.

Burton then spent the following three seasons (2022-24) racing in the Cup Series division with the Wood Brothers Racing, wherer he recorded his first career victory at Daytona International Speedway in mid-August 2024, before he returned to the O’Reilly division and drove for AM Racing in 2025. During this past season, he notched his first career pole at Martinsville, recorded three top-10 results and made his third career Playoffs before he finished in 12th place in the standings.

Through 136 career starts in the O’Reilly division, Burton has achieved four victories, a pole, 28 top-five results, 62 top-10 results, 551 laps led and an average-finishing result of 14.4 as he continues his pursuit for race victories and his first championship.

As part of Peterson Racing’s expansion to fielding two full-time entries and welcoming Burton as a competitor, the organization will be relocating into a new race shop on Richard Childress Racing’s campus in Welcome, North Carolina, at the conclusion of the 2026 season. 

“We are excited about adding Harrison to our program and expanding to a two-car operation in 2027,” Chris Seibel, Genenal Manager for Peterson Racing, said. “Harrison is a great fit with what we have built so far at Peterson Racing, and we feel he will be a key piece to our continued growth process. We think that Harrison and Lee make a special combination of drivers and we look forward to them representing us on the track in 2027.”

With his plans for next season set, Harrison Burton’s 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season resumes next Saturday, October 17, at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona, for the Timberland PRO 200. The event’s broadcast time is slated to commence at 7:30 p.m. ET on the CW Network, PRN Radio and SiriusXM.

How to Host the Perfect Race Day Watch Party

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

There’s a specific kind of satisfaction in watching a race by yourself — feet up, nobody talking over the restart, your own commentary running in your head. But there’s a different kind that comes from a room full of people losing their minds over a four-wide finish into Turn 1, and if you’ve experienced both, you know the second one is better.

A great race day watch party isn’t complicated, but it does take a little thought. The difference between a memorable afternoon and a forgettable one usually comes down to a handful of details: the screen situation, the food, the atmosphere, and making sure nobody misses the moment because the stream dropped or the TV was on the wrong channel. Here’s how to put one together that your crew actually wants to come back to.

Pick the Right Race

Not every race makes a great party race. The Daytona 500 is the obvious choice — it’s the Super Bowl of NASCAR, and even casual fans show up for it. The Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend is another natural: long race, holiday atmosphere, and people are already looking for something to do. The Bristol Night Race, Talladega, the Championship finale — these are the events where the energy in the room matches the energy on the track.

Midseason road courses and short tracks are fantastic racing, but they’re tougher party races because the casual fans in your crew don’t have the same context. Save those for your core group. For the big watch party, pick a race with built-in stakes and name recognition.

The Screens: Get This Right First

This is the backbone of the whole party, and it’s where most hosts under-invest. A single TV in the corner with eight people craning their necks isn’t a watch party — it’s a waiting room.

Go big or go multiple. If you have a large TV and it’s positioned where everyone can see it from the main seating area, that’s your primary screen. Mount it or place it at eye level from the couch, not above a fireplace where everyone’s looking up for three hours.

Add a second screen. This is the move that separates a good watch party from a great one. A second TV, a tablet propped on the kitchen counter, or a laptop on the side table lets you run the Xfinity race, qualifying, or a different broadcast alongside the main event. It also solves the channel problem — when the pre-race is on one network and the race itself is on another, two screens means no scrambling.

The streaming setup matters. Here’s where a lot of hosts get caught. You’ve got the TVs, but the race is on FS1, or it’s a Prime Video exclusive week, or the pre-race show is on a different network than the green flag. A reliable iptv service running on your smart TVs or streaming devices means you can pull up whatever channel the race is on without hunting through apps — one lineup, every channel, no “does anyone have a Peacock login?” mid-party. Set it up and test it the day before. Nothing kills race-day energy like buffering during the pace laps.

The Food: Race-Day Fuel

Race day food should be two things: easy to eat with one hand (you’re watching, not sitting at a table) and ready before the green flag drops. Nobody should be in the kitchen during a restart.

The slow-and-ready approach. Put a brisket, pulled pork, or a big pot of chili on early in the morning and let it do its thing while you set up. By race time it’s done, and it stays good for hours. Slider buns, slaw, and a stack of napkins turn it into a serve-yourself station.

The snack table. Wings (make a double batch — they go first), chips and queso, a vegetable tray that someone’s girlfriend brought and everyone secretly appreciates, and something sweet for the back half of the race. Brownies. Cookies. Whatever’s easy.

Drinks. A cooler of beer, a few sodas, water, and — if you’re going the extra mile — a signature race-day cocktail. A Bourbon and Coke with a checkered-flag straw is dumb and everyone loves it.

The rule: everything should be out and accessible before the command to start engines. Once the race is live, the kitchen is closed.

The Atmosphere: Small Details, Big Difference

You’re not building a sports bar. You’re building a living room that feels like race day.

Sound matters. Turn it up. The roar of 40 cars through a corner at Daytona at real volume is half the experience. If your TV speakers aren’t cutting it, a soundbar is a cheap upgrade that transforms race audio. Bass makes restarts feel physical.

Seating for everyone. This sounds obvious, but count your people and count your seats. Folding chairs, floor cushions, a couple of camp chairs from the garage — whatever it takes so nobody’s standing behind the couch for 400 miles.

Keep scores visible. A whiteboard or a printed sheet with everyone’s picks, predictions, or fantasy points keeps the room engaged even during long green-flag runs. Update it during commercial breaks. The guy in last place will talk about it more than the race itself.

The Multi-Race Problem: More Than One Thing Is On

Here’s a scenario every host hits: the Cup race is on NBC, but the Xfinity race ran earlier on The CW, and your buddy wants to check the F1 results, and someone’s asking about the Truck race from last night. Race weekends are packed with motorsport, and a party full of racing fans means competing interests.

This is where the second screen and a solid iptv setup earn their place. Having the main race on the big TV and the ability to flip between other coverage on a second screen keeps the room happy without anyone hijacking the primary broadcast. It’s also how you catch pre-race shows, qualifying replays, and post-race coverage without missing the main event.

One underrated move: if you’ve got a tablet or laptop, leave it on the NASCAR live timing page (or the app’s live leaderboard) so people can check positions, gaps, and pit-stop timing without interrupting the broadcast. The fans in the room who actually follow strategy will gravitate to it, and it adds a layer of engagement that pure TV watching doesn’t.

Games and Bets: Keep the Room Engaged

Long green-flag runs happen. They’re great racing, but they can quiet a party room. A few lightweight games keep people locked in:

Pick the winner. Everyone throws $5 in a pot before the green flag, picks a driver. Winner takes the pot after the checkered flag.

Bingo card. Make a race-day bingo card before the party: “caution for debris,” “driver complains about brakes on the radio,” “someone in the room spills a drink during a restart,” “big one at Talladega.” Hand them out at the start. First to fill a line wins a prize.

Stage winners. Everyone picks a stage winner for each stage. Points accumulate across the race. Simple, keeps people invested through the whole event instead of just the finish.

Fantasy lineup. If your group uses a fantasy platform, put the standings on the whiteboard and update them live. Nothing keeps a room engaged like real money on the line.

The Watch Party Checklist

Pull this together the day before and race morning is stress-free:

  • TVs tested and positioned — main screen visible from all seats, second screen available for overflow.
  • Streaming confirmed — whatever you’re using to get the race channels, test it the night before. A good iptv provider or streaming service should load the right channel in seconds; if it doesn’t, troubleshoot now, not at pace laps.
  • Sound checked — volume up, soundbar connected, neighbors warned.
  • Food prepped or started — slow cook in the morning, snacks out before green flag.
  • Drinks stocked and cold — cooler loaded, ice confirmed, opener accessible.
  • Seating counted — enough seats for every guest, no standing-room surprises.
  • Games ready — pick sheets printed, bingo cards made, pot collected.
  • Wi-Fi solid — if you’re streaming on two screens, make sure your connection handles it. Test with both running simultaneously.

After the Checkered Flag

Don’t rush the ending. The post-race interview, the burnout, the replay of the final lap — let the broadcast play out. Half the party conversation happens in the twenty minutes after the race ends, and cutting the feed early is like leaving a concert before the encore.

Settle the bets. Update the season-long standings if your group tracks them. Talk about who got robbed, who made the call, and which restart was the loudest moment in the room. That’s the part people remember — not the food or the setup, but the reactions.

And start talking about the next one. The best race-day watch parties aren’t one-offs — they’re a season-long tradition. Pick the next big race on the calendar, claim your host rotation, and keep it going.

Conclusion

A perfect race day watch party comes down to a few things done well: screens everyone can see, sound that does the cars justice, food that’s ready before the green flag, and a streaming setup that doesn’t choke when the whole room needs it. Get those right, add a few games to keep the energy up during long runs, and you’ve got an afternoon your crew talks about until the next one. Engines are loud, restarts are louder, and a room full of people watching a last-lap pass together is the best way to watch a race. Period.

CHEVROLET NCS AT CHARLOTTE 2: Kyle Larson Media Availability Quotes

By
Official Release
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NASCAR Cup Series
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Team Chevy Driver Quotes
October 10, 2026

With inclement weather forcing the cancellation of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the starting lineup for tomorrow’s Bank of America 400 will be set by the rulebook, putting the points leader, Kyle Larson, on the pole.

Media Availability Quotes:

You talked at Kansas (Speedway) about controlling the race from the front row and having your pit crew help you with track position. Now, you’re in a similar situation because of the metric. What kind of challenge will it be maintaining control here (at Charlotte Motor Speedway)? The grooves are a little bit narrower, so does that make it a little bit easier if you can get out front? Does it make the race at the green flag a little more intense to try and get that control?

“I actually think this (Charlotte Motor Speedway) is a harder track to maintain the lead, just because the grip is a lot less. At Kansas (Speedway), you can kind of maintain the lead pretty easily for three-quarters of the run, and then they start coming at you. At the 600, I got out to the lead a couple of different times, and the Gibbs cars were just faster and just passed me with no problem. At Kansas (Speedway), you’re just at like max velocity a lot of the run, where here (at Charlotte Motor Speedway), there’s a lot more off-throttle time and it just shapes up for easier passes. But if our car’s good, we’re going to try our best to get the lead and maintain it. We have a lot of confidence in our pit crew and everyone on this team, so hopefully we just have a little bit better car than we had in May, which I thought my car was really good, we were just a dash down on speed compared to them. I’m sure we’ve gotten a lot better since then.”

Do you think there’s just a natural pressure in having to defend a lead? You guys kind of, as the points leader, kind of get in this mentality of defending something instead of staying on the attack, especially with how The Chase has gone in all three series where guys have lost the points lead.

“No… I mean, for me at least to this point, I haven’t really thought about anything like that. I think the media tries to get you to think about it a lot, asking questions like that. But I think for us, I think we’ve done a good job of just focusing on our race and trying to maximize it, and I don’t think that you should venture off of that. Yeah, it’s easier said than done, I think. But we’ve done so well in these first five, so why change?”

No wins in the regular season and then you have five top-fives and two wins in the postseason. What changed or clicked for your team?

“I think we just took a lot of what we learned throughout the year. Not that we weren’t, but we were constantly learning, and it’s just kind of peaked at the right point. And then, our team has just been executing. It’s been amazing. I definitely didn’t think that we would start off The Chase like this, so just proud of this team. It’s just cool. You can never count out Hendrick Motorsports. It was tough to stay motivated and think that we would get to this point during the summer. But, again, I mean, you can’t count us out.”

What kind of a challenge is it not to have practice in one of these races?

“Yeah, I mean, this is just a difficult track. I would have liked to have gotten some laps and then not have qualified, but we’re all going to be learning at the same pace tomorrow or whenever the race may be. This place is so bumpy and slick. You’ve got to definitely build into comfort here, at least I feel like I’ve never been super comfortable here in the Next Gen car. But yeah, just try to get to lead, be able to pace yourself and learn what you can.”

What do you mean by not being super comfortable?

“It’s just so bumpy. It’s not bumpy like Las Vegas (Motor Speedway), it’s got like waves and stuff. This is like super high-frequency bumps and you want to just shake the tires out from underneath you. For me, sometimes it’s easy to step over that edge when you don’t feel like you’re there. And then other times, you’re so scared of that edge that you’re well underneath of it and you’re just trying to maximize the grip and speed where it’s tough.”

We’re going to head to Phoenix Raceway next weekend. Obviously, that race used to be the end of your season. Now, you guys have three races afterwards. What’s it like going there at this point in the season?

“Yeah, I don’t know. I mean, it’s been the finale for so long, so it will probably feel a little bit awkward being there. But Phoenix is an amazing area. It’s a great racetrack. Always produces some good races and great finishes. I hope we can go there and be better than we’ve been. We’ve finished well there a lot, but never quite been great throughout the duration of a race, so we’d love to get our car balanced a bit better and be able to score a lot of points.”

What are some of the challenges at Phoenix Raceway for you guys?

“For me, I just don’t have a lot of grip. It’s just like a really awkward, loose feeling, where I just feel like I could spin out, honestly, at any point, especially off turn two. But then I have to go so slow on entry to not get loose, too. It’s just difficult. I think everybody’s cars will drive amazing there, but you get the Penske guys, they seem to go really fast. (Christopher) Bell is super good there. Denny (Hamlin) was really, really strong there last year. We’re usually like an eighth to 12th-place guy, I feel like. We just always want to get better, and we’re always working hard, we just haven’t quite hit it yet.”

Are you glad that they changed this race from the ROVAL back to the oval?

“Well, I mean, as a racing purist, I’m happy to be back on the oval. But also, I didn’t hate the ROVAL. I always looked forward to it and thought it was fun. We were able to win a couple times here, which helps, but outside of those couple wins, it was a difficult track for me, as well. I was fine either way, honestly. It didn’t really matter to me. But I think for a postseason in NASCAR, not all ovals, but more ovals are a little bit purer for what NASCAR is aiming for.”

How did you rate Brexton’s (Busch) burnout last night?

“10 out of 10. Yeah, it was good. He did a great job. It was just special to see that. It was just cool to be a part of the program. I was a bit surprised and shocked that they wanted me to be a part of the program because I feel like there were a lot of other drivers that were closer to him than I was. But yeah, just being able to get up there and talk about him outside of a NASCAR setting was good. We all miss Kyle a lot. Samantha and Kyle both did an amazing job raising their kids, and we’ll get to see the Busch’s on the racetrack for a long, long time.”

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.

Ford Racing Notes and Quotes – Charlotte 2 Media Availabilities

By
Official Release
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Ford Racing Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Bank of America 400 Media Availabilities — Charlotte Motor Speedway
Saturday, October 10, 2026

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse – Talking about championship battle – “Points are at the top of mind all the time. I think where we are 71 [points] back, we’ll get through Charlotte and see where we fare out of here. Hopefully we have a pretty solid run, score some points, and keep ourselves in range. I look at the tracks coming up; Phoenix, Martinsville, Las Vegas, all those tracks are tracks we can win at.”

On this weekend – “Glad to be back out here [on the oval configuration]. We’ll see what we got when we get out there. If it’s today, I’d be surprised, but if we get out there we’ll make some laps and see what we got. If not it’ll be tomorrow and we’ll all figure it out together, 30-whatever cars deep into turn one and we’ll see what it does. It’s always a lot of faith and a lot of trust in the team to hit all those things right, but I know we can.”

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Discount Tire Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “I’d much rather be leading. I think there’s a little bit of added pressure like ‘don’t mess it up’ since you can almost start being defensive, and you can maybe lose what got you there. If you can maybe shift your mindset to the guys that are chasing, obviously they can’t afford a mistake either so there’s that pressure there, but it is a little bit more of a different mindset in that you have the opportunity to catch this person. So I think it’s a little bit different, but I’d much rather have that weight on my shoulders leading it and trying to maintain it than having to chase.’

CHRIS BUESCHER, No. 17 Fifth Third Bank Ford Mustang Dark Horse – Approach for this race compared to spring – “I would say largely it is a very similar starting point. Obviously you’ll have a bit of different weather conditions. We think it’ll be during the day and it won’t go into a night race. Charlotte is one of the tracks that changes the most drastically with conditions. With that being said, we’re kind of experiencing a little bit more consistency at the track if it stays on target here.”

On being back on the oval – “I’m glad to be back on the oval. I appreciate the Roval for what it was, and I’ve enjoyed the handful of years that we did it to start. But I’m glad to be back on the big track. With the weather and the shorter race it’ll be a lot more like the other mile-and-a-half races that play out. But yeah, it’ll be fun. I really like this track, I love the fact that we can move around so much here. It [Charlotte] has so much character, It’s put on some really good races and I think that was the big push to get us back on the oval.”

RYAN PREECE, No. 60 Kroger/Blue Buffalo Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “It’s only 400 miles, so yeah the stages are going to be different. You know in the [Coke] 600, they’re [stages] 100 laps. There’s a lot of time for things to happen. Hopefully, we can unload really fast, since I felt really good about our car in May.”

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 6 Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “”I’m glad that we’re back on the oval. I hate that the weather hasn’t cooperated so far, but my team says that Sunday the weather’s going to get way better, so I’m happy to hear that. The oval presents a different set of challenges, clearly, than the Roval does. The fact that this is a 400 miles race instead of a 600 mile race is probably something you’ve heard from every other driver, but it is a difference maker for sure, in how you race the track and how you approach the track. We’ll see if we end up racing during the day or during the night. If it’s during the day it’s going to be really slick and really hard to get a hold up. It will present a significant challenge either way but even more so during the day.”

What Should Be Mapped Before Walls Move? The Hidden Systems That Shape a Home Renovation

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

A renovation can look straightforward on a floor plan. Move a kitchen wall, enlarge a doorway, relocate a bathroom vanity, add recessed lighting, and open two rooms into one larger space. On paper, those changes may take only a few lines.

The house itself can tell a different story.

Behind finished walls and ceilings are plumbing lines, drain stacks, electrical wiring, ductwork, framing, vents, and structural supports. These hidden systems often determine how easily a layout can change. A wall that appears unimportant may carry loads from above. A ceiling bulkhead may conceal a main duct. Moving a sink several feet may require more than extending two water lines because the drain still needs a workable route.

Good home renovation planning therefore starts before demolition. Mapping what is hidden can prevent homeowners from designing a layout that becomes unnecessarily difficult once construction begins.

Start With Plumbing Before Moving Kitchens or Bathrooms

Kitchens and bathrooms are often the most tempting rooms to rearrange because moving fixtures can dramatically improve function.

Plumbing, however, does not move as freely as furniture.

Water supply lines can often be rerouted with reasonable flexibility, but drains introduce more restrictions. Wastewater relies on gravity, which means drain lines need appropriate routing and slope. Venting also needs to be considered.

Moving a kitchen sink to the opposite side of a room may look simple in a rendering, yet the new location could require changes below the floor or inside nearby walls.

Follow the Drain, Not Just the Faucet

Homeowners often focus on where hot and cold water will come from.

The drain deserves just as much attention.

Before finalizing a new kitchen or bathroom layout, identify where the existing drain travels and where it connects to larger plumbing lines.

A shorter, cleaner route may influence where a sink, shower, or toilet works best.

That does not mean fixtures can never move far from their original locations. It means the design should account for the construction required rather than treating plumbing as an invisible system that can be placed anywhere.

Identify Drain Stacks Early

Vertical drain stacks can influence several floors at once.

A stack serving an upper bathroom may pass through a wall on the main floor before continuing downward. Removing that wall can therefore involve more than framing work.

Relocating a stack may affect bathrooms, ceilings, floors, or other finished spaces.

This is one reason whole-home renovation planning should look vertically as well as horizontally.

A floor plan shows what sits beside a room. It does not always show what passes through it from the level above.

Before committing to major wall changes, determine whether important plumbing runs through the area.

Find HVAC Routes Before Opening the Floor Plan

Heating and cooling systems often use walls, ceilings, floor cavities, and bulkheads as pathways.

A wall can appear unnecessary from an architectural point of view while still containing ductwork that supplies another part of the house.

Removing it may require rerouting that duct.

Sometimes the new route is straightforward. Other times, it may require a new bulkhead, changes to adjacent rooms, or a different distribution strategy.

That makes HVAC mapping particularly important when homeowners want cleaner ceilings and fewer visual obstructions.

Bulkheads Usually Exist for a Reason

A boxed section near the ceiling is often treated as something that should automatically disappear during a renovation.

Sometimes it can.

Before designing around its removal, find out what is inside.

A bulkhead may contain:

  • HVAC ductwork
  • Plumbing drains
  • Water lines
  • Electrical wiring
  • Structural framing
  • Exhaust ducts

Removing the visible box is only useful if the systems inside can be relocated without creating a larger problem somewhere else.

In some homes, redesigning a bulkhead so it looks deliberate may be more practical than eliminating it completely.

Understand Which Walls Are Structural

One of the biggest assumptions homeowners make during renovation planning is that a wall can be removed because it feels thin or appears to divide two small rooms.

Wall thickness alone does not determine whether a wall carries load.

Structural walls may support floor joists, beams, roof loads, or parts of the house above them.

Removing one requires a plan for transferring those loads safely.

That often means installing a beam and providing support at each end.

The Beam Has to Transfer Its Load Somewhere

A beam does not make structural loads disappear.

It redirects them.

The posts or supports beneath the beam need to transfer weight through the structure below, sometimes all the way to the foundation.

That is why opening a wall can affect more than the room where the work takes place.

A design may also need to consider what sits beneath the proposed support points.

Understanding that load path early can help homeowners compare different opening sizes and structural approaches before finishes are selected.

Map Electrical Wiring Before Finalizing the Layout

Electrical systems tend to be more flexible than structural framing, but relocation can still affect the scope of a renovation.

Walls may contain wiring for:

  • Receptacles
  • Light switches
  • Ceiling fixtures
  • Appliances
  • Smoke alarms
  • Exterior lighting
  • Data or communication lines

Removing a wall means those circuits may need new routes.

The bigger opportunity is to use the renovation to plan electrical placement around the new layout rather than merely reconnecting what already existed.

Design Power Around Furniture and Daily Use

Once walls move, furniture often moves too.

That changes where outlets and switches should go.

A new open living area may need floor power. A kitchen island may require electrical service. Bedside outlets may shift if a bedroom layout changes. Built-in cabinetry can block receptacles that once worked perfectly well.

This is where planning Home Renovations in Toronto as a complete layout exercise makes more sense than treating framing, electrical, plumbing, and interior design as separate decisions. Once the intended room use is clear, hidden systems can be positioned to support it instead of being adjusted after finishes are already chosen.

Check the Electrical Panel Before Adding New Loads

A renovation often adds electrical demand.

New appliances, lighting, heated floors, kitchen circuits, home offices, or other equipment may change what the electrical system needs to support.

Before planning around those additions, it is useful to understand the existing panel and available capacity.

This does not mean every renovation requires a panel upgrade.

It means electrical planning should happen early enough that any needed changes are part of the project rather than a late surprise.

Look Above the Ceiling Before Planning Lighting

Recessed lighting seems simple on a reflected ceiling plan.

The space above the ceiling may make certain locations difficult.

Joists, ducts, plumbing lines, and other obstructions can limit where fixtures physically fit.

This is particularly important when homeowners want perfectly aligned rows of recessed lights.

A lighting plan should respect the structure rather than assuming every point on the ceiling is open.

Sometimes shifting fixtures slightly produces a cleaner result than heavily modifying hidden systems just to preserve an exact layout.

Think About Floor Cavities Too

Many hidden renovation constraints are not actually inside walls.

They may be beneath the floor.

Plumbing lines, ducts, wiring, and structural framing often use floor cavities as pathways.

Moving a fixture upstairs may therefore affect the ceiling below.

Adding new mechanical systems can do the same.

Before finalizing a second-floor bathroom or laundry layout, consider what sits beneath it.

A seemingly minor change upstairs may create drywall or ceiling work on the main floor.

Planning both levels together makes those effects easier to manage.

Decide Which Hidden Systems Are Worth Relocating

Not every obstacle should automatically be moved.

Sometimes relocating a duct, drain, or structural support makes sense because the layout improvement is substantial.

Other times, the construction required may be disproportionate to the benefit.

This is where homeowners can compare the functional gain against the disruption.

Ask questions such as:

  • Does moving this system noticeably improve the room?
  • Is there another layout that achieves most of the same benefit?
  • Will relocation affect multiple floors?
  • Does the change create new bulkheads or access requirements?
  • Will future maintenance become harder?

A strong renovation design works with the house where possible and changes it where the improvement is worth the effort.

Coordinate Hidden Work Before Finishes Begin

The sequence of construction matters.

Mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and structural work should generally be coordinated before walls and ceilings are closed.

Otherwise, newly finished surfaces may need to be opened again.

This is especially important in whole-home renovations where several trades may need access to the same cavities.

For example, a kitchen wall may need framing changes, electrical wiring, plumbing lines, and ductwork before insulation and drywall can proceed.

Looking at those systems together reduces conflicts.

Older Homes Often Need More Investigation

Older houses can contain changes from several different eras of ownership.

A wall may have been opened and closed again. Wiring may have been updated in only part of the property. Plumbing routes may reflect an earlier addition. Ductwork may have been adapted around renovations completed decades ago.

That history can make hidden conditions harder to predict from drawings alone.

It does not mean an older home cannot be transformed.

It simply means the design stage should leave room for investigation.

Selective openings, attic access, basement observations, existing plans, and professional assessment can all provide useful information before major demolition begins.

Hidden Conditions Can Improve the Design

Discovering a duct, beam, or drain stack in the wrong location can feel like a setback.

Sometimes it leads to a better solution.

A structural post might become part of built-in cabinetry. A necessary bulkhead can define a kitchen zone. A plumbing stack can influence the location of a powder room that fits the floor plan more naturally.

Good design does not always eliminate constraints.

It can absorb them.

Treating existing systems as information rather than obstacles often produces a renovation that feels more connected to the original structure.

Photograph Open Walls Before They Close

Once framing and rough-ins are exposed, homeowners have a rare opportunity to document what normally remains hidden.

Take clear photographs before insulation and drywall are installed.

Useful images can show:

  • Plumbing routes
  • Electrical wiring
  • Blocking
  • Ductwork
  • Structural framing
  • Shutoff locations
  • Drain paths

Label the images by room and wall.

Years later, this record can make future repairs or renovations easier because there is at least a visual reference for what lies behind the finished surface.

Plan the House Beneath the Finishes

Paint colors, flooring, cabinetry, and fixtures shape how a renovated home looks, but hidden systems often shape what the renovation can become.

Plumbing determines how easily wet areas can move. Ductwork affects ceilings and walls. Structural framing influences openings. Electrical systems need to support the way rooms will actually be used.

Mapping these elements before demolition allows homeowners to make layout decisions with a more accurate picture of the work involved.

The strongest renovation plans do not begin with the assumption that every wall can move and every fixture can go anywhere. They begin by learning how the house is built, then using that information to create a layout that works visually, structurally, and practically.

That approach can reduce mid-project surprises and help the finished home feel intentional rather than compromised by discoveries made after construction has already begun.

Kyle Larson awarded Cup Chase pole at Charlotte

By
Andrew Kim
-
Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Kyle Larson was awarded the pole position for the Bank of America 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday, October 10.

The event’s starting lineup was determined by a qualifying metric formula that evaluated competitors’ finishing results from a previous-scheduled event and respective entries in the owner’s standings. This was due to this weekend’s on-track qualifying session at Charlotte being canceled due to inclement weather. The weather also canceled the qualifying session for Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series’ Chase event at Charlotte and has postponed the event to Sunday, October 11, at 8 p.m. ET on the CW Network.

Larson is coming off a runner-up result during last weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series’ Chase event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and is currently leading the 2026 Chase standings. Therefore, the reigning two-time Cup Series champion from Elk Grove, California, was awarded the top-starting spot for Sunday’s sixth Chase event of this season at Charlotte. Having won at Charlotte for the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 event in 2021, Larson will strive to add a fall Charlotte oval event victory to his resume as he remains in pursuit for his third championship in six seasons.

Larson will share the front row with Chase Briscoe, the latter of whom won last weekend’s Chase event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney, Austin Cindric, William Byron, Joey Logano, Bubba Wallace, Chase Elliott and Shane van Gisbergen complete the top-10 starting grid, respectively.

With nine of 16 Chase contenders (Larson, Briscoe, Reddick, Blaney, Cindric, Byron, Logano, Wallace and Elliott) starting in the top 10 on the grid, the remaining Chasers that include Carson Hocevar, Denny Hamlin, Chris Buescher, Ty Gibbs, Daniel Suarez, Christopher Bell and Ryan Preece will start 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 17th and 24th, respectively.

With 39 competitors vying for 39 starting spots, all made the main event.

Charlotte – Starting Lineup:

  1. Kyle Larson
  2. Chase Briscoe
  3. Tyler Reddick
  4. Ryan Blaney
  5. Austin Cindric
  6. William Byron
  7. Joey Logano
  8. Bubba Wallace
  9. Chase Elliott
  10. Shane van Gisbergen
  11. Carson Hocevar
  12. Denny Hamlin
  13. Chris Buescher
  14. Ty Gibbs
  15. Daniel Suarez
  16. Alex Bowman
  17. Christopher Bell
  18. AJ Allmendinger
  19. Michael McDowell
  20. Austin Dillon
  21. Riley Herbst
  22. Brad Keselowski
  23. Noah Gragson
  24. Ryan Preece
  25. Erik Jones
  26. Austin Hill
  27. Josh Berry
  28. Ross Chastain
  29. John Hunter Nemechek
  30. Cole Custer
  31. Todd Gilliland
  32. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
  33. Ty Dillon
  34. Zane Smith
  35. Cody Ware
  36. Connor Zilisch
  37. Corey Heim
  38. Gray Gaulding
  39. BJ McLeod

*Bold indicates Chase Drivers

The 2026 Bank of America 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway is scheduled to occur on Sunday, October 11, at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network, PRN Radio, SiriusXM and HBO MAX.

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