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NASCAR Abruptly Parts Ways With Top Official Under Unknown Circumstances

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 05: A detail view of of NASCAR signage during the NASCAR Xfinity Series The Loop 110 at Chicago Street Course on July 05, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

Kauy Ostlien

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Royal T Grafix

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What’s Happening?

NASCAR is parting ways with a long-time official, Race Director Jusan Hamilton, though, upon the confirmation of this separation, NASCAR gave no reason for his departure.

  • Though NASCAR has not given a reason for cutting ties with Hamilton, per Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports, the decision to do so was unrelated to his performance in his role.
  • The role of Race Director is one of the most important jobs within the ranks of NASCAR officiating, with directors often making key decisions regarding aspects like track safety during a race weekend and specifically during race day.
  • Long-time fans of the sport may remember David Hoots as the long-time NASCAR Cup Series Race Director, though NASCAR has shifted this role to more than one individual in recent seasons. In this case, Hamilton was one of two Race Directors, and Tim Bermann was expected to fill the role for the remainder of the season.
  • Per his LinkedIn profile, Hamilton has been with NASCAR since late 2016, serving in multiple positions in the sports front office. While fans may have heard of Hamilton as one of NASCAR’s Race Directors, he also held a significant position in helping to piece together NASCAR’s yearly schedule.
  • This is a developing story, and may be updated when or if new information is available.

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The Cutline’s 2026 Race Weekend Rankings Tier List

by Armany DePaul

What’s Happening?

History has been made in the NASCAR Cup Series. Tyler Reddick became the first driver in the sport’s history to win the first three races of the season. That’s right, not even Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, or Jeff Gordon have accomplished this feat, but Reddick and 23XI have. At the track, he won his first race for the Michael Jordan-owned team.

In the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Shane van Gisbergen went from sixth to first (I’m not joking) in one corner to take home his first win at Circuit of the Americas. As for Trucks, Layne Riggs came in first in the first ever Truck Series race at St. Petersburg.

Now, how was the racing as a whole? Where do the races stack up against each other? Let’s take a look at my Race Weekend Rankings and see where the COTA/St. Pete Weekend ranks among the rest of the 2026 season!

Check out the latest episode of The Cutline, where Armany broke down the weekend at COTA and St. Pete.

Focused Health 250: B-Tier

  • The O’Reilly race at COTA wasn’t bad. There was action throughout the pack, and SVG’s move on the restart to take the lead from outside the top five was spectacular. A solid showing for the O’Reilly series once again

DuraMax Texas Grand Prix Powered by RelaDyne: B-Tier

  • Honestly, both the Cup and O’Reilly races can be swapped and I wouldn’t bat an eye. Despite the long green-flag runs, there was a lot of action, such as Reddick vs Blaney, Reddick vs SVG, or Zillisch coming from the back to the front a couple of times. Not the barnburner it was last year, but still a good race.

OnlyBulls Green Flag 150 at St. Petersburg: A-Tier

  • This race was so much fun. This race had the ingredients to be a crapshoot, but was anything but that. Seeing the Trucks battle all day long across the streets of St. Pete was so much fun to watch. Oh, and it was easily the best race of St. Pete Weekend (sorry IndyCar).

You can follow along with Armany by creating your own Race Weekend Rankings Tier List. Make sure to tag Armany and The Daily Downforce on X, and we’ll share your list with the rest of the NASCAR Community.

AUSTIN, TEXAS - MARCH 01: Tyler Reddick, driver of the #45 Chumba Casino Toyota, drives during the NASCAR Cup Series DuraMax Grand Prix Powered by RelaDyne at Circuit of The Americas on March 01, 2026 in Austin, Texas.

Cup: Reddick Makes History, Goes 3 For 3 to Start 2026 Season

by Cody Williams

What’s Happening?

The checkered flag flew down in Austin, Texas, as Tyler Reddick made history by winning his third straight race to kick off the 2026 season. With this win, he starts the year with a massive points lead. No other driver is within 70 points of Reddick in the points standings. Who would have guessed going into this race that SVG not only wouldn’t be the dominant car but also would only lead a handful of laps? The No. 97 team was just off in general, from a slower-than-usual qualifying effort on Saturday and a car that didn’t turn to SVG’s liking. Luckily for much of the field, it opened the door of opportunity for other drivers to pounce and dethrone SVG as King of the road, at least in Austin.

Here are the key things to take away from today’s Cup Series battle at Circuit of the Americas.

  • All eyes were on Tyler Reddick going into today’s race as he attempted to do what no driver has ever done before–win the first three races of the season. He was off to a good start, scoring the Busch Light Pole Award for the second week in a row. When the green flag dropped, he led the opening three laps before surrendering the lead to Ross Chastain. He remained in contention, though, showing to have one of the best cars, along with Ryan Blaney, late in the going as the two of them duked it out for the win. In the end, though, no one could keep up with Reddick as he went on to capture his third flag in third starts to kick off the 2026 season.
  • Shane van Gisbergen, the somewhat undisputed King of the Road, was the guy with the biggest target on his back heading into today’s race. There wasn’t a driver in the field today who didn’t want to see his reign of terror on road courses come to an end. Luckily for them, that No. 97 team was generally off today. They battled handling issues in practice and qualifying and the car wasn’t dialed into SVG’s liking. This hindered his chances to contend for the win and he had to settle for a 2nd place finish.
  • Connor Zilisch, who is known for his road racing skills in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, had a lot of work ahead of him today. He started deep in the pack and remained there for much of the first two stages. However, after the race wore on and cycles of green flag pit stops happened, he found himself solidly in the top 15, battling for a top 10 finish. He ultimately came home in the 14th position.
  • The first caution for the incident flew with 21 laps to go as Ross Chastain lost a tire. During the break for caution, Alex Bowman, who was complaining of being sick all race long, went into the garage area and got out of the car. Not having a ready replacement, Chad Knaus approached FOX pit reporter assistant and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series regular, Myatt Snider, to finish the race in the No. 48 Ally Chevy to salvage some points. Up to this point, Bowman was running well in the No. 48 ride. Snyder brought it home in 30th.
  • As we leave Austin, Texas, the NASCAR Cup Series heads west to Phoenix for an IndyCar/NASCAR doubleheader. There, Tyler Reddick will attempt to do the impossible and win the first four races of the season.
  • Ross Chastain won the Xfinity Fastest Lap.

Cation Tracker
  • Lap 20: End of Stage 1
  • Lap 45: End of Stage 2
  • Lap 78: Ross Chastain Loses a Tire

Race Results

Points Standings (3 of 26)

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AUSTIN, TEXAS - MARCH 01: Tyler Reddick, driver of the #45 Chumba Casino Toyota, leads the field on a pace lap prior to the NASCAR Cup Series DuraMax Grand Prix Powered by RelaDyne at Circuit of The Americas on March 01, 2026 in Austin, Texas.

Cup: Mid-Race Report, Trackhouse Reigns Supreme at COTA Early

by Cody Williams

What’s Happening?

Two stages are now complete at Circuit of the Americas for the NASCAR Cup Series. In the first stage, the cream rose to the top in Austin, Texas as the entire top 5 finishers were all former winners in the Cup Series on road courses. Ross Chastain earned top honors in the opening stage with his Trackhouse teammate, Shane van Gisbergen, right behind him. The second stage crown went to Ty Gibbs. Here’s things to note as we gear up for the final stage through the finish.

  • Points earners in the opening stage include Ross Chastain (10), Shane van Gisbergen (9), Michael McDowell (8), Chris Buescher (7), A. J. Allmendinger (6), Ty Gibbs (5), Alex Bowman (4), Chase Elliott (3), Carson Hocevar (2), and Denny Hamlin (1). Chastain led the final four laps of the stage while Ryan Blaney, who opted to short pit along with Christopher Bell, led the most laps of the stage at 10.
  • Shane van Gisbergen was uncharacteristically mid-pack during yesterday’s qualifying session. Due to a Hail Mary of a lap in the closing moments of the session, he qualified his No. 97 Chevy in the 13th position. The team made adjustments to the car overnight and he methodically started to work his way through the field, rising all the way to second place.
  • The 20-lap opening stage was a clean affair that went green all the way through. No major on-track incidents occurred. Other drivers who led laps early include Tyler Reddick, Case Briscoe, and Shane van Gisbergen.
  • To start the second stage, Tyler Reddick was back out front. He led a handful of laps before turning the lead over to Ryan Blaney, who led a bulk of the stage. The leaders opted to short pit, making a play for the win of the race. This left Ty Gibbs out front to take the Stage 2 win. This earned him 10 points. Other points earners in the stage include A. J. Allmendinger (9), Daniel Suarez (8), Todd Gilliland (7), Tyler Reddick (6), Bubba Wallace (5), Ryan Blaney (4), Cole Custer (3), William Byron (2), and Shane van Gisbergen (1).
  • The second stage, like the first was relatively clean. There were a couple of drivers who went for solo spins. They include Noah Gragson and Josh Berry. Otherwise, it was a clean first half of the race.

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