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Motorsports

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Opens Up About His Father’s Unfulfilled Dreams Beyond NASCAR

Dale Earnhardt Jr. pulled back the curtain on a side of his father few fans ever saw. In a candid podcast interview, he revealed Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s quiet plans to step away from racing slowly, not to retire, but to reshape NASCAR’s future. The seven-time Cup Series champion, who died in the 2001 Daytona 500, […]

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. pulled back the curtain on a side of his father few fans ever saw. In a candid podcast interview, he revealed Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s quiet plans to step away from racing slowly, not to retire, but to reshape NASCAR’s future.

The seven-time Cup Series champion, who died in the 2001 Daytona 500, aimed to trade firesuits for boardrooms. His vision? Grow Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) into a dynasty and guide NASCAR’s France family through pivotal decisions.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Reveals Senior’s Unseen Boardroom Ambitions

The Intimidator’s grit on track was matched by sharp business instincts off it and by 2001, he’d become close to NASCAR’s front office. Earnhardt Sr. had his way on advising the France family on marketing, merchandise, and fan engagement, areas he’d mastered through DEI’s success.

“He was a very close confidant and friend of the France family,” Dale Jr. said on the “Rubbin’ is Racing” podcast. “He had their ear a little bit and I think he could have steered some things into some good directions and helped the France family go in some good directions. He was very smart about the business side of it, the marketability of the sport, and the souvenir side of it as well.”

Dale Earnhardt’s clout extended to protecting his son’s career. When rival Darrell Waltrip tried to sign a young Dale Jr. in the late 1990s, Earnhardt Sr. shut it down. “You stay away from him. You’ll pay him too damn much money,” he warned Waltrip.

“I won’t be able to compete with you. I got plans for him.” Those plans? A groundbreaking $10 million Budweiser deal at DEI, NASCAR’s richest sponsorship then.

“I think he would have done helped them make some great decisions to help the sport maintain and retain its popularity,” Dale Jr. said. “So he would have worked for it. He would have been an ambassador forever for the sport. He would have went anywhere they needed him to go.”

Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s Legacy Cut Short, Leaving What-Ifs

Earnhardt Sr.’s death didn’t just stun fans — it shattered a father-son bond that was finally healing through racing. Dale Jr. had spent years clashing with his dad, acting out for attention.

“Man, I was a troubled kid… I was really probably more of a disappointment up until probably 1996, ’97,” he told Danica Patrick in 2017. “I started driving in the Xfinity Series in a couple races for Dad and started showing ‘hey, there’s some purpose for me here and here’s direction for me.’”

For Junior, the answers lie in a podcast booth, not a trophy case. His father’s true legacy wasn’t just the titles — it was the future he never got to build.



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Formula 1’s 75th Anniversary Celebration at Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion

The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California, will celebrate the 75th anniversary of Formula 1. The event, which will be hosted Aug. 13-16, will see some of the most iconic cars in F1 history race again and feature a stunning exhibition of rarely seen cars, event organizers stated in a […]

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The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California, will celebrate the 75th anniversary of Formula 1. The event, which will be hosted Aug. 13-16, will see some of the most iconic cars in F1 history race again and feature a stunning exhibition of rarely seen cars, event organizers stated in a press release.

Twenty-five authentic F1 cars from the 1966-85 non-turbo era will race daily in the Mario Andretti Trophy race. These include the 12-cylinder-powered cars from the likes of Tyrrell, Williams, Ferrari, Lotus and Brabham.

Historic F1 Cars From Private Collections & Museums

There will also be an exhibition of more than 30 rarely seen historic F1 cars from museums and private collections. This exhibit marks the first time many of these cars have been displayed together in one place, noted the release. The collection will feature models ranging from the 1956 Maserati 250F, 1966 Eagle Mk1 and 1986 Benetton B186 to more modern machinery like the 2024 Formula 1 World Constructors’ Championship-winning McLaren MCL38, driven by Lando Norris.

1988 McLaren MP4 - Prost in period
Photo courtesy WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca

“The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion is the premier showcase for authentic, original, period-correct race cars, and it is an incredible honor to host an official celebration for the 75th anniversary of Formula 1,” said Mel Harder, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca president and general manager. “It will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see this jaw-dropping collection of cars and F1 history.”

Formula 1 chief commercial officer, Emily Prazer, said, “I am delighted that Formula 1 will be represented at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion to celebrate our 75th anniversary. It is an amazing event, and to see historic cars back where they belong, pushing the limits of speed and performance, is always a special moment for our fans. This is a fitting commemoration of 75 incredible years of Formula 1 and the sport’s evolution, and I want to thank everyone involved in making this moment a reality.”



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SVG: The New ‘King’ of the road in NASCAR? | Sports

Sunday in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway in California, something happened for the first time since 1998. Shane Van Gisbergen won his third race of the 2025 season from the pole position. The last driver to do that was Jeff Gordon.  Van Gisbergen dominated the Toyota/Save Mart 350, leading 97 of the […]

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Sunday in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway in California, something happened for the first time since 1998. Shane Van Gisbergen won his third race of the 2025 season from the pole position. The last driver to do that was Jeff Gordon. 

Van Gisbergen dominated the Toyota/Save Mart 350, leading 97 of the 110 lap race. The former V8 Supercar driver from New Zealand has now four Cup series victories in just 34 starts. 

Van Gisbergen won last week on the streets of Chicago and last month in Mexico City, with three victories. As a result, Van Gisbergen finds himself as the third seed in the playoffs if the regular season ends right now. Before winning three of the last five races, he had only posted one other top-10 finish, which was in the road course race at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, in March.

Some experts and others in the industry of NASCAR say that it’s not fair for a driver who is 27th in the regular season points standings to be seeded third in the playoffs. 

I say that’s the rules, and Van Gisbergen is playing by the rules and the system that NASCAR has in place. What he has done in a racecar turning right and left since coming to NASCAR full-time last season has been very impressive. His results on ovals are improving with each race. And I think that will continue as the season goes on. 

NASCAR has a road course race next month at Watkins Glen and one at Charlotte in October, I also think that Van Gisbergen could win two more races this season and that could turn over the apple cart in the playoffs later this season. 

I’m pulling for Van Gisbergen to do just that. It may be too early to say but I think that NASCAR has a new “King of the Road.”

NASCAR needs Van Gisbergen (SVG), he is good for the sport and as a fan, I hope he stays for a long time. 



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Montreal F1: The Fan Experience

Since 1990, I’ve attended hundreds of races as a journalist—but rarely as a fan. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of all forms of motorsports. But when I’m at a track, most of the time, I’m there to work. I made an exception during the recent Montreal GP F1 weekend. The Netflix series has […]

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Since 1990, I’ve attended hundreds of races as a journalist—but rarely as a fan. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of all forms of motorsports. But when I’m at a track, most of the time, I’m there to work.

I made an exception during the recent Montreal GP F1 weekend. The Netflix series has gotten my wife (Melody) and me engaged to the point where we thought it would be fun to experience a race weekend in person, as fans. This is a story and some galleries about our experience.

In short: it was fantastic. All of it.

More than just a race, it was a three-day party/festival that brought the entire city to life.

We arrived downtown late Thursday afternoon. Our hotel was on Crescent Street, just below where the main Grand Prix Street Festival was happening. Once we checked in, we parked the car—and didn’t go near it again until after the race on Sunday.

The only exception to the “not working” thing was the excellent Puma/Aston Martin event I attended Thursday evening. Held at the beautiful Dorsia Restaurant in Old Montreal, the event featured an incredible five-course meal with premium wine and cocktail pairings from the LVMH (Louis Vuitton/Moët Hennessy) portfolio.

Alongside great food and company, former World Champion Fernando Alonso made a brief appearance for a Q&A and photo session. Aston Martin’s Head of F1 Academy and Driver Ambassador, Jessica Hawkins, spoke after Alonso. An impressive young woman, she shared stories about driving an F1 car and her experiences across various forms of racing. Canadian swimmer Penny Oleksiak (7 Olympic medals!) was also there, celebrating her 25th birthday! It was a memorable night—and a fun kickoff to the F1 weekend.

And once dinner was over, I was officially “off the clock” for the weekend.

Everywhere you looked, you knew Formula 1 was in town. This was in a Metro station.

To get around, we bought three-day Metro passes—highly recommended. A labour disruption had threatened the transit system, but thankfully, subways and buses continued running during F1 weekend. Without transit, I can’t imagine how the event would have gone ahead. Or at least, not with full grandstands.

I don’t know the exact numbers, but it felt like 95% of attendees arrived at the track via the Metro. The closest station to the track is Jean-Drapeau, located on Île Sainte-Hélène—adjacent to Île Notre-Dame, home of Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

I’ve been to the Daytona 500 and many large sporting events, and the crowds in Montreal felt just as massive. The promoter reported a three-day attendance of 352,000. I believe it.

Every practice and qualifying session on Friday and Saturday had packed grandstands, just like the main event on Sunday. We sat in Grandstand 34, on the inside of the hairpin (Turn 10), so we could witness the incredible braking and acceleration—and hopefully some passing. It did not disappoint.

The only downside—and I’m sure the promoters will smile reading this—was how tight the seating was. Every hard, aluminum seat was filled, and the bench space per person was very limited. You were literally shoulder to shoulder, hip to hip, and knee to back with those around you. I now sympathize with sardines.

With everyone squeezed butt cheek to butt cheek, there were people who purchased seats but had to sit in the aisles, all weekend long.
The $4 Seahorse and Shark seat cushions, from Dollarama did the trick on the aluminum grandstands.

And God help you if your row had a few Kim Kardashian-types in it. People were literally spilling into the aisles. Pro tip: bring seat cushions! Our sore bums sent us to Dollarama, near our hotel, after Friday’s sessions. We paid $4 for foam pads, which beat the $45 CGV cushions at the concession stands. Bonus: our cheap, goofy seat cushions got a few laughs throughout the weekend.

Speaking of crowds—as Toronto tries to fine-tune its new Rogers Stadium venue in Downsview Park, it’s impressive how smoothly Montreal handles 115,000+ people per day. No one complained about the 20+ minute walk from the Metro station to the track. The flow of people through fences and pathways was clearly the result of decades of fine-tuning. Well done.

The weather was incredible all three days: blue skies, 20°C, and a light breeze off the St. Lawrence River. Apparently, that’s rare for Montreal GP weekend—no complaints from us!

After spending Friday at the track, we returned to the hotel and headed up to Crescent Street for the street festival. It felt like the entire crowd from the track—plus more—was there. We made a point to see The Hip Trip, a Tragically Hip tribute band. They delivered a fantastic one-hour set of high-energy classics. The lead singer did Gord Downie proud.

After the concert, we kicked off our Montreal smoked meat tasting tour. Friday’s stop was Reuben’s Deli & Steakhouse on Sainte-Catherine Street—delicious and close to the action. Saturday night, we walked up St. Laurent to Schwartz’s (the best!). And after the race on Sunday, we stopped at Smoke Meat Pete’s on Hwy. 20 in L’Île-Perrot. I’m drooling again just thinking about it.

Back at the track, there was plenty to do and enjoy. The sponsor activations were great—DJs, lounge areas, food and drink stalls. The $14 Heineken Silver tallboys felt like buying overpriced water, but they were the only game in town—and probably helped keep the crowd relatively sober.

As for the racing—it was excellent. There’s nothing like F1 cars: the speed, the braking, the acceleration. Even qualifying is something to behold—the way cars weave around each other, some flying, others crawling, all on the same track at the same time. It’s almost terrifying.

George Russell won on Sunday, in a race highlighted by the McLarens colliding with each other. Lewis Hamilton’s race went south after hitting a gopher on the way into the hairpin. Yes, a gopher. I know they’re a known “thing” at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, but it was wild to see how many were darting across or near the track. I’m shocked they don’t round them up for the weekend.

We had a great time and look forward to doing it all again in the future.

The F1 Academy and the Porsche Carrera Cup North America support races were also very entertaining.

When the checkered flag flew at 4 p.m. Sunday, we skipped the podium ceremonies and headed straight for the exit. By 5 p.m., we were back in our car on Crescent Street and headed home to Toronto. Again, kudos to Montreal and the organizers for how efficiently they move crowds. Bravo.

Looking back, it was an incredible experience. If you get the chance, I highly recommend doing it at least once. We’re already thinking about doing it all again next year.



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NASCAR at Dover Motor Speedway: Key info, links, results for race weekend

The NASCAR Cup and Xfinity series trek to the Mid-Atlantic for their annual stop at Dover Motor Speedway this weekend. Bookmark this page and come back often for your race-week essentials — from links to qualifying order, average practice speeds, results and more. RELATED: Full weekend schedule | In-Season Challenge hub NASCAR Cup Series Race […]

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The NASCAR Cup and Xfinity series trek to the Mid-Atlantic for their annual stop at Dover Motor Speedway this weekend. Bookmark this page and come back often for your race-week essentials — from links to qualifying order, average practice speeds, results and more.

RELATED: Full weekend schedule | In-Season Challenge hub

NASCAR Cup Series

Race day: Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on TNT Sports. The categories listed below will be filled out with links as the information becomes available.

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Tires: Nine sets for the race (eight race sets plus one set transferred from qualifying). Teams will also have one set for practice.

Entry List
Qualifying Order
Practice Results
Practice Lap Averages
Practice Lap Times
Qualifying Results

Pit Stalls
Stage 1 Results
Stage 2 Results
Race Results

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Race day: Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET on The CW. The categories listed below will be filled out with links as the information becomes available.

Tires: Four sets for the race (three race sets plus one set transferred from qualifying). Teams will also have one set for practice.

Entry List
Qualifying Order
Practice Results
Practice Lap Averages
Practice Lap Times
Qualifying Results

Pit Stalls
Stage 1 Results
Stage 2 Results
Race Results



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DRAG & DRIFT: Weekend motorsports action in Richmond County

Staff Report ROCKINGHAM — The sounds of screeching tires and roaring engines will be heard on both sides of U.S. 1 this weekend with events at both Rockingham Dragway and Rockingham Speedway. Dig or Die returns to the dragway for overnight no-prep action, with drivers lining up on the back side of the track and […]

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Staff Report

ROCKINGHAM — The sounds of screeching tires and roaring engines will be heard on both sides of U.S. 1 this weekend with events at both Rockingham Dragway and Rockingham Speedway.

Dig or Die returns to the dragway for overnight no-prep action, with drivers lining up on the back side of the track and racing toward the tower.

No-prep racing is a throwback to drag racing’s roots in the ‘50s and ‘60s with “no special attention given to the racing surface,” according to a 2022 press release from the track.

Local business Full Custom Fabrication and Performance is hosting a racer appreciation party Thursday night, including limo rides for the drivers from and back to the track.

Racing starts at 7 p.m. both Friday and Saturday.

Dig or Die has one more event this season, Christmas Clash 6, scheduled for Dec. 5-6, which is the last race on the dragway’s schedule for the year.

RO file photo


Earlier this week, Rockingham Dragway announced a new policy in response to the theft of electric scooters at recent events.

Spectators will be:

  • asked to show scooters on gate entry to staff
  • asked to sign a form next to their name with scooter count.
  • asked to take pictures of their scooter(s) on entry for record.
  • responsible for their property, but the track will assist in gate management of scooter charged $5 per scooter on entry until further notice 

Every vehicle and trailer exiting the gate will be checked and if the scooter count doesn’t match, spectators will be referred to on-site deputies.

“We apologize for any delay on entry and exit that this will create but we cannot ignore the issue,” reads the post on the track’s Facebook page. “We are extremely disappointed to even have to address this in such an invasive manner.

“If this procedure proves to be ineffective, we will disallow all scooters at Rockingham Dragway. Please help us … prevent theft. We will not allow a few thieves to ruin our reputation and your visit. We want you, our customer, to feel protected and safe.”

RO file photo


DRIFT VIBES

MB Drift, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, will be at the speedway for its Summer Matsuri.

The grassroots series started in 2005 as a safe and legal way for drivers to drift and ran for 15 years at Myrtle Beach Speedway. When that track closed down in late 2020, the series was moved to the Rock.

Organizers have designed nine layouts on the infield road course for the two-day event, including classics like the “Initiation,” the “Chute” and the No. 3-shaped “Dale Lane” —named in honor of the late Dale Earnhardt Sr. — as well as the new “Continental Drift” and an unrevealed “mystery layout.”

Like the Spring Matsuri and Halloween Havoc, the Summer Matsuri is a non-competitive event that gives drivers ample seat time and opportunities to hone their drifting skills, with night drifting on Saturday.

The event also includes drift games, a crazy shirt contest and music from the band Live Wire. Free ride-alongs are available for spectators 18 or older.

RO file photo


The track goes hot at 1 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday.

MB Drift still has two other events lined up for the 2025 season: the third and final round of competition Aug. 30-31; and Halloween Havoc Oct. 25-26.

For more information on these and other motorsports events, visit the websites or social media pages for Rockingham Dragway, Rockingham Speedway and MB Drift.

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Camden Murphy Joins Nitro Motorsports for ARCA Menards Series Event at Dover Motor Speedway

Chris Knight Chris Knight has served as a senior staff writer and news editor for CATCHFENCE.com since 2001. In his 20-plus years with CATCHFENCE.com, he has covered NASCAR’s top three national series, often breaking news and providing exclusive at-track content, including in-depth race weekend coverage. He also offers insider coverage of the entire Motorsports platform, […]

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Chris Knight

Chris Knight has served as a senior staff writer and news editor for CATCHFENCE.com since 2001.
In his 20-plus years with CATCHFENCE.com, he has covered NASCAR’s top three national series, often breaking news and providing exclusive at-track content, including in-depth race weekend coverage. He also offers insider coverage of the entire Motorsports platform, including the ARCA Menards Series.
In 2022, Knight became co-owner of CATCHFENCE.com.
In addition to his active duties at CATCHFENCE.com and other Motorsports-related endeavors, he is also a frequent contributor to SiriusXM Satellite Radio NASCAR Channel 90. You can follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @Knighter01 or on Instagram, Snapchat, or Threads at @TheKnighter01. He can be reached by email at [email protected].



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