KBrad Keselowski is leaving RFK Racing at the conclusion of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season.

In a stunning announcement Tuesday morning, RFK Racing confirmed that Keselowski will conclude his tenure behind the wheel of the No. 6 Ford following the 2026 season. Source: RFK Racing.

For an organization that spent years carrying the Roush name through some of the most difficult competitive stretches in its history, Keselowski’s arrival represented the beginning of a new era.

But now, just five years after joining the organization as a co owner and driver, that era is coming to an end.

And the biggest question in NASCAR isn’t necessarily what happened.

It’s what’s next for Brad Keselowski.

Keselowski joined Roush Fenway Racing as a co owner in 2021 before beginning his driving role with the organization in 2022. The team became Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, and Keselowski quickly became heavily involved in more than simply driving the No. 6 Ford.

He helped shape the organization’s competitive direction and technical development as RFK worked to regain the form that had made Roush one of NASCAR’s most successful organizations.

That history is important.

Jack Roush’s operation had already produced NASCAR championships and hundreds of victories before Keselowski ever arrived. But the 2010s were a difficult period for the organization, as the team struggled to maintain the level of competitiveness that had once made Roush one of NASCAR’s most successful organizations.

Keselowski arrived during that rebuilding period and became part of the effort to change the trajectory of the organization.

Now, the driver and co owner who helped lead that transformation is moving on.

RFK Racing says Keselowski and the organization will work together on the next steps regarding his existing ownership interest. The team also says it supports Keselowski’s desire to explore opportunities elsewhere. Source: RFK Racing.

RFK plans to continue as a three car organization in 2027 and will announce its plans for the No. 6 team at a later date. Source: RFK Racing.

Keselowski, meanwhile, made it clear that leaving RFK does not mean he is finished as a driver.

“I’m nowhere near ready to be done as a driver.”

Source: Brad Keselowski.

That statement opens the door to perhaps the biggest unanswered question surrounding Tuesday’s announcement.

Where does Brad Keselowski go from here?

By Ethan Boyles

Kansas Speedway — 

Thomas Annunziata is the 2026 ARCA Racing champion after a dramatic championship night at Kansas Speedway.

Annunziata entered the race 16 points behind points leader Jake Bollman, setting the stage for a championship battle that quickly turned chaotic.

Early in the race, Bollman made contact with Annunziata, spinning him out. Annunziata subsequently returned the favor, making contact with Bollman and spinning him out.

The championship battle then took another major turn when Bollman was caught up in another driver’s spin and was subsequently hit by an ARCA car.

The contact left Bollman’s car with major damage. His team worked to repair the car and get him back on track, but the damage put his championship hopes in serious jeopardy.

Bollman ultimately finished 21st, completing 58 of the race’s 100 laps. Annunziata brought his car home fifth, completing all 100 laps. The result was enough for Annunziata to erase the 16 point deficit and claim the championship on the tiebreaker. (ARCA)

Menards 150 Finishing Results

1. Carson Brown

2. Giovanni Ruggiero

3. Gavan Boschele

4. Lanie Buice

5. Thomas Annunziata

6. Andy Jankowiak

7. Jason Kitzmiller

8. Isabella Robusto

9. Mike Christopher Jr.

10. Esteban Rodriguez

Carson Brown won the race, taking the lead from Giovanni Ruggiero late and holding on for the victory. (ARCA)

Lanie Buice finished fourth, tying her best career finish. Buice previously recorded a fourth place finish in the spring Kansas race.

Annunziata now closes out the 2026 season as the ARCA Racing champion.

By Ethan Boyles

Moresville, NC. — 

Kansas Speedway has earned its reputation as one of the wildest tracks on the NASCAR schedule, and this weekend brings three different series to the 1.5 mile oval with plenty of storylines.

The NASCAR Cup Series and Craftsman Truck Series will continue their respective Chase battles, while the ARCA Menards Series will crown its 2026 champion Friday night.

Kansas has also become one of the most unpredictable tracks on the schedule late in races. The winning pass has come in the final two laps in five of the last seven Cup Series races at Kansas, including four last lap passes. The driver who led the most laps has won just once in the last eight races at the track.

With that in mind, here are the four drivers in each series that KF Media will be watching this weekend. We haven’t gotten this prediction wrong yet, so get Kalshi ready and take notes.

NASCAR Cup Series

Josh Berry

Josh Berry is our biggest wild card of the four, but that is exactly what makes him interesting.

Berry has shown the ability to run well on intermediate tracks, and Kansas presents another opportunity for the Stewart Haas Racing driver to put himself into the conversation at the front of the field.

Kansas has produced plenty of unexpected contenders in recent years, and with the way the track has produced dramatic finishes, Berry is a driver we are not willing to overlook.

Bubba Wallace

If there is one driver on this list who seems to have a special relationship with Kansas, it is Bubba Wallace.

Wallace won at Kansas in 2022 and has continued to run well at the track. He finished fifth in this year’s spring race and was also fifth in last year’s fall race.

The 23XI Racing driver was part of last year’s dramatic closing laps alongside Denny Hamlin before Chase Elliott took advantage and drove to the victory.

Wallace is once again one of the drivers we expect to be in the mix.

Chase Elliott

The defending Kansas winner has earned his place on this list.

Elliott won last year’s fall race after passing both Wallace and Hamlin in the closing laps, and he finished eighth when the Cup Series returned to Kansas this spring.

Kansas has been a particularly strong track for Elliott, and with the Hendrick Motorsports driver continuing to battle through the Chase, another strong performance would come at an important time.

Denny Hamlin

Hamlin may be the easiest driver to overlook simply because there are so many strong Kansas storylines, but the numbers make that difficult.

Hamlin finished second at Kansas last fall after leading 159 laps, and he dominated much of this year’s spring race as well. He started second, led 131 laps and ultimately finished fourth behind Tyler Reddick.

Hamlin enters Kansas second in the Chase standings, just one point behind Kyle Larson. He also leads all active drivers with four career wins at Kansas and has finished in the top five in all five traditional 1.5 mile races this season.

Kansas has repeatedly put Hamlin in position to win. We expect him to be there again.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

The Truck Series brings its own championship battle to Kansas, with all 10 Chase drivers entered in Saturday’s Race to Stop Suicide 200. The field features 36 trucks.

Kaden Honeycutt

Honeycutt immediately stands out.

He enters Kansas second in the championship standings and only three points behind Layne Riggs. NASCAR’s preseason Chase analysis specifically identified Kansas as one of Honeycutt’s best tracks.

With a championship on the line, Honeycutt is one of the first names we are watching.

Layne Riggs

It is almost impossible to talk about the Truck Series without talking about Layne Riggs.

Riggs enters Kansas as the championship leader after winning six races during the regular season. He also enters looking to rebound from a 32nd place finish at Bristol after a loose wheel derailed his Chase opener.

That combination makes Kansas an especially important race for the Front Row Motorsports driver.

Brent Crews

Brent Crews is the younger name on our Truck Series list, but we aren’t putting him here simply because he is an emerging driver.

Crews has already demonstrated that he can run near the front in the Truck Series. His pole winning performance at Watkins Glen showed the speed is there, and the TRICON Garage Toyota gives him equipment capable of competing at the front.

Kansas is another opportunity for Crews to turn that speed into a major result.

Ty Majeski

Ty Majeski brings experience, speed and championship pedigree to Kansas.

The ThorSport Racing driver remains one of the names that has to be considered whenever the Truck Series heads to an intermediate track. With the championship battle tightening, Majeski is another driver capable of putting himself into the middle of the fight.

The Truck Series has produced a number of different winners this season, but the combination of Honeycutt, Riggs, Crews and Majeski gives us four drivers we believe have a legitimate chance to be standing at the front when Saturday’s race ends.

ARCA Menards Series

Friday night’s Menards 150 may be the most consequential race of the entire weekend.

Jake Bollman and Thomas Annunziata are the only two drivers still mathematically eligible for the ARCA championship, with the title being decided at Kansas for the first time since 2021.

Bollman enters the finale with a 16 point advantage over Annunziata. But the championship is not the only storyline we’re watching.

Thomas Annunziata

Annunziata is obviously one of the four.

He comes into Kansas as the championship challenger and has already won this season at Lime Rock Park. That victory also gives him the tiebreaker advantage over Bollman entering the finale.

Annunziata has everything to race for Friday night, making him one of the most important drivers in the field.

Isabella Robusto

Isabella Robusto has been cutting her teeth in ARCA and has continued to show that she belongs near the front of the field. She has been building consistency and putting herself in position for a breakthrough.

Kansas could be the place where that finally turns into her first ARCA Menards Series victory.

And if that happens, it would be a significant moment for a driver who has been steadily working her way toward the front.

Lanie Buice

Lanie Buice might be our biggest sleeper pick of the entire Kansas weekend.

She already finished fifth at Kansas earlier this season, and she has been remarkably consistent in her ARCA starts this year.

There is also the familiarity factor. Kansas is a track where Buice has already demonstrated that she can run toward the front.

We are confident enough in her potential that we could not leave her off this list.

Landon S. Huffman

For KF Media, Huffman is another driver who immediately catches our attention.

The Connelly Springs, North Carolina, driver is coming off a fourth place finish at Salem and enters Kansas looking to carry that momentum into the ARCA finale.

He also gives us another driver outside the obvious championship conversation who could potentially turn himself into one of the stories of Friday night’s race.

The ARCA field includes all four of our drivers to watch, along with championship contenders Bollman and Annunziata and several other capable competitors.

Another opportunity for history?

There is another storyline worth watching in the ARCA race.

Both Robusto and Buice are legitimate contenders to watch this weekend, giving ARCA another opportunity for a female driver to reach Victory Lane.

Neither driver is being included simply because of that storyline. Both have shown the speed and consistency to make them legitimate drivers to watch at Kansas.

If either one can find Victory Lane Friday night, it would add another significant chapter to the weekend.

If our recent track record with these previews is any indication, don’t be surprised if one or more of these drivers ends up standing in Victory Lane this weekend.

Kansas has a history of making the final laps count.

This weekend should be no different.

By Ethan Boyles 

Moresville, NC. — 

NASCAR will not issue penalties to Ryan Blaney or Carson Hocevar following their post race fight at Bristol Motor Speedway, NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell confirmed Monday on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast.

O’Donnell said NASCAR does not encourage fighting but will encourage drivers to show passion and “handle their business” outside the car.

“So no, there’s nothing coming from us in terms of [penalties],” O’Donnell said.

Both drivers will continue the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs without post race penalties stemming from Saturday night’s confrontation.

Ethan Boyles

BRISTOL, Tenn. — 

Joey Logano won the Bristol Night Race.

I feel it’s important to say that part out loud because if you looked at social media, you probably missed that fact while watching for the fallout reports of the hurricane known as Carson Hocevar.

But if you woke up Sunday morning wondering why everyone was talking about Ryan Blaney and Carson Hocevar, you’re not alone.

Somewhere between the checkered flag and the post race confrontation, Bristol turned into a hurricane.

Something that a racing media organization based in the Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina must recognize as the second once in a lifetime hurricane in the mountains in just two years. This one, thankfully, is not a literal one, but a metaphorical one in the name of Carson Hocevar.

And while Logano left Victory Lane with another trophy, Hocevar left Bristol with something else entirely.

Attention.

Lots of it.

Hocevar is becoming impossible to ignore

Let’s start with something that seems fairly obvious after Saturday night.

Are drivers frustrated with Carson Hocevar?

Yes.

Are drivers openly talking about retaliation and saying they aren’t going to simply let incidents with Hocevar go?

Also yes.

Ryan Blaney made that particularly clear.

NASCAR.com reported that Blaney spoke with reporters after the late race incident and made it clear the night was not over, saying Hocevar “just kept coming left and never lifted and crashed me.”

He also said, “Something is going to happen.”

Then came the promised post race confrontation.

KF Media reads this at this point as premeditated. Giving a throwback to Stenhouse Jr. and Kyle Busch a few years ago.

And if anybody thought Hocevar was going to simply stand there and absorb whatever came his way, Saturday night provided a pretty definitive answer.

He wasn’t.

Hocevar is tall with a long wingspan. After the confrontation, KF Media takeaway is that Hocevar is not someone who will just dish it out and run. He can back it up on and off the track and will.

He has a “pretty good right hook.”

NASCAR.com reported Hocevar’s explanation of the confrontation after the race.

“There wasn’t a whole lot of talking,” Hocevar said. “He just kind of said one thing and then went after me, and I wasn’t going to take it.”

That was followed by another statement that may have been the most Hocevar quote of the entire night.

In his post race comments, Hocevar added, “They got an old-school Bristol show here.”

And that is exactly what Bristol got.

A little bit of Earnhardt?

There is another part of Hocevar’s rise that is difficult to ignore.

NASCAR.com has previously reported on the comparisons being made between Hocevar’s personality and racing style and the late Dale Earnhardt, including an article specifically addressing those comparisons earlier this season.

Some people have begun comparing aspects of his personality and racing style to the late Dale Earnhardt.

We’re not suggesting Hocevar is Dale Earnhardt.

There will only ever be one Dale Earnhardt.

But there is something familiar about the way Hocevar generates attention.

He is polarizing.

He doesn’t seem particularly interested in making everybody happy.

And he doesn’t seem to be bothered by it either.

He gets people talking.

He gets other drivers angry.

And whether people love him or hate him, they are watching him.

That’s an important distinction.

NASCAR is, among other things, a marketing machine with millions of dollars in sponsorship built around competition, personalities, rivalries and moments people want to talk about.

Hocevar is generating those moments.

Saturday night generated one of the biggest of them.

And no doubt, whether there’s penalties handed out this week or not, this will be a highlight reel that will continue to be shared and promoted for Bristol Motor Speedway for many years to come.

“I love Bristol”

Christopher Bell may have summed up the entire evening better than anyone.

Speaking to Motorsport.com after the race, Bell watched the post race chaos and said:

“I love Bristol. I don’t know what to say. I love Bristol.”

Then he added:

“Bristol’s just the best. You gotta be here.”

It’s difficult to argue with that assessment after Saturday night.

Bristol gave NASCAR everything.

Close racing.

A championship race.

A driver competing deep into the event only to see his night end in the wall battling for second.

A late race battle for the win between Carson Hocevar and Ty Gibbs driving the very emotional Kyle Busch Memorial car.

Contact made with seven laps to go opened the door for Kyle Larson and Joey Logano.

A veteran stealing the victory.

And then a fight in the pits.

That’s Bristol.

Logano won the race

For all of the attention surrounding Hocevar and Blaney, there is still one very important fact that shouldn’t get lost.

Joey Logano won the race.

NASCAR’s official race recap confirmed Logano’s victory, his third Bristol win and the 40th Cup Series victory of his career.

He didn’t accidentally fall into Victory Lane.

He put himself in position late, capitalized when Ty Gibbs and Hocevar battled for the lead and took control with five laps remaining.

And, perhaps fittingly, he was the driver KF Media picked to win before the green flag ever fell.

That makes five correct winner predictions in our last six events.

But the bigger takeaway is that, across those six races, we have identified multiple drivers who were genuinely competing for the win in every single event.

At Orange County Speedway, Carter McMurray finished second after being one of our picks of drivers to watch.

At Bristol, Joey Logano completed the fifth correct winner prediction.

Take that statistic to Kalshi.

Don’t overlook the hurricane

This is where our takeaway from Bristol gets a little more interesting.

The easiest thing to do is look at Saturday night and see a fight.

Blaney got wrecked.

Hocevar got confronted.

Punches were thrown.

Everybody went home talking about it.

But underneath all of that is something NASCAR fans shouldn’t overlook.

Both of these drivers now have momentum.

Not necessarily momentum that can be measured by points or wins.

Momentum created by visibility.

By attention, and scrutiny.

By having the entire NASCAR world watching what you do next.

And both Blaney and Hocevar are the kind of drivers who seem to relish those moments rather than shrink from them.

That matters.

Blaney has already shown that he can handle enormous championship pressure.

Hocevar is rapidly becoming one of the most scrutinized drivers in the garage.

And most popular.

Neither appears particularly interested in backing away from the spotlight.

So don’t dismiss either one.

We aren’t making a prediction about who will ultimately win the championship.

But if you told us right now that we get to Homestead, the final race of the season, and the No. 12 and the No. 77 are two of the cars we’re watching as potential winners of the championship, we wouldn’t be surprised.

That’s the part of the Bristol story that may matter far more than one fight.

Logano won the battle Saturday night.

But Blaney and Hocevar submitted their names for the war.

By Ethan Boyles

BRISTOL, Tenn. — 

As late race championship drama unfolds

Sheldon Creed waited until the final moments of Friday night’s Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway to make his move, but when the opportunity came, he made it count.

Creed used a fresh set of tires and the inside lane to take the lead during a two lap overtime shootout and held off William Sawalich by 0.253 seconds to claim his third NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victory of the 2026 season.

The win was Creed’s first at Bristol and his second victory in the opening three races of the O’Reilly Chase. It also extended his championship lead to 11 points over Justin Allgaier heading into the next round of the postseason.

Sawalich settled for second, while rookie Brent Crews completed the podium with a third place finish.

Justin Allgaier finished fourth and Corey Day rounded out the top five.

The race belonged to Carson Kvapil for much of the night. Kvapil led a race high 156 laps and captured the second stage, but his night unraveled late when smoke began coming from the back of his No. 1 Chevrolet. Kvapil was forced to pit with 44 laps remaining and ultimately finished 24th, four laps down.

Jesse Love also controlled a large portion of the race. The defending O’Reilly Series champion led 84 laps and started from the pole after qualifying was canceled because of weather.

Love appeared to be in position to fight for another victory late in the race, but his night changed dramatically during a restart with 15 laps remaining.

Allgaier led the field back to green and Love immediately went after him for the lead. The two championship contenders raced side by side before Love made contact with Allgaier and pushed him into the outside wall.

The contact ended Allgaier’s chance at the win and dropped Love back through the field.

Love later made additional contact with the wall and finished 17th.

After the checkered flag, the incident was not forgotten.

Allgaier walked down pit road to Love’s No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet and confronted the defending champion. Allgaier said afterward that he was disappointed with the move, particularly because he felt Love drove him directly into the wall.

Love accepted responsibility for the incident after the race.

“I made a terrible decision that took ourselves out of contention to win. I’ve been doing this since I was 5 years old and I’m 21 now. I should know better. I hate it for the 7 guys I didn’t need to make an enemy of, for all our sponsors, and all the guys back at Welcome that work so hard on this car every week,” Love said.

The O’Reilly Series now takes a week off before returning October 3 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the Focused Health 302.

Food City 300 Results

1. Sheldon Creed

2. William Sawalich

3. Brent Crews

4. Justin Allgaier

5. Corey Day

6. Taylor Gray

7. Sam Mayer

8. Parker Retzlaff

9. Dean Thompson

10. Sammy Smith

The Food City 300 featured 305 laps, eight lead changes among five drivers and five cautions for 47 laps under yellow. Creed’s victory came by 0.253 seconds, while the race’s average speed was 86.229 mph. (Official Site Of NASCAR)

By Ethan Boyles

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Jake Garcia has his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory.

The ThorSport Racing driver captured Thursday night’s playoff opener at Bristol Motor Speedway, taking the checkered flag after a race that appeared to belong to Front Row Motorsports for much of the night.

Layne Riggs dominated the opening portion of the race from the pole, leading the first two stages in commanding fashion. The No. 34 Ford had the speed to control the field, while teammate Chandler Smith also showed strong pace after starting alongside Riggs on the front row.

But the race changed on pit road.

Riggs suffered lug nut issues during a pit stop, costing the dominant No. 34 valuable track position and taking him out of the position he had held for much of the night.

Smith’s night would also unravel late. The No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford was forced onto pit road under green with issues, further opening the door for the competition.

Garcia was there to capitalize.

The No. 98 ThorSport Racing Ford stayed in contention and took advantage as the leaders encountered problems, ultimately bringing Garcia his first career Truck Series win on one of NASCAR’s toughest short tracks.

Kaden Honeycutt and Stewart Friesen also put together strong showings, remaining competitive as the race unfolded and the battle at the front continued to change.

For Riggs, it was a frustrating end to a night in which he had looked like the driver to beat. After dominating the first two stages, a lug nut issue on pit road proved costly.

For Garcia, it was the breakthrough moment.

After coming close without finding Victory Lane, Garcia can now add his name to the list of Truck Series winners after surviving a chaotic Bristol night and taking advantage when the opportunity finally came.

Jake Garcia is a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series winner for the first time in his career — and Bristol is where he finally broke through.

By Ethan Boyles

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Tristan McKee is an ARCA Menards Series East champion.

The 16 year old driver officially secured the 2026 championship Thursday night at Bristol Motor Speedway, capping off a breakthrough season in the ARCA Menards Series East.

McKee entered the Bristol finale with a one point advantage over Max Reaves, making the Bush’s Best 200 a championship battle that came down to the final race of the season.

McKee’s season included four East Series victories before the Bristol finale, with wins at Hickory Motor Speedway, Rockingham Speedway, Toledo Speedway and Iowa Speedway. His consistency throughout the season kept him at the top of the championship standings and ultimately put him in position to claim the title.

The championship adds another major accomplishment to McKee’s young racing career and continues the momentum he has built across multiple touring series.

Brown Takes Bristol Victory

While McKee celebrated a championship, Carson Brown had his own reason to celebrate Thursday night.

Brown captured the Bush’s Best 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway, giving Pinnacle Racing Group a victory to go along with McKee’s championship on the same night.

Brown started from the pole for the Bristol finale, with McKee starting third, putting both Pinnacle Racing Group cars near the front of the field from the opening laps.

Brown’s victory provided the final piece to a memorable night for the organization as McKee officially became the 2026 ARCA Menards Series East champion.

For McKee, however, the biggest prize came at the end of the night.

Tristan McKee is the 2026 ARCA Menards Series East champion.

By Ethan Boyles

Bristol Motor Speedway is ready for another weekend under the lights as NASCAR heads to the “Last Great Colosseum” for three nights of national series racing and championship pressure.

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will open the weekend Thursday night, followed by the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series on Friday and the NASCAR Cup Series on Saturday night.

With the Chase continuing to take shape, here are the drivers to watch across each of the three races.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

Layne Riggs

Layne Riggs returns to Bristol as the defending Truck Series race winner and the current championship leader.

Last year, Riggs started from the pole but spun on the opening lap before fighting his way back through the field to win the race. He returns to Bristol having already collected six wins this season, making him one of the biggest names to watch when the green flag drops Thursday night.

Nick Sanchez

Nick Sanchez will take over the No. 75 truck for Parker Kligerman in Thursday night’s race.

With Kligerman unable to compete, Sanchez gets the opportunity to step into the Truck Series Chase and take on one of the most demanding short tracks on the schedule. Bristol’s tight quarters leave little room for error, making Sanchez’s performance one to watch.

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series

Jesse Love

Jesse Love comes into Bristol with momentum after earning his first win of the 2026 season at Gateway.

The defending series champion has also found success at Bristol, finishing 12th or better in three of his four O’Reilly starts at the track. After finally getting to Victory Lane, Love will look to carry that momentum into the third race of the Chase.

Justin Allgaier

Justin Allgaier enters Bristol looking to regain ground in the championship battle.

Allgaier came into Gateway leading the Chase standings but now sits second after a 13th place finish. With six wins already this season, Allgaier has shown the speed to contend for another championship, and Bristol gives him another opportunity to close the gap.

With one win, 12 top fives and 18 top tens in 28 starts, Allgaier is always a threat to win at Bristol.

NASCAR Cup Series

Ryan Blaney

Ryan Blaney heads to Bristol fourth in the Cup Series Chase standings after a difficult night at Gateway.

Blaney was running toward the front before a brake failure sent him deep into the field, resulting in a 35th place finish. Despite the setback, he remains in the championship fight and now gets a chance to rebound at Bristol.

Joey Logano

Joey Logano enters Bristol coming off one of the strongest performances at Gateway that did not end in Victory Lane.

Logano started from the pole, led a race high 96 laps and finished third. He now sits seventh in the Chase standings and heads to Bristol looking for the win that could immediately change the championship picture.

William Byron

William Byron comes into Bristol after finishing fourth at Gateway, matching his best finish since winning at Chicago earlier this season.

Byron currently sits 15th in the Chase standings after a difficult start to the postseason. With the championship field beginning to separate, Bristol gives Byron an important opportunity to gain ground.

Bristol Honors Dolly and Kyle

The championship battles are only part of what makes Bristol weekend special.

Dolly Parton will be honored throughout the weekend as Bristol celebrates the Tennessee icon, while Kyle Busch will receive a special Lap 18 tribute during Saturday night’s Cup Series race.

Busch has won eight Cup Series races at Bristol and has 23 victories across NASCAR’s three national series at the track.

With three nights of racing, championship pressure and plenty of Bristol history, the weekend is set to deliver another chapter at one of NASCAR’s most recognizable tracks.

Ethan Boyles

Kyle Larson returned to Victory Lane Sunday at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, ending a 51 race NASCAR Cup Series winless streak in a race marked by brake failures, 18 cautions, multiple green white checkered attempts and a chaotic closing stretch.

Larson led the way to the finish, with Alex Bowman finishing second and Joey Logano crossing the line third. William Byron also brought home a top five finish, giving Hendrick Motorsports a strong showing at Gateway.

The race was anything but calm.

Brake failures became one of the major storylines throughout the afternoon, while multiple incidents collected several Cup Series playoff contenders. Tyler Reddick, Chase Elliott and Christopher Bell were among the championship contenders who suffered damage or were taken out of contention early, adding even more pressure to an already critical playoff race.

Logano appeared to have the race firmly in his control for much of the afternoon, building a commanding lead. But with roughly 40 laps remaining, the race began to change.

Cautions breed cautions, and the final portion of the race became a battle of pit strategy, restarts and survival. Teams were forced to make critical decisions as track position became increasingly valuable and the possibility of another caution remained at every restart.

Multiple green white checkered attempts extended the race and kept the outcome in doubt until the final laps.

When it mattered most, Larson and Hendrick Motorsports were ready.

Larson held on to take the win, with Bowman finishing second and Logano third. Byron secured a top five finish, giving Hendrick Motorsports a strong day at Gateway.

The Gateway victory marked a significant moment for Larson, snapping his 51 race winless streak and putting the No. 5 team back in Victory Lane at a critical point in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

Updated Playoff Standings After Gateway

Denny Hamlin remains at the top of the standings with 2,168 points, while Larson moved to second, just nine points behind Hamlin.

1. Denny Hamlin — 2,168

2. Kyle Larson — -9

3. Christopher Bell — -18

4. Ryan Blaney — -33

5. Tyler Reddick — -42

6. Ty Gibbs — -51

7. Joey Logano — -51

8. Chase Briscoe — -59

9. Carson Hocevar — -88

10. Bubba Wallace — -90

11. Chase Elliott — -93

12. Austin Cindric — -108

13. Chris Buescher — -111

14. Ryan Preece — -113

15. William Byron — -114

16. Daniel Suárez — -119

With Larson now just nine points behind Hamlin and several playoff contenders leaving Gateway with significant deficits, the championship picture continues to tighten.

Things get interesting in THE CHASE headed to Bristol next Saturday night.

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway, where the pressure will only increase and every position in the playoff standings becomes more important.

After a chaotic race at Gateway and Larson’s return to Victory Lane, the championship picture is tightening up heading into Bristol.

By Ethan Boyles

Photo/Graphic: NASCAR

Kyle Larson will honor Kyle Busch with a throwback paint scheme during the NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Hendrick Motorsports announced that Larson’s No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet will feature a design inspired by the No. 5 Chevrolet Busch drove to his first career Cup Series victory at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2007.

There is already a lot of history behind the win and the paint scheme, but the timing of this announcement comes shortly after Brexton Busch captured a historic victory at Tri County Speedway. Whether intentional or not, that timing adds a little sentimental value to what is already a meaningful throwback.

Busch’s first Cup Series win came driving for Rick Hendrick, and now Larson will bring that same look back to the track nearly two decades later.

There is another connection that makes this more than just a throwback to Busch’s first Cup Series victory. Busch’s most recent NASCAR victory came at Dover in the Craftsman Truck Series, driving a vehicle carrying the same HendrickCars.com sponsorship that will appear on Larson’s car.

In that sense, this paint scheme reaches across Busch’s career, connecting his first Cup Series win with his most recent NASCAR victory in a way that feels uniquely fitting for Hendrick Motorsports.

The Las Vegas race is scheduled for October 4.

By Ethan Boyles

Source: Hendrick Motorsports.

Photo/Graphic: Hendrick Motorsports.

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to World Wide Technology Raceway this weekend for the second race of the 2026 Chase, and the Enjoy Illinois 300 comes with plenty of questions following an unpredictable opening round at Darlington Raceway.

Christopher Bell enters Gateway with the biggest momentum swing in the championship field after finally breaking through for his first win of the season at Darlington. The victory ended a 33 race winless streak and moved Bell from sixth to second in the standings, putting him just 12 points behind championship leader Denny Hamlin.

Hamlin may still hold the points lead, but his 18th place finish at Darlington does not tell the entire story of his race. The No. 11 Toyota showed strong speed early and ran inside the top three during Stage 1 before contact, damage and pit road problems ultimately took him out of contention. Now, Hamlin returns to Gateway as the defending winner with another opportunity to turn that speed into the finish he needs. But he needs to leave the monkey at home this week.

Gateway, however, presents an entirely different challenge from Darlington.

The 1.25 mile oval has quickly developed its own identity on the Cup schedule. Since the series first raced there in 2022, four different drivers have taken the checkered flag. Joey Logano won the inaugural event, the late Kyle Busch won in 2023, Austin Cindric won in 2024 and Hamlin won last year.

That history makes this weekend particularly difficult to predict. Drivers now have to adapt to Gateway’s unique layout, braking zones and corner characteristics while dealing with the added pressure of a championship race.

Ryan Blaney enters the weekend third in the Chase, only 16 points behind Hamlin. While he has never won at Gateway, Blaney has been consistently competitive there. He has led laps in three of the four Cup races at the track, including 83 laps in 2023, and has finished fourth twice, including last year’s race.

Cindric is another driver with a reason to feel confident. The 2024 Gateway winner enters the weekend 14th among the Chase drivers, 102 points behind Hamlin. A return to the form that produced his first Cup victory at WWTR would give him an opportunity to make up significant ground.

And then there is the unfinished business coming out of Darlington.

Brad Keselowski made it clear following the Southern 500 that he had not forgotten his incident with Carson Hocevar. Hocevar made contact with Keselowski during the opening race of the Chase, sending the No. 6 spinning, and Keselowski did not hide his frustration afterward. He promised payback.

Now both drivers head to Gateway.

Hocevar is part of the Chase and has a championship to protect, while Keselowski is outside the title fight and has nothing to lose by settling the score. Whether Keselowski actually follows through on his warning or the two drivers are able to put Darlington behind them is one of the biggest wild cards heading into Sunday.

It also adds another layer to a race that already has plenty of championship implications.

Shane van Gisbergen could provide another wildcard of his own. He is not part of the Chase, but his ability to adapt to different tracks makes him a driver capable of changing the complexion of the race. He may not be on everyone’s list of drivers to watch, but that is exactly what could make him interesting when the green flag falls.

Drivers to Watch

Going into WWTR, three drivers stand out as the ones we believe have the best opportunity to win the Enjoy Illinois 300.

Joey Logano

Logano’s season has been a difficult one for much of the year, with multiple DNFs and finishes that left him much farther behind than expected. What makes his current stretch so impressive is how far he has climbed back. After spending much of the season trying to recover from that early deficit, Logano has suddenly become one of the hottest drivers in the field with two wins late in the season.

Gateway could be the perfect place for that resurgence to continue. Logano won the inaugural Cup race at WWTR in 2022 and has never finished worse than fifth in four Cup starts at the track. His recent momentum combined with his history at Gateway makes him a serious threat on Sunday.

Kyle Larson

Larson showed at Darlington that he has the speed to dominate a race. He led 99 laps and appeared to have control of the Southern 500 until the final 12 laps before ultimately finishing fifth after pit strategy plagued his chances to win.

That speed makes him difficult to overlook at Gateway, where he led 52 laps last year. Larson has already shown that he can put himself in position to win at WWTR. If he can put together the entire race this time, he has a legitimate opportunity to take the checkered flag.

Christopher Bell

Bell comes into Gateway with perhaps the strongest momentum in the Chase. His Darlington victory ended the 33 race winless streak that followed seven runner up finishes and moved him to within 12 points of Hamlin in the championship standings.

He then followed that victory with another win at Tri County Speedway in the ASA STARS National Tour Ebb Logistics 250 Presented by SAVE22.VET. Add three top 10 finishes in four career Cup starts at Gateway, including a seventh place finish last year, and Bell has plenty working in his favor.

The Bottom Line

The Enjoy Illinois 300 is only the second race of the Chase, but there is already plenty at stake. Hamlin is trying to protect the championship lead, Bell is trying to keep his momentum rolling, and the rest of the playoff field is looking for an opportunity to close the gap.

At the same time, the Keselowski and Hocevar situation adds a completely different storyline to the weekend. Whether that tension follows them from Darlington to Gateway could become one of the most talked about moments of Sunday’s race. Will Hocevar’s belts be pulled tighter than the tension between himself and Keselowski?

Gateway has produced four different Cup winners in four races, and the track’s unique characteristics leave plenty of room for another driver to add his name to that list.

When the green flag falls Sunday, the championship battle will continue, old business may become new business, and 300 miles will determine which drivers leave WWTR with momentum on their side.

By Ethan Boyles

Where It Started — And Where It’s Going

Before KF Media…

Before any of this…

There was just General Admission.

Back in 2021, it started simple.

We went to a race with general admission tickets and asked a question:

How close can we actually get?

We didn’t know what to expect.

But we quickly found out — you could get closer than I ever thought.

I was talking to drivers. Meeting people.

Having real conversations.

Guys like Layne Riggs — before everything took off — just standing there, talking like it was nothing.

Moments that felt small at the time, but looking back, they mattered.

So we went to another race.

And then another.

At one point at Hickory, we crossed paths with Jeff Hammond.

He saw what we were doing, supported it, and told us straight up — keep going.

That was the moment it started to shift.

It went from just showing up with cameras…

to realizing this might actually be something.

Not just friends going to the track taking pictures…

trying to find a little escape, a bit of therapy from everyday life —

but a brand.

And then it took off.

The next year turned into 57 races across 42 weekends,

up and down the East Coast — from New York to Florida.

Including being part of the Racetrack Revival at North Wilkesboro.

Some of the biggest opportunities — like working at Bristol and covering the Southeast Super Trucks Series — came early, before I even really understood what I was building.

Tri County Speedway and the Higgins family gave me access and opportunities I couldn’t have imagined.

They were foundational — without them, I wouldn’t be here today.

Later, JCR, the demo world, and events like the Run to the Sun car show introduced me to incredible people and experiences from all over the globe.

It expanded my perspective, my craft, and my understanding of what this could become.

Along the way, I learned that every person you meet connects you to someone else in ways you can’t imagine.

I’ve met people who became friends, teachers, collaborators — from someone grabbing my phone at a racetrack just to take over content for the day, to racers, teams, and builders showing me worlds I’d never known.

It all reinforced why respect matters, why openness matters, and why your actions speak louder than your words.

There was a moment where everything could have gone one of two ways: fade out, or grow into something more.

I stepped back.

Took a pause.

Re-evaluated everything.

And when I came back — I came back different.

Better equipment.

Better understanding.

Better direction.

But more importantly — I knew who I wanted to be.

I wanted to represent the sport the right way.

Drivers. Teams. Tracks.

From a fan’s perspective — but with respect for what it takes to be out there.

And somewhere along the way… that changed.

One day, I wasn’t just a fan sitting on the sidelines anymore —

I was part of it.

I was in the mix.

I can’t even point to the exact moment that happened.

But once it did, it became important to evolve.

That’s where the shift in image came from.

That’s why the professional look of KF Media needed to happen.

Because this wasn’t just showing up anymore.

It became something real.

When it became a business — that’s when KF Media had to be formed.

The friendships were already there.

The trust was already there.

I refined what I did.

Found my lane in photography.

Started capturing not just the action — but the feeling around it.

And then it expanded.

Short tracks to bigger tracks.

Racing to demo derbies.

Car shows. Events. Moments.

It kept growing.

KF Media became the natural evolution — the place to bring all of it together.

A place for me to bring better content.

More access.

More perspective.

A place for fans, drivers, teams, and sponsors to all connect with what I’m doing.

It’s where the photos live.

Where the work actually exists — not just in a feed, but in one place.

There will be more video.

More photos — a lot more.

Photos that can  be purchased in different formats.

Content that won’t be posted anywhere else.

Because this isn’t just victory lane photos.

It’s cars.

It’s details.

It’s landscapes.

It’s moments you didn’t even realize mattered until you saw them.

KF Media started on Facebook as General Admission.

It expanded to TikTok, YouTube, Instagram.

But this — this website — was always the next step.

This is where it all connects.

This is where it all lives.

— Ethan Boyles

Owner, KF Media

Co-Founder, General Admission