Motorsports
Joe Gibbs Racing NASCAR Cup Series Race Preview – FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway – Speedway Digest
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RACE INFO
DATE: Sunday, June 8, 2025
RACE: FireKeepers Casino 400
TRACK: Michigan International Speedway (Brooklyn, MI)
TRACK LENGTH: 2 miles
TV: Prime Video (2 p.m. ET)
RADIO: MRN Radio / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (2 p.m. ET)
JOE GIBBS RACING
JGR AT MICHIGAN: Joe Gibbs Racing owns eight NASCAR Cup Series victories at Michigan International Speedway. In 162 combined starts at the two-mile track, the organization has tallied 48 top-five finishes, 78 top-10s, eight pole awards, and 1,279 laps led. Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Bobby Labonte, and Tony Stewart have all driven JGR entries to victory lane at Michigan.
DENNY HAMLIN
No. 11 Yahoo Toyota Camry XSE
HAMLIN AT MICHIGAN: Denny Hamlin is a two-time NASCAR Cup Series winner at Michigan International Speedway after claiming victories in 2010 and 2011. In 34 career starts at the two-mile track, Hamlin has earned 12 top-five finishes, 19 top-10s, one pole award, and 263 laps led. The Virginia native has finished inside the top 10 in seven consecutive Michigan races and has led in eight of the last nine races at the track dating back to August 2018.
NASHVILLE RECAP: Hamlin finished third in last weekend’s race at Nashville Superspeedway. After starting second, he led 79 laps and won the opening stage of the race. He ran inside the top three throughout the final two segments before ultimately ending the night with a third-place result.
FASTEST LAP: Hamlin posted the Xfinity Fastest Lap in the past two races at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Nashville Superspeedway. Overall, Hamlin is tied for the series lead with three Xfinity Fastest Lap awards this season.
CHRIS GAYLE: Crew chief Chris Gayle’s best Cup Series performance at Michigan International Speedway was a third-place result with Ty Gibbs last August. He also has a pair of NASCAR Xfinity Series victories atop the pit box at the two-mile track. In June 2015, he led Kyle Busch to victory lane and he followed that up by guiding Gibbs to a win in August 2022.
CHASE BRISCOE
No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE
BRISCOE AT MICHIGAN: Chase Briscoe has four career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Michigan International Speedway with a best finish of 11th in 2021. Briscoe finished inside the top 10 in his only Michigan starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (seventh in 2019), NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (ninth in 2017), and the ARCA Menards Series (second in 2016).
NASHVILLE RECAP: Briscoe started on the pole and led a season-high 51 laps last Sunday at Nashville Superspeedway. Briscoe earned valuable stage points with a third-place finish in stage one before ultimately finishing 17th.
2025 POLE AWARDS: Chase Briscoe set a new track record (164.396 mph) last weekend at Nashville Superspeedway to capture his series-leading third pole award of the 2025 season. With three poles in the first 14 races, Briscoe has earned more pole awards in 2025 than in his previous four seasons combined.
JAMES SMALL: 2025 marks James Small’s sixth season as a NASCAR Cup Series crew chief. The first five years of his tenure as crew chief were spent with Martin Truex Jr. as Small led the No. 19 team to eight wins, 46 top-five finishes, 86 top-10s, and four NASCAR playoffs appearances. The Australia native led Truex to a runner-up finish in the 2021 championship and to the 2023 regular season championship.
BASS PRO SHOPS: Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Newsweek as “America’s Most Trusted Retailer for Outdoor Gear”. For more information or to shop online, visit www.basspro.com.
CHRISTOPHER BELL
No. 20 Rheem Toyota Camry XSE
BELL AT MICHIGAN: Christopher Bell’s best finish in six NASCAR Cup Series starts at Michigan International Speedway is a trio of 13th-place finishes. Bell was on his way to a solid run at Michigan last year before a late-race accident relegated him to a 35th-place finish. The Oklahoma native posted a second-place finish in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at Michigan during his 2017 championship season.
STARTING UP FRONT: In three races with the Next Gen car at Michigan, Bell has started second (2022), first (2023), and third (2024). His pole-winning lap of 193.382 mph in August 2023 is the fastest qualifying lap at any track since the Next Gen car’s inception in 2022.
NASHVILLE RECAP: Bell scored his seventh top-10 finish in the last eight races with a 10th-place result last Sunday at Nashville Superspeedway. After starting seventh, he ran up front early on and finished fifth in stage one. During stage two, Bell was involved in an accident on a restart that sent his No. 20 Toyota spinning into the outside wall. Despite the setback, the No. 20 team repaired Bell’s car well enough to allow him to recover for another top-10 result.
SEASON TO DATE: The 2025 season got off to a solid start for Bell, highlighted by three back-to-back-to-back wins at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Circuit of the Americas and Phoenix Raceway. Most recently, Bell proved to be an All-Star, taking home the $1 million prize for winning at North Wilkesboro Speedway. With 14 races completed this season, Bell is tied for the series lead with three wins and 10 top-10 finishes to go along with six top-fives, one pole award, and 147 laps led.
RHEEM AT MICHIGAN: Rheem will host more than 65 guests this weekend in Michigan. Executives will be on site from the Rheem Operations team in addition to guests from the Water Heater Division (WHD), Commercial Air Division, and customers from key distributor Ferguson.
TY GIBBS
No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Camry XSE
GIBBS AT MICHIGAN: Ty Gibbs has finished 11th or better in all three of his NASCAR Cup Series starts at Michigan International Speedway, including a third-place result last August. In three NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the track, Gibbs has one win, two top-five results, and never finish finished worse than 13th.
MICHIGAN WINS: Gibbs owns a pair of victories at Michigan International Speedway. In August 2021, he started on the pole and led 99 of 100 laps to win the ARCA Menards Series race at the two-mile facility. In August 2022, Gibbs led 54 of 125 laps to win the Xfinity Series race at Michigan.
NASHVILLE RECAP: Gibbs started 22nd and finished 31st in last weekend’s race at Nashville Superspeedway.
TYLER ALLEN: Crew chief Tyler Allen is in his first year leading Gibbs and the No. 54 team. While this is Allen’s first experience as a crew chief at the Cup Series level, he had a standout season in 2024 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Allen led JGR’s No. 20 Xfinity Series team to eight victories and a runner-up finish in the owner’s championship.
JGR PR
Motorsports
Patrick Emerling Announces GOAT Power Bikes as First Partner for 2025 Season
MOORESVILLE, NC, January 17, 2025 – NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Patrick Emerling today announced he is partnering with GOAT Power Bikes for the The LiUNA! NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 15, 2025.
“GOAT Power Bikes is thrilled to partner with Snow Belt MGMT to sponsor Patrick Emerling for the NASCAR Xfinity Series as the primary sponsor at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and as an associate sponsor for the 2025 season,” said GOAT Power Bikes owner Bryson Goodman. Patrick embodies the drive, precision, and passion that align perfectly with our brand values, and we’re excited to support him as he races to success this season. Together, we’re charging ahead, both on the track and beyond.”
Frequently described as “The Harley Davidson of E-Bike Brands,” GOAT Power Bikes leads the charge for building powerful, affordable, and reliable e-bikes that empower riders to conquer any terrain. GOAT’s base model bikes have a 48MPH top speed with a price point of under $2,800, making them the best bang for your buck for anything in its class.
Based in San Diego, California, GOAT Power Bikes are designed with cutting-edge technology and built for adventure. Whether navigating city streets, exploring rugged trails, or cruising along the coast, GOAT Power Bikes inspires riders to embrace the freedom of the open road and redefine their limits.
“I’m stoked to partner with GOAT,” said Emerling. “I love anything with a motor and grew up riding dirt bikes, so these e-bikes are perfect for me. I usually race on four wheels, but I’ll do it on two. GOAT’s e-bikes are incredible, and I can’t wait to introduce them to the NASCAR fanbase.”
GOAT is offering fans a 5% discount on purchases with code NASCAR.
Visit https://www.goatpowerbikes.com to see their full lineup of e-bikes.
Emerling will make an announcement on his full 2025 season plans shortly.
The LiUNA! NASCAR Xfinity Series Race (200 laps | 300 miles) is the fifth of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2025 schedule. Practice starts on Friday, March 14 at 3:05 p.m. immediately followed by qualifying. The field is set to take the green flag the next day at 1:30 p.m. with live coverage on The CW, the Performance Racing Network (Radio), and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are Eastern Standard Time.
For more information on Patrick Emerling, visit https://www.patrickemerlingracing.com or follow him on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/PatrickEmerling07), X (https://twitter.com/PatrickEmerling) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/patrickemerling).
Source: Snow Belt MGMT
Motorsports
Denny Hamlin is looking for an apology from NASCAR Channel 90 after lawsuit settlement
“Animosity ends with accountability.”
23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports recently settled their lawsuit against NASCAR. Post settlement, all teams will be offered to sign a new evergreen charter agreement. This will make charters permanent.
Charters are now franchises with teams sharing a portion of revenue. They also guarantee a starting position in every race for the 36 charter holders.
NASCAR lawsuit settled; Comments from both sides
Back in October 2024, Hamlin stated via X, “While censorship is a big topic in today’s media world, Channel 90 might be the poster child.”
He added, “An interview didn’t go the way they hoped after our attorney continued to state fact after fact even tho they tried their best to refute, they have since edited/deleted that interview off of their channels because the narrative doesn’t fit their beliefs. If that doesn’t convince you of the bias then nothing will.”
The settlement is a win for the sport as a whole. But, Denny Hamlin, co-owner of 23XI Racing is circling back…
Fast forward to 2025: Hamlin now expects an apology
Hamlin hasn’t forgotten about that moment from last year…
Hamlin asked Larry Mcreynolds on Tuesday, “Good morning. Now that the case is settled and the evidence is out will you or anyone on channel 90 be issuing an apology for what you all said about 23XI/FRM when the lawsuit was filed?”
“I believe it was ‘how dare them for trying to come in and change the sport. 23XI hasn’t been around long enough and FRM wasn’t good enough.’ Also how about ‘I dont know what their problem is, 13 other teams signed it.’ Just to name a few examples.”
“Well because I believe that once the actual facts and documents were released it was contradictory to the narrative that was being pushed. Larry is a very hard working analyst. Hopefully he took the time to analyze the situation post settlement and revise his thoughts.”
“Animosity ends with accountability.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr predicts a surge in the cost of NASCAR charters
Links
NASCAR | 23XI Racing | Front Row Motorsports
Motorsports
Liberty Scales Back Sponsorship of No. 24 for Second Straight Year
Liberty University (LibertyU), one of the founding partners of William Byron’s career in NASCAR, is significantly scaling back its sponsorship of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet for a second consecutive year.
The educational institution, along with Hendrick Motorsports, confirmed on Wednesday that it would be sponsoring the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 of Byron in three NASCAR Cup Series events for the upcoming season — slashing in half the six-race program the school occupied in 2025.
Hey LibertyU and @TeamHendrick fans! 2025 NASCAR Cup Series regular season champion and two-time DAYTONA 500 winner @WilliamByron will be racing the LU24 Chevrolet for three races in 2026 – check out the schedule now! https://t.co/yIn7qcr2hQ pic.twitter.com/iSW6QMGa7V
— Liberty University (@LibertyU) December 17, 2025
This marks the second straight campaign that LibertyU has cut its primary sponsorship program for Byron in half, slashing its presence on the No. 24 Chevrolet to six races for 2025, after sponsoring 12 races in 2024.
Byron, the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series regular-season champion, will be carrying the colors of his long-time partner, LibertyU, at Watkins Glen International (May 10), Indianapolis Motor Speedway (July 26), and Martinsville Speedway (November 1).
Liberty University has been a major sponsorship partner of William Byron for more than a decade, adorning his racecars as he climbed through the ranks of Late Models, the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, ARCA Menards Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, and into the NASCAR Cup Series with Hendrick Motorsports, the winningest team in the history of the sport.
In his eight seasons competing full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, William Byron has been to Victory Lane 16 times — thrice with Liberty University on board the No. 24 Chevrolet (Daytona 2020, Atlanta 2022, Texas 2023).
Between the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and K&N Pro Series East (now ARCA Menards Series East), Byron has been to Victory Lane a total of 13 times with Liberty University serving as the primary sponsor of his racecar.
The 28-year-old driver has proven himself as a perennial championship contender in the NASCAR Cup Series, putting his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team into the Championship 4 in each of the last three seasons. Byron has three four top-six points finishes and five top-10 points finishes.
In addition to the three-race sponsorship for Liberty University on the No. 24 Chevrolet in 2026, William Byron will also have backing from Raptor Coatings, Valvoline, Anduril, All-Pro Auto Reconditioning, Phorm Energy, Cincinnati Inc, and Z by HP.
Motorsports
How F1-Themed Slots Appeal to Racing Fans
Formula 1 runs deeper than just Sundays at the track. For plenty of fans, the sport’s rush, fast laps, razor-edge gambles, and glitz pour into other pastimes. Lately, digital casinos have jumped in, and now F1-inspired slots are everywhere. The quick-fire spins feel like speeding laps.
Flashing car symbols, turbo bonuses, the roar of imaginary engines, developers lace it all together, aiming right at racing die-hards who want a taste of race day off the asphalt. If you ask Car Throttle, close to 40% of racing lovers say these immersive F1 themes actually make them more likely to play. Marrying speed and stakes has carved out its place among motorsport’s most passionate.
F1 Emotion Meets Slot Mechanics
Rush. Heart-thumping risk. A winner or a wipeout in seconds. Formula 1 delivers that, but so do the best slot games. A spin around the reels almost echoes a grand prix lap: anticipation, a jolt of hope, abrupt wins or letdowns. Pro Hockey News notes how F1 fans gravitate to games that channel motorsport chaos.
Suddenly, a slot’s win feels like a daring overtake, a crushing loss like a blown engine. None of it happens accidentally; game designers ramp up volatility to mirror F1’s on-the-edge energy. Most F1 slots set their risk high, reflecting not just the pace but the unpredictability that racing fans are hooked on. Every spin cranks up the tension, serving up a fresh slice of that high-stakes drama familiar from the grid.
Immersive Racing Design Attracts New Players
Design teams aren’t subtle; their aim is instant recognition. Online slots featuring stylized cars, helmets, or racetrack symbols aim for instant recognition. They drop players onto circuits that look suspiciously like Monaco, toss them bonus pit stop rounds, and dress up the audio in engines and cheers, like you’re trackside, but with a mouse click. Monaco backdrops. Helmets gleaming. Crowds roaring.
Even “Nitro Boost” or “Race Spin” features boost the fever, reminding fans of sudden on-track drama. F1 fans, spotting these cues, grasp the theme quickly. Now, entering the world of online slots doesn’t feel alien, especially next to games with no familiar landmarks. For those who already live for Sundays, stepping into the F1 slot lane is way less daunting than facing roulette wheels or endless columns of numbers.
Bonus Rounds Channel Race Strategy
What makes F1 slots stand out isn’t just the paintwork or the sound; they don’t just look and sound like racing; they play that way, too. Bonus rounds become mini-races. Maybe you’re asked to pick a car for a jackpot “shootout.” Possibly you gamble for multipliers, risking it all for a bigger score.
Car Throttle points out that strategic rounds, think “Pit Stops,” force you to make real choices under pressure. Some rounds crank up the risk for massive rewards, tossing in wild cards like a “Final Lap” boost. The structure starts to feel eerily familiar. It’s F1, but with every bet, the drama of the final corner is only ever one spin away.
Glamour, Volatility, and Tech Innovation
Race day glitz, velvet ropes, fancy paddocks, and champagne sprays, those luxury notes slip easily into the casino vibe. F1 slot promos often push that angle: big jackpots, slick graphics, Monaco’s neon glow. Pro Hockey News draws the parallel, Monaco as racing’s crown jewel and a gambling mecca.
Developers now push things further; new AR and VR game versions park you right on the circuit, put dashboards in your hands, and let you wander pit lane. This seems just the start. The next chapter for F1 slots is even more immersive, meant to hold fans in the fast lane well past the checkered flag.
Responsible Play for Racing Enthusiasts
All that excitement can cloud judgment. It’s easy to keep pressing for just one more spin, especially when racing thrills blend with betting. Setting limits and seeing slots strictly as a way to unwind matters. There are plenty of tools and agencies offering support if it gets overwhelming. Stay aware, and remember, the real victory is making sure the fun never slips out of control.
Motorsports
$2.3 Trillion Giant Makes Stunning NASCAR Power Play With Chase Elliott for 2026
The most popular driver in NASCAR is about to carry the colors of the most powerful streamer on the planet in a bold new way. For three races in the 2026 season, Amazon Prime Video will sponsor Chase Elliot, flashing a new color scheme for his car.
Elliott’s No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet will unveil a dramatically revised paint scheme for the 2026 season, a visual declaration of Amazon Prime Video’s deepening and aggressive stake in the sport’s future.
Which Races Will Chase Elliott Run With the Amazon Prime Livery in 2026?
Elliott is about to get a new color scheme for his car as Amazon Prime Video is sponsoring Chase Elliot for three races in the 2026 season. We will see the Amazon Prime Video on Elliott’s car next year at the Talladega, Texas, and the Dover All-Star Race.
The 2026 design shifts away from the brighter blues of the 2025 car, opting for darker, more aggressive tones. Added black accents and stronger contrast to give it a sharper, more authoritative look on track. The update deliberately distances the car from other blue-hued competitors, ensuring the $2.3 trillion tech behemoth’s rolling billboard stands utterly alone.
Amazon joined Hendrick Motorsports as a primary sponsor for Chase Elliott starting in 2025. It also became the sport’s first direct-to-consumer media partner this year. Holding roles as a team sponsor and a broadcaster at the same time raised eyebrows in the NASCAR community.
This time, on-car promotions directly precede Prime Video’s second season of broadcasting five exclusive Cup Series races, which begin with the Coca-Cola 600 on May 24. For 2026, Prime Video will again serve as a primary sponsor for Elliott in three select races, continuing a partnership that runs firmly through 2027.
The No. 9 car will first wear the updated livery at Talladega Superspeedway in late April, then at Texas Motor Speedway, with a final primary appearance at the All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway in mid-May.
MORE: Chase Elliott’s Long-Ignored Warning Forces NASCAR To Reconsider the Next Gen Car
Prime’s broadcast schedule also features the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway on May 31, the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway on June 7, and the NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway on June 14.
Prime Video first sponsored Chase Elliott in 2025 for races at Talladega and Kansas Speedway. Like last year, these races kick off Prime Video’s five-race stretch of NASCAR Cup Series broadcasts.
The Prime broadcast schedule wraps up with the Anduril 250 during NASCAR San Diego Weekend on June 21. The event brings all three of NASCAR’s national series to Naval Base Coronado, where the drivers will tackle a unique 16-turn, 3.4-mile street circuit.
Motorsports
Ironton Auto Body Challenge Set For Indoor Auto Racing
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — When the Indoor Auto Racing Series returns to the PPL Center on January 9-10 for the ninth annual Ironton Global Allentown Indoor Races, TQ Midget drivers will once again have a chance to capture the $10,000 Ironton Auto Body Challenge by sweeping the weekend and winning both features.
In 2024, young driver Tanner VanDoren and Ryan Flores split the TQ Midget mains on the tenth-mile concrete oval. Flores won the Friday opener in 2025, but finished second Saturday to Andy Jankowiak. Although both enjoyed a successful weekend, the $10,000 sweep slipped away in Allentown.
Three weeks later, Flores got a second chance at the Ironton Auto Body bonus and redeemed himself by winning the series finale NAPA Auto Parts Gambler’s Classic inside Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall.
Thanks to renewed support from Ironton Auto Body, the possibility of a $10,000 weekend inside the PPL Center returns for a third straight year. To complete the challenge, Friday’s winner will be offered a guaranteed starting spot in Saturday’s main event — with one caveat: they must start 10th.
As a bonus for accepting the challenge, Friday’s winner will receive $1,000. Should they advance from 10th and win again on Saturday, another $4,000 bonus will be awarded. Combining the $5,000 in bonus money with Saturday’s purse will bring their total to $10,000.
If the weekend sweep isn’t accomplished, Ironton Auto Body will once again roll over a portion of the challenge to the Atlantic City Indoor Race.
With his victory in last year’s NAPA Gambler’s Classic, Flores collected $10,000, including Ironton Auto Body Challenge bonus money as well as support from the AC Sports Commission and Visit Atlantic City.
The headline TQ Midget division will be joined by Slingshots and Champ Karts, with full programs and feature events for all three classes.
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