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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.

Shane van Gisbergen makes another statement in NASCAR Cup win

Sean Gardner/Getty Images

By Reid Spencer

NASCAR Wire Service

 

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y.—Like a world-class hunter stalking defenseless prey, Shane van Gisbergen reasserted his claim to the status as the best road course racer NASCAR has ever seen.

 

It’s not just that the New Zealander beat runner-up Michael McDowell to the finish line to win Sunday’s Go Bowling at the Glen by 7.288 seconds. It was the way SVG ran down late-race leader Ty Gibbs to the tune of 29.2 seconds in 18 laps at the 2.45-mile Watkins Glen International Road Course.

 

The mythical shark “Jaws” couldn’t have been a more relentless or terrifying pursuer.

 

In defending last year’s win at The Glen, Trackhouse Racing’s van Gisbergen scored his seventh NASCAR Cup Series victory—all on road or street courses—and his first this season.

 

“Unbelievable to win with (the No.) 97,” van Gisbergen said. “Thank you to Trackhouse. We weren't very good in practice, and then qualifying was amazing. Good tweaks, and then today, so what a race car.

 

“Then (crew chief) Stephen (Doran) made great calls. I wasn't sure how it was going to work. Then to run them down, very, very special to do two in a row. Just stoked for these guys, you know, to execute every facet of our game. Speechless. This is so cool.”

 

Starting from the pole, van Gisbergen led the first 18 laps before short-pitting the first 20-lap stage. He pitted once again on Lap 41 under a bizarre caution caused by a tent blowing through the air from the camping area onto the race track.

 

After passing McDowell for the lead on Lap 47, van Gisbergen stayed on the track to win the second stage at Lap 50 and declined to pit on Lap 61 under caution for debris from Joey Logano’s left-front tire. That strategy was contrary to most of the rest of the field.

 

Van Gisbergen built a lead of more than six seconds before making a green-flag stop on Lap 76. That’s when the heroics began in earnest.

 

Leaving pit road more than 29 seconds behind Gibbs and Trackhouse Racing teammate Connor Zilisch, van Gisbergen charged through the field in pursuit of the first- and second-place cars. Both Gibbs and Zilisch were saving fuel after pitting on Lap 61 and were racing on tires that were degrading rapidly.

 

Zilisch dropped from contention on Lap 92 with a flat right front tire. One lap later, van Gisbergen muscled past a helpless Gibbs into the lead and stretched his advantage until the finish.

 

McDowell, on a similar pit strategy to SVG’s, passed Gibbs for second on Lap 95. Gibbs held third, followed by Chase Briscoe and series leader Tyler Reddick, who leaves Watkins Glen with a 129-point lead over second place Denny Hamlin (16th on Sunday).

 

“Yeah, it's great. It's great to get this Chevrolet in the top five,” said McDowell, who had to settle for best-in-class in his No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet. “There were moments where I thought, ‘Oh, maybe we can hang with SVG,’ and it felt like he was just pacing himself back off me, and he would take back off.

 

“In that second stage there, we got a little off strategy and then recovered well, which (crew chief) Travis (Peterson) did a great job of getting the track position when we needed it. Just not quite enough to run him down.

 

“Like I said, it's just tough, man. Second is awesome. It's great to get momentum back on our side. We needed it after a rough few weeks, but we wanted to get to Victory Lane.”

 

In fuel-saving mode over the last 39 laps, Gibbs couldn’t run the pace he needed to stay ahead of the race winner.

 

“Honestly, just a little frustrating,” said Gibbs, who picked up his first career Cup Series victory at Bristol in April. “I wish we could keep racing, but unfortunately, just had to save some fuel there.

 

“Yeah, good to come home with a third-place finish. Obviously, wish it was another win, but you know, had a lot of fun today. Always fun to come to Watkins Glen.”

 

Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon finished sixth—his first top 10 of the season—followed by AJ Allmendinger, RCR teammate Kyle Busch, Austin Cindric and John Hunter Nemechek.

 

In a race that featured six lead changes among four drivers, Van Gisbergen led 74 of 100 laps, followed by Gibbs with 17. There were four cautions for 12 total laps.

 

The Cup Series travels to Dover Motor Speedway for next Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race (1 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

 

--30--

 

NASCAR Cup Series Race - Go Bowling at The Glen

Watkins Glen International

Watkins Glen, New York

Sunday, May 10, 2026

 

          1. (1)  Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet, 100.

          2. (2)  Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 100.

          3. (10)  Ty Gibbs, Toyota, 100.

          4. (9)  Chase Briscoe, Toyota, 100.

          5. (15)  Tyler Reddick, Toyota, 100.

          6. (25)  Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 100.

          7. (12)  AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 100.

          8. (21)  Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 100.

          9. (3)  Austin Cindric, Ford, 100.

          10. (17)  John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota, 100.

          11. (7)  Ryan Blaney, Ford, 100.

          12. (14)  Chris Buescher, Ford, 100.

          13. (16)  Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 100.

          14. (30)  Ryan Preece, Ford, 100.

          15. (19)  Cole Custer, Chevrolet, 100.

          16. (20)  Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 100.

          17. (22)  Todd Gilliland, Ford, 100.

          18. (33)  Zane Smith, Ford, 100.

          19. (24)  Erik Jones, Toyota, 100.

          20. (5)  Connor Zilisch #, Chevrolet, 100.

          21. (8)  Christopher Bell, Toyota, 100.

          22. (35)  Noah Gragson, Ford, 100.

          23. (23)  Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 100.

          24. (27)  Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 100.

          25. (28)  Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 100.

          26. (32)  Riley Herbst, Toyota, 100.

          27. (4)  Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 100.

          28. (11)  Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 100.

          29. (18)  Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 100.

          30. (26)  Brad Keselowski, Ford, 100.

          31. (29)  Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, 100.

          32. (34)  Josh Berry, Ford, 100.

          33. (31)  Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 99.

          34. (37)  Josh Bilicki(i), Ford, 99.

          35. (38)  Katherine Legge, Chevrolet, 99.

          36. (13)  William Byron, Chevrolet, 97.

          37. (36)  Cody Ware, Chevrolet, Accident, 90.

          38. (6)  Joey Logano, Ford, 85.

 

Average Speed of Race Winner:  98.536 mph.

Time of Race:  2 Hrs, 29 Mins, 11 Secs. Margin of Victory:  7.288 Seconds.

Caution Flags:  4 for 12 laps.

Lead Changes:  6 among 4 drivers.

Lap Leaders:   S. Van Gisbergen 1-18;R. Chastain 19-22;S. Van Gisbergen 23-41;M. McDowell 42-46;S. Van Gisbergen 47-75;T. Gibbs 76-92;S. Van Gisbergen 93-100.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  Shane Van Gisbergen 4 times for 74 laps; Ty Gibbs 1 time for 17 laps; Michael McDowell 1 time for 5 laps; Ross Chastain 1 time for 4 laps.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 1,22,12,2,16,42,20,97,35,71

Stage #2 Top Ten: 97,45,54,3,8,17,2,88,19,23

 

 

shane van Gisbergen starts Watkins Glen defense with pole-winning run

Sean Gardner/Getty Images

By Reid Spencer

NASCAR Wire Service

 

May 8, 2026

 

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y.—The Bus Stop chicane at Watkins Glen International is designed to slow drivers down.

 

In Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session, however, it was the section of the 2.45-mile road course where defending race winner Shane van Gisbergen gained light years over the competition, relatively speaking, in securing the pole for Sunday’s Go Bowling at the Glen (3 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

 

The New Zealander, celebrating his 37th birthday, navigated the seven-turn circuit in 71.165 seconds (123.937 mph) on the first of two qualifying laps to beat Spire Motorsports’ Michael McDowell (123.488 mph) for the top starting spot by 0.259 seconds.

 

“I did nail it on my first lap,” van Gisbergen said of the Bus Stop at the end of the long backstretch, where he gained more than two tenths of a second on the field. “The first half of the lap was pretty average, I thought.

 

“My second lap, I had less tire grip, but it was a better lap, so I think I was ahead until the Bus Stop, and then I mucked it up. My first lap was really good there—probably got it right, and maybe the others got it wrong. But generally, that is a really strong point for me.”

 

Team Penske’s Austin Cindric (123.452 mph) claimed the third starting spot, followed by van Gisbergen’s teammates at Trackhouse Racing, Ross Chastain (123.445 mph) and Connor Zilisch (123.386 mph).

 

Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney, last year’s pole winner, were sixth and seventh, giving Team Penske three of the top seven starters. The Joe Gibbs Racing trio of Christopher Bell, Chase Briscoe and Ty Gibbs completed the top 10.

 

van Gisbergen expects tire wear to play a major role in Sunday’s race, which has been lengthened from 90 to 100 laps, featuring stage lengths of 20, 30 and 50 laps.

“The fall-off was insane,” van Gisbergen said. “I didn’t expect that. The marbles and the fall-off was extreme today. It’s kind of like Bristol when it’s cold. The tires would fall apart. It was very interesting. We fell off four seconds or so.

 

“Crazy. It’ll be a good race to watch but probably a hard one to manage.”

 

Series leader Tyler Reddick, a five-time winner this season and the most recent road course winner at Circuit of the Americas, qualified 15th. Chase Elliott, last Sunday’s winner at Texas Motor Speedway, will start 27th on Sunday.

 

 

 

Chase Elliott snags second NASCAR Cup victory at Texas

getty images

May 3, 2026

 by Reid Spencer

NASCAR Wire Service

 FORT WORTH, Texas — In an event that spelled disaster for a handful of the NASCAR Cup Series’ established stars, Chase Elliott ran an impeccable race—and was rewarded with victory in Sunday’s Würth 400 Presented by LIQUI MOLY at Texas Motor Speedway.

 

Elliott didn’t lead until Lap 152 of 267, when Corey Heim brought his Toyota to pit road for fuel on an off-cycle strategy. From that point on, the driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet controlled the race with an iron fist, thanks in part to a pit crew that performed its three fastest pit stops of the season on Sunday.

 

After Heim spun in Turn 4 to cause the seventh and final caution of the race, however, Elliott had to survive a restart with four laps left. But with a push from teammate and third-place finisher Alex Bowman, he cleared runner-up Denny Hamlin off Turn 2 and pulled away to win by 0.407 seconds.

 

The victory was Elliott’s second at Texas, his second of the season and the 23rd of his career. He joins fourth-place finisher Tyler Reddick (five victories) as a multiple winner this season. Elliott also is the first repeat winner in the last 10 races at Texas.

 

“I wasn't really sure whether to go top or bottom,” Elliott said of the final restart. “You know, the bottom had been winning out on a lot of the restarts. I felt like, man, if I didn't get clear off of (Turn 2), I was going to be in a lot of trouble.

 

“Fortunately, Alex gave me a great push. Was able to execute Turns 1 and 2, get clear, and then just kind of manage the last few laps… Yeah, man, just crazy. You know, to say as much as we struggled out here to have won two races here now in the last few years is pretty wild.”

 

Elliott led a race-high 87 laps to 69 for Heim, who finished 31st.

 

Hamlin rued the caution that interrupted his pursuit of Elliott with 11 laps left, but he got a strong launch on the final restart.

 

“Yeah, I thought I got a good restart there at the end side-by-side,” said Hamlin, who finished second to Elliott for the second time this season (the first at Martinsville). “But then, you know, just the way the side-draft works there into Turn 1, with him getting the push from the 48 (Bowman), it just allowed his momentum to pick up a little bit quicker than mine.

 

“I tried to hang on to the side, but I was just getting tighter the closer I was getting to him. So good, decent day. Just one short.”

 

Reddick pitted for two tires before the final restart and charged from ninth to fourth at the finish.

 

“All in all, it was a solid day,” said Reddick, who leads the series by 109 points over second-place Hamlin and 117 over third-place Elliott. “It was nice to go for it there on the two tires.

 

“Just had a couple of passes that took a little longer than they needed to, and that was the difference between… I don't know if we would have got back to the lead, but I think if we played it perfectly, we could have got second. All in all, it was a good day.”

 

Chris Buescher finished fifth in the fastest Ford. Daniel Suarez, pole winner Carson Hocevar, William Byron, Bubba Wallace and Ryan Blaney completed the top 10.

 

Rookie Connor Zilisch recorded both his best qualifying effort of the season (12th) and his best Cup finish on an oval track (16th).

 

Throughout the race, attrition eliminated potential contenders.

 

Christopher Bell’s star-crossed season continued without abatement at Texas Motor Speedway. Bell had just fought off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Hamlin to retain the lead when Todd Gilliland spun in front of Bell’s Toyota off Turn 4 on Lap 68.

 

Bell took evasive action toward the bottom of the track but clipped Gilliland’s Ford just enough to send Bell’s Camry rocketing into the outside wall, severely damaging the right-side suspension components.

 

The diagnosis of Bell’s car was terminal, and he exited the race in last (38th) place.

 

“It was another one of those 50-50 calls,” Bell said of his split-second decision to try to dodge Gilliland’s car. “Me and Denny were side-by-side, and I saw him (Gilliland) spinning and Denny lifted, and I thought that I could shoot the gap on the bottom.

 

“And I thought I did shoot the gap on the bottom, but I got clipped.”

 

Defending race winner Joey Logano fared no better. During pit stops under caution on Lap 94, Cole Custer slowed to allow Ty Gibbs to exit his stall. Logano slammed into Custer’s car, peeling back the left front fender of Logano’s Mustang like a can opener.

 

With the right front tire of his car skewed out of proper orientation, the three-time champion retired from the race.

 

“I’ll just keep digging and go to the next one,” Logano said philosophically.

 

Seven laps after Logano’s demise, Bristol winner Ty Gibbs slammed into the Turn 3 wall off the bumper of Ryan Preece’s Ford and fell out of the race in 35th.

 

Reigning series champion Kyle Larson wasn’t immune from calamity either. On Lap 160, he spun in Turn 2 and clobbered the wall with the driver’s side of his No. 5 Chevrolet.

 

“I just lost it,” said Larson, who took the car to the garage, his hopes for a second Texas victory dashed.

 

What Kyle Busch lost was his temper. After qualifying sixth, Busch ran consistently in the top five and earned points in the first stage. He was set for a top-10 finish until he tangled with the Toyota of John Hunter Nemechek after the final restart.

 

Busch took out his frustrations on the white-flag lap, knocking Nemechek’s car sideways. Busch faded to 20th on a day that started with promise and ended in disappointment.

 

The NASCAR Cup Series travels next to Watkins Glen International for next Sunday’s Go Bowling at the Glen (3 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

 

NASCAR Cup Series Race - Würth 400 presented by LIQUI MOLY

Texas Motor Speedway

Fort Worth, Texas

Sunday, May 3, 2026

 

                1. (14)  Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 267.

                2. (4)  Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 267.

                3. (9)  Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 267.

                4. (8)  Tyler Reddick, Toyota, 267.

                5. (3)  Chris Buescher, Ford, 267.

                6. (2)  Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 267.

                7. (1)  Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 267.

                8. (15)  William Byron, Chevrolet, 267.

                9. (37)  Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 267.

                10. (31)  Ryan Blaney, Ford, 267.

                11. (18)  Riley Herbst, Toyota, 267.

                12. (21)  Erik Jones, Toyota, 267.

                13. (25)  Brad Keselowski, Ford, 267.

                14. (20)  Ryan Preece, Ford, 267.

                15. (13)  Austin Cindric, Ford, 267.

                16. (12)  Connor Zilisch #, Chevrolet, 267.

                17. (30)  Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet, 267.

                18. (38)  Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 267.

                19. (22)  Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, 267.

                20. (6)  Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 267.

                21. (33)  John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota, 266.

                22. (34)  Zane Smith, Ford, 266.

                23. (5)  Chase Briscoe, Toyota, 266.

                24. (35)  Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 266.

                25. (26)  AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 266.

                26. (16)  Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 266.

                27. (19)  Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 266.

                28. (28)  Noah Gragson, Ford, 266.

                29. (24)  Josh Berry, Ford, 266.

                30. (29)  Cody Ware, Chevrolet, 265.

                31. (17)  Corey Heim(i), Toyota, Accident, 254.

                32. (32)  Todd Gilliland, Ford, 254.

                33. (36)  Chad Finchum(i), Ford, 223.

                34. (11)  Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 180.

                35. (27)  Cole Custer, Chevrolet, 173.

                36. (10)  Ty Gibbs, Toyota, Accident, 110.

                37. (23)  Joey Logano, Ford, Accident, 95.

                38. (7)  Christopher Bell, Toyota, Accident, 68.

 

Average Speed of Race Winner:  136.315 mph.

Time of Race:  2 Hrs, 56 Mins, 17 Secs. Margin of Victory:  .407 Seconds.

Caution Flags:  7 for 40 laps.

Lead Changes:  23 among 11 drivers.

Lap Leaders:   C. Hocevar 1-19;D. Hamlin 20-35;C. Hocevar 36-41;B. Keselowski 42;C. Briscoe 43-46;C. Bell 47-68;D. Hamlin 69-70;E. Jones 71-83;C. Hocevar 84-88;T. Gibbs 89;C. Hocevar 90-94;*. Heim(i) 95-151;C. Elliott 152-160;D. Hamlin 161;B. Keselowski 162-164;C. Elliott 165-214;D. Hamlin 215;R. Herbst 216;C. Hocevar 217-221;R. Blaney 222-226;*. Heim(i) 227-238;C. Elliott 239-262;D. Hamlin 263;C. Elliott 264-267.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  Chase Elliott 4 times for 87 laps; * Corey Heim(i) 2 times for 69 laps; Carson Hocevar 5 times for 40 laps; Christopher Bell 1 time for 22 laps; Denny Hamlin 5 times for 21 laps; Erik Jones 1 time for 13 laps; Ryan Blaney 1 time for 5 laps; Chase Briscoe 1 time for 4 laps; Brad Keselowski 2 times for 4 laps; Riley Herbst 1 time for 1 lap; Ty Gibbs 1 time for 1 lap.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 43,77,47,54,19,8,16,9,24,11

Stage #2 Top Ten: 9,45,6,11,60,7,17,35,77,48

 

 

Carson Hocevar rides the wave to NASCAR Cup pole at Texas

Logan Riely/Getty Images

  

May 2, 2026

 

By Reid Spencer

NASCAR Wire Service

 

FORT WORTH, Texas — In a manner of speaking, Carson Hocevar called his shot at Texas Motor Speedway—and wound up on the pole for Sunday’s Wurth 400 Presented by LIQUI MOLY (3:30 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

 

Before Saturday’s time trials at the 1.5-mile track, Hocevar said he hoped to capitalize on his last-in-the-order qualifying position—a benefit of his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory at Talladega Superspeedway last Sunday.

 

“Hopefully we can roll out last and take advantage of it,” Hocevar said. “Start up front, which is super important here. Pit stops are going to be important. Get a good pit selection and really keep the momentum rolling.”

 

It took a monumental lap for Hocevar to achieve that objective. Streaking around the speedway in 25.222 seconds (191.240 mph), he edged Spire Motorsports teammate Daniel Suarez (191.320 mph) for the top starting spot by 0.003 seconds.

 

The Busch Light Pole Award was the second of Hocevar’s career, with the first coming at Texas a year ago.

 

“Maybe going to (sponsor) Chili’s last night it weighed the car down just a little bit more, and I had a little more left-side weight,” joked Hocevar, who also won Friday night’s NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at TMS. “I don’t know where those three thousandths (of a second) are, but I’m glad I had ‘em in the bank.

 

“My lap felt pretty good. It wasn’t quite key it up on the radio and (say)… ‘If they beat that, they can have it,’ and they don’t get beat. It wasn’t quite doing that, but I was coming off Turn 4, and I was like, ‘If this isn’t fast, I’m going to be disappointed.’ It felt good.”

 

Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing’s Chris Buescher qualified third at 190.981 mph in the only Ford that cracked the top 10. Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe tied for fourth at 190.786 mph, with Hamlin getting the nod for the higher starting spot on an owner points tiebreaker.

 

Kyle Busch, Christopher Bell, series leader Tyler Reddick, Alex Bowman and Ty Gibbs completed the top 10 on the grid. Defending Cup champion Kyle Larson will start 11th.

 

Austin Dillon and Bubba Wallace did not make qualifying attempts and will start from the rear of the field on Sunday. Dillon’s team changed the engine in the No. 3 Chevrolet. Wallace crashed in practice will start the race in a backup car.

 

“It was on edge, just like Texas is,” Wallace said of the accident. “Just trying to find the right balance for us and our team. So it was going to be a good debrief to figure out if we can get some more speed, but just have to rely on our teammates and go get it tomorrow.

 

“This is a very unforgiving place. So like I said, it (the No. 23 Camry) was around before I even knew it.”

 

NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying - Würth 400 presented by LIQUI MOLY

Texas Motor Speedway

Fort Worth, Texas

Saturday, May 2, 2026

 

                1. (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 191.340 mph.

                2. (7) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 191.320 mph.

                3. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford, 190.981 mph.

                4. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 190.786 mph.

                5. (19) Chase Briscoe, Toyota, 190.786 mph.

                6. (8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 190.611 mph.

                7. (20) Christopher Bell, Toyota, 190.456 mph.

                8. (45) Tyler Reddick, Toyota, 190.416 mph.

                9. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 190.382 mph.

                10. (54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota, 190.168 mph.

                11. (5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 190.067 mph.

                12. (88) Connor Zilisch #, Chevrolet, 189.940 mph.

                13. (2) Austin Cindric, Ford, 189.860 mph.

                14. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 189.780 mph.

                15. (24) William Byron, Chevrolet, 189.693 mph.

                16. (1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 189.427 mph.

                17. (67) Corey Heim(i), Toyota, 189.341 mph.

                18. (35) Riley Herbst, Toyota, 189.228 mph.

                19. (71) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 189.155 mph.

                20. (60) Ryan Preece, Ford, 189.129 mph.

                21. (43) Erik Jones, Toyota, 188.950 mph.

                22. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, 188.772 mph.

                23. (22) Joey Logano, Ford, 188.692 mph.

                24. (21) Josh Berry, Ford, 188.686 mph.

                25. (6) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 188.442 mph.

                26. (16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 188.403 mph.

                27. (41) Cole Custer, Chevrolet, 188.311 mph.

                28. (4) Noah Gragson, Ford, 188.193 mph.

                29. (51) Cody Ware, Chevrolet, 187.983 mph.

                30. (97) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet, 187.905 mph.

                31. (12) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 187.800 mph.

                32. (34) Todd Gilliland, Ford, 187.682 mph.

                33. (42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota, 187.669 mph.

                34. (38) Zane Smith, Ford, 187.285 mph.

                35. (10) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 185.350 mph.

                36. (66) Chad Finchum(i), Ford, 176.396 mph.

                37. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 0.000 mph.

                38. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 0.000 mph.

 

--30--

 

Watkins Glen date move for 2027 draws wide acclaim

 

May 11,2026

 

By Reid Spencer

NASCAR Wire Service

 

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — One of the most popular decisions NASCAR has ever made was revealed last week.

 

In fact, the decision was so popular that NASCAR couldn’t wait until the races at Watkins Glen International were over to announce the change.

 

Before the first race car took to the 2.45-mile road course this past weekend, NASCAR revealed that next year’s NASCAR Cup Series race at the Glen would take place in September, as part of the Chase.

 

The NASCAR community applauded the move. So did the merchants, winemakers, hoteliers and restaurateurs in and around the city of Watkins Glen. This year’s May dates at the Glen preceded the unofficial start of the Finger Lakes tourist season, which doesn’t get into full swing until after Memorial Day.

 

That’s not to say fortune didn’t smile on this season’s NASCAR tripleheader. Though temperatures were brisk and rain was in the forecast, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and Cup Series all ran on dry pavement.

 

In fact, Shane van Gisbergen’s charge through the field to victory in Sunday’s Cup race was so remarkable that even the sun had to come out and watch. All things considered, taken solely from a racing standpoint, this was one of the best weekends of the season so far.

 

The move back to September, however, has been met with almost universal acclaim. The Finger Lakes district is notable for its wine production, and September is the start of harvest for early varietals, and the aroma of ripened grapes hangs in the air like strong perfume.

 

The weather in September typically is more favorable, too—with temperatures averaging more than 10 degrees warmer than in early May. And now that the fall race at Charlotte Motor Speedway has reverted to the 1.5-mile oval from the Roval, the Chase will have a road course.

 

With impetus from chief operating officer Ben Kennedy, NASCAR in recent years has been eager to test the envelope when it comes to scheduling—the Los Angeles Coliseum, the Bristol Dirt Track—and just as willing to make changes when innovations start to lose their luster.

 

With the move from May to September at Watkins Glen, NASCAR is playing to a throng of voices rejoicing at the change.

 

There is at least one person to whom the change will make no difference. Last year, in a race held on Aug. 10, van Gisbergen dominated, leading the final 17 laps and beating Christopher Bell to the finish line by 11.116 seconds.

 

On Sunday, van Gisbergen had 25 laps to erase Ty Gibbs’ lead of nearly 30 seconds and did so in 18 circuits, winning by 7.288 seconds over runner-up Michael McDowell. The New Zealander is likely to be just as effective next September.

 

What should give his competitors pause is just how well-hidden van Gisbergen kept the full capability of his Trackhouse Racing car until it was needed.

 

“I didn't really push to my maximum until stage three,” van Gisbergen acknowledged after the race. “That's sort of where our true pace was shown.”

 

The remaining question is the exact placement on the calendar for next year’s Watkins Glen race. The traditional Labor Day weekend race, the Southern 500, belongs to Darlington Raceway and would be contested on Sept. 5 in 2027.

 

The traditional date for the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Festival, where vintage cars parade around the original 6.6-mile street course, is the Friday after Labor Day. It’s a huge event that consumes the entire town. For NASCAR to race that same weekend would be problematic, to say the least.

 

Sept.19 would be a workable date, but if Watkins Glen is added to the Chase, another track has to leave the postseason. Could the Bristol Night Race return to the late August date it occupied for decades? Or would World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, a recent addition to the postseason, return to its former summer date?

 

Those are decisions yet to be revealed, but whatever has to happen to facilitate Watkins Glen’s September date will be worth the tradeoff.

 

 

Chase Elliott makes early statement with NASCAR Cup win at Texas

 

May 4, 2026

 

By Reid Spencer

NASCAR Wire Service

 

FORT WORTH, Texas — It’s time to take Chase Elliott seriously.

 

Though that assertion runs the risk of stating the obvious, it bears remembering that Elliott hasn’t exactly been front of mind when it comes to the last three NASCAR Cup Series championships.

 

In the three years after his five-win season in 2022, Elliott failed to qualify for the Championship 4 Race. In 2023, he raced only 29 times and won no races, thanks to a snowboarding injury and a one-race suspension for rough driving.

 

In 2024, he won at Texas Motor Speedway. In the following season, the last under the elimination playoff format, he took checkered flags at Atlanta in June and Kansas in September.

 

The 2026 season has been vastly different. Elliott won at Martinsville in the seventh race of the season. On Sunday at Texas, in the 11th Cup race, he triumphed again in convincing fashion. Never before in his career has Elliott won that early or that often.

 

It’s almost as if Elliott is announcing himself as a contender. What should alarm other elite Cup drivers is Elliott’s feeling that the No. 9 team still hasn’t reached its full potential.

 

“We fired off the year, and truthfully, I think as a group haven't been as strong as we want to be or expect to be,” Elliott said after the victory at Texas. “Have just dug in and put our heads down and gone to work.

 

“We tested at (North) Wilkesboro earlier in the year, and then (Hendrick Motorsports teammate) Kyle (Larson) tested at Chicago last week, or maybe a couple of weeks ago. Nonetheless, in the last couple of weeks. I think all those things, you start putting pieces together and improving and getting to a good place.

 

“Then you combine that with just a really good day of execution for our team in particular and wound up with a great result. Really proud of that.”

 

Under the leadership of crew chief Alan Gustafson, the No. 9 team’s execution on Sunday wasn’t just “really good.” It was impeccable. Elliott’s redoubtable pit crew pulled off its three fastest stops of the season under pressure to keep the driver out front.

 

Gustafson made the winning call to keep Elliott on the track and in the lead for a restart with four laps left. That allowed Elliott to choose the bottom lane for the restart, and though the usable racing surface at the Texas track has widened out nicely since its reconfiguration in 2017, the bottom prevailed consistently on restarts.

 

The bottom line? On a day when rotten luck and solo spins eliminated several top competitors—among them Christopher Bell, Ty Gibbs and Larson—Elliott and his team performed flawlessly.

 

Deservedly, they reaped the reward of victory—and simultaneously asserted they are to be taken seriously in any championship discussion.

 

Competition for Most Popular Driver this year?

 

Chase Elliott has won the National Motorsports Press Association Most Popular Driver award for the last eight years, but the 2025 vote reportedly was closer than usual between Elliott and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson, the reigning Cup champion.

 

This year, you can add rising star Carson Hocevar to the equation. After his breakthrough victory April 26 at Talladega Superspeedway, Hocevar captivated fans with his celebratory “Ghost Ride” on the driver’s-side window ledge of his No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet.

 

At Texas, Hocevar won Friday night’s NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race and drove to Turn 1 to provide a burnout for fans who wouldn’t ordinarily get to see the celebration up close. On Saturday, he edged teammate Daniel Suarez for the pole position in Sunday’s Cup Series race by 0.003 seconds.

 

Afterwards, Hocevar charmed the crowd at the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track as infield master of ceremonies for the High Limit Racing sprint car event across the parking lot from the big track.

 

Hocevar finished seventh in Sunday’s Cup race. If he hopes to be in the mix for Most Popular Driver, he’ll have to maintain his presence through performance. All the other elements are there. At age 23, Hocevar is guileless and genuine—with a broad smile that radiates good will.

 

“I’m shocked and humbled and every adjective that sounds good from a PR person, I guess,” Hocevar said of fans’ reactions to his recent successes and celebrations. “It does mean a lot…

 

“I don’t, truthfully, care if that grandstand is full of No. 77 shirts or not. I just want to see it full, honestly. Whether that’s loving me or hating me to show up, I’m doing something.”

 

--30-- 


 

 

Carson Hocevar’s first win highlights surge of young talent in NASCAR

 

April 27, 2026

 

By Holly Cain

NASCAR Wire Service

 

TALLADEGA, Ala. – Carson Hocevar’s career first win in Sunday’s Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway was impactful not just personally for the 23-year-old but also for his Spire Motorsports team.

 

And frankly, also for the NASCAR Cup Series as a whole.

 

He is the second first-time winner in the last three races, earned the second victory for the high-expectation three-car Spire Motorsports team and provided an unmistakable shining moment in the sport, which has celebrated a pair of 23-year old NASCAR Cup Series race winners who not only bring massive talent but also big personality to the sport.

 

A new generation of next-level talent has arrived and Hocevar, with his unique “victory lap” and unapologetic bold demeanor Sunday afternoon really brought the point home. It was a win so popular in the garage that other drivers – including former champions Chase Elliott and Kyle Busch – made a point to congratulate the young driver on pit road.

 

A win important enough to the sport that newly-named NASCAR Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Steve O’Donnell was all smiles watching Hocevar and his team in all the post-race pageantry and interviews. Asked if he was okay with Hocevar sitting on the window ledge of his No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet and driving it in front of an absolutely ecstatic Talladega front grandstands, O’Donnell grinned and nodded in approval.

 

The afternoon and the celebration really transcended a single driver and represented a new generation of talent bringing an equally high wattage dose of star power.

 

“That personality connects," said Spire Motorsports executive Jeff Dickerson.

 

Indeed it did Sunday and likely will in the future. Many people from inside the industry conceded they hadn’t heard a crowd reaction to a race outcome like the one Hocevar received for many years. The fans were loud and stayed as long as possible to watch the young driver get his trophy.

 

Even one the weekend’s other big stars – YouTube mega-personality Cleetus McFarland (who finished runner-up competing in Saturday’s ARCA Menards Series race at Talladega) - called into Hocevar’s press conference hours after the checkered flag to offer his congratulations.

 

The happiness for Hocevar was surpassed only by the genuine gratitude the young driver showed. As fellow 23-year-old, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs did after claiming his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory at Bristol, Tenn. three weeks ago, Hocevar got emotional in the moment.

 

He reiterated throughout his time with the media that he was careful to take in everything – the sound of the crowd, the confetti blowing through the air, the heartfelt congrats from other competitors, the embraces he received from so many teammates during his trophy hoist.

 

In fact, Hocevar didn’t even throw a big soiree at a fancy hotel to celebrate that milestone, life-changing work Sunday. He instead shared that he was headed to a Chili’s restaurant near his home in North Carolina once he got back home – a perfect opportunity to highlight his sponsor and also a telling reflection of his humble heart.

 

“I think it’s huge," Hocevar’s crew chief Luke Lambert said of the recent wave of young winners.

 

“It’s a great thing to see a new class of superstars come in and usher themselves into the sport. … it’s impressive to see these young guys go up against people that are in that class [of more experienced competitors]. It takes their talents, the right team and atmosphere around them, then the right amount of experience to be able to go toe to toe with those guys, truly Hall of Famers that have years of experience and still have all the talent and all the makings of a phenomenal race car driver.

 

“To see the young guys start to be able to break into that, I think it means great things for the sport."

 

Does this change Hocevar’s competitive reputation? Once considered a “raw” talent with tendencies to make mistakes in overly-aggressive moves on track, this victory in one of the most competitive venues on the circuit stands to go a long way toward establishing Hocevar’s evolving credibility.

 

And the feel-good quotient he produced is undeniable.

 

“I was happy for Ty [Gibbs]," Dickerson said. “You see these kids get their first one (win) and it takes you back to your first one. There’s no feeling like it."

 

“They’re going to see the happiest kid in the world," Dickerson said of the inevitable post-victory attention.

 

All the joy of sport’s big moments.

 

 

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’).

  

Saturday Watkins Glen Notebook

 

Notebook Items:

  • Met Gala appearance is a change of pace for Carson Hocevar
  • Chase Elliott expects SVG to elevate road course performance of entire field
  • Former NASCAR star Kasey Kahne gets breakthrough sprint car win

 

May 9, 2026

 

By Reid Spencer

NASCAR Wire Service

 

Met Gala appearance is a change of pace for Carson Hocevar

 

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y.—Carson Hocevar traded his driver’s suit for a tux and tails for an appearance at the Met Gala in New York on Monday night.

Hocevar, 23, gained instant notoriety for a memorable post-race celebration after his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory at Talladega Superspeedway on April 26. Hocevar drove his car while sitting on the window ledge, waving to fans in the grandstands.

 

“It was fun,” Hocevar said of his trip to New York. “It’s a different world. I got to make my mom proud, I guess. She enjoyed that. Her two favorite channels are E! and Hallmark, so the only thing next I can do to make her proud and excited is get on the Hallmark Christmas Special.”

 

Apparently, Hocevar’s fame was more far-reaching than he knew.

 

“They called NASCAR,” he said. “They just saw Talladega and called NASCAR, and NASCAR wasn’t really sure what to do or how that all worked, but they asked me if I wanted to go.

 

“I got to meet a lot of cool people, people I didn’t think I would meet,” he added without giving specifics. “It was a totally different change of pace, without worrying about paint schemes and race suits.”

 

Chase Elliott expects SVG to elevate road course performance of entire field

 

When Australian Marcos Ambrose arrived on the NASCAR scene in 2006, he quickly established his superiority on road courses.

 

Ambrose won four NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races at Watkins Glen International, including three in succession from 2008 through 2010. Driving for Richard Petty Motorsports, Ambrose won two NASCAR Cup Series races at the Glen, in 2011 and 2012.

 

As invariably happens, however, Ambrose forced the rest of the Cup Series field to improve on performance, and the gap between Ambrose and his fellow competitors narrowed considerably.

 

After Ambrose’s departure, Chase Elliott held sway for four years, winning seven times on road courses from 2018 through 2021, including twice at Watkins Glen.

The arrival of New Zealander Shane van Gisbergen has raised the bar even higher. SVG won his first Cup Series start on the Chicago Street Course in 2023. Last year, he won five of the six road course races on the schedule.

 

Elliott believes the gap between SVG and the rest of the Cup field will narrow once again.

 

“Yeah, I'm not sure that I have a really good overhead view of what that looks like,” Elliott said. “I'm obviously very zoned in to just my perspective of it, and I certainly feel like we, and myself in particular, have a lot of work to do to get to the performance that those guys have had.

 

“I think it's there. I think we're capable of doing that. I have no doubt, to your point, I do think he and his performance and the job that he and his team have done are going to make the rest of the field better. I think that's just how it works.

 

“So, how far behind some are or aren't or have closed that gap or not, I'm not sure. I think, for me, I still have a lot of room and work to go. But, yeah, I think it's totally doable. I think there is no question it will make everybody better, and I hope that we're among those that improve and can at least catch up at some point in time.”

Elliott’s first Cup victory came at the Glen in 2018, but the 2020 series champion doesn’t have much time for nostalgia as he attempts to win his third race of the season In Sunday’s Go Bowling at the Glen (3 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

 

“I'm not coming up here to reminisce,” Elliott said. “I'm coming up here to do a job. It certainly is a special place, but I also want to add to the success that we've had here. We have another opportunity to do it again this weekend.”

 

Former NASCAR star Kasey Kahne gets breakthrough sprint car win

 

Twenty-nine years after his first World of Outlaws Sprint Car start—with a distinguished NASCAR career in-between—Kasey Kahne claimed his first victory as a driver in Friday night’s Outlaws event at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa.

 

Kahne has had enormous success as a World of Outlaws team owner, winning five series championships with driver Brad Sweet and one with Daryn Pittman. A victory of his own, however continued to elude him—until Friday night.

 

Substituting for injured Anthony Macri, Kahne held off Sheldon Haudenschild in the closing laps to seal the win on the legendary half-mile dirt track. Kahne’s first start in the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series came at Grays Harbor Raceway in his home state of Washington on Aug. 22, 1997.

 

“This is crazy,” Kahne said in Victory Lane. “I couldn’t believe this would happen this weekend. Two weeks ago, I was still building my own cars to get prepared to hopefully race them later this year. Nick Macri and their whole family…

 

“Man, this whole Macri Motorsports team. (Crew chief) Joe Mooney, he’s exceptional on the wrenches. He worked at KKR (Kasey Kahne Racing), and he’s done so much more since then with Anthony.”

 

In a NASCAR Cup Series career that spanned 15 years from 2004 through 2018, Kahne won 18 races, including four Crown Jewel events—the Coca-Cola 600 three times (2006,2008 and 2012) and the Brickyard 400 (2017).

 

His high-water mark came in 2006 when he won six times with Ray Evernham’s fledgling Dodge team. Kahne also won races with Gillett Evernham Motorsports, Richard Petty Motorsports, Red Bull Racing and Hendrick Motorsports.

 

Two-time NASCAR Cup champion Kyle Larson, co-founder of the High Limit Racing sprint car series, was delighted to learn of Kahne’s victory.

 

“Yeah, that was awesome,” Larson said. “I was flying here, so I didn't get to watch the race live, but I'd gotten texts from multiple people when he won and landed in time to watch his interview and just see how excited everybody was for him… the fans, himself, the team.

 

“Kasey Kahne’s put a lot into the sport of sprint car racing. He's achieved everything you can achieve as an owner, so to conquer something that he's been trying to get for a long time and been somewhat close, was cool. He was fast at Lincoln (Speedway in Abbottstown, Pa.) the other night, and then really good last night, so that was awesome.”

 

--30--

 

 

NASCAR Cup race caps long weekend at the Glen for road course stars

 

By Reid Spencer

NASCAR Wire Service

 

NASCAR Cup race caps long weekend at the Glen for road course stars

 

For the first time this season, road course ace Shane van Gisbergen will have a chance to defend one of his NASCAR Cup Series victories from last year.

 

Because of a shakeup in the schedule, however, that first defense will come at Watkins Glen International, whose May date for Sunday’s Go Bowling at the Glen (3 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) is the earliest ever for the 2.45-mile circuit.

 

Van Gisbergen won the last five road course races of 2026, but because of schedule changes, he’ll have the chance to defend victories at only two of the venues—Watkins Glen and Sonoma Raceway.

 

Mexico City isn’t on the Cup Series calendar this year, the Chicago race is moving from the downtown Street Course to the Chicagoland Speedway oval in Joliet, and the Charlotte Roval has been displaced by the intermediate oval at the same facility.

 

The addition of the highly technical street course at Naval Base Coronado will give SVG another opportunity to showcase his skills, but the driver himself cautions against the assumption that all he has to do is show up to win.

 

“I think it’s an expectation you have to manage,” the New Zealander said. “We can’t go there and just expect to win, but hopefully we’re good and competitive and competing for the win at the end.”

 

For one thing, Van Gisbergen’s Trackhouse Racing Chevrolets haven’t had the same feel the three-time Australian Supercars champion found in last year’s versions.

 

“I’ve just lacked turn, drive, power—the three main things you need,” SVG said. “It made it difficult at COTA (Circuit of the Americas in the third race of the season). “In qualifying we really struggled. Yeah, it’s frustrating.”

 

One thing Van Gisbergen won’t lack at Watkins Glen is seat time. He’ll be competing for Niece Motorsports in Friday’s NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race and for JR Motorsports in Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series event—with two-time defending race winner Connor Zilisch as his teammate.

 

The May date at the Glen brings weather into the equation. Cooler temperatures are predicted, with a chance of rain at some point during the weekend. Though he’s a master in wet conditions, Van Gisbergen would prefer to race on dry pavement.

 

“I hate racing in the rain,” he said with a laugh. “But I’m good at it. I’ll adapt if it happens, but I hope it’s dry for all three races. It’s just no fun racing in the rain. You can’t be precise. You’ve got to just wing it. Stuff goes wrong.

 

“I’ve just never enjoyed it.”

 

Before SVG arrived in the Cup Series, Kyle Larson won back-to-back races at Watkins Glen in 2021 and 2022, bridging the gap between the Gen 6 and Gen 7 race cars. Larson enters Sunday’s event on a 35-race winless streak.

 

William Byron, Larson’s teammate at Hendrick Motorsports, will make his 300th Cup Series start on Sunday. Byron won at the Glen in 2023.

 

Despite his recent spate of ill fortune, it would be a mistake to overlook Christopher Bell, a three-time Cup road course winner. Bell has finished in the top five in seven of the last eight road course races, including a win at COTA and a runner-up at Watkins Glen, both last year.

 

Interestingly, seven of the last eight Watkins Glen winners have come from the first two rows of the starting grid—and three of the last four from the second starting position. The exception was Chris Buescher, who won from 24th in 2024.

 

Buescher is the only Ford driver to triumph at the Glen since Joey Logano in 2015.

 

Connor Zilisch looks for third straight O’Reilly win at the Glen

 

Doubtless Connor Zilisch would like the same outcome he enjoyed last year at Watkins Glen International.

 

Just as certainly, he wouldn’t want to repeat the circumstances that followed the 2025 race after Saturday’s Mission 200 at the Glen (4 p.m. ET on CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

 

Zilisch is the two-time defending winner of the event. He triumphed at the Glen in his NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut in 2024. Last year he was victorious at the 2.45-mile road course during a 10-win campaign.

 

However, as he climbed from his car in Victory Lane last season and attempted to stand on the window ledge, Zilisch slipped and took a frightening fall. The result was a broken collar bone.

 

Nevertheless, the win at the Glen was the first of four straight victories from the pole for the then 19-year-old prodigy.

 

Now a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver for Trackhouse Racing, Zilisch will try for three straight Watkins Glen wins on Saturday.

 

“I’m excited to go for the three-peat at Watkins Glen with JR Motorsports,” said Zilisch, who will drive the No. 1 Chevrolet. “We’ve had a lot of speed everywhere this year with them, and I’m looking forward to our second road course race with the Jockey 150th Anniversary Chevrolet this weekend.

 

“It’s going to be fun racing against SVG (Shane van Gisbergen) all weekend and being teammates with him on Saturday in the O’Reilly Series race. I can’t wait to get up to Watkins Glen this weekend.”

 

Van Gisbergen will drive the No. 9 Chevrolet for JRM as Zilisch’s teammate and primary rival. With the No. 1 and No. 9 Camaros occupied, Carson Kvapil will move to the No. 91 Chevrolet fielded by DGM Racing/Jesse Iwuji Motorsports.

 

JRM’s streak of putting at least one driver in the top 10 reached 69 races last week at Texas Motor Speedway—second all-time behind RFK Racing (79 races, 2008-2010). The team owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kelley Earnhardt Miller has won the last 10 road course races in the O’Reilly Series, including four straight at WGI.

 

Aside from Zilisch, Sam Mayer of Haas Factory Team is the only other former Watkins Glen winner in the field for Saturday’s race.

 

Trackhouse teammates start triple duty in NASCAR Truck race

 

Shane van Gisbergen will race on a road course for the first time in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.

 

Connor Zilisch is trying for his first win in the series.

 

Ross Chastain is making his 121st Truck Series start, hoping to add to his career total of five victories.

 

All three drivers, Trackhouse Racing teammates in the NASCAR Cup Series, are starting a full weekend of triple duty in Friday’s Bully Hill Vineyards 176 at Watkins Glen International (4:30 p.m. ET on FS1, NRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

 

Van Gisbergen and Chastain are competing for Niece Motorsports in the Truck Series race. Zilisch is driving for Spire Motorsports as a teammate to last Friday’s Truck Series winner at Texas, Carson Hocevar.

 

Reigning series champion Corey Heim, who won last year’s race during a streak of five straight road course victories, is not entered this week. In fact, no former Watkins Glen winners are in the field.

 

Front Row Motorsports’ Layne Riggs, a Truck Series regular, won the NASCAR debut at St. Petersburg on Feb. 28 in the first road course race of the season. Friday’s event also will include road course expert AJ Allmendinger, who will drive Kaulig Racing’s No. 25 Free Agent Ram.

 

“Watkins Glen will always be special to me—it’s where I earned my first NASCAR Cup Series win, and it’s a place I’ve always enjoyed racing,” Allmendinger said. “Kaulig Racing has made solid progress on the truck side, and I’m looking forward to getting in the No. 25 Ram 1500 through the Free Agent Program and contributing to that.

 

“We had a good Darlington run to get a feel for the trucks, even though it’s a completely different challenge from a road course. Hopefully, we can unload with speed, contend up front, and put ourselves in position to fight for a win.”

 

Friday’s race also features three female drivers: Natalie Decker, Toni Breidinger and Dystany Spurlock. Decker owns the highest-ever finish for a female driver in Truck Series history—fifth at Daytona in 2020.

 

Spurlock is the first black woman to make a start in one of NASCAR’s top three national series. She makes her Truck Series debut after finishing 10th in her first ARCA Menards Series national race on April 18 at Kansas Speedway.

 

 

 

Saturday Texas Notebook

 

Notebook Items:

  • Austin Dillon can’t wait for teammate Kyle Busch to win again
  • Chris Buescher hopes to end jinx at his home track
  • Challenging Texas Motor Speedway has few masters
  • Pit crew is a consistent asset for John Hunter Nemechek

 

May 2, 2026

 

By Reid Spencer

NASCAR Wire Service

 

Austin Dillon can’t wait for teammate Kyle Busch to win again

 

FORT WORTH, Texas — During a question-and-answer session with reporters on Friday afternoon, Austin Dillon made a comment about Richard Childress Racing teammate Kyle Busch that raised eyebrows.

 

“I talked to Kyle, and his next win is going to be the biggest of his career, if you think of it the right way,” Dillon said.

 

That’s a bold assertion, given that Busch has amassed 63 NASCAR Cup Series victories during a career that has consumed more than two decades and produced two Cup championships. The list includes victories in such Crown Jewel events as the Brickyard 400 and Coca-Cola 600.

 

However, Busch is currently in the throes of a winless streak that reached 103 races last Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway. That’s what prompted the comment from Dillon, who has a vested interest in the organization founded by his grandfather, Richard Childress.

 

“All the stuff that has been said and brought up over this year, I feel like if he puts his head down and takes that team back to Victory Lane, that's going to be the biggest win of his career,” Dillon said.

 

“So, that's what we're all fighting for. We want to see that. As a competitor, that's what I'd like to see.”

 

Busch won three races in 2023, his first season with RCR and the second year of NASCAR’s Gen 7 race car. His victory at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway on June 4, 2023 was his most recent.

 

After a barren first 10 races of 2026, RCR announced a crew chief change on Busch’s No. 8 Chevrolet, with Andy Street replacing Jim Pohlman in that vital role.

 

“We’ve got to put the train back on the tracks and have a direction of what we need to do in order to be able to go forward,” Busch said after finishing second in Friday night’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway.

 

“I feel like the 3 car (Dillon) has done a good job of that lately. Those guys are clicking on all cylinders and making things look good for them, and we’ve got to be able to do the same so we can carry our weight and help improve the program.”

 

Chris Buescher hopes to end jinx at his home track

 

To say Texan Chris Buescher has been snakebit in his home state is putting it mildly.

 

In 16 starts at Texas Motor Speedway, Buescher has never scored a top 10. He has led just two of the 5,006 laps he has run at the 1.5-mile intermediate speedway. His average finish is 21.9.

 

Nevertheless, Buescher frequently has shown speed at Texas, and he’s looking for a breakthrough in Sunday’s Wurth 400 Presented by LIQUI MOLY (3:30 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

 

“We’ve had more tire failures here than any other race track,” Buescher said. “Early on, we came here and had speed, but we were still understanding the new (Gen 7) car, the sensitivities to having tire blowouts.

 

“We’ve had days here when we’ve been pretty good, and it’s started drizzling—the great fog from five or six years ago, right? Unfortunately, I was the one who found the moisture that ended the race for three days before we got back going…

 

“You go through the years here, and I feel like we’ve had very few days here where we haven’t been competitive, but, man, the stats don’t show that. I hope we fix that this go-round—I think we can.”

 

Challenging Texas Motor Speedway has few masters

 

Perhaps the most telling statistic relative to the difficulty of Texas Motor Speedway is the active streak of top-10 finishes at the 1.5-mile track.

 

Daniel Suarez leads the category with three straight top 10s. Austin Dillon has two. No other NASCAR Cup Series driver has more than one.

 

“That’s not very long,” Suarez said with a laugh. “We’ll take the small victories, right? It’s just very tricky. It doesn’t take a lot for you to crash or get out of the groove. I love it, though. I think it’s a great race track.

 

“I would say that five, eight years ago, more drivers used to hate this track, but right now, the race track is getting to a point where it’s not a brand new race track anymore. It’s tough. There are some bumps. It’s getting some wear. So, it’s a lot of fun.”

 

The consensus among Cup drivers is that passing is difficult at Texas because of the narrow nature of the racing line. Suarez doesn’t see it that way.

 

“I think it’s already to the point where we have two-and-a-half lanes in (Turns) 1 and 2 and maybe two or two-and-a-quarter lanes in 3 and 4,” Suarez said. “I think it’s getting wider every single year, so that’s positive.”

 

Pit crew is a consistent asset for John Hunter Nemechek

 

For the past two seasons, John Hunter Nemechek’s pit crew has been a consistent presence at LEGACY Motor Club.

 

“We have some new guys and also some veteran guys,” Nemechek said on Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway. “I think my front tire changer Scottie (Brzozowski), I think pitted for my dad (Joe Nemechek) back in the early 2000’s. He’s been changing tires for 20 plus years and still (has) some of the best metrics as far as tire changers go.”

 

In fact, Brzozowski was a mainstay at Hendrick Motorsports, where he changed tires for both Jeff Gordon’s No. 24 team and Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88.

 

“It’s pretty cool to be able to have a group of guys like that,” Nemechek said of his crew. “It’s the same group that I’ve had the last two years as well. We took everything in-house, I think it was ’25. I think that was when we started taking everything in-house.”

 

--30--

 

 

 

NASCAR Weekend Preview: Texas Motor Speedway

After breakout win, Carson Hocevar brings confidence to Lone Star State

By Reid Spencer

NASCAR Wire Service

 

After breakout win, Carson Hocevar brings confidence to Lone Star State

 

For Carson Hocevar, success arrived a week early.

 

Before last Sunday, it would have been reasonable to pick Texas Motor Speedway as a possible venue for Hocevar’s first NASCAR Cup Series win, given his performance at the 1.5-mile intermediate speedway.

 

After he stole the show last Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, however, the driver of the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet is seeking his second straight victory in Sunday’s Wurth 400 Presented by LIQUI MOLY (3:30 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

 

Far-fetched? Perhaps. But Hocevar has a history at the Fort Worth Track that might suggest otherwise.

 

In 2023, he claimed the first NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series victory of his career at Texas on the way to a four-win season.

 

Last year in Cowtown, he won the only pole position of his Cup Series career with a lap at 191.659 mph.

 

“I feel good about it,” Hocevar said of Sunday’s race. “Obviously, we were on the pole last year and had speed, and I won my first-ever Truck race there.

 

“We have a lot of momentum and excitement behind us right now, while we go into a track that it is realistic to be up front and contend all day. We have been looking forward to and circling Texas for a couple weeks, so what happened last weekend is really an added bonus.”

 

Hocevar’s victory at Talladega was the second of the season for Chevrolet. Ford drivers have only one win so far this season—Ryan Blaney’s triumph at Phoenix Raceway.

 

The defending winner of Sunday’s race at Texas is Joey Logano, whose victory in Fort Worth last season is the last time a Ford driver not named Ryan Blaney won a Cup Series event.

 

Logano’s victory had a special emotional component that made it unforgettable to the three-time series champion.

 

“I remember, probably as much as anything, the day after, just because a little friend of mine—Liam—passed away the next day,” Logano said. “I remember his mom saying one of his last moments of enjoyment was sitting in the hospital watching us win.

 

“I thought that was probably one of the most incredible moments of my life, hearing that and just realizing what that win really meant and how it happened. I remember us not being the fastest car, and I remember just kind of finding ourselves in position to win late in the race, and we were able to take advantage of that.

 

“It made me feel like things were bigger than just the race. That race will always be one of the most remembered wins I’ve ever had because of that.”

 

To defend his victory at the track, Logano will have to overcome several obstacles in terms of statistics and performance. In the last nine Cup races at TMS, there hasn’t been a repeat winner.

 

Logano’s average finish at Texas (13.3) narrowly misses the top 10 all-time. At the last Cup event on a 1.5-mile track (April 19 at Kansas Speedway), Logano had a miserable time with the handling of his No. 22 Team Penske Ford and finished 30th.

 

Series leader Tyler Reddick, a five-time winner this season, has the best average finish at Texas among active drivers (11.0) and third-best all-time. Reddick also was the winner at Kansas two weekends ago.

 

Reddick scored his first Cup Series victory on an oval track at Texas in 2022.

 

Texas Motor Speedway features two fundamentally different sets of corners, the product of repaving and reconfiguration in 2017. Turns 1 and 2 are relatively flat, with Turns 3 and 4 higher-banked and faster.

 

Perhaps the new layout has contributed to unpredictable results at the track. Daniel Suarez boasts the longest active streak of top-10 finishes at Texas with three. Austin Dillon, a 2020 winner in Fort Worth, is second with two.

 

The tire combination Goodyear is providing this weekend has never been used at Texas before, but it’s a known quantity to Cup drivers and crew chiefs, having been run at Las Vegas, Darlington and Kansas this year.

 

Justin Allgaier hopes to turn close calls into a victory at Texas

 

Justin Allgaier’s statistics at Texas Motor Speedway render it nothing short of remarkable that the driver of the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet has never won at the 1.5-mile intermediate speedway in Fort Worth.

 

Allgaier has qualified in the top 10 in 12 of the last 13 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series events at the track, with a pole in 2023. He has finished in the top-five in five of the last seven races, with a best of second in 2021.

 

In the last three races combined, Allgaier has led 349 laps. He has won five of the last six stages at the track and a record seven overall.

 

Yet Allgaier is seeking his first victory at TMS in Saturday’s Andy’s Frozen Custard 340 (3:30 p.m. ET on CW, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

 

The irony is that Allgaier, the career leader in Dash 4 Cash wins with eight, isn’t eligible for the $100,000 bonus in the final race in this year’s Dash 4 Cash program. A victory, however, would suffice on its own merits.

 

“Texas has been a really good track for us over the last few years,” Allgaier acknowledged. “I know that (crew chief) Andrew (Overstreet) and all the guys on this Roto-Rooter Chevrolet are working really hard to give us another car capable of running up front again this weekend.

 

“We’ve come close here before, and hopefully we can be in a position at the end of the day to get that one spot better and come away with a Cowboy hat.”

 

Standing in Allgaier’s way is defending race winner Kyle Larson, who is making his fourth start of the season in the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. Larson has a victory, a second and a fourth in his first three 2026 starts in the car.

 

Sheldon Creed is seeking his third straight Dash 4 Cash bonus, having won at Kansas Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway with respective finishes of second and third. To collect the $100,000 prize, Creed must finish higher than three other eligible drivers—Corey Day, Sammy Smith and Brent Crews.

 

Fresh from his first career O’Reilly Series victory at Talladega, Day is eligible for the Dash 4 Cash bonus for the first time. Interestingly, in last Saturday's race, Day became only the sixth driver in series history to notch his first career victory while leading only the final lap.

 

Kyle Busch hopes to add to impressive win total at Texas

 

Kyle Busch returns to action in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway, and that may spell bad news for series regulars hoping to win Friday night’s SpeedyCash.com 250 (8 p.m. ET on FS1, NRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

 

The CRAFTSMAN Truck Series hasn’t raced on a 1.5-mile intermediate track since last May at Charlotte Motor Speedway, a gap of more than 11 months. In Texas, the series returns to a venue that presents unique challenges, where the backstretch flows from relatively flat Turns 1 and 2 into high-banked, high-speed Turns 3 and 4.

 

The 52nd CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at Texas (most of any track) is unlikely to present a problem for Busch, who has won six of the previous 51 races there. In fact, Busch is nearly as prolific at Texas as he is at Bristol Motor Speedway.

 

Across all three of NASCAR’s national series, Busch has won 20 times in Fort Worth (four Cup, 10 O’Reilly and six Truck) versus 22 total victories at Thunder Valley.

 

“Texas is a track where I’ve had a lot of success in the Truck Series, including a win with Spire a couple of years ago,” said Busch, who will drive Spire’s No. 7 Chevrolet on Friday night.

 

“We had a lot of speed in our HendrickCars.com Silverado at Atlanta, and I know (Carson) Hocevar was really fast at Texas last year, so hopefully we can capitalize on the speed that Spire is bringing to the mile-and-a-half tracks and add another trophy to the trophy case.”

 

Hocevar will compete in the No. 77 Spire Chevrolet Silverado. He, Busch and Ross Chastain (No. 45 Niece Motorsports Chevy) are the only three full-time NASCAR Cup Series drivers entered in Friday night’s race.

 

However, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series regulars Brandon Jones and William Sawalich will be driving Toyotas for TRICON Garage.

 

Last year’s winner, Corey Heim, is not entered. Busch is the most recent Texas winner in the field (2024).

 

--30--

 

 

   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.

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