Complete list of NASCAR Regional tracks

Posted on February 25, 2026April 1, 2026 by Staff Report

The NASCAR Regional landscape would not be what it is without the incredible race tracks scattered across the United States and Canada.

These facilities — from short tracks in the NASCAR Local Racing Series Powered by O’Reilly Auto Parts and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour to superspeedways, dirt miles and road courses in the ARCA Menards Series — are where future racing stars prove their talent.

Between the three series, almost 100 tracks fill the map for the NASCAR Regional platform. From New Smyrna Speedway in Florida to Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway in California and everywhere in between, one doesn’t need to look far to find a nearby NASCAR Regional track.

Below is a complete list of the NASCAR Regional tracks that are part of the NASCAR Local Racing Series, ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.

Find your nearest NASCAR Regional track

NASCAR Local Racing Series tracks

(Note: The NASCAR Local Racing Series track list for 2026 is not finalized and is subject to change.)

Track	Location
Ace Speedway	Elon, North Carolina
Adams County Speedway	Corning, Iowa
Alaska Raceway Park	Palmer, Alaska
All American Speedway	Roseville, California
Arrowhead Speedway	Colcord, Oklahoma
Autodrome Chaudière Vallée-Jonction	Vallée-Jonction, Quebec
Autodrome Granby	Granby, Quebec
Berlin Raceway	Marne, Michigan
Birch Run Speedway and Event Center	Birch Run, Michigan
Bowman Gray Stadium	Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Caraway Speedway	Sophia, North Carolina
Claremont Motorsports Park	Claremont, New Hampshire
Colorado National Speedway	Dacono, Colorado
Coos Bay Speedway	Coos Bay, Oregon
Dells Raceway Park	Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
Dominion Raceway	Woodford, Virginia
Eastbound International Speedway	Avondale, Newfoundland
Edmonton International Raceway	Wetaskiwin, Alberta
Elko Speedway	Elko, Minnesota
Evergreen Speedway	Monroe, Washington
Grandview Speedway	Bechtelsville, Pennsylvania
Grundy County Speedway	Morris, Illinois
Hawkeye Downs Speedway	Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Hickory Motor Speedway	Hickory, North Carolina
Jennerstown Speedway Complex	Jennerstown, Pennsylvania
Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway	Bakersfield, California
Kingsport Speedway	Kingsport, Tennessee
LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway	West Salem, Wisconsin
Langley Speedway	Hampton, Virginia
Lonesome Pine Motorsports Park	Coeburn, Virginia
Magic Valley Speedway	Twin Falls, Idaho
Meridian Speedway	Meridian, Idaho
Merritt Speedway	Lake City, Michigan
Monadnock Speedway	Winchester, New Hampshire
Motorplex at the Mill	Emmett, Idaho
New Smyrna Speedway	New Smyrna Beach, Florida
Riverhead Raceway	Riverhead, New York
RPM Speedway	Saint-Marcel-de-Richelieu, Quebec
Salina Highbanks Speedway	Pryor, Oklahoma
Seekonk Speedway	Seekonk, Massachusetts
South Boston Speedway	South Boston, Virginia
The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway	Las Vegas, Nevada
Tucson Speedway	Tucson, Arizona
Wake County Speedway	Raleigh, North Carolina
Wall Stadium	Wall Township, New Jersey
Willamette Speedway	Lebanon, Oregon

ARCA Menards Series tracks

Track	Location
All American Speedway	Roseville, California
Berlin Raceway	Marne, Michigan
The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway	Las Vegas, Nevada
Bristol Motor Speedway	Bristol, Tennessee
Charlotte Motor Speedway	Concord, North Carolina
Chicagoland Speedway	Joliet, Illinois
Colorado National Speedway	Dacono, Colorado
Daytona International Speedway	Daytona Beach, Florida
DuQuoin State Fairgrounds	DuQuoin, Illinois
Elko Speedway	Elko, Minnesota
Flat Rock Speedway	Flat Rock, Michigan
Hickory Motor Speedway	Hickory, North Carolina
Illinois State Fairgrounds	Springfield, Illinois
Iowa Speedway	Newton, Iowa
Kansas Speedway	Kansas City, Kansas
Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway	Bakersfield, California
Lime Rock Park	Lakeville, Connecticut
Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park	Clermont, Indiana
Madera Speedway	Madera, California
Madison International Speedway	Oregon, Wisconsin
Michigan International Speedway	Brooklyn, Michigan
Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway	Nashville, Tennessee
Phoenix Raceway	Avondale, Arizona
Pocono Raceway	Long Pond, Pennsylvania
Portland International Raceway	Portland, Oregon
Rockingham Speedway	Rockingham, North Carolina
Salem Speedway	Salem, Indiana
Shasta Speedway	Anderson, California
Sonoma Raceway	Sonoma, California
Talladega Superspeedway	Talladega, Alabama
Toledo Speedway	Toledo, Ohio
Tri-City Raceway	West Richland, Washington
Watkins Glen International	Watkins Glen, New York

NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour tracks

Track	Location
Claremont Motorsports Park	Claremont, New Hampshire
Martinsville Speedway	Martinsville, Virginia
Monadnock Speedway	Winchester, New Hampshire
New Hampshire Motor Speedway	Loudon, New Hampshire
New Smyrna Speedway	New Smyrna Beach, Florida
Oswego Speedway	Oswego, New York
Oxford Plains Speedway	Oxford, Maine
Riverhead Raceway	Riverhead, New York
Seekonk Speedway	Seekonk, Massachusetts
Stafford Speedway	Stafford Springs, Connecticut
Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park	Thompson, Connecticut
White Mountain Motorsports Park	Woodstock, New Hampshire

Posted on February 25, 2026February 27, 2026 by Dustin Albino

Brent Crews, Toyota Racing’s next big developmental driver, has never been scared to race anything. By age 9, he had won three world championships in karting.

Growing up in the Charlotte suburbs, Crews wasn’t your typical kid. With no familial ties to racing, he tried his hand at team sports, playing football and soccer. His teammates weren’t as competitive as him, he recalled, so he wanted to attempt something else.

Matt Lankford, his stepdad — whom Crews refers to as his father — was instrumental in finding that path.

Crews recalled: “My dad came to me and saw me get super upset about wanting to win so much, and none of my teammates cared about winning, and he was like, ‘Do you want to play a sport where it’s you versus everyone else?’ I said yes, and he took me to the race track.”

The timing came on the heels of Trackhouse Motorplex (formerly GoPro Motorplex) opening in 2012. Lankford brought Crews to the venue in the middle of a cold, wintry day. The rest is history.

Crews traveled around the globe, earning victories in Brazil, France, Germany and Switzerland. His competition? Some of the elite younger drivers in the world, including fellow NASCAR sensation Connor Zilisch and current Formula One driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli. But it was a battle with Kyle Larson in an Outlaw Kart race in 2019 at Millbridge Speedway when Lankford realized his stepson was serious about making racing a career.

“I was as excited as you could possibly be just that we finished third,” Lankford said. “On the way home, he was like, ‘What are you so excited about?’ There was nothing in his mind that was OK. I said, ‘The guy that beat you is literally the best driver in the world.’ And he said, ‘Yeah, but I race at this track every week, and he comes here twice per year — I should beat him.’ That was when I noticed he thinks about this differently than somebody normal probably would.

“When I realized that’s how he looked at things, as I digested it all, I knew we were probably going to be doing this for a while.”

Crews followed up those accolades by becoming the youngest winner in Trans-Am TA2 history at 14 years old and winning the championship the next season. He sprinkled in additional dirt starts in a 410-winged sprint car that same year, as well as winning a Late Model Stock event at Hickory Speedway.

Jacob Kupferman | Getty Images

Lankford studied the careers of Larson, Tony Stewart and Christopher Bell to find a path for Crews. The model: race everything.

“That’s what we’ve lived by,” Crews said. “You see guys like Kyle Larson, Alex Bowman, Christopher Bell — all of those guys want to race anything they can, and I think that gives you an edge on everyone else.”

In 2023, Crews signed a multiyear deal with Toyota Racing as a developmental driver. It paid off with a win in his second career ARCA Menards Series start. In 2024 and 2025, he stacked more trophies onto his resume in a plethora of divisions. He also made 10 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts for Tricon Garage in 2025, earning a pair of top-five finishes at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval and Martinsville Speedway.

Crews knew that a leap to the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2026 with Joe Gibbs Racing was in store, piloting the No. 19 Toyota.

“The path [Crews] took growing up was running Milbridge, go karts, late models and Trans Am, is probably the best development path that any driver has ever had,” reigning O’Reilly champion Jesse Love told NASCAR.com. “I think Brent’s natural ability is unbelievable. If Brent can have the right people in his corner and learn the right things quickly and not make a bunch of mistakes, he could be as good as anybody and be a threat for the championship.”

Because Crews won’t turn 18 until March 30, he isn’t eligible to compete in four of the opening six O’Reilly races in 2026 and will make his series debut Saturday at Circuit of The Americas (3 p.m. ET, The CW, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Watching his friend group of Love and Zilisch boom in the series over the last two seasons has been painful from the sidelines. He’s happy for their success but wants to be on the same playing field.

“He has almost gone completely crazy having to watch his friends race the last few years,” Lankford said. “I think he will be fine. He has always raced with guys that were older than him, with the way it shook out with what we were trying to do.”

Crews also knows firsthand that the No. 19 team is fully capable of making a deep push and thinks he will be in the mix come fall. The team won the 2025 owner’s championship, after all.

“I think what Jesse said is right,” Crews said. “I don’t have any goals set out: wins or make the championship. Our goal is to give 100% every single week. We are going to prepare to the highest intensity level.”

Feeling pressure inside a race car isn’t a part of Crews’ arsenal. Lankford recalled a conversation with his stepson six months ago, where he said he finally found out what pressure was — and it was sinking a putt on the golf course with $200 on the line.

“I’ve been in that situation since I can remember,” Crews said of pressure. “My dad always said if I didn’t go out there and dominate in this series, I wasn’t going to be able to go to the next one. I’ve been used to that since I was 10 or 11, so this is just the next step at a higher level in front of more people. I’m excited to be able to show what I can do in front of a bigger crowd.”

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

The last time Crews raced at COTA, he was victorious in TA2. He believes he can replicate Zilisch’s performance from 2024 at Watkins Glen International, when he cruised to victory in his series debut. He is aiming to become the eighth driver to win their first race out of the gate.

“If you don’t have an expectation to win everywhere you go, then what are you showing up for?” Crews said. “Especially COTA, where it’s what I grew up doing. I have a lot of confidence there, more than a lot of places.”

To secure a victory at COTA, he will have to outrun his friend Zilisch, Shane van Gisbergen, Hill and a slew of other established racing mainstays.

Challenge accepted.

“It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he goes and wins at COTA,” Lankford said. “He gets around there pretty good, and the team gets around everywhere good. You put all of those pieces together, and he should be able to have some success.”

Posted on February 24, 2026February 25, 2026 by Nate Ryan

NASCAR will expand its officiating footprint and the tire-pack infrastructure this weekend at Circuit of The Americas.

Concerns were raised during last year’s race about drivers shortcutting Turn 6 at the Austin, Texas, road course. NASCAR will begin officiating that corner for drivers who exceed track limits — just as rules against cutting the course already were applied last year in the esses section (Turns 3, 4 and 5).

NASCAR is also adding tire packs in Turns 6 and 19, after they were successfully used to monitor shortcuts through the esses last season.

RELATED: Weekend schedule | Cup Series entry list

“Those were a game changer,” NASCAR managing director of communications Mike Forde said on the latest episode of the “Hauler Talk” podcast. “There’s a rudimentary solve having tire packs. Obviously, you don’t want to hit them, and they’re positioned in an area where if you hit them, you have to shortcut the course. It was pretty black-and-white, which is really the best way to officiate. Gray area is where you can get yourself in trouble.”

Forde said NASCAR will also use AI-generated cameras to help determine whether a car goes out of bounds.

“If a car crosses those parameters, it sends up an alert to our officiating team that can review it and then make the call if there was a shortcutting of the course,” Forde said. “We plan to speak with the drivers on Friday and go over those with them one more time.”

Tyler Reddick will have a chance at COTA to start the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season with three consecutive wins after the Daytona 500 winner won at EchoPark Speedway despite missing a right-front fender on his No. 45 Toyota from a crash.

Forde said Reddick’s car passed post-race inspection despite the damage, which NASCAR officials believe offered no aerodynamic advantage (or disadvantage).

“We go through all the (inspection) stations but understand that some are going to be impossible to pass because of the damage,” Forde said. “There was some discussion if there was a hole in the firewall, and air got into the cockpit, that would be an advantage. But there was no hole, and if there was, we would not allow (Reddick) to go back onto the race track. We’re not going to let a car go back in with anything that would be deemed unsafe. Also, we wouldn’t let them back on track for anything that would be deemed a competitive advantage.”

Other topics covered by Forde and senior director of racing communications Amanda Ellis during the 44th episode of “Hauler Talk,” which explores competition issues in NASCAR:

— The call to shorten the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race after weather delays impacted the Saturday schedule at EchoPark Speedway.

— How video was used to determine Bubba Wallace as the winner of Stage 2 after the caution flag on the final lap of the segment.

— Whether Carson Hocevar’s aggressive driving could draw any reaction from NASCAR.

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 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.

Posted on February 24, 2026February 24, 2026 by Kobe Lambeth

After kicking off his 2026 NASCAR Cup Series rookie campaign with two finishes of 30th or worse at Daytona International Speedway and Atlanta’s EchoPark Speedway, Trackhouse Racing’s Connor Zilisch is looking for a reset on Sunday at Circuit of The Americas (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

On Lap 85 of the 68th Daytona 500, the 19-year-old driver was involved in a multicar wreck in Stage 2 after battling toward the front of the pack. The damage suffered by his No. 88 Chevrolet led to a 33rd-place finish in his first time competing in the “Great American Race.”

A week later at EchoPark, Zilisch got swept up in a Lap 223 pileup on the frontstretch, ignited by contact between Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin that ultimately ended his race in 30th. Entering Sunday’s road-course race in Texas, Zilisch remains optimistic about recovering from a slow start after placing 36th in the Cup Series standings after two races.

“I think it’s hard to deny the fact that these past two weekends haven’t quite been what we wanted them to be,” Zilisch said during a media teleconference. “That’s kind of just the nature of superspeedway racing. Sometimes you’ll get on the good end of it. Other times, you’re the bug. Hopefully, we can turn that around this weekend. We’re going to a great track for me in COTA.”

With road-course racing among his greatest strengths as a driver, Zilisch understands the importance of having a good points day in Texas after scoring minimal points at unpredictable, drafting-style tracks in the previous two races. However, he feels confident that Trackhouse’s road-course program will give him the best opportunity to net a sound result.

Shane van Gisbergen and Ross Chastain, Zilisch’s teammates, have combined for seven Cup Series wins on road courses for the Justin Marks-owned organization. With three drivers capable of getting the job done on road courses, Trackhouse will enter the COTA race weekend as the favorites to go to Victory Lane.

One year ago, Zilisch made his Cup Series debut at COTA and left a good first impression until his race ended when he collided with then-teammate Daniel Suárez in Turn 19. Since finishing 37th on debut, Zilisch has grown a lot as a driver, putting together a special season in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series last year with 11 wins and a runner-up finish in the final standings.

“I feel like that entire weekend gave me a lot of confidence,” Zilisch said about his 2025 COTA Cup start. “I drove from 38th to 14th, I think, in Stage 2 and was one of the fastest cars on track and was able to pass and maneuver and get through traffic. That’s definitely confidence-inspiring. Obviously, it takes a lot to win these races and compete at the very front and race against guys like SVG at the road courses. I’ve done it before in the (O’Reilly Auto Parts) Series … I feel like it’s definitely capable now that I’m a full-time driver at Trackhouse. We got a really good road-course program, and there’s definitely a lot of confidence going into this weekend.”

MORE: Zilisch crashes with Suárez in Cup debut at COTA

Now, a full-time driver in the Cup Series, Zilisch is learning the differences between racing on Saturdays and Sundays at the premier level. Cup races have a longer schedule, the competition is tougher, more preparation work is required and the race lengths are longer compared to what the 19-year-old is used to from last year’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series competition.

As one of NASCAR’s most talented young prospects in years, Zilisch believes that he has identified the one skill that will help him take the next step in the Cup Series.

“The biggest one is patience,” Zilisch said. “I started out last year being very eager to pass and make aggressive moves early in the race. I think a lot has changed since then. I’ve learned a lot about how long these races really are and how much time you have. So, I would say that the biggest thing that I’ve learned and kind of applied to my own craft is just patience and knowing when to be aggressive and when not to.”

Posted on February 24, 2026February 24, 2026 by Pat DeCola

NASCAR.com’s Pat DeCola ranks the top 20 Cup Series drivers competing for the 2026 championship after Tyler Reddick’s win at EchoPark Speedway and before Sunday’s DuraMax Texas Grand Prix Powered by RelaDyne at Circuit of The Americas (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell enters as the defending winner.

Analysis: Reddick banked a statement win at EchoPark, backing up his massive Daytona 500 victory to become the first driver since Matt Kenseth in 2009 to open the season 2-0 and putting last year’s 0-fer long in the rearview. Everything is clearly clicking to open the year and he’s showing stellar late-race decision-making under chaos, which could translate to COTA, where he’s already proven he can live at the front — and win.

Analysis: Elliott was unable to rebound from a near Daytona 500 triumph and back up his Georgia win last summer on Sunday at EchoPark, but he remains third in the standings after being a points machine through two weeks. He’ll now get to take on another track that he’s won at out in Austin, and a return to his road-course form could certainly start this weekend. Either way, it’s evident Elliott will be a major, major player in 2026.

Analysis: Blaney was in the mix at the front of the field midway through the final stage, but was still able to convert for a top 10 despite fading toward the end. The 2023 champ has a high ceiling just about everywhere, but it’s yet to fully materialize in Austin, where he has just one top 10 and one lap led through five appearances.

Analysis: Briscoe had a bit of an up-and-down, wild ride on Sunday afternoon that, as the race’s P2 finisher, landed on an “up.” He’s been known to be competitive on road courses on occasion, but he hasn’t found any sort of success at COTA since his first start there in 2021, when he finished sixth for his only top 10.

Analysis: Hamlin had the speed to contend at EchoPark and looked set to be part of the conclusion before a crash derailed his path, and he finished 13th. Not typically a road-course standout over his long and prosperous career, that has tended to be the case at COTA in its five-year run as well, with no finishes higher than 14th there.

Analysis: Byron still scored a decent 25 points despite the P28, thanks to a Stage 2 runner-up, but it’s a far cry from a race he certainly had plans to win. Thankfully for him, another winning opportunity is right around the corner, as his last three COTA starts have yielded finishes of fifth, first and second.

Analysis: Larson had a similar story to Byron; dominant (48 laps led) but walked away with a dismal finish (32nd). He didn’t quite have the points haul Byron did, though, nor does he go into COTA with a strong history — Larson was the inaugural runner-up there but has averaged a 23.0 finish at the track since.

Analysis: As frustrating as the first two results have probably been for Wallace, it’s hard not to think we’ll see him in Victory Lane quite soon as well, to match his teammate, because he’s arguably been the stronger of the two overall for full races. Reddick will likely still have the edge this weekend, though — Wallace has a rough 29.8 average finish at COTA with no top 10s.

Analysis: Few know how to create chaos like Ross Chastain, but it’s clear he can maneuver within it as well, never finding the exact front of the field at EchoPark nor banking any stage points, yet still finding a way to finish third as the race descended into frenzy. All the road-course focus this weekend will center around his Trackhouse Racing teammate Shane van Gisbergen, but don’t forget the former COTA winner could be in contention again. (And shout out to their rookie pal Connor Zilisch as well, who will likely re-enter these Power Rankings next week and quite possibly may never fall out of them again the rest of the season. Or ever.)

Analysis: Logano was not immune to the EchoPark volatility, and several incidents could have relegated him to a finish much worse than his P18 (though, with 26 laps led, he was surely hoping for more). He’s another veteran who started off hot at COTA (P3 in 2021), but it hasn’t clicked for him since, with no top 10s since the debut race there.

Analysis: Bell was in excellent position to battle for the win until overtime restart contact, so to walk away with 16 points while seeing race winner Reddick net 67 in this revamped format has to be a bit disheartening for him — but it showcases how crucial every race is to the rest of us. Thankfully for Bell, we’re still in the window where he was unbelievably dominant last year, and there’s a strong chance he’ll be battling on Sunday to make it two in a row at COTA.

Analysis: Buescher has had a decent start to the year thus far, but hasn’t quite been able to make his mark in either race for various reasons despite apparent speed. There’s an excellent chance he could convert on at least a strong points day this weekend, however, as he’s ripped off three straight top-eight finishes at COTA the past three seasons.

Analysis: Preece climbed from P26 to P9 at EchoPark, avoiding both major wreck windows and making zero pit-road mistakes in a race that punished almost everyone who did. COTA hasn’t been a strength, though — P32 in 2023, P23 in ’24 and P33 in ’25 — and he’s yet to show true road-course upside there. The early 2026 execution suggests his baseline is improving, but history says the ceiling at this track still needs to be proven.

Analysis: We’re but two races into the 2026 schedule thus far and SVG already has done plenty to show that he means business and fully intends to flex that he’s more than a one-trick specialist. After an impressive display at EchoPark, he now gets to build some serious momentum as the favorite entering the weekend at COTA. If he converts, this team could catch fire and shift the narrative.

Analysis: Hocevar is gonna Hocevar, and eventually that’s gonna lead to the 23-year-old collecting a list of race wins as long as his rundown of enemies in the garage, but we’re guessing that won’t bother him one bit. Expect more aggression out of the young upstart this weekend at COTA, which has a history of rewarding rabble-rousers with their first Cup win.

Analysis: It’s fair to wonder if Suárez has sneakily become one of the more underrated drafting-track racers in the series — and if that’ll perhaps become even more apparent as his ties with his new Daytona 500-winning teammate (Michael McDowell) deepen — but the early 2026 results are more than promising here. We typically see him excel on road courses; however, it has oddly yet to fully show up in his Austin results (no finishes better than 24th), though he did lead 15 of 69 laps after starting on the front row there in 2022.

Analysis: Is Zane Smith as a Cup Series factor finally happening? It sure looks like it could be. After walking out of Daytona second in the standings, Smith backed it up at Atlanta with another strong showing, and it’s possible he and Front Row Motorsports have the pieces in place to take the next leap forward. If the two-time COTA Truck Series winner keeps it rolling again this weekend, he should be firmly on everyone’s radar.

Analysis: Though it resulted in a P17, Keselowski once again had a car more than capable of getting the job done in the draft, and RFK Racing continues its trend of bringing speed to all superspeedways of late. Where the 2012 champ hasn’t quite found the speed necessary, however, is COTA, as Keselowski has never led a lap there or finished better than 14th.

Analysis: In a race that saw a sea of lead changes, Allmendinger was one of just four drivers to finish in the top 12 and not lead a lap. Don’t expect that to be the case this weekend, as the road-course maven is always a threat on the twisty tracks, even if his results there have been hit — fifth, sixth in 2021, ’24 — or miss — 33rd, 34th, 30th in ’22, ’23, ’25.

Analysis: It’s largely a product of the nature of superspeedway-style racing, but Bowman’s first two races — where he netted just 18 points combined — probably weren’t how he was hoping to get the ball rolling on a pivotal campaign for him. Of course, it’s early, but No. 48 would love to get things turned around quickly before the hole deepens. Austin couldn’t come at a better time for Bowman — he’s been arguably the most consistent driver there so far, averaging a 5.2 finish with no results worse than ninth.

Posted on February 23, 2026February 23, 2026 by Zack Albert

Sunday’s Autotrader 400 from EchoPark Speedway made for high-banked high drama, but with a familiar race winner in Daytona 500 champ Tyler Reddick. The 23XI Racing driver is now 2-for-2 to open the NASCAR Cup Series season with a chance to make it three straight in Sunday’s road-course show at Circuit of The Americas (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Below Reddick and 23XI teammate Bubba Wallace, the Cup Series standings look like they’ve been through a rock tumbler after two consecutive drafting-track events. Here’s a look at three drivers on the right side of the early season momentum wave and three more in need of a boost after leaving the Atlanta-area track.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos

THREE UP ⬆️

1. Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Started: 34th

Finished: 2nd

What happened: Briscoe made a nearly complete flip-flop of his starting and finishing positions from Daytona, where he set off from the outside of the front row and ended up 36th with a damaged race car. A qualifying washout at EchoPark left him mired deep in the field for Sunday’s start, but he methodically worked his way into contention, even netting stage points with a third-place result after the second stanza. “Even all of the situations that happened,” Briscoe said, “everything kind of worked out in my favor.”

What’s next: Sunday’s outcome provided Briscoe and the No. 19 team with a 22-spot jump to 15th in the Cup Series standings — the largest points leap of any driver leaving the EchoPark track. Briscoe has won twice on road courses in his O’Reilly Auto Parts Series career, but he’s seeking his first top-five finish at the Austin circuit.

Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Digital Media

2. Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Started: 15th

Finished: 4th

What happened: Hocevar’s late-race effort to increase the intensity level at EchoPark grabbed its share of the headlines, but an impressive rally put his No. 77 Chevy in that position. Hocevar recovered after a flat tire at the midpoint of Stage 1, losing two laps and dropping to the back of the pack. Two free passes placed him back in the thick of it, and the 23-year-old talent did the rest.

What’s next: Sunday marked two consecutive events where Hocevar contended late, fueling the thought that a breakthrough Cup win may not be far away for the series’ 2024 Rookie of the Year. If it happens at COTA, it would reverse some recent road-course rough patches; his last six road-racing finishes have been outside the top 10.

Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Digital Media

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

Started: 6th

Finished: 7th

What happened: The 26-year-old driver has launched a steady start to his third full season in the Cup Series, opening with results of (ahem) sixth and seventh. At EchoPark, his No. 38 Mustang caught a piece of a pileup in the 103rd of 271 laps, but went relatively unscathed — more than many could say on such a chaotic day — the rest of the way.

What’s next: Sunday marked the first time Smith has notched top-10 finishes in consecutive Cup Series races, and it leaves him as the only driver outside of the 23XI family with two top 10s this year. At COTA, he has just two Cup Series starts, but ranks as a two-time winner there in Craftsman Truck Series competition.

Ethan Smith | NASCAR Digital Media

THREE DOWN ⬇️

1. Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Started: 16th

Finished: 32nd

What happened: A rare unforced error brought an end to the day for the defending Cup Series champion, who dove low into the path of Shane van Gisbergen’s No. 97 Chevrolet on the last lap of Stage 2. SVG went on to rally for a sixth-place result on the 1.54-mile track, but the heavy damage to Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet ended up being terminal.

What’s next: Larson’s first DNF since last May’s Coca-Cola 600 netted him a six-place drop in the Cup Series standings just two races into the year. Six of Larson’s 32 Cup wins have come on road courses, but Circuit of The Americas has presented more challenges for him than others, with four straight finishes outside the top 10 there heading into Sunday’s race.

Ethan Smith | NASCAR Digital Media

2. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet

Started: 3rd

Finished: 36th

What happened: The tables turned in a two-week hurry for Stenhouse, who just last week finished one position short of becoming a two-time Daytona 500 winner. That result gave him a prime third-place starting spot for Sunday at EchoPark after a qualifying cancellation, but he washed out in Stage 2 after his No. 47 Chevy was collected in a multicar thicket.

What’s next: With a small sample size this season, Stenhouse plummeted from fifth to 22nd in the standings after his third DNF in the last four drafting-style races. Strikingly, he has just one top-10 finish in 45 Cup Series road-course starts, and that came at COTA with a seventh-place day in 2023.

Ethan Smith | NASCAR Digital Media

3. Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Started: 25th

Finished: 37th

What happened: Gibbs’ No. 54 was left with little place to go after a four-wide squeeze caused a Stage 2 calamity at the end of the backstretch. The crash meant an early exit for both the 23-year-old driver and Josh Berry, who was also sidelined after completing just 81 laps in the Autotrader 400.

What’s next: Gibbs has solid road-racing chops, and four of his 12 victories in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series came on twisty-type layouts. Summoning some of that road-course savvy will be key to pulling himself out of an early deficit in the Cup Series standings, where he ranks 33rd after two wrecks in two races to start the year.

Ethan Smith | NASCAR Digital Media

Posted on February 23, 2026February 26, 2026 by Staff Report

It’s street-racing time, with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series hitting up the city of St. Petersburg, Florida, on Saturday for an 80-lap contest (noon ET, FOX, NASCAR Racing Network Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

ENTRY LISTS: Cup Series at Circuit of The Americas | O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Circuit of The Americas | Craftsman Truck Series at St. Petersburg

The NTT IndyCar Series venue will make its NASCAR national-series debut, with the street bout being the first of two such events for the Truck Series in 2026, with the other being at Naval Base Coronado in June.

A collection of drivers from other motorsports fields will race on the street circuit, including Dario Franchitti in the No. 1 Tricon Garage Toyota.

MORE: Weekend schedule | How to watch NASCAR on FOX Sports

There are 36 race trucks entered for this week’s on-track action.

View the full entry list for the event:

Posted on February 23, 2026February 23, 2026 by Staff Report

The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series transitions from two consecutive drafting venues to the left-and-right-turning Circuit of The Americas this Saturday (3 p.m. ET, The CW, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

ENTRY LISTS: Cup Series at Circuit of The Americas | O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Circuit of The Americas | Craftsman Truck Series at St. Petersburg

The 65-lap race in Austin, Texas, will be the first of four road-course races on the 2026 docket for the O’Reilly field, with Watkins Glen International (May 9), Naval Base Coronado (June 20) and Sonoma Raceway (June 27) to follow.

Connor Zilisch and Shane van Gisbergen return to do battle in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, wheeling the No. 1 and No. 9 Chevrolets, respectively. Brent Crews additionally makes his O’Reilly debut, with updated NASCAR eligibility requirements allowing the 17-year-old pilot to race on road courses and oval tracks 1.25 miles or shorter before his 18th birthday on March 30.

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

Forty cars are entered into this week’s event.

View the full entry list for the race:

Posted on February 23, 2026February 23, 2026 by Staff Report

After a pair of drafting-track races to open the 2026 campaign, the NASCAR Cup Series now heads to the left-and-right-turning venue of Circuit of The Americas for a Texas-style road-course bout on Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

ENTRY LISTS: Cup Series at Circuit of The Americas | O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Circuit of The Americas | Craftsman Truck Series at St. Petersburg

The Austin, Texas, race will be the first of four road-course contests during the 2026 Cup season, with Watkins Glen International (May 10), Naval Base Coronado (June 21) and Sonoma Raceway (June 28) to come later in the season.

Jesse Love will pilot the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet this weekend. The 2025 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion raced five times in NASCAR’s premier series last year, with a best finish of 24th at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

MORE: Weekend schedule | How to watch NASCAR on FOX Sports

Thirty-seven cars are entered into this week’s event.

View the full entry list for the race:

Posted on February 23, 2026February 23, 2026 by Holly Cain

HAMPTON, Ga. — Tyler Reddick was all smiles climbing out of his well-used, noticeably nicked-up No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota Sunday night at EchoPark Speedway after claiming his second win in as many NASCAR Cup Series races on the 2026 season.

A week ago, he led only the last lap to earn his first career Daytona 500 win and answered it by leading the most laps and starting on pole position to immediately hoist his second trophy of the season — and 10th of his career — Sunday night in the Autotrader 400 near Atlanta.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos

An hour after taking the checkered flag and hoisting his second trophy, the 30-year-old Californian was still shaking his head and proudly contemplating his perfect start to the season.

“Just to start it off that way, knowing how good we’ve been at these other places we have coming up, just really helps the confidence,” said Reddick, who also won at this week’s upcoming venue — Circuit of The Americas — in 2023.

“Keeps me extra motivated, especially, too, during the week to work hard, knowing what great opportunity we have in front of us to start.

“I mean, yeah, at some point we could get caught up in a wreck, we could have had a DNF [tonight]. But to start off like this, I think everyone is extremely hungry to just keep pressing onward, whether that’s winning races, winning stages, or just scoring points. We have a great opportunity in front of us to get off to a really good start.”

And not only has Reddick’s No. 45 team seized the day, but the whole 23XI Racing operation is also riding an incredible wave of success to open the season.

Reddick’s victories have given him the early lead atop the championship standings — a sizable 40 points up on none other than his teammate Bubba Wallace, who is also experiencing a most excellent start to the year.

Wallace finished 10th in the Daytona 500 and was leading Sunday night with a lap to go, only to finish seventh in the last-lap shuffle to the checkered flag. Wallace’s 40 laps out front at Daytona were best in the field, as were Reddick’s 53 laps out front at EchoPark.

WATCH: Reddick on winning back-to-back drafting tracks | Wallace on finish | Hamlin on 23XI Racing

Reddick, Wallace and Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota, already upped the game for the entire organization — claiming the team’s very first top-10 sweep: Reddick’s win, Herbst’s eighth-place result and Wallace’s P10 at Daytona.

“It’s very early, but it’s not by circumstance,” said team co-owner Denny Hamlin, who drives the No. 11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. “They’re running up front. They’re fast. Again, just doing a lot of the right things. We’re making up for lost time. Last year, we didn’t have the wins that we expected as a race team, but they’re making up for it right now.

“It feels good, certainly, as a car owner knowing that you’ve got a couple of bullets in the gun. When the end of the race didn’t go Bubba’s way, you got another one there to pick it up. That certainly increases your odds of winning a lot of races when you’ve got multiple cars up front like we had tonight.”

Michael Jordan, NBA legend and 23XI Racing co-owner, was absolutely ecstatic after the Daytona 500 victory — celebrating the win with the entire organization and posing for photos cradling the iconic trophy. And he was equally as excited Sunday night at the team’s first back-to-back win.

“The guys worked hard all summer,” Jordan said. “They kept working hard, and this is the fruit of their labor. You know, they put forth the effort, and for us to come out and win the first two races says a lot about our whole team.”

The story only gets better. Although Reddick has admirably won all 10 of his career trophies at different tracks, he has to be considered a favorite to take his first repeat victory when the series competes at Austin’s famed COTA on Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

MORE: Cup Series standings | Cup Series schedule

Reddick now heads to Austin, having equaled an important and rare record by becoming only the sixth driver in NASCAR history to win the opening two races of the season. And as one of the sport’s best at turning left and right, could he become the first ever to win the first three straight?

“Am I going to throw away a second place to do that? Probably not,” Reddick said, considering the possibility with a smile. “But certainly, if at any point during this week I’m running out of reasons to be motivated to get the win, I’ll keep that in my back pocket, for sure. You know, it’s cool to have the opportunity to potentially do things like that, but for me, with where this season started and what I need to do as a driver, it’s all about just doing everything I can and showing up every week being as prepared as I can.

“But yeah, I’ll try and make that a reality.”

Sean Gardner | Getty Images