Denny Hamlin
Dover Fantasy Outlook – Defending Dover winner, Denny Hamlin will be tough to beat at the “Monster Mile.” Hamlin’s a 2-time winner and in many of the other recent races he’s been a factor. Since 2018 minus misleading results in 2022, 2020 #2 and 2019 #1, Hamlin has a 4.0 average finish. In the Next Gen, Hamlin has the best Next Gen Speed Ranking and his average finish is 3rd over the last two. On Sunday, look for Hamlin to be a top five contender who’ll be a factor to win.
Dover Track History – Denny Hamlin has performed at an elite-level at Dover. Last year when the trophy was on the line, Hamlin hit the after burners and raced his way to victory lane. In the race, Hamlin started 6th, finished 6th in Stage #1, finished 3rd in Stage #2, had the best average running position (4.1), led the most laps (136), earned the best Driver Rating and of course finished 1st. In terms of speed stats, Hamlin had the best Total Speed Ranking and ranked 2nd for Speed Late In A Run. In 2023, Hamlin ranked among the best. In the race, Hamlin finished 2nd in Stage #1, finished 5th in Stage #2, had a 4.9 average running position, earned the 5th best Driver Rating and then finished 5th overall. In terms of speed stats, Hamlin ranked 3rd for Total Speed Rankings and then 5th for Speed Late In A Run. In 2022, Hamlin might’ve just had the best car but his race was anything but incident free. In the race, Hamlin started 2nd, led 67 laps, won Stage #1 but then following the Stage #1 pit stops, he lost a wheel which dropped him all the way back to the mid 20’s. Hamlin battled back and was up to 4th on lap 240, but then Cody Ware spun in front of him and clipped the #11. That ended his competitive afternoon but to make things worse, he later got a speeding penalty. When the checkered flag waved, Hamlin finished 21st.

Chase Elliott
Dover Fantasy Outlook – Two-time Dover winner, Chase Elliott should be on your short list of favorites and on Sunday, look for Elliott to be a top five contender who’ll be a factor to win. Elliott’s thrived at the “Monster Mile” and in the Next Gen, Elliott won the first race, he’s tied for the best average finish (5.7), he’s tied for the 2nd best Next Gen Speed Ranking and has the 4th best Driver Rating. One attribute you have to like about Elliott is that he’s hot and in 4 of the last 5 races heading into the weekend, he’s finished in the top five.
Dover Track History – Chase Elliott has been a force to be reckoned with at Dover and for his career minus an accident (2020 #2) and an engine failure (2019 #2), Elliott has a 4.7 average finish. Also for his career minus those two races, Elliott has a 85.7% top five finish rate and he’s had a result in the top 12 every race. In the Next Gen as you read above, he’s tied for 1st in terms of average finish (5.7) and is tied for 2nd in terms of Next Gen Speed Rankings. Last year, Elliott started way back in 29th but that wasn’t a problem. The #9 was fast and Elliott had no problems driving up thru the field, finishing 9th in Stage # 1, 5th in Stage #2 and then finishing 5th when the checkered flag waved. In terms of speed stats, Elliott ranked 4th for Speed Late In A Run and had the 5th best Total Speed Ranking. In 2023, Elliott finished 11th but I would be careful reading into that afternoon since it was early in his return following injury. In the race, Elliott finished 11th, had an 11.6 average running position and had the 12th best Total Speed Ranking. In 2022 when the trophy was on the line, Elliott hit the afterburners and raced his way to victory lane. I’ll note, on lap 320 before there was a caution during the pit cycle, Elliott was running in 6th. In the race, Elliott had a 4.1 average running position, led 71 laps, had the best Total Speed Ranking and then ranked 3rd for speed late in a run.

Kyle Larson
Dover Fantasy Outlook – Kyle Larson is a super-elite performer at Dover and there’s no question the #5 will be fast and be a factor. At “The Monster Mile”, Larson’s a former winner (2019), he’s finished in the top five 50% of the time, in the top ten 75% of the time and his average finish is 8.2. In the Next Gen, Larson’s only had one incident free race but in terms of “Performance”, he’s been top 2 good over the last two and over all three he’s been a top 5 performer. On Sunday, look for Larson to be a top five contender who’ll be a factor to win.
Dover Track History – Kyle Larson is an elite performer at Dover and it ranks among his best tracks. Larson raced his way to victory lane here in fall 2019 and since 2019 minus 2023 (crash) his average finish is 2.8! Last year, Larson dominated much of the race but came up short in closing time. In the race, Larson started 21st, finished 5th in Stage #1, won Stage #2, had a 5.0 average running position, earned the 3rd best Driver Rating, led 39 laps and then finished 2nd. In terms of Speed Stats, Larson was tied for #1 for Total Speed Rankings and ranked as the Fastest Driver Late In A Run. In 2023, Larson might’ve just been the best but he finished an asterisk mark 32nd. In the race, Larson started 18th but had no trouble slicing and dicing his way up thru the running order. On lap 81 when he climbed up to 5th, Ross Chastain decided to wreck the #15 and Larson was caught up in the carnage and got heavy damage which doomed his afternoon. In 2022, Larson didn’t have an incident free race but rallied to finish 6th. In the race, Larson started 3rd, led 19 laps, finished 6th in Stage #1 but then in Stage #2 on lap 156 while running in 7th, Larson spun (got slightly into the wall) and had a shredded tire. That damaged the #5 and dropped him off the lead lap, but he rallied back. In terms of Total Speed Rankings, Larson ranked 8th. In 2021, Larson won Stage #1, won Stage #2, had a 1.8 average running position, led 263 laps and finished 2nd. In terms of speed analytics, Larson had the best Total Speed Ranking, the best green flag speed and was the fastest driver late in a run. In fall 2019 in his next most recent race, Larson led 154 laps and raced his way to victory lane. In spring 2019, Larson finished 3rd.

Make sure you read the full spectrum of our Dover 2025 Fantasy NASCAR Rankings

Top Tier Elite Picks > Front Runners Rankings > Mid Pack Predictions & The Low Tier

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A look at the winners and losers from Sunday’s Cup race at Sonoma Raceway.

WINNERS

Shane van Gisbergen — He scored his third victory in the last five races — all on road courses. He is tied with Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell for most victories this year. SVG earned his fourth career Cup win Sunday and it came in his 34th series start. No driver has reached four wins so quickly since Parnelli Jones did so in his 31st career Cup start at Riverside, California, in January 1967.

Shane van Gisbergen ties mark set by Jeff Gordon for consecutive road course wins from the pole with Sonoma victory.

Trackhouse Racing — This organization has won four of the last eight Cup races. The streak started with Ross Chastain’s victory in the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend and includes all three of Shane van Gisbergen’s wins.

Shane van Gisbergen wins his third race of the season, leading 97 of 110 laps at Sonoma.

Chase Briscoe — His runner-up result is his best finish on a road course. Until Sunday, he had never run a lap in the top five in four previous Sonoma starts.

Chase Elliott — His third-place finish is his fourth top-five result in the last five races.

Joey Logano — His ninth-place finish snaps a five-race stretch without a top-10 result.

Kyle Busch — His 10th-place gives him back-to-back top-10 finishes.

Ty Dillon — He finished 17th but bumped Alex Bowman out of the way on the last corner of the last lap to finish ahead of Bowman and advance to the semifinals of the In-Season Challenge. Dillon was the last seed in the 32-driver field and is now in the final four. He’s two races from the $1 million prize.

Ty Dillon, John Hunter Nemechek, Tyler Reddick and Ty Gibbs remain in race for $1 million.

LOSERS

Noah Gragson — He finished last in 37th, marking the third time in the last five races he’s placed 30th or worse.

Ryan Blaney — He finished 36th and was eliminated due to an accident. Blaney has failed to finish seven of the 20 races this season, the most in the series.

Carson Hocevar — He placed 32nd. It is the fourth time in the last six races that he’s finished 29th or worse.

A podium for you, a podium for you, everybody gets a podium! Oh boy, has Corvette Racing been on a roll, or what?!? What a remarkable time to be a racing enthusiast, and to watch the Z06 GT3.R come into its own. Just last week, TF Sport landed a “landmark” ELMS victory at Imola, and three weeks ago, Pratt Miller Motorsports scored a second-place finish in GTD PRO for the third time this season! Let’s get after today’s IMSA coverage! [Author’s Note: This racing coverage is FREE and not behind a paywall. Yes, FREE! If/when any pop-ups appear, please click to dismiss them and continue enjoying the coverage.]

What’s Inside This Edition of CorvSport Covers Corvette Racing

1. The Official Full IMSA Press Release From Corvette Racing
2. CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R POST-RACE DRIVER QUOTES, Provided by Corvette Racing
3. Join Pratt Miller Motorsports’ Celebration on Facebook!

1) The Official Full IMSA Press Release From Corvette Racing: Authored by Ryan Smith and Judy Kouba Dominick

CORVETTE RACING AT CTMP: Runner-Up for No. 4 PMM Corvette

Luck goes the way of Milner, Catsburg for second place in GTD PRO

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario (July 13, 2025) – Tommy Milner, Nicky Catsburg and the No. 4 Corvette Z06 GT3.R team gambled and won on strategy Sunday on the way to a second-place GTD PRO finish in the Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

A call for a top-off of fuel under yellow by the Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports engineering team with nearly 80 minutes to go reversed the fortunes for the Milner, Catsburg and the No. 4 Corvette, which lost time earlier in the pits and ran as far down as ninth in class.

Two additional full-course yellow periods over the final 30 minutes – including one with 15 minutes left that ended the race – allowed Catsburg to hold position and put himself and Milner on the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship podium for the first time this year.

The result solidified Chevrolet’s lead in the GTD PRO Manufacturers Championship with four races left in the season.

Antonio Garcia and Alexander Sims also retained their Drivers Championship lead with a fourth-place finish in the No. 3 Corvette. The duo ran a more traditional strategy and looked likely to make the podium for the fifth time this season, thanks to a fuel advantage over two of the cars ahead of it when the final yellows flew.

In GTD, Alec Udell and Robert Wickens posted the best finish of the season for the DXDT Racing No. 36 Corvette Z06 GT3.R effort. Wickens, racing a Corvette at CTMP for the first time, started third and drove the first 45 minutes before giving way to Udell to go the rest of the way. The pair was in the same position as the No. 3 Corvette and likely would have made the GTD podium without the late yellows due to the team’s fuel strategy.

Matt Bell and Orey Fidani placed ninth in GTD with AWA’s No. 13 Corvette in the team’s home race. The team fought back from a lap down and likewise had its progress halted by the final two yellows.

The next race for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R program in IMSA is August 1-3 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

2) CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R POST-RACE DRIVER QUOTES, Provided by Corvette Racing

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – FINISHED SECOND IN GTD PRO:

“That’s the name of the game sometimes. We for sure didn’t have the car we hoped for or wanted today. It was hard to drive. We took a risk and made a stretch call there that worked out in our favor. In talking to the guys on the pit stand, this is a place where you don’t have little moments; you have big ones. So the chance of a yellow I thought was pretty good so I was pretty happy with our decision. It played into our hands exactly as we needed it to. We’ve had some bad luck throughout the year, so we’ll take some good luck today.”

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 4 CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – FINISHED SECOND IN GTD PRO:

“It’s very nice to finish on the podium. It’s our first of the year, and it’s great to do it at the Chevrolet Grand Prix. But we do have a lot of work to do. We got a little bit lucky today. We need to figure out where things keep going wrong for us in the pitlane and figure out how to get the Corvette in a bit better window. We have work left but the guys worked really hard. We did a really good job in terms of Manufacturers points. The points for the 3 car guys today was good for their championship, too. So all good.”

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – FINISHED FOURTH IN GTD PRO:

“It was super difficult strategy-wise to know what to do. You would do whatever you had to do and it obviously went the other way for us. In a way, I’m happy that we did our race. Without the last yellow, everyone ahead of us was tight (on fuel) so it was going to be another fight with the 77. The 4 car made that gamble on fuel and obviously it paid out. For all the loss we got for running the regular strategy, at least the 4 team got the most out of it. They had issues on their first two stops so that put them on the back foot but for once it worked. Great Manufacturer points for Chevrolet. It’s good that either the 3 or 4 Corvette is on the podium in any race. That’s what we need to achieve. Let’s see if at the next races we can get them both up there. But today I’m happy for Corvette Racing overall and we’ll move ahead for the next one.”

ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – FINISHED FOURTH IN GTD PRO:

“It honestly wasn’t one of my most comfortable races for whatever reason. I made a bad call on the last restart; I got checked up by the Ford in front of me which compromised me but then made the wrong call going into Turn One with the Lambo on the inside. I tried to fight him, and if he didn’t back out then I was going to come off second-best by a long way. That happens. It’s really, really frustrating from my side to make that situation happen. I could have sucked it up and lost just one place. The team did a great job to get us back into the mix on strategy. I don’t know how it panned out on strategy. We initiated the strategy call and were proactive to get us back into the race, which was great. On the final restart I got back past the Lambo to reverse the situation from earlier. It was another crazy restart and I don’t know what happened. Thanks to the Pratt Miller team for getting our Corvette back nearer to the front. Huge congrats to the 4 car guys. They’ve had some tough races so it’s nice that they get a result.”

ROBERT WICKENS, NO. 36 CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – FINISHED FOURTH IN GTD:

“Overall, a pretty good day for us at DXDT Racing. Gutted we didn’t make it on the podium, but I thought as a team we executed a near flawless race. So to come away with a top-five finish, first one of the year for me in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and my first top-five with Corvette, I think we can hold our heads high. And I think we have a lot of momentum moving forward to my next race in Road America in a couple weeks time.

“The Corvette Z06 GT3.R was amazing to drive at my home race. Sometimes I’m still having to pinch myself that I got to have such a cool experience. So all in all, thank you to all the fans who came out and supported us over the weekend, bared the weather, and we ended up getting a perfect sunny day in the end. So all in all, a great day.”

*All pictures are credited to Corvette Racing (Richard Prince) and/or Pratt Miller Motorsports.

3) Join Pratt Miller Motorsports’ Celebration on Facebook!

A personal Facebook profile is required and free, but the Pratt Miller Motorsports Facebook page is public and full of racing enthusiasts just like you! To join other race fans, click on the top right “f” or the picture of the proud winners!

*All pictures are credited to Corvette Racing (Richard Prince) and/or Pratt Miller Motorsports.

Thank you for choosing CorvSport to bring you the latest in Corvette Racing coverage! Are you CORVETTE OBSESSED like we are? The team of renowned authors and contributors at CorvSport hopes you sense our passion for the iconic Corvette, and our vast database of articles and guides should prove it–5000+ features since Scott Kolecki founded CorvSport over 15 years ago! Join the fastest-growing Corvette community on our Facebook page, with over 169,000 followers! Meet other hardcore enthusiasts and say hello. This is Douglas B. signing off–click here if you would like to view more of my features.

The two race teams suing NASCAR over antitrust allegations filed for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction Monday to be recognized as chartered organizations for the remainder of 2025.

23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports are locked in a lengthy legal battle over the charter system, which is the equivalent of the franchise model in other sports. 23XI, owned by retired NBA great Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, and Front Row, owned by entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, last September rejected NASCAR’s final proposal on extensions and instead filed an antitrust suit.

The case is winding its way through the court system but now with urgency: the teams were set to lose their charters Wednesday and in the latest filing, they allege NASCAR has indicated it will immediately begin the process of selling the six tags that guarantee entry into every race as well as monetary rewards and other benefits.

After the filing NASCAR was ordered to respond by 5 p.m. Wednesday — which means there would be no ruling on if the charters will be revoked likely until Thursday, at the earliest.

“Today we filed a motion in the district court for a renewed preliminary injunction and temporary restraining order to protect the teams’ ability to race chartered for the remainder of the 2025 Cup Series season and prevent irreparable business harm to 23XI and Front Row Motorsports until we can present our case at trial in December,” said Jeffery Kessler, attorney for the teams.

“New information surfaced through the discovery process that overwhelmingly supports our position that a preliminary injunction is legally warranted and necessary. The teams’ love of stock car racing and belief in a better future for the sport for all parties – teams, drivers, employees, sponsors, and fans – continues to motivate their efforts to pursue this antitrust case.”

There were large portions of the filing redacted because the arguments are based on information learned through discovery, making it confidential, for now. But, the urgency is likely tied to NASCAR indicating it plans to immediately begin selling the charters if they are revoked.

Should the teams have their six combined charters revoked, the drivers would have to qualify on speed to make each week’s race and would receive a smaller percentage of the purse. They may also have to refund money paid out through the first 20 races of the year.

NASCAR accused 23XI and Front Row of filing “a third motion for another unnecessary and inappropriate preliminary injunction” and noted it has made multiple requests to the teams “to present a proposal to resolve this litigation.”

“We have yet to receive a proposal from 23XI or Front Row, as they have instead preferred to continue their damaging and distracting lawsuit,” NASCAR said in a statement. “We will defend NASCAR’s integrity from this baseless lawsuit forced upon the sport that threatens to divide the stakeholders committed to serving race fans everywhere.

“We remain focused on collaborating with the 13 race teams that signed the 2025 charter agreements and share our mutual goal of delivering the best racing in the world each week, including this weekend in Dover.”

Also on Monday, Rick Ware Racing and Legacy Motor Club had a short virtual hearing in a North Carolina court over their fight for a charter.

Legacy, owned by seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, contends it had an agreement with RWR to lease one of its two charters in 2026. RWR contends the agreement was for 2027 and it already has a contract with RFK Racing to lease that team a charter next season.

Legacy on Monday asked for and was granted the right to depose RWR over the recent revelation that T.J. Puchyr, one of the founders of Spire Motorsports, plans to purchase the race team. Legacy contends if Ware is selling the team, then one of the charters should be transferred to its organization.

Legacy also argued that Ware did not disclose he was entering into a sales agreement with a third party — Puchyr, who is now a consultant and brokered the initial lease deal between RWR and Legacy — in an April hearing. The judge in that case warned that RWR could be in contempt of court if it misrepresented its intentions in the first hearing.

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

The NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfnity Series are headed to Dover Motor Speedway for some concrete oval action.

Here’s who’s on the entry lists.

The Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 will be on Sunday, July 20, at 2 p.m. ET. It will be broadcast on TNT.

There are 37 teams listed, meaning everyone makes the field following qualifying, barring any entry list changes.

JJ Yeley and the NY Racing No. 44 are back for this weekend’s action.

Thinkin’ Out Loud at Sonoma: Stop Complaining, You’re Witnessing NASCAR History

The Xfinity Series will take on the Monster Mile for the BetRivers 200 on Saturday, July 19, at 4:30 p.m. ET. The CW is the place to catch all Xfinity Series action.

Forty drivers are listed, meaning two of them will head home following qualifying, unless there are entry list changes.

Nick Leitz is back in the No. 07 for SS-Green Light Racing.

Ross Chastain will pilot the No. 9 for JR Motorsports.

Garrett Smithley is in the No. 14 for SS-Green Light Racing.

Jake Finch will attempt to make his series debut in the No. 17 for Hendrick Motorsports.

The No. 19 for Joe Gibbs Racing will see Aric Almirola behind the wheel once again.

Ryan Truex looks to continue his Dover dominance in the No. 24 for Sam Hunt Racing.

Rajah Caruth will attempt his first Xfinity start of the year in the No. 32 for Jordan Anderson Racing.

Both of Joey Gase Motorsports’ cars, the Nos. 35 and 53, are entered but the drivers have yet to be announced.

Lavar Scott is another driver looking to make his series debut in the No. 45 for Alpha Prime Racing.

Leland Honeyman will drive the Cope Family Racing No. 70.