O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Power Rankings: 2026 brings new opportunity

Posted on February 8, 2026February 8, 2026 by John Crane

Greetings, 2026, and hello, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. After a thrilling 2025 season resulted in Jesse Love claiming the championship hardware, next on deck is a fresh campaign bound to deliver with just as much — if not more — suspense and excitement.

With much to look forward to — from fresh tracks to a revamped postseason format — how does the O’Reilly field stack up heading into the 2026 season? Let’s give it a look, with NASCAR.com’s John Crane ranking the top 10 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series drivers leading into the season opener on Feb. 14 at Daytona International Speedway (5 p.m. ET, The CW, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Sean Gardner | Getty Images

1. Jesse Love, No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Analysis: The 2025 champion has to be ranked No. 1, right? Love not only prevailed over his Championship 4 competitors — Connor Zilisch, Justin Allgaier and Carson Kvapil — but did so in clutch fashion. An inside maneuver to overtake race leader Zilisch on Lap 176 stands out, with the move eventually resulting in the win at Phoenix Raceway to claim the title. With his best friend in Zilisch moving to the full-time Cup Series fold, Love enters 2026 as the driver to beat, even with a change to the postseason format. And better yet: Love has the chance to go back-to-back in the circuit for the first time since Tyler Reddick in 2018-19.

Chris Graythen | Getty Images

2. Justin Allgaier, No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet

Analysis: Though Zilisch is departing for Cup, JR Motorsports still has a stalwart on its hands in the veteran Allgaier, who, despite failing to clinch title No. 2, still had a statistically sound 2025. Allgaier tallied multiple wins for a sixth consecutive season and additionally led a series-best 1,056 laps. Allgaier’s career has been consistent through and through, and while the Illinois native enters his age-40 season — with a new crew chief in Andrew Overstreet, too — his stellar results should continue. Will it be enough to capture that second championship crown?

James Gilbert | Getty Images

3. Austin Hill, No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Analysis: What if? This could very well be the phrase that defined Hill’s 2025 campaign. Three wins through the opening 11 races netted the No. 21 team valuable playoff points, only for them to get erased after a suspension for on-track actions at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. A waiver was granted, and Hill still advanced to the postseason. While Hill finished sixth in the final table — respectable enough — it’s a step back from a fourth-place finish in 2024. A rebound is likely in order for Hill and the No. 21 stable.

Chris Graythen | Getty Images

4. Sam Mayer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet

Analysis: Mayer’s 2025 was perplexing. He only found Victory Lane once (at Iowa Speedway), but his 13 top fives matched a career best (2023). And what if I told you that, among all 2025 full-time O’Reilly drivers, Mayer ranked third in average finish at 11.5, behind Zilisch’s 8.0 and Love’s 11.1? These signs seemingly would’ve pointed toward a deep playoff run, but it didn’t transpire, with Mayer finishing 10th in the driver standings, a career low compared to his other full-time campaigns. Mayer was additionally suspended for the season finale after the No. 41 driver spun Jeb Burton at Martinsville. Perhaps Haas Factory Team’s manufacturer switch from Ford to Chevrolet beginning in 2026 could be the necessary step for Mayer to find a better footing.

Chris Graythen | Getty Images

5. Brandon Jones, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Analysis: A return to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2025 after a two-year stint with JR Motorsports proved to be fruitful for the 28-year-old pilot. Not only did the Atlanta native tally multiple O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victories for the first time since 2020, but a fifth-place finish in the final driver standings was a career best. So, what’s key for Jones as he enters his 11th full-time season in the circuit? Keep consistency (just one DNF in 2025), build on postseason momentum and take aim at an even better points finish in 2026.

Sean Gardner | Getty Images

6. Carson Kvapil, JR Motorsports

Analysis: A unique case compared to others on this list, JR Motorsports’ Kvapil is confirmed for full-time O’Reilly racing in 2026, though the complete makeup of his schedule has yet to be announced. Whatever the case, this is excellent news for the 22-year-old, who took the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series world by storm in 2025 with a surprise Championship 4 appearance. He will have the opportunity to continue expanding his short-track expertise and hone his craft at other venues.

Chris Graythen | Getty Images

7. Sammy Smith, No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet

Analysis: A gradual build has been Smith’s theme through three full-time O’Reilly campaigns, capturing one win each year. He’s increased his top-five and top-10 finishes year over year, culminating in 2025 with career-bests in both categories — eight and 18 — respectively. An average finish of 14.0 was also a career high, but an eighth-place result in the standings was not, just missing his sixth-place mark in 2023. His 2026 season will be about combining race-leading dominance from 2023 (when he led 334 laps) with improving results from 2025.

Chris Graythen | Getty Images

8. Taylor Gray, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Analysis: Gray’s first full-time O’Reilly stint had a few learning curves, as to be expected. Even still, the New Mexico native took the 2025 grind in stride and was rewarded with a postseason berth and his first NASCAR victory (Martinsville fall). There is a ton of potential in the 20-year-old pilot, and with more experience comes the possibility of even greater upside. Keep an eye on this driver ahead of what could be a breakout 2026 season.

Jonathan Bachman | Getty Images

9. Sheldon Creed, No. 00 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet

Analysis: The question is simple: When? After 16 top-five finishes in 2024 — including six runner-ups — Creed entered 2025 with optimism that the Victory Lane hump would finally be crossed. Instead, the 28-year-old went the other direction, with just eight top fives and a 16.1 average finish, both well below his 2024 marks. With 136 O’Reilly starts to his name, you have to wonder when that elusive first victory will transpire. Haas Factory Team’s shift from Ford to Chevrolet next season does bring a little familiarity to Creed, who began his career in the series with the manufacturer.

Chris Graythen | Getty Images

10. Harrison Burton, No. 24 Sam Hunt Racing Toyota

Analysis: Burton’s first full-time O’Reilly season since 2021 was an inspiring one, taking the No. 25 AM Racing Ford to the playoffs for the first time in the organization’s history. For 2026, Burton will have a new look, transitioning to Sam Hunt Racing to pilot the No. 24 Toyota. Similarly to Creed, this could spark Burton. After all, the North Carolina native’s best O’Reilly season came in a Toyota, tallying four wins in 2020 with Joe Gibbs Racing.

Posted on February 8, 2026February 14, 2026 by Staff Report

The NASCAR Cup Series commences its 2026 season with the 68th running of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 15 (1:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, HBO Max). The prestige of the Daytona 500 is unmatched, as well as the bragging rights that come with hoisting the Harley J. Earl Trophy in Victory Lane.

That said, the Daytona 500 features a much different qualifying procedure compared to other points-paying events on the calendar. Here’s how it works.

How the field is set

The drivers of all 36 Chartered entries are guaranteed spots into the Daytona 500.

Four additional spots are filled by non-Charter teams, often referred to as Open entries. Because Jimmie Johnson is utilizing the Open Exemption Provisional in the No. 84 Toyota, four Open entries and the No. 84 will be assigned starting positions.

Of the four spots for Open teams, the two fastest Open cars in single-car qualifying will lock into the field. The other two spots come from the top Open finisher in each Duel qualifying race.

Unofficially, the Open teams battling for four spots in this year’s field are: Anthony Alfredo, Justin Allgaier, Corey Heim, Corey LaJoie, B.J. McLeod, Casey Mears, Chandler Smith and JJ Yeley. The official entry list will be out later this week.

Single-car qualifying

Single-car qualifying is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 8:15 p.m. ET (FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), which follows a 50-minute practice session earlier in the day (10 a.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Each driver will run one timed lap around the 2.5-mile Florida superspeedway. The top 10 fastest drivers will then advance to Round 2 to fight for pole position with an additional timed lap each. The two fastest drivers in the final round lock themselves on the front row for Sunday’s Daytona 500 (1:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, HBO Max).

Single-car qualifying also sets the lineup for each of the two Duel qualifying races. Drivers who place first, third, fifth, etc. in time trials will race in Duel 1, while drivers who place second, fourth, sixth, etc. in qualifying will race in Duel 2.

MORE: Active drivers with a Daytona 500 win | Daytona 500 pole winners

How the Duels set the Daytona 500 lineup

The Duels are two 60-lap, 150-mile qualifying races that set positions third to 40th in the Daytona 500. The finishing order from Duel No. 1 will make up the inside rows for the Daytona 500. Then, the results from Duel No. 2 will complete the outside rows for the “Great American Race.”

Additionally, the top remaining Open car in each Duel not already locked in from time trials advances to the Daytona 500 and will start based on finishing position in their respective Duels. New for 2026: The two Open cars who qualified on speed will also use Duel results for their starting position in the Daytona 500.

The America 250 Florida Duel 1 is slated for Thursday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. ET (FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) with The America Florida 250 Duel 2 scheduled to follow at around 8:45 p.m. ET.

Are points awarded in the Duels?

The top 10 finishers in each Duel will be awarded points that count toward the regular season. The winning driver of each Duel race will receive 10 points. Second place will earn nine points, and so on, down to the 10th-place finishers, who will each get one point.

What does the rest of the week look like before the Daytona 500?

Before the big race on Sunday, teams will have two more opportunities to tune up their cars and practice in the draft after the Duel races. Teams will have 50 minutes on track Friday, Feb. 13 (5:35 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) and 50 minutes on Saturday, Feb. 14 (3 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on February 7, 2026February 7, 2026 by Staff Report

New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau 200

New Smyrna Speedway

Race results

Pos	No.	Name	Sponsor	Laps	Diff
1	51	Justin Bonsignore	Phoenix Communication	203	—
2	3	Tyler Rypkema	Northeast Drilling/SYP	203	0.56
3	64	Austin Beers	G&G Electrical Supply/Dell Electric/Lumiere Electrical/Fastrack Electric/AP Marquadt & Sons/Andrew Ja	203	1.736
4	1	Patrick Emerling	USNE Motorsports	203	2.314
5	46	Craig Lutz	Riverhead Building Supply	203	2.971
6	79	Jonathan McKennedy	Stuart’s	203	3.734
7	40	Ryan Preece	Racechoice	203	4.228
8	4	Ryan Newman	Aggressive Hydraulics/RounTree/USNE/Southwest Mobile Mechanic/Acme Aero/Lucas Oil	203	4.484
9	56	Trevor Catalano	USNE Power	203	4.43
10	58	Eric Goodale	GAF Roofing	203	5.177
11	05	Teddy Hodgdon IV*	Business Time Motorsports/The Landau Team of Re/Max/Montanari Fuel	203	6.234
12	60	Matt Hirschman	Bar Harbor Bank & Trust/Pee Dee Motorsports	203	6.544
13	21	Stephen Kopcik	Wanick Construction/Newton Pools	203	6.836
14	71	Jimmy Zacharias	Kevo Motorsports/Stafursky Paving/BA Motorsports	203	7.259
15	02	Joey Coulter IV	SRI Performance/Bilstein Shocks/Swift Springs/Brembo/Simpson/Stilo/Molecule	203	7.661
16	20	Max Zachem	Lu-Mac’s Package Store/Mama MZ Crafts	203	8.939
17	54	Tommy Catalano	FX Caprara/USNE Power	203	10.24
18	8	John-Michael Shenette	USNE Power/Eighty-Two Services Gerneral Contractor	203	9.863
19	31	Michael Christopher Jr	Elite Towing/Baker Racing	203	12.348
20	73	Carson Loftin	Jersey Shore Contracting/Professional Associates/First Horizon Realty/LBI Pest Control/Lavalette Har	203	14.514
21	81	Mark Stewart	Keith Grimes Excavating/Cromers Market/ Eastern Fuel/ Eastside Building	203	15.61
22	18	Ken Heagy	Merkel Racing Engines	203	21.434
23	7	Luke Baldwin	Baldwin Automotive	202	1 Lap
24	55	Jeremy Gerstner	Garage Doors of the Triad/Cherokee Underground/JTS Services & Racecar Engineering	193	10 Laps
25	2	Jimmy Blewett	Gershow Recycling/ John Blewett Scrap	178	25 Laps
26	66	Timmy Solomito	USNE Power/Kennedy Realty/FX Caprara	176	27 Laps
27	22	Kyle Bonsignore	ChawLew Performance/MTT/Munns Automotive	155	48 Laps
28	24	Andrew Krause	Supreme Mfg Co.	150	53 Laps
29	99	Sam Rameau	FNO Racecars	143	60 Laps
30	29	Mike Marshall	MLM Diagnostics/Jusczak Electric	143	60 Laps
31	38	Bobby Labonte	Cook Out	95	108 Laps
32	16	Ron Silk	Blue Mountain Machine/Future Homes	33	170 Laps

Posted on February 7, 2026February 7, 2026 by Staff Report

New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau 200

New Smyrna Speedway

Starting lineup

POS	CAR	DRIVER	TEAM	TIME	SPEED
1	51	Justin Bonsignore, Holtsville, N.Y.	Phoenix Communications Inc.	17.73	101.523
2	79	Jon McKennedy, Chelmsford, Mass.	Stuart’s Automotive	17.763	101.334
3	7	Luke Baldwin, Mooresville, N.C.	Baldwin Automotive	17.77	101.294
4	64	Austin Beers, Northampton, Pa.	G&G Electrical Supply/Dell Electric	17.876	100.694
5	2	Jimmy Blewett, Howell, N.J	Gershow Recycling/Blewett Scrap	17.883	100.654
6	40	Ryan Preece, Berlin, Conn	Racechoice	17.895	100.587
7	31	Mike Christoper Jr, Wolcott, Conn.	Elite Towing/Baker Racing	17.951	100.273
8	4	Ryan Newman, South Bend, Ind.	Aggressive Hydraulics/RounTree/USNE/Southwest Mobi	17.963	100.206
9	58	Eric Goodale, Riverhead, N.Y.	GAF Roofing	17.971	100.161
10	20	Max Zachem, Preston, Conn.	Lu-Mac’s Package Store/Mama MZ Crafts	17.98	100.111
11	21	Stephen Kopcik, Newtown, Conn.	Wanick Construction/Newtown Pools	17.989	100.061
12	60	Matt Hirschman, Northampton, Pa.	Pee Dee Motorsports	17.993	100.039
13	46	Craig Lutz, Miller Place, N.Y.	Riverhead Building Supply	17.997	100.017
14	3	Tyler Rypkema, Owego, N.Y.	Northeast Drilling/SYP	18.023	99.872
15	38	Bobby Labonte, Corpus Christi, Tex.	Cook-Out	18.037	99.795
16	16	Ron Silk, Norwalk, Conn.	Blue Mountain Machine and Future Homes	18.058	99.679
17	1	Patrick Emerling, Orchard Park, N.Y.	USNE Motorsports	18.067	99.629
18	05	Teddy Hodgdon IV, Danbury, Conn. *	Business Time Motorsports/Landau Team of Re-Max/Mo	18.073	99.596
19	81	Mark Stewart, Riverhead N.Y.	Cromers Market/Keith Grimes Excavating/Hydroaction	18.124	99.316
20	73	Carson Loftin, Lexington, N.C.	Jersey Shore Contract/Professional Therapy Associa	18.138	99.239
21	71	Jimmy Zacharias, Candor, N.Y.	Kevo Motorsports/Stafursky Paving/BA Motorsports	18.16	99.119
22	02	Joey Coulter, IV, Miami Springs, Fla.	SRI Performance/Bilstein Shocks/PFC Brakes	18.182	98.999
23	54	Tommy Catalano, Ontario, N.Y.	FX Caprara/USNE Power	18.213	98.831
24	55	Jeremy Gerstner, Tampa, Fla.	Garage Doors of the Triad/Cherokee Underground	18.226	98.76
25	22	Kyle Bonsignore, Bay Shore, N.Y.	Chalew Performance/MTT/Munns Auto	18.285	98.441
26	56	Trevor Catalano, Ontario, N.Y.	USNE/ Catalano Motorsports	18.304	98.339
27	99	Sam Rameau, Westminster, Mass	FNO Racecras	18.31	98.307
28	66	Timmy Solomito, Islip, N.Y.	USNE Power/Kennedy Realty	18.31	98.307
29	18	Ken Heagy, Calverton, N.Y.	Merkel Racing Engines	18.553	Provisional
30	8	John-Michael Shenette, Thompson, Conn.	USNE Power/Eighty-Two Services	18.401	Provisional
31	29	Mike Marshall, Hudson, N.H.	MLM Diagnostics/Jusczak Electric	18.504	Provisional
32	24	Andrew Krause, Holmdel, N.J.	Supreme Manufacturing	18.419	Provisional

Posted on February 7, 2026February 7, 2026 by Staff Report

New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau 200

New Smyrna Speedway

Qualifying results

Pos	No.	Name	Sponsor	Best Tm	Best Speed	In Lap	Laps	Diff
1	51	Justin Bonsignore	Phoenix Communication	17.73	101.523	2	2
2	79	Jon McKennedy	Stuart’s	17.763	101.334	2	2	0.033
3	7	Luke Baldwin	Baldwin Automotive	17.77	101.294	2	2	0.04
4	64	Austin Beers	G&G Electrical Supply/Dell Electric/Lumiere Electrical/Fastrack Electic/AP Marquadt & Sons/Andrew Ja	17.876	100.694	2	2	0.146
5	2	Jimmy Blewett	Gershow Recycling/ John Blewett Scrap	17.883	100.654	2	2	0.153
6	40	Ryan Preece	Racechoice	17.895	100.587	2	2	0.165
7	31	Mike Christopher Jr.	Elite Towing/Baker Racing	17.951	100.273	2	2	0.221
8	4	Ryan Newman	Aggressive Hydraulics/Roun Tree/USNE/Southwest Mobile Mechanic/Acme Aero/Lucas Oil	17.963	100.206	2	2	0.233
9	58	Eric Goodale	GAF Roofing	17.971	100.161	2	2	0.241
10	20	Max Zachem	Lu-Mac’s Package Store/Mama MZ Crafts	17.98	100.111	2	2	0.25
11	21	Stephen Kopcik	Wanick Construction/Newton Pools	17.989	100.061	2	2	0.259
12	60	Matt Hirschman	Bar Harbor Bank & Trust/Pee Dee Motorsports	17.993	100.039	2	2	0.263
13	46	Craig Lutz	Riverhead Building Supply	17.997	100.017	2	2	0.267
14	3	Tyler Rypkema	Northeast Drilling/SYP	18.023	99.872	2	2	0.293
15	38	Bobby Labonte	Cook Out	18.037	99.795	2	2	0.307
16	16	Ron Silk	Blue Moutian Machine/ Futire Homes	18.058	99.679	2	2	0.328
17	1	Patrick Emerling	USNE Motorsports	18.067	99.629	2	2	0.337
18	05	Teddy Hodgdon IV*	Business Time Motorsports/The Landau Team of Re/Max/Montanari Fuel	18.073	99.596	2	2	0.343
19	81	Mark Stewart	Keith Grimes Excavating/Cromers Market/ Eastern Fuel/ Eastside Building	18.124	99.316	2	2	0.394
20	73	Carson Loftin	Jersey Shore Contracting/Professional Associates/First Horizon Realty/LBI Pest Control/Lavalette Har	18.138	99.239	2	2	0.408
21	71	Jimmy Zacharias	Kevo Motorsports/Stafursky Paving/BA Motorsports	18.16	99.119	2	2	0.43
22	02	Joey Coulter IV	SRI Performance/Bilstein Shocks/Swift Springs/Brembo/Simpson/Stilo/Molecule	18.182	98.999	2	2	0.452
23	54	Tommy Catalano	FX Caprara/USNE Power	18.213	98.831	2	2	0.483
24	55	Jeremy Gerstner	Garage Doors of the Triad/Cherokee Underground/JTS Services & Racecar Engineering	18.226	98.76	2	2	0.496
25	22	Kyle Bonsignore	ChawLew Performance/MTT/Munns Automotive	18.285	98.441	2	2	0.555
26	56	Trevor Catalano	USNE Power	18.304	98.339	2	2	0.574
27	99	Sam Rameau	FNO Racecars	18.31	98.307	2	2	0.58
28	66	Timmy Solomito	USNE Power/Kennedy Realty/FX Caprara	18.31	98.307	2	2	0.58
29	39	Conner Jones	PSR Products	18.314	98.285	2	2	0.584
30	11	Norman Newman*	Family Funland/D3 Offroad	18.343	98.13	2	2	0.613
31	8	John-Michael Shenette	USNE Power/Eighty-Two Services Gerneral Contractor	18.401	97.821	2	2	0.671
32	24	Andrew Krause	Supreme Mfg Co.	18.419	97.725	2	2	0.689
33	48	Luke Fleming	William E. Smith Trucking/Autos by Nelson/Simmons Power Sports	18.442	97.603	2	2	0.712
34	29	Mike Marshall	MLM Diagnostics/Jusczak Electric	18.504	97.276	2	2	0.774
35	95	Cory Plummer*	Tuckers Metal Fab & Welding/Apex Race Cars/Apex Racing/Croteau Machine & More	18.526	97.161	2	2	0.796
36	18	Ken Heagy	Merkel Racing Engines	18.553	97.019	2	2	0.823
37	36	Dave Sapienza	Sapienza Enterprises/Eastport Feeds	18.674	96.391	1	1	0.944

Posted on February 7, 2026February 7, 2026 by Adam Fenwick

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — Jimmy Blewett has many reasons to be thankful.

He’s thankful for his family, he’s thankful to be back in a race car this week at New Smyrna Speedway during the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing and, perhaps most important, he’s thankful to still be alive.

A serious health scare last year caused by diverticulitis, a dangerous inflammation or infection in the digestive tract, resulted in multiple surgical procedures and a near-death experience that left the seven-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race winner counting his blessings.

“It’s been tough,” Blewett said. “It was a huge test for me in life, but I had a great group of people supporting me throughout the way. It made that easier for me. Having my wife and family by my side throughout everything and all the guys in the racing community, the countless times that I received messages and phone calls. It was daily, just people checking to make sure I was OK.

“It’s been an adjustment. I’m back to normal now, and I feel normal now, but you also have that thought in the back of your mind that at any given moment life can change.”

(Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)

Blewett explained he hadn’t felt quite right for more than a year, but each time he went to a doctor, he was given a clean bill of health. That changed in October of 2024, when during a trip to North Wilkesboro Speedway he began to feel pain in his lower left side. The pain was swiftly followed by a fever.

That’s when he knew something wasn’t right.

“I had a small infection in my lower intestines and didn’t realize it,” Blewett said. “It would start to heal itself and get bad, then start to heal itself and get bad. I never knew I had it, because you can’t see it unless you get tested for it.

“I was on my way to North Wilkesboro, and the team was there getting ready to race. On my way down, I started to feel some pain in my left side, and then that was followed by a fever. I knew when I had the fever and the pain something was wrong, because I’d never had a pain like that before.”

Blewett canceled his plans and went back home to New Jersey to see his doctor. He was diagnosed with diverticulitis.

As it turns out, the condition runs in Blewett’s family. His older brother, the late John Blewett III, suffered from the same ailment prior to his passing in a crash in 2007.

Blewett was told a surgical remedy was his best course of action. However, what should have been a smooth and simple procedure did not go as planned.

“I spent a couple weeks in the hospital and got healed up, but ultimately they had to remove the piece that was bad,” Blewett explained. “That piece was removed, and the doctor came out and said, ‘Surgery went well.’ We were excited.

“Not long after that, I started feeling off again. Where they reconnected everything, I wasn’t getting the blood flow I needed, because they had to cauterize some blood vessels when they removed the piece (of his intestine). I developed a leak because it wouldn’t seal, so I went sceptic and pretty much almost died.”

Jimmy Blewett during practice for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour opener on Saturday at New Smyrna Speedway. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)

Blewett ended up back under the knife, and his recovery timetable went from a few weeks to nearly a year. Multiple surgical procedures followed, but now, other than a large scar running from the middle of his chest to his waist, Blewett is completely healed.

He credits Modified Tour team owner Tommy Baldwin Jr., who was diagnosed with cancer in 2023 but has since gone into remission, for motivating him to keep fighting.

“I’ve never told him, but he showed me that no matter how bad it gets, just claw through and keep believing and keep that positive attitude,” Blewett said. “I kept that mindset. When I was in the hospital, he stayed in contact with me every day, and he helped me really get through it.”

While he healed, Blewett spent a lot of his time mentoring his son James as the younger Blewett continued his own racing journey. However, Jimmy and his wife Katie have made a point not to make their son’s life all about racing.

Instead, they want to find a balance so the newest member of the Blewett racing family can enjoy everything life has to offer.

RELATED: Jimmy Blewett’s career stats

“We changed the direction on how we did it with James. With my brother and I, it was strictly pressure, and anything less than a win was no good,” Blewett explained. “With James, racing was just every single thing in our life forever, and it’s still a huge portion of it. But I also want him to experience life itself.

“We do a lot of other things besides racing. We try to go camping when we can. I’m doing it slowly with him. We go when we can go. We don’t try to do 100 races a year. We go when we can go. He’s getting better and better every time he gets behind the wheel for as minimal experience that he has. I couldn’t ask for anything more.

“But most of all, what we race for is to make the memories as a family.”

While he continues to spend a lot of time thinking about his son’s future, the 45-year-old Blewett hasn’t hung up his helmet just yet.

On Saturday he made his return to the Modified Tour for the first time since 2023 aboard the No. 2 Gershow Motorsports Modified, the first of four to six Tour races he hopes to enter this year. He also hopes to help his son make his first Tour start later this season.

After everything he went through, Blewett plans to make every moment with his family and every lap count.

“I’m back together. I feel great. I’m excited to be back,” Blewett said. “This is the best medicine anybody could get, coming to a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race.”

Posted on February 7, 2026February 7, 2026 by Staff Report

New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau 200

New Smyrna Speedway

Final practice results

Pos	No.	Name	Sponsor	Best Tm	Best Speed	In Lap	Laps	Diff
1	58	Eric Goodale	GAF Roofing	17.964	100.2	2	36	—
2	64	Austin Beers	G&G Electrical Supply/Dell Electric/Lumiere Electrical/Fastrack Electric/AP Marquadt & Sons/Andrew Ja	17.972	100.156	12	54	0.008
3	40	Ryan Preece	Racechoice	17.989	100.061	4	38	0.025
4	51	Justin Bonsignore	Phoenix Communication	18.017	99.906	39	39	0.053
5	7	Luke Baldwin	Baldwin Automotive	18.02	99.889	3	39	0.056
6	05	Teddy Hodgdon IV*	Business Time Motorsports/The Landau Team of Re/Max/Montanari Fuel	18.021	99.883	11	47	0.057
7	79	Jonathan McKennedy	Stuart’s	18.022	99.878	20	25	0.058
8	1	Patrick Emerling	Middlesex Interiors/Fleetworks	18.047	99.74	3	46	0.083
9	16	Ron Silk	Blue Mountain Machine/ Future Homes	18.066	99.635	2	30	0.102
10	31	Michael Christopher Jr.	Elite Towing/Baker Racing	18.067	99.629	11	18	0.103
11	3	Tyler Rypkema	Northeast Drilling/SYP	18.084	99.536	13	40	0.12
12	20	Max Zachem	Lu-Mac’s Package Store/Mama MZ Crafts	18.091	99.497	4	13	0.127
13	46	Craig Lutz	Riverhead Building Supply	18.098	99.459	5	45	0.134
14	22	Kyle Bonsignore	ChawLew Performance/MTT/Munns Automotive	18.11	99.393	3	21	0.146
15	21	Stephen Kopcik	Wanick Construction/Newton Pools	18.131	99.277	25	34	0.167
16	38	Bobby Labonte	Cook Out	18.159	99.124	21	46	0.195
17	60	Matt Hirschman	Bar Harbor Bank & Trust/Pee Dee Motorsports	18.161	99.113	9	44	0.197
18	8	John-Michael Shenette	USNE Power/Eighty-Two Services General Contractor	18.161	99.113	4	45	0.197
19	4	Ryan Newman	Aggressive Hydraulics/Roun Tree/USNE/Southwest Mobile Mechanic/Acme Aero/Lucas Oil	18.171	99.059	2	7	0.207
20	56	Trevor Catalano	USNE Power	18.192	98.945	22	44	0.228
21	2	Jimmy Blewett	Gershow Recycling/ John Blewett Scrap	18.195	98.928	26	28	0.231
22	54	Tommy Catalano	FX Caprara/USNE Power	18.201	98.896	15	19	0.237
23	39	Conner Jones	PSR Products	18.21	98.847	2	52	0.246
24	66	Timmy Solomito	USNE Power/Kennedy Realty/FX Caprara	18.24	98.684	21	40	0.276
25	81	Mark Stewart	Keith Grimes Excavating/Cromers Market/ Eastern Fuel/ Eastside Building	18.249	98.636	2	12	0.285
26	73	Carson Loftin	Jersey Shore Contracting/Professional Associates/First Horizon Realty/LBI Pest Control/Lavalette Har	18.251	98.625	4	22	0.287
27	18	Ken Heagy	Merkel Racing Engines	18.252	98.619	4	17	0.288
28	99	Sam Rameau	FNO Racecars	18.26	98.576	11	34	0.296
29	36	Dave Sapienza	Sapienza Enterprises/Eastport Feeds	18.266	98.544	25	27	0.302
30	02	Joey Coulter IV	SRI Performance/Bilstein Shocks/Swift Springs/Brembo/Simpson/Stilo/Molecule	18.303	98.345	28	28	0.339
31	71	Jimmy Zacharias	Kevo Motorsports/Stafursky Paving/BA Motorsports	18.305	98.334	20	23	0.341
32	24	Andrew Krause	Supreme Mfg Co.	18.322	98.243	13	19	0.358
33	48	Luke Fleming	William E. Smith Trucking/Autos by Nelson/Simmons Power Sports	18.422	97.709	12	27	0.458
34	95	Cory Plummer*	Tuckers Metal Fab & Welding/Apex Race Cars/Apex Racing/Croteau Machine & More	18.497	97.313	17	46	0.533
35	55	Jeremy Gerstner	Garage Doors of the Triad/Cherokee Underground/JTS Services & Racecar Engineering	18.506	97.266	7	19	0.542
36	29	Mike Marshall	MLM Diagnostics/Jusczak Electric	18.522	97.182	9	40	0.558
37	11	Norman Newman*	Family Funland/D3 Offroad	18.562	96.972	12	22	0.598

Posted on February 7, 2026 by Staff Report

New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau 200

New Smyrna Speedway

Practice results

Pos	No.	Name	Sponsor	Best Tm	Best Speed	In Lap	Laps	Diff
1	79	Jonathan McKennedy	Stuart’s	17.966	100.189	5	61	—
2	22	Kyle Bonsignore	ChawLew Performance/MTT/Munns Automotive	18.065	99.64	4	40	0.099
3	31	Michael Christopher Jr.	Elite Towing/Baker Racing	18.101	99.442	6	55	0.135
4	64	Austin Beers	G&G Electrical Supply/Dell Electric/Lumiere Electrical/Fastrack Electic/AP Marquadt & Sons/Andrew Ja	18.128	99.294	9	53	0.162
5	21	Stephen Kopcik	Wanick Construction/Newton Pools	18.142	99.217	5	34	0.176
6	4	Ryan Newman	Aggressive Hydraulics/Roun Tree/USNE/Southwest Mobile Mechanic/Acme Aero/Lucas Oil	18.146	99.195	3	39	0.18
7	51	Justin Bonsignore	Phoenix Communication	18.155	99.146	4	50	0.189
8	20	Max Zachem	Lu-Mac’s Package Store/Mama MZ Crafts	18.168	99.075	3	36	0.202
9	54	Tommy Catalano	FX Caprara/USNE Power	18.184	98.988	6	73	0.218
10	46	Craig Lutz	Riverhead Building Supply	18.186	98.977	4	51	0.22
11	56	Trevor Catalano	USNE Power	18.187	98.972	5	68	0.221
12	3	Tyler Rypkema	Northeast Drilling/SYP	18.188	98.966	12	70	0.222
13	16	Ron Silk	Blue Moutian Machine/ Futire Homes	18.208	98.858	10	40	0.242
14	60	Matt Hirschman	Bar Harbor Bank & Trust/Pee Dee Motorsports	18.224	98.771	4	40	0.258
15	58	Eric Goodale	GAF Roofing	18.233	98.722	5	26	0.267
16	05	Teddy Hodgdon IV*	Business Time Motorsports/The Landau Team of Re/Max/Montanari Fuel	18.234	98.717	14	46	0.268
17	36	Dave Sapienza	Sapienza Enterprises/Eastport Feeds	18.245	98.657	7	55	0.279
18	99	Sam Rameau	FNO Racecars	18.263	98.56	4	71	0.297
19	40	Ryan Preece	Racechoice	18.264	98.555	7	39	0.298
20	73	Carson Loftin	Jersey Shore Contracting/Professional Associates/First Horizon Realty/LBI Pest Control/Lavalette Har	18.268	98.533	4	40	0.302
21	7	Luke Baldwin	Baldwin Automotive	18.279	98.474	15	44	0.313
22	39	Conner Jones	PSR Products	18.281	98.463	6	42	0.315
23	02	Joey Coulter IV	SRI Performance/Bilstein Shocks/Swift Springs/Brembo/Simpson/Stilo/Molecule	18.296	98.382	4	42	0.33
24	81	Mark Stewart	Keith Grimes Excavating/Cromers Market/ Eastern Fuel/ Eastside Building	18.302	98.35	3	37	0.336
25	1	Patrick Emerling	Middlesex Interiors/Fleetworks	18.31	98.307	3	37	0.344
26	2	Jimmy Blewett	Gershow Recycling/ John Blewett Scrap	18.33	98.2	17	43	0.364
27	66	Timmy Solomito	USNE Power/Kennedy Realty/FX Caprara	18.359	98.045	11	41	0.393
28	38	Bobby Labonte	Cook Out	18.386	97.901	7	40	0.42
29	24	Andrew Krause	Supreme Mfg Co.	18.417	97.736	14	48	0.451
30	71	Jimmy Zacharias	Kevo Motorsports/Stafursky Paving/BA Motorsports	18.441	97.609	3	27	0.475
31	55	Jeremy Gerstner	Garage Doors of the Triad/Cherokee Underground/JTS Services & Racecar Engineering	18.467	97.471	5	27	0.501
32	29	Mike Marshall	MLM Diagnostics/Jusczak Electric	18.509	97.25	5	84	0.543
33	48	Luke Fleming	William E. Smith Trucking/Autos by Nelson/Simmons Power Sports	18.521	97.187	7	28	0.555
34	95	Cory Plummer*	Tuckers Metal Fab & Welding/Apex Race Cars/Apex Racing/Croteau Machine & More	18.524	97.171	7	80	0.558
35	11	Norman Newman*	Family Funland/D3 Offroad	18.539	97.093	4	44	0.573
36	18	Ken Heagy	Merkel Racing Engines	18.614	96.701	12	29	0.648
37	8	John-Michael Shenette	USNE Power/Eighty-Two Services Gerneral Contractor	18.674	96.391	12	22	0.708

Posted on February 7, 2026February 9, 2026 by Staff Report

Young late model ace Timothy “Mini” Tyrrell prevailed in the inaugural Ram “Race for the Seat” reality TV show to earn the final full-time ride for Kaulig Racing in the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

Tyrrell, 21, bested 14 other drivers to earn a season-long opportunity in Kaulig’s No. 14 Ram entry, beginning Friday at Daytona International Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). He joins Daniel Dye, Brenden Queen and Justin Haley as the team’s four full-time drivers, while Kaulig’s fifth truck features a rotating cast of competitors in its Free Agent Driver Program.

“I’m just overwhelmed. Winning ‘Race for the Seat’ is something I never in a million years figured would happen,” Tyrrell said in a team release. “I came into this hoping to learn a thing or two, grow a bit, and see if I could hang with a bunch of great drivers. I’m thankful from the bottom of my heart for my family, for everybody who’s been in my corner, and for Ram and Kaulig Racing for this opportunity — taking a chance on a kid that comes from grassroots racing and elevating me to a professional level. I’m gonna work my tail off to make everybody proud.”

RELATED: Watch the entire series

Hailing from Manassas, Virginia, Tyrrell has competed full-time in the CARS Tour since 2019 with 88 total starts. He banked three victories in 2025, including a $50,000 payday with a win in the Throwback Classic at Hickory Motor Speedway.

But to earn the ride with Kaulig and Ram, Tyrrell had to prevail through a series of challenges — both on and off the track — over eight episodes. He defeated dirt modified driver Carson Ferguson in the season-finale to secure the seat for all 25 races in the highly anticipated Truck Series season. As a consolation, Ferguson will drive the Free Agent Driver Program truck in October at Martinsville Speedway.

Veteran crew chief Bruce Cook will pair with Tyrrell for his rookie NASCAR campaign. Cook most recently called the shots for Halmar Friesen Racing part-time for the No. 62 Toyota Tundra, but he has been a national series crew chief since 2008.

All eight episodes of “Race for the Seat” are available to watch on YouTube with re-runs also airing on FS1 and FS2.

Posted on February 7, 2026February 7, 2026 by Dustin Albino

When Justin Haley departed Kaulig Racing at the conclusion of the 2023 season, he looked to further his career. Just over two years later, he returns to the organization as it embarks on the challenge of welcoming back a manufacturer to NASCAR: Ram.

Chris Rice, chief executive officer for Kaulig Racing, credits Haley for elevating its Cup program as the first full-time driver in 2022. Now, Haley is squarely in charge of being the leader of the debuting NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team.

RELATED: Justin Haley driver page

“It fell right in our lap to get Justin back in-house,” Rice told NASCAR.com. “He helped us build our Cup program when we didn’t have a lot, and now, he’s going to help us build our truck program. He will be the one that puts the pressure on us to get better.”

Getting the nod as Ram’s manufacturer team was a tall task for Kaulig. It meant hiring new employees and adjusting roles for others from its successful 10-year stint in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. The organization now has four buildings on its campus in Welcome, North Carolina, home to its newly built trucks, fabrication shop and NASCAR Cup Series Chevrolets.

Between building trucks, hanging bodies and 3D printing, Kaulig has stayed plenty active throughout the offseason. Rice, who has held a multitude of roles within NASCAR, considers the five-truck start-up team the biggest obstacle he’s faced yet.

“For someone like Ram, Stellantis and Dodge to be behind us, Matt Kaulig will jump through fire to get to do it,” Rice said. “I’m all in to make sure it happens.”

With a pair of drafting-style venues to kick-start the 2026 campaign, followed by the Truck Series’ debut on the streets of St. Petersburg, Rice doesn’t believe Kaulig will know where it truly stands in the pecking order until deep into the season, signaling June or July. Ram drivers won’t even have access to the manufacturer’s simulator until late April, Rice said.

MORE: 2026 Craftsman Truck Series schedule

That’s no stress for Haley, though, having spent the previous four seasons battling the sport’s best in Cup. His resume reads 341 total national series starts, highlighted by eight victories, including a trio of checkered flags during his lone full-time Truck Series season in 2018 with GMS Racing.

“I haven’t allowed myself to think about expectations for the year,” Haley said. “I think it’s obvious with my experience and how many races I’ve done in NASCAR that I feel like we should be competitive no matter where we’re at or how good our trucks are. We may go out and be good and surprise ourselves, or it might be really bad, and we have to slowly work on it.”

Admittedly, Haley was “caught off guard” when Spire Motorsports didn’t renew his contract for the 2026 Cup season. He had multiple stints with the blossoming organization, banking the team’s first victory in the big leagues in 2019 at Daytona International Speedway. He rejoined Spire on a full-time basis as part of a rare in-season trade with Rick Ware Racing for Corey LaJoie late in the 2024 season.

Turmoil hit Haley and the No. 7 team after nine races in 2025 when championship-winning crew chief Rodney Childers departed the team. Haley scored one top five and two top 10s across the campaign.

“I really wasn’t expecting it,” Haley said. “You take a step back, and I had a lot of options and a lot of people that called me. Being with Matt Kaulig and Kaulig Racing for so long, having to leave to try to keep my career going was a tough decision. Business is a big part of racing.

“I went out there and tried my best, did everything I could, and the cards didn’t fall our way more times than not. I feel like I was at the top of my game, doing everything I could. It’s a tough series; it’s a tough sport. I don’t really have a comment because I don’t know what to think of [last] year. I allowed it to escape my brain.”

Chris Graythen | Getty Images

Haley leaned on AJ Allmendinger, one of his racing mentors, when assessing his next landing spot. The easy decision was returning to Kaulig, a place he’s treasured over the years. His first full-time race back with the organization will occur in the Truck Series season opener at Daytona on Friday (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1, NRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

“This is something that I’m going to have a lot of pride in and hopefully build,” Haley said. “I want to do nothing more than to win Ram’s first race at Daytona. I’ve been daydreaming about it. It’s a win that I want to get badly because it’s the only series I haven’t won at Daytona. To get to win in all three series at Daytona has been my racing bucket list item that I’ve thought about and something I want to accomplish.”

Bouncing between three different organizations in as many seasons, and then reuniting with Kaulig, Haley considers the last few years “strange.” But he kept strong relationships with Kaulig and Rice before returning.

MORE: Daytona Speedweeks schedule

There is a potential pathway back to the Cup Series for Haley. But he also believes that by starting a family with his wife, Haley, it could be a sign to race less. He will occasionally fire up the dirt modified, having spent the last two weeks at Volusia Speedway Park.

The objective for Kaulig is to bring a new manufacturer to the Cup Series and reside as its key-partner team. This is the opportunity the organization has been waiting for since forming in 2016.

“I’m excited that when they do tell us they want to go Cup racing, let’s go and figure it out; let’s make it happen,” Rice said. “I’m ready to rock.”