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Joey Logano earns $1 million bonus through new NASCAR program

Joey Logano earns $1 million bonus through new NASCAR program

NBC Sports12 hours ago

Three-time Cup champion Joey Logano claimed a $1 million bonus for ranking first among Cup drivers in NASCAR's new Driver Ambassador Program.
Sports Business Journal first reported the award.
Dustin Long,
The program rewards drivers for promoting the sport in multiple ways. Drivers are awarded points based on how much they promote the sport, such as in interviews and appearances. The quality of the appearances is a factor along with a driver's standing in the sport. Former champions earn extra points.
The year is divided into two terms. The first term concluded last weekend at Pocono.
The second term goes beyond the end of the season. The top driver each term is paid $1 million. The driver in last in each term receives about $7,500, according to Sports Business Journal.
NASCAR confirmed the top three drivers for the just-completed term was Logano, Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney.
Sports Business Journal reported that the rest of the top 10 was Ross Chastain (fourth), Daniel Suarez (fifth), Chase Elliott (sixth), William Byron (seventh), Kyle Busch (eighth), Austin Dillon (ninth) and Chase Briscoe (10th).
The money for the drivers comes from the new media rights deal, Sports Business Journal reported.

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Hemi V-8 engines and mechanical bull rides: Inside Stellantis' plan to revive its Ram Trucks brand after yearslong sales declines
Hemi V-8 engines and mechanical bull rides: Inside Stellantis' plan to revive its Ram Trucks brand after yearslong sales declines

CNBC

time29 minutes ago

  • CNBC

Hemi V-8 engines and mechanical bull rides: Inside Stellantis' plan to revive its Ram Trucks brand after yearslong sales declines

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis reemerged from a seven-month retirement late last year saying he "missed the fight" and admitting the Stellantis brand was getting smashed in the marketplace by its competition. Kuniskis walked on stage during a media event as the speakers blared Detroit rapper Eminem singing "Guess who's back, back again." He promised an aggressive turnaround for the embattled truck brand that will extend through 2026. The plan includes more than 25 announcements through next year. Thus far they have included a return to NASCAR with mechanical bull rides and a new race truck, the resurrection of Hemi V-8 engines with a new "Symbol of Protest," and, most recently, a new industry-leading powertrain warranty for its Ram products. Since returning after a CEO shake-up, Kuniskis is invigorated. He's "flying without a parachute," as he recently described it, while playing with borrowed time and house money since his unretirement. He's going all in to launch a renaissance of Ram, which has experienced a 38% sales decline since its record year back in 2019. "I have perfect clarity of my return because, after I left and had a chance to rest, I realized I didn't need to leave, I just needed a break. Then I was itching to come back," Kuniskis told CNBC during a recent interview in his relatively undecorated office. (He gave many of his career keepsakes away when he retired.) "We have a window of opportunity here to fix a lot of stuff, and some people are stressed out by that opportunity, and some people are fueled by it. Luckily, our team is fueled by it." Kuniskis, who was leading Ram and Dodge upon his retirement mid-last year, said an array of issues led to the brand's current situation, including the automaker's pricing, model launch cadence and, most importantly, problems with a redesign of its Ram 1500. That redesign led to production issues that are still being worked out more than a year after the vehicle's launch. "We tried to do too many things at once," Kuniskis said of the Ram 1500. "We literally changed everything instead of doing a cadence of the changes." Kuniskis didn't touch on the larger issues Stellantis was dealing with under former Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares, who left the automaker in December. Kuniskis was recruited back to Ram amid the change in leadership. Ram is one of the most crucial of Stellantis' 14 brands — if not the most important. It competes in the highly profitable full-size pickup truck market and industry experts said its success is key to the company reestablishing itself in the commercial sales market. "It's kind of the backbone of their business," said Joseph Yoon, consumer insights analyst at CarMax's data and consumer car shopping site "The market share is hugely important." Market share for the Ram 1500 in the U.S. full-size pickup truck market has plummeted from 17.8% in 2019 to 8.4% through roughly the first half of this year, according to Edmunds. Ram's sales of full-size trucks, which includes the 1500 and larger versions, have declined 41% from 2019 through 2024, according to company data, allowing competitors such as General Motors and Toyota Motor to increase sales during that time. While it's early into the turnaround plan, which goes into next year, Ram has already resurrected its popular Hemi V-8 engine; reintroduced lower-priced pickup truck models; announced a return to NASCAR; and introduced a 10-year/100,000 limited powertrain warranty for new trucks across its lineup, among other things. Kuniskis has said further announcements could encompass several new potential vehicles, including a passenger van and midsize pickup truck that's expected in 2027. He's also launched a "Nothing Stops Ram" marketing campaign and delayed the brand's electrified pickup trucks amid low market demand. "There's always a method to the madness," Kuniskis said. "There's always a business reason behind something that seems like fun." Part of that "fun" includes a return to NASCAR truck racing, where fans can "Ride the Hemi" – a mechanical bull ride that looks like the brand's new "Symbol of Protest" logo that features the engine with a ram's head. If riders can stay on for 15 seconds, they receive a special-edition T-shirt that can't be purchased. Its splashy return to NASCAR earlier this month in Michigan also included a new truck design, as well as a vehicle doing doughnut burnouts. Kuniskis declined to disclose sales targets for the Ram brand or its full-size pickup trucks, but he said the company is aiming for a market share somewhere between 20% and 29.9% for its full-size trucks by the end of the plan. Ram Trucks had a roughly 17% share of the U.S. full-size pickup truck market in 2024, according to industry data. "I know exactly where we want to be and what our expectations are," he said. "I should legitimately have a market share that starts with a two. … That's a starting point for us." But Kuniskis said market share is only one metric and that plant utilization and profits are also important. While Ram's overall sales are down, he said retail sales — a closely watched metric — are expected to be up by about 28% through the first half of the year. "You don't want to chase share just for the sake of chasing share," he said. "I want to have all plants running at full capacity to maximize my efficiency." Kuniskis wears a black band on his left wrist with white lettering that reads "Last Tenth LFG." The first part has been a mantra of Kuniskis' for years to push his top lieutenants to perform as best as they can. 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Bettenhausen also said the full-size pickup truck market is key to the success of the company and its dealers. It is made up of buyers who often have generational loyalties to a brand and act as ambassadors for it. "Customer loyalty is a huge part of that business," Yoon said. "For a lot of these people, it doesn't matter if their brand is objectively the best product or not. It's just that whatever the automaker is doing, they feel like it's best for them." Bringing back the automaker's well-known Hemi V-8 may have been a good start, as Kuniskis said the company received 12,000 Hemi orders on the first day pickup trucks with the engine were available for dealers to order. As the Hemi returns, Ram's electrification plans, including a new plug-in truck and an all-electric model, are being delayed. Kuniskis declined to discuss production timing for the all-electric model, which was initially expected last year. He said the plug-in model — known as an extended-range electric vehicle, or EREV — will begin production this year but declined to specify when consumer sales will begin. Kuniskis said he believes the EREV will be more of a differentiator in the market and more important in the brand's turnaround plan through 2026. "I'm really bullish on the year. I'm really proud of how we started this year and that's just using traditional tactics," Kuniskis said. "We haven't gotten to the new stuff yet."

André Burakovsky hopes for a career revival with Chicago Blackhawks after an injury-plagued tenure in Seattle
André Burakovsky hopes for a career revival with Chicago Blackhawks after an injury-plagued tenure in Seattle

Chicago Tribune

timean hour ago

  • Chicago Tribune

André Burakovsky hopes for a career revival with Chicago Blackhawks after an injury-plagued tenure in Seattle

It's a good thing for André Burakovsky that his trade to the Chicago Blackhawks fit into the family vacation plans. After Seattle Kraken general manager Jason Botterill informed Burakovsky he had been traded Saturday for fellow forward Joe Veleno, 'I told my wife (Johanna) right away and she was very excited too.' 'She told me last season she wanted to go to Chicago, visit the city, and now we're going to live there,' Burakovsky said Wednesday during his introductory news conference with Chicago media. 'We're super excited about it, and Chicago was my favorite team growing up.' Burakovsky is taking a welcoming attitude to his restart with a rebuilding franchise. He hasn't had a lot of positives in recent seasons, with injuries limiting him to 49 games in each of his first two seasons in Seattle. 'Started off really good in my first season and then I got injured,' he said. A groin injury in February 2023 cost him the remainder of that season, and an upper-body injury knocked him out for more than six weeks in the first half of 2023-24. Then he sustained another upper-body injury in his first game back in early December and missed the next nine games. He missed four more games the rest of the season. He played 79 games last season but generated only 10 goals and 27 assists. 'Last year was a little bit of a struggle to come back from those injuries,' he said, 'but I finished the season after the trade deadline really well, and that's something I want to bring into the next season coming up now.' He said he has been working hard this summer and believes his health issues are behind him. Regardless of his injury history, there's little risk and plenty of upside for the Hawks. The Kraken were looking to unload Burakovsky's contract and were probably happy to find a taker without having to retain salary. The Hawks are rolling the dice that Burakovsky can rediscover his old game that saw him produce 61 points (22 goals, 39 assists) during his final season with the Colorado Avalanche, which culminated in a Stanley Cup championship in 2022. Burakovsky scored the overtime winner in Game 1 of the finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the third playoff game-winner in his career. The 11-year veteran has two Cups in his cupboard, the other coming in 2018 with the Washington Capitals, who drafted him with the 23rd pick in 2013. That's another selling point for the Hawks: the opportunity to bring a player with Cup experience into the locker room. 'It's the hardest trophy to win in the world, in my opinion, and I know a lot of people say that too,' Burakovsky said. 'To be able to win, you have to perform every single day, every single game, every single practice. 'There's no rest days in practice. You've got to go all out. If you get a good practice, there's a bigger chance you're going to play the game (well), so that's something I'm going to bring to the young guys' in Chicago. Burakovsky's addition also aligns with the team's mission to play faster. 'I can bring a lot of speed,' he said. 'I'm a player that likes to challenge guys one on one, make plays, create opportunities for my teammates, play a lot offensively, bring that aspect to the game.' He also improved his defense while with the Kraken, he said. Burakovsky hopes he can help instill those standards and make the Hawks contenders again. 'Obviously there's a lot of talent in Chicago,' he said. 'I can fit in right where I can help them to be better, to create more opportunities, set up some plays.' He'll have a built-in ally in former Kraken teammate Ryan Donato, who just signed a four-year, $16 million deal to stay in Chicago. Donato is helping him find a place to live in Chicago. 'I reconnected with him a little bit and (I'm) looking forward to seeing him and all the guys on the team,' Burakovsky said.

How real is Brad Pitt's 'F1 The Movie' compared to actual Formula 1 racing?
How real is Brad Pitt's 'F1 The Movie' compared to actual Formula 1 racing?

USA Today

time2 hours ago

  • USA Today

How real is Brad Pitt's 'F1 The Movie' compared to actual Formula 1 racing?

Saying Formula 1 racing is the top expression of motorsport is sure to get an argument from fans of NASCAR and Indy Car, especially since F1 has made major inroads in U.S. popularity over the past few years. The glamour-meets-high-tech nature of this European-bred sport is precisely what the director and producers of 'F1 The Movie' are banking on as the Brad Pitt-driven film hits theater and IMAX screens June 27. 'Lewis Hamilton (legendary F1 racer and 'F1 The Movie' producer) said to me he'd never seen a movie that captures what it's like to be in the car, so that was the challenge,' says director Joseph Kosinski, who also steered Tom Cruise through his aerial paces in 'Top Gun: Maverick.' For those new to F1 the sport and curious about 'F1 The Movie,' we offer this primer. What is Formula 1? The various formulas for engine displacement and other technical aspects of single-seater (versus sports cars) European motor racing were determined long ago, with Formula 1 deemed the pinnacle of speed and technology. The very first race was held 75 years ago at Silverstone in England. Many top F1 racers start as kids in karting races, then graduate to Formula 3, then Formula 2, and finally, if they're talented and lucky enough, Formula 1. Where are Formula 1 races held? Currently, there are 24 races that unfold around the world, starting with Australia in March and wrapping in Abu Dhabi in December. Other host countries include Japan, Brazil, Italy, Belgium, the U.K. and the U.S., which now has races in Miami, Austin and Las Vegas. Why is Formula 1 being talked about so much in the U.S. right now? Formula 1 has a checkered past in the U.S., which at times held just one race and for a spell had none. But the current boom in interest is down to a range of reasons, including the popularity of Netflix's series 'Formula 1: Drive to Survive,' the ability of drivers to connect directly with fans through social media, and finally the sport being owned by an American company, Liberty Media. Do Brad Pitt and Damson Idris really drive F1 cars in 'F1 The Movie'? Yes, Pitt and Idris spent four months learning to drive real Formula 1 cars. 'If you see Brad's face, then it's him driving, and often at speeds up to around 180 mph,' says Kosinski. 'When they went into those turns at high speed, the G-forces on their bodies were insane.' How did the 'F1' movie get Brad Pitt's high-speed laps on camera? Instead of building a bulky camera car, Kosinski was advised by Mercedes F1 team leader and 'F1' producer Toto Wolff to have Mercedes build his crew real F1 cars that could have four small IMAX-quality cameras attached to the body. 'We took what we used on 'Top Gun,' and miniaturized them,' says Kosinski. Did 'F1 The Movie' really shoot during actual F1 races? Yes, F1 granted Kosinski permission to have his cast and crew set up during real F1 races, often giving them short windows between real practice laps to get their scenes shot. 'Sometimes that would become 5 minutes, and sometimes the window would vanish, so we had to be very light on our feet which made it exciting,' he says. Did all that racing fun make 'F1' director Joseph Kosinski want to race for real? Kosinski, who is a Porsche aficionado, says he loves spending time on a track, although he has only done so in sports cars and not open-wheel machines such as F1 cars. 'But I did get to hit the track with Lewis (Hamilton) giving me some instructions, and then I let him drive me around in a (Porsche) 911 GT3,' he says. 'To have the most winning F1 driver of all time show you what the real limit is is quite something.' Who's faster, Brad Pitt or speed junkie Tom Cruise? Kosinski has had the rare privilege of directing speed-demon movies with arguably the two biggest male stars on the planet, Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. 'There are more similarities between them than you might think, and both are phenomenally talented,' he says. 'There are also stories about when they both did 'Interview with a Vampire' (in 1994) and there were famous go-kart battles between the two of them. I think people would pay to see that showdown for sure.'

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