Nascar news

• Chase Elliott Has Just One Complaint About NASCAR’s Return to the Chase Format

  13-01-2026 03:12 via sports.yahoo.com
  Aug 27, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Chase Elliott answers questions from the media during NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Media Day at Charlotte Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn ImagesNASCAR announced on Monday that the Cup Series will be returning to a modified version of the previously used Chase format (2004-2013) for the 2026 season. The long-awaited move has drawn a range of responses from drivers, and while he is largely pleased with the change, 2020 champion Chase Elliott has
  
  Read more

• Cleetus McFarland, YouTube star, makes NASCAR Truck Series debut at Daytona

  13-02-2026 12:03 via sports.yahoo.com
  Cleetus McFarland has become a popular auto-racing personality thanks to his YouTube videos, which showcase his creative thinking as he builds a variety of vehicles.McFarland also performs stunts, burnouts, and races his cars in unique ways, which has led to his debut in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 13 and his return to the ARCA Menards Series race there on Feb. 14.McFarland, whose real name is Garrett Mitchell, will drive the No. 4 Chevrolet t
  
  Read more

• NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series schedule 2026: Dates, times, TV channels, live streams, winners for every race

  13-02-2026 12:00 via sports.yahoo.com
  NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series schedule 2026: Dates, times, TV channels, live streams, winners for every race originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.One of the most noticeable changes for the 2026 racing season is right in the name of NASCAR's second-tier series. After 11 seasons as the Xfinity Series, the circuit is now known as the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series. Fear not, though — while the branding is different, race f
  
  Read more

• Chase Elliott Is “Cautiously Enjoying” His Duel Victory at Daytona Ahead of Sunday’s Main Event

  13-02-2026 11:45 via sports.yahoo.com
  Feb 11, 2026; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Chase Elliott (9) during qualifying for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway | Credits- Mike Dinovo-Imagn ImagesChase Elliott added another Duel win to his shelf, driving his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to victory at Daytona without a single caution. He took the lead on Lap 53 and held off Carson Hocevar by 0.065 seconds to claim his third Duel triumph.The win placed Elliott among an exclusive group of thre
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• 2026 Daytona 500 starting grid: Full lineup for NASCAR's biggest race

  13-02-2026 11:15 via sports.yahoo.com
  Kyle Busch earned his first Daytona 500 pole in his 21st attempt in the Super Bowl of stock car racing Wednesday night. The Richard Childress Racing driver earned the top spot in qualifying by just 0.016 seconds over Joe Gibbs Racing's Chase Briscoe.Busch had the fastest time of qualifying overall in his first run with a 48.933. He was the only driver to break 49 seconds at all during qualifying; his eventual pole lap came in at a 49.006.Daytona 500 weather forecast: Rain has potential to impact
  
  Read more

• After legal win, dad's death, Denny Hamlin sets sight on first title

  13-02-2026 11:02 via sports.yahoo.com
  DAYTONA BEACH — Going through the assembly line-type exercise of meeting with waves of media. Getting the right fit for the seat in his No. 11 Toyota. Testing, understanding and re-familiarizing the nuances of superspeedway braking. And simply shifting through the gears during the opening practice session.By bits and pieces, Denny Hamlin is starting to feel like himself again. Ready to win a fourth Daytona 500. Ready to finally claim the elusive NASCAR season championship. Ready to remain
  
  Read more

• Bubba Wallace Wants to Disrupt Rick Hendrick, Joe Gibbs, and Roger Penske’s NASCAR Dominance

  13-02-2026 11:00 via sports.yahoo.com
  Feb 11, 2026; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace (23) during practice for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway | Credits- Mike Dinovo-Imagn ImagesFor Bubba Wallace, fatherhood seems to have flipped a switch. The arrival of his son, Beck, in 2024 has helped him keep a steadier hand on the wheel and his eyes firmly on the big prize. Last season, he broke through at the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, ending a 100-race win drought by leadi
  
  Read more

• Richard Childress Supports NASCAR Going to the Chase Format, but Not Because He Disliked the Playoffs

  13-02-2026 10:45 via sports.yahoo.com
  Feb 11, 2026; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series team owner Richard Childress during qualifying for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway | Credits- Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesThe 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season begins this weekend with the Daytona 500, and one very exciting change, or rather a reintroduction, to look forward to is the return of the Chase format. After eleven long years, it will once again be the system that decides the champion.This move has been met with
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott Insist A Daytona 500 Win Won’t Make or Break Their NASCAR Careers

  13-02-2026 10:30 via sports.yahoo.com
  Kyle Larson (L) and Chase Elliott (R) | Credits- USA Today Network, ImagnAll drivers in NASCAR dream of winning the Daytona 500, but only some can realistically contend for it each year. For those who enjoy glittering careers without this elusive trophy in their cabinets, the prize becomes even more alluring, and Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott are two such drivers.Larson and Elliotthave made 12 and 10 starts in the Daytona 500 respectively, but have yet to park their cars in Victory Lane.Ahead of
  
  Read more

• Anthony Alfredo’s Daytona 500 Hopes End in Heartbreak After NASCAR Ruling

  13-02-2026 08:03 via sports.yahoo.com
  Feb 11, 2026; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Anthony Alfredo (62) during qualifying for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. | Credits- Mike Dinovo-Imagn ImagesAnthony Alfredo experienced the highest of thrills and the harshest of disappointments in a very short span after the second Daytona Duels qualifying race on Thursday. He finished the race in 18th place and secured his spot in the coveted Daytona 500. Or, so he thought.It wasn’t long before the n
  
  Read more

• Duel shows why anything is possible in the Daytona 500

  13-02-2026 07:20 via sports.yahoo.com
  Motorsport photoJust like everyone predicted, BJ McCleod Motorsports and Garage66 made it into the Daytona 500 over cars fielded by RFK Racing, Front Row Motorsports and a Richard Childress Racing affiliate.In the words of Casey Mears, driving the Garage66 for Carl Long, anything can happen at Daytona.It’s the reason McLeod and Mears signed up to drive figurative knives to a figurative gunfight. When everyone is in the draft, with the potential of missing a 20-car melee, there’s a no
  
  Read more

• Official Starting Lineup For the 2026 Daytona 500

  13-02-2026 06:23 via sports.yahoo.com
  After Thursday night's America 250 Duels at Daytona, the starting lineup is officially set for Sunday's Daytona 500. | Ricky Martinez | Racing America On SIDAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- On Wednesday evening, Kyle Busch scored the pole position for Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, as he topped Chase Briscoe for his first-career Daytona 500 pole.Fast forward to Thursday night, and at the conclusion of the pair of America 250 Duel qualifier races, which were won
  
  Read more

• Anthony Alfredo won't race in Daytona 500 after post-Duels inspection failure, DQ

  13-02-2026 05:50 via sports.yahoo.com
  Anthony Alfredo's No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet failed post-race inspection after the Daytona 500 Duels, and Alfredo will not race in the Daytona 500.NASCAR made the announcement following the duel qualifying races on Feb. 12.Alfredo drove to an 18th-place finish in the second Daytona Duel race, initially making the Daytona 500 as the highest-finishing open entry.But a cooler hose was found not connected on Alfredo's car during post-race inspection, Cup Series director Brad Moran said.BJ Mc
  
  Read more

• Elliott Claims Duel 2 Win; McLeod Makes Daytona 500 After Alfredo DQ

  13-02-2026 05:35 via sports.yahoo.com
  Chase Elliott was victorious in Thursday's America 250 Duel No. 2 at Daytona International Speedway. | Ricky Martinez | Racing America On SIDAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- In a race that couldn't have been any more different from the opening America 250 Duel of the night on Thursday, the second America 250 Duel was clean; it remained green. At the end of some close battles at the front of the pack late in the race, Chase Elliott surged to the win.Chase Elliott wins Duel No. 2 at Daytona! pic.twitter.c
  
  Read more

• “You Are Too Old You Can’t Do It”: Kyle Busch Wants to Prove Detractors Wrong

  13-02-2026 05:21 via sports.yahoo.com
  Kyle Busch stands for the national anthem before the NASCAR Cup Series Duel during Speedweek, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. | Credits- © Nadia Zomorodian / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesKyle Busch is kicking off the 2026 season with the serious intentions of winning races, after spending the last two years struggling to get great results. It’s been a while since he won, and his pole in Daytona seems to have lit a fire in him.Over the past two seasons, Busch has knocked on the winning d
  
  Read more

• Anthony Alfredo disqualified, removed from Daytona 500 field

  13-02-2026 05:20 via sports.yahoo.com
  Motorsport photoAnthony Alfredo's Daytona 500 dream has come to a bitter end. After racing his way into the field, his No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet failed post-race inspection.Alfredo finished 18th in Duel #2, besting both BJ McLeod and JJ Yeley to race his way into the 500. He failed to qualify for the race in 2025, and was extremely emotional over the prospect of competing in NASCAR's biggest race for just the third time in his career.Instead, he will be going home alongside Corey LaJoie
  
  Read more

• Richard Childress Has Still Not Gotten Over the Personal Attacks Made on Him by NASCAR Executives

  13-02-2026 05:10 via sports.yahoo.com
  Nov 1, 2025; Avondale, Arizona, USA; NASCAR Xfinity Series team owner Richard Childress during the Xfinity Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway. | Credits- Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesThe 2025 NASCAR offseason was arguably one of the most exciting periods of off-track drama in recent history, and the saga surrounding the revelation of top NASCAR officials lambasting Richard Childress behind his back was among the biggest stories. The controversy centered on insulting text messages directe
  
  Read more

• Could a trade deadline enliven the NASCAR season? Plenty of moving parts work against driver swaps

  13-02-2026 05:04 via sports.yahoo.com
  DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Imagine a scenario in the NASCAR world — say, around the Brickyard 400 in July — when the hot topic isn't just which driver might kiss the bricks.Try, which driver could kiss his current ride goodbye.What if NASCAR took a cue from stick-and-ball sports and had a trade deadline? Forget trading paint. How about trading a star driver for a pair of minor-league prospects? Maybe a couple of veterans who wore out their welcome on one team get a fresh start
  
  Read more

• Daytona 500 lineup: Starting order, pole for 2026 race based on qualifying results

  13-02-2026 05:01 via sports.yahoo.com
  Daytona 500 lineup: Starting order, pole for 2026 race based on qualifying results originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Kyle Busch has won a lot of things across his glittering 22-year career. He hasn't captured a Daytona 500, though.The two-time Cup Series champion, 63-time race winner and future NASCAR Hall of Famer is one of the most decorated drivers to ever grace a cockpit. But American stock car racing's grandest prize has e
  
  Read more

• Starting lineup for the 2026 Daytona 500

  13-02-2026 04:25 via sports.yahoo.com
  NASCAR has set the starting lineup for the 2026 Daytona 500, which pole-sitter Kyle Busch will lead to the green flag in search of his first victory in the Cup Series season opener.Chase Briscoe will start second.After a win in each of Thursday night's qualifying races, Joey Logano (starting third) and Chase Elliott (fourth) will comprise the second row.William Byron, who is trying to become the first driver with three consecutive Daytona 500 victories, will start 39th in the 41-car field.Here's
  
  Read more

• Daytona 500: Joey Logano and Chase Elliott win Duel qualifying races as Casey Mears and Anthony Alfredo race their way in

  13-02-2026 04:23 via sports.yahoo.com
  Chase Elliott and Joey Logano won the two Daytona Duel races ahead of the Daytona 500.Logano won the first Duel while Elliott got the checkered flag in the second race. Casey Mears got into the Daytona 500 on the final lap after Corey LaJoie and Chandler Smith were each caught in late passes.With 39 of the 45 drivers attempting the race locked in via charters (36 drivers), qualifying speed Wednesday night in pole qualifying (Justin Allgaier and Corey Heim) and a NASCAR-issued provisional for wel
  
  Read more

• Daytona 500 starting lineup after Daytona Duel. NASCAR season awaits

  13-02-2026 04:20 via sports.yahoo.com
  We now know who's in and who's out, and among the in-crowd, we know where they'll line up Sunday to start the 68th Daytona 500. Thursday night's 150-mile Duels settled things among those without automatic entry. Four drivers and their teams loaded the haulers for the lonely ride home. On the other hand, 41 drivers, cars and teams remain for the Great American Race, which can either make a new legend or cement one.Here's how they'll line up for the first of at least 200 laps Sunday afternoon.Sund
  
  Read more

• Chase Elliott wins Duel #2 in caution-free race

  13-02-2026 04:17 via sports.yahoo.com
  Motorsport photoAfter a wildly chaotic Duel #1, things were far calmer in the second Duel qualifying race. Chase Elliott captured the checkered flag in the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, followed by Carson Hocevar, Kyle Larson, Michael McDowell, and Christopher Bell.The two Hendrick and Spire cars up front worked closely together to control the finish, and none of them made a move on each other until the finish line was in sight."A great way to get the blood pumping for sure on a Thursday
  
  Read more

• Chase Elliott wins Duel #2 as an emotional Alfredo locks into Daytona 500

  13-02-2026 04:17 via sports.yahoo.com
  Motorsport photoAfter a wildly chaotic Duel #1, things were far calmer in the second Duel qualifying race. Chase Elliott captured the checkered flag in the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, followed by Carson Hocevar, Kyle Larson, Michael McDowell, and Christopher Bell.The two Hendrick and Spire cars up front worked closely together to control the finish, and none of them made a move on each other until the finish line was in sight."A great way to get the blood pumping for sure on a Thursday
  
  Read more

• Chase Elliot wins Duel #2 as an emotional Alfredo locks into Daytona 500

  13-02-2026 04:17 via sports.yahoo.com
  Motorsport photoAfter a wildly chaotic Duel #1, things were far calmer in the second Duel qualifying race. Chase Elliott captured the checkered flag in the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, followed by Carson Hocevar, Kyle Larson, Michael McDowell, and Christopher Bell.The two Hendrick and Spire cars up front worked closely together to control the finish, and none of them made a move on each other until the finish line was in sight."A great way to get the blood pumping for sure on a Thursday
  
  Read more

• Daytona 500 Duels Results: Key Surprises and Starting Grid for Sunday’s Race

  13-02-2026 04:15 via sports.yahoo.com
  The Duels at Daytona went rubber to pavement tonight, and we are so glad to see it. Between hot laps, wrecks, surprises, and much more, there is a lot to unwrap. Most of all, the Duels set the starting grid for the Daytona 500 this coming Sunday. This is how the grid sets itself, and what it may mean for the field. Front RowThe front row was set during Qualifying on Wednesday. It puts Kyle Busch in pole position and Chase Briscoe to his outside. Briscoe is now in the front row for the third time
  
  Read more

• Who won NASCAR Daytona Duels? Duel 1 winner is Joey Logano, plus full results

  13-02-2026 04:08 via sports.yahoo.com
  Joey Logano won the Daytona 500 Duel No. 1 in overtime on Feb. 12, the first of two qualifying races for the NASCAR Cup Series opener on Feb. 16 at Daytona International Speedway.It was Logano's fourth Duel win. He will go for his second Daytona 500 victory on Sunday.Ryan Blaney was second, Austin Dillon was third.Ryan Preece, who led 38 laps, finished ninth.Here are the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 Duel 1 results from Feb. 12:Daytona 500 duels results: Duel 1 finishing order1. Joey Logano
  
  Read more

• Who won NASCAR Daytona Duels? Duel 2 winner is Chase Elliott, plus full results

  13-02-2026 04:05 via sports.yahoo.com
  Chase Elliott won the Daytona 500 Duel No. 2 on Feb. 12, the second of two qualifying races for the NASCAR Cup Series opener on Feb. 16 at Daytona International Speedway.It was Elliott's third career win in the Duels.Carson Hocevar was second, and 2025 NASCAR Cup champion Kyle Larson was third in the caution-free race.Anthony Alfredo finished 18th in the No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet to earn an open spot in the Daytona 500.Joey Logano won the first Duel. He will go for his second Daytona 50
  
  Read more

• NASCAR Duel 2 at Daytona Results: Finish Order, Winner, and Key Takeaways

  13-02-2026 04:04 via sports.yahoo.com
  Pos.DriverTeam1Chase ElliottHendrick Motorsports2Carson HocevarSpire Motorsports3Kyle LarsonHendrick Motorsports4Michael McDowellSpire Motorsports5Christopher BellJoe Gibbs Racing6Josh BerryWood Brothers7Ricky Stenhouse Jr.Hyak Motorsports8Todd GillilandFront Row Motorsports9Ty GibbsJoe Gibbs Racing10Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs Racing11Erik JonesLegacy Motor Club12Tyler Reddick23XI Racing13Riley Herbst23XI Racing14Zane SmithFront Row Motorsports15Connor ZilischTrackhouse Racing16Ty DillonKaulig Racing
  
  Read more

• Daytona Duels 2026 results: Joey Logano, Chase Elliott claim wins in Daytona 500 qualifying races

  13-02-2026 03:55 via sports.yahoo.com
  Daytona Duels 2026 results: Joey Logano, Chase Elliott claim wins in Daytona 500 qualifying races originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Cup Series calendar kicks off in earnest with Daytona Duels. It's a welcome sight for NASCAR fans. After all, it indicates that the greatest spectacle in stock car racing -- the Daytona 500 -- is on the horizon.Kyle Busch and Chase Briscoe embraced the spotlight during Wednesday's qualifying se
  
  Read more

Follow @NewsNascarUSA on Twitter!