MOORESVILLE, N.C. (February 3, 2026) – Four-time IndyCar Champion and three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti is returning to the cockpit to compete in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) race at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding.

Franchitti will drive the No. 1 Dollar Tree Toyota Tundra TRD Pro in a partnership between TRICON Garage (TRICON), Jimmie Johnson and Legacy Motor Club. (LEGACY MC) for the Scotsman’s first NASCAR race in 17-years.

“The thought of racing a NASCAR truck on a street circuit is really intriguing to me,” said Franchitti, who is an advisor and driver coach at Chip Ganassi Racing. “The different surfaces, the fact that part of it is on an airport, then you go into the streets, the different bumps all those things you got to try and master. This was just the chance to race on a circuit that I love, and a chance to do something fun.”

Franchitti has remained deeply involved in motorsports as a broadcast analyst and as an advisor and driver coach at Chip Ganassi Racing, following a brutal crash at Houston in 2013.  Franchitti began competing in historic car events in 2019 allowing him to still fulfill his love of driving. Teaming up with his friend and fellow racing Champion made it all that much more intriguing.

“This all stemmed from a conversation with Jimmie,” said Franchitti. “The opportunity to race the truck, it was really him, it was the whole team that he has there [at LEGACY MC] that made it all happen. His relationship with Toyota, Dollar Tree coming on a sponsor — it’s all been through Jimmie and the team at LEGACY MC. If it goes well, great. If it doesn’t go well, I am going to be blaming Jimmie.”

Widely regarded as one of the most accomplished drivers of his generation, Franchitti has a decorated résumé at the highest levels of open-wheel motorsports. The Scottish driver captured the IndyCar Series championship in 2007 followed by three consecutive championships from 2009 to 2011. His 31 career wins between IndyCar and CART, highlighted by Indianapolis 500 triumphs in 2007, 2010 and 2012, includes a victory at the 1.8-mile St. Petersburg street course on March 27, 2011, in a dominant performance leading 94 out of 100 laps.

“Dario and I had been talking for a long time about the chance to race together, so when he approached me about St. Petersburg, I knew I had to get to work,” explained Johnson. “I called him back a day later with an incredible opportunity to join a championship-winning team with Toyota and the great people at TRICON.”

It will be role reversal to a degree for the duo as Franchitti mentored Johnson when the 7-time NASCAR Champion went IndyCar racing with CGR in 2021 & 2022.

“It’s been a lot of fun getting him integrated into the team and spending more time together, going through the process of getting him back to racing,” said Johnson. “I’m so excited it all came together and thankful that Dollar Tree is going to support. I am looking forward to sitting on the pit box alongside the team and sharing this experience with Dario.”

The NCTS Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is scheduled for Saturday February 28 at 12 p.m. ET, with broadcast coverage on FOX and radio coverage on SiriusXM and the NASCAR Racing Network.

By Reid Spencer
NASCAR Wire Service

(February 1, 2026) – Unexpectedly heavy snow from Saturday’s storm over the Southeast forced a second postponement of the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C.

The season-opening NASCAR Cup Series exhibition race will move from Monday to Wednesday, with practice and qualifying set to open the proceedings at 1:30 p.m. ET.

The 75-lap Last Chance Qualifying Race will take place at 4:30 p.m. ET, followed by the 200-lap Clash at 6 p.m. ET.

Practice and qualifying, consisting of three groups, will be broadcast on the Fox Sports App, with FOX picking up the coverage of the Last Chance Qualifier and Clash main event.

MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will broadcast all components of the racing action on Wednesday.

“This event is for the fans, and the fans at The Madhouse are some of the most passionate fans in all of sports,” said Justin Swilling, project lead for the Cook Out Clash.

“Moving the Cook Out Clash to Wednesday, Feb. 4, gives us the best opportunity to hold this event with fans at Bowman Gray Stadium while allowing the City of Winston-Salem to dedicate all of their resources to respond to the needs created by this historic weather event.”

NASCAR is continuing to work closely with the City of Winston-Salem and North Carolina Department of Transportation on the on-going impacts of the historic winter weather in the city and surrounding region to host a safe event.

Parking lots will open Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. with off-site shuttle services beginning at noon. Gates will open at 12:30 p.m.

Ticket holders can get more information at www.nascarclash.com/weather or by calling 855-525-7223.

By Reid Spencer
NASCAR Wire Service

AVONDALE, AZ — When William Byron hit the Turn 3 wall with bone-jarring impact on Lap 310 of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race, the gut punch it delivered to Denny Hamlin was exponentially more painful.

The resulting caution and strategic call by crew chief Cliff Daniels allowed Kyle Larson to snatch the Cup Series championship from Hamlin without leading a lap at Phoenix Raceway.

Larson finished third behind race winner Ryan Blaney and Brad Keselowski to claim his second title in NASCAR’s top division and the 15th for team owner Rick Hendrick as the highest finisher among the Championship 4 drivers—Hamlin, Byron and Chase Briscoe.

It was the 15th Cup championship for team owner Rick Hendrick, and it came with a major plot twist in the final stage.

With the scheduled 312 laps winding down, Hamlin led Byron by nearly three seconds and appeared headed for the first Cup title in his 20 full-time seasons behind the wheel of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

In dominating fashion, Hamlin led seven times for 207 laps. Though he battled a balky clutch and rallied from a flat left-rear tire after winning the second stage, he failed to win the championship for the fifth time under the elimination Playoff format.

Instead, it was Larson who went to Victory Lane to receive the Bill France Cup, almost in disbelief.

“Honestly, I can’t believe it,” Larson said. “Like, we didn’t lead a lap today. Somehow won the championship. I mean, really, I’m just speechless. I can’t believe it. We had an average car at best.”

After Byron’s wreck, which sent the race to overtime, Daniels opted for two right-side tires for the second straight pit stop. Hamlin pitted from the lead and took fresh rubber on all four corners.

But with Keselowski, Ryan Preece and Alex Bowman staying out on older tires, and Blaney, Larson, Joey Logano, Josh Berry, Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott taking right sides only, Hamlin lined up 10th for the overtime restart—five spots behind Larson—and chose the bottom row for the final run.

From the outside lane, Larson charged through the first two corners and maintained a gap between his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and Hamlin’s Camry. On the final lap, Hamlin lost momentum on the bottom in Turns 1 and 2 and couldn’t recover.

He finished sixth, as Blaney edged Keselowski by 0.097 seconds for the race win.

Larson got the confidence he needed on the first two-tire call under caution on Lap 281. He restarted second beside Briscoe and was able to maintain fifth place before Byron hit the wall.

“We had the right front go down (earlier), lost a lap,” Larson said. “Got saved by the caution. Did the wave-around. Was really bad that run. We took two tires. I was like, “Oh, God, here we go. We’re going to go to the back now.’

“It had a lot more grip than I anticipated. We got lucky with the final caution. I was really hoping we were going to take two again. I felt like I learned a lot on that restart, bombing (Turns) 1 and 2 really hard. Thought I could do the same thing if we got another one.

“Just unbelievable. What a year by this Hendrick Motorsports (team). Cliff Daniels, everybody, his leadership, his complete leadership just showed that whole race. Keeping us all motivated. Always having a plan. All of that. That’s just the story of our season.

“Again, just unbelievable. I cannot believe it. This is insane.”

Doubtless, Hamlin would agree. He and his team brought the fastest car to Phoenix and executed a near-flawless race. The clutch issue and flat left-rear tire were challenges the No.11 team overcame without panicking.

But the championship eluded Hamlin once again.

“Did the best I could,” Hamlin said. “Everything I really prepared for happened today. I felt like we responded. Even losing track position at one point, just battling back. Did really well on restarts. Hadn’t been good on restarts for the bulk of the year.

“Yeah, the team brought a great championship car. I felt like I drove it just right up until two laps to go. Yeah, this is the part that stinks…

“Golly, in this moment I never want to race a car ever again,” Hamlin said with a wry smile. “I mean, my fun meter is pegged.”

Blaney’s win was almost an afterthought, but it also was tantalizingly close to a second championship for the driver of the No. 12 Team Penske Ford. Blaney finished second to Byron in a must-win situation last Sunday at Martinsville Speedway—one spot away from qualifying for the Championship 4.

“It’s just cool to end it on a good note,” Blaney said. “It’s just cool, and obviously we had a fast car all day. Those other guys (Hamlin and Byron) were just kind of faster getting going, and I could never retain the lead.

“Those guys were just really good, and it took my car a while to come in, but it was a really good call for two (tires) there and keeping track position. I got a decent restart, and I was able to kind of roll the bottom in (Turns) 3 and 4 and eke the 6 (Keselowski) out at the line.”

Byron, who finished 33rd after leading 52 laps and winning the first stage, expressed sympathy for Hamlin, even though the Lap 310 accident gave his teammate the chance to win the title.

“I’m just super bummed that it was a caution, obviously,” Byron said. “I hate that. Hate it for Denny. I hate it for the 11 team.

“I’m happy for Kyle, for Mr. Hendrick, they deserve it. Yeah, it stinks, right? I don’t know, three laps to go, I’m thinking, ‘Let me get to the end.’

“I felt something funny off of two, thought it might be a flat. I thought at the time if it’s left rear, you can kind of get back. It just went straight into (Turn) 3. Laid down on the right rear, went straight (into the wall). I hate that.”

Briscoe rallied from flat tires twice on Sunday, restarted 15th in overtime and finished 18th.

In a race that featured nine cautions for 65 laps, Logano finished fourth, followed by Busch and Hamlin. Berry, Michael McDowell, Preece, Elliott and Christopher Bell completed the top 10.

Blaney led 20 laps in securing his fourth win of the season and the 17th of his career. The win was his first at Phoenix after three straight runner-up finishes in the Championship Race. In 2023, however, second place was good enough to earn Blaney his only series title to date.