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New York Times
a day ago
- Automotive
- New York Times
NASCAR Michigan takeaways: Denny Hamlin's late-career strength, Ty Gibbs' frustration and more
BROOKLYN, Mich. — When 44-year-old Denny Hamlin recently went 11 months without winning a NASCAR Cup Series race, his most sought-after career goal seemed to be slipping away. No, we're not talking about a Cup championship — even though Hamlin is the best NASCAR driver never to win one. Hamlin would absolutely love a title, of course, but championships have a different meaning to some drivers these days with the playoff elimination system. Advertisement What Hamlin wants the most? To finish his career among the top 10 on NASCAR's all-time Cup Series wins list. And reeling off three more victories in less than two and a half months, including Sunday at Michigan International Speedway, suddenly makes that goal a bit more realistic. Hamlin now has 57 career wins, which is three away from tying Kevin Harvick for 10th on the all-time list. And the burst of momentum has left him speaking a bit differently about it. At first, Hamlin repeatedly said the goal was that 60-win mark. Then he said actually he'd like to win 61 so he could be in sole possession of 10th. But listen to him now after Sunday's win. 'At least while I'm alive, I want to be in the top 10 for the most wins,' he said. OK, but that's going to take even more than 61, Hamlin figures. 'I've got to count on possibly (Joey) Logano, more than likely (Kyle) Larson overtaking us in wins,' he said. 'You've got to budget for at least a couple of these guys who started so much younger than I did to beat us on the win total.' After Harvick, Kyle Busch is ninth with 63 career wins. Can Hamlin finish with more than Busch, who is still trying to add more himself? That seems like a big ask for someone who might only race for another couple seasons. After all, Hamlin recently passed 700 starts and said he won't be around for 800 (there are 36 races per year). 'I'm going to hate it when I'm not at the level I'm at now,' Hamlin said. 'I certainly will retire very, very quickly after that. I'm not going to hang around and do it just to do it. This is how I want to spend my last season — still winning.' We've seen other drivers suddenly stop winning in their mid-40s with virtually no warning, and Hamlin is already in rare territory: Only 10 of the 20 drivers who have made more than 700 career starts have won after their 700th race (a list which now includes Hamlin) and only six have even won multiple races. Advertisement Hamlin likes his chances of getting a few more, but he's also realistic: These races are hard to win, and Sunday could have been it. 'You have another birthday (and) you keep wondering how long are you going to be able to keep doing this at this level?' said Hamlin, who turns 45 in November. 'Listen, 57 (wins) might be it. None of us in this room know. I'm at least going to enjoy it as if it's my last, then I'll go to work on Monday, just like I always have.' Denny gets it done at @MISpeedway! — NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 8, 2025 As Hamlin celebrated in victory lane, his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Ty Gibbs was parked just behind the winner's circle backdrop — and in a much less cheerful mode. In fact, Gibbs was outright pissed. He wasn't having any of the consolation talk from his team or family, was uninterested in the moral victory of finishing third and brushed off a rear-end smack from his grandfather, Hall of Fame football coach Joe Gibbs. Gibbs, expected to contend for a playoff spot this year and win his first career race, has had a frustrating season. Michigan was only his second top-five finish, and he felt he was close enough to compete for the victory — especially since his teammate Hamlin was on a similar fuel strategy. 'I would rather go win,' the driver said. 'I don't come here to run third and run half-throttle on the straightaway, but it's what they thought we needed to do.' Gibbs was continuously instructed to save more gas, even when he was tracking down race leaders Hamlin and William Byron with four laps to go; the team urged him to back off just when it looked like he could have made a pass. 'He doesn't know how much we saved or if we were going to run out,' crew chief Tyler Allen said. 'So he's frustrated because he could see it and he was fast enough to go take it. Unfortunately, we weren't going to make it on fuel, and that wouldn't have done any good to our team and our points situation.' Advertisement But Gibbs disagreed, saying he saved enough fuel to go harder and ended the race without having to flip his reserve fuel switch (indicating there was perhaps another lap or so remaining). 'I was told to save more, and it's just frustrating for me,' Gibbs said. 'I would have loved to be more aggressive there.' Carson Hocevar was again a hot topic at Michigan after he led a career-high 32 laps before getting a flat tire while leading the race. But one thing that didn't happen, at least for now: On-track payback from Ricky Stenhouse Jr. After it seemed destined for Stenhouse to retaliate against Hocevar for their Nashville incident, the two spoke last week by phone — as did their crew chiefs and Spire Motorsports owner Jeff Dickerson with Stenhouse. The bottom line: Given their positions on the playoff bubble, it would be silly to continue the war. 'They all feel really bad about it and they can't give us back our points that we lost,' Stenhouse said Saturday. 'But if we get in a pissing match and I crash him this weekend and then we go back and forth, that does none of us good.' Still, Stenhouse said, Hocevar is on thin ice — not just with him, but the garage. After their Nashville incident, Stenhouse said, he received numerous texts from other competitors and team members who urged the veteran to either wreck Hocevar on purpose or fight Hocevar like Stenhouse did with Kyle Busch at last year's All-Star Race. 'It was a lot,' Stenhouse said of the volume of texts. 'It was kind of shocking. So I just told him that.' Hocevar reminded Stenhouse they've had no issues previously — and they actually communicate on occasion when Hocevar asks Stenhouse about his sprint car team. Stenhouse agreed they haven't had a problem before, but there's no third chance coming. Advertisement 'If it becomes a routine or it happens again…' Stenhouse said. 'As fast as your cars have been, you don't want to keep making people mad.' One group who doesn't seem mad? The fans at Michigan. Hocevar got one of the loudest cheers in driver introductions when walking out in front of his home crowd. 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports were dealt a blow last week when the U.S. Court of Appeals' Fourth Circuit overturned a preliminary injunction that allowed the teams to race as charter teams in 2025. Barring any further appeals, the teams could be reduced to running as 'open' cars as soon as next month. But 23XI co-owner Hamlin said the teams remain 'very confident' in their lawsuit overall, drawing a sharp distinction between the case and the preliminary injunction decision. 'That's just such a small part of the entire litigation,' Hamlin said of the appeals court's decision. 'So I'm not deterred at all that we're in good shape.' What could change for the teams in the near future? Aside from taking a significant dip in money earned from each race, Hamlin said there won't be much difference. 'Same as what we said in December: We're committed to run this season open if we have to,' Hamlin said. 'We're going to race and fulfill all of our commitments no matter what. Our team is going to be here for the long haul, and we're confident of that.' As for the 23XI drivers, whose contracts allow them to become free agents if the organization does not provide them with charter cars, they were tight-lipped. 'I'm going to keep doing my part to try and show up as prepared as possible and continue winning races,' Tyler Reddick said. '… I've got to stay focused on what I can control. And that's my preparation.' Bubba Wallace cited Marshawn Lynch's 'I'm just here so I don't get fined' and said, 'you're not going to get an answer you want to hear from us.' Advertisement 'Come on, now,' Wallace said when another reporter tried to broach the topic. 'Let's talk about Michigan, dawg. You ain't getting no comment.' But whether they want to talk about it or not, losing charters could be a massive hit long term. The ripple effect if 23XI and Front Row don't get those charters back during the legal process would last for years and threaten the organizations' existences. Before finishing fourth on Sunday to record back-to-back top-six finishes, Wallace had some fun on X when NASCAR released the list of its inaugural in-season tournament competitors last week — in alphabetical order, meaning his name was last. 'Bubbles last like he always is,' Wallace captioned the tournament list in a quote-tweet. 'Bubbles' is just one of the derogatory nicknames used by Wallace's detractors, but he hasn't let go of his trolling nature on social media. After all, he pointed out, even his X header image is a troll post: A cartoon depiction of NASCAR's Mount Rushmore — showing Petty, Earnhardt, Johnson and … Wallace. Wallace said he sticks his shoe in ant hills in real life, and this is no different. 'It's the boomers who are actually pissed off,' he said. 'They're probably just punching air because I beat them to their own comments. So yeah, that brings me joy.' Chase Briscoe became the first driver in more than two years to win three consecutive pole positions (Kyle Larson in spring 2024), starting first at the Coke 600, Nashville and now Michigan. But Briscoe, who is yet to win this season, is too close to the playoff bubble for comfort after another disappointing result on Sunday (23rd). He said he's taken note of the mentality carried by his beloved Indiana Pacers — who stunned the Oklahoma City Thunder with a Game 1 comeback in the NBA Finals before getting blown out on Sunday night in Game 2. Advertisement 'It's the 'never give up' part,' he said. 'We've seen that even throughout my career. There was a time we were four laps down in one race and got back on the lead lap. It's definitely been fun to see a basketball team have that same mentality of never giving up. 'A lot of teams (give up) if they're down nine points with two minutes left, but the Pacers have continued to come back from huge deficits even when the other team thinks the game is already over. There's definitely something to that.' (Top photo of Denny Hamlin celebrating Sunday's win: Chris Graythen / Getty Images)
Fox News
29-05-2025
- Automotive
- Fox News
Indianapolis 500 winner Alex Palou: I'd 'absolutely' race NASCAR road course
Alex Palou is a man possessed at the moment. After already winning four of the first five races on the 2025 INDYCAR schedule, Palou won the famed Indianapolis 500 last Sunday. Now, outside of racing for the remainder of the INDYCAR schedule, will Palou dip his toes in other racing waters? He recently cast doubt on competing in Formula 1. But what about a NASCAR race? "Absolutely," Palou told host Kevin Harvick about whether he'd be interested in ever dabbling in a NASCAR road or street course on the latest edition of "Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour." "I'd be down for that. It's a very different car. It's a very different kind of racing. I know I would get smashed by all of you guys on ovals, but I would love to give it a try at a road or a street course." There are five remaining road/street courses on the 2025 NASCAR schedule: Viva Mexico 250 (June 15), Chicago Street Course (July 6), Toyota/Save Mart 350 (July 13), Go Bowling at The Glen (Aug. 10) and Bank of America ROVAL 400 (Oct. 5) On the F1 front, Palou was previously part of the sport when he signed with McLaren's Testing of Previous Cars program in 2022, but he never competed in a race. Since winning the Indianapolis 500, Palou has been making the rounds, which began with him appearing at the Indiana Pacers' Game 3 Eastern Conference Finals matchup against the New York Knicks. Then, he went to New York City to celebrate his 500 victory, and threw out the first pitch at the New York Mets' Tuesday night game against the Chicago White Sox. As for how the race played out, Palou, who started in sixth place, took the lead from Marcus Ericsson with 14 laps to go, and led the rest of the way. It was the first Indianapolis 500 win of Palou's career. Palou will shoot to make it six wins in seven tries this season on Sunday in the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix (12:30 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app). 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!
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Hickory Motor Speedway to host Chase Elliott, Keelan Harvick and Brexton Busch on ASA STARS National Tour race night
Thursday, May 22 will provide a special night of racing at North Carolina's Hickory Motor Speedway, appropriately nicknamed 'The Birthplace of NASCAR Stars.' Two rising figures in stock-car racing, Keelan Harvick and Brexton Busch, will race in the evening's Legend Car feature, which is the support division for the ASA STARS National Tour Ross & Witmer 255 being the main event. Busch, the son of two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, will make his Legend Car debut. Advertisement Harvick, the son of 2014 Cup champ Kevin Harvick, will look to defend last year's victory in this event. Keelan Harvick, son of Kevin Harvick, wins the Legends car feature at Hickory Motor Speedway on May 23, 2024. (Adam Fenwick/NASCAR) The ASA STARS race, scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. ET, is also loaded with talent, including 2020 Cup champion Chase Elliott. The Legend Car feature will roll off earlier in the evening at 5 p.m. ET. Below are storylines for Thursday, plus the complete Super Late Model entry list. ASA STARS at Hickory Motor Speedway: Storylines Cole Butcher riding momentum after Nashville win Cole Butcher enters Hickory fresh off a dominant win at Nashville and sits atop the ASA STARS National Tour standings. The Canadian standout looks to stay hot on one of short track racing's most challenging surfaces. Advertisement Return to Historic Hickory: A throwback battle awaits The ASA STARS Tour returns to Hickory Motor Speedway, a venue steeped in racing history. With worn pavement and tight corners, the .363-mile bullring is sure to deliver old-school thrills and fierce competition. Kevin Harvick named Grand Marshal of the Ross & Witmer 255 NASCAR legend Kevin Harvick has been announced as the Grand Marshal for the marquee midweek event. The 2014 Cup Series champion brings additional spotlight and prestige to a can't-miss night of racing. Chase Elliott joins the field for Hickory showdown In a blockbuster move, Chase Elliott will compete in the Ross & Witmer 255. The 2020 NASCAR Cup champion returns to his short-track roots in front of what's sure to be a strong Hickory crowd. Keelan Harvick and Brexton Busch set for first head-to-head battle In a special INEX National Qualifier, Keelan Harvick and Brexton Busch — sons of NASCAR champions Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch — will go head-to-head in Legend Car competition for the first time. All eyes will be on this next-generation showdown as two of racing's youngest rising stars battle for bragging rights. Kyle Busch and Brexton Busch at Millbridge Speedway, on March 26, 2025. (Yem Sanlaeid/NASCAR Regional) Entry list – ASA STARS at Hickory
Fox News
21-05-2025
- Automotive
- Fox News
What should expectations be for NASCAR's Kyle Larson in Indianapolis 500?
Kyle Larson will attempt the double for a second consecutive year, as he intends to race in the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday (12:30 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app) and, mere hours later, race in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, which begins at 6 p.m. ET. What should expectations be of the NASCAR star, as he attempts to pull off the feat? "I think the goal is to run the 1,100 miles. I don't think he has a chance to win at Indy," Kevin Harvick said about Larson on the latest edition of "Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour." "I think with the way that they qualified and all of the things that have happened this year, I think that hope is out of the picture, personally. I don't see it. I think that he could come back and be a real contender at the Coca-Cola 600. I think just being able to finish on the lead lap at Indy and run all 1,110 miles and check that box is probably the most realistic goal for this year, but still an amazing feat. "It doesn't look like he's having nearly as much fun this year as he did last year with a couple crashes already and everything that's happening. It'll be interesting to see if he moves forward with it after this year with it not being as much fun." Larson will begin the famed INDYCAR race in 19th place. Qualifying for the race was a struggle for Larson, as he crashed twice in qualifying setups. "Expectations were high. Going from what he [Larson] did last year to this year, the expectation was to go there and compete for a win, and that was over early," Harvick said. Last year, Larson started the Indianapolis 500 in fifth place but finished in 18th. His ability to race both the Indianapolis 500 and then the Coca-Cola 600 was hindered by a multi-hour weather delay in Indianapolis, which forced him to miss the first half of the nighttime NASCAR race. Then, the Coca-Cola 600 was cut short due to weather, and Larson never raced a lap after arriving at the track mid-race. As for how he's faring on the NASCAR circuit this season, Larson is first in the Cup Series in total points (469), with three wins, eight top-five finishes and nine top-10 finishes. His three wins have come at Homestead-Miami Speedway (May 23), Bristol Motor Speedway (April 13) and Kansas Speedway (May 11). Larson is the only NASCAR driver competing in the Indianapolis 500. Meanwhile, racing legend Helio Castroneves — a four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 who's beginning the 2025 edition of the race in 22nd place — competed in this year's Daytona 500. Granted, he didn't finish the race. 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!
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Kevin Harvick has a radical idea for NASCAR All Star Race future
Kevin Harvick says the All-Star Race might be nearing its shelf life as an annual part of the NASCAR Cup Series season. Speaking on his Happy Hours show on NASCAR on FOX's YouTube channel, the 2014 Cup Series champion driver turned television analyst listed all the reasons he doesn't think the annual summer exhibition doesn't work anymore. Advertisement 'I just think that with all the effort and things that go into it,' said Harvick. 'We can't find a format that everybody likes; I think we should honor our guys. I think we have to figure out how to make the Clash be the Clash and the All-Star Race and make it all work together. I think that North Wilkesboro deserves to be a points race.' So in other words, Harvick would just make Wilkesboro a 37th points paying race. 'I think it would be a fantastic points event, 400 laps, all the cars on the race track, full weekend,' Harvick said. 'I don't think North Wilkesboro should go anywhere, but I just think the All-Star Race has run its course, personally.' The race, held at Atlanta in 1986, then Charlotte from 1987 to 2019, Bristol in 2020, Texas from 2020-2021, and Wilkesboro ever since. It's paid a million to win since 2003. Advertisement NASCAR used to use the event to test out new rules and radical formats but now they've all been implemented. Thus, Harvick isn't sure NASCAR needs two non-points exhibition races if there are no new ideas for the All Star Race. Related Headlines
