Chastain ‘confused’ and ‘disappointed’ with Logano’s post-Martinsville comments

Posted on April 2, 2025April 2, 2025 by Alex Cadavid

CONCORD, N.C. — After a few days to debrief, Ross Chastain took time Wednesday afternoon to address Joey Logano’s post-race comments after the defending Cup champ felt the No. 1 driver was the primary factor that led to his spin from sixth place during the final stage of last Sunday’s race at Martinsville Speedway.

The Team Penske driver had blamed Chastain for blocking Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chase Briscoe out of the entrance of Turn 3, resulting in his No. 19 Toyota bumping the back of the No. 1 Chevrolet, but Briscoe caught the inside curbing in doing so to send him into the side of Logano’s Ford. The three-time Cup champion unloaded on Chastain in post-race interviews, saying, “He just races like a jackass every week, and I keep paying the price. I’m sick of paying the price.”

RELATED: Logano sounds off on Chastain

Chastain was asked about the comments from his fellow NASCAR Cup Series veteran during his afternoon media availability at NASCAR’s Production Facility.

“I am confused by what he said. I don’t believe that the 19 [Briscoe] was trying to get to me,” said Chastain, currently 13th in points. “When I got down in front of the 22 the first time, there was a gap. Other guys had done that to me. That’s a very common move to get down in line. He took that opportunity to, I think, hit me harder than he needed to.

“I just couldn’t believe what they were saying and what they were telling me what he said. I would hope that he looked at it and had a little clearer mind. I mean, he’s a three-time champ. He can say what he wants. But those words have a lot of weight and to just get out and spew that, call me those names, is not appreciated, not warranted and honestly pretty disappointing that he would do that. To take feelings he had from COTA and other races and then take Martinsville, get out and just blast.”

Chastain believes Logano was carrying frustration from other races and particularly on-track actions from the Cup Series’ third race of the season at Circuit of The Americas. Logano felt Chastain forced another car into making contact with the No. 22 Ford late in that race as well. The Trackhouse Racing driver owned up to what he did then, but felt the Martinsville situation was completely different.

“COTA is kind of like, a lot of running into people, and to blame a car two cars back, OK. He can do it and I took it. He can have that,” Chastain said. “Then here [Martinsville], I wrecked him from in front of him? It’s like he’s hearing footsteps when I’m not there.

“He said on his interview he didn’t want to talk to me, and I’m not going to call him. I don’t need to call him. The whole calling, texting, clearing, it’s tiring at times. So, pretty disappointed to hear a guy like that, his caliber, his experience, just blast that stuff out there. Personally, I don’t feel that I need to defend myself or like I’m not going to get on and make a response.”

The two drivers have generally had a quiet on-track relationship, and Chastain even admitted that aside from a few aggressive blocks and a lengthy pit-road conversation at Kansas Speedway back in 2021, he and Logano have raced each other great. However, Sunday’s Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway (3 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) will be a good indication if there are any lingering feelings from last week and how the two might race each other going forward this season.

Posted on April 2, 2025April 3, 2025 by Zach Sturniolo

CONCORD, N.C. — Kyle Larson unveiled the looks of his NASCAR Cup Series No. 5 car and No. 17 NTT IndyCar Series ride Wednesday for his second attempt at completing the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 double on Memorial Day weekend.

Larson was joined by Hendrick Motorsports Vice Chairman Jeff Gordon at the NASCAR Productions Facility to reveal the paint schemes for his respective vehicles for what the team has dubbed the #Hendrick1100 presented by Prime Video.

MORE: Prime Video to sponsor Larson’s double | How to watch on Prime Video

On May 25, Larson will attempt to compete in the 200-lap, 500-mile Indy 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the open-wheel No. 17 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet before flying from Indiana to North Carolina, where he then plans to drive the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in the 400-lap, 600-mile Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway that same evening.

“They look great,” Larson told reporters after a Wednesday livestream. “The IndyCar, to me, I love it because I don’t think I’ve seen an IndyCar quite have this much detail to it before. So it looks sweet. And then obviously, the Cup car looks awesome as well. They look fast, and I’m sure they’ll be fast.”

The blue and white colors of HendrickCars.com, Larson’s primary sponsor in NASCAR competition, highlight his Indy 500 ride while Arrow McLaren’s papaya orange dons its nose, along with stripes down the side of the machine. Additionally, Prime Video is featured atop the vehicle’s side pods and its front wings as a presenting sponsor. That evening, the Coca-Cola 600 will be the first Cup race streamed exclusively on Prime Video at 6 p.m. ET (Prime Video, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Prime Video has also greenlit a feature-length documentary following Larson’s double attempt.

Larson’s Cup car for the Coke 600 will feature its traditional blue nose with HendrickCars.com donned across its hood, and its blue No. 5 will be accented by the papaya orange of Arrow McLaren to bring the IndyCar essence to NASCAR. The orange stripes will also streak across the corners of the car’s nose and doors, while the blue-and-orange No. 5 sits atop a white roof.

“That’s the cool part, is seeing them both together at once,” Gordon said. “I mean, you see the differences of the cars themselves, but to see the paint schemes tied together, I mean, that’s a lot of fun for the marketing folks. They put a lot of effort into how that (came together). And that’s what makes this, I think, really unique, is to be able to have both teams intricately involved, partners from both (teams) intricately involved, paint schemes matching. I mean, it’s a full-blown effort to pull this off.”

This year marks Larson’s second consecutive attempt at the Memorial Day double. The 2021 Cup champion qualified fifth and finished 18th in his inaugural Indy 500 start in 2024, but a weather delay in Indianapolis pushed the race back, causing Larson to arrive late for his NASCAR Cup Series duties. By the time Larson arrived at the No. 5 team’s pit box to replace substitute driver Justin Allgaier, rain had hit Charlotte Motor Speedway and cut the event short before Larson could even strap into his stock car. After starting from the rear, Allgaier wheeled the No. 5 car to a 13th-place finish when the race was called after 249 of a scheduled 400 laps.

Because of the logistical hiccups that derailed the 2024 attempt, Larson said he is just as excited to participate this year because last year’s efforts never came to fruition.

“It was really, really cool to get to run the Indy 500,” Larson said. “And I’m glad that I get to be buried someday knowing that I ran the Indy 500, but I want to do both. That’s why I did it last year was I wanted to do both. I think that’s why I was so bummed last year, also, is that I just didn’t get to do it. I hope that it all works out this year and we can do it and complete all the laps and get to run both races.”

WATCH: Larson on his ‘Double’ goals | Gordon: Larson is motivated to complete ‘Double’

Gordon, a NASCAR Hall-of-Famer and four-time Cup champion, said the original contract with Arrow McLaren was built as a two-year deal with opt-out options and a grace period to consider if indeed there would be a Year 2 of this project. Team took “a month or two” to determine its next steps before ultimately deciding to move forward.

“It just felt unfinished,” Gordon added. “Unfinished business for Kyle, unfinished business for Rick (Hendrick, team owner), for Hendrick, for Arrow McLaren. I mean, if you don’t complete 1,100 (miles), then it’s not over.”

The ongoing documentary process also factored into the team’s decision to chase the double one more time.

“I mean, that definitely played a role,” Gordon said. “We’re investing a lot in time and effort in capturing all this content, it’s not a program without finishing it. We could have told that story, but obviously you want to see it play out differently. And so I think this gives a good opportunity to close the loop on that and really have a full-length documentary.”

In last year’s iteration of the Indy 500, Larson was running sixth with 70 laps to go when green-flag pit stops began. But a pit-road speeding penalty sank Larson down the running order and off the lead lap. As Larson recalls, his brake pedal “bottomed out,” locking up his right-front wheel while coming to pit entry and ultimately derailing a strong debut performance.

A racer of all trades from dirt sprint cars to asphalt Cup cars, open-wheeled machines to IMSA sports cars, Larson felt incredibly well-prepared for last year’s event. With another chance sitting just under two months away, Larson returns with confidence and comfort to the IndyCar paddock.

“Nothing really surprised me,” Larson said. “The restarts and all that are different, but I felt like I got a handle of that after the first couple. I feel confident that I can get up to speed quickly again. I will have to learn the hybrid system, but I hope it’s not too complicated, but we’ll see. We’ll have the open test here in a few weeks and hopefully get up to speed quickly.”

Larson earned his first Cup victory of 2025 on March 23 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the 30th win of his career. He currently sits second in the points standings, 16 markers behind teammate William Byron ahead of Sunday’s race at Darlington Raceway (3 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on April 2, 2025April 2, 2025 by Nate Ryan

NASCAR will gather its Xfinity Series drivers this weekend to review the caution-plagued race at Martinsville Speedway that ended with a retaliatory crash on the last lap.

“Our plans are before we run the event (Saturday) at Darlington is to have a meeting with all the Xfinity Series drivers, just the drivers only,” Xfinity Series managing director Eric Peterson said during an episode of the “Hauler Talk” podcast. “We had one of these meetings at Daytona prior to the season starting. I feel like it went pretty well. We’ve had six really good races to start off the Xfinity Series season in 2025. And unfortunately, Martinsville was our seventh and didn’t go quite as good.

“And some of that, obviously, is a product of the short track that is Martinsville Speedway and the beating and banging that goes on there. But there were some other things in the race that were certainly pushing the boundaries of clean, good, hard racing.”

While the actions of Taylor Gray and Sammy Smith (who was docked 50 points and fined $25,000 for wrecking Gray from the lead) drew the most attention, Peterson said there was dubious driving throughout the field. He noted that the longest green-flag run after the first two caution flags was eight laps.

“So that’s obviously not what we’re looking for,” Peterson said. “So we’re certainly going to talk to the drivers and address that and obviously get their feedback on how they feel it went and what we can do going forward to make that better to get back to the good, hard, clean racing Xfinity Series is known for.”

During the podcast, Peterson and NASCAR managing director of racing communications Mike Forde also explained NASCAR didn’t penalize Smith immediately after the race because the last-lap timing of the incident made it difficult to gather all of the facts in a timely manner.

“We do have a lot of tools at our disposal between in the tower we’d have some camera angles we can look at, but waiting allows us the time to look at driver and team audio and SMT data and driver interviews to put the whole piece of the puzzle together before making this decision,” Peterson said. “I think the most important thing is that we get the decision right instead of having the decision right now.”

Forde said it would be a “nightmare scenario” if NASCAR made a call that affected the outcome of a race, and evidence later emerged that undermined the decision.

“I think the example of a scenario that could happen is if we took a car back to postrace tech, and that the brake pedal went all the way to the floor (because) the brakes just went out and that’s why that happened, and we DQ’d or black flagged that car and took the win away,” Forde said. “There’s no coming back from that. So in this instance, I think that’s where the decision was made. We looked at it and said, ‘Hey, let’s get the facts first here.’ I think there will be scenarios in the future where we do use the black flag, but we erred on the side of caution on that one.”

Peterson said NASCAR still would issue in-race penalties (such as holding a car for a lap or sending it to the rear) “if the circumstance is obvious. … The high-stakes decisions, especially at the end of the race, we just need to make sure that we have all the facts before we pull the trigger on that decision so that we ensure that we’re making the right decision.”

Forde said NASCAR officials also would talk to Xfinity team owners and principals this weekend about Martinsville.

“I think there are going to be some conversations over the weekend saying, ‘Hey, listen, this is also on you to help fix this problem,’ ” Forde said. “And it’s really the entire garage. I think NASCAR plays a role in trying to fix this. The drivers need to self-police. Spotters need to be involved. Crew chiefs need to be involved, and team principals and owners need to be involved. And I think everyone needs to understand that this is just not on NASCAR to fix this problem.

“Everyone needs to step up and understand that these actions shouldn’t be tolerated. And if it happens again, then you’re going to be battered around from all directions.”

Click on the embed above to listen or search for “Hauler Talk” wherever you download podcasts to hear it on your phone, tablet or mobile device.

Nate Ryan has written about NASCAR since 1996 while working at the San Bernardino Sun, Richmond Times-Dispatch, USA TODAY and for the past 10 years at NBC Sports Digital. He is a contributor to the new “Hauler Talk” show on the NASCAR Podcast Network. He also has covered various other motorsports, including the IndyCar and IMSA series.

Posted on April 2, 2025 by Dustin Albino

Away from the race track, you can find Dean Thompson actively kickboxing, an intense method for his cardio training. From behind the wheel, he’s one of several rookies looking to leave their mark in what is a stout NASCAR Xfinity Series field.

It was nearly all for naught. Thompson began racing quarter midgets at 5 years old with 2023 Xfinity champion Cole Custer. However, he took a break from racing until Joe Custer reached out, inquiring about Thompson being a guest at Auto Club Speedway.

RELATED: Dean Thompson driver page

The racing bug bit Thompson again, and he started competing in late models regularly. Before making the transition to NASCAR, he won consecutive championships in 2020 and 2021 at Irwindale Speedway. He moved rapidly to the Craftsman Truck Series in 2022 full time with Niece Motorsports before making the jump to Tricon Garage in 2023.

“I would say that I moved up pretty quickly from late models to ARCA to trucks, but looking back on it, I don’t regret it at all,” Thompson told NASCAR.com of his career trajectory. “I feel like it’s better to get into it sooner rather than later. Just getting into the thick of it and diving into the deep end has helped me.”

Thompson earned a pair of top-five finishes in 2023, finishing 20th in the championship standings. He tallied 11 top-10 finishes through 70 truck starts, but questions arose about his craft, having multiple brouhahas with competitor Hailie Deegan and others.

Regardless, Thompson wanted to transition to Xfinity for 2025. He competed in a pair of races for Sam Hunt Racing last year, hoping to confirm his belief that he was ready for the next step.

“When you’ve been working at Tricon for two years, been with Niece for a year and been in trucks for three years, it was time for a change in scenery,” Thompson said. “It wasn’t working for me. Sam and I build each other’s needs for this year.”

Hunt, amid his fifth full season as a team owner, knew of the rumblings around Thompson. Yet he believed in the 23-year-old as he has shown speed throughout his young career.

“We knew he was fast, we just knew there was going to be a challenge of helping him mature as a race car driver,” Hunt said. “I think that’s something he’s open in talking about now of how it took him so long to see the full picture coming from running 25-lap late model races at Irwindale to 300-mile races now. Just realizing that everybody at this level is fast. It doesn’t make you special if you’re fast once you get to this series. You have to develop that race craft.

“Going into this year, the primary objective was for him to mature and become a complete race car driver. I think now more than ever, I’m seeing him become that guy.”

Thompson is coming off a career-best sixth-place finish at Martinsville Speedway, which featured plenty of madness. He remained clean, despite getting turned multiple times throughout the 250-lap event.

That run bookended a three-week spurt where Thompson cracked the top 15. His spotter, Freddie Kraft, has guided him to success, knowing that speed has never been the issue. It’s more about settling in and cleaning up errors.

“He’s a good race car driver and puts the work in,” Kraft said. “He’s doing whatever it takes to get better, which is what you want to see out of somebody. From my side of it, it’s helping him be in position to succeed and things to look out for, and if we need to sit down to go over something, we can. It’s all about trying to help him understand that he’s got everything to do it right, it’s just a matter of putting it all together on a weekly basis.”

With a strong three-race stretch, Thompson has jumped five spots in the championship standings, slotting 19th heading into Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Darlington Raceway (3:30 p.m. ET, The CW, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). He’s ahead of fellow Rookie of the Year contenders Christian Eckes (20th) and William Sawalich (22nd), both of whom are on powerhouse Xfinity teams in Kaulig Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing, respectively.

MORE: Xfinity Series standings | Xfinity Series schedule

“Right now, the focus is getting base hits because if you base-hit them to death, you end up in a pretty good position,” Hunt said. “The joy for me right now is I feel like I’m watching the kid mature and become someone that everyone said he couldn’t become. Not that he’s still not making mistakes; he’s going to continue making small mistakes. He’s beginning to drive more like a veteran race car driver.”

Hunt admitted that the No. 26 team, led by crew chief Kris Bowen, holds each other accountable. Before the 2025 season began, Thompson was told that the only way the pairing would work was if he pulled the rope as hard as the rest of the team did.

So far, so good, as Thompson is a frequent visitor at the race shop.

“He knows that he’s got to make the most out of these next couple of years, or he’s not going to be a race car driver anymore,” Hunt said. “I think that’s showing up with how he’s working right now.”

Thompson is hesitant to put his expectations out to the universe. He refuses to compare himself to his competitors, falling into that trap in the Truck Series. For now, his main focus is continuing to work on himself.

“I don’t have one where I’m trying to shoot for the stars,” Thompson said. “Just try to set goals of running in the top 10, better average finish than average start, finishing in the top 10, being in the middle of the rookie standings consistently. Those are the goals.”

Posted on April 1, 2025April 1, 2025 by Staff Report

NASCAR officials penalized driver Sammy Smith on Tuesday for his on-track actions at the end of Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Martinsville Speedway.

Smith initiated contact on the final lap of Saturday’s Marine Corps 250 with race leader Taylor Gray, speeding his No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet into the back bumper of Gray’s No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. The bump sent Gray’s car spinning through Turns 3 and 4 and created a stack-up that snared others in the fray, allowing Austin Hill to slip past for his second win of the season.

As a result, NASCAR competition officials docked Smith 50 points in Xfinity Series drivers’ standings and also fined him $25,000. Smith drops from sixth to 13th in the Xfinity standings, trailing series leader and JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier by 128 points and sitting just one point behind Gray.

MORE: Details on Gray, Smith skirmish | Darlington schedule

“We want to see really hard racing and door-to-door racing, and contact is certainly a part of the sport and part of the sport at Martinsville Speedway,” said Eric Peterson, Xfinity Series Managing Director. “We felt like after looking at all the facts, all the video, the team audio, SMT data and all the tools, we have to work with and review an incident like that. Unfortunately, what Sammy did was over the line and something that we feel like we had to react to. We would prefer to leave it in the driver’s hands but in this case, it wasn’t really a racing move and we reacted to it as such.”

Smith and Gray had a testy post-race exchange outside of Martinsville’s infield care center, and NASCAR and team officials kept the confrontation from turning physical. Smith indicated that ramming his rival’s car was his intent, saying that Gray had raised tensions with a series of gestures and swerving. Smith finished 10th; Gray, who led 87 of 256 laps, was scored 29th.

Gray and fellow driver Jeb Burton — who was also entangled by the final-lap crash — were each fined $5,000 for behavioral penalties, with officials noting violations of Infield Care Center conduct.

“Taylor and Jeb were in the care center post-race and there was some behavior that (NASCAR officials) felt stepped over the line as far as interrupting a medical situation,” NASCAR’s Managing Director of Racing Communications Mike Forde said during a taping of the “Hauler Talk” podcast. “The care center is almost an on-site hospital, so the drivers and any competitor that enters that area, there should be a sense of decorum there.”

Smith’s move was reminiscent of a similar incident in the NASCAR Cup Series last season, when Austin Dillon knocked the cars of Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin aside on the final lap at Richmond Raceway. Dillon and his No. 3 Richard Childress Racing team were docked 25 points, and officials ruled that Dillon’s win would not count toward playoff eligibility.

NASCAR officials also suspended two pit-crew members after the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet driven by Shane van Gisbergen lost a wheel during Sunday’s Cup Series event. Van Gisbergen spun out in the 274th of 400 laps in the Cook Out 400 after his right-rear tire became dislodged after leaving the pits.

As a result of the safety violation, competition officials suspended No. 88 crew members Jonpatrik Kealey (rear-tire changer) and Aslan Pugh (jack) for two races each, starting with this weekend’s event at Darlington.

Competition also issued fines to two other teams — one in the Xfinity Series and another in the Craftsman Truck Series — for each having one lug nut unsecured after a post-race check. In Xfinity, the No. 00 Haas Factory Team group for driver Sheldon Creed was fined $5,000; Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 Truck Series team for driver Rajah Caruth was fined $2,500.

Posted on April 1, 2025 by Nate Ryan

NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps joined the “Hauler Talk” podcast to discuss the origins of his newly-created position, his vision for the future and several other hot-button issues.

During a wide-ranging hourlong interview, Phelps said the creation of the first official commissioner role was driven partly by the optics of virtually every other professional sport having that role.

“How we are governed is different from stick-and-ball sports,” Phelps said. “[NFL Commissioner] Roger Goodell has 32 owners that essentially are his owners and entrust him to run the sport. It’s a closed system. Ours is different. There are lots of stakeholders that are part of it.”

Phelps said his role would be two-pronged in overseeing the governance of NASCAR, but more broadly to ensure that the drivers, teams, manufacturers and fans also understand and can participate in the direction of the sanctioning body.

Phelps said creating a commissioner position first was suggested by Steve O’Donnell, who has taken over Phelps’ previous role as NASCAR president. Phelps then brought the idea to NASCAR CEO Jim France and executive vice chair Lesa France Kennedy for their approval.

“When you have 77 years of history and you don’t have a commissioner, I appreciate them understanding the change,” said Phelps, who plans to distance himself from the officiating side of NASCAR (though he will continue to attend most Cup Series races — either Phelps or O’Donnell and often both will be at every race).

Why does NASCAR need a commissioner now?

“It’s a time that our sport has experienced growth,” Phelps said. “There was a time when we had some significant declines. But it’s a time since 2019 that looks different and feels different, and if you’re in this sport, it feels good right now. The competition is amazing. The ratings are strong. We’ve got new media partners. Charter values are soaring. We’ve got wind at our back. OK, now what? That’s really what it was. Whether it’s international growth or just the opportunities afforded to us with my elevation.”

Since the Monday announcement of his promotion, Phelps said he already had witnessed new opportunities that resulted from naming a commissioner.

“Those types of things help put us shoulder to shoulder with every other major sport, which I believe we are,” Phelps said. “But within the media and sports arena, we’re looked at that way of shoulder to shoulder with Major League Baseball, the NHL, Major League Soccer and the PGA Tour.”

Serving as president of NASCAR since 2018, one of Phelps’ signature moments was spearheading NASCAR becoming the first major-league sport to return to action during the pandemic. He heard from a handful of other pro sports commissioners before NASCAR’s return at Darlington Raceway in May 2020.

RELATED: Darlington weekend schedule

“I had four to five texts from commissioners from other sports that said, ‘We’re rooting for you,’ “ Phelps said and then joked, “And for the first time, I actually believed them.”

Phelps said NASCAR’s response to the pandemic reinforced why he believes collaboration is the key to success.

“Our sport, when things are really hard, we do things really well,” he said. “The sport is at its best when it comes together. That’s why I push for collaboration every single chance I get. Because we’re just better together than we are apart.”

After overseeing a new media rights deal, the rollout of the Next Gen car and a revamp of the schedule in the past five years, Phelps said global growth would be a heavy focus to maintain the momentum as commissioner.

“International expansion is fertile ground for us,” he said. “What that looks like, we’re studying now. We have series in Brazil, Mexico, Canada and Europe. Is that the right model to continue expansion that way, or should we think more broadly of what it’s going to look like that looks different than that? We’re exploring all of those things.

“The opportunity to partner with stakeholder groups is a real opportunity as well, including race teams. There’s been discussion about, is there private capital that could help us internationally? Maybe. Could I see a scenario of racing in Mexico City and somewhere else south or north of the border? Maybe. There’s lot to think about what that’s going to look like.

“It’s going to require us to be very thoughtful about what those opportunities are and making sure we communicate that appropriately at the right time. One of the things we put in place in the charter agreements, the race team wants to have a seat at table. We created an owner advisory council with Justin Marks, Heather Gibbs and Brad Keselowski. We want to make sure they are sitting in the three- to five-year planning meetings now of what the sport looks like in the future. Not next year but in 2030. Our ownership thought it was important to create this. It’s not a voting board, but it’s an important group.”

Other topics covered during Phelps’ interview on “Hauler Talk”:

— The integration of the Next Gen car and maintaining and building new relationships with NASCAR drivers

— An important lunch that he had with Kevin Harvick about NASCAR’s commitment to safety

— A phone call from Joey Logano after an airborne crash at Talladega Superspeedway

— Giving NASCAR fans a seat at the table

— The future of the track in Fontana, California

— How tariffs could impact the cost of the Next Gen car and NASCAR’s manufacturers

Click on the embed above to listen or search for “Hauler Talk” wherever you download podcasts to hear it on your phone, tablet or mobile device.

Posted on April 1, 2025April 2, 2025 by Press Release

CONCORD, N.C. (April 1, 2025) – Amazon’s Prime Video will serve as presenting sponsor of Kyle Larson’s May 25 attempt to complete two of auto racing’s crown jewel events in a single day and will produce a feature-length documentary chronicling his two-year journey to pull off the feat.

For the second straight year, Larson will attempt to take on 1,100 miles of racing – dubbed the #Hendrick1100 presented by Prime Video – starting with the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and concluding with NASCAR’s longest event, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Memorial Day weekend effort will feature Prime Video branding on both of Larson’s race cars: the No. 17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet fielded by the Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team and the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet stock car of Hendrick Motorsports.

In addition to its sponsorship, Prime Video has greenlit a feature-length documentary chronicling Larson’s quest to complete the two marquee races on the same day. Filming for the untitled project began in October 2023 and will encompass the driver’s pursuits in both 2024 and 2025. Slated to launch next year on Prime Video, the documentary is being directed by Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Cynthia Hill. It is produced by Hill’s Markay Media, Imagine Documentaries and Hendrick Motorsports, in association with NASCAR Studios and Penske Entertainment.

“Kyle’s double attempt is one of the most exciting storylines in all of sports, and we’re thrilled to be part of it,” said Stacey Rosenson, Head of U.S. Sports Marketing, Prime Video. “As we prepare to broadcast our first NASCAR Cup Series race with the Coca-Cola 600, having this kind of historic moment unfold live on Prime Video – and capturing it in a documentary film – is a truly unique opportunity. We’re looking forward to sponsoring Kyle’s effort and taking fans inside the intensity and emotion that go with it.”

Prime Video, which recently joined Hendrick Motorsports as a sponsor of Chase Elliott’s No. 9 team, is expanding its presence ahead of becoming NASCAR’s first fully direct-to-consumer media partner. The platform will exclusively stream five NASCAR Cup Series races in 2025, kicking off with the Coca-Cola 600, and will provide practice and qualifying coverage for most of the season’s first half.

“We’re proud to grow our relationship with Prime Video,” said Rick Hendrick, the owner of Hendrick Motorsports who will again co-own Larson’s Indianapolis 500 entry with Arrow McLaren. “They’ve made a bold commitment to our sport, and this is a powerful way to promote their platform across two of the most iconic events in racing. We’re excited to welcome Prime Video to the effort, showcase their brand on such a big stage and collaborate on what will be an incredible documentary project. The film is going to show Kyle like people have never seen him – his preparation, his mindset and what it takes to pursue such a daunting challenge.”

Larson, 32, earned Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year honors in 2024 after an impressive debut that included a record-setting qualifying performance. The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion became just the fifth driver to attempt the Indianapolis-Charlotte double and will be only the third to try it more than once, joining Tony Stewart and Robby Gordon. Last season, he led the Cup Series with six points-paying race wins and currently ranks second in the 2025 points standings.

“Last year gave us a great foundation, and now we get to build on it,” Larson said. “I’m excited to come back stronger in 2025 and give it everything we’ve got to finish all 1,100 miles. Having Prime Video on board – especially with them streaming the 600 and documenting my whole experience – is pretty special. May is going to be a crazy month, and I’m ready to get after it.”

On Wednesday at 10 a.m. ET, fans will get a first look at the 2025 liveries for Larson’s Nos. 5 and 17 race cars, exclusively at HendrickCars.com. The No. 17 Chevrolet will hit the track for the first time during the April 23-24 Indianapolis 500 open test.

Posted on April 1, 2025 by Track Release

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. (April 1, 2025) — A star-studded, four-day NASCAR All-Star Race Week of show-stopping entertainment and wheel-to-wheel excitement will descend on North Wilkesboro Speedway May 15-18, giving fans the most on-track, event-week action in the iconic speedway’s history — as well as the 40-year history of the All-Star event.

The grand finale of the week is the 41st running of the NASCAR All-Star Race, a no-holds-barred battle for $1 million on Sunday night, May 18, but race fans will get plenty of fender-bumping short-track racing Thursday, Friday and Saturday preceding Sunday’s main event.

Thursday’s schedule includes qualifying for both the zMAX CARS Tour Pro Late Model and zMAX CARS Tour Late Model Stock Series as well as The Reverend Whiskey 75 zMAX CARS Tour Pro Late Model feature.

NASCAR All-Star Open and Race practice sessions kick off All-Star Friday presented by Raymer Oil on May 16, with the NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge presented by Mechanix Wear — a race against the clock for drivers and crews to set the Heat Race fields — and a Friday-night zMAX CARS Tour Late Model Stock Car nightcap taking the spotlight. For the first time, a nationwide cable television audience will witness the zMAX CARS Tour’s eclectic mix of household names and rising stars, with FS1 broadcasting the race live Friday night. NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. will join fellow zMAX CARS Tour co-owner and NASCAR legend Kevin Harvick in the announcers’ booth for what is sure to be the preeminent event on the zMAX CARS Tour schedule.

The weekend lineup starts Saturday, May 17, with Window World 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series practice, qualifying and race followed by All-Star Heat Races and a post-race Jake Owen concert on the infield frontstretch presented by Raymer Oil.

Sunday begins with a new addition to All-Star weekend, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. NWMT practice, qualifying and a 150-lap feature will be followed by the high-octane All-Star Open, where the top two finishers transfer into the main event — the NASCAR All-Star Race under the lights.

“There’s never been an All-Star Race Week like this, with more racing and entertainment than at any other time in the history of the event,” said Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith. “From grassroot stocks and modifieds to NASCAR trucks, Cup cars and a concert, NASCAR All-Star Race Week is jam-packed with four days of fun to satisfy any race fan who joins us in the beautiful mountains surrounding North Wilkesboro Speedway.”

MORE: NASCAR All-Star Race winners | Drivers to win All-Star Race, championship in same season

Joey Logano won last year’s NASCAR All-Star Race — the second such victory of his career — before going on to capture his third NASCAR Cup Series championship in November. The unforgettable weekend also featured an on-track collision between Kyle Busch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. that led to a post-race, off-track donnybrook in the garage area.

Race fans can experience everything on the four-day schedule at North Wilkesboro’s historic five-eighths-mile oval by locking in race week ticket packages that start at just $130 and include access to the Jake Owen concert presented by Raymer Oil. Fans can buy race week packages, single-day tickets, camping and more by visiting www.northwilkesborospeedway.com.

“This is going to be an exciting and entertaining weekend of racing at North Wilkesboro,” said zMAX CARS Tour Co-Owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. “With the Pro Late Models running Thursday night on Flo (Racing) and Late Model Stocks Friday night on FS1 and Flo, it’s going to be a great time. I’m very proud about how much the series has grown and this is an incredible opportunity for our drivers and teams to showcase themselves. Kevin (Harvick) and I are going to have a lot of fun calling that race from the booth on Friday.”

NASCAR All-Star Race format and additional broadcast information will be released at a later date. Schedule highlights (subject to change) are listed below. Fans should visit www.northwilkesborospeedway.com for the most up-to-date information.

THURSDAY, MAY 15:

zMAX CARS Tour Pro Late Model Qualifying
zMAX CARS Tour Late Model Stock Qualifying
The Reverend Whiskey 75 Pro Late Model Feature (75 laps)

FRIDAY, MAY 16:

NASCAR All-Star Race and Open Practice
NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge presented by Mechanix Wear
zMAX CARS Tour Late Model Stock Feature (100 laps)

SATURDAY, MAY 17:

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Practice, Qualifying and Window World 250 Race
NASCAR All-Star Heat Races
Jake Owen Fronstretch Concert presented by Raymer Oil

SUNDAY, MAY 18:

NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Practice, Qualifying and Feature (150 laps)
NASCAR All-Star Open
NASCAR All-Star Race

Fans can connect with North Wilkesboro Speedway and get the latest news regarding the 2025 NASCAR All-Star Race and all events at North Wilkesboro by following on X and Instagram or becoming a Facebook fan.

Posted on April 1, 2025April 1, 2025 by Nathan Solomon

After placing seventh in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway, Ryan Preece considered his strong finish a bit of a surprise.

“I didn’t expect that one,” Preece said after the race, reflecting on his third top 10 in a row. “We’ve got some work to do to be able to drive through like some other cars do, but I think we’ve got some good ideas and obviously a little luck went our way today.”

So how much truth is there to Preece’s luck? Using data from NASCAR Insights, Preece’s explanation makes sense.

NASCAR Insights is using five major categories to analyze drivers throughout the season: Passer Rating, Defense Rating, Speed Rating, Restart Rating and Pit Crew Rating. In Sunday’s race, Preece ranked 13th or worse in all five of those categories; in fact, he was the only top-15 finisher to not rank in the top 10 in any of the five.

Starting Sunday’s 400-lapper in 21st, Preece and crew chief Derrick Finley used some early strategy to gain stage points as a caution with nine laps to go in Stage 1 allowed the No. 60 RFK Racing Ford to stay out and finish seventh in Stage 1. Before the yellow, Preece was running in the 30s. When he pitted during the break, he lost that track position and didn’t have the raw speed to climb back through the field. According to NASCAR Insights, Preece ranked 21st in Speed Rating, evidenced in part by a 23rd-place finish in Stage 2 and his 20.4 average running position for the day.

Preece continued to run in the 20s throughout the final stage until green flag pit stops fell in his favor. Shane van Gisbergen went for a spin because of a loose wheel, bringing out a caution at Lap 275. Because Preece had not yet pitted, that allowed him to come down pit road for fresh Goodyears under the yellow.

Restarting with a slight tire advantage, Preece drove from the mid-teens to seventh at the end of the race, benefitting from a 74-lap green-flag run to the finish.

But how do some of the other metrics from NASCAR Insights factor into Preece’s finish?

Preece’s team finished 28th in Pit Crew Rating, a rating that, based on the eye test, feels a bit surprising for a seventh-place finish. For reference, race winner Denny Hamlin statistically had the best pit crew on Sunday, and Joey Logano, who finished directly behind Preece, had the 10th-best and ranked top six in passing, defense and speed.

Throughout the first half of the race, Preece complained to his team about handling issues. He battled a tight condition overall, telling Finley: “Whatever we did overnight completely killed it.” Because the team had more speed during the final long run, Preece’s pit stops earlier in the race were likely longer due to more adjustments, especially since he has the 11th-best pit crew this season.

MORE: Power Rankings: Where Preece sits

“They made the right adjustment when it mattered,” Preece said, referring to his pit crew. “There are some guys that hit it early and then they fell off. For us, we were at our best there at the end, so I’m just proud of everybody. I’m happy. We’re getting on a roll. At first, this is a place I wanted to take advantage of for points because I felt like Martinsville is in my wheelhouse, so I’m happy we did. I hate talking about points, but every bit matters.”

Preece’s other NASCAR Insights metrics included 19th in Passer Rating, 13th in Defense Rating and 14th in Restart Rating. His best-career finish at Martinsville propelled him up two spots to 14th in the Cup Series standings. It’s also the first time in his career with three straight top 10s — an impressive feat for a brand new third RFK car.

Other notables from Sunday:

• Despite having the highest Defense Rating, Carson Hocevar finished 19th, in part due to recording the second-lowest Restart Rating.

• Justin Haley had the second-best pit crew at Martinsville but was 25th or worse in Passer Rating, Defense Rating and Speed Rating as he finished 29th.

• William Byron placed top 10 in Defense Rating and Restart Rating, but finished 22nd in the race largely because of a Passer Rating and Pit Crew Rating in the 20s.

• The top-five finishers statistically had the five fastest cars.

Posted on April 1, 2025April 2, 2025 by Pat DeCola

Denny Hamlin turned in a vintage victory in a classic Martinsville Speedway stomping, re-inserting himself into the championship picture with his first win since the spring of last season.

NASCAR.com’s Pat DeCola ranks the top 20 Cup Series contenders after the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway and before Sunday’s Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway (3 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Note: Next-level statistics provided by NASCAR Insights.

Analysis: Larson failed to lead a single lap at Martinsville, his self-admitted likely “best track,” which is honestly quite surprising because he was the best restarter and No. 2 passer on the day en route to his fourth top five in the past six races. The driver with the No. 1 speed and No. 3 defense of 2025 now goes to another of his strong venues at Darlington, where he led 263 laps the last time out as he collected his seventh top five in 14 track starts.

Analysis: Bell was maybe the only guy who had anything to compete with Hamlin’s No. 11 on Sunday — and he still finished 4.617 seconds behind his teammate as the race’s runner-up, Bell’s fourth top-two finish in the last six races. The way he’s running, he can’t be ruled out anywhere at the moment, but historically, Darlington is a weaker track for him with just three top 10s in 11 starts.

Analysis: Byron failed to lead a lap for the first time all year in Sunday’s race at Martinsville, which felt like a rather large swing-and-miss for he and crew chief Rudy Fugle. Considering he’s already locked into the playoffs and Martinsville remains the elimination race ahead of the Championship 4, it’s possible there was some setup experimenting going on with the No. 24, but the No. 1 defender of 2025 will look to once again flex his muscle and collect his second Darlington win this weekend.

Analysis: On days when a driver is racing at one of his best tracks (bonus points if it’s also his home track) with the No. 1 speed and pit crew for the race, you’re going to see a lot of performances like Hamlin’s Martinsville masterclass. He’s almost never not in the mix for the win at Darlington, too, and back-to-back wins from the series’ oldest full-timer would be quite a statement. And quite possible.

Analysis: Elliott still feels like he’s on the verge of a major breakthrough, and Martinsville’s best passer might just pass a lot of cars this weekend, too. Though he’s only led in three of his 16 Darlington starts (and not since 2020), the gut-check here says that trend ends on Sunday, and he’ll be in contention for the Throwback Weekend victory.

Analysis: Though he’s won there before, Bowman is certainly the weakest Hendrick driver at Martinsville, and a promising start (Stage 1 runner-up) finished in the doldrums (P27). The 2020 Darlington spring race runner-up ranks last among Hendrick drivers at this track, too, but maybe some of that Jimmie Johnson throwback magic will work its way into the No. 48.

Analysis: We’re officially past the “this guy ran good in the first handful of races … is there something here, or is this a fluke?” part of the season and now firmly into “yep, there’s something here” territory as Wallace backs up his hot 2025 start weekly. He’s likely to keep it rolling at Darlington, too, where he’s the most recent pole winner and owns an 8.8 average finish in the past five races.

Analysis: All things considered, a P14 with another driver pointing a finger in his face after the race is better than how most of Reddick’s Martinsville starts tend to go, so he’ll be happy to get outta there and move on to Darlington. It feels like an anomaly that he has yet to win at the “Lady in Black,” and after leading 174 laps in this race last year, he lines up as one of the favorites.

Analysis: Logano really had to grind over that final run to make sure he landed in the top 10 despite looking strong all race, but he did, and he finally has that monkey off his back. He’s also now back in the top 10 in the standings, and the 2022 Darlington spring race winner should be able to battle for his first 2025 win Sunday, too.

Analysis: Not quite a banner day for the driver who’s been Mr. Martinsville lately, but it’s tough to shine with the 29th-best pit crew on the day … which is perhaps worth stashing away and wondering if that’ll impact things come November. There’s no real concern here overall (it is literally April 1), but Blaney remains on track for a career-worst average finish (20.0), and it’s no slam dunk he whittles that down at Darlington, where he averages just a 19.6 finish.

Analysis: Boy, we haven’t seen Buescher that mad since, well, last year’s spring race at Darlington. So, with plenty of motivation stemming from a Martinsville run-in with Noah Gragson and perhaps still thinking about last year’s South Carolina beef with Tyler Reddick, No. 17 feels like a real dark horse (no pun intended) for the win this weekend.

Analysis: It’s clear Martinsville is going to be a strong track for Briscoe in his career, and even more so now that he’s with Joe Gibbs Racing, after another impressive run there among the big dogs. You can say the same for him and Darlington, where he enters as the most recent winner amid a pair of strong top-five finishes there last year.

Analysis: Chastain has had an interesting start so far, looking great at times but still kind of wading in that middle ground. Turns out, he might be doing more with less, proving his driver talent by having the 14th-best speed and 19th-best pit crew of 2025 so far, but being third-best in passing and restarts. If the performance in his No. 1 picks up on pit road and in the engineering department, he could find his way to multiple wins.

Analysis: Speaking of doing more with less, after another exceptional run, it sure looks like that’s what Preece has been doing the past few years now that we’re seeing what he’s capable of in equipment that can compete for wins more weeks than not. We know he can look good on short tracks, though … but what about Darlington, where he’s yet to earn a top 10 in 10 starts? We’ll see.

Analysis: No, McDowell didn’t collect his first Martinsville top 10 in his 29th try, but a 25-point, 12th-place finish is still a solid day. The fresh Spire Motorsports driver continues to blossom in his new digs and now gets a crack at a track where he landed a pair of top-seven runs as recently as 2022.

Analysis: Berry’s drop is unfortunate because we never quite got to see what he could do on Sunday as his No. 21 Ford was plagued with mechanical issues almost from the jump. There’s a good chance he would’ve been fast, and there’s a good chance last year’s third-place finisher in the Darlington spring race is a factor again this weekend.

Analysis: On the positive side, Busch’s finishes and points are trending in the right direction again, but overall, there’s some dwindling optimism here that the early-season gains RCR seemed to have are here to stay. Things may start to unravel a bit further if the team is not competitive again this weekend at Darlington, where Busch was the runner-up in the most recent race.

Analysis: Nemechek had a bead going on a solid run when he landed top five in Stage 1 at Martinsville, but really sank the rest of the race and dropped down to 25th for the finish. Darlington is such an odd track for him, history-wise, as he collected a top 10 there as a rookie in 2020 but hasn’t come close to a solid finish since, landing no better than 25th.

Analysis: Stenhouse’s 20th-place Martinsville run was nothing to write home about, but it did keep him afloat in the top 20 in the standings for now, but danger lies ahead. With just a single top 10 and nary a lap led in his 18 Darlington starts dating back to 2013, he’ll need everything to go right on Sunday to sniff a solid finish.

Analysis: The finish wasn’t there, but Allmendinger showed why he’s more than capable at Martinsville, leaning on his P3 in Stage 1 to prop up his 22 points on the day. He was 25th in speed but sixth in defense, and those skills will come in handy again at Darlington, where his last start came in 2023 and he’s never finished in the top 10.