Motorsports

Drivers react to NASCAR’s use of tire packs to enforce track limits

In Mexico City, NASCAR has placed tire packs around the track at the apex of several corners, even adding another one after the first practice session. While drivers may use as much pavement as they want in some areas, such as the exit of the final corner, NASCAR wants to avoid drivers cutting corners. They’ve […]

Published

3 days ago

June 14, 2025

Your Sports Nation

They’ve also painted yellow lines through the esses, and crossing that line will result in a stop-and-go penalty at a designated location around the track. But the addition of tire packs is a welcomed one for most drivers, who would rather focus on avoiding those than having to worry about the painted lines on the track.

Wallace in favor of tire packs

Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota

Photo by: Jam Media / Getty Images

“I think it is good for us,” said Bubba Wallace when Motorsport.com asked about the tire packs in a Friday press conference. “Us Cup drivers, we push to find the limits of the race cars and the race tracks, and it seems like we are always revamping the race tracks to meet the driver’s needs – like, well the track needs to be wider here for us. Slow down, slow down and we can make the corner.

“We are taking a race track and making it ‘Cup cars 2.0’ and it doesn’t make sense to me, so I was a big fan of the tire packs. It forces you to stay on the track limits and I spent the majority of my time on the sim, staying tidy and staying on the racing surface, and I think hopefully that pays dividends for when we get on track later. But I’m a big fan of the tire packs, keeping us on line and keeping us on the racing surface.”

NASCAR is also being cautious about placing tire packs in the faster sections of the track. They infamously put a tire pack at the exit of the original Charlotte Roval chicane, which several drivers (including Wallace) clobbered in ugly practice crashes. So far, the tire packs have caused no issues in Mexico City.

Changing the way you approach the corner with tire packs

Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Photo by: Chris Graythen – Getty Images

Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott was also asked by a different media outlet about track limits, noting how the tire barriers weren’t there when they practiced on the sim in preparation for this weekend.

“I ran laps (on the sim) where I was really aggressive running off the road and kind of taking advantage of different areas that I felt might be worth a little bit of time. But I would say the majority of laps that I ran, you know by choice, was just really staying inside the lines because I had a feeling that might be a little more of a reality,” said Elliott. “But, you know, there are some areas that I think you’ll take advantage of off the racetrack. I think the tire barriers have, especially through (turns) eight and nine or whatever numbers… I don’t know which track map you’re looking at, right, the numbers change. But the last two, that’s before you get to the stadium section, for clarity, the tire packs, where they’re located through that section, I think will significantly change how at least I was approaching that section in the sim.

“But … we have some practice to get some time on the track. I think everyone’s going to be super aggressive with taking every advantage that you can take and probably stepping over that line. And if you get caught, you’ll get caught, and you’ll learn what you can and can’t do. So my intention is to go and push the limits as far as I can push them. I’ll probably step over them, you know, at different points in time. And I want to know for sure what’s going to be called and what wasn’t.

Allgaier: “Any mistake can be a big mistake here”

Justin Allgaier, JR Motorsports Chevrolet

Photo by: Logan Riely / Getty Images

Motorsport.com also asked reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier about the tire packs during his press conference appearance. The JR Motorsports driver said he and Michel Jourdain Jr. have been going over this very topic as he prepares for Saturday’s Xfinity race.

“For us, there are sections with track limits and there are sections without and I think it’s going to be interesting because we’re in a little bit of a moving target,” said Allgaier. “I think track limits can be relaxed or enforced harder based on how aggressive we are, and how much we’re trying to make in those sections. The tire packs, or the barriers that they’ve put in some of the different corners of the racetrack, I think are different than what I expected, until you see it and you feel it and understand it. I mean, even so, (even before making) a lap on track, I’m already changing my approach to a couple of different corners. That’s going to be something else that’s very interesting to me, is how do we race here? Where are the most effective passing zones?”

The tire packs also mean that drivers will have to be extra careful in minimizing mistakes as any off-road excursion could result in significant damage to the car.

“Any mistake can be a big mistake here,” noted Allgaier. “If you get off and you make a mistake, maybe other than turn one, it has the potential to be a big moment and damage to your car right so without really having the ability to go to a backup car, those are going to be important moments to not have, right.”

Motorsports

NASCAR Through the Gears: Shane van Gisbergen stinks up the show but it could’ve been worse

Is it all right to point out when something doesn’t happen? OK, good. The Boys in the Booth did not throw a caution flag during Sunday’s closing laps in Mexico City. Shane van Gisbergen was so far ahead, he’d win the race and be done with his donuts and burnout while many drivers were still […]

Published

15 minutes ago

June 17, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Is it all right to point out when something doesn’t happen?

OK, good.

The Boys in the Booth did not throw a caution flag during Sunday’s closing laps in Mexico City.

Shane van Gisbergen was so far ahead, he’d win the race and be done with his donuts and burnout while many drivers were still completing the final lap.

If a situation ever called for a visit from good ol’ Jacques Debris, that was it. We’ve all made fun of NASCAR over the years for those mysterious debris cautions that spring up when a rout is unfolding in the later laps, but this time, the yellow flag remained holstered.

Shane van Gisbergen made it look easy Sunday in Mexico City.

Best guess: They were ready to get outta there. From a marketing standpoint, NASCAR’s first Cup Series visit to Mexico City appears to have succeeded. But logistically, what a pain. It didn’t help when one of the chartered jets blew an engine before leaving the Charlotte runway.

A lot of personnel, including a good chunk of van Gisbergen’s crew, arrived late for the weekend. And then it rained.

And finally, SVG “stunk up the show,” to borrow (and tweak) an old Bill France Jr. term.

Thankfully, he didn’t stink up the cockpit.

Huh? We’ll get to that, and more, as we throttle up.

First Gear: SVG plugs the leaks with a checkered flag in Mexico City

Compared to crediting Goodyear and the pit crew, professing love for the wife and kids back home, and thanking the ticket buyers, this wasn’t your typical winner’s interview from SVG.

“I felt pretty rubbish today,” he began, “leaking out both holes.”

He wasn’t talking about his Chevy. It was a short-lived illness that came on suddenly Saturday night and departed in time-honored fashion.

But for a few hours Sunday afternoon, the exit ramps were closed and Shane did what he’s been hired to do — show off on the road courses while hopefully improving enough on ovals to become a threat instead of an accessory in the playoffs.

After races at Pocono and Atlanta the next two weeks, NASCAR has back-to-back road races at Chicago and Sonoma. The odds boards had SVG heavily favored entering Mexico, so how much of a favorite will he be when Chicago rolls around?

It’s a good time to remind everyone that he still loses more road-course races than he wins. Including his part-time work the previous two seasons, he’s now 2-for-8 on road courses, though he did win three of six in last year’s Xfinity season.

Second Gear: So SVG has no shot in the NASCAR playoffs?

Probably not. Barring a serious uptick in oval-track performance, he’d need to thread some needles to go deep in the playoffs.

Step 1 was Sunday’s win and the automatic playoff entry it brings — along with the five-point bonus for the win and another bonus point for winning a stage. Those bonus points transfer to the playoffs, and if he piles up a bunch in the three remaining regular-season road races, it will obviously help.

If he gets through the Round of 16 (Darlington, St. Louis, Bristol), the Round of 12 includes the Charlotte Roval. And the Round of 12 includes Talladega.

It’s tempting to say “stranger things have happened,” but frankly, it’d be shocking to see SVG ride into Phoenix in November as one of the Championship 4.

Third Gear: Ricky Stenhouse prefers north-of-border retribution for Carson Hocevar

The next two tracks on the schedule — Pocono and Atlanta — are fast ones. In normal times, growing a third eyeball would be beneficial to any driver.

Consider Carson Hocevar. Along with the heavy traffic at high speeds, it’s gonna be pure head-on-a-swivel time as he keeps tabs on the whereabouts of a ticked-off Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who delivered a warning which, you have to assume, has never been uttered before in the nearly eight decades of NASCAR racing.

“I told him I was going to beat his ass once we got back in the states.”

It’s a weird dynamic and probably not rooted in any type of science, but in stock-racing particularly, when two guys develop a history of not playing well together, they find themselves near each other quite often.

Hocevar got into Ricky’s left-rear two weeks earlier in Nashville, which seemed avoidable. Sunday in Mexico, he simply lost his car and, wouldn’t you know it, Ricky was nearby, took the brunt, and later delivered his version of diplomacy to Hocevar.

Yes, there’s some irony here. It wasn’t all that long ago, Ricky Stenhouse was the driver who went through a period of igniting caution flags and anger. In racing, what goes around will eventually come around. Barring trouble in Turn 2.

Fourth Gear: One more week, and Amazon delivers its Prime product to TNT

Grandma’s NASCAR blackout has just one more Sunday to go. Pocono will be the fifth and final installment of Amazon Prime’s midseason takeover of the Cup Series.

After that comes five weeks on TNT, which Grandma can find because that’s where she goes to watch “Charmed” every morning. And guess what: The broadcast changes from Prime to TNT, but TNT keeps the Prime roster of on-air talent, which includes Junior and Cousin Carl — Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Carl Edwards.

Not sure if TNT will also keep Prime’s strategy of negating full commercial breaks during green-flag racing. We’ll find out soon enough, but not soon enough for the Prime boycotters.

— Email Ken Willis at ken.willis@news-jrnl.com

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: NASCAR race in Mexico City ends in rainy rout as SVG plugs leaks

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Motorsports

NASCAR insiders take issue with caution being thrown for rain at Mexico City

Two NASCAR insiders had a problem with a caution flag being thrown at the start of the Cup Series race at Mexico City. On The Teardown podcast, Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic talked about how NASCAR should have let the drivers and teams handle things when it was raining at the start […]

Published

33 minutes ago

June 17, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Two NASCAR insiders had a problem with a caution flag being thrown at the start of the Cup Series race at Mexico City. On The Teardown podcast, Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic talked about how NASCAR should have let the drivers and teams handle things when it was raining at the start of the race.

“Right as they’re coming into the stadium for the first time, they throw the caution,” Gluck said. “It was wet, but you could say, ‘Hey, there’s rain. There’s rain. Pit now or slow down.’ Just let the teams make their pit stop. If you need to declare it wet weather or whatever, turn on your flashing lights.

“Just tell them on the radio. ‘Hey, they just said turn on your lights. Okay, do it.’ I don’t think they need to parent them like that because some of them would have said, ‘Hey, I’m going to try to do a few more laps or whatever.’ Some of them would have pitted immediately. Let their skill and their talent… take a gamble or crash.”

Bianchi added, “Let them make the choice of how they want to conduct themselves, and then they have the consequences of however they do it. I 100 percent agree.”

Shane van Gisbergen talks about winning the NASCAR Mexico City race

The caution for rain was one of six cautions during the Mexico City race. It only lasted for three laps, and Shane van Gisbergen went on to win the event. After the race, van Gisbergen was asked if he found Autódromo Hermamos Rodríguez challenging.

“I didn’t find it the most challenging,” van Gisbergen said. “It’s all first and second gear corners so quite boring. I like a track with fast corners and you’ve really got to hang on to the car and commit. The track itself wasn’t very challenging. It was first and second gear everywhere and a lot of technique, I guess, but that’s why in qualifying everyone was within eight-tenths or a second. It’s close because the track is not challenging.”

Van Gisbergen talked about the track being special in his career. “I’ve been very lucky to take part in some great races, win a few majors, I guess, and this is certainly up there,” he said. “It probably wasn’t sunk in yet, but as I said, I’ve been lucky enough to race in Europe, Asia, and I’ve never raced here. There’s a couple places left I’d love to go and race, but yeah, I’m stoked to tick off another cool race.”

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Motorsports

Funeral arrangements set for NASCAR team owner Charlie Henderson

ABINGDON, Va. (WCYB) — Funeral arrangements have been finalized for Charlie Henderson, a prominent NASCAR team owner and Southwest Virginia businessman, who passed away on Saturday at the age of 88. Henderson, who served as a military police officer in the Army, returned home to establish the grocery chain Food Country U.S.A. He later founded […]

Published

50 minutes ago

June 17, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Henderson, who served as a military police officer in the Army, returned home to establish the grocery chain Food Country U.S.A. He later founded Henderson Motorsports in 1982.

Visitation for Henderson will be held on Friday from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center in Abingdon. He will be laid to rest with full military honors on Saturday.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Abingdon United Methodist Church or the VFW Post 1994 in Henderson’s honor.

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Motorsports

NASCAR race at Iowa Speedway sells out again, series announces

NASCAR star Kyle Larson talks favorite Iowa spots for food and racing Watch as NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson talks about his favorite places in Iowa while driving in a Corvette Stingray at Iowa Speedway. The Iowa Corn 350 NASCAR Cup Series race at Iowa Speedway is sold out for the second consecutive year. […]

Published

52 minutes ago

June 17, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The Iowa Corn 350 NASCAR Cup Series race at Iowa Speedway is sold out for the second consecutive year.
The race will take place on August 3rd and air on USA Network.
Strong attendance at the 2024 race secured Iowa Speedway’s spot on the 2025 schedule.

For the second straight year, the Iowa Corn 350 NASCAR Cup Series race at Iowa Speedway is sold out.

NASCAR announced the sellout on Tuesday, June 17, and also said in a news release that the Iowa Corn Growers Association had renewed its title sponsorship of the race “through a multi-year-extension.”

The race will return to the NASCAR-owned, 7/8-mile bullring in Newton, known as the “Fastest Short Track on the Planet,” for the second time this year. It’s scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Aug. 3 and will be televised on USA Network.

Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney, whose mother is from Chariton, won the inaugural Iowa Corn 350 in 2024.

During last year’s Cup Series weekend, about 24,000 fans packed the grandstand and some 20,000 more were in temporary suites and camping areas with views of the track.

NASCAR spokesperson Matt Humphrey said “scant” tickets remain for the other races on the Corn 350 weekend: the ARCA Menards Series’ Atlas Roofing 150 on Aug. 1 and the Xfinity Series’ Hy-Vee Perks 250 scheduled for Aug. 2when fans can see Cup Series drivers practice and qualify.

Strong attendance brings NASCAR Cup Series back

Iowa Speedway has long been known as one of the favorite tracks of both NASCAR and IndyCar drivers, who’ve raced there annually since 2007. For stock car drivers it was a place where they would prove themselves in developmental series like the ARCA Menards Series, the Craftsman Truck Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series. But the track had never held a Cup Series race until last year.

Team Penske Driver Austin Cindric made his first stock car start at Iowa Speedway, and he said during a June 10 tire test there that the track holds a special place in his heart,

“This is a place that anyone who’s come up through the ranks always wished there was a Cup Series race here,” Cindric said.

In recent years NASCAR has seen declining attendance at tracks like Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee and Richmond Raceway in Virginia. But in Iowa, tickets for all three days of the inaugural Cup Series weekend sold out last year.

Iowa Speedway’s spot on the 2025 schedule was far from guaranteed. The track got the change to host the 2024 race after NASCAR closed Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, for renovations and talks to hold the race in Montreal fell through; according to Fox Sports.

Numerous NASCAR drivers after last year’s race spoke highly of the energy from the sellout crowds. Joey Logano, driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford, said Iowa should remain on the Cup Series schedule.

“It seemed like it was a pretty entertaining race,” Logano said. “The place was packed. The fans showed up. From the inside it looks pretty good.”

A small number of grandstand tickets for this year’s race went on sale in the fall. In February Iowa Speedway President Eric Peterson said the number of fans who renewed their tickets for the second year was “really high.” Most tickets sold at the track go to Iowans, but Iowa Speedway also pulls fans from Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota, he said.

“Almost everyone we’ve talked to has renewed their tickets, and if they haven’t, they just had another conflict come up,” Peterson said.

IndyCar also back at Iowa Speedway in July

Iowa Speedway will be one of just four U.S. tracks this year to host both the NASCAR Cup Series and the NTT IndyCar Series, which is scheduled for July 12 and 13. The others are Indianapolis Motor Speedway, World Wide Technology Raceway near St. Louis and Nashville Superspeedway in Tennessee.

Sheffield-based farm equipment company Sukup Manufacturing will be the new title sponsor of the Iowa IndyCar Race Weekend, replacing Hy-Vee who sponsored and promoted the race from 2022-2024.

NASCAR will hold a fan fest in Cowles Commons in downtown Des Moines on July 31 to kick off the Cup Series weekend. More details about the fan fest will be announced later.

Philip Joens covers retail and real estate for the Des Moines Register. He can be reached at 515-284-8184 or pjoens@registermedia.com.

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Motorsports

Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative awards more than $387,000

Yamaha Motor Corp., USA, awarded more than $387,000 in grants through its Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative (OAI) in the first quarter of 2025, supporting efforts to protect and improve off-highway vehicle opportunities across the country, with a particular focus on large-scale projects in Oregon and Georgia. The Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative continues its support of […]

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1 hour ago

June 17, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative continues its support of All Kids Bike, getting kindergarten students in public schools outside and helping teach them how to ride bicycles. (Photo: Yamaha Motor Corp.)

Since 2008, the Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative has contributed over $6 million to more than 470 projects across the country.

“Yamaha continues to support a range of projects that address challenges to outdoor recreation, and we’re eager to partner with those who share our passion for building and protecting access to the spaces we all enjoy,” says Steve Nessl, Yamaha Motorsports marketing director. “It’s gratifying to see these collaborative efforts evolve into large-scale projects that help make outdoor recreation accessible to everyone.”

Yamaha’s first quarter OAI grants supported 12 projects, including these major investments in OHV riding areas and trail systems in Oregon:

The Great Outdoors Fund (supported by Florence Motorsports) was awarded funding for Phase Two of an OHV educational signage project across the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, promoting messages of safety, stewardship, regulations, and recreation opportunities.
The Rogue Valley SxS Club (supported by Waterworld Boat and Powersport) will use its grant to support trail clearing and maintenance on the 270-mile Prospect OHV trail system, focusing on removing downed trees to keep riders on designated trails.
OHV Construction and Conservation (supported by Power Motorsports) will develop a loop trail around the outer edge of the Tillamook State Forest OHV area. The “Tour of the Tillamook Powered by Yamaha” project encompasses 49 trails, comprising 17 double-track, 13 4×4, and 19 single-track routes, and includes trail development, restoration, maintenance, tree removal, and trail signage.

In Georgia, the Georgia Recreational Trail Riders Association, supported by Cycle Specialty, will use its grant to maintain more than six motorized trails and riding areas throughout the state. Work will include bridge repair, culvert installation, and signage.

Yamaha OAI grant funds also will protect California’s historic Perris Raceway, supported by Langston Motorsports, and continue supporting the All Kids Bike program, which teaches kindergarteners nationwide to ride bicycles as part of their physical education curriculum.

The Yamaha OAI continues to accept grant applications on a quarterly basis, providing timely resources to address urgent access issues and land rehabilitation efforts. While project types vary, Yamaha OAI prioritizes initiatives that promote safe and responsible OHV use, perform essential trail and land maintenance, and protect, restore, and expand sustainable access to public lands.

The application deadline for the second quarter of 2025 is June 30. Yamaha invites public land managers, riding clubs, and stewardship organizations to apply. Submission guidelines and applications are available at YamahaOAI.com.

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Motorsports

Winners, losers from NASCAR weekend in Mexico City

MEXICO CITY — A look at the winners and losers from Sunday’s NASCAR Cup race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. WINNERS Shane van Gisbergen — His rookie Cup season has been a struggle on the ovals but van Gisbergen did what he was hired by Trackhouse Racing to do — he won a road course race […]

Published

1 hour ago

June 17, 2025

Your Sports Nation

MEXICO CITY — A look at the winners and losers from Sunday’s NASCAR Cup race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

WINNERS

Shane van Gisbergen — His rookie Cup season has been a struggle on the ovals but van Gisbergen did what he was hired by Trackhouse Racing to do — he won a road course race and put himself in a playoff spot. He did it easily, leading a race-high 60 laps and winning by 16.567 seconds — the largest margin of victory since Texas in November 2009 (25.686 seconds) and the largest margin of victory on a road course since Riverside in 1979 (32.9 seconds).

Mexico NASCARMedia.com NASCAR photo (5).jpg

The Trackhouse Racing driver qualifies for the 2025 playoffs with his second career victory.

Hendrick Motorsports — Placed three of its cars in the top 10. Chase Elliott was a season-best third, Alex Bowman fourth and William Byron ninth.

Christopher Bell — He finished second, giving him seven top-three finishes in 16 races this year. He has three wins, three runner-up results and a third-place finish.

Michael McDowell — His fifth-place finish was his best of the season. He has placed in the top 10 in four of the last six road course races.

John Hunter Nemechek — His sixth-place finish is his third top 10 in the last six races and gives him a career-high five top 10s on the season.

Cole Custer — After travel snafus led to him and a few others from Haas Factory Team to drive from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Atlanta so they could fly to Mexico early Friday, he placed a season-best eighth Sunday.

Daniel Suarez — While he finished 19th in Sunday’s Cup race, his victory in Saturday’s Xfinity race in his home country was an electric and emotional moment he won’t forget.

LOSERS

Carson Hocevar — Ricky Stenhouse Jr. confronted Hocevar after their second on-track incident in the last three races. Also, Hocevar’s spin led to the final caution that came in the middle of a green-flag pit cycle and impacted the race for some drivers. On top of that, Hocevar finished 34th. He has finished 25th or worse in four of the last five races.

NASCAR: Wurth 400 presented by LIQUI MOLY

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s comments were caught by Carson Hocevar’s in-car camera after the race.

Kyle Busch — He entered the race tied for the last playoff spot (but outside the playoffs due to a tiebreaker). He crashed in the opening laps and finished last in the 37-car field. Busch now is 50 points out of the final playoff spot with 10 races left in the regular season.

Kyle Larson — His car was damaged in Kyle Busch’s incident and lost several laps for repairs. Larson finished 36th. He has finished 36th or worse in two of the last four races.

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