by Brock Beard / LASTCAR.info Editor-in-Chief
PHOTO: Garage 66 & MBM Motorsports, @MBMMotorsports
Friday, October 30, 2026 (Green Flag 6:18 P.M. ET, FS1)
TRUCKS Race 24 of 25
Chase Race 6 of 7
Black’s Tire 200 Presented by Down East Heating and Air Conditioning at Martinsville
2025 Last-Place Finisher: Clayton Green
LASTCAR CHAMPIONSHIP
The 2026 LASTCAR Truck Series Championship remains practically wide-open. Clayton Green’s possible title defense hangs on a lead of just one bottom-five finish, and he’s not entered this week. The only other two-time last-place finishers in 2026, Cleetus McFarland and Jackson Macenko, only started those two races, and are also not entered.
Tonight, the focus is on the next nine drivers who could take the lead with a last-place run: Kris Wright, Cole Butcher, Corey LaJoie, Spencer Boyd, Christian Eckes, Ben Rhodes, and Stewart Friesen. Luke Baldwin and Dawson Sutton were also eligible but aren’t entered. Another 23 drivers can still mathematically win the title if they finish last in both Martinsville and Homestead, although several of them are also not on this entry list.
ENTRY LIST
There are exactly 36 drivers entered for 36 starting spots, so all will qualify.
DRIVER CHANGE: #1-TRICON Garage
Gavan Boschele returns to the Truck Series for his third series start, his first since a second-consecutive top-ten run in Loudon was spoiled by a late-race crash, leaving him 33rd. Boschele takes the place of Corey Heim, who finished 10th last time out in Talladega. American Land Partners continues as Boschele’s backer.
DRIVER CHANGE: #2-Team Reaume
Monty Tipton will likewise make his third series start tonight, returning after one week off following his 32nd-place run in Phoenix with this same #2 entry from the Reaume team. Tipton takes the place of Jason M. White, who turned in a solid 13th-place finish on the superspeedway. Bare Bones will again be his sponsor.
DRIVER SWAP: #4-Niece Motorsports
DRIVER CHANGE: #42-Niece Motorsports
Martinsville marks the 10th series start for Tyler Reif, likewise his first since Phoenix, where he came home in the 27th spot. Reif will again drive the #42, bumping Conner Jones to the #4 in place of Talladega last-place finisher – and RCR’s full-time ARCA driver for 2027 – Cleetus McFarland. Reif carries sponsorship from Utilitra and J.F. Electric while Jones has not yet secured backing.
DRIVER CHANGE: #5-TRICON Garage
For the second time in as many Truck Series starts, ARCA champion Thomas Annunziata was eliminated while battling for the lead in the closing laps, this time a bump gone wrong heading into the first corner, leaving him in the 23rd spot at the finish. Returning to the driver’s seat of the TRICON #5 this week is O’Reilly regular William Sawalich, who carries sponsorship from Soundgear to start a double-duty weekend. Sawalich last ran in the Truck Series at Phoenix, where he came home 6th with the same team.
MISSING: #6-Norm Benning Racing
Norm Benning is not among this weekend’s entrants after he narrowly missed the field in Talladega. Benning has 19 series starts at Martinsville, including the last three, most recently a 33rd-place finish in this race last year.
DRIVER CHANGE: #25-Kaulig RAM Racing
Carson Ferguson is another driver who will continue their early Truck Series career tonight, making his third series start and first since a 35th-place finish at Nashville. His RAM was previously driven by Tony Stewart, who was swept up in the day’s first pileup en route to a 34th-place finish.
TEAM CLOSED: #26-Rackley-W.A.R.
Talladega marked the final Truck Series start for the Rackley-W.A.R. effort with which driver Dawson Sutton finished 19th. Sutton will continue to run short track races for the Rackley team, and has since landed a ride with TRICON Garage for 2027.
MISSING: #28-FDNY Racing
Bryan Dauzat joined Benning on the DNQ list in Talladega, which also marked Dauzat’s final series attempt. The FDNY team with owner Jim Rosenblum is expected to return next season, and has traditionally kept the season opener in Daytona on its part-time schedule.
DRIVER CHANGE: #62-Halmar Friesen Racing
Kasey Kleyn returns for his second career start, his first since a 35th-place showing at North Wilkesboro after late-race electrical issues, back when he drove the second entry for the now-shuttered Rackley-W.A.R. effort. Kleyn and the Rackley team had most recently attempted Richmond, but failed to qualify. This time around, Kleyn drives the second Halmar entry, taking the place of 18th-place Talladega finisher Cory Roper.
RETURNING: #69-Motorsports Business Management
Tonight will finally see the first start for team owner Carl Long’s RAM, which withdrew from North Wilkesboro and failed to make the cut at both IRP and Loudon. Giving MBM its first start since Dover in May is Tyler Tomassi, who finished 29th in the team’s Ford back at Atlanta in February. Sponsored by TF56 Designs, Tomassi Law LLC, and MAD RBT Energy, Tomassi will make his 11th series start.
DRIVER CHANGE: #77-Spire Motorsports
Following an electrifying 3rd-place finish in Austin Green’s series debut at Talladega, the #77 returns to an equally impressive Tristan McKee, whose 14th-place finish his last time out in Phoenix is his only time coming home outside the Top Ten. McKee looks to pick up where he left off in his first Martinsville start, and carries sponsorship from Zeigler Auto Group.
RETURNING: #90-Terry Carroll Motorsports
The small entry list also benefits Justin S. Carroll, who hasn’t started a Truck Series race since his 26th-place showing at Darlington in the spring. The Carroll team has failed to qualify four times since then, most recently under the lights at Bristol. This will be Carroll’s fifth series start at Martinsville, where he’s only failed to finish once and ran 20th last fall. Not only that, but Carroll will run double-duty with Saturday’s O’Reilly race (see below).
MISSING: #95-GK Racing
Clay Greenfield finished in the 15th spot last time out in Talladega, but will not run this week on the short track.
CUP INVADERS: None
Saturday, October 31, 2026 (Green Flag 4:25 P.M. ET, CW)
O’REILLY Race 32 of 33
Chase Race 8 of 9
National Debt Relief 250 at Martinsville
2025 Last-Place Finisher: Thomas Annunziata
LASTCAR CHAMPIONSHIP
The 2026 LASTCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Championship is down to three drivers. J.J. Yeley holds a one-finish lead, but won’t be able to clinch on Saturday as he’s not entered. Yeley leads over Dawson Cram, who has more Bottom Fives and Bottom Tens than any of the contenders and can take the lead back with a last-place run. Yeley would still be able to respond in Homestead if he runs there next week. Also in contention is Kyle Sieg, who must finish last on Saturday to stay in contention for his own second title, or he’ll be eliminated.
ENTRY LIST
There are exactly 38 drivers entered for 38 starting spots for the Halloween race at Martinsville.
MISSING: #4-Alpha Prime Racing
MISSING: #9-JR Motorsports
Following their dramatic last-place battle that wasn’t settled until the checkered flag, both Caesar Bacarella and Jake Finch aren’t entered this week along with the part-time Alpha Prime #4 and JRM’s #9.
RETURNING: #35-Joey Gase Motorsports with Scott Osteen
Justin S. Carroll’s double-duty weekend includes his O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut, rebounding from his DNQ with the team in this year’s spring race. Tomorrow’s race marks the first time the Gase #35, which previously joined forces with Mike Harmon Racing, has run a race since Dawson Cram’s 33rd-place finish in Sears Point.
DRIVER CHANGE: #42-Young’s Motorsports
Argentinian driver Baltazar Leguizamon returns to the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series for the first time since San Diego, where he finished in the 33rd spot. He takes the place of Nick Leitz, who finished 15th last time out in Talladega. This will be Leguizamon’s fourth series start and his first on an oval, never mind a short track.
MISSING: #43-SPS Racing
After the Sigma team finished 30th and 19th in its first two series starts with driver Connor Mosack, the team will not attempt tomorrow’s race in Martinsville.
DRIVER CHANGE: #47-Mike Harmon Racing
DRIVER SWAP: #53-Joey Gase Motorsports with Scott Osteen
Last week, Carson Ware failed to qualify the Harmon entry with new sponsorship from Lubri-Loy. Ware will return to action tomorrow, but this time with the Gase team in the #53, taking the place of 25th-place finisher Will Rodgers. Returning to the Harmon entry is Dawson Cram, who looks to rebound from back-to-back 37th-place showings in Charlotte and Phoenix.
MISSING: #71-DGM Racing x JIM
The Mario Gosselin team will not field their part-time third entry, the #71, with which Leland Honeyman Jr. finished 36th following damage suffered in a mid-race accident.
DRIVER CHANGE: #92-DGM Racing x JIM
When first published, the entry list showed TBA in the driver’s column for Gosseliin’s #92 with which Josh Williams finished 23rd in a paint scheme inspired by “Talladega Nights.” Taking his place of Alex Labbe, who returns to the O’Reilly garage for the first time since his 19th-place showing in Sears Point. Labbe runs a new #HallowScheme for the holiday. Other Halloween-themed schemes include Carson Ware’s #53, Jeremy Clements’ #51, Austin Hill’s #21, and the Candy Corn themed #7 of Justin Allgaier.
CUP INVADERS: None
Sunday, November 1, 2026 (Green Flag 2:09 P.M. ET, NBC)
CUP Race 35 of 36
Chase Race 9 of 10
XFINITY 500 at Martinsville
2025 Last-Place Finisher: Chase Briscoe
LASTCAR CHAMPIONSHIP
Connor Zilisch locked-up the 2026 LASTCAR Cup Series Championship last Sunday, becoming the first rookie to win the title since Andy Houston in 2001.
ENTRY LIST
There are 37 drivers entered for 40 starting spots, marking the 31st short field in 35 races this season.
MISSING: #44-NY Racing Team
MISSING: #62-Beard Motorsports
MISSING: #78-Live Fast Motorsports
Three of the four “open” cars entered last Sunday in Talladega will not run the short track this week, including drivers Joey Gase (who finished 21st), Casey Mears (40th and last), and Daniel Dye (25th). Gase and Dye will still race in Saturday’s O’Reilly event.
DRIVER CHANGE: #66-Garage 66
The lone remaining “open” entry is Carl Long’s Garage 66 outfit, which runs double-duty with today’s Truck Series race. Taking the place of 23rd-place Talladega finisher Gray Gaulding is Josh Bilicki, who carries sponsorship from Kickback Jack’s.
TODAY IN LASTCAR HISTORY (October 30, 1960): During his driving career, future NASCAR official Bill Gazaway picked up the first last-place finish of his NASCAR Grand National Series career when his #45 1960 Oldsmobile (the only Olds in the field) suffered a rear end failure after 1 lap of the Atlanta 500 at Atlanta. Gazaway rolled off next-to-last in a field of 45, which also marked the season finale.
