Best of the Rest: ARCA, O’Reilly, and Cup in Kansas

Last weekend saw the ARCA Menards, O’Reilly, and Cup teams arrived at the Kansas Speedway. With trucks being off, the ARCA Menards and O’Reilly Series teams had a chance to be in a portion of the bright spotlight. The Kansas Speedway, one of the “new kids on the block” (it opened in 2001), has been a fixture yearly ever since.

 

The most interesting spotlight came in the ARCA Menards Series, where a trio of up and coming female drivers proved the future is in good hands. Lanie Buice (5th), Jade Avedisian (7th), and Dystany Spurlock (10th) all had strong top ten runs while debuting on a large track or making their ARCA Menards Series debut.

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TIDE 150

Winner: Giovanni Ruggiero

#66 Dystany Spurlock

Of the trio of drivers mentioned above, series newcomer Dystany Spurlock had one of the most impactful races she could have had. Spurlock, who has forged a career previously in motorcycle drag racing, is making the transition to stock cars in 2026.  Longtime NASCAR team MBM Motorsports/Garage 66 has taken her under their wing, and the results were immediate in Kansas.

While Spurlock qualified deep in the field in 29th, she methodically worked here way through the field and found herself running in the top ten late in the race. While fighting to stay on the lead lap, Spurlock would survive a spin by race winner Ruggiero, to notch a top ten finish still in her debut race.

Spurlock is also running for MBM Motorsports in the ARCA Menards East Series this season, collecting finishes of 7th (Hickory) and 12th (Rockingham) in the series’ first two events.

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KANSAS LOTTERY 300

#54 Taylor Gray

A Craftsman Truck Series graduate to the NOAP Series in 2025, Gray had what could be considered a relatively successful rookie season, even reaching victory lane. Fast-forward to 2026, and the Joe Gibbs Racing NOAP Series teams seem to be a bit behind the Chevrolet onslaught on the series this season. This may have shifted a bit in Kansas, with Gray collecting his second career win in a season of playing catch up most weeks.

Gray started the weekend well, starting the #54 JGR Toyota in 10th. Gray would spend much of the race amongst the leaders, but would take the lead with 48 laps to go to score his second career win. Gray’s best previous result through 10 races in 2026 has been a 9th in Atlanta.

#0 Cole Custer

While Cup Series interloper and former NOAP Series champion Custer would not normally be a surprise in the top ten, Custer gave SS-Green Light Racing’s #0 Chevrolet one of the teams best performances this season. Custer, who is only making select starts in the NOAP Series 2026 campaign, gave the #0 team a bit of the spotlight.

Carrying the colors of new sponsor Sysco, Custer drove his Chevrolet right into the top ten, finishing 7th after starting dead last in the field (36th).

The #0 team in 2026 has fielded a mix of drivers including Garrett Smithley, Alex Labbe, and one previous start by Custer in Las Vegas. With the revolving door of drivers, Custer’s Kansas run easily bested Alex Labbe’s 13th-place effort in COTA.

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ADVENTHEALTH 400

Winner: Tyler Reddick

#6 Brad Keselowski

As RFK Racing and owner-driver Keselowski look to have a presence again at the front of the field, 2026 has not gone quite to plan. Riding a recent wave of momentum into Kansas though, RFK Racing as a whole seems to be on the path back.

Kansas provided Keselowski what he needed, with a solid performance. Starting his #6 Ford in 21st, Keselowski would pick his way through a competitive pack of cars and earn a 6th-place finish. Keselowski’s 2026 season has been a bit of a roller coaster as bad luck has bitten the team many times. The sixth place effort in Kansas was Keselowski’s best showing since a runner up finish in Darlington several weeks ago.

#67 Corey Heim

“Heim Time” made a sporadic Cup Series start in Kansas last weekend, and did not disappoint. For Heim, who does not have a full-time ride in any of NASCAR’s top three series in 2026, Kansas was an excellent chance to showcase his capabilities. 

Making only a handful of Cup starts in 2026, Heim returned to the Cup field for the first time since Daytona. Qualifying 23XI Racing’s #67 part-time entry in 24th, Heim showed speed throughout the race and was heading for the front of the field, before having to settle for a still impressive 15th-place showing.

Heim’s 2026 season has been interesting as he awaits an open seat to return to full-time racing. Heim had a record breaking championship season in trucks in 2025, and has already won twice in only four truck starts in 2026.