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| BROWNSTOWN, IN (March 28, 2026) – Devin Moran captured his third consecutive Indiana Icebreaker on Saturday night at Brownstown Speedway. The defending Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion earned $25,000 for his fourth series victory of the season. With the win, Moran now holds the series points lead heading into Sunday night’s race at Atomic Speedway. Ricky Thornton Jr., the defending Jackson 100 champion at Brownstown, passed Max Blair late in the race to finish second. Blair rounded out the Big River Steel Podium in third after starting eighth. Josh Rice, in his first full season with the series, charged from 17th to finish fourth, while Brandon Sheppard completed the top five. Sheppard, a two-time Indiana Icebreaker winner, jumped to the lead at the start of the 50-lap feature and led the opening 14 laps. Moran, who started outside the front row, moved into second on lap six and stayed within striking distance. Following a caution on lap 12, Moran closed in and overtook Sheppard three laps later, then led the remainder of the race. Moran, now a 28-time winner in Lucas Oil Victory Lane, drove from the fourth starting position to secure the victory. “You never really know where to be on the track sometimes,” Moran said. “I felt like I had a really good car on that first run and was closing in on Sheppard, but we never got to lapped traffic. On restarts, he was kind of gapping me, so I knew I needed to make a move there. Once I had open air, I felt like we were going to be fine. I could see Ricky looking underneath me on restarts, but that’s about it.” “In turns three and four, the top was completely gone – it was up over the edge. In turns one and two, there was still a lot left if you entered just right. It was a little choppy, so if you hit it correctly, it might have been faster, but it was also very treacherous. Once I built a gap, there was no reason to take that risk.”Thornton, who won in his last appearance at Brownstown last September, slipped past Blair in the closing laps to secure the runner-up finish. “He (Moran) was really good – he could go wherever he needed to,” Thornton said. “I felt like I needed clean air and had to try something different. It seems like he has a lot more side bite than we do. Their program has been really strong the last couple of years, and now they’re clicking off wins. Hopefully we can improve tomorrow at Atomic.” Blair, who held second from lap 33 until Thornton’s late pass, now has finishes of second and third in his last two Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series races. “I felt like I had a good car today—one we could have won with,” Blair said. “I got to Devin and then just started making mistakes. I think I got out-experienced a little bit. We’ve got a strong race car, so hopefully we can keep the momentum going. I really think I had something for him. He made a great move in lapped traffic, splitting a couple of cars, and I felt like that was the turning point. I probably should have settled back in, but I kept pushing. It seems like Ricky has passed me late for a podium spot a few times this year.” The winning Double Down Motorsports-owned Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Cornett Racing Engine and sponsored by Big River Steel, Millwood Plumbing, C&W Trucking, Phillips CPA, Bomag, Haulin’, Haskell’s, CarSourceAuto.com, Hazen Services, Anthony’s Pizza, Advantage Lawn Care, Red Oak Pub, McHugh Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, Elliott Farms, and Pee Wee’s Wrecker Service. Completing the top ten were Brandon Sheppard, Hudson O’Neal, Brandon Overton, Brenden Smith, Brian Shirley, and Garrett Alberson. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary 29th Annual Indiana IcebreakerSaturday, March 28, 2026Brownstown Speedway | Brownstown, IN Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Dan Ebert | 12.773 secondsFast Time Group B: Brandon Sheppard | 12.638 seconds (Overall) Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[2]; 2. 60-Dan Ebert[1]; 3. 93L-Cory Lawler[3]; 4. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[5]; 5. 11-Josh Rice[4]; 6. 38JU-Jake Little[7]; 7. 1C-Chad Stapleton[6] Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 6-Clay Harris[2]; 2. 58-Garrett Alberson[3]; 3. 71-Hudson O’Neal[4]; 4. 4G-Tripp Gerrald[1]; 5. 89-Mike Spatola[5]; 6. (DNS) 48J-Jug Wethington; 7. (DNS) 40B-Kyle Bronson Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 1-Brandon Sheppard[1]; 2. 76-Brandon Overton[3]; 3. 13-Dallon Murty[2]; 4. C4-Freddie Carpenter[6]; 5. 1G-Devin Gilpin[5]; 6. 11C-Tyler Collins[7]; 7. 19M-Brenden Smith[4] Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 99-Devin Moran[2]; 2. 111-Max Blair[3]; 3. 8-Dillon McCowan[6]; 4. 3S-Brian Shirley[5]; 5. 93-Carson Ferguson[4]; 6. 14M-Willie Madison[7]; 7. 12J-Jason Jameson[1] Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 6 Transfer): 1. 11-Josh Rice[1]; 2. 93-Carson Ferguson[4]; 3. 1G-Devin Gilpin[2]; 4. 89-Mike Spatola[3]; 5. 11C-Tyler Collins[6]; 6. 40B-Kyle Bronson[11]; 7. 1C-Chad Stapleton[9]; 8. 48J-Jug Wethington[7]; 9. 38JU-Jake Little[5]; 10. 19M-Brenden Smith[10]; 11. 14M-Willie Madison[8]; 12. 12J-Jason Jameson[12] 29th Annual Indiana Icebreaker Feature Finish (50 Laps):Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings1 – 4 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $26,3002 – 1 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $11,3003 – 8 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $6,9004 – 17 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – $4,9005 – 2 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $4,4006 – 11 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $4,1007 – 6 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $3,4008 – 23 – 19M – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – $3,2009 – 16 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – $3,10010 – 7 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $3,00011 – 20 – 89 – Mike Spatola – Manhattan, IL – $2,00012 – 22 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – $2,80013 – 3 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $2,70014 – 18 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $2,60015 – 24 – 12J – Jason Jameson – Lawrenceburg, IN – $1,60016 – 14 – C4 – Freddie Carpenter – Parkersburg, WV – $1,50017 – 10 – 13 – Dallon Murty – Chelsea, IA – $1,50018 – 5 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $2,40019 – 9 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – $1,50020 – 12 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – $2,40021 – 13 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – $1,50022 – 19 – 1G – Devin Gilpin – Columbus, IN – $1,50023 – 21 – 11C – Tyler Collins – North Vernon, IN – $1,50024 – 15 – 4G – Tripp Gerrald – Versailles, KY – $1,500 Race Statistics Entrants: 28Bilstein Shocks Pole Sitter: Ricky Thornton, Jr.MD3 Lap Leaders: Brandon Sheppard (Laps 1-14); Devin Moran (Laps 15-50)Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Devin MoranWieland Feature Winner: Devin MoranMargin of Victory: 1.633 secondsHellraizer Jacks Cautions: Tyler Collins (Initial Start); Tripp Gerrald, Tyler Collins (Lap 7); Cory Lawler, Brian Shirley, Tyler Collins, Freddie Carpenter (Lap 8); Tripp Gerrald, Tyler Collins, Kyle Bronson, Daniel Hilsabeck (Lap 9); Dillon McCowan (Lap 12); Cory Lawler (Lap 17); Dan Ebert, Dillon McCowan, Daniel Hilsabeck (Lap 31)MyRacePass Series Provisional: Brenden SmithFast Time Provisional: Jason JamesonEmergency Provisionals: n/aTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Devin Moran, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Max BlairPenske Shocks Top 5: Devin Moran, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Max Blair, Josh Rice, Brandon SheppardBehrent’s One-Lap-to-Go Top 3: Devin Moran, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Max BlairPEM 4th Place Feature: Josh RiceDiversified Machine 5th Place Feature: Brandon SheppardWilwood Brakes 7th Place Feature: Brandon OvertonWehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Mike SpatolaVelocity Manufacturing 13th Place Feature: Clay HarrisXS Power Batteries 15th Place Feature: Jason JamesonHoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Brenden Smith (Advanced 15 positions)MD3 Most Laps Led: Devin Moran (36 Laps)Sunoco Race Fuels Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Hudson O’NealO’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: n/aPro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Brandon Sheppard | Lap 1 | 14.858 secondsFK Rod Ends Hard Luck Award: Clay HarrisVictory Fuel Power Move of the Race: Devin MoranOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Chuck KimbleARP Engine Builder of the Race: Cornett Race EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Brandon Sheppard | 12.782 secondsTime of Race: 38 minutes 36 seconds Big River Steel Championship Standings Presented by ARP:Pos – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Points – Earnings1 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 1440 – $103,9002 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 1410 – $81,5003 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 1310 – $34,8504 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – 1275 – $34,0505 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 1245 – $30,9006 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – 1215 – $32,6007 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 1210 – $40,9008 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 1145 – $26,5009 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – 1145 – $18,17510 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – 1100 – $20,55011 – 3s – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 1065 – $18,60012 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – 1050 – $16,32513 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – 1030 – $18,97514 – 19M – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – 935 – $13,00015 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – 915 – $9,47516 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – 865 – $13,12517 – 13 – Dallon Murty – Chelsea, IA – 815 – $7,95018 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – 775 – $9,22519 – C4 – Freddie Carpenter – Parkersburg, WV – 725 – $2,600 |
| Moran Wins Third Straight Indiana Icebreaker at Brownstown |
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| BROWNSTOWN, IN (March 28, 2026) – Devin Moran captured his third consecutive Indiana Icebreaker on Saturday night at Brownstown Speedway. The defending Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion earned $25,000 for his fourth series victory of the season. With the win, Moran now holds the series points lead heading into Sunday night’s race at Atomic Speedway. Ricky Thornton Jr., the defending Jackson 100 champion at Brownstown, passed Max Blair late in the race to finish second. Blair rounded out the Big River Steel Podium in third after starting eighth. Josh Rice, in his first full season with the series, charged from 17th to finish fourth, while Brandon Sheppard completed the top five. Sheppard, a two-time Indiana Icebreaker winner, jumped to the lead at the start of the 50-lap feature and led the opening 14 laps. Moran, who started outside the front row, moved into second on lap six and stayed within striking distance. Following a caution on lap 12, Moran closed in and overtook Sheppard three laps later, then led the remainder of the race. Moran, now a 28-time winner in Lucas Oil Victory Lane, drove from the fourth starting position to secure the victory. “You never really know where to be on the track sometimes,” Moran said. “I felt like I had a really good car on that first run and was closing in on Sheppard, but we never got to lapped traffic. On restarts, he was kind of gapping me, so I knew I needed to make a move there. Once I had open air, I felt like we were going to be fine. I could see Ricky looking underneath me on restarts, but that’s about it.” “In turns three and four, the top was completely gone – it was up over the edge. In turns one and two, there was still a lot left if you entered just right. It was a little choppy, so if you hit it correctly, it might have been faster, but it was also very treacherous. Once I built a gap, there was no reason to take that risk.”Thornton, who won in his last appearance at Brownstown last September, slipped past Blair in the closing laps to secure the runner-up finish. “He (Moran) was really good – he could go wherever he needed to,” Thornton said. “I felt like I needed clean air and had to try something different. It seems like he has a lot more side bite than we do. Their program has been really strong the last couple of years, and now they’re clicking off wins. Hopefully we can improve tomorrow at Atomic.” Blair, who held second from lap 33 until Thornton’s late pass, now has finishes of second and third in his last two Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series races. “I felt like I had a good car today—one we could have won with,” Blair said. “I got to Devin and then just started making mistakes. I think I got out-experienced a little bit. We’ve got a strong race car, so hopefully we can keep the momentum going. I really think I had something for him. He made a great move in lapped traffic, splitting a couple of cars, and I felt like that was the turning point. I probably should have settled back in, but I kept pushing. It seems like Ricky has passed me late for a podium spot a few times this year.” The winning Double Down Motorsports-owned Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Cornett Racing Engine and sponsored by Big River Steel, Millwood Plumbing, C&W Trucking, Phillips CPA, Bomag, Haulin’, Haskell’s, CarSourceAuto.com, Hazen Services, Anthony’s Pizza, Advantage Lawn Care, Red Oak Pub, McHugh Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, Elliott Farms, and Pee Wee’s Wrecker Service. Completing the top ten were Brandon Sheppard, Hudson O’Neal, Brandon Overton, Brenden Smith, Brian Shirley, and Garrett Alberson. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary 29th Annual Indiana IcebreakerSaturday, March 28, 2026Brownstown Speedway | Brownstown, IN Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Dan Ebert | 12.773 secondsFast Time Group B: Brandon Sheppard | 12.638 seconds (Overall) Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[2]; 2. 60-Dan Ebert[1]; 3. 93L-Cory Lawler[3]; 4. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[5]; 5. 11-Josh Rice[4]; 6. 38JU-Jake Little[7]; 7. 1C-Chad Stapleton[6] Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 6-Clay Harris[2]; 2. 58-Garrett Alberson[3]; 3. 71-Hudson O’Neal[4]; 4. 4G-Tripp Gerrald[1]; 5. 89-Mike Spatola[5]; 6. (DNS) 48J-Jug Wethington; 7. (DNS) 40B-Kyle Bronson Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 1-Brandon Sheppard[1]; 2. 76-Brandon Overton[3]; 3. 13-Dallon Murty[2]; 4. C4-Freddie Carpenter[6]; 5. 1G-Devin Gilpin[5]; 6. 11C-Tyler Collins[7]; 7. 19M-Brenden Smith[4] Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 99-Devin Moran[2]; 2. 111-Max Blair[3]; 3. 8-Dillon McCowan[6]; 4. 3S-Brian Shirley[5]; 5. 93-Carson Ferguson[4]; 6. 14M-Willie Madison[7]; 7. 12J-Jason Jameson[1] Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 6 Transfer): 1. 11-Josh Rice[1]; 2. 93-Carson Ferguson[4]; 3. 1G-Devin Gilpin[2]; 4. 89-Mike Spatola[3]; 5. 11C-Tyler Collins[6]; 6. 40B-Kyle Bronson[11]; 7. 1C-Chad Stapleton[9]; 8. 48J-Jug Wethington[7]; 9. 38JU-Jake Little[5]; 10. 19M-Brenden Smith[10]; 11. 14M-Willie Madison[8]; 12. 12J-Jason Jameson[12] 29th Annual Indiana Icebreaker Feature Finish (50 Laps):Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings1 – 4 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $26,3002 – 1 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $11,3003 – 8 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $6,9004 – 17 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – $4,9005 – 2 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $4,4006 – 11 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $4,1007 – 6 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $3,4008 – 23 – 19M – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – $3,2009 – 16 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – $3,10010 – 7 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $3,00011 – 20 – 89 – Mike Spatola – Manhattan, IL – $2,00012 – 22 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – $2,80013 – 3 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $2,70014 – 18 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $2,60015 – 24 – 12J – Jason Jameson – Lawrenceburg, IN – $1,60016 – 14 – C4 – Freddie Carpenter – Parkersburg, WV – $1,50017 – 10 – 13 – Dallon Murty – Chelsea, IA – $1,50018 – 5 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $2,40019 – 9 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – $1,50020 – 12 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – $2,40021 – 13 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – $1,50022 – 19 – 1G – Devin Gilpin – Columbus, IN – $1,50023 – 21 – 11C – Tyler Collins – North Vernon, IN – $1,50024 – 15 – 4G – Tripp Gerrald – Versailles, KY – $1,500 Race Statistics Entrants: 28Bilstein Shocks Pole Sitter: Ricky Thornton, Jr.MD3 Lap Leaders: Brandon Sheppard (Laps 1-14); Devin Moran (Laps 15-50)Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Devin MoranWieland Feature Winner: Devin MoranMargin of Victory: 1.633 secondsHellraizer Jacks Cautions: Tyler Collins (Initial Start); Tripp Gerrald, Tyler Collins (Lap 7); Cory Lawler, Brian Shirley, Tyler Collins, Freddie Carpenter (Lap 8); Tripp Gerrald, Tyler Collins, Kyle Bronson, Daniel Hilsabeck (Lap 9); Dillon McCowan (Lap 12); Cory Lawler (Lap 17); Dan Ebert, Dillon McCowan, Daniel Hilsabeck (Lap 31)MyRacePass Series Provisional: Brenden SmithFast Time Provisional: Jason JamesonEmergency Provisionals: n/aTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Devin Moran, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Max BlairPenske Shocks Top 5: Devin Moran, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Max Blair, Josh Rice, Brandon SheppardBehrent’s One-Lap-to-Go Top 3: Devin Moran, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Max BlairPEM 4th Place Feature: Josh RiceDiversified Machine 5th Place Feature: Brandon SheppardWilwood Brakes 7th Place Feature: Brandon OvertonWehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Mike SpatolaVelocity Manufacturing 13th Place Feature: Clay HarrisXS Power Batteries 15th Place Feature: Jason JamesonHoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Brenden Smith (Advanced 15 positions)MD3 Most Laps Led: Devin Moran (36 Laps)Sunoco Race Fuels Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Hudson O’NealO’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: n/aPro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Brandon Sheppard | Lap 1 | 14.858 secondsFK Rod Ends Hard Luck Award: Clay HarrisVictory Fuel Power Move of the Race: Devin MoranOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Chuck KimbleARP Engine Builder of the Race: Cornett Race EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Brandon Sheppard | 12.782 secondsTime of Race: 38 minutes 36 seconds Big River Steel Championship Standings Presented by ARP:Pos – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Points – Earnings1 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 1440 – $103,9002 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 1410 – $81,5003 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 1310 – $34,8504 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – 1275 – $34,0505 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 1245 – $30,9006 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – 1215 – $32,6007 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 1210 – $40,9008 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 1145 – $26,5009 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – 1145 – $18,17510 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – 1100 – $20,55011 – 3s – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 1065 – $18,60012 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – 1050 – $16,32513 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – 1030 – $18,97514 – 19M – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – 935 – $13,00015 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – 915 – $9,47516 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – 865 – $13,12517 – 13 – Dallon Murty – Chelsea, IA – 815 – $7,95018 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – 775 – $9,22519 – C4 – Freddie Carpenter – Parkersburg, WV – 725 – $2,600 |

A crazy few hours for McLaughlin and Team Penske
McLaughlin, in the second group, barely missed out on advancing to the Fast 12, with a lap that was only one-hundredth of a second behind O’Ward, saying after qualifying:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES News ConferenceFriday, March 27, 2026Christian LundgaardPress Conference

William ByronNo. 24 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletNASCAR Cup Series Win Martinsville Speedway – Oct. 26, 2025
Austin Hill No. 21 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletNASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Win Martinsville Speedway – Mar. 29, 2025
SPIRE SHOWING SPEEDSpire Motorsports put on a statement performance once again last weekend at Darlington Raceway – netting two top-10 finishes to further prove the organization is a force to be reckoned with each week. Among those results included a monstrous charge by Carson Hocevar and the No. 77 Chevrolet team. Despite being forced to start at the rear of the field for an unapproved adjustment, the Portage, Michigan, native turned the uphill battle into his career-best finish at the “Track Too Tough To Tame”. After a progressive move through the field during the first two stages, the No. 77 Chevrolet made its presence known during the final stage. With pristine pit strategy by the Luke Lambert-led team, a culmination of their speed and a fresher set of tires on the final run put Hocevar in position to make a quick climb up the leaderboard – ultimately leading the Bowtie brigade with a fourth-place finish. Hocevar and his Spire Motorsports teammate, Daniel Suarez, who also earned a top-10 finish, were among the short list of drivers that made a move up the points standings with the pair heading into the Martinsville race weekend ranked 13th and 14th, respectively.
MAKING HISTORY Team Chevy veteran driver, Justin Allgaier, capitalized on a late-race restart to take the checkered flag at Darlington Raceway last weekend – keeping the Bowtie brand undefeated for the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season. The victory was the sixth-straight for Chevrolet to set the record for the longest season-opening streak by a single manufacturer in the division. The accolade was earned by five drivers from three different Chevrolet organizations, with the 2024 champion becoming the series’ first repeat winner of the season. But the manufacturer’s early-season success doesn’t stop there. In six races, Chevrolet has sat on the pole in all but one event and has earned every stage win thus far.
ALLGAIR MOVES UP THE ALL-TIME WINS LISTTo no surprise, JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier has already proven to be an early frontrunner as a true championship contender. The Riverton, Illinois, native’s triumph at the “Track Too Tough To Tame” marked his 30th all-time NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series win – enough to move him up the series’ all-time wins list to seventh, tying Joey Logano. The series’ only two-time winner of the season, Allgaier also paces his competitors in a variety of statistical categories including the most top-fives (four) and stage points earned (94) – an effort that has increased his points lead to now 52-points over the series’ reigning champion and fellow Team Chevy driver, Jesse Love. With the series’ trip to Martinsville Speedway on deck, the 2024 champion has a prime opportunity to build that cushion even further. In his 11 career starts at the Virginia venue, Allgaier as collected nine top-nine finishes, including one trip to victory lane (2023) and three podium results.
KVAPIL CLIMBING THE STANDINGSAmong an elite list of standout rising stars in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series includes Team Chevy’s Carson Kvapil. The 22-year-old Mooresville, North Carolina, native is coming off a strong points day and his second top-five finish of the season at Darlington Raceway. Behind the wheel of the No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, Kvapil turned a third-place qualifying effort into top-three finishes in each stage en route to a fifth-place result. Culminating a 49-point day, the third-best among the field, Kvapil was able to make a jump up two positions in the points standings to sit third heading into the Martinsville race weekend. With short-track racing at his roots, this weekend provides the perfect opportunity for the Team Chevy driver to keep his momentum going. “The Paperclip” was the very site that Kvapil got his first opportunity to wheel a JR Motorsports-prepared Chevrolet in the division (Apr. 2024) – a debut that ended with an impressive fourth-place finish. 

Martinsville Speedway provides a familiar backdrop for Josh Berry and the No. 21 DEX Imaging team this weekend, as the Wood Brothers return to their home track looking to find their footing in Sunday’s Cook Out 400.A three-race stretch of disappointing finishes prior to last week’s 17th-place result at Darlington has Berry and the team 32nd in the points standings, despite showing solid speed through the opening five races of the year.“We’re optimistic heading into Martinsville,” crew chief Miles Stanley said. “This is a track I feel like sets up well for us when we look at the next stretch of races.“It’s been a challenging start to the season, but we’ve had decent speed – we just need to put together a complete race and stay out of trouble.”The No. 21 team showed promise at Martinsville last fall, earning a top-10 finish on the half-mile track. Stanley said that performance provides confidence heading into the weekend.“This is a track where we feel like we can reset a bit and capitalize,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of good notes from last year and feel like there’s a strong foundation to build on.“Martinsville puts an emphasis on execution, and if we can do that, we should be in a good position.”Practice for the Cook Out 400 is scheduled for Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET, followed by qualifying at 1:40 p.m. ET. Amazon Prime will carry the coverage on Saturday.Sunday’s 400-lap, 210.4-mile race is scheduled to take the green flag just after 3:30 p.m. ET, with TV coverage on FS1. Stage breaks are planned for Laps 80 and 180.
Josh BerryAge: 35 (Oct. 22, 1990)Hometown: Hendersonville, TennesseeCrew Chief: Miles StanleyIG: @joshberry88X: @joshberry
About DEX


Event: Goodyear 400Location: Darlington Raceway, Darlington, South CarolinaDate: Sunday, March 22, 2026Start: 26thFinish: 17thJosh Berry and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team put together their strongest stretch in the closing laps of Sunday’s Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway, advancing seven positions over the final 50 laps to secure a 17th-place finish. It marked their second top-20 result of the season, with the first coming in the season-opening Daytona 500 (ninth).Berry and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse started 26th and worked their way into the top 10 during a cycle of green-flag pit stops in the opening 90-lap Stage. However, the team lost a lap during the cycle and finished Stage 1 in 22nd, one lap down.In Stage 2, the team took advantage of a caution following a Lap 112 incident to take the wave-around and return to the lead lap. Berry maintained position from there and finished the Stage in 23rd.The final Stage saw steady progress from the No. 21 team as Berry settled into the top 20 for much of the closing run. After a green-flag stop on Lap 244, Berry methodically worked forward through the field, climbing into the top 20 by Lap 286. He gained three more positions in the closing laps to cap off a 17th-place finish.Berry and the Wood Brothers now turn their attention to Martinsville Speedway for next Sunday’s Cook Out 400.