Dozens of sportswriters knew Dale Earnhardt better than I did, or covered him longer. But watching Earnhardt, the four-part documentary now available on Amazon Prime Video, it’s immediately evident that while this program certainly centers around Earnhardt, there are so many ancillary satellites revolving around the main planet, and as part four concludes with an obligatory, sad Willie Nelson song, you click off the remote and think: Man, so much about that time I forgot.

So much about his life, and his death, his friends and his enemies, the way he treated the people he liked, which was different from how he treated his family. How one day Earnhardt started showing up wearing a suit, glamorous third wife Teresa on his arm, became a tycoon, built his Dale Earnhardt, Inc. offices and shop, promptly dubbed the “Garage Mahal,” in 1999. Inside, it was chilly and confusing. Mixed messages abounded. Granite, with gold drinking fountains, plus a stuffed deer that Dale shot, and the shotgun he used to kill it. So many shiny trophies that, lumped together, sort of lose meaning. It reminded me of Graceland.

Let’s face it: We all know how this movie ends, in a comparatively innocuous-looking crash on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. So you’re signing up to watch a four-hour documentary because you are either interested in NASCAR in general, Dale Earnhardt in particular, or you just enjoy a well-told story.

The documentary, executive-produced by Ron Howard and his longtime business partner, Brian Grazer, will win awards, and it deserves to: I’ve worked on projects like this, and through all four parts I marveled at the precise footage and perfect soundbites the production team was able to unearth, because I know for every minute of aired footage, they must have had to plow through hours and hours of archives, beg friends and families and fans for home movies, refuse to take no for an answer when they knew what they needed exists, out there somewhere.

You don’t have to be a race fan to appreciate Earnhardt, though it helps, especially if you’ve been around for a while.

I met Dale Earnhardt on November 19, 1989, at what was then the Atlanta International Raceway. It was the Winston Cup season finale—and isn’t that the smartest marketing you ever saw, when you had to actually say the name of a cigarette company when you were referencing the series?—where the ’89 champion would be crowned. I was covering it for the Dallas Times Herald. It was my first NASCAR race. I wasn’t a Times Herald sportswriter; I was actually the paper’s television critic, and I had timed a visit to CNN studios to write a feature on the news network’s upcoming 10th anniversary for an airline magazine (remember those?). It was not a coincidence that there was an important NASCAR race there that weekend—I’d been writing about motorsports for a while, and it came time for me to check that NASCAR box.

So I joined 15 or 20 actual sportswriters in the Atlanta track’s small infield press room, accompanied by nobody I knew, but several I’d heard of. I was not accustomed to being in a room that had no view of the actual racetrack, but soon learned that wasn’t unusual.

It was not a particularly eventful race, until lap 202, when the orange number 22 car of journeyman driver Grant Adcox pancaked the outside wall and burst into flames as the car traveled down the embankment, into the infield. It seemed to take forever to get Adcox out of the car: They had to use the Jaws of Life to cut off the roof. He was taken to the infield care center, then helicoptered to an Atlanta hospital. There’s little question that Adcox was dead before his car stopped rolling, as the mounting for his seat came loose in the impact, and unrestrained, he suffered fatal head and chest trauma, but it is typical of all forms of motorsports to transport the driver to the hospital, where the family can gather and an appropriate member of the clergy breaks the news, and the carefully structured official announcement is made later, so fans can leave unaware that they’d just seen someone die. To a T, that script would be followed 12 years later for Earnhardt himself.

Adcox worked with his father at Herb Adcox Chevrolet in Chattanooga. He never had enough money to compete full-time in NASCAR, but raced regularly in the ARCA series, which used older Cup cars. Dale Earnhardt had said in an interview earlier in the season that he was impressed with Adcox’s talent, and with enough money, maybe he could be a success in the Cup series.

Some of the Cup races Adcox had managed to run seemed cursed. In 1974, Adcox qualified for a race at Talladega Superspeedway. Midway through the event, the caution flag flew, and the drivers dashed for pit road. As he started to pull into his pit stall, Adcox’s car began to slide, right into Gary Bettenhausen’s Roger Penske–owned AMC Matador, which was being serviced by the crew. Several of them were struck and injured, the worst being Don Miller, who lost a leg.

The following year, Adcox again qualified for the race at Talladega, but his crew chief dropped dead from a heart attack right there in the garage. The car was withdrawn, but Adcox found another ride, and then the race was delayed a week by rain. Adcox, a working man, had to cancel, and his spot in the field was given to fan favorite Tiny Lund, the affable 6-foot, 5-inch, 270-pound winner of the 1963 Daytona 500. In a multi-car crash on lap seven, Lund’s car was struck broadside, and he was killed. He was 45. Had Adcox been able to race, Lund would have been watching from the grandstands.

Earnhardt won that race at Atlanta, though he lost the 1989 championship to Rusty Wallace. Earnhardt was cheerful when he came into the press room to talk to us: One of his first comments was, “Boy, I hope Grant’s OK. That was a hard hit he took.” A sportswriter sitting next to me leaned over and whispered, “Did nobody tell him?”

Apparently not, and we sure didn’t. I spoke to Earnhardt briefly, then was soon back in my hotel room, about to type out the story on my wretched Radio Shack TRS 80 laptop. But what was my lede? That Earnhardt won? That Wallace was the champion? That Adcox was the first Cup driver to die in five years? I don’t recall what I typed into the Trash 80, but I typed away. And I had covered my first NASCAR race.

As I went to more and more races, Earnhardt was always a looming presence. He was hated and adored. I fell somewhere in between. Rubbing may be racing, but Earnhardt’s aggressiveness often rubbed me the wrong way, especially earlier in his career. He was polarizing—you either got him or you didn’t.

I apologize for the above autobiography, and I need to get back to Earnhardt. The praise is deserved, and the use of film and clips from TV broadcasts is Emmy-worthy. The TV critic in me was a little put off by the staging of some of the present-day interviews: It isn’t unusual for the interviewer, unseen and unheard in this case, to tell the subject to look at me, not at the camera, but several of the subjects appear to be speaking to someone in another room. The interviews with bass fishing legend Hank Parker, an Earnhardt confidant, are so dark and distant it’s almost like he was being filmed by a hidden camera. But that would be nitpicking director Joshua Altman’s style. Taken as a whole, Earnhardt is top-shelf. Part three drags a bit, but the rest seem right-sized.

As I watched, I took notes. Following are some expansions on those notes, in no particular order, which fans of the man and the documentary might find of interest.

Ralph Earnhardt

I wanted more from Earnhardt about Ralph Earnhardt than we were served. The importance he played in his son Dale’s life, perhaps not so much by action as inaction, was telling at every turn. Growing up at racetracks in the south, I’d seen dozens of Ralph Earnhardts: Lean, hard-bitten, tanned, wary and suspicious, usually with a pack of Lucky Strikes tucked in their shirt pocket. Ralph was a talented driver, perhaps an even more talented car- and engine-builder, as often as not working for the drivers he competed against on Saturday nights.

Ralph toiled for years in cotton gins, looking for a way out. That would be racing. With his typically German meticulous, practical personality, he wanted more, but didn’t crave it, didn’t demand superstardom, didn’t much want to travel, but he dominated racing for years at local tracks, where he made enough money and got to sleep in his own bed every night. He was sick most of 1973 with heart trouble, had to let his friend Stick Elliott race his car, but was back behind the wheel that summer, and won two races at Concord Speedway. “Veteran Ralph Earnhardt is back in high gear,” said the Charlotte News in July.

Two months later, Ralph Earnhardt died, at home, from a heart attack. He was 45. Years after, Dale spoke about his father in an interview. “That’s the last funeral I’ve ever gone to. It took me a year or so to get over being mad. I felt like I was robbed. I felt hurt,” Dale said. “It was too tough to take. The memories. All the things I wanted to tell him.”

Which, we learn from Earnhardt, isn’t at all dissimilar from the way Junior felt after losing his father, who was 49.

Teresa Earnhardt

Teresa Houston was pretty, and she knew it. She had grown up around racing—her uncle is Tommy Houston, who had 24 wins and 198 top-10 finishes in the NASCAR Busch series, and her cousin Andy Houston raced in all three of the major NASCAR series. She naturally met Earnhardt at the track, and they married on November 14, 1982.

She wanted to be a mother—her daughter Taylor Nicole was born on December 20, 1988—but she wasn’t crazy about being a stepmother. The relationship between her and Dale’s other kids, son Kerry, daughter Kelley, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., was icy from the start. Kerry related on Dale Jr.’s podcast that when he was finally invited to his father’s house for the first time—at age 16—Teresa slammed the door in his face.

It may seem that Teresa, now 66, has been unfairly painted as the evil stepmother, but she certainly hasn’t helped her own cause. She virtually disappeared after Earnhardt was killed. She inherited everything: The Garage Mahal, the race teams, so much property, and the spectacularly profitable souvenir business.

Kelley, Kerry, and Dale Jr. got nothing, not even their own names. When Kerry and his wife Rene signed a deal with Schumacher Homes to help design and promote new houses, they called it the “Earnhardt Collection.” The ads were benign, in no way suggesting that Dale Earnhardt or his estate had anything to do with the project. Nonetheless, Teresa filed suit against her stepson in 2017, contending that Kerry, by using the name he was born with, was infringing on her copyright. Kelley and Junior were properly appalled, but not surprised. The case dragged on for years. It’s difficult to even conceive of a reason why Teresa would do this, aside from spite.

It’s worth noting, too, that Teresa had Senior buried on “her” land, and Junior revealed in a very recent Washington Post interview that he has only been able to visit his father’s grave once since he died, because Teresa has forbidden him and Kelley to access her property. Which may or may not be legal, given North Carolina’s confusing laws pertaining to whether or not a property owner can legally bar the next of kin from a gravesite.

With the possible exception of Brooke Sealey, Jeff Gordon’s first wife, no NASCAR ex has maintained a lower public profile than Teresa. Her name was most recently in the news last October, when she revealed plans for a portion of what the Charlotte Observer called her “vast landholdings.” The paper reported that she had asked the local planning board to rezone 399 acres in Mooresville so she could build an industrial park.

Earnhardt mentioned that Dale Jr. continued to race for the now-Teresa-owned Dale Earnhardt, Inc., until 2007, when the situation just became untenable. After his move to Hendrick Motorsports, sponsors fled DEI, and Teresa had to merge with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2008.

The extent to which Teresa is reviled by so many NASCAR fans wasn’t fully explored in Earnhardt, nor was her toxic relationship with her three stepchildren. It’s just so sad.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

No one is more surprised than I am that I’m describing Junior as a deeply complex man. In his younger years, that would have seemed absurd: What’s so complex about a kid who loves pickup trucks and beer and video games, and hanging out with his buddies, and who very possibly could have found happiness working forever at his father’s Chevrolet dealership?

One thing Earnhardt puts in laser focus was Junior’s need to earn his father’s respect, and he saw racing as being the road to that. Despite being a very wealthy man, Senior repeatedly balked at helping his children race, ostensibly because he wanted them to experience the same maturing desperation that he met and eventually conquered.

Hank Parker says in Earnhardt that he convinced Dale to spend some money helping them out, and Senior did buy them each a late-model car to run at local paved ovals, and a truck and trailer to haul them around in. It’s downright stunning when Junior says that he raced in 159 late-model races, and his father never came to a single one. Junior knew nothing about racecraft, and the man who possibly knew more about it than anyone declined to teach him.

Still, Junior battled through all that to win races—and a burgeoning fan base. When he moved to Hendrick, many of us thought he had it made, but Junior struggled. He had the same equipment Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon did, but they were winning championships and he wasn’t. After a colleague and I interviewed him during the now-defunct NASCAR media tour, we walked away disheartened by how sad Dale seemed. I asked him if he felt he had good chemistry with his current crew chief, and he said, “I’m not sure I’ve ever had good chemistry with a crew chief. I don’t even know what that is.” NASCAR drivers just don’t say things like that to reporters holding tape recorders. Afterward, my friend suggested, not entirely kidding, that Hendrick needed to put him on suicide watch.

When Dale Jr. retired at the end of the 2017 season, he had amassed a very respectable record: 26 wins, two of them the Daytona 500, with 260 top-10s in 631 races.

He and Kelley formed JR Motorsports, which in 2016 began fielding NASCAR Nationwide (now Xfinity) series cars, with the help of Rick Hendrick. The team began winning that first year and hasn’t stopped. Sponsors are delighted to bask in Junior’s company, and he and Kelley seem really happy in their respective roles.

Junior was one of NASCAR’s early adopters when it came to social media, founding the Dale Jr. Download in 2013, with Junior becoming the regular host in 2017. The podcast added video, and as Earnhardt honed his skill as a broadcaster, the Dale Jr. Download has become possibly the single most influential media source there is in the racing world—not just NASCAR, as Junior can and does have guests from all forms of racing. The way Howard Stern can get celebrities to emotionally expose themselves in a way they won’t anywhere else, racers will reveal parts of their lives to Junior that would typically be off limits elsewhere.

Never has Junior seemed so comfortable in his own skin. Years ago, I said this on a radio show that I hosted: If any racer had a license to be an asshole, it’s Dale Earnhardt, Jr. But he isn’t. In person, he’s polite, interested in what you have to say, patient with fans wanting autographs and selfies, and a genuinely nice guy.

I think that comes across in Earnhardt. Because the documentary is supposed to be about Senior, but Junior carries the day. Good for him, and Kelley, and Kerry.

It’s Week 15 of NASCAR’s Cup season.

Michigan International Speedway announced today that award-winning country singer and songwriter Ashley Cooke is stepping in to headline the Busch Light Summer Music Series performance prior to Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 NASCAR Cup Series race.

Cooke replaces Nate Smith during pre-race festivities after he announced Wednesday afternoon that he’s going on strict vocal rest through the rest of June, thereby canceling his performances for the month.

“It means a lot that Ashley is stepping up to the plate to perform for our passionate fans before our NASCAR Cup Series stars hit the track,” said Joe Fowler, Michigan International Speedway President. “Ashley is one of the most exciting rising stars in country music and her show will have everyone singing along before the race on Sunday. We also wish Nate the best in his recovery and hope to see him out at the track soon.”

Since her debut album shot in the dark earned her critical acclaim, Cooke has been recognized as MusicRow’s Discovery Artist of the Year and Next Big Thing, Billboard’s Rookie of the Month and iHeartCountry’s On The Verge Artist. 

Cooke won her first CMT Award for Breakthrough Female Video of the Year at the 2024 CMT Awards before being nominated for ACM New Female Artist of the Year, and is currently up for Best New Country Artist at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards.

In 2024, Cooke earned her first No.1 at Country radio with her single, “your place,” making her one of the only women to reach the top of the charts that year. With national TV appearances on NBC’s TODAY and ABC’s The Bachelorette, as well as tours with Luke Bryan, Cole Swindell and Jordan Davis under her belt, Cooke is ready to take 2025 by storm. Cooke started her year headlining her “your place Tour,” before hitting the road with Cody Johnson in Australia and Kane Brown throughout the US. She’ll be Performing at festivals all summer long, before heading out on the road with Parker McCollum and Lee Brice in the fall.” 

“We enjoyed collaborating with Ashley Cooke last year to surprise our fans in Nashville through the ‘Busch on Broadway’ pop-up series, right after her big CMT award win,” said Krystyn Stowe, Head of Marketing, Busch Family & Natural Family at Anheuser-Busch. “With the second show of our Summer Music Series coming up this weekend, we know she will give our fans in Michigan a pre-race experience they won’t forget.”

Earlier this year, Cooke released a highly-anticipated collaboration with Joe Jonas, “all I forgot,” followed by her song “the f word,” building to her sophomore album due later this year.

The inaugural Busch Light Summer Music Series consists of five full-length concerts at NASCAR races throughout the country. The series is an exciting new fan experience born from the renewed partnership with NASCAR’S Official Beer Sponsor.

Since the 1990s, the Anheuser-Busch family of brands has created countless opportunities for 21+ NASCAR fans to get closer to the sport they love. The first performance in the series took place earlier this spring, with ERNEST taking the stage at Texas Motor Speedway. After Michigan, the series moves to Chicago Street Race (Zac Brown Band – July 5), Iowa Speedway (Corey Kent – Aug. 3) and will conclude in Busch Light’s hometown of St. Louis at World Wide Technology Raceway (Sept. 7). Artists and details on the final concert will be announced at a later date.

The June race weekend at Michigan International Speedway begins with the ARCA Menards Series Henry Ford Health 200 on Friday, June 6, followed by the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series DQS Solutions & Staffing 250 Powered by Precision Vehicle Logistics on Saturday, June 7. The NASCAR Cup Series will cap off the weekend’s action with the FireKeepers Casino 400 on Sunday, June 8.

Tickets are available for purchase via phone at 888-905-7223 or online at mispeedway.com.

Fans can view the full 2025 NASCAR Cup Series schedule and purchase tickets at nascar.com/tickets, and can stay connected to Michigan International Speedway on Facebook, Instagram and X. 

MIS PR

Background:

Two NASCAR Cup Series race teams, 23XI Racing, an organization co-owned by basketball star Michael Jordan, and Front Row Motorsports, are engaged in litigation against NASCAR regarding claims of antitrust violations against the sanctioning body. Each organization fields three drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Charter System and the Basis for the Litigation:

NASCAR introduced the charter system in 2016 to address the business needs of the team organizations. In general terms, a charter guarantees that a team can participate in each Cup Series race and entitles it to a share of race-related revenue (prize winnings). A total of 36 charters were awarded to the 15 then-active Cup Series teams (including 23XI and Front Row Motorsports). These charters were governed by an agreement with NASCAR which extended through the end of the 2024 racing season.

A replacement charter agreement for 2025 and beyond was in the works when this litigation was initiated by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports. These teams were the only ones that did not sign the 2025 charter agreement; the 13 other teams did sign it. As a result, the six charters collectively held by the two teams are at risk of being voided for the 2025 season.

In response, the teams filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to require NASCAR to treat them as chartered teams while the litigation was being handled. On December 18, 2024, U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth Bell granted the motion.

June 5, 2025, Update:

Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals vacated the injunction. The teams have the ability to appeal this decision to a panel of appellate judges, and if the decision is not overturned, the consequences could be significant.

Potential Impact #1 – 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports will no longer be guaranteed starting spots for their six combined entries in the remaining races of the 2025 season. They have to qualify for each of the remaining 25 events based on lap times. None of the six entries are currently locked into the NASCAR playoffs via a race win this season. Therefore, their only path to a playoff berth (other than a race win) is through accumulated points. Missing a race would mean zero points for that event, almost certainly eliminating their chances of making the playoffs based on points.

Potential Impact #2 – Without charters, the teams will receive significantly reduced amounts of prize money. Prize money is a crucial revenue source for the race teams. Even if a non-chartered team wins a race, its payout is much lower than that of a chartered team.

Potential Impact #3 – Default, termination and other breaches of contracts between the team and its sponsors, drivers, employees, and other partners may occur. It is understood that being a chartered team is sometimes a condition written into many driver and sponsor contracts, so not being treated as a chartered team could trigger a myriad of legal rights and remedies for drivers, sponsors and other contractual partners.

If major sponsors, drivers, and other partners were to vacate 23XI and Front Row Motorsports due to the teams being unable to uphold their contractual obligations, and the teams are excluded from the benefit of chartered prize money, the financial and operational viability of both 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports could be seriously threatened.

On June 15, the NASCAR will make history. For the first time in the modern era of the Cup Series, a points race will take place outside the borders of the United States as they head to Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City.

Recently, NASCAR commissioner Steve Phelps came to Brazil during the NASCAR Brazil round at Interlagos, in his first ‘international’ engagement after the promotion.

During the Coca-Cola 600 race weekend, the Motorsport.com team was on site for the crown jewel event and was welcomed by both Commissioner Phelps and also Chad Seigler, the Chief International Officer and VP of NASCAR. Phelps commented on the recent Brazil visit and the country’s chances of emulating what NASCAR is doing with a Cup race in Mexico this year.

Brazil flag

 When asked about Brazil’s chances, Phelps didn’t shy away from answering: “I don’t know when we’ll get to Brazil,” he admitted. “I’d like to see it happen. Obviously, we need all parties to come together and understand how important that would be for NASCAR in general and for the category. But I personally would be very excited about it.”

There were previously talks to get ‘The Clash’ to Brazil, but those talks never advanced and the race will remain at Bowman Gray Stadium for 2026. Phelps is also looking forward to the Mexican event that takes place later this month, which will be the first time the Cup Series has ever raced in Mexico.

“I’m excited. It’s the first time we’ve taken the Cup Series in the modern era outside our own borders. It’s a big stage for us, and we need to make sure we make it. I think the Mexican fans are going to come, they’re going to support us, and I think it’s going to be a great show. Our drivers will love the circuit, and maybe, who knows, we can have our drivers, at some point, come to Brazil and have a race in São Paulo.”

Brazilian driver in Cup

Helio Castroneves, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Sean Gardner / Getty Images

The possibility of a Cup Series race in Brazil still exists, but what about Brazilian talent coming to the United States – and vice versa? NASCAR already has two international Cup drivers thanks Trackhouse Racing.

“We have a driver who is from Mexico, Daniel Suarez, and that’s a great victory for us. Not through our driver development program, (but) we also have Shane Van Gisbergen from New Zealand (who) used to race in Australia. We’d like to have drivers from all over the world coming to race with us, in our three national categories, but in particular in our main category, like what Daniel and SVG are doing.”

“We’d like to have a Brazilian come out of NASCAR Brazil, come and race with us full-time, and, you know, compete for wins and championships. So we’re excited about this prospect, I was very impressed with the number of drivers I saw and how fast they were and their abilities, and we’re excited about this happening in the future.”

NASCAR Brazil

NASCAR Brazil

Seigler also commented on the current status of NASCAR Brazil and the optimism series officials have regarding the Brazilian category.

“I personally think we are exceeding expectations of where we thought we would be,” said Seigler. “You could see last weekend at Interlagos the fans, the excitement. You could hear this week the excitement when overtaking was done. You can see that the fans are getting used to our style of racing.”

Also regarding the chances of a Brazilian driver competing in the United States, Seigler made a point of recalling the recent feat of Gabriel Casagrande, who won a race at New Smyrna in his first experience on a US oval and with a Late Model. Casagrande is also a three-time Stock Car Brazil champion, winning three of the last four titles.

“I saw what Gabriel did when he came to Florida a few weeks ago. He really just showed how talented Brazilian drivers are. This is a guy who’s never been on an oval circuit, never been in a Late Model. He came to the United States, was fast in practice, won a race and that’s one of the things about Brazil that catches our eye.”

“We know the history of the drivers and we know their development and I think where we see it, there’s this great opportunity and I know a lot of people talk about what we did in Mexico with Daniel Suárez. When we can do something like that in Brazil, it will help us.”

“It’s going to be a two-way street. One, it’s going to help make the category in Brazil even more popular for drivers who can see that way to the US if they want to. And then, it’s also going to make that Brazilian fan have someone to cheer for in the United States. So the driver development part is critical for us in the future,” he concluded.

Ex-F1 driver Nelson Piquet Jr. is the only Brazilian to win in the three national levels of NASCAR, winning once in the Xfinity Series and twice in the Truck Series. This year, four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves made his Cup debut in the Daytona 500, but his night ended with an early wreck. He is the only Brazilian driver to have run a race at any of the three national levels this year.

Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at Michigan International Speedway… In 188 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Michigan International Speedway, Richard Childress Racing has recorded three wins with drivers Dale Earnhardt (1987, 1990) and Kevin Harvick (2010), and one pole award with Jeff Burton (2006). RCR has 26 top-five finishes and 60 top-10 finishes in Cup Series competition at Michigan. Earnhardt scored the first Michigan win for the organization in dominating fashion, leading 152 of 200 laps in June 1987. His second win, in June 1990, came when he beat Ernie Irvan to the checkered flag by just .22 seconds. Harvick’s victory in August 2010 came after the No. 29 team elected to gamble late in the race, giving the California native his first win at in the Irish Hills.

Did You Know… Richard Childress made 17 starts at Michigan International Speedway during his NASCAR Cup Series driving career between 1972 and 1981. Childress earned four top-10 finishes at Michigan, with a career-best finish of sixth in June 1974.

Tickets to the 2025 Carolina Cowboys Home Stand Are Available Now… Driven by the same passion for performance that guides his race team, Richard Childress’ latest endeavor brings Professional Bull Riding to the Carolinas. The Carolina Cowboys represent the Carolinas in the PBR Team Series, an elite league featuring the world’s top bull riders competing in games throughout the country. The team is owned by Richard Childress and Jeff Broin with 2018 Daytona 500 Champion Dillon serving as General Manager. Don’t miss the Carolina Cowboys 2025 “Cowboy Days” Home Stand September 12-14 at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina. Tickets are on sale at PBR.com and Ticketmaster.

Watch Us on Amazon Prime… The NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway will be televised live on Sunday, June 8, beginning at 2 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime, the third of five consecutive races this season that will air on the streaming service. The race will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. NASCAR Cup Series Practice & Qualifying at Michigan International Speedway will also be broadcast on Amazon Prime. Ride shotgun all season long with live, in-car camera feeds and scanner audio with a paid subscription to Max as part of their NASCAR driver cam experience during the race.
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Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Dow MobilityScienceTM Chevrolet at Michigan International Speedway… Austin Dillon has 21 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Michigan International Speedway, posting his best finish of fourth in August 2018. He owns two top-five finishes, five top-10 finishes and has led 39 laps in Cup Series competition at the track. Additionally at Michigan, Dillon owns one NASCAR Xfinity Series win (2018) and two pole awards (2012 and 2013) in four Series starts. He also has four starts in the NASCAR Truck Series at Michigan, earning two top-five finishes and one pole (2010) with 38 laps led. In his lone ARCA Menards Series start at Michigan, Dillon finished second (2009).

Winner, Winner… Dillon won a rain-shortened NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Michigan International Speedway in 2018, leading 18 laps enroute to victory in the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Cabella’s Chevrolet.

Dow brings a science and engineering crew who is driven by limitless curiosity to the RCR Team… Dillon and the RCR team are again supported by Dow’s materials science expertise and technologies this season. Backed by the power of data analysis and virtual modeling, Dow develops and manufactures high-performance components and materials custom-made for the No. 3 car. Dow and RCR’s partnership has expedited innovation and shortened testing time in the automotive industry by using one of the most extreme environments – the racetrack – as a real-time testbed. After 12 years of collaboration, Dow scientists and RCR engineers are continuing to work together to make the No. 3 car faster, safer, and more precise. Stay up to date with Dow’s exciting developments at www.dow.com/sports, and follow them on X (@DowSports) and LinkedIn (Dow Sports Marketing Solutions).

Dow MobilityScience™… Dow’s MobilityScience™ platform is designed to enhance the customer experience by tailoring technologies, products, and services from across Dow businesses to the transportation industry. The platform is pursuing accelerated growth by addressing Mobility mega-trends – where lighter weight, longer range, greater comfort, enhanced safety, and lower carbon footprint are the ultimate objectives. That is where Dow science, innovation, and people step in – working closely with customers to create the materials that bring the possibilities to life.

Hey Batter, Batter… Dillon and his teammate, Kyle Busch, are scheduled to visit the Detroit Tigers on Friday to participate in batting practice with the team in advance of the first of a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs. Dillon played in the Little League World Series in 2002.

Meet Dillon… Dillon is scheduled to make a stop at the RCR Merchandise hauler in the fan midway at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, June 8, at 10:20 a.m. Local Time. Stop by to meet the driver of the No. 3 Dow MobilityScienceTM Chevrolet and get new RCR gear.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:

What are your thoughts on Michigan International Speedway?

“Michigan International Speedway is a big, fast, two-mile oval. It’s the fastest track on the NASCAR schedule. You’re always trying to make moves and get big runs when you can. Michigan is one of those places where you definitely feel the speed as soon as you get there. Getting to pit road can be tricky because you’re coming in so fast, and it’s key to entering and exiting without any penalties. Michigan provides long green flag runs, and it’s hard to make up a lap there. Overall, I really like racing at Michigan.”

What makes racing at Michigan International Speedway especially important for you and your team?

“When we race at Michigan International Speedway, you always want to perform well for your manufacturer. That’s a big race for all the OEMs, and we want to put Chevy out front at all costs. Michigan is also the home of Dow, which makes it even more meaningful. We want to put on a great race and create a great experience for everyone from Dow who comes out to see the No. 3 Dow Chevrolet on track.”

You’ve had some memorable races at Michigan International Speedway in the past, and have come close to winning there…

“We’ve had some good races in the past at Michigan International Speedway, and some really fast Chevrolets. You always want to perform in front of your manufacturer’s home, and for everyone at Dow. I remember having a shot to win in 2023. We were really fast and then I almost got flipped upside down by Brad Keselowski at the start/finish line and wrecked. It’s racing. It happens in this sport.”

Kyle Busch and the No. 8 BetMGM Chevrolet at Michigan International Speedway… Sunday’s 400-mile race will mark Kyle Busch’s 37th career NASCAR Cup Series start at Michigan International Speedway. Busch earned his lone win at the two-mile oval in August 2011 and boasts 10 top-five finishes and 16 top-10 finishes at the track. Additionally at Michigan, the 40-year-old driver has led 303 laps, holds an average starting position of 12.3 and an average finish of 17.2.

A Winning Tradition… In August 2011, Busch passed Jimmie Johnson in Turn 1 with 12 laps to go and survived a late restart following a caution that extended the race an extra three laps to earn his lone win at the D-shaped oval. It was the first victory for Busch in 14 tries in the Cup Series at Michigan. The win was the series-leading fourth of the season at the time for Busch. Busch also owns two wins in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Michigan (August 2004 and June 2015), and one win in the NASCAR Truck Series (August 2015).

A Look Back… In last year’s Cup Series race at Michigan, Busch started 13th after much of practice and qualifying rained out. He worked his way forward in the race, claiming the second stage. The No. 8 team took a late-race gamble in the form of a two-tire pit stop, which culminated with Busch claiming a solid fourth-place finish when the rain-delayed race ended Monday.

Testing… Following last week’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway, Busch and the No. 8 team participated in the Goodyear tire test at Iowa Speedway.

Hey Batter, Batter… Busch and his teammate, Austin Dillon, are scheduled to visit the Detroit Tigers on Friday to participate in batting practice with the team in advance of the first of a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs.

Meet Busch… On Sunday, June 8 at 11:25 a.m. ET, Busch is scheduled to visit the Chevrolet display in the Michigan International Speedway midway for a question and answer session.

About BetMGM… BetMGM is a market leading sports betting and gaming entertainment company, pioneering the online gaming industry. Born out of a partnership between MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) and Entain Plc (LSE: ENT), BetMGM has exclusive access to all of MGM’s U.S. land-based and online sports betting, major tournament poker, and online gaming businesses. Utilizing Entain’s U.S.-licensed, state-of-the-art technology, BetMGM offers sports betting and online gaming via market-leading brands including BetMGM, Borgata Casino, Party Casino and Party Poker. Founded in 2018, BetMGM is headquartered in New Jersey. For more information, visit https://sports.betmgm.com/en/blog.

KYLE BUSCH QUOTES:

How big of a factor is the draft at Michigan International Speedway?

“Over the last couple of years with this new Next Gen car, the draft at Michigan International Speedway has become less effective in my opinion. These cars don’t quite suck up on the straightaways the way the old cars could.”

Is it refreshing to race at a place like Michigan International Speedway where you can move around the track and find a line that works?

“Michigan over the years has been pretty lane dominant, but with the addition of the traction compound through the corners, it has led itself to widening out and allowing you to try different grooves. It still isn’t as wide as it once was. Back in 2013 you could race along the wall, but it’s getting better and going in that direction.”

Looking back at this race last year, what do you remember about that fourth-place finish?

“I wish I came off pit road with about an eight-second lead. That might’ve helped a little bit. Overall, just net positive on the weekend being upfront and having a shot at the win. We ran in the top 10 all day. It was a really good call by Randall Burnett and the guys to take two tires, get us more track position and just try to hold the leaders off as best we could. Overall, it was a good day for our RCR team.”

RCR PR