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Toyota GAZOO Racing – NCS Kansas Quotes – Tyler Reddick – 09.27.25

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Official Release
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Toyota GAZOO Racing – Tyler Reddick
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (September 27, 2025) – 23XI Racing driver Tyler Reddick was made available to the media on Saturday prior to practice for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway.

TYLER REDDICK, No. 45 The Beast Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing

Are you nervous or excited to come to Kansas this week?

“I think it’s fairly nervous. We had a stretch here where it was a 23XI Toyota or a Toyota car in general, we had a pretty good record here to be able to win races. I look at the last two or three times we’ve been here we’ve been missing a little bit of something. The car changes, the Goodyear tires change, so naturally you’ve got to keep up with it. I think it’s fair to be nervous, there’s a lot that weighs on this weekend that its super important for us to either win or run top-five all day and score a lot of points.”

What has been the atmosphere at 23XI and Airspeed this week leading into the race?

“Everyone has had their head down for sure. It was a tough week, think we all know we got our asses kicked pretty good at Loudon and I feel like it’s motivated everyone properly. It’s easy to be down, but we have two opportunities to either win or score a lot of points. You look at other mile and-a-half tracks this year and we’ve brough cars capable of winning races at those tracks. It’s been since Charlotte Motor Speedway since we’ve had a true mile and-a-half race, so there’s been a lot of time for things to change, for people to catch up and people to fall behind. I think that just adds to the nerves of the weekend to see how we perform when we get to the racetrack.”

You seem to like the Roval course, are you an advocate for it staying or would you prefer to see the Charlotte oval for the playoffs?

“I’m really torn in the middle. I really enjoy what the Roval brings pressure wise to the drivers. I love that we get a road course in the playoffs and that it’s at home. When you also look at it from the other side, the intermediates have been typically our best races and racetracks over the last three or four years. Charlotte has become one of our better intermediate tracks as well. It’s just tough, it’s a great problem to have if you are NASCAR or Marcus Smith, if you are able to put on good racing at both the oval and the Roval. I think it’s going to be split, some drivers are going to like the oval more and other like the Roval more and same with the fans. We don’t need to race at Charlotte three times a year but we could race at the oval two times a year and then the Roval date. There are only some many weekends in the year, I guess.”

With the chances of Shane Van Gisbergen winning at the Roval next week, does that change your strategy at all?

“It’s a fair point. I wouldn’t say it’s a reason why I say we have to run top-five and score a lot of points because of Shane. He just adds to it, AJ (Allmendinger) adds to it as well. He’s going to be doing the same thing, they are both really good road course racers. That’s just part of it, if we are in that spot where we have to win so be it. We will do what we can to go out there and be the better driver.”

Based off what we saw at Loudon last week, would it be safe to say Team Penske is the championship favorite?

“What do you mean, now? (laughs). Their track record at Phoenix is hard to beat the last couple of years. More specifically with the 12 team (Ryan Blaney) and what they’ve been able to do at Martinsville over the years. Little things have changed here or there. This tire is a little bit different and see how it affects Phoenix when it gets closer and if we can catch up. We got our answer Sunday at Loudon, they just looked really strong.”

Would you be an advocate for going back to a 36-race points format?

“If I had to pick one I’m not sure which one I would pull for. Me growing up, that’s all I really knew as the season long format in other disciplines of racing. I’ve also been able to become a two-time champion through the format we use now. It’s probably not fair for me to say which one I would favor. As a competitor, it’s up to you to figure out a way to give yourself the best change to become a champion regardless of what the format is or going to be. There’s a way to go about each one. I feel like now, yes winning races is super important but the 15 playoff points you get as the regular season championship go back to that the traditional mindset of finishing those races like we did last year. No matter what the format is you have an opportunity for it to be really exciting.”

The last time you had a top-10 at Kansas was when you won here in 2023. Have frustrating does that become as a driver?

“It certainly will frustrate you, motivate you, make you scratch your head some. The positive for us seems like it’s something that typically is a challenge at Kansas specifically. I feel like since the years I won here, I’ve been able to go to other intermediates and similar style tracks. Other than Homestead, like Texas, Charlotte, Las Vegas and those tracks we’ve been able to go to those other mile and-a-halfs and have some speed. We should be able to figure this out where we are able to go to these other intermediate track types, and yes they are different, and do well. We just have to figure it out and hopefully our starting point this weekend is much more what we need. I think that was more of a point of frustration here in the spring. I walked away from practice being happier than I’ve ever been at a place like Kansas and then the race was a struggle. We just have to be on top of it and pay attention to our notes. Just try to make the best adjustments possible during the race.”

There was a video of jacking up the car during pit practice at the shop. How difficult was that for you and do you have a new appreciation for what those guys do?

“I’ve always had it. With the schedule I carry right now, there’s only a couple of days where I’m not in the training room with those guys as they are working out. I know what they are capable in the gym and I know what they are capable on the pit pad at Airspeed. My only complaint is I wished they would have posted that sooner because that was a couple of months ago. We are working on making some progress on that, maybe it’s something I can post in the winter.

How rare is it when you feel like things go well in practice, but it doesn’t translate to the race?

“My first year at 23XI and throughout the year last year at times, I feel like Bubba (Wallace) and myself would show up to a racetrack and be top-four in practice and things look great. But it would see like things would just slide in the wrong direction as the track rubbered in and lose performance throughout the race. We’ve done a better job of leveling that out a bit, it’s just sometimes in practice that’s a thing that can happen but it’s on us to figure out why that happens and pick up on things to not let that happen. We’ve done a good job of that, but that race here in the spring was one where we struggled. It’s a part of racing that sometimes can happen, these cars are very sensitive to inputs and just traffic and all those things. It’s easy to think you are going to have something for the race and it can rear its ugly head and be a problem. You just got to be really mindful in practice of your balance regardless of how you do in practice.”

Provided you don’t win tomorrow, is there a point difference going into the Roval that would make you feel comfortable that you can overcome it by points only?

“I really haven’t ran through that yet, but I’m almost positive the last two season we’ve gone into the Roval below the cutline. You never want to go into that race in that position, but you don’t want to go into that race in a tricky spot. My gut would say even if we are outside by ten points, it’s doable. Sitting where we are minus 23 points outside, that’s a pretty hard number to overcome. That’s counting on other not getting stage points. Would love to win and not worry about this next week, but we’ve been able to overcome a deficit twice over the last few years. That does give me confidence.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 49 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In spring 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 31 electrified options.

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

CHEVROLET NCS AT KANSAS 2: Kyle Larson Media Availability Quotes

By
Official Release
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NASCAR CUP SERIES
KANSAS SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES
SEPTEMBER 27, 2025

 Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Kansas Speedway. Larson – a three-time NASCAR Cup Series winner at Kansas – returns to the 1.5-mile oval as the track’s defending winner.

Media Availability Quotes:

I saw you went and met with Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes. Have you talked to those guys before or met them, and what was your experience like getting a chat with them?

“No, I hadn’t ever met them before, but I went out to the facility earlier this year. Brett Veach, the manager there, I didn’t know it until a couple years ago, but he’s a big fan of mine. He had us out and hosted us earlier this year, and then he was able to line it up again this time. It was really cool. We had Cliff (Daniels) out there, and Rudy Fugle is a huge Chiefs fan, so it was really neat to be there. We got to sit in the quarterback meeting before the practice, so that was really cool to see how they operate and prep for a practice. That was kind of a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and it was cool to do that. Everybody there is extremely nice. I think because Brett’s such a big fan and talks about racing a lot, they kind of get it, so it’s cool.”

When you see those people prepare and stuff like that, what, if any, similarities or qualities do you see in other successful athletes like that that you find are similar here?

“Well, I think what I didn’t quite realize, just being a casual fan of football, was how much work it actually is. I just look at big buff football players, and I’m like, oh, they just probably have a couple meetings during the week, a couple practices, and just lift and get big and strong. But it sounds like their weeks are really long. There’s a lot of prep work; sounds like a lot of meetings. I would say by game day, they’re extremely prepared, so that was really neat to see, and just how much effort goes into prepping for a single game. Like I said, that was just eye-opening and really cool to see. It’s neat to see the culture and leadership that goes on there, and it makes sense why they’re so successful.”

I’m curious, are people like, oh my gosh, you met Patrick Mahomes, and did you think it was a big deal before or more after?

“Well, I don’t know. I mean, I don’t really look at the social media stuff a lot, but I definitely had a handful of friends reach out and say that was really cool. You know, I’m friends with a lot of 49er fans, so I was surprised that none of them were like, oh, you traitor, or whatever (laughs).

But no, I think they’re such a big deal, right, like Mahomes, Kelce and even Brett Veach, that a lot of people, whether you cheer for that team or not, they have a lot of respect for those athletes. So yeah, I think everybody was pretty surprised and thought it was cool I got to hang out there.”

Coming back to Kansas, is there any kind of realization or frustration knowing this is the last place you won?

“Yeah, I mean, it’s not something that I’ve really thought about, I guess, until getting ready to come here this week. It’s like, wow, it’s been since here that we’ve last won. But I think with that, it gives you some confidence that it’s a place that we’ve ran well at for a long time now. We’ll hopefully have similar speed to what we had earlier in the year. It sounds like we had a great week in the shop and in the wind tunnel, so I think everybody at Hendrick Motorsports is excited to get on track to see where we kind of are on speed and balance compared to what we’ve been on the intermediates or tracks sort of similar… I know it’s been a while since we’ve been on the intermediate.

But, yeah, hopefully we have a good weekend; can run up front, get some good points and go into the ROVAL with an even bigger gap than what we have.”

The last two tracks in this round really cater to your skill set in the Next Gen car. Beyond the obvious goal that a win is, especially coming here, how impactful would defending your spring victory be for you?

“Well, it would be impactful because, like we’ve mentioned, I haven’t won a race since this one and really haven’t been that consistently good since this race earlier this year. So it would be nice to obviously get a win. We’ve been working extremely hard the last few months to get back to the point of where we were leading a bunch of laps and winning stages. And I feel like we’ve learned a lot along the way. So, yeah, I hope we can kind of put that all in motion and have a good day.”

You mentioned how big it is that you haven’t won since Kansas. Is that something that you think about often, especially going into a weekend?

“No, I don’t really think about it a whole lot. I don’t know… maybe you should, maybe you shouldn’t, I don’t really know. But I think you’re always looking ahead. You’re not really looking behind too much. You can probably ask Connor Zilisch, who’s won every race the last three months. He’s probably not thinking about the race he won two months ago. You’re just kind of looking ahead always.”

Have you ever done a fire suit swap before or anything, or is this your first time?

“I mean, we’ve definitely done some throughout the past, but it’s probably the most popular jersey I’ve got. So it’s really cool. I’ll probably definitely get it framed up and hang it in the game room of the house or something.”

How do you kind of evaluate where you are in the playoffs as compared to past years at this point, where we’re closing in on the halfway point of the playoffs?

“Yeah, I mean, you can’t really hide from it. It’s probably been our weakest playoffs of my career, at least at Hendrick Motorsports. You know, going through the first round with zero top-10s was not something that we expected. But we still gained good points throughout the first two races of that round, which was good. We just didn’t get the race finishes that we’ve had in the past. But then we had a good New Hampshire, where I know that track hasn’t been in the playoffs for a little while, but we ran better there than we have in the past.

So, yeah, I don’t know. We still have a lot of racing left to get back to what we’ve been. And like I said, I feel like we are getting better and better each week. Although it may be little improvements, it’s still stacking, and hopefully it kind of peaks at the right time.”

How has this year challenged you?

“Well, I would say the beginning of the season until the end of May was really good. You kind of know what you’re going to get for results and stuff each week you go to the track because we were just that strong. The schedule lined up really well for our organization; a lot of mile-and-a-halves and tracks that we were historically good at. And then the tracks that we haven’t been ‘lights out’ at, we were probably just a little bit worse than we have been in years prior. So that just challenges you and your team mentally and emotionally sometimes. We’ve dealt with a lot as a team this year. I don’t know what other teams have dealt with, but I don’t know if there’s a team that’s dealt with more than we have with losing a team member, pit crew swaps, different personnel changes. There’s just a lot that we’ve had to overcome, but I feel like we’ve worked really hard and although the results may not show it all the time, I feel like we are building and better than we were, say in June, for sure.”

Cliff (Daniels) referenced that too, that all the challenges you guys have gone through from a personal standpoint. I know he’s the leader, but as a driver, as a leader, what kind of role can you play or how have you tried to help your teammates because they’ve certainly gone through a lot this year…

“Yeah, I think just for me, just staying positive and motivated and not letting the team members see you down or not motivated. So trying to just keep putting in my best effort every week and letting them know that we have a shot to run well every week is always good.”

You mentioned you’re always looking ahead, so how far ahead are you looking? Are you just focused on this race or the ROVAL as well or even the Round of Eight?

“I mean, I just take it kind of week-by-week or really just by week, but definitely don’t look out of this round. So, yeah, just what we’ve got to do to execute this weekend and the points we need to earn to position ourselves well for next week is really what we’re looking at.”

Denny (Hamlin) and Ty Gibbs had some issues last week. I’m wondering, most of the Hendrick cars are still in. Alex (Bowman) is not. But what are the expectations on how championship contenders are supposed to race each other at Hendrick Motorsports?

“Yeah, I think you’re always just looking out for what you can do to make things a little bit easier on your teammates. Thankfully for me — TVs probably don’t even see the teamwork that happens, but like last week, Alex (Bowman) cut me a lot of breaks at the end of the first stage. I passed him, and then I was starting to die. He could have easily passed me back but kind of just rode back there. So it’s just little things like that where I think where Denny (Hamlin) was probably expecting that, as every team who has multiple cars, has had a conversation of those expectations. So I could see Denny’s frustration, for sure. And yeah, I’m sure they had a lot of talks this week, so I would expect it to be much better.”

Do you think a non-playoff driver should get out of the way of their teammates who are in the playoffs?

“At that point in the race, yeah. I mean, it was stage one, stage two, maybe. I think at the end — if you’re racing for a win, you’re racing for a win. You’re never going to give up a win in a Cup Series for a teammate. But I think if you’re running mid-pack in a stage, yeah, that expectation should be followed.”

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. Learn more at GM.com.

Why Esports Is Not Just a Game, but a Profession

By
SM
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Not only is esports entertaining, but it has also become a global phenomenon. Professional esports players have multi-million dollar sponsorship deals, work with personal trainers, psychologists, and coaches, and play in arenas packed to the brim. These matches garner millions of views online, and every victory comes with intense strategy, hard work, and unshakable nerves. It’s not children playing around for fun; it’s a career, rigorous, demanding, but truly mesmerizing. Matched bets are as common as they are for boxing and football. There are superstars, main events, massive narratives, and even controversies. 

Training and Timetable

The daily play-to-earn routine of an esports player is not to be viewed as idle time or mindless ‘play’; instead, it mirrors the rigorous “training” schedule of elite athletes. Each day, esports athletes undertake 6 to 10 hours of scrimmages, tactical reviews, skills training, hand-eye coordination drills, specific wrist and eye fatigue, and general fitness exercises. Some teams employ nutritionists and sleep coaches to provide more specialized care. Fans track the game statistics and develop customized strategies on the melbet registration. Matches are constantly replayed, so pros can learn their weaknesses and strategize for future encounters. Most professional esports players have blazingly fast reaction times of 150–200 milliseconds, on par with race car drivers.

Top-ranked teams often share boot camp residences where they train, achieving complete focus. It’s all about full focus on their goals. They practice under tournament-like stress, recreate game-day pressure, and thoroughly review every match, just like traditional sports teams. These competitors must perfect their performance, as even a single incorrect motion could lead to losses worth thousands of dollars. The players require precision skill and physiological composure while navigating this “game.” 

Promising Job Opportunities  

These jobs are not just limited to competing in tournaments. The pro gaming ecosystem is vast and full of well-paid opportunities. The different job roles include:

  • Professional Players: Competing and emerging victorious in mega tournaments like The International or Worlds. For instance, there is a Dota 2 team known as OG. They won approximately $15 million from a single event.
  • Streamers and Content Creators: Streaming platforms like Twitch and YouTube allow users to post videos. This is how many ex-pros and skilled gamers make more than $100k yearly.  
  • Analysts and Coaches: Esports teams like to have strategists, trainers, and talent scouts on their payroll. 
  • Event Organizers and Casters: Major tournaments need people to run the show, including commentators, tech teams, producers, and anyone involved in the video montage editing for the matches that are subsequently projected.

A report by Goldman Sachs reveals that esports are poised to surpass $2000 million in revenue by 2026. With such lucrative opportunities available, the esports ecosystem is evolving, and players have the potential to build long-term careers.

What You Need To Succeed In Esports  

Accomplishing anything requires effort; in this case, it entails devotion, self-control, and quick decision-making under pressure. Time is not on your side. There is no difference between winning and losing, measured in milliseconds. Players react out of instinct and train on autopilot. Games require cerebral engagement; they are not hand-based activities. Team expectations, public scrutiny, and high-pressure matches broadcast to millions fuel the fire. Betting fans means the mental toll triples. Staying mentally sharp during a “shout-cast” for hours while giving commands to teammates, regulating one’s feelings on a tight leash, and the mental strain from holding back emotions is a norm and reality for professionals.  

Mental endurance and focus  

If your mind physically burns out midway through a match, winning a tournament will be nearly impossible. Professional players must concentrate for long hours and train their minds like a marathon runner. Concentration needs to be solid for 8–12 hours. Blink is too long, and the match is gone. A single wrong click in Dota 2 or CS:GO can be a $500k loss. That is more than just concentration. That is peak pressure management.

This is why the best teams have psychologists onboard—not because the players are emotionally softer, but because their mental stress is unyielding. Trying to click “calmly” amidst global audiences, flashing lights, and screaming fans is mental warfare. The good news is that the best athletes don’t cringe at this. They have mastered the ability to think through the pandemonium strategically.

Mental endurance and focus 

Teamwork and Communication 

Esports are never a one-person show. While the best individual players might be exceptional, their teams ultimately come on top. It requires time, trust, and a lot of synergy to create that “perfect” blend that runs like a well-oiled machine, and the most outstanding teams truly exhibit such traits. Hence, elite teams focus on hybrid communication training and honing their key skills. As far as team play goes, essential factors include: 

  • “In-game” team communication: Every command or phrase has to be succinct, sent, and responded to within a split second. There is no room for ambiguity in this setting.
  • Role awareness: Team members know their designated roles, timing, and secondary strategies.
  • Mentality Control: Problems must be reframed as challenges. Do not blame fellow teammates, rage, or even quiver your lips. 
  • Non-verbal cue reads: They can tell what teammates intend to do without uttering a word.

Jobs and wages are based on these skills. Clean team communication boosts absolute hyperspace performance in games that rely heavily on precision timing.

Worldwide Acknowledgment and Popularity  

Esports celebrities have transcended being mere names on the internet and are now global icons. Their streams attract millions, and they populate billboards. Faker is regarded as a Messi in South Korea, and s1mple draws crowds to European stadiums. These athletes perform more than just esports. They change the odds for betting, attract giant sponsors, and fill arenas. Fame in esports is a phenomenon in itself.

PlayerGameTwitch FollowersHighest Prize Won
FakerLeague of Legends4.2M+$1.5M+ (Multiple titles)
s1mpleCS:GO3.6M+$1M+ (Major winner)
BughaFortnite1.3M+$3M (World Cup 2019)
TenZValorant1.4M+$250K+ (VCT Champions)

These numbers are significant. Corporations spend millions of dollars to market their brands by sponsoring them. Fame in esports adds to the business venture. 

Industry Infrastructure

A vast system runs behind the games. It includes gamers, their coaches, lawyers, managers, agents, and a whole health staff. Football clubs are now matched with the newly built training facilities. There are contracts, trade deals, and performance bonuses. With corporate teams like Team Liquid and G2, pro teams run like corporations.

Global productions have replaced “events.” The stadiums of Katowice are always filled for the Intel Extreme Masters, while The International boasts of streaming in over 20 languages. Betting companies employ dedicated odds analysts for esports. Every part is engineered for relentless performance. Along with it, esports is no longer a hobby but a billion-dollar industry.

Esports in Education

We are now watching our school systems adapt and evolve in real time. In the US, 170 colleges have varsity-level esports, while schools worldwide offer scholarships for esports management or game strategy. 

South Korea and China, among others, are in charge of government-sponsored programs to aid youth in their future careers as esports professionals. It’s not all play, though, as the professionals cover game design, psychology, coding, game theory, and broadcasting. Betting pros are even analyzing match stats like football analysts. The classroom is changing, and esports is leading every charge.

Extended Career Options

Professional esports careers are not bound to a singular path, as many individuals transition into roles such as media personalities, coaches, or analysts. Others start their teams, develop video games, or work as strategists in betting companies. The ability to function in a team, make real-time decisions, and manage pressure are all skills that shift the person’s career into a new dimension. 

KALITTA, PROCK, LATINO AND HERRERA GRAB PROVISIONAL NO. 1 POSITIONS AT NHRA MIDWEST NATIONALS

By
Official Release
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ST. LOUIS (Sept. 26, 2025) – Top Fuel’s Doug Kalitta landed in the provisional No. 1 spot at the 14th annual NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals as the Countdown to the Championship playoffs continued at World Wide Technology Raceway.

The Top Fuel points leader clocked a 3.675-second pass at 334.82 mph in his Mac Tools dragster. If that holds for best of the class, it will mark his eighth No. 1 qualifier of the season. With two wins so far in 2025, Kalitta is looking for his first win in the playoffs.

The highlight of Friday night’s qualifying session was the “2025 Friday No. 1 Qualifier Top Hitter” bat from Rawlings. Low qualifiers were awarded custom bats from the St. Louis-based bat company as part of the St. Louis race.

“That was really cool to end up with the bat; it’s engraved and the whole deal,” said Kalitta. “It was an interesting round. I was sitting back there thinking man, I sure hope my car goes down the track because everyone is running really well. Got down there and it felt good. Real fortunate to be able to pull off a good run and come out No. 1 so far.”

Austin Prock (Funny Car), Eric Latino (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers of the 17th event of the 2025 Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season and halfway point of the Countdown to the Championship.

Kalitta has four wins from the fan-favorite World Wide Technology Raceway. If he wants to collect win number five on race day, he’ll need to get past the stacked field, including reigning world champion Antron Brown, who is provisionally qualified second after running a 3.688 at 337.41, and regular season champion Tony Stewart, who sits third with his 3.690 at 335.15.

“It’s all about Sunday and going rounds and trying to get the finals. It’s going to take any point you can get with the Top Fuel group. Everybody is running strong,” said Kalitta.

Reigning Funny Car world champion Prock once again leads the field in points, after earning eight wins throughout the season. He is currently the provisional No. 1 qualifier at the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals thanks to his 3.845 at 337.16 effort from Friday night. Prock is looking for his fifth No. 1 qualifier of the year and come Sunday, he’ll be seeking his first win from World Wide Technology Raceway.

“That was a nice clean pass during Q3, it felt really smooth leaving the starting line,” said Prock. “The lane felt really difficult to drive tonight, a lot of cars earlier in the session were getting inside, and there’s just not as much traction toward the centerline. So, I was a little bit clenched going up there and didn’t want to make that mistake, but I worked with (track specialist) Lanny Maglizzi and my crew chiefs on how to aim the car, and it went right down the center of the racetrack. It’s been pretty cool, anytime there’s anything on the line on Friday night, we’ve been good enough or lucky enough to take home the award. It’s cool to add this bat to the list.”

Four-time Funny Car world champ Matt Hagan sits second with his 3.868 at 329.91 mph, while Daniel Wilkerson is third with a 3.871 at 332.10.

Pro Stock’s Latino powered to a 6.515 at 209.75 and took the provisional spot on Friday in his GESi Chevrolet Camaro. Latino booted Pro Stock points leader Dallas Glenn from the Top Hitter’s seat on Friday when he out-ran Glenn’s 6.516 at 209.14 effort, to land Glenn in the provisional No. 2 position. If Latino’s low spot holds, it will be his first career No. 1 qualifier.

“I felt like it was a good run,” said Latino. “As I came around the corner, they opened the door and told me to hurry up and get up there, Dallas Glenn is off the seat and that baseball bat is yours. I was a little bit in disbelief because it’s really tough to be No. 1 qualifier in this class. It was just a good run.”

Norwalk winner Cory Reed holds the third place with his 6.523 at 209.10.

Reigning Pro Stock Motorcycle champ Herrera put himself in position for his seventh No. 1 qualifier of the season going 6.741 at 200.41 on his Suzuki. Herrera is currently fourth in points. After another year of dominance and a regular season champion, he finds himself chasing his teammate and points leader Richard Gadson.

“I’m definitely counting all these little points,” said Herrera. “We were able to capitalize tonight on the good weather. I hope that No. 1 qualifier sticks going into Sunday, but you never know — this track has been really good. One thing I love about drag racing is that you never know how the table is going to turn or what’s going to happen.”

Herrera and his Vance & Hines teammates cover the top three at the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals with Gadson in second with his 6.759 at 200.02 and Brayden Davis in third with a 6.767, 198.47.

Qualifying continues at 12:15 p.m. CT on Saturday at the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway.

MADISON, Ill. — Friday’s results after the first two of four rounds of qualifying for the 14th annual NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway, 17th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday’s final eliminations.

Top Fuel — 1. Doug Kalitta, 3.675 seconds, 335.73 mph; 2. Antron Brown, 3.688, 337.41; 3. Tony Stewart, 3.690, 335.15; 4. Shawn Reed, 3.703, 332.10; 5. Brittany Force, 3.709, 340.47; 6. Kyle Wurtzel, 3.711, 329.10; 7. Clay Millican, 3.721, 334.82; 8. T.J. Zizzo, 3.724, 336.23; 9. Steve Torrence, 3.727, 331.53; 10. Tony Schumacher, 3.744, 332.34; 11. Josh Hart, 3.746, 336.07; 12. Justin Ashley, 3.754, 334.40; 13. Ida Zetterstrom, 3.788, 328.78; 14. Cameron Ferre, 3.912, 298.93; 15. Will Smith, 4.046, 249.90; 16. Shawn Langdon, 5.050, 138.58.

Funny Car — 1. Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.845, 337.16; 2. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.868, 329.91; 3. Daniel Wilkerson, Ford Mustang, 3.871, 332.10; 4. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 3.877, 337.33; 5. Chad Green, Mustang, 3.886, 334.07; 6. Alexis DeJoria, Charger, 3.900, 332.84; 7. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.902, 326.40; 8. Spencer Hyde, Mustang, 3.903, 325.61; 9. Jack Beckman, Camaro, 3.906, 328.54; 10. J.R. Todd, Toyota GR Supra, 3.919, 330.55; 11. Blake Alexander, Charger, 3.980, 324.98; 12. Ron Capps, GR Supra, 3.983, 276.75; 13. Alex Laughlin, Charger, 4.049, 315.86; 14. Dave Richards, Mustang, 4.112, 268.87; 15. Paul Lee, Charger, 4.133, 229.78; 16. Bobby Bode, Mustang, 9.290, 80.18.

Pro Stock — 1. Eric Latino, Chevy Camaro, 6.515, 209.75; 2. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.516, 210.24; 3. Cory Reed, Camaro, 6.523, 209.10; 4. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.529, 209.72; 5. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.538, 210.87; 6. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.538, 209.85; 7. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.541, 208.88; 8. Cody Coughlin, Camaro, 6.541, 208.49; 9. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Camaro, 6.549, 208.91; 10. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.558, 209.62; 11. Greg Stanfield, Camaro, 6.562, 208.65; 12. Cristian Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.563, 209.72; 13. Chris Vang, Camaro, 6.564, 208.78; 14. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.566, 209.17; 15. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.568, 209.85; 16. Matt Latino, Camaro, 6.577, 209.72. Not Qualified: 17. Kenny Delco, 6.586, 210.14; 18. Stephen Bell, 6.594, 209.79; 19. Chris McGaha, 6.596, 209.49; 20. Deric Kramer, 6.620, 208.30.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.741, 200.41; 2. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.759, 200.08; 3. Brayden Davis, Suzuki, 6.767, 200.20; 4. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.776, 200.41; 5. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.783, 201.04; 6. John Hall, Beull, 6.786, 200.53; 7. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.830, 198.82; 8. Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.834, 200.44; 9. Ryan Oehler, EBR, 6.840, 196.85; 10. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.856, 197.08; 11. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.861, 193.13; 12. Marc Ingwersen, EBR, 6.886, 196.64; 13. Wesley Wells, Suzuki, 7.161, 188.23; 14. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 7.422, 140.81; 15. Lance Bonham, Buell, 8.156, 182.45.

Cadillac locks out front row again

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Nos. 12 and 38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.Rs qualify 1-2 in Fuji

OYAMA, Japan (Sept. 27, 2025) – Alex Lynn earned the third pole of the season in the No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R and received a special gift for the effort.

Lynn set the standard in the 10-minute Hyperpole session for the 6 Hours of Fuji with a blistering lap of 1 minute, 28.236 seconds on the .2835-mile, 12-turn circuit in the shadow of Mount Fuji to secure the top spot for team in the past four FIA World Endurance Championship races.

Earl Bamber was nearly as quick in the No. 38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R, V-Series.R, putting the sister car second with a best lap of 1:28.675 to make it an impressive Cadillac 1-2 for the third time this season.

Cadillac, which also started on pole in the 2024 six-hour race, has led the field to the green flag 34 times since joining IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship prototype competition in 2017. Cadillac is in its third WEC season – totaling 22 races – and first with Hertz Team JOTA.

“Congratulations to the No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R on securing pole position in qualifying for the 6 Hours of Fuji,” said John Roth, vice president, Global Cadillac. “We’re thrilled with today’s results and look forward to being back on the track ready to compete for the overall win Sunday.”

Lynn received a commemorative helmet with the names of every pole winner through the WEC’s 100 races. The green flag waved on the WEC’s inaugural season on March 17, 2012, at Sebring International Raceway.

With strong pace resulting in positives each of the past four races, the team behind the Nos. 12 and 38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.Rs is optimistic entering the penultimate race of the eight-event campaign. Pole for the No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R in July at Interlagos resulted in Cadillac’s maiden WEC victory. Lynn, Norman Nato and Will Stevens registered a fourth-place finish in June in the 24 Hours of Le Mans after earning pole – the first for an American manufacturer since 1967.

The No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R entry has transferred to Hyperpole in six of the seven races and has been at the points table in each race. The trio is seven points out of third in the Drivers Championship.

Bamber will share driving duties with Sebastien Bourdais and Jenson Button. The No. 38 hybrid racecar has also participated in Hyperpole in six of the seven races.

Cadillac is four points out of second in the Manufacturers Championship standings.

Unique vantage point to watch the race

Watch the race unfold starting at 10 p.m. ET Saturday from the cockpit of the Nos. 12 and 38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.Rs via Cadillac streaming HERE. The race will be telecast in the U.S. on MotorTrend, MAX app, FIA WEC app and broadcast on Radio Le Mans.

Cadillac Racing photos from Fuji | Cadillac Racing WEC statistics

What they’re saying

No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R

Alex Lynn: “Third pole in four races. Honestly, it was a great feeling. The car was amazing, the team is amazing, and we did the job. I love this kind of scenario, the qualifying. The car is just amazing right now. Let’s go win tomorrow.”

What were you doing to get the lap time out of the car?

“Tires are the key. We’ve been working hard all weekend on outlap and our prep lap and make sure the car is in the right window to deliver the outcome we wanted. The competition has been very, very strong, so with that being said we had to work very hard to give ourselves the chance to be here.”

Almost a half-second clear of the rest of the field. Was that a surprise?

“Yes, because yesterday I didn’t have a good feeling with the car. I thought a couple of other brands looked very fast, and I think we had to revert a little bit to a car that we knew for qualifying. I think we’ve made really big steps to the car in the race, but we went back to sort of our Sao Paulo-type car for qualifying. This morning in FP3 I had a much better felling and confidence.”

Third pole in four races. What is the satisfaction like in the team?

“I think you also push each other a lot. You know the driver on the other side of the garage is going to deliver a lap. You, of course, don’t want to be the second car. It’s just human nature that you want to improve. So, I think we’ve been seeing a little bit of that when it comes to the 12 and 38. The is. A nice, natural competition to improve, and I think that keeps pushing all of us forward.”

Prospects for the race tomorrow? What are you going to be concentrating on?

“I think 12 months on the picture of Cadillac Racing has changed a lot. I would say that today was quite important to get the car up front because I think we have very strong race pace, as well as other cars. But I do feel confident we have good race pace and can race at the front for the whole six hours. Today was a big job to put ourselves in a good position and tomorrow we I think we can have a good race.”

No. 38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R

Earl Bamber: “Really good for the team, another front row lockout. Mega lap for Alex. Outside of the garage we keep building and building. We managed to get quite close to the front in Austin from starting from the back, so here I think we can manage to race. The Caddy was good last year, and I think we’ll be good again. Hopefully, we can get solid points for the manufacturer championship. (Keys to race) I think staying in clean air and managing the tire deg as well will be really critical. We have good knowledge, do a few tweaks tonight and see what we got.”

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. Learn more at GM.com.

CORVETTE RACING AT FUJI: Rising Sun, Rising Corvettes!

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Sixth and seventh on the LMGT3 grid for TF Sport Z06 GT3.Rs

OYAMA, Japan (September 27, 2025) – For the second time in three races, TF Sport’s pair of Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs will start inside the LMGT3 top-10 following Saturday’s qualifying for the FIA World Endurance Championship’s Six Hours of Fuji.

The two yellow Corvettes will start sixth and seventh for the best combined start of the season for TF Sport as both entries hope to continue gaining ground in the class Drivers Championship with two rounds left.

The No. 33 Corvette of Daniel Juncadella, Jonny Edgar and Ben Keating will lead the TF Sport attack at the start of Sunday’s race, one spot and just 0.064 seconds ahead of the No. 81 Z06 GT3.R of Charlie Eastwood, Rui Andrade and Tom Van Rompuy.

Keating and Van Rompuy advanced from the initial 12-minute qualifying session with Edgar and Andrade piloting the Corvettes in the 10-minute Hyperpole session. Both Corvettes previously made Hyperpole together in July at Sāo Paulo when they started ninth and 10th in class.

The No. 33 Corvette drivers sit third in the LMGT3 championship on the strength of a season-opening win of the season and remain in the hunt with 29 points to the leader and 64 points available in the balance of the season. The team faced an uphill battle with some lack of pace in practice, but the team’s pre-qualifying adjustment to the Corvette’s setup unlocked enough speed to get on the third row.

From the start of the event, the No. 81 Corvette showed its strength. Eastwood was second-quickest in the opening free practice, and Andrade set the fastest time in either Corvette in Saturday’s final practice ahead of qualifying.

The strong showings Friday and Saturday bode well for the championship hopes of the No. 81 Corvette trio, which has a second- and third-place finish to its credit this season. Eastwood, Andrade and Van Rompy are 39 points out of the championship lead with 64 points still on the table.

The Six Hours of Fuji scheduled for 11 a.m. JST Sunday and 10 p.m. ET Saturday. Full, live television coverage is available on the FIA WEC app and the MAX app in the United States.

TF SPORT POST-QUALIFYING QUOTES

JONNY EDGAR, NO. 33 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “We’re much happier and much better than we expected. Practice was quite difficult. The car felt pretty good but we were slower than we’d like to be. Ben did a great job to get the car into Hyperpole for me, and I’m happy with P6. I don’t think we expected to be that high really, so it’s definitely good. Always in the race we have better pace than in qualifying. To qualify P6 is good. It’s the second-best qualifying session of the year and the best we’ve been in a dry qualifying session. It gives me good confidence for tomorrow and we should have decent pace.”

BEN KEATING, NO. 33 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I’m super proud of this team. This is a team sport and that was a team job. The car is much better than it has been in practice. It was down to the wire but we got it done when it mattered. I’m really happy with the car and with my laptime. The only thing that matters is I get it into the top-10. So to be in the top-five is extra special.

“I would have said it would have been a big challenge for us to get us into Hyperpole. I have to hand it to the team. The car is much better than it has been. I think we were second-to-last in every session before now so we weren’t feeling super-confident. But the car is really good right now. The whole team has worked really well to get both cars into Hyperpole.”

RUI ANDRADE, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “A very tight qualy. Everyone was very close together and we knew it was going to be tough. I think I maximized the run so I’m happy with that. P7 is not too bad. Tomorrow we have a long race in which to recover. I think we have a better racecar than a quality car. There’s a lot to fight for. I’m happy with the car balance and feeling good going into the race.”

TOM VAN ROMPUY, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Very happy with qualifying. From FP3, we continued to improve our car. It feels really solid for both qualifying and the race. We ended up P4 to get back into Hyperpole, which is really nice. I’m confident we have a good racecar to compete in the race.”

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. Learn more at GM.com.

ARCA Menards Series at Kansas Speedway: Reese’s 150 Post-race Notes

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ARCA Menards Series at Kansas Speedway:
Reese’s 150 Post-race Notes

  • Brenden Queen (No. 28 BestRepair.net/Folsom Fence Chevrolet) scored his eighth ARCA Menards Series win in Friday’s Reese’s 150 at Kansas Speedway. Queen, who led 35 of the race’s 110 laps, took the lead for the final time with 10 laps to go in regulation and held off second-place finisher Giovanni Ruggiero (No. 18 1st Auto Group Toyota) on two overtime restarts to take the victory.
  • Queen unofficially leads the ARCA Menards Series championship standings by 85 points over second place Lavar Scott (No. 6 Max Siegel Inc. Chevrolet). Scott finished a season-worst 25th after a brush with the outside wall damaged his car’s right front suspension. Queen will lock up the 2025 ARCA Menards Series championship when he takes the green flag in next Saturday’s Owens Corning 200 Presented by CGS Imaging at Toledo Speedway.
  • Pinnacle Racing Group team owner Mark Webb leads the ARCA Menards Series Owner Point Standings by 22 points over Joe Gibbs Racing team owner Joe Gibbs. Pinnacle Racing Group will win the team’s first owner’s championship if Queen finishes 18th or higher at Toledo Speedway.
  • Ruggiero led a race-high 74 laps en route to his fourth career ARCA Menards Series runner-up finish.
  • Leland Honeyman, Jr. (No. 20 Venturini Motorsports Toyota) finished third for the second consecutive week matching his best career ARCA Menards Series finish.
  • Kris Wright (No. 15 Warranty Solutions Toyota) finished fourth, Taylor Reimer (No. 70 BuzzBallz Toyota), Mason Mitchell (No. 25 Pro-Seed USA Toyota) sixth, and Thad Moffitt (No. 46 Safety-Kleen Toyota) seventh to give the Venturini Motorsports / Nitro Motorsports alliance five of the top seven finishers.
  • Salem runner-up Andrew Patterson (No. 40 WinSupply / SCS Gearbox Toyota) returned to his family-owned team and finished eighth, his fourth top-ten finish in six ARCA Menards Series starts in 2025.
  • Jason Kitzmiller (No. 97 A.L.L. Construction / Carter CAT Chevrolet) finished ninth and Isabella Robusto (No. 55 Mobil 1 Toyota) was tenth; Kitzmiller enters the Owens Corning 200 with a 13-point lead over Robusto for third in the ARCA Menards Series standings.
  • The race was slowed 5 times for a total of 30 laps; Queen’s winning average speed was 101.782 miles per hour. His margin of victory was 0.349 seconds. The race was extended by 10 laps due to two single-lap overtime attempts.
  • The next race for the ARCA Menards Series is the Owens Corning 200 Presented by CGS Imaging at Toledo Speedway; the race will be televised live on FS2 starting at 4 pm ET on Saturday, October 4. Live timing & scoring data and live race audio will be available at ARCARacing.com; the race will also be broadcast on select affiliates of the MRN Radio Network nationwide and on MRN.com.

About ARCA 
The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum in Toledo, Ohio, and acquired by NASCAR in April 2018, is the leading grassroots stock car sanctioning body in the United States. Bridging the gap between NASCAR’s top three national touring series and weekly and regional tour racing all across the country, the organization to sanctions over 100 races per year in the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, ARCA Menards Series West, ASA STARS National Tour, ASA CRA Super Series, ASA Midwest Tour, ASA Southern Super Series plus weekly racing at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways. For more information about ARCA visit , or follow ARCA on Facebook (@ARCARacing) and Twitter (@ARCA_Racing). 

About Menards
A family-owned and run company started in 1958, Menards is recognized as the retail home center leader of the Midwest with 236 stores in 15 states.  Menards is truly a one-stop shop for all of your home improvement needs featuring a full-service lumberyard and everything you need to plan a renovation or build a home, garage, cabin, shed, deck, fence or post frame building.  You’ll find a large selection of lumber, roofing, siding, construction blocks, trusses, doors and windows, plus cabinets, appliances, countertops, flooring, lighting, paint, plumbing supplies and more.  To complete the job, Menards has quality hand tools, power tools, fasteners, electrical tools plus storage options and supplies for everyone from the weekend warrior to the pro!
 
Menards has what you need to complete your outdoor projects and keep your yard in tip-top shape including mowers, trimmers, blowers, pressure washers and more, plus a beautiful garden center stocked with plants, shrubs, trees, landscaping tools, grass seed, fertilizer options, outdoor décor and patio furniture.  Menards also has everyday essentials like health & beauty products, housewares, pet and wildlife supplies, automotive items and even groceries.  And at Christmas, an Enchanted Forest display area with impressive trees, lighting, decorations, ornaments, inflatables and more. 

Menards is known for friendly Customer Service and as the place to “Save Big Money” with low prices every day, and sales too!  For more information, please visit Menards.com to learn about our store locations, offerings and services.

TOP HITTER BAT ADDS TO FRIDAY NIGHT EXCITEMENT AT NAPA AUTO PARTS NHRA MIDWEST NATIONALS

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ST. LOUIS (Sept. 26, 2025) – Friday night under the lights at World Wide Technology will have an added bonus for top qualifiers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle as part of this weekend’s NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals.

World Wide Technology and NHRA officials announced the low qualifiers during the second session on Friday will receive a special “2025 Friday No. 1 Qualifier Top Hitter” bat from Rawlings, adding to the Friday night festivities, which begin at 7 p.m. CT.

The bat will play into a fun baseball-themed top end that will include additional Rawlings items. The driver who makes the quickest pass in each class during the Friday Primetime session will then receive the Rawlings “Top Hitter” bat.

It’s another way to add to the excitement for the weekend, which starts with two qualifying sessions on Friday – including the always thrilling night session – two more qualifying sessions on Saturday and eliminations on Sunday at the key Countdown to the Championship playoff race. It’s also the first time since 2019 the fan-favorite facility will host two qualifying sessions on Friday.

Last season, Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel), Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) each claimed wins, while Austin Prock (Funny Car), T.J. Zizzo (Top Fuel), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Herrera all qualified in the No. 1 position.

This year’s race will once again be broadcast on FS1, with elimination coverage airing at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 28. It is the 17th of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA season and the third of six playoff races, marking the halfway point of the title chase.

Schumacher and Beckman’s victories last year gave each of the championship drivers three wins in St. Louis. Top Fuel’s reigning world champion Antron Brown has five St. Louis wins, which are the most in the loaded class, while Capps and his NAPA Funny Car have won four times at World Wide Technology Raceway, the most in the category.

Reigning Funny Car world champion Austin Prock went a blistering 3.814-seconds a year ago to set the track record, while teammate Brittany Force’s monumental Top Fuel blast of 338.43 mph in 2022 set the speed record in that class at that time. Force has since gone a whopping 343 mph. Enders’ six Pro Stock wins are the most of any NHRA driver at the standout facility, while Matt Smith’s five victories lead the way in PSM.

NHRA Mission Food Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 5 and 7 p.m. CT on Friday, Sept. 26, and the final two rounds on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 12:15 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. CT on Sunday, Sept. 28. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday and then eliminations coverage starting at 3 p.m. ET.

Tickets may be purchased at the WWTR ticket office, by phone at (618) 215-8888, or online at www.wwtraceway.com. For more information on NHRA, visit www.NHRA.com.

About Mission Foods

MISSION®, owned by GRUMA, S.A.B. de C.V., is the world’s leading brand for tortillas and wraps. MISSION® is also globally renowned for flatbreads, dips, salsas and Mexican food products. With presence in over 112 countries, MISSION® products are suited to the lifestyles and the local tastes of each country. With innovation and customer needs in mind, MISSION® focuses on the highest quality, authentic flavors, and providing healthy options that families and friends can enjoy together. For more information, please visit https://www.missionfoods.com/

About NHRA

NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With more than 100 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing-related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

NASCAR 2025: Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin are the favorites for the final victory

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SM
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The NASCAR Cup Series championship is in its final stages, and there are two main favorites: Kyle Larson, whose odds were the highest at the beginning of the season, and Denny Hamlin, who is on the inside looking out, defending his position as leader of the pack. After his triumph at the World Wide Technology Raceway in Gateway, he is definitely the man to beat.

The season, however, is not over yet, and NASCAR has a way to keep everyone interested until the very last turn, since you never know what will happen next. While Hamlin appears to be the man to bet on to win the race for the title, a lot can still change. Anyone interested in betting on him, or other candidates for the final victory, can take advantage of the opportunities that Oddschecker – Compare Betting Odds Across Sportsbooks – offers fans to maximize their profits. The stock car race series is sure to keep every motorsport fan engaged, and it may become even more fun with a little bet on the side.

A record to shatter

Denny Hamlin is eager to win. Not only for the glory, not only for the money, but also for breaking a hoax that characterised his career from the very start. The pilot is unanimously considered the greatest driver in NASCAR history to never have won a stock car championship. At 44, Hamlin would love to shatter this not-so-enviable record. He won a lot of races in his illustrious career, with the latest triumph coming in the Enjoy Illinois 300, on the 7th of September.

Hamlin continues to climb the all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins list and to extend his record. He is growing pretty tired of this and hopes to put it away for good, at the end of the season. As the only full-time driver missing a race during the regular season, Hamlin still managed to tie for the series lead in wins, with a total of four. He is now the outright leader after winning at the World Wide Technology Raceway. That first place was his fifth for the year. The pilot from Tampa Bay won 59 times during his career. Right now, he is the clear favourite to win the championship.

The case for Larson

Before Hamlin’s slate of successes changed the cards on the table, Kyle Larson was the prominent favourite for the title. The Californian sensation has already won a championship in 2021, after a dominant season during which he finished first 10 times and showed the world how talented he is. After that exploit, though, he never managed to stay that relevant and always came short of another trophy.  He is now third on the championship table, tied with William Byron (2nd) at 3032 points. Hamlin is in first position with 3034. These drivers are very close to each other and they can basically win out by avoiding mistakes and keeping their direct rivals in check. Obviously, the first is the main favourite because he is already in front.

Larson is among racing’s elite and will probably stay there until he decides to retire. He is clutch, talented, and knows the wide potential of his Chevy Camaro. He has the experience of a champion and the hunger of a rookie. This is an explosive mix, and Hamlin should be worried because his rival will give his best in the final stretch.

What to expect

We came to a point in the season where every race is crucial. The NASCAR schedule becomes unforgiving after the mid-point of September. We have 7 weekends left before wrapping everything up, 5 of which are playoff rounds. Nobody can joke around anymore. Christopher Bell and Ryan Blaney (4th and 5th on the table, respectively) know that quite well and are finishing strong. Bell won in Bristol last Saturday, while Blaney finished first in Daytona. Byron did the same on the 3rd of August in Iowa, and then managed to finish among the best in the following weekends. The championship is up for grabs and we can expect these top drivers to attack each and every time they start their engine until the very end.

Mateo Siderman Sweeps Lamborghini Super Trofeo Am Class at Indianapolis

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Mateo Siderman captured his first victories of the 2025 season with a dominant weekend sweep of both Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Am class races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, September 19-20.

The 20-year-old TR3 Racing driver, competing in the No. 63 Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo Evo2 with backing from Lamborghini Westlake, Bussler & Co, and other sponsors, broke through after what he described as a season of frustrating near-misses.

“We’ve been trying all year,” Siderman said after Friday’s Race 1 victory. “We’ve had good speed all year, but we just haven’t done the right things on track after the qualifying has begun. We really got into our stride at Watkins Glen and we really put it all together here.”

From Football Field to Racing Circuit

Siderman’s path to Indianapolis victory lane began far from the racing world. A 2022 graduate of Westlake High School in Westlake Village, California, he earned First Team All-Conference honors as a wide receiver during his varsity football career. He went on to play Division 1 football at Tarleton State University in Texas before transferring to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas to be closer to his race team.

The UNLV student only obtained his full competition racing license in 2024 after attending Skip Barber Racing School, but quickly made his mark with victories and podiums in SCCA, POC, WRL, and Champ Car events at tracks including Laguna Seca, Buttonwillow, and Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval.

Indianapolis Breakthrough

Siderman’s Race 1 win saw him finish inside the overall top ten while leading a TR3 Racing 1-2 finish ahead of teammate Dean Neuls in the No. 70 entry. Garrett Adams and Andre Lagartixa rounded out the podium in the No. 25 Alliance Racing Lamborghini, with all three drivers achieving their best finishes of the season.

The victory came as championship contenders struggled, with each of the top three entries in the Am standings failing to reach the podium, opening the door for Siderman’s breakthrough.

Saturday’s Race 2 featured limited green flag running due to an early three-car incident off Turn 14, but Siderman controlled the shortened contest to complete the weekend sweep.

Siderman

“It was a bit of a sprint race; this really felt like it,” Siderman said following his second victory. “It enforces what we did yesterday, and it paid off for us. Really thankful to TR3, Lamborghini Westlake and the team.”

TR3 Racing’s Championship-Winning Pedigree

Siderman’s success comes as part of TR3 Racing’s expanded six-car effort for 2025, building on the team’s 2024 Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Pro Championship victory. Partnered with teammate Michael Ryan Johnson, an experienced IMSA racer, Siderman represents the team’s investment in developing young talent.

The season hasn’t been without challenges. Siderman’s debut at Sebring International Raceway in March ended early due to suspension issues, but he showed improvement at Watkins Glen with a third-place Am finish before the Indianapolis breakthrough.

Looking Ahead to World Finals

Siderman will next compete at the Lamborghini World Finals at Misano World Circuit in Italy, with the final two North American championship rounds scheduled for November 6-7, followed by the World Finals on November 8-9. There, he’ll face champions from the European and Asian series in what promises to be the ultimate test of his rapid development.

His aspirations extend beyond the current season. Siderman has expressed goals of joining the Lamborghini Young Driver Program and ultimately competing in top-tier IMSA endurance races, following a path from amateur racing to professional sports car competition.

The Machine Behind the Success

Siderman pilots the Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo Evo2, a track-bred machine featuring a 5.2-liter naturally aspirated V10 engine producing 620 horsepower, paired with a six-speed sequential gearbox. The one-make series format ensures all drivers compete in identical machinery, placing the emphasis squarely on driver skill and team preparation.

For TR3 Racing and Lamborghini Westlake, Siderman’s Indianapolis sweep validates their investment in the young driver who only began his racing career in earnest last year. As one of the youngest drivers in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo field globally, his rapid progression from college football player to race winner in just over a year represents a remarkable transformation.

With momentum from Indianapolis and two races remaining at Misano, Siderman’s breakthrough weekend positions him as one to watch as the next generation of American sports car racing talent continues to emerge.

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