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Driver nicknamed ‘Butterbean’ wins Friday Michigan NASCAR race, climbs fence

BROOKLYN, MI – A racer known for celebrating his wins at Waffle House was victorious Friday, June 6, at Michigan International Speedway – in a state with zero Waffle Houses. Brenden “Butterbean” Queen held off a hard-charging Corey Heim in the closing laps of the ARCA Series race at MIS to win by 0.3 seconds. […]

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BROOKLYN, MI – A racer known for celebrating his wins at Waffle House was victorious Friday, June 6, at Michigan International Speedway – in a state with zero Waffle Houses.

Brenden “Butterbean” Queen held off a hard-charging Corey Heim in the closing laps of the ARCA Series race at MIS to win by 0.3 seconds.

ARCA Menards Series Henry Ford Health 200

Brenden Queen (28) celebrates after the ARCA Menards Series Henry Ford Health 200 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn on Friday, June 6, 2025. Ayrton Breckenridge | MLive.com

Queen, 27, pumped up the fans in the grandstands during his TV interview.

“It’s Bean Nation time tonight, boys!” Queen said. “It’s insane. I mean, I think I’ve got to climb the fence before I’m done.”

Queen was true to his word. He scaled the fence in front of cheering fans just after his interview.

The mullet-donning driver brings an energy to the series – living up to the hype of his “Butterbean” nickname. His family gave him the nickname as a baby, as they thought he looked a bit like professional boxer Eric “Butterbean” Esch.

This is Queen’s third career ARCA Series win, all coming in 2025. After the first two, he took his team and the trophy to Waffle House to celebrate.

“It’s been a thing I’ve done since I was late model racing … we’d just always take the trophy to Waffle House. It was the only thing open (that late),” Queen said. “We try to enjoy the night, reflect on it and then get ready for the next one.”

While Michigan doesn’t have a Waffle House, Queen has a plane to catch tonight, anyway, to get back to North Carolina.

It’s yet-to-be-determined if he’ll end up at one before the night ends. Queen was asked what his favorite thing is at Waffle House after he finished speaking with the media.

“Chocolate milk! We’re going to go get a chocolate milk,” Queen said.

ARCA Menards Series Henry Ford Health 200

Brenden Queen (28) celebrates in victory lane after the ARCA Menards Series Henry Ford Health 200 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn on Friday, June 6, 2025. Ayrton Breckenridge | MLive.com

ARCA Menards Series Henry Ford Health 200

Brenden Queen (28) performs a burnout after the ARCA Menards Series Henry Ford Health 200 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn on Friday, June 6, 2025. Ayrton Breckenridge | MLive.com

How he got there

Queen took the lead with 23 laps to go on the final restart. While side by side with Gio Ruggiero, the pair slapped doors entering Turn 3, and Queen cleared him for the lead off Turn 4.

Second-place Heim, who has four Truck Series wins this year and is the favorite for Saturday’s race, wasn’t even supposed to be racing Friday. He was a substitute driver for Jake Finch, getting the call just hours before the race, since Finch had a viral infection.

Morgen Baird, who grew up in nearby Grass Lake, was the top finishing Michigander on Friday, with a 13th-place result. Baird will also race in Saturday’s Craftsman Truck Series race, which starts at noon on Fox.

RELATED: A Michigan dad with a day job is Frankie Muniz’s NASCAR teammate this weekend

The pinnacle race of the weekend is the NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400. That starts at 2 p.m. Sunday on Prime Video.

  • Where to stream the ARCA Menards Series Henry Ford Health 200 at Michigan today
  • A Michigan dad with a day job is Frankie Muniz’s NASCAR teammate this weekend
  • Award-winning country artist steps in for Michigan International Speedway show
  • Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Michigan’s Carson Hocevar reminds me of ‘a 1979 Dale Earnhardt’
  • See the new traffic patterns around Michigan International Speedway for race day



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Richard Petty turns 88. Son Kyle explains why we’re lucky to have him

Kyle Petty  |  Special to the News-Journal I’m blessed to have my dad still around after all these years. He turns 88 today, the second day of July. He’s always been such a big part of mine and my sisters’ lives that I know they feel the same. My dad didn’t exactly choose the world’s […]

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Kyle Petty
 |  Special to the News-Journal

I’m blessed to have my dad still around after all these years. He turns 88 today, the second day of July. He’s always been such a big part of mine and my sisters’ lives that I know they feel the same.

My dad didn’t exactly choose the world’s safest profession in which to make a living. He just followed in his father’s footsteps. And I grew up following my dad’s.

My mom and my sisters followed also. I can remember as a child playing with the kids of other drivers in the infield at places like Daytona, Charlotte and Martinsville.

I can also remember the silence of a quiet track and a crying mother coming to get her children, the ones only moments ago I was playing with. Their father had been in an accident and they had to hurry to get to where he was. Sometimes I didn’t see those children again for many, many years. 

We were always shielded from the sadness by my dad and mom on the long rides home. But we knew and we always said a prayer.

My dad still goes to 20-some-odd races a year. It’s not uncommon to see him walking the garage areas at tracks from Daytona to Sonoma and from New Hampshire to Miami. You see the cowboy hat first, then the shades, the boots and the long lanky build of a man a few years younger than his actual age.

He’ll stop and talk to anyone that stops and talks to him. From the fans to the gate guard to Roger Penske, it doesn’t matter. He’s the same person to everyone.

To me, that’s the most fascinating thing about my dad — he’s Richard Petty, and he always has been.

Sometimes these days when I go home to see him he’s sitting in his den watching NASCAR Classics on Tubi. He still remembers almost every race he ever ran. He remembers the ones that got away in a lot more detail than the wins, but he remembers.

I watch him watch the 1962 Southern 500, flashes and snippets from the 1960 World 600 and the 1964 Daytona 500, his first Daytona win.

I can’t see his eyes because of the ever-present shades, but I watch him watch, and he never moves. I can’t know for sure, but I like to think that in those moments he’s a young Richard Petty, chasing not only every car on whatever track, but chasing a dream that he had always dreamed.

The one thing I do know for sure it that the Richard Petty in those old black-and-white films is the same Richard Petty sitting and watching on a couch in Level Cross, North Carolina.



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Kevin Harvick predicts winner in NASCAR Chicago Street Race

Heading into the weekend at Chicago, Kevin Harvick and his crew from the Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast have made their picks for the race. Harvick has an interesting winner in mind. The former driver and current NASCAR analyst weighed one factor that might disproportionately affect the race. In fact, he made the call while […]

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Heading into the weekend at Chicago, Kevin Harvick and his crew from the Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast have made their picks for the race. Harvick has an interesting winner in mind.

The former driver and current NASCAR analyst weighed one factor that might disproportionately affect the race. In fact, he made the call while surveying things live on the show.

“I’m going to look at the weather forecast,” Harvick explained. “I’m going to make this super technical. Let’s see. And I’m not going to tell you if it’s raining, because you’re not changing your pick. 10-day, 50% chance of rain on Sunday. Hmm. Yep. I’m going to go with Ty Gibbs.”

Gibbs is a solid enough choice to win the race. He’s had some recent success at Chicago, having finished third there last year.

His last few times out on road courses haven’t been great, though. He finished 11th at Mexico City, but that came after a 34th place finish at COTA, 35th at the Charlotte Roval and 22nd at Watkins Glenn

In any case, Gibbs has finished in the top 10 in both street races at Chicago to date. He’s had six top-10 finishes at road courses and four top-five finishes.

Harvick’s co-hosts on the podcast both went with different drivers. Kaitlyn Vincie went for one of the heavy favorites.

“My pick for the winner in Chicago is (Shane van Gisbergen),” she said. “SVG. Low-hanging f*cking fruit. I need help right now. I need help!”

While Vincie’s pick was a safe one, designed to get her back in the running in Harvick’s weekly picks segment, co-host Mamba Smith had a more adventurous selection. He picked the guy who was closing things down on winner Alex Bowman at Chicago before a late mishap last year.

“I’m really, honestly, I’m really up in the air about who I should pick on this one,” Smith said. “And I think I’m going to go with Tyler Reddick. He’s had speed there before. I think he kind of gave one up there before. And they need to keep these good runs going. So I’m going to go Tyler Reddick.”

Last year, Reddick appeared to have the speed to chase down Bowman and get there for the win. Then he clipped a wall, slowing him down enough in the final lap to ruin a shot at the win.

Could he get things straightened out this time? We’ll see. Sunday’s street race at Chicago begins at 2 p.m. ET on TNT.



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Checkers or Wreckers: NASCAR’s Ives and Sauter on board for Saturday’s event | News, Sports, Jobs

Johnny Sauter, a NASCAR Truck Series driver and past champion, returns to Norway Speedway on Saturday to compete in the 43rd-annual Stateline Challenge. (NASCAR photo) The 43rd-annual Stateline Challenge at Norway Speedway on Saturday promises to be epic. The event powered by Stateline Chevrolet-Corvette-GMC of Iron County is shaping up to be the biggest event […]

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Johnny Sauter, a NASCAR Truck Series driver and past champion, returns to Norway Speedway on Saturday to compete in the 43rd-annual Stateline Challenge.
(NASCAR photo)

The 43rd-annual Stateline Challenge at Norway Speedway on Saturday promises to be epic. The event powered by Stateline Chevrolet-Corvette-GMC of Iron County is shaping up to be the biggest event in Speedway history.

For the first time, we will have two NASCAR celebrities involved in the evening’s events.

Bark River’s Greg Ives, who is still actively working with the team of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Justin Allgaier, has confirmed that he will be there for this special holiday weekend event. He’ll be bringing his son Parker who is one of the top go-kart drivers in the South.

Also attending again will be NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Johnny Sauter. He is coming off a good run in the American Speed Association Midwest Tour, where he got to participate with his son Penn for first time.

Sauter will be driving a car provided by Coleman Racing Products. The June 21 ASA Midwest Tour race at Norway Speedway drew 25 late models and any number of participants in that race could end up racing in this year’s Stateline Challenge.

Bark River native and NASCAR crew chief Greg Ives will be on hand for Saturday’s Stateline Challenge at Norway Speedway. (NASCAR photo)

The Speedway is expecting some surprises.

Headliners so far besides Sauter include 2024 winner Andy Monday, who is enjoying one of his best seasons in his young career. Also coming to Norway are two-time Marshfield Speedway champion Darren Jackson from Wisconsin Rapids, Tim Baumann, WIR champion TJ Spierowski, Midwest Truck Series driver Parker Cain, former track champion Dan Lindsley and Norway’s Adam Faull.

Also look for Norway Speedway’s weekly warriors, including point leader Joey Pontbriand. He had an amazing run in the ASA Midwest Tour race and looks to be ready to win his first Stateline Challenge. Scott Stanchina, 2023 track champion, has his car repaired after a bad crash in the tour race and led several laps last year at the Stateline.

Hall of Famer Bruce White is the only driver to compete in every single one of the Stateline Challenges and he will be lining up. Other weeklies include Kingsford’s Cory Cootware, Escanaba’s Joey Stankowicz, Parker Summerfield, Mike Lantagne, Abi Yelle and many more.

One big change this year will be an autograph session that involves all drivers that qualify for the Stateline Challenge along with Greg Ives, Johnny Sauter and Parker Ives.

Eli Whittkopf, defending track champion in the Whelen Fab 4 division, won his first feature event of the 2025 season at Norway Speedway on Friday.
(Lia Olson photo)

Time trials start at 5:45 pm and racing starts at 7 pm. Go to the Facebook page for driver updates. Camping is available. For information, please contact 906-361-0597.

Cootware and Nooyen get their firsts

Friday was Veteran’s Night and also Norway Speedway Hall of Fame night brought to you by Sayklly’s Candies of Escanaba.

The Norway Speedway Hall of Fame is located at the Thirty Whale Bar in Norway and its four new members include Escanaba’s Mark Jenshak Sr. and Spread Eagle’s Ryan Windell. Both drivers represented the best in Auto Value Super Stock racing.

Also inducted were Coca-Cola Late Model drivers Mike Reichenberger of Neenah, Wis., and Steve DeBakker of Norway. Reichenberger won three track championships at Norway Speedway and was a regular competitor for many years.

The late DeBakker won a championship in 1994 and had raced at Norway Speedway for almost 30 years. Stevie’s race car was parked outside the Legends Row Speedway Gift shop for all the fans to see. The ceremony was emceed by John Koehler and the families of all the drivers were in attendance.

In the Coca-Cola Late Model division the fast qualifier was Pontbriand at 14.589 and in the Auto Value Super Stock division it was Ryan Wender at 15.904. The Speedway used the twin feature format for the first time in a couple of years.

Cootware started toward the rear of the field, made his way up to the front and held on for his first feature win of the summer. Finishing second was defending track champion Pontbriand; third was Stanchina who worked diligently on his car all week after a hard crash in the ASA race.

Rounding out the top five were Stankowicz and Florence’s Devon Wilcox, who recorded his first top five after a great run.

In the second feature, Pontbriand came from the rear of the field and passed Cootware with seven laps to go and held on for the win. Cootware, meanwhile, had another great run holding onto second. Third was Stankowicz; fourth was Stanchina, and fifth was White of Spread Eagle, Wis.

Marquette High School graduate Yelle had her best finish with an impressive sixth place on her grandpa Allan Yelle’s memorial night.

In the Auto Value Super Stock division Hermansville’s Dean Bellmore swept both feature events in an impressive manner holding off hard charging rookie Andy Secrist and current track champion Wender. Fourth was rookie Zach Hanson and fifth was Izayah Reed. The second feature went to Bellmore, followed by Hanson, Secrist, Wender, and Payton Linder. It was Linder’s first night pulling double duty as the impressive young talent competed in her first late model event as well.

In the 141 Auto Sportsman division Green Bay’s Jeff Nooyen was a double winner, taking the fast heat and winning his first feature event. Second was Kingsford’s Jon Maenpaa; third, Menominee’s Travis Hulsizer; fourth, Baraga’s Dan De Kleyn, and fifth, BJ Schoneck of Marion, Wis. Fast qualifier was Nick Kroehler at 18.061.

In the Whelen Fab 4 division current track champion Eli Whittkopf took his first feature event of the season. He was followed by Trever Cronick, Cody Gunville, Andy Street and Ashlyn Van Den Heuvel. Fast qualifier was Cody Gunville at 17.773.

Summaries

Coca-Cola Late Models-Qualifying: Joey Pontbriand 14.589. Feature 1: 1st Cory Cootware, 2nd Joey Pontbriand, 3rd Scott Stanchina, 4th Joey Stankowicz, 5th Devon Wilcox, 6th Bruce White, 7th Abi Yelle, 8th Kaden Kostichka, 9th John Ostermann, and 10th Payton Linder. Feature 2: 1st Joey Pontbriand, 2nd Cory Cootware, 3rd Joey Stankowicz, 4th Scott Stanchina, 5th Bruce White, 6th Abi Yelle, 7th Kaden Kostichka, 8th John Ostermann, 9th Devon Wilcox, 10th Payton Linder.

Auto Value Super Stocks-Qualifying: Ryan Wender 15.904. Feature 1: 1st Dean Bellmore, 2nd Andy Secrist, 3rd Ryan Wender, 4th Zach Hanson, 5th Izayah Reed, 6th Payton Linder, 7th Anthony Schiefelbein, 8th Joe Ostermann, 9th Tom Neely, 10th Stewart Hornick. Feature 2: 1st Dean Bellmore, 2nd Zach Hanson, 3rd Andy Secrist, 4th Ryan Wender, 5th Payton Linder, 6th Joe Ostermann, 7th Anthony Schiefelbein, 8th Stewart Hornick, 9th Izayah Reed, 10th Tom Neely.

141 Auto Sportsman-Qualifying: Nick Kroehler 18.061. Heat 1: 1st Cole Neely, 2nd Paul Holton. Heat 2: 1st Jeff Nooyen, 2nd Travis Hulsizer. Feature: 1st Jeff Nooyen, 2nd Jon Maenpaa, 3rd Travis Hulsizer, 4th Dan De Kleyn, 5th BJ Schoneck, 6th Cole Neely, 7th Nick Kroehler, 8th Darren Peterson, 9th Todd Schmidt, 10th Troy LaFave, 11th Jordan Massicotte, 12th Emily Vincent, 13th Stewart Hornick, 14th Paul Holton, 15th Justin Larson.

Whelen Fab 4-Qualifying: Cody Gunville 17.773. Heat 1: 1st Trever Cronick, 2nd Cody Gunville. Feature: 1st Eli Whittkopf, 2nd Trever Cronick, 3rd Cody Gunville, 4th Andy Street, 5th Ashlyn Van Den Heuvel, 6th Chris Hallenbeck.



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NASCAR’s Daniel Suarez won’t drive for Trackhouse in 2026

CONCORD, N.C. — Daniel Suárez, the only driver born in Mexico to win a NASCAR national series race, is out at Trackhouse Racing at the end of the current season. The team and Suárez both called the parting a mutual decision that allows the 33-year-old driver an earlier opportunity to pursue a new ride for […]

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CONCORD, N.C. — Daniel Suárez, the only driver born in Mexico to win a NASCAR national series race, is out at Trackhouse Racing at the end of the current season.

The team and Suárez both called the parting a mutual decision that allows the 33-year-old driver an earlier opportunity to pursue a new ride for next year. The announcement was made Tuesday.

Trackhouse, which currently has charters for three full-time cars, launched in 2021 with one car and Suárez — who had previously competed in the top-tier Cup Series for Joe Gibbs Racing (2017-18), Stewart-Haas Racing (2019) and Gaunt Brothers Racing (2020) — behind the wheel.

While the organization did not name a replacement in the No. 99 Chevrolet, Suárez’s departure opened the door for the team to promote teen sensation Connor Zilisch. The 18-year-old Zilisch, who currently drives in the second-tier Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports, has run three Cup Series races for Trackhouse this season, including last Saturday night at EchoPark Speedway near Atlanta.

Suárez has just two wins in 305 career starts on NASCAR’s top circuit, and he is a distant 29th in the Cup Series points standings this year with the regular season past its midpoint. Suarez made the 16-driver playoffs in 2022, when he wound up 10th, and again last year, when he ultimately finished 12th.

“We took a team nobody had even heard of in 2021 and in just a couple of years we were winning races and running upfront on a weekly basis,” Suárez wrote on social media. “Just like the seasons in a year, sometimes things change and we have agreed to each go in our own direction.”

Trackhouse founder and owner Justin Marks thanked Suárez for his contributions.

“The role Daniel has played in the Trackhouse origin story and its first five years will remain a valued part of the company’s history forever,” Marks said in a released statement. “His commitment, work ethic and dedication to the effort is one of the most impressive things I personally have seen in my career.”

Trackhouse also has Ross Chastain in the No. 1 Chevy and Shane van Gisbergen in the No. 88 Chevy under contract, along with Zilisch as its development driver. Chastain, who joined Trackhouse in 2022 when it added a second car, was the 2022 Cup Series runner-up and has six career wins, including the Coca-Cola 600 in May to secure a playoff berth. Van Gisbergen, who came on board as a full-time driver this year as Trackhouse added yet another car, won last month’s Cup Series race in Mexico City to lock up his own postseason spot.

Suárez, who became an American citizen last year, also has three Xfinity Series wins and one victory on the third-tier Truck Series during his NASCAR career. He became the only foreign-born driver to win a national series season title in 2016, when he won the Xfinity championship for JGR.

He made a triumphant return last month to his home country when he won the Xfinity Series race in Mexico City driving for JR Motorsports at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, yet the balance of celebrating a homecoming with looming contract negotiations weighed on the Monterrey native.

“It’s not the first time that I’ve been in this position. Definitely the first time with the Mexico race, but it’s not the first time that I’ve been in the position that we have to win or in the position that we have a contract negotiation in the middle of the season,” Suárez said ahead of that weekend when asked about being in the final year of his deal.

“It’s definitely a distraction. I won’t sit here and tell you that it doesn’t really matter. I’m trying to be as smart as possible and to put all this stuff on the side and just do my thing on the track.”

He’ll do his thing at the track in 2026 with yet another new team, although he still has an opportunity to give Trackhouse a full stable of three cars in this year’s 10-race playoffs.

Eight races remain in the regular season, a stretch that starts with Sunday’s return to the streets of downtown Chicago for the third year in a row. Suarez finished 11th in last year’s race — when Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman took the checkered flag — and was 27th in 2023, when van Gisbergen won while making his NASCAR debut in a Trackhouse part-time entry.



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NASCAR National Series News & Notes – Chicago Street Course – Speedway Digest

NASCAR Cup Series Next Race: Grant Park 165 The Place: Chicago Street Course Track Length: 2.2 Mile Street Course The Date: Sunday, July 6 The Time: 2 p.m. ET The Purse: $11,704,450 TV: TNT, 1 p.m. ET Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90) Distance: 165 miles (75 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 20), Stage […]

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July 3, 2025

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NASCAR Cup Series

Next Race: Grant Park 165

The Place: Chicago Street Course

Track Length: 2.2 Mile Street Course

The Date: Sunday, July 6

The Time: 2 p.m. ET

The Purse: $11,704,450

TV: TNT, 1 p.m. ET

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)

Distance: 165 miles (75 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 20),

Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 45), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 75)

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Next Race: The Loop 110

The Place: Chicago Street Course

Track Length: 2.2 Mile Street Course

The Date: Saturday, July 5

The Time: 4:30 p.m. ET

The Purse: $1,651,939

TV: CW, 3:30 p.m. ET

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)

Distance: 110 miles (50 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 15),

Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 30), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 50)

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series

Next Race: TSport 200

The Place: Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park

Track Length: 0.686 Mile Asphalt Paved Oval

The Date: Friday, July 25

The Time: 8 p.m. ET

The Purse: $782,900

TV: FS1, 8 p.m. ET

Radio: NRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)

Distance: 137.2 miles (200 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 60),

Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 120), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200)

Where To Watch NASCAR This Weekend:

Saturday, July 5

NXS Practice & Kennametal Pole Qualifying (CW App at 10:30 a.m. ET)

NCS Practice & Busch Light Pole Qualifying (truTV, MRN, SiriusXM at 1 p.m. ET)

NXS Race: The Loop 110(CW Network, MRN, SiriusXM at 4:30 p.m. ET)

Sunday, June 22

NCS Race: Grant Park 150 (TNT, MRN, SiriusXM at 2 p.m. ET)

NCS Race: Grant Park 165 – In Season Challenge Altcast (truTV, MRN, SiriusXM at 2 p.m. ET)

NASCAR Cup Series

Chicago Storylines and Insights:

·       This weekend marks the third running of a NASCAR Cup Series race at the Chicago Street Course (2023-2025).

·       The stage end laps are Lap 20, 45 and 75.

·       Both Chicago winners got their first win of the season: Shane van Gisbergen (’23), Alex Bowman (’24).

·       Ty Gibbs, Michael McDowell and Kyle Busch are the only drivers to finish top-10 in both races in Chicago.

·       Shane van Gisbergen won on the Chicago Streets in 2023 and finished last in 2024, Alex Bowman finished last in 2023 and won in 2024.

·       Rain tires were used in both Chicago Street races.

·       Hendrick Motorsports leads all teams on the Chicago Street Course with three top-fives and four top-10s, they also won the pole and the race there last year (Larson on pole, Bowman won the race).

·       Alex Bowman got his last of eight Cup wins on the Chicago Street course last July, he started eighth and led only the final eight laps en route to his eighth Cup win.

·       Alex Bowman is the only driver to win at Chicagoland and the Chicago Street Course, he got his first Cup win at Chicagoland in 2019 in the last race held on the oval and won the last race on the Chicago Street Course in 2024.

·       Three of the eight remaining races before the Playoffs are on road courses – Chicago, Sonoma, Watkins Glen.

·       Each of the last five road course races were won by a different driver.

·       Five of the last 11 road course races were won by drivers getting their first road course win.

·       Hendrick Motorsports leads all teams in poles, wins, top fives, top 10s, laps led and average finish on road courses in the Next Gen era (2022-2025).

·       Hendrick Motorsports drivers won five of the last nine road course races with three different drivers winning: William Byron and Kyle Larson (two each) and Alex Bowman (one).

·       The Stage 1 winner finished outside the top-10 in each of the last five road course races.

·       Chase Elliott and Christopher Bell finished in the top-five in the last three road course races, the longest active streaks.

·       Chase Elliott leads all drivers with 10 top-five finishes in the Next Gen car on road courses but none of his seven road course wins came in the Next Gen car.

·       Christopher Bell finished in the top-two in the last three road course races including a win at COTA this year.

·       Chris Buescher has the best average finish on road courses in the Next Gen car (8.8), Chase Elliott is the only other driver with a top-10 average finish on road courses in the Next Gen (9.8).

·       Ryan Blaney is on a 20-race streak without a top-five finish on road courses.

·       Denny Hamlin’s only top-10 finish on a road course in his 18 starts in the Next Gen car is a runner-up at Watkins Glen in 8/2023.

·       Brad Keselowski is on a 17-race streak without a top-10 finish on a road course.

·       The driver leading the most laps won six of the last 10 road course races.

·       Both Chicago Street Course winners took the lead for the final time with eight laps to go.

·       Chris Buescher finished in the top-10 in the last four races, tied for his longest Cup top-10 finish streak.

·       The last nine races of 2025 were won by nine different drivers, seven of the nine got their first win of the season.

·       Hendrick Motorsports had at least one car finish top-five in the last 26 races, the team’s longest ever top-five streak in Cup.

·       The top-three drivers in 2025 regular season standings are all Hendrick Motorsports’ drivers (William Byron-1st, Chase Elliott-2nd, Kyle Larson-3rd), it’s the third race this year that the top-three in regular season standings were all Hendrick Motorsports’ drivers (2025 is the first season since 2014 that Hendrick drivers ranked 1-2-3 in points following multiple races in the season).

·       2025 is the second straight season that Chase Elliott completed all but one lap of the season entering the 18th race of the season.

·       Chase Elliott became the fourth driver to reach 20 wins with Hendrick Motorsports.

·       41 drivers on the entry list this weekend are the most since 45 for the 2025 Daytona 500.

·       7 of the 15 road course regular season races in the Next Gen were won by a driver ranked 16th or worse in the Playoff standings, including both Chicago races.

·       This season, 82% of laps at road courses were led by drivers above the Playoff cutline.

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Chicago Storylines and Insights:

·       This weekend marks the third running of a NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the Chicago Street Course (2023-25).

·       Chicago Street Course will be the third of seven road course races in 2025.

·       Nick Sanchez earned his first-career Xfinity Series win at Atlanta.

·       Nick Sanchez’s win in race #17 is the latest into a season the Xfinity Series had a first-time winner since 2003.

·       Nick Sanchez entered Atlanta 26 points below Playoff cutline.

·       Big Machine Racing’s Atlanta win was its first since Texas in May 2022, 103 starts between.

·       There are nine races left in the regular season and five Playoff spots remain open.

·       Sheldon Creed and Ryan Sieg are tied at the Playoff cutline; Creed holds the tiebreaker with a runner-up finish at Martinsville.

·       The drivers from 12th-14th in the Playoff standings are separated by just 1 point and the drivers from 10th-14th in the Playoff standings are separated by 29 points.

·       Taylor Gray gained 60 points to Playoff cut line in last 3 races, and Sheldon Creed lost 42 points to Playoff cut line in last 2 races.

·       Sam Mayer leads active drivers with four road course wins and is tied for fourth on the all-time Xfinity road course wins list.

·       Shane van Gisbergen will drive JR Motorsports #9 this weekend, it won the last race it competed in with Daniel Suarez in Mexico. Shane van Gisbergen won half of all races run at Chicago Street Course – 1 Cup, 1 Xfinity.

·       Shane van Gisbergen’s five career NASCAR national series wins all came on road courses.

·       Three Australian Supercars veterans will race this weekend at Chicago Street Course: Shane van Gisbergen – Cup & Xfinity, Will Brown – Cup, and Jack Perkins – Xfinity.

·       Jack Perkins will drive the Joe Gibbs Racing #19, he made over 150 Supercar starts including a Goad Coast 600 win in 2015.

·       Connor Zilisch finished top-five in all three career road course starts, including two wins. Connor Zilisch’s 67% winning percentage on road courses is highest all-time.

·       Connor Zilisch won the pole for all three of his NXS road course starts.

·       Connor Zilisch’s average finish of 2.3 on road courses is second all-time to Terry Labonte.

·       Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch combined to win five of the last seven road course races.

·       Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch combined to win last six poles on road courses.

·       Three drivers finished in top 10 in both Chicago Street Course races: Justin Allgaier, Austin Hill & Parker Kligerman.

·       Both Chicago Street winners started on pole and won Stage 1: Cole Custer 2023, Shane van Gisbergen 2024.

·       Eleven drivers on entry list are making first start on Chicago Street Course.

·       JR Motorsports won last four road course races with three different drivers, the longest win streak by a team on road courses in NXS.

·       Chevrolet won the last ten road course races with five different drivers.

·       Five active drivers won on road courses: Sam Mayer 4, Justin Allgaier 3, Shane van Gisbergen 3, Connor Zilisch 2 & Jeremy Clements 1.

·       JR Motorsports won eight races this season with five different drivers, tied for most different drivers in a season all-time: Justin Allgaier 3, Connor Zilisch 2, Sammy Smith 1, Kyle Larson 1 & Daniel Suarez 1.

·       JR Motorsports is four wins away from 100, only three other teams won at least 100 NXS races (Joe Gibbs Racing-217, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing-138, Richard Childress Racing-100).

·       Five crew chiefs got their first NXS win in 2025: Chad Haney at Atlanta, Sam McAulay at Darlington, Adam Wall at Bristol, Cory Shea at Mexico City & Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Pocono.

·        JR Motorsports #88 won three races with three different driver/crew chief combos this season.

·       Justin Allgaier’s 28 career wins are ninth on the all-time wins list and one away from tying Matt Kenseth.

·       Justin Allgaier leads all drivers with 10 top-five finishes and 648 laps led in 2025.

·       Justin Allgaier’s 10 top-five finishes in 2025 are his most ever after 17 races in a season.

·       Five races this year ended with a last lap pass.

·       Five of the last seven races this season had a pass for the win in the final six laps.

·       Chevrolet won 15 of 17 races, the most all time by a manufacturer through 17 races in series history.

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series

Looking Ahead – Indianapolis Storylines and Insights:

·       This season marks the 21st running of a NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

·       Defending series champion, Ty Majeski, has won the last two consecutive Truck races at Indianapolis Raceway Park (2023-24). Grant Enfinger (2022) is the only active driver with a win at IRP. 

·       Ty Majeski currently occupies the 10th and final Playoff transfer spot in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series driver point standings, up +38 points on Jake Garcia in 11th, and up +65 points on Giovanni Ruggiero in 12th.

·       Corey Heim has won five of the 15 Truck Series races this season, his best finish at Indianapolis is fifth (2022).

·       Corey Heim has 14 stage wins in 2025, the driver with the next most is Layne Riggs with four.

·       Corey Heim has accumulated 39 Playoff points this season. The all-time most Playoff points a Truck Series driver has earned to take into the Playoffs is 49 by John Hunter Nemechek in 2021.

NCTS Clinch Scenarios Following Lime Rock Park:

Already Clinched:

·       The following seven drivers have clinched a spot in the 10-driver postseason field: Corey Heim, Chandler Smith, Layne Riggs, Daniel Hemric, Tyler Ankrum, Stewart Friesen and Rajah Caruth.

Can Clinch Via Win:

The following drivers would clinch on their win alone:

·       Kaden Honeycutt, Grant Enfinger, Ty Majeski, Jake Garcia, Giovanni Ruggiero, Ben Rhodes, Tanner Gray, Connor Mosack, Matt Crafton, Andres Perez De Lara, Jack Wood, Matt Mills, Dawson Sutton, Spencer Boyd, Toni Breidinger and Frankie Muniz.

Can Clinch Regular Season Championship:

Additionally, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Regular Season Championship could be clinched by the following drivers:

·       Corey Heim: Would clinch with 39 points.

NASCAR & Chicago, Etc.

NASCAR Street Course History

  • The Daytona Beach and Road Course hosted NASCAR Cup Series races from 1949-1958. The front stretch of the course ran on highway A1A before the field turned into Daytona Beach itself for a 2-mile dash on the sand before returning to the highway for the frontstretch.
  • The NASCAR Cup Series raced on temporary tracks on airports at Linden Airport, NJ in 1954, Kitsap Airport, WA in 1957, and Montgomery Air Base, NY in 1960. In addition, the NASCAR Pinty’s Series raced at Edmonton City Centre Airport along with IndyCar up until 2012.
  • There are many recorded instances of the NASCAR Cup Series, and especially NASCAR’s defunct Convertible division, racing at converted football and baseball stadiums. These include – Philadelphia Municipal Stadium (Convertibles 1957), Soldier Field in Chicago (Convertible 56-57, Cup 56), Taft Stadium in Oklahoma City (Convertibles 1956), McCormick Field in Asheville (Cup 58, Convertibles 56-57), Civic Stadium in Buffalo (Cup 58, Convertible 56), Canadian Exposition Stadium in Toronto (Cup 58, Convertible 56), Oakland Stadium in Oakland, CA (Cup 51,54; K&N West 54), and the L.A. Coliseum, the latest host of the Busch Clash.
  • The NASCAR Pinty’s Series, NASCAR’s Canadian series, has two street courses on their calendar – in July, they will share the streets of Toronto with IndyCar for the Grand Prix of Toronto for the 8th time, while in August, they headline the legendary Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières (GP3R), the longest running street race in North America, having taken place since 1967. The Pinty Series has been the headliner event at GP3R since 2007.
  • The NASCAR K&N Series raced at Caesars Palace as a support event for the 1983 IndyCar race. Originally built for Formula 1, the Caesars Palace circuit was built in the parking lot of the famous resort; unfortunately, the course is remembered for being one of the worst race tracks of all time.
  • While not exactly a street course, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, which the NASCAR Xfinity Series and Pinty’s Series visited on numerous occasions, is often considered a street course as the race track is used as a public road for the majority of the year.

Landmarks on the Chicago Street Course Route:

Grant Park:

  • City park, 310+ acre centerpiece of Downtown housing some of the city’s busiest attractions
  • Bordered by Lake Michigan and Monroe Harbor
  • Named for President Ulysses S. Grant , originally known as Lake Park
  • Referred to “Chicago’s Front Yard”
  • Location of President Barack Obama’s election day victory speech in 2008
  • Includes Buckingham Fountain, the Art Institute and Museum Campus
  • S/F line of the Chicago Marathon
  • Over 4 miles for walking paths
  • 16 softball/baseball fields and 12 tennis courts

Major Events in Grant Park:

  • Regular schedule of concerts
  • Lollapalooza
  • Chicago Blues Festival
  • Taste of Chicago

Buckingham Fountain:

  • One of the world’s largest fountains using as much as 15,000 gallons of water per minute
  • Was a gift to the city from Kate Sturges Buckingham (American art collector and philanthropist) in memory of her brother Clarence in 1927 at a cost of $750,000.
  • Operates from April to October with water displays every 20 minutes and a light and water display

Turn 4: Field Museum,

  • State-of-the-art museum of science & invention, with the world’s largest Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Hutchinson Field – 

  • Softball fields – Between Columbus and Lake Shore Dr.

Off Turn 11: The Art Institute of Chicago – 111 S Michigan Ave

  • Renowned art museum holding nearly 300,000 works of art from all over the world, spanning many centuries with pieces from Van Gogh and Picasso

Turn 12 off to left: Butler Field – S Lake Shore Dr & E Monroe St

  • Park and Music Venue
  • Final Straight before S/F off to the right on Columbus Dr. is Abraham Lincoln, Head of State -Landmark on 337 E Randolph St just off Columbus Dr.
  • It is a Bronze of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th US president, designed by sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens & set in a leafy park.

Chicago Sports History

  • Chicago is one of three cities with two MLB teams: The Chicago Cubs, founded in 1876 and located in the North Side, and the White Sox, founded in 1900 and located on the South Side. Both teams hold three World Series titles each and have hosted numerous hall-of-famers
  • The Chicago Bears, founded in 1919, have nine NFC titles, won the 1985 Super Bowl championship, have more Hall-of-Fame members than any other team, and the second most victories of any franchise
  • The Chicago Blackhawks are one of the original six NHL teams.  The Blackhawks won six Stanley Cups, including three between in 2009 and 2015 under the ownership of Rocky Wirtz.
  • The Chicago Bulls won six NBA championships in the 90s, helmed by Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and coach Phil Jackson. During the 1995-96 season, the team became the first in NBA history to win over 70 games in a season (72), a record that would take 20 years to be surpassed (Golden State won 73 in 2016)
  • The MLS team, Chicago Fire FC, was founded in 1997 and has won four U.S. Open Cups, including a fairy tale first season, where against all odds the team pulled off “The Double” – the U.S. Open Cup and the MLS Cup.
  • The Chicago Marathon, one of the six World Marathon Majors, is the fourth-largest Marathon in the world, and Grant Park serves as the center of the action as runners start and finish the race on Columbus Drive, right where the street course is located. The marathon starts from S Columbus and E Monroe near Butler Field, looping through 26.2 miles of Chicago before returning to S Columbus Dr. for the finish, in between NASCAR’s turns 5 and 6.

Chicago Motorsports History

  • Chicago hosted the nation’s first ever auto race on Thanksgiving Day, 1895, the Chicago Times-Herald Race. Only 6 cars out of an expected 80 entrants ended up starting the race, which consisted of a 54-mile course between Chicago and Evanston, with the start-finish near where the Museum of Science and Industry now lies. J. Frank Duryea was the eventual winner and one of only two entrants to finish the race, clocking an average speed of 7 miles per hour. Both the Chicago Street Course and the original course for the Chicago Time-Herald Race share the same portion of Michigan Ave between Balbo and Jackson.
  • Several tracks started to pop up around the city in the early days of motor racing – A two-mile oval opened in Maywood, hosting open wheel roadsters from 1915-1918; Chicago Raceway Park opened in 1938 and became a major stock car destination during the 50s; Midgets were a popular event at the indoor International Amphitheater during the 40s. Santa Fe Speedway, a quarter mile clay oval, opened in 1952 and immediately hosted a wide range of oval racing activities; even Soldier Field hosted major stock car races during the 40s and 50s, including a NASCAR Cup Series race in 1956 won by Fireball Roberts. Waukegan Speedway and Rockford Speedway also drew impressive crowds during this time, and many Indy 500 legends would hone their skills around Illinois, including Pat Flatherly and Jim Rathmann
  • In 1998, construction was completed on the dirt oval Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, IL. Later, approval was given for a full-scale NASCAR Cup Series track to be built next to Route 66, leading to the opening of Chicagoland Speedway in 2001. Chicagoland would be a part of the Cup Series calendar until 2019.

NASCAR History at Chicago:

  • Santa Fe Speedway- Cup Series 1954
  • Soldier Field – Cup Series 1956, Convertible Division 1956-57
  • Chicago Motor Speedway (Cicero) – Truck Series 2000-01
  • Chicagoland Speedway – Cup Series 2001-2019, Xfinity Series 2001-2019, Truck Series 2009-2019
  • Chicago Street Course – Cup Series 2023-2025, Xfinity Series 2023-2025

Joey Logano Nominated For the 2025 ESPY’s Best Driver Award:

  • Team Penske driver and three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano, from Middletown, Connecticut, has been nominated for the 2024 Best Driver Award at the ESPYs. Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen from Formula One and IndyCar’s Alex Palou were also nominated for the award
  • The 35-year-old Cup Series champion, Logano, could join the likes of Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr. and Jimmie Johnson as NASCAR drivers who have taken home the hardware during the annual ESPY Award show. Visit ESPN.com to vote. 

Recent Chicago Street Course Storylines:

  • Together with ABB, Chevrolet, and Ford, NASCAR will bring a first-of-its-kind electric vehicle showcase to the streets of Chicago during the 2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race weekend. Featuring exhibition track laps, ABB, Chevy, and Ford will showcase their electric vehicle prototypes to the public, with live track laps driven by current and former NASCAR drivers on Sunday, July 6.
  • Electric Vehicles Schedule: 10:15 – 10:25 a.m. CT – Staging and Practice and 10:25 – 10:45 a.m. CT – Track Laps
  • The vehicles will also be on static display throughout the race weekend, giving attendees an up-close look at the concept cars. ABB – the official electrification partner of NASCAR – debuted The ABB-NASCAR EV Prototype on the streets of Chicago in 2024, piloted by former NASCAR Cup Series driver David Ragan. Ragan will return to Chicago, this time to drive the Ford Mustang Mach-E NASCAR EV Prototype, with rising stars of the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Brent Crews (part-time driver of the No. 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro for TRICON Garage) driving the ABB-NASCAR EV Prototype and Rajah Caruth (driver of the No. 71 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports) piloting the Chevy Blazer EV.R NASCAR Prototype.
  • NASCAR and Xumo formally announced today that Xumo will take to the streets of Chicago this Independence Day Weekend as a Founding Partner of the Chicago Street Race Weekend, taking place July 5-6 in Chicago’s iconic Grant Park. This news brings together two dynamic brands committed to delivering premium experiences to fans through innovation, access, and technology.
  • NASCAR announced the National Anthem lineup for the NASCAR Chicago Street Race weekend, July 5-6 in downtown Chicago’s Grant Park. Aaron Nelson, cast member from Disney’s The Lion King, which returns to Broadway In Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre October 3-19—will sing the National Anthem before Saturday’s Xfinity Series race on July 5. The internationally acclaimed Soul Children of Chicago will open the NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday, July 6.
  • NASCAR Chicago Street Race announced that Cuervo® Tequila – the world’s first and number one tequila brand – is increasing its commitment to NASCAR’s only street race, with an expanded footprint throughout Grant Park during the July 5-6 race weekend. As a cornerstone of their growing partnership, Cuervo will return as the naming rights partner of the Cuervo Fountain Club and serve as the presenting sponsor for the all-new Devil’s Turn viewing area, offering fans a fun and engaging race experience.
  • NASCAR will return to the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center on Thurs., July 3 from 5-8 p.m. to host the first-ever “Speed and Sound Fest,” a unique community celebration that brings together Chicago food, music, and culture in the leadup to the 2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race Weekend. The event, which is free with registration, will also feature a one-of-a-kind conversation between Chicago Historian and social media influencer Shermann “Dilla” Thomas (who also serves as Brand Ambassador and Chief of Social Media at The DuSable Museum) and NASCAR drivers including Rajah Caruth (driver of the No. 71 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports) and rising stars Cassidy Keitt and Lavar Scott of Rev Racing.

NASCAR PR



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NASCAR This Week – Patriot Publishing LLC

NASCAR Cup Series Next Race: Grant Park 165 The Place: Chicago Street Course Track Length: 2.2 Mile Street Course The Date: Sunday, July 6 The Time: 2 p.m. ET The Purse: $11,704,450 TV: TNT, 1 p.m. ET Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90) Distance: 165 miles (75 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 20), Stage […]

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July 3, 2025

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NASCAR This WeekNASCAR Cup Series

Next Race: Grant Park 165

The Place: Chicago Street Course

Track Length: 2.2 Mile Street Course

The Date: Sunday, July 6

The Time: 2 p.m. ET

The Purse: $11,704,450

TV: TNT, 1 p.m. ET

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)

Distance: 165 miles (75 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 20),

Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 45), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 75)

 

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Next Race: The Loop 110

The Place: Chicago Street Course

Track Length: 2.2 Mile Street Course

The Date: Saturday, July 5

The Time: 4:30 p.m. ET

The Purse: $1,651,939

TV: CW, 3:30 p.m. ET

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)

Distance: 110 miles (50 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 15),

Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 30), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 50)

 

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series

Next Race: TSport 200

The Place: Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park

Track Length: 0.686 Mile Asphalt Paved Oval

The Date: Friday, July 25

The Time: 8 p.m. ET

The Purse: $782,900

TV: FS1, 8 p.m. ET

Radio: NRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)

Distance: 137.2 miles (200 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 60),

Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 120), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200)



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