The NASCAR Cup Series stage was a lot different in 2012 from how it is now in 2026. Roush Fenway Racing was still challenging for titles strongly, and its top driver, Matt Kenseth, was still one of the most sought-after superstars in the sport.
Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell grew up on dirt, driving sprint cars and midgets long before NASCAR came calling. Their careers began in the clay pits, where car control was synonymous with throttle control at its finest.
There's less than two weeks until NASCAR unofficially begins its season with the exhibition Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium and less than a month until the 68th Daytona 500 officially kicks off the 2026 campaign on Feb. 15. Here are five of the most anticipated Cup Series races of 2026.
Ross Chastain got the unique opportunity to be on-site at the ‘Roar Before the 24’ test sessions in Daytona over the weekend. He made a surprise appearance at the venue and toured Action Express Racing’s Whelen Cadillac set-up.
Emerson Axsom came out of Tulsa as the latest champion of the Chili Bowl Nationals on Saturday. The youngster proved his merit against some of the most elite drivers in the country, among whom was defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson.
The current NASCAR landscape is flush with young talent, including Connor Zilisch and Jesse Love, each of whom arrives at the racetrack every weekend with the goal of one day reaching the Cup Series.
Jimmie Johnson won five consecutive championships under the Chase format and added another before NASCAR introduced the elimination playoffs system. That’s what makes him the ideal candidate to weigh the advantages and drawbacks between the Chase and the elimination-style Playoff championship formats.
NASCAR’s return to the Chase format arrives as welcome news for fans, for television partners seeking stronger viewership, for veteran competitors, and for all-around talents.
In dirt racing, nothing is promised. You can unload the quickest car in the building, execute all week flawlessly, and still watch everything unravel in a single moment.
On a cool night in Tucson, two drivers with the same last name delivered the kind of Pro-Late Model short‑track drama that doesn’t need a championship backdrop to feel significant.
American defense and aerospace manufacturer Lockheed Martin on Thursday conducted a successful 90-degree launch Joint-Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM). The demonstration, which took place in China Lake, Calif., had a connection to NASCAR.
Connor Zilisch had one of the best rookie seasons in the history of the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2025. It wasn’t all smooth, however, as Zilisch suffered a broken collarbone in August after his win at Watkins Glen International.
Kevin Harvick and his son, Keelan, have begun looking like inseparable partners off the racing surface. On track, the duo has traded shots for victories, including during the 13th Annual Chilly Willy at Tucson Speedway, where the 125-lap Pro Late Model season opener turned into a father-son duel with neither willing to lift.
Plane crashes have become a sensitive topic of late in the NASCAR community, owing to Greg Biffle’s tragic loss of life while traveling to Florida last month.
Martin Truex Jr. is far removed from the noise of all things racing following his retirement from the NASCAR Cup Series in 2024. The 45-year-old loves spending time outdoors, dividing his time between fishing and hunting.
TULSA, Okla. — Ryan Blaney has won a NASCAR Cup Series championship, raced on the sport’s biggest stages and battled the best stock car drivers in the world.
The engine noise usually defines a racetrack. It’s a guttural, earth-shaking roar that signals speed, power, and competition. But on Friday morning at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, the defining sound wasn’t the scream of a roaring Next Gen engine.