Latest news with #Suárez
New York Times
a day ago
- Business
- New York Times
NASCAR free agency: What we're hearing about Trackhouse, Connor Zilisch, Kaulig and more
NASCAR's Silly Season — that time of year when drivers and teams are looking to solidify their plans for the next year and speculation about potential moves ramps up — can often be quiet at the onset, giving the feel that no notable major free agency moves will occur. And then, something out of nowhere drops, causing a ripple effect across the Cup Series landscape. Advertisement Quiet is how things presently stand for this year's version of Silly Season — 'very, very quiet,' according to one executive whose team is often in the middle of NASCAR's free-agency period. 'Crickets' is how another industry source described it. This time, though, the expectation from sources throughout the industry is that Silly Season will remain rather uneventful. That's primarily because four of NASCAR's biggest teams — Hendrick Motorsports, Team Penske, Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI Racing — essentially have their driver lineups locked in for 2026. Not much change is anticipated among many other teams either, for various reasons (drivers in the middle of contracts, sponsorship, performance, etc.). Still, there are things to keep an eye on into the summer, when many deals are brokered and contracts signed. Let's take a look at the drivers and teams to watch. The big domino this Silly Season is Trackhouse. The Justin Marks-owned team has four drivers under contract and only three spots on its Cup roster — one of which is taken, with Ross Chastain still under contract for multiple years and delivering exceptional performance. Jockeying for the other rides are Daniel Suárez, Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch. The former two are currently teammates with Chastain in Cup, while the latter is a promising rookie in NASCAR's second-tier Xfinity Series. Both van Gisbergen and Zilisch have term remaining on their respective contracts, with Suárez's contract up at the end of the season. And, ultimately, it may come down to just this factor — letting pending free agent Suárez, who sits 30th in points, walk to promote Zilisch. Of course, it may not be this straightforward. Suárez is well-liked within Trackhouse, has sponsorship, and is more proven on ovals than van Gisbergen, who, in just his first full Cup season, has largely struggled with this type of racing after years focusing exclusively on road courses. Trackhouse could decide that van Gisbergen, who is three spots behind Suárez in the points standings, has hit his ceiling as a NASCAR driver and opt to retain Suárez. All of that is predicated on Trackhouse promoting Zilisch. And this is no sure thing. He'll turn just 19 in July, and he's in his first full season competing at NASCAR's national level. Another year of development isn't necessarily a bad thing. And even if he stays in Xfinity full-time, Trackhouse would continue to provide Zilisch limited Cup starts with its fourth part-time entry. Advertisement 'We'll see what his future holds, but right now we have a mechanism in the company to put that extra car out,' Marks said. 'We just want him to get that experience. No expectations for results or anything like that. 'We have the opportunity to give him the learning experience, and we'll continue to do that. The Cup Series is a different sport than the Xfinity Series. It is just so, so difficult. The only way to learn is to go out there and do it.' Keeping Zilisch in Xfinity for another year also effectively allows Trackhouse to kick any major decisions down the road. This pathway would allow Suárez to keep his ride while also giving Marks more of a sample size to see whether van Gisbergen can adapt to ovals. Then, next year, Trackhouse could decide on whether to retain Suárez or van Gisbergen. Marks told The Athletic that no decisions have been made about Trackhouse's 2026 roster, and the team hasn't even started contemplating it. Something to keep in mind, though, there are three street/road courses in the upcoming seven races, giving van Gisbergen a strong chance to score a win. Should he cash in, it would go a long way to firming up his future with Trackhouse for next year. '(Road courses) are where everyone expects us to perform,' van Gisbergen said. '… It's been a big learning process the last couple of months. It'll be nice to have a break and turn right.' A superstar, championship-contending driver like Denny Hamlin being in a contract year would usually generate plenty of discourse on his future. Except in this case, there is a high probability he re-signs with Joe Gibbs Racing, where he's spent the entirety of his 20-year career. Hamlin said as much last week when asked where negotiations stood. 'Working on it,' Hamlin said. 'Should be something done somewhat soon.' Advertisement Seemingly, no Silly Season overview is complete without mentioning Kaulig Racing, whose driver lineup often is in flux from year to year. It came as no surprise, then, that AJ Allmendinger was uncertain about his status for next season — he has bounced between Kaulig's Cup and Xfinity programs in recent years — when asked by The Athletic. Allmendinger said he wasn't sure where things stood, but was happy to do whatever team owner Matt Kaulig and president Chris Rice thought best. But while Allmendinger may be unclear, Rice left no doubt which series Allmendinger will be competing in next year, saying that '100 percent' Allmendinger will remain as driver of Kaulig's No. 16 Cup entry. Keeping Allmendinger in Cup makes sense considering how much he's elevated the team's performance. He is currently ranked 18th in the standings, just 13 points behind the provisional cutoff to make the playoffs. Ask someone in the garage what they think of 23XI Racing reserve driver Corey Heim and the likely response is that he's both ready for and deserving of a full-time Cup ride. The soon-to-be 23-year-old has 15 Truck Series wins in 75 career starts and impressed in limited Cup starts. 'He's going to be a Sunday Cup guy,' said Hamlin, 23XI co-owner. 'There's no doubt in my mind about it. He's going to be with 23XI for the long haul.' But while Heim will likely be in Cup full-time someday, it won't be next year. Instead, he'll continue to race full-time outside of Cup (with spot Cup starts mixed in) while waiting for an opportunity to materialize. Currently, that opportunity isn't there. 23XI's 2026 lineup is set with Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace and Riley Herbst all under contract. That makes 2027 the earliest timeline for Heim to secure a full-time Cup ride. '(Heim is) doing everything (he's been) asked to,' Hamlin said. 'He's in the building multiple times per week, working on his craft, continuing to get better, waiting on the opportunity. And he knows he's got a long-term future with 23XI Racing, and he's happy with that. And he's happy with the development process that we have set out for him in the future. But, ultimately, there's only three cars, three charters that we're allowed to have, and so we have to figure out in the future where we go with that.' Other names to watch (listed alphabetically): Aric Almirola, Corey LaJoie, Jesse Love, Sam Mayer, Chandler Smith (Top photo of Connor Zilisch hugging Trackhouse teammate Ross Chastain: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)
Nahar Net
2 days ago
- Sport
- Nahar Net
Messi scores twice, assists in Miami's 4-2 win over Montreal
by Naharnet Newsdesk 29 May 2025, 15:59 Lionel Messi scored twice and had an assist, and Inter Miami broke out of its slump with a 4-2 victory over Montreal on Wednesday night. Messi scored in the 27th and 87th minutes and set up Luis Suárez's goal with some nice dribbling in the 68th. Suárez added another in the 71st. The win gave Messi's Inter Miami team just its second victory in its past eight matches. Miami last won on May 3, going 0-2-2 since then and dropping to sixth in the Eastern Conference. It has been a surprising plunge for a team that went 22-4-8 during the regular season in 2024 to set MLS records for points (74) and winning percentage (.765) and captured the Supporters Shield — so puzzling that Messi spoke recently of the group's need to stick together despite the difficulties. His pep talk seemed to work. In its last match, Miami rallied from a two-goal deficit to tie Philadelphia, which leads MLS with 10 wins this season. And that momentum carried over against Montreal, which is last in the Eastern Conference with only one win. "We know in what situation we are (in)," said Miami coach Javier Mascherano. "Sometimes you have to analyze not just the result, you have to analyze the game, how we play. I think in some games we didn't get the result that we wanted. We deserved it a little bit more, but in (soccer), you don't deserve, you have to do." Messi's first goal on Wednesday was set up by Sergio Busquets, who delivered a pass to his former Barcelona teammate and set the screen that freed up Messi for his seventh goal of the MLS season. Messi then linked up with Suárez to give Miami a two-goal cushion midway through the second half, and iced the win on a pass from Suárez just before the end of regulation. It was a much-needed goal for Suárez, who finished last season tied for the second-most goals in MLS with 20, but had just two entering Wednesday's match. It was also the offensive performance Miami needed before it begins Club World Cup play. The Herons have another MLS match at home on Saturday against Columbus before their first contest of the tournament against Al Ahly of Egypt on June 14. Miami could be without three defenders on Saturday, including veteran left back Jordi Alba, who went down with a lower-body injury in the first half. Mascherano said the team would need to gather more information to find out the extent of the injury. Gonzalo Luján and Toto Aviles also left with lower-body injuries. Miami allowed two late Montreal goals by Dante Sealy and Victor Loturi, both lapses that Mascherano was not happy about. "That is something that is unacceptable," he said, "that we have to improve."
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Messi scores twice, assists in Miami's 4-2 win over Montreal
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Lionel Messi scored twice and had an assist, and Inter Miami broke out of its slump with a 4-2 victory over Montreal on Wednesday night. Messi scored in the 27th and 87th minutes and set up Luis Suárez's goal with some nice dribbling in the 68th. Suárez added another in the 71st. The win gave Messi's Inter Miami team just its second victory in its past eight matches. Miami last won on May 3 , going 0-2-2 since then and dropping to sixth in the Eastern Conference. It has been a surprising plunge for a team that went 22-4-8 during the regular season in 2024 to set MLS records for points (74) and winning percentage (.765) and captured the Supporters Shield — so puzzling that Messi spoke recently of the group's need to stick together despite the difficulties. His pep talk seemed to work. In its last match, Miami rallied from a two-goal deficit to tie Philadelphia, which leads MLS with 10 wins this season. And that momentum carried over against Montreal, which is last in the Eastern Conference with only one win. 'We know in what situation we are (in),' said Miami coach Javier Mascherano. 'Sometimes you have to analyze not just the result, you have to analyze the game, how we play. I think in some games we didn't get the result that we wanted. We deserved it a little bit more, but in (soccer), you don't deserve, you have to do.' Messi's first goal on Wednesday was set up by Sergio Busquets, who delivered a pass to his former Barcelona teammate and set the screen that freed up Messi for his seventh goal of the MLS season. Messi then linked up with Suárez to give Miami a two-goal cushion midway through the second half, and iced the win on a pass from Suárez just before the end of regulation. It was a much-needed goal for Suárez, who finished last season tied for the second-most goals in MLS with 20, but had just two entering Wednesday's match. It was also the offensive performance Miami needed before it begins Club World Cup play. The Herons have another MLS match at home on Saturday against Columbus before their first contest of the tournament against Al Ahly of Egypt on June 14. Miami could be without three defenders on Saturday, including veteran left back Jordi Alba, who went down with a lower-body injury in the first half. Mascherano said the team would need to gather more information to find out the extent of the injury. Gonzalo Luján and Toto Aviles also left with lower-body injuries. Miami allowed two late Montreal goals by Dante Sealy and Victor Loturi, both lapses that Mascherano was not happy about. 'That is something that is unacceptable,' he said, 'that we have to improve.' ___ AP soccer:
Fox Sports
3 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Messi scores twice, assists in Miami's 4-2 win over Montreal
Associated Press FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Lionel Messi scored twice and had an assist, and Inter Miami broke out of its slump with a 4-2 rout of Montreal on Wednesday night. Messi scored in the 27th and 87th minutes and set up Luis Suarez's goal with some nice dribbling in the 68th. Suárez added another in the 71st. The win gave Messi's slumping Inter Miami team just its second victory in its past eight matches. Miami last won on May 3, going 0-2-2 since then and dropping to sixth in the Eastern Conference. It has been a surprising plunge for a team that went 22-4-8 during the regular season in 2024 to set MLS records for points (74) and winning percentage (.765) and captured the Supporters Shield. In its last match, Miami rallied from a two-goal deficit to tie Philadelphia, and that momentum carried over against Montreal, which is last in the Eastern Conference with just one win this season. Messi's first goal on Wednesday was set up by Sergio Busquets, who delivered a pass to his former Barcelona teammate and set the screen that freed up Messi for his seventh goal of the MLS season. Messi then linked up with Suárez to give Miami a two-goal cushion midway through the second half, and iced the win on a pass from Suárez just before the end of regulation. It was a much needed goal for Suárez, who finished last season tied for the second-most goals in MLS (20) but had just two goals entering Wednesday's match. Dante Sealy and Victor Loturi scored for Montreal. It was also the offensive performance Miami needed before it begins Club World Cup play. The Herons have another MLS match at home on Saturday against Columbus before their first contest of the tournament against Al Ahly of Egypt on June 14. ___ AP soccer: in this topic
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Messi scores twice, assists in Miami's 4-2 win over Montreal
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Lionel Messi scored twice and had an assist, and Inter Miami broke out of its slump with a 4-2 rout of Montreal on Wednesday night. Messi scored in the 27th and 87th minutes and set up Luis Suárez's goal with some nice dribbling in the 68th. Suárez added another in the 71st. The win gave Messi's slumping Inter Miami team just its second victory in its past eight matches. Miami last won on May 3, going 0-2-2 since then and dropping to sixth in the Eastern Conference. It has been a surprising plunge for a team that went 22-4-8 during the regular season in 2024 to set MLS records for points (74) and winning percentage (.765) and captured the Supporters Shield. In its last match, Miami rallied from a two-goal deficit to tie Philadelphia, and that momentum carried over against Montreal, which is last in the Eastern Conference with just one win this season. Messi's first goal on Wednesday was set up by Sergio Busquets, who delivered a pass to his former Barcelona teammate and set the screen that freed up Messi for his seventh goal of the MLS season. Messi then linked up with Suárez to give Miami a two-goal cushion midway through the second half, and iced the win on a pass from Suárez just before the end of regulation. It was a much needed goal for Suárez, who finished last season tied for the second-most goals in MLS (20) but had just two goals entering Wednesday's match. Dante Sealy and Victor Loturi scored for Montreal. It was also the offensive performance Miami needed before it begins Club World Cup play. The Herons have another MLS match at home on Saturday against Columbus before their first contest of the tournament against Al Ahly of Egypt on June 14. ___
