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Kaden Honeycutt scores second ARCA career victory at Lucas Oil IRP

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

Kaden Honeycutt made himself two-for-two in the ARCA Menards Series this season. His latest addition of victory was on Friday, July 24, at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park after he executed a late dominant run to win the LiUNA 150.

The 2024 CARS Pro Late Model Tour champion from Willow Park, Texas, took the green flag from seventh place and spent the entire event racing towards the front. As pole-sitter Carson Brown dominated by leading the first 77 laps from pole position, Honeycutt executed a move through the backstretch to lead for the first time on Lap 78. Honeycutt proceeded to dominate and lead for nearly the event’s remainder until Brown reeled in and tried to reassume the top spot within the final 10-lap mark. With lapped traffic mingling between the leaders’ battle, Honeycutt managed to retain the top spot and motor away when Brown briefly lost power with seven laps remaining. With Brown unable to recover, Honeycutt spent the event’s remainder cruising to the victory in Brownsburg, Indiana, for the first time ever.

With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Friday, Carson Brown won the pole position with a pole-winning lap at 110.166 mph in 22.417 seconds. Thomas Annunziata qualified in second place with a lap at 109.96 mph in 22.459 seconds.

When the green flag waved and the event commenced, Carson Brown and Thomas Annunziata dueled for the lead in front of a stacked field for a full lap. When the field cycled back to the frontstretch, Brown, who opted to start on the outside lane from pole position, led the first lap by 0.013 seconds over Annunziata. Brown then managed to motor ahead of Annunziata exiting the backstretch and have both lanes to his control with a clear racetrack and with the lead by the second lap. Over the next three laps, Brown stretched his early advantage to seven-tenths of a second while Annunziata, Kaden Honeycutt, Max Reaves and Tristan McKee followed suit in the top five, respectively.

On the 10th lap, the event’s first caution flew due to Tristan McKee, the 2026 ARCA East points leader, colliding in between the lapped competitor of Ivis Earley and fourth-place Max Reaves entering the first turn. The incident occurred as McKee was reeling in Reaves for fourth place, and it knocked McGee out of contention while Reaves continued in fourth place.

As the event restarted on Lap 17, Brown motored ahead of Annunziata, Honeycutt and the field that fanned out for a full lap. Brown retained the lead by nearly half a second on Lap 20, seven-tenths of a second by Lap 25 and by eight-tenths of a second at the Lap 30 mark. Behind, Annunziata was more than two seconds ahead of Honeycutt to retain the runner-up spot while Reaves and Isabella Robusto were in the top five. Meanwhile, Gavan Boschele, Bryce Applegate, Jake Bollman, Andrew Patterson and Ashton Higgins were racing in the top-10 mark ahead of Isaac Kitzmiller, Quinn Davis, Jason Kitzmiller, Zachary Tinkle and Hunter Wright while Dystany Spurlock, Takuma Koga, Austin Vaughn, Jackson McLerran and Crain Pellegrini Jr. were scored in the top 20, respectively.

Through the Lap 45 mark, Brown continued to stretch his advantage as he led by more than two seconds over Annunziata. Behind, Honeycutt was fending off Reaves for third place while Isabella Robusto trailed the latter two by within half a second. Reaves prevailed in his long-lasting battle on Honeycutt to assume third place a lap later while Boschele, Applegate, Bollman, Patterson and Higgins were scored in the top 10, respectively. Meanwhile, Brown retained the lead by nearly two seconds both at the Laps 50 and 60 mark.

On Lap 61, the caution flew when Michael Maples got loose through the frontstretch, spun by himself and hit the inside wall on the right side. Seconds later, Ashton Higgins, who was racing in 10th place, spun through the first two turns after he made contact with ninth-place Andrew Patterson.

The next restart on Lap 68 featured Brown motoring away from Annunziata, Honeycutt, Reaves and the field through the first two turns and the backstretch. As Brown led the next lap, Honeycutt moved into second place ahead of Annunziata and Reaves while Boschele joined the battle. Amid the battles, the caution returned just past the Lap 70 mark when Dystany Spurlock spun through the first two turns.

Following Spurlock’s incident, ARCA Menards Series’ officials ruled this latest caution to serve as the midway intermission period scheduled for Lap 75, with the entire field led by Brown pitting non-competitively for service on Lap 72.

When the break concluded and the event resumed with 75 laps remaining, Brown used the outside lane to barely fend off Honeycutt through the first two turns and the backstretch. Then as Honeycutt tried to draw even with Brown, the latter barely slipped through Turns 3 and 4, but he retained the top spot over the next two laps before Honeycutt, who transitioned from the inside to outside lane, used the backstretch to assume the lead for the first time with 72 laps remaining.

Another lap later, the caution returned due to a multi-car wreck in the first two turns. The incident started when Robusto made contact beneath Reaes while battling for sixth place entering the first turn and sent both for a spin. As Reaves spun from the top to the bottom of the course without making further contact, Robusto was hit on the left side by a spinning Applegate while Jason Kitzmiller and Hunter Wright sustained minimal contact against Roberto’s wrecked entry.

During the next restart with 63 laps remaining, Honeycutt used the outside lane to fend off and motor ahead of Brown to retain the lead. As Honeycutt led the next lap, Brown retained second place ahead of Boschele and Annunziata while Jake Bollman reeled in on the latter two from fifth place for more. Behind, Ashton Higgins, who recovered from his Lap 61 spin, was reeling in on Isaac Kitzmiller for sixth place as Honeycutt led by half a second with 60 laps remaining.

Following another caution that flew with 50 laps remaining due to debris on the course, the next restart with 44 laps remaining did not last long when Tristan McKee bumped Rita Goulet for a spin through the backstretch. At the time of caution, Honeycutt fended off Brown to retain the lead. For the following restart with 38 laps remaining, Honeycutt rocketed away from Brown and the field to lead the field for a full cycle. As teammates Boschele, Bollman and Annunziata battled for third place, the former two overtook the latter as Honeycutt led by eight-tenths of a second with 35 laps remaining.

Down to the final 25 laps, Honeycutt stretched his lead to a second over Brown while Boschele occupied third place in front of teammates Annunziata and Bollman. Behind, Isaac Kitzmiller was racing in sixth place ahead of Ashton Higgins and Patterson while Reaves navigated his way up to ninth place ahead of Zachary Tinkle. As the laps dwindled, Brown started to reel in Honeycutt, with the former trailing by six-tenths of a second as Honeycutt was also approaching lapped traffic. After navigating his way through the lapped traffic, Honeycutt maintained the lead by six-tenths of a second over Brown with 15 laps remaining.

Then with 11 laps remaining, Brown and Honeycutt dueled for the lead through the frontstretch, with Brown seizing a late opportunity after reeling in Honeycutt for several laps, until the former used the inside lane through the first two turns to return atop the leaderboard. Honeycutt, however, drew back alongside Brown for the following lap as both were mired in more lapped traffic. Honeycutt, who remained on the outside lane and navigated his way through the lapped traffic amid another dive bomb move by Brown through the turns, would reassume the lead and maintain it by four-tenths of a second with nine laps remaining.

Brown then fell off the pace through the frontstretch after he lost power with seven laps remaining. This allowed Annunziata and Boschele to overtake Brown and drop the latter to fourth place, though Brown was able to re-fire and resume under race pace. While Brown tried to rally from his late deficit, Honeycutt maintained a reasonable lead of more than three seconds as the laps dwindled.

When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Honeycutt remained in the lead by more than three seconds over Annunziata and by more than five seconds over Brown. With no competition lurking nor reeling in from behind, Honeycutt cycled the No. 17 Mohawk Northeast/MMI/Cook Racing Technologies Toyota Camry around Lucas Oil IRP smoothly for a final time before he cycled back to the frontstretch and took the checkered flag.

With the victory, Honeycutt, who led 72 laps, notched his second ARCA Menards Series career win, both occurring this season, and his first since he won at Watkins Glen International in early May. After proceeding to win his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career race at The Glen hours after winning the ARCA event, Honeycutt will attempt to double down for a second time at the conclusion of tonight’s Truck event at Lucas Oil IRP.

“I’ve never felt so prepared in my career, and every week I’ve been going to, I’ve been feeling so right,” Honeycutt said on the frontstretch on FS1. “This [win’s] all for [team owner] Bruce Cook. These [No. 17] guys, I don’t know if that shows them enough that they could come compete at this level and beat these guys. Me and Carson [Brown] had a hell of a race. I don’t know what happened to him. I hate that happened, but it was wild through lapped traffic. I had to body-slam one guy, very sorry for that, but I had to go. So awesome. It’s a really good experience for a couple hours.”

Thomas Annunziata, who is coming off a victory at Lime Rock Park two weeks ago, settled in second place for his seventh top-five result of the 2026 season while pole-sitter Carson Brown, who led a race-high 78 laps, ended up in third place.

Gavan Boschele and Isaac Kitzmiller finished in the top five while Andrew Patterson, Jake Bollman, Ashton Higgins, Max Reaves and Zachary Tinkle, all of whom finished on the lead lap, completed the top 10 in the final running order.

This event featured three lead changes for two leaders, and six cautions for 42 laps. In addition, only 10 of 34 starters finished on the lead lap.

Following the 13th event of the 2026 ARCA Menards Series season, Jake Bollman, who finished seventh at Lucas Oil IRP, leads the championship standings by three points over Thomas Annunziata. In addition, Max Reaves, who rallied from his pair of on-track incidents to finish ninth, assumed the lead in the ARCA Menards Series East standings by three points over Tristan McKee with two-scheduled races remaining.

Results:

  1. Kaden Honeycutt, 72 laps led
  2. Thomas Annunziata
  3. Carson Brown, 78 laps led
  4. Gavan Boschele
  5. Isaac Kitzmiller
  6. Andrew Patterson
  7. Jake Bollman
  8. Ashton Higgins
  9. Max Reaves
  10. Zachary Tinkle
  11. Quinn Davis, one lap down
  12. Hunter Wright, one lap down
  13. Dystany Spurlock, one lap down
  14. Austin Vaughn, two laps down
  15. Jackson McLerran, two laps down
  16. Jason Kitzmiller, two laps down
  17. Craig Pellegrini Jr., two laps down
  18. Landon Brown, three laps down
  19. Takuma Koga, three laps down
  20. Alex Clubb, six laps down
  21. Jeff Maconi, seven laps down
  22. Rita Goulet, seven laps down
  23. Chase Buscaglia, eight laps down
  24. Brad Smith, nine laps down
  25. Nate Moeller, 10 laps down
  26. Dale Shearer, 11 laps down
  27. Brayton Laster, 16 laps down
  28. Ivis Earley, 17 laps down
  29. Michael Maples – OUT Mechanical
  30. Isabella Robusto – OUT, Accident
  31. Bryce Applegate – OUT, Accident
  32. Tristan McKee – OUT, Mechanical
  33. Michael Clayton – OUT, Mechanical
  34. Kevin Campbell – OUT, Did Not Start

Next on the 2026 ARCA Menards Series schedule is Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa, for the Atlas 150 that will also be a combined event between the ARCA and ARCA Menards Series East divisions. The event will occur on August 7 at 7 p.m. ET on FS1.

Before this event, the ARCA Menards Series East schedule resumes next Saturday, August 1, at Flat Rock Speedway in Flat Rock, Michigan that will air at 7:30 p.m. ET on FloRacing.

Cadillac Vistiq: A Complete Guide to Cadillac’s Luxury Electric SUV

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

Vistiq is an all-electric three-row luxury SUV that combines premium comfort, advanced technology, powerful performance, and practical family-focused design. It sits between the Lyriq and Escalade IQ in Cadillac’s electric lineup, filling a gap that a lot of buyers have been waiting for.

Luxury EV SUVs have grown into one of the busier segments in the industry lately, and Cadillac Vistiq own push toward electrification has been a big part of that shift. This model is drawing attention for a simple reason, it brings together electric performance, a genuinely luxurious interior, family-friendly space, and modern technology in one package, without asking buyers to choose between them.

Overview: What Makes It Special?

This SUV represents a new generation of Cadillac EVs, built as a three-row luxury crossover that slots neatly into the brand’s electric lineup. It’s positioned for buyers who want a genuinely premium experience, real electric driving credentials, and enough everyday practicality to justify daily use rather than sitting as a garage showpiece.

FeatureDetails
Vehicle TypeLuxury Electric SUV
Seating6 to 7 passengers
DrivetrainAll-wheel drive
PowertrainDual electric motors

Performance and Electric Powertrain

It delivers strong performance through a dual-motor electric powertrain that provides instant torque and smooth acceleration.

The dual motor AWD system pairs a front and rear motor for improved traction and a driving feel that stays confident regardless of road conditions.

SpecificationFigure
Horsepower615 hp
Torque650 lb-ft
Battery102 kWh
Drive SystemAWD

On the road, that translates to quick acceleration, smooth power delivery with none of the hesitation you’d get from a traditional engine, and the kind of quiet cabin experience that’s become one of the genuine perks of driving electric.

Range and Charging

This SUV offers approximately 300 to 305 miles of driving range on a full charge, making it suitable for daily commuting and longer journeys alike.

The 102 kWh battery is the backbone of that range figure, and charging options cover both convenience and speed. DC fast charging handles longer trips when time matters, while home charging takes care of the day-to-day routine without needing to think about it much. Like most EVs at this level, actual ownership comes down to planning around charging access, though the range gives enough buffer that it shouldn’t be a constant concern.

Interior and Luxury Features

Spacious Three-Row Cabin

Seating for families is genuinely usable across all three rows, not just a token third row squeezed in for the spec sheet. Passenger comfort holds up well throughout, and the interior layout flexes depending on whether you need more seating or more cargo room.

Premium Interior Experience

Inside, there’s a large curved display that anchors the cabin, premium materials throughout, a panoramic sunroof, heated and ventilated seats, and a premium audio system that rounds out the whole experience. Interior quality matters a lot in this segment, since buyers paying luxury prices expect the cabin to actually feel like it, not just look the part in photos.

Technology and Safety Features

On the technology side, digital displays and connected features come standard, along with a Google built-in system that makes navigation and apps feel intuitive rather than bolted on.

Driver assistance is where things get particularly interesting. Super Cruise offers genuine hands-free driving on supported roads, backed by lane assistance, emergency braking, and safety monitoring systems that work quietly in the background. Autocram‘s broader coverage of Cadillac’s EV lineup has pointed out that Super Cruise remains one of the more mature hands-free systems on the market, and it shows here too. Together, this technology doesn’t just add convenience, it changes how relaxed longer drives can feel.

Exterior Design and Styling

The design carries Cadillac’s bold language forward, with signature lighting that’s become a brand hallmark and a large SUV presence that doesn’t shy away from being noticed. Aerodynamic styling keeps things efficient without sacrificing that presence, and the overall look reads as distinctly modern EV rather than a reskinned combustion model. That combination is a big part of why it stands out in a segment that’s getting more crowded by the year.

Trims and Pricing

TrimStarting Position
LuxuryEntry-level model
SportSportier styling
Premium LuxuryAdditional premium features
PlatinumHighest luxury trim

Different trims cater to different buyer preferences. The base trim covers the essentials well, while moving up the ladder adds premium upgrades for buyers who want the full luxury experience without compromise.

Pros and Cons

ProsCons
Powerful electric performancePremium pricing
Spacious luxury cabinLarge size
Advanced technologyCharging infrastructure matters
Quiet driving experienceLimited availability

How It Compares to Other Luxury Electric SUVs

SUVMain Strength
Cadillac VistiqLuxury + three-row practicality
Tesla Model XTechnology and performance
Volvo EX90Safety and comfort
Lucid GravityRange and power

Competition in the luxury EV segment has gotten fierce, with each brand carving out its own strength. Where this model stands out is the combination of genuine luxury and three-row practicality together, a pairing that’s harder to find than it should be in this class.

Is It Worth Buying?

Vistiq is worth considering for buyers who want a luxury electric SUV with strong performance, advanced features, and enough space for family use.

It suits luxury SUV buyers looking to go electric, families needing real third-row space, EV enthusiasts who want something with genuine performance credentials, and long-distance drivers who’ll benefit from the range and charging setup. Before buying, it’s worth thinking through budget, charging access in your area, and whether the vehicle’s size fits your daily parking and driving situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Cadillac Vistiq?

It’s a luxury three-row electric SUV designed with premium comfort, technology, and performance features.

How much horsepower does it have?

It produces 615 horsepower with 650 lb-ft of torque.

How much range does it offer?

It provides around 300 to 305 miles of electric range depending on configuration.

Is it good for families?

Yes, its three-row seating, comfortable interior, and advanced safety features make it suitable for families.

Is it fully electric?

Yes, it’s a fully electric SUV powered by a battery and dual electric motors.

Bringing Luxury Into the EV Future

Cadillac Vistiq represents the brand’s next generation of electric SUVs, and it shows in how well the vehicle balances luxury, technology, and performance without leaning too hard on any single one. For buyers seeking a premium family EV, it’s a genuinely compelling option, and a good sign of where electric SUVs are headed as the segment keeps maturing.

How to Choose the Best Mobile Betting Bonus on 1xBet: Expert Tips to Maximize Enjoyment

By
SM
-

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Understand Bonus Types: What You Can Count on

As an international operator, 1xBet boasts millions of customers worldwide. Such large service providers are forced to meet growing consumer demand while considering regional preferences. Given this, the sportsbook offers members a choice among a variety of rewards that typically include:

  • Welcome bonuses available to newcomers
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The bonus selection typically varies by region, so users need to find the legal mobile platform or app. Every promotion at 1xBet serves different purposes. For instance, the welcome offer is designed for first-time players who have recently registered for the online sportsbook. It’s worth noting that promotions are not accessible to users who don’t have an account in the system, so signing up is mandatory.

Don’t Neglect Using Promo Codes

Promotional codes are text combinations that should be entered into the dedicated field, after which a special 1xBet APK bonus is activated. The platform offers multiple promo codes for both new and existing customers, and knowing how to use them properly is important. These combinations are typically valid for limited periods, so keep an eye on expiration dates to avoid activating rewards that are no longer active. Newcomers can enter a welcome promo code, which is only available during sign-up. Check the validity, as it may vary across jurisdictions.

Reviewing the Promo Code Store, which is accessible both on the site and the mobile app, is another way to explore what existing players can get. This section often features free bets, spins, accumulator boosts, and many other rewards. Users get 1xBet loyalty points for all wagers and deposits they make on the platform. After generating the necessary number of points, you can exchange them for exclusive promo codes.

Each offer has its specific terms and conditions, including wagering and eligible odds. Carefully read the fine print before activation and ensure that you will be able to meet the requirements hassle-free. Stay updated to learn more about the newest 1xBet mobile bonuses, but approach this process wisely and choose the most beneficial deals that suit your betting style.

Check Mobile-Only Promotions

Sometimes, the online bookmaker may delight mobile players with app-only rewards, which are not accessible via the desktop platform. They are typically sent via push notifications, reaching directly to customers. To unlock the promotion, users need to check the wagering requirements and ensure it’s eligible for the sports markets they want to bet on. As millions of players prefer to access betting services on smaller screens, such promotions are more beneficial than ever before. In addition to standard bonuses, the platform may provide personalized promo codes for loyal members who have been consistently wagering in the 1xBet app.

Select Bonuses That Match Your Betting Style

Your entertainment preferences should be one of the main factors to consider when selecting the right 1xBet promotion. If you enjoy placing pre-match or live sports wagers, free bet offers and deposit multipliers are the top choice for you. On the contrary, casino fans should consider free spins and other gambling-related rewards that appear on the site and the mobile application. Sports betting and online casino incentives are sorted into different categories, so players can quickly find what they need. However, pay special attention to validity periods: claiming expired rewards is senseless, as they won’t be credited to your 1xBet balance.

Consider Mobile-Only Experiences

A good mobile betting bonus should be activated hassle-free and offer clear usage conditions. Players often avoid difficult-to-use promotions that require a lot of time and effort. To avoid delays, look for promotions that can be quickly claimed on smartphones. Smooth experiences are the best choice for risk-seekers, as they can focus on the entertainment value instead of complicated navigation. 1xBet offers a convenient feature for members, while also alerting them when new bonuses are released. 

App users can take advantage of built-in notifications that they may customize according to their favorite activities, betting markets, and previously chosen rewards. The bookmaker immediately notifies players about new bonuses that may potentially match their preferences. 1xBet members who choose not to download the app and use the web version are recommended to monitor the promotions section regularly.

Alex Bowman’s Reflection on Cup career ahead of Retirement after 2027

By
Andrew Kim
-
Photo by Logan Allen for SpeedwayMedia.com.

On July 23, 2026, Alex Bowman was revealed to have signed a one-year contract extension to remain as the driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry for the 2027 NASCAR Cup Series season. It was also revealed that he would then retire from full-time racing following next season’s conclusion.

A day later at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (July 25), Bowman and Jeff Andrews, President and General Manager of Hendrick Motorsports, took center stage of the DEX Imaging Media Center to both confirm the news and answer questions from the media. During Bowman’s press conference, it was also a time when the Tucson, Arizona, native took a moment to reflect on his roller coaster journey to campaign in most of his full-time Cup Series competition for Hendrick Motorsports, an organization with the most victories (322) and championships (15) all time to date.

It was a little over a decade ago (July 14, 2016) when Bowman took center stage in the Cup Series field when he was named an interim competitor for Dale Earnhardt Jr. at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. By then, Bowman, who had competed the previous two seasons with BK Racing and Tommy Baldwin Racing (2014-15), had lost his ride with the latter organization and was competing in select O’Reilly Auto Parts Series events with JR Motorsports. During this time, he mentioned that he was selling seats to manage through everyday life, including paying rent.

Nevertheless, an opportunity presented itself for Bowman when Earnhardt Jr. was battling concussion-like symptoms that cut his 2016 season short after 18 of 36 races. As an interim competitor for Hendrick Motorsports in 10 of the final 18 events in 2016, Bowman recorded an average-finishing result of 19.7, posted an average-qualifying result of 12.3 and notched a trio of top-10 results. His biggest moment came when he achieved his first career pole at Phoenix Raceway in November and led a race-high 194 laps until a late-race restart incident involving Matt Kenseth relegated him to sixth place in the final standings.

After Bowman filled in for Earnhardt Jr. at the Clash at Daytona International Speedway and notched a strong third-place result in February 2017, a big moment for Bowman occurred five months later (July 20, 2017) when he was named to drive for Hendrick Motorsports on a full-time basis for the 2018 Cup Series season. The announcement occurred three months after Earnhardt Jr. announced his retirement from full-time racing after the 2017 season.

Over the two years leading up to his first full-time Cup Series campaign as a Hendrick Motorsports driver in 2018, Bowman described his career with the organization as a journey filled with ups and downs both on and off the track. Amid the journey, he reflected on the memories, achievements, teamwork, friendships and support he garnered.

“[Driving for Hendrick Motorsports] hasn’t gone exactly how I would have hopes, I guess, in some ways,” Bowman said. “At the same time, I’ve learned so much. I’ve grown so much as a person. I’ve got to be teammates with some incredible people; learn from some awesome people and be a part of an amazing organization. It’s been a lot of fun. Even though the stat sheet might not read what I want it to read, it’s still been great in a lot of ways.”

Prior to Hendrick Motorsports, Bowman finished as high as 13th on the track, recorded only four top-20 results, led only three laps and was mired outside of the top-30 mark in the standings. Since driving for Hendrick, including his interim roles in 2016, the Arizona native notched eight victories, seven poles (three of which occurred for the Daytona 500 in 2018, 2021 & 2023), 49 top-five results, 116 top-10 results, 1,530 laps led and campaigned as a Playoff competitor seven times. Within his current 307 starts with Hendrick, Bowman piloted the Nos. 88 and 48 entries that were previously driven by icons Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson.

Throughout his campaign, Bowman was sidelined for multiple races on multiple occasions due to health issues. In 2022, he was absent for five of the final six races due to battling concussion-like symptoms from an accident at Texas Motor Speedway. The following season, he missed three events due to recovering from a broken vertebra following a sprint car accident at West Burlington, Iowa. This season, he missed four events due to vertigo.

Through each of his injuries and absences, Bowman managed to recover and return to Cup Series competition, including this season. Bowman denied that the injuries he sustained throughout his racing career led to his decision to retire. Even when the decision to retire became official, he noted that it was one he wanted to make to conclude his racing career on his own terms and therefore campaign for a final season with Hendrick Motorsports in 2027.

“I think for me – health-wise, mental health-wise, kind of everything – this is what I needed to do that was best for me and things I want to do outside of the car,” Bowman said. “I think also, if it was my choice, I wouldn’t have made a retirement announcement. I would have just raced until the end of next year and disappeared, but that’s not how this sport works.”

“I think I really want to end on a more positive note than kind of how this year has been, so that gave me a little more motivation to come back and go one more year (2027),” Bowman added. “I think it is better for me, personally. It’s better for Hendrick Motorsports.”

Currently, Bowman is ranked in 29th place in the 2026 driver standings with 292 points, and he is 203 points below the top-16 cutline to be in Chase contention with four races remaining until the regular-season stretch concludes. His latest victory dates back to the Chicago Street Course event in July 2024 as he looks ahead ot cap off the remainder of the 2026 season and his final full 2027 season on a strong, positive note.

“To end up at Hendrick Motorsports for a decade, it’s been incredible,” Bowman said. “It’s been a lot of fun, and it means a lot to have the support of everybody at HMS.”

Prior to his final full-time campaign in 2027, Alex Bowman’s 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season resumes this Sunday, July 26, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Brickyard 400. The event’s broadcast time is slated to commence at 2 p.m. ET on TNT Sports, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network, SiriusXM, and HBO MAX.

Layne Riggs wins third consecutive Truck pole of 2026 at Lucas Oil IRP

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

Layne Riggs nabbed his third consecutive NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series pole position of the 2026 season for the TSport 200 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (IRP) on Friday, July 24.

The event’s starting lineup was determined through an on-track qualifying session that consisted of a single-truck, two-lap qualifying format. During the session, each of the 38 competitors vying for 36 starting spots cycled around Lucas Oil IRP twice to post the fastest lap amongst one another. The competitor who posted the fastest lap was awarded the pole position.

During the session, Riggs, who was the second-fastest in practice on Friday and was the next-to-last competitor to qualify, utilized his two-lap session to post his fastest lap at 108.292 mph in 22.805 seconds. The lap was enough for Riggs and his No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford F-150 team to snatch and retain the top-starting spot for Friday night’s event at Lucas Oil IRP in Brownsburg, Indiana.

With the result, Riggs became the first competitor to notch three consecutive Truck Series poles since John Hunter Nemechek made the previous achievement in 2022. The Bahama, North Carolina, native also accumulated his seventh career pole for his 70th start and his third on a short track venue. Riggs, who won last year’s Truck event at Lucas Oil IRP and finished in the runner-up spot during last Saturday’s Truck event at North Wilkesboro Speedway, is currently leading the regular-season standings by 59 points as he strives to both defend his victory at IRP and further cement his lead in the standings prior to the Chase’s start in mid-September.

Riggs will share the front row with teammate Chandler Smith, the latter of whom is coming off last Saturday’s victory at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Smith, who is ranked in third place in the standings, posted his fastest lap at 108.055 mph in 22.855 seconds.

Nick Sanchez, Christian Eckes and Stewart Friesen qualified in the top five, respectively. Kaden Honeycutt, Connor Mosack, Grant Enfinger, Ty Majeski and Andres Perez De Lara completed the top-10 starting grid, respectively.

With 38 competitors vying for 36 starting spots, Justin Carroll and Jonathan Shafer were the two competitors who did not qualify for the main event.

Lucas Oil IRP – Qualifying Position, Best Speed, Best Time:

  1. Layne Riggs, 108.292 mph, 22.805 seconds
  2. Chandler Smith, 108.055 mph, 22.855 seconds
  3. Nick Sanchez, 108.055 mph, 22.855 seconds
  4. Christian Eckes, 107.885 mph, 22.891 seconds
  5. Stewart Friesen, 107.519 mph, 22.969 seconds
  6. Kaden Honeycutt, 107.374 mph, 23.000 seconds
  7. Connor Mosack, 107.360 mph, 23.003 seconds
  8. Grant Enfinger, 107.248 mph, 23.027 seconds
  9. Ty Majeski, 107.122 mph, 23.054 seconds
  10. Andres Perez De Lara, 107.081 mph, 23.063 seconds
  11. Michael Christopher Jr., 107.062 mph, 23.067 seconds
  12. Brenden Queen, 106.914 mph, 23.099 seconds
  13. Tyler Ankrum. 106.909 mph, 23.100 seconds
  14. Parker Eatmon, 106.858 mph, 23.111 seconds
  15. Jake Garcia, 106.697 mph, 23.146 seconds
  16. Giovanni Ruggiero, 106.526 mph, 23.183 seconds
  17. Tanner Gray, 106.490 mph, 23.191 seconds
  18. Daniel Hemric, 106.398 mph, 23.211 seconds
  19. Gavan Boschele, 106.343 mph, 23.223 seconds
  20. Landen Lewis, 106.343 mph, 23.223 seconds
  21. Dawson Sutton, 106.288 mph, 23.235 seconds
  22. Ben Rhodes, 106.242 mph, 23.245 seconds
  23. Harrison Burton, 106.165 mph, 23.262 seconds
  24. Justin Haley, 105.964 mph, 23.306 seconds
  25. Cole Butcher, 105.919 mph, 23.316 seconds
  26. Timmy Hill, 105.823 mph, 23.337 seconds
  27. Kris Wright, 105.787 mph, 23.345 seconds
  28. Mini Tyrrell, 105.543 mph, 23.399 seconds
  29. Conor Daly, 104.804 mph, 23.564 seconds
  30. Corey LaJoie, 104.578 mph, 23.615 seconds
  31. Jackson Macenko, 104.392 mph, 23.657 seconds
  32. Toni Breidinger, 104.141 mph, 23.714 seconds
  33. Cassten Everidge, 103.843 mph, 23.782 seconds
  34. Monty Tipton, 103.136 mph, 23.945 seconds
  35. Frankie Muniz, 103.050 mph, 23.965 seconds
  36. Spencer Boyd, 102.900 mph, 24.000 seconds

The 2026 TSport 200 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park is scheduled to occur on Friday, July 24, at 8 p.m. ET on FS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM.

Bell, Toyota Power to Front in Brickyard 400 Practice

By
Official Release
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Chastain Paces Pennzoil 250 Practice Heading Into Qualifying, Race Saturday

INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, July 24, 2026) – Christopher Bell led practice Friday for the Brickyard 400 presented by PPG, turning a top lap of 183.512 mph in the No. 20 Rheem Toyota of Joe Gibbs Racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Bell, who spent Thursday evening as a TV analyst for the USAC Sprint Car race at The Dirt Track at IMS, led a pack of five Toyota drivers – all from Joe Gibbs Racing and Legacy Motor Club – at the top of the speed charts after the 50-minute session on the historic 2.5-mile oval.

John Hunter Nemechek was second at 183.180 in the No. 42 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety Toyota of Legacy Motor Club, owned by four-time Brickyard 400 winner Jimmie Johnson. Ty Gibbs posted the third-fastest speed, 183.102, in the No. 54 SAIA Freight + Logistics Toyota of Joe Gibbs Racing.

Erik Jones was fourth at 182.830 in the No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota of LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, with Cup Series points leader Denny Hamlin fifth at 182.697 in the No. 11 National Debt Relief Toyota of Joe Gibbs Racing.

“We just have to put the race together,” Jones said. “We had a car last year that could have contended, and it didn’t work out. So, hopefully this year we can kind of make up for the Dollar Tree race we had last year and finish it off.”

Up next for the NASCAR Cup Series is qualifying at 1:30 p.m. ET Saturday. The Brickyard 400 presented by PPG starts at 2 p.m. Sunday.

There’s more at stake in the 160-lap race Sunday than victory in one of NASCAR’s crown jewel races. The final round of the NASCAR In-Season Challenge will take place during the race, with Ryan Blaney of Team Penske and Todd Gilliland of Front Row Motorsports competing head-to-head for a $1 million prize. Whichever driver has a higher finishing position will claim the big bonus.

2023 Cup Series champion Blaney was ninth at 182.526 in the No. 12 Menards/Delta Ford. Gilliland was 28th at 180.712 in the No. 34 Grillo’s Pickles Ford.

Two drivers scraped the SAFER Barrier during practice, including defending Brickyard 400 winner Bubba Wallace in Turn 1. He drove his No. 23 Chumba Casino Toyota of 23XI Racing to the garage for repairs and returned later in the session, posting the 20th-fastest lap of 181.382.

Shane Van Gisbergen also brushed the wall in Turn 4 in his No. 97 Wendy’s Chevrolet of Trackhouse Racing.

Austin Cindric of Team Penske also spent time in Gasoline Alley with an electrical problem in the No. 2 Discount Tire Ford. He returned to the track but was forced back to the garage with an apparent recurrence of the problem late in the session.

Ryan Preece of RFK Racing also made an early trip to the garage after the left rear tire went flat on his No. 60 Thornton’s Ford.

JR Motorsports, Chevy Rule O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Practice

NASCAR Cup Series star Ross Chastain led a Chevrolet- and JR Motorsports-dominated practice for the Pennzoil 250 presented by Take 5 Oil Change, turning a top lap of 168.171 mph in the No. 9 Roto-Rooter Chevrolet fielded by the team co-owned by NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Chevy-powered drivers took the top six spots and eight of the top nine on the speed chart in the 50-minute session, with drivers from JR Motorsports powering to the top three spots and four of the top five. JR Motorsports won this NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race last year at IMS with Connor Zilisch behind the wheel.

2018 Pennzoil 250 winner Justin Allgaier was second at 167.845 in the No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet of JR Motorsports, followed by Carson Kvapil at 167.626 in the No. 1 Wilde Protein Crackers Chevrolet of JR Motorsports.

Sam Mayer was fourth at 167.106 in the No. 7 Audibel Chevrolet of Haas Factory Team, with NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott rounding out the top five at 166.503 in the No. 88 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet fielded by JR Motorsports.

Rookie Brent Crews was the fastest non-Chevy driver, seventh at 166.328 in the No. 19 YoungLife Toyota of Joe Gibbs Racing. But that strong run came with a small setback, as Crews brushed the SAFER Barrier at the exit of Turn 1 early in the practice.

“I just got a little free there,” Crews said. “Our car is really good, and I’m excited for the race.”

Up next is qualifying at noon ET Saturday, followed by the 100-lap race at 4 p.m.

Visit IMS.com to buy Brickyard Weekend tickets or for more information.

JIMMIE JOHNSON MAKES HISTORY AS FIRST MOTORSPORTS COMPETITOR TO RECEIVE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME STAR

By
Official Release
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LOS ANGELES (July 24, 2026) — Jimmie Johnson, the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion, first-ballot NASCAR Hall of Famer, entrepreneur, and co-owner of LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, became the first motorsports competitor to be honored with a star for sports entertainment on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

From his on-track achievements to his philanthropy and the example Jimmie Johnson has set for generations of fans, a Hollywood Star creates a permanent place for Johnson’s legacy among the most influential figures in sport, entertainment and American culture. It is a true testament to how far Johnson’s influence has traveled beyond the racetrack—and will now be cemented in Hollywood history.

For more than two decades, Johnson has stood among the defining athletes of his generation. His resume includes seven NASCAR Cup Series championships, 83 Cup Series victories, a record-setting five consecutive championships, and the distinction of being the only motorsports athlete ever named The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year. Together, those achievements firmly established him among the greatest competitors in the history of sport. Yet beyond the statistics, Johnson has become known for the humility, curiosity, and character that have defined every chapter of his journey.

“To receive this honor is incredibly humbling,” said Johnson. “As a kid growing up in Southern California, Hollywood always represented a place where dreams became reality. I never imagined my path would lead through racing, much less to something like this. I’m grateful to everyone who has been part of this journey—my family, teammates, partners, competitors, fans, and friends. This recognition reflects all of us.”

Throughout his career, Johnson has consistently embraced new challenges beyond the driver’s seat: from endurance racing and team ownership to broadcasting, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy. His willingness to evolve has made him one of the rare athletes whose influence extends well beyond the sport in which he built his name.

“Jimmie Johnson’s remarkable career has been defined by speed, determination, and excellence at the highest level of motorsports,” said Ana Martinez, Producer Hollywood Walk of Fame. “As both a champion racecar driver and as an expert broadcaster in this field, his incredible achievements have inspired racing fans around the world, and we are proud to honor his enduring legacy with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Jimmie’s star is a fitting tribute to a true champion whose impact extends far beyond the finish line.”

As Johnson prepares for the final NASCAR Cup Series start of his legendary career at the 2027 DAYTONA 500, he continues to shape the future of the sport as co-owner of LEGACY MOTOR CLUB while pursuing new opportunities across media, business, and philanthropy.

ABOUT JIMMIE JOHNSON:
Jimmie Johnson is a seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion, first-ballot NASCAR Hall of Famer, entrepreneur, philanthropist, broadcaster, and co-owner of LEGACY MOTOR CLUB. Widely regarded as one of the greatest competitors in the history of motorsports, Johnson’s career includes 83 NASCAR Cup Series victories, a record-tying seven championships, five consecutive NASCAR Cup Series titles, and the distinction of being the only race car driver ever named The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year. Beyond racing, Johnson has become known for his leadership, business ventures, charitable work, and relentless pursuit of growth; guided by the belief that life’s greatest achievements are not destinations, but the starting points for what comes next.

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.

Justin Grant Wins and Secures Emotional USAC National Sprint Car Victory on The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

By
Briar Starr
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Photo Courtesy of Ryan Sellers Photo

The USAC National Sprint Car Tour Championship kicked off its Indiana Sprint Week Thursday night, as well as Brickyard 400 weekend on the Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and saw a familiar foe back in victory lane. Justin Grant, who was the defending event winner, came back to capture another victory after starting on the pole position and also collected his 100th career USAC win across all three divisions.

“No, absolutely not,” Grant said when questioned by Flo Racing if he ever thought he’d get to 100 career victories. “My dream when I moved to Indiana was to let somebody let me sit in a Sprint Car and to go racing. Then, my dream was to just win a USAC race. I thought, gosh, if I could ever win a USAC National Sprint Car race. My whole life, racing everything, everything my parents put into it, it would all be worth it if I could win one USAC National Sprint Car race.

“I cannot believe that was 100 wins ago. It’s been an incredible career, not in terms of accomplishments, but an incredible career to live through and experience. I’ve been so fortunate and blessed with so many great partners, and great car owners along the way, and so many great people that helped me out. People who don’t necessarily work for me. It’s just friends who I made along the way that I could lean on when I need to and help me get into victory lane.

“If I had to write down every person that was responsible for me getting into 100 victory lanes, the list would be 500 people long, if not more. This year has been a bit of a struggle for us. We’ve been consistent running up front, but just not getting the wins like we’ve been accustomed to. It was starting to get a little rough there for a couple of months, but to get 100 career victories at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, I couldn’t write it any better. I’m speechless.”

It was the first of nine races in over a week’s span, which started on Thursday and will conclude next Saturday. There were 37 cars on the entry list, including last year’s Indiana Sprint Week champion, Kevin Thomas Jr. Last year, Thomas Jr was in the Rock Steady Racing No.3R machine. However, Thomas Jr left the team in June and joined BBI Motorsports for what would be their first Indiana Sprint Week appearance.

Furthermore, there are eight drivers who have won the prestigious Indiana Sprint Week, which were Thomas Jr, J.J. Yeley, Brady Bacon, Robert Ballou, C.J. Leary, Chase Stockon, Grant, and Logan Seavey, to name a few.

Feature Recap

For the 35-lap feature, the front row featured Grant and Ballou, with Grant on the pole position. At the drop of the green flag, Grant had the early lead as Ballou followed suit. Meanwhile, Jake Swanson inserted himself into the picture a lap later, which saw a three-car battle for the top spot.

At 31 laps to go, Swanson used the bottom line off Turn 4 to take the lead from Grant. However, the first caution of the feature came out one lap later for several cars that had stopped in Turn 1. Jadon Rodger, Cale Coons, Ricky Lewis, and Thomas Meseraull all came to a halt.

Following the caution period, the race resumed with Swanson, Grant, Ballou, Briggs Danner, and Stockon the top five. With 26 laps to go, Swanson had a brief slip-up on the bottom lane of Turn 2, which allowed Grant to take the lead again off the top side. After taking the lead again, another caution came with 23 laps to go for two cars stuck together. It was Leary and Gunnar Setser who were stopped in Turn 1.

The race resumed, and a thriller of a battle broke out between Grant and Swanson for the top spot. Though the old saying goes, “cautions breed cautions”, as another was seen with 17 to go for Hunter Schuerenberg and Trey Osborne.

It seemed as though Grant was going to run away with the race lead, but the last yellow of the night came with five to go for Mitchel Moles, who was stopped in the middle of Turns 3 and 4.

For the final restart of the night with six laps to go, it was Grant, Swanson, Danner, Seavey, and Miller in the top five. However, despite a slew of yellows and some challenges throughout the race from Swanson, Grant held on to win back-to-back races at the Dirt Track at IMS for two years in a row.

Additionally, this was his fifth at-track victory, with three of them coming on the National Midget Tour, and now two National Sprint Car wins.

Heat Race Recaps

There were five heat races with 10 laps apiece, with the top three transferring.

For the first heat race, Charles Davis Jr and Coons were on the front row. Davis Jr was on the inside row with Coons on the outside. Davis Jr led Lap 1 over Coons after breaking away in a three-wide battle off Turn 2. A caution came out with four laps to go for Coons, who got sideways in the cushion in the middle of Turns 3 and 4. The heat went back green, and Davis Jr held off a late-race rally by Swanson for the heat victory.

Moving on were Davis Jr, Swanson, and Thomas Jr.

In the second heat, it was relatively clean and green with no yellows. However, a last-lap pass for the last transfer spot was pursued with Osborne and Meseraull, but it was Osborne who got the better of the position. Rogers won the heat race with Grant and Osborne the top three.

Kyle Cummins won the third heat race in a thriller of a last-lap pass using the high line off Turn 4 by 0.104 seconds. Shane Cottle and Stockon were the remainder of the transfers.

Shortly after the fourth heat went green, a caution came out with nine laps to go for race leader Moles, who got loose and hit the wall in the middle of Turns 3 and 4. Another yellow came out again for Moles with seven laps to go, who was stopped off Turn 4. Eventually, Moles pulled down to the infield with four to go as something was wrong with his car.

At the end of the 10-lap heat, it was Ballou getting the win with Gavin Miller and Setser taking the transfers.

In the fifth and final heat race, a caution followed with two laps to go for the No. 10 of Aric Gentry, who came to a stop in Turns 3 and 4. That was the only yellow for the heat, and Leary achieved the feat to take the final heat race. Seavey and Danner rounded out the top three

Official Race Results Following The USAC National Sprint Car on The Dirt Track at IMS

  1. Justin Grant
  2. Jake Swanson
  3. Logan Seavey
  4. Briggs Danner
  5. Shane Cottle
  6. Gavin Miller
  7. Robert Ballou
  8. Cale Coons
  9. Kyle Cummins
  10. Kevin Thomas Jr
  11. C.J. Leary
  12. Charles Davis Jr
  13. Gunnar Setser
  14. Mitchel Moles
  15. Chase Stockon
  16. Hunter Schuerenberg
  17. Jadon Rogers
  18. Trey Osborne
  19. Ricky Lewis
  20. Thomas Meseraull

Cummins continues to lead the USAC National Sprint Car Championship Points Standings over Moles by 117 points.

Up Next – The Indiana Sprint Week continues Friday night at Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville, Indiana, live on Flo Racing.

CHEVROLET NCS AT INDIANAPOLIS: Kyle Larson Media Availability Quotes

By
Official Release
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NASCAR CUP SERIES
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES
JULY 24, 2026

The 2024 Brickyard 400 winner, Kyle Larson, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series race weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Media Availability Quotes:

What was it like winning the Brickyard 400 two years ago, given that was the year you ran the double with the Coca-Cola 600 and Indianapolis 500? Did it feel like a redemption for what happened in May that you won in July?

“Yeah, I remember it feeling — I don’t know if redemption is the right word, but it was just extra satisfying to have won given how the month of May went. Just the way the race played out, it just felt like there was another power that wanted me to win. Just the way that the strategy worked out, people running out of fuel and inheriting the front row, it was just stuff that you can’t really script, or if you do, it’s going to sound fake. Yeah, it just seemed meant to be.”

The Hollywood Reporter had a story about how Paramount is going ahead with the Days of Thunder 2. I know Hendrick Motorsports was very much involved in the production of the first film. Do you know if Rick (Hendrick) has had any conversations about Days of Thunder and being involved? Just speaking in terms of Days of Thunder, in general, how excited are you to finally see a sequel?

“Yeah, I have no clue on what conversations have been had about anything, but if there is a sequel, that’s really exciting. I think all of us in here can say that Days of Thunder is one of the best, if not the greatest, racing movie out there, so to have another one will be pretty awesome. Hopefully they can make a great story out of it and captivate how our sport is today compared to how it was back then.”

What are your thoughts on Alex Bowman announcing his retirement?

“Yeah, he’s been an amazing teammate, probably the best teammate you could ask for. I’ve really enjoyed my time with him. He’s made us all better. I really enjoyed having him around the debriefs and all that because he brings a dry sense of humor that we all enjoy. He can drive the heck out of racecars, so he brings a lot to the race team.

I’m happy that he’s able to do it on his own terms. I think he’s had his injuries and stuff throughout his career that easily he could have just quit probably on the spot, but to now get to have a runway out is good. I’m happy for him. He’s got a lot going on in his life with building a family, a home and all the things. So, yeah, it’s good for him.”

What are some of the biggest challenges here at Indy?

“I feel like Indy is a difficult place to pass, so with that, your team is just even more important than I feel like it would be at any other track. You know, everybody has to be on the top of their game to have a shot to win. You have to have a fast car, which is all the things you need every weekend, but you have to have a fast car, good starts and restarts, pit stops, strategy. All of it has to come together here to have a good shot at winning.

So, yeah, with that, it’s not the most fun track to drive on, but to me, it’s a really fun race because it does take everybody. I always enjoy this one. It’s a crown jewel, as well, so it just means a lot. When you win here, it just means more for the whole team, I think.”

I know the last three weeks haven’t been good results-wise, but you look before that, you had four straight top-fives. What do you feel like the state of the No. 5 team is right now and the resilience of this group with Cliff Daniels in the middle?

“Yeah, I wish we could have kept that streak going. I messed up at Chicago. At Atlanta, we got caught up in a wreck off of turn four, and then went to the back and wrecked myself on the way back through. And then last week (at North Wilkesboro) was just kind of, not bad luck, but just a messy situation on pit road that got us behind and you had to fight from wherever we were. I feel like we had, again, fifth- to seventh-place speed, but just didn’t get to really show it. So, yeah, I mean, I think that’s kind of where we’re at right now. I think we’re a fourth- to seventh-place car and just need to do our best to finish there. And if you continue to run in that window, you’ll hopefully have the opportunity for wins to pop up. But yeah, we’re always working hard to get better. We’re working harder than ever to get better, so hopefully it’ll come together.”

With Alex’s departure, obviously, there will be an opening for the No. 48 car. What are some of the mental demands that come with driving for Hendrick Motorsports because, obviously, the standard is so high. What are some of the things that maybe you didn’t know before you got into Hendrick Motorsports that you’ve learned since your time?

“I don’t know. I don’t ever feel like there’s pressure or expectation, really. I mean, it’s just kind of—like when I came in in 2021, they were fresh off of the championship. So, I don’t know, that just gave me confidence that our cars were going to be fast. I didn’t really feel any pressure from it or feel like I needed to go out there and have the season that we had.

I just enjoy being at a place where there are hundreds of people that are the best in the sport. And like even right now, you know, we’re not where we want to be, but that’s been fun because you get to see everybody’s hard work and dedication really shine. So, I think for whoever comes in, it’s going to be just an added boost of confidence, I would imagine, because you do know you have the resources that you need to go compete for wins and championships.

So, yeah, in my opinion, I’ve only gotten to race at two NASCAR teams, but it’s hard to beat Hendrick Motorsports in the level that they perform at.”

With your team being as close as you have been to getting back to victory lane, if you do get a win here pretty soon, do you feel like you’ll reel off some more?

“Yeah, I feel like we’ve been inching closer and closer all year. I mean, a lot of times, I just feel like our sport is so close that you can feel so far from winning and so far from being good, when in reality, I think you’re much closer than you feel like. So, yeah, you never know. I mean, maybe your car gets a little bit better, you get a win and you go on a string. But, yeah, right now, like I said, we’re kind of like that fourth- to seventh-place on speed, so we still have room to improve, but hopefully we’re not too far away from that.”

Did you see Scott Dixon’s comments about the length of Cup Races, and if so, what were your thoughts about that?

“Well, I’ll start off by saying yes, I agree that a lot of our Cup races are too long. I just think the way that the world has kind of gone and how people consume sports, I definitely think our races are too long. I think three hours is too long. But as far as a nap, I don’t know, it doesn’t really bother me. But I agree with what he was saying.”

Iowa (Speedway) is up next and Hendrick Motorsports is looking for back-to-back wins there. With the strength of the team there, what’s your comfort level going there?

“Yeah, I haven’t really put too much thought into Iowa yet. We were extremely strong there the first year we went, and I messed up and crashed. I couldn’t even tell you how we ran there last year. I don’t have any idea how we did. But yeah, it’s a fun track. There’s a lot of dirt racing fans there, so I’ve enjoyed the event. Hopefully we can hit our car balance and have a good weekend.”

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.

TOYOTA RACING – NCS Indianapolis Quotes – Denny Hamlin – 07.24.26

By
Official Release
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TOYOTA RACING – Denny Hamlin
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

SPEEDWAY, Ind. (July 24, 2026) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin was made available to the media on Friday prior to the NASCAR Cup Series race from Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

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

Is there any change in your thought when it comes to potential retirement at the end of next year?

“No, I’ve just been so focused on the week to week that, I haven’t really thought too much about the feature. Obviously, JGR’s (Joe Gibbs Racing) got good plans set in place and whatnot for that. So, no, not really, haven’t put any more thought into or second thoughts or anything like that. So, it just really riding the wave of week to week right now and continue trying to get more wins.”

Why do you think this makes place demands excellence?

“It’d be interesting to see, like, what other racetracks have similar stats like that. Ultimately, you have to have kind of everything, you have to have the downforce for the corner, so you have to have straightaway speed, so you need your engines, good for the straightaways. You have a great team to call a great race for strategy. You’re going to need to qualify somewhat pretty well. So I think just all aspects of your team have to be buttoned up when you come here. There are not really any weaknesses and there’s probably four to five key components to a race team and their ability to win, and you had to have all five. You can’t be missing one. You come out on the last pit stop, last fuel stop, fifth or sixth. I mean, you’re cooked. You’re done at that point. So you just kind of know where you stand and everything kind of plays out through the race and, yeah, the best always seem to get to the front.”

Toyota has pretty much dominated the intermediates. Is there any reason to think they won’t this weekend?

“don’t know, this is just so different from an intermediate standpoint. Now it’s got high corner speeds, which you would consider intermediate. But you also don’t know like what decisions teams make on the trim levels of their car, very similar to Pocono, things could, someone could just say, hey, you know what, I’m trimming out. I want to qualify up front. That’s how we’re going to keep our track position. So, I’m optimistic that, yeah, our speed should carry, but it’s not a given.”

Have you guys started trying to figure out how to strategize the new practice with you having 50 minutes before qualifying?

“I think it depends on the racetrack as to whether you make qualifying runs or where you make two race runs, how many miles do you want to put on the engine. I don’t foresee, like, it just kind of depends on the track, but I don’t think you’re going to see people jumping at the drop of the green flag to get on the racetrack for a full 50 minutes. I think for everyone, it’s different. We saw last week, some teams ran two sets of tires. Some did not. I just ran one. It just depends on every team’s agenda and everyone will be different.”

How do you feel like your legacy is right now and how you’ll build on that? Also, are you surprised Carson Hocevar also are being the same list?

“No, I’m not surprised. I think, certainly he’s gotten a lot of attention in the sport here in the last few months, and so certainly riding that high. If you look at kind of his engagement rates, it is very, very high, so I’m not really surprised by that necessarily. We started the race team to continue the legacy beyond driving. I knew that my racing career, the driving days were only going to be a certain time. So, how can I be part of the sport after my last year? That was my best avenue to doing it. So, it’s great that we’ve been able to make the changes that we’ve had and built this race team into championship contenders, and it’s exceeded really all the expectations that I’ve had for it in such a short amount of time. It’s certainly an honor to be amongst a lot of sport greats.”

Has that changed your view on how far back you can be?

“You just kind of have to win, like, a lot of races in a row. But if you are 16th, I don’t know that you’ve got the ability to go through win three in a row. Let’s all be honest about that. So, I don’t know, I think there’s a few that can, but I just don’t see anyone from the very back doing that.”

What would the desperation level be like, for you or other guys up front, late this race on Sunday with people have never won it and see the opportunity to go do that?

“Well, I would think, for me, it would probably be more desperate. I’ve got a couple shots at this left, so I think more desperate. I’m certainly willing to take a few more risks here, whether it be on restarts or whatever it might be, if it’s a strategy, something to give us a shot to win, simply because this is like the Daytona 500, I really don’t see this as a race where I count points. I count, like, did you win or did you not? For me, I think that’s the most important thing. Hopefully we have we have all the pieces in place to do that, but there’s only so many risks you can take. If you’re 10 laps short on fuel, that’s a stupid risk. You’re not going to make it, right? But if you’re a couple, then are you willing to make that risk? I think that my team knows that that what I want them to do this weekend.”

Why doesn’t NASCAR, with its four majors, get the same conversation about the number of majors, that kind of thing?

“I’m not really sure. I mean, it’s up to y’all to build that story. I think that’s what you’re doing, right? Yeah, that’s fair. Yeah, he’s saying that even the drivers don’t talk about it much. It’s true. I don’t know why, because it’s certainly part of your resume. I mean, when they talk about your legacy when it’s all said and done, it’s that did win here, win at Charlotte, win at Daytona, win at Darlington, those are the ones that actually get printed. Not my Pocono wins, no one’s going care, unfortunately, about those. So, yeah, I don’t know why. It’s interesting, but it probably should be more to everyone, and I think it means a lot to the drivers. I don’t know why I could then get spoke about quite as much. It’s a good point.”

What would a potential Days of Thunder sequel mean to the sport?

“Yeah, I think that there’s nothing but positives that certainly can come out of it. Any account of awareness, you can bring to the sport, even if it’s dramatized, I think can really be a good thing. So, yeah, I’ve met with the directors and the writers, quite a bit on it, and felt like, yeah, they’re on a really fun path, and I think it’s going to be great for the screen.”

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.

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