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Meet the ex-Secret Service and FBI guys who stop NASCAR’s fights from exploding

They would prefer to blend in. This is what their decades in law enforcement have ingrained in them. Strangers asking for a selfie is supposed to be a foreign concept; people shouldn’t know who they are. But NASCAR fans have come to recognize Allen Taylor and Stan Ruffin, whose job titles are simply “NASCAR security,” […]

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They would prefer to blend in. This is what their decades in law enforcement have ingrained in them. Strangers asking for a selfie is supposed to be a foreign concept; people shouldn’t know who they are.

But NASCAR fans have come to recognize Allen Taylor and Stan Ruffin, whose job titles are simply “NASCAR security,” though this underplays their importance. Through no fault of their own, they’ve found themselves in the middle of some of NASCAR’s most well-known driver confrontations in recent years.

Remember that post-race scrum at Kansas in 2023, when Ross Chastain clocked Noah Gragson with a right cross? It was Ruffin who grabbed Gragson’s arm in mid-swing before he could land a retaliatory punch that surely would’ve triggered a bigger melee. Ruffin was also in the middle of a brawl last year at North Wilkesboro — where NASCAR returns this weekend for its annual All-Star Race — between Kyle Busch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., with Ruffin forcefully pulling Stenhouse away after he punched Busch post-race.

And last fall, Taylor defused a potential powder keg when he walked with an irate driver down Martinsville’s pit road who seemed hellbent on expressing his anger with a Truck Series competitor following a key playoff race, only for the confrontation to never go beyond an exchange of words.

“A lot of times you can tell by their posture when they get out of the car; they’re slamming things,” said Taylor, who heads NASCAR’s security team. “It’s all about anticipating and seeing how they’re reacting. Because sometimes drivers are nice and calm and they go to the other driver, and then that’s when they blow up. Sometimes the blow-up doesn’t happen until the other person says something. It’s not always immediately that the fighting occurs. You just have to be aware.”

Although there is no overarching protocol on how Taylor, Ruffin and others within NASCAR’s security corps handle post-race confrontations, they try to apply a consistent methodology. They end up as part-bodyguard, part-referee and part-mediator.

“It’s just a natural thing for me,” Ruffin said. “I seem to always be around, and stuff gravitates towards me. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s not.”

When races finish, Taylor and Ruffin will make their way over to any driver they feel may be inclined to confront another, either by their own instincts or with some direction from NASCAR officials in the scoring tower. And should that driver decide to start a confrontation, security will quickly move in.

These exchanges between drivers are often mild, with no one starring in a viral fight video. But occasionally, a flare-up occurs.

When this happens, Taylor and Ruffin’s extensive law enforcement background — each totaling nearly 30 years — proves invaluable. Taylor worked for the U.S. Secret Service, where his duties included a lengthy stint serving on the detail assigned to protecting the Obamas. There, he forged a tight bond with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. When Taylor was seeking a career shift in 2020 and curious about potentially working for NASCAR, Barack Obama made a personal call to then-NASCAR president Steve Phelps to encourage the league to hire his friend.

Ruffin worked as an FBI agent, where he worked on several high-profile cases ranging from 9/11 to white-collar crimes to kidnappings.

The preferred protocol with post-race fights is to allow the drivers to speak toe-to-toe without any crew members interjecting. Since many crew members are former college athletes and often significantly bigger than drivers, such a size discrepancy can lead to injuries, making it paramount to keep them on the periphery. NASCAR security also doesn’t want any law enforcement to become directly involved unless absolutely necessary, lest an overzealous driver or crew member accidentally strike them and potentially be subject to criminal charges.

Ideally, once drivers begin to jaw, they’ll say whatever needs to be said and then disperse. Of course, sometimes it can go in a much different direction. And it’s when things get physical that Taylor and Ruffin make their presence known.

“You can’t let the drivers get hurt,” Ruffin said. “Because if you go too far and a driver gets hurt, then it becomes, ‘Why didn’t you stop them?’

“Those drivers, especially the younger ones, are similar to my own kids where I was always breaking up fights. The younger ones often make me laugh as I’m trying to break them up. I jokingly tell (drivers) they get one move (be it a shove, a grab or punch) and that’s it.”

Leaning on their vast training, Taylor and Ruffin prefer to de-escalate any situation before it rises to punches being thrown and drivers needing to be physically restrained.

Last fall at Martinsville, Taylor walked nearly the entire length of pit road with driver Taylor Gray, who was upset with Christian Eckes after late contact cost Gray a win in a pivotal Truck Series playoff race. During that walk, Taylor repeatedly told Gray to maintain a level head. This is exactly what happened.

“I kept saying, ‘Think about what you are going to say, don’t do anything that you’re going to regret later. Just have a conversation,” Taylor said. “I kept repeating the same thing over and over. He wasn’t acknowledging it, but I was hoping that he was hearing me.

“You’re de-escalating, but it’s also more about communicating. My communication skills are honed in on and based on having to deal with audiences, having to talk to people and give them direction. Communication is the key in all these situations.”

Looking back months later, Gray says he doesn’t recall what Taylor said to him that frustrating night. Still, it’s hard to think that Taylor’s message didn’t resonate to some degree.

“He was trying to talk me off the ledge, for sure,” Gray said.

Following a rough-and-tumble Xfinity Series race this past spring at Martinsville, Ruffin found himself in a similar situation. Livid with Sammy Smith, Jeb Burton sought Smith out in the infield care center. With this environment considered a hospital, no misbehavior is tolerated, especially fighting. So Ruffin placed himself between the two drivers, then calmly explained to Burton that this was not the place for this and he needed to leave. Burton listened. And on his own accord, he later apologized to the care center staff.

“They did a good job of talking me off the ledge,” Burton said. “That’s not the guy I am, but I’m fired up and passionate about what I do.”

Tense situations can extend beyond the track, sometimes not even involving drivers — and it may require being mindful of a muffin whizzing by their head.

He laughs about it now, and so do Ruffin’s colleagues, who now affectionately refer to him as the “Muffin Man,” but at the moment, it was no joke.

Among NASCAR security’s many duties is having a presence at various events that go on during the week. This includes NASCAR playoff media day, as was the case last September at the Charlotte Convention Center. At some point, as Ruffin recalled, an uncredentialed man entered a private area NASCAR had sequestered off and refused to leave when asked.

After Ruffin was alerted, he began following the individual while maintaining a healthy distance, as he didn’t want to provoke him. The unwanted visitor eventually made his way into a hospitality room where he proceeded to grab various food items. It was then Ruffin intervened, instructing the individual to leave as he had overstayed his welcome. Ignoring the directive, the individual continued to wander around only to suddenly throw a muffin at the back of Ruffin’s head, missing him.

In this instance, Ruffin would’ve had justification to act forcefully. Yet, Ruffin maintained his composure.

“I picked up the muffin, handed it to him and said, ‘Sir, I believe you dropped your muffin,’” Ruffin said, shaking his head as he retells the story.

“It’s just a matter of trying to stay calm and calm the other person and not make the situation worse by giving them an opportunity to do what they came there to do. And I think he came there to fight. … You do everything you can to bring the tension down.”

Stan Ruffin and Joey Logano


Stan Ruffin accompanies Joey Logano to a Los Angeles Clippers game in 2022. Logano is one of many drivers who rely on Ruffin and Allen Taylor. (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Many within the industry swear by Taylor and Ruffin. Defending Cup Series champion Joey Logano is adamant they are the first people he reaches out to whenever a potential security issue arises that falls within their realm, as was the case last year. Chastain is one of several drivers who says he owes them for jumping in to break up a fight before things went completely haywire.

“I’ve had a couple of moments where I’ve been very thankful,” Chastain said. “The way that group works, you don’t see them until you see him. They just have a way to navigate their garage silently, but they’re always there. They’re always around.”

Then there are fans, many of whom have come to recognize Taylor and Ruffin. The two are now regularly spotted at the track and approached to chat or take a selfie — or to bust their chops for prematurely breaking up a fight the fan wanted to see unfold.

“Obviously we know it’s good advertising, good TV,” Taylor said of driver skirmishes. “And, obviously, people like to see disagreements and, unfortunately, the fight. But I think the drama behind it and having the discussion, I think can be just as entertaining as not having an actual fight.”

Said Ruffin: “It’s kind of weird. This weekend alone, I’ve already taken six selfies. Some tell me I need to handle (fights) like hockey, but I don’t know anything about what the hockey rules are.”

(Top photo of the altercation between Taylor Gray and Christian Eckes at Martinsville last year; Stan Ruffin has sunglasses on his head, and Allen Taylor is next to him in the dark blue NASCAR jacket: Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images)





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MRA : Race Results From Pueblo Motorsports Park – Roadracing World Magazine

What is a Press Release? A “press release” is promotional text issued by a rider, team, company or organization to informthe public about an event, product, or service from the issuer’s own point of view, and if deemedto have news value, may be placed on roadracingworld.com as a service to our readers. A press release […]

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What is a Press Release?

A “press release” is promotional text issued by a rider, team, company or organization to inform
the public about an event, product, or service from the issuer’s own point of view, and if deemed
to have news value, may be placed on roadracingworld.com as a service to our readers.

A press release is not an article written by Roadracingworld.com staffers. When a post is labeled with the words “press release”, it means that Roadracingworld.com is not responsible for its content and that Roadracingworld.com makes no guarantee that it is accurate. Not all press releases are posted and Roadracingworld.com may reject press releases if the content is too heavy on commercial promotion with little or no news value or if the press release contains obvious errors.



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Kevin Harvick predicts winner of NASCAR Cup race at Mexico City

The NASCAR Cup Series is heading to the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City. The Viva México 250 will take center stage, and ahead of all the action, Kevin Harvick and the Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour crew are locking in their predictions. First, Kaitlyn Vincie got the fun started. She’s riding with a veteran road course savant […]

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The NASCAR Cup Series is heading to the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City. The Viva México 250 will take center stage, and ahead of all the action, Kevin Harvick and the Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour crew are locking in their predictions.

First, Kaitlyn Vincie got the fun started. She’s riding with a veteran road course savant to get his first win of 2025: “This is going to be interesting, because we don’t really know who could win this weekend,” Vincie prefaced. “I’m going to go with AJ Allmendinger.”

Allmendinger is certainly a contender. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, he’s +1500 to get the dub. If he does, he’ll lock himself into the playoffs, which would be huge for Kaulig Racing.

In response, Harvick was slightly surprised with Vincie’s pick. It opened up the door for him to go with the favorite in Shane van Gisbergen: “That’s a big surprise,” Harvick responded. “I thought you’d take the favorite. SVG.”

While van Gisbergen is thought of as a threat on road courses, his performance at intermediate tracks has left a bit to be desired. However, he turned in a solid showing in Michigan this past weekend, finishing P18 when the checkered flag waved. 

With Mexico City on the docket, van Gisbergen is currently P33 in the overall point standings. He only has one top ten on the season, so a win is more important to him at one of these road courses than anything. He’ll be going for broke at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, and Harvick thinks he’ll get it done.

Meanwhile, Mamba Smith is thinking of a different Trackhouse Racing wheelman when it comes to this weekend’s race. He thinks Mexico native Daniel Suarez can rise above and win in heroic fashion.

“I was going to take AJ. You know what? Because I just feel like there’s some magic in the air, and he needs it anyway. I’m going with the hometown boy. Just give me Daniel Suarez,” Smith predicted. “Why not? Home cooking.”

Like his teammate SVG, a win would mean the world to Suarez. He’s back in P28 in the overall point standings, only nothing one top five in 2025. He needs it if he’s going to make the playoffs, and Smith is hoping it comes to fruition.

All told, it’s anyone’s guess who gets to Victory Lane during the NASCAR Cup Series’ trip to Mexico. It should be a fascinating event at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. We’ll see who makes history and takes the checkered flag.



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Katherine Legge feels ‘passionate’ about NASCAR transition

Katherine Legge has raced anything and everything. Her storied career includes four Indianapolis 500 starts, most recently in 2024. She found success in sports cars, competing in multiple endurance classics, such as the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. With last month’s Indy 500 not on Legge’s racing radar in 2025, […]

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Katherine Legge has raced anything and everything. Her storied career includes four Indianapolis 500 starts, most recently in 2024. She found success in sports cars, competing in multiple endurance classics, such as the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring.

With last month’s Indy 500 not on Legge’s racing radar in 2025, she switched her attention to NASCAR. It’s a move that happened by chance, though she first felt the adrenaline of stock car racing in 2018, making four Xfinity Series starts for JD Motorsports.

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She fell in love with stock cars immediately, with a best finish of 14th at Road America.

“I loved it and wanted to do more, I just didn’t know how to go about it,” Legge told NASCAR.com about her move to NASCAR. “I’m lucky that my sponsors pivoted with me and we’re all in on NASCAR.

“It was something that I felt incredibly passionate about doing. I have so much fun doing it and am so motivated. I’m working hard at it. I really want to make this home.”

RELATED: e.l.f. Cosmetics to sponsor Legge for multiple Cup, Xfinity races

The joy for Legge in her first go-around was jostling the heavy cars around road courses. Her oval debut in NASCAR came at Richmond Raceway in 2018, finishing 28th in a 40-car field.

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“It’s super fun to drive the cars; you were wrestling with them the whole time,” Legge reflects on her initial voyage. “It’s like Champ Car — we had to wrestle those beasts around the track.

“[NASCAR is] not easy. It’s one of the hardest championships to chase in the world because of the strength and depth. There are so many good drivers over here that are widely versed in stock car racing.”

Legge began hunting for rides in February when the 2025 season began. She made her Cup debut for Live Fast Motorsports at Phoenix Raceway, though she was initially eyeing Circuit of The Americas one week prior as her first attempt. Her initial race didn’t go as planned as she was involved in multiple incidents and contacted Daniel Suárez in the process, ending his day.

“It was a big uphill battle, but I respect the challenge and am not blind that it is a challenge going in with a team that wants to set out to be a entry to people like me into Cup,” Legge said. “They know where they are at and what they want to achieve. It was going to be my first foray and fly under the radar and that didn’t happen. I wanted to use it to gain experience.”

Katherine Legge smiles next to her NASCAR Cup Series car.

Katherine Legge smiles next to her NASCAR Cup Series car.

After bowing out of full-time competition, Live Fast team owner BJ McLeod wants to turn his part-time entry into a developmental ride to help rising talent. He’s aware of Legge’s credentials and hopes to get her acclimated, with their next opportunity slated for Sunday at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City (3 p.m. ET, Prime Video, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

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MORE: Mexico City schedule | Cup Series entry list for Mexico City

“It’s the toughest thing that she’s ever come across,” McLeod said of Legge adapting to the Cup Series. “I don’t know that she would tell you that, but I can tell you that the group of drivers that get to do [Cup] every week are truly some of the best drivers in the world. All of them are that good. Not one, not 20, not 30, all 36 or however many are there. They truly are that good, and it makes it extremely difficult for her because even if she’s equally as talented, she doesn’t get to race every week. She is the only part-timer that’s trying to get out there, get up to speed and she has very limited stock car experience.”

Chevrolet paired Legge with Jordan Anderson Racing in the Xfinity Series following her introduction to Cup racing. The goal was to get the England native more starts.

In addition to full-time drivers Jeb Burton and Blaine Perkins, Anderson occasionally fields a third entry. With limited on-track experience, he believes Legge has done a masterful job getting up to speed, even though the results would indicate otherwise.

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“I know she’s been baptized through fire coming in this way,” Anderson said. “With [25] minutes of practice, it’s hard enough to learn a track, let alone a new car.

“The speed is there if we make her comfortable. I’ve been impressed with her time in the sim and how she adapts and the things she picks up, the time she has spent studying. This isn’t a fly-by-night project for her; she’s wanting to prove her worth and come in here and learn and do the right things.”

It was key that Legge diversified her schedule. She also wanted to run consecutively, beginning with NASCAR’s return to Rockingham Speedway. She failed to qualify, but the team struck a deal with Joey Gase Motorsports to field her. She led a lap in her second start at Talladega Superspeedway and was running midpack when she was collected in a multicar incident that began towards the front of the field. She has DNF’d in three of four starts and failed to qualify in the series’ most recent race at Nashville Superspeedway.

“It’s been good, bad and indifferent,” Legge said. “I have been taken out in every race in some form or another. The only one that I think was down to me was Phoenix, which started it all. After that, it’s been a lot of carnage.”

Katherine Legge drives an Xfinity Series car at Talladega.

Katherine Legge drives an Xfinity Series car at Talladega.

Legge is delighted that her two car owners are fellow racers with McLeod and Anderson. She has leaned on them, along with AJ Allmendinger, whom she’s known for two decades, and Xfinity veteran Justin Allgaier.

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Compared to other racing series, Legge believes breaking into NASCAR is the hardest. She has limited oval starts and is going to new venues. The divisions are also stacked with established talent.

“NASCAR is especially challenging for the sheer number of good drivers,” Legge added. “It’s a tough beast to tame, but I’m up for the challenge.”

While overcoming multiple hurdles in Legge’s short NASCAR stint, she has learned plenty about herself. She is up for any racing task, though she believes she was humbled in some ways.

“I thought that I was a lot better than I am,” Legge admitted with a chuckle. “I have no doubt that I’ll get there. But how quickly? I thought I would drive the car a couple of times and then be up at the sharp end, but it’s taking a little longer than I anticipated.”

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The next beast for Legge to tame is the Cup Series’ international debut at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez this weekend, again competing for Live Fast. Her second half of the season continues filling up, with Cup starts at the Chicago Street Race, Sonoma Raceway, Watkins Glen International and Richmond Raceway on the docket. She has a pair of Xfinity Series races left in the No. 32 car at EchoPark Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway) and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, though she is trying to bulk up her racing allotment.

MORE: Cup Series schedule | Xfinity Series schedule

The goals for the upcoming events are to log laps and gain experience.

“Bottom line, I’m not going there looking to outpace anyone,” McLeod admitted. “What I’m expecting is to go there and give her a solid car so that she can learn and develop her skills and try to get her closer to reaching her goals.”

Legge hopes to go full time at some point in NASCAR, though she isn’t shutting the door on running the Indy 500 again.



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DragChamp Top 10 List – 6/11/25 Edition

Kevin Brannon wins 18 straight rounds at the Sean Serra Memorial race to lead the DragChamp Top 10 List, presented by Laris Motorsports Insurance 06/11/25 – We’ve accumulated the best performers from the past week for the Top 10 List presented by Laris Motorsports Insurance. Read below to see how they ranked. Racecar insurance is more […]

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Kevin Brannon wins 18 straight rounds at the Sean Serra Memorial race to lead the DragChamp Top 10 List, presented by Laris Motorsports Insurance

06/11/25 – We’ve accumulated the best performers from the past week for the Top 10 List presented by Laris Motorsports Insurance. Read below to see how they ranked.

Racecar insurance is more affordable than you think! Laris Motorsports Insurance policies are handled in house so they can provide quotes within minutes and they offer the broadest coverage available. Call (985) 746-4663 today to learn how Laris Motorsports Insurance can protect your racing operation both on and off the track! If you’re a business owner, Laris also offers commercial insurance. Protect your business with a trusted name.

Want to check out previous Top 10 Lists, click here.

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DragChamp Top 10 List

1 – Kevin Brannon

Kevin Brannon
photo by Chris Simmons

KB was doing KB things at the Sean Serra Memorial race this past weekend. Kevin turned on 18 straight win lights to sweep the weekend winning $20,000 on Saturday and $31,390 on Sunday! His unbelievable run over the weekend also earned him the MVP title.

2 – Spencer Lacy

Spencer Lacy enjoyed a big weekend at Norwalk which included two wins, a runner-up, and a semifinal finish. Lacy won the Box Gamblers race on Friday while also posting a semifinal finish in No Box. He added a runner-up in Super Pro on Saturday and finished the weekend with a victory in the Pro class.

3 – Mason Fix

Mason Fix sits in the #3 spot this week after an impressive weekend at the Line Up Triple 10K’s. His weekend included a Gambler runner-up, two No Box wins, and a Main Event runner-up and semi.

4 – Devin O’Brien

Devin O’Brien makes a Top 10 appearance after winning the Ultimate 64 Shootout main event.

5 – T.G. Paschal

T.G. Paschal
photo by Chris Simmons

T.G Paschal earned a Top 5 spot after cashing for $20,000 Friday night at the Sean Serra Memorial race.

6 – Darian Boesch

Darian Boesch makes another Top 10 appearance after driving to two final round appearances in Bristol. Running the rain-delayed Gatornationals, Darian made 11 rounds between his Top Dragster and Top Sportsman Camaro to find himself in both finals. While he came up short in the Top Dragster final, he still has another shot at a Wally when the Top Sportsman final is completed at a future event.

7 – Scott Dugdale

Scott Dugdale doubled up in the Stock/Super Stock Combo class winning 10 straight rounds at Brainerd International Raceway.

8 – Charlie Lockhart

Charlie Lockhart lands in the #8 spot after making three final round appearances in the last two weeks. A week ago Charlie won No Box and was runner-up to his brother Wesley in Super Pro at Gleason. This past weekend, Charlie won the No Box class at Beacon to lock in a Top 10 spot.

9 – Michael Pliska

Michael Pliska took home a $5,000 victory and the weekend MVP award at the Woodburn Dragway Summer Showdown. Pliska won the most rounds at the event while also posting the most dead-on laps. As a matter of fact, Pliska used the same 5.70 dial-in all three days of the event!

10 – Pat Debottis

Pat Debottis had a great day on Saturday at the Rockin Super Shootout at Mid Michigan. He made his way to both the Super Gas and Super Comp finals taking the win in Super Gas and a runner-up in Super Comp.

Let us know what you think about the DragChamp Top 10 List. We want to hear from you. Check us out on Facebook and share it with your friends.

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And remember, look for our DragChamp Top 10 List nominations Facebook post every Monday evening. You can nominate your favorites in the comments of the post for consideration on the list.

DragChamp is your online source for sportsman drag race results, news, and updates.





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No.6 Porsche disqualified from Le Mans qualifying for weight infraction

The No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 has been disqualified from Wednesday evening’s Le Mans 24 Hours Qualifying session for failing to meet the minimum weight in post-qualifying technical inspection. As a consequence, defending FIA World Hypercar Endurance Champions Kevin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor, and co-driver Matt Campbell, will start from the rear of the […]

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The No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 has been disqualified from Wednesday evening’s Le Mans 24 Hours Qualifying session for failing to meet the minimum weight in post-qualifying technical inspection.

As a consequence, defending FIA World Hypercar Endurance Champions Kevin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor, and co-driver Matt Campbell, will start from the rear of the Hypercar class grid on Saturday. Vanthoor is one of three Porsche Penske drivers attempting to win all three legs of the Triple Crown of Endurance Racing in the same year.

The Stewards’ decision reads: “After having examined the Technical Delegate report, the Stewards considered the minimum car weight did not comply with the relevant regulations.

“During the hearing, the Team Manager confirmed and accepted the procedure of the scrutineering and the measurements. Consequently, the Stewards decided to impose the disqualification of car 6 from the qualifying session. The car 6 will start at the back of the grid of his category according to the Article 10.2.2 of 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans supplementary regulations.

It also states: “As a result, the Stewards decided that the competitors classified behind car 6 at the end of the qualifying session will be moved up in the classification in accordance with article 12.19 of FIA Sporting Code.” 

This confirms that the No. 009 Aston Martin THOR Team Valkyrie, which had originally finished 16th in first Qualifying after being bumped outside the top 15 at the checkered flag, will move back into the top 15 and participate in Hyperpole 1.

With the addition of one Aston Martin, seven of the eight Hypercar manufacturers will have at least one car in the first Hyperpole session which begins at 9:05 PM CET.



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Toyota goes the extra mile to help its drivers prepare for Mexico City altitude

NASCAR Cup Series teams and drivers are preparing for a number of different variables that come with racing in Mexico City this weekend, and that includes the altitude. The circuit, Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, sits 7,500 feet above sea level. It will be the highest-elevation race the Cup Series has ever experienced. And high altitude means […]

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NASCAR Cup Series teams and drivers are preparing for a number of different variables that come with racing in Mexico City this weekend, and that includes the altitude.

The circuit, Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, sits 7,500 feet above sea level. It will be the highest-elevation race the Cup Series has ever experienced. And high altitude means thinner air.

Toyota wanted to make sure their drivers were prepared for any physical effects. At the Toyota Performance Center in Mooresville, N.C., the company, through Caitlin Quinn, director of performance at TPC, created an environment for drivers to train. It focused on being in a hypoxic environment, which means it has low oxygen levels. Stephanie Fernandes, the sports dietitian at TPC, also played a large role.

“It started with a question from one of our Cup (Series) drivers saying, ‘Hey, are we getting ready for Mexico?’” Quinn said recently. “I was like, ‘What do you mean?’”

Quinn started digging into research and the numbers as far as elevation. Once it was realized how high above sea level the track sits, she acknowledged “that can have a significant impact on performance. … It could have a pretty serious effect on some of the drivers.”

The ill effects that some might feel in high altitude can include headaches, shortness of breath, dizziness and nausea. All of the Toyota drivers were given the same information and chance to train. While all of them heard Quinn out, some went all in like Tyler Reddick on the Cup Series side, and others chose what would work best for them or how far they wanted to take the training.

The training started about nine weeks ago. Quinn didn’t go into specifics – understandably not wanting to give the proprietary information TPC has developed – about the training or nutrition program but she explained that some of it involved exercises to deal with heat tolerance and Fernandes provided supplements to help with the training effects.

Some of the issues that drivers might have to deal with behind the wheel include cooling, dehydration and even some inner ear or central nervous function. In other words, as Quinn said, all the things drivers need to do their jobs well. And so, Quinn wanted to find a way to expose the drivers to a lower oxygen environment or have them exercise in such an environment.

Reddick, for example, wanted to balance both training and sleeping in the hypoxic environment. His wife Alexa supported his taking the measures needed to prepare but being late in her pregnancy with their second child, the sleeping away from home didn’t thrill her.

“I definitely noticed a difference from the start until where I’m at now,” Reddick said. “It was fun. It was a new challenge, as well. I’ve always enjoyed training but doing this has been fun. The setting, atmosphere is all different and you’re testing yourself in new ways. Pretty early on I was starting to notice the benefits.

“I was really thankful for all the work that (everyone) was putting in, the sport’s dietician … helping out with all things we might need in our body to go with it. I really enjoyed it, honestly. It is different sleeping in a hypoxic environment but it’s really cool to see the changes so far and I’m excited to see what it’s going to be like when I get to Mexico City.”

The investment at the TPC will not go to waste on one race. Quinn explained there are plans to implement it in the future for drivers to use as a tool for other races, and not just one at high altitude. She also understands that while some drivers might feel negative effects in Mexico City, there will be others who will be fine without doing anything special to prepare for it.

“Maybe these guys are going to feel awesome and not just fine,” she said of the Toyota competitors. “It’s an advantage, potentially. Not necessarily that everyone will be at a detriment when they go. I understand that. We knew that from day one.

“It was (about), can we gain a competitive advantage from feeling really good there as opposed to just fine.”



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