Four Races to the Chase: The Battle for the Final 10 Begins to Heat UpWith just four races remaining before the Chase for the Championship, the pressure is beginning to mount across the standings. Only the top 10 drivers will earn a spot in the final ten-race battle for the 2026 championship, and while some drivers have begun to establish themselves as favorites, others are running out of time to secure their place. Race wins, consistent finishes, and avoiding costly points days could ultimately determine who gets a shot at the championship and who watches the final ten races from the sidelines. Ryan Heuser currently sits atop the standings with 3,085 points, holding an 82-point advantage over second-place Zakk Miller (3,003). Heuser has been one of the dominant forces throughout the season, collecting an impressive five victories. His combination of winning speed and consistency has made him the driver everyone else is chasing. However, Zakk Miller remains within striking distance. With four races left, an 82-point deficit is far from insurmountable. John Battista occupies third with 2,908 points, while Alex Crapser sits fourth at 2,888. Markell Murphy rounds out the top five with 2,869 points. Murphy has been another major story this season. His two victories include the prestigious Daytona 500, giving him one of the biggest wins of the year. With 2,869 points, Murphy is just 39 points behind Crapser and 203 behind Battista. The fight for the third-through-fifth positions remains wide open. The Bubble Battle: Every Point MattersWhile the top six have established some breathing room, the fight for the final four Chase positions is becoming increasingly important. Zach Michael currently holds sixth with 2,834 points, followed by Logan Sheets in seventh at 2,656. Chauncey Redmond Jr. sits eighth with 2,616, while Tony Pizzaro occupies ninth with 2,465. Ken Pettit currently holds the all-important tenth and final transfer position with 2,417 points. Pettit has a narrow 13-point advantage over 11th-place Bink Lucas, who has accumulated 2,404 points. That is about as tight as a championship cutoff battle can get with four races remaining. Lucas is certainly not out of the picture. In fact, one strong race combined with a difficult afternoon for Pettit could completely flip the order. Craig Lee sits 12th with 2,357 points, 60 behind Pettit. Timothy McDonnell is 13th at 2,300, with Dave Miller close behind in 14th at 2,293. The numbers tell the story: Pettit, Lucas, Lee, and McDonnell are all within striking distance of the final Chase position. Even drivers further down the standings cannot afford to give up hope just yet. Pizzaro Gets Back to Victory LaneOne of the biggest headlines from last week was Tony Pizzaro's victory in the Brickyard 400. Pizzaro ended a two-year winless drought by capturing the prestigious Indianapolis race, giving his season a much-needed boost. The victory was especially important because Pizzaro currently sits ninth in the standings with 2,465 points. Although he has a 48-point cushion over Pettit, Pizzaro cannot afford to relax. His Brickyard triumph provides momentum heading into the final four races, but securing a Chase position remains the priority. For a driver who had gone two years without a victory, winning at Indianapolis could be exactly the spark needed to finish the regular season strong. Redmond Jr. Is Becoming a Serious ThreatPerhaps no driver is building momentum quite like Chauncey Redmond Jr. Currently eighth in the standings with 2,616 points, Redmond has recorded five top-six finishes in his last six races. That kind of consistency is exactly what a driver needs heading into the most important stretch of the regular season. Redmond is 40 points behind Sheets for seventh, and his recent performances suggest he could continue climbing the standings. More importantly, he has created some separation between himself and the drivers fighting for the tenth position. If Redmond can maintain this pace over the next four races, he could enter the Chase as one of the more dangerous contenders in the field. The Reigning Champion Is on the Outside Looking InOne of the most surprising developments in the standings is the position of Johnny Reed Foley. The two-time reigning champion currently sits 26th with 2,052 points. Foley is 365 points behind Ken Pettit, who occupies the tenth and final Chase position. With four races remaining, the defending champion faces an uphill battle to keep his championship hopes alive. Foley has proven that he knows how to win championships, but this season has put him in unfamiliar territory. Rather than preparing for another title defense, he now has to focus on simply making the Chase. It would be a major storyline if the two-time reigning champion failed to qualify for the final ten-race championship battle. But with four races left, his season is not over yet. Four Races to Decide EverythingThere are four races left before the field is officially cut down to the ten drivers who will compete for the 2026 championship. Ryan Heuser has the points lead and five victories to his credit, but Zakk Miller is close enough to keep the pressure on. Murphy, Battista, Crapser, and Michael are all looking to strengthen their positions before the Chase begins. Meanwhile, the real drama could be unfolding around the cutoff line. Ken Pettit has a slim 13-point advantage over Bink Lucas, and several drivers behind them are hoping to capitalize on any mistakes. Pizzaro has momentum after his Brickyard 400 victory, Redmond Jr. is putting together one of the hottest stretches in the field, and the two-time reigning champion Johnny Reed Foley is staring down the possibility of missing the Chase altogether. Four races. Ten championship spots. Twenty-seven drivers with something left to prove. The road to the 2026 championship is about to get a whole lot more interesting. |
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Watkins Glen has become a stage for two names that have consistently risen to the top: John Battista and Zach Michael. Between 2020 and 2025, the two competitors have established an impressive winning record, combining for five victories and showcasing their dominance at one of racing's most iconic venues. The run began in 2020, when Zach Michael captured the victory at Watkins Glen, putting his name on the map and setting the tone for what would become a remarkable stretch of competition. In 2021, John Battista took center stage. Battista followed up his breakthrough performance with another victory in 2022, proving that his success was no fluke. Then, in 2023, he completed an incredible three-year winning streak, becoming the first of the two drivers to establish a sustained run of dominance at the track. Three consecutive victories are no small accomplishment, and Battista's run from 2021 through 2023 cemented his place among Watkins Glen's standout competitors. His ability to return year after year and deliver winning performances demonstrated remarkable consistency. Zach Michael, however, wasn't finished making his mark. After his 2020 triumph, Michael returned to the winner's circle in 2025, adding another victory to his Watkins Glen résumé. His return to the top demonstrated that he remained a major force and could once again conquer the challenging circuit. Together, Battista and Michael have accounted for every victory in the five recorded winning seasons between 2020 and 2025, with 2024 remaining outside that stretch of victories. Watkins Glen: Last Eight Winners 2025: Zach Michael 2024: Tony Pizzaro 2023: John Battista 2022: John Battista 2021: John Battista 2020: Zach Michael 2019: Johnny Reed Foley 2018: John Battista John Battista's three consecutive victories give him the edge in total wins, while Zach Michael's victories in 2020 and 2025 showcase his ability to win across different eras of competition. Five victories across six calendar years tell a story of consistency, determination, and two competitors who have made Watkins Glen their own. Whether it's Battista's remarkable three-year winning streak or Michael's bookend victories, one thing is clear: when it comes to winning at Watkins Glen, these two names have set the standard. John Battista and Zach Michael haven't just won at Watkins Glen. They've defined an era of competition at the track. Friday, November 12th, 2026 |
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The Midwest tour begins! A two-race excursion through Indy and Michigan; a boon for the high-horsepower teams before the oncoming road course stint! Logan Sheets, Chauncey Redmond Jr. and Bink Lucas are in line for their first Chase birth, attempting to hold off four former Champions occupying 11th through 14th in the standings. Veterans Tony Pizzaro, Craig Lee, Dave Miller and Timothy McDonnell lurk from behind the bushes, aiming to re-gain their rightful status as "Dominance Men". The green flag waves! Pole-sitter Tony Pizzaro leads the inagural lap, watching 400,000 fans clap in unison as the "Fenway Frank" Fusion marches in front. It wouldn't last for long. A backstretch spin by Dan Johnson brought out the first yellow flag, bunching the 45-car field for a second-chance start. Pizzaro would lose the lead to Logan Sheets, with teammate Rick Jackson blowing an engine, dropping to 20th in the standings. Willma Perry would suffer the same fate for his seventh DNF of 2026. The "Fenway Frank" #12 re-takes the lead on lap-9! Ryan Heuser and "pain-man" Cristian Torres are able to keep pace, with Heuser taking the top-spot just six laps later. The #138 NOS Energy Chevrolet would dominate the remaining stint, hoping to earn his fifth Brickyard 400 victory in their last seven tries. Pizzaro beat him out of the pits, with Sheets, Zakk Miller, Torres, Zach Michael, Alex Crapser, Markell Murphy, Trae Larkin and Bink Lucas occupying the top-10 by the lap-50 mark. Ken Pettit blows a tire! Ben Geer smacks the #8 through the entrance of turn-1, sending both into a spin towards the outside barrier. Underneath, Dave Miller and Matt Raboin tangle while attempting to bypass the smokescreen, with the #90 Marlboro Chevrolet careening off the outside wall and into the path of Champion Johnny Reed Foley. Steven Spears hits Foley, who spews a mosquito-screen into the windshields of all! Raboin goes for a flip after a second contact with Pettit, with Adam Crapser, Larry Sheldrake and Dalton Lucas unable to avoid the oil and grease. Seven drivers fell out after the accident. Miller dropped from 13th to 14th in the standings. Foley's three-peat hopes were all but tarnished, falling to 26th in points after a third-straight effort of 30th or worse. Raboin literally tumbled outside the top-20, with Pettit miraculously holding onto 10th, just one point ahead of Bink Lucas with four races remaining in the regular season. Steven Spears recovered to finish 23rd, just four points behind Ken Joynt for the 35th-spot. Dalton Lucas earns his league-leading 8th DNF, with teammate Adam Crapser practically out of title contention after literal "blow" to his soul. "Complacency heralds our doom!" exclamed #12 crew chief Neil Justice. A 70-race winless streak heading into the Brickyard 400, not winning at an oval in three-and-a-half years! Pizzaro would lead the field through lap-61, holding off Sheets and Heuser again, with Sheets in control through the halfway mark. Danger Zone teammates Zach Michael, Markell Murphy and Zakk Miller joined the fray, with Tony Gunk, Molemar Diggs, John Battista and John Tharp rounding out the top-10 positions. The #58 Quaker State Intrepid held it's ground through green flag stops! Zakk Miller came out on top, pulling to a 1.5-second advantage over Sheets and Michael, with Heuser leading the third-pack. With 50-to-go, the lead-six morphed into a slip-stream of the Gods, safely ahead of the remaining contenders. Miller, Heuser and Murphy traded the top-spot through the 30 to-go mark, with 35 cars still in contention if a caution flag were to fly. ... Read more » |
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Cristian Torres will run the Brickyard! A catastrophic tunnel-turn accident on lap-6 of the Pennsylvania 400 broke his collarbone, but he will not be denied! He'll start in the 6th position, ahead of 40 less-hindered superstars. Pole-sitter Tony Pizzaro aims to turn his recent misfortune into gold! Four-straight finishes outside the top-18 drops the "Fenway Frank" #12 outside the top-10 in points, dropping from seventh to eleventh since the Budweiser 400 at Gateway. A victory here will cure his ails, though he'll have to surpass points-leader and Indianapolis dynamo Ryan Heuser. An average finish of 2.5 with four victories in his last eight Brickyard 400's. He'll start just two rows behind, hoping to maintain his 72-point advantage over Zakk Miller in the regular season Championship. Towards the rear, miracle-man Banks Germany will start his first ever race, gridding 37th in the 46-car field. Points Standings (After 21 of 36 Events) 1. Ryan Heuser: +630 |
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Bink Lucas and Ken Pettit enter the top-10 in points! Both endured morbid starts to their 2026 campaigns, only to rebound after a surplus of top-20 finishes. Tony Pizzaro and Craig Lee find their way outside the bubble, dropping to 11th and 12th after late-race accidents in the Pennsylvania 400. Pizzaro will start on the pole, with Lee crashing his primary car in qualifying; forced to start dead-last in the 46-car fracas. $10,000,000 is on the line for the winner! Ryan Heuser is the early favorite at 4-1; a line some fans think is too low after winning four of his last six. Outside-pole sitter Dakota Wilkins, John Battista and Zach Michael were each fast in practice, with Zakk Miller hoping for a Ryan Heuser meltdown to gain ground in the Championship. It's an unlikely scenario. Nobody dominates the Brickyard like the #138 Quick-Silver Motorsports Chevrolet! Points Standings (After 21 of 36 Events) 21. Matt Raboin: -230 |
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A long-distance excursion between both Pocono events! Only a five-race trip between the Pocono 400 in June and today's Pennsylvania 400, witnessing first-season victories from Matt Raboin, Chauncey Redmond Jr., Logan Sheets and Zakk Miller. Before this recent surplus of checkered-flag recipients, only Ryan Heuser, Team Danger Zone and Lucas Racing provided any consistent clout. Johnny Reed Foley and Dakota Wilkins won two events, but were plagued by different types of misfortune. With top-speed as the primary advantage, expect a return-to-form for the usual front-runners. NASCAR superstar Jimmy Spencer was spotted near a local cafe. When he turned around, we realized it was not Jimmy Spencer, but former Bonanza Series superstar Harry Lapp! "What happened to you Harry?" yelled a local race fan. "I can't stop eating these Pennsylvania crumpets!" he exclaimed, pouring a bottle of Aunt Jemima atop his over-filled platter. Hopefully, our current Extravaganza superstars won't succumb to the same fate. Pole-sitter Johnny Reed Foley leads the first six laps! Then, disaster struck. Alex Crapser and Cristian Torres make contact entering the tunnel-turn. The GameStop #26 flies through the infield grass, smacks the inside wall, then catapults over the turn-2 curbing. Somehow, everybody missed him before decimating the outside wall passenger-side first. The entire housing bent to the left on impact, pushing the Goodyear tires out in shades of NASCAR's Jeff Fuller at Kentucky. Torres would be helped out of the car, suffering a broken collarbone in the crash. Torres hit the wall with the right-front at 134 miles-per-hour, knocking his breath into another dimension! Still, he gave the "thumbs up" to the crowd as a helicopter flew his dangling torso out of the racetrack. "We thought he was dead" exclaimed Matthew Dominique, who witnessed the red and black blur fly across his windshield. "The impact flung him back to Argentina" yelled Steven Spock. He was forced to apologize for the comment due to his ties with the Don Satur biscuit company. The green flag re-waved on lap-10! Bink Lucas and Tony Gunk took fuel-only, hoping to hold off the field with their barely-worn Goodyear Eagles. Unfortunately, it was not to be. Johnny Reed Foley made a three-wide maneuver on the inside lane, surpassing both drivers by the end of the second-straightaway. He would lead the field through lap-26, with he and Craig Lee taking turns at the top-spot. Tony Pizzaro's "Fenway Frank" Fusion stole the advantage on lap-31, leading the pack for the remaining green flag distance. Catastrophe on lap-47! Dakota Wilkins and Ken Pettit make contact battling for 16th, knocking the #77 into Dalton Lucas as both slap the outside turn-3 barrier. Lucas crashed front-first, spinning towards the outside-groove traffic. Ziggy Moonglow, Geno Sphere, Markell Murphy, Steven Spears and teammate Alex Crapser all piled into the accident. Combined with Larry Sheldrake blowing an engine, all six cars would fail to continue. A massive blow for Murphy and Crapser, hoping to clinch their Chase spot before the final regular season event at Richmond. Chauncey Redmond Jr. leads the field for the lap-52 restart! He would dominate the entire stint, leading every lap in hopes of a thirteenth top-16 finish in his last fourteen events. On lap-65, a hard-charging David Butterworth was running 10th before blowing a tire on he exit of turn-1. Ken Joynt tagged him, sending the #81 through he in field grass, while Joynt spun into the path of Trae Larkin and Mark Heron. All three cars slapped the tunnel-turn wall, with Joynt, Butterworth and Heron heading to the garage. Larkin would limp home to a modest 30th.
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Zakk Miller wins two in-a-row! A magical stretch for the "Bepis Man", earning his eighth top-10 finish since Kansas, while jumping to a career-high second in the standings. He'll occupy the tenth spot on the Pennsylvania 400 starting grid. Pole-sitter Johnny Reed Foley hopes to turn the tide after a morbid streak since his comeback at Nashville. Four of his last five finishes are outside the top-20, leading only three laps during the stretch. He'll need to gain 42 points points race; 252-back from tenth-place Craig Lee with only six races left in the regular season. If he can lead lap one, the momentum may carry him forward, in spite of continuous aches and bruises from Talladega. "They hand me an orange tonic before every race!" exclaimed Foley. "It looks like Fast Orange, but I doubt they'll try to kill me. At least not yet!". Crew chief Ronnie Pressley commented further. "If Shoenice can consume shampoo, Foley can drink grease cleaner with ease!". Expect a comeback performance for the #3 AC-Delco team. Points Standings (After 20 of 36 Events) 1. Ryan Heuser: +625 |
