welcome race fans to krazyaboutracing.com we are now in our 23rd year of being the leader in motorsports coverage on the world wide web

WE MAY NOT HAVE ALL THE WHISTLES & BELLS OF OTHER SITES , hOWEVER  have THE most complete MOTORSPORTS COVERAGE on the web !

(HOME)  (CONTACT US)  ( THE PIT )  (LOCAL RACING)   (PREVIOUS NEWS)  (PREVIOUS RACING)   (SITE NEWS)  (MEET THE STAFF)   (HALL OF FAME)  (MULTIMEDIA)   (SPECIAL EVENTS) (ANNUAL AWARDS)

 (DRIVER & TEAM RELEASES) (LOCAL TRACK NEWS) (MISC RELEASES)

 

   

   

 for more coverage on the series click on the series lOgo

   nascar cup series

NASCAR cup series

  

www.nascar.com

NASCARCelebrating its 75th Anniversary in 2023, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR consists of three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series™, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour™), one local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series™) and three international series (NASCAR Pinty’s Series™, NASCAR Mexico Series™, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series™). 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 eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).

 

Tyler Reddick claims back-to-back victory with double overtime comeback at EchoPark Speedway

Sean Gardner/Getty Images

HAMPTON, Ga. – Tyler Reddick answered his DAYTONA 500 victory a week ago with a dramatic double overtime comeback win Sunday evening in the AutoTrader 400 at EchoPark Speedway, marking the first time in nearly two decades a driver has won the first two races of the NASCAR Cup Series season.
Even though Reddick’s No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota’s right front fender was damaged in an earlier incident, he was able to persevere, zigging-and-zagging and making a strong move to the front on the very last lap. He finished a mere .164-second ahead of fellow Toyota driver, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chase Briscoe who gave Reddick the crucial winning push to get ahead of his 23XI teammate Bubba Wallace and the Chevrolets of Carson Hocevar and Ross Chastain.
Reddick’s work makes him only the sixth driver in NASCAR history to win the opening two races of the year. NASCAR Hall of Famer Matt Kenseth was the last to do so in 2009.
Reddick, who actually led a race best 53 of the 271 laps, jumped out of his damaged Toyota Camry to retrieve the checkered flag, pausing to take a long look at the right front damage – and missing fender - then smiling and wondering aloud how he pulled that victory off as well after being collected in a nine-car accident only 40 laps from the end of the scheduled distance.
“That’s crazy, how about that EchoPark Speedway?’’ the 30-year old Californian yelled to the packed grandstands. “This place over the years it just puts on some amazing racing. Handling matters here, but I don’t know, I guess determination outweighs handling.”
His team co-owner, NBA legend Michael Jordan was equally as jubilant with Reddick’s rebound. 
“Tyler did an unbelievable job, both teams did an unbelievable job’’ Jordan said, also referring to Wallace, who led  46 laps but finished eighth in the final all-out push to the checkers.
“I wanted one of them to win, I feel bad for Bubba because he had an unbelievable day, but Tyler drove his ass off,’’ Jordan continued. “I’m very happy for Tyler and very happy for 23XI.
“The guys worked hard all summer and they never gave up. This is the fruit of their labor and for us to come out and win the first two races says a lot about our team.’’
Reddick’s crew chief Billy Scott revealed post-race that the temperatures were so cold – 39 degrees at the checkered flag – that it was difficult to fully repair the car after the accident and had to resort to heavy tape on the front end of Reddick’s damaged Camry. Team co-owner, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin said of Reddick’s car, “It looked like carnage city.’’
The Chevrolets of Trackhouse Racing Ross Chastain and Spire Motorsports teammates Hocevar and Daniel Suarez rounded out the top-five behind Reddick and Briscoe.
In another phenomenal comeback story, Chastain’s Trackhouse Racing teammate Shane Van Gisbergen finished sixth his best oval finish in his two years in the series – even after the former Australian Supercars Series champion was caught up in three of the yellow flag incidents on the day.
Front Row Motorsports’ Zane Smith, Wallace, Roush-Fenway-Keselowski’s Ryan Preece and Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney rounded out the top-10 in a race where the top 12 cars finished within a second of the race winner. Nine of the race’s 14 leaders led double-digit laps.
It was all indicative of the competitive nature now expected and delivered by this high-banked 1.5-miler that races like the famed Daytona and Talladega, Ala. speedways.
Drafting partners are important and the young driver Hocevar said he just couldn’t entice anyone to draft with him late. So, he took off by himself passing three cars in one daring move in the final lap of regulation to position himself up front. However, he made contact with 2025 race winner, Christopher Bell, on the first overtime restart drawing the final caution. 
It put Hocevar alongside Wallace on the front row for the final green flag. Wallace got the jump on the start and held the point until making a move high on the track, that allowed Reddick to come from below and blow past them both.
With his Atlanta win, Reddick now leads his teammate Wallace by 40 points atop the championship standings.
“It’s really fun to be a part of 23XI right now,’’ Jordan said grinning.
The NASCAR Cup Series moves to its first road course of the season next week for the DuraMax Grand Prix Powered by RelaDyne at Austin’s famed Circuit of the Americas (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Bell is the defending race winner.
 
NASCAR Cup Series Race - Autotrader 400
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Hampton, Georgia
Sunday, February 22, 2026
 
                1. (1)  Tyler Reddick, Toyota, 271.
                2. (34)  Chase Briscoe, Toyota, 271.
                3. (21)  Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 271.
                4. (15)  Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 271.
                5. (12)  Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 271.
                6. (28)  Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet, 271.
                7. (6)  Zane Smith, Ford, 271.
                8. (9)  Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 271.
                9. (26)  Ryan Preece, Ford, 271.
                10. (22)  Ryan Blaney, Ford, 271.
                11. (4)  Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 271.
                12. (19)  AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 271.
                13. (29)  Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 271.
                14. (11)  Noah Gragson, Ford, 271.
                15. (7)  Chris Buescher, Ford, 271.
                16. (17)  Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 271.
                17. (5)  Brad Keselowski, Ford, 271.
                18. (2)  Joey Logano, Ford, 271.
                19. (24)  John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota, 271.
                20. (20)  Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 271.
                21. (32)  Christopher Bell, Toyota, 271.
                22. (27)  Cole Custer, Chevrolet, 270.
                23. (36)  Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 269.
                24. (23)  Erik Jones, Toyota, 269.
                25. (35)  Todd Gilliland, Ford, Accident, 258.
                26. (30)  Austin Cindric, Ford, Accident, 257.
                27. (18)  Cody Ware, Chevrolet, Accident, 257.
                28. (13)  William Byron, Chevrolet, Accident, 256.
                29. (33)  Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, Accident, 256.
                30. (31)  Connor Zilisch #, Chevrolet, Accident, 223.
                31. (38)  JJ Yeley(i), Chevrolet, Accident, 220.
                32. (16)  Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, Accident, 160.
                33. (8)  Riley Herbst, Toyota, 157.
                34. (14)  Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, Accident, 124.
                35. (37)  BJ McLeod, Chevrolet, Accident, 111.
                36. (3)  Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, Accident, 103.
                37. (25)  Ty Gibbs, Toyota, Accident, 81.
                38. (10)  Josh Berry, Ford, Accident, 81.
 
Average Speed of Race Winner:  117.865 mph.
Time of Race:  3 Hrs, 32 Mins, 27 Secs. Margin of Victory:  0.164 Seconds.
Caution Flags:  10 for 67 laps.
Lead Changes:  57 among 14 drivers.
Lap Leaders:   T. Reddick 0;J. Logano 1;T. Reddick 2;J. Logano 3;T. Reddick 4-5;J. Logano 6-18;T. Reddick 19-23;B. Keselowski 24-28;T. Reddick 29;C. Elliott 30;B. Keselowski 31-33;T. Reddick 34;J. Logano 35-45;C. Elliott 46-53;K. Larson 54;C. Elliott 55-56;K. Larson 57;B. Wallace 58-59;A. Cindric 60-63;B. Keselowski 64;K. Larson 65-71;B. Wallace 72-79;K. Larson 80-87;S. Van Gisbergen 88;K. Larson 89-100;B. Wallace 101-102;T. Reddick 103-109;B. Wallace 110;T. Reddick 111-121;B. Wallace 122;T. Reddick 123-130;B. Wallace 131;T. Reddick 132-133;K. Larson 134-142;B. Wallace 143;K. Larson 144-149;C. Briscoe 150-155;K. Larson 156-159;B. Wallace 160-164;C. Hocevar 165;R. Blaney 166-169;Z. Smith 170;B. Keselowski 171;D. Hamlin 172-176;C. Briscoe 177-196;R. Blaney 197;C. Briscoe 198;B. Wallace 199-200;C. Hocevar 201;D. Hamlin 202-204;T. Reddick 205-206;D. Hamlin 207-208;T. Reddick 209-219;R. Blaney 220;A. Cindric 221-237;C. Bell 238-246;B. Wallace 247-269;T. Reddick 270-271.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  Tyler Reddick 12 times for 53 laps; Kyle Larson 8 times for 48 laps; Bubba Wallace 10 times for 46 laps; Chase Briscoe 3 times for 27 laps; Joey Logano 4 times for 26 laps; Austin Cindric 2 times for 21 laps; Chase Elliott 3 times for 11 laps; Denny Hamlin 3 times for 10 laps; Brad Keselowski 4 times for 10 laps; Christopher Bell 1 time for 9 laps; Ryan Blaney 3 times for 6 laps; Carson Hocevar 2 times for 2 laps; Shane Van Gisbergen 1 time for 1 lap; Zane Smith 1 time for 1 lap.
Stage #1 Top Ten: 2,23,5,24,9,45,8,22,88,12
Stage #2 Top Ten: 23,24,19,45,9,77,60,12,6,97
--30--

Last-lap pass makes a DAYTONA 500 winner of Tyler Reddick

Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

By Reid Spencer

NASCAR Wire Service

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Tyler Reddick waited for the last possible moment to make his move—and it paid off with victory in Sunday’s 68th running of the DAYTONA 500.

 

In the final 500 yards of the Great American Race, Reddick got a welcome push from teammate Riley Herbst, muscled his way past Chase Elliott and powered his No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota toward the finish line.

 

As the track exploded in chaos behind him, when Herbst tried an ill-fated late block on Brad Keselowski and a knot of cars slid sideways across the finish line, Reddick already was celebrating a 0.308-second victory over 2023 DAYTONA 500 winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

 

Reddick was the 25th different leader—a record for the race—and the only lap he led was the last one.

 

After a winless 2025, Reddick expressed both satisfaction and relief at doing what 23XI co-owners Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan hired him to do.

 

“Last year was really hard for all of us, hard for me,” Reddick said. “When you're a Cup driver and you get to this level and drive for Michael Jordan, it's expected you win every single year.

 

“For us to go on that drought it made us look hard in the mirror, and I am really proud of everyone on our Chumba Casino Toyota Camry. Worked really hard in the offseason, and there were many points in this race where we weren't making decisions we wanted to, but we just reset, and every opportunity we got to reset, we went back at it.

 

“Just speechless. I didn't know if I'd ever win this race. It's surreal, honestly. The best part is my son asked before this race, ‘Are you finally going to win this race?’ Something about today just felt right.”

 

The final two laps produced more plot twists than a dime novel. Spire Motorsports driver Carson Hocevar led at the white flag but spun in Turn 1 and fell out of the lead pack, taking Erik Jones and Michael McDowell with him. Elliott took control and appeared ready to win his first Crown Jewel race before Reddick gained momentum off Herbst’s bumper.

 

Moments later, Herbst’s attempted block stopped Keselowski’s huge run near the outside wall and sealed the win for Reddick.

 

“I'm not really sure what happened with the first (Hocevar) wreck,” Elliott said. “But we ended up kind of getting gifted the lead, and the 38 (Zane Smith) and I had got out by ourselves down the back. He had given me a good shove off into (Turn) 3 and then it was kind of just he and I, and at that point I just felt momentum shift, like there was going to be another run coming behind us there at some point.

 

“Unfortunately, that was accurate, and then at that point in time, you're just on defense. Man, that's a really, really tough place to be, truthfully. Obviously looking back, you can run it through your mind a thousand times. Do you do something different? I feel like if I had thrown a double block on the 45 (Reddick), probably would have just crashed us at that point in time.”

 

Behind Stenhouse, 2015 DAYTONA 500 winner Joey Logano slid across the finish line in third place, followed by Elliott and Keselowski.

 

“Yeah, a lot of chaos,” said Keselowski, who raced while still recovering from a broken right femur. “Last restart I gave William Byron a great push, and just wasn't enough to move our lane. I was giving him all I had, and then right here at the end I had this huge run and the 35 (Herbst) wrecked us. Really disappointed.

 

“Tore up the 9 (Elliott), tore up the 22 (Joey Logano), a bunch of cars that didn't deserve to be wrecked, so that was a big bummer and really stupid. Still a decent day for us to come home with a top 5 and to be competitive and have a shot to win.”

 

As wild as the finish was, the biggest melee of the afternoon came much earlier.

 

With seven laps left in the second stage, contact between the No. 40 Chevrolet of Justin Allgaier and the No.11 Toyota of three-time DAYTONA 500 winner Denny Hamlin ignited a 20-car wreck in the tri-oval.

 

Allgaier was leading the top line but left a narrow lane open to his right. As Hamlin attempted to fill the hole, Allgaier’s car twitched toward the wall, turned across the nose of Hamlin’s Camry and lit the fuse of chaos behind him.

 

“I got to the outside lane there, got to the front—got the outside lane,” Allgaier said. “And I really thought I had blocked enough of that top lane that the top line was just going to fall in behind.

 

“And as soon as Denny went to that quarter-panel, it just sucked me in there. It’s a hundred percent my fault. That’s the frustrating part. I should have moved it up higher. But there are moments where you get a little bit complacent. You think you did everything right, but you didn’t check all the boxes. That’s what happened there.”

 

Even though Herbst was listed in that incident, his car was not severely damaged and survived to become a key component in the 23XI victory, as Jordan acknowledged after the race.

 

“I thought Riley did an unbelievable job pushing at the end,” Jordan said. “That shows you what teamwork can really, really do. He doesn't get enough credit. He won't get enough credit. But we feel the love. We understand exactly what he did.

 

“We hung in there all day. Great strategy by the team, and we gave ourselves a chance at the end. Look, I'm ecstatic. I don't even know what to say. It feels like I won a championship, but until I get my ring, I won't even know.”

 

Smith, Chris Buescher, Herbst, Josh Berry and Bubba Wallace finished sixth through 10th, respectively. Byron, trying for a third straight DAYTONA 500 win, came home 12th, and pole winner Kyle Busch was 15th.

 

The lead changed hands among the record 25 different drivers 665 times. Smith took the first stage win—the first of his career—and Wallace won the second under caution for the 20-car accident.

 

NASCAR Cup Series Race - DAYTONA 500

Daytona International Speedway

Daytona Beach, Florida

Sunday, February 15, 2026

 

                1. (26)  Tyler Reddick, Toyota, 200.

                2. (16)  Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, 200.

                3. (3)  Joey Logano, Ford, 200.

                4. (4)  Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 200.

                5. (9)  Brad Keselowski, Ford, 200.

                6. (30)  Zane Smith, Ford, 200.

                7. (41)  Chris Buescher, Ford, 200.

                8. (28)  Riley Herbst, Toyota, 200.

                9. (14)  Josh Berry, Ford, 200.

                10. (27)  Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 200.

                11. (25)  Noah Gragson, Ford, 200.

                12. (39)  William Byron, Chevrolet, 200.

                13. (15)  Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 200.

                14. (34)  Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 200.

                15. (1)  Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 200.

                16. (8)  Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 200.

                17. (33)  Cody Ware, Chevrolet, 200.

                18. (6)  Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 200.

                19. (35)  AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 200.

                20. (37)  Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 200.

                21. (24)  Erik Jones, Toyota, 200.

                22. (10)  Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 200.

                23. (20)  Ty Gibbs, Toyota, 200.

                24. (23)  Cole Custer, Chevrolet, 200.

                25. (19)  Ryan Preece, Ford, 200.

                26. (11)  John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota, Accident, 199.

                27. (5)  Ryan Blaney, Ford, Accident, 199.

                28. (29)  Corey Heim(i), Toyota, 199.

                29. (31)  Jimmie Johnson, Toyota, Accident, 199.

                30. (13)  Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet, 199.

                31. (22)  Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 198.

                32. (17)  Casey Mears, Ford, 195.

                33. (32)  Connor Zilisch #, Chevrolet, 195.

                34. (36)  Austin Cindric, Ford, 193.

                35. (12)  Christopher Bell, Toyota, Accident, 191.

                36. (2)  Chase Briscoe, Toyota, 188.

                37. (7)  Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, Accident, 137.

                38. (40)  Justin Allgaier(i), Chevrolet, Accident, 123.

                39. (18)  Todd Gilliland, Ford, Accident, 123.

                40. (21)  Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, Accident, 123.

                41. (38)  BJ McLeod, Chevrolet, Accident, 4.

 

Average Speed of Race Winner:  147.107 mph.

Time of Race:  3 Hrs, 23 Mins, 56 Secs. Margin of Victory:  0.308 Seconds.

Caution Flags:  5 for 32 laps.

Lead Changes:  65 among 25 drivers.

Lap Leaders:   K. Busch 1-3;J. Nemechek 4-7;K. Busch 8-11;J. Logano 12-13;J. Nemechek 14-18;J. Logano 19;J. Nemechek 20-28;J. Logano 29;J. Nemechek 30;J. Logano 31-34;C. Briscoe 35-57;C. Elliott 58;T. Gilliland 59;Z. Smith 60-68;A. Allmendinger 69;R. Blaney 70-71;A. Cindric 72-74;D. Hamlin 75-76;B. Wallace 77-79;C. Ware 80-81;R. Chastain 82-83;*. Allgaier(i) 84;T. Dillon 85-87;*. Allgaier(i) 88;R. Stenhouse Jr. 89;R. Chastain 90-95;A. Cindric 96-97;R. Chastain 98-100;S. Van Gisbergen 101-103;K. Larson 104;K. Busch 105-108;K. Larson 109-112;K. Busch 113;K. Larson 114;K. Busch 115-116;K. Larson 117;K. Busch 118-121;D. Hamlin 122;*. Allgaier(i) 123;B. Wallace 124-130;R. Stenhouse Jr. 131-133;B. Wallace 134-136;*. Heim(i) 137-138;B. Wallace 139;C. Bell 140;*. Heim(i) 141;B. Wallace 142-144;C. Bell 145;B. Wallace 146;C. Bell 147-148;*. Heim(i) 149;C. Bell 150-151;B. Wallace 152;*. Heim(i) 153-156;C. Bell 157;B. Wallace 158-162;C. Bell 163-164;B. Wallace 165-180;C. Buescher 181-184;K. Busch 185;R. Chastain 186;C. Elliott 187;J. Logano 188;M. McDowell 189-198;C. Hocevar 199;T. Reddick 200.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  Bubba Wallace 9 times for 40 laps; Chase Briscoe 1 time for 23 laps; John Hunter Nemechek 4 times for 19 laps; Kyle Busch 7 times for 19 laps; Ross Chastain 4 times for 12 laps; Michael McDowell 1 time for 10 laps; Christopher Bell 6 times for 9 laps; Joey Logano 5 times for 9 laps; Zane Smith 1 time for 9 laps; * Corey Heim(i) 4 times for 8 laps; Kyle Larson 4 times for 7 laps; Austin Cindric 2 times for 5 laps; Chris Buescher 1 time for 4 laps; Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 2 times for 4 laps; * Justin Allgaier(i) 3 times for 3 laps; Ty Dillon 1 time for 3 laps; Denny Hamlin 2 times for 3 laps; Shane Van Gisbergen 1 time for 3 laps; Chase Elliott 2 times for 2 laps; Cody Ware 1 time for 2 laps; Ryan Blaney 1 time for 2 laps; AJ Allmendinger 1 time for 1 lap; Todd Gilliland 1 time for 1 lap; Tyler Reddick 1 time for 1 lap; Carson Hocevar 1 time for 1 lap.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 38,2,12,77,7,17,71,60,48,4

Stage #2 Top Ten: 23,12,42,8,35,67,17,45,22,7

 

 

Joey Logano, Chase Elliott win 150-mile Duels as DAYTONA 500 field is set

James Gilbert/Getty Images

February 12, 2026

 

By Reid Spencer

NASCAR Wire Service

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Joey Logano won the fourth America 250 Florida Duel of his career on Thursday night to secure a third-place starting spot in Sunday’s DAYTONA 500 (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

 

In a second Duel that ran caution free, Chase Elliott took control of the race on Lap 53 of 60 and held off Carson Hocevar by 0.065 seconds to win his third 150-mile qualifying race and earn the fourth starting position for the DAYTONA 500.

 

With an earnest push from Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney, Logano was at the front of the field when NASCAR called the third caution of the first Duel on Lap 63, three laps into overtime.

 

Both Logano and Blaney are among the favorites to win Sunday’s 68th edition of the Great American Race. Blaney ran second and will start fifth in NASCAR’s biggest race.

 

“Just a lot of teamwork all the way through,” Logano said of the win. “I think about the 22 team in particular. Nick Hensley, our gas man, did a fantastic job getting us in position out of pit road. (Spotter) Coleman Pressley up on the roof giving us great information. My teammate Ryan Blaney being committed and working together.

 

“It's nice when everything works out the way it's supposed to.”

 

Logano has finished ninth or better in 12 straight Daytona Duels.

 

Former DAYTONA 500 winner Austin Dillon ran third, followed by Brad Keselowski—recovering from a broken right femur—and John Hunter Nemechek. Shane van Gisbergen, Daniel Suarez, Casey Mears, Ryan Preece and Alex Bowman completed the top 10.

 

Mears came from a lap down to earn the one Open position in the DAYTONA 500 available from the first Duel. Mears advanced when fellow Open competitor Corey LaJoie—running in the top five at the time—turned into the outside wall in a chain-reaction collision on the final lap of overtime.

 

Anthony Alfredo had a relatively stress-free run to claim the DAYTONA 500 spot available to Open cars in the second Duel, or so he thought. Though Alfredo finished 18th, 23 seconds ahead of BJ McLeod—the next-best Open driver—his finish was disallowed after post-race inspection, and McLeod will compete in the Great American Race on Sunday.

 

According to NASCAR Cup Series director Brad Moran, a transmission cooling hose on Alfredo's No. 62 Chevrolet was not fastened properly, and another hose was disconnected, affecting both cooling and airflow.

 

The complexion of the first race changed dramatically after Mears slid into the Ford of Noah Gragson coming to pit road on Lap 46. Preece had led 38 laps to that point but needed more fuel on his stop and fell back after the subsequent restart on Lap 50.

 

Mears lost a lap because of his spin into the infield grass but regained it as the beneficiary under caution under the second caution for a five-car accident on Lap 56 that eliminated the No. 24 Chevrolet of William Byron, the two-time defending winner of the DAYTONA 500.

 

Byron will start Sunday’s race from the rear of the field in a backup car.

 

In the final wreck on Lap 63, Mears’ No. 66 Ford nosed into the Chevrolet of Daniel Suarez after passing Lajoie’s spinning Ford for the critical position. Mears had the leading Open car when NASCAR called the caution that froze the field.

 

“I hit somebody square,” Mears said, unsure whether his Carl Long-owned car could be repaired or if a backup would be required. “And I knew when I hit him flat it didn't tear up the car too much and I was going to be able to get back (to the checkered flag).

 

“But I didn't know who was in front of me still, whether or not we made it. All the guys started going nuts on the radio.”

 

Sensing danger as the first Duel barreled toward a frenetic conclusion, DAYTONA 500 pole winner Kyle Busch dropped to the rear of the field after the Lap 50 restart to preserve his No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet for Sunday’s race. He finished 18th in the 23-car field.

 

Seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, already locked into the 500 on an Open Exemption Provisional, ran a conservative race and finished 15th.

 

In the second Duel, Elliott led twice for nine laps and became the third Hendrick Motorsports driver to win three or more Duels. NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon leads the organization with five.

 

“A great way to get the blood pumping for sure on a Thursday night,” said Elliott, who is seeking his first win in the Great American Race. “There was a lot going on those last handful (of laps). Really, ever since we came off of pit road after the cycle, we were getting after it. It was a lot of fun.

 

“Had some great support there. Carson did a great job helping me control those lanes, helping get Team Chevy for Victory Lane tonight. Certainly, owe him an appreciation for just kind of sticking with it, also pushing me well. It's real easy to get people out of control. Appreciate that.”

 

Reigning Cup Series champion Kyle Larson ran third, followed by former DAYTONA 500 winner Michael McDowell and Christopher Bell. Josh Berry, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Todd Gilliland, Ty Gibbs and Denny Hamlin claimed positions six through 10, respectively.

 

Chase Briscoe, who locked into the second starting position during Wednesday night’s time trials, led a race-high 38 laps but fell victim to a lengthy green-flag pit stop on Lap 45, lost the draft and finished 20th.

 

NASCAR Cup Series Race - America 250 Florida Duel 1 at DAYTONA

Daytona International Speedway

Daytona Beach, Florida

Thursday, February 12, 2026

 

          1. (6)  Joey Logano, Ford, 63.

          2. (11)  Ryan Blaney, Ford, 63.

          3. (7)  Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 63.

          4. (10)  Brad Keselowski, Ford, 63.

          5. (9)  John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota, 63.

          6. (19)  Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet, 63.

          7. (20)  Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 63.

          8. (22)  Casey Mears, Ford, 63.

          9. (2)  Ryan Preece, Ford, 63.

          10. (4)  Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 63.

          11. (13)  Cole Custer, Chevrolet, 63.

          12. (23)  Noah Gragson, Ford, 63.

          13. (16)  Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 63.

          14. (3)  Corey Heim(i), Toyota, 63.

          15. (15)  Jimmie Johnson, Toyota, 63.

          16. (21)  Chandler Smith(i), Ford, 63.

          17. (14)  Cody Ware, Chevrolet, 63.

          18. (1)  Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 63.

          19. (8)  Corey LaJoie, Ford, Accident, 62.

          20. (17)  AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, Accident, 62.

          21. (18)  Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, Accident, 62.

          22. (12)  William Byron, Chevrolet, Accident, 55.

          23. (5)  Chris Buescher, Ford, Accident, 55.

 

Average Speed of Race Winner:  153.867 mph.

Time of Race:  1 Hrs, 1 Mins, 25 Secs. Margin of Victory:  Under Caution Seconds.

Caution Flags:  3 for 9 laps.

Lead Changes:  9 among 6 drivers.

Lap Leaders:   K. Busch 0;R. Preece 1-3;A. Dillon 4;J. Nemechek 5-7;A. Dillon 8-9;R. Preece 10-44;C. Custer 45-47;J. Logano 48-49;C. Buescher 50;J. Logano 51-63.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  Ryan Preece 2 times for 38 laps; Joey Logano 2 times for 15 laps; Austin Dillon 2 times for 3 laps; Cole Custer 1 time for 3 laps; John Hunter Nemechek 1 time for 3 laps; Chris Buescher 1 time for 1 lap.

 

NASCAR Cup Series Race - America 250 Florida Duel at DAYTONA

Daytona International Speedway

Daytona Beach, Florida

Thursday, February 12, 2026

 

          1. (4)  Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 60.

          2. (14)  Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 60.

          3. (3)  Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 60.

          4. (10)  Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 60.

          5. (6)  Christopher Bell, Toyota, 60.

          6. (13)  Josh Berry, Ford, 60.

          7. (19)  Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, 60.

          8. (16)  Todd Gilliland, Ford, 60.

          9. (5)  Ty Gibbs, Toyota, 60.

          10. (2)  Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 60.

          11. (12)  Erik Jones, Toyota, 60.

          12. (20)  Tyler Reddick, Toyota, 60.

          13. (15)  Riley Herbst, Toyota, 60.

          14. (9)  Zane Smith, Ford, 60.

          15. (11)  Connor Zilisch #, Chevrolet, 60.

          16. (18)  Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 60.

          17. (8)  Austin Cindric, Ford, 60.

          18. (17)  Anthony Alfredo(i), Chevrolet, 60.

          19. (21)  BJ McLeod, Chevrolet, 60.

          20. (1)  Chase Briscoe, Toyota, 60.

          21. (7)  Justin Allgaier(i), Chevrolet, 60.

          22. (22)  JJ Yeley(i), Chevrolet, 57.

 

Average Speed of Race Winner:  183.237 mph.

Time of Race:  0 Hrs, 49 Mins, 7 Secs. Margin of Victory:  .065 Seconds.

Caution Flags:  0 for  laps.

Lead Changes:  12 among 10 drivers.

Lap Leaders:   C. Briscoe 1-31;T. Dillon 32;C. Briscoe 33-39;T. Dillon 40-41;M. McDowell 42-44;*. Alfredo(i) 45;C. Zilisch # 46;R. Herbst 47;*. Allgaier(i) 48-49;T. Reddick 50;C. Elliott 51;C. Hocevar 52;C. Elliott 53-60.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  Chase Briscoe 2 times for 38 laps; Chase Elliott 2 times for 9 laps; Ty Dillon 2 times for 3 laps; Michael McDowell 1 time for 3 laps; * Justin Allgaier(i) 1 time for 2 laps; Tyler Reddick 1 time for 1 lap; * Anthony Alfredo(i) 1 time for 1 lap; Riley Herbst 1 time for 1 lap; Carson Hocevar 1 time for 1 lap; Connor Zilisch # 1 time for 1 lap.

 

 
 

Kyle Busch wins pole for Sunday's Daytona 500

Feb. 11, 2026

 By Holly Cain

NASCAR Wire Service

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. _ Kyle Busch delivered the best Daytona 500 qualifying effort of his championship NASCAR career Wednesday night at Daytona International Speedway, claiming his first ever pole position for the Great American Race (Sunday, 2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

 

Busch’s No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet was quickest in first round qualifying and answered the work resoundingly with an even faster lap (183.651 mph) in the 10-car final round - besting Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chase Briscoe by only .064-mph to set the front row.

 

Busch, 40, and Briscoe, 31 – the 2025 Daytona 500 polesitter – locked into the 41-car field along with 23XI Racing’s Corey Heim and JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier, who claimed the two open positions up for grabs Wednesday. The remainder of the field will be settled in Thursday night’s America 250 Florida Duel at Daytona races (7 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) with the 500 starting positions based on the Duels’ finishing order.

 

This will mark Busch’s 21st start in the Daytona 500 – and no previous driver has won the race with more than 20 starts.  The late NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt scored his only DAYTONA 500 victory in his 20th start for Busch’s team owner, NASCAR Hall of Famer Childress.

 

“Certainly, here on a Wednesday night, being able to qualify on my first pole for the Daytona 500, that's pretty special.,’’ said a grinning Busch. “I've had one other speedway pole down here in Daytona for the summer race. This feels good. Feels really good for RCR as a group.

 

“Just a valiant effort by everybody here,’’ the two-time series champion added. “It would be really nice to be doing an interview like this about being No. 1 come Sunday night.”

 

Briscoe was obviously encouraged by his showing as well, noting with a laugh that more typically it’s the Hendrick Motorsports team that has dominated Daytona 500 front row qualifying in recent years.

 

“It's cool for sure to be able to consistently two years in a row now,’’ said Briscoe, who drives the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. “It's really a testament to the folks back at JGR. We've made so many improvements on our superspeedway program. This race really comes down to, at least in qualifying, attention to detail, just doing every little thing.

 

“The 19 group has consistently kind of been the best one. That's really exciting for us. Just a lot of pride in that, right? I know for me, every week when I get in the car, I know I'm in arguably the best car every single week. When we come here and do stuff like we've done two years in a row validates that.

 

“It's the kid in me. .. being in the front row, for two years in a row at the Daytona 500. It's a really big deal.’’

 

It was certainly a thrilling start to the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series points season, the qualifying session featured a great battle among all three series manufacturers – with four Chevrolets, three Fords and three Toyotas making up the final round. Nine of the 10 cars that advanced bettered the pole speed from a year ago.

 

Last week’s Clash preseason-opening race winner Ryan Preece was third fastest in the No. 60 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford with three-time Daytona 500 winner, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin fourth quickest followed by Heim, the only one of eight “open” cars to make the 10-car final round.

 

“Just kind of nerve-wracking for sure to say the least,’’ the 2025 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion Heim conceded of earning his first ever Daytona 500 start in the No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota.

 

“But as soon as we knew all cars would be out in the second round except for us, that's kind of the final solidifying factor. I thought for a minute, three of us were going to be in the final round and we were going to have to race it out.

 

“So impressed and thank you for 23XI Racing and Toyota coming here with an open car and a fourth team at 23XI. To be able to do that is pretty impressive even from my eyes. I feel like that's a very big accomplishment from those guys. Just blessed to be a part of the team.”

 

The veteran Allgaier – the 2024 champion and a current fulltime competitor in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series - is making his second consecutive start in the No. 40 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, owned by two-time DAYTONA 500 champion Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his sister Kelley Earnhardt Miller. Allgaier’s qualifying time bettered the open car driven by Corey LaJoie by only a slight .004-second to claim that second guaranteed entry.

 

“I thought there would be less stress but I felt like for me, the stress level actually went up compared to last year with what we are able to accomplish,’’ said Allgaier, who finished ninth last year in the team’s inaugural DAYTONA start.

 

“You feel like you’ll come back in a lot better capacity and we did, that was a great qualifying effort, just short of the top-10,’’ he said of the car’s 14th place showing Wednesday night among the 45 car field.

 

“I think last year we made it so exciting on Thursday, it was really cool and it was special,’’ Allgaier said of having to race for a position in the 2025 DAYTONA 500 in the Duels. “But I feel like this year, I can go through the Duels and work on the car in a far different capacity and allows us to go to the 500 and really feel like we’re competing for a win and competing for a great position. It’s just different and I’m really proud of this team.’’

 

His grinning team owner Earnhardt conceded, “It is stressful but that’s the best part about it.”

 

Of note, Front Row Motorsports driver Noah Gragson had his qualifying lap disallowed after he used his hand to affect airflow, violating a new NASCAR rule that took effect this year. He’ll start last in his Duel race.

 

“I completely forgot about that rule,’’ Gragson said, “That one’s on me.’’

 

Ryan Preece overcomes weather and 18th-place starting spot to win Cook Out Clash

Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

 

 

February 4, 2026

 

By Reid Spencer

NASCAR Wire Service

 

Neither rain nor sleet nor snow nor gloom of night could keep Ryan Preece from his appointed rounds at Bowman Gray Stadium.

 

On wet-weather tires, on a track peppered with a wintry mix during the 100-lap break, Preece navigated the glazed asphalt at the historic quarter-mile track to win the second Cook Out Clash staged in Winston-Salem, N.C.

 

Historically heavy snow already had forced postponement of the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series exhibition race twice, but for the 35-year-old driver from Berlin, Connecticut, the victory on Wednesday night was well worth the wait.

 

“I don’t even know what to say,” said Preece, tears in his eyes as he climbed from his car to the cheers of hardy fans who had braved the rain and bone-chilling temperatures. “To be honest with you, it’s been a freaking long road.

 

“It’s the Clash, but, man, it’s been years and years of grinding ... Two years ago, I didn’t think I was going to have a job. I thought I was going back to Connecticut.”

 

Preece, however, secured a ride in the No. 60 Roush Fenway Racing Ford after Stewart-Haas Racing closed its doors at the end of the 2024 season.

 

On Wednesday night, he led the final 45 laps after taking the top spot on Lap 156, muscling his way past Shane van Gisbergen after a restart four laps earlier.

 

In a rock 'em, sock 'em free-for-all that featured a Clash-record 17 cautions, Preece pulled away after the final restart on Lap 182 of 200 to beat runner-up William Byron to the finish line by 1.752 seconds.

 

Preece is the third driver to win the Clash before winning a NASCAR Cup Series points race, joining NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon and Denny Hamlin in that distinction.

 

The modified star, who started 18th and worked his way forward before and after the halfway break, extended one streak and broke another. He is the ninth straight different driver to win the Clash, but he’s the first to win from outside the first two rows since the Clash went to a quarter-mile format at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 2022.

 

Ryan Blaney ran third, followed by Daniel Suarez and Denny Hamlin. Chase Briscoe, Austin Dillon, Chris Buescher, Ross Chastain and Alex Bowman completed the top 10.

 

Pole winner and reigning Cup champion Kyle Larson led a race-high 67 laps to Preece’s 46, but Larson’s race fell apart after rain and sleet covered the track, leading to a 16th-place result after the change from slick tires to wet-weather rubber.

 

For the second straight year, Josh Berry raced into the main event from the Last Chance Qualifier. After passing AJ Allmendinger for the top spot on Lap 18 of 75, Berry led the rest of the way in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford and finished 7.419 seconds clear of runner-up Austin Cindric.

 

The field for the Clash wasn’t set, however, until AJ Allmendinger shoved Cindric past Corey LaJoie in the final corner, allowing Cindric to secure the second of two spots available through the LCQ.

 

From Lap 62 on, Cindric and Lajoie had battled for the runner-up position, with Cindric securing the inside position for the final four circuits.

 

“You, wanted to be on the inside, obviously, but you don’t want to pass the guy, ‘cause then he has the opportunity to get back to you,” said LaJoie, who was subbing for injured Brad Keselowski in the No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Ford.

 

“It was exciting. It was fun to be in the fight. I hadn’t been in a fight like that in a long time.”

 

Allmendinger, who finished fourth behind LaJoie, was in the mix until the finish.

 

“I had the plan set up perfect,” said Allmendinger, who intended to move both Cindric and LaJoie up the track on the final lap. “I just didn’t execute. I went down in there to kind of shove ‘em both out of the way, and we didn’t have enough grip to throttle back up and beat ‘em to the line.”

 

Berry started 21st in the Clash and finished 12th. Cindric started 22nd and ran 21st after a litany of issues.

 

Bowman started last (23rd) in the Clash field on a provisional as the highest finisher in the 2025 standings not already in the field though qualifying or the LCQ.

 

NASCAR Cup Series Race - Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray

Bowman Gray Stadium

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Wednesday, February 4, 2026

 

                1. (18)  Ryan Preece, Ford, 200.

                2. (2)  William Byron, Chevrolet, 200.

                3. (16)  Ryan Blaney, Ford, 200.

                4. (20)  Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 200.

                5. (6)  Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 200.

                6. (4)  Chase Briscoe, Toyota, 200.

                7. (15)  Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 200.

                8. (8)  Chris Buescher, Ford, 200.

                9. (9)  Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 200.

                10. (23)  Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 200.

                11. (14)  Joey Logano, Ford, 200.

                12. (21)  Josh Berry, Ford, 200.

                13. (5)  Christopher Bell, Toyota, 200.

                14. (3)  Ty Gibbs, Toyota, 200.

                15. (12)  Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 200.

                16. (1)  Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 200.

                17. (11)  Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 200.

                18. (19)  Connor Zilisch, Chevrolet, 200.

                19. (13)  Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 200.

                20. (17)  Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet, 200.

                21. (22)  Austin Cindric, Ford, 200.

                22. (10)  Tyler Reddick, Toyota, 200.

                23. (7)  Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 199.

 

Average Speed of Race Winner:  21.39 mph.

Time of Race:  2 Hrs, 20 Mins, 15 Secs. Margin of Victory:  1.752 Seconds.

Caution Flags:  17 for 0 laps.

Lead Changes:  11 among 7 drivers.

Lap Leaders:   K. Larson 1-53;C. Briscoe 54-56;K. Larson 57-70;W. Byron 71-84;C. Briscoe 85-95;T. Gibbs 96-100;C. Briscoe 101-121;C. Hocevar 122-139;S. Van Gisbergen 140-142;R. Preece 143;S. Van Gisbergen 144-155;R. Preece 156-200.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  Kyle Larson 2 times for 67 laps; Ryan Preece 2 times for 46 laps; Chase Briscoe 3 times for 35 laps; Carson Hocevar 1 time for 18 laps; Shane Van Gisbergen 2 times for 15 laps; William Byron 1 time for 14 laps; Ty Gibbs 1 time for 5 laps.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 60,24,12,7,11,19,3,17,1,48

 

Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium postponed until Monday

January 31, 2026

 

By Reid Spencer

NASCAR Wire Service

 

A steady snowfall on Saturday forced postponement of the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium from Sunday to Monday to allow time to clear the track and provide safe access for fans.

 

The season-opening NASCAR Cup Series exhibition race already had been shortened to one day by historically cold weather and the threat of snow. Practice and qualifying for the 200-lap Clash now will start at 11:00 a.m. ET Monday on FS2.

 

The Last Chance Qualifier at the quarter-mile short track will begin at 4:30 p.m. ET, followed by Cook Out Clash at 6:00 p.m. ET, with FOX picking up the coverage of both events. MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will broadcast all the action, starting with Monday’s practice.

 

“Mother Nature hasn’t been kind to us at all this week,” said Justin Swilling, NASCAR’s senior director of marketing services. “But one thing it has done for us this time around, it has made the snow very light, fluffy and powdery.

 

“So the beautiful thing we tested out (Saturday) morning is that, once the wind dissipates, and once the snow stops falling, we can quickly get it moved.”

 

Parking lots will open Monday at 9 a.m. with off-site shuttle services beginning at 9:30 a.m. ET Gates will open at 10:00 a.m.ET Ticket holders can get more information at www.nascarclash.com/weather or by calling 855-525-7223.

 

nascar reviews & NOTEBOOKS

www.nascar.com

Celebrating its 75th Anniversary in 2023, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR consists of three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series™, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour™), one local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series™) and three international series (NASCAR Pinty’s Series™, NASCAR Mexico Series™, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series™). 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 eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).

  

 

NASCAR Weekend Preview: Circuit of The Americas & Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

 

February 26, 2026

 

By Reid Spencer and Holly Cain

NASCAR Wire Service

 

Tyler Reddick heads to his best track in quest for third straight win

 

Before last Sunday, five drivers had won the first two races of a season at NASCAR’s highest level. None of the five succeeded in winning a third straight race.

 

Minus a right-front fender, DAYTONA 500 champion Tyler Reddick drove his No. 45 Toyota to victory at EchoPark Speedway on that Sunday to become the sixth driver to win the first two races of a given season.

 

It would be foolish not to recognize that Reddick has a realistic chance to claim a record third straight win to start the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season—even with road course mavens Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch in the field for Sunday’s DuraMAX Texas Grand Prix Powered by RelaDyne at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

 

Several of his predecessors have come close. Marvin Panch, who won the first two races of the 1957 season—albeit in late 1956—finished third at Titusville in the following race. In the 1959 season, Bob Welborn won at Fayetteville, N.C., and earned the pole position for the DAYTONA 500 by winning the first of two qualifying races.

 

But Welborn’s hopes for a third straight win died when his engine failed in the Great American Race. He finished 41st.

 

Driving the famed Wood Brothers Purolator Mercury in 1976, David Pearson won the road race at Riverside, Calif., and the DAYTONA 500 in a ferocious battle against Richard Petty. His bid for three straight ended with an oil pump failure at Rockingham.

 

In 1997, Jeff Gordon opened the season with victories at Daytona and Rockingham and led the first 65 laps at Richmond before finishing fourth, one lap down, in a race won by Rusty Wallace.

 

Matt Kenseth, the most recent driver to open a season with two wins, took checkered flags at Daytona and Fontana, Calif., in 2009, only to have his engine expire six laps into the following race at Las Vegas.

 

It’s serendipitous for Reddick that the third race of the season takes place at 2.4-mile COTA. The track is Reddick’s best in terms of average finish (4.6). That average finish number also is foremost among active Cup drivers.

 

Only once in five starts at the track has Reddick started or finished outside the top five. That was in 2021 when he ran ninth in his maiden voyage at COTA. Reddick has two poles to his credit at the track (2021 and 2025) and one victory (2023).

 

Reddick is well aware of the possible record, but that won’t be his only consideration on Sunday.

 

“I mean, am I going to throw away a second place to do that?” asked the 23XI driver, who leads the series standings by 40 points over second-place Bubba Wallace, his teammate.  “Probably not. But certainly, if at any point during this week I'm running out of reasons to be motivated to go win, I'll keep that in my back pocket, for sure.

 

“It's cool to be able… or have the opportunity to potentially do things like that, but for me, with where this season started and what I need to do as a driver, it's all about just doing everything I can and showing up every week being as prepared as I can.

 

“So, yeah, I'll try and make that a reality.”

 

Standing in Reddick’s way is New Zealander Shane van Gisbergen, who won five of the six road course races on last year’s Cup schedule. With the number of road courses reduced to four this year, Van Gisbergen may feel a greater sense of urgency at COTA, where he is winless in two starts.

 

On the other hand, SVG has shown considerable improvement on oval tracks. He finished sixth last Sunday at EchoPark Speedway in Georgia and is 16th in the Cup Series standings.

 

“These oval races, we are making big gains, and we weren't really in position very often to score stage points last year,” said the three-time Australian Supercars champion. “Now we are able to do that in Daytona and Atlanta, and it's very promising.

 

“These road courses, we just go and have fun. They are like a holiday for us. We just go and enjoy ourselves and hopefully come away with a lot of points and a great result.” – Reid Spencer

 

Trackhouse Racing teammates renew their rivalry in O’Reilly Auto Parts race

 

Before Trackhouse Racing teammates Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch face off in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race, they’ll renew their friendly rivalry as heavy favorites in Saturday’s Focused Health 250 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series event at Circuit of the Americas (3 p.m. ET on CW, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

 

Zilisch is the defending winner. At age 18, he started from the pole last year and beat Cup driver William Byron to the finish line by 1.639 seconds.

 

Van Gisbergen raced just three times in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series last year during his rookie season in the Cup Series. On the Chicago Street Course he outdueled Zilisch, who finished second.

 

At Sonoma Raceway in July, Zilisch turned the tables, beating SVG to finish line by 0.438 seconds. In the rubber match at Watkins Glen, Zilisch and Van Gisbergen tangled in Turn 7 on Lap 65, with Zilisch surviving to win the race and Van Gisbergen falling to 31st.

 

All told, Zilisch collected a series-best 10 O’Reilly Auto Parts victories in 2025 with JR Motorsports before graduating to the Cup Series with Trackhouse this year.

 

NASCAR doesn’t run the full 3.426-mile Grand Prix Course at COTA, preferring to shorten the track to 2.4 miles, eliminating the long backstretch and creating more passing zones.

 

"COTA is just super-fun, especially since they shortened the course,” said Zilisch. “I really enjoy the shortened course. It has created really good racing and has a short-track type feel to it now.

 

“You don’t really have straightaways anymore, except for the front straightaway. It’s just so unique. You’ve got a new passing zone now with Turn 6A and that cut-through is a great passing zone. As a driver, you’re doing more, more often. You’re turning more, and you’re in a corner more often. It’s a lot of fun.”

 

If there’s a series regular who might be able to dethrone the Cup moonlighters, look no further than Sam Mayer, who has four top 10s in as many starts at the track and a best of third last year. – Reid Spencer

 

Dario Franchitti, Colin Braun return to NASCAR for historic CRAFTSMAN Truck Series street race

 

The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will make history this weekend competing on its first ever street course in downtown St. Petersburg—a new challenge and a new market.

 

More than 100,000 fans typically fill the grandstands and high rises above the 1.8-mile, 14-turn waterfront course, used by the NTT IndyCar Series for more than two decades and set alongside historic Vinoy Park and the famed St. Petersburg Pier.

 

Saturday's 80-lap OnlyBulls Green Flag 150 at St. Petersburg (12 noon E.T. on FOX, NRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) marks the first time the series has raced on a street circuit. The drivers say they are excited, even if they don't know exactly what to expect on this new type of course.

 

“The first time I got to be on a street course was only about eight months ago (racing in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series) in Chicago, but it was a whole different experience and super unique and I really enjoyed it,” said Kaulig Racing's RAM Truck driver Daniel Dye, who came to St. Pete earlier this month to help mark the track-build.

 

“So, to get to do it in my home state of Florida in such a cool place as St. Petersburg, I'm pumped. I love coming to Florida as much as I can—start in Daytona and end in Miami (Homestead) and be here in St. Pete for the third race of the season is pretty cool.

 

“I'm looking forward to it and been talking to my teammate A.J. Allmendinger,” he said of his team's NASCAR Cup Series driver, who is considered one of NASCAR's best-ever road racers.

 

Another driver to lean on is sports car star Colin Braun, who will be in the RAM team's No. 25 RAM 1500 "free agent truck" — used throughout the season to  feature different star drivers from other series. NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart drove it in the Daytona season-opener, and current NASCAR Cup Series driver Ty Dillon raced it in Atlanta last weekend.

 

Former Indianapolis 500 winner and multi-time IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti will be making his first start in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, driving the No. 1 TRICON Garage Toyota. He won the St. Pete IndyCar race in 2011.

 

He'll be joined by another famed IndyCar star, former Indianapolis 500 polesitter James Hinchcliffe, who will drive the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet.  Adam Andretti, brother of the late NASCAR star John Andretti and nephew of the legendary Mario Andretti, will be competing in the No. 5 TRICON Garage Toyota after making his NASCAR debut last week at Atlanta.

 

These drivers will have their hands full competing against a highly-motivated group of championship contenders. Front Row Motorsports' Chandler Smith, this year's Daytona winner, leads the standings by 28 points over TRICON Garage driver Gio Ruggiero.

 

The trucks get their first laps in downtown St. Pete on Friday, with a 50-minute practice at 4 p.m. followed by Kennametal Pole Qualifying at 5:05 p.m. ET.  – Holly Cain

 

--30--

Reddick’s Hot Start Shifts Focus to Potential Three-Peat

 

February 23, 2026

 

By Holly Cain

NASCAR Wire Service

 

HAMPTON, Ga. – Tyler Reddick was all smiles climbing out of his well-used noticeably nicked-up No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota Sunday night at EchoPark Speedway after claiming his second win in as many NASCAR Cup Series races on the 2026 season.

 

A week ago, he led only the last lap to earn his first career DAYTONA 500 win and answered it by leading the most laps and starting on pole position to immediately hoist his second trophy of the season – and 10th of his career – Sunday night in the Autotrader 400 in Atlanta.

 

An hour after taking the checkered flag and hoisting his second trophy, the 30-year-old Californian was still shaking his head and proudly contemplating his perfect start to the season.

 

“Just to start it off that way, knowing how good we've been at these other places we have coming up, just really helps the confidence," said Reddick, who also won at this week’s upcoming venue, the Circuit of The Americas road course in 2023.

 

“Keeps me extra motivated, especially, too, during the week to work hard, knowing what great opportunity we have in front of us to start.

 

“I mean, yeah, at some point we could get caught up in a wreck, we could have had a DNF [tonight]. But to start off like this, I think everyone is extremely hungry to just keep pressing onward, whether that's winning races, winning stages, or just scoring points. We have a great opportunity in front of us to get off to a really good start.”

 

And not only has Reddick’s No. 45 team seized the day, the whole 23XI Racing operation is riding an incredible wave of success to open the season.

 

Reddick’s victories have given him the early lead atop the championship standings – a sizable 40-points up on none other than his teammate Bubba Wallace, who is also experiencing a most excellent start to the year.

 

Wallace finished 10th in the DAYTONA 500 and was leading Sunday night in Atlanta with a lap to go, only to finish seventh in the last lap shuffle to the checkered flag. Wallace’s 40 laps out front at Daytona were best in the field as were Reddick’s 53 laps out front at Atlanta.

 

And Reddick, Wallace and Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota, already upped the game for the entire organization – claiming the team’s very first top-10 sweep - Reddick’s win, Herbst’s eighth place and Wallace’s 10th place at Daytona.

 

“It's very early, but it's not by circumstance," said team co-owner Denny Hamlin, who drives the No. 11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. “They're running up front. They're fast. Again, just doing a lot of the right things. We're making up for lost time. Last year we didn't have the wins that we expected as a race team, but they're making up for it right now.

 

“It feels good certainly as a car owner knowing that you've got a couple of bullets in the gun. When the end of the race didn't go Bubba's way, you got another one there to pick it up. That certainly increases your odds of winning a lot of races when you've got multiple cars up front like we had tonight.”

 

NBA legend and co-owner of 23XI Racing, Michael Jordan was absolutely ecstatic after the DAYTONA 500 victory – celebrating the win with the entire organization and posing for photos cradling the iconic trophy. And he was equally as excited Sunday night at the team’s first ever back-to-back win.

 

“The guys worked hard all summer," Jordan said. “They kept working hard, and this is the fruit of their labor. You know, they put forth the effort, and for us to come out and win the first two races says a lot about our whole team.”

 

And the story only gets better. Although Reddick has admirably won all 10 of his career trophies at different tracks, next week he has to be considered a favorite to take his first repeat victory when the series competes in the DuraMAX Grand Prix Powered by RelaDyne at Austin’s famed COTA road course (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

 

Reddick won there in 2023 and is considered one of the sport’s best at turning left and right.

 

He goes to Austin having equaled an important and rare record as only the sixth driver in NASCAR history to win the opening two races of the season. Could he become the first ever to win the first three straight?

 

“Am I going to throw away a second place to do that? Probably not," Reddick said considering the possibility with a smile. “But certainly, if at any point during this week I'm running out of reasons to be motivated to get the win, I'll keep that in my back pocket, for sure.

 

“You know, it's cool to have the opportunity to potentially do things like that, but for me, with where this season started and what I need to do as a driver, it's all about just doing everything I can and showing up every week being as prepared as I can.

 

“But yeah, I'll try and make that a reality.”

 

 

   nascar cup series

NASCAR Cup Series schedule 2026

(All times Eastern)

Date Race Track Time
Feb. 1 Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Bowman Gray Stadium 8 p.m.
Feb. 12 Duel 1 at Daytona Daytona International Speedway 7 p.m.
Feb. 12 Duel 2 at Daytona Daytona International Speedway 8:45 p.m.
Feb. 15 Daytona 500 Daytona International Speedway 2:30 p.m.
Feb. 22 Autotrader 400 EchoPark Speedway 3 p.m.
March 1 DuraMax Grand Prix Circuit of the Americas 3:30 p.m.
March 8 Straight Talk Wireless 500 Phoenix Raceway 3:30 p.m.
March 15 Pennzoil 400 Las Vegas Motor Speedway 4 p.m.
March 22 Goodyear 400 Darlington Raceway 3 p.m.
March 29 Cook Out 400 Martinsville Speedway 3:30 p.m.
April 12 Food City 500 Bristol Motor Speedway 3 p.m.
April 19 AdventHealth 400 Kansas Speedway 2 p.m.
April 26 Jack Link's 500 Talladega Superspeedway 3 p.m.
May 3 Wurth 400 Texas Motor Speedway 3:30 p.m.
May 10 Go Bowling at the Glen Watkins Glen International 3 p.m.
May 17 All-Star Race Dover Motor Speedway 3 p.m.
May 24 Coca-Cola 600 Charlotte Motor Speedway 6 p.m.
May 31 Cracker Barrel 400 Nashville Superspeedway  7 p.m.
June 7 FireKeepers Casino 400 Michigan International Speedway 3 p.m.
June 14 Cup Series race at Pocono Pocono Raceway 3 p.m.
June 21 Anduril 250 Naval Base Coronado 4 p.m.
June 28 Toyota/Save Mart 350 Sonoma Raceway 3:30 p.m.
July 5 Cup Series race at Chicagoland Chicagoland Speedway 6 p.m.
July 12 Quaker State 400 EchoPark Speedway 7 p.m.
July 19 Window World 400 North Wilkesboro Speedway 7 p.m.
July 26 Brickyard 400 Indianapolis Motor Speedway 2 p.m.
Aug. 9 Iowa Corn 350 Iowa Speedway 3:30 p.m.
Aug. 15 Cook Out 400 Richmond Raceway 7 p.m.
Aug. 23 Cup Series race at New Hampshire New Hampshire Motor Speedway 3 p.m.
Aug. 29 Coke Zero Sugar 400 Daytona International Speedway 7:30 p.m.

NASCAR Cup Series playoff race schedule 2026

(All times Eastern)

Date Race Track Time
Sept. 6 Southern 500 Darlington Raceway 5 p.m.
Sept. 13 Enjoy Illinois 300 World Wide Technology Raceway 3 p.m.
Sept. 19 Bass Pro Shops Night Race Bristol Motor Speedway 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 27 Hollywood Casino 400 Kansas Speedway 3 p.m.
Oct. 4 South Point 400 Las Vegas Motor Speedway 5:30 p.m.
Oct. 11 Bank of America ROVAL 400 Charlotte Road Course 3 p.m.
Oct. 18 Freeway Insurance 500 Phoenix Raceway 3 p.m.
Oct. 25 Yellawood 500 Talladega Superspeedway 2 p.m.
Nov. 1 Xfinity 500 Martinsville Speedway 2 p.m.
Nov. 8 Cup Series Championship Race Homestead-Miami Speedway 3 p.m.

 Copyright 2002- 2026 Motorsportsgarage productions

no part of site site can be copied or duplicated without written permission from Motorsportsgarage productions

all logos and images are copyrighted to the racing series and used for editorial purposes only

   

         

 

 

follow up on

This site is dedicated to my father " hoot " who introduced me to the Great sport of auto racing when I was a very young child

Thru the years I have befriended several people Thru Racing that have passed on and I honor them here

Larrt Criss. Charlie Patterson. Carrol Horton, Todd shaffer, gary lee and Judy Morris