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Posted on August 19, 2026August 19, 2026 by Staff Report

As tracks and race dates for the 2027 NASCAR schedule are revealed, NASCAR.com will collect each announcement here, with the newest development at the top. Check back for updates throughout the schedule-release process, and view the complete list of confirmed dates in our 2027 NASCAR schedule tracker.

MORE: How your dream 2027 schedule stacks up | Pick a track to put on your 2027 bucket list

Aug. 19: Truck Series heads north of the border for first time since 2019

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will return to Canada for the first time in eight years with a trip to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on tap in 2027. The race is slated for Sunday, Sept. 5, with coverage on FOX Sports. It will serve as the key regular-season finale, solidifying the 10 drivers competing in The Chase.

The Truck Series visited the 2.459-mile road course in Bowmanville, Ontario, from 2013 to 2019. NASCAR planned for another trip to the Toronto suburb in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic put the annual north-of-the-border event on pause.

Five of the seven Canadian Tire winners currently drive in the Cup Series, headlined by Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney – who won the first two renditions.

IMSA and the NASCAR Canada Series also make regular stops at the high-speed 10-turn circuit.

Aug. 19: Two Heartland trips on tap in 2027

NASCAR will again make two stops at Kansas Speedway in 2027, headlined by a Chase tripleheader in early October.

All three series will host key postseason races at the 1.5-mile oval, with Race No. 4 of the NASCAR Cup Series Chase slated for Oct. 3 on USA Sports. The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series is slated for Oct. 2 on The CW, while the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series opens the weekend on Oct. 1 with coverage on FOX Sports.

Kansas’ springtime weekend will feature a doubleheader with the Cup and Truck Series. Cup Series stars will duke it out on May 9 with coverage on FOX Sports – the 11th points-paying event of the season. The Truck Series race is scheduled for May 8, also on FOX Sports.

NASCAR returns to Kansas Sept. 26-27 this fall for Cup and Truck Series Chase races.

Aug. 18: ‘Tricky Triangle’ trip on tap for June

NASCAR is back at one of its most historic venues in 2027, with a June trip to Pocono Raceway on tap. The Cup Series race is slated for June 13 and will be broadcast on Prime Video.

Both the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and Craftsman Truck Series will also visit the Pennsylvania mountains in 2027. O’Reilly Series drivers will look to tame “Tricky” on June 12 (The CW), with the tailgaters racing June 11 on FOX Sports.

The Cup Series first visited Pocono in 1974 and subsequently once each summer. The 1982 season marked the first year the 2.5-mile triangular track hosted two race weekends, and it remained a twice-annual stop through 2019. Pocono hosted Cup Series doubleheader weekends in 2020 and 2021 before fully transitioning to a single date and race in 2022. The 2026 Cup race marked the fourth grandstand sellout and the sixth-straight camping sellout.

Aug. 18: Chicagoland returns to NASCAR calendar for second straight season

NASCAR’s annual race weekend in the Chicago market will take place at the 1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway for the second year in a row. The Cup Series event is slated for June 27, with coverage airing on Prime Video — the streaming platform’s final race of 2027.

Like 2026, the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and ARCA Menards Series will join the fold to round out a three-race weekend. The O’Reilly Series is slated for June 26 with coverage on The CW, while ARCA will go to battle June 25.

Chicagoland first opened its doors to racing in 2001 and remained at least a once-a-year stop on the calendar until 2019. The track sat vacant until this year, when NASCAR returned over Independence Day weekend. Chase Briscoe won a sold-out Cup race, while Brandon Jones visited Victory Lane in the O’Reilly Series.

Aug. 18: Homestead-Miami Speedway confirms return as season-finale host in ’27

All three national series will return to South Florida’s Homestead-Miami Speedway in November 2027 to crown champions. It’ll be the second consecutive season the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series wrap their campaigns at the 1.5-mile oval.

The Cup Series race is slated for Nov. 14 with coverage from USA Sports. The O’Reilly Series finale is slated for Nov. 13 on The CW, while the Truck Series concludes its season Nov. 12 with coverage airing on FOX Sports.

Homestead-Miami welcomed Cup Series action starting in 1999. It hosted Championship Weekend for the first time in 2002, and all three series ended their seasons at the track each year through 2019. Beginning in 2020, Championship Weekend shifted to Phoenix Raceway, where it remained through 2025. Homestead-Miami’s date fluctuated between springtime and the playoffs during that six-year pause.

But beginning this fall, the season-finale races are back in South Beach for The Chase, where the Nov. 6-8 weekend will determine who lifts the championship trophies.

Aug. 13: Richmond rolls into Chase as Cup, O’Reilly Series postseason openers

For the first time since 2021, Richmond Raceway will return to the NASCAR Cup Series Chase, serving as the 2027 opener. The River City showdown is slated for Saturday, Sept. 11, with coverage on USA Network.

Richmond’s summer race long marked the final regular-season event during the previous iteration of The Chase and the playoffs, doing so from 2004 to 2017. It first moved into the postseason in 2018. Next year will mark the third consecutive season that the 0.75-mile short track hosts NASCAR once.

The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series will return to Richmond next season after a two-year hiatus, with the Sept. 10 race also slated as the series’ Chase opener. The O’Reilly Series raced at the venue at least once annually from 1982 to 2024.

The Cup Series competes at Richmond this Saturday (7 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) as just three regular-season races remain. Austin Dillon is the two-time defending winner.

Aug. 13: World Wide Technology Raceway shifts to mid-August date

World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway will move to August in 2027 after two seasons as a NASCAR Cup Series postseason race. The 1.25-mile oval is slated for the Cup Series’ Enjoy Illinois 300 on Aug. 22, with television coverage on USA Network. It will mark the third-to-last regular-season race.

The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series will additionally visit the St. Louis-area track for the third consecutive season, with the preliminary Nu Way 225 slated for Aug. 21 on The CW.

Next year’s stop at Gateway marks the sixth time the Cup Series will visit the Midwest track. The O’Reilly Series first competed there in 1997, while the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series visited for the first time in 1998 and remained a near-annual stop for the tailgaters until 2024.

The Cup Series visits Gateway later this year on Sept. 13 (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), with the O’Reilly Series competing Sept. 12 (7:30 p.m. ET, The CW, ESPN Unlimited, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: Tickets

Aug. 12: ‘Monster Mile’ goes back to being a points race

After a one-year hiatus when it hosted the NASCAR All-Star Race, Dover Motor Speedway will return to points-paying status in the NASCAR Cup Series for 2027. The concrete behemoth known as the “Monster Mile” will run its Cup Series event on May 16, televised on FOX Sports.

The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series will make it a doubleheader weekend with its race occurring on May 15 and being broadcast on The CW.

Denny Hamlin was the winner of the All-Star Race in 2026 at Dover and was the victor in 2025 and 2024 in the previous points-paying Cup races at Dover. The 2027 season will be a chance to see if Hamlin can pull off a unique style of four-peat at the revered Delaware venue.

Aug. 12: All-Star Race returns to North Wilkesboro

The NASCAR All-Star Race will be on the move yet again in 2027, returning to a fan-favorite spot, North Wilkesboro Speedway. The 0.625-mile asphalt oval in the picturesque North Carolina foothills hosted the NASCAR Cup Series’ exhibition event from 2023-2025 before putting on a points-paying race this season when Dover Motor Speedway was the site of the All-Star Race.

But it’s back to Wilkes County for the midsummer classic, with the May 23 prime time event to be televised on FOX Sports. As part of a national-series tripleheader slate, the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series will race at the track for the first time since 1985, doing so on May 22 and airing on The CW. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, meanwhile, will run on May 21, on FOX Sports.

Kyle Larson (2023), Joey Logano (2024) and Christopher Bell (2025) were past winners of the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro, with each taking home the $1 million prize. Logano was also the winner in this season’s Window World 450 in the first points-paying race at the track since 1996.

Aug. 11: More in store for Martinsville Speedway in 2027

The NASCAR schedule is set again to make two visits to historic Martinsville Speedway in 2027, with a springtime showdown bookended by a now-traditional return in the fall as the next-to-last race of the season for all three national series.

The 0.526-mile Virginia track will again tee up NASCAR championship weekend with the penultimate races of 2027 slated Nov. 5-7 for the Cup Series, O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and the Craftsman Truck Series. The Cup and O’Reilly Series will also convene for a doubleheader Martinsville meet on April 17-18.

Martinsville is due for a tripleheader NASCAR weekend this year on Oct. 30-Nov. 1, one week before national-series champions are crowned in the season finales at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

RELATED: Martinsville memories | Tickets

Aug. 11: Double dates due up for Darlington, including 2027 regular-season finale

Darlington Raceway is back on the 2027 NASCAR schedule for two dates, including a crucial event that will determine the Cup Series’ Chase field.

The historic 1.366-mile oval will keep its cherished Labor Day weekend slot next year, with the Southern 500 to be run Sunday, Sept. 5. The traditional date also coincides with the end of the Cup Series’ 26-race regular season, with the crown-jewel event primed to set the 16-driver grid in next year’s Chase.

Darlington’s 2027 calendar opens with a tripleheader weekend April 2-4, with the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and Craftsman Truck Series joining the Cup Series on the springtime bill. The O’Reilly Series returns to the South Carolina venue to take part in the Labor Day festivities, with its regular-season finale scheduled Sept. 4.

This year’s last remaining trip to Darlington will open The Chase for both the Cup and O’Reilly Series, with the Cook Out Southern 500 on Sunday, Sept. 6 (5 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) and the Fleetio 200 on Saturday, Sept. 5 (7:30 p.m. ET, The CW, ESPN Unlimited, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: Southern 500 all-time wins | Tickets

Aug. 10: Las Vegas doubles down with early test, Chase date in 2027

Las Vegas Motor Speedway returns to the 2027 schedule rotation with two NASCAR weekends next year, providing an early-season challenge and a prime spot in The Chase postseason.

The 1.5-mile Nevada track is slated for the fifth Cup Series race of the season on March 21, then returns to the schedule in the 10-race Chase on Oct. 10, slotting in as the fifth event of the NASCAR Cup Series postseason. Both races replicate the Las Vegas track’s placement on the 2026 calendar.

The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series will stage preliminary races at each Las Vegas weekend, with the Oct. 9 visit serving as that circuit’s fourth Chase event.

Both series have postseason dates at Vegas coming up on the 2026 schedule – the South Point 400 for the Cup Series on Oct. 4 (5:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, PRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), preceded by the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series’ Focused Health 302 on Oct. 3 (7:30 p.m. ET, The CW, ESPN Unlimited, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Aug. 6: Star-spangled return to Iowa set for July 4 weekend

Iowa Speedway, site of this weekend’s races, got a jump on next year by announcing that NASCAR will return for a July 4th weekend special in 2027.

The midseason showdown means an Independence Day celebration in the heartland, with the Cup Series hitting the 0.875-mile oval for the 18th of a scheduled 36 points-paying races next year. The circuit will be joined by the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series for a preliminary event.

The 2027 visit will mark the fourth time the Cup Series has raced at Iowa Speedway. NASCAR’s premier series convenes at the Newton, Iowa track this weekend for Sunday’s Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol (3:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Additionally, a full repave of the racing surface will begin shortly after the checkered flag falls on this Sunday’s Cup show.

Aug. 6: Talladega two-fer on tap for NASCAR in 2027

NASCAR returns to Talladega Superspeedway for a pair of race weekends next season, including a critical date in the Chase postseason for all three national series in 2027.

A springtime showdown for the Cup Series and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series is set April 24-25, with the ARCA Menards Series also making its annual Talladega visit. That weekend culminates with the ninth race of the Cup Series season, the Jack Link’s 500.

The Craftsman Truck Series joins the other two NASCAR tours for a Chase tripleheader Oct. 29-31, with the YellaWood 500 creating a Halloween bash as the eighth event in the 10-race postseason. The 2027 calendar marks the second consecutive year that Talladega fills a role as the third-to-last race in the season.

This year’s second Talladega trip is scheduled Oct. 23-25. The 2.66-mile Alabama track produced a pair of first-time winners earlier this year, with Carson Hocevar (Cup Series) and Corey Day (O’Reilly Auto Parts Series) breaking through in April.

Aug. 6: New Hampshire returns to Chase rotation next season

NASCAR will soak in fall in New England next year, placing New Hampshire Motor Speedway back in the Chase postseason with a Sept. 25-26 race weekend on the 2027 schedule.

The 1.058-mile oval in Loudon, New Hampshire, will host the third Chase race for the NASCAR Cup Series on Sunday, Sept. 26, 2027, with broadcast coverage from USA Network. That race follows the opening Chase event for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, which has the EJP 175 slotted for Saturday, Sept. 25.

Next year will mark the 16th time that New Hampshire has hosted a postseason Cup Series race.

This year’s NHMS stop comes Aug. 23 (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) as the next-to-last race in the Cup Series regular season.

RELATED: New Hampshire winners | Tickets

Aug. 6: Traditional dog days of August beckon for Bristol Night Race in 2027

Bristol Motor Speedway will return to a traditional date for its under-the-lights showdown next year, setting the annual night race for Aug. 14 on the 2027 NASCAR schedule.

The nighttime event will be the 23rd of 26 races in the Cup Series regular season, capping a tripleheader NASCAR weekend. The 0.533-mile Tennessee track will also host the three NASCAR national series April 9-11 for its yearly springtime event.

Bristol has been part of the postseason rotation since 2020, including this year’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 19 (7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The evening event has been a fixture on the schedule since 1978, typically occupying a mid- to late-August slot on the NASCAR calendar before its recent shift to a playoff position.

Both race weekends in 2027 will be tripleheaders, with the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and Craftsman Truck Series joining the bill with the Cup Series next year.

RELATED: Full announcement | Tickets

Aug. 5: Chase return, IndyCar combo part of Phoenix’s packed 2027 slate

Phoenix Raceway established its dates for a pair of packed NASCAR weekends next season, with a key crossover event and a pivotal autumn date in The Chase postseason returning to the desert oval in 2027.

The NASCAR Cup Series will share the bill with the NTT IndyCar Series at Phoenix for the second straight year, all during an activity-filled weekend of four races March 12-14. The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (Saturday, March 13) and ARCA Menards Series (Friday, March 12) also join the card, which culminates Sunday, March 14, in the fourth race of the Cup Series season.

All three NASCAR national series will visit the 1-mile Arizona track for Chase events Oct. 22-24, 2027. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series opens the action Friday, Oct. 22, with the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and ARCA Menards Series West combining for a Saturday doubleheader on Oct. 23. Phoenix’s fall weekend wraps with the Freeway Insurance 500 on Sunday, Oct. 24, when the Cup Series holds the seventh of 10 races in The Chase championship battle.

Phoenix joined the Cup Series schedule in 1988, when Hall of Famer Alan Kulwicki scored his first Cup victory. The Avondale, Arizona, facility has been a part of the Cup Series’ 10-race postseason every year since The Chase format first began in 2004.

RELATED: Phoenix winners | Tickets

Aug. 5: Two Lone Star State trips set for 2027 as COTA, Texas return

NASCAR will make two visits to the Lone Star State next season, with race weekend dates announced Wednesday for Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas and Texas Motor Speedway outside of Fort Worth.

The COTA road course returns for the seventh consecutive year for a March 5-7 weekend with the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in action. The doubleheader concludes with the DuraMAX Texas Grand Prix, the Cup Series’ third race of the 2027 season with broadcast coverage by FOX Sports.

The intermediate track, meanwhile, will host the Cup Series, O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in an April 30-May 2 tripleheader weekend. The Würth 400 presented by Liqui Moly at the 1.5-mile oval — a regular Cup Series venue since 1997 — will serve as the 10th race of the Cup Series campaign, with FOX Sports also providing coverage.

Aug. 4: Two race weekends on tap for EchoPark Speedway in 2027

EchoPark Speedway near Atlanta will host a pair of NASCAR race weekends next season, with Cup Series events scheduled for Feb. 28 and July 18 in 2027.

The 1.54-mile track, which features superspeedway-style racing on an intermediate-sized circuit, will again be slotted as host of the Autotrader 400, the second points-paying race of the Cup Series schedule with coverage from FOX Sports. Its summertime date, capped by the Cup Series’ Dollar Tree 400, is set to be part of TNT Sports’ Cup Series broadcast schedule.

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will join the Cup Series for both Atlanta weekends for the first time since 2008. The O’Reilly Auto Parts Series is set to visit EchoPark Speedway in February, creating a tripleheader weekend for all three NASCAR national tours. The track indicated that start times will be announced at a later date.

The high-speed Georgia venue has been entrenched on NASCAR’s major-league schedule since 1960. After a 10-year stretch of hosting one Cup Series weekend each season, EchoPark has been the site of two annual stops on the schedule each year since 2021.

RELATED: EchoPark winners | Buy tickets!

Aug. 4: Clash returning to Daytona Speedweeks with new title sponsor

Daytona International Speedway announced its complete 2027 NASCAR Cup Series schedule, including the return of The Clash and dates for the Daytona 500 and Coke Zero Sugar 400.

The newly named Wheatley Vodka Clash will open Speedweeks presented by AdventHealth on Sat., Feb. 13. The preseason exhibition returns to Daytona for the first time since 2021, when it was last run on the road-course configuration.

The 69th annual Daytona 500 is scheduled for Sun., Feb. 21, while the Coke Zero Sugar 400 will return as Daytona’s summer Cup Series event on Sat., Aug. 28. The Clash’s format and eligibility standards will be announced at a later date.

RELATED: Full announcement | Past winners of The Clash | Tickets

July 23: Craftsman Truck Series returning to St. Petersburg

Street racing will return to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2027.

The series will compete Sat., March 6, on the 1.8-mile temporary circuit in St. Petersburg, Florida, sharing the weekend with the NTT IndyCar Series’ Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 7.

The announcement follows the Truck Series’ inaugural visit to the street course in 2026, when Layne Riggs scored the victory. Event promoters indicated that ticket sales will begin in the fall.

RELATED: Full announcement | Tickets

May 7: Watkins Glen moving into The Chase

Watkins Glen International will return to a more traditional portion of the calendar in 2027.

The track’s NASCAR Cup Series weekend will move from its May placement to September and one of the earliest positions in the 10-race Chase. An exact race date has not yet been announced.

The move will also return a road course to the postseason after the Charlotte Motor Speedway fall race shifted from the Roval to the oval configuration for 2026.

RELATED: Full announcement | Watkins Glen tickets

February 9: Homestead expected to retain championship weekend

Homestead-Miami Speedway is expected to remain the site of NASCAR’s championship weekend in 2027.

NASCAR has indicated that it eventually plans to rotate the season finale, but NASCAR vice president of racing communications Mike Forde said in February that the plan was to return to Homestead next season before considering a rotation in future years.

Posted on August 19, 2026August 19, 2026 by Staff Report

The 2027 NASCAR national-series schedules are beginning to take shape.

NASCAR.com will update the tables below as race dates and venues are officially announced for the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Start times, broadcast information and additional event details will be added when they become available.

MORE: See the latest schedule developments | How your dream 2027 schedule stacks up | Pick a track to put on your 2027 bucket list

NASCAR Cup Series

DATE	RACE / TRACK	BROADCAST PARTNER
Sat., Feb. 13	Wheatley Vodka Clash (Daytona International Speedway)	FOX Sports
Thu., Feb. 18	Duel at Daytona (Daytona International Speedway)	FOX Sports
Sun., Feb. 21	Daytona 500 (Daytona International Speedway)	FOX Sports
Sun., Feb. 28	Autotrader 400 (EchoPark Speedway)	FOX Sports
Sun., March 7	DuraMAX Texas Grand Prix (Circuit of The Americas)	FOX Sports
Sun., March 14	Phoenix Raceway	FOX Sports
Sun., March 21	Las Vegas Motor Speedway	FOX Sports
Sun., April 4	Darlington Raceway	FOX Sports
Sun., April 11	Bristol Motor Speedway	FOX Sports
Sun., April 18	Cook Out 400 (Martinsville Speedway)	FOX Sports
Sun., April 25	Jack Link's 500 (Talladega Superspeedway)	FOX Sports
Sun., May 2	Würth 400 presented by Liqui Moly (Texas Motor Speedway)	FOX Sports
Sun., May 9	Kansas Speedway	FOX Sports
Sun., May 16	Dover Motor Speedway	FOX Sports
Sun., May 23	All-Star Race (North Wilkesboro Speedway)	FOX Sports
Sun., June 13	Great American Getaway 400 presented by VISIT PA (Pocono Raceway)	Prime Video
Sun., June 27	Chicagoland Speedway	Prime Video
Sun., July 4	Iowa Speedway	TNT Sports
Sun., July 18	Dollar Tree 400 (EchoPark Speedway)	TNT Sports
Sat., Aug. 14	Bass Pro Shops Night Race (Bristol Motor Speedway)	USA Sports
Sun., Aug. 22	Enjoy Illinois 300 (World Wide Technology Raceway)	USA Sports
Sat., Aug. 28	Coke Zero Sugar 400 (Daytona International Speedway)	USA Sports
Sun., Sept. 5	Southern 500 (Darlington Raceway)	USA Sports
Sat., Sept. 11	Richmond Raceway	USA Sports
Sept. 2027 — date TBD	Watkins Glen International	USA Sports
Sun., Sept. 26	New Hampshire Motor Speedway	USA Sports
Sun., Oct. 3	Kansas Speedway	USA Sports
Sun., Oct. 10	Las Vegas Motor Speedway	USA Sports
Sun., Oct. 24	Freeway Insurance 500 (Phoenix Raceway)	USA Sports
Sun., Oct. 31	YellaWood 500 (Talladega Superspeedway)	USA Sports
Sun., Nov. 7	Xfinity 500 (Martinsville Speedway)	USA Sports
Sun., Nov. 14	Homestead-Miami Speedway	USA Sports

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series

DATE	RACE / TRACK	BROADCAST PARTNER
Sat., Feb. 20	United Rentals 300 (Daytona International Speedway)	The CW
Sat., Feb. 27	Bennett Transportation and Logistics 250 (EchoPark Speedway)	The CW
Sat., March 6	Circuit of The Americas	The CW
Sat., March 13	Phoenix Raceway	The CW
Sat., March 20	Las Vegas Motor Speedway	The CW
Sat., April 3	Darlington Raceway	The CW
Sat., April 10	Bristol Motor Speedway	The CW
Sat., April 17	Martinsville Speedway	The CW
Sat., April 24	Talladega Superspeedway	The CW
Sat., May 1	Texas Motor Speedway	The CW
Sat., May 15	Dover Motor Speedway	The CW
Sat., May 22	North Wilkesboro Speedway	The CW
Sat., June 12	Pocono Raceway	The CW
Sat., June 26	Chicagoland Speedway	The CW
Sat., July 3	Iowa Speedway	The CW
Fri., Aug. 13	Bristol Motor Speedway	The CW
Sat., Aug. 21	Nu Way 225 (World Wide Technology Raceway)	The CW
Fri., Aug. 27	Daytona International Speedway	The CW
Sat., Sept. 4	Darlington Raceway	The CW
Fri., Sept. 10	Richmond Raceway	The CW
Sat., Oct. 2	Kansas Speedway	The CW
Sat., Oct. 9	Las Vegas Motor Speedway	The CW
Sat., Oct. 23	Phoenix Raceway	The CW
Sat., Oct. 30	Talladega Superspeedway	The CW
Sat., Nov. 6	Martinsville Speedway	The CW
Sat., Nov. 13	Homestead-Miami Speedway	The CW

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

DATE	RACE / TRACK	BROADCAST PARTNER
Fri., Feb. 19	Fresh From Florida 250 (Daytona International Speedway)	FOX Sports
Sat., Feb. 27	EchoPark Speedway	FOX Sports
Sat., March 6	Streets of St. Petersburg	FOX Sports
Fri., April 2	Darlington Raceway	FOX Sports
Fri., April 9	Bristol Motor Speedway	FOX Sports
Fri., April 30	Texas Motor Speedway	FOX Sports
Sat., May 8	Kansas Speedway	FOX Sports
Fri., May 21	North Wilkesboro Speedway	FOX Sports
Fri., June 11	MillerTech Battery 200 (Pocono Raceway)	FOX Sports
Sat., July 17	EchoPark Speedway	FOX Sports
Thu., Aug. 12	Bristol Motor Speedway	FOX Sports
Sun., Sep. 5	Canadian Tire Motorsport Park	FOX Sports
Sat., Sept. 25	EJP 175 (New Hampshire Motor Speedway)	FOX Sports
Fri., Oct. 1	Kansas Speedway	FOX Sports
Fri., Oct. 22	Phoenix Raceway	FOX Sports
Fri., Oct. 29	Talladega Superspeedway	FOX Sports
Fri., Nov. 5	Martinsville Speedway	FOX Sports
Fri., Nov. 12	Homestead-Miami Speedway	FOX Sports

Posted on August 19, 2026 by Staff Report

The NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series next trek to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for a New England doubleheader. For the Cup Series, the contest will be the penultimate event before the 2026 Chase field is cemented. The Truck Series, meanwhile, will set its postseason field after this weekend’s New Hampshire race. See qualifying orders for both series this weekend.

MORE: Weekend schedule | How to watch NASCAR on TV

Cup Series
Single-car qualifying will occur at 11:35 a.m. ET on Saturday, with practice at 10:30 a.m. ET (truTV).

POSITION	NUMBER	DRIVER	METRIC
1	51	Cody Ware	34.9
2	10	Ty Dillon	32.6
3	38	Zane Smith	32.4
4	41	Cole Custer	30.2
5	47	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	29.8
6	16	AJ Allmendinger	29.7
7	77	Carson Hocevar	29.2
8	88	Connor Zilisch #	28.0
9	34	Todd Gilliland	27.9
10	71	Michael McDowell	25.9
11	33	Austin Hill	25.4
12	43	Erik Jones	24.9
13	35	Riley Herbst	24.6
14	6	Brad Keselowski	23.9
15	40	John Hunter Nemechek	23.8
16	4	Noah Gragson	22.2
17	3	Austin Dillon	20.8
18	23	Bubba Wallace	18.2
19	17	Chris Buescher	17.7
20	60	Ryan Preece	17.0
21	48	Alex Bowman	15.7
22	7	Daniel Suárez	15.1
23	21	Josh Berry	14.6
24	97	Shane van Gisbergen	14.6
25	1	Ross Chastain	13.8
26	54	Ty Gibbs	11.4
27	24	William Byron	9.9
28	12	Ryan Blaney	9.7
29	45	Tyler Reddick	8.9
30	20	Christopher Bell	7.0
31	2	Austin Cindric	6.6
32	5	Kyle Larson	6.6
33	9	Chase Elliott	5.3
34	22	Joey Logano	3.4
35	11	Denny Hamlin	3.1
36	19	Chase Briscoe	2.9

Craftsman Truck Series
Single-truck qualifying will occur at 5:05 p.m. ET on Friday, with practice at 4 p.m. ET.

POSITION	NUMBER	DRIVER	METRIC
1	74	Dawson Cram	40.0
1	72	Michael Christopher Jr.	58.7
2	69	Derek White (i)	42.8
3	27	Dawson Sutton	40.4
4	93	D.L. Wilson	40.1
5	71	Connor Zilisch (i)	39.2
6	2	Luke Baldwin	34.7
7	56	Timmy Hill	33.9
8	76	Spencer Boyd	33.1
9	81	Kris Wright	30.4
10	52	Stewart Friesen	30.3
11	33	Frankie Muniz	30.0
12	25	Colin Braun	29.9
13	4	Connor Hall	29.2
14	14	Mini Tyrell	28.7
15	20	Mason Massey	28.6
16	22	Patrick Emerling	26.7
17	26	Toni Breidinger	26.0
18	16	Justin Haley	25.5
19	13	Cole Butcher	23.5
20	44	Andrés Pérez	22.1
21	10	Corey LaJoie	21.9
22	12	Brenden Queen	19.7
23	42	Parker Eatmon	18.1
24	99	Ben Rhodes	16.5
25	88	Ty Majeski	16.3
26	15	Tanner Gray	15.4
27	62	Christopher Bell (i)	15.2
28	18	Tyler Ankrum	12.5
29	45	Landen Lewis	12.2
30	19	Daniel Hemric	11.5
31	34	Layne Riggs	10.8
32	1	Gavan Boschele	9.9
33	98	Jake Garcia	9.6
34	17	Gio Ruggiero	8.4
35	77	Tristan McKee	8.3
36	9	Grant Enfinger	7.1
37	38	Chandler Smith	6.1
38	5	John Hunter Nemechek (i)	5.6
39	91	Christian Eckes	3.9
40	7	Connor Mosack	3.7
41	11	Kaden Honeycutt	1.3

* Required to qualify on time
# denotes series rookie
(i) denotes ineligible for driver points

Posted on August 19, 2026 by Zach Sturniolo

Hendrick Motorsports has hired a young phenom with a rousing reputation and the potential to rise to superstardom in the NASCAR Cup Series.

That sentence is just as true in 2026 as it was in 1992. Different name; similar story.

In 2026, it’s Connor Zilisch signing a contract to drive Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 48 Chevrolet beginning in the 2028 season. In 1992, it was Jeff Gordon signing a contract to drive Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 24 Chevrolet — a signing that would change NASCAR as we knew it.

MORE: Zilisch signs with Hendrick for 2028 season

This isn’t all to say Zilisch is destined to be the next Gordon; the four championships and 93 wins earned by Gordon create an impossible standard for anyone to live up to, let alone a 20-year-old like Zilisch who is only 24 races into his inaugural Cup Series campaign.

But there was something unmistakably poignant about Tuesday’s press conference at the NASCAR Production Facility, where team owner Rick Hendrick sat alongside Gordon — now the team’s vice chairman and a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame — to introduce the highly touted Zilisch as the organization’s next driver, one they hope will be a superstar.

“It really all did come together the way it was meant to be,” Gordon said.

Alex Bowman, current driver of the team’s No. 48 car, signed a one-year contract extension to make the 2027 campaign his final season before retiring from full-time competition. Hendrick Motorsports wanted Bowman, a 10th-year full-timer for the company, to have the ability to walk away from the sport on his terms after years of myriad health issues that cost him time in the race car. Thankfully for Hendrick Motorsports, Bowman’s timing lined up just right with the ability to pursue Zilisch, who is currently contracted to drive the No. 88 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing through 2027.

“When [Bowman] told us, ‘Hey, I want next year to be my final year,’ then that pretty much put the next thing in motion,” Gordon said. “And it was around that same time that we had heard that Connor was going to be out talking to teams about ‘28 and and beyond. And as Rick mentioned, when that happened, the first thing that we did was reach out to [Trackhouse owner] Justin Marks and talk to him about ‘28 to kind of get the blessing to be able to sit down with Connor and start talking about that. But yeah, the stars really pretty much aligned with Alex’s decision as well as with Connor’s decision to look beyond ‘27.”

Sean Gardner | Getty Images

Unlike Gordon, who never made a Cup start before signing with Hendrick Motorsports, Zilisch has already begun his Cup Series career. It hasn’t gone well and he’d be the first to tell you that, if the statistics didn’t do so by showing him 34th in points with two races remaining in the regular season.

But just like Gordon, Zilisch impressed Hendrick with success in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, where Zilisch stormed to 10 wins in 2025 driving for the Hendrick-affiliated JR Motorsports.

“I can remember Rick saying to me, he was like, ‘Boy, that guy is so talented. I’d love to have him in a Hendrick car one day,’ ” Gordon recalled Tuesday. “And we knew that he had a contract at that time, so we weren’t really pursuing it until we found out, that ‘28 was an opportunity.”

With a smile to Gordon, Hendrick was quick to add: “It was just like Jeff Gordon when I saw you in Atlanta, and I said, ‘Man, it’s a shame he’s got a contract with Ford.’ And [Gordon’s] roommate said, ‘He doesn’t.’ He had a contract with me the next day.”

The opportunity to drive for NASCAR’s winningest organization is not lost on Zilisch, who was born the year Jimmie Johnson won the No. 48 team its first championship in 2006. Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus — now Hendrick’s vice president of competition — ultimately collected seven championships together, forever establishing a legacy behind the No. 48.

With a legacy comes the pressure to live up to high expectations — a standard that comes with driving for Hendrick Motorsports regardless of the number on your door. But pressure is a privilege, one Zilisch welcomes with open arms.

“I would more so call it an honor than pressure,” Zilisch said. “You know, I know what I’m getting myself into. I know that success is the standard, and I hold myself to a high standard. So I’m really excited about it honestly more than I am nervous or pressured. And being able to work with these two guys (Hendrick and Gordon) every day is something that I’m really excited for. Driving the 48 and being a part of that legacy and creating my own story is something I’m really excited for as well.”

Baked within that answer is the real reason Zilisch was such an obvious hire for Hendrick Motorsports. At 20 years old, the North Carolina native carries a maturity and poise that manifests a reputation for being wise beyond his years. To find those traits within someone as naturally talented as Zilisch is a chance too rare for Hendrick executives to have passed up on.

“It’s not just his talent; that’s pretty obvious. But it’s really making sure that there’s somebody that you know has great communication skills, wants to be a great team player,” Gordon said. “I mean, the way that Hendrick Motorsports works, I feel like, is unlike any other organization out there. And I get the pleasure to sit in on those debriefs with the drivers and the crew chiefs, engineers. And the more transparent you are, the more confident you are, the more information that you can add to the conversation, it elevates the entire organization.”

Chris Graythen | Getty Images

Kyle Larson, the defending and two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, has already worked closely with Zilisch this season through their Chevrolet connections. Larson has been in the fold at Hendrick Motorsports for nearly six full seasons. And he knows Zilisch is a perfect match for Hendrick — and that Hendrick is a perfect match for Zilisch.

“I’ve got to work around him a little bit this year just through the key partnership at GM with Trackhouse and RCR and ourselves,” Larson said Tuesday. “So (I) get to kind of hear how he communicates and breaks down his car and all that and all pretty normal stuff. And yeah, I mean yes, he hasn’t had a great season this year, but I don’t really think that means anything. I think everything he’s proven to this point shows how talented and naturally gifted he is, and then seeing him work at it, too, being in the Wise Optimization Program as well as the GM key partnership, you get to see his work ethic, and I think it’s high, and I think he’s gonna blend in really well at Hendrick Motorsports.

“I think he has the personality that this organization kind of fits, and I’m looking forward to him being a teammate of ours. And like I said, he’s young, but I feel like he’s very mature for his age and he will fit in great at our place.”

Indeed, Zilisch’s rookie year has been a struggle, but the past two weeks have shown glimmers of optimism: At Iowa Speedway on Aug. 9, Zilisch earned an 11th-place finish after qualifying eighth, his career-best finish on an oval, before qualifying 11th at Richmond Raceway for the Aug. 15 contest. Those gains may seem small, but progress is progress after a slow start to his Cup career.

“We all knew how talented he was on the road courses,” Gordon said. “To me, I think a lot of it was, well, what can he do on ovals? And he proved and is continuing to prove that he’s good behind the wheel at any track that you put him out there on.”

Posted on August 19, 2026 by Zack Albert

The last flourish of Mark Martin’s NASCAR career seemed to defy logic at nearly every turn of the 2009 season. At age 50, when most Cup Series racers are on the decline, retired or strongly considering hanging it up, Martin savored one of his most productive years — all aided by a new team and crew chief, a car owner’s relentless persuasion, and a veteran’s keen ability to diversify his already considerable all-around race craft.

Defying logic? For Martin, who had seen a little bit of everything through the decades, it almost defied reality.

“Pinch me. I am sure I’m sleeping,” Martin said from Victory Lane at New Hampshire Motor Speedway that fateful year. “I am sure I’m dreaming.”

Martin’s five-win season with Hendrick Motorsports in 2009 marked a rejuvenating moment in his voluminous stock-car tenure, told in the first installment of the “Start/Finish” documentary series on the NASCAR Channel. The fifth of those victories — and the last of his 40-win Cup career — came at the 1.058-mile New Hampshire track, site of Sunday’s Dollar Tree 301 (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

CLASSICS: Full race replay: New Hampshire, 2009

Chalk Martin’s incredulity up to his history of performances in the Granite State and his difficulty getting a feel for the circuit’s sweeping, relatively flat corners. He’d twice been a pole winner there and thrice a runner-up, but 25 previous trips to the Loudon oval had failed to produce a victory. Furthermore, before landing with Hendrick, Martin had endured three-plus winless seasons in both full- and part-time efforts, including a heartbreaking Daytona 500 loss by a fender to Kevin Harvick in 2007.

The missing piece, Martin said, was what he called an “unfair advantage” — a pairing with crew chief Alan Gustafson, who was in his fifth season at the helm of the No. 5 Chevrolet group. The two clicked nearly from the start, and while Gustafson’s input didn’t reinvent Martin’s veteran skillset, he opened portals that were previously closed off.

Martin won at two tracks that year where he’d previously been shut out — Chicagoland Speedway and New Hampshire — and his triumph at Michigan International Speedway that June unlocked a newfound strength: saving fuel. Gustafson’s late-race coaching over the No. 5 radio emphasized a conservative approach, one that paid off when front-runners Jimmie Johnson and Greg Biffle ran out of gas in the final two laps. At each turn, Martin heaped abundant credit Gustafson’s way.

“I have a lot of trust in Alan,” Martin told The Boston Globe that fall. “I let him do his thing, and he’s brought so much support, you know, in so many areas, and unloaded so much off my shoulders. He’s the smartest — the best combination of really smart engineering, understanding of that, and the guy that pulls the wrenches and gets his hands dirty, [the] practical racer. He’s the best combination of all that. I’ve worked with great engineers and really smart people and great guys that work on race cars and are practical and all that, but he’s the combination, the strongest combination of all of that.”

MORE: Mark Martin through the years | Watch: Start/Finish documentary

The respect from Gustafson was mutual, especially for someone he’d looked up to as he made his own climb through the NASCAR ranks. As he graduated to become a Cup Series crew chief in 2005, Gustafson was tasked with molding the early stages of Kyle Busch’s big-league career, discovering a talented, fierce rookie who tended toward a more aggressive bent. Martin, Gustafson says now, was the opposite with a measured style shaped by years of experience.

“The sheer pace that he could go at, I always said if you just put Mark, like if the goal was to run 500 laps as fast as you can and no one else is on the track, I don’t know that he loses a race, to be honest,” Gustafson said. “It was all the other intangible things. He’s well known, obviously, for how he would race people, right? He wouldn’t hold anybody up. If he was slower, then he’d pull over and let them go, and he just raced really clean. As far as the ability to drive the car fast, like second to none, just incredible. So yeah, immensely talented and to have the desire and the commitment and the competitiveness at 50 was great.”

The deal that brought him into the Hendrick fold almost didn’t happen. Martin had raced the previous two Cup Series seasons on a part-time basis by choice, competing in 24 of the 36 events each year. When Rick Hendrick came calling in the months leading up to Silly Season’s full swing, Martin told the team owner that he’d consider it, provided that his agreement was for the same two-thirds workload.

Hendrick wanted that last third, and his persistence prevailed. Martin’s eventual acceptance created a formidable four-driver roster of mega-powers, with Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. as teammates. All four would become NASCAR Hall of Famers. The opportunity was too good for Martin to pass up, giving him a competitive benchmark and his best chance to win in years.

“I never would have thought that we would ever have a lineup like this or any team would ever have a lineup like this,” Martin said at the announcement. “The stars aligned, the opportunities were there, and Mr. Hendrick’s reputation and respect, how he treats people and runs his businesses and organizations, made it all possible.”

Rusty Jarrett | Getty Images

Martin’s performance aligned with that of his peers at Hendrick, and he assembled a regular season of four wins and six pole positions, entering the 12-driver Chase as its top seed. The postseason kicked off that year at New Hampshire, leaving the Arkansas native less than jazzed about his chances.

Gustafson countered the pessimism with what turned out to be a winning setup and strategy, including an off-cycle pit gambit that put Martin in control. He led 68 of 300 laps, snookering Juan Pablo Montoya on a late restart and denying him one of his best shots at an oval-track victory.

“I’m speechless. I can’t talk right now, boys,” Martin said on the cool-down lap.”… Hardest one I remember getting in a long, long, long time.”

“How good is Mark Martin?” Gustafson told the ESPN broadcast. “It’s unbelievable.”

The triumph ended up as the last Cup Series win for Martin, who had emerged from a track of great personal torment with the points lead intact. But the campaign also wound up being his final true bid at a Cup Series championship, and that ending was not as cherished. Johnson was well into his unprecedented run of five consecutive Cup titles, and he registered four wins in the final nine races to seal his fourth crown. Martin’s challenge came unglued in that stretch, capped by a rollover crash on the next-to-last lap at Talladega that provided Johnson with enough of a late-season cushion.

RELATED: Weekend schedule: NHMS

Martin finished second in the points for a fifth and final time that year, and the recurring questions about his lack of a championship ring dogged him anew. Answering those questions in his retirement requires an analysis of his legacy and whether a title matters. The blue jacket that the NASCAR Hall of Fame gave him as part of the Class of 2017 still fits either way.

“He shouldn’t be defined by not winning a championship because I don’t think that was ultimately always in his control,” Gustafson says. “I can tell you from experience working with multiple champions that he is every bit as good as they are, and he is every bit as deserving of winning a championship, and unfortunately, it just never came to fruition for him. I don’t want to say I have regret over ’09, but you know, it’s definitely one of those years that I look back and you always ask yourself, could you have done a little more, could you have done something a little different, because I do think we could have. In my mind, yeah, I wish we would have won that championship and that would have been the answer to that question. So I think yes, flipping at Talladega, I don’t remember everything, but that was one of the big ones.

“I think the best thing: Ask anyone who raced against him, and they’ll be like, yeah, that dude was tough. So yeah, I don’t think he should be judged on the not winning a championship, and it just … sometimes unfortunately, life isn’t fair and it didn’t work out for him. That’s not an indication of his abilities or any shortcoming in his career. It’s just the way it worked out.”

Martin raced for four more seasons — two full-time and two partial — before sunsetting his NASCAR career after the 2013 campaign. No more wins came his way, but he looked back fondly at his last big year, and a brilliant day at New Hampshire’s “Magic Mile.”

“It was a magical year last year for me,” Martin said just before the 2010 campaign, “and I still feel the magic each time I strap into a race car.”

Jason Smith | Getty Images

Posted on August 19, 2026August 19, 2026 by Tadd Haislop

Five races remain on the 2026 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour schedule. That’s five chances for points leader Patrick Emerling to pad his advantage and earn his first title … or five chances for defending champion Austin Beers to erase said advantage and climb back to the top.

Or, in the focus of some, that’s five chances for NASCAR, Modified Tour teams and American Racer to continue to work together to address the season’s moving target that has been the tires on which NASCAR’s oldest division races.

As anticipated, NASCAR and American Racer are still modifying (pun intended) the tires, new for the Modified Tour in 2026, in an effort to achieve the best possible competition. Since the start of the season, NASCAR and American Racer have worked to address teams’ concerns regarding tire-size consistency. Following extensive development and testing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Stafford Speedway, the next steps are settled.

The name of the game moving forward: grip.

(Photo: Jaiden Tripi/NASCAR)

“American Racer’s done a good job with the sizing; they’re a lot better as far as that goes,” said Stephen Kopcik, a two-time Modified Tour race winner this season who was the lone driver to participate in the Stafford tire test. “(The tires) just don’t have quite the grip from the start. So there’s not much fall-off because they’re not really that fast from the beginning. You can work your ass off to get to a car and be a little quicker than him, but then it’s line sensitive and tough to pass.”

Beers in a separate interview agreed: “It’s hard to go out of the specific line and find grip and make passes. I think our (racing) product is definitely getting a little better, but it’s still not good enough.”

That’s why and how NASCAR and American Racer have altered their focus. Modified Tour series director Gary Putnam put it plainly: Better grip leads to faster cars early in runs, more tire fall-off and, in theory, better racing.

“It’s in a better spot today,” Putnam said. “We’ve been working closely with American Racer to provide a better combination tire-wise.”

Added Beers, who tested tires at New Hampshire in late June: “Myself, (Jon) McKennedy and (Tyler) Rypkema were all in agreement that this was the best we felt with those tires. We actually were wearing the right fronts — which really hasn’t happened all year — which was good. We felt like we had good stability. I felt there was a lot more grip with the tires, and they lasted long. I had my drivability and maneuverability around the race track, but they still had a little bit of fall-off, so we’d be able to put on a good race.

“It was a very good test in my opinion.”

(Photo: Jaiden Tripi/NASCAR)

The process NASCAR and American Racer went through to pin an ideal tire combination was as follows:

NASCAR arrived at the New Hampshire test wondering whether its then-current tire would work for the Aug. 22 race at the same track. It did not. (“We saw some blistering,” Putnam said.) So they tested an option tire, a harder option, and agreed that compound would work well for the New Hampshire race. American Racer also modified the right-side tires so they’d accept more heat and account for the higher temperatures expected in August.

To address the post-New Hampshire tire package, though, NASCAR kept testing. They along with Kopcik’s team conducted the second tire test, this time at Stafford, in an effort to check what they’d discovered at New Hampshire. They started again with the control set. They then tested the New Hampshire option (harder lefts and rights) and received the same results. They then tried the control lefts with the New Hampshire rights.

That — the original, softer left sides (control set) combined with the harder New Hampshire rights — turned out to be an ideal combination for the final four races of the season: Stafford (Aug. 28), Oswego Speedway (Sept. 5), Riverhead Raceway (Sept. 19) and Thompson Speedway (Oct. 11).

“All that was really good,” Putnam said. “In fact, we saw a higher grip level then where our baseline tire is. So starting at Stafford, we will run the right side tire that we’re running at Loudon through the remainder of the year.”

Added Kopcik: “I’ll give it to them; American Racer’s been doing the best they can. They’ve been good at developing and wanting to make it better. I do think it’s going to be better. … The tire we tested on at Stafford a few weeks ago is a major step in the correct direction.”

(Photo: Chris Dehney/NASCAR)

To proactively address any concerns teams may have about tire sizing or possible blistering from heat, the Modified Tour plans to allow teams opportunities to scuff their qualifying sets for the remainder of the season.

Putnam said roughly half the teams took that opportunity before the Thompson race on Aug. 5, not including Beers, the eventual pole winner. He expects fewer teams to scuff moving forward, but the option remains.

American Racer plans to continue tire development and testing throughout the end of the year in preparation for the 2027 season. In the meantime, NASCAR will work closely with American Racer to optimize the current tire for the final five-race stretch run, which includes some of the season’s biggest events.

Posted on August 19, 2026 by Adam Fenwick

From his earliest days competing in United States Auto Club events to his time in the NASCAR Cup Series, one thing that has always stood out about Ryan Newman is that he’s a racer.

He’s not afraid to get his hands dirty. He wants to know everything about the cars he drives. If there’s a way to find speed, one can bet the driver who earned the nickname “Rocketman” will try to find it.

Racers want to race. And more often than not, racers gravitate to other racers. That’s what makes the pairing of Newman and Glenn Styres so perfect.

The duo, which first worked together for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event at Martinsville Speedway earlier this season, will unite again Saturday for the Mohegan Sun 100 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (4:30 p.m. ET on FloRacing).

ENTRY LIST: See who’s racing at New Hampshire

“Glenn’s been gracious enough to let me take his seat and go racing,” said Newman, who will drive Styres’ No. 0 Modified in Saturday’s 100-lap event. “He loves racing so much that he overcommits himself to doing all the things that he wants to do. … The guy has like 30-plus race cars. Kyle Larson couldn’t drive all those and lay out a schedule that makes sense.

“Glenn has a lot of ambition, and that ambition has given me an opportunity because he’s got other things to do in the form of running his race track and running his other race cars that he wants to do.”

Newman first met Styres, who owns Canada’s Ohsweken Speedway and has raced just about every type of car one can imagine, while visiting North Carolina’s zMAX Dragway for an NHRA drag racing event.

Not surprisingly, the two became fast friends.

Ryan Newman drove Glenn Styres’ No. 0 for the first time earlier this year at Martinsville Speedway, where he finished 10th. (Photo: Adam Fenwick/NASCAR)

Newman learned Styres had a nearly race-ready Modified in storage. Styres himself has never entered a Modified Tour event, but Newman saw an opportunity to blow the dust off the FURY chassis and do a bit of racing.

“Glenn had a car at the FURY shop. I’ve become friends with Ryan Stone, the crew chief of the No. 51 (for Justin Bonsignore). What I didn’t realize is Glenn actually had another car that was in storage,” Newman explained. “Through my conversations with Ryan Stone and Glenn, we decided to pull the car out of storage and just go racing.”

Newman and Styres made their debut together at Martinsville in late March. Newman qualified 14th and earned a 10th-place finish in Styres’ No. 0.

It was a solid first outing, but Newman believes there is plenty of room for improvement.

“We finished in the top 10 at Martinsville, which was good for our maiden voyage, but we’re looking for a lot more than that when we go to Loudon,” Newman said.

Because Styres has so many other irons in the fire, it’s basically been up to Newman and a handful of others to get the car ready to race. Once they get to New Hampshire later this week, they’ll gain a few more helping hands to make things just a little bit easier.

“I basically wrench on the car myself,” Newman said. “My girlfriend, my daughters and a few other people like Ryan Stone (help). Glenn has one of his guys he’s sending down with a truck and trailer to help a little bit, which isn’t common but is appreciated. It’s a small group of us.

“When we get up to Loudon, Max Zachem and his guys that he usually has working on race cars will be there to help out with pitting. Max will be in the crew chief role. We kind of just piece it together.”

Ryan Newman has competed in more than 20 Modified Tour races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, winning twice. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)

The Modified Tour event at New Hampshire is traditionally one of the most anticipated races of the year. The Tour’s rules package combined with the track’s size and shape allow for a unique mix of pack racing and drafting, which has led to exciting action and thrilling finishes.

Newman is no stranger to New Hampshire. He won three times in NASCAR Cup Series competition at the track, including his first victory in 2002. He’s also won twice with the Modified Tour at the 1.058-mile oval. Saturday’s Mohegan Sun 100 will be Newman’s 22nd Modified Tour event at New Hampshire, but his first since 2021.

The Indiana native believes his success at New Hampshire is connected to his experience racing at another flat asphalt track, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

“For the longest time I said it was my least favorite race track and it was my most successful on paper. I think it’s just because it’s a lot like the corners of IRP,” Newman said. “I think it just kind of suits my driving style, and you’ve got tire management, brake management and all those types of things.

“Then when you get to the Modifieds, you throw in drafting. That’s another part of it that a lot of Modified drivers aren’t used to that I have a lot of experience with. It’s just a fun combination.”

Newman doesn’t know how many more opportunities he’ll have to race with the Modified Tour, but he knows he’s found a like-minded friend in Styres. Together, they’re just a pair of racers at heart looking to chase checkered flags and have fun doing it.

“As they say, a good day is when you’re competitive and you do all the things that are in your control and you can roll it back on the trailer,” Newman said. “It’s not like this team is a championship contending team, because we don’t chase points. We’re just there for a good time and to try and win the race.”

Posted on August 18, 2026August 18, 2026 by Staff Report

Goodyear is set to bring its familiar short-track tire setup for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Cup Series teams will use the same left- and right-side tire compounds used last weekend in the night race at Richmond Raceway.

The short-track tire setup debuted in the 2025 Martinsville fall race. The setup is designed to increase grip and lap-time fall-off over the course of a green-flag run. Goodyear will make just one adjustment to its normal allotment, bringing an additional set of tires for practice with the Cup Series now running just a single 50-minute session for the remainder of the season at non-superspeedway tracks.

RELATED: New Hampshire weekend schedule

“Despite being just over one-mile long, New Hampshire fits into the short-track category, meaning the same Goodyear Racing Eagles used last weekend at Richmond are again the right choice this weekend,” said Rick Heinrich, Goodyear NASCAR product manager. “The new practice format starting in New Hampshire means we will now bring more tires to the track to account for the increased allocation of two sets for practice most weekends.”

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series teams will use the same left- and right-side tires from the series’ last three short-track races at Richmond, North Wilkesboro and Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. The Truck Series will race at New Hampshire on Saturday (1:30 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX One, NASCAR Racing Network Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Tire allotment for each team competing this weekend:

Cup Series: 10 total sets — 7 new for the race, 1 for qualifying that transfers to the race, and 2 for practice. Teams will also have 4 wet-weather sets available, if needed.
Craftsman Truck Series: 5 total sets — 3 new for the race, 1 for qualifying that transfers to the race, and 1 for practice. Teams will also have 3 wet-weather sets available, if needed.

Posted on August 18, 2026 by Holly Cain

On what feels a fitting date to celebrate Kyle Busch’s impact on NASCAR, today — 8/18, a nod to Busch’s famed car numbers — the sport’s entire industry will recognize “Kyle Busch Day” with competitors, crew members, team owners and corporate execs sharing favorite memories of the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion on multiple media platforms.

Busch, 41, passed away unexpectedly May 21 of complications from severe bacterial pneumonia and sepsis, however the impact of his life and career will never cease, thanks to an amazing legacy he established both on and off the race track.

Using hashtags such as #ForeverRowdy and #KyleBuschDay on social media, those who knew the late superstar best and those who may have only admired his flair and style from a distance will participate in the daylong tribute to one of the most talented drivers in the sport’s history, and certainly one of its most charitable hearts.

“I think it’s an awesome remembrance and way to show he’s still on the top of all of our minds,” said Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell, who credits Busch with helping establish his own NASCAR career. “I think the industry has done really, really, good of not letting it just go. He had such a big impact on the whole industry. So, I’m glad they’re implementing it and I know it will go on for years to come and will be something we always cherish.”

Busch is the all-time winningest driver across NASCAR’s three national series with an astounding – and never to be matched – combined 234 victories.

The 2015 and 2019 NASCAR Cup Series champion has 63 wins in NASCAR’s premier series, ranking him ninth on the all-time list – driving for legendary teams and Hall of Fame owners such as Rick Hendrick, Joe Gibbs and Richard Childress.

The 8/18 is a nod to the No. 8 Chevrolet that Busch was driving for Childress when he passed away this spring and the No. 18 Toyota, which he won his season titles with driving for Gibbs.

“I think that’s really cool the 8/18,” said Busch’s RCR teammate Austin Dillon. “I got to hang out with Brexton, and Sam and Lennix this week at RCR family day so anything we can do as a sport to honor Kyle, we should.”

The 2009 champion in what is now called the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Busch is the all-time winningest driver with 102 victories – more than twice that of any other driver in series history.

Busch’s 69 trophies from competition in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is most all-time as well. He hoisted the last of those only six days before he passed after leading a typically dominating 147 of the 200 laps – from pole position – in the Truck race at Dover Motor Speedway.

Sean Gardner | Getty Images

Not only was his skill appreciated, but behind the brash, bold and competitive personality Busch was a devoted husband to Samantha and proud father to Brexton and Lennix – whether it be meticulously guiding 11-year-old Brexton’s young racing career or twirling around his beloved 4-year-old Lennix dressed in a princess gown. His love for his young family was always first in his heart.

He and Samantha founded the Bundle of Joy Fund to help provide IVF access, the dedication touching countless souls after candidly sharing the couple’s own challenges with infertility treatment. The tireless work they put into creating and funding this charity is indicative of the ways the Busch’s hoped to positively impact other families.

It’s indicative of the passion Busch possessed and shared. And for a racer who loved to test the tolerance and gumption of his competitors, they all respected his talent on track and that compassion off it.

“I think it’s important,” Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron said of Tuesday’s industry-wide tribute. “The way that life happens, people don’t take a lot of time to reflect. Thinking about some of the things we remember about him and seeing Ty’s [Gibbs] Bristol [paint] scheme to honor him, shows there’s still ways that we are remembering him and he’s still staying in everyone’s minds.

“I think that’s really important we keep that going.”

For a lot of drivers, Busch was their first crucial nod of approval. And it could be life-changing. Bell and Spire Motorsports driver Daniel Suárez are among the long list of competitors who credit Busch with giving them their first big break.

“I think it’s very nice that NASCAR continues to think about Kyle, about Samantha and his family,” said Suárez. “In other scenarios, it would be very easy to just do a tribute and move on, but NASCAR doesn’t. They continue to honor him and I’m very proud of NASCAR for doing that. I’m very proud also of Samantha for allowing us to do this. I have a lot of memories with him, a lot of times with him, and I’m looking forward to sharing something good about him, something that makes me smile on that day.”

As with Suárez, Bell grins widely thinking about his mentor and friend. Busch challenged them in ways that changed their lives and fulfilled their dreams.

“Certainly, what I will always remember are all the collective moments,” Bell said, adding with a playful smile. “He had two completely different demeanors, this big brash person, but the most kind-hearted guy as well.

“He obviously had the biggest impact on me, more than any driver in the sport with the Kyle Busch Motorsports program and the Truck Series. And then when I graduated to JGR, he was the teammate that kinda looked after me. He had a really big impact on my life.”

A public Celebration of Life for Busch will be held Oct. 9 at Charlotte Motor Speedway after the day’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race. It’s a way for the public to join the Busch family in honoring his unique and plentiful contributions not only as a champion race car driver, but also as someone whose generous spirit extends well beyond.

Posted on August 18, 2026August 18, 2026 by Press Release

SOUTH BOSTON, Va. — Race fans see a highly competitive Bobby McCarty who appreciates the opportunity to race against the best of the best in Late Model Stock Car racing.

What they don’t see is the intensity and complexity of the Bobby McCarty that deftly navigates a pressure-filled world battling well-financed teams with full-time employees while trying to bring his family-owned race team victories and the status enjoyed by top-tier teams.

McCarty has driven for teams like Nelson Motorsports and R&S Race Cars, teams with solid finances and full-time employees. He holds one of the most impressive resumes in Late Model Stock Car racing.

(Photo: Ted Malinowski/NASCAR)

Among his achievements are being a two-time winner of the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 at South Boston Speedway and winning the Virginia Late Model Triple Crown. He’s won three CARS Tour championships, is a two-time winner of the Rodney Cook Classic, and has won the Thanksgiving Classic.

Life is different today.

Since forming McCarty Motorsports in November of 2024 and moving from a 20-by-20-foot building to a 7,000 square-foot shop with a surface plate, McCarty continues to face a different set of challenges, battles and pressures from those when he drove for other teams.

“The biggest difference is if I don’t do the work, the work doesn’t get done,” McCarty explained. “If I don’t get the work done, we show up at the race track unprepared, and when you’re not prepared, you can’t win races. I don’t care if I’m tired or not, what needs to be done needs to be done at 110 percent of my ability.”

That translates into a grueling schedule for the veteran racer.

“I’m pushing 15 to 18 hours a day at work, and then go work on the race car. I function on very, very minimal sleep. Sleep and I have never really gotten along. I average three to four hours of sleep a night, but it’s been that way my whole life. It’s just the way I am.”

He has transformed physically by working out in the gym and staying in shape. His continued physical conditioning helps give him the stamina to sustain the long hours and exhausting work.

“There is no way I’d be able to do this if I was at my old weight,” he pointed out. “At my old weight, it basically wouldn’t happen.”

There is also the advantage the bigger teams have regarding car chassis setup notes.

“I’m on page one of my book, and those guys with the big teams are on page 10 or 15 or whatever, so to speak,” McCarty noted. “Those other guys have been running their own deal for many years, and they’ve had the same guys building and working on their equipment. They have more notes, more information to go off of in setting up their car.”

The differences McCarty faces extend to the pressure to perform.

“I put a ton of pressure on myself from the aspect of just being in some of the best equipment that is at the racetrack,” he said. “When I was in the Nelson Motorsports car or the R&S house car, everybody knew this was top-notch equipment, and you should be winning. I would keep telling myself that over and over.”

Today’s pressure is different, and it’s ramped up to another level.

“The pressure I put on myself is way higher than anything I’ve ever felt before,” he noted. “I’m extremely hard on myself. I hold myself to a different level of accountability because of my past results. It’s just knowing what you’ve done, the past results, the wins, the championships; what you’re capable of when you go out there.

“It keeps coming back to the same sentence: You’re better than that. The next week or so, or at least until the next race, I’m constantly kicking myself. I’m not in the right state of mind, extremely upset. I keep coming back to that same sentence: You’re better than that.”

McCarty could have raced more aggressively at times but refrained.

“There have been a ton of scenarios this year where I could have gotten a little bit more aggressive and picked up a couple of spots,” McCarty pointed out, “but I go back to that same sentence: I’m better than that. I don’t need to use my car as a weapon to increase spots on the race track.”

Bobby McCarty (Photo: Katherine Gawlik/NASCAR)

A changing image

To some fans, McCarty has been seen as driver that wears the “black hat” – a hardcore aggressive driver with an attitude.

McCarty owns it. He explains it has resulted from his earliest racing experiences while racing go-karts. Younger than a lot of his fellow competitors, he won more races than many of his counterparts.

“I’ve had other kids’ parents, when I was 8 years old, cuss me like a dog, following me around the infield, and shoot me the rod,” he explained. “That left its mark on me, and I decided quickly I really don’t care what you think. I’m here to race, and I’m here to win. I don’t care about your feelings. I don’t care what you think about how I race.

“I’m going to race you hard, and I’m going to race you clean. I don’t go out there looking to cause issues with people. I’m here to race, and if I get the same treatment back, I’m all for it, let’s race. Once I feel you’ve disrespected me on the race track, I can’t let go of it. It’s always in the back of my mind.”

It was that way with his attitude about racing fans.

“I don’t care if you like me,” he added. “If you cheer for me, great. If you boo me, I promise that makes me better. I don’t know why, it’s just the way it’s been. When I see somebody hanging over the fence, cuss me, or whatever, that just lights a fire. I think it just comes from the stuff that was going on at a very young age and I really didn’t know how to process it.”

The “black hat” image is progressively fading.

“There are a lot more cheers now,” he pointed out. “It’s kind of weird. I’ve never been a guy that got cheered for. I don’t know how to feel about it, but it’s a good thing.”

(Photo: Joe Chandler/South Boston Speedway)

Racing Follows McCarty Home

“I try to keep the racing world separate from my personal life, and it’s not always easy,” he explained. “From the moment I wake up I dream about this stuff. It’s always on my mind. A lot of times I’m zoned out running numbers through my head. I’m an avid reader. I love reading and learning new things whether it’s geometry-related, physics-related or engineering-related. I study and go back over data and rewatch races and films. It’s a never-ending thing for me.”

The pressure also follows McCarty home.

“People just don’t really understand, but you put so much time and effort into this stuff, and I’m not in the greatest moods all the time,” he noted. “I’m tired. I’m ill. I’m being frustrated with some of our results and unfortunately my wife, Brooke, catches the blow of a lot of this stuff.

“She’s a trooper. She grew up in racing, her dad raced, her brother raced, and her grandmother was really big into racing. She knows the drill, but it doesn’t make it right.”

The struggles and sacrifices of a racing wife are not easy. Brooke works and takes care of her husband and two children, 6-year-old daughter Hadley and 15-year-old son Conner.

Racing has been a part of her family life for 30 years. She knows what to expect and deals with it accordingly.

“I’ve grown up in it,” she explained. “It’s been my life the last 30 years.”

She takes a step back when her husband is not in a good frame of mind.

“I fix his favorite dinner and hope he has time to eat,” she said. “When he’s ready to talk, he will talk to me about whatever it is. I don’t push him because he gets irritated even more. He gets irritated with himself trying to figure out what he can do to make the car better or what he’s doing wrong. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. That’s when I struggle, because I don’t like to see him doubt himself whenever it comes to the race car.”

Simply being there for her husband works wonders.

“He will be at the race shop, and I can tell he’s having a rough week or whatever,” Brooke said. “So, I go down to the race shop. Whether it’s me cleaning the car, letting Hadley run around and play, as long as we’re there his whole demeanor changes. As long as I’m there and Hadley’s there, and he has somebody to just throw out random questions to, he’s good.

“I try to get us all down there to the shop at least once a week so we can just kind of chill. I’ll go get dinner or something. I like being down there, so it’s a very big family thing now.”

(Photo: Ted Malinowski/NASCAR)

Emotional Wins

When the wins finally came along, it was an emotional experience for McCarty. Tears welled up in Bobby McCarty’s eyes as he brought his car to a stop in Victory Lane after winning the second race of the twin 75-lap races at South Boston Speedway on April 4. He sat quietly in his car for a couple minutes sharing the victory with his wife on an emotional Facetime call. It was his first win with his family-owned McCarty Motorsports race team which was formed in November 2024.

“Since I work on Saturdays, I was unable to go to the race,” Brooke said. “It was emotional for me just because I could see how happy he was. It made me really proud of him and the team, just because of how much they put into it.”

When McCarty won his second race in July, there was another emotional Facetime call.

“I was dogsitting for a friend at work,” Brooke explained. “So, I watched that one on Flo. Our daughter wasn’t there that day. She had been watching the race with me and was getting very emotional because she loves being at the race track. Seeing her dad in Victory Lane made her very emotional. She wanted to Facetime him, so we Facetimed him after the race and let her talk to him. Whenever we’re not there, we watch on Flo. If he wins, we call him. If not, we text him.”

(Photo: Krista Jasso/NASCAR)

The Present

McCarty has put together a solid 2026 season at South Boston Speedway. He stands fifth in the track’s Hitachi Energy Late Model Stock Car Division point standings entering the 100-lap race that will headline the Davenport Energy Race Night on Saturday night, Aug. 22.

He has earned three wins and now has 11 Late Model wins at the 0.4-mile oval. In addition, he has seven top-five finishes and 13 top-10 finishes in his 16 starts this season.

“After the first win it was kind of like, ‘Wow, we did it,’” McCarty said. “The second win was, ‘Alright, now we have a multiple race win season.’ If you get one win in a season it’s easy to look at the stats and say, ‘Well, we probably got lucky.’ But, when you start stacking two, three or four wins in one season people see it as, ‘Well, you know, they’ve got good stuff.’”

With two wins in his last three starts, the feeling is that the car is headed in the right direction.

“It’s hard to say for sure we’ve got it figured out,” McCarty said. “I have a gut feeling that we’re close. We’re knocking on the door now versus still being out in the front yard.”

The Future

While McCarty’s goal is to produce good results for the 2026 season, he also has his eyes cast toward the future.

Noting previous injuries, two rotator cuff surgeries in the past three years, and being banged up in the recent Hampton Heat, he said, “I really don’t know how much longer I can do this. I just know that if I take a pretty good hit, it is going to do me in for awhile.

“It is for my future, and really for our team, for me to be able to go out there and win races. I want to prove to everybody that our program can win races. I know my days are numbered, and at some point, I want to get out of the seat and put somebody else in it. You’ve got to prove your stuff is good and capable of winning to do that.”