Latest news with #JackLink's500
Newsweek
10-05-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Ryan Blaney Faces Scrutiny Of NASCAR Insiders After Texas: "Something Is Going On"
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Ryan Blaney, who clinched the NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2023 and finished second in 2024, has come under the scrutiny of industry insiders, including Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. In 2025 so far, the Team Penske driver has suffered four race retirements. During the Dale Jr Download podcast, Earnhardt Jr. reacted to Blaney's troublesome race at Texas Motor Speedway which saw him make a "dumb decision," as the driver branded it, on one of the restarts. Earnhardt Jr. explained: "Ryan Blaney choosing the second row on the inside instead of starting next to [Kyle] Larson late in the race. And he got out and said, 'Yeah, I messed up.' "The only type of driver that I see make that move and I go, 'Oh, okay,' is a guy like [Ross] Chastain. I know that he's probably thinking, 'I'm [expletive] going three-wide here. But Blaney is not that guy. Blaney is not going to put his fellow competitors in a three-wide situation. Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Advance Auto Parts Ford, greets fans as he walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Jack Link's 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 27, 2025... Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Advance Auto Parts Ford, greets fans as he walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Jack Link's 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 27, 2025 in Talladega, Alabama. More"I feel like in those situations, I know you don't love restarting on the outside, but I think you have to. You just have to do it. If we get a chance to see Blaney, we've got to ask him what's going on. Something's going on with Blaney." Blaney claimed he made "dumb decisions" in Texas. He explained, as previously reported by Newsweek Sports: "The one time I didn't pick the outside, the 71 [McDowell] gets the lead, and then I couldn't get it back. "Just driver making dumb decisions and not doing his job. I appreciate the 12 car was a fast car. Just can't do nothing right currently, so hopefully it will work itself out." Commenting on the restart, Blaney added: "The top wasn't very good at all. It was pretty dirty. And the one time I have a shot to do it, and don't do it, the guy [McDowell] gets the lead. "So I just didn't do a good job. Then it was hard to get it after that. Just didn't get a good push, and just could never hang with them over in [Turns] 3 and 4." Blaney concluded, discussing his climb from 24th to 3rd: "Honestly, we really didn't do it with strategy. "We just kind of passed cars. So no, it was good and I thought our car was really good. I couldn't get control of the race. "So, overall, a proud day, fast car, and hopefully go forward. We've had speed all year, so it was nice that in the last couple of weeks, we've [Penske] gotten a car in Victory Lane. So that's good, hopefully we can join them."
Newsweek
29-04-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Bubba Wallace Speaks After Wildly Tame Talladega: 'Waiting For a Big Wreck'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Talladega was a surprisingly clean race compared to its usual chaotic finishes. Bubba Wallace had mixed feelings following the NASCAR Cup Series Jack Link's 500, but came away with a top 10 result, finishing P8, despite expecting an opportunity for something better. "I don't really know what to think as I think we were all waiting for a big wreck there at the end and it never happened," Wallace said following Sunday's race. "We ended up 10th, so that's a good day for us. We didn't need a new winner, but congrats to Austin [Cindric]. All-in-all, our Leidos Toyota Camry was pretty solid today. "Was nice not having to riding around, running half throttle and save fuel. We did at times, but not as much. Clean race and now, onto Texas." Bubba Wallace, driver of the #23 Leidos Toyota, greets fans as he walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Jack Link's 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 27, 2025 in Talladega,... Bubba Wallace, driver of the #23 Leidos Toyota, greets fans as he walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Jack Link's 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 27, 2025 in Talladega, Alabama. MoreThe race was unusual in the fact it featured predominantly green-flagged racing throughout. Talladega Speedway is usually known for its multi-car pileups, but last weekend it delivered a relatively clean race with only four cautions. Despite Wallace being rather modest about his performance, starting 20th, he made good progress up the pack during the race. He made the top 5 within the first 25 laps of the race. He even won Stage 2, finishing ahead of Team Penske's Joey Logano, something he later posted about on X. Big AC fan in stage 2... don't listen to the naysayers, you were perfect!😂 — Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) April 28, 2025 "Big AC fan in stage 2... don't listen to the naysayers, you were perfect!" he posted in response to Cindric's celebratory post. With Talladega now in the rear view, NASCAR turns its focus to Texas Motor Speedway this weekend. Wallace will hope to continue his momentum into Texas, hoping that a win after a streak of 89 races without seeing victory.
Newsweek
29-04-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
RFK Racing Issues Statement With Ryan Preece Disqualification Appeal Decision
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. RFK Racing has issued a statement following Ryan Preece's disqualification from the NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. After Preece crossed the line in second position in the Jack Link's 500, NASCAR disqualified the driver for unapproved shims in the rear spoiler. RFK Racing has now confirmed that it won't be appealing the disqualification. The team explained in a statement: "RFK Racing acknowledges and accepts NASCAR's decision to disqualify the No. 60 Ford Mustang following post-race inspection at Talladega and will not appeal the ruling. Ryan Preece, driver of the #60 Kroger/Celsius Ford, walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Jack Link's 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 27, 2025 in Talladega, Alabama. Ryan Preece, driver of the #60 Kroger/Celsius Ford, walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Jack Link's 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 27, 2025 in Talladega, Alabama."The infraction stemmed from an unintentional adjustment during pre-race inspection to correct a spoiler angle issue. While the change did not provide a competitive advantage, it did not meet the approved compliance method. We respect the ruling and remain committed to integrity and adherence to NASCAR's standards." Preece shared following the race, before the disqualification had been issued: "We did all we could. I felt like we executed stage three exactly like we needed to. We came out in the front of our group and worked our way through that traffic. We had the opportunity to get to the top lane and then from there it was just managing those cars behind us and not giving up what we gained. "I'm really proud of everybody at RFK for this race car. I'm just really super appreciative from Jack, Brad, the Fenway Group for this opportunity. Honestly, without Kroger and BAM and Celsius and a lot of the other partners today, I'd probably be back in Connecticut. I'm really excited about the rest of this year. It's a great day, but I wanted to win." Team Penske driver Joey Logano, who crossed the line in fifth, was also disqualified from the race. Similarly to RFK Racing, the Roger Penske-led team also confirmed that it would not be appealing the reigning champion's disqualification. NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega: Jack Link's 500 race results
Newsweek
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Ty Dillon Laments Talladega Issue Which "Robbed" Him of Crucial Points - "We've Got To Get That Cleaned Up"
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Ty Dillon, who returned to full-time NASCAR Cup Series racing in 2025 with Kaulig Racing, has lamented what "robbed us of a lot of finishing positions and points over the last two weeks." After a disappointing Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway, which he finished 23rd in, Dillon has urged the Kaulig Racing team to "get that cleaned up" as he ran out of gas while running in seventh. He explained to the media after the race: "We were having a pretty smooth day with our No. 10 Sea Best Chevy and our car was fast. We did our job on pit road pretty much and on the track, we put ourselves in position and where we needed to be at the end. "We were running in seventh and ran out of the gas. We've got to get that cleaned up. Running out of gas has robbed us of a lot of finishing positions and points over the last two weeks. Ty Dillon, driver of the #10 Sea Best Chevrolet, pits during the NASCAR Cup Series Jack Link's 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 27, 2025 in Talladega, Alabama. Ty Dillon, driver of the #10 Sea Best Chevrolet, pits during the NASCAR Cup Series Jack Link's 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 27, 2025 in Talladega, Alabama."We've shown a lot of really good speed on the superspeedways, and that's been really good. It's nice to see the hard work paying off when we show up at the track. We'll keep grinding and the finishes we deserve will come." Dillon's teammate AJ Allmendinger started the race in 19th and went on to finish in 24th, despite reaching 7th by the end of Stage 1. He also commented following the race: "Overall, our day was going well. We were racing our own race there of hanging back and going at the end of the stages. That worked out for the first stage, almost worked out for the second stage, and I thought we were in a decent position in the third stage. "We ended up with a combination of bad luck and not a great last stop at the end, just having to go around the No. 1 car and everything that happened there. That cost us there at the end and that's disappointing." NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega: Jack Link's 500 race results
Newsweek
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Ryan Blaney Has Painfully Honest Four Word Talladega Reaction
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. NASCAR Cup Series Champion Ryan Blaney delivered a brutally honest assessment of his day in Talladega on Sunday as he responded to Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s X post. Earnhardt, not able to watch the race, asked his followers to fill him in: "I'm on a plane and I cannot see the race. Care to reply with a description of the event so far?" he asked. Blaney, who had his fourth DNF of the season yesterday, responded with only four words: "I didn't have fun." A multi-car wreck saw Brad Keselowski's No. 6 RFK Racing Ford clash with Kyle Busch's No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. Both cars pushed up the track, eventually collecting Alex Bowman's No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and Ryan Blaney's No. 12 Team Penske Ford in the process. Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Advance Auto Parts Ford, greets fans as he walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Jack Link's 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 27, 2025... Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Advance Auto Parts Ford, greets fans as he walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Jack Link's 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 27, 2025 in Talladega, Alabama. More"It was just a stack of guys trying to come to pit road as fast as they could, and we were kind of the ham in the sandwich that got squeezed," Keselowski admitted after the race via "I waved down the backstretch to let everybody know I was gonna pit, and I came off of four, and everybody was so tight behind me that I didn't even have a chance to turn left. I hate that it ruined not just our day, but several other people's day. I don't think I could do anything different." Blaney commented on what led up to the incident. "It looked like a group of guys trying to get to pit road and maybe some guys not knowing that they were coming to pit road and not giving them any room," Blaney said. "I saw the 8 and 6 kind of get hooked together, and they were going up the track, so I kind of picked the bottom and tried to get out of there, and I think they clipped someone outside of them, and the 6 came back into me, and I got clipped in the right-rear. "Oh gosh, man, another DNF. It just sucks. Just when we were kind of getting our momentum and didn't even get to race today. We'll just move on to Texas." The post from the driver quickly became popular with it amassing 7,700 likes, almost 400 reposts, and a reach of 226,000.
