It is a Tripleheader at Bristol for all three major NASCAR Series this week! ​ Louisville's Ben Rhodes battles Thursday night in his first playoff race of the fall post-season.  He has not won this season and sits 9th in points.  Now is the time for his ThorSport Race Team to step it up and do what they've done in years past--win! The Truck Series action takes place on Thursday night! (The 2-Time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion talks  racing and playoffs below. Be sure to check it out.)

 

  We sound-off about Denny Hamlin again this week. What a dominant regular season. As for the playoffs, just the opposite. He had issues at Darlington and barely cracked the top 10 at the Worldwide Technology Raceway. Kyle Larson got that win.  Bristol is a track Hamlin likes, no doubt. We'll find out Saturday night how he rebounds. Do note the  NASCAR O' Reilly Auto Parts Series  competes Friday. Let's hope mother nature cooperates with all three events!  

  

     The NHRA had the weekend off but returns to side-by-side action in Michigan this weekend.  In the last NHRA event, what great excitement at the NHRA US Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.  Top Fuel racer Shawn Langdon edged out 3-Time NASCAR Champion Tony Stewart.  There is plenty of competition left. The last NHRA event doesn't take place until Pomona, California, November 12th through the 16th. Lucas Oil is a longtime sponsor of the NHRA.

​​

     In the INDY Car series, Alex Palou is still celebrating his 2026 Indy Car Series Championship. He's won four championships in a row, and now has 5 total Indy Car Series titles! Only Scott Dixon with six titles and A-J Foyt with 7 have won more.  Kyle Kirkwood finished some 80-plus points behind Palou to take 2nd place. Christian Lundgaard ended up 3rd in points.   

​​​​​​   

  Locally, track championships have been decided, but tracks in the region continue to hold some other events through late October (See our video below) . Congrats to all the competitors, drivers, and teams. And the fans too!  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.  The half-mile high banked track at the Salem Speedway is only an hour from Louisville in Southern Indiana.  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.   

​

  ​  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, 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.  

​

   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!