The moment you bolt a roll cage into a road car and point it towards the Nordschleife or Brands Hatch, you enter a peculiar legal grey zone that catches out even experienced enthusiasts. Most track day drivers assume that once they’re through the circuit gates, the normal rules simply evaporate. They don’t. The regulations governing race car registration plates and track day legality are a genuine tangle of DVLA requirements, DVSA enforcement powers, and motorsport club bylaws — and getting them wrong can cost you far more than a ruined lap time.
Why the Public Road Is the Problem, Not the Circuit
Here’s the thing most people misunderstand: a closed circuit is private land. The Motorsport UK permit that governs a track day means organizers can set their own display rules, and many circuits actively encourage you to remove your plates to prevent stone chips and the odd barrier-induced crumple. On private land, the Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001 technically don’t apply.
The problem begins the moment you leave. That three-mile drive from the circuit exit to the A-road, the service station stop, the brief detour past a speed camera — all of that is public highway, and your car must be fully road-legal throughout. A car with no plates, incorrectly formatted plates, or plates mounted at the wrong angle is committing an endorsable offense the second its tires touch tarmac.
Police and DVSA officers are well aware that track day traffic flows out of circuits on weekend mornings and evenings. Enforcement operations outside popular venues like Silverstone, Donington Park, and Snetterton are not unheard of. The fine for failing to display a registration mark is up to £1,000 — and if the plate is deliberately obscured, you risk a separate offense carrying up to £5,000.
What the Law Actually Requires on a Road-Legal Track Car
If your car holds a current V5C and is being driven on public roads — even just to and from a circuit — it must display registration plates that comply in full with the 2001 Regulations and the British Standard BS AU 145e. That means specific character size, font, spacing, and reflective backing. No exceptions for motorsport aesthetics, no concessions for aftermarket bodywork.
The specific requirements are as follows:
White reflective front plate and yellow reflective rear plate
Characters in Charles Wright font, 79mm tall, 50mm wide (standard format)
11mm stroke width, 14mm character spacing, 33mm space between groups
Plates must be lit at the rear when driving in darkness
No tinted or smoked acrylic covers — these are illegal regardless of how thin the tint is
Plates must be vertical or within 30 degrees of vertical and clearly visible
Many track car owners use a lightweight aluminum or nylon temporary plate holder that mounts quickly to the rear diffuser or tow hook. This is entirely legal provided the plate itself meets the standard. The holder just needs to keep the plate secure and legible.
The Dedicated Race Car: When Registration Becomes Optional
A true race car — one that never touches a public road and travels to circuits exclusively on a trailer — operates in entirely different territory. You are under no legal obligation to register such a vehicle with the DVLA at all. Many club racers run cars on MSUK competition licenses with no V5C, no tax, and no MOT. The car exists outside the normal registration framework entirely.
This is where the confusion between number plates and competition numbers becomes important. The large white or yellow numbers on a race car’s doors, bonnet, or bodywork are competition identifiers assigned by the organizing club or series — they have nothing whatsoever to do with DVLA registration. They are used by marshals, timing systems, and commentators. Confusing competition numbers with legal registration marks is an alarmingly common mistake.
Some drivers choose to personalize their trailer-transported race car anyway, assigning a cherished or custom plate as part of the car’s identity. Suppliers like Plates Express cater to enthusiasts who want a properly formatted plate made up for display purposes, even when it isn’t legally mandated — useful for show cars, garage displays, or cars that occasionally need to move under their own power on private property.
Temporary Plates, Trade Plates, and the Grey Area in Between
Some drivers attempt to use trade plates — those red-bordered plates issued to motor traders for moving untaxed vehicles — to drive a race car to and from a circuit. This is almost certainly illegal. Trade plates permit the movement of vehicles for specific trade purposes such as testing or delivery. Using them to attend a track day is not a permitted purpose, and the insurer behind the trade plate would almost certainly void any claim arising from such use.
Temporary plates, meanwhile, are not a formal legal category in the UK the way they are in some other countries. There is no such thing as a short-term DVLA registration for circuit use. If a car is registered and taxed, it uses its permanent mark. If it isn’t registered, it must travel by trailer unless it’s moving under trade plate rules for a permitted purpose.
The only genuine workaround is the Statutory Off Road Notification, or SORN. A SORNed vehicle can be stored legally, but the moment it’s driven on a public road — even to reposition — it becomes untaxed and unregistered for road use, and the driver is immediately liable.
The Practical Checklist Every Track Day Driver Should Follow
After years of watching enthusiasts receive roadside tickets on the way home from circuits, the sensible approach comes down to a handful of straightforward habits. These apply whether you’re running a lightly modified hot hatch or a stripped-out, caged time attack weapon:
Always carry your standard-compliant plates to the circuit, even if you remove them once in the paddock
Refit both front and rear plates before leaving the circuit gates — not at the motorway junction
Check that plates haven’t been cracked, bent, or obscured by a rear diffuser modification since you last used the car on the road
If your rear plate light has been removed for weight saving, either reinstate it or don’t drive in the dark
If the car is trailer-only, confirm that your tow vehicle’s plates are clearly visible and unobstructed with the trailer attached
None of this is bureaucratic pedantry. Police officers operating outside circuits on busy track day weekends have ticketing powers, and a single stop for a plate offense can trigger a more thorough check of your MOT status, insurance, and tire condition. One oversight has a habit of cascading.
The circuit is where you go to forget the rules of the road — but the road is where those rules still apply, right up until the moment you park in the paddock and switch the engine off. Treat the registration plate as the last piece of essential kit you bolt on before leaving home, and the legal side of track day ownership becomes remarkably straightforward.
Esports in 2025 is no longer a subculture. It’s a mainstream sports category with tournament prize pools that rival traditional athletics, global audiences in the tens of millions, and a dedicated fanbase that consumes news with the same intensity as any football supporter. The problem isn’t a lack of esports content – it’s the opposite. Coverage is fragmented across dozens of specialized platforms, each focused on one game, one region, or one format. Fans who follow multiple titles are forced to juggle between sources, and the experience is rarely consistent. JB News solves this by treating esports as a full-spectrum vertical – not a footnote attached to traditional sports coverage, but a genuine pillar of the platform’s editorial identity.
Why Esports Coverage Is Broken Across the Industry
Before understanding what makes JB News different, it helps to understand the problem it’s solving. The esports media landscape is deeply siloed. Platforms like HLTV exist exclusively for Counter-Strike. Dedicated Dota 2 communities live on their own hubs. League of Legends coverage is dominated by Riot’s own ecosystem. Fans who follow two or three competitive titles have no natural home – they’re building their own reading list from scratch, following multiple social accounts, and piecing together a picture from sources that rarely talk to each other.
Traditional sports media hasn’t filled this gap. Major outlets cover esports only when a headline is big enough to cross over – a record prize pool, a major scandal, or a Valve announcement. The day-to-day rhythm of competitive esports – roster moves, qualifier results, patch analysis, tournament brackets – is almost entirely absent from mainstream sports reporting.
This is exactly where JB News steps in. The platform covers esports with the same editorial consistency it applies to football, cricket, and basketball: regular updates, multiple formats, and no assumption that the reader needs to go elsewhere for the full picture.
CS2: Beyond the Box Score
Counter-Strike 2 is currently the flagship title of competitive PC gaming, and JB News treats it accordingly. Coverage goes well beyond match results. The platform tracks the full competitive calendar – from BLAST Premier events and IEM tournaments to PGL Majors – giving readers context before, during, and after each event.
The JB sport latest updates on CS2 don’t just tell you who won. They tell you why a team’s tactical approach changed between maps, what a roster move means for a squad’s ceiling, and which upcoming qualifier deserves attention before it becomes a major talking point. This kind of layered reporting is what separates genuine esports coverage from a glorified scoreboard.
For a title as strategically complex as CS2 – where meta shifts, map pool rotations, and individual player form all interact – this depth matters. JB News recognizes that its readers aren’t passive consumers waiting for highlights. They’re engaged fans who want to understand the game, not just watch it.
Dota 2: The International and the Season Between
The International remains the most prestigious event in Dota 2, but the road to TI runs through months of regional qualifiers, regional qualifier circuits and third-party Majors, and Major tournaments that collectively define which teams are genuinely dangerous and which are living off past reputation. JB News covers this full arc, not just the marquee moments.
This approach is significant because Dota 2’s competitive scene is genuinely global in a way few other esports titles match. Teams from Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, China, and the Americas all compete at the highest level, and the regional dynamics shift from season to season. Following JB sports latest coverage of Dota 2 on JB News means tracking how teams from different regions are developing – which roster combinations are clicking, which coaching changes are making a difference, and which young players are emerging as the next generation of top-level competitors.
The International itself receives extended coverage from JB News – group stage breakdowns, bracket analysis, and post-event retrospectives that put the results in context of the broader competitive year. It’s the kind of coverage that esports fans expect but rarely find in one place alongside updates on other sports disciplines.
The JB News Channel Difference: One Platform, Many Disciplines
What sets the JB News channel apart from niche esports outlets isn’t just depth within individual titles – it’s the editorial decision to cover esports alongside traditional sports rather than in isolation. This matters more than it might initially seem.
Esports audiences in 2025 are not monolithic. A significant portion of competitive gaming fans also follow football, basketball, or cricket. They’re not choosing between esports and traditional sports – they’re fans of both, and they want a platform that reflects that reality rather than forcing them to segment their interests.
The JB News channel delivers this naturally. A reader can move from a CS2 Major preview to a Premier League match analysis to a Dota 2 roster update without changing tabs or adjusting to a different editorial voice. The consistency of format and quality across disciplines is what builds platform loyalty – and it’s what most news outlets, either too traditional or too niche, fail to provide.
League of Legends, Valorant, and Emerging Titles
CS2 and Dota 2 represent the established pillars of competitive PC gaming, but JB News doesn’t stop there. League of Legends – still one of the most-watched esports globally – receives consistent coverage, including updates from major regional leagues such as the LCK, LPL, and LEC. Valorant’s competitive scene, which has grown rapidly since its launch and now runs a structured international circuit, is also part of the JB News editorial remit.
This breadth is intentional. The JB sport latest updates on emerging titles reflect the platform’s understanding that esports is not a static landscape. New games rise, new competitive formats emerge, and the audience shifts accordingly. A platform that only covers the current top three titles will find itself behind the curve within a year or two. JB News invests in coverage that anticipates the direction of the industry, not just its current state.
Format Diversity: Previews, Recaps, and Analysis
One of the practical strengths of JB News esports coverage is its format variety. Not every reader comes to a story at the same point in their information journey. Some want a tournament preview before an event starts. Some want a quick recap immediately after a result drops. Others want deeper analysis that puts a result in the context of a team’s season-long trajectory.
JB News publishes across all three formats consistently. Pre-tournament breakdowns establish narrative context – who the favorites are, what storylines to watch, and what tactical factors could determine the outcome. Post-event recaps provide JB sports latest results quickly and clearly. And analytical pieces, published between major events, keep readers engaged during the quieter stretches of the competitive calendar.
This format discipline is what transforms JB News from a headline aggregator into a genuine editorial destination for esports readers.
Built for the Esports Generation
Esports fans are digital natives. They consume content across multiple screens simultaneously, they’re intolerant of slow load times and cluttered interfaces, and they expect publication speed to match the pace of the competitive scene. A tournament result that takes six hours to appear on a platform is already old news.
JB News is built for this audience. The platform’s clean, fast interface – which works equally well on desktop and mobile – matches the consumption habits of a demographic that doesn’t distinguish between device types. Content is published at a cadence that respects the speed of competitive gaming. And the absence of intrusive ads or registration barriers means the reading experience never interrupts itself.
For esports fans specifically, this frictionless access is not a minor convenience – it’s a baseline expectation. JB News meets that expectation and builds something more durable on top of it: a reliable, comprehensive, and consistently updated home for competitive gaming coverage that doesn’t ask you to go anywhere else.
Ken Roczen Goes Back-to-Back in 450SMX Class to Tighten Title Fight
ST. LOUIS (April 4, 2026) – The return of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship to the “Gateway City” was headlined by the annual Love Moto Stop Cancer Supercross honoring the kids at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the fight against childhood cancer. With specially decorated race bikes and gear that will be auctioned off for fundraising, an already special race turned into a championship celebration inside The Dome at America’s Center as the Monster Energy SMX World Championship returned to St. Louis for the 12th race of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan came into St. Louis with a shot at securing a second straight Western Divisional 250SMX Class Championship and did so by dominating against a full field of the class’ top talent during the East/West Showdown.
With a win, Deegan needed a finish of sixth or worse from teammate Max Anstie to secure the title. As the second 15 Minutes + 1 Lap Showdown Main Event in three weeks got underway, it was fellow Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing teammate Cole Davies, the Eastern Divisional points leader, who grabbed the holeshot and seized control of the early lead over the Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki duo of Seth Hammaker and Nick Romano. Deegan started sixth but wasted little time making his move to the front, as he quickly stormed into second place just a few minutes into the race. Just over three seconds separated the Yamaha pair, but Deegan took chunks out of his deficit and soon made a quick pass on Davies to grab the lead with just over nine minutes to go.
Deegan proceeded to open a margin of more than 15 seconds over the field and cruised to his sixth win of the season by 15.6 seconds over Davies, who was never challenged in second. Hammaker rode to a quiet fifth consecutive podium finish in third.
The most dominant win of the season for Deegan, combined with a 15th-place finish for Anstie, was more than enough to wrap up the Western Divisional Championship. It’s the sixth career title for Deegan and puts a finishing touch on one of the most decorated 250SMX Class careers of all time. Davies, meanwhile, added to his lead over Hammaker in the Eastern Divisional title fight, with 11 points now separating the pair with four races remaining.
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan captured a second straight Western Divisional title with a dominant victory in the East/West Showdown.
Haiden Deegan – 1st Place – 250SMX Class East/West Showdown “I’m so grateful. This 250 career has been insane. As a kid I wanted to win one championship, that’s every kid’s dream. This is number six. We’re going to keep digging. I ain’t done yet. I’m not done ticking [championships] off and we’re coming to the 450 Class swinging.”
Cole Davies – 2nd Place – 250SMX Class East/West Showdown “I’m happy with tonight. That track was gnarly. I just rode it home. I’m happy I gained points [in the Eastern Divisional Championship], because there was no need to push it in those conditions. Congrats to Haiden [Deegan].”
Seth Hammaker – 3rd Place – 250SMX Class East/West Showdown “We’re coming to the closing stretch here [in the championship], so it’s going to be time to take a little more risk and leave a little bit more out there. I try my hardest each and every race. I try to be smart and try to be consistent, but Cole [Davies] has been riding super well. One of the gnarliest tracks I’ve ever ridden tonight, so I’m glad to get through it and get another podium. Four races left. We’ve got to get some more wins and attack.”
The 20 Minutes + 1 Lap 450SMX Class Main Event began with Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrance out front with the holeshot ahead of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado and Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen, last weekend’s winner. Behind them, points leader and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Eli Tomac started ninth. Prado went on the attack and briefly got by Lawrence for the lead, only for the Australian to fight back and regain the top spot. Roczen, meanwhile, took advantage of this and made it a three-rider battle for the race lead, as the German native made his way by Prado and then leaned on Lawrence to grab the lead. Prado slotted into second as Lawrence regrouped in third.
Roczen’s intense pace early on allowed him to establish a multi-second lead over the field, which left Prado and Lawrence to battle for second. Prado proceeded to strengthen his hold of the position as Lawrence soon lost third to Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Justin Cooper. The leaders settled in through the middle of the race, with Roczen continuing to add to his lead, before the battle for second picked up between Prado, Cooper, and Lawrence. Cooper was persistent and made the move around the Spaniard for second, while Lawrence soon followed through into third.
Back out front, Roczen was in a class of his own for the second consecutive weekend and took the checkered flag by 13.2 seconds over Cooper, who equaled his career-best result. Lawrence rebounded from his worst outing of the season one week ago with his ninth podium of the year in third. Roczen’s back-to-back triumph is his first since the 2021 season and gives him three wins on the year.
Roczen’s victory, Lawrence’s podium, and a sixth-place finish from Tomac, who never factored into the race, has dramatically tightened the battle for the championship. Lawrence has regained a share of the points lead with Tomac, while Roczen has moved to within five points of the lead with five races to go.
Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen has moved within five points of the championship lead following back-to-back victories.
Ken Roczen – 1st Place – 450SMX Class “I honestly still can’t believe it. That track was absolutely brutal and on top of that, it was just extremely busy. It was a brutal Main Event. Even when I had that gap, you just don’t want to make any silly mistakes that allow them to get closer and make it tight at the end. I just can’t believe I pulled off this back-to-back win. I just never stop believing. We’ve got the ball rolling. We’re going to hunker down and keep hammering.”
Justin Cooper – 2nd Place – 450SMX Class “Three fourth places in-a-row has been a little bit frustrating, so it’s nice to get back on the box here. I think it was the toughest [race] of the year. It was challenging all day, but our setup worked. There was a little bit of cat and mouse in the beginning with Hunter [Lawrence] and Jorge [Prado], and I didn’t do myself any favors there. I couldn’t see Kenny [once into second] but I feel like my pace was really good and we brought it home.”
Hunter Lawrence – 3rd Place – 450SMX Class “I’m pretty happy. My wrist is still really sore from the crash last weekend so I’m happy to still be in the fight. This track was so freaking gnarly and probably the worst conditions for having a sore wrist. We got in and out in one piece and got the red plate back; or sharing it. How good is this title fight narrowing down to the end? I’m looking forward to this.”
The Monster Energy SMX World Championship and Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship will continue next Saturday, April 11, with Round 13 from Nissan Stadium in Nashville. Live broadcast coverage will be highlighted by a network showcase on NBC at 3 p.m. ET, in addition to comprehensive coverage on Peacock, beginning at 9 a.m. ET with Race Day Live, followed by the Gate Drop at 3 p.m. ET. Additionally, a domestic Spanish language broadcast is available on Peacock while international viewers can choose from dedicated English, French, and Spanish broadcasts via SMX Video Pass (www.SMXVideoPass.com).
All 17 rounds of the 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and 11 rounds of the Pro Motocross Championship are on sale. Tickets for the SMX World Championship Playoff Rounds and Final are now on sale at SuperMotocross.com. Saturday FanFest will take place at all postseason races, Friday FanFest and camping will be available in Columbus and Ridgedale, additional details to follow.
For information about the Monster Energy SMX World Championship, please visit www.SuperMotocross.com and be sure to follow all of the new SMX social media channels for exclusive content and additional information on the latest news:
About the Monster Energy SMX World Championship: The Monster Energy SMX World Championship™ is the premier off-road motorcycle racing series in the world that combines the technical precision of stadium racing with the all-out speed and endurance of outdoor racing. Created in 2022, the Monster Energy SMX World Championship Series combines the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and the AMA Pro Motocross Championship into a 28-round regular season that culminates with the season-ending SMX World Championship Playoffs. Visit SuperMotocross.com for more information.
About Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship: Monster Energy AMA Supercross is the most competitive and highest-profile off-road motorcycle racing championship on the planet. Founded in America and sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) since 1974. Over 17 weeks, Supercross attracts some of the largest and most impressive crowds inside the most recognizable and prestigious stadiums in North America to race in front of nearly one million live fans and broadcast to millions more worldwide. For more information, visit SupercrossLIVE.com.
About Pro Motocross Championship: The Pro Motocross Championship features the world’s fastest outdoor motocross racers, competing aboard homologated bikes from one of seven competing manufacturers on a collection of the roughest, toughest tracks on the planet. Racing takes place each Saturday afternoon, with competition divided into two classes: one for 250cc machines, and one for 450cc machines. MX Sports Pro Racing, the industry leader in off-road powersports event production, manages the Pro Motocross Championship. For more information, visit ProMotocross.com.
About Feld Motor Sports, Inc.: Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is the worldwide leader in producing and presenting specialized arena and stadium-based motorsports entertainment. Properties include Monster Jam®, Monster Energy AMA Supercross, and the Monster Energy SMX World Championship. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is a subsidiary of Feld Entertainment, Inc. Visit monsterjam.com, SupercrossLIVE.com, and feldentertainment.com for more information.
About MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.: MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc., manages and produces the world’s premier motocross racing series – the Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. MX Sports Pro Racing is an industry leader in off-road powersport event production and management, its mission is to showcase the sport of professional motocross competition at events throughout the United States. Through its various racing properties, partnerships and affiliates, MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc., organizes events for thousands of action sports athletes each year and attracts millions of motorsports spectators. Visit MXSportsProRacing.com for more information.
Loose Wheels Dampen the Day for Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Team at Rockingham Speedway
Finish: 27th Start: 2nd Points: 2nd
“We were excited for today’s race at Rockingham Speedway after a fast effort in practice and qualifying with the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet team. Unfortunately, we had a winning day get away from us after having to pit under green multiple times. Somehow our wheels worked themselves loose after normal solid pit stops. So frustrating, but another week where we had all the potential in the world. On a positive note, we have a good pit stall for Bristol Motor Speedway next week.” – Jesse Love
Austin Hill and the No. 21 1-800-PACK-RAT Chevrolet Team Battle to 11th-Place Finish in Challenging Rockingham Speedway Race
Finish: 11th Start: 11th Points: 4th
“I’m honestly not sure how our 1-800-PACK-RAT Chevrolet was so good during practice yesterday, but so off during the race today. On the initial start, our car was wrecking loose on entry and loose on throttle down. Chad (Haney, crew chief) and the guys made adjustments and we got on the other side of it, but then the balance was too tight. By the end, we were running competitive lap times to the leader. Our No. 21 group just kept battling and came home 11th. We wish it was better, but we’ll keep working on it.” -Austin Hill
Day of Learning for Cleetus McFarland and the No. 33 Tommy’s Express Car Wash Chevrolet Team at Rockingham Speedway
Finish: 32nd Start: 35th Points: N/A
“That was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, driving the No. 33 Tommy’s Express Car Wash Chevrolet. Qualified 35th. Finished 32nd. Whoo! Three positions! I spun out four times, but did I ruin anyone’s day besides my own? No, I didn’t. This was a hell of an opportunity, and I got my butt kicked today, but I learned so much. I made so many mistakes. At one point, I drove down on a guy who was inside of me. I recovered from that. I spun out early. I abandoned the whole plan of chilling and I went three wide and spun out. Got past that. The third spin was just on my own. I went into the corner too fast. Then, I think the fourth spin, the guy below me hit me. That one, I’ll take only 50% credit for. All in all, made a ton of mistakes. I learned a lot. I hoped to stay more out of the news than I did. I’ve got a lot to learn.” -Cleetus McFarland
17-Year-Old Racer Continues to Shine in ARCA Menards Series
Date: Saturday, April 4 Event: Rockingham ARCA Menards East 125 Series: ARCA Menards Series Location: Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway (.94-mile oval) Length: 125 laps (117.5 miles) Start/Finish: 3rd / 2nd (Running, completed 125 of 125 laps)
Overview:
Carson Brown came up one spot short in his bid for back-to-back ARCA Menards Series victories. The 17-year-old from New London, North Carolina, finished second in the Rockingham ARCA Menards East 125 Saturday at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway, trailing his Pinnacle Racing Group teammate Tristan McKee by 1.446 seconds. Brown came into the 125-lap race around the .94-mile oval after having won from the pole in his previous ARCA start March 5 at Phoenix Raceway. In that race, Brown led every lap and beat McKee by .299 of a second in a green-white-checkered finish. At Rockingham, it was a bit of a role reversal, with McKee winning the pole and leading all 125 laps. But Brown still made it interesting. He qualified third and took second place from Joe Gibbs Racing driver Max Reaves on the opening lap. Brown then settled into the No. 2 position, stalking McKee and waiting for an opportunity to make a move. With 20 laps to go, that opportunity finally came with McKee navigating lapped traffic. Brown made a bold dive to the inside of a lapped car going into turn three as McKee took the outside lane. Brown’s No. 28 Distributor Wire & Cable Chevrolet went into a four-wheel drift through the middle of the corner, allowing McKee to reassert his position at the front of the field. Brown held firmly in second, with his runner-up finish giving him an average result of 2.75 in his four career ARCA starts.
Carson Brown, driver of the No. 28 Distributor Wire & Cable Chevrolet for Pinnacle Racing Group:
“It was a very fun race. We struggled at first. I’m not sure what was wrong, but the car was really loose. We just struggled to get going, but it finally felt like it was coming to us. I almost wrecked both of us at one point – me and Tristan – but I was able to hold onto it and keep it straight. After the break we were decent because we made some changes. Our Distributor Wire & Cable Chevrolet fired off better, but was still a little bit of a struggle. Overall, it was a good day.”
Notes:
● Brown qualified third for the Rockingham ARCA Menards East 125 with a time of 22.702 seconds at 153.819 mph. In four career ARCA starts, Brown has never qualified lower than sixth.
● Brown made his ARCA debut last March at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida, when he finished sixth in the ARCA East season opener. His second ARCA start came in November at Phoenix in the ARCA West finale when he finished second. His victory March 5 at Phoenix came in just his third ARCA start.
Next Up:
Brown returns to the zMAX CARS Tour for the Tootsie’s Music City Showdown April 11 at Nashville (Tenn.) Fairgrounds Speedway. It will serve as good preparation for his next ARCA start, which comes May 2 in the Cook Out Music City 150 at Nashville. Across ARCA, the ASA Stars National Tour, the zMAX CARS Tour and select Late Model races, Brown is scheduled to compete in 53 pavement races in 2026.
William Sawalich Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.
William Sawalich earned his first NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series career victory after dominating the final stage of the North Carolina Education Lottery 250 at Rockingham Speedway on Saturday, April 4.
The two-time ARCA Menards Series East champion from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, led twice for 80 of the 250-scheduled laps. He started in 14th place and methodically carved his way to the front. After recording a pair of top-five results between the event’s first two stage periods at Rockingham, Sawalich commenced the third and final stage period by briefly challenging Jesse Love for the lead, and despite leading a single lap, he was outdueled by the latter.
During a brief restart with 79 laps remaining, Sawalich overtook teammate Brent Crews and maintained the top spot at Rockingham through two late-race cautions and restarts. This included the event’s final restart with 38 laps remaining. With the lead in his possession, Sawalich never looked back as he beat teammate Brandon Jones by eight-tenths of a second to achieve his first elusive victory in his second full-time campaign in the O’Reilly division.
On-track qualifying determined the starting lineup at Rockingham on Friday, April 3. Corey Day claimed his first pole position with a pole-winning lap at 148.963 mph in 22.717 seconds. Day was joined on the front row with Jesse Love, the latter of whom clocked in the second-fastest qualifying lap at 148.545 mph in 22.781 seconds.
Before the event, the following names, which included Garrett Smithley, Joey Gase and Austin Green, dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments that were made to their respective entries.
When the green flag waved and the event at Rockingham commenced, Corey Day launched his No. 17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro entry ahead from the outside lane through the frontstretch. Day proceeded to lead Jesse Love through the first two turns while Parker Retzlaff and Justin Allgaier briefly got sideways after the former made contact with the latter entering the backstretch. As the field fanned out and jostled from the backstretch, Day cycled back to the frontstretch and led the first lap.
Over the next four laps, Day’s early advantage stood at three-tenths of a second over Love while third-place Allgaier followed suit by seven-tenths of a second. Behind, Taylor Gray and Carson Kvapil occupied the remaining top-five spots at Rockingham over Retzlaff, Sam Mayer, Brandon Jones, Sheldon Creed and Brent Crews. Meanwhile, Day grew his lead to seven-tenths of a second over Love at the Lap 10 mark.
Through the Lap 20 mark, Day was leading by nine-tenths of a second over Love. Allgaier, Kvapil and Gray trailed by two seconds. Meanwhile, sixth-place Retzlaff and seventh-place Jones trailed by three seconds. Mayer, Creed, Crews, William Sawalich, Ryan Sieg, Austin Hill, Rajah Caruth, Anthony Alfredo and Dean Thompson trailed by single digits, respectively.
Meanwhile, Jeremy Clements trailed in 17th place by more than 10 seconds along with Harrison Burton, Kyle Sieg and Brennan Poole. Sammy Smith was mired in 21st place ahead of Lavar Scott, Blaine Perkins, Patrick Staropoli and Jeb Burton. Amid the battles at the front, Cleetus McFarland, who got loose through the first two turns amid an early three-wide battle with Nathan Byrd and Josh Bilicki, was mired at the tail end of the lead lap category in 36th place while Day stretched his lead to more than a second by Lap 25.
Just past the Lap 30 mark, Day led by two seconds over Love. Behind, teammates Allgaier and Kvapil battled for third place. Retzlaff fended off Jones to retain sixth place while Gray maintained fifth place. In addition, Sawalich cracked the top 10 as he was up into ninth place. Mayer dropped to 12th place. Meanwhile, Day, who was navigating through lapped traffic, retained the lead by nearly two seconds over Love on Lap 40.
On Lap 48, the event’s first caution flew when Blake Lothain spun toward the outside wall in Turn 2. He then slid down the track and was dodged by oncoming traffic. The caution occurred as 11 competitors, including McFarland, were lapped by the leader, Day. During the event’s first caution period, nearly the entire field led by Day opted to pit. The rest, which included Taylor Gray, Anthony Alfredo, Sammy Smith and Kyle Sieg, remained on the track.
The next restart on Lap 54 featured Gray rocketing ahead of the field from the inside lane as he was pushed by both Sammy Smith and Day. At the launch, Day wasted no time diving beneath Smith and assuming the runner-up spot through the first two turns. The field behind fanned out and jostled for spots through the backstretch. Amid the battles, Gray led the next two laps until Day used his four fresh tires to reassume the top spot on Lap 57.
When the first stage period concluded on Lap 60, Day captured his first O’Reilly career stage victory. Gray maintained second place over teammate Jones, Allgaier and teammate Sawalich. Love, Sammy Smith, teammate Brent Crews, Caruth and Retzlaff were scored in the top 10, respectively. By then, 27 of 38 starters were scored on the lead lap.
Under the event’s first stage break period, some led by Gray and including Sammy Smith, Alfredo, Jeb Burton, Kyle Sieg and Patrick Staropoli pitted their respective entries while the rest led by Day remained on the track. Meanwhile, Mayer, who was dealing with a mechanical issue to his No. 41 Audibel/Haas Factory Team Chevrolet Camaro entry, lost two laps to the leaders as he pitted to have the issue inspected.
The second stage period started on Lap 69 as Day and Jones occupied the front row. At the start, Day used the inside lane to muscle ahead through the first two turns while the field behind fanned out through the backstretch. Despite having Jones close within his rearview mirror, Day led the next lap. Behind, Sawalich battled Allgaier, teammate Crews and Love for third place before the former motored ahead during the proceeding lap. Love would then drop to seventh place as Caruth overtook him while Day led by three-tenths of a second by Lap 75.
At the Lap 90 mark, Day, who has led since the start of the second stage period, was leading by four-tenths of a second over Jones while Jones’ two Joe Gibbs Racing teammates, Sawalich and Crews, trailed by a second in third and fourth, respectively. Behind, Allgaier trailed the lead by two seconds in fifth place while Love, Caruth, Jeremy Clements, Kvapil and Retzlaff occupied top-10 spots over Harrison Burton, Ryan Sieg, Creed, Austin Hill and Sammy Smith. Meanwhile, Gray was mired in 17th place behind Alfredo.
Three laps later, the caution flew when Clements, who was racing in ninth place and battling both Caruth and Kvapil for more, got loose and spun from the top to the bottom of the track through the first two turns. During this caution period, some that included Love, Ryan Sieg and Clements pitted while the rest led by Day remained on the track.
As the event restarted under green on Lap 99, Day motored ahead from Jones, Sawalich and the rest of the field. Day led the next lap, Lap 100, over a trio of Joe Gibbs Racing competitors that consisted of Jones, Sawalich and Crews while Allgaier reeled in on Crews from fifth place. Behind, Caruth was in sixth place before he was overtaken by teammate Kvapil. Caruth would then maintain seventh place in front of Retzlaff, Creed, Harrison Burton and Austin Hill while Day retained the lead by six-tenths of a second over Jones on Lap 105.
When the second stage period concluded on Lap 120, Day cruised to the second stage victory of his O’Reilly career and of Saturday’s event at The Rock. Sawalich trailed in second place by four-tenths of a second and he was followed by Allgaier and teammate Crews while teammate Jones fell back to fifth place. Caruth, Retzlaff, Creed, Clements and Kvapil were scored in the top 10, respectively, while 27 of 38 starters were scored on the lead lap.
During the event’s second stage break period, nearly the entire lead lap field led by Day pitted for service while Love remained on the track. Following the pit stops, Ryan Sieg exited pit road first after he only took fuel to his entry while Sawalich, Jones, Crews, Allgaier and Day, all of whom pitted for both fresh tires and fuel, followed suit, respectively. Amid the pit stops, Clements was penalized for speeding on pit road.
With 121 laps remaining, the final stage period commenced as Love and Ryan Sieg occupied the front row. At the start, Love launched ahead from the inside lane until Sawalich drew beneath Love in a bid for the lead through the first two turns. Amid his side-by-side battle with Love for a full circuit, Sawalich led the next lap as both drivers continued to duel through the first two turns. Then through the backstretch, Crews made a move beneath teammate Sawalich. This allowed Love to motor ahead entering Turn 3 as Crews then made slight contact against Sawalich’s No. 18 Soundgear Toyota Supra entry. The contact caused Sawalich to drift high and drop to fourth as both Crews and Ryan Sieg overtook him. Meanwhile, Love motored ahead to lead the next lap.
With 115 laps remaining, Love was leading by four-tenths of a second over Crews while Allgaier, Sawalich, Ryan Sieg, Caruth, Jones, Day, Retzlaff and Kvapil followed suit, respectively. Seven laps later, Crews navigated past Love to assume the lead for the first time. While Crews proceeded to lead with 100 laps remaining, Allgaier trailed in the runner-up spot by eight-tenths of a second while Sawalich, Caruth and Jones were up in the top five, respectively. Meanwhile, Day, who endured a slow pit service during the second stage’s break period, was mired in seventh place behind Retzlaff and Ryan Sieg was scored in 10th place ahead of Sammy Smith while Love had dropped to 13th place.
Down to the final 90 laps of the event, Crews stretched his advantage to more than a second over Allgaier while Caruth was reeling in Sawalich for third place. Behind, Day trailed the lead by seven seconds in eighth place while he also trailed Jones, Retzlaff and teammate Kvapil for more while Love, who pitted to address a loose wheel, was mired three laps behind in 31st place.
Four laps later, the caution flew when Alfredo spun off of Turn 4 and shredded his right-front fender as he nursed his entry back to pit road. During this caution period, the lead lap field led by Crews pitted for service. Following the pit stops, Crews maintained the lead by exiting pit road first while Allgaier, Clements, Sawalich and Caruth followed suit, respectively.
The next restart with 79 laps remaining only last a single lap before the caution returned. The caution was due to Clements getting hit by Ryan Sieg and sliding through the first two turns. Compared to the first incident on Lap 93, Clements hit the outside wall and damaged his rear end before he spun back down the track and was dodged by oncoming traffic. At the moment of caution, Sawalich, who used the one-lap shootout to get beneath teammate Crews and overtake him through the first two turns and the backstretch, was leading Crews while Allgaier, teammate Jones and Creed were in the top five ahead of Gray, Caruth, Kvapil, Retzlaff, Austin Hill and Day while Mayer took his entry to the garage.
When the event restarted under green with 71 laps remaining, Sawalich maintained the lead over teammate Crews while a three-wide scuffle that involved Caruth and Retzlaff ensued through the backstretch. Amid the late action, the field managed to cycle back to the frontstretch under green flag conditions as Sawalich also maintained the lead over teammates Crews and Jones, Creed and Allgaier.
Down to the final 60 laps of the event, Sawalich, who has led since the previous restart, stretched his late lead to more than a second over teammate Crews while teammate Jones, Creed and Allgaier all trailed in the top five, respectively, by three seconds. Behind, Kvapil was up into sixth place ahead of Gray, Hill, Retzlaff and Caruth while Ryan Sieg, Harrison Burton, Brennan Poole, Sammy Smith and Day were mired in the top 15, respectively.
Fifteen laps later, the caution flew at Rockingham when Cleetus McFarland, who was racing four laps down and outside the top-30 mark, got loose and spun his No. 33 Tommy’s Express Car Wash Chevrolet Camaro entry in Turn 4. At the time of caution, Sawalich stabilized his advantage to more than a second over teammate Crews while Creed muscled his way up to third place as the latter trailed by nearly three seconds.
As the event restarted with 38 laps remaining, Sawalich fended off teammate Crews entering the first turn to lead. With Crews fending off teammate Jones and Creed for the runner-up spot, the field fanned out as Sawalich led the next lap. Over the next two laps, Jones overtook both Creed and Crews to move into the runner-up spot.
During the following five laps at Rockingham, Creed overtook Crews for third place while Allgaier, Gray and Kvapil all overtook Crews, who reported a potential tire issue. At the same time, Sawalich maintained the lead by nearly two seconds. Crews would then make an unscheduled pit stop under green flag conditions with 29 laps remaining, but he lost two laps by the time he returned on the track.
Down to the final 25 laps of the event, Sawalich was leading by nearly two seconds over teammate Jones while Creed, Allgaier and Kvapil were scored in the top five ahead of Caruth, Gray, Retzlaff, Austin Hill, Ryan Sieg and Sammy Smith, while Day was mired in 12th place. Amid Jones’ effort in chopping the deficit by four-tenths of a second, Sawalich continued to lead by more than a second with less than 20 laps remaining.
With 10 laps remaining, Sawalich continued to lead by one-and-a-half seconds over teammate Jones. Third-place Allgaier trailed by more than two seconds. Behind, fourth-place Creed and fifth-place Kvapil trailed by four seconds apiece ahead of Caruth, Gray, Retzlaff, Hill and Ryan Sieg. Sawalich maintained the lead at Rockingham by a second with five laps remaining.
When the white flag waved and the final lap started at Rockingham, Sawalich remained in the lead by a second over teammate Jones. With Jones unable to reel in and make up the deficit, Sawalich was able to smoothly navigate around The Rock and lapped traffic smoothly for a final time before he cycled back to the frontstretch and claimed his first checkered flag by eight-tenths of a second.
With the victory, Sawalich, who won in his 42nd start, became the 183rd competitor overall to win in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series division and he became the 15th competitor overall to record a first O’Reilly career victory while driving for Joe Gibbs Racing. He also joins David Pearson, Ward Burton, Ernie Irvan and Matt Kenseth as competitors to record a first O’Reilly career victory at The Rock.
Sawalich’s Rockingham victory marked the first win for Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 Toyota team since Sammy Smith won at Phoenix Raceway in March 2023 and the first for crew chief Jeff Meendering since the latter won with Chandler Smith at Richmond Raceway in March 2024. It was also Joe Gibbs Racing’s first O’Reilly victory since winning at Martinsville Speedway with Taylor Gray in October 2025.
Sawalich’s Rockingham victory was also a redemptive moment for the Minnesota native at The Rock after he was involved in an early controversial accident by wrecking the lapped competitor of Katherine Legge and collecting veteran Kasey Kahne during last year’s event.
Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.
“I mean, [the win] means everything,” Sawalich said on the frontstretch on the CW Network. “It was obviously a tough year last year and a tough start this year. These [No. 18] boys mean everything to me. They were here with me through everything in my family. It feels good to get it done here in Rockingham, in front of an awesome crowd. Thank you everyone for coming out. Our Soundgear GR Supra was on rails today. [The car was] Good in stage one, stage two and obviously, amazing in clean air.”
“What a hard-fought battle today,” Jones said. “I left Martinsville a little frustrated with myself last week. We just weren’t quite aggressive enough at times. Today, I was really adamant on I’m going to be super aggressive today. I’m going to take all the runs I can get. I’m going to put people in bad situations if I can and try to go forward. I think we did a really good job of it. We kept fighting both sides of the balance today. [Crew chief] Sam [McAulay] did a really good job at the end of taking all my feedback and making a car capable of winning. It just was a matter of trying to get some track position and [Sawalich] got such a big jump and a big lead on that last restart that it was hard to catch him. Congrats to them. I know it’s been a long time coming for the No. 18 group. I’m hungry. I want one [win]. We’re really close.”
Justin Allgaier and Rajah Caruth finished third and fourth, respectively. The JR Motorsports duo, along with race winner Sawalich and runner-up Jones, will contend for the first Dash 4 Cash bonus of the 2026 season. The Dash 4 Cash program begins next Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Carson Kvapil finished in fifth place in the O’Reilly event at Rockingham, as Sheldon Creed, Taylor Gray, Parker Retzlaff, Ryan Sieg and Corey Day completed the top 10 in the final running order. Notably, Austin Hill, who was racing in ninth place with two laps remaining, dropped to 11th place in front of Sammy Smith. In addition, Jeremy Clements, Brent Crews and Jesse Love finished 25th, 26th and 27th, respectively, while Cleetus McFarland settled in 32nd place in his O’Reilly debut.
There were eight lead changes for six different leaders during the race. The event at Rockingham also featured seven cautions for 44 laps. In addition, 21 of 38 starters finished on the lead lap.
Following the eighth event of the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season at Rockingham, Justin Allgaier continues to lead the standings by 126 points over Jesse Love, 131 over Sheldon Creed, 145 over Austin Hill and 150 over Corey Day.
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Results at Rockingham:
William Sawalich, 80 laps led
Brandon Jones
Justin Allgaier, one lap led
Rajah Caruth
Carson Kvapil
Sheldon Creed
Taylor Gray, six laps led
Parker Retzlaff
Ryan Sieg
Corey Day, 118 laps led, Stages 1 & 2 winner
Austin Hill
Sammy Smith
Harrison Burton
Brennan Poole
Lavar Scott
Nathan Byrd
Jeb Burton
Alex Labbe
Josh Williams
JJ Yeley
Andrew Patterson
Ryan Ellis, one lap down
Blaine Perkins, one lap down
Anthony Alfredo, one lap down
Jeremy Clements, one lap down
Brent Crews, two laps down, 30 laps led
Jesse Love, two laps down, 15 laps led
Dean Thompson, two laps down
Garrett Smithley, four laps down
Blake Lothian, five laps down
Joey Gase, five laps down
Cleetus McFarland, six laps down
Austin Green, seven laps down
Patrick Staropoli, eight laps down
Dawson Cram, nine laps down
Josh Bilicki, nine laps down
Kyle Sieg – OUT, Electrical
Sam Mayer – OUT, Engine
Next on the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series schedule is Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee, for the Suburban Propane 300. The event is scheduled to occur next Saturday, April 11, and air at 7:30 p.m. ET on the CW Network, PRN Radio and SiriusXM.
Sawalich, Brandon Jones sweep top-two positions for Joe Gibbs Racing
ROCKINGHAM, NC (April 4, 2026) – William Sawalich scored his first career NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series win at Rockingham Speedway on Saturday evening. Sawalich earned stage points in the first two stages, before a dominate performance in the final stage – leading 80 (of 250) laps. He drove away from his teammate Brandon Jones on the final restart, and went unchallenged to the checkered flag, which Jones finishing in second. Sawalich and Jones gave Joe Gibbs Racing their first 1-2 sweep of the season, and for Jones, it is his second runner-up finish in the last three races this season (Darlington).
Sawalich and Jones are now Dash 4 Cash eligible at Bristol Motor Speedway. They will compete against Justin Allgaier and Rajah Caruth for 100k next Saturday.
For Toyota, it was the second 1-2 sweep in as many days, after TRICON Garage teammates Corey Heim and Kaden Honeycutt took the top-two spots in the Truck Series race from Rockingham Speedway on Friday.
TOYOTA RACING Post-Race Recap NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (NOAPS) Rockingham Speedway Race 8 of 33 – 230 miles, 250 laps
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS 1st, WILLIAM SAWALICH 2nd, BRANDON JONES 3rd, Justin Allgaier* 4th, Rajah Caruth* 5th, Carson Kvapil* 7th, TAYLOR GRAY 13th, HARRISON BURTON 26th, BRENT CREWS 28th, DEAN THOMPSON *non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
WILLIAM SAWALICH, No. 18 SoundGear Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 1st
How rewarding is this moment after all of the trials and tribulations you went through? “It means everything. Honestly, tough year last year and tough start to the year this year. These boys mean everything to me. They were here with me through everything and my family. Gosh, it feels good to get it done here in Rockingham, in front of an awesome crowd. Thank you to everyone for coming out. Our SoundGear GR Supra was on rails today. Good in stage one and stage two, and obviously amazing in clean air.”
What were you trying to remind yourself as you went through the lap traffic? “Well, funny enough, lap traffic took me out last year, so it was running through my head a little bit. I just studied the race last year and just calmed down and everything was fine.”
BRANDON JONES, No. 20 Menards/Pelonis Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 2nd
How would you describe the race you put together?
“What a hard fought battle today. I want to thank Menards and Pelonis for being our GR Supra today. It has been cool to get them a couple of really good runs here the last few weeks. I left Martinsville a little frustrated at myself last week. We weren’t quite aggressive enough at times, so today, I was super adamant on being super aggressive. I am going to take all of the runs I can get. I’m going to put people in bad situations, if I can, and just move forward. I think we did a really good job of it. We kept fighting both sides of it with balance today. Sam (McAuley, crew chief) did a great job taking all of my feedback and making a car, I think, capable of winning. It was just a matter of trying to get some track position, and he got such a big restart on that last restart that it was hard to catch him. Congrats to them. I know it has been a long time coming for the 18 group. Happy for Jeff Meendering (crew chief, William Sawalich) and William (Sawalich) and all of those guys. I’m hungry. I want one. We are really close.”
TAYLOR GRAY, No. 54 Operation 300 Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 7th
How was it working back through the field all day?
“It was tough. Track position was pretty huge today. Just tough to pass, but really proud of everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing, TOYOTA RACING – thanks to them for bringing a really fast Operation 300 Toyota GR Supra. Big thanks to Black’s Tire for coming on board this weekend. Good points weekend for the 54 team. We’ve struggled the last few weeks just being able to finish races, so good step forward here and we will go to Bristol.”
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 49 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In spring 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 31 electrified options.
Tristan McKee In ARCA Victory Lane at Rockingham, Photo Credit: ARCA Photo
Tristan McKee dominated the ARCA Menards Series East 125, winning the race after qualifying on the pole. He led all 125 laps over his teammate, Carson Brown, in what was his second consecutive victory since winning at Hickory.
It was the second race of the ARCA Menards East Series and took place early Saturday morning at Rockingham Speedway as part of a doubleheader day with the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
“(The race) got sketchy a little bit there a few times with the lap cars, some of those guys are all over the place and the closing rates are really fast,” McKee said, “so it was definitely tough to keep my mental state and fight through it all to get through the lap cars,” McKee said in his victory interview.
“It was definitely a lot of fun and this track is awesome. This is my first time here. Totally a lot of fun,” McKee emphasized. “Thanks to Campers Inn for coming on board this week and all the PRG guys for all their hard work. Had a bad fast racecar and our team got one-two in the running order, which is really cool. That’s the second one for PRG this year. Thanks to everyone at Spire Motorsports for allowing me to do this.”
The series had its 2026 season opener last weekend at Hickory Motor Speedway, which saw some fireworks late in the going between Tristan McKee, Landon S. Huffman, and Max Reaves. McKee, who is driving the No. 77 Pinnacle Racing Group entry, ended up winning the race in a five-lap dash and came into this weekend with tons of momentum.
During qualifying for the ARCA race at Rockingham, McKee qualified on the pole position with a lap time of 22.459 seconds at 155.483 mph, with Reaves in second and Phoenix winner, Carson Brown, in the third position. By qualifying on the pole and being the recent race winner in the East Series, McKee was seeking his second consecutive back-to-back wins. The halfway race break occurred at or around Lap 63.
Through the first half of the race, McKee dominated, leading every lap and fending off challengers from his teammate Brown, Reaves, and Gavan Boschele. However, there were a couple of notable incidents. During the first 10 laps of the race, Reaves made slight contact with the wall off Turn 2 and was able to get away without any incident. Unfortunately, trouble came calling several laps later for Reaves at Lap 35, as the Joe Gibbs Racing driver had a left-rear tire go flat and went off the pace. He would eventually return to the track just three laps down.
The race went green for about 10 laps before the second caution of the event flew at Lap 45. Boschele, driving in the No. 25 Nitro Motorsports entry, also had a flat tire and wound up hitting the wall in Turn 2. This time, it was the right front and Boschele wasn’t as lucky as Reaves. He was unable to finish the race and had to settle for a DNF.
One more yellow flew at Lap 54 for debris on the frontstretch of Rockingham, which came off the No. 70 of Wesley Slimp. Shortly thereafter, the field went for a two-lap dash and the caution came out once more at the halfway break on Lap 63. McKee, Brown, Connor Hall, Garrett Mitchell, Isaac Kitzmiller, Jackson McLerran, Slimp, Cory Roper, George Siciliano, and Reaves rounded out the Top 10.
As the race went back to green-flag conditions following the break, two more yellows slowed the event. One at Lap 81 for the No. 0 of Siciliano, who went sideways in Turns 1 and 2, but did not hit anything. The other caution occurred with 15 laps to go as the No. 99 of Michael Maples came to a stop in Turn 3 after heavy contact with the No. 24 of Maples.
Before the caution at 15 to go, race leader McKee and his teammate Brown had fierce battles for the top spot. At one point during the battle, Brown got sideways in the middle of Turns 3 and 4, and almost took the leader, McKee, out with him. Despite losing some ground in the process, Brown threw another challenge at McKee for the lead before the caution and ultimately, the red flag to clean up fluid from Maple’s car.
The final restart came with nine laps to go, with McKee, Brown, Kitzmiller, Mitchell, and Slimp the top five. Off the restart, Kitzmiller had a slight battle with Brown, but Brown got the better of him and set his sights on McKee to challenge for the win. However, the victory went to McKee, who would lead every lap from pole position.
Brown had to ultimately settle for a second-place finish at Rockingham, despite having some great battles with McKee late in the going.
“I’m not quite sure what I needed in the final laps,” Brown said to Flo Racing after coming one spot short. “I’m just happy to be standing here, honestly. It was a very fun race. Unfortunately, we struggled there at first and we had something wrong.
“Just wrecking free at the start and fired off really bad, and kind of struggled to get going there. Finally, it was coming to us a little bit. I almost wrecked both of us at one point with Tristan. I was just trying to hang on there. When we stopped at the break, we were decent and we made a few changes. Fired off better and better, but still kind of struggled. Big thanks to PRG and all the guys.”
Last year’s ARCA Menards East Series champion, Kitzmiller, rounded out the podium finishers in third position.
“That was a good day for CR7 Motorsports and A.L.L. Construction, Carter Cat, and everyone else who works on these cars,” Kitzmiller told Flo Racing on the fronstretch post race. “Super awesome to get a top three. We started firing off super loose there and we got it (the car) tightened up at halfway. Just can’t thank these guys enough. We almost had the 28 passed, but he was just a little better on the long runs. Like I said, can’t thank these guys enough and it’s super awesome to race here at The Rock.”
Tristan McKee, Carson Brown, Isaac Kitzmiller, Garrett Mitchell, Wesley Slimp, Jackson McLerran, Cory Roper, Max Reaves, George Siciliano, and Craig Pellegrini Jr rounded out the Top 10 finishers. There were five cautions for 28 laps and zero lead changes.
Up Next – The next ARCA Menards East Series race is slated for Saturday night, May 2nd, live on Flo Racing at the Nashville Fairgrounds. Additionally, the next ARCA Menards West Series is scheduled for Saturday, April 11, at Tucson Speedway. It will be aired live on Flo Racing. The national ARCA Menards Series tour is still off for two weeks. The next race will occur at Kansas Speedway, Saturday, April 18, live on Fox Sports 1 at 12:30 p.m./ET.
“P3 at the Rock to get Bare Knuckle Boxing a podium finish,” said Riggs. “Overall, it was a great day. I felt like we were a fifth to 10th place truck, we just couldn’t quite get the track position and balance where I wanted it, but Dylan (Cappello) and the team gave me the proper adjustments to help me finish strong. Really happy with everything. We need these strong, solid days to get a title.”
“Man, what a race,” said Smith. “Started dead last and ended up driving up to 4th. Truck was pretty good, just a game of track position all race. Unfortunate what happened following post-race inspection but we’re going keep chipping away with our heads up headed to Bristol.”
ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS
Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization competing in the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. Founded in 2004 by entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, FRM has earned top honors including a 2021 Daytona 500 victory and the 2022 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series championship. Based in Mooresville, N.C., FRM fields the No. 4, No. 34, and No. 38 entries in the NASCAR Cup Series, along with the No. 34 and No. 38 teams in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. For more information, visit teamfrm.com and follow Front Row Motorsports on social media — X: @Team_FRM, Instagram: @teamfrm, Tik Tok: @Team_FRM, YouTube: @FrontRowNASCAR, and Facebook: facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.
Key Takeaway: Connor Hall and the Comprehensive Logistics team pressed on and learned a lot together at Rockingham. Hall, who made his second-career NCTS start, qualified 27th for the 200-lap event. In the beginning of the race, he noted that the balance was very free, which prompted the No. 4 crew to make heavy adjustments. As the race continued, Hall began to slowly chip away at it and pick up speed. Towards the end of the event, Hall ran lap times similar to those of the leaders, despite being a couple of laps down. He brought the truck home cleanly in 20th-place.
Connor Hall’s Post-Race Thoughts: “Obviously, that wasn’t the game plan for us to fight back from so much adversity – but we showed up with the goal of running all 200 laps and gaining experience, and for the betterment of my career at Niece Motorsports, everyone here understands that I need time to learn. I understand that I need time as well, and would say that the Connor on lap 200 compared to the Connor on lap one has a way better understanding of truck racing.
I thought there at the end, we were right behind some of the front runners and maintained our pace with them. We could make speed, but it’s just part of the learning process on finding out what the adjustments do. I thought we started off behind on our balance, and it took to the last stage to hone it in. Our goal was to run the full race and get better in every stage, learn aero, and have a building day. I wish we could have finished a little better, but I learned a lot and had a ton of fun. Huge thanks to Josh Morris, Greg Fowler, Cody Efaw, and everyone at Comprehensive Logistics, Niece Motorsports, and Team Chevy.”
About Comprehensive Logistics: Comprehensive Logistics (CLI) is a full-service inbound-to-manufacturing logistics partner specializing in high-volume, high-velocity, and highly complex operations, including warehouse management, value-added services, sequencing, transportation, and sub-assembly manufacturing. By integrating advanced technology, data-driven insights, and process engineering with experienced teams, CLI delivers high-precision, reliable logistics solutions tailored to evolving customer needs. For more information, please visit complog.com.
Key Takeaway: Parker Eatmon and the Vetted Ventures team gave it their all in their first race together at Rockingham. Eatmon was impressive in his first time in qualifying trim, and started eighth in his debut. The rookie held his own in the first stage, and nabbed three bonus points in the process. As the run continued, however, he slowly began to lose track position. After getting caught with an untimely caution after a green flag pit stop, Eatmon lost a couple of laps towards the end of the race. His No. 42 Chevrolet crossed the line in 26th-place.
Parker Eatmon’s Post-Race Thoughts: “We started off really good today, I just made a couple of rookie mistakes that put us in bad positions later in the race. I think that I need to clean up some stuff on my end, but overall, it was a solid day. I finished all of the laps with a clean truck, so I can’t complain too much. I just want to be better in the future, but I definitely learned a ton out there and was proud of everyone on the No. 42 team for all the work they put into this weekend. I’m very thankful to all of them, everyone at Vetted Ventures, our ownership group, and I can’t wait to go out there again for my next race.”
About Vetted Ventures: Vetted Ventures is a pioneer in revolutionizing private sales and acquisitions management through an ecosystem of exclusive clients with the ability to be represented by one company across different industries. We aim to provide our clients with the opportunities they seek backed by the service they deserve. To learn more about the company, please visit www.Vetted-Ventures.com.
No. 44 Precision Vehicle Logistics De Mexico Chevrolet Silverado RST Driver: Andrés Pérez de Lara | Crew Chief: Wally Rogers
Key Takeaway: Andrés Pérez de Lara and the Precision Vehicle Logistics De Mexico team fought an uphill battle in Rockingham. After starting in 12th-place, Pérez de Lara was just getting settled in at the start when he broke loose and made contact with the outside wall. The No. 44 was forced to pit under green on multiple occasions and lost several laps in the process. Though the team was able to finish the race, they did not secure the result they had hoped for. The sophomore driver was credited with a 32nd-place finish.
Andrés Pérez de Lara’s Post-Race Thoughts: “I messed up there early in the race, and wish we could have had more laps to show our real speed, but we’re never going to get to know how today could have gone if that didn’t happen. It’s a shame that we have had two unfortunate results back-to-back, but I know we can build back from them. Thank you to Precision Vehicle Logistics de Mexico, our team owners, and all of the No. 44 guys for having my back. I’m looking forward to Bristol next week; it’s a place that we feel confident at and have a lot of speed with our team. It’s going to be a good one.”
About Precision Vehicle Logistics: Precision Vehicle Logistics is a customer-focused group of professionals committed to service excellence in finished vehicle logistics. Precision offers a unique combination of talented experience, industry-leading software and systems, and a network of partners and resources to deliver customized solutions to the world’s leading automakers.
No. 45 J.F. Electric Chevrolet Silverado RST Driver: Landen Lewis | Crew Chief: Phil Gould
Key Takeaway: Landen Lewis and the J.F. Electric team ran consistently throughout the race in Rockingham despite a handful of setbacks. Lewis qualified inside the top-10 to start the day, and gained an extra point in stage one. After a slight mistake on pit road, the No. 45 slid back a tad in the second run. Mired back in the field with a blistering pace, Lewis lost a lap in the final stage. Just after becoming eligible to take the wave around, however, the right-front tire went flat and forced him to pit. The rookie had to settle for a hard-earned 14th-place finish.
Landen Lewis’ Post-Race Thoughts: “I felt like we had a top-10 truck and were making it better, but I made a mistake on pit road and that cost us a lot of track position. Then, we had a right-front tire go down when it looked like we were going to get back in the hunt. It was just a rough day all together, but I feel like my truck was really good. I just want to thank J.F. Electric, Greg Fowler, Josh Morris, Cody Efaw, and everyone that gives me this opportunity to come race. I need to clean up my mistakes and be better for next time. It was a good learning day, and as long as I learn from it, we’ll continue to make progress.”
About J.F. Electric: J.F. Electric is an electrical contractor that provides engineering expertise, backed by construction and installation know-how in a diverse range of service offerings, from utilities and commercial projects, to industrial and telecommunications customers. When having a long family history in an industry, a company not only builds on its knowledge and experience, it takes pride in cultivating a solid understanding of client needs, all the while nurturing strong relationships with its employees. Evolving through five generations of the Fowler family, J.F. Electric has matured into a well-managed and thoughtfully diversified electrical contractor which is poised to continue its growth and expansion into the future. About Niece Motorsports: Niece Motorsports is a professional auto racing team that has competed in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series since 2016. The team is owned by Josh Morris of DQS Solutions and Staffing and the Fowler Family of J.F. Electric and Utilitra, and was founded by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. At its 80,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Salisbury, NC, Niece Motorsports is a full-service race vehicle build shop as well as a customizable fabrication shop for any manufacturing needs.
Follow the Team: To keep up to date with the latest team news, visit niecemotorsports.com or connect on Facebook and Instagram (@NieceMotorsports) as well as X (@NieceMotorsport).
