Latest news with #JeffGordon
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Chicago Tribune
NASCAR Chicago Street Race course ‘puts on a great show,' Jeff Gordon says
Could the rain delays that dogged NASCAR's Chicago Street Race in its first two years have inadvertently become its superpower? 'Wet-weather road racing is really exciting,' four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon told Chicago's City Club on Thursday night. 'The most exciting type of racing is not only slick (conditions) but drying pavement.' Drying pavement is something the Grant Park 165, the premier event of the Chicago Street Race weekend, has seen plenty of. Rainy conditions forced NASCAR to shorten the race in both 2023 and 2024, but both events also produced dramatic racing that gave pundits plenty to talk about. The race weekend, which has drawn mixed reaction from locals because of the road closures it causes, returns to downtown Chicago for a third year on July 5 and 6. Last year Alex Bowman won the rain-delayed Grant Park 165 after staying on wet-weather tires, even as other race leaders swapped their tires for slicker ones better suited for the drying conditions. The victory snapped an 80-race winless streak for Bowman, who drives the No. 48 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, of which Gordon serves as vice chairman. New Zealander Shane van Gisbergen won the rain-shortened Grant Park race in 2023, becoming the first driver in 60 years to win in his NASCAR Cup Series debut. Gordon, a NASCAR Hall of Famer, called the win 'probably one of the most shocking things that's happened in NASCAR in the last 30 years.' Gordon said that when he first saw the course map for the inaugural street race two years ago, he wondered about some of the narrow stretches on the route. Some of the participating race teams were also initially nervous about the course, he said. But drivers now love the 12-turn, 2.2-mile course, which offers high- and low-speed areas, narrow passes, and roomier stretches. The pop-up course runs through Grant Park, down DuSable Lake Shore Drive and up Michigan Avenue. 'It's a very fun and flowy' course, Gordon said. 'It puts on a great show, and the drivers really love it.' 'They absolutely can't wait to get here' next month, added Gordon, who was in Chicago for the 2023 and 2024 races and plans to return this year. 'It's such a cool event,' he said. 'To see our race cars screaming around the streets of Chicago, and all the city has to offer, it's so special for all of us competitors to be a part of.' The launch of a street course was made possible in part by the Next Generation car, which NASCAR began using in the 2022 season. The Next Generation car was designed with several improvements, including better brakes, that opened the door to racing on different types of tracks, Gordon said. Could the success of the Next Generation car in downtown Chicago pave the way for future NASCAR street races in other locations? 'I certainly think so,' Gordon said in an interview Thursday afternoon. 'It opens up a whole new window of opportunity. (But) I'd like to see it stay here for a long time because it's the perfect city for us to be in.' Gordon said the televised race puts a spotlight on Chicago. The event also has helped expand NASCAR's fan base, which has declined partly because iconic drivers such as Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards and Mark Martin have retired. 'When you have that many key figures in a sport step out, you lose fans,' Gordon said. 'We've got to make drivers household names and faces again.' With hotels, restaurants and entertainment footsteps away from the downtown course, he said the Chicago Street Race offers an enhanced experience for fans, partners and sponsors. Next month's race weekend also will feature a Saturday night concert by Zac Brown Band. 'It's just a fun and exciting atmosphere that we see a lot of interest in,' Gordon said.
Fox Sports
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox Sports
Every celebrity that we saw at the Indy 500
There are 350,000 people packing the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday for the Indianapolis 500, otherwise known as "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing". It's only natural that some of those people would be famous! Between FOX's coverage of the event, which brings in champions and stars from motorsports, baseball, football and more, as well as celebrities looking to see if Josef Newgarden can secure his third consecutive Indy 500 win, you're going to see a lot of people you recognize on your screens today. Keanu Reeves If you bump into him today, don't ask Keanu about when the next mainline "John Wick" installment is going to be announced. Let the man watch a race in peace. Jeff Gordon Jeff Gordon knows racing, and spent 22 years racing full-time, from 1993 to 2015. While he never did get to race for INDYCAR despite some early-career wishes to do so, he's at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway now for the Indy 500. Tom Brady, Jimmie Johnson, Michael Strahan Tom Brady has seven Super Bowl rings, Jimmie Johnson has seven NASCAR Cup championships, and Michael Strahan's Super Bowl title makes for a nice rounded-off 15 on stage at once. Rob Gronkowski Getting 350,000 people in one place to have a good time qualifies as a party; is there anywhere else you'd expect Gronk to be? Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez know a loud sports venue from their incredible playing careers in MLB, but to see over 300,000 people in one place for the Indy 500 has even this duo in awe. Terry Crews Actor and television host of "America's Got Talent," Terry Crews, is at the Indy 500, and he's got some of his own moves to show off while he's there. Tony Stewart Kyle Larson wants to complete both the Indy 500 and NASCAR's Coca Cola 600 on Sunday, so who better to discuss what goes into achieving that goal than the only driver to ever pull off racing all 1,100 miles of those events? Mario Andretti, Danny Sullivan, Johnny Rutherford, Bobby Rahal Among his accomplishments, Mario Andretti lists winning the Indy 500 in 1969, as well as four INDYCAR championships. Danny Sullivan won the 1985 Indy 500, one of his 17 wins in the CART Indy Car World Series. Johnny Rutherford has three Indy 500 wins to his name — 1974, 1976 and 1980 — in a career with 27 total victories. And Bobby Rahal was the 1986 Indy 500 victor himself, and his teams have won another pair in his career as the co-owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. All four of these former racers are at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for 2025's Indy 500. Danica Patrick Danica Patrick is the only woman to ever win an INDYCAR Series race – the 2008 Indy Japan 300 – so of course she's at the Indianapolis 500 to lend her expertise to the team at FOX. Patrick, of course, raced in multiple Indianapolis 500 events herself, the first of which was 20 years ago this year, when she was named its Rookie of the Year. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! BEST OF FOX SPORTS' INDY 500 COVERAGE: Ranking Indy 500 drivers from 33 to 1: Can anyone unseat Josef Newgarden? Got milk? 33 potential Indy 500 winners pick preferred dairy option Pato O'Ward pens letter to Indy 500: 'Had my heart broken here … but it also fuels me' No oval experience, no problem: Rookie Robert Shwartzman captures Indy 500 pole Rash of Crash: Inside a wild weekend of wrecks during Indy 500 prep From 'magical' to 'legendary': Drivers describe the Indy 500 in one word 2025 Indy 500 liveries: See the designs of all 34 cars on the track at The Brickyard Counting down the 25 most memorable moments in Indy 500 history recommended Get more from NTT INDYCAR SERIES Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Why Coca-Cola 600 is one of NASCAR crown jewel races
The Coca-Cola 600 is one of the four crown jewel races for the NASCAR Cup Series. These four races — the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, Brickyard 400 and Southern 500 — are the four more historic and prestigious races drivers aim to win every season. Advertisement The Coca-Cola 600 one of these crown jewel races for several reasons. Shop Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR tickets The first is the way NASCAR honors Memorial Day by honoring fallen soldiers on the drivers' windshields and a moment of silence halfway through the race. These are both rather new traditions for the race. On track, the Coca-Cola 600 is NASCAR's longest race. The race is 400 laps around the 1.5-mile oval at Charlotte Motor Speedway. When stage racing was introduced to NASCAR in 2015, the Coca-Cola 600 was broken up into four 100-lap stages. The racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway is exciting, as the track is one of the faster 1.5-mile tracks with 24-degree banking in the turns. Drivers usually have to lift slightly going into the corners but can get back into the gas rather quickly. Advertisement What started as the "World 600" in 1960, this race has some legendary winners, including Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Bobby Allison, Darrell Waltrip, Neil Bonnett, Rusty Wallace, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne, among several others. The "Coca-Cola 600" name was officially put into place in 1986. Dale Earnhardt won that race. The 1985 race, won by Darrell Waltrip, was called the "Coca-Cola World 600." It's just about time to drop the green flag for the Coca-Cola 600, the second of four crown jewel races in NASCAR this season. Here's more information on the race. Shop Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR tickets What does Coca-Cola 600 winner get? Winning the Coca-Cola 600 solidifies a place in NASCAR history as a winner of one of the more important races of the yearly schedule. There are several other rewards for winning the race, including: Advertisement Bruton Smith Trophy: The 80-pound bronze trophy is shaped to look like a piston and has the Speedway Motorsports logo on top with a black marble base. It's one of the coveted trophies in NASCAR. White gold and diamond ring: The winner of the Coca-Cola 600 receives a 14-carat diamond ring featuring the Speedway Motorsports logo in the center. The side of the shank features a checkered flag with round brilliant-cut white and black diamonds with the Charlotte Motor Speedway logo. The opposite side of the shank features the Coca-Cola logo integrated with a cola bottle with round, brilliant-cut diamonds. Trip to Arlington National Cemetery: The winning driver and his family make a trip to Arlington National Cemetery. This includes laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and visiting the cemetery, paying their respects to fallen soldiers. Luxury watch: The winning driver of the Coca-Cola 600 is given a luxury watch to commemorate his win in NASCAR's longest night. Advertisement Fully functioning Coca-Cola vending machine: Yes, the winning driver of the Coca-Cola 600 is given a working Coca-Cola vending machine. The machine is a throwback to when the machines were first introduced in 1929. Last 10 winners of Coca-Cola 600 Some of NASCAR's best drivers have won the Coca-Cola 600, including several champions. Here are the last 10 winners. 2024: Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing 2023: Ryan Blaney, Team Penske 2022: Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing 2021: Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports 2020: Brad Keselowski, Team Penske 2019: Martin Truex Jr., Joe Gibbs Racing 2018: Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing Advertisement 2017: Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing 2016: Martin Truex Jr., Furniture Row Racing 2015: Carl Edwards, Roush Fenway Racing Shop Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR tickets Who has most Coca-Cola 600 wins? Darrell Waltrip won the Coca-Cola 600 five times in his career, making him the winningest driver of the event. Hendrick Motorsports has 12 Coca-Cola 600 wins as a team, good for most all time. When is NASCAR Charlotte race? The Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Charlotte race is set for 5 p.m. CT on May 25 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina. What channel is NASCAR Charlotte race on? The Coca-Cola 600 will be broadcast on Amazon Prime with Adam Alexander, Steve Letarte and Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the broadcast booth. Advertisement Shop Charlotte NASCAR tickets We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn't influence our coverage. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NASCAR Charlotte race: Why Coca-Cola 600 is crown jewel race
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Jeff Gordon could have been paired with eventual IndyCar legend in F1
By this point, it's well known that Jeff Gordon had at least a pathway to Formula 1 with British American Racing when it formed in 1999 by Craig Pollock. The story most people know is that Pollock offered Gordon an agreement that would pay the then three-time Cup Series champion to move to the CART IndyCar Series for two seasons before a possible move to Formula 1. Advertisement In a conversation with Kevin Harvick on the Happy Hour YouTube show, Formula 1 media mainstay turned IndyCar Series play-by-play announcer Will Buxton shared details he uncovered about the role eventual four-time IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti would have played. 'Back in the late 90s, early 2000s, there was a plan, and I only learned about it recently when I was researching for a book I wrote a few years ago, and I interviewed Jeff Gordon and I interviewed Dario Franchitti,' Buxton told Harvick. 'And it turned out that, and this was before the stupid Super License rules came in … You know, Jeff was going to come over to the team Kool Green in IndyCar and run a season or two in IndyCar, and Dario was going to go over to BAR in Formula 1, and the long-term plan was that the lineup for BAR in Fomrula 1 was going to be Jeff and Dario.' This is before Dario himself made a short-lived an ill-fated attempt at transitioning to NASCAR and certainly before his titles in 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011. Advertisement Buxton believes that the top rising IndyCar star paired with the top NASCAR star of his era would have made F1 a marquee watch in the United States. 'That would have been box office and that would have broken F1 in America 20 years, 30 years before it finally broke through [with] Drive to Survive,' Buxton added. 'You get Jeff Gordon racing in Formula 1 alongside Dario Franchitti, these two great all-time champions out of American open-wheel and stock car racing and they're racing as teammates in Formula 1? Boom! Job done. That would have been huge.' But Gordon has said before that he ultimately turned down the deal for two reasons – there was no contractual agreement with BAR for a for sure seat in F1 and that wasn't worth giving up the best ride in the Cup Series for. Gordon told Dean McNulty the following back in 2003: Advertisement 'It was them saying to me 'We would like to put you in a CART car with a team like Barry Green's and have you run two years of CART and then come and test for us in F1 and then maybe you could come drive for us.' 'I had already won two Winston Cup championships at that time. I told the BAR people I was pretty much set here. I was on my way, I was with the best team with the best sponsors. I had everything I could ask for here. It would have been a major step backward for me to do it that way with no guarantees of where it would get me.' Related Headlines
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
NASCAR Martinsville full weekend track schedule, TV schedule for Cook Out 400, other races
NASCAR continues the 2025 season with the first short-track race weekend of the season at Martinsville Speedway. All three series are making the short trek to southern Virginia to compete on the half-mile paperclip oval, starting with the Craftsman Truck Series on Friday. The Xfinity Series runs on Saturday, with the Cup Series competing in the Cook Out 400 on Sunday. After a couple seasons of so-so short-track racing in the NextGen car, Sunday will be a barometer for the Cup Series with Bristol upcoming in a couple weeks. Here is the full on-track schedule in Martinsville: All times Central; on-track activity at Martinsville Speedway. 1 p.m. — NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series practice and qualifying, FS2 3:30 p.m. — NASCAR Xfinity Series practice and qualifying, CW app 6:30 p.m. — Boys & Girls Club of the Blue Ridge 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race (200 laps, 105.2 miles), FOX (Watch FREE on Fubo) 1 p.m. — NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying, Amazon Prime Video 4 p.m. — US Marine Corps 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race (250 laps, 131.5 miles), CW Network (Watch FREE on Fubo) 2 p.m. — Cook Out 400 NASCAR Cup Series race (400 laps, 210.4 miles), FS1 (Watch FREE on Fubo) and MAX (in-car cameras) FRUSTRATING? Jeff Gordon addresses Chase Elliott's 'frustrating' start to 2025 NASCAR season LAST WEEK: NASCAR Homestead-Miami winners and losers: Why Ty Gibbs is struggling CAN JOSH BERRY ADD ANOTHER WIN? What Josh Berry said about his underdog win, Sterling Marlin and reaction around NASCAR We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn't influence our coverage. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NASCAR Martinsville full weekend schedule, TV schedule for Cup Series race
