This weekend the engines of NASCAR are quiet as they prepare for the final races of the regular season and the approaching playoffs which are under a new format this season. Win and you are in is gone and consistency is key.
NASCAR takes the week away from racing to pay homage to the best of the season so far…
Tyler Reddick got his season off to a record setting start by winning the first three races on his way to five wins before he began had numerous issues that have kept him from victory lane.
Every NASCAR fan knows that a speeding penalty can kill an afternoon and a race; Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron has not had a speeding penalty in the number 24 car for 29 races in a row.
Last year Ty Gibbs shocked the NASCAR world when he took home the $1 million In-Season Challenge prize. This year it was Todd Gilliland who took hoe the big prize after an on track incident damaged Ryan Blaney’s car and put him back in the field.
Called The Hurricane for his aggressive driving, Carson Hocevar earned his first career win this season at Talladega Motor Speedway and a Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway.
Often finding himself in the middle of the pack, AJ Allmendinger gets the prize for passing the most cars this season in his number 16 car.
Team Penske has had a bit of a slow start this season but three time champion Joey Logano longest active streak in the Cup Series with top 10 wins in seven short track races in a row.
With Tyler Reddick’s falter, Denny Hamlin has taken over the points lead with five wins and 877 laps led this season.
Since coming to NASCAR, New Zealand born driver Shane van Gisbergen has won seven of nine road course races. And his oval finishes have greatly improved too.
Like Taz, Chase Briscoe has learned that green means go and slams his foot on the pedal to get out in front of the field on restarts. He is the leader in the Cup Series in positions gained on a green flag.
Last season Daniel Suarez as a part of Trackhouse Racing sat near the bottom of the list in points; this season he is driving for Spire Motorsports and has jumped 20 positions in the standings and sits 103 points above the cut line.
Team Penske’s number 12 driver Ryan Blaney led 171 of 263 at Echo Park Speedway to win the race and earn 75 points in the process. He earned a motorcycle for the win and took it for a spin on the track after everyone had left.
Ty Gibbs has won just one race this season but he leads the way with 181 stage points, has five stage wins, and is fourth in the standings.
Broken wrist and all, Christopher Bell has come in second in six races this season. But he also ranks sixth in overall speed.
Denny Hamlin has five wins this season and some of them were by wide margins. He also leads in overall speed this season. Hamlin has also proven his skill at saving his tires…for the burnout!
RFK Racing has led the way this season when it comes to paint scheme tributes and honouring former driver Greg Biffle who lost his life along with his family last year in a plane crash.
When it comes to Best Moments in win celebrations, Carson Hocevar sits at the top of the list with his Talladega celebration. Hocevar took full advantage of his height when he sat in the window of the door and drove the car down the track. Hocevar later said that the celebration was not planned but just figured that he could do it since he has long legs. And the celebration was not banned by NASCAR.
With four races remaining in the regular season, the two races at Echo Park Speedway in Georgia top the list for Best Race. In the spring race it took a double overtime for Tyler Reddick to win the race. Twenty-nine of the 38 drivers were involved in an accident. In the summer, the race was marred by weather delays and a near 2am finish with Ryan Blaney earning the win.
In the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, points leader Justin Allgaier has won six races with seven stage wins and a points lead of over 200 points.
Sheldon Creed finished second in 15 races before finally winning a race at Echo Park Speedway.
The only full time driver to race in three different cars for two different teams this season, Carson Kvapil earned his first win at Indianapolis in the last race before the break.
The Indianapolis race also saw JR Motorsports finish 1-2-3-4 for the first time.
When the 2026 season began, Brent Crews was not old enough to drive on the larger tracks and missed the first four races of the season; despite that, he stands 13 points above the cut line with two races remaining in the regular season.
Not viewed as a top tier team, Parker Retzlaff driving for Viking Motorsports has four top-five and 10 top-10 finishes this season. He currently sits ninth in the point standings.
Driving for his family’s team, Jeremy Clements has 448 consecutive career starts. Clements noted, “the last time Clements did not race in an O’Reilly contest was March 9 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway … in 2013. ‘Harlem Shake’ was a top music hit. In other words, yeah, it has been a bit since Clements has missed O’Reilly action.”
Brennan Poole gets the consistency award…he is the only driver in the O’Reilly Auto Parks Series who has finished all 22 races this season. He has completed all but five laps this season.
Poole also gets the Best Paint Scheme award this season for The Samantha and Kyle Busch Bundle of Joy Fund at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The race at Echo Park Speedway earns the Best Race mention with a battle between Ross Chastain and Austin Hill that saw Hill crash and allowing Sheldon Creed to win the race.
The Best Moment of the season so far goes to Austin Hill and his win in the inaugural race at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego, California. Hill noted that he started talking to Kyle Busch (who died May 21) on the straightaways.