Here are all the former F1 drivers on the 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours Hypercar grid
The lineup of drivers taking part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans has always highlighted the link between Formula 1 and endurance racing. Many former F1 drivers have found a new lease of life in the WEC, while others, such as Fernando Alonso and Nico Hulkenberg, have taken a short detour around La Sarthe […]
The lineup of drivers taking part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans has always highlighted the link between Formula 1 and endurance racing. Many former F1 drivers have found a new lease of life in the WEC, while others, such as Fernando Alonso and Nico Hulkenberg, have taken a short detour around La Sarthe before returning to their single-seaters.
This year is no different, and 2025 will see a number of former F1 drivers take part in the 93rd edition of Le Mans. Some are now key figures at the teams competing in the WEC, while others will be racing the historic French circuit for the first time.
Here, we’ve rounded up every former-F1 racer who is competing in the 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours Hypercar class, and look at their careers in F1, their transition to endurance racing and their role in this edition of Le Mans.
Antonio Giovinazzi – Ferrari AF Corse
Antonio Giovinazzi in the Alfa Romeo Racing C41 at Zandvoort in 2021.
Photo de: Alfa Romeo
Winner of the 2023 Le Mans 24 Hours, Antonio Giovinazzi could well repeat his feat this year, at the wheel of the #51 Ferrari. Like most of his colleagues, the Italian driver started out in single-seaters after a career in karting. He progressed to F3, then to GP2, where he finished runner-up to team-mate Pierre Gasly. That same year, 2016, Giovinazzi made his endurance racing debut in the Asian Le Mans Series and the European Le Mans Series. He also took part in two WEC races, finishing fourth and second.
Already a reserve driver for Ferrari, Giovinazzi made his Formula 1 debut the following season with the Sauber team, replacing Pascal Wehrlein in the first two rounds of the season. He became a regular with Alfa Romeo from 2019 to 2021, accumulating a total of 62 starts and 21 championship points, his best result being a fifth-place finish at the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix.
Before returning to endurance racing, the Italian did a stint in Formula E, where he scored no points. In 2023, Giovinazzi re-entered the WEC and competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time. He won Le Mans that same year, alongside James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi, giving Ferrari a historic victory on its return to the category after a 50-year absence.
In 2024, the trio finished third in the event, which was won by the second Italian car of Antonio Fuoco, Nicklas Nielsen and Miguel Molina.
Robert Kubica – AF Corse
Robert Kubica in the BMW Sauber F1.08 during his victory at the 2008 GP of Canada.
Photo by: Sutton Images
Also competing at Le Mans with Ferrari this year, but in the #83 customer prototype, Robert Kubica was a big name in Formula 1. After winning the Formula Renault series in 2005, the Pole made his F1 debut with BMW the following year. He temporarily replaced Jacques Villeneuve for the Hungarian Grand Prix, then permanently joined the side from mid-season onwards.
He scored his first podium finish in 2006, in Italy, after finishing third from sixth position. He became the first Pole to achieve such a result, and the second-youngest driver to do so – just behind Fernando Alonso. Two years later, at the Canadian Grand Prix, Kubica took his first victory, a year after a serious accident that had caused him to miss several races – replaced by a certain Sebastian Vettel. In 2008, he finished fourth in the drivers’ championship, his best F1 result.
After joining Renault in 2010, he suffered a serious accident during a rally in Italy in February 2011, resulting in multiple fractures. He returned to Formula 1 for 2019 with Williams and, in the meantime, became WRC2 champion in 2013. He also completed two F1 races with Alfa Romeo in 2021 after replacing Kimi Raikkonen.
Kubica entered endurance racing the same year with the WRT team in the European Le Mans Series, and won the LMP2 championship. He continued in WEC with Prema in 2022, then returned to WRT in 2023, where he won a second the LMP2 title.
The Pole is the third driver in history to win a race in F1 and WEC, after Alonso and Mark Webber. In 2024, he moved up to the Hypercar category with AF Corse, a Ferrari customer team.
Kamui Kobayashi – Toyota Gazoo Racing
Kamui Kobayashi in the Sauber C31 at the 2012 Japanese GP, where he finished third.
Photo by: Sutton Images
A member of Toyota’s young driver program, Kamui Kobayashi made his Formula 1 debut in 2009 with the Japanese team. Like Kubica and Giovinazzi, the move came to replace another driver: Germany’s Timo Glock.
The Japanese driver impressed with his aggressive racing style, and secured a seat with BMW Sauber in 2010, where he drove until 2012. His final F1 season came in 2014 with the Caterham team. In total, Kobayashi took part in 75 F1 grands prix, scoring a podium finish and 125 points.
After being sidelined by Sauber in 2013, Kobayashi turned to endurance racing and joined Toyota’s WEC program in 2016. This proved to be a very good decision for the Japanese racer, as he won the world championship in 2019, 2020 and 2021, as well as the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2021. He also won the 24 Hours of Daytona twice, in 2019 and 2020. An excellent decision, indeed.
Since 2022, Kobayashi has held the role of driver and team manager for Toyota Gazoo Racing in WEC. In 2025, he continues to exercise his dual identity at the wheel of the #7 Toyota GR010 alongside Mike Conway and Nyck de Vries. He is also the 24 Hours circuit record holder with a time of 3 minutes 14.791 seconds (2017).
Nyck De Vries – Toyota Gazoo Racing
Nyck de Vries in the Williams FW44, when he replaced Alex Albon at the 2022 Italian GP.
Photo by: Williams
This means that the #7 Japanese car is driven by two former Formula 1 drivers in 2025: Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries. This time, let’s take a closer look at the Dutchman.
De Vries joined the McLaren junior academy in 2010 and made a name for himself in promotional formulas, winning titles in Formula Renault and Formula 2. In 2019, he joined the Mercedes Formula E team and became world champion in the 2020-2021 season. While also acting as a reserve driver for the German team, de Vries made his Formula 1 debut with Williams at the Italian Grand Prix in 2022 to replace Alexander Albon, who underwent appendicitis surgery. He finished ninth, scored his first points and secured a drive with AlphaTauri for the 2023 season.
The Dutchman failed to perform, however, and was soon replaced – after ten races – by Daniel Ricciardo.
Alongside his single-seater commitments, de Vries also took part in endurance racing. He joined Toyota in 2024 to drive in the WEC Hypercar category, winning the 6 Hours of Imola. In 2025, he continues with Toyota and also drives for Mahindra Racing in Formula E. At the last edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Dutchman came very close to winning the race, finishing second with team-mates Kamui Kobayashi and Jose Maria Lopez.
Sebastien Buemi – Toyota Gazoo Racing
Sébastien Buemi in the Toro Rosso in 2009.
Photo by: XPB Images
Yes, for those of you who have been following motorsports for less than 10 years, before becoming a monument to endurance racing, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Formula E, Sebastien Buemi took part in the Formula 1 championship.
A protege of Red Bull, he made his debut in 2009 with Toro Rosso, replacing Sebastian Vettel, who had been promoted to the official team. Buemi became the first Swiss driver to take part in a grand prix since 1995, scoring points during his first race in Australia. He competed in a total of 55 grands prix up to 2011, accumulating 29 championship points and scoring a best result being of seventh place.
In 2012, the Swiss driver joined Toyota Gazoo Racing in the WEC. He stood out for his performances and won the championship in 2014, 2018/19, 2022 and 2023, gradually establishing himself as a true pillar of the Japanese team. He also won the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
In 2025, he continues to drive the #8 Toyota GR010 alongside Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa.
Meanwhile, Buemi has also been competing in the Formula E championship since its inception in 2014. He won the title in 2015-16 with the Renault e.dams team, and has since become the most successful driver in the series with 14 victories.
Brendon Hartley – Toyota Gazoo Racing
Brendon Hartley in the Toro Rosso STR13 in ABu Dhabi in 2018.
Photo by: Joe Portlock / Motorsport Images
Toyota has yet another ex-F1 driver among its ranks at Le Mans as Sebastien Buemi’s team-mate in the #8 Toyota, Brendon Hartley, also previously raced in F1. A member of the Red Bull programme, like Buemi, Hartley made his F1 debut relatively late, as he started out in endurance racing before turning to F1 – like Giovinazzi.
After stints in Formula Renault and F3, Hartley entered LMP2 in 2012. He reached the top category two years later, where he competed in the WEC with Porsche alongside Timo Bernhard and Mark Webber. He won the championship in 2015 and 2017, as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2017.
Still a reserve driver for Red Bull and Toro Rosso, Hartley was called up to F1 by Red Bull’s sister team as a replacement for Pierre Gasly, who was contesting the final round of Super Formula in Japan. He ended up driving alongside the Frenchman for the rest of the season, in place of Daniil Kvyat. He remained there until 2018, when he turned his attention back to endurance racing.
Hartley joined Toyota Gazoo Racing in 2019, and subsequently won the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2020, 2022 and 2023, as well as the WEC championship in 2022 and 2023.
Kevin Magnussen – BMW M Team WRT
Kevin Magnussen in the McLaren MP4-29 Mercedes, ahead of teammate Jenson Button at the 2014 Australian GP.
Photo by: Alastair Staley / Motorsport Images
Up until a few months ago, Kevin Magnussen raced for the Haas F1 team, where he spent most of his career in the top tier of single-seater racing after making his debut with McLaren in 2014. The Dane joined the American team in 2017 after a spell with Renault.
Sidelined in 2021 in favour of younger drivers, Magnussen returned to F1 in 2022 after being called back to Haas in a hurry as the team broke its contract with driver Nikita Mazepin. In all, Magnussen took part in 185 grands prix and scored 202 championship points. His best result was second place in his first race in 2014.
During his break in 2021, Magnussen signed up with Peugeot, but never drove the 9X8. He also previously competed in the IMSA championship with Chip Ganassi Racing, and joined BMW M Motorsport for 2025 in the World Endurance Championship. This will be the Dane’s first experience of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the Hypercar category, after he previously took part in the famous race in LMP2 four years ago.
Mick Schumacher – Alpine Endurance Team
Mick Schumacher in the Haas VF-22 at the São Paulo GP in 2022.
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Kevin Magnussen’s replacement at Haas, Mick Schumacher, will also line up at Le Mans this year. Son of seven-time Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher, the German cut his teeth in single-seaters and became F3 and F2 champion in 2018 and 2020. Mick Schumacher then made his Formula 1 debut in 2021 with the Haas team.
Limited by the car’s performance and struggling a little at the wheel of the American single-seater, he managed to score his first points in 2022. His contract was not renewed for 2023, however, and he joined Mercedes as a reserve driver. He scored 12 points across 43 grands prix starts, and his best finish was sixth in Austria.
While sidelined in F1, he joined Alpine in the WEC for 2024. The German seems to have found his niche, being one of the main instigators of the French team’s good results, notably contributing to Alpine’s first Hypercar podium at the Fuji 6 Hours. This season, he drives the #36 Alpine A424 alongside Jules Gounon and Frédéric Makowiecki, with whom he scored two third-place finishes at Imola and Spa.
The German has only competed once in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but retired from last year’s race after just 88 laps.
Jenson Button – Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA
Jenson Button in the Brawn GP in 2009.
Photo by: XPB Images
Of all the former Formula 1 drivers competing in endurance racing this season, Jenson Button is the only one to have been crowned world champion. The Briton now has the opportunity to inscribe his name alongside five other F1 world champions who have triumphed at La Sarthe: Mike Hawthorn, Phil Hill, Jochen Rindt, Graham Hill and, most recently, Fernando Alonso.
Button made his Formula 1 debut in 2000 with Williams, becoming the youngest British driver to take part in a Grand Prix at the age of 20 years and 2 months. He went on to drive for teams including Benetton, BAR, Honda and McLaren. But it was with the Brawn GP outfit that he reached his moment of glory, in 2009, when he won the world championship. He left F1 in 2017 with a record of 15 wins and eight pole positions across 306 grands prix starts.
Button is a versatile driver, and has also tried his hand at Super GT in Japan, with a key title in 2018, as well as rallycross, NASCAR and endurance racing.
He previously participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2018 with SMP Racing and in 2023 with Jota Sport. In 2024, he entered the World Endurance Championship full-time with Hertz Team JOTA, which has partnered with Cadillac for the 2025 season.
Sebastien Bourdais – Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA
Sébastien Bourdais in the Toro Rosso ahead of Jenson Button at the 2008 Italian GP.
Photo by: XPB Images
After becoming F3 and F3000 champion in 1999 and 2002, Sebastien Bourdais moved to North America and crushed the ChampCar scene, winning four consecutive titles and racking up 31 wins and 44 podiums in 73 races.
This paved the way for Bourdais’ entry into F1, an he joined Scuderia Toro Rosso for the 2008 season. He contested 27 grands prix between 2008 and 2009, scoring a total of six points. His best result was seventh place at the Australian Grand Prix in 2009.
After a disappointing spell in F1, Bourdais turned to endurance racing. He took part in several editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, finishing second in 2007 with Peugeot, and winning the LMGTE Pro with Ford in 2016. He also won prestigious races such as the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Daytona in the same year, 2022.
Bourdais is a Le Mans veteran now, with a total of 17 entries at La Sarthe, although he has yet to reach the top step of the podium.
Will Stevens – Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA
Will Stevens in the Manor Marussia at the Abu Dhabi GP in 2015.
Photo by: XPB Images
Also signed up to race with Cadillac, but with the #12 American prototype, is Will Stevens, who made his Formula 1 debut at the 2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with Caterham. The following season, he contested a full season with Manor Marussia but, in 2016, he was ousted from the sing-seater side. Instead, Stevens got the call up to Manor’s new endurance program.
He was then loaned out to the G-Drive Racing team, with whom he scored a second-place finish in the LMP2 24 Hours of Le Mans. The following year, he took part in the Le Mans race in LMGTE AM, winning his class. After stints in IMSA, ELMS and ALMS, the Briton joined Team JOTA in WEC in 2022.
Since 2018, Stevens has also been a development driver for the McLaren F1 team.
Jack Aitken – Cadillac Whelen
Jack Aitken in the Williams FW43 during his time at Sakhir in 2020.
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Initially a reserve driver with Renault, Jack Aitken joined the Williams team in 2020. That same year, he made his F1 debut at the Sakhir Grand Prix, replacing George Russell who himself subbed for Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes. The race was Aitken’s only stint in the series.
After his one-off race, Aitken turned to endurance racing and GT. In 2021, he entered the GT World Challenge Europe, where he suffered a serious accident at the Spa 24 Hours that resulted in several broken bones. In 2022, he competed in the European Le Mans Series in LMP2, and in IMSA the following season, contributing to his team’s victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring.
On the strength of these performances, he was promoted to become a regular driver for the 2024 season, sharing the #31 Cadillac V-Series.R. He also competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, although a first-lap accident compromised his team’s chances.
Pascal Wehrlein – Porsche Penske Motorsport
Pascal Wehrlein in 2016 in the Manor MRT05.
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
After progressing through the feeder series, including placing second in the Formula 3 Euro Series, Pascal Wehrlein joined the DTM with Mercedes in 2013 and, a year later, became the youngest race winner in the series. He won the championship in 2015 at the age of 21.
Thanks to his DTM success, Wehrlein attracted the attention of F1. He entered the series in 2016 with Manor Racing and scored his first point at the Austrian Grand Prix. He then joined Sauber and scored a further five points. In total, he contested 39 grands prix in F1, and picked up a best result of eighth in Spain in 2017.
Despite being the team’s only driver to score points, the German was dismissed from Manor at the end of the season. Wehrlein then turned to Formula E, which he entered with Mahindra in 2018 before switching to Porsche in 2020. In 2024, he became the first German driver to win the Formula E World Championship, giving Porsche its first title in the category.
This year, Wehrlein makes his endurance debut with Porsche Penske Motorsport. He took part in the Spa 6 Hours in the #6 Porsche 963, alongside Kevin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor.
Felipe Nasr – Porsche Penske Motorsport
Felipe Nasr at the 2015 Australian GP.
Photo by: Charles Coates / Motorsport Images
After several seasons in F3 and GP2 series, Felipe Nasr became a Williams reserve driver and took part in several free practice sessions in F1. He then joined Sauber as a regular for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, and managed to score 29 points – including a best finish of fifth in Melbourne during his rookie season.
After F1, the Brazilian turned to endurance racing. He moved to America to join IMSA for 2018, where he won the title in his first year and again in 2021 and 2024. He also won the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2019 and 2025, as well as the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2024 and 2025 with Porsche.
Nasr entered the World Endurance Championship in 2022 in LMP2, and makes his return to the WEC this year with the Porsche. He joins the #4 Porsche 963 car as team-mate to Pascal Wehrlein, in what will be the pair’s debut in the Hypercar class at Le Mans.
Paul di Resta – Peugeot TotalEnergies
Paul di Resta in the Force India VJM05 at the 2012 Australian GP.
Photo by: Motorsport Images
Like Pascal Wehrlein, Paul di Resta first took part in the DTM before joining F1 – including a stint in the F3 Euro Series, which he won in 2006. After several solid seasons in the DTM, which included a championship win in 2010, di Resta made the move to F1.
Di Resta made his debut in 2011 with Force India and spent three full seasons with the team, scoring a total of 121 points across 58 grands prix – including a best finish of fourth. In 2017, he made a one-off return to F1, replacing Felipe Massa at Williams during the Hungarian Grand Prix, after the Brazilian fell ill.
Following a return to DTM racing from 2014 to 2019, the Brit the entered endurance racing with United Autosport in IMSA and the European Le Mans Series. He took part in several races, including the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, winning the latter in the LMP2 class in 2020. Two years later, di Resta joins Peugeot’s Hypercar programme in the World Endurance Championship.
Jean-Eric Vergne – Peugeot TotalEnergies
Jean-Eric Vergne in the Toro Rosso in 2013, during the Singapore GP.
Photo by: XPB Images
Jean-Eric Vergne is Paul di Resta’s teammate at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans for Peugeot, in the #93 9X8. A former member of Red Bull’s junior program, the Frenchman entered Formula 1 in 2012 with Toro Rosso, after solid performances in the feeder series. He competed in 58 grands prix until 2014, achieving a best finish of sixth place.
In 2015, the arrival of Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz in the team sidelined Vergne, and the Frenchman was recruited by Ferrari as a test driver for two years. He also entered Formula E in 2014 and won the championship in 2017-18 and 2018-19, becoming the discipline’s first double champion. He scored 11 wins, 34 podiums and 16 pole positions in 114 races. Since 2023, he has been driving for DS Penske in the electric series.
At the same time, Vergne raced in the WEC, taking part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in LMP2 with Manor in 2017 and TDS Racing in 2019. In 2022, he joined Peugeot TotalEnergies for the Hypercar program in WEC.
Stoffel Vandoorne – Peugeot TotalEnergies
Stoffel Vandoorne in the MCL32 during a pit stop in 2017.
Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
After gleaning titles in Formula Renault and GP2, Stoffel Vandoorne joined McLaren’s young driver program in 2013. He made his Formula 1 debut at the 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix, replacing the injured Fernando Alonso. He became a regular with the British team in 2017 and 2018, alongside the two-time world champion. Across 41 grands prix starts, he scored 26 points and managed a best result of seventh place.
Replaced by Carlos Sainz and rookie Lando Norris in 2019, Vandoorne turned to Formula E and won the championship with Mercedes two years later. The Belgian is still racing in the discipline, now with Maserati.
Vandoorne also tried his hand in the WEC at the 2019 Spa 6 Hours as a replacement for Jenson Button with SMP Racing, where he finished third. He repeated this performance, but at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, placing his car in third.
After a one-off season in the 2021 World Endurance Championship in LMP2, the Belgian has been driving in the Hypercar category with Peugeot since 2024. He is also reserve driver for the Aston Martin Formula 1 team.
Photos from 24 Hours of Le Mans – Tuesday
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DePaul University Blue Demons – Official Athletics Website
CHICAGO – DePaul University is excited to announce a partnership with Spire Motorsports for the 2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race. DePaul will serve as the primary sponsor of Michael McDowell’s No. 71 Chevrolet ZL1. As part of the sponsorship, DePaul branding will be prominently featured on McDowell’s custom-designed No. 71 car, his fire suit, […]
CHICAGO – DePaul University is excited to announce a partnership with Spire Motorsports for the 2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race. DePaul will serve as the primary sponsor of Michael McDowell’s No. 71 Chevrolet ZL1.
As part of the sponsorship, DePaul branding will be prominently featured on McDowell’s custom-designed No. 71 car, his fire suit, pit road signage, and the Spire Motorsports crew shirts. Co-branded merchandise will also be available at the Chicago Street Race event and online.
National visibility through broadcast, digital and social media, and in-person audiences will create a powerful platform to feature the university to new audiences. The race is projected to draw more than 4 million viewers nationwide, building on the success of the inaugural 2023 event, which became the most-streamed NASCAR Cup Series race in NBC Sports history and the most-watched on NBC in six years. Locally, the event is expected to attract over 55,000 unique spectators from around the world, with more than half traveling to Chicago specifically to experience the race firsthand.
“At DePaul, we view athletics as the front porch of the university — a powerful entry point that invites the world to engage with our university,” said DePaul Vice President and Director of Athletics DeWayne Peevy. “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. Even more exciting, this collaboration will extend into our classrooms this fall, offering our students a hands-on look at the business and science behind professional racing. It’s the perfect example of how we’re using sports to elevate our visibility and create real-world learning experiences for our students.”
McDowell, a 17-year veteran of the NASCAR Cup Series with more than 500 starts, joined Spire Motorsports to pilot the No. 71 Chevrolet ZL1 ahead of the 2025 season. The Glendale, Ariz., native won the 2021 Daytona 500 and followed it up with a win in the 2023 Battle at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, two of NASCAR’s crown jewel events. The father-of-five and road course ace has finished inside of the top-10 in both attempts at the Chicago Street Race, including a fifth-place result in 2024. So far this season, he has recorded seven top-15 finishes, including a fifth-place showing at NASCAR’s most recent attempt at a road course in the Viva Mexico 250 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City.
“I’m really looking forward to Chicago,” said McDowell. “We’re coming off some great momentum on road courses, and to have a cornerstone of the city like DePaul University on our car for the weekend is special. Chicago is a great city, and NASCAR has built a fantastic racetrack. It’s not every day you get to race through the streets. With the city as the backdrop, it’s a unique experience and a real opportunity for us to have success with a new partner like DePaul.”
This partnership will extend well beyond the race weekend. Later this fall, students in DePaul’s Physics and Sport Management programs will benefit from exclusive engagement opportunities with members of the Spire Motorsports team, gaining firsthand insights into the high-performance, data-driven landscape of professional racing.
This summer, in collaboration with NASCAR Chicago, DePaul’s School of Hospitality and Sports Business introduced a special topics course, HSB 198: A NASCAR Experience. As part of the curriculum, students will play an integral role in designing and executing the newly created College Tailgate at Turn 7—a fan engagement event tailored to college students during the race. Further anchoring this collaboration in the local community, the longstanding NASCAR internship program will continue to empower DePaul students and alumni, offering them leadership roles and on-the-ground experience during one of Chicago’s most prominent sporting events.
“This initiative reflects DePaul’s continued commitment to authentically embrace its identity as Chicago’s university,” said DePaul Chief Branding Officer Cristel Turner. “This collaboration brings DePaul into the cultural and civic spotlight through a bold, innovative partnership that connects us with new audiences to build brand interest and support enrollment growth. What truly sets DePaul apart is our teaching philosophy of layered learning that merges classroom education with real-world, project-based learning and service learning that unlock real-world opportunities for our students.”
DePaul students receive 20% off select race tickets for the NASCAR Chicago Street Race. Learn more and purchase here.
Fans, students and alumni can tune in to see the No. 71 DePaul University Chevrolet ZL1 rally through the streets of Chicago July 6, at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT) on TNT, MRN, SiriusXM, and MAX.
ABOUT SPIRE MOTORSPORTS
Spire Motorsports earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado to its inaugural NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win on April 7, 2022, at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The team’s most recent win came on May 30, 2025, when Rajah Caruth took the checkered flag in the Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway.
In 2025, Spire Motorsports campaigns the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolets in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team also fields the Nos. 07, 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Silverados in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and the No. 77 Chevrolet in the ARCA Menards Series in select events.
ABOUT DEPAUL UNIVERSITY
DePaul University provides exceptional academics and real-world experiences to prepare students for a changing world. With more than 21,000 students across more than 300 academic programs, DePaul has two campus locations in Chicago. Students richly benefit from the city’s many opportunities. In turn, DePaul is one of the forces that shapes Chicago’s future. The university was founded in 1898 by the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians), a Roman Catholic religious community dedicated to following the ideals of St. Vincent de Paul. DePaul is among the nation’s top universities for diversity because of its long tradition of providing a high-quality education to students from a broad range of backgrounds. DePaul is one of the largest private, nonprofit universities in the Midwest and one of the largest Catholic universities in the nation. Visit DePaul.edu to learn more.
ABOUT DEPAUL ATHLETICS
DePaul’s 15 intercollegiate athletic teams compete in the NCAA Division I, BIG EAST Conference. DePaul University began sponsoring athletics teams in the early 1900’s, with intercollegiate athletics coming to fruition in the 1920’s. Legendary coach Ray Meyer helped put DePaul on the map in the 1970’s as the men’s basketball program helped elevate the university to national prominence. Through a bold new vision for the future, DePaul Athletics looks to become the premier program in the BIG EAST Conference through a focus on winning championships with integrity, building champion students through education and intentional development, and serving as a visible ambassador for DePaul University and the Chicago community. DePaul Athletics has a storied tradition and is uniquely positioned to support the university’s mission and commitment to academic excellence, real world experience, community engagement, and systemic change. Further, the department is steadfast in its commitment to grow the university’s national exposure and enrollment through athletics. Visit DePaulBlueDemons.com to learn more.
NASCAR teams fear ‘catastrophic’ impact of disclosing financial records during court fight – WFTV
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — (AP) — Attorneys for 12 of NASCAR’s 15 race teams argued in federal court Tuesday that disclosing their financial records to the stock car series would be “catastrophic” to competitive balance and warned that making such details public would put them all in danger. The hearing was over a discovery dispute between […]
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — (AP) — Attorneys for 12 of NASCAR’s 15 race teams argued in federal court Tuesday that disclosing their financial records to the stock car series would be “catastrophic” to competitive balance and warned that making such details public would put them all in danger.
The hearing was over a discovery dispute between NASCAR and the teams that are not parties in the ongoing antitrust suit filed by 23XI Racing, which is owned by retired NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, and Front Row Motorsports, owned by entrepreneur Bob Jenkins.
23XI and Front Row are the only two organizations out of the 15 that refused last September to sign take-it-or-leave offers 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. Of the 13 teams that signed, only Kaulig Racing has submitted the financial documents NASCAR subpoenaed as part of discovery.
The other 12 organizations are fighting against releasing the information to NASCAR and even argued that NASCAR asking for them violates the charter agreement, which claims all disputes must go to arbitration.
U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell of the Western District of North Carolina promised a quick ruling but, just like last week, seemed exasperated at the lengths being taken in this brawl that for now is heading toward a December trial.
“I am amazed at the effort going into burning this house down over everybody’s heads,” Bell said at the end of the nearly two-hour hearing. “But I’m the fire marshal and I will be here in December if need be.”
Attorneys for the teams say their financial records are private and there is no guarantee the information won’t be leaked; in a hearing last week, information learned in discovery was disclosed in open court.
“It would be absolutely devastating to these race teams if their competitors were able to find out sponsorships on the cars, driver salaries and all revenue streams,” attorney Adam Ross said. “It cannot make its way into the public realm.”
Ross said NASCAR has asked for 11 years of records and communications — including what Hendrick Motorsports spent on both its Garage 56 project building a car to race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the cost of Kyle Larson running both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 the last two seasons.
“NASCAR has gone a step too far,” Ross said.
NASCAR argued it needs the financials to understand profit margins and whether teams are actually unable to make ends meet under the charter agreement. NASCAR vowed to redact details to conceal team identities, a suggestion that was met with skepticism from team attorneys who contended it would be easy to connect the dots and, for example, figure out which contracts belong to, say, Team Penske.
Attorneys also argued that money is not often distributed equally across the board with each team. For example, Team Penske might use an engineer for a NASCAR team, an IndyCar team and a sports car team.
Bell asked NASCAR why it would not be satisfied with just “topline” numbers.
“Why is not enough to know it costs X to run a car?” Bell asked.
Attorneys for the 12 teams also noted that their clients are extremely uncomfortable to be dragged into the suit.
“This is the opposite of what they want — all the teams are torn to pieces that NASCAR wants them to disclose this information and they don’t want to upset NASCAR,” Ross said.
Teams have long argued that NASCAR is not financially viable and they needed multiple concessions, including a greater revenue stream and a more permanent length on the charter agreements. Those presently have expiration dates and can be revoked by NASCAR. Two years of negotiations ended last fall with 13 teams signing on but 23IX and FRM instead heading to court.
The hearing came one day after Bell declined to dismiss the teams’ request to toss out NASCAR’s countersuit, which accuses Jordan business manager Curtis Polk of using “cartel”-type tactics in the most recent round of charter negotiations.
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No. 65 Mustang dropped to back of Watkins Glen GTD PRO field after post-race penalty
The No. 65 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Mustang GT3 has been penalized after failing technical inspection following the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen on Sunday. Drivers Christopher Mies and Frederic Vervisch, who originally finished third in GTD PRO, have been moved to the rear of the GTD PRO field: 10th in class, 51st overall, in […]
The No. 65 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Mustang GT3 has been penalized after failing technical inspection following the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen on Sunday.
Drivers Christopher Mies and Frederic Vervisch, who originally finished third in GTD PRO, have been moved to the rear of the GTD PRO field: 10th in class, 51st overall, in the provisional results, which were published today.
The No. 81 DragonSpeed Ferrari 296 GT3 of Albert Costa and Davide Rigon is now classified third in GTD PRO, with the No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Z06 GT3.R in fourth and the No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R in fifth.
The No. 65 Ford was found to have negative camber angles and tire pressures beyond the permitted limits for GTD PRO and GTD cars on “high energy tracks” such as Watkins Glen. These limits prohibit camber angles above -4.0° and stabilized tire pressures below 1.8 bar or 26.1 PSI.
Following the penalty, there have been some minor changes in the GTD PRO championship standings: The No. 3 Corvette Racing Z06 GT3.R of Antonio Garcia and Alexander Sims still leads, now 52 points ahead of AO Racing’s Heinrich and Bachler (was 62 points).
Costa moves up to third in the drivers’ standings, while GTD PRO class winners Dan Harper and Max Hesse actually dropped from third to fifth in the table behind the No. 64 Ford of Mike Rockenfeller and Seb Priaulx.
Mies and Vervisch remain sixth in the standings despite the penalty, although they have lost 90 points and trail Garcia/Sims by 252 points (was 162 points).
Ford also dropped from second to fourth in the GTD PRO manufacturers’ standings behind new leader Chevrolet, BMW, and Porsche.
Results from all other categories remain the same.
In-season tourney spices up NASCAR summer | The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Let us read it for you. Listen now. Your browser does not support the audio element. LONG POND, Pa. — It’s time to bust out the brackets, pick an upset or two, and follow winners on the road — a journey over city streets, concrete and bricks — to the final four and beyond. Totally […]
LONG POND, Pa. — It’s time to bust out the brackets, pick an upset or two, and follow winners on the road — a journey over city streets, concrete and bricks — to the final four and beyond.
Totally awesome, baby?
Forget all the upset specials in March.
NASCAR will find out soon enough if its attempt to snap out of a mid-summer malaise with its first in-season tournament is a success with drivers and fans as it strives to boost engagement and build buzz in the staid regular season.
The concept has already juiced enthusiasm in NASCAR to levels not seen since the halcyon days when Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough duked it out in the 1979 Daytona 500.
“To be really honest with you,” 2020 NASCAR champion Chase Elliott said, “I have not paid any attention to it.”
Maybe a look at the matchup will get NASCAR’s most popular driver pumped!
Elliott is seeded fifth against No. 28 seed Austin Dillon in the first round of the head-to-head showdown in the race-within-the-race set for this weekend at the track better known as Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Here’s a refresher for Elliott and any other sports fan who missed out on the specifics of NASCAR joining the in-season tournament party, much like attempts in the NBA, NHL, and, of course, throughout the world in soccer.
NASCAR is set to start the engines on a five-race, bracket-style tournament called the In-Season Challenge in the midst of the summer slate, which comes with a $1 million prize to the winner.
The final 32-driver field was set by results of the last three races at Michigan, Mexico City and Pocono. The drivers are paired in head-to-head matchups based on seeding, with the winners advancing to the next round in a bracket format that mirrors the NCAA basketball tournaments.
Buoyed by a win at Michigan and a runner-up finish at Pocono, Denny Hamlin earned the top seed. He’ll square off — race off? — against No. 32 seed Ty Dillon. Pocono winner Chase Briscoe is the No. 2 seed and is pitted against No. 31 seed Noah Gragson.
Chris Buescher is third, Christopher Bell fourth and Elliott fifth, among notable names.
The format is single elimination with the field cut to 16 at the street race in Chicago, eight at Sonoma, four on the lone concrete track in the series at Dover and the final two over the yard of bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The In-Season Challenge is part of NASCAR’s media rights deal that includes TNT. The Atlanta-based cable network will broadcast all five races in the tournament, starting with the 400-miler in Atlanta.
Aside from a shrug from Elliott and a few others, drivers are intrigued by the idea of increasing the stakes in each race beyond a playoff berth, trophy and the winner’s purse.
“I love it. I think it’s great,” three-time Cup champion Joey Logano said. “I think it’s placed perfectly where it is in the season. This is kind of that moment where the newness is worn off. We’re into the rhythm, we’re racing every week. It’s starting to start a little bit of, who’s going to be in the playoffs, who’s not, the cutoff line all those types of things. But it’s not really the main story quite yet.”
Stories are what sell, of course, and the sizzle in Pocono over the weekend had little to do with which drivers or teams are the ones to beat for the 2025 championship. Rather, it was whether two pedestrian drivers were going to fight, the end of Amazon Prime’s run of wildly popular telecasts and Hall of Fame driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s win in his first race as a crew chief.
“This really spices up the mid-part of the season,” Logano said.
So does placing a few bucks on No. 11 to win.
But as of Monday afternoon, most sports gambling sites did not offer odds on specific matchups headed into Atlanta. NASCAR is offering $1 million to a winning fan with a perfect bracket in its fantasy game.
There are some quirks to the bracket: Shane van Gisbergen won the Cup race in Mexico City and is not in the field while series points leader William Byron is only a No. 9 seed. The tournament boasts matchups in the first-round of past Cup champions (Kyle Busch-Brad Keselowski), former teammates (Briscoe-Gragson) and even best friends (Bubba Wallace-Daniel Suarez).
The idea for the challenge was largely championed by Hamlin, a three-time Daytona 500 champion who floated the idea of a mid-season tournament on his “Actions Detrimental” podcast. When NASCAR bought into the idea and announced the creation of the tournament last year, Hamlin called the tournament on social media “such a win for our sport and drivers.” He jokingly added, “I will collect my 1M royalty next season.”
Hamlin’s on deck and clearly a favorite to win it all, with three wins this year for Joe Gibbs Racing and the top seed.
“I’m a sports guy, so I’m going to be engaged with it,” Hamlin said. “I’ll know who I will have to beat next week. I’ve told the team, we are going to try and do what we can. We are going to be up against it because we are going to tracks that aren’t very favorable to me. But we are going to try to do our best to beat that one car for the next four to five weeks.”
NASCAR will present the tournament winner at Indianapolis with a ring, jackets, trophy and — oh yeah, a million bucks.
That’s enough cash to get anyone’s attention, even Elliott’s.
“I don’t know what you get. You get anything?” Elliott asked.
“Oh, a million dollars to the winner? Then yeah, we want to win.”
Chase Briscoe celebrates in Victory Lane after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Pocono Raceway, Sunday, June 22, 2025, in Long Pond, Pa. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)
Chris Buescher walks to his car before a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Hermanos Rodríguez race track in Mexico City, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
Return of LaJoie and Zilisch Highlights 40-Car NASCAR Cup Entry List
NASCAR has revealed the entry list for Saturday night’s NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway). The race will feature the first full 40-car field since the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway last month. The 36 Chartered NASCAR Cup Series teams will compete this weekend, and they’ll be […]
NASCAR has revealed the entry list for Saturday night’s NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway). The race will feature the first full 40-car field since the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway last month.
The 36 Chartered NASCAR Cup Series teams will compete this weekend, and they’ll be joined by four “Open” entries.
Highlighting the group of four Open teams for the race are veteran racer Corey LaJoie and 18-year-old Connor Zilisch.
LaJoie will pilot the No. 01 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Rick Ware Racing with primary sponsorship from his longtime partner, Schluter Systems. This will mark the fourth NASCAR Cup Series start of the season for the 33-year-old LaJoie, and it’ll be his first start since the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway in April.
Zilisch, who is coming off of his first NASCAR Xfinity Series win on a non-road course track, will reprise his role as the driver of the No. 87 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet with primary sponsorship from Red Bull.
This will be the third NASCAR Cup Series start of the season for the three-time NASCAR Xfinity Series race winner. Zilisch finished last (37th) after a crash during his NASCAR Cup Series debut at COTA, and then he recorded a 23rd-place result in the Coca-Cola 600.
Additional Open entries for this weekend’s race include David Starr, who will drive the No. 66 Garage 66 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, and BJ McLeod, who will drive the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet.
Here is the complete entry list for the NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway:
# indicates Rookie of the Year contender * indicates “Open” entry (i) indicates a driver ineligible to score points
Graham Smith Named General Manager of Ten Tenths Motor Club
CONCORD, N.C., June 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Speedway Motorsports has appointed Graham Smith general manager of the new Ten Tenths Motor Club, an exclusive destination for luxury automotive enthusiasts and the East Coast’s newest corporate event and hospitality venue. Smith, formerly the vice president of OEM partnerships at Speedway Motorsports, will now oversee daily operations of the […]
CONCORD, N.C., June 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Speedway Motorsports has appointed Graham Smith general manager of the new Ten Tenths Motor Club, an exclusive destination for luxury automotive enthusiasts and the East Coast’s newest corporate event and hospitality venue. Smith, formerly the vice president of OEM partnerships at Speedway Motorsports, will now oversee daily operations of the state-of-the-art 1.7-mile Ten Tenths Circuit, manage facility rentals at the 20,000-square-foot clubhouse and spearhead future expansion projects.
“Graham’s extensive experience in operations, corporate sales and event management positions him uniquely to lead Ten Tenths Motor Club into its next chapter,” said Speedway Motorsports President and COO Mike Burch. “His passion and energy will be crucial to the club’s long-term success.”
Smith’s journey in motorsports began in 2012 with Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Operations team. After roles in corporate sales and as managing director of U.S. Legend Cars International, he became vice president of OEM partnerships in 2023. In this capacity, Smith played a pivotal role in strengthening relationships with original equipment manufacturers and was instrumental in the opening of Ten Tenths Motor Club, a collaboration between Speedway Motorsports and NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick.
“Witnessing Ten Tenths Motor Club evolve from a vision to one of the nation’s premier luxury automotive destinations has been an incredible experience,” Smith said. “I’m honored to lead the club as general manager and excited to showcase its potential as a venue for both the automotive community and a variety of special events.”
Ten Tenths Motor Club, located adjacent to Charlotte Motor Speedway, offers a 1.7-mile, 19-turn road course designed by F1 veteran Alexander Wurz and a 20,000-square-foot clubhouse modeled after Turn 11 at Sonoma Raceway. Future expansion will include a members’ garage with climate-controlled storage, a cigar lounge, bourbon bar and putting course. The club aims to provide unparalleled experiences for automotive enthusiasts, collectors and manufacturers.
The venue opened to rave reviews in April with the third annual Heritage Invitational, a celebration of the history, artistry and innovation of the automobile, featuring the Historic Trans Am Racing Series, a celebrity Pro-Am charity fundraiser and a world-class concours. A marquee event on the Ten Tenths schedule, the 2026 Heritage invitational is scheduled to return April 9-11.
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