PREVIEW: Pulliam and DiBenedetto among those returning to action in Las Vegas
by Brock Beard / LASTCAR.info Editor-in-Chief
PHOTO: Young’s Motorsports, @youngsmtrsports
Saturday, October 3, 2026 (Green Flag 7:45 P.M. ET, CW)
O’REILLY Race 28 of 33
Chase Race 4 of 9
Focused Health 302 at Las Vegas
2025 Last-Place Finisher: Thomas Annunziata
ENTRY LIST
There are just 36 drivers entered for 38 available starting spots in Saturday’s return of the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in Las Vegas. This marks only the fifth short field of the 2026 season and just the second with a season-low 36 entries, joining Gateway earlier this month.
MISSING: #9-JR Motorsports
Not among this Saturday’s entrants is the part-time #9 entry from JRM with which Jake Finch nearly scored his first career top-ten finish two weeks ago in Bristol, taking the 11th spot in his fourth series start.
MISSING: #38-RSS Racing
The RSS team has likewise not brought their part-time #38 entry with which J.J. Yeley finished last at Bristol after charging toward the Top 20 in the opening stage.
DRIVER CHANGE: #42-Young’s Motorsports
As announced earlier this summer, Matt DiBenedetto makes his first series start since this very race last year, when he finished 19th in his last start with Viking Motorsports in what is now Parker Retlzaff’s #99 Chevrolet. Carrying sponsorship from MP Wheels, DiBenedetto will pilot Randy Young’s #42 Chevrolet, taking the place of 18th-place Bristol finisher Logan Bearden, who earned a career-best finish that night.
MISSING: #43-SPS Racing
The Sigma team will not make the trip west after Landon S. Huffman’s attempted series debut was cut short by a rained-out qualifying session.
DRIVER CHANGE: #47-Mike Harmon Racing
Dawson Cram returns to the seat of Mike Harmon’s #47 in place of Natalie Decker, who had clutch issues before her spin down the backstretch at Bristol, leaving her in the 37th spot. Cram finished last in his most recent start at Gateway, where engine trouble prevented him from rolling off pit road.
DRIVER CHANGE: #53-Joey Gase Motorsports with Scott Osteen
Blake Lothian rejoins the Gase team for his sixth start of the season and first since Indianapolis, where he finished one lap down in the 34th spot with this same #53 team. Lothian takes the place of Carson Ware, who finished 29th at Bristol, seven laps down at the checkered flag. Lothian finished 31st in his only prior 1.5-mile track start at Kansas this past spring.
DRIVER CHANGE: #55-Joey Gase Motorsports with Scott Osteen
Team owner Joey Gase joins Lothian in the team’s #55 car, taking the place of 35th-place Bristol finisher David Starr, who had late-race suspension issues that night. Gase’s effort recognizes NFPA Fire Prevention Week for his first start as a driver since Gateway, where he placed 27th. Gase will also be running a Ford this week.
DRIVER CHANGE: #87-Peterson Racing Group
After finishing a strong 5th in his O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut at Martinsville this past spring, when he drove JRM’s fleet #9 Chevrolet, Lee Pulliam returns for his first 1.5-mile track start, this time with fellow Chevrolet team the Peterson Racing Group. Pulliam takes the place of Nick Sanchez, who has been in the car every week since Chicagoland in July and at Bristol clawed his way from 33rd on the grid to a 16th-place finish.
DRIVER CHANGE: #91-DGM Racing x JIM
Mason Maggio is another driver returning to the circuit for the first time since Gateway, where he piloted this same #91 entry to a 21st-place finish. This time, Maggio takes the place of Stefan Parsons, who himself finished 21st in Bristol. Success Unlocked returns as sponsor.
CUP INVADERS: None
Sunday, October 4, 2026 (Green Flag 5:40 P.M. ET, USA)
CUP Race 31 of 36
Chase Race 5 of 10
South Point 400 at Las Vegas
2025 Last-Place Finisher: Ryan Blaney
ENTRY LIST
Once again, only the 36 Chartered entries make the trip west to Las Vegas, and there are no driver or team changes yet announced for this week. This marks the 27th short field in 30 races this season, and the sixth with only 36 entries.
Friday, October 9, 2026
TRUCKS Race 21 of 25
Chase Race 3 of 7
Ecosave 200 at Charlotte
2025 Last-Place Finisher: Inaugural Race
The Truck Series is off this weekend and returns next Friday in Charlotte – on the oval!
TODAY IN LASTCAR HISTORY (October 2, 1977): Junior Miller picked up the 1st last-place finish of his NASCAR Winston Cup Series career in the Wilkes 400 at North Wilkesboro when he qualified his #95 Miller Roofing Chevrolet 26th and last on the grid, then quit after five laps. This was Miller’s seventh of 27 career Cup starts from 1976 through 1981.
