Sports
Justin Allgaier holds off teenager Brent Crews to win at Nashville
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series driver Justin Allgaier (7) makes a pit stop during the Sports Illustrated Resorts 250 at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tenn., Saturday, May 30, 2026. LEBANON, Tenn. — After multiple brilliant and exhilarating door-to-door battles — veteran against rookie — in the closing portion of Saturday night’s Sports Illustrated Resorts 250, the old man emerged victorious.
And after JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier held off 18-year-old rookie Brent Crews at Nashville Speedway, he hoisted his series-best fourth race trophy of the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season.
Allgaier’s win in the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet — ultimately by 1.4-second over Crews — was his third at the 1.33-mile Nashville concrete oval and the 32nd overall win of the 2024 series champion’s career. And it took hard, clean side-by-side racing lap-after-lap for Allgaier to eventually get by Crews’ No. 19 Joe Gibbs Motorsports Toyota for good with 20 laps remaining and hold on to victory.
The veteran Allgaier celebrated by climbing out of his Chevy’s roof hatch then bowing to the Nashville crowd — an ode to the trademark winning celebration of two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, who died May 21 after pneumonia turned into sepsis.
“First of all, it’s been a rough couple of weeks, and lots of prayers to (Busch’s wife) Samantha and Kyle and (their children) Brexton and Lennix — it’s been an emotional couple weeks,” Allgaier said.
“This team, right here, they are incredible. To win in Nashville, you fans … this place is electric. I love coming to Nashville.
“I told them before the race, that we were going to go to victory lane,” said a grinning Allgaier, who turns 40 years old next week and is capping his winning race weekend by running a triathlon in downtown Nashville Sunday.
“What a race,” he added with a grin.
The near-miss marks the North Carolinian Crews’ second runner-up finish this season. He led the race twice for a total of 45 laps — the most he’s ever led in a single race. After the race he called his battle with Allgaier “the most fun I’ve had without winning.”
“Man, the positive was, I thought we were going to win that race,” Crews’ said when asked about the takeaway from the race. “I’m happy for our guys.
“Had to start 33rd and worked our way up to the lead and led a lot of laps and got to race one of the best guys in our series of all-time for the win in the last few laps,” he said. “Couldn’t ask for much more, other than to beat him.”
Crews’ teammate William Sawalich finished third to claim his third-consecutive top five. Haas Factory Team’s Sam Mayer finished fourth — his fifth straight top 10 at Nashville with another JGR driver, Brandon Jones, rounding out the top five.
Corey Day, Carson Kvapil, reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson, Taylor Gray and Sammy Smith rounded out the top 10. Smith, of note, is competing in the Nashville triathlon with his JR Motorsports teammate Allgaier.
Richard Childress Racing’s Jesse Love finished 16th after leading the most laps (87) — a pit stop miscue put the reigning series champion a lap down at one point before he rallied back. He lost some ground in the title run and now sits 179 points behind Allgaier in race for the championship.
“Definitely really frustrating,” a disappointed Love said after the race. “Our Camaro was really fast and I know we had a misstep on pit road but we’ve got the best pit crew in the garage right now, it’s not even close.
“The only thing I can control is the way I prepare and keep showing up even when it hurts and I know right now, my path isn’t necessarily coming with a lot of wins and that can be frustrating but it’s the past now, so all I can do is keep showing up and preparing. It’s going to turn around. It has to. There’s no other possible way it’s not going to and having faith in that will get me through all this.”
YouTube personality Cleetus McFarland finished 35th in his second NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series start — rallying from a series of late-race pit stop miscues and penalties to finish the race in the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.
After a streak of racing in 16 consecutive weekends, the series has its first off week next weekend before returning to competition June 13 in the Miller Tech Battery 250 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. (4 p.m., The CW, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Connor Zilisch is the defending race winner.
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Race — Sports Illustrated Resorts 250
Nashville Superspeedway
Nashville, Tennessee
Saturday, May 30, 2026
1. (17) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 188.
2. (33) Brent Crews #, Toyota, 188.
3. (5) William Sawalich, Toyota, 188.
4. (34) Sam Mayer, Chevrolet, 188.
5. (29) Brandon Jones, Toyota, 188.
6. (3) Corey Day, Chevrolet, 188.
7. (4) Carson Kvapil, Chevrolet, 188.
8. (6) Kyle Larson(i), Chevrolet, 188.
9. (27) Taylor Gray, Toyota, 188.
10. (8) Sammy Smith, Chevrolet, 188.
11. (2) Austin Hill, Chevrolet, 188.
12. (9) Parker Retzlaff, Chevrolet, 188.
13. (7) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 188.
14. (13) Dean Thompson, Toyota, 188.
15. (24) Sheldon Creed, Chevrolet, 188.
16. (1) Jesse Love, Chevrolet, 188.
17. (12) Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, 188.
18. (31) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 187.
19. (25) Rajah Caruth, Chevrolet, 187.
20. (21) Blaine Perkins, Chevrolet, 187.
21. (23) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 187.
22. (15) Leland Honeyman Jr(i), Chevrolet, 187.
23. (19) Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, 187.
24. (20) Kyle Sieg, Chevrolet, 187.
25. (16) Patrick Staropoli #, Chevrolet, 187.
26. (32) Logan Bearden, Chevrolet, 186.
27. (35) Harrison Burton, Toyota, 186.
28. (11) Mason Maggio, Chevrolet, 186.
29. (26) Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, 185.
30. (14) Austin Green, Chevrolet, 185.
31. (18) Lavar Scott #, Chevrolet, 184.
32. (28) Josh Bilicki, Chevrolet, 184.
33. (10) Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet, 184.
34. (36) Dawson Cram, Chevrolet, 183.
35. (38) Cleetus McFarland, Chevrolet, 182.
36. (30) Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 179.
37. (22) David Starr, Chevrolet, Suspension, 151.
38. (37) JJ Yeley, Ford, Rear End, 59.
Average Speed of Race Winner: 132.452 mph.
Time of Race: 1 Hrs, 53 Mins, 16 Secs. Margin of Victory: 1.403 Seconds.
Caution Flags: 2 for 15 laps.
Lead Changes: 12 among 7 drivers.
Lap Leaders: J. Love 1-49;J. Yeley 50;J. Love 51-54;J. Allgaier 55-75;J. Love 76-85;J. Allgaier 86-94;J. Love 95-118;B. Crews # 119-145;B. Jones 146;A. Hill 147-148;R. Sieg 149-150;B. Crews # 151-168;J. Allgaier 169-188.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Jesse Love 4 times for 87 laps; Justin Allgaier 3 times for 50 laps; Brent Crews # 2 times for 45 laps; Ryan Sieg 1 time for 2 laps; Austin Hill 1 time for 2 laps; JJ Yeley 1 time for 1 lap; Brandon Jones 1 time for 1 lap.
Stage #1 Top Ten: 2,17,7,21,88,1,18,39,8,19
Stage #2 Top Ten: 7,2,1,18,19,17,41,99,88,39
–Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service
Sports
Fernando Tatis Jr. finally hits first HR of 2026
May 30, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) singles against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images San Diego’s long nightmare is finally over.
Fernando Tatis Jr. has homered.
The 27-year-old Padres slugger, who led the National League with 42 home runs in 2021 and entered this season with 152 career dingers, ended his well-publicized home run drought with a solo shot in the fifth inning of San Diego’s 9-4 loss to the Nationals in Washington on Saturday.
The homer, off a 90 mph fastball from Nationals left-hander Forster Griffin, came on Tatis’ 208th at-bat and 239th plate appearance of 2026. It was also the Padres’ 57th game of the season.
As soon as he hit it, Tatis tossed his bat on the follow through of his swing and admired the 451-foot shot into left field at Nationals Park. It gave the Padres a short-lived 3-1 lead as Washington scored six runs in the seventh.
“I just knew right away,” Tatis told reporters after the game. “About (expletive) time.”
Tatis’ last home run came last Sept. 27. The blast also leaves Tampa Bay speedster Chandler Simpson as the player with the most plate appearances (232) without a home run this season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Royals 3B Maikel Garcia exits with hamstring injury
May 30, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia (11) comes up with a leg injury during the seventh inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images Kansas City third baseman Maikel Garcia left in the seventh inning against the Texas Rangers with a right hamstring strain sustained Saturday at Arlington, Texas.
The 2025 All-Star was injured going from first to third base on Vinnie Pasquantino’s tiebreaking double. Garcia was 1-for-4 with an RBI in the contest, continuing a slow start to his 2026 season. The 26-year-old is batting .268 this year with just three home runs and 21 RBIs, a year after belting 16 homers to go along with 74 RBIs.
Tyler Tolbert pinch-ran following Garcia’s departure, and stayed in at second base while Garcia was replaced in the field by Nick Loftin. If Garcia goes to the injured list, Loftin, a four-year veteran, could be in line to get the majority of his time at third base. Loftin is batting .215 this year and .218 for his career.
Kansas City, which has now lost five in a row, led 6-3 entering the bottom of the eighth inning and went on to lose 7-6.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jalen Williams could be available for NBA Finals if Thunder advance
May 18, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) reacts in double overtime against the San Antonio Spurs during game one of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-Imagn Images Oklahoma City star Jalen Williams might be available for the NBA Finals should the Thunder advance, coach Mark Daigneault said prior to Saturday’s Game 7 at home against the San Antonio Spurs.
Williams is out with a left hamstring injury for the finale of the Western Conference showdown. The series is tied at 3-3 and the winner will face the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals, which begin Wednesday.
Williams, 25, played 10 minutes off the bench in Game 6 and struggled due to the injury, scoring one point and committing two turnovers. Daigneault said Williams didn’t sustain a setback.
“He’s feeling about the same as he did,” Daigneault told reporters. “He actually came out of the game pretty good for where he is in a normal rehab. Depending on what happens tonight, if we’re fortunate enough to win and advance, he’ll continue this rehab, and we’ll take the same process as we go forward.”
Williams has played in just three games in this series and five overall in the postseason due to the hamstring injuries. He hurt the left hamstring against the Phoenix Suns in the first round and missed six straight games. He reaggravated the injury in Game 2 of the series against the Spurs.
Williams is averaging 14.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists in the postseason.
–Field Level Media
Fernando Tatis Jr. finally hits first HR of 2026
Royals 3B Maikel Garcia exits with hamstring injury
