The second of four qualifying heats! Geno Sphere sits on the pole, hoping to capture the checkered flag, the $500,000 prize and a transfer to the big show! Race-2-Win Champions Rick Jackson and Tony Pizzaro grid outside the top-10, each in danger of missing the All-Star field despite their success at the facility. Dave Miller and Scott Jackson are also mired back, leaving eight Extravaganza Championship titles in the field. Hopefully, one of them will win the remaining three heats.

Qualifying Race #2 Results

Dong Sup Park was dismayed after his lap-18 accident. "Extravaganza I like! Not Banks Germany!" exclaimed Park; eating a bag of shrimp chips as he walked towards his Reese's Cup Petizione hauler. Both rookie drivers tangled exiting turn-2, slamming the outside wall before Germany's #94 slid back down the track. Tom Barber, currently 6th in Bonanza Series points by finishing in every event, failed to finish this one. He'd smack Germany's left-front, ending both of their nights.

Celebrity Drug Mandrix waves the green flag! Geno Sphere led the initial stint, with Dalton Lucas making several bids on the inside lane. He would be denied each time, having to overcome pressure from Alan Nesfeder and Ben Geer to maintain the second position. After the caution, Lucas took another shot with 16-to-go! The two raced side-by side defiantly, both needing the $500,000 bonus and notoriety of making the All-Star field. Both drivers have struggled this year, combining for a best finish of 9th in their 2026 campaigns.

Geno holds Lucas off! With 9-to-go, the #88 Little Ceasar's Chevrolet made one final bid for the lead. It was not to be. Lucas lost momentum exiting turn-4, having to battle for second place for the remaining distance. Geno Sphere would cruise to his first winner circle appearance, jumping out of the car with the pride of a Champion. "This one's for Papa Gino's! Without their help after our crash at Darlington, this wouldn't be possible." Congratulations to Sphere, crew chief Bob Freeman and the entire W.A.S.P. motorsports organization for an excellent victory!

Qualifying Race #1 Results

$500,000 and an entry to the 2026 Extravaganza Series All-Star Event! The first of four 40-lap qualifying shootouts, with the champion of each race advancing to the 100-lap feature. 43 cars enter each qualifier, filled with Extravaganza Series regulars as top-priority. The remaining field are top entry-requested Bonanza Series teams, starting from first in points down. If a team qualifies poorly, their chances of winning are next-to-nullified.

David Rattler and Banks Germany step into Extravaganza Series rides for the first time! The green flag waves with pole-sitter Alan Nesfeder leading the charge for the initial ten lap stint. Then, disaster struck. Chauncey Redmond Jr., Rod Weston and Dong Sup Park tangle on the frontstretch, with the #66 and #56 skidding across traffic! Jimmie Stevens, Steve Inkman, Scott Jackson, Ben Geer, Nigel Ramasawmy, David Courtney, Tom Barber and Ronaldo Scott each failed to avoid, with some preparing their backup cars for the second heat.

Steve Inkman lands on his roof! Two-and-a-half flips before resting on the turn-3 apron, exiting the cockpit under his own power. Up front, leader Alan Nesfeder held off several charges from Trae Larkin by the 10-to-go mark. Rick Jackson pressured the duo defiantly, gapping the remaining field by over a second! With 9-to-go, the #00 Fanta Chevrolet made another charge for the lead. This time, he would follow through, leading the field with relative ease until he crossed the checkered flag.

Delta Sim Racing has Charlotte figured out! Ziggy Moonglow won his qualifying race last year, capping the "Month of May" off with an unprecedented Coca-Cola 600 victory! This time, it was Trae Larkin's turn, transferring to his first career All-Star Event! Both Delta Sim cars will fight Quick-Silver Motorsports, Lucas Racing and Team Danger Zone for top of the peak! A possible $10,000,000 prize could send this organization beyond their mid-tier status. Look for a competitive effort from both cars in the main event. Congratulations to Larkin, crew chief Mike Henry Jr. and the entire Delta Sim Racing organization for an excellent victory!

Qualifying Race #1 Video

$10,000,000 to Win!

All-Star Race Entry List

Ziggy Moonglow: Charlotte, 2025
Bink Lucas: Nashville, 2025
Tony Gunk: Gateway, 2025
Adam Crapser: Chicagoland, 2025
Molemar Diggs: Pocono, 2025
Craig Lee: Michigan, 2025
Zakk Miller: New Hampshire, 2025
John Tharp: Talladega, 2025
Zach Michael: Charlotte, 2025
Timothy McDonnell: Martinsville, 2025
Markell Murphy: Las Vegas, 2026
Dakota Wilkins: Homestead, 2026
Alex Crapser: Bristol, 2026
John Battista: Talladega, 2026
Ken Pettit: Kansas, 2026
Ryan Heuser: Texas, 2026
Qualifying Race #1: Winner
Qualifying Race #2: Winner
Qualifying Race #3: Winner
Qualifying Race #4: Winner

Friday, May 29th, 6:00 ET

Official Race Earnings

Qualifying Race #1 Winner: $500,000
Qualifying Race #2 Winner: $500,000
Qualifying Race #3 Winner: $500,000
Qualifying Race #4 Winner: $500,000
All-Star Race Leader (Lap 25): $1,000,000
All-Star Race Leader (Lap 50): $1,000,000
All-Star Race Leader (Lap 75): $1,000,000
All-Star Race Winner: $10,000,000

 

Official Race Format

Qualifying Race #1: 40 Laps, Winner Advances
Qualifying Race #2: 40 Laps, Winner Advances
Qualifying Race #3: 40 Laps, Winner Advances
Qualifying Race #4: 40 Laps, Winner Advances
All-Star Race: Requalify, 100 laps, $10,000,000 Prize

 

All-Star Race Winners

2019: Alan Nesfeder
2020: Rick Jackson
2021: Zach Michael
2022: Timothy McDonnell
2023: Timothy McDonnell
2024: Zakk Miller
2025: Dakota Wilkins

Lucas Racing continues their stride! Four top-eights for Alex Crapser and John Battista since Darlington, putting them second and third in the standings after eleven events. Points leader Markell Murphy earned a top-10 finish at Kansas despite failing to lead a lap. He will start sixth for the Russ Charneski 500. Crapser earns the pole, with Battista mired in 32nd. Pizza Hut 400 Winner Ken Pettit jumps to 11th in points, in-line to pass the injured Johnny Reed Foley. It will be the "Marley Man's" first top-10 appearance since 2024 if he can pull off the feat!

Race Results

Points Standings

Race Recap

Ben Geer starts strong! Pole-sitter Alex Crapser leads the first ten laps, relinquishing to Geer with Zakk Miller following through on the inside. The "Twinkie Man" maneuvered valiantly from his seventh-place starting spot, leading the field for the remaining stint. He would hold off Miller, John Tharp and Craig Lee with plenty of gap to spare. The lead foursome pulled to a three-second advantage from the rest of the pack!

A frontstretch accident on lap-62! Larry Sheldrake blows a rear tire exiting turn-4, leaving Dan Johnston without a prayer. The two collided, sending the two blue and aqua cars violently towards the outside wall. Adam Crapser destroys the rear of Sheldrake attempting to avoid, sliding accross the start-finish line in a plume of black smoke. Rookie Larry Lack slams Dan Johnston on the passenger-side door, finishing his first career race in last place.

All four drivers involved in the accident failed to continue. Johnston earned his second-straight finish outside the top-40, dropping to 28th in points. Adam Crapser falls to 30th after another low-luck circumstance. He lost two cars during the weekend, having to hybrid a Chevrolet from their short-track stable to run the All-Star Race. Sheldrake earned his first career DNF in his sixth start, failing to finish 37th for only the second time this season.

After the restart, Ben Geer aimed to continue his dominance! On lap-72, points leader Markell Murphy was able to get by, miring the "Twinkie Man" to the second-half of the top-10. It was Geer's most dominant performance during his Top-Geer Motorsports tenure, leading 63 laps; the most since Rockingham in the fall of 2020! Sadly, a pit road accident on lap-140 dropped him several laps, finishing 39th after a spectacular night.

John Battista takes the lead from Markell Murphy on lap-77, hoping to further his streak of two-consecutive top-2 finishes! Murphy re-took the advantage on lap-99, only for Craig Lee to slide by on the inside. Lee, Battista, Zakk Miller and Murphy would pull away from the field. After pit stops, Ryan Heuser and Matthew Dominique climbed their way into the mix, with "Bepis Man" Zakk Miller coming out ahead. The #30 Team Danger Zone Mustang led 59 laps, adding to his league-leading 391 on the year.

Markell Murphy's fresher tires hold true! Team Danger Zone has a history of good runs at this facility, adding to their dominion by occupying the 1-2 spots. The #47 Red Bull Mustang would dominate the remaining stretch, pulling to a near four-second advantage over John Battista before a lap-200 yellow. Early-race dominator Ben Geer and Dakota Wilkins tangle off of turn-4, sliding across the frontstretch to bring out the second caution flag. Geer limped home 39th, with Wilkins out of the race. The #77 Colorado Rockies Chevrolet would drop to seventh in the standings.

Matthew Dominique steals the show! Danger Zone teammates Murphy and Miller drop back after the restart, with Dominique leading his first laps since Martinsville on lap-211. The #25 Alpinestars Viper maintained it's advantage through the 90-to-go mark. Dominique and Miller would battle side-by-side from there, maintaini ... Read more »

Qualifying Results

Ken Pettit eyes the prize! Extravaganza's "Rastaman" becomes the oldest winner in 2026, hoping to re-duplicate his Kansas effort in the Russ Charneski 500. The #8 Bob Marley Chevrolet finishes well at Texas, racking up consistent top-10 performances since his victory in 2017. He will start 27th. Pole-sitter Alex Crapser tries for a fifth-straight top-8 finish! He comes in only 52-points back from leader Markell Murphy; both finishing inside the top-half of the field in every event. Logan Sheets ended his streak with a 25th-place finish at Kansas, leaving the #47 and #04 as the only two. Amazingly, eight other drivers have yet to drop out of a race! Watch to see if John Battista, Zakk Miller, Craig Lee, Timothy McDonnell, Donald Stewart, Bink Lucas, Jimmie Stevens and John Tharp can continue their fortune.

History was made last week! Six drivers with double-digit numbers beginning with "0" attempted to qualify for the Pizza Hut 400. Alex Crapser, Ziggy Moonglow, Trae Larkin, Mark Heron, Doug Spark and Larry Lack each filled out their entry form, with Heron and Lack failing to make the show. This week, the #06 Caterpillar Volkswagen made the Texas field, hoping to fair better than Dong Sup Park and Rhamondre Diggs during their first campaigns. Larry Lack replaced Doug Spark in the #03 E3 Pontiac Bonanza ride in 2025, re-sponsored to Lanco. He currently stands 18th in Bonanza Series points, hoping to further his credentials with a top-30 finish in the Russ Charneski 500!

Friday, May 16th, 6:00 ET

The mid-America travel starts now! From Kansas to Texas, we will witness wheat fields, cattle and barbecue of the Gods! The Ozark's provide excellent cuisine, pouring butter on pork loins, brisket, and even ravioli. Molemar Diggs went to the famous Jack Stack Barbecue, buying The Pitmaster Meal for $73.99. "The pulled pork was fantastic. It might've given me the spark to rebound my season!" His leftover meat will be nailed to the dashboard for good luck in the Pizza Hut 400.

Race Results

Points Standings

Race Recap

A free P'Zone for all 200,000 spectators! Some eat it with marinara. Some dip it ranch! Some carry their own concoctions, consuming tabasco and worcestershire sauce like an engine consumes 5W-30. Former Pizza Hut driver Logan Sheets starts fifth, hoping to extend his top-20 streak to eleven. Pole-sitter Craig Lee climbed into the top-10 in points after two-straight top-6's, leading the 45-car promenade to the green! Lee would hold pace through lap 22, handing the top-spot to teammate Ryan Heuser.

The #101 NOS Energy Chevrolet re-takes the lead on lap-33! Dakota Wilkins, Tony Pizzaro, Ken Joynt, John Battista and Rick Jackson catch up to the duo, hoping to end the Quick-Silver dominion. The #12 "Fenway Frank" Fusion would lead it's sixth-straight event on lap-51, crossing the line under the first caution flag of the night. Mike Carroll goes for a spin in the 38th position, sliding against the turn-1 wall after contact from Ziggy Moonglow. He would crwalt to an eventual 43rd place finish. Johnny Reed Foley's stand-in Doug Spark was just ahead of the accident, escaping the first trial of his new AC-Delco opportunity.

Tony Pizzaro, John Battista, Craig Lee, Steven Spears, Ken Joynt, Donald Stewart, Timothy McDonnell, Rick Jackson, John Tharp and Zach Michael occupy the top-10 for the lap-57 restart! the #20 Coca-Cola Mustang meandered through the pack to take the lead on lap-93. Miracle-man Michael Henson followed him through, hoping to lead his second event in three races, while earning his first top-10 finish in 2026. Michael, Henson and Pizzaro would dominate the remaining stint.

Doug Spark destroys the wall! A hard luck crash for the #03, smacking the turn-1 barrier after contact with Matt Raboin. They were battling for the 35th spot. Spark careened into the racing groove, getting smacked again by Rob Scarberry, with both cars coming to a stop. Both drivers suffered a destroyed front end, and more bruises than a dropped prune. Third-place in points Dakota Wilkins had just pitted, dropping the #77 Rockies Chevrolet down a lap. He would finish 39th, dropping to sixth in the standings.

After the restart, Zach Michael continued his dominance, leading the Halfway Bacon Bonus with 40 cars still on the lead lap. Ken Pettit took the helm with 112-to-go, driving from 37th to the front in just over 100 circuits. "This is the best set of tires we've had since Bristol!" exlaimed crew chief Slim Horton. Which Bristol race he was referring to is unclear. Speaking of "reefer", the Bob Marley #8 continued it's stride through the next round of fuel stops.

Pettit and John Battista pulled away from the field! The Wendy's #39 took the lead with 83-to-go, pulling off a masterful pit stop to keep in range with the "Rastaman". The two raced side-by-side for several laps, pulling away from the remainder of the field. By lap-200, Battista took the top-spot outright. A 55-race winless streak came to a halt last week at Talladega. Two-in-a-row would be euphoric, putting the "Dave's Quadruple" Chevrolet into severe Championship contention!

Battista and Pettit propel to a four-second advantage! By the 40-to-go mark, Zach Michael and Tony Pizzaro decreased their gap in half, with Chaun ... Read more »

Qualifying Results

Alex Crapser closes the gap! His victory at Bristol jumped him from eighth to fourth in the standings, finishing top-half of the field for a ninth consecutive week. After his fourth place finish at Talladega, he now stands runner-up, just 73-points behind leader Markell Murphy! While his teammate John Battista tours each of the twenty Wendy's franchises in the greater Kansas City area, Crapser and Murphy went to lunch themselves! The Paparazzi ran rampant; like two former presidents dining at the same dining table. They both enjoyed Caesar Salad and lamb chops, with a king crab stuffed with spumoni for dessert! Crapser asked Murphy why he didn't order a drink. Murphy exclaimed "I can only drink Red Bull." Crapser nodded with recognition.

Markell Murphy continues his stride! Both he, Alex Crapser and Logan Sheets finished top-half of the field in every race so far. At Kansas, the pistons will rattle like paint cans, leaving the fans to wonder whether all three can finish the 400-mile excursion and continue their streak. Last year's Cinderella winner William Perry will start in the tenth position, hoping to rebound from his disastrous accident at Chicagoland just one year ago. Mudhole Motorsports teammate Scott Jackson replaced him in the #70 for the remainder of the campaign. He's the only driver to race in every Kansas event since the Speedways' inception in 2002. With 79 career wins, perhaps the 2026 Pizza Hut 400 will be his final glory.

Friday, May 8th, 6:00 ET

John Battista finally prevails! His 55-race winless streak came to an end last week at Talladega; seeing the victory lane confetti for the first time since Richmond in September of 2024. Wendy's released a new deal in honor of the occasion: Five Baconator combo meals for just $39.39 in honor of John Battista! May the arteries be with you.