Motorsports
Federal judge calls on NASCAR, teams to settle bitter antitrust battle
By JENNA FRYER CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A federal judge urged NASCAR and two of its teams, including one owned by retired NBA great Michael Jordan, to settle their increasingly acrimonious legal fight that spilled over into tense arguments during a hearing on Tuesday. U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell of the Western District of North […]

By JENNA FRYER
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A federal judge urged NASCAR and two of its teams, including one owned by retired NBA great Michael Jordan, to settle their increasingly acrimonious legal fight that spilled over into tense arguments during a hearing on Tuesday.
U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell of the Western District of North Carolina grilled both NASCAR and the teams — 23XI Racing, which is owned by Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, and Front Row Motorsports, owned by entrepreneur Bob Jenkins — on what they hoped to accomplish in the antitrust battle that has loomed over the stock car series for months.
“It’s hard to picture a winner if this goes to the mat — or to the flag — in this case,” Bell said. “It scares me to death to think about what all this is costing.”
23XI and Front Row were the only two organizations that refused to sign a take-it-or-leave-it offer from NASCAR last September on a new charter agreement. Charters are NASCAR’s version of a franchise model, with each charter guaranteeing entry to the lucrative Cup Series races and a stable revenue stream; 13 other teams signed the agreements last fall, with some contending they had little choice.
The nearly two-hour hearing was on the teams’ request to toss out NASCAR’s countersuit, which accuses Jordan business manager Curtis Polk of “willfully” violating antitrust laws by orchestrating anticompetitive collective conduct in negotiations. NASCAR said it learned in discovery that Polk in messages among the 15 teams tried to form a “cartel” type operation that would include threats of boycotting races and a refusal to individually negotiate.
One of NASCAR’s attorneys even cited a Benjamin Franklin quote Polk allegedly sent to the 15 organizations that read: “We must all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.”
Jeffrey Kessler, an attorney representing the teams, was angered by the revelation in open court, contending it is privileged information only revealed in discovery. Kessler also argued none of NASCAR’s claims in the countersuit prove anything illegal was done by Polk or the Race Team Alliance during the charter negotiation process.
“NASCAR knows it has no defense to the monopolization case so they have come up with this claim about joint negotiations, which they agreed to, never objected to, and now suddenly it’s an antitrust violation,” Kessler said outside court. “It makes absolutely no sense. It’s not going to help them deflect from the monopolizing they have done in this market and the harm they have inflicted.”
He added that “the attacks” on Polk were “false, unfounded and frankly beneath the dignity of my adversary to even make those type of comments, which he should know better about.”
NASCAR attorneys said Polk improperly tried to pressure all 15 teams that comprise the RTA to stand together collectively in negotiations and encouraged boycotting qualifying races for the 2024 Daytona 500. NASCAR, they said, took the threat seriously because the teams had previously boycotted a scheduled meeting with series executives.
“NASCAR knew the next step was they could boycott a race, which was a threat they had to take seriously,” attorney Lawrence Buterman said on behalf of NASCAR.
Kessler said outside court the two teams are open to settlement talks, but noted NASCAR has said it will not renegotiate the charters. NASCAR’s attorneys declined to comment after the hearing.
Bell did not indicate when he’d rule, other than saying he would decide quickly.
Kessler said he would file an appeal by the end of the week after a three-judge federal appellate panel dismissed a preliminary injunction that required NASCAR to recognize 23XI and Front Row as chartered teams while the court fight is being resolved.
Kessler wants the issue heard by the full appellate court. The injunction has no bearing on the merits of the case, which is scheduled to go to trial in December. The earliest NASCAR can treat the teams as unchartered is one week after the deadline to appeal, provided there is no pending appeal or whenever the appeals process has been exhausted.
There are 36 chartered cars for the 40-car field each week. If 23XI and Front Row are not recognized as chartered, their six cars would have to compete as “open” teams — which means they’d have to qualify on speed each week to make the race and they would receive a fraction of the money guaranteed for chartered teams.
Some of the arguments Tuesday centered on Jonathan Marshall, the executive director of the RTA. NASCAR has demanded text messages and emails from Marshall and says it has received roughly 100 texts and over 55,000 pages of emails.
NASCAR wants all texts between Marshall and 55 people from 2020 through 2024 that contain specific search terms. Attorneys for the RTA said that covers more than 3,000 texts, some of which are privileged, and some that have been “deleted to save storage or he didn’t need them anymore.”
That issue is set to be heard during a hearing next Tuesday before Bell.
___
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Motorsports
NASCAR playoff standings, Cup points updated after Grant Park 165 at Chicago Street Race
NASCAR has updated its playoff standings and Cup points after the Grant Park 165 at the Chicago Street Race on Sunday. Shane van Gisbergen won the race, and there are now seven races remaining before the playoffs begin. The Chicago Street Race also featured the second round of NASCAR’s In-Season Tournament. Here’s a look at […]

NASCAR has updated its playoff standings and Cup points after the Grant Park 165 at the Chicago Street Race on Sunday. Shane van Gisbergen won the race, and there are now seven races remaining before the playoffs begin.
The Chicago Street Race also featured the second round of NASCAR’s In-Season Tournament. Here’s a look at the updated NASCAR playoff standings and Cup points.
NASCAR playoff standings after Chicago
Shane van Gisbergen now has 11 playoff points after earning a win at Chicago. He is one of five drivers who have over 10 playoff points this year.
Bubba Wallace suffered a setback after finishing 28th at Chicago. He would make the playoffs if it began today, but the 31-year-old is only two points above the cut line.
Rank | Driver | Wins | Playoff Points |
1 | Kyle Larson | 3 | 23 |
2 | Denny Hamlin | 3 | 19 |
3 | Christopher Bell | 3 | 16 |
4 | William Byron | 1 | 12 |
5 | Shane van Gisbergen | 2 | 11 |
6 | Ryan Blaney | 1 | 9 |
7 | Austin Cindric | 1 | 8 |
8 | Joey Logano | 1 | 7 |
9 | Chase Briscoe | 1 | 6 |
10 | Josh Berry | 1 | 6 |
11 | Chase Elliott | 1 | 5 |
12 | Ross Chastain | 1 | 5 |
13 | Tyler Reddick | 0 | +143 |
14 | Alex Bowman | 0 | +39 |
15 | Chris Buescher | 0 | +35 |
16 | Bubba Wallace | 0 | +2 |
17 | Ryan Preece | 0 | -2 |
18 | AJ Allmendinger | 0 | -43 |
19 | Kyle Busch | 0 | -46 |
20 | Erik Jones | 0 | -50 |
Updated Cup points after Chicago Street Race
William Byron finished last at Chicago but still has the most Cup points in 632. He has only won the Daytona 500 this season, but Byron has been a consistent driver with 10 top-10 finishes, seven top-five finishes and seven stage wins.
Byron is not too comfortable, as Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson are right behind him. Elliott is 13 points behind the leader, while Larson is only 19 points behind Byron.
Rank | Driver | Points | Leader |
1 | William Byron | 632 | 0 |
2 | Chase Elliott | 619 | -13 |
3 | Kyle Larson | 613 | -19 |
4 | Denny Hamlin | 589 | -43 |
5 | Tyler Reddick | 584 | -48 |
6 | Christopher Bell | 565 | -67 |
7 | Ryan Blaney | 539 | -93 |
8 | Ross Chastain | 490 | -142 |
9 | Chase Briscoe | 482 | -150 |
10 | Alex Bowman | 480 | -152 |
11 | Chris Buescher | 476 | -156 |
12 | Joey Logano | 471 | -161 |
13 | Bubba Wallace | 443 | -189 |
14 | Ryan Preece | 441 | -191 |
15 | AJ Allmendinger | 400 | -232 |
16 | Kyle Busch | 397 | -235 |
17 | Erik Jones | 393 | -239 |
18 | Austin Cindric | 389 | -243 |
19 | Ty Gibbs | 377 | -255 |
20 | John Hunter Nemechek | 375 | -257 |
21 | Carson Hocevar | 368 | -264 |
22 | Josh Berry | 366 | -266 |
23 | Michael McDowell | 366 | -266 |
24 | Zane Smith | 363 | -269 |
25 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 361 | -271 |
26 | Austin Dillon | 315 | -317 |
27 | Shane van Gisbergen | 308 | -324 |
28 | Brad Keselowski | 307 | -325 |
29 | Daniel Suarez | 307 | -325 |
30 | Todd Gilliland | 306 | -326 |
Motorsports
DePaul-branded race car competes at NASCAR Street Race
This past weekend, NASCAR held the Chicago Street Race in Grant Park for a third consecutive year. DePaul landed a partnership with Spire Motorsports and was featured on Michael McDowell’s No. 71 Chevrolet ZL1. “Partnering with Spire Motorsports for the NASCAR Chicago Street Race allows us to spotlight DePaul on a national stage while embracing […]

This past weekend, NASCAR held the Chicago Street Race in Grant Park for a third consecutive year. DePaul landed a partnership with Spire Motorsports and was featured on Michael McDowell’s No. 71 Chevrolet ZL1.
“Partnering with Spire Motorsports for the NASCAR Chicago Street Race allows us to spotlight DePaul on a national stage while embracing a global event in our own backyard,” said DePaul Vice President and Director of Athletics DeWayne Peevy. “It’s the perfect example of how we’re using sports to elevate our visibility and create real-world learning experiences for our students.”
DePaul went full throttle with a partnership, but McDowell wasn’t able to go full throttle in the race.

He started in second place and led each of the opening 31 laps; he passed Shane van Gisbergen — the winner of the Cup Series — in the opening corner.
There was an issue with McDowell’s throttle cable that sent him to the service lane, and ultimately took him out of the running for the win.
“The throttle cable just broke,” McDowell said to NASCAR post-race. “I don’t know what caused it or how it got to that spot, but that’s what happened. I feel like we had control of the race the whole race.
“I was behind the pace car, and the throttle stuck wide-open. Luckily, I got to the switches fast enough before I ran into something, and then a cable broke after that. It’s just a shame. We had a great car,” McDowell said.
McDowell ended up finishing in 32nd place, 22 laps behind van Gisbergen.
“Epic weekend for us. I’m a lucky guy,” van Gisbergen said to the Associated Press.
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Motorsports
Trackhouse’s plan comes together as SVG wins again in NASCAR Chicago
Shane Van Gisbergen is rapidly establishing himself in NASCAR, winning twice in his rookie season and possibly positioning himself for the Cup Series playoffs. After securing victories at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez and the Grant Park Street Circuit, he heads to Sonoma with a chance to match top drivers like Denny Hamlin. His crew chief praises […]

Shane Van Gisbergen is rapidly establishing himself in NASCAR, winning twice in his rookie season and possibly positioning himself for the Cup Series playoffs. After securing victories at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez and the Grant Park Street Circuit, he heads to Sonoma with a chance to match top drivers like Denny Hamlin. His crew chief praises Van Gisbergen’s ability to navigate through challenging situations on the track. As he becomes more comfortable with the car’s setup, there’s significant potential for him to improve even further, particularly on oval tracks.
By the Numbers
- Two victories in 2025: Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez and Grant Park Street Circuit.
- Van Gisbergen’s average finish on ovals has improved from 30th to top-20.
State of Play
- Trackhouse Racing’s strategic investment in Van Gisbergen is paying off with multiple wins.
- Ongoing improvements are expected on oval tracks, enhancing his competitiveness.
What’s Next
Van Gisbergen will race at Sonoma Raceway next, where he aims to continue his winning trend and build on his playoff positioning. With two more road courses left in the regular season, opportunities for additional victories remain, which could strengthen his spot for the playoffs.
Bottom Line
Shane Van Gisbergen is proving to be a significant asset for Trackhouse Racing, combining natural talent with strategic racing IQ to enhance his potential as a star in NASCAR. His development as a driver is key to attracting sponsorship and could lead to a competitive playoff run.
Motorsports
How a Colorado restaurateur leaped into action when tariffs hit food prices
The price of avocados from Mexico, a mainstay at both restaurants, has doubled from about $45 to $50 per box to about $90 to $100, he said. That price has trickled down to customers, now costing them $2 per scoop, up from $1. It’s now cheaper to buy the popular topping from local markets than […]

The price of avocados from Mexico, a mainstay at both restaurants, has doubled from about $45 to $50 per box to about $90 to $100, he said. That price has trickled down to customers, now costing them $2 per scoop, up from $1. It’s now cheaper to buy the popular topping from local markets than from wholesalers. Many local grocers now limit the number of avocados each customer can purchase, he said, because of high demand.
“Those signs are because of people like me,” Hammer joked, referring to the quantity restrictions. He said customers are beginning to “tighten their belts” and visit his restaurants less frequently.
They’re also ordering fewer extras like avocado and guacamole. Even mainstay are becoming more expensive. The price of ground beef has increased due to the rising costs of cow feed, Hammer’s suppliers have told him.
Looking ahead
In an attempt to keep things afloat during these uncertain times, Hammer, whose family owned a pub when he was growing up, has stopped taking a salary from the restaurants. Instead, he relies on his digital marketing business for income. He acquired Twisted Root just six months ago, while Joe Biden was president, and Mauka Poke about a year and a half ago, he said.
The seafood restaurant brings in about $350,000 a year with a 5% profit margin, but Twisted Root has a negative 10% profit margin despite its $450,000 yearly revenue. The staff is larger there and the rent higher, plus Twisted Root offers vegan alternatives that are more expensive than meat and dairy products, Hammer said. He tries to keep the menu prices reasonable for customers, which sometimes means taking on more cost.
Motorsports
Video: Chicago NASCAR Cup pile-up blocks track, causes early red flag
After qualifying third, Carson Hocevar had high hopes for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup race at the Chicago Street Course. But while his teammate Michael McDowell passed Shane van Gisbergen and led the opening lap, Hocevar slipped back to seventh. Just three laps into the race, Hocevar clipped the wall at the apex of Turn 10, shooting out […]

After qualifying third, Carson Hocevar had high hopes for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup race at the Chicago Street Course. But while his teammate Michael McDowell passed Shane van Gisbergen and led the opening lap, Hocevar slipped back to seventh.
Just three laps into the race, Hocevar clipped the wall at the apex of Turn 10, shooting out into the outside wall. At that point, he lost control and spun in front of the field.
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Brad Keselowski, Daniel Suarez, Austin Dillon, Todd Gilliland, Riley Herbst, and reigning Supercars champion Will Brown all plowed into it, suffering damage. The track was nearly completely blocked as well. A.J. Allmendinger made it through, but not without being clipped by Keselowski on his way by.
Ryan Blaney and Ross Chastain led the lucky ones through a small opening between the pile-up and the concrete wall. There was also some contact between cars behind the main crash as drivers tried to slow, with Cole Custer sustaining some damage after hitting Erik Jones.
NASCAR was forced to red flag the race in order to clean up the mess. The stoppage lasted 16 minutes.
This will also impact the $1 million in-season bracket challenge as Hocevar was part of the final 16, facing off against Tyler Reddick in Chicago. Keselowski was facing Ty Dillon, who entered the tournament as the bottom seed.
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William Byron wasn’t involved in the wreck, but the championship leader had his own issues early, going to the pits and falling off the lead lap after experiencing clutch issues.
Read Also:
Daniel Suarez felt unheard, with “no chemistry” at Trackhouse Racing
Shane van Gisbergen goes elbows out to win Chicago NASCAR Xfinity race
To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.
Motorsports
Shane van Gisbergen sweeps Chicago weekend with chaotic NASCAR Cup race win
The three-time Supercars champion is now a three-time race winner in the NASCAR Cup Series. Shane van Gisbergen won from pole in the NASCAR Xfinity Series…and then proceeded to do it again in the Cup race on Sunday. While chaos broke out behind the leaders, SVG remained firmly in control for the final run of […]

The three-time Supercars champion is now a three-time race winner in the NASCAR Cup Series. Shane van Gisbergen won from pole in the NASCAR Xfinity Series…and then proceeded to do it again in the Cup race on Sunday.
While chaos broke out behind the leaders, SVG remained firmly in control for the final run of the race, capturing the checkered flag.
“What an amazing weekend for me,” said van Gisbergen. “Lucky guy to drive some great cars. I thank Trackhouse, WeatherTech Chevy and all these guys and girls here, what an amazing weekend. Thanks everyone for coming out, and hope we put on a good show.”

Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Photo by: James Gilbert / Getty Images
Ty Gibbs finished second, matching his career-best finish in the Cup Series. Tyler Reddick was charging fast on fresh tires, but he ran out of time, settling for third. Denny Hamlin came from last on the grid to finish fourth and Kyle Busch rebounded from a mid-race spin to finish fifth.
AJ Allmendinger, Ryan Preece, Alex Bowman, Austin Hill, and Ross Chastain filled out the remainder of the top ten.
As Van Gisbergen approached the white flag, Cody Ware crashed big, burying his No. 51 car in the tire barrier. Luckily for him, he took the white flag before the race-ending caution flew.
Stage 3

Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Photo by: Chris Graythen – Getty Images
The final stage of the race got underway on Lap 49 of 75 with Briscoe and Reddick leading the way, trying to go longer than most on fuel.
SVG restarted back in eighth, but quickly made his way up to third. Reddick stayed close to Briscoe about three seconds clear of the three-time Supercars champ.
With 18 laps to go, he easily dispatched Reddick for the runner-up spot. Three laps later, he made the pass for the lead on Briscoe. Moments later, the caution flew for a medical emergency. NASCAR needed to get an ambulance across the track to help a spectator.
Reddick took the opportunity to pit from third, giving up track position for fresh tires. A handful of cars pitted with him, but it still put him deep in the field.
The green flag flew with 13 laps to go and chaos broke out behind the leaders with multiple incidents. Chastain got put into the tires in Turn 1 and then sent Joey Logano spinning in the next corner, collecting Ricky Stenhouse Jr., but none of this actually caused a caution. Austin Cindric stopped on track with damage, and that ultimately triggered a full-course caution.
In a nine-lap dash, things got very heated between Alex Bowman and Bubba Wallace as they battled not just for a spot on track, but for advancement in the $1 million in-season challenge. In the end, Wallace got turned off the nose of Bowman and spun out.
There was a lot of contact throughout the pack in the closing laps, but things somehow remained green until the white flag incident. And while SVG celebrated the win, his teammate, Chastain, was confronted by Logano on pit road following their contact.
Stage 1

Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, Brad Keselowski, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
Photo by: Logan Riely / Getty Images
At the start of the race, Michael McDowell managed to get around van Gisbergen and take the race lead. It was a clean start, but William Byron fell behind the pack and went to the garage with clutch issues.
Just three laps into the race, Carson Hocevar slammed the wall at the exit of Turn 10 and lost control while running the seventh. This ignited a multi-car pileup, collecting Brad Keselowski, Austin Dillon, Will Brown, Todd Gilliland, Allmendinger, and Riley Herbst. Cole Custer also sustained damage was trying to slow down.
The rest of the stage was mostly clean except for a spin from Bowman. Most of the field chose to short-pit including van Gisbergen, who went from second to eleventh.
However, McDowell was among ten drivers that stayed out, winning the stage. He was followed by Busch, Reddick, Chase Briscoe, and Preece.
Christopher Bell was penalized for speeding during the first cycle of stops, putting him to the rear of the field.
Stage 2
SVG quickly made up ground with fresh tires, cutting through the top ten with relative ease. Meanwhile, Wallace went for a spin after contact with Kyle Larson.
Later on, Josh Berry spun and slammed the wall, destroying the nose of the car. Several drivers, including Tyler Reddick and Chase Briscoe, dove to pit road just before the caution came out.
Under caution, McDowell gave up the lead after telling the team that his throttle was sticking. He got fresh tires and a full load of fuel as the Spire team went under the hood to investigate.
SVG was back in control, leading Allmendinger. Busch went spinning on the restart, costing him all of his track position. To make matters worse, he got a pass-through penalty after driving through too many pit stalls. Katherine Legge also lost control and slammed the tire barrier at Turn 1. She was able to continue.
Van Gisbergen gave up the stage win to pit early, as did Allmendinger. That allowed Ryan Blaney to take the stage win, ahead of Briscoe and Reddick.
Photos from Chicago – Race
In this article
Nick DeGroot
NASCAR Cup
Shane van Gisbergen
Trackhouse Racing Team
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