Motorsports
Youngsters on the move: Hezemans and Krasonis fastest in dramatic NASCAR GP UK practice – Speedway Digest
The 12th edition of the popular American SpeedFest at the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit roared to life on Friday with Free Practice for both NASCAR Euro Series divisions. Liam Hezemans topped the combined times in PRO with a strong performance for Rette Jones Racing, while PK Carsport’s Thomas Krasonis led the way in OPEN. The […]

The 12th edition of the popular American SpeedFest at the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit roared to life on Friday with Free Practice for both NASCAR Euro Series divisions. Liam Hezemans topped the combined times in PRO with a strong performance for Rette Jones Racing, while PK Carsport’s Thomas Krasonis led the way in OPEN. The day was marred by a violent crash for Thomas Dombrowski, whose #24 Chevrolet Camaro suffered a technical issue and flipped three times after slamming into the tire barriers at Paddock Hill Bend. The Frenchman exited the car under his own power and, after an initial check at the track-side medical center, was sent to hospital for further evaluation of his leg.
NASCAR GP UK LINKS: INFO & TICKETS | SCHEDULE | ENTRY LIST | LIVE TIMING | WATCH LIVEPRO: Just a few centimeters
Liam Hezemans was the driver to beat on Friday at Brands Hatch, setting the pace in both free practice sessions at the legendary Indy Circuit. The Dutchman clocked a blistering lap of 48.901 seconds behind the wheel of his #30 Rette Jones Racing Ford Mustang, edging out Gianmarco Ercoli of Alumitec Racing by just 0.035 seconds. Ercoli, a former PRO winner at Brands Hatch in 2018, showed strong early pace on a track he knows well. Hezemans’ lap not only topped the combined timesheets but also secured him the fastest time in the Junior Trophy classification.
Thomas Krasonis also impressed for PK Carsport, finishing third and only 0.079 seconds off the top time. Sebastiaan Bleekemolen and Fabrizio Armetta followed in fourth and fifth, with just 0.140 seconds covering the top-5 positions in a tightly contested session. British fan favorite and 2024 OPEN race winner Jack Davidson used his home-track experience to slot into sixth place, just ahead of Martin Doubek and young gun Bruno Mulders. Mulders adapted quickly on his first weekend as a double duty competitor after his surprise PRO debut on Round 04 in Italy.
Max Lanza led the way in the Challenger Trophy in ninth, while Claudio Cappelli completed the top-10. Garrett Lowe ended the day in 11th, just ahead of reigning EuroNASCAR PRO champion Vittorio Ghirelli, who was sidelined for the second session following the heavy crash of his teammate Thomas Dombrowski in the OPEN division.
The day wasn’t without more drama. Paul Jouffreau suffered a major setback when the engine let go on his #3 RDV Competition Ford Mustang. With teammate Patrick Schober also missing valuable track time, the French squad faces a steep climb heading into Saturday. But in EuroNASCAR, anything is possible and the duo is hoping to turn their misfortune into the beginning of a remarkable comeback story.
OPEN: Race winners led the charge
Two drivers have won the races in OPEN in 2025 so far: Thomas Krasonis and Martin Doubek. After two practice sessions at Brands Hatch, both drivers became the leading pace setters heading to Saturday’s OPEN qualifying. Doubek was the early leader with his first lap time of 49.265, but the reigning champion was beaten by his new fierce rival Krasonis in the second Practice session. Krasonis clocked a quick lap of 49.030 that put the PK Carsport driver on top of the combined timesheets.
Mulders utilized the extra track time that he got by doing double duty to great effect in OPEN. The Team Bleekemolen driver was third fastest with only two tenths separating him from Krasonis. The young Dutchman was also the quickest in the Master Trophy. Thomas Toffel rebounded from his crash in Italy to become the fourth fastest pilot ahead of Melvin de Groot – the leader in the Legend Trophy class.
A fast American hotshot puts his name on the board with an impressive sixth place result. Jordan O’Brien quickly got up to speed and found himself faster than experienced veteran Claudio Cappelli and the returning Matthew Ellis. O’Brien and Ellis completed the top-3 positions in the Master Trophy, while Cappelli was second fastest in Legend Trophy behind his rival de Groot.
Valentino Gambarotto and Roberto Benedetti rounded out the top-10 results, with the latter trailing de Groot and Cappelli in the Legend Trophy battle. Michael Bleekemolen in 13th position returns to OPEN as a substitute for Gil Linster, who is absent due to health issues. Fellow debutants Davide Frulio and Mike Wise familiarized themselves with the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit and ended up 16th and 20th fastest respectively.
Thomas Dombrowski was involved in a violent crash at Paddock Hill Bend during the OPEN Free Practice 1 session. Technical issues forced him into the tire barriers and three flips. The Frenchman was able to leave the car under his own power. He was checked in the track-side medical center, released and sent to hospital for further evaluation of his leg. The driver is alert and in good spirits.
Saturday’s action begins with the traditional Qualifying sessions at 09:50 CEST, followed by the races from PRO and OPEN at 13:55 and 17:25 CEST respectively. With tens of thousands of fans expected to attend the event, the pressure is on for drivers and teams to maximize their results in front of the raucous British race fans. Tune in to the action from EuroNASCAR’s YouTube channel and TV channels all around the world.
NASCAR Euro Series PR
Motorsports
van Gisbergen rockets to Xfinity pole at Sonoma
Shane Van Gisbergen is having a ‘field day’ on NASCAR road courses, thoroughly schooling the ‘we only turn left’ NASCAR regulars. JR Motorsports has locked out the front row for the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Sonoma Raceway. Once again, Shane van Gisbergen earned pole position with a lap of 1m15.259s. His teammate, Connor Zilisch, […]

Shane Van Gisbergen is having a ‘field day’ on NASCAR road courses, thoroughly schooling the ‘we only turn left’ NASCAR regulars.
JR Motorsports has locked out the front row for the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Sonoma Raceway. Once again, Shane van Gisbergen earned pole position with a lap of 1m15.259s. His teammate, Connor Zilisch, was 2nd, 2/10ths slower.
For Van Gisbergen, this is his fifth pole in 35 NASCAR Xfinity Series races and his second pole and second top-10 start in 2025.
This is his second pole in two races at Sonoma Raceway, and Van Gisbergen is also the defending winner of the Sonoma Xfinity race.
Car is really, really good,” said van Gisbergen. “I was having fun out there … Looking forward to the race tomorrow.”

Xfinity Series Qualifying Results
Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Speed |
1 | 9 | Shane Van Gisbergen(i) | Quad Lock Chevrolet | 75.259 | 95.191 |
2 | 88 | Connor Zilisch # | Roto-Rooter Chevrolet | 75.503 | 94.884 |
3 | 41 | Sam Mayer | Audibel Ford | 75.644 | 94.707 |
4 | 2 | Jesse Love | Whelen Chevrolet | 75.839 | 94.463 |
5 | 18 | William Sawalich # | Soundgear Toyota | 75.881 | 94.411 |
6 | 8 | Sammy Smith | Pilot Chevrolet | 75.890 | 94.400 |
7 | 1 | Carson Kvapil # | Bass Pro Shops/Clarience Tech Chevrolet | 76.168 | 94.055 |
8 | 20 | Brandon Jones | Menards/Little Giant Toyota | 76.193 | 94.024 |
9 | 0 | Sheldon Creed | Pit Boss Ford | 76.208 | 94.006 |
10 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | BRANDT Chevrolet | 76.270 | 93.929 |
11 | 54 | Taylor Gray # | Operation 300 Toyota | 76.281 | 93.916 |
12 | 31 | Blaine Perkins | Warrior Health Foundation Chevrolet | 76.339 | 93.845 |
13 | 42 | Anthony Alfredo | Dude Wipes Chevrolet | 76.372 | 93.804 |
14 | 17 | Corey Day | HendrickCars.com Chevrolet | 76.432 | 93.730 |
15 | 19 | Riley Herbst(i) | Monster Energy Toyota | 76.439 | 93.722 |
16 | 21 | Austin Hill | Bennett Transportation Chevrolet | 76.502 | 93.645 |
17 | 27 | Jeb Burton | BG Products Chevrolet | 76.630 | 93.488 |
18 | 11 | Josh Williams | Alloy Employer Services Chevrolet | 76.785 | 93.299 |
19 | 25 | Harrison Burton | AirBox Ford | 76.809 | 93.270 |
20 | 7 | Alex Labbe | Sonoma Aviation Chevrolet | 76.895 | 93.166 |
21 | 16 | Christian Eckes # | LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet | 77.046 | 92.983 |
22 | 14 | Connor Mosack(i) | Knight Fire Protection Chevrolet | 77.075 | 92.948 |
23 | 48 | Nick Sanchez # | Big Machine Label Group Chevrolet | 77.137 | 92.874 |
24 | 99 | Matt DiBenedetto | Viking Motorsports Chevrolet | 77.194 | 92.805 |
25 | 91 | Josh Bilicki | SBC Contractors Inc Chevrolet | 77.237 | 92.753 |
26 | 53 | Sage Karam | Eternal Fan Toyota | 77.270 | 92.714 |
27 | 71 | Ryan Ellis | Classic Collision Chevrolet | 77.312 | 92.663 |
28 | 5 | Kris Wright | First National Bank Corp Chevrolet | 77.355 | 92.612 |
29 | 39 | Ryan Sieg | Sci Aps Ford | 77.365 | 92.600 |
30 | 51 | Jeremy Clements | Alliance/All South Electric Chevrolet | 77.369 | 92.595 |
31 | 10 | Daniel Dye # | Champion Container Chevrolet | 77.390 | 92.570 |
32 | 44 | Brennan Poole | Finance Pro Plus Chevrolet | 77.478 | 92.465 |
33 | 32 | Austin Green | 3Dimensional.com Chevrolet | 77.559 | 92.368 |
34 | 4 | Parker Retzlaff | FUNKAWAY Beads Chevrolet | 77.574 | 92.351 |
35 | 26 | Dean Thompson # | Thompson Pipe Group Toyota | 77.591 | 92.330 |
36 | 70 | Will Rodgers | Refology/Sipeos Chevrolet | 77.696 | 92.206 |
37 | 28 | Kyle Sieg | RSS Racing Ford | 78.073 | 91.760 |
38 | 45 | Brad Perez | Pala Casino Chevrolet | 78.566 | 91.184 |
39 | 35 | Austin J Hill | Chevrolet | 78.672 | 91.062 |
Motorsports
Alex Bowman, Bubba Wallace settle differences at dinner – Speedway Digest
As fierce as the Chicago Street Course battle between Alex Bowman and Bubba Wallace appeared at the time, it won’t have a lasting impact on the drivers’ relationship. Bowman and Wallace, opponents in the second round of the In-Season Challenge, were fighting for position late in last Sunday’s race. After repeated contact between their cars, […]

As fierce as the Chicago Street Course battle between Alex Bowman and Bubba Wallace appeared at the time, it won’t have a lasting impact on the drivers’ relationship.
Bowman and Wallace, opponents in the second round of the In-Season Challenge, were fighting for position late in last Sunday’s race. After repeated contact between their cars, Wallace’s Toyota spun off the front bumper of Bowman’s Chevrolet.
Bowman advanced to the tournament quarterfinals with an eighth-place finish to Wallace’s 28th. But if there was any animosity after the race, there’s none now.
“He bought me dinner on Thursday, which was super nice of him, “Bowman said. “So, I’m appreciative of that. I think we probably raced a little bit unnecessarily hard in that situation, but we talked, and I think we’re all good.
“The TV feed made it look worse than it really was off of (Turn) 2 there. I certainly didn’t intentionally crash him, and unfortunately, the coverage was pretty rough. We talked about it, and I think we’re good going forward.”
Bowman and Wallace happened to be staying at the same place in California, and they were seated next to each other at the hotel restaurant.
“That’s always how it works, right?” said Bowman. “Whenever you run into somebody, you’re always magnetic for the next couple of weeks.”
On Saturday at Sonoma Raceway, Wallace echoed Bowman’s sentiments.
“My dinner was paid for, so I just pay it forward,” Wallace said. “I felt like I made us look like fools last week, and I took the responsibility, so the least I could do was buy him dinner. Bowman and I, I can say truthfully, we’re fine moving forward.”
Motorsports
How to Watch Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250: Stream NASCAR Xfinity Series Live, TV Channel
Shane Van Gisbergen again pulling double duty this weekend and starts from the pole at Sonoma on Saturday. Shane Van Gisbergen comes off a NASCAR Xfinity Series/NASCAR Cup Series double win last weekend in Chicago and looks to repeat the trick at Sonoma Raceway. His quest begins on Saturday in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Pit […]

Shane Van Gisbergen again pulling double duty this weekend and starts from the pole at Sonoma on Saturday.
Shane Van Gisbergen comes off a NASCAR Xfinity Series/NASCAR Cup Series double win last weekend in Chicago and looks to repeat the trick at Sonoma Raceway. His quest begins on Saturday in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250 at the road course that opened in 1968. Van Gisbergen grabbed the pole position in qualifying on Friday afternoon as he looks for a second straight Xfinity victory at Sonoma. SVG moved up to the Cup Series full-time this season while still racing a part-time schedule on the second-tier circuit.
How to Watch Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250 in NASCAR Xfinity Series Today:
Race Date: Saturday, July 12, 2025
Race Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
TV: The CW
Live stream the NASCAR Xfinity Series Pit Boss/Food Maxx 250 on Fubo: Start your free trial today!
Connor Zilisch will start outside Van Gisbergen on Saturday, with Sam Mayer and Jesse Love on the second row. William Sawalich and Sammy Smith start on Row 3 while Carson Kvapil, Brandon Jones, Sheldon Creed and defending series champion Justin Allgaier round out the top 10 in the field.
Allgaier and Austin Hill each have three wins this season and are among seven drivers provisionally qualified for the Round of 12 Playoffs that open in September. Love, Zilisch, Jones, Nick Sanchez and Smith are the other winners that have clinched spots. Mayer leads the non-winners in the field with 597 points this season and has an 86-point lead over Kvapil. Creed, Jeb Burton and Taylor Gray round out the top five non-winners, with Gray leading Harrison Burton by eight points and Ryan Sieg by 30 points for the 12th spot.
Van Gisbergen led 32 of the 79 laps in last year’s race at Sonoma to finish 1.323 seconds ahead of Creed. This is the third year the Xfinity Series has raced at the track, a 1.99-mile course with 12 turns that is broken down into stages of 20, 25 and 34 laps. Aric Almirola won the debut Xfinity Series race at Sonoma in 2023.
What Time Is The NASCAR Xfinity Series Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250?
The Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250 race takes place on Saturday, July 12, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. ET. Tune in and catch some great racing action.
What Channel Is The Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250 Race On?
Looking to watch this race? Fans can tune into The CW to see the action. Make sure you subscribe to Fubo now to watch this race, as well as numerous other sports leagues.
Watch the Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250 race on Fubo: Start your free trial now!
Regional restrictions may apply.
Motorsports
Connor Zilisch holds off SVG in Sonoma
Credit: Chris Graythen / Digital Media Connor Zilisch said after last week’s battle at Chicago that he wouldn’t go easy on teammate Shane van Gisbergen. This week, Zilisch took the win at Sonoma. SVG started on pole once again with Zilisch beside him. Sam Mayer and Jesse Love lined up behind them and hooked up […]
Credit: Chris Graythen / Digital Media
Connor Zilisch said after last week’s battle at Chicago that he wouldn’t go easy on teammate Shane van Gisbergen. This week, Zilisch took the win at Sonoma.
SVG started on pole once again with Zilisch beside him. Sam Mayer and Jesse Love lined up behind them and hooked up behind the leaders as they went to green.
SVG got ahead of Zilisch as Love goes to the inside of Mayer in turn 3 to challenge for the place. Neither driver was able to make the move stick in that turn.
Daniel Dye, Dean Thompson, and Austin Green went through the dirt on the opening lap and fell quite a few places, but were able to keep out of each other.
On lap 3, Zilisch took the lead as SVG almost went sideways in turn 2, and Mayer challenged SVG for second. SVG kept the position, Mayer slotting into third.
Fun fact: Zilisch has led at least one lap in the last eight races in 2025, and this is the longest streak of the season.
SVG retook the lead on lap 5 with a switchback move into turn 8.
With 9 laps to go, Love loses a couple of places to Williams Sawalich and Carson Kvapil with an issue. Love pits to retire on lap 13.
By lap 15, the top three now have a gap of 13 seconds to Sawalich in fourth, and the top two are 6 seconds ahead of Mayer.
Many drivers opt to pit to flip the stage, including the top two. Off pit road, Zilisch comes off first, and they come out in ninth and eleventh. Mayer takes the lead.
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No. 41 – Sam Mayer (Haas Factory Team)
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No. 20 – Brandon Jones (Joe Gibbs Racing)
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No. 1 – Carson Kvapil (JR Motorsports)
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No. 8 – Sammy Smith (JR Motorsports)
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No. 00 – Sheldon Creed (Haas Factory Team)
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No. 42 – Anthony Alfredo (Young’s Motorsports)
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No. 07 – Alex Labbe (SS-Green Light Racing)
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No. 31 – Blaine Perkins (Jordan Anderson Racing)
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No. 88 – Connor Zilisch (JR Motorsports)
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No. 39 – Ryan Sieg (RSS Racing)
The drivers who didn’t pit before dart onto pit road. Brandon Jones wins off pit road while Mayer loses two places. Zilisch and SVG cycle to the front.
Back to green, they stay side by side through turns 1 and 2, but Zilisch clears for the lead in turn 6. Zilisch almost lost the lead after locking his wheels in turn 7 but kept in front. Sawalich moved up to third.
SVG goes to the inside of Zilisch on lap 28, and they stay door to door until turn 2 when SVG cuts in front of Zilisch.
Ryan Ellis gets spun around on lap 30, but was able to stay clear of other drivers and get going again on his own.
On lap 37, Zilisch takes the lead from SVG.
Alex Labbe pits with a track bar issue and retires on lap 38. On the same lap, Kris Wright went off course in turn 2 but continued.
Sage Karam suffered a transmission issue and went off track exiting the final turn of lap 42.
The top four pit just before pit road closes for the stage, and Justin Allgaier takes the lead.
Jones swept around Allgaier at turn 3 when Allgaier went wide.
-
No. 20 – Brandon Jones (Joe Gibbs Racing)
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No. 7 – Justin Allgaier (JR Motorsports)
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No. 8 – Sammy Smith (JR Motorsports)
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No. 00 – Sheldon Creed (Haas Factory Team)
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No. 1 – Carson Kvapil (JR Motorsports)
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No. 31 – Blaine Perkins (Jordan Anderson Racing)
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No. 88 – Connor Zilisch (JR Motorsports)
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No. 27 – Jeb Burton (Jordan Anderson Racing)
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No. 70 – Will Rodgers (Cope Family Racing)
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No. 39 – Ryan Sieg (RSS Racing)
After a cycle of pit stops, Zilisch and SVG line up again for the restart. The two stay door to door until Zilisch clears into turn 4. Austin Hill jumps up to fourth as Sawalich cuts in front of SVG for second.
SVG repassed Sawalich on lap 53.
Big damage to Christian Eckes after Ryan Seig and Brennen Poole scuffled, and Eckes suffered the most damage. He pitted to retire on lap 54.
R. Seig goes down pit road smoking on lap 57.
On lap 60, Jeremy Clements spins around but keeps clear of other drivers and is able to continue.
Harrison Burton spins around at turn 11 after getting turned around by Corey Day and Jones on lap 65.
In the closing laps of the stage, SVG closed the gap on Zilisch and was right on his bumper.
With 3 to go, Day goes off the track and narrowly misses the wall after A. Hill hits the sausage curb and bounces into Day. No caution was called.
SVG tapped the bumper of Zilisch into turn 7 with 2 laps to go, but doesn’t have the grip to get ahead.
They go side by side into turn 11, but the 88 drives away!
Connor Zilisch takes the checkered flag ahead of Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma!
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No. 88 – Connor Zilisch (JR Motorsports)
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No. 9 – Shane van Gisbergen (JR Motorsports) [FL]
-
No. 18 – William Sawalich (Joe Gibbs Racing)
-
No. 48 – Nick Sanchez (Big Machine Racing)
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No. 19 – Riley Herbst (Joe Gibbs Racing)
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No. 7 – Justin Allgaier (JR Motorsports)
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No. 54 – Taylor Gray (Joe Gibbs Racing)
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No. 1 – Carson Kvapil (JR Motorsports)
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No. 8 – Sammy Smith (JR Motorsports)
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No. 00 – Sheldon Creed (Haas Factory Team)
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No. 32 – Austin Green (Jordan Anderson Racing)
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No. 21 – Austin Hill (Richard Childress Racing)
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No. 20 – Brandon Jones (Joe Gibbs Racing)
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No. 91 – Josh Bilicki (DGM Racing x JIM)
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No. 11 – Josh Williams (Kaulig Racing)
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No. 70 – Will Rodgers (Cope Family Racing)
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No. 41 – Sam Mayer (Haas Factory Team)
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No. 26 – Dean Thompson (Sam Hunt Racing)
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No. 31 – Blaine Perkins (Jordan Anderson Racing)
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No. 27 – Jeb Burton (Jordan Anderson Racing)
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No. 25 – Harrison Burton (AM Racing)
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No. 44 – Brennen Poole (Alpha Prime Racing)
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No. 42 – Anthony Alfredo (Young’s Motorsports)
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No. 17 – Corey Day (Hendrick Motorsports)
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No. 28 – Kyle Sieg (RSS Racing)
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No. 99 – Matt DiBenedetto (Viking Motorsports)
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No. 71 – Ryan Ellis (DGM Racing + JIM)
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No. 4 – Parker Retzlaff (Alpha Prime Racing)
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No. 5 – Kris Wright (Our Motorsports)
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No. 51 – Jeremy Clements (Jeremy Clements Racing) +1 lap
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No. 45 – Brad Perez (Alpha Prime Racing) +1 lap
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No. 10 – Daniel Dye (Kaulig Racing) +1 lap
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No. 14 – Connor Mosack (SS-Green Light Racing) +2 laps
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No. 16 – Christian Eckes (Kaulig Racing) +3 laps
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No. 39 – Ryan Sieg (RSS Racing) +3 laps
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No. 53 – Sage Karam (Joey Gase Motorsports) [DNF]
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No. 07 – Alex Labbe (SS-Green Light Racing) [DNF]
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No. 2 – Jesse Love (Richard Childress Racing) [DNF]
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No. 35 – Austin J. Hill (Joey Gase Motorsports) [DNS]
Next week, NASCAR Xfinity heads to Dover Motor Speedway on Saturday, July 19, at 15:30 EST (20:30 BST). Be there, or be square.
Motorsports
Kyle Larson says SVG will be “dominant” if he can figure out NASCAR ovals
Shane van Gisbergen is one of just four drivers with multiple wins in the NASCAR Cup Series this year. He’s also just one more victory away from matching Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell for the most wins this year (three). Well, SVG is off to a good start, earning pole position for the […]

Shane van Gisbergen is one of just four drivers with multiple wins in the NASCAR Cup Series this year. He’s also just one more victory away from matching Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell for the most wins this year (three).
Well, SVG is off to a good start, earning pole position for the Cup race at Sonoma in his fourth consecutive pole across the Cup and Xfinity Series. Larson, who is considered to be one of the best drivers in the sport, praised SVG in a Saturday media availability before the qualifying session.
“You know, he’s so good, and it’s rare that you see somebody stand out and distance himself from the competition as much as he is,” said Larson. “He’s way, way, way better than us at the road course stuff. And he’s got his own technique, you can call it. Not his own because the rest of the world does it — right-foot braking, clutching and all that stuff.
“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Like, there’s zero chance I can learn how to do that. And even if I did, like there’s zero chance that I can have it be better than what I’m probably doing with left-foot braking. So yeah, he’s just so good.”
Figuring out ovals

Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Photo by: Krista Jasso / Getty Images
Larson went on to note how van Gisbergen is showing steady improvement on ovals, adding, “He’s still new to the oval stuff, so he’s going to continue to get better at that. And, yeah, I mean, if he can figure out the ovals, he’s going to be dominant.”
Sonoma is one of the ‘legacy’ road courses on the schedule, which (along with Watkins Glen) have been part of the Cup Series calendar for decades. The field hopes to be closer to SVG than they were on the streets of Chicago or the inaugural event in Mexico City, but Larson believes “he’s still going to be the fastest” of all drivers at Sonoma.
“I would say the competition’s a little closer to him as we come to more normal road courses, like COTA and hopefully Sonoma,” said Larson. “Watkins Glen — he was still the fastest there last year, but it’s a race. In Mexico, he was super good. And then, yeah, Chicago, I think he’s just really, really, really familiar with the size of his car and what it takes to push the limits and not be over the limit. So, yeah, I don’t know. We’ll see. I hope that we’re much closer to him this week, but as good as he is, I expect him to be fastest in qualifying and execute in a good race again.”
While SVG starts from pole position for Sunday’s race, a full 0.250s clear of Chase Briscoe on the front row, Kyle Larson qualified 11th on the grid.
Photos from Sonoma – Practice & Qualifying
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Motorsports
Pato O’Ward Wins as Penske Finishes 2-3-4 at Iowa Speedway Race One
Pato O’Ward becomes the fourth different driver to win a race in the 2025 NTT IndyCar Season as Team Penske seems to turn the 2025 season around with a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place finishes at Iowa Speedway. Pato O’Ward gets First Win for Chevy and McLaren in 2025 as Penske Rebounds in Iowa The […]

Pato O’Ward becomes the fourth different driver to win a race in the 2025 NTT IndyCar Season as Team Penske seems to turn the 2025 season around with a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place finishes at Iowa Speedway.
Pato O’Ward gets First Win for Chevy and McLaren in 2025 as Penske Rebounds in Iowa
The first of a doubleheader weekend at Iowa Speedway saw Pato O’Ward capitalize on some late race cautions. His victory, in his 100th start, earned Chevrolet and McLaren their first victories of 2025. However, the big headline was that Penske has seemingly returned to its old form, finishing 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. Josef Newgarden led the Penske trio, followed by Will Power, and a remarkable comeback for Scott McLaughlin, who started in the rear after a wreck in qualifying.
This is O’Ward’s eighth IndyCar Series victory, again his first of 2025. More importantly, this win helps him battle the two Chip Ganassi Hondas of Dixon, in second, and Palou, in first.

Wrecks Early on Dictate Strategy:
The Synk 275 at Iowa Speedway seemed to be another stinker during the opening 100 laps. Passing came in the back of the field as Josef Newgarden would lead 232 laps during the race. He held the lead even after both Jacob Abel on lap 73 and Kyle Kirkwood on lap 153 had day-ending incidents.
It has been an awful year for Josef Newgarden and his Penske teammates. With the issues at Indianapolis with tech inspection, and just a loss of pace since then. It was a return to form for the six-time Iowa Speedway winner. Unfortunately, a mistake on a late pitstop would hand the lead over to his ‘rival’ in Pato O’Ward.
Read More: Kyle Kirkwood Conquers The Night In St. Louis
Late Red and Yellow Flags Set Up Run to the Checkered:
Pato O’Ward secured the lead thanks to the slow pit stop from the No. 2 Chevy team. But it was almost thrown away due to his teammate, Nolan Siegel. Siegel would get loose in turn 4 and lose control of the car, turning the car around and slapping the outside wall. The race would be red-flagged due to repairs being necessary to the SAFER barrier.
When the race finally went back green, it was the #90 Chevrolet from Prema, Callum Ilott, meeting the wall. This incident was cleaned up in just three laps, leaving 10 laps to race to the checkered flag. While it was a great rebound day for Newgarden, he had nothing for O’Ward and the No. 5 car.
PATO O’WINNER
pic.twitter.com/ixoLyfU0jF
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) July 12, 2025
Championship leader Alex Palou would finish fifth behind the Chevys. Christian Rasmussen continues his strong run on ovals with a 6th-place finish. Daly and Ferrucci would keep it clean and finish seventh and eighth. Armstrong and Dixon would round out the top ten, finishing ninth and tenth.
Read More: Scott Dixon Secures His 59th IndyCar Career Win at Mid-Ohio
Pato Moves Up To Challenge Palou for 2025 Title:
With this win, Pato O’Ward moves past Kyle Kirkwood for second place in the championship standings. Palou, coming into Iowa, had a 113-point lead over second place in the championship, but now heads into the second race of the doubleheader with only a 105-point lead. While Palou got his first oval win at the Indianapolis 500, I don’t think his short oval abilities are there just yet.
It will be interesting to see how big the points gap between the championship contenders will be following tomorrow’s Farm To Finish 275.
Read More: IndyCar Doubleheader at Iowa Preview: Schedule, Predictions and How to Watch
Stay connected with Last Word On Motorsports for all the updates from Iowa Speedway’s IndyCar Doubleheader.
Main Photo: Andrew Skillman, Penske Entertainment
Recording Date: 7/12/2025
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McDonald named volleyball assistant coach