DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR and iRacing Studios debuted the official gameplay trailer and announced that NASCAR 26 will be available for pre-order beginning today, July 29. The newest game in the franchise will launch Sept. 18 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam, introducing the biggest gameplay evolution yet with Dynamic Track technology, cross-platform multiplayer, an enhanced driving model, burnout celebrations, a standalone mode featuring The Chase and an all-new Peak Performance training mode, making it the most authentic NASCAR experience ever delivered on console.
“Our fans told us they wanted iRacing Studios to build the next NASCAR console game, and they delivered,” said Nick Rend, vice president of interactive & emerging platforms at NASCAR. “The response to NASCAR 25 reflected the momentum we’re seeing around NASCAR video games, and NASCAR 26 takes another meaningful step forward with improvements across the entire experience, from how the cars drive and tracks evolve to cross-platform play that brings the community together. This is the most complete and authentic NASCAR console game we have delivered.”
NASCAR 26 will build upon the success of NASCAR 25, developed by iRacing, which launched on PC and consoles last fall. This year’s game, which features NASCAR star Kyle Larson as its cover driver, once again includes four NASCAR series — the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and ARCA Menards Series — with real drivers from each series, along with a groundbreaking new dynamic track feature that evolves over the course of every race weekend.
Built in collaboration with NASCAR and powered by iRacing Studios’ industry-leading simulation technology, NASCAR 26 continues the franchise’s commitment to delivering an authentic representation of the sport both on and off the track.
Additional features include:
New and improved game modes including an enhanced career mode with a new facilities feature and team upgrades, a standalone mode featuring The Chase, a new training mode and cross-platform multiplayer.
Visual upgrades including improved graphics, skies, and dynamic lighting, plus better replay cameras.
More realistic racing with the new dynamic track system, enhanced calibration tools for controls and force feedback, an improved driving model with overhauled tire and braking models, better driver AI, a particle system that enhances smoke, debris, rubber buildup and a 750 horsepower package.
New additions such as burnout celebrations, an all-new Dodge Ram truck, a new spotter (Freddie Kraft) and a trophy room.
New tracks including the Qualcomm Circuit at Naval Base Coronado, Chicagoland Speedway and St. Petersburg.
A host of other improvements with updated driver ratings, an improved paint kit, safety violations, DNFs and much, much more.
“NASCAR 26 isn’t just about adding new features, it is to continue our long-term approach to building the most authentic NASCAR console franchise ever created,” said Matt Lewis, vice president and senior producer at iRacing Studios. “Dynamic Track Technology means conditions evolve throughout a race weekend, the improvements we’ve made to the driving model, the new modes we’ve added … it’s all rooted in one of the founding principles of iRacing; leading with an authentic experience for our fans. We’re excited for players to experience NASCAR 26 this September.”
Beginning today, July 29, fans can pre-order NASCAR 26 at www.NASCAR26.com and choose from a Standard Edition ($59.99) and Gold Edition ($79.99), with Gold Edition owners receiving three days of early access beginning on Sept. 15, four monthly paint scheme DLC packs, 1,000 career mode rep points, a $10,000 career bonus and more.
Launching on Sept. 18, NASCAR 26 will be available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam.
NASCAR 26 continues the sport’s expanding investment in interactive entertainment and fan engagement, bringing the latest innovations from the track to players around the world.
For more information, to pre-order the game or watch the official gameplay trailer, visit www.NASCAR26.com.
For those of us NASCAR fans and industry observers wondering earlier this season when the future of the sport might arrive, well, the answer is apparently right now.
Granted, when it wasn’t riding the wave of separate long winning streaks by Tyler Reddick (age 30) and Denny Hamlin (age 45), the 2026 season has seen three different checkered flags captured by first-time winners Ty Gibbs, Carson Hocevar and Corey Heim — each of whom also happens to be age 23 or younger this season.
That’s the first time in the Cup Series’ modern era (since 1972) that three different drivers in their age-23 seasons or younger won their first career races in the same season, and only the second time — joining 2018 (with Chase Elliott and Erik Jones) — that multiple drivers even joined that club at all in the same season.
In a growing class of up-and-coming drivers that also includes the generationally hyped (and generationally unlucky) Connor Zilisch at age 19, it perhaps wasn’t too difficult to imagine that young drivers would break out this season. But in the race to multiple career wins out of that age cohort, a surprising winner has jumped to the front of the line in the form of Heim, who won his second career Cup race on Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in just the 15th start of his career:
Why is Heim surprising? It’s not talent. Heim went out and absolutely dominated the Truck Series last season with 12 wins — not only the most ever in a single season, but the first time any driver had ever reached double-digits in a campaign at all — and he has 26 career Trucks wins in 95 starts, good for a 27.4% winning percentage that ranks second only in series history to the late, great Kyle Busch (i.e., NASCAR’s winningest driver) at 37.5%.
More so, it’s because of opportunity. Despite his runaway dominance in the Trucks, Heim went into the 2026 season without any full-time seats available at 23XI Racing — where he’d run four races in 2025 — or within the Toyota pipeline in general, limiting his Cup schedule to a part-time workload while also running (and continuing to dominate) part-time in the Trucks as well.
Heim’s patience, ability and loyalty to the Toyota program were rewarded in late May, when it was announced he would be permanently taking over at the helm of 23XI’s No. 35 car in 2027, a ride that has been driven by Riley Herbst this season. “Heim Time” will finally get to be full-time.
In the meantime, though, that gives Heim a chance to keep building upon a 2026 season that already ranks among the best “part-time” performances in Cup history. In addition to Sunday’s win at Indy, Heim also won at San Diego a little over a month ago. Among drivers in the modern era (since 1972) who ran fewer than half of all available Cup races, Heim has joined AJ Foyt in 1972 and Tim Richmond in 1987 as the only names to ever win multiple races in a part-time season.
Foyt, of course, was a four-time Indianapolis 500 winner — and seven-time IndyCar Series champion, to go with titles at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and other prestigious wins — who would also routinely run a handful of Cup Series races per season, driving the iconic Wood Brothers No. 21 car to victory at the Daytona 500 and Miller High Life 500 at Ontario Speedway among his six Cup starts in 1972. As for Richmond, he was one of the most talented race car drivers to ever climb behind a steering wheel, but his life was tragically cut short just as he was hitting his prime. Following a No. 3 finish in the 1986 standings, Richmond missed the first half of the 1987 schedule due to failing health, but returned in June to win back-to-back races at Pocono and Riverside — making just eight starts before his condition forced him to step away permanently.
“Daddy thought he was one of the best he’d raced against,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. would say many years later. “I’ve said it before, I think if Tim had lived and competed for many more years, Daddy wouldn’t have seven championships for sure.”
Heim has thrown his own hat into the ring for the title of best part-timer, though there are other candidates on the shortlist. We have a few options to measure this: Across each race, we can track not only a driver’s actual wins, but also their “expected” wins based on how often a driver with their particular Driver Rating tended to win any given race. If we compare each measure to the rates for an average Cup driver in the same number of starts, we find that Heim is up +1.79 actual wins above average and +0.59 expected wins above average, both of which already rank among the best by a part-time driver in modern history:
In the actual wins above average ledger, only Foyt and Richmond rate higher on the y-axis of the chart. Expected-wins-wise, Heim ranks seventh — behind not only Foyt and Richmond, but also Benny Parsons (1984), David Pearson (1980), Mark Donohue (1973) and Shane van Gisbergen (2023) — because in his non-wins, Heim hasn’t been quite as dominant. (His average rating in those non-wins is 70.2, barely above average, with an average finish of 21.2.) But how ever you slice it, Heim is doing more with less time on track this season than just about anybody in Cup Series history.
In even better news for Heim and his growing number of fans? We’ll get to see him on track four more times this season, starting Aug. 29 at Daytona International Speedway in the regular-season finale. That means four more chances to add to his win total and/or otherwise rack up stats in a campaign where Heim has proven without a doubt that he belongs at NASCAR’s highest level, even amongst a crowded group of young guns.
Michael Annett once envisioned a future on the ice as a professional hockey player. Instead, the Iowa native carved out a successful 13-year NASCAR career, all while satisfying his competitive edge away from the race track, training in the weight room and on the beach volleyball court.
“I don’t know if he could have gone pro at hockey, but listening to some of the stories, there was some potential there,” Justin Allgaier, 34-time NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series winner and teammate of Annett for seven years, said. “He was insanely fit. He would get on a Peloton bike and ride for hours.”
Travis Mack, current crew chief for John Hunter Nemechek in the NASCAR Cup Series, took over as crew chief for Annett midway through the 2018 season at JR Motorsports. He remembers the same sentiment. Every morning, the duo hit the gym at 7 a.m. while they were paired together.
“Bros in the gym, that’s like the best time you can have friendship with a guy and really get to know that person,” Mack said. “We enjoyed it, and he got in incredible shape during that time. We worked out together for those two years we were together. That’s the best memories I have with Michael.”
Those training sessions helped Annett clear his mind. He was coming off two-and-a-half seasons of faltering performances with JR Motorsports, dipping back down after three years chasing his Cup dream. Mack was relieved of his duties as Kasey Kahne’s crew chief at Leavine Family Racing and got a call from Dale Earnhardt Jr., for whom he was previously a crew chief.
That conversation changed Mack’s direction. He set out to bring Annett back into the spotlight and help the veteran driver regain his confidence. They even scored a victory together in the 2019 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season-opener at Daytona International Speedway.
Jerry Markland | Getty Images
“I think he just doubted himself and his abilities,” said Mack, who reflected on his moments with Annett. “He saw all of his teammates run well and he didn’t have that self-confidence. We talked to each other, this is a whole team of misfits here. Everybody has turned their backs on us, we’re going to build the nicest cars we can. We’re going to show up every single week, and we’re going to be that team and have that strut about yourself.
“When he went into Daytona that year we won the race, he was like flying through the air of the amount of pride and work he put into it, and the confidence he had was something awesome.”
Mack can recall the hooting and hollering in the Winner’s Circle vividly. Despite the quality gym time, that singular day was his favorite moment with Annett, seeing him bask in the glory.
“That win and seeing how proud he was,” Mack said. “His dad was there; his whole family was in Victory Lane with us.”
Annett was relieved to score the victory, but ultimately glad to deliver for his No. 1 team.
“It was seeing the guys there and how happy they were,” Annett said in his winning post-race press conference. “They had seen the guys in [the JR Motorsports race shop] come back with race wins and the [Victory Lane] hats, ringing the bell and getting their [champagne] toast in the shop, and I just looked at my guys, at their faces, and wanted to bring this to them. We finally get to do it.”
That 2019 season turned out to be the best season of Annett’s career. He ended the season with a career-high six top-five finishes, 94 laps led and a 10.0 average finish. It took time, but Mack earned Annett’s confidence as the crew chief utilized bold strategy calls to put Annett on offense throughout the season.
“Him making some of those calls, it’s like, ‘Man, I’d really like to take these four or five stage points and get a decent day out of this,’ and he tries setting up stage wins and you might be behind the eight ball for the next stage,” Annett said in a 2020 interview. “He’s got my 100% trust. I agree with everything he calls because I know it’s calculated and methodical.”
That decision process was simple for Mack.
“The best part of Michael, and he knew it too, he wasn’t expected to win or run top five,” Mack said. “It wasn’t expected, so I said, we’re going to do off-the-wall things and put you in an advantage.”
***
Sammy Smith, who was a rising short-track star and had just concluded his first Speedweeks racing a Pro Late Model at New Smyrna Speedway, celebrated the triumph at Daytona with Annett. The Annetts and Smiths go way back, growing up on the outskirts of Des Moines, Iowa, less than 40 miles from Iowa Speedway. Annett was asked to be Smith’s sister’s godfather, and Smith recalls spending multiple holidays with the Annetts.
Smith’s dad, Kurt, began working for Annett’s father, Harold, at TMC Transportation as a youngster. Kurt idolized Harold, almost as a second father figure. Kurt flipped to the management side and became Annett’s business manager throughout his career. It was Harold who got Smith into racing at 8 years old, first as a hobby before falling in love with it.
The first memory Smith has at a NASCAR venue is when Annett drove the No. 43 O’Reilly car for Richard Petty Motorsports in 2012.
“Growing up in racing, it’s cool to be around,” Smith said. “Once I realized I wanted to race, that was it. Not only did [Harold] push me to get into the car, but financially, he put me in a position where I could race.”
To this day, the Annett brand supports Smith’s racing career with common sponsors Pilot, TMC Transportation and Allstate Peterbilt. On Aug. 8 at Iowa (5 p.m. ET, The CW, ESPN Unlimited, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), Smith will run a 2017 Pilot throwback scheme from Annett’s first campaign with JRM.
“We saw it through his ARCA career that [Smith] has everything it takes,” Annett said in a 2022 conversation.
When Annett retired on his own terms following the 2021 season, he remained in Smith’s corner. Despite Smith beginning his O’Reilly tenure with Joe Gibbs Racing, Annett reached out to Allgaier to provide the newbie with pointers.
“[Annett] was always there if I needed to call him,” Smith said. “I would say in 2022, when I started making my first couple of starts and he also helped me connect with a lot of veterans that he might have an answer for, but maybe someone he thought could give a better perspective on it. I think that was special not only for him to go out and talk to other people and say, ‘Hey, do you have time to talk to Sammy?’ ”
Annett died on December 2, 2025. He was 39 years old.
Annett’s impact was felt around the racing world. Smith has honored him throughout the 2026 season, with a four-leaf clover adorned on his gloves, helmet and No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. The throwback scheme, to Smith, will help continue to pay homage to the icon.
“A lot of people probably expected us to do something at Darlington or something like that, but I didn’t want to do that because it’s not that special,” Smith said. “I wanted to try to do something with Iowa. That’s where I’m from, and he’s from. Luckily, Pilot was very appreciative and fortunate to do something not current and going back to their past colors.
“I’ve got a helmet and a suit, just like him, and everything was going to be just like he was in 2017.”
Meg Oliphant | Getty Images
While Annett will be remembered at Iowa, ample stories have been shared in the eight months since his passing. Each one honors his life and legacy.
“[Michael] cared about a lot of people, was an awesome teammate to all of his teammates at JRM,” Mike Bumgarner, director of competition at JRM and Annett’s crew chief for his retirement tour in 2021, said. “I think that’s what I always missed about Michael when he stopped racing was just the person that he is. A lot of guys, over the years, have stayed in contact and he made a few appearances at the race track. There was always a laugh, always a smile — that’s what made Michael special.”
“One of the things I will give him credit for, I don’t think folks that watch the sport of NASCAR realize the effort, time, energy, giving-ness,” Allgaier said. “Outside of the race track — his love for people and crew — he was probably the best example of how to take care of your team of anybody that I’ve been around.”
But that compassion went beyond the race track. It was simply who Annett was.
“He was always super happy going, very easy to talk to,” Smith said. “He would be the first person to do something for anybody, really. If someone needed something done, he would be there for you. He was always happy, easygoing and super positive.”
Gaining that admiration from his competitors was all that mattered for Annett.
“I’m going out with a smile on my face,” he said a few weeks before retiring from full-time competition. “I don’t necessarily look at results; I look at gauge of respect from your peers, the guys that work with you. That’s what matters the most to me, and I think I’ve earned that.”
Framingham, MA — Punchbowl, the gold standard in online invitations and greeting cards, today announced a new collection created in collaboration with NASCAR. The branded invitations feature authentic Team NASCAR designs, retro stock cars and the coveted NASCAR Cup Series trophy. Fans can easily customize and send a NASCAR online invitation to plan NASCAR-inspired birthday parties, race-day gatherings, tailgates and more.
The NASCAR online invitations mark an exciting evolution of the “Characters Kids Love” collection that Punchbowl launched in 2014. With this new addition, Punchbowl will expand the collection beyond film, television and literary characters to feature real-life racing heroes and offer NASCAR’s multi-generational fan base a new way to celebrate the sport they love.
“NASCAR is an iconic sports brand that brings together fans of all ages,” said Matt Douglas, Founder & CEO of Sincere Corporation, parent company of Punchbowl. “We’re excited to provide online invitations for the millions of passionate NASCAR fans who host parties every year.”
The NASCAR Collection on Punchbowl features dynamic online invitations inspired by the thrill of the track. Each invite has the look and feel of paper and includes a matching envelope, liner, and postage stamp. Party hosts can personalize their invitation with the details of their event, customize colors and fonts, and deliver it instantly by text or email. Select designs also allow party hosts to add a photo of the guest of honor to the invitation.
Punchbowl makes it easy to plan a celebration with powerful party planning features. After selecting a NASCAR invitation, party hosts can track RSVPs, send messages and announcements, add a gift registry, create a potluck list, include a guest poll, add co-hosts and more.
“Our fans create traditions that span generations, from birthday celebrations to race-day watch parties,” said Megan Malayter, NASCAR Vice President of Licensing and Consumer Products. “We’re excited to partner with Punchbowl to offer a new way for fans to personalize those moments with authentic NASCAR-themed invitations that capture the excitement of our sport.”
In addition to invitations, Punchbowl will also offer NASCAR eCards so fans can send thoughtful birthday, thank you, and holiday greetings.
NASCAR is weighing solutions to reduce the number of laps run under caution, particularly for yellows that occur near the end of stages.
During the latest episode of the “Hauler Talk” podcast, vice president of racing communications Mike Forde said NASCAR officials started discussions during the Brickyard 400 about tightening yellows in the future. The caution flag flew near the end of the first two stages at Indianapolis Motor Speedway — among five cautions that lasted for 27 of the race’s 160 laps.
“If NASCAR fans are angry at the length of caution periods, I can promise you that NASCAR matches that displeasure,” Forde said. “We want green-flag racing, and we want to get it as fast as possible.”
“So when you’re at that late, there’s no way to pick up the field, open pit road and get back to green,” Forde said.
NASCAR worked with TNT’s broadcast production team to ensure commercials could be run during the yellow-flag laps that ended the stage, ensuring the pits were open on the lap that the final stage began.
Forde noted that cautions generally consume a minimum of four laps around the 2.5-mile track because of the time needed to open the pits and choose positions for the double-file restart. NASCAR could potentially move the location of the Choose V to help eliminate a lap under caution.
“Maybe there’s something there that we can look at where we can choose and then go immediately back to green, but it won’t work at every single track,” Forde said. “So there are several things in the hopper. It’s something that’s on our radar. It’s important to us to get back green. We keep stats religiously on the blocks of time between red-, yellow- and green-flag racing. We’re always working to get that green number higher and higher and higher.
“Stage breaks are a big topic of conversation. We hear it, and we see it.”
Other topics covered by Forde during the 64th episode of “Hauler Talk,” which explores competition issues in NASCAR:
— How NASCAR relays to drivers that burnouts on the bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway are to be avoided.
Click on the embed below to listen or search for “Hauler Talk” wherever you download podcasts to hear it on your phone, tablet or mobile device.
Nate Ryan has written about NASCAR since 1996 while working at the San Bernardino Sun, Richmond Times-Dispatch, USA Today Co. 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 has also covered various other motorsports, including the IndyCar and IMSA series.
With four regular-season races remaining in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, it’s time for a check-in to see how the race for The Chase is progressing.
Reminder: The top 16 drivers in points make The Chase. There is no more win-and-in. The regular-season points leader starts The Chase with 2,100 points and second place starts with 2,075. Third place starts with 2,065 points, then drivers are separated by five-point increments through 16th place.
Taking a look at the top of the Cup Series standings, Denny Hamlin maintained his advantage as the provisional top Chase seed and now leads Tyler Reddick by 84 points after the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Despite dropping from the front row on the final restart at the 2.5-mile Indiana track to a fifth-place finish, Hamlin still gained 16 points on the path to potentially entering The Chase as the No. 1 seed and having the championship battle go through the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.
Meanwhile, Ryan Blaney’s hopes of being a contender for the top Chase seed took a major hit Sunday at Indianapolis. Late-race contact with John Hunter Nemechek sent the No. 12 Team Penske Ford spinning into the Turn 3 wall, leading to a 26th-place finish.
When The Chase begins, this might be the moment that not only costs Blaney $1 million in the 2026 NASCAR In-Season Challenge to Todd Gilliland, but also the No. 1 Chase seed as he sits 120 points behind Hamlin in the Cup Series standings.
The Mythical Top Six
RANK
DRIVER
POINTS
POINTS TO LEADER
4
Ty Gibbs
751
-135
5
Carson Hocevar
638
-248
6
Chase Elliott
635
-251
7
Chase Briscoe
623
-263
8
Kyle Larson
617
-269
After scoring 43 points at Indianapolis, Ty Gibbs became the fourth driver to clinch a spot in this year’s Chase. He joins Hamlin, Reddick and Blaney as the only drivers to earn a postseason berth with four races left in the Cup Series regular season.
One of the biggest movers in the provisional Chase grid was Carson Hocevar, who jumps two spots to fifth in the Cup Series standings. This is important, according to Racing Insights, which provided all the data here and has hypothesized that a driver’s best chance of competing for the championship is to enter The Chase in the top six in points.
With Hocevar now sitting 158 points above the cutline and in a prime postseason position, a 37th-place finish in the Brickyard 400 dropped Chase Elliott to sixth in the table, costing him 43 valuable markers to the top of the standings. Indiana native Chase Briscoe earned a strong fourth-place result at his home track; he moved up to seventh in points, knocking on the door of entering the “mythical top six.”
A downed left-rear tire and spin into the Turn 3 wall ended up costing Kyle Larson two spots in the standings as the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports driver dropped to eighth. If the defending Cup Series champion wants to get back into the top six and have a better shot at winning back-to-back titles, he will have to break out of his recent slump.
In the last four Cup Series races, Larson has three finishes of 34th or worse. Something needs to change now for the No. 5 team, or the downward slide could continue as the two-time champion faces the possibility of slipping outside the top 10 in points in the weeks ahead.
The Middle Ground
RANK
DRIVER
POINTS
POINTS TO CUTLINE
9
Chris Buescher
613
+133
10
Christopher Bell
609
+129
11
Daniel Suárez
583
+103
12
William Byron
568
+88
13
Joey Logano
545
+65
14
Bubba Wallace
540
+60
The middle ground is tightening up in the closing weeks of the regular season as drivers hope to safely make The Chase and put themselves in a better position to fight for a championship. Only 29 points separate Christopher Bell in 10th place from Hocevar in fifth place, so a lot of jockeying for position could occur over the next four races.
That said, the middle ground stayed relatively quiet after Indianapolis with Chris Buescher, Bell, Daniel Suárez and William Byron maintaining their positions in ninth through 12th place, respectively. Joey Logano was the biggest mover in this section, moving up two spots and gaining 16 points against the cutline thanks to his third-place finish at Indianapolis.
Coming off a win at North Wilkesboro and following that up with another solid result at Indianapolis, look for Logano to possibly continue his hot streak in the coming weeks. The remaining regular-season tracks — Iowa Speedway, Richmond Raceway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Daytona International Speedway — are good spots for the No. 22 team to increase the 65-point margin above the cutline.
Last year’s Brickyard 400 winner Bubba Wallace did not have a good day in Indiana, losing nine points to the cutline after a disappointing 28th-place result. The 23XI Racing driver currently sits 60 points to the good before Iowa, but cannot afford to miss out on scoring valuable points in the last four weeks of the regular season if he wants to compete deep into The Chase.
The Cutline Battle
RANK
DRIVER
POINTS
POINTS TO CUTLINE
15
Shane van Gisbergen
537
+57
16
Austin Cindric
518
+38
17
Ryan Preece
480
-38
18
Erik Jones
474
-44
19
Brad Keselowski
468
-50
20
Michael McDowell
442
-76
The final four weeks of the regular season will be intense for drivers slightly above The Chase cutline and those on the outside looking in. Despite a quiet and respectable 16th showing at Indianapolis, Shane van Gisbergen dropped to 15th in the Cup Series standings and maintains a 57-point advantage above the cutline. If the No. 97 Trackhouse Racing driver can stay afloat on the next four ovals, he should make The Chase, with a 94.5% probability entering Iowa.
Team Penske’s Austin Cindric remains on the bubble, 16th in points. The No. 2 Team Penske Ford driver currently sits 38 points above the cutline with an 89.3% Chase probability and hopes to hold off a late regular-season charge from the first driver out, RFK Racing’s Ryan Preece, who is 17th in the standings and needs to overcome an uninspiring 6.6% Chase probability.
The last three drivers in the cutline battle — Erik Jones (minus-44), Brad Keselowski (minus-50) and Michael McDowell (minus-76) will need to have big points-scoring days in the last four regular-season races if they want to have any shot at making the postseason.
According to Racing Insights, Jones has a 5.6% Chase probability, while Keselowski sits at 8% and McDowell brings up the rear with a 0.5% chance of advancing to the postseason.
Go back two weeks to EchoPark Speedway, and Spire Motorsports driver Carson Hocevar was very candid about his growing collection of rivals during the pre-race show:
“They can all stand up to the plate and bring it on … I don’t know if anyone wants that war.”
After Sunday’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it’s clear Corey Heim wants the smoke Hocevar throws his way. But to truly understand the rivalry we have on our hands between these two drivers, we have to go back several years to when it was first forged in the Craftsman Truck Series.
Back in 2023, Heim and Hocevar found themselves fighting for a Truck Series title at Phoenix Raceway and on Lap 120, Heim passed Hocevar for sixth place — which made him the highest-running driver eligible to win the championship and provisionally in line to be crowned under that format. Seconds after being cleared by Heim, Hocevar first delivered a bump to the No. 11 Truck, then made contact that sent Heim around, ruining his hopes. Hocevar visibly looked disappointed in himself for spinning Heim and admitted over the radio that his contact was an accident, but mistake or not, Heim wasn’t letting that slide.
As the title fight shifted between Grant Enfinger and Ben Rhodes, Hocevar was mired back late in the race and again had Heim in his sights. This time, it was the No. 42 Truck that took most of the damage as Heim squeezed Hocevar into the fence, getting immediate payback.
Neither walked away with top honors that night, but the feud foundation was laid.
Since that fateful night in the desert, both drivers have carved their own path in the sport. Hocevar has grown to embrace his “Hurricane” nature, whether it’s ruffling veteran drivers’ feathers with daring moves or showing his full, unfiltered personality over the radio and in media sessions. He’s admitted time and time again that he’s willing to go for wins at whatever the cost may be, drawing comparisons to a young Dale Earnhardt. His breakthrough victory at Talladega Superspeedway perfectly encapsulates the Hocevar Experience as he charged to the front late and then delivered a one-of-a-kind celebration.
Meanwhile, Heim has demonstrated to be the complete opposite. He finally collected that Truck Series championship last fall — breaking numerous records along the way — and inked a deal with 23XI Racing where he will start driving the No. 35 Toyota on a full-time basis next year after serving as the team’s development driver. He’s shown to be cool, calm and collected not just in the race car, but even outside of it, delivering sharp, straightforward interviews.
But time has not healed anything between them. In fact, they have been serving up plenty of beefy appetizers to whet the appetite with the tasty drama that exists between them.
At Naval Base Coronado, Hocevar was running second with Heim hounding him for the position, and once again there was no shortage of contact. Heim bumped Hocevar in the chicane at Qualcomm Circuit, sending the No. 77 Chevrolet around and leaving Hocevar with a 19th-place finish after starting on the front row and scoring points in both stages.
Heim, of course, went on to score his first career win in San Diego, and soon fans flooded social media to talk about the late contact between the drivers. However, Heim was ready to take exception on X, replying to Hocevar supporters by reiterating Hocevar’s own words — “Well, just get the [expletive] out of the way, and there wouldn’t be a wreck. You know what I mean? Just move. Just move out of the way.”
Hocevar was quick to chime back, sharing a still image from the TV show “Dexter” of the main character looking on menacingly.
The fallout continued when Hocevar hosted the “Dale Jr. Download” podcast after San Diego and teased Heim about not calling into the weekly winner interview section: “I was excited to do the interview,” Hocevar said during the episode. “I was excited to do the winner’s segment here. They must not have cell service in California. Can’t call in?”
Corey Heim was unavailable to call in, but we sense the rivalry will continue. pic.twitter.com/4USfNmtcTT
Heim stirred the pot further by taking more jabs at not only Hocevar but even brought team partners in the mix, sparking another back-and-forth: “Sorry dude my Spectrum went out again.. time to switch I guess.”
Please do, I’ll use the extra cash to upgrade to @Xfinity
Sunday’s crown-jewel event at Indianapolis was just the latest chapter.
Hocevar started the afternoon by claiming the pole for the Brickyard 400, but it wasn’t long before he and Heim were sharing the same piece of race track again. During a cycle of green-flag pit stops in Stage 2, Hocevar blended back onto the track directly behind the race-leading Heim, who immediately began aero-blocking to keep the No. 77 Chevrolet pinned behind him.
The defensive driving clearly got under Hocevar’s skin. A few laps later, as Heim peeled to pit road for service, Hocevar pulled alongside and flashed the middle finger out the window before continuing. Heim ended up with the last laugh, flashing his new Brickyard 400 championship ring on the post-race show before being asked about the incident with Hocevar, saying he “handed him a big fat L.”
“I’m just a fan, wanted to wave at him,” Hocevar told USA Sports. “He’s No. 1, he won. It’s fun, we don’t like each other, but we race really hard, and his stuff is super fast, obviously with the car he’s in — he does a really good job with it. I’m looking forward to when we get our stuff a little better, being in front of him and, you know, maybe holding him up.”
Heim seemed almost annoyed by the constant push of a rivalry in his post-race presser at Indy, however.
“Where did he finish today? … You guys love talking about a guy who finished ninth. I mean, holy crap,” Heim said. “Yeah, I mean, all I did was make sure he stayed behind me, and I did, and I finished in front of him. I don’t worry about a narrative or a genre. Like, he’s got a ton of talent, and he’s going to win a lot of races, and I’m focused on myself and trying to do the same. That’s really all there is to it.”
Monday after the race, Heim went on the “Door, Bumper, Clear” podcast and had more words for Hocevar: “In honor of Carson, I’ve got my ring on my middle finger.”
A clash between these two in 2027 feels inevitable, but judging by the way things keep escalating, the next chapter probably isn’t very far away.
Trackhouse Racing rookie Connor Zilisch has long been touted as one of NASCAR’s hottest prospects.
Despite a tumultuous rookie year at the Cup Series level, the 20-year-old driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet remains one of the early rumored candidates for a coveted seat at Hendrick Motorsports for the 2028 season.
In a Monday appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Trackhouse team owner Justin Marks addressed the recent rise in attention Zilisch has received since Hendrick Motorsports and Alex Bowman announced Bowman’s impending retirement following the 2027 campaign.
“He’s probably coveted for everybody,” Marks said on “SiriusXM Speedway” with host Dave Moody. “He’s a very talented driver. He’s a very smart young man. He’s got a big career in front of him. And I think for us, we are committed to Connor; Connor is committed to us through the end of 2027. And 2028, although it’ll be here quickly, is a little too far away I think for us to be spending a lot of bandwidth on at the moment. Because what we’re trying to solve for right now is get him the experience, get him comfortable. We’ve got a great relationship with Red Bull and a lot of our other partners on the Chevrolet that he drives, and it’s important for us to be executing on the agreement and the relationship and partnership that we have now.”
👀 “2028 [. . .] is a little too far away I think for us to be spending a lot of bandwidth on at the moment.”@TeamTrackhouse owner Justin Marks on the rumors about @ConnorZilisch‘s future after 2027.
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) July 28, 2026
Zilisch won 10 times in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series last season before finishing second in the final standings. However, that success has yet to translate to the Cup Series, where Zilisch has finished outside the top 30 in seven of his last 10 starts, with six DNFs due to crashes.
“I think that it’s on Trackhouse to continue to work really, really hard to try to give him good race cars,” Marks said. “It’s on him to continue to do the work to be prepared and to show up and be the best race-car driver that he can be. I think 2027 can be a really big year for him and for us. (He’ll have) a whole year under his belt and he can go to all these races for the second time or third or fourth time and really know what he’s up against. And I say all that to say that that’s really where our mind is at right now. I think when it comes time to talk about the future, we’ll have that conversation with him knowing that he’s a highly sought-after driver.”
As teams seek a path toward a possible future with Zilisch, Marks is keen on making Trackhouse Zilisch’s most attractive option.
“I think that those conversations around him probably want to start sooner rather than later, and it’s our job to present ourselves as a place that he wants to be,” Marks said. “And if that happens and he’s at Trackhouse for a while into the future, great. If something different happens, then that’s the way it goes. We’ll all go on and try to be the best that we can be. But right now, I just want to try to get him up the order and hopefully get him in Victory Lane while he’s contracted with us now.”
Chandler Smith will not return to the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, the team announced Tuesday morning.
Smith is a nine-time winner in Truck Series competition, collecting four of those victories with Front Row since joining the program ahead of the 2025 season.
Smith has one win and four top fives in his last six starts, including a fourth-place finish Friday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
“Chandler Smith will not return to Front Row Motorsports in 2027,” the team said in a statement posted to its social media platforms. “We would like to extend our gratitude to Chandler for being a great representative of our Craftsman Truck Series program. The list of accomplishments that he and (the) No. 38 team have obtained are impressive, with four wins to-date over the past two seasons, and we wish him the best on his continued career path.”
Smith, 24, has two victories this year in the Truck Series, winning the season opener at Daytona International Speedway in addition to a dominant performance at North Wilkesboro Speedway on July 18. Smith currently sits third in points, 153 points behind series leader and teammate Layne Riggs.
The Georgia native has previously competed full-time in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2023 and 2024, combining for three wins, 25 top fives and 36 top 10s in 71 total starts. Additionally, Smith has made three starts in the NASCAR Cup Series, posting top 20s in each of his appearances with a best finish of 11th at Talladega Superspeedway in 2023.
In 2026, all NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series events can be found on The CW Network, with broadcast TV covering all 33 races and The CW App handling practices and qualifying.
Starting on Aug. 4 CW Sports events that air live on The CW broadcast network will also stream exclusively within the ESPN App for all ESPN Unlimited plan subscribers. Scroll to the ESPN section in this article for more information about CW Sports streaming live on the ESPN App.
Here’s a complete breakdown of how to watch O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races on The CW in 2026.
Enter your ZIP Code here to find which channel or local station broadcasts The CW in your area.
You can also purchase a plug-in TV antenna from any electronic store or superstore (ex. Target or Walmart) and find The CW Network.
What is the broadcasting breakdown?
O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races air live on The CW on broadcast only, with streaming replays available the next day on The CW App. While you watch the race on broadcast, though, keep your phone or preferred device close — The CW App will stream live in-car cameras during races.
Live practice and qualifying sessions are only available in The CW App.
What about streaming within the ESPN App?
Fans can activate their ESPN Unlimited plan through their existing TV and mobile providers. Check here for a list of providers and authentication instructions.
ESPN Unlimited is also available as a standalone subscription or bundled with Disney+ and Hulu. More details on how to subscribe can be found here.
All CW Sports will be available within a standalone CW Sports-branded channel on the ESPN App for ESPN Unlimited subscribers.
Where else can you live stream?
The CW is also available on the following streaming services:
• DirecTV Stream • fuboTV • Hulu + Live TV • YouTubeTV • Live streaming also available through your local TV provider’s app
How to watch on The CW App
No sign-up or authentication is needed to live stream through The CW App; you can simply download the app and start watching for free. Secondly, if you miss the live race, you can watch the broadcast and its entirety in the app’s archived content the next day — practice and qualifying stream live in the app.
You can also watch live TV and re-watch live events on The CW on your desktop with no sign-up needed; start watching for free here.
