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Hauger Hurries to Pole at Milwaukee with Title in Sight

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Official Release
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WEST ALLIS, Wis. (Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025) – Dennis Hauger’s grip on the 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone championship trophy got a bit tighter after a record-setting qualifying performance Saturday at the Milwaukee Mile.

Hauger won the pole for the INDY NXT by Firestone at the Milwaukee Mile with a two-lap average speed of 152.639 mph in the No. 28 Nammo car of Andretti Global. That’s a track record for a two-lap average for the INDYCAR development series, breaking the mark of 151.180 set by Louis Foster last season.

“Qualifying, we’re there,” Hauger said. “Feels really good. We still have stuff to work on for the race. Hopefully we will figure that out tomorrow.

“I’m super happy. A great step forward for tomorrow’s championship clinch. That’s the goal, so we’ll keep pushing.”

Hauger leads Caio Collet by 54 points – exactly the maximum that can be scored in a race – entering this event with two races to go this season. He will earn a bonus point for pole and only needs to finish ahead of Collet in the race Sunday (11:30 a.m. ET, FS1, FOX One, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network) to seal the championship. Collet is starting seventh in the No. 76 HMD Motorsports machine.

This was the seventh pole this season for Hauger, who also has won six of the 12 races so far.

Salvador de Alba qualified a career-best second at 151.739 in the No. 27 Grupo Indi car, as Andretti Global drivers locked out the front row. De Alba appeared to be headed toward a pole run after his opening lap of 153.773, breaking the one-lap track record of 151.952 set by Mark Hotchkis in 1996. But de Alba slowed to 149.758 on his second trip around the 1.015-mile oval.

“I’m not 100 percent sure what happened on Lap 2,” de Alba said. “The car was on rails on Lap 1. But Lap 2 wasn’t the same.”

Callum Hedge qualified third – tying his season best – at 151.336 in the No. 17 Abel Motorsports machine. Lochie Hughes was the third Andretti Global driver in the top four qualifying spots, stopping the clocks at 150.869 in the No. 26 McGinley Clinic/USF Pro Championship car.

Myles Rowe, winner of the most-recent oval race at Iowa, qualified fifth at 150.857 in the No. 99 Abel/Force Indy car. He will be joined in the third row of the starting grid by Bryce Aron, who qualified sixth at 150.852 in the No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing entry.

CHEVROLET NCS AT DAYTONA 2: Justin Marks, Connor Zilisch and Dr. Eric Warren Press Conference Transcript

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Official Release
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NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 23, 2025

 Justin Marks, Founder and Owner of Trackhouse Racing; Connor Zilisch, driver for Trackhouse Racing; and Dr. Eric Warren, Vice President, Global Motorsports Competition for GM Motorsports; met with the media onsite at Daytona International Speedway to announce that Zilisch has signed a multiyear agreement to drive for Trackhouse Racing full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2026.

Press Conference Quotes:

Justin Marks: “We’re here to shock the world with an announcement that nobody saw coming. It’s a thrilling moment, humbling, an exciting moment for Trackhouse Entertainment Group to officially announce and welcome Connor Zilisch, who’ll be our third driver next year in a multi-year deal in the NASCAR Cup Series. He’ll join Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen as his teammates. I don’t have to say how special he is and how humbled and excited that we are to have Connor join us at the Cup Series level. A number of years ago, when we started kind of thinking about the three-year, five-year and the long-term vision of this company, it became apparent as we got established in this series that we needed to start making investments in our future and start cultivating our future. And Connor really stood out. I watched him raise the Trackhouse Motorplex, watched him as he went to Late Models and then Trans Am, and then got an opportunity to be his teammate in the Trans Am race at VIR just to sort of see how he operates, and he won that race by about 45 seconds over the field. It was really kind of that moment that we felt like making an investment in Connor, giving him the tools and the opportunity to develop, was something that we really needed to do at Trackhouse. So, we’re really excited that Red Bull and WeatherTech are both going to anchor the program on his car next year, and we’re working very, very hard to give all three of our guys an opportunity to win, make our race cars fast, make our company competitive and a leader in the garage. I think if we do that, we’ve got a bunch of guys that that can win a lot of races, including Connor in his rookie year. So, Connor Zilisch, welcome, my friend.”

Connor Zilisch: “Thank you. I’m honored to be joined by you two on the stage. You two believed in me before a lot of people did and gave me this opportunity to be sitting here today and have the opportunity to make that jump to the Cup Series. So, first of all, thank you to Eric and Justin. I was sitting in the Dick’s parking lot across the street earlier today and just kind of reflecting on the last 15 years of my life and what’s led to this moment and got me to this point. I never thought I would make it anywhere in racing. My parents have been behind me since day one, through every moment, the good, the bad. There were many times I questioned why I left school, left my friends, to make this commitment to go to the Cup Series and try and chase a dream of racing in motorsports. I never knew what was ahead of me. There were times, five years ago, where I thought I was just going to go to college and live the life of a normal kid and Kevin Harvick asked my dad, what’s your plan with this kid? And my dad was like, ‘Well, he’s going to race for another year two and then he’s going to go to college.’ And Kevin told my dad, ‘You can’t do that.’ So, thank you to Kevin. There are a lot of people that have been a part of this journey with me. I have way too many people to thank. Junior Motorsports, first of all, for giving me this opportunity this year to race with them. Dale, Kelley, you guys have given me a great home for the last six to 12 months and I’m very grateful for that. Pinnacle Racing Group, my ARCA team, they took a chance on me to put me into the national series in NASCAR and let me race in the ARCA Series with them. Silver Hare Racing before that in Trans Am gave me my first ride in a stock car. Back to even my karting days when I was with Gary Willis. We spent months in Europe together. He was basically my father for a good portion of my life. So, today is a really, really special day for me. I never thought this day would come, and that it certainly feels good.”

Eric Warren: “I look at Connor now, he’s 19, I look at him like he was 14, the first day we talked to him. I specifically remember his father, Jim, and him sitting in with us, and it was just really inspiring to see his commitment, even at that point. And Josh Wise, I give him a ton of credit, Josh and his group with us have developed a lot of great young people and Connor from the very beginning, Josh was like, ‘This kid’s going to do something nobody else has ever done.’ And, so far, that’s been true. There’s been a lot of things that really inspired, not just us, but Connor is the one that’s done the work. If you look at what he’s done and everything he puts it. I see him every day at our Technic Center working out and couldn’t be more proud to be a part of it, honestly. He’s got a great head on his shoulders, but it’s honestly the work and the things that people don’t see. It’s not just a talent. He puts in the effort and really, really works at it. That’s really where his success comes from. So super happy for this day and look forward to what we’ll see in the future.”

Connor Zilisch: “I do have to give a big shout out to Josh Wise. I joined the Chevy program in 2021 or 2022. And in the last three years, I’ve completely changed as a human in life, on the racetrack and off the racetrack. Josh has taught me so much, and I definitely owe a lot to him. So, yeah, very grateful that that. He took the chance to start that that program with Chevrolet and bring in those five young drivers and very fortunate that I was one of those five. That kind of kick-started and led to where I am today.”

It’s rare for someone to start their full-time Cup career as young as 19 years old. What is it that sets Connor apart from other big racing prospects?

Justin Marks: “I think it’s what everybody sees. It’s the level of maturity, the approach, the ability to deliver in big moments. When I get asked, which is sort of weird, but I get asked sometimes by young people, ‘What can I do to get noticed or to get an opportunity in racing?’ And I tell them it’s just you have to just win. You have to just have the ability to get it done when you got a fast racecar and when you have a winning opportunity you got to be able to close the deal. Connor’s done it. Just every car, he’s gotten in, he’s figured out a way to win. I think another one is the rate of adaptability. This sport won’t wait on somebody to figure things out. It’s such a fast-paced sport. You have to be able to get in a car, understand it right away, find its limits right away, and go deliver right away. And I think you saw that at Watkins Glen last year, first time in an Xfinity car and won the race. Earlier that year in the truck at COTA, first time in the truck, and put the thing on pole by a lot. Just to be able to get in and figure it out quickly. That’s really what it’s all about, because the Cup Series is a different sport than the Xfinity Series. Every week is such a challenge, and he’s going to be going to a lot of racetracks that he’s never seen in a Cup car before and with such a limited practice. He’s going to have to be able to figure out how to go fast really quickly. And he’s demonstrated the ability to do that so much in his career. And I think the other part of it, like I said, when I touched on is just maturity. Emotional maturity, approach, organization, and paying attention to the things that are important to success in his career. All of those things together, he’s demonstrated in a way that I’ve never seen a teenager be able to do it before. So, when you recognize that you’ve got that in a package, you know you have to run with it. And we’ve seen it. You know, Max Verstappen, and there’s been other drivers that that have gotten sort of thrown into the top level at a young age, and all those guys kind of demonstrate the same thing. So, we wouldn’t be doing this if we didn’t think that he was successful, if we didn’t think that he’d be able to win as a rookie. So, we’re thrilled to be able to have him.”

You’ve known this day was coming for a while, so I’m curious did you come in here trying not to cry or did this all of a sudden come up on you?

Connor Zilisch “It’s cool. I knew the whole world knew already, but still to be able to say it and have my name next to the word Cup Series is really cool. So, I wasn’t going to try and hide from it, but it’s just a day that I’ve been dreaming of for a long time and I’m not going to let that kind of the idea that everybody already knows take away from the moment.”

Are you lobbying for a number? Is there a number that you want?

Justin Marks: “We’ve got some announcements that we’re going to make over the next couple of weeks. Obviously, there are questions around the program people, numbers, kind of all of that, and we’re going to have those moments when we can really celebrate them. But, right now, it’s about Red Bull, WeatherTech and Connor.”

Connor Zilisch: “To add to that, Red Bull and WeatherTech this year has been a staple on my car and been such a big part of getting me to this point and making Justin signing me and putting me in the best equipment possible. So, yeah, to the entire WeatherTech family, it certainly means a lot to have their support. And I’ve been a Red Bull athlete for almost a year now, and probably the coolest sponsor. You watch videos of guys jumping from stratosphere and, you watch those YouTube videos as kids and you one day dream of being as cool as them and being a part of that legendary club, of being a Red Bull athlete. I’m really excited to have two of probably some of the coolest sponsors in our sport on my car next year.”

Is there a point in your career when you realized you had made it or maybe to this moment come just right now sitting on this stage?

Connor Zilisch: “I still haven’t made it to where I want to be, right? This is the start. I wanted to get to this point and give myself the opportunity to win championships at the highest level, but I wouldn’t say I’ve made it. But I’ve made it farther than a lot. So, that’s something to be proud of. And, yeah, it’s going to be grueling. The Cup Series is no joke, and that jump from Saturday to Sunday is bigger than probably any other sport in our country. So, yeah, I’m excited for the challenge and looking forward to just going out and learning and every Sunday giving my best effort and seeing where I stack up. I know it’s not going to be easy, but I’m just excited to be a part of the Cup Series. Have I made it? No, but I made it way farther than I thought I would.”

The Cup Series, all the pressure, and all the commitments and all that stuff. How important is it to you to try to keep the person you are now?

Connor Zilisch: “You get to Sunday and all of a sudden this becomes a job and you’re finishing position determines if you’re going to stay in the sport or not. And obviously that adds pressure and makes things more difficult, and it certainly adds to the fact that this is no longer all about having fun, but that’s what I’m going to try and do my best to keep every Sunday is to make sure that I’m enjoying it and enjoying the ride. This stuff, you can’t travel 38 weeks a year around the country and be miserable and expect to do well. So, yeah, you have to enjoy it. The good days are going to be special, and the bad days are you being a part of it. And that’s kind of just what you got to understand from the get-go. And, yeah, I’ll do my best. But there’s nothing that can really prepare you for this jump and only time will tell how it affects me. But I’m going to do my best to stand on my ground and stay true to who I am.”

With Connor now and then SVG. Do you expect to win every road course race next year?

Justin Marks: “Well, you can never expect to win. I mean, this series is very, very difficult. I would say that when we pull into the racetrack, everybody unloads feeling like they need to beat Trackhouse. I think the goal for us is to continue to invest in this sort of transition I’ve been talking about as a company. So that’s the case, all 38 weeks of the year. I mean, the goal for this business is to be a championship-winning organization, and we’re making a lot of moves internally right now to get ourselves there, because we’re competitors, we’re racers and we want to win every single week. I will say that the road courses are near and dear to my heart because it’s what I came out of, racing a bunch of years in IMSA and road racing. We’ve obviously got somebody that has demonstrated an incredible amount of skill at the road courses in SVG, but now we got two bullets in that gun, so I think it bodes well for us on the road courses. But we want to be able to do it every single week.”

You’ve waited on this announcement. Were there any loose ends, or was it this just seemed like the right time for you to make this announcement?

Justin Marks: “Well, obviously it takes time to get to get a deal done, right? So, we spent time in kind of getting to a place that we were both happy with. And as far as now, I don’t know if there was any real kind of rhyme or reason to it. It makes sense to do it at Daytona, just because it’s such an important part of the sport. Last year we sat right here in this room on this day and announced that Shane van Gisbergen was going to be joining the team. So, I came through the tunnel here when I was 19 years old for the 24 Hours of Daytona and Daytona’s been a huge part of my life ever since then. It’s been a huge part of, I think, everybody’s life that’s sitting in this room right now. So, it’s great to do it at the World Center of Racing and great to do it right in NASCAR’s backyard.”

Do you view Connor as basically being a cornerstone of this team going forward?

Justin Marks: “Yeah, I hope so. I think he represents a huge opportunity because of his maturity, because of his talent, and because of the fact that he’s got potential to be a champion in this sport, a multi-time champion in this sport. We have to do our job as a company. I mean, we have to put fast cars on the racetrack, we have to give him and his teammates an opportunity to go fast in the sport. So, I think as long as he stays focused and brings it every single week and we do our job building fast racecars and putting the right people around him, I think we’ll experience success together. I think we both would like for that to last a really, really long time. But it’s a very, very difficult sport. And, right now, Trackhouse is going through, like I said, this sort of transitional period where we’re looking at the company and envisioning kind of what the future looks like because it’s hard to beat Penske and Gibbs and Hendrick. But we want to be the team to do it. So, if we do our job and he does his job, I don’t see why we can’t have a lot of success together for a long time.”

For somebody who’s still super young and still has such an early career, what’s some of the hardships and challenges that you’ve faced and overcome?

Connor Zilisch: “It started probably 2020, 2021, when I was getting out of go karts and trying to make the jump into racing, full size cars, and my dad basically told me, ‘Look, I can get you to this point, but from here, you’re on your own.’ And it was tough to accept that. There were kids that I watched around me that had parents that could get them to the next level and I kind of had to go out and win races and find my way on my own. I always had their guidance and help, but at some point, you got to pay for this stuff somehow. I’m just very glad and fortunate that I had people around me who helped me. That’s why I say yes to every opportunity I get almost from the time I was 15 to 17. I never turned down an opportunity to get behind the wheel, whether it was racing on dirt, racing a Miata, racing Trans Am, Late Models. I always wanted to just be behind the wheel and get myself in front of more people because you never know who you’re going to meet, and that’s exactly how kind of things went with Justin and I. Someone came to me and asked me if I wanted to race a Trans Am car at VIR, and I said, yes, and you know, next thing I know I was teammates with Justin. That’s where things kind of started for us. So, it’s kind of been just who I am since I got out of a go kart, and I’m very glad that I had to work for it and I had to win races to get to the next level, because it makes sitting here today that much sweeter.”

Justin Marks: “I think there’s a good lesson in that because one of the things that we talk about is taking advantage of the opportunity, delivering in the big moments. And when you’re in a position where you just you have to just let your talent speak for it, he delivered in that, and we looked at it and said, ‘You know, we’re going to make a commitment here, we’re going to make a financial commitment, we’re going to make an asset commitment.’ Eric Warren and Chevrolet did the same thing. They made a commitment because they just saw that there was something special here, because he just delivered so much. So, it’s great to be in this moment because the investment that we made, the investment that Chevrolet has made, we’ve seen that paid dividends with all the wins this year in Xfinity and we see the opportunity to do the same thing on Sundays.”

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.

Palou Saves Best for Last To Win Milwaukee Pole

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Official Release
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WEST ALLIS, Wis. (Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025) – It’s about time to shed the notion Alex Palou isn’t an oval ace, isn’t it?

Palou won the NTT P1 Award on Saturday for the Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 on the final attempt of the qualifying session, turning a two-lap average speed of 162.971 in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Palou, who clinched his fourth NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship on Aug. 10 at Portland, earned his sixth pole this season.

“I knew I had a good car,” Palou said. “I just wanted to get everything out of it, so I just fired as much speed as I think it could handle and a little bit more, and it sticks. It feels amazing to get a pole here.”

Palou has produced a magical season so far that resulted in his third consecutive championship. He has won eight races, tied for the third-most in one season in INDYCAR SERIES history, including his first oval victory in the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge in May.

This is Palou’s second oval NTT P1 Award this season, as he won from the pole in July in the second race of the Iowa Speedway doubleheader. This was his 12th career pole overall and third on an oval, as he captured the top spot for the 2023 Indianapolis 500.

Palou dramatically seized the pole from David Malukas, who was on the verge of winning his first career NTT P1 Award after turning an average of 162.256 in the No. 4 Clarience Technologies Chevrolet of A.J. Foyt Enterprises as the 18th car on the 1.015-mile oval in the 27-car field.

Still, Malukas will start on the front row for the race Sunday (2 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network) after tying his career-best qualifying performance.

“Before he went out, I told the guys, ‘He looked fast in practice one; he’s going to be the one to beat,’” Malukas said. “As soon as I saw that first lap, saw him come out of (Turn) 4, I was like, ‘All right, that one looked pretty good.’

“We’re going to be starting on that front row here in Milwaukee. We can still do a lot from up there.”

The contrast in strategy between Palou and Malukas on their respective warmup laps was interesting and reflected the different choices made by the field as they prepared to take the green. Malukas warmed up at 159.264 mph, while Palou cruised past the flag stand at 151.187 on his warmup, saving wear on his Firestone Firehawk tires before stepping hard on the gas for his two-lap run.

Pato O’Ward qualified third at 162.078 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. He will be joined in the second row of the starting grid by 2024 Milwaukee race winner Scott McLaughlin, who qualified fourth at 161.758 mph in the No. 3 Sonsio Vehicle Protection Chevrolet of Team Penske.

Six-time series champion Scott Dixon qualified fifth at 160.951 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, but he will move back nine spots on the starting grid as a penalty for an unscheduled engine change beyond the season’s allotment.

Will Power qualified sixth at 160.819 in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet. That run capped a strong day for Team Penske, for which Power earned the team’s first victory of the season Aug. 10 at Portland. Josef Newgarden qualified eighth at 160.330 in the No. 2 Snap-on Team Penske Chevrolet as the legendary team will try to earn its first oval victory of the season Sunday.

There was one incident involving contact and another near-miss during qualifying.

Felix Rosenqvist did a quarter-spin in the No. 60 SiriusXM Honda of Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian on his first qualifying lap, backing into the SAFER Barrier in Turn 4. The rear of the car suffered moderate damage. Rosenqvist was unhurt.

That incident occurred just minutes after Colton Herta slid his No. 26 Gainbridge Honda through Turn 2 and then did a half-spin to the left exiting that corner. But Herta showed incredible car control to walk the tightrope between throttle and wheel input to keep the car off the walls.

19-Year-Old Racing Phenom Connor Zilisch to Drive Trackhouse Chevy in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series

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Official Release
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DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. – Connor Zilisch, one of the hottest prospects in NASCAR history, will race a Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet full-time in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series.

The 19-year-old Zilisch and Trackhouse Racing founder and owner Justin Marks announced Saturday at Daytona International Speedway that they’ve reached a multiyear agreement for Zilisch to drive for the three-car team that has already won five Cup Series races this season with drivers Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen.

“This day has been a dream of mine for a long time,” said Zilisch, who has been a Trackhouse developmental driver since 2024 and competes this season for JR Motorsports, where he leads the Xfinity Series with seven race wins.

“Cup racing has been the goal since joining with Chevrolet and Trackhouse, and while I didn’t know it would come this soon, I feel like I’m ready,” Zilisch said. “I know the challenge that awaits entering the Cup Series as a full-time driver, but I feel that with the support of Trackhouse and Chevrolet, this is the right situation for me. I won’t be making any predictions for success next year. All I promise is to put in 100 percent effort, learn all that I can, plus have a little bit of fun along the way!”

Ten years of competitive kart racing, including a stint in Europe as an 11-year-old racer, gave the Mooresville, North Carolina, native the tools to adapt quickly when he moved to compete professionally in early 2021.

Since then, Zilisch has enjoyed success in every series he’s entered. In the last two years, he won the 2024 Rolex 24 and the 12 Hours of Sebring as well as five ARCA races, two NASCAR Truck Series poles, plus a victory in a CARS Tour late model race.

He swept the pole and won the race in his Xfinity Series debut at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International in 2024, and his dominance driving the No. 88 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports in 2025 has been remarkable. He’s won six times in just 22 races and leads the driver points despite missing a race after an accident at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. Since returning to the driver’s seat at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway in May, Zilisch has reeled off 12 consecutive top-five finishes, including six victories: Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway, Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway, Indianapolis (Ind.) Motor Speedway, Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International and Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

Marks raced against Zilisch in Trans Am competition and watched the youngster at the Trackhouse Motorplex go-kart track in North Carolina. Since signing Zilisch to the developmental program, he has gotten to know Zilisch as a driver and as a person.

“Connor is a rare talent that comes along every few decades,” said Marks. “I have watched Connor grow from a kid racing go-karts at the Trackhouse Motorplex to an up-close seat as he beat all of us in the Trans Am races a few years ago. He quickly adapted to everything we have put him in, and what he is doing with JR Motorsports in Xfinity this season is historic.

“Connor is very mature, poised, and I know ready for Cup racing in 2026. He’s been mentored along the way by former racer Josh Wise and Dr. Eric Warren at General Motors. I can speak for everyone at Trackhouse Racing when I say we have a tremendous amount of faith in this young man.”

Warren, Vice President of Global Motorsports Competition for General Motors, predicts that Zilisch talent will lead to success in the most competitive racing series on the planet.

“We are excited for Connor to get the opportunity to compete full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2026,” said Warren. “What Connor has been able to accomplish in NASCAR over the last year has been remarkable. He has the drive and commitment to put in the work on and off the track, and we look forward to seeing his continued success in NASCAR’s top division.”

Trackhouse has already raced Zilisch in the Cup Series three times in 2025. He recorded an 11th-place finish at Echo Park (Atlanta) Speedway in June and showed tremendous speed at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, in March and Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway in May.

Marks expects the team to announce Zilisch’s car number, sponsorship, crew chief, and crew lineup in the coming weeks.

The Trackhouse Racing story has been a meteoric rise in world motorsports. The Trackhouse team began competition in 2021 as a single-car race team with driver Daniel Suárez behind the wheel. The team achieved success on and off track in 2021, running competitively and reaching out to non-traditional NASCAR audiences. Its culturally diverse pit crews, new sponsors and fresh openness are pillars of the Trackhouse philosophy.

The team has expanded to three full-time Cup Series entries and has logged 13 victories since 2021, including wins by Ross Chastain at Charlotte in May, Van Gisbergen in Mexico in June, as well as the Chicago Street Race and Sonoma in July, plus Watkins Glen in August.

Trackhouse Racing joined the MotoGP grid in 2024, bringing an American team back to the pinnacle of motorcycle racing for the first time in over a decade. Trackhouse Racing MotoGP is determined to be a competitive force on and off track in partnership with Aprilia as its official factory-supported team.

Kaulig Racing Named Anchor Team for Ram’s Return to NASCAR

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Official Release
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Daytona Beach, FL (August 23, 2025) – Ram officially confirmed today that Kaulig Racing will become the anchor factory team for the truck maker’s highly anticipated return to NASCAR, starting with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2026.

Kaulig Racing, founded a decade ago by Ohio-based entrepreneur, community leader and philanthropist Matt Kaulig, is poised to field up to five Ram 1500 trucks in NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck Series starting with the February 13, 2026, season kick-off race at Daytona International Speedway. The race will mark the first time a factory supported team will carry the Ram badge in a NASCAR race since 2012.

“This partnership represents far more than a new chapter in Kaulig Racing’s history, it’s a union of shared values,” said Matt Kaulig, owner of Kaulig Racing. “Over the past decade, our team has built a legacy rooted in performance, integrity, and giving back to the community. To now join forces as the anchor team for Ram’s return to NASCAR is both an honor and a responsibility. Together, we’re ready to set a new standard on race day and in the impact we make off the track.”

Ram’s return to racing was officially unveiled during a live NASCAR event at Michigan International Speedway on June 8. The announcement featured a Ram 5500 towing a custom-built trailer designed for smoky donuts—courtesy of Ram’s NASCAR concept truck.

“We needed a partner that truly aligns with the Ram brand and embraces our unconventional approach to NASCAR,” said Tim Kuniskis, Ram CEO. “With Kaulig Racing, we found the perfect synergy to drive our ’Last Tenth’ culture forward.”

The announcement marks a monumental moment in the history of the burgeoning team.

“We are proud of what the men and women of Kaulig Racing have accomplished over the past decade,” said Kaulig Racing President, Chris Rice. “Special thanks to Ty Norris for his dedication to Kaulig Racing and helping get us to the next level.”

Kaulig Racing currently fields two chartered entries in the NASCAR Cup Series and three teams in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, scoring 29 race wins over the last seven seasons across the two series.

As Kaulig Racing continues to build its Craftsman Truck Series teams for the 2026 season, the driver line up for its inaugural season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will be announced at a later date.

Kaulig Racing will make its NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut with Ram under the lights at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, February 13, 2026, live on Fox Sports 1, the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SIRIUS XM NASCAR Channel 90.

About Kaulig Racing

Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time, multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has earned 27 NXS wins, made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started, and won two regular-season championships. In 2021, the team competed in select NCS events, before expanding to a two-car, full-time NCS team in 2022 and adding a third, part-time entry during the 2023 season. Since its first NCS start in 2021, the team has earned two wins. Kaulig Racing is currently fielding two full-time entries in the NCS and continues to field three full-time NXS entries. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

About Ram

Ram offers a full lineup of pickups and commercial vehicles: light-duty Ram 1500, heavy-duty 2500/3500, 3500/4500/5500 Chassis Cab and ProMaster vans.

Ram light-duty and heavy-duty pickups offer products in the fastest growing segment within the pickup space—Sport trucks. Ram introduced the largest variety of off-road performance trucks the brand has ever offered, including the new Ram 1500 RHO with more horsepower per dollar than any other performance off-road pickup.

In the commercial business, Ram offers the Chassis Cab line with features to help customers and upfitters. Ram Professional is making considerable changes in process, execution and resources with a focus on commercial offerings, dedicated B2B-focused expertise, and sales and service support, which are critical to growing in this segment.

Ram continues to outperform the competition, setting the benchmark in the most important areas for truck buyers:

  • America’s Best Full-size Truck and Van Powertrain Limited Warranty 10 years/100k miles
  • Segment-first: 1,000 lb.-ft of torque with Cummins Turbo Diesel
  • Most luxurious: Ram 1500 Tungsten with air suspension, 24-way massage seats and 540 horsepower
  • Ram 1500 and Heavy Duty: Best ride and handling with five-link solid rear axle with available, segment-exclusive, active-level air suspension
  • Ram 1500 RHO: Best off-road performance per dollar
  • Ram ProMaster: The most cargo space available in any traditional full size cargo van
  • Ram Power Wagon: Most off-road capable full-size pickup

Ram is improving market competitiveness and growth while maintaining pricing power through products, services and electrified offerings. Aligned under the global presence of the Stellantis Pro One commercial vehicle organization, Ram currently offers a wide range of products globally, from the Ram 700 compact pickup to the Ram 5500 Chassis Cab and a range of ProMaster vans.

Ram is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.

Follow Ram and company news and video on:
Company blog: blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com
Media website: media.stellantisnorthamerica.com
Ram Truck brand: ramtrucks.com
Facebook: facebook.com/RamTrucks
Instagram: @ramtrucks
Twitter: @RamTrucks, @StellantisNA
YouTube: youtube.com/RamTrucks, youtube.com/StellantisNA

How Vehicle Type Affects Car Insurance Costs

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

The vehicle the individual drives is another important element that defines the cost of car insurance. Insurance firms use the make, model, age and value of a car in determining their premiums. There are cars that represent a greater risk of accidents, theft, and repair costs and as such, insurance charges differ. Knowing the way car type affects insurance costs can assist car buyers to take informed decision when buying a carModelyear Requirement Modelyear requirement is the requirement that you have to be of a certain age to get a certificate of entitlement, and you could be aged 18 or have a license of certain type eg 18 years and up, or no license.

The cost of insurance is not only based on the vehicle in question but also on the perceived risk to insurers of financial loss associated with that particular vehicle. Sports cars, deluxe cars, and used cars could be associated with high premium costs because it is expensive to repair them or they are more prone to thefts. On the other hand, cars that have a good safety record, or which are inexpensive to replace, will be charged more favorable rates. These factors are vital when one wants to balance how to choose a vehicle with affordable insurance cover.

Effect of Vehicle Value on Insurance Rates

The value of a car is one of the main factors which influence the premium of car insurance. High-value cars are more expensive to fix or repurchase, and this factor pumps up the insurance company. Because of this, the owners of high-end or luxury cars tend to pay more on insurance covers than ordinary car owners.

The insurance firms also consider the effects of depreciation to cover the cost of insurance Cars or trucks that have high amounts of retained values could be beneficial to insurers but initially, the cost of replacing or repairing is major. Knowing the way auto insurance is impacted by the value of a car will assist the buyer in making a choice between a car that delivers the desired performance and yet is affordable on the insurance front in the long run.

Influence of Vehicle Type and Model

These insurance rates are greatly affected by the available type and model of a vehicle. Performance cars and sports cars tend to be more expensive to insure as they are attributed to higher speeds, and also are at a higher risk of accidents. Sedans and minivans and other family cars are instead associated with lower premiums because of their strength and lower risk of car theft.

Insurance companies additionally give thought to model specific security benefits and past assets records. Cars with good crash ratings, or vehicles with high levels of safety technology can be considered lower risk and can earn lower rates. Motorists are advised to consider the style and the specifications of a car when considering the insurance costs as this directly determines the calculations of insurance costs.

Impact of Age and Condition of Vehicle

The age and condition of an automobile is a significant element in automobile insurance rates. Newer cars can be more costly to replace and newer cars are likely to incur a higher premium depending on the set of features that a car has or how expensive it is. Older vehicles, being in most cases cheaper to insure, may not have the latest in safety systems and can also affect the rates.

Maintenance and general condition also weighs in on the cost of the coverage. Car insurance may be more favorable when it comes to well-kept cars that may have fewer chances of experiencing mechanical failures or accidents. Maintaining a vehicle in good condition not only helps preserve its resale value, but may also help it get cheaper car insurance.

Safety Features and Technology

Safety features have a direct impact on insurance costs. Cars fitted with anti lock brakes, airbags, collision avoidance and other safety rich cars may be rated to a lesser premium. Insurers acknowledge that these are characteristics that minimize the chances of accidents and injuries and the result is less exposure to their finances.

Better technology is also available to alert or better inform the driver of their situation, which might include lane departure warnings or automatic emergency braking and such technology will lead to a better safety rating. Cars with high strength safety features are not only safe to its occupants but also expenditure worthy in the long run in terms of insurance. A car purchase can be constructive in terms of protection and in terms of the money it costs to run.

Risk of Theft and Vandalism

The insurance is more expensive on some types of vehicles that have a higher likelihood of theft or vandalism. Vehicles such as sports cars, luxury models, or those with a high resale value have also been most targeted, and it is this reason that insurers can face more claim cases. The easier a car is to secure or the less alluring it is to a thief, the lower will be the premium.

Insurance firms pay attention to the crime rates and past thefts scenarios in the area to determine rates. Other preventive measures vehicle owners can resort to are installing anti-theft devices or parking in safe places that can keep them safe. Knowing how likely it is that a car will be stolen or damaged, can give drivers an idea of what to expect regarding insurance prices and make sound decisions.

Conclusion

The type of car, its worth and options will significantly influence the cost of car insurance policies. Cars with a higher value of commencing progress and models with high replacement costs normally have higher premiums whereas modest non-luxury cars that are not subjected to risk driving have a cheaper premium. Coverage costs also depend on factors like, safety technology, age, condition, and risk of being stolen.

Considering such factors, drivers can make smart decisions, regarding the purchase of a car and the choice of insurance. It is necessary to reconcile the personal preferences with the practical issues connected with car insurance and auto insurance expenses to make both of them safe and affordable. Selecting an appropriate vehicle is one way to save money in the long run and experience an easier time purchasing insurance.

ARCA Menards Series at Madison International Speedway: Badger 200 Unofficial Results & Post-race Notes

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Official Release
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ARCA Menards Series at Madison International Speedway:
Badger 200 Post-race Notes

  • Max Reaves (No. 18 Cook Out Toyota) scored his second career ARCA Menards Series victory in just his third career start in Friday’s Badger 200 at Madison International Speedway. Reaves started from the General Tire Pole after setting the fast lap in time trials and led every lap on his way to the win.
  • The win is the eighth victory across the ARCA Menards Series platform in 2025 for Joe Gibbs Racing. The team has won ARCA Menards Series races with Brent Crews at Phoenix Raceway and with Reaves at Elko Speedway, ARCA Menards Series East races with Crews at Rockingham Speedway and Reaves at Five Flags Speedway, Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, and Flat Rock Speedway, and in the ARCA Menards Series West at Sonoma Raceway with William Sawalich.
  • Lavar Scott (No. 6 Max Siegel Inc. Chevrolet) finished second for the second consecutive week. It was Scott’s tenth top-five finish in fifteen ARCA Menards Series starts in 2025.
  • ARCA Menards Series championship points leader Brenden “Butterbean” Queen (No. 28 BestRepair.net Chevrolet) finished third after starting second. Queen entered the race with a 34-point lead over Lavar Scott, and will head into next Sunday’s Southern Illinois 100 at DuQuoin State Fairgrounds with a 33-point lead.
  • Isabella Robusto (No. 55 Mobil 1 Toyota) finished fourth, rebounding from a 21st-place finish last Sunday at Springfield. It is Robusto’s sixth top-five finish in 2025.
  • Julian DeCosta (No. 70 Nitro Kart Toyota) finished fifth in his ARCA Menards Series debut, the final car on the lead lap.
  • Mason Mitchell (No. 25 Detour Sunglasses Toyota) finished sixth in his first start at Madison since 2014. Mitchell, the 2014 ARCA Menards Series champion, raced as high as third before a loose condition effected handling late in the race.
  • Jason Kitzmiller (No. 97 A.L.L. Construction Chevrolet) finished seventh, his eleventh top-ten of the season and his best finish on a short track since he finished sixth at Elko Speedway in June.
  • Kaylee Bryson (No. 17 LSI / MMI Chevrolet) recovered from an oil fire in practice to finish eighth in her ARCA Menards Series debut. Bryson was driving for 2023 ARCA Menards Series West owner champion Bruce Cook’s Cook Racing Technologies team.
  • Tony Cosentino (No. 10 Diebold Pool Service Ford) finished ninth, his first top ten finish of season and his first since a seventh-place finish at Elko Speedway in 2023.
  • Willie Mullins (No. 3 CW Companies Ford) finished tenth, his third consecutive top-ten finish. He finished tenth at Berlin Raceway and ninth at Elko Speedway.
  • The next race for the ARCA Menards Series is the Southern Illinois 100 at DuQuoin State Fairgrounds. The race will be televised live on FS1 starting at 8:30 pm ET on Sunday, August 31. Live timing and scoring data and live race audio will be available at ARCARacing.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.

RCR NXS Race Recap: Daytona International Speedway

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Official Release
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Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Team Make Strategic Calls, Leading to Fourth-Place Finish at Daytona International Speedway

Finish: 4th
Start: 10th
Points: 4th

“I was so bad in the first stage, that we fell all the way back to 20th. Danny (Stockman) went to work and got the car better. We stopped complaining about it and got ourselves in position to win. Obviously it’s really unfortunate to come up short. I guess I don’t really know how to win from where I was lined up in fifth, with two teammates in front of me and a top lane that I knew was going to fall apart. It was kind of a hands-tied situation. If I ran it back, I would take the top lane, expecting the No. 70 to shove the No. 21 out, and try to fill that hole. Really unfortunate that we didn’t get the win, but still a good points day for our Whelen Chevrolet team.” -Jesse Love

Austin Hill and the No. 21 Global Industrial Chevrolet Team Collected in Last Lap Crash to Finish in 25th-Place at Daytona International Speedway

Finish: 25th
Start: 4th
Points: 5th

“After getting shucked out on the Overtime restart, the No. 48 and I were rolling hard in the top lane. We had a ton of momentum and a heck of a run. I hate our race ended with a torn up car, but unfortunately, that is just superspeedway racing. Sometimes you are going to win them, and sometimes you are going to end up on the hook. I’m actually surprised we didn’t have more crashes with how much cars were moving around out there tonight. My Global Industrial Chevrolet wasn’t handling the greatest. It moved around quite a bit and was really tight on corner exit. Our car reacted to the air differently than it has in the past, but all in all, I’m proud of our No. 21 group for putting ourselves in position to have a chance at the win.” -Austin Hill

Kaulig Racing Race Recap | WaWa 250

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Official Release
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No. 11 Celsius Chevrolet

Start: 21st
Stage 1 Finish: 13th
Stage 2 Finish: 16th
Finish: 19th

Justin Haley made up eight positions during Stage 1 of the WaWa 250, finishing 13th. He pitted for four tires and fuel, before starting the second stage from 17th. It took Haley just 12 laps to take the lead in the No. 16 Celsius Chevy. He led a total of seven laps, before eventually losing his help. He slid back to 16th, where he finished the second stage, which ended under yellow for a wreck. During the stage break, Haley gained eight spots on pit road, before starting the final stage from ninth place. Haley lost his help once again but managed to stay in the lead pack, before the caution came out with 11 laps to go. The green flag came out with six laps remaining, but Haley was eventually collected in a final-lap wreck, ending his night before the checkered flag. He was scored 19th.

“Appreciate the invite back from Matt Kaulig and Kaulig Racing! We had a competitive No. 11 Celsius Chevrolet and led some laps. Unfortunately, we got involved in a last-lap incident, but I really enjoyed being back in the Xfinity Series.” – Justin Haley

No. 16 Campers Inn RV Mobile Medic Chevrolet

Start: 9th
Stage 1 Finish: 7th
Stage 2 Finish: 3rd
Finish: 32nd

Happy with the handling of the No. 16 Campers Inn RV Mobile Medic Chevrolet, Christian Eckes finished seventh in the opening stage. He radioed that he needed track position more than anything, and crew chief Alex Yontz made the call for a two-tire pit stop during the stage break, ensuring Eckes gained four spots on pit road to start the second stage. Eckes continued making ground and sat third when the caution flag came out with two laps remaining in Stage 2, ending the segment under yellow. As the caution flag came out with 11 laps to go, Eckes sat eighth. With four laps remaining, Eckes was in position to take third place but was hooked on the outside. The No. 16 was unable to finish the race, and Eckes was scored 32nd.

“We had a super fast Campers Inn RV Camaro tonight. I thought it was more than capable of being a race-winning car. It’s unfortunate that it just didn’t to our way, but we have two more races to go execute and hopefully make a run for the playoffs.” – Christian Eckes

No. 10 Martech Services Company Chevrolet

Start: 17th
Stage 1 Finish: 15th
Stage 2 Finish: 17th
Finish: 35th

Although the No. 10 Martech Services Company Chevrolet fired off slightly free, Daniel Dye gained two spots in the opening stage, finishing 15th. During the first stage break, he pitted for four tires and fuel, before starting the second stage from 15th place. Coming to two laps to go in the second stage, a wreck brought out the caution flag, as Dye drove down pit road to avoid the wrecking cars ahead of him. He finished the stage in 17th and pitted for four tires and fuel during the break, before starting the final stage from 11th place. Dye radioed that he struggled passing, noting that he lacked help as the caution came out with 11 laps to go. He sat 17th as the field went green with six laps remaining but was collected in a wreck just two laps later. He was scored 35th.

“It’s always good to come home and race in front of a home crowd. We were able to race inside the top 10 for a portion of the race and had a fast No. 10 Chevrolet. Unfortunately, what seemed to be the inevitable happened, and we got caught up in a crash.” – Daniel Dye  

About Kaulig Racing

Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time, multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has earned 27 NXS wins, made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started, and won two regular-season championships. In 2021, the team competed in select NCS events, before expanding to a two-car, full-time NCS team in 2022 and adding a third, part-time entry during the 2023 season. Since its first NCS start in 2021, the team has earned two wins. Kaulig Racing is currently fielding two full-time entries in the NCS and continues to field three full-time NXS entries. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

Toyota GAZOO Racing – NXS Daytona Post-Race Report – 08.22.25

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Official Release
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TOYOTA GR SUPRAS EARN TWO TOP-10s AT DAYTONA
Brandon Jones, Dean Thompson Lead Toyota in Xfinity Race

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 22, 2025) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Brandon Jones led Toyota with a sixth-place result in Friday night’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway.

Sam Hunt Racing’s Dean Thompson also earned a top 10 with a seventh-place finish in Friday’s rain-delayed race.

Toyota GAZOO Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS)
Daytona International Speedway
Race 24 of 33 – 250 miles, 100 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, Parker Kligerman*

2nd, Sammy Smith*

3rd, Justin Allgaier*

4th, Jesse Love*

5th, Sam Mayer*

6th, BRANDON JONES

7th, DEAN THOMPSON

12th, WILLIAM SAWALICH

24th, ARIC ALMIROLA

30th, TAYLOR GRAY

*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

BRANDON JONES, No. 20 Menards Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 6th

Can you talk about tonight’s race?

“It’s always insane here. It’s a shorter race this time so the strategy played out a little bit different. I was just happy to have a really good day. I think we got points in each stage so that was beneficial and then to come home in the top five – it’s hard to finish these races out. The first one here was so short for us with only making five laps. We didn’t have a ton of notes to really go off of. We had a decent Talladega race which we had some solid stuff from, but nice to finally put one together here. We have Talladega again in the Playoffs so this race was important for us to just kind of learn just a little bit more about what we need to take to Talladega when we get to the Playoffs. It was a learning day. I was happy with a lot of the moves that we made — aggressive when we needed to, cautious when we needed to. Maybe a couple more laps, I don’t know. Highest finisher of the Toyota team so we’ll take it and go on to Portland and that will be a good one.”

DEAN THOMPSON, No. 26 Thompson Pipe Group Toyota GR Supra, Sam Hunt Racing

Finishing Position: 7th

How was your race tonight?

“It was a pretty up and down day. My guys brought a really fast Thompson Pipe Group Toyota GR Supra. I started really nice and kind of fell back immediately. Cut through the field, fell back, cut through the field, fell back. We probably passed the most cars in the field than anyone else today. It’s a testament to our team and to our race cars. I’m just happy for a top 10.”

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 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina began to assemble automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.

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

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