The concept of a promoter’s caution in this year’s All-Star Race has been met with skepticism and even ridicule by some in the NASCAR garage. Now, the annual exhibition race has always been seen as a bit of a testing ground for new and out there ideas, so we shouldn’t be entirely surprised. It’s also embraced far more questionable gimmicks than this in the past, but it’s still something that is raising eyebrows.

The rule goes like this: The promoter of the event, which is Speedway Motorsports CEO Marcus Smith, has the power to throw a caution whenever he chooses before Lap 220 of the 250-lap All-Star Race. He can only use this power once and if a natural yellow occurs after Lap 200, he loses the ability to do it. Speedway Motorsports owns North Wilkesboro Speedway, which is hosting the All-Star Race for the third consecutive year after the historic track was resurrected. 

It’s a bit strange, but the All-Star Race has done weirder things before. Even still, two-time NASCAR Cup Series Kyle Busch made his thoughts on the new rule clearly known during an appearance on the Door Bumper Clear podcast this week.

“What are we doing?” questioned Busch, who won the All-Star Race in 2017. “If we’re Bailey and Barnum (the circus), then let’s just freaking call it Bailey and Barnum. I mean, they went out of business.”

He and show co-host Freddie Kraft, who works as the spotter for Bubba Wallace, then joked about just letting a drunk fan decide. Kraft even wondered if the reset will change anything, which is a fair point based on recent history. Passing at short tracks with the current generation of car is notoriously difficult, even with restarts. Joey Logano won last year’s All-Star Race from pole position, leading 199 of 200 laps. The year prior, Daniel Suarez led from pole position until Kyle Larson passed him 55 laps into the race and never looked back. The format for this year’s race will place a competition caution at around Lap 100 as well, serving as a break. 

Chase Elliott has taken home two checkered flags at Talladega in his career – this past weekend he came up just short. 

However, he has had a lot of success there. In fact, in his very first race there, he finished in fifth, and in 18 races since then, he has eight top-10 finishes at the Alabama racetrack.

“I look forward to going down there. Talladega’s always kind of been a little bit of a home race. It’s just really close to where we live, so that’s always super nice,” Elliott, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native said in a recent interview with Fox News Digital. “A race you can drive to easily, the fans have always been really good to me over there, which makes it fun and kind of feel like home.”

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Chase Elliott looks on during driver introductions before the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)

Talladega is one of the premier NASCAR spots, understandably so.

“The craziness and chaos that is the infield is extremely well known for sure, just the party and the destination that it is,” Elliott said. “I don’t really think people necessarily care if the race is good or bad – I think people are just more there for the environment.”

“A lot of people do care about what the race is, but I think people go for the experience a lot of times and stick around for hopefully a good race on Sunday too. And fortunately, that really hasn’t been an issue at Talladega. A lot of times, the race on Sunday delivers and everybody comes in for an entertaining weekend with their friends, and a cherry on top is a good finish on Sunday afternoon. It’s a good place to get a little bit of both.”

A fifth-place finish is hardly something to ignore – it was his third top-five this season, and he also has six top-10s.

Chase Elliott greets fans during driver introductions before the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 19, 2023 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/Terry Renna, File)

CUP DRIVERS AWAITING NASCAR RULING ON ‘EMBARRASSING’ XFINITY RACE

However, he also has two 15th-place finishes and a 20th place on the record this year and is still without a win this year. So, despite being in fourth place in the Cup Series standings right now, Elliott thinks his season has been just “OK.”

“There’s been some high spots, good finishes on weeks we didn’t deserve them, and bad finishes on weeks where we probably deserved to have better. There’s been flat out bad weeks, and flat out good weeks, too. Unfortunately, not good enough to win, but there have been a couple scenarios where we were in the mix,” Elliott said.

“We’ve been all over the board, certainly not the level of consistency I’d like to see. But a lot of room for improvement. That first stretch was a warmup, and now we go straight all the way to the championship in November. A lot of races ahead, a lot of time to get it together or not. It depends on how we execute the next few months.”

Elliott won the Cup Series title, his lone championship, in 2020 – his best finish since then is fourth, which he had both in 2021 and 2022 before following up with a 17th-place finish in 2023, and then seventh last year.

Of course, it’s not easy to come out on top every year, but in order to do it, “we need to find some consistency.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway on June 26, 2022 in Lebanon, Tennessee. (Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

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“We had a legitimate shot to win the race in Martinsville, go to Bristol and very much not in the mix,” Elliott said (he finished fourth and 15th in those races, respectively). “Just trying to be more consistent across the board and have that type of performance when we are capable of winning more often and do it at different racetrack types and sizes and venues and just get the momentum going in the right direction. It’s been a little spotty, so we got to get it going here. I think we can, just gotta keep trucking.”

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Elliott to celebrate NAPA’s 100th anniversary with gold car. Credits company for his NASCAR career

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Chase Elliott, son of a NASCAR Hall of Famer and the sport’s most popular driver, has 19 career Cup Series wins and championship titles in both the Cup and Xfinity Series.

But if not for one critical partnership, Elliott is convinced he may not have ever made it as a professional racer.

That pairing is with sponsor NAPA Auto Parts, which this Sunday will celebrate its 100th year as a company with gold cars at Texas Motor Speedway to commemorate its anniversary. NAPA joined Elliott in 2014 when he raced in the Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports and has been his primary sponsor ever since.

NAPA was his primary sponsor in the races where he clinched his Xfinity and Cup championships, and for all but six of his Cup Series wins. If not for the company taking a chance on the then-18-year-old son of Bill Elliott, he’s not sure what path his career might have taken.

“NAPA has defined my entire career, I’ve said it a lot,” Elliott told The Associated Press. “I’ve tried to express my appreciation for them, but if they don’t come on board, I don’t think 2014 happens. You’re essentially looking at the Xfinity championship never happening. We were going to run a handful of races had NAPA not signed on. We were talking about a part-time season and going full-time wasn’t going to be possible without that money, without that deal coming. So, yeah, it was more than a little career defining.”

Although NAPA is a 100-year old company, its involvement in race car sponsorships didn’t begin until 2001 when it joined Dale Earnhardt Inc. with Michael Waltrip. Waltrip won his debut race with the brand — the Daytona 500 in which Earnhardt was killed on the final lap.

NAPA stayed with Waltrip through his time at DEI and then moved with him when he started his own team. The brand then shifted to Michael Waltrip Racing driver Martin Truex Jr., but cut its ties after MWR was involved in a 2013 late-season cheating scandal.

That made the company available for a new NASCAR driver and settled on unproven Elliott, who is from Georgia, where NAPA is headquartered.

Jeff Gordon, now vice chairman at Hendrick Motorsports, wasn’t involved in Rick Hendrick’s courtship of turning NAPA into the largest supplier of Hendrick Automotive and also a NASCAR sponsor. But he was a keynote speaker at NAPA’s convention in Las Vegas a little over a week ago and understands how much the company means to the Hendrick brand and Elliott’s career.

“When Chase says that NAPA defined his career, he means that,” Gordon told the AP. “He doesn’t say anything he doesn’t 100% mean. We all have these moments in our career where things could have gone either way. For me it was DuPont (sponsorship) and for Chase it was NAPA. I can’t even imagine Chase on track without NAPA some part of his car.”

NAPA’s racing portfolio has expanded over the years. NAPA signed on as an associate partner with Ron Capps and Don Schumacher Racing in 2007 and the next year NAPA became Capps’ primary sponsor. NAPA became the official auto parts store of the NHRA this year.

Capps ran the gold commemorative car in last weekend’s NHRA event.

NAPA also partnered with Andretti Autosport in IndyCar in May 2016 with Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi. That sponsorship has ended. In NASCAR, NAPA initially sponsored Waltrip and then Truex Jr., then moved to be primary sponsor of Elliott the next season.

As part of the centennial celebration this weekend, the gold cars will also be run by Daniel Hemric in the Truck Series and sprint car racer Brad Sweet, who is racing at Texas’ dirt track this weekend. NAPA plans to bring all the gold cars together for a photo opportunity.

Based on his age — Elliott is now 29 — he doesn’t associate the NAPA traditional blue and gold paint scheme with any driver but himself. After all, NAPA has backed his entire NASCAR national series career.

“I’ve spent so much time with them at this point that it feels like home,” Elliott said. “It feels like a true partnership and they definitely feel like part of my family.”

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

NJMiniGP Returns to New Jersey Motorsports Park

MILLVILLE, N.J. (April 29, 2025) – New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) is thrilled to announce the return of the fan-favorite rider introductory program, NJMiniGP.

NJMiniGP shared the following in an official release earlier this week:

NJMiniGP is excited to announce that ownership of the organization has officially transferred, with plans to continue its mission of providing a safe, affordable, and accessible platform for motorcycle racing enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels. With a full race season, coached practice days, and three-day camps and schools lined up, NJMiniGP is ready to make 2025 an unforgettable year for riders.

This year, NJMiniGP will host events in New Jersey and New York, with the season’s first event scheduled for May 17-18 at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey. The organization’s events typically will run from April through October.

Founded in 2008, NJMiniGP was established with the goal of offering a family-friendly atmosphere where riders of all ages and skill levels can enjoy motorcycle racing in a controlled and non-threatening environment. Since its inception, NJMiniGP has been committed to helping young riders learn the fundamentals of road racing while providing a platform for kids and adults to improve their skills.

“We are thrilled to continue NJMiniGP’s legacy while expanding the opportunities for everyone involved, from beginners to seasoned riders,” said Marcello DiGiovanni. “Our focus has always been on making the sport accessible and safe, and we are eager to introduce more families to this incredible experience. I was first introduced to NJMiniGP when I was nine years old, and I will be forever grateful for all that this organization has done for me. I have such a passion for this sport, and I am eager to keep this sport thriving. I am thrilled to help everyone in all the same ways that NJMiniGP has helped me.”

For young riders, NJMiniGP provides the perfect entry point into the world of road racing. Children can start their journey with the full support of their family, NJMiniGP staff and coaches, and a community of fellow riders who are all working together for their success.

For adult riders, NJMiniGP offers the ideal environment to improve riding skills at any level, from first-time throttle turners to experienced street riders, track day enthusiasts, and club racers. With its emphasis on affordability and safety, NJMiniGP remains a trusted destination for riders looking to sharpen their skills.

Stay Connected

NJMiniGP will be releasing its full 2025 event schedule soon. For more information on upcoming events, practice days, and camps, be sure to visit our website and follow us on social media:

“I would like to give a special thank you to Nathan Granoff and Ryan Fleming for their years of unmatched dedication to NJMiniGP and this sport. I would also like to thank NJMP for allowing us to host events at their amazing facility and grow this beautiful sport. Another thank you to David and Greg Lubinitsky, as well as Carlos Garcia, at NYST for being so welcoming to us, even from the first conversation,” said Marcello DiGiovanni.

Josh Berry had one tough race at Talladega Superspeedway over the weekend.

Berry and the No. 21 Ford finished 26th in the Jack Link’s 500. He completed all 188 laps and led 12 laps. He also suffered through a couple of incidents while on the track.

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NASCAR Cup Series driver Josh Berry, #21, awaits his run during Jack Link’s 500 qualifying at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama, on April 26, 2025. (Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images)

As he came into the pits, Berry accidentally hit one of Carson Hocevar’s pit crew members. The tire changer came around the outside of Hocevar’s pit box and was clipped as Berry pulled into his stall.

Jarius Morehead, a former college football player, was able to withstand the touch from Berry and finished out the pit stop.

NASCAR STAR CHASE ELLIOTT RAVES ABOUT TALLADEGA, DISCUSSES KEYS TO GETTING BACK IN WINNER’S CIRCLE

“I come from a football background. You get used to it,” he told FOX Sports’ Regan Smith, adding he was “all good.”

Berry also had a Randy Johnson moment.

The vehicle struck a bird while on the racetrack, driving up to speeds of nearly 190 mph in Stage 1. The bird was killed.

“I’ve certainly witnessed it before, and they can cause some damage,” Berry’s crew chief Miles Stanley told reporters after the race, via Frontstretch. “They can wreak havoc and even shred some windshield tear-offs and things like that.

“A lot of times when we come here for like first practice or qualifying and stuff, we’ll see birds flying out around the racetrack. So, it’s not a huge surprise that we ended up getting one on the windshield.”

Stanley said the bird strike did not affect the car’s performance too much.

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Berry is in 21st in the NASCAR Cup Series standings.

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