By T.J. Buffenbarger
BARBERVILLE, FL (February 4, 2026) – Eight months ago there was a lot of speculation about Spencer Bayston’s career trajectory after struggling throughout the season. Bayston continued to change that narrative Wednesday night winning the season opening event for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series during DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park.
Bayston, from Lebanon, Indiana, was impressive in his first start for Stenhouse Jr/Marshall Racing moving up from 10th starting position to take the lead from Anthony Macri during a restart on lap 16 and pulled away to a 3.125 second advantage at the finish.
After the race Bayston, who is often very composed, was emotional after collecting such a big victory to start the season.
“Trying to just take it all in,” Bayston said during post-race festivities. “I think it’s no secret it’s been a rocky road. There’s been a lot of questions upon my career and what I’m capable of, and I think this kind of shuts up maybe some of the naysayers.”
“More than anything just rewards this team for all they put into the sport. All Richard and Jennifer (Marshall) and Ricky (Stenhouse) have put into this series. I think this is their ninth season and just be able to come and join forces with them and NOS Energy drink and start the year off like this with the win. I mean, I haven’t been in victory lane in a sprint car in too long, so long I can’t even remember.”
The 25-lap main event started out with Brock Zearfoss, Brent Marks, and Macri locked in a three-car tussle for the lead. Zearfoss and Macri traded the lead the first three laps until Zearfoss held the top position until lap seven following a caution flag for Bill Balog slowing with mechanical issues between turns three and four.
The ensuing restart saw Buddy Kofoid rim ride his way to the lead through turns one and two, only to have Macri pass Kofoid going into turn three to lead lap eight.
Behind the leaders defending World of Outlaws champion David Gravel and Logan Schuchart were racing for the third position when the pair made contact, sending Gravel’s car into the front stretch wall with the car rolling to a stop going into turn one, ending his race. During the caution flag period Schuchart, Marks, and Sheldon Haudenschid also went to the work area to repair damage.
After a caution flag for Tyler Courtney slowing with right rear suspension damage, Bayston started to make his presence at the front known following the restart moving into from fourth to second position on lap 13.
From there Bayston quickly caught Macri for the lead, making the pass on lap 16, extending the lead he would never relinquish for his first feature victory of the 2026 season.
Carson Macedo moved up late in the main event to take second position away from Macri with five laps to go. Macri, Kofoid, and Donny Schatz from 21st starting position rounded out the top five in his first start for CJB Motorsports.
For Bayston, the victory validated feelings in his own ability during struggles over the past two seasons and his outlook for the future with SJM Racing.
“I never doubted what I could do. I knew I could compete at the highest level. It just took the right group of people, and I have had a lot of people give me opportunities in the last few years to try to get me to where I want to be, but Richard, Jennifer, Marshall, Ricky Stenhouse, NOS Energy Drink everyone on my team, we sat down and talked for about four hours last night over dinner. We all believe in this, and we’re going to do everything we can to be successful, win races and someday chase one of those championships.”
World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series
DIRTcar Nationals
Volusia Speedway Park
Barberville, Florida
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying Flight A
1. 1A-Ashton Torgerson, 13.023[8]
2. 32-Bryce Lucius, 13.023[11]
3. 10-Ryan Timms, 13.064[19]
4. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.092[17]
5. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.109[5]
6. 88-Austin McCarl, 13.149[22]
7. 41-Carson Macedo, 13.162[15]
8. 83-Michael Kofoid, 13.181[6]
9. 27-Emerson Axsom, 13.246[3]
10. 17B-Bill Balog, 13.251[16]
11. 9-Daison Pursley, 13.271[21]
12. 0D-Danny Sams III, 13.271[9]
13. 16C-Scotty Thiel, 13.275[20]
14. 51-Scott Bogucki, 13.278[13]
15. 17GP-Hank Davis, 13.291[10]
16. 23D-Chase Dietz, 13.304[18]
17. 71-Parker Price Miller, 13.317[14]
18. G5-Gage Pulkrabek, 13.344[7]
19. 15T-Ryan Turner, 13.501[4]
20. 48-Danny Dietrich, 13.783[12]
21. 5C-DJ Christie, 13.861[2]
22. 77T-Tyeller Powless, 13.862[1]
Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying Flight B
1. 2-David Gravel, 13.264[9]
2. 39M-Anthony Macri, 13.410[12]
3. 19-Brent Marks, 13.454[1]
4. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr, 13.468[11]
5. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.476[7]
6. 28M-Conner Morrell, 13.511[18]
7. 6-Kasey Jedrzejek, 13.525[15]
8. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss, 13.565[2]
9. 7S-Chris Windom, 13.577[3]
10. 44-Chris Martin, 13.588[19]
11. 17-Spencer Bayston, 13.623[5]
12. 23-Garet Williamson, 13.627[10]
13. 5-Brenham Crouch, 13.637[6]
14. 13-Tanner Holmes, 13.689[17]
15. 21-Brian Brown, 13.738[20]
16. 7BC-Tyler Courtney, 13.795[22]
17. 2C-Cole Macedo, 13.842[4]
18. 26-Justin Peck, 13.959[16]
19. 4-Cameron Martin, 14.015[8]
20. 11-TJ Stutts, 14.082[14]
21. 15K-Creed Kemenah, 14.216[21]
22. 0-Glenn Styres, 14.247[13]
NOS Energy Drink Heat Race #1 (8 Laps)
1. 1A-Ashton Torgerson[1]
2. 10-Ryan Timms[2]
3. 41-Carson Macedo[4]
4. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild[3]
5. 17GP-Hank Davis[8]
6. 9-Daison Pursley[6]
7. 27-Emerson Axsom[5]
8. 5C-DJ Christie[11]
9. 16C-Scotty Thiel[7]
10. 71-Parker Price Miller[9]
11. 15T-Ryan Turner[10]
DIRTVision Heat Race #2 (8 Laps)
1. 1S-Logan Schuchart[2]
2. 83-Michael Kofoid[4]
3. 32-Bryce Lucius[1]
4. 23D-Chase Dietz[8]
5. 88-Austin McCarl[3]
6. 48-Danny Dietrich[10]
7. 17B-Bill Balog[5]
8. 0D-Danny Sams III[6]
9. 51-Scott Bogucki[7]
10. G5-Gage Pulkrabek[9]
11. 77T-Tyeller Powless[11]
WIX Filters Heat Race #3 (8 Laps)
1. 2-David Gravel[1]
2. 19-Brent Marks[2]
3. 17-Spencer Bayston[6]
4. 21-Brian Brown[8]
5. 7S-Chris Windom[5]
6. 2C-Cole Macedo[9]
7. 5-Brenham Crouch[7]
8. 4-Cameron Martin[10]
9. 15K-Creed Kemenah[11]
10. 6-Kasey Jedrzejek[4]
11. 15-Donny Schatz[3]
The Greatest Show on Dirt Heat Race #4 (8 Laps)
1. 39M-Anthony Macri[1]
2. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[4]
3. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[2]
4. 28M-Conner Morrell[3]
5. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[8]
6. 23-Garet Williamson[6]
7. 44-Chris Martin[5]
8. 13-Tanner Holmes[7]
9. 0-Glenn Styres[11]
10. 11-TJ Stutts[10]
DNS: 26-Justin Peck
C-Main (10 Laps)
1. 51-Scott Bogucki[3]
2. 71-Parker Price Miller[5]
3. 16C-Scotty Thiel[1]
4. 11-TJ Stutts[8]
5. G5-Gage Pulkrabek[7]
6. 0-Glenn Styres[4]
7. 15T-Ryan Turner[9]
8. 77T-Tyeller Powless[11]
9. 6-Kasey Jedrzejek[6]
10. 15K-Creed Kemenah[2]
11. 26-Justin Peck[10]
Toyota Dash (6 Laps)
1. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[1]
2. 19-Brent Marks[2]
3. 2-David Gravel[3]
4. 39M-Anthony Macri[6]
5. 1S-Logan Schuchart[5]
6. 83-Michael Kofoid[7]
7. 10-Ryan Timms[8]
8. 1A-Ashton Torgerson[4]
MicroLite Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps)
1. 15-Donny Schatz[2]
2. 2C-Cole Macedo[4]
3. 27-Emerson Axsom[1]
4. 9-Daison Pursley[3]
5. 17B-Bill Balog[7]
6. 71-Parker Price Miller[15]
7. 44-Chris Martin[10]
8. 23-Garet Williamson[6]
9. 5-Brenham Crouch[8]
10. 5C-DJ Christie[9]
11. 13-Tanner Holmes[13]
12. 48-Danny Dietrich[5]
13. 51-Scott Bogucki[14]
14. 0D-Danny Sams III[11]
15. 4-Cameron Martin[12]
NOS Energy Drink Feature (25 Laps)
1. 17-Spencer Bayston[10]
2. 41-Carson Macedo[9]
3. 39M-Anthony Macri[4]
4. 83-Michael Kofoid[6]
5. 15-Donny Schatz[21]
6. 1S-Logan Schuchart[5]
7. 10-Ryan Timms[7]
8. 23-Garet Williamson[26]
9. 1A-Ashton Torgerson[8]
10. 21-Brian Brown[14]
11. 27-Emerson Axsom[23]
12. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[1]
13. 9-Daison Pursley[24]
14. 2C-Cole Macedo[22]
15. 7S-Chris Windom[18]
16. 17GP-Hank Davis[17]
17. 32-Bryce Lucius[11]
18. 88-Austin McCarl[19]
19. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[12]
20. 6-Kasey Jedrzejek[27]
21. 23D-Chase Dietz[15]
22. 28M-Conner Morrell[16]
23. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild[13]
24. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[20]
25. 2-David Gravel[3]
26. 19-Brent Marks[2]
27. 17B-Bill Balog[25]