Hot Topics Sound Off
by Sharon Burton – Fan4Racing
THE CHASE, DRAMA & DIRT! 🏁 NASCAR Weekend Had Everything! Do you have a burning thought about this weekend of racing? Sound off in the comment section.
Welcome to a special written edition of Hot Topics Sound Off! This week, we’re changing things up a little and taking our NASCAR weekend conversation from the microphone to the page.
If you like your NASCAR weekends with a little bit of everything, this one certainly delivered.
From the opening Chase race of the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Darlington Raceway to a thrilling photo finish at All American Speedway, a statement-making Cook Out Southern 500 victory, and a return to DuQuoin dirt, there is no shortage of storylines to discuss.
This is THE CHASE, DRAMA, & DIRT! 🏁NASCAR Weekend had Everything! Hot Topics Sound Off!
So, let’s sound off!
🏁 NASCAR O’REILLY SERIES: Creed Starts the Chase with a Statement
Sheldon Creed celebrates on the Darlington Raceway frontstretch after winning the Fleetio 200 and opening the O’Reilly Series Chase with a victory. Photo credit: Meg Oliphant/Getty Images
Sheldon Creed couldn’t have picked a better time to find victory lane.
For the second time this season, Creed captured the checkered flag in Saturday night’s Fleetio 200 at Darlington Raceway to open the nine-race O’Reilly Series Chase with his second career series victory. He captured his first win at EchoPark Speedway earlier this season.
With 49 laps remaining, a strong pit stop put the No. 00 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet out front. Creed took control and never gave it back.
And that makes this win more than just another trophy.
It’s a Championship Statement
Creed has shown flashes of championship-caliber speed throughout the season. Darlington served notice that he can be a serious contender when the pressure is turned up.
Corey Day Turned Up the Wick
While Creed gets the headline, Corey Day also deserves some attention. Driving his No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to second place, the young rookie driver puts his name into the championship conversation.
Hot Topics Take
Before Darlington, no one was talking about Sheldon Creed or Corey Day as Chase title contenders. After Darlington, don’t overlook these drivers when talking about the O’Reilly championship.
This could be the beginning of a very interesting Chase over the next eight races.
We Want to Hear from You!
🏁Is Sheldon Creed now a legitimate championship favorite after his Darlington victory? If not, whose performance at Darlington makes them the favorite?
🏁Will Corey Day win a race during the O’Reilly Chase?
🏁 ARCA WEST SERIES: Nascimento Gets His Breakthrough Victory
After the sun set on Saturday night in California, the ARCA West delivered one of the weekend’s most exciting finishes.
The last time Ethan Nascimento raced in the ARCA West was in 2024.
On Wednesday last week, he had no idea he’d be racing at All-American Speedway over the weekend. Thursday changed everything, and Saturday night he celebrated his first ARCA West victory for his family-owned team – Nascimento Motorsports.
Edging the series points leader, Trevor Huddleston, by just 0.038 seconds in the NAPA Auto Parts 150, Nascimento took his unforeseen run to victory lane.
That’s about as close as it gets.
The final five laps at All American Speedway saw Trevor Huddleston (50) and Ethan Nascimento (4) trade paint numerous times, with Nascimento getting the win. (Photo: Scott Marshall/ARCA Racing)
Sometimes racing opportunities appear unexpectedly. What’s important is taking advantage when they do.
Nascimento certainly did.
A Podium for Deegan – Almost for Huddleston
Hailie Deegan should not be overlooked. Her third-place finish keeps her name in the conversation, while Trevor Huddleston’s runner-up result showed just how close he was to taking another victory.
Hot Topics Take
A first career ARCA West win is always special, but winning by four hundredths of a second makes this one even more memorable.
We Want to Hear from You!
🏁Was Ethan Nascimento’s 0.038-second win the most exciting finish of the weekend?
🏁How many wins will Trevor Huddleston get in the remaining four ARCA West races at Madera, the Bullring at Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway?
🏁 NASCAR CUP SERIES: Bell Finally Breaks Through
Then came Darlington under a gorgeous sunset.
The Cup Series Chase opened Sunday night with the Cook Out Southern 500. After coming ‘oh so close’ in the regular season, Christopher Bell reminded everyone that he is a serious championship contender.
Bell also snapped a 33-race winless streak, beating his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Ty Gibbs by 1.038 seconds. More importantly, the victory moved Bell from sixth to second in the championship standings, just 12 points behind his other teammate Denny Hamlin with nine Chase races remaining.
Talk about timing.
Bell has finished second seven times this season. He always had the speed. He just couldn’t get the trophy.
Until Darlington.
Christopher Bell celebrates his first victory of the 2026 season after winning the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Photo Credit: James Gilbert/Getty Images
Entering the Chase with something to prove, Bell suddenly looks like a championship favorite.
Joe Gibbs Racing Continues Its Strength into the Chase
Perhaps just as important as Bell’s win is Ty Gibbs second-place finish, giving Joe Gibbs Racing a huge amount of momentum heading into the rest of the Chase.
But the big story wasn’t just who won.
It was also about who lost ground.
A Tough Night for William Byron
Entering the Chase opener, William Byron came to Darlington with championship aspirations, but his night went sideways – literally.
Spinning from ninth place on lap 316, Byron subsequently suffered a reported mechanical failure that sent his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to the garage.
A brutal way to start a championship run.
Running in the top ten for much of the second half of the race made the late collapse even more painful for Byron.
Denny Hamlin Survives Drama…Again
Top-seeded Denny Hamlin also had problems after contact with Michael McDowell damaged his No. 11 Toyota. Hamlin’s point advantage diminished by 13 points, but he still leaves Darlington leading the championship.
And that’s important.
You don’t have to win every Chase race.
Sometimes surviving a bad night is just as valuable.
Hot Topics Take
Christopher Bell’s victory changes the conversation. He went from a driver trying to find victory lane to the driver everyone now has to watch closely in the championship battle.
The last NASCAR Cup Series championship for Joe Gibbs Racing was 2019, when Kyle Busch took the title. Joe Gibbs Racing has been pretty good all season and is still carrying strength into the Chase.
We Want to Hear from You!
🏁 Does Christopher Bell’s Darlington victory make him your new championship favorite? If not, whose performance at Darlington makes them your championship favorite?
🏁Will Joe Gibbs Racing win the championship title this year? If so, which driver brings home the trophy?
🏁 Which driver do you think is under the most pressure after the opening Chase race at Darlington?
🏁 ARCA MENARDS SERIES: Brown Owns the Dirt
And just when you thought the weekend was over, ARCA took us back to the Illinois dirt at DuQuoin.
The Audubon Park 100 at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds belongs to Carson Brown.
Scoring his second ARCA Menards Series victory in 2026, Brown dominated the race, adding another impressive chapter to a season that already included his breakthrough win at Phoenix.
Starting from the pole position, Brown ultimately crossed the finish line 4.137 seconds ahead of the series points leader, Jake Bollman, with Kelly Kovski, Gavan Boschele, and Thomas Annunziata rounding out the top five.
There’s something special about DuQuoin.
Carson Brown’s No. 28 tears through the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds dirt during the Audubon Park 100. Brown scored his second ARCA Menards Series victory of the 2026 season. Photo: Carson Brown Motorsports.
The dirt changes everything. Drivers have to manage the surface, the car, and the changing conditions while still keeping the tires underneath them.
Brown handled all of it.
Hot Topics Take
Carson Brown’s ARCA season may be limited to just ten starts, but he’s making those starts count. With two victories already in 2026 and a full-time move to the NASCAR O’Reilly Series with Richard Childress Racing waiting for him in 2027, DuQuoin could be another important developmental step for a young driver with plenty of potential.
We Want to Hear from You!
🏁With his second win of the season coming in just his tenth ARCA start, and a full-time move to Richard Childress Racing coming in 2027, is DuQuoin a sign of bigger things to come for this young driver?
🏁Jake Bollman increased his points lead after finishing second at DuQuoin. Who will challenge him for the championship in the next three remaining races at Salem, Bristol, and the season finale at Kansas?
🔥 HOT TOPICS: What Did We Learn?
So, what are the takeaways from this weekend?
1. Christopher Bell is officially a championship threat.
He didn’t just win. He won when the pressure was highest and jumped all the way to second in the standings.
2. Sheldon Creed has momentum at exactly the right time.
Winning the O’Reilly Chase opener puts him in an excellent position heading into the rest of the championship battle.
3. Ethan Nascimento just announced himself.
A first West Series win is impressive. Winning it by 0.038 seconds makes it unforgettable.
4. Carson Brown continues to build his résumé.
Two ARCA victories this season, including a dominant performance at one of the series’ most unique venues.
5. The Chase can change quickly.
Just ask William Byron.
One moment you’re running inside the top ten. The next, you’re watching the rest of the field drive away while your championship hopes take a serious hit.
That’s the nature of Chase racing.
🏁 FINAL THOUGHTS
Four races.
Four very different stories.
Darlington gave us Chase pressure and a long-awaited breakthrough. All American gave us a photo finish and a first-time winner. DuQuoin gave us dirt-track action and another Carson Brown victory.
That’s what makes a NASCAR weekend like this so much fun.
We Want to Hear from You!
And now the big question becomes:
Was this weekend the beginning of something special—or just the first chapter in an even bigger Chase championship story?
👀 Big Picture: Which race—and which storyline—was your favorite from the weekend?
Drop your thoughts in the comments and let’s Sound Off! 🗣️🏁
THE CHASE, DRAMA, & DIRT delivered everything we could have asked for.
And that’s exactly why we’re already looking forward to the next race weekend.
Until then, keep it rolling—and keep those NASCAR Hot Topics comments coming! 🏁
