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How changes before 2025 season are paying off halfway through the year

More than three-fourths of the 15 full-time Cup organizations had either a driver or crew chief change to one of their teams entering this season. With the NASCAR Cup Series hitting the halfway point in the 36-race schedule this past weekend at Atlanta, here is a look at the results of those changes so far. […]

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More than three-fourths of the 15 full-time Cup organizations had either a driver or crew chief change to one of their teams entering this season.

With the NASCAR Cup Series hitting the halfway point in the 36-race schedule this past weekend at Atlanta, here is a look at the results of those changes so far.

23XI Racing

Charles Denike joined the organization to be Bubba Wallace’s crew chief, taking the role over from Bootie Barker.

“I truly believe he’s going to be a game-changer for 23XI,” team owner Denny Hamlin said early in the season.

One of the focuses with Wallace was to have a better start to the season. He did. Wallace was seventh in the points after six races this season (last year Wallace was 18th in points after six races).

NASCAR: Cup Practice and Qualifying

Bubba Wallace leads Ryan Preece by 23 points for the final playoff spot heading into Sunday’s Chicago Street Race.

Wallace got off to quick start by often scoring stage points. His 61 stage points in the first six races ranked third in the series and were the most he had scored so early in the year.

Four accidents in the last eight races have dropped Wallace to the final playoff spot. He holds that position by 23 points with eight races left in the regular season.

Front Row Motorsports

Zane Smith and Noah Gragson joined the organization in the offseason, while Todd Gilliland was reunited with Chris Lawson, his former Truck crew chief.

Gilliland is 28th in points this season. He was 20th last year at this time. He has six top-15 finishes this year compared to seven at this time last year.

Gragson is 33rd in points this season. He was 25th at this time a year ago for Stewart-Haas Racing.

Smith has made a big jump.

Last year he was under contract to Trackhouse Racing but since there wasn’t room for him there, he ran for Spire Motorsports. He was 34th in points at the halfway point last year.

Coming off last weekend’s seventh-place finish at Atlanta — his second top 10 in the last four races — Smith is 25th in the standings. His best finish in the first half of last year was 13th. Smith has had six finishes better than that this year.

Haas Factory Team

Stewart-Haas Racing, a four-car operation, shut down after last season and Haas Factory Team emerged.

Haas Factory Team runs one car in Cup with Cole Custer, who returned to Cup after spending the previous two seasons in the Xfinity Series. Custer won the 2023 Xfinity title and finished second in the points last year.

Custer has been paired with first-year Cup crew chief Aaron Kramer.

Joe Gibbs Racing

This organization saw four major changes heading into this season.

Last year was Martin Truex Jr.’s final full-time season of racing. Joe Gibbs Racing hired Chase Briscoe to drive the No. 19 car with crew chief James Small.

Briscoe won at Pocono to give the No. 19 team its first victory since July 2023 at New Hampshire. Briscoe’s victory snapped a 68-race winless drought for the team. Briscoe also claimed the pole for the Daytona 500 and the Coca-Cola 600. He has four poles this season.

In another key move, Joe Gibbs Racing moved Chris Gabehart — who had won 22 Cup races with Denny Hamlin from 2019-24 — to competition director.

AUTO: APR 22 NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500

Chris Gabehart, competition director at Joe Gibbs Racing, served as the racing strategist for Ty Gibbs’ team at Atlanta and is expected to continue in that role.

That started a string of events. Chris Gayle moved from his role as Ty Gibbs’ crew chief to become Hamlin’s crew chief.

Tyler Allen, who won eight of 33 Xfinity races in 2024 while working with six different drivers, moved up to Cup to be Gibbs’ crew chief this season.

Gayle has helped Hamlin win three races. Hamlin has 19 playoff points — the same amount he had at this time last year.

Gibbs was 11th in points halfway through last year. He is 24th in points this season. Gibbs is the only JGR driver yet to claim a playoff spot this season.

Gabehart was on Gibbs’ pit box last weekend at Atlanta, serving as the race strategist. He was on the radio with Gibbs and orchestrated strategy with Allen in an effort to help get Gibbs into the playoffs.

Kaulig Racing

Ty Dillon, who ran five races with the team last year, joined Kaulig Racing full-time this season. He took over the ride Daniel Hemric had last year. Hemric was 31st in points at the halfway mark last year. Dillon is 31st. Dillon has scored 34 more points than Hemric had at this time last year.

Trent Owens, who had been Hemric’s crew chief, was moved to Allmendinger’s team this season with Allmendinger returning to Cup full-time.

Allmendinger had three top-10 finishes in six starts at this time last year. He has four top-10 finishes in 18 starts this year, including a season-best fourth-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600.

The last time Allmendinger ran the full series was 2023. He was 19th in points at the halfway mark. He is 17th in points this season.

Legacy Motor Club

The team brought in crew chief Travis Mack from Kaulig Racing to be paired with John Hunter Nemechek.

Nemechek has scored six top-10 finishes this season — his most in a Cup season. His passer ranking after the first 13 races was 29th but has improved to 16th in the last five races.

He was 27th in points last year at the halfway point and is 23rd this year. Nemechek is 10 points from 20th in the points. He is 20 points from 18th in the standings.

“I think Travis and I gelled really well from the very beginning, hold each other accountable when it comes to situations,” Nemechek said. “We spent quite a bit of time during the offseason communicating, looking at different races, talking about past races, simulation time, kind of just getting to know each other.”

Richard Childress Racing

After spending the past two years as Chase Briscoe’s crew chief at the now-defunct Stewart-Haas Racing, Richard Boswell joined RCR to be Austin Dillon’s crew chief.

Dillon ranked 32nd in points at this time last year. He is 26th in points this season.

Dillon’s average finish this year is 20.1 — up five spots from last year.

Rick Ware Racing

After running select races last year, Cody Ware is running the full schedule for the team. Ware is coming off a season-best 13th-place finish at Atlanta.

Justin Haley was the team’s full-time driver last year before he moved to Spire Motorsports in a swap with seven races left that brought Corey LaJoie to RWR. LaJoie has run a limited schedule for the team this year.

RFK Racing

The organization expanded to three teams, adding the No. 60 car for Ryan Preece and pairing him with crew chief Derrick Finley.

Preece is the first driver outside a playoff spot, 23 points below the cutline. He already has a career-high seven top-10 finishes this season, including four in the last seven races.

“Last year, we put that team together and ran a partial schedule with Derrick Finley and we had a handful of different drivers and matured a lot of that team and a partial schedule, whether it be pit crew as well, and that team has fired off with putting Ryan in as the driver full-time and shown a lot of strength,” team owner Brad Keselowski said last weekend at Atlanta.

Spire Motorsports

This team had a few moves last season. With Stewart-Haas Racing closing, Rodney Childers moved from there to be Justin Haley’s crew chief.

That partnership lasted nine races before the two sides parted ways and Ryan Sparks, who had served as Haley’s crew chief for the final seven races of last season, returned.

Michael McDowell and crew chief Travis Peterson left Front Row Motorsports to join Spire. A year ago, McDowell was 22nd in the points. His average finish this year is 19.1. Last year at this time it was 20.9.

Trackhouse Racing

The organization expanded to three teams this year, adding Shane van Gisbergen to the Cup lineup and pairing him with crew chief Stephen Doran.

While the Cup rookie continues to learn the ovals, van Gisbergen has been strong — as expected — on the road courses. He won at Mexico to claim a playoff spot and was sixth at Circuit of the Americas.

NASCAR: Cup Practice and Qualifying

Shane van Gisbergen won in Mexico in the most recent Cup road course race.

Wood Brothers Racing

Josh Berry joined the team after Stewart-Haas Racing closed last year. He replaced Harrison Burton. Crew chief Miles Stanley joined the team.

The pairing worked. Berry won at Las Vegas in his fifth race of the season with the team, putting the Wood Brothers back in the playoffs after making it last year through Burton’s victory at Daytona in August.

Berry has three top-10 finishes, which is one short of his career-best in Cup. He’s led 169 laps, his most in a season. Berry is 19th in points. That’s where he was a year ago. He has 363 points this season — six more than he had at this time last year.





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Clash returning to Bowman Gray in 2026

Following the sold-out success of this year’s event, NASCAR has confirmed that the Cook Out Clash will once again serve as the opening exhibition race of the 2026 season at the historic Bowman Gray Stadium. The action unfolds on Saturday, January 31, and Sunday, February 1, with coverage airing on FOX Sports. “We wrote a […]

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Following the sold-out success of this year’s event, NASCAR has confirmed that the Cook Out Clash will once again serve as the opening exhibition race of the 2026 season at the historic Bowman Gray Stadium. The action unfolds on Saturday, January 31, and Sunday, February 1, with coverage airing on FOX Sports.

“We wrote a new chapter in the history of motorsports at Bowman Gray with this year’s Clash,” said Joey Dennewitz, NASCAR Regional Managing Director. “It’s only fitting to bring the 2026 edition back to NASCAR’s first weekly racetrack — the original home of grassroots racing. Huge thanks to the City of Winston-Salem and Winston-Salem State University for helping us make ‘The Madhouse’ magic happen again.”

Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines added, “We’re honored to host the 2026 Cook Out Clash. Last year’s event was a great success for everyone involved — and we’re ready to raise the bar even higher.”

Cook Out, one of the fastest growing family-owned restaurant chains in the country, will return as the title sponsor. Founded in Winston-Salem in 1989, Cook Out is best known for its burgers and famously affordable combos, with more than 350 locations across 11 states.

“We’re proud to bring the NASCAR family together again in our own backyard,” said Jeremy and Morris Reaves, CEO and Founder of Cook Out. “Last year was amazing — and we’re fired up to do it again!”

Cook Out is no stranger to NASCAR. In addition to the Clash, they sponsor major races like the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville and Richmond, and the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington. They’re also an official quick-service restaurant of the sport and support grassroots racing and the NASCAR Youth Series.

“Cook Out is the real deal,” said Justin Swilling, Project Lead for the Clash. “Their support takes our events to the next level — and 2026 is going to be another can’t-miss, sold-out weekend.”

Bowman Gray Stadium, built in 1937, is NASCAR’s oldest weekly racetrack and has played a central role in the sport’s history. Bill France Sr. and Alvin Hawkins brought NASCAR to the stadium in 1949, and it became the first paved oval track for the organization. The venue has seen 29 Grand National (now Cup Series) races between 1958 and 1971, with legends like Richard Petty, Junior Johnson, and Ned Jarrett making their mark.

Petty even celebrated his 100th career victory there during the 1969 Myers Brothers 250. More recently, the stadium hosted NASCAR East Series events from 2011 to 2015, with wins from Ben Kennedy, Ben Rhodes, Ryan Preece, and Corey LaJoie.

This year’s Cook Out Clash was the first Cup Series race at Bowman Gray since 1971, and it didn’t disappoint. 2020 Cup Series champion Chase Elliott took the win, thrilling fans and reigniting the intensity that defines this iconic venue.

For more details and to join the ticket list for the 2026 Cook Out Clash, visit NASCARClash.com. To explore weekly racing action at Bowman Gray Stadium, including modified, sportsman, street stock, and stadium stock divisions, head to bowmangrayracing.com.



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USAC National Midgets Results: Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex

Less than a week ago, Cannon McIntosh was busy becoming the first multi-time winner of the BC39 at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. On Tuesday night, McIntosh was in the process of becoming the first three-time USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget winner at Missouri’s Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex. 2025 USAC NOS Energy […]

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Less than a week ago, Cannon McIntosh was busy becoming the first multi-time winner of the BC39 at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

On Tuesday night, McIntosh was in the process of becoming the first three-time USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget winner at Missouri’s Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex.

2025 USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midgets at Sweet Springs

While his BC39 victory required him to charge from 19th to the win, his Sweet Springs score didn’t require as much flair for the dramatic.

During Tuesday’s Mid-America Midget Week opener at the 1/6-mile dirt oval, the Bixby, Oklahoma native went wire-to-wire, leading all 40 laps en route to his third career USAC National Midget victory at Sweet Springs, following previous triumphs in 2020 and 2022. It’s the type of track he knows. It’s the type of track he loves.

“I grew up going to small tracks like this,” McIntosh reflected. “There’s usually a pretty good bottom to roll and a cushion as well. I like places where you can do both. It’s not just dedicated to one line. I feel like it suits me pretty well. Actually, I feel like the last few times I’ve been here, I’ve really struggled to find my speed and rhythm. To get back in victory lane here is pretty special.”

McIntosh’s latest win was his second consecutive on the USAC National Midget trail and his third overall during the 2025 season. For his career, McIntosh has now tallied 12 USAC National Midget feature wins, moving himself to 61st place all-time alongside series champions Danny Caruthers, Russ Gamester and Jeff Gordon as well as Gene Force, Bobby Grim and Ron Shuman.

USAC National Midgets Results From Sweet Sprints Motorsports Complex

1. Cannon McIntosh (2)

2. Justin Grant (1)

3. Daison Pursley (6)

4. Hayden Reinbold (7)

5. Gunnar Setser (3)

 6. Kevin Thomas Jr. (13)

7. Kale Drake (17)

8. Steven Snyder Jr. (8)

9. Jacob Denney (5)

10. Logan Seavey (11)

11. Drake Edwards (21)

12. Gavin Miller (12)

 13. Ethan Mitchell (18)

14. Zach Daum (4)

15. Cale Coons (9)

 16. Riley Kreisel (14)

17. Trey Zorn (22)

18. Brecken Reese (19)

19. Mack Leopard (16)

20. Andrew Felker (23)

21. Garet Williamson (15)

22. Chad Winfrey (24)

23. Kyle Jones (10)

24. Kameron Key (20). NT





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NASCAR’s first in-season tournament adds some drama to the Cup Series finish in Chicago |

CHICAGO (AP) — NASCAR’s first in-season tournament hasn’t made much of an impression on its drivers so far. Ty Gibbs said Sunday he didn’t know who his second-round opponent was until after the Cup Series race. That might be about to change. Gibbs is one of eight drivers still in the mix for the $1 […]

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CHICAGO (AP) — NASCAR’s first in-season tournament hasn’t made much of an impression on its drivers so far. Ty Gibbs said Sunday he didn’t know who his second-round opponent was until after the Cup Series race.

That might be about to change.

Gibbs is one of eight drivers still in the mix for the $1 million prize that goes to the winner of the five-race, bracket-style competition. While Shane van Gisbergen was closing out his Cup victory in Chicago this weekend, some of the most compelling action on the downtown street course was at least connected to the inaugural In-Season Challenge.

Alex Bowman and Bubba Wallace raced each other hard in the final laps after they tangled in Chicago last year. Bowman got the better of the head-to-head matchup, finishing eighth and eliminating Wallace from the tournament.

John Hunter Nemechek was 15th, one spot better than his opponent, Chase Elliott. Gibbs had a strong day and finished second, good enough to beat AJ Allmendinger in sixth. Ty Dillon, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Preece, Zane Smith and Erik Jones also moved on.

The 14th-seeded Smith upset No. 3 seed Chris Buescher by finishing 14th. He is matched up with Gibbs for Sunday’s road race at Sonoma.

“I hate we had to knock another Ford out, but it’s super cool to advance,” Smith said.

With the in-season tournament — part of a new media rights deal that includes TNT — NASCAR is following in the footsteps of the NBA and soccer leagues around the world. After Sonoma this weekend, it concludes with races at Dover and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Bowman said the tournament wasn’t on his mind as he battled with Wallace at the end in Chicago. Whatever the reason for the contact, their head-to-head matchup certainly added a bit of intrigue to the racing behind van Gisbergen’s victory.

With the money involved and the field trimmed to eight drivers, there could be more moments like the duel between Bowman and Wallace in the final weeks of the challenge.

“I wasn’t expecting that to happen or to get raced like that, but we did,” Bowman said. “We just have to move on from it and keep digging.”

It sure sounds as if Dillon is enjoying the competition. Dillon, the No. 32 seed, eliminated Brad Keselowski on Sunday after he upset top-seeded Denny Hamlin at Atlanta on June 28.

There was absolutely no drama in Dillon’s win after Keselowski was collected in an early crash that began with Carson Hocevar hitting the wall and spinning out between Turns 10 and 11. Hocevar was eliminated by Reddick.

“I’m just so proud of Kaulig Racing and our No. 10 team,” Dillon said. “I knew in a basketball city, going up against Brad in a game of knockout, I was going to have a good chance.”

Dillon takes on Bowman and Preece faces Reddick in the next round. But the most interesting contest just might be Nemechek versus Jones in a matchup of Legacy Motor Club teammates.

“I felt like if we could have gotten through the first round, these next two rounds are really good for us,” Preece said. “Our road course program is pretty strong, and we keep making it better. So going into Sonoma, I think we’re up against Tyler Reddick, so he’s really good at road courses as well, but I like being the underdog.”


AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.



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2026 NASCAR Cook Out Clash Returns to Bowman Gray Stadium – SportsTravel

The NASCAR Clash, the season opening race of the Cup Series schedule that has rotated around sites in recent years, will return to Bowman-Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to start the 2026 season on January 31 and February 1. The Cook Out Clash at ‘The Madhouse’ this past February was the first Cup Series […]

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The NASCAR Clash, the season opening race of the Cup Series schedule that has rotated around sites in recent years, will return to Bowman-Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to start the 2026 season on January 31 and February 1.

The Cook Out Clash at ‘The Madhouse’ this past February was the first Cup Series race at the track since 1971. Chase Elliott, 2020 Cup Series champion, won the main event at the venue which was first built in 1937 and is the longest-running weekly racetrack in NASCAR history.

“We wrote a new chapter in the storied history of motorsports at Bowman Gray Stadium with the Cook Out Clash this year,” said Joey Dennewitz, NASCAR Regional managing director. “As NASCAR’s first weekly racetrack, we are proud to bring the 2026 Cook Out Clash back to the original home to grassroots racing. Thanks to the city of Winston-Salem and Winston-Salem State University for their continued partnership.”

In 1949, Bill France Sr. and Alvin Hawkins, two founding fathers of NASCAR, brought motorsports to Bowman-Gray as the first weekly racetrack and first paved racetrack that NASCAR competed on. The racetrack hosted 29 NASCAR races from 1958 to 1971 and  hosted several East Series races from 2011 to 2015. In 2024, NASCAR took over management of racing operations at Bowman Gray Stadium in partnership with the city of Winston-Salem.

“The City of Winston Salem is deeply honored to have been chosen to host the 2026 Cook Out Clash,” said Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines. “The 2025 race was an immensely successful event for all parties involved. We will work hard to ensure that the 2026 Cook Out Clash is even more successful.”

Based in the Winston-Salem area since 1989, Cook Out is the entitlement partner for the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway and Richmond Raceway and the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway..



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Cook Out Clash Returns to Bowman Gray in 2026

Today, NASCAR announced the Cook Out Clash will return to Bowman Gray Stadium as the opening exhibition event for the 2026 season. Following the sold-out success of this year’s Cook Out Clash, the first NASCAR Cup Series exhibition race of the 2026 season will return to the historic venue on Saturday, Jan. 31 and Sunday, […]

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Today, NASCAR announced the Cook Out Clash will return to Bowman Gray Stadium as the opening exhibition event for the 2026 season. Following the sold-out success of this year’s Cook Out Clash, the first NASCAR Cup Series exhibition race of the 2026 season will return to the historic venue on Saturday, Jan. 31 and Sunday, Feb. 1.

The Cook Out Clash at ‘The Madhouse’ will be broadcast by FOX Sports.

A general view of racing during the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on February 02, 2025 in Winston Salem, North Carolina. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images for NASCAR)

“We wrote a new chapter in the storied history of motorsports at Bowman Gray Stadium with the Cook Out Clash this year,” said Joey Dennewitz, Managing Director, NASCAR Regional. “As NASCAR’s first weekly racetrack, we are proud to bring the 2026 Cook Out Clash back to the original home to grassroots racing. Thanks to the City of Winston-Salem and Winston-Salem State University for their continued partnership at ‘The Madhouse’.”

“The City of Winston Salem is deeply honored to have been chosen to host the 2026 Cook Out Clash,” said City of Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines. “The 2025 race was an immensely successful event for all parties involved. We will work hard to ensure that the 2026 Cook Out Clash is even more successful.”

Cook Out, one of the fastest growing family-owned restaurant chains in the nation, will return as the entitlement partner for the 2026 Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. Based in the Winston-Salem area since 1989, Cook Out is known for its Cook Out burgers as part of the “best combos in town.” The restaurant chain has 350 locations across 11 states.

“We are proud to support the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium in our backyard in Winston-Salem,” said Jeremy and Morris Reaves, CEO and Founder of Cook Out. “We look forward to bringing our NASCAR racing family together in our community once again with the Cook Out Clash. Last year was so amazing and we can’t wait to do it again!”

Cook Out has a strong presence in NASCAR as it is the entitlement partner for the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway and Richmond Raceway, and the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway where it also serves as the Official Quick Service Restaurant. It is also a proud sponsor of the NASCAR Youth Series and is an active sponsor at the grassroots level.

“Cook Out is an amazing partner that continues to have a positive impact across NASCAR,” said Justin Swilling, Project Lead for the Cook Out Clash. “Their support continues to take our events to the next level, and we look forward to working together to make this year’s Cook Out Clash another memorable sold-out event.”

Built in 1937, Bowman Gray Stadium, a quarter-mile short track, holds a special place in NASCAR history as the longest-running weekly racetrack. In 1949, Bill France Sr. and Alvin Hawkins, two founding fathers of NASCAR, brought motorsports to the facility as the first weekly racetrack and first paved racetrack that NASCAR competed on. In 2024, NASCAR took over the long-term management of racing operations at Bowman Gray Stadium in partnership with the City of Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

The racetrack hosted 29 NASCAR Grand National, now NASCAR Cup Series, races from 1958 to 1971. Bowman Gray Stadium has hosted many NASCAR legends including Richard Petty, Junior Johnson, Glen Wood, David Pearson, Ned Jarrett, Richie Evans, Jerry Cook, and others. Petty won his 100th NASCAR Grand National race in the 1969 Myers Brothers 250 at the racetrack.

More recently, Bowman Gray Stadium hosted several East Series races from 2011 to 2015. Ben Kennedy, great grandson of Bill France Sr., won an East Series race there in 2013. Other winners include two-time NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion Ben Rhodes and Cup Series drivers Ryan Preece and Corey LaJoie.

This year’s Cook Out Clash was the first Cup Series race at the historic track since 1971. Chase Elliott, 2020 Cup Series champion, won this year’s Cook Out Clash. With a history of intense competition, NASCAR is proud to bring the Cup Series back for the Cook Out Clash at ‘The Madhouse.’

For more information and to get on the list to purchase tickets for the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, visit NASCARClash.com. To learn more about the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series season with weekly modified, sportsman, street stock and stadium stock competition, visit bowmangrayracing.com.



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Our Two Cents: Our Favorite Motorsport Movies

With the recent release of the F1 movie, we figured it was a good time to reflect on our favorite movies about racing. Any form of competition is ripe for the big screen, and both two- and four-wheeled motorsports—with their colorful personalities, awe-inspiring feats of engineering, and life-or-death stakes—have yielded more movies than we can […]

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With the recent release of the F1 movie, we figured it was a good time to reflect on our favorite movies about racing. Any form of competition is ripe for the big screen, and both two- and four-wheeled motorsports—with their colorful personalities, awe-inspiring feats of engineering, and life-or-death stakes—have yielded more movies than we can count. Some of them are wildly inaccurate, of course, and others are bad in a charming way. (A few famous Pixar ones even have talking cars.) We gravitate to movies that inspired us, many of which are based on real-life events, and ones that made us laugh. Of course, there are a few exceptions—you’ll have to read on to find out.

When you’re done, give us your vote in the comments below.

Dust to Glory (2005)

Dana Brown’s film documenting the Baja 1000 totally changed my perspective on racing. The hour-and-a-half film featured those helicopter follow videos of motorcycles and trophy trucks skipping across the tan Mexican desert that just captivated my young brain. I had never ridden a motorcycle before watching yet could still picture myself holding the throttle wide open running along the beach like Mike “Mouse” McCoy on his Honda XR650R. That storyline is probably part of why I bought an XR650R years later and still own XRs and dream of desert racing today. — Kyle Smith

Le Mans (1971)

There will never be another movie like Le Mans. It’s the antithesis of a stereotypical Hollywood car-action flick, it’s rife with real racing footage (plus stunt work that proved to be just as dangerous), and the plot is thin but universal enough to overlay almost any thematic message you want onto the hypnotic, kaleidoscopic cinematography. Le Mans is an art movie that used Porsche 917s as camera cars; what else needs to be said? — Alex Sobran

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)

I have a personal connection to The Art of Racing in the Rain, an appreciation of Heart Like a Wheel, and respect for Le Mans, Grand Prix, On Any Sunday, and the period piece Two-Lane Blacktop, but the stupid/favorite motorsports movie I keep coming back to is 2006’s Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, which seems to air somewhere most every weekend. NASCAR was ripe for a send-up, and this comedy, thanks to stars Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly, and the script by Ferrell and director Adam McKay, dissects its past and present and makes it, at least once in a while, downright hilarious. Once you’ve seen the whole thing, it’s a very easy film to just drop in on, watch for 15 minutes, and then move on. And I still do. — Steven Cole Smith

The Love Bug (1968)

Sorry, folks, but I can’t get into films based on motorsport. If I want motorsport, I want to see it in person (or on live TV). It’s too easy to fib or stretch the truth with dramatic license on the silver screen, and that really grinds my gears. If I am watching a movie about racing, it better be cute and charming like The Love Bug. — Sajeev Mehta

The Lindsey Lohan version, I’m assuming? — Andrew Newton

IS THERE ANY OTHER?? — Sajeev Mehta

Rush (2013)

In my early days of Formula 1 fandom, I started to kick around the internet for important stories from F1’s past. When I came across the harrowing tale of Niki Lauda’s crash at the 1976 German Grand Prix, it sort of naturally led me over to the 2013 film Rush.

Is it a little over-dramatized? Probably. But I don’t think that many folks are going to care. In fact, I remember thinking that this film spanned the gap between die-hard fans and first-timers — it seemed like a flick that would get pretty much everyone a little more interested in Formula 1, even if that interest would be temporary. I still hold it in high regard as a captivating film, if something that maybe lacks the pure motorsports panache of some of the other movies on this list. — Nathan Petroelje

Senna (2010)

I have a hard time watching racing movies. Yes, I am capable of suspending disbelief, but there’s only so many “oh, now he’s gonna floor it…” moments or extra shifts or CGI-generated physics messes that one person can take, at least if the movie has any pretense of being serious. There’s not much substitute for real visuals, which is why Senna, the 2010 documentary, does it for me. It’s generally a very good account of the Brazilian’s story, and the archival footage they assembled for it is absolutely riveting. — Eddy Eckart

Days of Thunder (1990)

I’m putting Days of Thunder in pole position, even though it’s a pretty terrible, cliché-strewn movie: The two rivals who want to win so bad they’ll race on track, in rental cars, and even in wheelchairs at the hospital. The standard cinematic “just change up a gear to overtake” mechanic and Tom Cruise facing his demons to win the day. In other words, your standard racing film formula. Nonetheless it’s an entertaining enough way to spend a couple of hours, and that’s what cinema is all about. If the rumoured sequel does happen, I’ll be in pole position to watch that as well. — Nik Berg

Six Pack (1982) and The Last American Hero (1973)

Days of Thunder is my fav. Pound for pound, it’s the best racing movie out there, but let me suggest two more obscure cuts at the top of my list:

• Six Pack — Country musician Kenny Rogers plays Brewster Baker, a down-and-out racer who has his car stolen by a gang of orphan children. Turns out the kids were working for corrupt sheriff “Big John,” who sends Brewster to jail. Then, the kids help the driver break out of jail, and he reluctantly takes them under his wing as his misfit race team.

The Last American Hero — Loosely based on the Tom Wolfe biography of Junior Johnson, which shares a similar name, Jeff Bridges plays Junior Jackson. Part biopic, part ’70s silver screen B-movie, Last American Hero is one of the coolest-looking racing movies, with plenty of gritty grassroots circle track footage. — Cameron Neveu

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)

There are bad movies, and there are deliciously bad movies. Much like cheeseburgers, I guess. For years I only knew the Fast and Furious franchise as Mission: Impossible, but with Vin Diesel instead of Tom Cruise, and exotic cars that I recognized only from Instagram. At one point in my first year after college, I figured I should brush up on my American car culture. I grew up watching Mystery Science Theater 3000, so I figured I’d have just as much fun with a bad movie — I heard they were bad — as a good one. Wow, was I surprised. None of them even felt like movies until I got to Tokyo Drift, which was bad-funny, in the best possible way. (That accent!) The wildly customized cars sold me, even as the plot fell apart around them. I would like Han’s FD very much, thank you — you can buy it here, and ship it to Detroit.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to buy a Costco-sized pack of Nerds Gummy Clusters, and a bottle of something strong, and bribe my husband to watch the movie with me. He has no idea what he’s in for … — Grace Jarvis

Blues Brothers (1980)

Two brothers must team up with Cab Calloway to raise money to keep the orphanage where they were raised from being shuttered while evading Nazis, an jilted RPG-wielding ex-girlfriend, a country music band, and law enforcement from what appears to be the majority of Chicago and its suburbs. It’s a tale as old as time. Not only is it a racing film, as the duo makes a hasty exit from a concert venue to deliver a tax check in time, but the Blues Brothers is also the best musical ever put on film. — Brandan Gillogly



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