Earnhardt the Documentary Explains Earnhardt the Man in a Way We Never Thought We’d See
Dozens of sportswriters knew Dale Earnhardt better than I did, or covered him longer. But watching Earnhardt, the four-part documentary now available on Amazon Prime Video, it’s immediately evident that while this program certainly centers around Earnhardt, there are so many ancillary satellites revolving around the main planet, and as part four concludes with an […]
Dozens of sportswriters knew Dale Earnhardt better than I did, or covered him longer. But watching Earnhardt, the four-part documentary now available on Amazon Prime Video, it’s immediately evident that while this program certainly centers around Earnhardt, there are so many ancillary satellites revolving around the main planet, and as part four concludes with an obligatory, sad Willie Nelson song, you click off the remote and think: Man, so much about that time I forgot.
So much about his life, and his death, his friends and his enemies, the way he treated the people he liked, which was different from how he treated his family. How one day Earnhardt started showing up wearing a suit, glamorous third wife Teresa on his arm, became a tycoon, built his Dale Earnhardt, Inc. offices and shop, promptly dubbed the “Garage Mahal,” in 1999. Inside, it was chilly and confusing. Mixed messages abounded. Granite, with gold drinking fountains, plus a stuffed deer that Dale shot, and the shotgun he used to kill it. So many shiny trophies that, lumped together, sort of lose meaning. It reminded me of Graceland.
Dale Earnhardt Sr. holding hands with Teresa at the 2001 Daytona 500.George Tiedemann/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images
Let’s face it: We all know how this movie ends, in a comparatively innocuous-looking crash on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. So you’re signing up to watch a four-hour documentary because you are either interested in NASCAR in general, Dale Earnhardt in particular, or you just enjoy a well-told story.
The documentary, executive-produced by Ron Howard and his longtime business partner, Brian Grazer, will win awards, and it deserves to: I’ve worked on projects like this, and through all four parts I marveled at the precise footage and perfect soundbites the production team was able to unearth, because I know for every minute of aired footage, they must have had to plow through hours and hours of archives, beg friends and families and fans for home movies, refuse to take no for an answer when they knew what they needed exists, out there somewhere.
You don’t have to be a race fan to appreciate Earnhardt, though it helps, especially if you’ve been around for a while.
I met Dale Earnhardt on November 19, 1989, at what was then the Atlanta International Raceway. It was the Winston Cup season finale—and isn’t that the smartest marketing you ever saw, when you had to actually say the name of a cigarette company when you were referencing the series?—where the ’89 champion would be crowned. I was covering it for the Dallas Times Herald. It was my first NASCAR race. I wasn’t a Times Herald sportswriter; I was actually the paper’s television critic, and I had timed a visit to CNN studios to write a feature on the news network’s upcoming 10th anniversary for an airline magazine (remember those?). It was not a coincidence that there was an important NASCAR race there that weekend—I’d been writing about motorsports for a while, and it came time for me to check that NASCAR box.
So I joined 15 or 20 actual sportswriters in the Atlanta track’s small infield press room, accompanied by nobody I knew, but several I’d heard of. I was not accustomed to being in a room that had no view of the actual racetrack, but soon learned that wasn’t unusual.
ISC Archives/Getty Images
It was not a particularly eventful race, until lap 202, when the orange number 22 car of journeyman driver Grant Adcox pancaked the outside wall and burst into flames as the car traveled down the embankment, into the infield. It seemed to take forever to get Adcox out of the car: They had to use the Jaws of Life to cut off the roof. He was taken to the infield care center, then helicoptered to an Atlanta hospital. There’s little question that Adcox was dead before his car stopped rolling, as the mounting for his seat came loose in the impact, and unrestrained, he suffered fatal head and chest trauma, but it is typical of all forms of motorsports to transport the driver to the hospital, where the family can gather and an appropriate member of the clergy breaks the news, and the carefully structured official announcement is made later, so fans can leave unaware that they’d just seen someone die. To a T, that script would be followed 12 years later for Earnhardt himself.
Bettmann Archive/Getty Images
Adcox worked with his father at Herb Adcox Chevrolet in Chattanooga. He never had enough money to compete full-time in NASCAR, but raced regularly in the ARCA series, which used older Cup cars. Dale Earnhardt had said in an interview earlier in the season that he was impressed with Adcox’s talent, and with enough money, maybe he could be a success in the Cup series.
Some of the Cup races Adcox had managed to run seemed cursed. In 1974, Adcox qualified for a race at Talladega Superspeedway. Midway through the event, the caution flag flew, and the drivers dashed for pit road. As he started to pull into his pit stall, Adcox’s car began to slide, right into Gary Bettenhausen’s Roger Penske–owned AMC Matador, which was being serviced by the crew. Several of them were struck and injured, the worst being Don Miller, who lost a leg.
The following year, Adcox again qualified for the race at Talladega, but his crew chief dropped dead from a heart attack right there in the garage. The car was withdrawn, but Adcox found another ride, and then the race was delayed a week by rain. Adcox, a working man, had to cancel, and his spot in the field was given to fan favorite Tiny Lund, the affable 6-foot, 5-inch, 270-pound winner of the 1963 Daytona 500. In a multi-car crash on lap seven, Lund’s car was struck broadside, and he was killed. He was 45. Had Adcox been able to race, Lund would have been watching from the grandstands.
1974: Grant Adcox with several of his cars inside his shop in Chattanooga, TN. Adcox moved from a successful short-track career to NASCAR in the 1970s and ’80s, but had most of his success in the ARCA series, where he was a nine-time winner.ISC Archives/Getty Images
Earnhardt won that race at Atlanta, though he lost the 1989 championship to Rusty Wallace. Earnhardt was cheerful when he came into the press room to talk to us: One of his first comments was, “Boy, I hope Grant’s OK. That was a hard hit he took.” A sportswriter sitting next to me leaned over and whispered, “Did nobody tell him?”
Apparently not, and we sure didn’t. I spoke to Earnhardt briefly, then was soon back in my hotel room, about to type out the story on my wretched Radio Shack TRS 80 laptop. But what was my lede? That Earnhardt won? That Wallace was the champion? That Adcox was the first Cup driver to die in five years? I don’t recall what I typed into the Trash 80, but I typed away. And I had covered my first NASCAR race.
As I went to more and more races, Earnhardt was always a looming presence. He was hated and adored. I fell somewhere in between. Rubbing may be racing, but Earnhardt’s aggressiveness often rubbed me the wrong way, especially earlier in his career. He was polarizing—you either got him or you didn’t.
1982: Mike Joy interviewing Dale Earnhardt Sr. prior to the 1982 Daytona 500 start.Robert Alexander/Getty Images
I apologize for the above autobiography, and I need to get back to Earnhardt. The praise is deserved, and the use of film and clips from TV broadcasts is Emmy-worthy. The TV critic in me was a little put off by the staging of some of the present-day interviews: It isn’t unusual for the interviewer, unseen and unheard in this case, to tell the subject to look at me, not at the camera, but several of the subjects appear to be speaking to someone in another room. The interviews with bass fishing legend Hank Parker, an Earnhardt confidant, are so dark and distant it’s almost like he was being filmed by a hidden camera. But that would be nitpicking director Joshua Altman’s style. Taken as a whole, Earnhardt is top-shelf. Part three drags a bit, but the rest seem right-sized.
As I watched, I took notes. Following are some expansions on those notes, in no particular order, which fans of the man and the documentary might find of interest.
Ralph Earnhardt
1958: When you have an injured leg, what better place to perch at a NASCAR race than in the trunk of a passenger car, as Ralph Earnhardt proves to several of his fellow NASCAR competitors (Bobby Isaac, Ned Jarrett, and Richard Petty).ISC Archives/Getty Images
I wanted more from Earnhardt about Ralph Earnhardt than we were served. The importance he played in his son Dale’s life, perhaps not so much by action as inaction, was telling at every turn. Growing up at racetracks in the south, I’d seen dozens of Ralph Earnhardts: Lean, hard-bitten, tanned, wary and suspicious, usually with a pack of Lucky Strikes tucked in their shirt pocket. Ralph was a talented driver, perhaps an even more talented car- and engine-builder, as often as not working for the drivers he competed against on Saturday nights.
Ralph toiled for years in cotton gins, looking for a way out. That would be racing. With his typically German meticulous, practical personality, he wanted more, but didn’t crave it, didn’t demand superstardom, didn’t much want to travel, but he dominated racing for years at local tracks, where he made enough money and got to sleep in his own bed every night. He was sick most of 1973 with heart trouble, had to let his friend Stick Elliott race his car, but was back behind the wheel that summer, and won two races at Concord Speedway. “Veteran Ralph Earnhardt is back in high gear,” said the Charlotte News in July.
ISC Archives/Getty Images
Two months later, Ralph Earnhardt died, at home, from a heart attack. He was 45. Years after, Dale spoke about his father in an interview. “That’s the last funeral I’ve ever gone to. It took me a year or so to get over being mad. I felt like I was robbed. I felt hurt,” Dale said. “It was too tough to take. The memories. All the things I wanted to tell him.”
Which, we learn from Earnhardt, isn’t at all dissimilar from the way Junior felt after losing his father, who was 49.
Teresa Earnhardt
Brian Cleary/Getty Images
Teresa Houston was pretty, and she knew it. She had grown up around racing—her uncle is Tommy Houston, who had 24 wins and 198 top-10 finishes in the NASCAR Busch series, and her cousin Andy Houston raced in all three of the major NASCAR series. She naturally met Earnhardt at the track, and they married on November 14, 1982.
She wanted to be a mother—her daughter Taylor Nicole was born on December 20, 1988—but she wasn’t crazy about being a stepmother. The relationship between her and Dale’s other kids, son Kerry, daughter Kelley, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., was icy from the start. Kerry related on Dale Jr.’s podcast that when he was finally invited to his father’s house for the first time—at age 16—Teresa slammed the door in his face.
It may seem that Teresa, now 66, has been unfairly painted as the evil stepmother, but she certainly hasn’t helped her own cause. She virtually disappeared after Earnhardt was killed. She inherited everything: The Garage Mahal, the race teams, so much property, and the spectacularly profitable souvenir business.
Teresa Earnhardt poses for a portrait in front of a painting of her late husband, at the Dale Earnhardt Inc. offices in Mooresville, North Carolina, on December 1, 2002.Rick Dole/Getty Images
Kelley, Kerry, and Dale Jr. got nothing, not even their own names. When Kerry and his wife Rene signed a deal with Schumacher Homes to help design and promote new houses, they called it the “Earnhardt Collection.” The ads were benign, in no way suggesting that Dale Earnhardt or his estate had anything to do with the project. Nonetheless, Teresa filed suit against her stepson in 2017, contending that Kerry, by using the name he was born with, was infringing on her copyright. Kelley and Junior were properly appalled, but not surprised. The case dragged on for years. It’s difficult to even conceive of a reason why Teresa would do this, aside from spite.
It’s worth noting, too, that Teresa had Senior buried on “her” land, and Junior revealed in a very recent Washington Post interview that he has only been able to visit his father’s grave once since he died, because Teresa has forbidden him and Kelley to access her property. Which may or may not be legal, given North Carolina’s confusing laws pertaining to whether or not a property owner can legally bar the next of kin from a gravesite.
(L-R) Teresa Earnhardt speaks as Kerry Earnhardt, Kelley Earnhardt Miller, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Taylor Earnhardt stand on stage during Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s 2010 NASCAR Hall of Fame induction.Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
With the possible exception of Brooke Sealey, Jeff Gordon’s first wife, no NASCAR ex has maintained a lower public profile than Teresa. Her name was most recently in the news last October, when she revealed plans for a portion of what the Charlotte Observer called her “vast landholdings.” The paper reported that she had asked the local planning board to rezone 399 acres in Mooresville so she could build an industrial park.
Earnhardt mentioned that Dale Jr. continued to race for the now-Teresa-owned Dale Earnhardt, Inc., until 2007, when the situation just became untenable. After his move to Hendrick Motorsports, sponsors fled DEI, and Teresa had to merge with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2008.
The extent to which Teresa is reviled by so many NASCAR fans wasn’t fully explored in Earnhardt, nor was her toxic relationship with her three stepchildren. It’s just so sad.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
George Tiedemann/Sports Illustrated/Getty Ima
No one is more surprised than I am that I’m describing Junior as a deeply complex man. In his younger years, that would have seemed absurd: What’s so complex about a kid who loves pickup trucks and beer and video games, and hanging out with his buddies, and who very possibly could have found happiness working forever at his father’s Chevrolet dealership?
One thing Earnhardt puts in laser focus was Junior’s need to earn his father’s respect, and he saw racing as being the road to that. Despite being a very wealthy man, Senior repeatedly balked at helping his children race, ostensibly because he wanted them to experience the same maturing desperation that he met and eventually conquered.
Hank Parker says in Earnhardt that he convinced Dale to spend some money helping them out, and Senior did buy them each a late-model car to run at local paved ovals, and a truck and trailer to haul them around in. It’s downright stunning when Junior says that he raced in 159 late-model races, and his father never came to a single one. Junior knew nothing about racecraft, and the man who possibly knew more about it than anyone declined to teach him.
Brian Cleary/Getty Images
Still, Junior battled through all that to win races—and a burgeoning fan base. When he moved to Hendrick, many of us thought he had it made, but Junior struggled. He had the same equipment Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon did, but they were winning championships and he wasn’t. After a colleague and I interviewed him during the now-defunct NASCAR media tour, we walked away disheartened by how sad Dale seemed. I asked him if he felt he had good chemistry with his current crew chief, and he said, “I’m not sure I’ve ever had good chemistry with a crew chief. I don’t even know what that is.” NASCAR drivers just don’t say things like that to reporters holding tape recorders. Afterward, my friend suggested, not entirely kidding, that Hendrick needed to put him on suicide watch.
When Dale Jr. retired at the end of the 2017 season, he had amassed a very respectable record: 26 wins, two of them the Daytona 500, with 260 top-10s in 631 races.
He and Kelley formed JR Motorsports, which in 2016 began fielding NASCAR Nationwide (now Xfinity) series cars, with the help of Rick Hendrick. The team began winning that first year and hasn’t stopped. Sponsors are delighted to bask in Junior’s company, and he and Kelley seem really happy in their respective roles.
Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Junior was one of NASCAR’s early adopters when it came to social media, founding the Dale Jr. Download in 2013, with Junior becoming the regular host in 2017. The podcast added video, and as Earnhardt honed his skill as a broadcaster, the Dale Jr. Download has become possibly the single most influential media source there is in the racing world—not just NASCAR, as Junior can and does have guests from all forms of racing. The way Howard Stern can get celebrities to emotionally expose themselves in a way they won’t anywhere else, racers will reveal parts of their lives to Junior that would typically be off limits elsewhere.
Never has Junior seemed so comfortable in his own skin. Years ago, I said this on a radio show that I hosted: If any racer had a license to be an asshole, it’s Dale Earnhardt, Jr. But he isn’t. In person, he’s polite, interested in what you have to say, patient with fans wanting autographs and selfies, and a genuinely nice guy.
I think that comes across in Earnhardt. Because the documentary is supposed to be about Senior, but Junior carries the day. Good for him, and Kelley, and Kerry.
SSR Motorsports, All Balls Racing Sponsor Pit Bike Racing at Permco AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days Presented by Turn 14 Distribution
Press Release | July 10, 2025 Pit bike racing will be expanded at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, with SSR Motorsports coming in as the title sponsor and All Balls Racing joining as the presenting sponsor of the two-day competition. Photo by Mariah Lacy/Courtesy of the AMA This is a press release from the AMA Pickerington, […]
Pit bike racing will be expanded at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, with SSR Motorsports coming in as the title sponsor and All Balls Racing joining as the presenting sponsor of the two-day competition.
Photo by Mariah Lacy/Courtesy of the AMA
This is a press release from the AMA
Pickerington, OH (July 10, 2025) — After a successful inaugural running at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days in 2024, pit bike racing will be expanded at this year’s event, with SSR Motorsports coming in as the title sponsor and All Balls Racing joining as the presenting sponsor of the two-day competition.
“With pit bike racing taking place on Friday and Saturday evening during Permco AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days presented by Turn 14 Distribution, we anticipate some outstanding battles for AMA No. 1 plates,” AMA Director of Racing Mike Pelletier said. “We greatly appreciate SSR Motorsports and All Balls Racing for their support of this expanded racing effort!”
Eight classes will compete for AMA national titles, with the No. 1 plates on the line in the 110 Stock, 110 Stock Unlimited, 12-Inch Open, Vet, Vintage Minicycle, Women, Trailbike and Industry classes.
For more information on pit bike racing at VMD, visit VintageMotorcycleDays.com/racing/pitbike-racing/.
SSR Motorsports has emerged as one of the top manufacturers of pit bikes and dirt bikes since its creation in 2002. Visit www.ssrmotorsports.com/ for more on SSR Motorsports.
All Balls Racing is a major brand in the aftermarket powersports industry and is one of the largest global suppliers of aftermarket parts for the powersports industry. Learn more about All Balls Racing at www.allballsracing.com/ .
Permco AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days presented by Turn 14 Distribution has plenty of other exciting happenings, with North America’s largest motorcycle swap meet, vendor displays, demo rides and much more! Stay tuned to vintagemotorcycledays.com/ and the official VMD social media pages on Facebook and Instagram for all of the details.
NASCAR 2025 Sonoma Race TV schedule: Where to watch, free live stream
NASCAR arrives at the Sonoma Raceway this weekend, for the three action-packed races culminating in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 on Sunday, July 13. It’s the second consecutive road course weekend in a row, and also marks Round 3 of the In-Season Challenge. There will be televised practices and qualifying races throughout the weekend leading up […]
NASCAR arrives at the Sonoma Raceway this weekend, for the three action-packed races culminating in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 on Sunday, July 13. It’s the second consecutive road course weekend in a row, and also marks Round 3 of the In-Season Challenge.
There will be televised practices and qualifying races throughout the weekend leading up to the Toyota/Save Mart 350. 2025 Sonoma weekend includes racing events for the ARCA Menards West Series (General Tire 200) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250) along with the NASCAR Cup Series.
NASCAR’s 2025 Sonoma Race Televised Schedule
Friday, July 11
Xfinity Series Practice, 4 p.m. on The CW (STREAM)
Xfinity Series Qualifying, 5:10 p.m. on The CW (STREAM)
ARCA Menards Series West General Tire 200, 6:30 p.m. on FLORACING
Saturday, July 12
Cup Series Practice, 1:35 p.m. on truTV (STREAM)
Cup Series Qualifying, 2:40 p.m. on truTV (STREAM)
NASCAR Xfinity Series Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250, 4:30 p.m. on The CW (STREAM)
Sunday, July 13
NASCAR Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350, 3:30 p.m. on TNT (STREAM)
Where to watch the Toyota/Save Mart 350, all Sonoma events
Turner-owned networks TNT, TBS and truTV have taken over NASCAR broadcasting for the back half of the season, which means DirecTV (free trial) has become the best bet for fans looking to watch NASCAR without cable TV. Sling and Hulu + Live TV also carry the channels, but fuboTV is no longer a viable option.
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The one exception is the ARCA West race, on Friday, which airs exclusively on the FLORACING streaming service.
What to know about the Sonoma Raceway
Sonoma Raceway, nestled in the rolling vineyards of Northern California, is the West Coast’s premier road‑course track since its debut in 1989. It’s a challenging 1.99‑mile, 12‑turn layout with its significant elevation changes that has produced memorable races. The Toyota/Save Mart 350, held annually in mid‑July, is the only Cup event in California and features 110 laps (218.9 miles).
Kyle Larson has Sonoma victories in 2021 and again last year, but in 2023, Martin Truex Jr. dominated the race, leading 51 laps en route to victory. Historically, legends like Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, and Rusty Wallace have left their mark here, reflecting the race’s reputation for requiring finesse and patience.
This year’s race, the 20th on the calendar, offers significant prize money—$11 million-plus—and serves as the third event in NASCAR’s new In‑Season Challenge. Shane van Gisbergen looks like a strong favorite thanks to momentum from recent road‑course success, including victory at Chicago last week. But Kyle Larson, with three wins on the season, remains a perennial threat that cannot be ignored.
Can I bet on the Toyota/Save Mart 350?
Yes, you can bet on NASCAR from your phone in New York State, and we’ve compiled some of the best introductory offers to help navigate your first bets from BetMGM, FanDuel, DraftKings, Bet365 and more.
Shane Van Gisbergen is favored again to win, thanks to his success on road courses this season. After last weekend’s win in Chicago, Van Gisbergen is +130 to win his third road course of the year.
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Start time, weekend schedule, how to watch live, and purse
The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Sonoma Raceway for the Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250. Justin Allgaier heads into the weekend leading the drivers’ championship with 646 points. The JR Motorsports driver is closely followed by Austin Hill and Sam Mayer in second and third, respectively. Here is everything you need to know ahead of the Xfinity Series […]
The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Sonoma Raceway for the Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250.
Justin Allgaier heads into the weekend leading the drivers’ championship with 646 points. The JR Motorsports driver is closely followed by Austin Hill and Sam Mayer in second and third, respectively.
Here is everything you need to know ahead of the Xfinity Series race weekend.
When is the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Sonoma Raceway?
Friday, 11 July
4 p.m. ET: NASCAR Xfinity Series Practice
5.05 p.m. ET: NASCAR Xfinity Series Qualifying
Sunday, 12 July
4.30 p.m. ET: NASCAR Xfinity Series Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250
How to watch the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Sonoma Raceway?
Both practice and qualifying for the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Sonoma Raceway will be available to follow live on CW and APP. The race, the Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250, can be followed live on CW, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
What is the purse for the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Sonoma Raceway?
The purse for the Xfinity Series race at Sonoma will be $1,651,939. This includes payouts, all positions, contingency awards, contributions to the year-end points fund, etc.
Race winner Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports, Valvoline Chevrolet Camaro
Photo by: Lesley Ann Miller / Motorsport Images
NASCAR Xfinity Series at Sonoma Raceway entry list
1. Ross Chastain — Trackhouse Racing 2. Austin Cindric — Team Penske 3. Austin Dillon — Richard Childress Racing 4. Noah Gragson — Front Row Motorsports 5. Kyle Larson — Hendrick Motorsports 6. Brad Keselowski — RFK Racing 7. Justin Haley — Spire Motorsports 8. Kyle Busch — Richard Childress Racing 9. Chase Elliott — Hendrick Motorsports 10. Ty Dillon — Kaulig Racing 11. Denny Hamlin — Joe Gibbs Racing 12. Ryan Blaney — Team Penske 13. AJ Allmendinger — Kaulig Racing 14. Chris Buescher — RFK Racing 15. Chase Briscoe — Joe Gibbs Racing 16. Christopher Bell — Joe Gibbs Racing 17. Josh Berry — Wood Brothers Racing 18. Joey Logano — Team Penske 19. Bubba Wallace — 23XI Racing 20. William Byron — Hendrick Motorsports 21. Todd Gilliland — Front Row Motorsports 22. Riley Herbst — 23XI Racing 23. Zane Smith — Front Row Motorsports 24. Cole Custer — Haas Factory Team 25. John H. Nemechek — Legacy Motor Club 26. Erik Jones — Legacy Motor Club 27. Tyler Reddick — 23XI Racing 28. Ricky Stenhouse Jr — HYAK Motorsports 29. Alex Bowman — Hendrick Motorsports 30. Cody Ware — Rick Ware Racing 31. Ty Gibbs — Joe Gibbs Racing 32. Ryan Preece — RFK Racing 33. Michael McDowell — Spire Motorsports 34. Carson Hocevar — Spire Motorsports 35. Katherine Legge — Live Fast Motorsports 36. Shane Van Gisbergen — Trackhouse Racing 37. Daniel Suárez — Trackhouse Racing
What are the NASCAR Xfinity Series standings ahead of Sonoma Raceway?
1. Justin Allgaier — 648 2. Austin Hill — 597 3. Sam Mayer — 597 4. Jesse Love — 581 5. Connor Zilisch — 571 6. Carson Kvapil — 511 7. Brandon Jones — 484 8. Sheldon Creed — 478 9. Nicholas Sanchez — 474 10. Jeb Burton — 460 11. Sammy Smith — 459 12. Taylor Gray — 456 13. Harrison Burton — 448 14. Ryan Sieg — 426 15. Christian Eckes — 396 16. Dean Thompson — 395 17. Daniel Dye — 391 18. Brennan Poole — 353 19. Josh Williams — 329 20. Jeremy Clements — 326 21. Anthony Alfredo — 282 22. Matt DiBenedetto — 277 23. Aric Almirola — 268 24. Kyle Sieg — 250 25. William Sawalich — 249 26. Parker Retzlaff — 243 27. Blaine Perkins — 242 28. Ryan Ellis — 231 29. Kris Wright — 169 30. Josh Bilicki — 140 31. Leland Honeyman — 138 32. Garrett Smithley — 136 33. Mason Massey — 108 34. Joey Gase — 106 35. Alex Labbe — 80 36. Thomas Annunziata — 80 37. Nick Leitz — 73 38. Corey Day — 66 39. Mason Maggio — 66 40. Austin Green — 58 41. Justin Bonsignore — 55 42. Brad Perez — 44 43. CJ McLaughlin — 33 44. Greg Van Alst — 33 45. Caesar Bacarella — 31 46. Jordan Anderson — 30 47. Myatt Snider — 26 48. Logan Bearden — 24 49. Kasey Kahne — 23 50. Patrick Staropoli — 23 51. Jeffrey Earnhardt — 23 52. Ryan Truex — 20 53. Jesse Iwuji — 17 54. Carson Ware — 15 55. Sage Karam — 14 56. Vicente Salas — 13 57. David Starr — 11 58. Dawson Cram — 11 59. JJ Yeley — 9 60. Preston Pardus — 9 61. Jack Perkins — 5 62. Andre Castro — 4 63. Baltazar Leguizamón — 1 64. Ruben Rovelo — 1
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NASCAR TV schedule for Sonoma Raceway NASCAR is going road course racing in California. Sonoma Raceway is set to host the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and ARCA Menards Series. View the Sonoma TV schedule for NASCAR weekend below. Sonoma RacewayTV Schedule The following includes all on-track NASCAR action: FridayJuly 11, 2025 1:40pm ETNo TVARCA […]
Who Is David Malukas? The Gen Z Driver, Master Meme-Maker & Video Game Lover
Bob Pockrass FOX Motorsports Insider Meet the Meme King of INDYCAR. At 23 years old, David Malukas already has 53 starts in the series, and it could have been more if not for a broken wrist suffered while mountain biking that turned his 2024 year into turmoil — the injury resulting in him being released […]
At 23 years old, David Malukas already has 53 starts in the series, and it could have been more if not for a broken wrist suffered while mountain biking that turned his 2024 year into turmoil — the injury resulting in him being released from Arrow McLaren before ever appearing in a race.
The now-A.J. Foyt Racing driver (who is seen as a possible replacement for Will Power at Team Penske) is 12th in the standings after 10 races this season.
He is also a self-proclaimed video game addict and master meme-maker, as he details in this interview with FOX Sports.
Who is David Malukas?
David Malukas is a Gen Z INDYCAR driver. I like memes. I like to go fast.
Courtesy of Alex Brisbey.
How would your friends or your girlfriend describe you?
That’s how, I think, they would describe me. Just very, I’d say, real. I am who I am. No matter the situation, I like to just be myself, show my jokes, my memes — no matter how serious things can be.
We’re at Road America, a place where you saw your dad race. How cool is it to race at a place where you watched your dad? (Father Henry is a racer and owner of HMD Motorsports in INDY NXT)
It’s very cool. And it was really cool because he was in the Corvette, too. I grew up here as a kid, did some karting and watched my dad drive around here, so it’s pretty fun. Me and him can always talk and converse about how much INDYCAR is going through the carousel and the kink. He’s always blown away that we’re actually flat [on the throttle] going through there. It’s awesome.
Does he give you advice on how to drive an INDYCAR?
No, definitely not. No advice from his side. When he was still doing some driving here and there, he was actually asking me for some advice, how to go through it. He did DD2 [karting], … and he actually made it to the kart masters finals. So he was pretty good at the time. He was on it.
Courtesy of Alex Brisbey.
You’re from the Chicago area, so are you a Bulls fan in Indiana country?
For me, I was never too much into the whole basketball thing. So actually, I went to the Pacers games and kind of had a connection. The game I tried to go to was when they were going against the Bulls. For me, it was a win-win situation. No matter what happens here, I’m going to be happy. That was a strategic game to go watch.
Cubs or White Sox?
It was always just motorsports, motorsports as a kid. But you kind of always had to pick a side. And for me, when I was very, very young, it was the White Sox. But now, we’ve been Cubs.
As a Gen Z driver, do you think they need better music at the track? What’s the suggestion of a Gen Z driver for an INDYCAR race?
It’s always to make things just feel fun. I think there’s always a balance between being professional and obviously having some jokes here and there. For me, a little bit looser walking around the paddock, making some more jokes, like you said some good music. Anything that has to do with memes and just making memes out of everything. That’s kind of been my spiel.
How many memes have gotten you in trouble, and how many memes do people really like?
I have to go through a very extensive course. It takes me hours or sometimes days before I even post something to make sure that the meme I’m posting won’t get taken wrong in any way. I ask so many different people of all different categories. I’m like, “What do you see out of this?” The majority of the people outside of Gen Z say, “I don’t even know what that means.” So I’m like, “OK, great.” That’s what I wanted to hear because then nobody even understands what’s going on. So we do take extensive care to make sure that what I post is not going to be conflicting in any way. But also, some of the time, that is part of the Gen Z jokes is pushing the edge a little bit on a lot of stuff.
Courtesy of Alex Brisbey.
It seems like that type of attitude has also probably helped you over the last 18 months.
Of course — 100 percent. You go into it having full confidence, and I just do what I want to do. I don’t let anything kind of change who I am or change what I want to do. I just go out there and do my thing.
And you are a little bit of a gamer, too? Or a lot?
Yeah, a lot.
So what’s the best game you’re playing right now?
Football Manager is what I’m playing right now. It’s soccer. During my puberty years, I really got connected with soccer — football internationally — because I lived in England and the Premier League over there is just such a big deal. It’s massive over there. So I got that connection over there. Shout out my team, Chelsea. I’ve just been in love with football. So I got on this Football Manager, super nerdy, really into detail. Anything that you could think of from a management standpoint, making sure that everybody’s happy and then the players are in the right mood, and figuring out their skill sets. It goes super into detail. And I love it. Growing up as a kid, it was Call of Duty, the casual ones. And now it’s more very nerdy stuff. The more brain intensive to cure my ADHD, the better.
Courtesy of Alex Brisbey.
Are you somebody who can’t start playing because you’re going to play it for four hours so you just don’t start?
Yes. That’s all the games that I play. By the time you actually get into the zone and start the game, it’s like two hours have gone by. So, normally, in these times when it’s like 30 minutes, an hour, I can’t really get it done.
So you don’t even try?
No, I don’t even try. It’s just not going to happen.
Do you ever worry about getting addicted?
Addicted? I’m already addicted. 100 percent, yes. It is what it is. My whole family, ADHD is a big thing. Anything that can help with our hyper-fixations, the better. So for me, gaming just lets me kind of switch everything off and be super hyper-fixated on this one thing that’s going on. And I think that also correlates to my successes on track. You get so hyper-fixated on what’s in front of you and hitting your lines, and you get into this rhythm, this other zone, and it just cures whatever’s going on inside my brain.
Do you have pseudonym name so nobody knows who you are on those games?
Oh, yeah, 100 percent.
So you’ve never had anybody come up to you at the track and be like, ‘Hey, I was playing you’?
No, but being a super-intense gamer, I’m on Reddit, by the way, you Redditors. Man, if I’ve had a bad race, I don’t go on Reddit because people are aggressive, so stay away from Reddit. But I’m on Reddit. I’m on Discord. I’m actually part of the INDYCAR Discord channel, so I’ve connected with a lot of players on there, and so they actually know my name and see me play. And obviously, Discord tells them what I’m playing. So some people definitely do know from the INDYCAR paddock, but most don’t.
Finally, do you try to explain this stuff to your team boss Larry Foyt?
I haven’t even tried. I think it would go right over his head.
Courtesy of Alex Brisbey.
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
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NASCAR Xfinity Race Features Rematch Between JR Motorsports Teammates
SONOMA, Cal. – After an eye-opening experience on the streets of Chicago, Connor Zilisch knows what to expect from JR Motorsports teammate Shane van Gisbergen in Saturday’s Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250 at Sonoma Raceway (4:30 p.m. ET on CW, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Zilisch led the field to green with two laps left in Chicago, […]
SONOMA, Cal. – After an eye-opening experience on the streets of Chicago, Connor Zilisch knows what to expect from JR Motorsports teammate Shane van Gisbergen in Saturday’s Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250 at Sonoma Raceway (4:30 p.m. ET on CW, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Zilisch led the field to green with two laps left in Chicago, only to have van Gisbergen dive to his inside entering Turn 1, run him wide in the corner to take the lead and pull away to win the race.
“I was clear there, just barely, on the front straight, and I just let him get to my inside, and he took advantage of it,” Zilisch said after the race. “I should have been a little more aggressive there. I just thought he was going to race me a little cleaner.
“I’ve just got to be better and not let that stuff happen. I’ll learn from it and move on.”
As they were in Chicago, SVG and Zilisch are the top two choices to win on Saturday, by a wide margin. Van Gisbergen won last year’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race in his only start at the 1.99-mile circuit.
The 36-year-old New Zealander is coming off a weekend sweep at Chicago, where he won both races from the pole.
“Last weekend was epic,” van Gisbergen said. “JRM built me a rocket, and I’m glad our strategy ended up working out and we were able to get the win. I’m a lucky guy to be able to drive some fast Chevrolets.
“Looking forward to Sonoma this weekend. It’s an awesome track and I had a blast racing there last season and even brought home the win. Hoping to do it again this weekend for my No. 9 JRM team.”
SVG won last year’s Chicago and Sonoma races in the No. 97 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet. This year he’s driving for JRM, which has won all three road course races this season with three different drivers and the last five (dating to last year) with four different drivers.
Though SVG and Zilisch are the most likely winners, their battle won’t be the only one of significance at Sonoma. There are eight races left in the Xfinity regular season and five Playoff spots still open.
Taylor Gray and Harrison Burton are just eight points apart on either side of the current elimination line, with Gray holding the final Playoff berth as of the Chicago Street Race.
In that event, Burton finished 13th to Gray’s 34th and trimmed 20 points off Gray’s advantage entering the race.
Source: Reid Spencer | NASCAR Wire Service
2025 NXS Pit Boss / FoodMaxx 250 Entry List – 07/08
Photo by Mariah Lacy/Courtesy of the AMA
