Penske IndyCar star Scott McLaughlin will race a Chevrolet Corvette at Suzuka next month to tick off what he is calling a “bucket list” ambition.

The New Zealander will drive a Corvette Z06 GT3.R for the Malaysian Johore Motorsports Racing team in the Suzuka 1000Km round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge on 14 September to fulfil his dream.

“I’m really grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the JMR team heading to Suzuka for the 1000Km,” said McLaughlin, who races a Chevrolet-powered Dallara DW12 for Team Penske in the IndyCar Series.

“I’ve always wanted to race Suzuka, and it’s a bucket list track for me.”

McLaughlin will share the JMR Pro class entry with Chevrolet factory drivers Alexander Sims and Nicky Catsburg, who he described as his “General Motors friends” and “two amazing Corvette racers”.

Suzuka, round four of a series that incorporates the 24-hour classics at Spa and the Nurburgring, will be McLaughlin’s second race appearance at the wheel of Corvette Z06 GT3.R.

#91 Trackhouse by TF Sport Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Ben Keating, Connor Zilisch, Scott McLaughlin, Shane van Gisbergen

Photo by: Courtesy of IMSA

He drove one of Pratt & Miller-developed racers at the Daytona 24 Hours in January, the opening round of the IMSA SportsCar Championship, fielded by NASCAR Cup entrant Trackhouse Racing and run by TF Sport.

McLaughlin’s CV has encompassed sportscar appearances in LMP2 in IMSA since he switched to IndyCars from the V8 Supercars Series in Australia at the end of 2020.

He won LMP2 and finished third overall at the 2023 Sebring 12 Hours driving a Tower Motorsports ORECA-Gibson 07.

His sportscar credits also include a victory at the Bathurst 12 Hours at the wheel of Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in 2016.

JMR, a regular in the GT World Challenge Asia, will field a pair of Corvettes at the Suzuka IGTC fixture.

A car is being fielded in Pro-Am for Malaysian princes Jefri Ibrahim and Abu Bakar Ibrahim, who will share with Finn GT specialist Konsta Lappalainen.

The IGTC is returning to Suzuka this year for the first time since 2019 after which the fixture fell victim to the COVID pandemic.

In its previous two editions, 2018 and ’19, the Suzuka round was a 10-hour race but this year the late summer endurance fixture dating back to 1966 is returning to its traditional 1000km format.

The maximum duration of the race has been extended from six to six-and-a-half hours in an attempt to ensure the full distance is achieved. A 30-car entry has been received for the event.

The Chinese Phantom Global Racing Porsche is reviving the ‘pink pig’ livery for Suzuka.

Its Porsche 911 GT3-R shared by factory drivers Klaus Bachler and Patric Niederhauser, along with Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific-contracted Dorian Boccolacci, will race in the colours first seen on a 917/20 at the 1971 Le Mans 24 Hours.

The factory revived a livery that features the names in German of the different butcher’s cuts of pork for one of the four entries that made up its 2018 Le Mans GTE Pro assault.

Phantom Global Racing Porsche livery

Photo by: Porsche

New England’s only NASCAR Playoffs weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) isn’t just for hardcore race fans – it’s a full-on family entertainment destination. From Sept. 17-21, “The Magic Mile” transforms into a hub of kid-friendly fun, interactive experiences and fall festival vibes, making it the perfect getaway for families in New England.

Wednesday: Camper Appreciation Musical Bingo presented by THOR Industries

Start the weekend on Wednesday, Sept. 17 at 6 p.m. with Camper Appreciation Musical Bingo presented by THOR Industries. Win cool prizes and enjoy opening evening at The Groove. We’ll supply the BINGO cards, dobbers and prizes – you bring the fun!

Thursday: Family Movie Night

On Thursday, Sept. 18 at 8 p.m., enjoy Family Movie Night. Spread a blanket on the grassy backstretch hill or grab a grandstand seat to enjoy “Captain America: Brave New World” on massive infield screens. Savor popcorn under the stars with this ultimate outdoor cinema experience.

Friday Through Sunday: Fan Zone Fun and Carnival Thrills

From Friday through Sunday, Sept. 19-21, the Fan Zone delivers non-stop excitement for all ages. Test your skills at the Synergy SpeedLab: Mobile Sim Racing Experience, featuring retro racing simulators, a custom 1937 Legend Car sim and giant screens showing the action from a driver’s view. Just steps away, enjoy carnival-style fun with bumper cars, a glass firehouse maze and water gun races – complete with flashing lights, cheering crowds and prizes worth bragging about.

Friday Through Sunday: Explore the NASCAR Kids Zone

Perfect for younger fans, the NASCAR Kids Zone offers an interactive play space designed to keep children engaged and entertained all weekend long. From pint-sized racing challenges to colorful inflatables, hands-on crafts and photo ops with NASCAR-themed backdrops, it’s a safe and fun spot for kids to burn off energy while parents enjoy the event. The NASCAR Kids Zone is included with your race weekend admission, making it a must-visit stop for families.

Saturday and Sunday: Meet Your NASCAR Heroes

One of the most unforgettable experiences of race weekend is the chance to meet NASCAR’s biggest stars up close. Throughout the event, scheduled driver appearances and autograph sessions give fans of all ages the opportunity to shake hands, snap photos and collect one-of-a-kind keepsakes. For young fans, it’s a dream come true standing face-to-face with the drivers they cheer for on the track. These sessions are the perfect way to create lasting memories and bring home a personal connection to the sport.

High-Speed Action and Lasting Memories

Between the roar of playoff racing, free live music, pop-up entertainment and endless food options, there’s something for everyone. Whether you’re here for the engines, the games, the food or simply a weekend of shared memories, NHMS delivers a full-throttle family experience you’ll talk about long after the checkered flag waves.

Get Tickets and Info: NHMS.com

• Third-lowest Cup Series audience of 2025 so far
• Nascar averaging 2.69m viewers with two races remaining of regular season
• IndyCar yet to record an average audience below 500k this season
• Indy 500 performance lifts IndyCar’s full-season viewership average to 1.23m

Nascar averaged 1.85 million viewers for last weekend’s Cup Series visit to Watkins Glen on USA Network.

This is the fifth time this season that Nascar has dropped below two million viewers on a given race weekend, as well being the Cup Series’ third-lowest audience of the year. It is also the series’ lowest audience recorded on USA Network since 1.03 million people watched Nascar’s 2023 visit to New Hampshire.

Last year’s visit to Watkins Glen took place in the playoffs, so a fair viewership comparison would be with the 2024 race in Michigan. That averaged 2.11 million viewers on USA Network, meaning this year’s race saw a 12.4 per cent viewership decrease.

With two races remaining in its regular season, the Nascar Cup Series is averaging 2.69 million viewers in 2025. For the rest of the year, including the playoffs, only four races will be shown on commercial television.

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Elsewhere, 708,000 people tuned in on Fox to see Alex Palou take his fourth IndyCar title in five years at Portland.

That continues IndyCar’s steady progress with its broadcast partner Fox, which recently took a one-third stake in the championship to underline its commitment.

While audiences may have not quite matched early-season expectations, no race in 2025 has fallen below 500,000 viewers – a benchmark not achieved in at least the past decade if maintained through the final two events.

The Indianapolis 500’s huge numbers lift IndyCar’s average to 1.23 million viewers. Excluding that race, the average is a more modest 814,000, trailing both 2023 and 2022.

Still, IndyCar and Fox can be encouraged by the solid base they’ve built, especially given the lack of title drama to entice casual viewers amid Palou’s unprecedented dominance.

For the second time this month, the NASCAR Cup Series competes at a short track.

The series was at Iowa Speedway two weeks ago and now heads to Richmond Raceway for Saturday night’s event (coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET on USA Network).

Here is a look at the good news and bad news for Cup drivers and teams heading into Richmond.

23XI Racing — Good news: Watkins Glen represented the third time this season the organization had two cars finish in the top 10 with Bubba Wallace eighth and Tyler Reddick ninth. … Wallace has scored four top 10s in a row, tied for the longest streak in his Cup career. … Wallace finished fourth at Richmond last August, his best finish at the track. … Both of Reddick’s top 10s at Richmond came in the last two races there. … Reddick was third at Richmond last August. … Corey Heim, the regular season champion in the Truck Series, is back in the No. 67 this weekend, making his third Cup start of the year. Bad news: Riley Herbst was 33rd at Richmond last August in his only Cup start there.

Front Row Motorsports — Good news: Noah Gragson will make his 100th career Cup start Saturday at Richmond. Bad news: Todd Gilliland has not placed better than 15th in six Richmond starts. … Zane Smith has not placed better than 16th in 11 career Cup short track starts.

Haas Factory Team — Good news: Cole Custer has qualified in the top 12 in three of his six Cup starts at Richmond. Bad News: Custer’s 34th-place finish at Watkins Glen was his worst result since Michigan in June.

Hendrick Motorsports — Good news: William Byron extended his lead to 42 points on Chase Elliott with his fourth-place result at Watkins Glen. … Byron has scored back-to-back top-five finishes. … Elliott has four top-five finishes in the last eight Richmond races. … Elliott has placed in the top 10 in eight of the last 10 short track races and that doesn’t include his victory in the Clash exhibition race at Bowman Gray Stadium this year. … Alex Bowman’s average finish of 9.3 over the last nine races is the best among full-time drivers. … Bowman will make his 350th career Cup start Saturday at Richmond. Bad news: Chase Elliott’s 26th-place finish last weekend at Watkins Glen marked the first time this season he’s placed outside the top 20. … Kyle Larson’s average finish in the last 12 races is 19.25 — his worst over any 12-race span since joining Hendrick Motorsports ahead of the 2021 season.

Hyak Motorsports — Good news: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has made 388 consecutive Cup starts, which is the third-longest active streak behind Joey Logano’s streak of 600 and Brad Keselowski’s streak of 568. Bad news: Stenhouse has only one top-20 finish in his last seven starts at Richmond.

Joe Gibbs Racing — Good news: The organization has more wins at Richmond (19) than at any other track. … Joe Gibbs Racing has won 10 of the last 18 Richmond Cup races. … Christopher Bell has eight top-three finishes in 24 races this season. … Bell’s average finish of 7.3 at Richmond is his best among active oval tracks. … Chase Briscoe has had four top-five finishes in the last five races. … Briscoe is the only driver to finish in the top 10 in all three short track races this season, placing ninth at Martinsville, fourth at Bristol and second at Iowa. … Denny Hamlin has five wins at Richmond. … Hamlin has finished in the top two in six of the last eight Richmond races. … Hamlin has won three of the last 10 short track races, including this season at Martinsville. … Hamlin has more wins (five) than any other driver on short tracks with the Next Gen car. … Hamlin has led at least a lap in each of the last nine races at Richmond. Bad news: Ty Gibbs has finished outside the top 20 in the last three races. … Christopher Bell has had a speeding penalty in each of the last three races at Richmond. … Briscoe has never scored a top-10 finish in eight Cup starts at Richmond.

Kaulig Racing — Good news: AJ Allmendinger will make his 100th Cup start with Kaulig Racing on Saturday at Richmond. Bad news: Allmendinger has finished 26th or worse in his last seven starts at Richmond. … Ty Dillon has had three consecutive finishes of 28th or worse.

Legacy Motor Club — Good news: Erik Jones’ 12th-place finish at Watkins Glen moved him to within one point of 20th in the season standings. … Jones has seven top-15 finishes in the last 14 races. … John Hunter Nemechek has three top-15 finishes in the last six races. Bad news: Nemechek has not placed better than 25th in three Richmond Cup starts.

Richard Childress Racing — Good news: Austin Dillon won at Richmond last August. … Dillon has placed in the top 10 in two of the last three Richmond races. … Dillon’s last two Cup wins have come in the final three weeks of the playoffs (Daytona in August 2022 and Richmond in August 2024). … Kyle Busch’s six Cup wins at Richmond are the most among active drivers. … Busch’s average finish of 7.6 at Richmond is his best among active ovals. Jesse Love will in the No. 33 car this weekend, making his fifth Cup start of the season. Bad news: Although Busch has 16 Cup short track wins, his most recent victory on that style of track came in April 2019 at Bristol.

Rick Ware Racing — Good news: Cody Ware’s 29th-place finish at Watkins Glen snapped a streak of four finishes of 32nd or worse. Bad news: Ware has never finished better than 34th in four Richmond Cup starts.

RFK Racing — Good news: Chris Buescher continues to hold the final Cup playoff spot with two races left in there regular season. … All three of Buescher’s top-10 finishes at Richmond, including a win, have come in the last five races there. … Brad Keselowski led a season-high 68 laps in finishing third at Iowa last month in the most recent short track race. … Ryan Preece’s average finish of 10.9 over the past nine races ranks fourth among full-time drivers. … Preece has 11 top-15 finishes in the last 13 races. Bad news: Preece has one top-15 finish in nine career Cup starts at Richmond.

Chris Buescher continues to hold the final playoff spot in Cup with two races left in the regular season.

Spire Motorsports — Good news: Carson Hocevar placed eighth at Richmond last August. Bad news: Justin Haley’s 27th-place finish last weekend at Watkins Glen was his worst result since Nashville in June. … Haley has not finished better than 21st in eight Cup starts at Richmond. … Michael McDowell has one top-10 finish in 27 Cup starts at Richmond.

Tristan McKee wins in his series debut five days after he turned 15 years old.

Team Penske — Good news: Ryan Blaney will make his 350th consecutive Cup start Saturday at Richmond, the fifth-longest active streak in the series (behind Joey Logano at 600, Brad Keselowski at 568, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. at 388 and Kyle Busch at 373). … Blaney has scored four consecutive top-10 finishes this season. … Blaney has scored the most points (119) on short tracks this season. Bad news: Richmond is the only oval on the circuit that Blaney does not have a top-five finish. … Austin Cindric does not have a top-10 finish in seven Cup starts at Richmond. … Logano has not finished better than ninth in the last 10 races.

Trackhouse Racing — Good news: Organization placed all three cars in the top 10 for the first time in a race last weekend at Watkins Glen with Shane van Gisbergen winning, Daniel Suarez seventh and Ross Chastain 10th. … Chastain’s finish at Watkins Glen tied for his best result over the past nine races. … Chastain finished fifth at Richmond last August. Bad news: Suarez has placed 25th or worse in five of the last seven races.

Connor Zilisch was injured in a fall from his car in victory lane after winning last weekend’s Xfinity race at Watkins Glen.

Wood Brothers Racing — Good news: Josh Berry’s average finish of 9.0 at Richmond is his best among tracks he’s made multiple starts. … Berry finished second at Richmond in April 2023. .. Berry qualified third at Richmond last August. Bad news: Berry has one top-10 finish since his victory at Las Vegas in March.

ATV Club says “Thanks”

The Keweenaw ATV Club held their annual membership drive/ picnic on June 28-2025. We had a great turn out again. We would like to give a huge Thank You to all the businesses that donated: Bear Belly resort, Mariner North, Fanny Hoe Resort, The Jenny-Gas Lite Store, Richman Pottery, Fitzgeralds , Phoenix Store, Brickside Brewery, Lake Effect Bar, Keweenaw Adventure Company, Delaware Mine, Minnetonka Resort, Laughing Loon, Jamsens Bakery, Fisherman’s daughter, Keweenaw Agate Shop, Grandpas Barn, Harbor House Rest, Auto Value Calumet, Keweenaw Gas Co-op, Buckos, M&M Motorsports, Peninsular Auto, Darnell construction, Keweenaw Auto Body, Trailside Lodge-Copper Country Rentals, L&L Bar, Harters Car Quest, Harters Party Store, Calumet Electronics, Northern Cuts, National Guard, J.Ps Fast Track, Millers, Eva’s, Miners Cafe, North Star BP, Laurium convenience, Aspirus, Drift Inn, Sundae in the Park, Mohawk Superette, Koppers, Loading Zone, Torch Lake Service, Dreamland Rest. U>P Foods, Jam Service, Post 90. Northland, Partanen’s Bar, Quincey’s Rest. Dollar Bay Tile, Petersons Fish Market, Gino’s Rest. McGann’s, Fine Line tire, O’Reilly’s, Houghton Powersports, Swift Hardware, Surplus outlet, Keweenaw Chevy, Sayen’s, Tractor Supply, Advance Auto, Auto Zone, Remy, Pisani, Portage Tire, Holiday Inn, Rock House, Superior Oil, Joeys Rest, Papa Murphy’s, 41 Lumber, Joanne Hannula, Pats Iga Calumet, Ahmeek Fire dept. If we forgot any one, We apologize. Thank you.

We would also like to say thank you to all the volunteers who assisted us in planning the picnic, collecting the donations, and helped with set up and clean up. With out the support of our loyal members, hard working volunteers and our generous community we wouldn’t be able to maintain our ATV trails.

With deep appreciation Katv Club Officer: Daryl St. John, Kitty Beleck, Julie Karvonen, Jim Dube, Mike McMahan

Kitty Beleck

Keweenaw ATV Club

Penske IndyCar star Scott McLaughlin will race a Chevrolet Corvette at Suzuka next month to tick off what he is calling a “bucket list” ambition.

The New Zealander will drive a Corvette Z06 GT3.R for the Malaysian Johore Motorsports Racing team in the Suzuka 1000Km round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge on 14 September to fulfil his dream.

“I’m really grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the JMR team heading to Suzuka for the 1000Km,” said McLaughlin, who races a Chevrolet-powered Dallara DW12 for Team Penske in the IndyCar Series.

“I’ve always wanted to race Suzuka, and it’s a bucket list track for me.”

McLaughlin will share the JMR Pro class entry with Chevrolet factory drivers Alexander Sims and Nicky Catsburg, who he described as his “General Motors friends” and “two amazing Corvette racers”.

Suzuka, round four of a series that incorporates the 24-hour classics at Spa and the Nurburgring, will be McLaughlin’s second race appearance at the wheel of Corvette Z06 GT3.R.

#91 Trackhouse by TF Sport Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Ben Keating, Connor Zilisch, Scott McLaughlin, Shane van Gisbergen

Photo by: Courtesy of IMSA

He drove one of Pratt & Miller-developed racers at the Daytona 24 Hours in January, the opening round of the IMSA SportsCar Championship, fielded by NASCAR Cup entrant Trackhouse Racing and run by TF Sport.

McLaughlin’s CV has encompassed sportscar appearances in LMP2 in IMSA since he switched to IndyCars from the V8 Supercars Series in Australia at the end of 2020.

He won LMP2 and finished third overall at the 2023 Sebring 12 Hours driving a Tower Motorsports ORECA-Gibson 07.

His sportscar credits also include a victory at the Bathurst 12 Hours at the wheel of Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in 2016.

JMR, a regular in the GT World Challenge Asia, will field a pair of Corvettes at the Suzuka IGTC fixture.

A car is being fielded in Pro-Am for Malaysian princes Jefri Ibrahim and Abu Bakar Ibrahim, who will share with Finn GT specialist Konsta Lappalainen.

The IGTC is returning to Suzuka this year for the first time since 2019 after which the fixture fell victim to the COVID pandemic.

In its previous two editions, 2018 and ’19, the Suzuka round was a 10-hour race but this year the late summer endurance fixture dating back to 1966 is returning to its traditional 1000km format.

The maximum duration of the race has been extended from six to six-and-a-half hours in an attempt to ensure the full distance is achieved. A 30-car entry has been received for the event.

The Chinese Phantom Global Racing Porsche is reviving the ‘pink pig’ livery for Suzuka.

Its Porsche 911 GT3-R shared by factory drivers Klaus Bachler and Patric Niederhauser, along with Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific-contracted Dorian Boccolacci, will race in the colours first seen on a 917/20 at the 1971 Le Mans 24 Hours.

The factory revived a livery that features the names in German of the different butcher’s cuts of pork for one of the four entries that made up its 2018 Le Mans GTE Pro assault.

Phantom Global Racing Porsche livery

Photo by: Porsche