TC Daily Pit Stop: All-Star Format Announced; JGR Adds Spire to Chris Gabehart Lawsuit; Austin Hill Running Partial Schedule in No. 33
TC Daily Pit Stop: Thursday, February 26, 2026
NASCAR, Dover Motor Speedway Confirm 2026 All-Star Race Format
On Wednesday, NASCAR and Dover Motor Speedway revealed the format for the 2026 NASCAR All-Star Race, scheduled to take place at the one-mile concrete oval on Sunday, May 17.
The format is a departure from recent years, as this season, NASCAR has decided to do away with the “All-Star Open” — a shorter qualifying race that allowed two drivers who wouldn’t otherwise qualify for the exhibition event to race their way into the show.
Instead, the 2026 NASCAR All-Star Race will be 350 laps total, broken up into a pair of 75-lap segments, which will then determine the field and starting order for the race’s final 200-lap segment.
READ MORE
Joe Gibbs Racing Adds Spire Motorsports to Lawsuit Against Former Competition Director
Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has amended its recent lawsuit filing against former Competition Director Chris Gabehart to include rival NASCAR Cup Series organization Spire Motorsports, dishing out allegations that the organization accepted the illegally obtained information provided by Gabehart.
The championship-winning organization says that both Gabehart and Spire Motorsports’ actions were “immoral, unethical, and unscrupulous”.
Gabehart was first named in a lawsuit from Joe Gibbs Racing on February 19, with allegations that the long-time crew chief and newly-named Competition Director had engaged in a “brazen scheme” to take information from JGR and funnel it directly to his new place of employment — Spire Motorsports.
The new amendment naming Spire Motorsports as a co-defendant was filed on Tuesday and includes Joe Gibbs Racing seeking a temporary restraining order, as well as preliminary and permanent injunctive relief against Gabehart.
READ MORE
Austin Hill Running Select Cup Races in RCR No. 33
Perennial NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championship contender Austin Hill will make select starts in the NASCAR Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing this season, driving the No. 33 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
Hill will make his first NASCAR Cup Series start of 2026 in the Straight Talk Wireless 500 at Phoenix Raceway, with United Rentals, a long-time partner of the Winston, Georgia-native, adorning the entry.
“United Rentals continues to be a special part of my career, and carrying their colors once again in the Cup Series means a lot,” said Hill. “I’ve represented their company for almost a decade now, and it never gets old winning races and having success together. The No. 33 team was able to get our first top-10 last season in Chicago, and I genuinely felt like we had a shot to win the fall race at Talladega. Racing on Sundays full-time is the end goal, so expanding the track lineup will be a good challenge to gain experience. Grateful to Richard, every man and woman at RCR, ECR, and CT Spring, and of course, United Rentals for the opportunity.”
READ MORE
Other NASCAR Headlines
Young Life to Sponsor Brent Crews in 12 O’Reilly Series Events
Chili’s Returns As Primary Sponsor For Hocevar, Spire At COTA
Graza Olive Oil Joins RFK Racing As COTA Primary Sponsor For Keselowski
Patriot Mobile Sponsoring Ty Dillon, Kaulig Racing in Four Races
Tyler Reddick (Sans a Right-Front Fender) Goes Back-to-Back to Start 2026
Larson Says “All My Fault” After Heavy Crash At End of Stage 2
Kyle Busch Takes Massive Impact Into Inside Wall On Lap 125
ENTRY LISTS
Entry List for NASCAR Cup Series Event at COTA
There are 37 cars on the entry list for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series DuraMax Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. The lone “Open” entry is the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, which will be piloted by Jesse Love.
Entry List for NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Event at COTA
There are 40 cars for 38 spots on the entry list for Saturday’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series event at Circuit of the Americas.
Notables include: Alex Labbe (No. 0 Chevrolet for SS-GreenLight Racing), Brent Crews (No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing), Baltazar Leguizamon (No. 30 Chevrolet for Cope Family Racing), Ross Chastain (No. 32 Chevrolet for Jordan Anderson Racing), and Preston Pardus (No. 50 Chevrolet for Pardus Racing, Inc.).
Entry List for NASCAR Truck Series Event at St. Petersburg
There are 36 trucks on the entry list for Saturday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series street race at St. Petersburg.
Notables include Carter Fartuch (No. 2 Ford for Team Reaume), Ben Maier (No. 4 Chevrolet for Niece Motorsports), Adam Andretti (No. 5 Toyota for TRICON Garage), Connor Mosack (No. 7 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports), Jackson Lee (No. 22 Ford for Team Reaume), Tyler Reif (No. 42 Chevrolet for Niece Motorsports), Landen Lewis (No. 45 Chevrolet for Niece Motorsports), Derek White (No. 69 Ford for MBM Motorsports), and Nathan Nicholson (No. 76 Chevrolet for Freedom Racing Enterprises).
Additional Resources:
 | A guest post by
|