Mexican driver Andres Perez de Lara is joining Niece Motorsports for the remainder of the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

Perez de Lara will take over the wheel starting at Richmond Raceway this weekend for Niece.

He completed 17 races with Spire Motorsports over the season, finishing in the top 10 twice, and sits P17 in the Truck Series standings.

Spire released Perez de Lara from his deal, allowing him to explore other options.

No clear indication was provided as to why the parties split up, but it appears to be mutual, considering Spire Motorsports President Bill Anthony wished the Mexican driver well.

“Andrés has made meaningful progress this season, and we remain confident in his future,” Anthony said in a statement.

“While we haven’t finalized our 2026 plans for the No. 77 team, we wanted to give him the opportunity to look ahead and pursue other options for the remainder of this year and beyond.

“He’s a hard worker, carries himself with humility, and brings a consistently positive attitude to the garage. He comes from a great family, and we fully expect him to continue making strides as part of Chevrolet’s driver development program. We’re proud to have been part of his journey and will continue cheering him on.”

As for the driver, he appears ready for the move, welcoming the challenge of a mid-season change and excited for the prospect of racing with Niece.

“Overall, I’m really excited about the upcoming races with Niece Motorsports,” Pérez de Lara said.

“Making a change mid-season always has its challenges, but the team and I are working hard to be 100% by the time Richmond comes.

“I’m really focusing on having a good race there and feel very motivated with how the team has treated me. I feel the team is also motivated with having me there as well.”

Who is Andres Perez de Lara?

Born in Mexico City, Perez de Lara is a 20-year-old race car driver who previously competed in Formula 4 before moving on to stock car racing.

He began racing in karting at the age of 11, working his way up the Latin American racing ladder and then coming stateside for NASCAR.

The Mexican was signed by a Chevrolet development team back in 2023 and competed in ARCA before arriving at the Truck Series.

This season, he sits third in the rookie standings before the regular season finale Sunday as he chases the Rookie of the Year award.

For more NASCAR news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.

‘Enough’ – NASCAR Fans Demand Change For 2026 Season originally appeared on The Spun.

NASCAR fans are demanding a major change for the 2026 season, though it’s probably not possible at this point.

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The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series arrived in New York over the weekend. The Go Bowling at The Glen race took place on Sunday afternoon. Shane Van Gisbergen took home the checkered flag, adding to his big-time rookie season.

NBC Sports named him the “biggest winner” of the weekend – it’s hard to argue with that, obviously.

“Scored his fourth consecutive road course victory, winning by 11.1 seconds — the second largest margin of victory in Cup history at Watkins Glen. He becomes the third driver in series history to win four consecutive road course races. He is the first driver to win four road course races in a season,” NBC Sports writes.

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But while the weekend was a good one for Van Gisbergen, it was not for many NASCAR Cup Series fans.

NASCAR fans are more than fed up with the current car, the Next Gen Car, which came into use in 2022. The car was supposed to feature “improved” aero and downforce packages while adding new technology to the sport. It was also supposed to decrease costs and bring in new equipment manufacturers.

While that all could still be true, NASCAR fans are not happy with what the Next Gen Car has done to racing.

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“The Next Gen is the worst race car that has ever been used in NASCAR,” one fan wrote following Sunday’s race.

Most seem to be in agreement. They would love to see some kind of major NASCAR Cup Series car change for 2026 and beyond.

“I hate how the Next Gen has made our fans want the Cup series to stop going to some of the most beautiful and unique race tracks in North America,” one fan added.

“I speak for the ENTIRE fanbase when I say we need LESS road course races with the Next Gen,” one fan added.

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“The Next Gen car needs to be nerfed, it drives too good and now the racing isn’t good. We need race cars that suck at braking and cornering for great racing,” one fan added.

“If next gen was capable of racing like Xfinity on road courses people would stop complaining about road courses,” one fan added.

“The NASCAR Cup Series schedule SHOULD NOT be molded around the Next Gen car. The Next Gen car should be molded to the race tracks the series has attended for decades. The lack of development on this car is ridiculous,” one fan added.

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NASCAR fans are fed up, but it remains to be seen if any major changes will be made for 2026 and beyond.

‘Enough’ – NASCAR Fans Demand Change For 2026 Season first appeared on The Spun on Aug 11, 2025

This story was originally reported by The Spun on Aug 11, 2025, where it first appeared.

Carson Kvapil will drive the No. 97 truck for CR7 Motorsports at this weekend’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Richmond Raceway, the team announced Aug. 11.

It’ll be Kvapil’s first Truck appearance since his series debut in 2023 at Bristol Motor Speedway for Spire Motorsports.

“I’m really excited to join CR7 Motorsports and drive the [No.] 97 Truck at Richmond in front of the families and friends of Codie (Rohrbaugh) and Grant County Mulch,” Kvapil said in a team release. “It will be a bit of a learning curve as I have never been to Richmond, but I look forward to the experience and opportunity. I can’t wait to get on track with the [No.] 97 group and see what we can do.”

Have You Adjusted Your Clock to Heim Time Yet?

“We are thrilled to have Carson in the [No.] 97 truck,” CR7 owner Codie Rohrbaugh added. “He’s a talented young driver with a lot of upside. It is special to have the [No.] 97 truck back on track with Grant County Mulch. We have a great team put together and I look forward to Michael Shelton coming out of retirement to be back on top of the pit box.”

This is the first time the No. 97 truck has run for the team since Rohrbaugh drove it himself in last year’s season opener at Daytona International Speedway.

Through 23 races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this season, Kvapil sits sixth in points with five top fives and 10 top 10s on the year for JR Motorsports.

As the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season continues to roll on through its first of a new seven-year media rights deal, it’s now NBC’s turn to take the wheel and steer NASCAR’s coverage through the postseason.

Since the Iowa race where Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron cruised to victory with a masterful fuel-conservation strategy, NBC Sports has already made an indelible mark on the sport with best-in-class coverage on USA Network. From that thrilling event in the Hawkeye State to this past weekend’s Watkins Glen showdown, where Shane van Gisbergen claimed his fourth win of the year, the NBC family of networks is delivering 14 straight weeks of door-to-door, bumper-to-bumper action, culminating in the Championship 4 title race in Phoenix, Arizona, on November 2.

RELATED: Winners, losers from Watkins Glen race won by Shane van Gisbergen

As Byron looks to hold onto first place, he’s joined in the top five by familiar company as two of his Hendrick Motorsports teammates – Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson – reside in second and fifth place respectively. Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell from Joe Gibbs Racing claim the third and fourth spots ahead of the Cookout 400 in Richmond. But before racers start their engines, here’s a look at how to watch the remaining NASCAR races on NBC, USA Network, Peacock, and the NBC Sports app in 2025. 

NASCAR Cup Series remaining schedule

Don’t want to miss a moment of the high-octane NASCAR Cup Series action? With the 2025 Cup Series Playoffs swiftly approaching, be sure to save the schedule for the remaining NASCAR Cup Series races on NBC, USA Network and Peacock (all races are in Eastern Time).

DATE        TIME           TRACK, NETWORK
Aug. 3       3:30 p.m.     Iowa, USA Network
Aug. 10     2 p.m.          Watkins Glen, USA Network
Aug. 16     7:30 p.m.     Richmond, USA Network
Aug. 23     7:30 p.m.     Daytona, NBC/Peacock
Aug. 31     6 p.m.          Darlington, USA Network
Sept. 7      3 p.m.          World Wide Tech. Raceway, USA Network
Sept. 13    7:30 p.m.    Bristol, USA Network
Sept. 21    2 p.m.          New Hampshire, USA Network
Sept. 28    3 p.m.          Kansas, USA Network
Oct. 5        3 p.m.           Charlotte Road Course, USA Network
Oct. 12      5:30 p.m.     Las Vegas, USA Network
Oct. 19      2 p.m.          Talladega, NBC/Peacock
Oct. 26      2 p.m.          Martinsville, NBC/Peacock
Nov. 2       3 p.m.           Phoenix, NBC/Peacock

RELATED: Connor Zilisch suffers broken collarbone in victory lane fall; Trackhouse withdraws his Cup car

Peacock allows racing fans to watch any of the simulcast races live from the comfort of their home or on the go through any preferred mobile device.  

Those using the NBC Sports app to view live streams need to first download the app and authenticate with the requisite username and password credentials from their provider of choice (cable, satellite, or streamer). Once a user is logged on, there is no additional fee to tune in and begin viewing content.  

’24 McLaren MCL38/02 driven by Lando Norris.

Three significant McLaren Formula 1 race cars will join an outstanding lineup for the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, August 13-16, as the legendary event hosts an official celebration for Formula 1’s 75th anniversary.

Housed in the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, England, each car reflects the advanced technology and aerodynamics of its era that contributed to McLaren’s dominance, culminating with Lando Norris’ 2024 Constructors’ Championship-winning McLaren.

The three arriving in Monterey are:

• ’74 McLaren M23/05: Emerson Fittipaldi
• ’84 McLaren MP4/2: Niki Lauda
• ’24 McLaren MCL38/02: Lando Norris

Formula 1’s 75th anniversary celebration will take center stage at the event with a spectacular display featuring more than 30 cars representing the history of the world’s top racing series, along with daily exhibition laps.

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown, a longtime Rolex Reunion participant, expressed his excitement about the event, celebrating both the history and future of F1 racing. While two of the cars will be on static display, Brown will pilot Niki Lauda’s 1984 McLaren MP4/2 in exhibition runs on Friday and Saturday.

’74 McLaren M23/05 driven by Emerson Fittipaldi.
 

“It’s fantastic to be back at the Monterey Motorsports Reunion. It’s one of my favorite events of the year and it’s an honor to get behind the wheel of Lauda’s MP4/2, a car the team was so successful in. I’m looking forward to being part of the Formula 1 anniversary celebrations.”

Complementing the F1 display is the Mario Andretti Trophy race group, which features 1966 to 1985 F1 cars–including marques such as Tyrrell, Williams, Lotus, Brabham, Wolf and Ferrari–racing daily. The historic F1 group harkens back to an era when a Cosworth DFV engine and a creative car designer could win races against titans like Ferrari and Lotus.

“An official celebration for the 75th anniversary of Formula 1 wouldn’t be complete without these legendary McLaren Racing cars. We’re grateful for McLaren’s involvement and delighted that Zak will join us again as an on-track participant,” said Mel Harder, president and general manager of WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. “This year’s Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion is truly a can’t-miss experience.”

The historic Formula 1 race is one of 14 race groups featured at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, which is dedicated to celebrating authentic historic race cars and their legacies from the past to the present day. The more than 400 participating cars are thoroughly vetted for their race provenance and period-correctness to the day the vehicle originally competed.

Tickets to the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion are now on sale. All tickets include access to the paddock for an up-close look at the incredible collection of cars, including the 75th Anniversary Celebration of Formula 1 and the return of the IROC race series. Individual and multi-day tickets, VIP hospitality packages and camping information can be found at WeatherTechRaceway.com or by calling 831-242-8200.

’84 McLaren MP4/2 driven by Niki Lauda.

Corey LaJoie will drive the final eight NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races of the season for Spire Motorsports, replacing Andres Perez de Lara, the team announced Monday.

Perez de Lara will race the rest of the season for Niece Motorsports, the team announced Monday.

The change begins with Friday’s race at Richmond.

“It’s going to have to be a group decision,” Justin Marks said of when Connor Zilisch will be back in a car.

The 20-year-old Perez de Lara, a rookie in the Truck Series, is 17th in points.

“Overall, I’m really excited about the upcoming races with Niece Motorsports,” said Pérez de Lara in a statement from Niece Motorsports. “Making a change mid-season always has its challenges, but the team and I are working hard to be 100% by the time Richmond comes. I’m really focusing on having a good race there and feel very motivated with how the team has treated me. I feel the team is also motivated with having me there as well.”

Spire Motorsports also announced that it will shift the owners points from the team’s No. 07 entry to the No. 77 entry with LaJoie as the driver.

LaJoie has one Truck start this season. He finished fifth at Michigan in the No. 07 for Spire Motorsports.