The engines have cooled, and the grandstands are quiet, but for the team at Speedway Motorsports, the work never truly stops. As the 2025 season officially comes to a close, the industry giant took a moment to pause and recognize the men and women who keep the gears turning behind the scenes.

In a company-wide town hall that felt less like a corporate meeting and more like a family reunion, Speedway Motorsports leadership handed out its most prestigious hardware. It was a day to celebrate the grit, creativity, and sheer determination that define the sport. From the high banks of Bristol to the safety command centers in Dover, the winners of the O. Bruton Smith Award, Promoter of the Year, Speedway of the Year, and Acceleration Award represent the absolute best of the business.

A Salute to Safety: The O. Bruton Smith Award

There is perhaps no greater honor within the company than the award bearing its founder’s name. The O. Bruton Smith Award isn’t just about performance metrics. It’s about character. It’s for the person who embodies the drive, enthusiasm, and heart that Bruton Smith used to build an empire.

This year, that honor went to Jim Hosfelt, the Vice President of Safety and Security at Dover Motor Speedway. If you know race day, you know that safety and security are the invisible foundations of the entire experience.

When fans walk through the gates, they expect to be safe. It’s a massive responsibility, and Hosfelt has shouldered it with a quiet, professional intensity since joining the Monster Mile in 2014.

Hosfelt’s Stint With Dover Motor Speedway

Hosfelt isn’t your average security executive. He’s a Cumberland, Maryland native who spent a quarter-century in law enforcement, retiring as the Chief of Police for the Dover Police Department. He’s an Air Force veteran and a graduate of the FBI National Academy.

When Speedway Motorsports acquired Dover in 2021, they quickly realized they had a star on their hands. Hosfelt didn’t just manage Dover. He stepped up as the Director of Safety and Security for the entire company, acting as the critical link between the tracks, NASCAR, and federal agencies.

Speedway Motorsports COO Mike Burch put it best when he noted that while Hosfelt’s work is often low-profile, it is arguably the most vital thing the company does. Ensuring families can come to a race, feel safe, and go home with happy memories is a heavy burden, and Hosfelt carries it with grace.

Channeling a Legend: Promoter of the Year

The H.A. Humpy Wheeler Promoter of the Year award is special. Humpy was the P.T. Barnum of stock car racing, a man who believed that if you weren’t thinking big, you weren’t thinking at all.

Jerry Caldwell, the President and General Manager of Bristol Motor Speedway, proved he has that same wild spark of creativity in 2025. Caldwell took home the hardware after pulling off one of the most audacious crossovers in sports history: The Speedway Classic.

Turning “The Last Great Colosseum” into a baseball diamond sounded crazy on paper. But Caldwell and his team didn’t just make it work. They made history. The event shattered records, selling over 91,000 tickets, the highest single-event sales figure in Major League Baseball history.

It was a massive swing that connected for a home run, proving that Bristol isn’t just a race track; it’s a global entertainment destination. Marcus Smith noted that Humpy Wheeler himself would have loved the ambition behind building a stadium inside a speedway.

The Gold Standard: Las Vegas Wins Speedway of the Year

Consistency is the hardest thing to achieve in the sports business, yet Las Vegas Motor Speedway makes it look routine. For the 11th time in 14 years, the Las Vegas team took home the Speedway of the Year award. This year was unique for the Vegas crew.

They navigated a significant leadership transition as longtime boss Chris Powell retired, passing the baton to Patrick Lindsay. Usually, a changing of the guard leads to a momentary dip in momentum, not in Vegas. Under Lindsay’s leadership, the track continued its dominance, excelling in attendance, fan friendliness, and financial performance.

To edge out 10 other world-class facilities is no small feat. It requires firing on all cylinders from corporate sales to operations. The fact that Las Vegas continues to hoard this trophy speaks volumes about the culture of excellence embedded in that team.

Gaining Momentum: The Acceleration Award

For the second year running, Sonoma Raceway claimed the Acceleration Award. This recognition is all about year-over-year growth, taking what you have and making it significantly better. Accepted by GM Brian Flynn, the award highlighted Sonoma’s impressive strides in 2025.

The raceway has turned its Turn 11 facility into a hub of activity, driving up track rentals and finding new ways to monetize the beautiful California property. It wasn’t just about making more money, though. It was about smart operations. The team implemented cost-efficiency measures that streamlined the business without sacrificing the fan experience.

Final Thoughts

As 2025 closes, these awards serve as a reminder that while the cars are the stars on Sunday, it’s the people working on Monday morning who keep the sport alive and thriving. Cheers to many more years of success.

Emily Mikkelsen and Michaela Ratliff

13 hours ago

STATESVILLE, N.C. (WGHP) — Officials offered an update Saturday after a deadly plane crash that claimed the life of NASCAR star Greg Biffle and six other people, including his children, on Thursday morning.

The Statesville Regional Airport confirmed a crash just after 10 a.m. Thursday on social media.

NASCAR said that the seven people who died in the crash were Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina Grossu, their son Ryder Jack and his daughter from a previous marriage Emma Elizabeth. Craig Wadsworth, as well as Dennis Dutton and his son Jack Dutton, were also killed in the crash.

The NTSB says a preliminary report should be available within 30 days, but a full report will take closer to a year.

During a conference on Friday, the NTSB said that initial findings showed that the plane took off, turned west and then turned again, back towards the airport. It was flying low, according to witnesses, and then it hit the approach lighting at the airport and trees before coming to rest near a runway and catching fire. The debris field is described as very large and scattered. The crash happened about ten minutes after takeoff.

At Saturday’s conference, officials confirmed that they still do not know the cause of the crash.

“We do not know the circumstances which led the aircraft… to attempt to return to the airport, but that is the focus of our investigation,” officials said.

They also confirmed that a text reading “Emergency landing” was sent from someone on the plane.

“I can confirm that the NTSB is aware of one brief text from a passenger on board the aircraft to a family member that read, and I quote, ‘Emergency landing.’”

“We are not aware of any other communications from passengers on board the aircraft to those on the ground.”

The NTSB also says that at this time, it does not know who the pilot of the plane was.

You can watch the news conference in the video player above.

William Byron emerged as one of the better drivers in the 2025 season, especially after winning the regular season championship. Byron even managed to make it into the Championship-4, but a last-moment incident caused him to lose out on the title win. Now, with the 2026 season start right around the corner, the #24 driver is facing a massive sponsorship setback with Liberty University.

Notably, Liberty University has been backing William Byron for more than a decade now. The educational institution has been sponsoring him since his junior NASCAR days, as he continued to achieve success leading up to the Cup Series. Even for the 2026 season, Liberty was believed to continue the alliance, but potentially at a reduced commitment with the HMS star.

Liberty University had sponsored 12 of William Byron’s races in the 2024 season. But it was significantly cut down to just six races in the 2025 season. Now, for the 2026 season, the educational institute is sponsoring him for just three races. This might mean that the sponsor is looking to back out of the deal completely in the near future, following Byron’s championship-less streak in the Cup Series.

The three races that William Byron will be supported by Liberty University are the Watkins Glen Race, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the Martinsville Speedway over the 2025 season. The three-race sponsorship means that the number of races sponsored is cut down to half of what it was in the previous season. As such, Byron must look for other primary sponsors for more races to continue to fund his Cup Series dream with Hendrick Motorsports.

In the dim glow of the dyno cells at Brackley and Milton Keynes, alarming whispers had started circulating weeks before the Christmas lights went up in 2025. Formula 1’s 2026 power unit regulations were meant to usher in a new era: more sustainable, more electric, and—crucially—more equal.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

The FIA had dropped the geometric compression ratio of the internal compression engine portion of the overall F1 power unit from 18:1 to 16:1, a deliberate step to curb outright power from the internal combustion engine while ramping up the hybrid contribution to nearly 50/50.

But in the high-stakes world of F1 engine development, rules are never just words on paper. They are battlegrounds.

The rumor began as a quiet murmur among technicians: two power unit manufacturers—Mercedes and Red Bull Powertrains—had allegedly cracked a way to bend the new limit without breaking it.

The key? Thermal expansion.

By crafting connecting rods (or possibly other components in the piston assembly) from exotic alloys that swell dramatically when the engine hits full operating temperature, the piston could be pushed fractionally higher at top dead center during a hot run. On the cold dyno bench, where the FIA measures compression statically at ambient temperature, the ratio stays safely at 16:1.

But on track, under race conditions, that clever expansion could squeeze the combustion chamber tighter—effectively restoring an 18:1 ratio and unlocking an extra 15 horsepower, or roughly three-tenths of a second per lap.

It was brilliant, if true. And infuriating to the others.

Ferrari’s engineers, poring over their own dyno data in Maranello, were the first to raise the alarm. “If they’re doing this,” one senior figure reportedly told the FIA technical working group, “it’s not just an advantage—it’s a gulf.”

Honda, preparing to supply Aston Martin, and Audi, gearing up for their debut with Sauber, echoed the concern. They lobbied for clarification, arguing that the rules’ static measurement method—unchanged since the hybrid era—left a loophole wide enough to drive a turbo through.

The FIA’s response was measured: “The regulations clearly define the maximum compression ratio and the method for measuring it, based on static conditions at ambient temperature.”

They acknowledged thermal expansion as a natural phenomenon but noted no hot-condition testing was required, or even possible. Yet behind closed doors, discussions intensified. Some feared protests at the first race in Australia; others worried that if the “trick” was allowed, rivals wouldn’t have time to retrofit stronger pistons and rods without compromising reliability.

In the paddock, the rumor grew legs. Anonymous sources pointed fingers at Mercedes’ meticulous engineering culture and Red Bull’s aggressive development under their new in-house program. One engineer joked, “It’s like the old days of blown diffusers—clever, but someone always cries foul.” Another dismissed it as mind games: “Spread enough doubt, and you slow your rivals down chasing ghosts.”

As the first pre-season test approached in late January 2026, the tension was palpable. Teams will be arriving at Barcelona in January with engines humming at new volumes, but eyes will on the dyno logs. Would the FIA demand hot measurements? Would they close the loophole? Or would the clever ones start the season with an invisible edge?

In F1, the line between genius and cheating is often drawn in microns. And in 2026, that line just got a little hotter.

A young man and woman wearing life jackets pose together on a bright green and black Sea-Doo Spark personal watercraft on a calm lake.

Epic Boat Rentals & Motorsports Repair announces fleet expansion and service enhancements for Lake Austin and Lake Travis, including new Sea-Doo watercraft, extended hours, and professional captain services for Central Texas water sports.
Jet ski rental Lake Austin services have reached a new level with Epic Boat Rentals & Motorsports Repair’s announcement of significant enhancements to its watercraft rental operations. The company is positioning itself as a premier destination for water recreation on Lake Austin and Lake Travis. The expansion includes upgraded equipment, extended service hours, and enhanced customer accessibility, addressing the growing demand for Austin water sports rentals in the Central Texas region.

New Fleet Additions Transform Lake Austin Recreation Options

The company has introduced modern Sea-Doo watercraft to its rental lineup, featuring both the high-performance Trixx 2-seater model and the versatile Spark 3-seater option. These additions reflect Epic Boat Rentals & Motorsports Repair’s [https://www.google.com/maps/place/Epic+Boat+Rentals+%26+Motorsports+Repair/@30.296114,-97.7198925,53465m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x8644c956647d680b:0x4f61d9a883e7a25e!8m2!3d30.296114!4d-97.7198924!16s%2Fg%2F11bws8pjgz?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTIwOS4wIKXMDSoKLDEwMDc5MjA3MUgBUAM%3D] commitment to providing quality equipment for water recreation enthusiasts. The Sea-Doo Trixx caters to adrenaline seekers with trick-capable features, while the Spark model offers fuel efficiency and ease of handling for families and groups. Both watercraft models are now available for hourly, half-day, and full-day rental periods across both Lake Austin and Lake Travis locations.

Extended Hours Meet Rising Demand for Water Recreation

Responding to increased interest in Central Texas water activities, Epic Boat Rentals & Motorsports Repair now operates seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. The extended schedule accommodates working professionals, weekend visitors, and tourists seeking flexible rental options. This availability positions the company competitively among Austin water sports rentals providers while serving customers who prefer early morning launches or evening lake excursions. The consistent daily schedule eliminates confusion about operational hours and allows for better trip planning.

Professional Captain Services Expand Group Activity Options

The company’s captained boat charter service has gained traction among groups seeking guided lake experiences. Epic Boat Rentals & Motorsports Repair [https://epiclakerentals.com/] operates a 21-foot Moomba ski boat that accommodates up to eight passengers, with professional captains handling navigation and safety protocols. This service appeals to bachelor and bachelorette parties, birthday celebrations, and corporate team-building events. Activities include wakeboarding, tubing, swimming, and leisure cruising to popular Lake Austin and Lake Travis destinations. The captain’s option removes the barrier of boating experience, making water recreation accessible to a broader audience.

Strategic Location Serves Two Major Central Texas Lakes

Epic Boat Rentals & Motorsports Repair’s operational area covers both Lake Austin and Lake Travis, two of Central Texas’s most frequented water recreation destinations. Lake Austin offers a more intimate setting with calmer waters, ideal for those searching for boat rentals near me with less crowded conditions. Lake Travis provides expansive open water suitable for high-speed activities and larger gatherings. The company’s ability to serve both lakes gives customers flexibility in choosing their preferred environment. Popular destinations include Devil’s Cove and Party Cove, both accessible through the rental service.

No License Requirement Removes Barriers to Water Recreation

A significant advantage of Epic Boat Rentals & Motorsports Repair’s service model is the elimination of boating license requirements for watercraft rentals. This policy opens water sports access to visitors and residents without formal boating credentials. The company provides safety briefings and operational instructions before each rental, ensuring customers understand handling procedures and lake regulations. This approach has proven effective in attracting first-time riders and tourists unfamiliar with Texas waterway requirements. The ease of access contributes to the company’s growth among Austin water sports rental options.

Combination Packages and Flexible Booking Address Customer Preferences

Epic Boat Rentals & Motorsports Repair has implemented a booking system that displays real-time pricing and availability, streamlining the reservation process. Customers can combine watercraft options with captained boat charters for comprehensive lake day experiences. The flexibility in rental duration-from two-hour minimum periods to full-day adventures-accommodates various schedules and budgets. Pricing starts at $250 for two hours on the Sea-Doo Spark 3-seater, $260 for the Sea-Doo Trixx 2-seater, and $300-$330 for captained boat charters, depending on the lake. The transparent pricing structure and online booking capability reflect industry trends toward customer convenience and accessibility, making it easier for those searching for boat rentals near me to secure watercraft without lengthy phone negotiations.

The company’s expansion reflects broader trends in outdoor recreation as Central Texas residents and visitors increasingly seek water-based activities. Epic Boat Rentals & Motorsports Repair’s investment in modern equipment and service infrastructure positions the business to meet this demand while maintaining safety standards and customer satisfaction. The combination of quality watercraft, professional captain services, and accessible booking systems creates a comprehensive offering for water recreation enthusiasts in the Austin area.

Location: https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d232819.71099728424!2d-97.71989245!3d30.296113950000002!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x8644c956647d680b%3A0x4f61d9a883e7a25e!2sEpic%20Boat%20Rentals%20%26%20Motorsports%20Repair!5e1!3m2!1sen!2sph!4v1766071478036!5m2!1sen!2sph

Media Contact
Company Name: Epic Boat Rentals & Motorsports Repair
Contact Person: Mitchell
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Website: https://epiclakerentals.com/

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The Toyota GR Corolla takes inspiration from the automaker’s successful World Rally Championship (WRC) team, but the closest it’s gotten to a stage so far is the parking lot. That’s about to change, as Toyota has confirmed that a rally car based on the hot hatch will bring the Corolla name back to rallying in 2026. But instead of the WRC, the Corolla rally car will compete in the American Rally Association (ARA) championship.

Toyota showed a GR Corolla rally car concept at the Tokyo Auto Salon in January of this year, and finally confirmed Friday that a fully-developed version would compete in the ARA season. Officially known as the GR Corolla RC2, it will compete in the RC2 class, which Toyota describes as “roughly equivalent” to the Rally2 class in international rallying. It’ll retain the 1.6-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine used in the GR Corolla road car, but the release was otherwise light on technical details.

Toyota plans to enter a single car starting with the second round of the 2026 season, the 1000 Acre Wood Rally in Missouri. American Seth Quintero will drive while also running a Toyota-backed campaign in the World Rally Raid Championship (W2RC). His co-driver will be Finn Topi Luthtinen.

The Corolla has a long history in rallying, from Hannu Mikkola’s 1975 1000 Lakes Rally win to the 1999 WRC manufacturer’s championship. Toyota withdrew from rallying after that, returning in the late 2010s with the Yaris, which has become a dominant force in the series. The Corolla’s comeback in the ARA will help with “developing cars on North American roads and making ever-better motorsports-bred cars,” the automaker said in a statement. That’s in line with motorsports-obsessed chairman Akio Toyoda’s goal of building more cars for driving enthusiasts.

The GR Corolla RC2 will also be a gift to American rally fans. It could create a manufacturer battle between Toyota and Subaru, which (via partner Vermont Sports Car) has been the only consistent manufacturer presence in the ARA championship for some time. It’ll be great to see a remix of those 1990s WRC Corolla vs. WRX battles play out across rural America.

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