What was one of the best NASCAR race this season? There’s loads of pleasure for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Collection season with The Chase introduced again together with another modifications which have followers and drivers buzzing. In fact, in a 36-race season, not each considered one of them will likely be entertaining.
We’ll be rating each NASCAR race in 2026 for the Cup Collection, inserting them from No. 1 all the best way all the way down to thirty sixth. The main target right here is on factors races, so the Cook dinner Out Conflict at Bowman Grey and the All-Star Race are excluded. Let’s dive into our rankings for one of the best and worst NASCAR races in 2026. We’ll replace this rating all through the season. We’ve additionally included the fan voting outcomes from the .
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1. Autotrader 400 – EchoPark Speedway – Tyler Reddick
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EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta is de facto beginning to show itself as arguably one of the best observe in NASCAR. Within the 2026 spring race, there have been 57 lead modifications and 14 completely different leaders. In additional time, driving a automotive that misplaced its right-front fender in a collision with Denny Hamlin with 46 laps to go, Tyler Reddick took benefit of teammate Bubba Wallace going to the highest lane to attempt to block Carson Hocevar and raced his method to a second consecutive victory to open the season. The Autotrader 400 had huge wrecks, nice battles for stage factors, an thrilling struggle to the end and lots of passing. It checked each field followers may ask for.
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Good Race Ballot: 92.6 % (Sure)
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2. Straight Speak Wi-fi 500 – Phoenix Raceway – Ryan Blaney
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Phoenix Raceway hasn’t precisely delivered a ton of thrilling races lately, at the very least while you take away the stakes added to it with the Cup Collection Championship race. That wasn’t the case within the Straight Speak Wi-fi 500 in March. Goodyear delivered tires that had loads of put on, and people groups that took the aggressive method by going towards the advisable tire pressures paid the worth for it with blown tires in the course of the race (generally on a number of events). Among the many standouts from this race, Ryan Blaney handed 49 automobiles after twice having to drop to the rear of the sector due to points when the tires had been placed on, and Shane van Gisbergen overcame two spins to race his means again to eleventh place. The spring race in Phoenix additionally featured an awesome battle between Blaney, Ty Gibbs and Christopher Bell within the remaining stage, with a record-setting 12 cautions. Tire administration performed an enormous issue within the race, and what drivers like Blaney, van Gisbergen, Kyle Larson, Erik Jones and Bubba Wallace confirmed in overcoming setbacks from the rear of the sector proved that passing was attainable. All in all, it was an excellent race.
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3. Daytona 500 – Daytona Worldwide Speedway – Tyler Reddick
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Sadly, the Tremendous Bowl of Inventory Automobile Racing shouldn’t be what it was once. Drivers have mentioned for a couple of years now that the Daytona 500 doesn’t carry the gravitas that it did within the earlier technology, with the Subsequent Gen automotive enjoying a giant half in that. It didn’t assist this season that there was an extended stretch the place Toyota held up the sector three-wide, leading to gas saving and half-throttle speeds. Fortuitously, the top made up for it. Michael McDowell’s fuel-saving technique briefly had him within the lead with 2 laps to go, then Carson Hocevar had a shot at a Crown Jewel being his first-ever win within the Cup Collection. After he received into the wall, with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Erik Jones getting taken out with him, Chase Elliott took the lead midway via the ultimate lap. Due to a push from teammate Riley Herbst, Tyler Reddick maneuvered his well past Elliott and Zane Smith, taking the checkered flag as the remainder of the sector wrecked behind him. Months after 23XI Racing beat NASCAR in court docket, it gained probably the most iconic race in motorsports.
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4. DuraMax Texas Grand Prix – COTA – Tyler Reddick
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Tyler Reddick made NASCAR historical past because the first-ever driver to win the primary Cup Collection race of the season. So at the very least the DuraMax Texas Grand Prix delivered one thing actually value remembering. Highway-course racing doesn’t are usually significantly thrilling, particularly coming off two superspeedways that had some chaos. Nevertheless, allow us to keep in mind that there was loads of passing at COTA. Reddick gained after his automotive dropped early in Stage 1, Connor Zilisch made 56 passes to complete 14th after getting rotated twice, Shane van Gisbergen overcame a pedestrian qualifying (thirteenth) to complete second, and we noticed 9 completely different leaders on the day. Plus, how are you going to not admire the truth that Brad Keselowski completed twentieth whereas having to brake consistently on a surgically-repaired leg? Was COTA a great race? For a street course, completely.
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