Posted on by Reid Spencer

CONCORD, N.C. — Ross Chastain drove through a succession of challenges — including a patch of oil and a brush with the outside wall — to win Saturday night’s rain-shortened Charbroil 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The victory was Chastain’s first in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series since 2019, his first at Charlotte and the third of his career. The race was stopped for rain for the second time after Chastain crossed the finish line to win the second stage on Lap 90.

RELATED: Race results | Photos: Tributes to Kyle Busch

With no hope of continuing, NASCAR called the race after Lap 91 and declared Chastain the winner.

“I did not think we would win one like this, driving into the fence in liquid,” said Chastain, who was driving the No. 9 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports. “I have no idea what it was. I went into Turn 1 like normal, and there was something on the track.

“No matter how we win, I feel like we could have raced with them again at the end.”

Chastain’s thoughts quickly turned to the absence of champion driver Kyle Busch, who on Thursday lost his life to a sudden illness at age 41.

“This weekend, it’s just incredible trying to grasp losing Kyle,” Chastain said. “I don’t understand how he’s not here racing. I don’t grasp it mentally or spiritually.

“Obviously, racing is the best thing we can to celebrate what he did in the sport and in his life.”

Defending O’Reilly Series champion Jesse Love, who drives for Richard Childress Racing — as did Busch in the Cup Series — was second when the race was called.

“If this week taught us anything, it’s that all this doesn’t matter as much as we think it does,” Love said. “As much as I’m angry and confused and upset (about the way the race finished), I also realized there’s a lot of hurt people right now.”

A spate of cautions punctuated the second stage of the race after a rain delay of more than four hours, but the real damage came on Lap 73, when the drivers of eight cars — including Chastain — slid through fluid deposited by the No. 35 Chevrolet of Dawson Cram.

Chastain kept his car on the track with seemingly minimal damage. Other drivers weren’t as fortunate.

Victims of the oily track included series leader Justin Allgaier, Sheldon Creed, Taylor Gray and Jeremy Clements. Allgaier stayed on the lead lap after repeated trips to pit road for repairs but finished 29th as the final 18 laps of the race remained under caution, thanks to drizzling rain and mist that wet the track and obscured spotters’ views from the top of the grandstand.

Austin Hill, Love’s RCR teammate, finished third, followed by William Sawalich and Corey Day. Connor Zilisch, Ryan Sieg, Cole Custer, Carson Kvapil and Rajah Caruth completed the top 10, as JRM placed three drivers in the top 10.

Rain slowed the race twice in the first 33 laps, the first time for a drizzle under caution for Harrison Burton’s spin in Turn 4, the second time for a harder rain that fell after NASCAR called a competition caution on Lap 26.

The rain persisted while the cars circulated under the yellow flag for seven more laps, with Allgaier in the lead behind the pace car. Ultimately, NASCAR red-flagged the race after Lap 33, and the cars sat covered on pit road waiting for a resumption.

At 9:45 p.m. ET, NASCAR called the drivers back to their cars, and the race resumed with eight laps left in Stage 1 after a stoppage of four hours, 21 minutes, 58 seconds.

On Lap 42, Allgaier got loose over the bumps in Turn 3 and gave up the lead to Zilisch, who took the green-checkered flag as the stage winner three laps later.

Then came the decisive second stage, fraught with all its perils. And after it was over, Chastain took a bow, mimicking Busch’s signature move, before making his own familiar move — a watermelon smash — from the roof of his car.

The O’Reilly Auto Parts Series’ next race is the Sports Illustrated Resorts 250, scheduled Saturday, May 30 at Nashville Superspeedway (7:30 p.m. ET, The CW, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

NOTE: Post-race technical inspection was completed in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series garage at Charlotte with no issues, confirming Chastain as the race winner. The No. 9 JRM Chevrolet of Chastain was found with two unsecured lug nuts, resulting in a $5,000 fine and a one-race suspension for crew member Michael Roberts.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

CONCORD, N.C. — A silent, somber Saturday morning at Charlotte Motor Speedway began with further disbelief that Kyle Busch is truly gone.

The Richard Childress Racing team, for which Busch drove, was first to unload its cars in the NASCAR Cup Series garage Saturday. What was previously the No. 8 Chevrolet is now the No. 33. That group of men and women entered the hauler containing what should still be Busch’s car and lowered it from its top storage in silence, with all teams watching in heartbreak as the finality of Busch’s sudden death began to sink in.

MORE: Kyle Busch dies at 41 due to severe pneumonia, sepsis

The backdrop to one of NASCAR’s darkest weekends was apt: overcast and gloomy under an eerie chill that left Busch’s former competitors in a daze, trying to process the news less than 48 hours after Busch’s passing was announced.

“It just doesn’t seem real,” Ryan Blaney said. “Like I just don’t… It feels like a dream that you’re waiting to wake up out of, you’re just not.”

“I’ve never really felt anything like this before at the race track,” said Joey Logano.

Busch’s presence throughout the sport since his booming arrival in 2001 at age 16 was unmistakable — brash, arrogant, thrilling, victorious. His absence on the Cup Series’ first day back without him was just as obvious, though, an emptiness occasionally interrupted by the laughter that comes naturally from the myriad stories that made Busch “Rowdy.”

“Our hearts are broken,” Logano said. “I think our community couldn’t be more surprised. Our eyes have been opened to a lot of different things here in the last couple days, and it’s affected everybody here, I think, in a very unique way and in a very heart-touching way as well throughout this week. And seeing how everybody comes together in moments like this is pretty impressive to see.”

Throughout his career, Busch seemed to have as many clashes as he did wins, even if he didn’t have the 234 trophies to show for those disagreements along the way.

“He was quite the highlight reel,” Logano said.

Among his most public were with Logano, a three-time champion, and 2012 title winner Brad Keselowski. Both came a long way in their relationships with Busch over the years. As Busch rounded into a two-time Cup champion himself — and more notably a doting husband to wife Samantha and father of Brexton, 11, and Lennix, 4 — Busch matured, mellowed and grew to become more calculated. That led to better encounters with those he raced against — still carrying a fire to beat them behind the wheel but separating that off the track.

“I feel like we probably had a roller coaster of a relationship,” said Logano, who served as teammates with Busch at Joe Gibbs Racing from 2008 through 2012. “Early in my career, he was my teammate, so obviously I watched and learned and created a good relationship there. We went on vacation together, I remember. And that relationship I still think was there deep down inside. Unfortunately, sometimes competition gets in the way of things and kind of was there for a little bit, but I do think over the last five or six years, that relationship was growing — maybe not at a very fast rate, but you know it was definitely mending.”

Keselowski made his opinions known with his famous 2010 introduction at Bristol Motor Speedway: “Kyle Busch is an ass!” But the once-frosty foes grew to respect one another in time, particularly as Busch gained perspective as his winning ways in the Cup Series slowed in recent years.

“I would say there was a small thaw over the last year, maybe two, that came from his circumstances being different with respect to race teams and positions on the grid, and it was interesting to see,” Keselowski said. “And it was thawing almost more by the weekend. I flew with Kyle Busch on the way to Dover last Friday, and those are things that I never thought I would say three, five, 10 years ago. So I think it was on that path.

“Selfishly, I was just hopeful for a long time that you know our racing career would continue on the journey that saw us in Hall of Fame and doing those types of things together, and who knows, maybe one day competing in the Truck Series against each other when we’re done with Cup. Obviously, that’s not going to be the case now.”

“Kyle’s loss is the whole industry’s loss,” Keselowski said.

The No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet is lowered off the hauler at Charlotte.
Ethan Smith | For NASCAR Digital Media

Busch’s voice and driving style helped shape NASCAR’s on-track etiquette. Chase Elliott, named the sport’s most popular driver each year since 2018, said Saturday the best way to trudge forward is to lead by example.

“He was the guy that raced the right way, in my opinion,” Elliott said. “And when you have a guy that raced what I view to be the right way, that rubs off. You don’t have to be the biggest asshole on the race track to win, and I think that Kyle taught me that lesson early on.

“We have to press on. I don’t think anybody here really wants to press on right now, but that is an unfortunate part of what we do and just life in general when things happen. Just an unfortunate reality that we just have to keep our heads down and lend the support to the Busch family as much as we can — not just today, not just next week, not just next month, not just next year. This is not going away. When stuff like this happens, it’s a big topic right now, and it’s on every news outlet that you turn on TV, and next week it won’t, right? But that family is still going to have difficult times ahead, that they’re going to need support from this community that does mean a lot to them, and I certainly intend to do that if I’m ever called upon to be asked for help.”

Ty Gibbs grew up idolizing Kyle Busch. Driving the No. 54 Toyota that previously belonged to KB — back when it was the No. 18 car — Gibbs grew up going to race tracks with Busch, who drove for his grandfather’s company at JGR for 15 years, during Ty Gibbs’ most formative years. Busch’s passing was another significant blow to Gibbs, who lost his father and JGR co-owner Coy Gibbs in November 2022.

“I don’t really have any words right now, to be honest with you guys,” Gibbs said. “I’m just very upset. Obviously, feel for Samantha, Brexton and Lennix, and understand, obviously, somewhat how Brexton feels. It’s just, it’s very sad.”

Busch’s on-track life will live in lore. Busch’s life off the race track, Gibbs said, meant so much more.

“I saw a great role model, somebody I looked up to,” Gibbs said. “I saw a great father, and I saw somebody that was very driven and motivated. I think Kyle was probably one of the toughest dudes that I knew. My dad was a very tough dude and respected Kyle all the way.”

The Richard Childress Racing No. 33 car sits in the NASCAR Cup Series at Charlotte.
Ethan Smith | For NASCAR Digital Media

On Saturday, there was a return to action, but in no way was it normal. Zane Smith, a West Coast racer just like Busch, entered the weekend tied for 23rd in the Cup Series standings with Busch. That meant his hauler lined up directly next to Busch’s in the garage area Saturday morning, with his No. 38 Ford parked between the Richard Childress Racing Chevrolets.

“Just eerie. I don’t know if there’s a word for it,” Smith said. “Kyle and I are tied in points, and I went into today, I’m like, man, our haulers are gonna be right next to each other, and I’m right in between the 3 and the 8 in the garage. It doesn’t feel real. I don’t really know how else to describe it. He just impacted the sport massively, and yeah, just it doesn’t feel real.

“For me, I just always wanted to be like Kyle Busch. When I was growing up, he was winning on Friday, Saturday and dominating Sunday. He was Superman, and that’s all there really was to it.”

There was a sense that no one wanted to be at the race track on Saturday. Just 48 hours removed from receiving word one of the sport’s pillars passed, drivers, fans and officials alike rallied around one another through their own daze, checking in on one another to share stories, offer condolences or simply exist together doing what brought everyone together in the first place: racing.

As NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell said Friday: “Kyle Busch would probably be pretty pissed off if we didn’t race, so we’re going to honor his memory.”

But it’s fair for the NASCAR community to be pissed off that Kyle Busch isn’t here to race one more time.

Posted on by Staff Report

Saturday evening’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway was red-flagged on Lap 34 of 200 because of inclement weather.

RELATED: Photos: Tributes to Kyle Busch

Practice and qualifying were washed out earlier in the day, with the starting lineup set per the NASCAR Rule Book.

JR Motorsports driver Justin Allgaier led the field to the green flag of the Charbroil 300 from the pole and remained out front in his No. 7 Chevrolet at the time of the race stoppage.

There was an early caution on the second lap when Sam Hunt Racing’s Harrison Burton spun in Turn 3 after contact with Richard Childress Racing driver Jesse Love.

Posted on by Holly Cain

SPEEDWAY, Ind. — Clutching their Katherine Legge hero cards, sisters Abigail and Madison Stopyak claimed their own pole position of sorts Friday morning, first against the ropes outside Katherine Legge’s Indianapolis Motor Speedway garage — Row C, Stalls 3, 4 and 5 — hoping to get some time and perhaps an autograph or even a photo with their Memorial Day weekend race favorite.

As they stood there, the HMD Motorsports with A.J. Foyt Racing team rolled Legge’s No. 11 e.l.f. Cosmetics Chevy into the garage for final preparations before Carburetion Day’s final practice session for Sunday’s 110th running of the Indianapolis 500.

It will mark only the first 500 miles of Legge’s anticipated 1,100-mile day, however. If all goes as meticulously planned, she will take a second green flag at Charlotte Motor Speedway later Sunday night, driving the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet in NASCAR’s tradition-filled Coca-Cola 600.

RELATED: Charlotte weekend schedule 

It will mark the third consecutive year a driver has attempted “The Double” — reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson has done it the last two seasons — and the crossover between the open-wheel thriller and one of NASCAR’s premier events has sparked a new fandom. Legge, an accomplished and versatile driver who’s competed in IMSA sports cars, IndyCar and NASCAR in a two-decade career, is the sixth driver and first woman to attempt the impressive feat.

“I think it’s iconic and so incredible she’s doing what she loves and inspiring other women, too,” said Madison Stopyak, 22.

“I just think it’s really inspiring and incredible she is doing both races,” her sister and fellow New Yorker Abigail, 18, said, grinning with others in the crowd smiling and nodding in agreement.

In many ways, Legge has been preparing for this weekend all her accomplished career. She’s excelled in sports car races — endurance and otherwise — and has previously competed wheel-to-wheel in IndyCar and NASCAR. Her 26th-place start Sunday at Indianapolis is her best position on the grid in four previous Indy 500 starts (2012-13 and 2023-24). Her top finish is 22nd place, and it came in her 2012 Indy debut.

Legge was smiling and acknowledging the crowd as she drove the team cart through pit lane on her way to her pit stall for practice on Friday. She flew Saturday morning to Charlotte for Cup Series practice, and then planned to return to Indy late Saturday night.

“Honestly, it’s been overwhelmingly supportive,” Legge said of the reaction she’s received. “Also, the response from inside the industry itself has been wonderful, the number of drivers who have reached out. People who have offered encouragement or just excitement around this effort.

“The best drivers are the ones that also help other drivers, and Kyle Larson and his team have been super helpful. I think there’s a shared understanding within motorsports of how difficult and rare this challenge really is. That’s been very humbling because drivers understand better than anyone what goes into even attempting the crazy things we sign ourselves up for.”

Katherine Legge suits up as she awaits pole day qualifications at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Amber Pietz | Penske Entertainment

Determined, talented, fit — she competed in an Ironman competition in 2017 — are all words her fellow drivers use in describing the 45-year-old Brit. BJ McLeod, her Cup Series team owner for “The Double,” stood trackside Friday, attending his first Carburetion Day practice at Indy and shared the utmost confidence and expectation of Legge — for multiple reasons.

“I want everybody to see how tough she is,” McLeod said. “I know for a fact she can run both races with no problem. She is genuinely in incredible shape. I tell everybody she’s got the biological age of a 25-year-old. So she’s ready to do it, and I want to see her do both in the same day.”

McLeod has been a strong supporter of Legge’s venture, even if he concedes that being a part of the Indy-Charlotte Double in any way was “never on my bingo card.”

“I always love the month of May,” said the owner-driver of the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet. “I love — and have for most of my career — waking up on Sunday and watching F1 race, then watch Indy, then go race the 600 myself. So that’s been something I always looked forward to. I love watching practice and everything at Indy for the month of May and seeing everybody get ready. I literally was looking forward to the month of May as a fan no more than a month ago. So, it’s pretty crazy all this came to fruition and us get a chance to be a part of this Double.”

Legge was 33rd-fastest in the final Carb Day practice, turning in 48 laps as her crew continued to work on her car.

Of course, the most consequential issue for the logistics of “The Double” is always the weather, and forecasts in Indianapolis vary in their rain expectations for Sunday.

MORE: Coca-Cola 600 starting lineup

Legge said her greater concern is getting some time in her NASCAR entry. She’s only competed on one previous 1.5-mile track, and the 28 laps she ran in Saturday’s practice were her first at Charlotte.

“Yeah, it’s less than ideal,” Legge said of potential bad weather. “Obviously, that doesn’t fill me with warm and fuzzies, but again, it is what it is. We committed to doing this thing, and we’re not going to not do it because I don’t feel ready. I mean, it’s too late for that.”

However, she reminded, “I think once you attempt something like ‘The Double,’ weather basically becomes another factor that’s out of your control. At a certain point, you also realize you can’t emotionally ride every forecast update because it’ll drive you insane. The biggest thing has honestly been staying adaptable, being flexible. Beyond that, you just focus on the things you can control and try not to waste energy on the rest.”

It’s a common-sense approach and one of the innumerable takeaways Legge has equipped herself with as she prepares for what will be one of the most impactful days of her career.

“The best advice came from Kyle Larson,” Legge said of the reigning NASCAR champion. “He told me to make sure I take time to actually enjoy the experience because it’s very easy to get consumed by the logistics, the pressure, and all the moving pieces surrounding something this ambitious.

“I think drivers who’ve attempted ‘The Double’ all understand the same thing – there’s no such thing as a perfect day. Tony Stewart said he can give me all the things not to do, but something unexpected will likely happen. The key is staying calm and adaptable when it does. That mindset honestly applies to racing in general, but probably even more so on a day like this.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Inclement weather at Charlotte Motor Speedway washed away NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series practice and qualifying earlier in the day. The starting lineup for the 15th race of the 2026 season will be set per the NASCAR Rule Book and is scheduled for a 5 ET start Saturday night (The CW, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Justin Allgaier is set to lead the field to green in the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet at the 1-5- mile Concord, North Carolina, facility.

RELATED: Weekend schedule: Charlotte | How to watch NASCAR on The CW

Full starting lineup for Charbroil 300:

Starting PositionCar No.Driver NameSponsor
17Justin AllgaierLiquid IV/Hellmann's/Commissary
217Corey DayHendrickCars.com
341Sam MayerCharbroil
420Brandon JonesMenards/Pennington
51Connor ZilischRegistix
621Austin HillGlobal Industrial
718William SawalichStarkey
88Sammy SmithAlpha Craft
939Ryan SiegSciAps
1088Rajah CaruthHendrickCars.com
1144Brennan PooleMacc Door Systems
1200Sheldon CreedRoad Ranger
1396Anthony AlfredoDogs By Andy K-9 Services
149Ross ChastainCarolina Carports
1551Jeremy ClementsKevin Whitaker Chevrolet
1687Austin GreenPurple Hearts and Homes
172Jesse LoveWhelen
1819Brent CrewsYoungLife
1924Harrison BurtonDead On Tools
2032Andrew PattersonWinsupply
2126Dean ThompsonThompson Pipe Group
2228Kyle SiegMike Efaw's/Independent Metal Strap
2348Patrick StaropoliSyfovre
2491Carson KvapilClarience Technologies
2554Taylor GrayOperation 300
2607Josh BilickiMando
2702Ryan EllisFour Loko USA
2855Joey GaseGood Dad Gang
290Cole CusterSysco
3092Leland Honeyman Jr.DPR Construction
3199Parker RetzlaffFree Bird Southern Spring Water
3242Nathan Byrd24 Hour Garage Door Service
3331Blaine PerkinsWerner Operation Freedom
3435Dawson CramDenver Dirt
3527Jeb BurtonPurina Dog Chow
3653David StarrBret Baier/Cell Phones For Soldiers
3745Lavar ScottUrban Affairs Coalition
3838JJ YeleyCarolina Land & Grading Solutions
Posted on by Staff Report

Persistent rain washed away NASCAR Cup Series qualifying Saturday afternoon, placing points leader Tyler Reddick on the pole position for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Reddick’s No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota will start first when the green flag falls on stock-car racing’s longest event on Sunday (6 p.m. ET, Prime Video, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). He will be flanked on the front row by fellow Toyota driver Ty Gibbs, who was second in the inclement weather lineup in Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 54.

RELATED: Weekend schedule

Wet weather has stymied the weekend schedule at the 1.5-mile North Carolina track, with rain disrupting on-track activity for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and Craftsman Truck Series and causing all three series to set their lineups according to the NASCAR Rule Book.

The rest of the top five (in order): Trackhouse Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen, Spire Motorsports’ Michael McDowell and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chase Briscoe.

O’Reilly Series regular Austin Hill will start 13th Sunday in the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, taking the place of Kyle Busch, the two-time Cup Series champion who died Thursday. Hill will be making his third Cup Series start of the season in Sunday’s 600-miler.

Stenhouse sets pace in Cup Series practice

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. led the way in a 45-minute practice session Saturday afternoon, putting his No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet first on the leaderboard at 185.765 mph.

Stenhouse’s best lap was 0.106 seconds faster than Carson Hocevar’s, clocking at 185.090 mph in the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevy. Michael McDowell was third-fastest in another Spire Chevy at 184.932. McDowell was also tops in the consecutive 10-lap averages category.

MORE: Cup Series practice results

Austin Dillon found trouble nearly midway through the session after the left-rear tire on his No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet went down on the backstretch. The only other incident came when rookie Corey Heim’s No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota scraped the outside retaining wall in Turn 1.

Austin Hill was 28th on the speed charts in the No. 33 Chevrolet. Katherine Legge, who will attempt “The Double” with competition in both the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, was 38th-fastest in the 39-car field in the Live Fast Motorsports No. 78 Chevrolet.

StartCar No.DriverSponsor
145Tyler ReddickMobil 1/O'Reilly Auto Parts Toyota
254Ty GibbsMonster Energy Toyota
397Shane van GisbergenSuperFile Chevrolet
471Michael McDowellModo Casino Chevrolet
519Chase BriscoeBass Pro Shops Toyota
612Ryan BlaneyBODYARMOR FLASH I.V. Ford
717Chris BuescherBody Guard Ford
82Austin CindricMenards/Duracell Ford
93Austin DillonBass Pro Shops/Winchester Patriotic
1016AJ AllmendingerBlack's Tire Chevrolet
1111Denny HamlinNational Debt Relief Toyota
1260Ryan PreeceKroger/SToK Ford
1333Austin Hill(i)Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet
147Daniel SuárezFreeway Insurance Chevrolet
1542John Hunter NemechekDollar Tree Toyota
169Chase ElliottNAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet
1720Christopher BellInterstate Batteries Toyota
185Kyle LarsonHendrickCars.com Chevrolet
1938Zane SmithAaron's Rent To Own Ford
2034Todd GillilandGrillo's Pickles Ford
2143Erik JonesAdventHealth Toyota
2241Cole CusterSysco/Hickory Tavern Chevrolet
2377Carson HocevarChili's Ride the 'Dente Chevrolet
2423Bubba WallaceColumbia Toyota
2588Connor Zilisch #Red Bull Chevrolet
266Brad KeselowskiBuildSubmarines.com Ford
271Ross ChastainJockey x Folds of Honor Chevrolet
284Noah GragsonRush Truck Centers Ford
2948Alex BowmanAlly Chevrolet
3035Riley HerbstFRE Nicotine Pouches Toyota
3124William ByronRaptor Chevrolet
3247Ricky Stenhouse Jr.Three Finger Jack Chevrolet
3322Joey LoganoShell Pennzoil Ford
3421Josh Berryeero Ford
3510Ty DillonGrizzly Nicotine Pouches Chevrolet
3666Timmy Hill(i)Pinnacle Mortgage Corp. Ford
3778Katherine Leggee.l.f. Cosmetics Chevrolet
3851Cody WareEvel Knievel Museum/World Supercross
3967Corey Heim(i)Fleetio Toyota
Posted on by Staff Report

See where your favorite NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers will pit this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

NASCAR Cup Series

A graphic depicting the pit-stall assignments for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday (6 p.m. ET, Prime Video, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: Charlotte weekend schedule | How to watch NASCAR on Prime

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series

2026 Charlotte 1 NOAPS pit stall assignments

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Charbroil 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday (5 p.m. ET, The CW, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: How to watch O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races on The CW

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

View of truck series pit stalls.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday (9 p.m. ET, FS1, NASCAR Racing Network Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: How to watch NASCAR on FOX

Posted on by Zack Albert

One of the most moving tributes on a day of many moving tributes was one of the simplest.

One day after the sudden, shocking death of NASCAR giant Kyle Busch, Charlotte Motor Speedway opened its doors to what would under normal circumstances be one of its most celebrated weekends of the year. The gray skies and spitting rain fit the collective gloom, and the track’s scoring pylon went dark, save for one beaming marker. Kyle Busch’s No. 8 stood alone in the P1 spot.

Busch was always a bright light and a towering presence, over stock-car racing’s home court and beyond. The loss is difficult to measure, a past-tense reality that doesn’t feel possible.

RELATED: Kyle Busch dies at 41

As the flowers and memorials began to pile up at his Richard Childress Racing team’s front doors about an hour up the road, the industry felt the weight of Busch’s impact. For fans, Busch left little room for middle-ground indifference. His backers were unwavering in their faithfulness and easy to spot, wearing colorful M&M’s gear brandished with his No. 18 during some of his most prolific years. The other side of the fan spectrum was equally vocal, showering boos from the bleachers each time Busch grabbed a checkered flag — often, in other words.

Busch leaned into the role of NASCAR’s ruling-class villain with swagger and humor. He was confident, sometimes even cocky, but equipped with the quick wit that made him endlessly meme-ready. His competitive drive was laced with the type of honesty and old-school sensibility that helped move the sport’s needle. You couldn’t help but watch Kyle Busch.

Scoring pylon at Charlotte Motor Speedway shows only Kyle Busch's No. 8 on it as a tribute to him on May 22, 2026.
Alex Bialek for NASCAR

Many memories stand out from his future Hall of Fame career, but 2015 keeps coming back as a flashpoint. Busch opened the season with a devastating crash that severely injured both legs, and the void on the grid was palpable. He held his first public press conference nearly two months later, and the detailed explanation of the wreck and the events that followed felt like a well-tenured professor’s lecture. What sort of broadcaster would Kyle Busch have been? His gripping analysis that day provided a glimpse.

One month more passed and Busch became a father, joining his wife, Samantha, in welcoming Brexton into the world. The couple had been strikingly candid about their fertility struggles, helping spread awareness and raising funds for couples in similar straits through their Bundle of Joy Fund. But the first half of that season had created two life-changing moments, and he opened up on how it had shaped him in a 2022 interview: “I was like, ‘man, OK, I need to really have a different perspective on what all I do.’ ” He funneled that into making Brexton a racer, just as his father had done for him.

Another two weeks passed and Busch was back on the grid. Questions about how he might perform were answered quickly with a victory in his fifth race back. A three-race win streak that included a Brickyard 400 triumph followed, and the Rubik’s Cube of the 10-race Chase that had almost always foiled him finally came together that fall with all the sides and colors aligned to make him — at long last — a Cup Series champion.

It’s too early to take a full assessment of Busch’s legacy. The tangible measure of 234 NASCAR national-series wins now feels like one of those unbreakable records that goes from statistics to lore – both in racing and in sports. Incredibly, he was still adding to the stats and the legend as of a week ago, with a final victory and signature bow after a dominant day in the Craftsman Truck Series at Dover Motor Speedway.

Busch’s RCR team announced later Friday that it has opted to shelve the No. 8 that Busch last drove, switching to the car No. 33 for the foreseeable future and indicating that it has No. 8 reserved for Brexton Busch when he is ready.

The No. 8 burned bright atop the track’s leaderboard on an otherwise dreary Friday. Kyle Busch’s legacy always will.

Posted on by Staff Report

Saturday evening’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway was postponed to Sunday at 10 a.m. ET due to inclement weather (FS1, NASCAR Racing Network Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: Charlotte weekend schedule | Photos: Kyle Busch tributes

The North Carolina Education Lottery 200 was scheduled for 9 p.m. ET after an initial postponement Friday evening. Due to the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race finishing up late Saturday after a weather delay, the Truck Series race in the Queen City had to be rescheduled.

When the 134-lapper gets underway, Corey Day will lead the 36-truck field to the green flag at the 1.5-mile North Carolina track.

Day will get behind the wheel of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, the same truck Kyle Busch was set to drive before the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion passed away Thursday after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis.

On May 15, Busch won for the 69th time in the Truck Series at Dover Motor Speedway in the No. 7 Spire entry.

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

CONCORD, N.C. — NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell offered perspective and praise for two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch in a Friday press conference at Charlotte Motor Speedway after Busch’s sudden death on Thursday.

In a 20-minute press conference in which he took questions from the media, O’Donnell summarized Busch succinctly: “Kyle Busch defines what it means to be a racer in NASCAR.”

O’Donnell likened NASCAR to weekly family reunions. And as Busch’s bristling personality would show in his rise to greatness, not all family members always saw eye to eye.

“For me personally, the family reunions week to week are just not going to be the same without him,” O’Donnell said. “But we’re going to do our damn best to continue his legacy and support his family.”

Busch collected 234 wins across NASCAR competition, the most all-time in the Craftsman Truck Series (69) and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (102) and the ninth-most in Cup with 63. At age 41, Busch collected his final win May 15 at Dover Motor Speedway in the Truck Series, just six days before his passing.

“Kyle Busch, to me, is an American badass,” O’Donnell said. “Behind the wheel, he’s who you want to be. And I think when you look back at all those things, that’s part of being a race-car driver. That’s part of representing the sport. We’re not always going to agree — if we did, I think people would be really bored. And we certainly had our battles. But I’d give a lot of money to have a few more battles going forward.”

Busch’s intensity as a competitor led to contentious moments with the sanctioning body at times. On Friday, O’Donnell recalled one of his favorite moments with Busch was an incident during Cup practice at Texas Motor Speedway in 2017 in which Busch spun and contacted the wall.

“He would challenge NASCAR on some rules,” O’Donnell said. “[He] maybe spun out, maybe hit the wall. [NASCAR] decided that we needed to take him to the care center. He laid flat out on a pit cart, made fun of us. I was mad at the time, but I look back, and that was damn funny — and that was Kyle.”

O’Donnell praised Busch’s ability to play the villain role, egging on fans while continuing to help grow the sport in ways only he could. His presence was polarizing — particularly at his winningest peaks. Busch made clear his fire never cooled, driven to find success as his 11-year-old son Brexton and 4-year-old daughter Lennix watched on.

“What I look back on is a text from Kyle Tuesday, as only Kyle could do,” O’Donnell said. “And I keep looking at it, and he said, ‘Hey, man, what do you think about an over-40 rule to be able to compete in all the Truck Series races next year?’ And I said, ‘You know, we put that [race-restriction] rule in place because you were winning so much.’ But when we looked at it and we had a meeting Wednesday internally, we said, damn, that’s actually good. We need Kyle in the Truck Series.

“And it was twofold, because he knew he could help the series, but I think one day had a dream to race against his son in a national series event. And that was Kyle, always thinking about the sport and going forward.”

Additionally, O’Donnell also touched on the following topics:

• Postponing Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte was briefly discussed, but through conversations with RCR and the Busch family, O’Donnell said: “Kyle Busch would probably be pretty pissed off if we didn’t race, so we’re going to honor his memory.”

• O’Donnell offered condolences to team owner Richard Childress and the Busch family, notably Busch’s wife Samantha, children Brexton and Lennix and Busch’s NASCAR Hall of Fame brother Kurt Busch. “A lot of us were in the Hall of Fame voting (Tuesday), and you think about the future. And I think about Kyle’s future and the ability for all of us to sit in that room and celebrate him and listen to him speak and talk about that final chapter and see his kids maybe one day race. And it makes me really sad not to see the end of that chapter.”

• O’Donnell said adding Kyle Busch to the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Class of 2027 has been considered. “We have a little bit more time to think about what we could do as well in the future, and who knows? That could be something we look at.”