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Ross Chastain wins rain-shortened O’Reilly Series race at Charlotte

NASCAR OReilly Auto Parts: NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Race at CharlotteMay 23, 2026; Concord, North Carolina, USA; NASCAR Xfinity Series 2026 driver Ross Chastain (9) celebrates in victory lane after his win during the Charbroil 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

CONCORD, N.C.-Ross Chastain drove through a succession of challenges-including a patch of oil and a brush with the outside wall-to win Saturday night’s rain-shortened Charbroil 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The victory was Chastain’s first in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series since 2019, his first at Charlotte and the third of his career. The race was stopped for rain for the second time after Chastain crossed the finish line to win the second stage on Lap 90.

With no hope of continuing, NASCAR called the race after Lap 91 and declared Chastain the winner.

“I did not think we would win one like this, driving into the fence in liquid,” said Chastain, who was driving the No. 9 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports. “I have no idea what it was. I went into Turn 1 like normal, and there was something on the track.

“No matter how we win, I feel like we could have raced with them again at the end.”

Chastain’s thoughts quickly turned to the absence of champion driver Kyle Busch, who on Thursday lost his life to a sudden illness at age 41.

“This weekend, it’s just incredible trying to grasp losing Kyle,” Chastain said. “I don’t understand how he’s not here racing. I don’t grasp it mentally or spiritually.

“Obviously, racing is the best thing we can to celebrate what he did in the sport and in his life.”

Defending O’Reilly Series champion Jesse Love, who drives for Richard Childress Racing — as did Busch in the NASCAR Cup Series — was second when the race was called.

“If this week taught us anything, it’s that all this doesn’t matter as much as we think it does,” Love said. “As much as I’m angry and confused and upset (about the way the race finished), I also realized there’s a lot of hurt people right now.”

A spate of cautions punctuated the second stage of the race after a rain delay of more than four hours, but the real damage came on Lap 73, when the drivers of eight cars-including Chastain-slid through fluid deposited by the No. 35 Chevrolet of Dawson Cram.

Chastain kept his car on the track with seemingly minimal damage. Other drivers weren’t as fortunate.

Victims of the oily track included series leader Justin Allgaier, Sheldon Creed, Taylor Gray and Jeremy Clements. Allgaier stayed on the lead lap after repeated trips to pit road for repairs but finished 29th as the final 18 laps of the race remained under caution thanks to drizzling rain and mist that wet the track and obscured spotters’ views from the top of the grandstand.

Austin Hill, Love’s RCR teammate, finished third, followed by William Sawalich and Corey Day. Connor Zilisch, Ryan Sieg, Cole Custer, Carson Kvapil and Rajah Caruth completed the top 10, as JR Motorsports placed three drivers in the top 10.

Rain slowed the race twice in the first 33 laps, the first time for a drizzle under caution for Harrison Burton’s spin in Turn 4, the second time for a harder rain that fell after NASCAR called a competition caution on Lap 26.

The rain persisted while the cars circulated under the yellow flag for seven more laps, with Allgaier in the lead behind the pace car. Ultimately, NASCAR red-flagged the race after Lap 33, and the cars sat covered on pit road waiting for a resumption.

At 9:45 p.m. NASCAR called the drivers back to their cars, and the race resumed with eight laps left in Stage 1 after a stoppage of 4 hours, 21 minutes, 58 seconds.

On Lap 42, Allgaier got loose over the bumps in Turn 3 and gave up the lead to Zilisch, who took the green-checkered flag as the stage winner three laps later.

Then came the decisive second stage, fraught with all its perils. And after it was over, Chastain took a bow, mimicking Busch’s signature move, before making his own familiar move — a watermelon smash — from the roof of his car.

The rain that halted the NASCAR O’Reilly Series race prematurely also forced postponement of the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race for the third time.

The event is now scheduled for 10 a.m. Sunday and will be broadcast on FS1, NRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Race – Charbroil 300

Charlotte Motor Speedway

Concord, North Carolina

Saturday, May 23, 2026

1. (14) Ross Chastain(i), Chevrolet, 91.

2. (17) Jesse Love, Chevrolet, 91.

3. (6) Austin Hill, Chevrolet, 91.

4. (7) William Sawalich, Toyota, 91.

5. (2) Corey Day, Chevrolet, 91.

6. (5) Connor Zilisch(i), Chevrolet, 91.

7. (9) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 91.

8. (29) Cole Custer(i), Chevrolet, 91.

9. (24) Carson Kvapil, Chevrolet, 91.

10. (10) Rajah Caruth, Chevrolet, 91.

11. (8) Sammy Smith, Chevrolet, 91.

12. (31) Parker Retzlaff, Chevrolet, 91.

13. (13) Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, 91.

14. (21) Dean Thompson, Toyota, 91.

15. (30) Leland Honeyman Jr(i), Chevrolet, 91.

16. (16) Austin Green, Chevrolet, 91.

17. (37) Lavar Scott #, Chevrolet, 91.

18. (23) Patrick Staropoli #, Chevrolet, 91.

19. (22) Kyle Sieg, Chevrolet, 91.

20. (36) David Starr, Chevrolet, 91.

21. (27) Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, 91.

22. (35) Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, 91.

23. (28) Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 91.

24. (33) Blaine Perkins, Chevrolet, 91.

25. (26) Josh Bilicki, Chevrolet, 91.

26. (32) Nathan Byrd, Chevrolet, 91.

27. (11) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 91.

28. (20) Andrew Patterson, Chevrolet, 91.

29. (1) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 91.

30. (15) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 90.

31. (25) Taylor Gray, Toyota, Accident, 73.

32. (12) Sheldon Creed, Chevrolet, Accident, 73.

33. (34) Dawson Cram, Chevrolet, Engine, 72.

34. (38) JJ Yeley, Ford, Fuel Pump, 64.

35. (4) Brandon Jones, Toyota, 62.

36. (3) Sam Mayer, Chevrolet, Accident, 61.

37. (18) Brent Crews #, Toyota, Accident, 51.

38. (19) Harrison Burton, Toyota, Accident, 51.

–by Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service

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Two PKs extend Dallas' hot streak with defeat of Rapids

MLS: FC Dallas at Colorado RapidsMay 23, 2026; Commerce City, Colorado, USA; FC Dallas forward Logan Farrington (23) leaps over Colorado Rapids goalkeeper Nico Hansen (41) as he celebrates his penalty kick goal in the first half at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Logan Farrington and Santiago Moreno converted first-half penalty kicks to lead FC Dallas to a 2-1 win over the Colorado Rapids on Saturday in Commerce City, Colo.

Paxten Aaronson scored for Colorado (5-9-1, 16 points).

In the 12th minute, Dallas (7-4-4, 25 points) took a 1-0 lead on Farrington’s penalty kick. Aaronson clipped the right foot of the Dallas striker and sent him tumbling to the pitch to force the PK.

Moments later, Farrington buried it in the lower-left corner past Colorado goalkeeper Nico Hansen.

The Rapids leveled the match just one minute later when Wayne Frederick played a stretch pass down the sideline to Georgi Minoungou, whose slick through ball hit Aaronson in stride, allowing him to rifle a shot by Dallas goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois.

Colorado’s high press continued to yield dangerous scoring chances. In the 19th minute, Minoungou again broke wide with the ball, but this time lofted a cross that Frederick couldn’t reach. Colorado tested Sirois in the following minute when the Dallas goalie secured a Rafael Navarro shot that was blocked by a defender.

Aaronson’s shot from 15 yards out was saved in the 23rd minute. Reggie Cannon’s in-swinging cross connected with Darren Yapi in the 28th minute, but his jumping side-foot flick was launched over the crossbar.

Dallas was awarded its second penalty kick in the 45th minute when Minoungou brought down Ran Binyamin. Moreno slow-played the penalty, and his shot snuck under Hansen’s diving attempt to his left.

Just out of halftime, Yapi’s cross found Aaronson, whose bicycle-kick shot in the 47th minute was blocked and stopped by Sirois.

FC Dallas slowed the pace in the second half as it moved into a defensive 5-3-2 formation.

Colorado went a man down when Frederick was assessed a red card in the 87th minute, but still managed a few more scoring chances. Aaronson blasted a shot on frame in the 89th minute that Sirois went to his knees to save.

Dallas heads into the World Cup break with wins in four of its last five matches, while the Rapids have lost four of their last five league matches.

Colorado played without coach Matt Wells who was suspended for yellow-card accumulation. Rapids assistant coach Ally Harris filled in as interim head coach.

–Field Level Media

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San Jose gets first win in Portland on 20th try

MLS: San Jose Earthquakes at Portland TimbersMay 23, 2026; Portland, Oregon, USA; San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Beau Leroux (34) dribbles the bal past Portland Timbers defender Brandon Bye (5) during the first half at Providence Park. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images

Preston Judd scored twice in the opening 12 minutes as the San Jose Earthquakes won for the first time in 20 trips to Portland in the MLS era, defeating the Timbers 3-1 Saturday night.

Daniel Munie also tallied and Jack Skahan had two assists for the Earthquakes (10-3-2, 32 points), who entered the match 0-14-5 at Providence Park since Portland joined the league in 2011. Goalkeeper Daniel De Sousa Britto made six saves as San Jose snapped a four-match winless streak (0-2-2) in MLS play and remained tied with Vancouver atop the Western Conference entering the six-week break for the FIFA World Cup.

Antony Alves Santos scored for Portland (4-8-2, 14 points) and goalie James Pantemis made four saves.

Judd opened the scoring in the second minute on a counterattack. Beau Leroux stole the ball just outside his own penalty area and sent a pass ahead to Skahan, who dribbled over midfield and threaded a pass to Judd on the right wing. With two defenders in front of him, Judd pulled up at the top of the 18-yard box and put a right-footed shot into the lower left corner of the net.

The Earthquakes doubled their advantage in the 12th minute as Nick Fernandez stole the ball on the right wing about 35 yards from the Portland net to start a 3-on-2 rush. Fernandez fed Judd just inside the top of the penalty area and he put a 16-yard shot into the upper right corner of the net, his team-leading 11th goal of the season.

Portland got one back in the 18th minute after a free kick in its own half of the field. Jimer Fory passed to David Da Costa, whose through ball sent Antony on a breakaway. Anthony slipped a low shot past a hard-charging Daniel from just outside the top left of the 6-yard box.

The Earthquakes restored their two-goal edge in the 24th following a corner kick on the right wing. Skahan got the ball back following a short corner to Benji Kikanovic and sent a low pass toward the net that Munie redirected past a sprawling Pantemis from a sharp angle just outside the right post.

–Field Level Media

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Max Verstappen: F1 'mentally not doable' without '27 regulation changes

Formula One: Lenovo Grand Prix Du Canada 2026May 23, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CANADA; Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (3) during the qualifying session of the Lenovo Grand Prix Du Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Formula 1’s rules might be maddening enough to drive out one of its best racers.

Max Verstappen said it is “mentally not doable” to keep competing in F1 if the series doesn’t change its power unit regulations for 2027.

The league currently employs a 50-50 split between conventional combustion power and electrical elements. F1 had agreed in principle earlier this month on a 60-40 split in favor of the combustion engine, a move that Verstappen called a “very positive step” on Thursday.

However, several manufacturers have since backtracked, with some calling for a delay to the changes until 2028.

As a result, Verstappen joined Williams driver Carlos Sainz in urging the FIA to force the changes to be made.

“It will be better for the sport as a whole,” Verstappen said of the proposed changes.

“I can tell you, if it stays like this, then … let’s see. It’s just mentally not doable for me to stay like this, absolutely not.”

Multiple teams would also like to see the rules changed, including Verstappen’s own team, Red Bull, and Mercedes. The Dutch driver has likened the new cars to Mario Kart and called the battery-boosted passing “anti-racing,” while Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso has deemed F1 the “battery world championship.”

Yet, the proposed rule changes have become political, which isn’t a surprise to Verstappen.

“That’s Formula 1 for you. It’s simply like that. It’s a bit of a shame,” he said. “Let’s stay on the positive side. We’re still looking towards making those changes. And, of course, some people that, at the moment, maybe have a bit of an advantage will try to be difficult about it. But if the FIA is strong, and also from the F1 (management) side, they just need to do it.”

Verstappen, a four-time F1 champion, sits seventh in the current F1 standings with 28 points, 78 behind Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli.

–Field Level Media

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