Samwise NASCAR Cup Series Newsletter
Thursday, June 25, 2026
Gragson Reveals He Nearly Threw a Punch at Magnussen After San Diego Confrontation
Noah Gragson revealed he nearly threw a punch at Kevin Magnussen following their volatile confrontation after the Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado. The two drivers had feuded across 13 laps before Magnussen wrecked Gragson; after the race, NASCAR security warned Gragson against escalating physically. “I was about to throw a punch and I got told right before I got over there that there’s going to be long-term consequences with my job if that was the case,” Gragson said. The pair traded expletives for roughly 90 seconds before separating. Motorsport.com published Gragson’s account on Wednesday, while Fox Sports concluded Gragson bore the greater share of fault in the incident.
Sources: Motorsport.com Fox Sports Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
NASCAR Orders Cup Teams to Remove Bumper Foam for Short-Track Races
NASCAR has ordered Cup Series teams to strip foam inserts from front and rear bumpers ahead of short-track race weekends. Reported Wednesday by Motorsport.com and Racer.com, the directive requires modification of the four front bumper struts as well. The change eliminates a competitive incentive: with the foam removed, hard contact into a leading car will now produce genuine aerodynamic damage rather than being absorbed by the buffer. The rule applies to Cup events at tracks under one mile in length. The move was described as a safety and competition measure aimed at discouraging aggressive bump-drafting tactics on tighter circuits later this season.
Sources: Motorsport.com Racer Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Van Gisbergen Faces Playoff Crossroads at Sonoma After San Diego Setback
Shane van Gisbergen enters Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway sitting 17th in the Cup standings, five points outside the provisional Chase field behind Ryan Preece in 16th. Van Gisbergen crashed out at Naval Base Coronado following a Lap 31 incident, slipping three positions over his last three races. Sonoma represents his most obvious remaining opportunity: in his only Cup start there last season he led 97 of 110 laps and won from pole. He owns seven road-course wins in 15 Cup starts and has finished inside the top five for 79 percent of road-course laps since the start of 2025, per a Wednesday NASCAR.com analysis.
Sources: NASCAR.com Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Reddick Leads Hamlin by Eight Points in Tight 2026 Title Battle
Tyler Reddick holds a narrow eight-point edge over Denny Hamlin heading into Sunday’s Sonoma race, one of the tightest two-driver title battles of the 2026 regular season. Reddick leads with 716 points, Hamlin sits at 708, with Ryan Blaney a distant third at 583. Kyle Larson, who has posted five consecutive top-five finishes after a lengthy winless stretch, is fourth at 536 points. Ty Gibbs and Chase Elliott are virtually tied at 535 and 534 respectively. Nine races remain before a 16-driver Chase field is locked in, with Ryan Preece currently holding the 16th and final position at 367 points.
Sources: NASCAR.com Standings NASCAR.com Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Corey Day Making a Fast Impression in Hendrick Motorsports’ Development Program
A NASCAR.com feature published Wednesday details Corey Day’s rapid development within the Hendrick Motorsports program. The 20-year-old has driven the No. 17 Hendrick car full-time in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2026, earning wins at Talladega Superspeedway in April and Dover Motor Speedway in May. The piece describes how Day is learning Hendrick’s engineering and setup processes while working closely alongside the Cup operation. The organisation has identified Day as a long-term Cup candidate, and his back-to-back wins have reinforced confidence that the development timeline is on track heading into the second half of the season.
Sources: NASCAR.com Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
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 Suárez — 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
Curated by JD · samwise.agency