With just six races remaining before the Chase for the Championship begins, the Victory Lane Racing NASCAR Cup Series delivered another dramatic afternoon at EchoPark Speedway. Julie Taylor returned to Victory Lane for the first time this season, Mathew Steinfels climbed to the top of the regular season standings for the first time in 2026, and the James & June Coffee In-Season Tournament was narrowed to just four drivers.
Taylor led the way with a dominant 272-point performance, earning the 33rd victory of her VLR Cup Series career. Andrew Thornton matched his best finish of the season in second, while Al Allison completed the podium in third. Mathew Steinfels continued his incredible summer stretch with a fourth-place finish, while Nathan Helton rounded out the top five with one of the strongest performances of his season.
Steinfels' fourth-place effort proved to be enough to leapfrog both Jamie Dyke and Greg Miller in the standings. After entering the weekend third in points, Steinfels now leads the championship by six points over Dyke, while Miller slipped to third, just one point further back. Steve Ruth continued his climb with a ninth-place finish and now sits just 11 points behind the leader in fourth, while Stephen DiCaprio rounds out the top five.
The battle around the Chase cut line tightened once again. Ron Blackman held onto the final transfer position in 16th after finishing 38th, but Al Allison's podium run moved him to within just four points of the cutoff. Eldon Daughenbaugh sits only eight points back despite a disappointing 24th-place finish, while Nick Hagen, Julie Taylor, Cody Zeeb and Kevin Sullivan all remain within striking distance with six races left before the postseason field is locked.
Top Five Finishers:
1. Julie Taylor – First win of the 2026 season and the 33rd victory of her VLR Cup Series career.
2. Andrew Thornton – Matched his best finish of the season with a runner-up effort and moved into 14th in the standings.
3. Al Allison – First top-five finish since San Diego and now sits just four points below the Chase cut line.
4. Mathew Steinfels – Took over the regular season points lead after his fifth top-five finish of the season.
5. Nathan Helton – Earned his second career top-five finish and climbed six positions in the standings.
James & June Coffee In-Season Tournament Update
The inaugural James & June Coffee In-Season Tournament has reached the Final Four, with just four drivers remaining in the battle for the championship.
On the left side of the bracket, Steve Ruth and Mathew Steinfels will square off at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Ruth has knocked off Kevin Sullivan, Kamy Miller and Dawn Keller to reach the semifinals, while Steinfels advanced by defeating Cody Zeeb, Eldon Daughenbaugh and Stephen DiCaprio.
On the opposite side of the bracket, Nick Hagen will face Kirk Hunter. Hagen's run has included victories over Rob Kuczmarski, James Fenton and Greg Miller, while Hunter advanced past Will Riney, Malachi Hammerle and Corey Hardison.
Final Four Matchups – North Wilkesboro
#8 Steve Ruth vs. #5 Mathew Steinfels
#23 Nick Hagen vs. #11 Kirk Hunter
The winners of those two matchups will advance to Indianapolis, where they'll battle head-to-head for the James & June Coffee In-Season Tournament Championship presented by James & June Coffee.
About James and June Coffee
The Victory Lane Racing In-Season Tournament is proudly presented by James & June Coffee, a family-owned specialty coffee company built around fresh-roasted, small-batch coffee delivered directly to customers. Named after the owners' two children, James & June Coffee offers premium whole bean, ground coffee, K-Cups and specialty blends roasted to order.
Learn more or place an order at www.jamesandjunecoffee.com.
Looking Ahead
The series heads to North Wilkesboro Speedway next weekend for one of the most important races of the season. This will be the first points paying race at the Wilkes County track since 1996. With just six races remaining before the Chase begins, every point matters as the battle for the final playoff spots intensifies. At the same time, the James & June Coffee In-Season Tournament reaches its semifinal round, where Steve Ruth, Dawn Keller, Kirk Hunter and Nick Hagen will battle for two spots in the championship finale at Indianapolis.
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