Dale Earnhardt Jr. understands exactly what NASCAR’s milestone antitrust settlement means for the future of the Cup Series and its chartered teams. But the 18-year stock car veteran, now owner of JR Motorsports, also knows the new headaches created for new teams wishing to stamp their presence in NASCAR’s top division.

The lawsuit settlement between NASCAR, 23XI Racing, and Front Row Motorsports introduced permanent and evergreen charters that stabilized team ownership and, in the minds of insiders, immediately boosted charter values. For Earnhardt Jr, the resolution also cemented a reality that could make JR Motorsports’ future entry into the Cup Series more difficult than ever.

Earnhardt’s JR Motorsports organization has established itself as one of the most successful teams in the Xfinity Series. Three team drivers, including Connor Zilisch, Justin Allgaier, and Carson Kvapil, were among the final four contenders for the Xfinity championship title race in Phoenix.

Jesse Love ultimately beat all three drivers by passing Zilisch, who had won 10 regular-season races. Despite Zilisch being deeply emotional after the loss, JR Motorsports has secured four series championships and 105 wins in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.

Dale Jr. said the permanence of charters fundamentally changes NASCAR’s structure. “If that happens, there is no going back. Like, it changes the sport forever,” he said on his podcast. 

“You’ll basically have 36 franchises, however many cars start a race. They’ll be the franchises, owned and valued, and they will sell and trade from one entity to another over the course of decades and centuries, however long this goes.”

Under the new system, charters are now considered long-term assets rather than temporary licenses, allowing them to be bought, sold, and relocated as needed. The change drives NASCAR toward a franchise-like model, and Earnhardt believes that the sport’s longstanding open-door tradition would be lost.

“As we’ve known racing for 75 years, if you wanted to build a Cup car and show up at a race and try to compete, you did,” he said. “Probably not gonna go all that well, you’re gonna compete against the regular teams, and that’s what it was, but you could. That’ll be gone forever.”

Earnhardt mentioned that his team considered buying a charter in the system’s early days when they could be purchased for about $1 million. JR Motorsports ultimately decided not to and industry insiders now believe that new charters might soon cost $50 million or more.

For Earnhardt and others hoping to make the leap, the path forward now depends less on racing ambition and more on financial opportunity. Dale Jr. got a jump on his ambitions last season when JR Motorsports competed in the Cup Series for the first time.

Allgaier drove the No. 40 Traveller’s Whiskey Chevy for JRM during the season-opening Daytona 500 and raced to a ninth-place finish. Dale Jr. was present for the race and expressed excitement for seeing his cars compete against the world’s top drivers again.

Charlotte Motor Speedway has sold land near its famous track in Concord, North Carolina, to the Hendrick Motorsports racing team, the Charlotte Business Journal reported.

An entity connected to Hendrick purchased the 20-acre site at 7001 Bruton Smith Blvd. in Concord’s racing hub for $14M late last month.

This is the second sale between the speedway and Hendrick in the last couple of years. In 2023, Hendrick bought more than 82 acres from the speedway for some $23M.

Earlier this year, Hendrick subsidiary Hendrick Motorsports Technical Solutions opened its two-building, 160K SF headquarters near the Concord campus.

The news comes a day after NASCAR announced a settlement agreement with 23XI Racing and co-owner Michael Jordan on Dec. 11 at the federal courthouse in Charlotte. 

23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports Inc. had sued NASCAR in October 2024, accusing it of running a monopoly that curtailed the economic freedom of racing teams. 

As part of the settlement, NASCAR agreed to change its charter, or licensing, system for racing teams, among other concessions. Hendrick Motorsports is one of the only teams to possess four charters.

“This moment presents an important opportunity to strengthen our relationships and recommit ourselves to building a collaborative and prosperous future for all stakeholders,” Hendrick team owner Rick Hendrick said in a statement following the settlement.

In late November, the Charlotte City Council approved a $25M deal to renovate the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Improvements planned for the 16-year-old tourist attraction reportedly include relocating the gift shop and café, adding more event space, obtaining new security screening equipment and creating a dedicated educational space for school groups. 

Kyffin Simpson is thinking long-term with the addition of Sunoco coming onboard as his full-time sponsor in 2026.

How long-term? To the point of being synonymous in the archives of motorsports such as Rick Mears and Pennzoil, Al Unser Jr and Valvoline, Jeff Gordon and Dupont, or even Jimmie Johnson and Lowe’s.

Even Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR), the organization Simpson drives for in the No. 8 Honda, shared 27 years of success with Target, with IndyCar wins and/or championships captured by the likes of Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jimmy Vasser, the late Dan Wheldon and Alex Zanardi, among others. Dixon, with CGR, has also since gone on to have a similar partnership with PNC Bank.

Now, with Sunoco, the largest independent fuel distributor in the Americas, returning as a full-time sponsor in the IndyCar Series for the first time since 1973, Simpson hopes to carry the iconic brand and colors in a similar vein as some of the sport’s all-time greats.

“Yeah, that’d be great,” Simpson told Motorsport.com. “That really is the goal with a lot of these things: to really grow together. Obviously, Ganassi and PNC Bank have had a long-standing relationship. Before that, there was a very long-standing relationship with Target. Both worked out very well for both parties.

“That’s definitely the goal with Sunoco. I know from our side, we’d love to work with them for as long as possible and we see this being potentially a long-term thing.”

The 21-year-old Simpson is no stranger to carrying the weight of history, either, having run the No. 4 entry at CGR during his maiden IndyCar campaign in 2024.

“That was the car that Zanardi ran and Montoya ran,” Simpson said. “With that situation, I thought that was really cool in the historical sense of getting to run a number that so many other great drivers had run.”

It’s a similar feeling for Simpson with Sunoco, which debuted on Mark Donohue’s No. 12 Eagle at Riverside in 1968 before winning the Indianapolis 500 together four years later. The likes of Gary Bettenhausen and Tony Kanaan are among others to have also carried the Sunoco colors.

“Driving a Sunoco car, a livery of a sponsor to have been with so many great drivers, it’s very cool and I hope to make them proud,” Simpson added.

And that’s likely to happen if the Caymanian continues his development. He’s fresh off a sophomore season that featured a maiden podium (Toronto), three top fives, six top 10s and a Fast Six appearance.

Kyffin Simpson, Chip Ganassi Racing livery

Photo by: Chip Ganassi Racing

What’s more is next season will also mark the first time in his career in any category he has spent three consecutive years in one car.

“That’ll be a big thing for me and just that continuation is very important in continuing to learn in the same car,” Simpson said. “I’m just really looking forward to that and having that consistency. My main engineering team is staying the same next year as well, so that’ll be a big help. We worked together really well last year, and I think we can just continue to build on that and improve into next year. We’re in a really good spot.”

Although Simpson hasn’t spent too much time thinking about goals for next season, which is still 75 days away, there’s one simple task that immediately comes to mind.

“The first thing would just be to knock off that win,” he said. “We’ve got that first podium this year, so next on the list is the win. Other than that, I don’t know that we’ve really said anything yet. Top 10 in the championship would be nice. We definitely could have done that this year with a couple things going our way, but we haven’t thought about it too much.”

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– The Motorsport.com Team

Inaugural NHRA Great Lakes Nationals at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park to open Mission Foods Drag Racing Series playoffs during NHRA’s 75th anniversary season

MARTIN, MI – December 15, 2025 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – NHRA officials announced today that U.S. 131 Motorsports Park will have a Mission Foods Drag Racing Series event in 2026, with the inaugural NHRA Great Lakes Nationals set to open the 2026 Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

The event will take place Sept. 18-20 at the standout facility in Martin, Mich., serving as the 15th of 20 races during NHRA’s special 75th anniversary season and the first of six playoff races. Tickets go on sale for the inaugural NHRA Great Lakes Nationals on Feb. 1.

It marks the first NHRA national event at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park, giving NHRA four new national event facilities during the 2026 campaign and further displaying NHRA’s growth during the special milestone season that includes a premier list of national event tracks in 19 markets across the country.

“Hosting an NHRA national event underscores our continued commitment to excellence, safety, and delivering unforgettable motorsports entertainment,” U.S. 131 Motorsports Vice President of Operations Jason Peterson said. “We are honored to welcome the NHRA, its competitors, sponsors and fans, and we look forward to showcasing our facility, our staff and our passionate racing community that makes this region so special.”

The first two races in the Countdown to the Championship will be at two new facilities in the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, as the Great Lakes Nationals in Martin, Mich., is followed by a trip to historic Rockingham Dragway for the NHRA Nationals at The Rock. Both U.S. 131 and Rockingham are preceded by first-time stops at South Georgia Motorsports Park on May 1-3 and Maryland International Raceway on May 29-31.

Known as “The Fastest Track in Michigan,” U.S. 131 Motorsports Park has maintained its status as one of the Midwest’s premier drag racing facilities for decades, drawing fans from nearby markets in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing and Kalamazoo. A favorite for both racers and fans alike, the Peterson family has built the track into a marquee destination for more than two decades, making it a prime candidate to host an NHRA national event.

That comes to fruition in 2026, hosting a must-see playoff race during NHRA’s massive 75th anniversary season.

“We are thrilled to welcome U.S. 131 Motorsports Park to the NHRA national event schedule in 2026. It’s a historic milestone for the facility and it’s another terrific way to celebrate our 75th anniversary season, bringing the incredible action of NHRA drag racing to the passionate fan base in Michigan,” NHRA President Glen Cromwell said.

“Opening the Countdown to the Championship at U.S. 131 will be extremely meaningful during our 75th anniversary season, as it reflects NHRA’s continued commitment to growing the sport and bringing championship-level NHRA racing to outstanding venues. The track’s dedication to its racers and fans, and its enthusiasm as a new NHRA Member Track makes it an excellent addition to the national tour, and we look forward to launching the Countdown there in 2026.”

U.S. 131 Motorsports Park will also host an NHRA national open on July 8-9, leading into a Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series divisional event on July 10-12.

For more information on NHRA, including the 2026 schedule, visit www.nhra.com.

About Mission Foods

MISSION®, owned by GRUMA, S.A.B. de C.V., is the world’s leading brand for tortillas and wraps. MISSION® is also globally renowned for flatbreads, dips, salsas and Mexican food products. With presence in over 112 countries, MISSION® products are suited to the lifestyles and the local tastes of each country. With innovation and customer needs in mind, MISSION® focuses on the highest quality, authentic flavors, and providing healthy options that families and friends can enjoy together. For more information, please visit https://www.missionfoods.com/

About NHRA

NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™ and NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With more than 100 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Source: National Hot Rod Associations 

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DAVENTRY, England, Dec. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Fortec Motorsport has announced that American drivers Cash and Roman Felber will join its lineup for the 2026 Wera Tools F4 British Championship, certified by the FIA. The identical twin brothers moved to the UK following a season in the Ligier Junior Formula Championship in the United States, where both achieved race wins and multiple podium finishes. Cash Felber concluded the 2025 campaign third overall, while Roman placed seventh, with the pair also securing second and fourth in the Rookie standings, respectively.

Cash & Roman Felber American Twins
It was a season defined by momentum on both sides of the garage. Cash displayed front-running consistency through opening-lap assertiveness and composed late-race judgement, collecting six podiums and two wins. Roman recovered strongly from early-season mechanical setbacks to deliver five podiums, a victory, and two pole positions, showcasing equally powerful pace and progression.

Racing has been a shared journey from the start. The brothers first drove at age eight on Segway karts around their driveway, but a visit to the 2022 United States Formula 1 Grand Prix ignited a commitment to pursue a career in motorsport. Since then, they have competed as rivals on track and made history in the LJFC as the first twin brothers in the series’ history to finish on the podium in the same race.

The 2026 Wera Tools British F4 season begins at Donington Park on April 18–19, featuring 30 races across 10 meetings, including a return to Zandvoort in the Netherlands. Cash and Roman will compete with the support of BioLongevity Labs, iMerchant Solutions, Conversio Pay, Town Hall, and Rebol.

Quotes
Oliver Dutton, Team Principal, Fortec Motorsport: “Cash and Roman have shown us clean fundamentals, intelligent race craft, and the humility in debriefs that separates good drivers from championship contenders. We’ve seen what they did in the States. Now we’ll develop what they can become at the circuits that matter.” Cash Felber: “The goal for 2026 is simple: arrive prepared, extract everything the car has, and leave no doubt. Fortec Motorsport’s attention to detail is exactly what I need in my career right now, and their engineering depth and coaching structure will help on the path to Formula 1.” Roman Felber: “Wera Tools British F4 is the next test, and I’m bringing the same process from this season: learn fast, adapt faster, go quicker. The series rewards discipline and race intelligence—qualities I grew in abundance this year.” Enzo Mucci, Performance and Mindset Coach: “I am delighted to see Roman and Cash come over to the UK to race. Having watched them on track, I am pleased to see how quickly they are adpating to the British F4 car. They are both looking very promising. I can’t wait to see them compete in 2026.”

Partners for the Journey
BioLongevity Labs — A leading longevity science company creating advanced solutions that help people look, feel, and perform younger. Through cutting-edge research and premium formulations, BioLongevity Labs delivers innovative wellness products designed to boost energy, improve vitality, and support a longer, healthier life.

iMerchant Solutions — A global payment service provider supporting enterprises across the world, iMerchant powers businesses with speed, precision, and reliability. “We are honored to support the Felber brothers in their Formula 4 journey—celebrating their passion, discipline, and drive to reach the top. Just as they race toward victory, we continue to innovate and accelerate the future of global payments,” stated Martin Khemmoro.

Additional committed partners back for 2026: TownHall and Rebol.

“Their belief underwrites everything from testing mileage to engineering depth,” noted Josh Felber. “They don’t just put logos on a car—they help build careers.”

About British FIA Formula 4

The British FIA Formula 4 Championship is an FIA-certified entry point to international single-seater racing, recognized globally for competitive grids and professional team structures. The series has a proven record of developing drivers for the next steps on the Formula 1 pathway.

About Fortec Motorsport 
Fortec Motorsport is one of the United Kingdom’s leading junior single-seater teams, competing across multiple categories with a track record of winning races and developing drivers for higher levels of the sport. The team is renowned for engineering depth, data-driven coaching, and a high-performance culture.

About FLBR Motorsport
FLBR Motorsport supports twin drivers Cash and Roman Felber with a program built on disciplined driver development, engineering rigor, and a people-first culture. From U.S. podiums to the European ladder, FLBR’s mission is simple: build champions the right way—technically, mentally, and ethically.

Contact

FLBR Motorsport
press@flbr.com

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Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2845699/Fortec_Motorsport_logo.jpg

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The racing world descended upon downtown Indianapolis Dec. 10-13, transforming the Indiana Convention Center into the global epicenter of motorsports technology and culture.

The 2025 Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Show delivered high-octane energy and record-breaking engagement as more than 40,000 attendees filled the convention center halls and Lucas Oil Stadium.

The crowd browsed offerings from more than 1,060 exhibitors representing every facet of the racing industry. As the largest gathering of motorsports professionals in the world, the trade show serves as the primary arena where racing business gets done before the new season begins. Team owners, drivers and engineers scouted the latest parts to gain a competitive edge while the aisles buzzed with activity.

“The PRI Show reflects the strength and passion of the motorsports industry,” PRI President Michael Good said.

Among the thousands of industry leaders, four-time NHRA Top Fuel champion Antron Brown stood out as a fan favorite and frequent presence at the annual Indianapolis showcase. Brown spent the weekend engaging with fans, media and fellow racers at the NHRA stage. During an interview on the show floor, he talked about the potential of securing championship No. 5 for the NHRA 75th Anniversary.

“That’s not silver, that’s chrome,” Brown said as he pointed to the trophy on display. “And you know brothers love chrome.”

The comment drew laughs and highlighted the unique blend of style and speed that defines the event.

This year’s show featured significant expansions in emerging technology sectors, most notably the “Sim Racing Arena.” The exhibit attracted massive crowds of younger racers and tech enthusiasts, highlighting how digital competition is becoming a legitimate gateway to real-world professional racing.

The PRI Show serves as a significant economic driver, extending beyond the convention center walls. According to a June 2025 study coneduted by John Durham & Associated titled Motorsports Economic Impact Study, motorsports generates $69.2 billion in annual economic activity in the United States, with Indiana alone accounting for $2.75 billion of that total.

Based on previous years here in Indianapolis, the three-day event injects tens of millions of dollars into the local Indianapolis economy, keeping hotels, restaurants and bars packed throughout the week as the industry celebrated in the Circle City.

The 2025 show concluded Dec. 13 with a “final push” of sales and networking as exhibitors scrambled to finalize orders and attendees snapped final photos of the world-class machinery.

Organizers locked in dates for next year’s gathering, confirming the racing world will return to Indianapolis from Dec. 10-12, 2026.

Contact Multi-Media & Senior Sports Reporter Noral Parham at 317-762-7846. Parham is the owner of @HorsemenSportsMedia. For more, click here.

Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver. He is also the owner and founder of Horsemen Sports Media.