Two NASCAR insiders understood why Ty Gibbs was frustrated after Denny Hamlin won the Cup Series race at Michigan on Sunday. On The Teardown podcast, Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic reacted to Gibbs being not happy after earning a third-place finish.

“I do get his frustration. I think from his standpoint, he’s now 24th in points,” Gluck said about Gibbs, who was told to save fuel at the end of the race instead of going for the win. “He’s probably thinking ‘We should be almost the same sort of mentality that [William] Byron had to just, hey, I don’t care if I run out of gas. This is my season.’”

Bianchi agreed with Gluck as he also understood why Gibbs was frustrated at the end of the race. “Even though Ty doesn’t have wins in the bank, you’ve got to look at it as we need to be aggressive here. We need to put ourselves in position to go for the win because that is how we’re going to get in the playoffs. I get his frustration. I get it, especially when the same guy who wins the race is on the same fuel strategy with you and I believe he let Denny go by him.

Ty Gibbs speaks out on ‘unfortunate’ finish at Michigan

“…Yeah, you’re frustrated and it’s been that kind of year for Ty. I also see the team side of it, too of like, ‘Hey, this is part of it. This is big pictures thing.’ They’re both right to some degree, but I understand Ty’s frustration, and I would be frustrated in that moment too. Finishing third in the grand scheme of things doesn’t do anything for you.”

In 94 Cup Series races, Ty Gibbs has earned 25 top-10 finishes but has yet to win a race. While Gibbs might be happy that his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate got the win, he believes that he could have earned his first victory in the Cup Series and clinched a playoff spot.

“Yeah, it’s just unfortunate because I feel like we had the capability to go do it,” Gibbs said after the race, per NASCAR.com. “I feel like we showed we were fast enough to go do it. It’s definitely frustrating, but it’s just part of it sometimes.”

After losing McDonald’s as a partner sponsor for the upcoming 2025 Chicago Street Race (the Grant Park 165), NASCAR has pivoted to another fast-food sponsor: Arby’s.

The terms are unconfirmed, but it’s thought Arby’s will substitute the $2 million McDonald’s paid. The deal will include on-site activation space and a NASCAR-themed sweepstakes across 47 locations in the Chicago region.

During the race, Arby’s will be represented by Rick Ware Racing’s Cody Ware in the No. 51 Ford Mustang. McDonald’s still represents drivers Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace, though the charter status for both drivers is still up in the air after 23XI Racing was dealt a legal setback.

NASCAR Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Craig Stummel touted the agreement in a recent press release. “It’s a watershed moment anytime you have a new brand joining the sport for the first time, especially when it’s a partner like Arby’s with such a unique, recognizable brand,” he said.

“The fact that we’re welcoming Arby’s to NASCAR on the streets of Chicago speaks to the tremendous momentum behind the NASCAR Chicago Street Race and the sport overall.”

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Arby’s was founded in 1965 and boasts over 3,000 locations nationwide. They’ve attracted wide-scale recognition thanks to a series of national ad campaigns.

“Arby’s is thrilled to hit the track as a Founding Partner of the 2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race,” said Arby’s Chief Martking Office Jeff Baker.

“This marks an exciting moment for our brand in the world of motorsports, with one of the most dynamic and groundbreaking events in racing. Nothing goes better with NASCAR than one of our delicious Arby’s sandwiches, and we can’t wait to bring the meats to the streets for race fans and Arby’s fans in Chicago and beyond.”

The city of Chicago agreed to a pact with NASCAR ahead of the 2023 Cup Series season to host three street races. Shane van Gisgbergen turned heads by winning in 2023 on his Cup Series debut. Alex Bowman captured the checkered flag at last year’s Grant Park 165.

DON’T MISS:

ABB, Blue Cross, and Xfinity are other founding partners for the race set for July 6. It is the 18th race of the 2025 Cup Series season.

It’s been a while since race fans have heard the voice of Rick Allen. After calling NASCAR Cup Series races on NBC Sports from 2015 until 2024, and before that the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for many years, Allen was left on the sidelines entering the 2025 TV deals for NASCAR. But on Saturday night, fans of the CARS Tour will hear Allen’s voice alongside Blake McCandless on the FloRacing broadcast of the “Mini’s Mission 125” from Dominion Raceway.

Allen’s participation came about initially as a bit of a joke between friends when Allen made an appearance on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’’s “Dale Jr. Download” podcast back in May. While at the time they were joking together, a hole opened up for the June 14 race from Dominion as regular announcer Eric Brennan would not be able to make that event.

“(Dale) had me on and we talked about what I was doing and what I wanted to do, and I think jokingly he said, ‘I’ve got two CARS Tour races I need an announcer for,” explained Allen to FloRacing. “So I raised my hand and said I’m available. He thought I was joking, but I said I’m not joking, I’d do it for him as a favor.

“A week after the podcast he reached out to me and said, ‘Are you serious about potentially doing one of the CARS Tour races or both of them?’ I told him I’d love to look at it and see if my schedule would allow it. I said, ‘Let me do the June 14th race at Dominion and we’ll go from there.’ So for the immediate future we’re doing this one and we’ll see how it goes.”

Allen said the main goal for this week is to have fun and watch racing and talk about racing, which is something that he has not been able to do on-air since the end of the 2024 season. And even though Saturday’s race is a Late Model Stock Car race on a pavement short track, it’s allowing him to get back to his roots a little bit. Allen got his start calling races at the dirt track of Eagle Raceway in his home state of Nebraska. 

“I cut my teeth on a little short dirt track in Nebraska. I love that racing. I love that atmosphere. I had a great time doing it when I started calling races,” Allen said. “So just to get back there and have some fun and watch a little racing and see if I can add a little bit to this broadcast. And to enjoy myself and take the weekend for what it is, which is me being able to watch a race and have a little fun on the broadcast side.”

One thing that Allen is going to have to learn, and quickly, is who is driving which car. In CARS Tour competition, duplicate car numbers are allowed, which is very different from the upper levels of NASCAR where there can only be one car per car number. In the CARS Tour, it’s not strange to see multiple cars with the number 88, for example. The diehards of the Tour know that Connor Hall is in the 88, while Doug Barnes Jr. is the 88B. But for Allen, it’s the little things like that that will take some learning while he hammers through his prep work for the weekend.

“I was going through the entry list and one of my first questions for our production meeting this afternoon is, ‘Are you guys messing with me?’ Because, there are four number four cars entered in this race. What’s that all about?” Allen asked with a laugh. “I think these guys are playing a trick on me, so we’ll have to figure that out.

“But I’m definitely studying. I always like to be very prepared. I want to know as much as possible about anybody and everybody that could be part of the broadcast,” said Allen. “That means crew members, drivers, family members. I want to know as much as I can about that. That’s kind of where my studying is. The racing really presents itself, so that’s just calling the action on the track. But I like to add to the broadcast by telling people a little more about the people they are watching. Whether it’s a sporting event or a show, whatever it is, I like to learn.”

One of the added elements to this particular weekend is the meaning behind the event. “Mini’s Mission” is the foundation started by full-time CARS Tour competitor Mini Tyrrell after Tyrrell learned about his childhood friend being diagnosed with cancer. This entire weekend is meant to place a spotlight on children who are battling pediatric cancer and their families who are there alongside them every step of the way. 

For Allen, that means not just learning who the drivers are and which car they drive and their stats, but also about each child and their family that is being matched with every driver in the field, as well as their stories.

Allen explained that he’s been part of a similar foundation with a similar cause for the better part of the last decade. Allen said that a young man named Jack Hoffman from Nebraska was diagnosed with brain cancer, and Allen has been with his foundation because of how much his story touched him.

“I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for these kids that are just handed this disease, and how valiantly they fight it,” Allen said. “When I was reading about Mini’s Mission, it really touched my heart that I’ve been put into this broadcast for a reason. There’s a reason I’m here, and there’s a reason it was this one and it was Mini’s Mission that is the title of the race.

“Kids fighting this disease is something that I want to give 100-percent attention to, and that’s hopefully the way I’m going to start this broadcast out. I know as racers and as fans of racing, we tune in to watch a race. But I hope that we’re going to educate and let people know and give them a reason to look up the cause and be sympathetic to these kids that are fighting a fight that they didn’t sign up for. They’re fighting very valiantly, and their families are right there with them.”

The “Mini’s Mission 125” broadcast from Virginia’s Dominion Raceway will begin at 4:15 p.m. ET with qualifying. The 125-lap main event is expected to see the green flag fly at 7 pm. ET.

Fans can watch Saturday’s race and listen to Rick Allen live on FloRacing with a FloRacing subscription. Fans can join FloRacing by clicking here.

A groundbreaking partnership has been forged in the world of motorsports as Spectrum cable extends its deal with Meyer Shank Racing. The acclaimed racing team announced Spectrum cable as the new primary sponsor for the upcoming Indianapolis 500, adorning the No. 66 Honda driven by the talented Marcus Armstrong. But that’s not all – the broadband provider has committed to sponsoring four additional races, solidifying their support for the team and the sport.

The collaboration between Spectrum cable and Meyer Shank Racing signifies a significant milestone in the racing world, with both entities poised to dominate the track and the airwaves. The sleek design of the No. 66 Honda, now emblazoned with Spectrum’s branding, is set to turn heads and capture the attention of racing enthusiasts around the globe.

Fans and industry insiders alike are buzzing with excitement over this dynamic partnership, eagerly anticipating the thrilling races that lie ahead. With Spectrum cable’s unwavering support, Meyer Shank Racing is gearing up for a season of adrenaline-pumping action and fierce competition.

Stay tuned as the countdown to the Indianapolis 500 begins, with the No. 66 Honda and Marcus Armstrong poised to make a statement on the track with Spectrum cable riding along as the ultimate partner in speed and technology.

Watching NASCAR races on TV is one way to spend a race weekend. However, if you’re lucky enough to attend an actual race, the experience is always better. That’s exactly what this past weekend was like for me. I spent the weekend at my home track, Michigan International Speedway. It wasn’t my first time, since I’ve been going to races since I was a little boy. MIS never disappoints. Hence why I like going every year.

What does a weekend at Michigan International Speedway look like?

There is racing action from Friday until Sunday, when NASCAR visits the Irish Hills. A little advice: Sure, the ARCA Menards Series raced on Friday, but that is also the best day to get your merchandising shopping done. I am a big die-cast collector myself. So when I made my way to the Chase Elliott hauler looking for his Amazon Prime 1/64 die-cast, I was very lucky. I got the last one, as the workers at the hauler had to pull the car from their display case. Sometimes you can’t be as fortunate.

Elsewhere, Friday was a good day to get an idea of where your favorite driver could be appearing. Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson would both be signing at their haulers on Sunday. Only 100 wristbands were being given on Friday, plus fans had to purchase a 1/24 die-cast to receive the wristband. I won’t lie, I was one of those people as I got a wristband to get Larson’s autograph.

Another great thing about MIS was seeing all the sponsors with their activation booths. That included a huge RAM Trucks display. Which I’ll get back to more on, given all the rumors that were floating around over the past weekend.

That Truck Wreck on Saturday Was Wild

The best part of going to a NASCAR race is that you never know what could happen. I like taking my dad to the races, and we both had a great time. The Craftsman Truck Series on Saturday didn’t disappoint. From great racing on track for the first time in the series in five years. To maybe one of the craziest moments seen in years.

The truck racers had a big moment with under 10 laps to go on a restart, as none of them got going, leading to a massive wreck. The best part of that incident was that it happened right in front of where I was seated in the grandstands. I’ve seen some wild things in my 28-plus years in NASCAR, but to see that in person was insane.

If that wasn’t enough to see such a great crowd for the Truck Series was simply special. I don’t have a total number, but boy, was everyone around me having a great time. Especially the rowdy group that was throwing Jello-shots at everyone else in the crowd. I suppose that’s just how NASCAR fans do it at Michigan. There is nothing wrong with that.

Cup Race Didn’t Disappoint

Sunday was a great day all around. Sure, plenty of people weren’t happy with Denny Hamlin crossing the line first, but that didn’t ruin my weekend. I got to see hard racing and plenty of drama around the race track.

I spent the morning listening to plenty of the drivers speak at their Q&A sessions. That was before I had to go jump in line to get Kyle Larson’s autograph. While I was doing that, my sister lucked out, as she was at the race with me. She got to get her favorite driver’s autograph on her hat. She got it signed by Elliott at the Chevy display.

It’s great to see all these drivers making appearances, and especially for the fans to interact with their favorite driver. It’s the biggest opportunity I’ve seen for people to get a chance to get something signed by the drivers at MIS in several years. While all that was going on, the biggest reason why I knew the RAM Display was so important was that the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series had a huge announcement at 1 pm on Sunday before the Cup race.

It’s not a secret anymore. Dodge RAM is returning to the Truck Series. I knew it was true the minute I saw the display on Friday. So welcome back, Dodge. As for the racing action on Sunday. From my seat at the end of pit road heading into turn one, I got to see all of the action. From Alex Bowman’s massive head-on crash into the outside wall off of turn two, to Denny Hamlin outdueling William Byron before he ran out of fuel.

Read More: RAM Trucks returning to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2026

Not to mention the pair of Larson fans who were making the rounds on Social Media for cheering him on every lap. Those guys were about four rows below me to the right.

Just some good ol boys cheering on Kyle Larson. They’ve been doing this all race for every car Larson passes. Needless to say they’ve done it a lot love their energy!! #Nascar #KyleLarson pic.twitter.com/m11Oq93kcV

— ACS Racing Network (@ACS_onYouTube24) June 8, 2025

It was yet another great NASCAR weekend at Michigan International Speedway. I’m glad to have been there, and will continue to go to my hometown for as long as possible. There’s nothing like living just about 45 minutes away from a NASCAR track.

Read Next: Chevy Flexes Power, But Denny Hamlin Stands Tall in Irish Hills

Main Photo: Meg Oliphant, Getty Images

Recording Date: 6/8/2025