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Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Kurt Busch, Harry Gant and Ray Hendrick selected to 2026 NASCAR Hall of Fame class
CHARLOTTE — Former Cup champion Kurt Busch headlines the 2026 NASCAR Hall of Fame class that was selected Tuesday. Busch and Harry Gant were selected on the Modern Era ballot. Modified racer Ray Hendrick was selected on the Pioneer Era ballot. Track promoter Humpy Wheeler was selected as the Landmark Award winner. Advertisement Busch and Gant each received 61% of the votes on the Moderan Era ballot. Jeff Burton finished third, followed by Harry Hyde and Randy Dorton. Hendrick received 31% of the votes on the Pioneer Era Ballot. Bob Welborn finished second. There were 49 ballots. Forty-eight voters and the fan vote. The fan vote had Ray Hendrick from the Pioneer Era and Kurt Busch and Harry Gant from the Modern Era. Busch, Gant and Hendrick — who will be inducted Jan. 23, 2026 — will join 67 others in the NASCAR Hall of Fame and represent the Hall's 16th class. The mercurial Busch was known as much for his success as his temper. He competed in Cup from 2000-22. Busch won at least one race 10 consecutive years. He had a streak of nine consecutive seasons with at least a victory when he was forced out of the car due to a concussion he suffered in a crash at Pocono in July 2022. Advertisement Busch scored 34 career victories, including the 2010 Coca-Cola 600 and 2017 Daytona 500. He had memorable run-ins with Jimmy Spencer, NASCAR officials and media during his career, adding to his reputation as a fiery competitor. This was the first year on the ballot for the 46-year-old Busch. This was the sixth year on the ballot for the 85-year old Gant. He won 18 races, including two Southern 500s and was known as 'Mr. September' for winning four consecutive Cup races in 1991. Gant finished third in balloting for the Class of 2025, a class that had Ricky Rudd and Carl Edwards.
NBC Sports
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- NBC Sports
Kurt Busch, Harry Gant and Ray Hendrick selected to 2026 NASCAR Hall of Fame class
CHARLOTTE — Former Cup champion Kurt Busch headlines the 2026 NASCAR Hall of Fame class that was selected Tuesday. Busch and Harry Gant were selected on the Modern Era ballot. Modified racer Ray Hendrick was selected on the Pioneer Era ballot. Track promoter Humpy Wheeler was selected as the Landmark Award winner. Busch and Gant each received 61% of the votes on the Moderan Era ballot. Jeff Burton finished third, followed by Harry Hyde and Randy Dorton. Hendrick received 31% of the votes on the Pioneer Era Ballot. Bob Welborn finished second. There were 49 ballots. Forty-eight voters and the fan vote. The fan vote had Ray Hendrick from the Pioneer Era and Kurt Busch and Harry Gant from the Modern Era. Busch, Gant and Hendrick — who will be inducted Jan. 23, 2026 — will join 67 others in the NASCAR Hall of Fame and represent the Hall's 16th class. The mercurial Busch was known as much for his success as his temper. He competed in Cup from 2000-22. Busch won at least one race 10 consecutive years. He had a streak of nine consecutive seasons with at least a victory when he was forced out of the car due to a concussion he suffered in a crash at Pocono in July 2022. Busch scored 34 career victories, including the 2010 Coca-Cola 600 and 2017 Daytona 500. He had memorable run-ins with Jimmy Spencer, NASCAR officials and media during his career, adding to his reputation as a fiery competitor. This was the first year on the ballot for the 46-year-old Busch. This was the sixth year on the ballot for the 85-year old Gant. He won 18 races, including two Southern 500s and was known as 'Mr. September' for winning four consecutive Cup races in 1991. Gant finished third in balloting for the Class of 2025, a class that had Ricky Rudd and Carl Edwards.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Kyle Busch return to scene of All-Star fight, one year later
NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. — Ricky Stenhouse Jr. held court at the back of the Hyak Motorsports hauler Friday afternoon, feet kicked up along a row of director's chairs. His placement in the garage was just about where we last saw him at North Wilkesboro Speedway, where he tussled with Kyle Busch at the end of last year's NASCAR All-Star Race. Mention of that proximity made Stenhouse smile and motion with his thumb to his right. 'The trailer's in the same spot,' he says, but it seems the altercation was a few doors down. Advertisement RELATED: All-Star Weekend schedule | Paint Scheme Preview The hot-button moment from last season was an All-Star Race powder keg, resulting in a $75,000 fine to Stenhouse for throwing and landing a punch that ignited a brawl among the rival crews. A year removed from that post-race fracas, the pair of one-time combatants arrived back at North Wilkesboro to open the All-Star festivities with cordiality restored and some added perspective. 'Oh yeah, we've talked,' Stenhouse told 'I mean, I've apologized to him for like, 'hey, sorry that kind of got out of hand.' And on the other hand, he's like, 'yeah, it's kind of deserving, right?' So he knew what he did on purpose, and so I would say we both probably could have done things different, but yeah, just part of it.' The heart of the issue stemmed from contact between the two drivers shortly after the green flag waved. Stenhouse's No. 47 Chevrolet took the brunt of the fender-banging, and he parked his car in the Richard Childress Racing No. 8 pit stall in disgust with just two completed laps in the books. Advertisement Stenhouse ominously hinted that he'd handle the situation in post-crash interviews, and because the 0.625-mile track has no infield tunnel for pedestrian or vehicle traffic, he had the remaining 198 laps to consider his next course of action. After Busch dismounted on pit road, Stenhouse was waiting to greet him and the conversation escalated from there. 'I wouldn't say regrets. I think I would still be fired up if I got crashed on Lap 1 again this weekend — on purpose, obviously,' Stenhouse said, looking back. 'So I mean, if you get crashed on accident, it's one thing. Crashed on purpose is a totally different thing, especially an exhibition race, not going for the win. So yeah, I mean, definitely no regrets. I think I gained a decent amount of fans out of it. It cost a little bit, but yeah, it's part of it. I think, hopefully this year, I don't plan on being out the first lap and plan on making the end of the race, so hopefully that all works out.' Busch, winner of the 2017 edition of the All-Star Race, said that the two have sorted out the differences they had back then. 'I haven't looked back on any of it, but him and I have just soft-spoken, just kind of how we were beforehand,' Busch said. 'If there's occasions where we're next to each other at driver intros, you know, it's no big deal. Just is what it is. Move on and put that behind us.' Advertisement One year later, the two drivers are in close quarters again — this time, with their positioning in the Cup Series Playoffs standings. After next weekend's Coca-Cola 600 (Sunday, May 25, 6 p.m. ET, Prime Video, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the circuit will be exactly halfway through the regular season, and the competition for postseason spots is already ratcheting up. MORE: Power Rankings | All-Star memorable moments Stenhouse is on the plus side of the bubble, 14 points up on the provisional elimination line. The single-car team has made the most of its consistency, with no DNFs and a sixth-place result two weeks ago at Texas being the most recent of their two top 10s. 'We're thrilled where we're at, because I know that we've got more potential in our race car,' Stenhouse said. 'We haven't nearly got the speed out of our car that I feel like we have in it somewhere, so we're continuing to look for that. We're continuing to try and figure out how we can qualify better. That'll make our race days go better, but we're executing, we're finishing races well, making sure we get to the end and capitalizing on that. So if we can get our car speed better, then I think that'll put us right where we need to be come season end, obviously, depending on winners and things like that, but to be where we're at right now in points, we're definitely thrilled.' Advertisement Busch is still mired in the longest winless streak of his career, which reached 69 races since his last triumph (Gateway, 2023). He's currently the first driver outside of the provisional 16-driver playoff field — minus-7 behind RFK Racing's Ryan Preece — and though he's cooled since an early-season stretch of three consecutive top-10 finishes (Atlanta, Circuit of The Americas, Phoenix), he's been encouraged by the attention to details so far. 'I mean, I would presume it's just a lot of little things, you know?' Busch said. 'So that's basically what you're dealing with in this day and age — just so many little details. If you can find 100 small, tiny details, then that's going to all add up. So guys at the shop have been doing a good job and working on all of that, whether it's car build or little things in the setups and whatnot. Then, that's where it's coming from.'
NBC Sports
23-04-2025
- Automotive
- NBC Sports
NASCAR reveals 2025 All-Star Race format with 'promoter's caution' to allow for random yellow
Details for the 2025 NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway were unveiled Wednesday morning with the interesting wrinkle of a 'promoter's caution.' The twist allows for a random yellow flag that must be thrown prior to Lap 220 of 250. If the promoter's caution (which is optional) has yet to be used by Lap 200 and a 'natural' yellow flag falls after Lap 200, the promoter's caution no longer will be in play. North Wilkesboro Speedway is owned by Speedway Motorsports, whose founder, late NASCAR Hall of Famer Bruton Smith, was a bombastic racetrack promoter who advocated throwing intentional cautions to bunch up the field and spice up the racing. The All-Star Race will be held May 18 and will award $1 million to the winner on the 0.625-mile short track. Other features of the event: —A new 'Manufactuer Showdown' will pit Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota in a battle for the best combined overall finish in the All-Star Race. The teams will be established after the main event lineup is set with the manufacturer with the least representation determining the number of cars per team. The finishing positions of each manufacturer will be totaled, and the lowest cumulative score will be the winner. —The All-Star Race will feature traditional competition elements: two heat races to set the starting lineup, a 100-lap All-Star Open and the 250-lap main event (with a competition caution at Lap 100). —Three drivers will advance to the All-Star Race main event from the Open: the top two finishers and the winner of a fan vote. —Driver who won a points race in 2024-25, full-time drivers with a previous All-Star Race win and full-time former Cup Series champions are qualified for the main event. Here is the list of drivers who have clinced spots in the 2025 NASCAR All-Star Race: William Byron, Daniel Suárez, Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, Tyler Reddick, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Austin Cindric, Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Austin Dillon, Harrison Burton, Chase Briscoe, Chris Buescher, Ross Chastain, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Josh Berry, and Kyle Busch.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
What to Watch: Xfinity takes center stage in Rockingham return
Track: Rockingham Speedway Location: Rockingham, NC Track length: 0.94 miles When: Saturday, 4 p.m. ET Where to tune in: The CW, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Race purse: $1,651,939 Race distance: 250 laps | 235 miles Stages: 60 | 120 | 250 Defending winner: Jamie McMurray, February 2004 Xfinity Series ready to rock with return to Rockingham For the first time since 2004, the NASCAR Xfinity Series is racing at Rockingham Speedway. The 0.94-mile high-banked tri-oval is back, allowing North Carolina's Richmond County to host NASCAR national series racing once again for the first time since the Craftsman Truck Series returned for two years in 2012-13. Advertisement At long last, Jamie McMurray's streak of four straight Xfinity wins at 'The Rock' will fall. The question is: Who will be the first new Xfinity winner at Rockingham since Jason Keller in 2002? MORE: Xfinity Series standings | Full 2025 schedule Sheldon Creed — still in search of his first Xfinity win — posted the best 10-lap average in Friday's 50-minute practice session, picking up where he and his Haas Factory Team left off after a mid-winter NASCAR test. But his overwhelming takeaway wasn't just his lap times — it was how much speed the track's new coat of pavement allows drivers to carry through the corner. 'It's just super fast,' Creed told 'Like, we're wide open at the quarter mark in (Turn) 3. It's so fast. And we're wide open at like the center in (Turns) 1 and 2 — in race trim. It's just really fast.' Advertisement Defending series champion Justin Allgaier raced at Rockingham back in 2008 in ARCA Menards Series competition. With that experience came preconceived notions that may not be serving well, despite scoring the sixth-quickest single lap in practice. 'I think in my mind, I expected (the track) to do something,' Allgaier told 'And I think that's a tough spot to be in because a lot of these younger drivers that are coming in, they don't have a perception of what to expect, and I think that they're willing to do things that, while I'm not saying I'm not willing to do them, my thought doesn't even go there because I'm so used to how I think it should go.' RELATED: Rockingham through the years Matt DiBenedetto is one of those drivers who doesn't have much Rockingham experience, but he did test a Cup Series car for 600 miles at 'The Rock' a number of years ago. Walking into the track again Friday, only one came to DiBendetto's mind: Advertisement 'Legendary,' DiBenedetto told 'That's the word. I think it's cool, just because I grew up watching it as a kid on TV, and watching 'The Rock' and thought just how cool. I mean, this place is historic, legendary — kind of like going back to North Wilkesboro. It's got some of that same cool factor to it. … 'I've just always, as a fan, thought this place was cool for the history of it, and to be actually coming here, seeing an event here, seeing it sold out, and all the excitement and enthusiasm, all the people wanting passes — friends and everybody wanting to come to this one — it's just a good thing. It just shows how excited everybody is, especially locally too.' From atop the pit box … What do crew chiefs and pit crews have in focus to win Saturday's race? Advertisement Though Rockingham is traditionally known for its high tire wear and abrasive surface, a 2022 repave smoothened the track significantly. 'The Rock' still has its quirks — a relatively long backstretch, steeply banked turns and a late apex in the tri-oval before diving into Turn 1 — but a lack of significant tire wear could play a role in how crew chiefs strategize for Saturday's 250-lap feature. 'If the fall-off model is low and we're not seeing it, you're going to see guys flipping stages and trying to hold that track position for the race win,' Jim Pohlman, crew chief of Justin Allgaier's No. 7 Chevrolet, told 'And if you get off cycle to take some tires or stay out, you might get your points, but man, it's going to be hard to get back through there. So unfortunately, we're probably going to see a split field when it comes to some of that, guys fighting for points right now. 'That becomes a qualm for all the crew chiefs as to what strategy (they choose) and how they want to play and where how your season's been so far. So yeah, I think track position — getting it and maintaining — it's gonna be a big priority.' Advertisement RELATED: Rockingham race weekend hub History tells us … Chevrolets will be at the front of the field. Chevrolet teams have combined to lead 1,313 of 1,666 laps in the Xfinity Series this season. That should favor teams like JR Motorsports and Richard Childress Racing on Saturday afternoon. He may not be the favorite to win, but watch out for … NICK SANCHEZ. Of the 27 drivers and teams who posted a 10-lap average in Friday afternoon's practice, Sanchez was fourth-quickest on average. The Big Machine Racing rookie has posted top 10s every other week in 2025. Good news for the Florida native: The numbers say he's due for his fifth top 10 of the year in race No. 10. Speed reads Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles. • Welcome back, Kasey: Kahne, one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers, returns for Xfinity race| Read more • Rocking out: Best photos from a doubleheader weekend at Rockingham | View gallery • NASCAR Classics: Rewind with full-race Rockingham replays from the archives | Watch races • Paint Scheme Preview: All the schemes on track for 'The Rock's' return | View gallery
