NOTE: Blue indicates the driver is from Group 1.
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Kevin Harvick has watched with a keen eye throughout the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. While some drivers have multiple wins on the year, like Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin, there’s a couple winless wheelmen who are in danger of falling deeper and deeper into a slump in 2025. The former Cup Series […]
Kevin Harvick has watched with a keen eye throughout the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. While some drivers have multiple wins on the year, like Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin, there’s a couple winless wheelmen who are in danger of falling deeper and deeper into a slump in 2025.
The former Cup Series champion has his focus squarely on two drivers who have also lifted the trophy at the end of a season. Harvick thinks it’s paramount that Chase Elliott and Kyle Busch return to Victory Lane sooner rather than later.
“The few cars that I think really need to win are the No. 9 [Chase Elliott]. The No. 9 needs a win. I think, for them to keep their confidence level where they are, I think Chase Elliott has to win,” Harvick proclaimed, via Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour. “I think that’s the expectation that he has, the team has, the organization and [Crew Chief] Alan [Gustafson] have. They’re consistent. They’re finishing races. They’re dotting i’s. All the things that they need to do, but they’re not winning. I believe that if they don’t win soon, that frustration is going to build.
“The other one is the No. 8 [Kyle Busch]. I think that if Kyle Busch, if that doesn’t stabilize, with everything that we’ve talked about with contracts and this and that, I think that could boil over, before it’s all said and done, if there’s not some bright spots pretty quickly.”
While Elliott hasn’t been to Victory Lane in 2025, he’s been among the more consistent wheelmen in the series. He’s currently P4 in the overall standings, amassing six top tens, three top fives and 74 laps led this season. He doesn’t have a DNF, but he also doesn’t have a top three finish. His top mark was P4 twice, at the Circuit of the Americas and Martinsville Speedway.
One thing working against Elliott has been the performance of his teammates. William Byron and Larson have passed the former champion by, finding Victory Lane on a more consistent basis. If Alex Bowman goes on a winning streak, the pressure will be turned up even more for the Dawsonville, Georgia native.
On the other hand, the downfall of Busch has been highly publicized over the past couple of seasons. While his time at Richard Childress Racing started off with a bang, the two-time champion winning three races during the first half of the 2023 season, it hasn’t been smooth sailing ever since for the No. 8 team.
His streak of winning at least one race a year came to an end in 2024, and he hasn’t been as competitive as he’d like in 2025. Busch is currently P17 in points, with four top tens and one top five to go along with 62 laps led on his resume so far. His best finish came at the Circuit of the Americas, where Busch came home P5 after leading a litany of laps, before he was caught by the aforementioned Bell.
Evaluating the landscape, it’s easy to see why Kevin Harvick believes Chase Elliott and Kyle Busch need to get to Victory Lane sooner rather than later in 2025. Whether it happens remains to be seen, but two of the more talented, popular wheelmen in the sport falling by the wayside once again would be a major disappointment for fans and media members alike.
The three key contenders in the headlining Le Mans Prototype 3 (P3) class delivered an entertaining opening 45-minute race to the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. At the end, championship leader Valentino Catalano in the No. 30 Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsports Duqueine D08 returned to the top for his fourth […]
The three key contenders in the headlining Le Mans Prototype 3 (P3) class delivered an entertaining opening 45-minute race to the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
At the end, championship leader Valentino Catalano in the No. 30 Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsports Duqueine D08 returned to the top for his fourth win of the season in seven rounds.
The complexion of the race changed before it even started with Catalano’s Gebhardt teammate, Oscar Tunjo in his No. 31 Duqueine D08, moved to the rear of the P3 field from pole following a technical infraction discovered in post-qualifying technical inspection. That promoted Jonathan Woolridge to pole in the No. 54 MLT Motorsports Ligier JS P320, with Catalano second and Tunjo back in fifth.
Woolridge led early but Tunjo made his way back to third behind Catalano. Catalano made a bold pass on Woolridge for the lead on lap eight. He passed Woolridge around the outside of the right-handed Turn 8, which set him up to have the inside for the subsequent left-handed Turn 9.
Tunjo followed through for second four laps later on lap 12 and emerged just over three seconds behind Catalano and began his pursuit.
“Driving the wheels off the car” can be used colloquially to describe a driver gaining pace on their rival. In Tunjo’s case, the phrase was first metaphorical – he closed from 3s to within 0.3s on lap 18 – and then literal, when a lap later his left front tire and wheel departed the No. 31 car exiting Turn 10 onto the front straight.
That brought out a full-course caution which closed the field. Absent his teammate, Catalano brought home the win by 2.331s over Woolridge with Bronze Cup winner Brian Thienes third in his No. 77 Forte Racing Ligier JS P320.
“After the pass I was just managing my race,” Catalano said. “I wanted to know I had a gap, and I know the entire degradation is really high here, so I took it quite easy. Then I saw that Oscar was pushing and then I was thinking, ‘Oh, should I push now as well?’
“Then suddenly I saw he was in the wall and with the tire lost. It’s really unfortunate for him because there would have been a really fun battle, I think. It was a good race. It’s really tricky around here to manage everything. Degradation is high and I had some other issues in the car, which got worse at the end, so I just had to bring it home.”
Grand Touring Daytona X (GTDX) and Grand Sport X (GSX) classes were straightforward affairs, with both polesitters leading flag-to-flag en route to victory. However, drama in both classes occurred for the final podium places.
In GTDX, Jake Walker enjoyed a successful race with his fourth win in the last five races aboard the No. 6 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 and won by 12.440s.
“We had a good start, and I got a bit of a gap, which was key,” Walker said. “I just kept putting down this lap time and looking forward. The Turner Motorsport BMW was ripping right out of the gate. This is my first time here and it’s an awesome track, man. It’s fast and it takes a lot out of you.”
Behind them, the championship complexion changed after the restart inside the final 10 minutes. Title rivals AJ Muss (No. 66 Af Corse Ferrari 296 GT3) and Adam Adelson (No. 24 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R) collided exiting Turn 10, with Muss assessed a 10s post-race time penalty for incident responsibility to drop from second to third.
Adelson was promoted to second, which unofficially gives him the championship lead by 20 points over Muss. Samantha Tan (No. 38 ST Racing BMW M4 GT3) marked her return to her home country venue at CTMP with the Bronze Cup win in fourth.
GSX was similarly controlled by championship leader Kiko Porto in his No. 8 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2, who took his fifth win of the season by 8.597s. The team recovered from missing most of the first practice session on Friday due to a mechanical issue that Porto explained nearly set him back on his first visit to CTMP.
“We had a similar problem to what took us from victory lane at COTA,” Porto said. “We were a little bit worried that would stay happening throughout the weekend, but the team did an amazing job to fix the car.
“In the beginning of the race, I was a little bit more aware of controlling the pace. We were able to make an almost eight-second gap. The yellow came, but I still had tires to the finish.”
Steven Clemons finished second in his No. 76 BSI Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 while Chris Walsh leapt to third and the Bronze Cup win in his No. 22 TWOth Autosport Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS following a last-lap issue for Ian Porter in his No. 68 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2, who slowed on course and dropped to eighth in GSX.
Sunday’s second VP Racing Challenge race of the weekend is at 11:10 a.m. ET and local time, streaming on Peacock, IMSA.TV and IMSA’s Official YouTube channel.
RESULTS
NOTE: Blue indicates the driver is from Group 1. Related Ryan Rantz President, founder and visionary of “ifantasyrace.com, the way you fantasy race”. Follow me on Twitter and LIKE my Facebook page. Sonoma Toyota / Save Mart 350 NASCAR Practice 5,10 and 15 Lap Average Speed Cheat Sheet Link 0
WHIPPANY, N.J. and SONOMA, Calif., July 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. (NYSE: SPH), a nationwide distributor of propane, renewable propane, renewable natural gas, fuel oil and related products and services, as well as a marketer of natural gas and electricity and investor in low carbon fuel alternatives, is pleased to announce its role […]
WHIPPANY, N.J. and SONOMA, Calif., July 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. (NYSE: SPH), a nationwide distributor of propane, renewable propane, renewable natural gas, fuel oil and related products and services, as well as a marketer of natural gas and electricity and investor in low carbon fuel alternatives, is pleased to announce its role as the main sponsor of Track to Table, an exclusive event uniting the charitable, culinary, and motorsports communities, to kick off Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Cup Series weekend at Sonoma Raceway.
This debut Track to Table event will take place on Friday, July 11, at the iconic Turn 11 Club at Sonoma Raceway, merging the adrenaline of NASCAR with the flair of fine dining, live music, and charitable giving. All proceeds will benefit Speedway Children’s Charities Sonoma, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of Sonoma County children and families in critical need.
“Track to Table is a perfect blend of purpose and celebration, and we’re honored to empower such a meaningful evening that supports children and families,” said Nandini Sankara, Spokesperson, Suburban Propane. “As a proud partner of Speedway Motorsports and a long-time supporter of community-focused initiatives through our SuburbanCares platform, Suburban Propane is delighted to help bring this remarkable new tradition to life.”
Through its SuburbanCares pillar, Suburban Propane is committed to giving back to the communities it serves. Supporting Track to Table aligns with the company’s broader mission to fuel positive change, champion local organizations, and support programs that directly impact children and families in need.
“We’re excited to kick off race weekend by celebrating the incredible food and wine that make Sonoma so special,” said Courtney Kiser, Director of Speedway Children’s Charities Sonoma. “We’re grateful to partner with those who share our deep commitment to helping vulnerable children lead safe, healthy, and fulfilling lives—no matter the challenges they face.”
Guests will indulge in an unforgettable culinary experience of exquisitely prepared dishes with wine pairings provided by Viansa Winery, Three Fat Guys Wines and Caymus Suisun. The evening will also feature an acoustic performance by country music artist Tim Dugger, a live charity auction and memorable surprises throughout, making it one of the most anticipated new events of the summer.
About Suburban Propane:
Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. (“Suburban Propane”) is a publicly traded master limited partnership listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Headquartered in Whippany, New Jersey, Suburban Propane has been in the customer service business since 1928 and is a nationwide distributor of propane, renewable propane, renewable natural gas (“RNG”), fuel oil and related products and services, as well as a marketer of natural gas and electricity and producer of and investor in low carbon fuel alternatives, servicing the energy needs of approximately 1 million residential, commercial, governmental, industrial and agricultural customers through approximately 700 locations across 42 state.
NEWTON, Iowa (WISH) — The history-making continues for driver Myles Rowe. The 25-year-old was the first African-American to win an open-wheel championship, securing the USF Pro 2000 title in 2023. Now, he’s taken that success to the next level in the IndyCar ladder system — literally. Saturday, Rowe won his first INDY NXT race at […]
NEWTON, Iowa (WISH) — The history-making continues for driver Myles Rowe.
The 25-year-old was the first African-American to win an open-wheel championship, securing the USF Pro 2000 title in 2023. Now, he’s taken that success to the next level in the IndyCar ladder system — literally.
Saturday, Rowe won his first INDY NXT race at Iowa Speedway — making him the first black driver to win in IndyCar’s developmental series.
“It’s so good,” Rowe said. “We’ve been working a minute for this, and we knew we had the pace. It was about waiting for the last half of the race and seeing what we could do with it.”
Rowe passed rookie Dennis Hauger with 14 laps to go in the midst of lapped traffic to take the lead, and he never looked back. The Abel Motorsports with Force Indy driver took the checkered flag by a margin of 1.3927 seconds. Hauger, INDY NXT’s current points leader, finished second.
With the win, Rowe moves to fourth in the standings with five races remaining on the schedule.
“We don’t stop here — I’m looking for a lot more than this,” Rowe said. “But I’m glad we could get this (win), for sure.”
Rowe adds this to his already lengthy list of accomplishments. He won 11 races in the USF Championships series. He was also the first black driver to win an IndyCar-sanctioned race during his first season in the USF2000 series.
This is his second season in the INDY NXT series, where he’s racked up four podium finishes and, now, one win.
Shane van Gisbergen made his name racing in the Supercars Championship in Australia and New Zealand. However, he’s seen his star rise since coming to North America to drive in the NASCAR Cup Series. With two wins under his belt in 2025 and three overall in the Cup Series, van Gisbergen is locked into the […]
Shane van Gisbergen made his name racing in the Supercars Championship in Australia and New Zealand. However, he’s seen his star rise since coming to North America to drive in the NASCAR Cup Series.
With two wins under his belt in 2025 and three overall in the Cup Series, van Gisbergen is locked into the playoffs and ready to compete for a championship this season. After his latest win in Chicago, he joined Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, where he spoke with Kevin Harvick about some key challenges in the difference between NASCAR and Supercars.
“It’s probably more intense, because it’s every single week and the challenge is so different every week,” SVG told Harvick. “Like it’s not like you’re doing mile-and-a-halves each week, you’re doing a different style of racetrack every single week, and the preparation and stuff is so different. Also, instead of seeing two teammates’ data, I can see everyone’s data. So, it’s a lot more intense.
“On a road course, I hate it, because everyone can see my stuff and it’s all people seem to be talking about on the weekend. But especially when you go to a Pocono or a Martinsville, you study someone like Denny Hamlin, who’s amazing at those tracks, and the tendencies he has, or Chase Elliott at Martinsville. There’s some guys who really stand out. But when you go to like a Vegas or something, it could be anyone. You know, so there’s so much stuff you got to look at now.”
That’s an interesting tidbit shared by the New Zealander, and something that doesn’t come up immediately when thinking about differences between the two racing leagues. As for the car itself, SVG revealed that they’re similar on paper, but there are still some intricacies he had to adjust to.
“They’re similar on paper,” SVG added, regarding the cars. “But the way they drive, I think the lock-diff is the biggest difference. Having an open diff here makes a big difference. You know, you don’t have to — the technique was so unique in a supercar, with the heel and toe and running all the rear brake you could. It’s a bit opposite in this car. You run as much front as you can. People make a big deal out of the right-foot braking, but it really does nothing in this car.”
Alas, the NASCAR Cup Series is happy to have Shane van Gisbergen, as he’s certainly upped the intensity on road courses. He’ll have a shot at win No. 3 of the season this weekend in Sonoma, with another track-type in his wheelhouse taking center stage in California.
Connor Zilisch’s No. 88 car rolls into Sonoma Raceway with one of the sharpest paint schemes NASCAR fans will see all weekend. The red, white, and blue colors look great, but there’s a bigger story here. The sponsor backing the car just made a major commitment to Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s operation, and it shows how […]
Connor Zilisch’s No. 88 car rolls into Sonoma Raceway with one of the sharpest paint schemes NASCAR fans will see all weekend. The red, white, and blue colors look great, but there’s a bigger story here. The sponsor backing the car just made a major commitment to Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s operation, and it shows how much faith they have in what JR Motorsports (JRM) is building.
Roto-Rooter sponsors Zilisch and Carson Kvapil for two races each in the 2025 Xfinity Series season. They’re also part of JR Motorsports’ Late Model program. But for 2026, they’ve bumped up their commitment to seven races.
That jump from four races to seven tells you everything about how JRM has been performing. Justin Allgaier won the Xfinity championship in 2024. He’s leading the points standings right now with three wins already under his belt. Meanwhile, Zilisch has grabbed two wins, Sammy Smith has one, and Kvapil has been rock-solid consistent all season.
With results like that, it was only a matter of time before Roto-Rooter extended its partnership with the team.
JR Motorsports and Roto Rooter have agreed to a multi-year partnership that includes serving as a primary sponsor in seven Xfinity Series races annually.
— Jordan Bianchi (@Jordan_Bianchi) July 12, 2025
Allgaier will run some of those seven races, but JRM hasn’t announced which other drivers will get Roto-Rooter backing. Naturally, Earnhardt was pumped about the news.
In a recent press release from JRM, co-owner Earnhardt said, “We are excited to continue growing our relationship with Roto-Rooter. I feel like JR Motorsports offers an amazing marketing platform across the board, and it’s great when partners see the value that our companies provide. I’m looking forward to seeing how we can continue to deliver for Roto-Rooter on and off the track.”
The feeling is mutual. Roto-Rooter President Thad Reinhard didn’t hold back his enthusiasm about the expanded partnership. “We couldn’t be more excited to continue our relationship with Dale, Kelley, and everyone at JR Motorsports,” Reinhard said.
The company has a broader vision regarding this partner, which Reinhard feels will transcend into a wider idea because of the shared values. He said, “Partnering with JR Motorsports means more than just sponsorship, it’s about being part of a true team. We share the same values: reliability, hard work, and a drive to succeed, both on and off the track. We’re especially thrilled to be working more closely with Dale on a personal level and to follow his journey in the Late Model series. I’m looking forward to watching our relationship continue to grow.”
The 2026 season is still months away, but fans can start wondering what paint schemes Roto-Rooter will bring to those seven races with JRM.
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