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Ross Chastain outraces William Byron, wins Coca-Cola 600

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CONCORD, N.C. — Ross Chastain stood on top of his No. 1 Chevrolet in his white fire suit and held a watermelon above his head as the crowd at the Charlotte Motor Speedway roared with delight in anticipation.

Then, with sense of ferocity, Chastain slammed it to the track, smashing it to pieces.

Chastain began smashing watermelon as a way to honor his family’s legacy as eighth-generation watermelon farmers. The tradition began after his first NASCAR Cup Series race and has continued after every win.

But this win was extra special, his first at a crown jewel event.

“This thing is fresh from Florida,” Chastain said with a laugh. “It just came up from our family farm. Man, for the Florida watermelon industry, that’s your watermelons you’re getting right now, so y’all better go buy a dang watermelon to celebrate. I want to see videos of smashed watermelons flood the socials. I want to see it. Florida watermelons are in season.”

Chastain passed two-time Daytona 500 winner William Byron with six laps left and won the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday night, capping a remarkable comeback and becoming the first driver to win the event after starting at the back of the field.

NASCAR said he’s the first driver to win from an official starting position of last since Bobby Allison at the Richmond Fairgrounds in 1969.

Byron won the first three stages and led 283 laps but surrendered the lead to Chastain, who started in 40th place and led only eight laps in his first NASCAR Cup Series victory of the year.

It was a huge boost to Trackhouse Racing, and a bitter disappointment for Byron, a Charlotte native who had signed a four-year contract extension Friday with Hendrick Motorsports. Byron has finished in the top three in the past three Coca-Cola 600s without winning.

Chastain said his crew stayed up all night to build him another car after a crash in practice Saturday.

“To drive on that final run in the 600 and pass two cars that had been better than me all night, wow,” Chastain said. “Holy cow! We just won the 600.”

Chastain said the plan was to fix the original car after the wreck, but NASCAR intervened. It might have been a good thing it did.

“We thought we were going to have to fix the primary and NASCAR said, no, there is something bent [so] go build another one,” Chastain said. “That’s how we did that.”

Chastain’s crew chief, Phil Surgen, said it was “deflating” when a tire went down and Chastain crashed during practice because their original car had been running so well, finishing fastest among the field in 10-, 15- and 20-lap averages.

But he said more than 30 employees came into the nearby race shop to work on the car, with nearly a dozen staying until 2:30 a.m. to get it ready to race. The car they used was slated to be a backup car at the Nashville race but didn’t have an engine and needed several other additions.

“This group of guys I have got is relentless and no doubt everybody was going to give it their best,” Surgen said. “Guys were at concerts and ballgames and dropped what they were doing to come in and help.”

Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks called it a “master class” effort by the team.

Byron left the track disappointed over his inability to maintain the lead.

“He was catching me and I was trying to defend and I was getting a little tight,” Byron said. “He got a run on me and was able to get to the bottom of the track off of two. It’s disappointing to lead that many laps.”

Byron became the first driver to sweep the first three stages at NASCAR’s longest race but found himself in a battle with Denny Hamlin the final 100 laps. They exchanged the lead a few times before both drivers pitted with 52 laps for one final fuel stop.

But Hamlin didn’t get enough in his car and would have to pit again, falling out of contention. He finished 16th.

Chastain, running in a backup car, ran down Byron for his sixth Cup Series win and first crown jewel victory. Pole sitter Chase Briscoe finished third.

Kyle Larson’s day ended the way it started at the Indianapolis 500 — with a wreck.

Larson arrived at Charlotte Motor Speedway via helicopter more than an hour ahead of the start of the race after crashing out at the Indianapolis 500 in his second failed attempt to complete “The Double.”

In North Carolina, he started on the front row and raced to an early lead before hitting the wall in Turn 3 on Lap 38.

A few laps later, his car got loose, sending him spinning across the front straightaway and bringing out the race’s first caution flag. But Larson was able to regain control and prevent further damage to his No. 5 Chevrolet before heading to the pits for adjustments that forced him to the back of the field.

But Larson was caught up in a wreck involving Ryan Blaney, Briscoe and Daniel Suarez, sending him behind the wall. He finished 37th.

JOHNSON MAKES EARLY EXIT

Jimmie Johnson’s bid for a record-tying fifth Coca-Cola 600 victory ended early in the second stage when he hit the wall in Turn 4, causing severe damage to his No. 84 Toyota and knocking him out of the race. The seven-time Cup Series champion finished last.

“I made a rookie mistake,” Johnson said, who was making his 700th career Cup Series start. “The traffic situations are different with this car and I reacted in a way I shouldn’t have.”

HALFTIME TRIBUTE

Keeping with tradition, drivers pulled their cars down pit road to a complete stop for a moment of silence as part of the Memorial Day weekend tribute to “honor and remember” those service members who’ve lost their lives.



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Motorsports

Denny Hamlin is looking for an apology from NASCAR Channel 90 after lawsuit settlement

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“Animosity ends with accountability.”

23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports recently settled their lawsuit against NASCAR. Post settlement, all teams will be offered to sign a new evergreen charter agreement. This will make charters permanent.

Charters are now franchises with teams sharing a portion of revenue. They also guarantee a starting position in every race for the 36 charter holders.

NASCAR lawsuit settled; Comments from both sides

Back in October 2024, Hamlin stated via X, “While censorship is a big topic in today’s media world, Channel 90 might be the poster child.”

He added, “An interview didn’t go the way they hoped after our attorney continued to state fact after fact even tho they tried their best to refute, they have since edited/deleted that interview off of their channels because the narrative doesn’t fit their beliefs. If that doesn’t convince you of the bias then nothing will.”

The settlement is a win for the sport as a whole. But, Denny Hamlin, co-owner of 23XI Racing is circling back…

Fast forward to 2025: Hamlin now expects an apology

Hamlin hasn’t forgotten about that moment from last year…

Hamlin asked Larry Mcreynolds on Tuesday, “Good morning. Now that the case is settled and the evidence is out will you or anyone on channel 90 be issuing an apology for what you all said about 23XI/FRM when the lawsuit was filed?”

“I believe it was ‘how dare them for trying to come in and change the sport. 23XI hasn’t been around long enough and FRM wasn’t good enough.’ Also how about ‘I dont know what their problem is, 13 other teams signed it.’ Just to name a few examples.”

“Well because I believe that once the actual facts and documents were released it was contradictory to the narrative that was being pushed. Larry is a very hard working analyst. Hopefully he took the time to analyze the situation post settlement and revise his thoughts.”

“Animosity ends with accountability.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr predicts a surge in the cost of NASCAR charters

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NASCAR | 23XI Racing | Front Row Motorsports



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Liberty Scales Back Sponsorship of No. 24 for Second Straight Year

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Liberty University (LibertyU), one of the founding partners of William Byron’s career in NASCAR, is significantly scaling back its sponsorship of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet for a second consecutive year.

The educational institution, along with Hendrick Motorsports, confirmed on Wednesday that it would be sponsoring the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 of Byron in three NASCAR Cup Series events for the upcoming season — slashing in half the six-race program the school occupied in 2025.

This marks the second straight campaign that LibertyU has cut its primary sponsorship program for Byron in half, slashing its presence on the No. 24 Chevrolet to six races for 2025, after sponsoring 12 races in 2024.

Byron, the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series regular-season champion, will be carrying the colors of his long-time partner, LibertyU, at Watkins Glen International (May 10), Indianapolis Motor Speedway (July 26), and Martinsville Speedway (November 1).

Liberty University has been a major sponsorship partner of William Byron for more than a decade, adorning his racecars as he climbed through the ranks of Late Models, the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, ARCA Menards Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, and into the NASCAR Cup Series with Hendrick Motorsports, the winningest team in the history of the sport.

In his eight seasons competing full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, William Byron has been to Victory Lane 16 times — thrice with Liberty University on board the No. 24 Chevrolet (Daytona 2020, Atlanta 2022, Texas 2023).

Between the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and K&N Pro Series East (now ARCA Menards Series East), Byron has been to Victory Lane a total of 13 times with Liberty University serving as the primary sponsor of his racecar.

The 28-year-old driver has proven himself as a perennial championship contender in the NASCAR Cup Series, putting his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team into the Championship 4 in each of the last three seasons. Byron has three four top-six points finishes and five top-10 points finishes.

In addition to the three-race sponsorship for Liberty University on the No. 24 Chevrolet in 2026, William Byron will also have backing from Raptor Coatings, Valvoline, Anduril, All-Pro Auto Reconditioning, Phorm Energy, Cincinnati Inc, and Z by HP.





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How F1-Themed Slots Appeal to Racing Fans

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Formula 1 runs deeper than just Sundays at the track. For plenty of fans, the sport’s rush, fast laps, razor-edge gambles, and glitz pour into other pastimes. Lately, digital casinos have jumped in, and now F1-inspired slots are everywhere. The quick-fire spins feel like speeding laps.

Flashing car symbols, turbo bonuses, the roar of imaginary engines, developers lace it all together, aiming right at racing die-hards who want a taste of race day off the asphalt. If you ask Car Throttle, close to 40% of racing lovers say these immersive F1 themes actually make them more likely to play. Marrying speed and stakes has carved out its place among motorsport’s most passionate.

F1 Emotion Meets Slot Mechanics

Rush. Heart-thumping risk. A winner or a wipeout in seconds. Formula 1 delivers that, but so do the best slot games. A spin around the reels almost echoes a grand prix lap: anticipation, a jolt of hope, abrupt wins or letdowns. Pro Hockey News notes how F1 fans gravitate to games that channel motorsport chaos.

Suddenly, a slot’s win feels like a daring overtake, a crushing loss like a blown engine. None of it happens accidentally; game designers ramp up volatility to mirror F1’s on-the-edge energy. Most F1 slots set their risk high, reflecting not just the pace but the unpredictability that racing fans are hooked on. Every spin cranks up the tension, serving up a fresh slice of that high-stakes drama familiar from the grid.

Immersive Racing Design Attracts New Players

Design teams aren’t subtle; their aim is instant recognition. Online slots featuring stylized cars, helmets, or racetrack symbols aim for instant recognition. They drop players onto circuits that look suspiciously like Monaco, toss them bonus pit stop rounds, and dress up the audio in engines and cheers, like you’re trackside, but with a mouse click. Monaco backdrops. Helmets gleaming. Crowds roaring.

Even “Nitro Boost” or “Race Spin” features boost the fever, reminding fans of sudden on-track drama. F1 fans, spotting these cues, grasp the theme quickly. Now, entering the world of online slots doesn’t feel alien, especially next to games with no familiar landmarks. For those who already live for Sundays, stepping into the F1 slot lane is way less daunting than facing roulette wheels or endless columns of numbers.

Bonus Rounds Channel Race Strategy

What makes F1 slots stand out isn’t just the paintwork or the sound; they don’t just look and sound like racing; they play that way, too. Bonus rounds become mini-races. Maybe you’re asked to pick a car for a jackpot “shootout.” Possibly you gamble for multipliers, risking it all for a bigger score.

Car Throttle points out that strategic rounds, think “Pit Stops,” force you to make real choices under pressure. Some rounds crank up the risk for massive rewards, tossing in wild cards like a “Final Lap” boost. The structure starts to feel eerily familiar. It’s F1, but with every bet, the drama of the final corner is only ever one spin away.

Glamour, Volatility, and Tech Innovation

Race day glitz, velvet ropes, fancy paddocks, and champagne sprays, those luxury notes slip easily into the casino vibe. F1 slot promos often push that angle: big jackpots, slick graphics, Monaco’s neon glow. Pro Hockey News draws the parallel, Monaco as racing’s crown jewel and a gambling mecca.

Developers now push things further; new AR and VR game versions park you right on the circuit, put dashboards in your hands, and let you wander pit lane. This seems just the start. The next chapter for F1 slots is even more immersive, meant to hold fans in the fast lane well past the checkered flag.

Responsible Play for Racing Enthusiasts

All that excitement can cloud judgment. It’s easy to keep pressing for just one more spin, especially when racing thrills blend with betting. Setting limits and seeing slots strictly as a way to unwind matters. There are plenty of tools and agencies offering support if it gets overwhelming. Stay aware, and remember, the real victory is making sure the fun never slips out of control.



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$2.3 Trillion Giant Makes Stunning NASCAR Power Play With Chase Elliott for 2026

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The most popular driver in NASCAR is about to carry the colors of the most powerful streamer on the planet in a bold new way. For three races in the 2026 season, Amazon Prime Video will sponsor Chase Elliot, flashing a new color scheme for his car.

Elliott’s No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet will unveil a dramatically revised paint scheme for the 2026 season, a visual declaration of Amazon Prime Video’s deepening and aggressive stake in the sport’s future.

Which Races Will Chase Elliott Run With the Amazon Prime Livery in 2026?

Elliott is about to get a new color scheme for his car as Amazon Prime Video is sponsoring Chase Elliot for three races in the 2026 season. We will see the Amazon Prime Video on Elliott’s car next year at the Talladega, Texas, and the Dover All-Star Race.

The 2026 design shifts away from the brighter blues of the 2025 car, opting for darker, more aggressive tones. Added black accents and stronger contrast to give it a sharper, more authoritative look on track. The update deliberately distances the car from other blue-hued competitors, ensuring the $2.3 trillion tech behemoth’s rolling billboard stands utterly alone.

Amazon joined Hendrick Motorsports as a primary sponsor for Chase Elliott starting in 2025. It also became the sport’s first direct-to-consumer media partner this year. Holding roles as a team sponsor and a broadcaster at the same time raised eyebrows in the NASCAR community.

This time, on-car promotions directly precede Prime Video’s second season of broadcasting five exclusive Cup Series races, which begin with the Coca-Cola 600 on May 24. For 2026, Prime Video will again serve as a primary sponsor for Elliott in three select races, continuing a partnership that runs firmly through 2027.

The No. 9 car will first wear the updated livery at Talladega Superspeedway in late April, then at Texas Motor Speedway, with a final primary appearance at the All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway in mid-May.

MORE: Chase Elliott’s Long-Ignored Warning Forces NASCAR To Reconsider the Next Gen Car

Prime’s broadcast schedule also features the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway on May 31, the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway on June 7, and the NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway on June 14.

Prime Video first sponsored Chase Elliott in 2025 for races at Talladega and Kansas Speedway. Like last year, these races kick off Prime Video’s five-race stretch of NASCAR Cup Series broadcasts.

The Prime broadcast schedule wraps up with the Anduril 250 during NASCAR San Diego Weekend on June 21. The event brings all three of NASCAR’s national series to Naval Base Coronado, where the drivers will tackle a unique 16-turn, 3.4-mile street circuit.





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Ironton Auto Body Challenge Set For Indoor Auto Racing

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ALLENTOWN, Pa. — When the Indoor Auto Racing Series returns to the PPL Center on January 9-10 for the ninth annual Ironton Global Allentown Indoor Races, TQ Midget drivers will once again have a chance to capture the $10,000 Ironton Auto Body Challenge by sweeping the weekend and winning both features.

In 2024, young driver Tanner VanDoren and Ryan Flores split the TQ Midget mains on the tenth-mile concrete oval. Flores won the Friday opener in 2025, but finished second Saturday to Andy Jankowiak. Although both enjoyed a successful weekend, the $10,000 sweep slipped away in Allentown.

Three weeks later, Flores got a second chance at the Ironton Auto Body bonus and redeemed himself by winning the series finale NAPA Auto Parts Gambler’s Classic inside Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall.

Thanks to renewed support from Ironton Auto Body, the possibility of a $10,000 weekend inside the PPL Center returns for a third straight year. To complete the challenge, Friday’s winner will be offered a guaranteed starting spot in Saturday’s main event — with one caveat: they must start 10th.

As a bonus for accepting the challenge, Friday’s winner will receive $1,000. Should they advance from 10th and win again on Saturday, another $4,000 bonus will be awarded. Combining the $5,000 in bonus money with Saturday’s purse will bring their total to $10,000.

If the weekend sweep isn’t accomplished, Ironton Auto Body will once again roll over a portion of the challenge to the Atlantic City Indoor Race.

With his victory in last year’s NAPA Gambler’s Classic, Flores collected $10,000, including Ironton Auto Body Challenge bonus money as well as support from the AC Sports Commission and Visit Atlantic City.

The headline TQ Midget division will be joined by Slingshots and Champ Karts, with full programs and feature events for all three classes.

 



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Jimmie Johnson confirms Daytona 500 decision as schedule takes shape – Motorsport – Sports

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NASCAR icon and Legacy Motor Club team owner Jimmie Johnson has all but confirmed that he will be returning behind the wheel for the Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500 in February 2026.

While Johnson, 50, retired from full-time driving after the 2020 season, he has gone on to compete in a handful of Cup Series races behind the wheel of the No. 84 for Legacy, since first investing in the team in 2022.

This has included all three Daytona 500s since, including the 2025 edition, which saw him finish a remarkable third, marking the team’s joint-best result of the season, as William Byron took the checkered flag in the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet for the second consecutive season.

Previously, Johnson’s only confirmed race for 2026 was the inaugural race at San Diego’s Naval Base Coronado, marking the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Navy in his hometown.

However, in a hilarious social media post on Wednesday, Johnson appeared to confirm he will run the 500 again in February, sponsored once again by Carvana.

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In a Bob Ross-inspired video, Johnson painted the No. 84’s paint scheme for the race, commenting, “Let’s make some magic here. The key to a happy paint scheme is happy colors…We can’t forget the Carvana happy halos. Because every cardeserves a happy driver.”

The clip was accompanied by the caption, “The 2026 Daytona paint scheme drops tomorrow! Stay tuned to watch your favorite artist (and driver) design a new look for the iconic Carvana 84 car.”

Fans were thrilled by the announcement and justifiably loved the video, with one commenting, “This is quality content.” A second said, “Oh didnt realize Jimmie was making an attempt again for the 500!!! Oh this made my day hearing so.” While another simply replied, “HAPPY COLORS HAPPY CARS.”

Johnson’s decision to run the 500, a race won in 2006 and 2013, adds to what is currently a relatively quiet Cup Series schedule for the No. 84 in 2026. This isn’t a surprise given that back in August, he told fellow former champion Kevin Harvick that while he “would like” to compete this coming season, “I am finding that I am more impactful for the business side of the house out of the car and in the suite or in our hospitality area with our sponsors.”

Johnson will be racing alongside the returning full-time Legacy start Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek, who finished 12th and fifth, respectively, at the 2025 500, going on to finish the season 24th and 25th in the drivers’ standings.

To date, Legacy’s only Cup Series win since 2022 came in its inaugural season courtesy of Jones, taking the checkered flag at Darlington Raceway in the Cook Out Southern 500. Beyond NASCAR, it remains unclear if Johnson plans to race in any further events in 2026.



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