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TOYOTA RACING – NCS Indianapolis Post-Race Report – 07.26.26

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Official Release
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COREY HEIM DELIVERS A MASTER-CLASS AND CLAIMS VICTORY AT THE BRICKYARD
Toyota Development Driver wins second race in eighth start this season

SPEEDWAY, Ind. (July 26, 2026) – Toyota Development Driver Corey Heim continued to make history as he won the Brickyard 400, in his first attempt, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday evening. Heim and crew chief Bootie Barker had a masterful pit strategy, and Heim made it count on the final restart as he passed fellow Team Toyota driver and 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin for the win. Heim would then hold off Toyota’s Christopher Bell for his second win in just his 15th series start. Toyota has now won four of the last five Crown Jewel races, including the last two Brickyard 400’s with 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace and Heim.

Heim led a dominate day for Team Toyota as for the second time this season (Kansas), and 17th in Toyota’s history, Toyota drivers scored four of the top-five finishes. Heim was chased to the line by Bell, while Indiana-native Chase Briscoe finished fourth and Hamlin was scored in fifth.

With four races remaining in the regular season, Hamlin holds a commanding 84-point lead in the points standings over fellow Toyota driver Tyler Reddick.

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

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, COREY HEIM
2nd, CHRISTOPHER BELL
3rd, Joey Logano*
4th, CHASE BRISCOE
5th, DENNY HAMLIN
10th, TYLER REDDICK
12th, TY GIBBS
27th, ERIK JONES
28th, BUBBA WALLACE
32nd, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
36th, RILEY HERBST
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

COREY HEIM, No. 67 Field & Stream Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing

Finishing Position: 1st

Corey, drivers dream of winning here at Indianapolis. You’re just 24 years old. I’m sure this one is top of the list. What was going through your mind in the final few laps?

“Yeah, that was a damn handful. I was hanging on for dear life once the shade went down and the pace picked up. My car got really loose. I had never really been in a lot of clean air throughout the day, so that was the hardest I’ve ever fought in my life to just make sure I focused on exits and kept them in dirty air. I’m pretty out of breath. That was a workout. It was a dream come true. Winning at the Brickyard. That’s unbelievable. Thank you so much, fans, for coming out here. Caught a break early with the pit cycle, and just executed all day. Made no mistakes. My team, 23XI did a fantastic job with my Field & Stream Camry. First race with Field & Stream too, that’s awesome. First race, first win, so we hope we can keep it going.”

You said I’ve had to learn how to be more aggressive on restarts. Walk me through that restart with your boss, Denny Hamlin.

“Yeah, just had to be aggressive. It’s for the win. I would have to see it back to see if I did anything wrong. I think we both know we’re racing for the win. He has every right to be a little bit frustrated with me. He probably would have done the same thing. Had to be on top of it. Got a good push on the 22 (Joey Logano) to be in position, so thanks to him. Man, it’s crazy. Two for 15.”

I think you’ve dispelled the rumor that you need a lot of experience. The fans may not know you’ve never seen this place before Friday.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s unbelievable. I just studied my butt off, tried to make sure I’m prepared going into races. These guys give me unbelievably fast Camrys. Thanks to 23XI, Toyota. They’re on fire this year. I’m glad to be part of it.”

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

Finishing Position: 2nd

We saw you trying to hunt down the 67. How many times did you think you were going to be able to get to him?

“Honestly, I didn’t think I was going to be able to get there at all. My Rheem Toyota team were telling me he was going loose. I knew really that was going to be my only opportunity, was a mistake from him. I knew whatever it was, 35 laps, was a very long run. I just needed one bobble. If he had one bobble, I was going to be able to get there. Yeah, he did a great job. He showed excellent mental toughness. Put together 35 really good laps. I didn’t have an opportunity.”

These crown jewels, you’re not thinking about the points, but when you look at big picture, everything you have been through the last couple weeks, how does this second-place finish sit with you?

“This is a good second place. We’ve had a lot of bad second-place finishes. This one was a good one. We were buried after qualifying. Adam did great job with strategy to get us up there. Whenever we had the restart on the second row, I was really happy with our position. Yeah, just proud of Adam (Stevens, crew chief), proud of this team. We pulled together a really good day. We’ve run second a lot. There’s been bad seconds, but this one is a pretty good one.”

CHASE BRISCOE, No. 19 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 4th

Were you close enough to the lead there to taste it?

“I would be lying if I didn’t on that final restart when I was rolling around the top. I could taste it for the slightest second, and then he kind of drug me back and then that was my one chance. If I could have cleared the 22 (Joey Logano) and had a run with the two leaders running side-by-side, maybe there was a chance to get it. A lot of things went our way at the end with the strategy and some of the cautions. We didn’t have quite the balance that we needed. It all started from lap one – I lost a couple of spots. With how track position dominate it was, just unfortunate to be that close. Overall great points day. With the 9 (Chase Elliott) and the 5 (Kyle Larson) having an issue, puts us right there in the in the mix of the top-five or six. Just appreciate all of the Hoosier Hospitality this week. Appreciate Mobil 1 and Toyota for running this paint scheme. It was cool to have the Mobil 1 colors on our Camry at IMS (Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We will go on to the next one.

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 National Debt Relief Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 5th

Corey told me that final restart, Denny is probably mad, but he would have done the same thing. Walk me through that from your perspective.

“Yeah, everyone is trying to fight to win the race. When you’re clear by an inch, you’re going to take that inch. It’s really more on us and the 20 (Christopher Bell) and the 19 (Chase Briscoe) of just not orchestrating good pushes there. We came detached at the wrong time. I thought the 20 obviously was on board with getting us the push. It was way too early before the restart zone. I can’t go till we get to the restart zone. He said that Briscoe was on him way, way early or laying back, one of the two. Yeah, that’s how you lose them. These restarts, when everyone kind of knows when you’re going to go, it’s about the pushes. That’s essentially where I got the lead from the 67 (Corey Heim) the restart before. Just came back the other way around. I maybe was in there just a hair into turn two, and he shut the door. I mean, yeah, everyone’s fighting for a big Brickyard victory.

You wanted this one. You were in the perfect position. Corey Heim is, on the other side of the coin, going to win a lot of races for you. How do you balance those two conflicting thoughts?

“It’s earned on their side and it’s on us as a team on the other side. I don’t know. I’m sure maybe I could have done something different on the restart with the timing of it. Man, just getting a shove so early just didn’t allow me to get my car straight before taking off. (Joey) Logano really timed the bump to the 67 (Corey Heim). I don’t know what we do different. We’re part of circumstances where the inside line didn’t get organized. Really proud of 23XI overall. That part-time effort that Bootie (Barker, crew chief) and Corey (Heim) is putting together, most times they’re on the racetrack, they’re our fastest car. They’re doing a heck of a job. Definitely a well-deserved victory.”

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 over 50 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina began to assemble automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Ford Racing Notes and Quotes – 2026 Brickyard 400 Post-Race Quotes

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Official Release
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Ford Racing Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Brickyard 400 — Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Sunday, July 26, 2026

Ford Finishing Results:

3rd – Joey Logano
6th – Brad Keselowski
7th – Josh Berry
8th – Ryan Preece
11th – Chris Buescher
14th – Austin Cindric
15th – Zane Smith
22nd – Noah Gragson
24th – Todd Gilliland
26th – Ryan Blaney

TODD GILLILAND, No. 34 Grillo’s Pickles Ford Mustang Dark Horse – HOW DOES IT FEEL TO WIN $1 MILLION? “It feels really good. Obviously, we wish we ran a little bit better than 24th today, but we did what we had to do. Really, that was the name of our game all the way throughout this challenge we just barely skated by. We were obviously a bit lucky, but we still stuck out these races. We did the best we could and luckily it was good enough, just barely every single round. It’s a big prize. One million dollars going to the team. That’s just massive. Our team deserves it. They all ramped up and worked extremely hard, so I’m just super proud of everyone for what they’ve done. Hopefully, we can keep building on this and the intensity that we’re able to achieve.” WHEN BLANEY GOT IN THE ACCIDENT WERE YOU AWARE OF WHAT WAS GOING ON? “Oh, yeah. I saw the bright yellow spinning up top, and I thought that was at least a chance for us. I was very surprised how fast he still was after that. He was right on my bumper. There was one car in between us, but fairly close for the last 25 laps or so. It was nerve racking for sure, but it’s great to feel those nerves racing for something meaningful and it was cool. I think my team deserves this, for sure.” THERE ARE NOW TWO DAVIDS IN THE FAMILY. YOUR DAD AND THIS DAVID BEAT GOLIATH. “Yeah, that’s true. I always remember seeing those things when my dad and when he and David Ragan finished first and second. That was the biggest David vs. Goliath and they were both named David, so I just saw that so much growing up. Eventually, we want to be the Goliath and we want to be the guy that is winning and racing up front, but until we’re there, we’ve got to capitalize on every opportunity and I think we did just that today.” $1 MILLION AND A NEW CONTRACT ALL IN JULY. HOW CONFIDENT ARE YOU RIGHT NOW? “Life is good as Todd Gilliland right now. There’s weeks and months and years in this series that will beat you down, so you just really have to enjoy the good times. We’re very lucky to do what we get to do and it’s all I really ever wanted to do since I was a kid, so hopefully we can keep building on it. That’s the biggest thing to me is my team found another level within themselves even if it didn’t necessarily show on the racetrack. I think their intensity is up there, and I think it’s gonna be better for all of us going forward.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “We broke up the Toyotas, so that’s good, but we just couldn’t get there. I was faster than them, but I got three car lengths back and that was it. I lost the air and that was it. I couldn’t go fast anymore. I needed track position. Track position won the race. You had to be on the front row there and we were one row back, but, overall, I’m proud of what Paul and Joe and everyone on the team was able to do by giving us a really fast race car again. We’ve just got to qualify better and start towards the front. We missed it on Saturday and you start 19th and you get one or two, but everyone ran the same strategy all day, so there wasn’t much opportunity there. We got to where we had a shot at it, but not good enough.”

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 6 Body Guard by Fastenal Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “I thought we had a solid day. We put ourselves in position to have a top 10 day and ended up sixth. We had a lot of good restarts and pretty good strategy, but that’s about all the speed we had.” THE LAST TWO RESTARTS WERE INTENSE. HOW DID THOSE GO FOR YOU? “It’s your last chance to make something of the race and once you get about a lap in, there’s no passing so you’ve got to make hay.” ALL THREE RFK TEAMS RAN WELL TODAY AND FINISHED IN THE TOP 11. “We had three solid days for our RFK cars, which was good. Preece caught a little bit of a break there with getting the yellow at the right time and maximized his day, and I felt like we were just solid all day.”

JOSH BERRY, No. 21 PPG Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “It was a really good day. I thought we did a really good job. We struggled Friday. I thought the guys did a really good job overnight for qualifying. I know we didn’t qualify like we wanted, but we had a super early draw and felt better about the car than what we qualified and I think we just executed a really good race. It wasn’t perfect, but we had some really good restarts the second half of the race and made some progress, and we had some really good long run pace. Overall, it was a really solid day that we needed. I’m just happy to finally get a good finish.” HOW DOES THIS FEEL TO FINALLY GET A FINISH LIKE THIS WHERE NOTHING GOES WRONG? “It’s kind of like what I said at North Wilkesboro, it’s hard to explain the amount of stuff that’s worked against us at times this year. Finally, today we executed a solid race and didn’t have anything thrown at us to take us out of it, and also we had a really good Ford Mustang. That’s a big part of it, too. The car was really solid and that makes the restarts better, your pace throughout the run is obviously way better and just a really solid day.”

RYAN PREECE, No. 60 Thornton’s Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “We’ve got a lot of work to do from our group to contend for wins, but I’m happy. Derrick really got the strategy right on that one and we just had to maintain.”

Rick Ware Racing: Brickyard 400 from Indianapolis

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Official Release
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RICK WARE RACING
Brickyard 400
Date: July 26, 2026
Event: Brickyard 400 (Round 22 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (2.5-mile rectangular oval)
Format: 160 laps, broken into three stages (50 laps/50 laps/60 laps)

Race Winner: Corey Heim of 23XI Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Ty Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Ross Chastain of Trackhouse Racing (Chevrolet)

RWR Finish:

● Cody Ware (Started 37th, Finished 31st / Running, completed 160 of 160 laps)

RWR Points:

● Cody Ware (35th with 183 points)

Race Notes:

● Corey Heim won the Brickyard 400 to score his second career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his second of the season and his first at Indianapolis. His margin over second-place Christopher Bell was .287 of a second.

● There were five caution periods for a total of 27 laps.

● All but eight of the 39 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.

● Denny Hamlin remains the championship leader after Indianapolis with an 84-point advantage over second-place Tyler Reddick.

Sound Bites:

“It was just a long, hard day. We kept making the car better, but we fired off so bad and so out of control that we had to spend the majority of the race working on it, making it better, and by the time we got it better, we didn’t have a car that had a good aero balance in traffic. So, a frustrating day.” – Cody Ware, driver of the No. 51 Sky Fund Aviation Chevrolet

Next Up:

The NASCAR Cup Series takes a rare weekend off before returning to action on Sunday, Aug. 9, for the Iowa Corn 350 at Iowa Speedway in Newton. The race begins at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by USA Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

RCR NCS Race Recap: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

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Official Release
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Austin Dillon Pilots the No. 3 BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Chevrolet to a 29th-Place Result at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Finish: 29th
Start: 20th
Points: 28th

“Frustrating day for the No. 3 BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Chevrolet team at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We struggled with grip throughout the race. Our Chevy didn’t really come to life until halfway through the run, and the front would wake up. You could see the difference, and when the switch would flip, we were one of the best cars on track, especially the last six laps of the race. We’ll make notes and regroup once we get home. I’m looking forward to the off week and then getting back at it in Iowa.” -Austin Dillon

Austin Hill and the No. 33 FICO Chevrolet Team Face Adversity on Challenging Afternoon at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Finish: 33rd
Start: 32nd
Points: 30th

“Long day for our FICO Chevrolet team. On the initial start, our car fired off tight but the guys kept working on it. The front tires took a while to come in. It was really slick on top of the track in all four corners. If I missed the mark by half a tire width, the front end would just slide. Then towards the end, we got pushed into that wreck from behind. Nothing we could do. Clay (Alexander, car chief) and the guys worked extremely hard to try and get us back out, but we ran out of laps. Tough ending but we will take a much needed off week before finishing the season strong.” -Austin Hill

CHEVROLET NCS AT INDIANAPOLIS: Post-Race Report

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Official Release
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NASCAR Cup Series
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Brickyard 400
Team Chevy Post-Race Report
July 26, 2026

Hocevar Leads Chevrolet with Top-10 Finish in the 2026 Brickyard 400
 
In his third career start in the Brickyard 400, Carson Hocevar turned in a top-10 finish to lead Chevrolet to the checkered flag at the famed 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The result – his ninth top-10 finish of the season – came after the Portage, Michigan, native claimed the pole position and collected top-six points in each stage of the crown jewel event.

RACE RECAP:

Stage One:

For the second time this season, Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar and Daniel Suarez drove their Chevrolet’s to the top-two positions on the qualifying speed chart to sweep the front row and lead the field to the green flag for the 2026 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Choosing the inside lane, the No. 77 Chevrolet jumped out to an early lead and pulled away to over a two-second lead with just three laps complete around the famed 2.5-mile oval. While the teammates pulled away from the pack by the midway point of the opening stage, Suarez also started to make a gain towards Hocevar – closing the gap to just under a half-second before crew chief, Luke Lambert, called his driver to pit road with 19 laps to go for the team’s first scheduled stop of the day. While the opening run looked like it was going to go green all the way, the first pit cycle saw the reigning champion, Kyle Larson, en route to take over the lead. But shortly thereafter, a tire unexpectedly went down in Turn Three, sending his Chevrolet into the wall and ultimately bringing the No. 5 team’s day to an early end. Setting up for an one-lap dash to the finish, varying pit strategies saw Michael McDowell cycle up into the third position to lead the Bowtie brigade to the first green-white checkered flag.

Stage Two:

The next 50-lap stage turned into yet another long green flag run. Settled back into the runner-up position was McDowell as the field approached the second green flag pit cycle of the race. With the gamble to short-pit the stage, crew chief, Travis Peterson, called McDowell to pit road on Lap 75 for four tires and fuel, but then-race leader, Ty Gibbs, quickly followed suit. Sitting just a few cars away from a complete green flag pit cycle, Ross Chastain was one of just a handful of cars still stretching his fuel mileage – finding the top position when the caution flew with just four laps remaining in the stage. With clean-up continuing, the caution laps ultimately brought Stage Two to a close with Chastain collecting the win.

Final Stage:

With the remainder of the field completing their next scheduled stop, Hocevar was welcomed back into the top-five to take the green flag for 56 laps remaining in the race. Lining up on the inside lane for the restart, the Michigan native drove to the fourth position on the opening lap of the stage before the top-15 quickly singled out. A green flag run was building before a caution for debris came out just 10 laps into the stage. With much of the field sitting just outside the fuel window, a necessary trip to pit road saw Alex Bowman climb back into the top-10 to lead the Bowtie brigade to the restart. But the restart was short-lived when a multi-car accident on the opening lap brought the race back under the caution. With the incident shuffling the mid-portion of the leaderboard, Hocevar moved back into the top-10 and at the front of the Chevrolet camp as the field approached the green flag to mark 35 laps remaining. A nearly 12-second margin separated the top-15 of the running order for what turned into the final run of the race. Hocevar settled into the 10th position on the restart to go on and lead Team Chevy to the checkered flag of the series’ third crown jewel race of the season.

 
Team Chevy Unofficial Top-20 Results
Pos. Driver

9th – Carson Hocevar
13th – Cole Custer
16th – Shane van Gisbergen
17th – Daniel Suarez
18th – Michael McDowell
19th – Alex Bowman
20th – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

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

Wins: 6
Poles: 5
Top-Fives: 38
Top 10s: 74
Stage Wins: 16

The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season continues in two weeks at Iowa Speedway with the Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol on Sunday, August 9, at 3:30 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on the USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Post-Race Driver Quotes:

Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Finished: 29th

“Frustrating day for the No. 3 BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Chevrolet team at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We struggled with grip throughout the race. Our Chevy didn’t really come to life until halfway through the run, and the front would wake up. You could see the difference, and when the switch would flip, we were one of the best cars on track, especially the last six laps of the race. We’ll make notes and regroup once we get home. I’m looking forward to the off week and then getting back at it in Iowa.”

Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident in the closing laps of Stage One as a tire went down on his No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet.

Finished: 39th

You guys had the car and the strategy. The team had told you to start to push it just a little bit.. is that what happened, or was it something else?

“We just had a tire let go. I wouldn’t say pushing it had anything to do with it. I was only going three-tenths quicker than I had been with saving fuel. It was just a little bit of bad luck, I guess. I’m proud of this No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet team. We qualified 10th and did what we had to do to gain the track position to get to the lead. We executed all of that really well. There was still obviously a lot of the race left, but I feel like we were positioning ourselves within the race and within the strategy to set ourselves up well to go after a win. It’s a bummer, but we’ll get back after it at Iowa (Speedway).”

Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

Finished: 30th

“It was just a rough day for this No. 10 BREZTRI Chevrolet team. We really didn’t have the speed all weekend. We kept trying things, but I think we just missed it overall on the package for the weekend. We’ll build and get better from it. We’re ready for a week off to recharge and put ourselves in a better position for Iowa.”

Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Finished: 33rd

“Long day for our FICO Chevrolet team. On the initial start, our car fired off tight but the guys kept working on it. The front tires took a while to come in. It was really slick on top of the track in all four corners. If I missed the mark by half a tire width, the front end would just slide. Then towards the end, we got pushed into that wreck from behind. Nothing we could do. Clay (Alexander, car chief) and the guys worked extremely hard to try and get us back out, but we ran out of laps. Tough ending but we will take a much needed off week before finishing the season strong.”

Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Finished: 18th

“A good points day here in Indy, but that debris caution hurt us pretty badly and we had to sit on pit road longer to fill up on fuel. Track position is so important here, we had a great NEFCO Chevrolet Camaro and not the result to show for it, so that hurts because I think we had enough for a top-five day, but that’s part of it. Our whole Spire Motorsports organization was fast and we saw that in qualifying, so there is a lot to be proud of coming out of this weekend. We just needed a little bit more, but we will go into the off weekend with some solid momentum leading into the last few weeks of the regular season.”

Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Finished: 9th

“The first caution just kind of put us into a bad spot on fuel. The reason why we took tires was just because we were going to have to wait on fuel, so we might as well just put four on. I was able to pass three cars, which might have been the most in the field, it seemed like. When we got our No. 77 Zeigler Auto Group Chevrolet in clean air, we were kind of in our own zip code. Our lap times there at the end, we were way faster than most of the field. Overall, it was a good points day for this team. We were the top Chevy of the field, results-wise, and now were the top Chevy in the points standings, so that’s pretty good for us.”

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.

GM Motorsports, including the Cadillac Formula 1® Team develops and proves advanced technologies in the most demanding environments, accelerating innovation in performance, safety, efficiency, and electrification for its production vehicles. Cadillac Racing is one of the leading manufacturers in the IMSA and FIA World Endurance Championships (WEC). Chevrolet competes in single seaters in the US IndyCar series, and in NASCAR with multiple team partners and drivers. Corvette customer teams compete in GT series across the globe including IMSA and WEC. Learn more at GM.com.

JIMMIE JOHNSON TO RETURN TO ICONIC NO. 48 CAR NUMBER FOR FINAL NASCAR CUP SERIES START AT THE 2027 DAYTONA 500

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Official Release
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STATESVILLE, NC | July 26, 2026 — After announcing the news during today’s TNT Sports live pre-race coverage of the Brickyard 400, Jimmie Johnson confirmed that he will compete in the 2027 DAYTONA 500 with a familiar car number – the No. 48 – in the final NASCAR Cup Series start of one of the most accomplished careers in the history of American motorsports.

The announcement follows an extraordinary gesture by Rick Hendrick, Hendrick Motorsports and longtime No. 48 partner Ally Financial, who have agreed to loan Johnson the Hendrick Motorsports stylized No. 48 car number for his farewell race with LEGACY MOTOR CLUB. The move will reunite Johnson with the number most closely associated with his Hall of Fame career. NASCAR has approved the one-race loan, allowing the tribute to take place without affecting the driver or owner points standings.

While Johnson’s career has evolved from champion driver to team owner, broadcaster, entrepreneur and leader, there was only one number fitting for the final NASCAR Cup Series start of his driving career.

“This is far more than a number,” Johnson said. “The 48 represents people, relationships, memories and a chapter of my life that shaped who I am. To have the opportunity to make one final Cup Series start carrying that number is something I never imagined. I’m incredibly grateful to Rick, Hendrick Motorsports, Ally and everyone who made this possible. It’s a gesture I’ll carry with me forever.”

Together, Johnson and the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team won a record-tying seven NASCAR Cup Series championships, including a record five consecutive titles from 2006 through 2010. It earned 83 points-paying Cup Series victories, including two in the DAYTONA 500 and four in the Brickyard 400. Johnson’s relationship with Hendrick Motorsports remains one of the defining partnerships in NASCAR history.

Hendrick Motorsports will announce the car number for its Ally-sponsored entry in the 2027 DAYTONA 500 at a later date.

“The No. 48 is part of Hendrick Motorsports’ history, and it’s forever connected to Jimmie,” said Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “When Jimmie asked about using the number for his final race, it just felt right. Ally immediately understood why it mattered, too. They’ve always valued relationships, and their willingness to be part of this says everything about the kind of partner they are. Seeing Jimmie back in the No. 48 at Daytona one last time will be quite a moment.”

As the longtime primary partner of Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 48 program, Ally joined Hendrick Motorsports in approving the one-race loan of the stylized car number. Ally was Johnson’s primary sponsor in 2019 and 2020, his final full-time season in the Cup Series.

“The 48 has always stood for something bigger than racing: a relationship built on trust, shared wins, and a fanbase that gives everything they have,” said Andrea Brimmer, Ally’s Chief Marketing and PR officer. “Jimmie is part of the Ally family, and the chance to see him at Daytona one last time with that number is something our fans deserve as much as he does. We’re proud to be part of making this moment happen.”

For Johnson, whose personal philosophy has become Never Stop Starting, the significance reaches beyond nostalgia. His final NASCAR Cup Series race is not simply the end of one of the sport’s greatest careers – it’s one final start in the number that began it all.

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

ABOUT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS: Founded by Rick Hendrick in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports is the winningest team in NASCAR Cup Series history. At the sport’s premier level, the organization holds the all-time records in every major statistical category, including championships (15), points-paying race victories and laps led. It has earned at least one race win in a record 42 different seasons, including an active streak of 41 in a row (1986-2026). The team fields four full-time Chevrolet entries in the NASCAR Cup Series with drivers Alex Bowman, William Byron, Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson, and one in the NASCAR O’Reilly Series with newcomer Corey Day. Headquartered on more than 150 acres in Concord, North Carolina, Hendrick Motorsports employs approximately 500 people. For more information, please visit HendrickMotorsports.com or interact on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X.

About Ally Financial
Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE: ALLY) includes the nation’s largest all-digital bank and auto finance business, driven by a mission to “Do It Right” for its customers and communities. Ally is a U.S. financial holding company with $200 billion in assets and 9.6 million customers (June 30, 2026). Ally Bank, Member FDIC, offers online banking products, including high-yield savings and no hidden fee checking, and was the first major U.S. bank to eliminate overdraft fees. Ally also provides investing solutions through Ally Invest, including online brokerage, automated investing, IRAs and personal financial advice. As a leader in auto finance, Ally provides consumer and dealer financing, insurance, and vehicle remarketing services. Ally’s seasoned corporate finance business provides capital to equity sponsors and middle-market companies. Visit ally.com.

Hunter Lawrence Secures Back-to-Back Victories with Washougal Triumph to Extend Pro Motocross Championship Lead

By
Official Release
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Cole Davies Makes Emphatic Return to the Top of 250SMX Class Podium

WASHOUGAL, Wash. (July 25, 2026) – The Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, made its final visit to the West Coast for Round 25 of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship, where the tricky forest setting of the Pacific Northwest’s Washougal MX Park challenged the world’s best racers. The FLY Racing Washougal National Presented by Peterson CAT also signified the series’ annual Military Appreciation Race, which added to the fanfare of the event with military inspired graphics, gear, and special ceremonies celebrating the men and women of the Armed Forces. The most ideal weather conditions of the season greeted the field, which led to another impactful afternoon of racing that saw Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence [#96] add to his 450SMX Class points lead following his fifth win of the season. In the 250SMX Class, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies [#37] made a resounding return to the top of the podium with a dominant 1-1 effort, moving back within striking distance in the title fight a week removed from his worst outing of the season.

450SMX Class

Qualifying

  • The morning sessions served as another progressive step for Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rookie Haiden Deegan [#38] as he sat atop the time sheets for the first time following a stellar lap of 2:08.223 in the first session that held through the session. He was followed by Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Garrett Marchbanks [#36] who enjoyed his best-ever qualifying result with a 2:05.581. Honda HRC Progressive’s Jett Lawrence [#1] rounded out the top three [2:08.702], with Hunter Lawrence in fourth [2:08.748]. The top four were separated by a mere half second.

Moto 1 [30 Minutes + 2 Laps]

  • Deegan carried the momentum into the first gate drop of the afternoon as he led the field to the holeshot, only to lose traction in the next corner and drop to the tail end of the field. That allowed Jett Lawrence to assume the lead with Hunter Lawrence in tow. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado [#26] started third.
  • As the top three quickly pulled away from the field through the opening five minutes, Deegan did well to make a quick recovery from his misfortune and found his way into the top 10.
  • As the moto reached its halfway point the Lawrences remained less than two seconds from one another, with Prado falling more than 10 seconds behind. Deegan, meanwhile, stormed all the way up to fourth place and looked to erase a 20 second deficit to the top three.
  • As the moto continued the gap between the Lawrences slowly grew, as Jett tightened his grip on the lead while the race clock wound down. Soon, Jett found himself more than five seconds ahead of Hunter and added to that advantage over the final laps.
  • Jett carried on to capture his seventh moto win of the season by 7.2 seconds over Hunter, with Prado a distant third. Deegan maintained his hold of fourth, improving 26 positions, while Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati Factory Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis [#14] rounded out the top five. 

Moto 2 [30 Minutes + 2 Laps]

  • The Lawrence brothers led the field into the first turn to begin the final moto, with Jett able to grab the holeshot over Hunter, only for the elder sibling to take control of the top spot. Deegan slotted in behind them in third.
  • As Jett looked to pressure for the lead early, he lost balance off a jump and was forced to take evasive action off to the side of the track. As Hunter pulled away, Jett reentered the track just ahead of Deegan and kept the Yamaha rider behind him.
  • The top three sat within four seconds of one another through the first 10 minutes of the moto, which allowed them to open a double-digit margin over the rest of the field.
  • As the Lawrences mirrored one another’s lap times, it allowed them to pull away from Deegan. From there, the lead trio settled in, with Hunter able to move more than two seconds clear of Jett.
  • As the moto passed the halfway point, Jett dropped the hammer and quickly erased the deficit to Hunter. A battle for the lead unfolded as Jett hounded Hunter and soon wrestled the lead away with just over 10 minutes to go.
  • A short time later Jett gave up the lead and went down after losing traction on the face of a jump. That allowed Hunter to reclaim the top spot as Jett remounted just ahead of Deegan once again to initiate a short-lived battle for second.
  • Jett Lawrence put in a torrid charge in the closing laps to get within striking distance of Hunter on the final lap, but Hunter secured his ninth moto win of the season by 1.4 seconds. Deegan followed in third.
  • After a review of Jett Lawrence’s off-track incident at the beginning of the moto, race officials determined he accelerated on the side of the track, which is an infraction of the rulebook and resulted in a one position penalty. As a result, Deegan was credited with second with Jett relegated to third.

Overall

  • Hunter Lawrence’s 2-1 effort resulted in his fifth overall win of the season, with back-to-back victories heading into the season’s final break in action.
  • With the Moto 2 penalty, Jett Lawrence dropped from a tie with Hunter for the overall win to a runner-up effort and a loss of two points with 1-3 finishes.
  • Deegan enjoyed another consistent afternoon with his fifth podium finish of the season following 4-2 finishes. He has back-to-back podiums for the first time during his rookie campaign.
  • Hunter Lawrence extended his lead in the championship standings to 12 points over Jett with three races remaining. Deegan remains third, 69 points out of the lead.

Results & Standings

450SMX Class Overall Results (Moto Finishes // Points)

  1. Hunter Lawrence, Landsborough, Qld., Australia, Honda (2-1 // 47)
  2. Jett Lawrence, Landsborough, Qld., Australia, Honda (1-3 // 45)
  3. Haiden Deegan, Temecula, Calif., Yamaha (4-2 // 40)
  4. Jorge Prado, Lugo, Galicia, Spain, KTM (3-4 // 38)
  5. Dylan Ferrandis, Avignon, France, Ducati (5-5 // 34)
  6. RJ Hampshire, Hudson, Fla., Husqvarna (7-6 // 31)
  7. Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Ducati (6-7 // 31)
  8. Jordon Smith, Belmont, N.C., Triumph (8-8 // 28)
  9. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., Yamaha (9-9 // 26)
  10. Benny Bloss, Oak Grove, Mo., Beta (10-10 // 24)

450SMX Class Championship Standings (Race 8 of 11)

  1. Hunter Lawrence, Landsborough, Qld., Australia, Honda – 367
  2. Jett Lawrence, Landsborough, Qld., Australia, Honda – 355
  3. Haiden Deegan, Temecula, Calif., Yamaha – 298
  4. Jorge Prado, Lugo, Galicia, Spain, KTM – 269
  5. RJ Hampshire, Hudson, Fla., Husqvarna – 252
  6. Dylan Ferrandis, Avignon, France, Ducati – 214
  7. Garrett Marchbanks, Coalville, Utah, Kawasaki – 206
  8. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., Yamaha – 179
  9. Mikkel Haarup, Silkeborg, Denmark, Triumph – 169
  10. Jordon Smith, Belmont, N.C., Triumph – 154

SMX World Championship Regular Season Standings (Round 25 of 28)

  1. Hunter Lawrence, Landsborough, Qld., Australia, Honda – 713
  2. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., Yamaha – 494
  3. Jorge Prado, Lugo, Galicia, Spain, KTM – 461
  4. Dylan Ferrandis, Avignon, France, Ducati – 390
  5. Jett Lawrence, Landsborough, Qld., Australia, Honda – 355
  6. Garrett Marchbanks, Coalville, Utah, Kawasaki – 353
  7. Ken Roczen, Mattstedt, Germany, Suzuki – 349
  8. Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha – 323
  9. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., KTM – 314
  10. Chase Sexton, La Moille, Ill., Kawasaki – 298
  11. Haiden Deegan, Temecula, Calif., Yamaha – 298

Quotes

1st Place – Hunter Lawrence | #96 Team Honda HRC Progressive (2-1)
“Today was much better than my previous experiences here at Washougal. What a day. That second moto was awesome battling with Jettson. Lawrence brothers 1-2, so a great way to send it off into the break.”
 
2nd Place – Jett Lawrence | #1 Team Honda HRC Progressive (1-3)
“I got a little cross rutted [before the crash] and that caused me to lose traction. I felt good [riding], same as last weekend. I was able to get around Hunter but made a silly mistake. My riding is good, just need to stop making silly mistakes. Looking forward to this break.”
 
3rd Place – Haiden Deegan | #38 Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing (4-2)
“I’m in the battle [with the Lawrences]. It was good to follow Jett for a few laps. To get on the podium is awesome. I’m having fun out there and learning with the team and learning the bike. I can’t wait to keep battling.”

250SMX Class

Qualifying

  • Fresh off his first career win one week ago, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Julien Beaumer [#13] put himself atop the charts in the first session of the morning with a time of 2:15.562 and it looked as if it may stand until the tail end of the final session when Davies laid down a time of 2:12.269 to move atop the overall classification by a few tenths. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Ryder DiFrancesco [#34] rounded out the top three [2:12.571]. 

Moto 1 [30 Minutes + 2 Laps]

  • The first moto of the day began with Davies out front with the holeshot over the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing duo of DiFrancesco and Daxton Bennick [#58]. Beaumer and Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Levi Kitchen [#47], the hometown favorite and points leader, were two of many riders involved in a crash just after the holseshot line, which forced both to start deep in the 40-rider field.
  • The clear track allowed Davies to sprint out to a lead of more than three seconds just a couple laps in, as DiFrancesco settled into second and Honda HRC Progressive’s Chance Hymas [#29] moved up to third.
  • Further back, Beaumer and Kitchen worked their way through the field together, as both were able to break into the top 20 within the first 10 minutes of the moto. They continued their charge and moved within striking distance of the top 10 just past the halfway point of the moto.
  • As the moto entered its final 10 minutes Davies moved out more than 10 seconds clear of the field. Kitchen, meanwhile, continued his determined climb with a pass on Beaumer and a forward push that carried him into the top 10, with an eye on additional passes.
  • Davies cruised to his fifth moto win of the season with a wire-to-wire effort, crossing the finish line 17.1 seconds ahead of DiFrancesco, who secured the best moto result of his career. Hymas rounded out the top three, with Bennick in fourth and AEO Powersports KTM’s Carson Mumford [#71] in fifth. Kitchen clawed his way up to sixth, improving 22 positions.

Moto 2 [30 Minutes + 2 Laps]

  • The second and deciding moto started with DiFrancesco out front with the holeshot ahead of ClubMX Yamaha’s Hunter Yoder [#60] and Hymas, with Davies chasing from fourth. Kitchen started outside the top 10. The battle up front intensified on the opening lap as both Hymas and Davies got around Yoder and looked to pressure DiFrancesco for the lead.
  • Davies pushed the pace and was able to get around Hymas. He then closed in on DiFrancesco’s rear fender. The Yamaha rider bided his time and pulled the trigger on the pass to take the lead with more than 26 minutes left on the race clock. Kitchen, meanwhile, remained mired in 12th place.
  • As the moto reached the halfway mark, Davies managed a lead of nearly five seconds over DiFrancesco, while Hymas settled into third. Further back, Kitchen fought his way into the top 10 and looked to move as far forward as possible.
  • DiFrancesco looked to chip away at Davies’ lead inside the final five minutes and after briefly closing in, Davies responded to establish his biggest lead of the moto and end the threat.
  • The New Zealander never put a wheel wrong and capped off perhaps his most dominant outing of the season by a margin of 7.3 seconds over DiFrancesco. Hymas followed in third. Kitchen finished a few positions back in sixth.

Overall

  • Davies’ second 1-1 effort of the summer netted him the third win of his career. It also brought him back into the thick of the title fight with the season’s stretch run looming.
  • DiFrancesco wrapped up the best performance of his career with a 2-2 performance to grab a runner-up finish.
  • After capturing his first podium result of the season last weekend, Hymas made back-to-back finishes in the top three following a 3-3 effort.
  • Mumford enjoyed a breakthrough afternoon of his own with 5-4 finishes that left him just off the podium in fourth, for the best finish of his career.
  • Kitchen weathered through a tough afternoon at his home track with a 6-6 effort that placed him fifth overall.
  • Davies’ dominant day helped him outscore Kitchen by 18 points and moved him within seven points of the Kawasaki rider in the championship standings with three races remaining. Beaumer, who finished sixth (8-5), is third, 25 points out of the lead.

Results & Standings

250SMX Class Overall Results (Moto Finishes // Points)

  1. Cole Davies, Waitoki, New Zealand, Yamaha (1-1 // 50)
  2. Ryder DiFrancesco, Bakersfield, Calif., Husqvarna (2-2 // 44)
  3. Chance Hymas, Pocatello, Idaho, Honda (3-3 // 40)
  4. Carson Mumford, Simi Valley, Calif., KTM (5-4 // 35)
  5. Levi Kitchen, Washougal, Wash., Kawasaki (6-6 // 32)
  6. Julien Beaumer, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., KTM (8-5 // 31)
  7. Nate Thrasher, Livingston, Tenn., Yamaha (7-8 // 29)
  8. Dilan Schwartz, Alpine, Calif., Yamaha (10-9 // 25)
  9. Kayden Minear, Perth, Western Australia, Yamaha (9-10 // 25)
  10. Casey Cochran, Portsmouth, Va., Husqvarna (13-7 // 24)

250SMX Class Championship Standings (Race 8 of 11)

  1. Levi Kitchen, Washougal, Wash., Kawasaki – 293
  2. Cole Davies, Waitoki, New Zealand, Yamaha – 286
  3. Julien Beaumer, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., KTM – 268
  4. Ryder DiFrancesco, Bakersfield, Calif., Husqvarna – 238
  5. Chance Hymas, Pocatello, Idaho, Honda – 230
  6. Kayden Minear, Perth, Western Australia, Yamaha – 224
  7. Jo Shimoda, Suzuka, Japan, Honda – 194
  8. Carson Mumford, Simi Valley, Calif., KTM – 188
  9. Casey Cochran, Portsmouth, Va., Husqvarna – 146
  10. Seth Hammaker, Bainbridge, Pa., Kawasaki – 134

SMX World Championship Regular Season Standings (Round 25 of 28)

  1. Cole Davies, Waitoki, New Zealand, Yamaha – 517
  2. Levi Kitchen, Washougal, Wash., Kawasaki – 470
  3. Ryder DiFrancesco, Bakersfield, Calif., Husqvarna – 402
  4. Seth Hammaker, Bainbridge, Pa., Kawasaki – 314
  5. Jo Shimoda, Suzuka, Japan, Honda – 294
  6. Julien Beaumer, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., KTM – 268
  7. Chance Hymas, Pocatello, Idaho, Honda – 268
  8. Nate Thrasher, Livingston, Tenn., Yamaha – 261
  9. Carson Mumford, Simi Valley, Calif., KTM – 258
  10. Daxton Bennick, Morganton, N.C., Husqvarna – 254

Quotes

1st Place – Cole Davies | #37 Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing (1-1)
“After last weekend I knew I had to step up my game. I had a good day today and made up a lot of points. I’m stoked. I feel like we took a big step in the right direction today. Had a fun day. It was good.”
 
2nd Place – Ryder DiFrancesco | #34 Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing (2-2)
“It was a great weekend. I love coming up here. It’s close to home [in California] and has a place in my heart. Putting a good day together was my goal and I did that with a 2-2.”
 
3rd Place – Chance Hymas | #29 Honda HRC Progressive (3-3)
“I just need to continue doing what I’m doing. I’ve really been enjoying these past few weekends, just getting back to [riding well]. It’s been a long road to get back here and hopefully we can keep knocking off these races, one by one.”
 
5th Place – Levi Kitchen | #47 Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki (6-6)
“The positive takeaway is just to be here [healthy] after a crazy last weekend, and another first turn crash today. I just felt flat. A little bit of a struggle today. We’ve got a long break, so hopefully I can take that time to get dialed in for the final races.”

The 2026 Pro Motocross Championship will observe a late-summer break before returning for the anticipated stretch run of each respective title fight over the final three races of the SMX regular season. The final third of the summer campaign will begin on Saturday, August 15, with the ELF Lubricants Unadilla National from the oldest and most storied venue in American motocross at Central New York’s Unadilla MX. The race will also welcome the return of the Women’s Motocross Championship Powered by Synchrony and can be seen in its entirety on Peacock, beginning with Race Day Live at 7 a.m. PT / 10 a.m. ET, followed by coverage of the motos at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET.

For information about the Monster Energy SMX World Championship, please visit www.SuperMotocross.com and be sure to follow all of the new SMX social media channels for exclusive content and additional information on the latest news:
Instagram: @supermotocross
Facebook: @supermotocross
X: @supermotocross
YouTube: @supermotocross
TikTok: @supermotocross

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

About Pro Motocross Championship:
The Pro Motocross Championship features the world’s fastest outdoor motocross racers, competing aboard homologated bikes from one of seven competing manufacturers on a collection of the roughest, toughest tracks on the planet. Racing takes place each Saturday afternoon, with competition divided into two classes: one for 250cc machines, and one for 450cc machines. MX Sports Pro Racing, the industry leader in off-road powersports event production, manages the Pro Motocross Championship.
For more information, visit ProMotocross.com.

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

About MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.:
MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc., manages and produces the world’s premier motocross racing series – the Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. MX Sports Pro Racing is an industry leader in off-road powersport event production and management, its mission is to showcase the sport of professional motocross competition at events throughout the United States. Through its various racing properties, partnerships and affiliates, MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc., organizes events for thousands of action sports athletes each year and attracts millions of motorsports spectators.
Visit MXSportsProRacing.com for more information.

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

William Sawalich narrows Chase cutline deficit with top-five run at Indianapolis

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Adam Lovelace for SpeedwayMedia.com.

William Sawalich made a major gain towards his 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series’ Chase hopes with a strong fifth-place result in the Pennzoil 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) on Saturday, July 25.

The two-time ARCA Menards Series East champion from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, made his second O’Reilly career start at IMS this season after finishing in sixth place during his first start at the venue a year ago. After taking the green flag from his ninth-place qualifying position, Sawalich spent the event’s first stage period within the top-10 mark. As the early laps progressed, he he navigated his way up to fourth place when the first stage period concluded on Lap 30. By then, he racked up seven stage points.

Sawalich restarted on the front row alongside Ross Chastain when the second stage period commenced on Lap 36. At the start, the former dueled with the latter from the outside lane through the first two turns. Sawalich then utilized a push from pole-sitter Sheldon Creed to motor his No. 18 SoundGear/Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Supra entry ahead of Chastain and lead the following two laps before Chastain reassumed the lead through the backstretch. While pinned on the outside lane, Sawalich dropped from first to fifth within half a lap, but he remained inside of the top-10 mark. Amid a three-lap shootout to conclude the second stage period, he accumulated three extra stage points by settling in eighth place.

Restarting in fifth place when the event’s third and final stage period commenced with 34 laps remaining, Sawalich got forced wide by Carson Kvapil amid Sam Mayer’s bold three-wide move beneath the latter two, with Sawalich nearly dropping out of the top-10 mark as he settled in eighth place during the next lap. For the event’s remainder, Sawalich gained three spots in the leaderboard to fifth place, a spot in which he took as he trailed the lead by more than eight seconds.

With his fifth-place result, Sawalich notched his sixth top-five result and his ninth top-10 result through 22-scheduled O’Reilly events in 2026. He also achieved his highest-finishing result at IMS by two spots. Amid the disappointment of not having enough pace to reel in the front-runners, Sawalich was left pleased with his top-five result.

“It was a good race,” Sawalich, who won his first O’Reilly career event at Rockingham Speedway in April, said. “I kind of stayed in the top 10 the whole race. [I] Struggled for short-run speed. Our SoundGear Supra was really good on the long run. That’s kind of where we’ve can capitalize, but the short runs were just hurting us, not being there at the end.”

Prior to IMS, Sawalich was ranked in 14th place in the 2026 driver’s standings and he trailed the top-12 cutline to make the Chase by 21 points. After IMS, the Minnesota native jumped to 13th place and is only seven points below the cutline with two regular-season events remaining on this year’s calendar. Having missed the postseason battle and not contend for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series’ title during his rookie campaign in 2025, Sawalich remains poised to extend his strong result at Indianapolis for the upcoming events at Iowa Speedway and Daytona International Speedway, respectively, that would enable him to secure a Chase berth in 2026.

“I think we just need to do [this performance at Indianapolis] again,” Sawalich added. “Building a comfortable gap going into Daytona. Anything can happen there, even if we’re down in points going in. You never know know going in there.” 

William Sawalich’s pursuit to make the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series’ Chase resumes on August 8 at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa, for the Hy-Vee Perks 250. The event’s broadcast time is scheduled to commence at 5 p.m. ET on the CW Network, MRN Radio, and SiriusXM.

Why Real-Time Visibility Is the New Standard for Commercial Fleet Safety

By
SM
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Photo by Nicole Logan on Unsplash

Fleets that continue to depend on post-incident investigation to handle safety are not truly managing safety – they are managing paperwork after the fact. When in-cab and external video evidence is streaming to the cloud in real time, the paperwork takes care of itself. The bigger issue, and the greater opportunity, is managing behavior and risk before an incident occurs. It is impossible to overstate the value of preventing an incident, a claim, or a lawsuit in the first place.

What “real-time visibility” actually means on the road

Real-time visibility into fleet operations is a buzzword you often hear. But what does it really mean? Well, let’s take the example of a speed violation. Standard telematics can detect that a vehicle was speeding, but that’s not real-time visibility. It’s just a basic, stripped-down data point letting you know after the fact that an event occurred. Real-time visibility is knowing while you can still prevent it from happening next time, because it’s happening right now.

GPS fleet telematics has come a long way and is probably the most common starting point for people looking to modernize their fleet. It does a very good job telling you where your vehicles are and tracking movement. It can also passively record a variety of metrics from engine on and off times to maintenance warnings, fuel level, and idling. It’s great for monitoring and improving fuel efficiency and route planning too. But if that’s where your system stops, it’s only doing half of what modern in-cab technology is capable of.

The latest fleet camera systems offer a far deeper kind of visibility than most people imagined a decade ago. It’s more than knowing all the things that happened on yesterday’s shift. It’s knowing all the things that are happening during today’s shift too. It all comes down to context, cellular networks, and the cloud.

Edge AI is doing the heavy lifting before incidents happen

What has had the most impact on the sector is not cloud connectivity, but the available compute in the cameras themselves in recent years. Edge AI, where camera technology can process video locally in real time without the need to first report back to a server, has directly enabled modern dash cams to monitor that drivers’ eyes have been off the road, that they are using a phone, or that they have removed their seatbelt – and to provide an immediate in-cab alert (audio or visual) before any of those behaviors escalates into a collision. The potential infringements are not reported for a fleet manager to follow up later, but the alert happens where and when it matters.

For fleets looking to strengthen real-time visibility, Trackhawk GPS fleet dash cams combine video with fleet telematics to give managers greater insight into driver safety and on-road events.

This in-cab alerting is where the real magic happens. A driver who gets an alert for following too closely within the space of five seconds gets powerful, live feedback directly matching their actions. Treat the driver to the same alert in the same circumstances two minutes, two hours, or two days later and the human brain starts to link cause and effect. One after the other after the other, this technology does more to improve driving styles over time than a quarterly safety meeting ever will.

With ADAS capabilities already built into the same camera units, a step further is to also monitor lane departure, forward collision risk, and proximity to pedestrians. The camera is becoming less of a recording device and more of an active co-pilot.

The litigation problem fleets can’t afford to ignore

Nuclear verdicts, which are jury awards in excess of $10 million in commercial trucking suits, are fast becoming a defining issue for carriers. A dozen years ago, highway lawsuit awards and settlements averaged about $1 million per case. In the past 18 months, average awards have more than doubled to $2.3 million, most now taxed with 40% legal fees, and doubled down on by plaintiff appeals that drag on for another three years.

Nuclear verdicts arise when a carrier, its driver, or both, have either gross or willful negligence, yet they are most impactful when the trucking operation is perceived as wealthy and able to pay the most for a settlement. Without clear video evidence, even a driver who did nothing wrong can end up at the center of a multi-million dollar settlement driven by perception rather than facts.

Video evidence fundamentally changes nuclear verdict design. The cornerstone of any driver exoneration claim is that it can be proven, definitively and without a doubt, that their commercial truck and/or trailer was not the cause. This primary defense requires video evidence to be unedited, with an indisputable timestamp, and pulled from a secure cloud. A corrupt plaintiff attorney must simply muddle up the chain of custody from an SD card, and the case is quickly settled with a driver being falsely accused.

The First Notice of Loss (FNOL) cycle is the first point where video aids the most. In the six to eight hours right after the crash, while plaintiffs are scouting for trucking nameplates, your driver is trying to make contact with a safety manager and insurance rep. Video telematics from within the cab can establish early on if the truck was in the area at the time of the incident, thereby eliminating months-old accusations that will eventually be used to levy settlements of millions of dollars.

Addressing the privacy question directly

Resistance from drivers is a reality, and ignoring it won’t help. In-cab cameras, in particular, are a source of real tension, and if fleet managers don’t take an active role in addressing that tension, your visibility platform efforts could be doomed from day one.

The best strategy is to be transparent before you even begin to install cameras – precisely announcing you will install cameras tends to backfire spectacularly. Instead, foster open conversations. What gets recorded, by what, for how long, who can access it, when and why is it accessed, and what minor over-the-limit infractions (like speed) won’t be reported should all be clearly recorded in a written policy for review with drivers. Doing this in advance likely addresses most of the concerns.

How you present the whole real-time visibility concept plays a large role too. If drivers see in-cab cameras as primarily being for their protection, and if you have a few true exoneration stories ready to share, the pushback will be much less resistance and much more acceptance. Most notably, because drivers are your most experienced and capable mechanical problem detectors and because you need their buy-in for your program to succeed, this approach aligns your goals with theirs. You want safety for the best price; your drivers want their good name and driving record protected since it can make the difference between having a job available and being unemployed.

All of which makes in-cab cameras a good solution for everyone so long as the culture they foster is one of mutual accountability, not surveillance. A safety record relies on fewer he-said-she-said cases, after all, and better weighs the track record of consistently safe drivers, too.

From punitive tracking to driver coaching that actually works

The difference between surveillance and coaching lies in the way information is utilized post-collection. Punitive systems instigate compliance theatre – drivers are cautious only when they feel they are being observed and revert to their previous behavior when they are not. Coaching-based systems consider safety data as a tool for progress and instill self-motivation over the long term.

In this context, gamified driver coaching programs represent a concrete step towards achieving this change. Real-time data from events provided by dash cams feeds into a scoring system whereby drivers can monitor their safety data, compare results with their peers, and receive recognition for raising their performance. In this case, the narrative changes from “overseers are monitoring my behavior” to “I am challenging myself and my teammates”. Company owners conducting these programs have reported that in addition to improved safety outcomes, morale and retention rates have also increased – two very important factors to consider when finding trained drivers and retaining them is a challenging task.

Coaching improves significantly when it’s backed up by event data. A safety officer who has access to thirty seconds of video of a braking event can use the recorded data to have a very specific and useful conversation with the driver, which is not possible by just using a telematics alert that provides the information “speed 67mph, hard brake, 14:32”, for example.

The ROI case beyond accident prevention

Real-time visibility solutions for fleets offer a lot of benefits to different stakeholders – from drivers to dispatchers to customers. But to the folks holding the purse strings to your fleet, the real-time return on investment for these programs is almost exclusively financial. So where does the money come from? Well, the business case for improved real-time visibility includes immediate hard-dollar savings on maintenance, fuel, and insurance. Plus, it includes a quantifiable reduction in the ultimate cost of accidents – which is the biggest prize of all.

Fleet managers often sell real-time visibility programs to leadership on accident prevention alone, which undersells the actual financial return. The full picture includes insurance premium reductions, lower fuel consumption from smoother driving behavior, and reduced mechanical wear from fewer hard stops and aggressive acceleration events.

Future-proofing the fleet

Passive SD card systems may have made sense when cellular networks were less reliable, data plans were expensive, and cloud-based storage was in the future. Those constraints are no longer valid. Clinging to SD-based infrastructure means accepting a critical vulnerability – footage that can be overwritten, lost in a damaged device, or unavailable during the FNOL window when it’s most needed.

Cloud-connected platforms provide reassurance of footage integrity from immediately after it’s captured. The data is timestamped, stored off the vehicle, and accessible from anywhere. That’s the baseline expectation for a fleet operating in an environment where a single incident can generate litigation that outlasts the vehicle that was involved.

Real-time visibility isn’t a feature upgrade on top of existing fleet management. It’s a fundamental change in how commercial vehicle safety gets managed – and fleets that treat it that way will have an operational advantage that compounds every year over those that don’t.

How Successful Motorsport Teams Balance Performance and Budget

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Photo by JIWON KANG on Unsplash

Success in motorsport is often associated with speed, cutting-edge technology, and world-class talent. Behind every podium finish, however, is a constant balancing act between competitive ambition and financial discipline. Whether competing in Formula racing, endurance championships, touring cars, rallying, or grassroots series, teams must decide where every dollar will have the greatest impact.

A larger budget can certainly provide advantages, but unlimited spending rarely guarantees consistent results. The strongest organizations understand that every investment must improve reliability, efficiency, or performance while supporting long-term sustainability. They build systems that allow them to compete effectively without exhausting resources halfway through the season.

The difference between successful and struggling teams is often found not in how much they spend, but in how intelligently they allocate their budget.

Prioritizing Investments That Produce Competitive Gains

Every motorsport season presents countless opportunities to spend money. New aerodynamic components, upgraded suspension parts, simulation software, testing sessions, data analysis tools, and additional personnel all promise performance improvements. Yet teams rarely have the resources to pursue every upgrade simultaneously.

Successful managers evaluate each expenditure according to its expected return. They ask whether an investment will genuinely improve lap times, increase reliability, reduce operating costs, or strengthen future development rather than simply adding another expensive component.

The same principle applies when individuals manage financial opportunities. Resources discussing Vector Vest explain that active trading strategies can involve tax considerations that influence overall returns, meaning decisions should account for more than immediate gains. Likewise, motorsport teams recognize that today’s spending decision can create financial consequences long after a single race weekend has ended. Understanding the broader cost of each investment leads to more sustainable performance. 

Instead of chasing every available upgrade, experienced teams identify the changes that deliver measurable improvements while fitting within the season’s broader development strategy.

Managing Operating Costs Throughout the Season

Race weekends involve far more than the car itself. Transportation, fuel, accommodation, tires, spare parts, engine maintenance, workshop operations, insurance, and logistics all consume significant portions of the annual budget.

These recurring expenses often determine whether a team can continue developing throughout the season. Overspending early may leave insufficient resources for repairs or upgrades when competition becomes more intense later in the year.

Careful planning begins months before the opening race. Teams negotiate supplier agreements, estimate replacement part requirements, organize transportation efficiently, and build contingency funds for unexpected mechanical failures or accident damage.

Monitoring these expenses continuously helps managers identify trends before they become serious financial problems. Small savings across multiple operational areas can eventually fund meaningful technical improvements later in the championship.

Building a Reliable Car Before Chasing Maximum Speed

Photo by Dmitry Tomashek on Unsplash 

Raw speed attracts attention, but reliability wins championships. A slightly slower car that consistently finishes races often earns more points than a faster machine suffering repeated mechanical failures.

Budget-conscious teams frequently invest first in durability rather than headline performance figures. Strong quality control, preventative maintenance, and careful component testing reduce the likelihood of expensive failures that require emergency replacements.

Reliability also protects other investments. A driver cannot benefit from aerodynamic improvements or engine upgrades if mechanical breakdowns prevent the car from finishing races.

Engineering departments therefore evaluate every modification according to both potential performance gains and long-term durability. Sometimes delaying a major upgrade until sufficient testing has been completed proves less expensive than introducing an unreliable component too early.

This disciplined approach allows development to continue steadily instead of repeatedly recovering from avoidable failures.

Developing People Alongside Technology

Modern motorsport depends on highly skilled people as much as advanced equipment. Engineers, mechanics, strategists, data analysts, drivers, and pit crews all influence race results.

Investing in staff development often produces long-term returns that exceed individual hardware purchases. Improved communication, faster pit stops, better race strategy, and more effective problem-solving can generate competitive advantages without dramatically increasing equipment costs.

Simulation training, technical education, and post-race performance reviews help entire organizations improve continuously. Teams that encourage collaboration between departments also identify operational efficiencies that isolated groups might overlook.

Driver development deserves similar attention. Young drivers who understand tire management, racecraft, data interpretation, and technical feedback frequently maximize available equipment more effectively than relying solely on aggressive driving.

Building experienced personnel reduces costly mistakes while strengthening the team’s ability to respond quickly as competitive conditions change throughout the season.

Planning Beyond a Single Championship

Motorsport success rarely comes from focusing exclusively on the next race. Organizations that remain competitive across multiple seasons establish financial and technical plans extending well beyond the current championship.

Long-term planning includes equipment replacement schedules, sponsor relationships, youth driver programs, infrastructure improvements, and research projects that may not deliver immediate competitive benefits.

Sponsorship plays a particularly important role. Maintaining strong partnerships requires consistent professionalism, transparent communication, and measurable value for commercial partners. Reliable sponsor support provides greater financial stability than depending on uncertain short-term funding.

Teams must also recognize when immediate performance should give way to future sustainability. Sacrificing every available resource for one championship campaign can leave an organization struggling to remain competitive afterward.

The most successful motorsport operations understand that championships are built through thousands of disciplined financial and technical decisions rather than one dramatic investment. By balancing performance ambitions with responsible budgeting, they create organizations capable of competing successfully year after year.

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