Instagram Facebook Youtube Tiktok Discord

Chandler Smith Scores NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Ride

HAMPTON, GEORGIA - FEBRUARY 21: Chandler Smith, driver of the #38 QuickTie Ford, walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Fr8 Racing 208 at Echo Park Speedway on February 21, 2026 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Kauy Ostlien

All Content
Royal T Grafix

Join the Conversation

Instagram Facebook Youtube Tiktok Discord

What’s Happening?

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series regular Chandler Smith will return to the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series this weekend and next weekend, driving the No. 5 Ford for Hettinger Racing.

  • These two races, at Phoenix and Las Vegas, mark Smith’s first starts in the series since late 2024. The 23-year-old last raced in the OAP Series full-time with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2024, where he pieced together a championship season, but fell short of making the Round of Four.
  • After leaving JGR, Smith has secured a spot as the second truck in Front Row Motorsports’ two-truck effort in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. This year, Smith currently leads the series points through three races, with one win, two top-fives, and three top-tens.
  • Hettinger finds itself in a position opposite that of Smith. The long-time grassroots racing team launched its NASCAR OAP Series effort this season with help from Ford. Racing part-time drivers through three races, the team has a best finish of 20th, and missed the field for this past weekend’s race at COTA.  
  • With Hettinger trying to find its footing in the series, the team may have stumbled on a driver that could be a lifesaver early on this season. In his combined nine starts at Phoenix across the Truck and OAP Series, Smith has two wins, seven top-fives, and nine top-tens.

What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

Share this:

Join the Conversation

Instagram Facebook Youtube Tiktok Discord
HAMPTON, GEORGIA - FEBRUARY 21: Chandler Smith, driver of the #38 QuickTie Ford, walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Fr8 Racing 208 at Echo Park Speedway on February 21, 2026 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Chandler Smith Scores NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Ride

by Kauy Ostlien

What’s Happening?

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series regular Chandler Smith will return to the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series this weekend and next weekend, driving the No. 5 Ford for Hettinger Racing.

  • These two races, at Phoenix and Las Vegas, mark Smith’s first starts in the series since late 2024. The 23-year-old last raced in the OAP Series full-time with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2024, where he pieced together a championship season, but fell short of making the Round of Four.
  • After leaving JGR, Smith has secured a spot as the second truck in Front Row Motorsports’ two-truck effort in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. This year, Smith currently leads the series points through three races, with one win, two top-fives, and three top-tens.
  • Hettinger finds itself in a position opposite that of Smith. The long-time grassroots racing team launched its NASCAR OAP Series effort this season with help from Ford. Racing part-time drivers through three races, the team has a best finish of 20th, and missed the field for this past weekend’s race at COTA.  
  • With Hettinger trying to find its footing in the series, the team may have stumbled on a driver that could be a lifesaver early on this season. In his combined nine starts at Phoenix across the Truck and OAP Series, Smith has two wins, seven top-fives, and nine top-tens.

What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 1: The exterior of the Charles R. Jonas Federal Building on December 1, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Jury selection and opening statements are set to begin in an antitrust lawsuit filed by Jordan's 23XI Racing team against NASCAR. (Photo by Grant Baldwin/Getty Images)

Court Drops First Ruling in Joe Gibbs Racing’s Lawsuit Against Chris Gabehart

by Kauy Ostlien

What’s Happening?

A North Carolina judge says that Chris Gabehart can continue in his new role at Spire Motorsports. However, the former Joe Gibbs Racing Competition Director cannot perform the same services he supplied to JGR.

This ruling stemmed from a hearing last Friday, in which Joe Gibbs Racing made its case as to why Gabehart should not be allowed to continue in his new position at Spire.

In a court filing last Wednesday, JGR asked the court to prevent Gabehart from providing Spire with “services for Spire similar to those he provided to JGR” for at least 18 months after his termination in February. They also asked that Gabehart return any “Confidential Information and Trade Secrets.”

Monday morning, a North Carolina Judge ruled that Gabehart can remain in his position as Spire’s Chief Motorsports Officer, though he is not allowed to perform similar duties that he did for JGR. The former Daytona 500 Champion must also return all information in his possession that belongs to JGR.

Spire claims that Gabehart’s new position is not similar to that of his previous position at JGR, as Matt McCall is the team’s current Competition Director.

Despite their pleasure with this ruling, in a statement following these orders, JGR clarified that their legal proceedings are far from over.

“We are pleased with today’s ruling by the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina for a temporary restraining order enforcing the terms of our contract with Chris Gabehart. We will continue the legal process to protect our information and fight for what is right for our race team, our employees, and our partners.” — Joe Gibbs Racing

JGR filed this lawsuit against Gabehart on February 19, claiming their former long-time “employee embarked on a brazen scheme to steal JGR’s most sensitive information and use it for the benefit of a direct competitor in NASCAR.”

Gabehart, in his filing, while throwing barbs at the current structure of JGR, and Joe Gibbs’s grandson Ty Gibbs’ No. 54 team in particular, has denied these allegations.

Spire, whom JGR added as a co-defendant in their filing last Wednesday, also denies these allegations.

In a filing Sunday evening, Spire showed that in February, Gabehart signed a Confidentiality Agreement and Non-Disclosure Agreement that said he would not “disclose JGR Confidential Information to Company or use JR Confidential Information for the Company’s benefit or in connection with any services performed for or on behalf of the Company.”

What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

DOVER, DELAWARE - JULY 19: Crew members push the #23 Space Force/Leidos Toyota, driven by Bubba Wallace in the garage area during a weather delay of practice for the NASCAR Cup Series AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Dover Motor Speedway on July 19, 2025 in Dover, Delaware. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Weather Forecast for Phoenix Raceway’s Spring 2026 NASCAR Race Weekend

by Kauy Ostlien

What’s Happening?

The NASCAR Truck Series takes the week off this week while the O’Reilly Auto Parts and Cup Series continue their Westward march to Phoenix Raceway. So, whether you are going to be at the track or home, what does the forecast look like for the race weekend in Avondale, Arizona?

  • Phoenix Raceway is one of the most storied racing facilities in the United States, having hosted races for all three NASCAR National Series and open-wheel racing. This weekend, while NASCAR makes its annual visit, the NTT IndyCar Series returns to Phoenix for the first time since 2018.
  • Phoenix Raceway since 1988, hosting two annual race weekends, and, up until last season, the season finale for all three NASCAR National Series. The OAP Series has hosted two annual weekends at the track since 2005, after first making its debut at the facility in 1999.
  • Phoenix has historically had some of the best weather on the NASCAR schedule. With its location in a low-rain, warm area, given the right race weekend, NASCAR usually gets a shot at a weather-free race.

Weekend Weather Forecast

Saturday, March 7: O’Reilly Auto Parts Series GOVX 200 | 5:30 PM on The CW

Before the OAP Series Race (2:00 AM – 5:00 PM)

  • Temperature: High of 82°F at 5:00 PM
  • Precipitation Chance: 1% Chance at 2:00 PM
  • Wind: 7 to 8 MPH

During the OAP Series Race (5:00 PM – 8:00 PM)

  • Temperature: High of 82°F at 5:00 PM
  • Precipitation Chance: 0% Chance
  • Wind: 7 MPH

After the OAP Series Race (8:00 PM – 11:00 PM)

  • Temperature: High of 70°F at 8:00 PM
  • Precipitation Chance: 1% Chance at 11:00 PM
  • Wind: 6 to 7 MPH

Sunday, March 1: Cup Series Straight Talk Wireless 500 | 1:30 PM on FS1

Before the Cup Series Race (10:00 AM – 1:00 PM)

  • Temperature: High of 79°F at 1:00 PM
  • Precipitation Chance: 5% Chance at 11:00 AM
  • Wind: 6 MPH

During the Cup Series Race (1:00 PM – 4:00 PM)

  • Temperature: High of 83°F at 4:00 PM
  • Precipitation Chance: 5% Chance
  • Wind: 6 MPH

After the Cup Series Race (4:00 PM – 8:00 PM)

  • Temperature: High of 83°F at 5:00 PM
  • Precipitation Chance: 5% Chance
  • Wind: 5 to 6 MPH

Note: This article will be updated with a more accurate and detailed forecast as the race weekend nears.