Sammy Smith Wins NASCAR O'Reilly Talladega Race, Sweeps the Weekend
Welcome to the Happy Hour Racing race recap, where we break down what actually decided Saturday's race and what it means for the rest of the season. This one is the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Talladega, not the Cup race.
The Short Version
Sammy Smith won The Progress Group 250 at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday, October 24, and he did it the hard way. He led exactly one lap of the 94, the one that counted, slingshotting past JR Motorsports teammate Carson Kvapil off the final corner to win by 0.084 seconds. It was his fourth career win in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series and his first in 53 races. It also completed a weekend sweep, because he won Friday's Truck Series race at the same track.
How Sammy Smith Won the NASCAR O'Reilly Series Race at Talladega
For 93 laps this looked like Carson Kvapil's race. The No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet, with Rodney Childers calling the shots, led 67 of the 94 laps, including 31 of the final 32. At a place where the leader is usually a sitting duck, Kvapil kept finding the right lane and kept the line behind him sorted out.
Smith started 11th and spent most of the day in the pack. On the white-flag lap he was tucked behind Kvapil with help lined up behind him. Justin Allgaier pushed down the backstretch, Smith committed to the inside through Turns 3 and 4, and pole winner Jesse Love shoved him the rest of the way through the tri-oval. Smith cleared Kvapil at the line by less than a tenth of a second.
"Man, that was mentally draining, just thank you to everybody," Smith said afterward. "It was a great executed race by JRM and we did a good job sticking to our plan."
Kvapil was gracious about the car that got away. "First things first, Rodney and all the guys on this entire No. 1 team brought a fast race car and we've been if not the best car, one of the best cars at all the speedways this year," he said.
This number. This track.
- JR Motorsports (@JRMotorsports) October 24, 2026
The Sweep, and Why It Matters
Smith, a 22-year-old from Johnston, Iowa, won Friday's Craftsman Truck Series race and then came back Saturday and won in the O'Reilly Series. He is the first non-Cup Series driver to sweep the Truck and O'Reilly races at one track since the late Greg Biffle did it in 2001, and the first driver to win multiple series races at Talladega since his own team owner, Dale Earnhardt Jr., in April 2003.
There is a goodbye buried in there too. Smith is leaving JR Motorsports at the end of this season after three years and moves to TRICON Garage full time in the Truck Series in 2027. Winning twice in two days at the biggest draft track on the schedule is a good way to spend one of your last months in the No. 8.
The Wreck That Reset the Race
Talladega stayed cleaner than usual. There were only four cautions for 20 laps, and two of those were the scheduled stage breaks. Kvapil won Stage 1 and Allgaier won Stage 2.
The one that mattered came on Lap 58. Harrison Burton got into Taylor Gray while three-wide through the tri-oval, and the resulting spin collected Austin Hill and several others. NASCAR's report lists the No. 20, 21, 24, 44, 54 and 71 as involved. Hill was the big loser. He had started fifth, ran inside the top five most of the day, and ended up 35th, two laps down. Jake Finch started second and finished 38th after an accident.
The restart with 32 to go put everyone back in one pack, which is exactly the setup Smith needed. Without that caution, Kvapil probably strings out the field and manages the last run on his own terms.
Strategy, Stages and the Draft
Superspeedway strategy is mostly about where you are, not how fast you are, and the running order backed that up. There were 11 lead changes among eight different drivers at an average speed of 139.557 mph, with the whole race run in one hour and 47 minutes.
A few drivers made the draft work for them. Blaine Perkins started 36th and finished seventh in the No. 31. Dean Thompson came from 27th to eighth. Corey Day had to drop to the rear before the green flag for an engine change and still drove back to sixth in the No. 17, which was quietly one of the best runs of the day.
The flip side: JR Motorsports put three cars in the top four and still only scored one win, because Allgaier spent the last lap pushing a teammate instead of racing him. That is the trade every superspeedway team makes.
The Numbers
The Chase Picture With Two Races Left
Jesse Love kept the points lead, but barely. He won the pole at 182.626 mph, led zero laps, scored no stage points and finished third, and his cushion over Justin Allgaier shrank from 36 points to 19. Corey Day sits 29 back, Sheldon Creed 50 back, and Carson Kvapil 59 back after cutting 20 points out of the gap on Saturday. Five drivers are still live with two races to go.
A series of good days brings @J_Allgaier right back into the championship fight.
- NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts (@NASCAROReillyAP) October 24, 2026
Next up is Martinsville Speedway on October 31, then the championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 7. Martinsville is about as far from Talladega as this sport gets, a half-mile paper clip where track position is everything and tempers run short. You can see the full slate and the current points on the NASCAR O'Reilly Series schedule and standings page.
Who Is Hot, Who Is Not
Hot: Justin Allgaier. Fourth place plus a stage win is not a headline, but it moved him from 36 points back to 19 back with two races left. He has six wins this year and he is peaking at the right time.
Hot: Sammy Smith. Two national series wins in two days, and a car he clearly trusts in the draft.
Not: Austin Hill. Started fifth, got caught in someone else's wreck, finished 35th and walked away with nine points. He is ninth in the standings and running out of road.
Not: Carson Kvapil. Leading 67 of 94 laps and losing by 0.084 seconds is the kind of day that takes a while to shake off, even though he gained ground in the standings.
The Bottom Line
At Talladega the fastest car almost never wins. The best-pushed car does. Sammy Smith was patient for 93 laps, had two teammates willing to shove him at the right moment, and turned one lap of leading into a win that ended a 53-race drought and a weekend sweep nobody has pulled off since 2001.
Your turn: Should Justin Allgaier have pushed his teammate to the win, or should he have raced Smith for it with a championship on the line? Tell us where you land.
Shop the Story
Smith has a history at this place. Here is the gear tied to Saturday's race:
- Sammy Smith #8 Talladega Speedway Win T-Shirt
- Lionel Racing Sammy Smith Autographed Pilot Diecast 1:24
- Jesse Love #2 Series Champion T-Shirt
- Justin Allgaier #7 2026 Darlington Winner T-Shirt
- JR Motorsports Race Schedule T-Shirt
Want the winner's shirt every week without thinking about it? Take a look at the win shirt subscription fan club.
