What’s Happening?

Veteran NASCAR spotter Tab Boyd will spot for Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christoper Bell this weekend at EchoPark Speedway. Boyd was let go by HYAK Motorsports last week.

• Boyd goes from spotting for one of the NASCAR Cup Series’ smallest operations to one of its biggest. The veteran spotter has a new home spotting Christopher Bell’s No. 20, as confirmed by Joe Gibbs Racing.
• Boyd had been spotting for HYAK Motorsports’ Ricky Stenhouse Jr. but was removed from the roster sheet for the No. 47 last week. Stenhouse later told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that Clayton Hughes would take over the role full-time for the rest of the season.
• Though no direct reason was given for Boyd’s release from HYAK, and he remained on the spotters’ stand for his Xfinity and Truck Series rides last weekend, many have pointed to a post the spotter made on X during NASCAR’s Mexico City weekend as the reason for his release.
• While in Mexico, in a now-deleted post on X, Boyd said, “I’m ready to go home, screw this place, people can talk it up all they want….. can’t even walk out the front door of the hotel without getting hustled and money snatched….in less than 5 minutes. Good area my ass….”
• At the time, no one knew what this was a reference to, though some point to comments from Corey LaJoie last week on his podcast Stacking Pennies as a probable answer for why this was posted.

What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

You’ve heard of the NBA Cup, soccer’s FA Cup and the WNBA’s Commissioner’s Cup.

Now, it’s time for the NASCAR In-Season Challenge.

The top auto racing series in America is joining other popular sports in adding a tournament in the middle of its season. NASCAR’s brightest stars, from Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson to Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney, will battle it out in a knockout-style challenge for $1 million.

Here are all the details for the inaugural NASCAR In-Season Challenge:

What is the NASCAR In-Season Challenge and how does it work?

The In-Season Challenge is new for 2025, and it’s been inspired by other leagues. NASCAR will have 32 drivers competing in a single-elimination, bracket-style format.

Over five races, the field will dwindle down from 32 to 16 to eight to four to two before the winner receives the $1 million prize. Every driver has a direct opponent in each round. To advance, all you have to do is beat your opponent. So, while there will be all 32 drivers on the track for each race, all you have to do to move on is win your matchup.

Which drivers are competing in the NASCAR In-Season Challenge?

The 32-driver field was determined three weeks ago, with the top 32 drivers in the overall points standings being locked in.

Seeding for the In-Season Challenge was set based on the last three races, with drivers ranked based on their best finishes.

NASCAR In-Season Challenge bracket, seeds, matchups

With just three races used to determine the seeding, there are some wonky matchups that could lead to major upsets. Here’s the seeding and matchups for the first round:

• Denny Hamlin (1) vs. Ty Dillon (32)
• Chase Briscoe (2) vs. Noah Gragson (31)
• Chris Buescher (3) vs. Todd Gilliland (30)
• Christopher Bell (4) vs. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (29)
• Chase Elliott (5) vs. Austin Dillon (28)
• Ty Gibbs (6) vs. Justin Haley (27)
• Ryan Blaney (7) vs. Carson Hocevar (26)
• Alex Bowman (8) vs. Joey Logano (25)
• Bubba Wallace (9) vs. Daniel Suarez (24)
• Kyle Larson (10) vs. Tyler Reddick (23)
• Michael McDowell (11) vs. AJ Allmendinger (22)
• John Hunter Nemechek (12) vs. Josh Berry (21)
• Ross Chastain (13) vs. Erik Jones (20)
• Zane Smith (14) vs. Austin Cindric (19)
• Ryan Preece (15) vs. William Byron (18)
• Kyle Busch (16) vs. Brad Keselowski (17)

NASCAR In-Season Challenge schedule and tracks

There are five races in the tournament, which takes place over five weeks. Here’s the schedule:

How to watch NASCAR In-Season Challenge races

Another new broadcast partner is joining the rotation for the In-Season Challenge.

All five races will air on TNT with Adam Alexander (play-by-play), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (analysis) and Steve Letarte (analysis) on the call. There will also be an alternate broadcast on truTV focusing solely on the In-Season Challenge, with Jeff Burton, Larry McReynolds and special guests. Everything can also be streamed live on Max.

How to fill out NASCAR bracket

Just like March Madness, you can fill out your bracket for the NASCAR In-Season Challenge.

The contest is being run through NASCAR’s website here, and the prize for a perfect bracket is $1 million. NASCAR says there will be additional prizes for top scorers, too. If you prefer to write it out the old-fashioned way, you can print your bracket here.

Ahead of the NASCAR Chicago Street Race, iRacing executive vice president Steve Myers shared how the simulator game is making an impact in the real world.

Those brutal Nitro Harley-Davidson dragbikes are coming back to disrupt the park-like serenity of Martin, Michigan’s US 131 Motorsports Park on June 27-29. The PennGrade1 AMRA series swings off the highway for the Michigan Nitro Nationals, with riders hanging off of their flame-throwing, ground-pounding beasts the FULL quarter mile. This one’s not for the faint of heart or those lacking courage.

Recent Ohio Circle M Ranch Top Fuel winner Jordan Peterson and Louisiana opening round winner Ryan Peery will lead the violent parade down US 131’s 1320, but a full slate of hungry contenders will be after their spoils—starting with their own teammates!

Finland’s Samu Kemppainen makes the long trip to wield one of the Chris Stewart Racing mounts tuned by Michigan Nitro Harley legends Mike and Jack Romine. Samu’s determination against Peterson carried him off the end of the track and completely out of the property last time out, and he will not be deterred in Michigan.

Peery’s teammate Buddy Johnson is still getting his Top Fuel feet back under him, but a winning effort is bound to happen and there’s no better trailer to run out of than Ryan’s.

The powerhouse Jay Turner Racing team would dispute that last statement, but they’re 0-2 so far in ’25. Riders Turner, Chris “Nashville” Smith, John “JT” Toth, and perhaps Randal Andras or Tii Tharpe will all race at 131.

Paul Anderson came from out of nowhere to hit the semis last time out, and he’s shown that he can advance further still with his “Road-Rage” mount.

Will Curtis “No-Bolts” Heisler make another launch into low-earth orbit? You won’t see it if you’re not there.

The Bad Apple Racing team is also a headline-making Nitro Harley powerhouse, but they’re focusing on Nitro Funnybike and Hawaya Racing Pro Fuel at Martin.

That’s good news for Cameron “Flash” Gunter, who might still be waiting to leave the starting line for the Ohio final. Bad Apple’s Tracy Kile will have Gunter set in Tasmanian Devil mode in Michigan and the bike dialed in to “Nuclear.”

But Ohio Funnybike winner Peterson (that’s right, he won twice) can expect to have an even stronger Romine Racing-prepared, Phil Lower-owned bike this weekend. “A modern day Funnybike should drop off the trailer and run 6.6 seconds and 200 mph,” says Jack Romine. “We have made some more changes and we are ready for Martin and see what happens.”

They’ll also face Universal Fleet and Tire’s “Racin’ Ray” Robinson—AKA “The Head Torcher!”

“Bad Apple Mary” Dangrow will have more of Kile’s attention this weekend as he works the tuning knobs to make her bike run even better and more consistent. 

Two-time defending champion Sam White and his White Lightning Racing team have struggled to find the hallmark performance and consistency that has defined their effort. White is a determined man and this just might be his weekend—or that of rookie White Lightning rider Darren Brinkman.

Ohio was very nearly THE weekend for another nitro rookie—John Jenkins—who runnered-up to Dangrow in Ohio and will be inspired to place one spot better.

But they’ll all face a full field of the popular carbureted nitro bikes, including Universal Fleet and Tire’s Jason Leeper, Louisiana runner-up Kenneth “Stubby” Hultman, legendary Rocky Jackson, Jim “Bad Influence” Martin, Stewart Racing’s nitro rookie Brian Conley Jr., Walter “Half Again as Tall” Halonski, Al Balice, Louis Sansone and more.

Gasoline classes will heat up the track as well, including Pro Outlaw, Zipper’s Performance Pro Bagger, Thundermax Street Bagger, Zipper’s Performance Modified, Super Gas 9.90, Axtell Cylinders Hot Street, Top Eliminator 9.30 and Baker Drivetrain Eliminator Dial-in, BK Electric Super Pro 10.30, Pro Eliminator 10.90, and Thundermax Street Eliminator 11.50.

The Nitro Harley competitors look forward to seeing the Harley-Davidson drag racing family, riders and fans at beautiful U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Michigan, THIS WEEKEND on June 28-29

The Nitro Harley racers thank Bad Apple Racing, Chris Stewart Racing, DayStar Machine and Cycle Concepts, White Lightning Racing, Universal Fleet and Tire, P and C Johnson Trucking, RP Motorsports, Hawaya Racing, and Johnny Mancuso’s Circle M Ranch.

This story was originally published on June 26, 2025.

Some roads closed ahead of schedule this week for the July 5-6 NASCAR Chicago Street Race after pavement around Grant Park buckled under extreme heat.

Portions of Columbus and Balbo drives closed Wednesday night so crews could repair the roads that were damaged during a heat wave that peaked at 95 degrees on Monday, according to the Chicago Department of Transportation.

Columbus had been scheduled to close June 30 from Jackson Drive to Roosevelt Road. Balbo was initially scheduled to close June 27 from Michigan Avenue to Columbus.

Street closures for the third consecutive year of NASCAR races around Grant Park began last Thursday, June 19, with the blockage of Balbo between Columbus and DuSable Lake Shore Drive. On Monday, crews closed Ida B. Wells Drive from Michigan Avenue to Columbus.

NASCAR says it has reduced the time it takes to build the course by 42% compared with the first street race in 2023 — down to 25 days from 43 days. The total length of street closures has also been reduced 28%, down to 18 days of closures compared to 25 in 2023.

Future scheduled closures include:

• On June 30, Columbus Drive will be closed from Jackson Drive to Roosevelt Road.
• At 10 p.m. July 2, Roosevelt Road will be shut down from Michigan to DuSable Lake Shore Drive.
• Starting at 12:01 a.m. July 3, southbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive will be closed from Randolph Street to McFetridge Drive.
• At 10 p.m. July 3, northbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive will be closed along the same stretch.

Find more information on road closures at https://www.nascarchicago.com/local-info/.

Photo Credit: Corvette Racing

Two Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs as brand returns to Spa 24 for first time since 2011

DETROIT (June 25, 2025) – For the first time in more than a decade, Corvette will be on the grid for the 24 Hours of Spa – the biggest GT3 race in the world.

Johor Motorsports Racing and Steller Motorsport each are entering a Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R at Spa-Francorchamps in the blue-riband round of SRO Motorsports and the Intercontinental GT Challenge. It’s the first Spa 24 Hours for Corvette since 2011.

Corvette Racing factory driver Alexander Sims – GTD PRO championship co-leader with Antonio Garcia after a runner-up finish at Watkins Glen in IMSA – leads the lineup for the Bronze-class No. 2 JMR Z06 GT3.R and teams with Jordan Love, Prince Jefri Ibrahim, Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim. Steller Motorsport also will go with a four-driver lineup in its Silver-class No. 24 Corvette: Matisse Lismont, Lorcan Hanafin, Daniel Ali and Olivier Hart.

Both teams have tasted success so far this year. JMR already is a two-time winner in GT World Challenge Asia this year, and Prince Jefri Ibrahim leads the series’ Drivers Championship. In GT World Challenge Europe, Steller Motorsports claimed a runner-up, Silver-class finish in its first race with the Corvette at Paul Ricard in Endurance Cup competition.

The Corvette Z06 GT3.R has scored six victories worldwide this year, including the Rolex 24 at Daytona by GTD team AWA, as well as a third-place LMGT3 finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans by TF Sport.

Preparation for Corvette’s return to the Spa 24 Hours has included the two-day Prologue for both Steller and JMR plus simulation tests by Corvette factory drivers at Chevrolet’s Driver-in-the-Loop facility in North Carolina.

The 2025 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa takes place June 25-29, with full race and qualifying coverage available on SRO Motorsports’ official YouTube channel.

JESSICA DANE, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER:

“The launch of our Corvette GT3 program opened the door to a number of new possibilities to see the Corvette Z06 GT3.R race around the world. The Spa 24 Hours ranks very close to – if not at – the top of that list. We are excited to see JMR and Steller Motorsport take Corvette back to the largest GT3 race in the world for the first time in almost 15 years. Both teams are well-prepared following the Spa Prologue, and we hope to see them challenging for the podium and class victories come Sunday.”

ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 2 JOHOR MOTORSPORTS RACING CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“Pretty much every single year at Spa, it’s upwards of the in 60s if not more for car count. It’s always an incredibly competitive race… pretty much the GT3 race of the year. There is a little more restriction on strategy and things nowadays than when I first did it 10 or 12 years ago. But it’s an awesome event. The track is lovely to drive. During the Prologue, the Corvette was working pretty well and feeling nice to drive around there. It works really well on the Pirellis so there’s really very little to adjust to (from IMSA).

“I’m looking forward to it. It should be an enjoyable 24 hours. I’m not entirely sure that we have the most competitive driver lineup in the Bronze class because of the way the gradings work. You see some of the lineups and they are just phenomenal. But I have every confidence that Prince Jefri and Prince Abu Bakar can pull their weight in terms of the Bronze driver pace, and hopefully Jordan and I can do a decent job compared to the other pros and we’ll see how we end up.

“I got to work with Steller at Barcelona for their shakedown, and that was lovely to get into a brand new car and have it feel perfectly familiar. And being able to do some other racing outside of IMSA but in a Corvette with JMR, it means you can arrive at a track and get straight down to business of thrashing the car to the limit straightaway and you feel comfortable.”

HH PRINCE JEFRI IBRAHIM, NO. 2 JOHOR MOTORSPORTS RACING CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“I think this is one of the most historic races and one of the biggest races of the year, especially with 75 cars which is a record. It’s a huge one for us. This is quite unique. We just started a new team. We’re working with a new manufacturer in Corvette and Chevrolet. We have new challenges that we are trying to meet, so there are a lot of exciting things going on. This is our first year at Spa. We have two mechanics from Malaysia and two drivers from Malaysia – myself and my brother – alongside the other 200 drivers who are here. So it does mean a lot for us to come here. The Corvette is still a new car for us as drivers plus the team, the engineers and everyone. We are learning more and more each race about the car. We still have a long way to go as a team, and we want to be the best one out there. It’s positive that things have gone this well so far, but this is just the beginning. There are a lot of strong teams and cars. This is an endurance race and anything can happen. Our main focus is first to finish before we aim to win.”

HH PRINCE ABU BAKAR IBRAHIM, NO. 2 JOHOR MOTORSPORTS RACING CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“It is the biggest race for the team this year. Driving Spa on the simulator and driving on it in real life is amazing. You cherish all these moments. It’s my first year in endurance racing, and there is no better place to do this than Spa. This is the first year that we are running on our own as a team. We have a few crew members from Malaysia, and our focus is to get people back home to work and race with us internationally. Not only do we want to be on the top steps all the time, but part of that journey is bringing people from back home to help them achieve the same goals as us.”

JORDAN LOVE, NO. 2 JOHOR MOTORSPORTS RACING CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“Spa is always such a special event; it’s by far one of the highlights of the year for many reasons. It’s history and the intensity that this race brings is unlike anything else. To come back for a second year running with JMR – our first as a standalone team – is awesome but this year with a new challenge in the new Corvette is super exciting. The year so far with the new Corvette Z06 GT3.R has been great, and I really enjoy driving it. To tackle a challenge as big as having a new car and to do that with your own new team is a huge challenge. To have the success that the team has had in such a short space of time is a huge credit to everyone involved. Last year’s Spa 24 hour didn’t go our way so we definitely have some redemption this year.”

OLIVIER HART, NO. 24 STELLER MOTORSPORT CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“I am more than excited to join Steller Motorsport for one of the biggest GT races in the world. I have raced at Spa-Francorchamps many times and enjoyed some success, and I cannot wait to tackle this hard and exhausting race again. We’ve got to race smart, endurance racing can throw a lot at you, but given our Corvette’s strength during the Prologue, I’m heading to the Ardennes with high hopes for a great first race with this incredible group of people.”

LORCAN HANAFIN, NO. 24 STELLER MOTORSPORT CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“I am really looking forward to the 24 Hours of Spa. We’ve had an encouraging couple of endurance races with the Corvette and we showed some good pace at the Prologue. Keeping it clean and avoiding mistakes will be the key to getting a good result, but I’m confident we can deliver a strong performance.”

DANIEL ALI, NO. 24 STELLER MOTORSPORT CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“It’s really exciting to be heading into the 24-hour with the Corvette and Steller Motorsport. We had a promising Prologue and there were plenty of positives to take from Monza, and I know we have the experience and speed to challenge for a good result. This is my first 24-hour race and so I will have a lot to learn but I am ready for one of the most challenging and prestigious racing events in the world.”

MATISSE LISMONT, NO. 24 STELLER MOTORSPORT CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“My home race of the season, so, like always, I am very much looking forward to it; it’s an iconic track, an iconic event, and with iconic GT cars driving for 24 hours straight in the infamous Spa weather it is always a special feeling. I’m feeling good, and ready to get going.”

Source:

CorvetteRacing.com

Related:

Corvette Racing at Watkins Glen: Points Lead for No. 3 Corvette

Corvette Racing at Le Mans: A Group Effort!

Steller Motorsports Wants to Race its 2nd Corvette Z06 GT3R Entry This Year

Subscribe Now:

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Names Two ‘Biggest (Expletives)’ In NASCAR originally appeared on The Spun.

Former NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt Jr. had two popular drivers in his crosshairs this week when he addressed a certain style of defensive driving.

Advertisement

On the latest episode of his Dale Jr. Download podcast, Earnhardt called out Joey Logano and Ross Chastain for their reputations as excellent mirror-drivers. Using a particular expletive, he described the two of them as self drivers who are more eager to win and thus do just enough to ensure their own safety rather than try to make friends off the track.

“The reason why Joey’s good at it, the reason why Chastain’s good at it, is because they’re willing to be the biggest (expletive) out there,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “It’s not engrained in all of us to be selfish, and be purely selfish, but you have to be. I always tried — speaking frankly here, I want to be everybody’s buddy. Everywhere I go around the race track on the weekend, I want to be friends with Chase [Briscoe], I want to be friends with everybody.

“When I raced, I wanted to get out of the car and go, ‘Hey man, that shit was fun. You good? Hope you liked racing me.’ Now, we go to Daytona and Talladega, and I would have to tell myself before I got in the car, ‘You’re going to have to be an asshole today,’ because it wasn’t engrained in me to go out there and drive like that.

Advertisement

“I didn’t do things intentionally like, ‘Screw you guys,’ and run people into the wall, ‘I don’t care about your race,’ but I knew, to be good at Daytona and Talladega, I kind of had to be a bit of a jerk. I think, the way the Cup car is today, you have to be a jerk, everywhere you go.”

Whether Dale Jr. likes it or not, Logano and Chastain have maneuvered themselves into great position this year. Both have won a race this season and qualified for the NASCAR Cup Series playoff.

We’re going to see the two of them use all of their skills – even the ones Dale Jr. may not love – to try and win it all this year.

Advertisement

Related: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Admits He Has A Problem With NASCAR’s Two Penalties

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Names Two ‘Biggest (Expletives)’ In NASCAR first appeared on The Spun on Jun 25, 2025

This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jun 25, 2025, where it first appeared.