Brandon Jones Wins the O'Reilly Series Finale at Homestead as Justin Allgaier Takes the Title
Welcome to the Happy Hour Racing race recap, where we break down what actually decided Saturday's race and what it means for the title fight. This one is the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Championship Race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, not the Cup race.
The Short Version
Brandon Jones won the NASCAR O'Reilly Series finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday, November 7. He passed Carson Kvapil with 14 laps to go and pulled away to win by 3.937 seconds. Justin Allgaier finished seventh and won the 2026 championship by 14 points over Jesse Love, his second title in three years. Five drivers came to Homestead with a shot at the title. Allgaier got there without leading a lap and despite a flat tire.
How Brandon Jones Won the O'Reilly Series Finale at Homestead
Jones started eighth in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and did not have the fastest car early. "Our long run pace was really our strong suit tonight," he said afterward, and that is exactly how the race played out.
The turning point came on Lap 144. Green-flag pit stops were underway when Andrew Patterson hit the sand barrels at pit road entry. That brought out a caution and a red flag of 10 minutes and 24 seconds for cleanup. Jones came down for tires during that caution, and on the restart he went to work. He briefly took the lead, then traded it back and forth with Kvapil, who held the top spot from Lap 160 to Lap 186.
On Lap 187, Jones got back by Kvapil and never looked back. He led the final 14 laps and 25 laps in all. It was his second win of 2026 after Chicagoland in July and the ninth of his O'Reilly Series career. It was also Toyota's 700th win across NASCAR's national series.
Allgaier Survives His Own Mistakes
Allgaier came in as the points leader, 22 ahead of Love, 23 ahead of Corey Day, 31 ahead of Kvapil and 42 ahead of Sheldon Creed. Under this year's Chase format, the driver with the most points after the last race is the champion. All he had to do was keep the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet near the front.
It was not clean. He started 11th, brushed the wall more than once, and with about 60 laps to go he had to pit under green with a flat right-rear tire. The timing saved him. The rest of the leaders were about to make their scheduled stops, and the Patterson caution reset the field before he lost real ground. He took fresh tires, stayed out of trouble on the final run and crossed the line seventh.
"This one is for all these men and women that are standing right back here," Allgaier said. It is also the first championship for crew chief Andrew Overstreet.
JUSTIN ALLGAIER CAPS OFF A CAREER YEAR WITH A CHAMPIONSHIP pic.twitter.com/Zu8wDX1Wm4
- The CW Sports (@TheCW_Sports) November 8, 2026
Corey Day's Title Run Ends on Lap 8
The five-driver fight lost a contender almost right away. On Lap 8, Day tried to clear Rajah Caruth on the backstretch, came across too early, and the two cars made contact. Day's No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet hit the outside wall and had to be towed behind the wall for repairs. He came back to run laps but finished 34th, 25 laps down, and dropped to fifth in the final standings.
.@corey_day_'s Championship dreams appear to be over early at Homestead-Miami.
- The CW Sports (@TheCW_Sports) November 7, 2026
The 17 hits the wall after Day is unable to clear Rajah Caruth. pic.twitter.com/yR2GSOQRmk
Creed and Mayer Ran the Show Early
The Haas Factory Team cars owned the first two-thirds of the race. Creed won the pole at 160.820 mph and led a race-high 99 laps. Sam Mayer swept both stages in the No. 41. Neither got the finish the speed deserved. Mayer lost track position with a slow pit stop and later had to pit from third with a flat right-rear tire, finishing ninth. Creed faded to sixth and ended the year fourth in points.
Kvapil had his own fight. He gave up all of his track position during the first stage break to change a battery in the No. 1 Chevrolet, drove back to the front, led 36 laps and finished second. Love led four laps and finished fourth, which was not enough to catch Allgaier. Rookie Brent Crews finished third and wrapped up Rookie of the Year.
The Numbers
Only four cautions slowed a race that ran 2 hours, 28 minutes at an average of 121.457 mph. For how the title fight got this close, read our Martinsville O'Reilly recap, and see the whole season on the NASCAR O'Reilly Series schedule and standings page.
Who Is Hot, Who Is Not
Hot: Brandon Jones. A long-run car, a smart stop under the red-flag caution, and a 3.937-second win to close the season.
Hot: Brent Crews. Third place in the finale and Rookie of the Year for Joe Gibbs Racing.
Not: Corey Day. He came in 23 points back with a real shot and was in the wall on Lap 8.
Not: Sam Mayer. Two stage wins and 36 laps led, then a slow stop and a late flat tire left him ninth.
The Bottom Line
Brandon Jones won the race, but the night belonged to Justin Allgaier. He did not lead a lap, he hit the wall, and he had a flat tire with 60 to go. He still finished seventh and won his second O'Reilly Series title in three years. Sometimes a championship is about not giving it away.
Your turn: Was Allgaier the right champion in 2026, or did Love or Kvapil deserve it more? Tell us what you think.
Shop the Story
The new champion and the JR Motorsports crew are all over this one. Here is the gear tied to Saturday night:
- Justin Allgaier #7 2026 Darlington Winner T-Shirt
- Justin Allgaier 2026 Pit Crew Uniform T-Shirt
- Justin Allgaier JR Motorsports Gold Leaf Snapback Hat
- JR Motorsports Orange Checkered Patch Rope Snapback Hat
- Jesse Love #2 2025 Series Champion T-Shirt
Want the winner's shirt every week without thinking about it? Take a look at the win shirt subscription fan club.
