JR Motorsports told NASCAR.com‘s Zach Sturniolo Monday that Connor Zilisch is currently slated to compete in Friday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Wawa 250 at Daytona International Speedway. Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks later told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that Zilisch could be a “game-time decision” for Daytona.

While Zilisch drives for JRM in Xfinity, he’s a developmental driver for Trackhouse. Marks said that Zilisch wants to get back in the race car, as does JRM. Right now, the final decision is undecided.

“It’s a balance,” Marks said. “It’s a balance between a 19-year-old kid who just wants to be in the race car and can’t stand not being in the race car and is capable of driving the race car right now. And the other side of that is we need to make a smart decision. What we can’t do is rush him back into the car, especially a place like Daytona, get in a wreck and then be worse off than we were before.

“So, it’s kind of a day-by-day deal right now. This will be a big week to see how his rehab goes and his comfort level and all that stuff. And it could end up being a game-time decision. I know that we all want him back in the race car. He wants to be back in the race car. JRM wants him to be back in the race car. But we’ve got to make smart decisions, so I would just say, stay tuned on that one.”

Connor Zilisch recovering from surgery

Zilisch, 19, is recovering from surgery to repair his broken collarbone. He sustained the injury following the Aug. 9 race at Watkins Glen International after falling off the top of his car while celebrating in Victory Lane. Zilisch appeared to get his left foot stuck in the window net upon climbing out of his car, leading to the fall. 

Fortunately for Zilisch, he had an entire week off before Daytona. He’s already missed one race this season due to a back injury, and you know he doesn’t want to miss another. Zilisch is the Xfinity Series points leader after his victory at Watkins Glen, his sixth of the season. He holds a seven-point advantage over teammate Justin Allgaier in the race for the regular season championship.

Open-Air Suites and Loge Boxes Enhance NASCAR Cup Series Race Day Experience

MADISON, Ill. (Aug. 18, 2025) – Officials from World Wide Technology Raceway announced today the completion of an extensive renovation and remodeling project on the Turn 1-2 “Wallace” Grandstand, ahead of the Enjoy Illinois 300 NASCAR Cup Series event on Sunday, Sept. 7. The renovations feature the addition of 16-person open-air suites and loge boxes, aimed at enhancing the race day experience.

“We’ve had tremendous success with our suite and chalet program during NASCAR weekend, but we recognized a need for smaller businesses and groups looking to entertain while experiencing a higher level of service than standard seating,” said Curtis Francois, WWT Raceway Owner and CEO. “Our team visited more than a dozen venues around the country to gather ideas and received valuable feedback from fans and the business community while developing these new hospitality offerings.”

The Wallace Grandstand Open-Air Suites can accommodate up to 16 people, with the option to purchase up to four standing-room-only passes. Guests will enjoy spectacular views with amenities just steps away, including concessions and restrooms. Each suite holder will also receive four VIP parking passes located immediately behind the grandstand structure. The open-air suites are designed as a “modern sports hospitality lounge,” featuring soft-surface seating, cocktail tables, and flooring made of wood and turf.

The Wallace Grandstand Loge Boxes cater to groups of four, eight or 16 guests, featuring a dedicated drink rail, unobstructed views and wide chairs specially designed for comfort with enhanced air flow. Fans purchasing four tickets will receive a complimentary VIP parking pass.

Francois and his in-house design team emphasized sustainability and resource conservation throughout the project. The WWT Raceway facilities team oversaw the project and used an innovative approach to provide the most modern fan amenities. This effort demonstrates the track’s commitment to creativity that provides practical benefits while aligning with broader environmental goals.

“Curtis’s vision for continuously evolving the venue is resonating with our ticket buyers,” said Chris Blair, WWT Raceway Executive Vice President and General Manager. “By word of mouth alone, and without conceptual drawings, our team sold seven of the eight open air suites just from previous event contacts. We are already receiving significant interest in our loge boxes, with fans eager to secure their premium options for years to come.”

For additional information, please contact the WWT Raceway ticket office at 618-215-8888 ext. 1 or visit wwtraceway.com. 

About World Wide Technology Raceway

World Wide Technology Raceway (WWTR) is the home of NASCAR, INDYCAR and NHRA racing in St. Louis’ Metro East region. Located just five minutes from downtown St. Louis and covering 700 acres, WWTR is the largest outdoor entertainment facility in the area. WWTR’s facilities include a 1.25-mile superspeedway; 1/4-mile drag strip; 2.0-mile road course; the Gateway Kartplex state-of-the-art karting facility; and the adjacent Gateway National Golf Links. WWTR and Owner & CEO Curtis Francois have been recognized with several awards, including: 2023 St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame induction; 2023 Innovation in Philanthropy Award by the St. Louis Business Journal; 2022 Explore St. Louis Hospitality Hero Recognition; 2022 Best in Show and Best Event & Festival from the Illinois Governor’s Conference on Tourism; 2021 Comcast Community Champion of the Year; 2021 Jack Buck Award; 2020 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Track Award; 2018 Innovator Award from the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission; 2017 Outstanding Facility of the Year Award from the Race Track Business Conference; and the 2017 Spirit of St. Louis Award from the St. Louis Attractions Association. Our mission: We are committed to making a difference in our community, while providing first-class entertainment and memories that last a lifetime.

Source: World Wide Technology Raceway

The official entry list has been released, and a total of 40 drivers and teams will take part in the regular season finale for the NASCAR Cup Series. 20 of those drivers face a must-win situation, meaning they have to win the race or face missing the 2025 playoffs.

Along with the usual 36 full-time drivers and teams, there are four part-time entries filling out the field. Richard Childress Racing will enter the No. 33 Chevrolet as a third entry with Austin Hill. The Xfinity Series regular has four wins at Daytona in the lower two divisions.

The Carl Long-owned No. 66 Ford is also going to take part in the race with NASCAR veteran Casey Mears behind the wheel, making his 591st start in the Cup Series.

NY Racing Team has also entered the No. 44 Chevrolet with Joey Gase as the driver. Gase has 92 previous starts in the Cup Series, including Iowa earlier this year, where he finished 37th.

Additionally, the field will include the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet with team owner B.J. McLeod making his fourth start of the year. McLeod has just two tops in his Cup career, but both of those came at Daytona.

2025 NASCAR Cup entry list for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona 

O’Reilly Auto Parts is replacing Xfinity as the title sponsor of NASCAR’s secondary series starting in 2026.

NASCAR announced a multiyear partnership on Monday that will become effective on Jan. 1.

“Like the great sport of NASCAR, O’Reilly Auto Parts was born in America and built on the hard work and drive of passionate people,” NASCAR president Steve O’Donnell said in a statement. “This new partnership allows us to continue to fuel that passion for the next generation of NASCAR’s stars and fans while celebrating the journey we’ve been on together for decades.”

O’Reilly Auto Parts, founded in Missouri in 1957, has sponsored NASCAR races for several years across multiple series and tracks.

“Our company is rooted in the same values that define NASCAR — teamwork, enthusiasm and dedication,” O’Reilly Auto Parts president Brent Kirby said in a statement.

The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series marks the fourth sponsorship in the second-tier series’ history.

Before Xfinity (2015-25), it was the NASCAR Nationwide Series from 2008-14. Anheuser-Busch was the title sponsor for decades before that as the NASCAR Busch Series (2003-07), the NASCAR Busch Grand National Series (1984-2002) and the Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series (1982-83).

The NASCAR Xfinity Series, in its first year of an exclusive broadcasting deal with The CW Network, has seen a year-over-year growth of more than 17 percent in total viewership this season, according to NASCAR. The series is averaging 1.1 million viewers per race.

“The success of NASCAR on The CW has shown that millions of fans will consistently tune in for these adrenaline-fueled races every week,” Brad Schwartz, president of The CW Network, said in a statement.

–Field Level Media

Since 1946, thousands of spectators have flocked to the small hamlet of Langford, near Buffalo N.Y., for the annual tractor pull, which is the longest-running competition of its kind in America.

Zach Jaworski for NPR

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Zach Jaworski for NPR

LANGFORD, N.Y. — For two days in August, this small hamlet south of Buffalo becomes a can’t-miss destination for fans of a distinctively agricultural motorsport: the tractor pull.

Spectators gather on wooden bleachers flanking a long dirt runway, forming an arena that seats 4,000 people — more than the surrounding area’s total population.

A welcome sign to the hamlet of Langford features Joe Eder, a tractor pull national champion and local legend.

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“Everybody looks and waits for this first weekend [of August] to come to Langford,” says Richard Love, one of the officials at the 79th annual competition this year.

“It’s non-stop action and it’s just kind of a big party here,” says Love. “It’s grassroots, it’s motorsports — this place is unbelievable.”

Tractor pulling was created in the 1920s by farmers wanting to show off their machines and have something to look forward to, says Love.

This event in Langford has been held annually since 1946, even hosting limited runs during the COVID-19 pandemic to maintain its position as the longest-running event of its kind in the country.

Rules of the Road

In the competition, tractors and trucks latch onto a contraption called a sled, which looks like a flat-bed trailer carrying a huge weighted box on a slider.

As the machines thunder down the track, momentum causes the weight-box to slide across the trailer until the balance shifts so much that the sled digs into the ground and the back tires lift, immobilizing it.

The further down the dirt track a puller goes before the sled grinds to a halt, the higher they score. If a driver makes it all the way to the end of the track, a “full pull”, they get perfect marks.

Tractor pulling is a complex dance of skill and mechanics. Drivers have only moments to figure out the ever-shifting balance of inertia, traction, and horsepower that will get their machine down the dirt track.

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It’s a complex dance of skill and mechanics, as drivers juggle inertia, traction, and engine power in a contest that lasts only seconds. A winner is often determined by just a couple of feet.

That excitement is what keeps people coming back year after year.

Horsepower meets tradition

“The crowd is just electric here – I mean, these people come to see tractor and truck pulling and they just love it here,” says Kelly Giltinan, the driver behind the wheel of a red pulling truck called “Bull Headed,” fit with a 1955 chassis and a chrome-plated modern engine.

Giltinan, who came from Pennsylvania, says that driving in a pull is a bit different from driving on the road because his truck only runs in one gear, and its engine is specially designed to produce as much power as possible in as little time as possible.

“As the RPMs come up, the clutch grabs harder and it takes off,” he says.

“I mean, this horsepower you can feel in your chest.”

Kelly Giltinan drives the “Bull Headed,” a pulling truck with a chrome-plated, modern engine inside a 1955 chassis.

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Giltinan’s trip to Langford didn’t go as he’d hoped — the pulling sled heavily damaged the back of his truck on his first attempt, which prevented him from making any more runs at Langford. Giltinan says he’s hoping to repair his truck in time for his hometown pull in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, later in August.

Like Giltinan, many drivers heavily modify their rides for maximum power and tire grip on the dirt track, but also for style and flair. Many of them dawn custom paint jobs and chrome details.

But the tractor pull includes competition groups for the farm workhorses, too. Andy Gabel and his brother Chris, both locals, entered a grey tractor from their family farm.

“My grandfather was here back in the ’60s [and] ’70s,” Gabel said from the stands, eyeing the competition out on the dusty track.

“It’s in your blood, you just love making horsepower.”

The tractor pull has competition categories for both heavily modified rides and for off-the-farm models like these.

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Like NASCAR, but for tractors and trucks

While drivers like Giltinan get all the glory, each competitor typically has a whole team of people supporting them behind the scenes. Collin Meals, who was getting his family’s tractor ready to compete, said it’s similar to NASCAR, where drivers are backed by pit crews to keep their cars in top shape.

“The team behind building them is just as important as a driver,” Meals explained, “If you don’t have a good driver, you can have the biggest motor you want, but it’s still going to fall short.”

Gary Meals, Bobby Maxwell, and Collin Meals (left to right) prepare to work on the family tractor. Much like in NASCAR or Formula 1, tractor pulling requires teams of support crews to back drivers and keep the gear in tip-top shape.

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One local, 20-year-old Matt Sweet, said that he’s been coming every year since he was born, and his father has been attending since 1975.

“The little kids love it – they run down the side of the track, chasing the tractors and in the pits, [and] the drivers will let them sit in the seats,” says Sweet, reminded of when he was in those kid’s position, “it’s very nostalgic, seeing that, I just really get a full circle moment.”