The INDY NXT by Firestone season hits a pivotal point this weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

After a dominant start to the year by Dennis Hauger and Andretti Global, the championship momentum has shifted, and the title fight is suddenly wide open.

SEE: Event Details

With four wins in the first five races, Norwegian rookie Hauger leads rookie teammate Lochie Hughes by 28 points and sophomore driver Caio Collet by 70.

Collet arrives in Ohio fresh off his first win of the season June 22 at Road America, ending Andretti’s perfect 2025 start and injecting life into HMD Motorsports’ campaign. Collet also knows his way around the 13-turn, 2.258-mile circuit. He won from pole here last year, snapping Andretti’s decade-long dominance at Mid-Ohio as the team has triumphed in 10 of the last 11 races.

Hughes, meanwhile, has found his stride, with a pair of wins this season and back-to-back podium finishes boosting his stock heading into the weekend.

Last year’s Mid-Ohio race saw the top three in the standings fill the podium. After a similar sweep two weeks ago at Road America, don’t be surprised to see Collet, Hauger and Hughes lead the charge again in Sunday’s 35-lap INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio airing at 10:30 a.m. ET on FS1, the FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

Pierson Ascending

At just 19, Josh Pierson already has 30 INDY NXT by Firestone starts. But the rising American talent is still hunting for his first podium finish. That long-awaited milestone may come on Sunday at Mid-Ohio.

In his second full-time season, Pierson enters this weekend fifth in the championship standings, 123 points behind Hauger.

Despite that gap, consistency has been his calling card. He’s finished ninth or better in all seven races this season, including two fourth-place finishes in his last three starts.

His latest podium near-miss came at Road America, where he ran third until Hughes slipped past on the final lap, denying Pierson his maiden trip into the top three.

Mid-Ohio might just be the track where things click. Pierson finished ninth here in both 2023 and 2024, but with growing experience and momentum, a top-three finish isn’t out of reach.

Mid-Ohio Is Ideal Spot for Rowe’s First Win

Myles Rowe heads to Mid-Ohio with momentum, history and a growing sense that his first INDY NXT by Firestone victory is around the corner.

Rowe secured his sixth top-five finish of the season at Road America and sits fourth in points, 101 back of Hauger. Quietly consistent all year, the ABEL Motorsports with Force Indy driver has shown the pace, racecraft and maturity of a front-runner. It’s just a matter of putting it all together.

That could happen this weekend.

History suggests Mid-Ohio is a fertile ground for breakthrough wins. In each of the past three seasons, a driver claimed their maiden INDY NXT victory at Mid-Ohio.

Hunter McElrea did it for Andretti Global in 2022. Louis Foster broke through for the same team a year later. And then Collet accomplished the feat last season.

Rowe is a proven winner across the junior categories at Mid-Ohio, claiming victory in both USF Pro 2000 (2023) and USF2000 (2022), where he finished first, first and third in a dominant triple-header showing.

As a sophomore, Rowe returns to Mid-Ohio with more experience, confidence and perhaps the perfect conditions for a breakout. If Mid-Ohio continues its trend of crowning first-time winners, Rowe may be next in line.

Papasavvas Returns Home

Evagoras Papasavvas takes on his home race this weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, driving the No. 24 entry for HMD Motorsports. This is the fifth and final confirmed race of the season for the Ohio resident, who transitions into his reserve driver role with the team for the remainder of 2025.

A spring test at Mid-Ohio for the team led to Papasavvas’ maiden start May 4 at Barber Motorsports Park. He qualified third and finished second in his series debut.

He also finished 10th and 13th, respectively on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course on May 9-10 and 12th at Road America.

Sleepers To Watch

While the spotlight has centered on title contenders like Hauger, Hughes and Collet, a pair of sophomore drivers, Jack William Miller and Bryce Aron, could steal headlines this weekend.

Miller, 21, has quietly put together his most consistent stretch in INDY NXT competition. Coming off a seventh-place finish at Road America, where he qualified fifth, the ABEL Motorsports driver sits eighth in points, boasting four top-10 finishes in the last six races. That’s a big leap forward from 2024, when he only earned two top-10’s all season.

This is Miller’s first year under the ABEL Motorsports banner after Miller Vinatieri Motorsports merged with ABEL’s operation over the offseason. The results speak for themselves. Miller’s upward trajectory could continue at Mid-Ohio.

Aron, 21, also has found new life since joining Chip Ganassi Racing after the St. Petersburg season opener, where he raced for HMD Motorsports. After a slow start with CGR with three straight 15th-place finishes, Aron began to settle in by picking up two top-10 finishes in the last three races, highlighted by a season-best ninth at Road America.

Last year, Aron competed for Andretti Global and had eight top-10 finishes. He’s starting to look like a driver who could crack the top five with the right progression.

Track Specs: 2.258-mile, 13-turn road course

Qualifying Record: Caio Collet, 1:10.2879 (115.650 mph), July 6, 2024

Push To Pass Parameters: 150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation

This weekend, NASCAR drivers will compete in the streets of Chicago for the third year in a row.

The Windy City hosts the second-tier Xfinity Series’ The Loop 110 on Saturday and the NASCAR Cup Series’ Grant Park 165 on Sunday. Between practice, qualifiers and races, the weekend also boasts plenty of entertainment and events for fans.

Gates will open at 9 a.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday. Zac Brown Band will headline the Street Race concert Saturday. Tickets for the concert are available here.

Here’s a full schedule of NASCAR races, attractions and more this weekend.

On-course events:

July 5

• NASCAR EV Showcase prep: 9 a.m.
• Xfinity Series practice: 9:30 a.m.
• Xfinity Series qualifying: 10:30 a.m.
• Cup Series practice: 12 p.m.
• Cup Series qualifying: 1 p.m.
• The Loop 110 (Xfinity Series race): 3:30 p.m.

July 6

• NASCAR EV Showcase: 10:15 a.m.
• Grant Park 165 (Cup Series race): 1 p.m.

Entertainment and other events:

July 5

Chicago Police / Fire Department Pipes and Drums

• When: 9 a.m.
• Where: Columbus and Monroe Street

Q&A with Justin Haley

• When: 9:45 a.m.
• Where: NASCAR Experience Stage

Rust Riders Performance

• When: 10 a.m.
• Where: The Front Porch Lounge presented by The Chicago Loop Alliance

Chicago Police / Fire Department Pipes and Drums

• When: 10:15 a.m.
• Where: NASCAR Experience Stage

NASCAR Kids Club Hangout with Joey Logano and Alvin Kilmara

• When: 10:30 a.m.
• Where: NASCAR Kids Zone

Q&A with Alex Bowman

• When: 10:30 a.m.
• Where: NASCAR Experience Stage

Appearance from Christopher Bell

• When: 10:45 a.m.
• Where: Toyota Racing Experience

NASCAR Family Feud featuring Ryan Preece and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

• When: 10:45 a.m.
• Where: NASCAR Experience Stage

KSFMX Freestyle Motocross Show

• When: 11:15 a.m.
• Where: Festival Field

Lawrence Peters Outfit Performance

• When: 11:30 a.m.
• Where: The Front Porch Lounge presented by The Chicago Loop Alliance

NASCAR EV Showcase Driver Q&A

• When: 11:45 a.m.
• Where: NASCAR Experience Stage

Book Reading with Jesse Iwuji

• When: 12:30 p.m.
• Where: NASCAR Kids Zone

KSFMX Freestyle Motocross Show

• When: 1 p.m.
• Where: Festival Field

Hawk and the Talons Performance

• When: 1 p.m.
• Where: The Front Porch Lounge presented by The Chicago Loop Alliance

Q&A with presidents of Phoenix Raceway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Kansas Speedway

• When: 2 p.m.
• Where: NASCAR Experience Stage

KSFMX Freestyle Motocross Show

• When: 2:30 p.m.
• Where: Festival Field

Michelle Billingsley Performance

• When: 2:30 p.m.
• Where: The Front Porch Lounge presented by The Chicago Loop Alliance

NXS Driver Introductions, National Anthem by Aaron Nelson

• When: 3 p.m.
• Where: Busch Light Summer Music Series Stage

Columbia College X NASCAR Fashion Show

• When: Before concert
• Where: NASCAR icon in Fan Plaza

Mobil 1 Victory Lane Celebration and Performance by Zac Brown Band

• When: One hour after Xfinity Race
• Where: Busch Light Summer Music Series Stage

July 6

Chicago Police / Fire Department Pipes and Drums

• When: 10 a.m.
• Where: Columbus and Monroe Street

Q&A with Shane van Gisbergen

• When: 10:05 a.m.
• Where: NASCAR Experience Stage

Rust Riders Performance

• When: 10:15 a.m.
• Where: The Front Porch Lounge presented by The Chicago Loop Alliance

Q&A with Chase Elliott

• When: 10:15 a.m.
• Where: NASCAR Experience Stage

Appearance from Erik Jones

• When: 10:20 a.m.
• Where: Toyota Racing Experience

LEGO Race Car Build-off featuring Noah Gragson

• 10:30 a.m.
• NASCAR Kids Zone

KSFMX Freestyle Motocross Show

• When: 10:30 a.m.
• Festival Field

Chicago Police / Fire Department Pipes and Drums

• When: 10:45 a.m.
• Where: NASCAR Experience Stage

Q&A with Julie Giese, President of Chicago Street Race

• When: 11 a.m.
• Where: NASCAR Experience Stage

KSFMX Freestyle Motocross Show

• When: 11 a.m.
• Where: Festival Field

Jesse White Tumbling Team

• When: 11:15 a.m.
• Where: Festival Field

Lawrence Peters Outfit Performance

• When: 11:15 a.m.
• Where: The Front Porch Lounge presented by The Chicago Loop Alliance

KSFMX Freestyle Motocross Show

• When: 11:30 a.m.
• Where: Festival Field

DJ Chip E.

• When: 11:30 a.m
• Where: NASCAR Experience Stage

Wild Earp Performance

• When: 12:40 p.m.
• Where: The Front Porch Lounge presented by The Chicago Loop Alliance

Driver Introductions and National Anthem by Soul Children of Chicago

• When: 12:40 p.m.
• Busch Light Summer Music Series Stage

Mobil 1 Victory Lane Celebration

• When: After race
• Where: Busch Light Summer Music Series Stage

For more information about the NASCAR Chicago Street Race and a course map, click here.

Tim Mayer is set to announce a campaign to become president of the FIA this year, RACER understands.

Confirmation is expected at the British Grand Prix, where a press conference has been called on Friday morning to announce a presidential candidate ahead of the elections that are scheduled for December. RACER understands it will be the former FIA senior steward Mayer who will be announcing his candidacy, with the American having left the governing body late last year.

At the time, Mayer told the BBC he had been sacked by one of president Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s assistants via text message, after having to represent the United States Grand Prix race organizers in a right of review hearing.

The 59-year-old son of former McLaren team principal Teddy Mayer has more than three decades of experience within motorsports, starting out in IndyCar and fulfilling multiple roles from a television producer to an organizer and official, going on to become senior vice president of racing operations at Champ Car.

Mayer also had a spell as chief operating officer of IMSA before becoming involved with the FIA as a race director and steward, taking on the role as one of the chairmen of the Formula 1 stewards in 2016. He had also been responsible for the organization of FIA championships in the United States.

Friday’s announcement is set to ensure there is opposition to current president Ben Sulayem, who confirmed in May he would be running for a second term. Ben Sulayem’s first four-year spell as FIA president has been beset by multiple departures of senior personnel and claims of a lack of transparency from both F1 drivers and some national motorsport bodies.

He has also been criticized for changes made to the FIA statutes, but has helped the governing body turn a profit in its recent accounts, after it made a significant loss in the final year before he was elected. One of the high-profile senior departures – former FIA secretary for motorsport Shaila-Ann Rao – also returned as an advisor to the president earlier this year.

Carlos Sainz Sr. recently ruled out an attempt at the presidency, having previously announced his interest in running, citing the current circumstances as “not ideal.”

CHICAGO — With every bracket busted before the second round of the NASCAR in-season tournament, all that’s left is to see which team will win $1 million.

Here are the matchups for the second round of the NASCAR in-season tournament – set to take place in Chicago.

Here is a look at the second round matchups in the NASCAR in-season tournament in Chicago:

Brad Keselowski (No. 17) vs. Ty Dillon (No. 32)

The champion moniker may be a little deceiving for those favoring Brad Keselowski. The 2012 champion has struggled on road/street courses – but not nearly as badly as Ty Dillon. Here is their numbers in comparison.

• Brad Keselowski
  • 20.5 average finish in 19 NextGen road/street course starts
    • One Top-10 finish: 10th at Sonoma in 2022
    • Chicago: 24th in 2023, 18th in 2024
• Ty Dillon
  • 27.8 average finish in 14 NextGen road/street course starts
    • No Top-10 finishes
    • Chicago: 35th in 2023

Dillon has the benefit of A.J. Allmendinger being his teammate but Keselowski has momentum from some strong runs lately. Keselowski ran well at Atlanta and Pocono, in particular, and could’ve won either race if not for a couple of things going sideways. Momentum is everything in NASCAR – and Keselowski has it.

Road course matchups this year:

• COTA
  • Keselowski: 15th
  • Dillon: 28th
• Mexico City
  • Keselowski: 25th
  • Dillon: 33rd

Alex Bowman (No. 8) vs. Bubba Wallace (No. 9)

As it stands, Alex Bowman is one of the best road/street course racers in the field and is coming off of a big stretch of races lately.

After tweaking his back in a hard, head-on crash at Michigan, Bowman kept Anthony Alfredo stay on the sidelines while he earned a fourth-place finish with eight stage points.

Bowman has six Top-5 finishes, eight Top-10s and an average finish of 14.2 in 18 NextGen road/street course races. He also is the defending winner in Chicago. Coincidentally, Wallace door-slammed Bowman after he won to pay him back for contact they made earlier in the race.

Despite being close enough to Bowman to flare tempers in last year’s Chicago race and certainly getting better on road/street courses, Wallace only has a Top-5, three Top-10s and an average finish of 20.6 on these tracks in the NextGen era.

Both drivers are looking for big results in Chicago, sitting on the cutline of the playoffs, but Bowman is primed to do much bigger things than Wallace.

Road course matchups this year:

• COTA
  • Bowman: Ninth
  • Wallace: 20th (started second and led four laps)
• Mexico City
  • Bowman: Fourth
  • Wallace: 12th

Chase Elliott (No. 5) vs. John Hunter Nemechek (No. 12)

While John Hunter Nemechek has seen the momentum shift in his favor lately, there really is no beating Chase Elliott on road courses – especially now.

Elliott drove with all of his heart to score his first win of the 2025 season at EchoPark Speedway Atlanta. It accentuated the stellar season he has had with a career-best 10.3 average to-date this season.

In 18 NextGen road/street course races, Elliott has a win, 10 Top-5 finishes and 12 Top-10s with 147 laps led and a second-best average finish of 9.8. He’s the only driver with double-digit Top-5s in the era – among them a fourth-place finish at Circuit of the Americas in March, a third-place finish in Mexico City in June and another third-place finish in Chicago in 2023.

Nemechek is coming off of two sixth-place finishes at Pocono and Mexico City and is on a great stretch. However, up against someone like Elliott, his run in the in-season tournament likely will come to an end in Chicago.

Road course matchups this year:

• COTA
  • Elliott: Fourth
  • Nemechek: 22nd
• Mexico City
  • Elliott: Third
  • Nemechek: Sixth

Erik Jones (No. 20) vs. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (No. 29)

Here is a matchup that may not be up front but will certainly be one to watch for how close it is. In 19 NextGen road/street course races, this is how Jones and Stenhouse compare:

• Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
  • 21.5 average finish, two Top-10 finishes
    • Sixth in Chicago in 2024
    • Seventh at COTA in 2023
• Erik Jones
  • 23.9 average finish, two Top-10s
    • Ninth at COTA in 2022
    • 10th at Watkins Glen in 2022

Jones finished 16th in the inaugural Chicago Street Course race despite having to come back from an early incident with the turn six wall and dealing with a Legacy Motor Club team on a downturn. Now in a season where his team is stepping up their performance, Jones is rolling and looks to be the favorite here.

Road course matchups this year:

• COTA
  • Stenhouse: 18th
  • Jones: 27th
• Mexico City
  • Jones: 17th
  • Stenhouse: 27th

Ryan Preece (No. 15) vs. Noah Gragson (No. 31)

Neither Ryan Preece nor Noah Gragson is really looking forward to Chicago, if history is any indication. In fact, their Chicago stats practically mirror each other:

• Noah Gragson
  • 14th after starting 28th in 2024
  • 25th after starting 23rd in 2023
• Ryan Preece
  • 34th after starting 29th in 2024
  • 15th after starting 28th in 2023

Gragson and Preece each have one Top-10 finish in the NextGen era. Gragson has the edge with a NextGen-best eighth-place finish at Circuit of the Americas earlier this year and a 22.3 average finish – to Preece’s NextGen-best ninth at Watkins Glen last year and a 24.1 average finish.

Preece, however, has shown improvement. He started second in Mexico City and led four laps as he stayed out to win the first stage. The No. 60 team also nearly pulled off a win in Chicago in 2024.

This battle will be unpredictable. It may not be for the win but it will be one to watch.

Road course matchups this year:

• COTA
  • Gragson: Eighth
  • Preece: 33rd
• Mexico City
  • Preece: 15th
  • Gragson: 30th

Tyler Reddick (No. 23) vs. Carson Hocevar (No. 26)

Referred to as “Road Course Jesus” by 23XI Racing teammate Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick comes into this matchup as the favorite.

In 19 NextGen races on road/street courses, Reddick has the fourth-best average finish – 11.2 – plus four wins, eight Top-5 finishes and 13 Top-10s. He has also led 12% of the laps he’s completed in the era – 208 of 1,691 – and has been the favorite in Chicago the last two years.

In 2024, Reddick had the speed to to pass Alex Bowman on the final lap – until he hit the wall and settled for second. In 2023, he led the first eight laps and earned 17 stage points after starting second – but finished 28th after a late wreck.

With the unpredictability of road/street course races, Reddick will need to be perfect and have perfect luck – especially with Carson Hocevar as a challenger.

Last year in Chicago, Hocevar benefitted from the rain-shuffled running order to contend for a top-10 finish. Unfortunately, contact with Christopher Bell in the wet-to-dry conditions relegated him to 24th.

Crew chief Luke Lambert knows how to put Hocevar in a great position. Although Reddick is a clear favorite in this matchup, Lambert could cook something up to pull off another upset in an upset-laden tournament.

Road course matchups this year:

• COTA
  • Reddick: Second
  • Hocevar: 13th
• Mexico City
  • Reddick: 20th
  • Hocevar: 34th

Ty Gibbs (No. 6) vs. AJ Allmendinger (No. 22)

As far as the second round NASCAR in-season tournament matchups go at Chicago, this is likely the most competitive.

Gibbs is coming off of a few strong runs, even if the finishes don’t exactly show for it. At Atlanta and in Mexico City, he ran up front and led at least 27 laps in each race before finishing 14th and 11th respectively. Atlanta saw him get damage while Mexico City saw strategies shuffle him back.

Like Gibbs, Allmendinger is desperate to get a win with the cutline getting further and further away. Allmendinger has extra motivation too – to prove himself.

Allmendinger has a win, four Top-5 finishes and 10 Top-10s in 17 NextGen road course starts.

At Chicago, Allmendinger has only mustered a 17th-place finish at best – in 2023 after starting 10th and getting five stage points.

Gibbs had a similar run in 2023, finishing ninth after starting 12th and getting seven stage points. Gibbs ran better in 2024, starting third after leading a race-high 17 of 58 laps and getting eight stage points. However, a slide in performance this year makes him more unpredictable in Chicago.

Expect Allmendinger and Gibbs to be close – if not nose-to-tail – when it comes down to the checkered flag.

Road course matchups this year:

• COTA (both drivers had issues late)
  • Allmendinger: 30th
  • Gibbs: 34th
• Mexico City
  • Gibbs: 11th
  • Allmendinger: 13th

Chris Buescher (No. 3) vs. Zane Smith (No. 14)

Buescher has the best average finish on road and street courses in the NextGen era. He has an average finish of 8.8, a win at Watkins Glen in 2024, four Top-5 finishes and 15 Top-10s in 19 road and street course races since 2022.

That makes Zane Smith the underdog in this matchup.

Smith has one Top-5 in nine NextGen starts on road and street courses – to Buescher at Watkins Glen no less. Strategies shuffling a race like this appear to be his one chance.

Road course matchups this year:

• COTA
  • Buescher: Seventh
  • Smith: 29th
• Mexico City
  • Buescher: 10th
  • Smith: 35th (drivetrain issue after 76 of 100 laps)

Our picks for second round of NASCAR in-season tournament

Here are our picks for the second round matchups in the NASCAR in-season tournament at Chicago:

• Ty Dillon
• Alex Bowman
• Chase Elliott
• Erik Jones
• Ryan Preece
• Tyler Reddick
• Ty Gibbs
• Chris Buescher

MORE: Every NASCAR in-season tournament bracket is busted after first round

The realms of country music and NASCAR have historically been united by a fervent and overlapping fanbase, one devoted to both high-octane races and country music’s musical traditions.

Over the years, NASCAR’s pre-race festivities have frequently spotlighted country music performers. Conversely, some NASCAR drivers have made appearances in country music videos, while at least one acclaimed country artist also pursued a career behind the wheel as a professional driver.

Further exemplifying the enduring synergy between these two iconic entertainment institutions, a few new, recent country songs have nodded to one of NASCAR’s greats, the late Dale Earnhardt Sr.

Morgan Wallen and Eric Church recorded the collaboration “No. 3 and No. 7,” which nods to Earnhardt’s iconic black No. 3 Goodwrench car, while “Said No Country Boy Ever,” recorded by a cohort of country singers (Randy Houser, Jamey Johnson, Jerrod Niemann, Dallas Davidson and Rob Hatch, aka The Traler Park), also mentions Earnhardt by name. Meanwhile, Cole Swindell also recently released “Dale Jr.,” a touching tribute to fathers and sons, nodding to Earnhardt Sr. in the process.

Earnhardt was one of the most acclaimed drivers in the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) during the 1980s and 1990s. In total, he had 76 NASCAR Cup Series victories. Earnhardt won his first Winston Cup championship in 1980 and went on to earn six additional Winston Cup titles in 1986-87, 1990-91 and 1993-94, tying NASCAR legend Richard Petty’s record in the process. Known as “The Intimidator,” in the iconic black “No. 3” Chevrolet Monte Carlo, Earnhardt Sr. gained a track record as a fierce driver, one unafraid of bumping and spinning out competitors on his way to passing the checkered flag. His career also came with frustrations, as he raced 19 times in the Daytona 500 before emerging triumphant as the race’s winner in 1998.

Earnhardt’s death in February 2001 from injuries stemming from a crash during the final lap of the Daytona 500 shocked the racing world and beyond, and marked the end of an era in racing. Earnhardt was posthumously inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2006 and was named to the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s inaugural class in 2010. The recent four-part Prime Video documentary Earnhardt offered a deep look into the racing legend’s life and career.

Earnhardt Sr. was also a fan of country music, and had several ties to the genre. In 1985, he took part in the album World Series of Country Music Proudly Presents Stock Car Racing’s Entertainers of the Year, a project that featured NASCAR drivers singing original country songs. Earnhardt appeared on the album’s concluding track, “Hard Charger.” He also appeared in the music video for Brooks & Dunn’s 1997 song “Honky Tonk Truth,” dressing up identically to the duo’s Kix Brooks and playing on the uncanny physical similarities between the two. One of his lesser-known monikers, linking Earnhardt Sr. and his car, was his nickname as “The Man in Black,” a moniker more well-known for its association with Country Music Hall of Famer Johnny Cash.

In 2003, a tribute concert to Earnhardt Sr. became the first non-racing event to be held at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, Florida. The event featured performances from Kenny Chesney, Brooks & Dunn, Alabama, Sheryl Crow and more, with proceeds from the event going to the Dale Earnhardt Foundation. In the more than two decades since Earnhardt Sr.’s passing, his influence hasn’t dimmed, and numerous country songs have nodded to his competitive, award-winning career.

Of course, country music has long had ties to NASCAR in general, extending beyond simply many shared fans. Country singer Marty Robbins, known for hits including “El Paso,” was also a NASCAR racer, racing alongside NASCAR drivers such as Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison, and making it to the top 5 spot during 1974’s Motor State 400 in Michigan. In 1975, the album NASCAR Goes Country featured NASCAR drivers including Richard Petty, Bobby Allison and Cale Yarborough performing classic country hits such as “Hey, Good Lookin’,” and “King of the Road.”

Country music label execs have also been involved with racing. Big Machine Label Group founder/CEO/president Scott Borchetta (Lady A, Thomas Rhett, Riley Green) launched the NASCAR Xfinity Series team Big Machine Racing in 2021. In 2013, Benny Brown, founder of BBR Music Group (Jason Aldean, Lainey Wilson and Jelly Roll) sponsored Brad Keselowski Racing (BKR), supporting Brown’s grandson, NASCAR Cup Series driver Tyler Reddick.

Besides Earnhardt, other NASCAR drivers who have appeared in country music videos include Carl Edwards (Justin Moore’s “Bait a Hook” and Sara Evans’ “Slow Me Down”), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Trace Adkins’ “Rough and Ready”) and a slew of drivers, including Dale Jarrett, Mark Martin, Bill Elliott and Rusty Wallace, who appeared in Alan Jackson’s “Who’s Cheatin’ Who” video.

Meanwhile, country artists’ names and/or likenesses have shown up in several NASCAR cars. Chris Stapleton teamed with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and JR Motorsports’ first entry in the Daytona 500 with the No. 40 Traveller Whiskey Chevrolet. Luke Combs, Bailey Zimmerman and Taylor Swift have also been featured on NASCAR cars.

Fans and country artists alike continue to honor the life and legacy of “The Intimidator” and below, we highlight a handful of songs that nod to the late Dale Earnhardt Sr.