Honor and Remember, NASCAR encourage fans to sign Declaration of Remembrance

Posted on April 1, 2026 by NASCAR Official Release

For NASCAR fans, patriotism has long been part of the sport’s DNA — from paint schemes and pre-race tributes to our service members, to moments of remembrance in honor of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. And as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, NASCAR is helping support a new national effort to ensure those fallen service members, and the Gold Star families who keep their legacy alive, are never forgotten.

The Declaration of Remembrance, led by the nonprofit Honor and Remember, calls on Americans to recognize the nearly 1.4 million service members who have lost their lives in military service over the country’s history. As a NASCAR Impact partner, Honor and Remember is working toward a goal of 1.4 million signatures by Memorial Day Weekend 2026 — a symbolic tribute of one signature for every fallen hero.

RELATED: More info about NASCAR Impact

NASCAR fans are encouraged to read and sign the Declaration of Remembrance at DeclarationofRemembrance.com/signnow.

Aligned with the broader America250 commemoration, the initiative reflects a nationwide moment to honor both 250 years of freedom and the cost required to secure it.

“It’s important for all Americans to remember and acknowledge that the freedoms we enjoy today are ours because of 250 years of sacrifice,” said George Lutz, founder of Honor and Remember. “It’s a critically important message that cannot get lost as our nation celebrates this milestone, and it’s why we started the Declaration of Remembrance.”

In addition to the signature campaign, organizers are building support for H.R. 1363, the Honor and Remember Flag Recognition Act, a new piece of bipartisan legislation that would designate the Honor and Remember Flag as a permanent national symbol of remembrance.

For more than a decade, NASCAR has worked alongside Honor and Remember to elevate the stories of fallen service members and recognize Gold Star families. That relationship deepened in 2025 when Honor and Remember was officially named a partner of NASCAR Impact, expanding opportunities to integrate moments of remembrance into race weekends across the country.

“NASCAR is a uniquely patriotic sport, and we feel a responsibility to ensure these heroes are never forgotten,” said Eric Nyquist, NASCAR’s chief impact officer. “Our goal is to keep the memory of these brave men and women alive and to show their families how much they are appreciated.”

From the unfurling of the Honor and Remember Flag during pre-race ceremonies to hosting Gold Star families at marquee events like the Daytona 500, NASCAR continues to use its biggest stages to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

The campaign is deeply personal for Lutz, a Gold Star father whose son George Anthony “Tony” Lutz II was killed while on patrol in Fallujah, Iraq, in 2005.

“My hope is that as we mark 250 years of freedom, we also take time for collective gratitude — not just for the victories, but for the cost of securing and sustaining our nation,” Lutz said. “This effort is about honoring every life lost in service and inviting Americans to stand together in remembrance.”

With one of the most passionate fan bases in sports, NASCAR is uniquely positioned to help amplify the campaign across the industry leading up to and during NASCAR Salutes Together with Coca-Cola, which will launch in May.

“Our fans understand and appreciate the sacrifice that these men and women have made,” Nyquist said. “We encourage everyone to join us in supporting Honor and Remember and to take part in this national moment of remembrance.”

Posted on April 1, 2026April 1, 2026 by Cameron Richardson

Seven races down in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, and we have somewhat of an idea of who will be contesting for the championship when The Chase begins in September.

At the top of the Cup Series standings sit Tyler Reddick (already with four wins this season), followed by Ryan Blaney, who snagged his first checkered flag of the season at Phoenix Raceway.

While the two drivers are undoubtedly fast during green-flag action, the same can’t be said so far for their respective pit crews. Let’s dive into where the No. 12 and No. 45 pit crews rank so far and what it could mean for Blaney and Reddick’s hopes at hoisting the Cup Series trophy in November.

The aforementioned speed for both Blaney and Reddick is undeniable when looking at the numbers. According to NASCAR Insights, both drivers rank inside the top five in passing, speed and restarts. Specifically, Reddick charts second in passing, second in speed and fifth in restarts. Blaney tops the board among Cup drivers in passing and speed, and ranks fourth on restarts.

The standalone speed has translated into strong results, with both winning five combined times in the first seven races and holding the top two spots in points.

Where troubles have become apparent have been on pit road. Pivotal to success on Sundays, the No. 12 and No. 45 have struggled to provide clean stops to give their drivers advantageous track position, forcing their wheelman to really drive their cars harder to make up spots.

Post-Martinsville, the No. 45 pit crew ranks 21st, while the No. 12 crew sits at 35th — second worst of all title-eligible drivers, only ahead of the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing crew.

Neither teams were all that good at Martinsville. Reddick’s crew was 18th at the Virginia short track, and Blaney’s crew was 25th.

The biggest shock of all is that NASCAR Insights lists Blaney with the worst average four-tire stop in Cup this season, with a time of 12.89 seconds. To compare, Christopher Bell has the fastest four-tire stop on average at 10.18 seconds. Mistakes compiled for the No. 12 team at Phoenix, which Blaney was able to overcome and win, and most recently at Darlington, where the team had a loose wheel and needed to pit in a teammate’s stall to get it tightened.

As we’ve seen in past years, championships have come down to execution on pit road — think of 2019 when the No. 19 crew gave Martin Truex Jr. the wrong tires and the No. 11 team slapped on a comical amount of tape to Denny Hamlin’s grille that cost the engine to overheat. Of course, there’s Hamlin’s heartbreak from the Phoenix title race last year, where crew chief Chris Gayle opted for a four-tire stop, while Kyle Larson and the No. 5 team took two tires and entered that race as the No. 1 pit crew, according to NASCAR Insights. Larson eventually went on to finish ahead of Hamlin on the short run to the checkered flag to win his second championship.

MORE: How NASCAR’s new championship format works

While The Chase eliminates the one-race showdown for the title, pit road will still be a huge factor in crowning a champion. If Blaney and Reddick want to solidify bids as championship favorites, they’ll need their crews to match their raw speed.

Kevin C. Cox | Getty Images

Posted on April 1, 2026April 1, 2026 by Zack Albert

Justin Allgaier says he hasn’t had much time recently to catch up with former teammate Tyler Reddick, given the pace of their hectic schedules. But the two drivers have something in common beyond their past and current ties to the JR Motorsports organization and their superlative starts to the 2026 season.

“This is a win for the short guys right now, because we’re the same height,” says the diminutive Allgaier, sharing a laugh after his most recent victory Saturday at Martinsville Speedway. “So maybe we’ve got really good, low center of gravity in these race cars. That’s what the difference is.”

Like Reddick in the NASCAR Cup Series, Allgaier has proven to be a difference-maker in his own right in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series this season. The 39-year-old veteran added his latest win over the weekend at Martinsville and carries that momentum into Saturday’s North Carolina Education Lottery 250 Presented by Black’s Tire (2:30 p.m. ET, The CW, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Rockingham Speedway.

With the Cup Series idle this weekend, Reddick will take a break from his torrid tear, which has included four wins through the first seven races and a corresponding 82-point advantage atop the series standings. Allgaier’s rapid start is worthy of its own applause, with a peerless three victories in the last four O’Reilly Series events — a streak that’s propelled him to his own 92-point lead over the next-closest contender, defending series champion Jesse Love.

While Allgaier can laugh about their shared but figurative boost in stature, he’s also quick to earnestly tip his cap to Reddick, who netted the first of his two O’Reilly championships with JR Motorsports in 2018.

“What they’ve done on the Cup side? I mean, look, not taking anything away from the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, but to do what they’re doing on the Cup side is mind-blowing to me,” Allgaier says. “And you know, I’m sure that some would say the same about what we’re doing in our series.”

Allgaier has led the charge this year for the Dale Earnhardt-owned organization, which enters Rockingham with full-time JRM drivers Carson Kvapil fifth in the series points and Sammy Smith sixth to round out that next five behind Allgaier. The group’s fourth full-time entry — which has been shared by Rajah Caruth and Cup Series regulars William Byron and Kyle Larson so far this year — ranks third in the team owner standings.

While Allgaier has broken out this season, Earnhardt said the performance of his No. 7 Chevrolet team was among JRM’s biggest question marks heading into 2026. When Jim Pohlman, Allgaier’s crew chief for the last three seasons including his championship march in 2024, departed to join Richard Childress Racing’s Cup Series operation this year, Earnhardt filled the vacancy by shifting Andrew Overstreet over from JRM’s No. 1 Chevy team. Veteran Rodney Childers replaced Overstreet, pairing with Kvapil. Even Earnhardt expressed pleasant surprise at how well the personnel moves have worked thus far.

“We changed a lot of folks, and all our teams got better. I wasn’t really sure if that was even possible and achievable,” Earnhardt said after Sunday’s win. “… I mean, I believe in Overstreet because I put him in that position, but shoot, I don’t think anybody would have guessed they’d have won these races and run as well as they are. Yeah, I’m happy for Justin. He deserves it. When Jim was leaving, we were worried, right, about Justin’s ability to go out there and us to give him the cars that we know he deserves. He’s in, I don’t know, the last couple of years of his career. I don’t know how long he wants to run. Another five years, we’ll do it, but I don’t know if he’s running one or two more years. I want to be able to give him winning cars all the way to the very end, and so that was a bit of concern for me personally was, was I going to be able to give him the cars in these final few years for him to go out there and continue to win?”

MORE: All-time winners for JR Motorsports | Rockingham entry list

Pinpointing when that “very end” might arrive is a tricky thing to firm up, even by Allgaier’s own admission. He explains that he considered making his championship run in 2024 a triumphant farewell, with an abrupt “mic drop” retirement to go out on top. “I guess now looking back on it, I’m glad I didn’t,” Allgaier says. He’s netted a half-dozen wins since, three in 2025 and three more already in the early going this year.

Though Allgaier carries a measure of uncertainty about his career’s endpoint, he says he’s still “highly motivated” to keep the ride going in his 16th full season of competition in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and his 11th driving the JR Motorsports No. 7. Savoring the moment, he maintains, is a top priority.

“If I’m also being frank, I’m probably in the spot of my career where I’m having the most fun,” Allgaier says. “I know that sounds dumb, but you know, I know that the days are coming closer to an end than they are to starting, and I’m watching these young kids figure it out in what seems like minutes. What used to take us years, it seems like they’re figuring out in minutes, right? And so, I’m proud of what we’re able to still accomplish.”

Posted on April 1, 2026 by Dustin Albino

Patrick Staropoli, a retina surgeon by trade, is accustomed to high-pressure moments.

As full-time driver of the No. 48 Big Machine Racing Chevrolet in 2026, he’s laser-focused on making it in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.

After winning the PEAK Stock Car Dream Challenge with Michael Waltrip Racing more than a decade ago and winning an ARCA Menards Series West race at Irwindale Speedway, opportunities dried up for Staropoli on the national level. His time as a developmental driver for MWR came and went, leaving him focused on medical school.

RELATED: Patrick Staropoli driver page

“Fortunately, I was still able to go back and finish medical school, and that was the primary focus,” Staropoli told NASCAR.com. “I wanted to get that done no matter what, and then I raced on the side as much as I could: late models, modifieds for the last 10 years.”

Staropoli raced around Florida while attending Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami, among the best institutions for ophthalmology practice. Before that, he graduated from Harvard University, initially believing he was going down the engineering path.

But no matter how much he excelled in the classroom, racing was always at the forefront.

“The deal that I had with my parents and car owners and everybody growing up was that I had to take school seriously if I wanted to race,” Staropoli said. “I loved racing, so that was my motivating factor to do well in school.”

After graduating from “The U,” Staropoli moved to Houston within the last three years to work for Retina Consultants of Texas. He could do upwards of six or seven surgeries per day while seeing anywhere from 60 to 90 patients.

“The pitch when I came out there was that we would use the racing platform to raise awareness for what we were doing in retina and taking care of people and their sight,” Staropoli said. “They stayed true to their word. I got out there and got to continue racing, and they’ve been big supporters of mine with this opportunity this year.”

Photo courtesy of Overbey Photography

Enter Big Machine Racing.

Staropoli transitioned to NASCAR in 2025, first in ARCA. He sped through the process of running a quartet of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races, while also making four O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts for Sam Hunt Racing. He scored a pair of top-20 finishes at Martinsville Speedway and started to get the bug of wanting to make a full-time stab at racing.

Staropoli inked a full-season ride with Big Machine in late December to pilot the team’s flagship No. 48 Chevrolet, taking over the ride in place of Nick Sanchez, who won at EchoPark Speedway for the team in 2025.

“You figure that you get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and you don’t want to leave that on the table,” Staropoli said of rushing to the Big Machine ride. “I’ve seen before where I thought I had a path to get somewhere [and it] goes away. When you get a chance like this, you have to jump on it.”

In late January, Staropoli uprooted his life and moved to the Charlotte hub. He is practically at the race shop every day, eager to learn and improve his craft.

“We felt like studying and preparing was not going to be a problem based on his career,” Patrick Donahue, crew chief of the No. 48, said. “We knew that if we gave him the information, he would put the work in, and he does that every week, just like everyone else. He watches film, studies the races, looks at SMT and goes to the sim. We do everything that we’re supposed to do.

“But he knew there was going to be a lot of pressure on him to fill big shoes.”

Almost every week, Staropoli visits a race track for the first time. Entering Saturday’s O’Reilly race at Rockingham Speedway (2:30 p.m. ET, The CW, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), he ranks 18th in the driver standings with four top-20 finishes.

MORE: O’Reilly Auto Parts Series standings | O’Reilly Auto Parts Series schedule

“Every track that I go to this year — the majority of them — are new,” Staropoli said. “Even though I’ve been playing a lot of video games since I was a kid, it’s different going out there and doing it in the real thing. Class is in session every week.”

On Mondays, the Big Machine squad regroups and adjusts for upcoming races. The goal for everyone on the team is to continue improving and make minimal mistakes, believing the No. 48 team can make a playoff push through its technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing.

“We know our race cars can go fast, we know we have all the equipment to provide,” Donahue said. “It’s putting the puzzle together that works best for Patrick. We’re working extremely hard to help him on that.”

After the 2026 season concludes at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November, Staropoli intends to return to Houston to practice in the medical field. Come February 2027, he hopes to still have a seat in NASCAR.

“The goal is going to be for a couple of months [in Houston] and then be back at Daytona next year,” Staropoli said. “The ultimate goal for any race car driver is to race on Sunday. That’s been the dream since I was a kid. I’m fortunately closer now than I’ve ever been before, and I just hope I can execute this year and audition to keep myself around.”

Posted on March 31, 2026March 31, 2026 by Staff Report

Corey LaJoie will drive the No. 10 Kaulig Racing Ram for the rest of the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season, Kaulig Racing announced Tuesday.

Daniel Dye began the campaign for the No. 10 team but was suspended on March 17 by both the team and NASCAR for insensitive comments made during a recent live stream about NTT IndyCar Series driver David Malukas.

NASCAR announced Tuesday that Dye had completed his sensitivity training and had been reinstated. While Dye is permitted to return to competition, LaJoie will take over driving duties for the No. 10 truck for the duration of the season.

MORE: Truck Series standings

In a statement, Dye said he is stepping away from Kaulig Racing as he seeks to make his return to the sport.

“I’m incredibly thankful for my time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and for the chance to compete with Kaulig Racing alongside some of the most passionate fans in motorsports. At this time, I am stepping away from that role.

“NASCAR has played a meaningful role in my development, and I don’t take that opportunity lightly.

“After a lot of honest self-reflection and guidance from mentors I trust, I’ve decided the smartest move for my career is to realign my focus on my long-term objective of becoming a successful driver at the highest level of stock car racing.

“Now that I’m reinstated, I’m optimistic about what the future holds and look forward to working hard at my next opportunity.

This sport and its fans mean everything to me, and I can’t wait to get back to it focused on the real goal more than ever.”

The team also issued a statement.

“Kaulig Racing has accepted Daniel Dye’s resignation,” Kaulig Racing said. “And we wish him great success in the pursuit of his personal and professional goals.”

LaJoie has made two Truck Series starts this season, including one at Darlington Raceway for Kaulig Racing, in which he finished 21st. In all, LaJoie has three top fives and eight top 10s in 16 series starts.

LaJoie, the son of two-time NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion Randy LaJoie, competed full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series from 2019 through 2024 and has a total of 276 starts, most recently attempting to qualify for the 2026 Daytona 500 with RFK Racing.

“The last couple months I’ve missed the grind of working towards a goal of success on track,” LaJoie said in a Kaulig press release. “There’s certainly a lot of work ahead of us getting our Ram trucks to a place where we compete for wins, but with the people in the Kaulig Racing building, I believe we will get there.

“I really appreciate the confidence Kaulig Racing and Ram have in me. I have been a part of building a couple teams from the ground up and getting success and I will bring that experience to help Kaulig get to their potential on a quicker path. I love what Kaulig and Ram are doing to promote the Truck series and the sport. It will be a fun challenge to be a part of.”

LaJoie will take over the No. 10 Ram at Rockingham Speedway in Friday’s Black’s Tire 200 (4:30 p.m. ET, FS1, NASCAR Racing Network Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). LaJoie was scheduled to compete for Kaulig in its No. 25 truck; Ty Dillon will pilot the No. 25 entry instead, making his second Truck Series start of 2026.

Dye competed full-time in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2023 and 2024 before advancing to the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2025, where he collected eight top 10s. In his three races with Kaulig in the Truck Series this year, Dye finished a season-best 13th at EchoPark Speedway with a pair of 17th-place results at Daytona International Speedway and the St. Petersburg street course.

Competition officials also announced an indefinite suspension for Peter Ensor for violation of the NASCAR Substance Abuse Policy. Ensor was last listed on Cup Series team rosters as an engineer for Rick Ware Racing’s No. 51 team.

Posted on March 31, 2026 by Staff Report

Goodyear officials revealed Tuesday that the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will run the same tire setups from last year’s triumphant return to action at the 0.94-mile Rockingham Speedway.

While Rockingham has a history of being abrasive on tires, a recent repave brought fast speed and high-paced action for both series. This weekend will provide a change of pace for Truck Series and O’Reilly Series drivers after navigating the daunting Darlington Raceway and the close quarters of Martinsville Speedway.

This tire setup was also used two weeks ago at Darlington and last year at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

“Teams can lean on their data from last year’s race at Rockingham to fine-tune their strategies for this weekend,” said Rick Heinrich, Goodyear NASCAR product manager. “Like Darlington and Homestead, Rockingham is traditionally known for being abrasive and wearing tires rapidly, but with relatively new asphalt after a repave in 2022, Rockingham is unique among the three traditionally alike tracks. As the asphalt continues to age, Rockingham will continue to fall in line performance-wise to its traditional self.”

Both series will be allotted five sets of Goodyear tires for the weekend: three for the race, one qualifying set transferred to the race and one set for practice.

The Craftsman Truck Series race is set for Friday at 4:30 p.m. ET (FS1, NASCAR Racing Network Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), while the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series closes the weekend on Saturday (2:30 p.m. ET, The CW, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on March 31, 2026 by Pat DeCola

NASCAR.com’s Pat DeCola ranks the top 20 Cup Series drivers competing for the 2026 championship after Chase Elliott’s win at Martinsville Speedway and before next Sunday’s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway (3 p.m. ET, FS1, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Kyle Larson enters as the defending winner.

Analysis: Martinsville went about as well as possible for Reddick while he fine-tunes his short-track regimen, hanging around the top 10 all afternoon and scoring points in both stages before fading slightly at the end. He’ll get another shot to work on his short-track muscle when racing resumes after the off weekend — Reddick has just one career top 10 at Bristol (2020), and just seven total laps led.

Analysis: Some races are just going to end the way Sunday’s ended, but even though Hamlin didn’t walk away with the trophy, he did score the most points. Plus, the clear takeaway from the afternoon was that there may not be a more dominant team in 2026 than the No. 11 Toyota — Reddick’s No. 45 included. Hamlin will very likely take No. 1 in these rankings in short order for the first fresh face up top since Daytona, especially as the man to beat at Bristol of late. | MORE: Hamlin’s dominant day fades to runner-up at Martinsville: ‘We just got beat’

Analysis: Another strong race car, but late contact with Denny Hamlin squandered any chance of making it to Victory Lane, though he still recovered to finish sixth. While Blaney has yet to win at Bristol, he’s gotten considerably better there over his career and his more recent finishes are much more notable than his 17.1 overall average finish at the Tennessee short track.

Analysis: The Chase is on in 2026, in more ways than one. Elliott appears dialed in so far this year and fully capable of maximizing this championship format, and it’s not out of the equation that he finds himself on top when the field of title contenders is reduced come Chase time. Like Blaney, it’s a surprise Elliott hasn’t won any of his 17 Bristol starts, as he has an even better 12.8 average finish — but two in a row coming off Martinsville is on the table.

Analysis: A slow pit stop nearly derailed Byron’s afternoon, but he recovered to finish in the top five by the end in a nice show of resilience for the No. 24 team. Like his Hendrick teammate above him (but certainly not the one below him), Byron hasn’t mastered Bristol yet, but does have a handful of really nice runs the past few years there. For now, though, he should concentrate on checking off this box first — nailing down his first lap led at the “Last Great Colosseum.”

Analysis: Larson had a somewhat eventful but at the same time altogether kind of nondescript day at Martinsville, notably trading paint with dirt rival Christopher Bell but ultimately hanging in that sixth-to-15th range and just landing ninth. He and Hamlin are the alpha dogs at Bristol for about the past decade, though, and as the winner of two of the past three there — including nearly 900 laps led in those — we could be about to end another Hendrick drought.

Analysis: Alright, it really might be happening, folks. Gibbs just continues to show hints of what he’s capable of, and it feels like he could blast through the ceiling at any moment. Everything appears to be lining up correctly for Bristol to perhaps be the precise spot of his first NASCAR Cup Series win — not only is Gibbs rolling, but Bristol also is arguably his best track, and he led 201 laps there last fall. | MORE: Gibbs continues hot start after Martinsville: ‘Just need a little bit more’

Analysis: Kind of the same deal for Bell as Larson in terms of their afternoons, but the JGR driver wound up a couple of spots higher in the running order, with the exact same number of points. Though there have been some bright spots, it still feels like the No. 20 team is looking for its first big 2026 moment, and it very well could come once we return after the break at Bristol, where Bell owns six straight top 10s and walks in as the most recent winner at the track.

Analysis: Keselowski had a nice, methodical move through the field from a subpar starting position, doing just what he needed to stay out of trouble and focus on maximizing his day. He just continues to grind toward a long-awaited return to Victory Lane, and the wait could be about to end at Bristol, where he was runner-up just a handful of months ago and owns three career wins.

Analysis: A frustrating afternoon for Wallace, for sure, triggering a major multi-car crash out of frustration and winding up 36th as a result. He’s now gone from second in the standings to out of the top 10 remarkably fast, and it could go from bad to worse. While Wallace does have one recent top five at Bristol in the 2024 night race, it stands as one of his worst tracks, with an average finish outside the top 20 and just one other top 10 all the way back in 2020.

Analysis: Buescher had a frustrating afternoon as well, as he wasn’t running particularly well but got caught up in Wallace’s mess to ensure a finish off the lead lap. We’re only a few years removed from a Bristol win for No. 17, though, so he may not have to wait long before recovering.

Analysis: Logano finally looked like himself once again this past Sunday, as things are potentially stabilizing for the No. 22 team after a few misfires to open the season. While we know he’s capable of winning at Bristol, those trips to Victory Lane are distant, decade-plus-old memories, and five of his last six finishes there have netted results of 22nd or worse. | MORE: Logano moves up Martinsville top-10 streak list

Analysis: The season of Shane rolls on, as SVG continues to prove to every inch of the garage that he belongs in the Cup Series and deserves Chase attention. He narrowly missed out on a top 10 at Martinsville, and Bristol should present an excellent opportunity to show off how far he’s come, after his initial runs there left him self-admittedly puzzled.

Analysis: Preece had a similar day to his boss, starting 17th and steadily improving throughout the day — but only for a scant few spots to land 12th. Bristol has always been a place he could be competitive, regardless of which car he was driving, and the continued short-track strength RFK shows hints he may break through here eventually.

Analysis: Briscoe had a tough day at Martinsville that, thankfully for him, resulted in a not-too-terrible 14th, but he started 27th and it’s fair to question the inauspicious start the No. 19 team has gotten off to following a Championship 4 run a season ago. He’s a sleeper at Bristol, though, so perhaps he can rally his first laps led there last fall — all 127 of them — into a rebound race and a team-sparking win after the Easter holiday break.

Analysis: Hocevar started sixth and showed early speed, sticking around the top five for a bit before eventually being spun by Bubba Wallace in the later stages of the race. He continued on but lost crucial track position, and he’s yet to string together consecutive top 10s this year. He has shown above-average skill at Bristol in his young career so far, however, and notched his third top-11 finish in just five races there last fall.

Analysis: Just like his teammate in the No. 22 car, Cindric is starting to pick up steam after a fast, but unfruitful start. We’ll see what happens at Bristol, where most of Cindric’s six starts could be considered, well, slow and unfruitful — he’s started outside the top 20 four times and finished 20th or worse four times as well.

Analysis: So-so day for Suárez, taking the free pass earlier in the race only to later get caught up in a multicar crash and, of course, finish a lap down. Despite his litany of rides in his career, none of them have yielded anything resembling success at Bristol, where No. 7 has a 20.2 average finish and just two top 10s in 15 career starts — and three straight results of 31st or worse.

Analysis: Chastain and Co. took a gamble on late strategy that did briefly have the No. 1 car in the lead for 14 laps during the pit cycle, but he quickly faded on older tires as the race went on green. Still, there are some long-term concerns after a tepid start for this No. 1 team, especially given Chastain has yet to lead a lap at Bristol and has an average finish that’s just a hair inside the top 20 (19.5), so the tide isn’t likely to turn yet.

Analysis: If McDowell can continue to just hang around the top 20 when he needs to — like he did at Martinsville — and then maximize his days elsewhere on the certain tracks he excels at, there certainly is a legitimate Chase path for the veteran. Bristol has somewhat turned into one of those spots for him. While he’s only got a pair of top 10s in 28 starts there, four of his last 11 starts have been finishes of 11th or better.

Posted on March 30, 2026April 3, 2026 by Staff Report

Following last weekend’s race at Martinsville Speedway, the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series heads south to North Carolina for exciting action at the 0.94-mile Rockingham Speedway on Saturday (2:30 p.m. ET, The CW, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

With the Cup Series having an off weekend, the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series will get additional time in the spotlight as the featured event Saturday afternoon at “The Rock.” Sammy Smith is the defending race winner. The contest will also serve as the qualifier race for this season’s Dash 4 Cash stretch, slated to begin on April 11 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

ENTRY LISTS: O’Reilly Auto Parts Series | Craftsman Truck Series

Garrett Mitchell, also known as Cleetus McFarland, is set to make his O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut, driving the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. McFarland made his debut in the Craftsman Truck Series earlier this year in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway.

Thirty-eight cars are entered into the event.

MORE: Weekend schedule | How to watch NASCAR on The CW

View the full entry list for the race:

Posted on March 30, 2026March 30, 2026 by Staff Report

After a week off, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series returns to action at Rockingham Speedway on Friday (4:30 p.m. ET, FS1, NASCAR Racing Network Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The 0.94-mile North Carolina track known as “The Rock” will host the fifth race of the 2026 Craftsman Truck Series season. In the four races, four different drivers have gone to Victory Lane — Chandler Smith at Daytona International Speedway, Kyle Busch at EchoPark Speedway, Layne Riggs at St. Petersburg and Corey Heim at Darlington Raceway. Rockingham will also be the second race of this year’s Triple Truck Challenge, with one more prize race set for April 10 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

ENTRY LISTS: O’Reilly Auto Parts Series | Craftsman Truck Series

After taking the first $50,000 prize in “The Trip” at Darlington, defending series champion Heim will get an opportunity to increase his total, driving the No. 1 Tricon Garage Toyota. Two-time NASCAR Local Racing Series champion Connor Hall is set for his first start in the Craftsman Truck Series this year in the No. 4 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet.

Despite the Cup Series not competing this weekend, Carson Hocevar will pilot the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet at “The Rock.”

Thirty-eight trucks are entered into the event.

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View the full entry list for the race:

Posted on March 30, 2026March 30, 2026 by John Crane

The short-track bumps and bruises were plenty apparent this weekend at Martinsville Speedway, as was crisp speed and savvy strategy. When the Virginia dust settled, Chase Elliott not only clinched his first NASCAR Cup Series victory of 2026 (and for Hendrick Motorsports entirely), but also did so at the expense of Denny Hamlin, who dominated the day and led 292 laps only to finish runner-up.

Of course, Elliott and Hamlin weren’t the only drivers who had prosperous days; plenty did. On the flip side, several drivers will look to brush off the Virginia half-miler immediately. Here’s a glance at three drivers on the upswing and three more on the downturn following Martinsville and heading into the off-week before action begins once more on April 12 at Bristol Motor Speedway (3 p.m. ET, FS1, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

THREE UP ⬆️

1. Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford

Started: 9th

Finished: 3rd

What happened: The difference one race makes. A 33rd-place finish at Darlington Raceway had the three-time Cup Series champion on the opposite end of this installment last week, but this time, Logano put those woes to bed with a strong showing at “The Paperclip.” The No. 22 Ford got stronger as the weekend went on, finishing Stages 1 and 2 in seventh and third, respectively, with P3 the final result when the checkered flag waved. The finish acted as the 14th-consecutive top 10 for Logano at Martinsville, tied for the third-longest streak in the track’s storied history.

What’s next: Though he has two career Cup wins there, Bristol has been tough sledding for Logano since the Next Gen era began in 2022, with five finishes outside the top 20. There is a glimmer of hope, though: The most recent race there (September 2025) resulted in fifth place.

Ethan Smith | For NASCAR Digital Media

2. William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Started: 2nd

Finished: 5th

What happened: Finishing worse than where you started shouldn’t be a knock on Byron. If anything, it should emphasize just how strong the cars ahead of him were because the No. 24 wheeled it. From top-10 practice times and a front-row starting position to top-five finishes in Stages 1 and 2, the No. 24 Chevrolet was in the mix from start to finish. Byron’s 47 Martinsville points accumulated ranked fourth overall, and his seven top fives at the track are his most at any facility.

What’s next: Though he has excelled at Martinsville, Bristol has been a different beast for Byron in his Cup career. The 28-year-old North Carolina native has two top fives and five top 10s with zero laps led and a 16.1 average finish at the track. Byron and the No. 24 camp will have work to do should the team wish to leave a winning mark at “The Last Great Colosseum” for the first time.

Ethan Smith | For NASCAR Digital Media

3. Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Started: 5th

Finished: 11th

What happened: Road-course ringers have had a knack for Martinsville success, and for one still learning the oval ropes, the 36-year-old Kiwi had a respectable showing. Though his practice time ranked 34th, that proved to be the outlier. Van Gisbergen started inside the top five to begin the 400-lapper and maintained track position, finishing Stages 1 and 2 in sixth and eighth, respectively. Though he finished outside the top 10, the growth on these tracks is very noticeable, and that should only make van Gisbergen that much more of a threat in due time.

What’s next: Speaking of growth, it will be put to the test at Bristol. Van Gisbergen’s first Cup exposure there came during his 2025 rookie campaign, with him finishing outside the top 25 on both occasions. During the spring race, van Gisbergen completed only 208 laps before a suspension issue resulted in a DNF. The sample size is small, surely, but more seasoning is needed.

David Jensen | Getty Images

THREE DOWN ⬇️

1. Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota

Started: 15th

Finished: 36th

What happened: Wallace will want to wash this one. After top-20 track position through Stages 1 and 2, the No. 23 Toyota made contact with Carson Hocevar’s No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet on Lap 324. A stack-up ahead of Hocevar resulted in Wallace hitting the No. 77 again, with the damage from the contact — in addition to other cars in the vicinity — enough to send Wallace to the garage for the duration. Wallace tallied one point from the race.

What’s next: With only one top five and two top 10s in 13 Bristol Cup races, Wallace could be in for another grind of a day. That said, nearly any performance will be an improvement after Martinsville’s one-point affair. The fact Wallace has led at least one lap in three of the last four Bristol contests suggests that a rebound could come in a semi-decent fashion.

Jacob Kupferman | Getty Images

2. Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford

Started: 14th

Finished: 34th

What happened: All looked swell for Smith and the No. 38 camp through the opening two stages at Martinsville, with finishes of 14th and 17th, respectively. Any chance of maintaining top-20 track position was undone, however, on Lap 324 after the No. 38 Ford was involved in a late multicar crash, resulting in damage that required a garage visit. While Smith returned to on-track action, the damage was done, finishing the race 29 laps behind the top finishers.

What’s next: In four career Cup races at “The Last Great Colosseum,” Smith has failed to finish on the lead lap in three instances, including both the 2024 and 2025 spring races, with results of 36th and 27th, respectively. Last fall’s contest, however, was a breakthrough of sorts, finishing third and leading five laps. It might not be much, but it’s definitely something to build upon for this year’s spring running.

Jacob Kupferman | Getty Images

3. AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

Started: 28th

Finished: 27th

What happened: While some road-course ringers have found success at Martinsville, Allmendinger hasn’t. That theme continued this weekend, with little speed to break free of middle-road track position. Since the Next Gen era began in 2022, Allmendinger has made seven Martinsville starts, all resulting in finishes between 23rd and 28th.

What’s next: Unfortunately for Allmendinger, Bristol hasn’t been much kinder. In 27 career Cup starts, the 44-year-old has three career top 10s with 78 laps led. He did start on the Bristol Cup pole last fall, only for a steering issue to result in a 36th-place DNF. That said, he started inside the top 10 (eighth) and finished ninth in last year’s spring race.

David Jensen | Getty Images