NASCAR will shorten the lengths of its final two stages in the April 26 race at Talladega Superspeedway to address fuel-saving concerns on superspeedways.
Next January will also bring the return of a “Preseason Thunder” test session at Daytona International Speedway, assessing potential technical changes to the cars that could lessen the impact of conservation strategies at superspeedways.
The sanctioning body also revealed that YouTube personality Cleetus McFarland has yet to be approved for Talladega. (More on that below.)
But back to the superspeedways, where the concept of drivers running at less than full throttle at the longest tracks on the circuit has drawn negative reactions.
“Listen, we talk to our fans every week,” John Probst, NASCAR’s executive vice president and chief racing development officer, said on the latest episode of the “Hauler Talk” podcast. “So we hear what they’re saying. There’s certainly a lot of feedback from the fans that don’t always like to see some of the three-wide fuel saving that happens mostly at Talladega and Daytona.
“And I think that coming out of Daytona, we have been working hand-in-hand with a lot of our race teams, trying to largely break into two categories of things that we could do. One being the sporting-related things, like rules around pit stops or stage lengths or things of that nature. The other being in a technical bucket, which would mean car changes, spoiler, power levels and things of that nature.”
Though the precise lengths have yet to be announced, Probst said the final two stages at Talladega will be short enough to complete without a fuel stop.
“Generally, how a lot of our speedways were laid out, it was a short stage, a short stage and then a long stage to the end,” Probst said. “Going into Talladega, we’re going to flip that.”
Last year, Talladega’s segments broke down as 60 laps for the first stage, 60 for the second and 68 for the last.
This year, the first stage likely will be closer to 100 laps, with the last two stages under 50 laps apiece, when the Cup Series returns to the 2.66-mile oval in two weeks.
“It could be interesting in that first stage, if there’s some teams that try to do it on one stop versus some that try to do it on two,” Probst said. “We think that if there are some that do it on two, they may drag the group that would try to do it on one stop. So it’s got some potential for some pretty interesting strategies.”
The dates have yet to be set for the Daytona preseason test, but Probst said it would occur before the Rolex 24, which is slated for Jan. 30-31, 2027 (and will be preceded by an IMSA test at the track on Jan. 22-24).
NASCAR plans to test “some different power levels and spoilers and maybe some other car-type things,” Probst said, adding about fuel strategy that “it’s important to point out that this is a tool now that the teams know. And this is not something that I think is ever going to go away because these guys will look for every possible advantage that they can get. And that’s reasonable on their end. So I think that what we can do is just take steps to mitigate that.”
Patrick Vallely | For NASCAR Digital Media
Other topics addressed by Probst during the podcast:
“We’re all huge Cleetus fans,” Probst said. “We all watch his videos and are certainly very appreciative of everything he’s done in our sport and will continue to do in our sport.
“He is approved right now for O’Reilly Series short tracks, which means he’s good for all of ARCA, all of Truck and then O’Reilly up through the short tracks. We’d like to see more out of Cleetus in the short tracks. So we’re not saying no, but there is more that we would like to see out of Cleetus before we would approve him for Talladega.”
— NASCAR has finalized the track layout for its inaugural race weekend at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego, California, on June 19-21. Probst said paving will be required in some sections of the track that are used for loading aircraft carriers.
“The drivers will have to deal with some unique features that a course like that will throw at us, but it’s an honor for us to go out there and race in June,” he said. “There are parts of that base that we’ll be racing on tarmac, runway, streets that are concrete and asphalt. So that track will probably have more different aspects to it than any track we’ve ever raced on. There’ll be some curveballs that we have to hit. Once we get everybody at the track and we get kind of into the grind of our normal race weekend, the one thing that our industry has shown is that once we’re on site, we can adapt as well as anyone and put on a really good show.”
— With a Goodyear tire test slated April 21 for Chicagoland Speedway, Probst said there isn’t any major repaving needed for the 1.5-mile speedway in Joliet, Illinois.
“The track surface actually weathered pretty well,” Probst said of Chicagoland, which was mostly dormant since the most recent Cup race in July 2019. “There’ll be some track bond to patch up some minor issues and obviously some painting and cleaning up the garage and some retrofitting of the suites. But we’re pretty pleased how the track weathered over time; this current package has had some pretty good racing at Kansas. Chicago is a bit of a sister track to Kansas, so we’re pretty pumped up. We think that’ll be a really good show.”
Other topics covered by Forde and senior director of racing communications Amanda Ellis during the 48th episode of “Hauler Talk,” which explores competition issues in NASCAR:
— Why rain tires were unavailable for use at Rockingham;
— A new rule that resulted in more than a dozen Craftsman Truck Series teams missing 10 minutes of practice at Rockingham Speedway because of inspection failures.
Nate Ryan has written about NASCAR since 1996 while working at the San Bernardino Sun, Richmond Times-Dispatch, USA TODAY and for the past 10 years at NBC Sports Digital. He is a contributor to the “Hauler Talk” show on the NASCAR Podcast Network. He also has covered various other motorsports, including the IndyCar and IMSA series.
SAN DIEGO (April 7, 2026) — Today, NASCAR announced Arby’s will serve as a Supporting Partner of the NASCAR San Diego weekend, presented by Anduril. Together they create an unforgettable experience for race fans, June 19-21, as the nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of the United States Navy.
From the thunder of NASCAR to the unmistakable deliciousness of Arby’s classics, fans can expect a race weekend fueled by speed and stacked with flavor as NASCAR embarks on its maiden voyage at Naval Base Coronado.
“As we quickly approach race weekend, it’s important to align with brands that are bold and memorable,” said Amy Lupo, president of NASCAR San Diego Race Weekend. “Arby’s brings energy, creativity and a loyal fan base that perfectly complements the excitement of NASCAR. We’re thrilled to welcome them to this historic event.”
Arby’s, the beloved fast-food chain renowned for its delicious sandwiches and signature sauces, offers a variety of high-quality meats and innovative, crave-able sides, such as Curly Fries and Jamocha shakes. Arby’s restaurant services feature a unique blend of quick-serve speed combined with the quality and made-for-you care of fast casual.
Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc., is the franchisor of the Arby’s Brand and is part of the Inspire Brands family of restaurants headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1964, Arby’s is a leading sandwich drive-thru restaurant brand with more than 3,500 restaurants globally.
Most importantly, Arby’s is no stranger to NASCAR fans. The brand is also a partner of JR Motorsports and can be seen on the cars of NASCAR O’Reilly Parts Series stalwarts Justin Allgaier, Carson Kvapil and Sammy Smith throughout the season. Arby’s also served as a Founding Partner of the 2025 Chicago Street Race, bringing its signature blend of fun and flavor to one of NASCAR’s most memorable events. NASCAR fans will receive a solid serving of both during NASCAR San Diego Weekend, as Arby’s branding and activation will be prominent on Naval Base Coronado.
Arby’s joins Pala Casino Golf Resort & Spa and Camping World as supporting partners of NASCAR San Diego Weekend, presented by Anduril. More supporting partners will be announced in the weeks ahead.
Racing action at Naval Base Coronado begins with Navy Community Day on Friday, June 19. Friday access will be open exclusively to members of the U.S. Navy at Naval Base Coronado and a limited number of Coronado residents, culminating with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race.
Ticket holders from the general public will be welcome aboard June 20-21. The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series will take center stage on Saturday, June 20, and the stars of the NASCAR Cup Series will compete in the Anduril 250 Race the Base on Sunday, June 21.
About Arby’s. Arby’s, founded in 1964, is a leading destination for high-quality meat-crafted sandwiches, with more than 3,500 restaurants in six global markets. Arby’s is part of the Inspire Brands family of restaurants. For more information, visit Arbys.com and InspireBrands.com.
NASCAR Cup Series teams will have an all-new tire setup for this weekend’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway, with Goodyear providing new right-side and left-side rubber designed for consistent performance in changing weather conditions.
The tire combination will make its debut in Sunday’s Food City 500 (3 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX One, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the eighth of 36 races for the Cup Series this season.
Goodyear officials landed on this weekend’s setup after analyzing data from a two-day test last November. Cup Series drivers Alex Bowman, Ryan Preece and Bubba Wallace tried out new configurations during those sessions, with the intent to have the high-banked concrete surface take rubber in a variety of weather conditions — all while managing the track’s high speeds and loads.
“The objective at our Bristol tire test in November was to develop a setup that is less temperature dependent at laying rubber down,” said Justin Fantozzi, Goodyear’s director of racing for the Americas. “We heard loudly from the teams about variations in weather between practice and race conditions, and the need for a tire solution to address this. The track took rubber in November under rather cold temperatures, and again at the March OEM Wheel Force test. Our development team did a great job, and we are very pleased to be heading into the weekend with this new package.”
The 0.533-mile Tennessee track has been a hotbed for tire development, ever since a March 2024 event turned into a battle of tire management and aggressive wear. Since that Cup Series race, NASCAR and Goodyear officials have collaborated to enhance the racing in the sport’s top division by placing a premium on those factors with softer rubber compounds and degradation.
This weekend should provide a fertile proving ground. The Eastern Tennessee hills are in the midst of a relative cold snap this week, but daytime temperatures this weekend are forecast to rise from cool overnight lows into the low 80s.
“The real crux with Bristol has been the change between the weather on Saturday and Sunday,” Fantozzi told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Tuesday. “So, we wanted to take some of that temperature sensitivity out. We tested in November — it was quite cold, it was in the 40s when we got there in the morning. We wanted to make sure we could put rubber down in the cold. That way if we had a spring where it was cold, or in the fall at night if it was cold, we had that covered. So that was objective number one. I feel very confident in what the engineers have prescribed for the event this weekend, taking care of that”
Cup Series teams will each have an allotment of 12 sets for the weekend — 10 new for the race, one for practice and one from Saturday’s qualifying session that transfers to the main event. Four sets of wet-weather tires are also available for each team in the event of inclement weather.
The O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and Craftsman Truck Series will roll on the same Goodyear setup that’s been used at Bristol since September 2022. The tire configuration was also used earlier this season at Darlington Raceway and Rockingham Speedway.
With eight NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races officially in the books, the 2026 regular season is a third of the way complete. What have we learned in that span? Plenty — Justin Allgaier (and JR Motorsports as a whole) remains a victory machine. Jesse Love is holding strong in the hopes of defending his 2025 crown. And a NASCAR Cup Series regular (or two) can still hop behind the wheel and leave a winning message.
These storylines, plus new surprises, have shaken up the rankings since our preseason installment. So where does the full-time field currently stand? Let’s dive into it, with NASCAR.com’s John Crane ranking the top 10 drivers in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series following action at Rockingham Speedway.
Analysis: With a 126-point lead in the driver standings following Rockingham, the 2024 O’Reilly champion Allgaier is the slam-dunk No. 1 in this installment. Let the box score do the talking: Allgaier has finished eighth or better in seven of eight races this season, with six of those results being top fours. It’s worth noting again that this is all in only eight races, and with his career high in wins in a single season at five (2018), it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility that Allgaier doesn’t just beat that mark, but shatters it.
Analysis:At last! After so many close calls since his full-time leap to the circuit in 2022, the 2020 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion finally captured his first career O’Reilly victory, doing so at EchoPark Speedway in thrilling, last-lap fashion. Though that remains Creed’s only victory so far this season, the winless monkey is off his back, and it’s been nothing but consistency since, with top-11 finishes in the six contests that have followed. Currently P3 in the driver standings with a ridiculous 7.5 average finish (second among full-timers), Creed isn’t going anywhere.
Analysis: After starting the campaign with five straight top 10s and seven finishes of 12th or better, Love’s steady stretch to begin 2026 came to a grinding halt at Rockingham, finishing two laps down in 27th. While the defending champion has yet to clinch a victory, Love has compiled excellent points performances, averaging 37 markers per race. As such, even with a rocky Rockingham, Love still ranks second in the driver standings. With a league-best 223 laps led, Love will be just fine.
Analysis: Hill was up to his usual superspeedway tricks, winning at Daytona International Speedway to open an O’Reilly season for the fourth time in five years. Aside from a Darlington Raceway dud (which resulted in a 35th-place finish), Hill has been among the best in staying at the front, with a league-leading four stage wins and results of 12th or better in every other contest. There are areas to improve, though; after leading 112 combined laps at Daytona and EchoPark to begin the season, the 31-year-old Georgia native has led only 13 circuits since.
Analysis: Welcome to the club, Day. The 20-year-old Hendrick Motorsports farmhand has made his name known through the opening eight races, with seven consecutive top 10s after wrecking and finishing 27th at Daytona to begin the season. Starting from the pole at Rockingham and leading 118 laps has further illustrated Day’s ability to find and maintain race-day speed. Such a brisk — and, at times, aggressive — driving style by the O’Reilly rookie has drawn criticism from competitors, so this is worth monitoring.
Analysis: After Allgaier (6.6), Creed (7.5) and Day (8.9), you’re looking at the driver with the best average finish among all full-timers (9.1). This is good! Now for the not-so-good: His 11 laps led rank 14th among all full-time drivers. The No. 8 driver is on pace to lead 45 laps this season, continuing a downtrend since leading 334 in 2023. Currently seventh in the standings, Smith will need to contend for more points (and wins) if he wishes to break into the upper echelon.
Analysis: Splitting time between JR Motorsports and DGM Racing has gone off without a hitch for the 22-year-old. The North Carolina native is currently sixth in the driver standings, and his 81 stage points rank second among the field. (Allgaier ranks first with 120.) Accumulating such a substantial total is largely thanks to starting every race within arm’s reach of the top 10; Kvapil’s 8.0 average start is tied for fifth (Allgaier) among full-timers. Two DNFs are a blemish, but if that is mitigated, Kvapil will continue his contending ways.
Analysis: Remember what I said about Kvapil? That rings a notch louder for Jones, whose 7.6 average start sits fourth. Despite starting every race inside the top 15 (and starting inside the top eight in the last six contests), the 29-year-old Georgia native only has three top 10s. OK, but not stellar. That said, Jones seems to be on an upswing, with two runner-up finishes in the last three races, with Rockingham the most recent.
Analysis: Sawalich’s mastery at “The Rock” resulted in capturing his first career O’Reilly win and jumping into this ranking installment. There is no better momentum than a race win, with the 19-year-old on the cusp of cracking the top 10 in the driver standings thanks to the 71-point performance. (Rajah Caruth, who sits 10th in the table, is one point ahead of him.) Sawalich will need to keep this momentum going should he wish to make another dent in the standings … and stay in this ranking.
Analysis: A touch more consistency in finishing races has Retzlaff (who has a 12.4 average finish) in this ranking over Caruth (who, comparatively, has a 16.0 average finish). So far, 2026 has been relatively fruitful for the 22-year-old Retzlaff, who is continuing to find his footing with Viking Motorsports. Like Sawalich and others in the latter half of this ranking, there is no letting up, with drivers who just missed out — Caruth, Sam Mayer and Taylor Gray, among others — licking their chops.
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series travels to Bristol Motor Speedway for a Friday feature (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1, NRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
The Tennessee Army National Guard 250 will serve as the final race of this year’s Triple Truck Challenge. Corey Heim, the defending series champion, has won each of the last two races to collect a $150,000 bonus from “The Trip.” A win Friday at Bristol would award him a total of $500,000 if he can complete the three-race sweep. Chandler Smith is the defending race winner.
Cup Series regular Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will also make an appearance in the No. 4 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet, saddling up for just his third career Truck Series start, all of which have come this year. Two-time Cup Series champion and prolific Truck Series winner Kyle Busch is also in the race, set to pilot the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet. Cup Series drivers Chase Briscoe, Ross Chastain and Daniel Suárez are also in the field.
The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series heads to the Tennessee-Virginia border for a thriller at the 0.533-mile Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, The CW, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
The Suburban Propane 300 will also serve as the opening race for this season’s Dash 4 Cash. William Sawalich, winner of last week’s race at Rockingham Speedway, is up for the $100,000 bonus alongside Brandon Jones, Justin Allgaier and Rajah Caruth. Whoever finishes highest among the four racers will take home the prize money. Cup Series regular Kyle Larson is the defending race winner at Bristol.
The NASCAR Cup Series returns from its off week with a trip to Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, FS1, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Kyle Larson is the defending race winner. Larson dominated the Food City 500 a year ago but enters on a 31-race winless streak.
There was one overriding theme that emerged from the NASCAR weekend at Rockingham Speedway: youth was served.
After a rough 2025 rookie campaign and a lackluster start to the 2026 season, 19-year-old William Sawalich scored a convincing breakthrough win in Saturday’s North Carolina Education Lottery 250 presented by Black’s Tire.
In that same NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race, 20-year-old Corey Day led the field to the green flag after scoring the first pole position of his burgeoning career.
Brent Crews, who turned 18 on March 30 and is now eligible to compete in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series on the full array of NASCAR tracks, celebrated by leading 30 laps and scoring points in the first two stages. But for an unnecessary two-tire call late in the race — when other contenders took four — Crews might have been battling for the win with Sawalich, his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate.
In Friday’s Black’s Tire 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, 23-year-old Corey Heim did what he invariably does — scoring two stage wins, setting the fastest lap and winning the race to record the first “perfect” 76-point race of the season in any of NASCAR’s top three national series.
And in the ARCA Menards Series East race that preceded Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series event, 15-year-old Tristan McKee started from the pole and led all 125 laps in a dominating win.
For Sawalich and Day, Saturday’s race provided career milestones.
Neither Sawalich’s performance nor his racing luck had matched the quality of his Joe Gibbs Racing equipment — until Saturday. After starting 14th, he advanced through the field, finishing fifth in Stage 1 and second in Stage 2.
In what could represent a breakout accomplishment, Sawalich led the final 79 laps after charging to the front after a restart on Lap 172 of 250. The victory was a culmination of lessons learned.
“I think just resetting every week was probably the toughest part, and not to carry a bad finish over to the next week, because that definitely mentally impacts you,” said Sawalich, the first Minnesota-born driver to win a race in any of NASCAR’s top three touring divisions.
“So just, honestly, forgetting about last week and anything that happened that was bad and taking the positives and applying it to the next week. Confidence is a huge thing as a driver, I think, and I learned that over the last year.”
Though the statistics won’t say so, Saturday’s race was Day’s best so far as a NASCAR driver. Yes, he scored his seventh straight top-10 finish, but the 10th-place result was his worst in that streak.
On the other hand, Day dominated the first half of the event. His two stage wins were the first and second of his career. He led a race-high 118 laps. And when two snafus on pit road forced him to the rear of the field, Day didn’t panic. Methodically, he worked his way up to 10th and settled for a less-than-satisfying outcome.
Most important, however, was his lengthy time at the front of the field in the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.
“I don’t know what the exact turning point is,” Day said afterward. “I felt really good at Las Vegas this year, felt really good there last year and then this year, with more experience and having the experience of leading laps.
“And kind of that same thing I did today. But that was the first time I had got it. So just trying to keep building off of that.”
Earlier this season, Day drew criticism for on-track mistakes that jeopardized the results of Hendrick affiliate cars at JR Motorsports. His performance at Rockingham, however, is emblematic of the progress he has made.
No race track has held more NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races than Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park. The 0.625-mile asphalt oval will welcome the series for the 159th time Sunday for the running of the Icebreaker 150 (4:30 p.m. ET on FloRacing).
Winning at Thompson is no easy task, which is why of the previous 158 Modified Tour events at the track, only 38 drivers have found their way to Victory Lane. Among those are legends like Mike Stefanik, Ted Christopher, Jeff Fuller, Rick Fuller and Tony Hirschman, as well as modern drivers like Justin Bonsignore, Ron Silk, Doug Coby and Patrick Emerling.
In fact, in the last eight Modified Tour events at Thompson only Silk, Bonsignore and Emerling have found Victory Lane. Silk has won four times, while Bonsignore and Emerling have each won twice.
Tickets to Sunday’s Icebreaker 150 will be available at the track. Below is everything you need to know about the third race of the 2026 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season.
Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park has hosted more NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events than any other track. (Photo: Rob Branning/NASCAR)
Icebreaker 150 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park
It’s been nearly 10 years since Boehler Racing Enterprises and the Ole Blue No. 3 have been on top of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour standings.
That drought is over thanks to a strong start by the team and driver Tyler Rypkema, who find themselves on top of the standings following finishes of second at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway and third at Martinsville Speedway to launch the 2026 season.
Rypkema, who is in his second full season as the driver of the legendary Ole Blue No. 3, earned his first Modified Tour win last season at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Now, for the first time in his career, he leads the standings. He’ll be looking for another strong run Sunday at Thompson to keep himself and Ole Blue on top of the heap.
Speaking of the top of the heap, Victory Lane at Thompson is a very exclusive club. Since the 2023 season, only three drivers have scored Modified Tour wins at Thompson. Those drivers — Ron Silk, Patrick Emerling and Justin Bonsignore — are all entered Sunday, and each hopes to add another victory to his resume.
Another driver looking for continued success is Austin Beers, who is riding an incredible 32-race top 10 streak entering the Icebreaker 150. His streak began in 2024 at Thompson during the Icebreaker 150, meaning the reigning Modified Tour champion hasn’t finished outside the top 10 in a series event in two years.
One notable driver joining the Modified Tour field for the first time this year is six-time series champion Doug Coby, who will be making the first of nine scheduled starts for Jett Motorsports in the No. 28 entry. Coby, who enters the event tied with five-time Modified Tour champion Tony Hirschman for fifth on the all-time wins list, is a six-time Thompson winner.
Other notable entries include Ronnie Williams, who will be making his first Modified Tour start in two years, Martinsville winner Stephen Kopcik, Matt Hirschman, Jon McKennedy, Craig Lutz, Chase Dowling, Eric Goodale and Matt Swanson, among others.
The full entry list for Sunday’s Icebreaker 150 will be available later this week.
Only three drivers — Ron Silk, Patrick Emerling and Justin Bonsignore — have visited Victory Lane at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park since 2023. (Photo: Rob Branning/NASCAR)
SCHEDULE: Sunday, April 12: Practice from 12 – 12:50 p.m. ET … Final practice from 1:25 to 1:55 p.m. ET … American Racer Pole Award qualifying at 3:30 p.m. ET … Start of the Icebreaker 150 at 4:30 p.m. ET (150 Laps / 93.75 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 52nd Annual Icebreaker 150 is limited to 30 starters including Provisional Positions.
TIRE ALLOTMENT: The maximum tire allotment available for this event is eleven (11) 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. The remaining tire allotment may be used for practice and/or change tires during the event. A maximum of three (3) tires of the allotment may be used as change tires. The tire change rule is two (2) tires per stop. This includes “swapping” tires front to back.
