Motorsports

Pit crew challenge? In the NASCAR Next Gen era, every tenth is a test.

CONCORD, N.C. – The very nature of progression is that a curve will eventually begin to flatten. But Hendrick Motorsports hasn’t piled up 14 NASCAR Cup Series championships and 315 wins (and counting) by not being ahead of the curve. Now, to stay there. In the fourth season of the Gen 7, single-lug-nut era, the once-rapid […]

Published

1 month ago

May 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

CONCORD, N.C. – The very nature of progression is that a curve will eventually begin to flatten.

But Hendrick Motorsports hasn’t piled up 14 NASCAR Cup Series championships and 315 wins (and counting) by not being ahead of the curve.

Now, to stay there.

In the fourth season of the Gen 7, single-lug-nut era, the once-rapid improvement of pit stop times has begun to slow. Yet, crews continue to dig for every thousandth of a second, pushing the limits of what is possible in terms of swapping out four tires and filling a tank of fuel.

There’s plenty of statistical data pointing to continued, yet tapering gains on pit road. But with fast stops now clicking in under nine seconds, how much further – and faster – can crews possibly go?

Theories abound.

“I think we’re just scratching the surface, really,” projected Mike Moss, rear-tire changer on the No. 5 Chevrolet. “There’s so much gray area … we’re talking about thousandths of seconds now. So, I think we’ll hit a seven-second stop this year, probably a high seven, like a 7.8 or something like that. But I think the limit will probably be about 7.1 I’d say. Let’s just say a 6.9, how about that?”

Andrew Bridgeforth, the rear-tire changer on the No. 48 team, heads for the left side of the car during a pit stop at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Though not all were as confident as Moss when it comes to the margin, across the board, crewmen on all four of Hendrick Motorsports’ teams agreed that continued tweaking and experimentation should lead to further strides.

“In your mind, you kind of think that there’s a limit, but you just keep pushing and scratching to find tenths, half-of-tenths of a second,” said TJ Semke, jackman for the No. 9 team. “A week ago, we ran a 7.64 in practice and in your head, you think, ‘Well, that’s probably about tapped out.” But then you think, ‘We could have done a faster right side, we could have done a faster left side, if we’d only pieced this and this together.’ It’s hard to fathom for a lot of people what a tenth is and how hard it is to find a lot of times but that becomes the passion as you get into this. You get hungry, you get greedy, you watch film over and over and practice so hard just to find a tenth. It’s fun to chase after that. It’s fun to find. And we’re always looking.”

So, how hard really is a tenth of a second to find? And how much could a tenth of a second on pit road really mean?

Our friends from Racing Insights provided some data from every points-paying race in the Next Gen era(2022-present) except for events on the Bristol Dirt Track in 2022 and 2023 in which competitive pit stops were not allowed. And two things were immediately apparent – the continued march forward is still in progress and the margins between crews on pit road continue to tighten.

For instance, the average time of the best pit stop in each race in 2022 was 10.2219 seconds. In 2023 it was 9.858. Last year, it fell again to 9.5797. And through 11 races in 2025 (the data was collected before last Sunday’s race at Kansas Speedway), that number was up a tick to 9.5836 seconds from 2024, yet as a whole was still ahead of pace. The average fastest pit stop in 2024 through the first 11 races of the year was 9.774 seconds.

A similar story is told when looking at the teams who established the fastest average time through each event in the same time period. In 2022, that number was 11.1606 seconds, declining to 10.6146 in 2023 and 10.3224 in 2024. Prior to Kansas this year, the best average pit stop per race was at 10.3377 seconds, but over three tenths of a second better from the first 11 races of 2024 (10.693 seconds).

In short, it’s a simple story for NASCAR Cup Series pit crews these days – get better or get left behind. And in that effort, there’s no shortage of ideas and little teams won’t try to find an edge.

“Our guys come up with stuff. They try stuff and we will talk through it in practice and we’ll try different techniques here and there and if it works, great,” Jacob Claborn, head pit coach at Hendrick Motorsports, said. “If it doesn’t, we can it and move on.

“For example, there’s a specific way that one of our jackmen started dropping the right side of the car and getting to the left side of the car and we found speed in that and other guys have picked that up. Just little things here and there. So, there’s definitely always going to be room to grow with it. It’s going to come down to the consistency of doing it every single time.”

Therein lies the rub: It’s one thing to rip off a fast pit stop. It’s another to do it time and time again, which is the demand of Next Gen racing.

The No. 24 pit crew looks on during a caution flag.

And, just where are the gains going to come from? The answer to that question is what has crew chiefs, pit coaches and crewmen digging each day. And again, theories vary.

“I think the biggest thing is going to be the right sides,” Moss said. “Right now, on average the right sides are between three (seconds) to a 3.4. If we can consistently get them below that … it’s hard to run a 2.8 right side, everybody has to execute, but if we can continue to be consistent, once we get to 2.7, 2.8 right sides the left side is the easy part.”

It’s hard to imagine any easy part existing. The truth is, never before has the spotlight shone so brightly on pit crews as in the current, Next Gen era. On-track passing has never been more difficult, putting further onus on limiting mistakes on pit road. Add to that ever quickening four-tire stops and a continued narrowing of the margin between the best crews and the worst and any, tiny mishap could be devastating to the entire day of a race team.

Moss was once a collegiate athlete, playing basketball for three years at St. Joseph’s College in Indiana before transferring to play a season of football at Robert Morris. It’s a path taken by many in the business who eventually land on NASCAR pit crews and along with athleticism, a life spent in the throes of competition forges competitiveness and grit.

Then there’s the ability to shoulder the immense pressure that comes with the pursuit and demand of perfection. Ask a Hendrick Motorsports crew member about pressure and he’ll likely dismiss it, citing that, “pressure is a privilege”.

But it’s there, nonetheless. And it’s something Hendrick Motorsports crewmen must face head on with every trip to the race track and with every leap over the wall.

“There’s a heightened pressure but that’s what we signed up for,” John Gianninoto, fueler for the No. 9 squad said. “If you don’t have that pressure it probably means the stop doesn’t matter. We’re looking forward to when it comes to crunch time and we’re trying to get that win and we have to beat that other team out.”

“Everyone handles pressure in their own way,” Semke added. “A lot of times, pressure makes you perform and having those nerves, that pressure and that weight, I think, is a good way to work harder, hone your skills and keep pushing. People want to be where you’re at. It’s an honor to hold this position as long as we’ve had it.”

Semke and Gianninoto are part of a No. 9 squad that has remained largely intact since 2018. That longevity and familiarity is certainly an advantage, especially when it comes to teamwork in conditions in which verbal communication is often impossible amid the roar of engines. And with five bodies in motion in close quarters while slinging tires, jacks and heavy fuel cans, developing a sense for one another’s movements is huge not only in the quest for time, but in terms of safety as well.

No. 9 team jackman TJ Semke (center) huddles with his teammates on pit road during a NASCAR Cup Series race in 2025.

Still, Gianninoto said fine tuning continues, even for a group as tenured as the 9 crew.

“We’re still learning with each other, which is funny since we’ve been with each other so long,” Gianninoto said. “We’re all learning how our bodies mingle with each other, where I can get more room where you can get more room, where you can take more space to make your job a bit faster. That’s really what we’ve been focusing on: How we can mesh together to take advantage of all of our body types and if one guy can get in the hub faster than the other, can he give more room when he gets the tire out, so we get the tire back in?”

To that point, Ryan Patton, tire carrier for the No. 24 car, also said taking each other’s movements into account is a key to continuing to find more speed in stops.

“At some point, I think it may plateau, but as of right now we’re still searching for those tenths here or there,” Patton said. “It’s not just like, ‘How can I be better at my particular task?’ It’s, ‘OK, how can I set up the guy working beside me?’ How can I make sure that on the right side of the car, I’m placing the right front tire in the right spot for (jackman) Spencer (Bishop)) to be able to grab it most efficiently and quickly to put the right-front tire on? Where am I at as I’m running across the front of the pit box so Jeff (Cordero), my front changer, can see the car better so he can pick it up faster to anticipate where (driver William Byron is) going to stop? All while I need to be on time in the right rear.

“I think that’s one thing that as you look at times people don’t really think about is, they see our names like up on the marquee and they’ll watch the pit stop competition and they’re going to put our name up on a graphic, but it’s not just that. It’s all of the guys even down to the engineers, the guys that set up the car … every person has a hand in like a fast pit stop. So, if you can get all those things to click, then yeah, in the right magic potion, you’ll see those high sevens, low-eight-second pit stops.”

Jacob Conley returns over the wall after fueling the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet at a race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

At least, at some circuits. Stop times are also directly affected by the track. Referring back to the graph, pit stops spike at drafting tracks, which are often home to fuel-mileage races in the Next Gen era. Now with the single lug nut and three-plus years of reps, it takes longer to fill a car with gas than it does to change four tires, meaning drivers are waiting on fuelers to pack it as full as humanly possible.

Often, road course races can become mileage wars as well. So, there’s an adaptability required among crew members as well and maybe more so for fuelers, than anyone.

“We used to be aiming for two-and-a-half, three seconds on our exchanges and now they want them at two seconds or below and it’s like, you’ve got to cover that same amount of ground with the same amount of fuel,” Jacob Conley, fueler on the No. 48 Chevrolet explained. “The can hasn’t gotten any lighter, so it’s you trying to cover more ground. For me, it’s just that emphasis on perfection. The car comes in and you’ve got to hit it. Everything has to go your way.

“That’s especially true on the intermediate tracks. Our guys were fast at the end of last year and I don’t anticipate them checking up. When we get to Atlanta (Motor Speedway), Daytona (International Speedway) or COTA, those will be fuel-heavy races so they’re waiting on me. But when we go into a Phoenix (Raceway) or Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) where they’re going to want to go fast, that’s when the job really picks up. Our guys are running nine flats to sub-nine-second pit stops and you’re trying to get as much fuel in as you can, so, that’s when the stress really picks up because I’m just out there trying to do the best I can.”

No. 24 team tire carrier, Ryan Patton, shares a moment with driver, William Byron, after the team won its second straight DAYTONA 500 to start the 2025 season.

“The terms, ‘family’ and ‘brotherhood’ get thrown around so loosely that I don’t think people really understand the gravity of those words,” Patton concluded. “At any time, I can have a hard or good conversation with anybody on my team, and they know it’s because I care about them and vice versa. I think teams want that and they emulate that. That’s one of the things about our team that makes it so special.

“And we can’t force people to be like that, that’s who they are. That’s in their DNA. Our team over the last few years has gotten closer and closer … It’s not just nuts and bolts that make the car better, that make pit stops better. It’s those extra things. I think we pride ourselves in that each and every week.

“We know that at Hendrick Motorsports, when we show up at the race track we’ve got a chance to win. So, I don’t think you ever get a break from feeling that pressure. But we condition ourselves all year, even out on the practice pad, to be as perfect as possible so that way, when we get to the race track, we’re ready to go. There’s no surprises. It’s not a switch that you can turn on and off, it’s all the time. I think that’s what makes the good teams, good and the great teams, great.”

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Valtteri Bottas emerges as leading contender to join Cadillac

Since the confirmation of their F1 entry, there have been many questions about Cadillac and their plans for 2026. Specifically, Cadillac’s driver selection for next year is a significant talking point in F1 circles. As mentioned on numerous occasions by LWOS, there are a few leading contenders to join the US outfit. Valtteri Bottas, Sergio […]

Published

3 minutes ago

June 24, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Since the confirmation of their F1 entry, there have been many questions about Cadillac and their plans for 2026.

Specifically, Cadillac’s driver selection for next year is a significant talking point in F1 circles.

As mentioned on numerous occasions by LWOS, there are a few leading contenders to join the US outfit.

Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Perez, Zhou Guanyu and Felipe Drugovich are understood to be the front-runners for 2026.

In recent weeks, however, Bottas’ position in contract negotiations has reportedly strengthened.

As Cadillac assess their options, the former Mercedes driver is establishing himself as a strong option.

Why Bottas ticks all the boxes for Cadillac

Thanks to the volatility of last year’s driver market, Cadillac have several ex-F1 drivers at their disposal for next year.

In terms of accolades and experience, Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez are the biggest names available.

Valtteri Bottas. 2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Both drivers have been mentioned as options for the American project in recent months, with Perez often mentioned as a slightly preferred choice.

Considering the Mexican driver’s sponsorship value, the consensus that he was a favourite to join Cadillac had sound logic.

Indeed, the 6-time race winner is still firmly in the race to join F1’s newest entrant.

However, according to reports from Motorsport, Bottas has overtaken the former Red Bull driver in Cadillac’s 2026 shortlist.

The Finn is seen as very well-positioned to join the team led by Graeme Lowdon.

Considering his track record in F1, both at the front for Mercedes and in the midfield for Sauber, it isn’t difficult to see why Bottas is an attractive choice.

The 35-year-old has made no secret that he intends to make an F1 comeback.

To a large extent, this desire motivated his decision to become a Mercedes reserve driver – which has kept him active in paddock discussions.

Should Cadillac determine that only one experienced driver is necessary for 2026, Bottas’ rise could be to the detriment of Perez.

This is not to say Cadillac could not sign both drivers – but it certainly alters the equation of this driver saga.

Other drivers in the race

Of course, Bottas is not the only driver being considered by Cadillac.

Among the younger drivers at the American team’s disposal are Zhou, Drugovich and Schumacher.

Valtteri Bottas, KICK Sauber F1 Team, gets out of the car on the grid ; 2024 Belgian Grand Prix, Formula One World Championship

Zhou Guanyu generally held his own whilst in the same machinery as Bottas at Sauber.

In addition to offering considerable sponsorship, he also brings three years of F1 experience – meaning he meets several of Cadillac’s preferences despite being relatively.

Graeme Lowdon, Cadillac’s team principal, is also a part of Zhou’s management team. In theory, this should boost the Ferrari reserve driver’s chances ahead of 2026.

Elsewhere, Felipe Drugovich should not be written off as a candidate for next season.

The Brazilian would have surely been frustrated to miss out on an appearance for Aston Martin in Canada. A strong weekend would have undoubtedly boosted his market value.

Still, Drugovich remains a plausible option for Cadillac – especially if they decide only one experienced driver is necessary.

As is often the case when a seat becomes available in the market, Mick Schumacher has been floated as an option.

There is nothing to suggest, at least for now, that the 26-year-old is a front-runner to secure a contract.

What does seem clear, however, is that at least one experienced driver will be a requirement for Cadillac in 2026.

Because of this, Valtteri Bottas can be quietly confident about his chances of making an F1 return.

Main photo: Sauber Media Gallery

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Motorsports

How iRacing helped make the NASCAR Chicago Street Race a reality – NBC Los Angeles

The NASCAR Chicago Street Race didn’t come from nowhere — it came from a computer. Rather than taking the risk of racing on the roads of a major city blind, NASCAR used a cost-effective alternative: iRacing. The sim-racing video game has become an essential tool for the real-life racing series, especially when it comes to […]

Published

4 minutes ago

June 24, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The NASCAR Chicago Street Race didn’t come from nowhere — it came from a computer.

Rather than taking the risk of racing on the roads of a major city blind, NASCAR used a cost-effective alternative: iRacing.

The sim-racing video game has become an essential tool for the real-life racing series, especially when it comes to innovation.

So, when NASCAR began to consider what a street race in Chicago might look like, it turned to iRacing for help. The sim game is the closest replica of what it feels like to drive a race car. Using laser-scanners, iRacing is able to create pin-point details of every car and track imaginable.

“We pioneered the use of laser-scanners, to go to a track and use them,” said Steve Myers, executive vice president of iRacing. “We can collect millions of points of data by taking laser-scanners around these tracks, and get them digitally perfect. Every little bump, every curve, every crack. We can even, from the laser-scan, pick up where the paint is on the track. Paint is a little bit more slippery than pavement, so we can recreate these tracks to be exactly perfect.”

Myers, who has been in the industry since 2000, was one of iRacing’s earliest employees. The company was founded in 2003 by designer Dave Kaemmer and John Henry, who co-owns the Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Penguins, Liverpool FC and RFK Racing.

“We started the company with the idea that we wanted to make the most authentic racing simulation that you could possibly make,” Myers said. “The way that we did that was create truly authentic driving models of cars and digitally perfect race tracks, to the point that real world race car drivers could use the product and actually find value in it.”

The value of sim racing is different from virtual reality versions of any other sport. If you’re playing “Madden” or “NBA 2K,” you aren’t actually doing the motions of football or basketball. In iRacing, you’re able to truly simulate what to feels like to drive a particular race car — from setting up the balance to managing tires and navigating treacherous tracks.

“There is no Dick’s Sporting Goods where you can go buy a race car and do it in your backyard,” Myers explained. “This is done on a computer now. It absolutely has become that gateway for people to experience racing and see if this is something exciting for them.

“In sim racing, you can be on the track with Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. and be competitive with him. William Byron, he was able to take that skill transition to the real world and continue that career and trajectory to where I think he’s going to be a Cup champion some day. That’s what’s really cool about sim racing though — if you were good at ‘NBA 2K,’ you could dominate LeBron James in that game on a console. There’s no chance that you’re going on to a basketball court with him and probably even score a basket.”

Byron is perhaps the greatest example of how iRacing translates to the real world. The Hendrick Motorsports star didn’t grow up racing, instead picking up iRacing as a teenager. His success in the video game boosted his profile and eventually led to a contract with Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Now, the 27-year-old Byron is the two-time defending Daytona 500 champion and leads the NASCAR Cup Series points standings.

As NASCAR saw drivers like Byron coming from iRacing, they have developed a closer partnership for projects like the Chicago Street Race. That venture began back in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, when NASCAR broadcasted virtual races on iRacing with real-life stars competing.

That’s when the world was introduced to the Chicago Street Course.

“NASCAR was interested in looking at Chicago as a location for a race,” Myers explained. “We came to the city in November of 2021 and we scanned every road around Grant Park there. Then we took that data back in house, and started mapping out what might be a good race course.

“In 2021, we did the Pro Invitational (virtual race on FOX), where we showed the Chicago Street Course to the world for the first time in the digital space. It wasn’t even a real race yet at that point. So, when we did that race on TV, it was well-received. The racing was well-received. That was the point where NASCAR and Chicago decided to make this a real race.”

That wasn’t the end of it, though. The first street race was held in July 2023, nearly two years later. Over that time in between, Myers and his team worked with NASCAR executive vice president Ben Kennedy to nail down the perfect course layout.

“We worked very closely with Ben Kennedy, who had made site visits and had some ideas of sections of the track that he wanted to see there,” Myers said. “Over a couple of months, we iterated a number of different design ideas and showed them to Ben and we’d have drivers drive it. Ultimately, we settled on the track that’s currently being raced now.”

Even when they finally thought the track was perfect, Kennedy found one more change to make.

“We actually had it going the reverse direction, and then Ben was doing laps on iRacing and said ‘You know what? I think this is going to go better going the other direction.’ So, we switched the direction based on his feedback.”

Now, the Chicago Street Course is a 2.14-mile circuit with 12 turns — going in the clockwise direction around Grant Park.

“We’re very proud of our part in the sport and being able to do some of these changes.”

The third edition of the NASCAR Chicago Street Race will take place on Sunday, July 6.

A street race brings high speeds and tight turns to city streets that are closed off for racing.

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Motorsports

ALL-PRO AUTO RECONDITIONING BECOMES PRIMARY SPONSOR OF NASCAR POINTS LEADER WILLIAM BYRON

Published

5 minutes ago

June 24, 2025

Your Sports Nation

All-Pro Auto Reconditioning has signed on as the primary sponsor for NASCAR’s points leader William Byron, expanding its partnership with Hendrick Motorsports which continues through 2030. The sponsorship kicks off with Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet at key events: the Chicago Street Race on July 6 and the Cup Series playoff opener at Darlington Raceway on August 31. This agreement will see All-Pro increase its sponsorship presence over the years, reinforcing its commitment to the team and brand alignment as they grow nationally.

By the Numbers

All-Pro will sponsor Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet at 2 races in 2025, 2 races in 2026, 4 races in 2027, and 6 races annually from 2028 to 2030.
William Byron currently leads the NASCAR Cup Series standings and has 14 career wins at the top level.

State of Play

All-Pro Auto Reconditioning originated as a single dealer operation in 1994 and now serves over 250 dealers nationwide.
Hendrick Motorsports, founded by Rick Hendrick in 1984, holds 14 NASCAR championships and has achieved at least one race win for 40 consecutive seasons.

What’s Next

With All-Pro becoming a primary sponsor, there is potential for increased brand exposure and customer engagement for both All-Pro and William Byron. The partnership aims to leverage Byron’s performance on the track to drive business objectives, suggesting further investments in the relationship.

Bottom Line

All-Pro’s commitment to William Byron and Hendrick Motorsports signifies a strong alignment of values and goals, promising to elevate both brands in the competitive NASCAR landscape. The partnership serves as a strategic move for enhancing visibility and customer connectivity in the automotive reconditioning market.

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Motorsports

2025 MotoAmerica Ridge Motorsports Park Preview

Press Release | June 24, 2025 The 2025 MotoAmerica Championship will feature five classes as the series heads to the Pacific Northwest for the Ridge Motorsports Park round, June 27-29, in Shelton, Washington. Five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier leads defending MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Josh Herrin by just two points as the series heads to […]

Published

28 minutes ago

June 24, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Press Release | June 24, 2025

The 2025 MotoAmerica Championship will feature five classes as the series heads to the Pacific Northwest for the Ridge Motorsports Park round, June 27-29, in Shelton, Washington.

MotoAmerica Superbike Cameron Beaubier — Five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier leads defending MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Josh Herrin by just two points as the series heads to the Pacific Northwest and Ridge Motorsports Park. Photo by Brian J. Nelson

This is a race preview/press release from MotoAmerica…

Irvine, CA (June 24, 2025) – Things were going quite smoothly for Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier heading into the Road America round of the 2025 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship. He’d won three of the first four races, and it appeared to be clear sailing in his attempt to win a sixth MotoAmerica Superbike Championship. Even after making a few mistakes in race one in Wisconsin, Beaubier emerged from Saturday’s race with a third-place finish and a 26-point lead over Jake Gagne.

Then Sunday happened.

While battling with race-one winner Josh Herrin for the lead in race two, Beaubier crashed his BMW in the Carousel and could only watch as the defending MotoAmerica Superbike Champion won his second successive race on his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati. And, just like that, the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship is a wide-open battle with just 18 points covering the top four and only two points separating the two men who fought for the title last year – Beaubier and Herrin.

Now the teams head west for the all-important three-week stretch with rounds five and six slated for Ridge Motorsports Park and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, respectively.

First up, Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington, June 27-29.

While his early-season points lead has evaporated, don’t expect Beaubier to panic as the series heads to the Pacific Northwest. And why would he? After all, he just needs to remember that he hobbled into the Ridge round last June (for what was round five) on crutches after suffering a broken heel at Road America. His points lead may be gone, but Beaubier is healthy and ready to restart a season in which he’s had race-winning pace in the first three rounds.

For Herrin, the 2025 season didn’t start great with three third-place finishes and a fifth in the first two rounds, but that all changed with his two wins at Road America. Herrin has made a habit of starting slowly and then building momentum as summer hits, and for all intents and purposes, the championship will start fresh in Washington – at least for the two at the top.

Beaubier and Herrin, however, aren’t the only ones in this title fight after the first three rounds. Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Bobby Fong has four second-place finishes to start his season, and only a semi-disastrous 10th-place finish in race two’s rainstorm at Road Atlanta have stopped him from being even closer than the 15 points between him and Beaubier.

Fong has shown that he’s comfortable in the Yamaha factory team, and he’s making the most of a situation that he’s always wanted to be in.

Fong’s teammate Jake Gagne is back and healthy with the three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion just three points behind his teammate and 18 points from Beaubier. Gagne has three podium finishes so far, including his dominant wet-weather victory in race two at Barber. Gagne is coming off his worst finish of the season, an eighth in race two at Road America when he collided with Sean Dylan Kelly off the start, ran off track, and had to charge through the field to score his eight points.

Vision Wheel M4 Ecstar Suzuki’s Richie Escalante started his season with a crash in the first race of the year at Barber Motorsports Park, but he’s been consistent ever since as he tries to climb out of a points-deficit hole. Escalante earned his first podium of the season in race two at Road America with his third-place finish. He is fifth in the championship, 54 points adrift of Beaubier.

Real Steel Honda’s Hayden Gillim is sixth in the title chase on his Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP as he continues to get Superbike upgrades race by race. Gillim has finished every race with a best of sixth on three occasions.

Escalante’s teammate Kelly will show up at Ridge tied with Gillim for sixth, and hopeful of having a short memory as he attempts to put a horrendous weekend at Road America behind him. After starting the season with four successive fourth-place finishes, Kelly earned just two points from the two races in Wisconsin.

Even though the point standings don’t reflect it, FLO4LAW/SBU Racing’s Benjamin Smith has been impressive. Two non-finishes blemish his standing in the championship, but he comes to Ridge Motorsports Park hot off a career Superbike best fourth-place in race two at Road America.

Gillim’s teammate JD Beach is tied with Smith for seventh in the Superbike standings with his non-finish in race one at Road America the only blemish in his season that sees him atop the title chase in the Superbike Cup, a class within a class for those racing Stock 1000-spec motorcycles. Beach’s mechanical DNF in race one in Wisconsin ended his hopes of a perfect Superbike Cup season, but he bounced back the next day, however, to start a new streak.

Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates rounds out the top 10 as the series heads west with the Georgian 10 points behind Smith and Beach.

Pre-Ridge Motorsports Park Notes…

The Ridge Motorsports Park round of the 2025 MotoAmerica Championship will feature five classes: Superbike, Motovation Supersport, SC-Project Twins Cup, the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship, and Royal Enfield’s Build.Train.Race.

Cameron Petersen beat Jake Gagne by a scant 0.032 of a second to win a wet Superbike race one at Ridge in 2024. Coincidently, the .032 matched Gagne’s number. Xavi Forés was third in his fill-in ride for the injured Richie Escalante on the Vision Wheel M4 Ecstar Suzuki.

Race two featured a dry racetrack and a different outcome with Josh Herrin taking the victory over Bobby Fong and Cameron Petersen.

The difference between a wet racetrack and a dry racetrack? Almost 17 seconds a lap at Ridge Motorsports Park on a Superbike. At least according to last year’s best race laps. In the wet race one, Jake Gagne had the fastest lap of the race, a 1:57.079. In the dry race two, Josh Herrin clicked off a best of 1:40.167.

Frenchman Loris Baz earned pole position for the two Superbike races last year with his lap of 1:39.478. Baz was joined on the front row by Cameron Petersen and Josh Herrin.

The Superbike lap record at Ridge Motorsports Park is still held by Jake Gagne with his record-setting lap of 1:39.145 set during Q2 in 2022.

Cameron Beaubier and Josh Hayes arrive in Washington still tied atop the all-time AMA road race wins list with 89 victories apiece.

With his 68 AMA Superbike wins, Beaubier is getting to the point of being within reach of all-time AMA Superbike wins leader Mat Mladin, with the Australian sitting at the top of the list with 82 Superbike victories.

Three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne is the winningest rider in the five-year (10-race) history of MotoAmerica holding a round of its championship at Ridge Motorsports Park. Gagne has won five Superbike races at Ridge with Cameron Beaubier winning three, including the first two races in 2020.

For more information on MotoAmerica, visit www.MotoAmerica.com

Click here for all the latest MotoAmerica news.

**Click here to see all the TV and Live-Stream Racing Listings on Cycle News.**

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Motorsports

NASCAR Chicago Street Race 2025 guide: How to keep up with the action

CHICAGO – Preparations for the third annual NASCAR Chicago Street Race are rounding the final turn as July is just a week away. Here is FOX 32’s guide to help with navigating the fast-paced weekend of July 5 and 6, along with making sure Chicago drivers don’t make any wrong turns. Race Day schedule Like […]

Published

29 minutes ago

June 24, 2025

Your Sports Nation

CHICAGO – Preparations for the third annual NASCAR Chicago Street Race are rounding the final turn as July is just a week away.

Here is FOX 32’s guide to help with navigating the fast-paced weekend of July 5 and 6, along with making sure Chicago drivers don’t make any wrong turns.

Race Day schedule

Like last year, both of the main races will take place on Saturday and Sunday, with the practice and qualifying races set for Saturday morning.

Xfinity Series Practice Race: Saturday at 9:30 a.m.
Xfinity Qualifying Race: Saturday at 10:30 a.m.
NASCAR Cup Series Practice: Saturday at 12 p.m.
NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying: Saturday at 5 p.m.

Full races:

The Loop 110 NASCAR Xfinity Series Race: 3:30 p.m.
Grant Park 165 NASCAR Cup Series Race: 1 p.m.

Course layout

The course for this year’s race will stay the same as last year’s and will wrap around DuSable Lakeshore Drive, South Colombus Drive, East Balbo Drive, East Congress Plaza Drive, South Michigan Avenue and East Jackson Drive.

2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race map

Having trouble viewing the map? Click HERE.

NASCAR pre-race activities

Sunday, June 29, 1:10 p.m. – NASCAR first pitch at White Sox versus San Francisco Giants— NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Nick Sanchez will throw the first pitch at Rate Field.
Wednesday, July 2, 6 p.m. – Dinner on the Track with Chicago Gourmet— Hosted at Grant Park, and in partnership with Chicago Gourmet, dine right on the finish line with a five-course menu and drinks for $250.

Thursday, July 3, 7:05 p.m. – NASCAR at the Cubs— Cubs vs Guardians at Wrigley Field.

Music

Zac Brown Band is set to headline on Saturday night, July 5 for all ticket holders.
They will be located right next to the Start/Finish line on the Busch Light Summer Series Stage.

Street closures

Monday, June 30: Full closure of Columbus Dr. from Jackson Dr. to Roosevelt Rd. Full closure of Monroe St. from Columbus Dr. to DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Full closure of Jackson Dr. from Columbus Dr. to DuSable Lake Shore Drive.
Wednesday, July 2: (Beginning at 10 p.m.) Full Closure of westbound and eastbound Roosevelt Rd., from Michigan Ave. and DuSable Lake Shore Dr. Full closure of northbound Indiana from 13th St. to Roosevelt Rd.
Thursday, July 3: Full closure of southbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive between Randolph St. and McFetridge Rd. Full closure of Columbus Dr. from Monroe St. to Jackson Dr. Full closure of Monroe St. from Michigan Ave. to Columbus Dr.
Thursday, July 3: (Beginning at 10 p.m.) Full closure of northbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive between Randolph St. and McFetridge Rd. Full Closure of northbound and southbound Michigan Ave. from Roosevelt Rd. to Jackson Dr.

Saturday, July 5 and Sunday, July 6

Southbound DuSable Lake Shore Dr. from Randolph St. to McFetridge Dr.
Northbound DuSable Lake Shore Dr. from McFetridge Dr. to Randolph St.
Northbound Michigan Ave. from Roosevelt Rd. to Monroe St.
Southbound Michigan Ave. from south of Monroe St. to 8th St.
Monroe St. from Michigan Ave. to DuSable Lake Shore Dr.
Columbus Dr. from Roosevelt Rd. to Monroe St.
Roosevelt Rd. from DuSable Lake Shore Dr. to Michigan Ave.
Jackson Dr. from Michigan Ave. to DuSable Lake Shore Dr.
Balbo Dr. from Michigan Ave. to DuSable Lake Shore Dr.
Ida B. Wells Dr. from Michigan Ave. to Columbus Dr.
Congress Plaza Dr. from Harrison St. to Van Buren St.
Northbound Indiana Ave. from Roosevelt Rd. to 13th St.
Post Place: Entrance and exit of Lower Wacker Dr.
Garvey Ct.: Entrance and exit of Lower Wacker Dr.

Chicago streets to remain open

Southbound Michigan Ave. from Monroe St. to Jackson Dr.
Southbound Michigan Ave. from 8th St. to Roosevelt Rd.
8th St. from Wabash Ave. to Michigan Ave.
9th St. from Wabash Ave. to Michigan Ave.
11th St. from Wabash Ave. to Michigan Ave.
Balbo Dr. from Wabash Ave. to Michigan Ave.
Harrison St. from Wabash Ave. to Michigan Ave.
Ida B. Wells Dr. from Wabash Ave. to Michigan Ave.
Jackson Blvd. from Wabash Ave. to Michigan Ave.
Van Buren St. from Wabash Ave. to Michigan Ave.
Monroe St. from Michigan Ave. to Columbus Dr.
Southbound DuSable Lake Shore Dr. from Randolph St. to Monroe St.
Northbound Michigan Ave. from 13th St. to 16th St.
Northbound Indiana Ave. from 14th St. to 16th St.
Columbus Underpass and the Chicago Lakefront Bicycle Path will remain open throughout the event (this includes Monroe St. and Roosevelt Rd.).
Pedestrians traveling west must utilize and access sidewalk on the north side of Monroe St., Roosevelt Rd. or Columbus Dr. underpass only.

Tickets

Grounds: Standing room for viewers across the entire track.

Grounds tickets include a ticket to the Zac Brown Band concert on Saturday Night. Sunday visitors can still attend the concert on Saturday, but not the Saturday race.

Saturday Price (As of 6/23): $123.08

Sunday Price (As of 6/23): $123.08

Weekend Price (As of 6/23): $186.48

There is a 20 percent discount offered by NASCAR and GOVX for Military, First Responders, Medical Service Employees, and Teachers for weekend passes.

Reserved: Reserved bench seats with various views of the action.

Reserved includes a ticket to the Zac Brown Band concert on Saturday Night.

Weekend Price (As of 6/23): $247.40

Michigan: Views of Turns 9, 10, 11
Turn 8: Views of Turns 8 & 9
Congress: Views of Turns 9 & 10

Front Stretch Premier Reserved: Reserved chairs seats at the heart of the race.

For more information about the weekend, visit the NASCAR Chicago website.

The Source: The information in this article was obtained from NASCAR, the City of Chicago, and previous FOX 32 reporting.

NASCARChicagoNews

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Motorsports

DePaul University Partners with McDowell, Spire Motorsports for NASCAR Cup Series Chicago Street Race – Speedway Digest

DePaul University is excited to announce a partnership with Spire Motorsports for the 2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race. DePaul will serve as the primary sponsor of Michael McDowell’s No. 71 Chevrolet ZL1. As part of the sponsorship, DePaul branding will be prominently featured on McDowell’s custom-designed No. 71 Chevy, his fire suit, pit road signage, […]

Published

1 hour ago

June 24, 2025

Your Sports Nation

As part of the sponsorship, DePaul branding will be prominently featured on McDowell’s custom-designed No. 71 Chevy, his fire suit, pit road signage, and the Spire Motorsports crew shirts. Co-branded merchandise will also be available at the Chicago Street Race event and online.

National visibility through broadcast, digital and social media, and in-person audiences will create a powerful platform to feature the university to new audiences. The race is projected to draw more than 4 million viewers nationwide, building on the success of the inaugural 2023 event, which became the most-streamed NASCAR Cup Series race in NBC Sports history and the most-watched on NBC in six years. Locally, the event is expected to attract over 55,000 unique spectators from around the world, with more than half traveling to Chicago specifically to experience the race firsthand.

“At DePaul, we view athletics as the front porch of the university — a powerful entry point that invites the world to engage with our university,” said DePaul Vice President and Director of Athletics DeWayne Peevy. “Partnering with Spire Motorsports for the NASCAR Chicago Street Race allows us to spotlight DePaul on a national stage while embracing a global event in our own backyard. Even more exciting, this collaboration will extend into our classrooms this fall, offering our students a hands-on look at the business and science behind professional racing. It’s the perfect example of how we’re using sports to elevate our visibility and create real-world learning experiences for our students.”

McDowell, a 17-year veteran of the NASCAR Cup Series with 518 starts, joined Spire Motorsports to pilot the No. 71 Chevrolet ZL1 ahead of the 2025 season. The Glendale, Ariz., native won the 2021 Daytona 500 and followed it up with a win in the 2023 Verizon 200 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The father-of-five and road course ace has finished inside of the top-10 in both attempts at the Chicago Street Race, including a fifth-place result in 2024. So far this season, he has recorded one top-five, two top-10 and seven top-15 finishes, including a fifth-place showing at NASCAR’s most recent road-course race in the Viva Mexico 250 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City.

“I’m really looking forward to Chicago,” said McDowell. “We’re coming off some great momentum on road courses, and to have a cornerstone of the city like DePaul University on our car for the weekend is special. Chicago is a great city, and NASCAR has built a fantastic racetrack. It’s not every day you get to race through the streets. With the city as the backdrop, it’s a unique experience and a real opportunity for us to have success with a new partner like DePaul.”

This partnership will extend well beyond the race weekend. Later this fall, students in DePaul’s Physics and Sport Management programs will benefit from exclusive engagement opportunities with members of the Spire Motorsports team, gaining firsthand insights into the high-performance, data-driven landscape of professional racing.

This summer, in collaboration with NASCAR Chicago, DePaul’s School of Hospitality and Sports Business introduced a special topics course, HSB 198: A NASCAR Experience. As part of the curriculum, students will play an integral role in designing and executing the newly created College Tailgate at Turn 7—a fan engagement event tailored to college students during the race. Further anchoring this collaboration in the local community, the longstanding NASCAR internship program will continue to empower DePaul students and alumni, offering them leadership roles and on-the-ground experience during one of Chicago’s most prominent sporting events.

“This initiative reflects DePaul’s continued commitment to authentically embrace its identity as Chicago’s university,” said DePaul Chief Branding Officer Cristel Turner. “This collaboration brings DePaul into the cultural and civic spotlight through a bold, innovative partnership that connects us with new audiences to build brand interest and support enrollment growth. What truly sets DePaul apart is our teaching philosophy of layered learning that merges classroom education with real-world, project-based learning and service learning that unlock real-world opportunities for our students.”

DePaul students receive 20% off select race tickets for the NASCAR Chicago Street Race. Learn more and purchase here.

Fans, students and alumni can tune in to see the No. 71 DePaul University Chevrolet ZL1 rally through the streets of Chicago July 6, at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT) on TNT, MRN, SiriusXM, and MAX.

Spire Motorsports PR

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