Kyle Larson Reveals How He Was “Extra Pumped” to Win the Texas NASCAR Xfinity Race Due to Its Title Sponsor
Kyle Larson’s tryst with Victory Lane needs to be studied scientifically. And yet, there might not be a lot of results for it can only be explained as sorcery. The Hendrick Motorsports driver was found basking in glory once again at the Texas Motor Speedway at the end of the Andy’s Frozen Custard 300 on […]
Kyle Larson’s tryst with Victory Lane needs to be studied scientifically. And yet, there might not be a lot of results for it can only be explained as sorcery. The Hendrick Motorsports driver was found basking in glory once again at the Texas Motor Speedway at the end of the Andy’s Frozen Custard 300 on Saturday. Fortunately for those curious, he explained how he ended up victorious.
The trophy that is awarded to the winner of this particular fixture is an appealing one. Andy’s Frozen Custard became the Official Frozen Treat of the Texas Motor Speedway in 2021, and drivers have ever since been getting a gold-silver trophy that is shaped like the iconic product for their Victory Lane exploits. And as it appears, Larson has had his eyes on this trophy for some time now.
He said in his post-race interview, “They’ve had this trophy now for I feel like a handful of years, and you know I don’t get to run Xfinity, so I’m like, ‘Dang, man! That’d be cool to win that trophy.’ But, yeah.
“I found out, I think, yesterday that it was this trophy again. I was extra pumped and really wanted to win. So, it definitely added some motivation for sure to get the win today.”
Larson wasn’t originally scheduled to race on Saturday. But he had to substitute for Connor Zilisch in the No. 88 JR Motorsports entry as the youngster recovers from a lower back injury he sustained in a final-lap crash at the Talladega Superspeedway last week. The former Cup Series champion took advantage of the chance and secured a convincing victory over the Xfinity Series field again.
Larson takes the edge over Dale Earnhardt Jr. for now
Larson had previously won the Xfinity Series race at Bristol. He dominated his competitors completely that day and expressed that he was superior to them on the track. This idea did not sit well with Dale Earnhardt Jr., the co-owner of JR Motorsports, and he challenged Larson to participate in more Xfinity Series races.
Well, another day came to pass, and Larson won again. Perhaps the win wasn’t as convincing as his victory in Bristol. But the books seldom care about that. He led twice over 32 of 208 laps (including overtime) and held off Justin Allgaier for a time, until the reigning Xfinity Series champion crashed out of the race.
Interestingly, Allgaier is Dale Jr.’s best driver and was a teammate to Larson on Saturday. It sure is going to be fireworks to hear what Dale Jr. has to say about Kyle Larson‘s latest on-track challenge.
Where Corn Meets the Road: Iowa corn farmers promote ethanol through Iowa Corn 350 NASCAR
Iowa corn is again sponsoring the Iowa Corn 350, using the NASCAR race to promote ethanol and connect with consumers. The group says the exposure boosts awareness of E15 and the role that farmers play in biofuels. More than 1,000 farmers are expected to attend this summer’s event. May 12, 2025 11:21 AM · May […]
Hendrick Motorsports have announced an update on Kyle Larson’s and the No. 5 car’s participation at this weekend’s All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro.
The 32-year-old will attempt the ‘Double’ for the second year running this month, attempting to compete in both the Indianapolis 500 in IndyCar and the Coca-Cola 600 in the NASCAR Cup Series […]
Hendrick Motorsports have announced an update on Kyle Larson’s and the No. 5 car’s participation at this weekend’s All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro.
The 32-year-old will attempt the ‘Double’ for the second year running this month, attempting to compete in both the Indianapolis 500 in IndyCar and the Coca-Cola 600 in the NASCAR Cup Series on the same day next weekend.
Larson attempted the ‘Double’ – or the ‘Double Duty’ – last year, but was unable to achieve the motorsport accolade due to the Cup Series race ending early because of the rain.
Only Tony Stewart has completed all 1,100 miles of the ‘Double’, and Larson will be hoping to add his name to the list with Hendrick Motorsports and Arrow McLaren.
In just over a week, Larson will get to try again, but practice and qualifying for the race take place this weekend, meaning the Hendrick Motorsports star is missing some of the NASCAR action taking place in North Carolina.
READ MORE: NASCAR Cup Series 2025: All-Star Weekend start times, schedule and how to watch live on TV
No. 5 car set to miss qualifying heats at NASCAR All-Star weekend
Larson is automatically eligible for the All-Star race due to his status as a currently competing champion and a winner in the Cup Series for the past two years. However, he will miss Friday’s All-Star Race practice and qualifying sessions due to his commitment to the Indy 500.
That fact has been known for some time, with Justin Allgaier set to replace Larson for those sessions in the No. 5 Chevrolet.
However, in a press release ahead of the weekend, Hendrick Motorsports have revealed that Allgaier will not drive the No. 5 car in the qualifying heat races on Saturday night, which set the grid for Sunday’s main event.
Instead, the No. 5 car will sit out, which means that Larson is set to start Sunday’s race at the back of the field.
“Due to Indianapolis 500 commitments in pursuit of the #H1100, Larson will miss Friday’s NASCAR All-Star Race practice and qualifying sessions at North Wilkesboro,” Hendrick Motorsports explained.
“Justin Allgaier will drive the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in his place, and the team will skip Saturday’s heat races. Larson will return for Sunday’s All-Star Race.”
In the statement, it was also revealed that Allgaier will serve as the reserve driver for the No. 5 car at next weekend’s Coca-Cola 600.
READ MORE: NASCAR announce major Cup Series penalty after Kansas
Free practice in Vallelunga: Ercoli recovers while Doubek confirms strong pace – Speedway Digest
The NASCAR GP Italy is back for the sixth visit to the scenic Autodromo di Vallelunga, located close to the Italian capital of Rome. Vallelunga’s nature of having both fast and technical sectors makes it a real challenge for the drivers and teams to find a perfectly balanced setup. After two free practice sessions in […]
The NASCAR GP Italy is back for the sixth visit to the scenic Autodromo di Vallelunga, located close to the Italian capital of Rome. Vallelunga’s nature of having both fast and technical sectors makes it a real challenge for the drivers and teams to find a perfectly balanced setup. After two free practice sessions in both PRO and OPEN each to familiarize themselves with the 4.085 kilometer circuit, Gianmarco Ercoli led an Italian 1-2 in the combined PRO timesheets while reigning OPEN champion Martin Doubek topped the leaderboard in his main division.
NASCAR GP ITALY LINKS: INFO & TICKETS | SCHEDULE | ENTRY LIST | LIVE TIMING | WATCH LIVE PRO: Gianmarco Ercoli ahead of rival Vittorio Ghirelli
After a tough opening round in Spain, Alumitec Racing and technical partner CAAL Racing worked hard to find the problems that beset the #11 Ford Mustang in Valencia. Initial impressions indicated that the changes improved the car for the better after Ercoli returned back to the top spot in his home venue – a track the last five PRO races saw only winners from Italy in Vittorio Ghirelli and Ercoli.
The driver from Rome clocked the best lap time of 1:41.289 and led his great rival, PK Carsport’s Ghirelli who was fastest in the first session. Both Ercoli and Ghirelli have had many great battles in the past and the 2025 NASCAR GP Italy is destined to write another chapter to remember in the book of their rivalry.
“I’m happy with the job of the team and the partnership between Alumitec Racing and CAAL Racing,” said Ercoli. “They improved the car so much after our tough start to the season in Valencia. Today I tried to adapt better to the new gearbox because the speed differs from the old one as we carry much different speeds throughout the turns. We really improved the performance of the car. Thanks to all my partners and my team for all the support.”
Current PRO championship leader Thomas Krasonis confirmed his speed by setting the third fastest time of the day. The Greek was also the quickest in the Junior Trophy, beating Liam Hezemans who finished his day in fourth. Doubek completed the top-5 ahead of Fabrizio Armetta and Paul Jouffreau. Jouffreau was third in the special classification for young drivers aged 25 and under.
Sebastiaan Bleekemolen was eighth ahead of the top-2 drivers in the Challenger Trophy, Claudio Cappelli and Max Lanza. Davit Kajaia rounded the top-3 positions in the special classification for elite amateurs in PRO in 17th overall. Garrett Lowe faced a tough challenge with plenty of trouble in free practice. on board of his the #99 Chevrolet Camaro, the American made contact with the wall in the first session. The so-called hybrid racer – a mix of a real world and sim racer – was forced to sit out the second session and has a big task ahead of him recovering in Saturday’s qualifying and race.
“We had a good morning practice with Rookie Challenge and had a good first practice going,” said Lowe on what happened. “I was on my in-lap and going through Turn 10, the gearbox went into neutral from fourth. As I downshifted from fourth to third, it got stuck in neutral so I couldn’t stop. Once I got into the gravel, I was along for the ride. We had to take the whole left front off, it was a big setback for the day. We’re going to get it fixed up and figure out what we did wrong.”
OPEN: Same old Martin Doubek in the front
The last time EuroNASCAR visited the Autodromo di Vallelunga, Doubek won both races in the OPEN division. The Czech maintained his speed from the last years, still using the same setup from 2024. The Hendriks Motorsport driver managed to get on top of the two OPEN practice sessions with a best lap time of 1:42.061. Doubek finished ahead of top Italian Cappelli, who was also the fastest in the Legend Trophy for drivers aged 45 and over.
“It was a good day, we were first in both OPEN sessions,” said Doubek who pulls double duty in both championships in 2025. “We performed well on old tires and we didn’t change the setup from last year all day long. Let’s see what happens tomorrow in qualifying because we use different formats in PRO and OPEN and the two-lap one in PRO may be a problem for me. The car is really good and the team did an amazing job, so I’m looking forward to the weekend.”
Krasonis made it a double third across PRO and OPEN, once again making him a prime candidate to win in both divisions. Fellow Thomases Dombrowski and Toffel completed the top-5, with Dombrowski becoming the lead driver in the Master Trophy for aspiring drivers. Melvin de Groot was second in the Legend Trophy and sixth overall ahead of Patrick Schober, who had a smooth run the whole day facing zero obstacles.
The returning Valerio Marzi and Bruno Mulders in eighth and ninth as they beat Mario Ercoli for the top-3 spot in the Master Trophy. The younger Ercoli managed to round out the top-10 ahead of Roberto Benedetti, who was third in the Legend Trophy. The Lady Trophy saw Arianna Casoli utilizing her experience at Vallelunga to beat Happinessa for the class’ top position.
Teams and drivers will learn from all of the data they collected from Friday as it’s going to be important for Saturday’s qualifying and races to make the right setup decisions. PRO Round 3 will go green at 13:55 CEST with OPEN Round 3 following on 16:40 CEST. Make sure to tune in to EuroNASCAR’s official YouTube channel and TV channels around the world if you don’t want to miss out on the action from Italy.
ACI Porsche GT4s Run 1-2 in Sebring Second Practice – Sportscar365
Photo: Fred Hardy/SRO ACI Motorsports set the two fastest overall lap times in the second and final Pirelli GT4 America practice session of the day at Sebring International Raceway. A late improvement from the No. 9 ACI Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport of Dan Sibille and Kay van Berlo propelled their pace-setting entry to […]
ACI Motorsports set the two fastest overall lap times in the second and final Pirelli GT4 America practice session of the day at Sebring International Raceway.
A late improvement from the No. 9 ACI Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport of Dan Sibille and Kay van Berlo propelled their pace-setting entry to the top of the times, 1.140 seconds ahead of stablemate Riley Dickinson, who had led a large portion of the 45-minute practice session in his No. 7 Porsche.
Matheus Leist was third in Practice 2 for Nolasport, 1.217 seconds off of the No. 9 ACI Porsche’s 2:10.739 session-best lap.
The No. 94 Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT4 EVO of Josh Green was fourth fastest, while Dome Motorsport’s Marc Miller rounded out the top five in the No. 37 Mercedes AMG GT4 Evo he co-pilots with Edward Killeen.
The Pro-Am field found its footing in second practice, with the top six recorded times all coming from the series’ top class.
Seventh overall was the Silver class pace-setting No. 52 Auto Technic Racing BMW of Zac Anderson, whose best lap was just one tenth of a second faster than VPX Motorsport’s Alex Ellis.
BimmerWorld Racing once again topped the Am class times, but with Charlie Postins at the wheel when the No. 36 M4 GT4 EVO set its best time in Practice 2.
During the session, Random Vandals’s Kevin Boehm came to a stop in Sector 1 after his sixth lap in the No. 97 BMW, but did so without interrupting practice running. Boehm would eventually continue on, having recorded a first sector time of more than seven minutes.
Neither the No. 15 Archangel Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage GT4 Evo nor the No. 26 Heart of Racing Team Aston recorded representative laps in the afternoon session.
The session ran green for all 45 minutes, allowing the field of 29 cars the maximum amount of track time ahead of tomorrow’s qualifying session.
GT4 America qualifying gets underway for Driver 1 at 10:15 a.m. EST on Saturday, with each team’s second driver qualifying shortly thereafter at 10:35 a.m.
RESULTS: Practice 2
Jonathan Grace is the host of Sportscar365’s Double Stint Podcast and a contributor to the web site’s IMSA and SRO-sanctioned race coverage.
NASCAR Friday schedule at North Wilkesboro Speedway
NASCAR All-Star Race festivities will get under way Friday at North Wilkesboro Speedway with practice and qualifying on the 0.625-mile oval. The opening session will include the 20 cars locked into Sunday’s main event and the 18 cars trying to transfer from the All-Star Open. The qualifying session for the Open will begin at 6:10 […]
NASCAR All-Star Race festivities will get under way Friday at North Wilkesboro Speedway with practice and qualifying on the 0.625-mile oval.
The opening session will include the 20 cars locked into Sunday’s main event and the 18 cars trying to transfer from the All-Star Open. The qualifying session for the Open will begin at 6:10 p.m., immediately followed by All-Star Race qualifying.
The All-Star Race pole-sitter will start first in Saturday’s first heat race and the main event Sunday. The Pit Crew Challenge will be contested with a four-tire pit stop during qualifying that also will determine pit selection for the All-Star Race.
The Friday program will conclude with a 100-lap CARS Tour race.
Justin Allgaier will practice and qualify Kyle Larson’s car ahead of Larson driving it in Sunday’s All-Star Race.
350,000 for the Indy 500: First Sellout in a Decade
With an expected audience of 350,000 for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 25th, Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials have declared the race to be a sellout, the first time since the historic 100th anniversary of the race in 2015. Some tickets remain, but so few that all are expected to be sold […]
With an expected audience of 350,000 for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 25th, Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials have declared the race to be a sellout, the first time since the historic 100th anniversary of the race in 2015. Some tickets remain, but so few that all are expected to be sold by Monday. The race itself has typically been televised in the Indianapolis market on a tape delay, but it will be shown live this year in that market.
Wait, IndyCar fans might be saying: The Speedway has 350,000 seats? Good question. They don’t, but the grandstands can hold a still-enormous 232,000 people. Add in another 20,000 who will be watching in suites, another 12,000 who are employees on race day, fans who will watch from the infield, the Fox TV crew, team employees in the garages and on pit lane, and “You can see how quickly we get to that 350,000 number,” said Doug Boles, president of both the Speedway and the IndyCar series, at a press conference today.
In tandem with this historic update, event organizers have also lifted the local broadcast delay of the race. Expanded coverage of the first Indy 500 to air on FOX starts on Sunday, May 25 at 10 a.m. ET across the country, including Indianapolis, with the green flag set for approximately 12:45 p.m. ET.
Jeff Dean/AFP/Getty Images
Penske Entertainment President and CEO Mark Miles proclaimed that this is a “terrific showcase for the IndyCar series and a great milestone to supercharge our relationship with Fox Sports. It is also absolutely a fitting tribute to the continued leadership and investment of Roger Penske.” This is the first year of a multi-year contract with Fox, and Roger Penske is the owner of both the track and the series. Billionaire Penske, 88, is expected to be on his usual perch for IndyCar races, on top of a pit box helping with strategy for his three-car team, which includes Josef Newgarden, who is hoping to do something never before done in the Indy 500, and that’s win three of them in a row.
Josef Newgarden in his Penske Chevrolet.Phillip G. Abbott/Lumen/Getty Images
“I love living here for three weeks. I almost wish it was longer,” Newgarden said. “It’s definitely one of my favorite times of the year, if not the favorite. It just gets better when you win it. We have an opportunity to make history, which would be tremendous.”
This year, there are multiple solid story lines to follow between now and the race, one of them being NASCAR Cup driver, and past champion, Kyle Larson, who will attempt for the second year in a row to be the first driver since Tony Stewart, in 2001, to complete all 500 miles of the Indy 500, and all 600 miles of the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Larson tried it last year, but a rain delay at the 500 had him board the private jet to North Carolina too late to race in the 600. Like last year, he’s driving for Arrow McLaren at Indy and for Rick Hendrick’s NASCAR team at Charlotte.
The rain delay that made Larson miss the 600 last year meant that he earned no season points for that day; this year, Hendrick has made it clear that Larson will be at the 600, even if it means getting yanked out of the IndyCar mid-race. Should that happen, and likely only would with another rain delay, Indy winner Tony Kanaan will be standing by.
In practice for the 500, there had been no serious crashes, and only one minor one, until today, when Chip Ganassi Racing driver Kyffin Simpson crashed hard into the turn 4 outside wall, getting airborne and very nearly flipping before landing upright, and sliding down into the inside wall. Simpson was shaken but uninjured, but the car suffered a lot of damage, meaning Ganassi Racing must get the backup car ready for qualifying on Saturday and Sunday.
Another storyline to watch is another attempt by Helio Castroneves to win his fifth Indy 500, which has never been done. Castroneves, who is semi-retired from racing, will be in the Meyer Shank Racing car, run by the team that gave Castroneves his last victory at the Speedway.
More things to watch: Can anyone stop Alex Palou? The Spaniard has won four of the five IndyCar races so far this year, with his only loss coming at Long Beach to Kyle Kirkwood. Also, Pato O’Ward, who drives for Arrow McLaren, was leading last year’s race until the very last lap, when Newgarden seemed to come from nowhere to pass him. The TV coverage caught a devastated O’Ward on pit road after the race, and his fans think Indy owes him one.
And finally, 33 cars will start the Indianapolis 500, not 34, as a reporter who asked Boles whether or not the track will make an exception, as it has before, and let all 34 cars entered this year in the race. Absolutely not, Boles replied, “Not as long as I’m the president here.” So one car will go home after this weekend, and as Boles pointed out, some very big names over the years have failed to make the race.
Saturday, televised coverage from the track will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Fox Sports 1, with coverage throughout the day shifting to Fox Sports 2 at 1:30, and then at 4 p.m., to the Fox network. Sunday, coverage will air on the Fox network from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. As mentioned, coverage of the race on May 25th will begin on Fox at 10 a.m. ET, with the green flag scheduled for 12:45 p.m. Fans who want to watch Larson’s performance at the NASCAR race in Charlotte will need Amazon Prime, which will televise the next five NASCAR races.
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