S.M.A.S.H iRacing Weekend Recap: North Wilkesboro Delivers Week 5

By S.M.A.S.H — April 19, 2026

Week 5 at North Wilkesboro Speedway is complete, and the weekend gave every series a different kind of test. From a caution-heavy East Coast Truck Series opener to disciplined Saturday runs in the O’Reilly and Cup Series, North Wilkesboro once again showed why it remains one of the most respected short tracks on the schedule.

Jacob Szala Wins the East Coast Truck Series at North Wilkesboro

Friday night’s East Coast Truck Series race opened the weekend with a hard-fought battle, and Jacob Szala came away with the win.

In a race shaped by pressure, restarts, and constant track-position battles, Szala stayed in control when it mattered most and finished the night with 41 points. It was the kind of performance North Wilkesboro demands — composed, disciplined, and strong when the race tightened up late.

The official race summary showed a 25-driver field, 13 cautions, 54 caution laps, and 7 lead changes, making it clear that this was one of the toughest East Coast Truck Series races of the season so far. The top five were Jacob Szala, Shane Marcum, Trevor Brownlee, Patrick Hernandez, and Mike Springer.

Lee Richardson IV Gets It Done in the O’Reilly Series

Saturday’s O’Reilly Series race rewarded patience and control, and Lee Richardson IV delivered when it counted.

Richardson took the win over 175 laps, leading 21 laps on the night and finishing with just 2 incidents. Behind him, Shane Marcum came home second and Cody Oconnor finished third.

The race featured 6 lead changes and 1 caution for 4 laps, keeping the field honest over the full run. Chris Trammell showed front-running speed as well, leading 78 laps and setting the fastest qualifying lap at 19.6452, but ultimately finished fourth.

Patrick Hernandez Controls the Cup Series Main Event

In the Cup Series, Patrick Hernandez put together the strongest drive of the weekend.

Hernandez took the win after leading 141 of 175 laps, recording the fastest lap of the race at 18.6178, and finishing with 0 incidents. It was a complete performance from the No. 91 and one that left very little room for the field to respond.

Chris Trammell finished second, Cody Oconnor third, Shane Marcum fourth, and Austin Gum rounded out the top five. The race included 8 lead changes and 1 caution for 4 laps, which kept the pace honest without taking away from the importance of long-run execution.

Where To Find Points and Results

Updated points standings and full race results can be found on the official S.M.A.S.H iRacing site.

Points Standings: smashhq.gg/points

Results: smashhq.gg/results

All-Star Vote Ends Today

Attention now shifts to the upcoming East Coast Truck Series event this Friday.

The All-Star vote ends today on Discord, and anyone who has not voted yet needs to get that handled before it closes.

Discord: discord.gg/smashhq

Final Word

North Wilkesboro gave S.M.A.S.H iRacing exactly what a true short track should — races decided by patience, execution, and who could stay disciplined over time.

With Week 5 complete, the results are in, the standings tighten, and the focus now shifts to

Friday’s East Coast Truck Series All-Star event.