Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 29, 2026) — NASCAR announced today that Miller Industries Inc. (NYSE: MLR), the world’s leading manufacturer of towing and recovery equipment, has strengthened their presence in the sport and agreed to a long-term deal to serve as the Official Towing and Recovery Equipment Provider of NASCAR. Under the agreement, Miller Industries will provide NASCAR with a complete fleet of towing and recovery equipment to utilize at national series events across the country, building upon a long-standing relationship and expanding its support across the sport.

“Having the right equipment in place is essential for maintaining a safe, efficient and competitive racing product,” said John Probst, NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer. “The best-in-class towing and recovery solutions from Miller Industries will play a key role in supporting our on-track operations and ensuring a consistent standard across our NASCAR national series races.”

Since the company’s inception in 1990, Miller Industries has provided innovative, high-quality towing and recovery equipment worldwide for commercial, municipal and military applications. As the World’s leader in towing and recovery equipment, Miller Industries provides a complete line of quality equipment, including carriers up to 30 feet in length with deck capabilities of up to 40,000 lbs. and towing recovery units with boom capacities of 100 tons.

Backed by industry-leading brands including Century, Vulcan, Chevron, Holmes, Boniface, Jigé and Omars, Miller Industries operates with a high standard of excellence across every product it delivers. By supplying NASCAR with a full fleet of best-in-class towing and recovery equipment, Miller Industries will help ensure efficient incident response, enhanced safety and operational consistency for the sport, its teams and fans. This expanded collaboration reflects a shared commitment to performance, reliability and service excellence while positioning the partnership for continued success in the years ahead.

“We’re thrilled to join forces with NASCAR in a partnership that highlights the strength, resilience and innovation of the towing and recovery industry,” said Kipp Felice, Vice President of Marketing at Miller Industries. “Together, we’re helping elevate operator awareness, safety initiatives and the future of the towing and recovery profession.”

Miller Industries’ equipment will make its 2026 debut at NASCAR’s Cook Out Clash Weekend at Bowman Gray Stadium. Action begins this Saturday, Jan. 31, with the Cook Out Madhouse Classic, featuring two action-packed races featuring Bowman Gray Stadium’s modified and sportsman divisions. Then on Sunday, Feb. 1, the stars of the NASCAR Cup Series will take center stage in the Cook Out Clash, the annual preseason classic that sets the stage for the DAYTONA 500 and the 2026 season.

Posted on by Neil Paine

As the Cup Series heads to Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for the Cook Out Clash, the 2026 NASCAR season is finally upon us. While the exhibition race won’t pay any points, it will give us a chance to see all of the new faces in new cars (or new paint schemes) driving around a track in live action for the first time this year.

RELATED: 2026 Cup Series schedule

And this promises to be a transformative year, indeed, not least of all because 2026 will feature the return of a new and improved Chase format for determining the championship. That’s one of the big things I’m excited to see begin its journey this weekend — though far from the only storyline worth tracking this season. Here are some of the other items to look forward to in 2026:

Denny Hamlin, driving with the whole sport behind him

Few athletes (if any) have ever gone through as much as Denny Hamlin did over the past few months, between an unthinkable personal tragedy, a stressful lawsuit and a crushing disappointment the last time he was behind the wheel of the No. 11 car. It’s a testament to his character, professionalism and determination that he’ll be back at it once again, trying to win that elusive first career championship in his 22nd Cup season. We know drivers tend to stall out in their performance around age 45 — which Hamlin will be this season — but if he ends up being more galvanized to win than ever, it’s hard to imagine even the most ardent Denny-hater not somewhat rooting for him this season.

Connor Zilisch’s full-time debut

Zilisch, arguably the greatest prospect the sport has seen in the modern era, will be embarking on his official rookie season as a full-time Cup Series driver with Trackhouse Racing. And with only three previous Cup races to his record, every little bit of extra experience in these cars — with new crew chief Randall Burnett in his ear — matters. That might be especially true at Bowman Gray, since it will be Zilisch’s first career short-track race at the Cup level — though he had a respectable average finish of 11.6 in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series on short tracks last season.

Will we get a first-time champ? (And will it be Byron or Bell?)

As chaotic and arbitrary as the old playoff system sometimes felt, it had as much of a penchant for producing repeat champions as some of the older formats. Kyle Larson won his second title last season, which came on the heels of Joey Logano’s third crown in 2024. There’s no way to definitively say whether the new Chase format will favor repeat winners or give new faces a chance, but if we do get a new champ in 2026, Christopher Bell or William Byron might be next in line. The two drivers rank Nos. 1 and 3 in Adjusted Points+ index over the past three seasons, sandwiched around Larson — despite zero championships. Bell would have finished second behind Larson in each of the past two seasons if The Chase were in effect, while Byron would have won the championship in 2023.

New races in new places

Every new season is shaped not just by who’s driving, but where they’re driving (and when), and 2026 offers a few important differences. For one, the final race of the season — which will no longer single-handedly determine the championship in the new Chase format — will be at Homestead-Miami Speedway after being held at Phoenix Raceway from 2020-25. Two tracks from a year ago — Mexico City and the Chicago Street Course — will be saying goodbye, with Dover also shifting to host the All-Star Race in mid-May. In their place, North Wilkesboro will make its triumphant return to the points schedule, as will Chicagoland Speedway. And NASCAR will introduce a new track in June at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego. That means the 2026 schedule will be down one road course relative to 2025, which could matter for the question of …

Will Shane van Gisbergen continue dominating road courses?

In 2025, we witnessed SVG produce not just the most dominant season in NASCAR history on road courses, but possibly the most dominant season by any driver on any single track type. Going back to 2005, nobody ever had a higher Driver Rating on any one track type (min. five races) in a season than SVG’s 140.2 on road courses last year. (Hamlin on short tracks in 2009 — 127.0 — is No. 2.) Beyond that, SVG’s 83.3% road winning percentage was the highest single-season mark on any track type since 1972. The big question for 2026 is whether we’re in store for more of the same dominance, or if someone else, whether it be Zilisch or another driver, can bring van Gisbergen back toward the pack.

Who sets the tone at The Clash?

The Clash doesn’t count in the standings and has long been a warmup race, with the twin purposes of getting ready for the long season and earning the teams and drivers a bit of extra money through prize bonuses. But as I found last year, performances at The Clash also tend to have a slight predictive effect on the season to come, particularly on short tracks. That doesn’t always manifest itself perfectly — last year’s winner, Chase Elliott, had a much worse Driver Rating on short tracks in 2025 (83.9) than in 2024 (106.5) — but it might be something to watch for Blaney, Byron, Larson and the rest of the top-rated short-track drivers from last season as they try to start 2026 off right.

Bounce-backs and back-it-ups

Last year produced its share of both disappointments and pleasant surprises, and the great thing about a new season is that we get to see who bounces back and who can keep their breakouts rolling. In the latter camp, all eyes will be on Chase Briscoe to see what he can do for an encore after last year’s remarkable mid-season level-up, with some additional attention reserved in that same regard for Ryan Preece, Josh Berry and, to a lesser degree, Erik Jones, Zane Smith and John Hunter Nemechek. All had better years in 2025 than 2024. On the flip side, Tyler Reddick, Alex Bowman, Ross Chastain, Ty Gibbs and Kyle Busch are all looking for a return to better form in 2026; for Reddick in particular, a better season could vault him back into the championship conversation.

Is 2026 the calm before the 2027 storm?

As much as this past offseason brought seismic off-track changes to the sport, it was relatively sedate from the perspective of Silly Season driver swaps. Amazingly, the only real game of musical drivers involved Zilisch moving full-time into Daniel Suárez’s old ride at Trackhouse, leading Suárez to join Spire in place of Justin Haley, who moved to the Truck Series. But that could be the opposite of what we see next offseason, with a lot of drivers potentially on the move — using the 2026 season as an extended free-agent audition for their next seats.

Posted on by Staff Report

Editor’s Note: New Prime Video subscribers can enjoy a 30-day free trial period to see Prime Video’s extensive NASCAR race coverage, starting with the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 24.

NASCAR’s landmark media rights agreement for the NASCAR Cup Series continues in 2026 with four best-in-class distribution partners — FOX Sports, NBC Sports, Amazon’s Prime Video and TNT Sports.

Here’s a breakdown of how to watch NASCAR races on Amazon Prime Video in 2026.

As we saw in 2025, five Cup Series races will be broadcast live on Prime Video. Cup Series practice and qualifying will air on the streaming service throughout the first half of the season, through Naval Base Coronado (June 21), excluding the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, the Daytona 500 and the NASCAR All-Star Race — those will air on FOX Sports.

RELATED: 2026 Cup Series schedule 

Coverage of race broadcasts on Prime Video begins in May with the crown jewel Coca-Cola 600 (May 24) at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Memorial Day Weekend. Additional races on Prime Video include Nashville Superspeedway (May 31), Michigan International Speedway (June 7), Pocono Raceway (June 14) and the inaugural race weekend at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego (June 21).

Additionally, Cup Series practice and qualifying sessions will air on Prime Video beginning at EchoPark Speedway (Feb. 21) through Naval Base Coronado, with the exception being the All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway.

Prime Video free trial

Fans can get in on the racing action by taking advantage of a 30-day free trial, courtesy of Amazon Prime. Sign up now to see all of Prime Video’s extensive NASCAR coverage throughout the late spring.

How can I sign up for Prime Video?

Visit the NASCAR section of Prime Video and click “Join Prime.” Then, enter the requested information and confirm your membership and billing information.

Once you’ve completed all of the required steps, you can navigate to the Prime Video section of the website. Here, you can find the five premier series events, along with practice and qualifying at the scheduled event times.

NASCAR Cup Series races on Prime Video:

DateTimeTrackNetwork
May 246 p.m. ETCharlotte Motor SpeedwayPrime Video
May 317 p.m. ETNashville SuperspeedwayPrime Video
June 73 p.m. ETMichigan International SpeedwayPrime Video
June 143 p.m. ETPocono RacewayPrime Video
June 214 p.m. ETNaval Base CoronadoPrime Video
Posted on by Staff Report

This season marks the second of NASCAR’s seven-year media rights agreements for the NASCAR Cup Series with four best-in-class distribution partners — FOX Sports, NBC Sports, Amazon’s Prime Video and TNT Sports.

Here’s a breakdown of how to watch NASCAR races on FOX, FS1, FS2 and the FOX Sports App in 2026.

FOX starts its coverage Feb. 4 with the season-opening exhibition race, the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. The Daytona 500 follows on Feb. 15, and FOX’s race coverage will run through the NASCAR All-Star Race on May 17 at Dover Motor Speedway.

RELATED: Full Cup Series schedule

Cup Series races at EchoPark Speedway near Atlanta (Feb. 22), Circuit of The Americas (March 1), Kansas Speedway (April 19) and Talladega Superspeedway (April 26) will also air on FOX. The rest of the network’s Cup Series races will air on FS1.

Additionally, FOX Sports will air practice and qualifying for The Cook Out Clash, the Daytona 500 and the NASCAR All-Star Race.

FS1 will also broadcast 23 of the 25 Craftsman Truck Series races in 2026, with the other two (St. Petersburg, Charlotte Motor Speedway fall) airing on FOX. FOX Sports will also televise practice and qualifying for all Truck Series sessions.

The CW will continue to exclusively broadcast the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2026.

How can I find FS1 or FS2?
Click here and enter your ZIP code and television provider to find out where you can access FS1 and FS2.

What about live streaming?
FS1 and FS2 are available on the following platforms:

• DIRECTV Stream
• Fubo
• Hulu + Live TV
• Sling
• YouTube TV

How to watch on FOX Sports App: Download the app on your device through FOXSports.com/mobile. It’s free to download, but you will need to log in with your paid TV provider credentials. Once you’re logged in, click “Live TV” at the bottom of the app.

NASCAR Cup Series on FOX Sports:

DATETIMETRACKNETWORK
Feb. 18 p.m. ETClash at Bowman GrayFOX
Feb. 127 p.m. ETDaytona International SpeedwayFS1
Feb. 128:45 p.m. ETDaytona International SpeedwayFS1
Feb. 152:30 p.m. ETDaytona International SpeedwayFOX
Feb. 223 p.m. ETEchoPark SpeedwayFOX
March 13:30 p.m. ETCircuit of The AmericasFOX
March 83:30 p.m. ETPhoenix RacewayFS1
March 154 p.m. ETLas Vegas Motor SpeedwayFS1
March 223 p.m. ETDarlington RacewayFS1
March 293:30 p.m. ETMartinsville SpeedwayFS1
April 123 p.m. ETBristol Motor SpeedwayFS1
April 192 p.m. ETKansas SpeedwayFOX
April 263 p.m. ETTalladega SuperspeedwayFOX
May 33:30 p.m. ETTexas Motor SpeedwayFS1
May 103 p.m. ETWatkins Glen InternationalFS1
May 173 p.m. ETDover Motor SpeedwayFS1

MORE: Full Craftsman Truck Series schedule

Posted on by Staff Report

This season marks the second of NASCAR’s new seven-year media rights agreements for the NASCAR Cup Series with four best-in-class distribution partners — FOX Sports, NBC Sports, Amazon’s Prime Video and TNT Sports.

Here’s a breakdown of how to watch NASCAR races on TNT Sports, HBO Max, and truTV in 2026.

TNT Sports begins its coverage on June 28 at Sonoma Raceway and will run for five mid-season Cup Series races. All races will be broadcast on TNT and simulcast on HBO Max (with the B/R Sports Add-On). All Cup Series practice and qualifying sessions for the second half of the season, beginning at Sonoma, will be simulcast on HBO Max and truTV.

The full slate of races for TNT Sports is: Sonoma, Chicagoland Speedway (July 5), EchoPark Speedway (July 12), North Wilkesboro Speedway (July 19) and Indianapolis Motor Speedway (July 26). Those five races also comprise the entire In-Season Challenge, a bracket-style elimination competition among 32 drivers that returns for its second year during the summer slate and concludes at the Brickyard 400.

RELATED: Full Cup Series schedule 

How can I find TNT?

AT&T U-verse HD: Channel 108/109 (East/West)
Charter Spectrum HD: Channel varies by location
Comcast XFINITY HD: Channel varies by location
DIRECTV HD: Channel 245
DISH Network HD: Channel 138
Verizon FiOS HD: Channel 51/551

How can I find truTV?

AT&T U-verse HD: Channel 164/165 (East/West)
Charter Spectrum HD: Channel varies by location
Comcast XFINITY HD: Channel varies by location
DIRECTV HD: Channel 246
DISH Network HD: Channel 242
Verizon FiOS HD: Channel 183/683

What about live streaming?

TNT and truTV are available on these streaming services:

– DirecTV Stream
– Hulu + Live TV
– YouTubeTV
– Sling TV
– HBO Max with B/R Sports Add-On

How to watch on HBO Max: Subscribe to Max at the Standard ($18.49/month) or Premium ($22.99/month) plan level to access NASCAR coverage. The B/R Sports Add-On is now included with these plans at no additional cost. (Note: Live sports are not available on the $10.99/month ad-supported plan.) This will give you access to all five TNT NASCAR Cup Series races, plus Cup practice and qualifying sessions for the second half of the season. You can watch from any Max-supported device, including smart TVs, phones, tablets and gaming consoles.

Additionally, all in-car cameras for Cup Series races will air on Max in its Driver Cam feature.

NASCAR Cup Series on TNT Sports, HBO Max and truTV

DateTimeTrackNetwork
June 283:30 p.m. ETSonoma RacewayTNT/HBO Max
July 56 p.m. ETChicagoland SpeedwayTNT/HBO Max
July 127 p.m. ETEchoPark SpeedwayTNT/HBO Max
July 197 p.m. ETNorth Wilkesboro SpeedwayTNT/HBO Max
July 262 p.m. ETIndianapolis Motor SpeedwayTNT/HBO Max
Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

Kyle Larson and crew chief Cliff Daniels relished winning the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series championship together.

But on the precipice of the 2026 season, the pair is already eager to start working on a third championship.

“Offseasons are fun and all that to get refreshed,” Larson said Thursday at Hendrick Motorsports, “but then as it approaches the new season, I just get really antsy and ready to go and look forward to being around everybody again and getting into the meetings and preparation and race weekends and all of that that goes into it.”

MORE: Clash weekend schedule 

Larson will get his wish as the Cup Series returns to Bowman Gray Stadium for the Cook Out Clash on Wednesday (6 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The 2025 offseason was a bit different than years past, with the NASCAR Awards banquet held in the days immediately following the season finale rather than weeks later.

“This year, it was crazy hectic for a week,” Larson said, “but then once that week was done, it was like, boom, you’re moved on to the next year. So it’s made the offseason feel longer, I think, for me, and that’s been something I’ve enjoyed.”

In his time away from the Cup car, Larson was back at the Chili Bowl and continued his dirt-racing prowess overseas in Australia. The focus resets to 2026 now, retooled for another title run as Larson tries to become the first back-to-back champion since Jimmie Johnson’s unprecedented run of five straight titles from 2006 through 2010.

Daniels is proud of what his group overcame en route to the 2025 title — capped on Jan. 23 at Hendrick Motorsports with the reception of the Goodyear gold car replica of their title-winning machine. But neither Daniels nor his team members are ones to rest on yesteryear’s results.

“That accomplishment is great to have, but at the same time, every year presents its own set of challenges and circumstances,” Daniels said. “And of course, with The Chase format this year, it’s all kind of a different look. So what we can take from one year to another is how we build our daily process, how we execute, how we perform, how we communicate, all of those things, and apply it to whatever comes our way this season.”

Goodyear gold car replica of the No. 5 Chevrolet driven by Kyle Larson.
Brittney Wilbur | NASCAR Digital Media

The team’s journey to title No. 2 in 2025 was quite different than its first in 2021. The inaugural go-around featured a 10-win campaign — and an All-Star Race win to boot — with a string of dominance that led to championship glory. Last year’s battle was more arduous. Larson’s three wins all came before Memorial Day, finishing third in the regular-season standings before rallying through the elimination-style playoff system without netting a postseason victory and winning the Bill France Cup at Phoenix Raceway with a third-place finish.

The game changes in 2026 as NASCAR returns to The Chase, a 10-race championship format that will decide the champion by points earned throughout the final slate. That’s no worry for Daniels, who pointed to last year’s experience as a helpful proving ground.

“Even thinking back to our season in 2025, a lot of what kept us in the hunt for the regular-season title fight was the fact that we had some really good races going until a mechanical failure or a late crash, where we did score a lot of stage points, and that kind of kept us in the hunt,” Daniels said. “So we’ve lived it a little bit. We’ve seen it. And now, of course, it’s going to be more of a highlight of that, where you’ve got to be there during the stages and put a whole race together.

“So again, I think it’s going to benefit our team, and we’ve just got to make sure that how we strategize our races, how we execute, that we’re getting those points along the way. And of course, now with extra points for the race winner, I think that’s a pretty big deal as well of just boosting what that points momentum can be.”

RELATED: The Chase 101: How it works

Indeed, race winners will now receive 55 points instead of the previous 40, placing a high priority on winning despite the points-based format. Larson enters the year on a 24-race winless streak, his longest since joining Hendrick Motorsports in 2021, but remains confident he and his team will be celebrating again sooner than later. Coupled with the return of The Chase, Larson is optimistic for what lies ahead in 2026.

“I think probably all of us were happy to hear of the format change,” Larson said. “I mean, I think your championship contenders in the playoff format are gonna be the same championship contenders in this format. It’s just a larger sample size is gonna be much nicer. A lot can happen in a three-race mini-series that can take you out of it. And then, yeah, from the championship to come down to Phoenix, it’s just there are some teams that are better equipped for that style track. So, yeah, just the larger sample size is gonna be better, and I think would suit Hendrick Motorsports better.”

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

MEXICO CITY — FOX reaffirmed its position as the undisputed leader in the sports media industry in Mexico and Latin America by announcing the addition of NASCAR to its screens starting Feb. 1. This strategic partnership not only expands FOX’s already robust portfolio of broadcast rights, but also reflects its goal of bringing together the properties with the highest audience reach, relevance and loyalty in the region.

NASCAR joins FOX with a clear vision: to bring together on a single screen the competitions that drive motorsports and connect with a rapidly growing fan base in Mexico, fueled by the presence of Daniel Suárez, the Mexican driver who has spent more than a decade competing in NASCAR, racing at the highest level and establishing himself as one of the series’ leading figures.

FOX’s coverage includes the NASCAR Cup Series, which begins on Feb. 1 with the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray and features one of its most anticipated moments with the Daytona 500 (500 Miles of Daytona) on Feb. 15 at Daytona International Speedway, before concluding the season on Nov. 8 with the Championship Race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This offering is complemented by the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, bringing the total to more than 90 NASCAR races throughout the year.

FOX’s motorsports offering is rounded out by the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, which opened the calendar with the 24 Hours of Daytona and closes with Petit Le Mans, reinforcing a lineup that blends speed, endurance and spectacle. For fans who live and breathe motorsports, FOX becomes the essential destination. Anyone seeking the thrill of every NASCAR race will know that FOX’s platform is the exclusive meeting point where speed and strategy come to life.

“NASCAR arrives to complete our motorsports offering and to bring Mexican audiences closer to the great stories of racing, with figures that generate identity and passion, including Daniel Suárez, who will compete in his 10th season in the NASCAR Cup,” said Luis Maldonado, executive director of programming and marketing at FOX Latin America.

With the addition of NASCAR, FOX strengthens its position as the home of motorsports, bringing together the most exciting competitions on a single screen for fans. Once again, FOX consolidates its role as a multiplatform destination, reaffirming its commitment to shaping the global sports agenda and delivering the highest-impact events directly to audiences.

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. and LOS ANGELES — NASCAR Studios and FOX Sports today announced “We’ve Lost Dale Earnhardt: 25 Years Later,” a powerful new original documentary marking the 25th anniversary of the 2001 Daytona 500, the race that forever changed NASCAR and American motorsports. Premiering Thursday, Feb. 12 at 10 p.m. ET following the NASCAR Cup Series American 250 Duels on FS1, the film is told through exclusive first-person accounts, rare home video, archival broadcast footage and cinematic storytelling, revisiting the death of seven-time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt and examining the profound ripple effects that continue to shape the sport and its culture 25 years later.

“FOX Sports’ partnership with NASCAR allows us to tell the stories that define the heart of the sport, and through this film, we are honored to spotlight Dale Earnhardt, one of the most iconic and influential figures in NASCAR, and carry his legacy forward,” said Barry Nugent, vice president, development & original programming, FOX Sports. “This documentary explores the man behind the wheel and goes beyond a single day in history to delve into how one moment forever changed the sport and continues to impact drivers competing today.”

Dale Earnhardt faces the camera with a serious look with the title "We've lost Dale Earnhardt" and tune-in information on the right side of this movie poster-style graphic.
FOX Sports and NASCAR Studios

RELATED: Dale Earnhardt through the years

On the final lap of NASCAR’s biggest race, Earnhardt was lost in a moment that stunned fans, competitors, broadcasters and the nation. His death was more than a tragedy; it was a rupture in the heart of the sport. “We’ve Lost Dale Earnhardt: 25 Years Later” explores that day and its aftermath not just through competition, but through the emotional, cultural and human impact felt by those inside and far beyond the race track.

Even 25 years later, Earnhardt remains one of the most iconic figures in all of sports, transcending NASCAR to become a symbol of American identity, grit and fandom. Part mythology, part time capsule and part love letter, the documentary examines how Earnhardt became bigger than the sport itself and why his legacy endures with such intensity today.

The documentary features intimate reflections from former NASCAR President Mike Helton, 2001 Daytona 500 competitors Rusty Wallace and Kurt Busch, as well as Kurt’s younger brother and NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, who was at that fateful race. It also features insights from NASCAR Cup Series champions Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney, along with “Malcolm in the Middle” star/current NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Frankie Muniz, who was the honorary pace car driver at the race, in addition to former NASCAR and FOX Sports media personnel Ryan McGee and Patti Wheeler.

“When Mike Helton announced that ‘We’ve lost Dale Earnhardt,'” it’s one of those rare moments when you remember where you were when you heard that devastating news,” said John Dahl, NASCAR SVP of content. “Through the prism of those indelible words, this documentary explores that fateful day and the profound impact it continues to have a quarter-century later.”

Key storylines include the unprecedented challenge faced by FOX Sports’ broadcast team as they covered the unimaginable live on air in the network’s first NASCAR race broadcast, the weight carried by Helton as he delivered the words that would echo forever, the sweeping safety revolution that followed and the influence Earnhardt continues to have on today’s stars and generations of fans.

“We’ve Lost Dale Earnhardt: 25 Years Later” was directed by Justin Burnett, produced by Griffin Van Malssen, Ariana Rotstein, Carl Hansen, Michael Vayder and Rita O’Dea, and executive produced by Eric Shanks, Brad Zager, Tim Clark, John Dahl, Tally Hair and Barry Nugent. 

Posted on by Staff Report

Goodyear will unveil a new tire for the first on-track competition of the NASCAR Cup Series season, debuting redesigned left-side rubber for Wednesday’s Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium (6 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: Bowman Gray weekend schedule

The new left-side tires will pair with familiar right-sides, which were used in the exhibition event’s Bowman Gray debut and six other Cup Series races last season. Officials with the tire maker indicated that the new left-side Goodyears are designed for more fall-off, part of the industry’s initiative to make tire management more essential and enhance the competition.

“This is in line with our ongoing efforts to deliver tires that offer increased grip and more lap time fall-off over the course of a run,” said Justin Fantozzi, Goodyear’s Director of Racing for the Americas. “Teams will be focused on racing and battling for track position, but we’ll use Bowman Gray as an opportunity to gather data and apply that knowledge to our short-track tire package for the rest of the season.”

Teams will each have five sets of tires for their weekend allotment — one for practice, one for qualifying that transfer to the race, and three new race sets. Goodyear will also have four total wet-weather sets available to each team as needed.

Posted on by Staff Report

Corey Heim will attempt to make the field for the 2026 Daytona 500, kicking off his partial NASCAR Cup Series schedule this season with 23XI Racing’s No. 67 Toyota team.

Heim, last year’s Craftsman Truck Series champion, will aim to make his first start in “The Great American Race” on Sunday, Feb. 15 (1:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN and SiriusXM Radio, HBO Max). He’ll carry primary sponsorship from finance and investment platform Robinhood, which will also expand its partnership with 23XI’s Bubba Wallace in select races.

RELATED: 2026 Cup Series schedule | Daytona Speedweeks schedule

“It means a lot to me to have the opportunity to represent Robinhood again this season, and it’s extra special to do so at the Daytona 500,” Heim said in a team release. “Coming off a great season last year, I’m excited to continue my growth as a driver and look forward to another successful year.”

Heim was signed to a multiyear agreement last February to become 23XI Racing’s first development driver. The 23-year-old Georgia native made four starts with 23XI Racing last year, with his best result a career-high sixth place in Bristol Motor Speedway’s annual night race last September.

In full-time competition, Heim won 12 of 25 Truck Series races last season with Tricon Garage to secure that circuit’s title. That performance ran his record to 23 career wins in 89 Truck Series starts, a remarkable 25.8% winning clip.

Should he qualify, Heim will make his first superspeedway start in NASCAR’s top division. He prevailed in the Craftsman Truck Series opener at Daytona International Speedway last February.

MORE: On the move: Changes for 2026

23XI indicated that Heim will be entered in the Truck Series’ event at EchoPark Speedway near Atlanta with Robinhood sponsorship. Robinhood is also set to be the primary sponsor for Wallace’s No. 23 Toyota in Sunday’s Cook Out Clash exhibition at Bowman Gray Stadium, plus Cup Series races early in the season at Circuit of The Americas (March 1) and Phoenix Raceway (March 8).

The team indicated that the partnership would grow in 2026 to an unspecified number of events; Robinhood sponsored Heim in three Cup Series races last year and Wallace for two. Robinhood made its first foray into motorsports with 23XI last year, building on its portfolio of sponsoring NBA teams, a French soccer team and college athletics.