The 2026 Ag-Pro 300 was a NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race held on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama. Contested over 113 laps on the 2.66 mile (4.28 km) superspeedway, it was the 11th race of the 2026 NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series season, and the 35th running of the event.
In a respectively clean race with action-packed racing, Corey Day, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, took advantage of the lead on the final lap after Sam Mayer spun on the backstretch, and took the victory after leading when the caution came out before the start/finish line. This was Day's first career NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series win. Brent Crews finished second, and Sheldon Creed finished third. Sammy Smith and Jeremy Clements rounded out the top five, while Dean Thompson, Jesse Love, Brandon Jones, Parker Retzlaff, and Austin Green rounded out the top ten.
This was the third of four races for the Dash 4 Cash program. The drivers eligible for the D4C were Taylor Gray, Sheldon Creed, Justin Allgaier, and Jesse Love, since they were the highest finishing O'Reilly Series regulars following the race at Kansas. Creed finished in third and claimed the $100,000 bonus.
Report Background
Talladega Superspeedway, formerly known as Alabama International Motor Speedway, is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base in the small city of Lincoln. A tri-oval, the track was constructed in 1969 by the International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France family. Talladega is most known for its steep banking. The track currently hosts NASCAR's Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Craftsman Truck Series. Talladega is the longest NASCAR oval with a length of 2.66-mile-long (4.28 km) tri-oval like the Daytona International Speedway, which is 2.5-mile-long (4.0 km).
Entry list (R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
Driver Team Make 00 Sheldon Creed Haas Factory Team Chevrolet 0 Garrett Smithley SS-Green Light Racing Chevrolet 1 Carson Kvapil JR Motorsports Chevrolet 02 Ryan Ellis Young's Motorsports Chevrolet 2 Jesse Love Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 5 J. J. Yeley Hettinger Racing Ford 07 Josh Bilicki SS-Green Light Racing Chevrolet 7 Justin Allgaier JR Motorsports Chevrolet 8 Sammy Smith JR Motorsports Chevrolet 17 Corey Day Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 18 William Sawalich Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19 Brent Crews (R) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 Brandon Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 21 Austin Hill Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 24 Harrison Burton Sam Hunt Racing Toyota 26 Dean Thompson Sam Hunt Racing Toyota 27 Jeb Burton Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet 28 Kyle Sieg RSS Racing Chevrolet 31 Blaine Perkins Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet 32 Tyler Ankrum (i) Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet 35 Natalie Decker Joey Gase Motorsports Chevrolet 38 Patrick Emerling (i) RSS Racing Chevrolet 39 Ryan Sieg RSS Racing Chevrolet 41 Sam Mayer Haas Factory Team Chevrolet 42 David Starr Young's Motorsports Chevrolet 44 Brennan Poole Alpha Prime Racing Chevrolet 45 Lavar Scott (R) Alpha Prime Racing Chevrolet 48 Patrick Staropoli (R) Big Machine Racing Chevrolet 51 Jeremy Clements Jeremy Clements Racing Chevrolet 54 Taylor Gray Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 55 Joey Gase Joey Gase Motorsports Chevrolet 74 Dawson Cram Mike Harmon Racing Chevrolet 87 Austin Green Peterson Racing Chevrolet 88 Rajah Caruth JR Motorsports Chevrolet 91 Mason Maggio DGM Racing Chevrolet 92 Josh Williams DGM Racing Chevrolet 96 Anthony Alfredo Viking Motorsports Chevrolet 99 Parker Retzlaff Viking Motorsports ChevroletOfficial entry list
Qualifying Qualifying was held on Friday, April 24, at 4:30 PM CST. Since Talladega Superspeedway is a superspeedway, the qualifying procedure used was a single-car, single-lap system with two rounds. In the first round, drivers had one lap to set a time and determined positions 11-38. The fastest ten drivers from the first round advanced to the second round, and whoever set the fastest time in Round 2 won the pole and determined the rest of the starting lineup.
Jesse Love, driving for Richard Childress Racing, qualified on pole position, having advanced from the preliminary round and set the fastest time in Round 2, with a lap of 52.525 seconds, and a speed of .
No drivers failed to qualify.
Qualifying results Pos.DriverTeamMakeTime (R1) (R1)Time (R2) (R2)12Jesse LoveRichard Childress RacingChevrolet52.699181.71152.525182.313241Sam MayerHaas Factory TeamChevrolet52.639181.91852.567182.168317Corey DayHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet52.680181.77752.623181.974492Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet52.784181.41952.630181.949500Sheldon CreedHaas Factory TeamChevrolet52.671181.80852.631181.946621Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet52.802181.35752.652181.873788Rajah CaruthJR MotorsportsChevrolet52.761181.49852.736181.58481Carson KvapilJR MotorsportsChevrolet52.662181.83952.763181.491996Anthony AlfredoViking MotorsportsChevrolet52.780181.43252.811181.3261091Mason MaggioDGM RacingChevrolet52.817181.30552.862181.151Eliminated in Round 1117Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet52.819181.298——1239Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevrolet52.821181.292——138Sammy SmithJR MotorsportsChevrolet52.828181.268——1448Patrick Staropoli (R)Big Machine RacingChevrolet52.848181.199——1551Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet52.867181.134——1618William SawalichJoe Gibbs RacingToyota52.888181.062——1726Dean ThompsonSam Hunt RacingToyota52.918180.959——1819Brent Crews (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota52.927180.928——1999Parker RetzlaffViking MotorsportsChevrolet52.934180.905——2042David StarrYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet52.939180.887——2102Ryan EllisYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet52.956180.829——2220Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota52.972180.775——2331Blaine PerkinsJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet53.109180.308——2427Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet53.115180.288——255J. J. YeleyHettinger RacingFord53.119180.274——2654Taylor GrayJoe Gibbs RacingToyota53.131180.234——2738Patrick Emerling (i)RSS RacingChevrolet53.140180.203——2828Kyle SiegRSS RacingChevrolet53.146180.183——2955Joey GaseJoey Gase MotorsportsChevrolet53.159180.139——3024Harrison BurtonSam Hunt RacingToyota53.160180.135——3187Austin GreenPeterson RacingChevrolet53.196180.014——3245Lavar Scott (R)Alpha Prime RacingChevrolet53.246179.844——Qualified by owner's points3332Tyler Ankrum (i)Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet53.307179.639——3444Brennan PooleAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet53.408179.299——3507Josh BilickiSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet53.435179.208——3635Natalie DeckerJoey Gase MotorsportsChevrolet53.553178.814——370Garrett SmithleySS-Green Light RacingChevrolet53.565178.773——3874Dawson CramMike Harmon RacingChevrolet54.478175.777——Official qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup
Race
Race results
Stage results Stage One Laps: 25 Pos.DriverTeamMakePts11Carson KvapilJR MotorsportsChevrolet1028Sammy SmithJR MotorsportsChevrolet9300Sheldon CreedHaas Factory TeamChevrolet8488Rajah CaruthJR MotorsportsChevrolet7526Dean ThompsonSam Hunt RacingToyota6631Blaine PerkinsJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet5741Sam MayerHaas Factory TeamChevrolet4824Harrison BurtonSam Hunt RacingToyota392Jesse LoveRichard Childress RacingChevrolet21051Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet1 Stage Two Laps: 25 Pos.DriverTeamMakePts17Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet10239Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevrolet9300Sheldon CreedHaas Factory TeamChevrolet8426Dean ThompsonSam Hunt RacingToyota7599Parker RetzlaffViking MotorsportsChevrolet661Carson KvapilJR MotorsportsChevrolet5724Harrison BurtonSam Hunt RacingToyota4851Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet3987Austin GreenPeterson RacingChevrolet21021Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1
Final Stage results Stage Three Laps: 63 FinStDriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPts1317Corey DayHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1131Running5521819Brent Crews (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota1130Running353500Sheldon CreedHaas Factory TeamChevrolet1137Running504138Sammy SmithJR MotorsportsChevrolet1136Running4251551Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet1130Running3761726Dean ThompsonSam Hunt RacingToyota1130Running44712Jesse LoveRichard Childress RacingChevrolet11337Running3282220Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1130Running2991999Parker RetzlaffViking MotorsportsChevrolet1130Running34103187Austin GreenPeterson RacingChevrolet1135Running2911255J. J. YeleyHettinger RacingFord1132Running26122331Blaine PerkinsJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1130Running3013621Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1133Running25143507Josh BilickiSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet1130Running23153444Brennan PooleAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet1133Running22162738Patrick Emerling (i)RSS RacingChevrolet1130Running0171091Mason MaggioDGM RacingChevrolet1130Running20182828Kyle SiegRSS RacingChevrolet1130Running19192955Joey GaseJoey Gase MotorsportsChevrolet1130Running1820370Garrett SmithleySS-Green Light RacingChevrolet1130Running17211239Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevrolet1130Running252281Carson KvapilJR MotorsportsChevrolet11322Running3023117Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet1134Running24243245Lavar Scott (R)Alpha Prime RacingChevrolet1131Running1325241Sam MayerHaas Factory TeamChevrolet1128Accident16262427Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1122Accident11273024Harrison BurtonSam Hunt RacingToyota1121Accident17281618William SawalichJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1120Running9292654Taylor GrayJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1126Running830788Rajah CaruthJR MotorsportsChevrolet1125Running1431996Anthony AlfredoViking MotorsportsChevrolet1120Running6323332Tyler Ankrum (i)Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1120Running0333635Natalie DeckerJoey Gase MotorsportsChevrolet1120Running4343874Dawson CramMike Harmon RacingChevrolet1120Running335492Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet1120Running2362102Ryan EllisYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet1110Running1371448Patrick Staropoli (R)Big Machine RacingChevrolet1050Running1382042David StarrYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet140Overheating1Official race results
Race statistics
Lead changes: 38 among 16 different drivers Cautions/Laps: 4 for 15 laps Red flags: 0 Time of race: 1 hour, 58 minutes and 33 seconds Average speed:
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Justin Allgaier 544 2 Sheldon Creed 439 (–105) 3 Jesse Love 403 (–141) 4 Corey Day 399 (–145) 5 Brandon Jones 353 (–191) 6 Sammy Smith 352 (–192) 7 Carson Kvapil 331 (–213) 8 Austin Hill 321 (–223) 9 Taylor Gray 302 (–242) 1 10 Parker Retzlaff 292 (–252) 1 11 William Sawalich 280 (–264) 12 Rajah Caruth 268 (–276)Official driver's standings
Manufacturers' Championship standings Pos Manufacturer Points 1 Chevrolet 564 2 Toyota 371 (–193) 3 Ford 182 (–382) Note: Only the first 12 positions are included for the driver standings.
References