It's all but over in 2026 for all three major NASCAR Series. What an interesting year.  In Cup, it looked like Denny Hamlin and his team were headed for his first Cup title. Once the playoffs hit, the sizzle Hamlin had in the regular season never happened. He lacked a playoff punch. Too many mishaps. Same for Bell.  Heading into the last race of the year, only Hamlin and Christopher Bell have a thin and very remote chance to catch the soon-to-be NASCAR Cup Champion, Kyle Larson. He also won championships in 2025 and 2021. Larson goes into Homestead-Miami with a 67 point advantage over Bell and Hamlin. All other drives have been eliminated.   

   

      Louisville's Ben Rhodes came a half-a-second from winning his first race of the year at Martinsville in the Craftsman Truck Series.  Finally, a great showing.  Chandler Smith took the checkered flag over Rhodes, who claimed second. Kaden Honeycutt leads the trucks in points. But his lead is just 20 point lead over Layne Riggs. Smith is 103 points behind.  Only Riggs or Honeycutt can actually with the top prize.  In the O' Reilly Auto Parts Series,  Justin Allgaier has a slim 22 point lead over Jesse Love. Corey Day is 3rd in points.  Carson Kvapil is 4th and Sheldon Creed is 5th.  All 5 drivers are still in the hunt for a championship.  Expect plenty of action and tension! ​

​  ​   ​  The NHRA wraps up its season November 12-15 in Pomona, California.  Like NASCAR, regular season champions were crowned in September.  While no racer has won a season-ending World Championship the leaders have been consistent. Shawn Langdon in Top Fuel has a strong 139 point lead over the rest of the field. It is much closer with Matt Hagan in Funny Car and Dallas Green. Either driver can fall with a bad showing at Pomona.  In Pro Stock Motorcycle leader Gaige Herrera has a 55 point advantage, but he can't afford any mistakes.  Lucas Oil is a longtime sponsor of the NHRA and Kentuckiana Motorsports. It's main manufacturing facility is located in Corydon, Indiana.  Watch the action on Fox Sports. 

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   The next INDY Car event is in March 2027.  Already there have been driver swaps and teams changing things up in an effort for stronger competition for 2027.  Alex Palou claimed the Indy Car Series Championship this year.      

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  Locally, track championships are over. Take note: tracks in the region continue to hold some other events through late October. Congrats to all the competitors, drivers, and teams. And the fans too!  The Sportsdrome Speedway, just off I-65 in Jeffersonville, Indiana is a small flat track full of fun and excitement. It is just 10 minutes from the bridges in downtown Louisville.  The Salem Speedway is only an hour from Louisville in Southern Indiana (One of its biggest  fall races in the region is the Halloween 200 . Health Helton took that win. Brett Hudson finished second). 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 sponsors and supporters, including our main sponsor, Lucas Oil Products!  Also, Herrings Outdoor Sports!  It is a great place for all of your summer, fall, and year round 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!  ​​ 

  Check out the Lucas Oil Online Race Report !  2-Time NASCAR Champion Ben Rhodes talks about what it takes to win races and championships!