THOMPSON, Conn. – In the two decades Matt Hirschman has competed on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, a win at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park had eluded him.

Thompson has long been a special track for Hirschman, who spent a good portion of his childhood watching numerous Modified legends compete around there like his father Tony, who won eight Modified Tour races at the track. Each trip to the historic facility only fueled Hirschman’s desire to join the notable list of Thompson winners.

RELATED: Complete results from the Thompson 150 pres. by FloSports.com

Hirschman checked off that box Wednesday in his 34th Thompson start. The speed in his No. 60 Bar Harbor Bank & Trust Modified enabled Hirschman to pass polesitter Austin Beers early on, but he made sure to credit his pit crew for keeping him ahead during the lone caution of the evening.

“When you have a car that’s been a winning car all day out of the trailer, you need [your pit crew] to do their part as well,” Hirschman said. “It was a perfect day. I missed the pole by a little bit, but with the way this car was running, I probably looked more like Tony Hirschman out there [on Wednesday] than what I’ve done here in my career.”

Hirschman has always had a great mentor in Tony to rely upon for advice on how to navigate Thompson, but he never seemed to find Victory Lane there for one reason or another.

The first Modified Tour event at Thompson for Hirschman in 2005 ended in a crash after 92 laps. Misfortune followed Hirschman across his ensuing four Thompson starts, all of which ended with him behind the wall.

Despite the growing pains, Hirschman was determined to find a rhythm at a track where his father, Richie Evans, Mike Stefanik and so many others had won at before. The first top five for Hirschman at Thompson came in the 2007 Modified Tour season-opener. One year later, he earned his first runner-up finish at the track.

As the years progressed for Hirschman on the Modified Tour, Thompson continued to provide mixed results. Yet top-five finishes in his last three trips to Thompson with Pee Dee Motorsports left Hirschman optimistic that he was close to that elusive first series victory at the complex.

Hirschman’s faith was grounded in reality Wednesday. He was the only driver to break into the 18-second bracket during the final practice session. Although Hirschman did not get the pole, the speed he showcased earlier in the day emanated once again after finding his way around Beers.

Like Hirschman, Beers was also hoping to secure his first Thompson Modified Tour victory in his 12thstart at the track. Beers was thrilled to earn his second Thompson pole and finish runner-up Wednesday, which he believes are indications that his team is returning to their championship form from 2025.

“[Hirschman’s] taken a lot of wins from me, but he was the class of the field [on Wednesday],” Beers said. “We were a tick snug on that second run, but it was a good points day for us. We’ve been consistent since Oxford [Plains] when we had that little mishap. We’re getting better and better every week and we’re going to keep fighting.”

Beers departs Thompson still in search of his first checkered flag of the 2026 season. For Hirschman, he now has two Modified Tour victories on the year to go along with four top fives in the last five races.

The Thompson triumph carried plenty of catharsis for Hirschman. He always knew he could win at the complex since making his first Modified Tour start there 21 years ago, but circumstances never worked out in his favor.

Hirschman felt Wednesday was going to be different from the moment he unloaded. Everyone at Pee Dee Motorsports, including himself, did their part to ensure Hirschman finally got to enjoy a Thompson victory.

“We’ve had pole speed in some of these recent races,” Hirschman said. “We were close at Claremont with a second, but today we had a car off the trailer that could win this race tonight. My guys probably could tell I knew everything mattered tonight. I was getting on some of them, but I came in locked and loaded today.

“I had a good night sleep [on Tuesday]. I came here to take care of business, and I needed everyone to get on that same page.”

Patrick Emerling’s win streak came to an end at three races, but he still enjoyed a solid points night by finishing third. Chase Dowling secured a fourth-place finish, with Matt Swanson rounding out the top five.

The rest of the top 10 consisted of Eric Goodale, Paulie Hartwig III, Stephen Kopcik, Doug Coby and Tyler Rypkema.

Next up for the Modified Tour will be the prestigious Mohegan Sun 100 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday, Aug. 22. The green flag will wave at 4:30 p.m. ET with FloRacing providing live coverage of all the on-track action.

Thompson 150 pres. by FloSports.com

Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park

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  • Race results
Pos. Car No. Driver Sponsor Laps Diff
1 60 Matt Hirschman Bar Harbor Bank & Trust; Pee Dee Motorsports 150
2 64 Austin Beers Lumiere Electrical; G&G Electrical Supply; Dell Electric; AP Marquadt & Sons; Andrew James Interiors; Hughes Motors 150 2.118
3 1 Patrick Emerling USNE Power 150 2.392
4 44 Chase Dowling S&S Paving / Harshaw Paving 150 7.308
5 89 Matt Swanson Ceravolos Auto; Swanson GMC 150 8.401
6 58 Eric Goodale GAF Roofing Riverhead Buikding Supply 150 11.318
7 73 Paulie Hartwig III* Professional Therapy LLC; Jersey Shore Contracting 150 11.853
8 21 Stephen Kopcik Wanick Construction; Newtown Pools 150 15.941
9 28 Doug Coby Nucar 150 16.634
10 3 Tyler Rypkema Northeast Drilling; SYP 150 16.956
11 54 Tommy Catalano FX Caprara; USNE Power 150 18.716
12 31 Michael Christopher Elite Towing; Elite Racing; Baker Racing 150 19.221
13 05 Teddy Hodgdon* Business Time Motorsports; The Landau Team of Re/Max; Montanari Fuel 149 1 Lap
14 82 Andrew Molleur Horton Avenue Materials; Village Springs Water 149 1 Lap
15 36 David Sapienza Sapienza Enterprises 149 1 Lap
16 18 Ken Heagy Merkel Racing Engines 147 3 Laps
17 56 Trevor Catalano USNE Power 147 3 Laps
18 8 John-Michael Shenette Eighty-Two Services 146 4 Laps
19 95 Cory Plummer* Tuckers Fabrication & Welding; Croteau Machine; Apex Race Cars; Apex Racing 144 6 Laps
20 6 Cory  DiMatteo* Manafort Brothers/Sargis Associates/TWM Development 123 27 Laps
21 50 Ronnie Williams Empower Financial Advisory 86 64 Laps
22 24 Andrew Krause Supreme Mfg Co. 58 92 Laps
23 20 Max Zachem Lu-Macs Package Store; USNE Power 27 123 Laps
24 79 Jonathan McKennedy Stuarts Automotive; Christophers Towing; J Young Landscaping; Levasseur HVAC; Hillsboro Ent.; Boyle Electric 1 149 Laps

 

Thompson 150 pres. by FloSports.com

Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park

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  • Qualifying results
Pos No. Name Sponsor Best Tm Best Speed In Lap Laps Diff
1 64 Austin Beers Lumiere Electrical; G&G Electrical Supply; Dell Electric; AP Marquadt & Sons; Andrew James Interiors; Hughes Motors 19.154 117.469 2 2
2 60 Matt Hirschman Bar Harbor Bank & Trust; Pee Dee Motorsports 19.162 117.42 2 2 0.008
3 79 Jonathan McKennedy Stuarts Automotive; Christophers Towing; J Young Landscaping; Levasseur HVAC; Hillsboro Ent.; Boyle Electric 19.223 117.047 2 2 0.069
4 44 Chase Dowling S&S Paving / Harshaw Paving 19.235 116.974 2 2 0.081
5 21 Stephen Kopcik Wanick Construction; Newtown Pools 19.28 116.701 2 2 0.126
6 1 Patrick Emerling USNE Power 19.288 116.653 2 2 0.134
7 31 Michael Christopher Elite Towing; Elite Racing; Baker Racing 19.301 116.574 2 2 0.147
8 58 Eric Goodale GAF Roofing Riverhead Buikding Supply 19.311 116.514 2 2 0.157
9 89 Matt Swanson Ceravolos Auto; Swanson GMC 19.331 116.393 2 2 0.177
10 28 Doug Coby Nucar 19.353 116.261 2 2 0.199
11 56 Trevor Catalano USNE Power 19.42 115.86 2 2 0.266
12 82 Andrew Molleur Horton Avenue Materials; Village Springs Water 19.435 115.771 2 2 0.281
13 3 Tyler Rypkema Northeast Drilling; SYP 19.444 115.717 2 2 0.29
14 54 Tommy Catalano FX Caprara; USNE Power 19.464 115.598 2 2 0.31
15 05 Teddy Hodgdon* Business Time Motorsports; The Landau Team of Re/Max; Montanari Fuel 19.466 115.586 2 2 0.312
16 20 Max Zachem Lu-Macs Package Store; USNE Power 19.545 115.119 2 2 0.391
17 73 Paulie Hartwig III* Professional Therapy LLC; Jersey Shore Contracting 19.554 115.066 2 2 0.4
18 36 David Sapienza Sapienza Enterprises 19.565 115.001 2 2 0.411
19 6 Cory  DiMatteo* Manafort Brothers/Sargis Associates/TWM Development 19.613 114.72 2 2 0.459
20 50 Ronnie Williams Empower Financial Advisory 19.619 114.685 2 2 0.465
21 8 John-Michael Shenette Eighty-Two Services 19.645 114.533 2 2 0.491
22 95 Cory Plummer* Tuckers Fabrication & Welding; Croteau Machine; Apex Race Cars; Apex Racing 19.807 113.596 2 2 0.653
23 24 Andrew Krause Supreme Mfg Co. 19.854 113.327 2 2 0.7
24 18 Ken Heagy Merkel Racing Engines 20.045 112.247 2 2 0.891

 

Thompson 150 pres. by FloSports.com

Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park

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  • Final practice results
Pos No. Name Sponsor Best Tm Best Speed In Lap Laps Diff
1 60 Matt Hirschman Bar Harbor Bank & Trust; Pee Dee Motorsports 18.989 118.49 4 13
2 79 Jonathan McKennedy Stuarts Automotive; Christophers Towing; J Young Landscaping; Levasseur HVAC; Hillsboro Ent.; Boyle Electric 19.129 117.622 11 18 0.14
3 64 Austin Beers Lumiere Electrical; G&G Electrical Supply; Dell Electric; AP Marquadt & Sons; Andrew James Interiors; Hughes Motors 19.129 117.622 10 16 0.14
4 1 Patrick Emerling USNE Power 19.149 117.5 4 21 0.16
5 21 Stephen Kopcik Wanick Construction; Newtown Pools 19.181 117.304 9 11 0.192
6 58 Eric Goodale GAF Roofing Riverhead Buikding Supply 19.273 116.744 12 13 0.284
7 28 Doug Coby Nucar 19.281 116.695 10 16 0.292
8 44 Chase Dowling S&S Paving / Harshaw Paving 19.308 116.532 5 13 0.319
9 89 Matt Swanson Ceravolos Auto; Swanson GMC 19.33 116.399 4 4 0.341
10 56 Trevor Catalano USNE Power 19.349 116.285 3 5 0.36
11 50 Ronnie Williams Empower Financial Advisory 19.35 116.279 12 13 0.361
12 36 David Sapienza Sapienza Enterprises 19.353 116.261 16 17 0.364
13 05 Teddy Hodgdon* Business Time Motorsports; The Landau Team of Re/Max; Montanari Fuel 19.377 116.117 9 17 0.388
14 31 Michael Christopher Elite Towing; Elite Racing; Baker Racing 19.404 115.955 4 18 0.415
15 73 Paulie Hartwig III* Professional Therapy LLC; Jersey Shore Contracting 19.426 115.824 13 16 0.437
16 3 Tyler Rypkema Northeast Drilling; SYP 19.427 115.818 19 26 0.438
17 20 Max Zachem Lu-Macs Package Store; USNE Power 19.429 115.806 4 17 0.44
18 54 Tommy Catalano FX Caprara; USNE Power 19.435 115.771 16 21 0.446
19 82 Andrew Molleur Horton Avenue Materials; Village Springs Water 19.489 115.45 4 19 0.5
20 6 Cory  DiMatteo* Manafort Brothers/Sargis Associates/TWM Development 19.542 115.137 12 13 0.553
21 24 Andrew Krause Supreme Mfg Co. 19.606 114.761 9 16 0.617
22 95 Cory Plummer* Tuckers Fabrication & Welding; Croteau Machine; Apex Race Cars; Apex Racing 19.657 114.463 17 19 0.668
23 8 John-Michael Shenette Eighty-Two Services 19.666 114.411 18 18 0.677
24 18 Ken Heagy Merkel Racing Engines 19.755 113.895 5 6 0.766

 

Thompson 150 pres. by FloSports.com

Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park

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  • Practice results
Pos No. Name Sponsor Best Tm Best Speed In Lap Laps Diff
1 60 Matt Hirschman Bar Harbor Bank & Trust; Pee Dee Motorsports 19.226 117.029 20 33
2 89 Matt Swanson Ceravolos Auto; Swanson GMC 19.278 116.713 11 11 0.052
3 79 Jonathan McKennedy Stuarts Automotive; Christophers Towing; J Young Landscaping; Levasseur HVAC; Hillsboro Ent.; Boyle Electric 19.324 116.436 7 29 0.098
4 28 Doug Coby Nucar 19.352 116.267 10 27 0.126
5 54 Tommy Catalano FX Caprara; USNE Power 19.413 115.902 9 32 0.187
6 44 Chase Dowling S&S Paving / Harshaw Paving 19.438 115.753 12 21 0.212
7 64 Austin Beers Lumiere Electrical; G&G Electrical Supply; Dell Electric; AP Marquadt & Sons; Andrew James Interiors; Hughes Motors 19.45 115.681 32 35 0.224
8 82 Andrew Molleur Horton Avenue Materials; Village Springs Water 19.454 115.657 34 36 0.228
9 31 Michael Christopher Elite Towing; Elite Racing; Baker Racing 19.488 115.456 24 29 0.262
10 05 Teddy Hodgdon* Business Time Motorsports; The Landau Team of Re/Max; Montanari Fuel 19.496 115.408 32 32 0.27
11 50 Ronnie Williams Empower Financial Advisory 19.521 115.26 27 29 0.295
12 36 David Sapienza Sapienza Enterprises 19.527 115.225 21 23 0.301
13 6 Cory  DiMatteo* Manafort Brothers/Sargis Associates/TWM Development 19.532 115.196 14 38 0.306
14 73 Paulie Hartwig III* Professional Therapy LLC; Jersey Shore Contracting 19.547 115.107 25 27 0.321
15 3 Tyler Rypkema Northeast Drilling; SYP 19.576 114.937 30 31 0.35
16 58 Eric Goodale GAF Roofing Riverhead Buikding Supply 19.578 114.925 7 24 0.352
17 21 Stephen Kopcik Wanick Construction; Newtown Pools 19.598 114.808 13 25 0.372
18 56 Trevor Catalano USNE Power 19.626 114.644 16 31 0.4
19 1 Patrick Emerling USNE Power 19.68 114.329 19 23 0.454
20 8 John-Michael Shenette Eighty-Two Services 19.72 114.097 28 29 0.494
21 20 Max Zachem Lu-Macs Package Store; USNE Power 19.738 113.993 15 27 0.512
22 24 Andrew Krause Supreme Mfg Co. 19.774 113.786 10 18 0.548
23 95 Cory Plummer* Tuckers Fabrication & Welding; Croteau Machine; Apex Race Cars; Apex Racing 19.831 113.459 6 26 0.605
24 18 Ken Heagy Merkel Racing Engines 20.054 112.197 5 14 0.828

 

The NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series head back to the Midwest for a visit to Iowa Speedway. It’s the Cup Series’ third trip to the Hawkeye State, while it’s the O’Reilly Series’ 23rd race at the 0.875-mile short track. See how the qualifying groups will be divided this weekend at the Newton, Iowa facility.

MORE: Weekend schedule | How to watch NASCAR on TV

Cup Series
Single-car qualifying will occur at 3:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, with practice earlier in the day at 2:05 p.m. ET (truTV).

POSITIONNUMBERDRIVERMETRIC
188Connor Zilisch #34.6
251Cody Ware32.8
335Riley Herbst32.7
433Austin Hill (i) 32.1
510Ty Dillon30.9
642John Hunter Nemechek30.5
75Kyle Larson29.7
83Austin Dillon29.0
99Chase Elliott27.7
104Noah Gragson25.0
1143Erik Jones24.3
1216AJ Allmendinger24.1
1323Bubba Wallace23.8
1434Todd Gilliland23.7
151Ross Chastain22.4
1647Ricky Stenhouse Jr.21.8
1748Alex Bowman21.7
1812Ryan Blaney19.1
1971Michael McDowell18.6
2041Cole Custer18.4
2124William Byron18.3
2238Zane Smith17.7
2397Shane van Gisbergen15.7
247Daniel Suárez15.2
2521Josh Berry15.1
262Austin Cindric14.6
2760Ryan Preece10.7
2817Chris Buescher10.4
296Brad Keselowski9.9
3054Ty Gibbs9.6
3177Carson Hocevar7.8
3245Tyler Reddick7.6
3322Joey Logano6.0
3419Chase Briscoe4.9
3520Christopher Bell4.4
3611Denny Hamlin3.8

O’Reilly Auto Parts Series
Single-car qualifying will occur at 12:35 p.m. ET on Saturday (The CW, ESPN Unlimited), with practice earlier in the day at 11:30 a.m. ET (ESPN Unlimited).

POSITIONNUMBERDRIVERMETRIC
155Joey Gase36.0
247Carson Ware35.9
353Tyler Tomassi34.3
402Ryan Ellis32.6
551Jeremy Clements32.2
607Josh Bilicki31.8
742Nathan Byrd31.6
892Mason Maggio30.6
945Lavar Scott #27.9
1031Blaine Perkins27.7
1128Kyle Sieg26.1
1291Derek Lemke (i)26.0
1344Brennan Poole26.0
1448Patrick Staropoli #24.5
150Garrett Smithley24.1
1687Nick Sanchez21.5
1732Carson Brown20.8
1826Dean Thompson20.7
1924Harrison Burton19.8
2027Jeb Burton17.4
2139Ryan Sieg16.7
228Sammy Smith16.3
2396Anthony Alfredo14.9
2441Sam Mayer12.7
252Jesse Love12.4
2654Taylor Gray12.3
2799Parker Retzlaff11.0
2821Austin Hill9.4
2920Brandon Jones8.4
3018William Sawalich7.7
3100Sheldon Creed7.1
3219Brent Crews #6.9
3317Corey Day6.7
349Ross Chastain (i)6.6
3588Rajah Caruth3.7
367Justin Allgaier1.7
371Carson Kvapil1.3

* Required to qualify on time
# denotes series rookie
(i) denotes ineligible for driver points

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, USA Sports, Amazon’s Prime Video and TNT Sports.

Here’s a breakdown of how to watch NASCAR races on NBC, USA Sports and Peacock and the NBC Sports App in 2026.

USA Sports starts its coverage on Aug. 9 at Iowa Speedway and will run for 14 weeks through the Cup Series championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 8.

RELATED: Full Cup Series schedule

Four races will appear on NBC — Daytona International Speedway (Aug. 29), Talladega Superspeedway (Oct. 25), Martinsville Speedway (Nov. 1) and Homestead-Miami (Nov. 8). The remaining 10 races will air on USA Network. The NBC Sports events are available on Peacock via a “single live event” tile in the Sports category page.

Additionally, all NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races will be broadcast by The CW. Cup Series practice and qualifying during NBC’s portion of the schedule can still be found on Max and truTV. O’Reilly sessions will air on The CW, and FOX Sports will continue to broadcast practice and qualifying for the Craftsman Truck Series.

How can I find USA Network?

AT&T U-verse HD: Channel 1125
Charter Spectrum HD: Channel 760
Comcast XFINITY TV HD: Channel 823
Cox Communication HD: Channel 1028
DIRECTV HD: Channel 242
DISH Network HD: Channel 105
Time Warner Cable HD: Channel 55, 101
Verizon FiOS: Channel 550

What about live streaming?
USA Network is also available on most streaming services, including:

fuboTV
YouTubeTV
Sling TV (blue package)
Hulu + Live TV
DirecTV Stream

How to watch on NBC Sports App: To access live streams, you can either visit NBC.com or download the NBC Sports app and authenticate by using your cable, satellite or streaming provider’s login credentials. There is no additional fee for this service; simply log in using the username and password associated with your provider’s website.

How to watch on Peacock TV: Go to https://www.peacocktv.com/ and pick a plan starting as low as $7.99 per month.

NASCAR Cup Series on NBC/USA Network:

DateTimeTrackNetwork
Aug. 93:30 p.m. ETIowa SpeedwayUSA
Aug. 157 p.m. ETRichmond RacewayUSA
Aug. 233 p.m. ETNew Hampshire Motor SpeedwayUSA
Aug. 297:30 p.m. ETDaytona International SpeedwayNBC
Sept. 65 p.m. ETDarlington RacewayUSA
Sept. 133 p.m. ETWorld Wide Technology Raceway at GatewayUSA
Sept. 197:30 p.m. ETBristol Motor SpeedwayUSA
Sept. 273 p.m. ETKansas SpeedwayUSA
Oct. 45:30 p.m. ETLas Vegas Motor SpeedwayUSA
Oct. 113 p.m. ETCharlotte Motor Speedway RovalUSA
Oct. 183 p.m. ETPhoenix RacewayUSA
Oct. 252 p.m. ETTalladega SuperspeedwayNBC
Nov. 12 p.m. ETMartinsville SpeedwayNBC
Nov. 83 p.m. ETHomestead-Miami SpeedwayNBC

Two decades after Ricky Bobby raced onto movie screens, “Talladega Nights” is getting an anniversary celebration at the track that gave the film its name.

NASCAR has unveiled Dega-Con, a new campaign commemorating the 20th anniversary of “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.” The months-long rollout will culminate during Talladega Superspeedway’s fall race weekend, Oct. 23-25. The campaign will blend entertainment, nostalgia and pop culture to create fresh experiences for longtime fans and bring NASCAR’s excitement and personalities to new audiences.

BUY TICKETS: Talladega Superspeedway fall weekend

While specifics will be unveiled at a later date, original content, fan experiences and special collaborations will be part of the celebration at the 2.66-mile superspeedway, with additional details expected in the coming weeks.

The campaign began with a video diagnosing fans with “Talladega Nights Withdrawal Syndrome” — a fictional condition for which Dega-Con provides the cure. Cup Series drivers Chase Briscoe, Noah Gragson, Ross Chastain, Ryan Preece and Riley Herbst appear in the spot.

Released in 2006, “Talladega Nights” stars Will Ferrell as Ricky Bobby, a dominant but dimwitted NASCAR driver whose career unravels following the arrival of rival Jean Girard, played by Sacha Baron Cohen. The comedy’s characters, paint schemes and one-liners have remained familiar reference points within NASCAR and mainstream culture throughout the ensuing 20 years. The film is currently available digitally and on Blu-ray and DVD.

The tripleheader Chase weekend begins with Friday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, followed by the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series on Saturday and Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series YellaWood 500.

Dega-Con will bring that connection back to Talladega this fall, with more announcements surrounding the weekend forthcoming.

Much can change in a few months, wouldn’t you agree? At least, this can be said for the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series field, which has seen plenty of shifts up and down the order since our last Power Rankings installment.

Layne Riggs has been Layne Riggs. Chandler Smith has compiled two wins. Other drivers apart from the Front Row Motorsports teammates are jockeying for postseason positioning with two regular-season races remaining. So, how has it all shaken out since the last ranking? Let’s look, with NASCAR.com’s John Crane ranking the top 10 Craftsman Truck Series drivers with the closing stretch upon us.

RELATED: Craftsman Truck Series standings | Craftsman Truck Series schedule

Analysis: Straight out of the Michael Jordan playbook, the 24-year-old Riggs took his P3 position in the previous ranking personally. The No. 34 Front Row Motorsports pilot has finished outside the top 20 once over the last seven races (23rd, Lime Rock) and even led 48 of 100 laps that day. He has finished fourth or better in every other contest, with four victories in that span. His 443 laps led over the last seven contests further add to Riggs’ dominance since late May. With a 100-point cushion atop the standings, Riggs is well on his way to what looks to be a deep postseason run.

Analysis: It has been a tale of two extremes for Smith of late. On one hand, he has three finishes of 22nd or worse over the last seven contests. Then again, the other four races have resulted in finishes of fifth or better, including a dominant — and historic — victory at North Wilkesboro Speedway in July. Crazily enough, Smith’s average start (11.7) and average finish (11.8) in 2026 are identical to last year’s marks. With Smith slated to depart Front Row’s truck program in 2027, the 24-year-old will have one more shot at title glory with the team.

Analysis: The demotion from first to third in this ranking shouldn’t be seen as a slight against Honeycutt; it’s more so a testament to how strong the Riggs-Smith tandem is. If there is a driver to get in the way of the pair, though, it’s the No. 11 Tricon Garage driver. His 158 stage points rank second among full-time drivers, and his 9.6 average finish ranks first. Yeah, don’t doubt Honeycutt for a second, even if he has dipped here.

Analysis: In the same vein as Riggs and Smith, Ruggiero is right there behind his Tricon Garage teammate in Honeycutt in terms of productivity. To quote Cris Collinsworth: Now here’s a guy who has finished 20th or better in every race this season save for one (25th, St. Pete) and has the second-best average start among all full-timers (7.4, trailing Honeycutt’s 6.4). With a not-too-shabby 11.4 average finish, there is a reason Ruggiero has already clinched a Chase berth. The $1 million question: Can he force his way into the trio above and more?

Analysis: You’re looking at the other driver aside from the four above who has already clinched a Chase position. While the 25-year-old has yet to find Victory Lane — something he did eight total times in 2023-24 — the No. 91 driver has still been a force, tallying the second-most laps led among full-timers (173). Granted, Eckes hasn’t led a circuit since Charlotte Motor Speedway in late May, but with five finishes of ninth or better in the last seven races, he’s still getting the job done.

Analysis: Enfinger is finally a Truck Series victor once more, prevailing at Lime Rock Park in July to claim his first win since October 2024 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The victory has been a part of a solid stretch for the 41-year-old veteran, with only two finishes outside the top 20 in the last seven races after having six such results over the first nine contests. Whether or not the 2023 Truck title runner-up can find another gear beyond this remains to be seen, but there is at least a fair dose of momentum here.

Analysis: Just when it looked like Majeski was about to break out in a victorious way — look no further than his Dover Motor Speedway runner-up in May — the 2024 Truck Series champion laid an egg the following week with a P33 result at Charlotte. The yo-yo has continued to wax and wane for the No. 88 driver, alternating finishes inside and outside the top 15 through Lime Rock. That said, the Wisconsin native has rattled off two consecutive top-10 finishes (10th, North Wilkesboro; third, IRP). When will the big moment occur, though?

Analysis: A return to this ranking installment is in order for the 35-year-old Hemric. Recent production certainly warrants it; save for a P34 finish at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, the No. 19 pilot has finished inside the top 20 in six of the past seven races. Extrapolate it further, and Hemric has finished inside the top 20 in nine of the past 11 contests. A win has yet to transpire as it did for the racing veteran last year (Martinsville spring), but for now, this stretch suffices.

Analysis: The 2021 and 2023 Truck Series champion continues to hang about in this ranking, though a prolonged stretch of elite results continues to elude the 29-year-old pilot. The No. 99 ThorSport Racing driver has three finishes of 21st or worse in the last seven races and is averaging 23 points per race during that stretch. Only one top five and no laps led in that same span continues to illustrate the bumpy ride of late. Rhodes’ past accolades provide some benefit of the doubt, but that can only go so far.

Analysis: Keeping it steady has been the way of the 43-year-old Friesen this season. With average start and average finish marks not too far apart from each other (15.2 vs. 16.2), the No. 52 driver has been able to hold the line as the 10th and final driver inside The Chase bubble. Three consecutive top-10 finishes dating back to Lime Rock in July certainly help, but there is no letting up; Tyler Ankrum and Jake Garcia, among others, are not far behind.

Goodyear Racing will introduce a new left-side tire for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series event, bringing a fresh setup for the race-ready rubber at Iowa Speedway.

The right-side tire that Cup Series teams will use in Sunday’s Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol (3:30 p.m. ET, USA Sports, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) will be the same tire used in last year’s event at the 0.875-mile track. The left-side tire, however, debuts with an updated construction and compound that’s designed to handle the track’s speeds while promoting tire management.

RELATED: Weekend schedule: Iowa | USA Sports coverage begins

tire test May 12-13 at the Newton, Iowa circuit helped Goodyear officials and the NASCAR industry determine this weekend’s setup. Participating drivers were Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon (Chevrolet), Front Row Motorsports’ Noah Gragson (Ford) and 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick (Toyota).

“Iowa is challenging because of its high cornering speeds and heavy loads,” said Goodyear’s Rick Heinrich, the company’s NASCAR product manager. “The Goodyear team has worked closely with the industry to provide a tire package that is ready for that challenge. Following our successful tire test at Iowa in May, we’re bringing a new left-side Goodyear Racing Eagle featuring an updated construction and compound to help promote more wear and fall-off.”

O’Reilly Auto Parts Series teams will use a familiar tire setup for Saturday’s HyVee Perks 250 (5 p.m. ET, The CW, ESPN Unlimited, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), bringing a combination used last month at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and at Pocono Raceway in June. The left-side tire was also provided to teams this season at four other tracks — Darlington Raceway, Rockingham Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway and Dover Motor Speedway.

MORE: Cup Series entry list | O’Reilly Auto Parts Series entry list

Tire allotments for each team this weekend:

  • Cup Series: 11 total sets — 9 new sets for the race, 1 for qualifying, which transfers to the race, and 1 for practice. Also, 4 wet-weather sets available as needed.
  • O’Reilly Auto Parts Series: 5 total sets — 3 new sets for the race, 1 for qualifying, which transfers to the race, and 1 for practice. A total of 3 wet-weather sets will also be available.