Who survived the shootout in Texas last weekend? All of NASCAR’s top tier series arrived at the Texas Motor Speedway as the season marches on. While the focus was Kyle Larson and the other Cup stars, who flew under the radar to boost their season?
Craftsman Truck Series | SpeedyCash.com 250
#26 Dawson Sutton: A late model standout, rookie Dawson Sutton debuted towards the end of 2024 with the Rackley W.A.R. team with impressive results. Fast forward to 2025, Sutton and his #26 Chevrolet have struggled a bit to capture that magic again. Texas may be the flip of the switch, as the Rackley W.A.R. driver finished 9th for his first top ten of the season.
#20 Stefan Parsons: Parsons, a longtime journeyman driver, joined the Young’s Motorsports team for the second time this season in Texas. Parsons maintained his reputation as a true grinder, bringing his #20 Chevrolet from 32nd to finish 12th. Parsons’ first race with the team this season was an 18th-place finish in Homestead.
#76 Spencer Boyd: Boyd and his Freedom Racing crew had another solid day in Texas. Continuing a wave of recent momentum, veteran Boyd recorded his second straight 15th place finish, this time qualifying 16hth. While the season started as a roller coaster of finishes, the string of recent good runs has elevated the #76 team as a whole.
Xfinity Series | Andy’s Frozen Custard 300
#42 Anthony Alfredo: While the Young’s Motorsports’ team had success in the Truck Series, their Xfinity Series driver Alfredo said “watch this”. Alfredo joined the Young’s Motorsports team this season, with the goal of elevating the team. Texas saw the results of this work, with the driver of the 42 coming home 12th. This finish added to the teams run of recent momentum since Bristol.
#99 Matt DiBenedetto: DiBenedetto and his Viking Motorsports team decided to fly solo this season after running in cooperation with RSS Racing in 2024. The season thus far has been very up and down, but the driver of the #99 took a huge step forward in Texas. Starting in the 8th spot, DiBenedetto brought the ReMA Chevrolet home in 15th. This comes on the back of the season’s first top five finish in Talladega.
#17 Corey Day: Day joined the Hendrick Motorsports development program this season, making his stock car debut. Having shown relatively quick progress, Day made his second career Xfinity start, coming home 16th after rolling off 33rd.
Cup Series | WURTH 400 presented by Liqui Moly
#43 Erik Jones: The struggles of Jones and his #43 Legacy Motor Club team have been well documented this season. Mostly due to bad luck and mechanical issues, the races following Daytona have not gone well. The LMC driver’s luck may have finally turned around in Texas, with Jones not only cracking the top ten but finishing 5th.
#42 John H. Nemechek: Joining his teammate in the top ten, LMC’s Nemechek also showed speed in Texas. Following a 28th place start, the driver of the 42 worked his way through the field and finished 8th. While the season started strong for Nemechek, that success quickly faded away to mid-pack finishes until Texas.
#10 Ty Dillon: Ty Dillon returned to the Cup Series this season with Kaulig Racing, trying to refuel his Cup Series career. While Dillon has had sporadic starts, 2025 saw the Kaulig driver return to full-time competition. While past races have run the gambit of finishes, Texas provided a much needed 12th place finish. In recent weeks, the #10 team have been quietly putting together an improved season.
