DETROIT - MAY 31: Colton Herta, driver of the #26 Andretti Global Honda, poses with the P1 sticker after winning the pole for the NTT IndyCar Series Detroit Grand Prix on May 31, 2025, in Detroit. Photo: Paul Hurley/Penske Entertainment
DETROIT — Colton Herta will lead the field to green on Sunday after taking pole position.
The driver of the No. 26 Andretti Global Honda won the pole for the Detroit Grand Prix with a lap of 1:00.477.
“I was worried about that because I was like, ‘Oh, man,’ after Friday,” he said. “I was hoping nobody broke the track record because I had it, and I’ve still got it.
“No, I was happy with it. Friday was pretty bad from us as far as what we’re used to on street courses, just the feel of the race car. So it kind of — Friday night to go over everything and turn everything around. The engineering group did a great job with that, and we saw this morning’s session felt a lot more comfortable and felt a lot more comfortable on the reds, also, or soft greens.
“Yeah, happy with how it went.”
It’s his 15th career pole and first of the 2025 NTT INDYCAR Series season.
David Malukas and Kyle Kirkwood round out the podium. Christian Lundgaard, Graham Rahal and championship leader Alex Palou round out the Firestone Fast Six.
“Yeah, I felt really good,” Malukas said. “We were actually ChatGPTing on the way here: Is that my best qualifying? Maybe on an oval, but I think for a street and road course, I think that’s the best qualifying.
“Yeah, I mean, everything just clicked. Like I said after practice, we were very comfortable with the car, very happy, and yeah, it’s kind of chaos with the practice sessions figuring out who’s fast, who isn’t, where we are, because you’re getting one lap after every 20, 30 minutes of a clean lap, so it’s all kind of just a guessing game.
“We kept our heads down and just committed. I thought we had a good car, and clearly it went out and showed that.”
Qualifying summary
Firestone Fast Six
Palou posted a banker lap of 1:04.167. Rahal posted a fast lap of 1:02.472. Malukas usurped him with a lap of 1:01.688. He bested his fast lap with a time of 1:00.649.
Herta posted the fastest lap with a time of 1:00.477.
Round 2
Scott McLaughlin opened the second round with a banker lap of 1:06.264. Palou clocked in a fast lap of 1:01.798. Herta topped him with a lap of 1:01.028.
In the final 90 seconds of the round, Malukas clocked in at 1:00.832. Will Power usurped him by two one-thousands of a second. McLaughlin overtook his teammate with a lap of 1:00.759. Herta posted the fastest lap of the round at 1:00.456.
Along with him, Kirkwood, Malukas, Lundgaard, Palou and Rahal advanced to the Firestone Fast Six.
Round 1
Group 1
Palou kicked off qualifying on Firestone greens with a time of 1:06.619. He bested that with a lap of 1:02.460, and a lap of 1:01.611. Lundgaard, on Firestone greens, usurped him on the top spot with a lap of 1:01.597. Marcus Ericsson, on Firestone greens, topped the chart with a lap of 1:01.381. Then McLaughlin overtook him with a lap of 1:91.346. Power posted a sub 1:01 lap with a time of 1:00.982.
Along with Power, Palou, Lundgaard, McLaughlin, Marcus Armstrong and Rinus VeeKay advanced to the second round.
Group 2
Alexander Rossi posted a banker lap of 1:06.145 to kick off Group 2. Pato O’Ward, on Firestone blacks, overtook him with a lap of 1:05.350. Christian Rasmussen usurped him with a lap of 1:02.916. Followed by Louis Foster on a 1:02.001 lap. Rasmussen clocked the first sub 1:02 lap of the group with a 1:01.244 lap. Malukas overtook him with a lap of 1:01.071.
Herta posted the fastest lap with a time of 1:00.687. Rahal, Malukas, Rasmussen, Kirkwood and Scott Dixon joined him in advancing to Round 2.
During the session, Josef Newgarden brushed the wall and broke a toe link.
What if your weekends didn’t end with the dread of returning to routine? What if you could pack up and leave at a moment’s notice, taking your home comforts with you? That’s the promise of a camper trailer. It’s not just a piece of equipment; it’s a lifestyle upgrade for anyone craving flexibility, adventure, and a deeper connection to the outdoors.
Camper trailers have become a go-to option for those who want more freedom without giving up comfort. They’re compact enough to tow with ease but clever in design, offering features that can transform any patch of dirt into your own slice of paradise.
What Makes Camper Trailers So Appealing?
The popularity of camper trailers isn’t just a passing trend. It’s part of a larger shift towards simpler, experience-rich living. People want to get out there, but they don’t want to rough it unnecessarily. That’s where these compact, towable homes come into their own.
Here’s why they’re ticking all the boxes:
Freedom to roam – Whether it’s a weekend beach escape or a remote outback adventure, camper trailers let you go where you want, when you want.
No ongoing booking stress – Skip the hassle of reserving hotels or rentals. Your bed, kitchen, and shelter travel with you.
Lower long-term costs – Compared to other forms of travel accommodation, camper trailers can be a cost-effective way to enjoy regular trips.
Compact and towable – Most are light enough to tow with standard vehicles, and they don’t take up much space when stored.
Versatile for different trip styles – They suit solo travellers, couples, families, or even groups, depending on layout and add-ons.
The Different Types of Camper Trailers
Not all camper trailers are built the same. There are a few main categories, and choosing the right camper trailer for you depends on how you plan to travel and what kind of terrain you want to cover.
Soft Floor Campers
These are lightweight and typically more affordable. They offer plenty of room once set up, making them popular for families or longer stays. However, they take a little more time to set up and pack down, especially in bad weather.
Hard Floor Campers
These open up quickly, often with a fold-out solid floor. They’re easier to manage and keep clean, and they provide better insulation from the ground. Some models even come with slide-out kitchens or storage compartments for convenience.
Forward Fold and Rear Fold
These refer to how the camper opens. Forward folds keep the sleeping area off the ground and often include seating inside. Rear folds are typically more compact, with sleeping areas extending out from the back and living space on the ground.
Hybrid Campers
A mix between a caravan and a camper trailer. These are great if you want a bit more luxury, with features like internal cooking facilities, enclosed beds, and even bathrooms. They’re heavier and more expensive but offer a very comfortable travel experience.
What To Look For When Choosing One
Picking the right camper trailer can make or break your travel experience. It’s worth doing your homework and considering your needs now and in the future.
Here are some key things to think about:
Tow capacity – Check your vehicle’s towing ability. Don’t push the limits, especially if you plan to go off-road.
Set-up time – Some trailers take minutes, others can take over an hour. Think about how often you’ll move camp.
Storage and layout – Do you need bunks, extra storage, or a big kitchen area? Make sure there’s space for what matters to you.
Weather protection – Consider insulation, waterproofing, and ventilation. A good camper should handle sudden changes in weather.
Durability for off-road – If you plan on rough tracks, look for off-road models with reinforced chassis, better suspension, and strong materials.
Off-Grid Living, Your Way
One of the major perks of a camper trailer is how easy it becomes to get off the grid. With solar panels, water tanks, and portable toilets or showers, it’s possible to camp in remote locations comfortably for days or even weeks.
For people who value peace and quiet, this is a major drawcard. No crowded caravan parks, no neighbours parked a metre away, and no need to stick to set check-in times. Just you, your trailer, and the landscape around you.
The Real Value Isn’t in the Trailer
Here’s the thing. The real value of a camper trailer doesn’t lie in its specs, design, or price tag. It lies in what it gives back to you.
Time in nature. Moments around a fire. That deep sleep you only seem to get after a day spent outside. A camper trailer gives you the means to access all of that without needing to plan everything down to the minute.
There’s something powerful about pulling up wherever you like, cooking your own meal, and sleeping under the stars with your own roof over your head. That kind of freedom is hard to put a price on.
When You’re Ready to Hit the Road
There’s no single perfect camper trailer, but there’s likely one that suits your lifestyle, travel style, and budget. Whether you’re planning a few weekend trips or a long-haul lap, the right trailer can make the whole experience easier, more comfortable, and more rewarding.
Take the time to consider how you’ll use it. Think about where you want to go, who you’ll travel with, and what level of comfort matters to you.
The Road is Waiting
Camper trailers aren’t about having more. They’re about needing less. Less reliance on fixed plans. Less stress around where you’ll sleep or eat. Less distance between you and the places you’ve always wanted to explore.
Whether it’s waking up beside a quiet river or parking up near the coast for a lazy long weekend, the right trailer makes it possible. It gives you options, comfort, and the confidence to take the road less travelled.
LEBANON, Tenn. – Nashville Superspeedway announced today that chart-topping singer-songwriter ERNEST will serve as the grand marshal for the Cracker Barrel 400 NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday. The Nashville native, hailed as “The Charmer” by MusicRow and a triple-threat talent who “creates a sound all his own” (Pollstar), will give the command to start engines as Amazon Prime Video broadcasts the event to its world-wide audience.
“ERNEST embodies the heart and soul of Nashville, making him the ideal grand marshal for the Cracker Barrel 400,” said Matt Greci, general manager of Nashville Superspeedway. “His remarkable talent, deep connection to Music City and ability to captivate audiences will bring an unforgettable energy to our race weekend.”
ERNEST, a four-time ACM Award nominee, including a 2024-25 nod for Artist-Songwriter of the Year, and three-time CMA Triple Play Award winner, has cemented his status as one of Music City’s defining artist-writers. With influences spanning Eminem to George Jones, he has penned 13 No. 1 hits, including the Hot 100 record-breaking “I Had Some Help” by Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen, earning a 2025 GRAMMY nomination.
His sophomore album, NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, featuring 26 tracks with collaborations alongside Lainey Wilson, Lukas Nelson, Jelly Roll and HARDY, has been lauded by The Tennessean for honoring Music City while proving ERNEST’s dynamic artistry. Short-listed as a “Best of the Year So Far” by Billboard, The Tennessean and Country Now, the album follows his critically acclaimed FLOWER SHOPS (THE ALBUM) and its deluxe edition, Two Dozen Roses.
In 2024, ERNEST joined Morgan Wallen’s “One Night at a Time Stadium Tour” and Jelly Roll’s “Beautifully Broken Tour,” showcasing his high-energy performances.
He recently launched DeVille Records, signing GRAMMY-nominated Chandler Walters, Rhys Rutherford and Cody Lohden. The label’s debut project, Cadillac Sessions, a mixtape-style album, has garnered attention from Billboard, Complex and Variety.
ERNEST continues to tour in 2025, supporting Lainey Wilson and Old Dominion.
Previous grand marshals for NACAR Cup Series races as Nashville Superspeedway include HARDY (2024), Old Dominion (2023), Kane Brown (2022) and Luke Combs (2021).
Other dignitaries for the weekend include the following:
Saturday’s Tennessee Lottery 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race Xfinity Color Guard – Wilson County Emergency Agency Xfinity Invocation – Jacob Armstrong, Pastor, Providence Church, Mt. Juliet Xfinity Anthem – Rocky Wallace, small business owner and Nashville artist Xfinity Honorary Starter – Blain Bishop, former Tennessee Titan Xfinity Grand Marshal – John Crosslin, board of directors, vice chair, Tennessee Lottery
Sunday’s Cracker Barrel 400 NASCAR Cup Series race
Cup Color Guard – US Marine Corps Color Guard Cup Invocation – USMC Chaplain Nathan Huffman Cup Anthem – USMC Sergeant Elizabeth Marino Cup Honorary Starter – Sarah Moore, chief marketing officer, Cracker Barrel Cup Honorary Pace Car – County Music performer Chase Rice Cup VIPs – Papa Roach band members Cup Honorary Race Official – Major Sergeant USMC Carlos A. Ruiz Cup Pre-Race concert – SJ McDonald, country music rising star
The Cracker Barrel 400 anchors a triple-header race weekend at Nashville Superspeedway, featuring NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Craftsman Truck Series races from May 30 to June 1. A limited number of tickets are on sale now at nashvillesuperspeedway.com or by calling 866.RACE.TIX.
2025 Race Schedule and Tickets
Saturday, May 31
Wilson County Convention and Visitors Bureau Qualifying (2:10 p.m. Xfinity Series, The CW, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) (4:40 p.m. Cup Series, Amazon Prime Video, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
NASCAR Xfinity Series Tennessee Lottery 250 (6:30 p.m. CT, The CW, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday, June 1
NASCAR Cup Series Cracker Barrel 400 (6 p.m. CT, Amazon Prime Video, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday, Aug. 31
NTT INDYCAR SERIES Big Machine Music City Grand Prix (2:30 p.m. CT, FOX, INDYCAR Live, SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation)
Call 866.RACE.TIX to discuss your options with an account representative, or visit nashvillesuperspeedway.com.
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About Nashville Superspeedway
Nashville Superspeedway stands as Middle Tennessee’s premier racing destination, nestled in one of America’s most dynamic and rapidly expanding regions. Our 1.33-mile D-shaped concrete track, featuring 14 degrees of banking, holds the distinction of being NASCAR’s largest all-concrete venue. Nashville Superspeedway’s rich racing heritage includes four NASCAR Cup Series races, 25 NASCAR Xfinity Series events, 17 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competitions and nine INDYCAR SERIES battles – including the 2024 INDYCAR SERIES championship finale. As a Speedway Motorsports property, Nashville Superspeedway serves as a year-round entertainment venue welcoming families and race fans from across the nation.
Key Takeaway: Matt Mills and the No. 42 team fought hard in Nashville, but struggled to gain track position in dirty air. Mills started 11th and maintained inside the top-15 through the opening part of the race, but began to fade in stage two. Stuck in traffic, the team made adjustments throughout the race to help the balance, and assisted Mills to pick up some spots late to finish 22nd.
Matt Mills’ Post-Race Thoughts: “Tonight was a tough race for us. We went into the weekend with high hopes going off of what we had last year, but the truck just didn’t feel the same. I think the cooler temperatures changed how the track raced, and the resin made it hard for me to gain any ground on the guys around us. If we could have gotten into some cleaner air, we might have been in a better position, but it was really difficult to make anything happen once we got back there. Hopefully next week will be a better one for us on the J.F. Electric team; thanks to all my guys for giving it their all.”
About J.F. Electric: J.F. Electric is an electrical contractor that provides engineering expertise, backed by construction and installation know-how in a diverse range of service offerings, from utilities and commercial projects, to industrial and telecommunications customers. When having a long family history in an industry, a company not only builds on its knowledge and experience, it takes pride in cultivating a solid understanding of client needs, all the while nurturing strong relationships with its employees. Evolving through five generations of the Fowler family, J.F. Electric has matured into a well-managed and thoughtfully diversified electrical contractor which is poised to continue its growth and expansion into the future.
About Utilitra: Utilitra is a woman-owned firm specializing in utility and technology solutions with a diverse team of specialized professionals. Utilitra is committed to solving their client’s unique challenges, whether one expert or a team of experts is needed. By adapting to the needs of their respective industries, Utilitra has built a range of services for their utility and technology partners.
Key Takeaway: Bayley Currey and the No. 44 team showcased raw pace throughout the night in Nashville en route to another solid finish. Currey started sixth in the 150-lap event and maintained track position in both of the opening two stages. By finishing ninth in stage one and seventh in stage two, Currey picked up a total of six stage points. As the checkered flag flew, Currey secured his third top-10 finish of the year in ninth-place.
Bayley Currey’s Post-Race Thoughts:
Interviewer: This was a tough track, but you kind of kept with it throughout the evening.
“Yeah, for sure. Track position seemed like everything. Just trying to find that clean air, how to take the runs when you had them, no matter how sketchy they were, and get all you could on restarts. Luckily, our pit crew was on fire tonight and they gave me some really good track position.”
Interviewer: I was talking to your teammate, Kaden Honeycutt, about the difference between running full time and being a part time guy. How hard is it to get in the rhythm when you run part time?
“It’s definitely tough, you know, I was a little worried when the rain came earlier, that I was going to just jump in this thing and go. I didn’t really get much sim time for this weekend, and yeah, luckily, we got 50 minutes there to let me get in my rhythm, and then once you get in the race, it all kind of always comes back to you. It’s like riding a bike. I’ve raced here quite a few times, and jumping in with a team like Nice Motorsports who work as hard as they do to give you good trucks is pretty easy.”
About AutoVentive: AutoVentive is an industry-leading Software as a Service (SaaS) applications developer providing customized solutions to the automotive logistics industry. The company is part of Liberty Hill Equity Partners, LLC, a Cincinnati-based private equity firm.
About Precision Vehicle Logistics: Precision Vehicle Logistics is a customer-focused group of professionals committed to service excellence in finished vehicle logistics. Precision offers a unique combination of talented experience, industry-leading software and systems, and a network of partners and resources to deliver customized solutions to the world’s leading automakers.
Key Takeaway: Kaden Honeycutt and the No. 45 team had a great points night in Nashville. With qualifying cancelled due to rain, Honeycutt started on the front row in second place. The team took full advantage of the track position and stayed near the front of the pack all race long. Honeycutt earned 10 extra points by finishing fifth in both stages. At the end of the night, the No. 45 came home in sixth-place, marking their eighth top-10 of the year.
Kaden Honeycutt’s Post-Race Thoughts:
Interviewer: That was a heck of a run. You stayed in the hunt throughout the night.
“Yeah, just, we just needed to find some speed tonight. I don’t really know what our issue was, man. We showed up with the same setup we had there last year, and it was really good. We just didn’t have it tonight. I mean, we were top five pretty much the whole night just, you know, we’re fighting to win races. All of us, you know, we’re fighters and we want to win. So, you know, not what we wanted, but it’s still a good points tonight. Just got to look at the positive sides of it. So thanks DQS Solutions & Staffing , Masked Owl Technologies, AutoVentive, Precision, everyone that helps us on us on this deal, Butlerbuilt seats for keeping me safe. Yeah, a good run. I hate that we didn’t get a top-five there, but we’ll keep on going. We got a lot of momentum on our side, just going to keep on building great trucks and a win will eventually follow one day.”
About DQS Solutions & Staffing: Guided by a mission to achieve excellence and adaptability, DQS partners with clients to create custom solutions that address unique business challenges. Recognized as Michigan’s fastest-growing company and #22 in the nation on the Inc. 5000 list, DQS drives industry growth while giving back through its nonprofit, Foundation for Pops, and partnerships like the River Rouge School District.
About Masked Owl Technologies: Masked Owl Technologies (MOT) is an industrial solutions integrator specializing in developing customized automation and controls processes. They take a consulting-based approach to identify the root cause of system challenges and incorporate tested, emerging technology into industrial solutions that mitigate risk and solve complex problems, the first time.
About Niece Motorsports: Niece Motorsports is a professional auto racing team founded by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2025, the team celebrates its 10th consecutive season competing in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) where it fields the Nos. 41, 42, 44 and 45. Since its founding in 2016, Niece Motorsports has garnered nine wins, 50+ top-fives, 100+ top-10s, 200+ top-15 finishes and made five playoff appearances. At its 80,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Salisbury, NC, Niece Motorsports is a trusted build shop for the Chevrolet Silverados of multiple NCTS teams as well as a customizable fabrication shop for any manufacturing needs.
Follow the Team: To keep up to date with the latest team news, visit niecemotorsports.com or connect on Facebook and Instagram (@NieceMotorsports) as well as X (@NieceMotorsport).
HEIM DELIVERS ANOTHER STRONG PERFORMANCE, FINISHES SECOND IN NASHVILLE The Toyota Development Driver becomes the first driver in history to lead 800 laps in first 12 Truck Series races
NASHVILLE (May 30, 2025) – Corey Heim won the second stage and battled for the lead late before finishing second to lead Toyota in the NASCAR Truck Series race at Nashville Superspeedway on Friday evening.
After leading 58 (of 150) laps, Heim has now led over 800 laps this season and became the first driver in NASCAR Truck Series history to lead over 800 laps in the first 12 races of the Truck Series season. Heim also extended his points lead to 122 points over Daniel Hemric heading into Michigan.
Toyota GAZOO Racing Post-Race Recap NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) Nashville Superspeedway Race 12 of 23 – 199.5 Miles, 150 Laps
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Rajah Caruth*
2nd, COREY HEIM
3rd, Layne Riggs *
4th, Daniel Hemric*
5th, Corey Day*
13th, GIO RUGGIERO
16th, TANNER GRAY
21st, STEWART FRIESEN
24th, WILLIAM SAWALICH
30th, TONI BREIDINGER
31st, AKINORI OGATA
*non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
COREY HEIM, No. 11 Safelite/Foster Love Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, TRICON Garage
Finishing Position: 2nd
What more did you need to get the win tonight?
“I feel like just clean air was the main thing tonight. With the third stage tonight being pretty straight forward, with a lack of strategy and all green, it was tough to come back for the lead, but I slid through my box there on the last stop and didn’t do my guys any favors. Just something to reflect on my end, but huge congrats to Rajah (Caruth). He did an awesome job managing from the lead. I was really free behind him, and he made pretty much the right move every time where I was going to go. That was cool; big congrats to him, and thank you to TRICON Garage, Toyota, Safelite – we wrapped up the month with Foster Love with a P2. I would have loved to get my first guitar, but always next time.”
Can you take us through the battle there at the end?
“We were certainly a lot better on the long runs tonight, so I knew that was going to kind of my opportunity coming down to the wire there. Just such a short stage and a straight forward strategy play on all parts there, so once you kind of lose the lead it is really tough to get it back until you hit lap traffic. Congrats to Rajah (Caruth). He did an awesome job to fend us off. I thought we had the best truck there at the end, but he made all of the right moves there defend from the lead. That was a lot of fun, and glad we could put a good show there for the fans. Huge thank you to TRICON Garage, Toyota and Safelite.”
What are you looking forward to for the remainder of the regular season?
“We have some good tracks coming up. I feel like we’ve had speed everywhere, so being able to race in general is exciting for me, but there are definitely some tracks that we’ve been better at than others. Definitely looking forward to that, and it is always a pleasure to race for these 11 guys. They’ve been really lights out as far as the pace in the truck. Definitely need to polish a couple things on my end to keep that lead at the end there and kind of doing what Rajah (Caruth) was doing and defending from there. All-in-all, good effort and good points day. Going to move forward with a smile on our faces.”
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.
EPPING, N.H. (May 30, 2025) – Reigning Funny Car world champion Austin Prock led the way on Friday at New England Dragway, taking the provisional No. 1 spot for John Force Racing at the 12th annual NHRA New England Nationals.
Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel) and Cody Coughlin (Pro Stock) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the seventh of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
Friday’s second session also included the “No. 1 Clawifier Award presented by NAPA.” A special chair made of lobster pots awaited drivers on the top end, with the evening’s No. 1 qualifier sitting in the chair until they were replaced by a new No. 1 “Clawifier” or claim the award. The top team in each class were awarded lobster dinners.
Nobody replaced Prock as he kicked off the session, while Kalitta bumped Antron Brown out of the chair. A handful of Pro Stock drivers were on top on Friday before Coughlin grabbed control.
After struggling during the opening session on Friday, Prock and his team more than made up for it to close out the day, going 3.860-seconds at 331.69 mph in his 12,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS. It puts the Funny Car points leader on track for his second No. 1 qualifier of the season and 20th in his career. Prock was the runner-up at the event a year ago to legendary Funny Car driver John Force, and also advanced to the finals at the most recent event in Chicago.
“It took a lot to get this thing tamed down, but the guys did a great job diagnosing it and we laid down a really nice lap,” Prock said. “John Force Racing has had a lot of success here. Last year was a really special moment in my life and all I’ve ever wanted to do is drive a Funny Car.
“I always try to do the best I can every time I get in this car. That’s what these guys deserve, what our team deserve and what our partners deserve. I’m just trying to get in there and drive to the best of my ability.”
Racing at his home track, Bob Tasca III is currently second with a 3.891 at 335.40 and Paul Lee’s 3.891 at 329.18 puts him third.
In Top Fuel, Doug Kalitta was the only driver to dip into the 3.60s and continued to roll in qualifying, going to the top spot with a run of 3.697 at 331.36 in his 12,000-horsepower Mac Tools dragster. If it holds, it would be the veteran’s fourth straight top qualifier of 2025, which would continue an incredible streak.
It would also be the former world champion’s fifth No. 1 qualifier in the first seven races of the season and New England Dragway continues to be very good to Kalitta. Brown made a strong run to open the session, but Kalitta bumped him for a seat in the lobster pot chair as he aims to win in Epping for a second consecutive year.
“The car shook a little bit at the beginning, got cleaned up and then it set sail,” Kalitta said. “It was definitely what we were looking for. We were all gunning for the lobster and the way the team has this car running, I was hoping it would make it and it did.
“We’re very fortunate after the first day and Epping is a cool area. I’ve had a great running car all year (but) haven’t gotten the win yet, so I’m real hungry for that. This would be a great place to do it. We got it done last year, which was cool. We’re just trying to go rounds, keep our heads down and hope like heck it goes our way Sunday.”
Shawn Reed is currently second thanks to a pass of 3.702 at 334.24 and Brittany Force went 3.713 at 334.48 as she sits in the third position.
After a standout run during the second session, Pro Stock rookie Cody Coughlin is in position to claim his first career No. 1 qualifier thanks to a run of 6.537 at 210.28 in his Cody Coughlin Construction Chevrolet Camaro. In a field loaded with fast cars, Coughlin made the most of the cool conditions in the second session for KB Titan Racing, sitting on top heading into Saturday.
It’s been an up and down debut season for Coughlin, but Friday’s run certainly gives him momentum and marks the high point of his year thus far.
“It felt so seamless that I thought it was going to be slow,” Coughlin said. “But as they say, slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Greg and Dallas have been fast — everybody has been fast here with KB Titan power — so I figured they’d edge me out because they know all the tricks of the trade.
“I spoke to Greg during the off-season to congratulate him on his championship and we just meshed. I’ve always been a fan of the Hendrick [Motorsports] team, and when Greg invited me out to a test, I was hooked.”
Coughlin squeezed past Anderson on speed for the current No. 1 spot as the reigning world champion went an identical 6.537 at a slightly slower 209.95. Points leader Dallas Glenn is third following his run of 6.539 at 210.28.
Qualifying continues at 12:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at the New England Nationals at New England Dragway.
EPPING, N.H. — Friday’s results after the first two of four rounds of qualifying for the 12th annual NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway, seventh of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday’s final eliminations.
Top Fuel — 1. Doug Kalitta, 3.697 seconds, 331.36 mph; 2. Shawn Reed, 3.702, 334.24; 3. Brittany Force, 3.713, 334.48; 4. Antron Brown, 3.715, 335.40; 5. Shawn Langdon, 3.716, 331.69; 6. Tony Stewart, 3.742, 330.47; 7. Steve Torrence, 3.750, 335.07; 8. Justin Ashley, 3.752, 307.86; 9. Dan Mercier, 3.761, 329.18; 10. Ida Zetterstrom, 3.780, 328.78; 11. Josh Hart, 3.793, 315.86; 12. Scott Farley, 7.523, 76.34; 13. Clay Millican, 7.719, 84.94; 14. Rit Pustari, 9.724, 75.76. Not Qualified: 15. Mike Bucher, broke.
Funny Car — 1. Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.860, 331.69; 2. Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 3.891, 335.40; 3. Paul Lee, Dodge Charger, 3.891, 329.18; 4. Jack Beckman, Camaro, 3.908, 326.87; 5. Alexis DeJoria, Charger, 3.909, 329.58; 6. Spencer Hyde, Mustang, 3.914, 328.70; 7. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.917, 329.83; 8. J.R. Todd, Toyota GR Supra, 3.922, 329.75; 9. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.930, 327.74; 10. Chad Green, Mustang, 3.965, 316.01; 11. Blake Alexander, Charger, 3.969, 323.97; 12. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.000, 280.66; 13. Dave Richards, Mustang, 4.022, 317.49; 14. Ron Capps, GR Supra, 4.106, 268.60; 15. Buddy Hull, Charger, 8.843, 76.01. Not Qualified: 16. Phil Burkart, broke.
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LEBANON, TENNESSEE - MAY 30: Rajah Caruth, driver of the #71 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville Superspeedway on May 30, 2025 in Lebanon, Tennessee. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images).
Rajah Caruth capitalized on flawless pit services that got him the lead before he outdueled Corey Heim and Layne Riggs through a 47-lap dash to win the Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville Superspeedway on Friday, May 30.
The 22-year-old Caruth from Washington, D.C. led twice for a race-high 61 of 150 scheduled laps. He rolled off the starting grid in 10th place and raced up front from start to finish.
Despite falling short of capturing the event’s first two stage victories on the track to Riggs and Heim, respectively, Caruth’s key move to the overall race victory occurred on pit road. During the first two stage break periods, Caruth’s No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet team executed flawless pit stops that enabled the driver to exit pit road first.
With the lead in his possession at the start of the final stage period with 47 laps remaining, Caruth would use both clean air and strong defensive driving through every turn and corner to fend off both Heim and Riggs for the remainder of the event. In addition to weaving his way through lapped traffic, these factors allowed Caruth to emerge victorious for his first elusive NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory of the 2025 season
On-track qualifying was canceled due to inclement weather. The starting lineup was determined by a metric formula per the NASCAR rulebook. As a result, Corey Heim, winner of last weekend’s event at Charlotte Motor Speedway, was awarded the pole position. Joining Heim on the front row was Kaden Honeycutt. Before the event, Stewart Friesen dropped to the rear of the field due to an engine change.
When the green flag waved, Corey Heim jumped ahead of Kaden Honeycutt and the field through the frontstretch. Heim led through the first two turns. Layne Riggs, who was racing underneath Honeycutt in an early bid for the runner-up spot, got loose as both he and Honeycutt briefly went up the track amid light contact from Riggs. Despite keeping their respective trucks racing straight, both Riggs and Honeycutt would then be mixed in a bevy of battles as the field fanned out the backstretch. Amid the early jostles within the field, Heim led the first lap while Corey Day moved into second place.
During the second lap, the event’s first caution flew due to fluid reported on the track. At the time of caution, rookie Frankie Muniz took his No. 33 Buy American Veteran Ford F-150 entry to the garage due to an engine issue.
The event restarted on the 10th lap following an extensive caution period. Corey Day received a draft from teammate Rajah Caruth to challenge Heim from the outside lane through the frontstretch. Despite Day’s effort to muscle ahead, Heim gained a slight advantage from the inside lane through the first two turns, though Day fought back from the outside lane. Caruth then executed a bold three-wide move beneath both Heim and Day. This allowed the HendrickCars.com duo of Caruth and Day to overtake Heim exiting the backstretch as Day proceeded to lead the next lap.
During the following lap (Lap 12), Heim wasted no time bolting his way back to the front. He used the outside lane to overtake Day through the first two turns. With the lead back in Heim’s possession, Riggs muscled his No. 34 Love’s Ford F-150 entry into the runner-up spot. Day and Caruth dropped to third and fourth, respectively, in front of Honeycutt. As both Caruth and Day fended off Honeycutt for third and fourth on the track, Heim retained the lead by four-tenths of a second over Riggs by Lap 15.
Just past the Lap 20 mark, Riggs, who assumed the lead from Heim following a duel through the frontstretch on Lap 19, was leading by four-tenths of a second over Heim. Behind, Caruth, Day and Honeycutt followed suit in the top five ahead of Daniel Hemric, Grant Enfinger, Bayley Currey, Tyler Ankrum and Ben Rhodes while Jake Garcia, rookie Giovanni Ruggiero, William Sawalich, Matt Mills, rookie Connor Mosack, Chandler Smith, rookie Andres Perez de Lara, Tanner Gray, Matt Crafton and Luke Fenhaus trailed in the top 20, respectively.
Through the first 30 scheduled laps, Riggs extended his early advantage to more than a second over Heim while Caruth, Honeycutt and Day continued to pursue in the top five. Riggs would proceed to stabilize his advantage to nine-tenths of a second over Heim at the Lap 35 mark while Hemric, Enfinger, Currey, Ankrum and Rhodes all continued to race in the top 10, respectively.
When the first stage period concluded on Lap 45, Riggs, who spent the previous few laps encountering issues navigating through lapped traffic, among which included Kyle Busch and Matt Crafton, fended off a hard-charging Heim by two-tenths of a second to capture his third Truck stage victory of the 2025 season. Heim settled in second ahead of Caruth, Hemric and Honeycutt. Day, Ankrum, Enfinger, Currey and Rhodes were scored in the top 10, respectively.
By then, Busch, who was mired back in 25th place after he served an early pass-through penalty through pit road due to a restart violation on the 10th lap, managed to fend off Riggs to remain on the lead lap. Crafton, who was mired in 24th place, also managed to remain on the lead lap.
Under the stage break, the lead lap field led by Riggs pitted for a first round of pit service. Following the pit stops, Caruth exited pit road first ahead of Heim, Riggs (who had a slow pit service on the right-front tire area), Honeycutt and Hemric while Day, Currey, Ankrum, Ruggiero and Rhodes followed suit, respectively.
The second stage period started on Lap 53 as Caruth and Heim occupied the front row. At the start, Caruth used the inside lane to rocket ahead of Heim and the field through the first two turns and the backstretch. With the field fanning out, Honeycutt pursued Heim for the runner-up spot as Caruth led the following lap.
Then on Lap 55, the caution returned when Jack Wood, who was racing within the top-20 mark and trying to get underneath Ty Majeski, spun his No. 91 Adaptive One Calipers Chevrolet Silverado RST entry through the middle of Turns 3 and 4. While Wood avoided catastrophe as the field dodged him, Akinori Ogata spun and made rear-end contact with the outside wall. At the moment of caution, Caruth had reassumed the lead from a hard-charging Heim despite the latter’s move to lead the previous lap.
The start of the following restart on Lap 60 featured the field fanning out through the frontstretch. Heim used the outside lane and a strong push from Riggs to muscle his No. 11 Safelite Toyota Tundra TRD Pro entry ahead of Caruth through the first two turns. Heim proceeded to lead the following lap while Riggs closed in on Caruth for the runner-up spot.
Behind, Day would retain fifth place ahead of Enfinger, Currey, Ankrum, Hemric and Garcia while Honeycutt retained fourth place. Amid the battles around the field, Heim stretched his lead to nine-tenths of a second over Caruth by Lap 65.
At the halfway mark on Lap 75, Heim was leading by seven-tenths of a second over runner-up Caruth and by a second over third-place Riggs while Honeycutt and Day pursued in the top five. Behind, Enfinger, Currey, Ankrum, Hemric and Jake Garcia raced in the top 10. By then, Dawson Sutton was up in 11th place ahead of Rhodes, Ty Majeski, Stewart Friesen and Ruggiero while Perez de Lara, Kyle Busch, Mosack, Tanner Gray and William Sawalich occupied the top-20 spots ahead of Luke Fenhaus, Chandler Smith, Jack Wood, Matt Mills and Matt Crafton, respectively.
By Lap 80, Riggs, who overtook Caruth for the runner-up spot two laps earlier, trailed Heim for the lead by nearly eight-tenths of a second. Heim, however, would stretch his lead to more than a second another five laps later as Caruth, Honeycutt and Day all trailed the lead by in the top-five mark.
When the second stage period concluded on Lap 95, Heim, who extended his lead to more than two seconds, captured his ninth Truck stage victory of the 2025 season. Riggs followed suit in second ahead of Caruth, Day and Honeycutt while Enfinger, Currey, Hemric, Garcia and Ankrum were scored in the top 10, respectively,
During the stage break, the lead lap field led by Heim returned to pit road for service. Following the pit stops, Caruth exited pit road first and he was followed by Heim, Enfinger, Day, Honeycutt, Hemric and Currey. Meanwhile, Riggs, who encountered a slow pit service due to issues having his right-front tire removed for a second consecutive time, plummeted to eighth place ahead of Majeski and Ruggiero.
With 47 laps remaining, the final stage period commenced as Caruth and Heim occupied the front row. At the start, Caruth steadily jumped ahead from the inside lane before he muscled ahead of both Heim and the field that had fanned out to lead through the first two turns. Caruth would lead both Heim and Day through the backstretch as Hemric battled and overtook Enfinger for fourth place. As Riggs battled both Enfinger and Honeycutt for fifth place in his late efforts to charge back to the front, Caruth led the following lap over Heim and he would stabilize his lead to four-tenths of a second with 45 laps remaining.
Down to the final 40 laps of the event, Caruth was leading by seven-tenths of a second over Heim while third-place Hemric trailed by two seconds. With Day racing in fourth place, Riggs carved his way back up to fifth place, where he trailed the lead by three seconds, while Honeycutt, Enfinger, Currey, Majeski and Chandler Smith were in the top 10, respectively.
Ten laps later, Caruth slightly stretched his advantage to eight-tenths of a second over Heim while Riggs, who moved into third place a lap earlier, trailed the lead by more than two seconds. Meanwhile, Hemric dropped to fourth place while Day occupied fifth place. With Honeycutt, Enfinger, Currey, Majeski and Chandler Smith racing in the top 10, Caruth, who led by a second a few laps earlier, had his advantage shrink to half a second over Heim with 20 laps remaining.
With 15 laps remaining, Caruth, who was navigating his way through lapped traffic, among which included Matt Crafton, maintained the lead by seven-tenths of a second over a hard-charging Heim. Behind, Riggs continued to trail in third place by more than a second while both Hemric and Day retained fourth and fifth, respectively, on the track. Meanwhile, Caruth, who managed to navigate his way through a bevy of lapped traffic, had his lead decreased to four-tenths of a second as Heim reeled Caruth back in with 10 laps remaining.
Down to the final five laps of the event, a three-truck battle for the lead ensued as Caruth held a one-tenth-of-a-second lead over Heim. Third-place Riggs joined the battle as the latter trailed by four-tenths of a second.
Through the turns, Heim used the outside lane to try and get to Caruth’s right-rear quarter panel. But Caruth would transition to the outside lane to briefly stall Heim’s momentum. Caruth would then have enough muscle to power his No. 71 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Silverado RST entry ahead entering the straightaways. Amid Caruth’s defensive driving on Heim, this allowed Riggs to start making attempts on getting alongside Heim for the runner-up spot.
Over the final four laps, Riggs would try and use the corners to get alongside Heim in his bid for the runner-up spot. Heim, however, would have enough horsepower to fend off Riggs to maintain the spot, all while trying to pursue and reel back Caruth in for the lead. Caruth would then use the straightaways to break the draft and not allow both Heim and Riggs to gain any draft. To go along with Riggs’ repeated attempts to claim the runner-up spot over Heim, Caruth slightly stretched his advantage back up to over half a second as time was slowly running out for both Heim and Riggs.
When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Caruth remained in the lead by within half a second over both Heim and Riggs. As Caruth retained the lead through the first two turns, Heim would then start to gain a draft on the latter through the backstretch. Heim then tried to peddle his truck as hard as he could to get to Caruth’s rear bumper, but he was not within reach as Caruth managed to cycle back to the frontstretch and claim the checkered flag to win by half a second.
With the victory, Caruth, who entered Nashville situated in 13th place in the driver’s standings with two top-five results through 11 events, notched his second career win in the Craftsman Truck Series division and his first since he won his first series’ event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March 2024. Caruth, who became the fifth series’ regular to be guaranteed a 2025 Truck Series Playoff berth by winning, also achieved his first victory with his new veteran crew chief Kevin “Bono” Manion. The victory was also the fourth of the year for Spire Motorsports and the sixth of the 2025 campaign for the Chevrolet nameplate.
“I didn’t expect that at all,” Caruth, who credited his pit crew for the victory, said on the frontstretch on FS1. “[Heim and Riggs] were breathing down my neck the whole run. My pit crew won that race. [They] Got us off pit road twice. Thanks to them. We’ve been off this year, but good to get it done tonight. I’m out of breath, but that was a lot of fun.
He continued, “I just asked myself, ‘How bad you wanted it?’ I don’t know. I just tried my best. We had clean air and their stuff was better, but I just did my best. That was it.”
Corey Heim, who led 58 laps compared to Caruth’s high of 61, settled in second place for his fifth top-two result of the year while Layne Riggs, who led 30 laps and had to rally from two slow pit services, ended up in third place for his fifth top-five result of the year. Despite falling short of winning, both Heim and Riggs were left satisfied with their runs and praised Caruth’s defensive driving for the victory.
“[Caruth] did an awesome job managing from the lead,” Heim said. “I was really free behind him and he made pretty much the right choice every time as far as where I was gonna go. It’s nice racing against people that aren’t going to wreck you racing for the lead, so that was cool and big congrats to him. I would have loved to get my first [Gibson] guitar, but [there’s] always next time.”
“That was unfortunate,” Riggs said. “[My pit crew] just couldn’t get the [right-front] tire back on. We lost spots in the first stop and I got’em back mostly. I just feel like I gave [the race] away on pit road tonight, but overall, the truck has no damage on it. Good racing with [Caruth and Heim] there at the end. We had a good time. I’m leaving here with a smile. Good points day for everybody.”
Daniel Hemric came home in fourth place while Corey Day achieved his first top-five result in the series in fifth place. Kaden Honeycutt, Chandler Smith, Ty Majeski, Bayley Currey and Grant Enfinger completed the top 10 in the final running order.
There were seven lead changes for four different leaders. The race featured four cautions for 27 laps. In addition, 23 of 32 starters finished on the lead lap.
Following the 12th event of the 2025 Craftsman Truck Series season, Corey Heim leads the regular-season standings by 122 points over Daniel Hemric, 125 over Chandler Smith and 160 over both Tyler Ankrum and Grant Enfinger.
Results:
1. Rajah Caruth, 61 laps led 2. Corey Heim, 58 laps led, Stage 2 winner 3. Layne Riggs, 30 laps led, Stage 1 winner 4. Daniel Hemric 5. Corey Day, one lap led 6. Kaden Honeycutt 7. Chandler Smith 8. Ty Majeski 9. Bayley Currey 10. Grant Enfinger 11. Dawson Sutton 12. Jake Garcia 13. Giovanni Ruggiero 14. Ben Rhodes 15. Kyle Busch 16. Tanner Gray 17. Tyler Ankrum 18. Luke Fenhaus 19. Andres Perez de Lara 20. Jack Wood 21. Stewart Friesen 22. Matt Mills 23. Connor Mosack 24. William Sawalich, one lap down 25. Matt Crafton, one lap down 26. Spencer Boyd, two laps down 27. Clayton Green, two laps down 28. Nathan Byrd, three laps down 29. Tyler Tomassi, three laps down 30. Toni Breidinger, six laps down 31. Akinori Ogata, six laps down 32. Frankie Muniz – OUT, Engine
Next on the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule is the series’ return to Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan, for the DQS Solutions & Staffing 200. The event is scheduled to occur next Saturday, June 7, and air at noon ET on FOX.
CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES CHEVROLET DETROIT GRAND PRIX STREETS OF DETROIT DETROIT, MICHIGAN TEAM CHEVY FRIDAY PRACTICE
MAY 30, 2025
Chevrolet-powered drivers Scott McLaughlin in the No. 3 TireRack.com Team Penske Chevrolet, Will Power in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, Josef Newgarden in the No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet and Christian Lundgaard in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet held spots in the top five of Friday’s first practice on the tight 1.645-mile, 10-turn, downtown Detroit street circuit, in the shadow of General Motors global headquarters.
David Malukas, in No. 4 Clarience Technologies Chevrolet (A.J. Foyt Racing), was the quickest driver in the full field session, where the drivers utilized the harder Firestone primary tires (Blacks) with a lap at 62.819 seconds, with McLaughlin and Newgarden were also in the top four.
To decrease traffic during the driver’s runs on the softer Firestone alternate tires (Greens), the field was split into two and given 12 minutes to complete a quick lap. Power, Newgarden and Lundgaard were the fastest in the first portion, while the second portion saw McLaughlin and Pato O’Ward in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet second and third quickest.
Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear Friday Practice Results:
Tune-In Alert
Saturday
NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #2 – 9am (ET)/8am (CT)/7am (MT)/6am (PT) – FS1/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying – noon (ET)/11am (CT)/10am (MT)/9am (PT) – FS1/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218
Sunday
NTT INDYCAR SERIES Warm Up – 9:30am (ET)/8:30am (CT)/7:30am (MT)/6:30am (PT) – FS1/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix (85 laps) – 12:30pm (ET)/11:30am (CT)/10:30am (MT)/9:30am (PT) – FOX/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING (QUOTES):
A.J. FOYT RACING
David Malukas, No. 4 Clarience Technologies Chevrolet:
“It seems that the momentum from the five hundred and indy, the whole month of may, i think we did a good job building the chemistry with the team, and it seems like we’re carrying that momentum here in detroit. We had a good session, obviously, very tough to get track time and try to put it all together. but overall, i thought we were fast. Kind of hard to tell roughly where we’re at, since I think a lot of guys are struggling to get laps in but that’s just the characteristic of Detroit, so very happy to start off this weekend and we’ll carry it into tomorrow.”
“Okay. Honestly, nice to be back in Detroit, you know, we were just very locked down with the Chevy. Other than that, I’m pretty happy with a bunch of other changes we made, I think we know what the big thing is coming into free practice two tomorrow. Should be fun.”
ARROW MCLAREN
Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:
“Back in bumpy Detroit, and we need to make the car a little bit better in the window for Qualifying. We’ll see what we can make better overnight.”
Nolan Siegel, No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:
“Practice 1 was a bit hectic. We’re back in the swing of things on the street course. I don’t think our pace is bad. I didn’t really do a lap on the Firestone Alternates, at least not a lap that I was happy with. No concerns for the rest of the weekend. I think we’ll figure it out. There is pace in the car. I just need to put it altogether. It’s my first time in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES here, so I’ll give myself a learning session, and we’ll be back at it tomorrow.”
Christian Lundgaard, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:
“At the end of the day, we have a really good package. We’ve had a good package all year. We’ve scored very good points. We’re third in the championship, coming off a career best Indy (500). We’re here to be competitive once again and that’s our main goal. I think my Chevy feels great. We had a good morning session here. I think that’s the first time this year we’ve rolled off relatively competitive, so I think there is a lot of positives to come for the rest of the weekend.”
PREMA
Robert Shwartzman, No. 83 PREMA Racing Chevrolet:
“I have completed the first free practice here in Detroit. The first free practice for me at this track. I had quite a bit of fun. I finally managed to do a full practice session, which was the first achievement. Later on, we tried a few things. Getting used to the bumps, the turns. Overall, we’re not as bad as I would expect. I think we can have some good potential. Obviously, not with the top, top guys, but to battle in the mid (pack), we can have a chance. Overall, it went pretty decent. We need to have a look at the data. Overall the car and engine felt really good. Thanks Chevy for that. The car overall feels quite good, we just need to find the way to tune it a bit better for the bumps. Hopefully, the car will be a bit faster tomorrow.”
Callum Ilott, No, 90 PREMA Racing Chevrolet:
“Overall, a good start to the weekend. The car felt good straightaway and we were able to make quick improvements with the car on the damper side and some other little things. Over the bumps, that is the main thing to get right. I think the team has done a good job and the Chevy engine pulls quite well down the straight. Let’s see what we can do tomorrow.”
TEAM PENSKE
Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 TireRack.com Team Penske Chevrolet:
“Pretty solid day for us in the TireRack.com Chevy. We went through our paces and went through our laps and we’ve got a pretty good car. I really want to do this for Chevy on their home ground.”
Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet:
“The Verizon Chevy was very good on the softer tire. Struggled a bit on blacks to get it exactly right. Yeah. Big, big difference. The soft tires are not bad. They lasted three, four laps, like, pushing really hard. So maybe that bodes well for the race. You can actually use them. The first two street courses we’ve done, they’ve degraded a lot, but that didn’t feel terrible. That may be okay. But my car is certainly better on reds. We just have to work out what to do for blacks. There’s always a lot of traffic here, a lot of chaos.”
David Malukas Press Conference
THE MODERATOR: David Malukas, driver of the No. 4 Clarience Technologies Chevrolet for AJ Foyt Enterprises. Sunday will mark his third Detroit GP, P1 in that alt car session to lead things off here this weekend. Car acting well, are you happy so far?
DAVID MALUKAS: Yeah, I’m really happy. We managed to get some laps in the beginning. It’s a bit tough to kind of judge where we are compared to everybody else because I think everybody is struggling to get laps. But we got a good lap in, and the lap time was there at the start.
Second time around, we were struggling, but I also kind of flew off the track a couple times and didn’t myself.
But I think we’re in a happy spot and very comfortable with the car.
Q. Can you elaborate on that a little bit more? Seemed like Turn 1 got you twice.
DAVID MALUKAS: Yeah, so actually it was kind of just driver error. I started losing the rears on the primaries, so ended up having a moment initially there, so I moved the bias more to the rear because I locked the fronts on the primaries, but then we put the alternates on and then i locked the rears because I never put it back.
Yeah, learned my lesson. I think I’ve done that too many times now, so that was kind of the issue we won.
Overall, yeah, we’re kind of trying to judge the movement going from primaries to alternates. Didn’t really get that right. We were looking at that first group, seemed like people were taking a little bit of time to get it up to temp and get that peak tire, but for us it kind of came in immediately and we weren’t really expecting that, so caught us off guard.
Q. Is it frustrating when you can only get one lap in during that session? Maybe it’s your fault, maybe it’s other people’s fault, but is it frustrating to only have that one lap on those tires?
DAVID MALUKAS: Yeah, but it’s kind of just how it’s going to be for qualifying and how it’s kind of been for the street courses.
Yeah, it’s frustrating, but it’s kind of been like that so far this season, so…
Q. They went back to the original tire rules. There was that change for Indy Grand Prix. Does it matter to you?
DAVID MALUKAS: I think it’s just I prefer the way it is now because I feel like in Indy GP they were kind of cutting us a little bit from options when it comes to race strategy, forcing those rules.
But I think here having the option to choose what we want for the race is preferable.
Q. In recent years, this track has been known to create some mayhem. Do you see more or less happening this Sunday?
DAVID MALUKAS: Well, with this season, it seems like everything has been a lot less when it comes to yellows. But I’ll be surprised if there’s not going to be a yellow for this race. It’s very — with the way it’s set up, Turn 1, it’s very wide on entry and it looks inviting and then all of a sudden it gets very, very tight on the exit, and it happens a lot around this track.
It’s going to be — we’ll see. I’m not going to say anything because I’ve been saying and looking at data and the data says 100 percent chance that it’s not going to be a yellow, and we do setups for it and then there isn’t a yellow and then there is a yellow, and then the data has been incorrect with how it’s been this year. So I don’t know what to say.
Q. Also they’ve changed the start zone. What do you think of that?
DAVID MALUKAS: Yeah, I think it’s better. Kyle reached out to me, and I think all the drivers have got to give some feedback beforehand. I think it’s a good change, and obviously we’ll see how it goes when we get on track.
Q. Can you just kind of elaborate on that and describe the challenge of this track, how you manage the bumps, obviously the narrowness of it? How hard is this place to drive around, especially coming from Indy to here and the reset that you’ve got to make?
DAVID MALUKAS: Yeah, it’s very difficult. Thankfully I went on the simulator before coming here and did over 100 laps to kind of prepare for it just because I know that transition is very tough from previous years, going for a whole month on an oval and now coming to I think one of the most technical courses for us.
I had a little bit of preparation beforehand but it’s just so tough because the way this track is, all the bumps tend to be mid to out when you’re trying to accelerate, and those bumps throw you what is a wall.
It gets very tough, especially entering 8 where the alt start line is. That bump is a big one and it’s very aggressive, so I think it’s catching a lot of people off guard. That’s kind of the one that we’re heavily focused on, but that’s just the general layout of this entire track is all the exits are a little bit more those bumps.
But yeah, I enjoy it. The margin for error is very small.
Q. Obviously a really strong 500, but the season before that maybe hadn’t been where we’d seen the team last year on the Santino side. What are the improvements that maybe had to be made from those first five rounds of the season, and are you confident now, especially with the momentum coming from the 500 that a bit of an upswing can be seen?
DAVID MALUKAS: I’ve kind of said throughout the start of the entire season that we really are looking forward to the month of May because we’re with the team for the entire month. We can really build on the car and work on the chemistry of each other and really understand what we want and start building some momentum for the second half of the season.
I feel like that’s kind of what’s happened, and it’s something that I’ve experienced on my first year in INDYCAR where really things didn’t turn around for me until the month of May. That’s just kind of being with a new team, how it is. We’ve made really good improvements with the setup and different things that we wanted throughout the month of May, and I think it’s going to be shown for us this week.
Q. I’m pretty sure you were the car that Power and Kirkwood went past during their little incident?
DAVID MALUKAS: Yeah, that was really cool.
Q. What was your view of that?
DAVID MALUKAS: I mean, for a second, getting back in the car, for me it just felt like I was back playing iRacing or rFactor. I was like, yeah, I’d totally do that in a video game. It was pretty cool to see him just push Ericsson, and actually in my peripheral vision, because Ericsson went off and Power just blasted through, and I just drove by and I just see Ericsson’s hand like going in the air, like, what the hell is going on.
But it was interesting to see. I couldn’t believe it. I was very confused at the start. I thought something was wrong with Ericsson and Power was towing him across like the “Cars” movie. It was interesting at first but then I realized it was not that, so…
Q. Can you elaborate maybe on the dust issue? Is that kind of the nature of street circuits, or is it maybe the time of day —
DAVID MALUKAS: Yeah, I keep coughing right now because there’s a bunch of dust inside of me. Yeah, it’s always the first session just with the air tube coming in. There’s just a lot of dust and cleaning that we have to do. Unfortunately that dust comes off of that car and goes straight into that tube and straight into my face. That’s the one downside to having the Darth Vader mask, but I only have that issue for the first practice session, and then the rest I just look really cool.
Q. David, at St. Pete the tires for the alternates were the ones that the drivers said were one-lap wonders, and in terms of getting up to speed and then the speed falling off after one lap in qualifying, what do you think they’re going to be like here? Is it a similar situation?
DAVID MALUKAS: I think so. We were thinking it was maybe going to take a little bit longer, but it seemed for us it was coming in pretty fast, so I think it’s going to be something very similar.
Q. David, to go back to the whole dust thing, is it exacerbated here because you have IMSA and INDY NXT? At St. Pete you have all different Road to Indy series, MX-5 Cup, limited running here from everybody else to help clean up the track beforehand, quote-unquote?
DAVID MALUKAS: Yeah, I mean, that could probably be it, yeah. But I don’t really know. All I know is there’s a lot of dust going in my face, so…
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DETROIT (Friday, May 30, 2025) – In an interesting twist to the racing euphemism “bump and run,” Kyle Kirkwood got the bump and then made a superb run to lead practice Friday for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear.
Kirkwood topped the 80-minute session, separated into groups, with a lap of 1 minute, 1.7509 seconds in the No. 27 Siemens AWS Honda of Andretti Global. That quick trip around the nine-turn, 1.645-mile street circuit in downtown Detroit came after Kirkwood spent considerable time in the pits for repairs to the rear of his car after being nudged from behind through a short section of the circuit amid slower traffic by the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet of two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Will Power.
“I don’t know,” Kirkwood said. “Everyone goes slow around here. The track’s not big enough to fit all the cars, and he got frustrated. Whatever, I guess. I’m not upset. I don’t care. We’re P1.”
Said Power: “I came around, and he slowed up in the middle and made contact. So, I thought, ‘Well, I may as well get a gap now,’ so I just pushed him past the car in front, just moved him out of the way and got a really nice gap.”
Scott McLaughlin began his recovery from crashing out of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on the pace lap last Sunday by ending up second today at 1:02.0301 in the No. 3 TireRack.com Team Penske Chevrolet. Power was third at 1:02.3862.
Two-time series champion Josef Newgarden was the third Team Penske driver in the top four with his best lap of 1:02.4819 in the No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet. Christian Lundgaard rounded out the top five at 1:02.6047 in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet.
Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Alex Palou, the runaway series points leader with five wins in the first six races this season, looked mortal in this session. Three-time series champion Palou ended up 15th out of 27 cars at 1:03.0381 in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Palou locked up his front Firestone Firehawk tires entering a braking zone during the session and rolled past the corner but made no contact in the run-off area.
Defending Detroit winner and six-time series champion Scott Dixon was 18th at 1:03.0985 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
Up next is practice at 9 a.m. ET Saturday, followed by NTT P1 Award qualifying at noon (both sessions FS1, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network). The 100-lap race starts at 12:30 p.m. ET Sunday (FOX, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network).
