LONG POND, Pa. — A rare thing happened five weeks ago. As NASCAR’s longest race unfolded, social media discourse about the sport — often overflowing with negativity and snark — instead exuded approval over what was playing out on Amazon Prime.

Fans were witnessing a polished, professional broadcast that they felt was unlike anything they’d seen in recent years. And it wasn’t just fans who took notice.

“Everyone who has come up to me — friends or fans or whoever — and has watched the races over the last few weeks has had nothing but incredible things to say,” Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott said. “And it seems like it’s been really well done, at least that’s kind of been the perception that’s out there that I’ve heard.”

Complaining about a race broadcast is like catnip for many NASCAR fans. Regardless of who is handling the coverage, a vocal contingent will make their criticisms known.

It seemed certain Prime would be subject to such scrutiny when it began broadcasting its five-race package of Cup Series events as part of NASCAR’s new seven-year media rights deal that split up the 38 Cup races among Fox Sports (14 races), NBC Sports (14), Prime (five) and Warner Bros. Discovery (five, on TNT). Prime’s foray into NASCAR marks the first time the league’s premier division had its races carried exclusively on a streaming service.

Yet from Prime’s first race on May 25 — the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway — and through the following four weeks, a NASCAR community known to be averse to change largely embraced Prime’s presentation.

“They (Prime) do a good job of telling the stories and getting you excited about strategy and showing how one driver may catch another,” said Denny Hamlin, driver for Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI Racing co-owner, last week before Prime’s last broadcast at Pocono Raceway. “They are doing a great job so far.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (right) interviews winning driver Shane van Gisbergen on Prime after the Cup Series race in Mexico City on June 15. (James Gilbert / Getty Images)

How did Prime resonate with a fan base that’s often skeptical about any outside entity coming into the sport and trying to be different? First, Prime recognized it knew what it didn’t know. For Prime to produce a successful NASCAR broadcast, its leaders knew it was best to lean on experience.

Utilizing a strategy similar to the one it employs for its NFL “Thursday Night Football” broadcasts, Prime partnered with NBC Sports to bring on many of the same behind-the-scenes staffers who make that network’s coverage top-notch. This gave Prime a strong start, only needing to fine-tune how it wanted the broadcasts to look.

To put its own spin on the broadcasts, Prime also introduced new technological elements. The most notable is the “Burn Bar,” which measures a team’s fuel consumption through the course of a race, then conveys the information to viewers in a digestible manner.

“How do we take really complex things and present them in a really simple way,” Prime Video senior coordinating producer Alex Strand said of the broadcast’s goal. “And that to me is the fun challenge of it. … I think most people would be pretty excited and surprised by how much opportunity there is to really get technical, but make it approachable.”

Prime has one big advantage over NASCAR’s other broadcast partners: It’s not bound by the same constraints as linear television and doesn’t have to adhere to strict broadcast windows. As a streaming service with no cap on when it needs to sign off, Prime has more freedom to go deeper in its post-race analysis.

“We, obviously, heard fans talking about it. We also just saw it ourselves,” Strand said. “I want to hear analysts break down how that race ended. We just saw that as an opportunity. And it was already in our DNA, so it was a pretty easy decision to make.”

To figure out how to fill that time, Strand looked at how Prime has covered the NFL, European soccer and other sports properties. Its NASCAR broadcasts featured an extended pre- and post-race show, so its hosts and analysts could first inform viewers on what was to come, then thoroughly recap the races. The run times varied depending on what happened in the race and how much there was to talk about.

Booth analyst Steve Letarte (second from right) joins the Prime studio show after the June 1 race at Nashville Superspeedway. (James Gilbert / Getty Images)

The thoroughness of the post-race show became Prime’s calling card. Anchored by Danielle Trotta and with NASCAR Hall of Famer Carl Edwards and current driver Corey LaJoie as studio analysts — and sometimes joined by booth analysts Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Letarte — the group breaks down the just-completed race to a depth viewers don’t typically get from a post-race show on a network facing time restrictions.

The numbers have reinforced Prime’s decision to produce an elongated post-race show. Prime said the program retained an average of 43 percent of its audience from the race.

“I personally like the pre- and post-race show the most,” Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron said. “Having a professional desk like that and having a chance to recap the race in a more relaxed setting just adds to the value and adds to the energy of the event. It just captures the sights and sounds.”

The post-race show has afforded Edwards and LaJoie, both television newbies, a platform to shine. For LaJoie, who has hosted podcasts and radio shows, this was not a completely new endeavor. Edwards, though, had largely been away from the sport since retiring from racing after the 2016 season.

But Edwards has used his time away as an asset. On the show, he takes an inquisitive approach as he re-acclimates to a sport that’s changed considerably since he raced. This, in a way, makes him serve as a conduit for fans in getting to know drivers better and explaining ongoing storylines.

“You know how in filmmaking they always need a character that doesn’t know anything so they can ask the questions?” Edwards said. “I think this has been just this perfect timing and opportunity for me because I’m literally learning about the sport again. So much has changed.”

NASCAR and Prime hoped that a strong broadcast aired over a streaming service would yield a younger demographic. And so far, it has. According to Prime, the median age for a viewer of its five races was 56.1, nearly seven years younger than audiences watching Cup Series races on linear networks in 2025 (62.8). And its five races represented the five youngest audiences of any Cup race this season. The five-race slate averaged 2.16 million viewers, on par with typical broadcasts on traditional cable networks but down from the 2.56 million average for the same five-week stretch in 2024. Last year, one of those races (the Coke 600) aired on Fox, with the other four on FS1.

“It was rewarding to see NASCAR’s fan base shift over to a new platform,” said Brian Herbst, NASCAR executive vice president, chief media and revenue officer, “not only achieving the viewership levels that NASCAR delivers on cable TV today, but bringing in younger demos and new fans to our sport.”

With NASCAR and fans responding favorably, what will Prime do for an encore next summer? Sitting inside Prime’s production trailer on-site at Pocono Raceway last weekend, Strand shook his head and smiled at the question.

The answer will come later. There’s plenty of time to sort that out.

“We’ve had so much fun,” Strand said. “I’m excited about what TNT will bring (beginning Saturday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway). I’m excited about how NBC will finish the season. … Our hope is that this season of NASCAR really represents a growth in excitement around the sport that rolls into 2026.”

(Top photo of Prime’s NASCAR studio crew; from left, Danielle Trotta, Carl Edwards, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Corey LaJoie: Meg Oliphant / Getty Images)

T.J. Puchyr, one of the founders of Spire Motorsports, and Rick Ware have an agreement for Puchyr to purchase the team, according to a report from the Associated Press.

The deal is for the 2027 season, and the plan is to expand to a three-car NASCAR Cup Series operation, with Ware remaining involved and all Ware employees being retained. Cody Ware, who drives the team’s primary car, the No. 51, would also remain.

“I am bullish on wanting to build a three-car team,” Puchyr told the AP. “I believe in the France family and the direction of the sport and I want the rest of the shareholders and industry to know that I believe the charters are worth $75 million or more.

Ware owns two charters. As the team competes with one, for Cody Ware, the other is currently being leased to RFK Racing. A charter can be leased for one year and then returned to the team that owns it.

However, there is ongoing litigation between Ware and Legacy Motor Club over one of the charters. Legacy Motor Club filed a lawsuit against Ware in April, alleging that Ware backed out of a deal to sell one of his charters. In a countersuit filed by Ware earlier this month, he alleges that the deal was intended for the 2027 season, but the terms of the agreement were changed for the 2026 season, in addition to a dispute over which charter number the agreement pertained to.

“If anybody deserves a pass it is Jimmie [Johnson] and if he wants to sit down and talk about it like men, I’d entertain the conversation,” Puchyr told the AP about Johnson, who is the owner of Legacy Motor Club. “I don’t think Jimmie has all the facts, doesn’t understand the deal we had, and they tried to humiliate Rick publicly. We don’t do business that way.”

Puchyr sold his shares of Spire Motorsports last year to Dan Towriss, the CEO of TWG Motorsports. Since then, he has served in a consulting role for various teams, including Rick Ware and Legacy Motor Club.

Rick Ware Racing couldn’t be reached for comment on the Associated Press report.

You’ve heard of the NBA Cup, soccer’s FA Cup and the WNBA’s Commissioner’s Cup.

Now, it’s time for the NASCAR In-Season Challenge.

The top auto racing series in America is joining other popular sports in adding a tournament in the middle of its season. NASCAR’s brightest stars, from Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson to Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney, will battle it out in a knockout-style challenge for $1 million.

Here are all the details for the inaugural NASCAR In-Season Challenge:

What is the NASCAR In-Season Challenge and how does it work?

The In-Season Challenge is new for 2025, and it’s been inspired by other leagues. NASCAR will have 32 drivers competing in a single-elimination, bracket-style format.

Over five races, the field will dwindle down from 32 to 16 to eight to four to two before the winner receives the $1 million prize. Every driver has a direct opponent in each round. To advance, all you have to do is beat your opponent. So, while there will be all 32 drivers on the track for each race, all you have to do to move on is win your matchup.

Which drivers are competing in the NASCAR In-Season Challenge?

The 32-driver field was determined three weeks ago, with the top 32 drivers in the overall points standings being locked in.

Seeding for the In-Season Challenge was set based on the last three races, with drivers ranked based on their best finishes.

NASCAR In-Season Challenge bracket, seeds, matchups

With just three races used to determine the seeding, there are some wonky matchups that could lead to major upsets. Here’s the seeding and matchups for the first round:

• Denny Hamlin (1) vs. Ty Dillon (32)
• Chase Briscoe (2) vs. Noah Gragson (31)
• Chris Buescher (3) vs. Todd Gilliland (30)
• Christopher Bell (4) vs. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (29)
• Chase Elliott (5) vs. Austin Dillon (28)
• Ty Gibbs (6) vs. Justin Haley (27)
• Ryan Blaney (7) vs. Carson Hocevar (26)
• Alex Bowman (8) vs. Joey Logano (25)
• Bubba Wallace (9) vs. Daniel Suarez (24)
• Kyle Larson (10) vs. Tyler Reddick (23)
• Michael McDowell (11) vs. AJ Allmendinger (22)
• John Hunter Nemechek (12) vs. Josh Berry (21)
• Ross Chastain (13) vs. Erik Jones (20)
• Zane Smith (14) vs. Austin Cindric (19)
• Ryan Preece (15) vs. William Byron (18)
• Kyle Busch (16) vs. Brad Keselowski (17)

NASCAR In-Season Challenge schedule and tracks

There are five races in the tournament, which takes place over five weeks. Here’s the schedule:

How to watch NASCAR In-Season Challenge races

Another new broadcast partner is joining the rotation for the In-Season Challenge.

All five races will air on TNT with Adam Alexander (play-by-play), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (analysis) and Steve Letarte (analysis) on the call. There will also be an alternate broadcast on truTV focusing solely on the In-Season Challenge, with Jeff Burton, Larry McReynolds and special guests. Everything can also be streamed live on Max.

How to fill out NASCAR bracket

Just like March Madness, you can fill out your bracket for the NASCAR In-Season Challenge.

The contest is being run through NASCAR’s website here, and the prize for a perfect bracket is $1 million. NASCAR says there will be additional prizes for top scorers, too. If you prefer to write it out the old-fashioned way, you can print your bracket here.

Ahead of the NASCAR Chicago Street Race, iRacing executive vice president Steve Myers shared how the simulator game is making an impact in the real world.

This Saturday’s race at EchoPark Speedway marks a delicious milestone in the NASCAR Cup Series as King’s Hawaiian makes its debut as the primary sponsor of Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota Camry XSE. The appearance launches a new partnership between the beloved food brand and Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), just in time for King’s Hawaiian to celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2025.

The race will be the first of four events in which King’s Hawaiian serves as the primary sponsor of Hamlin’s car, with upcoming appearances also scheduled at Daytona International Speedway (August 23), Bristol Motor Speedway (September 13), and Martinsville Speedway (October 26). The brand also serves as a  full-season associate sponsor for the No. 11 team.

Founded in 1950 by Robert Taira in Hilo, Hawaii, King’s Hawaiian has grown into a household name known for its Original Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, Slider Buns, Hamburger Buns, and its newest hit—sweet and salty Pretzel Bites. Despite its growth, the company remains a family-owned business dedicated to bringing people together through irresistible food and the aloha spirit.

“As two family-owned businesses with a shared commitment to excellence and innovation, we are thrilled to kick off this partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing and Denny Hamlin,” said Raouf Moussa, chief marketing officer for King’s Hawaiian. “Debuting at EchoPark Speedway is the perfect way to begin connecting with the passionate NASCAR community and sharing our aloha spirit with fans across the country.”

“We’re very excited to welcome King’s Hawaiian to our team,” said Hamlin. “It’s a brand my family knows and loves, and I’m looking forward to everything we can do together both on and off the track. Kicking things off at EchoPark Speedway makes this weekend even more special.”

Joe Gibbs, founder and owner of JGR, echoed that excitement: “We’re proud to bring King’s Hawaiian into our racing family. Their products have become a staple in so many homes over the past 75 years, and we’re excited to help them celebrate this important anniversary.”

With its vibrant branding and unmistakable orange packaging, King’s Hawaiian’s debut on the No. 11 Toyota is sure to turn heads at EchoPark Speedway — and kick off a flavorful new era in NASCAR sponsorship.

For more about King’s Hawaiian and their story, visit www.kingshawaiian.com.

NASCAR’s first in-season tournament begins Saturday night at Atlanta.

The Quaker State 400 is the first race of the five that will make up the head-to-head contest. Dubbed the “In-Season Challenge,” the winner of the tournament will receive $1 million — the same amount given to the winner of the All-Star Race — and was implemented after the idea was floated by Denny Hamlin on his podcast a year ago.

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Coincidentally, Hamlin is the No. 1 seed for the tournament. He’s got Ty Dillon in the first round.

How it works

The tournament field includes 32 drivers who are paired against each other via their seeds for Saturday night’s race. The highest-finishing driver in each matchup moves on. If Hamlin finishes fifth and Dillon is 25th, Hamlin is on to the next round.

With 36 full-time drivers in the Cup Series, the field for the tournament was determined via the top 32 drivers in the points standings after the Nashville race. Over the last three races, the seeds were determined via average finish. Hamlin got the top seed for the tournament because he had the best average finish at Michigan, Mexico City and Pocono.

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However, Hamlin did expose a possible flaw in NASCAR’s seeding process. He missed the Mexico City race for the birth of his son and only competed in two of the three races. Missing the race didn’t cost Hamlin at all in the seeding process. While other drivers’ seeds were determined via an average of three races, Hamlin’s seed was only from his win at Michigan and his second-place finish at Pocono.

Here is a look at the bracket:

After Atlanta, the second round will happen during the street race in Chicago on July 6 and the quarterfinals will occur at Sonoma. The final two races of the in-season tournament will be held at Dover and Indianapolis, and the champion will be crowned at the Brickyard.

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All five races of the in-season tournament will be broadcast on TNT. The network returns to NASCAR television coverage this season for the five races before NBC takes over for the rest of the season.

Here’s a look at the seeds and the 16 first-round matchups taking place at Atlanta.

NASCAR In-Season Challenge first-round matchups

• No. 1 Denny Hamlin vs. No. 32 Ty Dillon

• No. 2 Chase Briscoe vs. No. 31 Noah Gragson

• No. 3 Chris Buescher vs. No. 30 Todd Gilliland

• No. 4 Christopher Bell vs. No. 29 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

• No. 5 Chase Elliott vs. No. 28 Austin Dillon

• No. 6 Ty Gibbs vs. No. 27 Justin Haley

• No. 7 Ryan Blaney vs. No. 26 Carson Hocevar

• No. 8 Alex Bowman vs. No. 25 Joey Logano

• No. 9 Bubba Wallace vs. No. 24 Daniel Suarez

• No. 10 Kyle Larson vs. No. 23 Tyler Reddick

• No. 11 Michael McDowell vs. No. 22 AJ Allmendinger

• No. 12 John Hunter Nemechek vs. No. 21 Josh Berry

• No. 13 Ross Chastain vs. No. 20 Erik Jones

• No. 14 Zane Smith vs. No. 19 Austin Cindric

• No. 15 Ryan Preece vs. No. 18 William Byron

• No. 16 Kyle Busch vs. No. 17 Brad Keselowski

NORWALK, Ohio (June 25, 2025) – It’s already been a standout rookie season for Spencer Hyde in the Funny Car ranks heading into this weekend’s 19th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park.

He’s advanced to one final round, picked up a Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge victory and has displayed steady progress driving for Head Racing and veteran crew chief Jim Head, who is a Columbus, Ohio native.

That makes this weekend a home race for Head, but also for Hyde, who grew up racing just outside of Toronto in Stratford, Ontario. It means Hyde is bringing plenty of friends and family with him to Norwalk, as well as a special “Jack and the Green Stock” wrap on the 12,000-horsepower Funny Car. It’s an ode to the green Stock Eliminator car his grandfather’s cousin, Jack Hyde, drove almost 50 years ago.

Hyde drove a newer version of that car several years ago, had his Pro Mod car wrapped to match it and now will have the meaningful “Jack and the Green Stock” look on the Funny Car this weekend. Hyde has raced at Summit Motorsports Park a number of times in the Pro Mod and Top Sportsman ranks, over the years, but his Funny Car debut at his home track is shaping up to be a special one.

“Now that I’m in a nitro Funny Car, the closest we get to home is Norwalk, and that’s where all my friends and family will hang out (this weekend), so I thought it would be cool to wrap the Funny Car like that,” Hyde said. “How cool would it be if my first Funny Car win came in the Jack and the Green Stock wrap? That was my first big Pro Mod win was when we had it wrapped like that.

“I’m not saying I’m expecting to win, but it’s our home race, it’s Jim’s home race, so it’s a pretty special event for all of us. That would be a perfect world – my first win in a Funny Car coming in Norwalk with my home crowd and wrapped as Jack and the Green Stock. Norwalk has kind of been our home away from home for a long time.”

In 2024, Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), Aaron Stanfield (Pro Stock), and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all won at a race that will again be broadcast on FOX and FS1 in 2025, including eliminations coverage beginning at 2 p.m. ET on FOX on Sunday.

It is the 10th of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA season and the race in Norwalk is always a premier stop on the NHRA tour. The weekend includes two rounds of qualifying on Friday, including a must-see night session and fireworks, two rounds of qualifying – and the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge – on Saturday and eliminations on Sunday. The race also plays host to the GETTRX Pro Stock NHRA All-Star Callout for the first time, as the specialty event features eight Pro Stock drivers battling for the win.

The race finishes off a busy four race in five week stretch, but Hyde has enjoyed the back-to-back race weekends this month. He’s built consistency and made improvements, which should only help this weekend in Norwalk when he takes on the likes of points leader and defending world champion Austin Prock, Jack Beckman, Matt Hagan, Ron Capps and J.R. Todd.

It’s a group with plenty of Funny Car experience, which is something every first-year driver lacks. But Hyde can see his confidence building and he hopes it translates into more positive results in Norwalk

“Just less time out of the seat,” Hyde said of the back-to-back weekend. “You take a few days off and you’re right back in the seat and you really don’t have to think about anything,” Hyde said. “I’m sure these guys who have done it for many years don’t have to think about much when they get in there. I’m still relatively new and it’s still a thought process for me. So, the back-to-back weekends definitely help.”

Brown is after a repeat Top Fuel win in Norwalk, but it won’t be easy against a field that includes points leader and racing legend Tony Stewart, former champs Shawn Langdon, Steve Torrence, Doug Kalitta and Brittany Force, Justin Ashley and Clay Millican.

Pro Stock standout Stanfield took home his first Norwalk win last year, but this season has been dominated by points leader Greg Anderson and Dallas Glenn. Anderson has four wins and the points lead, while Glenn has three victories in what has been an impressive season by the KB Titan Racing teammates.

The GETTRX Pro Stock NHRA All-Star Callout field features reigning six-time champion Anderson, who will have the first pick of the eight-car field made up of Glenn, Matt Hartford, standout Stanfield, multi-time champions Erica Enders and Jeg Coughlin, Eric Latino and Troy Coughlin Jr.

Two-time reigning Pro Stock Motorcycle champ Herrera took the win last year over his rival Matt Smith. Herrera continues to lead the field, while others to look for at Norwalk will be Gadson, who won in Bristol, Angie Smith, Jianna Evaristo and Chase Van Sant.

Also on the track will be the standouts in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock.

All weekend, fans will be invited to the Nitro Alley Stage, which is the main entertainment hub in the pits. The stage hosts Nitro School, meet and greets, autograph sessions and more. Norwalk race fans can enjoy the special pre-race ceremonies that introduce each driver and includes the fan favorite SealMaster Track Walk. Fans are also invited to congratulate the winners at the winner’s circle celebration on Sunday.

As always, fans get a pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. Fans can see their favorite teams in action and servicing their cars, get autographs and more. They can also visit NHRA’s Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and vendors create an exciting atmosphere.

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 5 and 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, June 27, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, June 28 at 12 and 2:30 p.m. Eliminations will begin at 11 a.m. ET on Sunday, June 29. The first round of the GETTRX Pro Stock All-Star Callout takes place at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 28, with the semifinals at 1:20 p.m. and the finals at 3:50 p.m.

Television coverage includes qualifying action at 7 p.m. ET on Friday and 11 a.m. on Sunday on FS1, leading into eliminations on FOX at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday. The Callout will be broadcast at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday on FS1.

To purchase tickets to Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, fans can visit www.NHRA.com/tickets. Children 12 and under are free in general admission areas with the purchase of an adult ticket. For more information on NHRA, please visit www.NHRA.com.