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JMF Motorsports Wins Road America GT World Challenge America Race No. 2

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JMF Motorsports’ Michai Stephens was able to take the lead from DXDT Racing’s Blake McDonald during the mid-race pit stop sequence Sunday (Aug. 17). From there, Stephens pulled away from the field, then held on in a one-lap shootout to win GT World Challenge America powered by AWS Race No. 2 at Road America with Mikael Grenier. It is Grenier and Stephens’ second overall win and third Pro class win of the season.

“I have to make sure [John Farrow, team owner] is ok. I think he and I both had a mild heart attack [after that one-lap shootout],” Stephens said after the race.

The margin of victory was 1.328 seconds over Random Vandals Racing’s Connor de Phillippi and Kenton Koch. Rennsport One’s Jan Heylen and Alex Sedgwick were third, then Bill Auberlen and Varun Choksey in the second Random Vandals BMW. DXDT Racing’s McDonald and Matt Bell were fifth.

Bell started from pole in his Corvette. He ended up spending the entire first half of the race battling with Grenier for the overall lead. He was able to open a small lead over Turner Motorsport’s Robby Foley in the Pro-Am class.

In the Pro class, Grenier started from pole in second overall. With the Pro drivers in the Pro-Am class starting the race, he ended up with a decent lead over Heylen in the Rennsport One Porsche. Heylen, in turn, opened a five-second lead over Auberlen.

At the start of the mid-race stops, Bell was less than a second ahead of Grenier and had two seconds over Foley in Pro-Am.

Grenier stopped on lap 20 along with Sedgwick for full service. The total pit lane deltas were relatively similar, but Grenier was starting to open up the gap prior to the stops. Afterwards, there was a seven-second gap between the top Pro cars.

Bell stopped with a little over 41 minutes to go to put McDonald in the car along with the majority of the other Pro-Am teams. McDonald was able to get out of the pits with the overall lead, but was on cold tires. That allowed Stephens to run him down and take the lead in turn 5.

In the pit window, Stephens turned in a series of quick laps to run away from Sedgwick. By the time the window closed, his advantage over the Porsche in class had doubled from seven to 14 seconds.

McDonald ended up with a substantial lead in the Pro-Am class over Turner Motorsport’s Justin Rothberg. He was able to run his own pace during his stint. That pace paled in comparison to the Pro class teams around him, but was more than enough to maintain his Pro-Am.

With seven minutes to go, CRP Racing’s Jason Daskalos suffered a rear suspension failure that shot his car off the track at turn 8. He managed to keep the car off of the wall, but he stalled in the runoff to bring out the caution. The caution wiped out a 22-second lead for Stephens overall and a nine-second lead for McDonald in Pro-Am.

Given the length of a lap at Road America, this seemed like it would take was more than enough for the race to end under caution. However, the safety crew was able to quickly remove Daskalos’ Mercedes so that the race could end with a one-lap shootout.

On the restart, Sedgwick attempted to make a move for the lead on Stephens. However, he went too hot into turn 1, which allowed de Phillippi to take second. From there, Stephens was able to hold on to take the win.

In Pro-Am, McDonald was able to lead on the restart, but Rothberg seemed to have more left on his tires. As a result, the BMW was right on McDonald’s tail.

Further back, Archangel Motorsports’ Todd Coleman went very wide in turn 1 and didn’t rejoin in a safe fashion. That rejoin resulted in Chouest Povoledo Racing’s Ross Chouest being forced into the grass and spinning out.

Rothberg made an aggressive move for the Pro-Am lead at turn 8 on the final lap, but McDonald was able to hold him off. From there, McDonald held on for the class win.

Bell and McDonald’s margin of victory was .439 seconds over Foley and Rothberg. The Heart of Racing’s Gray Newell and Darren Turner were third, then Regulator Racing’s Jeff Burton and Philip Ellis. GMG Racing’s Tom Sargent and Kyle Washington were fifth.

Ellis recovered from a stop-and-go penalty for speeding in the pit lane to finish third on the road, thanks to the caution. However, he was judged to have gone off the track to overtake Newell on the final lap, so he was docked a position.

The big crash that Scott Dollahite had in the Kink during Race No. 1 Saturday resulted in Dollahite being unable to race. Teammate Eric Powell was forced to borrow Turner Motorsport’s backup car to make a couple laps to get points.

As a result, AF Corse’s Oswaldo Negri Jr. and Jay Schreibman took the Am victory by default.

Next up is Barber Motorsports Park for the sixth race weekend of the season. Race No. 1 is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET on Sept. 6. The race will air live on both RACER Network and the GT World YouTube channel.


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Phil Allaway has three primary roles at Frontstretch. He’s the manager of the site’s FREE e-mail newsletter that publishes Monday-Friday and occasionally on weekends. He keeps TV broadcasters honest with weekly editions of Couch Potato Tuesday and serves as the site’s Sports Car racing editor.

Outside of Frontstretch, Phil is the press officer for Lebanon Valley Speedway in West Lebanon, N.Y. He covers all the action on the high-banked dirt track from regular DIRTcar Modified racing to occasional visits from touring series such as the Super DIRTcar Series.



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Caulder Construction to Sponsor White Mountain Dwarf Car Division in…

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In 2026, the Caulder Construction Dwarf Cars are scaled down, open wheeled coupes resembling the earliest stock car racers of the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s with a 1,000cc motorcycle engine under the hood. One of White Mountain’s most unique divisions, they’ll light up the highbanks in eight scheduled appearances at White Mountain Motorsports Park this season.

“We’re glad the Dwarf Cars will get some more recognition with the help of Caulder Construction,” said Media Director Cale King. “They’re a great group of guys that put on some stellar racing and we, like the Caulders, hope this helps boost them up a bit for next summer.”



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INDYCAR Race Director Re-Elected To Key FIA Judicial Role

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Kyle Novak, longtime race director for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone, has been re-elected to serve on the FIA International Court of Appeal and the FIA International Tribunal.

Novak was initially elected in 2022 and has completed his first four-year term. His re-election marks the beginning of a second four-year term following a Dec. 12 vote at the FIA General Assembly in Uzbekistan.

He was appointed by ACCUS (Automobile Competition Committee for the United States). That group was founded in 1957 and serves as the official liaison of the U.S. sanctioning bodies to the FIA.

The appointment places Novak among just 36 judges worldwide, a group composed of motorsports and sports attorneys from across the globe. Typically, each country is limited to no more than two representatives. Novak is one of two appointed from the United States, alongside Gary Crotty, legal counsel for NASCAR.

“My participation on this court provides me the opportunity to interact with some of the finest motorsports legal minds in the world,” Novak said. “Our days are filled with discussions on some of the most intricate topics in motorsports governance.

“These cases provide the backbone for future motorsports governance, both internationally and here in the United States. While FIA statutes are not binding on our championship, INDYCAR must constantly adapt to meet the challenges of an ever-evolving global motorsports landscape.”

The FIA International Tribunal serves as the first-instance judicial body and hears disciplinary matters brought before it by the FIA president. The FIA International Court of Appeal functions as the final appellate authority, reviewing decisions issued by stewards and other FIA sporting and disciplinary bodies, including the International Tribunal.

Serving on the FIA’s International Court of Appeal and International Tribunal is widely regarded as the motorsports equivalent of the United States Supreme Court – the final court of last resort once all internal FIA appeals have been exhausted.

An attorney who passed the bar in Michigan, Novak (photo, above) is the sole representative from the NTT INDYCAR SERIES among the FIA judges.

Novak said it’s an honor to represent the series when hearing cases or attending annual conferences, noting everyone involved is a racing fan. As an example, he recalled having breakfast last fall in Paris with a Spanish colleague who knew everything about the NTT INDYCAR SERIES through following four-time series champion Alex Palou, who also hails from Spain.

“I was initially surprised by the high level of interest in INDYCAR from my colleagues,” Novak said. “That interest demonstrates the global reach INDYCAR has. I hope my involvement on this court continues to raise awareness and further strengthen INDYCAR’s status as a premier motorsports sanctioning body.”

Over the past several years, Novak has heard cases involving competitors and member clubs across multiple disciplines, including sports car racing and karting, as well as a case between a member club and the FIA itself. All proceedings are conducted in person, either in Geneva or at FIA headquarters in Paris.

Novak said the experience has produced a direct impact on his officiating duties in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

“Even in cases where I’m not sitting as a judge, we receive all the correspondence, which allows us to observe how regulations are written and how much litigation can arise from their interpretation and application,” Novak said. “Whenever we hear a case, I’m always thinking about how a similar situation might play out at INDYCAR.

“Some of these matters can be surprisingly small. One karting case involved a competitor making an obscene gesture, which resulted in a full-weekend disqualification. Seeing how other sanctioning bodies handle situations like that immediately makes you ask: ‘What would we do here? If it were appealed, how would it turn out? Are our regulations strong enough to handle it, and if not, how can we improve them?’

“Everything I learn in this role can be applied directly back to INDYCAR.”



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Chandler Smith returns to Front Row Motorsports for 2026 NASCAR season

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Dec. 17, 2025, 9:01 a.m. ET

Chandler Smith is returning to the NASCAR Truck Series in 2026. Smith will return to Front Row Motorsports to drive the No. 38 truck during the 2026 Truck Series season, the team announced. The Front Row Motorsports driver will keep Jon Leonard as his crew chief for the second straight year.

In 2025, Smith earned two wins, five top-5 finishes, 16 top-10 finishes, an 11.8 average finishing position, and an eighth-place finish in the point standings. The driver of the No. 38 truck was eliminated in the Round of 10 finale at New Hampshire Motor Speedway after significant issues in the first two events.

Front Row Motorsports will bring back the same lineup with Smith and Layne Riggs driving their entries. The No. 38 team was a last-second announcement for 2025, so expectations are higher going into 2026. Smith hopes to be on the same level as Riggs with eyes on a Truck Series championship.



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JR Motorsports signs Arby’s as a primary sponsor for 2026 season

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Dec. 17, 2025, 9:40 a.m. ET

JR Motorsports has a brand new sponsor for the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Series season. Arby’s is switching NASCAR teams from Rick Ware Racing to JR Motorsports starting in 2026, the team announced. Arby’s sponsored Cody Ware’s No. 51 Cup car throughout the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.

In 2026, Arby’s will sponsor Carson Kvapil, Justin Allgaier, and Sammy Smith for a total of eight races. Kvapil will have support from the company at EchoPark Speedway, Rockingham Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, and Chicagoland Speedway. Smith will have Arby’s at Talladega Superspeedway, San Diego, and the Charlotte ROVAL. Finally, Allgaier will have one race with Arby’s at Darlington Raceway.

JR Motorsports inked a multi-year deal with Arby’s, so the food company will stick around the O’Reilly Series for several seasons. Arby’s had a great time sponsoring Rick Ware Racing in the Cup Series, but it hopes to find victory lane with JR Motorsports at some of NASCAR’s greatest race tracks in 2026.



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JR Motorsports, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Welcome Arby’s in Multi-Year Partnership

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MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Dec. 16, 2025) – JR Motorsports today announced that Arby’s, the leading destination for a high-quality meat-fueled menu with more than 3,500 restaurants in six global markets, has teamed up with JRM and Dirty Mo Media for a multi-year, multi-faceted partnership. As part of this new agreement, Arby’s will be featured as the primary partner for eight NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series events in 2026 with drivers Carson Kvapil, Sammy Smith and Justin Allgaier, as well as serving as a season-long associate onboard Allgaier’s No. 7 Chevrolet. Additionally, Arby’s will have a personal service agreement with JRM owner and NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr.

“It’s an exciting opportunity to have Arby’s partner up with our companies,” said Earnhardt Jr. “Arby’s is very aggressive with their activation and we pride ourselves on being a tremendous asset when it comes to offering a variety of unique marketing platforms, so I’m looking forward to how we can work together to continue to grow their business.”

“We’re thrilled to begin this multi-year partnership with JRM and Dirty Mo Media,” said Jeff Baker, Chief Marketing Officer at Arby’s. “Arby’s has always been about delivering high-quality, impactful experiences with speed. Joining forces with such respected organizations in the racing community allows us to connect with NASCAR fans in meaningful new ways – both on and off the track. Plus, Arby’s food makes everything better and can’t wait to deliver with JRM and Dale Jr. all season long.”

Arby’s kicks off their first race as a primary partner for JRM with Kvapil and the No. 1 Chevrolet at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Feb. 21. In total, Arby’s will be onboard Kvapil’s Chevrolets for four events during the 2026 season, Smith’s No. 8 Chevrolet for three events and Allgaier’s No. 7 Chevrolet for one event.

Be sure to catch Kvapil and the No. 1 Arby’s Chevrolet hit the track at Atlanta on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 5:00 p.m. ET on CW, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

ABOUT ARBY’S:

Arby’s, founded in 1964, is a leading destination for high-quality meat-crafted sandwiches, with more than 3,500 restaurants in six global markets. Arby’s is part of the Inspire Brands family of restaurants. For more information, visit Arbys.com and InspireBrands.com.

ABOUT JR MOTORSPORTS:

JR Motorsports is the racing operation co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Fame member and 15-time Most Popular Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kelley Earnhardt Miller and NASCAR Hall of Famer Rick Hendrick. Now in its 25th year of overall competition, JR Motorsports competes in multiple divisions, including the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series where it currently fields four full-time teams and earned championships in 2014, 2017, 2018 and 2024. The company also owns seven titles in regional Late Model divisions with consecutive championships in 2022-23 and a prized national title in 2020. To learn more about the organization, its drivers and its sponsorship opportunities, visit www.jrmracing.com.



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