NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Preview: EchoPark Speedway

February 18, 2026

TRACK – EchoPark Speedway (1.54-mile speedway)
NOAPS RACE – Bennett Transportation & Logistics 250 (163 laps / 251.02 miles)
TUNE IN – CW, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90 at 5:00 p.m. (ET)

  • Carson Kvapil will make his third career start at Atlanta in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series this weekend.
  • Kvapil finished runner-up the last time the NOAPS visited Atlanta last June.
  • On tracks 1-2 miles in length, the Mooresville, N.C. native has made 21 starts, accumulating four top-five and seven top-10 finishes.
  • This weekend will mark Arby’s first primary sponsorship with Kvapil and JR Motorsports for the 2026 NOAPS season.
  • Justin Allgaier is a former NOAPS winner at Atlanta, taking the checkered flag on the old configuration in the spring of 2021 after leading 47 laps.
  • Overall, in 20 career starts at Atlanta across both configurations, Allgaier has amassed four top-fives and 10 top-10s to accompany the 2021 victory.
  • In eight starts on the new drafting-style configuration dating back to 2022, Allgaier has earned a best finish of second, coming in this event last year.
  • The Illinois native kicked off the 2026 season on a strong note last weekend at Daytona, running up front throughout the night and taking the checkered flag in the second position.
  • After a top-five finish last Saturday at Daytona, Sammy Smith heads to Atlanta this Saturday for the seventh time in his NOAPS career.
  • Smith qualified for the pole position his first time at Atlanta in 2023 and then, in six starts has tallied one top-five and four top-10 finishes.
  • In Smith’s 48 starts on tracks 1-2 miles in length, he has two wins, eight top-fives and 23 top-10s.
  • Pilot will share the TV panel this weekend with B.A.H. Express, a transportation company founded in 1990. The family-run business is headquartered in Atlanta with additional terminals in Tennessee and Louisiana.
  • Rajah Caruth continues his NASCAR O’Reilly Series campaign at Atlanta, looking to build momentum early in the 2026 season following a top-10 finish last week at Daytona.
  • Caruth enters Atlanta with valuable drafting experience at the reconfigured 1.54-mile superspeedway-style layout, a track that rewards precision, patience, and smart positioning throughout the race.
  • In the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series at Atlanta, Caruth has made two starts, highlighted by a best finish of eighth.
  • Last week’s 10th-place finish at Daytona marked a career best for Caruth in the O’Reilly Series in 23 starts.

JR Motorsports at EchoPark Speedway: JR Motorsports has competed at EchoPark Speedway a combined 79 times in the NOAPS. In those starts at the 1.54-mile speedway, the organization has recorded four wins, 22 top-fives and 45 top-10s. The average finish is 12.8.

Souvenir Rig: JRM drivers Carson Kvapil, Justin Allgaier, Sammy Smith and Rajah Caruth will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports/HMS WB + AB souvenir rig on Saturday, Feb. 21 from 12:45 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. ET.