All articles tagged with #nascar cup
Chase Elliott pulled off a bold late-race gamble at Martinsville, short-pitting on the final green-flag cycle for a two-stop plan and taking the lead on the last restart to hold off Denny Hamlin for Hendrick Motorsports’ first NASCAR Cup win of 2026.
Three NASCAR Cup teams failed pre-race inspection twice at Darlington, ejecting their car chiefs—Chase Elliott’s Matt Barndt, Chris Buescher’s Josh Sisco, and Timmy Hill’s Dylan Roberts—and costing them pit-stall selections; all cars passed on the third attempt and will qualify with no further penalties, a reminder that teams push the limits during inspections.
Darlington’s NASCAR Cup race is set to be a wild test of a new rules package, featuring a 750-horsepower tapered spacer and a short-track aero configuration with reduced underbody and a smaller spoiler. Drivers including Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher say the changes should boost tire wear and create more passing opportunities, potentially making the venerable track resemble its high-degradation, throwback days as teams manage grip and tire life.
After Phoenix I (Race 4 of 36), Tyler Reddick remains the NASCAR Cup points leader with 225 points; Ryan Blaney won the race and vaulted to second with 165, 60 points behind. Bubba Wallace, Chase Elliott, Shane van Gisbergen, Christopher Bell, Joey Logano, Michael McDowell, Chris Buescher and Kyle Larson fill out the top 10. Alex Bowman missed the race due to vertigo and Anthony Alfredo drove the #48 to preserve owner points for Hendrick Motorsports, with Bowman gaining no driver points.
Joey Logano grabbed the NASCAR Cup pole for the Phoenix race, edging Kyle Larson by 0.117 seconds as Penske swept the front row. Austin Cindric completed the top three, with Daniel Suarez fourth and Ryan Blaney fifth. Tyler Reddick starts eighth after a practice spin, while Brad Keselowski did not post a time due to a tire issue.
A U.S. district judge issued a mixed restraining order in the Gibbs-Gabehart-Spire case: Gabehart can remain Spire’s Chief Motorsports Officer but cannot engage in duties overlapping with his former Joe Gibbs Racing role, must return proprietary information, and the court set a March 16 date to address discovery and a preliminary injunction, with JGR posting a $100,000 bond if Gabehart wins.
Tyler Reddick earned his third straight Cup win to open the 2026 season at Circuit of the Americas, completing a three-race sweep after Daytona and Atlanta. He outdueled Shane Van Gisbergen for the road-course victory, while Michael Jordan lauded the 23XI Racing effort and Denny Hamlin praised Reddick’s all-around development and the team’s autonomy in building a champion-friendly operation.
Rain at Atlanta washed out Cup qualifying, so the starting lineup for Sunday's race was set by a 2026 metric (30% owner standings, 70% last race finish). Tyler Reddick earned the pole, with Joey Logano second, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. third, Chase Elliott fourth and Brad Keselowski fifth; the top 10 also includes Zane Smith, Chris Buescher, Riley Herbst and Bubba Wallace. The race is Sunday at Atlanta.
The 2026 NASCAR Cup weekend moves to EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta for a triple-header. Friday features Truck Series qualifying (3pm ET on FOX Sports 1) and O'Reilly Auto Parts Series qualifying (5pm CW App); Saturday includes Cup qualifying (11am PRIME VIDEO), the Truck race (1:30pm FOX) and the O'Reilly race (4:30pm CW App); Sunday’s action starts with RaceDay at 2pm and the Cup race hitting the green flag at 3:19pm (260 laps, 400 miles). Weather forecasts call for a clear Sunday with a high near 52F, with a chance of rain Friday/Saturday morning. 38 teams are entered; TV: FOX (US), TSN (Canada); streaming: HBO MAX in-car cams and PRIME VIDEO; radio: MRN/SiriusXM.
Tyler Reddick edged a chaotic Daytona 500 for 23XI Racing in a dramatic, green-flag finish, while Chase Elliott led late but was involved in the final crash; the race produced a 20-car pileup, highlighted Spire Motorsports’ near‑win and collapse, and saw Riley Herbst drawing mixed praise amid the chaos as NASCAR earned praise for its race management.
Tyler Reddick won the 2026 Daytona 500 for 23XI Racing in a chaotic final lap that saw Carson Hocevar lead on the white flag before a multi-car wreck as Riley Herbst pushed Reddick past Chase Elliott at Turn 4; Stenhouse finished second, Logano third, and all three 23XI cars finished in the top ten, marking a milestone victory for Michael Jordan two days before his 63rd birthday.
NASCAR moved the Daytona 500 start up one hour to 1:30 p.m. ET (RaceDay at 11:30 a.m. ET) to dodge forecasted thunderstorms, with the green flag at 2:13 p.m. ET. If lightning or rain arrives, the race could end during daytime for the first time in years. Kyle Busch and Chase Briscoe will lead the field, and the pre-race festivities include Nate Bargatze as grand marshal, Kurt Russell in the pace car, Bart Simpson as honorary starter, and Miranda Lambert headlining the concert.
During a sleet-affected Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, NASCAR race control allowed teams to refuel without penalty mid-race due to the new 750-hp package and uncertain fuel mileage, plus the lack of a true pit road at Bowman Gray and a high number of cautions. Officials said grounding a fuel strategy that could end the race on their example would hurt the show, so teams were permitted to top off and continue, with the aim of avoiding a race decided by fuel and preserving race quality.
Ryan Preece won the chaotic Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium in a rain- and sleet-delayed race with a record 17 cautions, marking a Clash win before a points-paying Cup victory for theRFK-inspired team. The event spotlighted controversial mid-race fuel/strategy decisions by NASCAR, featured wet-weather oval racing that produced a unique show, and saw Daniel Suarez impress in his debut with Spire while Shane van Gisbergen and Carson Hocevar suffered late crashes. Michael McDowell missed the main after a jump-start in the LCQ.
A historic North Carolina snowstorm forced the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray to be moved to Wednesday, and forecasters warn of another storm bringing rain and a potential half-inch of snow into race time. Goodyear has wet-weather tires ready, and organizers say the event could proceed in light rain or mild conditions, though they aim to avoid further postponements. Project manager Justin Swilling cited the cautious decision to postpone, and fans are urged to dress for cold weather as the midweek show will include a pre-race spectacle.