Chase Sexton Returns to the Top at Philadelphia Supercross

By

-

April 13, 2025

Cole Davies Dominates 250SX Class East/West Showdown #2

Philadelphia, Pa., (April 12, 2025) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Chase Sexton recovered from a first turn tangle and then put on an impressive charge to win Round 13 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship. The Philadelphia Supercross victory tightened up the points as the final four rounds of the season promise to be thrilling.

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb also recovered from the multi-rider first turn incident and matched Sexton pass for pass through the pack. Webb earned second place inside Lincoln Financial Field and retains the championship points lead by 12 points over Sexton. Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki’s Ken Roczen grabbed the Holeshot then led for the majority of the race despite nursing a bad ankle injury. Both divisions of the 250SX Class competed head-to-head in the season’s second 250SX Class East/West Showdown and rookie Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies fought past the top racers from both divisions to earn his second win of his pro career.

“It’s time to make or break. I felt great all day, and that’s how you do it: one, one, one, one [fastest qualifier in both sessions, heat race win, Main Event win]. I’m looking forward to the next race, but today was awesome. Good, dry track, not like last weekend, and I’m feeling good on the bike. It’s been fun and today was a good step in the right direction.” – Chase Sexton

“It was a barn burner. We battled back the whole time. We both got [caught] up in that first turn [tangle]. He got going in front of me and we were coming through the pack together. He was able to charge through, I was coming with and just hoping I could pass guys just as fast as he did. And I did until we got to Kenny. He got around Kenny and put in two or three sprint laps and kinda dictated the race. I had a bad line [in one corner] and it was killing me. I should have caught up on that first, should’ve started jumping that quad sooner; woulda-shoulda-coulda on a lot of things. But he rode great. We’ll come back next weekend and kick his ass, though. [then, in response to a follow up question] …Like I said, I’m ready for the fight, I’ll be there at the end no matter what.” – Cooper Webb

“When the race time comes, I always seem to buckle up and do what I do. Obviously, I’m not riding the best in general just because I haven’t ridden during the week really since after Indy. It’s been really tough; I’m pretty banged up with the shoulder and the ankle. I know its monotonous to talk about but that’s really what’s holding me back. Especially this track, because we had five right-hand turns to two left-hand turns, and it’s my right ankle. So, I’m [losing] a lot of time in the turn just trying not to put my foot down, because it’s not very fun [to dab the ground at speed]. So I haven’t been in the best spot lately but I’m really trying to keep my head in there. I have a great support team behind me that kinda keeps me out here, because sometimes I do want to quit. But we always come back.” – Ken Roczen, when asked what he’s doing to help his ankle and shoulder injuries heal.

In the second of three 250SX Class East/West Showdowns in 2025, Cole Davies (west) established himself as the fastest 250SX Class racer with a statement ride over top competition. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan, the points leader in the Western Divisional 250SX Class, finished in second. Deegan pushed his way into second late in the race and was unable to mount an attack for the lead. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire grabbed the Holeshot when the race was re-started due to a red flag after Daxton Bennick went down. Hampshire led the early laps of the race and finished as the top racer in the Eastern Divisional 250SX Class; the finish moved Hampshire into a points tie with Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker, who earned fourth place in his home race of Philadelphia.

“I literally grew up watching all the guys that I’m racing right now. It’s a big stage out here, a lot of people watching, but I just focus on myself. Two in a row, I’m stoked. It’s been a long journey to get where I am. To Will – you get to keep your hair, mate. That’s two. So he gets to keep his hair, doesn’t get shaved, so he’s safe. I’m stoked, big thanks to the whole Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha team and my mechanic Lach [Lachlan Mills]. We’ve been putting in the work… The whole group around me is just very, very good and striving to be the best they can. So I’m just stoked for everyone around me.” – Cole Davies, on the podium.

Second place 250SX Class

“It took me a little bit to find my flow, and right in that middle [portion of the race] is where I really found my flow. It was like the best I’ve felt in a long time. I really just locked in perfect laps and didn’t make any mistakes after I got around Hammaker and Hampshire. I was flowing, slowly reeling in Cole. He ended up getting the Dub [win], I got second. That just felt good… That first part of that race I was a little too slow. I think I didn’t sprint hard enough, and I’ve just got to work on stuff like that. I don’t know whether it’s in my mind, like ‘championship mode,’ where I just try to be smart and not go down during those first few laps that’s hindering me. I mean, it’s working [for the points lead], so I don’t want to change it too much. Yeah, I definitely need to pick it up those first few laps.” – Haiden Deegan, at the post race conference, streamed live on the Monster Energy Supercross YouTube channel.

Third place 250SX Class

“The things that went through my head going into that first turn, on the first start [when Hampshire crashed in the first start before the red-flag restart], I felt [my injured wrist] cracking and popping. It was literally locked in with handlebars with, I think it was [Coty] Schock on the inside. I just couldn’t get out of it, and the things running through your head are, ‘Man, did you do it again?!’ I got up and felt pretty good… you never want to see it, but a red flag came out. This one definitely worked in my favor. We got a re-start. You don’t get these chances all the time. So I absolutely crushed that second start and it was literally perfect. I led a bit but just did not feel good… I’m thankful to get out of here with good points and tied for the lead now.” – RJ Hampshire, at the post race conference, streamed live on the Monster Energy Supercross YouTube channel.

VIPs on hand at the Philly Supercross included Bron Breakker, WWE Intercontinental Champion who was taking in his first Supercross on a rare weekend off from his pro wrestling schedule, including WrestleMania 41 just seven days away. Regarding the Supercross Fanfest experience in Philadelphia, Breakker said, “This is crazy, like how big this is, how much is going on, it’s crazy, man… I’ve ridden dirt bikes my whole life, four-wheelers and dirt bikes, I’m just excited to see, how talented [they are], what these guys can do today.” He got his answer early, and after the heat races said, “Watching those first couple of heats was crazy, man. The amount of physicality that goes into what these guys do on the track is incredible. My hat’s off to ‘em, these incredible athletes. What a great show.”

More race fans are discovering the thrill of Supercross; the 2025 season has already delivered eight of the top 10 most-streamed races, and viewership is up 21% over the previous season. The race action can be watched live and on-demand on Peacock. Select races are available on NBC, CNBC, USA Network, and NBC Sports digital platforms. CNBC airs an encore every Monday following a race at 1:00a.m. ET. Live Spanish-language coverage for every round is available on Telemundo Deportes’ Facebook and YouTube channels. International fans can watch the racing live on the SuperMotocross Video Pass (supermotocross.tv) with the option of English, Spanish and French language broadcasts. Live audio coverage can be heard on NBC Sports Audio on SiriusXM Channel 85.

MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey will be the site of Round 14 of the 2025 Supercross season. Like the Philly race, East Rutherford will present a daytime race schedule, with opening ceremonies beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET and racing starting at 3:00 p.m ET airing live on NBC and Peacock. Tickets are available now for the final four rounds of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross season. For more current race results and standings, race result archives, video highlights, and to purchase tickets please go to SupercrossLIVE.com.

Facebook: facebook.com/supercrosslive
X: twitter.com/supercrosslive
Instagram: instagram.com/supercrosslive
YouTube: youtube.com/supercrosslive
TikTok: tiktok.com/supercrossliveofficial
Official Merch: SupercrossSuperstore.com

About Feld Motor Sports:

Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is the worldwide leader in producing and presenting specialized arena and stadium-based motorsports entertainment. Properties include Monster Jam®, Monster Energy AMA Supercross, and the SMX World ChampionshipTM. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is a subsidiary of Feld Entertainment, Inc. Visit monsterjam.com, SupercrossLIVE.com, and feldentertainment.com for more information.

About Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship:

Monster Energy AMA Supercross is the most competitive and highest-profile off-road motorcycle racing championship on the planet. Founded in America and sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) since 1974. Over 17 weeks, Supercross attracts some of the largest and most impressive crowds inside the most recognizable and prestigious stadiums in North America to race in front of nearly one million live fans and broadcast to millions more worldwide. For more information, visit SupercrossLIVE.com.

About the SMX World Championship:

The SMX World Championship™ is the premier off-road motorcycle racing series in the world that combines the technical precision of stadium racing with the all-out speed and endurance of outdoor racing. Created in 2022, the SMX World Championship Series combines the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and the AMA Pro Motocross Championship into a 28-round regular season that culminates with the season-ending SMX World Championship Playoffs. Visit SuperMotocross.com for more information.

About the American Motorcyclist Association:

Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit americanmotorcyclist.com.

AO Racing and Rexy Reign at Grand Prix of Long Beach

By

Official Release

-

April 13, 2025

LONG BEACH, Calif. (April 12, 2025) – AO Racing continued its winning streak in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship on Saturday, claiming victory in the 100-minute Grand Prix of Long Beach. The team behind the Porsche 911 GT3 “Rawr” executed a flawless pit strategy and kept the car clean, leaping ahead of the competition in pit lane to take the win.

“Rexy loves Long Beach,” said Team Principal Gunnar Jeannette. “I can’t say much more than that. It’s been a fantastic weekend. Both Laurens and Jonny did an amazing job as ‘fill-ins’ for our usual drivers, and I hope we get the chance to put them back in Rexy and keep their win streak alive.”

Making his Porsche debut, Edgar delivered a standout performance in qualifying, securing a second-place starting position. Focused on preserving the car and avoiding the concrete-lined street circuit, he settled into third at the start and kept the car clean for Vanthoor’s closing stint. The team’s strategic advantage came during the lone pit stop, when Rexy pitted one lap later than the leaders, taking on only fuel and a driver change, skipping the tire swap. While the competition rejoined the race on cold tires and in traffic, Rexy took advantage of warm tires and clear air to vault into the GTD class lead. From there, Vanthoor maintained the gap, driving Rexy to the top step of the podium for the team’s second win of the 2025 season.

Rexy’s victory tour kicks off immediately, making an appearance at Morning Shift, a Porsche-focused car show, at the Porsche Experience Center Los Angeles on Sunday from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM. AO Racing will return to competition May 9–11 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, the site of Rexy’s first-ever win.

DRIVER QUOTES

Laurens Vanthoor

It was a perfect race. We had good strategy calls, and the car was good. It was a joy to be here. I love Long Beach and driving this car. My daughter was very happy about that, and then we won. It doesn’t get much better than this.

Jonny Edgar

I’m very happy to win my first weekend at Long Beach, and my first weekend in a Porsche. The team did a great job all weekend. I’m grateful for the opportunity to race Rexy here. The strategy in the race was amazing. We managed to get the lead, and Laurens did a great job holding on in the end. He made no mistakes and kept a gap. The Lexus was close, but we never had too much pressure. It was a great job from everyone.

CORVETTE RACING AT LONG BEACH: What Might Have Been

By

Official Release

-

April 13, 2025

In-race contact impacts both DXDT and AWA Corvettes in tough street fight

LONG BEACH, Calif. (April 12, 2025) – Two separate rounds of contact ruined the days of the two Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs at the Grand Prix of Long Beach on Saturday in a rough-and-tumble race on the streets of southern California.

AWA’s Matt Bell and Orey Fidani finished 13th in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GT Daytona (GTD) class with the No. 13 entry, the highest-finishing Corvette. Meanwhile, the No. 36 DXDT Racing Corvette of Tommy Milner and Robert Wickens placed 15th after a late-race pitstop to repair damage with the Z06 GT3.R running sixth at the time.

The DXDT Corvette – equipped with a hand-controlled electronic brake system from Bosch – was one of the biggest stories of the Long Beach weekend. It enabled Wickens to make his first start in the WeatherTech Championship, and for a while it looked like it could be a dream result.

Wickens began eighth but picked up a spot before what was to be the team’s only pitstop with a little more than an hour left in the 100-minute race. A quick exchange and full-service stop had Milner back out in 10th place. The Corvette factory driver wasted no time in moving through the field by advancing four spots in less than 15 minutes before settling into sixth place.

He made a clean pass on the inside of the tight Hairpin Turn that leads onto the front straight but appeared to get locked up with another car out of the corner, which pulled away the Corvette’s left-rear bodywork. Series officials required the DXDT team to pit the Corvette with 16 minutes left in the race.

AWA”s race took a big hit – literally – much earlier. Fidani started 11th after his best qualifying effort in his second year with the No. 13 Corvette and was solidly in 10th place before another GTD car tried to divebomb him, which pushed the AWA entry into the tire barriers.

The team lost a lap with a resulting pit stop to inspect the Corvette, which suffered minor bodywork damage that still impacted the balance of the No. 13 for the balance of the race. Undeterred, Fidani and Matt Bell drove their way back onto the lead lap by the end of the race.

The Corvette Z06 GT3.R’s next race in IMSA is May 9-11 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California.

CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R POST-RACE DRIVER QUOTES

MATT BELL, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Not the race we were hoping for. Obviously Orey’s start and the first part of stint was phenomenal. I think that was his best performance in the car, and that gave us all a lot of confidence that we could go forward in the second half of the race. Unfortunately a rogue maneuver from one of our competitors put Orey in the wall and a lap down. That ruined our race. The team did a great job on the strategy to get us back on the lap, which in a 100-minute race is almost impossible. So great job by them reacting to that. We were still at the very rear of the field, and it’s hard to come through around here. I managed to gain one place but unfortunately that’s all I could do. It’s a shame, really.”

OREY FIDANI, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Things started off well. It looked like it was going to be a positive day until it wasn’t. Unfortunately I got sent off into the wall which put us down a lap. We managed to get that lap back but it just wasn’t enough today. It’s tough but we’ll go onward and upwards into Laguna.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 36 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “A frantic first couple of laps there out of the pits. I was fighting with a lot of cars that came out of the pits with me and fighting with cars that did the one-lap overcut. So there was a lot going on there. Honestly, it felt like those first 10 laps felt like 50 laps with how much stuff happened, but we were able to come out ahead of them and then focus on the next two cars in front. The pace of the Corvette was strong, for sure. I think we had kind of what we thought from the beginning – we had a car that could compete for the win. Maybe we weren’t quite as quick as the Porsche but in any case we had a quick car. I caught the two Mercedes and all that was fine. Then I came up on the 96 BMW and it was just good racing. As has been the case all year long, we just don’t have the straight-line speed and the drive off the corner that almost everybody else does. So racing is difficult for us.

“I think he got balked big time into Turn Eight and I had a nice run on him going into Nine. I stayed close to him through there and then just was peeking around in 10. We were strong there, I could tell already and was in pretty good position to make a difficult pass, no question, in the Hairpin. I thought my braking point was fine. My entry speed was okay. I think, as is the case there, it’s hard to go two-by-two and he turned in because he needs to. I don’t think he did anything wrong really. We just made side-to-side contact and I think we just kind of got hooked together. I’ll have to see video to know for sure, but that’s what my feeling is.

“Unfortunately, that was a big problem for us. We had to come in and fix it. It’s unfortunate for the DXDT team… kind of seems like this is how their year has gone a little bit so far. They’ve been really promising for a good part of the race and then something kind of hurts them a little bit toward the end, and that happened again today.

“Removing that and looking back on the weekend, I think there’s a lot of positives about what happened… getting Robbie in the car and comfortable in this hectic environment. There’s no more hectic environment than a Long Beach Grand Prix weekend with one day of practice and qualifying and then racing. From my perspective, I think he did an excellent job this weekend in the most difficult conditions at the most difficult track that he’s gonna experience this year. To me there was nowhere where he lacked anything. He had pace, he has the racecraft. He’s for sure is gonna want more and more time and experience. I think he’s going to have a darn successful year this season.”

ROBERT WICKENS, NO. 36 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I’m disappointed with the result, but I am proud of what we achieved. It definitely wasn’t the end to the weekend that we wanted. Qualifying dictated the weekend for us, unfortunately. We knew it was going to be a track-position race. Qualifying was not what we deserved; we know we had more speed than that, but it is what it is. This is a competitive championship, and we did what we could in the race.

“I kept the car clean and gave it to Tommy, and he got out in P10. I think our driver change wasn’t quite what it needed to be. We lost some track position, but then Tommy drove his heart out. He got us up to P5 and was making things happen. It was awesome to see. Unfortunately we had to come in and make a repair after Tommy took fifth. I think that was a little harsh, but there is nothing you can do when race control gives you a black flag for repairs.

“There are a lot of positive takeaways from the weekend. We proved we belong here, that we can be competitive. The Bosch hand-control system worked flawlessly, DXDT Racing gave us a great Corvette. The car was very good all weekend and I feel like we had one of the cars to beat. We just couldn’t maximize it, and that is what hurts right now.”

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.

Cadillac GTP entries make advancements

By

Official Release

-

April 13, 2025

No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R paces contingent with fourth place at Long Beach

LONG BEACH, Calif. (April 12, 2025) – The No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R advanced three positions from its starting spot to lead the Cadillac Racing Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) contingent with a fourth-place finish in the 50th Grand Prix of Long Beach.

The No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R picked up two positions to place sixth, while the sister No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R gained three spots to place seventh in the 11-car lineup for its best showing in three IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races this season.

Jack Aitken and Earl Bamber – along with Frederik Vesti for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring – have combined to gain 12 positions in the past two races and finish just off the podium both times in the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R.

Most GTP cars visited pit lane during a full-course yellow 20 minutes into the 100-minute race for energy and the mandatory driver change. Quick work by the Action Express Racing crew got Bamber, who spelled Aitken behind the wheel of the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R back on the 1.97-mile, 11-turn temporary street circuit in fourth place.

Bamber, who was making his 75th IMSA start, remained within striking distance of the pole-winning No. 24 BMW M Team RLL entry in third place over the final 54 laps, closing to .580 of a second with 20 minutes left. Bamber recorded his best lap time on three consecutive laps, including 1 minute, 13.229 seconds with 11 minutes on the clock. But with limited overtaking spots on the tight circuit, Bamber was resigned to the spot just off the podium.

The No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport entry won the race.

Long Beach and Detroit on June 1 are the only 100-minute and street course races on the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship schedule.

Of note: The qualifying time for the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R was reinstated a few hours after the official time sheet was posted Friday. The No. 31 GTP initially incurred a penalty for working on the car (changing tires) in qualifying and the lap times were disallowed. According to IMSA: The regulation was improperly applied and in short order rescinded.

Media resources: Photos for editorial use | Cadillac Racing IMSA 2025 statistics | All-time statistics

Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing and Cadillac Whelen will participate in a test with one GTP car each next week at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in preparation for the May 9-11 race. Cadillac Racing swept the front row in qualifying in 2024 and finished second and fifth. Jordan Taylor-Louis Deletraz placed fourth and Ricky Taylor-Filipe Albuquerque finished sixth with another manufacturer.

Action Express Racing first-year endurance driver Frederik Vesti will sit in for Earl Bamber in the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R at the Laguna Seca test and 2-hour, 40-minute race. Bamber will co-drive with Sebastien Bourdais and Jenson Button the No. 38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R the same weekend at Spa-Francorchamps.

Said Vesti: “The preparation for Laguna Seca has already started and the test days will be part of that. How can we improve? What can we do to perform better on that circuit? I’m looking forward to getting back in the car.”

What they’re saying

No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R

Filipe Albuquerque: “Overall, I would say a hard weekend. We were not strong in qualifying and in the race we moved up but based on the mistakes of the other guys. P6 is a surviving result for us. Not really happy about the performance. On our side, we just need to learn the car and be more competitive.”

Ricky Taylor: “It was our first sprint race of the year and got through with no damage. I think the team learned a lot again. Unfortunately, I feel like we’re just a half a step behind each time we go on track, and every time we leave the track we say we wish we had one more session. I think that was the case again this weekend. I think if we had found what we found in qualifying a half a session earlier we would have qualified better and we would have put ourselves in better position for the race. At the end, I think we showed pace at times. Had we been in the mix, we could have salvaged maybe a top five. I think there’s progress and we’re looking forward to Laguna, which is longer race where we can strategize more and do our thing.”

No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R

Jack Aitken: “The start was a little hectic as always at a street circuit, but I kept the position and was hanging on to the coattails of the cars in front of us. The pace was pretty strong and when it came to that early yellow we decided to get the driver change and stop out the way early and try and make it to the end from there much like the rest of the field. I think if we’d been in a situation where there was another pit stop sequence, we might have been in in a position to challenge the guys in front. But passing on track is nearly impossible here, so Earl did a great job bringing it around and managing the fuel. Top five on a weekend when we didn’t look our strongest, I think it was a good result. It’s solid points and got a clean car at the end of it, so it’s good work for the championship.”

Earl Bamber: “I think the team did a fantastic job. Whenever you start here seventh and finish fourth, with a clean car or not a mark on it, I think that’s a pretty good day. I’m gutted for the team that we just missed a podium. I had one chance at it, but I thought he’d probably force me in the wall but he gave me the room, and he would have the inside for the next corner anyway. A great team result, great work in the pit lane. Now we just need to look ahead to Laguna for these guys. It’s a great working with Jack, Fred in for the next one, so I think sooner or later we’re going to get some podiums and we’ll get a win.”

No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R

Louis Delétraz: “Good points today. Not the result we want, but we had a clean race, no mistakes. We kept learning and improving, so that’s a positive. We will take all that to Laguna Seca and go get some silver because it’s time for it.”

Jordan Taylor: “For the race, we could have taken some risks for strategy. But once that first yellow came out, it kind of took that out of play. The name of the game from there was trying to not making mistakes and trying to capitalize on other people’s mistakes. Not our best weekend, but we go to test at Laguna next week, so hopefully we can learn some things there for the rest of the year.”

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.

Kyle Larson reigns supreme with dominant Xfinity victory at Bristol

By

Andrew Kim

-

April 12, 2025

20250412235812-c1387026 — Photo by Christian Gardner for SpeedwayMedia.com

Kyle Larson did not let an early denial of a tripleheader weekend sweep at Bristol Motor Speedway deter him from a dominant NASCAR Xfinity Series victory in the SciAps 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday, April 12.

The 2021 Cup Series champion from Elk Grove, California, led four times for a race-high 277 of 300 scheduled laps. After starting on the pole position, he flexed his muscles at the drop of the green flag and led the first 78 laps. Despite settling in third place after the first stage period due to mixed pit strategies, Larson quickly reassumed the lead by Lap 93, and he proceeded to claim the second stage victory.

Then, after losing the lead to Justin Allgaier at the start of the final stage period with 119 laps remaining, Larson returned the favor by bumping and moving Allgaier out of his path to reassume the top spot with less than 110 laps remaining. During the event’s final restart, with 75 laps remaining, Larson motored away from the field. He spent the remainder of the event keeping the competition trailing by a distance. With the lead in his grasp and no competition lurking within reach, Larson capped off his dominant run with a victory for Hendrick Motorsports in the Last Great Colosseum.

With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Saturday, Larson notched his eighth Xfinity career pole position and his third at Bristol after he posted a pole-winning qualifying lap at 126.287 mph in 15.194 seconds. Joining Larson on the front row was rookie Connor Zilisch, who posted his best qualifying lap at 125.642 mph in 15.272 seconds.

Before the event, the following names, including rookie Christian Eckes, Mason Maggio, and Parker Retzlaff, dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments to their respective entries.

Green Flag

When the green flag waved and the race started, Larson quickly rocketed his No. 17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro entry ahead of Connor Zilisch from the outside lane, and he moved to the inside lane through the first two turns. In the process, Justin Allgaier, a Dash 4 Cash competitor, tried to pursue from the outside lane, but he ended up battling teammate Zilisch for the runner-up spot while Larson maintained the lead entering Turns 3 and 4. Larson proceeded to lead the first lap ahead of Zilisch and Allgaier, while Sam Mayer and rookie Carson Kvapil battled for fourth place in front of Sammy Smith and Ryan Sieg.

Prior to the third lap, the event’s first caution flew when Harrison Burton, who was racing in 11th place, fell off the pace through the frontstretch and the first two turns as he had a flat tire on his No. 25 DEX Imaging Ford Mustang entry. Behind Burton, Mason Maggio smacked the outside wall entering the frontstretch. The incident caused Maggio to limp his entry to a halt just shy of entering pit road before it was pushed behind the wall.

When the event restarted under green on the eighth lap, Larson rocketed ahead from the outside lane for a second consecutive time. He then fended off Allgaier and Zilisch through the first two turns and the backstretch to maintain the lead. Larson proceeded to lead to the Lap 10 mark ahead of Allgaier, Zilisch, Mayer, and Ryan Sieg. Rookies Nick Sanchez and Carson Kvapil, along with Sammy Smith, battled for sixth place in front of Jesse Love and Corey Heim.

Through the first 20 scheduled laps, Larson led a hard-charging Allgaier as Zilisch, Mayer, and Sanchez pursued in the top five. Ryan Sieg, Sammy Smith, Carson Kvapil, Corey Heim, and Jesse Love trailed in the top 10. Rookies William Sawalich and Taylor Gray, along with Jeb Burton, Sheldon Creed, and Brandon Jones, raced in the top 15.

Ten laps later, Larson retained the lead by within two-tenths of a second over Allgaier while Zilisch, Mayer, and Sanchez continued to pursue in the top-five mark. Larson would proceed to extend his advantage to more than a second over Allgaier by Lap 40 while third-place Zilisch trailed by more than three seconds. By then, top-five competitors Mayer and Ryan Sieg trailed by five seconds while Larson, who was mired in lapped traffic, had lapped competitors that were racing within the top-30 mark.

At the Lap 50 mark, Larson, who continued to navigate his way through a bevy of lapped traffic and was lapping competitors racing within the top-20 mark, grew his advantage to more than two seconds over Allgaier. While Zilisch, Mayer, and Ryan Sieg retained their respective spots in the top five, Larson maintained his large advantage over Allgaier through the Laps 60, 70, and 75 marks.

Then, on Lap 75, the caution returned for a vicious accident that started when Sheldon Creed, a Dash 4 Cash competitor who was racing in the top-15 mark, spun in Turn 4 after he was hit by rookie Dean Thompson. As Creed’s No. 00 Friends of Jaclyn Ford Mustang entry slid to a halt towards the outside lane, he was then T-boned into the left-front area by Brennan Poole, another Dash 4 Cash competitor, as Poole was sliding his No. 44 Macc Door Systems Chevrolet Camaro entry while trying to avoid Creed. Despite the incident that left both Creed and Poole with significantly damaged race cars and out from further contention, both were able to emerge uninjured. Their accident was enough for the event to be placed in a red flag period for 14 minutes.

When the red flag lifted and the field led by Larson resumed to a cautious pace, nearly the entire field led by Larson pitted for service while Sam Mayer and Ryan Sieg remained on the track.

With three laps remaining in the first stage period, the event restarted under green. At the start, Mayer launched ahead from the outside lane and Larson pursued while Ryan Sieg struggled to launch from the inside lane. As Larson tried to reel in Mayer from the outside lane, he then slid up the track, which allowed Sieg to challenge Larson back for the runner-up spot. Amid the battles within the field, Mayer retained the lead for the following two laps.

When the first stage period concluded on Lap 85, Mayer captured his first Xfinity stage victory of the 2025 season. Ryan Sieg followed suit in second ahead of Larson, Sammy Smith and Allgaier while Zilisch, Sanchez, Love, Kvapil and Brandon Jones were scored in the top 10, respectively.

Under the stage break, some led by Mayer and Ryan Sieg pitted their respective entries while the rest led by Larson, including those who pitted prior to the first stage’s conclusion, remained on the track. As a result, Larson cycled back into the lead.

The second stage period started on Lap 96 as Larson and Sammy Smith occupied the front row. At the start, Larson jumped ahead from the outside lane and Allgaier would follow suit through the first two turns and the backstretch. With Sammy Smith falling into a side-by-side battle with teammate Zilisch for third place, Larson led the following lap over Allgaier. Larson would proceed to lead to the Lap 100 mark over Allgaier while Zilisch, Sammy Smith and Kvapil in the top five. Love, Sanchez, Jones, Sawalich and Heim followed suit in the top 10 while Gray, Mayer, Jeb Burton, Ryan Sieg and Austin Hill trailed in the top 15, respectively.

Through the Lap 110 mark, Larson extended his advantage to more than two seconds over Allgaier and Sammy Smith while Zilisch and Kvapil trailed by within three seconds. With four JR Motorsports’ entries racing in the top five, the top-six spots were occupied by Chevrolet competitors as Love retained sixth place in front of Jones, Sawalich, Heim and Sanchez.

Fifteen laps later, Larson continued to grow his advantage as he was now leading by nearly four seconds. Behind, Sammy Smith, who overtook teammate Allgaier for the runner-up spot 12 laps earlier, retained the runner-up spot over Allgaier while their teammates Kvapil and Zilisch retained their respective spots in the top five.

Another 10 laps later, Larson, who was mired in lapped traffic, continued to lead by more than four seconds over Sammy Smith and Allgaier while Kvapil and Zilisch trailed in the top five by five and six seconds, respectively. With a little over half of the 38-car field still scored on the lead lap amid Larson’s surge to lap those racing towards the rear of the field, Love, Jones, Sawalich, Heim and Mayer trailed in the top-10 mark while Larson led to the Lap 140 mark.

Halfway Mark

No. 17 Larson — Photo by Christian Gardner for SpeedwayMedia.com

At the halfway mark on Lap 150, only 18 competitors were scored on the lead lap as Larson retained the lead by nearly five seconds over Sammy Smith. By then, Allgaier, Kvapil and Zilisch continued to race in the top five ahead of Love, Jones, Sawalich, Heim and Mayer while Ryan Sieg, Dean Thompson, Sanchez, Christian Eckes, Jeb Burton, Austin Hill, rookie Taylor Gray and Justin Bonsignore rounded out the lead lap field.

Ten laps later, Larson’s advantage grew to seven seconds over both Allgaier and Sammy Smith while Jeb Burton and Eckes were about to be lapped by Larson. By then, Allgaier capitalized on teammate Smith navigating through lapped traffic to reclaim the runner-up spot.

When the second stage period concluded on Lap 170, Larson, who lapped all but the top-12 competitors, cruised to his second Xfinity stage victory of the 2025 season. JR Motorsports’ Allgaier, Sammy Smith, Kvapil and Zilisch followed suit in the top five while Love, Jones, Heim, Sawalich and Mayer were scored in the top 10, respectively.

During the stage break, the lead lap field led by Larson pitted for service. Following the pit stops, Larson exited pit road first and he was followed by Allgaier, Sammy Smith, Kvapil, Love, Jones, Zilisch, Sawalich, Heim and Mayer, respectively.

With 119 laps remaining, the final stage period commenced as Larson and Allgaier occupied the front row. At the start, Allgaier used the inside lane to launch ahead and assume the lead from Larson through the first two turns. Through the backstretch, the No. 7 Jarrett Logistics Chevrolet Camaro entry that was piloted by Allgaier was leading as the reigning series champion led the following lap. Allgaier would proceed to lead with 115 laps remaining over Larson as Sammy Smith, Love and Kvapil followed suit in the top five ahead of Zilisch, Sawalich, Jones, Heim and Dean Thompson.

With 110 laps remaining, Allgaier led by a tenth of a second over Larson before the latter bumped and reassumed the top spot from the former entering the first two turns during the following lap. Larson would proceed to lead by half a second over Allgaier with 100 laps remaining as Sammy Smith, Kvapil, Love and Zilisch trailed in the top six.

Then within the final 90 laps, the caution returned due to the lapped competitor of Mason Massey spinning in the frontstretch after Allgaier steered from the top to the bottom of the track, where he rammed and sent Massey sideways through the frontstretch. Not long after and as the field reduced pace due to Massey’s incident, Sawalich collided into the rear of Zilisch and sustained significant front nose damage that ended Sawalich’s strong run in the top-10 mark.

During the caution period, some led by Jones and including Heim, Mayer, Ryan Sieg, Eckes, rookie Daniel Dye and Anthony Alfredo pitted their respective entries while the rest led by Larson remained on the track.

The start of the following restart, with 75 laps remaining, featured Larson jumping ahead from the outside lane. He fended off Allgaier to maintain the lead for a full lap as he led the following lap. As Larson led, Allgaier retained the runner-up spot over a hard-charging Love before the latter started to challenge the former for the spot. With Allgaier and Love continuing to battle for second in front of Kvapil, Sammy Smith and Zilisch, Larson led by more than half a second with 70 laps remaining.

With 60 laps remaining, Larson was out in front by a second over Allgaier while Love trailed by two seconds. By then, Love retained third place ahead of Kvapil, Sammy Smith, and Zilisch while Thompson, Jones, Ryan Sieg and Eckes raced in the top 10 ahead of Heim, Sam Mayer, Daniel Dye, Josh Williams, and Anthony Alfredo.

Down to the final 50 laps of the event, Larson stretched his advantage to more than a second over Allgaier while Kvapil, Love, and Sammy Smith trailed the lead in the top-five mark by three seconds. Behind, top-10 racers Zilisch, Thompson, Jons, Ryan Sieg, and Eckes trailed by within five and six seconds as Larson stabilized his lead to more than a second with 40 laps remaining.

As the event reached its final 30-lap mark, Larson retained his lead to more than a second over Allgaier as Kvapil, Love, and Sammy Smith remained in the top five, respectively. With Larson slowly approaching lapped traffic, Larson kept leading by more than a second with 20 laps remaining while a battle for the runner-up spot was brewing between Allgaier and Kvapil.

Down to the final 10 laps of the event, Larson, who was navigating through lapped traffic, continued to lead by more than a second over Allgaier and Kvapil, with Allgaier maintaining the runner-up spot over Kvapil. Fourth-place Sammy Smith trailed by more than five seconds, and fifth-place Jones trailed by six seconds. Larson retained the lead with five laps remaining while only 12 competitors were scored on the lead lap.

Final Lap

When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Larson, who was approaching the lapped competitor of Justin Bonsignore and Zilisch, the latter of whom was the final competitor scored on the lead lap in 12th place, remained in the lead by nearly two seconds over Kvapil as the latter assumed the spot from Allgaier a lap earlier. With the competition providing no final-lap charges, Larson was able to smoothly cruise his way around the Last Great Colosseum for a final time before he returned to the frontstretch and streaked across the finish line for the checkered flag and to cap off his dominant run with a victory.

With the victory, Larson notched his 16th career win in the Xfinity Series division, his first in the series since he won at Circuit of the Americas in March 2024 and his first at Bristol since August 2018. The victory was the 26th overall in the Xfinity division for Hendrick Motorsports, the organization’s first victory at Bristol since March 2006, the third for Hendrick’s No. 17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet team and the first for crew chief Adam Wall.

Amid the victory celebrations, Larson dedicated his Bristol victory to Jon Edwards, Hendrick Motorsports’ director of racing communications, who passed away earlier this week.

“I just love this place, especially in Xfinity,” Larson said on the frontstretch on the CW Network. “You can move around and traffic is just a lot of fun, so [I] just felt like when I could get to traffic, I could get picking people off. Justin [Allgaier] did a good job of hanging with me there that last run. The pressure was on a little bit, but we just had a good enough car to get to the lead, stay in the lead, and be really good in traffic.

“It’s awesome. I wish I could’ve won last night, but just came up a little bit short. Cool to get a win this weekend for Jon [Edwards] and everybody who’s been a part of his life and all that. We got one more [race] tomorrow. It would be nothing better than to cap it off with a Cup win for Jon, all of Hendrick Motorsports. [I] Just look forward to it, have a great car there for tomorrow and just got to execute like we did today.”

Amid Larson’s race victory, Justin Allgaier, who finished in third place, claimed the third Dash 4 Cash bonus of the 2025 season and his second of the year. In total, Allgaier has achieved the program’s bonus of $100,000 seven times, including his first of the year in late March at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

No. 7 — Photo by Christian Gardner for SpeedwayMedia.com

“I’m frustrated at the day that we had just because this place has been so good for us in the past,” Allgaier said. “Obviously, Kyle [Larson] did a great job. I was proud of our team. It’s hard to be upset, but at the same time, our Jarrett Logistics Chevrolet just needed a little bit. Proud of the team. Obviously, winning the Dash 4 Cash is a big deal. [We] Locked three of the four [Dash 4 Cash spots] in next week for JR Motorsports. Those are big steps. I’m excited to get back [to Rockingham]. Historic race track on the schedule. We’ll go have some fun and see what happens.”

Rookie Carson Kvapil claimed the runner-up spot ahead of Allgaier while Sammy Smith and Brandon Jones finished in the top five on the track. As a result of being the top-four highest-finishing Xfinity Series regulars, Kvapil, Allgaier, Smith and Jones will contend for the fourth and final Dash 4 Cash bonus of the 2025 season next Saturday, April 19, during the series’ return to Rockingham Speedway in Rockingham, North Carolina.

Jesse Love, Ryan Sieg, Corey Heim, Christian Eckes and Dean Thompson completed the top 10 in the final running order while Sam Mayer and Connor Zilisch rounded out the 12-car field that remained on the lead lap.

There were eight lead changes for five different leaders. The race featured five cautions for 44 laps.

Following the ninth event of the 2025 Xfinity Series season, Justin Allgaier leads the regular-season standings by 83 points over Sam Mayer, 109 over Jesse Love, 115 over Austin Hill and 135 over Connor Zilisch.

Race Results:

1. Kyle Larson, 272 laps led, Stage 2 winner
2. Carson Kvapil
3. Justin Allgaier, nine laps led
4. Sammy Smith, two laps led
5. Brandon Jones
6. Jesse Love
7. Ryan Sieg, one lap led
8. Corey Heim
9. Christian Eckes
10. Dean Thompson
11. Sam Mayer, 12 laps led
12. Connor Zilisch
13. Daniel Dye, one lap down
14. Josh Williams, one lap down
15. Anthony Alfredo, one lap down
16. Nick Sanchez, one lap down
17. Justin Bonsignore, two laps down
18. Parker Retzlaff, two laps down
19. Taylor Gray, two laps down
20. Jeremy Clements, two laps down
21. Jeb Burton, two laps down
22. Kyle Sieg, two laps down
23. Matt DiBenedetto, two laps down
24. Austin Hill, two laps down
25. Mason Massey, three laps down
26. Harrison Burton, four laps down
27. Ryan Ellis, five laps down
28. Thomas Annunziata, six laps down
29. Garrett Smithley, six laps down
30. Blaine Perkins, six laps down
31. Kris Wright, seven laps down
32. Greg Van Alst, 10 laps down
33. CJ McLaughlin, 11 laps down
34. William Sawalich – OUT, Accident
35. Alex Labbe – OUT, Power
36. Brennan Poole – OUT, Accident
37. Sheldon Creed – OUT, Accident
38. Mason Maggio – OUT, Accident

Next on the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the series’ return to Rockingham Speedway for the North Carolina Education Lottery 250. The event is scheduled to occur next Saturday, April 19, and air at 4 p.m. ET on the CW Network.

KALITTA, HYDE AND GLENN PICK UP MISSION #2FAST2TASTY CHALLENGE WINS AT NHRA 4-WIDE NATIONALS

By

Official Release

-

April 12, 2025

Kalitta, Lee and Anderson all pick up No. 1 qualifiers at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

LAS VEGAS (April 12, 2025) – The final pass of Saturday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway proved to be a great one for Doug Kalitta, as the former Top Fuel world champion picked up the win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge and rolled to the No. 1 position in one impressive pass at the 25th annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals.

Spencer Hyde (Funny Car) and Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) also won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge bonus race on Saturday, while Paul Lee (Funny Car) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) qualified No. 1 at the fourth of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Kalitta went 3.730-seconds at 331.04 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Mac Tools dragster in a standout quad that featured No. 2 qualifier Brittany Force, Tony Stewart and Clay Millican, handing the former world champion his second No. 1 qualifier of the year and 60th in his remarkable career. Kalitta Motorsports teammate Shawn Langdon won the first two Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenges this year, as Kalitta kept the Top Fuel team perfect this season in the bonus race.

Kalitta will take on Justin Ashley and Clay Millican in the opening round on Sunday, looking to repeat last year’s four-wide win in Las Vegas and sweep the weekend. He was also the No. 1 qualifier last April before rolling to the victory.

“Yeah, I really like the format, being able to race on Saturdays. It’s brought a lot more to the fans,” Kalitta said. “I think they’re all engaged a little more on Saturdays. We ended up winning this race last year. So, for me, coming to these races that you won the previous year, you really want to get it done again.

“Besides Pomona, I think this is the closest track to where Alan [Johnson, crew chief] lives, so he typically has a lot of people that come out. So, I’m going to have to give the love to Alan on this one, because this is like his home track and maybe has something to do with it.” Force’s 3.754 at 333.16 in that same quad on Saturday put her second, while Antron Brown jumped to third after going 3.787 at 326.08.

In Funny Car, Spencer Hyde’s rookie season continues to progress at a rapid rate, as the newcomer picked up the win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge with a run of 3.968 at 318.54 in his 11,000-horsepower Head Contractors & Engineers Ford Mustang. After not qualifying at the first two races, Hyde has made rapid improvements, advancing to the semifinals at the most recent race in Pomona.

That put him in the bonus race in Las Vegas and Hyde took advantage on Saturday in a major way, winning a quad that featured Cruz Pedregon, Matt Hagan and Chad Green. The car has performed at a consistent clip the past two races and Hyde been on his game. He thrilled with Saturday’s outcome, marking his first major accomplishment in the NHRA ranks.

“It’s pretty cool. Obviously, we had a little rough start to the season — didn’t qualify in Gainesville, didn’t qualify in Phoenix — but we’re putting that behind us,” Hyde said. “We had a great outing in Pomona, going to the semifinals and obviously here with this win. I’m getting more comfortable in the car, getting some good, clean runs in.

“That’s the first time it’s blown up on me at the finish line, so that was exciting. I’ve been waiting for the last couple runs. I knew it dropped a hole [cylinder] in the last run, and it’s not if, it’s when in these things, so I just been kind of waiting for it. It wasn’t too bad it — just popped blower off – but there was no big fireball or anything, so all good.”

Paul Lee was challenged by Austin Prock on Saturday, but he maintained the No. 1 qualifying spot for the first time this season on the strength of Friday’s 3.940 at 326.08 in his 11,000-horsepower McLeod/FTI Performance Dodge Charger SRT.

It’s his second career top spot and he finished Saturday with a strong 3.981, giving him confidence for Sunday. His opening quad includes Daniel Wilkerson, Bob Tasca III and Gainesville winner Chad Green as Lee aims for his second win in three races.

“We feel good about tomorrow. That [3.981 in Q4], was going to be a low 3.90, but it dropped a hole about half track and slowed up,” Lee said. “This has been our goal, to be a top-five car. We want to be able to roll in the gate and be able to win a race, and we’re getting there.”

Prock is currently second with a 3.948 at 322.58 and Hyde’s 3.965 at 320.20 has him third.

Dallas Glenn won a thrilling Pro Stock final in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday, winning over KB Titan Racing teammate Greg Anderson on a holeshot with a run of 6.637 at 206.13. Anderson was quicker with a 6.614, but Glenn’s strong .022 reaction time handed the young standout his first victory of the season in the specialty race in his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro.

“I’m really thrilled, because three of us basically staged at the same time, and then I didn’t feel like I hit the tree,” Glenn said. “I was happy to see I was .022, and then the car made a right turn. I was out in the weeds and it was spinning and bouncing. It was a little more shocking to see the win light come on.

“It was definitely a big confidence boost. You know, I feel like we’re still working on the car. We’re still getting a little bit better, and I feel like I can miss it and still be .022, so I’m definitely feeling more comfortable in the car, too. We have a lot of momentum going into Sunday.”

That run from Anderson gave him the quickest pass in both sessions on Saturday, as he qualified in the No. 1 spot in his HendrickCars.com Camaro for the third time this season and the 135th time in his career. He’ll look for his third straight win on Sunday, starting with an opening-round quad that also features Cristian Cuadra, Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Eric Latino.

“I feel fantastic about the car, the loose nut behind the wheel, maybe not so much,” Anderson said. “Just the four-wide is a tricky deal. We both hit the light at the exact same time and every time that seems to happen, it seems like it’s an extra-long light. That’s my kryptonite against me every time and it got me.

“Bottom line is, I’m proud of the guys. I’m proud of the product we’ve got out here. I’m proud of the race cars everybody under this KB Titan banner right now. It’s a hell of a feeling, like I said, a proud papa. We’ll come back tomorrow with a little bit more fire in the belly and hopefully close the deal, because I don’t like to lose.”

Cody Coughlin qualified second with a 6.636 at 205.60 and Glenn took third. Remarkably, six-time Pro Stock champion Erica Enders, whose 10 wins in Las Vegas are the most in NHRA history at the track, did not qualify. It’s the first time the 49-time event winner hasn’t qualified since the Charlotte fall race in 2016, a span of nearly nine years.

Eliminations for the 25th annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals begin at 12 p.m. PT on Sunday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

LAS VEGAS — First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the 25th annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the fourth of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday. DNQs listed below pairings.

Top Fuel — 1. Doug Kalitta, 3.730 seconds, 331.04 mph vs. Bye vs. vs. 8. Justin Ashley, 3.876, 315.27 vs. 9. Clay Millican, 3.915, 299.26; 2. Brittany Force, 3.754, 333.16 vs. 15. Terry Totten, 7.101, 130.34 vs. 7. Shawn Reed, 3.847, 322.65 vs. 10. Josh Hart, 3.918, 310.20; 3. Antron Brown, 3.787, 326.08 vs. 14. Scott Palmer, 5.410, 115.49 vs. 6. Jasmine Salinas, 3.840, 321.73 vs. 11. Shawn Langdon, 3.952, 286.98; 4. Steve Torrence, 3.809, 332.02 vs. 13. Steven Chrisman, 4.830, 158.20 vs. 5. Tony Stewart, 3.821, 321.96 vs. 12. Rob Passey, 4.800, 237.13.

Funny Car — 1. Paul Lee, Dodge Charger, 3.940, 326.08 vs. 16. Chad Green, Ford Mustang, 4.197, 272.06 vs. 8. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.011, 324.51 vs. 9. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.023, 315.05; 2. Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.948, 325.22 vs. 15. Jason Rupert, Mustang, 4.154, 305.01 vs. 7. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.990, 325.37 vs. 10. Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 4.055, 313.88; 3. Spencer Hyde, Mustang, 3.965, 320.20 vs. 14. Buddy Hull, Charger, 4.115, 301.27 vs. 6. Hunter Green, Charger, 3.980, 322.42 vs. 11. Dave Richards, Mustang, 4.064, 304.53; 4. J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 3.970, 324.51 vs. 13. Bobby Bode, GR Supra, 4.102, 305.84 vs. 5. Jack Beckman, Camaro, 3.972, 321.50 vs. 12. Matt Hagan, Charger, 4.071, 315.19.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Alexis DeJoria, 4.250, 285.47; 18. Dylan Winefsky, 4.271, 284.15; 19. Jeff Diehl, 4.516, 198.61.

Pro Stock — 1. Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.614, 206.35 vs. 16. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.693, 204.01 vs. 8. Cristian Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.654, 205.29 vs. 9. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.669, 205.44; 2. Cody Coughlin, Camaro, 6.636, 205.60 vs. 15. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.693, 204.32 vs. 7. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.654, 206.48 vs. 10. Matt Latino, Camaro, 6.671, 205.98; 3. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.637, 206.13 vs. 14. David Cuadra, Camaro, 6.685, 203.98 vs. 6. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.653, 205.88 vs. 11. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.671, 205.72; 4. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.639, 206.16 vs. 13. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Camaro, 6.683, 204.35 vs. 5. Cory Reed, Camaro, 6.640, 205.79 vs. 12. Brandon Foster, Camaro, 6.671, 205.04.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Erica Enders, 6.696, 205.88; 18. Greg Stanfield, 6.698, 205.66; 19. Stephen Bell, 6.700, 204.54; 20. Troy Coughlin Jr., 6.701, 204.91; 21. Kenny Delco, 6.742, 204.45; 22. Joey Grose, 6.814, 202.24.

Toyota GAZOO Racing – NXS Bristol Post-Race Report – 04.12.25

By

Official Release

-

April 12, 2025

JONES ADDS ANOTHER TOP-FIVE RUN TO STRONG START TO SEASON AT BRISTOL
Sam Hunt Racing puts two Supras in the top-10 for the third time in team history

BRISTOL, Tenn. (April 12, 2025) – Brandon Jones followed his Darlington win with a fifth-place run to lead Toyota in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday evening. He continues his performance surge with his fifth top-10 in the last six races. With the finish, Jones is eligible for the Dash 4 Cash bonus in Rockingham next weekend.

It was also a stellar day for Sam Hunt Racing (SHR) as Corey Heim (eighth) and Dean Thompson (10th) put both of the team’s Supras inside the top-10 finishers. It is the third time in team history that SHR has earned two top-10 finishes in the same race (Darlington-1, 2023; Road America, 2023).

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS)
Bristol Motor Speedway
Race 9 of 33 – 159.9 miles, 300 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, Kyle Larson*
2nd, Carson Kvapil*
3rd, Justin Allgaier*
4th, Sammy Smith*
5th, BRANDON JONES
8th, COREY HEIM
10th, DEAN THOMPSON
17th, JUSTIN BONSIGNORE
19th, TAYLOR GRAY
34th, WILLIAM SAWALICH
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

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

Finishing Position: 5th

Another top-five for you. How good does it feel to have the team clicking?

“We kind really struggled today. It wasn’t one of our better race cars that we’ve brought to the table. I think on these kind of days – that is what you have to do. You have to put yourself in a position to capitalize and get a finish out of it. Definitely didn’t have the car to go out and contend today – we have some work to do when we get back – but really proud. These guys on pit road – I say it every single weekend – they are the saving grace when you have days like this. It is all about track position when you behind a little bit on adjustments. They just do such a good job to get me where I need to be. Everyone at Pelonis, thank you so much, Menards – it means a lot to have them on our Supra. I think going to another good race track next week in the Dash 4 Cash.”

COREY HEIM, No. 24 Upper Deck Toyota GR Supra, Sam Hunt Racing

Finishing Position: 8th

Can you tell us about your race?

“Yeah, overall, I feel like it was a pretty good day for us. Could never really get past that top-10 to top-five barrier, per say, but really proud of all the adjustments over the pit stops. We made a lot of improvements really overall since our first two races at Sam Hunt Racing in 2025. Really proud of my guys on this Upper Deck Supra. Thankful for Toyota and everything they do.”

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

Finishing Position: 10th

What did you learn today and what can you take to Rockingham?

“I feel like I we’ve got good momentum with the Thompson Pipe Group Supra team. We’ve been getting better. I’m looking forward to Rockingham because we’ve tested there, so it is finally a track that I’ve been at in this car. It is not super new. I feel like it will even out the playing field for me. Looking forward to that. Good, solid day.”

SAM HUNT, owner, Sam Hunt Racing

Adding to team history today – what does it mean to have both of your cars in the top-10?

“Great day for the company. Proud of both drivers. They raced clean all day. They ran smart races. I really can’t say enough about this Sam Hunt Racing team – the crew chiefs. We brought two really, really good race cars this week and days like this mean a lot to everyone that is a part of our place. Couldn’t do it without Toyota. It is really cool to see all of these people smiling and rewarded for all of the hard work they put in.”

WILLIAM SAWALICH, No. 18 Soundgear Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 34th

Can you walk me through what happened?

“We were just running normal laps and everyone checked up off of (turn) four. It sucks for my 18 team. They put in a lot of hard work to make the car good. Our Soundgear GR Supra was pretty dang good. Proud to say that. Finally got back on track, and unfortunately got collected in this, but will be back in Rockingham.”

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.

Alex Bowman secures second Cup pole of 2025 at Bristol

By

Andrew Kim

-

April 12, 2025

Bowman Chad Wells — Photo by Chad Wells for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Alex Bowman notched his second Busch Light Pole Award of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season for the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday, April 12.

The event’s starting lineup was determined through a standard practice and qualifying procedure. The field was split into two 25-minute practice sessions apiece before rejoining forces and participating in one two-lap qualifying session (impound). The groups and qualifying order were determined by metrics that included 70% based on previous race finish by owner and 30% based on owner points standings, with the best scoring competitors placed in the second group.

During the qualifying session, Bowman, the 10th-fastest competitor during the event’s practice session earlier on Saturday, posted a pole-winning lap at 128.675 mph in 14.912 seconds. Bowman’s lap was enough for the Tucson, Arizona, native to place his No. 48 Ally/Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet entry at the top of the qualifying chart as he will lead the field to the start of Sunday’s main event at the Last Great Colosseum.

With the pole, Bowman joined his teammate William Byron as the only competitors to notch multiple Cup Series poles through the first of nine scheduled events. Bowman’s previous pole of this year occurred at Homestead-Miami Speedway in late March and the Bristol pole award is the second in a row at Bristol and the seventh of his career.

Amid the celebrations of his pole award, Bowman dedicated his award to Jon Edwards, Hendrick Motorsports’ director of racing communications, who passed away earlier this week.

“[The pole] feels really good,” Bowman said on Prime Video. “Just proud of our Ally No. 48 team. Excited for a tire management race. It’s gonna be a lot of fun. We’ll see what we got.”

Bowman, the fastest competitor in Saturday’s practice session, will share the front row with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. after posting his best qualifying lap at 128.563 mph in 14.925 seconds. He was also the fastest competitor during Saturday’s practice session

Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Blaney qualified in the top five. Ty Gibbs, Christopher Bell, AJ Allmendinger, Carson Hocevar and Justin Haley completed the top-10 starting grid.

Notably, the following names that included Josh Berry, Michael McDowell, Chase Briscoe, Brad Keselowski, Austin Dillon, Chase Elliott, Austin Cindric, Bubba Wallace, Daniel Suarez, Chris Buescher, rookie Riley Herbst, William Byron, Tyler Reddick, Erik Jones, Ryan Preece, Noah Gragson, Ross Chastain, rookie Shane van Gisbergen and Corey LaJoie qualified 11th, 13th, 14th, 16th, 17th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th, 31st, 35th, 36th and 37th, respectively. In addition, Jesse Love qualified 19th for his Cup Series debut.

During the qualifying session, Kyle Busch spun in between Turns 3 and 4 but claimed the 15th starting spot. And he did so without sustaining any significant damage to his No. 8 Cheddar’s/Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet entry. On the contrary, Joey Logano got loose and hit the outside wall in Turn 2 while posting his qualifying lap. The incident resulted in Logano settling in the 38th starting spot.

With 39 competitors vying for 39 starting spots, all of the competitors made the main event.

Qualifying position, best speed, best time:

1. Alex Bowman, 128.675 mph, 14.912 seconds

2. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 128.563 mph, 14.925 seconds

3. Kyle Larson, 128.511 mph, 14.931 seconds

4. Denny Hamlin, 128.460 mph, 14.937 seconds

5. Ryan Blaney, 128.305 mph, 14.955 seconds

6. Ty Gibbs, 128.228 mph, 14.964 seconds

7. Christopher Bell, 128.185 mph, 14.969 seconds

8. AJ Allmendinger, 127.903 mph, 15.002 seconds

9. Carson Hocevar, 127.758 mph, 15.019 seconds

10. Justin Haley, 127.665 mph, 15.030 seconds

11. Josh Berry, 127.427 mph, 15.058 seconds

12. Ty Dillon, 127.292 mph, 15.074 seconds

13. Michael McDowell, 127.284 mph, 15.075 seconds

14. Chase Briscoe, 127.174 mph, 15.088 seconds

15. Kyle Busch, 127.098 mph, 15.097 seconds

16. Brad Keselowski, 127.090 mph, 15.098 seconds

17. Austin Dillon, 127.081 mph, 15.099 seconds

18. Zane Smith, 126.821 mph, 15.130 seconds

19. Jesse Love, 126.762 mph, 15.137 seconds

20. Chase Elliott, 126.754 mph, 15.138 seconds

21. Austin Cindric, 126.662 mph, 15.149 seconds

22. Bubba Wallace, 126.295 mph, 15.193 seconds

23. Daniel Suarez, 126.204 mph, 15.204 seconds

24. Chris Buescher, 125.856 mph, 15.246 seconds

25. Riley Herbst, 125.848 mph, 15.247 seconds

26. William Byron, 125.716 mph, 15.263 seconds

27. Tyler Reddick, 125.675 mph, 15.268 seconds

28. Erik Jones, 125.625 mph, 15.274 seconds

29. Ryan Preece, 125.494 mph, 15.290 seconds

30. Todd Gilliland, 125.436 mph, 15.297 seconds

31. Noah Gragson, 125.404 mph, 15.301 seconds

32. John Hunter Nemechek, 125.379 mph, 15.304 seconds

33. Cole Custer 125.232 mph, 15.322 seconds

34. Cody Ware, 124.267 mph, 15.441 seconds

35. Ross Chastain, 124.210 mph, 15.448 seconds

36. Shane van Gisbergen, 123.245 mph, 15.569 seconds

37. Corey LaJoie, 122.678 mph, 15.641 seconds

38. Joey Logano, 117.899 mph, 16.275 seconds

39. Josh Bilicki, 117.372 mph, 16.348 seconds

The 2025 Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway is set to occur on Sunday, April 13, and air at on FOX.

CHEVROLET NCS: Bowman, Stenhouse Jr. Give Chevrolet a Front-Row Sweep at Bristol Motor Speedway

By

Official Release

-

April 12, 2025

NASCAR CUP SERIES
BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY POST-QUALIFYING REPORT
APRIL 12, 2025

Bowman, Stenhouse Jr. Give Chevrolet a Front-Row Sweep at Bristol Motor Speedway

TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 STARTING LINEUP:
POS. DRIVER
1st – Alex Bowman
2nd – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
3rd – Kyle Larson
8th – AJ Allmendinger
9th – Carson Hocevar
10th – Justin Haley

For the second time this season, Alex Bowman and the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team will lead the NASCAR Cup Series to the green flag from the pole position. Posting top-10 speeds on the final practice leaderboard, the 31-year-old Tucson, Arizona, native went on to lay down a best lap of 14.912 seconds, at 128.675 mph, in his Chevrolet to earn the pole position for tomorrow’s Food City 500.
The pole – Bowman’s seventh all-time in his NASCAR Cup Series career – marks his second in the division at “The Last Great Colosseum”, with the Hendrick Motorsports driver also earning the pole in the series’ most recent visit to the Tennessee venue in Sept. 2024.
Bowman’s pole-winning effort marked Chevrolet’s fifth NASCAR Cup Series pole of the 2025 season; the manufacturer’s 41st all-time at Bristol Motor Speedway; and its 758th all-time in NASCAR’s top division – all of which are series-leading feats.
Four different Chevrolet organizations earned top-10 qualifying efforts for tomorrow’s 500-lap race, with Hyak Motorsports’ Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and the No. 47 Chevrolet team earning their season-best qualifying effort of second to give Chevrolet a sweep of the front-row. Joining their fellow Chevrolet teammates in the top-10 includes Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson in third; Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger in eighth; and Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar and Justin Haley in the ninth and tenth positions, respectively.

Chevrolet’s all-time NASCAR Cup Series statistics at Bristol Motor Speedway:

Wins: 47
Poles: 41
Top-Fives: 222
Top-10s: 464

Chevrolet’s season statistics heading into the ninth race of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Season

Wins: 2
Poles: 5
Top-Fives: 16
Top 10s: 36
Stage Wins: 5

Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet – Pole Win Press Conference Quotes

Do we have any clue what we’re about to experience going into tomorrow, or are you and us all as clueless as we were going into last spring?

“I think all signs point to a race like this spring. We started practice with rubber already on the racetrack from the Xfinity cars, and peeled it right up, and sawed the tires right off. So, yeah, confusing why we’re doing it again when we didn’t do it in the fall. I don’t think the weather — obviously it’s really cold today, but I don’t know. It’s going to be warmer tomorrow, so maybe that changes it.

It’s really difficult to say. I think it’s going to be like that, but we’re going to find out together, I think.”

What did you see as the key on your qualifying lap? Was it going out early and having the cooler conditions, or something you found on track?

“Honestly, it really wasn’t the best lap for me. I kind of over-slowed entry to (turn) three, I thought. So, yeah, just probably going out early. Typically, this place trends that the later cars are faster. But, you know, obviously today’s scenario with tires are vastly different than what the racetrack is doing. So, yeah, hard to say. Certainly was watching the clouds there at the end… there were some big clouds coming. The 24 and the 11, guys that tagged the wall at the very end, I knew they were going to be good. So, yeah, happy that it held on.”

Alex, you said it’s a little bit of Deja vu towards last spring. There are a lot of new guys in this field. Jesse Love, for instance, making his first start. What is the conversation to a guy like that who, one, hasn’t been in a Cup car at this level on this track before, and two, has to deal with these tire wear issues?

“Yeah, so I think we’re all much more prepared than we were last spring. We all saw it in practice last spring, and we were like, ah, it won’t be that way. We see that in practice in a lot of places. Martinsville, Dover, a lot of places you cord tires really quickly, and then it goes away in the race.

So, obviously we found out quickly during the race that it wasn’t going to be that way. But, you know, a guy like Jesse that hasn’t run a Cup car before, I feel like the Xfinity car has way more tire fall-off anyway. And you have to be way more mindful of how you build those tires up on those cars. So I think he’ll be fine. I’m sure he watched the spring race, as did everybody last year. So, yeah, I mean I think everybody knows how to approach it now and is going to try to manage the tires the best they can. I was happy with my car and how it held on to tires in practice, so I’m excited for having a shot at it tomorrow.”

Can you give me a sense of what you as a driver have to do in terms of managing the tires for this race, potentially tomorrow, compared to what you did in the car last fall when you didn’t have to worry about it? What more are we going to see you guys do, or can you give us a sense of what more you’re going to have to do inside the car that we can’t see?

“Yeah, I mean honestly, in the spring last year, we rode around at what felt like half speed all day, and I thought I was going to get out of the car and everybody was going to be mad because we didn’t run hard all day. Everybody loved it because there was so much chaos. So in the fall, we just ran hard all day. You run hard every lap, and that’s kind of what Cup racing has become these days… how hard you have to run the car. There are some places you have to manage, but for the most part, you’re ten-tenths every lap. I think tomorrow, it’s really going to depend on when the cautions come out and what they do. Like you look at the end of that spring race, and we didn’t get any cautions for a lot of things that could have been cautions, probably. But at the beginning of the race, we were getting cautions all the time. So there’s two ways to predict that, right? If you save too much and you keep getting all these cautions, you’re just giving away track position. But if you don’t get the cautions and you run too hard, you’re killed on that, too.

So it’ll be interesting to see what the mindset is there and what the reality that we live in is tomorrow, as far as what the tires do with it being a little warmer and where we go. So I think the biggest thing is it’s going to be a ton of learning on the go because as much as we all think we know exactly what it’s going to do from practice, we probably really don’t have a clue, and we’re going to have to learn as we go.”

Can you give me a sense of what do you do between now and tomorrow’s race? I know there’s always homework to do for any driver, but does it change because of the uncertain or what it’s likely to be tomorrow, or does it make it easier because you say it’s learning on the go and you watch some sports on TV or something?

“Yeah, I don’t think they ever let us get away with ‘go watch some sports on TV’, at least for me. I’ve got to try really hard to run remotely good. But yeah, I think for me, probably look at the guys that ran really well in the spring, that finished well, and how they managed the race. I think at the end of the race, we were one of them. But throughout the majority of the race, we saved too much and kept getting those cautions. So it’ll be interesting to see where that winds up. But yeah, probably look at the guys that were good in the spring, and then if there’s not tire wear, you feel like you wasted a couple of hours. But we’ll see.”

When you have to find out about the tire wear during the race, what’s that like? What is it for the fans like racing when you’re having to… do you have to pay more attention? And the guys will be working on the pit box like crazy. But what’s it like for you when it’s like that?

Yeah, for me, it’s fun, I would say. Just something different, right? Different than the normal every week, run ten-tenths every lap. I feel like it gives drivers more opportunity to play a hand in how your day goes, just based on little things you can do.

But sometimes, obviously, you have a car to make those opportunities, and sometimes you don’t. So yeah, I enjoy that side of things. And yeah, I’m just probably as curious as all you guys are. I don’t really have the answer. I’m really curious on how it’s going to go. I’d say everybody’s going to ride around the first run, and if people start falling off a cliff with tire wear, we’ll all know it’s coming. And if the tires don’t wear out, then we’ll just progressively run harder throughout the course of the day.”

Chase Elliott said that last race he felt that it was relentless. He never could let up. When you’re having to learn during, and you like that, is that still going to be pretty relentless, or it’s just a puzzle for you?

“Yeah, I guess I wouldn’t have described it that way. The spring race, to me, was a lot of riding around and chilling out and being sad that the caution came out because you couldn’t save the tires for 40 laps. And then, obviously, it paid off for us in the end.

But yeah, I thought that was more of a mental game than anything, and just trying to know how to load the race car and feel the car to build it in the right direction and to take care of your stuff.”

I talked to Blake Harris and he basically said you’re executing at a very high level right now. He said you spend as much time in the shop as he does, just about. What kind of commitment does it take to excel at the level you guys are performing right now?

“Yeah, that’s Blake (Harris) being nice. He’s in the shop way more than me (laughs). But yeah, I try to hang out with the guys a little bit during the week when they don’t have me doing anything. I get some free time. I live pretty close to the shop, so it’s easy to take one of the dogs over there and go hang out, sit around the setup plate. But yeah, I mean just trying to be successful. Obviously, we saw that in the playoffs last year that we all bought in and worked really hard and found success, and just trying to keep that going. Obviously, it’s been a rough two weeks on the 48 team. Last week, I did not execute at a high level. I drove the race car into the fence at a high rate of speed. But I think just trying to be better every week and work as hard as it takes to continue to run well.”

Some drivers relish having managed tires in these kind of races where it’s on them. Where do you fall on that spectrum?

“I love it. I think it’s great. I think that really comes from when I first came to stock car racing. You know, you ran the same tire for the whole race. The very first race was Greenville Pickens. We rolled around in 24th all day, and then drove through the field like it was nobody’s business at the end, and almost won the thing. I think we ended up second or third.

From then on, I’ve loved tire management. I think it’s fun. It’s a fun mental game to play, and yeah, hopefully you’re on the good side of it. You don’t always get it right, but I do enjoy it.”

What is the art of saving tires?

“I mean, I guess I just drive slower than everybody. I do that most weeks, but on weeks like this, it pays off.

I don’t know. We’ll see tomorrow. I think it’s interesting when guys cord their tires and which tire they cord and how that makes them fall off. It’s interesting how the progression goes. So just trying to probably cord the correct tire; manage your builds and save yourself as long as you can. I wasn’t in the front of the field much in the spring until the end, and those guys — it was kind of funny how one guy would go lead and start to slow down, and another guy would go lead. Nobody wanted to lead and set the pace, so we’ll see how it goes.”

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.

Kirkwood on Pole as Andretti Global Locks Out Long Beach Front Row

By

Official Release

-

April 12, 2025

LONG BEACH, Calif. (Saturday, April 12, 2025) – Just when it appeared reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion and points leader Alex Palou looked invincible on the streets of Long Beach, Andretti Global stepped forward to make a statement by locking out the front row in qualifying Saturday for the 50th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Kyle Kirkwood earned his first NTT P1 Award of the season and third of his career with a top lap of 1 minute, 6.1921 seconds in the No. 27 PreFab Honda on his last lap in the Firestone Fast Six. Kirkwood’s first career pole also came at Long Beach, in 2023 when he also won the race on the iconic 11-turn, 1.968-mile Southern California temporary street circuit.

“When you’re in an Andretti Global car at Long Beach, you know you’re going to be quick,” Kirkwood said. “You’ve got to be so happy with that, right? A front-row Andretti Global lockout here at Long Beach.

“I’m shaking. That was great. That was such a good lap, such a good qualifying. Fortunately, I didn’t put any wheel wrong or hit anything. That’s always a question here at street courses. You’ve got to send it to get that top spot.”

Southern California native Colton Herta qualified second at 1:06.4232 in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda. It was the first front-row lockout for Andretti Global since the Honda Indy Toronto last July, when Herta won the pole and Kirkwood qualified second. Herta also won that race.

Palou, who has won the first two races this season, qualified third at 1:06.6254 in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Felix Rosenqvist took advantage of misfortune by a competitor in the second round to earn a spot in the Firestone Fast Six and qualify fourth at 1:06.6358 in the No. 60 SiriusXM Honda of Meyer Shank Racing.

Marcus Ericsson was the third Andretti Global driver in the top five, qualifying fifth at 1:06.7061 in the No. 28 Bryant Honda. Scott McLaughlin will share the third row on the starting grid with Ericsson after qualifying sixth at 1:07.0393 in the No. 3 DEX Imaging Team Penske Chevrolet.

Up next is the pre-race warmup at noon ET Sunday (FS1, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network), followed by the 90-lap race at 4:30 p.m. (FOX, FOX Deportes, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network).

Palou took the top spot in the Firestone Fast Six with about 30 seconds to go in the session. But Kirkwood then blasted his pole-winning final lap seconds later, followed by Herta’s quickest lap.

Herta ran out of time for a proper warmup lap for his final run, and he said the delay in raising the temperatures of his Firestone Firehawk alternate tires could have been the reason for Kirkwood’s gap to the rest of the field, the largest in qualifying this season through three races.

“The prep lap is what we do to try to get the temperatures in the right window, try to get the front and rear (tires) equal as we can,” Herta said. “I didn’t have that, so the tires started out a little cold. But they got there in the end, after maybe three or four corners.

“I’m guessing that maybe the time lost to Kyle is probably in those first few corners. Still can’t be mad at a front row, an Andretti 1-2, and Marcus is right there in fifth. All of us in the Fast Six. Shows we got a strong program here to go into the race with tomorrow.”

Christian Lundgaard, fourth in points, possibly lost a spot in the Firestone Fast Six when he hit the tire barrier in Turn 6 on his final qualifying lap in the second segment.

Lundgaard was fifth on the time charts when his No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet speared the barrier, triggering a red flag just moments after the checkered to end the session. INDYCAR qualifying rules state any driver who causes a red flag in qualifying loses their two quickest laps and cannot advance to the next session. That penalty placed Rosenqvist into the Firestone Fast Six.

SpeedwayMedia.comOnline Resource for Motorsports Information

SpeedwayMedia.comOnline Resource for Motorsports Information

Chase Sexton Returns to the Top at Philadelphia Supercross

AO Racing and Rexy Reign at Grand Prix of Long Beach

CORVETTE RACING AT LONG BEACH: What Might Have Been

Cadillac GTP entries make advancements

Kyle Larson reigns supreme with dominant Xfinity victory at Bristol

Green Flag

Halfway Mark

Final Lap

Race Results:

KALITTA, HYDE AND GLENN PICK UP MISSION #2FAST2TASTY CHALLENGE WINS AT NHRA 4-WIDE NATIONALS

Toyota GAZOO Racing – NXS Bristol Post-Race Report – 04.12.25

Alex Bowman secures second Cup pole of 2025 at Bristol

Qualifying position, best speed, best time:

CHEVROLET NCS: Bowman, Stenhouse Jr. Give Chevrolet a Front-Row Sweep at Bristol Motor Speedway

Kirkwood on Pole as Andretti Global Locks Out Long Beach Front Row

SpeedwayMedia.comOnline Resource for Motorsports Information

Site Map

Archives

Popular Category