Motorsports
A Tale of Two Tracks
It’s not just on the car; it’s in the cars. Turner Motorsport uses the same LIQUI MOLY motor oils in their racecars as we can in our daily drivers. Thank you to LIQUI MOLY for supporting this column.
Same but different? The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach and the TireRack.com Monterey SportsCar Championship (let’s call them “Long Beach” and “Laguna Seca” going forward here) both have eleven turns and are both early stops along the thirteen event IMSA Weathertech SportsCar Championship season. And that’s about where the similarities end.
Laguna Seca is a full-time race track (and camp ground!) with plenty of run-off space.
After attending both races in the same month earlier this calendar year, I was amazed at how different (yet both awesome!) the events were considering there were, at least from a sportscar racing perspective, mostly the same drivers in the same cars for the same race teams. There isn’t a right or wrong, a better or worse. It’s similar to when your friend presents two cars and asks “which one would you want?” and the answer is a clear…“yes.”
Long Beach, with its temporary walls winding around existing landmarks, creates a narrow course without much room for error. (Justin Rothberg here had very few errors in a two-win weekend.)
Right off the bat, let’s look at attendance. Long Beach has been setting records in recent years and eclipsed 200,000 attendees this year. It might have to do with location, too. Laguna Seca doesn’t come close to that, but Long Beach’s track literally winds its way through city streets and includes both IMSA and IndyCar, among others.
The track in Long Beach is surrounded by fourteen packed grandstands and countless other places to catch the cars whizzing by.
To get to Laguna Seca, it takes specific effort and while you can get back to your hotel or home easily, lodging doesn’t loom over the track as it can in Long Beach. Yet for a unique twist at Laguna Seca, the race also encircles an active campground.
The tents on the surrounding hills remind attendees that Laguna Seca is an active campground.
Long Beach is an event that has racing. Laguna Seca is a track you visit to watch racing. Long Beach has a central exhibit hall that does triple duty as a large vendor hall, an air-conditioned respite from the usual high temps, and the actual paddock for the GT America cars.
At Laguna Seca, you do have as many amenities and resources as you’ll need. And ease of access is relatively simple.
Laguna Seca has a few places to buy food. Long Beach has few places where you can’t buy food. Long Beach wraps up its evenings first with the Super Drift Challenge and concerts well into the evening. Lagnua Seca usually goes quiet by 7:00pm, allowing the neighbors who have built their homes by the track some respite from the sounds of race cars.
Super Drift is incredibly popular as the sun sets Friday and Saturday evenings.
Both environments provide extraordinary access to the cars, teams, and drivers. At both races, if you are in the paddock, look both ways or else you might get much closer to the cars than planned. BMW CCA local chapters at both tracks coordinate with the teams—usually Turner Motorsport, RLL, and Paul Miller Racing—for Meet and Greet events where the team owners, managers, drivers, and strategists share (some of) their secrets for and about the racing that weekend. You’re actually surrounding the racecar as the team scrambles to get it ready the forthcoming race, sometimes merely minutes following the gathering. If you seem too interested, they might hand you a tool and put you to work.
- Team RLL Technician Bernie Dutkofski puts in the work between races at Laguna Seca.
- The BMW CCA Meet and Greets provide even better team access. Here members are getting very unique insight from BMW M Head of Design Michael Scully.
- Tom Plucinsky, Head, BMW Group Classic USA, provided amazing insight to BMW CCA members during the Meet and Greet sessions.
In addition to the IMSA racing, which includes GTP and GTD racing at both events, both weekends incorporate other racing groups or organizations. At Long Beach, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is sort of second fiddle (yet a large fiddle!) to the aforementioned Indy racing. There’s also an Historic Formula Exhibition, GT America races, Stadium Super Trucks (replete with ramps brought out onto the track mid day!), and Super Drift.
At Laguna Seca, in addition to IMSA’s Weathertech Sportscar Championship, you can watch IMSA’s Michelin Pilot Challenge and Mustang Challenge, and the Lamborghini Super Trofeo. Both events provide great visibility to more types of racing to the fans of the other types. But if that wasn’t enough to sway you, Laguna Seca’s event hosted BMW parade laps around the track on Saturday, too. Come for one race, leave loving more racing.
Sure, it might not have been pushing the limits, but a parade lap on race weekend at Laguna Seca seems to bring out plenty of smiles.
As for track and racing comparisons, the best folks to provide that input are the ones racing. “Long Beach is a really short race. There’s not a lot of driving, but it’s really intense, lined with walls with zero room for error,” BMW Factory and Turner Motorsports driver Robby Foley says. “The surface is unique with some pavement and some other concrete areas, but it does have a lot of grip. Our environment is tough. There isn’t a lot of space in the paddock or the pits. But it’s a really special event. I look forward to it every year. You feel the heritage and passion from everyone there. You can also tell it’s a party for the fans, right there on the water. It’s special to be a part of it.”
Patrick Gallagher and Robby Foley pause (and maybe pose) during the Fan Walk at Long Beach during this year’s 50th Anniversary.
As special as Long Beach is to Foley, Laguna Seca has also captured a good part of his heart. “This is the first place I really drove,” Foley explains. “I did a racing school here when I was fourteen and have had a lot of success here with our Turner team. It’s also a beautiful place. I like the area in general. The track walk is incredible, giving us a chance to see some incredible views. TV does not do it all justice. It’s amazing to look at and a lot of tracks don’t have that surrounding beauty.
- The Corkscrew at Laguna Seca is one of the more technical parts of any course
- The drop between turns 8 and 8A is equivalent to a 59 foot drop. The drop from 8 through turn 9 is 109 feet, almost 10 stories.
“There’s a lot of elevation change at Laguna Seca, especially compared to the completely flat Long Beach course,” he continues. “The Corkscrew is technical, but the rest of the course is not as much. You do have to be precise with where you place the car entering the Corkscrew; being off by a couple of feet at the top will really affect how you end at the bottom. Laguna is a little smoother with longer and definitely more open corners. At Long Beach, corners are more rushed but slower. There, they’re all second gear corners except the hairpin but most at Laguna Seca are third and fourth gear corners.”
Always nestled around the racecars, Will Turner and the Turner team host Meet and Greets at both Long Beach (seen here) and Laguna Seca.
Nothing ever wrong will Foley’s input, but we figured we’d get some input from the team principal Will Turner. His team has raced at Long Beach for more than ten years but he has personally raced—and won—at Laguna Seca. “There’s a very different feeling with these two tracks,” Turner says. “For me, you get a quality track at Laguna Seca and then amazing energy from fans at Long Beach. From a track perspective, the traditional course at Laguna Seca is more forgiving. Over the years, they have modified the track with gravel traps or at least room you need for run off. With Long Beach being a street course, there isn’t room for error. Long Beach at 100 minutes is a lot shorter. This usually means pit as soon as you can. At Laguna Seca, tire degradation has historically been the issue.”
- Even with fewer people attending at Laguna Seca, the Fan Walk on the grid is shoulder to shoulder.
- With so many activities at Long Beach, the Fan Walk might be under-attended, especially considering the opportunity.
Even while focusing on racing, it is difficult for the teams to not recognize the atmosphere at a race. “Long Beach seems to be all about the fans. They’re everywhere and we get motivated by their energy. The grandstands are full all around the track. With Laguna Seca, it’s almost like a secret. There isn’t really a centralization of fans at Laguna Seca. But, there is simply more room in the paddock for us and the fans up north. Fans can get closer to the cars and there is a little more flexibility in the schedule. The Meet and Greet events with the BMW CCA are great at both races. Those are a little smaller lately, especially at Laguna Seca, but we’re always excited to talk with members and fans.
- The quarters in Long Beach are pretty tight.
- This maneuver is a lot easier with more space and fewer people at Laguna Seca.
“Between the two tracks, there couldn’t be any greater differences but both are so fantastic!” Turner summarizes.
Tags: Laguna Seca Long Beach race experiences
Motorsports
Greenfield Dragway Joins NHRA Member Track Network in Northeast Division
NHRA officials have announced the addition of Greenfield Dragway in Greenfield, Nova Scotia to the NHRA Member Track Network as part of the NHRA’s Northeast Division (Division 1).
Greenfield Dragway sees race vehicles of all styles on the scenic track. From hotrods to motorcycles and snowmobiles, Canadian grassroots racers have always been eager to visit Greenfield Dragway.
“We at Greenfield Dragway are grateful and excited for the opportunity to join the family of NHRA member tracks,” said the Greenfield Dragway Board of Directors. “We are looking forward to extending the immediate benefits of membership to our racers and anxiously look ahead to the possibilities that may come down the road for our great little track here in mainland Nova Scotia. Here’s to a long and prosperous partnership.”
As part of the NHRA Member Track Network, Greenfield Dragway will have access to NHRA’s extensive and robust support programs, insurance benefits and national marketing platforms. Greenfield Dragway will also be eligible to offer racers in the area a variety of NHRA-sanctioned racing opportunities in the future, including the NHRA Summit Racing Series, the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League, NHRA Street Legal, NHRA Jr. Street and more.
With this new partnership, the facility will play a key role in promoting grassroots NHRA drag racing and fostering a strong community of racers and fans in the area.
“We are proud to welcome Greenfield Dragway to the Northeast Division,” said Mark Dawson, NHRA Northeast Division Director. “Greenfield Dragway will mark NHRA’s 11th Canadian member track and we are thrilled with see the continued growth of our international member track family.”
For more information on Greenfield Dragway, visit nsdra.ca. For more information on NHRA, including the 2026 schedule, visit NHRA.com.
This story was originally published on December 12, 2025. 

Motorsports
Jordan NASCAR timeline as NBA great’s reaches settlement with motorsport giant – Motorsport – Sports
Michael Jordan and his 23XI Racing team secured a favorable settlement (alongside Front Row Motorsports) from NASCAR to quash a 14-month saga. As the antitrust lawsuit has come to an end, Express U.S. Sports has taken a look at Jordan’s involvement and accomplishments in NASCAR through the years.
2020: Jordan and Denny Hamlin set out to purchase a charter, even considering obtaining a stage in Richard Petty Motorsports. Instead, they purchase a charter from Germain Racing and keep most of the Germain crew and facilities. After months of deciding, they settle on 23XI Racing as the name.
2020: 23XI Racing signs Bubba Wallace — departing Richard Petty Motorsports — and assigns him the No. 23 car (named after Jordan’s longtime NBA number) for the 2021 season.
2021: Wallace, the only black driver in NASCAR, finishes 21st in his first season with 23XI Racing. Kurt Busch is recruited to drive the new No. 45 car for 2022.
2022: After Busch struggles, 23XI Racing buys out the talented Tyler Reddick. In 2024, Reddick becomes the first 23XI driver to reach the Championship Four.
Years since: Riley Herbst is recruited to drive the No. 35 in 2025. 23XI Racing employs the No. 50 and No. 67 part-time with a rotating cast of drivers.
2024: On October 2, 23XI files a lawsuit against NASCAR, calling for charters to become permanent while labeling the racing giants as monopolistic bullies. A temporary injunction allows the 23XI Racing drivers to compete in 2025.
December 2025: After eight days in court, NASCAR agrees to make charters permanent while being forced to pay over $300 million in damages.
Jordan, standing next to longtime NASCAR CEO Steve Phelps outside the courthouse, addressed the media. “Like two competitors, obviously we tried to get as much done in each other’s favor,” he said.
“I’ve said this from Day 1: the only way this sport is going to grow is if we have to find some synergy between the two entities. I think we’ve gotten to that point. Unfortunately, it took 16 months to get here, but I think level heads have gotten us to this point where we can actually work together and grow this sport. I am very proud of that, and I think Jim feels the same.”
Motorsports
NASCAR 25 Producer on Alcoholic Beverage Sponsorships: “Never Say Never”
What’s Happening?
NASCAR 25 Producer Matt Lewis addressed the lack of alcoholic beverage sponsors in the new NASCAR console game during a recent interview, explaining the intricate factors that go into their inclusion in the game.
Though NASCAR fans have enjoyed iRacing’s NASCAR 25, they have had a hard time overlooking one specific thing missing from the newest NASCAR console game.
When NASCAR 25 opened early access in October, fans quickly found out that the game does not include sponsorships from companies that sell alcoholic beverages, such as Traveller Whiskey, Busch Light, and Rebel Bourbon.
This is nothing new to NASCAR fans, and the resulting lack of these sponsors brought back the “kid-friendly” paint schemes that populated NASCAR games of the past.
For example, in NASCAR 25, Justin Allgaier’s Traveller Whiskey No. 40 is simply the JR Motorsports No. 40, similar to cars like the “Dale JR No. 8 (replacing Budweiser) or the Sterling Marlin No. 40 (replacing Coors Light) in the EA line of NASCAR games.
Despite this familiar alteration of these paint schemes, more modern NASCAR games, mostly from the past decade, have included these sponsors, leading fans to wonder how and why this happened in NASCAR 25, and if NASCAR 26 could see these sponsorships make a return.
During a recent interview with Eve Hannah, Matt Lewis, a Producer at iRacing, explained what goes into getting approval to add these sponsors to NASCAR video games and what fans can expect in the future.
Lewis says that while there are ways of adding these sponsors to games without younger players having access to any of their paint schemes, via previously used age-gating services, the decision ultimately comes down to these companies deciding they “want to be associated with video games.”
“For better or for worse, there’s still a perception out there that video games and kids are sort of hand in hand. And even though the vast majority of our audience for this game are well above, not just 18, but even the drinking age, there is that concern, right? So in a lot of cases, it’s the beverage companies themselves who say, ‘We don’t, we don’t really need to be in a video game because that’s predominantly kids.’” — Matt Lewis.
Though Lewis did not directly say this is why the sponsors were not in NASCAR 25, he also didn’t rule out their inclusion in future games, saying it “depends on each development year.”
“We have the conversation almost every year of whether we’re going to allow it and how we’re going to allow it,” Lewis said. “So it’s another one that I would say is on on the radar. We’ll kind of see how things play out.”
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Motorsports
Sam Corry Back With Nitro for 2 ARCA Races
Sam Corry will return to Nitro Motorsports for a pair of ARCA Menards Series races in 2026, the team announced Dec. 12.
Corry will drive in the national series event at Watkins Glen International, plus in the ARCA Menards Series West race at Portland International Raceway.
Corry’s car number for the races wasn’t announced.
In addition to his ARCA starts, Corry is also competing for Nitro as part of its TA2 entry in the Trans Am Series.
“I’m really excited to be back with Nitro Motorsports for 2026 and to make a full run at the TA2 championship,” Corry said in a team release. “Last year showed me how competitive and demanding this class is, and I feel like we’ve built the foundation we need to fight for wins right away.
“My goal is simple — contend for the championship, fight for race wins and podium results, continue improving every weekend, and make the most of the opportunity to grow through the ARCA races as well. I’m grateful to Nick (Tucker) and Joe (Tovo) and everyone at Nitro Motorsports for believing in me and giving me the tools to keep moving forward.”

Mia Lovell Running ARCA West for Nitro
“Sam has been a key part of our program and someone we’ve believed in from the start,” Tucker said. “He’s mature, fast, and incredibly focused — exactly what you need to succeed. His pace last year showed he’s ready to fight at the front and giving him a couple of ARCA starts will only accelerate his growth and possibly provide a look into the future. We’re excited to have him back and fully expect him to be a championship contender in 2026.”
In 2025, Corry made three starts, all on ovals, between Nitro and Venturini Motorsports. His best finish of seventh came at Iowa Speedway.


Executive Editor at Frontstretch
Kevin Rutherford is the executive editor of Frontstretch, a position he gained in 2025 after being the managing editor since 2015, and serving on the editing staff since 2013.
At his day job, he’s a journalist covering music and rock charts at Billboard. He lives in New York City, but his heart is in Ohio — you know, like that Hawthorne Heights song.
Motorsports
IHRA Announces Acquisition of Maple Grove Raceway
The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) announced Friday its acquisition of Maple Grove Raceway.
Established in the early 1960s, Maple Grove Raceway has earned national recognition as one of the fastest and most respected drag racing venues in the United States. For generations, it has served as a destination for racers and families, building a legacy rooted in community, competition, and tradition.
Under the leadership of the Koretsky family, Maple Grove has undergone a period of revitalization—pairing modern operational enhancements with the family-focused culture that has defined the racetrack for decades. Their commitment has preserved the track’s heritage while positioning it for long-term growth. The Koretsky family will continue to play an active role throughout the transition and in guiding Maple Grove’s future direction.
“This is a track with deep roots and an even stronger future,” said Darryl Cuttell, Owner of IHRA. “Maple Grove represents what racing should be—competitive, welcoming, and centered around racers and families. Bringing it under the IHRA umbrella is not just a business decision; it’s a commitment to strengthening the sport and investing in its long-term success.”
The Koretsky family emphasized the personal significance of this transition.
“Maple Grove has always been more than a racetrack to our family—it is home, not just for us, but for generations of racers,” the Koretskys said. “Our mission has always been to preserve this facility and ensure it remains a premier racing destination. Seeing Maple Grove join the IHRA family feels like a natural and meaningful next step for the sport.
“Meeting Darryl and Leah from the IHRA was truly eye-opening. Their vision, work ethic, and genuine passion for racers and fans are unmatched. Their innovative, forward-thinking approach is exactly what this sport has been missing. The IHRA shares our values—making racing affordable, fun, and family-centered. This new chapter is about honoring Maple Grove’s legacy while elevating the experience for future generations.”
The Koretsky family looks forward to working closely with the IHRA throughout 2026 and beyond.
With IHRA ownership, Maple Grove Raceway is expected to see continued investment in racer-focused services, fan amenities, youth and grassroots development, safety programs, and infrastructure improvements. This acquisition reinforces IHRA’s broader vision to elevate drag racing at every level while protecting the traditions that have made it a cornerstone of American motorsports.
Additional announcements regarding upcoming events, programming, and future initiatives at Maple Grove Raceway will be released in the coming months.
The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) is a global motorsports sanctioning body dedicated to racer-first competition, fan engagement, and the advancement of motorsports across multiple disciplines—including drag racing, stock car racing, offshore powerboating, drag boat racing, snowmobile competition, and more. IHRA is committed to innovation, safety, and the long-term sustainability of competitive racing.
This story was originally published on December 13, 2025. 

Motorsports
Spire Confirms Truck Return, Announces Promotions
Spire Motorsports announced its crew chief lineup and competition director roles for the 2026 season on Dec. 12 and in doing so confirmed its return to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
The team will field a pair of trucks, the Nos. 7 and 77, in the series alongside its previously announced three-car NASCAR Cup Series effort.
Both the Cup crew chief lineup (Ryan Sparks, Travis Peterson and Luke Lambert) and Truck roster (Brian Pattie for the No. 7, Chad Walter for the No. 77) remain unchanged.

2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Awards
Matt McCall, who had been the team’s director of vehicle performance, is now the Cup competition director, while Bono Manion, previously crew chief of the team’s No. 71 entry in the Truck Series, will be its Truck competition director.
Spire has not yet announced who will drive its Truck entries. In 2025, the Nos. 7 and 77 were piloted by a variety of drivers, while the No. 71 was driven by Rajah Caruth, who has since moved to the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.


Executive Editor at Frontstretch
Kevin Rutherford is the executive editor of Frontstretch, a position he gained in 2025 after being the managing editor since 2015, and serving on the editing staff since 2013.
At his day job, he’s a journalist covering music and rock charts at Billboard. He lives in New York City, but his heart is in Ohio — you know, like that Hawthorne Heights song.
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