Chastain Wins Rain-Shortened Race for JRM at Soggy Charlotte

May 24, 2026

Race 15 of 33: Charbroil 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Track Specs: 1.5-mile quad-oval/200 laps
Race Winner: Ross Chastain
Zilisch’s finish: 6th
Caruth’s finish: 10th
Smith’s finish: 11th
Allgaier’s finish: 29th

Ross Chastain:

Ross Chastain earned the victory in Saturday evening’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series event at Charlotte Motor Speedway, his first win with JR Motorsports. Taking the green from 14th after qualifying was cancelled due to rain and avoiding an accident in the opening laps, Chastain was able to work his way into the top 10 where he would remain until the scheduled competition caution on lap 25. Unfortunately, before racing started again, NASCAR made the decision to bring the field down pit road for what would ultimately be a lengthy delay for rain. Once the weather cleared and cars were able to take to the track again, the JRM driver worked his way into the top three, taking the first green-and-white-checkered flag in third on lap 45. After a trip down pit road for adjustments, Chastain lined up for Stage Two in seventh. He soon made his way back to the top five and by lap 59 raced his way to the lead. That is where Chastain would remain until the race was ultimately called due to rain at the conclusion of Stage Two, sending the driver of the Carolina Carports Chevrolet to Victory Lane.

“It felt good to go fast tonight. It feels like we’re on the way to healing. Winning this race took a lot of work and I don’t take that lightly. I first wanted to be in a JRM car in 2014 and to get this No. 9 Carolina Carports Chevrolet into Victory Lane is incredible and I hope we’re able to do it again.”

Connor Zilisch

Connor Zilisch collected a sixth-place finish on Saturday night in the Charbroil 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Zilisch started fifth and worked his way up to second when the race was halted by rain on lap 34. The event restarted four hours later under light fog and featured a battle between Zilisch and teammate Justin Allgaier for the stage win. Zilisch grabbed the lead on lap 42 and held on over the final four laps to win the segment when the stage ended at lap 45. A mix of pit strategies among the leaders put the driver of the Registix Chevrolet fourth in line when the race went green on lap 51. Thanks to the god steadily growing thicker, the event became a race to the end of Stage Two when it would be official. Zilisch was shuffled back to eighth place on the restart and was up to sixth by lap 70. He needed a longer green-flag run to climb the leaderboard, but three cautions for 29 laps doomed his chances. Zilisch was credited with a sixth-place finish when fog and a heavy drizzle forced NASCAR officials to call the race. He collected his fourth top-10 finish in six races this season.

“We just needed more green-flag laps in that last stage. Thanks to Registix and everyone at JR Motorsports for this opportunity. I just didn’t have enough green-flag laps to make a run toward the front. This was just a crazy race with all the rain delay and the fog. I’m happy for my teammate Ross Chastain. He did a great job and I’m happy that JRM got the victory. I’ve got a few more races this season and we’ll do our best to get another victory.”

Rajah Caruth

Rajah Caruth and the No. 88 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet earned a 10th-place finish on Saturday night after rain forced the event to be called official following lap 90. With qualifying rained out earlier in the day, Caruth started 10th and quickly worked his way to eighth before an early caution on lap 2 slowed the field. A competition caution at lap 25 brought the No. 88 team to pit road for four tires, fuel and a small adjustment before several caution laps for drizzle eventually led to a lengthy red flag on lap 33 for rain. Once racing resumed on lap 37, Caruth restarted eighth and finished Stage One in the same position.

Mardy Lindley and the No. 88 team continued to make adjustments throughout the night as Caruth reported the balance improving in Stage Two. After restarting 12th on lap 65, Caruth worked his way to 10th at lap 77 before additional weather led to the race being called official at the end of Stage Two.

“We fought changing condition all night, but Mardy (Lindley, crew chief) and everyone on this No. 88 HendrickCars.com team kept making the car better each run. By the end of Stage Two, I was really starting to like the balance of our Chevrolet and wish we could have gone the full distance. I want to thank Mr. H and Mrs. Linda for all their support and I thought our HencrickCars.com patriotic Chevrolet looked really good tonight. It was an honor to be part of the four-car Salute to America for Memorial Day weekend.”

Sammy Smith

Sammy Smith, driver of the No. 8 Alpha Craft Technologies Chevrolet, finished 11th on Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway after the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series after rain and fog brought an abrupt end to the evening at the conclusion of Stage Two.

The field was set per the NASCAR rulebook due to steady rain throughout the morning with Smith slated to start eighth in the Charbroil 300 at Charlotte. The field took the green for Stage One and fell under caution within two laps with Smith reporting he had a stable car, especially considering track condition. The NOAPS field restarted on lap 11 and, at the competition caution on lap 25, Smith was scored 13th. Crew chief Corey Shea called Smith down pit road for fresh tires, fuel and an adjustment to free up the handling on the No. 8 Chevrolet. The field rode around for several laps under caution as the rain began to fall, and on lap 34, NASCAR called the drivers back to pit road under the red flag. After a grueling four-and-a-half-hour rain delay, drivers returned to their cars at 9:45 p.m. The race resumed on lap 38 with Smith in 15th, and he would close out the first stage in 14th. He reported that his Chevrolet fired off well, but was a little free in the right rear. On pit road, Smith took tires, fuel and an air-pressure adjustment before starting Stage Two. Restarting 18th, Smith fought through a pair of cautions in the first 10 laps. Running 11th when the caution waved on lap 74, Smith was on the move when the rain picked up, forcing NASCAR to call the race official at the end of Stage Two on lap 90.

“Finishing under caution was frustrating. I just wanted that one more position to break into the top 10, but with what Mother Nature dealt us today, I’m proud of this No. 8 team and appreciate the strong support from Alpha Craft Technologies this weekend.”

Justin Allgaier

Justin Allgaier, driver of the No. 7 Liquid I.V./Hellmann’s/Defense Commissary Agency Chevrolet, rolled off from the top spot in Saturday’s NASCAR Oreilly Series event at Charlotte Motor Speedway after rain forced NASCAR to set the starting lineup via the rulebook. Leading a race-high 36 laps, Allgaier looked poised to contend for the win before contact with the outside wall following an engine failure from a car ahead in the second stage caused damage to the right side of his JR Motorsports Chevrolet. Coming to pit road for repairs, Allgaier returned to the track outside the top 20 with hopes of powering back through the field. However, Allgaier was unable to have that chance as persistent mist and heavy fog forced NASCAR to call the race official at the conclusion of Stage Two. In the end, Allgaier was scored with a 29th-place finish.

“It wasn’t the result we were hoping for today, but we had a great Liquid I.V./Hellmann’s/Defense Commissary Agency Chevrolet. I wish we could have had the chance to finish this race out, but in the end, it wasn’t meant to be. We’ll rebound from this and be ready to get after it next week in Nashville.”