S.M.A.S.H iRacing: Cup Series Dillon Canova Wins at Charlotte

By S.M.A.S.H — May 23, 2026

Memorial Day weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway closed with the S.M.A.S.H Cup Series taking center stage, and once again, Dillon Canova made sure the story ran through the #70 Chevrolet.

After the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series opened Saturday night, the Cup Series rolled onto Charlotte for 100 laps to finish off one of the biggest weekends on the S.M.A.S.H calendar. The field had speed. The race had pressure. The track demanded discipline.

But out front, Canova left no doubt.

He won the pole, led every lap, set the fastest lap of the race, and drove away with the S.M.A.S.H Cup Series win at Charlotte.

Canova Dominates From Start to Finish

Dillon Canova’s Cup Series night started with the pole.

Canova put the #70 Chevrolet on top in qualifying with a 29.599-second lap, giving himself the clean air and track position every driver wanted heading into the 100-lap race. From there, he did not give the field a chance to take control.

When the green flag dropped, Canova led Lap 1.

Then Lap 2.

Then every lap after that.

By the time the checkered flag fell, Canova had led all 100 laps and finished the race with the fastest lap of the night at 29.867 seconds. That is about as complete as a Cup Series performance gets.

Charlotte is not an easy place to control a race. Long runs matter. Traffic matters. Tire management matters. Restarts matter. One mistake can erase a strong night in seconds.

Canova never let that happen.

Christopher Melton Charges to Second

Behind Canova, Christopher Melton put together one of the strongest drives of the night.

Melton started deep in the field, rolling off 15th, but climbed all the way to second in the #49 Toyota. In a 100-lap race with only one caution, that kind of movement has to be earned.

There were not constant restarts to hand drivers free track position.

There was no chaos-filled shuffle every few laps.

Melton had to drive forward the hard way, and he did exactly that.

Finishing second at Charlotte after starting 15th is a statement run. It showed patience, pace, and the ability to move through the field without throwing the night away.

Chris Trammell Completes the Podium

Chris Trammell brought the #9 Chevrolet home third after a clean and steady race.

Trammell started fifth, finished third, completed all 100 laps, and recorded 0 incidents. That kind of result matters in the Cup Series, especially at a track like Charlotte where pressure builds over the full distance.

Not every strong race has to be loud.

Sometimes the best nights come from staying clean, staying close, and being there when the finish comes.

Trammell did that and left Charlotte with a podium finish.

Top Five at Charlotte

The S.M.A.S.H Cup Series top five at Charlotte finished:

1. Dillon Canova — #70 Chevrolet

2. Christopher Melton — #49 Toyota

3. Chris Trammell — #9 Chevrolet

4. Ronnie Pyland — #55 Chevrolet

5. Daryl Griffin — #4 Ford

Ronnie Pyland finished fourth in the #55 Chevrolet after starting fourth, holding position inside the front group for the night.

Daryl Griffin delivered one of the biggest climbs of the race, starting 17th and finishing fifth in the #4 Ford. Moving from the back of the field into the top five at Charlotte is not easy, especially in a Cup race where track position matters as much as it does.

That was a strong recovery drive and a major result to close out the weekend.

More Drivers Make Moves

Dean Howard also had a big run forward, starting 16th and finishing sixth in the #09 Chevrolet.

Steven L McDonald finished seventh in the #8 Chevrolet, while Darren T Vale came home eighth in the #28 Chevrolet after completing 99 laps. Steven Harris finished ninth in the #1 Chevrolet, and Stephen Nolen rounded out the top ten in the #43 Chevrolet.

Nolen had shown speed earlier in the night, qualifying second with a 29.677-second lap, but the race did not finish the way the starting order suggested. Charlotte can do that. Over 100 laps, the field changes, tires fade, traffic gets involved, and the drivers who manage the full distance rise to the front.

Race Summary

The S.M.A.S.H Cup Series race at Charlotte was a 100-lap event with 17 drivers taking the green.

The race featured 1 caution for 3 caution laps, 0 lead changes, and an official strength of field of 1836. Canova led all 100 laps from the pole, making him the only driver to lead the race.

That tells the story clearly.

This was not a race won by luck. It was not a late steal. It was not a night where the leader backed into the result.

Canova controlled the race from start to finish.

Memorial Day Weekend Closes With Meaning

Even with the Cup Series intensity, this weekend still carried a bigger message.

Memorial Day weekend is about remembering the men and women who gave everything in service to this country. It is about honoring sacrifice, respecting the families who carry that loss, and understanding that some weekends are bigger than racing.

S.M.A.S.H spent the weekend competing hard at Charlotte, but the meaning behind the holiday stayed part of the conversation.

The racing mattered.

The results mattered.

But the reason this weekend matters goes far beyond the scoreboard.

Final Word

The S.M.A.S.H Cup Series closed Memorial Day weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway with Dillon Canova delivering a statement win.

He took the pole.

He led every lap.

He set the fastest lap.

He won the race.

Christopher Melton charged from 15th to second. Chris Trammell completed the podium. Ronnie Pyland finished fourth. Daryl Griffin stormed from 17th to fifth.

Charlotte gave the Cup Series a proper test, and Canova answered it with total control.

Memorial Day weekend brought meaning to the grid.

The Cup Series brought the competition.

And Dillon Canova closed the night on top.