Motorsports
Gallery: The Nürburgring 24 Dances to Its Own (Bass) Drum
Four days removed, I still hear the cars screaming by, the engines in the Porsches and Lamborghinis and BMWs wailing a high-pitched contrast to the uhn-tz uhn-tz uhn-tz techno bass backbeat blaring from all over the track. I’ve been to more than a dozen endurance races, mostly in the States and once at Le Mans, […]
Four days removed, I still hear the cars screaming by, the engines in the Porsches and Lamborghinis and BMWs wailing a high-pitched contrast to the uhn-tz uhn-tz uhn-tz techno bass backbeat blaring from all over the track. I’ve been to more than a dozen endurance races, mostly in the States and once at Le Mans, so when Volkswagen invited me out to this year’s Nürburgring 24, I figured I knew what I was in for. Turns out I had the rhythm and the melody right, but it all combined to create a very different racing song.
The near-mythical status the Nürburgring and its 24-hour race enjoy has only increased in the 20-plus years since Gran Turismo launched on PlayStation. Over the same period, it’s become old hat for automakers from all over the world to regularly one-up each other for production-car records on the Nordschleife. The race itself reigns as Germany’s premier motorsports event, and this year’s race touted a record-breaking 280,000-person crowd. Still, it took being on the ground for me to understand what sets this race apart.
Scale Sets the Tone
The track’s sheer magnitude—conceptually obvious for anyone who’s ever watched or sim-driven a lap—becomes readily apparent once you start hoofing it. I’m a regular hiker and spend most of my time as a spectator at various races, on my feet, looking for different viewing/shooting angles. But the 15.7-mile configuration used for the 24 requires a good bit of strategic planning if you want to hit the best spots. Or, if you’re like me, a couple of granola bars and bottles of water, plus a willingness to simply take what the day brings.
That enormity drives the weekend’s atmosphere and was, to me at least, the single biggest differentiator between this race and those at Daytona and Le Mans. One hundred and forty-one cars entered this year’s race—for context, this year, 61 cars entered the Daytona 24 and 62 took to the Circuit de la Sarthe—but that astronomical field has much more tarmac to cover at the ‘Ring. As a result, there’s plenty of space, sometimes minutes, between the action. No surprise, then, that fans have created such a contagiously happy dance-party-in-a-forest-while-watching-race-cars vibe.
Relatable Production-based Classes
As cool as bleeding-edge F1 and WEC/IMSA prototype tech and speed are, it’s tough to beat a good ol’ fashioned sports car race with recognizable production-based cars. SP 9, which is the top tier of the 22(!) classes, enables GT3-level preparation and includes models from Porsche, Ford, Lamborghini, McLaren, Aston Martin, BMW, and Audi.
Volkswagen, our hosts for the event, partnered with Max Kruse Racing to field three GTIs in the AT3 class (which utilizes an alternate fuel mixture of 60% renewable content), and qualified on pole with a Golf GTI Clubsport 24h. Benny Leuchter, who recently set the fastest production Volkswagen lap ever at the ‘Ring in the new GTI Edition 50, secured the class victory with co-drivers Nico Otto, Heiko Hammel, and Johan Kristoffersen. Also of note in AT3 was Chinese automaker Lynk & Co’s third-place finish in its first-ever attempt in the race.
Hyundai dominated the TCR class, finishing one-two, the second of which featuring former Indy Car driver Robert Wickens competing in a hand-control-prepped Elantra N. Plenty, if not most, of the cars in this year’s race were turbocharged, but the enthusiastic pewpewpuhpew from the Elantras’ blow-off valves ensured everyone knew exactly when the Korean manufacturer’s cars were sailing by.
The classes even accommodated a Dacia Logan, of all things, plus a VW Beetle RSR and an E36 BMW, so participants weren’t limited to the latest metal. As someone who’s raced a Miata in the same run group as current Trans Am cars, I can only imagine how much time the Dacia drivers spent looking in their mirrors.
Pro/Am Brings the Fun
There’s only so much track width between the ‘Ring’s walls, and from the first lap it’s readily apparent who’s comfortable using every available inch and who’s working hard just to keep their car in one piece. That’s not a criticism; sports car racing has mixed gentlemen drivers with pros since the very beginning. That one of the most challenging races in the world welcomes amateur drivers into its ranks adds a layer of complexity and gives hope to club racers everywhere.
That said, there were plenty of recognizable names in the field. Misha Charoudin, a ‘Ring regular and YouTuber known for doing laps in everything from a ’60s Mustang to the latest supercars, finished second in class in a BMW M4 GT4 EVO, while IMSA and WEC hot shoes Kevin Estre (fresh off a second-place finish at Le Mans in a Penske Porsche 963 the week prior) and Augusto Farfus battled it out for the top spot overall.
Battle at the Top of the Ticket
Speaking of Estre and Farfus, Sunday morning saw the race come down to a duel between their two teams. Estre and his codrivers had dominated the race in the “Grello” green-and-yellow Manthey EMA Porsche 911 GT3 R, and Estre was in the lead when he came into contact with an Aston Martin, flipping it onto its roof (you can see video of the incident here). Officials handed down a 100-second penalty to the Manthey car, which opted to wait till the end of the race for the time to be added on rather than serve the time in the pits. Farfus and the Rowe Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO (featured in the photo atop this story) finished 22 seconds behind the Grello Porsche at the flag but took the win after the penalty time was assessed.
The Rowe BMW had its share of incidents, however, and I happened to be positioned just ahead of the corner where driver Kelvin van der Linde spun the Sorg Rennsport Porsche Cayman GT4 car of Peter Cate.
As the two passed, I could see the Rowe BMW well-ensconced in the Cayman’s rear. Just as I was pivoting from the above shot for the next set of cars to come into view, the familiar scrubbing sound of rubber on asphalt—followed by the crunch of metal, carbon, and plastic into Armco—cascaded over me. The BMW had punted the Porsche. The ‘Ring’s extra-long Golden Hour (it doesn’t get dark till after 11:00 p.m.), combined with the dust kicked up from the Cayman’s spin, made for a hairy corner for the subsequent cars racing by. The Rowe car was assessed a 30-second penalty.
Though it still looked like a summer evening, it was getting late, so after bebopping my way past a few more corners and campsites with the now-familiar uhn-tz uhn-tz backdrop, I decided it was time for the nearly two-hour walk back to Volkswagen’s hospitality area. Through the farm fields and along the dirt paths in the heavily wooded areas alongside the track, I couldn’t help but smile and tap my fingers on my water bottle. Every 24-hour race is unique, but the Nürburgring 24 truly dances to the beat of its own 808 drum.
Motorsports
Kaulig Racing parts ways with Xfinity Series driver Josh Williams
Josh Williams is no longer with Kaulig Racing, the team announced Wednesday. The team stated that it will continue to field the No. 11 car in the Xfinity Series with multiple drivers the rest of the season. The team announced Wednesday afternoon that Carson Hocevar would drive the No. 11 car at Iowa in the […]
Josh Williams is no longer with Kaulig Racing, the team announced Wednesday.
The team stated that it will continue to field the No. 11 car in the Xfinity Series with multiple drivers the rest of the season.
The team announced Wednesday afternoon that Carson Hocevar would drive the No. 11 car at Iowa in the Xfinity race.
Austin Hill will miss Saturday’s Xfinity race at Iowa Speedway.
Williams, who turns 32 on Sunday, had been with the team since last season. In 54 races at Kaulig Racing, Williams had no wins, no top-five finishes and six top 10s. He placed 18th in the points last year and is 19th in the standings this season.
Williams has 240 career Xfinity starts with 17 top-10 finishes.
In a statement posted on social media, Williams wrote: “As most of you have seen, Kaulig Racing has made the decision to release me for the remainder of the season. This has been a difficult day for my family, friends, long-time partners and fans, whom I can’t thank enough for standing by my side through all of this. We will be back soon and looking forward to a much brighter chapter in my racing career. I wish nothing but the best for my guys on the 11 team.”
Motorsports
Josh Williams abruptly released by Kauilig Racing mid-season
NASCAR team Kaulig Racing has parted ways with their driver Josh Williams Josh Williams currently races the No. 11 car for Kaulig Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He’s run every race for the team this season. However, the No. 11 car will have a new driver starting this weekend at Iowa Speedway. The team […]
NASCAR team Kaulig Racing has parted ways with their driver Josh Williams
Josh Williams currently races the No. 11 car for Kaulig Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He’s run every race for the team this season.
However, the No. 11 car will have a new driver starting this weekend at Iowa Speedway. The team says they will rotate drivers in the car for the remainder of the season.
The 31-year-old has raced full time for the team since the start of the 2024 season. With 240 total Xfinity Series races over a 10-year career, Williams has collected 17 top-10 finishes.
Kaulig Racing announces the departure with Josh Williams
On Wednesday, the team made the following announcement:
“Kaulig Racing announced that is has parted ways with NASCAR Xfinity Series driver, Josh Williams, effective today.”
“Kaulig Racing will field the No. 11 Chevrolet with multiple drivers over the remaining 12 NASCAR Xfinity Series races.”
“More announcements regarding the driver lineup will be forthcoming.”
Josh Williams comments
The driver issued the following statement moments after the team release:
“As most of you have seen, Kaulig Racing has made the decision to release me for the remainder of the season,” Williams opened.
“This has been a difficult day for my family, friends, long-time partners and fans, whom I can’t thank enough for standing by my side through all of this.”
“We will be back soon and looking forward to a much brighter chapter in my racing career. I will nothing but the best for my guys on the 11 team.”
Update: The team has selected a replacement
For this weekend at Iowa Speedway, the team will have Carson Hocevar in the No. 11 car.
Hocevar will run double-duty at Iowa Speedway as he’ll also drive the No. 77 for Spire Motorsports in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Carson Hocevar comments:
“I love to race, anywhere, anytime, so when I was asked to drive the Kaulig Xfinity car at Iowa, I jumped at the opportunity,” said the enthusiastic Hocevar.
Hocevar added, “I’m grateful to the team at Kaulig Racing for believing in me and to Jeff Dickerson and my Spire team for letting me have some fun with the 11 team this weekend. I promise to make the most of it.”
Links
Josh Williams | Kaulig Racing | NASCAR
Motorsports
2025 NASCAR Odds: Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin Early Favorites For Iowa Corn 350
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The NASCAR Cup Series heads to the Iowa Speedway this weekend for the Iowa Corn 350. When it comes to the odds, bettors can dive into that action and place wagers on which driver they think has what it takes to win outright. Last week at the […]
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The NASCAR Cup Series heads to the Iowa Speedway this weekend for the Iowa Corn 350.
When it comes to the odds, bettors can dive into that action and place wagers on which driver they think has what it takes to win outright.
Last week at the Brickyard, Bubba Wallace got into victory lane with a historic win after closing at +1100. The early odds for Iowa have Bubba at +3500.
This week, Kyle Larson opens as the favorite, but he’s tied with Denny Hamlin in this spot at +450.
Who will take the checkered flag this weekend? Let’s dive into the odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of July 30.
Iowa Corn 350 2025
Kyle Larson: +450 (bet $10 to win $55 total)
Denny Hamlin: +450 (bet $10 to win $55 total)
Christopher Bell: +500 (bet $10 to win $60 total)
Ryan Blaney: +550 (bet $10 to win $65 total)
William Byron: +900 (bet $10 to win $100 total)
Joey Logano: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Chase Elliott: +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)
Tyler Reddick: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)
Chase Briscoe: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)
Ross Chastain: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)
Chris Buescher: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)
Kyle Busch: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
Josh Berry: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
Ty Gibbs: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)
Carson Hocevar: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)
Bubba Wallace: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
Brad Keselowski: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
Daniel Suarez: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)
Austin Cindric: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)
Alex Bowman: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)
Ryan Preece: +5000 (bet $10 to win $610 total)
Shane van Gisbergen: +12000 (bet $10 to win $1,210 total)
Noah Gragson: +13000 (bet $10 to win $1,310 total)
Erik Jones: +13000 (bet $10 to win $1,310 total)
Austin Dillon: +13000 (bet $10 to win $1,310 total)
AJ Allmendinger: +13000 (bet $10 to win $1,310 total)
John Hunter Nemechek: +15000 (bet $10 to win $1,510 total)
Todd Gilliland: +20000 (bet $10 to win $2,010 total)
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: +20000 (bet $10 to win $2,010 total)
Michael McDowell: +20000 (bet $10 to win $2,010 total)
Zane Smith: +25000 (bet $10 to win $2,510 total)
Justin Haley: +25000 (bet $10 to win $2,510 total)
Cole Custer: +30000 (bet $10 to win $3,010 total)
Ty Dillon: +40000 (bet $10 to win $4,010 total)
Riley Herbst: +40000 (bet $10 to win $4,010 total)
Cody Ware: +50000 (bet $10 to win $5,010 total)
Joey Gase: +100000 (bet $10 to win $10,010 total)
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Motorsports
NASCAR paint schemes preview: Larson, Elliott, Byron, Bowman to sport primary paint at Iowa
CONCORD, N.C. – With just four races remaining in the NASCAR Cup Series regular season, it’s time to get down to business for Hendrick Motorsports. Might as well dress the part. Classics abound in terms of paint schemes for this week’s race at Iowa Speedway. The Cup Series made its debut on the 0.875-mile oval last […]
CONCORD, N.C. – With just four races remaining in the NASCAR Cup Series regular season, it’s time to get down to business for Hendrick Motorsports.
Might as well dress the part.
Classics abound in terms of paint schemes for this week’s race at Iowa Speedway. The Cup Series made its debut on the 0.875-mile oval last year with Kyle Larson winning the pole and William Byron (second), Chase Elliott (third) and Alex Bowman (eighth) each earning a top-10 finish.
Larson returns in his No. 5 HendrickCars.com ride, Elliott will roll in his primary No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts scheme, Byron will settle into his green and black RAPTOR colors and Bowman’s set to go in his purple and black Ally livery.
The paint scheme preview is brought to you by Kelley Blue Book.
Here’s how the cars will look when they hit the track this weekend:
Motorsports
Kris Wright Slams The Gas Back With Venturini Motorsports
Alright, race fans, buckle up! Kris Wright is itching to hit the ARCA Menards Series tracks once again, and he’s reuniting with Venturini Motorsports for an action-packed hat trick of races. This isn’t just some casual comeback; it’s more like a “can’t-miss, grab-your-popcorn” event for anyone who loves a good ol’ underdog story. Wright’s been […]
Alright, race fans, buckle up! Kris Wright is itching to hit the ARCA Menards Series tracks once again, and he’s reuniting with Venturini Motorsports for an action-packed hat trick of races. This isn’t just some casual comeback; it’s more like a “can’t-miss, grab-your-popcorn” event for anyone who loves a good ol’ underdog story. Wright’s been around the block in NASCAR’s Xfinity and Truck Series, not to mention his impressive work in sports car racing. But this time, he’s back to where he’s shone before—with Venturini.
What’s the Deal?
If you’re asking, “Why should I care?” then here’s a quick spoiler. Wright isn’t just showing up for the ARCA Menards Series this season; he’s gearing up for three high-stakes tracks. First up? The fast oval of Iowa Speedway on August 1. Then comes the twisting, turning challenge of Watkins Glen on August 8. Finally, he’ll wrap it up on the iconic Kansas Speedway on September 26.
Talk about diversity! This isn’t just another driver dipping their toe in part-time racing. Kris Wright is putting his skills to the test across a serious mix of track styles. Wright himself said, “The combination of Iowa, Watkins Glen, and Kansas gives me a great variety of tracks, and I’m confident we can go out and compete for wins.” Yeah, Kris, you better bring your A-game because these tracks don’t mess around.
Why Should You Root for Kris Wright
For starters, Kris Wright’s stats make a solid case. Across 35 ARCA starts, he’s snagged eight top-five finishes and twelve top-ten finishes. Doesn’t sound too shabby, right? Throw in his full-time 2024 season with Venturini Motorsports, where he finished third in the ARCA national driver championship standings, and you’ve got a racer who knows how to take care of business.
But what makes Wright so intriguing is his versatility. NASCAR Trucks? Check. IMSA Prototypes? Double check. ARCA oval racing? Been there, done that, and he’s still hungry for more. Wright isn’t just a driver; he’s the quintessential motorsport Swiss Army knife, ready to adapt and dominate wherever the team needs him.
Venturini Motorsports Packs a Punch
If you’re not familiar with Venturini Motorsports, here’s a PSA that might help. This isn’t some middling operation; they’re a premier team under the Toyota GAZOO Racing banner. Specializing in blending young talent with gritty veterans, the squad has a knack for punching above its weight. Wright returning to the fold is practically a match made in motorsport heaven. Pair a talented, experienced driver with a rock-solid team, and what do you get? A legit shot at taking the checkered flag—not once, but three times this season.
Mark Your Calendars
Oh, and just a reminder, since some of you are setting alarms for these races, Iowa Speedway is this weekend. Don’t sleep on it. Watkins Glen and Kansas will quickly follow, so it’s a blink-and-you ’ll-miss-it kind of situation. Whether he’s weaving through Watkins Glen’s unforgiving turns or gassing it down Kansas’ straights, Kris Wright entering the fray adds a much-needed spark to the competition. And if you’re someone who loves rooting for a multi-talented underdog, there couldn’t be a better time to jump on the Kris Wright train.
Final Thoughts
Kris Wright isn’t just circling the ARCA schedule in 2025 as a filler driver. No, this guy wants wins and knows how to chase them. Sure, the odds aren’t exactly stacked in his favor, but what’s racing without a bit of chaos? Venturini Motorsports offers him a proven platform; now it’s on Wright to deliver on all that pent-up potential. Keep your eyes peeled, NASCAR and ARCA fans! This three-race deal is going to be worth the hype. Will Wright go all-in and snag a win? Your guess is as good as ours, but one thing’s for sure—we’ll all be watching.
Motorsports
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