INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — It took Tony Kanaan a dozen tries to win the Indianapolis 500, and, much later, four years to accept it was time to retire and find something else to do outside a racecar.

His 2023 start in the Indy 500 was supposed to be the last of his career and perhaps will ultimately go down as his final appearance in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

But that final 500 led to a full-time job with Arrow McLaren Racing, where in under two years Kanaan has been promoted to team principal and the man in charge of making the decisions while McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown focuses on Formula 1.

And, in a worst case weather scenario May 25, Kanaan might just find himself back in the field of 33 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. After two days of rain delays, Kanaan on Thursday completed the veteran refresher course required for him to be the emergency replacement driver for Kyle Larson should Larson have to leave Indianapolis early to make it back to North Carolina for the the Coca-Cola 600.

A long rain delay in Indy last year ruined Larson’s attempt to complete motorsports 1,100-mile “Double” and he never turned a lap in Charlotte. NASCAR made clear to Larson and Hendrick Motorsports that the Coca-Cola 600 must be his priority or it will cost him dearly in the Cup Series championship race.

Although Kanaan said the refresher course rekindled his passion for Indianapolis, he would prefer not to replace Larson and race again at age 50. He’d have to start last if Larson leaves Indianapolis before the race begins.

“My retirement, I think my biggest fear was how much I was going to miss this,” Kanaan said. “But not sure I want to start 33rd and try to pass everybody and suffer for 2 1/2 hours. I did go out on my own terms and I don’t have the need to go back and run this race again.”

Kanaan will be on Larson’s timing stand during the race and cannot replace him in the car once the race begins.

His acceptance of being a retired racer comes from the massive responsibility he’s been given by Brown. With Brown based in England, Kanaan is the day-to-day boss at Arrow McLaren and thriving in the new role.

“The team loves him, I haven’t had that since I started the IndyCar team. He leads by example. He’s a workaholic. He’s motivated, and that rubs off on people,” Brown told The Associated Press. “None of that surprises me. What did surprise me about TK is the dude can talk and listen at the same time. He takes a lot of advice, which is a bit unusual. He talks to our board members all the time — probably more than me — and he knows what he doesn’t know and doesn’t want to make mistakes, he’s decisive, and he ain’t scared.

“If I tell him to do something — and it’s something unpleasant — Tony’s like ‘OK, I’ll do it.’ Then 10 minutes later he calls me and tells me its done.”

Adjusting to a new role

Kanaan doesn’t look at his new job as the guy tasked with doing Brown’s dirty work — and there was a lot of it last year as the IndyCar team had a slew of driver hiring and firings.

He said he understands the difficult business side of motorsports and noted Michael Andretti fired him in 2010 despite an existing contract over a loss of sponsorship. It was then he truly understood the brutal nature of the sport and has carried it with him into his role as leader at Arrow McLaren.

“I think the way I want to run the team, Zak and I think the same. It’s not that he doesn’t want to do it, it’s that I’m in charge and I should do it,” Kanaan said. “If he’s going to do everything for me, why am I here? When you’re being honest, good or bad, it’s going to be uncomfortable.

“I had to do a few things these with people that were my friends,” he continued. “It’s not about that. We run a company now. It’s also my reputation and how I want this team to be perceived to be successful. If people are not able to separate the friendship to the professional, then too bad. I think it’s just a choice that I made. I think I’m a fair person. I think I try to run the team as fair as I can. If you’re lacking, I will tell you. Or if you’re doing good, I’ll tell you. I will never forget, Zak told me one day, ‘You don’t need a title. If 10 people walk in the room, they should be able to pick who the boss is.’”

The drivers’ view

Arrow McLaren fields three full-time entries for Pato O’Ward, Christian Lundgaard and Nolan Siegel, and a fourth car at Indy for Larson. O’Ward has embraced the feedback he receives from his new boss because Kanaan “still thinks he’s a racing driver.

“I think it drives everybody forward. Obviously, always has a good spirit, lots of energy,” O’Ward said. “I always like to hear the negative feedback more, I would say, than the positive because I feel like the positive, it’s always very dependent on just results. But I feel like behind the results, there’s a lot of things that happen, and you always learn more from the things that you’re doing maybe not optimal. I always welcome it.”

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Carson Hocevar’s new livery for this year’s NASCAR All-Star Race is a slam dunk.

Earlier this week, Hocevar – who was recently caught flipping the bird at an opponent during a race – debuted a paint scheme promoting the 2025 WNBA All-Star Weekend. The No. 77 Chevrolet driver will don the unique look in the Cup Series All-Star race, which is slated to feature a promoter’s caution and altered format.

A large WNBA All-Star logo will be visible on the hood of Hocevar’s car alongside the words “Indy 25.” This year marks the first time that Indianapolis will play host to the annual event, with the All-Star Game, STARRY 3-Point Contest, and Skills Challenge all set to take place at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse – home of the Indiana Fever – from July 18-19.

The out-of-the-blue partnership between Spire Motorsports, Gainbridge, and the WNBA is intended to draw more attention to women’s sports while bringing together motorsports and basketball fans.

“Carson driving a WNBA All-Star paint scheme is an opportunity to cross-promote two properties in our sponsorship portfolio,” Gainbridge Chief of Sponsorship Strategy Mike Nichols said in an official press release. “The scheme highlights our commitment to investing in women’s sports.”

Mel Raines, CEO of Pacers Sports & Entertainment, added: “We’re thrilled to collaborate with Spire Motorsports and Gainbridge to highlight AT&T WNBA All-Star 2025 during NASCAR’s All-Star Race.”

Hocevar, for one, is thrilled to be able to represent the WNBA. “It’s really cool to showcase the WNBA All-Star Game on our car for the NASCAR All-Star Weekend,” he said. “I had the chance to visit Gainbridge Fieldhouse in January and it’s definitely worthy of hosting the game.

“Gainbridge has been a great partner for Spire Motorsports and done a lot to promote and expand women’s sports, so it’s exciting to see that support open new doors for those teams and athletes.”

This surprisingly isn’t the first time that NASCAR and the WNBA have intertwined. During last year’s Brickyard 400, Josh Berry paid tribute to Fever superstar Caitlin Clark by featuring a lifesize photo of the Iowa product on the hood of his No. 4 Ford Mustang Dark Horse.

DON’T MISS:

Addressing the touching gesture, Clark told reporters at the time: “Never did I ever think I would appear on a race car, honestly I grew up watching NASCAR…I was kind of a big fan growing up and now to be on a car, is super cool.

“I was like, ‘Oh my gosh! Is this real? I want to drive the car. So, sometime maybe I have to take a spin, but it’s super cool… Hopefully, it brings good vibes and we get the dub.”

Berry was more than happy to represent one of the WNBA’s best players, stating: “It really is a great opportunity, to have her on the hood of our race car. The amount of reach and popularity she’s gained over the last couple of years has been really, really amazing to watch.

“How it’s transcended women’s basketball, right? Obviously, being a girl dad, I guess, you don’t necessarily put the two together right now, but as she grows older, I’m sure it’ll be a cool thing to look back on, as she continues her career.”

Chris Buescher finished eighth at Kansas Speedway after starting on the front row, but he and Carson Hocevar had their cars randomly selected to go back to the NASCAR R&D Center for further inspection. While the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet was cleared without issue, Buescher’s No. 17 RFK Racing Ford Mustang was not nearly as fortunate.

NASCAR found the team in violation of of the following rule: “Sections 14.1.C: Overall Assembled Vehicle Rules; 14.5.4.G: Front Bumper Cover.” Per Motorsport.com contributor Bozi Tatarevic, “The rule allows bumpers to be reinforced on the inside up to a 2-inch border around the foam, and they likely went further than that.”

As a result, the No. 17 team has been hit with a $75,000 fine and crew chief Scott Graves has been suspended for the next two races, including the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro and the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He will be replaced by Doug Randolph.

Buescher has also been docked 60 driver and owner points, as well as five playoff points. Buescher is winless after 12 races this year, but he remains inside the playoffs, sitting solidly 12th in the standings. This latest points penalty will drop him all the way down to 24th. He was 33 points above the cut-line, but is now 27 points out. Additionally, the loss of playoff points leaves him in the negative, having not scored any yet this season.

RFK has since released the following: “RFK Racing acknowledges the penalties assessed by NASCAR to the No. 17 Ford Mustang following this past weekend’s race in Kansas. We remain committed to full compliance with NASCAR’s rules. At this time, we are carefully reviewing the details of the situation to determine if we will file an appeal within the timeframe allotted.”

If you‘re trying to find a predictor of the eventual NASCAR Cup Series champion, the winner of the NASCAR All-Star Race might be a good place to look.

In three of the last five years, the All-Star Race winner has gone on to win the title: Chase Elliott at Bristol in 2020; Kyle Larson at Texas Motor Speedway in 2021; and Joey Logano at North Wilkesboro Speedway last year.

Add Ryan Blaney’s All-Star victory at Texas in 2022, and you have another impressive statistic: the organization that has won the All-Star Race has won the Cup championship in four of the last five years—Hendrick Motorsports in 2020 and 2021 and Team Penske in 2022 and 2024.

Moreover, Logano credits last year’s March 14 tire test at North Wilkesboro, leading up to the All-Star Race, as one of the factors that flipped the switch for Team Penske and propelled him toward his third Cup championship.

As one of 20 drivers already qualified for the event, Logano will defend his victory in Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race at the iconic 0.625-mile short track (8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

“I’m looking forward to getting up there,” Logano said. “The track’s really wide for a repave. It’s a really good race track. I’m looking forward to seeing where it gets to this year. Last year it widened all the way out to the wall…

“Where the dominant lane is will be interesting, even in qualifying.”

Three more drivers will be added to the 20-driver field before the green flag, two from the 100-lap All-Star Open and one chosen through the All-Star Fan Vote.

Qualifying for both the Open and All-Star Race will take place on Friday and includes a Pit Crew Challenge component. Those time trials will set the starting order for a pair of Saturday heat races that will determine the grid for the All-Star Race.

The first 75-lap heat sets the order for the inside row of the All-Star lineup, with the second heat ordering the outside row. The qualifiers from the Open and Fan Vote will be added to the rear of the field.

Front Row Motorsports driver Noah Gragson has won the last two Fan Votes. Josh Berry and Ty Gibbs are the two Open winners at North Wilkesboro. Berry already is eligible for this year’s All-Star Race because of his victory at Las Vegas in March.

The All-Star Race itself is scheduled for 250 laps (up from the 200 laps run in the first two editions of the race at North Wilkesboro), with a competition caution to take place at or around Lap 100.

In addition, a single, optional promoter’s caution—at the discretion of Speedway Motorsports Inc. CEO Marcus Smith—can be used to reshape the race before Lap 220 but cannot be used after Lap 200 if preempted by a naturally occurring caution.

There are six former winners of the NASCAR All-Star Race already qualified for Sunday’s 41st running of the event: Larson, Logano, Blaney, Chase Elliott, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin.

Larson has three All-Star Race victories to his credit (2019, 2021 and 2023) and can tie NASCAR Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson for most all-time with another win.

Hendrick Motorsports has compiled a series-best 11 All-Star victories. Team Penske is next with five. Busch claimed the most recent All-Star victory for Toyota in 2017.

Logano relishes not only the competition but also the history North Wilkesboro embodies.

“It was shut down for years, just sitting there empty,” Logano said. “Now you see it come back, and so many people are there. They did such a tasteful job renovating the place, where they’ve kept a lot of that old feeling but a lot of the newer amenities fans have become accustomed to.”

No. 02 Young’s Motorsports Team:

Driver: Jayson Alexander

Primary Partner(s): Constant Contact

Manufacturer: Chevrolet Silverado RST

2025 Driver Points Position: N/A

2025 Owner Points Position: 30th

Engine: Ilmor Racing Technologies

Notes of Interest:

● Welcome Aboard: The 2025 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series season continues its six-week consecutive stretch of racing, with Young’s Motorsports proud to welcome rookie Jayson Alexander to the team’s lineup to steer the team’s flagship No. 02 Chevrolet Silverado RST for Saturday afternoon’s Window World 250 at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway.

● About Jayson: Apex, North Carolina’s Jayson Alexander is a 22-year-old driver racing in the ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.

As an accomplished eSports driver, Alexander was able to make the jump to real-life racing to pursue

his dream of climbing the NASCAR ladder. Off the track, he is a recent graduate of Queens University of Charlotte with a degree in Business Administration and a former Division One Athlete playing goalie for the university’s Men’s Lacrosse Team.

Alexander is also a recently commissioned member of the North Carolina National Guard after graduating as an Army ROTC Cadet for the UNCC 49er Battalion.

● All-Aboard!: For the 10th of 25 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series races this season, Constant Contact will serve as the primary marketing partner for Saturday’s No. 02 Chevrolet Silverado RST for the 200-lap race.

Constant Contact helps small businesses do more business. We have been revolutionizing the success formula for small businesses, nonprofits, and associations since 1998, and today work with more than 600,000 customers worldwide.

The company offers the only all-in-one online marketing platform that helps small businesses drive repeat business and find new customers. It features multi-channel marketing campaigns (newsletters | announcements, offers | promotions, online listings, events | registration, and feedback) combined with shared content, contacts, and reporting; free award-winning coaching and product support; and integrations with critical business tools – all from a single login.

The company’s extensive network of educators, consultants/resellers, technology providers, franchises, and national associations offer further support to help small organizations succeed and grow. Through its Innovation Loft, Constant Contact is fueling the next generation of small business technology.

● He’ll Be Back for More: In addition to North Wilkesboro Speedway, Alexander will return to the Mooresville, N.C.-based team for at least two more Truck Series races this season, including Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis on July 25 and New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 20.

● Jayson Alexander Truck Series North Wilkesboro Speedway Stats: Saturday afternoon’s Window World 250 will mark Alexander’s first career NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series start at the historic 0.625-mile paved oval.

The race continues the fast-paced stretch of the 2025 Truck Series season and will be part of a tripleheader weekend alongside the NASCAR Whelen Modified Series and NASCAR Cup Series.

Kicking off the weekend, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series will have a Saturday afternoon shootout, with the Truck Series expected to deliver its signature thrilling short track action in the heart of the Tar Heel State.

The weekend will culminate on Sunday, May 18, with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Series hosting a fender-bender showdown, followed later in the day by the NASCAR Cup Series taking center stage for the exhibition NASCAR All-Star Race.

North Wilkesboro Speedway serves as the site of the 10th race of an expanded 2025 Truck Series calendar, which has grown by two races compared to the 2024 season.

● Jayson Alexander Truck Series Career Stats: Entering North Wilkesboro, Alexander has just one career Truck Series start.

Last summer, he made his NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series debut at The Milwaukee (Wisc.) Mile, where he finished 36th while driving for the then-newly formed Floridian Motorsports aboard the No. 21 Ford F-150.

● Young’s Motorsports’ NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series at North Wilkesboro Speedway: This weekend will mark Young’s Motorsports’ fifth NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series start at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

The organization posted a team-best finish of 17th at the track on Saturday, May 20, 2023, with current Truck Series competition Kaden Honeycutt at the wheel in the 2023 edition of the Tyson 250.

Since 2023, the Mooresville, N.C.-based Young’s Motorsports team has had an average starting position of 25.5 and an average finish of 22.3 in four North Wilkesboro Speedway starts overall.

● Young’s Motorsports’ NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series History: Since entering the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series in 2012, the Mooresville, N.C., – based organization has logged 519 starts from 70 drivers, resulting in solid performances that include two victories (Talladega Superspeedway 2019 and 2021), seven top-five finishes and 33 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 23.2 and an average finishing position of 22.2.

● Follow on Social Media: For more on Jayson Alexander, please visit jarracing.com, like him on Facebook, and follow him on Instagram and X | Twitter.

For more on Young’s Motorsports, please visit YoungsMotorsports.com, like them on Facebook (Young’s Motorsports), and follow them on Instagram (@youngsmotorsports) and X |Twitter (@youngsmtrsports).

Jayson Alexander Pre-Race Quotes:

On North Wilkesboro Speedway: “I am feeling incredibly excited and thankful to have the opportunity to race at North Wilkesboro this weekend. It was a long offseason, and I did not know if I’d get the chance to race in Trucks again.

“Thankfully, I have some incredible partners that stepped up and an amazing team that has given me the chance to race again at this level.”

On North Wilkesboro Speedway Preparation: “To prepare for North Wilkesboro, I have been running a ton of laps on the simulator.

“But that’s not all. I also ran the Late Model feature this past weekend at Caraway Speedway to shake the rust off and will continue to test throughout the weekend to get back into race form.”

On North Wilkesboro Speedway Goals: “A satisfying finish for us is to run all the laps and come home in one piece. This is a huge learning opportunity for me, and I want to make the most out of it. But a top 25 wouldn’t hurt!”

On the Importance of Solid 2025 Truck Series Debut: “It is incredibly important for us to run a good race this weekend. Like I mentioned, this is a huge learning opportunity, and we want to have success to propel us for the rest of our season.”

On the Opportunity to Compete in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series: “Competing in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series is a dream come true.

“I never thought that I’d have this chance, especially since I started racing only three years ago. Competing in this series is a massive step for my career, and I am ready to take on the challenge!”

Race Information:

The Window World 250 (250 laps | 156.25 miles) is the 10th of 25 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series races on the 2025 schedule. The one-day show begins with practice on Saturday, May 17, 2025, from 9:35 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Qualifying is set to follow at 10:35 a.m. The 36-truck field will take the green flag shortly after 1:30 p.m., with live coverage on FOX Sports 1 (FS1), the NASCAR Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (Eastern).

Young’s Motorsports PR