PREVIEW: Returning IndyCar stars and road course specialists set to do battle
by Brock Beard / LASTCAR.info Editor-in-Chief
IMAGE: TRICON Garage, @TRICONGarage
Saturday, February 28, 2026 (Green Flag 12:22 P.M. ET, FS1)
TRUCKS Race 3 of 25
OnlyBulls Green Flag 150 at Streets of St. Petersburg
2025 Last-Place Finisher: Inaugural Event
ENTRY LIST
There are 36 drivers entered for as many spots for the inaugural Truck Series race at the St. Petersburg course, a companion event with this weekend’s IndyCar opener. All trucks will qualify.
DRIVER CHANGE: #1-TRICON Garage
Welcome back to “The Flying Scotsman,” Dario Franchitti, the 2011 IndyCar Series winner of the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, one of eight series starts at this track. His open-wheel career ended in his frightening accident at Houston 13 years ago, and he hasn’t competed in NASCAR since his 18th and most recent O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race in 2008. Now competing in vintage racing, Franchitti will compete in only his second Truck Series start, his first since October 20, 2007 at Martinsville, where he finished 33rd. He drives TRICON’s #1 in place of 5th-place Atlanta finisher Corey Heim, and carries sponsorship from Dollar Tree.
DRIVER CHANGE: #2-Team Reaume
Pennsylvania driver Carter Fartuch makes his third start in as many years on a third different road course. Two years ago, he finished 21st in his series debut at COTA, then a blown engine stopped him 24 laps into his most recent series start on the Charlotte “Roval” last fall. Sponsored by Mazzaro Italian Market, Fartuch takes the place of 23rd-place Atlanta finisher Clayton Green.
RETURNING: #4-Niece Motorsports
Al Niece’s #4 entry returns to the circuit for the first time since the season opener in Daytona, where Cleetus McFarland crashed in the early laps. Taking the wheel this week is 17-year-old Ben Maier, who made his first two series starts last year for Young’s Motorsports, taking 18th at Lime Rock and 25th on the “Roval.” DQS and J.F. Electric are the listed sponsors of Maier’s Chevrolet.
DRIVER CHANGE: #7-Spire Motorsports
Connor Mosack returns to the Truck Series for the first time since the end of his full-time 2025 campaign in McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s #81 with back-to-back crashes in Martinsville and Phoenix. This time, Mosack drives Spire’s #7 in place of Atlanta winner Kyle Busch, and carries sponsorship from Roaring Pines Motorclub.
DRIVER CHANGE: #22-Team Reaume
Jackson Lee has competed on the St. Petersburg course four times in both open-wheel and sports car competition, and this week looks to make his NASCAR national series debut. Taking the place of team owner Josh Reaume, who finished 24th in Atlanta, Lee carries sponsorship from Browning Chapman, California Closets, Sport Court of Indiana, the Indiana University Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, End Lung Cancer Now, and Invest.
DRIVER CHANGE: #25-Kaulig RAM Racing
A blast from the past on this week’s entry list is Colin Braun, the 2009 Truck Series race winner at Michigan. Years since his last start, he has excelled in sports cars. Among his latest victories was an overall win at the 2023 24 Hours of Daytona, where he was paired with Tom Bolqvist, Helio Castroneves, and Simon Pagenaud for Meyer Shank Racing. With the support of A.J. Allmendinger, Braun will make his first NASCAR national series start since September 2, 2011, when he finished 19th in Talladega. Braun takes the place of 11th-place Atlanta finisher Ty Dillon in Kaulig RAM Racing’s “all-star” #25 entry.
DRIVER CHANGE: #45-Niece Motorsports
Landen Lewis makes the fourth start of his Truck Series career and first since November 1, 2024 at Martinsville, where he finished 35th after brake issues during what turned out to be the final series start for the late Shigeaki Hattori. This time, Lewis takes the place of 9th-place Atlanta finisher Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. in Al Niece’s #45, carrying sponsorship from J.F. Electric and Utilitra.
RETURNING: #56-Hill Motorsports
Timmy Hill will make his 120th series start on Saturday, bouncing back from a DNQ in this year’s opener in Daytona. Coble Enterprises is the listed sponsor for what will be Hill’s first Truck Series road course start since last fall on the Charlotte “Roval,” where he finished 16th.
DRIVER CHANGE: #62-Halmar Friesen Racing
Wesley Slimp is another road course specialist who made his first NASCAR national series starts last season, his a three-race effort in Halmar’s second #62 entry at Lime Rock, Watkins Glen, and the Roval. Slimp finished a career-best 12th at The Glen. Slimp again drives for the same team with returning backing from HNTB as he takes the place of 8th-place Atlanta finisher John Hunter Nemechek.
DRIVER CHANGE: #69-Motorsports Business Management
Reinstated by NASCAR last season, Derek White made his first NASCAR starts in 11 years in 2025, taking 33rd in North Wilkesboro, then a solid 19th at Watkins Glen before a crash left him 30th in New Hampshire. After early mechanical woes in this year’s ARCA opener, White rejoins Carl Long’s #69 team this weekend in place of 29th-place Atlanta finisher Tyler Tomassi, and carries sponsorship from Elite Rewards.
DRIVER CHANGE: #76-Freedom Racing Enterprises
As announced on January 21st, Nathan Nicholson, the third-place finisher in last year’s Mazda MX-5 Cup Championship, will pilot Spencer Boyd’s #76 entry for these first three road course events of this year’s Truck Series season, starting with Saturday’s inaugural St. Petersburg race. He carries sponsorship from Whelen Engineering.
DRIVER CHANGE: #77-Spire Motorsports
Popular driver-turned-broadcaster James Hinchcliffe has, like Colin Braun, also competed regularly in sports cars, most recently competing in Pfaff Motorsports’ Lamborghini during this year’s 24 Hours of Daytona. The St. Petersburg track holds special significance as the site of “The Mayor of Hinchtown’s” first of six career IndyCar Series wins in 2013. He’s made ten series starts at the track, most recently in 2021. This time, he takes the place of Atlanta runner-up Carson Hocevar in the #77, an retains the sponsorship from Delaware Life.
MISSING: #90-Terry Carroll Motorsports
MISSING: #93-Costner Motorsports
Not among this week’s entries are owner-drivers Justin S. Carroll and Caleb Costner, the latter making his new team’s debut in Atlanta. Both drivers failed to finish with Costner in 33rd and Carroll in 35th.
CUP INVADERS: None
Saturday, February 28, 2026 (Green Flag 3:11 P.M. ET, CW)
O’REILLY Race 3 of 33
Focused Health 250 at the Circuit of the Americas
2025 Last-Place Finisher: Carson Hocevar
ENTRY LIST
There are 40 drivers entered for 38 spots in Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race, meaning two teams will fail to qualify.
DRIVER CHANGE: #0-SS-Green Light Racing
In this race last year, Garrett Smithley stepped out of his O’Reilly Auto Parts Series ride at COTA as he wasn’t confident in his road course skills. Unfortunately, his replacement Carson Hocevar unwittingly parked his car prematurely after a minor incident. Smithley is again out of Bobby Dotter’s car this year, but now his Trophy Tractor car will be piloted by road race ace Alex Labbe.
DRIVER CHANGE: #1-JR Motorsports
DRIVER SWAP: #91-DGM Racing x JIM
Connor Zilisch makes his first O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race since he came up just short of the series championship last fall in Phoenix. This time, he drives JR Motorsports’ #1 with sponsorship from Roto-Rooter, and runs double-duty with the Cup Series at the site of his Cup and Truck Series debuts. Zilisch takes the place of Carson Kvapil, the 32nd-place finisher in Atlanta. Kvapil will continue his effort this weekend, now driving Mario Gosselin’s #91 in place of 26th-place Atlanta finisher Mason Maggio. Clarience Technologies will continue as Kvapil’s sponsor.
DRIVER CHANGE: #5-Hettinger Racing
Tyler Gonzalez, who finished one spot ahead of Nathan Nicholson (#76 in the Truck Series) in last year’s Mazda MX-5 Cup Championship, will likewise make his NASCAR national series debut, his in the #5 Hettinger entry that last week finished 20th in Atlanta with driver Luke Fenhaus. Gonzalez will carry sponsorship from Victory Custom Trailers.
RETURNING: #9-JR Motorsports
Shane Van Gisbergen will pull double-duty with the Cup Series, carrying sponsorship from Safety Culture. This marks the first start of the season for JR Motorsports’ #9 team, which last took the track last fall on the Charlotte “Roval” with Connor Mosack finishing 5th. Strangely, given his dominance on the road courses, Van Gisbergen has yet to win a NASCAR race on either configuration of the COTA track.
DRIVER CHANGE: #19-Joe Gibbs Racing
Brent Crews makes his O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut after a successful 2025 season where he won four ARCA Menards Series races and made his first ten Truck Series starts, yielding a best of 2nd during a hotly contested battle with Corey Heim on the Charlotte “Roval.” This time, Crews drives JGR’s #19 in place of Giovanni Ruggiero, who finished 24th in Atlanta, and carries sponsorship from Young Life. This kicks off a 12-race deal for Crews in 2026.
DRIVER CHANGE: #30-Barrett-Cope Racing
It was in this race last year that Baltazar Leguizamon made his first NASCAR national series start. That day, he drove for Joey Gase Motorsports and turned just 17 laps before suspension woes left him next-to-last. This time around, he drives in place of 31st-place Atlanta finisher Cody Ware in the Barrett-Cope entry. Leguizamon carries sponsorship from RUS / Speed Energy Drink.
DRIVER CHANGE: #35-Joey Gase Motorsports with Scott Osteen
DRIVER CHANGE: #55-Joey Gase Motorsports with Scott Osteen
Speaking of the Gase team, they boast an all “road ringer” lineup with a pair of returning drivers. Taking the place of 34th-place Atlanta finisher Joey Gase is Austin J. Hill, who finished 20th in his series debut at Watkins Glen last year. Joining him in the #55 piloted last Saturday by 17th-place Atlanta finisher Chad Finchum is IndyCar veteran Sage Karam, who most recently piloted the Gase team’s #53 on the Charlotte “Roval” for a 25th-place finish.
DRIVER CHANGE: #42-Young’s Motorsports
J.J. Yeley makes his first O’Reilly Auto Parts Series attempt since his one and only start last May at Charlotte, when he finished 28th in the Gase team’s #53. This time, he pilots Randy Young’s #42 in place of 18th-place Atlanta finisher Nick Leitz.
RETURNING: #50-Pardus Racing
After struggling with engine problems in the pre-season test at Rockingham, Preston Pardus attempts to make his first start of the season, his first since transmission issues on the “Roval” put him in last place. Pardus then failed to qualify for his most recent attempt last fall in Martinsville. Chinchor Electric Inc. continues as sponsor.
MISSING: #74-Mike Harmon Racing
Dawson Cram and the Mike Harmon team are not entered this week after they were the lone team that failed to qualify in Atlanta.
CUP INVADERS: #1-Connor Zilisch, #9-Shane Van Gisbergen, #32-Ross Chastain
Sunday, March 1, 2026 (Green Flag 3:49 P.M. ET, FOX)
CUP Race 3 of 36
DuraMAX Texas Grand Prix powered by RelaDyne at the Circuit of the Americas
2025 Last-Place Finisher: Connor Zilisch
ENTRY LIST
There are 37 drivers entered for 40 spots in Sunday’s Cup race at Circuit of the Americas, marking the second short field in three races this season.
TEAM UPDATE: #6-RFK Racing
As of this writing, Brad Keselowski is unsure if he’ll be able to compete in Sunday’s race due to his injured leg, and has past “Stage 60” entrant Joey Hand on standby.
RETURNING: #33-Richard Childress Racing
Jesse Love pulls double-duty with the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, representing the lone “open” entry in Sunday’s race. This marks the first start for RCR’s #33 team since Austin Hill’s 22nd-place finish last fall at Talladega, and the first Cup start for Love since last August at Richmond, where he came home 33rd. C4 Energy, which sponsored his Richmond race, returns for Sunday.
MISSING: #44-NY Racing Team
MISSING: #78-Live Fast Motorsports
The two “open” teams entered in Atlanta will not make the trip to Texas this weekend, though J.J. Yeley – driver of NY Racing Team’s 31st-place finisher – will attempt Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race (see above). B.J. McLeod and his team, which has hired road course specialist Katherine Legge in road course races last season, is not entered this week.
TODAY IN LASTCAR HISTORY (February 27, 1993): Jim Bown picked up the 3rd last-place finish of his NASCAR Busch Grand National Series career in the Goodwrench 200 at Rockingham when his #98 Dial Page Buick had transmission issues after 8 laps.
