Motorsports

NASCAR Transcripts: Joey Logano – Press Conference – 05.06.25 – Speedway Digest

THE MODERATOR: Joey, thank you so much for joining us today. Obviously a lot of positivity and energy around today’s announcement with the championship race moving to Homestead-Miami. You had the opportunity to win a championship in Phoenix and to also win a championship in Miami as well. Just talk about what it is like […]

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1 week ago

May 7, 2025

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THE MODERATOR: Joey, thank you so much for joining us today. Obviously a lot of positivity and energy around today’s announcement with the championship race moving to Homestead-Miami. You had the opportunity to win a championship in Phoenix and to also win a championship in Miami as well. Just talk about what it is like for you to go back to Miami, but ultimately with the news that the championship will rotate.

JOEY LOGANO: First, I’m sure everyone was surprised to hear this one. No one saw it coming.

I do think I love finishing the season in Miami. It’s something that I think as an industry all of us got so used to, right? End of the year, it’s cold in other places, you fly down to Miami, it’s nice and warm. We got used to what this weekend felt like under the lights, finishing the races.

I always thought it was a really cool environment to do it in Miami. I look forward to going back down there racing for a championship. I like that part. I like the rotation, as well. I like that we move it around. That was one of the things I thought would be a great idea if we were able to pull it off.

The Super Bowl doesn’t stay in the same place every year. Why should our Super Bowl, our championship race, stay in the same place every year?

Gives our fans a great opportunity to see the race, right? I know a lot of fans travel to the championship race already. There are also a lot of fans that are local that will get to have the opportunity to be able to make a weekend out of it with a short drive hopefully.

THE MODERATOR: We’ll go ahead and go to the media for questions.

Q. We often hear that some driver’s opinions can be shaped what is in their own best interest. How come you’re not out going, Phoenix is the best thing ever, don’t move it, based on how good Team Penske has been there?

JOEY LOGANO: I mean, on one hand I think we can win everywhere. We won in Miami before. Why can’t we win there again? I feel good about that.

Is there some drivers that are probably happier than others? Yeah, I can think of two or three that are pretty good in Miami that are probably really excited about today.

But I like to think that when you’re in the championship mode, there’s probably no (indiscernible) track for you. You can probably figure it out where you’re at. As a team, I feel like Team Penske is strong, we can go to many places and compete.

Yeah, as great as Phoenix has been, and it definitely has been, I still feel like we can win anywhere.

Q. We talked about moving the championship race. I guess with the Playoff Committee kind of still deciding what that looks like, have you had an opportunity to read the tea leaves or get an idea for what direction NASCAR might decide to go next year?

JOEY LOGANO: I don’t think there’s quite a clear direction on where things are going. You’re talking to a guy that thinks we have a great system. I would make minimal changes, if any.

There’s different opinions, right? All of us will have different ones, probably depending on where you’re sitting. I try to look the at it and ask what do I think is most entertaining?

As I watch the Truck Series or Xfinity Series, that’s what I am, a pure fan watching. What brings the most drama but also the most do-or-die moments?

As a fan of sports in general, I like watching people with their back up against the wall, have to perform or you’re going home. I love that. That’s what I love about the Playoffs. Our format does that, right? It gives everybody in the Playoffs an opportunity to go out there and show up when it matters the most. It also gives the opportunity for teams to create a huge advantage going into the Playoffs with the Playoff points that’s there.

I don’t know. I know no one wants to hear my opinion on it because we’ve been successful with it. I do feel like it’s pretty fun to watch, as well.

Q. Oddball question for you. You’re very good at doing activation, hospitality, media requests. Have you been incentivized this year by the driver ambassador program? Do you sense a bit of competition amongst you and your peers to kind of step up what you do?

JOEY LOGANO: I mean, yes, to answer your question. I’ve always done the things before. I always did it because I care about the sport, right? I want the sport to live on past my career because that’s what the previous generation did for me, the previous generation did for them. They built this amazing platform. We need to continue to do that, right?

I realize I cannot do that on my own. I also think that no one should work for free. I don’t think that’s the case either. Every time you do something, you’re taking away from something else. I think being able to be incentivized to do things is not a bad thing. I think we’ve seen that throughout the whole sport with the drivers right now. They’re doing stuff, right? They’re out there. Whether it’s autographs at the souvenir haulers or media engagements, it’s traveling to do things that would never happen, never happen before.

Yeah, there’s a reason to go do it now. Not that there wasn’t before, but there’s extra reason to go do it. It seems to be working, for sure.

Q. If Joey Logano was able to make the next three or four final races as a schedule, what would they be? I work in the Myrtle Beach area. Darlington obviously a big spotlight here. Would Darlington be on that list?

JOEY LOGANO: Yeah, I think one thing everybody thinks about is weather, right? South Carolina can be fine. That track would be in the mix.

Naturally you’re going to look at the tracks you’re good at, right? Like at Richmond, that’s one that would stand out to me.

I think Vegas would probably be in the loop.

Texas is obviously possible, depending on the weather. The weather there is pretty good.

I wouldn’t want to add into the rotation of a superspeedway. We should not end the season on a superspeedway. We should not end the season on a road course either. That’s my opinion.

When you get down to the nitty-gritty of the Playoffs, especially if it’s coming down to one race, like it is right now, you don’t want an oddball race, you want it to be the grassroots of what our sport is built off of, which is ovals, right? Whether it’s a short track or mile-and-a-half, that’s what our roots really are. That is what built our sport.

Throwing in a road course or any other oddball type racetrack, superspeedway, it’s too much by chance and it wouldn’t be ideal I don’t believe for our sport.

Q. You’ve made so many accolades in this sport. One thing that has not made it your way yet, the Coca-Cola 600, talk about what a victory would be like there?

JOEY LOGANO: Yeah, I mean, there’s two of them that really stand out to me. One being Indy, the other being the Coke 600. I’d like to win both of them. Both of them are crown jewel events.

The Coca-Cola 600 is special because of what it is. It’s also special because I’ve been a Coca-Cola racing family member for my whole career, from day one, 16 whatever years ago it was. It’s been a long time.

It would be really cool to click off that win on top of what that weekend already means. Memorial Day weekend means more to me than what the race is. It would definitely be neat to celebrate in Victory Lane there.

Q. I want to talk about the drama you mentioned. Everyone loves drama. When you have it going to different tracks for rotation for the championship, does that ramp up the drama level knowing that you automatically can’t pencil in Penske at Phoenix or Reddick or Larson at Homestead?

JOEY LOGANO: I mean, I don’t think anyone can pencil anyone in no matter what. But I think we’ve seen in our sport that change is good when it comes to schedules. Even changing the rules, it’s usually good, makes better racing.

I think people, they like the unknown. They’re not exactly sure where things are going to play out, whether that’s moving to new racetracks we’ve never been to, we’ve seen that be very successful. I think moving the final race around, it’s not a bad idea.

Q. So many drivers over the years have remarked how much they have enjoyed Homestead-Miami Speedway. Between the layout of the track itself, the weather, the general location, what would you say is the primary reason that so many drivers are basically in love with Homestead-Miami Speedway?

JOEY LOGANO: I mean, if you’re asking drivers, it’s about the track, right? The environment obviously is really cool. It’s different being in Miami. That’s a neat thing.

But the drivers, what we care about is the racing, right? Can we move around the racetrack, can we do different things, are the tires falling off, is that fun. To us, yeah, that’s fun.

Having a slick track that’s tough, challenging, a couple bumps there, you’re running up next to the wall, you can run a little bit off the wall, you can do stuff. That is something that is special, right?

Not to mention moving this championship race around, what it does for our sport and the racetrack and the facilities, right? Look what happened at Phoenix when they got their championship race. They redid the whole place. Looks beautiful. It brought a lot of new eyes to that racetrack.

Same thing will probably happen in Miami, right? I’m sure they’re going to look at ways to make the experience even better. If it moves around from there, wherever it goes, I think it will have the same effect.

There’s a lot of great things that happen with this.

Q. It was also announced that facility upgrades are coming to Homestead ahead of the upcoming race. Between the garages, the rest of the infield, the asphalt itself, what is the one aspect of Homestead that you would like to see upgraded ahead of the championship race?

JOEY LOGANO: Oh, man. I don’t know. I don’t know off the top of my head. It’s different for a driver sometimes to be commenting on that because I don’t get the full fan experience. You know what I mean? I’m not out there watching the race as a fan. I’m in the car, right? I’m not showing up with my family looking for parking. Maybe that’s an issue. I don’t know if it is or not. I don’t know what it’s like getting tickets, what it’s like trying to find your seats, get good food. I don’t see all that. What’s the garage experience like?

I can’t comment on it because it’s just different for me being inside the car, inside the sport.

Q. Is there a track that absolutely positively needs renovations before they’re awarded a championship race?

JOEY LOGANO: A couple of ’em. A couple, yeah. But the majority have kept up with the times. Not all of them, but a few of them have.

Q. Would Texas be one of them?

JOEY LOGANO: I mean, Texas is one of the biggest facilities we go to. There’s a ridiculous amount of people there. They had a good crowd this week. They got the suites, condos. They got the stuff if you’ve been there. They got a lot of stuff there.

Q. When it comes to the racing surface itself, would that be something that needs an upgrade, reconfigure the track again?

JOEY LOGANO: I think it’s starting to come into its own. It’s getting better. We’ve seen that.

If you’re going to go out there and start lobbying for a track reconfiguration, know that you’re investing not only money but years before it’s going to be a good race. Repaves don’t typically do it. Every now and again they do it right. I don’t even know what they do to do it right. Doesn’t seem to be the same everywhere.

The investment of time into the resurface and the reconfiguration of Texas for it to be where it is now took I don’t know how many years since they paved it. Now there’s some decent racing, right? I watched all three races this weekend. It’s fine.

I think there’s racing, there’s passing. There’s other tracks that are worse, in my opinion. I think it’s not that bad.

Q. At the beginning you said the industry in this sport is changing. How do you feel it’s going to be a structure till the end of the year with the tracks? You’re going to Las Vegas, Miami. How do you feel it’s going to be?

JOEY LOGANO: I mean, I think like I said earlier it’s going to be a good thing for the sport, right? I think for the fans it’s good. For us, we’ll have to figure it out. The race teams will figure out how to do it. The schedule is always changing and evolving.

A point earlier that somebody brought up: what do the Playoffs look like in two years, next year? We’re not 100% sure yet. It’s hard to say exactly what things are going to look like, but we know at least the final race will be in Miami next year.

Yeah, I’m looking forward to it.

THE MODERATOR: Joey, thank you so much for your time. We appreciate it. We wish you the best of luck in Kansas.

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Spire sparks WNBA-NASCAR crossover with Carson Hocevar involved – Motorsport – Sports

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 […]

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5 seconds ago

May 15, 2025

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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.

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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.”

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NASCAR slams RFK, Chris Buescher with penalties after violation

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 […]

Published

17 minutes ago

May 15, 2025

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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.”

Motorsports

Reigning NASCAR Cup champ Joey Logano primed for All-Star Race defense – Speedway Digest

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 […]

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18 minutes ago

May 15, 2025

Your Sports Nation

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.”

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Young’s Motorsports North Wilkesboro May Team Preview – Speedway Digest

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 […]

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40 minutes ago

May 15, 2025

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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).

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Hendrick Motorsports Media Advance: North Wilkesboro – Speedway Digest

5 KYLE LARSON Age: 32 (July 31, 1992) Hometown: Elk Grove, California Last Week: 1st (Kansas) Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels Standings: 1st Twitter Instagram Facebook No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet 2025 Cup Career All-Star Race Races 12 378 8 Wins 3 32 3 Poles 1 22 2 Top […]

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41 minutes ago

May 15, 2025

Your Sports Nation

5 KYLE LARSON

Age: 32 (July 31, 1992)

Hometown: Elk Grove, California

Last Week: 1st (Kansas)

Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels

Standings: 1st

Twitter Instagram Facebook

No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet

2025

Cup Career

All-Star Race

Races

378

Wins

Poles

Top 5

127

Top 10

191

Laps Led

817

10,073

239

Stage Wins

N/A

Average Finish

9.8

14.0

7.0

Kyle Larson registered his third win of the season last Sunday at Kansas Speedway, leading 221 laps, sweeping both stages and registering the race’s fastest lap in piling up a 61-point day. It marked the first 61-point sweep since NASCAR began awarding a point for the fastest lap this season. With the effort, Larson seized the lead in the NASCAR Cup Series points standings.
During his dominant performance at Kansas, Larson eclipsed the 10,000-laps-led mark for his career, joining Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch among active drivers to achieve the milestone.
Sunday marked the fourth consecutive race in which Larson scored the most points.
Due to Indianapolis 500 commitments in pursuit of the #H1100, Larson will miss Friday’s NASCAR All-Star Race practice and qualifying sessions at North Wilkesboro. Justin Allgaier will drive the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in his place, and the team will skip Saturday’s heat races. Larson will return for Sunday’s All-Star Race. Allgaier will also serve as the reserve driver for next weekend’s Coca-Cola 600.
Larson has won three of the last six NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Races including the first at North Wilkesboro Speedway in 2023. His three wins in the event are tied for second-most all-time with Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt, one back of leader Jimmie Johnson (four).
In eight starts in the All-Star Race, Larson has led a combined 239 laps, third-most among all active drivers. His lifetime average finish of 7.0 in the event is second best.
Entering the 0.625-mile oval, Larson is one of just two drivers to finish in the top five in both short-track races this season (Martinsville Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway), winning at Bristol.

9 CHASE ELLIOTT

Age: 29 (Nov. 28, 1995)

Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia

Last week: 15th (Kansas)

Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson

Standings: 4th

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No. 9 Prime Video Chevrolet

2025

Cup Career

All-Star Race

Races

334

Wins

Poles

Top 5

107

Top 10

177

Laps Led

5,600

Stage Wins

N/A

Average Finish

11.7

12.9

8.0

In 2020, Chase Elliott earned a NASCAR All-Star Race victory, claiming the checkered flag at Bristol Motor Speedway. Elliott led 60 laps en route to capturing the $1 million prize. Elliott remains the third-youngest All-Star winner at 24 years, seven months, 17 days.
This weekend, the All-Star Race returns to North Wilkesboro Speedway for the third consecutive season. In his first two appearances Elliott finished fifth and eighth, respectively.
When the Dawsonville, Georgia, native was just 14 years old, he visited victory lane at the short track in the PASS (Pro All Stars Series) late model race held on September 4, 2010. It was the first event the track hosted since the mid-1990s.
Elliott will make his 10th consecutive appearance in the All-Star Race this weekend. His 2020 NASCAR Cup Series championship and All-Star Race win locked him into the event for the remainder of his full-time Cup Series career under current rules.
The 29-year-old driver finished in the top eight in seven of his nine All-Star Race appearances.
His average finish of 8.0 across his nine All-Star Race starts ranks fourth-best among active drivers with at least four starts.

24 WILLIAM BYRON

Age: 27 (Nov. 29, 1997)

Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

Last Week: 24th (Kansas)

Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle

Standings: 2nd

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No. 24 Valvoline Chevrolet

2025

Cup Career

All-Star Race

Races

264

Wins

Poles

Top 5

Top 10

111

Laps Led

386

3,364

Stage Wins

N/A

Average Finish

10.2

15.0

13.0

William Byron enters this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race second in points and locked into the playoffs via win in the season-opening DAYTONA 500. He is 35 points behind teammate and points leader, Kyle Larson.
Thus far in 2025, Byron leads all Cup Series drivers in average starting position (9.3), and is third in both top-five finishes (five) and top 10s (seven). His average finish of 10.2 ranks second behind only Larson.
This is the fifth consecutive season that William Byron is locked into the All-Star main event. He has a career-best showing of seventh, coming at Texas Motor Speedway in 2021.
This will be Byron’s third year racing at North Wilkesboro Speedway for the All-Star race. He has two career wins at short tracks, both coming at Martinsville Speedway and both in the Gen 7 era (spring 2022 and spring 2024).

48 ALEX BOWMAN

Age: 31 (April 25, 1993)

Hometown: Tucson, Arizona

Last Week: 5th (Kansas)

Crew Chief: Blake Harris

Standings: 8th

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No. 48 Ally Chevrolet

2025

Cup Career

All-Star Race

Races

337

Wins

Poles

Top 5

Top 10

103

Laps Led

110

1,478

Stage Wins

N/A

Average Finish

16.9

19.3

9.8

Alex Bowman earned a fifth-place finish in last Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Race at Kansas Speedway, securing his second top-five result of the 2025 season in the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet.
Bowman currently ranks eighth in the points standings, 144 points behind Hendrick Motorsports teammate and leader, Kyle Larson.
This will be Bowman’s first NASCAR All-Star Race appearance since 2022. He won the fan vote in 2019 and has finished in the top 10 in his last four All-Star Races (2019 – 2022). His best results came in sixth place finishes in 2021 and 2022 at Texas Motor Speedway.
For the Best Friends Animal Society programming, Ally and Bowman will partner with Asheville Humane Society in Asheville, North Carolina, as their selected shelter for this weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
Ally and HendrickCars.com are teaming up again to give fans the chance to win prizes with this year’s “Open Road Sweepstakes.” Fans can win VIP experiences at various races throughout the season and one lucky winner will hit the open road in a Chevy Silverado LT Trail Boss with an Airstream camper. Fans can stop by the Ally Fan Zone to enter the sweepstakes in-person and check out the camper. Fans can also enter at ally.com/sweepstakes/nascar.

HENDRICK
MOTORSPORTS /
Hendrick Motorsports

2025

All-Time

All-Star Race

Races

1,393

40**

Wins

316*

11*

Poles

258*

N/A

Top 5

18*

1,297*

44*

Top 10

29*

2,216*

73*

Laps Led

1,387*

83,699*

990*

Stage Wins

10*

126

N/A

*Most all time
**Tied for most all time

Hendrick Motorsports is the all-time leader in the NASCAR All-Star Race in starts (130), drivers to make a start (23), wins (11), winners (five), top fives (44), top 10s (73) and laps led (990).
Including the All-Star Race, the Clash, the DAYTONA 500 Duel races and the All-Star Open, Hendrick Motorsports has piled up 40 victories in NASCAR Cup Series special events, 12 more than any other organization.
Sunday at North Wilkesboro Speedway will mark the 22nd time all four Hendrick Motorsports cars will start the All-Star Race, 13 more than the second-most.
Hendrick Motorsports has won the All-Star Race in three of the last five years.
So far in 2025, Hendrick Motorsports drivers have combined to lead 55% of laps at short tracks.

QUOTABLE /

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet, on entering Indy 500 prep as the NASCAR Cup Series points leader: “I just think it’s really cool. I think it’s good for our team. I think it’s good for our sport. I think it’s good for racing that the Cup Series point leader is competing in the Indy 500 for the second year in a row. I would say last year was a goal of mine. This year I didn’t really think about it. But I do think it puts even more of a spotlight on us and our sport.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet, on North Wilkesboro Speedway: “This place has been around for a long time. It’s kind of in the heart of NASCAR, with Charlotte being right down road and all that stuff. So yeah, I think it’s a good thing. Personally, I was excited to see that NASCAR or whoever spent a bunch of money to repave the place because that just told me that it was going to be around for a while, and they made that commitment pretty quickly. Yeah, I think it’s all positive.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet, on North Wilkesboro Speedway: “To be honest, we haven’t had great runs at North Wilkesboro the last two years. Last year we never really got a chance after suffering a mechanical issue early on. Hopefully this time around we can actually run the race and be in contention. Our short track program is something we’re trying to work on, so all laps help.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet, on North Wilkesboro Speedway: “I’m pumped that we get to actually focus on the All-Star Race and not have to worry about getting locked in this weekend at North Wilkesboro. It’s honestly a relief. I actually ran my first stock car race there in 2010, on the older surface, obviously. It’s a cool racetrack with a lot of history. I’m looking forward to getting on track and trying to bring home the $1 million.”

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Motorsports

Tony Kanaan gets back on track at Indianapolis, perhaps for the final time in storied career

INDIANAPOLIS — 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 […]

Published

1 hour ago

May 15, 2025

Your Sports Nation

INDIANAPOLIS — 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.”

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.’”

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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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

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