Samwise NASCAR Cup Series Newsletter
Monday, June 22, 2026
Corey Heim Claims First Cup Win at Historic Naval Base Coronado
Corey Heim claimed his first NASCAR Cup Series victory Sunday at the inaugural Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego, California. The 23-year-old reigning Craftsman Truck Series champion, driving the No. 67 Mobil 1/O’Reilly Auto Parts Toyota for 23XI Racing, earned the win in his 13th Cup start. Heim made the decisive pass after points leader Tyler Reddick slipped in Turn 2 on Lap 73, and the two ran side-by-side before Reddick made contact with Heim’s Toyota and ceded the position. Reddick later suffered a flat left-front tire and fell to 25th. Bubba Wallace was second, Kyle Larson third, Zane Smith fourth, and AJ Allmendinger fifth.
Sources: NASCAR.com, Motorsport.com
Reddick Tire Failure at San Diego Shrinks Title Lead to Eight Points Over Hamlin
Tyler Reddick’s bid to extend his points lead in Sunday’s Anduril 250 collapsed when he cut a left-front tire late in the race after making contact with teammate Corey Heim while the pair battled for the lead at Naval Base Coronado. The flat sent Reddick from a race-winning position to 25th, costing him over 20 points. Denny Hamlin, who finished 14th, sliced the margin from 19 points to just eight entering Sonoma Raceway. Reddick leads the championship with 716 points to Hamlin’s 708. Surprisingly, Hamlin managed to edge closer despite not contending for the win on Sunday.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Nine-Car Restart Pileup Destroys Championship Contenders at Naval Base Coronado
A nine-car pileup on Lap 31 at Naval Base Coronado wiped out several championship contenders. The incident began when Austin Hill missed the apex at Turn 1 on a restart, pushing Connor Zilisch wide into the outside wall. Shane van Gisbergen, running at full speed, could not avoid Hill and also struck the wall. Ryan Blaney, Daniel Suarez, Ty Gibbs, Michael McDowell, John Hunter Nemechek, and Riley Herbst were also collected. Van Gisbergen described himself as “filthy” about the outcome, while Zilisch said, “I felt like I was giving Austin space, and the next thing I know I was in the wall.”
Sources: Motorsport.com, RACER
Championship Leader Reddick Among Three Drivers Sent to Rear for Unapproved Repairs
NASCAR penalized three Cup Series drivers before Sunday’s Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado, requiring championship leader Tyler Reddick, Christopher Bell, and Erik Jones to start from the rear of the field. All three had damaged their front splitters during Saturday’s qualifying session and made unapproved adjustments during subsequent repairs. Reddick spun in Turn 2 during qualifying, prompting his team to repair the aerodynamic component overnight. Reddick entered the weekend 19 points ahead of Denny Hamlin, making the rear-start penalty particularly costly in the tight championship fight. He recovered to run near the front before a late-race tire failure ended any chance of a strong result.
Sources: NASCAR.com, Motorsport.com
Ryan Preece Vaults from 19th to 16th in Chase Standings with Stage Win at San Diego
Ryan Preece reclaimed a spot inside the NASCAR Cup Series Chase after a strong showing at the Anduril 250. Preece won Stage 2 of the race at Naval Base Coronado and finished with enough points to vault from 19th to 16th in the standings, the final Chase position. His gains came directly at the expense of Shane van Gisbergen, who dropped from 14th to 17th after being eliminated in the Lap 31 restart crash. Van Gisbergen now sits five points outside the cutline with 362 points. Ryan Blaney claimed the Stage 1 victory. Preece holds 367 points with 19 regular-season races remaining before the Chase begins.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Magnussen’s NASCAR Cup Debut Ends in Pit Road Confrontation with Gragson
Former Formula 1 driver Kevin Magnussen made his NASCAR Cup Series debut Sunday at Naval Base Coronado, driving the No. 91 Project 91 Chevrolet, but the outing ended in controversy. Magnussen braked late on Lap 25 and made contact with Noah Gragson’s Ford. Late in Stage 2, Magnussen went underneath Gragson entering Turn 4, made contact, and spun Gragson into the wall, ending Gragson’s day. After the race, Gragson confronted Magnussen on pit road. Gragson complained that open-wheel drivers were “barreling up the inside,” while Magnussen told him to “f*** off.” Magnussen finished 27th, Gragson 35th.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Van Gisbergen Dominates Qualifying and Practice Before Crash Ends San Diego Title Hopes
Shane van Gisbergen was the dominant force at Naval Base Coronado all weekend before the race ended on Lap 31. The Trackhouse Racing driver set the fastest lap in practice Friday and claimed pole position Saturday around the 19-turn, 3.4-mile temporary street circuit, comfortably ahead of second-place qualifier Carson Hocevar. Van Gisbergen entered Sunday’s Anduril 250 as the heavy favorite given his road-course background. Instead, the multi-car pileup dropped SVG three spots in the standings to 17th, five points outside the NASCAR Chase cutline. Van Gisbergen called the result “a real shame,” describing the car as “unreal fast once the track rubbered up.”
Sources: Motorsport.com, Motorsport.com
Toyota Sweeps San Diego Top Two as Manufacturer Lead Over Chevrolet Extends
Toyota completed a dominant weekend at Naval Base Coronado with Corey Heim and Bubba Wallace finishing first and second in the inaugural Anduril 250. Through the first 16 races, Toyota had accumulated 747 manufacturer points with 10 wins, well ahead of second-place Chevrolet at 650 points and five victories. Ford trails with 528 points and one win. Kyle Larson’s third-place finish Sunday was Chevrolet’s best result of the San Diego weekend. Toyota also controls the top two spots in the driver standings, with Tyler Reddick leading Denny Hamlin by eight points — both driving for Toyota-aligned organizations 23XI Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing respectively.
Sources: NASCAR.com, Motorsport.com
Cup Series Standings (Top 16)
1. Tyler Reddick — 716 pts
2. Denny Hamlin — 708 pts
3. Ryan Blaney — 583 pts
4. Kyle Larson — 536 pts
5. Ty Gibbs — 535 pts
6. Chase Elliott — 534 pts
7. Chris Buescher — 500 pts
8. Daniel Suarez — 478 pts
9. Carson Hocevar — 476 pts
10. Chase Briscoe — 431 pts
11. Bubba Wallace — 429 pts
12. Christopher Bell — 422 pts
13. William Byron — 421 pts
14. Erik Jones — 372 pts
15. Austin Cindric — 370 pts
16. Ryan Preece — 367 pts
— Chase cutline —
17. Shane van Gisbergen — 362 pts
Manufacturer Standings
1. Toyota — 747 pts
2. Chevrolet — 650 pts
3. Ford — 528 pts
Curated by JD · samwise.agency