NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Title Favorites Emerging Ahead of Rockingham

The one-third mark of the 2026 season brings the series to the historic Rockingham Speedway.

Apr. 3, 2026 at 4:50am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a NASCAR race at Rockingham Speedway, with the track, cars, and spectators broken down into sharp, overlapping planes of vibrant red, blue, and yellow colors.As the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series title race intensifies, the historic Rockingham Speedway will serve as a crucial proving ground for the championship contenders.Rockingham Today

The NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series heads to Rockingham Speedway this weekend for a critical race in the championship chase. Current points leader Justin Allgaier holds a sizable advantage, but other title favorites like Jesse Love, Sammy Smith, and Sheldon Creed are starting to emerge as serious contenders with 17 races left before the playoffs.

Why it matters

Rockingham is one of the toughest tracks on the O'Reilly Series schedule, and this race will serve as an important litmus test for the title contenders. With a sellout crowd expected, the race will have major implications on the points standings and playoff seeding as the regular season hits the one-third mark.

The details

Justin Allgaier, the 2024 champion, currently leads the points standings by 92 over Jesse Love, the defending series champ. Love is winless so far in 2026 but has five top-10 finishes. Sammy Smith, the defending Rockingham race winner, sits sixth in points but has struggled to score stage points. Rookie Corey Day has been consistent with six top-10s, while Sheldon Creed finally broke through for his first career win at Atlanta and is third in the standings.

  • The 2026 NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series regular season is one-third complete after this weekend's race at Rockingham Speedway.
  • The Rockingham race is the main event of NASCAR's Easter weekend, with the Cup Series taking the week off.
  • Saturday's North Carolina Education Lottery 250 will go green shortly after 2:30 p.m. ET.

The players

Justin Allgaier

The 2024 NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series champion currently leads the points standings by 92 over the defending series champ.

Jesse Love

The defending NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series champion is winless so far in 2026 but has five top-10 finishes.

Sammy Smith

The defending race winner at Rockingham Speedway sits sixth in the points standings but has struggled to score stage points.

Sheldon Creed

The most underrated title threat, Creed finally scored his first career win at Atlanta and is third in the standings.

Corey Day

The rookie has been consistent with six top-10 finishes, but has also struggled to score stage points.

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What they’re saying

“A championship won't be won or lost at Rockingham on Saturday afternoon, but Saturday's race will be an important litmus test for every team in the NOAPS garage.”

— Samuel Stubbs, Author

What’s next

The 12-driver Chase field will be set and seeded after the remaining 17 races in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series regular season.

The takeaway

The NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series title race is heating up as the regular season hits the one-third mark, with several drivers emerging as serious championship contenders. This weekend's race at the historic Rockingham Speedway will be a crucial test for the top teams and drivers in the series.