NASCAR will once again open up the month of July in the “Windy City” with the Cup and Xfinity Series hitting the city streets for the third rendition of the Chicago Street Race.

The doubleheader will get underway with the Xfinity Series in Saturday’s The Loop 110, followed by the Cup Series in Sunday’s Grant Park 165. NASCAR’s short history of street racing has seen a commanding performance by the Chevrolet camp with the Bowtie brand entering the weekend as the only triumphant manufacturer in both divisions at the circuit.

UNDEFEATED IN THE “WINDY CITY”

Just two years ago, a history-making weekend turned into a career-defining moment for Trackhouse Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen. Taking the green flag in the NASCAR Cup Series for the very first time, the Auckland, New Zealand, native became the first driver in 60 years to win in his debut start in the sport’s top division. The victory was accompanied by a Team Chevy top-five sweep earned by drivers representing four different Chevrolet organizations. One year ago, Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman snapped an 80-race winless streak and put Chevrolet back in victory lane at the Chicago circuit for the second-consecutive season. Success has been shared across the Chevrolet camp at the circuit with five of its full-time organizations earning top-10 results in the two-race stint. Kyle Busch has piloted his Richard Childress Racing-prepared Chevrolet to top-10 results in each event, with Kaulig Racing earning a best finish of second in the inaugural event and Hyak Motorsports scoring a sixth-place finish in 2024.
 

BOWMAN ON BRINK OF FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON

Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman is hungrier than ever to get back into victory lane, and the 32-year-old Tucson, Arizona, native is setting himself up for the opportunity to do just that this weekend. Bowman and the No. 48 Chevrolet team already have the momentum as the series’ defending winners in the Chicago Street Race. But on top of that, the Chevrolet driver is on a hot streak of top-five finishes in two of the past three races, which started on the left- and right-hand turns of Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Also earning a ninth-place finish in the first road course race of the season at Circuit of The Americas, Bowman will enter the weekend with six top-10 finishes in the past 10 road races.
 

BACK WHERE IT ALL STARTED

The Chicago Street Course will forever hold a special place in Shane van Gisbergen’s racing career. The three-time Australian Supercars Champion made the crossover of a lifetime two seasons ago that ended in a history-making victory and catapulted the Chevrolet driver into a full-time NASCAR career. Now competing in his rookie campaign in NASCAR’s top division, Van Gisbergen already solidified his shot at the championship title thanks to his dominating triumph in Mexico City just a few weeks ago. Looking to become the series’ fourth repeat winner of the season, there’s no better opportunity than the streets of Chicago. Van Gisbergen is the only driver to have earned a victory in both divisions at the “Windy City” circuit, with the driver also taking a Kaulig Racing-prepared Chevrolet to victory lane in the Xfinity Series last season. All five of his NASCAR national series victories have been earned making left- and right-hand turns.
 

BROWN BACK STATESIDE

Yet another Supercars standout will make the crossover back into the NASCAR Cup Series this weekend. Reigning Australian Supercars Champion, Will Brown, is set to make his second career start in NASCAR’s top division at the Chicago Street Course – this time behind the wheel of a third entry for Kaulig Racing. The 27-year-old Australian native made his Cup Series debut with Richard Childress Racing at Sonoma Raceway last season. The driver quickly found his footing behind the wheel of a Next Gen Camaro ZL1. Brown clocked-in third-fastest overall in practice, but battled an electrical issue throughout the remainder of the weekend. Looking to follow suit of fellow Supercars champion, Shane van Gisbergen, a win in Sunday’s event would make Brown the first-ever Australian-born driver to win in NASCAR’s top division.
 

TEAM CHEVY LEADS IN PLAYOFF BERTHS

After being a consistent contender throughout much of the season, Chase Elliott and the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team earned their spot back in victory lane at EchoPark Speedway last weekend. The win – his 20th all-time in his Cup Series career – added onto an already strong first-half of the 2025 season for the 29-year-old Dawsonville, Georgia, native. Elliott has been a steady fixture in the top-10 of the driver points standings throughout the season, with the Chevrolet driver making his way up into the second position following his win – now sitting just 37-points behind his teammate, William Byron.

With 18 points-paying races complete in NASCAR’s top division, Chevrolet sits at a series-best seven wins. As the playoff picture inches closer, the Bowtie brand also leads the series in early playoff berths with Elliott becoming the manufacturer’s fifth different driver to find victory lane this season.
 

SANCHEZ ADDS TO STELLAR XFINITY SERIES SEASON

2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series ‘Rookie of the Year’ contender, Nick Sanchez, added onto an already stout list of season winners by picking up his first victory in just 25 career starts in the series at EchoPark Speedway. The victory marks Chevrolet’s 15th win in 17 Xfinity Series races, with the Bowtie brand heading to the “Windy City” looking to extend its win streak into the double-digits. Continuing to prove the strength across the Chevrolet camp, Big Machine Racing is now the fourth different organization under the Bowtie banner to earn a trip to victory lane this season. Sanchez is the ninth different Chevrolet driver to contribute to the manufacturer’s 2025 win count – six of which are full-time competitors that have also earned an early playoff berth.

Opportunity lies ahead for the Bowtie brigade to turn its season win streak into 10-straight this weekend. Returning to the circuit as the series’ defending winners, the manufacturer has also gone two-for-two making left- and right-hand turns this season courtesy of wins by Connor Zilisch (Circuit of The Americas) and Daniel Suarez (Mexico City).
 

ZILISCH AMONG LEADING ROAD COURSE WARRIORS

Among the sport’s road course warriors includes Team Chevy’s rising star, Connor Zilisch. Already proving to be diverse on each configuration on the circuit, the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series ‘Rookie of the Year’ contender has found early success in his road racing roots. Zilisch found victory lane in his first career start at Watkins Glen International in Sept. 2024, becoming just the seventh driver in Xfinity Series history to win in his debut. Now competing in a full-time campaign in the series, Zilisch has tallied three victories in just 20 career starts behind the wheel of a Camaro SS, with his first of the season coming at Circuit of The Americas in March. On top of the victory, the 18-year old North Carolina native has swept the pole wins in both road course races this season, as well as tallied a top-five finish in Mexico City. Heading into his first start at the Chicago Street Course, Zilisch’s expertise on left- and right-hand turns is accompanied by a string of five-straight top-five finishes, dating back to a pair of runner-up results at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Nashville Superspeedway.
 

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 18 NASCAR Cup Series races complete:

Wins: 7

Poles: 8

Laps Led: 2,293

Top-Fives: 37

Top-10s: 78

Stage Wins: 16

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 17 NASCAR Xfinity Series races complete:

Wins: 15

Poles: 10

Laps Led: 2,255

Top-Fives: 58

Top-10s: 111

Stage Wins: 26

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 15 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races complete:

Wins: 6

Poles: 2

Laps Led: 854

Top-Fives: 35

Top-10s: 71

Stage Wins: 7

BOWTIE BULLETS:

· The pace car lineup for the NASCAR doubleheader weekend at the Chicago Street Course will feature all three NASCAR OEM partners, with the Chevrolet Blazer EV SS assisting in pacing the Cup Series in Sunday’s Grant Park 165 and the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray assisting in pacing the Xfinity Series in Saturday’s The Loop 110.

· Together with NASCAR, ABB and the sports’ OEM partners, Chevrolet will be participating in an electric vehicle showcase during the NASCAR Chicago Street Race weekend. The showcase on Sunday will feature live exhibition track laps by the Chevy, Ford and ABB electric vehicle prototypes, with the Chevrolet Blazer EV.R NASCAR Prototype being driven by Rajah Caruth.

· Chevrolet heads into the third annual Chicago Street Race undefeated in NASCAR’s top division:

July 2023 – Shane van Gisbergen

July 2024 – Alex Bowman

· Chevrolet drivers swept the top-five finishing positions in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Chicago Street Race – recorded by drivers from four different Chevrolet organizations. The feat marked the second time the Bowtie brand swept the top-five finishing results in the Next Gen era – also accomplishing the feat at another road course, Road America, in July 2022.

· Chevrolet has earned at least half of the top-10 finishing results in 10 of the 18 points-paying races thus far this season, including a season-high seven top-10 finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.

· In 126 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 59 victories – a winning percentage of 46.8%.

· With its 43 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 873 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.
 

TUNE-IN:

NASCAR Cup Series

Challenge Round 2 – Grant Park 165

Sunday, June 6, at 2 p.m. ET

(TNT, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

NASCAR Xfinity Series

The Loop 110

Saturday, June 5, at 4:30 p.m. ET

(CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90
 

QUOTABLE QUOTES:

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Do you enjoy road racing?

“I’m ready to turn left and right again. I’ve really grown to like road course racing and it is something I’ve spent time improving on. The better I get at it, the more I like it. It’s fun to have Shane and Daniel as teammates because they’re both so good at road racing and I can learn from them and obviously Connor knows his way around road courses too. I need to have a clean race this weekend. Mexico City was going well until the spin, pit road and things like that. I’m really looking forward to Chicago this weekend.”

Chicago is a unique event… do you like racing in the city?

“Chicago is such a fun weekend. It’s unique in that we can just walk across the street to the track. We don’t have rental cars and can walk or take transportation everywhere. There is something for everyone – museums, parks, excellent food. It feels really familiar now that it’s going to be our third year.”

Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

What are your thoughts on racing on the streets of Chicago?

“The Chicago Street Course is an awesome race to check out. There are tight corners that impact how you enter and exit the corners. You’ve got to be so precise. The walls are very tight, and it’s easy to make a mistake on the Chicago street course. The past couple of years, we’ve had to deal with the rain. Our Richard Childress Racing team will be ready for whatever comes our way.”

What’s it like driving the Chicago Street Course compared to a regular track—does it feel different behind the wheel?

“The Chicago Street Course is very different from the other courses we race on. We’re racing on the streets of downtown Chicago, and seeing the city skyline and the traffic lights definitely gives the race a different feeling. It’s a pretty cool sight to race around Buckingham Fountain and other historic monuments in the city. It’s going to be a great July Fourth holiday weekend. The fan support is huge, and NASCAR puts on a great race.”

Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet

Larson on the Chicago Street Race:

“It’s a really fun event. I love it. I hope the weather is good, rain has kind of come out of no where the last couple of years. I hope it goes good. The fans deserve to see a good race there. I love being in the city and walking to the race track and good food, it’s fun.”

Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

What are your thoughts heading to Chicago?

“Chicago is one of my favorite races of the year. The atmosphere and crowd are incredible, so it’s always a special weekend. I’ve been looking forward to the Chicago Street Race all season. Our cars were fast at both road races this season, so I’m eager to see how we’ll do on the street course.”

Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

There’s a whole lot of unique tracks coming up on the schedule, is there anything you can take from that?

“Each week we try to continue to focus on that week’s race and making sure that we know what to do to have good results. There’s a few road courses coming up, so honestly, some might say ‘hey, we screwed up road course points at Mexico, so now we’re not going to be very good on all the rest of the road courses.’ I wouldn’t say that’s true. You can either do really well and earn a lot of points at those races by staying out at the end of the stages and playing the strategy game, or you can have what happened to us in Mexico and have an incident where you get zero points. It’s up to our team to do everything we can to maximize the opportunities to earn points.”

Anytime you get to any of the road courses, you don’t want to have to deal with those road course ringers, right?

“The A.J. Allmendinger’s or the Shane van Gisbergen’s, those guys are really good, and recognized for their road course experience, although, last year Alex Bowman won the race and he does not come from a road course racing background. So, it’s anyone and everyone in the field that can go out there and get it done on at the road course races.”

Would you be okay with adding another street race to the schedule? If so, what would be a good location?

“Another street circuit would be a pretty good idea. If we’re going to do it, we should go to an area that we’re not currently racing in. I wouldn’t change racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to run on the streets of Las Vegas. Let’s go somewhere different.”

Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Elliott on the performance of the team:

“We’ve just been doing this long enough to know it all kind of starts and ends with us. We have to make sure we’re doing our part and I’m doing my part. Just bringing everything I can possibly bring every single week. It’s the honest conversations that we have on Monday mornings that are either going to make us better or make us fail. All of the pieces of the puzzle are there. We’re working on the right things. I think I’m asking for the right things out of the car. I’m really proud of our team for just sticking together. I think there’s been so many times that we could have thrown in the towel and really kind of fractured from the inside. It’s a really important thing for me to have climbed that mountain and stood on top of it with AG (Alan Gustafson) and we’ve kind of fallen off that hill. Getting back to the top with him and with our group and doing it together, I think is a really important thing to do. We have so much respect for one another as a team that we’re going to continue to make each other better as we push forward.”

AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

“I love racing on the streets of Chicago, and I always think it’s a fun event overall. Racing on a street course is unique; it’s challenging in so many different ways. The weather has always been a factor there and that throws another kind of obstacle to figure out. The two years we’ve been there have been difficult in the way the race has played out. I need to be better with some of the mistakes I have made on track and we’re working hard to get a better result. Our focus this year is getting out there and having a good practice. That will set the tone for the weekend and that’s probably where we’ve lacked most in the past. I’m doing all my homework to try to be better for practice and moving on to put together a good race. We’ve had opportunities to have really good finishes, and it just hasn’t played out. We’re working to learn from those mistakes and be better this weekend.”

William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Byron on the Chicago Street Race:

“Honestly, I’m just hoping we have good weather this weekend in Chicago. The last two years it has rained, and it really changed the dynamic of how the race goes and who is a factor. It would just be cool to see how the race plays out when that element isn’t involved. But even if it is, we have two years of experience with it. I just love the vibe the race brings, racing downtown through the city. It’s unlike the other venues we go to, and I think it brings an element that we need.”

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet

“I’m excited to light up the streets of Chicago and represent Rate in front of their hometown crowd.”

Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Bowman on returning to the Chicago Street Race after winning last season :

“Going back to Chicago is pretty special. That win last year was huge for me and this 48 team it was one of those races where everything came together at the right time. The street course is such a unique challenge, and the atmosphere is unlike anything else we see all year. I’m excited to get back there, defend that win, and hopefully keep building momentum for the playoff push.”

Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

What are your thoughts heading back to a track where you have back-to-back top-10’s and how do you feel about NASCAR’s attempt at street racing?

“I am looking forward to Chicago, it is a fun track and hopefully we can get a smooth weekend with no rain. It is a place we have finished in the top five and top 10 a couple of times, and I feel confident going there. Our road course program is getting better each race and I really feel like we are building on something. We still have things to learn, but I feel like going into Chicago and Sonoma back-to-back gives us a couple of good opportunities to win, and get into the playoffs.”

Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

How does a street course differ from the traditional road courses the Cup Series typically visits?

”The biggest difference, which is also the most obvious, is we’re racing on a surface that sees high traffic on a daily basis compared to a purpose-built track that holds events a few times a year. The City of Chicago and NASCAR do a great job making sure the course is prepared for us and we’ve seen improvement each year the series has gone back to Chicago. Because we’re racing on streets that are built for people to navigate through a city, the corners are usually a bit more narrow and that’s where we’ve seen a lot of incidents in the past. You run out of room quickly when everyone is fighting for the preferred line. Weather has been a factor the last two years so I guess we’ll see what comes of that, but that’s pretty normal for this time of year, anywhere we race. I’m really excited for this weekend’s race. There’s always a lot of action on track and a lot of fun things to do in the city.”

Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Chicago has been really good to you. What does that city and street course mean to you?

“Ah, every time I come back, I get the memories of the first-ever race, coming and doing really well here. This city will always hold so many memories. I’m really looking forward to getting back on the streets of Chicago and hopefully getting a third win for the city and a second Chicago win for Trackhouse.”

How are you feeling about this weekend?

“We should be very strong this weekend. I know everyone is going to be better. Last year was a big step up on competition and I know this year will be, too. We just have to continue to focus on us. We’ve prepped very hard, spent last week’s simulator time on Chicago, so hopefully we get there this weekend and are solid.”

What is Chicago a track that fits your driving style so well? You have been very successful there…

“It’s just like the tracks I’ve grown up racing on. In Supercars there are a lot of street circuits on the schedule, so I’m comfortable with the walls. It’s similar to a few tracks that I raced in Australia, whereas most of these guys aren’t used to street circuits. Just something I’m comfortable with and have spent many years racing.”

Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

What are your thoughts on Chicago?

“I am very optimistic. We’ve been fast there both years. It was frustrating because we had a really good car and I thought we would be there at the end, but we ended up having too many issues. I know we are good enough to win this race on Sunday.”

What is the key to winning?

“You have to survive. Stay out of trouble. You do that by qualifying well, making good pit stops, good strategy and having a little bit of luck.”

How important is Chicago to NASCAR?

“I think Chicago is very important. We need as many new markets as possible, plus, it’s a fun place to visit.”

How important is having Jockey on your car this weekend?

“Jockey is a huge supporter of Trackhouse Racing and I know they spend a lot of time thinking about the paint schemes they bring to the track. Not only do they make us look good on the track, but we get a lot of Jockey apparel that helps us look good off the track.”

On parting ways with Trackhouse at the end of the 2025 season:

“I want to thank all the men and women at Trackhouse Racing for your love and support. I’ve had some of the best years of my Cup Series career at Trackhouse. We had great successes as a team and I gained some incredible friends. We took a team nobody had even heard of in 2021 and in just a couple of years we were winning races and running up front on a weekly basis. Just like the seasons in a year, sometimes things change and we have mutually agreed to each go in our own direction. I wish Trackhouse nothing but the best, this No. 99 team will always be special to me. And like I always say, the best is ahead!”

GM PR

Denny Hamlin has responded to a quip from a NASCAR Cup Series rival after last weekend’s race at Atlanta.

The veteran racer was knocked out of the In-Season Challenge in the first round by the #32 seed Ty Dillon, who finished eighth in the race to Hamlin’s official 31st, his race ending after just 72 laps thanks to one of a number of wrecks in the race.

Dillon riffed on Hamlin’s infamous ‘I just beat your favorite driver’ taunt after the race, saying “For all you Denny fans out there, I just knocked your favorite driver out.”

The Kaulig Racing driver, whose eighth place at Atlanta was his best finish of the year, clarified later that he’d meant the comment in fun, insisting he’s ‘appreciated’ the Denny Hamlin vs the World gimmick and that he ‘loves’ Hamlin leaning into a heel role.

NASCAR HEADLINES: Cup Series star confirms team exit as commissioner hits back at lawsuit

Hamlin: Give Ty Dillon his moment

Speaking on his Actions Detrimental podcast this week, Hamlin himself said: “I see people giving Ty Dillon a lot of flak…give him his moment, people. He beat me.

“…He was ahead of me the whole f*cking race. I was 33rd until we crashed. Just let him have his moment. He texted me — he was like, ‘Hey, I was just playing around.’ I loved it.

“If you people think that you are going to hurt my feelings by coming in my mentions and saying, ‘Haha, Ty Dilon beat you,’ like, you’re never going to make fun of me more than I’m going to make fun of myself. You’re not going to offend me. I have really thick skin.

“You open yourself up and when you do that, the moments you fail, they’re going to give it to you. But you’ve got to be a big boy and take it. I am going to take it from Ty Dillon.”

READ MORE: NASCAR star Kyle Busch set for racing series switch as official announcement made

Related

The characters that NASCAR drivers display today on and off the track are largely dictated by their sponsors. They are expected to walk in a straight line and not act in a way that would be detrimental to the public image of the companies that are backing them financially. But this wasn’t always the case. The shift began during a specific period in the sport’s evolution.

In a recent interview with Shannon Spake on the Spake Up podcast, Kurt Busch narrated an incident from his career that showcased this changeover. During a race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2002, Busch was wrecked by Jimmy Spencer in a way that left him angry. He got out of his car and made a gesture that came off as obscene to the viewers watching the event live on television.

But what he’d intended to do was indicate to the officials to send Spencer to the back of the field for his move. He explained, “In short track racing, there’s a guy on the track that communicates with the flag man on who goes to the back of the pack after somebody wrecks somebody. So, it was pat the rear end. Send them to the rear. And that’s what I was trying to [say].”

The miscommunication landed Busch in trouble with one of his sponsors after his image appeared on the front page of USA Today. He continued, “I’m on the cover patting my rear end, and the CEO goes, ‘What’s all this about?’

“I went, ‘I’m sorry, sir. The emotions, the heat of the moment, the guy flat out wrecked me.’ He goes, ‘Well, we can’t have this imagery on the cover of USA Today. We’re going to send you to media training.’”

Busch wasn’t the calm person he is today back then. He was a young driver who’d just made his way into NASCAR and held a ton of ambition in his heart. And so, he spoke his mind back to the CEO and questioned why they didn’t have a similar conversation when he appeared on the front cover of USA Today after winning at Bristol earlier that year.

He admitted to Spake that it wasn’t the right thing to say. But that was one of the turning points of the sponsor-centric culture that is prevalent today. “That’s where corporate America and the big-time sponsors changed our sport,” he added. Actions like what Busch did would result in a much bigger penalty today.

With hopes for a weekend with finally clear skies, NASCAR is back in the Windy City for the third edition of the Chicago Street Race.

Since the inaugural event two years ago, the Cup and Xfinity series have been affected by inclement weather. After both series’ races were shortened by thunderstorms in 2023, the Cup Series ended 17 laps short of the full distance last year because of rain delays.

Alex Bowman is the defending winner of the Cup race. Shane van Gisbergen returns to Chicago this season as a full-time driver in NASCAR’s premier series after winning the inaugural race in his Cup debut for Trackhouse Racing (he also won last year’s Xfinity race).

Chicago will be the second round of the In-Season Challenge. Here are the matchups (with driver seeding):

—Brad Keselowski (17) vs. Ty Dillon (32)
—Alex Bowman (8) vs. Bubba Wallace (9)
—Chase Elliott (5) vs. John Hunter Nemechek (12)
—Erik Jones (20) vs. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (29)
—Ryan Preece (15) vs. Noah Gragson (31)
—Tyler Reddick (23) vs. Carson Hocevar (26)
—Ty Gibbs (6) vs. AJ Allmendinger (22)
—Chris Buescher (3) vs. Zane Smith (14)

Shane van Gisbergen won in Mexico in the most recent Cup road course race.

Chicago weekend schedule

(All Times Eastern)

Saturday, July 5

Garage open

• 8:30 a.m. – midnight — Xfinity Series
• 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. — Cup Series

Track activity

• 10:30 – 11:20 a.m. — Xfinity practice (CW App)
• 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. — Xfinity qualifying (CW App)
• 1 – 1:50 p.m. — Cup practice (truTV, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
• 2 – 3 p.m. — Cup qualifying (truTV, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
• 4:30 p.m. — Xfinity race (50 laps, 110 miles; Stage 1 at Lap 15, Stage 2 at Lap 30; TNT, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Sunday, July 6

Garage open

• 11 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. — Cup Series

Track activity

• 2 p.m. — Cup race (75 laps, 165 miles; Stage 1 at Lap 20, Stage 2 at Lap 45; TNT, MRN SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Weekend weather

Saturday: Mostly sunny with a high of 95 degrees, winds from the south-southwest at 10-20 mph. It’s expected to be 93 degrees with a 3% chance of rain at the start of the Xfinity race.

Sunday: Partly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms. A high of 83 degrees and winds from the west-northwest at 10-15 mph and a 56% chance of rain. It’s expected to be 82 degrees with a 52% chance of showers at the start of the Cup race.

St. Johns businesses along US 127 are preparing for one of their busiest weekends of the year as Fourth of July travelers head north through mid-Michigan.

• Businesses along US 127 in St. Johns expect more customers during the holiday weekend.
• Phillips Orchard and Cider Mill stays open during holiday weekends to serve travelers.
• US 27 Motorsports sees a boost from the holiday traffic and the weeks leading up to the Fourth of July.

WATCH: St. Johns businesses benefit from Fourth of July travel rush

St. Johns businesses see boost from holiday travelers on US 127

Phillips Orchard and Cider Mill, typically known as an autumn destination, sees significant business during summer holiday weekends too.

“Fourth of July weekend’s coming up and it’s one of our busy travel weekends,” Brian Phillips, orchard co-president said.

Those driving north on US 127 pass directly by these local businesses, creating a noticeable impact on their foot traffic.

“We are normally 10%-15% busier on a travel weekend versus just a regular weekend,” Phillips said.

Just down 127, US 27 Motorsports also benefits from the influx of holiday travelers.

“We’ll likely have a pretty big influx, likely on Saturday, of people traveling through our parts and accessory department,” said Shane Sake, operations director at US 27 Motorsports, said.

Sake told me the boost in business makes opening during the holiday weekend worthwhile. Similarly, Phillips explained that the orchard always remains open during holiday weekends.

“We know people are traveling and need a place to stop, or pick up a little gift or memento of their trip. We try to be here when they wanna stop in,” Phillips said.

Both businesses expressed appreciation for their location along the popular northern route.

“Once you pass us, you’re on the way north and we’re kinda the gateway for that,” Sake said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — RFK Racing president Steve Newmark will depart the team and join the University of North Carolina Tar Heels athletics program.

Newmark will join Carolina as the executive associate athletic director. He will start Aug. 15. Then, in the summer of 2026, he will become the university’s athletic director.

Carolina touted Newmark for his experience with sponsorships, marketing, team operations and contract negotiations. The university believes he will be a strong fit as they look to “further adapt the Department to needs related to revenue share, NIL and commercial strategy.”

Newmark joined RFK Racing in April 2010 as the senior vice president of business operations. Then, he became the team president in December 2010.

At the start of Newmark’s tenure, the team contended for the title in 2011 and 2012. Then, as veterans Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards left, the team started to decline.

The team had just two wins and two playoff appearances from 2015 to 2021, compared to 33 and 16 in the previous seven season. Despite the struggles, they held on to several key partners – due in no small part to Newmark’s leadership.

When Brad Keselowski bought into the team in 2022, Newmark helped lead the team into a new era with a new name – RFK Racing. RFK has at least one win in each of its three completed seasons. In the previous two, they have multiple wins and at least one playoff appearance. The team even expanded to three full-time cars in 2025 for the first time in eight years.

“It has been a true privilege to learn from and represent Jack Roush and John Henry, and the entire Roush and Fenway organizations. And I firmly believe the RFK team is in a great spot and poised for tremendous success both on and off the track in the years ahead,” Newmark stated.

Newmark also served as a liaison for the teams to NASCAR. In fact, he was instrumental in the creation of the charter system in NASCAR.

The new role with Carolina brings Newmark back to his roots. A native of Chapel Hill, he was a partner at the Charlotte-based law firm Robinson Bradshaw & Hinson before joining RFK. He specialized in sports and entertainment and worked extensively with the Southeastern Conference, Conference USA and the NCAA.  

“Now, it’s time for a new chapter. I am heading back home to Chapel Hill to join one of the most respected and successful programs in college sports. I am thrilled to officially become part of UNC Athletics and look forward to joining Tar Heel Nation as we strive for wins and championships across all sports in the evolving landscape of collegiate athletics,” he said.

Newmark also served on the advisory committee that assisted in hiring eight-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick as Carolina’s head football coach.

Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.

A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.

Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick’s final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen’s stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers’ stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.

Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com