By Holly Cain
NASCAR Wire Service

LEBANON, TN (May 30th, 2026) – After a multiple brilliant and exhilarating door-to-door battles – veteran against rookie – in the closing portion of the race, JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier prevailed to hoist his series best fourth NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race trophy of the season.

The 2024 series champion had to hold off talented 18-year-old rookie Brent Crews, who called the close-quarter racing in Saturday night’s Sports Illustrated Resorts 250 at Nashville Superspeedway, “the most fun I’ve had without winning.’’

Allgaier’s win in the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet – ultimately by 1.4-second over Crews – was his third at the 1.33-mile Nashville concrete oval and the 32nd overall win of his championship career. And it took hard, clean side-by-side racing lap-after-lap for Allgaier to eventually get by Crews’ No. 19 Joe Gibbs Motorsports Toyota for good with 20 laps remaining and hold on to victory.

The veteran Allgaier celebrated by climbing out of his Chevy’s roof hatch then bowing to the Nashville crowd – an ode to the trademark winning celebration of two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, who passed away last Thursday after being ill with pneumonia and sepsis.

“First of all, it’s been a rough couple of weeks, and lots of prayers to [Busch’s wife] Samantha and Kyle and [their children] Brexton and Lennix – it’s been an emotional couple weeks,’’ said Allgaier.

“This team, right here, they are incredible. To win in Nashville, you fans. .. this place is electric. I love coming to Nashville.

“I told them before the race, that we were going to go to victory lane,’’ said a grinning Allgaier, who turns 40 years old next week and is capping his winning race weekend by running a triathlon in downtown Nashville Sunday.

“What a race,’’ he added with a grin.

The near-miss marks the North Carolinian Crews’ second runner-up this season. He led the race twice for a total of 45 laps – the most he’s ever led in a single race.

“Man, the positive was, I thought we were going to win that race,’’ Crews’ said when asked about the takeaway from the race. “I’m happy for our guys.

“Had to start 33rd and worked our way up to the lead and led a lot of laps and got to race one of the best guys in our series of all-time for the win in the last few laps,’’ he said. “Couldn’t ask for much more, other than to beat him.’’

Crews’ teammate William Sawalich finished third to claim his third-consecutive top five. Haas Factory Team’s Sam Mayer finished fourth – his fifth straight top 10 at Nashville with another JGR driver, Brandon Jones rounding out the top five.

Corey Day, Carson Kvapil, reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson, Taylor Gray and Sammy Smith rounded out the top 10. Smith, of note, is competing in the Nashville triathlon with his JR Motorsports teammate Allgaier.

Richard Childress Racing’s Jesse Love finished 16th after leading the most laps (87) – a later race pit stop miscue putting the reigning series champion a lap down at one point, before he rallied back. He lost some ground in the title run and now sits 179 points behind the 2024 series champion Allgaier in the championship.

“Definitely really frustrating,’’ a disappointed Love said after the race. “Our Camaro was really fast and I know we had a misstep on pit road but we’ve got the best pit crew in the garage right now, it’s not even close.

“The only thing I can control is the way I prepare and keep showing up even when it hurts and I know right now, my path isn’t necessarily coming with a lot of wins and that can be frustrating but it’s the past now, so all I can do is keep showing up and preparing. It’s going to turn around. It has to. There’s no other possible way it’s not going to and having faith in that will get me through all this.’’

YouTube personality Cleetus McFarland finished 36th in his second NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series start – rallying from a series of late race pit stop miscues and penalties to take the checkered flag in the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.

After a streak of 16 consecutive races, the series has its first off-week next weekend before returning to competition June 13 in the Miller Tech Battery 250 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (4 p.m., The CW, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Connor Zilisch is the defending race winner.

By Holly Cain
NASCAR Wire Service

LEBANON, TN – Layne Riggs set the pace early in Friday night’s rain-delayed NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Nashville Superspeedway then rallied to a dramatic final lap pass when it mattered most to claim the track’s iconic “Victory Guitar” trophy in the Allegiance 200.

Riggs, who started sixth on the race’s eighth and final restart with 16 laps to go, passed the defending race winner Rajah Caruth coming off Turn 4 on the next to last lap after getting a strong push forward from his Front Row Motorsports teammate Chandler Smith to hold the front position and take his second consecutive – and third – win of the season in the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford.

After leading all of the opening 90 laps and claiming victories in both Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the race, Riggs restarted the final stage from the fifth row losing positions after the competition’s varying pit strategies. His move forward afterward, however, was an exhilarating ending to a long night.

Ultimately the 23-year North Carolina native and second-generation NASCAR driver took the checkered flag by a slight .468-second over Caruth, who drove the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet originally intended to be raced by NASCAR champion driver Kyle Busch, who passed away at the age of 41 from sepsis last Thursday.

It was an emotional win for Riggs, who dedicated the victory to Busch and an equally as emotional outing for Caruth, who honored Busch with his own outstanding run toward the trophy too.

“Not till I passed him and cleared him,” Riggs said of feeling confident in his dramatic comeback and energized by his triumph at a track where his father Scott Riggs won the series’ inaugural truck race back in 2001 and two other NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races (2002-03).

“That’s how you win a NASCAR truck race there, boys and girls. I hope I put on a show for you. I didn’t want to fall back, but I don’t know what happened with that set of tires. It was literally undriveable.

“[Crew chief] Dylan [Capello] made the right adjustments there, got me the tires, got me the motivation and drove to the front,” he said of a late race pit stop gamble for an adjustment and new tires with 32 laps remaining.

“So proud of the awesome finish there with the 38 truck (Smith), he gave me the push for the win and good racing there with Chandler tonight,’’ he added of his teammate, who finished third.

Caruth, who led 44 laps led was second only to Riggs’ effort, looked to become only the second driver in history to earn back-to-back wins on the 1.33-mile Nashville oval and certainly the talented and well-liked young driver had the emotional support of millions of NASCAR fans who would have loved to see Busch’s truck return to victory lane.

“I was trying to make this thing as wide as possible,’’ Caruth said of trying to hold off Riggs, whose car was on fresher tires. “But that was a great call by Brian. We were strong but starting at the back because of qualifying [being rained out] kind of impacted our night. We got the car really strong there and proably some things I could have done better.

“Glad to give these guys a good result. … really wanted to get that one obviously for everybody that was at KBM [Kyle Busch Motorsports] especially KB’s family. Close. I just didn’t close it out.’’

“Wanted to get a trophy tonight. So close. But proud of the effort and the team.’’

NASCAR Cup Series regular Ross Chastain finished fourth in the Niece Motorsports Chevrolet followed by Tyler Ankrum in the No. 18 McAnally-Hilgemann Chevy.

Stewart Friesen, Grant Enfinger, 2024 Nashville winner Christian Eckes, Gio Ruggiero and Daniel Dye rounded out the top 10.

With his victory and a rare laps-down finish for Tricon Garage’s Kaden Honeycutt, Riggs took over the championship lead, by 37 points over Honeycutt.

The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series returns to action next Saturday at the Michigan International Speedway two-mile oval with the DQS Solutions & Staffing 250 (1:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Stewart Friesen is the defending race winner.

May 21, 2026

By Reid Spencer
NASCAR Wire Service

NASCAR Cup Series champion driver Kyle Busch has died at the age of 41.

A joint statement from the Busch family, Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR confirmed Thursday afternoon that Busch had passed away after being hospitalized with a severe illness.

The statement in its entirety:

“On behalf of the Busch family, everyone at Richard Childress Racing and all of NASCAR, we are devastated to announce the sudden and tragic passing of Kyle Busch.

“Our entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch. A future Hall of Famer, Kyle was a rare talent, one who comes along once in a generation. He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled and he cared deeply about the sport and fans.

“Throughout a career that spanned more than two decades, Kyle set records in national series wins, won championships at NASCAR’s highest level and fostered the next generation of drivers as an owner in the Truck Series.

“His sharp wit and competitive spirit sparked a deep emotional connection with race fans of every age, creating the proud and loyal ‘Rowdy Nation.’ Our thoughts are with Samantha, Brexton and Lennix, Kyle and Samantha’s parents, Kurt and all of Kyle’s family, Richard and Judy Childress, everyone at Richard Childress Racing, his teammates, friends and fans. NASCAR lost a giant of the sport today, far too soon.

“During this incredibly difficult time, we ask everyone to respect the family’s privacy and continue to keep them in your thoughts and prayers. Further updates will be shared as appropriate.”

As noted in the above statement, Busch is survived by his wife Samantha, son Brexton, 11, daughter Lennix, 4, father Tom Busch, mother Gaye Busch and brother Kurt Busch, himself a champion driver at NASCAR’s highest level.

In a NASCAR Cup Series career that doubtless will earn a place in the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Busch accumulated 63 victories, ninth all-time, and won championships in 2015 and 2019.

In addition, he holds records for wins in both the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (102) and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (69), giving him more combined national series victories (234) than any other driver.

Busch claimed his most recent Truck Series victory last Friday at Dover Motor Speedway.

Busch began his career in NASCAR’s top division with Hendrick Motorsports, moved to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008 and was driving the No. 8 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing when the sudden onset of illness ended his life.