NASCAR driver hospitalized after Truck Series race

NASCAR Truck Series driver Tyler Reif. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

NASCAR driver Tyler Reif hospitalized after Truck Series race at St. Petersburg

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Feb 28, 2026 4:12 PM ET

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Tyler Reif was hospitalized after Saturday's Truck Series race on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, according to Bob Pockrass of Fox Sports. It is not yet known what the cause of his hospitalization is.

Pockrass reported that Reif was taken to the hospital for "further evaluation."

Reif finished 16th in Saturday's race after starting 18th. The 18-year-old driver was tapped for an expanded Craftsman Truck Series schedule with Niece Motorsports in 2026 after finishing ninth in his Truck Series debut at Phoenix Raceway on Oct. 31, 2025.

Reif finished second in the 2025 ARCA Menards Series East standings. He is the younger brother of fellow racing driver Tanner Reif.

Tyler Reif was taken to the hospital for further evaluation after the truck race. He was running at the finish but did have some damage.
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) February 28, 2026

Tyler Reif's start to 2026

Reif did not compete in the Truck Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 13 but finished 17th after starting 27th in the Feb. 21 race at Atlanta.

Reif's No. 42 Chevrolet Silverado was damaged at the end of Saturday's race. The event saw several drivers remark about the heat. Temperatures inside the cockpit of NASCAR vehicles can easily reach triple digits and can be as high or higher than 140 degrees.

Layne Riggs won Saturday's Truck Series race, which was the first NASCAR race on the streets of St. Petersburg.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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