NASCAR Regional power rankings: Modified Tour champ Patrick Emerling ends the season on top

The NASCAR Regional platform features the ARCA Menards Series, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and the NASCAR Local Racing Series Powered by O'Reilly Auto Parts, and the drivers who compete in those series are, in many cases, the future of NASCAR's national series. As selected by the NASCAR Regional editorial team, here are the top 10 NASCAR Regional drivers from ARCA, Mods and the Local Racing Series as of Nov. 4, 2026.

10. Mason Massey

In his first ARCA Menards Series West season with Bill McAnally Racing, Mason Massey secured two wins and finished a strong second in the championship standings to champion Trevor Huddleston. 

9. Caden Kvapil

The younger brother of NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series driver Carson Kvapil, Caden Kvapil turned heads in a big way in 2026 by winning the Virginia Triple Crown thanks to victories in the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 and the Hampton Heat.

8. Connor Hall

Two-time NASCAR Local Racing Series Division I national champion Connor Hall made a late charge at another championship this season, falling just two points short despite scoring 12 victories between Virginia's Langley Speedway and North Carolina's Hickory Motor Speedway.

7. Thomas Annunziata

A strong season for Thomas Annunizata came to a thrilling conclusion during the ARCA Menards Series finale at Kansas Speedway, where he clawed back from a 16-point defict to win the series championship via a tiebreaker over Nitro Motorsports teammate Jake Bollman.

6. Max Reaves

Max Reaves delivered one final victory for Joe Gibbs Racing's ARCA program with a win in the ARCA Menards Series West race at Phoenix Raceway. Reaves also finished a narrow second in the ARCA Menards Series East standings this year, and he scored victories in all three ARCA divisions.

5. Trevor Huddleston

The West Coast once again belongs to Trevor Huddleston. The California driver scored two ARCA Menards Series West wins and led more than 700 laps on his way to his second consecutive West Series championship in 2026.

4. Tristan McKee

In his first full season of ARCA Menards Series East competition, Tristan McKee triumphed four times and captured the East Series championship. His season also included a big win at Berlin Raceway, where he won the 2026 Battle at Berlin super late model race.

3. Carson Brown

Carson Brown ended the 2026 season on a tear with three ARCA Menards Series victories in the final four races of the season. His final win of the year came at Kansas Speedway, where he passed Gio Ruggiero in the final two laps to secure an impressive win as he prepares to move up to the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series with Richard Childress Racing in 2027.

2. Joey Tanner

A dirt racer from Oregon is the NASCAR Local Racing Series Division I national champion. Joey Tanner won 12 times in 15 races at Oregon's Willamette Speedway and never finished worse than second. He is the first dirt racer to win the national title since Gary Webb in 2000.

1. Patrick Emerling

Nobody was better on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour this season than Patrick Emerling. The driver of the USNEPower Motorsports No. 1 scored five victories and led most statistical categories on his way to the championship in NASCAR's oldest division.