by Brock Beard / LASTCAR.info Editor-in-Chief
PHOTO: Colby Evans, @StartAndParkCar
Friday, October 23, 2026 (Green Flag 4:23 P.M. ET, FS1)
TRUCKS Race 23 of 25
Chase Race 5 of 7
Love’s RV Stop 225 at Talladega
2025 Last-Place Finisher: Grant Enfinger
ENTRY LIST
There are 38 drivers entered for 36 spots in this final superspeedway weekend of the 2026 season, meaning two teams will be sent home.
DRIVER CHANGE: #1-TRICON Garage
One week after clawing his way from the last row to the 5th finishing position in his latest Cup start at Phoenix, Corey Heim returns to the Truck Series in TRICON’s “all-star” #1 entry, taking the place of 10th-place Phoenix finisher Brent Crews. This will be Heim’s eighth series start of the season and first since a runner-up showing with TRICON’s #5 at Richmond.
DRIVER CHANGE: #2-Team Reaume
Canadian racer Jason M. White continues his superspeedway efforts with Josh Reaume’s team as he this week pilots the #2 with sponsorship from Mum Collective. This would mark White’s 17th series start and 6th at Talladega. The 53-year-old made his lone start of the 2026 campaign in the Daytona opener, where he finished 33rd with this same team. He takes the place of Monty Tipton, who finished 32nd in Phoenix.
DRIVER CHANGE: #4-Niece Motorsports
Cleetus McFarland returns for his third career start in the Truck Series and first since a 25th-place showing in Michigan this past summer, again piloting Al Niece’s part-time #4 Chevrolet. Blues Hog sponsors McFarland as he takes the place of Donovan Strauss, who came home 24th last time out in Phoenix. McFarland returns to the Talladega track for the first time since he nearly won the ARCA race in the spring before Andy Jankowiak made the winning pass.
DRIVER CHANGE: #5-TRICON Garage
After winning this year’s ARCA Menards Series Championship following an unbelievably physical season finale at Kansas, Thomas Annunziata returns for only his third career Truck Series start. This would be his first since a breakout run at Lime Rock Park nearly saw him sweep the weekend before his truck caught fire in the closing laps. Annunziata takes the place of O’Reilly regular William Sawalich, who finished 6th in Phoenix. Eat Clean Bro is the listed sponsor.
RETURNING: #6-Norm Benning Racing
Welcome back to Norm Benning, who brings his same rebuilt former Henderson Motorsports truck – complete with tributes to the late Greg Biffle – which missed the cut at Daytona this past February. This time, Benning’s truck arrives on Henderson’s hauler, which will not field the #75 this week, and Benning drives in memory of Henderson crew member Thomas Clavette, who died this past May. Benning stopped at Henderson’s shop on the way south from Pennsylvania to have the engine tested. The 74-year-old veteran is still inviting sponsors to join his effort this week as he seeks his first start since Martinsville last fall.
DRIVER CHANGE: #7-Spire Motorsports
One O’Reilly full-timer who is running this week is JR Motorsports’ Sammy Smith, who rejoins Spire Motorsports with team sponsor Spectrum and another paint scheme similar to Carson Hocevar’s Cup car. This marks only the second series start of the season for Smith, who finished 11th with this same team in Rockingham. He takes the place of Connor Mosack, who also finished 11th last time out in Phoenix.
MISSING: #20-McAnally-Hilgemann Racing
Not among this week’s entrants is the part-time #20 effort from the McAnally shop with which Toni Breidinger finished in the 31st spot at Phoenix.
DRIVER CHANGE: #22-Team Reaume
MISSING: #23-Team Reaume
Team owner Josh Reaume will pilot his own #22 Ford in today’s race with returning sponsorship from Aerial Titans. He takes the place of defending LASTCAR Truck Series Champion driver Clayton Green, who nearly finished last in Phoenix but for the three-lap gap ahead of teammate Jackson Lee in the #23. Both Lee and the team’s fourth part-time entry are not among this week’s entrants.
DRIVER CHANGE: #25-Kaulig RAM Racing
Seeking just his eighth series start and second of the season, his first since a crash left him next-to-last in the season opener at Daytona, Tony Stewart will again climb aboard the #25 RAM at the Kaulig effort. He takes the place of Conor Daly, who finished 30th last Friday in Phoenix. This would be Stewart’s first series start at Talladega.
RETURNING: #28-FDNY Racing
While Jim Rosenblum’s team FDNY Racing is reported to continue past this weekend, today marks what would be the 24th and final career start for Bryan Dauzat. The 66-year-old has been Rosenblum’s driver for nearly all of their starts dating back to 2014, and missed the cut for this past February’s season opener. Racing in honor of last month’s 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, both driver and the New York-based team look to make the show.
DRIVER CHANGE: #42-Niece Motorsports
Conner Jones returns to the cockpit of the Niece #42, seeking his fifth series start of the year and first since late-race handling issues left him 34th in Charlotte earlier this month. He takes the place of Tyler Reif, who finished 27th last time out in Phoenix.
RETURNING: #56-Hill Motorsports
It was only a couple years ago that Hill Motorsports nearly went to victory lane in this race with Tyler Hill behind the wheel of the #56. Tyler’s brother Timmy Hill, who himself came close to a win in an O’Reilly race at Daytona, will again pilot the #56 with Coble Enterprises as sponsor in today’s race. This would be the 12th series start of the year for Hill, who was collected in a crash his last time out in Charlotte, leaving him in 32nd.
DRIVER CHANGE: #62-Halmar Friesen Racing
Another superspeedway specialist looking for a strong run is Cory Roper, who seeks his 50th series start and first since a 34th-place showing due to suspension issues at his home track in Texas. There as here, Roper drives the second entry for the Halmar team, this week taking the place of 34th-place Phoenix finisher Leland Honeyman, Jr. This would be Roper’s fourth series start at Talladega, site of a 6th-place finish here five years ago.
DRIVER CHANGE: #76-Freedom Racing Enterprises
Not missing the action this week is owner-driver Spencer Boyd, the 2019 winner, who swaps in for road racer Ben Maier after a 25th-place run last week in Phoenix. Boyd is another driver who last took to the track in Charlotte, taking home 24th that night, and again carries sponsorship from Desnuda Organic Tequila.
DRIVER CHANGE: #77-Spire Motorsports
On the same week of news that Austin Green has parted ways with the Peterson Racing Group in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Green will climb aboard Spire’s fleet #77 with sponsorship from Gunk. This marks Green’s first career Truck Series start, and he does it with the same team with which upstart Tristan McKee claimed a 14th-place finish in Phoenix.
RETURNING: #95-GK Racing
In a series already packed with veteran drivers, welcome back again to Clay Greenfield and his GK Racing effort, seeking his 75th series start and second of the year, following up on an 18th-place showing in this year’s Daytona opener. This would be Greenfield’s 12th series start at Talladega and first since 2024, when he ran 15th with this same team.
CUP INVADERS: None
Saturday, October 24, 2026 (Green Flag 3:55 P.M. ET, CW)
O’REILLY Race 31 of 33
Chase Race 7 of 9
The Progress Group 250 at Talladega
2025 Last-Place Finisher: Sam Mayer
ENTRY LIST
Qualifying will also be of consequence for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, where 41 drivers are entered for 38 spots, meaning three will be sent home.
RETURNING: #4-Alpha Prime Racing
Caesar Bacarella seeks his second series start of the year following his 31st-place showing in Daytona this past August. He again pilots Alpha Prime’s part-time #4 entry, this time with sponsorship from BJ’s Wholesale Club. Bacarella scored his track-best 5th-place finish in this race just last fall.
DRIVER CHANGE: #32-Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport
Daniel Dye pulls double-duty this weekend, competing in both the O’Reilly race and Sunday in Cup. He pilots Jordan Anderson’s #32 entry, taking the place of 14th-place Phoenix finisher Andrew Patterson, and carrying sponsorship from Fox Factory Vehicles. Dye made his most recent series start with this team at Darlington last month, where he took a 27th-place finish.
RETURNING: #38-RSS Racing
In the very next superspeedway race following Ryan Sieg’s first career victory at Daytona, the RSS team brings back the #38 Chevrolet. Rejoining the team is Patrick Emerling, who finished 31st in his most recent series start at Pocono this past June.
DRIVER CHANGE: #42-Young’s Motorsports
Nick Leitz makes his third series start of the season, rejoining Randy Young’s team for the first time since both Atlanta races, where he finished 18th in the spring and 29th this past fall. Precision Measurements, Inc. returns as sponsor, and Leitz takes the place of 27th-place Phoenix finisher Brad Perez. This would be Leitz’ third series start at Talladega, where last fall he finished a strong 11th for SS-Green Light Racing.
DRIVER CHANGE: #47-Mike Harmon Racing
Cason Ware sets out for his seventh series start of the season and first since Bristol last month, where he finished 29th for Joey Gase. This week, he rejoins Mike Harrmon’s team for the first time since his last-place run at Iowa, where contact from Jesse Love, Jr.’s lapped car put him out of the race. Ware takes the place of Dawson Cram, whose midrace fuel pump issues left him next-to-last in Phoenix.
RETURNING / DRIVER SWAP: #71-DGM Racing x JIM
DRIVER CHANGE: #91-DGM Racing x JIM
TEAM UPDATE: #92-DGM Racing x JIM
Mason Maggio returns to the series for the first time since his 26th-place showing in Charlotte, and pilots Mario Gosselin’s #91 entry for the first time since his 33rd-place run in Las Vegas. In so doing, he bumps 34th-place Phoenix finisher Leland Honeyman, Jr. to the team’s returning part-time #71 entry which last ran 13th under the lights at Daytona in August. Josh Williams, last week’s late-announced driver of the #92 at Phoenix (yielding a 26th-place finish), drives the car again this week with #MulletFlow as sponsor.
DRIVER CHANGE: #87-Peterson Racing Group
Lee Pulliam turned heads in his second series start at Las Vegas earlier this month, where he finished in the 18th spot. He returns for his first race since, taking the place of 22nd-place Phoenix finisher Nick Sanchez.
CUP INVADERS: None
Sunday, October 25, 2026 (Green Flag 2:25 P.M. ET, NBC)
CUP Race 34 of 36
Chase Race 8 of 10
YellaWood 500 at Talladega
2025 Last-Place Finisher: Chase Elliott
LASTCAR CHAMPIONSHIP
Depending on who finishes last on Sunday, Connor Zilisch will likely clinch the 2026 LASTCAR Cup Series Championship on Sunday. With three races left to run, only Zane Smith, Kyle Larson, Chase Briscoe, Tyler Reddick, B.J. McLeod, Christopher Bell, and Cody Ware are still in contention – and each would need to finish last in all three remaining races to win the title.
ENTRY LIST
There are exactly 40 drivers entered for 40 available starting spots in Sunday’s race, marking only the fourth “full field” in 34 Cup races this season.
RETURNING: #44-NY Racing Team
Joey Gase runs a camouflage-decorated Chevrolet in Sunday’s race, completing a double-duty effort with his own #55 entry in the O’Reilly race. This sees Gase return to the Cup Series for the first time since Daytona in August, where he finished 36th out of 40 starters. This marks the first start for John Cohen’s team since Charlotte, where B.J. McLeod finished 33rd two weeks ago.
RETURNING: #62-Beard Motorsports
Casey Mears will make his 499th career Cup start on Sunday, marking his fifth series start of the year and first since Daytona in August driving Beard Motorsports’ #62 with sponsorship from The Gracie Foundation. Mears failed to qualify for this race in the spring after qualifying was cancelled by rain. Mears has 28 previous Cup starts at Talladega with a best finish of 6th on October 7, 2007, when he drove for Hendrick Motorsports.
RETURNING: #66-Garage 66
After making his return to the Cup Series for the first time in three years back at Charlotte, where a tangle with Tyler Reddick left him in 36th place, Gray Gaulding returns to the site of two runner-up finishes in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2019 and 2020, both times driving for SS-Green Light Racing. Gaulding again drives for Carl Long in the #66 Ford.
MISSING: #67-23XI Racing
Following his aforementioned 5th-place run in Phoenix last Sunday, Corey Heim will not run this week’s Cup race, and will instead focus on today’s Truck Series race.
RETURNING: #78-Live Fast Motorsports
Daniel Dye completes his double-duty effort as he rejoins the Cup Series for the first time since Daytona in August, where he was involved in a last-lap tangle with Kyle Larson on the apron of the backstretch, leading to a 29th-place finish. Dye again drives for B.J. McLeod’s Cup effort with Champion Container as sponsor.
TODAY IN LASTCAR HISTORY (October 23, 1999): Casey Atwood picked up the first last-place finish of his NASCAR Busch Series career when his #27 Castrol GTX Chevrolet lost the engine after 4 laps of the K-Mart 200 at Rockingham. The finish occurred two races after his second win at Dover during a breakout season.
