Winners, Losers from Brickyard 400: From Bubba Wallace to Joey Logano
Let's dive into the winners and losers from the Brickyard 400 after the overtime finish.
Winner: Bubba Wallace
Bubba Wallace was in position to win, then rain brought out the red flag and sent it to overtime. Crew chief Charles Denike reported that they had enough fuel for one overtime, but the second was a big uncertainty. Christopher Bell wrecked Zane Smith just seconds before the white flag, preventing Wallace from winning. He stayed out, rolling the dice on fuel and battling Kyle Larson at the restart to secure the win. Wallace earned his spot in the NASCAR playoffs with a phenomenal performance.
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Loser: Ross Chastain
Ross Chastain's surprising late-night win at the Coca-Cola 600 proved necessary given his recent struggles. Coming into the Brickyard 400, Chastain was coming off a 33rd-place finish at Dover and had an average finishing position of 25.2 over his last five races. It didn't get any better on Sunday. Stuck at the back of the field with many drivers saving their equipment, Chastain eased off the throttle slightly but was then pushed into the wall by Michael McDowell. The rough collision ended his day prematurely.
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Winner: Chase Briscoe
With his spot in the playoffs already locked up, the Brickyard 400 provided Chase Briscoe with another opportunity to strengthen his odds of making a deeper run. Entering the weekend tied for ninth in playoff points (six), he earned two playoff points by posting the top qualifying time and winning Stage 1. At the very least, he's positioning himself to be in the top seven when the playoffs begin.
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Loser: Kyle Busch
The snake-bitten two-year run for Kyle Busch continues. He worked his way up from 13th on the starting grid to sixth place at the end of Stage 1, earning five points. The No. 8 team's strategy put them in a decent position for the rest of the day. However, Busch was among the cars that sustained damage during a restart, and the car fell off the pace, leaving him outside the top 20 for the remainder of the race.
Winner: Denny Hamlin
Denny Hamlin had the fastest car in practice and was seconds away from being on the pole for the Brickyard 400, then a little overaggressive driving caused a crash. It dropped him to the back of the field and put him in a backup car at a track was passing is extremely difficult. Thanks to a combination of great driving and pit strategy, he made his way back to third at the end of Stage 2 (eight pints) and he started the final restart in second.
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Loser: Erik Jones' tire changer
No one expected Erik Jones to win the Brickyard 400, but the driver of the No. 43 car was having a very good race by his standards. Unfortunately, a mistake on pit road undone all of that on Sunday afternoon. During a pit stop late in the second stage, the No. 43 car's tire changer gunned the tire while the car was still on the ground. Moments after Jones got back on track, the wheel came flying off, leaving only the rubber tire clinging. Jones slammed into the wall, sustaining damage that ended his day, and the tire changer is headed for suspension.
Loser: Ty Dillon's Cinderella run ends
Everyone in NASCAR, except the Gibbs family, was hoping that Ty Dillon would pull off a miracle in the In-Season Challenge Championship. He was a huge underdog against Ty Gibbs at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but the slimmest hopes of an upset were dashed early. The No. 10 car sustained damage in a restart collision that involved multiple cars. Dillon spent the rest of the afternoon a lap down, allowing Gibbs to easily take home the $1 million prize.
Loser: Joey Logano
Paul Wolfe seemed to execute the perfect race strategy, aligning Joey Logano's final pit stop that would position him to be the leader with under 20 laps to go. Unfortunately for Logano, the tire went down and forced him back onto pit road before he could take the lead. To make matters worse, after getting fuel and new tires, the car had no power and required multiple pushes before it got going. From the doorstep of a potential victory to a heartbreaking day for Logano.
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USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
MLB Speedway Classic: How record-setting Bristol Motor Speedway game came to be
BRISTOL, TN — Using a cliché to describe a sporting event has become, well, cliché. Some clichés have made a complete 360, where they start as a description of a sports situation, graduate to becoming totally figurative, and then come home to roost. Such is the situation in Bristol, Tennessee, where the NASCAR racetrack has such an uneven infield that 'leveling the playing field' is literally the task at hand. When Major League Baseball brings its 2025 jewel event to Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday, Aug. 2 , it will require sufficient gravel to create a level surface for the artificial turf. Longtime MLB ballpark consultant Murray Cook of BrightView says that it required 18,000 tons of gravel to be trucked into the venue to account for the 4-foot difference in elevation between the track and the center of the infield. Think about that. Legally, a fully loaded concrete truck is limited to a weight of 80,000 pounds, or 40 tons. That means when the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves take the field, they'll be running across the equivalent of 450 cement trucks worth of gravel. That's one of the impressive feats undertaken by MLB and its partners to be able to present a baseball game where none has been attempted before. 'We've explored that' 'You never know who's watching when you're putting on events,' says Jerry Caldwell, president of Bristol Motor Speedway, better known as 'BMS' in NASCAR circles. For instance, in 2016 the facility hosted The Battle of Bristol pitting the football teams from Tennessee and Virginia Tech. It sure took a lot of gravel to level a whole football field. But MLB noticed the way the event was staged. Around that time, MLB had started looking for unique places to hold games. Five years went by. Caldwell then received a call saying executives from MLB headquarters were in the area conducting business with Appalachian League teams and they wanted to look around the racetrack. Caldwell gladly obliged. During the tour, one BMS manager spoke up and said jokingly, 'You know, we could put a baseball diamond inside here. It would fit.' There was stunned silence when an MLB exec replied, 'You know what? We've explored that.' 'The driving force behind our ideation phase of looking for new events is always trying to find a diversified offering year over year,' says MLB's Senior VP of Global Events Jeremiah Yolkut. 'We want to bring attention to baseball outside of the 81 home games that all of our clubs play. 'Bristol checked a lot of boxes for us,' he continues. 'Number one, it achieves the commissioner's goal of playing games in states that don't get them all the time. Also, is there a fan base that would be interested in a game there?' Once it was decided to bring a game to this facility, there was the problem of logistics. Just because MLB wanted to play a game in Bristol, how do they pull it off? After all, this will end up being 'the most complex field build that we've ever had,' notes Yolkut. While Cook is enjoying the fact that this project is the closest to his home in Roanoke that MLB has ever planned an event, he still knows this is going to be a challenge getting everything installed in between events already scheduled at the venue. The heat and long days in Bristol have been a challenge for the Brightview crew. He likened this project to preparing the Olympic Stadium in London for MLB's games in 2019, 2023 and 2024. He faced similarly tight schedules there, and in fact is utilizing some of the same fencing and other materials used for those London Series contests. But 'this project is bigger. It was only 4,000 tons of gravel over there.' He felt better after the artificial turf had been rolled over all of that gravel. 'It's always great to see the green side up,' he chuckles. The surface being used is made by AstroTurf. It's the same material installed at Rogers Centre in Toronto when the Blue Jays made major renovations two years ago. Most jewel games have been on grass, but the very temporary nature of this year's event, plus the gravel underneath, makes a natural surface impossible. Creating a 'spectacle' There's been a noticeable progression in MLB's one-off jewel events, beginning with 2016's salute to the military by playing a regular-season game at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. This was followed by games at the College World Series park in Omaha, the minor league park in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, while the Little League World Series was happening across the river, the 'Field of Dreams' movie site in Iowa and last year's tribute to the Negro Leagues at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama. 'We're always looking for our next event to be bigger and to shine a light on the sport,' explains Yolkut. 'We knew that what they do around racing and also the football game they hosted, Bristol knows how to put on big events. 'We knew Bristol could create a spectacle.' To make the scheduling work around this spectacle, the Reds and Braves face off in Cincinnati on July 31 at 7:10 and Aug. 1 at 12:40. Then it's off to the hills of East Tennessee for the night game. A rare off-day is scheduled the following day. This is to permit a game if Aug. 2 is washed out. Progressing There's also been a progression in the entertainment and game-day experience presented prior to the games in these jewel events. The first at Fort Bragg was basically the game itself between the Braves and Marlins, and that was it. Last year, MLB scheduled three days of events in Alabama, starting with a minor league game, followed by numerous tributes to the recently-passed Willie Mays, a celebrity softball game, and a stunning musical performance by Jon Batiste that rivaled a Super Bowl halftime show. And all of this was before the first pitch of the Cardinals-Giants game had been thrown. This year in Eastern Tennessee, the festivities will start the day before the MLB game. The Appalachian League (a college summer league and a 'partner league' of MLB) will conduct its championship game in its showcase ballpark in Johnson City at 7 p.m. on Aug. 1. Boyd Sports, owners of the Class AA Knoxville Smokies, possesses five franchises in the Appy League. 'Considering we own half the teams in the circuit, we'd love for fans coming to Bristol to also attend the league championship game the day before,' says Boyd's president Chris Allen. 'TVA Credit Union Ballpark is a really cool place, and it's only about 20 minutes from the racetrack.' During the day Saturday, those with tickets will find an enormous amount to do in and around the speedway. If you've ever been to a NASCAR race, you know there is as much going on outside the seating bowl as within. 'We've really leaned into the operations of how this venue works,' says Michael Kinard of Populous, MLB's longtime event planner for special games like this. 'It's such a massive venue, but we didn't want to change too much when we put an MLB thumbprint on it. As you walk around outside, you'll be able to stop at (various) fan activations.' There are smaller stages with performers outside, plus sponsors have tents and stands showing off their wares. And there will be no shortage of merchandise that mixes baseball and racing themes. Adjacent to the main stadium is the Bristol Dragway, the quarter-mile drag racing track that has as busy a schedule of races as the stock car track a few feet away. While drag races aren't scheduled this weekend, fans would no doubt enjoy a 40-yard dash pitting the Reds' Elly De La Cruz against Atlanta's 'The Freeze' mascot. Once batting practice is concluded, those inside the massive seating bowl will be entertained by two of the biggest names in music – country legend Tim McGraw (whose father, Tug, racked up 180 saves during his big-league career) and hip-hop star Pitbull. MLB has hinted that the player introductions will be handled with a true NASCAR feel as the Braves and Reds are raced around the track. Going really big Bristol Motor Speedway and its neighbor to the east in Martinsville are the two shortest racetracks on the regular NASCAR schedule, both coming in at about half a mile. Even though BMS is a 'short track,' you won't find it the least bit undersized when you step inside. For one thing, it's rare for a racetrack to have its grandstands completely encircle the track, with roughly the same number of rows all around. Imagine the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. And if your ticket is for the top row, you'll be watching the action from the equivalent of the roof of an eight-story building. You'll also have 189 very steep steps to reach your seat, as there are almost 100 rows of seats in the venue nicknamed The Last Great Colosseum. 'Many people are going to be further away from the field, so we're trying to make sure that we're doing things in different locations in the venue so you'll still feel connected,' notes Brian O'Gara, the VP of Special Events for MLB. If you think that it was a tight fit getting the baseball field into this 'short-track' venue, think again. Because the baseball field only occupies half of the track's infield space, 'there is so much space left for the concert stage, clubhouses, our tent village (for media and other operations), concessions, bathrooms and a fan plaza,' explains Yolkut. 'All of these have always been outside the ballparks at the jewel events, but now there's space for all of that on the inside.' If you're wondering why the baseball field isn't situated in the very center of the racetrack's infield so there would be grandstands on all sides, there's a very, very large reason: Colossus. Colossus is the massive video board and sound system that is suspended over the very center of the racetrack's infield. The 30-foot-tall screens on the 700-ton beast can be seen from all points in the grandstand. However, it's only 155 feet above the level of the infield. That's higher than the lowest catwalk at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, but far too low to hang over the middle of a playing field. So the solution here was to place the baseball field on one end of the infield, with the outfield fence hugging what would be Turns 1 and 2 of the track. Colossus then hangs roughly over the third-base dugout. Yolkut notes that the placement of the stage where McGraw and Pitbull will perform opens up the opportunity to promote tickets that would ordinarily have limited or no visibility of the baseball action. With reserved seats almost sold out, 'perhaps there are fans who still want to come to the venue and experience the fan zone, see the concert, watch the game on Colossus, but just not have a traditional seat.' All told, attendance should be about 85,000 for MLB's first regular-season game in the state of Tennessee, which will set an MLB attendance record. Says Yolkut, 'We knew we could go really big at Bristol.' Telling the story Yolkut notes that the Fox TV network 'had a great interest in this event. They know the venue because they've done races there. They also love the idea of a spectacle, a show that they could put on TV in the middle of the summer on a Saturday night.' Perhaps most important if you're watching from home, 'Fox really knows how to tell a story. One of the benefits of them as a partner is that they really know how to bring to life what's happening in the venue.' Never was this truer than last year when MLB honored the players of the Negro Leagues at America's oldest ballpark, Rickwood Field in Birmingham. As for the batters hoping to hit a long drive onto the racetrack in Turn 2, the dimensions aren't that different from big-league norms. It's 330 feet down each foul line, 400 to center, 385 to left center, and 375 to right center, where the wall is a little higher because there's a building that couldn't be moved. 'It's just striking to see that baseball field plopped down in the middle of this half-mile track,' says Caldwell. 'It's going to be one of those memorable events that you'll be glad you were here. It will be a spectacle.' When Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the 2004 night race on this track, he exclaimed a phrase that has echoed through the surrounding valleys ever since: 'It's Bristol, baby!' Expect to hear those three words on Fox's telecast. Often. Cook knows the clock is ticking as soon as the last out is made in the game. 'We'll be packing up and getting everything out just as quick as we can, so they can get back to racing here,' he says. And part of the 'everything' to be removed is many, many tons of gravel. And that's no cliché, baby.
USA Today
4 hours ago
- USA Today
37 days until Saints season opener: Every player to wear No. 37
Two franchise legends lead the group of players who wore No. 37 for the Saints The New Orleans Saints are down to 37 days before they kick off their 2025 regular season at home against the Arizona Cardinals. Undrafted rookie defensive back Dalys Beanum is wearing No. 37 in training camp for the Saints. If Beanum makes the team and keeps that number, he'll become the 19th player to wear it in franchise history. It's a number that has some surprising history attached to it for the team. Here's a look at every player who wore it. Saints' History of No. 37 Steve Stonebreaker was the first to wear a 37 for the Saints, doing so over 24 games for the first two seasons of the team's existence. The physical Stonebreaker lived up to his name, while also recording a sack and two fumble recoveries. Tom Myers was the first New Orleans draft pick to wear No. 37. A Round 3 choice in the 1972 NFL draft out of Syracuse, Myers was also the highest drafted player by the Saints to wear the jersey. Myers had an incredible 10-year career on often bad New Orleans defenses. He suited up in 136 games for the Saints, the most for anyone who wore 37. Myers had 36 interceptions, returning two for scores, and had at least three picks in seven years. He remains second in team history in interceptions, with his 621 interception return yardage tops in franchise history by a wide margin. In 1989, Tommy Myers was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame. He was the first defensive back to receive that honor. Mel Gray was the first offensive player to wear No. 37 for New Orleans. Gray came to the Saints from the Los Angeles Express from the original USFL. He was a second-round choice in the 1984 Supplemental Draft, but wouldn't join New Orleans until 1986 when the USFL folded. While listed as a running back, Gray got only 22 offensive touches for 141 yards during his three years and 42 games as a Saint. His impact came as one of the NFL's best kick returners. While with the Saints, Gray averaged an incredible 13.4 yards per punt return, scoring once, and also 23.4 yards on kickoff returns with another touchdown. Gray was traded to the Detroit Lions in 1989, where he'd go on to four All-Pro seasons and member of the 1990s All-decade team. Local star Bennie Thompson replaced Gray not only in No. 37, but as a Saints special teams standout. Thompson was listed as a defensive back, where he did have 3 interceptions over three years with the team. Thompson's presence was most felt on special teams, where he provided fearsome kick coverage and earned a spot in the 1991 Pro Spencer was a productive cornerback for the Saints over four seasons, with his 64 games the third longest of any player to wear 37. Spencer had 9 interceptions over a two-year stretch between 1994 and 1995, leading New Orleans defenders in that category both years. Since Spencer left after the 1995 campaign, 13 players have worn 37 in the last 30 years. Only one of them wore it for more than two seasons, with nine wearing it for a year or less. Tommy Myers had a terrific career that culminated in the Saints Hall of Fame. However, Myers doesn't have a statue outside the Superdome. That honor belongs to Steve Gleason. A special teams standout for the Saints over seven seasons and 84 games, Gleason wore 37 longer than anyone for New Orleans other than Myers. Gleason's most famous play happened in the Saints return to the Superdome in 2006 after the tragic devastation from Hurricane Katrina the previous year. Facing the Atlanta Falcons, Gleason blocked a punt resulting in a touchdown and also eventually resulting in a statue of him outside the stadium depicting the event. Since Gleason's retirement after the 2006 season, the Saints have had eight players wear No. 37. Defensive backs Chris Banjo and Arthur Maulet each had some nice moments, as did running back Tony Jones, but only for short stints. It's now Dalys Beanum's turn to don the 37 made famous by Myers and Gleason.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
2025 NASCAR at Iowa Speedway: How to watch Iowa Corn 350 Powered By Ethanol, full race schedule and more
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