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3 days ago
- Automotive
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5 NASCAR Drivers Having Breakout Seasons in 2025
The 2025 NASCAR schedule is flying by, with just a few races remaining before the playoffs begin. There have been 21 races in the Cup Series this year, 20 in the Xfinity Series, and 15 at the Truck level. That's more than enough to highlight some drivers who are making names for themselves this year. Let's examine the top NASCAR drivers enjoying breakout seasons, including one each from the Xfinity Series and the Truck Series. Connor Zilisch His performance at the Xfinity Series level should erase any doubts. Recognized as one of the best road course racers in all of NASCAR, he came through immediately at COTA. However, Zilisch then had a bit of an acclimation period on the ovals against veteran Xfinity drivers. In the last eight weeks, he's shown why he's replacing Daniel Suárez at Trackhouse Racing in the Cup Series next season. Connor Zilisch stats (): 674 points, 4 wins, 11 top-10s, 9 top-5s, 4 poles, 406 laps led, 7.421 average starting position, 10.684 average finishing position in 19 races Zilisch is the only driver at either level who put up a great fight against Shane van Gisbergen on road courses, beating him once (Sonoma) and finishing a close second (Chicago). Just as impressive, Zilisch has a 2.25 average finishing position in the last eight races, delivering three wins (Pocono, Sonoma, and Dover). It's obvious at this point that Zilisch is a superstar. Related: Chase Briscoe There are big shoes to fill when you are chosen to replace Martin Truex Jr. in the No. 19 car at Joe Gibbs Racing. While Chase Briscoe has been in the Cup Series for a long time, the 30-year-old faced massive expectations and pressure. He's risen to the moment and made the most of his opportunity with JGR. Coming off a second-place finish at Dover, just a week after placing second at Sonoma, Briscoe is now tied with teammate Christopher Bell for the second-most top-5 finishes (eight) on the team. He's done this, mind you, just a few weeks after a DNF at Atlanta (35th) that came after one of the hardest crashes into the wall in the Next Gen era. Briscoe is putting it together lately, evidenced by three top-5s in the last five weeks, and he'll be dangerous in the playoffs. Chase Briscoe stats (): 570 points, 1 win, 10 top 10s, 8 top 5s, 4 poles, 192 laps led, 11.238 average starting position, 14.048 average finishing position in 21 races Related: Shane van Gisbergen With his only competition being Riley Herbst, Shane van Gisbergen was the heavy favorite to win Rookie of the Year in the Cup Series. Trackhouse Racing made him a full-time driver, believing he could win a road course race and guarantee himself a spot in the playoffs. He won three. It's not just that SVG's expertise on road courses leads him to victories where his peers lack experience (Mexico City) or where he historically dominates (Chicago Street Race). It's also the fact that, despite being one of the least-experienced drivers at Sonoma, he went out there and essentially raced himself to victory. Plus, SVG is showing real progress on ovals now. He's going to be a perennial playoff driver for years to come. (2025): 374 points, 3 wins, 4 top 10s, 3 top 5s, 4 poles, 208 laps led, 22,238 average finishing position in 21 races this season Related: Ryan Preece If you aren't one of the top NASCAR drivers with JGR, Hendrick Motorsports, or Team Penske, it's easy to get overshadowed. That's especially true if one of your best finishes of the season is wiped out for having three shims instead of two. At 34 years old, Ryan Preece is having a career-best season. Preece finished second at Talladega, only to have that outstanding points day disqualified. It might end up costing him a playoff spot, but he's still delivered 10 top-20 finishes and five top 10s in the last 11 races. Preece's average finishing position (17.10) is well above his previous career-best from 2023 (20.83) and he has more top 10s this year (eight) than he did in the last two seasons combined. Through 21 races, he (17.1) is neck-and-neck with Ty Gibbs, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano in average finishing position (17.0) : 484 laps led, 8 top 10s, 1 top 5, 56 laps led, 18.286 average starting position, 17.095 average finishing position Kaden Honeycutt In his first season as a full-time driver in the Truck Series, Kaden Honeycutt has proven he belongs at this level. While the 22-year-old is still seeking his first win as a NASCAR driver, he's gotten close several times this season. Through 15 races, Honeycutt is fifth in the NASCAR standings, and he's tied with Tyler Ankrum for the fifth-most top-10s (nine). He's certainly found a home at the Truck Series level and might even earn himself another shot to appear in an Xfinity Series race or two next season. Related Headlines Report: Cleveland Guardians Open to Steven Kwan Trade, 4 Landing Spots Report: New York Yankees Have 1 Major Concern with Top Trade Target Denny Hamlin Warns NASCAR Drivers Who Attempt Specific Move on Him Denny Hamlin Responds to Kyle Busch's NASCAR Rule Change Proposal
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6 days ago
- Automotive
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In Daytona, a motorsports hall that has it all, from land to sea to air
DAYTONA BEACH — There's an Earhart (Amelia) and an Earnhardt (Dale). A Roberts (Fireball) who raced on four wheels and another (Kenny) who preferred two. A Ford (Henry) and two Chevrolets (Louis and Gaston), a France (Big Bill) and another France (Bill Jr.). A Humpy (Wheeler) and a Smokey (Yunick). The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America might not be the most famous hall devoted to the competitive motorized world, but it's certainly the most diverse — it honors men and women who competed or participated in various ways on asphalt and dirt, in water and air, in uniform or business attire. It's located, conveniently, at the World Center of Racing, just outside Turn 4 at Daytona International Speedway. But it's not just a hall of fame. It's also a museum, a showcase of machinery and artifacts highlighting competitive achievements and sheer ingenuity — from a mammoth hydroplane to a simple sewing machine. From the reigning Daytona 500 winning car to Sir Malcolm Campbell's block-long Bluebird that once lifted Daytona Beach's legend as the early-20th Century's Birthplace of Speed. A museum visit is included as part of the Speedway's daily tram tours across the entire property. Each tour ends with visitors dropped off at the museum's northeast corner, practically on the quarter-panel of the winning car from the most recent Daytona 500. That car sits there for a year, complete with any dirt, oil and confetti it gathered from its day of glory. The car — currently it's William Byron's No. 24 Chevy — sits in the shadow of a mammoth hydroplane racing boat that hangs from the ceiling just steps away. 'That's the neat thing about us here. When they get off the tram that takes them around the Speedway, they come in here and they think all they're gonna see is NASCAR,' says Don Cooper, the museum's operations manager. 'Then the first thing they see is that hydroplane. "Then they see drag cars and boats and airplanes and motorcycles … and most people who come here, the cool thing is, they've never been this close to a real race car.' The Motorsports Hall has now been here for a decade The Motorsports Hall opened in the mid-'80s in the Detroit suburb of Novi. It moved to Daytona Beach and the Speedway's ticket-and-tours building 10 years ago, replacing an interactive racing attraction first known as Daytona USA and then the Daytona 500 Experience. Some of the racing artifacts remain from the Daytona USA days, including an eye-catching replica of the Speedway's famed 31-degree banking, filled with a variety of racing vehicles. Plaques honoring the long list of hall inductees are spread across the walls. While there are other halls of fame honoring various racing disciplines — including the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte — the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America honors giants in all forms of automation. The first class of inductees, in 1989, featured some obvious racers — including Richard Petty, A.J. Foyt and Phil Hill — but also war hero and aviation pioneer Jimmy Doolittle, as well as the man who injected competition into coast-to-coast car and motorcycle adventures, Cannon Ball Baker. This year's class of nine included three men who built much of their fame in Daytona Beach, on sand and asphalt, in straight lines and with turns: William K. Vanderbilt, who was among the early beach visitors chasing the land-speed record, which he first achieved in 1904 (92 mph!); motorcycle champ Miguel Duhamel, who won five Daytona 200s; and former NASCAR champ Dale Jarrett, whose career included three Daytona 500 victories. The 2026 class, announced last month and to be inducted next March, is headlined by Dale Earnhardt Jr., and also includes sprint-car champ Sammy Swindell and powerboat legend Dave Villwock. Daytona Museum offers a wide range of displays and racing machinery For the race fan, hardcore or casual, the museum is the attraction. Many of the exhibits are on loan — drag-racing god Don 'Big Daddy' Garlits, part of the inaugural hall class in '89, has donated several cars from his own museum's collection in Ocala. The displays often rotate in and out. A current one pays tribute to hall inductees who also served in the armed forces. Another honors the late Don Panoz, a pharmaceutical giant who along the way became a major player in sports-car racing. A small replica of Big Bill France's old Main Street filling station is an original display that remains, as is the Bluebird and a relative newcomer, one of Tony Stewart's sprint cars. Also on the floor are a pair of Paul Newman's old race cars — reportedly the only two not owned by podcaster Adam Carolla. Newman, who won road-racing championships in his spare time, was a 2024 inductee. A Josef Newgarden Indy car, looking very much like it could double as a rocket ship, is part of the main floor display, and serves to remind you that those cars look so much bigger in person than they do on TV. And speaking of fighter jet-inspired automation, one of Panoz's old DeltaWing racers ('an odd duck,' Cooper says), which entered three Rolex 24s, sits in a rear showroom that will soon transform. 'We're gonna make a new open-wheel exhibit in here,' says Cooper, who then points to several old wooden doors leaning against a wall. 'Those are sets of original Indianapolis garage doors from Gasoline Alley in the '40s and '50s. We'll make a mini-garage in here,' he says. Want some Daytona 500 on-track action? There's now a simulator for that The museum recently installed a modern racing simulator, which allows 'racers' to get a real feel for taking laps around Daytona — at speed and in traffic. For the non-gamer, it'll probably take some time to literally get up to speed. 'It's a professional-grade machine,' Cooper says. The next major change will transform a relic from the old Daytona USA days. A back room is still filled with 'gondolas,' which seated visitors in front of a large movie screen and gave them a feel for racing around Daytona, complete with bounces and side-to-side movement. They'll soon be gone. 'That room, we're gonna take that and make it a research area,' Cooper says. 'It'll be filled with historic materials, pictures, everything. It will be open to the public for anybody doing research.' Only by appointment, however. The Speedway says the museum sees between 100,000 and 110,000 visitors a year. Daily tram tours, which last about an hour, begin at 9:30 a.m., with the last departing at 3 p.m. Prices are $24.42 for juniors (ages 5 to 12) and $29.97 for others, with free admission for kids 4 and under. It's rare, but some visit the museum without taking the Speedway tour. Those tickets are $8.88 for ages 5 to 12, $14.43 for others, free for 4 and under. Allow an hour or more for a proper tour of the museum, which closes at 5 p.m. This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: In Daytona Beach, a motorsports hall of fame covers earth, water, air
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
NASCAR News: Jimmie Johnson's Team Sues Former Ally, Accuses ex-spire Exec of NASCAR Sabotage
Legacy Motor Club, co-owned by seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, has sued former Spire Motorsports executive T.J. Puchyr . According to the team, Puchyr intervened and disrupted the deal they had with Rick Ware Racing to buy one of their charters in the Cup Series. At the center of the issue is Charter №27, which Legacy says they agreed to buy from RWR for 2026. RWR says the deal was for 2027 and the charter is already leased to RFK Racing next year. Legacy sued RWR in April and now they've added Puchyr to the lawsuit, claiming he used his inside knowledge to block their deal after he bought RWR himself. Also Read:: Jimmie Johnson's NASCAR team just scored a massive multi-year deal with $22 billion retail giant What Sparked the Second Lawsuit Puchyr was the one who set up the agreement between Legacy Motor Club and Rick Ware Racing. Then he changed his mind and tried to buy RWR for himself. Legacy says he intentionally ruined their plans using his inside position, calling his behavior unfair and hurtful to their team's progress. Now they're going to court to ask the judge to stop him for good and for damages. Puchyr disagrees. 'If anybody deserves a pass, it is Jimmie. And if he wants to sit down and talk about it like men, I'd entertain the conversation. I don't think Jimmie has all the facts, doesn't understand the deal we had, and they tried to humiliate Rick publicly. We don't do business that way.' Jimmie Johnson, who returned to NASCAR as a team co-owner in 2023 and occasionally drives, isn't enjoying the legal drama. 'It's a big game of chess, and I'm watching all the strategy that goes into it all. I would love to see a settlement of some kind. I really don't think that getting into a knock-down, drag-out lawsuit is good for anybody,' he told reporters. This is one of several charter lawsuits going on in NASCAR right now. 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports have filed suits against NASCAR themselves as teams try to protect their spot on the grid and their share of the pie. What happens in this case will have big implications for future charter deals as team ownership and long-term planning gets more competitive across the series. Also Read:: NASCAR legend joins Goldberg in the ring for emotional WWE Farewell Related Headlines NHL Rumors: Florida Panthers Trading Evan Rodrigues Now Nearly Guaranteed? Texas Rangers game today: Includes full 2025 TV schedule Wyndham Clark Banned From Oakmont Country Club After Damaging Property Ohio State Burned by 5-Star Recruit as Texas Scores Big Win Over Buckeyes Before Week 1 Clash
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Daniel Suarez felt unheard, with "no chemistry" at Trackhouse Racing
After five years at Trackhouse, Daniel Suarez will exit the team at the end of the 2025 season. And on Saturday during media bullpen interviews, he opened up on the situation behind the scenes. 'For me, it was a lot of relief for me (to have it be official) because I have known for several months that this was going to happen," Suarez told the assembled media. 'It's just like everything in life ... things change, people change, companies change and that's okay, there's nothing wrong with that. There just wasn't really love anymore. There are no hard feelings at all. I really want to stick to the amazing years that we had together early with Trackhouse, and it was just time for a change.' Advertisement Not being heard Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Chevrolet Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Chevrolet While he is confident that he will remain in Cup for 2026, Suarez admits that "the last six to eight months have been very difficult for me. As he has in previous interviews, Suarez praised his No. 99 team, focusing instead on organizational differences as a reason for the two parties drifting apart. 'There have been several situations in the last eight months, 10 months, that I just haven't felt like I used to," revealed Suarez. "Sometimes when you don't have that feel, there is just no chemistry anymore. It's like being in a relationship but just living together because you bought a house together. It just didn't feel good anymore. I'm pretty sure it was both ways." Advertisement Suarez also said that he has spoken out about certain changes that need to be made in order for the team to improve, but felt his voice wasn't be heard. 'I've been very vocal that we need to adjust this, we need to adjust that and I'm not the only one seeing it -- more people are seeing it," said Suarez. "Not a lot of things happen, everything happens so slowly. I don't think that's the only reason. I think there are more things, but lately there have been things that made me feel that I'm not as important.' Suarez currently sits 29th in the championship standings and is winless in 2025. While he is ahead of rookie teammate Shane van Gisbergen in points, but SVG and Ross Chastain -- who is in the top ten in points -- have both won races this year. Read Also: Katherine Legge knocks 23XI's Corey Heim out of Chicago Cup start in shock upset Connor Zilisch caught off guard by SVG's aggression in battle for the win Shane van Gisbergen earns NASCAR Cup pole in Chicago with blistering lap To read more articles visit our website.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Nikola Topić drills the trey
Road to 2026, Episode 1: The Journey So Far Before looking to the future and 2026's regulation changes, first we must look back at the past. In episode one of our new Road to 2026 series with PETRONAS Motorsports we look at the history of the partnership, the origin of hybrid technology in F1, and how, together, we've pushed the boundaries of innovation. 9:25 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
