Mother Nature just won’t play nice with the NASCAR community. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200, which was originally scheduled for Friday evening, was rescheduled to Saturday morning due to persistent rain, it was postponed again thanks to continued rain on Saturday morning.

The race is now set for Saturday evening at 9 PM ET and will be televised on FS1. The race would follow Saturday’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Charbroil 300, which is currently set for 5 PM ET.

However, Mother Nature is still expected to play a factor into the rest of the day and evening schedule at Charlotte Motor Speedway, so fingers crossed that we see some racing on Saturday night.

READ MORE
OFFICIAL STARTING LINEUP

No. 33 RCR Team Allowed To Unload Car First In Touching Gesture By NASCAR

In a touching gesture by NASCAR, Richard Childress Racing, which endured an unthinkable loss this week with the passing of Kyle Busch, was allowed to unload its renumbered No. 33 Chevrolet before any other team unloaded on Saturday morning in the NASCAR Cup Series garage.

It was a surreal and emotional few moments, as the entire garage stood quiet, and paid respects to Busch, and the Richard Childress Racing team that has now endured the loss of two legends — Dale Earnhardt and Busch.

After the No. 33 Chevrolet was unloaded and pushed to the inspection bay, the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet was allowed to be unloaded and pushed to inspection. Once that was completed, the entire garage went to work.

READ MORE

Kyle Busch (1985-2026)

• NASCAR Community Mourns, Remembers Kyle Busch

• Austin Dillon Vows To Always Be There For Kyle Busch’s Family In Touching Tribute

• Spire Motorsports Adds Kyle Busch Motorsports Logos to Trucks At Charlotte

• Richard Childress Racing to Suspend Use Of No. 8, Will Renumber Car To No. 33

• O’Donnell: Kyle Busch Proposed An Over-40 Rule For Truck Series In Days Before Death

Share TC Daily Pit Stop

On Thursday afternoon, the racing world lost a true legend. Kyle Busch, a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and 234-time race winner in the NASCAR National Series ranks (the most all-time), passed away at the age of 41.

Busch’s family released a statement on Thursday morning explaining that Busch would not compete in this weekend’s NASCAR National Series events at Charlotte Motor Speedway, as he had experienced a “severe illness” which necessitated the driver being hospitalized.

A few hours after the initial statement, Busch was gone.

In a joint statement from the Busch family, Richard Childress Racing, and NASCAR, all parties confirmed the unfortunate news of Busch’s death.

The joint statement provided by the Busch family, Richard Childress Racing, and NASCAR:

On behalf of the Busch family, everyone at Richard Childress Racing, and all of NASCAR, we are devastated to announce the sudden and tragic passing of Kyle Busch.

Our entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch. A future Hall of Famer, Kyle was a rare talent, one who comes along once in a generation. He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled, and he cared deeply about the sport and fans. Throughout a career that spanned more than two decades, Kyle set records in national series wins, won championships at NASCAR’s highest level, and fostered the next generation of drivers as an owner in the Truck Series. His sharp wit and competitive spirit sparked a deep emotional connection with race fans of every age, creating the proud and loyal ‘Rowdy Nation.’ Our thoughts are with Samantha, Brexton, and Lennix, Kyle, and Samantha’s parents, Kurt, and all of Kyle’s family, Richard and Judy Childress, everyone at Richard Childress Racing, his teammates, friends, and fans. NASCAR lost a giant of the sport today, far too soon.

During this incredibly difficult time, we ask everyone to respect the family’s privacy and continue to keep them in your thoughts and prayers. Further updates will be shared as appropriate.

READ MORE

Kyle Busch (1985-2026)

NASCAR Community Mourns, Remembers Kyle Busch

In the hours after the announcement that Kyle Busch had died at the age of 41, the NASCAR community, which was understandably overcome with grief, began to share their tributes, and memories of racing against Busch, one of the fiercest competitors to ever race in NASCAR.

Among the many that sent out posts were Busch’s former teammates Denny Hamlin Erik Jones, and Jeff Gordon, former team owners Rick Hendrick and Joe Gibbs Racing, and current teammates like Jesse Love.

READ MORE

Austin Dillon Vows To Always Be There For Kyle Busch’s Family In Touching Tribute

In possibly the most touching tribute post to Kyle Busch, yet, Austin Dillon issued a lengthy letter on Instagram on Friday.

In the letter, Dillon vowed to always be there for Busch’s widow, Samantha, and their two children, Brexton and Lennix. Dillon also called Busch his favorite teammate and driver of all time.

Busch admits in the letter that while Busch wasn’t always popular around the Richard Childress Racing shop, prior to him joining the team in 2023, that he was always secretly a Busch fan, personally.

Dillon also pulled back the curtain on Busch signing with Richard Childress Racing ahead of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season.

READ MORE

Share TC Daily Pit Stop

The Final Lap Weekly is loaded this week as Kerry Murphey and Toby Christie break down a massive week in motorsports!

SVG does it again on the road course with a huge Watkins Glen win, proving once more that Shane van Gisbergen is becoming one of NASCAR’s most dangerous road-course weapons. Plus, Denny Hamlin captures the NASCAR All-Star Race at Dover, adding another major moment to his already headline-filled season.

Then the show shifts to breaking news: Kyle Busch has been hospitalized with what has been described as a “severe illness” and will miss the Coca-Cola 600 weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, with Austin Hill stepping into the No. 8 Chevrolet.

Rowdy Dragon stops by with Fantasy NASCAR Picks for the Coca-Cola 600, and the crew previews the biggest racing weekend of the year: Formula 1, the Indianapolis 500, and NASCAR’s marathon crown jewel, the Coca-Cola 600 from Charlotte Motor Speedway. If you love racing, this is the weekend — and this episode covers it all!

This episode is dedicated to my mom, whom I lost on the race morning of Watkins Glen weekend. She was a huge NASCAR fan and Tony Stewart fan; she will be missed. -Kerry

NASCAR News Provided By:

http://tobychristie.com

-Listen on Spotify

-Listen on Apple Podcasts

-Click To Play Fantasy NASCAR With Us!

-Giving Fun Is Here: Patreon.com/thefinallap

OTHER NASCAR HEADLINES

• Kyle Busch Hospitalized With Severe Illness, Will Not Race In Coca-Cola 600

• Kevin Harvick Headlines Three-Driver NASCAR Hall of Fame 2027 Class

• Rexel, John Hunter Nemechek Set For Return To LEGACY MOTOR CLUB in 2027

• NASCAR Denies Waiver Request For Corey LaJoie, Kaulig Racing

• Dover Delivered Carnage, Confusion, And A Broken NASCAR All-Star Format

• Entry List: 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte

• Entry List: 2026 NOAPS Charbroil 300 at Charlotte

• Entry List: 2026 NCTS NC Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte

Additional Resources:

• 2026 Schedules: Cup | Xfinity | Trucks

• 2026 Driver/Team Charts: Cup | O’Reilly | Trucks

Share TC Daily Pit Stop

Hamlin also gives his opinion on whether Dover Motor Speedway will be a one-and-done All-Star Race venue.

All that and a lot more. Enjoy my interview with Denny Hamlin!

With primary sponsorship from e.l.f. Cosmetics, Katherine Legge is set to attempt ‘The Double’ on Memorial Day weekend this year. Legge, who was already slated to be one of the 33 cars in the Indianapolis 500, driving the No. 11 HMD/A.J. Foyt Racing entry, will now also attempt to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on the same day.

In the Coca-Cola 600, Legge will pilot the No. 78 Chevrolet for Live Fast Motorsports. If Legge is able to make the field for the race in Concord, NC, and weather plays nice for her throughout the weekend, she’ll become the first woman, the first non-American, and the oldest driver to ever pull off ‘The Double’.

Kyle Larson, who competed in ‘The Double’ last season, was the first driver since Kurt Busch in 2014, who was able to compete in both events. Larson attempted ‘The Double’ in 2024, but weather foiled his hopes of competing in the Coca-Cola 600.

John Andretti was the first driver to attempt ‘The Double’ in 1994. Andretti finished 10th in the Indianapolis 500, and 36th in the Coca-Cola 600 that season.

Davy Jones attempted in 1995, but failed to make the field for the Coca-Cola 600.

Robby Gordon attempted ‘The Double’ five times, and his most successful attempt came in 2002, when he completed all but one lap between the two events.

Tony Stewart, who pulled off ‘The Double’ twice, remains the only driver to complete all 1,100 miles of racing in one day, as he finished 6th on the lead lap in the 2001 Indianapolis 500, and then finished third on the lead lap in the Coca-Cola 600.

OTHER NASCAR HEADLINES

• Blaney Hopes to Not Get Run Over By Guys Looking To Lock Into Final All-Star Segment

• Good Days Are Coming For Cup Series Rookie Contender, Connor Zilisch

• FOX Sports Failed To Show Several Late-Race Incidents On Watkins Glen Cup Broadcast

• Entry List: NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race At Dover

• Entry List: 2026 NOAPS BetRivers 200 at Dover

• Entry List: 2026 NCTS ECOSAVE 200 at Dover

• Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Returning to Hyak Motorsports With Multi-Year Contract Extension

• Van Gisbergen Rallies From 29 Seconds Down In 18 Laps To Win At The Glen

Share TC Daily Pit Stop

If anyone had begun questioning if Shane van Gisbergen was still the top driving talent on road courses in the NASCAR Cup Series after the driver failed to defeat Tyler Reddick at Circuit of the Americas earlier this season, and came up empty at Watkins Glen in starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series earlier in the weekend — STOP.

Shane van Gisbergen was flat-out dominant in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling at The Glen, as he led a race-high 74 laps in the 100-lap contest, and even a pit strategy, which placed him 29 seconds behind race leader Ty Gibbs with 25 laps remaining, wasn’t enough to stop him.

Van Gisbergen charged through the field, and in just 18 laps, he erased the 29-second deficit, took the race lead from Gibbs, and pulled away to a decisive win by more than seven seconds over Michael McDowell.

“Unbelievable to win with 97. Yeah, Super File Chevy was great. Thank you to Trackhouse. We weren’t very good in practice, and then qualifying was amazing. Good tweaks, and then today, so what a race car,” van Gisbergen said. “Then [Crew Chief] Stephen [Doran] made great calls. I wasn’t sure how it was going to work. Then to run them down, very, very special to do two in a row.”

The win on Sunday was the seventh of SVG’s NASCAR Cup Series career, and it’s his sixth win in the last seven NASCAR Cup Series road course events.

READ MORE
OFFICIAL RACE RESULTS

SVG Moves Inside Top-16 With Win

With 14 races remaining until the NASCAR Cup Series Chase begins, Shane van Gisbergen was able to work himself back inside the top-16 of the championship standings after his dominant win in Sunday’s Go Bowling at The Glen.

SVG sits six points above the cutline, while Chase Briscoe, who finished fourth on Sunday, fell outside of the top-16, and sits six points below the cutline.

Joey Logano, who suffered a last-place finish, now sits 38 points outside the cutline in 18th.

OTHER NASCAR HEADLINES

• FOX Sports Failed To Show Several Late-Race Incidents On Watkins Glen Cup Broadcast

• Zilisch Denies Love With Last-Lap Pass At Watkins Glen

• Honeycutt Breaks Through For First Truck Series Win At Watkins Glen

Share TC Daily Pit Stop

In this week’s episode, Rowdy dives into the Fantasy Live head-to-head matchups, compares road-course data from Watkins Glen, Sonoma, and COTA, and scans the sportsbooks for value plays, long shots, and his weekly “winner winner” pick. If you’re setting a lineup or building a betting card for NASCAR’s fastest road course, this episode is packed with insight.

Here’s what’s inside this week’s Watkins Glen episode:

🏁 Shane van Gisbergen vs. Tyler Reddick — Two elite road racers square off, but does SVG’s pure road-course pedigree and growing Cup comfort level give him the edge?

⚡ Chase Elliott vs. Christopher Bell — Elliott’s consistent road-course résumé and experience at The Glen could make him Rowdy’s preferred pick in a razor-close matchup.

🔥 Kyle Larson vs. William Byron — Larson’s aggression and raw pace at Watkins Glen make him dangerous, but is Byron’s cleaner execution something to keep in your mind?

🧠 Ross Chastain vs. AJ Allmendinger — Allmendinger’s road-course expertise and braking consistency make him one of Rowdy’s strongest matchup plays of the week, but could Chastain surprise him?

💸 Sportsbook breakdown — The odds board favors the established road-course stars, but Rowdy highlights value opportunities deeper in the field where strategy, pit calls, and track position can completely reshape the race late.

🚨 Long shots to watch — Michael McDowell offers sneaky top-10 upside, while Chris Buescher continues to provide strong value on technical road layouts.

🏆 Rowdy’s “winner winner” pick — Shane van Gisbergen, banking on elite braking ability, road-course racecraft, and the speed to control the event if strategy falls his way.

Rowdy also breaks down why Watkins Glen races differently from Sonoma and COTA, explains how stage strategy can completely alter the finishing order, and emphasizes why practice and qualifying will be critical before locking in final fantasy and betting decisions.

Whether you’re finalizing your Fantasy Live lineup, chasing sportsbook value, or preparing for one of NASCAR’s premier road-course events, this episode delivers the data-driven insight you need before the green flag drops at The Glen.

👉 Subscribe on Substack, fire up the episode, and let Rowdy Dragon guide your fantasy picks and betting strategy for Watkins Glen. 🏁🐉

OTHER NASCAR HEADLINES

• Could Alex Bowman Rally To Make The Chase After Four-Race Absence?

• Travis Pastrana: Kaulig Racing’s Latest Free Agent Driver

• Ryan Blaney Lands Long-Term Contract Extension With Team Penske

• Ryan Preece Fined and Docked Points for Gibbs Incident; No Penalties For Kyle Busch

  ---

LISTEN TO THIS WEEK’S EPISODE OF THE FINAL LAP WEEKLY

For Show #900, the guys break down the latest in NASCAR. The NASCAR Cup Series delivered non-stop drama at Texas Motor Speedway, and Chase Elliott is back in championship form with his second win of the season! Meanwhile, Denny Hamlin finishes 2nd AGAIN—is this becoming a trend?

We break down a massive weekend, including Alex Bowman showing signs of a comeback after battling vertigo, and the biggest NASCAR controversy of the week:
Why was Ryan Preece penalized… but Kyle Busch wasn’t?!

Plus, major news drops, including a contract extension for Ryan Blaney, and what it means for the future of the Cup Series.

Looking ahead: We preview the high-speed, high-stakes road course action at Watkins Glen International, where anything can happen when NASCAR turns right AND left!

Rowdy Dragon joins the show with his must-have Fantasy NASCAR picks to help you dominate your league this weekend.

️ Hosted by Kerry Murphey and Toby Christie, this is your one-stop shop for NASCAR news, race recaps, fantasy advice, and bold takes you won’t hear anywhere else.

NASCAR News Provided By:

http://tobychristie.com

-Listen on Spotify

-Listen on Apple Podcasts

-Click To Play Fantasy NASCAR With Us!

-Giving Fun Is Here: Patreon.com/thefinallap

OTHER NASCAR HEADLINES

• Travis Pastrana: Kaulig Racing’s Latest Free Agent Driver

• Ryan Blaney Lands Long-Term Contract Extension With Team Penske

• Ryan Preece Fined and Docked Points for Gibbs Incident; No Penalties For Kyle Busch

• “I’m Done With Him”: Ryan Preece’s Radio Rant Boils Over Into Ty Gibbs Wreck at Texas

• Did Busch’s Frustration Boil Over On Nemechek in Texas? Questions Arise

• Katherine Legge Set For NASCAR Cup Series Return At Watkins Glen

• Chase Elliott Holds Off Denny Hamlin For Texas Win On Late-Race Restart

Additional Resources:

• 2026 Schedules: Cup | Xfinity | Trucks

• 2026 Driver/Team Charts: Cup | O’Reilly | Trucks

Share TC Daily Pit Stop

Ryan Blaney isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. The driver of the No. 12 Team Penske Ford Mustang Dark Horse will remain in that role for the foreseeable future, after announcing a long-term contract extension with Team Penske on Wednesday.

Blaney, 32, is an 18-time NASCAR Cup Series race winner, and he scored the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series championship. The driver over the last few years has become well known for being able to elevate his finishing position beyond what his car, pit crew have been achieving.

Additionally, Team Penske announced a multi-year contract extension with Menards, which will continue as a major primary sponsorship partner for Blaney and Austin Cindric.

READ MORE

Travis Pastrana: Kaulig Racing’s Latest Free Agent Driver

Kaulig Racing has had some rather large names compete behind the wheel of its No. 25 “Free Agent Program” Ram 1500 this season. Travis Pastrana will be the latest.

On Wednesday, the team announced Pastrana as the driver of the No. 25 Ram in the upcoming NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 22.

Pastrana competed in the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway, driving for Niece Motorsports. In that race, Pastrana finished 15th.

READ MORE

OTHER NASCAR HEADLINES

• Ryan Preece Fined and Docked Points for Gibbs Incident; No Penalties For Kyle Busch

• Entry List: 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling at The Glen

• Entry List: 2026 NOAPS Mission 200 At The Glen

• Entry List: 2026 NCTS Bully Hill Vineyards 176 at The Glen

• “I’m Done With Him”: Ryan Preece’s Radio Rant Boils Over Into Ty Gibbs Wreck at Texas

• Katherine Legge Set For NASCAR Cup Series Return At Watkins Glen

• Did Busch’s Frustration Boil Over On Nemechek in Texas? Questions Arise

• Chase Elliott Holds Off Denny Hamlin For Texas Win On Late-Race Restart

Share TC Daily Pit Stop

Ryan Preece was smacked with a $50,000 fine and was docked 25 points following his incident with Ty Gibbs in last Sunday’s Wurth 400 at Texas Motor Speedway. According to NASCAR’s Mike Forde, in this week’s Hauler Talk Podcast, Preece’s in-car communication, where he threatened to crash Gibbs, paired with the incident, led to the penalties.

Surprisingly, Kyle Busch was not penalized for his incident with John Hunter Nemechek with two laps remaining in Sunday’s race. Forde said that NASCAR was unable to conclude through SMT data, due to the damage of the No. 8 RCR car, if the incident was intentional.

Forde did say that NASCAR will have a discussion with Kyle Busch this weekend as this is the second time in four races that NASCAR has had to decide whether or not to penalize Busch for an on-track incident, and that the benefit of the doubt is wearing thin.

READ MORE

WATKINS GLEN ENTRY LISTS

Entry List: 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling at The Glen

There are 38 cars on the entry list for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen International. The two “Open” entries this week are the No. 66 Garage 66 Ford, driven by Josh Bilicki, and the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet, driven by Katherine Legge.

FULL ENTRY LIST

Entry List: 2026 NOAPS Misson 200 At The Glen

There are 39 cars for 38 spots on the entry list for Saturday’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Mission 200 at The Glen at Watkins Glen International. Notables include: No. 0 Alex Labbe, No. 1 Connor Zilisch, No. 9 Shane van Gisbergen, No. 32 Ross Chastain, No. 50 Preston Pardus, No. 88 Rajah Caruth, and No. 91 Carson Kvapil.

FULL ENTRY LIST

Entry List: 2026 NCTS Bully Hill Vineyards 176 at The Glen

There are 38 trucks for 36 spots on the entry list for Friday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Bully Hill Vineyard 176 at Watkins Glen International. Notables include: No. 1 Brent Crews, 2 Jackson Lee, 4 Shane van Gisbergen, 5 Adam Andretti, 7 Connor Mosack, 20 Toni Breidinger, 22 Natalie Decker, 25 AJ Allmendinger, 33 Stephen Mallozzi, 42 Tyler Reif, 45 Ross Chastain, 56 Timmy Hill, 62 Wesley Slimp, 69 Dystany Spurlock, 71 Connor Zilisch, 76 Nathan Nicholson, and 77 Carson Hocevar.

FULL ENTRY LIST

OTHER NASCAR HEADLINES

• “I’m Done With Him”: Ryan Preece’s Radio Rant Boils Over Into Ty Gibbs Wreck at Texas

• Katherine Legge Set For NASCAR Cup Series Return At Watkins Glen

• Did Busch’s Frustration Boil Over On Nemechek in Texas? Questions Arise

• Chase Elliott Holds Off Denny Hamlin For Texas Win On Late-Race Restart

Share TC Daily Pit Stop

Chase Elliott led a race-high 87 laps in Sunday’s Wurth 400 at Texas Motor Speedway, and while we’ll never know how a green flag run would have played out to end the race, Elliott had to endure a late-race restart with four laps to go.

And on that restart, Denny Hamlin, who had been catching Elliott on track prior to the caution, got a phenomenal initial jump. As Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota began to nose ahead of Elliott down the frontstretch, Elliott got a little bit of a boost.

Alex Bowman, his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, gave Elliott a shove heading into Turn 1. This allowed Elliott to carry extra speed through Turns 1 and 2, which allowed him to clear Hamlin on the exit of Turn 2.

From there, Elliott just had to keep one eye on the mirror and one eye on the road ahead. Elliott would cross the finish line to take his second win of the season, and 23rd career win, over Hamlin by a margin of 0.407 seconds.

This is the earliest in a season that Elliott has ever notched multiple wins in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Alex Bowman finished third, Tyler Reddick, who took two tires on the final caution of the race, finished fourth, and Chris Buescher was the highest-finishing Ford in fifth.

READ MORE
OFFICIAL RACE RESULTS

RACE HIGHLIGHTS

Christopher Bell Crashes From Lead After Being Clipped By Gilliland

Christopher Bell’s horrendous luck in 2026 continued Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway. After leading 22 of the opening 68 laps of the Wurth 400, the driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota crashed from the lead when Todd Gilliland, a lapped car, spun out in front of him.

Bell attempted to squeeze by, but Gilliland barely clipped his right rear, which sent Bell into the wall and out of the race.

WATCH VIDEO

Defending Texas Winner Logano Done For Day After Pit Road Crash

As Joey Logano exited his pit stall, and attempted to blend into the outside lane of cars trying to exit pit road, Cole Custer came to a stop ahead of him as he noticed Ty Gibbs exiting his pit stall.

Logano couldn’t react in time, and slammed into the back of Custer’s car, which ended his day early.

WATCH VIDEO

UPDATED CHASE GRID

With 15 races remaining until the start of the NASCAR Cup Series Chase for the Championship, Tyler Reddick continues to hold a seemingly insurmountable point lead. Chase Elliott climbed to third in the standings with his win on Sunday at Texas.

Chase Briscoe suffered a disappointing 23rd-place finish, but it was still enough to move him inside of the Chase cutline by seven points. Joey Logano, who finished 37th after a pit road crash, fell outside of the top-16 at Texas.

OTHER NASCAR HEADLINES

• Carson Hocevar Stays Hot, Takes Second Career Cup Series Pole

• Larson Comes Out On Top After Testy Fights With Allgaier At Texas

• Hocevar Takes Texas Truck Series Win In Messy Overtime Finish

• Allgaier Cruises To 13th Career O’Reilly Pole; Will Lead Field to Green In Texas

Share TC Daily Pit Stop

In this week’s episode, Rowdy dives into the Fantasy Live head-to-head matchups, compares Next Gen data across Texas, Kansas, Las Vegas, and Charlotte, and breaks down sportsbook odds, long-shot value, and his “winner winner” pick. If you’re setting your lineup or building a betting card, this one is packed with actionable insight.

Here’s what’s inside this week’s Texas episode:

🏁 Carson Hocevar vs. Ty Gibbs — Hocevar has the better Texas averages, but does Gibbs’ recent form and elite 2026 performance on comparable tracks make him Rowdy’s pick?

⚡ Joey Logano vs. Chase Elliott — Logano’s career stats are strong, but Elliott has shown consistency this season and has superior recent form. Does this make him the safer play?

🔥 Brad Keselowski vs. Chase Briscoe — A razor-thin matchup, but Briscoe’s overall averages and Toyota strength may give him the edge, pending practice.

🧠 Ross Chastain vs. Daniel Suárez — Suarez’s recent form and strong Texas history outweigh Chastain’s struggles, making him Rowdy’s pick in this heated rivalry matchup.

💸 Sportsbook breakdown — The board is led by Denny Hamlin (+525) and Tyler Reddick (+600), with strong value deeper on drivers like Chase Briscoe (16-1) and Ty Gibbs (19-1) depending on qualifying.

🚨 Long shots to watch — Erik Jones offers excellent top-10 value (+600) with strong Texas history, while Daniel Suárez brings consistency and upside at plus money for a top-10 finish.

🏆 Rowdy’s “winner winner” pick — Denny Hamlin, banking on elite intermediate speed, pit crew advantage, and a hunger to finally close out a race that’s slipped away too many times this season.

Rowdy also recaps his recent Fantasy Live performance, explains why Texas can hinge on late-race strategy calls, and highlights how qualifying could dramatically shift both fantasy and betting outlooks heading into race day.

Whether you’re locking in your Fantasy Live lineup, chasing plus-money betting value, or just trying to stay ahead of the chaos at Texas, this episode delivers the insight you need before the green flag drops.

👉 Subscribe on Substack, fire up the episode, and let Rowdy Dragon guide your picks for Texas. 🏁🐉

OTHER NASCAR HEADLINES

• Dystany Spurlock Set For Historic NASCAR Truck Series Debut At Watkins Glen

• Tony Stewart: “I’m Pretty Sure I’m Going To (Run A Truck Race) Again”

• JLB & Associates Files Lawsuit Against Young’s Motorsports

• Hamlin: Adjusting Talladega Stage Lengths Didn’t Work; Would Like To See Changes To Car

  ---

LISTEN TO THIS WEEK’S EPISODE OF THE FINAL LAP WEEKLY

Talladega brought absolute CHAOS, and Carson Hocevar delivered the biggest moment of his career—his first-ever NASCAR Cup Series WIN! But it wasn’t just the victory that had everyone talking… his wild post-race celebration lit up the NASCAR world and sparked major reactions across the garage.

Denny Hamlin was fired up and made it crystal clear he’s fed up with superspeedway racing and the style of competition at Talladega. NASCAR also drops huge news with the announcement of a brand-new CEO, while Tony Stewart hints at a possible Truck Series comeback—and Kevin Harvick might not be far behind.

Plus, Rowdy Dragon joins the show with his Fantasy NASCAR picks, and we break down the upcoming showdown at Texas Motor Speedway, where drivers trade drafting for treacherous 1.5-mile oval battles. Hosted by Kerry Murphey and Toby Christie on The Final Lap Weekly.

NASCAR News Provided By:

http://tobychristie.com

-Listen on Spotify

-Listen on Apple Podcasts

-Click To Play Fantasy NASCAR With Us!

-Giving Fun Is Here: Patreon.com/thefinallap

OTHER NASCAR HEADLINES

• Dystany Spurlock Set For Historic NASCAR Truck Series Debut At Watkins Glen

• Tony Stewart: “I’m Pretty Sure I’m Going To (Run A Truck Race) Again”

• JLB & Associates Files Lawsuit Against Young’s Motorsports

• Hamlin: Adjusting Talladega Stage Lengths Didn’t Work; Would Like To See Changes To Car

• Entry List: 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Wurth 400 at Texas

• Entry List: 2026 NOAPS Andy’s Frozen Custard 340 at Texas

• Entry List: 2026 NCTS SpeedyCash.com 250 at Texas

Additional Resources:

• 2026 Schedules: Cup | Xfinity | Trucks

• 2026 Driver/Team Charts: Cup | O’Reilly | Trucks

Share TC Daily Pit Stop

Carson Hocevar took his first NASCAR Cup Series win and unveiled a victory celebration that some wondered if it would be banned. Will it? Whether it’s in the NFL or NASCAR, Jason Kelce wins. Corey Day, a future superstar? Cleetus McFarland nearly wins?

It was one WILD weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. Toby Christie takes you through his five takeaways from the race weekend.

READ MORE

TEXAS ENTRY LISTS

38 Cars On The NASCAR Cup Series Wurth 400 Entry List

There are 38 cars on the entry list for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Wurth 400 at Texas Motor Speedway. The two “Open” cars are the No. 66 Garage 66 Ford Mustang with Chad Finchum as the driver, and the No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota Camry with Corey Heim as the driver.

FULL ENTRY LIST

Entry List: 2026 NOAPS Andy’s Frozen Custard 340 at Texas

There are 39 cars (for 38 spots) on the entry list for this weekend’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Andy’s Frozen Custard 340 at Texas Motor Speedway. Notable entries include: No. 1 Connor Zilisch, 3 Austin Dillon, 9 Carson Kvapil, 32 Rajah Caruth, 42 Brad Perez, and 88 Kyle Larson.

FULL ENTRY LIST

Entry List: 2026 NCTS SpeedyCash.com 250 at Texas

There are 35 trucks on the entry list for this week’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series SpeedyCash.com 250 at Texas Motor Speedway. Notable entries include No. 1 Brandon Jones, 2 Clayton Green, 5 William Sawalich, 7 Kyle Busch, 22 Josh Reaume, 25 Parker Kligerman, 27 Toni Breidinger, 42 Conner Jones, 45 Ross Chastain, 62 Cory Roper, and 77 Carson Hocevar.

FULL ENTRY LIST

OTHER NASCAR HEADLINES

• Richard Childress Racing Changing Crew Chief For Kyle Busch

• Hocevar Finally Ropes First NASCAR Cup Win In Wild Talladega Finish

• Big One Collects All But Four Cars In Stage 2 Of Cup Race At Talladega

• Reddick Reveals Contract Extension With 23XI Racing In Talladega Pre-Race

• Bowyer and McMurray Set To Compete In Kaulig’s Free Agent Ram Truck

• Corey Day Collects First O’Reilly Win In Messy Finish At Talladega

• Reddick On Pole, Mears DNQs After Qualifying Canceled Due To Weather

Share TC Daily Pit Stop

Carson Hocevar, who has seemingly been knocking on the door of victory lane through his first 90 starts in the NASCAR Cup Series, finally broke down the door to the winner’s circle on Sunday afternoon in the Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Hocevar was locked in a side-by-side battle with Chris Buescher for the win over the final three laps of the race, but coming off of Turn 4 on the final lap, Buescher got a bump draft that disturbed his car, and ruined the momentum of his top lane. This allowed Hocevar the advantage he needed to cross the finish line first for his first Cup Series win.

As Hocevar crossed the line, several drivers in the field crashed behind him.

After taking the checkered flag, Hocevar performed an incredibly unique celebration as he climbed onto the window of his car, and drove his car around the track from there, and waved to the fans in attendance. At the end of the celebration, Hocevar guided the No. 77 car into the outside wall, and performed a burnout, while hanging out of the car.

READ MORE
OFFICIAL RACE RESULTS

UPDATED CHASE GRID AFTER TALLADEGA (16 Races Left Until Chase)

Video: Big One Collects All But Four Cars In Stage 2 Of Cup Race At Talladega

WATCH VIDEO

Richard Childress Racing Changing Crew Chief For Kyle Busch

Following a 10th-place finish in Sunday’s Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega, the first top-10 finish of the season for Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing announced a change at crew chief for its No. 8 NASCAR Cup Series team.

In a press release fired off on Monday morning, RCR announced that Andy Street, a longtime RCR employee, who stepped in as interim crew chief for Busch in the final five races last season, will take over effective immediately as the crew chief.

Jim Pohlman, whom the team acquired from JR Motorsports in the offseason, will be reassigned to a leadership position within RCR’s competition department.

Busch ranks 27th in the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings this season after 10 races, and sits 66 points outside of the Chase cutline.

READ MORE

OTHER NASCAR HEADLINES

• Bowyer and McMurray Set To Compete In Kaulig’s Free Agent Ram Truck

• Corey Day Collects First O’Reilly Win In Messy Finish At Talladega

• Reddick On Pole, Mears DNQs After Qualifying Canceled Due To Weather

Share TC Daily Pit Stop

Tyler Reddick grabs his 5th NASCAR Cup Series win of the season with a huge victory at Kansas Speedway, and Kerry Murphey and Toby Christie break down everything that happened in a full Kansas race recap. From the biggest moments on track to the drivers who came up short, this episode covers all the major storylines coming out of Kansas.

Plus, the Kyle Busch vs Denny Hamlin feud is heating up, Goodyear tire testing at Chicagoland Speedway could have future implications, and Rowdy Dragon stops by with his Fantasy NASCAR picks for Talladega Superspeedway. The guys also dive into a full Talladega weekend preview, key drivers to watch, and what could shake up the NASCAR Cup Series heading into one of the wildest races of the year.

NASCAR News Provided By:

http://tobychristie.com

-Listen on Spotify

-Listen on Apple Podcasts

-Click To Play Fantasy NASCAR With Us!

-Giving Fun Is Here: Patreon.com/thefinallap

OTHER NASCAR HEADLINES

• Trackhouse Teammates SVG and Zilisch To Run Watkins Glen Truck Race

• Kyle Busch: RCR ‘Got Our Hand Smacked’ By NASCAR During Three-Win 2023 Season

• Truck Series Veteran Ankrum Will Make O’Reilly Series Debut At ‘Dega

• Dear NASCAR: The O’Reilly Series Doesn’t Need A Clearer Identity

• Cleetus McFarland Set For Second O’Reilly Series Start At Nashville

• Daniel Dye To Make Cup Debut In Four-Race Schedule With Live Fast Motorsports

Additional Resources:

• 2026 Schedules: Cup | Xfinity | Trucks

• 2026 Driver/Team Charts: Cup | O’Reilly | Trucks

• 2025 Driver Points: Cup | Xfinity | Trucks

• 2025 Owner Points: Cup | Xfinity | Trucks

• 2025 Rookie Standings: Cup | Xfinity | Trucks

• 2025 Manufacturer Standings: Cup | Xfinity | Trucks

Share TC Daily Pit Stop

In an interview with Sports Business Journal, John Probst, NASCAR’s Executive Vice President, indicated that a swap to a crossover utility vehicle body style for the NASCAR O’Reilly Series cars is a possibility in the future, and that he believes it would give the series more of a unique identity.

I was flabbergasted by this quote, as it makes absolutely NO sense for NASCAR to try to fix the lone National Series division that is currently growing in viewership, and is regarded as the series that has the best overall racing.

I took to a column on TobyChristie.com to explain why NASCAR should not make changes to the body style of the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series cars.

READ MORE

Daniel Dye To Make Cup Debut In Four-Race Schedule With Live Fast Motorsports

Daniel Dye, who was recently reinstated by NASCAR after completing sensitivity training following a situation where he made homophobic remarks aimed at IndyCar driver David Malukas in an online stream, will attempt to make his NASCAR Cup Series debut this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.

Live Fast Motorsports announced a four-race partnership with Dye, which will see the driver attempt the events at Talladega (April), Pocono (June), Daytona (August), and Talladega (October).

This weekend, there are 41 cars on the entry list for the Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega, so Dye will have to qualify his way into the field.

READ MORE

Kyle Busch: RCR ‘Got Our Hand Smacked’ By NASCAR During Three-Win 2023 Season

In an interview on FOX News Media’s Hang Out with Sean Hannity Podcast, Kyle Busch spoke at length about his feud with Denny Hamlin, and the real reasons for the struggles for him and the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing team.

According to Busch, during his first season with RCR (2023), where he won three races, NASCAR caught something on their car in their final win at Gateway, which the sanctioning body didn’t like. While it wasn’t against the rules, the team was playing in a gray area of the rule book.

“When we, in 2023, when I won those three races, after the third race that we won at Gateway, we got our hand smacked for some of the stuff that we were doing to the racecar that NASCAR didn’t like,” Busch explained to Hannity, “and they said, ‘Hey, don’t bring that back.'”

Since NASCAR asked Busch and the No. 8 team not to bring the car back to the track like that, the driver and team have massively regressed on track.

READ MORE

OTHER NASCAR HEADLINES

• Truck Series Veteran Ankrum Will Make O’Reilly Series Debut At ‘Dega

• Entry List: 2026 NOAPS Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega

• Entry List: 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega

• Cleetus McFarland Set For Second O’Reilly Series Start At Nashville

• Daniel Dye To Make Cup Debut In Four-Race Schedule With Live Fast Motorsports

Share TC Daily Pit Stop

As Cleetus McFarland continues to try to obtain enough experience to gain approval for superspeedways in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, the driver has announced where his second career start in the series will come.

McFarland will climb back behind the wheel of the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet at Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday, May 30.

The YouTuber/aspiring racer finished 32nd in his debut O’Reilly Series race at Rockingham Speedway, a race in which he had several close calls on track, but was able to make it out of the event without incident.

McFarland says he will be using all of RCR’s resources to help prepare for Nashville.

“I’m going to be doing a lot of training with RCR, a lot of simulator time,” McFarland said. “Really looking forward to getting back out on the track in that O’Reilly’s car. A lot of power. Gotta dial in my turning left.”

READ MORE

Daniel Dye To Make Cup Debut In Four-Race Schedule With Live Fast Motorsports

Daniel Dye, who was recently reinstated by NASCAR after completing sensitivity training following a situation where he made homophobic remarks aimed at IndyCar driver David Malukas in an online stream, will attempt to make his NASCAR Cup Series debut this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.

Live Fast Motorsports announced a four-race partnership with Dye, which will see the driver attempt the events at Talladega (April), Pocono (June), Daytona (August), and Talladega (October).

This weekend, there are 41 cars on the entry list for the Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega, so Dye will have to qualify his way into the field.

READ MORE

TALLADEGA ENTRY LISTS

41 Cars On The NASCAR Cup Series Jack Link’s 500 Entry List

There are 41 cars on the entry list for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. With only 40 spots available in the starting lineup, one driver and team will head home after qualifying.

The five “Open” cars that are fighting for the four spots available:

• No. 33 Jesse Love - Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

• No. 44 Joey Gase - NY Racing Team Chevrolet

• No. 62 Casey Mears - Beard Motorsports Chevrolet (will go home if qualifying rains out)

• No. 66 Chad Finchum - Garage 66 Ford

• No. 78 Daniel Dye - Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet

Full Cup Series Entry List

Entry List: 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega

There are 38 cars on the entry list (for 38 spots) for Saturday’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Notable Entries:

• No. 0 Garrett Smithley - SS-GreenLight Racing

• No. 1 Carson Kvapil - JR Motorsports

• No. 5 JJ Yeley - Hettinger Racing

• No. 32 Tyler Ankrum - Jordan Anderson Racing

• No. 35 Natalie Decker - Joey Gase Motorsports

• No. 38 Patrick Emerling - RSS Racing

• No. 42 David Starr - Young’s Motorsports

• No. 74 Dawson Cram - Mike Harmon Racing

• No. 88 Rajah Caruth - JR Motorsports

• No. 91 Mason Maggio - DGM Racing

Full O’Reilly Series Entry List

Share TC Daily Pit Stop

Incredible, that’s all there is to say about Tyler Reddick after the driver scored his fifth win through the opening nine races of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. In Sunday’s AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway, Reddick overcame the odds twice in the closing laps on his way to yet another win.

Reddick, who held the lead over Denny Hamlin as the final laps of regulation were winding down, scraped the wall, and had the motor burping with a dwindling fuel load. This allowed Hamlin to take the lead.

As Hamlin was coming back to the white flag, and a sure win, Cody Ware spun and brought out the caution. This gave Reddick new life.

On the overtime restart, Reddick, Hamlin, and Christopher Bell made contact, which seemingly handed the win to Kyle Larson. However, Reddick somehow wasn’t done. He charged down and caught Larson down the backstretch, and made an incredible pass for the lead in Turns 3 and 4 on the final lap to score the win.

Larson finished second, Chase Briscoe was third, and Hamlin, who was very disappointed, ended up fourth.

READ MORE
OFFICIAL RACE RESULTS

UPDATED CHASE GRID (17 Races Until Chase)

With 17 races left until the Chase for the NASCAR Cup begins, Tyler Reddick continues to strengthen his hold on the regular-season championship lead with his fifth win.

This week, Chase Briscoe made a major move with his third-place finish and is now inside the 16-driver Chase Grid, while Shane van Gisbergen, who finished 36th, has fallen outside of contention for now.

Daniel Suarez is the final driver inside the Grid and holds a 13-point advantage over Austin Cindric.

OTHER NASCAR HEADLINES

• Taylor Gray Strategizes Way To Kansas Win Over Sheldon Creed

• Kyle Busch Miffed At Denny Hamlin’s Podcast Comments

• Carson Kvapil Walks Away From Wild Flip On Lap 2 At Kansas

• RFK Racing, Liverpool FC, and Trimble Unveil Special Chris Buescher Paint Scheme for Sonoma NASCAR Race

• Donovan Strauss Set For NASCAR Truck Debut With Niece At North Wilkesboro

• Team Penske Taps Championship Hero Jack Man To Move To Blaney’s Pit Crew

• Justin Marks Admits Trackhouse Racing ‘In A Rebuilding Phase Right Now’

Share TC Daily Pit Stop

Let’s break it all down.

Taylor Gray Strategizes Way To Kansas Win Over Sheldon Creed

He didn’t have the dominant car throughout Saturday night’s Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway, but when the chips were on the table, Taylor Gray’s crew chief, Jason Ratcliff, called a race-winning strategy on the final pit stop of the race when he chose to pit Gray a few laps earlier than Sheldon Creed and Brandon Jones, the two dominant drivers in the race.

A couple of laps of faster lap times on fresher tires allowed Gray to get the lead when the pit stops cycled out, and he had built a massive lead. The lead was just simply a little too large for Creed to completely track him down.

Gray would hang on to win the race by 0.718 seconds over Creed, while Justin Allgaier, the series point leader, would finish third. Jones would be forced to rally to an eighth-place finish after suffering an uncontrolled tire penalty on his final pit stop, which ended his bid to win the race.

READ MORE
OFFICIAL RACE RESULTS
UPDATED CHASE GRID

Carson Kvapil Walks Away From Wild Flip On Lap 2 At Kansas

Gray may have won the race on Saturday night, but the big story coming out of the race was a frightening accident on the backstretch on Lap 2 of the race. Coming off Turn 2, Carson Kvapil, the polesitter, got a shot from behind from William Byron, which sent him veering into the outside wall.

Kvapil would collect Parker Retzlaff, and would get airborne. What resulted was a wild tumble down the length of the backstretch.

WATCH VIDEO/READ MORE

Reddick Continues Dominance Of Cup Series With Kansas Pole

Tyler Reddick can seemingly do no wrong, currently, as he continued his incredible start to the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season by capturing the pole position for the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway on Saturday afternoon.

This is his third pole of the season, and he already has four wins on the stat sheet. The performance in qualifying has Reddick feeling ultra-confident going into Sunday’s race.

“Just proud of everyone’s effort at 23XI,” Reddick stated. “We’ve been solid. Obviously, we had that stretch where we were really tough to beat here. We’ve worked hard to improve that. And to have a Saturday go like this, smooth, just great handling out of our Camrys is just what we want to see.”

Read More
Full Official Starting Lineup

Kyle Busch Miffed At Denny Hamlin’s Podcast Comments

Denny Hamlin gave his opinion of what is going on with Kyle Busch and the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing team on his Actions Detrimental Podcast this week, and let’s just say that Busch didn’t take the analysis well.

When asked about Hamlin’s assessment of the situation in a media bullpen session at Kansas Speedway on Saturday, Busch fired back, “If Denny wants to switch cars, I’ll switch cars with him any day of the week, anytime. I would love for him to show me that he can carry it better than I can.”

When asked if he pays attention to what people say about him on social media, Busch admitted that he has seen things on there in the past, but that most of the time, people are incorrect in what they say. And he feels Hamlin is no different.

“Um, I have consumed some of it over time, and I’ve consumed that 80% of it, people don’t know what the hell they’re talking about. And in this instance, I don’t feel like Denny Hamlin even knows what the hell he’s talking about,” Busch lamented. “So, he can bash me all he wants, and I can certainly make his life hell.”

Will Busch find a way to make Hamlin’s life a living hell on Sunday at Kansas Speedway?

READ MORE

Share TC Daily Pit Stop