There are four races left in the 38-race NASCAR schedule. From February to November, the players (drivers, race teams and an armada of support staff) crisscross the country, racing side by side at high speeds where anything can happen, including injury and death.
In 36 of these contests, drivers accumulate points based on finishing position. The driver with the most points after the final race is declared the champion. It is a big deal in sports, history and money. Champions become part of the legacy of NASCAR and live forever in the record books.
This weekend, the NASCAR Cup Series, along with the O’Reilly and Craftsman Truck Series, race in Phoenix.
Kyle Larson finished sixth at Charlotte behind winner Chase Briscoe, Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, Josh Berry and Denny Hamlin. Larson leads Hamlin in the championship battle by 49 points. Bell is 51 points behind, while Briscoe, who is marching forward, is 65 points back. Blaney completes the top five, trailing by 85 points.
Sheldon Creed leads the O’Reilly Series by two points over Jesse Love and seven points over Corey Day. Day won the rain-delayed Charlotte race. Justin Allgaier is 15 points back in the championship, while Carson Kvapil trails by 40 points. There are 12 contenders, with eight drivers still within 100 points of leader Creed. This title battle is close!
In the Truck Series, Kaden Honeycutt holds a 17-point lead over Layne Riggs, who won the Charlotte race over Christian Eckes and the points leader. Behind Riggs, Chandler Smith is 77 points back, followed by Eckes, 88 points behind. This is not so close.
In this playoff system, at all levels, everything can change from week to week. Following Phoenix, the final three NASCAR races include Talladega, Martinsville and Homestead.
In Formula One, the points system is different. Twenty-year-old Italian Kimi Antonelli can secure the title in Texas this weekend when the global racing series competes at the Circuit of the Americas. Mercedes has already won the constructors’ title.
Antonelli has led the title fight since the first race. The battle for second features Antonelli’s teammate George Russell, who is 102 points behind but only nine ahead of third-place Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton drives for Ferrari.
Max Verstappen of Red Bull has won the last two races. In Singapore, he beat Charles Leclerc and Antonelli. Verstappen is now fourth, just eight points behind Hamilton. Leclerc is six points behind Verstappen. The battle for the runner-up spot among four top F1 drivers should be good.
The National Hot Rod Association is approaching its year-end, when the champion in each class will be determined by total points earned in the six-race playoffs. There are three meets to go: Texas, Las Vegas and Pomona.
The current points leaders are Shawn Langdon in Top Fuel dragsters, Matt Hagan in Funny Car, Greg Stanfield in Pro Stock cars and Richard Gadson in Pro Stock motorcycles.
A maximum of 100 points is available at both Texas and Las Vegas, with a bump in points up to 150 at Pomona. Langdon is 116 points ahead of his teammate Doug Kalitta. Hagan is 272 points ahead of Jordan Vandergriff. Stanfield has a 71-point lead over Dallas Glenn, and Gadson enjoys a 32-point lead over his teammate Gaige Herrera. These championship points contests are far from over.
This weekend, the biggest racing event will take place at Thunderhill Raceway Park. The Sports Car Club of America will complete its racing season and crown several 2026 champions in a myriad of classes.
Action will take place on the newly paved three-mile oval Friday, Saturday and Sunday. More than 200 entries will race at death-defying speeds over the 15-turn road course.
Racing starts at 9 a.m. each day and finishes by 5 p.m. Admission is free, the food is good and the T-shirts make unique Christmas gifts.