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Taupō: Taupō was our first stop of the New Zealand double header for the Supercars season. But with weather drama on the way just off the North Island, concerns for the event loomed. Halfway through the weekend due to cyclone Vaianu, we confirmed the Sunday race would not take place in Taupō and instead start the Christchurch race weekend.   So, with only two races in Taupō, we expected drama. Race 8 ensured that Brodie Kostecki was able to continue his lead in the championship as well as the Jason Richards trophy too. With an impressive race driven by Kostecki for P1, close behind was Will Brown finishing P2 and Ryan Wood managing a P3 result on home soil. The start of Race 8; the first of 2 in Taupō Broc Feeney was able to secure a top 4 finish in P4, although struggling for some pace in the first race and unfortunately being down 2 positions from the qualifying pace too. Like Feeney was Matt Payne who did also drive an incredible race and securing P5.   The CoolDrive Racing car of James Golding held strong in the top 10, with a solid drive and managing P6 with an angry champion on his tail of Chaz Mostert who ended up finishing in P7.   The Chevrolet Camaros had a decent start to the double header too, with 3 of their cars in the top 10. Anton De Pasquale was able to finish in P8, moving up about 7 positions over the span of the race. Jack Le Brocq moved up 2 positions for P8 and David Reynolds managed to move up 6 positions for P10.   Race 9 was the final race in Taupō with the concerns surrounding Cyclone Vaianu increasing as it was just off the coast, so Supercars called the remainder of the weekend off, with Saturday having a shorter race as well as the main event.   Race 9 was impressive, especially for a young Kiwi driver being able to win on his home turf. Ryan Wood had a near perfect drive to maintain his P1 spot for the race. He was followed very closely by a very determined Broc Feeney who eventually finished P2. Woods teammate Chaz Mostert played the team game during the race, providing a decent gap for Wood to maintain the win, whilst also securing P3 for Mostert. An impressive maiden Toyota Win and Podium: Ryan Wood, Broc Feeney, Chaz Mostert. Will Brown finished the race in P4, just on the tail of Mostert, which was a very close battle to watch. Matt Payne knows a thing or two with another top 5 finish securing P5 for himself and this being just ahead of Brodie Kostecki as well who finished P6.   James Golding so far has had a season worth remembering. Another top 10 finish for him in Taupō was worth the watch. Although down 2 positions from his starting grid spot, he still managed a great race result for himself and the team. Kai Allen who had a poor start to the weekend, managed to bring it back and ensure a P8 spot for himself, securing vital points in the championship fight.   Cam Waters like Allen was also a name we hadn’t yet heard about in Taupō, but he managed to work through the field to secure P9. Whilst Anton De Pasquale had a tough race, losing 3 positions on track and only managing P10, still a worthy spot, but difficult given the pace with that car.   Christchurch:   Christchurch was our second stop in New Zealand, a first for the city and a very exciting opportunity. Race 10 was intended to be 500 race starts for David Reynolds, but due to a crash almost off the start/finish line, he would go on to finish the race in the garage with very little he could do. An incident at the start of Race 10 would end David Reynolds 500th race start Race 10 was the race missed the previous weekend and would be a memorable race for one specific driver: Kai Allen. Kai Allen was finally able to secure a race win for himself, a first of many. Driving an impressive race, with Brodie Kostecki following closely behind, often a scary sight for many drivers but Allen was able to maintain his cool and secure that win. Kostecki, despite all his efforts could only secure P2, still a worthy result for a driver like him.   Ryan Wood again being able to step onto another podium in New Zealand, finishing race 10 in P3. Just behind him, was another fellow Kiwi, Matt Payne who showed he is ready to compete for a championship and become one of the big contenders. He managed to finish in P4, just ahead of Anton De Pasquale in P5.   James Golding had another weekend of solid results, securing a P6 result. Golding has shown great potential for his new team since the start of the season and will show to be a big contender this season, looking to improve and better himself. Cam Waters had a solid race, moving up 7 positions to P7, an impressive result given we weren’t sure of the track and only had a single practice session, before qualifying. Chaz Mostert hasn’t had the best start to a season as he would like, but he is starting to show what he can do. He managed another top 10 showing, up 2 positions to finish P8.   P9 was a name we haven’t heard much about but bring in the rookie. Zach Bates showed what the rookies can get up to. Being one of the younger drivers, it can be a tough showing but to secure a top 10 result is rather impressive. In P10 was Broc Feeney who did unfortunately lose a spot from his starting spot but still managed a solid drive.   Race 11 continued to show why Brodie Kostecki is one of the biggest competitors for the championship this year. He managed another great drive securing the win, ahead of Kai Allen in P2 who 2 spots and Ryan Wood in P3 was up, who was up 3 spots. The young driver like Allen and Wood are also showing huge potential for future races and championship titles. A close battle between Brodie Kostecki and Kai Allen. Will Brown was another big mover, up 3 positions to finish in P4 just ahead of his own teammate Broc Feeney who both started and finished in P5. This duo is impressive, although the start of the season hasn’t shown their best. Yet. With the switch to Mustang, it most likely comes with their own pros and cons, but they will be back and with plenty to give.   Anton De Pasquale has shown nothing but positives in the new season. There is a high level of consistency that we are beginning to see from this driver, with another P6 result for him in race 11. De Pasquale was able to do this with the pace as well as the impressive 11 positions up from his starting grid spot. Cam waters were just behind him, managing a P7 result. This may not be where Waters was late last year, but there appears to be some issues and concerns for this season and the team, with some difficulties all around.   Jayden Ojeda showed a solid result for PremiAir, securing P8, just ahead of the Liqui Moly Blahst of Aaron Cameron who has had his own season of positives and negatives. The P9 for Cameron was a good result, given the struggles during some of the races so far this season. Finally rounding out the top 10 was Zach Bates again with another top 10 finish.   Race 12 was one to remember for Kiwi Matt Payne. The first win on home soil, similar to Ryan Wood. It must always be memorable when winning in your home state and for Matt Payne it absolutely was. He was able to pull a fair gap to secure the win ahead of P2s Broc Feeney and P3s James Golding. Feeney and Golding both had impressive results as they were able to move up 4 positions each to secure that podium result. Another strong race weekend secures not one, but two race wins for Matt Payne. Ryan Wood is showing that when given the opportunity and no car faults, he can be consistent. He managed a P4 spot, increasing his lead in the JR Trophy. Brodie Kostecki was one of Woods biggest competitors over the weekends in New Zealand, and Kostecki managed to finish just behind in P5.   Anton De Pasquale is another consistent driver, with a P6 once again grabbing him some vital points in the main championship, to keep himself looking competitive. Kai Allen did lose 3 positions unfortunately but was still able to keep in the top 10, finishing P7.   Cam Waters had a somewhat quiet race, finishing in P8, he was able to make up 4 positions for that result. Jack Le Brocq has been a real underdog in the past but is showing some decent pace so far this season. An impressive result of a P9, continues those results for the season. Finally, Shell V-Power was able to get a double points result as Rylan Gray took out the P10 slot, just ahead of Jayden Ojeda. Gray so far has proven he can be a big name in the comp in due time, and we saw that in previous years from him too.   It was finally time for the main event. Race 13. For one driver this was the moment and that would be Matt Payne as he once again secured another win in New Zealand. It was also a big moment as Kai Allen secured P2, which ensured a 1-2 finish for the Penrite Racing team. P3 went to Broc Feeney as he finished the double header out strong as well as securing the Jason Richards Trophy too. Matt Payne had a very successful weekend in Christchurch. James Golding had a strong end to the weekend too, with a P4 result for him. This should provide a big boost of confidence for both himself and his team, as they have both been able to create a coordinated and strong team. Cam Waters had his best result of the weekend with a P5 finish and just behind him was Will Brown in P6. Although most likely not having the start to the season that he would’ve liked, he has a long way to go.   The Camaros had a strong finish as Jack Le Brocq finished in P7, Cooper Murray finished in P9 and Declan Fraser made an appearance in the top 10, finishing P10. Sandwiched between the Camaros was the other New Zealander on the grid, Andre Heimgartner. He drove a quiet but impressive race, having gained 12 positions from his starting spot, and a top 10 finish on home soil too, ultimately finishing P8.   For some drivers though, race 13 was not meant to be. Ryan Wood was forced to DNF due to an engine issue. This result would also cost him the JR Trophy. Another incident worth noting, is between Chaz Mostert and Brodie Kostecki, which cost both track positions. In an angry heat of the moment situation, Mostert runs Kostecki wide and off track, causing him to lose track position, dropping to P18, whilst a 30 second penalty to Mostert, ensured he only managed P16. A difficult end to race 13 for Kostecki and Mostert.

F1 Agrees Unanimous Regulation Changes Ahead of Miami Following Oliver Bearman's 50G crash at the Japanese Grand Prix and weeks of discussion between the FIA, Formula 1, the teams, and power unit manufacturers, all parties reached unanimous agreement on Monday on a package of regulation adjustments set to take effect at the Miami Grand Prix. The changes are centered on energy management, targeting two specific issues that have defined the early part of the 2026 season: closing speed safety and the quality of qualifying. On the safety side, super clipping will be increased from 250 kilowatts to the maximum of 350 kilowatts from Miami onward, allowing drivers to recover more energy while remaining at full throttle. The change is designed to reduce unpredictable lift-and-coast moments that have been a contributing factor in dangerous closing speed situations. On the qualifying side, the harvesting limit during a qualifying lap has been reduced from 8 megajoules to 7 megajoules, which will make the cars slightly slower but reduce the need for aggressive energy management strategies that have made qualifying laps feel less on the limit than in previous seasons. A new low power start detection system will also be tested at the next race weekend. The system identifies cars with abnormally low acceleration after clutch release and automatically triggers a minimum level of MGU-K deployment to prevent a stationary car from becoming a crash hazard. An associated flashing warning light on the rear and sides of affected cars will alert following drivers. Additional changes were agreed for wet conditions, including higher tyre blanket temperatures for intermediates, reduced ERS deployment, and simplified rear light systems. Roczen Dominates Cleveland Triple Crown to Close Within One Point The Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship made a visit to Cleveland it's first since 1995, and the conditions at Huntington Bank Field matched the drama of the occasion. Rain, cold temperatures, and swirling winds set the stage for Round 14 of the 2026 season, which ended with Ken Roczen claiming his fourth win of the year and closing to within a single point of the championship lead. The Triple Crown format split the 450SMX Class racing across three 12 Minute + 1 Lap Main Events, with points awarded across all three races determining the overall result. Lawrence took an early stranglehold on the afternoon by winning Race 1 wire to wire. He grabbed the holeshot, built a multi-second lead over Roczen and Justin Cooper, and was never seriously challenged. Roczen settled for second and Cooper finished third. Race 2 went to Cooper, who led from the holeshot and held on for a two-second victory over Roczen. Sexton finished third and Lawrence, after a difficult start deep in the field, fought back to fifth. Race 3 proved decisive. Roczen grabbed the holeshot and immediately went to work, building a five-second lead over Cooper Webb in the opening laps. Lawrence, who started eighth, crashed in the whoops and dropped outside the top 10. He remounted but crashed again shortly after while trying to recover, falling to 14th. Up front, Roczen was untouchable, winning by 8.7 seconds over Webb, with Justin Hill passing Chase Sexton on the final lap for third. Cooper recovered to seventh and Lawrence soldiered home in 14th. Roczen's 2-2-1 scorecard across the three races earned him five overall points for the day, comfortably ahead of Webb and Cooper who each finished with 11 points. Lawrence's 1-5-14 effort left him with 20 points and sixth overall on the day. The championship standings entering the final three rounds now show Lawrence leading Roczen by just one point. Tomac, who missed the entire day after a qualifying crash left him with a hip injury, falls to fourth and is now 31 points out of the lead. "I had no idea I was one point back in the championship," Roczen said. "After I got the holeshot in the last race I had a clear track and just felt really comfortable. Once I had a gap, I just made sure I didn't do anything silly. I'm just so grateful I'm able to ride like this." Supercross heads to Philadelphia next where we will be boots on the ground. Dye Gets Cup Debut at Talladega, Youtuber Heading to Nashville With RCR Daniel Dye will make his NASCAR Cup Series debut this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, driving the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet as part of a four-race agreement that also includes Pocono on June 14, the Daytona cutoff race on August 29, and the fall Talladega round on October 25. The 22-year-old returns to competition following a suspension handed down by NASCAR and Kaulig Racing after insensitive comments he made about IndyCar driver David Malukas on a livestream. Dye completed the required sensitivity training and made his return last weekend, finishing second in the ARCA Menards Series race at Kansas Speedway. Dye brings Champion Container Corp as primary sponsor for the four-race run and Talladega will be his first Cup appearance. In a separate development, YouTuber Garrett Mitchell aka Cleetus McFarland will make his second NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series start at Nashville on May 30, driving the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet again. McFarland had planned to run Talladega as his second start but was not approved by NASCAR for the larger tracks on the schedule at this stage. Tommy's Express Car Wash will again back the effort. Lawson Eyes Supercars But Denies Imminent Plans Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson confirmed this week that he would love to compete in the Supercars Championship at some point in his career, but denied reports that he was set to enter the New Zealand rounds in Taupo and Christchurch during Formula 1's April break. The 24-year-old said he arrived home in New Zealand to find widespread reports claiming he was racing Supercars within the week, news that came as a surprise to him. "I landed in New Zealand, and my phone was blown up with 'oh Liam, you're racing Supercars next week' and I was like, 'I didn't even know I was racing Supercars next week,'" Lawson told the media. Lawson said he has driven a Supercars machine before and enjoyed the experience, and that the series appeals to him for the same reasons it holds a broad audience. The cars have naturally aspirated V8 engines, sequential gearboxes, and a raw character that he finds attractive. "It's something I would love to do," he said. "Obviously, when my life is not so focused on one thing, maybe, and I can actually put the time in to prepare for it." Lawson previously finished runner-up in both the DTM in 2021 and Super Formula in 2023, and won the 2019 New Zealand Grand Prix. Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll have both entered GT racing during the current F1 calendar break.

It was yet another near perfect weekend for Mercedes with Kimi Antonelli taking out another P1 result. He has impressed based on results so far this year, even taking the championship lead away from teammate George Russell. George Russell had a tough weekend out in Japan only managing a P4 finish, which was difficult, especially given the safety car which partially ruined the result.   Oscar Piastri officially completed his first race weekend and managed a P2 result in that same weekend. Given how the previous 2 weekends had been, this was a brilliant result. His teammate Lando Norris was able to scrape points together for the team with a P5 finish. Your top 3 in Japan; Oscar Piastri, Kimi Antonelli, Charles Leclerc. Charles Leclerc was able to get through the race, working with various issues for both Ferrari drivers and secure himself another podium position, finishing P3. Both him and Lewis Hamilton had difficulties with battery and the power in which they were getting which put them at a disadvantage, but they were still able to profit anyway. Lewis Hamilton had to settle for a P6 result but still scored vital points for himself and the team.   The 4 outliers in the top 10 included Pierre Gasly scoring points for Alpine in P7, Max Verstappen finishing P8, despite struggling for general pace in the car. Liam Lawson was the main scorer for Racing Bulls securing P9 and an essential 2 points in the championship and finally Esteban Ocon who was the final driver scoring points finishing P10 and ensuring that vital 1 point got to Haas.   Alex Albon has had a tough start to the season, and Japan was no different. Another race well outside of the top 10. The team was able to ensure his car was good to race but ended up +2 laps on the remaining field. Carlos Sainz was forced to have another tough race result, finishing ahead of his teammate but only P15. Carlos Sainz with a quiet weekend in Japan. A slow but confident build as a team at Williams. The remaining 3 drivers had a quiet weekend, keeping to themselves, but not gaining much on their teammates or other drivers. Franco Colapinto was having a difficult weekend, ultimately finishing only P16. Arvid Lindblad was able to successfully finish a race weekend with very little issues going on, but couldn’t capitalise on positions, finishing P14. Isack Hadjar was almost able to prove his ability in the Redbull with the potential for a top 10 finish, but was forced to remain only P12.   Cadillac continues their long track of back of the field positions but still could not convert any higher than what they’d been sitting at. Sergio Perez managed a P17 result and was able to keep away from the field lapping the rest. Valtteri Bottas however, improved slightly from P20 to P19. The confidence for Cadillac is growing as they continue their hard work and effort as a team, with the hope to see more promising results later in the season. Cadillac with a weekend to build on, showing progressive improvements every week. Audi was close to capitalising on the top 10 positions, Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto who were close to getting some points but missing out by a slim margin. Unfortunate given the pace that the pair did have in their cars but could be potential for better results after the break.   Oliver Bearman faced a difficult situation after a surge in power resulted in him going off the track and unable to stop. This resulted in a 50G crash, a normally devastating crash, but Bearman walked away with minor injuries. Major damages to Ollie Bearmans car after a shunt in Japan. Lance Stroll ended up with another DNF added to the long list from his previous results. As for his teammate Fernando Alonso, he was able to complete the entire race, bus remained 1 lap down to the rest of the field. We are now on a long break due to the cancellations of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. We return to F1 at the Miami Grand Prix on May 2-4.

Lambiase Confirmed Leaving Red Bull for McLaren in 2028 Red Bull has confirmed that Gianpiero Lambiase, Max Verstappen's long-time race engineer and head of racing, will leave the team at the end of the 2027 Formula 1 season. The news, first reported by Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, was confirmed by Red Bull in a brief statement on Thursday. Lambiase joined Red Bull in 2015 and has been central to Verstappen's four world championship campaigns. He is understood to have agreed terms with McLaren, where he will take on a senior trackside role supporting team principal Andrea Stella. "GP is a valued member of the team," Red Bull's statement read. "Until his planned departure, GP continues in his roles as head of racing and as race engineer to Max Verstappen. The team and he are fully committed to add more success to our strong track record together." The move follows a pattern that has become familiar at Red Bull in recent seasons. Chief designer Rob Marshall, head of strategy Will Courtenay, tech chief Adrian Newey, sporting director Jonathan Wheatley, CEO Christian Horner, and adviser Helmut Marko have all departed the team in recent years, with several landing at rival outfits. Lambiase could join McLaren before 2028 if both teams agree an early release. The departure comes against the backdrop of uncertainty around Verstappen's own future, with the four-time champion known to have exit clauses in his current Red Bull contract that can be triggered as early as this summer. Yamaha Signs Ogura to Complete 2027 Factory Lineup Yamaha has confirmed the signing of Ai Ogura for the 2027 MotoGP season, where the 25-year-old Japanese rider will partner Jorge Martin in the manufacturer's factory team. Ogura, currently in his second MotoGP campaign with Trackhouse Racing aboard an Aprilia, will replace Alex Rins following Fabio Quartararo's long-confirmed move to Honda. The signing completes Yamaha's factory lineup for 2027, pairing the 2024 Moto2 champion with MotoGP's 2024 premier class title holder. Ogura made a strong impression during his rookie MotoGP season in 2025, finishing fifth on his debut in Buriram, a result that stood as his best of the year. In 2026, he matched that result in both Thailand and Brazil before a mechanical failure ended his race at Austin. The move closes the door on other candidates for the seat, including Luca Marini, whose camp has been informed of Yamaha's decision. Dani Holgado had also been in discussions with Yamaha but confirmed earlier this week that he will join Gresini Racing. Ogura's departure will leave a vacancy at Trackhouse Racing, with Raul Fernandez the most likely candidate to remain with the American outfit. Formal announcements across the rider market remain on hold. IndyCar Scouts Goiania as Potential 2027 Race Venue Penske Entertainment CEO Mark Miles visited the Ayrton Senna International Circuit in Goiania, Brazil on April 10, accompanied by IndyCar logistics director Bill van de Sandt and Latin American series representatives Willy Herrmann and Carlo Gancia. Executives from Band, the Brazilian broadcaster that holds IndyCar rights in the country, also attended. The group was welcomed by Goias governor Daniel Vilela, who presented data from the Brazilian MotoGP Grand Prix, including its return on investment figures, and outlined the circuit's readiness to host the American open-wheel series. Vilela expressed interest in welcoming IndyCar to the state as early as 2027. The Ayrton Senna International Circuit hosted a MotoGP round earlier this season. The visit from IndyCar representatives suggests the venue is under active consideration as a potential race host, though no official announcement has been made. "We are excited and optimistic about the possibility of bringing another major sporting event to Goias," Vilela said. "This means more job creation and economic activity for our state." Lawrence Reclaims the Points Lead in Nashville Round 13 from Nissan Stadium in Nashville was billed as the most closely contested three-rider title fight in 450SMX Class history, and Hunter Lawrence made sure it ended with him back on top. Shane McElrath grabbed the holeshot at the start of the 20 Minute + 1 Lap Main Event but was quickly swallowed up. Justin Hill moved into the lead ahead of Ken Roczen and Jorge Prado, with Lawrence slotting into the top five. Roczen went on the attack and took the lead early, with Lawrence working his way to second and establishing himself as the fastest rider on track. Championship co-leader Eli Tomac, meanwhile, was buried outside the top 10 after a poor start. The gap between Lawrence and Roczen hovered between one and two seconds through the middle portion of the race until, with just over eight minutes remaining, Roczen lost traction before a triple jump. Lawrence seized the moment, jumped through into the lead, and immediately began to pull away. Roczen tried to respond but went down shortly after, dropping to fourth behind Hill and Cooper Webb. Lawrence never put a wheel wrong from there, crossing the line 7.1 seconds ahead of Webb, who fought through from outside the top 10 for his first podium in four races. Roczen recovered to third for a fourth consecutive podium finish. Tomac, who had been the fastest qualifier and won his Heat Race, never factored at the front of the Main Event. He ran as high as eighth before a late crash dropped him to 12th, equaling his worst result of the season. With four races remaining, Lawrence leads the championship by 10 points over Roczen, who moved from third to second in the standings. Tomac sits third, 15 points out of the lead after sharing the red plate heading into Nashville. "I'm so happy my wrist wasn't holding me back today," Lawrence said. "Every Saturday I want to go out and have no limitations holding me back from anything." Webb acknowledged the work still ahead. "I had another terrible start, which is not how you want to draw it up. We've got some work to do to catch that lead group, but I'll take the podium after the past few weekends."

Bearman's 50G Crash Forces F1 Safety Conversation Formula 1's 2026 technical regulations have been under discussion since before the season started, but Oliver Bearman's massive accident at F1's Japanese Grand Prix moved the conversation from the boardroom to the front page. Bearman had been running approximately one second behind Alpine's Franco Colapinto on lap 21 when the gap closed suddenly and sharply as they approached Spoon Corner. The difference in electrical boost between the two cars created a closing speed of 45km/h. The Alpine was not actively harvesting energy at that moment, meaning its rear warning lights were not illuminated in the seconds before the incident. Bearman swerved to avoid contact at 308km/h, went sideways over the grass on the inside, skidded back across the track, through the run-off, and into the barrier. The impact registered at 50G. The reaction from the F1 community was immediate. Grand Prix Drivers Association director Carlos Sainz said the moment had been coming. "There were a lot of big moments there in the first three laps while we were all sorting out our energies until our systems learned with the closing speeds we have with the boost button," Sainz said. "It was only a matter of time, the first big crash was going to happen." Speaking separately to Sky F1, Sainz added that drivers had already raised concerns with the FIA and Formula 1 management before the season began. "We've been warning them about this happening. These kind of closing speeds and these kind of accidents were always going to happen, and I'm not very happy with what we've had up until now." The FIA responded with a statement confirming that a structured review of the energy management regulations was already scheduled for April, and that safety remains a core element of the process. The governing body stopped short of confirming what changes, if any, would be made, noting that any adjustments require careful simulation and analysis. A broader review of the qualifying format was already under consideration, and the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian rounds earlier this season had pushed the scheduled F1 Commission meeting to April 9th. With Bearman's crash now added to the equation, the urgency of that meeting has increased considerably. Roczen Wins in Detroit as Title Fight Flips Upside Down Round 11 from Ford Field in Detroit produced the most significant championship shakeup of the 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season, with Ken Roczen delivering a landmark 25th career victory while points leader Hunter Lawrence suffered a race-ending crash. Jorge Prado grabbed his fifth holeshot of the season at the start of the 20 Minute + 1 Lap Main Event with Roczen slotting in behind him and Chase Sexton, making his return to action after missing three races, running third. Lawrence started deep inside the top 10, while Eli Tomac launched outside the top 10 as well. Roczen spent several laps pressuring Prado before making his move and taking the lead. Shortly after, Prado and Cooper Webb came together and both went down, removing two contenders from the front of the race in one moment. Roczen quickly built a multi-second lead over Sexton, while Lawrence worked his way up to third from his difficult starting position. The race changed dramatically just before halfway. As Sexton and Lawrence had begun to close the gap to Roczen, Lawrence crashed hard exiting the whoops section, widely regarded as the most demanding whoop section of the season. He remounted but was forced to have his machine attended to in the mechanics area, costing him a lap. He ultimately salvaged 18th place. With the threat behind him gone, Roczen managed the race comfortably to the finish, taking the win by 7.7 seconds over Sexton. Malcolm Stewart broke through for his first podium of the season in third, with Justin Cooper fourth and Tomac fifth. The championship picture looks entirely different heading out of Detroit. Tomac reclaims the points lead for the first time since round four, holding a four-point advantage over Lawrence with six races remaining. Roczen's win pulled him to within 14 points of the lead, setting up a genuine three-rider title fight for the final stretch of the season. "I don't know what to say, but this is exactly what I was talking about," Roczen said after the race. "The whoops were a 50-50 chance you were going to make it through or end up on your back. We closed up some points, but we still have a lot of racing to go." NASCAR's Horsepower Debate Is Getting Louder The conversation around whether to introduce the 750 horsepower tapered spacer package to intermediate tracks picked up significant momentum at Darlington last weekend, and the drivers are far from unified on the answer. Darlington ran a higher horsepower, lower downforce configuration this year, and the results were mixed. Lead changes and green flag passes increased, but the field spread out more than some would have liked, and tire falloff came in below projections as teams managed their runs carefully throughout the race. Joey Logano made no attempt to hide his position. He wants more power, more falloff, and more variables in a discipline that increasingly resembles a spec formula. "We have to be a tenth to two-tenths faster to make passes these days, so how are you going to find that?" Logano said. "Maybe if someone burns their stuff up early, they pay the price later, and then you see the difference come in." Brad Keselowski acknowledged the argument but pushed back. "We do have a really good package right now, and there are a handful of tracks that you could argue would benefit from it, but a handful of tracks where I could argue it would make the racing worse," the 2012 champion said, pointing to the Brickyard 400 as a race that might improve while suggesting Kansas could get worse. William Byron was direct about the competitive implications. Hendrick Motorsports would benefit from more power, he said, but that does not make it good for the product. "If you have to get out of the gas more, it comes down to who can make their car handle better, and that would mean fewer cars on the lead lap and less passing in the top five." Michael McDowell offered perhaps the most candid take of the weekend, framing the debate around what the sport is actually trying to achieve. More power means more separation. The best car wins by more. That may be satisfying for drivers but it is not necessarily what fans want to watch. "Our mile and a half package has been good. The racing's been good," McDowell said. "We just have to be careful that we don't ruin a good thing by chasing something that we all feel like would be more fun." The discussion is unlikely to produce an immediate answer, but with Darlington serving as something of a live test case, the data from Sunday's race will inform whatever decision NASCAR makes heading into the second half of the season. NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2027 Ballot Revealed The NASCAR Hall of Fame has announced its 15-nominee ballot for the Class of 2027, with Kevin Harvick, Ray Elder, and Ernie Elliott joining the Modern Era candidates for the first time. Harvick, now in his third season as a Fox Sports analyst, enters the ballot with credentials that include the 2014 Cup Series championship, 60 Cup victories including the 2007 Daytona 500, and two titles in what is now the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series. Elder won a record six championships in the former NASCAR Winston West Series and claimed two Cup victories, both at Riverside International Raceway. Elliott, brother of 2015 inductee Bill Elliott, built engines that powered the family team to 40 Cup wins and the 1988 championship, earning recognition as Engine Builder of the Decade for his work in the mid to late 1980s. Two new names were added to the Pioneer Era Ballot as well. Ray Fox, a successful mechanic and car owner from NASCAR's early years, returns to the ballot for the first time since 2020. Herb Nab, who won 92 Cup Series races and two championships alongside Cale Yarborough for car owner Junior Johnson, makes his first ballot appearance. They join returning nominees Banjo Matthews, Larry Phillips, and Harry Hyde, who transitions from the Modern Era Ballot to the Pioneer list this cycle. T. Wayne Robertson joins the Landmark Award ballot for the first time. Robertson oversaw the R.J. Reynolds sports marketing division during a period of significant growth for NASCAR, including playing a central role in the creation of the NASCAR All-Star Race in 1985. He joins returning Landmark candidates Alvin Hawkins, Lesa France Kennedy, Dr. Joseph Mattioli, and Les Richter. Fan voting opens April 14 and runs through May 17 on NASCAR.com, counting as one ballot in the selection process. The voting panel will meet in Charlotte on May 19 to finalize the Class of 2027, with the results announced live from the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Subaru Is Building a BRZ Rally Car Subaru has announced plans to develop a turbocharged, four-wheel drive rally version of its BRZ, with veteran rally driver Toshihiro Arai set to debut the car during the first half of Japan's national rally championship season. The announcement marks a new direction for a brand that built much of its identity through factory involvement in the World Rally Championship during the 1990s and 2000s, winning three consecutive manufacturers' championships from 1995 to 1997. Since withdrawing from the WRC at the end of 2008, Subaru has continued competing in the American Rally Association National Championship and the All Japan Rally Championship, with the WRX claiming five consecutive ARA titles in the United States. A render of the new BRZ rally car was shown to media during the opening round of the Super Taikyu Series at Motegi last weekend. Full technical specifications have not yet been released. "We are diligently developing a machine with significantly improved competitiveness, and we plan to introduce it midway through the season," Arai said. Further details are expected to be made available as the car's debut approaches.

It was another dominant weekend in Shanghai for Mercedes with a strong race result. Kimi Antonelli took his first ever F1 win ahead of his teammate George Russell. This allows the duo to continue their strong lead in the championship ahead of their current biggest competitor, Ferrari. Ferrari also continued their great results with Lewis Hamilton taking out his first official podium spot as a Ferrari driver finishing in P3, after a well fought battle against teammate Charles Leclerc who finished in P4. This pairing continues to prove their ability and competitiveness against one another, pushing each of them to better themselves. They even had some great wheel-to-wheel racing moments against each other that was sure to give people a scare. Top 3 for the race result in China: Kimi Antonelli, George Russell, Lewis Hamilton. Haas continued to show that they are here for the fight with Oliver Bearman who proved himself in China with a great P5 finish. He is a strong driver for the future of the sport and continues to prove that week in and week out. It was a tough weekend though for Esteban Ocon who could not score points for the team, finishing in P14. This can definitely be a tough situation to be in for Ocon, given that the younger teammate is able to perform slightly better, but there is only up for Ocon as the season goes on.   Alpine ended the weekend with a double points scoring result. Pierre Gasly drove brilliantly to ensure P6, with close to a 30 second gap back to P7. The team itself can show their drive and capability, especially to those who doubted it. Franco Colapinto was 1 lap down, but still able to finish in the final points position of P10. Franco Colapinto VS Esteban Ocon The final 3 drivers, although not at the same team managed to provide vital points to their respective teams. Liam Lawson finished the weekend strong with a P7 result, points that are essential for Racing Bulls. Lawson’s teammate Arvid Lindblad ended up just behind the Audi of Hulkenberg in P12. After a tough weekend with the car struggling and issues arising, this is still promising from the young rookie. Isack Hadjar had a more positive result compared to Australia, finishing the race in P8, and ensuring RedBull managed some points. Finally, Carlos Sainz although having a quiet weekend finished in P9 and gained vital points for Williams, with only having one car available for the race.   Audi’s only running car of Nico Hulkenberg performed well, given he was just out of the points too. He drove a great race to get a result of P11, just missing out on the last point for top 10 taken by Colapinto. This shows a strong team, given they can push for top 10 positions in the races, which is going to be a positive for them. A quiet, yet strong weekend in China for Nico Hulkenberg The Cadillac pairing had another quiet weekend, possibly going to be the way for the season. Both cars however managing to finish the race in China. Sergio Perez was unfortunately at the back of the group in P15, whilst Valtteri Bottas finished in P13.   We had way too many DNS/DNF in China. Before even beginning the race, Alex Albon and Gabriel Bortoleto were out. As we were waiting for the timer to close and the race to begin, chaos was emerging for both McLaren cars as technical and mechanical issues began to falter them. Lando Norris was the first, before Oscar Piastri also faced issues. Both drivers were forced to have a DNS. Piastri is still yet to start a race in 2026. A difficult weekend for both McLaren drivers with a double DNS result. Aston Martin also had a difficult weekend with another double DNF result for the team. There still appears to be ongoing issues with the car itself, including the engine and its capability. Will we see a complete race from Aston Martin this season? Our final DNF, a very shocking one as well, was Max Verstappen. It was sudden, very random and an extremely unfortunate result for him. We know just how competitive he can be, and this was a tough situation to be in.

Hamlin Points to 2027 as Final NASCAR Season Denny Hamlin addressed his future at Darlington Raceway on Saturday, reaffirming that 2027 remains his intended final season in the NASCAR Cup Series with Joe Gibbs Racing, the team he has driven for since 2005. Hamlin stopped short of making it definitive but indicated the timeline is set in his mind and has allowed JGR to begin planning accordingly. Hamlin currently sits at 61 career wins after winning at Las Vegas last weekend. He projects reaching approximately 67 wins by the end of his career, based on a career average of roughly three and a half wins per season over the last decade. Two notable items remain absent from his resume. The Cup Series championship is the most significant, having come within three laps of winning it last season before a late caution in the finale ended his chances. A win at the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis is the other, the only crown jewel race he has yet to win. Hamlin also made clear he has no interest in a farewell tour when the time comes. "I don't want to go my last half of the year or year like, 'Can't wait to get out,'" he said. "If I could end on seasons like this one is starting, then that would be a successful last year for me." One rumor suspected Alex Bowman as a possible replacement for Hamline but JGR may look in a different direction after the Arizonan's recent struggles with injury. Mercedes Appoints Bradley Lord as Deputy Team Principal Mercedes confirmed this week that Bradley Lord has been appointed deputy team principal, formalizing responsibilities that had developed organically over the course of his 13 years with the team. Lord joined Mercedes in 2013 as communications manager and most recently served as team representative and chief communications officer. Team principal and CEO Toto Wolff stated that his own role and responsibilities remain unchanged. Lord's appointment is designed to support Wolff and strengthen the team's senior leadership structure as the sport continues to grow. Lord began his career in Formula 1 as a press office intern at Benetton in 2001 and held communications roles at the Renault F1 Team and Daimler AG before joining Mercedes. He takes up the deputy team principal role with immediate effect. Lawrence Extends Championship Lead With Dominant Birmingham Win Hunter Lawrence put together arguably the strongest performance of his career at Round 10 of the Monster Energy SMX World Championship from Protective Stadium in Birmingham, taking his third win in the last four races and extending his 450SMX Class points lead. Jorge Prado grabbed the holeshot at the start of the 20 Minute + 1 Lap Main Event, but Lawrence went on the attack immediately and took control of the race in the opening laps. Behind him, Prado and Red Bull KTM teammate Eli Tomac became engaged in their own battle, which allowed Ken Roczen to work his way up from a 16th place start. Roczen eventually got around Tomac and settled into second, where he spent the remainder of the race chasing Lawrence. Heavy lapped traffic repeatedly cut off any momentum he was able to build. Lawrence crossed the line 2.3 seconds ahead of Roczen. Tomac finished third, more than 30 seconds back, in a difficult evening that included navigating his first Last Chance Qualifier since the 2019 season after an incident with Justin Cooper during their Heat Race. Lawrence's championship lead over Tomac now stands at nine points. Roczen's sixth podium of the season moves him into third, 31 points behind Lawrence. "I'm just taking it one race at a time," Lawrence said. "It's easy to think about the end result, which is the title, but I'm just trying to stay focused in the moment. Anything can happen, as we've seen tonight, so I'm just happy to be up here." Da Costa Takes Inaugural Madrid E-Prix in Chaotic Finish Antonio Felix da Costa won the inaugural Madrid E-Prix at Jarama Circuit for Jaguar Racing, with teammate Mitch Evans finishing second to complete a Jaguar one-two. Pascal Wehrlein rounded out the podium for Porsche after edging Dan Ticktum at the exit of the final corner, with the top four covered by less than a second. Nyck Cassidy led early in his Citroen ahead of Mahindra's Nyck de Vries and da Costa. De Vries made an overly optimistic move on Wehrlein mid-race, made contact, broke his own front wing, dropped to the back of the field, and received a five-second penalty. Ticktum made the strongest start of the field, moving from ninth to fifth in the opening laps and spending much of the race in podium contention. The race was defined by the Attack Mode activations and Pit Boost stops that cycle through the Formula E field. Felipe Drugovich activated Attack Mode from the back and led on lap 8. Pepe Marti did the same shortly after, leading in front of his home crowd before the pit stops began reshuffling the order. By the time all strategies played out, da Costa and Maximilian Gunther were fighting for the lead, with da Costa eventually seizing it and immediately activating his final Attack Mode to defend his position. With the field bunched in the final laps and nearly every driver activating remaining Attack Modes simultaneously, da Costa held firm to take the victory. Edoardo Mortara, Sebastien Buemi, Jake Dennis, Nico Muller, Pepe Marti, and Joel Eriksson completed the top 10. Top 10: Pos Driver Team Gap 1 A. Felix da Costa Jaguar Racing Winner 2 M. Evans Jaguar Racing +0.386s 3 P. Wehrlein Porsche Team +0.799s 4 D. Ticktum Cupra Kiro +0.985s 5 E. Mortara Mahindra Racing +1.570s 6 S. Buemi Envision Racing +1.922s 7 J. Dennis Andretti Formula E +3.760s 8 N. Muller Porsche Team +3.884s 9 P. Marti Cupra Kiro +4.117s 10 J. Eriksson Envision Racing +6.576s

Kyle Kirkwood during qualifying for the Arlington Grand Prix (Photo by: Kylar Boggs/RacingClipsAndPics) The NTT Indycar series kicked off the inaugural Java House Grand Prix of Arlington, and it was a hectic start. Andretti driver Marcus Ericsson lead the opening laps and towards the back of the grid, trouble ensued. Mick Schumacher made contact with Christian Lundgaard and caused the Arrow McLaren driver to go around. Lundgaard continued without any damage, but Schumacher recieved a drive through penalty for avoidable contact with Lundgaard. In addition, Nolan Siegal also spun around but was able to continue on as well. Later on, when pit stops began, leaders Marcus Ericsson and Alex Palou came into the pit lane at the same time. However, Ericsson had problems on his stop with trouble on the right front, and ended up losing multiple seconds to Palou leaving the pit lane. Just after that, Kyffin Simpson had recieved a drive through penalty for hitting his pit equipment into the pit box of Scott Dixon just ahead of him. The trouble didn't stop there as Josef Newgarden spun in turn 3 due to contact with teammate David Malukas. Malukas got ahead of Newgarden as he was going by him on the pit exit and the two collided into turn 3. Will Power, who started in the top 5, went on a long tire stint, into the race committing a two stop strategy to go to the end compared to everyone else who were on a three stop strategy. After the final pit stops cycled through, it was Kyle Kirkwood chasing down Alex Palou for the win. As the laps were winding down, Kirkwood was significantly cutting the gap down to Palou and with less than 20 laps to go, Kirkwood made a brave move going into turn 14 on Alex Palou and got the lead and drove off into the distance. With four laps to go, the caution flag came out for Christian Rasmussen as he stalled in turn 1. The race goes back to green flag conditions with 1 lap to go, but that didn't last long as in the back of the field, Nolan Siegal makes contact with Romain Grosjean and both of them crash out of the race and the race ends under yellow. Coming to the checkered flag, Kyle Kirkwood picks up the victory ahead of Alex Palou, and teammate Will Power. Power gets his first podium with Andretti after starting fourth. Winner, Kyle Kirkwood stated "It was one of the more physical races for sure. Lap 40 I was taking my hands off the steering wheel down the straight and pulling my fingers away from each other." After starting in the back of the field, Scott Dixon finishes 8th, and Scott McLaughlin finishes 11, both having good finishes after the troubles in qualifying yesterday for the both of them. Just three races in, Kyle Kirkwood is now the new championship leader, but there is still a long way to go until the end of the season.

Marcus Ericsson during qualifying for the Arlington Grand Prix (Photo by: Kylar Boggs/RacingClipsAndPics) Marcus Ericsson has qualified on pole position for the inaugural Arlington Grand Prix, and it is his first career NTT P1 Pole Position. It was a hectic qualifying session in Arlington with the first group in round 1 being a battle to the end to advance to the second round with Marcus Ericsson barely surviving to move on ahead of Louis Foster who was not able to set a faster lap time. In round 1 group 2, a shocking moment occured as Scott McLaughlin who was one of the fastest drivers in both of the practice sessions, found the wall in turn 8. McLaughlin clipped the inside wall making contact with the right front and going straight into the wall, bringing an end to his session. McLaughlin will start last after crashing out in round 1. Towards the end in the second round of qualifying, Kyle Kirkwood had put down a lap good enough to move on to the fast six for a very brief moment, until Andretti teammate Marcus Ericsson knocked out Kirkwood at the last second, and moved on to the Firestone Fast Six. Heading into the final round of qualifying, Indycar brought a new qualifying format for the Firestone Fast Six qualifications to Arlington, as it was announced it would be a single car qualifying format instead of group qualifying. This meant each driver would have to wait for each other to finish their lap before they could go out on track. Marcus Ericsson was the first of the six drivers to go out on track and set down a lap good enough for his first career NTT P1 Pole Position Award. Everyone else who went after Ericsson did not set a lap time quick enough to beat the Andretti driver. Alex Palou lines up second followed by Pato O' Ward, Will Power, Felix Rosenqvist, and Marcus Armstrong as the top 6 drivers. When asked about qualifying Ericsson said "In Q1, the car was too loose and we barely made it to the next round, but in Q2 we made some changes and the balance was a lot better overall." Alex Palou, who starts next to Ericsson on the front row was asked about the overall tire degradation and Palou stated "Yeah the alternate tires may be faster at the start, maybe five, six, or even 10 laps but the primary tires certainly feel better for sure." Sundays Java House Grand Prix of Arlington will start at 12 P.M ET as there is a high wind advisory for tomorrow, and the green flag is scheduled for 11:17 AM local time, here in Arlington, TX.

Kyle Kirkwood during Saturday mornings practice session at the Arlington Grand Prix (Photo by: Kylar Boggs/RacingClipsAndPics) Kyle Kirkwood was quickest in the Saturday morning practice session, and the quickest time of the weekend so far. The Andretti driver was frustrated after Friday's practice after not getting a lot of track time. Early into the session, Mick Schumacher has the same issues as he did yesterday, with locking up the brakes going into turn 4 again, the same spot he had issues during Friday's session. Schumacher spoke about the bumps saying "The bumps are insane, this is another level of bumpiness" when talking about the track. The trouble didn't stop there as Scott Dixon spun in turn 4, and Will Power coming around the corner did not see Dixon and collided with Dixon. Power damaged his front wing, and Dixon had recieved damage to the left rear suspension due to the contact with Will Power. The yellow flags were not displayed until Power was already turning into the corner making it an unlucky incident with Dixon and Power. Towards the end of the session, Josef Newgarden found the wall in turn 2, making contact with the front left suspension ending his session. Newgarden had lost the rear end and over corrected into the wall. Following the end of the session, it was Kyle Kirkwood setting the fastest time of the weekend with a 1.33.1409, and behind him were Alex Palou, Marcus Armstrong, Will Power, and Marcus Ericsson to round out the top 5.

Scott McLaughlin during the opening practice session at the Arlington Grand Prix (Photo by: Kylar Boggs/RacingClipsAndPics) Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin is fastest in the opening Arlington Grand Prix practice session to start off the weekend. Going into this weekend, there are so many questions to be answered, so many unknowns as this is a brand new circuit on the NTT Indycar series calender for the 2026 season. As the practice session began, drivers were getting a feel for the brand new street circuit for the very first time. About halfway into the session, Santino Ferrucci locks up the brakes and goes straight on in turn 4, but is able to back up and continue on. However, shortly after that occured, the red flag was displayed for Sting Ray Robb going deep into turn 1 and coming to a stop. Robb had lost control under braking and hit the outside wall going into turn 1, damaging the front right suspension, and the front wing. In addtion, drivers such as Mick Schumacher and Rinus Veekay also had issues with locking up their brakes. Schumacher, just like Ferrucci, locked up his brakes going into turn 4 as well but was able to continue on. However, Rinus Veekay was not so lucky with his incident. Not only he had massive front locking heading into turn 10, but both of his rear brakes caught fire, bringing out the red flag. At the end of practice, it was Penske driver Scott McLaughlin fastest followed by Alex Palou, Will Power, Pato O' Ward, and Felix Rosenqvist to round out the top 5.

Arrow McLaren & Nolan Siegal unviel a new livery for the Java House Grand Prix of Arlington during the McLaren Fan Fest at Texas Live (Photo by: Kylar Boggs/RacingClipsAndPics) Arrow McLaren reveal a new livery for Nolan Siegal and the No. 6 team for the Java House Grand Prix of Arlington. SmartStop has been a partner of Arrow McLaren since 2023 and in 2024, SmartStop announced a multi-year extension as a primary partner, and heading into 2026 it is their fourth year with the team. Arrow McLaren driver of the No.5 Pato O' Ward (Photo by Arrow McLaren) The Arrow McLaren trio of Pato O' Ward, Nolan Siegal, and Christian Lundgaard are looking forward to the event with positive comments about this weekends event. Pato O' Ward stated "They've done a phenomenal job with the all of the aesthetics, the paddock, and all of it looks really good. I'm curious what the bumps on the tracks are going to be like and if there would be anything to catch us by surprise." When asked about Indycar coming back to Texas for the first time since 2023, O' Ward said "This place is the closest to home, this is where I see a lot of the people that remind me of home, the language, a lot of friends and family are going to be here, so it's cool to see them still following, they're still happy to see us back." Arrow McLaren driver of the No. 6 Nolan Siegal. Photo by: Arrow McLaren) In addition, Nolan Siegal stated "I think it's important to have a strong weekend here, and then go into the short break with a little bit of momentum, good things to look at, good things to focus on." Siegal later spoke positively about the McLaren Fan Event at Texas Live in Arlington saying "To be here, and see so many young fans, new fans, and people that haven't been exposed to Indycar, the goal for us this weekend is to put on the best show possible and have a ton of people that haven't been exposed to Indycar racing before see it here and get into it and become Indycar fans, and we want to reach new audiences that Indycar has to offer." Arrow McLaren driver of the No. 7 Christian Lundgaard. (Photo by Arrow McLaren) Christian Lundgaard discussed about doing laps in the simulator by stating "Some corners are slightly different out there than the ones on the sim, and what the track map originally was, and we'll figure out when we do the track walk. Lundgaard later went on saying "There's always that question from street courses, is the wall in the same place as last year, and with here everything is new that you don't really have a reference."