Motorsports

Kevin Harvick ‘caught off guard’ by Rodney Childers, Spire Motorsports parting ways

Kevin Harvick knows Rodney Childers as well as anyone in the NASCAR Cup Series. Even he was taken back when the crew chief and Spire Motorsports parted ways. All told, Childers’ tenure with Spire, which started with some much hype, serving as crew chief for the No. 7 team and Justin Haley, lasted nine races. Childers said in a […]

Published

4 weeks ago

April 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Kevin Harvick knows Rodney Childers as well as anyone in the NASCAR Cup Series. Even he was taken back when the crew chief and Spire Motorsports parted ways.

All told, Childers’ tenure with Spire, which started with some much hype, serving as crew chief for the No. 7 team and Justin Haley, lasted nine races. Childers said in a statement he would be taking “a little time” to focus on his personal life, butt the 48-year-old isn’t planning for retirement.

“That one kind of caught me off guard,” Harvick said, regarding Childers via Harvick’s Happy Hour. “I think, as you look at the statements and things that everybody shared throughout the process, it seemed like it was a mutual agreement that it wasn’t working. So, it’ll be interesting to see how everybody moves on.”

As the dust settles on the move, Harvick is hoping Childers ends up somewhere he can make a real difference, believing wherever that is will be luck to have him: “I think that, you know, the No. 7 ran — didn’t run great again this weekend. I think, as you look at Rodney and his credentials, hopefully he winds up somewhere where he’ll make a difference, because I think he can,” Harvick added. “He’s got the credibility, and the history of results that go with it.”

It remains to be seen what’s next for Rodney Childers, but he’ll have Kevin Harvick’s support no matter what. The partnership with Spire Motorsports ended up being a bust, but the future remains bright for the championship-winning crew chief moving forward.

Rodney Childers on Spire Motorsports split: ‘It just kind of started falling apart’

Whenever Rodney Childers decides it’s time to return to NASCAR, he should have plenty of suitors. His resume speaks for itself. Childers is a crew chief with 40 career victories. He won the 2014 Cup Series Championship with Kevin Harvick. Childers wants to be a Hall of Famer, and feels there’s more work to be done.

“I had a couple [of] opportunities last year to go after the competition director thing, and I was kind of just really stuck on — I feel like, to one day be in the Hall of Fame, I need more wins than 40,” Childers said, via SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “And, you know, all that kind of stuff means a lot to me. And I want to keep chasing those numbers, and I want to have more poles, and I wanna have more wins and all that.”

Unfortunately for Childers and Spire, the marriage was not for the long haul. Just a few races into their nine-race stint, Childers knew something was off. The chemistry did not improve as the season wore on. Eventually, it reached a point where both sides knew it was time for a breakup, Childers said.

“It finally [came to] a point where they could kind of tell I wasn’t happy, and I could kind of tell that maybe they weren’t happy. And it just started falling apart a little bit,” Childers added. “And I could sense it a little bit. Maybe a couple of weeks before [parting ways], it had kind of [gotten] quiet around. And anytime it gets quiet, you kind of start wondering.”

— On3’s Nick Geddes contributed to this article.

Link

Motorsports

A Revved Up Chicago Gourmet Returns in 2025 With a NASCAR Dinner

As Chicago’s street festivals struggle, Chicago Gourmet is swinging for the fences in 2025 and leaning into the city’s passion for sports. Organizers have announced a battery of events, including a dinner on the NASCAR Chicago Street Course with food from the chefs behind Bar Siena, Daisies, and Piccolo Sogno. Chicago Gourmet takes place annually […]

Published

13 minutes ago

May 29, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Chicago Gourmet takes place annually each summer, with many of the city’s best chefs and the country’s most popular wine producers gathering at the Grand Cru in Millennium Park. Over the years, the event series has transformed. COVID forced it to reduce its footprint at the park while focusing more on ancillary events such as the Hamburger Hop, which crowns the city’s best burger. Those tickets will go on sale in July.

This year, the fest’s theme, Step Up to the Plate, puts sports front and center, attempting to inject some excitement for fans. Lord knows, even with Pete-Crow Armstrong, that Chicago sports teams haven’t been inspiring lately.

While the Grand Cru will still take place on Saturday, September 27, at the Harris Bank Rooftop near Millennium Park, there are new events such as the aforementioned NASCAR dinner, which will take place on Wednesday, July 2, ahead of the third annual Chicago Street Race on Sunday, July 5. Diners will eat a five-course meal at the start/finish line in what organizers bill as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But what if it’s a success? We’ll see how 2025 goes. Tickets, $250, are already for sale online. The chef lineup consists of Fabio Viviani (Siena Tavern, Bar Siena, Bombobar), Joe Frillman and Leigh Omilinsky (Daisies), Tony Priolo (Piccolo Sogno), and Steve Maak (Levy Restaurants).

Then, on Friday, July 25, a lineup of chefs will be at the ballpark for Game Day Gourmet at the Crosstown Classic in concert with the Cubs’ and White Sox’s interleague games in July at Rate Field on the South Side. It’s a hot dog competition to see whose upscale spin on a wiener will reign supreme. Chefs will be tasked with zhuzhing special Duck Dogs, a duck fat-infused frank made famous by the Duck Inn. Participating chefs include Duck Inn’s own Kevin Hickey, Frontier and Ina Mae’s Package Goods’ Brian Jupiter, and Mirra’s Rishi Kumar and Zubair Mohajir. Win or lose, rain or shine, folks who shell out the $250 per ticket will get to sample the specialty sausages from a suite overlooking the game. Tickets are available for purchase online.

Finally, Jackie Robinson may not have strong ties to Chicago, but Major League Baseball’s first Black player is celebrated around the country. His No. 42 is retired by all teams, and all players wear the number during MLB’s annual Jackie Robinson Day. James Beard Award-winning chefs Erick Williams and Damarr Brown of Virtue will host a tribute dinner to Robinson on Wednesday, August 20. A cocktail reception will precede a three-course dinner. Marqueal Jordan & The Wachezaji will provide the music. Tickets cost $225 per person and are available online. Proceeds benefit Virtue Leadership Development and the IRA Educational Foundation.

Link

Motorsports

Prime Video’s first NASCAR race averages 2.72 million viewers, younger audience

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600 averaged 2.72 million viewers in Prime Video’s first NASCAR race. The race, which was won by Ross Chastain, was the third-highest-watched NASCAR race this season not carried by Fox. FS1 averaged 2.89 million viewers for the March 16 race at Las Vegas and 2.84 million for Phoenix […]

Published

39 minutes ago

May 29, 2025

Your Sports Nation

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600 averaged 2.72 million viewers in Prime Video’s first NASCAR race.

The race, which was won by Ross Chastain, was the third-highest-watched NASCAR race this season not carried by Fox. FS1 averaged 2.89 million viewers for the March 16 race at Las Vegas and 2.84 million for Phoenix on March 9.

Fox Sports had the first 12 races of the season, with eight being carried on FS1. Last year’s Coca-Cola 600 on Fox averaged 3.2 million viewers.

According to Nielsen, the audience for Sunday night’s race peaked at 2.92 million viewers near the midway point.

Prime Video’s audience had an average age of 55.8 years, which is more than six years younger than the average median age of viewers watching NASCAR Cup Series races on linear TV (61.9).

The 67-minute postrace show averaged 1.04 million viewers and peaked at 1.26 million.

This was the first of five races that Prime Video will carry this season.

___

AP NASCAR: https://apnews.com/hub/nascar-racing

Link

Motorsports

Historic North Carolina speedway up for sale just weeks after NASCAR returned

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. (WBTV) – A historic North Carolina racetrack appears to be up for sale, just weeks after NASCAR made its return. A commercial real estate company has a listing for Rockingham Speedway, which returned to the NASCAR schedule for the first time in more than a decade on Easter weekend. The one-mile oval has […]

Published

58 minutes ago

May 29, 2025

Your Sports Nation

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. (WBTV) – A historic North Carolina racetrack appears to be up for sale, just weeks after NASCAR made its return.

A commercial real estate company has a listing for Rockingham Speedway, which returned to the NASCAR schedule for the first time in more than a decade on Easter weekend.

The one-mile oval has a rich history in NASCAR, with drivers like Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty and many other racing legends having won there.

The listing does not show an asking price for the speedway but does have fairly comprehensive documents that highlight features of the overall property.

Perhaps what sticks out most from the documents is that over the past three years, more than $12 million has been poured into upgrading the facility’s infrastructure. Much of that came from the state government. The documents say another $12 million has been requested from the North Carolina General Assembly to get the property “Cup ready.”

Rockingham Speedway is up for sale, just weeks after NASCAR made its return to the historic... — Rockingham Speedway is up for sale, just weeks after NASCAR made its return to the historic track.(WBTV)

Despite NASCAR having returned in April, the Cup Series’ more than two-decade absence has persisted. The Xfinity, Truck and ARCA series raced there that weekend, but not NASCAR’s top level. The last time that a Cup race was held at Rockingham was in 2004 when Matt Kenseth took the checkered flag.

The listing documents indicate hope that the track could see the Cup Series return in 2026 or 2027.

NASCAR has yet to unveil its 2026 series schedules, but Rockingham could very well find itself back on the Xfinity or Trucks circuit, especially after tickets for the Xfinity race sold out. Whether or not it could get a Cup date seems a bit more questionable.

Related: Winner disqualified in NASCAR’s return to historic North Carolina racetrack

Link

Motorsports

After Making NASCAR Return, Rockingham Speedway For Sale

After what was regarded as a successful return to NASCAR in April, the owner of Rockingham Speedway has listed the iconic race track for sale. CBRE, a real estate and investment company, has listed the facility for sale. The first report of Rockingham Speedway being listed for sale came from the Charlotte Observer on Wednesday. […]

Published

1 hour ago

May 29, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The first report of Rockingham Speedway being listed for sale came from the Charlotte Observer on Wednesday.

In the report from the Charlotte Observer, Dan Lovenheim, who purchased the track in August 2018 confirmed that he has placed the facility up for sale.

“We’ve basically taken it in first gear as far as we can go, building it out, getting it ready for bigger and better hands,” Lovenheim told The Charlotte Observer. “And the time is right to pass the baton to someone who can take it farther than we can.”

Rockingham Speedway opened in October 1965, and the track hosted its first NASCAR Cup Series event that month. The 1-mile track remained a mainstay on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule through the 2004 season. The final NASCAR Cup Series race, to date, at Rockingham Speedway was won by Matt Kenseth in a photo finish over Kasey Kahne on February 22, 2004.

The track hosted NASCAR Xfinity Series events from 1982 to 2004, and for a two-year period (2012 and 2013) the facility hosted a pair of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events in an attempted comeback for the race track.

12 years after the initial attempt at a Rockingham revival, Tyler Ankrum scored a win in the first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event held at the facility since the 2013 season. The following day, Sammy Smith was credited with winning the first NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Rockingham Speedway contested since the 2004 season. Jesse Love was the initial winner of the Xfinity Series event, but was disqualified from the event following post-race inspection.

A healthy crowd showed up for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event, and the facility hosted a sold-out crowd of 25,000 people for Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race. At the end of the weekend, the return of Rockingham Speedway was seen as a smashing success.

Now, the owner of the facility is seeking a new owner to potentially take the next steps in building Rockingham Speedway into a potential NASCAR Cup Series race-ready venue.

In a confidential offering memorandum available online, CBRE states that Rockingham Speedway has a three-year deal in place with NASCAR to host NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events in 2026 and 2027, and that there is a possibility to add a NASCAR Cup Series race date in future years.

Motorsports

Indy 500 Winner Alex Palou Interested in Running NASCAR Road Race

It’s been a dream season so far for Alex Palou in the NTT IndyCar Series. The three-time NTT IndyCar Series champion appears to be heading toward a fourth championship as the 28-year-old has amassed five wins through the opening six races of the season, and this past weekend, he scored his first career win in […]

Published

2 hours ago

May 29, 2025

Your Sports Nation

It’s been a dream season so far for Alex Palou in the NTT IndyCar Series.

The three-time NTT IndyCar Series champion appears to be heading toward a fourth championship as the 28-year-old has amassed five wins through the opening six races of the season, and this past weekend, he scored his first career win in the Indianapolis 500, one of the most prestigious races in the world.

As Palou continues to pile on career accolades in the NTT IndyCar Series, he’s allowed himself to start daydreaming about other opportunities in addition to his full-time IndyCar driving duties with Chip Ganassi Racing.

Palou, who had aspirations of moving to Formula One a few years ago, before being entangled in a strange and public contract dispute between Chip Ganassi Racing and McLaren during the 2022 season, explained in an interview with the Indy Star that he no longer has a desire to move from the NTT IndyCar Series ranks to Formula One.

“(F1) is not calling me anymore. I still follow it. It’s a huge series. It’s amazing. I’m a big fan, but I don’t think they’re having as much fun as I’m having here,” Palou said to the Indy Star. “I don’t see people celebrating with their wives and their kids as much as we do. I don’t see them hanging in the bus lot or having dinner with their mechanics. I only enjoy driving and having fun and being with my people, so I think (F1) is the total opposite.”

While F1 is off the table, Palou, who appeared on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour Podcast this week, didn’t rule out competing in NASCAR in the future. Palou said while he knows he wouldn’t have much of a chance of competing against the full-time NASCAR drivers on ovals, he’d like to mix it up with them on a road course or street course down the line.

“Oh, absolutely. I’d be down for that,” Palou said of running in NASCAR. “I mean, it’s a very different car, it’s a very different kind of racing, but I know I would get smashed by all of you guys on ovals, but I would love to give it a try at a road or a street course.”

That’s an interesting answer as Palou’s NTT IndyCar Series team owner, Chip Ganassi, was a longtime NASCAR Cup Series team owner, who sold his race team and assets to Justin Marks and Trackhouse Racing a few of years ago.

Interestingly enough, Trackhouse Racing fields a part-time No. 91 entry, known as PROJECT91, where it gives opportunities to world-class drivers attempting to make one-off starts in the NASCAR Cup Series. Perhaps there could be a path there for Palou if he truly wants to run a NASCAR Cup Series event on a road course?

Motorsports

DIRECTV To Offer Remainder of NASCAR Season to Businesses, ‘MLS Season Pass Sunday Night Soccer’ for Free to Subscribers

DIRECTV has made a pair of announcements regarding the remainder of the 2025 NASCAR season as well as the rest of the Sunday Night Soccer on MLS Season Pass schedule. DIRECTV For Business Offers Complete NASCAR SeasonThis is the first NASCAR season under a new rights agreement that adds Amazon’s Prime Video and Turner Sports’ […]

Published

2 hours ago

May 29, 2025

Your Sports Nation

DIRECTV has made a pair of announcements regarding the remainder of the 2025 NASCAR season as well as the rest of the Sunday Night Soccer on MLS Season Pass schedule.

DIRECTV For Business Offers Complete NASCAR Season
This is the first NASCAR season under a new rights agreement that adds Amazon’s Prime Video and Turner Sports’ TNT and MAX to longtime providers Fox Corp’s FOX and FS1 and NBCUniversal’s NBC, USA Network, and Peacock.

DIRECTV and Prime Video recently entered into a new agreement to ensure that DIRECTV For Business’ more than 300,000 sports bars, restaurants, and other commercial venues receive Prime Video’s new five-race schedule, including this Sunday’s Cracker Barrel 400 from Nashville Superspeedway.

Prime Video’s upcoming NASCAR Cup Series coverage includes (All times ET).

Sunday, June 1: NASCAR Cup Series Race at Nashville Superspeedway — 6:30 p.m.
Sunday, June 8: Firekeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway — 1:30 p.m.
Sunday, June 15: NASCAR Cup Series Race at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City — 2:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 22: NASCAR Cup Series Race at Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania — 1:00 p.m.

After that, TNT and Max begin their first-ever five-race schedule starting with the Quaker State 400 (June 28).

DIRECTV for Business is the only commercial provider with the complete NASCAR season, thanks to this new Prime Video affiliation agreement and other ongoing rights with Fox, Warner Bros. Discovery, and NBCUniversal. DIRECTV For Business commercial venues can now offer NASCAR fans the assurance of seeing every race despite the several new channels, streaming services, or other media outlets involved with the sport today.

Sunday Night Soccer on MLS Season Pass Is Now Free to All Sports Fans on DIRECTV
DIRECTV residential and commercial customers now have access to Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire on MLS Season Pass for free during the 2025 Major League Soccer season.

DIRECTV is a sponsor of Major League Soccer’s newest club, San Diego Football Club, and to celebrate the league’s 30th season, residential DIRECTV customers can subscribe to MLS Season Pass to watch every MLS game with no blackouts, in-depth coverage and analysis, exclusive content, and more for $14.99 a month for DIRECTV streaming customers and $99/season for satellite homes. And starting on June 8, satellite customers can subscribe for $69 for the remainder of the full season in the DIRECTV interface on channels 480 through 495, similar to the viewing experience for other league packages today.

This offering expands upon DIRECTV’s exclusive rights to provide MLS Season Pass to commercial establishments, which has been available to DIRECTV for BUSINESS’s vast network of more than 300,000 sports bars, restaurants, and more since the 2023 season.

Soccer fans can enjoy free access to Sunday Night Soccer marquee matchups, featuring some of the league’s most popular franchises. Tune in this Sunday, June 1 as Seattle Sounders FC host Minnesota United FC at 6:00pm ET.

All DIRECTV for BUSINESS customers automatically receive Sunday Night Soccer matches free without any additional activation.

Link