Hendrick Motorsports, No. 5 team prepped for second dose of ‘Double’

Posted on May 24, 2025May 24, 2025 by Zach Sturniolo

CONCORD, N.C. — By Saturday night, Kyle Larson will be back in Indianapolis, ready for a full night’s rest before what he hopes are his most racing miles logged in one day.

On Sunday, he’ll compete in the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500, then fly to Charlotte, North Carolina, where he’ll drive the No. 5 Chevrolet in the Coca-Cola 600 (6 p.m. ET, Prime Video, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). It’s a redo of last year’s first attempt at the Memorial Day Weekend Double, an 1,100-mile endeavor of racing that went awry in 2024 when weather both in Indy and Charlotte prohibited Larson from ever turning a Sunday lap in his NASCAR Cup Series Chevrolet — his day job.

MORE: Larson’s Double in photos | Larson ‘confident’ after Carb Day

With a second chance comes less uncertainty. The weather is still a variable, but the logistics laid in place to help Larson, Hendrick Motorsports and IndyCar team Arrow McLaren accomplish their goals naturally have less bugs in the system, so to speak, heading into Year 2.

“Any chance you get an opportunity to have those experiences, good or bad, there’s always a lot to learn and a lot to take away, and we certainly did from last year,” Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet, told NASCAR.com. “This year, having been through the motions last year, this year is more straightforward, I would say. To your point, there’s less questions and a lot more answers.

“Still, every year is different. Every experience is different. So there’s a few things we’ve had to adapt to. But overall, we have a great team of people behind the logistics of getting Kyle back and forth. Our team has been through it. So just a lot of really good preparation from everybody at Hendrick Motorsports, Arrow McLaren and the 5 team that hopefully we’re in a good spot.”

Zach Sturniolo | NASCAR Digital Media

Like 2024, Larson was in Charlotte Saturday to practice and qualify his Cup car, slotting 20th in practice and qualifying on the front row in second place, with reserve driver Justin Allgaier waiting in the wings if and as needed. Certain unknowns from last year though included when exactly Larson needed to be en route to Charlotte from Indianapolis and how to achieve all the objectives necessary to make that happen seamlessly.

“Last year was just slightly different, you know?” Jeff Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports’ vice chairman, said Saturday. “And I say that because we were going into it with (the mindset of), ‘This is probably the one and only time that we’re going to do this. This is Kyle’s first time. This is (team owner) Rick Hendrick’s first time.’ And so it was not as easy and clear-cut of a decision as to when we leave Indianapolis. That’s not the case this time. This time, he’ll be here — our goal is driver introductions, which I think is 5:25 (p.m. ET). That is our goal. … It’s a very tight window, but we have a concrete plan in place.”

Through preparing for the 2025 edition of the Double, Larson has crashed twice in the buildup to the Indianapolis 500 but will start 19th Sunday before bolting back to Charlotte. With more repetitions comes more confidence — both behind the wheel and in planning how to put together a cohesive effort.

“I feel like it’s been much smoother,” Gordon said. “I know (IndyCar) practice prior to qualifying didn’t go quite as well from Kyle’s perspective. But otherwise, I think everything has been much smoother and easier just because of what we already know, based on what we did last year.”

Posted on May 24, 2025May 24, 2025 by Cameron Richardson

CONCORD, N.C. — As another Coca-Cola 600 approaches Sunday evening (6 p.m. ET, Prime Video, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), it sparks all the fond memories for Ryan Blaney’s return to Charlotte Motor Speedway, where he was victorious in the 2023 edition of NASCAR’s longest race.

Not only was it the first crown-jewel triumph checked off for the No. 12 Team Penske driver, but it snapped a 59-race winless drought for Blaney that included a zero in the 2022 Cup Series season.

“There was multiple special feelings going on,” Blaney said Saturday ahead of Coca-Cola 600 practice. “We only won the All-Star Race in ’22, so it was a little while since I last won. So that meant a lot finally getting back in Victory Lane. Winning the 600 was obviously a huge milestone. I grew up coming to this race watching dad [Dave] run and Memorial Day weekend always meant a lot to me.”

Reaching the start/finish line after the cooldown lap to begin his familiar no-burnout celebration, Blaney was met with a heavy roar from the crowd that made it to the 1.5-mile facility on a Monday evening after weather hampered the weekend.

With chants of “Blaney, Blaney, Blaney!” ringing from thousands, the then 29-year-old took a page from organizational teammate Josef Newgarden, who won the Indianapolis 500 the day before, to run into the grandstands and greet the fans.

“Josef went in the stands when he won the Indy 500 that day before and I just thought that was awesome. That was so cool,” Blaney said. “I was super psyched for Josef and that group, for him to get his first Indy 500 and it just kind of, all of a sudden, I wanted to do and I think I said to myself when I saw him go in the stands on Sunday, I was like, ‘man, if we can win, I want to do that.’ That’d be cool. Yeah, that was such a fun night.”

Logan Riely | Getty Images

What made it even more special for Blaney was having the CEO of primary sponsor BodyArmor that night, Federico Muyshondt, at the track to celebrate.

“He and his family were in town, and since the race got delayed, he had to fly his family to the airport,” Blaney said. “He had to drive them to the airport and they were going to leave because they had to get back home, his kids had to go to school. He just had this feeling that we were going to win. So he turned around after he dropped his family off, he came back and watched like the last 40, 50 laps, and was able to celebrate in Victory Lane. Just his dedication to like, ‘man, I think we’re going to win this thing’, to come back, leave his family like, I’m staying. I’m not missing it and to share that moment with him was really cool since they were on the car for that race.”

The win didn’t just get Blaney back on the board in the win column — it also set up his run to the 2023 Cup Series Championship.

MORE: Relive 2023 Coke 600

The path wasn’t straightforward to hoist the Bill France Cup. However, Blaney secured a pair of clutch playoff wins at Talladega and Martinsville to ultimately finish the best of the Championship 4 when the checkered flag flew at Phoenix Raceway.

“I think it really set us up for that,” Blaney said. “We started off ’23 running OK, not great, and we were able to find a lot of good things at this race two years ago that kind of was like ‘OK, I think we’re on a good path right now … That was really the start I feel like of our group and our mentality and our performance kind of getting to where it needed to be, which is always neat to look back on those things, and like, where was the point that you kind of really knew you could make a charge of this thing? And really, I do think it started there.”

Posted on May 24, 2025May 24, 2025 by Staff Report

See where your favorite NASCAR Cup Series driver will pit in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 (6 p.m. ET, Prime Video, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

See where your favorite NASCAR Xfinity Series driver will pit in Saturday’s BetMGM 300 (4:30 p.m. ET, The CW, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

See where your favorite NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver will pit in Friday night’s North Carolina Education Lottery 200 (8:30 p.m. ET, FS1, NRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on May 24, 2025May 25, 2025 by Staff Report

The NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Truck Series are all in action this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Bookmark this page and come back often for your race-week essentials — from links to qualifying order, average practice speeds, results and more.

NASCAR Cup Series

Race day: Sunday at 6 p.m. ET on Prime Video. The categories listed below will be filled out with links as the information is available.

Tires: 13 sets for the race, plus one set for practice and one set for qualifying. The qualifying set rolls over into the race.

Entry list
Qualifying order
Practice Results
Practice Lap Averages
Practice Lap Times
Qualifying Results
Pit Stalls
Stage 1 Results
Stage 2 Results
Stage 3 Results
Race Results

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Race day: Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET on The CW. The categories listed below will be filled out with links as the information is available.

Tires: Six sets

Entry list
Qualifying order
Practice Results
Practice Lap Averages
Practice Lap Times
Qualifying Results
Pit Stalls
Stage 1 Results
Stage 2 Results
Race Results

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

Race day: Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET on FS1. The categories listed below will be filled out with links as the information is available.

Tires: Five sets

Entry list
Qualifying order
Practice Results
Practice Lap Averages
Practice Lap Times
Qualifying Results
Pit Stalls
Stage 1 Results
Stage 2 Results
Race Results

Posted on May 24, 2025May 24, 2025 by Zach Sturniolo

CONCORD, N.C. — Kyle Busch will continue to drive the No. 8 Chevrolet with Richard Childress Racing through the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, he and RCR announced Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The two-time Cup Series champion has piloted the No. 8 car since 2023, collecting three wins, 16 top fives and 31 top 10s in 84 starts since departing Joe Gibbs Racing after a 15-year stint. Team president Mike Verlander confirmed the team was picking up the option on Busch’s contract through 2026.

Announcing the news were team owner Richard Childress and Busch, both of whom remain encouraged by recent changes within the organization in efforts to snap what is currently a 69-race winless streak for Busch and the No. 8 team.

“This has extended our contract out another year, and we’re really excited,” Childress said. “You know, Kyle has been great to work with. Everybody had questions going in. I love a driver that (doesn’t) like to lose, and we’ve worked hard. We’ve got some exciting things coming up.

“He and I are both alike in one area that we don’t like to lose; we want to win races. I still think that Kyle will win him a championship, and we want it to happen at RCR and that’s our plans. We got a lot of new things coming. This car is a lot different. It’s so engineer-driven that we’re stepping our engineering up more, and I’m excited about the future.”

Winless since scoring three wins in the first 16 races of 2023, Busch has played an instrumental role in aiding RCR’s offseason retooling. Between the 2024 and 2025 campaigns came the promotion of Verlander to president of the company after he previously held the same role at Kyle Busch Motorsports and served as executive vice president at Stewart-Haas Racing. Other moves included Torrey Galida’s ascension from president to vice chairman, along with the addition of John Klausmeier as technical director and Richard Boswell as crew chief of the No. 3 team with driver Austin Dillon.

MORE: Rowdy at 40 years old

That RCR picked up the option on Busch’s career affirms its commitment to Busch and his ability to continue to drive the organization forward.

“I give a lot of credit to Richard and him believing in me and giving me the opportunity to be able to come over here and have a chance to drive his car,” Busch said. “So for me, rewarding him with that and having the success on the race track is paramount. Being able to continue on when I first joined, I feel like there were some things that we were doing within the rules at that time that got us some extra speed, and then, there was definitely some things that came down that they didn’t like us doing.

“So that’s sort of where we’ve lost a little bit if people are wondering, why have we not been able to win like we did in the first 16 races. It’s just a matter of being able to continue to work with the people that are there. It’s a great culture. I enjoy working there. I fit in well there. They enjoy having me there.”

Part of that culture is working alongside teammate Dillon, a past winner of the Coca-Cola 600 and Daytona 500.

“Austin’s been a fantastic teammate,” Busch said. “His demeanor and the way that we’re able to work together, we talk a lot about the same things and describe it in much of the same fashions. He’s been a really good resource to rely on as well. So it’s good to have a teammate factor that helps keep you there.”

With the organizational changes have come improvements for Dillon and the No. 3 team as well. In his 12th season of driving for RCR, his grandfather’s team, Dillon currently maintains an 18.4 average finish, over four positions better than his 2024 campaign. Working alongside a multi-time Cup champ like Busch has been a boon for Dillon.

“I feel like he (Busch) gives you what you expect, which is that he’s a hard worker,” Dillon said Friday. “He’s fiery. He wants the best for the cars. He wants to get to Victory Lane constantly and will push everyone to figure out how to make that happen, even himself on the track.

“But as far as being in the meetings with him after practice and on Mondays and the debriefs, he’s very helpful. He asks good questions at the right time about what your car is doing, and he provides information that you can make your car better off of. So from that standpoint, you couldn’t ask for a more helpful teammate when it comes to his knowledge of the game and what he is providing from an informational standpoint.”

While Busch’s victories have slowed, there remains an obvious optimism within Busch as he remains the pilot of the No. 8 Chevrolet.

“We have certainly had our battles,” Busch said. “It’s been fun yet challenging. Definitely isn’t easy. This sport is very, very tough, very, very close and challenging in being able to score those wins and compete for those each and every week. And we know those areas in which we can improve behind the wheel, on pit road, in the engineering, all of the above. So this is just the pinnacle of that and hope to continue to build on our successes that we’ve been working towards for the last two years.”

Busch is the 2018 winner of the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte. The 2025 edition begins Sunday at 6 p.m. ET on Prime Video, PRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Posted on May 23, 2025May 24, 2025 by Cameron Richardson

CONCORD, N.C. — An abnormally crisp late May evening at Charlotte Motor Speedway delivered a familiar result in the Craftsman Truck Series race as Corey Heim swept the stages en route to his fourth win of 2025.

However, Heim’s victory didn’t come without a contest as the Niece Motorsports pair of Ross Chastain and Kaden Honeycutt tested the No. 11 Tricon Garage driver all night long, with Honeycutt nabbing a career-best third-place finish in the No. 45 Chevrolet.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos

“Great night tonight for our company, second, third and seventh,” Honeycutt said. “I hate that we didn’t win the race. This team has been so dang good here. We were good here last year and I put a lot of pressure on myself winning, but that’s how bad I want to do it.”

Throughout the 134-lap showdown, Honeycutt had the speed and the pit crew to challenge for the lead. The No. 45 team opted for no tires at the end of Stage 2 to move into the lead ahead of Heim and was able to hold serve within the top five, collecting 16 stage points to complement a career-best evening.

Battling a murderer’s row of drivers in Heim and Cup veterans Kyle Busch and Chastain was going to be an uphill battle for the 21-year-old driver in his first full-time season. However, it was a valuable learning experience for the rising prospect as he continues to blossom at the national level.

“I definitely learned a lot,” Honeycutt said. “I hate that I didn’t keep the lead there when my pit crew did an amazing job. God, they were so dang good all night. They were awesome. I appreciate them. I just hit the splitter just trying to hold off Corey there to try to keep the lead in clean air. [Crew chief] Phil [Gould] had a great call pitting there to get us in front of some of these guys. The 7 [Busch] was one of them and I feel like we had a top-three truck … just needed a little bit more to fight with that 11. They’ve been really freaking good.”

David Jensen | Getty Images

Adding to his Charlotte schedule competing Friday evening, Chastain continues to serve in a mentor role for Niece Motorsports as the organization continues to develop up-and-coming drivers.

The Alva, Florida native still wants to chase trophies at the Truck level whenever he climbs into the No. 44 Chevy, and since team owner Al Niece told Chastain he was bringing on Honeycutt, he’s been impressed ever since.

MORE: Coca-Cola 600 weekend schedule | Charlotte info hub

“I’ve seen first to trust Al Niece’s gut when he says ‘this is the guy,'” Chastain said. “He first told me about him. Texas kid, I’m thinking, ‘OK, just because he’s from Texas, he’s gonna be in the truck.’ Once I knew he was gonna be in one and I watched him in the other vehicles he was in, I’m like ‘OK yeah, he can drive.’ He’s with Phil Gould, so they’re coaching him. Got a good group around him, in the team and out, and he’s doing the little things right.”

Racing hard against Chastain inside the top five, Honeycutt credited Chastain with the contributions he’s made to Niece Motorsports.

“He’s been awesome,” Honeycutt said. “He’s what made this place what it is today and that’s amazing. So I’m very thankful to have a mentor like him and someone that I can lean on. I was really happy I even got to race with him and race side-by-side with him and do things tonight that I didn’t know I was capable of.”

Honeycutt leaves Charlotte seventh in the Truck Series standings, and while Heim owns a whopping 176-point lead over Honeycutt, the No. 45 driver sits just 76 points behind Chandler Smith for second.

Without any 1.5-mile circuits remaining on the Truck schedule this season, Honeycutt will be put to the test to deliver on tracks he’s never competed on, but with his strong start to the year, look for the young driver to continue to perform up to par.

“I put a lot of pressure on myself, but I expect to win,” Honeycutt said. “When we don’t win, we try to scratch our heads and figure out what we need to do to be better and we were really good today as a company, I’m really happy for everyone. Just gonna move on next week and keep that momentum rolling.”

The Truck Series returns next Friday at Nashville Superspeedway for the Rackley Roofing 200 (8 p.m. ET, FS1, NRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on May 23, 2025May 24, 2025 by Reid Spencer

CONCORD, N.C. — This time, Corey Heim didn’t just slam the door on his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competition — he nailed it shut.

Heim’s three previous 2025 wins notwithstanding, the driver of the No. 11 Tricon Garage Toyota has had difficulty closing out races with a dominant truck this season.

That was emphatically not the case on Friday night, when Heim led 98 of 134 laps and beat runner-up Ross Chastain to the finish line by 6.229 seconds in the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Heim’s first victory at Charlotte and his fourth of the season was the 15th of his Truck Series career, tying him with Matt Crafton for 10th on the all-time career wins list. At age 22, he is the youngest to reach the 15-win milestone.

It was a perfect night. Heim swept the first two stages of the race and set the fastest lap, scoring a maximum 61 points to widen his series lead to a massive 100 points over second-place Chandler Smith. His margin of victory was the largest ever in the series at Charlotte.

“I felt like we’ve had the speed the last couple years here, but circumstances haven’t let us get it done,” said Heim, who has won five of the last nine Truck Series races on intermediate speedways.

“Obviously, it was such a good truck. I had to execute on my part. The pit crew did a great job. Just a really nice clean day. … It feels great. It feels like we’ve had a lot of opportunities to do that this year, really. Just can’t say enough about these guys. My team gave me a great Tundra, and we just really checked all of the boxes tonight. It feels great.”

Chastain was the best of the three Niece Motorsports Chevrolet drivers in the top seven. Kaden Honeycutt ran third, and Matt Mills was seventh. But none of the Niece trucks could mount a challenge to the race winner, particularly on longer runs.

“Best in class,” Chastain said of his own effort. “The 11 (Heim) is the best in the field right now, and none of us had anything for him. The 7 (Kyle Busch), the 38 (Smith), the 34 (Layne Riggs) — it was a heck of a race (for second) back there between us, but we’ve got to make it last longer.”

Riggs and Busch came home fourth and fifth, respectively, followed by Grant Enfinger, Mills, Daniel Hemric, Rajah Caruth and Brandon Jones.

Smith fell victim to a Lap 71 wreck involving polesitter Gio Ruggiero, reigning series champion Ty Majeski and Connor Mosack. The winner last week at North Wilkesboro, Smith, was the first driver eliminated from the race and finished 34th.

WATCH: Smith, Majeski go spinning to start final stage

There were three cautions for 20 laps, two of the yellows for stage breaks.

The only negative for Heim is that no more 1.5-mile intermediate speedways are remaining on this season’s Truck Series schedule.

Next up for the Truck Series is the Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville Superspeedway at 8 p.m. ET on May 30 (FS1, NRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

NOTE: Post-race inspection in the Craftsman Truck Series garage was complete with no issues, confirming Heim as the winner.

Posted on May 23, 2025May 23, 2025 by Zach Sturniolo

CONCORD, N.C. — NASCAR Cup Series regulars Austin Dillon and Chase Briscoe are making a 900-mile weekend out of Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The duo will compete in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race, the BetMGM 300, ahead of Sunday’s premier Coca-Cola 600. Dillon, the 2013 Xfinity champion returning to the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, hasn’t driven in the series since 2023. Briscoe, driving the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, hasn’t raced in Xfinity competition since 2022.

MORE: Charlotte schedule | Best photos from the track

Both have had plenty of experience — and success — at the Xfinity level. The difference, though, stems from their mindsets entering Saturday’s 200-lap contest.

“I’m excited to get a Xfinity car — an RCR Xfinity car, especially,” Dillon said. “You know, they’ve been very fast this season and they’ve always been known for ECR engines, so I’m pumped to get in the No. 3 Boot Barn Chevy and have some fun at a place that I’ve had some success at in the Xfinity Series. So hopefully I can bring something to Jesse (Love) and Austin (Hill) this weekend on Saturday. It also gives me some momentum for Sunday.”

Briscoe, on the other hand, was a bit more trepidatious.

“I would be lying if I didn’t say I’m extremely nervous for the Xfinity race,” Briscoe said. “Just not being in one for a long time — even when I ran in ’22, it was on a road course. I haven’t really ran one since 2020, and that was obviously a good year for me, so I feel like there is all of these high expectations coming in running the Xfinity car. I don’t know what to expect. I feel like the feel is so different than what a Cup car is. Even sitting in the car in the shop, it feels so foreign, how the pedals are — there is no virtual mirror in there, camera mirror, so that part of it, I would say I’m definitely nervous. I’m excited, but I am nervous.”

Part of their difference in emotional nerves may stem from their past Charlotte results in Xfinity competition. Dillon is a two-time winner at Charlotte, his home track, with six top fives and seven top 10s in 12 starts. In four starts for Briscoe, his best finish is sixth, his only top-10 finish at the 1.5-mile quad-oval, which came while driving the No. 99 Ford for BJ McLeod Motorsports.

Both RCR and JGR are regular contenders at the front of the Xfinity Series field, though, evidenced this year by RCR’s four wins (three for Hill, one for Love) and JGR’s two (Brandon Jones and Aric Almirola).

“I feel like RCR has done a very good job of dominating in the Truck Series and the Xfinity Series,” Dillon said. “I think it comes back to the employees that we’ve had for a very long time — the faces that I had when I was in the Xfinity Series, and the faces I had when I was in the Truck Series are still there. Some have even left and then come back. Those guys are just known for speed, so I think that core group is what’s important and why those cars are extremely fast.

“And I know looking back, if I knew what I knew now, I would love to be in my trucks again. I’d love to be in my Xfinity cars again. I feel like I could go out there and win 10-race seasons with the experience I have in the Cup level. But that’s the reason why you keep moving and gaining experience in the Cup Series is just a whole other level. So I’m excited to get back in the Xfinity car.”

Briscoe sits 12th in Cup Series points in his day job and graded his 2025 efforts — Year No. 1 with JGR — at a “B- (or) C+” as he adjusts to Gibbs’ and Toyota’s equipment. The chance to compete for a victory Saturday, he said, could indeed help his Sunday approach.

“If you are winning, it helps your confidence,” Briscoe said. “It would definitely not be a confidence booster if I went to Xfinity car and ran 20th (Saturday). I definitely think going there and running up front will definitely build confidence. It is a little bit different now because SHR (Stewart-Haas Racing) — I didn’t have four or five top-fives at this point of the season, so any time you can go run up front, it’s like I can still do this, where now, it is different because I feel like I’m doing it more often on Sunday, but certainly, if I can go tomorrow and win, it just builds all of those things, so yeah, I want to go and win tomorrow. It will certainly help the confidence.”

Dillon, 21st in Cup points, has three top 10s in his last four Sunday starts. But with only four total Xfinity starts since the start of 2022, Dillon expects some cobwebs to shake off Saturday.

“It has been two years, so I just want to make sure I get to the gears clean the first time because it’s not just back and forth like we have every Sunday,” Dillon said. “Got that H-pattern again. So we’ll have fun with that and try to go win a race in our No. 3 Boot Barn Chevy.”

Posted on May 23, 2025 by Staff Report

Before the green flag waves and the NASCAR industry recognizes fallen service members with 600 Miles of Remembrance on Sunday, George Lutz will be on the infield grass at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Along with dozens of other volunteers, he will lead the unfurling of a giant Honor and Remember flag. The flag, Lutz hopes, will soon become the federally recognized symbol of respect and appreciation for fallen service members – and a reminder for all Americans that those who gave everything for their country should never be forgotten.

Through his non-profit Honor and Remember, an official partner of NASCAR IMPACT, Lutz will host many Gold Star families at the race track this weekend, their fallen loved ones’ names adorning the windshields of NASCAR Cup Series cars.

Lutz’s new book, Tragedy to Tribute, recounts the story of his own family’s tragic loss when his son George Anthony “Tony” Lutz II was killed while on patrol in Fallujah, Iraq in 2005.

—

It’s been almost 20 years since Tony tragically lost his life in Iraq. You’ve since made it your life’s mission to ensure that his memory, and the memories of other fallen service members are never forgotten. Why was it important to tell Tony’s story in this way?

After Tony’s death, I went down a spiritual path, if you will, and in my conversations with God, I came to realize that I knew that I would see him again. But what I didn’t know was what direction I should take next.

I started to lean in the direction of … how were other families [of fallen service members] feeling? How did they gain comfort? What came to them that they could embrace and give them any kind of hope?

I started to go and meet families and talk to them and share with them. And I realized that they didn’t have that structure, that support group people need when they experience tragedies. And so over time I started gathering families for meals and other things, and these were opportunities to embrace, to cry together and to share stories of their loved ones.

What I realized during that time and through these experiences was that the one thing that these families wanted more than anything was for their loved ones to be remembered. That was the one thing that these families really clung to. So the burning question in my mind was … how can every family make sure that their loved one is not forgotten?

I came to the realization that something had to be created that got everybody’s attention. The families will never forget, of course. I wear Tony’s dog tag around my neck. It was on my son’s body before he was buried. But how do we ensure that every single fallen service member is not forgotten by the general population?

So I thought, well, I’m going to create a flag. And I’m going to get that flag on every flagpole in America, and I’m going to make sure that families, wherever they live, will see this flag flying. And once we educate the families and the population about what it means and why it’s important, then every fallen hero family in America will then know that the flag is flying for them and flying for their loved ones.

Tony’s death became a means for me to have this wake-up call and realize this was necessary — to put something together so that America would never forget. And then it took, you know, God’s hand on my life to give me the energy and the passion and the relentless pursuit to make sure that I never gave up until it was achieved.

Tragedy to Tribute chronicles the journey of the organization you founded, Honor and Remember, and its growth over the years. What are you most proud of when you consider the impact and influence that Honor and Remember has had since 2008?

Since its inception on Memorial Day of 2008, I never imagined that the Honor and Remember flag would become as prominent as it has become. But here we are and it’s taken a long time.

The POW/MIA flag came along in 1971. It was 18 years later that it was finally recognized by the U.S. government. So I knew this was going to take time and that it would be a journey that required a wise approach. And that approach was founded on building relationships. With NASCAR, we have a 14-year relationship and now we’re an IMPACT partner … that’s all part of this step-by-step journey.

I’ve driven to all 48 contiguous states and I’ve been to Alaska and Hawaii to bring this message to every legislator in America, and that allowed us to get 28 state adoptions of the Honor and Remember flag as their state symbol of remembrance. I’ve visited Capitol Hill and I’ve told my story and there have been seven bills in Congress to make this flag a national symbol. Currently H.R. 1363 awaits a vote.

All that didn’t come without effort and a focus of helping people understand that the flag was meant to be a gift to the families. If we could get the flag flying on all these flagpoles, we’d giving an amazing gift to families by letting them know that we haven’t forgotten. Freedom comes at a price, and so many Americans don’t know how to express thanks to those who’ve paid the cost.

The role of NASCAR and the industry’s embrace of Honor and Remember is featured prominently in your book. What does the support of the NASCAR community mean to you, personally? How is it advancing the mission of Honor and Remember?

The NASCAR relationship began by getting to know people on the ground floor and passionately saying, “Hey, I’ve got something I think is important and you should think it’s important, and maybe together we can make some small difference.” And that’s how it started.

NASCAR for years has done a wonderful job celebrating our military and honoring veterans, but you can’t honor the military without remembering the fallen. These men and women didn’t get to be veterans. They didn’t get to come home and have a family and a career and continue to live under the freedoms that they died to protect, right?

And I think that that message resonated with NASCAR and I was allowed to be that navigator for them, that advocate that would help the industry come together to remember the fallen. Together the message from the sport has been that we proudly remember those that gave their lives so that we could enjoy what we do on a weekend basis. And so, personally, it means the world to me. NASCAR has helped me tell this story on a much broader scale, and to a massive audience of race fans.

The 600 Miles of Remembrance has become such an integral part of the Coca-Cola 600 and, more broadly, the sport’s efforts to honor and remember the fallen on Memorial Day Weekend. What impact does this program have on Gold Star Families?

You know, we’ve been working on and evolving this for a long time and the collaboration with NASCAR, Charlotte Motor Speedway and the race teams has been tremendous. It allows us to bring families that have been grieving to a place where they can not only lose themselves in the pomp and circumstance of an amazing race weekend, but they can also realize and recognize that their loved one has been embraced by a community that really gets it.

So the families come in and receive this behind-the-scenes experience that they’ve never had before, and with the addition of the names on the cars, you know, they’re just walking around on Cloud Nine. It’s a beautiful experience for them.

So, we’re actually bringing more healing to these families by bringing them together with each other, early on in the weekend and then giving them track tours and then letting them meet the race teams that they’re associated with.

It’s mind blowing for the families and to see how deeply NASCAR engages with this important message. It means the world to them.

What do you hope readers take from Tragedy to Tribute? And in what ways can NASCAR fans who are inspired to support assist in the cause of Honor and Remember?

One of the most important things fans can do is fly the Honor and Remember flag. It could be on their homes. It could be on their businesses. It could be on their churches, schoolyards or on the buildings of government legislators. And we’d like to see the flag 365 days of the year, not just on Memorial Day Weekend, because every single day is Memorial Day for a family somewhere in this country.

Next is helping us sponsor flags for families. We present personalized, handsewn flags. It is our mission to provide a flag as a free gift for every family that requests one. Honor and Remember has presented over 5,000 flags and we’re getting close to 5,500. Fans can visit Honorandremember.org to sponsor a flag or simply make a donation to our organization and support the cause.

We also have a federal bill in Congress, H.R. 1363. I would implore all fans to reach out to their local congressional offices and ask their members to sponsor the bill and help us get it passed by the end of this session, which is the end of 2026 and the year of America’s 250th anniversary.

Posted on May 23, 2025 by Holly Cain

SPEEDWAY, Ind. — Under sunny skies and temperatures in the high-60s — the warmest it’s been this week — the 33-car Indianapolis 500 field made its final practice laps Friday in preparation for Sunday’s 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500.

Friday’s annual “Carb Day” two-hour practice session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway culminated a busy, news-making week at the track where two of the fastest cars were penalized for illegal modifications, a rookie making his first career oval start won pole position and NASCAR champion Kyle Larson is set to make his second attempt at Memorial Day’s famed “Double” — competing in both the Indianapolis 500 Sunday morning (noon ET, FOX) and then NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 that evening (6 p.m. ET, Prime Video, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The two Team Penske cars penalized during Fast 12 pole qualifying made a huge statement Friday with two-time defending Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden turning the fastest lap in practice and his teammate, Will Power — who will join Newgarden on the last row of the starting grid as a result of the penalties — fifth fastest.

They also went on to face one another later in the day’s best-of-three championship round of the traditional Pit Stop Challenge, with Newgarden winning his third crown in the event, which pits 16 cars in eight rounds of head-to-head timed competition.

As for practice, Indy 500 pole-winner, Israeli driver Robert Shwartzman, 25, was 29th on the speed charts. And NASCAR Cup Series championship leader Kyle Larson was 26th on single lap speed but among the top six in both 10-lap and 20-lap runs.

The 2021 NASCAR champ Larson, who hosted his Cup Series Hendrick Motorsports team trackside Friday, remained confident in his No. 17 McLaren Arrow Chevrolet, all business as he climbed out for a practice debrief.

“I think it’s a little different than NASCAR with the drafting and not knowing what people’s objectives really were, but it doesn’t hurt [to be fast in multi-lap runs],” Larson said of his work Friday afternoon. “I feel good about my balance, so yeah, I feel like we’re pretty decent. There are a couple guys that are really good also, but I feel like things feel good.”

Larson acknowledged that coming through the field from the seventh row to start the race Sunday definitely presents a different experience than he had last year, starting fifth overall on the second row.

“I would prefer to start further forward, but I think you’ve just got to be smartly aggressive and patient all at the same time back when you start beyond the first few rows,” Larson said. “I think our car handles good in the pack, so just got to be smart about it. You can’t be too aggressive because if you try to push too much and get tightness and have to lift, then you’re going to give up a spot potentially. Just got to watch out when you make moves.”

It was an unusually dramatic day for several of his competitors. Alexander Rossi, who won the 100th Indianapolis 500 in 2016, had problems with his Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet early, running only five laps before the team took it to the garage for repairs. The Rahal Letterman Lanigan team had to change engines in Graham Rahal’s No. 15 Honda after only 21 laps of practice.

Indianapolis-native Conor Daly, a perennial crowd-favorite, also had a challenging day in his Junco Hollinger Racing Chevrolet, the team retiring to the garage early for a full once-over. Daly, who starts 11th, called the afternoon “nerve-wracking.” He still got in 59 laps of practice and posted the 10th-best speed Friday.

Another former Indy winner, Ryan Hunter-Reay, had the most dramatic exit from the practice when his No. 23 Dryer-Reinbold Chevy had to pull off the track with the rear of his car on fire. He was concerned the issue may be with the new hybrid system the cars are running at Indy, since his teammate also experienced a problem.

After practice, Carb Day activities finished up with the always-exciting Pit Stop Challenge, and Saturday features the traditional Public Drivers Meeting and parade through downtown Indianapolis — the month finally culminating with Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 green flag at noon ET.