WASHINGTON, D.C. – July 5, 2025 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) –

509 Helmet Recall Summary

Name of Product: 509 helmets and 509 for Polaris helmets

Hazard: The recalled helmets fail to provide sufficient protection in the event of a crash, posing a risk of head injury.

Remedy: Refund Replace Repair

Recall Date: July 03, 2025

Units: About 201,200 (In addition, about 26,800 in Canada)

Consumer Contact: 509 toll-free at 877-743-3509 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, email at [email protected], or online at https://ride509.com/pages/recalls or www.ride509.com and click on “Safety Recalls” under the “Support” column at the bottom of the page for more information.

Polaris Industries toll-free at 800-765-2747 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or online at www.polaris.com and click on “Product Safety News” located under the “Safety” column at the bottom of the page. Consumers can contact Polaris’ owner connections team at [email protected] or via an online forum accessible at https://www.polaris.com/en-us/off-road/owner-resources/help-center/email.

509 Helmet Recall Details

In Conjunction With: CANADA

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled helmets.

Consumers with a recalled “509” branded Tactical 3.0 or Tactical 2.0 (small/medium manufactured in 2023) helmet should contact 509 for instructions on how to participate in the recall and to receive a choice of a refund (if purchased online), or a credit to be used on 509’s website or a replacement helmet.

Consumers with a recalled “509 for Polaris” branded Tactical 3.0 or Tactical 2.0 (small/medium manufactured in 2023) helmet should contact Polaris for a choice of a refund, a credit to use at a Polaris dealership or on the Polaris website, or a replacement helmet. Proof of purchase is not required. All helmets should be discarded in the local household trash after consumers have confirmed their helmet is being recalled by 509 or Polaris and follow the destruction instructions located on the website.

Polaris is also providing their customers who have the recalled 509 and 509 for Polaris helmets with Fidlock®, with instructions on how to inspect the webbing on the chin strap to make sure it is repaired by routing it correctly. 509 and Polaris are contacting all known purchasers directly.

Incidents/Injuries: The firm received one incident where the rider’s helmet became detached during a crash, resulting in a concussion.

Sold At: Online at www.ride509.com and www.polaris.com and at 509 and Polaris dealers nationwide from January 2020 through May 2025 for between $140 and $900.

Importer(s): Teton Outfitters LLC, dba 509, a Polaris subsidiary, of Rigby, Idaho

Manufactured In: China

Recall number: 25-374

About the U.S. CPSC

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products has contributed to a decline in the rate of injuries associated with consumer products over the past 50 years.

Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC.

Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

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By Noah Poser, Staff Writer

In a wave started by Shane van Gisbergen two years ago, another former Australian Supercars driver is set to make his NASCAR debut this weekend.

After originally being slated to make his Xfinity Series debut in the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing at Portland later this season, Jack Perkins will instead be making his first career start around the winding streets of Chicago at the Chicago Street Course, where he’ll start from the fifth position.

With Perkins the latest driver to make the trip over from Australia, we took a quick look back at some other notable drivers who did the same and how they fared in their NASCAR debuts, starting with van Gisbergen himself.

Shane van Gisbergen

Started: 3rd | Finished: 1st (Cup Series)

In his first ever NASCAR start in 2023, van Gisbergen jumped straight to the Cup Series and immediately became a Cup Series winner by winning a very wet race in the inaugural Chicago Street Race. Driving for Trackhouse Racing, it didn’t take long after he hit the track for the first time for his competitors to realize he was going to be in contention for the win.

He started inside the top five, finished top five in both stages, and took the lead with eight laps to go to secure the victory and launch what has since become a full-fledged career in NASCAR. He recently won his second career Cup Series race at Mexico.

Cam Waters

Started: 22nd | Finished: 30th (Truck Series)

Waters was the first driver to follow van Gisbergen and try his hand at NASCAR, although while he would later make a Cup Series start at Sonoma, finishing 35th, his first start actually came in the Truck Series on an oval. Waters debuted at Martinsville in 2024 driving for ThorSport Racing and his first foray into short track racing proved to be a challenging one for the Aussie, as he started outside the top 20 and failed to finish after a late-race incident.

In addition to the Cup Series start at Sonoma, Waters has made two additional Truck Series since, with a best finish of fifth at Lime Rock Park earlier this year.

Will Brown

Started: 24th | Finished: 31st (Cup Series)

Brown, who is attempting to make his second NASCAR start at Chicago driving for Kaulig Racing, made his debut at Sonoma in 2024 driving the No. 33 for Richard Childress Racing. It started off well, as he was third quickest in practice and appeared as if he’d be in contention for the win, but the rest of the weekend proved to be much more difficult.

His qualifying lap was seven-tenths of a second slower than his practice lap causing him to start right in the middle of the pack and then struggles during the race caused him to finish three laps down.

Marcos Ambrose

Started: 20th | Finished: 33rd (Truck Series)

While van Gisbergen’s immediate success in Chicago triggered this latest wave of Australian Supercars drivers coming over to NASCAR, Ambrose is still the standard when it comes to making the switch between the two disciplines. Ambrose won the Australian V8 Supercar championship in back-to-back years in 2003 and 2004 and made the move to NASCAR in 2006.

Starting off in the Craftsman Truck Series, Ambrose, like Waters, made his debut at Martinsville. Also like Waters, it proved to be a difficult short track debut. Driving for Wood Brothers/JTG Racing, Ambrose finished 52 laps down after being involved in a wreck. He went on to finish his NASCAR career with two Cup Series wins and five Xfinity Series wins.

CHICAGO (AP) — Alex Bowman thinks he is moving in the right direction. With the NASCAR Cup Series back in Chicago on Sunday, it’s good timing for the Hendrick Motorsports driver.

Bowman raced to a sorely needed victory in downtown Chicago a year ago, stopping an 80-race drought and securing a spot in the playoffs. He is still looking for his first win this season, but he finished third last weekend at Atlanta.

The 32-year-old Bowman is the only driver to win at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, a 45-mile drive from downtown, and the Chicago Street Course. He got his first Cup victory at Chicagoland in 2019.

“As far as confidence coming into this race, I feel like we’re plenty capable,” he said Saturday. “We’re typically pretty good at road courses. A lot of confidence coming into these places.”

Bowman struggled at the beginning of June, finishing 36th at Nashville and Michigan. But the driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet turned it around in Mexico City, finishing fourth at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez — a 2.42-mile road course with 15 turns.

Three of the last eight races before the playoffs are on road courses — Chicago, Sonoma next weekend and Watkins Glen on Aug. 10.

Bowman said he likes Chicago because it’s so different from the rest of the NASCAR schedule.

“We do a lot of the same thing for most of the year,” he said. “So, you know, walking through the city to get to the racetrack … makes it different and a little more enjoyable. The challenge of a street course in general is super fun. Very technical, very little room for error.”

Bowman held off Tyler Reddick for last year’s win on the 12-turn, 2.2-mile course — a tricky drive with manhole covers and transitions from concrete to asphalt and back. The race was shortened in each of the last two years because of rain, and there could be more showers on Sunday.

Bowman also is competing in the second round of NASCAR’s inaugural in-season tournament this weekend. He faces Bubba Wallace after the two tangled in Chicago last year.

During the cool-down lap after his victory, Bowman was bumped into the wall by Wallace. Bowman spun out Wallace early in the race.

“I think he and I are totally good,” Bowman said. “But yeah, I mean, he’s been really fast here in the past. Like, you don’t tend to think of him as a road course guy, but here last year, he was really fast. So definitely going to be a tough one.”

The head-to-head matchup with Bowman certainly got Wallace’s attention.

“I’m sure he knows that a door slam does not count us even,” Wallace said. “So we’ll see what happens.”

Feeling relief

Daniel Suárez is racing for the first time since his split from Trackhouse Racing was announced. The sides are parting ways at the end of the 2025 season.

The 33-year-old Suárez is the only Mexican-born driver to win a NASCAR national series race. He has two victories in 305 career Cup starts.

Suárez, who became an American citizen last year, said he knew the relationship was going in this direction for months, and the resolution was a relief.

“To be able to make it official and be able to talk to other people and stuff for me was crucial to be able to feel lighter,” he said.

Suárez indicated he thinks he will be able to stay in the Cup Series.

“I have had a lot of conversations with a lot of people, and there is going to be opportunities,” he said. “We just have to see how things play out a little bit. I’m not going to lie. I believe that if this was happening next year, it was going to be way easier, because next year there’s a lot more openings, but there is going to be some, and I’m confident that things are going to work out.”

Following SVG

Will Brown, the reigning champion in Australia’s Supercars, is making his second career Cup start. The driver of the No. 13 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet was 19th in qualifying.

Brown is hoping to duplicate the success of Shane van Gisbergen, a three-time Supercars champion from New Zealand who is on the pole Sunday. Van Gisbergen won the Chicago race in 2023.

“Obviously, a lot of us Supercar drivers after watching Shane in 2023 loved the look of Chicago and the event, so a lot of us wanted to come over and try this event,” Brown said. “Very lucky to be here.”

Odds and ends

Van Gisbergen is favored to win the race, per BetMGM Sportsbook.

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Jay Cohen, The Associated Press

In the most intense non-Daytona 500 qualifying session since 2018, one team was guaranteed to miss Sunday’s Grant Park 165 at the Chicago Street Course. 

In a battle of open cars, Will Brown, Katherine Legge, Corey Heim, Josh Bilicki and Austin Hill would be trying to make the field for Sunday’s race. 

After Heim suffered a damaged toe link during his qualifying run, he was in danger of missing the race. Brown, Hill and Bilicki had all locked themselves into the show by the conclusion of the first round of qualifying. 

Legge was the only driver of an open car set to go out in round 2 of qualifying, and despite her No. 78 Chevrolet carrying damage incurred in practice, Legge ran a quick enough lap to lock herself into the race and bump Heim — who is celebrating his 23rd birthday on Saturday — out of the field. 

Legendary NASCAR team owner Roger Penske made waves in the racing world when he decided to part ways with Dodge after a championship-winning season. The split came in the wake of Penske’s announcement to switch to Ford’s Fusion for the following year, leaving Dodge without its flagship Sprint Cup team.

Penske, known for his remarkable success in motorsports, reflected on the departure, emphasizing the strong relationship he had with Dodge over the years. Despite clinching the 2012 Owners’ Championship with Dodge, Penske cited timing, budgets, and other factors as pivotal in the decision to move on.

The iconic team owner expressed hope for a possible reunion with Dodge in 2014, showcasing his respect and admiration for the brand. However, Dodge’s inability to secure a competitive team or sponsorship package led to their exit from NASCAR at the end of the season.

Penske’s switch to Ford was not about money, as he clarified, but rather a strategic move to benchmark his team against other full Ford teams. The transition allowed Penske to leverage his own engine shop and test engines against Ford’s renowned Roush‑Yates program, leading to a series of accomplishments in the Cup Series with multiple race wins and drivers’ championships.

As Penske continues to dominate the racing scene with Ford, his legacy with Dodge remains a significant chapter in NASCAR history, showcasing the complexities and dynamics of team partnerships in the fast-paced world of motorsports.

When it comes to NASCAR’s street course in downtown Chicago, there is Shane van Gisbergen, and then there is everyone else.

Van Gisbergen has won the pole for Sunday’s Grant Park 165. The 36-year-old New Zealander turned a lap at 88.338 mph on a tricky 2.2-mile course that was made more treacherous by temperatures in the 90s on Saturday.

“Practice wasn’t that great for us, but when we went out for qualifying, the car felt really good,” van Gisbergen said. “We turned in two pretty good laps.”

The Trackhouse Racing driver will be joined on the front row by Michael McDowell, who grabbed the second slot at 87.879 mph. Carson Hocevar (87.824 mph), Tyler Reddick (87.779 mph) and Chase Briscoe (87.734 mph) rounded out the top five.

McDowell is one of three drivers who finished in the top 10 in the first two races in downtown Chicago.

“Our car’s in the game,” he said. “Tomorrow will be a mixed bag with potential weather in and out. So a lot of variables to go out there and navigate.”

Van Gisbergen, a three-time champion in Australia’s Supercars, also was on the pole for Saturday’s Xfinity Series race.

“I learned a lot in the Xfinity Series car this morning, and that just gives you a great leg up for the Cup car,” he said. “I think it’s great running both cars, it certainly helps.”

2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race: What to know about the 2.2-mile course around the city

Just two years ago, van Gisbergen raced to a historic victory in a rainy first edition of NASCAR’s downtown Chicago experiment. Making the most of his extensive street racing experience, he became the first driver to win his Cup Series debut since Johnny Rutherford in the second qualifying race at Daytona in 1963.

He won Chicago’s Xfinity Series stop last year and the first stage in the Cup race before he was knocked out by a crash.

Katherine Legge became the first woman to qualify for the Cup race in downtown Chicago when she turned a lap of 85.744 mph, knocking Corey Heim out of the field.

“We would have been a lot faster, I think, had I not kept nicking the wall,” Legge said. “I’ve given my crew a lot of work to do from that, but we had to keep pushing to put it in the show. I’m really proud of this team, and I’m very much looking forward to tomorrow.”

Originally Published: July 5, 2025 at 3:50 PM CDT