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CRAFTSMAN truck seriesarca menards series NTERNATIONAL RACE OF CHAMPIONS

CRAFTSMAM truck series 

 

www.nascar.com

Celebrating its 75th Anniversary in 2023, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR consists of three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series™, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour™), one local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series™) and three international series (NASCAR Pinty’s Series™, NASCAR Mexico Series™, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series™). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).

 

Rajah Caruth holds off Corey Heim in dramatic Truck Series win at Nashville

James Gilbert/Getty Images
By Reid Spencer
NASCAR Wire Service 
 
LEBANON, Tenn.—In the closing laps of Friday night’s Rackley Roofing 200 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at Nashville Superspeedway, Rajah Caruth had a question for himself.
“How bad do you want it?” Caruth thought silently, as four-time winner Corey Heim and Layne Riggs pursued him relentlessly over the final circuits.
Caruth answered his own question by driving flawlessly over the final 15 laps and crossed the finish line 0.518 seconds ahead of Heim in second and 0.629 seconds ahead of Riggs in third.
The victory was Caruth’s first at Nashville, his first of the season and the second of his career, and it vaulted him into the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs.
After Heim won the second stage—his ninth stage win of the season—a quick pit stop under caution during the stage break gave Caruth the lead on Lap 100, and he held it the rest of the way to claim the coveted guitar trophy that goes to Nashville winners.
Driving the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, Caruth led twice for 61 of 150 laps, including the last 51.
“I didn’t expect that at all—those guys were breathing down my neck the whole run,” Caruth said of Heim and Riggs. “My pit crew won that race. They won the race for us, got us off pit road twice.
“We’ve been off this year, but it was good to get it done tonight. That was a lot of fun. I asked myself, ‘How bad do you want it?’ I just tried my best, and we had clean air. Their stuff was better, but I just did my best. That was it.”
Heim agreed that losing the lead on the final pit stop was critical.
“With the third stage being so straightforward—lack of strategy, going green there—it was tough to come back from not having the lead. But I slid through my (pit) box during the last stop and didn’t do my guys any favors… just something to reflect on my end.
“But huge congrats to Rajah. He did an awesome job managing from the lead. I was really free behind him, and he made pretty much the right choice every time as far as where I was going to go.”
Riggs, who won the first stage, got to Heim’s bumper twice in the battle for second but couldn’t claim the runner-up spot.
“I’ll tell you, I had the best seat in the house there at the end of that race,” said Riggs, who fell from second to eighth off pit road during the second stage break because of trouble removing his right front tire. “They were doing some racing right there in front of me.
“I hoped to be right there in the mix. I just didn’t have enough time.”
Daniel Hemric came home fourth, followed by Corey Day, a dirt-track phenom who posted his first top five in his ninth start in Truck Series competition.
Heim widened his series lead to 122 points over second-place Hemric entering the June 7 DQS Solutions & Staffing 200 at Michigan International Speedway.
 
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Race - Rackley Roofing 200
Nashville Superspeedway
Nashville, Tennessee
Friday, May 30, 2025
 
                1. (10)  Rajah Caruth, Chevrolet, 150.
                2. (1)  Corey Heim, Toyota, 150.
                3. (3)  Layne Riggs, Ford, 150.
                4. (7)  Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet, 150.
                5. (5)  Corey Day(i), Chevrolet, 150.
                6. (2)  Kaden Honeycutt, Chevrolet, 150.
                7. (23)  Chandler Smith, Ford, 150.
                8. (26)  Ty Majeski, Ford, 150.
                9. (6)  Bayley Currey, Chevrolet, 150.
                10. (4)  Grant Enfinger, Chevrolet, 150.
                11. (29)  Dawson Sutton #, Chevrolet, 150.
                12. (9)  Jake Garcia, Ford, 150.
                13. (17)  Giovanni Ruggiero #, Toyota, 150.
                14. (15)  Ben Rhodes, Ford, 150.
                15. (12)  Kyle Busch(i), Chevrolet, 150.
                16. (21)  Tanner Gray, Toyota, 150.
                17. (8)  Tyler Ankrum, Chevrolet, 150.
                18. (19)  Luke Fenhaus, Ford, 150.
                19. (16)  Andres Perez De Lara #, Chevrolet, 150.
                20. (22)  Jack Wood, Chevrolet, 150.
                21. (13)  Stewart Friesen, Toyota, 150.
                22. (11)  Matt Mills, Chevrolet, 150.
                23. (20)  Connor Mosack #, Chevrolet, 150.
                24. (14)  William Sawalich(i), Toyota, 149.
                25. (18)  Matt Crafton, Ford, 149.
                26. (25)  Spencer Boyd, Chevrolet, 148.
                27. (31)  Clayton Green, Ford, 148.
                28. (24)  Nathan Byrd, Chevrolet, 147.
                29. (28)  Tyler Tomassi(i), Ford, 147.
                30. (30)  Toni Breidinger #, Toyota, 144.
                31. (32)  Akinori Ogata, Toyota, 144.
                32. (27)  Frankie Muniz #, Ford, Engine, 2.
 
Average Speed of Race Winner:  116.591 mph.
Time of Race:  1 Hrs, 42 Mins, 40 Secs. Margin of Victory:  0.518 Seconds.
Caution Flags:  4 for 27 laps.
Lead Changes:  7 among 4 drivers.
Lap Leaders:   C. Heim 1-10;C. Day(i) 11;C. Heim 12-18;L. Riggs 19-48;C. Heim 49;R. Caruth 50-59;C. Heim 60-99;R. Caruth 100-150.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  Rajah Caruth 2 times for 61 laps; Corey Heim 4 times for 58 laps; Layne Riggs 1 time for 30 laps; Corey Day(i) 1 time for 1 lap.
Stage #1 Top Ten: 34,11,71,19,45,7,18,9,44,99
Stage #2 Top Ten: 11,34,71,7,45,9,44,19,13,26

 

 

 iNTERNATIONAL RACE OF CHAMPIONS

 

Known as IROC (International Race of Champions), a series of races was held annually from 1973 to 2006. IROC brought together the greatest drivers from all forms of motorsport to compete against each other in iconic cars on historic tracks. Although the annual events ended in 2006, the legacy and recognition of the IROC brand has continued throughout the years. IROC Holdings plans to bring the historic brand back to life. In 2024, NASCAR Hall of Fame member Ray Evernham and former NASCAR Cup Team Owner and venture capitalist Rob Kauffman, announced their acquisition of the rights to the IROC brand and plans to bring the historic brand back to life.

www.iroc-racing.com

 

 

arca menards series 

 

www.arcaracing.com

Celebrating its 75th Anniversary in 2023, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR consists of three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series™, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour™), one local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series™) and three international series (NASCAR Pinty’s Series™, NASCAR Mexico Series™, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series™). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).

 

 

National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing

www.nascar.com

Celebrating its 75th Anniversary in 2023, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR consists of three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series™, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour™), one local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series™) and three international series (NASCAR Pinty’s Series™, NASCAR Mexico Series™, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series™). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).

 

From Hope to Heartbreak: Larson’s Indy Run Ends Early After Costly Spin, Charlotte Awaits

 

May 25, 2025

 

By Holly Cain

NASCAR Wire Service

 

SPEEDWAY, Ind. – A day filled with high hopes and trophy expectations after weeks of hard work at track and a year to contemplate the quest ended abruptly Sunday after NASCAR star Kyle Larson crashed just before the midpoint of Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 – a race ultimately won in a dramatic sprint to the finish by three-time and reigning IndyCar champion, Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou.

 

The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Larson, who is the fifth driver in history to run Memorial Day’s famed “Double” didn’t get to finish the first half of this doubleheader day, leaving Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a disappointing 27th-place finish but grateful to have another shot at a trophy this evening in the NASCAR Cup Series’ Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

 

Larson’s No. 17 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet got loose in traffic on a re-start and spun out into the Turn 2 wall having completed only 91 of the scheduled 200 laps.

 

“I got a little too eager," an obviously disheartened Larson said.

 

“Just made a mistake. I was really close to Takuma [Sato] and got kinda tight because I was really tucked up underneath him and as I peeked out left, just got loose and spun. I hate that I caused that crash there and hate it for everybody Arrow McLaren and Hendrick Motorsports. A lot of people here to see a better result than that.”

 

The incident collected the cars belonging to Kyffin Simpson and Sting Ray Robb, who both actually seemed quite sympathetic toward the NASCAR superstar racing in uncharacteristically challenging conditions even for fulltime drivers - temperatures in the low 60s, overcast skies and light rain that delayed the race start and then brought out an early caution flag.

 

“Frustrating day, not much I could do in that scenario for Kyle," Robb said. “It’s an easy mistake to make, cold track, long running stints there, marbles on the inside, cold tires on the restart, race conditions were tough. These cars were tricky."

 

They were three of nine drivers that did not make it to the checkered flag in a race that presented challenges even for the most experienced of drivers.

 

For Larson, the adversity began immediately after driver introductions as he was standing at his car with his family and a long list of NASCAR dignitaries from his team owner Rick Hendrick and team executive Jeff Gordon to NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell.

 

Light rain sprinkles started falling while the cars were on the grid during all the pre-race pomp and circumstance that makes the Indianapolis 500 one of the biggest races in the world – a race that the talented and diverse Larson – a driver referred to as a “generational talent” - so badly wanted to compete in and win.

 

The wet weather created a green flag delay and cars rolled off the starting line 42 minutes later than the planned 12:46 p.m. ET starting time – significant for Larson who was on a specific timeline and needed to leave the track by 4:07 p.m. in order to make it to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the NASCAR Cup Series’ Coca-Cola 600 green flag.

 

Then there were a pair of incidents immediately thereafter slowing the pace further – with Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin hitting the wall and crashing out while trying to get his tires up to temperature on the warm-up lap. Minutes later, on the first lap of green, veteran Marco Andretti crashed out.

 

It really seemed to be the tone of the day, but at least early on Larson was still turning the laps and patiently moving forward. He ran top-20 all day methodically working up from his seventh row starting position, even overcoming a slow pit stop.

 

It was a promising start after being involved in pair of crashes during practice earlier this month that frustrated Larson. He rallied to earn a 19th-place starting position on the 33-car grid and was consistently among the fastest in in long-run speed. He climbed out of his car following Friday’s following practice seeming optimistic about his chances Sunday.

 

He ran well in a race that featured multiple strategies in light of all the incidents only to have his day end early Sunday.

 

“Just very disappointed," Larson said. “Made a mistake on pit road and it obviously just kind of compounded from there, you feel like you’re behind and feel like you need to catch-up and that was probably the wrong thing to do and got little bit too over-zealous there on the re-start just trying to overcome the mistake I made.

 

“Really the best therapy is to get back behind the wheel so thankfully I only have a few hours before I’ll be back behind the wheel [at Charlotte]. Once we crank the engines up there, hopefully I’ll forget about it."

 

 

Kyle Larson eyes 'The Double' with confident Carb Day performance

 

May 23, 2025

 

By Holly Cain

NASCAR Wire Service

 

SPEEDWAY, Ind. – Under sunny skies and temperatures in the high-60s – the warmest it’s been this week – the 33-car Indianapolis 500 field made its final practice laps Friday in preparation for Sunday’s 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500.

 

Friday’s annual “Carb Day” two-hour practice session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway culminated a busy, news-making week at the track where two of the fastest cars were penalized for illegal modifications, a rookie making his first career oval start won pole position and NASCAR champion Kyle Larson is set to make his second attempt at Memorial Day’s famed “Double” – competing in both the Indianapolis 500 Sunday morning (noon ET on FOX) and then NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 that evening (6 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

 

The two Team Penske cars penalized during Fast 12 pole qualifying made a huge statement Friday with two-time defending Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden turning the fastest lap in practice and his teammate Will Power – who will join Newgarden on the last row of the starting grid as a result of the penalties – sixth quickest.

 

They would also go on to face one another later in the day’s best-of-three championship round of the traditional Pit Stop Challenge with Newgarden winning his third crown in the event which pits 16 cars in eight rounds of head-to-head timed competition.

 

As for practice, Indy 500 pole-winner, Israeli driver Robert Shwartzman, 25, was 29th on the speed charts. And NASCAR Cup Series championship leader Kyle Larson was 26th on single lap speed, but among the top-six in both 10-lap and 20-lap runs.

 

The 2021 NASCAR champ Larson, who hosted his NASCAR Cup Series Hendrick Motorsports team trackside Friday, remained confident in his No. 17 McLaren Arrow Chevrolet, all-business as he climbed out for a practice debrief.

 

“I think it’s a little different than NASCAR with the drafting and not knowing what people’s objectives really were, but it doesn’t hurt [to be fast in multi-lap runs]," Larson said of his work Friday afternoon. “I feel good about my balance, so yeah, I feel like we’re pretty decent. There are a couple guys that are really good also, but I feel like things feel good."

 

Larson acknowledged coming through the field from the seventh row to start the race Sunday definitely presents a different experience than he had last year starting fifth overall on the second row.

 

“I would prefer to start further forward, but I think you’ve just got to be smartly aggressive and patient all at the same time back when you start beyond the first few rows," Larson said. “I think our car handles good in the pack so just got to be smart about it. You can’t be too aggressive because if you try to push too much and get tightness and have to lift then you’re going to give up a spot potentially. Just got to watch out when you make you moves."

 

It was an unusually dramatic day for several of his competitors. Alexander Rossi, who won the 100th Indianapolis 500 in 2016, had problems with his Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet early, running only five laps before the team took it to the garage for repairs. The Rahal Letterman Lanigan team had to change engines in Graham Rahal’s No. 15 Honda after only 21 laps of practice.

 

Perennial crowd-favorite, Indianapolis-native Conor Daly also had a challenging day in his Junco Hollinger Racing Chevrolet, the team retiring to the garage early for a full once-over. Daly, who starts 11th, called the afternoon “nerve-wracking." He still got in 59 laps of practice and posted the 10th best speed Friday.

 

Another former Indy winner, Ryan Hunter-Reay had the most dramatic exit from the practice when his No. 23 Dryer-Reinbold Chevy had to pull off track with the rear of his car on fire. He was concerned the issue may be with the new hybrid system the cars are running at Indy since his teammate also experienced a problem.

 

After practice, Carb Day activities finished up with the always-exciting “Pit Stop Challenge” and Saturday features the traditional Public Drivers Meeting and parade through downtown Indianapolis – the month finally culminating with Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 green flag at noon ET.

 

 

Kurt Busch, Harry Gant, Ray Hendrick make up NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2026

 
May 20, 2025
 
By Reid Spencer
NASCAR Wire Service 
 
CHARLOTTE, N.C.—For Kurt Busch, waiting for the announcement of the 2026 NASCAR Hall of Fame Class felt like race day.
That was before his name was called as a member of the class, joining Harry Gant as a Modern Era choice.
Modified superstar Ray Hendrick earned election to the 2026 class on the Pioneer Ballot, and promoter extraordinaire H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler was recognized as the recipient of the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.
The induction ceremony for the new members is scheduled for January 23, 2026.
Busch’s career was characterized by remarkable consistency. The 46-year-old from Las Vegas won at least one NASCAR Cup Series race in 19 of his 21 full-time seasons.
NASCAR Cup Series champion in 2004 at age 26, Busch pushed Ryan Newman to victory in the 2008 Daytona 500 when both drove for Team Penske. Nine years later, Busch won the Great American Race in a Stewart-Haas Racing Ford.
“I felt like it was race mode,” Busch said of his nervousness in waiting to hear his name called. “I had to put the emotional blinders on… Everyone that’s on the ballot is someone who can go into the Hall because of the impact they made on the sport.
“For me, just a blue-collar kid out of Vegas, I never would have imagined this. We were a family where it was just a hobby to race. It was just fun to go to the track as father/son. Dad (Tom Busch) had his car, and I had mine…
“I’m running a Legend Car in 1999 at the (Las Vegas) Bull Ring, September of 1999. In September of 2000, I’m in Jack Roush’s Cup car, qualifying at Dover. Jeff Gordon’s next to me. Dale (Earnhardt) Sr.’s behind me. That’s how fast things happened for me. I don’t know how. I don’t know why.”
Busch blossomed early in his NASCAR career, winning a pole position at Darlington Raceway in his 2001 rookie season and following that with four victories in 2002.
It’s appropriate that Busch’s first career NASCAR Cup victory would come at Bristol, a track he came to dominate with six victories spread over a span of 17 years—and where he added to Bristol lore by making a “Snow Angel” after winning in uncharacteristically cold and snowy conditions in 2006.
From 2002 through 2022, Busch amassed 34 Cup wins. In 2004, he won the first championship under NASCAR’s Playoff format, then known as the Chase.
Driving the No. 97 Ford for Jack Roush, Busch weathered a bizarre accident when the right-front wheel separated from his car as he was approaching pit road. Busch continued onto pit road while the tire rolled onto the racing surface.
But a quick fix in the pits propelled Busch to a fifth-place finish in the race and his only Cup championship, by eight points over Jimmie Johnson.
Through the first decade of his career, Busch fought to find a balance between his elite talent and the mercurial temperament that cost him rides with Roush and Roger Penske. Ultimately, he won Cup races with five different owners—Roush, Penske, Stewart-Haas, Chip Ganassi and finally at Kansas Speedway in 2022 with 23XI Racing.
“The late Jim Hunter (NASCAR executive) said it best to me once when I was in some trouble,” Busch recalled. “He said, ‘Son, you can get in as much trouble as you want, because you have that much talent to dig yourself out of these holes you’re putting yourself in.
“But wouldn’t it be better if you didn’t dig those holes, and you could just stay on top, riding with your talent?’ It took a lot of lessons, but this was a fun announcement, and I can’t wait to tell more stories.”
Kurt and Kyle Busch hold the record for most Cup victories accumulated by brothers with 97.
The only driver to win a Cup race in cars of four different manufacturers—Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge and Toyota—Busch was named on 61 percent of ballots during a closed session on Voting Day at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the same percentage Gant received.
In stark contrast to Busch, Gant was a late bloomer who didn’t race in NASCAR’s top division until age 33. It wasn’t until age 40 that Gant ran his first full season the Cup Series in 1980.
Dubbed “Handsome Harry” for his striking good looks, Gant won 18 times in 474 starts on NASCAR’s top tour with a versatility that spoke volumes about his talent.
Gant, now 85, was a standout on such big tracks as Daytona, Darlington, Atlanta, Charlotte, Talladega, Pocono and Michigan—with victories at each of those venues—but he also conquered the venues of a mile of less at Richmond, Rockingham, Bristol, North Wilkesboro, Dover, Martinsville and Phoenix.
Gant also triumphed on the road courses of Watkins Glen and Sonoma, proving he could wheel a stock car at any sort of venue.
Gant will be remembered most prominently for the feat that earned him another moniker — “Mr. September.”
From Sept. 1 through Sept. 22 of 1991, Gant drove the iconic Leo Jackson-owned Skoal Bandit to four straight wins, at Darlington (the second of his two Southern 500s), Richmond, Dover and Martinsville, tying the Modern Era record for consecutive victories.
Gant wasn’t finished. In 1992 he won twice, with his victory at Michigan in August making him the oldest driver to win a Cup race, at age 52.
Two years later, at 54, he was the top qualifier at Bristol, becoming the oldest driver ever to win a Cup pole.
Ray Hendrick led the Pioneer ballot with 31 percent of the vote. Early NASCAR Cup Series driver Bob Welborn was second in the balloting.
Nicknamed “Mr. Modified,” Hendrick won more than 700 Modified and Late Model Sportsman races in a career that spanned 38 years (1950-1988). Driving the iconic red No. 11, Hendrick won five track championships at South Boston Speedway in his native Virginia.
Though he never won a Modified championship, Hendrick finished in the top 10 in the standings nine times from 1960 through 1969. He is credited with 20 combined Modified and Sportsman victories at Martinsville Speedway alone.
Hendrick was named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers and one of NASCAR Modified’s All-Time Top 10 Drivers.
Born in 1928 in Denton, North Carolina, Welborn passed away in 1997 at age 69.
Wheeler, 86, is a man of many and varied talents. He was a boxer, a scholarship football player at the University of South Carolina and a sportswriter for the Columbia (S.C.) Record before joining the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company’s public relations staff.
But Wheeler is best known for his 33-year tenure as President and General Manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway, where his innovative—sometimes outrageous—ideas brought a new vision to the promotion of stock car racing.
Wheeler’s legendary stunts included school buses jumping over (and crashing into) lines of cars and full-scale Memorial Day weekend “battles” in the speedway’s infield grass, complete with startling pyrotechnics.
--30--

 

 

Kyle Larson qualifies for the 2025 Indianapolis 500

 

May 17, 2025

 

By Holly Cain

NASCAR Wire Service

 

In one of the most celebrated days on the racing calendar, 34 cars took to the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway Saturday for the first day of qualifying for the May 25 Indianapolis 500.

 

Reigning NASCAR Cup Series championship leader Kyle Larson turned in a solid performance with a pair of four-lap qualifying attempts earning him a 21st place starting position on the 33-car grid.

 

While that showing doesn’t advance Larson’s No. 17 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet into Sunday’s Top 12 Qualifying session to determine the polesitter and the first four rows of the race, it does ensure the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion will have a chance at making history for the second consecutive year.

 

A week from Sunday, the 32-year old Californian will compete in the Indianapolis 500 then fly immediately to Charlotte Motor Speedway where he will race in the NASCAR Cup Series’ Coca-Cola 600 – only the fifth driver ever to run racing’s celebrated Memorial Day “Double.”

 

The late John Andretti, Robby Gordon, three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart and former series champ Kurt Busch join Larson on that short list with Stewart’s 2001 finishes of sixth at Indy and third at Charlotte best among them all.

 

Larson and his Arrow McLaren team have certainly put in the work toward success this week. He spun out and had contact with the wall during “Fast Friday” practice in anticipation of qualifying. Larson was okay physically and the team was able to make repairs to his car in time for him to return to track as the session ended for a shake-down.

 

He went out early in Saturday’s day-long qualifying session, but it was his second attempt mid-afternoon that boosted his position and safely secured his presence on the grid. He went from 27th in speed on his first qualifying run to 16th best with three hours remaining in opening day qualifying – ultimately that speed bettered in the remaining time by five cars.

 

“We’re P21 so we’re in the race," said a smiling Larson, who started fifth in last year’s Indy 500.  “After the first run I was a little nervous we’d be one of the guys battling for the final spots. Obviously, we would have loved to have been in the Fast 12 again but overall, a good day, we got two runs in.

 

“It was fairly comfortable, just slightly less comfortable than what I felt last year in qualifying. I just got a little bit of a free moment into 2 on the last lap but other than that I felt pretty balanced. I was happy with that. Obviously, with the balance it comes with a little bit lack of speed, but I didn’t crash and that was a plus."

 

Larson, who now heads back to North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway for Sunday night’s NASCAR All Star Race in his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, certainly didn’t seem overly concerned with this seventh-row position on the grid for this year’s 500.

 

“I’m sure it will be a bit crazy as the race typically is back there," he said. “I had a bad restart early last year and fell back to near that position and we were able to fight our way back forward. Just execute some good laps and hopefully we’ll have a good result."

 

Reigning championship leader Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou – who ran the fastest single lap of the week - set the fastest four-lap average speed of the opening day of qualifying a mark of 233.043 mph in the No. 10 CGR Honda. The effort was only a slight tick better than Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin (233.013 mph), last year’s Indy 500 polesitter.

 

Also advancing to second round of qualifying were two-time defending Indy 500 winner, McLaughlin’s Penske teammate Josef Newgarden, Larson’s Arrow McLaren teammate Pato O’Ward and the 2008 race-winner, CGR’s Scott Dixon. Prema Racing’s Robert Shwartzman was sixth fastest on the day and is the only rookie to advance to the Round of 12.

 

Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenquist, two-time Indy winner, Rahal Letterman Lanigan’s Takumo Sato and A.J. Foyt Racing’s David Malukus also advanced with a pair of former Indy 500 winners in Penske’s Will Power and Andretti’s Marcus Erricsson along with  Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard rounding out the top-12.

 

These dozen drivers will run again Sunday with the top-six advancing to Firestone Fast Six to determine the most famous pole position of the season.

 

The importance of the achievement was evident in qualifying. The action started nearly immediately Saturday with Meyer Shank Racing’s Marcus Armstrong in a big crash during the morning practice followed shortly by another incident involving a perennial championship contender Andretti Global’s Colton Herta, who hit the wall and flipped his car during an early qualifying attempt.

 

Both teams were able to make repairs throughout the day and Armstrong and Herta each made qualifying attempts in the closing hour.

 

Herta, a former front-row Indy 500 starter, rallied to a 29th place qualifying effort with a remarkable run – ironically bumping his teammate, former Indy 500 polesitter Marco Andretti, into the Last Chance Qualifier on Sunday. Four cars – Andretti, Armstrong, Rinus Veekay and Jacob Abel - will vie for the final three positions on the last row of the grid at 5:15 p.m. ET.

 

Sunday’s Top 12 qualifying and Last Chance Qualifying will be broadcast on FOX Sports (4-6 p.m. ET).

 

--30--

NASCAR Championship Weekend to return to Homestead in 2026

 

May 6, 2025

 

By Reid Spencer

NASCAR Wire Service

 

There’s a homecoming in the offing for Homestead-Miami Speedway.

 

After a five-year absence, NASCAR Championship weekend will return to the 1.5-mile venue in South Florida, heralded as one of the most exciting venues in the sport from a racing standpoint.

 

In 2026, championships in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will be decided at Homestead, which hosted Championship Weekend from 2002 through 2019. 

 

The season finales of all three national series are scheduled for Nov. 6-8, 2026 as NASCAR begins a rotation of championship races that will move between marquee venues and key markets.

 

“Homecoming is a good word,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR Executive Vice President, Chief Venue & Racing Innovation Officer. “We can't wait to get back there. It's a great race track. I mean, we've crowned a lot of Legends there, a lot of Hall of Famers.

 

“We've had some amazing championship races. And undoubtedly, it's going to deliver in 2026 so we can't wait to be there in November 2026, and we’re really excited to be able to press the button and announce this thing.”

 

Phoenix Raceway, host site for the deciding races from 2020 through 2025, will remain in the Championship Weekend rotation and will be part of the Round of 8 in next year’s Playoffs. Other venues that will be part of the title rotation from 2027 and beyond will be announced later.

 

“Weather is a big part of it,” Kennedy said. “Being in early November, we want to make sure we're in a warm-weather climate and that it's an atmosphere that a lot of our fans can come out and enjoy and not get the risk of a snowstorm or anything.

 

“We want to make sure that we're in a big market, a large metro (area) that can really embrace us. We want to make sure it's marketed and promoted the right way, that it feels like a world-class championship facility. And Phoenix was that for a number of years. We're going to be putting some capital into Homestead-Miami as well.”

 

The South Florida track hosted NASCAR Championship weekend from 2002 through 2019, though the creation of the Chase in 2004 and the evolution to the elimination format introduced in 2014.

 

According to track president Guillermo Santa Cruz, the track will make significant improvements between Tuesday's announcement and the arrival of transporters at the track next November.

 

“We’ve got to look at the facility—it’s a fresh coat of paint, a few other improvements in our hospitality areas,” Santa Cruz said. “Here in South Florida, even though that time of the year tends to be wonderful, you still want some shade and things like that to make our guests a bit more comfortable. So we're going to be looking at all those things to make sure that people have the best possible experience.

 

“In that regard, Phoenix has set a very high bar. They do a fantastic job. So we know we’ve got to step up our game. The good news is, when it comes to the racing, there's not much we need to do. The track is in excellent shape, puts on some great racing. I'm often reminded by people in the industry not to touch it. So I will not be touching the track, but other areas will get some sprucing up.”

 

Santa Cruz expects a sell-out for Championship Weekend, which will serve as the capstone for South Florida’s sports-rich environment in 2026.

 

“For South Florida, for Homestead, it's a huge deal,” Santa Cruz said. “This track means a lot to this community, and they've been really clamoring to have the championship back. And certainly for South Florida, it's an incredibly big deal, because 2026, which we already knew was going to be a wonderful year in sports for Miami-Dade County, now gets even bigger.

 

“We will have the NCAA Football Championship. We'll have the Winter Classic from the NHL. We'll have World Baseball Classic, Formula One, FIFA World Cup, and then cap off the year with the NASCAR Cup Series championship. All we need is for the Dolphins to make it to the Super Bowl.”

 

Three full-time active drivers have been crowned champion at Homestead-Miami Speedway: Kyle Busch (2015 and 2019), Brad Keselowski (2012) and Joey Logano (2018). Logano added titles in 2022 and 2024 at Phoenix.

 

Extensive promotion of Championship Weekend will follow Tuesday’s announcement.

 

“We're going to promote it in a big way,” Kennedy said. “Starting (Tuesday), we have a lot of content—social, digital—that is all going to go out promoting this event and starting to begin the renewal process for a lot of our fans. And then there'll be a lot of bites at the apple that we'll have ahead of time, things like the logo for the weekend and entertainment that we're going to have throughout the weekend.

 

“We want to have as many moments in the sun that we can between now and our Championship Weekend. So I think you'll see a big announcement today, and it might go quiet for a little bit as we go through the summer and through this season, and then after the Phoenix race, we're really going to be ramping up a lot of that promotion for the Championship.”

 

Tickets for 2026 NASCAR Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway can be purchased at 866-409-7223 or online at www.homesteadmiamispeedway.com. Fans can stay connected to Homestead-Miami Speedway on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

 

 

CRAFTSMAN truck series arca menards series NTERNATIONAL RACE OF CHAMPIONS

2024 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES SCHEDULE

Friday, February 16

Daytona International Speedway

FS1

7:30 p.m.

MRN/SiriusXM

Saturday, February 24

Atlanta Motor Speedway

FS1

2:00 p.m.

MRN/SiriusXM

Friday, March 1

Las Vegas Motor Speedway

FS1

9:00 p.m.

MRN/SiriusXM

Saturday, March 16

Bristol Motor Speedway

FS1

8:00 p.m.

MRN/SiriusXM

Saturday, March 23

COTA

FS1

1:30 p.m.

MRN/SiriusXM

Friday, April 5

Martinsville Speedway

FS1

7:30 p.m.

MRN/SiriusXM

Friday, April 12

Texas Motor Speedway

FS1

8:30 p.m.

MRN/SiriusXM

Saturday, May 4

Kansas Speedway

FS1

8:00 p.m.

MRN/SiriusXM

Friday, May 10

Darlington Raceway

FS1

7:30 p.m.

MRN/SiriusXM

Saturday, May 18

North Wilkesboro Speedway

FS1

1:30 p.m.

MRN/SiriusXM

Friday, May 24

Charlotte Motor Speedway

FS1

8:30 p.m.

MRN/SiriusXM

Saturday, June 1

World Wide Technology Raceway

FOX

1:30 p.m.

MRN/SiriusXM

Friday, June 28

Nashville Superspeedway

FS1

TBD

MRN/SiriusXM

Friday, July 12

Pocono Raceway

FS1

5:30 p.m.

MRN/SiriusXM

Friday, July 19

Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park

FS1

8:30 p.m.

MRN/SiriusXM

Saturday, August 10

Richmond Raceway

FS1

7:30 p.m.

MRN/SiriusXM

Sunday, August 25

Milwaukee Mile Speedway

FS1

4:00 p.m.

MRN/SiriusXM

Thursday, September 19

Bristol Motor Speedway

FS1

8:00 p.m.

MRN/SiriusXM

Friday, September 27

Kansas Speedway

FS1

8:30 p.m.

MRN/SiriusXM

Friday, October 4

Talladega Superspeedway

FS1

5:00 p.m.

MRN/SiriusXM

Saturday, October 26

Homestead-Miami Speedway

FS1

Noon

MRN/SiriusXM

Friday, November 1

Martinsville Speedway

FS1

6:00 p.m.

MRN/SiriusXM

Friday, November 8

Phoenix Raceway

FS1

8:00 p.m.

MRN/SiriusXM

 

  

2025 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES SCHEDULE

 

Date

Race / Track

Friday, February 14

Daytona

Saturday, February 22

Atlanta

Friday, March 14

Las Vegas

Friday, March 21

Homestead-Miami

Friday, March 28

Martinsville

Friday, April 11

Bristol

Friday, April 18

Rockingham

Friday, May 2

Texas

Saturday, May 10

Kansas

Saturday, May 17

North Wilkesboro

Friday, May 23

Charlotte

Friday, May 30

Nashville Superspeedway

Saturday, June 7

Michigan

Friday, June 20

Pocono

Saturday, June 28

Lime Rock Park

Friday, July 25

Lucas Oil IRP

Friday, August 8

Watkins Glen

Friday, August 15

Richmond

Saturday, August 30

Darlington

Thursday, September 11

Bristol

Saturday, September 20

New Hampshire

Friday, October 3

Charlotte Roval

Friday, October 17

Talladega

Friday, October 24

Martinsville

Friday, October 31

Phoenix (Championship)

 		  
       

 

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