Samwise NASCAR Cup Series Newsletter
Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Preece Docked 25 Points, Fined $50,000 for Intentional Contact With Gibbs at Texas
NASCAR issued a 25-point penalty and a $50,000 fine to Ryan Preece on Tuesday following Sunday’s Würth 400 at Texas Motor Speedway. The sanction stems from a Lap 101 incident in which Preece appeared to deliberately contact the rear bumper of Ty Gibbs’ No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota entering Turn 3, sending Gibbs into the SAFER barrier and ending his race in 36th place. NASCAR classified the infraction as a behavioral penalty under its Member Conduct guidelines. The 25-point deduction drops Preece from 12th to effectively 15th in the standings, significantly tightening the playoff bubble heading into Sunday’s Go Bowling at the Glen.
Sources: NASCAR.com, motorsport.com
Reddick Carries 109-Point Lead Into Watkins Glen With Strong Road-Course Record
Tyler Reddick enters Sunday’s Go Bowling at the Glen at Watkins Glen International with a 109-point championship lead over Denny Hamlin after finishing fourth at Texas Motor Speedway on a late two-tire strategy. Chase Elliott, whose Texas win was his second of 2026, sits third, 117 points back. Reddick’s Watkins Glen resume strengthens his position further: he has four top-10 finishes in five career starts at the 2.45-mile road course. Christopher Bell fell from ninth to 13th in the standings after wrecking from the lead at Texas, leaving his playoff position increasingly tenuous. With 25 races remaining in the regular season, the standings carry genuine weight.
Sources: NASCAR.com
Power Rankings: Van Gisbergen and Zilisch the Drivers to Beat at Watkins Glen
NASCAR’s official power rankings ahead of Sunday’s Go Bowling at the Glen identify Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch as the drivers best equipped to challenge at Watkins Glen International. Van Gisbergen, the defending race winner at The Glen and 2025 COTA champion, enters as the field’s premier road-course specialist. Zilisch, the Trackhouse Racing rookie, posted his best oval finish of the season at Texas (16th) and has shown consistently elite road-course pace throughout 2026. William Byron owns a win, two top-fives, four top-10s, and 66 laps led across seven Watkins Glen starts. Chris Buescher won there in 2024 and is among the drivers considered most dangerous on road courses.
Sources: NASCAR.com
Goodyear Confirms Same COTA Tire Spec for Watkins Glen, Increasing Strategy Value
Goodyear has confirmed that the NASCAR Cup Series field will race on the same Eagle tire specification at Watkins Glen International this weekend used at Circuit of The Americas earlier in 2026. The compound—Tire Code D-5242—promotes progressive wear and performance degradation, increasing the strategic value of pit timing and tire management on the 2.45-mile road course. Each Cup team receives seven dry-weather sets: five new race sets, one qualifying transfer, and one practice set. Six wet-weather sets are also allocated. Experienced road-course teams that logged COTA data this season arrive at Watkins Glen with a meaningful setup and strategy advantage over those still learning the compound.
Sources: Jayski
Spire Motorsports Strengthens Go Bowling Partnership Ahead of Watkins Glen Race
Spire Motorsports has strengthened its relationship with Go Bowling ahead of Sunday’s race at Watkins Glen International, where the title sponsor extends its involvement alongside one of Spire’s drivers. Spire Motorsports President Bill Anthony said Go Bowling has been a “terrific partner” for Michael McDowell and the team, adding that the expanded deal provides a platform for an emerging young driver. The title sponsorship gives the race its official name—Go Bowling at the Glen—and reflects continued investment by NASCAR’s commercial partners in road-course weekends. The Cup race runs 100 laps on Sunday, May 10, at 3 p.m. ET on FS1, with practice and qualifying on Saturday, May 9.
Sources: Jayski
Cup Series Standings (Top 16)
1. Tyler Reddick — 526 pts
2. Denny Hamlin — 417 pts
3. Chase Elliott — 409 pts
4. Ryan Blaney — 371 pts
5. Chris Buescher — 345 pts
6. Carson Hocevar — 333 pts
7. Ty Gibbs — 330 pts
8. Kyle Larson — 318 pts
9. Brad Keselowski — 311 pts
10. William Byron — 308 pts
11. Bubba Wallace — 304 pts
12. Ryan Preece — 298* pts
13. Christopher Bell — 291 pts
14. Daniel Suarez — 271 pts
15. Austin Cindric — 248 pts
16. Chase Briscoe — 242 pts
*Preece 25-pt penalty pending; pos. subject to change
Manufacturer Standings
1. Toyota — Leader
2. Chevrolet
3. Ford
*Exact pts not available; visit nascar.com for full standings
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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