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Carl Edwards caught off guard by Kyle Busch since returning from NASCAR hiatus

Kyle Busch is without a win in the NASCAR Cup Series since 2019, and fellow former Joe Gibbs Racing star Carl Edwards is surprised by the struggles of his former teammate Edwards addressed Busch’s struggles on Amazon Prime Video’s coverage of Sunday’s race(Image: Getty) Carl Edwards, a NASCAR legend in his own right, has been […]

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Kyle Busch is without a win in the NASCAR Cup Series since 2019, and fellow former Joe Gibbs Racing star Carl Edwards is surprised by the struggles of his former teammate

Edwards addressed Busch's struggles on Amazon Prime Video's coverage of Sunday's race
Edwards addressed Busch’s struggles on Amazon Prime Video’s coverage of Sunday’s race(Image: Getty)

Carl Edwards, a NASCAR legend in his own right, has been caught off guard since returning from his hiatus by Kyle Busch’s ongoing difficulties in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Busch is currently caught in a winless rut, marking 74 races without a victory following a 20th-place finish at Pocono Raceway on Sunday. He recently admitted feeling “like a broken record” and confessed to a rookie error as he showed his true colors when among 12 stars penalized at a recent race.

Edwards reflects on a stark contrast from the formidable performances he witnessed from Busch, his one-time teammate until he walked away from the sport after accusing NASCAR of manipulating a race that cost him the 2016 championship title.

At age 40, Busch, a veteran and two-time Cup Series champion, languishes at 19th in the series standings, a shadow of the “stone-cold killer” reputation he once held among competitors. Edwards, who boasts 28 career victories in the Cup Series, is now part of Amazon Prime Video’s team and at The Great American Getaway 400 in Pocono he expressed his surprise at Busch’s unexpected slump.

READ MORE: Bubba Wallace risks wrath of NASCAR with dangerous act after scary crashREAD MORE: Dale Earnhardt Jr. sounds warning as Carl Edwards predicts NASCAR champion

Edwards reminisced, saying: “Very strange for me to come back to this sport after being gone so long and to see Kyle Busch struggling, right?

“In my time in this sport, Kyle Busch, literally, was the guy to beat. I got to be his teammate for a while, got to see inside a little bit of how Kyle Busch operates

“He is a stone-cold killer on the race track. This guy is amazing. So to be able to handle this part of his career the way he is, I think it shows a maturation and I’m just hoping he can come out on the other side of this and do it for us old guys,” Edwards shared.

NASCAR Cup Series The Great American Getaway 400 - Practice
Kyle Busch has gone 74 Cup Series races without a win(Image: Getty)

“He just needs to conjure up some of that Kyle Busch magic. I’ve been behind him and watched Kyle Busch pull off feats that leave me scratching my head.

“He’s shown he can work wonders in a race car, and I really hope he can reclaim that magic.”

Following a disappointing performance at Pocono, Busch now sets his sights on the Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway this Sunday. Not only does this race present another opportunity to break his winless streak, but it also marks the beginning of NASCAR’s inaugural In-Season Challenge with a $1 million prize.

Busch, seeded No. 16, will go head-to-head with Brad Keselowski, with the driver who finishes higher at Atlanta advancing to the round of 16.



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Winners, losers from Chicago Street Race won by Shane van Gisbergen

A look at the winners and losers from Sunday’s Cup race at Chicago. WINNERS Shane van Gisbergen — He’s scored back-to-back wins on road courses with his wins in Mexico and Chicago. Ty Gibbs — He tied his career-best finish by placing second in Chicago. Tyler Reddick — His third-place result gives him back-to-back top-five […]

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

WINNERS

Shane van Gisbergen — He’s scored back-to-back wins on road courses with his wins in Mexico and Chicago.

Ty Gibbs — He tied his career-best finish by placing second in Chicago.

Tyler Reddick — His third-place result gives him back-to-back top-five finishes.

Ryan Preece — He finished seventh for his best result on a road course. While he remains below the playoff cutline, he moved from 23 points back to two points from it.

Austin Hill — His ninth-place finish was his best Cup result in 12 series starts.

Ty Dillon — While he finished 20th, it was enough to advance in the In-Season Challenge. He is the 32nd seed and now is among the final eight drivers going for $1 million.

LOSERS

William Byron — He finished last in the 40-car lead and his points lead dwindled. Four drivers are within 50 points of Byron with seven races left in the regular season.

Bubba Wallace — He was racing Alex Bowman for a top-10 spot in the final laps when contact turned him and he finished 28th. Wallace continues to hold the final playoff spot but saw his advantage on Ryan Preece go from 23 points to two points with seven races left in the regular season.

Will Brown — The reigning Supercars champion completed only two laps, eliminated when Carson Hocevar crashed, creating a chain-reaction crash that collected Brown.

Michael McDowell — Won the opening stage and was on a one-stop strategy only to see his chance to win ruined by a throttle cable issue. McDowell, needing a win to make the playoffs, finished 32nd.





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Louis-Philippe Dumoulin eager to kick off the NASCAR Canada Mini Tour in Western Canada – Speedway Digest

After the only race held this season in the Maritime provinces — on the oval at Riverside International Speedway in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, on June 28 — three-time NASCAR Canada champion Louis-Philippe Dumoulin and the other drivers in the series are now set for two rounds on two different tracks over the next ten days. […]

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After the only race held this season in the Maritime provinces — on the oval at Riverside International Speedway in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, on June 28 — three-time NASCAR Canada champion Louis-Philippe Dumoulin and the other drivers in the series are now set for two rounds on two different tracks over the next ten days. It’s the traditional Western Canada swing, with races at Edmonton Raceway this Saturday, July 12, and four days later (Wednesday, July 16) at Sutherland Automotive Speedway in Saskatoon.

For the driver of the #47 WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare | Omnifab car, these two ovals come at the right time in the season, following a turbulent event in Nova Scotia: “Considering it was our very first race with our new oval car, I’m satisfied. My seating position wasn’t quite ideal, but those are just minor adjustments, and overall, we had good performance in Antigonish. We simply got caught out by the pit stop rule, like several other teams,” said Louis-Philippe Dumoulin. He added: “There was a lot of confusion around the pit stops and the running order once the cars rejoined the track after the mandatory break, and it cost us a lap. It’s not my place to judge the officials’ responsibility in all that — I have a lot of respect for their work — but the fact is, it affected our result.” Dumoulin ended the race in eighth place. “Without those issues, we could have fought for a Top 5. Now the whole #47 WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare | Omnifab team is focused on the two upcoming races out West.”

At Edmonton Raceway, Louis-Philippe Dumoulin has an impressive record, with eight Top 5 finishes in nine starts. He also won the race in 2018: “I like the layout at Edmonton. The organizers do a really good job, and the fans are always excited to see the NASCAR Canada drivers in action. The stats are on my side, but I want to stay focused on this Saturday’s race. It also seems that in recent years, the driver who starts from pole at Edmonton has found that extra something to stay out front and win. I’m excited to be back at that track and fight at the front.” Dumoulin currently sits fourth in the driver standings, just 10 points off the lead.

After Edmonton, the drivers will head to Saskatoon for the second race of the NASCAR Canada mini tour through Western Canada. “That’s another track I really enjoy — it’s well maintained, has a great layout, and Saskatoon is a really nice city. It’s also where I got my first oval track win, in 2019,” concluded the driver of the #47 WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare | Omnifab car.

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Highlights: NASCAR Cup Series race at Chicago

Top 5 Storylines to Watch at the 2025 Austrian Grand PrixGet ready for Round 11 of the 2025 F1 season at the Austrian Grand Prix! From McLaren’s redemption after Canada to Ferrari’s crucial upgrades, Max Verstappen’s home race, Mercedes’ resurgence, and Sauber’s sneaky progress, we break down the top 5 storylines to watch at the […]

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Top 5 Storylines to Watch at the 2025 Austrian Grand Prix

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Mayor Johnson open to keeping NASCAR in Chicago — after exploring date change, top aide says

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration is open to two more years of the NASCAR Chicago Street Race, but only after exploring the possibility of shifting the marquee event to a different date that does not pose the “challenges that July 4th weekend presents,” a top mayoral aide said Monday. Senior mayoral adviser Jason Lee acknowledged that […]

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Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration is open to two more years of the NASCAR Chicago Street Race, but only after exploring the possibility of shifting the marquee event to a different date that does not pose the “challenges that July 4th weekend presents,” a top mayoral aide said Monday.

Senior mayoral adviser Jason Lee acknowledged that there are “some real limitations on moving the date” based on NASCAR’s overall schedule and “some of the local events in Chicago in the same footprint” in and around Grant Park.

But now that the event’s three-year contract has expired, a search for alternative dates is the next step. NASCAR has 90 days to request a contract extension from the Chicago Park District.

“Certainly, there is interest in seeing if it can work on another date, just because of some of the challenges that the 4th of July weekend present,” Lee told the Sun-Times on Monday.

“It’s a holiday weekend. A lot of people want to be out enjoying some of the public space that NASCAR uses. There’s also just logistical concerns relative to our emergency management personnel, including law enforcement. That’s a weekend where we want to have a lot of people out, a lot of our officers out across the city. If there’s a large-scale event happening downtown, that’s going to put pressure on our resources and overtime costs.”

Moving the date would also make sense from a tourism standpoint, since Chicago is already one of the nation’s top destinations for July 4th weekend, Lee said.

“Tourist numbers have been growing over the last several months. We’re really excited about the direction we’re heading. I’m never going to say that we don’t need events to bring more energy and lure more people to the city. But obviously, there’s a good volume of folks who come in for 4th of July to enjoy the city. So, we do OK” without NASCAR, he said.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson walks to pit road before the NASCAR Cup Series Grant Park 165, Sunday, July 6, 2025.

Mayor Brandon Johnson walks to pit road Sunday before the NASCAR Cup Series Grant Park 165.

Julie Giese, president of the NASCAR Chicago Street Race, said conversations about shifting the race to another weekend have already begun, and NASCAR is “open to” continuing those negotiations talks.

“There’s a couple of factors at play working through the NASCAR schedule and how those shifts may impact the schedule. But more importantly, making sure that there’s a window that would work with the Grant Park schedule,” Giese said.

“We like the holiday. We’ve shown it can be successful. The mayor mentioned [Sunday] that there’s a large number of people coming into the city from a flight perspective traveling in. We’re open [to a change], but also open to staying on the same date as well if that is what works.”

Pressed on whether NASCAR wants to return to Chicago, Giese said, “We wouldn’t be having the conversations if we didn’t.”

Five alderpersons whose wards comprise the 2.2-mile NASCAR footprint are demanding a postrace meeting with Giese to discuss NASCAR’s future in Chicago.

Downtown Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) said their goal is to shrink the “footprint,” further reduce the setup and take-down time and explore alternative dates.

“July 4th weekend, there’s just too much else going on in the city. It’s such a tough weekend — even for people who would just prefer to come downtown and enjoy downtown. It hampers their ability to do that,” Hopkins said. “There’s alternative weekends. Not that many, I get it, with Suenos, Lollapalooza, Blues Fest. There aren’t a whole lot of available dates that it could possibly work. … But we need to at least consider it.”

Hopkins said he is going into the post-race negotiations “skeptical of our ability to solve the problems that cause most of the objections” from his constituents: traffic and “exclusionary use” of Grant Park for an extended time.

“I don’t know that they can shorten the setup and take-down time any more than they have, but that would be key in getting my support for them to continue — minimizing the impact and reducing the time downtown residents are denied access to their major park,” Hopkins said.

Hopkins also has a third priority: sweetening the deal for Chicago.

Johnson managed to secure an additional $2 million payment from NASCAR only because former Mayor Lori Lightfoot “got fleeced” by NASCAR, Hopkins said.

“They negotiated an extraordinarily weak deal for the city. And that has to change if we’re going to keep them. We need more revenue from this,” Hopkins said.

Giese said NASCAR has already reduced the setup and take-down time by 42% and will try to shrink it even more “if we have the ability to do that.”

What about sweetening the pot?

“Those are all conversations we need to continue to have with the city,” Geise said. “We’ve driven the economic [impact] to $230 million-plus — the television broadcast, the media value — in addition to the parks fee.”





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CTMP’s First Race to Mustang’s Push – Sportscar365

Photo: Multimatic You’ll find Ian Willis in the No. 64 Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang GT3 pit stand during IMSA race weekends. As the team’s race engineer, his focus is squarely on squeezing every ounce of performance from the car in the program’s second year. It’s a big role—but one he embraces without losing sight of […]

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Photo: Multimatic

You’ll find Ian Willis in the No. 64 Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang GT3 pit stand during IMSA race weekends.

As the team’s race engineer, his focus is squarely on squeezing every ounce of performance from the car in the program’s second year. It’s a big role—but one he embraces without losing sight of his roots at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

“I literally, as a kid, rode bikes around there and know every inch of the place,” said Willis. “It is home.”

He first visited in 1961, attending the track’s inaugural race. His father, a key figure at British Empire Motor Club (the organization that built the track), brought him along.

“My father oversaw the pre-grid area,” Willis said. “And, you know, you get to meet the drivers. And as a very young kid, I had—I’m pretty sure it was Lorenzo Bandini—grab my cheek like a true Italian, squeeze it, and say, you know, ‘bambino’.”

Fast forward a few decades, and Ian, along with his brother Keith, helped shape Canadian motorsports through the formation of AIM Autosport in 1996.

The team’s journey began in Formula Ford with the Aero2 race car—designed and built by Ian and Keith — a car that became a bit of a Canadian legend and a catalyst for AIM’s early growth.

From there, the team found success in Formula BMW, Star Mazda, and later in sports cars, highlighted by six IMSA wins in two seasons with Vasser Sullivan Lexus.

Photo: Multimatic

Although AIM closed its doors post-COVID, the impact was lasting. The team was inducted into the Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2022.

“We were passionately Canadian,” said Willis. “And AIM gave a lot of people their start—not just drivers, but engineers and crew. I’m really proud of that.”

His transition to Multimatic—builders of the Mustang GT3—came via long-time friend Larry Holt, executive advisor at the Canadian company.

“For 30 years, Larry would call and bug me every year at AIM and say, ‘Hey, when are you going to come work for us?’” Willis said.’” Willis said.

“And I said, Larry, I’ve got my own team. So, when the opportunity arose, I phoned up and said, ‘hey, I’m available.’”

Willis’ first race as the official race engineer for the No. 64 Mustang GT3 was at Sebring.

Photo: Multimatic

Earlier this season, the No. 64 scored its first win in Detroit, following the No. 65 car’s Rolex 24 triumph in January.

“It was a bit of a monkey off the back,” he said. “Just validation for all the hard work.”

One IMSA victory that still eludes him? Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

“We’ve been on the podium with some of our programs,” Willis said. “So, obviously a bucket list item.”

This weekend offers a special twist: sibling rivalry. Keith Willis is also in the paddock — as team manager for the AWA Corvette.

“He’s on a Corvette, I’m on a Ford,” Willis said. “So, there you go. There’s a family dinnertime discussion.”



The latest news, photos and video features from the trusted Sportscar365 web staff.




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NASCAR’s first in-season tournament adds some drama to the Cup Series finish in Chicago

Alex Bowman and Bubba Wallace raced each other hard in the final laps after they tangled in Chicago last year. Bowman got the better of the head-to-head matchup, finishing eighth and eliminating Wallace from the tournament. John Hunter Nemechek was 15th, one spot better than his opponent, Chase Elliott. Gibbs had a strong day and […]

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Alex Bowman and Bubba Wallace raced each other hard in the final laps after they tangled in Chicago last year. Bowman got the better of the head-to-head matchup, finishing eighth and eliminating Wallace from the tournament.

John Hunter Nemechek was 15th, one spot better than his opponent, Chase Elliott. Gibbs had a strong day and finished second, good enough to beat AJ Allmendinger in sixth. Ty Dillon, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Preece, Zane Smith and Erik Jones also moved on.

The 14th-seeded Smith upset No. 3 seed Chris Buescher by finishing 14th. He is matched up with Gibbs for Sunday’s road race at Sonoma.

“I hate we had to knock another Ford out, but it’s super cool to advance,” Smith said.

With the in-season tournament — part of a new media rights deal that includes TNT — NASCAR is following in the footsteps of the NBA and soccer leagues around the world. After Sonoma this weekend, it concludes with races at Dover and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Bowman said the tournament wasn’t on his mind as he battled with Wallace at the end in Chicago. Whatever the reason for the contact, their head-to-head matchup certainly added a bit of intrigue to the racing behind van Gisbergen’s victory.

With the money involved and the field trimmed to eight drivers, there could be more moments like the duel between Bowman and Wallace in the final weeks of the challenge.

“I wasn’t expecting that to happen or to get raced like that, but we did,” Bowman said. “We just have to move on from it and keep digging.”

It sure sounds as if Dillon is enjoying the competition. Dillon, the No. 32 seed, eliminated Brad Keselowski on Sunday after he upset top-seeded Denny Hamlin at Atlanta on June 28.

There was absolutely no drama in Dillon’s win after Keselowski was collected in an early crash that began with Carson Hocevar hitting the wall and spinning out between Turns 10 and 11. Hocevar was eliminated by Reddick.

“I’m just so proud of Kaulig Racing and our No. 10 team,” Dillon said. “I knew in a basketball city, going up against Brad in a game of knockout, I was going to have a good chance.”

Dillon takes on Bowman and Preece faces Reddick in the next round. But the most interesting contest just might be Nemechek versus Jones in a matchup of Legacy Motor Club teammates.

“I felt like if we could have gotten through the first round, these next two rounds are really good for us,” Preece said. “Our road course program is pretty strong, and we keep making it better. So going into Sonoma, I think we’re up against Tyler Reddick, so he’s really good at road courses as well, but I like being the underdog.”

___

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

Driver Alex Bowman (48) talks with people before in a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at the Grant Park 220, Sunday, July 6, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Credit: AP

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Credit: AP

Zane Smith drives in a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at the Grant Park 165, Sunday, July 6, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Credit: AP

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Credit: AP





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