• Several teams have new driver lineups, including Lewis Hamilton joining Ferrari and Yuki Tsunoda joining Red Bull.

MIAMI GARDENS — Much of the racing world is turning its attention to Miami Gardens for the Formula 1 CRYPTO.com Miami Grand Prix – the first of three F1 races hosted by American venues and, this weekend, site of a significant new footprint for the sport going forward.

If you’ve been looking for a new racing game to rival Forza Motorsport, we might have one in the form of Project Motor Racing, which is officially heading to Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S at some point later this year.

Project Motor Racing is being developed by a new team at Straight4 Studios, made up of “key talents that have shaped sim racing’s legacy over two decades”. Examples of this include the GTR series, as well as the Project CARS series.

This game is set to feature 70+ vehicles from 10 racing classes and 27 track layouts, complete with licensed cars from the likes of Lamborghini, Aston Martin and Audi, a brand-new physics engine with “unmatched handling realism”, dynamic weather with a 24-hour day/night cycle, and online racing alongside a single-player career mode.

“Published by GIANTS Software and developed by Straight4 Studios, Project Motor Racing ignites all the passion, beauty and intensity of professional motorsport. The racing simulator will hit the track in fall 2025 with 70+ vehicles from 10 racing classes and 27 track layouts.”

Project Motor Racing is officially set to release for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S in Fall 2025. We’re still waiting for a nailed-on launch date, so we’ll let you know when one arrives. In the meantime, here are some screenshots:

Ian Bell, CEO at Straight4 Studios: “This is not about driving. It’s about racing. With our streamlined approach and what we consider to be the most authentic handling model we’ve ever created, Project Motor Racing is both a nod to our genre’s rich legacy and a big step into the next era of simulation.”

NASCAR levied L1-level penalties to two Xfinity Series teams after parts modifications were discovered in pre-race inspection last weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.

The No. 87 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet and No. 99 Viking Motorsports Chevrolet were both found to be in violation of Sections 14.4.A: Body; 14.4.11.C&D in the NASCAR Rule Book, having to do with rear bumper covers.

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RELATED: Race results | Xfinity Series standings

As a result, the teams were each fined $25,000 and assessed with the loss of 20 points and five playoff points.

Austin Green did not qualify for the main event at Talladega in the No. 87, while Matt DiBenedetto finished the race a season-best fifth in the No. 99. DiBenedetto drops from 24th to 25th in the standings, while Green goes from 48th place to last.

The Xfinity Series is back in action on Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway (2 p.m. ET, The CW, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

In a shocking revelation, NASCAR star Kyle Busch exposes his inner circle within the racing world after a tumultuous switch of alliances spanning over two decades. Departing from Joe Gibbs Racing in 2022 due to sponsorship conflicts, Busch’s move to Richard Childress Racing under the Chevrolet flag marked a significant shift in his loyalties.

During a candid discussion on the Door Bumper Clear podcast, Busch disclosed his limited camaraderie within the Cup Series garages, stating, “I seem to have a few friends still on the Toyota side. So that works. I kinda got a couple of friends on the Chevy side. I’ve got zero friends on the Ford side.” This declaration sheds light on the intricate web of relationships and rivalries that exist behind the scenes in NASCAR.

While Busch has found a new home at RCR and speaks highly of the team’s performance, his history with drivers from the Ford camp, particularly Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano, remains contentious. The animosity between Busch and Keselowski dates back to a heated incident at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2010, while the clash with Logano culminated in a physical altercation at Las Vegas in 2017.

Despite his rocky past with certain drivers, Busch remains optimistic about his future at RCR, praising the team’s efforts and emphasizing the need to work smarter, not harder. As he navigates this new chapter in his racing career, fans and critics alike are eager to see how Busch’s alliances and rivalries will shape his journey on and off the track.

As the NASCAR season unfolds, all eyes are on Kyle Busch as he continues to navigate the highs and lows of professional racing. Stay tuned for more updates on Busch’s journey and share your thoughts on his latest revelations in the comments below!

Today’s question: There are three NTT INDYCAR SERIES races in May – the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst on May 4 at Barber Motorsports Park, the Sonsio Grand Prix on May 10 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on May 25. Who most needs a strong Month of May?

Curt Cavin: Doesn’t it feel like May is Team Penske’s month? History certainly suggests it is, and the team needs it to be this year. Take a glance at the standings after three races: Roger Penske’s drivers are surprisingly eighth, ninth and tied for 10th. That’s not typical Team Penske land, and no one expects them to be there at year’s end. (At least one Penske driver has finished in the top three each of the past 17 seasons.) Any number of the races over the next 30 days could be a breakthrough for the organization that has not won a series race this year. Penske drivers have combined to win 43 series races in the next four events (including the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear on June 1). Scott McLaughlin has won the past two races at Barber Motorsports Park, Will Power is the master of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course (five wins, six poles), and, of course, Josef Newgarden is aiming for a historic three-peat in the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. So, the schedule is ripe for Team Penske to start stringing together results.

Eric Smith: There are several drivers that need to produce a strong Month of May, and most reside with one manufacturer – Chevrolet. So, I’ll take the broad approach and pick the entire manufacturer here. Honda has stormed out to a 3-for-3 start with two Alex Palou wins and a victory by Kyle Kirkwood in Long Beach. Recent history, however, suggests a pendulum swing this month. Chevrolet has seven wins in the last nine trips to Barber Motorsports Park, including three in a row. The end of the month is the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. Josef Newgarden is a two-time defending winner in his No. 2 Chevrolet. Chevy-powered drivers also won six of the seven oval races last season and went 4-for-5 in each of the two prior years. The problem is, the Sonsio Grand Prix, where the Chip Ganassi Racing and Andretti Global Honda’s have won the last three May road course races on the 2.439-mile IMS road course, is the meat of the May race sandwich. Also, CGR produced the fastest “race trim” lap times in last week’s Indy 500 Open Test, and the Andretti Global drivers seem overly confident in their chances. That makes me wonder if the pendulum will really swing in the Bowtie’s favor this month or will Honda storm out to a 6-for-6 start and pull further ahead in the driver’s standings as it has four of the top five in points, too. Chevrolet needs a rebound, and these have statistically been strong upcoming tracks for them. I officially put them on notice.

Arni Sribhen: Who could use a good Month of May? The NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ newest team most certainly could. PREMA Racing is one of Europe’s most famous junior formula racing names, but its startup NTT INDYCAR SERIES effort has had some growing pains as the team races in North America for the first time. Neither Callum Ilott nor Robert Shwartzman has cracked the second round of qualifying or recorded a finish in the top half of the grid in 2025. Both drivers have pace on road courses and could aim for top-15 finishes at Barber and the IMS road course. Having both drivers stay out of trouble on the IMS oval and earn a spot in the field on the first day of qualifying would also be a plus. A solid Month of May for both drivers – without any drama – could go a long way in helping the team establish itself in the series long term.

Paul Kelly: A handful of preseason contenders for the Astor Challenge Cup could use a good Month of May. It should come as no surprise to see three-time and reigning champion Alex Palou atop the NTT INDYCAR SERIES standings entering this crucial month. But most of the other drivers pegged in the preseason as the most serious contenders to Palou’s throne are in serious danger of losing touch with the Spaniard if they don’t kick it in gear this month. Curt made a compelling point above for Team Penske, and I’ll add three drivers to that list – Scott Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing, Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren and Colton Herta of Andretti Global. We’re just three races into the season, and all three of those preseason title contenders are more than a race worth of points behind Palou. Dixon is fifth, 56 behind. O’Ward is sixth, minus-62, while Herta is seventh and 69 points back of Palou. With almost any other driver leading the championship, it would seem foolish to sound the alarm after just three races. But Palou has produced performances, with three titles in the last four years with Ganassi, that stand among the greatest in the long history of this sport. The No. 10 team makes so few mistakes, as Palou has finished in the top five in 26 of his last 34 points-paying starts. It’s clear that another driver will need to take the title from Palou; the crown won’t be given away. If Dixon, O’Ward, Herta and the Penske trio don’t step on it this month, the last two years show there’s a good chance it will be too late to catch Palou from June through the end of August.

NASCAR star Christopher Bell – who won approximately 18 races to start the season – is probably one of the quieter dudes in the garage. 

Doesn’t really ruffle any feathers. Doesn’t stir the pot. Just puts his head down, grinds, and wins a ton of races. 

Frankly, that’s most of the NASCAR garage in 2025. Sure, you can cherry-pick a few pistols – Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Ross Chastain – but, for the most part, it’s a much different scene than it was, say, 20 years ago. 

The days of Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon. Hell, I’ll even include Clint Bowyer on that list, even though we still get him every Sunday (on Fox!).  

No more Terry Labonte, or DW, or Mark Martin. Although, I will say, Mark Martin post-racing career has been an absolute pleasure to watch. What a dude. What a pistol. 

Anyway, nowadays, you get … blah. Meh. Boring. Run-of-the-mill dudes who grew up playing video games and are scared of getting canceled on social media. They have sponsors who need to cater to the 1%, which means they, in turn, need to cater to the 1%. 

And Christopher Bell has had ENOUGH of it!

Let’s get back to this!

So, for context, Chris here is talking about YouTube racing sensation, Cleetus McFarland. Cleetus has already run a handful of races this season, including Daytona and last weekend at Talladega, and he’s been an Electric Factory both times. 

And I mean ELECTRIC:

See? Absolute pistol. 

Anyway, you don’t get much of that anymore from the NASCAR regulars. Actually – you don’t get it at all. 

Chase Elliott – the sport’s most popular driver for about a decade now – ain’t it. Not even close. I like Chase. Lord knows my wife likes Chase. But the time for him to “finally bust out of his shell” has come and gone. It ain’t happening. 

He’s a Trump guy, too, so he’d be the one to do it. And the one with the most impact. But that ain’t happening. 

Anyway, most of the garage is in the same boat. There are a few outliers – Kyle Busch stopped caring years ago, as did Denny Hamlin – but it’s mostly a by-the-book crowd. 

And it’s not 100% their fault. Sponsors nowadays are A) expensive, B) hard to come by, and C) scared of their own shadow. They don’t want to piss off the Libs, and these drivers wear their suits and their colors, so they also can’t piss off the Libs. 

But every once in a while, a fella like Cleetus comes around and reminds us all of the good old days. The days of Tony Stewart vowing to beat someone’s ass. The days of Earnhardt, who would’ve turned 74 yesterday (sad). The days of Bobby and Cale beating the snot out of each other on the Daytona tri-oval.

Sure, we get it in drips still today. We get the occasional fight. Once in a while, when Trump visits, the garage all takes pictures with him (except Bubba!).  

But it’s relatively PC compared to what it would’ve been. What it could’ve been. 

That’s why we need more Cleetus! Or, you know, more Tony Stewart: