2026 Racing Odds and Oddities

February 25, 2026April 3, 2026 Missed Gear

Racing is off to a bit of an odd start. Weather has been a real player in the circumstances of things and the odds on the results, if wagered on, would likely have someone retiring very wealthy.

The IMSA Rolex 24 marked a record continuous caution of over 6 hours and 120 laps for overnight fog. This tightened the competitive field with so many on the lead lap coming into the waning hours of green flag racing. Strategies were altered on the fly and the checkered flag waved over a larger number of cars just seconds off their class leader winning lap.

For NASCAR, lawsuits and the Olympics set the stage for the weather. The charter lawsuit was settled before the actual bits and pieces were aired out in open court. Essentially, the guarantees of entries and money distribution were negotiated to a cooperative fashion.

The Olympics…? Yes. NASCAR and USA Luge (a type of ice sled racing) announced a partnership of sharing resources across platforms to enhance performance and promotion. NASCAR information on aerodynamics could prove beneficial to USA Luge going forward. Coincidentally, however, on the heels of the announcement and the approaching winter Olympics, NASCAR experienced an icy freeze. Snow and ice dumped on North Carolina pushing the pre-season showcase CookOut Clash to a midweek run. NASCAR threw in with winter and got a little taste of it as well.

Jumping forward, who would have had Tyler Reddick to win Daytona and the next race in Atlanta? Who would have had 23XI, one of the teams involved in the charter lawsuit, to come out on top of the numbers with the first two wins?

It’s a few western weeks before NASCAR swings back in our direction and Virginia. This kind of start to the season combined with a “new” updated points system should bring some added excitement once the circus comes east again.

The concept of “bingo card” or “Vegas odds” predictions with results is being tested. Local racing, here in Virginia, has also had upsets before the first flag has even flown. There were some big moves with two dirt tracks and forward momentum just to have it thrown into question. The Ararat Bullring saw positive action last season and was tagged with the addition of Oak Level being brought back to life. Now, however, the promotion side has been shuffled as the partnerships seem to have cracked a bit. It will be interesting and hopeful for these tracks to run the season without some of that seasoned experience at the wheel.

All in all, for race fans, the 2026 season is off to an “odds off” start. For wagers, it may continue to prove profitable to go with the long shot!

Roanoke Drifting In Jappalachia

It is a fine thing when conditions lead to continuity. This particular continuity is also an automotive conundrum in several ways considering the current condition of the existence of the automobile. What….?? The trend that has taken hold, especially here in these United States, is the popularity of the SUV, the crossover variations of five door hatches, the automatic transmission and front wheel drive. All of these would point to a humorless and drab driving culture of A to B with a soccer game or a grocery store on the agenda. The days of fun behind the wheel are drying up. Or are they…? There are a handful of new rear drives out there. Of those, fewer still have a manual transmission. This leads to the continuity of cars of the past being rebuilt and re-born by people who seek the slides and the sideways. Yes, America, drifting may be the saving grace of the manual, rear wheel drive car. On a warm Wednesday tucked in the back corner of an industrial park I was there to bear witness to a mixture of car cultures. The recipe was a good mix of classic British “Top Gear”, American Motor Trend “Roadkill” and a heavy helping of the Japanese origins of drifting. The cars were budget sourced from the pre-owned market and rapidly made “drivable” over the past several days. Now they were here in this slightly barren environment to be compared on a mapped rally / drifting course by (can you guess…?) the same “tame” racing driver. For the sake of a little background… This group of guys have a mission which is building on their combination of talents. What is the mission…? Loosely defined it is a mixture of Japan’s origin culture of drifting and the extreme styling of it with the back roads mountain attitude of American muscle cars. They call it “Jappalachia”. There have been trips to Japan with driving study in the origins of the legendary Daigo Saito drifting style. Japan is distinguished as the genesis of drifting even as the sport has expanded worlwide. The “Jappalachia” handle has been vetted during these visits with positive approvals. The drift is no stranger to these men. A recent visit to NASA Haltech Hyperfest at Virginia International Raceway had a Nissan going tandem on the drift pad competition. On this Wednesday, they have two cars ready to take on the course. These are not their “pro builds” but side projects for the practice and fun of it. One is a late ’80s Corvette and the other is a Nissan 240sx (’89…? ’90…? give or take…) Both of them had less than “garage kept” history. Both put up sideways and dusty shows. I think the Corvette took the time even with bottom scrapes, fuel delivery issues and a lost ass bumper. It was also driven after the 240 so one could say the previous lap in the Nissan gave a nudge of “practice” to the ‘Vette. The “real” cars involved…? These guys are looking ahead to extreme builds in their shop. They are working up another C4 series Corvette and a 3rd generation Ford Mustang. The cars are being treated as homage to the extreme Kaido or Bosozoku style of Japanese drift builds. Big fenders, shovel forward in front of the wheels and wide body wings over the back. These are American muscle cars treated with anime angles. Engines are being built. Chassis and suspensions are being tuned and going into place. A rough timeline has turns on the calendar for the newly re-opened Southampton Speedway later this year as that track is running a drift schedule. This is Jappalachia. Connections…? Roanoke, Charlottesville, Japan, backgrounds in design, mechanics, fabrication, travel… They have formed a friendship from chance encounters, childhood history and love of fun in cars. The “tame” racing driver…? 2016 F4 Champion / 2021 EFO F3 Champion – Cameron Das, visiting from the UK with friends connected through common and crossed paths. His 2016 F4 is in the Jappalachia shop. 2016 USA F4 Champion, Cameron Das, with the season winning car in the Jappalachia shop Das is currently doing a social media series of video showcases of kart racing and tracks. Cameron Das: YouTube InstagramTay Whiteside – Lift Arc StudiosGresh Chapman (Instagram): Jackson WalkerConnor Shupe Visit the Jappalachia Website Photos – A visit to Jappalachia – Industrial Drifting *The dog is “Pickles” – an Alaskan Malamute. He’s a sweetheart in a sweet spot.
Movie Truck Throwback

Hanging out with long time friend from stage and screen who happened to be in a famous truck movie by Stephen King
RoVA-Drive Showcase: Benoit Pigeon

Elite commercial photographer has a fast eye for drag racing
RoVA-Drive Showcase: Bryan Reedy

Late Model Driver (#17) based in Roanoke