CONCORD, N.C. – Perhaps, when thinking of the best NASCAR Cup Series tracks for Hendrick Motorsports, Watkins Glen International doesn’t immediately come to mind. 

But it should, as the organization has registered an all-time best 11 victories there, its most at any road course. 

The circuit has also been home to some big moments for its current crop of drivers, most glaringly Chase Elliott’s first career victory in the sport’s premier series in 2018. That victory was also the 250th for Hendrick Motorsports. 

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Certainly, Elliott has built quite a resume at the 2.45-mile serpentine circuit, adding another victory the following year. All told he has four top-five finishes in eight Watkins Glen starts. 

But he’s not the only one. Kyle Larson has also taken two trips to victory lane (2021, 2022) with William Byron picking up a win at the Glen in 2023. All told, the trio gave Rick Hendrick five straight victories at the circuit (the 2020 race was canceled and moved to Daytona International Speedway due to the COVID-19 pandemic). 

Here’s a look at each driver’s statistics at Watkins Glen as well as a brush up on Hendrick Motorsports history: 

RELATED: Relive Jeff Gordon’s 1995 NASCAR Cup Series championship

Kyle Larson averages, statistics at Watkins Glen

Chase Elliott averages, statistics at Watkins Glen

William Byron averages, statistics at Watkins Glen

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Alex Bowman averages, statistics at Watkins Glen

Hendrick Motorsports at Watkins Glen International

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – When you think of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, you likely picture Main Street Sturgis packed with people and bikes but the fun doesn’t stop there.

“We’re excited to have Honda back doing the factory demo expo here on Exit 61,” said Wade Rice, owner of Rice’s Rapid Motorsports. “They’re here doing demos. They have multiple models, 40 units total so you don’t have to wait long to get on a test drive.”

And while the rally celebrates a monumental 85 years, Honda is also celebrating a monumental 50 years of their Gold Wing motorcycle.

“Seventy-five was the first model,” Rice said. “It was a bare model and now they’re fully decked out with bags and trunks and all that kind of stuff … the new safety ABS, they make one with an airbag, there’s all kinds of different features for the new Gold Wings.”

While the rally is taking place you can stop by Rice Honda and meet the man with the first, 25th and 50th models of the Gold Wing.

“I bought my first Gold Wing in 1978 and I’ve had a new Gold Wing almost every year ever since,” said John Lazzeroni, president of JM Corporation. “So, seeing the 50 years of the Honda Gold Wing from the original 1975 all the way to the new 50th anniversary including this 2025 Gold Wing here is amazing.”

Lazzeroni called his 25th anniversary bike a “time capsule” as everything is in mint condition and the owner’s manual is still in the plastic wrap.

“I had a favorite, and it was this one until I rode my brand new 50th anniversary 2025 Gold Wing and now that’s my favorite,” Lazzeroni said.

Not only has Lazzeroni been enjoying the Gold Wing for years but he’s enjoyed every motorcycle rally since 1985.

“I remember the 50th, I remember the 75th and now here we are at the 85th,” Lazzeroni said. “I’m looking forward now to the 100th.”

Rice said he loves seeing the same people visit the Rapid City location each rally season.

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BRISTOL, Tenn. — The instant the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Braves cleared the baseball diamond inside the infield at Bristol Motor Speedway, a new clock started.

“The Last Great Colosseum” has to switch from hosting the MLB Speedway Classic and be ready for NASCAR’s return to the historic racetrack hosting a playoff chase race Sept. 13.

“As soon as the last pitch is thrown, the last hit’s hit, teams do their thing, postgame’s taken care of, pads will start coming off the wall, and they’ll work through the night to basically start disassembling so we can reassemble for the NASCAR race,” said Steve Swift, Speedway Motorsports’ senior vice president of operations.

Major League Baseball used BaAM to create everything from clubhouses for the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds complete with showers, strength and conditioning rooms, coach and trainers’ offices and batting cages. Grandstands down both base lines with broadcast booths.

Pit walls taken down to keep the Reds and Braves from crashing into them have to be rebuilt. Swift said pouring concrete walls does take time and then more time to cure properly. Additives can help concrete cure faster, but that’s just one of the reconstruction issues causing obstacles.

Swift said Bristol has had great partners planning for all the details of making this happen. Now it’s time for Bristol Motor Speedway to go from hosting the first MLB regular-season game in the state of Tennessee and setting a record with a paid attendance of 91,032 back to its racing roots.

“It is difficult, but it’s things that we like,” Swift said. “It gives us a challenge and we like challenges.”

The transformation to a baseball diamond in the infield required 17,500 tons of gravel to level the infield, then 340 tons of Pennsylvania clay for the playing surface.

Braves first baseman Matt Olson said Saturday he couldn’t believe Bristol was transformed all for one game. Well, everything that can be recycled will be used somewhere after the baseball diamond is removed.

Some of the gravel will be used in Bristol Motor Speedway’s parking lots. Swift said they have found groups to help use some of the materials to help people still recovering from the damages left by Hurricane Helene. That includes 2x4s and plywood used for the grandstands.

“A lot of stuff is going to go to good use as far as the rebuild portion,” Swift said. “We just need to get it out of the way so we can put back asphalt and concrete.”

This new renovation schedule has a couple of days built in for protection. The target date for being finished is Sept. 7.

“There may still be some paint drying whenever they roll in with the Goodyear haulers, but we’ll definitely shoot for that (Sept. 7) day,” Swift said. “And at the latest, we’re looking at Tuesday.”

Bristol hosted a college football game in 2016 that drew 156,990. Now the NHL might be in Bristol’s future after Sportico reported Friday league officials would be checking out how the racetrack handled Major League Baseball.

When asked about possibly hosting an outdoor hockey game, Swift only said a hockey rink would be similar to a football field and Speedway Motorsports has big dreams for what is possible at places like Bristol.

“We’ve shown with football and now baseball being here, that things can take place and we can do the things that nobody would even think about,” Swift said.

Indianapolis, Indiana (Tuesday August 5^th, 2025) – Rising Star Racing and Priority are proud to announce they will partner with American INDY NXT by Firestone racing talent Michael d’Orlando for the three remaining INDY NXT by Firestone races of the 2025 season. As part of the agreement,  d’Orlando’s car will feature a livery promoting Rising Star Racing, Priority Commerce Technologies, Priority Plastiq, and Priority Sports.       .

Rising Star Racing and Priority are committed to supporting home-grown racing stars of the future. As such, this partnership provides significant backing to the exceptionally talented INDY NXT by Firestone driver to return to the grid at the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland on August 8-10. As part of his comeback, d’Orlando will also compete at the season’s final two races in Milwaukee and Nashville.

New Yorker d’Orlando – who logged seven 2024 INDY NXT races in impressive fashion before being sidelined by a lack of funding – will be racing in Portland with the Andretti Cape INDY NXT team – formed via a technical partnership between the multi-time INDY NXT by Firestone championship team Andretti Global and Cape Motorsports.

The 12-turn, 1.964-mile-long Portland International Raceway always provides for close racing, particularly in the always exciting and congested Turn 1. Indeed, d’Orlando will have his driving skills tested to the limit on his return at this historic urban track which contains several spots for passing opportunities, including a quick chicane at the end of the frontstretch, a hard-braking right-hander at Turn 7 leading onto the sweeping backstretch, and a three-turn complex leading back onto the frontstretch.

The race and preliminary sessions will be broadcast live on FS1.

Michael d’Orlando was thrilled to confirm his return to the INDY NXT grid, commenting: ”We have been working hard all year to get back in the seat and I am very excited to be back with Andretti Cape Indy NXT for the last three races of season.  I am so thankful for everyone at RSR, Priority, Focused Project Management and Andretti Cape for pulling this together and for the opportunity to be back in Indy NXT.”

“RSR is very excited to support Michael for the remainder of the 2025 season,” said RSR CEO Art Wilmes. “RSR continues to support Michael and his brother Nick.”

“We’re renewing our relationship to support Michael on the perfect platform to spotlight Priority Sports, our new vertical that simplifies payments and helps teams boost revenue” said Priority CEO Tom Priore

About Rising Star Racing

Founded in 2012, by Art Wilmes, Rising Star Racing (RSR) is a privately owned and operated motorsport group. RSR seeks to ensure that the most talented American driver(s) reach the highest ladder of open-wheel racing in the United States — the NTT IndyCar Series.

About Priority

Priority is the payments and banking solution that enables businesses to collect, store, lend and send funds through a unified commerce engine. Our platform combines payables, merchant services, and banking and treasury solutions so leaders can streamline financial operations efficiently — and our innovative industry experts help businesses navigate and build momentum on the path to growth. With the Priority Commerce Engine, leaders can accelerate cash flow, optimize working capital, reduce unnecessary costs, and unlock new revenue opportunities. To learn more about Priority and its publicly traded parent, Priority Technology Holdings, Inc., visit prioritycommerce.com.

About Michael D’Orlando:

Michael d’Orlando is currently competing in the 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone series on a race-by-race basis under the direction of Andretti Cape INDY NXT.

Michael also competed with the Cape Motorsports team for each of the 2020 – 2022 Cooper Tires USF 2000 Championship series, earning the 2022 Cooper Tires USF2000 Champion title and the 2021 Vice-Champion title. Michael’s motorsports career began in go-karting at Oakland Valley Race Park in Cuddebackville, NY at the age of six. Before transitioning to race cars in 2018, his karting success included multiple regional, national, and international championship titles, culminating at the European world championship level as a factory team driver for the world- renowned Birel ART racing team based in Italy.

Source: Rising Star Racing | Michael D’Orlando

Bubba Wallace’s wife, Amanda, gave him a NASCAR playoff reality check after his race incident with Alex Bowman on the streets of Chicago, before he went on to win the Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis. Wallace of 23XI Racing and Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports were involved in a late collision in the closing laps of the race won by Shane van Gisbergen, with the Cup Series rivals vying for a spot in the In‑Season Challenge.

Bowman spun Wallace, who later retaliated, but the No. 23 car suffered a broken toe link and fell out of contention, finishing 28th. Meanwhile, Bowman secured 8th and advanced in the Challenge. After the race, the pair had a respectful confrontation to discuss the on-track happenings, and tensions eased.

At that point in the NASCAR Cup Series season, Wallace suffered a blow to his pursuit of the $1 million In-Season Challenge prize. He lost out on valuable championship points to rival Bowman in the race for the NASCAR playoffs. Both drivers were winless, resulting in Wallace’s wife letting her feelings be known about the incident, which heaped further stress on her husband. It comes after a NASCAR star’s wife revealed she was hit hard by a disturbing health problem that “makes no sense”. 

Amanda, the mother to Wallace’s son, Becks, branded her husband a “dumb—” in a furious dressing down in the hotel after Chicago. Speaking on the “Stacking Pennies” podcast to Corey LaJoie, Wallace said: “I made myself look like a dumb— at Chicago, myself with Bowman, right? And I knew it. I got back to the hotel room. We were just about to head back to the plane… She was pretty pissed off at me, and you could see it.”

“She was like, ‘It was really f—— dumb.’ And I was like, ‘I needed that,'” the Alabama-born driver added. “After Chicago, she says, ‘You know, you just gave 20 something points, now you’re going to be stressed for the next seven weeks because you’re back in the same spot, you just put yourself in the same spot that you desperately didn’t want to be in.'”

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“You know, she shot it to me straight, so, yeah, she’s there with me through it all – the good and the bad,” Wallace continued.

Amanda’s blunt spurred Wallace to correct the course of his season and book his playoff spot with a win in the Brickyard 400 in Indy a few weeks later.

Wallace survived a rain delay and double overtime to take the chequered flag for his first win in the Cup Series since Kansas in the 2022 season.

DON’T MISS

“You see like the playoff picture and there’s no more +3 or +4 to the No. 23, it’s times 1 with the win sticker and we’re P9 in points and I was like, ‘That’s an awesome sight.’ And she looks at me and just smiles,” Wallace said.

The family of three posed for photos at the track following Wallace’s triumph. 23XI co-owner Denny Hamlin, one of Wallace’s on-track rivals at Joe Gibbs Racing, also joined the celebrations.