To date in 2025, Austin Cindric has enjoyed the most productive season of his young NASCAR Cup Series career.

He won at Talladega Superspeedway, sits 13th in points despite a 50-point penalty at Circuit of the Americas, and is already only 30 laps led away from setting a career-high in the category, only 12 races into the season. He only has three top 10 finishes, but he’s had the speed to compete near the front virtually everywhere.

That said, a major wrench just got thrown into his long-term future. After Team Penske’s release of his father Tim, longtime team president and IndyCar strategist, he will no longer be able to fall back on family connections to keep his ride safe.

Austin Cindric must continue upward trajectory to remain at Team Penske

Even during what has thus far been a breakout season, the jury is still out on whether or not Cindric has proven enough on his own merits to hold his Team Penske seat. Though he has three Cup Series wins, two of them have come on superspeedways while the other one at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway last season came because teammate Ryan Blaney ran out of fuel on the final lap.

Blaney and Joey Logano have combined to win four Cup Series championships, including all three in the Next Gen era so far. That considerably raises the bar for anyone else looking to have a lasting tenure at such an organization. Anything less than averaging around a win per year with double-digit top 10 finishes (which Cindric has yet to achieve in any season) is likely not good enough.

For a benchmark of the level Cindric likely needs to sustain in order to continue driving the No. 2 Ford, look to Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman.

While all three of his teammates are regular championship contenders, he is able to skate by with consistent pace and the occasional week in which he challenges for a win. It’s not fair to hold him to the same standard as Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, or William Byron, but he also can’t fall too far behind them.

Cindric certainly has the potential to be Penske’s Bowman, but it’s up to him to sustainably prove it. At some point in the near future, he will need to win a race, likely several races, on pure speed. He’ll need to bump up his top 10 totals into at least a dozen or so per year and maintain the type of performance that can routinely safely make the playoffs on points.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series returns today (Saturday, May 24) with the BetMGM 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The race marks the 13th of the 2025 Xfinity Series season and is set to see 200 laps, or 300 miles, of exciting racing around the 1.5-mile asphalt oval.

Of course, today’s race will be the first Xfinity Series race since Texas, with no action at either Kansas or North Wilkesboro in recent weeks. Last time out, Cup Series star Kyle Larson was victorious, filling in for the injured Connor Zilisch, who is thankfully back behind the wheel this weekend.

So far this season, the Xfinity Series has seen eight different race winners, and there are plenty of drivers who would like to make that nine come the black and white checkered flag on Saturday night.

With that said, let’s get into all the details you need to know ahead of today’s racing action.

READ MORE: NASCAR Qualifying Results: Kyle Larson denied Coca Cola 600 pole ahead of historic ‘double’ attempt

NASCAR Xfinity Series Charlotte race start times

Saturday’s 200-lap NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, also known as the BetMGM 300, starts today (May 24, 2025) at 4:30 pm (ET).

You can find the race start time converted to your local city and time zone below.

How to watch NASCAR Xfinity Series on TV

In 2025, every single Xfinity Series race is set to be shown live on TV in the United States on The CW. The CW App will also stream live in-car cameras during races. As per NASCAR, streaming replays will also be available to watch on the CW app the next day.

Therefore, today’s Xfinity Series action from Charlotte Motor Speedway is available to watch on The CW.

Radio coverage of today’s Xfinity Series race is also set to broadcast on PRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.

NASCAR HEADLINES: Kyle Busch 2026 update revealed as Michael Jordan’s 23XI get huge driver boost

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On Sunday, buckle up and get ready for NASCAR’s longest race of the year, the Charlotte Coca Cola 600. This crown jewel race is a test of endurance for the teams, the machines and many at home. Not only is it the longest race of the year, but it also has a unique format and is broken up into four Stages of 100/100/100/100 laps. The green flag time is 6:27 PM (ET) and this race will transition from day to night, so it’s important teams keep up with adjustments since the track will change.

On Saturday, practice was held for Charlotte. Teams only had 20 minutes, and keep in mind teams have different agendas. Make sure you check out our Charlotte NASCAR Practice Notes, Charlotte Group Speed Rankings, Charlotte Practice Speeds and 10-Lap Averages and Charlotte 5,10,15 and 20 Lap Average Speed Cheat Sheet Heat Chart.

Here’s Charlotte Starting Lineup.

1) William Byron
Start 3rd / Projected Finish Range 1-6 / Dominator Potential – Medium-High
Charlotte Outlook – Look for William Byron to have a fast #24 and be a factor at Charlotte. In practice, Byron had the 2nd best 10-lap average in Group 2, said his car felt good and was happy with his pace. Byron also has another added advantage this weekend, he took part in a Goodyear tire test here in March. At high-speed 1.5’s, Byron ranks among the best and since 2024 at these venues, Byron has the best Track Type Total Speed Ranking, the 2nd best average finish (9.6) and the 2nd best Driver Rating. At Charlotte, Byron’s been elite and over the last four races “Performance Wise” he’s been a top five performer. In the Next Gen over the last three, Byron has the best Total Speed Ranking, the 2nd best Driver Rating, the 3rd best average running position and a 2.5 average finish minus 2022. Last year, Byron ranked among the best. In the race, Byron finished 3rd, had a 3.7 average running position, earned the 2nd best Driver Rating and led 49 laps. In terms of speed stats, Byron had the 2nd best Total Speed Ranking and ranked 4th for Speed Late In A Run. In 2023, Byron won Stage #1, finished 8th in Stage #2, finished 4th in Stage #3, led 91 laps, had a 3.6 average running position, earned the 2nd best Driver Rating and then finished 2nd overall. In terms of speed stats, Byron had the 2nd best Total Speed ranking. In 2022, Byron was a top ten contender but finished an asterisk mark 32nd. On lap 183 he was running in 8th, but then shortly after that he was caught up in a “Big One” which marked the end of his race. In terms of Total Speed Rankings, Byron ranked 5th. In 2021, Byron finished 4th.
DraftKings $10,500/ FanDuel $11,500

Further Recommended Reading = Charlotte Finish Projections, DraftKings Charlotte Scoring Projections, FanDuel Charlotte Scoring Projections, Charlotte Quick Rankings, Charlotte Next Gen Average Finishes, Charlotte Next Gen Speed Rankings

2) Kyle Larson
Start 2nd / Projected Finish Range 1-6 / Dominator Potential – High
Charlotte Outlook – Kyle Larson has been the class of the field at high-speed 1.5-mile tracks and in the Coca Cola 600, look for him to be tough to beat. If Larson wasn’t racing 1,100-miles with split attention, he would be my #1. This year at high-speed 1.5’s, Larson’s had the best Total Speed Ranking every race, he’s earned the best Driver Rating every race, he has the best average running position by a wide margin (4.0), he’s averaged leading the most laps per race (124), has the best average finish (4.7) and he’s the only driver who’s finished in the top ten every race. At Charlotte, Larson who won in 2021 has been elite and over his last four “mostly” incident free races his average finish is 6.7. Last year, Larson missed the race. In 2023, Larson was a factor, but finished an asterisk mark 30th. The #5 team did some extensive tuning up over the course of the race due to no practice but when it was closing time, Larson was near the front. In the race, Larson finished 6th in Stage #3 but then on lap 374 while running in 3rd, the #5 snapped loose and Larson crashed dooming him to his 30th. In terms of Total Speed Rankings, Larson ranked 8th. In 2022, Larson had multiple problems and had what he called the worst race of his life but he still nearly raced his way to victory lane but a failed “Chase Briscoe Hail Mary” while leading ultimately doomed him to a 9th. In 2021, Larson smoked the field en route to victory lane, leading 327 laps, had a 1.3 average running position, had the best Total Speed Ranking and was just .5 shy of having a perfect driver rating. In practice, Larson had the 2nd best 15-lap average in Group 2.
DraftKings $11,500/ FanDuel $14,000

Don’t be a pretender, become a contender and get the ifantasyrace advantage to read all of our full exclusive content! 

3) Tyler Reddick
Start 12th / Projected Finish Range 1-6 / Dominator Potential – Medium
Charlotte Outlook – Tyler Reddick is an elite rim rider who’ll be a factor at Charlotte. In the Next Gen at this high-speed 1.5, Reddick’s been a standout performer, having a series best 5.0 average finish, the 2nd best Total Speed Ranking and the 3rd best Driver Rating. Last year, Reddick started in the back and had to serve a pass thru penalty at the start but he still raced his way to a 4th. In the race, Reddick had the 9th best Total Speed Ranking but take note he ranked as the 3rd fastest in the final segment. In 2023, Reddick had a 5.2 average running position, earned the 3rd best Driver Rating and then finished 5th overall. In terms of speed stats, Reddick ranked 2nd for Green Flag Speed, 3rd for Total Speed Rankings and then 4th for Speed Late In A Run. In 2022, Reddick finished 2nd in Stage #1, 8th in Stage #2, 4th in Stage #3 and then finished 6th when the checkered flag waved. Additionally, Reddick had an 8.2 average running position and the 3rd best Total Speed Ranking. At high-speed 1.5’s going back to 2024, Reddick has the 3rd best Track Type Total Speed Ranking. In practice, Reddick was fast and in a stacked Group 2 he had the 2nd best 15-lap average. 
DraftKings $10,000/ FanDuel $12,500

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BROOKLYN, Mich. (WILX) -People across Michigan got the chance to get a full NASCAR experience at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday.

The NASCAR experience allows people to feel like a NASCAR driver. To be a driver, those who attended had to participate in a training program that would allow them to drive a car on the track. Or people had the chance to hit the track to get the experience as a passenger.

Michelle Braymar, a participant, talked about her experience inside one of the cars.

“You know, it’s uh it’s a lot more squished and cramped than I imagined,” Said Braymar. “It was pretty cool. You didn’t really quite realize, like how long he talks about this, uh, but how the car kind of does lead you through and kind of helps you through it. So, to me it was pretty high adrenaline, pretty awesome experience.”

People will be able to get another big experience soon, when the big-name drivers will be making a stop in Michigan on June 8, for the Firekeepers Casino 400.

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Copyright 2025 WILX. All rights reserved.

PEOPLE and e.l.f. Cosmetics joined forces yet again for another exciting occasion!

On Friday, May 23, PEOPLE and e.l.f. Cosmetics hosted a kickoff party celebrating Katherine Legge, who was the only woman to compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ BetMGM 300 Saturday, and is the only woman currently competing in the NASCAR Cup & NASCAR Xfinity Series.

The party, held at Folia in Charlotte, North Carolina, was co-hosted by PEOPLE’s Dory Jackson and NASCAR host Carla Metts.

Thanks to e.l.f. Cosmetics, Legge’s primary sponsor, guests got to take cute photos in a PEOPLE-inspired photo booth. They also snacked on an array of small bites, from shrimp to empanadas, and sipped on drinks from the open bar.

There was also a charm bracelet and necklace-making station, courtesy of The Link Lab.

Guests left the party with some e.l.f. swag, including e.l.f.’s Power Grip Primer and e.l.f.’s Suntouchable Invisi-Stick SPF 50.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Legge had some starry names in attendance to help her celebrate the special occasion. Yellowstone alum Kelsey Asbille, The Summer I Turned Pretty‘s Rain Spencer and journalist Alicia Quarles were present for the gathering.

Barstool personalities Kelly Trotta, Maddie Schrader and Rae Reichert were there for the day, taking photos “behind the wheel” in e.l.f.’s racecar-themed photobooth. Additionally, several NFL cheerleaders made their way down as well.

After being properly introduced by the event’s co-hosts, as well as Patrick O’Keefe, e.l.f. Cosmetics Chief Integrated Marketing Officer, Legge addressed the attendees with an inspiring message.

“I feel quite emotional now. Tear in my eye,” Legge said as she greeted guests. “Honestly, super, super grateful and super proud to be here and to represent e.l.f. and to chat with all the wonderful PEOPLE people. It is a big weekend for us, it’s a big year for us, and when e.l.f. says that they stand for empowering women, like, that is no s—, people.”

“Like literally, I’ve never felt so empowered because this year we had a big pivot and this year I’m doing something that is making me uncomfortable and I’m getting comfortable being uncomfortable again because it’s totally new to me,” she continued. “Even though I probably have one of the most diverse careers in racing, I haven’t really experienced that much stock car racing.” 

Legge noted that she is “beyond grateful and beyond proud to represent e.l.f. and to have met so many amazing humans.”

“I think that this only happens once in your lifetime and so it’s my responsibility to do you all proud and so I am giving you 110%. I am trying my best, y’all. Like, I am not watching races from last year and, I will absolutely try and represent you the very best that I can. I got this!”

INDIANAPOLIS — In the most recent NASCAR Cup Series points race, Kyle Larson led 83 percent of the laps, won his third race of the still-young season and took over the series points lead heading into his Memorial Day weekend “Double” attempt.

Given his frequent success, Larson’s NASCAR rivals would have every reason not to like him. But among his peers, seemingly no one feels that way.

And after he’s won 26 Cup Series races since the start of 2021, they would also have every reason to cheer against him. But when the NASCAR drivers watch Larson in Sunday’s Indianapolis 500, awaiting their turn to race against him in Charlotte’s 600-mile race that night, many will be doing the opposite.

“Yeah, I root for him,” two-time NASCAR champion Kyle Busch said. “I wish him well in that endeavor. You hope one of your fellow guys goes out there and can show the world the NASCAR guys can do it as good as the IndyCar guys.

“I hope he does really well,” Larson’s NASCAR teammate Alex Bowman said. “He’s one of the greatest of our generation, certainly up there as far as the greatest have been.”

It would be easy to fill the rest of this story with similar quotes from Larson’s peers. “Just a badass,” former open-wheel driver and current NASCAR driver AJ Allmendinger said. “One of the best to do it,” Bubba Wallace said.

You get the point.

But some of the racing world thinks differently. Europeans scoffed last year when Larson declared he was a better all-around driver than F1 world champion Max Verstappen, whom many consider to be the best driver on the planet. Verstappen shrugged off the comment, but F1 fans — who tend to look down on American racers — had a field day with Larson’s remark.

Kyle Larson, during practice Friday at the Indy 500. Last year, in his first attempt at IndyCar’s crown jewel, he finished 18th. (Mark J. Rebilas / Imagn Images)

In the time since, Larson’s words have become the topic of ridicule every time he makes a mistake or crashes — and, in a game of telephone, turned into a belief Larson actually said he was the world’s best driver.

“People act like I’m the one who said I am the greatest race car driver in the world,” Larson told The Athletic. “I never said that. I just said I’m a better all-around driver than Max Verstappen. And they took that as I said, ‘I’m the greatest in the world.’”

Arguably, though, Larson’s claim is correct. Verstappen has dominated F1 and shown otherworldly talent; he is unquestionably one of the great racing drivers of all time. But Larson, at least to this point, has a vastly more diverse and successful racing resume.

He is a NASCAR champion in stock cars, won the 24 Hours of Daytona sports car race, has won the world’s biggest dirt sprint car race (Knoxville Nationals), the biggest dirt midget car race (Chili Bowl) and one of the biggest dirt late model races (Prairie Dirt Classic).

One of his teammates in the 24 Hours of Daytona, Tony Kanaan, is now the team principal of the Arrow McLaren outfit that fields Larson’s Indy 500 car. And the speed is obvious to Kanaan, a former Indy 500 winner.

“To me, he’s one of the biggest talents we’ve ever seen around the world,” Kanaan said.

That’s why this Indianapolis 500 attempt and the “Double” (which consists of running both Indy and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 on the same day in an 1,100-mile gantlet) is so important to Larson’s legacy. This is his final planned Indy 500, at least for now. If he truly wants to be in the conversation among the all-time greats, Larson could use a special moment Sunday on his resume.

Maybe that consists of simply completing all the laps. Maybe it’s a top-10 finish at Indy and then winning in Charlotte. Maybe, in what would be both highly improbable and one of the great American racing stories in history, it’s winning both.

At the top of the short list of the American racing GOATs is Mario Andretti, the only driver in history to win the Formula One world championship, the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500. But last year, Andretti said sweeping the Sunday “Double” would put Larson “in a space where he’ll probably be alone” among the greats.

“If he wins this and then goes to Charlotte and maybe even wins that?” Andretti told The Athletic. “Oh, my goodness! That would go down in history.”

Larson qualified fifth for last year’s Indy 500 — his only other attempt so far — but finished 18th after he made an error and was caught speeding on pit road. This year hasn’t gone as smoothly; he crashed twice in practice and qualified 21st — bumped up to 19th after the Team Penske penalties — for Sunday’s race.

It immediately sparked the “told you so” posts on social media from Larson’s detractors.

“I know he got grief for wrecking in practice, but it’s like, ‘How many (IndyCar) regulars are there who have wrecked in practice?’” former NASCAR champion Ryan Blaney said. “It’s just typical people, where when things go poorly, they like to s— on that person. When things go good, they don’t really give it any second thought.”

Five drivers have attempted the Double, which requires completing all 500 miles in Indianapolis and then flying to Charlotte for the start of the 600-mile NASCAR race. (And that’s after flying from Indiana to North Carolina the day before to qualify for the NASCAR race and then returning to Indy. Saturday, Larson qualified second for the Coke 600.) Only one has completed every mile: Tony Stewart in 2001, when he got top-10s in both races.

Kyle Larson hustles down the grid Saturday during qualifying for NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600. He’ll try Sunday to complete all 1,100 miles of the famed “Double.” (Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)

Last year, a rain delay at Indianapolis made Larson late for the NASCAR race; he never got a chance to run the second part of the doubleheader, as rain also brought a halt to the Charlotte race before he could get in the car. This year could be his lone chance.

He has flown under the radar much more this time around, which is how he likes it. Not because Larson doesn’t want the attention, he said, but because he hates taking attention away from other drivers.

Though the hype has died down, Larson is now more experienced with an IndyCar — a vehicle that has far more tools inside the cockpit for drivers to use than in NASCAR.

“Last year I was just scared to do anything (with the tools),” he said. “I didn’t know how sensitive everything was going to be. This year, I’ve definitely played around with it a lot more. I’ve gotten way more comfortable with doing those things.”

It’s all part of the challenge of getting up to speed in an unfamiliar car, which is a major reason Larson’s “all-around” best claim has many believers. Few drivers in the world can jump between vehicles and get up to speed quickly; some refuse to even try.

Will Buxton, who will call the Indianapolis 500 for Fox Sports, was criticized by F1 fans in February when he declared many F1 drivers are “scared” to even attempt the Indy 500. But the “Drive to Survive” commentator and longtime F1 media mainstay insisted that is actually the case, citing conversations he’s had with drivers such as Daniel Ricciardo, Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas — who told him they didn’t want to race IndyCar because of the dangerous ovals (F1 is all on road courses and street circuits).

It doesn’t help that former F1 world champion Fernando Alonso failed to qualify for the race when he came over from F1 six years ago.

“Deep down, in places they don’t talk about very often, respect for (Indy 500) drivers is probably far higher than they ever publicly state, because they recognize there is risk involved here,” Buxton said of F1 drivers. “They realize these guys are at a very unique level you don’t find anywhere else in open-wheel racing.”

Verstappen himself has said he would never attempt the Indy 500, telling ESPN in 2022: “I don’t need to risk my life there.”

In the meantime, Larson just keeps adding to his resume. The 32-year-old isn’t just sticking to one series or type of race car; he’s not only driven a variety of vehicles but also has won in every single one of them.

Except IndyCar, at least so far. Could Larson actually win Sunday, sealing his legacy as one of the all-time greats?

“That race is special, and you want the best in the world to be there,” Allmendinger said. “And he’s definitely one of them.”

(Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; photos: Bob Goshert / For IndyStar / USA Today Network via Imagn Images, Brandon Badraoui / Lumen via Getty Images)