NASCAR’s inaugural in-season tournament is down to the elite eight.

And what an eight it is. There are two Legacy Motor Club drivers still in the hunt, and at least one will be in the final four as they are matched up against each other this weekend at Sonoma Raceway (Sunday, 3:30 p.m. ET, TNT). There are two drivers left from the ‘big three’ organizations (Hendrick, Gibbs, or Penske), and that is Alex Bowman and Ty Gibbs.

In other words, the tournament has been as unpredictable as expected, especially after eliminating many of the contenders in the first week. On Sunday, in Chicago, others, such as Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski, and Chris Buescher, fell by the wayside.

Ty Dillon, on the other hand, is still alive as the ultimate bracket-buster. Dillon (main image) defeated No. 1 seed Denny Hamlin in the first week and then No. 17 seed Keselowski in Chicago.

Here are the third-round matchups:

(No. 6) Ty Gibbs vs (No. 14) Zane Smith

(No. 8) Alex Bowman vs (No. 32) Ty Dillon

(No. 12) John Hunter Nemechek vs (No. 20) Erik Jones

(No. 15) Ryan Preece vs (No. 23) Tyler Reddick

Sonoma Raceway will cut the field to the final four as the series gets closer to the $1 million payout at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Sponsorship has become an important element in top-level sports. Today, sponsorship of venues, athletes, teams and events is common as brands try to make the most of the brand visibility that sponsorship rewards them with.

Sponsorship provides sport with immense financial support. Individuals can cover expenses such as travel, team kit, accommodation and more. Clubs can buy equipment and kit and use sponsorship money to maintain their ground. Coaches can invest in training, coach development and talent development. Venues can cover some of the running costs.

Like many others, motorsport is one area of sport that receives a lot of sponsorship. Below, we take a look at the benefits of sponsorship in motorsport and at some of the big sponsorship deals in the sport.

The Benefits of Sponsorship in Motorsport

Sponsorship in motorship has been a win on both sides of the agreement. The vast amounts of money that sponsors have sent teams’ way have provided them with essential resources.

In Formula One, for instance, teams have been able to use the resources to cover the high costs of competition. This could be from technical development and logistics to research into aerodynamic innovations.

Investment thanks to sponsors hasn’t just been made in the vehicles but also in drivers and other talents. Teams have been able to allocate resources to top talent, including drivers, engineers and crucial specialists. As a result, the teams have witnessed better performance on the track.

Moto Organizations

Motorcycle sports organizations have also made use of sponsors. MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 are three examples. Just like F1, sponsorship has driven technological development, allowed teams to cover logistics and other heavy costs, and hire the best talent.

MotoGP has also witnessed sponsors support sustainability initiatives. Like other sports organisations, MotoGP has certain values and wants to attract brands whose values align with its own. The organisation’s ‘Racing for the Future’ initiative is appealing to brands that observe eco-friendly practices and want to showcase their own commitment to sustainability.

Sponsorship has also changed the way that fans engage with the sport. Sponsors are using digital and social platforms to create immersive content that tech-savvy audiences will respond to. The new ways of engaging with the sport are fostering deeper connections between the sport and the fans.

One type of business that might like to get in on sponsorship is a NZ online casino. The business would enjoy lots of exposure in a country that loves motorsport and has produced world-class racing drivers such as Bruce McLaren, Denny Hulme and Scott Dixon.

Successful Sponsorship Deals in Motorsport

Motorsport has witnessed some massive deals. Here are some of the most successful.

LVMH with F1

In October 2025, F1 and LVMH announced a deal that would see the French luxury brand, which comprises Louis Vuitton, TAG Heuer and Moët Hennessy, become a global partner of the organisation from the start of 2025. The deal will last 10 years.

As part of the deal, Louis Vuitton is now the title partner of the Australian Grand Prix and TAG Heuer is the official timekeeper. LVMH has long supported F1. In 1969, TAG Heuer became the first company to have its logo on the back of a car. In 1971, the company became the first to sponsor a team.

Qatar Airways and MotoGP

Although there’s uncertainty about what the future holds for sponsorship in MotoGP, due to the arrival of new owners Liberty Media, a partnership of note in the organisation is its 2024 multiyear agreement with Qatar Airways. As part of the deal, MotoGP will display the airline’s name trackside at several venues in the calendar. The company will also be the title sponsor of the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, as well as of the Qatar Motorcycle Grand Prix. In return, the airline will provide passenger and cargo services for MotoGP, including commercial tickets, charter flights for championship personnel and freight services.

BMW Safety Cars

BMW is another brand that has been involved in motorsport sponsorship for years now, in the form of safety cars. This is something of a marketing masterstroke because the brand has been providing safety cars in several different types of motorsport, including touring car races, MotoGP races and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. BMWs have also sometimes featured as medical cars in Formula E. In 2025, in Bangkok, the company presented the M5 Touring Safety Car as the leader of the safety car fleet for MotoGP.

Sponsorship is a massive opportunity for professional sport. Motorsport organisations and their teams have made the most of its benefits and announced some highly productive partnerships. Other successful deals include Ducati’s partnership with backup power supply company Riello UPS, in MotoGP, and Nestlé’s KitKat brand becoming the official chocolate bar of F1 for the 2025 season before expanding across the world in 2026.

JGR AT SONOMA: Joe Gibbs Racing has earned six NASCAR Cup Series wins at Sonoma Raceway. In 85 combined starts at the California road course, the organization has recorded 19 top-five finishes, 35 top-10s, four pole awards, and 457 laps led. Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart, and Martin Truex Jr. each claimed a pair of victories at Sonoma while driving for JGR.

ROAD COURSES THIS YEAR: In 12 combined starts on road courses this year, JGR drivers have posted one win (Christopher Bell at Circuit of the Americas), four top-five finishes, five top-10s, and 52 laps led.

DENNY HAMLIN

No. 11 ampm Toyota Camry XSE

HAMLIN AT SONOMA: Denny Hamlin owns four top-five finishes and seven top-10s in 18 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Sonoma Raceway. From 2016 to 2021, Hamlin posted five consecutive top-10 results at the California road course. In 2023, he won the pole award, led 33 laps and won stage one before a late-race accident left him with a 36th-place finish. Last year, Hamlin finished 38th because of a mechanical issue after completing only two laps.

CHICAGO RECAP: Hamlin finished fourth in last weekend’s street race in Chicago. After an engine failure on Saturday forced the No. 11 team to miss the entire practice and qualifying session, Hamlin started 40th. He worked his way up to 26th by the end of stage one and a pit stop midway through stage two put him in position to stay out for the remainder of the race. Hamlin finished sixth in stage two and remained amongst the lead group throughout the final segment to finish fourth. This was Hamlin’s fourth top-five finish in his last five starts.

SEASON SO FAR: With eight races remaining in the regular season, Hamlin is currently fourth in the overall standings. Since missing the race at Mexico City last month, Hamlin has trimmed his deficit to the leader from 110 points down to 43 points. He is tied for the series lead in wins (three) and top-five finishes (nine).

AMPM: Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota Camry XSE will feature ampm, a top-ranked C-store brand based on the west coast, for this weekend’s race at Sonoma Raceway. ampm operates more than 1,000 stores, primarily on the west coast, serving nearly 2,200 different products. The company was founded in Southern California in 1978 and has grown to become a leading C-store across multiple states. ampm prides itself on introducing innovative technology to provide a faster and easier shopping experience for its customers no matter the time of day or meal they are looking for. For more information, visit www.ampm.com.

CHASE BRISCOE

No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE

BRISCOE AT SONOMA: Chase Briscoe has made four NASCAR Cup Series starts at Sonoma Raceway with a best finish of 13th in 2022.

BRISCOE ON ROAD COURSES: Briscoe owns two NASCAR Xfinity Series victories on road courses – the Charlotte ROVAL in September 2018 and the Indianapolis Road Course in July 2020. Briscoe has seven top-10 finishes on road courses in the NASCAR Cup Series. This year on road courses, Briscoe finished 14th at Circuit of the Americas, seventh at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, and 23rd last weekend in the Chicago Street Race.

CHICAGO RECAP: Briscoe started fifth last Sunday at the Chicago Street Course and ran inside the top 10 throughout the race. After scoring points with a fourth-place finish in stage one and a second-place finish in stage two, Briscoe led 13 laps during the final segment before being passed by eventual race winner Shane van Gisbergen. On the final restart, Briscoe was battling for fifth when he cut a tire and had to make an unscheduled pit stop. With the misfortune, the No. 19 Toyota Camry finished 23rd in the race.

2025 SO FAR: Briscoe earned his spot in the 2025 Cup Series Playoffs with his win at Pocono Raceway – his first victory in a Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry. Briscoe leads the Cup Series with four pole awards this season, including the Daytona 500 and three consecutive poles at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Nashville Superspeedway, and Michigan International Speedway. His four pole awards this season are twice as many as he had in his first 144 career Cup Series starts. His six top-five finishes this year match his previous best for an entire season (2022).

JAMES SMALL: 2025 marks James Small’s sixth season as a NASCAR Cup Series crew chief. The first five years of his tenure as crew chief were spent with Martin Truex Jr. as Small led the No. 19 team to eight wins, 46 top-five finishes, 86 top-10s, and four NASCAR playoff appearances. The Australia native led Truex to a runner-up finish in the 2021 championship and to the 2023 regular season championship. Small earned his ninth career win with Briscoe at Pocono Raceway earlier this year. At Sonoma, Small led Truex to a win in 2023 and a third-place finish in 2021.

BASS PRO SHOPS: Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Newsweek as “America’s Most Trusted Retailer for Outdoor Gear”. For more information or to shop online, visit www.basspro.com.

CHRISTOPHER BELL

No. 20 Rheem Toyota Camry XSE

MILESTONE: This Sunday at Sonoma Raceway will mark Bell’s 200th career NASCAR Cup Series start. So far in his Cup Series career, Bell has earned 12 victories, 53 top-five finishes, 96 top-10 finishes, 14 pole awards, and two Championship 4 appearances.

BELL AT SONOMA: Christopher Bell has posted back-to-back ninth-place finishes at Sonoma Raceway. His best qualifying effort at the track was fourth in 2023.

BELL ON ROAD COURSES: The Oklahoma native has a stellar resume on road courses. He earned his first career Cup Series win at the Daytona Road Course in February 2021. In 2022, Bell earned a victory in the NASCAR playoff race at the Charlotte ROVAL. Earlier this year, he captured his third road course win at Circuit of the Americas. In June, he finished second at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City. Prior to his time in the Cup Series, Bell also won a NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Road America.

CW BROADCAST: Bell will join The CW broadcast booth for Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Sonoma Raceway. Coverage begins at 4:30 p.m. ET on The CW.

CHICAGO RECAP: Last weekend in Chicago, the No. 20 team started 13th and Bell made up ground early on until a pit road speeding penalty cost him valuable track position. While he was mired in traffic, Bell’s Toyota suffered nose damage after contact on a restart, but the team made repairs and he once again maneuvered his way forward. Contact from behind resulted in a spin late in the race and then the No. 20 Toyota suffered a mechanical issue, resulting in a 24th-place finish.

RHEEM AT SONOMA: Rheem will host more than 185 guests this weekend at Sonoma Raceway. Executives will be on site from the Rheem Operations team in addition to guests from Friedrich, Rheem Customers of MegaWestern from the Water Heater Division (WHD) West, and customers from key distributor Ferguson.

TY GIBBS

No. 54 SAIA LTL Freight Toyota Camry XSE

GIBBS AT SONOMA: Ty Gibbs has two NASCAR Cup Series starts at Sonoma Raceway. On both occasions, he qualified inside the top 10. He finished 18th in 2023, but an early accident last year left him with a 37th-place finish. In two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the track, Gibbs qualified in the top seven both times. He finished fourth in 2023. Last year, he led 26 laps before being collected in a multi-car accident that put him 35th.

GIBBS ON ROAD COURSES: Gibbs has earned five top-five finishes and seven top-10s in 17 Cup Series starts on road courses. He has enjoyed remarkable success on road courses in the Xfinity Series with four wins, nine top-five finishes, 11 top-10s, three pole awards, and 330 laps led in 21 starts. His first road course victory came in dramatic fashion as Gibbs won in his Xfinity Series debut at the Daytona Road Course in February 2021. He followed that up with wins at Watkins Glen International (August 2021), Road America (July 2022), and the Indianapolis Road Course (August 2023).

CHICAGO RECAP: Gibbs matched his career-best finish with a second-place result last weekend at the Chicago Street Race.

IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT: Gibbs advanced to the quarterfinal round of the inaugural In-Season Tournament with his runner-up finish at Chicago. This week, Gibbs will face off against Zane Smith with the head-to-head winner of their matchup advancing to the Final Four. Through 19 races this season, Gibbs has finished higher than Smith 11 times, including four of the past five races. Gibbs finished ahead of Smith at Sonoma in 2023, but Smith bested Gibbs in 2024.

TYLER ALLEN: Crew chief Tyler Allen is in his first year leading Gibbs and the No. 54 team. While this is Allen’s first experience as a crew chief at the Cup Series level, he had a standout season in 2024 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Allen led JGR’s No. 20 Xfinity Series team to eight victories and a runner-up finish in the owner’s championship.

SAIA: Saia Inc. (NASDAQ: SAIA) announced in January that Saia LTL Freight has partnered with Joe Gibbs Racing for a multi-year sponsorship of Ty Gibbs and the No. 54 Toyota Camry XSE in the NASCAR Cup Series. Saia offers customers a wide range of less-than-truckload (LTL) services including service to Canada and Mexico. In addition, they offer expedited and logistics services through their subsidiary, LinkEx. Currently, they operate 213 terminals across the United States and employ more than 15,000 people. For more information, visit www.saia.com.

JGR PR

Exhibitors: Supercharge your product exposure at the PRI Show by participating in the Featured Products Showcase, the ultimate destination for buyers and media seeking the hottest new products in motorsports.
 

The Featured Products Showcase returns to the 2025 PRI Show (December 11-13, downtown Indianapolis) as the premier destination for media, buyers and professionals to discover the latest innovations in the motorsports industry.

This dynamic showcase is located at the Indiana Convention Center in a high-traffic area near the Capitol Connector and Georgia Street entrance.

Exhibitors are invited to submit their newest and innovative products to be featured in this dedicated area. Whether it’s cutting-edge engine components, advanced racing gear, the latest in fuel technology, or anything else designed to enhance racing performance, the Featured Products Showcase provides a unique platform to spotlight products and connect with decision-makers from all corners of the motorsports industry.

Participating in this program also grants you access to the Featured Product Awards, providing exhibitors with additional opportunities for publicity. A panel of top racing industry professionals, including track operators, sanctioning bodies’ representatives, social media influencers and media, will select the product winners.

Even better, this value-added program is reasonably priced. Each product entered before December 5, 2025, is only $75 per entry. 

Don’t miss out: Enter now to maximize your exposure at the 2025 PRI Show and get your products in front of the industry’s key influencers and buyers.

Learn more about the PRI Show Featured Products Showcase and submit your products here.

Note: The pre-Show deadline for exhibitors to submit their product(s) entry is December 5, 2025. Exhibitors who miss the deadline and still want to submit product(s) can do so onsite at the PRI Show as space permits. All submissions are on a first-come, first-served basis.

For questions or more information, contact featuredproducts@performanceracing.com.

In its most challenging time, KTM AG still looks back on a successful first half of the year. KTM sold 100,391 motorcycles to end customers and delivered 50,286 units to dealers and importers worldwide. These results exceeded the company’s expectations and confirmed its strength in the global motorcycle market. KTM motorcycle sales in 2025 so far demonstrate loyalty and enjoyment from the growing global KTM community.

“The last six months have shown that the support of the motorcycle community for the KTM brand is unbroken. Our innovative spirit, our unique know-how and our passion are responsible for our strong market position — over 100,000 motorcycles sold in a challenging first half of the year show that our bikes remain popular all over the world and that we are back on the right track,” said CEO Gottfried Neumeister.

Dealer Demand and KTM Motorcycle Sales 2025 Momentum

KTM reduced its inventories significantly during the first half of the year. The company reactivated its entire global supply chain successfully. Dealers and importers continue to report strong demand for all KTM brands worldwide.

KTM motorcycle sales 2025 show strong customer interest and ongoing dealer performance. KTM continues to sell through to customers and supply global partners without disruption. These combined efforts help KTM strengthen operations as worldwide market conditions begin to stabilize.

KTM increased its hiring efforts in Austria and in international markets. The company seeks qualified specialists and managers, especially at its Austrian headquarters.

“If the last few months have shown us one thing: only because of our employees we are that strong.
KTM is growing again and is therefore also intensively looking for enthusiastic employees for all Austrian and international locations. Anyone who wants to play an active role in shaping the company will find a place with us,” emphasized Neumeister.

KTM invites top global talent to apply and join its growing international workforce. The company supports relocation and helps new employees settle into their new region. This strategy ensures new team members thrive in KTM’s performance-driven culture.

Customer Satisfaction, Quality, and Long-Term Vision

KTM continues defining its future direction with a clear focus on satisfaction, quality and sustainable success. Listening to customers remains central to KTM’s evolving strategy. Programs like “Orange Blood” and the “Orange Board” increase rider participation in decision-making.

KTM selected 15 members from 5,000 applicants to join this new feedback committee. The group provides direct feedback to KTM management and helps identify industry trends early. This process enables the company to develop practical, customer-driven innovations.

KTM also launched the Dealer Excellence Center to strengthen its global network. The center supports dealer growth and helps build stronger long-term customer relationships.

“Only if we put the customer at the center of all our actions and focus on quality and differentiation,
it will be reflected in the future economic success of our company,” concluded Neumeister.