Chili Bowl 2026: Schedule, entry list, results and more for this year’s Nationals in Tulsa

Posted on January 12, 2026January 17, 2026 by Adam Fenwick

The 2026 Chili Bowl has arrived.

Considered the Super Bowl of midget car racing, the Chili Bowl Nationals presented by NOS Energy Drink attract more than 300 competitors from across the United States and the world to compete at Tulsa Expo Raceway, a temporary circuit constructed inside the SageNet Center at Tulsa’s Expo Square in Oklahoma.

This year marks the 40th running of the event, which began in 1987 and has continued to grow in prestige each year since.

A number of NASCAR drivers have made their way to the Chili Bowl through the years, and select handful have won the prestigious Golden Driller trophy. Among them is two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson, the three-time and defending Chili Bowl winner. Christopher Bell is also three-time Chili Bowl champion. Three-time Cup champion Tony Stewart has won the Chili Bowl twice, and Dave Blaney, a veteran of more than 450 Cup races, won the Chili Bowl in 1993.

Five drivers who competed in the Cup Series last year are entered in the 2026 Chili Bowl: Larson, Bell, Ty Gibbs, J.J. Yeley and Josh Bilicki.

Jesse Love, the 2025 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion and 2023 ARCA Menards Series champion, will compete in a car owned by Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Blake Harris. Corey Day, who is set to embark upon his first full O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season in 2026, is also scheduled to compete. Sheldon Creed, an O’Reilly Auto Parts Series regular and 2020 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion, will make his Chili Bowl debut this year.

The NASCAR Regional level is also well represented at the Chili Bowl. Jake Johnson, a winner on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, will make his Chili Bowl debut. Gavan Boschele, who recently signed with Nitro Motorsports in the ARCA Menards Series, will drive a car owned by Kyle Busch. ARCA Menards Series regular Brayton Laster will compete for the first time in Tulsa, as will ARCA competitor and active duty U.S. Air Force pilot Ryan Roulette.

Below is everything to know about the 2026 Chili Bowl, including the schedule, the entry list and the results from the event’s 39-year history.

Karter Sarff leads, Christopher Bell and C.J. Leary during last year’s Chili Bowl Nationals at the Tulsa Expo Center. (Photo: Yem Sanlaeid/NASCAR)

What TV channel is the Chili Bowl on in 2026?

The 2026 Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa will be shown live in its entirety on FloRacing, the streaming home for all NASCAR Regional action. The event will not be shown on a traditional television network.

FloRacing’s race coverage begins Monday, Jan. 13 and includes all five qualifying nights as well as the championship finale on Saturday, Jan. 17.

Below is the breakdown of the TV and live streaming schedule for the 2026 Chili Bowl.

Chili Bowl schedule

Date	Event	How to watch	Broadcast Start Time
Monday, Jan. 12	2nd Opinion Auto Center Qualifying Night plus the ROC; Race of Champions	FloRacing	4 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. CT
Tuesday, Jan. 13	Warren CAT Qualifying Night	FloRacing	4 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. CT
Wednesday, Jan. 14	York Plumbing Qualifying Night	FloRacing	4 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. CT
Thursday, Jan. 15	Hasty Bake Qualifying Night	FloRacing	4 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. CT
Friday, Jan. 16	Hard Rock Casino Tulsa Qualifying Night	FloRacing	4 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. CT
Saturday, Jan. 17	Championship Feature Events	FloRacing	10 a.m. ET / 9 a.m. CT

Entry list

Two NASCAR Cup Series winners are among the nearly 400 drivers entered in the 2026 Chili Bowl Nationals.

As of Jan. 7, the entry list had reached 385 drivers. The all-time record for Chili Bowl entries was set in 2022 with 381 competitors.

Kyle Larson headlines the list of NASCAR competitors entered to compete in the Chili Bowl. He captured back-to-back Chili Bowl titles in 2020 and 2021 and added his third Golden Driller trophy last year.

Also entered is Christopher Bell, a three-time Chili Bowl Nationals champion who won the event in three consecutive years from 2017-19.

Additional entries include 2025 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion Jesse Love, NASCAR Cup Series competitor Ty Gibbs, 2020 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Sheldon Creed, Cup veterans J.J. Yeley and Josh Bilicki, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour winner Jake Johnson and ARCA competitors Gavan Boschele, Brayton Laster and Ryan Roulette.

The entry list features drivers from 36 states and five countries (Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands).

The complete 2026 Chili Bowl entry list can be viewed here.

Chili Bowl results

Kyle Larson added another trophy to his legendary collection with his third Chili Bowl Nationals victory last year. After taking consecutive Chili Bowl crowns in 2020 and 2021, he earned his third with an epic drive in the 40-lap main event in 2025.

Legendary sprint car driver Sammy Swindell, a three-time World of Outlaws champion, holds the record with five Chili Bowl A-Main victories (1989, 1992, 1996, 1998, 2009). He is once again entered in 2024.

Swindell’s son Kevin ranks second in Chili Bowl A-Main victories with four (all in a row from 2010-14), though injuries sustained in a 2015 crash ended his driving career.

Below is the complete list of Chili Bowl winners from 1987-2025.

Year	Chili Bowl A-Main winner
1987	Rich Vogler
1988	Scott Hatton
1989	Sammy Swindell
1990	Johnny Heydenreich
1991	Lealand McSpadden
1992	Sammy Swindell
1993	Dave Blaney
1994	Andy Hillenburg
1995	Donnie Beechler
1996	Sammy Swindell
1997	Billy Boat
1998	Sammy Swindell
1999	Dan Boorse
2000	Cory Kruseman
2001	Jay Drake
2002	Tony Stewart
2003	Dan Boorse
2004	Cory Kruseman
2005	Tracy Hines
2006	Tim McCreadie
2007	Tony Stewart
2008	Damion Gardner
2009	Sammy Swindell
2010	Kevin Swindell
2011	Kevin Swindell
2012	Kevin Swindell
2013	Kevin Swindell
2014	Bryan Clauson
2015	Rico Abreu
2016	Rico Abreu
2017	Christopher Bell
2018	Christopher Bell
2019	Christopher Bell
2020	Kyle Larson
2021	Kyle Larson
2022	Tanner Thorson
2023	Logan Seavey
2024	Logan Seavey
2025	Kyle Larson

NASCAR drivers at the 2026 Chili Bowl

Kyle Larson poses in victory lane after winning the 2025 Chili Bowl Nationals. (Photo: Hannah Sanlaeid/NASCAR)

Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson will make his 18th Chili Bowl Nationals attempt this year. A three-time (2020-21, 2025) Chili Bowl Nationals champion, Larson has made the championship feature 12 times during his career.

One season ago, he won the Monday preliminary night feature and he followed that with his third victory in the Saturday championship feature.

Christopher Bell is a three-time Chili Bowl champion. (Photo: Yem Sanlaeid/NASCAR)

For the second consecutive year, Christopher Bell will be back in the SageNet Center for the Chili Bowl Nationals. The native of nearby Norman, Oklahoma will be making his 13th Chili Bowl attempt. He won three consecutive Chili Bowl championships from 2017-19.

Last year he returned to the Chili Bowl after a two-year hiatus, finishing 10th in the Saturday finale.

Ty Gibbs made his Chili Bowl debut in 2025. (Photo: Shane Bevel/NASCAR)

Ty Gibbs, the 2022 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion, is making his return to the Chili Bowl Nationals after making his debut in the event one season ago. In his first Chili Bowl attempt last year, he finished sixth in an F-Main on championship Saturday.

Jesse Love will make his fourth Chili Bowl Nationals attempt this year. (Photo: James Gilbert/Getty Images)

Reigning NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion Jesse Love is making his return to the Chili Bowl after last competing in 2024. He’ll be driving a car owned by Blake Harris, crew chief for Alex Bowman in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Of his three previous Chili Bowl attempts, Love’s best finish came in 2021, when he finished 13th in a B-Main on championship Saturday.

J.J. Yeley will attempt the Chili Bowl for the 30th time this year. (Photo: Yem Sanlaeid/NASCAR)

A legend inside the SageNet Center, veteran NASCAR star J.J. Yeley returns to the Chili Bowl Nationals for his 30th attempt to capture the prestigious Golden Driller trophy. In his 29 previous attempts, Yeley has made the championship feature eight times, including a runner-up finish in 2007.

Yeley made history during the 2004 running of the event, advancing a stunning 69 positions from his F-Main to finish third in the Chili Bowl championship race.

Josh Bilicki is back for another Chili Bowl attempt in 2026. (Photo: Shane Bevel/NASCAR)

Journeyman NASCAR competitor Josh Bilicki returns to the SageNet Center for the fourth consecutive year to take part in the 2026 Chili Bowl Nationals.

His best effort in his previous three starts came last year when he made it to a G-Main on championship Saturday.

Corey Day will attempt to improve upon his best finish of third in the Chili Bowl this season. (Photo: Ed Zurga/ARCA Racing)

Corey Day, who was recently confirmed for his first full NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season with Hendrick Motorsports, is back for his fifth attempt at the Chili Bowl Nationals in 2026.

In four previous attempts inside the SageNet Center, Day has made the championship feature three times. His best effort came in 2024, when he finished third in the Saturday night main event behind winner Logan Seavey and runner-up Buddy Kofoid.

Sheldon Creed is scheduled to make his Chili Bowl Nationals debut. (Photo: James Gilbert/Getty Images)

Sheldon Creed, who races in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series for the Haas Factory Team, is scheduled to make his Chili Bowl Nationals debut this year.

Creed is no stranger to dirt racing. He’s been a regular competitor at North Carolina’s Millbridge Speedway for years and previously competed in the Tulsa Shootout, the annual precursor to the Chili Bowl inside the SageNet Center.

Gavan Boschele will make his fourth Chili Bowl attempt this year driving a car owned by Kyle Busch. (Photo: Julia Schachinger/NASCAR)

Gavan Boschele, who is joining Nitro Motorsports this year for most of the ARCA Menards Series schedule, is returning to Tulsa for his fourth Chili Bowl attempt. He’ll do so aboard a Midget car owned by two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch.

His best effort inside the SageNet Center came in his debut in 2022, when he finished 14th in a B-Main on championship Saturday.

Three other drivers competing at NASCAR’s Regional level are slated to make their Chili Bowl debuts this year. They include NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race winner Jake Johnson, as well as ARCA Menards Series racers Brayton Laster and Ryan Roulette. All three will look to turn heads during one of dirt racing’s most prestigious events.

Where is the Chili Bowl?

Each January, a carefully constructed quarter-mile dirt oval graces the floor of the SageNet Center at the River Spirit Expo Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The temporary indoor circuit is known as Tulsa Expo Raceway.

The same dirt used for the inaugural Chili Bowl in 1987 forms the track each year.

“The Chili Bowl’s key ingredient is the clay which once covered the adjacent fairgrounds,” the event’s website reads. “Without sun or wind to harm it, the indoor garden (roughly a quarter-mile circle) is heavily saturated so that the boldest dirt track artists of our time can truly shine.”

Located outside the Tulsa Expo Center is the famous golden driller statue, a massive figure depicting an oil worker. That is why the driver who wins the Chili Bowl A-Main on championship Saturday will receive a Golden Driller trophy, one of the most sought after trophies in all of motorsports.

Format

Below is the Chili Bowl format as outlined on ChiliBowl.com. One major change for the 2026 edition of the event is the length of the championship main event on Saturday night, which returns to a 55-lap distance after being 40 laps last year.

Qualifying Nights (Monday-Friday)

Heat Races

Drivers draw for heat racing starting position at 2 p.m. at chalkboard each day
The driver who draws lowest number will start on the pole of Heat 1, second lowest number on the pole of Heat 2, etc.
Number of heats decided by number of cars – 7-10 cars per heat race (8 Laps)
Advancement from heat race to features is based upon passing points earned in heat race and qualifying races. Passing points are based upon car starting position when the yellow light goes out prior to the initial start of the heat or qualifying race.

C Mains/Qualifying Races/B Mains/A Main

The 40 drivers earning the most passing points advance to Four “A” Qualifying Races; drivers in passing points positions 41-68 will go to two C Main races. The two C Main races will have 16 cars 12 laps in length.
The top four cars in each C Main race will advance to the back of the B Main races, going 15 laps. (Top four from first C Main to back of first B Main, top four from second C Main to back of second B main)
The lineup of each “A” Qualifying race will include an inversion of six cars. The top 24 cars in passing points will make the inversion. (The top point driver will start on row 3 of the first qualifying race, the No. 2 driver on row 3 of the second qualifying race, etc.)
The four qualifying races will have 10 cars each, with the top 16 in combined passing points from the heats and Qualifying races advancing to the A Main.
The balance of the cars (24) from the “A” qualifying races will advance to two 16 car B Mains. The top four in each B Main will advance to the A Main, going 30 laps.
There will be 24 drivers in each Preliminary Night A Feature
The top two drivers in the Preliminary A qualify for Saturday’s A Main.

Saturday Night Features

A Feature

The lineup for the top 10 cars in the A feature will be determined through the Chili Bowl Pole Dash.

The five A feature winners will draw 1-5, followed by the five drivers who finished second drawing 6-10 to seed the Pole Dash.

Pole Dash Procedure

Each of the races will have four cars and be four laps.
Preliminary Night Winners will draw for positions 1st – 5th, Runner up will draw 6th – 10th
First Race will be drivers who draw 7th – 10th, lined up in that order. Top 2 will advance.
Second Race, front row will be drivers who draw 5th & 6th, with the two drivers moving on from the first race in Row 2 (Winner inside, 2nd outside).
Third Race front row will be drivers who draw 3rd & 4th, with the two drivers moving on from the second race in Row 2 (Winner inside, 2nd outside).
Fourth Race front row will be drivers who draw 1st & 2nd, with the two drivers moving on from the third race in Row 2 (Winner inside, 2nd outside).
Winner of the fourth race will earn the pole in Saturday’s A-Feature.

(Note: All positions in races other than Saturday’s A-Main will line up upon the original draw of the winners prior to the pole dash. Example: If the Friday winner draws number 1, the Wednesday winner draws number 2, Tuesday winner draws number 3, Thursday winner draws number 4, and the Monday winner draws number 5, all positions in all races will be based on Friday first, Wednesday second, Tuesday third, Thursday fourth, and Monday fifth.)

Seven drivers will advance from each B main to the A for a total of 24 cars with Provisionals set aside for the defending Chili Bowl Champion and previous year’s Race of Champions Winner should they not transfer.

B Mains (20 Laps)

There will be two B mains, with 20 drivers in each B main.
Drivers finishing in their Preliminary A feature in position 3-8 will qualify for the B mains
Five drivers will advance from each C main to the B mains (1st C to 1st B, 2nd C to 2nd B)

C Mains (15 Laps)

There will be two C Mains, with 20 drivers in each C
Drivers finishing in their Preliminary A feature positions 9-14 will qualify for the C mains
Five drivers will advance from each D main to the C Mains

D Mains (15 Laps)

There will be two D mains, with 20 drivers in each D
Drivers finishing in their Preliminary A feature positions 15-20 will qualify for the D mains
Five drivers will advance from each E main to the D mains

E Mains (15 Laps)

There will be two E mains, with 20 drivers in each E
Drivers finishing in their Preliminary night A features 21-24 and B features 5th will qualify for the E mains
Five drivers will advance from each F main to the E mains

F Mains (15 Laps)

There will be two F mains, with 20 drivers in each F
Drivers finishing in their Preliminary night B features in positions 6-8 will qualify for the F mains
Five drivers will advance from each G main to the F mains

G Mains (10 Laps)

There will be two G mains, with 16 drivers in each G
Drivers finishing in their Preliminary night B features in positions 9-10 will qualify for the G mains
Five drivers will advance from each H main to the G mains

H Mains (10 Laps)

There will be two H mains, with 16 drivers in each H
Drivers finishing in their Preliminary night B features in positions 11-12 will qualify for the H mains
Six drivers will advance from each I main to the H mains

I Mains (10 Laps)

There will be two I mains, with 16 drivers in each I
Drivers finishing in their Preliminary night B features in positions 13-14 will qualify for the I mains
Six drivers will advance from each J main to the I mains

J Mains (10 Laps)

There will be two J mains, with 16 drivers in each J
Drivers finishing in their Preliminary night B features in positions 15-16 will qualify for the I mains
Six drivers will advance from each K main to the I mains

K Mains (10 Laps)

There will be two K mains, with 16 drivers in each K
Drivers finishing in their Preliminary night C features in positions 5-6 will qualify for the K mains
Six drivers will advance from each L main to the L mains

L Mains (10 Laps)

There will be two L Mains, with 16 drivers in each L
Drivers finishing in their Preliminary night C feature in position 7-8 will qualify for the L Mains
Six drivers will advance from each M main to the L mains

M Mains (10 Laps)

There will be two M Mains, with 16 drivers in each M
Drivers finishing in C feature positions 9-10 will qualify for the M Mains
Six drivers will advance from each N main to the M mains

N Mains (10 Laps)

There will be two N Mains, with 16 drivers in each N
Drivers finishing in C feature positions 11-12 will qualify for the N Mains
Six drivers will advance from each O main to the N mains

O Mains (10 Laps)

There will be two O Mains, with 16 drivers in each O
Drivers finishing in D feature positions 3-4 will qualify for the O Mains.
Six drivers will advance from each P Main to the O Mains

P&Q Mains (10 Laps)

There will be two P Mains and possibly two Q Mains, with the number of drivers TBA in each.
Drivers finishing in D feature positions 4 on back will qualify for these race, and lineup position will be determined by finish on qualifying night and number of cars.

Posted on January 12, 2026January 27, 2026 by Dustin Albino

NASCAR Fantasy Live is open for the 2026 Cup Series season. All players can sign up now to create their accounts and team names, plus activate their leagues for the new year. Players will also have the option to start a league from scratch. To play, users must log in to their accounts on NASCAR.com or via the NASCAR Mobile App.

MORE: NASCAR Fantasy hub | Make Fantasy Live picks

New players can earn 200 Fan Rewards points for signing up. Players will earn an additional 10 Fan Rewards points per week for setting a lineup. Another way to earn points is through streaks. Players will get 50 points for five straight weeks of making a lineup, and if you make it 10 in a row, you earn 100 points. Twenty consecutive weeks will give you 200 points, and 30 consecutive weeks will net 300 points. Should a player complete the full season of setting a lineup, 500 Fan Rewards points are coming their way.

Fan Rewards points can be exchanged for exclusive prizes, including race tickets, VIP experiences and autographed NASCAR merchandise.

Rules and regulations are akin to years prior. Players will select five drivers to fill their weekly lineup, with a sixth driver placed as their garage pick. Players can adjust their lineup through the conclusion of Stage 2. Once the final stage begins, the garage will close, and picks are locked. At that point, the drivers in your lineup will get credited as a use, and their performances will reflect your weekly points. Picks for each race week will open on Tuesday.

The unpredictable head-to-head matchups — four per week — will return for the 2026 season. Players will have the opportunity to choose between a pair of drivers who will have the better heads-up finish during a given race. Should the participant choose the correct driver, they will receive an additional 10 bonus points.

RELATED: 2025 NASCAR Fantasy Live MVPs

The scoring system will coincide with NASCAR’s championship format. For example, if you have the race winner in your lineup, you will receive the points that the winner earns for the race weekend. Should drivers in your lineup place within the top 10 during the two stage breaks, you will net those points as well. Official points won’t be determined until post-race inspection is clear, approximately two hours after the conclusion of each race, and the finishing order is confirmed. In the unfortunate event that one of your starters fails post-race inspection, NASCAR Fantasy Live will reflect the points.

Show me the money! The player who tabulates the most points for the season-opening Daytona 500 will earn a $10,000 reward. For the duration of the 36-race season, whoever accumulates the most points will lock up a $25,000 prize. Second place will receive $10,000, with $5,000 going to the player who finishes third.

Posted on January 12, 2026January 12, 2026 by Dustin Albino

The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season is rapidly approaching, and that means it’s almost time to begin setting weekly NASCAR Fantasy Live lineups. With the 2026 edition of the game now live, it would be fitting to reflect on standout performers from the 2025 campaign to help inform those early-season lineups.

MORE: NASCAR Fantasy hub | How to play in 2026

The 2025 Cup season was dominated by the sport’s juggernauts, with Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske combining to win 75% of all points-paying races. Five of the nine races that they didn’t capture checkered flags were road courses (hello, Trackhouse Racing). There were a few surprises along the way, though.

Rookie Shane van Gisbergen achieved near perfection when turning left and right, while two-time and reigning series champion Kyle Larson upped his ante at superspeedways. Chase Briscoe also emerged as a championship threat in his debut season with JGR. Then, there’s Austin Dillon, who converted a Hail Mary late in the regular season at Richmond Raceway in a runaway victory.

It’s time to unveil the 2025 fantasy MVPs for each type of track configuration: intermediates, short tracks, road courses and drafting tracks. Will these trends continue in 2026?

Intermediates: Kyle Larson
Larson will enter the 2026 season on a 24-race winless drought, his longest streak since joining Hendrick in 2021. He was, however, the last one celebrating in Phoenix after banking a second Cup Series championship, and is now one of just three multi-time champions in the Cup field to begin the new season.

Larson and the No. 5 team were the only ones to visit Victory Lane multiple times at intermediate tracks in 2025. The site of his most recent victory — Kansas Speedway — was the most dominant performance ever in a 400-mile race on an intermediate track, leading 221 of 267 laps (82.8%). Consider Larson a fan of moving the final race of the season to Homestead-Miami Speedway, as well, after winning two of the last four races in South Beach — including last year.

What really stands out, which is crucial for fantasy, is that Larson tallied 69 more points than any other driver in those seven intermediate events. His 314 points earned, 555 laps led, six top-10 finishes, 5.71 average starting position and 8.57 average finishing position were all top of the chart.

Chris Graythen | Getty Images

Short tracks: Ryan Blaney
Consistency is key with fantasy, and no driver was more stable at short tracks in 2025 than Ryan Blaney. The surprising statistic, though, is that Blaney went winless at the tight, confined venues in 2025, ultimately scoring a victory in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway, which isn’t considered a short track, measuring 1 mile in length.

For years, Team Penske’s strongest suit has been short-track performance and that continued last year. Blaney collected 256 points, 41 more than William Byron, who won a pair of short-track events and could have a real argument to be the best short-track driver in 2025. Blaney’s five top-five finishes were the best of the bunch, however, tying Penske teammate Joey Logano with the most top 10s (five). He also paced the field for 323 circuits, trailing only Byron (445) and Larson (420). The real kicker, though? He had an average finishing position of 4.83 — nearly half of the next driver on the list (Byron, 9.0).

Photo by James Gilbert | Getty Images

Road Courses: Shane van Gisbergen
This might be the easiest selection of all time for any category known to mankind. Van Gisbergen was a menace at road courses in his freshman season, at times toying with his competition without abusing his car. It resulted in a handful of victories, and he will look to tie Jeff Gordon’s six consecutive road course triumphs in the opening month of 2026 at Circuit of The Americas.

Doing a deeper dive, van Gisbergen’s performance was otherworldly. The No. 88 team won three poles and had an average starting spot of 2.17 across the six road courses, including the Chicago Street Race. His average finishing position improved to 1.83, with a sixth-place outing at COTA being the dampener. The New Zealand phenom put on a clinic by leading 301 laps, while Blaney and Kyle Busch were tied for second with 42 laps led apiece. The 293 points scored were 73 markers more than Christopher Bell, placing runner-up in a second category. Only Bell, Tyler Reddick and Chase Elliott were within 100 points of SVG.

Chris Graythen | Getty Images

Drafting tracks: Tyler Reddick
Let’s transition to the most challenging selection — drafting-track MVP. When thinking of drafting tracks, Team Penske immediately jumps to the top of the board, as both Blaney and Austin Cindric were able to get into the win column in 2025 at superspeedways. Logano logged 263 laps led, more than double the amount of any other driver (Cindric, 127), but compiled an average finishing position of 27.5. Eight drivers had multiple top-five finishes, including Larson, who ranked second in points scored (197). Carson Hocevar accumulated the most top 10s with four, including a nail-biting defeat in the second race of the season at EchoPark Speedway in a three-wide finish.

If we’re basing this on points, though, Reddick was the man on top in 2025, with 199 markers earned. The No. 45 team earned the best average finish at 11.2, more than a full position better than Larson (12.3). Giving him the nod was missing the last-lap chaos of the Daytona 500, gaining 11 spots in the process to place runner-up. It’s safe to say there could be co-MVPs here, adding the likes of a Hendrick Motorsports trio in Larson, Chase Elliott (Atlanta win, third-most points scored) and Byron (Daytona 500 win, fourth-most points scored).

Sean Gardner | Getty Images

Posted on January 11, 2026 by Zack Albert

NASCAR’s new 750-horsepower rules configuration for the majority of Cup Series tracks is set for its first major rehearsal, with teams tuning up Tuesday for an organizational test session at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway.

One team from each chartered Cup Series organization is expected to participate in the one-day preseason test. The historic 0.625-mile oval, brought back to life to host the NASCAR All-Star Race the last three years, will hold its first points-paying Cup Series race in 30 years on July 19 (7 p.m. ET, TNT Sports, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, HBO Max).

NASCAR officials announced Oct. 8 that the baseline horsepower output for Cup Series road courses and oval tracks measuring less than 1.5 miles would increase from 670 to 750. Those venues will use the aerodynamic rules configuration that debuted on short tracks in 2024, a package that reduced downforce with three-inch rear spoilers and fewer strakes on the rear diffuser.

Tuesday’s test session is scheduled to run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. North Wilkesboro’s grandstands will be open to fans from noon-5 p.m. with free admission, and tickets for the Cup Series’ Window World 450 will go on sale from the track’s box office during that five-hour timeframe — one day before ticket sales open up to the general public.

Teams and drivers scheduled to participate in Tuesday’s test:

Car No.	Driver	Team	Manufacturer
1	Ross Chastain	Trackhouse Racing	Chevrolet
7	Daniel Suárez	Spire Motorsports	Chevrolet
8	Kyle Busch	Richard Childress Racing	Chevrolet
9	Chase Elliott	Hendrick Motorsports	Chevrolet
16	AJ Allmendinger	Kaulig Racing	Chevrolet
17	Chris Buescher	RFK Racing	Ford
19	Chase Briscoe	Joe Gibbs Racing	Toyota
21	Josh Berry	Wood Brothers Racing	Ford
22	Joey Logano	Team Penske	Ford
38	Zane Smith	Front Row Motorsports	Ford
41	Cole Custer	Haas Factory Team	Chevrolet
43	Erik Jones	Legacy Motor Club	Toyota
45	Tyler Reddick	23XI Racing	Toyota
47	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	Hyak Motorsports	Chevrolet
51	Cody Ware	Rick Ware Racing	Chevrolet

Posted on January 9, 2026January 9, 2026 by Zack Albert

Niece Motorsports announced Friday that Ross Chastain will return to the team for a partial schedule in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2026, with plans to drive the No. 45 Chevrolet in more races this season.

Chastain, a Cup Series regular for Trackhouse Racing, has scored all five of his Truck Series victories with the Niece organization. He competed in five races last season, but new competition guidelines for Cup Series veterans announced last November will permit him to enter as many as eight races in other national series. While his schedule has not been finalized, Chastain indicated that he intends to maximize his opportunities.

“It’s great to be back with Niece Motorsports in a larger capacity this year,” Chastain said in a team release. “When I heard about the rule change, I knew we had to run more races together. We’ve got a great core group of people here in Salisbury (N.C.), and I want to bring them all back to Victory Lane. I’m thankful to have the opportunity and appreciate the ownership group and our partners for making it happen, along with everyone at Trackhouse for allowing me to run in the Truck Series.”

Veteran Phil Gould will be the No. 45 Chevy team’s crew chief. Chastain will split time in the No. 45 seat with 19-year-old newcomer Landen Lewis — the CARS Tour Late Model Stock champion — and a third driver to be named later. The organization also said that primary partners for the No. 45 team will be announced later.

The Craftsman Truck Series begins the 2026 campaign on Feb. 13 (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1, NASCAR Racing Network Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Daytona International Speedway.

Posted on January 9, 2026January 9, 2026 by Zack Albert

Ram Trucks laid out plans for the fifth and final seat on its NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series operation Friday, announcing that a full-season ride with Kaulig Racing in 2026 will go to the winner of a reality-show competition.

Billed as “15 Drivers. 10 Challenges. 1 Seat,” the “Race for the Seat” program will debut Sunday, Jan. 25 on FOX, with subsequent episodes airing on Ram’s YouTube channel through Feb. 6. The contest’s winner is set to be in one of the five Kaulig-Ram entries when the manufacturer returns to NASCAR competition in the Craftsman Truck Series opener Feb. 13 (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1, NASCAR Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Daytona International Speedway.

UFC CEO Dana White and Thrill Sports Productions will be executive producers of “Race for the Seat,” which will feature commentary from White, Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis and Kaulig Racing team principals Matt Kaulig and Chris Rice. The eight-episode audition will take place at tracks including Virginia International Raceway and South Boston (Va.) Speedway.

“We promised Ram would approach NASCAR differently — and Race For The Seat is proof,” Kuniskis said in a Ram release. “Sometimes raw talent isn’t enough. Many successful careers start with an opportunity, a lucky break — or in my case, a good old-fashioned kick in the ass.”

The five-team lineup for Kaulig Racing’s first Truck Series voyage is now complete, with three full-time drivers set to compete alongside two wild-card Ram entries. Brendan “Butterbean” Queen (No. 12), Daniel Dye (No. 10) and Justin Haley (No. 16) will drive Ram 1500s full-time for the organization. A fourth entry — the No. 25 — will go to a rotating group of drivers each race through Ram’s Free Agent Driver Program, with the fifth roster slot — No. 14, according to the show’s promotional images — reserved for the “Race for the Seat” champ.

Ram announced its return to NASCAR competition June 8 at Michigan International Speedway, with officials promising a new, full-throttle approach to the sport. The automaker’s partnership with Kaulig Racing was formally revealed Aug. 23 with plans for a five-truck operation in 2026.

Posted on January 9, 2026January 9, 2026 by Zack Albert

Front Row Motorsports solidified its personnel roster for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, announcing that Grant Hutchens will be crew chief for the No. 4 Ford and driver Noah Gragson.

Hutchens, a longtime race engineer, will be in his first full season as a crew chief at the NASCAR national-series level. He replaces Drew Blickensderfer, who was paired with Gragson the last two seasons — first with the former Stewart-Haas Racing team and last year under the Front Row banner. Blickensderfer will transition into the role of competition director for the organization, working alongside current technical director Seth Barbour.

Hutchens was most recently rostered as the lead race engineer with Wood Brothers Racing in 2024, after previous stints with Team Penske and Richard Childress Racing. He has been a crew chief for nine Cup Series races in an interim or fill-in role, with his best result a runner-up finish with Austin Cindric on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in 2022.

The rest of Front Row Motorsports’ driver-crew chief lineup will carry over from 2025. Chris Lawson returns for his second season as crew chief for the No. 34 Ford and driver Todd Gilliland, and Ryan Bergenty is back for his fourth year as crew chief of the No. 38 team, and his second season working alongside Smith.

Front Row also announced that it has hired Jonathan DeHart as aerodynamics manager. He arrives after stints with Hendrick Motorsports as body production manager and with General Motors’ IndyCar operations as aero car chief.

Those roster pairings will be in place when the Cup Series opens its 2026 campaign next month, first with the Cook Out Clash exhibition at Bowman Gray Stadium on Feb. 1 (8 p.m. ET) and then with the Daytona 500 on Feb. 15 (2:30 p.m. ET). Both events will be broadcast on FOX, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, and HBO Max.

Front Row will aim to regain its stride this season after a two-year absence from the Cup Series Playoffs. Gilliland was 27th, Smith 28th and Gragson 34th in the final 2025 standings.

Posted on January 9, 2026 by Cameron Richardson

Editor’s note: Today’s Spire Motorsports preview continues NASCAR.com’s countdown of team previews for the 2026 Cup Series season.

SPIRE MOTORSPORTS

Manufacturer: Chevrolet
Engine: Hendrick Motorsports
Driver-crew chief pairings: Daniel Suárez-Ryan Sparks (No. 7); Michael McDowell-Travis Peterson (No. 71); Carson Hocevar-Luke Lambert (No. 77)

Team outlook: Anyone within the Spire Motorsports camp would probably tell you 2025 was a disappointment. The team showed speed throughout the season and competed for wins, but couldn’t close the deal with any of their three cars. None of their drivers reached the playoffs, but that could and should change in 2026, as Spire understands what they are capable of, attempting to shatter the glass ceiling and make a big statement in the year ahead.

DANIEL SUÁREZ, NO. 7 CHEVROLET

Experience: 9 full-time seasons in NASCAR Cup Series; 323 starts
2025 stats: 29th in final Cup Series standings; 0 wins, 2 top fives, 7 top 10s, 0 poles, 35 laps led

Driver outlook: Suárez had his worst final result in the standings last year since his 2020 campaign with Gaunt Brothers Racing. Going into 2026, he replaces Justin Haley in the No. 7 Chevrolet, and all signs should point toward a far better year for the 34-year-old veteran. Paired with McDowell, the two should be forces to be reckoned with on road courses this year, and Suárez’s recent history at EchoPark Speedway could line him up for a breakthrough multi-win campaign.

MORE: Daniel Suárez driver page

MICHAEL MCDOWELL, NO. 71 CHEVROLET

Experience: 18 seasons in NASCAR Cup Series (full-time the last nine seasons); 537 starts
2025 stats: 22nd in final Cup Series standings; 0 wins, 3 top fives, 6 top 10s, 2 poles, 96 laps led

Driver outlook: Texas and Chicago were ones that got away from McDowell as the long-time veteran was passed by Logano for the lead in the closing laps before crashing with two laps to go from second in the Lone Star State. At Chicago, McDowell started on the front row and led 31 laps before a mechanical failure ruined the No. 71 team’s day. Even at age 41 with many miles logged, the hunger and drive are still there for McDowell and should be in contention for victories this year, maybe even having an outside shot at a championship run.

MORE: Michael McDowell driver page

CARSON HOCEVAR, NO. 77 CHEVROLET

Experience: 2 full-time seasons in NASCAR Cup Series; 81 starts
2025 stats: 23rd in final Cup Series standings; 0 wins, 2 top fives, 9 top 10s, 1 pole, 122 laps led

Driver outlook: Hocevar lived by the moniker of “checkers or wreckers” last season, and it bit him more times than it rewarded. Consistent, race-contending speed is there in the No. 77 Chevrolet, but the goal for Hocevar is to have the discipline to complete the grind of a full race. He showed that at Nashville, finishing runner-up to a dominant Ryan Blaney, but other races got away from him. If he can hone it in consistently and balance aggression through a 36-race calendar, there’s no telling what Hocevar could achieve in his third Cup season.

MORE: Carson Hocevar driver page

Posted on January 8, 2026January 15, 2026 by Staff Report

Corey LaJoie will drive the No. 6 RFK Racing Ford in the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium in place of team co-owner and driver Brad Keselowski, the team announced Thursday and as first reported by FOX Sports.

Keselowski, the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series champion, is recovering from a broken right femur suffered in a fall exiting his vehicle on a Dec. 18 ski trip, FOX Sports reported. LaJoie is RFK Racing’s reserve driver and will make his first start for the organization in the Feb. 1 exhibition race (8 p.m. ET, FOX, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

MORE: 2026 NASCAR Cup Series schedule

Keselowski intends to be back behind the wheel in time for the 68th annual Daytona 500 on Feb. 15 (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

“I didn’t want to rush back,” Keselowski said. “The team and I made the decision together that if all the rehab went absolutely perfect, we’d be ready like, literally, the day of The Clash.

“And that seemed super foolish and didn’t give us any time to do any testing on myself or anything like that.”

LaJoie has 276 Cup Series starts to his credit, last running a full season in 2024 before a four-race schedule in 2025 with Rick Ware Racing. The Concord, North Carolina native is a past winner at Bowman Gray, taking first place in the 2012 NASCAR Hall of Fame 150 in an ARCA Menards Series East race.

“Happy to be of service,” LaJoie shared on social media. “Wishing BK a speedy recovery. Let’s go get another trophy at The Madhouse.”

Keselowski added that his rehabilitation process is six to eight hours per day and that the normal recovery time is approximately between eight and 12 weeks. Per the report, Keselowski hopes to have a medical evaluation test Feb. 5 at Charlotte Motor Speedway to gain medical clearance to return to competition.

“It’s a really painful thing to break,” Keselowski said. “It’s the biggest bone in your body, which is kind of the bad part about it. The good thing is it’s also one of the fastest healing parts of your body, so I’m just really dealing with the pain and trying to recover as fast as I can.”

Keselowski, who joined RFK Racing as a driver and co-owner in 2022, told FOX Sports he slipped and fell on ice after returning to the ski resort, shearing his femur and needing emergency surgery in Boone, North Carolina.

“I’ve broken a lot of different bones and parts of my body,” Keselowski said. “I will tell you, none of them come close to hurting as bad as breaking your femur. It’s a very painful injury, but the recovery is actually fairly similar in time and so forth. So I’ve just got to be tough and get through it. …

“It’s kind of a freak accident. I just fell perfectly on a spot that broke my leg. I wish it was some cooler story than that, like jumping or doing something on the slopes. I think everybody thinks I did it on the slopes, which sounds a lot cooler than the actual story I have, but it just was a freak accident.”

Keselowski has not missed a points-paying NASCAR Cup Series race since October 2009 — a stretch of 581 consecutive races. Because The Clash is an exhibition race, Keselowski’s streak is not in jeopardy unless he were to miss the season-opening Daytona 500.

Posted on January 8, 2026January 12, 2026 by Staff Report

NASCAR will announce the championship format for 2026 and beyond in a Monday, Jan. 12 press conference that will be live streamed from Concord, North Carolina.

Live video coverage will be available to stream at 3:30 p.m. ET on NASCAR.com, The NASCAR Channel and NASCAR YouTube.

Additionally, a special “Inside the Race” studio show will be streamed following the formal press conference at the NASCAR Production Facility.

The announcement comes ahead of the 2026 racing season, which is set to begin with the exhibition Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on Sunday, Feb. 1 (8 p.m. ET, FOX, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The NASCAR Cup Series campaign begins in earnest with the 68th running of the “Great American Race,” the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 15 (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

MORE: How to watch The NASCAR Channel