09/02/2026
đ„ RACE CHAT LIVE is shifting into Chase mode! Ryan Sieg finally breaks through for his first OâReilly Auto Parts Series win, while Ryan Preece delivers a career-defining Daytona victory to grab the 16th and final Chase seed. Denny Hamlin enters the postseason as regular-season champion, and Shane van Gisbergen gives it everything he hasâbut comes up just short of making the 2026 Chase field. Weâre breaking down the final regular-season shakeup, the pressure-packed points battle, and what it all means heading into NASCARâs biggest stretch.[nascar +2]
Under the Hood
Silly Season is turning up fast. John Hunter Nemechek appears set to move on from Legacy Motor Club after 2026, with Josh Berry emerging as a reported favorite for the opening. Weâll also talk Carl Edwardsâ return to the Truck Series in the No. 25, plus the star-studded CARS Tour action at Florence Motor Speedway featuring SVG, Connor Zilisch, and Dale Jr.[nytimes +1]
Weâll debate the championship favorites, ask whether FloRacing is becoming too expensive for race fans, and jump into this weekâs hottest garage drama: Ryan Blaney vs. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., along with the fan-fueled battle between Jimmie Johnson and Carson Hocevar supporters.
The Road Ahead
The postseason begins at Darlington Raceway with the legendary Cook Out Southern 500â501 miles at the Lady in Black, where the track is too tough to tame and every mistake can change a championship. Hamlin arrives as the No. 1 seed, Preece begins as the No. 16 seed, and the 10-race run to the 2026 title officially gets underway.[motorsport +1]
As always, weâve got Standouts, Shoutouts & Shoutdowns, your chance to sound off on whether the Chase field should be smaller, and Tazâs Weekly NASCAR Team Rankings to close out the show.
New winners. Playoff heartbreak. Silly Season smoke. Darlington pressure. Letâs roll, babyâthis is RACE CHAT LIVE!
