A pair of first-day INDY NXT by Firestone practices at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna left series leader Dennis Hauger with a damaged car and Caio Collet with a fast car.

SEE: Practice Results

Driving the No. 76 HMD Motorsports entry, Collet posted the quickest overall lap, a time of 1 minute, 14.0546 of a second that bested Andretti Global’s Lochie Hughes (1:14.3332 in the No. 26 McGinley Clinic/USF Pro Championship car) and HMD Motorsports’ Josh Pierson (1:14.6193 in the No. 14 HMD Motorsports entry). Hauger had the best lap in the first session – 1:14.7484 – but his opportunity to improve in the second practice was lost when he hit the tire barrier in Turn 6.

Hauger finished with the 16th-best lap overall in Andretti Global’s No. 28 Nammo car, a position he won’t want to be in when qualifying is held Saturday at 1 p.m. ET on FS1. That session will set the starting lineups for each of the two races held this weekend. The past 10 pole winners of the Grand Prix of Monterey have gone on to win the race.

Hauger, who leads the series with five wins and six poles, holds a 76-point lead over Hughes (two wins, two poles) with five races remaining. Collet, a one-race winner this season, stands 94 points out of the series lead.

Nineteen car-and-driver combinations participated after Andretti Cape INDY NXT and driver Ricardo Escotto parted ways.

The weekend’s first race is Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET on FS2. Race 2 will be at 1 p.m. ET Sunday on FS1.

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Tom Cruise, are you listening? 

In a shocking twist to whether NASCAR would move out of the Chicago Street Race next year, the league has thrown fans of the fast lane into more of a dizzying tailspin than when a dapper, mustachioed Ryan Blaney finally shaved off his lip foliage. So how do you trump the vanishing of one carefully curated and beloved mouth brow? 

Well, not only did NASCAR announce it’s departing from the Windy City, league officials dropped perhaps the most epic, most cinematic promo for Chicago’s replacement – a little event on San Diego’s historic Coronado Navy site dubbed, “Race the Base.”

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Training day for the NASCAR “recruits”

Headlining the adrenaline-fueled piece that’d make even Michael Bay’s heart flutter isn’t Maverick, Goose or the late Ice Man – it’s none other than a select few of NASCAR’s own “Top Guns,” assembled by the league’s perennial most popular driver, Chase Elliott, aka “Peaches” in the promo. Joining him with their own code names are none other than the youngest driver to ever notch 600 career Cup Series starts, Joey “Zamboni” Logano, Carson “Hot Shot” Hocevar, Noah “Rizz” Gragson, Chase “Hoosier” Briscoe and William “Flame” Byron. 

Feeling “the need for speed,” the six eager recruits endure a rigorous gamut of in-flight training, complete with all the harrowing barrel rolls one could ever want, before the group prepares to tackle their final mission – making it to the end of the course on the base without being caught be the Navy’s elite security force. 

Passing muster

Out of time and options, “Peaches” (Elliott) and “Zamboni” (Logano) lock eyes with a plan of their own – putting the pedal to the metal under the disguise of classic rides, not stock cars. With “Peaches” channeling a steely-eyed Vin Diesel – after all, “it’s the driver, not the car” – the Cup Series stars nearly outrun their captors before one of the agents pops up in the back of “Zamboni’s” and “Rizz’s” cherry red classic Ford Mustang. 

After passing the grueling test with flying colors, NASCAR’s chosen are welcomed into the Navy fold by Captain Loren “Wookie” Jacobi, the actual Commanding Officer at Coronado. It’s a touching finish to a high-octane piece, reminding fans from coast to coast about NASCAR’s strong ties to the United States military.   

Race the Base course layout

While details of the Navy’s Coronado course will be released at a later date, NASCAR brass are using the iRacing simulator to develop the circuit just like the league did for other events, like the Clash at the Los Angeles Coliseum and the Chicago Street Race.     

“It’ll be a blend of traditional street racing in a way where we’ll be winding our ways through some of the streets on the base,” revealed Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s executive vice president, chief venue & racing innovation officer. 

“They’ll be going past [aircraft] carriers,” he continued. “They’ll eventually go out onto the tarmac, probably by some military aircraft, maybe a couple of F-18s out there, and then back towards the entrance to the base.”

NASCAR and the 250th anniversary of the United States Navy

The three-day, full-throttle event marks only the second street race in NASCAR’s modern era, but to the United States Navy, it carries even more weight because it will coincide with the military branch’s 250th anniversary. 

“As Commanding Officer of Naval Base Coronado and on behalf of the United States Navy, it’s an honor to partner with NASCAR at NAS North Island as part of our 250th anniversary celebration,” stated Captain Loren Jacobi in a press release. “Hosting one of America’s premier motorsports events on this historic base reflects our partnership with the local community and our shared pride in the nation’s heritage.” 

“We are privileged to showcase the dedication of our Sailors alongside NASCAR’s finest as we celebrate our 250th anniversary.”  

Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan explained why pairing NASCAR with America’s Navy is such a perfect fit. 

“NASCAR embodies the very best of the American spirit through speed, precision and an unyielding pursuit of excellence,” Phelan noted in a press release. “Hosting a race aboard Naval Air Station North Island, the birthplace of naval aviation, it’s not just a historic first, it’s a powerful tribute to the values we share: grit, teamwork and love of country.” 

“From the flight deck to the finish line, this collaboration reflects the operational intensity and unity of purpose that define both the United States Navy and NASCAR,” he continued. 

“We’re proud to open our gates to the American people, honor those who serve and inspire the next generation to step forward and serve something greater than themselves.”

The three-day event kicks off with the Craftsman Truck Series on Friday, June 19, followed by the Xfinity Series hitting the black top Saturday, June 20, and ending with the Cup Series stars burning rubber on Sunday, June 21. 
 

For decades, women in motorsports have been underrepresented, underserved, and under-resourced, despite proving time and again that they have the talent, grit, and determination to compete at the highest level. Now, a new partnership is aiming to change that.

The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) has teamed up with Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment to launch “Women of NHRA,” which is a new initiative designed to elevate the league’s top-tier women racers and create more commercial and fan engagement opportunities across the sport. Deep Blue, a firm dedicated to driving commercial investment in and growth opportunities for women’s sports, brings deep expertise in advertising, media, and brand partnerships. Deep Blue will work to create long-term commercial value for NHRA’s women athletes and maximize their influence as marketers, leaders, and women in sport.

“The NHRA has a compelling story – its male and female drivers compete on the same circuit, the fastest driver on that circuit is a woman, female drivers manage their teams, work on their cars, are multi-hyphenate with experience ranging from electricians and engineers, understand and optimize to performance margins that drive success through tools like AI and machine learning, and beyond,” said Laura Correnti, Founder and CEO of Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment. “Through strategy, storytelling, and activations we’re working with the NHRA to drive commercial awareness of what makes it a compelling investment.”

A Unique, Level Playing Field

Today, the NHRA is the premier sanctioning body for drag racing in the United States and is the largest auto racing organization in the world. The organization oversees 20 national events annually and offers competitive opportunities across all levels of the sport from youth and grassroots racing to professional competition. With more than 100 member tracks nationwide and a legacy of innovation, the NHRA has a long history of gender equity. NHRA drag racing is unique in the fact that men and women have competed head-to-head on a 1,000-foot track for decades. Today, women in NHRA have amassed an impressive resume, with more than 100 women having won at an NHRA national event and athletes like two-time Top Fuel champion Brittany Force paving the way as the fastest person in NHRA history, setting a national record of 3.62-seconds at 341.59-mph.

“Women and girls are not just out here competing. They’re out here actually setting records, winning races, winning championships, winning multiple championships, and racing together with the guys,” said Ida Zetterström, NHRA driver who was recently named “Best New Talent” by NHRA’s National Dragster publication. “People don’t realize how big of a turnout we have at our events, how big our TV numbers are, that we’re actually competing with the guys, and that the fastest person in the world is a woman.”

Bringing Commercial Awareness And Investment To Women In Motorsports

Amid the surging growth of women’s sports across all levels, NHRA and Deep Blue are ensuring that women in motorsports are part of the mainstream conversation around fandom and sponsorship. Women of NHRA aims to accelerate women in motorsports and drag racing into its next era by deepening investment in women racers, unlocking new sponsorships, and growing the sport’s passionate fanbase through the visibility and influence of its women athletes.

“There’s a huge piece of momentum going on right now in women’s sports, and I feel like we have to tell our story because these women compete and win and dominate against men on an equal playing field and do it every day and every weekend,” said Jeffrey Young, Vice President of Marketing at the NHRA. “I want to make sure that people know that there is a sport where it’s an even playing field and the women are dominant.”

Women of NHRA will kick off at the NHRA Sonoma Nationals taking place July 25 – 27, 2025 at the Sonoma Raceway. Deep Blue and NHRA will host a VIP race-day experience that includes a brand summit on NHRA’s growth trajectory, followed by exclusive trackside access with some of the sport’s brightest stars.

NASCAR warned customers this week of a data breach caused by a cyberattack in March.

The incident exposed the Social Security numbers of an unknown number of victims. In filings with regulators in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts, the company declined to say how many people were affected.

NASCAR, an acronym for the National Association for Stock Car Racing, said its IT team identified a cyberattack on April 3 and began an investigation.

Law enforcement was notified and a cybersecurity firm was hired to look into the attack.

“The investigation determined that the unauthorized actor acquired certain files on the Company’s network between March 31 and April 3, 2025,” NASCAR said.

In late June, the company determined that Social Security numbers had been exposed. 

Founded in 1948, the Daytona Beach-based company operates as an auto racing sanctioning body that organizes more than 1,500 races across the U.S. each year.

Breach notification letters were sent out to victims on July 24, and victims are being given one year of credit monitoring services. 

NASCAR did not respond to requests for comment in April when the Medusa ransomware gang added the company to its leak site and demanded a $4 million ransom. The company also did not respond to inquiries on Friday.

Medusa claimed to have exfiltrated gigabytes of company data and set a deadline of April 19 for ransom payment. It is unclear if the data was published.

In March, the FBI and other U.S. agencies warned that Medusa was behind more than 300 cyberattacks on critical infrastructure organizations.

For more than four years, the group has terrorized governments and companies — gaining notoriety for an attack on Minneapolis Public Schools that exposed troves of sensitive student documents impacting more than 100,000 people. 

In addition to attacks on the Pacific island nation of Tonga, it has targeted municipalities in France and government agencies in the Philippines, as well as a technology company created by two of Canada’s largest banks. 

Rebecca Moody, head of data research at the cybersecurity firm Comparitech, said Medusa is among the top 10 most prolific ransomware strains this year so far, with 106 attacks claimed and 19 that have been confirmed. 

The group’s attack on Bell Ambulance affecting more than 100,000 people is one of this year’s biggest data breaches, she said. 

Learn more.

NASCAR will be bringing street races to an active military base for the first time ever next year in San Diego.

The racing organization said the three-day event, which will take place in June 2026 at Naval Base Coronado, will be the first of its kind.

However, this will be NASCAR’s second street course in its modern era — the Chicago Street Course has hosted racing events for the past three seasons.

Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s executive vice president, chief venue & racing innovation officer, said the track is not set in stone yet, but it will be a blend of traditional street racing that will include racing past military aircraft.

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The event is scheduled to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Navy.

“We contemplated a number of places, not just in San Diego, but the greater Southern California region,” Kennedy said. “Naturally, I think we all started to gravitate towards the military base, seeing that we knew that the 250th anniversary was upcoming, our natural ties that we have to the military and then the location of it. I mean, you couldn’t ask for a better location than Coronado, sitting between downtown San Diego, the Pacific Ocean and not far from Tijuana, either.”

The San Diego street race will mark NASCAR’s return to Southern California for the first time since February 2024.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. suggested Kyle Larson’s attempt at ‘The Double’ derailed his form in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season – but he’s found his groove again thanks to his form on dirt. 

Last season, Larson won the Brickyard 400. This time around, the former Cup Series champion will officially compete in both the Cup and Xfinity Series races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, joining Katherine Legge as one of the few drivers to race both in 2025..

On Monday, Hendrick Motorsports announced that Larson will be driving the No.17 car, which featured a new driver in Jake Finch at Dover last weekend. The reigning Brickyard 400 winner will look to defend his crown, and Earnhardt Jr. believes Larson is beginning to discover his form. 

Larson finished fourth at Dover in his last race, which was his first top-10 finish since Pocono in June and his first top-five finish since Michigan two weeks before Pocono. Since attempting the Indy 500-Coca-Cola 600 double in May,  which he won’t do again, Larson has tallied four top-10 finishes in eight races. 

Earnhardt Jr. believes the double attempt derailed Larson’s NASCAR form. On his ‘Dale Jr. Download’ podcast, the 50-year-old said: “All of those things didn’t go as well, or as easy or as smooth as he had hoped. I think that kind of knocked him off his perch.

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“The schedule wouldn’t allow him to find some consistency to be able to gain confidence and get the team back to where it needs to be, everybody feeling good about everything. Over the last handful of weeks, I’m sure that they’ve all been questioning, are we doing everything we need to do? … They’ve decided not to panic, get back to the basics, get in the part of the schedule where they might can find some peace of mind.”

Earnhardt Jr. thinks Larson started to find his rhythm and form thanks to “success in the dirt car,” which has helped him turn around his season. He added: “When he starts doing good in that, it’s like everything starts getting better. 

“His Cup stuff starts getting better as well. He needs to be behind the wheel of a race car, and he needs to be winning for him to get up on plane and be where he wants to be mentally.

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“He’s no different than anybody else, in terms of when you don’t have the results and the results are harder to come by. He’s just as human as the rest of us, and he’s going to have some self-doubt, or what am I doing differently? What should I maybe do differently or new? 

“They are going to have those internal conversations as a team. I feel like that’s all in the review mirror now.”

Larson is looking to win his fourth Cup Series race of the 2025 season when he competes in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 27.