Samwise NASCAR Cup Series Newsletter
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Corey Heim Scores First Cup Win at Inaugural San Diego Street Race
Corey Heim scored his first NASCAR Cup Series win at the inaugural Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado on Sunday, passing teammate Tyler Reddick in Turn 2 with three laps remaining. The 23-year-old, in his 13th Cup start, led only the final three laps in the No. 67 Toyota for 23XI Racing. Reddick then cut a left-front tire and dropped to 25th. Heim won by more than 10 seconds over 23XI teammate Bubba Wallace, with Kyle Larson third. The victory made Heim the third first-time Cup winner of 2026, joining Ty Gibbs and Carson Hocevar. Heim will join 23XI Racing full-time in 2027.
Sources: NASCAR.com, Motorsport.com
Championship Lead Shrinks to Eight Points as Reddick Stumbles at San Diego
Tyler Reddick’s 129-point championship lead from a month ago has shrunk to just eight points entering Sonoma Raceway, following a difficult Sunday at Naval Base Coronado. Reddick was battling teammate Corey Heim for the lead with three laps to go when he cut a left-front tire and dropped to 25th. Denny Hamlin, who had won three straight races before San Diego, finished 14th and trimmed the deficit from 19 points to eight. Reddick, who had led the standings after every one of the season’s first 16 races, acknowledged making multiple mistakes over the San Diego weekend, including a qualifying incident that sent him to the rear.
Sources: Motorsport.com, Oval Insider
Van Gisbergen Crashes Out in San Diego Restart Pileup, Falls Below Playoff Cutline
Shane van Gisbergen’s promising San Diego weekend ended abruptly on Lap 32 when a restart pileup at Turn 1 collected the pole-sitter. Austin Hill entered the corner off-line, pushing up the track and triggering a crash that swept in van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch. The Trackhouse Racing driver had started from pole position and was widely regarded as a race threat on the 3.4-mile street circuit. The result dropped van Gisbergen three positions to 17th in the standings, five points outside the top-16 playoff cutline. The New Zealander described the outcome as ‘filthy,’ directing his frustration at Hill’s line on the restart.
Sources: Motorsport.com, Motorsport.com
Reddick, Bell, and Jones Penalized Before San Diego Race for Unapproved Adjustments
NASCAR penalized championship leader Tyler Reddick, Christopher Bell, and Erik Jones before the Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado on Sunday, requiring all three to start from the rear of the 36-car field. Reddick was cited for unapproved adjustments to his No. 45 Toyota; Bell and Jones received the same penalty following splitter repairs made after qualifying incidents. Reddick fought back through the field to reach the lead with three laps to go before a tire failure dropped him to 25th. Bell finished 20th and Jones 18th. The three drivers entered San Diego ranked fifth, 12th, and 14th in the points standings, respectively.
Sources: Motorsport.com, Beyond the Flag
Ryan Preece Vaults Into Provisional Playoff Spot After Stage 2 Win in San Diego
Ryan Preece moved from 19th to 16th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings after Sunday’s Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado, returning to a provisional playoff spot with nine regular-season races remaining. Preece, driving the No. 60 Ford for RFK Racing, won Stage 2 of the race and delivered a strong points day on the 3.4-mile Qualcomm Circuit. His gain came at the direct expense of Shane van Gisbergen, who crashed out on Lap 32 and fell to 17th, now five points outside the cutline. Austin Cindric holds 15th with 370 points, just three ahead of Preece entering Sonoma Raceway.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Magnussen’s NASCAR Cup Debut Ends in Heated Pit Road Confrontation with Gragson
Formula 1 veteran Kevin Magnussen made his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Naval Base Coronado on Sunday, driving Trackhouse Racing’s Project 91 Chevrolet entry. The Danish driver set the fastest lap of the Anduril 250 but finished 27th following a contentious clash with Noah Gragson. Magnussen and Gragson made contact on Lap 25, and late in Stage 2 Magnussen moved underneath Gragson entering Turn 4, sending Gragson’s No. 4 Ford into the wall with race-ending damage. A heated post-race confrontation followed on pit road, with Magnussen acknowledging the second contact was deliberate retaliation. Gragson was classified 35th.
Sources: NASCAR.com, Motorsport.com
NASCAR Reveals $1 Million In-Season Challenge Bracket for Sonoma Opener
NASCAR revealed the 32-driver bracket for the 2026 In-Season Challenge, a five-race head-to-head tournament offering a $1 million prize for the winner. Points leader Tyler Reddick enters as the No. 1 seed, with Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, and Ty Gibbs holding the next four spots. The tournament opens Sunday, June 28 at Sonoma Raceway during the Toyota/Save Mart 350, airing on TNT Sports at 12:30 p.m. PT. Sixteen drivers will advance from Sonoma, with subsequent rounds at Chicagoland, Atlanta, and North Wilkesboro. The championship round is scheduled for Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 26.
Sources: Motorsport.com, Sonoma Raceway
23XI Racing Sweeps to 1-2 Finish at San Diego, Toyota Extends Manufacturer Lead
Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin’s 23XI Racing swept to a 1-2 finish at the Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado on Sunday. Development driver Corey Heim won in the No. 67 Toyota and Bubba Wallace finished second in the No. 23 Toyota. Kyle Larson was third for Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. The result reinforced Toyota’s commanding position in the 2026 manufacturer standings, where the brand leads Chevrolet by 118 points and Ford by 241 points through 17 races. Toyota holds 802 points and 11 wins this season, compared to Chevrolet’s 684 points with five wins and Ford’s 561 points with one win.
Sources: Motorsport.com, NASCAR Reference
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
— Playoff Cutline —
17. Shane van Gisbergen — 362 pts
Manufacturer Standings
1. Toyota — 802 pts (11 wins)
2. Chevrolet — 684 pts (5 wins)
3. Ford — 561 pts (1 win)
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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