As expected, Talladega delivered close finishes, big hits and a little bit of controversy. NASCAR’s biggest superspeedway was action-packed from start to finish and a YouTuber-turned-racer stole the spotlight. There was heartbreak for Jeb Burton and Ryan Preece, elation for Austin Hill and Austin Cindric, and plenty to discuss. Here are the biggest winners and […]
As expected, Talladega delivered close finishes, big hits and a little bit of controversy. NASCAR’s biggest superspeedway was action-packed from start to finish and a YouTuber-turned-racer stole the spotlight. There was heartbreak for Jeb Burton and Ryan Preece, elation for Austin Hill and Austin Cindric, and plenty to discuss.
Here are the biggest winners and losers from Talladega Superspeedway:
WINNER: Austin Cindric carries the baton for a battered Team Penske
Watch: Austin Cindric ‘so proud’ to finally win at Talladega
It’s strange to think that Austin Cindric and Josh Berry in the allied Wood Brothers car have both reached Victory Lane before Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano this year, but that’s exactly what happened. And Cindric now holds the distinction of securing a spot in the playoffs before either of his championship-winning teammates in three of the last four seasons. On Sunday, he was all Penske had to be proud of as Blaney wrecked early and Logano was later disqualified. Cindric is always a solid driver in these drafting races and could have easily won all three this year. However, he got wrecked while battling for the lead in both the Daytona 500 and Atlanta events, but he was not going to be denied this time. And fences were even mended as Kyle Larson — the driver who wrecked him out of the lead at Atlanta — pushed him across the finish line.
LOSER: RFK leaves Talladega with nothing to show for their efforts
Watch: Race Rewind: Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway
Five championship points. That is the combined total for all three RFK drivers at Talladega. Brad Keselowski, who desperately needed a good weekend with how deep in the standings he is, was taken out in the first wreck of the race while simply trying to get to pit road. Chris Buescher fell soon after, crashing moments into a restart while battling for the race lead. Neither saw the end of Stage 1. The one bright spot was Ryan Preece, who soldiered on, showing speed all day and nearly winning the race! He finished a career-best second after losing by just 0.022s in a photo finish, but he did not get to keep it. Preece’s car failed post-race inspection and so, he became the worst of the three RFK drivers in the final order. Officially, Buescher finished 34th, Keselowski 36th, and Preece 38th. Now that is a rough day at the office.
WINNER: Cleetus McFarland for bringing new eyes to the sport
Cleetus McFarland
Photo by: Getty Images
Focusing on ARCA for a moment, popular YouTuber Cleetus McFarland absolutely stole the show once again. Crediting cut-off sleeves and the power of Talladega Blvd, the internet entertainer turned professional race car driver put on a show on Saturday as he wheeled his wounded car to a 10th-place finish. But more importantly, he brought a ton of eyes to the sport with 70,000 people watching a livestream of his in-car camera … in an ARCA race. NASCAR even gained tens of thousands of new subscribers on their YouTube channel as a result. And while it’s clearly a persona, it’s far more entertaining than the carefully crafted driver personas we see every weekend who rattle off sponsor mentions and offer overused phrases to describe their day.
LOSER: Logano for keying the mic when he really shouldn’t have
Drivers are known to be impulsive and sometimes they open the radio channel when they really shouldn’t. But Logano was guilty of that following Stage 2 at Talladega. Frustrated with his teammate Cindric for not sticking with him in the final run to the flag, he radioed the following message to his Penske team: “Way to go Austin. Way to go, you dumbf***. Way to f****** go. What a stupid s*** He just gave it to him. Gave a Toyota the stage win. Nice job. Way to go. What a dumbf***.”
I believe that’s what we call a ‘crash out’ in 2025. But what makes it worse is that the replay clear shows Cindric getting a little loose in the treacherous tri-oval. He lifts and there is a stack-up that forces him out of line. Had he remained stuck to the back of Logano, he probably would have wrecked him. The radio rant raised eyebrows and even led to MLB legend and self-described NASCAR fan Chipper Jones slamming Logano on social media. And while things said in the heat of the moment over radio comms shouldn’t be taken seriously, there are times when you really shouldn’t push the button. This was one of them.
WINNER: Most of the drivers for a shockingly clean Talladega races
Crash involving Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing Ford; Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Photo by: Logan Riely / Getty Images
So, how about the drivers this weekend? The NASCAR Cup and Xfinity races were fairly clean from green flag to checkered flag. The Cup race saw just two cautions for cause and only four drivers wrecked out of the race. The Xfinity race had three, but no wreck was bigger than the four-car incident that eliminated Katherine Legge, Brandon Jones, and Aric Almirola. In that race, only a total of seven cars failed to finish due to crash damage, which is fairly low for a superspeedway. There were some small incidents that ended with big hits, but even ARCA was calmer than what we’ve come to expect out of that series, despite an awkward multi-car restart crash that abruptly ended the race.
LOSER: Hendrick had all the cards but couldn’t make a winning hand
Watch: Larson earns career-best finish on a superspeedway
The good news for Hendrick Motorsports is that all four of the HMS cars finished inside the top ten at Talladega — something they haven’t done there since 2011. However, despite all those cards to play, they never put together a winning hand. And there were several opportunities to do so. Kyle Larson never moved high when he cleared his teammates, choosing to sit behind Cindric and push instead. Ryan Preece — who was behind Larson — did take that opportunity and nearly won. William Byron and Alex Bowman were in control of the top but became disconnected at the very end. It just never seemed like they had a clear plan to control the race. It’s a far cry from the organization we saw from just two Richard Childress Racing cars on Saturday as Jesse Love and Austin Hill firmly controlled the pack for the majority of the Xfinity race.
WINNER: Austin Hill for becoming inevitable at all superspeedways
Watch: Hill wins at Talladega after end-of-race review following Zilisch wreck
Without a mechanical issue at Daytona, Austin Hill probably would have won all three drafting races so far this year in the Xfinity Series. He’s already won five of the last six races at Atlanta and three of the last four season-openers at Daytona, but the one refuge from whatever superspeedway magic he possesses was Talladega … until now. Hill had (surprisingly) never won at Talladega until this weekend, but when NASCAR reviewed the three-wide battle for the lead at the time of the race-ending caution, it was none other than Hill out front. It’s bewildering to see him navigate these chaotic races with such ease and now, he’s even conquered the mighty ‘Dega, which should frighten the entire field.
LOSER: Jeb Burton deals with a heartbreaking loss
Watch: Jeb Burton gets emotional after Talladega runner-up finish
Burton drove like a winner all day, but this sport has no mercy, especially for the underdog teams just trying to scratch out a living on the track. It was hard not to sympathize with Jeb Burton after Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity race at Talladega. The fate of his entire season rested in the split-second decision over when to push the caution button. He thought he had won the race, but NASCAR reviewed the still images they had available and ascertained that he had instead finished a very close second. It was heart-wrenching to watch the post-race interview as Burton showcased a rollercoaster of emotions that resembled the five stages of grief in some ways. And then he broke down, wiping tears away as he said, “We don’t have a lot of chances to win.” While it was just another superspeedway win for Hill, that victory would have completely changed things for Burton, and everyone watching felt his pain as he dealt with the reality of the finish.
WINNER: The crew guy unfazed by his close encounter with a 3,400lb stock car
Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Photo by: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
During a mid-race pit stop, Carson Hocevar’s crew came around the right-side of the car to go through the usual routine. But things didn’t go as planned this time as tire carrier Darius Morehead found himself in an unexpected meeting with a 3,400lb stock car, driven by Josh Berry. Trying to navigate around Hocevar into his own stall directly ahead of him, Berry clipped the tire Morehead was carrying, knocking him over the hood. Thankfully, he was okay and able to continue on working. FOX interviewed him later and he didn’t seem to be rattled at all, even comparing it to his football days and saying, “You get used to it.” Now that’s a winning mentality right there.
LOSER: Bell who probably hates superspeedway racing even more now
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota; Chris Buescher, RFK Racing Ford
Photo by: Sean Gardner / Getty Images
It’s no secret that Christopher Bell isn’t a big fan of superspeedway racing, and that opinion was likely only strengthened on Sunday. Yes, he won a drafting race at Atlanta earlier this year, but Daytona and Talladega have not been very kind to him. Earlier this year, he served as a launching pad for Preece’s unsanctioned flight in the Daytona 500 after getting turned from the lead. At Talladega, he was leading once again when he got turned near the end of Stage 1, slamming the inside wall head-on and destroying the front of his car.
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Race Preview: Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series At White Mountain Motorsports Park
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Mustang edges Corvette on streets of Detroit | Highlands News-Sun
DETROIT — Perhaps in was fitting that the GTD Pro class race came down to Mustang and Corvette on the streets of Detroit. But at the checkered flag, it was the No. 64 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Mustang GT3 that took a 1.623-second victory over the No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports entry to […]
DETROIT — Perhaps in was fitting that the GTD Pro class race came down to Mustang and Corvette on the streets of Detroit. But at the checkered flag, it was the No. 64 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Mustang GT3 that took a 1.623-second victory over the No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports entry to win the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic.
“To win in Detroit is a dream come true,” said Mike Rockenfeller, who shared the No. 64 car with Seb Priaulx. “It was a perfect weekend, where we started strong and didn’t make any mistakes to the finish. Finally, we got this top spot.
It was not an easy race because the competition is high here in IMSA. We had to be perfect in our driving, which makes this win especially rewarding. Thank you to Ford Performance, the Ford family and to Multimatic Motorsports for such a great day.”
The race was the proverbial battle of attrition you expect in a street course race. There’s going to be a fair amount of contact between cars and Detroit was no exception.
The No. 77 AO Racing Porsche and No. 4 Corvette were handed penalties for late-race contact while fighting for position, while the No. 65 Mustang was forced to retire from the race with several laps remaining after being taken out by the No. 48 Paul Miller Racing BMW.
“We got roughed up a little bit right at the start, and then got roughed up again the next corner after that,” said Tommy Milner, one of the drivers of the No. 4 Corvette. “But it’s street racing. Everybody gives a little bit. Sometimes you take a little bit, sometimes you give a bit more than you take. It’s just kind of how it goes sometimes.”
The No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini placed third and the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus placed fourth despite suffering a pair of drive-through penalties.
“We had that penalty early on after the contact, but the guys called a really good strategy to keep us out there long,” said Jack Hawksworth, who shared the Lexus with Aaron Telitz. “It was amazing. We were back in the pack, but Aaron rallied to finish fourth. From starting in the back to ending just one spot off of the podium, it shows how everyone on this Vasser Sullivan Lexus team never gives up.”
Some drivers will be heading to France to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 14-15, while the next IMSA race is Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen on Sunday, June 22. It is the third of five Michelin Endurance Cup races and all four classes will be in action.
Time to crown the King of Brands Hatch: the NASCAR Euro Series heads to the UK for American SpeedFest 12 – Speedway Digest
Paul Jouffreau and Thomas Krasonis spearhead the electric festivities that will take place at Brands Hatch on 7-8 June – Tens of thousands of fans will attend EuroNASCAR’s most popular event 22 teams and 38 drivers will compete in the NASCAR GP UK Four thrilling races await the competitors in PRO and OPEN Brands Hatch […]
Paul Jouffreau and Thomas Krasonis spearhead the electric festivities that will take place at Brands Hatch on 7-8 June – Tens of thousands of fans will attend EuroNASCAR’s most popular event
22 teams and 38 drivers will compete in the NASCAR GP UK
Four thrilling races await the competitors in PRO and OPEN
Brands Hatch hosts the 12th edition of their crown jewel EuroNASCAR event
Brands Hatch sets the stage for the third round of the 2025 NASCAR Euro Series championship: the ever popular American SpeedFest. The festival is one of the most awaited events on the calendar for drivers, teams and fans. Tens of thousands of fans will pack the 1.938 kilometer Indy Circuit for four thrilling NASCAR sprint races and an event growing American-themed festival. The twelfth edition of the American SpeedFest promises to bring an even bigger and better spectacle to Brands Hatch.
PRO: Three drivers in four points at the top
Three primary protagonists have emerged after two exciting rounds in both Spain and Italy. Paul Jouffreau from RDV Competition battled PK Carsport’s duo of Vittorio Ghirelli and Thomas Krasonis in four highly acclaimed races. The tension is palpable and the battles between them have always been tight but fair. The three drivers are separated by just four points as they head to Brands Hatch for a continuation of their exciting championship dogfight.
Jouffreau secured wins in Valencia and Vallelunga, taking the lead both in the overall standings and the Junior Trophy. Reigning champion Ghirelli returned to the top step of the podium at his home event in Italy and wants to make it double – or even triple – in the UK. Krasonis showed great adaptability to his new PK Carsport machinery and with a win in Spain, the Greek is poised for another shot of victory at a track where he took his first OPEN podium in 2024.
Gianmarco Ercoli is not that far behind and will be there to sniff for an opportunity to grab his first win of the season. The same goes for Dutch veteran Sebastiaan Bleekemolen, who enjoyed a much better start to his 2025 campaign. Garrett Lowe’s steady performances make him a threat for not only the class win in Junior Trophy, but also potentially the overall win. Just like in Spain and Italy, seven drivers will contest the special classification for fast and exciting young drivers.
Liam Hezemans aims to bounce back after suspension drama prevented the Rette Jones Racing driver from maximizing his result in Italy. Don’t count out Vladimiros Tziortzis, Fabrizio Armetta and Martin Doubek, who all have the potential to bring out an unexpected surprise that can dramatically shake up the running order.
Claudio Remigio Cappelli enters SpeedFest as the new leader of the Challenger Trophy. The Academy / Alex Caffi Motorsport driver battled championship contenders Jouffreau and Ercoli in Vallelunga, proving that the elite amateurs can fight against the best NASCAR drivers in Europe. Fellow countryman Max Lanza and Georgia’s own Davit Kajaia will be Cappelli’s closest contenders, while drivers such as Federico Monti, Jordan Wallace and Thomas Toffel will make their first PRO appearance in 2025.
OPEN: Close battles across the board
OPEN’s reputation for unpredictability comes true once again: Only 26 points separate the top-10 drivers after four races in Spain and Italy. Krasonis and Doubek took two wins apiece, but circumstances allowed past rivals in Patrick Schober and Melvin de Groot and new faces in Thomas Dombrowski, Sandro Tavartkiladze and Bruno Mulders to make the overall championship battle more exciting than ever.
Krasonis returns to the site of his first OPEN podium and pole position of 2024. With his wins in Spain and Italy, the Greek has only one goal for the 2025 NASCAR GP UK: victory. A driver who can deny the PK Carsport driver from achieving this is RDV Competition’s Schober. The Austrian is hungry for his first win of the season and will do everything he can to find his way back to the Victory Lane.
Master and Legend Trophy leaders Dombrowski and de Groot have come narrowly close to victories before, with Dombrowski in particular being only one straight away from a maiden win in Vallelunga. The Brands Hatch races have an element of chaos written all over them due to the track’s short and twisty layout. If the cards are played right, there’s a golden opportunity for the Frenchman and the Dutchman to bring home their first top silverware award in their careers.
Doubek knows the victory experience all too well: The two-time champion has won two races in 2025 and is the driver with the most wins in the OPEN division. The Hendriks Motorsport driver has the speed, but he’d like to get rid of the issues that deprived him of important championship points.
Tavartkiladze and Mulders have impressed in their rookie season so far, delivering top performances right from their first laps. They trailed Dombrowski in the Master Trophy battle by nine and ten points respectively, while eleven points is what separated de Groot from Roberto Benedetti in the Legend Trophy. Cappelli is 27 points behind, but will have the opportunity to recover points that he lost from the preceding races. The Lady Trophy features only Happinessa, with Arianna Casoli absent as she recovers from the injuries she suffered from in Vallelunga.
PRO
New challenge for Ulysse Delsaux – Thanks to a joint venture between Speedhouse and Club Competition, the Frenchman will pilot the #22 Chevrolet Camaro
Federico Monti returns to PRO – With Marc Goossens absent, Academy / Alex Caffi co-owner Federico Monti is back in PRO for the first time since 2022
Team Bleekemolen adds one more entry – American Jordan Wallace makes his EuroNASCAR debut as part of the Dutch team’s new #25 Chevrolet Camaro
OPEN
Two British drivers at home – Gordon Barnes returns to EuroNASCAR with Club Competition, while Matthew Ellis joins Lux Motorsport as a substitute for Mario Ercoli
A wakeskater’s competitive debut – After two appearances in Rookie Challenge, wakeskating star Mike Wise is ready for a big leap forward with his OPEN debut
Return to double duty – Thomas Toffel will drive the #34 M Racing Chevrolet Camaro in both PRO and OPEN
NASCAR Insiders provide latest on Corey Heim, 2026 Cup buzz
When you think of the top prospects in NASCAR, Corey Heim might be at the top of the list. The 22-year-old has been dominant in Truck Series competition this season and has a handful of Cup and Xfinity Series starts under his belt. Heim’s path to Cup is simple as he is currently signed with […]
When you think of the top prospects in NASCAR, Corey Heim might be at the top of the list. The 22-year-old has been dominant in Truck Series competition this season and has a handful of Cup and Xfinity Series starts under his belt.
Heim’s path to Cup is simple as he is currently signed with 23XI Racing as the team’s development driver. But it will not be Heim time in Cup next year. According to Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic, Heim will continue to run full-time outside of Cup while making spot Cup starts for 23XI.
Right now, Heim is blocked. Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace and Riley Herbst are all under contract for 2026. If 23XI believes Heim is capable of a full-time Cup ride, and they do, 2027 is the earliest at which he can secure his seat.
“He’s going to be a Sunday Cup guy,” 23XI co-owner Denny Hamlin said. “There’s no doubt in my mind about it. He’s going to be with 23XI for the long haul.”
Corey Heim destined for Cup ride with 23XI?
Heim currently pilots the No. 11 Tundra TRD Pro for Tricon Garage. Twelve races through the 2025 campaign, he is first in the points standings with four wins and 10 top 10s. Heim has made two spot starts in Cup this season, finishing 13th at Kansas Speedway and 37th at Nashville Superspeedway.
23XI is thus far thrilled with Heim’s performance. If it continues, he should have a Cup ride in the very near future.
“[Heim is] doing everything [he’s been] asked to,” Hamlin said. “He’s in the building multiple times per week, working on his craft, continuing to get better, waiting on the opportunity. And he knows he’s got a long-term future with 23XI Racing, and he’s happy with that. And he’s happy with the development process that we have set out for him in the future.
“But, ultimately, there’s only three cars, three charters that we’re allowed to have, and so we have to figure out in the future where we go with that.”
NASCAR driver averages: Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott lead Hendrick Motorsports to Michigan
CONCORD, N.C. – Kyle Larson visited victory lane three times in the NASCAR Cup Series at Michigan International Speedway prior to joining Hendrick Motorsports in 2021. But he’s hardly been a slouch at the 2-mile, D-shaped oval since, either. Larson enters this week with four finishes inside the top seven in his last five starts at […]
CONCORD, N.C. – Kyle Larson visited victory lane three times in the NASCAR Cup Series at Michigan International Speedway prior to joining Hendrick Motorsports in 2021.
But he’s hardly been a slouch at the 2-mile, D-shaped oval since, either.
Larson enters this week with four finishes inside the top seven in his last five starts at Michigan with three of those coming since taking over behind the wheel of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet. Michigan is one of four tracks Larson has won thrice at (Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway) and his three victories came in consecutive events across 2016 and 2017.
Over the course of those seasons, Chase Elliott registered three straight runner-up finishes at Michigan but is still looking to break through for his first win there. His average finish of 10.5 is tops among all drivers to have made more than three starts in the Wolverine State.
William Byron turned in the best performance of his career at Michigan last August, scoring third- and fourth-place finishes in stage one and two respectively before coming home in second.
Here’s a look at how all four drivers have fared in Michigan as well as a quick brush up on Hendrick Motorsports history:
RELATED: From Winner to Champion, Part 3: Championship Metal
Kyle Larson averages, statistics at Michigan
Starts:
16
Wins:
3
Poles:
2
Top fives:
7
Top 10s:
9
Laps led:
263
Average start:
13.5
Average finish:
12.4
Chase Elliott averages, statistics at Michigan
Starts:
14
Wins:
0
Poles:
0
Top fives:
3
Top 10s:
10
Laps led:
173
Average start:
10
Average finish:
10.5
RELATED: Dale Earnhardt picks up Rick Hendrick’s first victory as owner
EUR/USD Current price: 1.1386 EU inflation eased by more than anticipated in May, according to the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices. The focus shifts to United States employment-related data ahead of Friday’s NFP release. EUR/USD under near-term selling pressure, downside potential limited. The EUR/USD pair eases from its weekly peak on Tuesday, trading a handful […]
EU inflation eased by more than anticipated in May, according to the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices.
The focus shifts to United States employment-related data ahead of Friday’s NFP release.
EUR/USD under near-term selling pressure, downside potential limited.
The EUR/USD pair eases from its weekly peak on Tuesday, trading a handful of pips below the 1.1400 threshold, as the US Dollar (USD) found some footing after edging sharply lower at the beginning of the week. The market sentiment improved just modestly after Monday’s tensions, despite the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) expressing concerns about global economic growth.
“The global outlook is becoming increasingly challenging. Substantial increases in trade barriers, tighter financial conditions, weakened business and consumer confidence, and elevated policy uncertainty all pose significant risks to growth,” the OECD expressed in its 2025 Economic Outlook.
The Euro (EUR) fell amid the negative sentiment, and regardless encouraging inflation data. The EU Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) rose by 1.9% year-on-year (YoY) in May, below the European Central Bank’s (ECB) 2% target. The core annual figure printed at 2.3%, easing from the 2.7% posted in April and below the 2.5% anticipated by market players.
The focus now shifts to the US calendar, as the country will release April Factory Orders and the JOLTS Job Openings report for the same month. The latter will likely gather most of the attention ahead of the release of the Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) report next Friday.
EUR/USD short-term technical outlook
The EUR/USD pair trades around 1.1380, and the daily chart shows the slide could continue, although the risk of a steeper slide is well-limited. The pair trades above all its moving averages, with a flat 20 Simple Moving Average (SMA) providing support in the 1.1270 price zone. At the same time, the 100 SMA keeps advancing beyond a directionless 200 SMA, both far below the shorter one. Finally, technical indicators turned modestly lower but remain well into positive territory, reflecting the ongoing slide but far from suggesting mounting selling interest.
The near-term picture is pretty similar, with EUR/USD aiming to extend its decline, yet with limited downward scope. In the 4-hour chart, the pair is currently battling a bullish 20 SMA, which advances beyond directionless 100 and 200 SMAs. The Momentum indicator turned flat just above its 100 level after correcting overbought conditions, while the Relative Strength Index (RSI) indicator heads south, yet remains above its midline.
