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Christopher Bell Rolling Into Bellwether Track

By
Official Release
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With Three Straight Wins in Season’s First Four Races, the Interstate Batteries Driver Has the Hot Hand To Score a Long-Sought Victory at Las Vegas and Bolster his Title Run

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (March 10, 2025) – We’re just four races into the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season and Christopher Bell has already proven to be outrageously dependable.

The driver of the No. 20 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry XSE for Joe Gibbs Racing has won the last three Cup Series races, becoming the first driver to three-peat since Kyle Larson pulled the hat trick in 2021. More importantly, it’s put Bell in the enviable position of locking up his spot in the 16-driver playoff field five months and 22 races before NASCAR’s version of the post-season starts Aug. 31 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

Logging wins so early in the year allows Bell and his Interstate Batteries team to use the regular season to their benefit. With a playoff berth firmly in their pocket, Bell and crew chief Adam Stevens can be as aggressive as they want to chase even more wins and bolster their playoff points standing.

“With us having multiple wins and knowing that we’re in the playoffs, if there’s a little bit more risky of a move, yeah, it certainly opens up the strategy book,” said Bell, whose three wins this year ties his career-high victory tallies in 2022 and 2024. “You don’t really know how it’s going to play out until you get into the race, but certainly the positions where it’s a little bit more high-risk where you normally wouldn’t take that risk if you’re focused on the regular-season points, well, now we can.”

After getting collected in a multicar crash five laps short of the finish in the season-opening Daytona 500, Bell has been on a tear, scoring back-to-back-to-back wins Feb. 23 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, March 2 at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, and last Sunday at Phoenix Raceway.

No driver has a better average finish this season than Bell. His average of 8.5 is a half a position better than Daytona 500 winner William Byron (9.0), and two-and-a-half positions better than third-best Tyler Reddick (11.0). It’s an impressive stat in and of itself, but even more so when you consider Bell’s 31st-place result in the Daytona 500.

“As I’ve gotten more established in the series and as our team has gotten better and better, we expect to be in the playoffs and we expect to win, and now we’re expecting to win multiple races,” said Bell, now in his sixth Cup season with 12 career victories. “So at Vegas, we’re expecting to compete for the win and, hopefully, we can continue to rack ’em up.”

The 30-year-old racer from Norman, Oklahoma, is more than meeting expectations. After competing at two superspeedways in Daytona and Atlanta, a road course at COTA, and a flat, mile-long oval in Phoenix, Bell is ready for the series’ bellwether track – Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“Right now, we’ve got everything we need to contend for a championship and win a lot of races,” Bell said. “We’ve got a great crew chief, great mechanics, great engineers, great pit crew and, hopefully, a great driver. We need to make the most of it.”

The 1.5-mile Las Vegas oval is the first of seven intermediate-style tracks on the Cup Series schedule. Intermediates serve as the bread-and-butter of the calendar, where ovals from 1.3 miles to 2 miles comprise 25 percent of the races. Las Vegas and Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, a sister 1.5-mile oval, host two races apiece, with each of their second races coming in the 10-race playoffs.

“Vegas is a true barometer of the intermediates,” Bell said. “It’s kind of like the last style of track that we haven’t been to yet this season. It’s an important race because you have a lot of points to be gained or lost on the intermediate-style tracks. But what makes Vegas even more important is that it’s in the Round of 8 (of the playoffs). That race, when you come back in the fall, is super important to have a really solid points day and contend for a win. That fall Vegas race is everything, and there’s no better tune up for it than the spring Vegas race.”

Las Vegas has been a strong track for Bell. In 10 career Cup Series starts there, he has earned five top-10 finishes, and in two of his last three Vegas starts, Bell has finished second. In fact, in his most recent race at Las Vegas last October, Bell scored the pole, led four times for a race-high 155 laps, and then finished runner-up to eventual series champion Joey Logano.

“Vegas is probably my best track on the schedule that I haven’t won at,” Bell said. “Between the Truck Series and the Xfinity Series, I’ve led a ton of laps there. Even in the Cup Series I’ve led a lot of laps there, yet still haven’t won. So we’re looking for that first Vegas win, and my first with Interstate Batteries as my primary partner. They’ve been with Joe Gibbs Racing since the beginning, and there’s a lot of pride that comes with carrying their colors. Some great names have won in Interstate Batteries green, and I’d like to add my name to the list. Vegas is a really good racetrack for me, and I know it could come at any time.”

That time is seemingly now. Outrageously dependable, like his primary sponsor, Interstate Batteries, Bell is an excellent bet at Las Vegas. The 267-lap race goes green this Sunday at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage on FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Phoenix

By
Jeffrey Boswell
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Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Christopher Bell: Bell snapped his third consecutive win, edging Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin at the line to win the Shriners Children’s 500.

“I was attempting to win my third consecutive race,” Bell said. “And I succeeded, so the ‘try-fecta’ became the ‘trifecta.'”

2. William Byron: Byron started on the pole at Phoenix, captured the Stage 1 win, and finished sixth at Phoenix.

“I was in the pits when a caution came out on lap 266,” Byron said. “Some would say that’s the first bit of bad luck I’ve had in my Cup career. Thus, my chances to win the race went out the window, much like the horseshoe went out my behind.”

3. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin battled to the end with Christopher Bell, but came out on the short end as his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate edged him for the win.

“It’s amazing what Christopher Bell has done so far this season,” Hamlin said. “It seems he’s well on his way to winning the Cup championship, or possibly well on his way to being the greatest NASCAR driver never to have won a championship.”

4. Kyle Busch: Busch finished eighth in the Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix.

“I’m determined to end this winless streak of mine,” Busch said. “No one’s ever questioned my determination or desire, although law enforcement, on occasion, has questioned my desire to get from Point A to Point B at such a high rate of speed.”

5. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished 10th at Phoenix.

“I didn’t get a chance for payback on Ross Chastain for wrecking me at COTA,” Elliott said. “Here’s the funny part: I owe Ross, but he’s the one that’s going to pay.”

6. Alex Bowman: Bowman finished seventh at Phoenix.

“NASCAR really came down hard on Joey Logano early in the race,” Bowman said. “Logano was penalized for crossing the yellow line before the start/finish line on an early restart. NASCAR likes throwing the book at drivers and teams; the size and thickness of that book varies greatly from week to week.”

7. Tyler Reddick: Reddick finished 20th at Phoenix.

“It’s cool that in addition to the Air Jordan logo on my car,” Reddick said, “I also have a flying horse representing Mobil 1. With a 20th-place finish, ironically, my No. 45 Toyota was anything but ‘flying.'”

8. Ryan Blaney: Blaney suffered a blown engine on lap 244 and finished 28th in the Shriners Children’s 500.

“I can’t fault the effort of this No. 12 team,” Blaney said. “They, much like the car, left it all on the track.”

9. Kyle Larson: Larson finished third at Phoenix, posting his best result of the season.

“My Hendrick Chevy was really strong today,” Larson said. “It was running on all cylinders, and more importantly, all wheels.”

10. Bubba Wallace: Wallace blew a tire on lap 266 and slammed the wall, ending his day at Phoenix. He finished 29th, 47 laps down.

“NASCAR has countersued 23XI Racing after 23XI sued them earlier,” Wallace said. “I believe NASCAR is playing with fire and I like our chances. If you’re going to challenge Michael Jordan at a place called ‘court,’ I’ll take MJ every time.”

The White Zone: Run option tires everywhere

By
Tucker White
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AVONDALE, Ariz. - MARCH 8: : A detail view of Goodyear Eagle option tire during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Shriners Children's 500 at Phoenix Raceway on March 8, 2025, in Avondale, Arizona. Photo: Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

Ryan Preece ducked onto pit road, Sunday, during the second caution of the NASCAR Cup Series Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix Raceway for option tires. In just 11 laps after the Lap 15 restart, he drove his way from 33rd to 10th and finished the first stage in third.

I saw enough, NASCAR. Run option tires everywhere!

The option tires added a much needed layer of strategy to a track that, for the last few years, produced some of the dullest, most unwatchable racing this side of Texas Motor Speedway. It allowed cars to cut their way through the field like a knife through butter and forced drivers to let off the gas to preserve the good in their tires at the end of a run.

Case in point: Joey Logano.

On Lap 130, Logano, on option tires, took the lead. He let off the gas to save the good in his tires. Towards the end of the second stage, Christopher Bell, on prime tires, ate into his lead, lost some time dealing with lap traffic and reeled in Logano again. Eventually, Logano lost the lead to Bell, he finished the second stage runner-up.

This added layer of strategy exists in the NTT IndyCar Series and Formula 1. Sure, it doesn’t always amount to much, but as we saw in St. Petersburg, when you used Firestone Reds made the difference between advancing or not in qualifying.

The big whigs in the big Daytona office should look at what the option tires produced and decide this is what every NASCAR race should have (maybe minus the restrictor plate races). Furthermore, with how dull the racing normally is at Phoenix, running option tires during the championship race could sway the fanbase towards wanting the championship race to remain at Phoenix.

If not again, this season, then NASCAR should announce that every race in 2026 will use option tires.

That’s my view, for what it’s worth.

Cadillac at Sebring: Taylor, Deletraz preview

By
Official Release
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Cadillac at Sebring: What they’re saying
Taylor, Deletraz seek to repeat victory — this time in the Cadillac V-Series.R

Jordan Taylor and Louis Deletraz, co-drivers with Brendon Hartley of the No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R, met with members of the media today to preview the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Cadillac. Taylor and Deletraz co-drove to victory in 2024 with another manufacturer.

How big was it for you to do the Ultraman Florida and why on God’s green earth would anybody do that to themselves?

Jordan Taylor: “It was definitely a weird thing to do. During the whole COVID time, I got into triathlons with Ricky (Taylor) and some friends and this Ultraman race was always in our hometown area where we train, so we kind of always saw it happening and always wondered what it would be like and how insane it would be to actually be able to complete one. When Ricky did his Ironman last year, I just felt I wanted to do something crazy again and signed up for it kind of on the spot. I didn’t really think too much of it. I just thought this would be a cool challenge to do and kind of through all the training it was a fun process to kind of understand the challenge of it and see what it takes to complete one. It went super well, had a great experience, a really cool community of people that kind of lives that life, while we live a life in motorsports. It was nice to kind of get it done timing-wise after Daytona and kind of switch gears and start focusing on Sebring where we were able to do a little two-day test there a couple weeks ago and really kind of get a head start on the week ahead.”

What do you think about when you look back on those closing minutes last year at Sebring and how do you apply that as you head into this year’s race?

Louis Deletraz: “Last year’s Sebring was fantastic. With the victory, I have very good memories from it. It was one of the best victories in my career and it’s always nice to see the images again, so coming in this year we had two test days, we prepared well with the Cadillac and I think we should be in a strong position again to fight for it and hopefully we can repeat it. It’s just such an amazing race and special track. So, I’m very excited to be back and with good memories. We had a rough Daytona and want to bounce back there.”

How has the transition gone from Acura to Cadillac?

Jordan Taylor: “It’s been a good transition. I’ve spent my entire career in GM vehicles, so kind of as soon as I jumped back into the Cadillac, you kind of feel that just natural feel of a GM car. I don’t know how to explain it, but you kind of know you’re in either a Corvette or a Cadillac. And for me, it felt more like home. Obviously, all these cars are built to a homologation, so they should feel relatively similar from a weight and power point of view. Obviously, ours is naturally aspirated, so the way the power delivers is a bit different. The way the traction control comes in is different because of that. And then the way you use all the systems. Every manufacturer has the same capabilities of what they can do with the systems. It’s just up to them to kind of strategize it and implement it as best as possible. So, for us coming in, the steering wheel layout was the exact same, but every button was labeled differently and had a different job. So, it’s been an adjustment kind of understanding that and how we want to use those tools to be a strength for us. But I think we’ve gotten a good handle it on it.

“Daytona was hectic being the first race for us, but testing at Sebring for two days was super beneficial. I think we were able to finally get to stuff that as a team wanted to get through on a setup point of view. Obviously, we have Dallara, where they worked with Ganassi and Whelen the past couple of years developing setups and we come in kind of with a different perspective. So, we’ve got stuff that we want to try. We can always lean on them for some help, but I think we’re looking forward to Sebring where the cars ran very well last year. Obviously, Louis was battling with Bourdais and a Cadillac at the end of the race. And we’re counting on Louis being the difference-maker and hopefully the Cadillac being a stronger car.”

How excited are you being part of the Le Mans’s entry in June?

Jordan Taylor: “It’s obviously super exciting for the team. Ever since my dad started a racing program back in, I think 2005 or 2006, the goal was always to go to Le Mans. Always being a team that was in Grand-Am back in the day and then on the IMSA side, it’s difficult to get entries, especially when the class structure didn’t really accept cars from the prototype class back in the day. So, once the GTP era started and Hypercars, that goal was a little bit more realistic. The first couple of years, it wasn’t an option. So being back with Cadillac and GM was a was a big part of that getting into Le Mans. I still feel a lifelong goal for my dad and his team and everyone’s super excited and super motivated. It’s going to be a lot of work. Every team that’s been that’s going there this year has experience and Wayne Taylor Racing is probably the freshest of anyone. But we’ve got a lot of smart people on our team and a lot of motivation.”

Are you able to expand on differences between Cadillac and Acura?

Louis Deletraz: “It’s definitely interesting to have been in both cars because you can see where both have strong parts. I would say it’s not that different, but definitely the way the Cadillac rides over bumps is slightly different. I would say the Cadillac is very good on bumps, especially the exit Turn 1 or in Turn 17 it gives you confidence, allows you to brake late and just rides better. But we did not really drive by night in the test. I think we learned a lot about the car, had made a good race setup, so I’m quite excited to see how we get along there. But until the night comes, actually bring at the end of the race, I think that’s when we’ll have real answers and hopefully we’re in a similar position to last year to win it.”

Jordan Taylor: “The last couple of years were obviously against the Cadillac and you kind of come up with these ideas of strengths and weaknesses, and I think when you race around each other you kind of get an idea of it and we always knew the Cadillac was a little bit stronger on tire deg and just naturally the way probably the geometry of the car is, the way it works, the tire is a little bit different. That kind of felt a little bit realistic at Daytona. I think Sebring will be a whole different animal now. It looks very hot on the weekend, so that’s going to be interesting. I’ve been kind of re-watching last year’s race to kind of get an idea. And it seemed like tire deg was a big part of it and the Cadillacs did seem strong last year over the long runs. So, I think it’s interesting. Obviously, we’re still learning. I think the setups that the teams decide on have a huge influence on so many factors. We did a lot of kind of big swings at our Sebring test to kind of get an idea of what works in the day versus night and long run versus short runs. So, hopefully we can make the right decisions this week that will benefit us.”

Sebring is a different animal than Daytona, so how does the conditioning go for a track that’s a little bit rougher and more physical than Daytona?

Louis Deletraz: ”We try to be in shape the whole year. There is not just one specific race which you try to be better at. We also have more cooling in the cockpit — helmet cooling, including probably cool suits. Sebring is always hard, especially the double stints at the beginning in the heat. But it’s not unusual, especially in IMSA when you often have a hot and humid track. So just be ready.”

Did you relate the Ironman to a sprint versus the Ultraman to an endurance race?

Jordan Taylor: “I’d say an Ironman does feel more like a sprint race relatively. I think the Ultraman you have your eight-hour day of working out and then you’ve got to rest and recover. It felt like a Rolex 24 where you get out of the car, sort of recover as fast as possible, start eating and trying to sleep. And then you’re up a couple hours later to start the next day. So, it did feel like a 24-hour event, like Daytona, just over a whole weekend. It kind of reaffirmed a lot of stuff that we know in motorsports with recovery and nutrition and hydration. Those things were all so crucial and things that I can take into my racing career now where I could feel mental fatigue and physical fatigue and how to counter that with either hydration and salt or carbs and that type of nutrition. So goes hand in hand with everyday life. It was a cool experience, and I think the coolest part was bringing the racing community to them and kind of opening their eyes to what sports car racing is and now bringing that Ultraman world to the world of motorsports.”

Your win at Sebring last year you got past Felipe Nasr and then Sebastien Bourdais. You just had to send it. Can you recount that for us?

Louis Deletraz: “I remember very well having to pass Nasr who was slower I think he didn’t have tires and going around the outside of Turn 7. I went there, I wasn’t really sure if I was going to make it out, but it was only 20 minutes to go so it was our only chance to try and win. And same thing on for the victory. It’s a lot going on with traffic, quite crazy and you’re not comfortable. But I felt like sometimes you’re in the car it’s that moment, you’re in the zone and it’s maybe your day. So, you have to take the opportunity. I’m really excited that we will get that opportunity again (this) week because I think we had three days in the simulator to prepare as much as possible. It’s an important event. And I’m pretty sure it’ll be competitive again. So that’s what is beautiful about IMSA. You always get a chance in the last hour and it was a great moment.”

You banged fenders with Bourdais and I’m sure you saw it afterward he wasn’t too happy. Did you guys ever have a chance to hash things out?

Louis Deletraz: “We’re quite good friends. think in the heat of the moment without seeing TV it’s always different and I’m sure he was frustrated because we both wanted to win. But we were both very respectful to each other. Hard, but respectful. It’s so easy to push each other out, not give each other room. and cause the yellow. I think we’re fine. He was not personally angry at me. It was more just, I think, frustration.”

What are your thoughts about the Aston Martin’s debut in GTP at Sebring?

Jordan Taylor: “I think it’ll be great. It’s going to bring a lot of different eyes, especially with the sound of that car. I think it’s going to be a fan favorite just from the sound of it. It’s going to be interesting to see how it fits in. It’s a much different build of a car, so BOP-wise, it’s probably more difficult to balance. But, hopefully, on the IMSA side we can kind of learn from what the WEC does on the BOP to kind of get an understanding of how they get cars close and we could learn from that to balance these two different kind types of car. I haven’t raced in WEC around Hypercar, so that’ll be a little bit interesting to see strength and weaknesses, obviously under braking. I think it’s a tough one for them to debut at one of the toughest tracks. I think one of their cars had a pretty good Qatar reliability- wise, but I think Sebring is going to be a whole other animal. I think from the IMSA side we’re excited to have them and looking forward to more manufacturers joining as well.”

Any other thoughts on having a naturally aspirated engine competing against all these hybrids? Any advantage or disadvantage either way?

Jordan Taylor: “With the way motorsports is today, the advantage you have will be BOP and any disadvantage you have will be BOP to kind of make it as even as possible. So, there’s advantages you can have with fuel efficiency or temperatures with the way the brake systems work, the way traction controls intervening with different types of engines. I think with the way our sport is now is if you’re half a second off the pace, you’re going to get some more power or less weight and vice versus.”

What’s the most rigorous activity: Ultraman, the Twelve Hours of Sebring and hot temperatures or a chicken wing eating contest the day before the Twelve Hours of Sebring?

Jordan Taylor: “The chicken wing contest is a big one. We’ve had a few guys throw up after that over the years, especially with it being 80 degrees I wouldn’t advise it to any of the drivers to go compete. It’s all relative. An Ultraman, you pace it at a very easy level to get through and an Ironman you can race a little bit harder. When you come to a race like an Ironman or an Ultraman, I’m not trying to win it, so you’re not going to put everything on the line. But race day at Sebring my heartrate will be higher than any triathlon I do just because the level of intensity and the passion to win is higher. I’d say Sebring is up there. It’s on every driver’s list to win. So that’s where the intensity comes from. And the physical side is obviously always there with the bumps, the traffic, the nighttime with the lights makes it extremely stressful. It just has all the elements to make for a great sports car race.”

Though it’s half the distance of Daytona, it’s arguably tougher.

Jordan Taylor: “Daytona, you can do a three-hour stint in the night and get out and feel like you didn’t really do much. And Sebring, when we talk about stint lengths and you got to do a double, all the drivers are a little bit stressed of how that’s going to feel, especially in the heat of the day. Because you’re not just fighting the elements, you’re fighting the car the whole time, you’re saving tires, saving fuel, the tire degs are massive, so you’re just on edge the whole time. So, the physical side added in with the mental side is extremely exhausting. When you’ve cycled through the car two or three times, that adds up to when it comes to the end of the race. So, you definitely need to be on your game once the sunset comes.”

How has the change in manufacturer affected Wayne Taylor Racing’s chances to win?

Jordan Taylor: “I don’t think it changes much. We’ve had a long history at this race. I think our first 12 hour was 2014 as a team. So a lot of history at the track in the event that we can rely on changing manufacturer. A lot to learn, but I think with this class being around for three years now, the Cadillac group can kind of bring us up to speed extremely quickly and help from learning the setup side, the systems side, how to strategize all those things when we go to this event. I think we have a big head start. Let’s say if we got a Cadillac last year, it would have been way more difficult, but I think we’re going into it well prepared.”

Louis Deletraz: “I think it’s very interesting to have the switch because, as I said earlier, you learn from both sides and you can see the good and the bad. We’ve been very fortunate to be well prepared, spend time in the sim, and GM has really brought us up to speed fast. Early in the season, we were still discovering things, but we feel much more ready to go into Sebring. Definitely we keep learning every time we’re out on track, but I wouldn’t say the change is drastic. I think probably in the short term we’ll gain performance by being able to just work all together.”

What challenges does Le Mans bring?

Jordan Taylor: “I think there’s just so many unknowns for a team going there. Our technical director, Brian Pillar, went there with Ricky a couple years ago to support Ricky and spent the whole race with the team to kind of get a head start and understanding. A lot of the crew guys and engineers have had some level of experience, but there’s just so many new things. It’s a completely new rulebook. You’re dealing with a whole different group of people, a small language barrier. I think just understanding all the different rules. We don’t have slow zones in America, all those little things. I think the good thing is we do have some time to prepare. Obviously, you’d always want some more, but I think everyone knows how big the challenge is and how big the undertaking is, but they’re already doing their due diligence contacting people that have done the event before to kind of get some more insight. I’ve even been reaching out to some of the Garage 56 group to kind of get some help from them either from a logistics point of view or who they used, all little things like that. I think everyone’s kind of all hands on deck.”

Cadillac Racing Twelve Hours of Sebring overall victories 2024-2017

2023: No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R, start first – Pipo Derani, Alexander Sims, Jack Aitken

2022: No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R, start fourth – Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn, Neel Jani

2021: No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R), start sixth – Tristan Vautier, Loic Duval, Sebastien Bourdais

2019: No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R),start fifth – Pipo Derani, Felipe Nasr, Eric Curran

2017: No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R, start sixth – Jordan Taylor, Ricky Taylor, Alex Lynn

Runner-up

2024: No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R, start second — Sebastien Bourdais, Renger van der Zande, Scott Dixon 2018: No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R, start 10th – Jordan Taylor, Renger van der Zande, Ryan Hunter-Reay

Poles

2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2018

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CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: In Their Own Words

By
Official Release
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CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: In Their Own Words
Media conference comments from Antonio Garcia, Matt Bell ahead of 12 Hours

Corvette Z06 GT3.R drivers Antonio Garcia and Matt Bell met with members of the media Monday afternoon to discuss this weekend’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Garcia will pilot one of the two Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports entries with Bell part of the lineup for AWA – GTD winner at the Rolex 24 At Daytona to start the season.

ANTONIO GARICA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO MOST ABOUT GOING TO SEBRING?

“First of all, part of the season is that it’s almost my 20th 12 Hours. So that makes it easier to win four times! But I always love going back to Sebring. I have a lot of good memories from Sebring… good closing stints and fun racing all over the years in different cars and classes. I think Corvette has always been very competitive there and successful. The last two years, I think, we came close to winning. Especially last year we were leading quite a lot of laps and in the closing stages got mixed up in some incidents. Let’s see if we have a clean race this year. That’s key at Sebring especially at night when the sun goes down, everyone gets excited and at times the racing gets a little crazy.”

HOW DO YOU CONDITION YOURSELF FOR SEBRING?

“Sebring definitely is hard, and you need to be very prepared. Last year we had A/C problems from Hour Three, and it was very hard for us. You need to be as good as possible because anything can happen. There is no time to fix anything if it’s a big change or a big repair. Last year Dani (Juncadella) did two-and-a-half stints without A/C, and then we kind of cycled through just to minimize that. If it’s a hot one – and looking at the forecast it looks to be very hot – it will be hard for everyone… the car, the tires, us and for sure the crew.”

PROGRESS OF THE CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R IN YEAR TWO?

“We have another year of experience this year with this car. Last year even if the car felt pretty decent, we found a few other things over the course of the season and at Daytona. We didn’t get to test (at the sanctioned test) but the AWA guys were there and we have their data to see. That will help the whole Corvette development program. Some of our guys also have been going to the simulator. I hope we’ll have a really good pace for this race again and let’s see if we nailed the direction in which the car should go. Now with the new power curve and how we use that, I think it will be a challenge for us. It will be the first time we will run it at Sebring, which seems very particular with the bumps and everything. But I think we have a really good strategy and I hope everything runs smooth.”

WHAT DO YOU TELL YOURSELF TO TRY AND AVOID INCIDENTS IN THE NIGHT AT SEBRING?

“Last year I think we cycled twice to the back (during pit stops). By the way the GTD and GTD PRO progression worked last year, we cycled to the back of the group. That didn’t help in order to get back to the leading pack. At night on every restart If you are at the front, the chances that you’re going to get hit or get into a big mess is a lot less. I think that’s the biggest thing at Sebring. At night you need to be up front on every restart. If you’re able to be in the top three positions, you are way more safe. Now that GTD PRO and GTD are split (on restarts), I think it’s going to be better. At night you don’t know who is behind you; you just see lights. I know the GTD lights are yellow but it’s very difficult to know who was following you. Now that things are split, I think it will make things easier for both classes. We know we are going to be fighting our class on the restart and not get in the mix with (GTD) or them with us. So I think that was a good call, and at Daytona it was a big upgrade.”

REACTION TO THE MOBIL 1 LIVERY THAT PRATT MILLER PRESENTED.

“I think it’s pretty cool to have different liveries. It feels strange not to see a Corvette painted in yellow. In traffic I don’t know if people will spot who we are! But it is very cool to have this Mobil 1 new livery. I didn’t get to see the actual car it was related to in real life. But when I get to see it at the track, it will be very cool. Hopefully we can get it to Victory Lane because that’s even better – a special livery there with some photos looks even better.”

MATT BELL, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R

RACE OUTLOOK FOLLOWING THE WIN AT DAYTONA WITH CORVETTE.

“We’re still riding on Cloud Nine, I have to say, from a little over a month ago. It was a dream start to the season and a race that we all wanted to win for quite a long time, as most drivers do. We’re coming into this race with a lot of confidence. I know my way around Sebring a little bit now too, so it’s a race event that I love and a track that I love. As Antonio said, Corvettes have always seemed to go pretty well around Sebring. I’m feeling just as confident and coming into here with just as high hopes as I did for Daytona. We had a good test at the IMSA sanctioned test. We all feel pretty well prepared. The GTD field is pretty deep with talent so it’s going to be extremely competitive again but we are looking forward to taking everyone on.”

PROGRESS OF THE CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R IN YEAR TWO?

“Antonio has been a big part of the past development on the factory side. From the AWA side, there have been a lot of refinements going on and a lot of learning with the car for a customer team. We come into this race with a lot more knowledge than at any point last year. We put a lot of that into practice at Daytona and it seemed to go well. The good thing was that the performance of the car all last year seemed very strong and there were a few things to get on top of on the reliability front, which is a usual new car challenge. Everybody seems to have those under control now but you never quite know in racing. The most established car on the grid can always have an issue. Sebring is the hardest track in the world on any racecar. But we’ve taken some big steps. Sebring will test us but we think we’re going in the right direction. We’ve always got the support of the Pratt Miller and Corvette guys. We lean on the likes of Antonio, as well, if things aren’t going well and that worked out very well last year. We’ll be going at it the same this year again.”

LATE AT DAYTONA YOU HIT A SKID PLATE OFF ANOTHER CAR. CAN YOU DESCRIBE THAT INCIDENT?

“There were always some quite intense battles going on in GTD. There were always noises coming from the wheel well every now and then, but that one felt a little bigger than normal. As I came out of Turn Six… I think it was a lap or two before I managed to get past the 27. Heading toward the Bus Stop, the right-hand side of the cockpit started filling with smoke quite quickly. As a driver we have all experienced the smell of tire smoke or the smell of oil smoke or whatever. It didn’t smell like oil so that was an immediate checkbox that made me a bit more confident. I just radioed in ‘Smoke in the cockpit. Please check tire pressures’ because I was a little busy dealing with the competition around me. They came back and said no punctures showing up. I gave the wheel a little wiggle, it felt alright. I sent it into the Bus Stop and it still felt OK. At that point in the race it was do-or-die. We were 20 minutes to go and if it was going to go wrong, it is what it is. Just had to keep my foot in it and it cleaned itself up.

“It turned out that a wooden block, we think off a GTP car, had come off. The Aston in front of me ran over it and fired it up into the bonnet of our car. It got stuck in the wheel well and was rubbing on the tire. It took a couple of millimeters of rubber off and didn’t go deep enough to give us a puncture worry. Everyone has always told me in these big 24-hour races that there is that moment of luck that you need to get over the line. That was a close call and could have been race-ending. Thankfully it didn’t happen and behaved itself the last 20 minutes.”

THE 13 FROM DAYTONA HAS BEEN RETIRED. IS THIS ONE AT SEBRING BRAND NEW?

“Yes, it will be a new car. We had already planned to be running a new car to Le Mans, fortunately. So the team having a second car available to us was already in the works, and we managed to speed up the delivery of that and the prep of that in order to get it turned around for the IMSA test. So the AWA crew had a pretty long Daytona 24 Hours, a night or two to celebrate and then a lot of hard work to get the new car prepped for the IMSA test. So it has done some running. It’s not run in competition yet so this will be the car’s first race. When we jumped into the car it felt exactly the same as the previous one that we had. There’s always that little worry in the back of your mind – especially when you have a good result in a car – and the superstitious part of you doesn’t want to change the set of gloves that you’ve got. But we jumped in it, and it was like being in the original car. No differences whatsoever. Great consistency from the Pratt Miller and GM guys on the construction side of things in our experience so far. The concern is as low as it can be going into a race like Sebring. It’s the hardest race on a racecar in the world. Could it throw something up? Of course it could, but it could do that for anyone’s car. It was nice to retire the Season One car with such a big win. Hopefully we can start another bit of the team’s history with this new car.”

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.

ARCA Menards Series / ARCA Menards Series West at Phoenix Raceway: General Tire 150 Post-race Notes & Stats

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Official Release
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ARCA Menards Series / ARCA Menards Series West at Phoenix Raceway:
General Tire 150 Post-race Notes

  • Brent Crews (No. 18 JBL Audio Toyota) scored his third career ARCA Menards Series victory in Friday night’s General Tire 150 at Phoenix Raceway. Crews, in his first start for Joe Gibbs Racing, took the lead from Brenden Queen (No. 28 BestRepair.net Chevrolet) in the final corner on the second of the race’s two overtime attempts.
  • Crews’ three victories have all come on tracks one mile in length, but his win at Phoenix was his first victory on a paved surface. He won at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in 2023 and followed it with a win at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds in 2024, both one-mile dirt surfaces.
  • Queen finished second, and combined with his victory in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway, he has a 1.5 average finish in the two races so far in 2025.
  • Joe Gibbs Racing has had two drivers in the first two races of the season, but the team has mirrored Pinnacle Racing Group and Brenden Queen’s results. Queen won at Daytona and finished second at Phoenix, while JGR finished second at Daytona with William Sawalich driving and won at Phoenix with Crews. The two teams are tied atop the ARCA Menards Series team owner point standings.
  • Treyten Lapcevich (No. 15 Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship Toyota) finished third in his ARCA Menards Series debut. Lapcevich was driving for the team that helped propel Sean Hingorani to each of the last two ARCA Menards Series West championships.
  • Lawless Alan (No. 20 AUTOParkIt Toyota) finished fourth to score his first career ARCA Menards Series top-five finish.
  • Lavar Scott (No. 6 Max Siegel Inc. Chevrolet) finished fifth, his second top-five finish of the season; he also finished fourth in the opener at Daytona.
  • Kole Raz (No. 76 Cyclum Nextgen Travel Centers Ford) finished sixth for the second time in two career ARCA Menards Series starts. Raz, who won the ARCA Menards Series West race at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway in a photo finish last April, also finished second in the season-opener at Daytona.
  • Thad Moffitt (No. 46 Pristine Auctions Toyota) finished seventh; Moffitt scored his career best finish – 3rd – at Phoenix in 2021.
  • Patrick Staropoli (No. Syfovre Toyota) recovered from an early-race spin to finish eighth in his first ARCA Menards Series start in eleven years. Staropoli has one career ARCA Menards Series West victory, at the now-closed Irwindale Speedway, in March 2014.
  • Robbie Kennealy (No. 1 Jan’s Towing Ford) was the highest finishing ARCA Menards Series West regular in ninth. Kennealy, who finished fourth in the season opener at Kern, scored his best career ARCA Menards Series finish and closed on ARCA Menards Series West championship points leader Trevor Huddleston (No. 50 High Point Racing/Racecar Factory Ford) who finished 12th. Huddleston leads the West standings by five points headed into the next series race at Tucson Speedway on April 5.
  • Corey Day (No. 77 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet) finished tenth, his third career top-ten finish in five career starts.
  • Tanner Reif (No. 13 Central Coast Cabinets Toyota) finished 13th driving for the Central Coast Racing team that won the 2024 ARCA Menards Series West owners championship. Team owners Todd and Kelly Souza fielded a second entry for 16-year-old Spaniard Adrian Ferrer, who finished 18th.
  • Tyler Reif (No. 23 Sigma Performance Services/Vegas Fastener Manufacturing Chevrolet) nearly scored his second ARCA Menards Series victory at Phoenix. On the first overtime attempt, he pulled even with leader Brenden Queen through the dogleg, but a nudge from behind sent him sideways into the inside pit wall, heavily damaging his car and ending his night. Reif, who won at Phoenix in 2023, was scored in 19th at the finish.
  • The next race for the ARCA Menards Series is the General Tire 200 at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday, April 26. The race will be televised live on FS1 at 12 pm ET/11 am CT. The race will also be broadcast live on select affiliates of the MRN Radio network nationwide and on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Live timing and scoring data for all on-track activity is available at ARCARacing.com and up-to-the-minute updates are available by follow @ARCA_Racing on X (formerly known as Twitter).
  • The next race for the ARCA Menards Series West is the NASCAR ARCA Menards West 150 Presented by the West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame at Tucson Speedway on Saturday, April 5. The race will be streamed live on FloRacing at 9 pm ET / 7 pm MT. Live timing and scoring data for all on-track activity is available at ARCARacing.com and up-to-the-minute updates are available by follow @ARCA_Racing on X (formerly known as Twitter).

About ARCA 
The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum in Toledo, Ohio, and acquired by NASCAR in April 2018, is the leading grassroots stock car sanctioning body in the United States. Bridging the gap between NASCAR’s top three national touring series and weekly and regional tour racing all across the country, the organization sanctions over 100 races per year in the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, ARCA Menards Series West, ASA STARS National Tour, ASA CRA Super Series, ASA Midwest Tour, ASA Southern Super Series plus weekly racing at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways. For more information about ARCA visit , or follow ARCA on Facebook (@ARCARacing) and Twitter (@ARCA_Racing). 

About Menards
A family-owned and run company started in 1958, Menards is recognized as the retail home center leader of the Midwest with 236 stores in 15 states.  Menards is truly a one-stop shop for all of your home improvement needs featuring a full-service lumberyard and everything you need to plan a renovation or build a home, garage, cabin, shed, deck, fence or post frame building.  You’ll find a large selection of lumber, roofing, siding, construction blocks, trusses, doors and windows, plus cabinets, appliances, countertops, flooring, lighting, paint, plumbing supplies and more.  To complete the job, Menards has quality hand tools, power tools, fasteners, electrical tools plus storage options and supplies for everyone from the weekend warrior to the pro!
 
Menards has what you need to complete your outdoor projects and keep your yard in tip-top shape including mowers, trimmers, blowers, pressure washers and more, plus a beautiful garden center stocked with plants, shrubs, trees, landscaping tools, grass seed, fertilizer options, outdoor décor and patio furniture.  Menards also has everyday essentials like health & beauty products, housewares, pet and wildlife supplies, automotive items and even groceries.  And at Christmas, an Enchanted Forest display area with impressive trees, lighting, decorations, ornaments, inflatables and more. 

Menards is known for friendly Customer Service and as the place to “Save Big Money” with low prices every day, and sales too!  For more information, please visit Menards.com to learn about our store locations, offerings and services.

RCR NCS Race Recap: Phoenix Raceway

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Official Release
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Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Chevrolet Team Persevere for 12th-Place Finish at Phoenix Raceway

Finish: 12th
Start: 21st
Points: 25th

“Our No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Chevrolet team never gave up today. Our car started with a loose balance early. Luckily, we caught a couple of cautions in the first stage, which allowed us to make pit stops and work on our Chevrolet. Midway through the race, we started to lose rear grip but avoided going a lap down. We kept working on the car and consistently moved our way back into the top-20. Then, we started to develop a brake issue where my pedal went to the floor, which forced us to make a couple extra stops to make sure we weren’t going to have any more issues. We saved our red option tires until the end of the race, and our car definitely handled better on those. I’m proud of our Richard Childress Racing team. We fought hard and came out with a 12th-place finish. We can carry this momentum to Las Vegas next weekend.” -Austin Dillon

Kyle Busch and the No. 8 zone/QuikTrip Chevrolet Team Bring Home Top-10 Result at Phoenix Raceway

Finish: 8th
Start: 15th
Points: 8th

“We had an okay day with the No. 8 zone/QuikTrip Chevrolet team. We were probably a 15th-place car on yellow option tires and probably an eighth-place car on red tires. We never really got to see our reds play out since there wasn’t a long run. It’s hard to say how that would have played out, but we were able to make up some really good spots on restarts with them. That definitely saved our day. Overall, the improvement that we made from last year to this year was a good step. With another major step like that, we can be a contender for the race win.” -Kyle Busch

Cadillac takes aim at another super Sebring

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Official Release
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Three GTP teams seek to deliver sixth Cadillac Racing victory since 2017

DETROIT (March 10, 2025) — Successfully defending the overall victory in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Cadillac would be quite an accomplishment – and twist – according to Louis Deletraz.

Deletraz and co-drivers Jordan Taylor and Brendon Hartley will seek to put the No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R in Victory Circle late Saturday at the conclusion of the 73rd edition of the iconic endurance race at the 3.74-mile, 17-turn Sebring International Raceway.

“Going back to Searing, of course, is exciting,” said Deletraz, who held on to win the 2024 race with another manufacturer by 0.891 of a second over the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R. “Obviously, winning there was a dream of mine and now going back we want to do it more.

“Going back there with Cadillac is interesting. I was fighting one in the end. I saw its strong points and it’s been very strong the whole event and the past years. So, I’m very excited to actually be on track and work with Cadillac to try and win it together this year.”

Cadillac Racing has recorded five overall victories, including three in a row (2021-2023), and finished runner-up in 2024 and 2018 in the races at Sebring since joining IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship prototype competition in 2017. Plus, Cadillac Racing has recorded five pole starts, including the past four years, in that span.

Cadillac Racing’s Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) lineup for the second round of the season also includes the No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R campaigned by Wayne Taylor Racing and the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R run by Action Express Racing.

The No. 31 entry has earned the pole the past two years, while new-for-2025 teammates Jack Aitken and Earl Bamber won the race in 2023 and 2022, respectively. They’ll be joined by Frederik Vesti. The No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R will also carry a special Mobil 1 livery.

The No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R, with Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque and Will Stevens aboard, led the Cadillac Racing contingent in the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona with a fifth-place finish.

Cadillac Racing drivers test at Sebring International Raceway in mid-February.

“Any time that we can get with our Cadillac V-Series.R GTP is so important. Every time we touch the track we are learning,” Ricky Taylor said. “Everything is still so new to us. So, the test was fantastic not only for Sebring but for the whole year as well.”

A 2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing is the official Safety Vehicle for the race. Spectators will have the opportunity to see the exciting Cadillac V-Series lineup at the Cadillac display in the midway and test drive a Cadillac during the race weekend. Hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday. The Cadillac CTV-4 Blackwing and CTV-5 Blackwing have been named to Car and Driver magazine’s 2025 10Best Cars list for the fourth consecutive year.

Cadillac Racing Twelve Hours of Sebring overall victories 2024-2017

2023: No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R, start first – Pipo Derani, Alexander Sims, Jack Aitken

2022: No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R, start fourth – Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn, Neel Jani

2021: No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R), start sixth – Tristan Vautier, Loic Duval, Sebastien Bourdais

2019: No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R),start fifth – Pipo Derani, Felipe Nasr, Eric Curran

2017: No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R, start sixth – Jordan Taylor, Ricky Taylor, Alex Lynn

Runner-up

2024: No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R, start second — Sebastien Bourdais, Renger van der Zande, Scott Dixon 2018: No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R, start 10th – Jordan Taylor, Renger van der Zande, Ryan Hunter-Reay

Poles

2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2018

What they’re saying

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

Ricky Taylor: “Cadillac has a great history at Sebring, the car has been strong there every year. This year we have high expectations. Last year’s win was a great result for the team. It was hard fought and well deserved. If we are going to back it up again, we know it won’t come easily, and we will likely have to fight hard once again.”

Filipe Albuquerque: “After two days of testing in Sebring, it was very valuable to have those days and have more time with the car and learn about it, trying different setups and seeing what works best. We are super motivated for Sebring and it’s always a tricky one. I’ve never been super happy there so hopefully now is the time. As a team we are looking forward to it and we keep evolving the car. Can’t wait to get back to racing.”

Will Stevens: “Having the two days of testing at Sebring a few weeks ago will definitely be good for the team to continue building their knowledge of the Cadillac V-Series.R and what we need for Sebring as it’s a very different circuit to what we had in Daytona. I think looking back at last year’s race, it’s clear the car was looking very strong and hopefully we can continue in that fashion and keep improving from what they had last year. The field is very close as we saw in Daytona, so we need to make sure we have everything in place for a good result.”

No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R

Jack Aitken: “I’m looking forward to Sebring as it has special memories for me being the site of my first IMSA win and it’s just a cool place to be in general. It has a great atmosphere and the unique nature of the infield and fan set-up there is always really cool to see. Cadillac has a decent pedigree there and we’re always bringing a strong package to that track. We’re going in looking to get a good result and setting the bar pretty high. We’ll see what challenges come up, but I think we’re all feeling good coming into this one. After the setback in Daytona, we’re ready to turn that around and have a positive day.”

Earl Bamber: “Action Express had a great racecar in 2024; they were dominating that race. At the Sebring test, we worked on our weaknesses from Daytona in the race – restarts and stuff like that – and we just feel well-prepared to execute that race. I’m really enjoying IMSA. The Whelen Cadillac is quick. I think we definitely deserved a minimum of podium at Daytona, so everyone is raring to go to have a great race at Sebring, which I think we can do.”

Frederik Vesti: “I am excited to be back in the Cadillac V-Series.R for my second IMSA race with the team. Obviously, Daytona didn’t end the way we had hoped. We fought hard during the race and were not rewarded for all the efforts we had put in. We had a strong racecar and that showed at the test we did at Sebring as well. Also, with one IMSA race in GTP, I was able to target some things during the test that helped me feel more prepared for Sebring. I’m looking forward to dialing up the intensity racing in traffic, racing other GTP cars and looking to push the limits of our car. Sebring is a track with great history with the team, so expectations are high. We need to approach it day by day, step by step building up toward the race.”

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

Louis Deletraz: “It’s finally Sebring time and I’m really excited for it. We won last year and it still gives me goosebumps to think about it. We obviously would love to repeat it and we’re very motivated for it. It’s such a special race. We had a productive two-day test at Sebring a few weeks ago. It was great to get more laps in the Cadillac V-Series.R, it felt fast and we keep learning about the car every time we leave the pits. We also have a new teammate in the No. 40 with Brendon (Hartley) joining us. It’s great to have him with us.”

Jordan Taylor: “It’s obviously great going back to Sebring as the defending winners. It’s such a big event and a special one to win, so heading there with that in the back of our minds always helps the motivation. We had a great test there a few weeks ago. It was our first time there with the Cadillac V-Series.R. We have had such limited running with the car, so it was really nice to get through some testing items that have been on our list since we received the cars. The Cadillac was obviously very strong there last year, and I think we were able to build on that over our two-day test. Obviously, the year didn’t start off the way we wanted in Daytona, but I think that just adds to the team’s motivation for Sebring.”

Brendon Hartley: “I’m excited to be back with WTR for the Sebring 12 Hour. Since WTR moved to a two-car effort, they have done an amazing job to create a good team atmosphere which I’m sure will make switching to the 40 car seamless. I get on really well with all the drivers and we genuinely have good fun outside of the cockpit. It was a tough race for us in Daytona, but I have no doubt that we will be fighting at the front in Sebring. WTR knows how to win.”

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.

Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report – Phoenix 1

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Official Release
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Shriners Children’s 500 – Phoenix Raceway
Avondale, Ariz. – March 9, 2025

AUSTIN CINDRIC No. 2 MENARDS/MONSTER FORD MUSTANG
START: 14TH STAGE 1: 15TH STAGE 2: 7TH FINISH: 19TH POINTS: 32ND
RACE RUNDOWN: Austin Cindric’s run at Phoenix Raceway ended with a 19th-place finish in the No. 2 Menards/Monster Energy Ford Mustang after over 300 miles at the one-mile Arizona track. Cindric fired off from the 14th position and shared that he was pretty happy to start when the first caution slowed the field on Lap 4. Another caution followed immediately after the restart, in which Cindric stayed out again. When the flags flew to conclude Stage 1, the No. 2 crossed the line 15th and headed to pit road. With Goodyear’s red option tires at play this weekend, crew chief Brian Wilson called for four reds, fuel and an air pressure adjustment to help the Menards/Monster Energy machine gain track position quickly. Cindric lined up 14th for the restart and rapidly cracked the top five before ultimately taking the lead on Lap 89. A few laps later the caution flag waved and the driver reported that he had a lot of grip but ultimately fell off free toward the end of that run. He returned to pit road for four yellow ‘prime’ tires and restarted third. He remained in the top 10 through the remainder of the segment, finishing Stage 2 seventh. After informing the team that he was still a touch too free, he made his way back to the attention of the pit crew for his second set of the red option tires. The No. 2 Ford eventually switched back the yellow prime tires but lost momentum. The car tightened up significantly firing off and Cindric needed an adjustment to help it turn. He made his final trip to pit road during a late-race caution and ultimately crossed the line 19th when the checkered flag flew.

CINDRIC’S THOUGHTS: “We had some good moments today with our No. 2 Menards/Monster Energy Ford Mustang. Tire strategy kept things interesting, and we were able to make strong gains early with the red option tires. I definitely feel like we had the potential for a better finish, but we’ll take what we learned and move forward.”

RYAN BLANEY No. 12 WURTH FORD MUSTANG
START: 12TH STAGE 1: 5TH STAGE 2: 4TH FINISH: 28TH POINTS: 4TH
RACE RUNDOWN: Despite a pair of top-five stage finishes, an engine failure with 24 laps to go relegated Ryan Blaney and the No. 12 Wurth Ford Mustang to a 28th-place finish Sunday at Phoenix, ending a streak of seven-straight top-five finishes at the one-mile track. After starting from 12th, Blaney put his long run speed on display in the opening stage to come away with a fifth-place finish in Stage 1. Several teams opted to put on the option tire early on in the second segment as the 12 team stayed with the primary tire, shuffling Blaney outside the top-10. The Wurth Ford worked its way back into contention over the course of the long run as the option tire equalized, resulting in a fourth-place finish in Stage 2. Following a four tire stop for the option tires at the stage break, Blaney charged towards the top-five but reported an issue with straightaway speed on the ensuing run. A debris caution on lap 266 saw Blaney restart from seventh with 36 laps to go, but 12 laps later, the engine issues came to a head as he was forced to retire from the race with 24 laps remaining.

BLANEY’S THOUGHTS: “It just blew up. It started with about 100 [laps] to go and I thought it was going to make it to the end but it didn’t. It was a hard-fought day. We could never get going on restarts. Long runs I felt okay but just kind of lacked a little bit and then we were just having trouble with the engine before it completely grenaded. We were going to get a decent finish out of it, but obviously not.”

JOEY LOGANO No. 22 HUNT BROTHERS PIZZA FORD MUSTANG
START: 2ND STAGE 1: 30TH STAGE 2: 2ND FINISH: 13TH POINTS: 9TH
RACE RUNDOWN: Joey Logano worked his way to a 13th-place finish Sunday at Phoenix in the 22 team’s first trip back to the one-mile track since claiming the NASCAR Cup Series championship in November. Logano started from the outside of row one after narrowly winning the pole Saturday afternoon, but a restart violation for crossing the yellow line prior to the start-finish line during the restart following a caution on lap nine resulted in pass-through penalty on lap 20, relegating the Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford to the tail of the field in the middle of the green flag run. Crew chief Paul Wolfe opted to put on red option tires after the caution flew on lap 91, as Logano was one of two drivers on the same strategy for the ensuing run in order to gain back track position. Logano vaulted from 24th to the lead by lap 130 as he gapped the field by over two seconds. Ultimately, the tire strategy equalized as the No. 20 made his way past Logano with eight laps to go in the stage, resulting a second-place finish in Stage 2. The 22 team won the race off pit road following a four tire stop for its last set of option tires to match the leaders for the opening run of the final stage, but a caution on lap 214 forced Logano to hit pit road for four primary tires. Logano held his ground in the top-10 during the ensuing run, but teams on the option tires for the final stretch proved beneficial as he settled for a 13th-place finish.

LOGANO’S THOUGHTS: “Obviously our strategy took a hit with the penalty early on. That took us out of, at least, a pair of top-10 stage finishes. We had top-10 speed all day but had to settle for 13th. We’re looking forward to Vegas and building off of our last trip there.”

The NASCAR Cup Series rounds out the west coast swing next week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Coverage of Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 begins at 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1 with in-car camera angles available all race long through MAX Driver Cam.

RFK Racing Phoenix Raceway Recap

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RFK Racing’s Buescher and Preece Shine Brightly in the Valley of The Sun
Keselowski Rallying His Team Headed to Vegas

Avondale, AZ (March 9, 2025) – Tire strategy was a game changer in Phoenix, creating opportunity and excitement for Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) Racing on Sunday. Two sets of “option” tires, ones that were softer and faster during a 40-50 lap run, were available for teams to use at their discretion. Strategically teams picked and chose when to use them and that gamesmanship led to a top 5 finish for Chris Buescher and propelled Ryan Preece to the lead late in the race. Brad Keselowski, though, never had the opportunity to use the option tires as he was swallowed up in an unavoidable collision.

6 Brad Keselowski – RECAP

When the green flag dropped in the Valley of the Sun, there were high-hopes surrounding Brad Keselowski. The 2012 champ entered his 32nd career Phoenix start, with a strong race car that was able to easily pick off positions early in the race.

The Consumer Cellular Ford quickly moved from 20th to the top 15. Before the conclusion of Stage-One, Keselowski had consistently found ways to make his car faster. Throughout the first 60 laps, Keselowski adjusted his line entering the corners, enabling him to carry more speed on exit. At that time confidence was high as he radioed the team. “We’re going to be fine. The race is going to come to us,” he said.

Unfortunately, that time never came, and Keselowski was swallowed up in an unavoidable crash when several cars collied in his path. Despite exhaustive efforts to repair the damage the team was forced to settle for 33rd.

“We were just biding our time to put our soft tires on and put ourselves in a position to put them on in the end and just got caught up in somebody else’s crash,” said Keselowski after being checked and released in the care center.

Afterwards Keselowski’s leadership qualities were on full display as he rallied his team. Climbing from his car, Keselowski called all over the wall and road crew members into a tight huddle. Looking them in the eye he provided a motivational speech, coaching them to stay focused and not get discouraged.

“I told them I was really encouraged,” Keselowski said. “I love the way our cars are driving right now, and our potential is much higher.”

17 Chris Buescher – RECAP

Chris Buescher continued his hot 2025 start, as he recorded a 5th place finish in Phoenix Sunday. It was a season best finish for the Fry’s / Thomas’ / Philadelphia Ford, as Buescher has now finished among the top 10 in 3 of the first four races.

Buescher entered the race as one of just four drivers who finished among the top 10 in both Phoenix races a year ago. His knowledge of the challenging one-mile track was obvious again on Sunday and he masterfully maneuvered through the traffic picking his way toward the front after starting 13th.

Tire strategy became key for the 17 team. Crew Chief Scott Graves elected to save both sets of “option” tires for the race’s third and final stage. With the new red-lettered tires bolted on Buescher swiftly picked up positions, while also holding off others who had taken a similar approach.

With fewer than 50 laps to go, Buescher made his final stop. Again the 17-team took the softer, and faster, tires. It worked. Buescher fired off on the restart and gobbled up positions to move from 9th to record an impressive 5th place finish.

“I felt like we were the (primary tires) and kept getting run all over by the (option tires) and I was just sitting there waiting for our turn,” said Buescher. “We had them on at the end when others ran out. It made it interesting.”

60 Ryan Preece – RECAP

Ryan Preece turned what were arguably the most exciting laps of the race Sunday as the Solomon Plumbing Ford led 34 circuits – all as the race neared the checkers.

The 60-team was the first to use the option tires. Crew chief Derrick Finley made the call on the team’s first pitstop at lap 13 and it immediately paid dividends. Within 30 laps Preece had rocketed his way through the field, gaining 23 positions. Preece finished 3rd in Stage One, earning stage points for the second time this season.

The field took notice as Preece made huge gains in a short amount of time. The improved track position allowed Preece to run closer to the front the remainder of the day and provided confidence for later.

Down to its final set of red-lettered Goodyears, Finley made the call at lap 217 (of 312) to use them. Once again Preece flew through the field, moving from 4th into the lead with only 75 laps remaining. Preece stretched his lead and hoped for a green flag run to the finish. Unfortunately, a caution came out 34 laps into that run. With those “option” tires wearing, Preece pitted for a fresh set of primary tires. With many other teams still having a set of optional rubber available, Preece lost some ground in the closing laps, still posting a solid 15th place finish.

“I really wish that caution didn’t come out, because I felt like we had such a good gap and the tires were staying under me,” said Preece. “Sometimes when you start we are (28th), you’ve got to get off sequence and the way the race was playing out I thought we were going to sneak a really good finish in there.”

Up Next
Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Las Vegas, NV): Sunday, March 16, 2025 @ 2:30pm ET on FS1

About RFK Racing
RFK Racing, in its 38th season in 2025, features an ownership lineup pairing one of the sport’s most iconic names, Jack Roush, along with NASCAR Champion, Brad Keselowski, and Fenway Sports Group owner John Henry. Roush initially founded the team in 1988 and it has since become one of the most successful racing operations in the world, propelling him to be the first NASCAR owner to amass three hundred wins and capturing eight championships, including back-to-back NASCAR Cup titles in 2003 and 2004. Keselowski, a former owner in the NASCAR Truck Series, is the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series Champion. In 2007, Roush partnered with Henry, who also owns Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox, English Premier League’s Liverpool F.C., and the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, to form Roush Fenway Racing. Off the track, RFK is a leader and proven winner in NASCAR marketing solutions, having produced multiple award-winning social media, digital content and experiential marketing campaigns. Visit rfkracing.com, and follow the team on all social platforms @rfkracing.

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