Latest news with #No.66
NBC Sports
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- NBC Sports
What to watch for in tonight's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
CONCORD, N.C. — The NASCAR Cup Series celebrates one of its most prestigious races with tonight's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Here are a few things to keep an eye on in tonight's race, which marks the midpoint of the regular season: Kyle Larson double Kyle Larson looks to complete the quest started last year when he made his first attempt to run in the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 in the same day. Rain thwarted that attempt. That shouldn't be an issue Sunday. Larson seeks to become only the fifth driver to compete in both races in the same day. Only one, Tony Stewart, completed all 1,100 miles. Larson qualified second at Charlotte and will be among the favorites in tonight's race. Larson's three wins, eight top-five finishes, nine top-10 results and 817 laps led this season are his most through 12 races in a season. Larson has a chance to add to his legacy today in a significant way. Is Denny Hamlin the luckiest driver? After qualifying 20th for the Coca-Cola 600, Denny Hamlin walked into the media center and lamented the pit stall he was likely to have. Cup teams pick their pit stalls based on how they qualify. That meant Hamlin would not have one of the better pit stalls. And likely would have either a good car ahead of him or behind him that would make it harder to get into his pit stall or exit it, costing him time. In last year's 600, Hamlin got blocked in by Chris Buescher on pit road and lost spots on pit road on each of the caution pit stops last year. Hamlin worried he was in for a similar night until his luck changed Saturday. After qualifying, crew chiefs pick their pit stalls. Hamlin's crew chief, Chris Gayle, selected pit stall 10. The crew chiefs for the two cars starting in the next-to-last row each picked around Hamlin. That put Derek Kraus in the No. 44 car in the stall ahead of Hamlin. Josh Bilicki in the No. 66 car will pit in the stall behind Hamlin. That's significant because both cars are not likely to be on the lead lap for much of the race. Hamlin should have an open entry and open exit to his pit stall most of that race. That could help him gain spots on pit road. Can Tyler Reddick's team bounce back? Tyler Reddick enters today's race having finished outside the top 10 in five of the last six events. He starts 12th and this is a key race for Reddick and the No. 45 team, according to team co-owner Denny Hamlin. 'The 45 team in specific needs a reset,' Hamlin said. 'They need to get back to the basics and not chase a bunch of things. Certainly, with the success that kind of the 20 and the 11 have on intermediates, I think that sometimes you can get caught kind of focusing on the wrong things. ' … Both of them are all talented enough, the driver, the crew chief, the team. The cars, I know, have absolute speed in them. They just are struggling to find the balance right now.' Whose mistakes will cost them? In a 600-mile race, it's as much avoiding mistakes as having the best car. Drivers can overcome mistakes, just as William Byron did in Saturday's Xfinity race. Byron won both stages but was caught speeding on pit road at the start of the final stage. Byron rallied to win in overtime. Have a penalty or lose time on pit road can be overcome but it becomes harder in the Cup Series with so many good teams and drivers. Sometimes it's not who wins a race but who loses it.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Saturday Indy 500 Qualifying: Horrific Crash Puts Herta Near Back of Grid
Colton Herta gets back on track after 230-mph disaster, secures spot in next-to-last row. Marcus Armstrong takes jarring hit in Meyer Shank Racing entry in practice but returns for two aborted shots at qualifying. Alex Palou's fastest performance overshadowed by wrecks, rebounds, last-ditch efforts. Graham Rahal avoids Sunday bump drama, as four others not as lucky. Veteran NTT IndyCar Series driver Colton Herta, one of the strongest choices once again to earn the Indianapolis 500 pole position, rebounded from a violent 230-mph accident Saturday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to claim a 10th-row berth in a back-up car. "It's going to be probably impossible to get out [again] today. Just a terrible day for this to happen," Herta said after leaving the infield medical center. But his Andretti Global team did a Herculean job to prepare another No. 26 Gainbridge Honda. The downside of his extraordinary effort was that in claiming the 29th of 33 positions, he bumped teammate Marco Andretti. During Sunday's nail-biting bump hour, Andretti will battle for one of the three remaining spots in the starting lineup with three others: Rinus Veekay, Marcus Armstrong, and Jacob Abel. Armstrong's qualifying was rough and disappointing, but the Meyer Shank Racing driver also survived a disturbing early-Saturday accident. Together with his crew, Armstrong mounted a courageous, if unsuccessful, comeback, making two aborted qualifying attempts in a replacement No. 66 Sirius XM Honda cobbled together from his own car, his road/street-course car, and teammate Felix Rosenqvist's spare. Herta's accident was the fourth in the past two days at Indianapolis and the second Saturday. Earlier in the day, Armstrong rode out a massive wreck and exited his car on his own but was taken by stretcher to the infield care center but later cleared to return to the two accidents came on the heels of Kyffin Simpson's wallbanger that flipped his car over during Fast Friday practice. Simpson, of Chip Ganassi Racing, got airborne like Herta did. Simpson's No. 8 entry made hard left-side contact with the wall, then turned over in Turn 4 during practice, in an incident he called "weird" and said, "Everything about it was weird." NASCAR champion Kyle Larson, also crashed during Fast Friday, for the second time this spring as he continues to focus on racing May 25 in both the 500 and the Cup Series' Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte. Herta said he saw "kind of no real signs leading to" his crash, in which his car broke loose as he powered through the first turn of his first lap. It hit the outside wall, sailed into the air, landed upside down, slid through the short chute between Turns 1 and 2, and slammed into the wall there. It was especially frightening, because the top of the car and driver's compartment bore the brunt as it screeched along the barrier. The safety team turned the car right-side-up, and Herta walked to the ambulance. After leaving the infield hospital, Herta said, "I'm fine. Luckily, these crashes look a lot scarier than they feel - not to say that that one felt good. We were super-happy with the car this morning." He said the car got "just loose. Couldn't even get Lap 1 done. It sucks, but I'm good. We'll keep going.' Graham Rahal, whose emotional reaction to being bumped last season lingers in fans' minds, avoided Sunday's bump drama. He and is No. 15 United Rentals Honda held onto the No. 30 position – the final locked-in spot – as several drivers ran out the day's time clock. Conor Daly took the last laps of Saturday, pushing to improve his time and break into the Top 12 who will be pole-eligible come Sunday's field-setting activity. Daly barely missed making the 'Deserving Dozen' and said his Juncos Hollinger team 'deserves to be in the fast 12. I made the mistake of trying to push too much. It was a long day – goodness gracious. I'm really happy for Graham making it. I know he had a stressful day.' Battling Sunday for a chance to make the Fast Six shootout and a starting position in the first two rows on Race Day will be Alex Palou, Saturday's fastest, as well as Scott McLaughlin, Josef Newgarden, Pato O'Ward, Scott Dixon, Robert Shwartzman, David Malukas, Felix Rosenqvist, Takuma Sato, Will Power, Marcus Ericsson, and Christian Lundgaard.
Indianapolis Star
17-05-2025
- Automotive
- Indianapolis Star
'A bit hungry and could use a coffee': Marcus Armstrong prepares for Indy 500 qualifying run
INDIANAPOLIS — Marcus Armstrong emerged from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway infield care center Saturday afternoon looking for a coffee and some food. And then as soon as his backup No. 66 Honda might be ready, the 24-year-old New Zealander is eyeing a return to the track. Five hours prior, the Meyer Shank Racing driver was being extricated from his mangled car after it slid and slammed into the wall during Indianapolis 500 qualifying practice and put on a gurney by IndyCar's AMR safety team, his legs strapped to it as he was rolled into the safety vehicle. More than 90 minutes after his accident, Armstrong emerged from the care center, walking under his own power and was whisked away to MSR's garages to survey the damage to not only his car but his body. More than 90 minutes after his crash, the series medical team had released Armstrong but not cleared him to return to the cockpit. Due to IndyCar's protocols around concussions, triggered when cars and drivers' ear buds record a certain G level of impact in a crash, the medical team requires them be reevaluated before a return to on-track action. Following that second review around 1 p.m., Armstrong had been cleared to return. 'The experience was an interesting one, for sure,' Armstrong told IndyStar after his second visit to the care center. 'I was expecting clearly a lot more grip when I arrived in Turn 1 than there was, but we didn't quite get everything right. 'It is what it is. My first reaction was, 'Oh, I hope I'm OK, because I thought it may be a little worse than it was, and I was hoping I wasn't badly injured. But some time passed, and I'm all good, and now we're going to drive again.' Armstrong elaborated that he underwent X-rays along with the concussion tests to make certain he had no other internal injuries. 'I feel good. Feel a bit hungry and could use a coffee, but yeah, I'm all good,' he said. 'I'm confident we can make the field. I want to at least get a shake-down (run) today, in case we have to do all the things tomorrow, but I'm confident we'll be OK.' With his primary 500 car written off in the crash that started with a bobble in Turn 1 and led to Armstrong losing the rear of his No. 66 Honda, spinning around and having the left-rear corner making first contact with the outer SAFER barrier before the left side whirled around and slammed into the wall, too, MSR will go to a backup car for any future attempts Armstrong makes this weekend. That car is one reserved for road and street course racing for Armstrong — one that had raced on the IMS road course last weekend and that was prepped for the Detroit Grand Prix in two weekends. At the time of writing, MSR officials said it would be close as to whether the team would have enough time to get Armstrong back on track in any form Saturday. Its first target would be an initial lap or two as nothing more than a systems check to ensure the backup No. 66 was properly prepped, and if there's additional time, then they might attempt to lock themselves into the top 30 and ensure a spot in the 109th Indy 500. Should they fail to make an attempt before the checkered flag at 5:50 p.m., or if their attempt leaves them unable to crack the top 30, they'll go onto Sunday's Last Chance Qualifier with three other cars vying for the final three spots in the race. Despite his vicious crash, Armstrong said he has no worries about his confidence. 'I absolutely expect to be flat in (Turn) 1 and (Turn) 2 on my first lap,' he said.
Fox Sports
17-05-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Colton Herta crashes heavily in Indy 500 qualifying, hours after Marcus Armstrong's practice wreck
Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Colton Herta crashed heavily in qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 on Saturday, hours after Marcus Armstrong was taken away on a stretcher after a scary crash of his own at nearly the same spot at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Both wrecks occurred in Turn 1, where winds gusting up to 30 mph that are largely blocked by the grandstands down the front stretch suddenly switch to behind the drivers. Herta's car hit the outside wall and then landed on its side and slid into the short chute before coming to rest, and safety crews had to work together to flip it back on its tires. Herta was able to climb out, but he needed help walking to a waiting vehicle for a trip to the infield care center. He was released a short while later and IndyCar said that Herta had been cleared to drive should his backup car be ready. Andretti Autosport was busy working on it, but the crash an hour into the nearly 7-hour qualifying session left little time. If they were unable to get back out Saturday, the best Herta could do would be the final row in last-chance qualifying Sunday. 'Luckily these days these crashes look a lot scarier than they feel — not to say that one felt good,' Herta said. 'There were no real signs leading to it. We were super happy with the car this morning. Went out loose and couldn't even get Lap 1 in." Armstrong also was able to climb from his wrecked car but was immediately helped onto a stretcher. He gave a thumbs up as he was loaded into an ambulance and taken to the care center, where he was released about 90 minutes later. 'He is awake. He is alert. He's doing well,' said Dr. Julia Vaizer, the medical director for IndyCar and the speedway. Meyer Shank Racing also began working on Armstrong's backup car, even though it was unclear who would attempt to qualify it. The team was getting help from Chip Ganassi Racing, a fellow Honda-powered program with a close relationship. If Armstrong is unable to qualify the No. 66 — it was pulled from the lineup for its guaranteed qualifying attempt — there are few options available. Tony Kanaan, the 2013 Indy 500 winner, is the only driver to have completed the refresher course, but he is the team principal for Arrow McLaren, and completed it so that his team would have a backup should NASCAR star Kyle Larson have to abandon the May 25 race to make it to the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte. There is also a conflict of interest between the Chevrolet-powered Arrow McLaren team and the Honda teams. Other backup drivers could conceivably complete the refresher Sunday, allowing them to get into Armstrong's car. But without making a run Saturday, the best they could do would be to nail down one of the final three spots on the 33-car grid. 'It looked a bit weird, to be honest,' Armstrong's teammate, Felix Rosenqvist, said of the crash. 'I haven't seen any updates or anything. I just tried to look at the screen while I was sitting in the car. Hopefully they can bounce back quickly.' ___ AP auto racing: recommended
New York Times
25-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Patriots draft OT Will Campbell: How he fits, draft grade and scouting intel
The New England Patriots have selected LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell with the No. 4 pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Campbell was considered the top offensive tackle prospect in this year's draft class by The Athletic's Dane Brugler. Campbell was one of the most decorated offensive linemen in school history. In 2024, he was a consensus All-American and was named a first-team All-American by the Associated Press. The Louisiana native was also selected as a first-team All-SEC selection (by the AP and coaches) and was awarded the Jacobs Blocking Trophy (given to the best blocker in a conference) by SEC coaches. Advertisement Those honors came following a sophomore season in which he was named first-team All-SEC by the conference's coaches and a freshman year in which he was a second-team All-SEC selection by the coaches. In addition, Campbell was the first offensive player to be awarded the No. 7 jersey — given to the most impactful player on the LSU roster from the state of Louisiana — but due to SEC rules, he still wore No. 66 on game days over the past two seasons. From his arrival on campus, Campbell was a starter, notching 38 starts and allowing just five sacks at left tackle for the Tigers over the past three seasons. In 2024, Campbell served as the lynchpin to an LSU offensive line that allowed a league-low 15 sacks. His play upfront in 2023 — a season in which he didn't allow a sack — helped to power one of the country's most explosive offenses with quarterback Jayden Daniels and wide receivers Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas. Ahead of the draft, the subject of Campbell's arm measurements had many wondering if he would stick at offensive tackle. At the NFL Scouting Combine in February, his measurement came in at 32 5/8 inches. Then, at LSU's pro day last month, his arm measurement came in at 33 inches and quieted down the talk about whether he had the length to hold down a bookend spot on the offensive line. Campbell was ranked No. 6 in Dane Brugler's top 300 big board. Here's what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide: 'Campbell stays balanced in pass protection because of his weight distribution and controlled technique, although he can do a better job protecting versus inside/counter moves. He is rugged in the run game and offers the body fluidity and explosive power to torque and displace defenders. Overall, Campbell's mediocre arm length lessens his margin for error, but his athletic movements, core strength and competitive finish help him stay connected through the whistle, regardless of the block required. His skill set is reminiscent of a more powerful version of Colts left tackle Bernhard Raimann, although some NFL teams project him best as an interior blocker.' What an anonymous coach had to say about Campbell in Bruce Feldman's mock draft: 'He's a special talent. I wouldn't worry that his arms might be a half-inch or inch shorter than some people would like. He's athletic enough, quick enough and nasty enough to control the pass rush. I think he's a complete player.' What makes LSU OL Will Campbell's game so special?@movethesticks breaks it all down 🐯 📺: 2025 #NFLDraft – April 24-26 on NFLN/ESPN/ABC📱: Stream on #NFLPlus — NFL (@NFL) April 2, 2025 Come back later for more analysis of Campbell.
