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Winna Gains Momentum as Crypto Casino Expands Its Digital Grid

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SM
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Photo by depositphotos at https://depositphotos.com/

Motorsports fans understand the appeal of speed, precision, and calculated risk. Whether it is a late race restart at Daytona or a daring fuel strategy call, the thrill often comes from timing and trust in the system. That same appetite for fast action and measurable outcomes has helped fuel interest in crypto based gaming platforms such as Winna. A recent Reddit discussion on Winna shows players comparing notes on gameplay, bonuses, and withdrawal speed, offering a snapshot of how the platform is being received in the wider online gambling community.

Launched in 2024, Winna has quickly built a presence in the crypto casino space. With a focus on digital currencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, the platform positions itself around fast transactions and a streamlined interface. For players who value quick turnaround times and minimal delays, that can be an appealing feature. In many ways, the emphasis on pace mirrors the expectations of racing fans who follow tight schedules and live timing feeds.

A Growing Platform Backed by Investment

Momentum in the online gaming world often depends on funding and user growth. Winna recently secured 15 million dollars in seed funding, a strong signal that investors see potential in its model. According to reporting from Gambling911, the company has attracted around 10,000 active users since its launch in mid 2024.

That financial backing is intended to support expansion of the gaming catalog and continued platform development. For an audience accustomed to watching race teams refine their equipment over the course of a season, the concept of reinvestment and performance improvement feels familiar. Growth in technology driven industries often follows a similar pattern, with funding allowing for upgrades, added features, and broader reach.

Game Variety With a Modern Twist

Winna offers a lineup that goes beyond traditional slot reels. Players can find titles such as Mines, Plinko, Roulette, Blackjack, Keno, and Dice. Each game brings its own rhythm and pace.

Mines, inspired by the classic Minesweeper concept, rewards logic and careful choice. Players reveal tiles while avoiding hidden traps, using clues to guide decisions. It carries a strategic feel that can appeal to those who enjoy analyzing risk before making a move.

Plinko delivers a different type of excitement. A ball drops through a field of pegs before landing in a payout slot. The suspense builds as the disc bounces unpredictably, much like watching a car navigate traffic in the closing laps of a race.

Traditional table games like Roulette and Blackjack remain popular anchors. Their familiarity provides comfort for experienced players while still fitting into the broader crypto framework of quick deposits and withdrawals. The platform also promotes a low house edge of around one percent on certain in house games, a detail that many players consider when choosing where to play.

Transparency and Provably Fair Systems

One of the major selling points highlighted by Winna leadership is transparency. The platform promotes provably fair gaming systems, allowing users to verify outcomes independently. In an environment where trust is critical, that verification feature can strengthen confidence.

Racing fans are accustomed to detailed rule books, technical inspections, and official scoring. Knowing that results can be reviewed and confirmed helps maintain integrity in competition. A similar principle applies to digital gaming. When players can check outcomes through cryptographic methods, the experience feels more accountable.

Winna also emphasizes its VIP program and bonus structure. Forum users frequently mention weekly and monthly rewards along with a transfer system that recognizes active play. While bonuses alone rarely define a platform, they can enhance engagement for returning users.

User Experience and Community Feedback

Beyond the games themselves, interface and support play a central role. Feedback from online discussions often notes a clean layout and responsive support hosts. Quick deposits and withdrawals are frequently cited as positives, particularly for players who prefer cryptocurrency transactions.

Community conversation is an important barometer. Just as race fans debate pit strategy and driver performance across social media, online gamblers share candid assessments of platforms. The Reddit thread linked above shows users asking direct questions about reliability and fairness, then receiving answers from those who have tried the site. That open exchange helps shape perception and build awareness.

Funding Report Highlights Industry Interest

Industry coverage has also drawn attention to Winna’s trajectory. A recent report titled Winna.com Bitcoin Casino Secures 15 Million in Funding published by Gambling911 outlines the company’s investment round, early user numbers, and future plans. The article notes that the platform intends to expand its portfolio, including potential player versus player formats, while maintaining its focus on crypto based gaming.

Such coverage places Winna within the broader trend of cryptocurrency gambling growth. As digital assets become more mainstream, gaming platforms built around them continue to gain traction. For readers who follow business developments alongside sports headlines, this type of investment story offers insight into where parts of the online entertainment market are heading.

Looking Ahead

Speed, trust, and innovation are qualities that resonate across many forms of competition. In motorsports, they define success on track. In online gaming, they help determine which platforms gain loyal followings.

Winna’s blend of crypto transactions, varied game selection, and emphasis on provably fair systems positions it as one of the newer names to watch in the digital casino space. Backed by significant funding and supported by active community discussion, the platform has laid groundwork for continued growth.

As with any evolving industry, long term success will depend on consistent performance, reliable service, and clear communication with users. For now, the early indicators suggest that Winna has found traction among players seeking a fast paced and transparent gaming environment. Much like a rookie driver making an early season statement, the platform has entered the field with confidence and resources to build on its start.

Zilisch Earns NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Pole Position for Focused Health 250

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Official Release
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JR Motorsports driver Connor Zilisch won his second consecutive NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Focused Health 250 pole position during Friday’s qualifying at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. Photo credit: Harold Hinson Photography.
  • Connor Zilisch, driving for JR Motorsports, qualified on the pole for the second consecutive season in the Focused Health 250.
  • Shane van Gisbergen takes second position to give JR Motorsports a front-row sweep.

AUSTIN, Texas (Feb. 27, 2026) – Connor Zilisch opened his double-duty NASCAR at COTA weekend in fashion by winning the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series pole position during qualifying Friday for the Focused Health 250 at Circuit of The Americas.

Zilisch, a NASCAR Cup Series rookie with Trackhouse Racing, returned to the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series this weekend for JR Motorsports and secured the pole for the second consecutive season for the organization. His lap of 88.398 miles per hour (97.740 seconds) on the 17-turn, 2.4 mile National Course allowed him to edge his Trackhouse Racing teammate Shane van Gisbergen, who also is running the event for JR Motorsports, by .209 of a second (88.209 mph/97.949 secs).

Zilisch will lead the 38-car field to the green flag for Saturday’s 65-lap Focused Health 250 beginning at 2 p.m. CT (TV: CW, Radio: PRN, SiriusXM). The pole was his first of the season and 10th of his career.

Zilisch led a qualifying parade of JR Motorsports drivers, with the organization claiming three of the top five positions and four of the top 10, with Justin Allgaier qualifying fifth (87.661 mph, 98.562 secs.) and Sammy Smith 10th (87.394 mph, 98.863 secs.).

Austin Hill of Richard Childress Racing and Brandon Jones of Joe Gibbs Racing broke up the JR Motorsports dominance by qualifying third and fourth, respectively. Hill, who won from the pole at the season-opening race in Daytona, secured a second-row position with a lap of 87.841 mph (98.359 secs.). Jones followed with a season-best qualifying effort with his lap of 87.762 mph (98.448 secs.).

In IMSA action, Wyatt Brichacek (#30 Ligier JS P325M) took the pole position in the P3 class with a lap of 1 minute, 28.856 seconds. Oscar Tunjo (#1 Duqueine D08) qualified second at 1:29.433 and Austin’s own Danny Soufi (#11 Duqueine) was third at 1:29.835. Westin Workman (#8 Toyota GR Supra GT4 EV02) was the top GSX qualifier at 10th overall with a lap of 1:39.034.

Up Next: In addition to the Focused Health 250 on Saturday, the NASCAR Cup Series will take to the National Course with practice at 9 a.m. and qualifying at 10:10 a.m. The IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge will close out its weekend with a pair of 45-minute timed races, the first at 11:30 a.m. and finale at 5:30 p.m.

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Connor Zilisch wins 10th O’Reilly career pole at COTA

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Patrick Sue-Chan for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Connor Zilisch secured the pole position for the Focused Health 250 at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, on Friday, February 27.

The event’s qualifying format at COTA consisted of the field of 40 being divided into two qualifying groups (Group 1 & 2). During each group’s session, each competitor was given 20 minutes to post the fastest qualifying lap amongst one another. At the conclusion of both group sessions, the fastest competitor among the 2 groups was awarded the pole position.

During the qualifying session, Zilisch, who was the ninth-fastest competitor during Saturday’s practice session and competed in the first qualifying group, posted a pole-winning lap at 88.398 mph in 97.740. Zilisch’s lap was enough for the Charlotte, North Carolina, native to secure his first NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series pole position of the 2026 season.

With the pole, Zilisch claimed his 10th O’Reilly career pole, his seventh on road course events and his second in a row at Circuit of the Americas i(COTA) in the O’Reilly division. He also achieved a pole position at Circuit of the Americas between NASCAR’s top three national touring series for a third consecutive year, with Zilisch winning the Craftsman Truck Series pole in 2024.

Zilisch, who is competing as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series competitor with Trackhouse Racing, is making his first of select O’Reilly starts this season at COTA in the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro entry for JR Motorsports. As the reigning O’Reilly winner at Circuit of the Americas, Zilisch will attempt to join AJ Allmendinger as the only competitors to win back-to-back O’Reilly events in Austin.

AUSTIN, TEXAS – FEBRUARY 27: Connor Zilisch, driver of the #1 Roto-Rooter Chevrolet, poses with the pole award winner $2,00.00 check during qualifying for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Focused Health 250 at Circuit of The Americas on February 27, 2026 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images).

Zilisch will share the front row with Shane van Gisbergen, the latter of whom is making select starts in the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro entry for JR Motorsports for a second consecutive season. Van Gisbergen qualified in second place with a lap at 88.209 mph in 97.949 seconds and will strive to achieve his first victory overall at Circuit of the Americas during Saturday’s main event.

Austin Hill, who was the fastest competitor from the second qualifying group, will line up in third place after he posted his fastest qualifying lap at 88.209 mph in 97.949 seconds. Hill is a two-time runner-up finisher at Circuit of the Americas and will attempt to win both at the track and on a road-course event for the first time on Saturday.

Brandon Jones and Justin Allgaier will start fourth and fifth, respectively. Carson Kvapil, newcomer Brent Crews, Sam Mayer (fastest in practice), Sheldon Creed and Sammy Smith completed the top-10 starting spots, respectively.

With 40 competitors vying for 38 starting spots, Josh Williams and Tyler Gonzalez were the two competitors who failed to qualify for Saturday’s main event.

COTA – Qualifying position: Best speed, Best time:

1. Connor Zilisch, 88.398 mph, 97.740 seconds

2. Shane van Gisbergen, 88.209 mph, 97.949 seconds

3. Austin Hill, 87.841 mph, 98.359 seconds

4. Brandon Jones, 87.762 mph, 98.448 seconds

5. Justin Allgaier, 87.661 mph, 98.562 seconds

6. Carson Kvapil, 87.652 mph, 98.572 seconds

7. Brent Crews, 87.565 mph,98.670 seconds

8. Sam Mayer, 87.523 mph, 98.717 seconds

9. Sheldon Creed, 87.462 mph, 98.786 seconds

10. Sammy Smith, 87.394 mph, 98.863 seconds

11. Jesse Love, 87.372 mph, 98.887 seconds

12. Corey Day, 87.361 mph, 98.900 seconds

13. Austin Green, 87.358 mph, 98.903 seconds

14. Taylor Gray, 87.254 mph, 99.021 seconds

15. William Sawalich, 86.928 mph, 99.393 seconds

16. Anthony Alfredo, 86.896 mph, 99.429 seconds

17. Preston Pardus, 86.849 mph, 99.483 seconds

18. Ryan Sieg, 86.798 mph, 99.542 seconds

19. Rajah Caruth, 86.796 mph, 99.544 seconds

20. Nick Sanchez, 86.794 mph, 99.546 seconds

21. Ross Chastain, 86.759 mph, 99.586 seconds

22. Sage Karam, 86.446 mph, 99.947 seconds

23. Harrison Burton, 86.379 mph, 100.024 seconds

24. Blaine Perkins, 86.279 mph, 100.140 seconds

25. Josh Bilicki, 86.275 mph, 100.145 seconds

26. Brennan Poole, 86.236 mph, 100.190 seconds

27. Dean Thompson, 86.192 mph, 100.241 seconds

28. Alex Labbe, 86.191, 100.243 seconds

29. Parker Retzlaff, 86.029 mph, 100.431 seconds

30. Jeremy Clements, 86.003 mph, 100.462 seconds

31. Lavar Scott, 85.984 mph, 100.484 seconds

32. Patrick Staropoli, 85.798 mph, 100.702 seconds

33. Ryan Ellis, Owner Points

34. Jeb Burton, Owner Points

35. Kyle Sieg, Owner Points

36. JJ Yeley, Owner Points

37. Baltazar Leguizamon, Owner Points

38. Austin J. Hill, Owner Points

The 2026 Focused Health 250 at Circuit of the Americas is scheduled for Saturday, February 28, and air at 3 p.m. ET on the CW Network, PRN Radio and SiriusXM.

Connor Mosack awarded inaugural Truck pole at St. Petersburg

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Connor Mosack has been awarded the pole position for the inaugural NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ OnlyBulls Green Flag 150 at St. Petersburg on Friday, February 27.

The event’s qualifying format was initially going to have the field of 36 competitors divided into two qualifying groups (Group 1 & 2). During each group’s session, each competitor would be given 20 minutes to post the fastest qualifying lap amongst one another. At the conclusion of both group sessions, the competitor who would be the fastest between the groups was awarded the pole position.

However, Friday’s qualifying and practice sessions were canceled due to rain. As a result, the lineup was determined using a qualifying metric formula from the NASCAR rulebook. The formula involved evaluating competitors’ results from the most recent event and owner standings.

Using the formula, Mosack, who is driving the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado RST entry that won last weekend’s Truck event at Atlanta’s EchoPark Speedway with Kyle Busch, was awarded the top-starting spot for Saturday’s main event.

With the awarded pole, Mosack, a 27-year-old native from Charlotte, North Carolina, will bid for his first series victory at the Streets of St. Petersburg on Saturday. He is scheduled to make 12 Truck starts with Spire this season.

Mosack will share the front row with Giovanni Ruggiero, the latter of whom is coming off two consecutive top-three results to commence the 2026 season and is ranked in second place in the driver’s standings. 

James Hinchcliffe, a six-time NTT IndyCar Series race winner from North York, Ontario, Canada, will start in third place for his Truck Series debut as he is driving the No. 77 Chevrolet Silverado RST entry for Spire Motorsports. Ben Rhodes and Chandler Smith, the latter of whom is the series’ points leader, will start fourth and fifth, respectively.

Dario Franchitti, a three-time Indianapolis 500 champion from Scotland, will start in sixth place as he is driving the No. 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro entry for TRICON Garage. Wesley Slimp, Landen Lewis, Jake Garcia and Adam Andretti, the latter of whom is making his second Truck career start.

Notably, Colin Braun will start in 16th place as he is sharing the eighth row alongside Brenden “Butterbean” Queen.

Starting lineup:

1. Connor Mosack

2. Giovanni Ruggiero

3. James Hinchcliffe

4. Ben Rhodes

5. Chandler Smith

6. Dario Franchitti

7. Wesley Slimp

8. Landen Lewis

9. Jake Garcia

10. Adam Andretti

11. Justin Haley

12. Daniel Dye

13. Tyler Ankrum

14. Andres Perez De Lara

15. Brenden Queen

16. Colin Braun

17. Stewart Friesen

18. Tyler Reif

19. Kaden Honeycutt

20. Kris Wright

21. Mini Tyrrell

22. Ty Majeski

23. Frankie Muniz

24. Jackson Lee

25. Grant Enfinger

26. Carter Fartuch

27. Nathan Nicholson

28. Layne Riggs

29. Tanner Gray

30. Cole Butcher

31. Christian Eckes

32. Derek White

33. Dawson Sutton

34. Daniel Hemric

35. Ben Maier

36. Timmy Hill

The inaugural OnlyBulls Green Flag 150 at St. Petersburg is scheduled to commence on Saturday, February 28, at noon ET on FOX, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM.

CHEVROLET NCS AT CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS: Shane van Gisbergen Media Availability Quotes

By
Official Release
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NASCAR CUP SERIES
CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES
FEBRUARY 27, 2026

Shane van Gisbergen, driver of the No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet and the No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of running double-duty in the NASCAR Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Circuit of The Americas.

Media Availability Quotes:

I’m sure you’ve seen the stats, but if you win this week, you’ll tie Jeff Gordon for the most road courses in a row. What would that mean to you?

“Yeah, first, afternoon, everyone. Yeah, it’d be pretty cool. Kevin Harvick, I did an interview with him the other day, and he brought that up, so it’d be cool to do that. Very different time with a lot more races per year, but I guess as a crew, last year we had an amazing year and it’d be awesome to carry that on this year.”

It seems like at COTA, you’re human, you haven’t won here yet… so what makes this place so tricky?

“Yeah, it’s a tough track, and I think it’s also an easy track. You see the gaps between cars are a lot closer, so it’s more down to executing, not making mistakes and qualifying well. I think you don’t see a big field spread like other tracks, talent-wise. And last year, COTA was only the third or fourth race again, too. So yeah, very new crew within Trackhouse. I made some mistakes. We weren’t quite there yet as a team early in the year, so hopefully that compounds and we’re a bit stronger this year.”

With the change to the Chase, as opposed to the “win and you’re in”, on road courses, do you anticipate any different decisions, where people are going to pit early to try to make a contention for the win late, as opposed to staying up and getting points in the stages?

“Yeah, it’ll definitely change that dynamic. And especially on this track, you have a short amount of time really that you have to be close to the leader to have that extra lap to decide if you’re going to pit or not, so hopefully you’re in the lead or close and you can decide. But it’s definitely going to change, I think, how many people flip stages. You know, the points are so important this year, and it might even change us. If we’re not the dominant car, you might sacrifice the stage to get the points. Yeah, it’s all about points accumulation for us this year.”

On a wildly different note, I know when you were in New Zealand doing a competition with ‘Mad’ Mike Whiddett and Liam Lawson. I was just curious, is that the first time that you’ve jumped a lawnmower?

“On a lawnmower? Yeah, and I wouldn’t recommend that (laughs). But it was a lot of fun playing around with those guys. At Red Bull, we do some pretty cool stuff. It was awesome.”

I think of you as at least somewhat of a semi-private person, and you opened your life up to this documentary that’s coming out. Was that hard for you to sort of open up on everything… your family and have all that stuff out there?

“Yeah, I don’t really like doing it, I guess. In this day and age, people have so much access to you. I love people knowing more about my racing life, but I love going away, going home and no one knowing what I do, as well, is kind of cool.

There’s still some things you like to keep private, but it was cool to show off our cars, I guess; my relationship with Dad and how much fun we still have hanging out. Yeah, I think he talked a lot about mom and stuff, so yeah, it was pretty cool…. (inaudible).”

I just want to get your general thoughts on the track here (at COTA). We touched on it earlier, you won on every road course last year except for this one, so does that make you even hungrier to win here?

“Yeah, I do like the track. I love coming here. The weather’s a bit nicer than where we’re living. But yeah, it’s an odd track with how much grip is off the track. You know, you see everyone blowing the corners to try and get the grip off the track. It’s very different the way you drive. The restart zone is pretty chaotic into turn one… how wide it is, you know, it’s crazy. But yeah, we just have to hopefully have two good races and try and get some results.

But yeah, I like the place, I just haven’t managed to put a whole race together. I think every race I’ve done here in NASCAR, I’ve been reasonably quick, but for one reason or another, I haven’t managed to get it done.”

Have you had a chance to enjoy Austin while you’re here? Maybe food, music, you name it…

“Yeah, we’re going to Trackhouse Live tonight in town to have a look. I remember when I was here for the V8 Supercars race, I stayed an extra few days and went to some barbecue places and some hot rod shops. It was cool. But yeah, nowadays, we’re kind of in and out. It’s hard to look around, but I don’t mind this place.”

You mentioned, of course, the track is shortened. You’ve seen races here on the full course. Do you prefer one over the other?

“I like the short track, yeah. The long track was great, too. But I think doing more laps, you get more chances to pass the crowd and better passing opportunities, too. It’s a lot more technical, I think, the sections that they’ve done. We haven’t really missed much by doing a shorter track, so I think it was a good thing. I think it was a good thing they listened and did the next cut through rather than the one we did in Supercars. It made for some pretty good racing and good passing last year.”

There’s no secret about the expectation that this is going to be a duel between you and Connor (Zilisch). I was wondering if you could kind of size up that matchup. And also, who else do you expect to be really at the front? You know, Tyler (Reddick) is going for history, and he’s won here before…

“Yeah, I think on road course weekends, I find there’s probably six to eight guys that you see consistently up there and guys that are really highly good to race. You just don’t know in NASCAR. Everything’s so close. It’s who nails it on the weekend with preparation. And, yeah, there’s always some good drivers up front.

And with Connor (Zilisch), it’s exciting, too. Pretty cool talent coming into this level now and obviously in the same equipment as me, too, so it’s going to be good. And as Justin (Marks) said in the meeting we had earlier in the week, we’re in a pretty cool position as a team. It’s special. We’ve got to take advantage of it and make sure we get it right and one of us needs to win, which would be cool.”

This new 750 horsepower package, somewhat similar to the old Supercar days. Is that going to play in your wheelhouse, or do you still need some more practice with the 750 to figure out how close it’s going to be?

“No, the Supercar had less, actually. They had 640, 650. But, yeah, I haven’t really noticed it so far. At Bowman Gray, you couldn’t really use the power, I guess. But, yeah, with tomorrow being hot and slick, you’ll probably notice the power then and certainly fight for rear tire life. But, yeah, I don’t know. I haven’t really noticed it so far.”

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future.

GM Motorsports, including the Cadillac Formula 1® Team develops and proves advanced technologies in the most demanding environments, accelerating innovation in performance, safety, efficiency, and electrification for its production vehicles. Cadillac Racing is one of the leading manufacturers in the IMSA and FIA World Endurance Championships (WEC). Chevrolet competes in single seaters in the US IndyCar series, and in NASCAR with multiple team partners and drivers. Corvette customer teams compete in GT series across the globe including IMSA and WEC. Learn more at GM.com.

McLaughlin Jumps to Top of Opening Practice at St. Pete

By
Official Release
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Friday, Feb. 27, 2026) – Scott McLaughlin showed the speed that has earned him two prior poles at this event, leading the first practice Friday for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

McLaughlin, NTT P1 Award winner here in 2022 and last season, was quickest at 1 minute, 1.1020 seconds in the No. 3 DEX Team Penske Chevrolet on the 14-turn, 1.8-mile temporary street circuit that hosts the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season opener. He led both the earlier portion of the 85-minute practice that contained all 25 cars and improved upon that time in the smaller session after the field was divided into two groups.

“Decent first day,” McLaughlin said. “Obviously, being P1 is a great start. The DEX Imaging Chevy was straight away fast and felt good and comfortable. It’s good for us. It’s the start of a long season and it was nice to have a smooth session to start.

“We’ll keep pressing on and see how we go.”

Felix Rosenqvist was second overall at 1:01.1660 in the No. 60 SiriusXM Honda fielded by Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian, a car with a livery saluting Florida native and rock icon Tom Petty during the 50th anniversary of his legendary band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

Continuing the Sunshine State theme, Florida native Kyle Kirkwood was third at 1:01.1777 in the No. 27 JM Bullion/Gold.com Honda of Andretti Global.

Kyffin Simpson started the 2026 season with the same improvement he showed throughout 2025, ending up fourth at 1:01.1782 in the No. 8 Sunoco Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. 2023 St. Petersburg winner Marcus Ericsson rounded out the top five at 1:01.1967 in the No. 28 Delaware Life Honda as Andretti Global was the only team to put two drivers in the top five.

Four-time series champion Alex Palou, the reigning St. Petersburg race winner, was sixth at 1:01.2614 in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

Up next is practice at 9:30 a.m. ET Saturday, followed by NTT P1 Award qualifying at 4:30 p.m. Practice will be televised on FS1, with qualifying on FS2. FOX One, the FOX Sports app and INDYCAR Radio, powered by OnlyBulls also will air both sessions live.

Competition in both sessions and the race at noon ET Sunday (FOX, FOX One, FOX Deportes, FOX Sports App, INDYCAR Radio, powered by OnlyBulls) should be very tight, if this opening practice is any indication. A scant .0947 of a second – less than a tenth of a second – covered the top five drivers. Less than a second separated the top 21 in the 25-driver field.

2025 INDY NXT by Firestone champion Dennis Hauger was the quickest of the three rookies, 17th at 1:01.8680 in the No. 19 Ault Block Chain Honda of Dale Coyne Racing. Formula One veteran Mick Schumacher, son of seven-time F1 World Champion Michael Schumacher, was the second-quickest rookie, 23rd overall at 1:02.1707 in the No. 47 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda.

Three drivers – two-time St. Petersburg winner Josef Newgarden, six-time series champion Scott Dixon and 2025 series Rookie of the Year Louis Foster – made contact with the barriers to trigger red flags and halt this practice in separate incidents.

Dixon’s incident was the most severe. About 57 minutes into the session, Dixon’s No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda slid across Turn 9 and made head-first contact with the concrete barrier, inflicting heavy damage to the front of his car. Malukas just missed Dixon’s crippled car, sneaking past between the left-side barrier and Dixon’s left sidepod. Dixon was unhurt.

“Kind of a frustrating one,” Dixon said. “I got loose on entry and tried to save it and then kind of got into an overcorrection. Luckily it slid off a lot of the speed before it hit the wall. Sometimes you can tub a car and destroy them. Hopefully this isn’t too bad.”

TOYOTA RACING – NOAPS COTA Quotes – Brent Crews – 02.27.26

By
Official Release
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TOYOTA RACING – Brent Crews
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Quotes

AUSTIN (February 27, 2026) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Brent Crews was made available to the media on Friday prior to his NASCAR O’Reilly Parts Series debut this weekend at Circuit of Americas in Austin, Texas.

BRENT CREWS, No. 19 Young Life TOYOTA GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

How are you feeling heading into this weekend here at COTA?

“Thank you guys for having me. It’s exciting, it’s something I’ve dreamed about my whole life ever since I’ve started racing. I’m just grateful and blessed to be here. God has worked in so many amazing ways in my life to be in this position. I’m excited to represent Young Life and tell that story further down the road this weekend. Excited to be racing with Joe Gibbs Racing. I got to race with them last year in the ARCA races and we had a lot of success there. Just kind of feeling full circle and real now. Just starting to sink in today honestly, because we had a lot of preparation with SIM. I think we had close to seven hours of SIM this week, which is amazing to be able to work with my team and having them right there. If felt as close to real life as you can get. Finally feeling surreal today, and I’m just ready to get going.”

Can you talk about all the steps it took to make it to the O’Reilly Series and with Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing?

“I grew up playing soccer and football just as a regular normal kid, and I just hated losing, and would get so upset when my teammates didn’t care about winning or anything along those lines. And my stepdad Matt, who I call Dad still to this day, he was like, do you want to go play a sport where it’s just you versus everyone else? At the time, I was a four or five year old kid and he was like, sure. So, he took me to the go kart track and I actually hated it. The first time I was at the track I was going to the Motorplex, I ran 22 laps. I didn’t know how to pull off the track and I stopped on the front stretch and got out and I quit for six months. And that was kind of where it all started. It started snowing in North Carolina one winter and he asked if I wanted to go do some donuts, and I said sure. I fell in love with it ever since. He asked if I wanted to go to the go kart track again and I went and I didn’t know how to pull in the pits, but it was so much fun. So we started racing. I started racing more go kart races and I think a year goes by and we found ourselves at the go kart track three to four days a week during the week and after school. And we met Coach (Gibbs) at the go kart track. Ty (Gibbs) was always out there with Coach Gibbs and I was always out there turning laps and my Dad was just watching right by the bleachers and Coach was watching there too. Coach said to my Dad, ‘I see you are out here every week, do you guys know anything about dirt racing, have you been to Millbridge Speedway?’ My Dad was like, ‘I have no idea, I’ve never hear of that. And Coach was like, you should come out tomorrow night, Ty’s racing’. So my Dad took me out there and I thought dirt racing was super exciting and a lot of fun. He got me a little box stock, I would have been seven or eight years old at the time. We started running practice laps there and started racing it and I fell in love with dirt racing too. I don’t like one more than I like the other, they have pros and cons. They’re both super exciting, but that was the first time we ever met Coach. And a little rewind to that too, was kind of how I fell in love with racing, I was a big Julio Jones fan. I love the number 11. The first go kart race I ever went to, Denny Hamlin was on the pole and he was number 11 and I was like, that’s my guy. And I always rooted for Denny growing up. Still do, just because of the number 11. It was just a full circle moment, getting to meet Coach and rooting for Denny, having no idea the race team had anything to do with it and now I’m here racing for Joe Gibbs Racing.”

How did you start following and rooting for Julio Jones?

“That’s a great question. I was an Atlanta Falcons fan for no reason. I grew up in Hickory, North Carolina and I was just a huge football fan in general, I didn’t have a specific team. I just cared about the players, and Julio was always the most exciting to watch as a kid. He was big, tall, fast and explosive. I just rooted for him. And then he was number 11, so I loved the number 11 because of him. I had a big poster of him in my room, and I just fell in love with the Falcons and that number and everything about that.”

How difficult was it to prepare for another different vehicle for the O’Reilly Series?

“So our SIM is really, really close at GT-12 in Salisbury. Working with the ARCA team with that, I felt like we got it to where I would go run four or five hours of SIM during the week and I would get to the racetrack and it was really, really close. My respect for the all the people that work on the SIM stuff, on that side of things is at a very high level and I trust it completely. I feel like when I go in there and I slide around in the SIM, I feel like it’s really close to real life. We did a lot of SIM for Rockingham too, preparing for my first test. We had that test a couple of weeks ago, and I felt like the SIM correlated really close. That’s kind of my thought process there. The O’Reilly car slides a lot more than we see on Sunday’s with the new Cup cars. But I feel like it’s similar to ARCA on that side of the spectrum.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs nearly 48,000 people in the U.S. who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of more than 35 million cars and trucks at our 11 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina began to assemble automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Tiger Tari Preps for VP Racing Challenge Start at Circuit of the Americas

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Official Release
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AUSTIN, Texas (February 27, 2026) – Tiger Tari and Star Spangled Racing’s second IMSA VP Racing Challenge GSX class start comes this weekend at Circuit of the Americas, where the championship runs in conjunction with the NASCAR Cup Series race at the track.

The NASCAR weekend makes for a unique weekend for Tari and his PSA by Canam Systems/AutoTechnic Racing BMW M4. Unlike the sports car or Formula 1 races that utilize the 3.41 mile full circuit, the NASCAR weekend uses a 20-turn, 2.4-mile “National Course” configuration. In addition, the VP Racing Challenge weekend is condensed to two days, with a pair of practices on Friday followed by qualifying in the evening, and both 45-minute races on Saturday.

“This weekend will be a challenge for a variety of reasons,” Tari said. “Of course, the car is still relatively new to me. But I’ve never run this configuration at COTA, and with two aggressive classes it provides some opportunities. Two races in one day is different for drivers, but it’s harder on our crew. I appreciate the work that my AutoTechnic Racing crew members will put in this weekend to keep me on track.”

VP Racing Challenge features two classes this week in Austin, the Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) and the GSX class that features GT4-spec machinery like Tari’s BMW M4. Both classes are on track at the same time, creating a 17-car race. Both classes will race together on Saturday, at 11:30 a.m. (CT) and again at 5:30 p.m. (CT). Races can be seen live to subscribers of the Peacock streaming platform.

Tari has raced at Circuit of the Americas with his World Racing League team, but will experience the track in is short configuration for the first time. Partner PSA by Canam Systems, providing services restoration contractors with Proven Software Applications for medium to large sized businesses adorns the livery of his BMW M4 GT4 EVO.

In addition, he’s working closely with his alma mater, Jacksonville University, on a motorsport program. Tari has been involved with the school’s formation of a Formula SAE program, including hosting the students at the season opener at Daytona International Speedway.

“Business partnerships often get the headlines in motorsports, and I certainly am grateful and proud of the support we get from my partners like PSA by Canam Systems,” Tari said. “But motorsports also provides an opportunity to give back to non-profits. Formula SAE is so much more than engineering — it’s about building a complete organization. From design and prototyping to manufacturing, testing, marketing, sales, and data analysis, these JU students gain hands-on experience in every aspect of a professional business operation. Those are the lessons that motorsports can help provide.”

Tari enters the weekend 12th in the GSX class in the driver standings, ready to crack the top 10. He’s currently 7th among Bronze-rated drivers in the field.

Tari’s Star Spangled Racing team is supported in the VP Racing Challenge by partner AutoTechnic Racing, a leader among BMW customer racing teams. Star Spangled Racing partner Canam Systems services a range of contractors, including a number of franchise groups, across North America. Proven Software Applications (PSA), Canam’s ERP solution, is unlike any other product on the market, providing à la carte web based options for single operations to franchise businesses with everything needed to scale and grow.

About Star Spangled Racing:

Based in Jacksonville, Florida, Star Spangled Racing was established in 2020 by first-generation American Tiger Tari. Star Spangled Racing accelerated quickly, moving from club and endurance events into professional racing just two years later in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship GT Daytona (GTD) class. Tari’s career as a driver counts races domestically and around the world, including an appearance at Le Mans with Porsche Sprint Challenge and a class win during the 2025 24 Hours of Dubai. More information can be found at www.starspangledracing.com.

Paynuity Expands Relationship with AM Racing for 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Season

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Official Release
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AUSTIN, Texas (February 27, 2026): On the strength of a podium finish in their NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut last weekend with AM Racing and driver Nick Sanchez at EchoPark (Ga.) Speedway, Paynuity will expand its relationship with the organization and serve as a team partner throughout the 2026 season, continuing with Saturday afternoon’s Focused Health 250 at Circuit of the Americas (COTA).

In the opening two races of the 2026 campaign, the Statesville, N.C.-based team has picked up where it left off after making a Playoff appearance last year by putting fast No. 25 Ford Mustangs on the racetrack, earning stage points in both races at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and Atlanta.

The team was in contention for its first series victory in the closing laps of the Bennett Transportation & Logistics 250 before delivering an organizational-best third-place finish in just its second start with Sanchez at the helm.

Paynuity empowers businesses and financial institutions by providing best-in-class financial technology and customer service with a unified, enterprise-grade, global payments ecosystem.

Its innovative digital transaction processing platform enables direct-to-bank settlement for peer-to-peer and/or merchant-to-merchant transactions by providing seamless end-to-end payments and banking services for merchants and banks alike – the nexus of payment processing.

With more than 58 different payment networks and direct card brand associations on its payment switch and routing platform, Paynuity provides plug-and-play solutions for credit/debit card issuers and/or merchant acquirers by enabling direct access to thousands of global banks and card associations to facilitate merchant services, card issuing, and digital banking.

After experiencing firsthand the exposure and engagement generated through its NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut, Paynuity recognized the value of aligning with a competitive, Playoff-caliber organization competing on the sport’s national stage.

“We’re incredibly proud to continue building our relationship with Paynuity,” said AM Racing team president Wade Moore.

“They saw the speed and execution from our No. 25 team right away, but just as important, they recognized the value NASCAR provides as a national marketing platform. Their commitment allows us to keep investing in performance and positioning both our organization and their brand for a strong 2026 season.”

For Sanchez, a former ARCA Menards Series champion, joining a new team and finding immediate success provides the confidence not only to keep Paynuity in the spotlight, but also to contend for a trip to Victory Lane before the season finale at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway in November.

“I’ve felt comfortable with this team from the moment we unloaded at Daytona,” offered Sanchez. “The speed in our No. 25 AM Racing Ford Mustang has been there right away, and that builds confidence for everyone. To have Paynuity believe in what we’re doing and continue to grow with us means a lot.

“Our focus now is on executing each week, keeping them front and center, and putting ourselves in position to contend for wins as the season moves forward.”

AM Racing, now in its fourth season of competition in the NASCAR O’Reilly

Auto Parts Series, returns to COTA, focused on earning its second top-five finish of the season and building off a stage win in 2025 at the 2.4-mile, 17-turn layout.

AM Racing will field a single entry this weekend at Circuit of the Americas after entering a second car for just the third time in the organization’s history in the series’ season-opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway earlier this month.

The team’s No. 52 Ford Mustang is scheduled to return to competition at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway on March 7, 2026, for the GOVX 200.

For more information on Paynuity and its services, visit paynuity.com.

For more on AM Racing, please visit their Facebook page (Team AM Racing), or follow them on Instagram and X | Twitter @AMRacingNASCAR.

For more on Nick Sanchez, please visit shopnickracing.com, like his Facebook page (Nick Sanchez), or follow him on Instagram (@nicksanchez080) and X | Twitter (@Nicksanchez080).

The Focused Health 250 (65 laps | 156 miles) is the third of thirty-three (33) NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races on the 2026 schedule. Practice will occur on Fri., February 27, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. to 4:50 p.m. Qualifying will immediately follow, beginning at 5:05 p.m. The field will take the green flag the next afternoon, Sat., February 28, shortly after 2:00 p.m. (3:00 p.m. ET), with live coverage on The CW Network, the Performance Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. All times are local (CT).

About AM Racing:

AM Racing is a multi-tiered, multifaceted motorsports program headquartered in Statesville, N.C.

Established in December 2015, the organization prides itself on faith, honesty and intelligent performance.

Entering its 11th year of competition, AM Racing will compete across NASCAR’s national and developmental ranks during the 2026 season.

Max Taylor Sets Pace To Lead Andretti 1-2-3 in Opening St. Pete Practice

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Official Release
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Friday, Feb. 27, 2026) – Max Taylor backed up his preseason performance in the first practice session of the 2026 INDY NXT by Firestone season Friday at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, leading a 1-2-3 sweep for Andretti Global.

Connecticut native Taylor, entering his first full season in the INDYCAR development series, topped the 45-minute session with a best lap of 1 minute, 5.0852 seconds in the No. 28 Susan G. Komen entry fielded by Andretti Global. That’s the same machine that Dennis Hauger drove to the INDY NXT championship last season before a promotion to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season this year.

Taylor, who made six INDY NXT starts in 2025 amid a full-time effort in USF Pro 2000, led the INDY NXT Group Test last November at Barber Motorsports Park, was second fastest at the Chris Griffis Memorial Test in October on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and ranked in the top two in all four sessions at a group test last month at Sebring International Raceway.

“A good first session,” Taylor said. “Always loved driving around this place. Missed it. It was a really good session working with team, developing the setup, fixing my driving, as well. A really good start to the weekend, and I’m excited to keep on attacking it.”

Series veteran and Andretti newcomer Josh Pierson was a distant second behind Taylor with a best lap of 1:05.5358 in the No. 29 Starchive Andretti entry. Second-year INDY NXT driver Seb Murray completed Andretti Global’s sweep of the top three spots with his best time of 1:05.5368 in the No. 27 Prosperity entry.

Myles Rowe was fourth at 1:05.5845 in the No. 99 Abel Motorsports with Force Indy car. Series rookie Enzo Fittipaldi, the grandson of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi, rounded out the top five at 1:05.7017 in the No. 67 HMD Motorsports entry.

The session was slowed by two red flags.

Rookie Jack Beeton backed into the wall in Turn 10 in the No. 45 HMD Motorsports about 15 minutes into the session. The rear of the car was damaged, but Beeton was able to drive to the pits for repairs.

About 20 minutes later, Lochie Hughes nosed into the barrier in Turn 7 in the No. 26 Andretti Global entry. Hughes, the top returning driver this season in the series, drove to the pits without a front wing for a replacement.

Up next is another practice at 8:35 a.m. ET Saturday, followed by qualifying at 3:45 p.m. ET. FS1 will televise practice live, with qualifying on FS2. FOX One, the FOX Sports app and INDYCAR Radio, powered by OnlyBulls also will provide live coverage of both sessions.

The 45-lap race starts at 10 a.m. ET Sunday.

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