Practice and Qualifying CANCELED for the Truck Series at Bristol

HAMPTON, GEORGIA - FEBRUARY 24: Daniel Hemric, driver of the #31 Cirkul Chevrolet, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on February 24, 2024 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

What’s Happening?

Tonight’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race had both its Practice and Qualifying sessions canceled due to rain at the speedway. The Performance Metric Formula set the lineup, which gave Daniel Hemric the pole position. NASCAR canceled qualifying but decided to wait and get practice underway, but that did not happen. If the race gets postponed, it was reported that it would be run on Sunday, but as of now, it’s scheduled to run tonight (Friday) at 7:30 EST.

Starting Lineup

Notes:

  • Daniel Hemric, winner of the most recent race, held at Martinsville, will start from the pole.
  • Kyle Larson, attempting the triple (Trucks, Xfinity, and Cup on the same race weekend), will start from the 11th position.
  • Teams will have four sets of tires for the race.
  • There were no issues in the pre-race inspection.

Ones to Watch:

  • Kyle Larson: Likely the main talking point of the weekend, Larson was close to achieving all three wins on the only time he tried it this year, at Miami, and he kicked off by winning the Truck Series event that weekend. Expect Larson to contend for the win again at one of his best tracks.
  • Corey Heim: Winner of the 2023 Bristol race, Heim has had a stellar start to the season, winning two of the first five races and certainly being in contention on the others before misfortunes.
  • Matt Crafton: Despite being only 17th in points with only 1 top 10 to kick off the season, don’t count the veteran out just yet. The driver of the 88 has scored the most points out of anyone in the last 10 races at the track with 322.
  • Chandler Smith: His average finish of 4.3 is the best in the series at Bristol. His 94 laps led rank him 2nd behind Matt Crafton (129), but that was achieved in 19 fewer starts. His average start of 6.3 in qualifying ranks him first. Watch out for the 38.
  • Grant Enfinger: With 8 top 10s in 9 starts at Bristol, Enfinger is not known for winning at the track, but he is certainly consistent, with an average finish of 6.7, best of active drivers with 5 starts or more. Despite that, Enfinger starts in the danger zone, in 24th. Don’t expect him to win, but definitely to score a lot of points.

Pit Stall Selections:

How is the Weather?

According to reports from Jordan Bianchi, Bob Pockrass, and others, the track is dry and ready. The radar also looks promising. The race is scheduled for 7:30 EST on FS1.

Who is your pick to win tonight? Let us know on Discord or X. Also, remember to follow us on InstagramFacebook, and YouTube for more updates.

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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 11: NASCAR Hall of Famer and JGR team owner, Joe Gibbs looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 11, 2026 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Joe Gibbs Racing Adds Spire Motorsports to Lawsuit, Motions for Gabehart to Cease Work

What’s Happening?

Joe Gibbs Racing has added to its lawsuit filed against former Crew Chief and Competition Director Chris Gabehart, filing to add Spire as a co-defendant, and to prevent Gabehart from continuing his work at Spire.

JGR initiated this lawsuit on February 19, alleging Gabehart, a long-time Crew Chief, most recently for Denny Hamlin, and the team’s now former Competition Director, “embarked on a brazen scheme to steal JGR’s most sensitive information and use it for the benefit of a direct competitor in NASCAR.”

That direct competitor, Spire Motorsports, which currently employs Gabehart as their Chief Motorsports Officer, is now a co-defendant in this lawsuit, via an amended complaint filed Tuesday.

Per the latest filing from JGR, which employed Gabehart as Competition Director last season, is asking the court for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction with seven key requests.

Key to these requests is that Gabehardt cease providing Spire with “services for Spire similar to those he provided to JGR” for 18 months following his February 9 formal termination from JGR.

JGR also requested that Spire stop accepting Gabehart’s work as per the noncompete obligation of his termination.

The filing also has several requests regarding the team information Gabehart allegedly retained from JGR.

These include Gabehart returning this information alongside the devices that store this information and “cease and desist from retaining, transferring, using or copying any Confidential Information and Trade Secrets.”

From JGR’s filing:

c. Gabehart immediately cease and desist from retaining, transferring, using or copying any Confidential Information and Trade Secrets

d. Gabehart return any Confidential Information and Trade Secrets in his possession to JGR;

e. Gabehart transfer to the custody of JGR’s counsel any device used to store the Confidential Information and Trade Secrets and, through an agreed upon Court ordered process, allow the forensic preservation and review of these devices for identification of Confidential Information and Trade Secrets, the return of any identified Confidential Information and Trade Secrets to JGR, and the removal of any identified Confidential Information and Trade Secrets from the devices;

f. Gabehart cease and desist from using or disclosing JGR’s Confidential Information and Trade Secrets to third parties;

As of press time, Gabehart has commented on the lawsuit in a post to X on February 20, where he claimed a third-party investigator “examined my laptop, cell phone and personal Google Drive and found no evidence to support the baseless allegations in JGR’s lawsuit.”

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 InstagramFacebook, and YouTube.

HAMPTON, GEORGIA - FEBRUARY 20: Jesse Love, driver of the #2 Samsara Chevrolet, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Bennett Transportation & Logistics 250 at Echo Park Speedway on February 20, 2026 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Rumor Mill: Are These the Top Candidates For Legacy Motor Club’s Expansion?

What’s Happening?

The NASCAR rumor mill is heating up as a new rumor suggests that a former series champion and an active NASCAR Cup Series driver could be in line to drive for Legacy Motor Club in 2027.

The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season is well underway, while teams and drivers are still settling into their new lineups and seats, others are already prepping for next season.

Most expect the 2027 NASCAR Silly Season to be one of the wildest in years, with many major names on contract seasons, and top seats looking for new drivers.

One story that will likely carry through the 2026 season, and into the offseason, is Legacy Motor Club, which is expanding to three full-time cars in 2027 via the acquisition of a charter from Rick Ware Racing, which is currently leased to RFK Racing for their No. 60 entry.

While many storylines could stem from this transaction, one that is already playing out is LMC’s driver search, as the team looks to add a new face to their roster alongside drivers John Hunter Nemechek and Erik Jones.

Though we are nearly a year away from what would be the first race for this third car, per recent rumors, a few names are already emerging as top candidates.

What’s the Rumor?

Monday afternoon, a post from a well-known NASCAR rumor account made the rounds on social media, naming two drivers as possible options for LMC.

In their post, the user claimed that 23XI Racing’s Riley Herbst and Richard Childress Racing prospect Jesse Love were “early contenders” for the ride.

Of course, this is just a rumor, and even if they are possible candidates, things can change. However, both of these options come with their own storylines and questions.

What Do We Know?

The first thing that likely comes to mind when hearing this rumor is that both of these drivers would have to depart their current spots, something that most have suspected will happen by next season.

For Herbst, he is facing the impending promotion of top NASCAR prospect Corey Heim to full-time competition.

This year, Heim, the reigning NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion, is racing part-time with 23XI Racing, with almost every rumor and blurb suggesting next year will be his first full-time season in NASCAR’s highest level.

While 2026 Daytona 500 Champion Tyler Reddick is reportedly on a contract season, most see Herbst as the clear weak link at 23XI, though, in the somewhat unlikely event Reddick were to jump ship, there could be a world where a spot opens for Heim without affecting Herbst.

Regarding Love, the reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion is in his third full-time year with RCR in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, and, for some time now, has been rumored to be looking for a promotion, beyond his part-time Cup Series schedule.

This is not the first time Love and LMC have been tied together in the rumor mill, as in June 2025, when LMC was in the midst of a lawsuit to get their third charter by this season (something that never came to be), a report from Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports suggested there could be interest in Love as that third driver at LMC.

As of right now, Love has yet to score a full-time Cup Series ride. But there is a chance a slot opens in-house as RCR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch is on a contract year, a situation that could leave Love with a difficult decision between staying in a familiar spot or returning ot the Toyota camp.

But the biggest decision could come down to RCR, which, in the event Busch excels this year, could face deciding between a NASCAR legend and keeping their best prospect in some time.

Nonetheless, all of this is hypothetical, as the gears are just now turning on what could be a NASCAR Cup Series Silly Season for the ages.

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 InstagramFacebook, and YouTube.

Keelan Harvick Signs With TOYOTA | Hamlin Calls Out Hocevar | Sheldon Creed, Corey Day, and More!

Denny Hamlin fires off on Carson Hocevar, Sheldon Creed finally gets his long-awaited breakthrough, and 13-year-old Keelan Harvick makes a massive career move. From sharp words on a podcast to a feel-good victory and a headline-grabbing development deal, this episode covers three very different stories that could all have long-term ripple effects.

  • What exactly did Denny Hamlin say about Carson Hocevar — and was he right?
  • Has Hocevar officially reset the “garage credit” he was building?
  • What does Sheldon Creed’s first win in the NASCAR O’Reilly Series mean for his future?
  • And why is Keelan Harvick signing with Toyota Racing Development such a big deal?

There’s controversy, redemption, and a glimpse at the next generation all wrapped into one packed show. Some reputations are being tested, others are being rebuilt, and one young driver may have just taken the first major step toward the Cup Series.

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