After a season dominated by Toyota in the victory column, with Toyota winning more than half the races, it appears Chevy is destined to claim the driver’s championship this year, barring a massive collapse from Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson.

With a 73-point cushion over the next driver in point standings, Larson appears likely to take his third crown after an incredible Chase performance where he has been lights out. To put things in perspective, his finishes in the Chase have been:

— 5^th
— 1^st
— 2^nd
— 1^st
— 2^nd
— 6^th
— 34^th
— 1^st

That’s an average of 6.5, and if you throw out the one bad race he had in 34^th, Larson has averaged a finish of 2.5 in the remaining 7 races.

Still, Kyle knows this sport can throw everyone a curveball, and is not celebrating until the math is official.

“I still feel a lot of pressure. It’s so easy for the points to swing, and you’ve seen that throughout The Chase. A team or driver can have a great day and score maximum points, and we could have a day like we had at Phoenix [Raceway], and boom, they’re right back in it. So, I do feel a lot of pressure. Ultimately, I’d love to go to Martinsville and gain the points I need to lock it up, but if we can’t do that, I still want to have a solid day and give ourselves as much of a cushion as possible heading into Homestead. We’ve done a super good job of staying focused over the past couple of months of The Chase, and we can’t let those thoughts creep into our minds. My goal is to stay locked in and stay on offense.”

If you’re a regular visitor to the NASCAR corner of the social media world, there is a common theme you may be hearing in 2026 — that NASCAR is cooking the books for the Toyota camp, and Denny Hamlin in particular, to become champions this year.

And while I can understand a little bit why that thought springs to mind for some people — as Toyota have won 10 of the first 16 races between Tyler Reddick (5), Hamlin (4) and Ty Gibbs (1); and even lesser Toyota teams like Legacy Motor Club are starting to show speed and run up front — the reality is far more boring that the conspiracy would have you believe.

Hamlin is just that good this year. As he’s said in the past, he’s beating your favorite driver, week in and week out, and achieving new career milestones week after week. He recent entered the ultra-rare 50 win/50 pole club, and has now passed the late Kyle Busch with his 64th career win (and sits 12 wins behind 8th-place Dale Earnhardt).

To be doing this at age 45 is nothing short of incredible in a sport where youth often prevails.

With Daytona behind us and a full year of racing ahead, it’s inevitable that some things will be changing this year.

Some drivers will fall off from their 2025 performances, others will step up big time and reach the next level of success. And some new faces will make waves.

Read on for my picks of 5 Cup drivers who I believe will make a big splash in 2026 at the top level of NASCAR.

1. Connor Zilisch: This young man will be the breakout star of the year in Cup, I can say with confidence. He is a generational talent – and he has more accolades as a teenager than most people get in their careers. Sky’s the limit, and Trackhouse has themselves a gem.

Between Zilisch and Shane Van Gisbergen, Trackhouse should take all the road course wins this year, plus some of the ovals as well. Zilisch needs to get better in pressure situations in Cup, but once he does, the rest of the field can get used to the feeling of waving goodbye as he drives off in the distance. I predict at least one checkered flag for the rookie, and possibly several victories.

Hettinger Racing will compete full-time in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2026.

Owned by second-generation racer Chris Hettinger, the team will field the No. 5 Ford Mustang Dark Horse and receive technical support from Ford Racing. Roush Yates Engines will be the team’s engine supplier.

“This is about putting our race team in the right place at the right time,” Hettinger said. “The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series has incredible momentum. It features great racing and the series gets significant exposure thanks to coverage from The CW. Combining that platform with the support of Ford Racing and Roush Yates Engines gives us the opportunity to grow our program into one that competes at a national level.”

After years of justifiable grumbling from fans about the playoff system as it has existed in recent years, with multiple resets and cutoff rounds, and cries that the champions crowned in recent years weren’t truly deserving due to the one-race finale, change has come to NASCAR in a big way.

Starting with the 2026 season, the sport is returning to its (recent) past. No, we’re not getting a full season championship with no points resets, like we had from 1975 through 2003, but we got as close we were ever going to get — a return to a (slightly altered) version of the 10-race Chase that launched back in 2004 (and similar setups in the O’Reilly and Truck series as well).

NASCAR and its fans have been on a collision course with uncertainty.

As we neared the end of the trial based on the lawsuit filed by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports after refusing to sign the charter agreement, it was entirely possible that the future of how NASCAR was operated would be in the hands of a judge — and those running the sport weren’t going to like it one bit.

Jim France’s testimony was the harbinger of doom that seemingly lit a fire under both parties to get together and talk, and try to figure out a way to make concessions that made both sides happy enough to move forward with an agreement and end the court case.

And then, in just a couple hours on Thursday morning, lightning struck, and the teams and NASCAR came to an agreement. Judge Bell happily announced the settlement, hinting that it should have happened a long time ago, and the jurors were dismissed much to their delight.

After all the vitriol, the “redneck” jab from NASCAR brass, strong comments about Jim France from the 23XI camp, and a year-plus of turmoil, the teams ultimately got what they wanted — including evergreen charters and better overall terms — and the sport is better off for it long-term.

“Standing up isn’t easy, but progress never comes from staying silent. The reward is in knowing you changed something,” Denny Hamlin posted on social media after the settlement.

“From the beginning, this lawsuit was about progress. It was about making sure our sport evolves in a way that supports everyone: teams, drivers, partners, employees, and fans,” 23XI co-owner Michael Jordan said. “With a foundation to build equity and invest in the future and a stronger voice in the decisions ahead, we now have the chance to grow together and make the sport even better for generations to come. I’m excited to watch our teams get back on the track and compete hard in 2026.”

In one week, an exciting title battle will take place in a motorsports finale.

After a bad strategy call from the McLaren team allowed Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen to claim the victory in the Qatar Grand Prix, the 4-time defending champion moved up to 2nd in the Formula 1 standings, just 12 points behind points leader Lando Norris. Norris’ teammate Oscar Piastri is also still alive in the points, 16 points back.

With 25 points up for grabs to the winner at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, there are scenarios where Norris, Verstappen, Piastri each emerge as the 2025 champ.

Will Verstappen, who was more than 100 points out of the title fight as recently as August, complete a miraculous comeback and claim his fifth straight championship?

Will Norris hold off his two competitors and claim his first championship?

Can Piastri overcome the longest odds of the top 3 to become one of the youngest F1 champs ever?

Natural is better

What’s the lesson of all this? It shows that natural championship battles are much more engaging than anything that is manufactured, as we’re seeing in other racing series.

A curious thing is happening in NASCAR’s B-series, the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (formerly Xfinity), as we head into 2026.

This series, which has been dominated by Chevy and Toyota teams in recent years (especially by Chevy and JR Motorsports), will have essentially no presence from Ford teams in 2026.

The news has long been out that Haas Factory Team will switch from Ford to Chevy starting in 2026 in O’Reilly Series, and today it was announced that RSS Racing will be moving from Ford to Chevy as well, and continue partnering with Haas Factory Team.

What it means is that, from a distance, it looks like Ford is giving up on the series for now. No major teams are currently affiliated with Ford, and anything that remains (Potentially AM Racing, and some of the backmarker teams who help fill out the field) is not going to earn them many strong finishes.

As someone who has watched teams like Roush Racing and Penske Racing dominate this series in the past, that’s tough to see.

BROOKLYN, MICH. – If you've ever wanted to get a lap in at Michigan International Speedway, now is your chance.

The track will host the 17^th annual MIS Cares Charity Track and Toy Drive event on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 9 a.m. to noon. Fans are encouraged to donate a non-perishable food item or a new, unwrapped toy in exchange for a drive around the track in their personal vehicle.

Donations from this event go to support local charities, including St. Mary’s of Good Counsel Parish Food Pantry, Jackson County Toys for Tots, and Lenawee County Toys for Tots.

“We’re ready to kick off the holiday season in just a few weeks and the MIS Cares Charity Track and Toy Drive is the perfect event to start spreading holiday cheer,” said Joe Fowler, Michigan International Speedway President. “It’s important to give back to the community and to play a role in helping make the upcoming holidays special for families in the Irish Hills is what it’s all about.”

Guidelines for participants running laps at the track include:
— Speed limit of 65 MPH
— No passing allowed
— Valid driver’s license required
— Must be age 18 or older.
— Must be properly insured (and able to show proof of insurance)
— No burnouts allowed anywhere on property.
— Drivers are responsible for ensuring all passengers are properly restrained.
— Must maintain the speed of your group. 
— Must stay above yellow line
— Street legal passenger vehicles are allowed, but no RV’s, motorcycles, or tractor trailers.
— For safety reasons, Michigan International Speedway officials may refuse track access at their discretion.
— Those attending can access the event via US-12 entrance.
— If weather prevents driving on the track, make-up date will be scheduled.
 

Nite Lites

Another upcoming event at MIS is Nite Lites, which is also Michigan’s largest Christmas Light display

This event will be held at MIS from Nov. 21 through Jan. 4. Hours for this 5-mile drive-thru display are 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. from Sunday to Thursday; and 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays. 

Cost to attend is $35 per car/vehicle, while limos, motorhomes and minibuses are $50 each, and tour buses are $100. Cash and credit cards are accepted, and you can visit www.nitelitesshow.com for more information.

Looking ahead to 2026, fans can purchase tickets for the 2026 NASCAR race weekend at Michigan International Speedway at www.mispeedway.com.

All the racing world’s eyes will be on the Motor City on Jan. 15, specifically at the newly renovated Michigan Central Station, when Ford Racing will host its Season Launch event in conjunction with the spotlight being on Detroit for the annual Auto Show.

Mark Rushbrook, global director for Ford Racing, says he wanted a special location for the unveiling.

“This iconic landmark, steeped in the city’s spirit of grit, perseverance, and undeniable love for cars, is the perfect place to kick off an epic year on the track and in the dirt. It’s a powerful statement, complementing the energy of the 2026 Detroit Auto Show happening the same week, truly making Detroit the global hub of automotive excitement,” Rushbrook said. 

Rushbrook said all elements of the Ford Racing lineup will be on display.

“From the thunderous roar of NASCAR to the grueling challenges of Mustang endurance sports car racing, and the relentless grit of our off-road teams tackling Dakar and Baja — every facet of Ford’s global racing prowess will be on full display. This isn’t just a launch; it’s a declaration of intent across every racing discipline, a true embodiment of the “Go Like Hell” spirit that drives us,” he explained.

Beyond racecars, Rushbrook said the event will also feature an exclusive sneak peek at an all-new Ford Racing production road car.