On a recent episode of the Kevin Harvick Happy Hour podcast, former NASCAR Truck Series champion Mike Skinner was his usual candid self. He shared his thoughts on today’s drivers and didn’t mince words.

Reflecting on the differences between his era and the current field, Skinner praised the technical advancements in the sport but panned what he sees as a lack of grit and personality. “In ’95 and ’96 we had men,” Skinner told Harvick.
“They don’t have men anymore. They have a lot of guys that are really high technical, their fitness program is impeccable now today, but they fall out of the seat way more than we probably did.”

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Skinner, who won the first Truck Series race in 1995 and went on to win 28 races and 50 poles in that series, also pointed out the physical changes in drivers over time.

“They’re little guys, they’re smaller guys,” he said. “And we’re finding out all the time that the smaller frame and the less weight you have and the shorter you are, you’re like a jockey. Kyle Larson should win every race, right?”

Also Read:: “Sorry for the Heart Attack”: NASCAR’s Bubba Wallace’s Dover Save Stuns Spotter

Skinner Misses the Fire: “We Need More of Those Rivalries”

While Skinner acknowledged the gains in fitness and preparation, he said we’ve lost something essential, namely, the raw intensity and personalities that once defined NASCAR. “We need more of those rivalries,” he said. “It’s fun to watch… So we don’t see enough of that in my opinion today.”

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Many veterans and long time fans share the same feeling, they think the sport has veered too far from its original roots. Drivers from Skinner’s era, like Dale Earnhardt, Rusty Wallace or Tony Stewart, were great drivers by talent, but they also had larger than life personalities on, and off, the track, along with plenty of on-track altercations.

After his success in the Truck Series, Skinner joined Richard Childress Racing and he became the 1997 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year. He never won a Cup points race but did win 6 poles. His resume and firsthand experience give him credibility when talking to Kevin Harvick.

Skinner wonders if NASCAR still has a pulse. And with this generation of “nice” drivers like Larson, Byron and Elliott making headlines, this conversation isn’t going to go away.

Also Read:: “He wanted to rip my head off”: Kevin Harvick opens up on Kyle Busch feud and relationship with Tony Stewart

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Friday

At Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park

Indianapolis.

Lap length: 0.69 miles

(Start position in parentheses)

1. (11) Layne Riggs, Ford, 200 laps, 60 points.

2. (16) Corey Day, Chevrolet, 200, 0.

3. (21) Stewart Friesen, Toyota, 200, 43.

4. (1) Corey Heim, Toyota, 200, 42.

5. (8) Grant Enfinger, Chevrolet, 200, 46.

6. (2) Ty Majeski, Ford, 200, 44.

7. (3) Chandler Smith, Ford, 200, 44.

8. (6) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet, 200, 29.

9. (7) Tyler Ankrum, Chevrolet, 200, 33.

10. (12) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 200, 0.

11. (19) Rajah Caruth, Chevrolet, 200, 30.

12. (5) Ben Rhodes, Ford, 200, 35.

13. (9) Luke Fenhaus, Ford, 200, 26.

14. (15) Tanner Gray, Toyota, 200, 24.

15. (10) Kaden Honeycutt, Chevrolet, 199, 27.

16. (22) Jake Garcia, Ford, 199, 21.

17. (14) Brenden Queen, Chevrolet, 199, 20.

18. (17) Connor Mosack, Chevrolet, 199, 20.

19. (20) Matt Crafton, Ford, 199, 18.

20. (29) Dawson Sutton, Chevrolet, 199, 17.

21. (24) Jack Wood, Chevrolet, 199, 16.

22. (25) Matt Mills, Chevrolet, 198, 15.

23. (18) Andres Perez De Lara, Chevrolet, 198, 14.

24. (13) Brent Crews, Toyota, 198, 13.

25. (30) Spencer Boyd, Chevrolet, 198, 12.

26. (4) Giovanni Ruggiero, Toyota, 198, 11.

27. (28) Toni Breidinger, Toyota, 198, 10.

28. (26) Frankie Muniz, Ford, 197, 9.

29. (35) Greg Van Alst, Toyota, 194, 8.

30. (32) Jordan Anderson, Chevrolet, 194, 0.

31. (23) Jayson Alexander, Chevrolet, 193, 6.

32. (33) Norm Benning, Chevrolet, handling, 99, 5.

33. (31) Alan Waller, Ford, accident, 65, 4.

34. (34) Boston Oliver, Chevrolet, handling, 39, 3.

35. (27) Cody Dennison, Ford, electrical, 8, 2.

___

Race Statistics

Average Speed of Race Winner: 82.124 mph.

Time of Race: 1 hour, 40 minutes, 14 seconds.

Margin of Victory: 1.864 seconds.

Caution Flags: 3 for 24 laps.

Lead Changes: 3 among 3 drivers.

Lap Leaders: C.Heim 0-20; L.Riggs 21-125; S.Friesen 126-145; L.Riggs 146-200

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Led, Laps Led): L.Riggs, 2 times for 160 laps; S.Friesen, 1 time for 20 laps; C.Heim, 1 time for 20 laps.

Wins: C.Heim, 5; C.Smith, 2; L.Riggs, 1; D.Hemric, 1; T.Ankrum, 1; S.Friesen, 1; R.Caruth, 1.

Top 16 in Points: 1. C.Heim, 690; 2. C.Smith, 546; 3. L.Riggs, 525; 4. D.Hemric, 514; 5. K.Honeycutt, 491; 6. G.Enfinger, 488; 7. T.Ankrum, 468; 8. T.Majeski, 462; 9. J.Garcia, 424; 10. G.Ruggiero, 397; 11. S.Friesen, 395; 12. B.Rhodes, 394; 13. R.Caruth, 384; 14. T.Gray, 361; 15. C.Mosack, 321; 16. M.Crafton, 309.

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NASCAR Driver Rating Formula

A maximum of 150 points can be attained in a race.

The formula combines the following categories: Wins, Finishes, Top-15 Finishes, Average Running Position While on Lead Lap, Average Speed Under Green, Fastest Lap, Led Most Laps, Lead-Lap Finish.

Copyright
© 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

A pair of first-day INDY NXT by Firestone practices at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna left series leader Dennis Hauger with a damaged car and Caio Collet with a fast car.

SEE: Practice Results

Driving the No. 76 HMD Motorsports entry, Collet posted the quickest overall lap, a time of 1 minute, 14.0546 of a second that bested Andretti Global’s Lochie Hughes (1:14.3332 in the No. 26 McGinley Clinic/USF Pro Championship car) and HMD Motorsports’ Josh Pierson (1:14.6193 in the No. 14 HMD Motorsports entry). Hauger had the best lap in the first session – 1:14.7484 – but his opportunity to improve in the second practice was lost when he hit the tire barrier in Turn 6.

Hauger finished with the 16th-best lap overall in Andretti Global’s No. 28 Nammo car, a position he won’t want to be in when qualifying is held Saturday at 1 p.m. ET on FS1. That session will set the starting lineups for each of the two races held this weekend. The past 10 pole winners of the Grand Prix of Monterey have gone on to win the race.

Hauger, who leads the series with five wins and six poles, holds a 76-point lead over Hughes (two wins, two poles) with five races remaining. Collet, a one-race winner this season, stands 94 points out of the series lead.

Nineteen car-and-driver combinations participated after Andretti Cape INDY NXT and driver Ricardo Escotto parted ways.

The weekend’s first race is Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET on FS2. Race 2 will be at 1 p.m. ET Sunday on FS1.

IndyNXT PR

Tom Cruise, are you listening? 

In a shocking twist to whether NASCAR would move out of the Chicago Street Race next year, the league has thrown fans of the fast lane into more of a dizzying tailspin than when a dapper, mustachioed Ryan Blaney finally shaved off his lip foliage. So how do you trump the vanishing of one carefully curated and beloved mouth brow? 

Well, not only did NASCAR announce it’s departing from the Windy City, league officials dropped perhaps the most epic, most cinematic promo for Chicago’s replacement – a little event on San Diego’s historic Coronado Navy site dubbed, “Race the Base.”

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Training day for the NASCAR “recruits”

Headlining the adrenaline-fueled piece that’d make even Michael Bay’s heart flutter isn’t Maverick, Goose or the late Ice Man – it’s none other than a select few of NASCAR’s own “Top Guns,” assembled by the league’s perennial most popular driver, Chase Elliott, aka “Peaches” in the promo. Joining him with their own code names are none other than the youngest driver to ever notch 600 career Cup Series starts, Joey “Zamboni” Logano, Carson “Hot Shot” Hocevar, Noah “Rizz” Gragson, Chase “Hoosier” Briscoe and William “Flame” Byron. 

Feeling “the need for speed,” the six eager recruits endure a rigorous gamut of in-flight training, complete with all the harrowing barrel rolls one could ever want, before the group prepares to tackle their final mission – making it to the end of the course on the base without being caught be the Navy’s elite security force. 

Passing muster

Out of time and options, “Peaches” (Elliott) and “Zamboni” (Logano) lock eyes with a plan of their own – putting the pedal to the metal under the disguise of classic rides, not stock cars. With “Peaches” channeling a steely-eyed Vin Diesel – after all, “it’s the driver, not the car” – the Cup Series stars nearly outrun their captors before one of the agents pops up in the back of “Zamboni’s” and “Rizz’s” cherry red classic Ford Mustang. 

After passing the grueling test with flying colors, NASCAR’s chosen are welcomed into the Navy fold by Captain Loren “Wookie” Jacobi, the actual Commanding Officer at Coronado. It’s a touching finish to a high-octane piece, reminding fans from coast to coast about NASCAR’s strong ties to the United States military.   

Race the Base course layout

While details of the Navy’s Coronado course will be released at a later date, NASCAR brass are using the iRacing simulator to develop the circuit just like the league did for other events, like the Clash at the Los Angeles Coliseum and the Chicago Street Race.     

“It’ll be a blend of traditional street racing in a way where we’ll be winding our ways through some of the streets on the base,” revealed Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s executive vice president, chief venue & racing innovation officer. 

“They’ll be going past [aircraft] carriers,” he continued. “They’ll eventually go out onto the tarmac, probably by some military aircraft, maybe a couple of F-18s out there, and then back towards the entrance to the base.”

NASCAR and the 250th anniversary of the United States Navy

The three-day, full-throttle event marks only the second street race in NASCAR’s modern era, but to the United States Navy, it carries even more weight because it will coincide with the military branch’s 250th anniversary. 

“As Commanding Officer of Naval Base Coronado and on behalf of the United States Navy, it’s an honor to partner with NASCAR at NAS North Island as part of our 250th anniversary celebration,” stated Captain Loren Jacobi in a press release. “Hosting one of America’s premier motorsports events on this historic base reflects our partnership with the local community and our shared pride in the nation’s heritage.” 

“We are privileged to showcase the dedication of our Sailors alongside NASCAR’s finest as we celebrate our 250th anniversary.”  

Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan explained why pairing NASCAR with America’s Navy is such a perfect fit. 

“NASCAR embodies the very best of the American spirit through speed, precision and an unyielding pursuit of excellence,” Phelan noted in a press release. “Hosting a race aboard Naval Air Station North Island, the birthplace of naval aviation, it’s not just a historic first, it’s a powerful tribute to the values we share: grit, teamwork and love of country.” 

“From the flight deck to the finish line, this collaboration reflects the operational intensity and unity of purpose that define both the United States Navy and NASCAR,” he continued. 

“We’re proud to open our gates to the American people, honor those who serve and inspire the next generation to step forward and serve something greater than themselves.”

The three-day event kicks off with the Craftsman Truck Series on Friday, June 19, followed by the Xfinity Series hitting the black top Saturday, June 20, and ending with the Cup Series stars burning rubber on Sunday, June 21. 
 

For decades, women in motorsports have been underrepresented, underserved, and under-resourced, despite proving time and again that they have the talent, grit, and determination to compete at the highest level. Now, a new partnership is aiming to change that.

The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) has teamed up with Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment to launch “Women of NHRA,” which is a new initiative designed to elevate the league’s top-tier women racers and create more commercial and fan engagement opportunities across the sport. Deep Blue, a firm dedicated to driving commercial investment in and growth opportunities for women’s sports, brings deep expertise in advertising, media, and brand partnerships. Deep Blue will work to create long-term commercial value for NHRA’s women athletes and maximize their influence as marketers, leaders, and women in sport.

“The NHRA has a compelling story – its male and female drivers compete on the same circuit, the fastest driver on that circuit is a woman, female drivers manage their teams, work on their cars, are multi-hyphenate with experience ranging from electricians and engineers, understand and optimize to performance margins that drive success through tools like AI and machine learning, and beyond,” said Laura Correnti, Founder and CEO of Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment. “Through strategy, storytelling, and activations we’re working with the NHRA to drive commercial awareness of what makes it a compelling investment.”

A Unique, Level Playing Field

Today, the NHRA is the premier sanctioning body for drag racing in the United States and is the largest auto racing organization in the world. The organization oversees 20 national events annually and offers competitive opportunities across all levels of the sport from youth and grassroots racing to professional competition. With more than 100 member tracks nationwide and a legacy of innovation, the NHRA has a long history of gender equity. NHRA drag racing is unique in the fact that men and women have competed head-to-head on a 1,000-foot track for decades. Today, women in NHRA have amassed an impressive resume, with more than 100 women having won at an NHRA national event and athletes like two-time Top Fuel champion Brittany Force paving the way as the fastest person in NHRA history, setting a national record of 3.62-seconds at 341.59-mph.

“Women and girls are not just out here competing. They’re out here actually setting records, winning races, winning championships, winning multiple championships, and racing together with the guys,” said Ida Zetterström, NHRA driver who was recently named “Best New Talent” by NHRA’s National Dragster publication. “People don’t realize how big of a turnout we have at our events, how big our TV numbers are, that we’re actually competing with the guys, and that the fastest person in the world is a woman.”

Bringing Commercial Awareness And Investment To Women In Motorsports

Amid the surging growth of women’s sports across all levels, NHRA and Deep Blue are ensuring that women in motorsports are part of the mainstream conversation around fandom and sponsorship. Women of NHRA aims to accelerate women in motorsports and drag racing into its next era by deepening investment in women racers, unlocking new sponsorships, and growing the sport’s passionate fanbase through the visibility and influence of its women athletes.

“There’s a huge piece of momentum going on right now in women’s sports, and I feel like we have to tell our story because these women compete and win and dominate against men on an equal playing field and do it every day and every weekend,” said Jeffrey Young, Vice President of Marketing at the NHRA. “I want to make sure that people know that there is a sport where it’s an even playing field and the women are dominant.”

Women of NHRA will kick off at the NHRA Sonoma Nationals taking place July 25 – 27, 2025 at the Sonoma Raceway. Deep Blue and NHRA will host a VIP race-day experience that includes a brand summit on NHRA’s growth trajectory, followed by exclusive trackside access with some of the sport’s brightest stars.