Search

Alex Palou leading the field during the 2025 Grand Prix of Monterey at Laguna Seca (Photo by: Joe Skibinski) The 2026 NTT Indycar series season is approaching fast and with the off season just about to be over, here are 5 drivers in the NTT Indycar series to keep an eye on for this season. #1 Pato O' Ward Pato O' Ward at the 2025 Indianapolis 500 (Photo by: Penske Entertainment) Pato O' Ward finished runner up to Alex Palou in the 2025 NTT Indycar championship standings with 2 wins, 2 poles, 10 top 5's, and 12 top 10's with 258 laps led. O' Ward is now entering his 8th season in the NTT Indycar series and has been known as a seasoned veteran for quite some time now. Pato O' Ward is looking to have a strong start to the 2026 season and will be competitive right out the gate coming off his best season. #2 David Malukas David Malukas piloting the #4 AJ Foyt entry (Photo by: James J Black) David Malukas is entering this season with a brand new team, being Team Penske. There's a lot of expectations for Malukas as it was announced during the off season he is replacing Will Power who has made the switch over to Andretti Global. In 2025 Malukas scored 2 top 5's and 5 top 10's in his first full season back in the series, and is looking to have a breakout year as he is for sure going to compete for race victories alongside Team Penske teammates Josef Newgarden and Scott Mclaughlin. #3 Will Power Will Power at the 2025 Indianapolis 500 (Photo by: Motorsport.com ) Will Power is switching teams heading into the new season as he joins Andretti Global alongside Marcus Ericcson and Kyle Kirkwood. This is the first time being on a new team since 2008 with KV Racing Technology and also the first time being back in a Honda powered car as well. There are a lot of questions on how Power will do with his new team since it was relatively shocking to see him depart from Team Penske considering the success he has had with being the teams most recent champion back in 2022, and also the only driver who has denied Alex Palou of a title since 2020. #4 Kyle Kirkwood Kyle Kirkwood celebrating pole position at the 2025 Grand Prix of Long Beach (Photo by: Chris Owns) Kyle Kirkwood is one to look out for this season as he is entering 2026 with high hopes. For a long period of time during the 2025 season he was the only different driver going toe-to-toe with Alex Palou winning multiple races, up until Scott Dixon at Mid Ohio. Kirkwood has progressively been getting better over the course of his career as he enters this season as Andretti Global's leading driver. #5 Alex Palou Alex Palou celebrating victory at the 2025 Indianapolis 500 (Photo by: Honda Racing) Alex Palou, the defending series champion looks reclaim the crown once again heading into the new season after a record breaking season. Palou enters the 2026 campaign as the first three-peat champion since Dario Franchitti from 2009-11, and the youngest 4-time champion since Sebastein Bourdias in 2007. 2025 had the young Spaniard have a career defining season with 8 wins, 6 poles, 14 top 5's and 15 top 10's with an astonishing 778 laps led and winning the title by 196 points over Arrow McLaren driver Pato O' Ward. Honorable Mention: Christian Lundgaard Christian Lundgaard in his first season with Arrow McLaren (Photo by: Chris Owens) Christian Lundgaard had a breakout year in his first season at Arrow McLaren securing 1 Pole, 6 top 5's, and 11 top 10's. The Danish driver has been so close multiple times to securing his first win with McLaren and his pace over the course of last season has put him head to head with teammate Pato O' Ward. Lundgaard does have 1 career win dating back to the 2023 season with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing at the streets of Toronto. Expect to see Christian Lundgaard compete for a lot more wins heading into the 2026 NTT Indycar season.

Formula One is taking a leap into the unknown in 2026. The beginning of a new era with radically different power units, new cars and some new teams has all the ingredients for an exciting season where no on really knows what the outcome will be. With testing now complete and the season opener in Melbourne just a week away, Luke, Javi and Cass predict how all 12 teams will perform in 2026. McLaren Luke The reigning champions looked to have produced a fairly strong car for the new regulations. They may not be the strongest team on the grid this year, but they will probably still be capable of fighting for wins. It will be interesting to see how Oscar Piastri performs this year, whether losing out on the championship last year negatively affects him or drives him on to be better. Javi McLaren as the current title holders don’t look like the favourites at the moment. They have completed a lot of mileage and do look to be fighting at the top of the table, but they seem to lack a little more speed overall. Cass Mclaren is an interesting team. Despite leading the championship last season, they do appear on the backend of the top 4 as of right now. They were not necessarily proving why they won last season, they were just there. They don't appear to be as competitive as of yet, but we do have an entire season with upgrades and innovations to come later in the year, but as of right now, they appear on the same level as RedBull. Photo: Guido De Bortoli / LAT Images via Getty Images Ferrari Luke Ferrari have been through this time and time again, and will be wary of  having high expectations going into the season. But after testing, they are believed to have possibly the strongest car on the grid, or at least in the top two along with Mercedes. Off the back of an awful 2025, both Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will be hoping their pace in testing is genuine as they will both want to be the one to end Ferrari’s 19 year wait for a Drivers’ Title. Javi Ferrari were seen innovating back in Bahrain with their new idea of the DRS. And even though it failed, they still had a lot to be happy about. They look to be the team closest to Mercedes and their engine has been quite reliable so far. The prancing horse could finally see their fortunes change. Cass Ferrari is showing real potential to be one of the big competitors after their success in pre-season testing. They proved they are fast and have shown various strengths, including the creation of a very different rear wing. It appears innovative and differs from their main competitor Mercedes. Although it wasn’t the greatest component, the engine proves it is able to hold up and be a strong and reliable unit for the team. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc both appeared very comfortable and confident in the teams ability as well as the new car. Photo: @F1 / X Mercedes Luke Performance in testing suggests that Mercedes have aced the new regulations, and that they have the best car right now. This could be the first year we see George Russell be a serious title contender. One thing to look out for, though, is the upcoming vote on banning their compression ratio trick mid-season, which could see their performance drop off in the second half of 2026. Javi Mercedes are probably the top team. Though their pre-season has been marked by their engine “exploits”, their pace has been amazing all-round and are considered the front-runners for Melbourne. Cass Mercedes, like Ferrari are also looking to be a major leading competitor. The initial tests were of concern when we found out about issues regarding the car, however arriving at testing they showed what they’re made of. Both George Russell and Kimi Antonelli have their own points to prove, and it showed during testing. They were strong, topping the time sheets quite a lot, which proves they can lead this season and start it off with a bang. Photo: Getty Images Red Bull Luke Red Bull will be hoping for a better season than 2025. If it wasn't for the brilliance of Max Verstappen they would have been a lot lower than third in the constructors' championship. They have struggled to find a competitive teammate for Verstappen and will be hoping that a new regulation cycle will help Isack Hadjar get closer to Verstappen than his previous teammates. Early signs suggest they are third fastest for now. Javi Red Bull have jumped further ahead compared to last year. The RBPT power unit has surprised a lot of people though it was expected that they would come up with a pretty solid power unit. They have shown great pace in the long and short runs and are likely to be third fastest when we get to Australia. Cass Red Bull with their new driver lineup of Verstappen and Hadjar are proving to be a well-rounded pairing. Whilst Hadjar is still new; in testing he proved he can hang with the more experienced drivers. This may be useful to the team, especially in pushing Verstappen to improve himself. The collaboration with Ford heading into the new season, has many possibilities. From what we saw in testing, they are still a major competitors, but we do have to wait and see for their true potential coming into the Australian Grand Prix. Photo: Marcel Van Dorst / Getty Images Aston Martin Luke It looks very much like Honda has let down Alonso yet again. The signs from testing are that their struggles are down to a mix of the Honda engine being tragically underpowered and unreliable, as well as just not being compatible with the rest of the car. The arrival of Adrian Newey looks like it will have an extremely disappointing start. Expect to see them at the back of the grid at least until they can bring some major upgrades. Javi Aston Martin have been the big surprise, but for all the wrong reasons. The Adrian Newey designed AMR26 had very high expectations, but chassis issues along with an underpowered and very unreliable Honda PU means they sit around 3 seconds off Mercedes.  Cass A team struggling to prove their ability in the sport very early on is Aston Martin. With concerns over the car, it leaves many people wondering what they’ll be capable of coming into the new season. We clearly expected a strong team, given Adrian Newey was joining and expected "greatness", we never thought we would see the day they had difficulties. From struggling with RPMs to being almost 4 seconds behind in pre-season testing, its left many of us wondering “what can they actually do?”. Will we see them at the Australian Grand Prix? Photo: Getty Images Racing Bulls Luke 2025 was a great season for Racing Bulls, with Isack Hadjar's podium in The Netherlands being the highlight. They look to be in a good position to build on last year and might be fighting at the front of the midfield. Javi Racing Bulls have been looking rough. They have done many laps but they seem to lack the ultimate pace they will need to get into Q3. The Ford RBPT powered car might well be ninth fastest in Melbourne. Cass Racing Bulls are going to either impress or disappoint their fans. With rookie Arvid Lindblad arriving to the team alongside Liam Lawson, this looks to be a strong pairing. They were quiet in the testing with very little going on, but still putting in the work to figure out the car and its details though. This could be one of the teams to watch this season. Photo: Getty Images Williams Luke 2026 was supposed to be the next big step in Wiliiams' journey back to the top and there was plenty of optimism around the team after finishing 2025 in 5th. But missing the Barcelona shakedown and arriving in Bahrain with an overweight and disappointing car could see 2026 go down as a big missed opportunity for them. They still look to be firmly in the midfield battle but they might have been anticipating much more. Javi Williams were expected to be towards the front up until the beginning of the pre-season. The reports of them being 30kg overweight and missing the Barcelona shakedown has certainly hurt the Grove team’s expectations, but they managed to recover quite well in Bahrain and seem to be comfortably in the midfield. Cass Williams had a very impressive result in the 2025 championship finishing 5th in the title battle. This season however started off rocky with overweight cars and losing lots of testing time compared to their rivals. It put them on the backfoot heading into Bahrain pre-season testing. They can still prove us wrong, with a good lineup with duo pairing Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz, but they do have lots of work to go still. Photo: Joe Portlock / Getty Images Haas Luke Haas are showing early signs of having a great year in 2026. They completed the third most laps in testing and look like they're in the fight to be the leading midfield team. All the signs are looking like this could be the best season so far for the American team. Javi Haas has truly improved since Ayo Komatsu’s arrival, and this pre-season shows that they could well be the best midfield team this season. Very few issues for the American outfit was followed up by great pace during testing. Cass Haas have proven they are more than the small American team that they were a few years back. With the driver lineup they have now, they look to be a huge threat to the top of the midfield. They had some decent running time in testing, but now await their first official outing in Australia. They can threaten the likes of Williams and Aston Martin with their potential and start the season off strong. Photo: Joe Portlock / Getty Images Alpine Luke If their pace in testing is genuine, Alpine may have made the biggest improvement from 2025. They finished last in 2025, committing most of their resources to this year's car instead. This paired with the switch to Mercedes engines as Renault ended its F1 engine programme sees them jump up to potentially being the best of the rest. A much improved season could go a long way for a team that also seems to be on the brink of collapse. Javi Alpine have seen a great improvement compared to 2025. Now powered by Mercedes, the Enstone team has had a great pre-season and their drivers could well enjoy a great beginning of the season. Cass Alpine have improved on their previous years, with more points earned in 2025. However, so far their testing times have proven they are also a team that could be strong. They did plenty of running in testing, some of their times proved what we all expected, that they are more then the previous year's results suggested. Now pairing up with Mercedes and being supplied an engine from them, this could be the vital resource they need to prove themselves in the tough world of F1. Photo: Alpine Audi Luke Audi had some teething issues with their new in-house power unit and gearbox, but they look to have a good platform to build on as the season progresses. For now they look to be just at the back of the midfield. They had a great 2025 while they were still Sauber and have a really promising driver lineup of Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg. Javi Audi turned up to pre-season as one of the best prepared teams, completing a good amount of laps during the whole 3 weeks. They did suffer a minor issue back in Barcelona with their PU but other than that the German outfit does look like it could be in the battle to get to Q3 early in the season. Cass Audi can have a good start to their season. They have two great drivers with Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg. They have to provide a good car for them though, given previous years they have had a car that could not perform but drivers that can. I am unsure on this teams true potential though, having not seen lots of information regarding their time on-track in testing. They appear to be towards the back of the field unfortunately, but are hoping to gain positions when it comes into the new season. Photo: Audi F1 Team Cadillac Luke Expectations for Cadillac's first season have been low. And while they are definitely the slowest on the grid as expected, they had a solid and respectable pre-season. This season is less about results for them and more about gaining experience to hopefully propel them up the grid in the coming years. Javi Newcomers Cadillac have enjoyed a pretty solid pre-season. Although very off the pace as expected, the new American team has had zero problems so far and is looking to bring a lot of updates during the first half of the season. Cass Cadillac is sort of a dark horse heading into this season. With it being their first official year, I don't necessarily expect brilliant results week in and week out, but I do expect that their driver pairing will provide a great foundation for the team to grow on. Bottas and Perez are essential to this team in 2026, providing their previous knowledge and experience from other years with the big guns like Mercedes and RedBull. Photo: Glenn Dunbar / Getty Images 2026 has all the factors to be the most unpredictable season in recent memory. After testing, we have a rough idea of the pecking order. But due to the uncertainty of the new regulations, it could be completely different by the time the chequered flag drops in Abu Dhabi in December.

I wanted to let Atlanta pass before dropping my first power rankings of the season, given Daytona can be a lottery. But seems like Tyler Reddick doesn't view it that way with back to back wins. Here are my NASCAR Power Rankings. HM: Shane van Gisbergen is off his best oval finish ever, a P6 at Echo Park Speedway. Only his 2nd ever top 10 at an oval, SVG overcame 2 spins, which puts him at 15th in the point standings. He normally wouldn’t make it to this high, but with COTA on the horizon, all eyes are on him to win. If he can win at COTA, he’d be the fastest person to ever get 7 wins in the Cup Series at 53 starts, surpassing Tony Stewart’s record of 61 races. Quick shoutouts also to Zane Smith, Carson Hocevar, and the RFK boys of Buescher and Keselowski. 10: Denny Hamlin drops a good bit. It’s hard to imagine what all he’s going through right now, but the season is underway and Hamlin said he should be more comfortable as he gets back into the swing of things. 2 poor finishes of 31st and 13th, including 0 stage points, leave Hamlin buried in 27th in points. More bad news? We’re heading to a road course this weekend. I almost left Hamlin off this list, but knowing what this team is capable of in a few weeks, I’ll keep him on here for the time being. The good news for Hamlin fans is that, of his 6 worst racetracks statistically wise, after Sunday, 3 of them will have passed, with Daytona being 3rd worst, Atlanta being 4th worst, and COTA being 6th worst. He won’t run into another track on this list until Talladega in April. Before that, we head to Hamlin’s 8th, 11th, 1st, 7th, 14th, and 13th best track, so Hamlin fans have a lot to look forward to once we leave Austin. 9: Christopher Bell had a bad start to the season, with a 35th at Daytona and a 21st at Echo Park. It’s not like he didn’t have speed. Bell led 9 laps in both races, before being wrecked at the very end of both races, most notably Atlanta, where he was wrecked by Carson Hocevar for 2nd. The next 2 tracks favor Bell. He won at both COTA and Phoenix last year, including another win at Phoenix in 2024, along with a career average finish of 15.0 and 12.9 at them respectively. A cold start should be no issue for this 20 team. 8: I did not have Bubba Wallace ranked at the beginning of the year, and that was a mistake on my part. He led the most laps at Daytona and the 3rd most laps at Atlanta. He also scored the 4th most points in the 500 and the 2nd most points at Atlanta. Wallace sits 2nd in the points, however he heads to his worst track on the schedule. Wallace’s best finish in 5 starts at COTA is only 15th in 2024, with 3 sub 30th place finishes. He did win a stage last year, not to mention that Wallace’s finishes at road courses as a whole have gotten better. He doesn’t have a shot at the win, but Bubba will be fighting for a top 15, maybe a top 10 if the cards fall correctly. 7: Joey Logano’s had a decent start to the year, with a 3rd at the 500 and an 18th at Atlanta. He had decent speed on Sunday, leading 26 laps, but a few accidents took him out of contention. Logano sits 6th in points right now, but much like the rest of his competitors, heads to his worst track on the schedule. With an average finish of 19.4, no track is worse for Logano. A lone 3rd in the first running in 2021 is his only bright spot, as other than an 11th in 2024, his next best finish is a 24th in last year’s race. 6: For a minute there, William Byron looked to become the first person ever to 3-peat the Daytona 500. Instead, a bobble relegated him to 12th. After running top 10 all day in Atlanta, once again he was wrecked late, after a broken toe link seemed to veer Byron’s car across the racetrack and wrecked himself and a good chunk of the field. Byron is now sitting 13th in points, which, barring a bad race at COTA, is the lowest he’ll drop this year. COTA is Byron’s 2nd best track on the schedule with a 6.2 average finish. It’s his best overall with a minimum of 5 starts at (only Iowa is better with 2 starts to Byron’s name). He has a win in 2023, and his last 3 finishes have all been top 5. His 2 outliers? A 12th in 2021 and an 11th in 2022. He’s also led 71 of the 238 laps run in the last 3 years (29.8% of the laps run), the most of anyone in this timeframe. The next closest is Tyler Reddick with only 51 (21.4%). 5: Chase Briscoe has had a fast car the first two weeks, but his finish only reflects that in 1 race. After leading 23 laps in the Great American Race, 2nd to only Bubba Wallace, Briscoe was swept up in the big one and relegated to 36th, 12 laps down. A much different story played out at Atlanta, however. Briscoe led the 4th most laps with 27, but lived to see the finish, a solid 2nd. Also collecting stage points in the 2nd stage, Briscoe sits 16th on the cutline. He heads to COTA, which is statistically his best road course. Other than a 30th in 2022, Briscoe doesn’t have a finish worse than 15th, including a P6 in 2021. His qualifying leaves much to be desired, however, as his best start is only 14th, and he has 2 starts outside the top 25. If he wants to have a shot at the win, Briscoe needs a top 10 starting spot. 4: The defending champ drops 2 spots to #4. Kyle Larson had a decent 500, leading 7 laps and finishing 16th. He turned heads at Atlanta, for both the right and wrong reasons. Larson’s Hendrick ride had speed, as he started off the day with points in stage 1, and he was headed for more in stage 2, until a bad block on SVG ended his day early. Larson’s due for a head loss every now and then, but this one was alarming, no doubt. It’s now been 26 races since the 5 has seen victory lane, and I don’t see that changing this weekend. Other than a silver in the inaugural race at COTA, Larson has not finished better than 14th in 2023, including 2 sub 25th place finishes. It’s his 6th worst track on the schedule, and by far his worst road course with an 18.8 average finish at COTA, compared to a 15.0 at Sonoma and a 14.6 at the Glen. Larson’s a decent road racer, but I don’t see it happening this week. 3: Ryan Blaney drops to 3 after a surprisingly quiet superspeedway swing. He finished 27th at Daytona and 10th at Atlanta, leading only a combined 8 laps in the 2 races. It’s definitely not bad, considering he’s 8th in points right now, but Blaney, and honestly Team Penske as a whole, seemed to lack the superspeedway prowess they normally have. COTA’s a decent track for Blaney, with every finish being relegated between 21st and 6th for him. Not too good, not too bad. This week should lead perfectly into one of Blaney’s best tracks of Phoenix. 2: Chase Elliott has speed right now. I don’t think many people saw that coming into 2026. He won his duel race, finished 4th in the Daytona 500, and 11th at Atlanta. Elliott has been arguably the most consistent driver over the past 3 years, he just hasn’t had the wins to back it up. Now, he looks like he could win any week, and there’s not much better a place we could head to. Other than an outlier in 2024, with a 16th, Elliott has never finished worse at COTA than 4th. What is concerning, however, is that he’s only led 5 laps, all of which came during his win in 2021. Elliott looks to be picking up right where he left off in 2025 though, and that first win of the year might come sooner rather than later. 1: I said that Tyler Reddick had no chance to win at Daytona…good pick me. Not only did he win the Great American Race, he backed it up with 2 in a row at Atlanta, being the first person since Matt Kenseth in 2009 to win the first 2 races of the season. Hopefully this year turns out better for him than Kenseth, as not only did Kenseth go winless the rest of the year, he missed the Chase at the end of the year and wouldn’t see victory lane for over 2 years. I don’t think either of these will happen. Reddick looks poised to continue his momentum right into his best track on the schedule. With a 4.6 average finish, it’s his best by over 4 positions. His worst finish was only 9th in the inaugural race, a race he sat on the pole for. Since then, he's finished 5th, won 5th again, and 3rd last year. He’s never qualified worse than 4th, and has led at least one lap every year since 2022. All things considered, it’s very possible he could 3-peat the beginning of the year, which has never been done before.

NASCAR is in a weird place as they have to balance tradition, growth, and competitive integrity, and the schedule has to flow. It needs a mix of momentum, variety, and fun. Here is my dream NASCAR Schedule if there were no restrictions. NASCAR Clash – New Smyrna Bring it back to Florida. Holding the Clash at New Smyrna revives Speedweeks as an important part of the NASCAR Schedule and helps with building hype for Daytona. It reconnects NASCAR’s biggest stars with short-track culture and energizes local fans before the sport’s biggest event. 1. Daytona No changes. The Daytona 500 stays exactly where it belongs in the NASCAR schedule. 2. Atlanta Following Daytona with another drafting-style track gives NASCAR a second chance to convert 500 viewers into weekly fans. 3. Texas COTA is a great facility, but I don't think it fits NASCAR as they perform better on shorter or narrower tracks, also Austin feels like an F1 city now and there's no changing that. Texas keeps the schedule oval-focused early too even though it needs work. 4. Phoenix Whether fans love it or not, Phoenix produces strategy-heavy racing and belongs in the early stretch. 5. Las Vegas Modern, competitive, and consistently solid. Wish it was closer to downtown though. 6. Los Angeles Street Circuit With Auto Club gone, NASCAR still needs a footprint in Los Angeles. A single street race positioned for casual and new fans makes sense in the country’s biggest media market. Not sure where you would put it or if you use the Long Beach layout. 7. Darlington A crown jewel. Unique, demanding, and puts on a great show 8. Bristol Back-to-back intensity with Darlington sets the tone for who’s truly competitive at this point in the season. 9. Martinsville Short-track racing belongs in this stretch. Even if the Next Gen hasn’t been perfect here, Martinsville always delivers storylines. 10. Talladega Time to bring back drafting chaos. 11. Kansas Quietly one of the best tracks on the calendar. 12. Nashville Superspeedway Strong regional base and a solid lead-in to the 600. All-Star Race – Pikes Peak International Raceway The All-Star Race should rotate through under-served markets. Colorado provides a fresh region and makes the event feel special again. 13. Charlotte (Coca-Cola 600) Untouchable. NASCAR’s biggest oval race stays put. 14. Michigan High-speed, manufacturer-heavy racing fits well after Charlotte. 15. Brands Hatch NASCAR needs international exposure to stay globally relevant. A rotation between Brands Hatch, Montreal, Motegi, Interlagos, and Mexico City keeps things fresh. And for Brans Hatch it's in a great location given it's proximity to London. One-week break 16. Chicagoland Massive market, strong racing potential. 17. Dover Start a very short Northeast swing with an aggressive concrete oval. 18. New Hampshire Underrated and strategically important for New England. 19. Indianapolis Too important to racing history to ignore. 20. Iowa A loyal fanbase that deserves consistency. 21. Sonoma Time to diversify again with a road course. 22. Richmond One date only. It doesn’t need two, but it still belongs. 23. Pocono Fuel mileage and strategy before the pressure of the Chase ramps up. 24. Watkins Glen A fan-favorite road course that can shuffle the standings. 25. Daytona With the modern format, it won’t have the same cutoff drama as before, but it still creates massive storylines heading into the Chase. The Chase: 26. World Wide Technology Raceway Gateway opens the Chase with a technical oval that demands discipline. 27. Darlington the southern 500 is a big test and will let fans see who the true favorites are. 28. Bristol No hiding at Bristol and the starts will shine here. 29. Road Atlanta Instead of stacking drafting tracks, mixing up the Chase with a road course will be fun. 30. Talladega You still need unpredictability somewhere. And Talladega will provide a key moment. 31. Las Vegas A strong intermediate with West Coast presence. 32. Kansas Late-season momentum builder. 33. Martinsville A true mental test before the finale. 34. Charlotte Oval One last traditional oval battle before the championship race. And since there's no need for the Roval it will be must see TV. 35. Homestead-Miami Speedway (Finale) Ending the season somewhere that consistently produces great racing across every generation of car. And it crowns a champion in a major market with a championship atmosphere.

This Checkered Weekend had a little bit of everything, legal tension in the NASCAR garage, a long-awaited first win, a breakthrough moment under the lights in Supercross, and financial reshuffling in Formula 1. Another NASCAR Lawsuit? Spire Motorsports confirmed they have hired former Joe Gibbs Racing competition director Chris Gabehart as Chief Motorsports Officer, a role that will oversee multiple disciplines within the organization. On the surface, it’s a big move for an expanding race team. But the move is already entangled in legal action. Joe Gibbs Racing has filed a lawsuit alleging Gabehart accessed proprietary competition data while negotiating with Spire Motorsports, including syncing files to personal devices and accessing a folder labeled “Spire.” The suit also claims photographs of sensitive team data were stored on a personal Google Drive account. Gabehart issued a statement forcefully denying the allegations and is expected to formally respond in court. Three attorneys from Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A. Cary B. Davis, Anna Claire Tucker, and Spencer T. Wiles have filed notices of appearance on his behalf. Beyond the immediate headlines, this dispute raises broader questions in the modern spec-car era. With shared chassis and tightly controlled technical rules and proprietary data. Simulation tools, setup libraries, workflow systems become competitive edges. The resolution of this case could define what senior-level executives are legally allowed to retain when transitioning between teams. On track at Atlanta Motor Speedway, drivers were careful not to fuel the fire. Christopher Bell acknowledged his working relationship with Gabehart but made clear the legal implications were beyond his role. Meanwhile, Wally Brown has stepped back into the competition director position at JGR. New Spire driver Daniel Suarez reflected on racing against Gabehart during the 2016 Xfinity championship fight, calling him “extremely smart and competitive.” The legal battle may unfold in courtrooms, but its competitive implications will be felt in the garage. A Winless Streak Ends! While executives sorted through lawyers, one of the sport’s most persistent streaks finally ended Saturday night in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. After 137 career starts and 15 runner-up finishes, Sheldon Creed finally stood in Victory Lane in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The win came in chaotic fashion. Austin Hill took the lead from Ross Chastain coming to the white flag, but Chastain stayed within striking distance down the backstretch. Hill threw a late defensive block to the inside. The cars made contact. Hill spun sideways. Creed surged through the smoke and crossed the line first. It wasn’t the cleanest path to a first win but few breakthrough victories ever are. For Creed, the statistic that defined his career is gone. In Arlington, another breakthrough came on two wheels. At AT&T Stadium, Round 7 of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship Hunter Lawrence captured his first premier 450SMX victory. The 20-minute main event saw Ken Roczen and Cooper Webb trade early control before Lawrence inserted himself into the fight. Meanwhile, Eli Tomac charged from 11th to the front group within the opening laps, setting up a four-rider battle separated by mere seconds. Lawrence’s decisive move came in the whoops after relentless pressure on Roczen. Once clear, he managed the gap despite a late push from Tomac and secured the win by 2.8 seconds. It marked the fifth different winner in seven races this season and pushed Lawrence into a four-point championship lead over Tomac. After four runner-up finishes to start the year, the breakthrough finally arrived and it may prove pivotal in a title fight that is tightening by the week. Stroll Buys Aston Martin...Again Lawrence Stroll is set to purchase the naming rights of the Aston Martin F1 Team for £50 million as the automaker works to stabilize its financial outlook. The deal, pending shareholder approval, comes amid reports of earnings pressures tied to macroeconomic headwinds, including tariff impacts and weakened demand in China. On the competitive side, the team’s pre-season testing program in Bahrain was disrupted by battery-related power unit issues ahead of its 2026 Honda partnership. The upcoming season represents a new chapter, with Adrian Newey stepping into a leadership role and Honda supplying power units. But early reliability setbacks underscore the challenge ahead. The business structure may be evolving but performance questions remain unanswered.

From the first lap there was plenty to talk about. From Broc Feeneys major dominance after last seasons dramatic end, he put that all behind him to lead the championship once again, alongside Matt Payne. From 10th to 1st in the Shootout result for Broc Feeney. It was a race to remember for some, whilst others suffered a tough result. For Broc Feeney, it was a strong result again with another P1 finish, ahead of Matt Payne in P2 and a late promotion for Cam Waters to P3. From push and shove moments to missing tyres on track, the drama was nonstop. Kai Allen and Broc Feeney got into it early with some on track action, before Feeney pushed ahead. By lap 29, James Golding was forced to limp back to the pits after losing a wheel. The pit crew would attempt to reattach a wheel, but due to threading issues relating to the wheel nut. He later returned to the track, but 2 laps down on the rest of the field. The chaos of a loose tyre, results in Golding losing his on track. Around the end of the safety car period, we saw an unexpected rain patch begin to make its way over the track. This eventually caused drama on the restart, with Anton De Pasquale and Will Brown colliding into one another. Both would manage to continue however were quite far down in the field. By the end of the race, we'd seen multiple penalties, including an early 15 second penalty for Rylan Gray. This was served in his pitstop. Lap 38-40 saw more penalties including one for Will Brown (15 seconds), Zach Bates (5 seconds) and Andre Heimgartner (5 seconds). These were all officially served during pitstops and were not added to final times. A last lap incident also resulted in Brodie Kostecki recieving a 15 second penalty for a on track incident. This would drop him to P12. Due to this, all 5 supras managed to finish within the top 10. Chaz mostert and Ryan Wood finished in P4 and P5, whilst Cam Hill, Andre Heimhartner and Macauley Jones finished P7, P9 and P10. Brodie Kostecki recieves a 15 second penalty for an incident with Aaron Cameron. There were concerns for multiple drivers with issues relating to cool suits, including a failure of them for both Broc Feeney and Will Brown who were forced to drive in extremely tough conditions, as well as David Reynolds. Both Will Brown and David Reynolds were taken to the medical centre, where they recieved the necessary treatment. We now wait for the next race weekend which takes place the same weekend as the Australian Grand Prix (March 5-8). This race weekend consists of 4 short sprint style races, full of drama and chaos. 2025 Melbourne Supersprint.

It was the race we didn't expect. With a scattered top 10, from the shootout session such as Broc Feeney forced to start P9, after weather was causing dramas in the top ten shootout. Rain falling and the unpredictability caught some drivers out during that session. For Anton De Pasquale however, the conditions were just perfect. He ensured he had a smooth run, that guarenteed a decent spot on the grid. He managed a 1:28.018, to secure the pole position for race 2. Brodie Kostecki was alongside De Pasquale in P2, and Matt Payne was P3. Anton De Pasquale takes pole position amidst the chaos of rain. The race itself was full of dramas, pit lane mishaps and even more. Ryan Wood struggled off the race start, dropping 3 positions from where he started. A tough start for both drivers out of Walkinshaw TWG Racing, only managing a P7 with Wood and P11 with champion Chaz Mostert, whos qualifying was interrupted by rain earlier in the day. Another driver with a difficult day was Andre Heimgartner, who was forced to full his Toyota Supra over, this triggered a safety car. Amidst the chaos of the safety car, we saw pile ups in the pitlane, and loose tyres as well. Jayden Ojedas rear right wheel was not fully attached before he began to drive away. Andre Heimgartner pulls over after engine failure forces him to DNF. Broc Feeney and James Golding also had a small collision on the pit exit, no major damage to either car, just a minor incident. After the restart as well, both drivers managed to overtake the struggling Supra of Ryan Wood. There was also plenty of bumping and fighting within the first couple laps of the restart, including Ryan Wood, Kai Allen, Broc Feeney and more. Two drivers saw themselves recieving 15 second penalties. Thomas Randle recieved one for a breach of track limits, Broc Feeney received one for unsafe release and Will Brown also received one for a pitstop infringement. These penalties were all served during the second pitstops. In the end, after all the drama and chaos of race 2, there could only be one winner and driving a near perfect race Anton De Pasquale managed his first win of the season. Brodie Kostecki managed to maintain his P2 and Matt Payne also maintained his P3. The top 3 from Race 2 at the Sydney 500.

It was the beginning of the 2026 season for the Supercars Championship. After the chaos and excitement of the finale in Adelaide last year, teams were excited to get things underway. We saw the official beginning of the Toyota Supra as part of the new season of Supercars being driven by current champion Chaz Mostert and teammate Ryan Wood, as well as Brad Jones Racing drivers Andre Heimgartner, Cam Hill and Macauley Jones. Ryan Wood and Chaz Mostert driving the Toyota Supra for 2026. We witnessed the arrival of 5 rookies to the Supercars Championship. We saw the official arrival of Jayden Ojeda, who did make his debut last year, however this is still his first rookie year. Jobe Stewart and Zach Bates also saw some moments in the 2025 season, including the endurance cup series. our last two are Jackson Walls and Rylan Gray, who are fresh faces, full of potential with great results from previous seasons. We also saw some switches, especially with the big one, RedBull Ampol Racing. The team officially switched back to team ford, driving the Mustang for the first time since 2009. This set the team up for a large amount of success, seeing previous wins with the ford cars in the past. Starting off the season strong was the Blanchard Racing Team, with teammates James Golding and Aaron Cameron securing a 1-2 start position for the team. This was an exceptional result for the team, and would go on to result in good track position as well. Early success already for Blanchard Racing Team securing their first front row lockout. The race saw plenty of drama and unexpected results, from drivers colliding to false starts and even a return to podium for one RedBull Ampol Driver. After the rocky ending to his championship campaign in 2025, Broc Feeney made his return to the top step, securing his first win of the season. Behind him was Aaron Cameron who would get a brilliant start, resulting in a P2 finish to start off his season campaign, whilst James Golding would go on to finish in P3. Broc Feeney winning the first race of the 2026 supercars season Championship leader Chaz Mostert, had a tough start to his season finishing in P15, whilst his teammate Ryan Wood would struggle and ultimately finish in P21. Feeney's teammate Will Brown would have a somewhat quiet night, battling for track position and would end up finishing P7, behind Anton De Pasquale. Tickford and Penrite racing would put themselves into the battle for top 10, but be close to missing out for some. Matt Payne would finish P4, just missing out on a podium opportunity, whilst Kai Allen, finished just outside the top 10, in P11. Similarly, Cam Waters started his season off strong with a P5 finish, whilst Thomas Randle would be forced to fight for track position and finish P9. We have the second and third race over the weekend with more results incoming. With the various new introductions from drivers to cars, the first few races are definitely worth the watch. Saturday: Race: 7:35PM (AEDT) Sunday: Race: 4:05PM (AEDT)

Twenty-five years ago, motorsport lost one of its most iconic figures at the 2001 Daytona 500. When Dale Earnhardt struck the wall in Turn 4 at Daytona 500, the sport was forced into a reckoning it had resisted for years. What followed win responses was a boost to the safety revolution after fatal crashes in many motorsports beforehand. This revolution reshaped NASCAR and helped many other major racing series safer. Earnhardt’s death did not initiate motorsport safety awareness that shift had already begun after the tragic 1994 weekend at Imola that claimed Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger. But 2001 accelerated change across all motorsports. Dale Earnhardt Sr. 1951-2001 The HANS Device: From Resistance To Mandate A HANS device (head and neck support device) is a head restraint and a safety device. They reduce the likelihood of head or neck injuries, including basilar skull fracture (an injury that resulted in the deaths of Ayrton Senna, Dale Sr, Greg Moore and many others), in the event of a crash. The devices are now mass produced. In October 2001, NASCAR mandated the use of the HANS and Hutchens device (a similar hybrid style device) in its top three national series. Before 2001 Earnhardt and other drivers had notably resisted wearing the HANS device, finding it restrictive and uncomfortable. There was still some resistance after Dale Sr's death with now Hall of Famer Mark Martin saying "I would not wear one for anything. I'll just keep my fingers crossed and take my chances". At the time of his crash, head and neck restraints were available but not widely adopted. In the weeks after Daytona, HANS Performance Products sold more units than it had in the previous decade combined. What had once been optional became non-negotiable when it came to safety on the track. The impact went far beyond NASCAR: Formula One mandated HANS in 2003 Indy Racing League required it by 2006 NHRA introduced mandates soon after IMSA required restraints in 2002 Today, head and neck restraints are standard in virtually every racing series worldwide. SAFER Barriers And The Walls That Changed Before 2001, many tracks still used exposed concrete walls. Earnhardt’s fatal impact essentially a near head-on collision after contact altered the car’s angle highlighted how violent deceleration loads could be even in crashes that did not appear catastrophic on television. In response, NASCAR helped accelerate the development and installation of SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) barriers at all tracks hosting its top divisions. R&D finished in 2002 and the new walls were installed at every major U.S track by 2005. These walls absorb and disperse energy rather than transferring it directly into the chassis. Today, SAFER barriers are a standard at major oval facilities and can sometimes be seen in F1. The Car Of Tomorrow And A Reinvented NASCAR Chassis The most visible response was the development of NASCAR’s Car of Tomorrow (CoT), introduced in 2007. The new car looked a lot different and fans hated its boxier, taller, wider look. But NASCAR didn't care all they wanted was a car to prevent fans from having to see their heroes die in front of them. Key safety changes included: Driver seat moved four inches toward the center of the car Roll cage shifted rearward for improved impact geometry Larger crumple zones and energy-absorbing foam in side structures Stronger fuel cell construction with reduced capacity Exhaust rerouted away from the driver The philosophy shifted from building the fastest car possible to building a protective cocoon. That design lineage carried into the Gen 6 car in 2013 and continues in modern NASCAR platforms. One of the most cited examples of its effectiveness came during the 2020 Daytona 500, when Ryan Newman survived a violent last-lap crash that would have been almost unthinkable in earlier eras. What Else Changed? Post-2001 research led to reinforced high-back containment seats often informally called “Earnhardt-style” seats designed to limit lateral head movement. Five- and six-point harness standards were strengthened. Inspection protocols tightened. Energy-absorbing padding and cockpit geometry were refined to manage load transfer during sudden deceleration. NASCAR also established a dedicated safety R&D center, allowing engineers to analyze crash data in depth using enhanced onboard recorders. The sport became proactive rather than reactive. The Hard Truth 25 Years Later When Dale's car decelerated by about 40 mph in milliseconds the future of motorsports changed. The sport had lost other drivers in the months before, but his death, on the sport’s biggest stage, forced action. The questions asked in 2001 were painful but necessary: What failed? What could have been done? Why wasn’t it required sooner? Earnhardt’s legacy is built on championships and intimidation. But 25 years later, another part of that legacy is quieter and arguably just as powerful: A generation of drivers who get to walk away.

This motorsports weekend recap was defined by last-lap chaos at Daytona, a statement ride from Eli Tomac in Seattle, Porsche asserting control in Formula E, and news that shapes NASCAR and IndyCar’s future. Daytona 500 Ends In Absolute Mayhem The 2026 edition of the Daytona 500 delivered everything fans expect from superspeedway racing: fuel strategy, multi-car wrecks, and a finish that defied explanation. In qualifying Noah Gragson lost his lap after violating NASCAR’s window-net airflow rule, admitting post-session he simply forgot about it. Corey Heim impressed in his 500 debut by locking into the field on speed, while Justin Allgaier narrowly secured the 2nd open transfer spot. The Duel races added more drama, including a late incident that allowed Casey Mears to go full send and race his way in. The race itself unfolded in stages of attrition. Stage 1 turned into a fuel mileage game, with Zane Smith stretching his tank to steal the stage win. Stage 2 erupted when Allgaier and Denny Hamlin made contact while battling for the lead, triggering a crash that damaged nearly 20 cars and eliminated multiple contenders. By the time the final stage began, the field was thinner but still tightly packed, running three-wide and saving fuel with just enough aggression to keep things unstable. Carson Hocevar led as the field took the final lap, but he was turned from the front before the exit of Turn 2. NASCAR kept it green. Chase Elliott briefly surged ahead with drafting help, only for Tyler Reddick to launch a final run off Turn 4 with a push from Riley Herbst. As the field fanned out four-wide, Herbst collided with Brad Keselowski, igniting a massive crash behind them. Reddick cleared the chaos and crossed the line first, surviving a finish that reshuffled the order in seconds. Hendrick Locks Down Larson Kyle Larson signed a five-year extension to remain with Hendrick Motorsports through 2031, continuing in the No. 5 Chevrolet. Primary sponsor HendrickCars.com will stay aligned with the team, and crew chief Cliff Daniels also agreed to a multi-year extension. The move locks in one of NASCAR’s most productive modern pairings. Larson has delivered 2 championships and good wins since joining Hendrick, and keeping both driver and crew chief aligned preserves chemistry that many organizations spend years trying to build. For Rick Hendrick, he wishes he was allowed to give Larson a lifetime deal but 5 years is good enough. Tomac Reasserts Himself In Seattle Eli Tomac reminded everyone why he remains one of the best riders in the paddock during Round 6 of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship at Lumen Field. The 450SMX main event began with Cooper Webb securing the holeshot, but the deteriorating Seattle surface quickly became a factor. Deep ruts forced riders into survival mode. Tomac settled into second and methodically chipped away at Webb’s lead. Just past the halfway mark, Tomac made a move for the lead and never looked back. Even when lapped traffic briefly allowed Webb to close, Tomac responded immediately, extending the gap and controlling the pace to secure his third win of the season. Behind them, Hunter Lawrence recovered from early adversity but narrowly missed the podium after a costly mistake in the sand section. Tomac’s 56th career Supercross victory tightened the championship to a single point. Wehrlein Executes To Perfection In Jeddah At the Jeddah E-Prix, Pascal Wehrlein delivered one of the cleanest drives of the season. Strategy defined the race, particularly around the mandatory Pit Boost window and Attack Mode deployments. Wehrlein positioned himself perfectly during the pit cycle, then used Attack Mode to clear his final obstacles and build a comfortable multi-second advantage. From there, it became a matter of disciplined energy saving. Edoardo Mortara converted a strong grid position into second, while Mitch Evans charged from 12th to claim the final podium spot. With the victory, Wehrlein moves to the top of the championship standings. IndyCar Secures Its Future IndyCar Series announced major news as Chevrolet and Honda both committed to new multi-year engine supply agreements ahead of the 2028 chassis and engine regulations. The agreements also align with IndyCar’s introduction of manufacturer charters in 2028 which will allow both engine manufacturers to have factory teams.

The 2016 Firestone 600 was supposed to be a routine Summer stop on the IndyCar calendar. Instead, it became one of the most unusual races in open-wheel history. Originally scheduled for June 11th, 2016 at Texas Motor Speedway, the event was halted after just 71 laps due to relentless rain and a track drainage issue known as “weepers.” What followed was a 76-day pause before the race finally concluded on August 27th in front of a dramatically different championship landscape. Rain plagued the entire June weekend. After Saturday night’s start was called off, officials attempted to run the race Sunday afternoon. Even then, drainage problems and persistent moisture delayed the green flag. The race finally began at 1:49 p.m., but chaos struck early. Josef Newgarden and Conor Daly crashed on lap 42, triggering a lengthy caution while the SAFER barrier was repaired. Newgarden suffered a fractured clavicle and wrist in the accident, ending his day. Then, on lap 71, heavy rain returned. The red flag came out at 2:42 p.m., and because the race had not reached the halfway point required to be official, it could not be called complete. With some drivers scheduled to race in the 24 Hours of Le Mans the following weekend and no clear weather window, IndyCar made a decision: the 2016 Firestone 600 would resume nearly ten weeks later, on August 27th. The race would restart from lap 71, with James Hinchcliffe leading. Only drivers still entered in capable cars at the time of suspension were allowed to return. When the field returned to Texas in late August, the atmosphere was completely different. The championship fight was in a different place and momentum had shifted. Two short practice sessions were held before the green flag to reacclimate drivers to the track. Then finally the race resumed. Ryan Hunter-Reay immediately challenged Hinchcliffe on the restart, but Hinchcliffe soon regained control. Hélio Castroneves emerged as his primary challenger, while strategy and tire wear began showing its hand in the race. Pit cycles between laps 100 and 120 shuffled the order briefly, but Hinchcliffe reasserted himself at the front. The race turned chaotic in the closing stages. On lap 213, Scott Dixon attempted to unlap himself and made contact with Ed Carpenter, triggering a caution that changed strategy across the field. Several drivers pitted for fresh tires, gambling on track position. Then, on lap 224, Carpenter’s left rear tire failed, sending him spinning and collecting Castroneves. Another caution set up a sprint to the finish. With eight laps remaining, the 2016 Firestone 600 transformed into a shootout. The only cars on the lead lap were James Hinchcliffe, Tony Kanaan, Graham Rahal, Hélio Castroneves, and Simon Pagenaud. Some pitted for fresh tires. Others stayed out. The final restart came on lap 240. Hinchcliffe held the lead as the laps wound down, but Rahal was closing. On the final lap, Rahal dove to the inside entering Turn 3. The two ran side-by-side through Turn 4 and onto the frontstretch after a short 4 wide moment. At the line, Graham Rahal edged Hinchcliffe by just 0.0080 seconds. It was the closest finish in Texas Motor Speedway history and the fifth-closest in IndyCar history. Rahal’s victory marked his fourth career win and Honda’s first triumph since the Indianapolis 500 earlier that season. Hinchcliffe, who had led 188 laps across both race dates, finished second in heartbreaking fashion. Tony Kanaan completed the podium, with Pagenaud fourth and Castroneves fifth. However, the story did not end there. Post-race inspection revealed that Hinchcliffe’s car violated skid wear regulations. Schmidt Peterson Motorsports was fined $20,000, and 25 championship points were deducted from both the owner and driver totals. Beyond the dramatic finish, the 2016 Firestone 600 exposed a larger issue. Texas Motor Speedway’s persistent “weeper” drainage problems had now disrupted both IndyCar and NASCAR events. In response, the track installed a new French drain system in 2017 to prevent future moisture seepage from the racing surface.

This motorsports weekend recap includes some major developments across multiple disciplines, led by long-term stability in NASCAR, a pivotal night in Supercross, a statement debut from Cadillac Formula 1, and continued expansion efforts from the IHRA. Hocevar Becomes A Franchise Driver Before the weekend NASCAR team Spire Motorsports announced a long-term contract extension with Carson Hocevar, securing the 23-year-old Michigan native as the driver of the No. 77 Chevrolet well into the next decade. For a team that has steadily transformed from a backmarker into a legitimate mid-pack contender, locking in Hocevar provides stability and direction at a critical point in its growth. The move shows the team have confidence not only in Hocevar’s raw speed, but in his ability to mature alongside the organization as both continue to evolve. Hocevar enters his third full-time NASCAR Cup Series season already carrying an impressive résumé for his age. After earning 2024 Rookie of the Year honors, his sophomore campaign in 2025 showed measurable progression, including two top-five finishes, nine top 10s, and a career-high 122 laps led. While he has yet to break through for a Cup win, his ability to consistently put himself in contention has not gone unnoticed within the garage, particularly given Spire’s relative youth as a competitive program. The extension also brings clarity to Spire’s broader racing plans. In addition to his Cup duties, Hocevar will return to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2026 part time, piloting the No. 77 truck in multiple events as the team pursues an owner’s championship. His schedule will also include select dirt late model and super late model starts. His win at all cost mindset, while appealing to fans and team owners, has also contributed to the aggressive on-track reputation that continues to follow him. Spire leadership has been open about Hocevar’s fiery nature, acknowledging both the upside and the growing pains that come with a young driver pushing the limits against NASCAR’s elite. Still, by committing long-term, the organization has made it clear that Hocevar is a cornerstone piece meant to grow into a leadership role as Spire continues to chase race wins and long-term relevance in the Cup Series. Ken Rocks Glendale Supercross delivered the weekend’s most dramatic on-track action during Round 5 of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. In front of the largest crowd ever for a Supercross event at the venue, Ken Roczen emerged victorious, becoming the fourth different winner in the first five races of the season and further tightening an already unpredictable championship battle. The 450SMX main event began with Vince Friese briefly leading after the holeshot before Hunter Lawrence asserted control at the front. Roczen settled into second early, closely shadowed by defending champion Cooper Webb, as the field found its rhythm on a fast and technical track. Championship favorite Eli Tomac’s night unraveled almost immediately when contact with Christian Craig in the opening turn sent him to the ground, forcing him to rejoin the race deep in the field and instantly putting him on the defensive. As Lawrence paced the field through the opening portion of the race, Roczen patiently waited before making his move, executing a decisive pass to take the lead with roughly 16 minutes remaining. Once out front, Roczen’s pace proved untouchable, allowing him to build and manage a gap of more than three seconds while Lawrence solidified his hold on second place. Webb faded into a lonely third as the race settled, attention then shifted to Tomac’s recovery drive as he clawed his way back to 12th by the checkered flag. Roczen’s victory marked the 24th win of his Supercross career and carried added emotional weight following news that team manager Larry Brooks had stepped away from racing duties to undergo cancer treatment. The win extended Roczen’s streak of winning seasons to seven and tightened the championship standings, while Lawrence’s fourth consecutive runner-up finish elevated him to the top of the points standings and handed him the red plate for the first time in the premier class. Tomac, meanwhile, slipped to third in the standings, eight points back. Cadillac Debuts On America's Biggest Stage New Formula 1 team Cadillac officially unveiled its 2026 livery in one of the most unconventional reveals the sport has seen. Rather than a traditional track or studio launch, Cadillac chose to debut its colors through a Super Bowl commercial, followed by a public event in Times Square, immediately positioning themselves as America's Team. The livery itself drew immediate attention for its asymmetrical black-and-white design, a rarity in modern Formula 1. Cadillac described the concept as a “yin-and-yang” balance, blending performance-driven grit with optimism and ambition. Prominent branding from TWG AI, alongside partners Jim Beam, Claro, and Core Scientific, shows they have big money backing the project. The use of President John F. Kennedy’s Apollo-era speech in the reveal further emphasized the magnitude Cadillac views itself with its journey into Formula 1. The livery will make its on-track debut during a Bahrain filming day. While Formula 1 regulations require both cars to run largely identical liveries, Cadillac’s half-and-half approach satisfies the rules while still allowing for a cool visual identity. The design recalls historical precedents, such as British American Racing’s split-livery concept in 1999. The IHRA Continues To Invest In Racing At the grassroots level, the International Hot Rod Association continued its recent expansion by announcing the acquisition of Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka, Kansas. Originally opened in 1963 as Topeka Dragway, the facility was a fixture of Midwest motorsports, hosting everything from national drag racing events to road racing, karting, and motocross. The facility was closed in 2023 but reaquired by the IHRA in 2026. IHRA leadership outlined plans to restore Heartland Motorsports Park while reimagining it as a year-round destination that extends beyond race weekends. The vision includes revitalized drag racing operations, improved racer and fan amenities, expanded motorsports programming, and the integration of live music, festivals, and community-focused events designed to drive tourism and economic impact. The goal is not simply preservation, but modernization with respect for the facility’s legacy. The Heartland acquisition follows IHRA’s recent purchases of Maple Grove and Rockingham, signaling a clear commitment to facility ownership as a means of strengthening the sport from the ground up. By directly controlling infrastructure, IHRA aims to create sustainable motorsports ecosystems that benefit racers, fans, and local communities alike. Renovation planning is set to begin immediately, with further announcements expected in the coming months.