Latest news with #SAFERBarriers
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
NASCAR Through the Gears: Kyle Larson sinks, Ross Chastain rises, Tom Cruise kicks the tires
Think we can slow the roll on all that talk about Kyle Larson being the planet's best race-car driver? While a lot of guys make it look easy sometimes, some of the guys make it look easy all the time. Kyle had always been one of those "all the time" guys. Is he still? Advertisement Let's just say, there won't likely be a lot of talk about teeing up another attempt at the Indy-Charlotte double next year. Is all that fair? Probably not. Everyone in every sport has a bad day. And/or a bad night. Sunday, Kyle had both, when he lost the wheel and tested SAFER Barriers at both Indianapolis and Charlotte. It was that kind of day, and night, for Kyle Larson. Sounds like Kyle needs a good cleansing of the palate. Barring changes in his schedule, he'll get one Friday when he returns to Indiana for some short-track sprint-car action on the dirt at Lawrenceburg. From there, it's south toward Nashville for the next NASCAR stop and, thankfully, a flip of the calendar to put May behind him. Advertisement On the other hand, there's Ross Chastain. He'd been putting together a solid season free of too many clankers, but hadn't been leading many laps and therefore was kinda/sorta off the radar. Guess what. Sunday night at Charlotte, he put together a solid night, free of issues, but remained in the shadows without leading laps … until everything changed. INDY'S WILD WEEK Kyle Larson isn't big story as Indy 500 nears. Roger Penske, others driving news cycle First Gear: William Byron dominates Charlotte, Ross Chastain wins In eight of 12 starts before Sunday night, Ross the Boss had finished between second and 12th, but had only led laps in two races and was 11th in points, with no stage wins and therefore no playoff points to carry into the postseason. Advertisement Everything changed late Sunday when Chastain's fresher tires helped him pass William Byron and hang on for his sixth career Cup victory. Billy the Kid was in no mood for consolation, but he won the first three stages to collect a few more bonus points, and 65 total points (to Chastain's 50) to increase his overall points lead. That could pay off in a regular-season points championship and the 15 playoff bonus points that come with it. And we say all that because we all know how such things can pay off in September and October. Chastain has now won races in each of the past four seasons, so Sunday was no big surprise or upset. But if they offered bonus points for 'degree of difficulty,' he and his No. 1 Chevy team would be rolling in 'em after this past weekend. Advertisement A crash in pre-qualifying practice was bad enough to force Chastain into a backup car, which would start dead-last in the 40-car field. The 'Boys in the Shop' put aside any need for sleep to put their driver in a good race car. It doesn't usually pay off, much less in such a big way. But it's good to know it can. Some team wins are more teamy than others. Second Gear: Amazon Prime Video reviews and non-reviews Well, NASCAR's first Cup race on Amazon's Prime Video has come and gone, and the reviews couldn't produce a bigger gulf. For better and worse, the best way to check the pulse on such things is to peruse 'social' media. And man, what a weirdly mixed bag. Advertisement On one side, you have the Prime lovers. They loved having Junior Earnhardt back in the broadcast booth and loved seeing Carl Edwards back in their lives. And frankly, if you didn't enjoy Prime's NASCAR theme, courtesy of John Fogerty and Eric Church, I can't help you. Maybe even better, they loved the near-disappearance of full-blown commercial breaks (they only arrived at stage breaks). And were overjoyed at watching those last 55 laps without even those mildly irritating side-by-side ads that let you continue watching the race on half the screen. Makes you wonder how we survived all those years on our 19-inch Zenith. Advertisement You want numbers to back things up? Here you go, courtesy of the CawsNjaws website: Sunday night featured just nine minutes of traditional commercial breaks (again, during stage breaks) and 42 minutes of the side-by-side stuff with the commercial and race on the screen together. The most recent regular-season Cup race, at Kansas, had 39 minutes of old-school commercial breaks and just six minutes of side-by-side. So it probably depends on what you hate more (or less) — total breakaways or that side-by-side spoonin' action. On the other side of the reviews, there basically are no reviews. Those folks don't have Prime, will not be forced to get Prime, and frankly, might quit Amazon altogether and start going back to Winn-Dixie to buy their Folgers and Quaker Oats. Third Gear: Tom Cruise is kicking the NASCAR tires Man oh man, those were a couple of tall gears, so let's make shorter work of the next two. Advertisement Tom Cruise, whose long-awaited 'Top Gun' sequel was a huge hit a few years ago, is ready to give the same treatment to his 1990 stock-car effort, 'Days of Thunder.' OK, maybe Tom isn't all-in on a NASCAR-themed reboot. But it appears to be on the table, considering what he told the 'Today' show last week. 'All of these things we're working on … we're discussing 'Days of Thunder' and 'Top Gun: Maverick.' There are numerous other films that we're actively working on right now.' In Hollywood, everyone is always 'talking' about future projects. So there's that. But also in Hollywood, not everyone is Tom Cruise. Fourth Gear: Brad Keselowski doesn't fall apart! Yes! Maybe the racing gods were focusing their negative mojo on Kyle Larson this past weekend, but they certainly, and finally, took their boots off Brad Keselowski's HANS Device. Advertisement Kez did something Sunday night he'd done 155 previous times in his long Cup Series career. He finished fifth for his 156th career top-five. Should be no big deal, except this top-five came after the worst run of racing (and luck) Kez has dealt with in a career dating back to 2008. And it appears he used a different strategy, though obviously not intentionally. In recent weeks, Kez had been running fair-to-excellent, only to get derailed by a broken this-or-that or a dreaded wrong place/wrong time situation. Sunday at Charlotte, he kept quiet throughout, didn't even post a top-10 in the first three stages. Advertisement But he worked his way from 13th after Stage 3 toward the front, and even led five laps during some pit cycling. Afterward, he said, 'I feel like if we could have gotten to the lead, we could have won the race.' Well, yeah, that's generally the way it works when it does work. But take the top-five and hold tight to that sliver of momentum. The much-needed fifth saw Kez leapfrog from 33rd in the standings all the way to … um … 32nd. But still, progress. — Email Ken Willis at This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: NASCAR: Kyle Larson hates May, Prime hates ads, Tom Cruise drops hint
Otago Daily Times
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- Otago Daily Times
Kiwi Scott McLaughlin escapes major Indy 500 crash unharmed
New Zealand IndyCars driver Scott McLaughlin has walked away from a spectacular crash during pre-qualifying practice at Indy 500. The Team Penske driver hit the wall at speed 16 minutes into the one-hour session reserved for the 12 drivers who will vie for pole position during qualifying. McLaughlin, who qualified in pole position for last year's Indy 500 before finishing third in the famous race, had recorded the fastest lap of the session before spinning his car in turn two and crashing hard into the barrier. The car was airborne for a moment and suffered extensive damage. "I'm really, really, really, really sorry to everyone at Team Penske, my guys on the 3 car, everyone who builds these fantastic cars," McLaughlin said. "It (car) was talking to me, and I sort of felt it, and I probably should have backed out. But you're trying to complete a run to see what it feels like. "Very grateful to IndyCar, the safety and my team, the SAFER Barriers and all that. Kept me safe. We had a great car, and I just destroyed it." New Zealander Scott Dixon, a five time pole winner at the Indy 500, was second fastest in the practice for Chip Ganassi Racing. Dixon, a six time IndyCars series champion, will tie former driver American Rick Mears with a sixth "500" pole if he secures the top spot.
Fox News
18-05-2025
- Automotive
- Fox News
IndyCar driver Scott McLaughlin slams into the wall, car flips in the air during harrowing practice crash
Scott McLaughlin had a harrowing practice experience at the Indy 500 on Sunday. His car went airborne after it slammed into the wall on the track just ahead of Pole Day qualifying. Video showed the car sliding and spinning across the track after the hard collision with the wall before finally coming to a stop. McLaughlin is not the first driver to flip over. In the past few days, at least two others have also experienced frightening airborne moments. Kyffin Simpson flipped over during Fast Friday, with Colton Herta went airborne during Saturday's qualifying. McLaughlin was able to emerge from the wreckage and appeared to avoid any major injuries. Mclaughlin received a medical evaluation. Shortly after he was released from a care center, he said he was "fine." He also offered an apology to Team Penske. "Yeah, I'm fine," Mclaughlin said. "I'm just really, really sorry for everyone at Team Penske, the guys on the #3 car and everyone who builds these fantastic cars. It (the car) was talking to me and I sort of felt it and I probably should have backed out. But you try to complete a run to see what it feels like. Was it (worth) the risk? Probably wasn't. Incredibly sad. That's basically what it felt like. You just try and brace yourself, and I was just hoping I didn't go into the catch-fence. Very grateful to IndyCar, the safety, my team, the SAFER Barriers and everything like that, because it kept me safe." Shortly before the crash, McLaughlin managed to propel to the top of the charts in Fast 12 practice. The disastrous moment happened during Turn 2 on Sunday. The left-rear wheel suffered visible, severe damage immediately upon impact. The racing line next to the Turn 2 exit was left with a noticeable gouge. There was a stoppage in action and crews were deployed to make repairs. The SAFER Barrier also suffered considerable damage. McLaughlin, last year's Indy 500 pole-sitter, will not participate in Fast 12 qualifying. Therefore, McLaughlin's official starting position on the Indy 500 grid will be No. 12. The Indy 500 will be broadcast May 25 on FOX with pre-coverage starting at 10 a.m. ET. It will also be available to stream live on and the FOX Sports app. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
RNZ News
18-05-2025
- Automotive
- RNZ News
NZ driver Scott McLaughlin walks away from spectacular crash at Indy 500 practice
New Zealand IndyCars driver Scott McLaughlin has walked away from a spectacular crash during pre-qualifying practice at Indy 500. The Team Penske driver hit the wall at speed 16 minutes into the one-hour session reserved for the 12 drivers who will vie for pole position during qualifying. McLaughlin, who qualified in pole position for last year's Indy 500 before finishing third in the famous race, had recorded the fastest lap of the session before spinning his car in turn two and crashing hard into the barrier. The car was airborne for a moment and suffered extensive damage. Photo: Screengrab / NTT Indycar Series "I'm really, really, really, really sorry to everyone at Team Penske, my guys on the 3 car, everyone who builds these fantastic cars," McLaughlin said. "It (car) was talking to me, and I sort of felt it, and I probably should have backed out. But you're trying to complete a run to see what it feels like. "Very grateful to IndyCar, the safety and my team, the SAFER Barriers and all that. Kept me safe. We had a great car, and I just destroyed it." New Zealander Scott Dixon, a five time pole winner at the Indy 500, was second fastest in the practice for Chip Ganassi Racing. Dixon, a six time IndyCars series champion, will tie former driver American Rick Mears with a sixth "500" pole if he secures the top spot.
RNZ News
18-05-2025
- Automotive
- RNZ News
Watch: NZ driver Scott McLaughlin in spectacular crash at Indy 500 practice
New Zealand IndyCars driver Scott McLaughlin has walked away from a spectacular crash during pre-qualifying practice at Indy 500. The Team Penske driver hit the wall at speed 16 minutes into the one-hour session reserved for the 12 drivers who will vie for pole position during qualifying. McLaughlin, who qualified in pole position for last year's Indy 500 before finishing third in the famous race, had recorded the fastest lap of the session before spinning his car in turn two and crashing hard into the barrier. The car was airborne for a moment and suffered extensive damage. Photo: Screengrab / NTT Indycar Series "I'm really, really, really, really sorry to everyone at Team Penske, my guys on the 3 car, everyone who builds these fantastic cars," McLaughlin said. "It (car) was talking to me, and I sort of felt it, and I probably should have backed out. But you're trying to complete a run to see what it feels like. "Very grateful to IndyCar, the safety and my team, the SAFER Barriers and all that. Kept me safe. We had a great car, and I just destroyed it." New Zealander Scott Dixon, a five time pole winner at the Indy 500, was second fastest in the practice for Chip Ganassi Racing. Dixon, a six time IndyCars series champion, will tie former driver American Rick Mears with a sixth "500" pole if he secures the top spot.
