As promised, I am back from a much-needed vacation…and just in time for Best of the Rest to make a return to a drama-filled, chaotic Talladega weekend. With ARCA coverage pretty much a wrap for the season, the focus now shifts to the Truck, O’Reilly, and Cup Series seasons finishing out The Chase. With only two races left after Talladega (Martinsville and Homestead of all places), teams are now looking to build momentum towards 2027.

For driver Sammy Smith, Talladega was a heck of a close to the season. Not only did Smith score his first O’Reilly Series win since Rockingham in 2025, but he also picked up his first Craftsman Truck Series win at ‘Dega in Spire Motorsports’ #7 Chevrolet…thus sweeping the races Friday and Saturday. Big for 2027, with Smith leaving his O’Reilly Series ride with JR Motorsports, and moving to trucks with TRICON Garage and Toyota.

On the Cup side….yikes, what is there to say. After the trio of RFK Fords spent the early portions of the race trying to lap the field due to fuel saving, Kyle Larson still somehow found a way to Victory Lane. That is practically an article in itself, but that’s not the focus here.

Next weekend, in what is sure to be a messy bridesmaid race to the season…all three divisions descend on the short track chaos known as Martinsville Speedway (“The Paperclip”).

LOVE’S RV STOPS 225

Winner: Sammy Smith

Pole: Ty Majeski

#76 SPENCER BOYD

While race winner Sammy Smith was certainly a story, one of the more under the radar stories of the weekend was Spencer Boyd’s strong run. Boyd, who is essentially a partial owner/driver with his Freedom Racing Enterprises team, drove his #76 Chevrolet to what is easily his best run of the season. Traditionally, some of the #76 team’s best runs have come at superspeedways like Talladega, and this weekend was no different.

THE STORY

The most impressive portion of the story comes from Boyd’s run throughout the race. With Boyd rolling off the grid in 32nd, the #76 Chevrolet ran a smart race. As is the case in Talladega, running positions are a roller coaster for everyone throughout the event. However, Boyd avoided three multi-truck wrecks (the first being around a dozen trucks), ran a smart race, and quietly brought his truck home 9th in the chaotic scramble to the finish.

Photo Credit: Jayski and Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

For the Freedom Enterprises team and Boyd, Talladega marked a huge payoff to the dedication and hard work the single-truck operation has focused on. Putting other drivers in the truck for a handful of events this season, Boyd has run 16 races this season, with a previous best of 20th on two occasions. Not having any kind of alliance or technical support, this 9th place run represents the work put into the 2026 season.

THE PROGRESS GROUP 250

Winner: Sammy Smith

Pole: Jesse Love

#31 BLAINE PERKINS

While Sammy Smith’s NOAP Series win was the big story, completing the sweep of his events…other stories existed within the field that deserve a nod. In one of the “hell yeah” end results was Jordan Anderson Racing and Blaine Perkins. The JAR #31 Chevrolet and Perkins have had sneaky good finishes at superspeedways in the past, and this current ‘Dega weekend was no different. With Perkins departing the #31 team at the end of the season, the Talladega result was certainly one both team and driver can hang their helmets on.

THE STORY

Like mentioned above, Perkins and the #31 team have a history of sneaking under the radar at superspeedways, and this particular event was a heck of a send off. Qualifying his Chevrolet in 36th, Perkins had his work cut out for him. As the race wore on, the JAR #31 survived the multi-car wreck around lap 58 of 94. Now steadily working his way towards the front, Perkins would run as high as 6th before having to settle for 7th at race’s end. A solid run for both team and driver as 2026 and their partnership comes to a close.

Photo Credit: Jayski and Karl Anderson/Getty Images

Currently sitting 22nd in the standings heading into Martinsville this weekend, Talladega was Perkins second top ten finish of the season. He also finished 8th in the season opener at Daytona. Likely locked into around 22nd in points to round out 2026, Perkins has spent the last two seasons at Jordan Anderson Racing. For 2027, Perkins moves on to Sam Hunt’s #24 Toyota, while Brennan Poole will take over the #31 Chevrolet (leaving Alpha Prime Racing).

YELLAWOOD 500

Winner: Kyle Larson

Pole: Chase Briscoe

#51 CODY WARE

Cody Ware and the #51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet always seem to make an appearance in this series around this race every season. Some of Ware’s best finishes (and arguably much needed) runs come at places like Daytona and Talladega, where RWR always seems to bring a little something extra in equipment. The 2026 fall race at Talladega did nothing but continue that trend, but with the added bonus of a strong weekend from start to finish. A severely underfunded team competing amongst the Goliath’s,  the #51 team showed some serious horsepower on this particular Sunday.

THE STORY

While the finishes leading up to Talladega are not exactly stellar, Ware and his RWR team have a knack for pulling a rabbit out of the helmet. Ware started the weekend with a career-best qualifying run in 11th. The #51 Chevrolet ran strong throughout the event, even leading twice for nine laps. Ware stayed a presence in the front of the field, even through the RFK attempt to lap everyone back to the previous Saturday. Avoiding two “Big One” wrecks (which took out over a dozen cars), Ware drove his Chevrolet to a 16th-place finish.

Photo Credit: Jayski and Rick Ware Racing

Talladega was not only a season best, but career best performance for the RWR team as a whole. Typically considered to be a mid-pack team, the organization showed it can compete when funding and a little luck are on their side. Preceding Talladega, Ware’s best finish was 17th in the season opener at Daytona, as well as 22nd in Gateway.