Sports
Justin Allgaier wins sixth race, clinches No. 1 Chase seed
Jul 11, 2026; Hampton, Georgia, USA; Jarrett Logistics driver Justin Allgaier (7) drives his car onto victory lane after a victory at the Focused Health 250 at EchoPark Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images HAMPTON, Ga. — In a nearly four-hour race ending in double overtime, it was still a familiar name ultimately hoisting the trophy — with the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championship leader Justin Allgaier making a last lap pass to claim his sixth win of the season in Saturday night’s Focused Health 250 at Atlanta’s EchoPark Speedway.
Just after taking the white flag signaling one lap to go, race leader Brennan Poole and defending race winner Nick Sanchez collided in a final frantic charge to the checkered flag. As their cars went into the outside wall at the 1.5-miler, Allgaier’s No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet motored by below with his JRM teammate Carson Kvapil giving chase in hopes of claiming his first ever win.
But the 2024 series champion Allgaier was too good at just the right time, holding off Kvapil by a slight .139-second to secure a personal high single-season six-win tally and formally earn the 2026 regular season championship.
Their work also put the JR Motorsports team within one top 10 of equaling a record 79 consecutive race streak of having one team car finish in the top 10. Roush Fenway Keselowski currently holds the mark.
“This team, I’m so proud of everyone here at Junior Motorsports,” a rather emotional Allgaier said immediately after the checkered flag. “Great Chevrolets today. I knew at the end, there would be some guys close on fuel. You just never give up … That’s what this team is all about.”
All the storylines provided a fitting ending to a long, thrilling night of competition that included a track record 13 caution flags and four red flags — nearly a half hour of stoppage in just red flag time. There were 11 different race leaders and 19 lead changes — including nine lead changes in just the final 70 laps of the 172-lap race.
Five caution periods including two red flags in just the last 11 laps were indicative of the stop-and-go ending to the night that never really saw any consistent long runs in the closing laps. A huge 11-car accident near the front on a restart with 11 to go in regulation eliminated some of the evening’s best cars, including Allgaier’s teammate Sammy Smith, who led a race best 34 laps in the No. 8 JRM Chevy and reigning series champion Jesse Love’s No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevy.
“Definitely disappointing,” Love said, adding, “It was going to be a tough mountain to climb with all the JRM cars doing a really fabulous job working together so it was going to be tough.
“I could hear my amazing spotter’s voice that we were going to tear some stuff up and we sure did.
“Overall, honestly not a terrible points day, we got some good stage points, so try to do our best Tony Stewart in the Chase and win some races,” he added of NASCAR Hall of Famer Stewart’s amazing five-win run in the playoffs to win the 2011 championship despite being winless in the regular season.
“We’ve got some really good speed and our team is clicking really well,” Love said. “Shame what happened tonight, but your going to land on that side of it sometimes on this style of race tracks.”
Love’s RCR teammate, five-time Atlanta winner Austin Hill, also looked to have a good day — moving forward amidst all the crashes. The Georgia native was making a run at the trophy with three laps remaining when he was involved in a seven-car melee bringing out the final red flag and eliminating yet another group of legitimate contenders including JR Motorsports’ Rajah Caruth who led 18 laps and was among the top-five all night.
In the end, Viking Motorsports’ Parker Retzlaff, Joe Gibbs Racing’s William Sawalich and Viking driver Anthony Alfredo survived the action-packed final laps and rallied to complete the top five on the scorecard.
Garrett Smithley, Brandon Jones, Kyle Sieg, Caruth and Jeremy Clements rounded out the top 10.
The race definitely impacted the points standings with only three races remaining now to set the 12-driver championship field. Allgaier extended his lead to a massive 240-point edge on the winless Love atop the standings.
On the other side, Brent Crews and Taylor Gray — both eliminated in crashes — are ranked 11th and 12th in points. Gray holds only a 17-point advantage on Caruth and a 21-point edge on William Sawalich as the series moves into a rare off-weekend.
Teams return to action Saturday, July 25, with the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (4 p.m. ET, The CW, IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Connor Zilisch is the defending race winner.
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Race — Focused Health 250
EchoPark Speedway, Atlanta
Saturday, July 11, 2026
1. (16) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 172.
2. (2) Carson Kvapil, Chevrolet, 172.
3. (22) Parker Retzlaff, Chevrolet, 172.
4. (4) William Sawalich, Toyota, 172.
5. (17) Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, 172.
6. (26) Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet, 172.
7. (12) Brandon Jones, Toyota, 172.
8. (20) Kyle Sieg, Chevrolet, 172.
9. (8) Rajah Caruth, Chevrolet, 172.
10. (14) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 172.
11. (28) Mason Maggio, Chevrolet, 172.
12. (34) Josh Bilicki, Chevrolet, 172.
13. (10) Patrick Staropoli #, Chevrolet, 172.
14. (23) Dean Thompson, Toyota, 172.
15. (31) Glen Reen, Chevrolet, 172.
16. (19) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 172.
17. (30) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 172.
18. (5) Sammy Smith, Chevrolet, 172.
19. (18) Nick Sanchez, Chevrolet, 171.
20. (37) Blaine Perkins, Chevrolet, 171.
21. (32) Lavar Scott #, Chevrolet, 169.
22. (11) Austin Hill, Chevrolet, Accident, 159.
23. (27) Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, Accident, 159.
24. (7) Brent Crews #, Toyota, Accident, 153.
25. (6) Sheldon Creed, Chevrolet, Accident, 152.
26. (3) Jesse Love, Chevrolet, Accident, 151.
27. (38) Jordan Anderson, Chevrolet, Accident, 151.
28. (24) Leland Honeyman Jr.(i), Chevrolet, Accident, 151.
29. (29) Nick Leitz(i), Chevrolet, Accident, 151.
30. (15) Jake Finch, Chevrolet, Accident, 143.
31. (1) Sam Mayer, Chevrolet, Accident, 119.
32. (13) Corey Day, Chevrolet, Accident, 112.
33. (9) Taylor Gray, Toyota, Accident, 112.
34. (25) Harrison Burton, Toyota, Engine, 101.
35. (35) Logan Bearden, Ford, Fuel Pump, 69.
36. (36) Carson Ware, Chevrolet, Suspension, 63.
37. (33) Joey Gase, Ford, Engine, 2.
38. (21) Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, Brakes, 0.
Average Speed of Race Winner: 89.06 mph.
Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 58 Mins, 27 Secs. Margin of Victory: .139 Seconds.
Caution Flags: 13 for 76 laps.
Lead Changes: 19 among 11 drivers.
Lap Leaders: C. Kvapil 1;S. Mayer 2-34;C. Kvapil 35-48;B. Crews # 49-53;H. Burton 54-55;S. Smith 56-89;J. Allgaier 90-93;R. Ellis 94;J. Allgaier 95-98;R. Caruth 99-100;S. Creed 101-109;R. Caruth 110;S. Creed 111-128;R. Caruth 129-143;A. Hill 144-150;J. Allgaier 151-156;C. Kvapil 157-170;B. Poole 171;J. Allgaier 172.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Sammy Smith 1 time for 34 laps; Sam Mayer 1 time for 33 laps; Carson Kvapil 3 times for 29 laps; Sheldon Creed 2 times for 27 laps; Rajah Caruth 3 times for 18 laps; Justin Allgaier 4 times for 15 laps; Austin Hill 1 time for 7 laps; Brent Crews # 1 time for 5 laps; Harrison Burton 1 time for 2 laps; Brennan Poole 1 time for 1 lap; Ryan Ellis 1 time for 1 lap.
Stage #1 Top Ten: 1,8,2,88,00,51,17,7,18,26
Stage #2 Top Ten: 7,8,88,1,17,51,2,99,00,21
–Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service
Sports
Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski (arm fatigue) out Sunday, will miss ASG
Jul 10, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) throws in the outfield before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Jacob Misiorowski was scheduled to oppose fellow ace Paul Skenes and the host Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday afternoon, but the hard-throwing Milwaukee Brewers right-hander was scratched due to arm fatigue and will also miss the All-Star Game on Tuesday night.
Misiorowski, 24, told reporters that he will not be placed on the injured list and expects to rejoin the rotation following the All-Star break.
“It (stinks) to miss a start and the All-Star Game, but I know it’s the right thing to do in this situation,” Misiorowski said. “My arm is a little tired.”
Left-hander Robert Gasser will start in Misiorowski’s place Sunday as the Brewers try to salvage the finale of the three-game series.
Named an All-Star for the second straight season, Misiorowski is 10-4 in 18 starts, spanning 111 innings, and leads the majors with 167 strikeouts and a 1.62 ERA while walking 27. In two seasons, he is 15-7 with a 2.64 ERA in 33 games (32 starts) with 254 strikeouts and 58 walks over 177 innings.
Misiorowski leads all starting pitchers this season with a 100.5 mph average four-seam fastball velocity, and he has thrown 670 pitches at 100 mph or faster — the most in the majors.
Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy made the announcement regarding Misiorowski’s status after Saturday’s doubleheader sweep by the Pirates.
“He didn’t recover well from his last start, and his throwing program was clunky today, so we’re just going to give him some extra rest,” Murphy said.
–Field Level Media
Sports
LaMonte Wade Jr. hits first career grand slam as Astros thump Rangers
Jul 11, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Houston Astros right fielder LaMonte Wade Jr. (31) rounds the bases after he hits a grand slam home run against the Texas Rangers during the third inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images LaMonte Wade Jr. clubbed his first career grand slam in the third inning, the second of three homers hit by the visiting Houston Astros in their 9-3 win over the Texas Rangers on Saturday.
The Astros evened the three-game series and set the stage to close the gap to one game behind the Rangers in the American League West in the rubber match on Sunday. They did so with a power display against Texas right-hander Kumar Rocker, who continued to struggle at home.
Rocker (2-8) entered 0-5 with a 4.70 ERA in his last eight home starts dating back to April 26. Two batters into his 16th start of this season, he tumbled into a two-run deficit courtesy of Yordan Alvarez, who homered for the second time this series and the seventh time in six road games against the Rangers this season.
Alvarez followed a leadoff infield single by Jeremy Pena in the top of the first with a 425-foot blast to straightaway center field. Alvarez recorded his AL-leading 31st home run.
Rocker surrendered a double to Isaac Paredes after Alvarez homered, but then retired seven consecutive batters before Alvarez came to the plate with one out in the third. Alvarez keyed that four-run frame with a double, followed by a walk to Paredes. Jose Altuve loaded the bases with a two-out single before Wade popped a 1-1 slider 400 feet to right for a 6-0 lead.
Christian Vazquez led off the fourth with his fifth home run, a line drive that just cleared the wall in left-center. Rocker departed with two outs in the sixth inning before facing Alvarez a fourth time. He allowed seven runs on eight hits and two walks with six strikeouts.
Alvarez finished 2-for-3 with two walks, two runs and two RBIs.
Astros right-hander Peter Lambert (8-5) notched his sixth win in his last seven decisions and posted his sixth quality start. He allowed one run on three hits and one walk with seven strikeouts over six innings.
Ezequiel Duran socked his ninth home run with two outs in the bottom of the fourth for Texas.
The Astros tacked on two runs off Rangers reliever Chris Martin in the ninth. Duran homered again in the bottom of the ninth, a two-run shot to left off Astros reliever AJ Blubaugh.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Alex Bregman's 7th-inning homer allows Cubs to defeat Reds
Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch (29) and Cincinnati Reds second baseman Edwin Arroyo (2) react qs he reaches second on a double in the second inning between the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Saturday, July 11, 2026. Alex Bregman hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the seventh inning as the visiting Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-3 on Saturday.
Carson Kelly added a solo shot and Michael Busch had three hits for Chicago, which won for the fourth time in its last six games.
Drew Pomeranz (2-3) pitched the sixth inning to record the win despite allowing a run on two hits. Caleb Thielbar and Jacob Webb each tossed a scoreless frame before the Reds put runners on the corners with two outs in the ninth against Ryan Rolison.
Elly De La Cruz stole second base before Trent Thornton got Sal Stewart to ground out to second for his third save.
Nathaniel Lowe, Eugenio Suarez and JJ Bleday each hit solo homers for Cincinnati, which has lost five of its last eight games.
With the score 3-3 and one out in the seventh, Seiya Suzuki drew a one-out walk off Julian Garcia (0-2) before Bregman followed with his eighth homer.
The Reds opened the scoring with one out in the fourth inning against Javier Assad on back-to-back homers by Lowe and Suarez.
Lowe’s 381-foot shot was his first homer and RBI since May 29. Suarez followed with his 10th homer, a 370-foot liner to right-center field.
Assad gave up two runs on seven hits over five innings. He struck out four with no walks.
Chicago got on the board with a run in the fifth against Nick Lodolo. With two runners on and two outs, Miguel Amaya scored from second on Suzuki’s single.
Lodolo exited the game with a blister on his left index finger after allowing Kelly’s leadoff homer in the sixth inning. Lodolo was making his 12th start since beginning the season on the injured list with blister issues.
Caleb Ferguson entered and was greeted by a single from Busch, who came around to score on Ian Happ’s one-out double to left field.
Lodolo yielded two runs on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts over five-plus innings.
Cincinnati pulled even in the bottom of the sixth on Bleday’s leadoff homer against Pomeranz. Bleday’s homer was his 16th this season and second in as many games.
–Field Level Media
Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski (arm fatigue) out Sunday, will miss ASG
Microsoft Office is finally a one-time purchase, and it’s only $30
