CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Daniel Suarez, the only Mexican driver at NASCAR’s top level, on Wednesday was named Justin Haley’s replacement at Spire Motorsports.
Motorsports
Daniel Suarez joins Spire Motorsports, aims for redemption after Trackhouse exit

FILE – Daniel Suarez looks on prior to a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, in Concord, N.C.
Matt Kelley/APSuarez, the first driver hired by Trackhouse Racing when it launched in 2021, is being replaced after five seasons by 19-year-old Connor Zilisch next year.
Spire co-owner Jeff Dickerson said the pairing gives Suarez and the No. 7 Chevrolet team an opportunity to prove both are capable of being weekly contenders. Suarez has not won a race this year and missed the 16-driver playoff field, while Haley has the No. 7 car ranked 31st in the Cup Series standings with just two top-10 finishes.
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Haley scored the only Cup win in Spire history with a victory at Daytona International Speedway in the 2019 July race.
“When it came down to it, it’s just a thing where I think we need each other,” Dickerson said. “I think all of us love a good story of redemption and giving people a platform to prove doubters wrong. Daniel needs to show everybody that this year was an outlier, and we want to show everybody that the 7 car’s performance this year was an outlier as well.”
Suarez won both of his Cup Series career wins with Trackhouse and finished a career-best 10th in the standings in 2022. Spire will be the fifth team in 10 years for the 2016 Xfinity Series champion.
This year he is 28th in the standings with two top-five finishes and seven top-10 finishes. He said Dickerson was one of the first calls he made when he learned he was out of a job at Trackhouse.
Dan Towriss, the CEO of TWG Motorsports, became the majority owner of Spire this year as the NASCAR team was added to a racing portfolio that also owns the Cadillac F1 team launching next season as well as Andretti Global in IndyCar.
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“If you look at the last three years at how Spire Motorsports has grown, I mentioned this to Jeff, three years ago, I probably wasn’t looking at Spire Motorsports as an option,” Suarez said. “Right now, I believe this is the fastest growing team in NASCAR, and I want to be part of that. I know they’re not even close to be done. They’re just getting started.”
Spire has three Cup cars: Michael McDowell is 21st in points, Carson Hocevar is 23rd and Haley. But the team has three poles, six top fives, 16 top 10s and led 233 laps — all season highs for an organization that only began racing in 2019.
Freeway Insurance, an insurance broker and distributor, will be Suarez’s main sponsor.
Suarez will now be under the same umbrella as fellow Mexican driver Sergio Perez, who will join Valtteri Bottas as the first two drivers for Cadillac. Suarez and Perez typically have significant sponsorship behind them from Mexican entities, but Dickerson said they were not a package deal for TWG.
“There was no decree. We’re a sales-based organization right? And so it’s just like, ‘OK, if Checo is going in the F1 car, then, you know, we have an opportunity here to really tap into a passionate fan base,’ and things come together,” Dickerson said. “But you don’t know that’s how it’s gonna go, right?
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“We kind of dragged this out some, because we’re just kind of hoping and waiting for some spark with Justin, and you finally get to a place where you’re just like, ‘Man, I don’t know that we’re doing him any good, and I don’t think we’re doing ourselves any good.’ By that point, Checo was already announced.”
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Motorsports
Bigrock Motorsports Crowned Indian Supercross Racing League Season 2 Champions
The Indian Supercross Racing League (ISRL) Season 2 concluded spectacularly with a historic Grand Finale at the EMS Corporation Stadium, Calicut. Megastar and ISRL Brand Ambassador Salman Khan was present on the ground, adding star power to an electrifying night of high-octane racing and live entertainment.
The finale witnessed a record-breaking turnout of over 32,000 fans, marking the highest-ever attendance for a motorsport event in India and reinforcing Kerala’s strong connection with motorsport and large-scale live sporting experiences.
Indian Supercross Racing League Season 2
Amid roaring crowds and intense on-track action, Team Bigrock Motorsports was crowned ISRL Season 2 Champions, capping off a fiercely competitive championship that unfolded across Pune, Hyderabad, and Calicut. The season showcased a compelling blend of international excellence and emerging Indian talent.
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The Calicut round delivered thrilling racing across all categories. Matt Moss from team BigRock Motorsports (Australia) claimed victory in the 450cc International class aboard the Kawasaki KX 450, while Calvin Fonvieille from team Apollo Indewheelers (France) dominated the 250cc International category on the Yamaha YZ 250. The 250cc India-Asia Mix class was won by Delvinator Alfarizi (Thailand) riding the KTM 250 SX – F, drawing thunderous applause from the packed stadium.
Indian Supercross Racing League Season 2 Result
Megastar Salman Khan, Brand Ambassador, ISRL, said: “Watching the Grand Finale in Calicut was truly special. The passion of the fans and the intensity of competition show how far Indian motorsport has come. ISRL is creating a platform where Indian riders can compete confidently alongside the world’s best.”
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Reflecting on the season, Veer Patel, Managing Director, ISRL, said: “Season 2 reflects the growing belief in Supercross across India. From Pune to Hyderabad and now Calicut, the record-breaking fan response shows the sport has truly found a home here, while we continue building strong pathways for Indian riders alongside world-class racing.”
Over the course of Season 2, 36 international riders from 21 countries, including Australia, France, the USA, Germany, Thailand, and South Africa, competed alongside India’s top riders such as Rugved Barguje, Ikshan Shanbhag, Prajwal Vishwanath, and Shlok Ghorpade, highlighting ISRL’s growing global stature.
Beyond the races, the Reise Moto ISRL Fan Park transformed EMS Corporation Stadium into a complete motorsport festival, featuring live music, racing simulators, interactive brand zones, food experiences, merchandise, and rider interactions, creating an immersive fan experience for families and enthusiasts alike.
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With Season 2 concluding on a historic high, the Indian Supercross Racing League now looks ahead to expanding its footprint, strengthening grassroots development, and further positioning India on the global Supercross map.
Motorsports
Nissan plans to double NISMO lineup by 2028
On the Dash:
- Nissan plans to expand its global NISMO lineup from five models to 10 by 2028.
- The move supports a broader turnaround strategy focused on motorsports and performance vehicles.
- U.S. availability remains limited, and not all future NISMO models will reach every market.
Nissan plans to significantly expand its high-performance NISMO lineup as part of a broader turnaround strategy to reverse years of slowing sales and rebuild brand momentum.
The automaker announced this week that it intends to double the number of NISMO models offered globally, growing the lineup from five vehicles today to 10 by 2028. The expansion is tied to Nissan’s ongoing transformation plan, which places renewed emphasis on motorsports, performance engineering and enthusiast-focused products.
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NISMO, short for Nissan Motorsports, represents the company’s performance division and delivers upgraded versions of standard models. These vehicles typically feature more powerful engines, sport-tuned suspensions and distinctive exterior styling cues that set them apart from the core lineup.
In the U.S., Nissan currently offers just two NISMO-branded vehicles. The NISMO Z delivers an additional 20 horsepower compared with the standard Z and includes track-focused upgrades such as an oil cooler, performance tires and racing-style seats. The NISMO Armada, a recent addition, produces 35 more horsepower than the standard full-size SUV and includes suspension revisions and exterior enhancements.
While Nissan confirmed the global expansion, it did not specify which vehicles will receive NISMO variants or how many will be sold in the U.S. The company also indicated that not all 10 models are expected to be available in every market.
As part of the strategy, Nissan said it is open to working with external performance partners to broaden the NISMO portfolio. Those collaborations could help accelerate development and expand the brand’s reach without relying solely on in-house resources.
The NISMO push signals a shift in priorities for Nissan as it looks to reconnect with driving enthusiasts and strengthen its brand image. Performance models have historically served as halo vehicles, helping attract showroom traffic and reinforce engineering credibility across the broader lineup.
Motorsports
The Inside Lane | Ep. 109: Matt Kaulig & Chris Rice
Devon Henry drives the inside lane, going inside the world of racing in the State of Arizona and NASCAR. In this episode of ‘The Inside Lane,’ Devon is joined by 29-time NASCAR National Series winners, two-time Xfinity Series regular season champions, and partners of the NASCAR Foundation. The Owner and the CEO of Kaulig Racing, in Welcome, North Carolina, it’s Matt Kaulig and Chris Rice.
Devon, Matt, and Chris dig into Chris’ health journey, the Speediatrics Fun Day, and NASCAR Foundation Speedy Bear Brigade. The trio also takes a deep dive into the philanthropy at Kaulig Racing and how it is affecting communities and children across North America.
0:59 Chris’ health journey
2:55 Kaulig Racing and Kaulig Giving charity and competition
4:37 The Speedy Bear Brigade
6:16 Building and growing the Speediatrics Fun Day
8:11 Giving back to the communities with the NASCAR Foundation
9:12 Mike Helton and winning the Betty Jane France Poker Tournament
10:28 How Kaulig Giving has impacted communities across North America
12:57 Teaching how to be philanthropic
15:46 How giving affects Matt and Chris
16:45 When Matt won a bike as a kid
17:12 The long lasting effect of the Speedy Bears
19:05 Samantha’s Gift of Hope
Motorsports
Lindblad to drive Red Bull F1 car on Delhi streets in 2026 showrun
The Red Bull team does more to promote Formula 1 around the world than any other team. Formula 1 owes Red Bull a debt of gratitude. Arvid Lindblad will make his first Formula 1 showrun as a Racing Bulls driver by taking a Red Bull F1 car onto the streets of Delhi for the Red Bull Moto Jam 2026
The ultimate celebration of motorsports is back says Red Bull!
Red Bull Moto Jam is one of India’s biggest motorsports festivals. After a first edition in Chennai, the motorsports spectacle visits the country’s capital with the second edition in 2026 taking place in Delhi NCR.
This first-of-a-kind multi-discipline motorsports extravaganza provides an immersive experience to thrill Indian fans.
The event will feature world-class athletes, including Visa Cash App Racing Bulls Formula 1 driver Arvid Lindblad, who will dazzle the audience in a VCARB-branded F1 car.
Motorsports disciplines at Red Bull Moto Jam 2026:
- F1 car showrun
Drifting
Stunt biking
Freestyle motocross (FMX)
Stunt cars
“Yeah, obviously very excited,” Lindblad said of the upcoming event to Autocar India. “The news is out about Red Bull Moto Jam. I think it’s going to be a really cool event. It’s going to be amazing driving an F1 car on the streets of Delhi.
“Even more special, it’s going to be my first showrun as a Formula 1 driver and doing that here in India with my heritage and background is obviously something I’m very excited about.
“I think it’s going to be an amazing event. It’s going to be just before the F1 season starts. So really looking forward to coming back to India and having some fun.”
Motorsports
Roush Automotive Collection Is an Automotive Treasure Trove You Can Tour for Free
Jamie McMurray was in the wrong lane.
With one lap to go in the 2007 Pepsi 400, the 31-year-old driver from Missouri found himself leading a procession of drafting stock cars around Daytona Motor Speedway. The trouble was that his Ford Fusion was outflanked, with Kyle Busch to his inside. Busch, then NASCAR’s up-and-coming bad boy, had a similar comet’s tail of cars in the wake of his Monte Carlo … and the preferred lane.
Two 200-mile-per-hour conga lines raced toward the checkered flag.
In those closing moments, the bottom groove of the 2.5-mile tri-oval appeared to be the fastest way around. To make matters worse for McMurray, Busch had his brother Kurt behind him, providing a friendly shove in the draft.
Luckily, McMurray also had a drafting partner—his Roush Fenway Racing teammate Carl Edwards. Side-by-side, the two lines raced under the fluttering flag. It was a dead heat. McMurray beat Busch to the start/finish line by .005 seconds.
“I would have bet all the money in the world Kyle Busch would have won it coming out of turn four,” conceded a NASCAR announcer. Nearly 20 years later, the finish still stands as the closest in the Cup Series at Daytona.
You might expect this sort of car to be on display at a museum. You’d be correct.
You might also expect there to be some sort of admission to view a car of such provenance. You’d be wrong!
Jamie McMurray’s Daytona-winning stock car, and some 110 other historic vehicles, are on public display at the Roush Automotive Collection in Livonia, Michigan, a stone’s throw from Detroit. Cars parked mirror-to-mirror fill multiple rooms of the warehouse compound. McMurray’s winning Fusion is still covered in confetti as well as the residue left by a Pepsi and beer shower some two decades ago.


Most vehicles on display are tied to a compelling anecdote like McMurray’s Daytona triumph. Race cars, race trucks, classics, concepts, prototypes, military, tractors—name any motorsport or facet of automotive enthusiasm, and you can probably find an example in the Roush collection. The best part? They’re all free to view.
Guests are welcome to wander the diverse collection and snap photos without paying a single penny, and it’s largely thanks to one man: Jack Roush.

Roush was born in Kentucky and grew up in Ohio. After graduating from Berea College, he moved to Michigan to work for Ford. He eventually left the Blue Oval to pursue building his own company, Roush Performance Engineering, which he founded in 1976. During that era of his life, he also fielded a professional drag racing team with Wayne Gapp, competing in NHRA, IHRA, and AHRA.
In 1982, Roush partnered with German race team Zakspeed to build a Mustang for the IMSA Camel GT Series. For the next decade, Roush built fast Fords and employed road racing’s best drivers across SCCA and IMSA. Hall-of-famers like Tommy Kendall, Scott Pruett, and Willy T. Ribbs took home trophies for Roush—24 national championships and titles, including 12 manufacturer’s championships and an incredible 119 road racing victories, to be exact.



Later that decade, in 1988, Roush pivoted from road racing to stock cars and built a shop in NASCAR country (North Carolina) and hand-picked Mark Martin as his first driver. Together the duo would go on to earn 35 Cup Series wins.

To this day, Roush still competes and owns multiple teams in NASCAR. He has since partnered with Fenway Sports Group and brought on fellow Michigan man Brad Keselowski as co-owner, and the winning results have remained the same. Roush’s teams have won eight championships across NASCAR’s three national series, and this year’s roster of three drivers—Chris Buescher, Ryan Preece, and Keselowski—is poised to add to that total.

In addition to his on-track results, Roush has contributed to the safety of the sport by helping develop roof flaps on stock cars to prevent pirouetting flips at superspeedways like Daytona.
Also, if you have any interest in go-fast Fords, you’ve likely perused the Roush Performance parts catalog. Same guy. Roush is a pilot, too, and he owns multiple P-51 Mustangs.
Take all these disciplines, combine them with personal cars, concepts, and automobilia (signs, trophies, experimental stop lights), cram everything in a 30,000-square-foot building, and you have the Roush Automotive Collection. If you ever find yourself in Southeast Michigan, it’s a must-stop.

Motorsports
Chili’s signs deal to sponsor FloRacing coverage of Chili Bowl Nationals
The Chili Bowl Nationals just got a lot more Chili-er. FloRacing has signed a deal with Chili’s to partner on broadcast coverage of the event. 2026 will be the 40th edition of the Chili Bowl, and there will be plenty of big names to watch and great races to see.
It is still the Chili Bowl Nationals powered by NOS Energy Drink. However, FloRacing, the exclusive broadcast provider of the Chili Bowl, has signed a deal with the Bar & Grill that is so aptly fitting of this dirt race.
Chili’s is serving as the official sponsor of the live pre-show. Each day, a new NASCAR star will be a special guest each day of the Chili Bowl Nationals. Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Carson Hocevar, Tony Stewart, and Chase Briscoe are all going to be on the show throughout the week. Chili’s will sponsor the post-show as well as a new series on Flo called “Chili’s Road to Chili Bowl.”
There is going to be a lot of Chili’s influence in the event. I love seeing the NASCAR stars getting involved. Of course, Larson, Bell, and Stewart are not so much NASCAR stars as they are multi-time Chili Bowl Nationals champions, but I digress. A lot of dirt racing knowledge in that lineup, including Chase Briscoe. Then you have Carson Hocevar, the young and wild Cup Series driver. He has some dirt racing experience, just ran the Gateway Nationals in a late model.
Spire Motorsports is definitely the one to thank/blame for this Chili’s sponsorship around the Chili Bowl. They have recently expanded into the High Limit Racing series with Gio Scelzi for 2026. He is also competing in the Chili Bowl. Chili’s is taking this Spire deal and using it to become a premier partner, not just in NASCAR, but in dirt racing as well. It’s exciting to see a brand like this take racing so seriously.
Chili Bowl Nationals featuring NASCAR talent
If Chili’s is serious about racing like it appears they are, that’s good for all motorsports. Who cares if they want to spend some money in NASCAR and in dirt racing. It’s good for everyone.
For instance, Kyle Larson is heavily involved in dirt and NASCAR racing, duh. His High Limit Racing series is becoming a major player against the World of Outlaws. Larson’s talent speaks for itself, as he wins races and championships on both dirt and pavement with regularity. I’d say that his popularity and success as a driver is because of, not in spite of, his overall dedication to motorsports and racing.
The Chili Bowl Nationals is an event that should have so much more mainstream attention. It is a brutal journey for many of these teams and drivers. To go through the alphabet soup and come out on top in the A-Main, that’s the dream of all those who come to Tulsa for this event.
Chili’s is seizing on a moment of growth in motorsports. Believe it or not, that is something that is happening.
“Live sports moments have been key to us reaching passionate fanbases, and that’s what initially drew us to motorsports,” said Tim Forman, Chili’s Director of Media, in a statement. “We continue to show up in unexpected ways with Spire Motorsports, and in that spirit, we’re excited to join both Spire and FloRacing at the iconic Chili Bowl Nationals. We couldn’t think of a better event for Chili’s than the Chili Bowl Nationals and we’re excited to partner with Flo to bring more content to race fans across the country.”
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