By Adam Carabine Counting down the final 30 days to the 2026 Daytona 500, we are looking at last year's Top 30 drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series. Today's driver: Kyle Busch Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images No. 8 Car – Richard Childress Racing   2025 Stats Standings 21 st   Wins 0 Points 737 Stage Points 49 Stage Wins 0 Laps Led 88 Lead Lap Finishes 25 Average Finish 17.9 DNFs 2 Races since last win 93   What Does Success Look Like in 2026? It’s been a rough go for Kyle Busc

By Adam Carabine Counting down the final 30 days to the 2026 Daytona 500, we are looking at last year's Top 30 drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series. Today's driver: Michael McDowell Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images No. 71 – Spire Motorsports   2025 Stats Standings 22 nd Wins 0 Points 734 Stage Points 53 Stage Wins 1 Laps Led 96 Lead Lap Finishes 24 Average Finish 18.2 DNFs 2 Races since last win 84   What Does Success Look Like in 2026? McDowell was brought into Spire Motorsp

By Adam Carabine Counting down the final 30 days to the 2026 Daytona 500, we are looking at last year's Top 30 drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series. Today's driver: Carson Hocevar Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images No. 77 – Spire Motorsports   2025 Stats Standings 23 rd Wins 0 Points 702 Stage Points 144 Stage Wins 0 Laps Led 122 Lead Lap Finishes 17 Average Finish 21.6 DNFs 8 Races since last win N/A   What Does Success Look Like in 2026? I actually predicted Hocevar would win m

By Adam Carabine Counting down the final 30 days to the 2026 Daytona 500, we are looking at last year's Top 30 drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series. Today's driver: Erik Jones Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images No. 43 Car – Legacy Motor Club   2025 Stats Standings 24 th Wins 0 Points 665 Stage Points 48 Stage Wins 0 Laps Led 11 Lead Lap Finishes 22 Average Finish 20.2 DNFs 3 Races since last win 115   What Does Success Look Like in 2026? As has been stated in many other of these

By Adam Carabine Counting down the final 30 days to the 2026 Daytona 500, we are looking at last year's Top 30 drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series. Today's driver: John Hunter Nemechek Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images No. 42 Car – Legacy Motor Club   2025 Stats Standings 25 th Wins 0 Points 664 Stage Points 60 Stage Wins 0 Laps Led 37 Lead Lap Finishes 22 Average Finish 20.3 DNFs 3 Races since last win N/A   What Does Success Look Like in 2026? John Hunter Nemechek is a fin

By Adam Carabine Counting down the final 30 days to the 2026 Daytona 500, we are looking at last year's Top 30 drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series. Today's driver: AJ Allmendinger Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images No. 16 Car – Kaulig Racing   2025 Stats Standings 26 th   Wins 0 Points 649 Stage Points 66 Stage Wins 0 Laps Led 42 Lead Lap Finishes 22 Average Finish 21.4 DNFs 8 Races since last win 56   What Does Success Look Like in 2026? Allmendinger is seen as a road course wi

By Adam Carabine Counting down the final 30 days to the 2026 Daytona 500, we are looking at last year's Top 30 drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series. Today's driver: Todd Gilliland   Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images No. 34 Car – Front Row Motorsports   2025 Stats Standings 27 th   Wins 0 Points 616 Stage Points 37 Stage Wins 0 Laps Led 23 Lead Lap Finishes 21 Average Finish 20.8 DNFs 2 Races since last win N/A   What Does Success Look Like in 2026? When Michael McDowell left

By Adam Carabine Counting down the final 30 days to the 2026 Daytona 500, we are looking at last year's Top 30 drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series. Today's driver: Zane Smith Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images No. 38 Car – Front Row Motorsports   2025 Stats Standings 28 th Wins 0 Points 615 Stage Points 39 Stage Wins 0 Laps Led 22 Lead Lap Finishes 24 Average Finish 21.1 DNFs 5 Races since last win N/A   What Does Success Look Like in 2026? While most of the publicity of the ant

By Adam Carabine Counting down the final 30 days to the 2026 Daytona 500, we are looking at last year's Top 30 drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series. Today's driver: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images No. 47 Car – Hyak Motorsports   2025 Stats Standings 30 th   Wins 0 Points 562 Stage Points 49 Stage Wins 0 Laps Led 8 Lead Lap Finishes 21 Average Finish 22.9 DNFs 4 Races Since Last Win 41   What Does Success Look Like in 2026? With the change in format, Ricky

By Adam Carabine On Monday afternoon, NASCAR presented the long-awaited changes to the 2026 (and beyond) Championship rules – The Chase returns to NASCAR!  While fans and drivers alike were aware that changes were coming, the big reveal happened at NASCAR’s new production facility in Charlotte, NC.   In the NASCAR Cup Series, the regular season remains 26 races.  The Top-16 in points at the end of the Regular Season will have their points reset to the new Chase format points,

As Phoenix's six-year championship run ends, NASCAR's finale delivered two worthy champions whose victories blurred the line between triumph and heartbreak.

The box score from Friday night at Phoenix is going to look clean in the archives. Corey Heim swept Stages 1 and 2. He led 100 of 161 laps. He cleared the defending Champion Ty Majeski on the final restart and won by 0.993 seconds in double overtime. He finished off his twelfth win of the season, extending the Truck Series single-season wins record, and finally left the desert as the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion.

By Adam Carabine Happy weekend everyone, it’s time for another edition of Stats Saturday. This weekend NASCAR travels to Avondale, Arizona for the NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway.   Phoenix is a 1-mile oval track with a unique dogleg corner just past the start-finish line.  The track opened in 1964, but NASCAR didn’t start racing there until 1988.  Alan Kulwicki won the first race there that year.  Christopher Bell won in Phoenix earlier this year.  Joey Log

By Adam Carabine Happy weekend everyone, it’s time for another edition of Stats Saturday. This weekend NASCAR travels to Ridgeway, Virginia for the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway.   Martinsville is a 0.526-mile oval, nicknamed “The Paperclip,” because of its shape. It’s the only track that has concrete in the turns, but asphalt on the straightaways.  Martinsville is also the oldest track that is still run on the NASCAR schedule.  It opened in 1947, and Red Byron was the

Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images By Adam Carabine With the Cup Series playoffs in full swing, Power Rankings will now follow only the 16 playoff drivers (even after they’re eliminated) for the rest of this season.     While finishing position is important, it’s not always indicative of the full picture.  StatChat rankings are determined using a large number of statistical inputs, with an emphasis placed on the most recent 5 races.   Austin Cindric – This week: 33 – Last

By Adam Carabine Happy weekend everyone, it’s time for another edition of Stats Saturday. This weekend NASCAR travels to Lincoln, Alabama for the YellaWood 500 at Talladega SuperSpeedway.   Talladega is the largest oval on the NASCAR circuit, at 2.66 miles long.  The track opened in 1969, and Richard Brickhouse was the first to win a NASCAR race at the facility that same year.  Last year, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won this race in the fall.  Earlier this season, the race was won by

Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images By Adam Carabine With the Cup Series playoffs in full swing, Power Rankings will now follow only the 16 playoff drivers (even after they’re eliminated) for the rest of this season.     While finishing position is important, it’s not always indicative of the full picture.  StatChat rankings are determined using a large number of statistical inputs, with an emphasis placed on the most recent 5 races.   Josh Berry – This week: 28 – Last week:

Hamlin’s South Point 400 win began with the pole on Saturday. It’s a category he openly admits has never been his strong suit. “I have never been a driver that’s been fast for one lap,” Hamlin said. “But I noticed that it was something that could improve my chances of winning week in, week out, so I focused on getting better.”

LAS VEGAS— Aric Almirola outdueled Connor Zillisch and Jesse Love under the lights at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday night,...

LAS VEGAS— Round of 8 playoff driver Denny Hamlin will lead the field to green in Sunday’s South Point 400 after earning the Busch Light...