In this week’s Motion Motorsport Report for InsideTrackNews.com, Dave Mathers laments the soggy Spring weekends, catches us up on the major international series and looks ahead to some local action this coming weekend.

Once again on the weekend, the Weather Gods were NOT kind to racetracks around Ontario with several events cancelled due to the weather. And when is this Global Warming stuff supposed to kick in? I’ve had my shorts on twice this year, and we are into June.

TV numbers have come in for Memorial Day Sunday and they show great improvements year over year for all three races. That’s really good news.

Apparently several IndyCar drivers are not happy with the extra 100 pounds that the hybrid system adds to their cars. It seems the extra weight hurts the handling and is harder on tire wear. Interesting.

Recent complaints about the IndyCar Technical Inspection Team have reached an all new level after the head-scratching post race penalties issued at Indy against three cars. Two Andretti Hondas were hit hard. Marcus Ericsson finished 2nd but was dropped to 31st after ‘modifications to the Dallara-supplied Energy Management System (EMS) covers and cover-to-A-arm mounting points with unapproved spacers and parts’!! Kyle Kirkwood finished 6th but was relegated to 32nd for ‘All parts provided by an Approved Supplier must be used as supplied without modification unless otherwise approved by IndyCar’. No mention of the parts that were ‘modified’ although most likely the same parts as Ericsson.

The third car, the Chev of Callum Iliott, was found to have violated the rules ‘ Front wing must adhere to the following Technical Inspection dimensions: Failure of the left side minimum endplate height Rule 14.7.6.4., which requires endplates, wing flaps and mainplanes remain in the designed location’. How did those ‘modifications’ get past pre-practice, pre-qualifying, post-qualifying and pre-race technical inspection?

And penalties of 29, 26 and 21 spots? Roger Penske fired his three top officials after the qualifying debacle early on at Indy and he now must immediately fire the entire technical inspection team and hire an outside company to provide independent, competent and unbiased technical services.

How do you think Honda feels after having the second place finisher punted to the bottom? The credibility of the series is in great jeopardy. And there is this – ‘each car receives a $100,000 fine and the team/competition managers for the three entries have been placed on a one-race suspension to be served at the next IndyCar Series event at the streets of Detroit’!! Hopefully the entire tech team also gets a ‘time out.’

FLAMBORO SPEEDWAY – APC UNITED RACING SERIES LATE MODELS

This Saturday night (June 7) at Flamboro Speedway, the APC United Racing Series Late Models are in action with the Grisdale Racing Products 150. The busy racing card will also feature the Can-Am TQ Midgets and Pure Stocks with practice, qualifying and 150 laps for the Late Models as well as practice, heat races and features for the TQs and Pure Stocks.

It’s finally starting to warm up in the region and Saturday night looks like a great night to head to Flamboro Speedway to see the amazing APC Late Models in action at the high-speed Flamboro oval. Spectator gates open at 4 p.m. with the APC Series – NTN Triple Crown event Grisdale Racing Products 150 scheduled to take the green flag at 8:30 p.m. For more information, click HERE to visit the Flamboro Speedway homepage.

WASAGA BEACH CRUISERS – CRUISE FEST WEEKEND

The Wasaga Beach Cruisers are holding their Cruise Fest Weekend on Saturday, June 21 in Klondike Park in Wasaga Beach, ON. Their weekly Monday night cruise events started May 12 at the Stonebridge Gazebo across from the Walmart parking lot. The cruise nights start between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m. and run until dusk. Click HERE for more information about Cruise Fest.

FAMILY FUN WEEKEND AT ST. THOMAS DRAGWAY

The group that brings you the exciting 660 Sportsman Nationals is presenting the inaugural Family Fun Weekend June 20-22 at St. Thomas Dragway.

The jam-packed drag racing event will feature: Rick Ream’s Wheelstanding Studebaker Firetruck, Neale Armstrong’s Northern Warrior Jet Dragster, Nostalgia Funny Cars – Matt Stambaugh Generation X vs Paul & Brian Noakes new ’67 Chevy II dubbed Wheeler Dealer (below), CJR Hellcats, Canada’s fastest Durango & 9-second Trackhawk, a Batmobile, the Ecto1 from Ghostbusters, the Blues Brothers Car, Ontario Nostalgia Drag Racing and bracket racing. First Responders and Service Club members receive special discount pricing!

Click on the flyer at right for more info, and visit the 660 Sportsman Nationals Facebook page for the latest news and everything you need to know about this first-time event.

BARRIE AUTOMOTIVE FLEA MARKET

This weekend… The 41st annual Spring Barrie Automotive Flea Market (BAFM) takes place June 5-8 at Burl’s Creek Event Grounds just off Highway 11 in Oro-Medonte. BAFM offers everything from collectibles and classic cars to those hard-to-find car parts. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, you likely can’t find it anywhere. BAFM is a car lover’s dream! Visit www.thebafm.com or call (705) 487-3663 for info.

BROCKVILLE ONTARIO SPEEDWAY

Brockville Ontario Speedway: The BOS heats up this Saturday, June 7 with an evening of racing sponsored by Polite Sand & Gravel. On track will be the Surprenant Truck Shop Crate Sprints, Modifieds, Sportsman, Novice Sportsman, Mini Stocks and the Vintage division. Click HERE for more info. And looking ahead, the Empire Super Sprints make their way to The BOS on June 21. And on July 12, the Ogilvie’s Triple Crown Series takes to the track. And you won’t want to miss the Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds on July 30!

CASC-OR

CASC-OR held its SMP Cup at Shannonville this past weekend. Watch InsideTrackNews.com for results and photos from that event, in the coming days. The VARAC Vintage Grand Prix returns to CTMP June 12-15. And the BARC Canadian Touring Trophy Races are slated for July 26-27 at CTMP. Click HERE to visit the CASC-OR homepage.

NASCAR Cup – Chase Briscoe (Toyota) picked up another pole for the Cup race Sunday night at Nashville Superspeedway over Kyle Larson and William Byron (both in Chevs). All 40 entries qualified with 17 Chevs, 13 Fords and 10 Toyotas. Those numbers were from Saturday but on Sunday the Starting Lineup showed 39 cars and 16 Chevs. One car must have dropped out.

Stage 1 ran clean and green with Denny Hamlin getting the stage win. On lap 105 two ‘protagonists’ got together as Carson Hocevar punted Ricky Stenhouse up and into the wall for the first race caution. On lap 113 Alex Bowman slid up into Noah Gragson sending both into the wall for another yellow. Gragson’s right front wheel was pointing the wrong way as he slid down the track. As always is the case yellows breed yellows and on the restart Christopher Bell and Erik Jones got together with Bell just touching the wall. Caution flag. On lap 129 Brad Keselowski got together with Corey Heim causing Heim to spin into the wall. Yellow. Ryan Blaney won Stage 2. On lap 194 Ryan Preece looped it between 3 & 4 just touching the wall and kept going. Yellow. At the flag it was Ryan Blaney over Hocevar and Hamlin.

Next race – Mexico City, Sunday, 3 P.M. on TSN 3.

NASCAR Xfinity Series – William Sawalich (Toyota) won the pole for Saturday night’s Xfinity race at Nashville Superspeedway over Austin Hill (Chev) and Sam Mayer (Ford) 40 cars vying for the 38 starting spots. 26 Chevs, 6 Fords and 6 Toyotas.

Not sure what was going on with the race but the TV broadcast on CW showed ‘We are currently experiencing technical difficulties….’ and NASCAR Live Timing showed incomplete Cup qualifying.

From jayski.com – on lap 35 Kyle Sieg got loose and collected Parker Retzlaff in 4 for a yellow. On lap 44 Corey Day looped it for another yellow. Jeremy Clements won Stage 1. On lap 61 Thomas Annunziata hits Blaine Perkins sending him through the infield grass for a caution. Points leader Justin Allgaier won Stage 2. On the stage restart chaos broke out. It appeared the leaders started late and they stacked up behind them. Involved were Christian Eckes, Harrison Burton, Brandon Jones, Ryan Ellis, Kyle Sieg, Anthony Alfredo, Josh Williams and Annunziata. Lots of damage. Yellow. At the flag it was points leader Allgaier for the win over Connor Zilisch and Mayer. In the points Allgaier now leads Austin Hill by 92 and Mayer by 110.

Next race – Mexico City, Saturday at 4.30 P.M. on CW.

NASCAR Craftsman Trucks – points leader Corey Heim (Toyota) won the pole for the Truck race Friday night at Nashville Superspeedway over Kaden Honeycutt (Chev) and Layne Riggs (Ford). Canadian Stewart Friesen (Toyota) started 13th. 32 trucks, 16 Chevs, 10 Fords and 7 Toyotas. Two laps into the race and the yellow came out for ‘fluid’ in corner 1. Two laps after that Frankie Munoz retired from the race due to ‘engine troubles’. Hmm, any connection? Riggs grabbed the Stage 1 win. On lap 55 Jack Wood spun in 4 but kept it off the walls but Akinori Ogata looped it checking up. Caution. Heim got back to the front to win Stage 2. At the flag it was Rajah Caruth (started 10th) ahead of Heim and Riggs. Friesen finished 21st.

In the points Heim stretches it out over Hemric with a 122 point cushion and he is 125 ahead of Chandler Smith. Friesen sits 12th.

Next race, MIS, Saturday at noon on Fox.

Formula One – At the Spanish Grand Prix on the weekend Lando Norris (McLaren) was quickest in FP1while teammate Oscar Piastri topped FP2 and FP3 and also won the pole over Norris and Max Verstappen (Red Bull). Canadian Lance Stroll qualified 14th but did not start the race after experiencing ongoing pain in his hand and wrist. At the start Verstappen quickly dispatched Norris and moved into 2nd while Leclerc moved up from 7th in short order. At the halfway mark it was Piastri over Norris and Leclerc.

Things went clean and green until lap 55 (of 66) when Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) ran off track into the gravel trap while running 7th. Safety car. After five safety laps the green came back out. On the restart Verstappen appeared to have no grip on his tires and got passed by Leclerc for third. George Russell (Mercedes) and Verstappen traded some paint on the penultimate lap with Russell getting the spot. At the flag it was Piastri over Norris and Leclerc. Good race, lots of passing on track and only one caution period. The stewards deemed that Max was the aggressor and he was dropped to 10th in the finishing order.

In the Drivers’ Championship Piastri now leads Norris by 10 and Max by 49.

In the Constructors’ Championship McLaren leads Ferrari by an eye-popping 197 and Red Bull by 203.

Next race – Montreal, Sunday, June 15.

IndyCar – In a run that I didn’t see coming Colton Herta won the pole for the IndyCar Detroit Grand Prix over David Malukas and Kyle Kirkwood. 27 cars. The start was actually almost perfect as opposed to the brutal start at Indy. Action started almost immediately as spots up front were swapped right away. Kirkwood got around Malukas while Christian Lungaard and points leader Alex Palou followed him past Malukas. It was really good to see a bunch of different leaders at the front instead of just a ‘follow the leader’ show. At the halfway mark it was Kirkwood over Herta and Pato O’Ward. On lap 67 Callum Ilott got into the wall due to losing a left front wheel right after a pit stop. Yellow. Shortly afterwards Malukas punted Palou into the tire barrier for another caution. With a little more than 20 laps to go Kirkwood’s front wing was dragging on the track at speed after contact. Tense!! On lap 83 Felix Rosenqvist and Louis Foster got together with both ending up in the tire walls. Foster appeared to run out of brakes and climbed up onto the back of Felix. Yellow. Then red due to the damage to the tire barriers.

At the flag it was Kirkwood over Santini Ferrucci and Herta.

Next race – Gateway, Sunday, June 15.

IMSA – Acura took the top two GTP spots at Detroit with the Yelloly/van der Zande pair ahead of Braun and Blomqvist. 11 P cars. In PRO the two Canadian Multimatic Mustangs of Priaulx/Rockenfeller (below) and Vervisch/Mie topped the 11 PRO cars.

Five minutes in and the first yellow came out for a big piece of debris on the track. At the halfway mark it was the Penske Porsche of Felipe Nasr leading the P class and the Ferrari of Albert Costa tops in PRO. Another full course yellow came out with just over an hour expired when more debris ended up on track after some ‘rubbing is racing’ amongst the PRO cars. After about ten minutes of yellow the green came back out.

Things went smoothly to the flag with pole sitter Renger van der Zande (Acura) winning over Ricky Taylor (Cadillac) and Mathieu Jaminet (Porsche). In PRO the pole sitting Multimatic Mustang of Mike Rockenfeller got the win over Alexander Sims (Corvette) and Marco Mapelli in the Pfaff Racing Lambo. A good race with some cool passing. Well done.

Next race – Mid-Ohio, Sunday, June 6.

24 Hours of LeMans – Sat, Jun 14 & Sun, Jun 15.

NHRA – the series stopped at New England Dragway on the weekend.

Top Fuel – Doug Kalitta, once again, topped the 15 cars running a 3.670 at 337.24. Canadian Dan Mercier qualified 11th. Kalitta also won the #2Fast2Tasty Top Fuel Challenge over points leader Tony Stewart. In the final Brittany Force ran a 3.694 at a VERY stout 340.39 to take out Tony Stewart. 4 ‘upsets’ (lower qualified car wins) and 7 ‘smokers’ (1 or both cars lose traction).

Funny Car – Austin Prock, not surprisingly, was quickest of the 16 floppers running a 3.860 at 334.48. Canadian Spencer Hyde qualified 8th. ‘Fast Jack’ Beckman won the #2Fast2Tasty Funny Car Challenge over Matt Hagan. J.R. Todd ran a 3.888 at 332.43 to beat Canadian Spencer Hyde who lost traction in the final. 8 upsets and 10 smokers.

Pro Stock – Cody Coughlin topped the 16 cars in Pro Stock running a 6.537 at 210.28. Matt Hartford won the #2Fast2Tasty Pro Stock Challenge over Dave Connolly who was filling in for Canadian Eric Latino who is recovering from knee surgery. It was interesting to see Connolly tree Greg Anderson in the second round and then lift. Hmmm, team orders perhaps? Anderson went on to win with a 6.469 at 212.19 over Erica Enders who got loose. 3 upsets and 3 smokers.

Mountain Motor Pro Stock – Chris Powers ran a 6.288 at 223.62 for top spot of the 8 entries. Powers won the final over Pluchino, who was shut off at the line, running a 6.723 at 223.47. 1 upset and 1 smoker.

Next race – Bristol, Sunday at 3 P.M. on Fox Sports Racing.

NASCAR Canada Series – The race scheduled last Sunday for Chaudière has been postponed until Saturday, August 2 due to the weekend weather concerns. Next race – Sunset, Saturday, June 21

APC Series – next race – Flamboro, Saturday.

Ontario Sportsman Series – in qualifying for the race at Full Throttle Speedway Saturday night Brad Robinson won the pole over Brendan Patrick and Shawn McGlynn. 9 cars. Connor James won the race over Patrick and Robinson.

Next race – Sunset, Saturday, June 14

Delaware Speedway – 44 Bone Stocks – Taylor Everest won Heat 1, Sterling Roberts won Heat 2, Gary Triska won Heat 3, Paul Fothergill won the B-Main while Jo Lawrence (left) won the Main over Roberts and Colin Willems. 10 V/8 Stocks saw Jeremy Taggart win the heat while Barry Watson (middle) won the Feature over Taggart and Doug Stewart. There was actually a Chrysler 300 in the race driven by Chad Clutterbuck. Yup, a Chrysler 300!! In the 12 car Late Models Logan White won Heat 1, Jesse Kennedy won Heat 2 and in the closest finish (0.01 seconds) in a very long time Jake Sheridan (right) won the Main over Kyle Steckly and Ray Morneau. Rumours have it that Sheridan was too light in the Room of Doom. Photos by Chris Culos.

Next race – SUPER MODS, Super Stock and V/8 Stock, Friday.

Ohsweken Speedway – next race – Art Hill Memorial, Friday.

Flamboro Speedway – next race – APC Series, Saturday.

660 Sportsman Nationals – Family Fun Weekend – St. Thomas Dragway, June 20-22.

Buxton Speedway – next race – Southern Ontario Sprints, Saturday.

Full Throttle Motor Speedway – next race – Bailey’s Repair Center Night, Saturday.

Sunset Speedway – next race – Super Late Models, Saturday.

Grand Bend Speedway – next race – NASCAR Weekly Series, Saturday.

Grand Bend Dragway – next race – Great Canadian Truck Show, June 13 & 14.

St. Thomas Dragway – next race – ONDR & Points Series, this weekend.

Toronto Motorsports Park – next race – Canada Heads Up, this weekend.

Speed Promotions Racing (No Prep) – TMP, weekend of July 12.

Can Am Stock/Super Stock – next race – Empire, this weekend.

Quick 32 Sportsman Series, Pro Bike & Sled Series (PBSS) and 5.50 Super Series, weekend of June 21, Empire Dragway.

John Scotti NHRA Canadian Championship Series – next race, June 15, Luskville.

Shannonville Drags – first race – June 7 & 8.

Any comments can be sent to Dave Mathers via email at motionman@rogers.com or by Facebook Messenger.

Atlanta Motor Speedway, the Speedway Motorsports-owned oval in Hampton, Georgia, has been renamed EchoPark Speedway as part of a new, seven-year partnership with EchoPark Automotive.

The 850-acre facility has undergone a facelift in preparation for its national debut later this month when the NASCAR Cup Series visits for the Quaker State 400 on June 28. Updates feature EchoPark’s signature green color, as well as the new track logo on track walls, in Victory Lane and throughout the concourse.

Specializing in pre-owned vehicle sales, EchoPark Automotive is one of three operating segments of Sonic Automotive, Inc., a Fortune 300 company and one of the largest automotive and powersports retailers in the United States.

“We’re thrilled to partner with an innovative, customer-focused company like EchoPark Automotive as the entitlement partner of our newly named EchoPark Speedway,” said Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith. “EchoPark Automotive is as committed to exceptional customer service as we are, and we know that together we’ll elevate our fan experience to a new level unmatched for Southern hospitality. This partnership will fuel great experiences for fans attending our speedway for years to come.”

For more information, visit echoparkspeedway.com.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.

Spire Motorsports have announced that Corey LaJoie will be returning to the team for nine races in 2025 after signing a new deal.

LaJoie previously drove for Spire in the NASCAR Cup Series from 2021 through to 2024, but split with the team late last season, completing the final seven races of the year with Rick Ware Racing.

LaJoie has remained associated with RWR in 2025, but only on a part time basis, meaning he has completed just three races so far.

NASCAR fans will have noticed that the 33-year-old has landed himself a new broadcast role as part of Prime Video’s coverage of the Cup Series, but on top of that, it appears he is going to back out on track much more in the second half of the season.

READ MORE: Kyle Larson and Bubba Wallace among NASCAR Cup Series stars hit with penalties at Nashville

Corey LaJoie returns to Spire Motorsports

Following the Nashville race weekend, Spire Motorsports have confirmed that LaJoie will drive the No. 07 Chevrolet for nine of the final 13 races in the Truck Series this season.

The 33-year-old will make his ‘debut’ with the team as soon as this weekend at Richmond, set to compete in the DQS Solutions and Staffing 200.

“I’m looking forward to getting back in the seat and chasing some NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series wins,” LaJoie said in an official Spire Motorsports statement.

“I put in a lot of work in the early days to help shape Spire Motorsports, and I still have some friends that have been there since day one, so it’ll be good to see them.

“The No. 07 team has been bringing some fast trucks to the track this year and are looking for a spot in the owner’s playoffs.

“It’ll be nice to have some consistency with the team to get acclimated to these vehicles, chase some wins, and hopefully, a CRAFTSMAN Truck Series owner’s championship.”

READ MORE: NASCAR confirm triple penalty for Cup Series team after Nashville incident

Related

HAMPTON, Ga. — Say goodbye to the Atlanta Motor Speedway and hello to EchoPark Speedway.

Gov. Brian Kemp joined officials on Tuesday morning at the iconic track in Hampton to announce the new name.

EchoPark Automotive has secured a seven-year, multimillion dollar agreement for the naming rights.

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Channel 2’s Alison Mastrangelo was there as the new name and branding were unveiled around the speedway.

“We’re thrilled to partner with an innovative, customer-focused company like EchoPark Automotive as the entitlement partner of our newly named EchoPark Speedway,” said Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith. “This partnership will fuel great experiences for fans attending our speedway for years to come.”

After the announcement, NASCAR driver Ross Chastain took Gov. Kemp on a ride around the newly renamed track.

Fans will get their first chance to see the new track logo along the track walls and Victory Lane at the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart on Saturday, June 28.

EchoPark Automotive specializes in pre-owned vehicle sales and is one of three operating segments of Sonic Automotive, Inc., a Fortune 300 company and one of the largest automotive and powersports retailers in the U.S.

According to a news release, EchoPark Automotive operates 17 locations in 13 markets, including Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama, where a majority of Atlanta NASCAR fans travel from each year to visit the historic speedway.

“We have enjoyed serving guests in the Atlanta metro area since EchoPark Atlanta opened its doors in 2020,” said David B. Smith, Chairman and CEO of Sonic Automotive. “This partnership allows us to share the value of the exceptional EchoPark car-buying experience with more guests in Atlanta and the surrounding area who enjoy the excitement of NASCAR racing at this iconic venue.”

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ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Atlanta Motor Speedway is no more — at least, as far as its name goes.

State officials, NASCAR drivers and the speedway’s leadership gathered on Tuesday to announce the venue’s new name: EchoPark Speedway. The venue is decked out in the company’s signature green, and the sign above the grandstands now reads “EchoPark Speedway.”

WATCH THE LIVE ANNOUNCEMENT ON ANF+:

Owned by Sonic Automotive, a Fortune 300 company, EchoPark Automotive specializes in selling pre-owned vehicles. In 2020, the company opened a storefront in Duluth. Later that year, it also sponsored the speedway’s EchoPark 250, a NASCAR Xfinity Series race.

Sonic Automotive CEO David Smith said during the announcement that he hopes the renaming helps Echo Park become a household name.

Open since 1960, the iconic speedway has been home to some of NASCAR’s closest race finishes. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said it sees more than 1 million visitors each year and has an estimated annual economic impact of $250 million.

“To me, today is just another feather in our cap, if you will, when you think about the great sports Mecca that Georgia is becoming,” Kemp said.

The speedway’s EchoPark partnership will last for at least seven years, as per the agreement.

The next major race at EchoPark Speedway is the Quaker State 400 on June 28.

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