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 FRM, Gilliland became the de facto leader of the team’s Cup Series operations.  While he’s shown some flashes of speed, success for Gilliland this upcoming season will be to gain some more consistency and to up his Top 10s and Top 5s.   Best-Case Scenario in 2026? Gilliland had some pretty solid finishes in ’25, including finishing runner-up at Talladega in the fall.  As is the case with most of the drafting track races, it can come down to mere inches.  Gilliland could certainly sneak in a drafting win this season, especially considering Front Row Motorsports seems to have a solid qualifying setup for those types of tracks.   Most Likely Outcome in 2026? I don’t think Gilliland’s first Cup Series win is coming this year, but if he can continue to focus on consistency and keeping his car clean, he should still have a spot in the Cup Series.  I think he can push up his points to get to the Top 25.   Bold Prediction? Gilliland’s best track by average finish is Indianapolis.  Gilliland scores his first Cup Series victory at the Brickyard this year!

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 anti-trust lawsuit against NASCAR was centered around 23XI drivers (likely because Michael Jordan is kind of a big deal), Front Row Motorsports was involved in that too.  For the FRM drivers, including Zane Smith, it’ll be good to just get back to business.  They showed some inconsistent speed throughout 2025, but if they can capitalize on their gains from last year, Smith might be able to challenge for the Top 25 in points.   Best-Case Scenario in 2026? Smith could be a contender for a win at a few different types of tracks.  Obviously anyone could win a drafting race, but he also has a great average finish at Michigan, and his best finish came at Bristol last season (P3).  I’m sure he’d like to get his first Cup Series victory, but the question will likely come down to quality of equipment for Smith this year.   Most Likely Outcome in 2026? With 5 Top 10s and 1 Top 5 last season, I think it’s realistic to think that Zane Smith either continues that trend or slightly elevates it.  I’m not expecting fireworks from the 38 team, but it’s likely that he’s a solid mid-pack driver for the bulk of the season.   Bold Prediction? Zane Smith was a one-time dominant driver in the Truck Series, winning the championship in 2022.  While I don’t see him emerging as a title contender this year, he’s certainly got skills as a driver, and if his equipment comes in clutch for him, we could see him with a win or two.

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: Daniel Suarez Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images Moving from No. 99 Car – Trackhouse Racing to No. 7 Car – Spire Motorsports   2025 Stats Standings 29 th Wins 0 Points 611 Stage Points 30 Stage Wins 0 Laps Led 35 Lead Lap Finishes 21 Average Finish 20.9 DNFs 8 Races since last win 70   What Does Success Look Like in 2026? It might be too much to ask for a win for Suarez in 2026.  He showed some flashes of speed in the 99, but expect to see some growing pains as he transitions to the new car and team.  Suarez is also not likely to make the playoffs now that the win-and-you’re-in has been removed from the rules.  A successful year would be to find some decent chemistry with his new team, and to challenge for a few Top 5s.    Best-Case Scenario in 2026? Suarez sneaks a win at a drafting track, and brings Spire their first victory since Justin Haley lucked into a rain-shortened Daytona win back in 2019.      Most Likely Outcome in 2026? Spire does seem to be on the upswing, so there’s a good chance the team performs better with Suarez in the 7, but it’s probably most likely that they work on cohesion and speed for the year and look for wins in 2027.   Bold Prediction? Suarez and new teammate Carson Hocevar get into a fight off-track, and Suarez is removed from the team partway through the year.

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 Stenhouse Jr.’s hopes of making the playoffs have faded significantly.  In years past, the win-and-you’re-in format allowed him to try and get a victory at a drafting track, and earn a spot in the playoffs.  This year, his hopes for the playoffs are likely dashed, but he could still challenge for a win at any of the drafting tracks.  Finishing 30 th  in the points last season, Stenhouse should aim for a Top-25 finish in 2026.   Best-Case Scenario in 2026? Stenhouse wins multiple races, all at drafting tracks, and the newly adjusted 55-pts for a race winner give him just enough to sneak into The Chase in 16 th position.   Most Likely Outcome in 2026? Stenhouse and Hyak Motorsports don’t seem to have enough consistently good equipment, performance, or even luck to hope for multiple wins. He’ll likely finish either with zero or one win on the season.   Bold Prediction? Stenhouse loses even more consistency and falls out of the Top 30 in points, then loses his seat for 2027.

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, with a 25-point bonus going to the Regular Season champion.  Those 16 drivers will fight it out over the course of the final 10 races, and whichever driver has the most points after Homestead in November will be crowned the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Champion.   Notable other changes include a bump in points for winners.  Previously a win earned you 40 points – that has been upped to 55.  Also, they have now abolished the “win-and-you’re-in” format from previous years.  No longer can a driver throw a Hail Mary at a drafting track and get into the playoffs, despite being below others in the points. A higher emphasis is placed on winning races, and season-long consistency.    Both the O’Reilly Auto Parts (formerly Xfinity) Series, and the Craftsman Truck Series are also adopting these new rules, though the number of races and drivers differs.    The O’Reilly Auto Parts Series will have a 24-race Regular Season, followed by a 9-race Chase featuring the Top 12 drivers.   The Craftsman Truck Series will have an 18-race Regular Season, followed by a 7-race Chase featuring the Top 10 drivers.

Photo from www.x.com/f1 By Ryan Wu For the first time in five years, Formula 1 has a new World Champion. After narrowly missing the chance to secure his maiden title a week earlier in Qatar, Lando Norris delivered on the preseason expectations for both himself and his team, capturing his first F1 World Championship. His coronation required the full 24-race calendar, with Max Verstappen closing from 102 points behind and threatening with what could have been a historic comeback. The momentum seemed firmly in the Dutchman’s favor, especially after the McLaren drivers collided in Austin and were later hit with a double disqualification in Las Vegas. However, to be the best, you have to beat the best. Lando Norris dethroned Verstappen and ended his four-year championship run. In doing so, he proved that champions come in different forms. He may not possess Verstappen’s intensity or Lewis Hamilton’s charisma, but in Formula 1, what matters most is crossing the finish line first. Though he did not come away with the win in Abu Dhabi, Norris claimed the ultimate prize. Race Recap Verstappen delivered when it mattered in qualifying. His final laps in Q3 were exceptionally fast, allowing him to snatch pole position from Norris and Piastri, who started second and third, respectively. There was considerable speculation before the race that the run to the first corner would create drama and potentially open a path for Piastri to slip through. Fortunately for everyone involved, no incidents occurred, and the race unfolded with very few disruptions. Oscar Piastri, who gambled by starting on hard tires, made an excellent move on Norris during the opening lap to take second place. He needed at least a top two finish and hoped for chaos to impact his two remaining rivals. His strategy reflected that hope, as he did not stop for tires until lap 41 of 58, once it became clear that no late crash or safety car was likely. Norris was the first of the leading trio to pit for new tires. He entered in third and exited in ninth on a set of hards, before immediately attacking the field. Like a player boosted by the yellow star in Mario Kart, he sliced through the pack over the next few laps, picking off Kimi Antonelli, Carlos Sainz and climbed to sixth by the end of lap 19, including a bold overtake of both Lance Stroll and Liam Lawson on the back straight. Although Norris only needed a podium finish to secure the Championship, he refused to become conservative. The charge was smooth until he challenged Yuki Tsunoda, who had not yet pitted, on lap 23. Norris appeared to complete the overtake off the track, raising concerns of a potential penalty that would have severely damaged his title hopes. However, the stewards determined that Tsunoda forced Norris wide by weaving three times across the track. At the time, Charles Leclerc was only 1.6 seconds behind in fifth, so a five or ten second penalty would have been costly. Norris held third place comfortably and was never under serious threat, ultimately finishing more than seven seconds ahead of fourth place Leclerc. Standings Implications Mercedes secured second place in the Constructors’ Championship thanks to George Russell’s fifth place finish. The result carries significant financial implications, as the difference in prize money between second and third can amount to tens of millions of dollars. Williams also clinched fourth place, capping an incredible season for a team that chose not to significantly develop its car after April, instead allocating substantial resources toward next year’s new generation of cars. After years of difficulty, there is renewed optimism, as they appear to have established a stable and at times inspiring driver pairing in Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz, who finished eighth and ninth in the Championship, respectively. Odds and ends No rookie finished in the points in this race, marking the first time this has happened since the British Grand Prix in July and only the second time all season. Furthermore, Hamilton’s eighth place finish confirmed that he completed his first Ferrari season without a podium, the first time this has occurred in his career. Racing Refresh Driver of the Day Lando Norris, McLaren Final Points Finishing Positions 1st: Max Verstappen 2nd: Oscar Piastri 3rd: Lando Norris 4th: Charles Leclerc 5th: George Russell 6th: Fernando Alonso 7th: Esteban Ocon 8th: Lewis Hamilton 9th: Nico Hulkenberg 10th: Lance Stroll

Photo from www.x.com/f1 By Ryan Wu Sprint Recap - Piastri Fights Back Oscar Piastri showed signs of life as he won the sprint race ahead of his main Championship rivals. He also gained valuable points over Lando Norris, who finished third, and Max Verstappen, who came fourth. George Russell followed up last week’s podium in Las Vegas with a second-place finish in the sprint. Race Recap - Verstappen and Piastri Show Courage and Strategy Calls Loom Large Oscar Piastri followed up his strong sprint performance by starting from pole, ahead of Lando Norris and Max Verstappen. Verstappen made an excellent start and immediately passed Norris. Pierre Gasly ran into trouble early when he was noted for rejoining the track unsafely. His race deteriorated further when he collided with Nico Hulkenberg on lap 7, bringing out the safety car and ending Hulkenberg’s afternoon. Most drivers chose to pit for fresh tires during the caution, but Esteban Ocon and the two McLarens stayed out. This dropped Verstappen to third. Norris’ race engineer explained that the choice to stay out was intended to give the team more strategic flexibility later on. This mattered because Pirelli had imposed a maximum of 25 laps per tire set for the weekend, making the race a mandatory two-stop event. During this period Ocon was also noted for moving at the race start, earning a five second penalty. After the restart, Piastri immediately pulled clear of Norris, opening a gap of 1.3 seconds within a single lap and keeping his teammate out of DRS range. The advantage grew to more than three seconds as both McLarens pushed hard to create a buffer to the rest of the field. The differing pit strategies briefly handed Verstappen the lead once the McLarens made their stops, but the running order eventually returned to the original starting positions once all drivers completed their mandatory stops. Lance Stroll also endured a difficult afternoon and received a ten second stop and go penalty. Norris faced a deficit of more than six seconds to Piastri on lap 37 when he ran slightly off track at turn 14 due to oversteer. He reported damage and lost more than a second as a result. He then extended his second stint until lap 44, stopping after Piastri in the hope that a late safety car would help him recover lost time. Instead, he rejoined the race in fifth behind Kimi Antonelli and Carlos Sainz. With only thirteen laps to go, Norris had to chase them down to fight for a podium finish. Antonelli defended brilliantly but went wide at the start of the final lap, allowing Norris to slip past. Norris then had a single lap to catch Sainz, but the Spaniard held firm and secured his second podium of the year. At the front, Verstappen had built a dominant lead and ultimately won the race by more than ten seconds. He delivered a flawless performance, and the team’s decision to pit under the safety car proved decisive. The win also moved him into second place in the Championship for the first time since Japan. One has to question the strategy call by McLaren during the safety car. By opting to not favor one driver over the other, they didn’t split the strategy which allowed a great opportunity for Verstappen to snatch the victory. As a result, the World Championship will be decided at the final round in Abu Dhabi next weekend. Standings of the Championship contenders after Qatar: Norris 408 Verstappen 396 Piastri 392 Racing Refresh Driver of the Day Max Verstappen, Red Bull Final Points Finishing Positions 1st: Max Verstappen 2nd: Oscar Piastri 3rd: Carlos Sainz 4th: Lando Norris 5th: Kimi Antonelli 6th: George Russell 7th: Fernando Alonso 8th: Charles Leclerc 9th: Liam Lawson 10th: Yuki Tsunoda Next on the F1 Schedule: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: December 5th-7th

Photo from www.x.com/f1 By Ryan Wu Well, this result certainly will not be staying in Vegas. Lando Norris, who initially finished second, and Oscar Piastri, who originally finished fourth, were both disqualified after the Las Vegas Grand Prix this weekend. With Max Verstappen taking the win, he is now level with Piastri at 366 points while Norris remains ahead on 390 points. Norris can still clinch the World Championship next weekend in Qatar if he finishes the weekend, which includes a sprint, at least two points ahead of both Verstappen and Piastri. Norris had been 30 points clear of Piastri and 42 ahead of Verstappen after the race, but post race scrutiny found that both his and Piastri’s rearmost skidplates were below the 9 millimeter minimum limit. The last time this happened was in Shanghai when Lewis Hamilton’s skidplate was found to be below the limit. Verstappen’s Clutch Win With a win, Max Verstappen drastically improved his chances of securing a fifth straight Championship. He capitalized on Norris running wide in turn one to take the lead, a position he would hold for the entire evening. Verstappen also pitted much later than many of the drivers around him, stopping for a set of hard tires on lap 25, which was three laps later than Norris and eight laps later than Russell. He rejoined the race still in the lead. George Russell challenged the Dutchman throughout the night, and it was only after Russell was overtaken by Norris with 16 laps remaining that Verstappen looked firmly on course for another victory in Las Vegas. Norris ultimately could not catch him, and he was instructed by his engineer to lift and coast, which made the final gap of 20 seconds seem deceptively comfortable for Verstappen. In reality, it had been a spirited race and the reigning World Champion earned every bit of this victory. Ferrari Responds Lewis Hamilton’s weekend was once again looking like it was heading towards ‘nightmare’ territory as he started at the tail end of the pack in 19th (only Yuki Tsunoda was worse, having to start from the pit lane) but he drove valiantly and finished 8th. Charles Leclerc added to their points haul with a fourth place finish and Ferrari now find themselves 13 points back of Red Bull for third in the Constructors standings. Racing Refresh Driver of the Day Max Verstappen, Red Bull Final Points Finishing Positions 1st: Max Verstappen 2nd: George Russell 3rd: Kimi Antonelli 4th: Charles Leclerc 5th: Carlos Sainz 6th: Isack Hadjar 7th: Nico Hulkenberg 8th: Lewis Hamilton 9th: Esteban Ocon 10th: Oliver Bearman Next on the F1 Schedule: Qatar Grand Prix: November 28th-30th

Photo from www.x.com/f1 By Ryan Wu Norris Inches Closer to Claiming Maiden Title, Verstappen Makes Charge Lando Norris extended his championship lead after winning the São Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil. He now holds a 24-point advantage over Oscar Piastri with three races remaining in what has been an incredible battle for the World Championship. Piastri is also under pressure from Max Verstappen, who finished third in Brazil after starting from the pit lane due to a power unit change. Verstappen had failed to advance from Q1 for the first time in his career and now sits 25 points behind Piastri and 49 points off the overall lead. Piastri could only manage a fifth-place finish after crashing out of the sprint race, losing valuable points to his two title rivals. Race Recap A safety car following a restart led by Gabriel Bortoleto and a subsequent 10-second penalty for Oscar Piastri proved to be the defining moment of the race early on lap 2. Bortoleto made contact with Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin and crashed into the barrier. Shortly after, Piastri locked up on the main straight and collided with Kimi Antonelli, whose Mercedes was then pushed into Charles Leclerc, forcing Leclerc out of the race. Piastri served his penalty on lap 38, which required an additional pit stop later on and effectively ended his chances of winning. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen charged through the field, easily dispatching any driver who tried to hold him back. He pushed hard until the end, overtaking George Russell with nine laps to go but was unable to get past Kimi Antonelli, ultimately finishing within a second of the young driver, who celebrated the second podium of his career. Norris was able to drive for the rest of the race somewhat unchallenged as he claimed his seventh win of the season. Awful Weekend for Ferrari Put simply, it was a weekend to forget for Ferrari. Charles Leclerc’s strong start, with a fifth-place finish in the sprint and a third-place qualification for the main race, ended abruptly when Kimi Antonelli collided with him after the safety car restart on lap 6, knocking off his front left tire. Lewis Hamilton’s race also unraveled early after contact with Franco Colapinto’s Alpine on lap 1 damaged his front wing, forcing an early pit stop that left him at the back of the field. His situation worsened when he received a five-second penalty for causing the collision, and he eventually retired on lap 37, sealing a double DNF for Ferrari. To make matters worse, the team has now fallen 36 points behind second place in the Constructors Championship, losing significant ground to Mercedes after their drivers finished second and fourth. Red Bull also pulled ahead, now sitting four points clear of the Prancing Horse. Rookie Report It was a strong weekend for the young drivers in Brazil. Kimi Antonelli held off the four-time defending World Champion to secure his second podium of the season and valuable points for Mercedes in their fight for second in the Constructors Championship. A bit further back, Oliver Bearman, Isack Hadjar, and Liam Lawson all scored points, finishing fifth, sixth, and seventh respectively. Racing Refresh Driver of the Day Max Verstappen,  Red Bull Final Points Finishing Positions 1st: Lando Norris 2nd: Kimi Antonelli 3rd: Max Verstappen 4th: George Russell 5th: Oscar Piastri 6th: Oliver Bearman 7th: Isack Hadjar 8th: Liam Lawson 9th: Nico Hulkenberg 10th: Pierre Gasly Next on the F1 Schedule: Las Vegas Grand Prix: November 20th-22nd

As Phoenix's six-year championship run ends, NASCAR's finale delivered two worthy champions whose victories blurred the line between triumph and heartbreak. By Crystal Clay Photo Credit: Crystal Clay PHOENIX (Nov. 2, 2025) — NASCAR’s championship weekend at Phoenix Raceway closed a six-year run as the sport’s title stage, ending an era that saw all three national series crown their champions in the desert. The finale delivered everything the format promises: late-race chaos, perfect execution and heartbreak in equal measure. Each title came down to a NASCAR overtime two-lap shootout that tested the line between precision and luck. (Editor’s note: The Truck Series finale is covered separately.) Larson Claims Second Cup Series Title Kyle Larson captured his second NASCAR Cup Series championship Sunday night, outlasting the field in a race that showcased every element of modern NASCAR: strategy, composure and timing. Larson’s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet suffered a right-front tire failure around Lap 216, costing him a lap and his championship momentum. Larson confirmed after the race that the issue forced him to the pits and left him relying on a timely caution and wave-around to rejoin the lead lap. Chase Briscoe received the free pass moments earlier before Larson clawed back into contention. When the final caution set up a two-lap overtime shootout, Denny Hamlin, who led 208 laps, called for four fresh tires. It was a strategy similar to the one that won the Truck Series title Friday night. Larson’s crew chief, Cliff Daniels, chose two tires instead, a call that flipped the race and ultimately the championship. Larson never led a single lap, a testament to how chaos, timing, and composure can outweigh domination under NASCAR’s playoff format. Still, he executed when it mattered most, earning his second title in four seasons. Denny Hamlin exits the No.11 JGR Toyota on pit road at the finish of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Championship (Photo Credit: Yulanda Gilliam/PBY Media) “Sure I’m happy,” Larson said. “But there’s definitely a piece of me that’s sad for him.” Hamlin, still seeking his first championship after 20 seasons, was subdued. “Man, if you can’t win that one, I don’t know which one you can win,” he said on pit road. Larson called the night “insane,” a word that captured both the unpredictability of the finish and the awkwardness of celebrating while a friend’s heartbreak unfolded beside him. Love Captures Xfinity Title in Emotional Finish A night earlier, 20-year-old Jesse Love delivered one of the most complete performances of his young career to claim his first NASCAR Xfinity Series championship. After an early struggle that dropped him outside the top 10, Love and crew chief Danny Stockman made key adjustments and relied on their pit crew’s fastest stop of the season to put the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet in control late. Love drove away on the final overtime restart to win both the race and the title, saying afterward that they “didn’t just luck into this” but “did it on speed.” Jesse Love wins the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship as Aric Almirola seen in background celebrating the 2025 Owner's Championship in the No. 19 for Joe Gibbs Racing (Photo Credit: Yulanda Gilliam/PBY Media) Connor Zilisch, Love’s closest friend and fiercest rival, had been in the fight all night. He grabbed the lead multiple times, including before the final caution, and looked poised to cap his 10-win season with a championship. But when the field lined up for the two-lap overtime, Love’s car came alive while Zilisch’s balance faded. “We were never the best car,” he said. “I got the lead both times, but every run we just tanked. I don’t know if I was pushing too hard or what it was. After 20 laps, I just couldn’t hang on.” Despite the heartbreak, Zilisch carried himself like a veteran. “You work so hard for 38 weeks,” he said. “Coming up short sucks.” When asked if it helped that his best friend won, he smiled through the disappointment and said, “No, it doesn’t make it feel any better. But good for Jesse, I’m really happy for him. He works hard and deserves it.” After finishing his interviews, Zilisch stepped quietly out of the media center, tears slipping down his face, the kind that come from both heartbreak and pride. It was a moment that said everything about his composure. He didn’t lose his class. He just let his heart show. A Format That Defines Eras NASCAR’s playoff system once again produced the drama it promises: championships decided in a handful of laps and emotions that linger long after. The structure rewards execution under pressure as much as season-long consistency, a reality every driver understands. As of the State of the Sport address, NASCAR leadership (Steve Phelps and Steve O'Donnell) did not announce any format changes for 2026. They said the sanctioning body continues to evaluate the playoff format, but nothing is finalized. So for now, the current elimination-style format with a one-race championship remains in place. Veteran Justin Allgaier summed it up simply: “The format is the format. Our job is to race to it.” For Larson and Love, that meant mastering chaos. For Hamlin and Zilisch, it meant learning how close perfection can come to heartbreak. Phoenix Hands Off the Crown After six consecutive seasons as NASCAR’s championship host, Phoenix Raceway’s run came to a close with one final, dramatic weekend. Future title weekends will continue to feature all three national series, but the desert’s era as the annual home of the sport’s biggest moment has ended. This weekend also marked the end of an era for NASCAR's second-tier division as Xfinity wrapped its 11-year run as title sponsor. Introduced in 2015, the partnership helped elevate the series' identity through digital engagement and driver development, leaving a lasting mark on how fans connected with the sport's rising stars. Kyle Larson celebrates 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Championship on the frontstretch with his children at Phoenix Raceway. (Photo Credit: Crystal Clay) As the sun set behind the mountains Sunday night, three champions stood tall and nine contenders walked away hollow-eyed, a fitting end to a venue that has come to define the thrill and cruelty of NASCAR’s modern era. The desert crowned worthy champions. It just didn’t spare anyone’s heart.

By Crystal Clay AVONDALE, Ariz. (Nov. 1, 2025) — Before Trevor Huddleston lifted the ARCA Menards Series West championship trophy at Phoenix Raceway, the idea for his winning car was drawn nearly four decades earlier in a Los Angeles high-school auto-shop class. Photo Credit: Yulanda Gilliam/PBY Media Huddleston, 29, clinched his first ARCA West title Friday night driving the No. 50 Ford for his family-owned High Point Racing team. The championship fulfilled a story that began at University High School in West Los Angeles, where his father, Tim Huddleston, was part of a six-student auto-shop group guided by teacher Glen Werdon. According to a 1988 Los Angeles Times report, Werdon himself a longtime stock-car racer, taught his students how to rebuild and race a 1971 Chevelle at Saugus Speedway, paying roughly $6,000 in parts out of pocket and turning the project into a full racing effort. One of those students, Tim Huddleston, drew the car’s design on paper and later carried that vision into what became High Point Racing. “My dad started this as a high-school auto-shop project,” Trevor Huddleston said. “They built a car, pulled a name out of a hat, and my dad got to drive. If it wasn’t for that, I probably wouldn’t be sitting here today.” The Agoura Hills, California, native began racing Bandoleros at 12 before advancing through sportsman and super-late-model ranks. He won his first Irwindale Speedway late-model championship in 2015 and finished second nationally in NASCAR’s Weekly Series standings in 2017 with 22 wins in 35 starts. Since joining the ARCA West tour in 2018, Huddleston has collected six series victories and become one of its most consistent veterans. His 2025 season began with a dominant win at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway and ended with a title-clinching run in the Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100 at Phoenix. “It’s not like I won this in some random car,” he said. “This is literally a car my dad designed on paper when he was 16. To win the championship in that same lineage, with our family team, it’s beyond special.” High Point Racing remains a small, tight-knit operation. The team used the same Robert Yates-built engine in all 12 events this season, logging roughly 1,700 miles without a failure. “My mom and dad are the dynamic duo,” Huddleston said. “They feed off each other, and my mom keeps my dad grounded when he gets a little crazy. She’s been at the track since I was a kid, even when I wasn’t racing, she was still there.” Huddleston grew up at Irwindale Speedway, which closed earlier this year. He called its loss a blow to Southern California racing but said the region remains resilient. “I was there when we were tearing the grandstands down,” he said. “That’s where I was raised. But you’ve got to bounce back. Racing out here is still strong — we just have to fight harder for it.” Huddleston pointed to Harvick’s investment in Kern Raceway and the emerging Cars Tour West as signs of renewed momentum for grassroots racing on the West Coast. “Kevin Harvick partnering with Kern really sparked the joy for a lot of us,” Huddleston said. “It reminded people on the East Coast that the West still exists. We’re on the rise again.” The celebration in Phoenix was a family affair, with friends and former classmates from Los Angeles joining the crew. “We might be drinking Martinelli’s right now,” Huddleston joked, “but when we get home, it’ll be more than that. This is one we’ll celebrate for a long time.” Editor’s note: Background information about University High School’s 1980s auto-shop class and instructor Glen Werdon was reported by Karl Kahler in the Los Angeles Times on Dec. 8, 1988, under the headline “Taking Stock in Their Class: Auto Shop Teacher Revs Up His Students With Track Lessons.”

By Crystal Clay AVONDALE, Ariz. — Corey Heim didn’t so much win the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship as refuse to let anyone else touch it. Photo Credit: Yulanda Gilliam/PBY Media The moment that’s going to run on loop all winter is obvious. Overtime. Phoenix Raceway under the lights. The field explodes seven-wide into Turn 1 like a pack of shopping carts breaking loose, and the No. 11 Safelite Toyota just knifes under all of it. Paint, pride, whatever was left. Heim drags it along the inside wall, committed, unapologetic, and comes out the other side already hunting Ty Majeski’s bumper. But that’s not where the night started for him. And it’s definitely not where the season did. “I’ve been, like, so terrible to talk to as a person,” he said, still in his firesuit. “So stressed out. Ever since we went to the Roval, I’ve just been wound up.” That’s not bravado. That’s a 23-year-old who walked into Phoenix Raceway as “ him” . Not “one of four.” HIM. The one with 11 wins in 24 races coming in. The one who had already rewritten the record book before the green flag even fell. And the one who knew, if he didn’t close, people were going to talk about everything except how good he really is. “This year we came back and broke just about every record you possibly could,” Heim said. “I felt the pressure that if I didn’t get the championship, that cherry on top… even if we had no wins to our name in 2025, we were trying to win the championship. That was the number one goal.” This wasn’t his first shot. Heim has been in the Championship 4 three consecutive seasons. In 2023, he said, things “got out of control.” In 2024 he felt like “it was our year,” and he left Phoenix talking about how they “got our teeth kicked in.” This time? No. Not again. And he had help. 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. But in real time, it wasn’t that calm. Photo Credit: Yulanda Gilliam/PBY Media With just over two laps left in regulation, Layne Riggs was out front. Heim was chasing. And the math was about to get weird: Riggs, eliminated from the driver Playoffs last week at Martinsville on a tiebreaker, was still alive for the owners’ championship. Had the race ended under green right there, Riggs likely would’ve walked off with the win and owners’ title, and Heim would have locked the driver’s championship by finishing second. Then Connor Mosack hit the Turn 4 wall. Caution. Everything reset. For TRICON Garage crew chief Scott Zipadelli, that yellow was a decision point. For Heim, it was a test of faith. All night, the 11 had speed. Heim said they “struggled all weekend in practice a little bit,” and “missed it a little bit” in qualifying. The speed was there, the handling wasn’t. Zipadelli and the 11 crew had to build that balance in real time as Phoenix cooled down under the lights. And suddenly, with the title on the line, they had to choose tires. Zipadelli called for four. On paper, that’s the “safer” call. In reality, at Phoenix with two to go, it’s a trap: Championships here are won on pit road. You give up all the track position you’ve spent 150 laps earning and just pray you get to use the grip before you run out of laps. Heim hated watching the world drive past him. “Yeah, I was disappointed to see everyone roll by me,” he said. “It’s a track position racetrack. I really did think two tires was the call, to be honest with you. But that’s why I’m not a crew chief.” He came off pit road as the first truck on four tires, in 10th. And that’s the point where most drivers start thinking about everything that can go wrong. Heim didn’t. He flipped into something closer to obligation. “Nobody was going to beat me tonight,” he said. “I don’t care if I was on hundred-lap tires, nobody was going to beat me tonight. It wasn’t going to happen.” On the first overtime restart, Heim took the bottom. He’d already made up his mind that he’d rather control his fate shoving up than be the guy on the outside waiting to get slid into. “When you’ve got a guy that stayed out on 50-lap tires, you put him on the front row,” he said. “If you don’t give yourself a gap, you’re screwed.” Photo Credit: Yulanda Gilliam/PBY Media He gave himself a gap. What happened next is the clip. Coming to green, he told his spotter, basically: I can’t really see; coach me. Once they hit the line, instinct took over. He downshifted to third early. Dropped to the apron so far left he was nearly scraping the inside wall. Stayed in the throttle. Trusted the tires. Trusted the fact that, for once, he wasn’t reacting to chaos, he was creating separation. “I figured we’d be three or four wide,” he said. “Not seven wide.” Seven-wide into Turn 1 of Phoenix Raceway is the kind of thing that usually ends with bent sheet metal and a quiet, embarrassed ride to the infield care center. Heim just drove out of it. “I went lower and lower until [the truck ahead of me] couldn’t anymore and I could with my tires,” he said. “I didn’t think about it very much at all. I went off muscle memory.” By the time they hit Turn 2, he’d gone from 10th to clean air. By the second overtime restart, it was over. He cleared Majeski, drove away, and finally let that pressure go. There are stats to hang on this if you want them. Some of them don’t even sound real. Heim led at least one lap in all 25 Truck Series races this year — no driver in the history of the series had ever done that. When he took the lead from Chandler Smith on Lap 22 Friday, he finished the set. He ends 2025 with 1,625 laps led, breaking the Truck Series single-season record of 1,533 that dated back to Mike Skinner in 1996. He has 12 wins this year, and 23 career Truck wins. He finished this season with zero DNFs. Zero. That’s not just dominance; that’s control. But if you ask him what matters, he doesn’t start with any of that. He starts with his team. “It’s really a big family, honestly,” Heim said. “We won as a family. We’ve had literally every person, other than pit crew, together on that 11 crew since the middle of 2023. Obviously guys want to work for [Scott Zipadelli] and with him. He’s the captain of that.” He talks about Toyota taking a chance on him. About 23XI and the internal prep work. About Trevor and Blake and his sim work. About his spotter. About his dad. “I could probably count on one hand how many races he’s missed in my entire life,” Heim said earlier this week on media day. “He’s always been my number one supporter… I certainly wouldn’t be here without that.” And then, quietly, he talks about responsibility. He knows he came into this weekend with the best equipment in the garage. He said that out loud: “the best truck team in the garage.” He also said that made it heavier, not easier. “To be able to have an opportunity to work with what I think is the best truck team that’s ever been assembled with those guys on the 11 crew, I’d feel bad not being able to prepare to the best of my ability,” Heim said. “Showing up to the racetrack not being prepared? I’d kind of feel guilty, honestly.” That’s not swagger. That’s accountability. So, yeah. Corey Heim is the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion. That’s the headline. But that’s not the story he was really writing. The story is that after two straight years of leaving Phoenix with a knot in his throat, he showed up to the same place, with the same expectations, and decided he wasn’t leaving empty-handed again. He put it on his own shoulders, told everybody around him to trust him, grabbed third gear on the apron, and drove through the pressure like it wasn’t allowed to exist. “It was meant to be,” he said. And for once, in Phoenix, it actually was.

By Crystal Clay LAS VEGAS — The taste and aroma of nitro hang heavy over The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Fans press against the fence as crews roll cars into the staging lanes. Somewhere in that blur of noise and smoke against the backdrop of desert mountains, John Force leans toward his daughter Brittany’s cockpit and shares a fist bump. A quiet ritual that’s outlasted records, championships, wrecks and time. Photo: Courtesy of NHRA “Drive from the heart.” It’s the line she’s carried her entire career, one that began in the grandstands beside her sisters and her mother, watching her father walk from explosions into championships. He’s recited it before every run, season, and heartbreak. And this weekend it carries more weight than ever. For the first time in over a decade of full-time racing, Brittany Force enters Las Vegas not only as a contender but as a woman preparing to close a significant chapter not only for herself but for the world of racing. She’s fifth in points and technically still in the hunt for the championship, realistically chasing something deeper than standings; presence, peace and purpose, the kind you can only find when you have the last name Force. “You carry so much weight as a driver,” she said. “There’s always pressure. Whether it’s first round or the final, your sponsors are behind you, you’re in the hunt for a championship, and my dad always says, ‘Drive from the heart.’ It means get back to remembering why you love it. Block out the noise and focus on driving your car.” Austin Prock and Brittany Force, 2024 Nevada Nationals. Photo: Courtesy of NHRA Last year’s fall win in Las Vegas still lives vividly in her mind. Her father had just returned to the racetrack after a terrifying wreck in Richmond, one that left him hospitalized for months. Brittany stayed by his side, skipped a race and watched him fight through physical therapy in Phoenix and Pomona. “I knew we were going to win,” she recalled. “It was my dad’s first race back. I had this gut feeling. And we did. We doubled up. Austin Prock and I brought him home two wins for John Force Racing. After everything he’d been through, that weekend will always stand out.” A year later, she returns to the same track carrying both that memory and the knowledge that this run is part of her own comeback. Not from a crash, but from the emotional intensity of closing a 13-year stretch as one of drag racing’s most powerful figures. Force set both ends of the Top Fuel track record at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2019 with a 3.659-second pass at 338.17 mph, which at the time was the fastest run in NHRA Top Fuel history. Her team hasn’t visited the winner’s circle since Epping, New Hampshire, but hunger isn’t something you can measure on paper. The goal is simple and familiar: qualify in the top three, turn on four win lights and finish what they started. But beneath the stats is something more human. An understanding that each pass now carries a trace of farewell. At 343.51 mph, Brittany Force holds the national mile-per-hour record. She laughs when people ask if she’s chasing higher numbers. “343 is fast enough for me,” she said. “I don’t want to know what comes after that. We weren’t chasing a record; we were chasing ETs and win lights. The mile-per-hour came in the middle of that. But if someone takes it from me, you better believe I’ll chase it down again.” For now, her chase looks different. Success is still measured in qualifying points and trophies, but also in connection. “If I can inspire somebody by doing what I do, that’s a win in itself,” she said. “And success is enjoying the ride, being in the moment, having your heart in the game and loving every second of it.” Photo: Courtesy of NHRA That mindset has made Brittany one of the most popular drivers in the pits. She’s always signing, always smiling, always giving fans a moment. But those moments come at a price. Behind the schedule, the smiles and the horsepower is a life defined by motion; constant, relentless motion. “I live out of a suitcase,” she said. “We’re in a different city every weekend. I probably do six to eight sponsor appearances on off weeks, too. I miss being home. That’s what I’m looking forward to — being home more than I have in 13 years.” If there’s one moment she’ll carry forward, it won’t be silence though, it’ll be sound. “One of my favorite sounds this season came from Sonoma,” she said, referring to the video of her 340-plus mph run. “Our PR guy filmed from the starting line. The stands were packed. At the end, you hear the roar of the fans. When I saw that video, it was surreal. That sound, that energy — it’s something I’ll never forget.” That same sound will rise again in Las Vegas this weekend. The Strip, with its neon skyline and desert wind, has always been a mirror of the sport itself: glamour mixed with grit, spectacle grounded in sweat. For Force, it’s the stage for one last surge before Pomona, before home or whatever comes next. “It’s a roller coaster of emotions,” she admitted. “Coming into these last two, it’s bittersweet. If I could drive and start a family at the same time, I would, but there’s just not a place for that in this sport. So it’s about bringing everything to the starting line and giving it my all for these final races.” She doesn’t call it retirement, just a pause. The Force family has never been known for staying parked. “I don’t plan on closing the door to driving in the future,” she said. “I don’t know what my future looks like yet. My husband and I plan to start a family, and if that’s not in the cards, that’s OK. But the biggest lesson my dad ever taught me is leading by example; watching him fight back from those crashes, pushing through therapy, staying motivated. That’s what I carry with me.” Courtney Force, John Force, Graham Rahal at 2024 Nevada Nationals. Photo: Courtesy of NHRA Leaning into the unknown, these final races signal one thing for sure. Some NHRA fans may never again see a Force behind the wheel. Their family legacy will always remain, though. And for the loyal fans who have filled the stands and created memories that will last forever, she says: “Our NHRA drag racing fans have always been loyal. They’re the reason we get to do what we love every single weekend. I just want to thank them for supporting me, my dad, John Force Racing, through every up and down, every transition. They’ve been incredible.” As Brittany Force climbs into her Top Fuel dragster this weekend, she won’t overthink the meaning of the moment. She’ll do what she’s always done; clear the noise, steady her breath and drive from her center. Because the legacy she’s built isn’t just measured in Wally trophies, miles per hour or win lights, but in the thousands of fans who’ve felt something because of her. The finish line is still ahead, but the imprint of this weekend, of this chapter, is already written in fire and heart. And for anyone lucky enough to catch a glimpse of John and Brittany do their regular track walk or the casual fist bump in the staging lane, the moment runs much deeper than it appears.

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 Logano won this race last year en route to his 3 rd  Cup Series Championship.   Tomorrow’s race will be 312 laps long (for a total of 312 miles), with stage breaks occurring at 60 – 185 – 312.  Pit road speed is 45 mph, and the caution vehicle runs at 50 mph.  The fuel window is between 95-105 laps, but tire wear may force pit stops to happen sooner than that.   This year, the NASCAR Cup Series has run 9,261 laps, for 12,540.89 miles so far this season.  No driver has completed every single lap - Tyler Reddick is closest, running 15 laps down.   Top 5 Career Average Finishers at Phoenix: Denny Hamlin 10.60 over 40 races (2 wins) Kyle Larson 10.68 over 22 races (1 win) William Byron 10.80 over 15 races (1 win) Kyle Busch 11.40 over 40 races (3 wins) Ryan Blaney 11.42 over 19 races   Bottom 5 Career Average Finishers at Phoenix: Riley Herbst 37.00 over 1 race SVG 31.00 over 1 race Cody Ware 30.38 over 8 races Michael McDowell 28.34 over 29 races Zane Smith 27.00 over 4 races   For the purposes of this article, Phoenix is a Short Track.   Top 5 Career Average Finishers at Short Tracks: Joey Logano 11.23 over 195 races (13 wins) Chase Elliott 11.53 over 108 races (4 wins) Ryan Blaney 12.10 over 112 races (4 wins) Christopher Bell 12.14 over 64 races (7 wins) William Byron 12.56 over 86 races (5 wins)   Bottom 5 Career Average Finishers at Short Tracks: Michael McDowell 26.39 over 172 races Ty Dillon 25.49 over 84 races Zane Smith 24.55 over 25 races Noah Gragson 24.22 over 33 races JH Nemechek 23.05 over 33 races   Kevin Harvick is the winningest driver at Phoenix, with 9 wins.  Jimmie Johnson and Joey Logano are tied for 2 nd  with 4 wins each.   Drivers who WON their first Cup Series race at Phoenix: Chase Briscoe 40 th  Career Cup Series Start Notable drivers who have not won at Phoenix: Brad Keselowski (has won at 17 other tracks) Ryan Blaney (has won at 11 other tracks) Tyler Reddick (has won at 8 other tracks) Alex Bowman (has won at 8 other tracks) Chris Buescher (has won at 6 other tracks)   Based on average finish, no driver lists Phoenix as their BEST or WORST track.   Based on their point pace, let’s have a look at how this season is comparing to last season for drivers:   Drivers Faring Better than in 2024 Chase Briscoe +337 pts Ryan Preece +238 pts JH Nemechek +235 pts Erik Jones +143 pts Zane Smith +124 pts   Drivers Faring Worse than in 2024 Noah Gragson -205 pts Brad Keselowski -190 pts Daniel Suarez -151 pts Alex Bowman -97 pts Ty Gibbs -75 pts   Next, let’s look at who’s having their best and worst career year by Average Finish:   Best Career Year Christopher Bell 11.20 Chase Briscoe 12.51 Ryan Preece 15.89 JH Nemechek 20.00 Todd Gilliland 20.77   Worst Career Year Cole Custer 23.54 Carson Hocevar 21.40 Zane Smith 20.86   Rookie of the Year Battle SVG 2,189 (5 wins) Riley Herbst 370   The Manufacturer Standings are calculated by awarding points to the highest finisher for each manufacturer according to their finishing position.  (40 for 1 st , 35 for 2 nd , 34 for 3 rd , etc.)  No stage points or playoff points count.   Manufacturer Standings Chevrolet 1,276 Toyota 1,247 Ford 1,177   Here is the same formula, but used on a team-vs-team basis:   Chartered Team Standings Joe Gibbs 1,217 Hendrick 1,186 Penske 1,008 RFK 997 Trackhouse 963 23XI 932 Spire 877 Front Row 805 Legacy MC 788 RCR 786 Kaulig 716 Wood Bros 532 Hyak 493 Haas Factory 471 Rick Ware 231   At each stage break, the Top 10 drivers are awarded points based on their finishing positions.  Here are the leaders this year:   Stage Point Leaders William Byron 317 Kyle Larson 297 Ryan Blaney 296 Denny Hamlin 232 Tyler Reddick 213 Christopher Bell 205 Bubba Wallace 203 Chase Elliott 192 Chase Briscoe 184 Alex Bowman 165   Milestone Watch Kyle Busch This will be his 750 th  Career Cup Series Start SVG This will be his 50 th  Career Cup Series Start Brad Keselowski Looking for his 160 th  Career Top 5 Christopher Bell Looking for his 60 th  Career Top 5 Joey Logano Looking for his 300 th  Career Top 10 Chase Briscoe Looking for his 50 th  Career Top 10 Michael McDowell Looking for his 50 th  Career Top 10 Ryan Preece Looking for his 30 th  Career Top 10   Scorigami Update Martinsville was the first time that: Riley Herbst finished 36 th   Todd Gilliland finished 9 th     Here are the top 10 longest active winless streaks:   Winless Streaks Justin Haley 176 races Cole Custer 132 races Erik Jones 114 races Kyle Busch 92 races Michael McDowell 83 races Daniel Suarez 69 races Brad Keselowski 58 races AJ Allmendinger 55 races Alex Bowman 51 races Chris Buescher 43 races   The race begins Sunday, November 2 nd  at 3:00 pm EST (12:00 pm PST) – Enjoy the race everyone!   Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter  @RacingRefresh   Is there an error? Is there a stat missing that you’d like to see? Let us know!

Photo by David Jensen/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: 30 – Last week: 33 – Eliminated A Top-15 for Austin Cindric at Martinsville is certainly nothing to scoff at.  It moves Cindric up 3 spots in the Power Rankings, and at least gives him a fighting chance to not finish last after next week’s finale.   Josh Berry – This week: 26 – Last week: 21 – Eliminated Berry’s Top-10 at Martinsville should seemingly bump him up in the Power Rankings, but because the most recent 5 races are the most heavily weighted, Berry’s P10 comes at the expense of a runner-up finish in New Hampshire.    Austin Dillon – This week: 25 – Last week: 25 – Eliminated Austin Dillon took a risky gamble early on a pit stop strategy, staying out at the start of Stage 2.  It didn’t pay off at the time, but he managed to salvage a P16, on the lead lap at Martinsville, and keep his position in the Power Rankings.   Alex Bowman – This week: 20 – Last week: 19 – Eliminated Bowman has had an unfortunate string of races, only buoyed by a P7 finish at Las Vegas.  His P23 at Martinsville adds to an average finish in the last five races of 21 st .  It’s 22 nd  if you count all of the playoffs so far.    Bubba Wallace – This week: 13 – Last week: 13 – Eliminated The newly-announced new (again) dad-to-be had a mediocre day at Martinsville. You don’t necessarily think of Wallace as being a threat at short tracks, but he had a respectable Top 20 finish.  He spent the majority of the day outside of the Top 15, but he manages to maintain his Power Rankings spot.   Ross Chastain – This week: 11 – Last week: 11 – Eliminated It was a solid effort by Ross Chastain at Martinsville this past weekend.  He didn’t have to ride the wall as a Hail Mary to finish the race.  He wound up finishing P4.  He led a few laps, had a solid average running position, and yet due to the competition ahead of him, was only able to maintain his spot in the Power Rankings.   Ryan Blaney – This week: 10 – Last week: 7 – Eliminated All he needed was one more spot, and he would have made it to the Championship Four.  But William Byron brought the bumper to him, and pushed him out of the way, and he finished P2.  It was a solid run all day for Blaney, who started 31 st  and made his way up front pretty early.  A P2 is great in the grand scheme of the Power Rankings, but his last win was 6 races ago, just outside of the 5-race cut-off for more heavily weighted results.    Joey Logano – This week: 9 – Last week: 5 – Eliminated Logano also got himself eliminated at Martinsville this week, though he wasn’t quite as close as Blaney had been.  Logano earned himself some stage points, but never led any laps and finished P8.  He falls out of contention to compete for his fourth Cup Series Championship (and second in a row), and also falls in the Power Rankings.   Chase Elliott – This week: 8 – Last week: 10 – Eliminated Elliott was in major must-win territory at Martinsville, but like Ryan Blaney, came up just short.  A P3 finish for NASCAR’s most popular driver, stage points, and an average running position of 5 th  were enough to give him two extra spots in the Power Rankings, but I’m sure he’d prefer to be fighting for a championship next year.   Chase Briscoe – This week: 7 – Last week: 4 The stakes were lower for Chase Briscoe at Martinsville, and while he certainly wasn’t hanging back and taking a casual Sunday drive, he blew an engine and finished his day early.  A friend texted me asking if maybe JGR was trying something experimental because Hamlin’s engine also gave out, but we’ll likely never know.  Briscoe finished P37, and is the lowest-scored Championship Four driver in the Power Rankings.   Tyler Reddick – This week: 6 – Last week: 8 – Eliminated Reddick didn’t seem to have the winning car at Martinsville this past weekend, but some savvy pit strategy might have earned him some more spots than his car deserved.  He finished P11, led 6 laps, and earned a few stage points to bump his Power Rankings position up a couple spots.   SVG – This week: 5 – Last week: 9 – Eliminated Check out this Kiwi breaking his way back into the Top 5 of the Power Rankings!  Yes, his spot is pushed up by yet another road course win within his last five races, but he was pretty solid at Martinsville too.  He finished P14, earned stage points, finished on the lead lap, and was on the upper end of quality passes made by anyone in the field too.  If he continues to improve the way he has on ovals over the next while, he could be one to watch for next year.   Denny Hamlin – This week: 4 – Last week: 3 Like his teammate Briscoe, there may have been some experimentation on the two JGR engines that were locked into the Championship round, and Denny blew up on lap 334, leading to a DNF.  While his championship hopes are still intact, he does drop one spot in the Power Rankings.  If this was just a random mishap, Denny is probably worried next week.  If JGR was trying to gain an advantage, it doesn’t look like it worked.   William Byron – This week: 3 – Last week: 6 Byron wins his way into the Championship Four for the third year in a row with a win at Martinsville, and he did it in convincing fashion.  He won the pole, won both stages, led the most laps, and ended up winning the race.  If momentum could be measured, Byron would be the favourite in Phoenix, but much can change over the course of one week.   Christopher Bell – This week: 2 – Last week: 2 - Eliminated All Christopher Bell needed to make it to the Championship Four was for none of the drivers below the line to win, and unfortunately for him, Byron pulled it off, eliminating him in the process.  Bell finished P7 in Martinsville, earned stage points, and led everyone with the most Quality Passes of any driver (tied with Austin Cindric).  He may still be in the hunt for the Power Rankings trophy, but his championship hopes are done.   Kyle Larson – This week: 1   – Last week: 1 Larson had a safe, solid day at Martinsville.  He never led a lap, and he managed his distance to competitor Christopher Bell, who was really the only competition he had all day.  As long as he finished within 6 places of Bell, he was going to be in on points, no matter who won.  He finished two spots ahead of Bell in P5, and holds onto the top spot in the Power Rankings for another week.   Biggest Movers   Noah Gragson – This week: 34 – Last week: 27 Falls 7 places   Daniel Suarez – This Week: 18 – Last Weekend: 24 Gains 6 places   Best of the Rest: 12. Todd Gilliland LW: 12 -- 14. Ryan Preece LW: 14 -- 15. Ty Gibbs LW: 20 +5 16. Chris Buescher LW: 16 -- 17. Brad Keselowski LW: 18 +1 18. Daniel Suarez LW: 24 +6 19. Michael McDowell LW: 15 -4 21. Kyle Busch LW: 22 +1 22. Carson Hocevar LW: 17 -5 23. JH Nemechek LW: 26 +3 24. Zane Smith LW: 23 -1 27. Cole Custer LW: 30 +3 28. AJ Allmendinger LW: 28 -- 29. Ty Dillon LW: 31 +2 31. Erik Jones LW: 29 -2 32. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. LW: 32 -- 33. Justin Haley LW: 35 +2 34. Noah Gragson LW: 27 -7 35. Riley Herbst LW: 34 -1 36. Cody Ware LW: 36 --