Samwise NASCAR Cup Series Newsletter
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Even Kurt Busch Felt Kyle Busch Should Have Been Penalized
Even Kurt Busch concedes Kyle Busch should have been penalized for his last-lap contact with John Hunter Nemechek at Watkins Glen. Denny Hamlin has been the loudest critic, pointing out that NASCAR used SMT telemetry data to justify a 25-point penalty against Ryan Preece for the Texas incident with Ty Gibbs — then cited the same SMT to excuse Kyle Busch at Watkins Glen. No penalty was issued for the final-lap move. The inconsistency has become a flashpoint, with both Hamlin and now Kurt Busch calling out NASCAR publicly as RFK Racing prepares its appeal of the Preece ruling ahead of the Dover All-Star weekend.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Katherine Legge Secures Last-Minute Indy 500 / Coke 600 Double
British road racer Katherine Legge secured a last-minute deal to attempt the Indianapolis 500 / Coca-Cola 600 double on May 24. Legge made her NASCAR Cup return at Watkins Glen last weekend in the Live Fast Motorsports No. 47 entry and now has a ride lined up for Charlotte’s 600-mile classic on the same afternoon. She becomes the first woman to attempt the IndyCar-NASCAR double since Janet Guthrie ran both races in 1977. The Coca-Cola 600 streams on Amazon Prime Video at 6 p.m. ET, marking the platform’s first NASCAR broadcast of the year.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Power Rankings: Bell Jumps Into Elite Company Ahead of All-Star Race
NASCAR’s official Power Rankings heading into All-Star weekend show Christopher Bell making the biggest jump after his strong Watkins Glen performance, where he led Stage 1 before the split-strategy race reshuffled the order. Bell is recognized as one of the sport’s hottest drivers entering the Dover exhibition. The All-Star format — three segments, 350 laps, with a field inversion after Stage 1 — rewards aggression over conservation. Tyler Reddick remains the class of the field in points. Bell is the defending All-Star Race champion, adding extra motivation as he arrives at Dover looking to claim the $1 million prize for the second straight year.
Sources: NASCAR.com
Goodyear Brings Concrete-Tested Rubber to Dover All-Star Debut
Goodyear is bringing a concrete-tested tire combination to NASCAR’s first All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway. Teams will run a left-side Eagle that debuted at Bristol in April alongside a right-side compound that ran in Dover’s July 400-miler last season. Goodyear spent months analyzing wear data from the July race to ensure durability across 350 laps on the Monster Mile’s abrasive surface. No tire changes are mandated between segments, placing a premium on long-run management in a race where track position — and the ability to push hard late — will determine who goes home with $1 million.
Sources: NASCAR.com
Dillon, Gragson, Reddick Head to Iowa for Goodyear Tire Test
Austin Dillon, Noah Gragson, and Tyler Reddick conducted a two-day Goodyear tire test at Iowa Speedway this week, developing rubber for the Cup Series’ August 7–9 race weekend. Iowa made its Cup debut in 2024 and earned a reputation as one of the trickiest short tracks on the schedule due to its flat 0.875-mile layout. Goodyear is building a new compound for 2026, and drivers from Richard Childress Racing, Front Row Motorsports, and 23XI Racing logged multiple simulated race runs to provide compound feedback. Data from the test will shape the final tire specification Goodyear brings to Iowa in August.
Sources: Jayski
Fleetio Partners With 23XI’s Corey Heim for Coca-Cola 600 Debut
Fleet maintenance platform Fleetio will serve as primary sponsor on Corey Heim’s No. 67 Toyota Camry XSE for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte on May 24 — Heim’s first career start in the 600-mile race. Heim is the reigning NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion with 25 career Truck wins and serves as 23XI Racing’s development driver. The “Your Fleet’s New Pit Crew” campaign connects Fleetio’s AI-driven maintenance platform to NASCAR’s pit-crew ethos. Fleetio will also carry associate branding with Tyler Reddick at Talladega in the fall. Amazon Prime Video streams the Coca-Cola 600 at 6 p.m. ET on May 24.
Sources: SpeedwayMedia
HendrickCars.com Unveils Patriotic Four-Car Scheme for America’s 250th
HendrickCars.com unveiled a coordinated red, white and blue paint scheme campaign across four NASCAR entries celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. The program opens Memorial Day weekend at Charlotte with Kyle Larson’s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in the Coca-Cola 600, Kyle Busch’s Spire Motorsports No. 7 truck on Friday, and two NOAPS entries from Hendrick and JR Motorsports. Larson’s hood will carry the name of fallen U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Ryan Christopher Malm. The scheme also runs at NASCAR’s new San Diego street circuit in June and Chicagoland’s July 4th weekend. Hendrick Automotive Group marks its own 50th anniversary in 2026.
Sources: SpeedwayMedia
Cup Series Standings (Top 16)
1. Tyler Reddick — 567 pts
2. Denny Hamlin — 438 pts
3. Chase Elliott — 422 pts
4. Ryan Blaney — 405 pts
5. Chris Buescher — 375 pts
6. Ty Gibbs — 372 pts
7. Carson Hocevar — 342 pts
8. Kyle Larson — 332 pts
9. Ryan Preece — 321 pts
10. Brad Keselowski — 318 pts
11. Bubba Wallace — 313 pts
12. Christopher Bell — 311 pts
13. William Byron — 309 pts
14. Daniel Suárez — 295 pts
15. Austin Cindric — 287 pts
16. Shane van Gisbergen — 283 pts — Playoff cutline
Manufacturer Standings
1. Toyota — 442 pts
2. Chevrolet — 435 pts
3. Ford — 394 pts
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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