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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.

Hamlin Charges From Rear to Win FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan

getty images

By Holly Cain

NASCAR Wire Service

 

On an action-packed afternoon where perseverance proved as important as raw speed, veteran Denny Hamlin pulled off an amazing run from the rear of the starting grid to claim the checkered flag taking his second consecutive and fourth overall trophy in the NASCAR Cup Series’ FireKeepers Casino 400 at a sold-out Michigan International Speedway.

 

The massive effort marked Hamlin’s 63rd career win – tying him with the late Kyle Busch for ninth-place on the NASCAR Cup Series all-time wins list. And as importantly, the showing – combined with points leader Tyler Reddick’s first DNF of the season – cut Hamlin’s deficit to Reddick nearly in half. He now trails him by only 51 points with 11 races left to settle the NASCAR Cup Series regular season title.

 

Hamlin, 45, celebrated the milestone victory – his third of the year and second consecutive last-to-first efforts in as many weeks - by waving a black and white No. 18 “Kyle Busch” flag outside his driver’s window driving around the track for a victory lap – capped by a long burnout. The ode to the two-time series champ Busch, Hamlin’s former teammate who passed away suddenly two weeks ago from pneumonia and sepsis, received huge applause and a standing ovation from the massive grandstand crowd.

 

Although Hamlin won pole position for Sunday’s race, he started from the rear of the 37-car field after the team made adjustments after qualifying. The opening stage was mostly frustrating for Hamlin, who only managed to run between 20-30th place early. But the perennial championship contender and his JGR team made adjustments all day and he was running top-five by lap 140 of the 200-lapper. And moving forward quickly.

 

“Great car, unbelievable," Hamlin said thanking his crew after taking the checkered flag.  After a day where patience and confidence mattered most, his No. 11 Toyota led 40 laps – including the final 39 of the 200-lap race - and pulled away to an amazing 11.110-second win over fellow Toyota driver, Legacy Motor Club’s Erik Jones.

 

“Just amazing," Hamlin said of his car and crew. “That last run there, just hammered down. Had a few good restarts and once I got the lead, laid out all I had.

 

“The offseason was rough for me, rough for NASCAR family. We lost a lot of people This week we lost Gentleman Ned (Jarrett) and still thinking of Kyle (Busch), (his wife) Samantha (and children) Brexton and Lennix.

 

“Just grateful to be able strap in every week and I don’t take it for granted this opportunity that I’m in. Just love that we’re making the best of it."

 

A record 11 caution flags – plus a 20-minute red flag - flew for incidents and accidents throughout the afternoon - involved half the field to varying degrees. And while the stoppages slowed the race, it also allowed drivers to save enough fuel late enabling them to make the checkered flag without losing positions on extra pit stops.

 

Although Hamlin was far in front of the field, the positions just behind him were decided in the closing laps. The runner-up showing was the Michigan-native Jones’ best of the season. Bubba Wallace finished third in the 23XI Racing Toyota co-owned by Hamlin and NBA legend Michael Jordan. Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson was fourth in the No. 5 Chevrolet with Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar rounding out the top-five in the No. 77 Chevrolet.

 

“Lot of opportunities there to get stage points, but if we can go up there and challenge for a win, we’re going to do that," said Jones, whose primary team owner is seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson. 

 

“I think we’ve got a good package and our group is rolling really well as a team. We’re executing well. Just got to do every little thing right and it [win] will come. You run up front and it’s going to happen for you."

 

A nine-car chain-reaction wreck early in the race eliminated championship leader, and the 2024 Michigan winner Reddick from contention. Another dramatic incident with frontrunners Chase Elliott and Christopher Bell with 51 laps to go necessitated a 20-minute red flag to repair the track wall.

 

That red flag was necessitated after a hard collision between the two trophy contenders as they ran side-by-side vying for second place. Elliott’s No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet got loose and moved up track and into Bell’s No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

 

“Totally my fault. I feel so bad for Christopher [Bell],” said Elliott, who won Stage 2 and led a race best 67 laps on the day.

 

“Was trying to make use of fresh tires and at least get to second and hopefully stay side by side with him.," he continued. “Got in there and got free. Thought I was going to spin and was kinda committed to spinning out and as soon as I started to commit to spinning it just hooked up, hooked right and unfortunately sent Christopher into the wall super hard and me shortly there behind.

 

“Just racing really hard. I felt like it was turning point of the race and I needed to make something happen and stepped over the line and paid for it. I just told him  (Bell) I was sorry. Obviously, it was not on purpose, but I knew it was a really big hit for both of us. I think he took the brunt of it, honestly, with two really big hits. I have a lot of respect for Bell and feel like we always race each other with respect on track. I don’t want that to happen to anyone. It was a big one and certainly not intentional."

 

It was an especially tough outing for the season’s championship leader Reddick, who won the opening stage – his first of the season – but was among those collected in a nine-car accident on a Lap 83 restart. A chain reaction collision on the fourth row of the triggered by Hocevar eliminated a large contingent of potentially race-winning entries.

 

Hocevar’s Chevrolet hit the rear of John Hunter Nemechek’s Toyota just after the field took the green flag on the restart, collecting Reddick and others running among the lead pack. Hocevar continued – leading 22 laps on the day en route to his top-five finish.

 

“Man, I didn’t mean to do that," Hocevar said after the race. “I obviously feel bad I wrecked them, but my intention wasn’t to tear them up or wreck them by any means. Next time I know what to do a little differently there."

 

Spire’s Daniel Suarez – who won at Charlotte two weeks ago – finished sixth followed by three-time series champion, Team Penske’s Joey Logano whose seventh-place effort marked his fifth top-10 of the season. Logano’s teammate Ryan Blaney was eighth in the No. 12 Ford, followed by Roush Fenway Keselowski’s Chris Buescher and JGR’s Chase Briscoe.

 

Not only was the top of the championship standings drastically affected Sunday, but only 26 points now separate 14th place Shane Van Gisbergen from 17th place Logano with the top-16 drivers advancing to The Chase which begin Sept. 6 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

 

The NASCAR Cup Series moves to another of its traditional venues next week, Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, for Sunday’s Great American Getaway 400 at the famous 2.5-miler (3 p.m. ET on Prime, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Briscoe is the defending race winner.

 

NASCAR Cup Series Race - FireKeepers Casino 400

Michigan International Speedway

Brooklyn, Michigan

Sunday, June 7, 2026

 

                1. (1)  Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 200.

                2. (10)  Erik Jones, Toyota, 200.

                3. (13)  Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 200.

                4. (7)  Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 200.

                5. (2)  Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 200.

                6. (11)  Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 200.

                7. (18)  Joey Logano, Ford, 200.

                8. (19)  Ryan Blaney, Ford, 200.

                9. (14)  Chris Buescher, Ford, 200.

                10. (5)  Chase Briscoe, Toyota, 200.

                11. (31)  Austin Cindric, Ford, 200.

                12. (15)  Cole Custer, Chevrolet, 200.

                13. (12)  Riley Herbst, Toyota, 200.

                14. (17)  John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota, 200.

                15. (37)  Josh Berry, Ford, 200.

                16. (32)  Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 200.

                17. (25)  AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 200.

                18. (9)  William Byron, Chevrolet, 200.

                19. (29)  Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 200.

                20. (28)  Austin Hill(i), Chevrolet, 200.

                21. (36)  JJ Yeley(i), Chevrolet, 199.

                22. (35)  Todd Gilliland, Ford, 199.

                23. (33)  Cody Ware, Chevrolet, 198.

                24. (24)  Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 196.

                25. (4)  Ty Gibbs, Toyota, Accident, 187.

                26. (20)  Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, Accident, 158.

                27. (22)  Noah Gragson, Ford, Accident, 156.

                28. (27)  Ryan Preece, Ford, Accident, 155.

                29. (23)  Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, Accident, 154.

                30. (30)  Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet, Accident, 154.

                31. (8)  Christopher Bell, Toyota, Accident, 147.

                32. (6)  Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, Accident, 147.

                33. (16)  Zane Smith, Ford, Accident, 141.

                34. (26)  Brad Keselowski, Ford, Accident, 89.

                35. (3)  Tyler Reddick, Toyota, Accident, 83.

                36. (21)  Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, Accident, 82.

                37. (34)  Connor Zilisch #, Chevrolet, Accident, 8.

 

Average Speed of Race Winner:  123.935 mph.

Time of Race:  3 Hrs, 13 Mins, 39 Secs. Margin of Victory:  11.110 Seconds.

Caution Flags:  11 for 54 laps.

Lead Changes:  23 among 11 drivers.

Lap Leaders:   C. Hocevar 1-14;T. Reddick 15-47;T. Gibbs 48;R. Chastain 49;T. Gibbs 50-51;B. Wallace 52-57;C. Hocevar 58-64;T. Gibbs 65-67;*. Yeley(i) 68;C. Elliott 69-70;K. Larson 71;C. Elliott 72-89;K. Larson 90-92;C. Elliott 93-94;B. Wallace 95-97;C. Elliott 98-122;D. Suarez 123;C. Elliott 124-143;D. Hamlin 144;*. Yeley(i) 145;W. Byron 146-152;D. Suarez 153-161;D. Hamlin 162-200.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  Chase Elliott 5 times for 67 laps; Denny Hamlin 2 times for 40 laps; Tyler Reddick 1 time for 33 laps; Carson Hocevar 2 times for 21 laps; Daniel Suarez 2 times for 10 laps; Bubba Wallace 2 times for 9 laps; William Byron 1 time for 7 laps; Ty Gibbs 3 times for 6 laps; Kyle Larson 2 times for 4 laps; * JJ Yeley(i) 2 times for 2 laps; Ross Chastain 1 time for 1 lap.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 45,54,77,9,23,38,5,17,35,7

Stage #2 Top Ten: 9,43,7,5,24,20,77,11,22,38

 

--30--

 

Denny Hamlin wins the pole for Michigan NASCAR Cup race

getty images

 

June 6, 2026

 

By Holly Cain

NASCAR Wire Service

 

The last driver to make a qualifying run around Michigan International Speedway on Saturday afternoon, Denny Hamlin claimed the Busch Light Pole Award for Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 (3 p.m. ET on Prime, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) - dashing Michigan native Carson Hocevar’s hopes for some home state glory in the final minutes of the session.

 

Hamlin’s lap of 195.117 mph in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota bettered Hocevar’s run in the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet by a slight .018-second around the two-mile Michigan high-banks and gives the veteran – and defending Michigan race winner - Hamlin 50 career NASCAR Cup Series pole positions.

 

After climbing out of his Toyota, the 45-year-old Hamlin walked over to the 23-year-old Hocevar on pit road, where they spoke briefly and hugged. Hamlin smiled and joked that he only felt “this bad” holding up a nearly-touching thumb and forefinger for taking the qualifying win.

 

Only an hour earlier during practice Hamlin’s car had a tire issue and he was unable to participate in the full session as his team made repairs, making the pole win all the more remarkable and dramatic.

 

“They did a great job accounting for the damage on the bottom side (of his car), they re-balanced it but it was a handful – all I wanted, certainly," said Hamlin, who won from pole position last week at Nashville. “That was surprising.

 

“That was the limit for sure," Hamlin said.

 

Hocevar was clearly disappointed in the qualifying outcome. Earlier in the afternoon, he led the most laps in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race only to finish third. A first-time NASCAR Cup Series winner at Talladega in April, Hocevar insisted, however, he was still optimistic about his chances come Sunday afternoon.

 

“It’s a testament to these guys, they do a really good job," Hocevar said. “Yeah, I would have loved to have that there, but third in the truck race {Saturday afternoon} and second in Cup qualifying, hopefully that’s a trend there.

 

“I feel like it’s a really good race car, one of the best I’ve had here. So, I hope it translates tomorrow. I feel really good about our race car so starting out front is super important.

 

“I know it’s just qualifying, but damn, I didn’t know I wanted it this much here. Just means a lot for so many reasons."

 

Reigning championship leader, 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick (who topped Saturday practice) was third fastest in the No. 45 Toyota that Hamlin co-owns with NBA superstar Michael Jordan. Hamlin’s JGR teammates Ty Gibbs and Chase Briscoe were next quickest giving Toyota four of the top-five starting positions.

 

Chase Elliott was the top qualifying Chevrolet in sixth place. Chris Buescher, the 2023 Michigan winner was the top qualifying Ford in 14th place. Ford has a Michigan track record 44 wins - 18 more than Chevrolet and 37 more than Toyota, however Toyota has won the last two races (Reddick in 2024 and Hamlin in 2025).

 

The last polesitter to win at Michigan from pole was Team Penske’s Joey Logano in 2019. In fact, Logano’s three Michigan wins (2019, 2016, 2013) all came from pole position. He’ll start 18th Sunday.

 

NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying - FireKeepers Casino 400

Michigan International Speedway

Brooklyn, Michigan

Saturday, June 6, 2026

 

                1. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 195.117 mph.

                2. (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 195.022 mph.

                3. (45) Tyler Reddick, Toyota, 194.969 mph.

                4. (54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota, 194.842 mph.

                5. (19) Chase Briscoe, Toyota, 194.826 mph.

                6. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 194.816 mph.

                7. (5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 194.768 mph.

                8. (20) Christopher Bell, Toyota, 194.579 mph.

                9. (24) William Byron, Chevrolet, 194.395 mph.

                10. (43) Erik Jones, Toyota, 194.122 mph.

                11. (7) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 193.960 mph.

                12. (35) Riley Herbst, Toyota, 193.929 mph.

                13. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 193.898 mph.

                14. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford, 193.621 mph.

                15. (41) Cole Custer, Chevrolet, 193.522 mph.

                16. (38) Zane Smith, Ford, 193.481 mph.

                17. (42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota, 193.340 mph.

                18. (22) Joey Logano, Ford, 193.252 mph.

                19. (12) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 193.247 mph.

                20. (71) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 193.149 mph.

                21. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 193.149 mph.

                22. (4) Noah Gragson, Ford, 192.818 mph.

                23. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, 192.812 mph.

                24. (10) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 192.472 mph.

                25. (16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 192.220 mph.

                26. (6) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 192.123 mph.

                27. (60) Ryan Preece, Ford, 191.739 mph.

                28. (33) Austin Hill(i), Chevrolet, 191.729 mph.

                29. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 191.688 mph.

                30. (97) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet, 191.683 mph.

                31. (2) Austin Cindric, Ford, 191.149 mph.

                32. (1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 191.032 mph.

                33. (51) Cody Ware, Chevrolet, 190.905 mph.

                34. (88) Connor Zilisch #, Chevrolet, 190.880 mph.

                35. (34) Todd Gilliland, Ford, 190.830 mph.

                36. (44) JJ Yeley(i), Chevrolet, 186.674 mph.

                37. (21) Josh Berry, Ford, 0.000 mph.

 

--30--

 

Denny Hamlin Overcomes Adversity to Win in Nashville

Getty images

By Holly Cain

NASCAR Wire Service

 

LEBANON, Tenn. – Call it victorious whiplash.

 

Race polesitter Denny Hamlin took the lead at the drop of the green flag – was penalized and re-set to last in the 38-car field for jumping that start – then rallied his way forward again in the ensuing 300 laps to be in front for the checkered flag of Sunday night’s NASCAR Cup Series Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway.

 

After a back-and-forth among teammates on a final restart with four laps remaining – featuring a three-wide last-lap challenge for the win among three Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas – Hamlin delivered the manufacturer its first victory at the 1.33-mile Nashville concrete oval, his No. 11 Toyota finishing a slight .115-second ahead of teammates Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe.

 

“The 20 [Bell] and 19 [Briscoe] were battling so hard on that first corner it just let me get to the inside of the 20 at the first corner after the restart and from there, side-by-side with the 20,’’ Hamlin, 45, said describing the dramatic final laps that resulted in his 62nd career win.

 

“He [Bell] drove in so deep on that last lap into [turn] one that it just allowed me to barely clear off of [turn] two.

 

“What an unbelievable day starting first, going to last and then back to first.’’

 

For Bell, the close finish marked his second runner-up showing in as many weeks – simultaneously frustrating and encouraging. As with Hamlin, he recovered from an early race challenge – a pit stop miscue dropping his No 20 JGR Toyota from running among the top five to 30th place for a restart just before the finish of Stage 1.

 

“It was great racing, I hope the fans enjoyed that,’’ Bell said. “Just disappointed in myself, disappointed for my team. We brought a great race car and I didn’t get the job done.’’

 

The finish was certainly indicative of the close racing, important strategy calls and just flat-out team speed ultimately necessary to finally settle a race that featured a race record 31 lead changes among a record 15 drivers.

 

The race was delayed almost two hours because of weather, but when the action resumed, there was plenty of drama and intrigue.

 

The sold-out Nashville crowd issued a silent salute on lap eight to the late two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, 41, a beloved four-time Nashville winner (twice each in the CRAFTSMAN Trucks and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series), who passed away last week of sepsis.

 

In the laps thereafter, the intense action quickly settled in. Hamlin’s 57 laps out front were a race high, but nine different drivers led double digit laps. And 11 caution flags affected strategy throughout the night.

 

Hyak Motorsports’ Ricky Stenhouse Jr finished fourth in the No. 47 Chevrolet, followed by a career-best fifth-place effort by Trackhouse Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen. The popular New Zealand road course ace turned in one of his best flag-to-flag oval performances running among the top 10 all night. His 12 laps led in the No. 97 Trackhouse Chevrolet were most for him on an oval track.

 

Reigning championship leader, 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick and Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott were scored sixth and seventh but were collected in an accident just after taking the checkered flag in a hard push by the field to the finish.

 

Last year’s race winner, Ryan Blaney was eighth followed by Zane Smith, whose No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford was leading until 12 laps to go. Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar was 10th. Hendrick’s Kyle Larson – the reigning series champion – led 56 laps (only one lap less than Hamlin) but finished 23rd.

 

The race featured two first-time stage winners on the season – Kaulig Racing’s A.J. Allmendinger (Stage 1) and last week’s Charlotte race winner, Spire Motorsports’ Daniel Suárez (Stage 2).

 

With his sixth-place finish Reddick remains atop the standings, 97 points ahead of Hamlin and 174 points up on Blaney in third place.

 

The series moves a few hours north to Michigan Speedway for next Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 (3 p.m. ET, Amazon Prime, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Denny Hamlin is the defending race winner.

 

---30---

 

NASCAR Cup Series Race - Cracker Barrel 400

Nashville Superspeedway

Nashville, Tennessee

Sunday, May 31, 2026

 

          1. (1)  Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 300.

          2. (4)  Christopher Bell, Toyota, 300.

          3. (31)  Chase Briscoe, Toyota, 300.

          4. (15)  Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, 300.

          5. (10)  Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet, 300.

          6. (2)  Tyler Reddick, Toyota, 300.

          7. (29)  Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 300.

          8. (7)  Ryan Blaney, Ford, 300.

          9. (11)  Zane Smith, Ford, 300.

          10. (17)  Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 300.

          11. (13)  Erik Jones, Toyota, 300.

          12. (30)  Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 300.

          13. (6)  Ty Gibbs, Toyota, 300.

          14. (9)  Joey Logano, Ford, 300.

          15. (14)  Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 300.

          16. (26)  Noah Gragson, Ford, 299.

          17. (23)  Riley Herbst, Toyota, 299.

          18. (32)  Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 299.

          19. (3)  Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 299.

          20. (21)  Todd Gilliland, Ford, 299.

          21. (20)  Cole Custer, Chevrolet, 299.

          22. (34)  Cody Ware, Chevrolet, 299.

          23. (5)  Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 299.

          24. (27)  John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota, 298.

          25. (24)  Corey Heim(i), Toyota, 298.

          26. (36)  Austin Cindric, Ford, 296.

          27. (25)  Austin Hill(i), Chevrolet, 293.

          28. (37)  Chad Finchum(i), Ford, 289.

          29. (22)  Chris Buescher, Ford, Accident, 286.

          30. (8)  William Byron, Chevrolet, Accident, 231.

          31. (33)  Josh Berry, Ford, Accident, 214.

          32. (18)  Bubba Wallace, Toyota, Accident, 203.

          33. (19)  Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, Accident, 203.

          34. (12)  Brad Keselowski, Ford, Accident, 192.

          35. (16)  AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, Accident, 172.

          36. (28)  Ryan Preece, Ford, Radiator, 90.

          37. (35)  Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, Accident, 81.

          38. (38)  Connor Zilisch #, Chevrolet, Accident, 71.

 

Average Speed of Race Winner:  106.424 mph.

Time of Race:  3 Hrs, 44 Mins, 57 Secs. Margin of Victory:  .115 Seconds.

Caution Flags:  11 for 77 laps.

Lead Changes:  31 among 15 drivers.

Lap Leaders:   D. Hamlin 0;T. Reddick 1-37;C. Bell 38;S. Van Gisbergen 39-40;J. Logano 41;S. Van Gisbergen 42-48;K. Larson 49;S. Van Gisbergen 50-52;K. Larson 53-75;C. Bell 76;A. Allmendinger 77-78;R. Herbst 79;R. Blaney 80;A. Allmendinger 81;R. Blaney 82-89;A. Allmendinger 90-93;K. Larson 94-125;C. Briscoe 126-139;R. Blaney 140-146;C. Elliott 147;R. Blaney 148-177;C. Elliott 178;D. Suarez 179-188;D. Hamlin 189-244;C. Bell 245-259;C. Elliott 260;T. Reddick 261-265;T. Gibbs 266;E. Jones 267-269;Z. Smith 270-287;C. Bell 288-299;D. Hamlin 300.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  Denny Hamlin 2 times for 57 laps; Kyle Larson 3 times for 56 laps; Ryan Blaney 4 times for 46 laps; Tyler Reddick 2 times for 42 laps; Christopher Bell 4 times for 29 laps; Zane Smith 1 time for 18 laps; Chase Briscoe 1 time for 14 laps; Shane Van Gisbergen 3 times for 12 laps; Daniel Suarez 1 time for 10 laps; AJ Allmendinger 3 times for 7 laps; Erik Jones 1 time for 3 laps; Chase Elliott 3 times for 3 laps; Ty Gibbs 1 time for 1 lap; Joey Logano 1 time for 1 lap; Riley Herbst 1 time for 1 lap.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 16,5,12,9,45,23,24,19,35,67

Stage #2 Top Ten: 7,48,47,2,11,71,24,20,19,6

 

 

 

 

Hamlin to start from pole position after Cup Series qualifying canceled at Nashville Superspeedway

 
May 30, 2026
 
By Holly Cain
NASCAR Wire Service 
 
LEBANON, Tenn. – Intermittent light rain showers forced the cancellation of Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series Busch Light Pole Qualifying at Nashville Superspeedway, resulting in Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin starting from pole position in Sunday night’s Cracker Barrel 400 (7 p.m. ET, Amazon Prime, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Championship points leader Tyler Reddick will start his No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota alongside Hamlin’s No. 11 JGR Toyota on the front row as Toyota hopes to earn its first ever series win at the 1.33-mile concrete oval.
Last week’s Charlotte race winner Daniel Suarez will start third in the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet with JGR’s Christopher Bell (No. 20 Toyota) and reigning two-time series champion, Hendrick Motorsports Kyle Larson (No. 5 Chevrolet) rounding out the top five on the 38-car grid.
Defending race winner, Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney will start his No. 12 Ford seventh.
Bell, who was fastest in the practice session, said he didn’t expect the cancelled time trials to make a big difference in either the run of the 400-miler or ultimately the outcome of the race. Especially with the field getting some time on track with practice.
“Well, it’s good for me today, because I have a good metric, so I’m okay with that,’ Bell said smiling of the formulation NASCAR used to set the field in lieu of qualifying. 
His competitors were not overly concerned with the cancellation of qualifying, either – instead just glad to turn some laps and dial in their cars.
“They put a lot of resin down in both corners, more than they’ve done in the past and we’re really curious how the cars are going to drive,’’ said Roush Fenway Keselowski owner-driver Brad Keselowski. “So it’s semi-important [to qualify] although we’ve been racing here for the last three or four years, so we all have a pretty good feel for it.’’
--30--
 

Poise Under Pressure: Hamlin’s Remarkable Run Rolls On

 

June 8, 2026

 

By Holly Cain

NASCAR Wire Service

 

Denny Hamlin captured his third points-paying NASCAR Cup Series victory of the year Sunday at Michigan International Speedway – the last two of his amazing wins were stunning rallies through the field coming in consecutive weeks starting from the rear of the grid - spectacular demonstrations of the head-down, poise and confidence of a veteran.

 

At 45 years old in his 21st fulltime season, Hamlin still continues to raise an already stellar game and he’s done so recently in the midst of hugely emotional personal loss – his father during the off-season and then his friend, former Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch only weeks ago. 

 

Even in these difficult life-impacting moments Hamlin is proving to be a source of strength to himself and others – raising his game on and off the race track; responding with leadership and compassion. And wins.

 

His victory Sunday in the No. 11 JGR Toyota – by more than 11-seconds on the field - was the 63rd of his career, tying him for ninth place on the all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins list with the two-time champion Kyle Busch. And Hamlin showed up prepared for the moment, marking the achievement with an emotional and so-appropriate victory celebration waving a specially-made Kyle Busch flag outside his window and capping the day with a bow – Busch’s trademark winning salute.

 

It will be an iconic moment in the sport ever after.

 

“The NASCAR community has kind of just been through it over the last -- certainly the last few weeks, but then just generally in the last six, eight months," Hamlin said. “It's been tough. I just wanted to pay my respects to someone that I really did look up to and taught me so much as a teammate. There's nothing we can say or do that's going to make his family feel better, but at least during that little time, you can pay him the respects that he deserves.”

 

Something else Busch could definitely appreciate, is the strength of Hamlin’s game right now.

 

Hamlin won the non-points All-Star race four weeks ago and has added those stunning comeback victories at Nashville and Michigan to a win at Las Vegas in March. Four times in the last five races, Hamlin has finished third-place or better.

 

That kind of early summer effort, combined with Tyler Reddick’s first DNF of the season Sunday at Michigan, has cut Reddick’s one-time 100-points plus lead atop the standings to only 51 points with 11 races remaining in the regular season. The five-race winner Reddick, who drives for 23XI Racing team Hamlin co-owns with NBA legend Michael Jordan, and Hamlin have been 1-2 atop the championship standings since April.

 

“I knew the only way we ever could catch him is he was going to have to have bad luck, I said it weeks ago," Hamlin conceded of the narrowing points chase. “He had bad luck today. We were in the same wreck. We were turned around backwards. Luckily, no one hit us in turn one. Our car wasn't very good, and we just, we overcame it.

 

“I think he's going to stretch it out at San Diego and Sonoma (Calif.)," Hamlin said of Reddick’s road course prowess and the upcoming road course races. “I still think he's in a really good place, but if we keep doing this, it will be -- it will keep them interesting and honest for sure.”

 

Hamlin heads into Sunday’s Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (3 p.m. ET on Prime, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) deservedly both the sentimental and logical race favorite. His seven wins there are most in history.

 

The iconic 2.5-mile triangular shaped Pocono track is where Hamlin earned his first NASCAR Cup Series win in 2006, ultimately sweeping the season’s two races there - and doing so in impressive fashion by claiming both trophies from pole position.

 

Amazingly, he’s been able to maintain that magic all these years later. In just the last three Pocono races, he was a victory (2023) followed by back-to-back runner-up finishes in 2024-25 – a Pocono resume that also features an incredible 17 top-five and 24 top-10 showings in 36 starts.

 

Confidence is not a problem for Hamlin at Pocono. Or anywhere else right now.

 

“Just experience," Hamlin answered when asked why he was still able to be so successful two decades into his career.

 

“I was talking to [23 year old JGR teammate] Ty Gibbs before the race, and he was like how many starts do you have? . …He's like, ‘man, I'm at the point now where I feel like I know what I need. I know what I'm looking for.’ And I said, ‘yeah, imagine having four times as many starts as you have.

 

“That's the advantage I have every single week. He feels comfortable where he's at, but just add another 15 years of experience, and you know the transitions of the track and what happens when it gets cloudy, what happens when it gets sunny, what happens when the wind is this direction, that direction, all those things you just learn over time.

 

“It's why we have the upper hand right now."

 

And indeed, he does.

 

--30--

 

Reddick Leads, Bubble Tightens as NASCAR Heads Into Summer Stretch

 

June 1, 2026

 

By Holly Cain

NASCAR Wire Service

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Fresh off his second points-paying NASCAR Cup Series victory of the year after a remarkable bounce from pole position to last in the field back to Victory Lane at Nashville Superspeedway Sunday night, Denny Hamlin smiled and conceded. … he’s still probably not close enough to make a run at championship points leader Tyler Reddick for the regular season title.

 

In some ways it’s a glass half full scenario for the veteran, who has earned top-five finishes in half the 14 races this year – nine top-10 showings and claimed the All-Star victory. For all his fine effort and dedication – i.e., his amazing run Sunday – Hamlin still trails Reddick by 97 points at the midpoint of the regular season. And that’s progress considering the five-race winner, Reddick, has held a three-digit advantage on the field for much of the season.

 

The upside for Hamlin? He is also co-owner of the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota that Reddick has earned so much success in this season. Asked if he realistically thought he could catch Reddick in what’s looking like a two-man chase for the top spot at the end of the regular season, Hamlin did not hesitate.

 

“Not really," said the 45-year-old Hamlin, who with 62 wins is the winningest fulltime driver in the series. “We'd have to win three or four more races. He's going to have to have some DNFs and stuff. So not really. My goal is to try to stay P2, and that will be close enough with 10 [races] to go.”

 

Examining the points standings at this crucial season midpoint – the time most drivers defer to as being a true championship barometer – the points are quite close beyond the Reddick-Hamlin duel.

 

Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney – the 2024 series champion – is third, but a substantial 174 points off Reddick’s blazing path. Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott, the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion, sits only 23 points behind Blaney, and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs is 34 points off Blaney in fifth place – the highest the 23-year-old Gibbs has ever been ranked this far into the season.

 

Only the top 16 drivers qualify for The Chase in the championship format introduced for 2026. Drivers tend to defer to the regular season “halfway point” – last week’s Charlotte 600-miler - as the true mark of where a team falls competitively so positions in the standings are being watched more closely.

 

Beyond those top five drivers, the current title-chasing group heading into next Sunday’s Firekeepers Casino 400 at Michigan Speedway (3 p.m. ET on Prime Video, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) includes: two-time and reigning series champ, Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson, Sunday night’s race runner-up, JGR’s Christopher Bell, former regular season champ, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing’s Chris Buescher, Spire Motorsports race winners Carson Hocevar and Daniel Suarez, last year’s regular season champ, Hendrick’s William Byron and a new member of the title-chase club, Trackhouse Racing’s second-year Cup Series driver Shane Van Gisbergen.

 

Roush Fenway Keselowski owner-driver Brad Keselowski, JGR’s Chase Briscoe, Reddick’s 23XI Racing teammate Bubba Wallace and Penske’s Austin Cindric currently make up the top-16 in the standings. Cindric holds a precarious two-point edge over RFK’s Ryan Preece for that final Chase position heading into the grueling summer schedule.

 

Of note among this list is the New Zealander and former Australian Super Car Series champ Van Gisbergen, a world-renowned road course racer who has been showing his oval improvement and progress with every passing week. His fifth-place showing at Nashville was his best on an oval as was his 12 laps led total. And he wasn’t just good at the end, he was strong all night long consistently holding position among the top-10.

 

“Starting up front obviously helps, but it was cool to lead some laps and battle at the front," a smiling Van Gisbergen said Sunday post-race. “Our Chevy was running really well all night. I really enjoyed myself tonight.

 

“I learned a lot. I learned to be comfortable moving around in (turns) one and two, which I’ve never been able to do before. We just got the balance better on the two-tire strategy. When we were on a four-tire strategy, we were lacking that. The two-tire stop at the end, we were able to get the balance back again. It was a lot of fun. It definitely feels like we’re making headway.”

 

The mix of former champions and new faces set the tone in an increasingly tight title mix that doesn’t yet include three-time champ Joey Logano, who now sits nine points behind his Team Penske teammate Cindric, or perennial title favorite Ross Chastain, who is ranked 26th in the standings.

 

It certainly ups the championship ante heading into this summer stretch of races – starting with the Michigan two-miler on Sunday (Hamlin is the defending race winner) and highlighted by traditional venues at Pocono, Atlanta, the Sonoma, Calif. road course, the July 4 weekend return of Chicagoland Speedway and of course the much-anticipated inaugural San Diego street course event on Naval Base Coronado.

 

“Certainly, proud of our whole team for just keeping our heads down and everybody at Hendrick Motorsports for continuing to just chip away at it, man," Elliott said. “It's a long year.”

 

 

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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.

  

Saturday Michigan Notebook

 

Notebook Items:

  • Michigan’s Cup Drivers Look to Break Through at Home Track
  • Bell Ready To Remedy Michigan Struggles
  • Erik Jones Sees Progress

 

June 6, 2026

 

By Holy Cain

NASCAR Wire Service

 

Michigan’s Cup Drivers Look to Break Through at Home Track

 

Michigan is the home state for three current NASCAR Cup Series competitors – Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing’s Brad Keselowski, Legacy Motor Club’s Erik Jones and Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar – and all are looking for their first victory at Michigan International Speedway in Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 (3 p.m. ET on Prime Video, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

 

When it comes to competing there, the 2012 series champ Keselowski and another former champion, Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott have the most runner-up finishes (three) without a win among active drivers.

 

The owner-driver of the No. 6 RFK Racing Ford has 16 top-10s in 28 Michigan races - including four of the last five series visits. His second-place runs came in 2020, 2018 and his championship 2012 season. He does own a pair of NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victories at the track, winning in back-to-back seasons (2009-10).

 

And his RFK team has the most wins (14) historically of any organization at Michigan.

 

“When we go, it’s a win that would really mean a lot for me to get," Keselowski, 42, the Rochester Hills-native noting that he still has a lot of family in the area. “Michigan now has those three fulltime Cup drivers, so really well-covered."

 

Smiling when reminded he’s the only champion among the group, Keselowski grinned and said, “I’ve just got to be a champion in that [Michigan] race.”

 

Bell Ready To Remedy Michigan Struggles

 

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell is considered a perennial NASCAR Cup Series championship contender - finishing fifth or better in the title chase five of the last six seasons. He’s earned 13 wins and claimed top-10 finishes in nearly half of his starts – 113 top-10s in 230 races.

 

However, the lone race track the 31-year-old Oklahoman hasn’t earned a NASCAR Cup Series top-10? Michigan International Speedway.

 

The driver of the No. 20 JGR Toyota has a best finish of 13th at Michigan – twice, including 2023 when he started from pole position. He’s led only 37 laps in seven starts and crashed out in two of the last four races there.

 

But. … he finished sixth in Saturday’s NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at Michigan, sweeping both stages and leading 37 laps. And he’s very optimistic about improving his NASCAR Cup Series fortunes at the big track.

 

“Michigan, on paper, that’s my worst track, but I’m always super-fast and competitive there," Bell said smiling at the irony. “I’m very much looking forward to going there. I’m sad we’re only going there once a year, but I’m looking forward to trying to get a good result there. It’s a fun race track. I have a lot of fun racing there."

 

Erik Jones Sees Progress

 

Legacy Motor Club driver Erik Jones isn’t just enthused about racing this weekend because it’s in his home state, but because he seriously thinks the team’s progress this season could result in a trophy soon. Perhaps even Sunday.

 

The 30-year-old from Byron, Michigan – a half-hour drive from the Michigan track – has improved on his race finishes in the famous No. 43 Toyota four of the last five races. His best showing in 2026 are a pair of 10th-place finishes. And he’s finished 11th or better in three of the last four Michigan races. Jones’ best showing at the track is third in his 2017 rookie season.

 

“I think we are in a better spot," Jones said Saturday about his Michigan expectations. “It’s funny, I looked at the points position at this point last year, and we aren’t a whole lot different, but I think as a group we are running consistently better.

 

“We’ve had a great stretch here for a month of showing up each week and having good cars and running well. A couple of execution things have kept us from a few better finishes, and some strange strategies have kept us from some stage points, especially last week in Nashville.

 

“I think overall, we are in a better spot. I think there are so many little things that we can do better still, which is frustrating but good. To have performance like we are currently having and know there are little things that we need to work on and improve, there is value in that.

 

“For me, yeah, I’ve been happy with the direction, happy with my team."

 

--30--

 

The two season-long NASCAR Cup Series championship leaders, Tyler Reddick and Denny Hamlin arrive at Michigan International Speedway for Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 (3 p.m. ET on Prime Video, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) as the last two race winners at the two-mile track.

 

Hamlin, the defending race winner and driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota shows up in Michigan’s scenic Irish Hills fresh off a hard-fought victory last weekend in Nashville. His series’ best 756 laps led are a career-high for him through the opening 14 races. He is seventh all-time in multi-win seasons (15). And, he is on a streak of eight top-10 finishes at Michigan.

 

Reddick, driver of the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota – co-owned by Hamlin and NBA great Michael Jordan – climbs into his cockpit not only as the 2024 Michigan winner but the absolute most dominant driver of the 2026 season; his five wins through the opening 13 races have put him a remarkable 97-points ahead of Hamlin in the standings.

 

It's the first time since April that Reddick, who won three of the opening four races including the Daytona 500, has led the championship by less than a 100-points and is the only driver to lead the championship in 2026. Only upcoming NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Jeff Burton (17) has had more consecutive top-15 finishes to start a season than Reddick, whose 5.57 average finish ties Richard Petty for the seventh best mark ALL-TIME through 14 races.

 

Even though Hamlin and Reddick have established this impressive run atop the standings and statistics, Michigan has been a Ford track historically. In just the last decade, Ford won nine races consecutively before Reddick’s 2024 win.

 

A victory this weekend would go a long way for the blue oval, which has celebrated only one points-paying trophy hoist this year – Ryan Blaney’s victory at Phoenix 12 races ago for Team Penske.

 

To his credit, the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series champion Blaney, is doing his best to keep Reddick and Hamlin honest. He sits third in the points, but is an incredible 174 points off Reddick’s total. He is responsible for the last five Ford victories - going back to last season.

 

Ford is the all-time winningest manufacturer at Michigan with 44 wins – 18 more than Chevrolet and 37 more than Toyota.

 

Of Ford’s nine most recent wins at Michigan, retired driver and upcoming NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Kevin Harvick owns five of them and his NASCAR on FOX broadcast partner, driver Clint Bowyer another. Blaney (2021), his Penske teammate Joey Logano (2019) and Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing driver Chris Buescher (2023) fill out the recent Ford Michigan winners list.

 

For both Logano and Buescher – Logano especially - a win this week would go a long, long way to righting an uncharacteristically slow start to the season. Logano’s three Michigan wins are tied for most among active drivers and the RFK organization, who Buescher drives for, leads all teams historically with 14 victories.

 

Buescher is ranked eighth in the championship standings with six top-10s. RFK owner-driver - and Michigan-native – Brad Keselowski is 13th in the championship and his three Michigan runner-up finishes are the most for a driver without a win at the track.

 

Just past the regular season halfway mark, Team Penske driver Austin Cindric is holding onto that 16th position in the standings – the final transfer spot into The Chase. He holds a two-point edge on RFK’s Ryan Preece and is nine points up on 18th place Logano.

 

“I feel like those guys have had some pretty big misfortunes this year that has kind of put them where they are at," the driver of the No. 12 Team Penske Ford, Blaney said of his teammates Cindric and Logano. “I think they've run a lot better than what it's showing in the points.

 

“I know Joey and Austin are doing a really good job of trying to utilize everything they can week in and week out. I just feel like they run into some problems that really aren't what they're doing. And it's really stuck.

 

“And I been there before, and it just kind of seems like nothing's going your way, and those guys are kind of in that right now. But I think they're working hard to get where they need to be, and, like I said, I think the mood is pretty good."

 

Saturday's practice (5 p.m. ET) for the FireKeepers Casino 400 followed immediately by Busch Light Pole Qualifying (6:30 p.m. ET) both will be broadcast on Prime Video, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. JGR’s Chase Briscoe is the defending pole-winner.

 

Michigan's history of CRAFTSMAN Truck Series thrillers sets stage for Saturday showdown

 

With his victory at Nashville Superspeedway over the weekend, Front Row Motorsports’ Layne Riggs moves into the championship lead for the first time in his career after a dramatic 38-point swing in the points standings.

 

It’s a tough setback for Tricon Garage driver Kaden Honeycutt, whose 27th-place showing at Nashville snapped a four-race streak of top-five finishes and dropped him to second in the championship. The 22-year-old is still enjoying a career year and has been ranked first or second in points for the past eight races in only his second fulltime season.

 

The Truck Series wraps up a stretch of six consecutive race weekends at the two-mile Michigan International Speedway in Saturday afternoon’s DQS Solutions and Staffing 250 presented by Precision Vehicle Logistics (1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Halmar Friesen Racing’s owner-driver Stewart Friesen is the defending race winner.

 

Riggs has won the last two races (at Charlotte and Nashville) coming to Michigan and during this six-race stretch since May 1, the 23-year-old second generation NASCAR star has a series-best 157 laps led and amazing 6.4 average finishing position.

 

“You can’t let the highs get you too high or the lows get you too low, so every weekend is a new challenge," said Riggs, driver of the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford. “We were kind of mediocre at Michigan last year, so I think we’ve got some things to work on, but we’ve been working in the Ford Racing simulator a lot. They give us all the great tools to go fast and work to be better."

 

The Truck Series competition has been strong all season and Michigan looks to be no different. The track boasts a strong history of dramatic outcomes. Only three tracks have had more last lap passes for a win than Michigan (three) – Talladega, Ala. (six), Texas (four) and Daytona (four). A final lap pass for victory has happened four times already this season – a series record through 11 races.

 

Only seven races remain to set the 10-driver Chase field and not only is the top spot in the points still very much up for grabs with Riggs and Honeycutt leading the way, but positions eight (Tyler Ankrum) through 11th (Jake Garcia) in the standings are separated by only eight points.

 

One thing for sure is that Michigan has been one of the most unpredictable venues on the schedule. The last three races at the two-miler have ended in overtime and three of the last six races were decided on a last-lap pass.

 

Four NASCAR Cup Series regulars, including Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ross Chastain, Christopher Bell and Michigan native Carson Hocevar are entered in the truck race. Also noteworthy, Cleetus McFarland will make his second truck series start of the season driving the No. 4 Niece Motorsports Chevy and Spencer Davis will return to the Truck Series for the first time since 2023 driving the No. 5 Tricon Garage Toyota.

 

Practice is at 9:30 a.m. Saturday followed by Kennametal Pole Qualifying at 10:35 a.m. Luke Fenhaus started from pole position last year.

 

--30--

 

 

   nascar cup series

NASCAR Cup Series schedule 2026

(All times Eastern)

DateRaceTrackTime
Feb. 1Cook Out Clash at Bowman GrayBowman Gray Stadium8 p.m.
Feb. 12Duel 1 at DaytonaDaytona International Speedway7 p.m.
Feb. 12Duel 2 at DaytonaDaytona International Speedway8:45 p.m.
Feb. 15Daytona 500Daytona International Speedway2:30 p.m.
Feb. 22Autotrader 400EchoPark Speedway3 p.m.
March 1DuraMax Grand PrixCircuit of the Americas3:30 p.m.
March 8Straight Talk Wireless 500Phoenix Raceway3:30 p.m.
March 15Pennzoil 400Las Vegas Motor Speedway4 p.m.
March 22Goodyear 400Darlington Raceway3 p.m.
March 29Cook Out 400Martinsville Speedway3:30 p.m.
April 12Food City 500Bristol Motor Speedway3 p.m.
April 19AdventHealth 400Kansas Speedway2 p.m.
April 26Jack Link's 500Talladega Superspeedway3 p.m.
May 3Wurth 400Texas Motor Speedway3:30 p.m.
May 10Go Bowling at the GlenWatkins Glen International3 p.m.
May 17All-Star RaceDover Motor Speedway3 p.m.
May 24Coca-Cola 600Charlotte Motor Speedway6 p.m.
May 31Cracker Barrel 400Nashville Superspeedway 7 p.m.
June 7FireKeepers Casino 400Michigan International Speedway3 p.m.
June 14Cup Series race at PoconoPocono Raceway3 p.m.
June 21Anduril 250Naval Base Coronado4 p.m.
June 28Toyota/Save Mart 350Sonoma Raceway3:30 p.m.
July 5Cup Series race at ChicagolandChicagoland Speedway6 p.m.
July 12Quaker State 400EchoPark Speedway7 p.m.
July 19Window World 400North Wilkesboro Speedway7 p.m.
July 26Brickyard 400Indianapolis Motor Speedway2 p.m.
Aug. 9Iowa Corn 350Iowa Speedway3:30 p.m.
Aug. 15Cook Out 400Richmond Raceway7 p.m.
Aug. 23Cup Series race at New HampshireNew Hampshire Motor Speedway3 p.m.
Aug. 29Coke Zero Sugar 400Daytona International Speedway7:30 p.m.

NASCAR Cup Series playoff race schedule 2026

(All times Eastern)

DateRaceTrackTime
Sept. 6Southern 500Darlington Raceway5 p.m.
Sept. 13Enjoy Illinois 300World Wide Technology Raceway3 p.m.
Sept. 19Bass Pro Shops Night RaceBristol Motor Speedway7:30 p.m.
Sept. 27Hollywood Casino 400Kansas Speedway3 p.m.
Oct. 4South Point 400Las Vegas Motor Speedway5:30 p.m.
Oct. 11Bank of America ROVAL 400Charlotte Road Course3 p.m.
Oct. 18Freeway Insurance 500Phoenix Raceway3 p.m.
Oct. 25Yellawood 500Talladega Superspeedway2 p.m.
Nov. 1Xfinity 500Martinsville Speedway2 p.m.
Nov. 8Cup Series Championship RaceHomestead-Miami Speedway3 p.m.

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