Noah Gragson Key Takeaways

• Stage One: 22nd / Stage Two: 21st / Race Result: 23rd

“We battled grip early on but were able to get the car handling much better,” said Gragson. “We made it through the larger wreck unscathed – I had an error on pit road and threw away the progress we made getting in the top-20. Frustrating day – looking on to Atlanta.”

Zane Smith Key Takeaways

• Stage One: 6th / Stage Two: 15th / Race Result: 25th

• “Just a tough day overall,” said Smith. “We fought handling all day where we’d be good in some spots but still chasing grip in others, then as you get stuck further back in dirty air it just makes matters worse. You’ll have that and we’ll move onto Atlanta where we’ll fight hard to get Lucky Dog another good finish in Aaron’s home market.”

Todd Gilliland Key Takeaways

• Stage One: 28th / Stage Two: 26th / Race Result: 28th

• “It was a difficult weekend for the 34 team and I,” said Gilliland. I hit the wall in qualifying which put us in the back to start the race, and from there, we weren’t able to get the handling right to make any significant gains. Add taking damage in that wreck on top of it, and our day was over. You’ll have races like that, but I know we can rebound at Atlanta.”

FRM PR

Some of NASCAR’s biggest stars were among the high-profile celebrities at Fanatics Fest on Friday in New York.

The Big Apple is not exactly a hotbed for auto racing – especially when most of the loudest crowds popped for Derek Jeter, Eli Manning and other New York legends throughout the weekend.

However, three of the sport’s biggest stars were flabbergasted by the reactions they got from some of the fans in attendance. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

From left to right, William Byron, Denny Hamilin and Kyle Larson. (Getty Images)

“I didn’t really, honestly, know what I was coming to. So to have people recognize me here is pretty cool,” Kyle Larson told Fox News Digital at the event.

NASCAR Cup leader William Byron added that he was “surprised” by all the love he got at Javits Center in Manhattan.

“I am surprised, man. There were quite a few 24 fans here in the crowd. It’s pretty cool, man. We’re down the road this weekend at Pocono, looking forward to it, and it’s fun being out here and seeing cool people.”

William Byron celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

TOM BRADY KICKS OFF FANATICS FEST BY GRANTING MAKE-A-WISH TO 12-YEAR-OLD CANCER PATIENT: ‘IT’S AWESOME’

Denny Hamlin is competing in the Fanatics Games, where fans are going up against pro athletes, including Tom Brady, to win $1 million. Maybe his crowd is a bit different, considering he is going up against Brady, Rob Gronkowski and other stars.

At the very least, however, he is not taking it for granted that he is being recognized throughout the event.

“It’s been overwhelming. Just all the different booths, bringing other sports together, it’s just fantastic to see. And having the opportunity to size myself up with other athletes,” Hamlin said. “We don’t have a huge presence up in this area, but still, you see a lot of NASCAR racing shirts, and when you get autograph requests, it’s like, OK, they do recognize you, even in this area.”

Other celebrities in attendance on Friday included Caleb Williams, Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, Logan Paul, Michael Strahan, Travis Scott and Livvy Dunne.

Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin, left, and Travis Scott attend Fanatics Fest NYC 2025 at Javits Center on June 20, 2025 in New York City. (John Nacion/Getty Images for Fanatics)

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LeBron James, Victor Wembanyana and numerous others made their rounds the rest of the weekend.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Doran Binks Racing’s Kody Swanson had to pass Justin Grant on lap 17 and Dakoda Armstrong on lap 45 to do it, but he came away with a hard-fought victory in the Route 66 Centennial Classic USAC Silver Crown race Saturday night at World Wide Technology Raceway (WWTR) in the Mission Foods #77.

The event was the highlight of Saturday’s card at the 1.25-mile asphalt oval a few miles from St. Louis’s famous Gateway Arch. It hosted the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 NTT IndyCar Series event Sunday night.

The USAC Silver Crown race, which was presented by Ranken Technical College and Welsch Heating & Cooling, featured 66 laps of competition around the 1.25-mile asphalt oval, six laps more than last year’s race.

Swanson started on the pole with the Mission Foods #77, which is also sponsored by Glenn Farms and Wilke Orthodontics, but he slipped to fifth initially when fellow front-row starter Bobby Santos, C.J. Leary, Armstrong and Grant drafted by him.

Santos only led the first two laps, however, as Grant, who started fifth, led from laps three through 16.

Swanson advanced to fourth on lap three when Leary dropped from second to fifth. Grant passed Santos for the lead on lap three and Swanson passed Santos and Armstrong working lap four to rise from fourth to second with the #77, which is powered by a Lanci-prepped Ford engine.

Running down Grant became his next order of business.

He got under him in Turn 3 working lap 17 to take the lead. But Armstrong passed Grant for second on the very next lap, and immediately began to hound Swanson.

There was a break when the first of two yellows flew with 21 laps down when the driver who was ninth, Jake Trainor, hit the outside wall in Turn 1 and rolled to a stop in Turn 2. Luckily he wasn’t hurt.

While the track crew was cleaning up the accident site a problem developed with the track lighting on the frontstretch, which caused a red flag and forced the field to pit lane.

After electricians solved that problem temporarily the green flew again on lap 30, and Armstrong pounced.

He passed Swanson to the outside on the frontstretch on the restart to push him back to second.

Swanson was able to keep just one, two, or three-tenths of a second behind him, however.

Both Swanson and Armstrong set their fastest race laps up to that point on lap 34, and one lap later they both ran quicker. The third and fourth place drivers at the time, Santos and Grant, also set their fastest race laps to that point on lap 35.

The top three bettered their own times on lap 38 as they diced for position, and Santos and Grant ran faster than they had earlier on lap 40 too. Armstrong had just a 0.110-second lead over Swanson at that time.

Leary, who was sixth, dropped out of contention on lap 40 due to a brake problem.

He was able to return later, several laps down.

Through it all Swanson stayed right behind Armstrong, searching for a place to pass him.

His winning move came working lap 45 when he charged under Armstrong in Turn 3, and he was never again headed.

Swanson set his fastest lap of the race to that point on lap 46, which was second only to Santos, but the second yellow flew on lap 47 due to the same lighting problem that occurred earlier.

That turned into another red flag two laps later, and the field again reported to pit lane.

Armstrong spent that red-flag period contemplating how to pass Swanson again, while Swanson spent it thinking about how to hold off Armstrong.

Swanson got a better start than he had done earlier on the restart with 50 laps down, although Armstrong was right behind him.

Swanson, Armstrong, and Santos, who was third, all bettered their fastest race laps once again on lap 54 as the laps winded down.

Swanson was able to increase his lead to over 1 second for the first time on lap 56, and 10 laps later he took the checkered flag over Armstrong with a 2.667-second margin of victory.

Santos finished third and Grant was fourth. Jackson Macenko was the hard charger, as he finished fifth after starting 11th.

It was USAC Silver Crown victory #46 for Swanson, who is the series’ eight-time and reigning champion and the winningest driver in series history. With the victory he joined Santos as the only two-time winners of a USAC Silver Crown race at this track.

Since Saturday’s race was the first 66-lap USAC Silver Crown race here, it also gave Swanson the track record for that distance.

Swanson also ended up with the fastest race lap honors with his time of 31.057 seconds on lap 54.

Armstrong and Santos were second and third in that category due to their fastest race laps on lap 57.

It was a long race and a long day. Saturday’s race was delayed two hours due to rain.

The single practice session scheduled for Saturday morning was rained out, so a combined practice/qualifying session was held Saturday afternoon.

Swanson turned 10 laps in that session and it resulted in his 56th series pole, extending his record as the driver with the most pole positions in series history.

It was his second pole of the season and his fourth one in a row at this track, as he was also the fastest qualifier here in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

The next-closest driver with poles at this track is the late Dave Steele, who had two.

Swanson’s last lap in Saturday’s qualifying session was fastest. It took only 30.797 seconds for an average speed of 146.118 miles per hour.

Although it was faster than anyone else ran, it didn’t break the track record Swanson set here last August of 30.239 seconds (148.814 mph) also driving for Doran Binks Racing, which is the fastest official lap ever turned in a traditional USAC Silver Crown car.

That 2024 record broke an earlier mark Swanson set here in 2022 driving for Doran Dyson Racing.

Santos III qualified second, only 0.181 behind, followed by Leary, Armstrong, and Grant.

This was Swanson’s first USAC Silver Crown victory of the season.

“It’s tough to get to June and not have a win yet,” Swanson admitted in victory lane to the fans on hand and the Flo Racing audience. “Sometimes we had great runs and just some bad luck, but we never gave up and just kept after it. I appreciate the chance to run for Doran Binks Racing, and to our sponsors and suppliers for their support.

“With the red flags, I just had to try to refocus and get back into a rhythm,” he added. “It’s hard, because there are a bunch of great competitors in this series, and if you give them a chance they’ll steal the lead from you. So that makes any USAC Silver Crown victory very special.”

Swanson will be back in Doran Binks Racing’s Mission Foods #77 at the next asphalt USAC Silver Crown race, which is scheduled for Winchester (Ind.) Speedway on Friday, June 27.

That race was postponed May 4 due to rain. The complete schedule can be found on usacracing.com.

Swanson is a native of Kingsburg, Calif., who now lives in Brownsburg, Ind. Doran Binks Racing is headquartered in Lebanon, Ohio.

For more information on Doran Binks Racing see DoranRacing.com and follow it on Facebook.

About Mission Foods: The Gruma Corporation began in 1949 and is today the leading tortilla manufacturer worldwide.

Mission Foods is a proud subsidiary of Gruma, and as the #1 tortilla company in the United States, manufactures a wide variety of authentic Mexican products.

Five years ago it opened a state-of-the-art plant in Dallas, Texas, with the capacity to produce 30 million tortillas daily. Today Mission Foods is a global company, with special emphasis not only on the United States but also Mexico, Central America, Europe, China, Malaysia, and Australia.

Its products include flour and corn tortillas; tostadas; low-carb, whole wheat, organic and gluten-free items; wraps; flatbreads such as naan, pita and roti; tortilla chips and organic chips; chicharrones; salsa, and dips.

For more information see missionfoods.com.

Mark your calendars for the upcoming TB Promotions East Coast Twin Fifties on August 7-9, 2025 at Virginia Motorsports Park.

NORTH DINWIDDIE, VA – TB Promotions is thrilled to announce the first ever Laris Motorsports Insurance East Coast Twin Fifties, presented by Vintage Trailers, at Virginia Motorsports Park! They are taking over the east coast on August 7-9, 2025!

This big-money bracket racing weekend will kick off on Wednesday with the Fuel Factory High-Roller 48-Car Shootout, followed by American Race Cars Thursday Warm-Up Race, where one person will walk away with a 2025 complete roller dragster, followed by two $50K races, No-Box bonuses, and two days of $500-to-win Junior Dragster competitions. Don’t miss out on this exciting weekend of racing and big payouts!

See full race and pre-entry details below!

Fuel Factory High-Roller 48-Car Shootout

To kick off the weekend, there will be a high-roller 48-car $25,000-to-win shootout on Wednesday The runner-up will earn $5,000 and semi-finalists will take home $2,500, with quarter-finalists earning $1,000. The entry fee will be $1,000, and there are no buybacks. The deposit is $500 to hold your spot and entries go on sale on Tuesday, June 24.

American Race Cars Thursday Warm-Up

Racers competing in the warm-up race have the chance to take home a complete 2025 roller chassis from American Race Cars, completely assembled, wired, and custom painted! The runner-up will earn $5,000 and semi-finalists will take home $1,000, with quarter-finalists earning $500. The entry fee will be $250 with a buyback available for $100. Entries are available at the gate, and you do not have to be entered in the weekend to run the warm-up race.

Friday & Saturday Twin $50K events

Fuel Factory Friday and Moser Engineering Saturday will both feature a $50,000-to-win race with $10,000 going to the runner-up and $3,000 to the semi-finalists. There will be $250 round money starting with 3rd round winners and there will be a re-entry round after 1st round available for $250 if needed. The single day entry fee is $400 and the full weekend entry fee is $1,599. Doubles are allowed. See pre-entry information below.

No-Box Bonuses

No-Box will run completely separate with their own bye run until down to one remaining driver. The last remaining No-Box car will receive a $2,500 bonus on Friday and Saturday. The winner will advance into the next round along with the remaining Top Bulb entries. No-Box will earn the same round money as Top Bulb, and Doubles will NOT be allowed in No-Box!

Jr. Dragster $500-to-win

Jr. Dragster racers will compete for $500-to-win on Friday and Saturday in a 16-car shootout, sponsored by The Hub Saver/JFP Solutions. Doubles are not allowed and there will be a 1st round buyback available for $20. Runner-ups will take home $100 while semi-finalists will cash in for $500. The weekend entry fee is $100 and includes one entry into both races. No single day entries will be sold. See pre-entry information below. 

Pre-Entry Information

Pre-entry for the East Coast Twin Fifties officially opens on June 24 at noon EST at www.racederbycity.com. This event is capped at 425 Top Bulb and 32 No Box entries. Everything will go on sale on the same day, including the Fuel Factory High Roller Shootout and Junior Dragsters.

Pre-entry fees are refundable if canceled before July 28, 2025. After that date, you may sell your pre-entry to another racer.

Event Extras

MotorMania TV will be on-site, live-streaming the action for those unable to attend in person. Additionally, Laris Motorsports Insurance will host a special Racer Appreciation Dinner on Friday night for racers and their families to enjoy.

Schedule

Wednesday

• Parking opens at 8:00 a.m. EST
• Testing 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. ($50)
• Fuel Factory 48 Round 1 – 2 p.m. EST
• Eliminations to follow

Thursday

• Time Run – 9:00 a.m. EST
• American Race Cars Round 1 – 1:00 p.m. EST

Friday

• New entry time run – 8:00 a.m. EST
• Fuel Factory $50K Round 1 to Follow
• Laris Motorsports Insurance Racer Party at night!

Saturday

• New entry time run – 8:00 a.m. EST
• Moser Engineering $50K Round 1 to Follow

Sunday

Contact Tyler Bohannon at 502-417-0008 or Brian Whitworth at 502-715-1778 if you have any questions about the Laris Motorsports Insurance East Coast Twin Fifties, presented by Vintage Trailers, at Virginia Motorsports Park.

For more bracket racing news from DragChamp, click here.

LONG POND, MONROE CO. (WOLF) — Rain and wind didn’t stop the party inside of Pocono Raceway’s infield for The Great American Getaway 400.

“Even though it’s raining, there’s nothing better than this. As long as we don’t get struck by lightning, we’re good,” saidChristopher Belvedere, a Long Island native.

The rain may have delayed the race but it didn’t delay partiers like William Auchmoody from enjoying the morning.

“My first race I was 14 years old but for the last 9 or 10 years, we come here every race weekend, a whole big group of us and we tailgate, put up tents and cook,” said Auchmoody, “It’s generational. My dad brought me to my first race when I was a kid and I bring my sons and my daughter who is 21 and actually works in NASCAR now.”

Auchmoody traveled from Highland, New York and he and the rest of his crew come to the races for more than just the cars.

“We go to races all over the country and this is one of the most fan friendly places. We sometimes watch the races, but it’s everything that goes on in the infield here. It’s amazing,” he explained.

The atmosphere of the Pocono Raceway infield attracts fans from all over, like young fans Rhett and Kennedy Chapman, from Virginia.

“NASCAR is basically Hotwheels but it’s bigger and the cars can actually drive,” said Kennedy Chapman.

Chapman’s brother, Rhett is excited to cheer on his favorite driver, Kyle Bush.

“When I was picking my driver when I was little, I did it off my favorite snack, and that was M&Ms,” said Chapman.

Smaller, non-motor vehicles were also part of the pre-race festivities.

“There’s a bike over there, if you can ride it, we’ll give you free beer for life,” said Christopher Belvedere, a Long Island native.

The bike has problems with steering and breaking, although Mike Graziano, another Long Islander, seems to be the only person who can successfully ride it.

“It’s almost amazing that he can do it,” said Belvedere.

By the time the race started, the sun was shining, and the grills were running.

“Just bring your sunscreen, bring an umbrella. In all my years of coming here I do see that at least one day we do get rain,” said Auchmoody,