Ryan Preece wins Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray amid winter weather

Posted on February 4, 2026February 4, 2026 by Reid Spencer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SHOP: Winner’s gear

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

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

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

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

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

MORE: Relive the 2026 Clash

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

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

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

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

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

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

Note: Inspection was completed in the NASCAR Cup Series garage with no issues, confirming Preece as the winner.

Posted on February 4, 2026February 4, 2026 by Staff Report

Josh Berry won the Last Chance Qualifier at Bowman Gray Stadium on Wednesday evening to advance to the Cook Out Clash (6 p.m. ET, FOX, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Austin Cindric outlasted Corey LaJoie for second place to earn the final transfer spot into The Clash in a fantastic, side-by-side battle over the final 15 laps of the 75-lap event.

Alex Bowman will join Berry and Cindric in The Clash, earning the provisional reserved for the highest 2025 points finisher that hadn’t otherwise advanced.

MORE: Clash lineup tracker | At-track photos: Bowman Gray

Berry escaped to win by 7.419 seconds — an eternity on the historic 0.25-mile track. AJ Allmendinger held the final transfer spot for much of the event before he was tracked down by LaJoie and Cindric. LaJoie, substituting for an injured Brad Keselowski in the No. 6 RFK Racing Ford, shared plenty of contact with Cindric over the final 15 laps, trading paint and positions before Cindric got the better of LaJoie in the final set of corners. After the checkered flag, LaJoie offered a thumbs-up to Cindric, who was appreciative of a fair fight.

The only yellow flag of the contest waved at Lap 5 when Riley Herbst and Cody Ware went spinning in Turns 3 and 4. John Hunter Nemechek took nose damage to his No. 42 Toyota when he struck the side of Herbst’s No. 35 car with Cole Custer, incurring slight contact to the nose of his No. 41 Chevrolet. Custer later collided with Herbst, sending Herbst sliding right-rear first into the outside SAFER barrier, but Herbst continued without drawing a caution.

Second-place starter Michael McDowell leaped to the lead on the initial start, but under the Lap 5 caution, NASCAR ruled McDowell jumped the start, penalizing the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet by dropping McDowell to the rear of the field on the ensuing restart. He ultimately finished 11th in the 18-car field.

Berry will start 21st in the 200-lap main event with Cindric starting 22nd. Bowman takes the 23rd and final spot on the grid for the exhibition Cook Out Clash.

Posted on February 4, 2026February 4, 2026 by Staff Report

Defending series champion Kyle Larson topped the leaderboard in Wednesday’s NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session to claim the pole position for the 2026 Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium at 63.663 mph in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. The two-time NASCAR Cup Series title winner will lead the field to green in the main event at 6 p.m. ET on FOX, HBO Max, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Right behind him was Hendrick stablemate William Byron in the No. 24 Chevrolet at 63.645 mph.

MORE: Lineup Tracker | Full Clash schedule

Rounding out the top five were Ty Gibbs in the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Chase Briscoe in the No. 19 JGR Toyota and Christopher Bell in the No. 20 JGR entry. Rookie Connor Zilisch qualified for the main event in the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, placing 19th on the board. The points provisional went to No. 48 Hendrick driver Alex Bowman, who can still race his way in via the Last Chance Qualifier.

The top 20 cars from qualifying locked into the main event. The Last Chance Qualifier to finalize the 2026 Clash field is set for 4:30 p.m. ET (FOX, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell posted the fastest lap in cumulative practice sessions that preceded qualifying with a best speed of 63.411 mph. No. 12 Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney was second on the board at 63.295 mph.

The practice and qualifying sessions marked the first official on-track activity since the 2025 season finale at Phoenix Raceway, after The Clash was initially scheduled for Feb. 1 but was postponed several days due to historic North Carolina snowfall.

MORE: Drivers aid snow removal at Bowman Gray | Snow-covered scenes at Bowman Gray

Posted on February 4, 2026February 4, 2026 by Zack Albert

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Denny Hamlin disclosed Wednesday that he recently aggravated a shoulder ailment and that he plans to weather the injury as the start of the NASCAR Cup Series season draws near.

Hamlin’s remarks came in a Wednesday afternoon news conference, hours before the snow-plagued Cook Out Clash preseason exhibition was set to begin at Bowman Gray Stadium (6 p.m. ET, FOX, HBO Max, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The 45-year-old driver’s health update comes after he experienced both personal tragedy and professional heartbreak in the final two months of last year.

An elusive first NASCAR Cup Series championship slipped away in the painful closing laps of the Nov. 2 season finale, a race he’d hoped to win for his father, Dennis, who had been in declining health. Dennis Hamlin died Dec. 28 in a house fire, a blaze that also injured his wife, Mary Lou, Denny’s mother.

Hamlin said he had recently fallen as he sifted through his parents’ belongings in the debris left by the fire, but added that the pain in his right shoulder, which he’d had surgically repaired in November 2023, had been lingering before that spill. He noted that the window for potential surgery and months-long recovery for this new injury before the dawn of the Cup Series season has closed.

“So I’m gonna have to go the rest of the season the way I was before there,” Hamlin said. “I don’t think that it ever healed properly. Just noticed some issues, really kind of right after the season. It just was nagging me a little bit. Took a little fall at my mom’s house, going through all the rubble and stuff and just didn’t feel right. Got it re-scanned and re-tore it again.”

Hamlin said that managing the shoulder ailment could present a challenge through the season, and that he’ll be taking care to keep as healthy as possible until he can potentially have surgery after the 2026 campaign.

“If you can look into a crystal ball, I would think as the year goes on, it just kind of depends on making sure I’m doing the things out of the car, working, keeping the range good, keeping the strength good to kind of get to that November date where I can work on it and get it fixed again,” Hamlin said. “Limiting, honestly, the things I love to do. That’s not going to be a priority during the season, unfortunately. So I’m just going to miss out on a lot of the fun things, but I can’t do some things I like to do, simply because that aggravates it, and it certainly causes the tear to get worse. It’s kind of hanging on. It’s torn, but it’s still got a little few parts and pieces hanging on that I need to keep intact for the full year.”

Hamlin had said days after the disappointment from the season-ending event at Phoenix Raceway that “I don’t even think about the race car right now. Just yeah, I’m gonna need some time on this one.” He was back at the track Wednesday with his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team for The Clash, a non-points event he’s won four times.

“Like I said, it’s just gonna take a little while to kind of get back in the swing of things,” Hamlin said. “… You know, it certainly has not been an easy offseason by any means, and I’m sure I’m probably in a different headspace than most of the competitors that have been rip-roaring, ready to go racing the last month or so. I’m probably in a different spot than that. I would certainly appreciate a few more months, but I don’t have that. But we’ll just kind of see how it goes.”

The senior-most driver on the circuit says he’s emerged with perspective as he gets set for his 21st full season in NASCAR’s top tour. Hamlin said that his mother, Mary Lou, had been in improving health in the weeks since the fire and that he’s been quick to note his blessings as he navigates the recent round of hardships.

How he reacts, he said, will go a long way toward telling the story of the No. 11 team’s season.

“The easy thing to say is ‘poor me,’ but it’s like, I still have a fantastic life, a great family,” Hamlin said. “A lot of people go through tragedies. I mean, I can’t tell you — while what happened with my family in the offseason was highly publicized, there’s probably tons of those stories of crew members that happen in their family this offseason, that happens to them during the season that no one really knows about. So everyone has their times where they have to go through tough moments, and I think that those are really kind of building moments of your character. It’s how you respond to it.

“I think certainly that this season for me could certainly go one of two ways, and I think there’s not much of a middle road. It’s going to go really one way or really the other way, and it’s up to me which way I decide to turn. So I think that right now, my focus is keeping this thing on the right track and making sure I spend these last couple years accomplishing everything that I want to before my career is over.”

Posted on February 4, 2026February 4, 2026 by Staff Report

The NASCAR Cup Series hits the track for the first time in 2026 in exhibition fashion with a return to Bowman Gray Stadium for the Cook Out Clash. Bookmark this page and come back often for your race-week essentials — from links to the entry list, average practice speeds, results and more.

RELATED: Weekend schedule | TV listings

NASCAR Cup Series

Race day: Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET on FOX. The categories listed below will be populated with links as information becomes available.

Tires: Five sets for the event, including one set for practice and one set for qualifying. The practice and qualifying sets transfer into the race. Four total wet-weather sets will additionally be available to each team as needed. Update: Heat races were canceled due to winter weather.

Entry List
Practice/Qualifying Results
Last Chance Qualifier Results
Starting Lineup
Race Results

Posted on February 4, 2026February 4, 2026 by Staff Report

NASCAR Cup Series drivers took to the track at Bowman Gray Stadium for two 8-minute practice sessions, followed by a group qualifying session on Wednesday (1:30 p.m. ET, FOX Sports App, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Drivers had four minutes to set a qualifying time, running as many laps as they wanted during this time window.

With the heat races canceled due to winter weather, the top 20 fastest drivers from qualifying automatically advanced to Wednesday’s 200-lap main event, the Cook Out Clash (6 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, HBO Max, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The top two finishers in the 75-lap Last Chance Qualifier Race (4:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) also transferred to the main event, making up starting positions 21st and 22nd, respectively. The 23rd and final starter went to the highest driver in the 2025 final standings who did not transfer from the LCQ finishing position.

See how things unfolded in the following charts:

Practice Groups

GROUP 1	GROUP 2	GROUP 3
AJ Allmendinger	Alex Bowman	Kyle Larson
Todd Gilliland	Austin Cindric	Denny Hamlin
Zane Smith	Austin Dillon	Chase Briscoe
Connor Zilisch	Josh Berry	William Byron
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	Chris Buescher	Christopher Bell
Daniel Suárez	Cody Ware	Ryan Blaney
Cole Custer	Ty Gibbs	Joey Logano
Ty Dillon	Corey LaJoie	Chase Elliott
Noah Gragson	Kyle Busch	Tyler Reddick
Riley Herbst	Michael McDowell	Ross Chastain
Ryan Preece	Carson Hocevar	Bubba Wallace
Chad Finchum	Erik Jones	Shane van Gisbergen
Burt Myers (i)	John Hunter Nemechek

Qualifying Groups

GROUP 1	GROUP 2	GROUP 3
Cole Custer	Ty Gibbs	Joey Logano
Ty Dillon	Corey LaJoie	Chase Elliott
Noah Gragson	Kyle Busch	Tyler Reddick
Riley Herbst	Michael McDowell	Ross Chastain
Ryan Preece	Carson Hocevar	Bubba Wallace
Chad Finchum	Erik Jones	Shane van Gisbergen
Burt Myers (i)	John Hunter Nemechek	Kyle Larson
AJ Allmendinger	Alex Bowman	Denny Hamlin
Todd Gilliland	Austin Cindric	Chase Briscoe
Zane Smith	Austin Dillon	William Byron
Connor Zilisch	Josh Berry	Christopher Bell
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	Chris Buescher	Ryan Blaney
Daniel Suárez	Cody Ware

Qualifying Results

FINISH	CAR	DRIVER
1	5	Kyle Larson
2	24	William Byron
3	54	Ty Gibbs
4	19	Chase Briscoe
5	20	Christopher Bell
6	11	Denny Hamlin
7	23	Bubba Wallace
8	17	Chris Buescher
9	1	Ross Chastain
10	45	Tyler Reddick
11	9	Chase Elliott
12	77	Carson Hocevar
13	8	Kyle Busch
14	22	Joey Logano
15	3	Austin Dillon
16	12	Ryan Blaney
17	97	Shane van Gisbergen
18	60	Ryan Preece
19	88	Connor Zilisch
20	7	Daniel Suárez
21	21	Josh Berry
22	71	Michael McDowell
23	2	Austin Cindric
24	6	Corey LaJoie
25	48	Alex Bowman
26	35	Riley Herbst
27	51	Cody Ware
28	16	AJ Allmendinger
29	41	Cole Custer
30	42	John Hunter Nemechek
31	34	Todd Gilliland
32	10	Ty Dillon
33	4	Noah Gragson
34	47	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
35	38	Zane Smith
36	43	Erik Jones
37	66	Chad Finchum
38	50	Burt Myers

Last Chance Qualifier Lineup

START	CAR	DRIVER
1	21	Josh Berry
2	71	Michael McDowell
3	2	Austin Cindric
4	6	Corey LaJoie
5	48	Alex Bowman
6	35	Riley Herbst
7	51	Cody Ware
8	16	AJ Allmendinger
9	41	Cole Custer
10	42	John Hunter Nemechek
11	34	Todd Gilliland
12	10	Ty Dillon
13	4	Noah Gragson
14	47	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
15	38	Zane Smith
16	43	Erik Jones
17	66	Chad Finchum
18	50	Burt Myers

Last Chance Qualifier Results

FINISH	CAR	DRIVER
1	21	Josh Berry
2	2	Austin Cindric
3	6	Corey LaJoie
4	16	AJ Allmendinger
5	42	John Hunter Nemechek
6	38	Zane Smith
7	4	Noah Gragson
8	10	Ty Dillon
9	47	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
10	43	Erik Jones
11	71	Michael McDowell
12	41	Cole Custer
13	66	Chad Finchum
14	50	Burt Myers
15	51	Cody Ware
16	35	Riley Herbst
17	48	Alex Bowman
18	34	Todd Gilliland

Cook Out Clash Lineup

START	CAR	DRIVER	HOW DETERMINED
1	5	Kyle Larson	Fastest in qualifying
2	24	William Byron	Second in qualifying
3	54	Ty Gibbs	Third in qualifying
4	19	Chase Briscoe	Fourth in qualifying
5	20	Christopher Bell	Fifth in qualifying
6	11	Denny Hamlin	Sixth in qualifying
7	23	Bubba Wallace	Seventh in qualifying
8	17	Chris Buescher	Eighth in qualifying
9	1	Ross Chastain	Ninth in qualifying
10	45	Tyler Reddick	10th in qualifying
11	9	Chase Elliott	11th in qualifying
12	77	Carson Hocevar	12th in qualifying
13	8	Kyle Busch	13th in qualifying
14	22	Joey Logano	14th in qualifying
15	3	Austin Dillon	15th in qualifying
16	12	Ryan Blaney	16th in qualifying
17	97	Shane van Gisbergen	17th in qualifying
18	60	Ryan Preece	18th in qualifying
19	88	Connor Zilisch	19th in qualifying
20	7	Daniel Suárez	20th in qualifying
21	21	Josh Berry	LCQ winner
22	2	Austin Cindric	LCQ second place
23	48	Alex Bowman	2025 final standings

Posted on February 3, 2026 by Zach Sturniolo

For the first time since 2017, NASCAR’s fall weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway will return to the oval in 2026.

Speedway Motorsports CEO Marcus Smith confirmed Tuesday on the “Dale Jr. Download” podcast that the classic 1.5-mile oval will host the NASCAR Cup Series, O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and Craftsman Truck Series Oct. 9-11, shifting away from the Charlotte Roval after eight seasons on the road course-oval combination. The news was first reported by The Athletic.

MORE: Full 2026 Cup Series schedule | Charlotte Motor Speedway moments

Charlotte has hosted NASCAR at least twice annually since the facility opened in 1960, featuring the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day Weekend in May in addition to a fall weekend in October. For 57 years, all of those events were held on the 1.5-mile oval until the Roval debuted on the sport’s calendar in 2018.

In a year earmarked for a return toward NASCAR’s roots as the sport returns to The Chase, Smith and his team determined the time was right to retire the Roval and return to the oval.

“Charlotte Motor Speedway has always been about innovations and opportunity,” Marcus Smith, president and CEO of Speedway Motorsports, said in a release. “The Roval delivered dramatic racing when many fans were calling for a road course in the playoffs. Now there’s an energy around the return of The Chase and fans are seeing the excitement that oval racing continues to generate on mile-and-a-half tracks. This feels like the time to bring the fall race back to the legendary oval at a place where NASCAR history is made every year.”

The Bank of America 400 on Sunday, Oct. 11 will be the site of the Cup Series’ sixth race in The Chase, a return to the championship format that will determine the series’ title winner by points accumulated over the final 10 races of the season. The O’Reilly Auto Parts Series’ Blue Cross NC 250 on Oct. 10 and the Truck Series’ EcoSave 250 on Oct. 9 will also serve as events in the respective series’ championship Chase.

The Roval event debuted in 2018, using most of the oval-track configuration with portions of the infield road-course layout that had been used in sports-car competition. The 2.32-mile circuit arrived during a road-racing boom for NASCAR’s top series, and the Roval became a fixture as an elimination race each year under the previous postseason format.

RELATED: The Chase is back | How it works

David Jensen | Getty Images

The 2022 debut of the Next Gen car that’s currently used in the Cup Series, however, brought newfound vibrance to the racing on intermediate-sized ovals such as Charlotte. That sentiment led to NASCAR competition officials working with Speedway Motorsports to adjust the 2026 schedule.

“The voice of the passionate NASCAR fan is the starting point of every decision we make, and Marcus, Speedway Motorsports and NASCAR heard them loud and clear – with the return of The Chase, let’s return to the oval at Charlotte Motor Speedway,” Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR president, said in a release. “As The Chase returns, we are putting a spotlight on performance while honoring the tracks and traditions that have defined championship moments. Charlotte Motor Speedway’s historic oval has played a central role in some of the sport’s most memorable races, so bringing The Chase back to the 1.5-mile configuration for our fans simply felt right.”

Those feelings are reciprocated by the competitors themselves. Brad Keselowski (2013) and Joey Logano (2015) are the only two active drivers who have won a fall race on the Charlotte oval. Keselowski, the 2012 Cup Series title winner, championed the move back to the 1.5-mile oval.

“Moving the fall Charlotte race back to the oval really brings the sport back to its roots,” said Keselowski, the 2020 Coca-Cola 600 winner. “That race has so much history, and winning there is a big deal that I’ve been fortunate to do. The racing with the Next Gen car at Charlotte has been some of the best we’ve seen anywhere, and I think putting it back on the oval is going to create an incredible show. It’s the kind of race our fans expect and deserve.”

Hendrick Motorsports teammates Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson each won two Cup Series races during the eight-year run for the Roval layout. Shane van Gisbergen was the most recent Cup winner, where he roared to victory by a whopping 15.160 seconds over Larson.

AJ Allmendinger savored the most national-series success during the Roval era, winning four times in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and notching the most recent of his three Cup Series wins in 2023.

Tickets for the fall NASCAR weekend are available now. According to a track press release, fans looking for the best value can purchase NASCAR season ticket packages which include both the Coca-Cola 600 and Bank of America 400 tripleheader race weekends with discounted tickets, free preferred parking, gift shop discounts and free O’Reilly Auto Parts Series tickets to the Blue Cross NC 250.

Fans who have already purchased fall race weekend tickets and have further questions should contact the ticket office by calling 800-455-FANS (3267). For ticket information, schedule updates and more, visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on February 3, 2026February 7, 2026 by Staff Report

New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau 200

New Smyrna Speedway

Entry list

Car No.	Driver	Organization	Crew Chief	Chassis Mfg	Sponsor
1	Patrick Emerling	USNE Motorsports	Dale Hedquist	LFR	USNEPower Motorsports
02	Joey Coulter IV	Coulter Motorsports	Harold Holly	FURY Race Cars	SRI Performance; Bilstein Shocks; Swift Springs; Brembo; Simpson; Stilo; Molecule
2	Jimmy Blewett	Team Gershow	Mike Bologna	LFR	Gershow Recycling; John Blewett Scrap
3	Tyler Rypkema	BRE Racing	Greg Fournier	Boehler Racing	Northeast Drilling; SYP
4	Ryan Newman	Connolly Racing	Tim Connolly	FURY Race Cars	Aggressive Hydraulics; RounTree; USNE; Southwest Mobile Mechanic; Acme Aero; Lucas Oil
05	Teddy Hodgdon IV	Teddy Hodgdon Racing	Ted Hodgdon	LFR	Business Time Motorsports; The Landau Team of Re/Max; Montanari Fuel
7	Luke Baldwin	Tommy Baldwin Racing	Tommy Baldwin	PSR Products	Baldwin Automotive
8	John-Michael Shenette	Eighty-Two Autosport	Scott Morin	LFR	USNE Power; Eighty-Two Services General Contractor
16	Ron Silk	Haydt Yannone Racing	Phil Moran	FURY Race Cars	Blue Mountain Machine; Future Homes
18	Ken Heagy	Heagy Motorsports	Greg Gorman	FURY Race Cars	Merkel Racing Engines
20	Max Zachem	John Morgan	Ryan Morgan	Troyer	Lu-Mac’s Package Store; Mama MZ Crafts
21	Stephen Kopcik	Wanick Motorsports	Nick Kopcik	Troyer	Wanick Motorsports
22	Kyle Bonsignore	Kyle Bonsignore	Cam McDermott	FURY Race Cars	ChaLew Performance; MTT/Munns Automotive
24	Andrew Krause	Supreme Racing	Steven Reed	LFR	Supreme Mfg. Co.
29	Mike Marshall	TLC Performance	Doug Tisdell	Troyer	MLM Diagnostics; Jusczak Electric
31	Mike Christopher Jr.	Elite Motorsports	Eugene Orlando	LFR	Elite Towing; Baker Racing
36	Dave Sapienza	Sapienza Racing	Greg Kleila	FURY Race Cars	Sapienza Enterprises; Eastport Feeds
38	Bobby Labonte	PSR Racing	Phil Stefanelli	PSR Products	Cook Out
39	Conner Jones	PSR Racing	Eddie Harvey	PSR Products	PSR Products
40	Ryan Preece	Ryan Preece Racing	Jeff Preece	FURY Race Cars	Racechoice
46	Craig Lutz	Goodie Racing	Douglas Ogiejko	FURY Race Cars	Riverhead Building Supply
51	Justin Bonsignore	Kenneth Massa Motorsports	Ryan Stone	FURY Race Cars	Phoenix Communications
54	Tommy Catalano	Catalano Motorsports	Rick Kluth	Troyer	FX Caprara; USNE Power
55	Jeremy Gerstner	GMR Enterprises	Keith Wheeler	Troyer	Garage Doors of the Triad; Cherokee Underground; JTS Service & Racecar Engineering
56	Trevor Catalano	Catalano Motorsports	David Catalano	Troyer	USNE Power
58	Eric Goodale	Goodie Motorsports	Rob Hyer	FURY Race Cars	GAF Roofing
60	Matt Hirschman	Pee Dee Motorsports	Mike Stein	Troyer	Bar Harbor Bank & Trust; Pee Dee Motorsports
64	Austin Beers	KLM Motorsports	Ron Yuhas	Troyer	G&G Electrical Supply; Dell Electric; Lumiere Electrical; Fastrack Electric; AP Marquadt & Sons; Andrew James Interiors
66	Timmy Solomito	Timothy Solomito	Jerry Solomito Sr.	LFR	USNE Power; Kennedy Realty; FX Caprara
71	Jimmy Zacharias	Zacharias Motorsports	Austin Kochenash	LFR	Kevo Motorsports; Starfursky Paving; BA Motorsports
73	Carson Loftin	Hartwig Racing	Robert Geiger	FURY Race Cars	Jersey Shore Contracting; Professional Therapy Associates; First Horizon Realty; LBI Pest Control; Lavalette Hardware
79	Jon McKennedy	Jonathan McKennedy Racing	Patrick Walsh	FURY Race Cars	Stuart’s
81	Mark Stewart	Turbush Racing	Chris Turbush	FURY Race Cars	Keith Grimes Excavating; Cromers Market; Eastern Fuel; Eastside Building
95	Cory Plummer	Apex Racing	Bill Barnett Jr.	Apex Race Cars	Tuckers Metal Fabrication & Welding; Apex Race Cars; Apex Racing; Croteau Machine & More
99	Sam Rameau	JT Motorsports	Charlie Barham	Troyer	FNO Racecars
111	Norman Newman	Newman Motorsports	Norman Newman	LFR	Family Funland; D3 Offroad
140	Luke Fleming	Frank Fleming Motorsports	Chris Fleming	PSR Products	William E. Smith Trucking; Autos by Nelson; Simmons Power Sports

Posted on February 3, 2026February 3, 2026 by Adam Fenwick

Florida in February sounds nice, especially for competitors on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.

For the fifth consecutive season, the stars and cars of NASCAR’s oldest division will travel south to New Smyrna Speedway in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, to launch a new season of racing with the running of the New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau 200 (7:30 p.m. ET on FloRacing) as part of the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing.

The half-mile asphalt oval hosted the Modified Tour for the first time in 2022, when Matt Hirschman led 112 of 200 laps en route to an impressive victory. Ron Silk followed with back-to-back wins in 2023 and 2024, and Patrick Emerling triumphed one season ago.

Tickets to Saturday’s New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau 200 are available here. Below is everything you need to know about the first race of the 2026 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season.

For the fifth consecutive season, New Smyrna Speedway will host the Modified Tour season opener. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)

New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau 200 at New Smyrna Speedway

The battle for the 2026 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship begins Saturday night when a stacked field of competitors take to New Smyrna Speedway for the fifth annual New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau 200.

Headlining the list of entries are no fewer than four Modified Tour champions. Austin Beers, the reigning and defending series champion, will look to begin his title defense in style aboard the No. 64 KLM Motorsports Modified. Four-time Tour champion Justin Bonsignore is also back in the Ken Massa Motorsports No. 51; and two-time champion Ron Silk and 2022 champion Jon McKennedy return full-time to the series after their respective hiatuses.

Joining that quartet is a full contingent of drivers looking to add their names to the list of Modified Tour champions. Among them is Matt Hirschman, who will contest the full schedule aboard the No. 60 for PeeDee Motorsports. Craig Lutz is back in the Goodie Racing No. 46 after a two-win campaign last year, and Patrick Emerling is aboard the No. 1 again this year thanks to a new partnership with USNEPower.

Tyler Rypkema is back for his second full season in the Ole Blue No. 3, and 2025 Rookie of the Year Stephen Kopcik returns for his second season in the No. 21 for team owner Thomas Wanick. Kyle Bonsignore, Tommy and Trevor Catalano and Rookie of the Year contenders Teddy Hodgdon and Mike Christopher Jr. are also entered for Saturday’s race at New Smyrna.

In addition to the expected contingent of full timers, several additional familiar faces will be joining the field Saturday at New Smyrna. Headlining that list is NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Preece, who will pilot his own No. 40 in Saturday’s opener.

Bobby Labonte, the 2000 NASCAR Cup Series champion, is entered in the No. 38 for PSR Racing, and 2008 Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman will pilot the No. 4 Mystic Missile entry for car owner Tim Connolly.

One notable returning driver is Jimmy Blewett, who is back to compete with the Modified Tour following a recovery following an illness. He will drive the No. 2 entry fielded by Gershow Motorsports.

Carson Loftin is scheduled to pilot the No. 73 entry fielded by the Hartwig family in place of Paulie Hartwig III, who isn’t yet old enough to join the Modified Tour field.

Additional entries expected for Saturday’s opener include Eric Goodale, Luke Baldwin, Timmy Solomito, Andrew Krause, Dave Sapienza, Conner Jones, Jeremy Gerstner and Luke Fleming, among others.

The complete entry list for Saturday’s New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau 200 is available here.

Ron Silk has won two of the four Modified Tour events held at New Smyrna Speedway since 2022. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)

RACING REFERENCE:

RACE FACTS

Race	New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau 200
Date	Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026
Track	New Smyrna Speedway
Layout	Half-mile asphalt oval
Location	New Smyrna Beach, Florida
Start time	7:30 p.m. ET
Laps	200
Posted Awards	$150,806
Tickets	Here
How to Watch	FloRacing

SCHEDULE: Saturday, Feb. 7: Practice from 1 – 2:15 p.m. ET … Final Practice from 3 – 3:45 p.m. ET … American Racer Pole Award qualifying at 5:30 p.m. ET … Start of the New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau 200 at 7:30 p.m. ET (200 Laps / 100 Miles)

QUALIFYING: Two consecutive qualifying laps. Faster lap determines qualifying position. Adjustments or repairs may not be made on the vehicle after the vehicle has taken the green flag at the start/finish line. NASCAR reserves the right to have more than one vehicle engage in qualifying runs at the same time. Starting field for the New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau 200 is limited to 32 starters including Provisional Positions.

TIRE ALLOTMENT: The maximum tire allotment available for this event is twelve (12) tires per team. All tires used for qualifying and the race must be purchased at the track and scanned by NASCAR Officials, unless otherwise approved in advance by the Series Director. Four (4) tires must be used for qualifying and to begin the race. All qualifying tires must remain in impound until released by NASCAR Officials. Four (4) tires of the allotment may be used for change tires. The tire change rule is two (2) tires, per stop. The remaining tire allotment may be used for practice tires during the event.

Posted on February 3, 2026February 3, 2026 by Brandon White

The Christopher name is one of the most recognizable not only in NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour history, but across the entire Modified industry.

Ted Christopher is widely regarded as one of the greatest to ever drive a Modified, with his Whelen Modified Tour resume alone comprising of 42 victories and the 2008 championship. His brother Mike Christopher was also highly regarded during his career, earning plenty of local wins at tracks like Stafford Motor Speedway and Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.

No member of the Christopher family has been full-time on the Modified Tour since 2014, but Mike’s son, Mike Christopher Jr., will change that trend this season. Christopher Jr. is set to pilot the No. 31 owned by Alan Dering, a car that was previously driven by another seasoned veteran in Matt Hirschman.

Just a few months ago, Christopher Jr. had no idea whether he would be making any starts on the Modified Tour this year. Now he looks forward to chasing a series championship just like his father and late uncle did many years ago.

“The whole deal came together pretty quick,” Christopher Jr. said. “Alan Dering called me in December and said he wanted me to drive his car. He’s very excited for it, his crew is very excited for it, but I also get to bring some of my crew from Stafford, so I think this is going to be really great all together.

“There will be some learning curves along the way, but as long as we get over those humps as soon as possible, we’ll be good to go.”

RELATED: 2026 Mods schedule

By embodying the characteristics of his father Mike Christopher and his late uncle Ted Christopher, Mike Christopher Jr. is ready to create his own legacy on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. (Photo: Rachel O’Driscoll/NASCAR)

Christopher Jr. understands how important his name is to race fans in the northeast. He has long been familiar with the stories surrounding Ted and Mike but also considers himself fortunate that he got to witness their on-track efficiency firsthand during his childhood.

Legacy was something Christopher Jr. pondered only occasionally during his youth. He was more focused on enjoying the moment and celebrating with either Mike or Ted in Victory Lane rather than studying how one of them applied their own driving style to set up a pass.

Now that he’s fully embedded into the Modified discipline, Christopher Jr. has had plenty of moments to ascertain how he is going to carry on the family name. He considers himself his own, independent driver but admits he finds himself applying his father’s advice.

“I’d say I definitely race like my dad more,” Christopher Jr. said. “Ted [was] aggressive; I’ve seen that, and a lot of other people have seen that. My dad has always been touted as methodical, a little less aggressive, but he has his moments. I feel like I race like my own person. I try to be really smart behind the wheel and plan stuff out. That’s what my dad taught me.”

Respect has been crucial toward Christopher Jr. finding sustainability and recognition in Modifieds. The blue collar, no-nonsense culture embodied by many drivers in the discipline requires him to be courteous around others on track. That philosophy has resulted in more trips to Victory Lane, this time as a driver.

One of those wins came in a Whelen Modified Tour race at Jennerstown Speedway in 2022, only his third start in the series at the time.

Mike Christopher Jr. earned his lone Modified Tour win in 2022 after passing Tyler Rypkema for the win late at Jennerstown Speedway. (Photo: Nate Smallwood/NASCAR)

Piloting Tommy Baldwin Jr.’s iconic No. 7NY Modified, Christopher Jr. patiently worked his way up from the eighth starting position to challenge Tyler Rypkema for the win. Christopher Jr. put relentless pressure on Rypkema during the closing stages before making the race-winning maneuver with 11 laps remaining.

Christopher Jr. never imagined he could defeat drivers like series champions Justin Bonsignore and Ron Silk with only minimal Modified Tour experience to his name. Even though he was driving one of the strongest cars in the field that night, he felt his victory proved he could excel on the Modified Tour just like Ted and Mike.

“It came as a surprise, not only to me but to everyone else, too,” Christopher Jr. said. “I didn’t race the Tour. That was my third start, but we go out there and won. I owe most of that credit to Tommy [Baldwin] and his team for putting together a really good race car. If I put my sister in that car, who doesn’t drive at all, she’d probably finish in the top 10.

“I was happy to be the monkey behind the wheel.”

Despite the strong performance, Christopher Jr. made just two more starts on the Modified Tour that season and did not secure a ride in 2023 or 2024. He didn’t let the circumstances deter him, as he went back to driving Modifieds at Stafford and other northeast tracks, building upon the family legacy in his own way.

When he found his way back to the Modified Tour last season, he capitalized on his limited starts. Along with a top-10 finish in the season finale at Martinsville Speedway, Christopher Jr. nearly won the prestigious Mohegan Sun 100 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in his family-owned car before losing an engine on an overtime restart.

The outcome was disappointing, but it also reinforced Christopher Jr.’s belief that he could thrive against the best in the discipline as someone who can be both patient and aggressive.

An equal balance between Mike and Ted.

The late Ted Christopher scored 42 Whelen Modified Tour wins, fourth most all-time. (Photo: Mike Stobe/Getty Images/NASCAR)

Now Christopher Jr. has the perfect chance to showcase those qualities with a successful Modified Tour program in Dering’s Elite Racing. Nothing is going to come easy against stout competition, but he is going to rely upon everything he knows about Modifieds to validate Dering’s faith.

“You need all [the experience] to go Modified Tour racing,” Christopher Jr. said. “You’ve got to be good on the long run knowing you have 150 laps to complete before the checkered flag. I learned how to get to the finish in a long race from the few starts that I have along with the open Modified racing I’ve done [in the northeast].

“You also have to be aggressive at times, and Stafford has definitely taught me that.”

Christopher Jr.’s maiden full-time venture on the Modified Tour is not just about putting together consistent results. He’s carrying on the legacy of a proud motorsports family, one defined by victories and garnering respect.

Dering’s previous track record as a Modified owner has Christopher Jr. convinced he can add onto his small-but-solid resume on the Modified Tour. He would love to earn a championship, as well, but he emphasized 2026 is about establishing his own identity in the series while reminding fans and drivers why the Christopher name is so prestigious.

“I expect to win races,” Christopher Jr. said. “Alan [Dering] is going full steam ahead; that’s how he is as a person. He wants to go out and compete for wins. It’s up to executing on race day, and a lot goes into that with the pit crew and setup, but we have really good help behind us.

“If we roll out the box at New Smyrna and we’re fast in practice, I expect to run up front and compete for the win.”

Christopher Jr. knows he is not his father Mike Christopher or his uncle Ted Christopher, two drivers who have left an indelible mark on Modified racing culture. But he can be Mike Christopher Jr., a stalwart, focused competitor who is eager to keep writing his own history in the discipline.