Latest news with #IndyCars
NZ Autocar
5 days ago
- Automotive
- NZ Autocar
Sky locks in Supercars for another four years
Kiwi fans of Supercars can bank on another four more years of televised action with Sky. The company reports it has secured the rights to broadcast and stream the Supercars Championship from the start of next year to the end of the 2029 season. The four-year deal extends Sky's longstanding partnership with Supercars. It ensures Kiwi fans can continue to follow their favourite drivers across the championship. Sky's Head of Content Partnerships, Adam Crothers comments: 'Supercars is a fan favourite, delivering edge-of-your-seat entertainment, fierce competition, and some of the best drivers in the sport. 'We've been proud to bring the championship to Kiwi audiences for over a decade. And this new deal locks in Supercars as a key part of our motorsport offering for years to come.' 'With the addition of a second New Zealand race from 2026…we're thrilled to see the local connection grow stronger. Two home races for Kiwi fans is a game-changer.' A new Christchurch round will join the existing Taupō round from next year. With five Kiwi drivers currently competing, the Supercars Championship continues to be a major drawcard for local motorsport fans. Moreover, the new three-tiered Supercars format launched this year has been bringing added excitement to the competition. Supercars CEO James Warburton said: 'We're absolutely thrilled to extend our partnership with Sky, which has been a fantastic broadcast partner for over a decade. 'This new deal guarantees Kiwi fans can continue to watch every moment of Supercars action, wherever they are. 'With…20 per cent of our global fan base residing in New Zealand, this partnership is critically important to us.' 'We're proud to deepen our commitment to New Zealand fans and continue to grow our footprint in this key market.' Sky's motorsport coverage includes F1, IndyCars, WSBK with Supercars at the core of its line-up. The 2025 Supercars competition continues this weekend with the Century Batteries Ipswich Super 440 (8-10 August). Sky customers can enjoy all the action live on Sky Sport and Sky Sport Now and select coverage free-to-air on Sky Open.
Chicago Tribune
29-06-2025
- Automotive
- Chicago Tribune
Edward Keegan: NASCAR has embraced the Chicago backdrop, but will it return?
The NASCAR Chicago Street Race. If it sounds a bit edgy, that's certainly by design. And the race has had its challenges. First it was the smoky haze of Canadian wildfires. Then it was rain. And finally, it was the darkness of nightfall. And that was just the inaugural race in 2023. Oh, and the noise and the street closures that lasted for weeks before and after the race. And most folks who live in the immediate vicinity of the Grant Park racecourse were not NASCAR fans before the race and probably aren't now either. Like architecture, much of the appeal of motorsports is aesthetic. The cars are sleek, or at least as sleek as purpose-built vehicles molded to resemble Chevrolet Camaros, Ford Mustangs and Toyota Camrys can be. And they are as bright and colorful as each sponsor is willing. And the speed and the sound add to the spectacle. With each of these elements, the NASCAR Chicago Street Race is an exceptionally well-conceived and packaged design mirror of ourselves. Chicago's history with auto racing stretches back to the earliest automobile race held in the United States on Thanksgiving Day in 1895. Fun fact: The Jackson Park to Evanston course traversed Michigan Avenue and included two blocks that are part of the NASCAR Chicago Street Race course. Nearby Soldier Field hosted races from 1935 to 1970, including NASCAR in 1956 and 1957. More recently, the now-defunct Chicago Motor Speedway in Cicero fielded IndyCars and some of NASCAR's minor league series from 1999 to 2002, and both major series have raced at Joliet's Chicagoland Speedway, which is now owned by NASCAR. But what these races lacked was the Chicago backdrop to the racing — something NASCAR has completely embraced during the last three years. Because what's most important is how it looks on TV. Almost every sporting event held in the city, whether it's at Soldier Field, Wrigley Field, Rate Field or the United Center, will show Grant Park and the Loop from a helicopter-mounted camera sometime during the event. But holding NASCAR's race in the park allows them to spotlight the city in a very particular way. Chicago's image is no longer just Willis Tower and the building formerly known as John Hancock Center. Newer tall buildings, including Trump Tower and the St. Regis, are more dominant from NASCAR's Grant Park perch. The Michigan Avenue street wall, long the classic Chicago skyline scene, has been extended in recent years by new development south of Ida B. Wells Drive including Helmut Jahn's striking 1000M, Krueck + Sexton's folded glass-faced Spertus Institute and Rafael Viñoly's distinctive, if mediocre, NEMA. And there are the older buildings along Michigan Avenue as well: Adler & Sullivan's Auditorium Building, Solon Beman's Fine Arts Building, Burnham and Root's Railway Exchange Building, and John Moutoussamy's Johnson Publishing Co. building, to name just a few. NASCAR and the Chicago Street Race highlight all of these distinctive — and very Chicago — buildings in a way that will endure. The best-known street course in the world has been in use for almost a century: the Grand Prix of Monaco in Monte Carlo. That enclave of wealth on the Mediterranean certainly doesn't need the grand prix in much the same way that Chicago doesn't need the NASCAR Chicago Street Race. But it's interesting to consider them together. The backdrop in Monaco includes the Belle Epoque Casino, the Mediterranean harbor, small shop fronts for luxury good purveyors and concrete cliffs filled with the pied-à-terre of the uber-rich. The NASCAR Chicago Street Race's background is, let's say, different. But it's just as compelling. And while Formula 1's multimillion-dollar bespoke cars reflect Monaco's place in the world economy, NASCAR's 'stock' cars are probably the best expression of Chicago. A bit brash, a bit ordinary, a lot noisy and prone to wrecks. Monaco is so good at its build that traffic navigates the racecourse within hours of on-track activity each day of the race weekend. It's too early to expect that here, but the build-out of the track and its support structures has become shorter with each year, reflecting NASCAR's efficiency and learning from experience. Finally, there's the racing itself. I had my doubts about how NASCAR's full body cars would race on this layout. But even with dreadful weather both years, it's proved to be a very entertaining track. The wide straightaways along Columbus and DuSable Lake Shore drives promote good side-by-side action and passing. Although the two one-block-long stretches on Michigan Avenue are good for photography, they are far too narrow to be either challenging or conducive to racing. But while the portion of track between them, the semicircular stretch through Congress Plaza, doesn't promote much passing, it is a great place to see up close how difficult these cars are to drive. The change in elevation — up and then down — while navigating a broad left turn really gets these cars to the edge of control, and it's quite entertaining to watch them skate through this section. And unlike the open wheel cars of IndyCar and Formula 1, not every contact between cars is likely to slow the race with a full-course yellow flag. Stock cars can often take some bumping and continue on without major incident. And it's proved to be a safe track as well. It will not be surprising if NASCAR announces in the coming days that it won't be back in Chicago next year. The initial contract runs its course with next week's race, although there are options for two additional years if NASCAR and the city agree to continue. The sanctioning body has let several other nontraditional races lapse after just a few years, and they're reportedly in talks with San Diego about a street race for 2026. Presumably there would be a lot less grit involved, but probably a lot better weather in store. Edward Keegan writes, broadcasts and teaches on architectural subjects. Keegan's biweekly architecture column is supported by a grant from former Tribune critic Blair Kamin, as administered by the not-for-profit Journalism Funding Partners. The Tribune maintains editorial control over assignments and content.
Otago Daily Times
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- Otago Daily Times
Kiwi Scott McLaughlin escapes major Indy 500 crash unharmed
New Zealand IndyCars driver Scott McLaughlin has walked away from a spectacular crash during pre-qualifying practice at Indy 500. The Team Penske driver hit the wall at speed 16 minutes into the one-hour session reserved for the 12 drivers who will vie for pole position during qualifying. McLaughlin, who qualified in pole position for last year's Indy 500 before finishing third in the famous race, had recorded the fastest lap of the session before spinning his car in turn two and crashing hard into the barrier. The car was airborne for a moment and suffered extensive damage. "I'm really, really, really, really sorry to everyone at Team Penske, my guys on the 3 car, everyone who builds these fantastic cars," McLaughlin said. "It (car) was talking to me, and I sort of felt it, and I probably should have backed out. But you're trying to complete a run to see what it feels like. "Very grateful to IndyCar, the safety and my team, the SAFER Barriers and all that. Kept me safe. We had a great car, and I just destroyed it." New Zealander Scott Dixon, a five time pole winner at the Indy 500, was second fastest in the practice for Chip Ganassi Racing. Dixon, a six time IndyCars series champion, will tie former driver American Rick Mears with a sixth "500" pole if he secures the top spot.
NBC Sports
15-04-2025
- Automotive
- NBC Sports
Katherine Legge expands NASCAR schedule, adding Xfinity, Cup races
Katherine Legge will drive in either the Xfinity or Cup Series in 12 of the next 18 weekends as she works toward a more compete NASCAR schedule and show that despite what happened at Phoenix 'I am a damn good race car driver.' Legge's schedule through mid-August was announced Tuesday morning. The 44-year-old from Guilford, England, whose diverse career in motorsports includes IndyCars, IMSA and Formula E, is focused on NASCAR. She became the first woman to compete in a Cup race earlier this season since 2018. Legge will run seven Xfinity races with Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport, beginning with Saturday's race at Rockingham Speedway. Legge will compete in five Cup races with Live Fast Motorsports. Her sponsors will be e.l.f. Cosmetics, DROPLight, Sherfick Companies and Desnuda Tequila. Four of her five Cup races — Mexico City, Chicago Street Race, Sonoma and Watkins Glen — will be on either a road or street course, which fits her background in racing. Her other Cup start is scheduled to be Aug. 17 at Richmond. Richmond will be her first Cup start on an oval since she made her series debut at Phoenix in March. She spun twice in the race. The second spin collected Daniel Suarez, leading to online criticism and also sparking a debate about NASCAR's approval process for drivers. Dustin Long, Legge said she is aware of the comments but is focused on moving forward to fulfill her goal of racing regularly in NASCAR. 'I licked my wounds for sure,' Legge told NBC Sports, 'but I haven't been around in motorsports for 20 years professionally by giving up on anything. 'I know (Phoenix) wasn't my best work. I made a mistake, right? I made a lot of mistakes during the race, tried to minimize them. … And then there was that one mistake that obviously ended Daniel's race and cost me my reputation, which I intend to get back. But it was a mistake. 'You see these guys making mistakes even when they've been doing it for decades. So to be vilified on one mistake, I feel like was really unfair. I am a damn good race car driver, and I will come back and prove that was just a blip on the radar.' Legge's previous NASCAR experience before this year was four Xfinity starts in 2018 and one Xfinity start in 2023. This schedule into August gives her a steady diet of stock car experience. 'It's invaluable, actually, to get some kind of continuity and experience going in order to kind of showcase what I am capable of,' Legge told NBC Sports. She will drive a mix of tracks also. After Rockingham, she will do the next four Xfinity races, competing at Talladega, Texas, Charlotte and Nashville. Then she moves over to the Cup Series for the inaugural series race at Mexico City on June 15. 'I am very much looking forward to it,' Legge said of the event at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. 'We tried to get things together in time for COTA, but we didn't unfortunately. There's a different level of comfort that comes with turning left and right. 'I'm also excited to do the ovals. I almost want to get to Richmond as much as I want to get to Mexico just because I want that monkey off my back, and I want to prove to myself that it was just a minor blip and we're good to go.' But her schedule might not end after the Richmond race. The rest of the season was purposely not included in case there is a particular style of track NASCAR wants her to run to gain more experience. 'This is what we need in order to get NASCAR permission to be able to run anywhere I want whenever I want, which is ultimately the goal,' Legge said. That could lead to a possible Daytona 500 run and maybe even a return to the Indianapolis 500 next year, making her among the few to race in the signature events for NASCAR and IndyCar in the same season. 'I want to do everything that I can to A, experience all the things and B, to be the best driver that I can be and leave a legacy,' she said, 'and open the door for the next generation.' Katherine Legge's NASCAR schedule ● April 19 - Rockingham Speedway, NASCAR Xfinity Series with Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport, sponsored by e.l.f. Cosmetics ● April 26 - Talladega Superspeedway, NASCAR Xfinity Series with Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport, sponsored by e.l.f. Cosmetics ● May 3 - Texas Motor Speedway, NASCAR Xfinity Series with Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport, sponsored by DROPLiGHT, Sherfick Companies, and Desnuda Tequila ● May 24 - Charlotte Motor Speedway, NASCAR Xfinity Series with Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport, sponsored by e.l.f. Cosmetics ● May 31 - Nashville Superspeedway, NASCAR Xfinity Series with Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport, sponsored by e.l.f. Cosmetics ● June 15 - Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, NASCAR Cup Series with Live Fast Motorsport, sponsored by e.l.f. Cosmetics ● June 27 - Atlanta Motor Speedway, NASCAR Xfinity Series with Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport, sponsored by DROPLiGHT, Sherfick Companies, and Desnuda Tequila ● July 6 - Chicago Street Race, NASCAR Cup Series with Live Fast Motorsport ● July 13 - Sonoma Raceway, NASCAR Cup Series with Live Fast Motorsport, sponsored by e.l.f. Cosmetics ● July 26 - Indianapolis Motor Speedway, NASCAR Xfinity Series with Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport, sponsored by DROPLiGHT, Sherfick Companies, and Desnuda Tequila ● August 10 - Watkins Glen International, NASCAR Cup Series with Live Fast Motorsport, sponsored by DROPLiGHT, Sherfick Companies, and Desnuda Tequila ● August 17 - Richmond Raceway, NASCAR Cup Series with Live Fast Motorsport
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Honda's Racing Arm to Auction V-10 Parts from Senna's F1 Car
Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) will auction off engine parts from Ayrton Senna's 1990 Formula 1 race car. The auction is part of HRC's new memorabilia business, which will eventually include other historic items from its motorsports collection. The first auction will be held during Monterey Car Week in August, and available parts from Honda's RA100E V-10 include camshafts and pistons. It used to be you'd go to a swap meet to get used engine parts, but Honda's racing division—Honda Racing Corporation, HRC for short—is taking that concept to the next level. Later this year, HRC will auction off actual parts from the Honda V-10 engine that powered Ayrton Senna's championship-winning Formula 1 race car during the 1990 season. The auction, which will be held during Monterey Car Week this August, will help launch HRC's new memorabilia business. Not only will collectors and fans alike be able to bid on rare parts from Senna's race car (also driven by Gerhard Berger during the '90 F1 season), but they'll eventually have the chance to own other motorsports memorabilia, such as signed items and limited-edition collectibles. As for the parts from Senna's F1 engine, HRC says the RA100E V-10 was disassembled at its factory in Sakura City, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. The people who pulled it apart were also the original builders, so you can expect extra care was taken there. The parts that will be up for auction include camshafts, connecting rods, pistons, valve covers, and various other exterior and internal bits. They'll be put in display cases and sold with a certificate of authenticity so you can brag to all your buds that you own a piece of history. HRC is also currently trying to source parts from iconic racing motorcycles, IndyCars, and even vehicles from its heritage collection to auction off or privately sell. "We aim to make this a valuable business that allows fans who love F1, MotoGP, and various other races to share in the history of Honda's challenges in racing since the 1950s.' said HRC President Koji Watanabe. 'Including our fans to own a part of Honda's racing history is not intended to be a one-time endeavor, but rather a continuous business that we will nurture and grow.' You Might Also Like Car and Driver's 10 Best Cars through the Decades How to Buy or Lease a New Car Lightning Lap Legends: Chevrolet Camaro vs. Ford Mustang!
