S.M.A.S.H Clash Test: Shows Strong Potential Ahead of Friday Night Talladega Event

By S.M.A.S.H — June 21, 2026

The official S.M.A.S.H Clash test session is complete, and last night’s shakedown gave Race Control exactly what it needed heading into Friday night.

With Season 2 quickly approaching, S.M.A.S.H continued its run of offseason events by testing the upcoming S.M.A.S.H Clash at Talladega Superspeedway. The session brought together three different groups of cars in one field: Truck (East Coast), Contender (O’Reilly), and Cup.

The goal was simple. Find out if the format could race.

After 20 laps, six lead changes, zero cautions, and all three car types finishing inside the top three, the test showed that the Clash has real potential.

This was not the Bash. This was not built around chaos for the sake of chaos. The S.M.A.S.H Clash is a continuation of the offseason fun before Season 2 begins, but this event is being built as a real race with real drafting, smart decisions, and a competitive mixed-car format.

Three Series, One Competitive Package

The test field included 10 drivers across three S.M.A.S.H car groups.

The Truck (East Coast) entries brought the familiar Friday night truck package into the mix.

The Contender (O’Reilly) cars showed strong speed and proved they could control the draft at the front.

The Cup cars were right there as well, showing they had enough speed to fight for the win and stay locked into the lead pack.

The most encouraging part of the test was the finishing order.

Derek Forrest won the race in a Contender (O’Reilly) car.

Chandler Bloxom finished second in a Cup car.

Daryl Griffin finished third in a Truck (East Coast) entry.

That means the top three finishers represented all three car types.

For a test session, that is exactly what S.M.A.S.H needed to see.

Forrest Leads the Way

Derek Forrest made the strongest statement of the night, winning the 20-lap test in the No. 20 Contender (O’Reilly) entry.

Forrest started from the pole, completed all 20 laps, led a race-high 11 laps, and finished the night with zero incidents. It was a clean and controlled run that showed the Contender car can be a serious factor in the Clash format.

Chandler Bloxom finished second overall in the No. 72 Cup car. Bloxom started fifth, led five laps, and crossed the line close enough to show that the Cup cars will be right in the fight when the official event goes live.

Daryl Griffin brought the No. 4 Truck (East Coast) entry home third overall. Griffin started second, completed all 20 laps, and finished as the top truck in the field.

The test showed that no single car type was completely left behind. The draft worked, the packs formed, and the cars were close enough to create competitive racing.

Fastest Lap Goes to the Truck Group

One of the biggest notes from the test came from Steven Harris in the No. 00 Truck (East Coast) entry.

Harris finished sixth overall, but he recorded the fastest lap of the race with a 51.394-second lap. He also led three laps and finished with zero incidents.

That is important information for Race Control.

Even though the overall win went to a Contender car and second went to a Cup car, the fastest single lap came from a truck. That shows the truck group can still produce speed in the draft and remain part of the overall race.

Clash Test Notes

Overall Winner: Derek Forrest — No. 20, Contender (O’Reilly)

Top Cup Car: Chandler Bloxom — No. 72, 2nd overall

Top Truck: Daryl Griffin — No. 4, 3rd overall

Fastest Lap: Steven Harris — No. 00, Truck (East Coast), 51.394 seconds

Most Laps Led: Derek Forrest — 11 laps

Race Distance: 20 laps

Lead Changes: 6

Cautions: 0

Caution Laps: 0

Drivers: 10

Track: Talladega Superspeedway

Friday Night on SimSational TV

The official S.M.A.S.H Clash will be hosted this coming Friday night at Talladega Superspeedway.

The event will run during the normal East Coast Truck Series time slot and will be broadcast live by SimSational TV at 9:00 PM Eastern.

Upcoming Event Details

Event: S.M.A.S.H Clash

Track: Talladega Superspeedway

Date: Friday, June 26, 2026

Live Broadcast: 9:00 PM Eastern

Broadcast Network: SimSational TV

Format: Hosted offseason event

Cars: Truck (East Coast), Contender (O’Reilly), and Cup

The Clash continues the offseason run of S.M.A.S.H events before Season 2 officially begins.

The Bash gave the league a night of pure fun and chaos.

The Clash is different.

This one is built around pack racing, drafting, timing, patience, and decision-making. Drivers will need to understand the cars around them, manage pushes, respect closing rates, and make smart moves in the draft.

Talladega already creates big moments.

With three S.M.A.S.H car types sharing the same race, Friday night has the chance to deliver something completely different.

Final Word

The official S.M.A.S.H Clash test session was a success.

The cars were competitive.

The draft worked.

The top three finishers came from three different car types.

And the session gave Race Control valuable information before the official event goes live.

Season 2 is getting closer, but S.M.A.S.H still has offseason business to handle.

This Friday night, the Clash comes to Talladega.

Live on SimSational TV.

9:00 PM Eastern.

Three car types. One field. One more offseason showcase before S.M.A.S.H gets back to championship racing.

Integrity • Respect • Competition

S.M.A.S.H — Sim Motorsports Association Series of Horsepower