Kyle Novak, longtime race director for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone, has been re-elected to serve on the FIA International Court of Appeal and the FIA International Tribunal.

Novak was initially elected in 2022 and has completed his first four-year term. His re-election marks the beginning of a second four-year term following a Dec. 12 vote at the FIA General Assembly in Uzbekistan.

He was appointed by ACCUS (Automobile Competition Committee for the United States). That group was founded in 1957 and serves as the official liaison of the U.S. sanctioning bodies to the FIA.

The appointment places Novak among just 36 judges worldwide, a group composed of motorsports and sports attorneys from across the globe. Typically, each country is limited to no more than two representatives. Novak is one of two appointed from the United States, alongside Gary Crotty, legal counsel for NASCAR.

“My participation on this court provides me the opportunity to interact with some of the finest motorsports legal minds in the world,” Novak said. “Our days are filled with discussions on some of the most intricate topics in motorsports governance.

“These cases provide the backbone for future motorsports governance, both internationally and here in the United States. While FIA statutes are not binding on our championship, INDYCAR must constantly adapt to meet the challenges of an ever-evolving global motorsports landscape.”

The FIA International Tribunal serves as the first-instance judicial body and hears disciplinary matters brought before it by the FIA president. The FIA International Court of Appeal functions as the final appellate authority, reviewing decisions issued by stewards and other FIA sporting and disciplinary bodies, including the International Tribunal.

Serving on the FIA’s International Court of Appeal and International Tribunal is widely regarded as the motorsports equivalent of the United States Supreme Court – the final court of last resort once all internal FIA appeals have been exhausted.

An attorney who passed the bar in Michigan, Novak (photo, above) is the sole representative from the NTT INDYCAR SERIES among the FIA judges.

Novak said it’s an honor to represent the series when hearing cases or attending annual conferences, noting everyone involved is a racing fan. As an example, he recalled having breakfast last fall in Paris with a Spanish colleague who knew everything about the NTT INDYCAR SERIES through following four-time series champion Alex Palou, who also hails from Spain.

“I was initially surprised by the high level of interest in INDYCAR from my colleagues,” Novak said. “That interest demonstrates the global reach INDYCAR has. I hope my involvement on this court continues to raise awareness and further strengthen INDYCAR’s status as a premier motorsports sanctioning body.”

Over the past several years, Novak has heard cases involving competitors and member clubs across multiple disciplines, including sports car racing and karting, as well as a case between a member club and the FIA itself. All proceedings are conducted in person, either in Geneva or at FIA headquarters in Paris.

Novak said the experience has produced a direct impact on his officiating duties in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

“Even in cases where I’m not sitting as a judge, we receive all the correspondence, which allows us to observe how regulations are written and how much litigation can arise from their interpretation and application,” Novak said. “Whenever we hear a case, I’m always thinking about how a similar situation might play out at INDYCAR.

“Some of these matters can be surprisingly small. One karting case involved a competitor making an obscene gesture, which resulted in a full-weekend disqualification. Seeing how other sanctioning bodies handle situations like that immediately makes you ask: ‘What would we do here? If it were appealed, how would it turn out? Are our regulations strong enough to handle it, and if not, how can we improve them?’

“Everything I learn in this role can be applied directly back to INDYCAR.”

Chandler Smith is returning to the NASCAR Truck Series in 2026. Smith will return to Front Row Motorsports to drive the No. 38 truck during the 2026 Truck Series season, the team announced. The Front Row Motorsports driver will keep Jon Leonard as his crew chief for the second straight year.

In 2025, Smith earned two wins, five top-5 finishes, 16 top-10 finishes, an 11.8 average finishing position, and an eighth-place finish in the point standings. The driver of the No. 38 truck was eliminated in the Round of 10 finale at New Hampshire Motor Speedway after significant issues in the first two events.

Front Row Motorsports will bring back the same lineup with Smith and Layne Riggs driving their entries. The No. 38 team was a last-second announcement for 2025, so expectations are higher going into 2026. Smith hopes to be on the same level as Riggs with eyes on a Truck Series championship.

JR Motorsports has a brand new sponsor for the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Series season. Arby’s is switching NASCAR teams from Rick Ware Racing to JR Motorsports starting in 2026, the team announced. Arby’s sponsored Cody Ware’s No. 51 Cup car throughout the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.

In 2026, Arby’s will sponsor Carson Kvapil, Justin Allgaier, and Sammy Smith for a total of eight races. Kvapil will have support from the company at EchoPark Speedway, Rockingham Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, and Chicagoland Speedway. Smith will have Arby’s at Talladega Superspeedway, San Diego, and the Charlotte ROVAL. Finally, Allgaier will have one race with Arby’s at Darlington Raceway.

JR Motorsports inked a multi-year deal with Arby’s, so the food company will stick around the O’Reilly Series for several seasons. Arby’s had a great time sponsoring Rick Ware Racing in the Cup Series, but it hopes to find victory lane with JR Motorsports at some of NASCAR’s greatest race tracks in 2026.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Dec. 16, 2025) – JR Motorsports today announced that Arby’s, the leading destination for a high-quality meat-fueled menu with more than 3,500 restaurants in six global markets, has teamed up with JRM and Dirty Mo Media for a multi-year, multi-faceted partnership. As part of this new agreement, Arby’s will be featured as the primary partner for eight NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series events in 2026 with drivers Carson Kvapil, Sammy Smith and Justin Allgaier, as well as serving as a season-long associate onboard Allgaier’s No. 7 Chevrolet. Additionally, Arby’s will have a personal service agreement with JRM owner and NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr.

“It’s an exciting opportunity to have Arby’s partner up with our companies,” said Earnhardt Jr. “Arby’s is very aggressive with their activation and we pride ourselves on being a tremendous asset when it comes to offering a variety of unique marketing platforms, so I’m looking forward to how we can work together to continue to grow their business.”

“We’re thrilled to begin this multi-year partnership with JRM and Dirty Mo Media,” said Jeff Baker, Chief Marketing Officer at Arby’s. “Arby’s has always been about delivering high-quality, impactful experiences with speed. Joining forces with such respected organizations in the racing community allows us to connect with NASCAR fans in meaningful new ways – both on and off the track. Plus, Arby’s food makes everything better and can’t wait to deliver with JRM and Dale Jr. all season long.”

Arby’s kicks off their first race as a primary partner for JRM with Kvapil and the No. 1 Chevrolet at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Feb. 21. In total, Arby’s will be onboard Kvapil’s Chevrolets for four events during the 2026 season, Smith’s No. 8 Chevrolet for three events and Allgaier’s No. 7 Chevrolet for one event.

Be sure to catch Kvapil and the No. 1 Arby’s Chevrolet hit the track at Atlanta on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 5:00 p.m. ET on CW, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

ABOUT ARBY’S:

Arby’s, founded in 1964, is a leading destination for high-quality meat-crafted sandwiches, with more than 3,500 restaurants in six global markets. Arby’s is part of the Inspire Brands family of restaurants. For more information, visit Arbys.com and InspireBrands.com.

ABOUT JR MOTORSPORTS:

JR Motorsports is the racing operation co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Fame member and 15-time Most Popular Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kelley Earnhardt Miller and NASCAR Hall of Famer Rick Hendrick. Now in its 25th year of overall competition, JR Motorsports competes in multiple divisions, including the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series where it currently fields four full-time teams and earned championships in 2014, 2017, 2018 and 2024. The company also owns seven titles in regional Late Model divisions with consecutive championships in 2022-23 and a prized national title in 2020. To learn more about the organization, its drivers and its sponsorship opportunities, visit www.jrmracing.com.

23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports were the only two of 15 NASCAR Cup Series teams that did not sign the new charter agreement late in the 2024 season, and they proceeded to file an antitrust lawsuit against the sanctioning body.

While the sides finally settled out of court, ending a 15-month fiasco that most fans were tired of hearing about, the consensus has been that the teams got what they want, particularly thanks to the influence of Michael Jordan, whereas NASCAR and its executives were the ones left with their tails between their legs.

All things considered, this was always the most likely outcome; it was just a matter of how much time it took, and whether or not the decision was made in or out of court. Fortunately, all parties finally came to their senses, after months and months of seemingly going in circles.

23XI Racing, Front Row get their charter status back

One of the big wins for the teams is that charters have become permanent, and 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, which a judge ruled in July would no longer be allowed to use charters as the lawsuit unfolded, have received an undisclosed amount of money after losing a significant amount of revenue during their 16 races operating as non-chartered (open) teams to wrap up the 2025 season.

The future of charters was in question as the sport proceeded with just 30 chartered teams, even as they made an abrupt rule change (to save themselves from embarrassment) to ensure that 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports remained locked into every race, despite not receiving the financial benefit of the chartered teams.

But now NASCAR is once again indeed set to have 36 chartered teams in 2026, with the six 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports teams that spent the final three and a half months of the 2025 season as open teams set to regain their charter status.

Those teams include the No. 23, No. 35, and No. 45 23XI Racing teams of Bubba Wallace, Riley Herbst, and Tyler Reddick, respectively, and the No. 4, No. 34, and No. 38 Front Row Motorsports teams of Noah Gragson, Todd Gilliland, and Zane Smith, respectively.

No driver changes are expected at either of these two teams. There had specifically been rumors about Reddick having a contract which required him to compete in a chartered car, but that is obviously no longer an issue.

These six cars have not been chartered cars since the mid-July race at Sonoma Raceway, which was the 20th of 36 points races on the 2025 schedule.

Toyota’s 23XI Racing expanded from two to three cars before the 2025 season, and Ford’s Front Row Motorsports did the same. Both acquired a charter from Stewart-Haas Racing, which shut down after the 2024 campaign.

One other charter went to Trackhouse Racing, which also expanded from two to three cars, and another was retained by Stewart-Haas Racing co-owner Gene Haas for his new Haas Factory Team.

Pirelli Motorsport has a vacancy for a Trackside Engineer.

You will be analysing and interpreting race data for Pirelli and allocated motorsport teams and producing clear, accurate and factual reports within required timeframes.

Candidates must have a minimum of three years’ experience within a motorsport environment.

Mission 44 is looking for a Senior Impact Manager, Motorsport Engagement.

The purpose of this role is to develop and maintain strategic relationships with motorsport employers to support young people from underrepresented backgrounds into early career opportunities.

You will have experience working in the motorsports sector and/or F1, with a strong network of connections.

Applications close on the 9 January 2026.

Join Chicane, a specialist Aston Martin car restoration, engineering and service company, as a Managing Director.

Aspects of this role will focus on automotive expertise in high-end marques, leadership and team management, strategic and operational management, business development and client relations, financial oversight and brand and reputation management.

Successful candidates will have at least 10 years’ experience of working in the high-end classic automotive sector.

The FIA has an opening for a Head of Circuit Racing and Historics based at their Geneva offices.

This position will see you driving the development of global racing categories, such as GT, Touring Car, Truck Racing and Historic Motorsport, shape championship architectures and ensure the highest level of governance in sporting regulations.

You will have a minimum of 10 years’ experience in the motorsport industry, having attained a position such as Sporting Manager, Team Principal or Sporting Director.

Applications close 4 January 2026.

The McLaren F1 Team is recruiting a Junior Project Manager.

You will be assisting the design team with scoping projects and allocating resources, helping to develop design plans, mapping interdependencies across multiple teams and helping to create and maintain dashboards and planning tools.

The ideal candidate will have a degree in Engineering or a related discipline.

We want to hear from you!

– The Autosport.com Team