Latest news with #BubbaWallace
Washington Post
4 days ago
- Business
- Washington Post
NASCAR's new $1M In-season Challenge starts with drivers focused more on winning races
LEBANON, Tenn. — Bubba Wallace sees NASCAR having all the momentum possible right now with different media partners. Perfect timing then for NASCAR's 'In-season Challenge' to debut, right? Well, Wallace forgot that was about to debut. 'For me to forget about it and remember how exciting it was when they announced, I think it's going to be big for the fans to tune in and and give them a little bit more ... you're just invested more,' Wallace said.
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Associated Press
NASCAR's new $1M In-season Challenge starts with drivers focused more on winning races
LEBANON, Tenn. (AP) — Bubba Wallace sees NASCAR having all the momentum possible right now with different media partners. Perfect timing then for NASCAR's 'In-season Challenge' to debut, right? Well, Wallace forgot that was about to debut. 'For me to forget about it and remember how exciting it was when they announced, I think it's going to be big for the fans to tune in and and give them a little bit more ... you're just invested more,' Wallace said. Kyle Larson just tried his latest attempt at 'the Double' of the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600. Count him among those who didn't realize NASCAR's new in-season competition had its field of 32 set after Sunday night's Cup Series race at the Nashville Superspeedway. 'I just really haven't seen anything promoted about it, so I think it's easy to forget about it,' Larson said. NASCAR announced this new in-season competition in May 2024, so drivers can be forgiven for being focused on the second half of the season. The format is simple: 32 drivers race for seeding over the next three races starting at Michigan on Sunday and concluding at Pocono on June 22. Drivers are seeded by their best finish for the five-race competition starting at Atlanta. Then it goes to single elimination with the field cut to 16 at Chicago, eight at Sonoma, four at Dover and the final two at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The winner gets $1 million, and that does get drivers' attention as part of the new media rights deal that includes TNT. 'It's going to be something fun that you pay attention to, and there's good money on the line,' said Larson, the 2021 Cup Series champ. 'So, you've just got to be really consistent throughout.' Chris Buescher of RFK Racing is among those who didn't realize this challenge is starting. He needs race victories after losing points for a penalty at Kansas in May. The prize is nice. 'That's real money,' Buescher said. 'But I don't want that to change how we go to the race track. We need to figure out how to win races. There's a lot more than that on the line at the end of the year.' Three-time Cup Series champ Joey Logano compared this event's prize to the money up for grabs in the All-Star Race and this new competition like a stage win. 'This is a little longer thing, but it's a race within the race,' Logano said. 'So you're not willing to give up a lot to do that, right?' Denny Hamlin was excited when the In-season Challenge was first announced. Then he saw the courses for this competition, and his enthusiasm dimmed with the number of road courses included. 'Truthfully, we're going to get pretty lucky or have such a good draw that just things kind of work out,' Hamlin said. 'I wish it was more conventional ovals, but I think that's just the way the schedule works out. And it's unfortunately not probably my prime part of the season.' Brad Keselowski and his No. 6 Ford for RFK Racing went into Nashville at 32 — right on the line to be included in that chase for seeding. He hadn't given the competition much thought focused on this season. But he thinks it will be fun once it starts. 'It's good for the sport, good for our fans and it's a competition,' Keselowski said. 'If there's competition, we want to win it. But that said, I think our heads down on one week at a time, in some ways one day at a time. ... And it's hard to look further ahead than that.' Team Penske all set for the playoffs With Ryan Blaney's first victory of the season at Nashville Superspeedway, Team Penske now has its three drivers qualified for the NASCAR Cup playoffs even with Nashville the first race of the second half of this year. Blaney, who hadn't won since November, joined Austin Cindric, who won at Talladega, and three-time Cup Series champ Joey Logano, a winner at Texas. Josh Berry, whose Wood Brothers Racing team has a relationship with Team Penske, also won at Las Vegas. Michael Nelson, president of Team Penske's NASCAR operations, said it was nice to have that pressure off all the teams. 'It's obviously pretty awesome to have a little bit of that pressure off for the guys,' Nelson said. 'And again ... it gives you a chance to go out and take some chances here and there and try to rack up a bunch of wins. So now we're grateful to be at this point with our cars this time of year.' Careful there Hocevar Carson Hocevar matched his career-best finish driving from 26th to second at Nashville. The 22-year-old driver in his second Cup Series season with Spire Motorsports ticked off Ricky Stenhouse Jr. with his aggressive style. Hocevar clipped Stenhouse on Lap 106 of 300, sending him into the wall and out of the race. Stenhouse said Hocevar was overly aggressive and will talk to the young driver. Just not after the race. 'No,' Stenhouse said, 'that costs too much money.' ___ AP auto racing:
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Coca-Cola Announces Decision On Bubba Wallace Sponsorship
Bubba Wallace landed a fitting endorsement deal ahead of the Coca-Cola 600. Three days before Sunday's Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, 23XI Racing revealed a new partnership with Coca-Cola Consolidated. The largest Coca-Cola bottler in the United States is based in Charlotte. Advertisement "Big news! We're proud to welcome [Coca-Cola Consolidated] to the 23XI Racing family," 23XI Racing announced on social media. "Whether it's cooling down after a race or celebrating in Victory Lane, Coke is Bubba's go-to. Here's to more iconic moments on and off the track." "We're so excited to partner with 23XIRacing!" Coca-Cola Consolidated responded. "Cheers to making even more memories together!" DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 16: Bubba Wallace, driver of the #23 McDonald's Toyota prepares for the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 16, 2025 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by)According to 23XI's press release, Coca-Cola Consolidated is now "the official soft drink partner of Bubba Wallace and the No. 23 team." The agreement will include branding on Wallace's Toyota and off-track engagement opportunities with fans and students. Advertisement "We're excited to welcome Coca-Cola Consolidated to the 23XI family," 23XI team president Steve Lauletta said. "For decades, Coca-Cola Consolidated has had a significant impact in the communities they serve, and we look forward to collaborating with them on meaningful programs that give college students a behind-the-scenes look at how our team operates. We also look forward to creating special moments for 23XI fans to meet Bubba at select races." Wallace can commemorate the new collaboration with a strong finish at Sunday's Coca-Cola 600. After finishing third in consecutive March races, Wallace has placed inside the top 15 in one of his last five points events. He ended 33rd at Texas and Kansas before finishing eighth at last weekend's All-Star Race. Seeking his first win since 2022, Wallace looks to make his second career playoff appearance. He's 10th in Cup Series points (310) this season, but two drivers behind Wallace (Austin Cindric and Josh Berry) have secured a postseason berth with 2025 victories. Advertisement The Coca-Cola 600 kicks off Sunday at 6 p.m. on Amazon Prime Video. Related: NASCAR Fans React To Dale Jr.'s Return Announcement Coca-Cola Announces Decision On Bubba Wallace Sponsorship first appeared on The Spun on May 22, 2025
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Buoyed by stage points, Bubba Wallace finds himself in a new spot entering Coca-Cola 600
Back-to-back 33rd-place finishes notwithstanding, Bubba Wallace finds himself in a unique position entering Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. 'I've never been 10th in points 12 races in,' he said. 'I've always been the drama for the last four races leading up to the playoffs of trying to make it. Not saying we're locked in by any means … but (66) points to the good, never said that before.' Advertisement Wallace is having a season unlike any other for him. He is in the top 10 in the standings, in part, due to the stage points he's scored. His 100 stage points rank fourth in the series behind only Kyle Larson (128 stage points), Ryan Blaney (110) and William Byron (107). Wallace's total exceeds the combined stage points (99) scored by Ross Chastain, Chase Briscoe, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Ryan Preece — who hold the final four spots in the playoffs standings. Sunday's race marks the halfway point of the 26-race regular season, so there's still much racing to go. NASCAR: Coca-Cola 600 Charlotte Motor Speedway Coke 600 weekend schedule, TV info for NASCAR Cup, Xfinity and Truck Advertisement It's a full slate of Memorial Day weekend racing at the 1.5-mile oval. While Wallace has two career Cup wins, none have come in the regular season. That's led to the scramble to make the playoffs at the end of the regular season. His only playoff appearance came in 2023 when he secured the final playoff spot in the regular season finale at Daytona. He enters Sunday's race winless in his last 91 Cup starts. Wallace had never been higher than 16th in the standings at this point of the season in his previous seven seasons. A new crew chief in Charles Denike and a fast pit crew have played roles in Wallace's improved performance but one shouldn't overlook Wallace's growth as a driver. 'I've done a lot work on self, on the mental side, the physical side to make sure that I am fit for the job,' Wallace said. 'So you have to think like everything that everybody's doing is just clicking and it's seeming to work, right?' NASCAR Cup Series Shriners Children's 500 Good news/bad news for NASCAR Cup teams ahead of Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Advertisement Cup drivers will compete in the longest race of the season Sunday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway. As Wallace has gained experience in Cup, he's learned more of what it takes to compete at the highest level of NASCAR. 'Eight years in there's so much more than just going to beat the other guys,' Wallace said of advice he would give his younger self. 'You have to do X, Y and Z and 1, 2, and 3, right? It's wild how much goes into trying to be the best. I would say, aside from enjoying the moment, roll your sleeves up and be ready to work. 'There are some people, Larson for example, where he can wake up and go out and win everything. Happy for him. Awesome. There's other people, like myself, I'll throw my name in the hat, where we have to work to be that great. You have to understand that and two, recognize it, and three, put it to work.' Kurt Kurt Busch, Harry Gant and Ray Hendrick selected to 2026 NASCAR Hall of Fame class Advertisement Kurt Busch won 34 Cup races and the 2004 Cup championship Wallace knows this week could be a challenge. The qualifying order is based on a metric that is weighed heavily on how the car finished in the previous race. With the 33rd-place finish at Kansas in the most recent points race, Wallace will go early in qualifying. That could be a starting spot outside the top 20. 'It's going to be a dog fight for 600 miles,' Wallace said. ' … I have looked at that before as like, 'Damn, we're already at a negative.' Well, there's no different than going out last and hitting the wall and starting in the 20s, right? 'You just have to execute. You have to show up and treat it like a normal race. We have the speed. We're confident in our people, confident in our equipment, and, I think, where we're at now at this point in the season, never been here before. That gives you confidence, too.'
New York Times
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- New York Times
Kyle Larson, another Indy 500/NASCAR ‘Double' try, and a GOAT legacy in reach
INDIANAPOLIS — In the most recent NASCAR Cup Series points race, Kyle Larson led 83 percent of the laps, won his third race of the still-young season and took over the series points lead heading into his Memorial Day Weekend 'Double' attempt. Given his frequent success, Larson's NASCAR rivals would have every reason not to like him. But among his peers, seemingly no one feels that way. Advertisement And after winning 26 Cup Series races since the start of 2021, they would also have every reason to cheer against him. But when the NASCAR drivers watch Larson in Sunday's Indianapolis 500, awaiting their turn to race against him in Charlotte's 600-mile race that night, many will be doing the opposite. 'Yeah, I root for him,' two-time NASCAR champion Kyle Busch said. 'I wish him well in that endeavor. You hope one of your fellow guys goes out there and can show the world the NASCAR guys can do it as good as the IndyCar guys. 'I hope he does really well,' Larson's NASCAR teammate Alex Bowman said. 'He's one of the greatest of our generation, certainly up there as far as the greatest have been.' It would be easy to fill the rest of this story with similar quotes from Larson's peers. 'Just a badass,' former open-wheel driver and current NASCAR driver AJ Allmendinger said. 'One of the best to do it,' Bubba Wallace said. You get the point. But some of the racing world thinks differently. Europeans scoffed last year when Larson declared he was a better all-around driver than F1 world champion Max Verstappen, who many consider to be the best driver on the planet. Verstappen shrugged off the comment, but F1 fans — who tend to look down on American racers — had a field day with Larson's remark. In the time since, Larson's words have become the topic of ridicule every time he makes a mistake or crashes — and, in a game of telephone, turned into a belief Larson actually said he was the world's best driver. 'People act like I'm the one who said I am the greatest race car driver in the world,' Larson told The Athletic. 'I never said that. I just said I'm a better all-around driver than Max Verstappen. And they took that as I said, 'I'm the greatest in the world.'' Arguably, though, Larson's claim is correct. Verstappen has dominated F1 and shown otherworldly talent; he is unquestionably one of the great racing drivers of all time. But Larson, at least to this point, has a vastly more diverse and successful racing resume. Advertisement He is a NASCAR champion in stock cars, won the 24 Hours of Daytona sports car race, has won the world's biggest dirt sprint car race (Knoxville Nationals), the biggest dirt midget car race (Chili Bowl) and one of the biggest dirt late model races (Prairie Dirt Classic). One of his teammates in the 24 Hours of Daytona, Tony Kanaan, is now the team principal of the Arrow McLaren outfit that fields Larson's Indy 500 car. And the speed is obvious to Kanaan, a former Indy 500 winner. 'To me, he's one of the biggest talents we've ever seen around the world,' Kanaan said. That's why this Indianapolis 500 attempt and the 'Double' (which consists of running both Indy and NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 on the same day in an 1,100-mile gantlet) is so important to Larson's legacy. This is his final planned Indy 500, at least for now. If he truly wants to be in the conversation among the all-time greats, Larson could use a special moment Sunday on his resume. Maybe that consists of simply completing all the laps. Maybe it's a top-10 finish at Indy and then winning in Charlotte. Maybe, in what would be both highly improbable and one of the great American racing stories in history, it's winning both. At the top of the short list of the American racing GOATs is Mario Andretti, the only driver in history to win the Formula One world championship, the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500. But last year, Andretti said sweeping the Sunday 'Double' would put Larson 'in a space where he'll probably be alone' among the greats. 'If he wins this and then goes to Charlotte and maybe even wins that?' Andretti told The Athletic. 'Oh my goodness! That would go down in history.' Larson qualified fifth for last year's Indy 500 — his only other attempt so far — but finished 18th after he made an error and was caught speeding on pit road. This year hasn't gone as smoothly; he crashed twice in practice and qualified 21st for Sunday's race. Advertisement It immediately sparked the 'told you so' posts on social media from Larson's detractors. 'I know he got grief for wrecking in practice, but it's like, 'How many (IndyCar) regulars are there who have wrecked in practice?'' former NASCAR champion Ryan Blaney said. 'It's just typical people, where when things go poorly, they like to s— on that person. When things go good, they don't really give it any second thought.' Five drivers have attempted the Double, which requires completing all 500 miles in Indianapolis and then flying to Charlotte for the start of the 600-mile NASCAR race. (And that's after flying from Indiana to North Carolina the day before to qualify for the NASCAR race and then returning to Indy. On Saturday, Larson qualified second for the Coke 600.) Only one has completed every mile: Tony Stewart in 2001, when he got top-10s in both races. Last year, a rain delay at Indianapolis made Larson late for the NASCAR race; he never got a chance to run the second part of the doubleheader, as rain also brought a halt to the Charlotte race before he could get in the car. This year could be his lone chance. He has flown under the radar much more this time around, which is how he likes it. Not because Larson doesn't want the attention, he said, but because he hates taking attention away from other drivers. Though the hype has died down, Larson is now more experienced with an IndyCar — a vehicle that has far more tools inside the cockpit for drivers to use than in NASCAR. 'Last year I was just scared to do anything (with the tools),' he said. 'I didn't know how sensitive everything was going to be. This year, I've definitely played around with it a lot more. I've gotten way more comfortable with doing those things.' It's all part of the challenge of getting up to speed in an unfamiliar car, which is a major reason why Larson's 'all-around' best claim has many believers. Few drivers in the world can jump between vehicles and get up to speed quickly; some refuse to even try. Advertisement Will Buxton, who will call the Indianapolis 500 for Fox Sports, was criticized by F1 fans in February when he declared many F1 drivers are 'scared' to even attempt the Indy 500. But the 'Drive to Survive' commentator and longtime F1 media mainstay insisted that is actually the case, citing conversations he's had with drivers like Daniel Ricciardo, Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas — who all told him they didn't want to race IndyCar because of the dangerous ovals (F1 is all on road courses and street circuits). It doesn't help that former F1 world champion Fernando Alonso failed to qualify for the race when he came over from F1 six years ago. 'Deep down, in places they don't talk about very often, respect for (Indy 500) drivers is probably far higher than they ever publicly state, because they recognize there is risk involved here,' Buxton said of F1 drivers. 'They realize these guys are at a very unique level you don't find anywhere else in open-wheel racing.' Verstappen himself has said he would never attempt the Indy 500, telling ESPN in 2022: 'I don't need to risk my life there.' In the meantime, Larson just keeps adding to his resume. The 32-year-old isn't just sticking to one series or type of race cars; he's not only driven a variety of vehicles, but has won in every single one of them. Except IndyCar, at least so far. Could Larson actually win on Sunday, sealing his legacy as one of the all-time greats? 'That race is special, and you want the best in the world to be there,' Allmendinger said. 'And he's definitely one of them.'
