Corey LaJoie will attempt to qualify for the 2026 Daytona 500 in a fourth RFK Racing entry, the team announced on Thursday.
The 34-year-old veteran will drive the No. 99 Trimble Ford in the Feb. 15 season opener, marking the team’s first race with that number since Carl Edwards in 2014 after Daniel Suárez donned the No. 99 for five seasons at Trackhouse Racing. LaJoie will look to join full-time drivers Brad Keselowski, Chris Buescher and Ryan Preece in the “Great American Race.”
“This is a dream come true to get an opportunity with RFK Racing at the Daytona 500,” LaJoie said in a team release. “This is without a doubt, the best car and opportunity I’ve had at Daytona. I’m grateful for the trust they’ve placed in me.”
LaJoie raced full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series from 2019 through 2024, compiling 276 starts over his career. He made four starts last season in a second Rick Ware Racing entry, including the Daytona 500, as well as nine Craftsman Truck Series starts for Spire Motorsports in addition to his television duties with Prime Video. LaJoie has three top 10s in nine Daytona 500 appearances.
The Concord, North Carolina native heads into 2026 with an expanded role with RFK Racing. LaJoie is slated to drive Keselowski’s No. 6 Ford for the exhibition Cook Out Clash on Feb. 1 (8 p.m. ET, FOX, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) as Keselowski recovers from a broken leg suffered during a family ski trip last month.
“From a competition standpoint, having a fourth car gives us and Ford Racing a better chance to win the Daytona 500,” Keselowski, RFK Racing’s co-owner, said in a release. “It’s not just about adding another entry. Superspeedway racing is about cooperation and having an additional car allows us to be more effective in forming drafting alliances, controlling lanes, and putting ourselves in position when it matters most.”
Additionally, Trimble will sponsor the organization for 11 races throughout the 2026 season.
RFK Racing has a storied history with the No. 99, fielding the car number from 1996 through 2014. In that span, the No. 99 Ford earned 40 wins — 17 with Jeff Burton and 23 with Carl Edwards. The 68th annual Daytona 500 is set for Sunday, Feb. 15 at 8 p.m. ET on FOX, HBO Max, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
PHILADELPHIA — Xfinity and 23XI Racing today announced an expansion of their partnership, reinforcing Xfinity’s long-term commitment to the team, the sport and NASCAR fans. The renewed agreement marks the next chapter in a relationship built on innovation, performance and creating unforgettable fan experiences.
As part of the expanded partnership, Xfinity will debut its first-ever branded car in the season-opening Daytona 500, serving as the primary paint scheme on Bubba Wallace’s No. 23 Toyota Camry XSE for NASCAR’s most iconic race. Xfinity will also serve as Wallace’s majority primary partner for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, with multiple races featuring the Xfinity-branded No. 23 car, delivering season-long visibility and deeper integration with the team. Xfinity will continue as a primary partner with Tyler Reddick and the No. 45 team for select races this season.
The extension builds on Xfinity’s continued investment in 23XI Racing, including the previously announced Xfinity Speed Center, which provides the organization with advanced technology and performance resources. Together, these initiatives underscore Xfinity’s commitment to helping 23XI compete at the highest level while bringing fans closer to the action on and off the track.
“From day one, our partnership with 23XI Racing has been about imagining what’s possible in the sport and creating experiences that connect fans to the moments that mean the most to them,” said Jessica Muir, senior director of brand partnerships & amplification for Comcast. “This extension reflects our long-term belief in this team, in Bubba and Tyler, and in our fans. We’ll be celebrating a historic milestone with our first-ever branded car in the Daytona 500 and showing fans what’s possible when imagination meets momentum as we continue to invest in the future of NASCAR.”
“Xfinity has been an incredible partner in helping 23XI Racing grow both on and off the track,” said Steve Lauletta, president at 23XI Racing. “Their continued support gives us the resources to jointly create unforgettable experiences for our fans while also competing at the highest level. With Xfinity, we’re not just building an elite team, we’re building a partnership that puts fans first and helps the sport grow for everyone who loves racing.”
For Bubba Wallace, the expanded partnership represents an exciting new phase of the relationship with Xfinity and an opportunity to further connect with fans throughout the season.
“Having Xfinity on the car for the Daytona 500 and doing more with our team for the 2026 season is an incredible honor,” Wallace said. “What really excites me is how this partnership gives fans a front-row seat to everything we do. They’re right there for every mile of the season, celebrating the milestones, and feeling like part of the team. Xfinity’s support gives us the resources to compete at the sport’s biggest stages while keeping fans at the heart of every race.”
The partnership extension further strengthens Xfinity’s presence in NASCAR and reinforces its commitment to a long-term partnership that combines innovation, competition, and fan-driven storytelling.
Editor’s note: Today’s 23XI Racing preview continues NASCAR.com’s countdown of team previews for the 2026 Cup Series season.
23XI RACING
Manufacturer: Toyota Engine: Toyota Racing Development Driver-crew chief pairings: Bubba Wallace-Charles Denike (No. 23); Riley Herbst-Davin Restivo (No. 35); Tyler Reddick-Billy Scott (No. 45)
Team outlook: After Tyler Reddick reached the Championship 4 in 2024, 23XI Racing took a step back last season with just one victory from Bubba Wallace at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. While it was a thrilling win for the organization, 23XI couldn’t use it to spark momentum in the playoffs, and both Wallace and Reddick were eliminated in the Round of 12. Reddick finished the year winless for the first time since 2021. But fortunes should turn back in 23XI’s favor with a better understanding of what it has within its three-car stable, and it should bring home a handful of trophies in 2026.
BUBBA WALLACE, NO. 23 TOYOTA
Experience: 8 full-time seasons in NASCAR Cup Series; 291 starts 2025 stats: 11th in final Cup Series standings; 1 win, 6 top fives, 14 top 10s, 0 poles, 378 laps led
Driver outlook: Wallace’s season was streaky to say the least. He matched his top-five and top-10 numbers from 2024, but nine DNFs tanked his average down over three spots from the prior year to 18.5. Wallace had the edge over his teammates on the intermediate ovals in 2025 and showed his continued growth on road courses with three top 15s on such tracks (Mexico City, Watkins Glen, Charlotte Roval). If the No. 23 driver can complete races in 2026, he will have an outside shot of being a championship contender.
Experience: 1 full-time season in NASCAR Cup Series; 44 starts 2025 stats: 35th in final Cup Series standings; 0 wins, 0 top fives, 0 top 10s, 0 poles, 2 laps led
Driver outlook: Nowhere to go but up for Herbst in his second full-time Cup campaign. The No. 35 Toyota was never within striking distance of its teammates last year, but a completed season in the books could help the Las Vegas native and what he needs to hone in on to have better success in 2026. Herbst did have some relative highlights with a top 20 in a chaotic, tire-management-heavy Bristol Night Race and placed 17th in the Las Vegas playoff race.
Experience: 6 full-time seasons in NASCAR Cup Series; 218 starts 2025 stats: 9th in final Cup Series standings; 0 wins, 7 top fives, 14 top 10s, 2 poles, 169 laps led
Driver outlook: Reddick arguably had the biggest head scratch of a 2025 season. Leading fewer than 200 laps, the 30-year-old wheelman was rarely a contender for race wins amid his winless campaign and couldn’t find a spark even when the playoffs began. With a new championship format entering the fold this upcoming season, expect Reddick to be in the mix once again and leave behind the bad taste 2025 left pretty quickly.
Three NASCAR icons will be inducted into the sport’s Hall of Fame Friday evening at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina. Drivers Kurt Busch and Harry Gant from the Modern Era Ballot, in addition to Ray Hendrick from the Pioneer Ballot, will be enshrined.
Humpy Wheeler, former president and general manager at Charlotte Motor Speedway, joins the trio as recipient of the Landmark Award for outstanding contributions to the sport.
The NASCAR Channel will exclusively broadcast the event. Coverage on The NASCAR Channel will start with the Red Carpet at 4:45 p.m. ET. Fireside Chats will additionally air, beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET, followed by the Hall of Fame induction at 8 p.m. ET.
Tickets are currently on sale for friends and fans to attend Friday’s induction ceremony. For more information, visit nascarhall.com.
Travis Pastrana, the renowned X Games star and motorsports icon, will return to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with Niece Motorsports at Daytona International Speedway, the team announced Tuesday.
Pastrana, an 11-time gold-medal winner at the X Games, will pilot the No. 42 Brunt Workwear Chevrolet for Niece Motorsports, returning to NASCAR for the first time since 2023, when he competed both in the Truck Series’ opener and the NASCAR Cup Series’ Daytona 500.
“I’m excited to get back on the track in Daytona with Brunt Workwear and Niece Motorsports,” Pastrana said in a team release. “This is my first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race since 2023, so it will be fun to get behind the wheel again and see what we can do. It’s great to work with Brunt for the first time in NASCAR. They’ve been an amazing partner, getting behind all the good times and bad ideas we cook up at Pastranaland, and keeping myself and the Channel 199 crew safe and comfortable while we do it – expanding that partnership to the race track was a no-brainer and a great opportunity for all of us.”
Known largely for his motocross and rally-racing efforts, Pastrana is no stranger to NASCAR. The 42-year-old competed full-time in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2013 with Roush Fenway Racing (now RFK Racing) after a part-time campaign in 2012 with RAB Racing. In total, Pastrana has made six Truck starts, four of which occurred under the Niece banner.
“Travis and I first worked together at Roush back in 2013, and it’s been incredibly rewarding to see that relationship continue into the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with Niece Motorsports,” said Cody Efaw, CEO of Niece Motorsports. “Travis is one of the most genuine people you’ll ever meet, and we’re thrilled to welcome Brunt Workwear to the Niece Motorsports family. Their brand is a natural fit for who we are and what we do, and we’re excited to take the green flag together at Daytona.”
Four of Pastrana’s six Truck Series starts came at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but his best finish to date came in his most recent attempt at Daytona in 2023. Pastrana drove the No. 41 Niece Chevrolet to a 13th-place finish in the rain-shortened event, two nights before finishing 11th in his NASCAR Cup Series debut in the Daytona 500.
Brunt returns to the Truck Series as a sponsor for the first time since 2024, after sponsoring Mason Massey across multiple series and teams since 2021.
“We’ve been talking about making this happen ever since we started working with Travis,” Eric Girouard, founder and CEO of Brunt Workwear, said in a release. “If something has wheels and an engine, chances are Travis drives it better than most. He’s a motor- and action-sports legend that embodies Brunt’s commitment to celebrating hard work and grit, and we can’t wait to see him in the Brunt Truck at Daytona.”
The Fresh from Florida 250 kicks off the 2026 Truck Series season on Friday, Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, NRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Editor’s Note: Today’s Trackhouse Racing preview continues NASCAR.com’s countdown of team previews for the 2026 Cup Series season.
TRACKHOUSE RACING
Manufacturer: Chevrolet Engine: ECR Engines Driver-crew chief pairings: Ross Chastain-Brandon McSwain (No. 1);Connor Zilisch-Randall Burnett (No. 88); Shane van Gisbergen-Stephen Doran (No. 97)
Team outlook: Trackhouse Racing looks to build on the increased success it had in 2025, particularly Shane van Gisbergen’s team record of five wins and both SVG’s and Ross Chastain’s qualifying for the playoffs. One major new face in 2026 will be Connor Zilisch, who gets a promotion to the Cup Series, replacing Daniel Suárez, whose contract was not renewed and will drive for Spire Motorsports this season. Zilisch will have veteran crew chief Randall Burnett atop the pit box, which should be an immediate boost to his chances for success as a Cup rookie. Also, Chastain will have Brandon McSwain as his new crew chief, with former crew chief Phil Surgen moving to a different position within the company.
Experience: 7 full-time seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series; 259 starts 2025 stats: 10th in final Cup Series standings; 1 win, 4 top fives, 12 top 10s, 0 poles, 83 laps led
Driver outlook: Chastain bounced back from a non-playoff season in 2024 and wound up with a memorable 2025 campaign. He looks to improve his overall performance in 2026 and has high hopes for working with new crew chief McSwain. Two key goals for the season are better track position and more laps led.
Experience: 0 full-time seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series; 3 starts 2025 stats: 2nd in final O’Reilly Auto Parts Series standings; 10 wins, 20 top fives, 23 top 10s, 8 poles, 1,013 laps led
Driver outlook: Oddsmakers such as DraftKings have very high hopes for the 19-year-old Zilisch, including the possibility of finishing the 2026 season as Sunoco Rookie of the Year. He’s a very unique talent who comes along once every decade or so. If he can quickly adapt to the tougher Cup style of racing, it would not be surprising to see Zilisch make The Chase and potentially finish the year strong in his first campaign.
Experience: 1 full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series; 50 starts 2025 stats: 12th in final Cup Series standings; 5 wins, 5 top fives, 7 top 10s, 3 poles, 312 laps led
Driver outlook: Van Gisbergen was one of the biggest and most refreshing surprises in the 2025 Cup Series season, dominating with wins in five of the six road-course races. He made the playoffs but exited quickly after the first round. He’s slowly gotten better and gained more confidence in oval racing and could face a significant uptick in overall performance in 2026. Expect him to once again dominate road-course events, make The Chase and potentially make a leap in the final standings.
For many fans, last week’s announcement that NASCAR was returning to a modernized version of The Chase marked a welcome pivot for the sport. The previous elimination-style playoff system provided plenty of thrilling moments, but by the end of last year’s playoffs it seemed the format was due for a tweak after being in place for roughly a decade.
The new Chase system does away with “win-and-you’re-in” and round-by-round eliminations in favor of a single top-16 cutoff with 10 races to go — and a sprint to the finish from there. It’s a streamlined solution that is, as Mark Martin called it last Monday, “the most perfect compromise that you could ever ask for” between the playoffs and a complete reset to a full-season points format. But it will, of course, bring plenty of changes as compared with what we’ve been used to in recent seasons.
For one thing, we would have had a few different champions if this method were in place during the playoff era. If we assume the race results would have played out the same way under the new system — not an ironclad assumption, admittedly, but let’s go with it for the sake of discussion — here’s who would have won the championship each season since 2017:
In five of those nine seasons, the champ would have been identical regardless of format. Ironically, one of those seasons was 2025 — when Kyle Larson would have won the title under both the playoffs and the Chase — despite that season contributing to the momentum for a format change.
But Larson would be a three-time champ instead of winning just twice, Martin Truex Jr. would be a two-time champ instead of just the single title from 2017, and instead of chasing his first career title, William Byron would already have been a champion from his run in 2023. Of course, that means other drivers would have lost ground, but every system change will have winners and losers.
According to Adjusted Points+ index (which awards drivers for finishes relative to a Cup Series average of 100), the old system’s champs were 90% better than average in the typical season since 2017. Looking at our hypothetical list of alternative champs under the new Chase format, those drivers would have been 107% better than average. Similarly, the average Driver Rating (which accounts for in-race form in addition to finishes) for champs would have risen from 99.7 to 103.3 with a move from the playoffs to The Chase.
That may not seem like a massive difference, and we’re definitely talking about degrees of greatness here. (That’s true even more so if you look at the top five under the two systems, where the differences are even smaller.) But it speaks to The Chase’s potential to deliver a fairer championship outcome, if the goal is to have better drivers prove it out on the track.
Further, there should be plenty of chances for drama in the final race of the season, even if it’s not explicitly set to be a do-or-die contest the way the playoffs had engineered it to be. If The Chase were installed last year, for instance, just 12 points would have separated the top four of Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Chase Briscoe and William Byron heading into the season finale, and Larson would have won by a margin of just four points over Bell.
Granted, that would have been an exceptionally close setup under this new system, which would have seen the No. 2 go into the final race trailing by an average of 32.4 points across the entire 2017-2025 period:
But 32.4 points is not insurmountable by any stretch, particularly with the new enhanced bonuses for winning. And that average includes years like 2017 — when Truex Jr. would have run away with things going into the last race — but also 2022, when Larson would have led by just two points over Logano and three over Bell heading into the finale, and would have been passed in the standings by Logano for the championship. Or 2020, when Elliott would have had to furiously hold off Kevin Harvick with just a one-point cushion going into the final race.
The pre-finale runner-up would have been within 25 points of the leader going into the last race more often than not over the 2017-2025 period, which feels like a fair compromise between resetting things completely, like in the old playoff system — regardless of the previous 35 races — and giving up on the finale having any sense of drama whatsoever.
No format is perfect, and every system has trade-offs baked into it. But this new Chase will lead to deserving champions while still preserving the late-season uncertainty that keeps us all watching. It should also be simpler to follow, by eschewing playoff points and round-to-round eliminations, which is no small improvement.
To go back to the words of Martin, one of the most respected voices in the NASCAR community: “Everyone wins with this format.”
The biggest midget car racing event in the world, the Chili Bowl Nationals powered by NOS Energy Drink in Tulsa, Oklahoma, always attracts some of NASCAR’s top stars. Which means millions of eyes this week were focused on the 2026 Chili Bowl results.
Among those who competed in the 2026 Chili Bowl was reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson, who won the event in 2025. He was joined by three-time Chili Bowl winner Christopher Bell, 2025 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion Jesse Love, Ty Gibbs, Sheldon Creed, Corey Day, J.J. Yeley and Josh Bilicki. The NASCAR Regional level was also represented with competitors like Gavan Boschele, Jake Johnson and Ryan Roulette.
Below is more about each driver and how they fared at the 2026 Chili Bowl.
Kyle Larson at the 2026 Chili Bowl (Photo: Bobby Pastelak/NASCAR)
Chili Bowl results: How NASCAR drivers fared at the 2026 Nationals in Tulsa
Qualifying Night: Victory in Monday’s preliminary feature
Saturday: DNF in A Main
Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson is making his 18th Chili Bowl Nationals attempt this year. A three-time (2020-21, 2025) Chili Bowl Nationals champion, Larson has made the Saturday championship feature 12 times.
He got off to a great start in 2026.
After finishing seventh in Monday night’s Race of Champions (won by Christopher Bell), Larson returned to form with a convincing victory in the Monday preliminary feature. He started fourth in the 30-lap A Main and was leading by the 10th circuit, though he faced constant pressure from Briggs Danner and Cannon McIntosh.
A few mid-race cautions, including one that was the result of contact between Larson and the lapped car of Gaige Weldon, provided Larson with the clean race track he needed to punch his ticket directly into Saturday’s championship feature.
“My car felt good, and I was making decent decisions in traffic,” Larson said. “Then one lapper (Weldon) tried to rip back around me and then lane changed into (Turn) 3 and I tagged him. It kind of calmed the race down.
“It’s good to be back in position for Saturday.”
Saturday, though, turned out to be a bit of a bummer.
Larson started the A-Main championship race from the pole position, but his bid for a third Chili Bowl title ended after just 15 laps — with a flip that took him out of the event.
(Photo: Susan Wong/NASCAR)
Christopher Bell
Qualifying Night: Victory in Thursday’s preliminary feature
Saturday: Eighth in A Main
Christopher Bell this year is making his 13th Chili Bowl attempt. The nearby Norman, Oklahoma, native won three consecutive Chili Bowl championships from 2017-19. Last year, he returned to the Chili Bowl after a two-year hiatus, finishing 10th in the Saturday finale.
Bell on Monday night began his 2026 Chili Bowl week with a flag-to-flag victory in the annual running of the O’Reilly Auto Parts Race of Champions, an invite-only event featuring racing champions from across the motorsports world.
The driver of the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series qualified first and started from the pole for the 25-lap feature after drawing a 0 for the invert. He dominated the event despite brief challenges from eventual runner-up Shane Golobic to secure his fourth Race of Champions victory and first as an owner-driver.
“This makes everything a whole lot more stressful,” Bell said after securing his first Midget car win inside the SageNet Center in his own equipment. “I was about ready to puke before the race. I was like, ‘Is it right? Is it wrong? What are we doing?’
“I think it just makes the triumph so much more rewarding.”
On Thursday, he was arguably even more dominant. Bell won both his heat race and his qualifier. He started the evening’s A Main in eighth and was struggling to reach the front before a late caution changed everything. Bell over the final seven laps of the race worked his way to the lead for his ninth preliminary night victory at the Chili Bowl.
On Saturday, he ran top five late in the race and went on to finish eighth in the championship event.
(Photo: Bobby Pastelak/NASCAR)
Jesse Love
Qualifying Night: Sixth-place finish in A Main on Friday
Reigning NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion Jesse Love is making his return to the Chili Bowl after last competing in 2024. He’s driving a car owned by Blake Harris, crew chief for Alex Bowman in the NASCAR Cup Series. Of his three previous Chili Bowl attempts, Love’s best finish came in 2021, when he finished 13th in a B-Main on championship Saturday.
Love competed in Monday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Race of Champions and finished 16th. On his qualifying night Thursday, he finished second in his heat race and fifth in his qualifier to line him up for a B Main.
Love won that B Main to advance to the evening’s feature. On the last lap of the A Main, he flipped crossing the finish line in sixth place. As a result of the incident, Love’s team opted to withdraw from competition on Saturday night.
Ty Gibbs
Qualifying Night: 14th-place finish in A Main on Tuesday
Saturday: DNF in C Main
Ty Gibbs, the 2022 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion, is making his return to the Chili Bowl Nationals after making his debut in the event one season ago. In his first Chili Bowl attempt last year, he finished sixth in an F Main on championship Saturday.
Gibbs began his Chili Bowl week Tuesday with a second-place run in his heat race after starting ninth. He then finished fifth in his qualifier. He finished 14th in the evening’s A Main after starting seventh.
Gibbs attempted to race his way into Saturday’s championship feature from a C Main, but was collected in an incident and failed to advance.
J.J. Yeley
Qualifying Night: 10th-place finish in A Main on Tuesday
Saturday: 16th in B Main
A legend inside the SageNet Center, veteran NASCAR star J.J. Yeley returns to the Chili Bowl Nationals for his 30th attempt to capture the prestigious Golden Driller trophy. In his 29 previous attempts, Yeley has made the championship feature eight times, including a runner-up finish in 2007.
Yeley made history during the 2004 running of the event, advancing a stunning 69 positions from his F Main to finish third in the Chili Bowl championship race.
Yeley on Tuesday night finished fifth in his heat and second in his qualifier, allowing him to start the A Main on the front row. However, he faded to 10th in the feature.
He made an attempt to race his way to the Chili Bowl championship feature on Saturday, finishing fourth in a C Main to advance to a B Main. However, after a spin early in the B Main, Yeley was unable to make up any ground and was eliminated following a 16th-place finish.
Sheldon Creed
Qualifying Night: 24th-place finish in A Main on Tuesday
Saturday: 14th in E Main
Sheldon Creed, who races in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series for the Haas Factory Team, is making his Chili Bowl Nationals debut this year. No stranger to dirt racing, he’s been a regular competitor at North Carolina’s Millbridge Speedway for years and previously competed in the Tulsa Shootout, the annual precursor to the Chili Bowl inside the SageNet Center.
Creed on Tuesday finished fourth in his heat and fifth in his qualifier. He won a B Main to advance himself to the evening’s main event, but he didn’t finish the A Main.
Creed attempted to race his way through the alphabet soup on Saturday at the Chili Bowl, but was eliminated from competition in an E Main.
Corey Day
Qualifying Night: Sixth-place finish in A Main on Wednesday
Saturday: 19th in B Main
Corey Day, who was recently confirmed for his first full NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season with Hendrick Motorsports, is back for his fifth attempt at the Chili Bowl Nationals in 2026.
In four previous attempts inside the SageNet Center, Day has made the championship feature three times. His best effort came in 2024, when he finished third in the Saturday night main event behind winner Logan Seavey and runner-up Buddy Kofoid.
Day competed in Monday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Race of Champions but did not finish. On his preliminary night, he won his heat race and finished fourth in his qualifier. That set him up for a seventh-place start in the A Main, and he finished sixth.
Day had a good chance to race his way into Saturday’s championship feature after starting ninth in a B Main, but was collected in a crash not of his making and finished 19th to end his Chili Bowl run.
Gavan Boschele
Qualifying Night: Eighth-place finish in A Main on Tuesday
Saturday: 14th in A Main
Gavan Boschele, who is joining Nitro Motorsports this year for most of the ARCA Menards Series schedule, is returning to Tulsa for his fourth Chili Bowl attempt, this time aboard a Midget car owned by two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch. His best effort inside the SageNet Center came in his debut in 2022, when he finished 14th in a B-Main on championship Saturday.
Boschele began his week Tuesday with a victory in his heat race followed by a sixth-place run in his qualifier. His fourth-place run in a B Main barely advanced him to the A Main, and he ran eighth in the feature after starting last.
On Saturday night, Boschele finished seventh in a B Main to narrowly advance to his first Chili Bowl championship feature. Starting 23rd, he raced his way to 14th at the conclusion of the 55-lap finale.
Jake Johnson
Qualifying Night: 10th-place finish in C Main on Thursday
Saturday: Ninth in M Main
A NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour winner during the 2024 season, Jake Johnson is making Chili Bowl debut this week driving for Cory Kruseman, a two-time Chili Bowl champion driver.
Johnson on Thursday gained a spot in his heat race to finish seventh but wasn’t able to make a qualifier. He finished 10th in his C Main.
On Saturday morning Johnson started eighth and finished ninth in an M Main to bring his Chili Bowl debut to a close.
Ryan Roulette
Qualifying Night: Eighth-place finish in C Main on Thursday
Saturday: 10th in L Main
U.S. Air Force pilot Ryan Roulette is going from flying planes to piloting a midget car during the Chili Bowl this week. The ARCA Menards Series competitor is making his Chili Bowl debut aboard a car owned by Brian Buckwalter.
On Thursday, Roulette finished fourth in his heat race and eighth in a C Main. Roulette wrapped up his first Chili Bowl by starting eighth and finishing 10th in an L Main Saturday morning.
TULSA, Okla. — Last summer, Emerson Axsom was scrolling on his phone when he got an Instagram notification.
He’d received a message. The message wasn’t from some random race fan or a friend; it was from someone he knew but had never met.
The message was from four-time Chili Bowl Nationals champion driver and the owner of the Swindell SpeedLab race team, Kevin Swindell.
Axsom had no way to know it at the time, but that one message would lead directly to the biggest moment of his young life, a moment that arrived Saturday night inside Oklahoma’s SageNet Center when he won the 40th running of the Chili Bowl Nationals, the world’s largest Midget car racing event.
“Last year (at the Chili Bowl) I ran Keith Kunz’s personal car. He’s only won it like 35 times,” Axsom joked. “He told me I had a spot on his team (for 2026) if I wanted to be there, but he wasn’t going to be crew chiefing my car. So, I was going to need a new crew chief no matter what.
“Then Kevin messaged me and basically just asked if I had any commitments, and I said I didn’t. I didn’t tell anybody who I was going to be running for. So, I told him no, and he asked me if I was interested.”
Was the 21-year-old Axsom interested? Well, yes, he was.
Swindell is one of the most gifted minds when it comes to racing inside the SageNet Center on the temporary quarter-mile dirt oval built exclusively for the Chili Bowl and its sister event, the Tulsa Shootout.
He won the Chili Bowl four consecutive years as a driver from 2010-13. After a crash in 2015 at Iowa’s Knoxville Raceway left him paralyzed from the waist down, Swindell made the switch from driving to team ownership.
In 2023 and 2024, Swindell won the Chili Bowl as a car owner when Logan Seavey scored back-to-back victories.
So when Swindell asked Axsom if he wanted to race one of his cars at the Chili Bowl in 2026, the answer was a resounding yes.
Emerson Axsom during the 40th Chili Bowl Nationals on Saturday night in Tulsa, Okla. (Photo: Nick Oxford/NASCAR)
“He knows his stuff is good enough, and he totally believed in me the whole time,” Axsom said. “It made my job easy to just go out and drive his race car.”
To win the Chili Bowl, Axsom had to outlast nearly 400 competitors during the week-long event. By the time the green flag waved for Saturday’s 55-lap finale, the competition had been whittled down to 24 drivers who would vie for the Golden Driller trophy.
Included among that elite group were men like reigning NASCAR Cup Series and Chili Bowl champion Kyle Larson, three-time Chili Bowl winner Christopher Bell, 2022 Chili Bowl winner Tanner Thorson, World of Outlaws Sprint Car champion Daryn Pittman, multi-time USAC champion Justin Grant and Seavey, among others.
Larson, like he did one year ago when he won the Chili Bowl for the third time, lined up from the pole with Axsom to his outside. Larson led the first three laps, but Axsom boldly took the lead with a clean slide job on the fourth circuit.
“I told myself that I’m not going to race him like he’s Kyle Larson,” Axsom said. “I feel like a lot of guys, including the national level guys I race against every week, they see Kyle, and they almost back down. If it was anyone else, they’d be raced harder.
“I told myself I’m going to take the race to him, because that’s the only chance I’ve got. If I don’t throw everything I have at Kyle, then he’s going to win this deal and drive away.”
Larson spent the following 12 laps shadowing Axsom, but an incident with a slow car down the backstretch on Lap 16 resulted in Larson flipping his car, eliminating him from the race.
The defending champion was out, but new challengers were lining up to take their own shots at Axsom.
First it was his teammate, Seavey, who hounded Axsom for multiple laps and on multiple occasions looked like he might take the lead. Each time Seavey got close, Axsom somehow clawed back ahead.
Then came a challenge from perennial Chili Bowl contender Grant, who passed Axsom briefly with seven laps left before a caution reset the field to the last completed lap, giving the lead back to Axsom.
Emerson Axsom celebrates after winning the 40th Chili Bowl Nationals. (Photo: Nick Oxford/NASCAR)
“I was super thankful that yellow came out when Justin slid me,” Axsom said. “It was going to end up being a dogfight.”
Disaster nearly struck with two laps left as Axsom missed the corner in Turn 2, opening the door for Seavey to make a move low. Grant also tried to pass them both on the outside, but contact with Seavey caused Grant to flip, and Axsom escaped with the lead.
The last challenger to emerge in Axsom’s mirror was Kevin Thomas Jr., who had stormed his way from 18th at the green flag to third for the final restart with two laps left.
Thomas was able to move past Seavey and got a run on Axsom going down the backstretch, but Axsom covered the bottom through Turns 3-4 and held on to win the 40th Chili Bowl Nationals.
“I never thought at 21 years old I’d be sitting here,” Axsom said. “I’m super thankful that Kevin Swindell messaged me on Instagram and asked me to drive for him, because without him, it would not be possible.
“That’s the best race car I have ever drove. I hope he messages me on Instagram to come back next year.”
The native of Franklin, Indiana could never have known that a simple message would change his life forever.
But it did. And now he’ll forever be known as a Chili Bowl Nationals champion.
“Everything played in my favor tonight. It feels like a dream. It’s crazy,” Axsom said. “This is, for sure, the best day of my life.”
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The message “#BeLikeBiff” is prominently displayed on the side of the No. 60 KohR Motorsports Ford Mustang GT4 at Daytona International Speedway for the 2026 IMSA Roar Before the Rolex 24, a tribute to the late NASCAR champion Greg Biffle and intended to celebrate the popular driver’s good work away from the track as much as his plentiful success on it.
Biffle along with his wife Cristina, son Ryder, daughter Emma, as well as longtime friend Craig Wadsworth and father-son Dennis and Jack Dutton, perished in an airplane accident outside Charlotte, North Carolina, on Dec. 18. On Friday, the same day cars first took hot laps on the Daytona International Speedway road course in preparation for IMSA’s Rolex 24 season-opener, a public memorial was held to pay respects to them all in Charlotte.
The KohR team, which will compete in next Friday’s IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race, felt a special calling to honor those lost. Its Ford Mustang already carried the No. 60 and is sponsored by Roush Industries.
In 2002, Biffle drove a No. 60 Roush Racing Ford to the 2002 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championship. But this serendipitous connection between Biffle and the KohR team goes much deeper than Biffle’s celebrated career on track.
“It’s not necessarily a motorsports thing, it’s what Greg meant to people away from the track,” said KohR’s Director of Marketing and Public Relations J.C. Waidler, who had never met Biffle but certainly knows the impact the late driver had outside the sport.
For three decades, Waidler has been volunteering with the Angel Flight Soars organization, which also worked with Biffle in getting needed supplies to Western North Carolina following Hurricane Helene in 2024. Biffle’s selfless and enduring work to help the area rebuild from the hurricane’s devastating damage defined him well beyond the celebrity his success garnered in the sport. And this sports car team wanted to honor that.
“A lot of people who don’t even follow NASCAR know Greg and Cristina Biffle for what they did during the hurricane,” Waidler said.
The KohR team’s founder and champion driver, Dean Martin, is a former Ford engineer who worked for Roush and met Biffle early in his career.
“When I first moved to Michigan, I started working at Roush, so all the Roush drivers mean something to me,” Martin said. “And it’s not even so much what Greg did in racing is why we’re doing this. It’s more his humanitarian efforts and mostly what all he did that a lot of people don’t even realize he’s done.”
Martin said he’s been amazed at the support the team has received from both the IMSA paddock and fans, but also from people he never anticipated.
“It just took off — I saw a Ford website in India that posted about it,” Martin said.
And in the spirit of giving back that so embodied Biffle, the team has made a limited number of T-shirts commemorating the car and is selling them with 100% of the proceeds being donated to the Lake Norman Humane, one of Biffle’s favorite charities.
“It’s just about admiration for him and what he’s done outside of racing,” Martin said. “That’s what it’s really about. It’s not so much about the podiums you’ve got or how many wins you’ve got, it’s really about whether you’re a good person or not.”
