Motorsports
JR Motorsports Gives Connor Zilisch Playoff Eligibility Update Amid Back Injury
JR Motorsports has provided an update on Connor Zilisch’s playoff eligibility after confirming that the 18-year-old driver will miss the Texas NASCAR Xfinity Series race due to a back injury. The Dale Earnhardt Jr.-led team confirmed in a statement that, “Connor Zilisch has been granted a playoff waiver by NASCAR and remains qualified for the […]
JR Motorsports has provided an update on Connor Zilisch’s playoff eligibility after confirming that the 18-year-old driver will miss the Texas NASCAR Xfinity Series race due to a back injury.
The Dale Earnhardt Jr.-led team confirmed in a statement that, “Connor Zilisch has been granted a playoff waiver by NASCAR and remains qualified for the 2025 NXS Playoffs.”
To be eligible for the playoffs, drivers have to be competing full-time. As Zilisch is only out of the race weekend due to an injury/medical reason, this decision from NASCAR was expected.
Zilisch was leading the final lap of the NASCAR Xfinity race at Talladega last weekend when he was hit from behind by Jesse Love. The tap from the Richard Childress Racing driver sent Zilisch into a spin before he crashed into the barriers head-on. Continuing to cascade across the track, he eventually came to a stop. After visiting the infield medical center, he explained that he was “grateful to be walking.”
James Gilbert/Getty Images
What drivers have said about the Zilisch x Love wreck
Connor Zilisch
Speaking after the race, Zilisch explained:
“Yeah, I’m okay.
“That’s one of the wrecks where you move your legs and make sure everything feels okay afterwards. So, very grateful to drive safe JR Motorsports race cars.
“Our WeatherTech Chevrolet was as fast as Xfinity Mobile. We were in the right spot, just, yeah, I haven’t really watched it close enough to know what happened. But yeah, grateful to be up and walking.”
He added a day later:
“Sore today but more than anything just upset that I couldn’t close that one out for my team. If we keep putting ourselves in position to win races, it will come. Thank you to everyone who reached out to make sure I was okay.”
Jesse Love
Love, who is close friends with Zilisch, commented directly after the race:
“I just got really good pushes there at the end.
“I was able to lift enough off of [Turn] 2 to get big pushes. I kind of thought we made our bed and were not in a good spot to win, and then I was able to get Austin [Hill] connected to me and he was able to give me some good pushes down the backstretch for a few laps. It was definitely tough how that ended. I hope my friend is okay.
“I’m not going to comment on what I thought happened there yet. I just want to go check on him and make sure he’s alright. Looked like a really hard hit, and he really hasn’t taken many hard hits yet.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Earnhardt Jr. also shared a message of encouragement for his team’s driver, writing:
“It sucks to see Connor have to sit out but I’m thankful he is being smart and patient with this injury.
“He’ll be back in the seat and back at the front of the field soon enough.”
Motorsports
Motorsports: Anderson returns on top – Brainerd Dispatch
BARROWS — Three weeks ago, Tom Anderson’s car was battered and broken. He was in a much different position Saturday, May 19, on the winner’s stand with the checkered flag in hand after winning the 15-lap Hobby Stock feature event at North Central Speedway. Anderson’s car went into the wall during the season opener, April […]
BARROWS — Three weeks ago, Tom Anderson’s car was battered and broken.
He was in a much different position Saturday, May 19, on the winner’s stand with the checkered flag in hand after winning the 15-lap Hobby Stock feature event at North Central Speedway.
Anderson’s car went into the wall during the season opener, April 26, and came to a rest on the front straightaway after the first lap with major damage. He returned with a top-five finish Saturday, May 10.
Starting from the second position in Saturday’s feature, Anderson raced to the win in front of Chris Seidel and Mark Johnson. With the win, Anderson is in sixth position in the points race.
Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch
Mark Martini was a winner for the third time in four races in the Sport Mod Class and Aaron Johnson duplicated that with his third win in the Modified feature event.
Ashton Schwinn got his second win of the season in the Mod Four feature and Baylen Rooker won for the first time this season in the Sport Compact class.
Curt Myers was the Super Stock feature winner and Cole Greseth won for the Street Stocks.
Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch
Feature: 1-Aaron Johnson, 2-Shawn Fletcher, 3-AJ Viehauser
Heat 1: 1-Erick Thiesse, 2-Aaron Johnson, 3-Mike Brenny
Heat 2: 1-Devin Fouquette, 2-AJ Viehauser, 3-Shawn Fletcher
Feature: 1-Curt Myers, 2-Max Nelson, 3-Tim Johnson
Heat 1: 1-Tim Johnson, 2-Alex Myers, 3-Jason Gamer
Heat 2: 1-Eric Martini, 2-Curt Myers, 3-Dylan Nelson
Heat 3: 1-Josh Schmidt, 2-Max Nelson, 3-Austin Niemeyer
Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch
Feature: 1- Cole Greseth, 2-Kolton Brauer, 3-Tommy Pogones
Heat 1: 1-Cole Greseth, 2-Levi Randt, 3-Weston Ramsrud
Heat 2: 1-Tommy Pogones, 2-Kolton Brauer, 3-Kyle Howland
Feature: 1-Mark Martini, 2-David Siercks, 3-T.J. Wyman
Heat 1: 1-T.J.Wyman, 2-Mark Martini, 3-David Siercks
Heat 2: 1-Devon Charpenter, 2-Jake Kierstead, 3-Chris Siercks
Feature: 1-Ashton Schwinn, 2-Robert Holtquist, 3-Rowan Tramm
Heat 1: 1-Patrick Specht, 2-Robert Holtquist, 3-Chad Funt
Heat 2: 1-Dustin Holtquist, 2-Ashton Schwinn, 3-Rowan Tramm
Feature: 1-Tom Anderson, 2-Chris Seidel, 3-Mark Johnson
Heat 1: 1-Tom Anderson, 2-Nathan Kohl, 3-Chris Seidel
Heat 2: 1-Mark Johnson, 2-Travis Koester, 3-Reid Randall
Feature: 1-Baylen Rooker, 2-Travis Roush, 3-Raeann Hanson
Heat 1: 1-Russell Kiker Jr., 2-Tyson Roush, 3-Matt Johnston
Heat 2: 1-Travis Roush, 2-Baylen Rooker, 3-Raeann Hanson
Heat 3: 1-Hunter Carlson, 2-Colton Lodermeier, 3-Eric Pfundt
Motorsports
NASCAR’s longest race to feature full field of 40 cars for the Coke 600
For the first time since the season-opening Daytona 500, NASCAR will reach 40 entries for a Cup Series race. Along with the usual 36 charted teams, four open entries will take part in NASCAR’s longest race on Memorial Day Weekend. Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and four-time Coke 600 winner Jimmie Johnson will be one […]
For the first time since the season-opening Daytona 500, NASCAR will reach 40 entries for a Cup Series race. Along with the usual 36 charted teams, four open entries will take part in NASCAR’s longest race on Memorial Day Weekend.
Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and four-time Coke 600 winner Jimmie Johnson will be one of those open entries, driving the No. 84 Legacy Motor Club Toyota. It will also be Johnson’s 700th career start.
Trackhouse Racing will enter a fourth car with rising star Connor Zilisch driving the No. 87 Chevrolet, making his second career start in the Cup Series but his first on an oval. Zilisch skipped the most recent Xfinity race at Kansas due to a back injury, but he has been cleared to return to competition this weekend.
Garage 66. (formerly MBM Motorsports) will enter the No. 66 Ford Mustang with Josh Bilicki as the driver while NY Racing Team will enter the No. 44 Chevrolet. No driver has been officially announced for the NY Racing Team entry, but it’s likely to be J.J. Yeley.
There are also 40 entries for the NASCAR Xfinity race, which will feature the following Cup stars: William Byron, Austin Dillon, and Chase Briscoe. Of note, Katherine Legge will also be participating after skipping this year’s Indy 500 in favor of gaining more stock car experience.
There are 34 entries for the Truck Series, bringing the total to 114 for the three national divisions. Kyle Busch and Ross Chastain are the only full-time Cup drivers in the field, but B.J. McLeod will also be taking part after putting a deal together with Spire Motorsport.
2025 Coca-Cola 600 entry list
In this article
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Motorsports
Team Penske’s Newgarden, Power moved to the back of Indy 500 grid
INDYCAR is also suspending the team strategists for Newgarden and Power for the remainder of the Indy 500. SPEEDWAY, Ind. — Two-time defending Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden and 2018 winner Will Power will now start at the end of the grid Sunday after failing a tech inspection during qualifying. INDYCAR announced the Team Penske […]
INDYCAR is also suspending the team strategists for Newgarden and Power for the remainder of the Indy 500.
SPEEDWAY, Ind. — Two-time defending Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden and 2018 winner Will Power will now start at the end of the grid Sunday after failing a tech inspection during qualifying.
INDYCAR announced the Team Penske drivers will start 32nd and 33rd in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing on May 25 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway after they were in violation of INDYCAR Rule 14.7.8.16.
After locking out the front row in 2024, none of the Penske cars turned a lap during Sunday’s “Fast Twelve” session.
Scott McLaughlin’s team elected to not even attempt to qualify after McLaughlin crashed heavily during the morning practice session, necessitating repairs. The car would likely not be ready in time for qualifying, and the team opted to be safe rather than sorry.
Later, after “Fast Twelve” qualifying began, the Penske cars of Power and Newgarden abruptly pulled out of line and headed back to Gasoline Alley. IndyCar announced that the two cars had failed pre-qualifying tech inspection and would not be allowed to qualify.
“The integrity of the Indianapolis 500 is paramount, and this violation of the INDYCAR rule against modification to this part and using it ‘as supplied’ is clear,” INDYCAR President J. Douglas Boles said. “The penalty should be more than simply starting where the cars might have qualified anyway, if given the opportunity. The cars belong in the field as two of the fastest 33; however, starting on the tail of the field is the appropriate penalty in this instance.”
McLaughlin will still start in the 10th spot after INDYCAR found that the car was using a legal and unmodified attenuator. This is the final spot for those who qualified to participate in the “Fast Twelve.”
Also, INDYCAR is suspending Newgarden and Power’s team strategists for the rest of the Indy 500, and both drivers will forfeit Indy 500 qualification points and have been fined $100,000.
Newgarden and Power will forfeit their pit positions and will select their pit boxes after the remainder of the field has an opportunity to adjust accordingly.
Motorsports
Penske cars should have been sent to LCQ after rules breach
After qualifying third for the this year’s Indianapolis 500, Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward met with the media to discuss his strong showing. But when asked about the technical violation involving Team Penske’s two remaining cars in Fast 12 qualifying, he did not hold back. IndyCar officials found something amiss with the rear attenuator on Josef Newgarden’s […]
After qualifying third for the this year’s Indianapolis 500, Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward met with the media to discuss his strong showing. But when asked about the technical violation involving Team Penske’s two remaining cars in Fast 12 qualifying, he did not hold back.
IndyCar officials found something amiss with the rear attenuator on Josef Newgarden’s No. 2 Chevrolet. Will Power’s No. 12 Chevrolet had the same issue, but was already sitting in the pit lane. Penske decided to work on the cars, believing they could rectify the problem and still qualify without issue, but that was not the case.
In the end, both cars were pulled out of line and took no further part in qualifying. They, along with Scott McLaughlin who crashed heavily in Sunday morning practice, will share Row 4 (10th – 12th) on the grid. But O’Ward thinks the immediate punishment should have been far more severe.
Patricio O’ward, Arrow McLaren
Photo by: Penske Entertainment
“They weren’t accidentally doing it because they had the blowtorch right there in order to get it out,” said O’Ward. “Honestly, I feel for [Jacob] Abel and for everybody that did the last chance qualifying. Those (Penske) cars weren’t in regulations.”
Rookie Jacob Abel was the lone driver who failed to qualify for the Indy 500, losing out in the LCQ to Rinus VeeKay, Marcus Armstrong, and Marco Andretti. Meanwhile, all three Penske cars were fast enough for the Fast 12 via their efforts on Saturday.
“I’m not an engineer, so I can’t tell you what they were doing, how much speed that it is or if it is any speed,” continued O’Ward. “Obviously it’s not in regulation. The rule is pretty black and white. Those cars should have been in the last chance qualifier. Like, those cars should have never — obviously they didn’t do anything in the Fast 12, but they should have been brought into the LCQ because they had that yesterday, I guarantee you. Until someone pointed it out today. Those cars, if they’re disqualified today, they should have been disqualified yesterday.
“It’s a shame really because they don’t need to be doing that stuff. They’re a great team. They have got great drivers. Why are doing that? It makes no sense.”
In this article
Nick DeGroot
IndyCar
Patricio O’Ward
Arrow McLaren
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Motorsports
NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro
Christopher Bell outdueled Joey Logano to take the win in Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Bell led the final 10 laps of the race, and took the win by a victory margin of 0.829 seconds. Logano just missed out on his second consecutive NASCAR All-Star Race win. Here are the complete race […]
Christopher Bell outdueled Joey Logano to take the win in Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Bell led the final 10 laps of the race, and took the win by a victory margin of 0.829 seconds.
Logano just missed out on his second consecutive NASCAR All-Star Race win.
Here are the complete race results for the 2025 NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
|
Fin |
Car |
Driver |
Laps |
Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
20 |
Christopher Bell |
250 |
— |
|
2 |
22 |
Joey Logano |
250 |
0.829 |
|
3 |
1 |
Ross Chastain |
250 |
1.126 |
|
4 |
48 |
Alex Bowman |
250 |
1.938 |
|
5 |
9 |
Chase Elliott |
250 |
2.405 |
|
6 |
24 |
William Byron |
250 |
2.904 |
|
7 |
45 |
Tyler Reddick |
250 |
3.060 |
|
8 |
8 |
Kyle Busch |
250 |
4.038 |
|
9 |
19 |
Chase Briscoe |
250 |
5.674 |
|
10 |
17 |
Chris Buescher |
250 |
5.971 |
|
11 |
77 |
Carson Hocevar |
250 |
6.318 |
|
12 |
11 |
Denny Hamlin |
250 |
6.635 |
|
13 |
4 |
Noah Gragson |
250 |
6.847 |
|
14 |
3 |
Austin Dillon |
250 |
7.396 |
|
15 |
47 |
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. |
250 |
7.703 |
|
16 |
12 |
Ryan Blaney |
250 |
7.905 |
|
17 |
21 |
Josh Berry |
250 |
8.775 |
|
18 |
2 |
Austin Cindric |
250 |
9.148 |
|
19 |
42 |
John Hunter Nemechek |
250 |
10.458 |
|
20 |
51 |
Harrison Burton |
250 |
11.365 |
|
21 |
5 |
Kyle Larson |
247 |
3 laps |
|
22 |
6 |
Brad Keselowski |
176 |
74 laps |
|
23 |
99 |
Daniel Suarez |
65 |
185 laps |
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Motorsports
NASCAR All-Star Race Results: May 18, 2025 ($1M – North Wilkesboro)
North Wilkesboro Speedway results from the $1M to win NASCAR All-Star Race Who wants to be a millionaire? Tonight, the 0.625-mile of North Wilkesboro Speedway is set to host the NASCAR All-Star Race. View the NASCAR All-Star Race results below. North Wilkesboro MenuCARS (PLM): Prac/Qual | RaceCARS (LMSC): Prac/Qual | RaceTrucks: : Prac/Qual | RaceModified: RaceCup : Prac/Qual | Heats | Lineup | Open | All-Star Race North Wilkesboro TV Schedule Brad Keselowski […]
North Wilkesboro Speedway results from the $1M to win NASCAR All-Star Race
Who wants to be a millionaire? Tonight, the 0.625-mile of North Wilkesboro Speedway is set to host the NASCAR All-Star Race.
View the NASCAR All-Star Race results below.
North Wilkesboro Menu
CARS (PLM): Prac/Qual | Race
CARS (LMSC): Prac/Qual | Race
Trucks: : Prac/Qual | Race
Modified: Race
Cup : Prac/Qual | Heats | Lineup | Open | All-Star Race
North Wilkesboro TV Schedule
Brad Keselowski and Christopher Bell set the front row. 250 laps of short track racing are up next…
All-Star
Race Report
Green flag, Chastain makes it three wide for the lead into turn two. A lap later, Keselowski is clear for the lead.
249 to go, Chase Elliott works to the outside of Christopher Bell in the battle for 2nd. Joey Logano sticks his nose in there to make it three wide for 2nd. Laps later, Logano wins the battle.
245 to go, Logano works the inside lane. He pulls even with Keselowski but he can’t complete the pass.
194 to go, Daniel Suarez is in the outside wall, caution.
Green, Keselowski clears Byron before turn one. Kyle Busch rolls the top and he works to the right rear of Keselowski. Byron run the inside, three wide for the lead! Laps later, Byron wins the battle and takes the lead away.
171 to go, Logano runs Byron wide, Logano to the lead!
Competition caution
150 to go, the competition caution is out.
Logano leads the field to the pit lane. Bell wins the race to the pit exit.
Green, Bell clears Logano off turn two.
137 to go, Ross Chastain spins after contact with Austin Cindric, caution.
Green, Bell and Logano rub doors for the lead. After several laps, Logano to the lead!
75 to go, Brad Keselowski gets loose and slams the outside wall, caution.
Logano leads the field to the pit lane. Larson takes just two tires and wins the race to the pit exit.
Green, Larson and Logano run side by side for the lead. After several laps, Logano clears him with four fresh tires. Bell takes over 2nd.
Competition caution
35 to go, the competition caution is out.
Logano and Blaney stay out. It’s a lengthy stop for Larson as he has a broken toe link. Bell restarts 6th with fresh tires.
Green, Logano and Blaney run side by side at the front. Logano wins the battle via the outside lane.
Blaney bobbles and the field swallows him. Blaney falls all the way to 15th as they took him four wide.
24 to go, Christopher Bell takes over 2nd. Bell drives right to the bumper of Logano, they race for the race.
21 to go, Bell gets loose and doors Logano, Logano holds the lead.
12 to go, Bell works to the outside of Logano. Logano runs him wide and holds the lead!
10 to go, Bell slides Logano, doors him and takes the lead away.
Christopher Bell wins the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway!
North Wilkesboro Speedway
Race Results
May 18, 2025
NASCAR Cup Series
Pos | Driver
1. Christopher Bell
2. Joey Logano
3. Ross Chastain
4. Alex Bowman
5. Chase Elliott
6. William Byron
7. Tyler Reddick
8. Kyle Busch
9. Chase Briscoe
10. Chris Buescher
11. Carson Hocevar
12. Denny Hamlin
13. Noah Gragson
14. Austin Dillon
15. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
16. Ryan Blaney
17. Josh Berry
18. Austin Cindric
19. John Hunter Nemechek
20. Harrison Burton
21. Kyle Larson
22. Brad Keselowski
23. Daniel Suarez
North Wilkesboro Speedway
Video Highlights
Links
North Wilkesboro Speedway | NASCAR
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