Performance Racing Industry (PRI) today released a landmark study that underscores the motorsports industry’s pivotal role as a key contributor to the U.S. economy, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs, generating billions in economic activity, and delivering substantial tax revenue.

PRI, the leading voice for the motorsports industry in the U.S., commissioned the research, which was conducted by John Dunham & Associates, based on 2025 U.S. economy data. The study encompasses automobile, truck, motorcycle, and UTV/side-by-side racing activity.  

Traditionally, economic impact reports about racing are focused on the impact of a single event – major race weekend events for a specific local and state economy. These are studies that examine the impact of the tourism dollars that come into the economy as a result of that single event. PRI’s report is different because it determines the economic impact of the businesses that support the existence of racing in the first place.

PRI’s research represents the most comprehensive assessment of motorsports’ economic footprint ever undertaken to quantify the scale and significance of the business of racing to the U.S. economy. It evaluates the economic contributions from multiple racing businesses, including tracks and promoters, parts manufacturers, distributors, retailers, service providers, and incorporated race teams.

Key findings from the study include:

• The industry contributes more than $69.2 billion in annual economic impact to the American economy.
• Nationwide, the motorsports industry supports more than 318,000 American jobs.
• American workers in the motorsports industry earn more than $22.1 billion worth of wages and benefits.
• The industry generates more than $8.2 billion in tax revenue, including $5 billion in federal taxes and $3.2 billion in state and local taxes.

This economic impact study represents an important bookend to PRI’s 2024 Racing Market Report, a consumer trends analysis which found that consumers spent $8 billion on track-use only parts for motorsports in 2023.

As part of this study, PRI also launched an interactive economic impact map, enabling users to explore motorsports-related data by state and county — highlighting the industry’s reach and relevance in communities of all sizes across the country. The website also offers downloadable infographics that can be shared with policy makers and other businesses to show the impact motorsports has on individual states and communities.

The PRI Economic Impact Study provides valuable data about the economic footprint of the motorsports industry in the United States. PRI undertook this effort to provide policymakers, industry stakeholders, and the public with credible, data-driven insights into racing’s role as a major driver of economic activity, employment, and tax revenue. The study not only affirms the industry’s significance but also serves as a foundational resource to inform advocacy, investment, and long-term planning.

“Racing holds a special place in American life, and this milestone report highlights the broad scope of the motorsports industry as an economic driver at the local, state, and federal levels,” said PRI President Michael Good. “Using these results as a foundation, PRI will continue to seek ways to foster the motorsports industry, from racetracks to manufacturers, and from small businesses to major national employers, to ensure motorsports continues to touch every part of the country and bring together people from all walks of life for competition and community. We’re proud to serve as the leading voice for the motorsports industry in the U.S. and will continue delivering the data needed to demonstrate the industry’s economic strength and value.”

In 2023, a study commissioned by the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) found that the automotive aftermarket industry generates an economic impact of $337 billion annually to the American economy. While the motorsports study found small areas of overlap in the parts, repair, and facilities areas, the motorsports study results are a complement to the SEMA report. PRI was acquired by SEMA in 2012 to connect, protect, and advocate for the motorsports industry.

This story was originally published on June 18, 2025.

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Pocono this weekend for the Great American Getaway 400.

And when it comes to the odds, bettors can dive into that action and place wagers on which driver they think has what it takes to win outright.

Last week at Mexico City, Shane van Gisbergen closed as the favorite at +200, and he ultimately got into victory lane in the league’s first Cup Series race south of the border. This week, Denny Hamlin is the favorite, and that’s after missing last week’s race following the birth of his son.

So which driver takes the checkered flag this weekend? Here are the odds at FanDuel Sportsbook as of June 19.

Great American Getaway 400

Denny Hamlin: +500 (bet $10 to win $60 total)
Ryan Blaney: +700 (bet $10 to win $80 total)
William Byron: +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)
Kyle Larson: +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)
Christopher Bell: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Tyler Reddick: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
Chase Elliott: +1500 (bet $10 to win $160 total)
Joey Logano: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)
Ty Gibbs: +1900 (bet $10 to win $200 total)
Chris Buescher: +2100 (bet $10 to win $220 total) 
Brad Keselowski: +2100 (bet $10 to win $220 total)
Ross Chastain: +2400 (bet $10 to win $250 total)
Carson Hocevar: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
Chase Briscoe: +2800 (bet $10 to win $290 total)
Kyle Busch: +2900 (bet $10 to win $300 total)
Bubba Wallace: +3100 (bet $10 to win $320 total)
Alex Bowman: +3400 (bet $10 to win $350 total)
Josh Berry: +4200 (bet $10 to win $430 total)
Erik Jones: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)
Ryan Preece: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)
Austin Cindric: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total)
Daniel Suarez: +6000 (bet $10 to win $610 total)
Zane Smith: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)
Michael McDowell: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)
AJ Allmendinger: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)
Noah Gragson: +14000 (bet $10 to win $1,410 total)
Shane van Gisbergen: +14000 (bet $10 to win $1,410 total)
Cole Custer: +21000 (bet $10 to win $2,110 total)
John Hunter Nemechek: +21000 (bet $10 to win $2,110 total)
Todd Gilliland: +21000 (bet $10 to win $2,110 total)
Austin Dillon: +21000 (bet $10 to win $2,110 total)
Justin Haley: +21000 (bet $10 to win $2,110 total)
Riley Herbst: +25000 (bet $10 to win $2,510 total)
Ty Dillon: +34000 (bet $10 to win $3,410 total)
Cody Ware: +50000 (bet $10 to win $5,010 total)
Brennan Poole: +50000 (bet $10 to win $5,010 total)

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Earlier this year, Legacy Motor Club (LMC) filed a lawsuit against rival team, Rick Ware Racing (RWR). The team claimed RWR attempted to illegally back out of a deal to sell one of its charters to the Jimmie Johnson-led group. LMC had entered a Charter Purchase Agreement with RWR, signed a document that would transfer a RWR-owned charter to LMC. 

Both teams currently own two charters, but Rick Ware is leasing one to RFK Racing for the No. 60 entry. This deal indicated that Legacy Motor Club intends to expand to a three-car operation in 2026, should they manage to purchase a charter.

RWR has now taken steps to fight back per Courthouse News, countersuing LMC. Initially, they planned to make a deal with LMC for the 2027 season and said if they are forced to sell this charter to LMC, they “would have no charter under which to race and would go out of business. For this reason, RWR would never have agreed (and unequivocally did not agree) to sell Charter No. 27 in advance of the 2026 season.”

Charter No. 27 is currently being used by RFK Racing, but per court documents, there was confusion between the two parties over what charter was even being sold. RWR also has Charter No. 36, which Cody Ware currently uses with the No. 51 RWR entry.

RWR claims that LMC named Charter No. 27 in their original suit, but the deal was allegedly for Charter 36, which could invalidate the lawsuit. These discrepancies over what charter is even up for grabs and what year this was supposed to take place appear to be at the center of this disagreement. 

RWR also claims they attempted to return a $750,000 deposit that LMC provided as part of this deal, but LMC did not accept it. As previously reported, this charter sale was set to be for $45 million dollars, which would the most expensive charter purchase ever. 

The summer solstice is almost here, which means we’re one day closer to the start of Bears camp.

Until then, we’ll have to make do with the first-place Cubs, the rebuilding White Sox, the Bulls’ and Blackhawks’ draft nights, the NASCAR race and the latest Angel Reese social media posts.

Here are 11 observations to kick-start your summer vacation.

1. Instead of the city and state paying the bulk of the $32.1 million it will take to install bollards for security and other improvements around Wrigley Field so the Cubs can get MLB’s approval to host the 2027 All-Star Game, I propose a different, cheaper plan.

Maybe the city can just close off the area surrounding the ballpark before and after games, rerouting buses and only allowing cars with resident passes inside the zone. A car-free zone from Halsted Street on the east, Southport Avenue on the west, Grace Street on the north and Newport Avenue on the south would keep Wrigley secure and create minimal headaches for commuters and residents.

Too sensible? Yeah, probably.

2. Back in 2012, a writer and SABR member named Jason Lukehart invented a stat he called “the Maddux,” named after former Cubs pitcher Greg Maddux. A “Maddux” is accomplished when a starter throws a complete game shutout with fewer than 100 pitches, which Greg did 13 times in his Hall of Fame career.

After Tuesday’s performance at Wrigley, perhaps it’s time for a new stat — the PCA — after Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong. A PCA would be accomplished by a hitter who makes a sensational catch and then leads off the next inning with a home run, as Crow-Armstrong did in the eighth inning of the Cubs’ 5-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers.

3. In the real world, Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani would not deserve to pitch in the All-Star Game. Ohtani, who had Tommy John surgery in 2023, made his first appearance on the mound in nearly two years Monday at Dodger Stadium, and obviously won’t be among the league leaders in any pitching category.

But since he’ll be there in Atlanta anyway as the National League DH and leading vote-getter, why not just let Ohtani start for the NL to face Aaron Judge in the first inning? Would traditionalists be upset? Well, no one minded in 2001 when starting American League shortstop Alex Rodriguez switched positions with Cal Ripken Jr. in the first inning of the All-Star Game in Seattle so the retiring Orioles great could play shortstop one last time in the Midsummer Classic.

It’s entertainment, after all, and the game doesn’t count. The ratings would be terrific.

4. The Bulls are about to hand Billy Donovan another extension, according to the Tribune’s Julia Poe and other media outlets, which suggests he’s an excellent coach who hasn’t been given the right players to win.

But if that’s the case, the guy giving him the players, executive vice president of baseball operations Artūras Karnišovas, should be replaced by someone who can take full advantage of Donovan’s coaching abilities.

5. When the New York Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau after their Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Indiana Pacers, fans and media speculated on how it could happen. No one seemed to recall that Thibodeau’s Knicks blew a 14-point lead to the Pacers with under three minutes left in Game 1, a colossal collapse that ranks among the greatest chokes in NBA history.

It was as easy a decision to make as the Boston Red Sox firing manager Grady Little after he blew Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS. Some losses you just can’t recover from, even if you’re Thibs.

6. The Knicks reportedly were denied permission from five teams to interview their head coach for the coaching vacancy.

The list included Dallas’ Jason Kidd, Houston’s Ime Udoka, Minnesota’s Chris Finch, Atlanta’s Quin Snyder and Donovan. Hopefully they continue going down the line and keep getting denied by every team until there’s only one man left. Then what we all suspect will be confirmed — the Los Angeles Lakers’ JJ Redick is the NBA’s worst coach.

7. The White Sox series at Colorado on July 4-6 is shaping up to be a big one, historically speaking, pitting players from two all-time bad teams. But the suddenly lukewarm Rockies, who seemed primed to erase the 2024 Sox from the record books, entered Wednesday’s game against Washington with a three-game win streak and a 7-7 record in their last 14 games.

With a 16-57 record on Wednesday, they’re still on pace to break the 2024 White Sox’s record of 121 losses. At this point in ’24, the Sox were finding new ways to lose. They fell to 20-57 on June 21, 2024, when Paul DeJong was doubled off first on a routine fly to center to end a 2-1 loss in Detroit. DeJong is gone, like most of the ’24 Sox, but the ’25 version should be motivated to ditch the record, making the Sox-Rockies showdown at Coors Field a must-win series.

8. Former Sox manager Pedro Grifol said some crazy things after losses last year. But it seems his successor can also get a bit frustrated.

After an 11-inning loss to the Texas Rangers on Saturday, manager Will Venable said: “The feeling that we feel after this game is one that we can feel.” Yogi Berra could not have said it better.

9. The Blackhawks sent Seth Jones to the Florida Panthers for goaltender Spencer Knight and a conditional 2026 first-round draft pick in March, and also agreed to pay 26% of his average salary of $9.5 million for the remaining five years on Jones’ contract.

The Panthers went on to win their second straight Stanley Cup on Tuesday, which means Hawks general manager Kyle Davidson can officially take some credit for something other than lucking into the No. 1 pick that netted Connor Bedard.

10. Polarizing debate show shouter Stephen A. Smith, Kendrick Perkins and the other studio guy on ABC’s NBA Finals pre- and postgame shows are why the mute button was invented. I assume they’re also bad at halftime but I’ve tuned them out.

No wonder ABC/ESPN is importing the entire TNT “Inside the NBA” crew to do their studio shows next year.

11. Now that Chicago Sports Network is airing on Comcast, thousands more viewers can watch their repetitive commercials touting local business owners who like the White Sox.

For the extra $20 Comcast charges customers for the channel, you’d think they’d get some new sponsors.

Originally Published: June 19, 2025 at 6:00 AM CDT

CONCORD, N.C. – The NASCAR Cup Series returns to the U.S. and gets ready to face another curveball at Pocono Raceway.

The Tricky Triangle consists of three unique turns all based off of different racetracks. Turn one is modeled after the former Trenton Speedway, turn two is taken from Indianaoplis Motor Speedway and turn three is based off of the Milwaukee Mile. All three corners vary in banking (turn one is 14 degrees, turn two is eight degrees, turn three is six degrees).

Hendrick Motorsports has visited victory lane 19 times at the track, more than any other organization in NASCAR Cup Series history. The most wins came from Chase Elliott (2022) and Alex Bowman (2021) with one win apiece.  

With a ninth-place run at Mexico City, William Byron extended his advantage in the points standings to 67 markers over teammate Kyle Larson. His average finish of 9.4 at the track is best among all active drivers.

Larson has been close to a checkered flag several times over at the 2.5-mile tri-oval. He has the most laps led at Pocono out of the four Hendrick Motorsports drivers (158) and has an average finish of 11.6. The driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevy will aim to win for the fourth time this year on Sunday.

RELATED: Take a look the Pocono paint schemes

Check out the full weekend schedule below:

Where is NASCAR racing this weekend?

The NASCAR Cup, Xfinity and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will all race at Pocono Raceway this weekend. 

Where is Pocono Raceway?

Pocono Raceway is located in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. 

What time is the NASCAR race on today?

(All times listed in eastern time)

Friday, June 20

• 12:35 p.m. – CRAFTSMAN Truck Series practice, FS2
• 1:40 – CRAFTSMAN Truck Series qualifying, FS2
• 5 – CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race, FS1