Race Recap Elite O'Reilly Series

Texas Motor Speedway

Thu, Apr 30, 2026Round 12

Lovelace Takes the Checkered Flag at Texas Motor Speedway

Race at a Glance

🏁Field Size

19

🔄Laps

120

Avg Lap Time

32.577

🔀Lead Changes

9

🛡️Clean Runners

6

🏎️Lead Lap Finishers

7

Winner Spotlight

00

Zachary Lovelace

P1 Finish

Started: P3Finished: P1Incidents: 0
🔀 9 Lead Changes🏎️ 7 Lead Lap Finishers
P1
00

Zachary Lovelace

Started P3 • Inc 0

P2
11

Jonathan Burt

Started P8 • Inc 4

P3
81

Daniel Mcconnell

Started P7 • Inc 2

Zachary Lovelace claimed his third victory of the season at Texas Motor Speedway, advancing from his third-place starting position to capture the checkered flag in a caution-free 120-lap affair. The #00 machine led just one lap but proved to be in the right place when it mattered most, as nine lead changes throughout the race set up a dramatic finish. Jonathan Burt delivered a strong performance in the #11 car, climbing six positions from eighth to finish second, while Daniel Mcconnell rounded out the podium in third after gaining four spots from his seventh-place start.

The race's most compelling storyline belonged to hard charger Brian Sousa, who authored a masterful drive from 18th to sixth place in the #60 car. Sousa's 12-position gain was particularly crucial for his championship hopes, as he maintained his third-place standing in the points battle heading into the final two rounds. Meanwhile, early race leader Judson Curtis dominated the majority of the event from his second-place start, leading 95 of the 120 laps in the #29 car before ultimately settling for eighth place.

Championship leader John Crosby experienced a difficult night at Texas, falling from pole position to seventh place despite leading 11 laps. The #73 driver's 30-point gain was enough to extend his championship advantage, but his struggles allowed Tom Ringer to close the gap slightly after the #68 car's fifth-place finish. Ringer led 10 laps and gained 32 points on the evening, while jonathan McIntosh quietly put together an impressive run from 12th to fourth, leading three laps along the way.

With just two races remaining in the O'Reilly Series season, Crosby holds a 64-point lead over Ringer, while Sousa trails by 90 points in third. The clean racing from Lovelace, McIntosh, Ringer, Sousa, David McConnell, and Phoebe Quinones highlighted a race that required no caution periods, allowing the full 120-lap distance to run under green flag conditions.

🔥Hard Charger: Brian Sousa (+12)
Cleanest Race: Zachary Lovelace (0x)
Pole: John W Crosby
🔴Most Incidents: Cody Deak (20)

Top Movers

Brian Sousa60

+12

jonathan McIntosh09

+8

Cody Deak13

+7

Finishing Order

FinishStart+/-Car #DriverIncPoints
13+200Zachary Lovelace0x40
28+611Jonathan Burt4x35
37+481Daniel Mcconnell2x34
412+809jonathan McIntosh0x33
56+168Tom Ringer0x32
618+1260Brian Sousa0x31
71-673John W Crosby2x30
82-629Judson Curtis5x29
911+282Tony Brent4x28
105-571Tommy Wynne6x27
1115+428Colton Jackson7x26
1219+713Cody Deak20x25
1313076Cameron Gulley2x24
1410-435Phoebe Quinones0x23
1514-166Brandon H Yates6x22
1617+169Todd Parent11x21
1716-1#6Victor Etheridge9x20
184-1474David McConnell0x19
199-1054Tiyler Walts4x18