Kyle Busch, Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, and several others carved their path in NASCAR through raw ability and by stacking wins across the developmental ranks. But not every driver follows that same trajectory. In many cases, the deciding factor isn’t talent — it’s funding.

Drivers who can bring substantial sponsorship dollars or corporate backing often leapfrog more skilled competitors, simply because their financial support keeps the wheels turning.

In a sport where sponsorship fuels operations — from building engines to improving performance — money often talks louder than merit. That’s the reality Busch underscored during his appearance on GOLF’s Subpar podcast with Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz, echoing sentiments Joey Logano had shared just weeks earlier.

When asked how much money is typically required to secure a seat in each series, Busch was very candid. “Cup Series is probably around if you got six to eight million bucks,” he said. “Xfinity Series ride, if you’ve got between four-and-a-half to six million,” that’ll buy a seat. And for the Truck Series, “You probably need about three million bucks to run a truck.” Busch summed it up bluntly: racing is, by far, the most expensive sport to compete in.

Still, not everyone with financial backing leans on it forever. Busch cited William Byron as a clear example of someone who initially entered the sport with family support but earned his place at the top through results. Byron, funded early on by his father, has since risen to the Cup Series on the strength of his own performance.

“He worked at it. He was very smart and diligent at it,” Busch said. “And did a great job of being able to understand the vehicles and how to make himself successful in those vehicles.” Now paid to race at the highest level, Byron no longer relies on family funding — his talent does the talking.

Busch, who had to leave the Joe Gibbs Racing team due to sponsorship complications, knows firsthand how the economics of the sport can override even the strongest resumes. For him, the key is simple: talent must meet opportunity, and without sponsorship to bridge the gap, even the best drivers can find themselves on the outside looking in.

Joey Logano on why underperforming Xfinity drivers keep their seats

While Cup Series teams still collect significant payouts each weekend, Xfinity Series operations receive only a small slice of that revenue. As a result, many second-tier team owners rely heavily on drivers who can bring funding with them. That money often keeps the team afloat, covering travel, equipment, and race-day operations. But in doing so, these teams sacrifice their leverage.

Joey Logano addressed this dynamic, highlighting a major shift in the sport’s structure. He noted that while he has been paid to drive for the past 15 years, the current landscape often sees drivers paying for their seats instead. And when money is driving the decision, performance takes a back seat.

“It takes a lot for a race team to say, ‘You can’t drive our car anymore,’ when you’re bringing millions of dollars to drive their car,” Logano said. He explained that many of these drivers grow accustomed to environments where no one pushes back or sets boundaries. So, when they make the leap to the Cup Series, where accountability is part of the culture, they often struggle to adapt.

Max Lanza delivered a brilliant performance at Vallelunga, the second round of the NASCAR Euro Series. The Roman driver went above and beyond in his home race, claiming victory in Race 1 and finishing second in Race 2 in the highly competitive Challenger Trophy. These strong results launch Lanza into second place in the standings, just six points behind the leader of the special Trophy. More good news came for the #88 Camaro in the revamped Open Division, where Roberto Benedetti secured two podium finishes in front of the home crowd.

Lanza kicked off the Vallelunga weekend in the best possible way, setting the fastest time in Friday’s opening free practice session, clear sign of the car’s pace that was confirmed the following day with second place in Challenger Trophy qualifying and a historic home win in Race 1. “Winning is always special, but winning at home is something else entirely. And with a crowd like this, there’s simply no comparison,” Lanza said after his first Challenger Trophy win of the season. “We were quick from the very first session and maintained a strong pace all weekend. I really wanted to do well here in front of everyone, and we pulled it off! Now we need to keep up the momentum heading into the next race at Brands Hatch.”

In the Open Division, Roberto Benedetti was a standout performer in both the Legend Trophy and the overall classification, consistently finishing inside the Top 10. The Roman driver, who had already shown strong form at the season opener in Valencia, climbed the Vallelunga podium twice, earning a silver and a bronze that now place him second in the Legend Trophy standings.

The next round of the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series is scheduled for the weekend of June 7–8 at the iconic Brands Hatch circuit in the UK, home of the American SpeedFest, an event that draws over 40,000 fans to the track each year.

Max Lanza PR

MONACO — Through the past two years, Formula One’s paddock has doubled as a real-life movie set thanks to the immersive filming approach taken for Apple’s upcoming film, “F1: The Movie.”

Drivers have helped stage scenes during pre-race grid ceremonies, welcomed Brad Pitt into their briefings with the FIA, and even shared a podium with one of Hollywood’s biggest stars in Abu Dhabi last year.

But on Wednesday evening in Monaco, the 2025 F1 grid saw the finished movie a month early at a private screening ahead of this weekend’s grand prix. “F1: The Movie” will get its international release on June 25 before hitting screens in North America on June 27.

Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion, has been the most involved driver, working as a producer and helping to ensure the movie’s accuracy. These efforts extend to details such as correct engine note sounds, as well as acting as a valuable sounding board for producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Joe Kosinski. For Hamilton, seeing the logo of Dawn Apollo, his film company, appear on screen and spotting his name as a producer in the credits gave him a special feeling of joy, even though he had already watched it about 20 times.

But this screening was different.

“All of a sudden, I’ve got all the drivers there and I was sat in the middle, (and) I was nervous,” Hamilton told reporters on Thursday. “I was like ‘Oh God, everyone is seeing it for the first time.’”

Such a select audience would provide the first opportunity to gauge just how successful the film has been at becoming the most immersive and accurate racing film of all time, as the producers intended. The drivers who live such scenes are arguably its toughest audience.

After the screening, Hamilton messaged all his peers to ask for their honest feedback. “For sure, there’s parts you’d be like, ‘Hey, the timing may be off on a strategy stop,’ or whatever it might be,” he said.

“But I think the great thing is, the sound is great. The image is incredible. It’s something that has never been done before. So, it’s something I’m really proud of.”

How realistic is the F1 movie?

“I thought some of you were there!”

Laughter echoed in Haas’ hospitality unit during Esteban Ocon’s media session in Monaco on Thursday.

The initial questions had focused on the screening, and Ocon, unaware that the present journalists had not seen the movie yet, shared a few spoilers (which won’t be repeated here). Although none with significant, ground-breaking detail.

The general feel from across the Monaco paddock is that the movie is broadly accurate. But a Hollywood-type flair, to be expected, was noted. Williams driver Carlos Sainz shared Thursday, “There were a couple of icks, but honestly, not as many as I thought. They warned us and they said, ‘Guys, we are in love with your sport, but this is Hollywood.’”

One of the biggest questions “F1: The Movie” faces is how accurately it portrays everyday life for those working in the paddock. Netflix docuseries “Drive to Survive” uses footage filmed at race weekends and from direct driver interviews, but series producer Box to Box and the streaming platform have historically faced criticism for taking creative license with the storylines in what is supposed to be a fly-on-the-wall production.

Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson described the film as “very immersive” and said “it captures the feeling of being in Formula One.” The movie includes racing battles and crashes with real-life competitors, but utilizes CGI rather than sending Pitt and co-star Damson Idris out on track in Formula Two cars against the F1 drivers. But if the drivers can tell there is an element of Hollywood touch at work, will viewers need an open mind?

“You can always find holes and poke holes in things,” Lawson said. “But I think it’s a movie, at the end of the day. It’s the same if you’re watching ‘Top Gun.’ I’m sure if you’re a fighter pilot and you’re watching a movie like that, you’re going to pick things in there that you might see differently. But I think the movie is incredible. That’s what most people are going to see when they see this.”

Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll were the only F1 drivers not to attend the private screening ahead of the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix (Bryn Lennon / Formula 1 / Getty Images)

Ocon detected Hamilton’s involvement as a producer. “Some of the parts you can really feel that Lewis has pushed it to keep it super realistic,” he said. While Ocon would’ve liked more racing and fewer crash sequences, he said, “It’s still by far the best racing movie of all time.”

“I think proper racing fans will enjoy it,” Ocon said. “They are going to comment about some of the things that maybe don’t make 100 percent sense. But honestly, for such a big movie with such an audience, it’s the closest to reality racing movie that I’ve ever seen, in comparison to all the other ones.”

Can the movie capture a new audience?

Two members of the 2025 grid have yet to watch the film, including the reigning world champion Max Verstappen. He notified F1 in advance that he would not attend the screening to spend more time at home. His partner, Kelly Piquet, gave birth to a girl, Lily, at the end of April.

“I wanted to spend more private time — because the evening is also private time, at the end of the day,” Verstappen said. He was streaming on iRacing on Wednesday evening, but claimed he’d download the film in a few weeks and watch it when it is released. “I heard good stuff from the movie,” Verstappen said. “So, I’m sure it’s going to be exciting.”

The other absentee was Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll, who only arrived in Monaco on Thursday. Asked why he didn’t make the screening, he said it was “just stuff,” but he does plan to watch the film.

While the drivers may be best-placed to judge the accuracy and merits of the film, they know they are not the direct target audience. The film’s goal, and F1’s goal, is to reach far wider, so that the “icks” that Sainz mentioned are only picked up by a small percentage of viewers — the most hardcore F1 fans.

“Nearly all of the movie, in terms of track action and things like that, it was very original and very representative,” said Fernando Alonso. “So that was a very good thing.”

Lawson felt those who hadn’t watched F1 before seeing the film would be the most impressed by the footage, which he and other drivers agree is accurate. Both Pitt and Idris trained to drive the custom-built APXGP car in real life.

Lewis Hamilton produced and consulted on the film (Bryn Lennon – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)

“I can imagine somebody who’s watching the sport for the first time, watching that movie, they’re going to think it’s amazing,” Lawson said.

Current championship leader Oscar Piastri was impressed by the degree of realism. He cited a moment when the editors added the two APXGP cars to existing racing footage from real races. “The CGI in a lot of areas was very convincing,” Piastri said. “I can’t give too much away, but there are some things that if you don’t follow F1 fully, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference if it was real or not.

“I think for all the people involved in F1, they’ll be at least somewhat satisfied with the accuracy of all the little details.”

Piastri’s McLaren teammate, Lando Norris, didn’t want to comment when pressed on some of the scenes involved, respecting the need not to give away spoilers. But he acknowledged it was “a much bigger stage” for F1. “It’s a movie, it’s got movie stars in it, and I think that’s something a lot more historical than just a Netflix documentary,” Norris said. “It’s something that in 20 years your kids can still watch and it’ll still be kind of cool.”

The success of “Drive to Survive” in bringing F1 to a new, broader fanbase has transformed the sport. To have F1 portrayed on the biggest screens, with some of Hollywood’s biggest-name actors, directors and producers involved, has the potential to boost F1’s popularity — especially if it can capture that intended new audience.

“Apparently they did a survey with a lot of people that hadn’t ever watched a Formula One race, and after watching the film, they would ask, ‘would you watch a Formula One race now?’ And 100 percent of people said yes,” said Sainz. “So, that just tells you how good I think it is going to be for the sport.

“Maybe I’m completely wrong. But I think it’s going to do a lot of good.”

(Top image: Bryn Lennon / Formula 1 / Getty Images)

This coming weekend is my favourite of the racing year: Monaco in the morning (church), Indy in the afternoon, and Charlotte at night. It just doesn’t get any better than that.

Have the wheels already fallen off the all-new and improved International Hot Rod Association (IHRA)? Maryland International Raceway, the track IHRA initially claimed they intended to purchase (a claim denied by MIR), has announced the cancellation of the President’s Cup Nationals originally scheduled for August 8–9. Hmmm.

After Chris Buescher’s Ford was taken back to NASCAR’s R&D facility following the Kansas race, it was found that “the team exceeded the maximum reinforcement allowed for front bumper covers.” Really? How is that against the rules? Penalties, suspensions, and fines followed. Hopefully a full and clear explanation of this disqualification will be released. Further reports indicated the team used “too much foam” behind the front bumper!

Great news from Indy – all reserved seating at the facility has sold out. That means about 350,000 fans will be enjoying the race this Sunday! You just have to love it.

It was tough deciding whether to watch the All-Star Race or the Leafs game. Once again, the Leafs made that decision easy – as they’ve done for the past 58 years!

CASC-OR is back in action May 31 – June 1 at Shannonville Motorsport Park for its second Road Race Series event of the season, the SMP Cup.

Wasaga Beach Cruisers: They are holding their Cruise Fest on Saturday, June 21 in Klondike Park in Wasaga Beach, ON. Their weekly Monday night cruise events started May 12 at the Stonebridge Gazebo across from the Walmart parking lot. The cruise nights start between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m. and run until dusk. Click HERE for more information.

NASCAR Cup – The starting lineup for the All-Star Open at North Wilkesboro Speedway had Shane van Gisbergen on the pole over Carson Hocevar (both in Chevrolets) and Noah Gragson (Ford). Eighteen cars took the green, with the top three advancing to the All-Star Race. On Lap 8, John Hunter Nemechek executed a textbook “bump and run” on Gragson, who dropped back to ninth but continued. A pre-planned competition caution came out at halfway. On the restart, Hocevar led Michael McDowell and Bubba Wallace – all of whom took two tires only. On Lap 78, McDowell appeared to bump Riley Herbst into the wall, bringing out another caution. The race ran cleanly to the finish, with Hocevar winning over Nemechek and Ty Dillon.

Brad Keselowski qualified on the pole for the All-Star Race, followed by Christopher Bell and Joey Logano. Meanwhile, NASCAR’s AI seemed to be “having a moment.” At Lap 6 of the 75-lap race, it posted: “With just two laps remaining, Christopher Bell holds the lead in the No. 20 Toyota. Bell, who started from the pole, has dominated the event, leading 67 laps and maintaining an average running – ” Huh?

The first yellow came on Lap 56 when Daniel Suarez had a flat right front tire and hit the wall. A competition caution followed on Lap 101. On Lap 112, Ross Chastain spun and made contact with Austin Cindric – the two had previously tangled. On Lap 174, Keselowski got loose in Turn 4 and hit the wall, prompting another caution. Bell went on to win over Logano and Chastain.

Next race: Charlotte, Sunday, 6:00 p.m. on TSN 5.

Barrie Automotive Flea Market: The 41st annual Spring Barrie Automotive Flea Market (BAFM) takes place June 5-8 at Burl’s Creek Event Grounds just off Highway 11 in Oro-Medonte. BAFM offers everything from collectibles and classic cars to those hard-to-find car parts. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, you likely can’t find it anywhere. BAFM is a car lover’s dream! Visit www.thebafm.com or call (705) 487-3663 for info.

Xfinity Series next race: Charlotte, Saturday at 4:30 p.m. on USA and CW.

NASCAR Craftsman Trucks – Points leader Corey Heim (Toyota) won the pole at North Wilkesboro over Cup interloper Kyle Busch and Sammy Smith (both in Chevrolets). Canadian Stewart Friesen (Toyota) started sixth. All 34 entries qualified: 18 Chevs, 10 Fords, and 6 Toyotas. Things ran smoothly until Lap 47 when Tyler Tomassi stopped just off Turn 2, bringing out the caution. Giovanni Ruggiero won Stage 1.

On Lap 138, Conner Jones blew a right front tire and hit the wall exiting Turn 2. Grant Enfinger took Stage 2. On Lap 211, Tomassi again blew a right front tire and scraped the wall. On Lap 246, sixth-place Brent Crews was bumped by Ben Rhodes and spun, bringing out another caution and forcing NASCAR overtime. At the flag, it was Chandler Smith over Layne Riggs (who moved Heim on the last lap – both in Fords), with Tyler Ankrum (Chevy) third. Friesen finished 14th.

Points: Heim leads Chandler Smith by 47 and Daniel Hemric by 87.

Next race: Charlotte, Friday at 8:30 p.m. on CTV Speed.

Formula One – Oscar Piastri (McLaren) was fastest in FP1 and FP2, while teammate Lando Norris topped FP3. Piastri reclaimed the advantage and earned pole at Imola. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) started second, with George Russell (Mercedes) third. Qualifying saw Yuki Tsunoda crash his Red Bull, while Franco Colapinto spun his Alpine. Is Red Bull missing Checo? Unclear who made that call.

Verstappen made a brilliant move at the green, passing Piastri in a masterclass. That was essentially the race. On Lap 29, a virtual safety car was called for Esteban Ocon (Haas) going off track. At halfway, it was Verstappen leading Norris and a surprising Alexander Albon (Williams). On Lap 46, a full safety car was deployed when Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) stopped on course. At the flag: Verstappen over Norris and Piastri. The surprise? Hamilton, starting 12th in his Ferrari, finished a strong fourth. Stroll was 15th.

Drivers’ standings: Piastri leads Norris by 13 and Verstappen by 22. Stroll sits 10th.

Constructors’ standings: McLaren nearly doubles Mercedes, leading them by 132 and Red Bull by 148.

Next race: Monaco, Sunday at 8:55 a.m. on TSN 5.

IndyCar – Drama at Indy. After two days of qualifying and delays, the fast 12 ran Sunday afternoon. Two cars owned by the track – and series – owner Roger Penske ran afoul of tech inspection after making apparently unapproved changes. They were sent to the back of the starting field for the Indy 500. And just days before the race, Roger Penske issued a statement announcing that he’d fired team president Tim Cindric, IndyCar managing director Ron Ruzewski and IndyCar general manager Kyle Moyer. The Captain obviously wasn’t pleased to have his team caught up in another cheating scandal.

As for the Indy 500 itself, Rookie Robert Shwartzman won the pole over Takuma Sato and Pato O’Ward.

Next race: Indy 500, Sunday at 12:30 p.m. on TSN 4 & 5 and Fox.

IMSA – Next race: Detroit Street Course, Sunday, May 31.

24 Hours of Le Mans – June 14–15.

NHRA – The series visited the very cool Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Illinois. The cars exit from under the tower, there’s a dirt track beside it, and Chicagoland Speedway just next door.

Top Fuel: Shawn Langdon won the Top Fuel Challenge with a 3.704 at 332.10 over Tony Stewart. Doug Kalitta topped qualifying with a 3.661 at 335.23. Canadian Dan Mercer qualified 10th. Stewart later won the final with a 3.777 at 329.10 over Justin Ashley. Three upsets and eight “smokers.” Points: Langdon leads Stewart by 60 and Antron Brown by 63.

Funny Car: Matt Hagan won the Challenge with a 3.880 at 331.85 over Ron Capps. Jack Beckman topped qualifying with a 3.859 at 332.75. In an all-John Force Racing final, Beckman beat Austin Prock with a 3.935. Four upsets, five smokers. Prock leads the points by 59 over Paul Lee and by 70 over Hagan.

Pro Mod: Mason Wright qualified first with a 5.676. Canadians Justin Bond was 6th; Jordan Lazic, 19th. Wright won the final over JR Gray. Points: Michael Stavrinos leads Gray by 16 and Rickie Smith by 26.

Pro Stock Bike: Gaige Herrera won the Challenge and final over Matt Smith. Top qualifier with a 6.717. Fifteen entries. Points: Smith leads Herrera by 15 and Richard Gadson by 64.

Top Fuel Motorcycle: Larry “Spiderman” McBride qualified first and won the final over a no-show Bob Mallot. Five entries. Points unchanged.

Factory Stock Showdown: Lee Hartman topped qualifying. Jason Dietsch won the final. Five upsets.

Factory X: Conner Statler led qualifying. Jesse Alexandra won the final. Points: Jonathan Allegrucci leads Pawuk by 37; Lottig leads Alexandra by 21.

PEAK Street Car Shootout: Tom Bailey was quickest and won the final. Canadian David Schroeder qualified 8th. No upsets.

Next race: New England, Sunday, June 1.

NASCAR Canada Series – Kyle Steckly nabbed the pole at CTMP ahead of Kevin Lacroix and Alex Tagliani. Tagliani quickly took the lead. Cautions on Lap 6 (Scannell) and Lap 14 (Steckley). At halfway: Malcolm Strachan led Guenette and Charbonneau. On the last lap, Marc-Antoine Camirand moved Gary Klutt off track for the win. Strachan’s third-place finish was the first podium result for longtime team owner Jim Bray! The REV TV video could use some tuning although Treyten Lapcevich did a good job joining the broadcast crew!

Next race: Chaudière, May 31.

APC Series – Due to rain, Sunset’s race was rescheduled to Sunday. Josh Stade took pole over Connor Pritiko and Dale Shaw. Kyle Steckly and Glenn Styres appeared after racing earlier in the day in the NASCAR race at CTMP. At the flag: Stade over Shaw and Shawn Chenoweth.
Next race: Flamboro, June 7.

Ontario Sportsman Series – 19 cars at Delaware Speedway for the opener. Connor James set fast time at 19.860. Spins on Laps 41, 43, and 59. Brendan Patrick passed James on Lap 67. Final: McGlynn, Patrick, James. Three of the top six cars came from the McGlynn stable.

Points unavailable. Next race: Full Throttle, May 31.

Delaware Speedway – Ontario Sportsman results above. 37 Bone Stocks: Colin Willems won the feature. V8 Stocks: Barry Watson took the feature.

Points: Bone Stocks – Jo Lawrence leads by 3. V8 Stocks – Morris and Watson tied.

Next race: L/M, S/S, Mods, King of the Hill, Friday.

Ohsweken Speedway – Huge success as the World of Outlaws returned to Canada for the first time since 2017. David Gravel swept both races. Dylan Westbrook led early on Thursday before finishing third. Stewart Friesen spun on Lap 13. Gravel leads series points.

Late Model winner: Glenn Styres… UMP vs CDN Mods winner: Greg Belyea… Next race: Brock Leonard Memorial, Friday.

UPCOMING LOCAL RACES

Brockville Ontario Speedway: This Saturday, Polite Sand & Gravel is the night’s sponsor. In action will be the Sportsman DIRTcar Northeast Series (40 Laps!), Modifieds, Novices Sportsman, Surprenant Truck Shop Crate Sprints, Mini Stocks and Vintage.

Edmonton International Raceway: Western Canada’s only NASCAR-sanctioned track kicks off its season May 31 with Fan Appreciation Night, featuring Thunder Cars, Pure Stocks, Future Stocks, IMCA and Mini Cups.

Flamboro Speedway: Steel City Rumble, Saturday

Buxton Speedway: Saturday

Full Throttle Motor Speedway: Terry Pardy Street Stock Memorial, Saturday

Sunset Speedway: L/M, HR, B/S, Saturday

Grand Bend Speedway: Season Opener, Sunday

Grand Bend Motorplex: CanAm Stock/Super Stock, May 31–June 1

St. Thomas Dragway: ONDR and Points, this weekend

Toronto Motorsports Park: No Prep, Olds, Mitsubishi, this weekend

Maritime Pro Stock Tour: This long-running stock car tour is celebrating its 25th anniversary season in 2025. The series takes the green light this Saturday at Scotia Speedworld.

Speed Promotions Racing: July 12

Can Am Stock/Super Stock: TMP, June 1

Quick 32, PBSS, 5.50 Series: June 21, Empire Dragway

660 Sportsman Nationals: October 5, Grand Bend

John Scotti NHRA Series: June 15, Luskville

Shannonville Drags: June 7–8

Comments welcome: Dave Mathers – motionman@rogers.com or via Facebook Messenger

Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch has delivered an emotional statement on this week’s NASCAR Hall of Fame announcement.

The 2026 induction class was revealed on Tuesday, with Busch’s older brother Kurt being confirmed for January’s induction alongside fellow former Cup Series drivers Harry Gant and Ray Hendrick, with Humpy Wheeler the recipient of the Landmark Award.

Kurt Busch was forced into retirement from the Cup Series after a huge wreck at Pocano in 2022, at first hoping to just take a break to recover from his concussion issues but calling it quits entirely the following year.

That being said, the 46-year-old Busch was medically cleared to race again at the start of 2025, competing in the Race of Champions earlier this year ahead of some potential other returns to the track.

READ MORE: Kurt Busch headlines historic 2026 NASCAR Hall of Fame class

Kyle Busch: Couldn’t be prouder for Kurt

Busch wrote: “Congratulations, Kurt!

“What an incredible achievement to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame! Your dedication, hard work, and passion for the sport have truly paid off, and being a Cup Series Champion and Daytona 500 Champion is no small feat.

“I couldn’t be prouder of you! You’ve not only made a name for yourself on the racetrack but also inspired so many with your journey. This honor is a testament to your talent and perseverance.

“Cheers to you and this amazing milestone!”

The newest Hall of Fame group will be inducted Jan. 23, 2026.

NASCAR HEADLINES: Kyle Busch reveals who blocked huge move as six penalties confirmed

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INDIANAPOLIS—Drivers Robert Shwartzman, Louis Foster and Nolan Siegel won’t be the only Indianapolis 500 rookies when they get the green flag May 25 to start this year’s race from the Brickyard. Fox Sports, too, is making its inaugural run at the race—only from the production point of view.

“You know, you don’t get too many opportunities in your career to be a part of something like this where the rights have been with one broadcaster for so long, and then you get to drop in and put your mark on it,” said Fox Sports Executive Vice President of Technical and Field Operations Michael Davies.