Latest news with #NascarCupSeries
Otago Daily Times
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- Otago Daily Times
Driver to attempt ‘Double'
Nascar Cup Series driver Kyle Larson is set to race in this morning's Indy 500 for team McLaren. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Nascar star Kyle Larson will cross disciplines and attempt "The Double" today, racing in the Indianapolis 500 before heading to North Carolina for the Coke 600, the longest race on the Nascar calendar. The 32-time Nascar Cup Series winner attempted the 1100-mile (1777km) slog last year but a rain delay in Indianapolis meant he could not make the start of the Coke 600. He finished 18th in last year's Indy 500, his first IndyCar race, after a pit speeding penalty hampered progress. He qualified 21st for the Indy 500 this year. The Californian native would join Tony Stewart, John Andretti, Robby Gordon and Kurt Busch as double-duty drivers. New Zealander Scott Dixon will start on the second row, chasing his second 500 win. Scott McLaughlin starts on the forth row, and Marcus Armstrong starts near the back. The 109th Indianapolis 500 was set to start at 4am and the Coke 600 at 10am.
Forbes
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
William Byron Signs Four-Year Extension With Hendrick Motorsports
Two-time Daytona 500 champion William Byron will continue to compete for Hendrick Motorsports for at least four more years. The Charlotte native announced on Friday morning that he has inked a four-year extension with Hendrick Motorsports – the only team he's driven for in the Nascar Cup Series – through the 2029 season. 'We've built something special with the No. 24 team,' Byron, who is in his eighth full-time season in the Cup Series, said. 'I'm thankful for the opportunity to continue working with amazing people at Hendrick Motorsports who believe in me, especially Mr. and Mrs. Hendrick. We've accomplished some great things that we're really proud of, but we have even bigger goals ahead. I'm excited to go after them with this team and this organization.' Byron has become one of Nascar's most popular drivers, piloting the No. 24 car made famous by Jeff Gordon, who's currently the vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports. Byron joined Hendrick Motorsports at 18 years old, first competing in the Xfinity Series with affiliate team JR Motorsports. He won the 2017 championship, and was immediately promoted to drive the No. 24 car. 'William is the real deal,' team owner Rick Hendrick said. 'What makes him so special is that he combines natural ability with an unrivaled work ethic. You see it in the great ones – the drivers who could get by on talent alone but choose to outwork everyone anyway. That's William. On top of it all, he's a person of high character and embraces his role as a leader. We're proud to have him in our lineup and look forward to many more wins together.' Byron has 14 career Cup Series wins, with the most recent being the 2025 Daytona 500. He's qualified for the Championship 4 in each of the last two seasons.
TimesLIVE
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
Kyle Larson manages worn tyres to win AdventHealth 400
Kyle Larson had another dominant car on Sunday afternoon in Kansas, but he was a little unsure in the closing laps. The Hendrick Motorsports racer withstood a flurry of caution periods over the final 72 laps to claim victory in the Nascar Cup Series' AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas. The 2021 Nascar Cup Series champion passed leader Christopher Bell's No 20 after the fourth caution, overcame three more yellow flags and led the field for 49 green-flag laps to top the Toyota driver by 0.712 seconds for his 32nd career win, tying him with Dale Jarrett. The Elk Grove, California, racer matched Bell for the 2025 lead in wins with his third career Kansas triumph. It was Hendrick Motorsports' 10th at the track. On a weekend when cars were blowing tyres after lengthy wear, Larson said his Chevrolet lost speed over the final few circuits as he tried to manage his rubber. 'I was trying hard to pace myself because I believe that was our longest run of the day,' said Larson, who led 221 of the 267 laps on the 2.41km speedway. 'I had been struggling at the end of runs. I don't know if the right-front was starting to wear a lot or what, but I was starting to lose a lot of grip and then I was vibrating badly. I was afraid a right-rear or something would let go.' Nascar's Joey Logano shines to take his first win of the season in Texas Defending Nascar Cup Series champion Joey Logano took one week to get his redemption. Motoring 1 week ago Bell was pleased to record a career-best runner-up finish at Kansas and his sixth top-five run of 2025. 'I was surprised that he gave up on the top [line] on the last few laps and pulled down,' said Bell, 'but I was struggling just as much as he was.' Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe and Alex Bowman rounded out the top five. Chevrolet won for the third straight time at the speedway while Ford had its winless skid hit nine races in Kansas. After AJ Allmendinger's Chevrolet expired on the race's seventh lap, pole sitter Larson and 19 others stayed out on the track — and Larson's No 5 Chevrolet rocketed away from the pack with a slight challenge on a restart. With Larson pulling away in the 80-lap first segment, the front 20 drivers who stayed out had to pit about lap 40 while the previous group continued to turn green-flag circuits. That put Denny Hamlin's No 11 at the point as the field inverted. Points leader William Byron had his right rear tyre go flat on lap 67 after a gamble on low air pressure, which ended with the No 24 car losing grip and spinning on pit road. Larson topped teammate Chase Elliott by just under two seconds to win the top bonus points in stage 1. Bell, Blaney and Austin Cindric rounded out the top five. In also winning stage 2 by nipping Elliott, Larson reached 10,000 career laps led. Larson, Hamlin and Kyle Busch are the only active drivers to reach that milestone. Blaney, Josh Berry and Bell followed the Hendrick duo in stage 2. Chasing down Elliott after the No 9 beat Larson on pit road, Brad Keselowski, without a top-10 finish during a miserable season, blew a tyre on his No 6 Ford while running second with 73 laps to go and crashed into the wall for his fifth did not finish this season.
Forbes
30-04-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Chase Elliott Eyes Second Nascar Cup Series Championship
Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Amazon Prime Video Chevrolet, greets fans as he walks onstage ... More during driver intros prior to the Nascar Cup Series Jack Link's 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 27, 2025. (Photo by) Nascar's most popular driver needed some time to adjust to the Next Gen racecar. But now that he has, driver No. 9 is eyeing his second Nascar Cup Series championship. Elliott got off to a roaring start in the new car in 2022, winning five races. However, between 2023 and now, he only has one win as he's adjusted his driving style to the new car. This year, Elliott has a fresh mentality. A new, sleek look to his No. 9 NAPA Chevrolet may help with that, too. Through 10 races, Elliott sits fourth in the standings with six top 10s. However, as a champion, he is not satisfied. 'It's been OK; I don't think we've been spectacular by any stretch,' Elliott said. 'I thought we had a good first four to five weeks, including the Clash. Nothing has been a gold star sticker besides the Clash weekend, but unfortunately, that one doesn't count for a whole lot. We have a long season left, and I'm looking forward to the grind.' The No. 9 team, led by crew chief Alan Gustafson, came out of the gates running to kick of the 2025 season. They dominated the entire weekend at Bowman Gray Stadium, winning the pole and leading 171 of 200 laps. 'I knew how little that meant just because I've been on the other side of it,' Elliott said of winning the preseason exhibition race. 'Even if you don't have a good Clash, that doesn't mean you're going to start off bad. If you have a good Clash weekend, that doesn't mean it's all going to go good. 'We hope we can get some good momentum as we get to some of these more normal racetracks throughout the summer months.' During Elliott's championship-winning season in 2020, he won five races with 22 top 10s. But to do it again this year, he'll first need to break into victory lane. This weekend's race at Texas Motor Speedway marks one year since his win, and he is hungry to repeat. Elliott made a stop in New York City last week before competing at Talladega Superspeedway, promoting the MLB Speedway Classic on Saturday, Aug. 2 at Bristol Motor Speedway, the first MLB game held at a Nascar track. Back on the track, Elliott is focused on having front of the pack speed on a more consistent basis. His 10.9 average finish is solid, but he's only led 45 laps this year, with 42 of those coming at Martinsville Speedway. Elliott has also brought in new partners, as well. Amazon Prime Video debuted as a primary sponsor for his No. 9 team at Talladega. The three-race deal extends through 2027, which coincides with his HMS contract. Prime's first Nascar race weekend is set for Memorial Day weekend with the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, with Elliott's HMS teammate Kyle Larson attempting 'The Double' for the second year in a row. And NAPA continues to be pleased with its long-term relationship with Elliott, with the No. 9 car being wrapped in the brand's colors for 26 races. 'We did a shoot with them a few months ago in preparation for their summer series,' Elliott said of Amazon Prime Video. 'It's a natural collaboration with the races they're streaming coming up soon. For me, it's a great opportunity to be aligned with a company that has a reach in an infinite amount of directions. There's a lot of opportunities for us to take that partnership and help grow the sport with it.'
TimesLIVE
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
Austin Cindric pips Ryan Preece to the line to win in Talladega
Austin Cindric's crew put him in position to win Sunday. He just had to do the rest. The Team Penske driver did just that by holding off Ryan Preece down the stretch to win the Jack Link's 500 as the Nascar Cup Series returned to action after a bye week on Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama. The Fords of Cindric and Preece ran one-two side-by-side in front of the Chevrolets of William Byron and Kyle Larson with 17 laps to go. The pair raced tight but clean off turn 4 for the final time, with Cindric's No 2 edging Preece's No 60 by 0.022 seconds for his third career win in his 125th start. Though he crossed the line in a career-best second place, Preece was disqualified from the race hours later, as was fifth-place finisher Joey Logano. Nascar found both cars to have violated spoiler specifications, sending Preece to 38th place and Logano to 39th, last in the field. The drivers earned only one point in the championship standings, instead of 40 points for Preece and 41 for Logano. On the day's final pit stop, Cindric's crew turned in the quickest service on the No 2, which gridded 25th as it hit pit road.
