After 32 races and 5,423 laps logged, the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championship is down to five drivers. Saturday’s season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway will decide who hoists the trophy, and the numbers show a title fight that is far from settled.
Justin Allgaier reclaimed the championship lead in the penultimate race at Martinsville Speedway, putting the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet driver in the driver’s seat. The 40-year-old veteran is having arguably the best season of his career with a personal best six victories and 19 top-five finishes. He holds more than twice as many starts at Homestead (17) as his four challengers combined. “It’s always good to be the points leader,” Allgaier said after finishing runner-up at Martinsville. “At the same time, you would love to be farther ahead, have a 70-point lead and not have to worry about it. Either way, I’m proud of the team, proud of the effort. I think Homestead is a great race track for us.”
Being where we’re at in points is tough because we’re in championship contention, but it’s going to be a pretty tall task to get the championship,
Reigning champion Jesse Love remains within striking distance, 22 points back after a brake failure derailed his afternoon at Martinsville. The No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet driver has scored two victories and five podium finishes in the first eight races of The Chase presented by Mobil 1. The 21-year-old, who jumps to the NASCAR Cup Series with Wood Brothers Racing in 2027, has netted top-six efforts in his two previous starts at the 1.5-mile track. “If we go out there and finish top three in both stages and win the race, I don’t know what anybody else could do to outpoint that,” Love told NASCAR.com after Martinsville.
Corey Day sits just one point behind Love following a late-season charge, carrying the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. The California native has an opportunity to deliver Rick Hendrick his first O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championship since Brian Vickers captured the title in 2003. With limited experience featuring just two previous starts at the track in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Day plans to lean on advice from Kyle Larson and organization momentum that includes recent 1.5-mile victories at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway. “I would say we have a pretty good chance,” Day said. “I would say we’re in a must-win. I don’t see [Allgaier] running worse than top five there. Must-wins are OK, though. I like those odds. It’s better than being out of it entirely.”
Martinsville winner Carson Kvapil enters Homestead 31 points off the lead, driving the No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. The sophomore has won three of the last 11 races after navigating a season driving for three different teams before taking over the No. 1 car at EchoPark Speedway in July. He has just one previous start at the Homestead oval, a 10th-place finish last season. “Being where we’re at in points is tough because we’re in championship contention, but it’s going to be a pretty tall task to get the championship,” Kvapil said. “It doesn’t deter us any. We’re going to go out, just like we did [at Martinsville] and try to win every stage, lead every lap and try to win the race to give ourselves a chance to win the championship.”
Sheldon Creed faces the steepest climb, trailing by 42 points in the No. 00 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet. The soft-spoken driver remains mathematically eligible at one of his favorite tracks, where he is among the best at running the high line. Creed has enjoyed an impressive second season with three victories, including a win at Darlington. “It’s better than 50,” Creed said. “I guess if you go run top two in the stages and win the race, you might have a chance, you might be close. It kind of depends on what everyone else does. I think there’s only a few that can rip the fence pretty good there and [Allgaier and Love] aren’t none of them.”
