With millions of viewers tuned in for the NFL’s Super Bowl, NASCAR made a statement of its own after the final whistle on Sunday night.
The sanctioning body unveiled its new national advertising spot introducing the 2026 season and a bold “Hell Yeah” rebrand, featuring a fast-paced, high-energy video designed to capture the grit, emotion and unparalleled edge that define modern stock car racing.
Premiering immediately after the Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots on NBC, the ad delivered a rapid-fire blend of roaring engines, flying sparks, tire smoke, hard racing and big attitude. Anchored by appearances from NFL legend Marshawn Lynch and several of NASCAR’s top stars, such as reigning champion Kyle Larson, 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace and Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar — wielding his infamous flamethrower, of course — the spot moved with a relentless charge, placing an emphasis on speed, power and personality.
Rather than focusing on polish or perfection, the commercial leans into the raw side of the sport. Dented fenders, aggressive battles on track that lead to pushing and shoving off it in front of packed grandstands filling the screen, the spot reinforces NASCAR’s identity as a place where intensity and authenticity still matter — and are encouraged.
The ad also highlighted the communal nature of race day for fans of all sorts. From tailgates and coolers to grandstands and infield celebrations, the message was clear: NASCAR is built around shared experiences and unfiltered passion — for everyone. There are no velvet ropes, no dress codes and no barriers between the diehards and the action.
As the engines fired and the screen faded to black, the message was unmistakable: NASCAR is fully leaning into its longstanding identity — and inviting America to come along for the ride.
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. – Since being introduced to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour schedule in 2022, New Smyrna Speedway is a track that has always eluded four-time series champion Justin Bonsignore.
Aside from a 31st place showing during the series’ inaugural visit, consistency has never been an issue for Bonsignore when making the long trips to New Smyrna. Bonsignore’s last three New Smyrna attempts ended with him placing inside the top three, which only served to motivate his desire to win there.
In Saturday’s New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau 200, Bonsignore finally checked New Smyrna off the list of tracks he had not won at yet with a dominant performance to open 2026. The triumph was Bonsignore’s 48th overall on the Whelen Modified Tour, all of them occurring while piloting the No. 51 owned by Kenneth Massa.
While Bonsignore has three Modified victories in New Smyrna’s World Series of Asphalt, he had been eagerly waiting to visit the facility’s Victory Lane with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. It took a diligent effort from Bonsignore’s team throughout the day, but the hard work paid off with a cathartic win.
“We’ve been close [at New Smyrna] but could just never get over the hump,” Bonsignore said. “The car wasn’t good off the truck but we worked on it all day. By the time qualifying came around, I was really confident in it, but I didn’t think we’d be as good [as we were]. This is a great way to start the season.”
Now in his 17th full-time Whelen Modified Tour campaign with Massa, Bonsignore admitted he finds himself in awe and disbelief over how the long-time owner changed his life.
What started as an uneventful but solid rookie season in 2010 blossomed into one of the most efficient Whelen Modified Tour partnerships over the past two decades. Bonsignore and Massa’s professional relationship has since evolved into a close friendship, with Massa and his wife being significant figures in the lives of Bonsignore’s two children.
The first race of the 2026 Whelen Modified Tour season proved Bonsignore and Massa are still a gold standard for efficiency on the platform, though a checkered flag did not come easy. Bonsignore faced heavy pressure over several late restarts from Tyler Rypkema, who was driving another iconic series ride in the Ole Blue No. 3.
Despite sustaining damage from early contact with Ron Silk, Rypkema cycled up to the front of the field to challenge Bonsignore from the front row. The final overtime restart of the evening was Rypkema’s best opportunity at overtaking Bonsignore but could not generate the momentum needed to pull ahead on the outside line.
Only a few months removed from his maiden Whelen Modified Tour victory at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Rypkema was eager to start his second full season in Ole Blue on a positive note. Rypkema knew it was going to be a challenge trying to usurp Bonsignore, but departed New Smyrna optimistic about his 2026 outlook.
“Late race here, it’s really tough to get the throttle down when it’s hot and greasy out there,” Rypkema said. “[Bonsignore] knew he had me covered on the two previous [restarts], but I finally learned enough by the third one to at least hang with him. If I was a little better, I might have been able to hold him down, but it was still a great start to the season.”
The final restart of the evening was all about patience for Bonsignore. With Rypkema being at a disadvantage on the more abrasive top line, Bonsignore intended to roll the bottom of the first two turns and not be overly aggressive to pull ahead, which he successfully accomplished by the time Luke Baldwin’s spin ended the race on the last lap.
Composure in high-pressure situations is one part of the winning formula that has followed Bonsignore in Massa’s car for 17 years. The chemistry Bonsignore shares with Massa influences the entire program from crew chief Ryan Stone to sponsor Phoenix Communications, which has been with the team since 2016.
As long as the strengths continue to be emphasized, Bonsignore believes he and Massa can accomplish so much more in the Whelen Modified Tour, including a fifth championship at the end of the year.
“Everything about our team is unheard of in Modified racing,” Bonsignore said. “Nobody stays together like Ken and I, [along with] our sponsor [Phoenix Communications]. It’s really special and this is a great group to be a part of. We want to have fun this year. Winning cures all and this is a good way to have fun.”
Jon McKennedy, Ryan Preece, Ryan Newman, Trevor Catalano and Eric Goodale rounded out the top 10.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will not hit the track again until March 27 when the series makes its second and final visit down south of 2026 to Martinsville Speedway. FloRacing will provide live coverage of all the on-track action.
Greetings, 2026, and hello, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. After a thrilling 2025 season resulted in Jesse Love claiming the championship hardware, next on deck is a fresh campaign bound to deliver with just as much — if not more — suspense and excitement.
With much to look forward to — from fresh tracks to a revamped postseason format — how does the O’Reilly field stack up heading into the 2026 season? Let’s give it a look, with NASCAR.com’s John Crane ranking the top 10 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series drivers leading into the season opener on Feb. 14 at Daytona International Speedway (5 p.m. ET, The CW, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
1. Jesse Love, No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Analysis: The 2025 champion has to be ranked No. 1, right? Love not only prevailed over his Championship 4 competitors — Connor Zilisch, Justin Allgaier and Carson Kvapil — but did so in clutch fashion. An inside maneuver to overtake race leader Zilisch on Lap 176 stands out, with the move eventually resulting in the win at Phoenix Raceway to claim the title. With his best friend in Zilisch moving to the full-time Cup Series fold, Love enters 2026 as the driver to beat, even with a change to the postseason format. And better yet: Love has the chance to go back-to-back in the circuit for the first time since Tyler Reddick in 2018-19.
Chris Graythen | Getty Images
2. Justin Allgaier, No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet
Analysis: Though Zilisch is departing for Cup, JR Motorsports still has a stalwart on its hands in the veteran Allgaier, who, despite failing to clinch title No. 2, still had a statistically sound 2025. Allgaier tallied multiple wins for a sixth consecutive season and additionally led a series-best 1,056 laps. Allgaier’s career has been consistent through and through, and while the Illinois native enters his age-40 season — with a new crew chief in Andrew Overstreet, too — his stellar results should continue. Will it be enough to capture that second championship crown?
James Gilbert | Getty Images
3. Austin Hill, No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Analysis:What if? This could very well be the phrase that defined Hill’s 2025 campaign. Three wins through the opening 11 races netted the No. 21 team valuable playoff points, only for them to get erased after a suspension for on-track actions at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. A waiver was granted, and Hill still advanced to the postseason. While Hill finished sixth in the final table — respectable enough — it’s a step back from a fourth-place finish in 2024. A rebound is likely in order for Hill and the No. 21 stable.
Chris Graythen | Getty Images
4. Sam Mayer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet
Analysis: Mayer’s 2025 was perplexing. He only found Victory Lane once (at Iowa Speedway), but his 13 top fives matched a career best (2023). And what if I told you that, among all 2025 full-time O’Reilly drivers, Mayer ranked third in average finish at 11.5, behind Zilisch’s 8.0 and Love’s 11.1? These signs seemingly would’ve pointed toward a deep playoff run, but it didn’t transpire, with Mayer finishing 10th in the driver standings, a career low compared to his other full-time campaigns. Mayer was additionally suspended for the season finale after the No. 41 driver spun Jeb Burton at Martinsville. Perhaps Haas Factory Team’s manufacturer switch from Ford to Chevrolet beginning in 2026 could be the necessary step for Mayer to find a better footing.
Chris Graythen | Getty Images
5. Brandon Jones, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Analysis: A return to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2025 after a two-year stint with JR Motorsports proved to be fruitful for the 28-year-old pilot. Not only did the Atlanta native tally multiple O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victories for the first time since 2020, but a fifth-place finish in the final driver standings was a career best. So, what’s key for Jones as he enters his 11th full-time season in the circuit? Keep consistency (just one DNF in 2025), build on postseason momentum and take aim at an even better points finish in 2026.
Sean Gardner | Getty Images
6. Carson Kvapil, JR Motorsports
Analysis: A unique case compared to others on this list, JR Motorsports’ Kvapil is confirmed for full-time O’Reilly racing in 2026, though the complete makeup of his schedule has yet to be announced. Whatever the case, this is excellent news for the 22-year-old, who took the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series world by storm in 2025 with a surprise Championship 4 appearance. He will have the opportunity to continue expanding his short-track expertise and hone his craft at other venues.
Chris Graythen | Getty Images
7. Sammy Smith, No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet
Analysis: A gradual build has been Smith’s theme through three full-time O’Reilly campaigns, capturing one win each year. He’s increased his top-five and top-10 finishes year over year, culminating in 2025 with career-bests in both categories — eight and 18 — respectively. An average finish of 14.0 was also a career high, but an eighth-place result in the standings was not, just missing his sixth-place mark in 2023. His 2026 season will be about combining race-leading dominance from 2023 (when he led 334 laps) with improving results from 2025.
Chris Graythen | Getty Images
8. Taylor Gray, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Analysis: Gray’s first full-time O’Reilly stint had a few learning curves, as to be expected. Even still, the New Mexico native took the 2025 grind in stride and was rewarded with a postseason berth and his first NASCAR victory (Martinsville fall). There is a ton of potential in the 20-year-old pilot, and with more experience comes the possibility of even greater upside. Keep an eye on this driver ahead of what could be a breakout 2026 season.
Jonathan Bachman | Getty Images
9. Sheldon Creed, No. 00 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet
Analysis: The question is simple: When? After 16 top-five finishes in 2024 — including six runner-ups — Creed entered 2025 with optimism that the Victory Lane hump would finally be crossed. Instead, the 28-year-old went the other direction, with just eight top fives and a 16.1 average finish, both well below his 2024 marks. With 136 O’Reilly starts to his name, you have to wonder when that elusive first victory will transpire. Haas Factory Team’s shift from Ford to Chevrolet next season does bring a little familiarity to Creed, who began his career in the series with the manufacturer.
Chris Graythen | Getty Images
10. Harrison Burton, No. 24 Sam Hunt Racing Toyota
Analysis: Burton’s first full-time O’Reilly season since 2021 was an inspiring one, taking the No. 25 AM Racing Ford to the playoffs for the first time in the organization’s history. For 2026, Burton will have a new look, transitioning to Sam Hunt Racing to pilot the No. 24 Toyota. Similarly to Creed, this could spark Burton. After all, the North Carolina native’s best O’Reilly season came in a Toyota, tallying four wins in 2020 with Joe Gibbs Racing.
The NASCAR Cup Series commences its 2026 season with the 68th running of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 15 (1:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, HBO Max). The prestige of the Daytona 500 is unmatched, as well as the bragging rights that come with hoisting the Harley J. Earl Trophy in Victory Lane.
That said, the Daytona 500 features a much different qualifying procedure compared to other points-paying events on the calendar. Here’s how it works.
The drivers of all 36 Chartered entries are guaranteed spots into the Daytona 500.
Four additional spots are filled by non-Charter teams, often referred to as Open entries. Because Jimmie Johnson is utilizing the Open Exemption Provisional in the No. 84 Toyota, four Open entries and the No. 84 will be assigned starting positions.
Of the four spots for Open teams, the two fastest Open cars in single-car qualifying will lock into the field. The other two spots come from the top Open finisher in each Duel qualifying race.
Unofficially, the Open teams battling for four spots in this year’s field are: Anthony Alfredo, Justin Allgaier, Corey Heim, Corey LaJoie, B.J. McLeod, Casey Mears, Chandler Smith and JJ Yeley. The official entry list will be out later this week.
Single-car qualifying
Single-car qualifying is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 8:15 p.m. ET (FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), which follows a 50-minute practice session earlier in the day (10 a.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Each driver will run one timed lap around the 2.5-mile Florida superspeedway. The top 10 fastest drivers will then advance to Round 2 to fight for pole position with an additional timed lap each. The two fastest drivers in the final round lock themselves on the front row for Sunday’s Daytona 500 (1:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, HBO Max).
Single-car qualifying also sets the lineup for each of the two Duel qualifying races. Drivers who place first, third, fifth, etc. in time trials will race in Duel 1, while drivers who place second, fourth, sixth, etc. in qualifying will race in Duel 2.
The Duels are two 60-lap, 150-mile qualifying races that set positions third to 40th in the Daytona 500. The finishing order from Duel No. 1 will make up the inside rows for the Daytona 500. Then, the results from Duel No. 2 will complete the outside rows for the “Great American Race.”
Additionally, the top remaining Open car in each Duel not already locked in from time trials advances to the Daytona 500 and will start based on finishing position in their respective Duels. New for 2026: The two Open cars who qualified on speed will also use Duel results for their starting position in the Daytona 500.
The America 250 Florida Duel 1 is slated for Thursday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. ET (FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) with The America Florida 250 Duel 2 scheduled to follow at around 8:45 p.m. ET.
Are points awarded in the Duels?
The top 10 finishers in each Duel will be awarded points that count toward the regular season. The winning driver of each Duel race will receive 10 points. Second place will earn nine points, and so on, down to the 10th-place finishers, who will each get one point.
What does the rest of the week look like before the Daytona 500?
Before the big race on Sunday, teams will have two more opportunities to tune up their cars and practice in the draft after the Duel races. Teams will have 50 minutes on track Friday, Feb. 13 (5:35 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) and 50 minutes on Saturday, Feb. 14 (3 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — Jimmy Blewett has many reasons to be thankful.
He’s thankful for his family, he’s thankful to be back in a race car this week at New Smyrna Speedway during the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing and, perhaps most important, he’s thankful to still be alive.
A serious health scare last year caused by diverticulitis, a dangerous inflammation or infection in the digestive tract, resulted in multiple surgical procedures and a near-death experience that left the seven-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race winner counting his blessings.
“It’s been tough,” Blewett said. “It was a huge test for me in life, but I had a great group of people supporting me throughout the way. It made that easier for me. Having my wife and family by my side throughout everything and all the guys in the racing community, the countless times that I received messages and phone calls. It was daily, just people checking to make sure I was OK.
“It’s been an adjustment. I’m back to normal now, and I feel normal now, but you also have that thought in the back of your mind that at any given moment life can change.”
Blewett explained he hadn’t felt quite right for more than a year, but each time he went to a doctor, he was given a clean bill of health. That changed in October of 2024, when during a trip to North Wilkesboro Speedway he began to feel pain in his lower left side. The pain was swiftly followed by a fever.
That’s when he knew something wasn’t right.
“I had a small infection in my lower intestines and didn’t realize it,” Blewett said. “It would start to heal itself and get bad, then start to heal itself and get bad. I never knew I had it, because you can’t see it unless you get tested for it.
“I was on my way to North Wilkesboro, and the team was there getting ready to race. On my way down, I started to feel some pain in my left side, and then that was followed by a fever. I knew when I had the fever and the pain something was wrong, because I’d never had a pain like that before.”
Blewett canceled his plans and went back home to New Jersey to see his doctor. He was diagnosed with diverticulitis.
As it turns out, the condition runs in Blewett’s family. His older brother, the late John Blewett III, suffered from the same ailment prior to his passing in a crash in 2007.
Blewett was told a surgical remedy was his best course of action. However, what should have been a smooth and simple procedure did not go as planned.
“I spent a couple weeks in the hospital and got healed up, but ultimately they had to remove the piece that was bad,” Blewett explained. “That piece was removed, and the doctor came out and said, ‘Surgery went well.’ We were excited.
“Not long after that, I started feeling off again. Where they reconnected everything, I wasn’t getting the blood flow I needed, because they had to cauterize some blood vessels when they removed the piece (of his intestine). I developed a leak because it wouldn’t seal, so I went sceptic and pretty much almost died.”
Jimmy Blewett during practice for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour opener on Saturday at New Smyrna Speedway. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)
Blewett ended up back under the knife, and his recovery timetable went from a few weeks to nearly a year. Multiple surgical procedures followed, but now, other than a large scar running from the middle of his chest to his waist, Blewett is completely healed.
He credits Modified Tour team owner Tommy Baldwin Jr., who was diagnosed with cancer in 2023 but has since gone into remission, for motivating him to keep fighting.
“I’ve never told him, but he showed me that no matter how bad it gets, just claw through and keep believing and keep that positive attitude,” Blewett said. “I kept that mindset. When I was in the hospital, he stayed in contact with me every day, and he helped me really get through it.”
While he healed, Blewett spent a lot of his time mentoring his son James as the younger Blewett continued his own racing journey. However, Jimmy and his wife Katie have made a point not to make their son’s life all about racing.
Instead, they want to find a balance so the newest member of the Blewett racing family can enjoy everything life has to offer.
“We changed the direction on how we did it with James. With my brother and I, it was strictly pressure, and anything less than a win was no good,” Blewett explained. “With James, racing was just every single thing in our life forever, and it’s still a huge portion of it. But I also want him to experience life itself.
“We do a lot of other things besides racing. We try to go camping when we can. I’m doing it slowly with him. We go when we can go. We don’t try to do 100 races a year. We go when we can go. He’s getting better and better every time he gets behind the wheel for as minimal experience that he has. I couldn’t ask for anything more.
“But most of all, what we race for is to make the memories as a family.”
While he continues to spend a lot of time thinking about his son’s future, the 45-year-old Blewett hasn’t hung up his helmet just yet.
On Saturday he made his return to the Modified Tour for the first time since 2023 aboard the No. 2 Gershow Motorsports Modified, the first of four to six Tour races he hopes to enter this year. He also hopes to help his son make his first Tour start later this season.
After everything he went through, Blewett plans to make every moment with his family and every lap count.
“I’m back together. I feel great. I’m excited to be back,” Blewett said. “This is the best medicine anybody could get, coming to a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race.”
