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The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 14 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Series, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Euro Series, NASCAR Mexico Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Local Racing Series Powered by O’Reilly Auto Parts). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in five cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 11 countries and more than 30 U.S. states.

Sieg wins first career O'Reilly Series race at Daytona, Caruth grabs last spot in the Chase

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

August 28, 2026

 

By Holly Cain

NASCAR Wire Service

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – After 424 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts – earning five runner-up finishes – Georgia owner-driver Ryan Sieg hoisted his first career trophy Friday night at Daytona International Speedway in a dramatic overtime victory in the Winn Dixie 250 Powered by Coca-Cola.

 

A favorite in the garage and the grandstands, the 39-year-old from Tucker, Ga. benefitted from a two-tire late race pit stop to get inside the top-five and was running fourth when a caution flew with a single lap of regulation remaining.

 

Restarting the two-lap overtime period from the outside lane on the second row, Sieg was able to get around front-row starting JR Motorsports teammates Carson Kvapil and Justin Allgaier immediately and then drove away. His No. 38 Ryan Sieg Racing Chevrolet ultimately took the checkered flag by .149-second over Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill.

 

In the closing yards to the finish line, Sieg conceded he just kept thinking, "don’t mess up."

 

He did not.

 

“This is incredible, unbelievable, especially doing it here at Daytona," said a grinning Sieg as he received a hug from his brother Kyle and a kiss from his girlfriend. “I’ve been coming here since I was a baby, we’ve come here every summer race.

 

“To do it right now and the way we did it, that’s amazing and to get the pole last [race], just want to thank everybody that helped us out to get here. My mom and dad, my girlfriend, all the support from the whole team, everybody.

 

“This has been a long time coming. Last race got the pole and [now] we came back to Daytona where I really wanted to win and we freaking did it."

 

For so much of the race it looked like Kvapil may earn his third consecutive win – that last lap caution flag cutting short his bid to become the first driver in series history to claim his first three career wins consecutively. His 50 laps out front in the No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet were most on the night.

 

Viking Motorsports driver Anthony Alfredo and newly re-signed Joe Gibbs Racing driver Brandon Jones rounded out the top-five. Allgaier rallied to a sixth-place finish in the typically frenzied final laps.

 

The extra time – a two-lap overtime period was necessary after Allgaier and another of his JR Motorsports teammates touched with a lap remaining – the contact from behind sending pole-winner Rajah Caruth’s No. 88 Chevrolet spinning.

 

Fortunately for Caruth, the bad luck didn’t end up ruining such a successful night when he put himself inside the 12-driver Chase field that will now go on to challenge for the 2026 title.

 

Caruth finished 32nd but the greater misfortune of two other competitors, put the 24-year-old into the Chase in his first fulltime season in the series. Similarly, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Taylor Gray moved from outside Chase contention to the 12th and final eligible position, his 26th-place finish at Daytona good enough to move him forward after two of his teammates suffered a heart-breaking night.

 

The Chase standings took a dramatic turn mid-race with a pair of accidents – both near the front of the field - ending JGR teammates Brent Crews’ and William Sawalich’s hopes of contending for a title. Both had been running top-10 when separate incidents derailed their quests.

 

Crews’ No. 19 JGR Toyota suffered a lot of damage, collected in a five-car accident in Turn 3 on lap 28 and had to go to the garage for lengthy repairs. Only 19 laps later Sawalich was an innocent victim in another five-car incident, the damage to his No. 18 JGR Toyota proving too much to return to the race competitively.

 

Crews did come back on track with 42 laps remaining but was 31 laps down to the field.

 

“We did all we could but just got taken out and it sucks," said a disappointed Sawalich, who won at Rockingham, N.C. this year and had made up 45 points to become Chase eligible in just the last few weeks.

 

After the points reset for this Chase run, the season’s most dominant driver, six-race winner Allgaier will take a 25-point lead into the 10-race trophy run that begins next week. His teammate Kvapil is seeded second, followed by Haas Factory Team’s Sheldon Creed, defending series champion, Richard Childress Racing’s Jesse Love and his teammate Hill, Jones, Hendrick Motorsports’ rookie Corey Day, and JR Motorsports’ Sammy Smith.

 

Viking Motorsports’ Parker Retzlaff will make his Chase debut, with Haas driver Sam Mayer, Gray and Caruth rounding out the Chase field.

 

The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series returns to action next week at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway – the nine-race Chase to decide the 2026 series champion beginning with the Fleetio 200 (7:30 p.m. ET on CW, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). NASCAR Cup Series regular Christopher Bell won the last Fall race at Darlington in 2024. Allgaier won at the track this March.

 

NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Race - Winn-Dixie 250 Powered by Coca-Cola

Daytona International Speedway

Daytona Beach, Florida

Friday, August 28, 2026

 

                1. (12)  Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 105.

                2. (8)  Austin Hill, Chevrolet, 105.

                3. (2)  Carson Kvapil, Chevrolet, 105.

                4. (9)  Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, 105.

                5. (13)  Brandon Jones, Toyota, 105.

                6. (18)  Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 105.

                7. (33)  Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 105.

                8. (11)  Harrison Burton, Toyota, 105.

                9. (29)  Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, 105.

                10. (4)  Sheldon Creed, Chevrolet, 105.

                11. (19)  Josh Williams, Chevrolet, 105.

                12. (27)  Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet, 105.

                13. (20)  Leland Honeyman Jr(i), Chevrolet, 105.

                14. (24)  Parker Retzlaff, Chevrolet, 105.

                15. (36)  Blaine Perkins, Chevrolet, 105.

                16. (15)  Nick Sanchez, Chevrolet, 105.

                17. (22)  Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, 105.

                18. (31)  Lavar Scott #, Chevrolet, 105.

                19. (35)  Mason Maggio, Chevrolet, 105.

                20. (3)  Jesse Love, Chevrolet, 105.

                21. (23)  Kyle Sieg, Chevrolet, 105.

                22. (26)  Natalie Decker(i), Chevrolet, 105.

                23. (32)  Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 105.

                24. (34)  Carson Ware, Chevrolet, 105.

                25. (6)  Sam Mayer, Chevrolet, 105.

                26. (10)  Taylor Gray, Toyota, 105.

                27. (16)  Dean Thompson, Toyota, 105.

                28. (37)  Josh Bilicki, Chevrolet, Accident, 104.

                29. (14)  Corey Day, Chevrolet, 104.

                30. (38)  Andy Jankowiak, Ford, 103.

                31. (21)  Caesar Bacarella, Chevrolet, 103.

                32. (1)  Rajah Caruth, Chevrolet, 103.

                33. (28)  Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 94.

                34. (30)  Patrick Staropoli #, Chevrolet, 73.

                35. (17)  Brent Crews #, Toyota, 61.

                36. (5)  Sammy Smith, Chevrolet, Accident, 44.

                37. (7)  William Sawalich, Toyota, Accident, 44.

                38. (25)  Daniel Dye(i), Chevrolet, Accident, 27.

 

Average Speed of Race Winner:  132.52 mph.

Time of Race:  1 Hrs, 58 Mins, 51 Secs. Margin of Victory:  0.149 Seconds.

Caution Flags:  4 for 25 laps.

Lead Changes:  21 among 11 drivers.

Lap Leaders:   S. Creed 1;R. Caruth 2-6;S. Creed 7-8;J. Love 9-11;S. Mayer 12-14;A. Hill 15-19;C. Kvapil 20;A. Hill 21-22;S. Mayer 23-24;C. Kvapil 25-26;A. Hill 27-31;C. Kvapil 32;P. Retzlaff 33;C. Kvapil 34-42;A. Hill 43-52;R. Caruth 53-58;A. Alfredo 59-60;H. Burton 61;B. Jones 62-66;C. Kvapil 67-103;R. Sieg 104-105.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  Carson Kvapil 5 times for 50 laps; Austin Hill 4 times for 22 laps; Rajah Caruth 2 times for 11 laps; Sam Mayer 2 times for 5 laps; Brandon Jones 1 time for 5 laps; Sheldon Creed 2 times for 3 laps; Jesse Love 1 time for 3 laps; Ryan Sieg 1 time for 2 laps; Anthony Alfredo 1 time for 2 laps; Parker Retzlaff 1 time for 1 lap; Harrison Burton 1 time for 1 lap.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 21,1,88,96,8,24,7,20,18,54

Stage #2 Top Ten: 88,96,1,7,27,00,41,2,31,20

 

 

 

 

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Media Day Notebook

 

Notebook Items:

  • Jesse Love can use a little good luck in NASCAR O’Reilly Series title defense
  • Justin Allgaier savors Chase schedule and new postseason format
  • Rajah Caruth learned valuable lessons on the way to the Chase

 

September 2, 2026

 

By Reid Spencer

NASCAR Wire Service

 

Jesse Love can use a little good luck in NASCAR O’Reilly Series title defense

 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — If it appears that defending NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion Jesse Love lacks momentum entering this year’s nine-race Chase, don’t despair.

 

All it will take is a little bit of luck and some quality control to make him a contender for a second straight title.

 

Love won twice in 2025, bookending the season with victories in the Daytona opener and the Championship 4 Race at Phoenix.

 

This year, he’s winless through 24 races, though that shouldn’t suggest a lack of speed in the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. Love has led 383 laps this season versus 297 in 33 events last year.

 

“I’m not a ‘luck’ guy, right?” Love said Wednesday at Chase Media Day in the Charlotte Convention Center. “I think it’s a word that’s overused and just kind of thrown around as an excuse a lot.

 

“This year, with the speed that we’ve had and actually being able to show up and dominate races and have something silly happen… we’ve had a lot of bad luck this year. If we don’t have that in the (Chase), then we can win a championship. If we do continue to have that, then we’re not.”

 

Emblematic of Love’s season was the May 30 race at Nashville Superspeedway. Love led 87 laps from the pole before loose wheels derailed his winning chances. He finished 16th in a car he described as “the best I’ve ever had.”

 

“For myself, I’m not worried about being able to perform at a high enough level to win a championship,” said Love, who will move up to the NASCAR Cup Series next year in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford. “I know that I’m performing at that level right now.

 

“If we don’t have those bad things happen in the Chase, then we’re going to be fine.”

 

The O’Reilly Series Chase gets underway on Saturday with the Fleetio 200 at Darlington Raceway (7:30 p.m. on CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

 

Justin Allgaier savors Chase schedule and new postseason format

 

To say that Justin Allgaier was the runaway winner of top seeding for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Chase would be a significant understatement.

 

A six-time winner this season, Allgaier held a 229-point lead over JR Motorsports teammate Carson Kvapil in second place before the reset for the Chase.

 

Entering the first of nine Chase events at Darlington Raceway on Saturday, Allgaier now leads Kvapil by 25 points under the new format this year, but the loss of his huge advantage hasn’t diminished the confidence of the 2024 series champion.

 

“I feel like we’ve done a really good job,” Allgaier said. “We’ve executed in races that in years past I probably wouldn’t have. More wins than I’ve had in a single season—all those things kind of play into it.

 

“I feel good about even only having a 25-point lead. I still feel good about it, but even at the same time, I think there was one race that we lost 60 or 65 points to the guys up front… So we have to go out there and execute.”

 

Allgaier’s stiffest competition may come from his own shop. Kvapil took charge at the end of the season, picking up his first two career wins back-to-back at Indianapolis and Iowa. Sammy Smith and Rajah Caruth also made the Chase for JRM.

 

“I’d be hard-pressed to say that they’re not (the strongest opposition),” Allgaier said. “I do think there are plenty of drivers, teams, combinations that have made speed at the end of this year, that have come on. Arguably, the 1 (Kvapil) has done the best job of that. So that’s within our four walls.

 

“But I think every organization has their strengths. Now there are organizations that don’t have all their cars in (the Chase). We’re in a situation where we have to put our four best race cars on the track every week. It’s not one. It’s not two. It’s all four of us, right?

 

“I look at the last couple years, and we’ve only had to do that for one race (under the Championship 4 format). Now we’re putting all four into the Chase, and we’re going to have to run all season like that. It does put more of a strain on our shop, but there’s no team that I would rather have the opportunity to go and try to battle it out with, so I think we’ll be in great shape.”

 

Allgaier recorded three of his six victories this season at tracks that appear in the Chase—Darlington, Phoenix and Martinsville. Accordingly, he’s elated about the roster of tracks that comprise the nine-race body of work in the Chase.

 

“We have great race tracks,” Allgaier acknowledged. “When I look at the schedule, I’m like, man, you couldn’t have asked for better race tracks for the 7 car, as far as what the (Chase) looks like. I’m excited for that.”

 

Rajah Caruth learned valuable lessons on the way to the Chase

 

If Rajah Caruth hopes to contend for a NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championship, he’ll have to raise his performance to new heights.

 

Fortunately, the 24-year-old driver from Washington, D.C., will have the best possible equipment at his disposal for the entirety of the Chase, which opens Saturday with the Fleetio 200 at Darlington Raceway (7:30 p.m. ET on CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

 

During the first 24 races of the season, Caruth split time between the No. 32 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet and the more potent No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. For the Chase, he’ll be in the No. 88 full-time, with crew chief Mardy Lindley on his pit box.

 

In a dramatic race last Friday at Daytona International Speedway, Caruth earned the final spot in the Chase, despite a spin from second place in the closing laps. He’ll start the postseason 80 points behind his top-seeded JR Motorsports teammate, Justin Allgaier.

 

On the way to the Chase, Caruth has taken a valuable lesson to heart—not to throw away points trying to get more out of a car than it’s capable of achieving.

 

“I’m ready to rip,” Caruth said on Wednesday during Chase Media Day interviews at the Charlotte Convention Center. “The great thing about when I was going back and forth between the 32 and JRM this year is that I was still doing sim (simulation) for the 88, so I had an understanding of what they were going to the race track with.

 

“With that said, it’s not a huge shock going to these (Chase) tracks for the first time in the 88, because I had that time with them early in the year.”

 

Caruth also pointed out that the No. 88 Chevrolet, which featured multiple drivers behind the wheel, is third in the owners’ standings with a shot at that championship. On both the owners’ and drivers’ side, Caruth thinks it’s imperative not to throw away positions and points trying to overachieve.

 

“The valleys are way more hurtful than they were in previous years (under the elimination format),” Caruth said. “It’s going to be important, if you’re having a seventh-place day, to not make it a 12th- or 15th- or 20th-place day—and also not throwing away a second or third trying to get a win and ending up outside the top 10.

 

“I really feel good about our chances. Not only will our cars be fast, but I’m confident in myself and the lessons I’ve learned earlier this year, and (I’m) ready to put it all to the test.”

 

 

    O'reilly auto parts series

2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Schedule

 

Round

Date

Track

Location

Race Name

Time (ET)

1

Sat., Feb. 14

Daytona International Speedway

Daytona Beach, FL

United Rentals 300

5:00 PM

2

Sat., Feb. 21

EchoPark Speedway

Braselton, GA

Bennett Transportation & Logistics 250

5:00 PM

3

Sat., Feb. 28

Circuit of The Americas

Austin, TX

Focused Health 250

3:00 PM

4

Sat., Mar. 7

Phoenix Raceway

Avondale, AZ

GOVX 200

7:30 PM

5

Sat., Mar. 14

Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Las Vegas, NV

The LiUNA NASCAR Xfinity Series

5:30 PM

6

Sat., Mar. 21

Darlington Raceway

Darlington, SC

Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200

5:30 PM

7

Sat., Mar. 28

Martinsville Speedway

Martinsville, VA

NFPA 250

3:30 PM

8

Sat., Apr. 4

Rockingham Speedway

Rockingham, NC

North Carolina Education Lottery 250

2:30 PM

9

Sat., Apr. 11

Bristol Motor Speedway

Bristol, TN

SciAps 300

7:30 PM

10

Sat., Apr. 18

Kansas Speedway

Kansas City, KS

Kansas Lottery 300

7:00 PM

11

Sat., Apr. 25

Talladega Superspeedway

Lincoln, AL

Ag-Pro 300

4:00 PM

12

Sat., May 2

Texas Motor Speedway

Fort Worth, TX

Andy’s Frozen Custard 300

3:30 PM

13

Sat., May 9

Watkins Glen International

Watkins Glen, NY

Mission 200 at The Glen

4:00 PM

14

Sat., May 16

Dover Motor Speedway

Dover, DE

BetRivers 200

4:00 PM

15

Sat., May 23

Charlotte Motor Speedway

Concord, NC

BetMGM 300

5:00 PM

16

Sat., May 30

Nashville Superspeedway

Lebanon, TN

Tennessee Lottery 250

7:30 PM

–

Sat., June 6

–

–

Off Week

–

17

Sat., June 13

Pocono Raceway

Long Pond, PA

Explore the Pocono Mountains 250

4:00 PM

18

Sat., June 20

Naval Base Coronado

Coronado, CA

N/A

5:00 PM

19

Sat., June 27

Sonoma Raceway

Sonoma, CA

Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250

5:30 PM

20

Sat., July 4

Chicagoland Speedway

Joliet, IL

N/A

5:30 PM

21

Sat., July 11

EchoPark Speedway

Braselton, GA

Focused Health 250

7:00 PM

–

Sat., July 18

–

–

Off Week

–

22

Sat., July 25

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Indianapolis, IN

Pennzoil 250

4:00 PM

–

Sat., Aug. 1

–

–

Off Week

–

23

Sat., Aug. 8

Iowa Speedway

Newton, IA

Hy-Vee Perks 250

5:00 PM

–

Sat., Aug. 15

–

–

Off Week

–

–

Sat., Aug. 22

–

–

Off Week

–

24

Fri., Aug. 28

Daytona International Speedway

Daytona Beach, FL

Wawa 250

7:30 PM

25

Sat., Sept. 5

Darlington Raceway

Darlington, SC

N/A

7:30 PM

26

Sat., Sept. 12

World Wide Technology Raceway

Madison, IL

Nu Way 200 Sauced by Blues Hog

7:30 PM

27

Fri., Sept. 18

Bristol Motor Speedway

Bristol, TN

Food City 300

7:30 PM

–

Sat., Sept. 26

–

–

Off Week

–

28

Sat., Oct. 3

Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Las Vegas, NV

Focused Health 302

7:30 PM

29

Sat., Oct. 10

Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL

Concord, NC

Blue Cross NC 250

4:00 PM

30

Sat., Oct. 17

Phoenix Raceway

Avondale, AZ

N/A

7:30 PM

31

Sat., Oct. 24

Talladega Superspeedway

Lincoln, AL

The Progress Group 250

3:30 PM

32

Sat., Oct. 31

Martinsville Speedway

Martinsville, VA

IAA and Ritchie Bros. 250

4:00 PM

33

Sat., Nov. 7

Homestead-Miami Speedway

Homestead, FL

O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Championship

5:00 PM

2027 NASCAR O’REILLY AUTO PARTS SERIES SCHEDULE

Date

Event / Racetrack

Saturday, February 20

Daytona International Speedway

Saturday, February 27

EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta)

Saturday, March 6

Circuit of the Americas (Austin)

Saturday, March 13

Phoenix Raceway

Saturday, March 20

Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Saturday, April 3

Darlington Raceway

Saturday, April 10

Bristol Motor Speedway

Saturday, April 17

Martinsville Speedway

Saturday, April 24

Talladega Superspeedway

Saturday, May 1

Texas Motor Speedway

Saturday, May 15

Dover Motor Speedway

Saturday, May 22

North Wilkesboro Speedway

Saturday, May 29

Charlotte Motor Speedway

Saturday, June 5

Nashville Superspeedway

Saturday, June 12

Pocono Raceway

Saturday, June 26

Chicagoland Speedway

Saturday, July 3

Iowa Speedway

Saturday, July 10

Sonoma Raceway

Saturday, July 24

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Saturday, July 31

San Diego (Naval Base Coronado)

Friday, August 13

Bristol Motor Speedway

Saturday, August 21

World Wide Technology Raceway (St. Louis)

Friday, August 27

Daytona International Speedway

Saturday, September 4

Darlington Raceway

Friday, September 10

Richmond Raceway

Saturday, September 18

Watkins Glen International

Saturday, October 2

Kansas Speedway

Saturday, October 9

Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Saturday, October 16

Charlotte Motor Speedway

Saturday, October 23

Phoenix Raceway

Saturday, October 30

Talladega Superspeedway

Saturday, November 6

Martinsville Speedway

Saturday, November 13

NASCAR Championship (Homestead-Miami Speedway)

 

 

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