It is coming down to the wire in all three major NASCAR Series.  Next up for the Cup Series: Richmond, New Hampshire, and the final regular season race at Daytona. Driver around the cutline are no doubt on edge. Only 16 make it to the playoffs.  In the last Cup event, Ty Gibbs narrowly beat teammate Christopher Bell at Iowa.    In the O' Reilly Auto Parts Series only one race remains: Daytona on Friday August 28.  And in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series four regular season races remain before its post-season playoffs: Richmond, New Hampshire, Daytona, and Darlington.  2-Time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion Ben Rhodes ais 7th in the truck series in points. But he does not have a win yet this season.  (Louisville's Ben Rhodes talks about the pressure of making the playoffs below. Don't miss it! ).   ​

  

   In the INDY Car series Alex Palou won again! This time at Portland. He also took Nashville in the previous race. This week they Indy Car Series tackles the street course in Ontario, Canada.  Alex Palou holds a strong points lead of 110 points over Kyle Kirkwood.  David Malukas is third.  Only four races remain in the 2026 Indy Car Series.  Ontario this weekend, Washington DC, Milwaukee Mile, and the grand finale in California.

 

  The NHRA is off another week. Then its the huge event August 20-23 in Minnesota.  In the last event outside of Seattle, Doug Kalitta won Top Fuel, Greg Anderson took Pro Stock, and JR Todd claimed the top podium spot in Funny Car.  Lucas Oil is a longtime sponsor of the NHRA.  THE NHRA races deep into the fall. Plenty of action left. 

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​​​​​​   With school back in session, that means local tracks will be concluding races for those season long championships. But after the champions are known, many tracks have other events through October. The Sportsdrome Speedway, just off I-65 in Jeffersonville, is a small flat track full of fun and excitement. It is just 10 minutes from the bridges in downtown Louisville.  They usually end the season schedule in late September.   The half-mile high banked track at the Salem Speedway is only an hour from Louisville in Southern Indiana. They race into late October including the legendary Halloween 200!   Other area tracks include the Ponderosa Speedway (the Baddest Bullring in the Bluegrass state) located in central Kentucky at Junction City near Danville (About an hour and fifteen minutes southeast of Louisville). The 2026 event schedule may be the best in years!  Just south in Bowling Green (KY) and you'll enjoy Beech Bend. There is an amusement park, camping, and racing. The Beech Bend dragstrip brings in the fans and has a wide range of events. And if you like local drag racers, one fun place to witness side-by-side battles is in West Point Kentucky, the Ohio Valley Dragway. It is a 1/8th mile track on Dixie Highway, less than a half-hour from downtown Louisville.  A reminder, be sure to check out track websites and social media for the latest news and information, and that includes any late schedule changes and potential weather issues.   

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  ​  We always thank our supporters, including our main sponsor, Lucas Oil Products!  Also, Herrings Outdoor Sports!  It is a great place for all of your summer and fall attire. They carry the most famous and best clothing beach-lake outdoor brands. & accessories!  They ship throughout the US!  Other sponsors include locally owned Bright Pest Control and Bright Retail in Louisville, (Offering Do-It-Yourself Professional Pest Products with a retail store), PNC Bank (Sponsor of Scott Dixon's Indy Car Series Car), Sportsdrome Speedway  (Celebrating nearly 80 years of Racing!), VoiceTel Kentucky (Offering consulting, telephone service, security, and network installation to businesses throughout Louisville and Southern Indiana. When experience counts: Call VoiceTel, locally owned and operated (502-493-3200), Jim Ellis/Attorney-At-Law [Personal Injury, Criminal Defense, and Contract Law (502) 58-Ellis], ICA Dumpsters, Dynamic Chiropractic Louisville, Lyndon Mower Repair, Temco Roofing, and Apple Appliance Repair Service in Louisville.  

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   We also thank our media connections in all series, NASCAR/NASCAR Media, Indy Car, Monster Jam, ARCA, Google Images, media directors, other contributors, and NHRA for helping us bring the sport to the fans!  ​​ 

  Craig talks with NASCAR Driver in this weeks Lucas Oil Online Race Report !