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Chevrolet Takes the 2025 Manufacturer Showdown at the NASCAR All-Star Race

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Official Release
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NASCAR CUP SERIES
NORTH WILKESBORO SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE REPORT
MAY 18, 2025

Chevrolet Takes the Crown in the 2025 Manufacturer Showdown

  •  Chevrolet took the crown in NASCAR’s first Manufacturer Showdown at the 2025 All-Star Race. All five Team Chevy contenders that were vying for the honors took the checkered-flag in the top-eight positions – led by Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain, who drove his No. 1 Busch Light Chevrolet to a third-place result after rebounding from damage sustained early in the race.
  • Chastain led a trio of Hendrick Motorsports teammates, with Alex Bowman in fourth, Chase Elliott in fifth and William Byron in sixth, with Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch driving home with an eighth-place finish.

TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
3rd – Ross Chastain
4th – Alex Bowman
5th – Chase Elliott
8th – Kyle Busch

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 12 NASCAR Cup Series races complete:

Wins: 4
Poles: 7
Top-Fives: 24
Top 10s: 55
Stage Wins: 11

UP NEXT: The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season continues at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, May 25, at 6 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on Amazon Prime, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Post-Race Driver Quotes:

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Finished: 3rd

It was a hard fought race for you, but it was arguably probably one of your best All-Star races. How was your night?

“Yeah, we got turned around there early in the race and hit the left-rear and the left-front, so something is bent. It really didn’t drive much different after that, even when the wheel was off. For everyone on this No. 1 Busch Light Chevy team — we’ve all seen the struggles we’ve had, so just to be able to see the front and be right there with them the last couple of weeks is really cool. We want more of that, for sure, and we’ll keep working. We have a lot of strong things to take away from here this weekend. A lot of effort has already gone into Charlotte, and that continues tomorrow.”

Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Finished: 4th

“I’m just really proud of everyone on this No. 48 Ally Chevrolet team. We were so bad yesterday and the guys made the right adjustments. Our hands are pretty tied on what we can or can’t change, and they made a lot of really good calls to take us from struggling pretty bad to at least having a shot at it there at the end. Really happy for this team. Obviously, fourth doesn’t really mean anything here, but it was a big improvement from yesterday.”

Is there anything you can learn from this race for shorter, flatter tracks in the future?

“I think we certainly came here just to do that – try to learn things. It pays $1 million, but honestly winning a regular Cup race, with the playoff implications and everything, it adds up to more than that. So yeah, just came here to learn. Obviously what we had, we struggled with at first, but maybe we have our heads wrapped around it a little bit better.”

Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Finished: 5th

“It looked like a great race for the win.. I wish I could have been a part of it. I thought the race was much better this year than last year, so that was cool to see. We had another great crowd here, great environment, for an All-Star race, so hopefully everyone enjoyed that.

Our No. 9 Prime Chevy was pretty good. We were in the mix, but we just needed a little bit more to be there with Joey (Logano) and Christopher (Bell). We were solid, better than we’ve been, and it’s just a nice step in the right direction. We just had a good solid night. Obviously needed a little bit more, but overall, it was pretty solid.”

William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Finished: 6th

“All four of the Hendrick Motorsports Chevy’s were pretty fast. For us personally, we just have to continue to improve. We were good to start the weekend and good to start the race, but it just seemed like it kind of went away on us. We just have to figure out what exactly that was, but I’m overall happy with the result. I feel like we did a good job throughout the weekend. I don’t know if I was expecting to win, but I was hoping we’d have a shot to win and I think we were right there. We just didn’t have quite enough.”

Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Finished: 8th

What did you think of the race tonight?

“We had a decent night for our No. 8 SENIX Chevrolet. I felt like there around halfway, we jumped to the outside lane and I think we led a lap. We just kind of faded on the long run. I didn’t quite have the complete package with all the grip that I was looking for. I don’t know that all of the Chevy guys did. We’re just a little bit behind on that front, but overall, we made great adjustments all night. The team worked hard overnight to try to find something that would make us better, so that was good progress”

Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Finished: 14th

“We had a fast No. 3 Dow Salutes Veterans Chevrolet in the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Our Chevy started with a loose balance and lacked right-rear grip, but crew chief Richard Boswell made solid adjustments throughout the race. Our pit crew was consistent all night, which helped us race inside the top 10 and climb as high as seventh. With 25 laps to go, we made a strategy call to take right-side tires only, knowing it was our best shot at the win. Unfortunately, as the race went green to the finish, the car tightened up, and we didn’t gain the track position we had hoped for. I’m proud of everyone at Richard Childress Racing. We’re making steady improvements every week, and our short-track program is definitely heading in the right direction.”

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.

Keselowski Wins Pole and Heat Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway

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Official Release
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Buescher 10th, Keselowski 22nd in All-Star Race; Preece 11th in the Open

North Wilkesboro, NC (May 18, 2025) – Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) Racing entered All-Star weekend at North Wilkesboro with high expectations and delivered flashes of speed across all three of its entries. Chris Buescher, Brad Keselowski, and Ryan Preece each showed competitive pace in qualifying and early race segments, with Keselowski capturing his first career All-Star pole and dominating his heat.

No. 17 – Chris Buescher

Coming off a third-place finish at North Wilkesboro in last year’s All-Star Race, Buescher and the No. 17 Korger/Tylenol Ford team aimed to start the weekend strong. They recorded a 13.309-second pit stop—13th fastest in the field—but a pit road speeding penalty during the run offset their efforts. As a result, Buescher was set to start eighth in the second heat race, despite showing promising speed in the opening sessions.

Buescher delivered a strong run in Heat 2, climbing from eighth to fifth by lap 10 with smooth, decisive moves. He maintained his position through the competition caution on lap 30, then executed a clean four-tire stop to restart on the third row. Holding steady in the closing laps, Buescher finished fifth, showing solid speed and control throughout the race before the main event.

In the All-Star race, Buescher made an early move into ninth place after the initial restart, showing strong pace before a caution on lap 57. His team opted for four fresh tires, which dropped him to 14th, and he soon fell to 17th as dirty air made passing difficult. He remained in that position through the competition caution at lap 101, struggling to gain ground amid the traffic.

Buescher continued to run around 17th until a key caution on lap 175 allowed his team to pit for a fresh set of tires. The strategy paid off, as he used the improved grip to work his way back into the top 10 in the closing laps. He ultimately finished 10th, salvaging a solid result through smart pit strategy and consistent driving.

“It’s good to be in the All-Star event, but we weren’t where we wanted to be for the day obviously,” Buescher said. “We fought back and made some adjustments there at the end, and we’ll be better off on the next go around.”

No. 6 – Brad Keselowski

Keselowski kicked off All-Star weekend on a high note by capturing his first career pole position in what marked his 17th appearance in the NASCAR All-Star Race. Driving the No. 6 Solomon Plumbing Ford, Keselowski earned the top spot through an impressive performance in the qualifying session, beating out the rest of the field by nearly nine-tenths of a second in the final qualifying metric.

In the opening heat race, Keselowski started on the front row and dominated from the drop of the green flag, leading 74 of the 75 laps. With smart defensive driving, he effectively blocked both lanes and never relinquished control. Hitting his marks lap after lap, Keselowski powered to a convincing victory, claiming the heat race win for the second consecutive year.

Keselowski and the No. 6 team opened the All-Star Race with dominance, leading 61 of the first 63 laps and building nearly a one-second gap over Joey Logano. A caution on lap 63 forced the team to take two tires to maintain track position, keeping Keselowski on the front row. However, the reduced grip became a factor, and he steadily fell back to eighth by lap 101 as handling worsened in traffic.

After a four-tire stop under caution, Keselowski restarted seventh and quickly showed strong pace, turning some of the fastest laps on the track. He remained competitive for the next 50 laps and appeared poised for a late-race charge. Unfortunately, his night took a turn when he brushed the wall in turn three, breaking the right front shock and ending the team’s hopes.

“I was just driving up towards the wall and stepped over the cushion,” Keselowski said. “We’re connecting things for sure, we just haven’t connected everything and when we do that we’ll be dangerous.”

No. 60 – Ryan Preece

Looking to build off a seventh-place run at Kansas, Preece and the No. 60 Boston Common Golf Ford team impressed in qualifying at North Wilkesboro. The crew logged a 13.066-second stop—ninth fastest overall—which helped Preece secure the fifth starting spot for Sunday night’s All-Star Open race.

Preece wasted no time moving to the front in the Open race, breaking into the top three by lap 30 with a strong, consistent run. At the lap 50 competition caution, he pitted for four tires and fuel, dropping to seventh as others opted for a two-tire strategy to gain track position.

Back under green, Preece used his short-track experience to climb back up, passing Michael McDowell and Bubba Wallace to reclaim third. He then engaged in a tight battle with Ty Gibbs, eventually clearing him off turn four to take second—enough to advance to the main event.

However, a caution on lap 78 changed everything. NASCAR ruled Preece had committed a choose-cone violation under yellow, forcing him to restart at the rear. Despite the setback, he fought back to finish 11th, showing resilience in one of the fastest cars on track.

“I’m just really disappointed, because we brought a really fast Boston Common Golf Ford to the track this weekend,” Preece said. “I hate it for our team, but we’ll move on to next week and look forward to the Coke 600.”

Up Next
Charlotte Motor Speedway (Concord, NC): Sunday, May 25, 2025, at 6 PM ET on Prime

Rookie Robert Shwartzman puts Chevrolet on Pole for Indianapolis 500

By
Official Release
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Pato O’Ward will start from third giving Chevy two drivers on the front row

Rookie Robert Shwartzman had the drive of his life as he made his four-lap qualifying run for his first Indianapolis 500 and his first oval. The driver of the No. 83 PREMA Racing Chevrolet was the third driver to roll onto the 2.5-mile oval during Firestone Fast Six qualifying and set the mark to beat with a four lap average of 232.790mph. The 25-year-old held off a challenge from fellow Team Chevy driver Pato O’Ward, behind the wheel of the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, who will start on the outside of the front-row.

  • Shwartzman and O’Ward were joined in the Fast 12 by fellow Team Chevy drivers David Malukas in the No. 4 Clarience Technologies Chevrolet for A.J. Foyt Racing, who will start from 7th, Christian Lundgaard in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, who will start from 8th, Scott McLaughlin in the No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet, who will start 10th, Josef Newgarden in the No. 2 Shell Team Penske Chevrolet, who will start 11th and Will Power in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, who will start 12th.
  • Shwartman is the first rookie Indianapolis 500 pole winner since Teo Fabi in 1983.
  • PREMA Racing is the first new entry to win the Indianapolis 500 pole since Mayer Motor Racing won the 1984 pole with Tom Sneva behind the wheel.
  • Ryan Briscoe won the first Indianapolis 500 pole in the twin-turbo 2.2L era of NTT INDYCAR SERIES competition with Chevrolet power. This year, Briscoe is the Sporting Director for PREMA Racing, who wins the first Indianapolis 500 pole in the hybrid twin-turbo 2.2L era.
  • Shwartzman and O’Ward are the 27th and 28th Team Chevy drivers to start on the front row of the Indianapolis 500 since the introduction of the 2.2L twin-turbo formula in 2012. Eight of those are poles, nine are in the middle of the front row, and 11 are from the outside of the front row.
  • All 18 Team Chevy entries made the field of 33 drivers for the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.
  • Shwartzman is the 14th Chevrolet powered driver to win the Indianapolis 500 pole.

Chevrolet powered Indianapolis 500 pole winners

2025 – Robert Shwartzman – PREMA Racing

2024 – Scott McLaughlin – Team Penske

2019 – Simon Pagenaud – Team Penske

2018 – Ed Carpenter – Ed Carpenter Racing

2015 – Scott Dixon – Chip Ganassi Racing

2014 – Ed Carpenter – Ed Carpenter Racing

2013 – Ed Carpenter – Ed Carpenter Racing

2012 – Ryan Briscoe – Team Penske

2002 – Bruno Junqueira – Chip Ganassi Racing

1991 – Rick Mears – Team Penske

1990 – Emerson Fittipaldi – Team Penske

1989 – Rick Mears – Team Penske

1988 – Rick Mears – Team Penske

1987 – Mario Andretti – Newman Haas Racing

Firestone Fast Six Qualifying Results

Fast 12 Qualifying Results:

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING INDIANAPOLIS 500 SUNDAY QUALIFYING

Robert Shwartzman, No. 83 PREMA Racing Chevrolet / PREMA Racing

Sunday Qualifying Rank: 1st
Four Lap Average: 232.790mph
Quote: “Well, unbelievable guys we made it. My first ever Indy 500 pole as a rookie with the rookie team PREMA Racing. I mean overall, I just want to say a big thanks to PREMA and to Chevy for their support and for their work. We’ve done a really good job with progressing the car and honestly now I still can’t believe it. Mentally I’m quite exhausted, I just need to digest this whole thing, that I’m going to be starting on pole for the Indy 500. So yeah, just amazing. Big thanks to all the fans for the support and to everybody who was supporting me and believing in me for all these years. A huge thank you to everyone at Team Chevy for the support!!!! What a result for everyone!

Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet / Arrow McLaren

Sunday Qualifying Rank: 3rd
Four Lap Average: 232.098mph
Quote: “I’ve never been on the front row for an Indy 500, so this is great. This is literally what I wanted. I told my family yesterday that my goal was to be starting on the outside of the front row. Obviously, I would’ve loved pole, but it’s a tall task. You just never know here, it’s always a surprise. I think it’s phenomenal what Prema and Shwartzman have done, it’s an incredible story. As for us, we’re right there. We’ve had a quick car all month, and we’re going to continue to have it in the race. We’re going to keep working on that and see what we can make happen.”

David Malukas, No. 4 Clarience Technologies Chevrolet / A.J. Foyt Enterprises

Sunday Qualifying Rank: 7th
Four Lap Average: 231.599mph
Quote: “It was a very easy run. The easiest out of all of the qualifying runs that we’ve had to do. We just played it too safe on the downforce level. With this track temp coming up we were kind of debating how things were going to be. We should have probably taken more risk. We need one of these guys to drop out to make the (Firestone) Fast Six, but it was very good run for the guys.”

Christian Lundgaard, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet / Arrow McLaren

Sunday Qualifying Rank: 8th
Four Lap Average: 231.360mph
Quote: “That was a pretty good day. We went out to the Top 12 run not knowing what to expect with the balance, and we ended up a lot more pushy than we were this morning. We wanted to give Pato some of that information for his run, and he made it through to the Firestone Fast 6. Congrats to the No. 5 team. At the end of the day, the No. 7 VELO Arrow McLaren Chevrolet will start eighth, which is a lot better than I’ve previously done here. A lot of good to come.”

Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet / Team Penske Fast 12

Rank: 10th
Four Lap Average: DNQ after practice incident
Quote: “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just really, really, really, really sorry for everybody at Team Penske and the guys on the (No.) 3 car, and everybody on the 2, 12 and everyone who builds these cars. It was talking to me and I sort of felt it and I should have backed out. But, you know you are trying to complete a run to see what it feels like, and was it worth the risk. It probably wasn’t. I’m incredibly sad. (Watches the crash) You just try and brace yourself and hope you don’t go in the catch fence. I’m very grateful to INDYCAR for the safety. My team and the SAFER Barriers kept me safe.”

Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Shell V-Power NiTRO+ Team Penske Chevrolet / Team Penske

Sunday Qualifying Rank: 11th
Four Lap Average: DNQ
Quote:

Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet / Team Penske

Sunday Qualifying Rank: DNQ
Four Lap Average: Car 12 failed pre-qualifying technical inspection
Quote:

Pato O’Ward

Robert Shwartzman

Press Conference

Moving ahead to front row for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500, Pato O’Ward joins us driver of the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, who has qualified for his sixth Indy 500. First front row start. Previous best was a fifth place start a couple of years ago in 2023. Tell us about the Firestone Fast Six.

PATO O’WARD: Yeah, super stoked to have my first front row start here at the 500. Definitely was pushing for that pole. First of all, I want to thank everybody, guys and gals, at Arrow McLaren. This is obviously the first time that I’ve had a true shot to compete for pole, but also compete to be one of the best three. We’ve got the best few going into turn one.

Big thanks to them, Team Chevy, you know, for us and as well for the pole setter. The rookie of rookies on ovals, team, I mean, it’s phenomenal what they did today. It really is. I think it’s an amazing storyline.

I’m happy to see that they obviously do look surprised. I believe they’ve built a rocket, and it’s phenomenal to see it’s the best definition that I can probably give Indianapolis is full of surprises. Yeah, just cool to be a part of it.

THE MODERATOR: Cool to see on the front row. Open it up to questions.

Q. I would like to start talking about Jacob. You just gave him a handshake. You missed your first Indy 500, much like him. What would you say to Jacob to deal with that situation?

PATO O’WARD: You’re better off watching the race than racing in a shit car. I mean, it’s miserable. 200 laps in a car that sucks. You don’t want that. That’s horrible. So I was actually kind of relieved when I didn’t make it.

I hope he kind of feels the same because otherwise, he’s just going to be pounding around there, and it’s not like he’s pounding around in 100 miles an hour. Like we’re going fricking fast, and accidents can happen just in a blink of an eye.

When something is not really that comfortable, I think it’s obviously a heart break, but I know exactly how it feels. I’m sure we’re going to see him here next year.

Q. Your struggles with speed throughout the month of May last year were well-documented. How gratifying is it to know that you finished second with a tough car last year, you’re starting third this year? How would you rate your chances?

PATO O’WARD: Oh, man. 200 laps, it’s 500 miles, it’s a fricking long race. Whoever looks to be winning it in the middle of the race is probably not going to win it because things change so much for the Indy 500.

We’re right there. I know how to position myself in order to have a shot, and I really embrace this event and everything that goes with it. I can’t wait to get onto the green flag, have the best view that I’ve ever had starting an Indy 500. I think there’s a lot of new and excitement that I’ll be able to appreciate and experience.

Q. I know you couldn’t hear it in the car, but the crowd perhaps gave the loudest cheer outside the Shwartzman for when you took the green flag. Not even put up a speed. Talk about these fans here at the speedway.

PATO O’WARD: Oh, man, they’re phenomenal. They make the magic that much more, when you really get to experience what Indy means. I love seeing the 5 shirts walking around, people chanting your name. It’s really special. I never thought in my career that I would be able to experience something so special.

I just think everything that has to do with the month of May, like, everybody embraces it. Everybody is, like, into it. That just gives it an extra element of just bad assness. I feel like this month, you know, I feel like a lot of us are walking around with extensions in our pants because it’s just — man, it’s so fricking gnarly. It is gnarly.

You have to take these cars to the edge after you’ve already taken it to the edge just to find a little bit extra speed. The feeling is unbelievable, but that feeling can also be pretty devastating when you destroy a car that you know is probably the best one that you’re going to have all month.

The stakes are so high, but the preparations and all that stuff, I mean, that’s why people come and watch qualifying here because I feel like specifically this year has just been bad ass.

Q. A couple of times you have mentioned how you’re going to have the best view. Why does the view matter?

PATO O’WARD: Because no one is in front of you, bro. You see turn one, and you just start accelerating as soon as pole man starts accelerating. Yeah, that’s just what it is (laughing). I’ve always had a few rows in front of me, so…

Q. Were you aware of what was going on with the Penske cars there in qualifying, why they didn’t qualify? Do you care? Did you feel that they were intentionally breaking the rules, or is it something that people do and work on?

PATO O’WARD: They weren’t accidentally doing it because they had the blowtorch right there in order to get it out. Honestly, I feel for Abel and for everybody that did the disqualifications or the last chance qualifying. Those cars weren’t in regulations.

I’m not an engineer, so I can’t tell you what they were doing, how much speed that it is or if it is any speed. Obviously it’s not in regulation. The rule is pretty black and white. Those cars should have been in the last chance qualifier. Like, those cars should have never — obviously they didn’t do anything in the Fast 12, but they should have been brought into the LCQ because they had that yesterday, I guarantee you. Until someone pointed it out today. Those cars, if they’re disqualified today, they should have been disqualified yesterday.

It’s a shame really because they don’t need to be doing that stuff. They’re a great team. They have got great drivers. Why are doing that? It makes no sense.

THE MODERATOR: See you back here tomorrow. Thanks, Pato.

THE MODERATOR:

We’ll get started with our pole winner for the Indianapolis 500. As we continue, though, for the pole position for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 Robert Shwartzman, driver of the No. 83 PREMA Racing Chevrolet with his first NTT P1 award in his rookie year on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. First rookie to win the pole since Teo Fabi did so back in 1983. Tony Stewart qualified second in ’96 and inherited the pole after the Scott Brayton incident.

First driver from Israel in the Indianapolis 500. PREMA Racing is also the first-year team to win the pole since Meyer Motor Racing back in 1984. That team put Tom Sneva on the pole and Howdy Holmes in the second qualifying spot. Made a little history here today. What does it feel like?

ROBERT SHWARTZMAN: Honestly it’s unbelievable. I was just processing it, and I still can’t believe it. It’s just a dream.

I was just thinking in my dreams fantasizing, How will it feel to take pole position in Indy 500? How is the vibe? Then I was, like, Yeah, Robert, get back to reality. You have a new car, new team, you are a rookie. How can you expect to be in this position? It’s just in your dreams.

But still I was keeping that tiny dream deep inside like maybe, maybe. Yeah, coming here, honestly, we missed the first testing day. Let’s say the free practice. Even so, I think the thing that made me sit here now in this position I think is just the right team mentality. You don’t need to be a genius. You don’t need to have incredible experience. You just need to have a good people around you as a team, which are conscious of what they’re doing.

You know, as a whole team, you just know that, Okay, we’ll go step by step, small steps without rushing because even though I don’t have experience, I’ve heard a lot of people saying that Indy doesn’t forgive. One slight mistake can cost you a lot.

We’ve seen Colton, Marcus, Scotty, they were really fast, but I think they could have definitely challenged, but with that mistake, they didn’t manage to do it. So that was the thing that I didn’t really want to do. That’s why we didn’t come up with the warmup yesterday and in practice today. It was just like, you know, No, let’s keep it safe, just stable. We know that the car is quite quick. Just need to be consistent, do the four laps, and the last run I just give it all. I give maximum what I could.

I tried to stay as long as possible flat, and yeah, here we are. We managed to survive it. I managed to hold it on. Honestly it was the best feeling ever. The car was just amazing.

THE MODERATOR: Let me go through, before we open it up for questions, where you placed each day at practice here for Indianapolis. Tuesday you were 33rd quick. Wednesday you were 28th quick. Thursday, 32nd quick. Friday, bumped up to 13th. Now here you are starting from pole position. Where did you find? It was a confidence thing?

ROBERT SHWARTZMAN: Just to make it clear, I think in free practice we were definitely way faster than where we were. The problem is that other people were mainly simulating race runs while we were actually focusing on quallie runs. We were always in the free air trying to search and find the free air, obviously without the boost.

So that’s why we were not as good-looking in the field because other drivers, they had slip stream, and that was definitely giving them some speed advantage. We didn’t really care at that stage, let’s say, at the ranking. The target was just to get the car in the right window with the right balance for quallie.

Again, that’s another thing. I would have not known how to approach it, but luckily, there is my engineer, Eric, who have done that in the past, he was a Joseph engineer, and he knew how Indy 500 works.

That was his input, and he said, Guys, we’re going to do it like this. Obviously we have full trust in him. At the end here we are. He managed to give me a pole position car.

THE MODERATOR: It’s an amazing story. We’ll open it up to questions.

Q. Robert, you mentioned that this was a dream. When was your first memory of the Indianapolis 500?

ROBERT SHWARTZMAN: My first memory was when I was in Formula 1 Grand Prix in Monaco, I was just as a kid, let’s say, just watching the Formula 1 race, and at the same time it was going the Indy 500 race. So there was my friends and sponsors, and they invited me to a yacht, like the part of Monaco. I was just sitting there. It was no Formula 1 running. It was actually after the race of Formula 1. Normally Monaco is quite boring, as we know. There is not many possibilities of overtaking. It’s more quallie race for me.

Then we were just sitting there, and on the TV there was Indy 500 race running there. Honestly I was just looking. It was so much more exciting. I was just, like, Damn, until last turn you don’t know who is going to win. I was being like, Okay, this guy is fast, he’s going to win, and then all of a sudden, no, he’s getting overtaken and then another guy and another guy. The rotation is always changing.

That was the first member, Damn, this is amazing. This is proper battle. Then I obviously start hearing a lot of things about Indy that it’s another way from Formula 1. Let’s say if you don’t go to Formula 1, the best thing is to go to INDYCAR. Yeah, here we are.

It happened so that unfortunately I haven’t been given a chance to go to F1 even though I really tried my best. I know it’s, like, Okay, if that’s not the way to go, I’ll try here in Indy, and here we are. I think it’s a good place to be in. I really like it. I really enjoy it.

It’s first experience on ovals. That was just something unbelievable. Especially going 240 miles an hour, which is like 385 kilometers an hour. It’s just a new experience. I’ve never driven so fast a car.

Now sitting here being in pole position is just, again, just a wow.

Q. Have you ever had a crowd cheer for you like that?

ROBERT SHWARTZMAN: I don’t remember. It’s been really, really long time since I raced like this. I’ve been in an environment like this for me. Crowd is amazing here. Honestly, it’s been since like the moment I felt like we were fast and people start noticing us that we were actually not too bad, we’re pretty competitive, it started picking up this level of people just, like, you know, cheering, cheering, cheering.

Yeah, honestly, at the end now when we took the pole, it’s unbelievable, the roar, how loud it is. I mean, it’s been a long time since I heard that.

Q. You mentioned you focused mainly on quallie sims throughout practice. How important are these next two days of practice to get the race can car dialed in?

ROBERT SHWARTZMAN: For sure. For me, like I said, we spoke with Ryan who was helping me, Ryan Briscoe, and he was, like, basically Indy splits in two races. There is one race that is just quallies and then there is another race which is actual race. For me it’s the same approach.

We don’t have much time obviously, and we need to try to figure out what’s about best way for the race car, how is it going to be looking like? Plus, I don’t have much experience. I have none experience racing on oval, so I don’t know exactly how are the overtakes, how do you defend? It’s something absolutely new. So I don’t want to put any high expectation on myself on that point.

It’s obviously amazing to start first, but again, I just probably take it easy. I guess I need to just analyze and see what the others are also doing because, you know, it’s very easy to make be a mistake here. As I said, it can cost a lot. I just want to make it a smooth ride. The approach is just we use maximum we can the free practice we got for the race, and then hopefully it’s going to be good enough to put the car in a decent position. Then we’re just going to race. I try to enjoy the battling, the racing with the other guys.

Q. Two questions for you: Number one, I heard that Ryan Briscoe is part of the PREMA Team. Is it fair to say that he maybe prepared you with this open-wheel experience?

ROBERT SHWARTZMAN: For sure. Yeah, for sure he helps. That’s what he’s doing. He’s really helping a lot with his experience, his knowledge, things he was doing in his past.

Yeah, yesterday morning I was feeling really nervous about going to the qualifying. I was, like, Ryan, were you actually nervous going for quallie? For me I never actually was nervous in my career in qualifying. It’s just one lap. You go there. There’s nothing dangerous, nothing scary. Here it was, like, first time being really nervous to go out there and, like, because you don’t know. You don’t know what’s going to be, how the car is going to be. You definitely don’t want to end up crashing here.

I was really nervous, and I was, like, Ryan, were you nervous? He was, like, Yeah, I was. It’s normal. It’s absolutely normal. We chatted. He calmed me down. He is, like, Listen, take it easy. It’s the first year. You’re a rookie. No expectations. Just enjoy it.

That’s what I did. Especially when you have a good car and you can get confidence and trust that the car is going to be good, that also helps a lot. And the second one?

Q. The second question is, very sadly your home country had headlines with this war situation. You coming now here and are on pole as rookie after more than 40 years, do you think you’re an ambassador to bring positive headlines back to your home country and hopefully maybe one day we have international race in Israel and a really good racetrack will be built? What you do you think?

ROBERT SHWARTZMAN: It would be amazing if we would go to Israel. Obviously, I’m not in control of it. It’s a dream. Like you said, it’s definitely an amazing idea to have a race track in Israel where we can do an international race because I heard the next couple of years we might go to Mexico. Honestly, I would also love to go to Israel if that would be built a proper racetrack.

Yeah, representing Israel I just want to believe that for all the people they realize that what is going on generally. Let’s say, I’m not supporting it. I just want peace in the world. I want people to be good, and I don’t want the separation of countries saying this is bad country, this is good country. There is no bad or good. We’re all human beings. We just have to support each other and respect each other. That’s as well.

We need it also find ways to, let’s say, negotiate things, find ways to agree on things because from my experience, there is always a gold medal, I’m calling it. There’s always the right path.

Yeah, I really hope that at the end of the day everything is going to be good in the world, it’s going to be all calm. From my side I try to just represent my country and do my best, let people know that I’m here, and that I’m giving it all. I’m not giving up with whatever I have in my career, in my past. I not giving up, and I won’t give up. So I keep pushing, so people just have that belief, keep going forward, and yeah, just look forward. Never look back.

Q. (Off microphone)

ROBERT SHWARTZMAN: I was not born, but — I lived in Ashkelon and born in Tel Aviv obviously, but I think for three years we lived in Ashkelon, but I didn’t know about racetrack. I heard later on that there was this race and that there was a racetrack and that they raced, but it’s been long time ago. Unfortunately I couldn’t witness it.

THE MODERATOR: Well said, by the way. The reference to Ryan Briscoe, so everyone knows, ten-time starter in the Indy 500, won pole position back in 2012. You have got a lot of good advice this week.

ROBERT SHWARTZMAN: I know that.

Q. Obviously the last rookie to win the pole for the Indy 500 was in 1983, and that’s your car number. Do you that’s a good omen for Sunday?

ROBERT SHWARTZMAN: That’s actually a good one. That’s something symbolic. I didn’t even know that. I want to believe that it’s definitely a big thing. Some people believe in this numbers thing. Some people don’t.

I find it kind of cool from my side, so yeah, as I said, I didn’t expect myself to be here, honestly. I raced with the same number actually last year in WEC, and unfortunately, we didn’t manage to win Lamond. We were really fast. We led most of the race. At that stage I was, like, well, you know, Lamond was so close, but we didn’t get it.

Then when I came to Indy and I took the same number, I’m, like, I have to bring this number up. I have to do it. I have to push it up that people will sigh this number.

It’s the second year with this number, and the fact that the last rookie was in ’83, that means it’s a good coincidence.

Q. In terms of your WEC experience, obviously it’s an endurance race, and the race next week is a very long race. Do you think there’s anything you can take away from your WEC experience to go into the 500?

ROBERT SHWARTZMAN: Yeah, for sure. When I was doing Lamond overall I’ve driven a bit more than eight hours. You don’t sleep. In that way when the races are so long, you get sort of this knowledge and ability of being just calm.

You sort of put yourself in autopilot. Just be smooth, take things under control, but you don’t overpush yourself because you can go for so long at your max effort. You have to balance well your energy.

I think in that way endurance racing helped me to get this knowledge, to get this feeling and understanding how to approach races like that. Obviously in a week’s time it’s going to be a new thing for me. So definitely it’s going to be difficult because it’s not only long race, but it’s like it’s my first oval race starting from pole, so there is a lot of things going on.

Again, I just try to use that knowledge to just be calm and as I said, take it easy without rushing things up. Yeah, hopefully we’re going to have a good, strong, fast, competitive car. Who knows? Maybe in the last laps I’m going to be there battling not only for pole position like for today but also for a race win. Thank you.

Q. First, I wanted to ask about the reception from the fans and you’ve talked about wanting to come and race in America, and you spoke about sort of the texts between your home country and the world view of it. To hear that reaction and to get that acceptance from the fans for winning the pole, what was your reaction of that? In general, how you’ve been treated by fans since you joined INDYCAR?

ROBERT SHWARTZMAN: Honestly, really well. That’s the thing that I want to bring up to generally the whole world. I think here in U.S. people are way less judgeful, let’s say. I have never felt that anybody would judge from where I come from. They just judge what you do, which is fair. If you do good things, they will judge you as a good man. If you do bad things, you’re a bad man. That’s how it’s supposed to be.

There is no, let’s say, this separation of, like, oh, okay, you come from this country, it’s in a worse state, they’re bad, you’re bad as well, and saying bad things.

Here, again, the fans are super supportive. They’re really nice. Yeah, as I said, I never felt — like here I feel really good with the fans.

Let’s say in a couple of years in Europe it was a bit more tense for me. I have to admit. It was difficult moments. Most of the people that were in that environment, they understand, and they supported me, but there were also some people that were going against me.

It’s been a very tough moment in my life where I was just, like, I haven’t done anything bad. I didn’t support anything. I generally just support my people from my country, but generally all the people with respect, and there were just some people saying bad things just because where I was born.

Q. My last question, I know you’re a budding musician. Can we expect a song about this performance today any time soon?

ROBERT SHWARTZMAN: As I said, I need some good studio to contact me, and I’m down to get in the studio on the mic, and we can have a look at how we can lyrically do a really cool song about getting the pole in Indy 500.

THE MODERATOR: Do you care to get into explaining what he means by that question, about your musical ability here? You’ve got a song out, right?

ROBERT SHWARTZMAN: I did one. It’s called, “Active.” Yeah, you can hear it if you want. I mean, it’s been a long time. It’s been, like, four years since I released it actually. At this stage I realize that I can do even better, but I think still it’s a fun sock.

THE MODERATOR: You might get a trending now after this.

ROBERT SHWARTZMAN: Maybe people can start using social media to rotate, use my face or whatever, my name, and use that song.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. You’ve got a lot of interviews to do.

ROBERT SHWARTZMAN: I though I’m going to have a free, let’s say, couple of days, but seems like not.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations, Robert. What a great story. Thank you, Robert.

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.

Toyota GAZOO Racing – NCS North Wilkesboro All Star Race Post-Race Report – 05.18.25

By
Official Release
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BELL WINS ALL-STAR RACE
Christopher Bell claims million-dollar prize in fifth attempt

NORTH WILKESBORO, NC (May 18, 2025) – Christopher Bell and his team made the correct pit call on the final caution and Bell drove from sixth to first to claim his first All-Star race win – and the million-dollar prize – at North Wilkesboro Speedway on Sunday evening. It is Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing’s first All-Star win since 2017.

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB’s John Hunter Nemechek had a strong evening as well as he finished runner-up in the All-Star Open and advanced to the All-Star race for the first time.

Toyota GAZOO Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
North Wilkesboro Speedway
All-Star Race – 156.25 miles, 250 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, CHRISTOPHER BELL
2nd, Joey Logano*
3rd, Ross Chastain*
4th, Alex Bowman*
5th, Chase Elliott*
7th, TYLER REDDICK
9th, CHASE BRISCOE
12th, DENNY HAMLIN
19th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 1st

How did the win unfold for you tonight?

“North Wilkesboro, how about that one? That right there was absolutely incredible. North Wilkesboro is the best short track on the schedule. Let’s go.”

What does your pit crew mean to your success?

“They’re the best. There’s nothing else to say. This sport can be so humbling because behind the wheel you’re just a small part of the success. These boys right here, Adam Stevens (crew chief) on the pit box, all the mechanics, all the engineers that put this thing together – they’re the big picture. I’m just the guy that gets to stand up here and talk to you and take the pictures, but without them I’m nobody and I owe it all to these guys.”

Can you describe the racing here at North Wilkesboro?

“North Wilkesboro – the best short track in NASCAR. It is absolutely incredible. I knew – I had so much fun last year. I sucked in the race, but racing here last year was so much fun. As this place continues to age, it’s just going to get better and better. Man, that was an amazing race. All the way from – there were so many guys up there racing for the lead. We saw two-wide, three-wide for the lead, it’s just a pleasure to race here, and especially whenever you get to drive this Mobil 1 Toyota Camry. These boys have done such a good job on this thing. I told them going into it, this was the best car we’ve had in a long time. Joey (Logano) was fast. He gave us a lot of competition and the 12 (Ryan Blaney) was really good there and the 9 (Chase Elliott). They had competitive cars. The strategy – we knew it would be all over the place and it fell our way.”

How were you able to get by Joey Logano?

“He’s (Joey Logano) probably the best. Him and his spotter do such a good job of working together to play the air game. It works, it works really well. Whether you’re at North Wilkesboro or you’re at Kansas or Michigan. He did a great job of trying to keep me behind him and I knew that once I got that run off turn 4, it was like alright, I’m going to have to be a little more aggressive and kind of leaned on him and got him out of position. I knew once I got the lead, I had the tire advantage so I should be able to cruise, and it worked out that way.”

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.

Shwartzman, PREMA Shock Field, Make History To Win Indianapolis 500 Pole

By
Official Release
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INDIANAPOLIS (Sunday, May 18, 2025) – The fairy tale became reality for Robert Shwartzman and PREMA Racing, as the rookie driver in his first-ever oval race and the first-year NTT INDYCAR SERIES team shocked the field to win the NTT P1 Award for the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.

Shwartzman, from Tel Aviv, Israel, became the first rookie driver to win the pole since Teo Fabi in 1983. He is just the third rookie to win the pole on track and will be the sixth first-year starter to lead the field to green in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

The impossible dream came true when Shwartzman ripped off a four-lap average speed of 232.790 mph in the No. 83 PREMA Racing Chevrolet during the Firestone Fast Six. PREMA, which joined the NTT INDYCAR SERIES this season after years of success in European racing, became the first team to claim the “500” pole in its first attempt since Mayer Motor Racing put Tom Sneva on the pole in 1984.

“I was like, ‘This is a dream; it can’t be true,” Shwartzman said. “I don’t know what even to say. The car felt amazing. I can’t thank PREMA and Chevy. Coming here for my first oval race, I would never even expect it to be in this position. It’s unbelievable.”

Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato and Pato O’Ward will join Shwartzman on the front row for the race Sunday, May 25 (10 a.m. ET, FOX, FOX Deportes, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network). Sato qualified second at 232.478 in the No. 75 AMADA Honda of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. O’Ward will start third after his Firestone Fast Six run of 232.098 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet.

The remainder of the Firestone Fast Six participants will comprise the second row. 2008 “500” winner Scott Dixon will start fourth after his run of 232.052 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Felix Rosenqvist qualified fifth at 231.987 in the No. 60 SiriusXM Honda of Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian. Three-time series champion and current points leader Alex Palou, who has won four of the first five races this season, qualified sixth at 231.378 in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

This pole was as much incredible as it was improbable. The PREMA team, consisting of Shwartzman and teammate Callum Ilott, completed just 22 laps combined on the opening day of practice Tuesday, May 13 because they were behind on preparations for their first “500” and first oval race.

Shwartzman was 33rd fastest out of the 34 drivers on opening day, improving to only 28th Wednesday and falling to 32nd Thursday. But his car came alive on Fast Friday presented by Turtle Wax after engine boost levels and horsepower were increased, as he ended up 13th.

Then on the first day of PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying on Saturday, Shwartzman drove into the Top 12 Qualifying session by ending up sixth. He improved to third at 232.008 in the Top 12 Qualifying session earlier today before his stunning run to the pole.

“I have to say big thanks to my engineers,” Shwartzman said. “They did an amazing job, step by step, by improving the car, trying new things. All of these steps that we did were just better, better, better. And then got to a point where the car was really good.”

Marco Andretti, Marcus Armstrong and Rinus VeeKay earned the final three spots in the field in Last Chance Qualifying. Andretti, grandson of 1969 Indianapolis 500 winner Mario Andretti, will start 31st in the No. 98 MAPEI/Curb Honda of Andretti Herta w/Marco & Curb-Agajanian. Armstrong rebounded from a vicious crash Saturday to qualify 32nd at 229.091 in the No. 66 SiriusXM/Root Insurance Honda of Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian.

VeeKay was the last driver to earn a spot in the 33-car lineup, qualifying 33rd at 226.913 in the No. 18 askROI Honda of Dale Coyne Racing and hanging on to hope while his rookie teammate, Jacob Abel, fell short of making the field in the last run of the Last Chance Qualifying session. Abel’s last-ditch attempt reached 226.394 in the No. 75 Miller High Life Honda.

“Unfortunately, starting yesterday I’ve been kind of preparing for this a little bit,” Abel said. “Super, super weird situation. We were happy all week long. The No. 51 Miller High Life car was fast. It just seemed like something happened overnight Friday to Saturday, and we just immediately lost speed. And it’s just been getting slower and slower every run.”

There was unexpected drama at the start of the Top 12 Qualifying session when the cars of two remaining Team Penske drivers in the session, Josef Newgarden and Will Power, didn’t make their respective one attempt after a violation of INDYCAR Rule 14.7.8.16, an unapproved body fit on the rear attenuator of the car.

Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin already was relegated to start fourth row for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” after he crashed heavily in Turn 2 during pre-qualifying practice this morning in the No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet. McLaughlin was unhurt, but the car suffered heavy damage, and the team elected to focus its efforts on getting a car prepared for McLaughlin for practice Monday afternoon.

The three Team Penske drivers will occupy Row 4 on the starting grid based on their four-lap average speeds from the first day of PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying on Saturday. McLaughlin will start 10th in the No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet, two-time reigning “500” winner Newgarden 11th in the No. 2 Shell V-Power NiTRO Team Penske Chevrolet and Power 12th in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet.

Up next is a practice session from 1-3 p.m. ET Monday (FS1, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network).

109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge Starting Lineup

  1. (83) Robert Shwartzman, Chevrolet, 2:34.6459 (232.790 mph)
  2. (75) Takuma Sato, Honda, 2:34.8534 (232.478)
  3. (5) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 2:35.1069 (232.098)
  4. (9) Scott Dixon, Honda, 2:35.1377 (232.052)
  5. (60) Felix Rosenqvist, Honda, 2:35.1809 (231.987)
  6. (10) Alex Palou, Honda, 2:35.5894 (231.378)
  7. (4) David Malukas, Chevrolet, 2:35.4411 (231.599)
  8. (7) Christian Lundgaard, Chevrolet, 2:35.6015 (231.360)
  9. (28) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 2:35.8347 (231.014)
  10. (3) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 2:34.4979 (233.013)
  11. (2) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 2:34.5036 (233.004)
  12. (12) Will Power, Chevrolet, 2:35.0760 (232.144)
  13. (76) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, 2:35.3568 (231.725)
  14. (20) Alexander Rossi, Chevrolet, 2:35.3725 (231.701)
  15. (8) Kyffin Simpson, Honda, 2:35.4127 (231.641)
  16. (20) Ed Carpenter, Chevrolet, 2:35.4180 (231.633)
  17. (14) Santino Ferrucci, Chevrolet, 2:35.4453 (231.593)
  18. (30) Devlin DeFrancesco, Honda, 2:35.4575 (231.575)
  19. (77) Sting Ray Robb, Chevrolet, 2:35.5336 (231.461)
  20. (21) Christian Rasmussen, Chevrolet, 2:35.5489 (231.438)
  21. (17) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 2:35.6242 (231.326)
  22. (45) Louis Foster, Honda, 2:35.8049 (231.058)
  23. (90) Callum Ilott, Chevrolet, 2:35.8489 (230.993)
  24. (06) Helio Castroneves, Honda, 2:35.8592 (230.978)
  25. (27) Kyle Kirkwood, Honda, 2:35.8999 (230.917)
  26. (6) Nolan Siegel, Chevrolet, 2:36.1342 (230.571)
  27. (23) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Chevrolet, 2:36.2752 (230.363)
  28. (24) Jack Harvey, Chevrolet, 2:36.2853 (230.348)
  29. (26) Colton Herta, Honda, 2:36.3910 (230.192)
  30. (15) Graham Rahal, Honda, 2:36.6152 (229.863)
  31. (98) Marco Andretti, Honda, 2:36.6979 (229.741)
  32. (66) Marcus Armstrong, Honda, 2:37.1426 (229.091)
  33. (18) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 2:38.6514 (226.913)

GMG Racing and Kyle Washington Win Third GT America Race of the Season Sunday at Sebring

By
Official Release
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  • Flag-to-Flag Victory from the Pole for Kyle Washington on Sunday in the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R Bolsters 2025 GT America Powered by AWS Championship Bid
  • Washington and Tom Sargent Fight to Fourth-Place Finish Sunday in GT World Challenge America Powered by AWS Race at Sebring in the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R

SEBRING, Florida (May 18, 2025) – GMG Racing and longtime team driver Kyle Washington continued to roll in GT America powered by AWS series competition this weekend at Sebring International Raceway with a flag-to-flag victory from the pole Sunday in the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R.

Leading the field from the drop of the green Sunday morning after setting the fastest race lap in a third-place run in Saturday’s first GT America sprint of the Sebring weekend, Washington controlled the 40-minute race from the start. He was never seriously challenged for the lead and crossed the finish line with a comfortable 7.591-second margin of victory.

“I am so impressed and of course incredibly pleased with Kyle’s performance today and all season,” said GMG Racing Founder and Principal James Sofronas. “Even our competitors and friends in the paddock are taking notice, and this is the result of several years of progress and hard work in the GMG Racing driver development system. Kyle has been working hard, the team has been working hard, and it shows. He has never driven or raced better, and I don’t think we have even come close to seeing the limit of this progress. We are looking forward to and ready for the second half of the season.”

Sebring was the halfway point of the 16-race GT America season, which is contested on eight doubleheader weekends. Washington has appeared on the podium in the last seven of the eight races to date, a streak that started with his first career victory on Sunday in the season-opening race weekend at Sonoma Raceway. He and the No. 32 team gained 10 points on the championship leader this weekend and leave Sebring just two points shy of first place in the season standings.

“We are in a good place at halfway, but you know, it’s one race at a time, one day at a time,” Washington said. “The GMG Racing car I had Sunday was probably the best car I have ever driven. It was phenomenal. Just phenomenal. The boys work hard, they gave me a big winner with that Porsche, and that made me a winner on the track.”

In addition to the Sunday GT America victory and third-place result at Sebring, Washington’s second race win of the year in the opening round last month at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) followed a pair of second-place showings at the Grand Prix of Long Beach. He also followed up the COTA win with a second-place finish in that weekend’s Sunday finale.

The Sebring weekend was run in extremely hot and – in the case of the twin 90-minute GT World Challenge powered by AWS races – harried conditions. Washington and co-driver Tom Sargent drove a second No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R in both the Saturday and Sunday GT World Challenge rounds and overcame a mix of competitor contact hits and off-course excursions for a weekend-best result of fourth on Sunday in the Pro-Am class.

“Saturday, I made a mistake and tried to race in GT America with the air conditioning off,” Washington said. “I definitely got a little overheated, so on Sunday I said ‘let’s be a little more methodical. Keep the AC cranked and don’t try and drive like a gorilla!’ I was definitely a little more precise and my performance wasn’t hampered by the heat.”

The 2025 SRO America racing season now enters its traditional summer break with competition resuming two months from now at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR), July 18 – 20.

About GMG Racing: Founded in 2001, GMG Racing quickly established itself as North America’s premier performance tuning facility. What began as a small 1,200 sq. ft. shop, maintaining two race cars, has grown into a state-of-the-art performance tuning, racing and service facility relocated last year to The Thermal Club and a 28,000 sq. ft. trackside motorsports facility. The staff, attention to detail and passion are what make GMG the choice of professionals and enthusiasts worldwide. GMG, in its early years, was located directly across the street from Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA). This close proximity allowed GMG to build a strong relationship with the legendary racing brand which has helped the company support its customers to the highest level possible. We have since won several Championships, not only with Porsche, but with Audi, Lamborghini, Aston Martin and McLaren. From club racing to Sebring, Daytona, Spa, Montreal, COTA and The Thermal Club, GMG can take you as far as you want to go. More information can be found at www.gmgracing.com.

Chicago Event Recap for the NHRA Route 66 Nationals – STEWART WINS!

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Official Release
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Tony Stewart & Matt Hagan
Top Fuel | Funny Car
Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by PEAK
May 15-18 | Joliet, Illinois

Event Recap

Tony Stewart, driver of the Rinnai Dodge//SRT Top Fuel Dragster:

  • Earned No. 1 provisional qualifying position in Q1 on Friday (3.847 ET at 320.36 mph)
  • Earned three bonus points for quickest run of the session
  • Fell to No. 6 provisional qualifying position based off of Friday’s Q1 run. In Q2 on Friday, Stewart ran a 6.013 ET at 111.42 mph.
  • Earned No. 2 provisional qualifying position in Q3 on Saturday (3.679 ET at 332.43 mph). Stewart faced Antron Brown in Round 1 of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, where his run defeated Brown’s 3.691 ET at 336.23 mph.
  • Earned two bonus points for second-quickest run of the session
  • Secured No. 2 qualifying position based off of Saturday’s Q3 run. In Q4 on Saturday, Stewart ran a 5.501 ET at 123.10 mph. Stewart faced Shawn Langdon in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge Finals, where Stewart lost to Langdon’s 3.704 ET at 332.10 mph.
  • Advanced to Finals on Sunday:
  • Round 1: 3.694 ET at 329.26 mph, defeated Terry Totten (4.276 ET at 212.43 mph)
  • Round 2: 4.539 ET at 261.47 mph, defeated Shawn Reed (5.043 ET at 267.11 mph)
  • Semifinals: 3.762 ET at 329.18 mph, defeated Steve Torrence (4.021 ET at 268.28 mph)
  • Finals: 3.777 ET at 329.10 mph, defeated Justin Ashley (3.818 ET at 324.12 mph)
  • Currently leading the Top Fuel championship standings, two points over Shawn Langdon

Matt Hagan, driver of the TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car:

  • Earned No. 17 provisional qualifying position in Q1 on Friday (8.245 ET at 88.16 mph)
  • Earned No. 7 provisional qualifying position in Q2 on Friday (4.018 ET at 322.88 mph)
  • Earned No. 2 provisional qualifying position in Q3 on Saturday (3.886 ET at 331.45 mph). Hagan faced Alexis DeJoria in Round 1 of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, where his run defeated DeJoria’s 4.400 ET at 199.70 mph.
  • Earned two bonus points for second-quickest run of the session
  • Secured No. 3 qualifying position in Q4 on Saturday (3.880 ET at 331.85 mph). Hagan faced Ron Capps in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge Finals, where Hagan defeated Capps’ 3.889 ET at 330.88 mph.
  • Advanced to Semifinals on Sunday:
  • Round 1: 3.916 ET at 330.39 mph, defeated Blake Alexander (4.036 ET at 320.28 mph)
  • Round 2: 3.919 ET at 328.62 mph, defeated Ron Capps (3.957 ET at 326.08 mph)
  • Semifinals: 3.942 ET at 327.90 mph, lost to Austin Prock (3.931 ET at 329.75 mph)
  • Currently third in the championship standings, 63 points behind Funny Car leader Austin Prock

Notes of Interest

  • Stewart’s win marked the second of his Top Fuel career and his first at the NHRA Route 66 Nationals. The victory gave Stewart the Top Fuel points lead.
  • Stewart has now completed the trifecta at Chicago – the oval track, dirt track (as a team owner – Donny Schatz in 2005 and 2017) and dragstrip.
  • Stewart advanced to his fourth consecutive final. His previous final-round appearances came at the 65th NHRA Winternationals, NHRA 4-Wide Nationals, and American Rebel Light NHRA 4-Wide Nationals.
  • Hagan earned his first Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge win of the season. The specialty race rewards a bonus purse and bonus points for the Countdown to the Championship.
  • Hagan and Capps went head-to-head for the first two times in 2025. They first faced each other in Saturday’s #2Fast2Tasty Finals and again in Round 2 on Sunday. Hagan and Capps have had 83 career matchups, with Capps leading 42-41.
  • Stewart’s Q3 run of 3.679 ET marked the quickest run of his Top Fuel career. His previous best elapsed time was 3.688-seconds, a mark he set at Brainerd in 2024.
  • By advancing to the Semifinals, Hagan and Stewart qualified to participate in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge at the next event, the NHRA New England Nationals. The challenge brings competitive racing to the qualifying schedule at 13 regular-season events during the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series campaign, pitting semifinalists from the previous race against each other in a pair of rematches, with the two winners then matching up in the final qualifying session. Hagan earned a rematch against Austin Prock in Round 1 and Stewart will race Steve Torrence.
  • Stewart will be joining the INDYCAR on FOX team next Sunday, May 25 for the 109th Indianapolis 500. Stewart will participate in the pre-race show alongside Danica Patrick and Chris Myers. Pre-race coverage begins at 10 a.m. ET, and the green flag drops at 12:45 p.m. ET.

Tony Stewart, Driver of the Rinnai Dodge//SRT Top Fuel Dragster
“I said at Vegas that I was extremely impressed and pleased with the progress our team has been making. There were tricky track conditions on Friday, so I was excited about getting number one qualifier in Q1. There are a lot of heavy hitters that can really perform when the track is great and we just hadn’t been there yet. When the track cooled off and we ran a 3.67 (ET) yesterday, we got really excited. We had talked amongst our group about how tough it is to race for a championship at the end of the season when we haven’t raced in cooler conditions like we will have in the Fall. We had that this weekend, so to run that well was very encouraging. Now we have data that we can go back and look at and won’t be starting from scratch. We had a mixture of warm and cool conditions today for eliminations. I talked with Leah (Pruett) before the Final about what I had to do to beat Justin (Ashley). We concluded I had to just keep doing what I’ve been doing and get up on the wheel. You know when you race Justin, you have to bring your “A game” and rise to the occasion. His reaction times are the best out here and he does that both in qualifying and eliminations. That makes today’s win for our Rinnai crew that much more special. They have a great team and program. When you can beat them, it is a feather in your cap because you’re beating one of the best teams in the business.”

Matt Hagan, Driver of the TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car
“We had a great qualifying session, qualifying in the top half of the field this weekend. Our Dodge Direct Connection Funny Car has been running really strong. We made it down the track six out of seven runs and the run we didn’t make it down the track was because we had a clutch line that was off. We have a race car that is going down the race track, whether it’s hot or cold. I was really rooting on Tony to win the race this weekend. We were just on the back side of a good drag race. If you talk to (Ron) Capps, I think he’d be saying the same thing I am from Round 2. We just have to keep digging and working hard. Everything is moving in the right direction.”

Next Up
The next event on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule is the NHRA New England Nationals May 30-June 1 at New England Dragway in Epping, New Hampshire.

North Wilkesboro Speedway Was The Perfect Backdrop To All-Star Weekend

By
SM
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For the last three years, the short track of North Wilkesboro Speedway showed us why it’s the perfect backdrop for NASCAR’s All-Star Weekend. Not only were fans treated to an exciting All-Star Race, but they were also entertained by a thrilling Truck Series Race the day prior.

The NWS first opened in 1947, and was a classic venue for the early days of NASCAR. Unfortunately, the sport outgrew this place and left it behind like a relic from the prehistoric era. 

Eventually, a remodeled NWS would return in 2011, and write a new chapter in its glorious history. With modern amenities and a freshly paved track, North Wilkesboro Speedway was once again the racing jewel of the region. 

In 2023, NASCAR returned to the 0.625-lap, oval track and has been better off for it. In fact, NWS has revolutionized the sport’s All-Star Weekend.  

The 2025 edition of this race was further proof that NWS is the ideal venue for NASCAR’s All-Star festivities. The short distance around the track creates plenty of bumpin’ and the width of the turns allow for three-wide racing. In other words, fans enjoy an intensity lacking at many other venues on the calendar. 

Last year, Kyle Busch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. took the on-track intensity to pit road where they got into a fist fight. This year, Joey Logano was determined to get back at Christopher Bell for the #20 car’s style of racing. 

Unfortunately for Logano, he couldn’t get back at Bell, and the reigning Cup Series champion ended up second. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Bell took the checkered flag and the $1 million dollar prize. After the race, Logano expressed his frustrations and disappointment over Bell, but nothing came of it. 

In the Truck Race on Saturday, Corey Heim felt even more frustrated than Logano as the Series’ top driver led 162 laps and was well on his way to winning the race. However, the Window World 250 required Overtime to determine the winner, and that’s where things got crazy.

And in the OT laps, Heim got out to the lead but was wrecked by Layne Riggs, which opened the door for Riggs’ teammate Chandler Smith to steal the checkered flag. It was also Smith’s second win of the season, and he now sits second behind Heim in the Truck Series standings. 

Where Logano didn’t have a heated confrontation with Bell after the Cup Series All-Star Race, Heim went to Riggs’ pit box after the race and had some choice words. 

Despite Heim’s visible disappointment, the unremorseful Riggs was only upset about not winning the race. The Truck Series leader, and pre-race NASCAR pick to win the Window World 250, finished 17th after being spun out. 

Also driving in the Truck Series race was Kyle Busch. The Truck GOAT finished 9th overall and never really competed for the checkered flag. 

Next weekend, NASCAR’s top three National Series will head to Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Truck Series will return to its normal Friday evening slot as the Xfinity Series makes its return to Saturday racing after a two-week hiatus. The Cup Series will close out Memorial Day Weekend with its traditional Coca-Cola 600 race. 

Online pokies Australia Casino Unlocks Secret Bonuses for High Rollers

By
SM
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Online pokies Australia Casino

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From Chaos to Clarity: How JTBD Frameworks Make Your Marketing Smarter

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

Look – I’ll be honest with you. Running a marketing agency right now? Feels like juggling chainsaws on a tightrope… during a hurricane.

You’ve got clients piling on last-minute requests, your team’s hitting burnout, and the tech landscape is changing faster than your morning coffee gets cold. And somewhere in the middle of that chaos, you’re supposed to deliver personalized, high-converting campaigns that don’t cost an arm and a leg to produce.

Yeah. Been there.

That’s exactly where the Jobs to be Done marketing framework steps in and hands you a map, a flashlight, and a jetpack.

Let’s talk about how using JTBD (and yeah, I’m gonna drop in some JTBD examples too) helped me go from feeling like I was drowning in deliverables… to leading a smarter, leaner, AI-powered agency that actually breathes.

First – What the Heck Is Jobs to Be Done Marketing?

Think of it like this:

Most agencies sell based on features. “Look at this package! You get 12 social media posts, 3 blog articles, a cool content calendar, and a sparkly PDF report.”

Neat.

But your client? They don’t care about features. They care about what job they’re hiring you to do.

That’s Jobs to be Done marketing in a nutshell. It asks: What is your client really trying to get done in their life or business? And how do you become the best damn solution for that job?

Once I made that shift, things started to click.

Because JTBD isn’t about showing off everything you can do. It’s about being the obvious choice for the one thing your client needs done-right now.

Enter: Alex – The JTBD for Agencies Poster Child

Let me introduce you to someone.

His name’s Alex.

He’s a budget-conscious agency owner who’s trying to keep his business profitable without working himself (or his team) into the ground. He’s smart, resourceful, and constantly looking for new ways to get better results for his clients without jacking up his costs.

Sound familiar?

Alex isn’t chasing shiny objects. He’s chasing outcomes.

And that’s why M1-Project.com exists-to help people like Alex nail the job he’s already trying to get done: “Help me integrate affordable, efficient, high-performing AI tools like Elsa into my agency’s workflow so I can deliver better services without burning out.”

Boom.

This isn’t just about “using AI” because it’s trendy. This is JTBD in action. It’s about helping Alex:

  • Cut operational costs.
     
  • Automate the boring, repetitive stuff.
     
  • Customize strategies for different clients.
     
  • Stay competitive without hiring ten more people.
     

All while making him look like a damn tech wizard in front of his clients.

My Wake-Up Moment (AKA When JTBD Slapped Me in the Face)

I didn’t always get it.

I used to chase tactics. Facebook ads one week. SEO pivots the next. AI tools that sat in folders unused.

Until I hit a wall. My team was exhausted. I was answering emails at 2AM. We were losing deals to “more innovative” competitors.

One night-true story-I typed into Google: “AI tools for marketing agencies that don’t suck.”

Guess what I found?

A whole ecosystem of smart solutions designed not for giant corporations… but for people like me. Agency folks wearing ten hats, trying to build something that doesn’t collapse under its own weight.

Elsa was one of them.

And the moment I stopped asking “What features does it have?” and started asking “What job does it help me do?”-that’s when everything changed.

Real JTBD Examples in the Wild

Let me give it to you straight.

When I started using Elsa through M1-Project.com, here’s what actually happened:

Job #1: Automate the annoying stuff.

 I plugged Elsa into our content creation and audience research process. What used to take 6 hours now takes 90 minutes. That alone felt like a cheat code.

Job #2: Stay affordable, but deliver better.

I didn’t have to hire another strategist to take on new clients. Elsa’s smart segmentation tools helped my team handle more accounts without burnout.

Job #3: Look like a genius to clients.

Our campaigns became sharper, more personalized, and-here’s the kicker-clients noticed. “You guys are really stepping it up,” one said. Music to my ears.
 

That’s JTBD. Not features. Not fluff. Just real jobs being done.

Why This Isn’t Just Another Framework

Look, I get it.

Every week there’s a new “system” or “blueprint” or “growth model” screaming for your attention.

But here’s the thing:

JTBD for agencies isn’t another marketing gimmick. It’s a way of thinking that keeps your strategy grounded in what your clients actually want. And when you pair that thinking with a tool like Elsa, everything snaps into place.

Suddenly you’re not guessing what campaign might work-you’re delivering what’s already needed.

It’s like being handed the answer key before the test.

Customer-Centric Marketing Strategy (Without Losing Your Mind)

When you anchor your services in Jobs to Be Done, you stop building offers based on guesswork and start crafting them based on truth.

Client’s struggling with keeping leads engaged? That’s a job.

Client wants more revenue without touching the ad budget? Another job.

Client hates tech but wants automation? That’s a job too.

The JTBD framework AI approach, especially when plugged into something like Elsa builder, helps you connect these dots fast. It shows you exactly where to intervene, what to tweak, and how to package your services so they hit like a freight train (in a good way).

But What About the Skeptics?

Good question.

There was a moment-early on-where I thought, “Is this AI stuff really gonna get it? Will it sound like me? Will it mess up my vibe?”

But here’s the twist: Elsa didn’t replace the human touch. It enhanced it.

And the kicker? It’s built for marketers. Not coders. Not engineers. Us. The people trying to get sh*t done, stay profitable, and deliver campaigns that don’t just look good but actually move the needle.

Final Word (AKA The Call to Action You Knew Was Coming)

If you’re tired of doing all the things and still feeling behind…

If you’re sick of generic tools that promise the world and then break your workflow…

If you want to feel in control of your agency’s tech stack and future…

Then do what I did. Step into the JTBD mindset. Plug Elsa into your world. And start knocking out the real jobs your clients are paying you for.

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