In 2025, Paul Menard powered his No. 3 Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Ford Mustang to his second-consecutive Trans Am TA class championship in just his second full season in the series. In a close battle against series veteran Adam Andretti, the championship fight came down to the final race of the year, where Menard captured the crown and added to 3GT Racing’s legacy as a championship-winning organization.

Menard kicked off the year much like he did in his 2024 championship run, with a victory at Sebring International Raceway. He returned to Gym Weed Winners Circle two races later, capturing the win at Sonoma Raceway, where he held off a hard-charging Chris Dyson in a tight battle that ended with a 0.291s margin of victory.

Following a podium finish at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Menard scored his third victory of the year at Lime Rock Park’s Trans Am Memorial Day Classic, leading a stout field and widening his championship lead.

At Watkins Glen International, Menard notched his first win at the iconic track 22 years after making his first NASCAR start there. Menard’s momentum carried until the end of the summer, with his fifth victory of the season coming at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, a track where he also took the checkered flag the season before.

After scoring second-place finishes at both VIRginia International Raceway and Barber Motorsports Park, Menard cinched the crown in the season finale at Circuit of The Americas. He and title rival Andretti traded positions in the closing laps, underscoring the intensity of the title fight all season long. “

Former NASCAR racer Paul Menard is a two-time Trans Am champion in as many seasons as a full-time competitor. Matt Sullivan/Getty Images

“To be a two-time champion in Trans Am with Paul Gentilozzi and Tony and John and the history that they have and the history that the series has, means a lot,” said Menard. “It’s a great series. I grew up watching [Trans Am]. They make a big push to bring it back to what it once was.

“I’ve driven a lot of cars. I’ve driven a lot of race cars on dirt, on asphalt, on road courses, on ovals. These are, hands down, the most fun, coolest race cars on road courses in North America. You can get into some ice racing or some dirt racing or something. Those cars are really fun too, but a totally different discipline. But, hands down, if you’re going to drive a road course car, these are by far the best. To be a two-time champion in that discipline means a lot.”

Everyone at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is saddened by the tragic loss of Greg Biffle, his family and those involved with today’s plane crash. Greg made multiple starts in the Brickyard 400 at IMS and achieved several top-5 / top-10 finishes throughout his career here. He was a strong competitor on the track, but his selfless service to others defined the Greg Biffle we were so fortunate to know. His humanitarian efforts to serve his community and those in need, especially in the wake of Hurricane Helene, are truly heroic. Our thoughts and prayers are with his entire family, friends and legion of fans.

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu is not arriving in MotoGP to make up the numbers – he is arriving with a long game.

The three-time World Superbike champion says his debut season in 2026 will be about adaptation rather than instant glory, with his true ambitions aligned with MotoGP’s regulation reset in 2027, when he hopes to challenge Ducati star and reigning champion Marc Marquez head-on.

Razgatlıoğlu, 29, will join the Prima Pramac Yamaha team next year after clinching his third World Superbike title in October, closing a remarkable chapter in production-based racing.

The move has been years in the making, but the Turkish rider is under no illusions about the scale of the step up – especially aboard a Yamaha package that has been outgunned by Ducati in recent seasons.

“The first year will be a learning year,” Razgatlıoğlu told Spanish newspaper MARCA. “After that, with the new tyres and new rules, I feel there will be a lot of success in 2027.”

He tempered expectations for immediate results but did not shy away from his ultimate target.

“If I can get some good positions, or podiums if possible, I will be very happy,” he said. “I hope to fight with him (Marquez) in some races, but in 2027 my biggest challenge will be fighting with him.”

Career built on disruption

Razgatlıoğlu’s reputation was forged by doing what few riders could: breaking dynasties.

His 2021 World Superbike title with Yamaha ended Jonathan Rea’s six-year reign, achieved through fearless late braking and an uncanny ability to extract grip where others found limits.

His switch to BMW only strengthened his legend.

After delivering a breakthrough title in 2024, he doubled down in 2025, fending off Ducati challenger Nicolo Bulega and sealing the crown before the season finale.

The run cemented him as one of the most naturally gifted riders of his generation – and a rare talent capable of transforming a manufacturer’s fortunes.

MotoGP interest followed for years, but Razgatlıoğlu repeatedly resisted, unwilling to gamble his prime without a credible pathway. Yamaha’s renewed technical push and Pramac’s factory-backed role finally provided that opening.

Yamaha challenge

Razgatlıoğlu will inherit a Yamaha project in transition.

Once the benchmark of the grid, Yamaha has been chasing Ducati’s aerodynamic and mechanical advantages, with Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins struggling to turn speed into sustained results.

Pramac’s move from Ducati to Yamaha marks a pivotal shift, giving the Japanese manufacturer an expanded development base and a proven race-winning satellite structure.

Razgatlıoğlu’s early tests have already underlined both promise and challenge – adapting from heavier Superbikes to MotoGP prototypes defined by carbon brakes, extreme aerodynamics and unforgiving Michelin tires.

Learning tire management, electronic maps and the relentless intensity of MotoGP weekends will define his rookie season.

Why 2027 is the real target

Razgatlıoğlu’s confidence is rooted in timing.

MotoGP’s 2027 regulation overhaul is expected to fundamentally reshape the grid: smaller engines, tighter aerodynamic limits, the removal of ride-height devices and revised tire constructions.

The aim is clear – reduce speed, increase safety and pull manufacturers closer together.

For a rider whose strengths lie in braking, balance and corner speed, the changes could neutralize Ducati’s power-driven edge and reward adaptability over brute force.

Yamaha, along with Honda, stands to gain – and Razgatlıoğlu believes he can be at the sharp end when the reset arrives.

Marquez challenge

Marquez remains the sport’s defining figure.

His 2025 title with Ducati reaffirmed his ability to dominate with the right tools, blending aggression with experience in a way few can match.

Razgatlıoğlu knows the comparison is unavoidable – and welcomes it.

He is not promising miracles in 2026. Instead, he is laying out a trajectory: learn first, survive second, then attack.

If MotoGP’s next era delivers the close racing it promises, the idea of Razgatlıoğlu throwing his Yamaha down the inside of Marquez may no longer feel like ambition – but inevitability.

The Daily Sabah Newsletter

Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey,
it’s region and the world.

SIGN ME UP

You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

The latest Forza Motorsport launched in 2023 as a live service game, initially set to be filled out with regular monthly updates that add cars and tracks. This continued throughout its first year and a half, but updates have been more focused on restoring previous monthly content since a wave of layoffs hit core Xbox teams in July. Now, the developers behind the game have confirmed that support for the game is coming to an end.

Word about the shift in the service was buried in a year-in-review post, which featured only a brief mention of the change in plans.

“As our team shifts its focus toward delivering the best possible experience with Forza Horizon 6 in 2026, we do not plan to introduce new cars, tracks, features, or regular bug fixes for Forza Motorsport,” the statement says. “However, we will continue supporting the game by keeping online servers active, hosting special events and competitions, and reintroducing previously released Featured Tours and reward cars on a monthly basis, until all content is available for you to enjoy anytime.”

This is a bad sign for the continuation of the mainline, Gran Turismo-like Forza Motorsport franchise, but the spinoff Horizon series is set to continue with Forza Horizon 6 next year. Microsoft has released few details on what exactly that game will be, but we do know that it is set to be the first Horizon game set in Japan. That detail alone makes it our most anticipated racing game of the new year.

Via CarThrottle

Fred Smith’s love of cars comes from his fascination with auto racing. Unfortunately, that passion led him to daily drive a high-mileage, first-year Porsche Panamera. He is still thinking about the last lap of the 2011 Indianapolis 500.