Did you blink? Following action at Texas Motor Speedway, the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series is halfway through its regular season. Among the nine different winners through the opening 12 races, there have been plenty of high-pressure moments that will only crank up several notches more over the following 12 contests and ahead of The Chase.
So, who has stood out the most through the opening dozen contests? Let’s investigate, with NASCAR.com’s John Crane ranking the top 10 O’Reilly drivers at the official halfway mark of the regular season.
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Analysis: Do you want to know the kind of year Allgaier is having? His P23 finish at Talladega Superspeedway in April is only the second time the 2024 O’Reilly champion has finished outside the top eight; the other time came at EchoPark Speedway in February (33rd). Allgaier’s 2.9 average finish over the other 10 races is the stuff of a potential title winner, and it’s no wonder he remains comfortably No. 1 in the driver standings and this ranking installment.
Analysis: It’s been nothing but up, up, up for Creed and the No. 00 Haas Factory Team camp. After winning at EchoPark for his first career O’Reilly victory, the 28-year-old California native has continued to excel. Creed has finished seventh or better in nine of 10 races since, with his one finish outside the top 10 being a P11 at Circuit of The Americas. Tally it all together, and Creed’s 6.4 average finish leads all full-time drivers. Expect Creed to firmly remain in the championship hunt.
Analysis: A 37th-place result at Texas Motor Speedway might’ve been a hiccup, but Day’s entrance into the full-time O’Reilly fold has been a roar otherwise, with the 20-year-old triumphing at Talladega Superspeedway a weekend prior for the 20-year-old’s first O’Reilly dub. A 7.9 average start, 10.8 average finish and 191 laps led are solid benchmarks to build upon over the latter half of the regular season. And build upon, he certainly will need to do so should he wish to maintain this position over others on this list.
Analysis: Champions do two things. One: They maintain consistency. Love has finished 12th or better in 11 of 12 contests, and his 9.0 average finish is third-best among full-timers. Two: They quickly flush poor finishes and deliver smoother results. Since finishing 27th at Rockingham Speedway in April, the 21-year-old Love has compiled three finishes of ninth or better. The steadiness has been there, and if points continue to compound (with perhaps a win sprinkled in here and there), the 2025 O’Reilly champion will have a legitimate shot at rocketing to the top of this ranking … and going back-to-back in the championship-winning department.
Analysis: Jones has started to establish a sturdy footing of late, with the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing pilot stacking three consecutive eighth-place finishes in the three most recent races. For those keeping score, five of Jones’ six top-10 results this season have come in five of the last seven races, and during that seven-race stretch, Jones has averaged 39 points per weekend. Momentum is brewing, which should bode well over the latter half of the regular season.
Analysis: It was an excellent start to 2026 for Hill, tallying top-10 finishes (and a race win) in the opening five contests. The following seven races haven’t been as illustrious, with only two top 10s. Two duds at Darlington Raceway and Kansas Speedway — resulting in netting five points combined — leave a bitter taste, too. There is still plenty of talent, of course, and two finishes of 13th or better in the two most recent races means the arrow could be pointing upward again for Hill and the No. 21 team no time.
Analysis: Though he hasn’t led many laps (17, tied for 14th among full-timers) and doesn’t possess as many stage points relative to others (51, tied for 10th), there Smith is, standing sixth in the driver standings, respectable positioning at this juncture. Such poise and staying out of trouble — Smith’s lone DNF came at EchoPark in February — has the 21-year-old in a relatively comfortable position. Is there another level yet to be seen, though?
Analysis: The qualifying speed has been there from the jump for the 22-year-old Kvapil. The finishing touches can’t say the same; he has three DNFs to his ledger, with the most recent coming in a rollover wreck at Kansas. This season has been one of adversity for the young driver, especially with pressure to manage, and Kvapil has done an admirable job to this point. That said, there is some sense of urgency in finding Victory Lane this season. Will that checkered flag be found?
Analysis: A thrilling Kansas victory — to go along with 64 points amassed from the win — emphasizes the upside the 21-year-old can show on the track. Six separate instances this season of leading multiple laps further demonstrate this potential, and while four finishes outside the top 25 need improvement, there’s no denying there is more than enough to work with here.
Analysis: Retzlaff is a foil of sorts to Gray and William Sawalich, who just missed out in this ranking. On one hand, Retzlaff currently ranks ahead of both in the driver standings, and his 13.2 average finish additionally outpaces the pair (Gray with 17.4, Sawalich with 17.5). The flip side: Retzlaff’s 15.5 average start is below both (Gray with 10.1, Sawalich with 10.8), and the No. 99 driver has yet to lead a lap this season. Slightly more consistency of late than Sawalich means the 22-year-old Wisconsin native holds serve at 10th.