With just over a month to go until the NASCAR O’Reilly’s Auto Parts Series gets underway in Florida with the United Rentals 300 at Daytona International Speedway, Richard Childress Racing has confirmed that 2023 regular season champion Austin Hill is back.

The 31-year-old will return behind the wheel of the No. 21 Chevrolet for a fifth season in a row in search of the team’s seventh championship, while he’ll also be looking to add to his 14 series wins to date.

Furthermore, the team’s announcement also added that Bennett Transportation & Logistics would be returning as a part of its multi-year partnership to serve as Hill’s anchor primary sponsor.

“We’ve built something special both on and off the track with Bennett Transportation and Logistics,” Hill said. “Thank you to Marcia, Lynette and everyone at Bennett Family of Companies for their partnership and friendship over the years.

“It means a lot to have their support, as well as the support of Richard Childress, Danny Lawrence and everyone at Richard Childress Racing and ECR Engines as I continue to grow in my career.”

Sign up to our NASCAR newsletter here.

RCR president Mike Verlander also released a statement, saying, “The Bennett Family of Companies’ long-standing partnership with Richard Childress Racing is a testament to our shared core values and we are thrilled to welcome them back to the No. 21 team for their fifth consecutive year of partnership.

“Bennett has done an exceptional job integrating our racing program into their broader business strategy. We look forward to continuing the momentum we have built over the last four years.”

Hill will be hoping to continue his impressive winning streak in 2026, having recorded at least two victories in each of his last four seasons, never finishing lower than sixth in the driver standings after going full-time.

A championship, however, continues to elude him, having come closest in 2024 when he finished fourth, while JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier took the silverware.

Last season, despite Hill’s four wins, including two at Talladega Superspeedway, he failed to make the final four, where teammate Jesse Love pulled off a shocking upset to beat JRM’s Connor Zilisch to the title. This came after Zilisch had won 10 races in what was just his first full-time season, while Love was credited with two wins, including the finale at Phoenix Raceway.

With both Love and Hill now confirmed as RCR’s representatives in the O’Reilly’s Series for 2026, it means that, along with Austin Dillon and Kyle Busch in the Cup Series, the team has not made any driver swaps this offseason.

The latter two are set to return behind the wheel sooner than their RCR compatriots, with the non-points scoring Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium set to kick off the Cup Series season on February 1. Barring any as yet unconfirmed changes, Zilisch will make his Trackhouse Racing debut at “The Madhouse” as he makes the move to full-time Cup Series racing.

A marvel of modern drivetrain engineering, TREMEC’s TR-9070 DCT pairs with the 760-horsepower Predator engine in the 2020-2022 Shelby GT500 to deliver an incredible driving experience. Blindingly fast shifts and ample torque capacity make the TR-9070 a standout, but the factory transmission cooler hard lines and seals don’t always hold up their end of the bargain. Leaks, sealing issues, and cracked factory lines can rain on your performance parade.

To ensure that you can enjoy all the performance that the Blue Oval intended, SPE Motorsport developed a complete replacement that eliminates the factory problem areas. The company’s 2020+ GT500 DCT Cooler Line Kit (P/N SPE-P100136; $399.99) is a true end-to-end solution, replacing the OEM hard lines with a direct-replacement upgrade that installs without cutting, adapting, or relying on compression fittings.

The kit utilizes T6 billet aluminum, anodized adapter fittings that are paired with O-ringed quick-disconnects to deliver a precise, repeatable seal. Stainless braided lines with a clear PVC jacket improve durability and remain flexible for clean, straightforward routing. Each hose is pre-made to the correct length with fittings already installed, which makes installation easy.

By retaining compatibility with factory-style seals while addressing the known weaknesses of the OEM line design, the SPE kit resolves the full range of cooler line failures in a single upgrade. Whether the car is driven hard or just hard parked, the result is improved reliability and peace of mind.

Porsche is bringing a piece of its racing past to the streets of Mexico City, where its two factory-run Porsche 99X Electric cars will wear a special livery at the second ABB FIA Formula E World Championship race of the season in the country’s capital. The design nods to the 550 Spyder driven by Hans Herrmann at the 1954 Carrera Panamericana, Mexico’s best-known road race.

Herrmann won the “Sport” category for cars up to 1,500 cc and finished third overall. Porsche says the widely acclaimed result helped underline its early international motorsport standing and, along with further successes in 1952 and 1953, contributed to the creation of the Porsche name “Carrera.”

‟Historically and still today, Mexico is a special place for us,” says Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport. ‟Porsche’s story in electric motorsport is still young, but the circuit in Mexico City has played a defining part in it. Our factory team took its first Formula E pole position and first victory here, in 2020 and 2022 respectively. Nowhere else has Porsche been more successful in Formula E. The livery honours our motorsport heritage and the Mexican fans at the same time. It is also a thank-you to a country that welcomes us so warmly in Formula E every year.”

The appearance also connects to a milestone ahead. In 2026, Porsche says it will celebrate 75 years of motorsport, a history it traces back to 1951 with the Porsche 356 SL and a class win at Le Mans. Laudenbach draws a parallel between eras, noting that the 550 Spyder was the first Porsche designed specifically for racing, while the 99X Electric is the first Porsche developed solely for all-electric motorsport. Laudenbach: ‟Our heritage in traditional motorsport is unique and is reflected in every Porsche. In the future, we want to be able to say the same in all-electric motorsport. That is why we are competing in Formula E. We want to write stories – and history.”

Porsche also points to how the 550 Spyder’s Panamericana effort reflected an evolving racing landscape. Its aluminium bodywork carried multiple brand logos from companies supporting the campaign, at a time when sponsorship was still a relatively new concept in motorsport. Porsche says that influence helped shape some of the most memorable liveries across 75 years of Porsche Motorsport, and the variety of colors that has become part of its racing identity.

Niece Motorsports proudly welcomes multi-time winner and defending Coca-Cola 600 champion, Ross Chastain, back to its NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) driver roster in 2026.

Chastain, who enters his ninth year competing for the organization, remains a mainstay since joining in 2018. The Alva, Florida native has driven a Niece Motorsports truck to victory lane on five occasions – the most of any driver – and delivered the team’s first win at Kansas Speedway in 2019.

Throughout the 2025 season, the veteran driver made five NCTS starts with Niece Motorsports, finishing as high as second at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In each of his races, Chastain posed a threat as a contender for the race win.

Over the offseason, NASCAR adjusted the rules to allow Cup Series drivers with three or more years of experience to participate in eight races instead of five. Chastain plans to take full advantage of the opportunity by competing in as many races as possible.

“It’s great to be back with Niece Motorsports in a larger capacity this year,” said Chastain. “When I heard about the rule change, I knew we had to run more races together. We’ve got a great core group of people here in Salisbury and I want to bring them all back to victory lane. I’m thankful to have the opportunity and appreciate the ownership group and our partners for making it happen, along with everyone at Trackhouse for allowing me to run in the Truck Series.”

Driving the No. 45 Chevrolet Silverado this year, Chastain will reunite with Phil Gould as his crew chief, who guided him to a runner-up points finish in 2019. He will share the ride with series newcomer, Landen Lewis, along with a third driver, who will be announced in the near future. 

“We’re thrilled to have Ross (Chastain) in our trucks for more races this year,” said Cody Efaw, CEO of Niece Motorsports. “Ross has been a huge part of our team since he first joined us, and his input is invaluable. Considering the young group of drivers we have in the fold this year, Ross will be a tremendous asset for those guys to learn from. We look forward to having him contend for wins each time he straps into the No. 45 truck this year.”

Chastain’s race schedule will be revealed as the season progresses, along with primary partner announcements for the campaign. 

The 2026 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series season kicks off at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, Feb. 13 with live coverage airing on FS1. For all the latest news, please visit NieceMotorsports.com.

Niece Motorsports PR

Team Reaume enters the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season with a clear focus: raise the standard, strengthen the program, and compete at a higher level every week. That push is backed by the continued partnership with Ford Racing, alongside our growing technical alliance with other Ford teams. Together, these relationships provide increased engineering support, shared resources, and a stronger competitive foundation across the organization.

“We’ve been intentional about every move we’ve made this offseason,” said Team Owner Josh Reaume. “This isn’t about just showing up. We’ve added the right partnerships, people, and support, and I fully expect those additions to translate into on-track performance and results.”
Crew Chief – Team Three

Continuity remains a priority on the No. 33 Ford F-150, as Frankie Muniz will again be paired with crew chief Pedro Lopez and spotter Will Rodgers. The trio showed strong chemistry and progress in 2025, and their return gives the No. 33 team stability and momentum heading into the new season.

On the No. 2 Ford F-150, Team Reaume adds veteran leadership with Todd Myers named crew chief and Eddie D’Hondt serving as spotter, further strengthening the organization’s depth and experience across its lineup. “Team Reaume is building something real,” said Todd Myers. “They’ve made the investments, brought in the right people, and set clear expectations. I’m looking forward to working with the driver lineup in the No. 2 this season and helping convert that effort into performance on race weekends.”

“We’ve invested heavily in the resources, equipment, and infrastructure inside the building in 2025,” said Amir Alexander, Team Reaume Operations Manager. “Now we’ve added key people with experience who know how to capitalize on that. The expectation is to run better and execute at a higher level every weekend.”
Crew Chief – Team Two

“This team wasn’t built overnight,” said Josh Reaume. “We’ve built a sound, sustainable business by being patient and intentional, clawing aw

ay at the competition year after year. That foundation now allows us to invest aggressively where it matters most, performance and results.”

Additional announcements are forthcoming, including the remainder of Team Reaume’s 2026 driver lineup, which will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

With reinforced partnerships, proven leadership, and targeted personnel additions, Team Reaume enters the 2026 season positioned to take a meaningful step forward on and off the track.

Team Reaume PR

Briggs Danner delighted his hometown crowd Friday night by rallying around the outside of Shawn Nye on a mid-race restart and holding off a hard-charging Trevor Catalano to win the Ironton Global Allentown Indoor Race at the PPL Center.

The victory was the 24-year-old’s first with the Indoor Auto Racing Championship.

“It will probably start to settle in when we come walking in tomorrow (Saturday). But it’s an awesome feeling; there’s nothing like it,” Danner said post-race. “We put a lot of time and effort into this. We’ve shown speed out of the box the last two years here, so to finally put it in victory lane is cool for myself and the people that help me.”

Danner started on the pole for the 30-lap feature and maintained the lead through a flurry of early race cautions. However, his biggest challenge would come in the form of Nye, who managed to knife under Danner for the top spot off turn two following a lap 11 restart.

But Danner wasn’t going to go down without a fight. When the yellow flew again a lap later, he punched the gas pedal through the floor of his No. 78 and used the momentum on the top side of the speedway to storm around Nye and jump down in front as the pair headed toward turn three.

He wasn’t out of the woods yet as Paulie Hartwig III spun off turn two ten laps from the finish, allowing Nye to get alongside him once again. Danner must’ve been able to see the trophy dangling right in front of him as he roared clear of Nye, while Trevor Catalano, who was slicing his way through the field like a knife through butter from 15^th, followed suit into second.

Danner didn’t let the charging Catalano faze him as he strung together ten perfect laps to zip under the checkered flag. Catalano and Scott Kreutter rounded out the podium. 

The E. Schneider & Sons sponsored $125 TQ Fast Time Award Friday was earned by Tommy Catalano following a lightning quick session in which the top ten locked into the inaugural Will Cagle Shootout.

Joining Catalano in the shootout was Scott Kreutter, Briggs Danner, Jon Reid, Matt Swanson, Shawn Nye, Kyle Lick, Logan Watt, Tim Buckwalter and Trevor Catalano.

Catalano got to choose where he wanted to start for the 15-lap affair, and elected to go with track position. Picking the pole wound up paying off as he kept hometown driver Briggs Danner behind in an action-packed event that featured multiple restarts to pocket $240 courtesy of Ricky Harring.

Tyler Catalano, Nick Ladyga and Mason Hanel won a trio of West End Equipment Rentals-sponsored heat races. DJ Shaw and Timmy Catalano were victorious in the Aqua Duck Water Transport-sponsored B-Main’s.

Doug Stearly, of Hephzibah, GA, took the lead from Missy Bootes on lap 12 with a daring move down the inside going into turn three before inching out Quentin Graham Jr. in a three-wide photo finish with a lapped car to grab the checkered flag in a thrilling 20-lap Champ Kart feature.

Pocono Raceway sponsored the Friday night Champ Kart heat races. Those were claimed by Tyler Brown and Tanner Emmons. John Berger captured the B-Main.

Dylan Hoch, of Mertztown, PA, kept a pressuring Tyler Ulsh behind and held his nerve like a champion when a gaggle of slower cars nearly got together in front of him coming to the checkered flag to win a gripping 20-lap Slingshot feature.

GMC Speed Supplies sponsored the Friday night Slingshot heat races, which were won by Brett Bieber and Ryan Raidline. Dylan Cordier won the night’s final preliminary, the Slingshot B-Main 

TQ Midgets, Champ Karts, and Slingshots return to the PPL Center in Allentown, PA tomorrow, Saturday night, January 10 for another full program. The Saturday night TQ Midget Allentown finale will be run over a 40-lap distance. 

Grandstands will open at 5 p.m., and fans with lower-level reserved seats will be allowed to access the on-track FanFest that runs until 6:30. Racing begins at 7 p.m.

Great seats are still available for purchase via Ticketmaster or at the PPL Center box office on the day of the event.

For additional details on the Indoor Auto Racing Championship and the Ironton Global Allentown Indoor Race, visit www.indoorautoracing.com

Lower-level reserved ticket holders for Saturday night receive access to a pre-race FanFest, allowing fans to walk the track and meet drivers and teams prior to the 7 p.m. green flag.

Tickets are available through a Ticketmaster link at IndoorAutoRacing.com or at the box office on the day of the events. Check the website for more information.

Race Results
TQ Midgets (30 Laps) — 1. Briggs Danner 2. – Trevor Catalano 3. – Scott Kreutter 4. – Nick Ladyga 5. – Shawn Nye 6. – Jonathan Reid 7. – DJ Shaw 8. – Billy Pauch Jr 9. – Matt Swanson 10. – Joey Bailey 11. – Tyler Ferris 12. – Paul Hartwig III 13. – Logan Watt 14. – Stephen Kemery 15. – Kyle Herve 16. – Mason Hanel 17. – Timmy Catalano 18. – Tyler Catalano 19. – Kyle Lick 20. – Matt Janisch 21. – Tim Buckwalter 22. – Tommy Catalano 23. – Tanner VanDoren 24. – Ryan Flores

Slingshots (20 Laps) — 1. Dylan Hoch 2. – Tyler Ulsh 3. – Paulie Hartwig III 4. – Brett Bieber 5. – Jared Silfee 6. – Alex Reinsmith 7. – Matthew Mertz 8. – Ryan Raidline 9. – Jonathan Laureigh 10. – James Benz 11. – Mason Pittenger 12. – Cody Kline 13. – Mark Mohr 14. – Cody Bleau 15. – Brian Smith 16. – Isaac Graby 17. – Charlie Geibel 18. – Dylan Cordier 19. – Cody Kohler 20. – Dylan Hahn

Champ Karts (20 Laps) — 1. Doug Stearly 2. – Quentin Graham Jr 3. – Missy Bootes 4. – Tyler Brown 5. – Todd Crenshaw 6. – Cody Crenshaw 7. – Alex Smolders 8. – Brandon Rusczek 9. – Tanner Emmons 10. – Chase Keister 11. – Brandon Tiezzi 12. – Ryan Kendall 13. – Gabrian Goley 14. – Andy Kirby 15. – Oliver Quinney 16. – Max Pfeifer 17. – AJ Roderick 18. – Hailey Eroh 19. – AJ Ghazarian 20. – John Berger

Indoor Auto Racing PR