Ford Racing Notes and Quotes NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race — Homestead-Miami Speedway Sunday, November 8, 2026
RYAN BLANEY DRIVES MUSTANG TO SEASON FINALE VICTORY FOR SECOND STRAIGHT SEASON
Ryan Blaney’s win today is his fourth race of 2026 and 21st of his career.
The win is Blaney’s first at Homestead-Miami Speedway and is the second straight year he has won the Championship Race.
Blaney has now won four races in each of the last two seasons and has won three or more in four straight years.
It also marks Team Penske’s 114th series win with Ford.
Today is Ford’s 756th all-time win in NASCAR Cup Series competition.
RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards/Dutch Boy Ford Mustang Dark Horse – VICTORY LANE INTERVIEW – WALK US THROUGH THE FINAL RESTART. “We restarted third and went to fourth, so I just tried to pick the lane I thought was gonna go the best. We did a good job getting to second. I was able to wrap the bottom really well on both ends and was able to inch up on some guys and I got a really good corner of one and two. The 45 protected on the bottom and I was able to get to his right-rear and hold him off for the last lap. It’s was some really cool fight by this team for coming back the way we did and just bringing a really fast car and working on it all night. That’s a fun end to the season.”
END WITH A WIN AND YOU FINISH FOURTH IN THE STANDINGS. HOW DOES THAT FEEL? “You definitely want to end on a high note. We hated coming in here and not having a shot to win a championship, but the best thing we could do was try to win the race and get as much points as we can and we’ll see where it takes us, so I was really happy we were able to execute that today and get all we could.”
DOES THIS FEEL LIKE REDEMPTION FOR WHAT HAPPENED TWO YEARS AGO HERE? “It does. I’m going to be honest with you. Every time I come here, that race haunts me. I kind of gave that one away. I didn’t do a very good job at the end of that race. Learned from it. Was able to apply some stuff we learned a couple years ago in that situation to tonight. Pretty cool night battling back from coming down pit road. Car was really, really fast. I appreciate everybody for sticking with it. Even though we weren’t part of the championship fight, our goal was to try to win the race, end on a high note, get the most points we can. Appreciate Menards, Dutch Boy, Ford Racing. The Ford Mustang, appreciate all the work they do and continue to do. Advance Auto Parts, DEX Imaging, Wabash, the Wurth group, Discount Tire, BODYARMOR, everybody that puts into our program, I can’t thank them enough for a really fun year. We’ll re-rack and hopefully be better next year. Congratulations to Kyle Larson, Mr. Hendrick, Cliff Daniels, championship number three, two in a row. Those guys are awesome. Hopefully we can race with them next year.
HOW DID YOU NOT LET THE PIT ROAD ISSUE RUIN YOUR FOCUS? “It’s early enough. It was end of the first stage. Knew we had time. Knew it was going to be difficult, but our car was really fast. Just hoped we could make our way through there. Then we got to really see a big strength in our car, was able to be versatile. Honestly, I think that helped me coming through the field like that is I knew what my car needed all around the racetrack. I had to run around these lanes I wasn’t running before that. I think that helped us prepare for the last run of the race. Sometimes things might hurt initially, they might help you down the road. I appreciate all the fans watching. We did this interview last year at Phoenix. Appreciate all the support. Have a good winter.
Ford Finishing Results:
1st – Ryan Blaney
7th – Austin Cindric
9th – Noah Gragson
13th – Josh Berry
14th – Zane Smith
17th – Joey Logano
18th – Todd Gilliland
24th – Chris Buescher
25th – Ryan Preece
28th – Brad Keselowski
38th – Chad Finchum
AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “That was much needed for our team, just being able to capitalize on another great Discount Tire Ford. The last stage of the race was probably our weakest, but still to come home with a top 10 is really strong. And to finish top 10 in points is the most important. We were kind of points racing there to the end, but with everything that’s gone on the last couple weeks, it’s a nice way to end the season. I appreciate everyone’s effort from Team Penske, Ford Racing and looking forward to introducing a new car next year.”
NOAH GRAGSON, No. 4 Long John Silver’s Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WHAT WAS YOUR TAKE ON THE INCIDENT WITH SUAREZ? “That was 100 percent on me. I drove it down to the bottom and I crossed the seam and got loose and I was chasing it. I didn’t want to get into Suarez, obviously. We were racing hard there at the end, but, truthfully, I never want to spin out a competitor. It kind of helped out both of us unfortunately with the caution, but a strong day. We didn’t have the weekend on Friday or Saturday with practice or qualifying that we necessarily wanted to. This is one of my favorite racetracks. Running the fence is so much fun. There’s a hole in the right-rear quarterpanel because I ran it pretty much the whole race, but this is really good for our team to come home in the top 10 and go into the offseason with a little bit of momentum. It’s good for Ryan Blaney to win the race. I appreciate Ford Racing, Long John Silver’s and everybody at Front Row Motorsports. It’s been a grind of a season, but grateful to come home top 10 and have a better mood going home tonight.” HOW DOES IT HELP GOING INTO THE OFFSEASON? “It’s one race. It’s probably my best racetrack and I feel like this is a place where we can at least contend and be competitive. I know I didn’t really show during practice and in the race. I was pretty frustrated at that, but it’s good momentum. We’ve got to keep cleaning it up and keep getting better, have better pit stops. I need to do a better job behind the wheel. If everybody can do one or two percent better each week, I think there’s a lot of potential out of this group. I don’t know if we fully showed it yet. It kind of sucks, but, at the same time, I know the potential is there and that kind of makes me happy too that if we fire on all cylinders, we’re gonna be good.”
JOSH BERRY, No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “I was proud of the adjustments we made. We got our car much better towards the end of the race and it looked like we were in position to get a top 10 before that last caution. We had a good stop, but the line stacked up really bad on the restart and just kind of lost a bunch of momentum. I was a little too tight and lost a few spots, but, all in all, it was a really fun night. It’s been a fun two years, and I’m proud of how we ended this deal. I’m thankful for the opportunity, everybody at Wood Brothers, Team Penske, Ford Motor Company, Ford Racing. It’s been a lot of fun, so we’ll close this season and go on to what’s next.”
TOYOTA FINISHES SEASON WITH FOUR CAMRYS INSIDE TOP 10 AT HOMESTEAD-MIAMI Reddick Comes Up Just Short in Exciting Late Race Duel
HOMESTEAD, Fla. (November 8, 2026) – Toyota finished the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season with four Camry drivers finishing in the top 10 in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Tyler Reddick was the top-finishing Toyota with a runner-up result with Christopher Bell (fourth), Bubba Wallace (fifth) and Denny Hamlin (sixth) rounding out the top 10 for Toyota.
Camry drivers led 222 total laps (of 267) around the 1.5-mile south Florida oval with Hamlin leading a race-high 87 laps.
Five Toyota Camry XSE drivers finished inside the top 10 in the final 2026 Cup Series standings. Bell finished second behind the series champion, Hamlin placed third and Reddick finished fifth. Chase Briscoe was sixth, and Ty Gibbs closed out the year ninth in the standings.
TOYOTA RACING Post-Race Recap NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) Homestead-Miami Speedway Race 36 of 36 – 400.5 miles, 267 laps
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Ryan Blaney* 2nd, TYLER REDDICK 3rd, William Byron* 4th, CHRISTOPHER BELL 5th, BUBBA WALLACE 6th, DENNY HAMLIN 11th, TY GIBBS 20th, ERIK JONES 30th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK 33rd, RILEY HERBST 39th, CHASE BRISCOE 40th, COREY HEIM *non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
TYLER REDDICK, No. 45 Chumba Casino Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing
Finishing Position: 2nd
Where did the race get away from you over the last few laps?
“I haven’t seen a replay yet, but it was Denny (Hamlin), (William) Byron, and out of nowhere here comes the 12 (Ryan Blaney) through those guys quick, and just from my seat it seemed like he was really good around the bottom of (turns) 3 and 4 so I tried to at least keep him behind me until we go there. Me being me, I felt like if it played out how I wanted it to, I would have stalled his momentum out and ran the top of (turns) 3 and 4, but he just had too big of a run, I think. I blocked low and it seemed in the moment he was still able to break the plane of my back bumper, and I lost the ability to have the top lane. Very fitting that it played out the way that it did but pretty much exactly the same as what we did in 2024. Thanks to Chumba Casino, Toyota and everyone at 23XI Racing for a great season.”
CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 Interstate Batteries/DEWALT Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 4th
How was your race?
“We were fine in the daylight with our DEWALT Interstate Batteries Camry. Just, I don’t know. I was really loose in the daylight and pretty fast and we felt like whenever the nighttime came that we were going to get better and honestly, it was the opposite. Just kind of got a little bit worse compared to the guys up front. I don’t know. Overall, a really solid day running top five and almost running top three in the stages. We did what we needed to do today, but didn’t do what we needed to do throughout the previous nine.”
BUBBA WALLACE, No. 23 Columbia PFG Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing
Finishing Position: 5th
How was your race?
“Oh man, as much as we say that we’re excited for the offseason, I hate that it’s over with. These guys behind me gave me a great car tonight — all year long. Let them down a lot, but tonight was pure grit starting 18th and quickly getting up to the top 10 in stage one and then figuring out what I needed to do to be better here at Homestead. This is one of my favorite places, but damn, it kicks my ass just about every time I come here. I’ve still got a lot more room to go, but man I appreciate Columbia. They’ve been such a great partner of mine for so many years and many years to come. I want to get them a win, but this is a hell of a way to cap off a great season with them with a top five and on to the offseason.”
DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 Progressive Insurance Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 6th
How strong was your Camry in today’s race?
“It was really good. I’m really proud of the whole Progressive Toyota team. We made lots of gains from Friday to the race tonight. Really happy with the effort we put forth there on the race track today. Just going for it there at the end and cost us some spots getting into the wall. Definitely wanted to try to win. It was a fun race. Certainly, we picked up a little steam from where we were on the other mile and a half last time.”
CHASE BRISCOE, No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 39th
Did you have any indication from the car that it was expiring?
“No. We were really good there pace wise, and then in the middle of (turns) three and four, we had a little bit of a vibration and then obviously it blew up there on the front straightaway. Sure unfortunate, I felt like we were going to be in the mix. That pit stop kind of set us back, but I felt like we were going to be back up there and contend with our Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Toyota. Just unfortunate. Hopefully somehow we can get lucky and still finish fourth in points, but I don’t know what happened. Toyota will go back and look at it. I appreciate everything they’ve done all season long. We’ve won a lot of races, and they do everything they can to give us the best engines they can, sometimes stuff like that just happens. That’s racing. Instead of going on to next week, we will go to next year.”
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of over 50 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina began to assemble automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.
NASCAR Cup Series Homestead-Miami Speedway Team Chevy Press Release Nov. 8, 2026
Kyle Larson, Chevrolet Claims 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Chevrolet’s 35th Driver Championship, Larson’s Third Title in NASCAR’s Premier Series
Earning a fourth-place finish in Stage One of the season finale race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Kyle Larson drove Chevrolet to its 35th all-time, and second consecutive, NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championship. The feat marks the manufacturer’s fourth Driver Championship in the past seven NASCAR Cup Series seasons, following Chase Elliott’s first-career title in 2020 and Larson’s 2021, 2025 and 2026 titles.
The title marks Kyle Larson’s third career NASCAR Cup Series Championship, making him the second active driver – and 11th all-time in history – to win at least three championships in NASCAR’s premier series.
Kyle Larson delivered Hendrick Motorsports its 16th NASCAR Cup Series Championship, extending the organization’s all-time record. Larson is the third driver to earn at least three championships in NASCAR’s premier series under the Hendrick Motorsports banner.
HOMESTEAD, Fla. (Nov. 8, 2026) – For the second consecutive season, Chevrolet and Kyle Larson have earned the NASCAR Cup Series Championship, capturing the title following a fourth-place finish in Stage One of the season finale race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The championship marks a title-winning debut season for the latest edition Camaro ZL1 racecar, which made its competition debut at the start of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. Chevrolet’s championship tradition spans nearly seven decades, with Larson’s crown extending that legacy to 35 driver championship titles in NASCAR’s premier series.
Larson is the 11th driver in history to earn the honors as a three-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion, while also becoming the first driver to win back-to-back titles since Jimmie Johnson’s run of five-straight from 2006 to 2010.
“Congratulations to Kyle Larson, Cliff Daniels and the entire No. 5 Chevrolet team on their third NASCAR Cup Series championship,” said Mark Reuss, president, General Motors. “Championships are earned through preparation, trust and execution, and this team demonstrated all three throughout the 2026 season. They stayed focused through adversity, and performed the best when it mattered most.”
Larson and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team built their championship charge with a standout postseason, combining race-winning speed with sustained execution throughout the 10-race Chase. After entering the postseason as the seventh seed, Larson finished sixth or better in each of the opening six races, including victories at World Wide Technology Raceway and Kansas Speedway. His 2.83 average finish across that stretch ranked as the best six-race run in the series’ postseason history since the format was introduced in 2004. Following a setback performance at Phoenix Raceway, the team rebounded with a dramatic victory at Talladega Superspeedway, where Larson rallied from 11th on the final lap to earn his first drafting-track win. With a hard-fought ninth place finish at Martinsville Speedway, the Chevrolet driver took a 67-point lead to South Florida, setting the stage to mathematically clinch the title at the end of Stage One of the championship-deciding race.
Hendrick Motorsports’ 2026 championship extends its NASCAR Cup Series record to 16 driver titles, all earned under the Chevrolet banner. The organization captured its first championship with Jeff Gordon in 1995, launching a legacy that includes titles with five different drivers: Jimmie Johnson (seven), Jeff Gordon (four), Kyle Larson (three), Terry Labonte (one) and Chase Elliott (one).
“We also congratulate Rick and Linda Hendrick, Jeff Gordon, Jeff Andrews, Chad Knaus and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports on the organization’s 16th NASCAR Cup Series championship,” added Reuss. “This achievement reflects the leadership and teamwork that are hallmarks of Hendrick Motorsports. We’re proud of our partnership and honored to celebrate another championship together.”
The NASCAR Cup Series will return to the track at Daytona International Speedway with the Wheatley Vodka Clash on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2027
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.
Most of the world drives on the right, but 54 sovereign countries still use left-hand traffic. In these countries, vehicles normally keep to the left side of the road, and most locally sold cars have the steering wheel on the right.
Left-hand traffic should not be confused with a “left-hand-drive car”. The first term describes which side of the road you use; the second describes where the steering wheel is located. In a country with left-hand traffic, the steering wheel is usually on the right side of the vehicle.
Complete List of Countries That Drive on the Left
The list below includes sovereign states, not overseas territories or dependencies.
Europe — 4 countries: Cyprus, Ireland, Malta, United Kingdom.
Caribbean and North America — 10 countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago.
South America — 2 countries: Guyana, Suriname.
Africa — 14 countries: Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Asia — 14 countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste.
Oceania — 10 countries: Australia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu.
This gives a total of 54 countries with left-hand traffic. A number of non-sovereign territories also keep left, including Hong Kong, Macau, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. They are not included in the 54-country total.
Why Did Left-Hand Traffic Appear?
There was no single moment when the world decided which side of the road to use. Long before cars existed, local customs developed around people walking, riding horses and moving carts. Archaeological evidence suggests that left-side movement may have existed in the Roman period, although historians cannot give one proven explanation for why it developed.
One common theory is connected with right-handed riders. Keeping left placed an approaching stranger on the rider’s right side, where the dominant hand was available for protection or handling a weapon. This explanation is plausible but should be treated as a historical theory rather than a proven origin story.
Britain eventually turned the custom into formal road rules. Requirements to keep left appeared on specific roads earlier, and the Highway Act of 1835 established the rule more generally across Great Britain and Ireland.
Why Do So Many Former British Colonies Drive on the Left?
The British Empire is the main reason left-hand traffic is still spread across several continents. Britain exported its road system along with its administration, railways and other infrastructure.
That legacy remains obvious today. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand, Kenya, South Africa, Malaysia, Singapore and many Caribbean nations all continue to drive on the left. Changing sides after independence would have required redesigning roads, intersections, signs, buses and vehicle fleets, while also creating problems at the border with neighboring countries using the same system.
Colonial history does not explain every case, however. Japan and Thailand were never British colonies, yet both drive on the left. Indonesia also keeps left despite having been a Dutch colony, while Timor-Leste drives on the same side as neighboring Indonesia.
Why Does Most of the World Drive on the Right?
Right-hand traffic developed through a different mixture of local practice, political influence and transport technology. France favored right-side movement, and French influence helped spread that system across parts of continental Europe.
In North America, large horse-drawn freight wagons also encouraged right-side travel. Drivers often sat on the left rear horse so they could control the team with their right hand, making it easier to judge the distance from vehicles passing in the opposite direction when traffic kept right. Later, mass-produced cars such as the Ford Model T reinforced the combination of right-hand traffic and a steering wheel on the left.
Over time, countries also had a strong practical reason to match their neighbors. Border traffic is much simpler when vehicles do not have to change sides immediately after crossing into another country.
Countries Have Changed Sides
Traffic direction is not permanent. Several countries changed from left to right during the 20th century as road networks became more international.
Sweden is the famous example. On 3 September 1967, known as Dagen H, the country switched from left-hand to right-hand traffic. Iceland followed in 1968. Portugal, parts of Canada and several Central European countries had changed earlier.
A much rarer change happened in the opposite direction. Samoa switched from right to left on 7 September 2009, largely to make it easier to use and import right-hand-drive vehicles from nearby Australia and New Zealand. Samoa still drives on the left today.
What Drivers Should Expect in a Left-Hand-Traffic Country
If you normally drive on the right, the biggest adjustment is not driving along a straight road. Mistakes are more likely when turning at intersections, entering a roundabout or pulling out after stopping.
In a left-hand-traffic country, remember that you normally:
keep to the left and overtake on the right;
enter and travel around roundabouts according to the local clockwise traffic flow;
sit on the right side in a typical locally configured rental car;
change gear with your left hand in a manual right-hand-drive vehicle.
The pedals do not change position: the accelerator remains on the right, the brake in the middle, and the clutch on the left where fitted.
Extra concentration is particularly important during the first few kilometers and again after stops, when habit can make a driver automatically return to the side used at home.
Will Rodgers will be driving the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro entry for Big Machine Racing for the entire 2027 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series schedule.
The announcement, which was made on Saturday, October 7, comes as the 32-year-old Rodgers from Maui, Hawaii, campaigned in a total of five O’Reilly events throughout the 2026 season, including three of the final four-scheduled events with Joey Gase Motorsports as part of a collaboration with Big Machine Racing. As part of Rodgers’ full-time partnership with Big Machine Racing, Driving Good Health, a program that educates and raises awareness of liver health that was created by the Will Rodgers Liver Health Foundcation and Boehringer Ingelheim, will be serving as Rodgers’ key partner on his No. 48 entry.
“I’m thrilled to be joining Big Machine Racing full-time in 2027,” says Rodgers. “It’s been a long time coming and a tremendous amount of work to develop the opportunity to run a full season in the O’Reilly Series, and I can’t thank Scott Borchetta and Patrick Donahue enough for trusting me to represent the #48 car. This, of course, wouldn’t be possible without an amazing group of people behind me, including my team at the Will Rodgers Liver Health Foundation and our core partners, Boehringer Ingelheim and Echosens. I’m looking forward to representing BMR, the #48 car and our campaign, Driving Good Health.”
Rodgers, the 2023 Trans-Am West Coast Series champion and a former NASCAR Next member, is a multi-race winner across the ARCA Menards Series East and West divisions along within the Pirelli World Challenge. To date, he has made six Truck Series starts over a four-year span (2021-23 & 2025) and 15 O’Reilly starts through six seasons (2019, 2021-23 & 2025-26) as he prepares for his first full-time campaign across NASCAR’s top-three national touring series within the O’Reilly division in 2027.
Big Machine Racing is coming off its sixth consecutive campaign in the O’Reilly division, where Dr. Patrick Staropoli replaced Nick Sanchez as the organization’s full-time driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro entry throughout the 2026 season. Staropoli notched a total of 13 top-20 results and a pair of season-best 13th-place runs between both EchoPark Speedway events in February and July before finishing in 23rd place in the final standings. With Big Machine Racing parting ways with Staropoli in favor of Rodgers, the organization looks ahead for new beginnings and a new season of competition in 2027.
“Will brings experience, talent, speed, and focus that are undeniable to Big Machine Racing,” says owner Scott Borchetta. “His character and work ethic align perfectly with us. We have tremendous confidence in his future and believe he is the right driver to lead this team into its next chapter.”
The 2027 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season is scheduled to commence on February 20 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, and will be aired on the CW Network, MRN Radio and SiriusXM.
Chinese car brands have moved from curiosity to serious contenders on UAE roads remarkably quickly. A few years ago, a Chinese badge in a Dubai car park drew puzzled looks; now showrooms along Sheikh Zayed Road display them next to established European names, and buyers are cross-shopping them openly. Zeekr, the premium brand from the Geely group, is one of the most ambitious arrivals, and its flagship 9X is the car it hopes will change how the region sees Chinese luxury.
Unlike most of the brand’s line-up, the 9X is not a pure battery EV. It is a large, six-seat flagship SUV with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, pairing electric motors with a petrol engine, and it is Zeekr’s first hybrid. That choice makes a lot of sense in the Gulf, where long distances, intense heat and a charging network that is still growing make some buyers hesitant about going fully electric. If you would rather form your own opinion than rely on showroom gloss, a Zeekr 9X rental in Dubai through Yango Drive is one way to spend real time with one, and the car can be delivered to your address in the city instead of being collected from a lot.
Design: Big, Bold and Unapologetic
The 9X does not try to be subtle. It is a tall, upright, imposing SUV with a broad front end and a lighting signature that stretches across the nose, so it is easy to spot in traffic, especially at night. The proportions put it squarely in the territory of the large luxury SUVs that already dominate Dubai’s wealthier neighbourhoods, and it carries that presence convincingly.
Up close, the detailing feels deliberate rather than derivative. The surfaces are clean, the finish looks carefully considered, and there is a sense that the designers wanted the car to look expensive without copying anyone in particular. Whether you love the look or not, it is unmistakably its own thing, which is not always true of newcomers in this segment.
Cabin: Built Around the Passengers
Step inside and the priorities become obvious. This is a car designed to be ridden in as much as driven. The materials feel premium, the seats are generously padded and the second row is clearly the place of honour, with comfort features that put rear passengers at the centre of the experience rather than treating them as an afterthought.
The six-seat layout suits families who want space without the feeling of a minibus, and it works just as well for hosting colleagues or visiting relatives on an airport pickup. Storage is plentiful, and the overall ambience is calm, quiet and well insulated from the city outside. In a climate where you spend a lot of time sitting in an air-conditioned cabin waiting for traffic to clear, that calmness counts for a great deal.
On the Road: Refined Rather Than Raw
Early impressions suggest the 9X prioritises smoothness above all. In electric mode, pulling away is silent and seamless, which makes stop-start traffic in Downtown or Business Bay far less tiring. When the petrol engine joins in, the transition is well managed, and on open highways the car settles into a relaxed, composed cruise.
It is a heavy car, and it feels it in tight car parks and narrow streets in older districts. But on the long, straight roads between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, that mass translates into stability and a sense of solidity. Driving enthusiasts may find it more about comfort than excitement, though the instant electric response gives it a turn of pace that surprises when you need to merge quickly.
Technology: Screens, Software and Assistance
Zeekr has built its reputation partly on software, and the 9X leans into that. Large displays dominate the dashboard, the interface is fast and responsive, and there is a strong emphasis on driver assistance and connected features. As with many new-generation Chinese cars, the depth of the menus can be overwhelming at first, so it is worth spending a few minutes with the car parked before setting off.
Some features available in China may differ in regional versions, and over-the-air updates mean the experience can change over time. Treat any feature list you read online, including this one, as a snapshot rather than a final word.
Who Is It For?
The 9X will appeal most to buyers who want a large, luxurious family SUV but are open to something less predictable than the usual European choices. It suits people who do a lot of city driving, value rear-seat comfort, and like the idea of electric driving for short trips without worrying about range on longer ones.
It is less obvious for those who prize a long-established brand image, or who want a compact car that slips easily into tight spaces. Residual values and dealer support for newer brands are also things that serious buyers will want to research properly, since the market is still taking shape.
Living With One Before You Commit
A short test drive at a dealership rarely tells you how a car fits into daily life. You learn far more by using it on your own routes: the school run, the commute, a weekend trip to the mountains, a late-night drive home from the Marina. That is particularly true for an electrified SUV, where charging habits and real-world behaviour depend so heavily on how you drive.
For anyone weighing up a purchase, a longer rental is a sensible middle step. Choosing to rent a car monthly in Dubai gives you enough time to understand whether a large plug-in hybrid suits your routine, how often you actually plug it in, and whether the cabin and technology still impress after the novelty wears off. The 9X is one example of the newer models now appearing in rental listings, so it is worth checking what is on offer when you are ready to try it.
Chinese brands are no longer asking UAE drivers for forgiveness; they are asking to be judged on equal terms. The 9X is a confident statement of that ambition, and the best way to decide whether it lives up to the hype is to spend a few weeks behind the wheel yourself.
Justin Allgaier achieved the main spotlight at the conclusion of the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Championship Race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday, November 7, by capturing his second series championship.
The 2024 O’Reilly champion from Riverton, Illinois, did not lead a lap throughout the finale’s 200 scheduled laps, but he executed a consistent run that involved racing towards the front, battling against the competition, fellow teammates and title rivals and even rim-riding towards the outside wall to gain forward momentum through the turns and straightaways. After notching a combined 11 stage points throughout the finale’s first two stage periods and dodging concerns of having a flat right-rear tire prior to the first stage’s conclusion, Allgaier then had to overcome making an unscheduled pit stop under green with nearly 60 laps remaining to have a flat right-rear tire addressed.
With a caution flag that flew a few laps later amid a late cycle of green flag pit stops, Allgaier cycled back on the lead lap, made an extra pit stop prior to the final restart with 49 laps remaining, and cruised towards the front for the event’s remainder. Needing only to notch a strong result while keeping his title rivals within sight, Allgaier accomplished the feat by finishing in seventh place, and he wrapped up his second title in three years by 14 points, all while Brandon Jones outdueled Allgaier’s title rivals and the competition to cap off the 2026 O’Reilly season with a victory in Homestead, Florida.
With on-track qualifying determining the starting lineup on Saturday, Sheldon Creed, one of five Chase contenders still mathematically eligible for the 2026 O’Reilly championship, secured his second pole of the season with a pole-winning lap of 160.820 mph in 33.578 seconds. Austin Hill qualified in second place with a lap of 160.633 mph in 33.617 seconds. Creed’s four title rivals, including Carson Kvapil, Jesse Love, Corey Day and Justin Allgaier, qualified third, fourth, seventh and 11th, respectively.
When the green flag waved and the finale commenced, pole-sitter Sheldon Creed launched his No. 00 Road Ranger Chevrolet Camaro entry ahead of Austin Hill and motored through the first two turns. Behind, Justin Allgaier, who qualified in 11th place, made an early left-hand move in an attempt to move up the leaderboard as the field also slowly started to fan out entering the backstretch. As the field of 38 competitors jostled for spots and cycled around Homestead for a full circuit, Creed led the first lap over Hill while Allgaier was up to ninth place behind Day.
Over the next four laps, Creed stabilized his early advantage by four-tenths of a second as Jesse Love overtook teammate Hill for the runner-up spot on the track. Behind, Sam Mayer, who was rim-riding towards the outside wall and trailing the lead by two seconds, was up to fourth place ahead of Carson Kvapil, Brandon Jones and Allgaier while Day was mired in ninth place in between Parker Retzlaff and Rajah Caruth.
Then on the eighth lap, Day’s championship hopes took an early hit when he turned right in front of Caruth while trying to clear the latter through the backstretch. Having misjudged his timing of clearing Caruth while battling for ninth place, Day ended up turning himself towards the outside wall as both he and Caruth wrecked, with Day receiving the heaviest of damage and coming to a halt below the apron. Ultimately, Day dropped out of the lead lap category when he needed a wrecker to push his damaged No. 17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro entry out of the grass. With Day’s entry not turning and getting stuck in the grass again, it would be towed behind the wall, which effectively ended his championship hopes.
The next restart on Lap 13 featured Creed being shoved by teammate Mayer at the launch to motor ahead of Love entering the first two turns. While Love, Hill, Kvapil and a fast-charging Allgaier battled for third place, Mayer battled Creed for the lead through the backstretch. As Creed led the next lap, Mayer used the inside lane and tried to overtake Creed for the top spot, but Creed used the outside lane to maintain the top spot, which he maintained for the Lap 15 mark. Behind, Hill, Love, Kvapil and Allgaier continued to fiercely swap their battles for third place.
Though the Lap 20 mark, Creed was leading by six-tenths of a second over Mayer while third-place Hill trailed by two seconds. Love, Allgiaer and Kvapil followed suit from fourth to sixth, respectively, as Retzlaff, Brandon Jones, William Sawalich and Brent Crews trailed in the top 10, respectively. Meanwhile, Caruth was up to 19th place following his early incident with Day as Sammy Smith, Ryan Sieg, Anthony Alfredo, Kyle Sieg and Taylor Gray were racing in the top-15 mark, respectively.
Just past the Lap 25 mark, Creed stabilized his advantage by more than half a second over Mayer while Hill continued to trail in third place while trailing between three and four seconds. As Love, Allgaier and Kvapil trailed from fourth through sixth on the track, respectively, Day, who returned to the track after his entry was repaired, was mired 17 laps behind the leaders. Creed, who increased his lead by nearly a second over the following five laps, had his advantage shrink to four-tenths of a second over Mayer at the Lap 30 mark before Mayer reeled in and overtook Creed three laps later.
By Lap 35, Mayer increased his lead over Creed by eight-tenths of a second. Behind, Love battled and outdueled Hill for third place while Allgaier and Kvapil continued to trail in fifth and sixth, respectively. Another lap later, Mayer increased his advantage by one-and-a-half seconds before the advantage grew up to two seconds for the next lap. With the leaders mired in lapped traffic, Mayer maintained his lead by more than two seconds on Lap 40.
When the first stage period concluded on Lap 45, Mayer, who grew his advantage by nearly five seconds, cruised to his third O’Reilly stage victory of the 2026 season. Creed settled in second ahead of Love, Hill and Kvapil, the latter of whom was reporting a voltage issue to his entry. Crews settled in sixth ahead of Allgaier, who reported a flat right-rear tire to his entry, while Retzlaff, Jones and Sammy Smith were scored in the top 10, respectively. Meanwhile, only 21 of 38 starters were scored on the lead lap while Day was mired 17 laps down in 38th place.
Under the finale’s first stage break period, the lead lap field led by Mayer pitted for the first time. Following the pit stops, Love exited pit road first and he was followed by Mayer, Creed, Hill, Allgaier, Jones, Sawalich, Retzlaff, Sammy Smith and Gray, respectively. Meanwhile, Kvapil was mired outside the top-20 mark after he endured an extensive service to have a battery on his No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Camaro entry replaced.
The second stage period started on Lap 53 as Love and Mayer occupied the front row. At the start, Love received a strong launch and push from Creed from the inside lane to outduel Mayer entering the first two turns. Following a full cycle, Creed managed to lead the next lap over Allgaier while Mayer was locked into a battle with Allgaier and Hill for third place. Creed proceeded to lead the Lap 55 mark by three-tenths of a second over Love while Mayer and Allgaier battled for third place in front of Hill and Retzlaff.
At the Lap 60 mark, Creed maintained his lead by four-tenths of a second over Love as Love was being reeled in and pressured by Allgaier and Mayer for the runner-up spot. Behind, Hill retained fifth place in front of Retzlaff, Jones, Sawalich, Gray and Crews while Anthony Alfredo, Sammy Smith, Caruth, Ryan Sieg and Kvapil were in the top 15, respectively.
Five laps later, Love reduced Creed’s advantage by a tenth of a second while Mayer, Allgaier and Hill, all of whom trailed the lead by less than two seconds, followed suit, respectively. Creed’s advantage grew back up by six-tenths of a second over the following five laps as Mayer reeled in on Love for the runner-up spot. While Allgaier and Hill trailed by two and three seconds, respectively, while in the top-five mark, Mayer overtook Love for the runner-up spot and former reeled in on Creed by two-tenths of a second on Lap 75.
On Lap 79, Mayer reassumed the lead from Creed. As Mayer led by four-tenths of a second during the next lap, Love lost distance of the lead as he trailed by more than one-and-a-half seconds while Allgaier trailed by more than two seconds in fourth place. Meanwhile, Kvapil, who navigated his way back into the top-10 mark on Lap 74, was in ninth place and pursuing Retzlaff for more. With Kvapil proceeding to move up to eighth place, Mayer increased his advantage by two seconds at the Lap 85 mark.
Then on Lap 88, the caution flew due to Jeb Burton spinning in Turn 4. The caution was enough for the second stage period scheduled to conclude on Lap 90 to officially conclude under caution. As a result, Mayer captured his second consecutive O’Reilly stage victory of the finale and his fourth overall of the 2026 season. Creed, Love, Allgaier, Hill, Crews, Jones, Kvapil, Retzlaff and Sawalich were scored in the top 10, respectively, as 19 of 38 starters were scored on the lead lap. Meanwhile, Day was mired 20 laps down in 37th place.
During the finale’s second stage break period, the lead lap field led by Mayer returned to pit road for service, but it was Creed who exited pit road first while Mayer dropped to 18th due to a slow pit service to have a right-front tire addressed. Following suit behind Creed were Love, Jones, Allgaier, Hill, Kvapil, Sawalich, Crews, Ratzlaff and Gray.
With 104 laps remaining, the final stage period commenced as Creed and Love occupied the front row in front of Jones, Allgaier, Kvapil and Hill, respectively. At the start, Allgaier darted to the right and tried to duel with Love and Creed three-wide for the lead entering the first two turns. As the field fanned out for a full cycle, Creed managed to fend off Love and Allgaier to lead the next lap while Hill pursued in fourth place. Behind, Kvapil battled Sawalich, Jones, Crews and Retzlaff for fifth place, with the former barely sliding in front of Sawalich to gain the spot through the frontstretch during the next lap. As Kvapil then battled Hill for fourth place, Creed maintained a steady lead over Love and Allgaier at the event’s halfway mark with 100 laps remaining.
Down to the final 90 laps, four of the championship contenders occupied the top-four spots on the track as Creed led the finale by seven-tenths of a second over Love while Kvapil and Allgaier trailed by one and three seconds in third and fourth, respectively. Meanwhile, Mayer, who rallied from his slow pit service during the second stage’s break period, carved his No. 41 Starkey Chevrolet Camaro entry up to fifth place as he trailed the leader Creed by more than four-and-a-half seconds while Hill, Crews, Jones, Sawalich and Ryan Sieg were in the top 10 on the track ahead of Taylor Gray, Caruth, Retzlaff, Nick Sanchez and Alfredo, respectively.
Five laps later, Creed grew his late advantage by a second over both Love and Kvapil, with Kvapil trailing Love by three-tenths of a second and trying to reel in the latter for the runner-up spot. Meanwhile, Mayer trailed by more than three seconds in fourth place after he overtook Allgaier on the track while Crews overtook Hill for sixth place. As Kvapil proceeded to challenge Love for the runner-up spot, Allgaier continued to trail in fifth place by more than four seconds while Creed stabilized his lead by more than a second with 80 laps remaining.
As the finale reached its final 70-lap mark, Kvapil trailed Creed by a tenth of a second after he spent the previous 10 laps methodically chipping away Creed’s lead. Kvapil then proceeded to challenge Creed for the lead as he drew within reach of the latter, though Creed managed to retain the lead over the following five laps. As Love trailed by three-tenths of a second in third place and Allgaier by nearly five seconds in fifth place, Kvapil prevailed and moved into the lead with 64 laps remaining.
Then with 61 laps remaining, Allgaier made an unscheduled pit stop from fifth place under green as he had a flat right-rear tire on his No. 7 BRANDT Chevrolet Camaro entry. Not long after Allgaier’s pit service, more names that included Gray, Sawalich, Hill, Crews Love, Alfredo and Creed pitted over the next three laps. Ryan Sieg, Nick Sanchez, Sammy Smith and Lavar Scott also pitted before Kvapil dived on to pit road from the lead along with Mayer with 57 laps remaining. Just behind Kvapil and Mayer, Andrew Patterson spun towards the entrance of pit road while trying to enter pit road for service and hit the sand barrels, with the incident kicking up sand. Patterson’s incident placed the finale in a red flag period for 10 minutes and 24 seconds to have the entrance of pit road cleaned from the spilled sand and damaged barrels.
When the red flag lifted and the field led by Jones proceeded under a cautious pace, only 10 competitors were scored on the lead lap, including Kvapil, Mayer, Love, Allgaier and Creed. During the caution period, Jones, Retzlaff, Kyle Sieg, Will Rodgers, Patrick Staropoli and Allgaier pitted their respective entries while Kvapil cycled as the leader.
For the next restart with 49 laps remaining, Kvapil and Mayer occupied the front row as Kvapil motored ahead from the inside lane while Love, who restarted in third place, quickly dropped to seventh place within half a lap. At the front, Mayer overtook Kvapil and led the next lap. Amid’s Kvapil’s challenge, Jones would then overtake Kvapil for the runner-up spot before Creed overtook Kvapil for third place with 46 laps remaining. While Jones assumed the lead, Kvapil battled back on Creed for third place, which he gained, and proceeded to reel in and overtake Mayer for the runner-up spot as Allgaier tried to reel in Mayer and Creed for third and fourth on the track.
With 40 laps remaining, the battle for the lead ignited as Kvapil dueled with Jones for the lead. As Allgaier battled Mayer for third place, Kvapil outdueled Jones from the inside lane to assume the lead during the next lap. By then, Creed trailed by a second in fifth place and Love tried to reel in Creed from sixth place while Allgaier trailed Kvapil by nine-tenths of a second. Allgaier then spent the next five laps battling and being overtaken by Creed and Love for top-five spots on the track as Kvapil steadily led Jones by a tenth of a second.
At the final 30-lap mark, Kvapil continued to lead by half a second over Jones and by seven-tenths of a second over Mayer while Love and Creed trailed by three-and-a-half and four seconds, respectively, in fourth and fifth. Meanwhile, Allgaier was racing in sixth place and being pressured by Brent Crews for the spot, though the former maintained a steady lead of nine points over Kvapil and 15 over Love in the championship battle and the standings based on his top-six spot.
Five laps later, Kvapil’s lead stood at six-tenths of a second over Jones while teammate Allgaier was outdueled by Crews for sixth place. By then, Allgaier maintained an eight-point advantage in the standings as Creed and Love continued to trail Kvapil on the track by four seconds apiece. Kvapil proceeded to slightly increase his late advantage over Jones by nearly eight-tenths of a second with 20 laps remaining as Mayer, Creed, Love, Crews and Allgaier followed suit within the top-seven mark, respectively.
Down to the final 15 laps, Kvapil led by half a second over Jones and by nine-tenths of a second over Mayer while Creed, Crews and Love occupied fourth through sixth on the track, respectively. Meanwhile, Allgaier continued to lead the championship standings as he was in eighth place on the track behind Retzlaff while Hill trailed behind by a second. A lap later, Jones slid his No. 20 Menards Toyota Supra entry in front of Kvapil through Turns 3 and 4 to reassume the lead. Another lap later, Mayer’s strong run at the front was foiled by a flat right-rear tire, which forced the driver to pit, as Jones proceeded to lead Kvapil by four-tenths of a second with 10 laps remaining. Jones increased his lead over Kvapil by more than four seconds with five laps remaining while Allgaier steadily raced in seventh place.
When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Jones remained in the race lead by more than four seconds over Kvapil while Allgaier remained in the championship lead by racing in seventh place. As Jones proceeded to win the finale, Allgaier smoothly navigated his entry around Homestead-Miami Speedway for a final time before he cycled back to the frontstretch and took the checkered flag in seventh place, which was enough to clinch his second championship.
Overall, Allgaier, who won the title by 14 points, became the 10th competitor to achieve multiple championships in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series division and the first to do so under the series’ postseason format. He also recorded the fifth O’Reilly driver’s championship for JR Motorsports, the organization’s second in the owner’s side and the first for crew chief Andrew Overstreet, with Allgaier also becoming JR Motorsports’ first repeat champion.
Allgaier, who revealed five days earlier that he will be returning to JR Motorsports under a new multi-year basis, starting in 2027, after initially contemplating on retiring at this season’s conclusion, capped off his 16th consecutive full-time season in the O’Reilly division with six victories, a pole, 19 top-five results, 24 top-10 results, 803 laps led and an average-finishing result of 9.48. He also won this year’s regular-season championship, entered the Chase as the top seed en route to his second overall season’s title, and recorded the 24th O’Reilly’s title for Chevrolet amid a record-breaking season for the bowtie manufacturer, winning all but four of the 33-race schedule en route to a 10th manufacturer’s title.
Photo by Mitchell Pavel for SpeedwayMedia.com.
“[The championship] Means more than you’ll ever know,” Allgaier said on the frontstretch on the CW Network. “It’s, obviously, not the finish we wanted tonight. [I] Wanted to be in Victory Lane, but this team never quits. The effort, the time that they put in, the pit crew, phenomenal job. The first [championship] was for me. The first one, I really enjoyed. This one is for all these men and women that are standing right back here. They have worked their tails off and to be honest with you, these two [daughters], my wife, my parents, it means so much. Really proud of our whole [No. 7] team. Tonight, it was a battle. Idiot driver [me] knocked the fence down too many times. It’s understated, so it’s been pretty special tonight.”
“I’m glad we didn’t [retire],” Allgaier, who saluted the fans on the championship stage, added. “This would have been a heck of a way to end my career, I guess, looking back on it, but as a competitor in you, you want more and I want to go out there and try to do it again. [This championship] truly is for every man and woman that’s standing back behind me here, all of our partners, everybody back at the [JR Motorsports] shop. What Dale [Earnhardt Jr.] and Kelley [Earnhardt-Miller] and LW [Miller] and Joe Madison, everybody at JR Motorsports have built is special…I can’t say thank you enough. I can promise you we’re going to enjoy this one and we’re gonna write the ship and go back after it next year.”
Amid Allgaier’s championship celebration, Jesse Love, the reigning O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion, settled in the runner-up spot in the standings as he fell 14 points shy of defending his title. Love, who finished fourth at Homestead, also caps off a three-year campaign driving for Richard Childress Racing in the O’Reilly division highlighted with the 2025 driver’s championship and five victories. Next season, he will drive for Wood Brothers Racing in the Cup Series division. Despite being left frustrated on falling short of the title, Love focused on the positives and his success at Richard Childress Racing as motivations to build more towards bigger success for years to come.
“There’s a thousand different things that could have gone differently to gain us those 15 points,” Love said. “I feel that at the end of the day, obviously, it stings, right? It’s a painful thing to go through, losing and [the championship] being close. Unfortunately, with the caution, the pit cycle and having those couple laps in our tires, that was enough to probably do us in tonight. I was obviously upset getting out of the car, but when I get to be around our group of guys in the No. 2 car, a lot more happiness and gratefulness overwhelms me than the thing of the loss. This closes out a big chapter in my life over the last three years that I’m going to miss tremendously, but I’ll always be extremely grateful for. While it hurts now, I know that I come back stronger from these things and I’ll put my best foot forward and not excuses for it and just try to be my best version of myself coming back.”
Like Love, Carson Kvapil was disappointed after capping off a roller coaster season in third place in the final standings and 28 points shy of his first title. Kvapil, who finished in the runner-up spot at Homestead, juggled through transitioning between JR Motorsports’ Nos. 1 and 9 entries along with DGM Racing’s No. 91 entry through the first 21-scheduled events before he had the No. 1 entry to himself to battle for the title throughout the Chase. Nevertheless, he notched his first three career victories and remained within the title hunt through the finale at Homestead. Next season, he will have JR Motorsports’ No. 8 Chevrolet entry to himself as he will make another bid towards competing for the title.
“It’s tough,” Kvapil said. “I was able to learn, honestly, quite a bit throughout the year and get a lot of experience. I’ve kind of only ever had one crew chief this whole time I’ve done this NASCAR thing. To have three different teams and some crazy weird circumstances going on, I was able to learn from it. Overall, it was a really fun year when we teamed up full time with [crew chief] Rodney [Childers] and the whole No. 1 team. It was really game on from there. [It’s] Been a good year and I’m excited to get to next year with these guys. I think us being full time every week together from late week one is going to be really big for us…Can’t wait to kick it back off at Daytona.”
Sheldon Creed and Corey Day finished sixth and 34th, respectively, in the final scoreboard at Homestead. They ended up fourth and fifth in the final standings while falling 33 and 61 points shy, respectively, of their first titles. Creed is transitioning from Haas Factory Team to Sam Hunt Racing in 2027 while Day remains at Hendrick Motorsports.
Meanwhile, Brandon Jones celebrated his second O’Reilly victory of the 2026 season at Homestead after he led three times for 25 of 200-scheduled laps and outdueled the field following his final pass for the victory with 13 laps remaining. Jones’ Homestead victory marks the 700th win for Toyota across NASCAR’s top-three national touring series and the fourth of the 2026 O’Reilly season for Joe Gibbs Racing. Jones will return to drive Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 Toyota entry for the 2027 O’Reilly season.
Photo by Mitchell Pavel for SpeedwayMedia.com.
“There was so many cool positives out of today,” Jones said. “I’ve gotten a couple milestones for [Toyota] a few times here, so it’s so cool to be a part of these big moments for this company. I would say that we weren’t really the best car to begin this race. We were capable of running inside the top five to top 10 and we just consistently made better gains throughout on the car all night long. Our long run pace was really our strong suit tonight…Just an incredible way to cap the year off. Looking forward to now having a couple months off. You couldn’t ask for a better way to end it here.”
Brent Crews, the 2026 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series’ Rookie of the Year, finished in third place at Homestead and emerged as the highest-finishing non-Chase contender in the standings in 13th place. Crews, who did not compete in four of the first six events due to age restrictions, will campaign the entire 2027 O’Reilly season with Joe Gibbs Racing.
Parker Retzlaff finished in fifth place behind Jones, Kvapil, Crews and Love on the track at Homestead while Creed, Allgaier, Austin Hill, Sam Mayer and William Sawalich completed the top 10, respectively. Mayer, Sammy Smith, Jones, Taylor Gray, Austin Hill, Retzlaff and Rajah Caruth finished sixth through 12th, respectively, in the final Chase standings.
The 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Championship Race at Homestead produced 12 lead changes among five leaders and four cautions over 27 laps. In addition, 11 of 38 starters finished on the lead lap.
Results:
Brandon Jones, 25 laps led
Carson Kvapil, 36 laps led
Brent Crews
Jesse Love, four laps led
Parker Retzlaff
Sheldon Creed, 99 laps led
Justin Allgaier
Austin Hill
Sam Mayer, 36 laps led, Stages 1 & 2 winner
William Sawalich
Kyle Sieg
Ryan Sieg, one lap down
Will Rodgers, one lap down
Taylor Gray, one lap down
Sammy Smith, one lap down
Nick Sanchez, one lap down
Patrick Staropoli, two laps down
Rajah Caruth, two laps down
Anthony Alfredo, two laps down
Josh Williams, two laps down
Lavar Scott, two laps down
Jeb Burton, three laps down
Harrison Burton, three laps down
Preston Pardus, three laps down
Jeremy Clements, three laps down
Joey Gase, four laps down
Brennan Poole, four laps down
Blaine Perkins, four laps down
Ryan Ellis, five laps down
Josh Bilicki, five laps down
Andrew Patterson, five laps down
Brad Perez, five laps down
Dean Thompson, 10 laps down
Corey Day, 25 laps down
Dawson Cram – OUT, Suspension
Mason Maggio – OUT, Engine
Garrett Smithley – OUT, Rear End
JJ Yeley – OUT, Wheel Bearing
*Bold indicates Chase Drivers
Final Chase Standings:
Justin Allgaier
Jesse Love -14
Carson Kvapil -28
Sheldon Creed -33
Corey Day -61
Sam Mayer -90
Sammy Smith -125
Brandon Jones -163
Taylor Gray -177
Austin Hill -196
Parker Retzlaff -214
Rajah Caruth -253
The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series teams and competitors enter an off-season period before returning to action at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, on February 20, 2027, to commence a new season of competition.
HOMESTEAD, Fla. (Nov. 7, 2026) – A decade of manufacturer championship dominance and a second career title for Justin Allgaier defined Chevrolet’s season-ending celebration at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Allgaier and the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet team captured the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series driver championship, complementing Chevrolet’s 10th consecutive manufacturer crown and completing a sweep of the series’ driver and manufacturer titles.
Chevrolet’s 28th Bill France Performance Cup extends its manufacturer championship streak to 10 consecutive seasons. The latest crown follows a record-setting start to the season when Chevrolet won the opening seven races — the longest season-opening win streak by a single manufacturer in series history. The Bowtie brand’s championship effort featured points-earning contributions from 13 drivers representing five different Chevrolet organizations, 12 of which added to the manufacturer’s record-setting 29 wins this season.
“Winning the Bill France Performance Cup for the 10th consecutive season is an incredible achievement for Chevrolet,” said Eric Warren, vice president, Global Motorsports Competition for General Motors. “With 29 wins and 13 different drivers contributing points towards this title, it’s a true testament to the hard work and dedication by Team Chevy’s engineers, drivers and teams throughout the entire season. We are proud of the team effort put forth by everyone involved in this program to produce our winningest season in NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series history.”
The title caps a career-best season for the Team Chevy veteran driver. Allgaier established his championship credentials early in 2026, winning at Phoenix Raceway before adding victories at Darlington Raceway and Martinsville Speedway during the opening seven races. He continued that momentum through the summer stretch, earning his career-high sixth victory of the season at EchoPark Speedway in July – a performance that led to the regular season championship and the top seed of The Chase.
The road to the championship also tested Allgaier’s resilience. Finishes outside the top-10 in the first two Chase races at Darlington and World Wide Technology Raceway, followed by a crash at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, put the No. 7 team on the comeback trail. Allgaier responded with four consecutive top-five finishes leading into Homestead, overcoming a 31-point deficit during October to reclaim control of the championship. Allgaier put a bow on his title-earning run with a seventh-place finish in the season finale race.
“Congratulations to Justin Allgaier, Andrew Overstreet and the No. 7 Chevrolet team on winning the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Championship,” said Warren. “The team leveraged their consistency throughout the season to set themselves up for the opportunity to race for the title. Justin exudes the qualities of a true champion both on and off the racetrack, and we’re proud that one of Chevrolet’s longest-tenured drivers has earned another deserving championship.”
Allgaier has become a cornerstone of JR Motorsports’ success, earning 31 of his 34 career series victories under their banner to earn his spot as the organization’s winningest driver. The title is the fifth all-time NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championship for JR Motorsports’ co-owners Kelley Earnhardt Miller and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who are also celebrating a season that saw the organization make 17 trips to victory lane.
“We’re incredibly happy for Kelley Earnhardt Miller, LW Miller, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the entire JR Motorsports organization on achieving their fifth O’Reilly Series Championship,” added Warren. “Our partnership with JR Motorsports has been an important part of Chevrolet’s history in the O’Reilly Series, and this championship adds to the success we’re proud to celebrate together.”
Allgaier is among a group of 18 different drivers that have earned a NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championship under the Chevrolet banner: Justin Allgaier (2026, ‘24), Jesse Love (2025), Tyler Reddick (2018, ’19), William Byron (2017), Chase Elliott (2014), Austin Dillon (2013), Clint Bowyer (2008), Martin Truex, Jr. (2004, ‘05), Brian Vickers (2003), Kevin Harvick (2001, ‘06), Jeff Green (2000), Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (1998, ‘99), Randy LaJoie (1996, ‘97), Johnny Benson (1995), David Green (1994), Steve Grissom (1993), Joe Nemechek (1992) and Larry Pearson (1987).
Chevrolet’s title-defending campaign in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series will get underway in the series’ season-opener at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2027.
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.
Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Team Close Out 2026 Season with Strong Fourth-Place Showing at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Ultimately Finishing Second in the Point Standings
Finish: 4th Start: 4th Points: 2nd
“There are a 1,000 different things that could have gone differently to gain us 15 points so at the end of the day, it stings to finish second in the point standings. It’s a painful thing to go through, losing the championship, and it being so close. Unfortunately, with the caution, the pit cycle and having those couple laps on our tires, that was enough to probably do us in tonight. I was obviously upset getting out of the car, but when I get to be around our group of guys on the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet, I feel a lot more happiness and gratefulness and it helps with the sting of the loss. This has been a big chapter of my life over the last three years that I’m going to miss tremendously. I’ll always be extremely grateful for my time at RCR. While it hurts now, I know that I come back stronger from these things and I’ll put my best foot forward and not make excuses for it. I’m just taking the best version of myself coming back.” -Jesse Love
Bittersweet Top-10 Finish for Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet Team at Homestead-Miami Speedway
Finish: 8th Start: 2nd Points: 10th
“Bittersweet ending for our No. 21 group. Racing with this team for the last five years has been the most fun I’ve had in my career and while I’m excited to be full time in the Cup Series next year, I’m going to miss battling with these guys every Saturday. We had a solid practice session yesterday and qualifying exceeded our expectations earlier today. Thought that was going to bode well for our Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet, but our balance was a little off. At one point, we were tight off the fence in Turns 3 and 4, but Chad (Haney, crew chief) helped that with an adjustment. Then we were out of the track in Turn 1 which made it hard to the attack the corner. All in all, we finished it out with another top-10 finish. Proud of these guys for never giving up all year long.” -Austin Hill
HOMESTEAD, Fla. (November 7, 2026) – Toyota is celebrating its 700th NASCAR national series win today after Brandon Jones crossed the finish line first at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Since first debuting in the NASCAR national series ranks in 2004, Toyota has amassed 221 wins in the NASCAR Cup Series, 222 in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and 257 in the NASCAR Truck Series. Jones also claimed the 500th win for Toyota in NASCAR in March 2020 at Phoenix Raceway.
“The success we have seen in our over two decades in the sport is all about the people,” said Tyler Gibbs, president, TRD (Toyota Racing Development). “From the talented drivers to the incredible owners and leaders of our race teams, the hard-working engineers and technical teams at TRD, this milestone is due to their efforts each day. We are proud of this achievement, but the work is not done. Everyone at Toyota and TRD continues to focus on maintaining this level of success for the rest of the year and into the future.”
Travis Kvapil earned the first victory for Toyota in NASCAR – claiming the win in the NASCAR Truck Series race at Michigan International Speedway in July of 2004. Jason Leffler got the winning started for Toyota in the NASCAR O’Reilly Series at Indianapolis Raceway Park in July of 2007, while Kyle Busch won the first NASCAR Cup Series race for the manufacturer at EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta) in March of 2008.
Joe Gibbs Racing is Toyota’s winningest organization, owning 395 race victories in NASCAR Cup Series (179) and NASCAR O’Reilly Series (216) competition since partnering together in 2008.
Eighty-nine (89) drivers in total have won in a Toyota, led by multi-time Toyota champion Kyle Busch with 203 victories. Denny Hamlin (76 wins), Christopher Bell (41 wins), Martin Truex Jr. (33 wins), Corey Heim (28 wins), Todd Bodine (22 wins), Joey Logano (20 wins), Erik Jones (18 wins), Matt Kenseth (18 wins), John Hunter Nemechek (17 wins), Johnny Benson (14 wins), Ty Gibbs (14 wins), Matt Crafton (12 wins), Mike Skinner (12 wins), Tyler Reddick (11 wins) and Timothy Peters (10 wins) and all have taken home 10 or more national-series wins behind the wheel of a Toyota.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of over 50 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina began to assemble automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.
