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RCR NCS Race Recap: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

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Accident Derails Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Get Bioethanol Chevrolet Team’s Run at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Finish: 38th
Start: 20th
Points: 30th

“Man, I hate it for Get Bioethanol and everyone on this No. 3 team. Our Chevrolet was good and I was happy with the balance. We earned points in the first stage and I felt like we had a car capable of finishing inside the top-10. It was a chain reaction with the field checking up on the restart and there was nothing we could do. Smashed our entire nose in and our day was done.” -Austin Dillon

Strong Run for Kyle Busch and the No. 8 zone Chevrolet Team Stalled by Damage in On-Track Incident

Finish: 25th
Start: 12th
Points: 15th

“We did the best we could with a tough situation today. We could fire off strong for the first five laps in our zone Chevrolet, then started to lose grip. Thought we would be okay and ran in the top six for the beginning of the race. The field got bunched together on a restart and we ended up with damage that ruined our chances of a decent day. Had we executed the way we needed to execute, we would have been there, but we will keep working together to get to where we need to be.” -Kyle Busch

Rick Ware Racing: Brickyard 400 from Indianapolis

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RICK WARE RACING
Brickyard 400
Date: July 27, 2025
Event: Brickyard 400 (Round 22 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (2.5-mile rectangular oval)
Format: 160 laps, broken into three stages (50 laps/50 laps/60 laps)
Note: Race extended eight laps past its scheduled 160-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.

Race Winner: Bubba Wallace of 23XI Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Chase Briscoe of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)

RWR Finish:

● Cody Ware (Started 34th, Finished 37th / Accident, completed 58 of 168 laps)

RWR Points:

● Cody Ware (36th with 149 points)

RWR Notes:

● Cody Ware soldiered through a malfunctioning coolsuit that intensified the hot and humid conditions endured during the Brickyard 400 Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. A tough race became even tougher when Ware was caught up in an accident following the lap-56 restart. Damage to the No. 51 Arby’s Ford Mustang Dark Horse sent Ware to the garage, where the team ultimately retired from the race after attempting repairs.

Race Notes:

● Bubba Wallace won the Brickyard 400 to score his third career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his first at Indianapolis. His margin over second-place Kyle Larson was .222 of a second.

● Wallace was the 13th different winner in the 22 NASCAR Cup Series races run this season.

● There were six caution periods for a total of 28 laps.

● Only 22 of the 39 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.

● Chase Elliott remains the championship leader after Indianapolis with a four-point advantage over second-place William Byron.

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Iowa Corn 350 on Sunday, Aug. 3 at Iowa Speedway in Newton. The race begins at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by USA and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Toyota GAZOO Racing NCS Post-Race Recap – Indianapolis – 07.27.25

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WALLACE LOCKS HIMSELF INTO PLAYOFFS WITH BRICKYARD 400 VICTORY
23XI Racing driver captures third career victory at Crown Jewel event

INDIANAPOLIS (July 27, 2025) – After a rain delay and multiple overtime restarts, Bubba Wallace was victorious in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, his third career win and first since 2022. The 23XI Racing driver led 30 laps across the 400-mile race after starting the day from the second position and locks himself into the Cup Series Playoffs.

Wallace’s team co-owner and Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) driver, Denny Hamlin, had a spirited drive on Sunday, coming from the rear of the field to finish in the third position. Christopher Bell, finishing eighth, was the third Toyota in the top-10.

Also, by finishing 21st, JGR driver Ty Gibbs came out on top of the inaugural Cup Series In-Season Challenge, taking home the $1 million prize.

Toyota GAZOO Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Race 22 of 36 – 400 miles, 160 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, BUBBA WALLACE
2nd, Kyle Larson*
3rd, DENNY HAMLIN
4th, Ryan Preece*
4th, Brad Keselowski*
8th, CHRISTOPHER BELL
12th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
18th, CHASE BRISCOE
21st, TY GIBBS
26th, RILEY HERBST
29th, TYLER REDDICK
36th, ERIK JONES
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

BUBBA WALLACE, No. 23 Chumba Casino Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing

Finishing Position: Winner

How does it feel to win the Brickyard 400?

“I’m worn out! I thought things every which way besides driving a race car during that red flag. So proud of this Chumba Casino Toyota team. The adrenaline rush is crazy! I want to thank all these people behind me, all the men and women of Airspeed for making this possible. Welcome to victory lane, Becks (son)! It’s pretty cool. To overcome so much and to put these people in victory lane, that’s what it’s all about. These people keep pushing me, believing in me. Man, just so proud. Thank you!”

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 Progressive Insurance Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 3rd

You finish third and a 23XI Racing car wins the Brickyard 400. What are the emotions?

“A little bit of both! Great day for our Progressive Toyota team. I have to say thank you to everyone at JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) for chipping in yesterday, and 23XI (Racing) for wrapping the car. Yesterday, (was) a huge team effort. I’ve never seen so many people come together to get this done. It needed a lot of work, and they gave me something I could contend with. Not a lot I could complain with. Think we set the fastest lap there on the last lap. The car is capable, we just needed a little track position. We had to take a little extra fuel on that last stop as we had to ‘pay that fuel tax’ at some point. All we needed is for me to not mess up yesterday and have a little better track position, have more options with the fuel and we would’ve had a winner. But I’m going to be kissing the bricks in street clothes rather than a driver suit.”

TY GIBBS, No. 54 SAIA LTL Freight Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 21st

How does it feel to win the In-Season Challenge?

“It’s great! Want to first say, all glory to God. And, $1 million is a lot of money so I’m going to donate $10,000 to whichever charity Ty Dillon wants to give to. It’s his choice. But we had a fast SAIA Toyota Camry. Didn’t end up where we wanted to in the end. We just lost track position and was out of the way to win the race. Had to play it a little but safe but I want to thank everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing, Ray (Raymond Ramu, executive vice president and chief customer officer, SAIA LTL Freight), Fritz (Fredrick Holzgrefer, president and chief executive officer, SAIA LTL Freight), Dave Gellen (Monster Energy), Tom Norwood (Monster Energy), Mitch Covington (Monster Energy), Rodney (Monster Energy), everyone a part of it. Thank you to TNT and NASCAR for this opportunity. It’s awesome to win it!”

ERIK JONES, No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB

Finishing Position: 35th

Any warning there before the incident?

“Yeah, no warning other than just slow on the right front (on the pit stop). I saw them struggling there for a second, but figured we got it on. (As) soon as I turned into (turn) three, I knew we were going to crash, and I felt it come off. Yeah, it looked bad but honestly didn’t feel as bad in the car as others I’ve had. I feel good and fortunate, happy for that. But, sad for the Dollar Tree Toyota team. Fast car and things weren’t working out the best today, but I just wanted to have a shot at the end.”

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.

Preece and Keselowski Secure Top Five Finishes at Brickyard 400

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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Brickyard 400 — Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Sunday, July 27, 2025

Ford Unofficial Finishing Order

4th – Ryan Preece
5th – Brad Keselowski
6th – Todd Gilliland
7th – Ryan Blaney
14th – Chris Buescher
15th – Austin Cindric
20th – Cole Custer
22nd – Josh Berry
31st – Zane Smith
32nd – Joey Logano
33rd – Noah Gragson
34th – Josh Bilicki
37th – Cody Ware

RYAN PREECE, No. 60 Castrol The Engine Ford Mustang Dark Horse – ”For a car that doesn’t have track position and is starting 23rd, being able to finish fourth and execute it through strategy and restarts, that shows we have a really strong core. I feel like, ultimately, the finish was a good ending for us.”

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 6 Body Guard Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “Solid day for us. We were in position. At certain points we showed a lot of speed. We needed to catch a few breaks to win, which is normal for this race. We didn’t catch enough breaks but we caught some good breaks to finish in the top five with both RFK cars.”

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards/Delta Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “Yeah, we pieced together a good day. Starting towards the back, it’s just hard to make up ground and pass, so we were trying to do the best job of strategy that we could. We made good moves to win the stage. I knew we were going to pay the price for it, but it was hard to give it up and nice when you’re able to hang on like that. We just scratched and clawed and were able to finish seventh. It was a day where we weren’t the best, but we made something happen, and those are the days that we should be proud of.”

TODD GILLILAND, No. 34 gener8tor Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “It’s crazy to finish sixth here last year and this year, it’s chaotic for sure. There’s a lot of stuff that went into that one. Obviously, we missed a lot of the wrecks at the end. I felt like we had a plan to put ourselves in a good spot and advance through the field in the end and that’s all you can do. Our car had a lot of speed when we needed it, so I’m happy for that and for our Front Row guys.”

CHEVROLET NCS AT INDIANAPOLIS: Post-Race Report

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NASCAR CUP SERIES
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE REPORT
JULY 27, 2025

Larson Brings Home Runner-Up Finish in 2025 Brickyard 400

  • After a valiant effort to defend his Brickyard 400 title, Kyle Larson and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team leaves the “Racing Capital of the World” with a runner-up finish after a double overtime attempt in the crown jewel event. The result marks Larson’s 11th top-five finish in 22 races to continue to lead the series.
  • Looking for his second crown jewel triumph of the season, Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron led the Bowtie brigade to the green flag of the 2025 Brickyard 400 from the sixth starting position. Byron made a quick climb into the top-five before varying pit strategies began when the first caution of the day flew near the halfway point of the opening stage. Crew Chief, Rudy Fugle, called his driver to pit road for a two-tire stop – keeping the No. 24 Chevrolet team in the top-10 for the restart on Lap 22. Progressively clicking off spots towards the top of the leaderboard, Byron went on to take the first green-white checkered flag in the third position – leading a strong contingency of six Team Chevy drivers to a collection of points in Stage One.
  • The second 50-lap run at the famed Indiana oval saw another Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet battling for a stage win – reigning Brickyard 400 winner, Kyle Larson. The 32-year-old Elk Grove, California, native was one of five drivers who tallied points in both stages of the race – joined by fellow Team Chevy drivers, William Byron and Carson Hocevar. With Stage Two winner, Ryan Blaney, electing to pit under the stage break, Larson inherited the lead and a front-row starting position to take the green-flag for the final stage en route to the podium finish.

TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 RESULTS:

POS. DRIVER
2nd – Kyle Larson
9th – Alex Bowman
10th – Carson Hocevar

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 22 NASCAR Cup Series races complete:

Wins: 9
Poles: 10
Top-Fives: 45
Top 10s: 95
Stage Wins: 20

UP NEXT: The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season continues at Iowa Speedway with the Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol on Sunday, August 3, at 3:30 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on the USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Post-Race Driver Quotes:

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident in Stage One.

Finished: 39th

I went into turn three and I think I got run into. It was a tough weekend for our No. 1 Busch Light Lime Chevrolet team. It felt the same, balance-wise and grip-wise, as the next couple of cars in front of us and we were just plugging along. We’ll regroup and get ready for Iowa Speedway next weekend.”

Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Finished: 38th

“Man, I hate it for Get Bioethanol and everyone on this No. 3 team. Our Chevrolet was good and I was happy with the balance. We earned points in the first stage and I felt like we had a car capable of finishing inside the top-10. It was a chain reaction with the field checking up on the restart and there was nothing we could do. Smashed our entire nose in and our day was done.”

Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Finished: 2nd

What would you have done differently on that restart, or did you have anything more?

“There’s nothing you can do here (at Indianapolis Motor Speedway) to pass, so no, I don’t really think there was anything I could do differently. I was second gear on the first restart, and honestly, that one worked out a little bit better, but he almost got clear of me down the front stretch. And then on the second restart, he brought the pace down a little bit slower, so I needed to be first gear. It was kind of the same thing with me last year – he had the preferred lane on the inside and it’s really hard to beat that.”

Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Finished: 25th

“We did the best we could with a tough situation today. We could fire off strong for the first five laps in our zone Chevrolet, then started to lose grip. Thought we would be okay and ran in the top six for the beginning of the race. The field got bunched together on a restart and we ended up with damage that ruined our chances of a decent day. Had we executed the way we needed to execute, we would have been there, but we will keep working together to get to where we need to be.”

Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

Finished: 28th

OBVIOUSLY, THE RESTART THERE REALLY SEEMED TO HINDER WHAT HAPPENED TODAY. WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST TAKEAWAY FROM TODAY?

“Disappointing obviously, but things like that happen and you can’t predict everything. That has been what has been so cool about this In-Season Challenge for everybody. I just hate that we didn’t get to give them a run for it there. I don’t think they would say as a team that they had the best day either. I think if all things are equal and we don’t knock the nose off on that restart, we are probably sitting in a pretty good position to put some pressure on him and race him out pretty solid. The first-half of the race, we were okay, and then we had a bad run there at the end of Stage One. So, I think we were going to be able to get the car back right and challenge him, but it just didn’t work out that way and it’s disappointing. Something happened where it knocked off all the air duct, and pinched off the air so the motor wouldn’t run down the straightaways. Then you are just kind of riding for the rest of the day.”

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.

Meyer Shank Racing Notches Top 10 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca

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#66: Marcus Armstrong, Meyer Shank Racing Honda

Monterey, Calif. (27 July 2025) – Sound strategy and strong pit work saved what could have been a dismal day for Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) at Sunday’s Java House Grand Prix of Monterey, earning the NTT INDYCAR SERIES team its 18th top-10 finish of the year.

Marcus Armstrong (No. 66 ROOT Insurance Honda) led the way for the Ohio-based team, after 95 laps around the famed Weather Tech Raceway Laguna Seca using strong fuel and tire management to climb from 10th on the starting grid to finish eighth.

Armstrong was on the same three-stop strategy as the lead pack around the 2.238-mile circuit throughout the first 75 laps of the race, a move that vaulted the New Zealand-born driver up to fifth at two points before making stops. Two late-race cautions bunched the field for a pair of restarts but Armstrong was equal to the task, not only fighting off a handful of challengers from the ninth spot, but gaining one of his own with five laps to run, earning the eighth position.

The finish was the seventh top-10 in the last eight races for Armstrong and the ninth top ten for the 66 car of the 2025 season, which is a career-high for the third-year driver.

For Felix Rosenqvist (No. 60 SiriusXM Honda) it took just half a lap in his tie-dye Grateful Dead Radio (XM channel 23) -themed machine for his weekend to go from bad to worse. Starting 12th after a qualifying penalty scuttled his front-row chances, the Swedish driver got clouted by a car from behind heading into Turn Six, sending him into the tire barrier and leaving him three laps behind the field.

The team worked hard to replace the damaged front wing and right front toe link and were able to get Rosenqvist back on track, a move that eventually earned him a pair of spots in the final order due to attrition as he came home in 24th.

After five races in four weeks, MSR will finally get a week off before heading back to the West Coast for the Bitnile.com Grand Prix of Portland on August 10. There will be a Friday practice leading to practice 2 and qualifying on Saturday. Sunday’s race will air on FOX starting at 3pm ET. SiriusXM will also host live INDYCAR Radio coverage of all sessions on XM Ch. 218.

Meyer Shank Racing Driver Quotes:

Marcus Armstrong: “It was on ok day in the office. We were a bit locked in on strategy, and it was really the only way we could move forward without being faster than everyone. Luckily at the end we had two new sets of reds to use so we got through a couple of people.”

Felix Rosenqvist: “I don’t know exactly happened, but I got rear-ended in Turn Six, but luckily we were able to keep going and ended up picking up two spots. I have to thank the team for staying with it. It’s just a shame, it was a lot of points we lost.”

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB DRIVERS AND ULTIMATE CANINE LLC JOIN FORCES FOR THE INAUGURAL BARKYARD 400

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  • LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Drivers participate in inaugural Barkyard 400 in collaboration with Ultimate Canine
  • Erik Jones announces the launch of the Oscar Plush

STATESVILLE, N.C. / WESTFIELD, Ind. (July 26, 2025) – LEGACY MOTOR CLUB driver Erik Jones and local Indianapolis company Ultimate Canine LLC brought some puppy love to Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend. Not only did Jones and John Hunter Nemechek attend an activity with the company, but Jones also brought eight puppies into the IMS media center to brighten up everyone’s day on Saturday to help launch the Oscar Jones plush collectible.

Founded by Julie Case, Ultimate Canine has been providing award-winning dog training services since 2012. Offering customized dog training for over 27 years, the facility not only trains well-behaved family dogs but also service dogs and working police K9 dogs. Case was born into a family of dog trainers who trained and competed in Europe and Russia. She began showing and training dogs at the age of 14 before coming to the United States in 2001 and starting her business.

“It was amazing to be able to have the LEGACY MOTOR CLUB drivers not only come out to our new facility in Westfield, but also bring some puppy love to the racetrack,” said Case, CEO and owner of Ultimate Canine. “We’ve been working for over 27 years to train dogs for all sorts of jobs, and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to join forces with Erik Jones and the team to spread awareness for his foundation and the Oscar plush.”

The LEGACY MC drivers kicked off the Brickyard 400 weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway by heading an hour North to Westfield, Indiana – headquarters of Ultimate Canine on Friday afternoon. After getting a tour of the state-of-the-art facility, Nemechek was paired up with one of their service dogs in training while Jones brought along his sidekick Oscar to participate in the inaugural Barkyard 400.

Both drivers and their canine companion were tasked with running through an obstacle course while they were being timed by Case. The best time would be declared the winner. Not only were they competing against each other, but also one of the eight canine officers that Ultimate Canine had graduating from the facility. The No. 42 team consisted of Nemechek and Tatiana the Golden Retriever. Meanwhile, Jones and Oscar made up the No. 43 team, with a local Indianapolis police officer and his canine Rook rounding out the gang on final team.

In the end, it was Rook who came out on top with Oscar in second, and Tatiana in third. See the full recap from the event HERE.

“We had a great afternoon at Ultimate Canine. It was such an impressive facility, and it was so cool to see all the work they do to train dogs for so many different things,” said Nemechek, driver of the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE for LEGACY MC. “I had a great time at the Barkyard 400 with Tatiana and locked in a third-place finish! She was a little bit of a different personality than the police canines when they put me in the bite suit – I’ve never been more scared than when I had a dog look me in my soul like that and then come at me at full speed. It was such a cool experience at Ultimate Canine and I’m so glad we were able to go out and support them and the Erik Jones Foundation.”

Following the activities on Friday afternoon, Jones and Case headed into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway media center to talk about their collaboration on social media and announce the launch of Jones’ latest initiative – the Oscar Jones plush. Based on his beloved canine best friend, the Oscar plush will be sold at the trackside NASCAR Classics merch hauler and Jones’ online store. A portion of the proceeds from the plush will benefit the Erik Jones Foundation.

“We’ve talked about the Oscar plush for a few years now, but it’s really cool to see if come to life,” said Jones, driver of the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE for LEGACY MC. “It was neat to get Julie (Case, owner) and Ultimate Canine involved. They’re a great group of people who train a ton of dogs for all different jobs. The Oscar plush sales are going to help raise funds to go toward our cause of animal welfare so we can help out groups like Ultimate Canine with their dog training efforts and other areas.”

The Erik Jones Foundation’s animal welfare initiative supports a variety of areas. It gives grants to local shelters or organizations, toward service animal training, and K9 officer training. In total, Jones’ foundation has donated over $40,000 toward this mission.

In a paw-tastic weekend at Indianapolis, LEGACY MC hope the puppies can bring them some good luck as they take on the Brickyard 400 on Sunday, July 27 at 2 p.m. EDT. Live coverage is provided by TNT, MAX, IMS Radio, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).

To learn more about the Erik Jones Foundation and its mission, visit ErikJonesFoundation.org.

To learn more about Ultimate Canine, visit UltimateCanineTraining.com.

About LEGACY MOTOR CLUB: LEGACY MC is a premier auto racing organization co-owned by seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and 2024 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, Jimmie Johnson and Knighthead Capital Management, LLC. Drawing from a rich tradition of success, LEGACY MC is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of motorsport and setting new standards of excellence. The CLUB competes under the Toyota Gazoo Racing banner in the NASCAR Cup Series with the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE piloted by Erik Jones and the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE driven by John Hunter Nemechek. Johnson also races on a limited basis in the No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE. With NASCAR legend and Hall of Famer Richard Petty, “The King”, serving as CLUB Ambassador, LEGACY MC blends timeless racing traditions with a new forward-thinking vision. As an inclusive community for motorsport enthusiasts, LEGACY MC honors both its storied past and the promising future of its members, always striving for victory and championship glory at the pinnacle of NASCAR competition.

Zilisch Earns Special Pennzoil 250 Victory; Hoosier Briscoe Wins Brickyard Pole

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INDIANAPOLIS (Saturday, July 26, 2025) – Connor Zilisch gave himself a late birthday present and a special gift to NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. by winning the Pennzoil 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Xfinity Series rookie sensation Zilisch, who turned 19 on Tuesday, passed fellow rookie Taylor Gray with two laps remaining in the No. 88 WeatherTech Chevrolet co-owned by Earnhardt and held off pole sitter Sam Mayer’s No. 41 Audibel Ford by .339 of a second for his third consecutive victory and fifth win this season.

The win was the 100th in the history of JR Motorsports, co-owned by Earnhardt.

“This is awesome,” Zilisch said. “Those bricks look really kissable, and I’m ready to kiss them. Winning at Indy is awesome and getting 100 wins for JRM is pretty cool, too, so I consider this a pretty awesome day.”

Gray finished third in the No. 54 Operation 300 Toyota, followed by reigning Brickyard 400 winner Kyle Larson in the No. 17 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet. Ryan Sieg rounded out the top five in the No. 39 Sci Aps Ford.

Zilisch led when the 100-lap race was halted due to rain for the second time during a caution period from Laps 92-96 after a crash between the No. 21 Bennett Transportation Chevrolet of Austin Hill and the No. 19 Young Life Toyota of Aric Almirola in Turn 4.

On the restart on Lap 97, Gray got a big jump and an aerodynamic push from behind to take the lead from Zilisch entering Turn 1. Zilisch then dove under Gray in Turn 2 on Lap 98 and pulled even on the back straightaway. But Gray was able to parry Zilisch’s charge and kept the lead.

Zilisch attempted the same move exiting Turn 2 on Lap 99, pulling even with Gray on the back straightaway. But unlike on the previous lap, Mayer tucked behind Zilisch’s rear bumper, which gave Zilisch the aerodynamic boost he needed to clear Gray for good entering Turn 3.

“The second time I got a push from behind, and it helped me clear him,” Zilisch said. “It was actually really racy, and you were able to make moves.”

Mayer also passed Gray but was unable to catch Zilisch over the last 1.5 laps around the fabled 2.5-mile oval.

Zilisch, who led 19 laps, rallied from a slow pit stop early in the race to return to the front. But it appeared late in the race that Justin Allgaier and Larson were the leading candidates to stand on Victory Podium.

But on a restart on Lap 87, Larson’s car pushed high in Turn 2 and hip-checked Allgaier’s No. 7 Hellmann’s Spicy Mayo Chevrolet into the SAFER Barrier, also slowing Larson’s momentum. That incident allowed Zilisch to take the lead, with Gray jumping to second.

2018 Pennzoil 250 winner Allgaier was eliminated from the race in the crash after leading a race-high 37 laps driving another car fielded by JR Motorsports.

“Unfortunately, Indianapolis is one of those places that it doesn’t take much to have an incident like that,” Allgaier said.

While this was the first win at IMS for Zilisch in his first oval race at the Racing Capital of the World, he has stood on the podium here in past road races. Zilisch finished third in the 90-car Spec Miata class in the 2021 SCCA Runoffs at IMS, and he was part of the Era Motorsport team that finished third in the LMP2 class at the 2024 IMSA TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks.

In qualifying for the Brickyard 400 presented by PPG, Indiana native Chase Briscoe won the pole to continue a remarkable streak of qualifying performances in NASCAR Cup Series crown jewel races this season.

Briscoe, a native of Mitchell, Indiana, took the top spot for Sunday’s race with a best lap of 49.136 seconds, 183.165 mph in the No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota fielded by Joe Gibbs Racing. That was good enough to edge Bubba Wallace, who fell just .013 of a second short of Briscoe at 49.149, 183.117 in the No. 23 Chumba Casino Toyota fielded by 23XI Racing, co-owned by basketball legend Michael Jordan and NASCAR star Denny Hamlin.

This was the third pole this season in a marquee Cup Series race for Briscoe, who also drove to the top qualifying spot in the Daytona 500 in February at Daytona International Speedway and the Coca-Cola 600 in May at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“I’m holding back tears, truthfully,” Briscoe said. “This is such a special moment for me. Even hearing the crowd as I got the pole, it was super cool. Hopefully can keep it up there tomorrow. That’s the one we want to win tomorrow.”

The 160-lap race starts at 2 p.m. ET Sunday.

Erik Jones qualified third at 49.248, 182.749 in the No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota. Tyler Reddick will join him in the second row after his qualifying lap of 49.267, 182.678 in the No. 45 Xfinity Mobile Toyota.

Ty Gibbs qualified fifth in the No. 54 SAIA LTL Freight Toyota, giving Toyota a sweep of the top five starting spots. Joe Gibbs Racing (Briscoe, Gibbs) and 23XI Racing (Wallace, Reddick) each put two cars in the top five.

Gibbs and Ty Dillon are competing Sunday in the final round of NASCAR’s inaugural In-Season Challenge. Gibbs and Dillon will race at the same time as all the other competitors in the NASCAR Cup Series classic, with the driver finishing ahead earning a $1 million bonus for his team.

Dillon qualified 26th in the No. 10 Sea Best Chevrolet of Kaulig Racing.

While Toyota took the top five spots in the lineup, it could have been six. Hamlin, who led pre-qualifying practice today, appeared to be headed for the pole when he suffered a vicious crash in Turn 2 in the No. 11 Progressive Toyota of Joe Gibbs Racing.

Hamlin was tracking three-tenths of a second ahead of Briscoe when his car wiggled in Turn 2 and brushed the SAFER Barrier with the right rear corner panel. The car then veered across the 2.5-mile oval and smashed the SAFER Barrier inside Turn 2 head-on. Hamlin was shaken up but otherwise unhurt.

“I was super close to doing that in all four corners,” Briscoe said of his qualifying run when asked about teammate Hamlin’s accident. “That was the closest I think I’ve ever got to Indy 500 qualifying, just being on the absolute ragged edge. I thought I was going to lose it a couple of times but was able to hold on to it.”

Visit IMS.com to buy Brickyard Weekend tickets or for more information.

Brody Goble and Ken Sutherland Dominate in Caution-Free Race 1 at Portland

By
Official Release
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Simon Asselin Wins in XGT and Cole Boudreau Takes TA Checkered Flag in Trans Am Debut

PORTLAND, Ore. (July 26, 2025) – The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s Western Championship Race 1 at Portland International Raceway stayed green from start to finish, allowing driver talent and car setups to shine in the 100-mile event. Brody Goble conquered the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series, translating his pole award into his third victory of the season as he pursues his second TA2 championship. Ken Sutherland was dominant in TA Cup, leading the class from flag to flag to win the PIR SpeedTour race overall in his second-consecutive victory.

Notes of Interest

  • Brody Goble claimed his third win of 2025 and the eighth of his career. Goble previously took the checkered flag in the season-opening race at Buttonwillow Raceway Park and the series’ last outing at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
  • The 2023 Western Championship title winner showcased his familiarity with the track, backing up his 2023 Race 1 victory with another statement win.
  • Goble has led the TA2 standings all season. His lead grew as second-place Barry Boes (No. 32 Accio Data/TRB Autosport Ford Mustang) went out of the race early due to a rear-end issue and finished last.
  • Cole Moore and Kyle Kelley both earned their second straight podiums, finishing second and third, respectively.
  • Fourth-place finisher and 2024 champion Michael LaPaglia earned his best result of the season.
  • Jade Avedisian finished fifth in her first-career Trans Am race.
  • Ken Sutherland earned his second straight win in TA Cup. Coming into this weekend with the championship lead, he continues to top the standings.
  • Second-place finisher Ken Thwaits matched his career-best finish in TA Cup.

Polesitter Brody Goble put on a masterclass in Race 1 of the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series at Portland International Raceway. Driving the No. 69 Brown Bros. Ford Lincoln Ford Mustang, Goble quickly established a commanding lead and never looked back, executing flawlessly around the 1.97-mile circuit to take the checkered flag. Sixth-place starter Cole Moore (No. 99 Moore Motorsport/JM Environmental Ford Mustang) was consistent throughout the race, picking off positions and avoiding the issues plaguing other competitors to take over the runner-up spot on lap 40 and race toward the checkered flag. Kyle Kelley (No. 80 UPR.com/PK+k Motorsports Ford Mustang) crossed the finish line third, followed by Michael LaPaglia (No. 31 Papini’s Garage/F.A.S.T. Auto/Howe Ford Mustang), who worked his way up from seventh to finish fourth. Fifth-place finisher Jade Avedisian (No. 10 Nitro Motorsports Toyota Camry) ran second for a majority of the day, but had to visit pit road late in the race due to debris on the grille. She recovered to finish in the top five in her first-career Trans Am start.

“One race at a time, of course,” said Goble when asked if he was going to win another championship. “We’ve got to reset right now for tomorrow. But I’m super happy to win at what is kind of our home track. We’ve got Brown Bros. Ford here. This is four and a half, five hours from home, so we’ve got a massive team here. The car was awesome. I was just banging off laps and trying to be consistent. I used it almost as a little bit of a test to see how far you can push it because, you know, it’s pretty rare that we go green flag from pin to pin. Hopefully we got some good data and we’ll do it again.”

CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series Top Five:

  1. Brody Goble, No. 69 Brown Bros. Ford Lincoln Ford Mustang
  2. Cole Moore, No. 99 Moore Motorsport/JM Environmental Ford Mustang
  3. Kyle Kelley, No. 80 UPR.com/PK+k Motorsports Ford Mustang
  4. Michael LaPaglia, No. 31 Papini’s Garage/F.A.S.T. Auto/Howe Ford Mustang
  5. Jade Avedisian, No. 10 Nitro Motorsports Toyota Camry

After taking the pole in this morning’s qualifying session with the fastest lap of any Trans Am class at Portland, Ken Sutherland (No. 85 Kallberg Racing Ford Mustang) kept that same speed when the green flag waved. With the TA Cup class starting in the back, Sutherland diced his way through the field of CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series cars, taking the overall race lead on Lap 12. Once he got into clean air, he never looked back, pulling out to an immense gap. However, the race between the TA Cup cars was still an exciting one, as second through fourth all finished within a second and a half of each other.

Second-place starter Ken Thwaits (No. 9 Franklin Road Chevrolet Camaro) was initially keeping pace with Sutherland, but he lost first and second gear early in the race and began to lag behind him. Fourth-place starter Chris Evans (No. 08 Central Welding Supply/Pinnacle Alloys Ford Mustang) passed third-place starter John Moore (No. 27 JM Environmental Ford Mustang) on lap nine, and the two battled it out nose to tail for the remainder of the race. Moore got side-by-side with Evans a few times, but was never able to regain the third position. Together, the pair of Evans and Moore stalked Thwaits, and the two were right behind him when the checkered flag waved.

“It was great,” said Sutherland from the podium. “The plan was to get a little gap, get by some of the back markers from the TA2 group, and then hopefully just maintain a gap. It just went way better than I ever could have expected. It’s just a testament to this car. My crew chief puts a lot of effort into making things just right on this car. And then of course, Chris Evans, Jeff Jefferson, Curt and Patty Kallberg, the car owners, they’re the ones that allow me to be able to do this. It’s just super fantastic. I would like to thank Trans Am for being here on the West Coast. If you look around the paddock, there are a lot of cars, and a lot of people that put a lot of effort into racing these cars out here. It’s just a great thing we have going, and I just so appreciate you guys coming out here, racing with us, and giving us a venue to race our cars.”

TA Cup:

  1. Ken Sutherland, No. 85 Kallberg Racing Ford Mustang
  2. Ken Thwaits, No. 9 Franklin Road Chevrolet Camaro
  3. Chris Evans, No. 08 Central Welding Supply/Pinnacle Alloys Ford Mustang
  4. John Moore, No. 27 JM Environmental Ford Mustang

Simon Asselin in the No. 81 Infillion Porsche 991.2 GT3 Cup was the only competitor in his class. Despite contact with another entrant on the start, Asselin had a solid race, collecting his first victory in the XGT class.

“Well, you know, I’ve really got to give it to the TA2 guys doing these 75-minute races day in and day out,” said Asselin. “I was roasted at the end. I was hoping to hear, ‘Okay, only a couple of laps left,’ and I would hear, ‘45 minutes left.’ You’re killing me! I really appreciate you guys allowing me to race with you. Unfortunately, I had contact in Turn 1 with one of the racers. I have to go apologize, but that was a great race.”

XGT Results:

  1. Simon Asselin, No. 81 Infillion Porsche 991.2 GT3 Cup

As the only competitor in his class, Cole Boudreau in the No. 88 Boudreau Racing Ford Mustang stood atop the podium in TA. Despite facing a number of mechanical challenges throughout the weekend, Boudreau made it to the checkered flag in his first-career Trans Am Series race.

“I didn’t think we were going to finish that race, we had so many brake problems,” said Boudreau. “We were fighting that, we had some rear end problems, and maybe a little bit of driver problems too. But man, what a fun time that was. Oh my God, that was a blast. Most fun I ever had. These cars have got so much power. You just get on a little bit too fast, you’re sideways and fighting. And I don’t think there’s a better or more cool racing series, at least I haven’t seen one.”

TA:

  1. Cole Boudreau, No. 88 Boudreau Racing Ford Mustang

Final Details:

Full race results can be found here.

The Western Championship returns to action tomorrow with Race 2 of the PIR SpeedTour.

FORCE, CAPPS, GLENN WIN MISSION #2FAST2TASTY CHALLENGE AT PACKED SONOMA RACEWAY

By
Official Release
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Force, Hagan, Glenn and Gadson qualify No. 1 at Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals presented by PowerEdge

SONOMA, Calif. (July 26, 2025) – A day after making the fastest run in NHRA history, Top Fuel star Brittany Force won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge for the first time in 2025, defeating Justin Ashley in the final round of the bonus race on Saturday Sonoma Raceway as part of this weekend’s 37th annual Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals presented by PowerEdge.

Ron Capps (Funny Car) and Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) both won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, while Force, Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Glenn and Richard Gadson (Pro Stock Motorcycle) qualified No. 1 at the 12th of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

In the finals of the specialty race, Force went 3.869-seconds at 324.75 mph in her 12,000-horsepower Monster Energy dragster, easily holding off Ashley, who ran into tire smoke during the matchup. It’s the first Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge victory of the year for the two-time world champion, continuing what has already been a banner weekend for the world’s fastest driver.

Her incredible run of 3.645 at a world-record 343.16 easily held up on Saturday, giving Force her third No. 1 of the season as well. She’ll open raceday against Seattle winner and points leader Shawn Langdon, who struggled during qualifying, looking for a clean sweep of the weekend and another Sonoma victory.

“I’m excited to finally win one of these Mission #2Fast2tasty Challenge races. I was talking with David [Grubnic, crew chief] last night and we said that we were disappointed we didn’t have one. We turned on two win lights today to get the job done,” Force said.

“The fans have been awesome here. I think about Sonoma and I think it’s wine country and everyone is chill but they’re rowdy here. It’s still surreal to think that we went 343 mph. I write it on an autograph and it just doesn’t look right. We had fun last night. We had a great time with the fans but David went right back to work. He’s trying to figure out how to win tomorrow.”

Doug Kalitta took the second spot with Friday’s 3.661 at 332.84 and Clay Millican qualified third with a 3.699 at 335.15.

In Funny Car, Ron Capps got a chance to celebrate on Saturday at one of his favorite facilities, defeating No. 1 qualifier Matt Hagan in the final round of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge with a run of 3.904 at 324.20 in his 12,000-horsepower NAPA Auto Car Toyota GR Supra.

It’s the second bonus race win of the year for Capps, who put together a solid run to slip past Hagan’s run of 3.926, defeating Spencer Hyde earlier in the day. Capps has come on strong in recent weeks and will try to turn it into a stellar weekend with his fifth victory at Sonoma Raceway.

“I wasn’t sure it was going to cool off but it did and we thought there were some 3.8s out there for sure,” Capps said. “Before we ran, Guido [Dean Antonelli, crew chief] said he thought we could better our qualifying position. That’s a big deal, so I had to stage thin. I also had to be ready for Matt because we all know how good he is.

“It was just a really cool race and it was good to give Toyota a win. I grew up three hours South of here and this has always been a great place to race.”

Hagan stayed on top heading into raceday, earning his first No. 1 qualifier of the season thanks to Friday’s run of 3.861 at 332.59 in his 12,000-horsepower Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Dodge//SRT Hellcat. The four-time world champion, who also picked up his 53rd No. 1 qualifier, will open eliminations against Jeff Diehl as Hagan attempts to win at Sonoma Raceway for the first time in his standout career.

“That momentum, that chemistry, all the stuff we’re doing right now I feel like has carried into this weekend,” Hagan said. “We’ve got a lot of great things going for us right now and as a team, as a unit, we’re working really well together. I’m excited to get back into race mode. I just love racing and turning the win light on. It’s competitive out there and it’s exciting for me, always.”

Rookie Spencer Hyde used Friday’s 3.865 at 333.58 to qualify second and Paul Lee took third with a 3.890 at 299.00.

Dallas Glenn closed out Pro Stock qualifying in spectacular fashion on Saturday in Sonoma, winning the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, taking over the No. 1 qualifying spot and setting a new track record all in one remarkable run of 6.471 at 211.79 in his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro.

Cody Coughlin left first in the bonus race and went 6.501, but Glenn tracked him down with the quickest Pro Stock run in Sonoma Raceway history, picking up his third – and second straight – victory in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge this year. Glenn, who set track records galore last week en route to a win at his home track in Seattle, also qualified No. 1 for the fourth time this year. The points leader starts raceday against Kenny Delco as he attempts to keep on his torrid pace.

“This shows that we have a good car,” Glenn said. “We ran into a headwind, so I didn’t think we could [qualify No. 1], but we made a good run even though I messed up a bit. I guess I got a bit lucky since Cody was only seven thousandths away from stealing it from me.

“My car is great right now. This is the best car I’ve ever had and the only thing that keeps it from winning is me. I just need to do my job. There is always at least one thing we could do better, so I’m trying to make sure I find that and do it. I’m harder on myself than anyone else will ever be.”

Greg Anderson took second with a 6.472 at 210.14 and Greg Stanfield is third with a 6.480 at 211.66.

Matt Smith won the GETTRX Pro Stock Motorcycle Callout over Richard Gadson, while Gadson finished as the No. 1 qualifier for the first time in his career.

Eliminations for the Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals presented by PowerEdge begin at 10:30 a.m. PT on Sunday at Sonoma Raceway.

SONOMA, Calif. — Saturday’s Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge final results from the 37th annual

Denso Sonoma Nationals presented by PowerEdge at Sonoma Raceway.

Mission #2Fast2Tasty Top Fuel Challenge — Brittany Force, 3.869 seconds, 324.75 mph def. Justin

Ashley, 4.944 seconds, 142.07 mph.

Mission #2Fast2Tasty Funny Car Challenge — Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 3.904, 324.20 def. Matt

Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.926, 330.07.

Mission #2Fast2Tasty Pro Stock Challenge — Dallas Glenn, Chevy Camaro, 6.471, 211.79 def. Cody

Coughlin, Camaro, 6.501, 210.44.

SONOMA, Calif. — Final Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge round-by-round results from the 37th

annual Denso Sonoma Nationals presented by PowerEdge at Sonoma Raceway.

MISSION #2FAST2TASTY NHRA TOP FUEL CHALLENGE:

ROUND ONE — Justin Ashley, 3.741, 332.43 def. Shawn Langdon, 4.970, 141.28; Brittany Force, 3.686,

324.20 def. Doug Kalitta, 6.607, 127.09;

FINAL — B. Force, 3.869, 324.75 def. J. Ashley, 4.944, 142.07.

MISSION #2FAST2TASTY NHRA FUNNY CAR CHALLENGE:

ROUND ONE — Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 3.908, 330.31 def. Spencer Hyde, Ford Mustang, 3.902,

328.14; Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.913, 330.72 def. Alexis DeJoria, Charger, 4.316, 211.00;

FINAL — R. Capps, 3.904, 324.20 def. M. Hagan, 3.926, 330.07.

MISSION #2FAST2TASTY NHRA PRO STOCK CHALLENGE:

ROUND ONE — Cody Coughlin, Chevy Camaro, 6.511, 209.85 def. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.524, 210.93;

Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.474, 211.10 def. Greg Stanfield, Camaro, 6.516, 211.36;

FINAL — D. Glenn, 6.471, 211.79 def. C. Coughlin, 6.501, 210.44.

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