CONCORD, N.C. – Daytona International Speedway is NASCAR’s most prominent and historic facility. Not only is it home to the sport’s biggest event – the DAYTONA 500 – it also hosts this weekend’s final regular season showdown and sets the field for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
It’s also been a pivotal track in the history of Hendrick Motorsports, starting in 1986, the season that cemented the team’s winning foundation.
After persevering through 1984, including the now famous, organization-saving victory in the spring race at Martinsville Speedway with driver Geoff Bodine, Hendrick Motorsports was in position to grow and expand for the first time with Bodine finishing fifth in points in ’85. With a taste of success and two years of experience under his belt, team owner Rick Hendrick asked crew chief Harry Hyde to take the reins of a second team and bring out the best in one of the sport’s most talented, yet flamboyant personalities – Tim Richmond.
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“Tim brought a legitimacy to our program,” Hendrick told HendrickMotorsports.com in 2009. “He was a natural behind the wheel. He showed raw talent and car control while being aggressive behind the wheel. With Tim, we were threat to win the championship.
“Tim was ‘Hollywood’ and way ahead of his time,” Hendrick later noted. “He looked like he had stepped off the cover of GQ magazine.”
Tim Richmond (center) celebrates in victory lane at Richmond Raceway.
Richmond had a larger-than-life demeanor away from the track while also flashing a lot of natural talent on it – winning numerous sprint car and supermodified races throughout the 70s and scoring rookie honors in both the 1980 Indianapolis 500 and the IndyCar Series that year before moving to stock cars in 1981.
The Ashton, Ohio, native held numerous rides in the early to mid-1980s, climbing into competitive equipment in 1983 and winning his first Cup Series race at California’s Riverside Raceway in a J.D. Stacey entry halfway through the season. Later, Esquire magazine named Richmond as one of “the best of a new generation” in 1984, a testament to his transcendent appeal.
However, it wasn’t until he signed with Hendrick Motorsports that he truly flourished as a NASCAR driver – and even then, it took halfway through the season.
“Tim was ‘Hollywood’ and way ahead of his time,” Hendrick later noted. “He looked like he had stepped off the cover of GQ magazine.”
Rick Hendrick
Hendrick Motorsports still opened the season by making a statement, as teammate Bodine and the No. 5 out “fuel-mileaged” the legendary Dale Earnhardt to win the organization’s first DAYTONA 500. It was also Mr. Hendrick’s first of now 10 triumphs (to date) in the “Great American Race” and served as an early notice to the rest of the sport.
For his part, the Chemung, New York driver went on to score two victories that season in the yellow-and-white No. 5, with 10 top-five and 15 top-10 finishes bolstering an eighth-place overall in season points. An impressive follow up to his breakthrough Cup Series points campaign from the year prior.
However, that effort was overshadowed by Richmond, who set the NASCAR world on fire in 1986, leading his team to seven wins, 13 top-five finishes and 17 top 10s in 29 Cup Series starts. He eventually landed third in Cup Series points, the best effort yet for the burgeoning Hendrick Motorsports operation.
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His first win came in the 13th race of the season, taking home checkers at Pennsylvania’s Pocono Raceway by leading the race’s final 30 laps and holding off a charging Earnhardt at the stripe. Coming off two consecutive runners-ups prior to Pocono, Richmond had started to find his groove, outlasting some of the sport’s biggest names in the process. His television interview ahead of the Firecracker 400 at Daytona International Speedway gave insight into how he approached his preparation and late-race scenarios.
“I get more nervous sitting at the coffee table thinking about how I might win a race, what the circumstances might be, or who I might being beat by – or beating – for the win,” he said. “I get a whole lot more nervous at the table daydreaming about that than I will actually doing it.”
Ironically, a winning moment presented itself in the closing laps of that very race. After jockeying positions for most of the day and hanging around the top 10, Richmond took advantage of the misfortune that befell a couple of NASCAR Hall of Famers.
Tim Richmond’s only win at Daytona International Speedway was at the 1986 Firecracker 400.
With three laps to go, Earnhardt lost an engine and hit the outside wall of turn two, bringing out the eighth and final caution of the day. Race leader Buddy Baker initially avoided the incident but got caught in lapped car Connie Saylor’s trouble, which changed the entire complexion of the race 153 laps into the 160-lap affair. Richmond assumed the lead after Baker pitted for repairs, but he still needed to hold off Sterling Marlin, Darrell Waltrip, Bobby Hillin, Jr. and Ricky Rudd in a late-race restart.
At the wave of the green, Richmond streaked away from the field and took his first win at Daytona International Speedway by 1.39 seconds, what would be considered a lifetime in today’s superspeedway racing.
“We just held in there all day, and some breaks went our way,” Richmond said in victory lane. “The Folgers car came through. I was just trying to get in the top 10 there for a while, then we got to the fifth spot. Then I had to get from fifth to first and luckily, everything worked to my advantage. Unfortunately, some disadvantage for the other guys.”
It was the first time Hendrick Motorsports had swept both the 500 and the summer NASCAR Cup Series races at Daytona.
Trackhouse Racing moved on from Daniel Suarez, replacing him with JR Motorsports sensation and Trackhouse development driver Connor Zilisch, following the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.
And then Spire Motorsports moved on from Justin Haley, making room for Suarez in their three-car lineup for 2026.
But while those two teams made the necessary and expected changes to improve their respective driver lineups heading into next year, two other teams whiffed on the opportunity to make what would have been massive upgrades.
Two NASCAR teams that could have upgraded for 2026
First and foremost, there’s 23XI Racing. Everybody knew when they signed Riley Herbst that they did it for the money he brings from his family’s gas station chain through the Monster Energy sponsorship. He was never particularly impressive in the Xfinity Series, despite spending year after year in top-tier equipment, and his 2025 rookie Cup season went exactly as expected.
His best finish of 14th place was the worst best result among the 36 full-time drivers, placing him even below Rick Ware Racing’s Cody Ware. He also finished 35th in the point standings, ahead of only Ware, while teammates Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick not only made it to the playoffs but advanced to the second round.
The fact that Corey Heim, 23XI Racing’s development driver who entered 2025 with two full seasons of Truck Series experience already, wasn’t named the driver of the No. 35 Toyota was seen as a bad decision.
His ensuing 12-win Truck Series championship-winning season further backed that up, as did the fact that he ran four Cup races in a fourth 23XI Racing car, beat Herbst’s best finish of the year in two of them, and finished as the highest of the team’s four drivers in those same two races.
The fact that Heim was once again not named the driver of the No. 35 Toyota was seen as an even worse decision, and it’s even led to the suggestion that he should look to leave Toyota. He’s already believed to be blacklisted by Joe Gibbs Racing simply because of his ARCA feuds with Ty Gibbs, so the longer 23XI Racing put off a promotion, the more likely he is to get away.
Then there is Kaulig Racing. One of the great mysteries NASCAR fans can’t seem to figure out is how Ty Dillon continues to hop from team to team at the sport’s highest level, year after year after year.
No disrespect intended here toward Austin Dillon, who is a Daytona 500 winner, a Coca-Cola 600 winner, and always seems to find himself in or near the playoffs, but Ty is somehow doing it despite not driving for his grandfather’s team.
He is always well off the performance of his teammates, and his Las Vegas Motor Speedway crash, in which he took out an innocent bystander (and championship contender) in William Byron, was one of the single-most embarrassing moments of the entire season.
For him to act relieved over team radio that he was put out of his misery because his race was over says everything you need to know and more.
I get the fact that Matt Kaulig’s team is primarily focused on their move to the Truck Series; their new five-truck program with Ram Trucks even led to the shutdown of their Xfinity (O’Reilly Auto Parts) Series team.
But they dropped Daniel Hemric after only one full season in 2024, and he performed better than the far more experienced Dillon did in 2025. Surely they could have at least tried to make a change for 2026.
At this point, you sort of have to wonder how invested they really are in their Chevrolet Cup program amid the new Ram Truck deal and rumors that they could be the team to bring Dodge back to Cup in 2028.
Michael Annett, a Des Moines native who competed in more than 300 NASCAR national series races and earned a landmark victory at Daytona, has died.
JR Motorsports announced Friday that Annett died at the age of 39.
The team shared the news in a statement on X, saying, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Annett family with the passing of our friend Michael Annett. Michael was a key member of JRM from 2017 until he retired in 2021 and was an important part in turning us into the four-car organization we remain today.”
Annett raced five seasons with JR Motorsports and captured his only NASCAR Xfinity Series win in 2019 at Daytona International Speedway. He stepped away from full-time racing after the 2021 season.
Before his racing career, Annett was a standout athlete in Iowa, spending two seasons with the Waterloo Black Hawks hockey team and skating on their 2004 Clark Cup Championship squad.
No further details about his death have been released.
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After 14 years at the NFL and time at Wasserman, Steve Phelps joined NASCAR in 2006 and has elevated the racing body’s business in nearly every sector. He was a major driver of NASCAR’s sponsorship and marketing efforts and rose through the ranks to become NASCAR president in 2018. Phelps stabilized the sport following the resignation of Brian France. He was the driving force behind NASCAR becoming one of the first sports back to action after the pandemic in 2020, a year that the organization also banned the Confederate flag that had long been a divisive issue for the sport. He also led media rights negotiations that netted NASCAR a 40% increase in revenue.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – A driver who earned his only NASCAR win at the famed Daytona International Speedway died at age 39, his former team confirmed this past week.
JR Motorsports said on Friday, Dec. 5, that Michael Annett — who competed in NASCAR’s top three series from 2008-2021 — died. The team did not say how the former driver passed.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Annett family with the passing of our friend,” the race team owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. posted. “Michael was a key member of JRM from 2017 until he retired in 2021 and was an important part in turning us into the four-car organization we remain today.”
Annett competed in a combined 436 races across NASCAR’s Cup, Xfinity and Truck series. He found his best success in the second-tier Xfinity Series, particularly during his five seasons with JR Motorsports. From 2017-2021, Annett earned 61 top-10 finishes in 158 races with the team, including his only career win in the season-opening race at Daytona in February 2019.
His final season in 2021 was impacted by a leg fracture, which forced him to miss multiple races.
Annett raced in 106 Cup Series events but never registered a top 10.
In a statement, NASCAR said it was “deeply saddened” to learn of his passing.
“Michael was a respected competitor whose determination, professionalism, and positive spirit were felt by everyone in the garage,” NASCAR’s statement read. “Throughout his career, he represented our sport with integrity and the passion of a true racer. NASCAR extends its condolences to Michael’s family and many friends.”
While no cause of death has been publicly confirmed, fellow NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski said Annett was “no longer suffering.”
“Michael was an up and comer at the same time I was and he was looking really good,” Keselowski posted on Dec. 5. “In the end, Life took us different paths and all of us who knew him and the talent he had are sad to see him go, but glad he is no longer suffering.”
Annett was born in Des Moines, Iowa and grew up playing hockey before he turned his focus to racing.
Former NASCAR driver Michael Annett (holding trophy) earned his only career win at Daytona in 2019.(Terry Renna | AP)
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The future Audi F1 Team and Paulaner Brewery have announced a long-term partnership, naming the Munich-based brewery an official supplier of the team. The agreement marks the start of a new chapter for Paulaner on the global motorsport stage.
As the team joins the grid in 2026, this partnership will provide tangible opportunities to bring the celebratory, convivial culture of Bavaria to the future Audi F1 Team’s global fanbase, enhancing how they responsibly watch and enjoy Formula 1. At its heart is the Paulaner 0.0% wheat beer – a non-alcoholic beverage that allows everyone to embrace the celebratory, social aspect of motorsport while upholding the core values of high performance, safety, and responsibility.
The future Audi F1 Team will promote Paulaner 0.0%, the brand’s non-alcoholic alternative for responsible celebration, to champion the vibrant energy of the next generation of motorsport fans worldwide – creating authentic, premium, and social moments. This partnership honors a true German cult classic, reflecting a modern, inclusive, and dynamic fan culture.
Stefano Battiston, Chief Commercial Officer of the future Audi F1 Team: “Paulaner and the future Audi F1 Team share a winning mindset rooted in performance, passion and pride in our heritage. Both brands stand for craftsmanship, authenticity and the relentless pursuit of excellence. Together, we will create experiences that bring fans closer to the team and celebrate every success on and off the track with a Paulaner 0.0% in hand on a global scale.”
Jörg Biebernick, CEO of the Paulaner Brewery Group: “We are very proud to partner with the future Audi F1 Team and excited to open a new chapter on an international stage. This cooperation underscores our long-term commitment to combining pleasure, quality, and responsibility in professional sports. We look forward to bringing our plans to life and introducing Paulaner to a new generation of motorsport fans.”
The Red Line Synthetic Oil Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) announced today its seven-race 2026 schedule, coming off another successful campaign through the 2025 calendar year. The series will return to four familiar racetracks from last season along with a return to Darlington Dragway in South Carolina, which serves as the season opener for the first time.
“Coming out of the World Finals, we knew some changes were imminent,” said Tyler Crossnoe, series director. “Change is inevitable in life – whether it is in personal, business, or your hobbies – in time, change occurs. We have decided to make a few shifts in our schedule for 2026 to adapt to the ever-changing motorsports scope in hopes to see more teams be able to compete for a full season championship.
“In 2026, our goal is to put racers in a better position to chase a full season championship with the PDRA,” Crossnoe continued. “We understand the costs of the sport are not cheap and after weeks of back-and-forth discussions internally, we settled on only doing seven races this season to allow for better spacing in between events and for the hopes of an extremely competitive season.”
The 2026 Red Line Oil PDRA season will kick off at Darlington Dragway in Hartsville, South Carolina, on March 25-28 – a return to a facility that has seen numerous PDRA races throughout the years will now serve as the kickoff event on tour next season. Darana Motorsports Park – Benson, NC will serve as the second stop on schedule on April 16-18 – a popular and familiar stop for the PDRA faithful will see their first of two stops in mid-April. Virginia Motorsports Park will play host to the third race on tour on Memorial Day weekend, May 21-23. Maryland International Raceway will serve as the fourth race on tour as in years past on June 25-27.
After taking the month of July off for a summer break of sorts, the series will return to action at Bristol Dragway on August 6-8, returning to Thunder Valley with more exciting news to come later about this event. Darana Motorsports Park – Benson, NC will see its second event of the season on August 27-29, which will set the stage for the Brian Olson Memorial World Finals.
The PDRA will yet again start the World Finals with the Summit Racing ProStars all-star race on Thursday afternoon to highlight the top eight points earners in the free entry shootout that pays over $65,000 out to the classes in contention and starts the World Finals weekend off with a bang. September 17-20 will mark the final race on the 2026 calendar, and this race will be held at Virginia Motorsports Park in Dinwiddie, Virginia, which has become a customary finishing point for the Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series.
“I am excited to get going again in 2026! The racer’s support is by far the inspiration for this series to continue growing,” said Tommy Franklin, series owner. “We continue to have the best-in-class racers, and the on-track performance shows that to be true race after race. I cannot wait for the BEST racing in the world to continue to prove itself over and over!”
PDRA officials will be on hand during the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Show, December 11-13, in Indianapolis, Indiana, along with the crowning of the series champions during the Red Line Oil PDRA Night of Champions on Friday, December 12 at the Indianapolis Downtown Marriott.
2026 PDRA Schedule
March 25-28 – Darlington Dragway – Hartsville, SC
April 16-18 – Darana Motorsports Park (NC) – Benson, NC
May 21-23 – Virginia Motorsports Park – Dinwiddie, VA
June 25-27 – Maryland International Raceway – Mechanicsville, MD
August 6-8 – Bristol Dragway – Bristol, TN
August 27-29 – Darana Motorsports Park (NC) – Benson, NC
September 17-20 – Virginia Motorsports Park – Dinwiddie, VA
