Motorsports

NASCAR teams use AI to find an edge

CONCORD, N.C. — Margins in NASCAR have never been smaller. Whether it’s the leveling effect of the Next Gen car or the evolving technological arms race among teams, the Cup Series has never been tighter. And as parity grows, so does the need to uncover even the slightest competitive advantage. That’s where artificial intelligence comes […]

Published

2 weeks ago

June 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

CONCORD, N.C. — Margins in NASCAR have never been smaller.

Whether it’s the leveling effect of the Next Gen car or the evolving technological arms race among teams, the Cup Series has never been tighter. And as parity grows, so does the need to uncover even the slightest competitive advantage.

That’s where artificial intelligence comes in.

From performance analysis to data visualizations, AI is playing an increasingly pivotal role in how race teams operate across the NASCAR garage. Teams are using AI not just to crunch numbers, but also to make quicker decisions, generate strategic insights — and even rewrite the way they approach race weekends.

“It just builds a little bit more each year,” said Josh Sell, RFK Racing’s competition director. “We’re doing more now than we were a year ago. And we’ll probably be doing more a year from now than we are sitting here right now. It just continues to evolve.”

ASK BETTER QUESTIONS

The rise of AI in NASCAR mirrors the broader tech world.

Early large language models — or LLMs — were trained to answer basic questions. But now, they can cite sources, detect tone and reason through complex decisions. That opens up a new world for how teams evaluate everything from strategy calls to post-race feedback.

For example, a full race’s worth of driver and crew radio chatter can be fed into an AI model that not only identifies which calls worked and which didn’t, but also interprets tone and urgency in real time.

“Information is speed in this game nowadays,” said Tom Gray, technical director at Hendrick Motorsports. “He who can distill the information quicker and get to the decision quicker, ultimately, is going to have the race win. “

FINDING THE TIME

AI is also helping teams develop talent and streamline operations.

Even if someone on the team isn’t an expert in a particular field, AI can help them learn new skills faster. That’s especially important in the highly specialized Cup Series garage — and it could help smaller teams close the gap with bigger operations.

RFK Racing, now a three-car Cup Series team, is already seeing those benefits.

AI helps reduce the hours team members spend manually analyzing photos or videos. Instead of having a crew chief sort through everything, the software flags the most relevant material and delivers it quickly. On the technical side, the team is also using tools like ChatGPT to assist with software development, solving coding problems in various languages and freeing up engineers to focus on execution.

“It’s trying to figure out ways where, instead of having a crew chief spending three hours studying whatever it might be — photos, videos — if we can shorten that to an hour of really impactful time,” Sell said. “Looking at things that are important to them, not searching to find those things. That’s the biggest gain we see, and certainly whether it’s through the week or on race weekends, time is our limiting factor.

“You have a finite amount of time from the time practice ends to when the race starts. What you’re able to do to maximize the efficiency of that time is kind of a race in and of itself.”

VISUAL DATA

At Hendrick Motorsports, the winningest team in Cup Series history, AI is being used both to look ahead and to look back.

The team now works closely with Amazon Web Services (AWS) — a relationship that began after Prime Video sponsored one of its cars. The partnership has accelerated Hendrick’s use of AI across several key areas.

One of those is visual communication. Engineers are now generating images to help share ideas, whether they’re pitching a new part or breaking down a technical strategy. That ability to visualize complex concepts instantly helps everyone stay aligned and efficient.

Hendrick is also leveraging its four decades of data. The team can now go back and test old strategies, setups and decisions using AI to predict how past insights might inform future success.

“We’ve had a long history in the sport,” Gray said. “Not only can we look forward, but we can also look backward, back-test all the information we have, and see how that predicts the future.”

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Team Penske names new leadership

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Team Penske named its new leadership structure for the organization’s NTT INDYCAR Series and sports car programs. The organization promoted Jonathan Diuguid to president of Penske Racing, Inc., and named Travis Law as the competition director. They will officially transition to their new roles this weekend. Jonathan Diuguid, courtesy of Team Penske Travis […]

Published

11 minutes ago

July 4, 2025

Your Sports Nation

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Team Penske named its new leadership structure for the organization’s NTT INDYCAR Series and sports car programs.

The organization promoted Jonathan Diuguid to president of Penske Racing, Inc., and named Travis Law as the competition director. They will officially transition to their new roles this weekend.

Jonathan Diuguid, courtesy of Team Penske

“Diuguid and Law bring a combined 38 years of experience at Team Penske that will serve them well as they look to build on the organization’s legacy of motorsports success. In their new roles, Diuguid and Law will oversee the Team Penske teams competing in the NTT IndyCar Series, as well as Porsche Penske Motorsport, which races in both the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship (IMSA) and the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).”

According to Team Penske, both Diuguid and Law served in leadership positions for Porsche Penske Motorsport. As the managing director, Diuguid led the global sports car program to wins in the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2024 and 2025. They also won the 2025 12 Hours of Sebring. They earned two championships in 2024 – in IMSA’s GTP class and the WEC Hypercar driver’s crown.

“The opportunity to lead the Team Penske efforts across the NTT IndyCar Series, IMSA and WEC is a tremendous responsibility and the feeling of being trusted to lead these teams is a great honor,” Diuguid said. “After two decades working for Roger Penske, I truly know and understand what the Penske name means in the world of motorsports. The best way I know to show my appreciation to him for his trust is to ensure our success continues well into the future.”

After joining Team Penske in 2007 as a sports car tire specialist, Law rose through the ranks to become a championship-winning chief mechanic in IndyCar. He then had the same success in sports car competition. Law most recently served as competition director for Porsche Penske Motorsport.

“Success is what is expected at Team Penske,” Law stated. “Roger Penske is someone that leads by example. When we get to the racetrack, we know we have the support of someone who has achieved at the highest levels. I am ready to get to work.”

These changes come after a scandal embroiled Team Penske during the Month of May. The scandal led to Tim Cindric and Ron Ruzewski losing their jobs as team president and managing director, respectively.

MORE: Team Penske announces major departures ahead of Indy 500

The NASCAR leadership structure for Team Penske will remain the same. Michael Nelson will continue as president. Travis Geisler will continue as vice president of competition.

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

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Motorsports

5 NASCAR drivers could miss the Cup race in Chicago

It is rare, but it still happens. For a NASCAR Cup Series race other than the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, there are officially more cars on the entry list than there are spots in the 40-car field, something that hasn’t happened since November 2018 at Texas Motor Speedway. A total of 41 […]

Published

12 minutes ago

July 4, 2025

Your Sports Nation

A total of 41 cars are on the entry list for Sunday afternoon’s 75-lap Grant Park 165 around the 12-turn, 2.2-mile (3.541-kilometer) temporary street course, officially called the Chicago Street Course, in Chicago, Illinois.

The 36 chartered cars are all locked in, and yes, the six full-time cars fielded by 23XI Racing (three cars) and Front Row Motorsports (three cars) are still considered chartered cars, even amid the ongoing antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR and the fact that recent rulings have not gone their way.

This means that there are four spots left open, and there are five drivers set to battle for those four spots in Saturday’s qualifying session.

The slowest of these five qualifiers is set to miss the race entirely.

The non-chartered (open) entries include the No. 13 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet, which is set to be driven by Will Brown; the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, which is set to be driven by Austin Hill; the No. 66 Garage 66 Ford, which is set to be driven by Josh Bilicki; the No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota, which is set to be driven by Corey Heim; and the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet, which is set to be driven by Katherine Legge.

Kaulig Racing generally show well on road and street courses, and Heim literally beat all three of 23XI Racing’s full-time drivers in his first start of the year at Kansas Speedway back in May. Richard Childress Racing are also a step above Garage 66 and Live Fast Motorsports, regardless of who is driving (and where).

On paper, it appears that the battle to get into the race will come down to Bilicki and Legge. Garage 66 and Live Fast Motorsports are always among the slowest teams whenever they compete, and on a challenging street course, they are both facing an uphill battle. The good news is that at least one of them won’t miss out.

Grant Park 165 qualifying is set to be shown live on TruTV from the Chicago Street Course beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 5. The race itself is set to be shown live on TNT Sports beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 6.

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Motorsports

Roger Penske has new leadership on IndyCar team after cheating scandal

Associated Press | Associated Press Mooresville, N.C. – Team Penske has new leadership structure atop its IndyCar and sports car programs in the wake of its latest cheating scandal that engulfed the organization at the Indianapolis 500. Jonathan Diuguid has been promoted to president of Penske Racing, and Travis Law has been named competition director. […]

Published

30 minutes ago

July 4, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Associated Press
| Associated Press

Mooresville, N.C. – Team Penske has new leadership structure atop its IndyCar and sports car programs in the wake of its latest cheating scandal that engulfed the organization at the Indianapolis 500.

Jonathan Diuguid has been promoted to president of Penske Racing, and Travis Law has been named competition director. Diuguid and Law have a combined 38 years of experience at Team Penske. Diuguid and Law will oversee the Team Penske teams competing in IndyCar as well as Porsche Penske Motorsport, which races in both IMSA and the World Endurance Championship series.

“After two decades working for Roger Penske, I truly know and understand what the Penske name means in the world of motorsports,” Diuguid said. “The best way I know to show my appreciation to him for his trust is to ensure our success continues well into the future.”

Roger Penske fired his top three executives at Team Penske after two of the Penske cars were found to be illegal.

Team president Tim Cindric, IndyCar managing director Ron Ruzewski and IndyCar general manager Kyle Moyer were fired in May in the wake of this Indianapolis 500 cheating scandal.

Penske is owner of the three-car team, IndyCar, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy 500. He has won the Indy 500 a record 20 times.

Penske shook up his race team leadership after two-time Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden and teammate Will Power were found to have an illegally modified spec part on their cars ahead the final round of qualifications for the 109th running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

Cindric and Ruzewski already had been suspended by IndyCar for the race and both teams fined $100,000. It was the second consecutive year Cindric and Ruzewski were suspended from the Indy 500.

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Chicago Street Course Race Weekend

Written by Gabriel Tsui & Ashleigh McGregor Credit: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images As one of the most anticipated races of the year, the Chicago street course returns for Try No. 3 for the 2025 season. The Chicago street course, as hinted by its name, is a 2.2-mile (3.5-kilometre) temporary street circuit right in […]

Published

32 minutes ago

July 4, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Written by Gabriel Tsui & Ashleigh McGregor

As one of the most anticipated races of the year, the Chicago street course returns for Try No. 3 for the 2025 season.

The Chicago street course, as hinted by its name, is a 2.2-mile (3.5-kilometre) temporary street circuit right in the heart of Chicago, Illinois. As the only race of its type on the schedule, teams are often faced with uncertain territory every weekend. Couple this with the fact that every previous race here has seen rainfall, this is why fans, media and teams nervously await this circuit.

Below are the start times for each race plus lap count:

Xfinity: Saturday, 5 July, 15:30 local (21:30 UK) – 50 laps
Cup: Sunday, 6 July, 13:00 local (19:00 UK) – 75 laps

Below are the defending winners for each race:

Cup Series: Grant Park 165 Preview

Following a back and forth race that saw Chase Elliott finally secure his spot in the playoffs, the field heads north to Windy City for the 19th race of the season. With the 12th drivers locked into the playoffs, there are four spots remaining up for grabs. Will we see another road course miracle for one of the drivers getting too far away from the cut line, or would we find one of the playoff drivers such as Shane Van Gisbergen add extra playoff points to his tally?

The drivers will be driving 75 laps around the race track, with 20 laps in the first stage, 25 laps in the second stage, and 30 laps in the final stage, totalling a distance of 165 miles (265.5 kilometres) run around the track.

The weather report indicates there will be rain on Sunday, so a repeat of 2024 might happen. On the other hand, the temperatures will remain above 27 degrees Celsius (82 degrees Fahrenheit) despite the rain, so tyre degradation will also be a point of focus. The race will commence on the Sunday of July 6th, at 14:00 Eastern (11:00 Pacific, 19:00 British).

Race Predictions

The first iteration of the race was won by Shane Van Gisbergen, who dominated the final stage and found his first win in NASCAR in his first start. 2024 was a rainy affair, where we saw intermittent racing as Alex Bowman ended up triumphant as Tyler Reddick and Ty Gibbs ran out of laps to catch up to the No.48 in the storm-shortened race.

It would be easy to pick one of the many road course warriors such as SVG, AJ Allmendinger, or even Ty Gibbs as our choice to win the race. However, most humans don’t live for the safe picks. Therefore, the pick for the week will be Chris Buescher.

Although Buescher’s name wouldn’t jump out in terms of road course racing, the 32-year-old has had good performances in the past when visiting road courses, including a win and multiple top-ten finishes at the Glen, while racking up three consecutive top-four finishes at Sonoma.

Riding on a four-race top-ten streak, it is time for the No.17 to be rewarded for their consistency throughout the season.

Credit: Brittney Wilbur / NASCAR Digital Media

Three things to look out for

Chase Elliott locks it in

After 17 (!!!) consecutive top-twenty finishes to start the season, Chase Elliott extends the streak in race 18 while picking up his ticket to the playoffs. He snaps a 43-race winless streak as he mounts a regular season title challenge against his fellow Hendrick Motorsport drivers, only 37 points behind Byron in the lead. Byron has been on a cold streak recently, so it might be time to dethrone the No.24, at least for now.

Suarez’s time in the Cup is on the clock

Halfway through the week, Daniel Suárez was informed he will not return to the Trackhouse organisation in 2026. This was a long time coming for the Mexican, as 29th in the standings does not do justice for the Trackhouse Chevy, especially when teammate Ross Chastain has been keeping the car within the top-ten of the championship standings.

An eleventh finish from Connor Zilisch in Atlanta was the nail in the coffin, as that was the justification Justin Marks needed to put Zilisch in the third car next season and wave goodbye to the Mexican. Now, Suárez must find a new seat, but time is running out and the more likely outcome is for Suárez to head back down to the Xfinity Series and find his groove.

Final year in Windy City?

With NASCAR reportedly heading to San Diego next season according to The Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi, this might mark the end of NASCAR’s appearance at the Windy City for now. The deal between NASCAR and Chicago City runs out at the end of the season, and they might do a one-for-one swap with the calendar already at its maximum 38 races (36 points races and 2 exhibition races).

However, NASCAR could also find alternatives by dropping a double appearance race track, such as Bristol, Martinsville, or Las Vegas as they have done with Richmond to accommodate Mexico City.

Xfinity Series: The Loop 110 Preview

Written by Ashleigh McGregor

Last race out at the Atlanta Motor Speedway saw Nick Sanchez drive away with his first career win in the Xfinity series.

This week it’s the highly anticipated street race in Chicago. With only its third year running it’s already a fan and driver favorite track. This weekend promises a good show for all.

Fans will feel closer to the action than ever as they watch these cars zip through the streets of the city. Drivers will be on the absolute limit as they finesse their cars down the very restricted course.

So far this racecourse has been successful on the streets of Chicago. Compared to Formula – where they are starting to have more and more street races added into their calendar. It’s looking like this could be a similar case for NASCAR.

It’s exciting to race through the actual streets of a city. It also brings a slew of challenges- pavement issues, a secured track and tight margins. All of this adds excitement to the race week.

Race Weekend Guide

Drivers are racing 110 miles over 50 laps. This will be broken down into Stage 1 and Stage 2 with 15 laps each. The final stage will have 20 laps.

It may have a smaller number of laps than some races but it’s 50 laps that are jam packed with wheel to wheel racing down tight streets.

Drivers to watch

Sam Mayer has yet to achieve a win this season. He has succeeded in getting ahead of Austin Hill in the championship battle. He now sits in second place behind Justin Allgaier by 63 points. This weekend doesn’t look his strongest but he’ll be hungry to try.

Shane Van Gisbergen- a full time Cup driver is racing in the Xfinity series for this weekend. Previously he’s already won at this track for both the Cup and Xfinity series. He’s also racing in car No. 9- the car previously raced and won in Mexico with Daniel Suarez. Gisbergen is absolutely the driver to watch this weekend as it could be a clean sweep for him.

Connor Zilisch has broken into the Xfinity series with a dominance. He’s consistent week in and week out and has a liking for road courses. Seeing him in the top five this weekend is a high probability.

Last year Jesse Love finished in fifth at this track. He had some strong laps during the race then. It will be exciting to see his improvement from last year and if he can challenge the likes of Gisbergen or his childhood friend Connor Zilisch.

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Motorsports

Love Moto Stop Cancer Fundraising Campaign Continues with Patriotic Themed T-Shirt Design Inspired by RedBud Race Fans

Limited-Edition T-Shirt is Exclusive to the Pro Motocross Season andthe Only Way to Get it is by Donating to St. Jude BUCHANAN, MI – July 4, 2025 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – Inspired by the passionate race fans that attend the annual RedBud National that annually coincides with the Independence Day celebration, the SMX LeagueTM is […]

Published

56 minutes ago

July 4, 2025

Your Sports Nation

News Release SMX World Chapionship [678]

Limited-Edition T-Shirt is Exclusive to the Pro Motocross Season and
the Only Way to Get it is by Donating to St. Jude

BUCHANAN, MI – July 4, 2025 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – Inspired by the passionate race fans that attend the annual RedBud National that annually coincides with the Independence Day celebration, the SMX League^TM is excited to announce the continuation of the St. Jude Love Moto Stop Cancer text-to-donate fundraising campaign throughout the Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, season.

The Honda RedBud National Presented by Dixxon Flannel, Round 23 of the SMX World Championship, takes place tomorrow, July 5, from the legendary Buchanan, Michigan, venue and to help commemorate the spirit of the 4th of July, fans can also help support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital by becoming a partner in hope and receiving the limited-edition, red, white, and blue patriotic themed t-shirt by texting SUPER to 785-833.

“There is simply no race that carries the kind of celebratory and patriotic atmosphere like the RedBud National. For more than 50 years this event has welcomed the most passionate fans in American motocross, who are proud to show their love of the sport and celebrate the country’s birthday each summer,” said Davey Coombs, President, MX Sports Pro Racing. “Not only are we grateful to have the first-ever Pro Motocross specific Love Moto Stop Cancer t-shirt, which will allow us to continue fundraising for St. Jude, we’re excited to have it represent what is arguably our most high-profile event. We couldn’t think of a better way to symbolize what the Pro Motocross Championship is all about and look forward to seeing our fans show their support of this incredible cause.”

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing athlete and St. Jude supporter Aaron Plessinger

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing athlete and St. Jude supporter Aaron Plessinger repping the new red, white, and blue, patriotic themed Love Moto Stop Cancer t-shirt design.

Through fundraising partnerships like this, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing, or food – giving them the ability to fully focus on helping their child live. SMX is the only entity outside of country music to use its own community-wide slogan – Love Moto Stop Cancer. Donors who pledge $19 or more per month receive an exclusive Love Moto Stop Cancer T-shirt, routinely worn by all the sport’s top athletes.

Fans can text SUPER to 785-833 to become a St. Jude partner in hope

Fans can text SUPER to 785-833 to become a St. Jude partner in hope.

St. Jude is leading the way the world understands, treats, and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. The St. Jude mission is clear: Finding Cures. Saving Children. For more information, please visit the St. Jude page on either the Pro Motocross website or Supercross website.

Tickets are available for all remaining Pro Motocross rounds and the upcoming SMX Playoffs and World Championship Final at supermotocross.com. Fans located in the U.S. looking to tune into the action from the comfort of their homes can stream every race on Peacock. International viewers can watch year-round with three different language offerings on the SuperMotocross Video Pass available at supermotocross.tv, now available at a 50% discount for the remainder of the 2025 season.

For information about the SMX World Championship^TM, please visit www.SuperMotocross.com and be sure to follow all of the new SMX social media channels for exclusive content and additional information on the latest news:

About the SMX World Championship:

The SMX World Championship™ is the premier off-road motorcycle racing series in the world that combines the technical precision of stadium racing with the all-out speed and endurance of outdoor racing. Created in 2022, the SMX World Championship Series combines the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and the AMA Pro Motocross Championship into a 28-round regular season that culminates with the season-ending SMX World Championship Playoffs. Visit SuperMotocross.com for more information.

Source: SuperMotocross League

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Motorsports

2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race kicks off this weekend

2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race kicks off this weekend – CBS Chicago Watch CBS News Saturday’s The Loop 110 race will be held in Grant Park before Sunday’s main event. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On Link 0

Published

57 minutes ago

July 4, 2025

Your Sports Nation