Watching NASCAR races on TV is one way to spend a race weekend. However, if you’re lucky enough to attend an actual race, the experience is always better. That’s exactly what this past weekend was like for me. I spent the weekend at my home track, Michigan International Speedway. It wasn’t my first time, since I’ve been going to races since I was a little boy. MIS never disappoints. Hence why I like going every year.
What does a weekend at Michigan International Speedway look like?
Carson Hocevar and Luke Fenhaus lead the field to start the DQS Solutions & Staffing 250 Powered by Precision Vehicle Logistics at Michigan International Speedway on June 07, 2025. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
There is racing action from Friday until Sunday, when NASCAR visits the Irish Hills. A little advice: Sure, the ARCA Menards Series raced on Friday, but that is also the best day to get your merchandising shopping done. I am a big die-cast collector myself. So when I made my way to the Chase Elliott hauler looking for his Amazon Prime 1/64 die-cast, I was very lucky. I got the last one, as the workers at the hauler had to pull the car from their display case. Sometimes you can’t be as fortunate.
Elsewhere, Friday was a good day to get an idea of where your favorite driver could be appearing. Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson would both be signing at their haulers on Sunday. Only 100 wristbands were being given on Friday, plus fans had to purchase a 1/24 die-cast to receive the wristband. I won’t lie, I was one of those people as I got a wristband to get Larson’s autograph.
Another great thing about MIS was seeing all the sponsors with their activation booths. That included a huge RAM Trucks display. Which I’ll get back to more on, given all the rumors that were floating around over the past weekend.
That Truck Wreck on Saturday Was Wild
The best part of going to a NASCAR race is that you never know what could happen. I like taking my dad to the races, and we both had a great time. The Craftsman Truck Series on Saturday didn’t disappoint. From great racing on track for the first time in the series in five years. To maybe one of the craziest moments seen in years.
The truck racers had a big moment with under 10 laps to go on a restart, as none of them got going, leading to a massive wreck. The best part of that incident was that it happened right in front of where I was seated in the grandstands. I’ve seen some wild things in my 28-plus years in NASCAR, but to see that in person was insane.
If that wasn’t enough to see such a great crowd for the Truck Series was simply special. I don’t have a total number, but boy, was everyone around me having a great time. Especially the rowdy group that was throwing Jello-shots at everyone else in the crowd. I suppose that’s just how NASCAR fans do it at Michigan. There is nothing wrong with that.
Cup Race Didn’t Disappoint
Sunday was a great day all around. Sure, plenty of people weren’t happy with Denny Hamlin crossing the line first, but that didn’t ruin my weekend. I got to see hard racing and plenty of drama around the race track.
I spent the morning listening to plenty of the drivers speak at their Q&A sessions. That was before I had to go jump in line to get Kyle Larson’s autograph. While I was doing that, my sister lucked out, as she was at the race with me. She got to get her favorite driver’s autograph on her hat. She got it signed by Elliott at the Chevy display.
It’s great to see all these drivers making appearances, and especially for the fans to interact with their favorite driver. It’s the biggest opportunity I’ve seen for people to get a chance to get something signed by the drivers at MIS in several years. While all that was going on, the biggest reason why I knew the RAM Display was so important was that the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series had a huge announcement at 1 pm on Sunday before the Cup race.
It’s not a secret anymore. Dodge RAM is returning to the Truck Series. I knew it was true the minute I saw the display on Friday. So welcome back, Dodge. As for the racing action on Sunday. From my seat at the end of pit road heading into turn one, I got to see all of the action. From Alex Bowman’s massive head-on crash into the outside wall off of turn two, to Denny Hamlin outdueling William Byron before he ran out of fuel.
Read More: RAM Trucks returning to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2026
Not to mention the pair of Larson fans who were making the rounds on Social Media for cheering him on every lap. Those guys were about four rows below me to the right.
Just some good ol boys cheering on Kyle Larson. They’ve been doing this all race for every car Larson passes. Needless to say they’ve done it a lot 😂 love their energy!! #Nascar#KyleLarsonpic.twitter.com/m11Oq93kcV
— ACS Racing Network (@ACS_onYouTube24) June 8, 2025
It was yet another great NASCAR weekend at Michigan International Speedway. I’m glad to have been there, and will continue to go to my hometown for as long as possible. There’s nothing like living just about 45 minutes away from a NASCAR track.
Read Next: Chevy Flexes Power, But Denny Hamlin Stands Tall in Irish Hills
Isack Hadjar recently swapped asphalt for the dunes after he hit the desert in one of motorsport’s toughest machines.
The Red Bull Racing driver took on a challenge in the Ford Raptor T1+, alongside Dakar veteran Mitchell Guthrie.
In the video shared by Red Bull Motorsport, Hadjar was tasked with setting a time within 15 seconds of the benchmark set by Guthrie over five laps.
Isack Hadjar during F1 post-season testing – Photo: Red Bull Content Pool
The young French driver, upon taking the wheel of the Ford Raptor, initially set 4 minutes 18 seconds – well off the 3 minutes 16 seconds set by Guthrie.
Hadjar continued to improve his lap time with more attempts, and his final two runs saw him come within two seconds of the benchmark.
Sharing his reaction to his outing in the rally car, Hadjar stated:
“I rarely have this much fun, best thing ever. To be fair, this car gives you so much confidence.”
Hadjar’s outing recently followed that of former Red Bull Racing driver Daniel Ricciardo, who also tackled the desert in the Ford Raptor T1+.
Hadjar set to be handed Tsunoda’s engineer
Earlier, GPblog reported that Hadjar will have Richard Wood as his race engineer for his debut season at Red Bull Racing.
The 21-year-old, who swapped the Racing Bulls outfit for the Milton Keynes team, will have ‘Woody,’ as he is fondly called, as his engineer.
Woody has served as race engineer for several former Red Bull drivers, including Liam Lawson and, more recently, Yuki Tsunoda.
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(Indianapolis, IN) – The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum has named longtime motorsports executive Michael Good as its new president, with Good scheduled to officially begin his role Feb. 2.
Good replaces Joe Hale, who stepped down in June after leading the museum through a period of significant change that included major fundraising efforts and a sweeping, multi-year renovation project.
Before being selected to lead the IMS Museum, Good served as president of Performance Racing Industry, where he oversaw the PRI Trade Show and worked on expanding membership programs, partnerships, and digital initiatives. Museum officials said his background in motorsports business operations and event management played a key role in his selection following a national search.
The museum’s board said Good is expected to help guide the institution through its next phase of growth, building on momentum generated by its recent reopening. The IMS Museum reopened in April 2025 after an extensive renovation that modernized galleries, expanded exhibit space, and introduced more immersive experiences tied to the history of the Indianapolis 500 and American auto racing.
Good, a longtime Indianapolis-area resident, has said the Speedway and its history have been a constant presence throughout his life, making the opportunity to lead the museum especially meaningful.
The IMS Museum operates as an independent nonprofit organization separate from Indianapolis Motor Speedway and is responsible for its own fundraising, operations, and long-term sustainability.
American Communications Construction (ACC) and Aloha Beauty Lounge have extended their primary sponsorship of NHRA Top Fuel driver Tony Schumacher through 2032. This partnership ensures Schumacher will continue racing the No. 15 Top Fuel dragster for Rick Ware Racing, aiming to add to his record of 88 event wins and eight championships. Both sponsors are committed to investing resources for competitive success starting in 2026. Schumacher praised the alignment of values with the sponsors, emphasizing a shared commitment to family and teamwork. As the NHRA prepares for its 75th season, Schumacher looks forward to capitalizing on this stability in his racing career.
By the Numbers
Schumacher aims to secure additional wins to his current total of 88.
He has achieved eight championships in his racing career.
State of Play
Schumacher will collaborate with renowned crew chief Jim Oberhofer this season.
Teammate Clay Millican, another top driver, adds depth to the racing lineup.
What’s Next
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series will kick off its 75th season with the NHRA Gatornationals on March 5-8, 2026. With a strengthened team structure and strategic investments, Schumacher is positioned to contend for additional championships.
Bottom Line
The long-term sponsorship extension reflects a serious commitment to excellence in NHRA racing, enhancing Schumacher’s chances of further cementing his legacy as one of the sport’s greatest drivers.
(TestMiles) – I’ve covered racing long enough to know that most people don’t actually understand how drivers get to NASCAR. The mythology says talent rises, sponsors appear, and everything works out. Reality is messier, quieter, and usually dictated by access. That’s why this caught my attention.
Ram isn’t just returning to NASCAR. It’s using entertainment as a scouting tool, a marketing platform, and a filter for something far harder to measure than lap times. Heart. Grit. Composure under pressure. Race For The Seat isn’t about discovering a driver who already made it. It’s about watching someone become one in real time.
That’s worth your time, even if you’ve never watched a full NASCAR Truck Series race.
Kaulig Racing Named Anchor Team for Ram’s Return to NASCAR
Why does this matter right now?
Motorsports is at an inflection point. Costs are high, sponsorships are concentrated, and traditional ladders are narrowing. At the same time, audiences are fragmenting. Younger fans don’t discover racing through Sunday broadcasts alone anymore. They find it through clips, personalities, behind-the-scenes access, and stories that feel human rather than institutional.
Ram understands this moment. Instead of simply fielding trucks and hoping fans notice, it’s turning the return to NASCAR into a narrative event. Race For The Seat makes the process visible. Fifteen drivers. One opportunity. Eight episodes. No illusion that the path is easy or fair.
This matters to fans because it restores context. Racing stops being abstract and starts looking like work again. It matters to aspiring drivers because it reframes access. And it matters to brands because it shows how motorsports relevance can be rebuilt without pretending it’s still 1997.
How does it compare to rivals or alternatives?
Other manufacturers return to racing quietly. Press releases, paint schemes, sponsor decks. All necessary. All familiar. What Ram is doing here is different.
Instead of talking about heritage alone, it’s manufacturing relevance through participation. Ford and Chevrolet dominate the Truck Series through continuity. Ram is re-entering by disruption. Not technical disruption on the track, but cultural disruption around it.
Reality competition isn’t new. Racing documentaries aren’t new. What’s unusual is tying an actual factory-backed seat to an open competition and broadcasting the process before the season even begins. This isn’t simulated. The outcome matters. Someone wins. Someone doesn’t.
That’s a sharper hook than most traditional motorsports marketing, and it acknowledges that modern audiences want to see the work, not just the trophy.
Kaulig Racing Named Anchor Team for Ram’s Return to NASCAR
Who is this for and who should skip it?
This series isn’t just for diehard NASCAR fans. It’s for people who like competition, pressure, and watching individuals tested in unfamiliar environments. If you enjoy sports documentaries, talent competitions, or behind-the-scenes business storytelling, this fits.
It’s also clearly for Ram’s core audience. Truck owners value toughness, endurance, and function over polish. Race For The Seat leans into that mindset. No glamour shots. No shortcuts. Just people being evaluated under stress.
Who should skip it? Anyone expecting scripted drama or manufactured conflict. This isn’t that. The tension comes from reality. From knowing that only one person walks away with a career-altering opportunity.
What is the long-term significance?
Zooming out, this signals a broader shift in how brands and motorsports may intersect going forward. Access, transparency, and storytelling are becoming as important as outright performance metrics. Not instead of them. Alongside them.
Ram’s return to NASCAR isn’t framed as nostalgia. It’s framed as relevance. By the time the winning driver lines up in Daytona in 2026, fans won’t just recognize the truck. They’ll recognize the person inside it.
That’s powerful. And it suggests a future where motorsports doesn’t just crown champions, but introduces them.
In the high-octane world of stock car racing, where fortunes are made and lost at 200 mph, a bombshell rumor is revving up the engines of speculation: the France family, the iron-fisted stewards of NASCAR since its dusty beginnings in 1948, might finally be eyeing the exit ramp.
–by Mark Cipolloni–
Valued at a staggering $5 billion by Goldman Sachs back in 2023, the empire that Bill France Sr. built from beachside bootlegger races could be up for grabs—just weeks after a bruising legal defeat and settlement that exposed cracks in the family’s once-unassailable control.
The spark? A landmark antitrust lawsuit filed by Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, which accused NASCAR of monopolistic practices and unfair charter agreements. The case, settled in December 2025 for undisclosed terms, didn’t just cost the France family millions—it peeled back the curtain on internal frustrations, with leaked texts revealing NASCAR execs like Steve Phelps dismissing team demands as “insanity” and threatening to revoke charters. Adding fuel to the fire, Phelps announced his resignation as commissioner on January 6, 2026, leaving the sport’s leadership in limbo and fans howling for change.
Insiders whisper that the fallout has pushed the Frances—led by 81-year-old Jim France and his niece Lesa France Kennedy—to consider outside investors or even a full sale. Puck News reported on January 9 that media giants and private equity sharks are circling, with names like Liberty Media (owners of Formula 1), TKO (UFC and WWE), Ares, Arctos, and Sixth Street in the mix. This isn’t the first pit stop for sale rumors; back in 2018, the family flirted with Goldman Sachs on a potential deal but backed off. Now, with team valuations skyrocketing and revenues from a new $7.7 billion media deal on the horizon, the timing feels ripe—or desperate, depending on who you ask.
Picture this: It’s a crisp January morning in Daytona, the spiritual heart of NASCAR, where the ghosts of legends like Dale Earnhardt still echo in the grandstands. Jim France, the reclusive patriarch who’s rarely seen without his signature sunglasses, huddles with advisors in a sleek boardroom overlooking the tri-oval. The lawsuit’s sting lingers—teams like 23XI demanded equity stakes, and while the settlement included evergreen charters and revenue tweaks, it didn’t heal the divide. “The France family’s commitment to keeping NASCAR private is being tested after these turbulent months,” noted Sports Business Journal, highlighting fan backlash, declining attendance, and a sense that the sport’s golden era is fading.
On social media, the rumor mill is overheating. Fans and insiders alike are buzzing: “Merry Christmas to everyone who wanted the France family to sell,” quipped a Reddit thread, while X users like @DavidfromMd2 demanded, “When does the France Family announce the sale of NASCAR?” Even team owners are intrigued; Race Team Alliance’s Jonathan Marshall hinted during the lawsuit that squads might bid for equity, turning NASCAR into a more collaborative beast. But not everyone’s cheering—some fear a corporate takeover could dilute the sport’s gritty, American roots, with one X poster warning, “Screw Red Bull, at least these owners are American.”
Dig deeper, and the plot thickens. NASCAR’s CFO testified in court about $400 million in distributions to the France family from 2021-2024, mostly for taxes under their S-Corp setup. Critics call it “wetting their beak” like a mafia cut, with one fan labeling it “pure mafia right there.” And Jim France’s own salary? A cool $3.5 million annually, per his testimony. With charters now fetching nine figures and international expansion lagging, could private equity inject the cash needed for a global push—or just strip-mine the sport for profits?
Yardbarker speculates the Frances might seek “strategic partners” like real estate firms to develop tracks, avoiding a full handover. But The Express reports Jim France is pondering a historic move post-settlement, potentially selling stakes to ease the pressure. Phelps himself floated equity sales in February 2025, signaling the family might bend for the first time.
As the 2026 season looms, with the Clash at the Coliseum just weeks away, the question hangs like exhaust smoke: Will the France dynasty hold the wheel, or hand over the keys to a new era? One thing’s certain—in NASCAR, rumors travel faster than the cars. Stay tuned; this story’s got more laps to run.
In the heart of NASCAR’s off-season buzz, Richard Childress Racing (RCR) has locked in one of its most consistent performers for another year. On January 9, 2026, the Welcome, North Carolina-based team announced that Austin Hill (pictured) will return to pilot the No. 21 Chevrolet in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (Xfinity Series) for his fifth consecutive season.
–by Mark Cipolloni–
The news came wrapped in a multi-year partnership extension with Bennett Family of Companies, the anchor primary sponsor that’s been with Hill since his rookie campaign with RCR in 2022. Bennett Transportation & Logistics will once again deck out the No. 21 car in its signature livery, continuing a collaboration that’s proven mutually beneficial both on the track and in the boardroom.
Hill, the Winston, Georgia native, has built an impressive resume during his time at RCR. He’s captured the 2023 regular season championship, qualified for the Playoffs in every one of his four seasons with the team, and racked up 14 wins since 2022—including a standout performance in 2025 that saw him secure four victories and lock the No. 21 into the Championship 4 via owner points after his Talladega triumph.
Austin Hill, driver of the #21 Bennett Transportation Chevrolet, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 26, 2025 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images for NASCAR)
His dominance on drafting-style tracks has even eclipsed records once held by NASCAR Hall of Famers Dale Earnhardt and Tony Stewart.
“We’ve built something special both on and off the track with Bennett Transportation and Logistics,” Hill said in the announcement. “Thank you to Marcia, Lynette and everyone at Bennett Family of Companies for their partnership and friendship over the years. It means a lot to have their support, as well as the support of Richard Childress, Danny Lawrence and everyone at Richard Childress Racing and ECR Engines as I continue to grow in my career.”
The partnership with Bennett isn’t just about paint schemes—it’s a strategic alliance. The Georgia-headquartered, woman-owned company (WBENC-certified) has leveraged its NASCAR involvement to boost customer relationships, promote safety culture, recruit drivers, and spark new business growth in trucking, specialized logistics, and more. With over 4,625 drivers/owner-operators and a nationwide network, Bennett sees the No. 21 program as a rolling showcase of teamwork and performance.
Lynette Mathis, vice president of Bennett Family of Companies, echoed the enthusiasm:
“We are proud to continue our partnership with Richard Childress Racing and Austin Hill in 2026. Bennett customers, drivers, agents and employees continue to find value in the relationship. We love watching the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet on the track and seeing the sense of community it creates within our company. Our partnership with RCR and Austin Hill continues to reflect the teamwork, performance and professionalism that define success in both racing and transportation and complex logistics.”
RCR president Mike Verlander highlighted the shared values driving the long-term commitment:
“The Bennett Family of Companies’ long-standing partnership with Richard Childress Racing is a testament to our shared core values and we are thrilled to welcome them back to the No. 21 team for their fifth consecutive year of partnership. Bennett has done an exceptional job integrating our racing program into their broader business strategy. We look forward to continuing the momentum we have built over the last four years.”
With Hill confirmed alongside defending series champion Jesse Love in the No. 2 Chevrolet, RCR’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series lineup remains unchanged heading into 2026—no driver swaps needed after a strong showing last season. In the Cup Series, veterans Austin Dillon (No. 3) and Kyle Busch (No. 8) round out a stable team ready to chase more checkered flags.
The green flag for the 2026 season drops soon: The United Rentals 300 at Daytona International Speedway kicks things off on Saturday, February 14, airing live on The CW Network at 5 p.m. ET. For Hill and the No. 21 squad, it’s another shot at turning strong momentum into that elusive series championship—backed by a sponsor and team that believe in the driver and the dream. Stay tuned; the road to Victory Lane looks promising.
