Motorsports

Piastri flips script on Norris in title statement amid Red Bull revival

Oscar Piastri just had his first duel for victory with Max Verstappen, and Verstappen came off second best. They were always likely to come to blows starting alongside each other on the front row at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Both knew it was crucial to claim the apex and the lead to win the […]

Published

4 weeks ago

April 21, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Piastri flips script on Norris in title statement amid Red Bull revival

Oscar Piastri just had his first duel for victory with Max Verstappen, and Verstappen came off second best.

They were always likely to come to blows starting alongside each other on the front row at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Both knew it was crucial to claim the apex and the lead to win the race.

But Piastri got the better start, held his nerve on the kerb and came out on to, even if Verstappen attempted to argue the point by cutting the chicane.

Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every qualifying session and race in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship™, LIVE in 4K with no ad-breaks during racing. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.

Ballsy Piastri move that ‘won the race’ as Max, Red Bull fume

The flashpoint was brief but important for Piastri. The Australian is a clear title protagonist, and Verstappen is a perpetual frontrunner.

Lando Norris took too long last year to keep his elbows out and stand his ground in his battles with the uncompromising Dutchman.

Piastri laid down a small but important marker that he won’t be pushed around in pursuit of the title — a title he now leads.

PIASTRI TAKES THE TITLE LEAD IN BIG TICK FOR 2025 GAINS

For the first time in 5293 days an Australian leads the Formula 1 world championship, with Piastri holding a 10-point advantage over teammate Norris.

The last Australian to sit at the top the title standings was Mark Webber, Piastri’s now manager, on 24 October 2010. Webber took the lead in that year’s Italian grand prix and led through Singapore and Japan before losing top spot in Korea.

Piastri’s broken that 15-year drought with the first set of back-to-back victories by an Australian in more than a decade, dating back to Daniel Ricciardo’s wins at the Hungarian and Belgian grands prix on either side of the mid-season break in 2014.

‘WOW!’ Piastri stuns with Lewis overtake | 00:43

Three victories from four grands prix makes for the best run of form by an Australian since Alan Jones claimed a second place and three wins across the 1980 and 1981 seasons.

“I’m happy, but I think I’m more proud of the reasons I’m leading the championship rather than the fact I am leading the championship,” Piastri said. “It’s been a great start to the year.

“I worked on the things I wanted to work on from last season, and it’s paying off. That’s what’s given me the most satisfaction at the moment.

Norris CRASHES out in Saudi Q3 | 01:19

“Obviously winning races is fun too, but the fact that I feel like I’ve really taken a step up and scoring the most amount of points when we can is the biggest thing.

“It’s still super early in the championship — I want to be leading it after round 24, not round 5 — but it’s a good start.”

After five rounds Piastri has totally flipped the ledger against Norris, the only driver to whom he can be accurately compared. He’s ahead in the championship and has reversed his qualifying deficit into an advantage.

The fact this has come at the opening five rounds of the season is significant. Over the past two seasons his lowest points have come inevitably at the non-European races, held at tracks where his experience gap is largest because most junior formulae race almost exclusively in Europe.

But with two seasons of F1 under his belt, that experience deficit appears to have vanished.

And having been the highest scoring driver through the European leg of last season, to lead the way after the opening five flyaway rounds of this season makes Piastri look much closer to the finished article and like a formidable title contender.

MISERABLE MAX IN PENALTY PROTEST

It didn’t take Max Verstappen long to get the metaphorical bottom lip out after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

“I’m going to keep it quite short,” he said when asked about his race in the pre-podium trackside interview. “I just want to say a big thankyou to the fans in Jeddah. It’s been a great weekend. I love the track.

“The rest is what it is. I’m looking forward to Miami, so I’ll see you there.”

He was hardly verbose speaking to F1 TV about the issue subsequently.

“I think it’s better we don’t talk about it, because we are anyway not allowed to express our opinions on that,” he said.

And to Sky Sports: “To be honest, I think any words towards that is just a waste of time for everyone … the only thing that’s in my interests is looking forward to going home.”

‘F**** lovely’ – Max FUMES after penalty | 01:41

You didn’t have to be an expert in body language to know Verstappen wasn’t happy.

The source of his frustration was the five-second penalty of passing Piastri off track at the first turn.

Pole in Jeddah is on the racing line — that is, on the outside line on the right-hand side heading into the left-hander that enters the chicane.

It means the driver starting second on the grid has a clear view of the apex if they can get a better start than the pole-getter.

That’s exactly what Piastri did, nosing ahead of Verstappen as they reached the first turn.

But then Verstappen pulled out an old trick of his, releasing the brakes to appear ahead as they reached the apex and then cutting the corner under the pretext of being pushed off the road.

It’s a technique that’s worked several times for the Dutchman, but after several run-ins last year, particularly with Norris, and after 19 of 20 drivers lobbied the FIA to reconsider how they policed racing, such a gaming of the rules is now effectively outlawed.

For what it’s worth, Piastri wasn’t particularly aggrieved to be on the receiving end of some Verstappen gamesmanship.

“I knew it was going to be a difficult fight given it’s Max, but I think I did everything I needed to,” he said. “If the shoe was on the other foot, it would have looked identical probably.

“It was good racing and I think it was the right call.”

Max silent in cooldown after Oscar’s win | 01:24

Red Bull Racing principal Christian Horner unsurprisingly had a different view.

“We have this notion of ‘let them race’,” he said. “I don’t know where Max was supposed to go at that first corner.”

‘Let them race’ was an approach taken by race control circa 2021, when the sport allowed some borderline and occasionally outright objectionable racing in an attempt to improve the spectacle.

It’s been gradually wound back ever since in part because of the liberties taken by Verstappen.

But perhaps the biggest takeaway from the incident was that Red Bull Racing and Verstappen opted against taking up the opportunity to give the place back — notwithstanding they had only around half a lap before the safety car was called.

Had Verstappen let Piastri into the lead, then he would’ve had the chance to roll the dice on strategy rather than playing the unsuccessful defensive game that eventually left him locked into second.

“It probably would’ve been better for everyone if they’d swapped positions, but I’m not going to complain; we finished first and fourth,” McLaren CEO Zak Brown smiled to Sky Sports.

BUT RED BULL RACING HAS MADE GENUINE PROGRESS

The idea that Verstappen could have won with strategy isn’t so farfetched given how much closer Red Bull Racing looked to McLaren on race pace this weekend.

Verstappen obviously had the pace to take pole, but the Dutchman didn’t think much of his victory odds on Saturday night given the poor pace in race simulation during Friday relative to the MCL39.

But rather than the obliteration some had expected, the advantage swung from Piastri to Verstappen during the first stint, and in the second stint the gap remained steady at less than five seconds.

Piastri won the race, but there was no real knockout punch.

“I had to work for that one pretty hard,” Piastri said. “Essentially holding my ground [at the first corner] is what won me the race.

“Trying to stay in the dirty air was pretty much impossible today. I wouldn’t have had enough to go and overtake Max. I was struggling at the end of the medium stint.

“Once I had some clean air I could manage the gap a little bit, but I didn’t have too much more left. I certainly wasn’t trying to disappear up the road in case we had a safety car or something, but I couldn’t have just pulled out a bunch of lap time if I wanted.

“At the end of the first stint Max was quicker. That’s obviously not how we want things to look. I think we’ve got some things to work on after this weekend, because the competition is tight and I think they’re getting closer.”

Brown told Sky Sports that he expected competition to remain close.

“That was a very competitive race,” he said. “[Max] has been competitive all weekend. He’s won this year.

“I think this idea we were going to make it a bit boring — I don’t think we’ve really had a boring race yet.”

For Christian Horner it’s even clearer.

“We’ve lost the race by 2.6 seconds [after serving a five-second penalty],” he told Sky Sports. “I think the most positive thing for us was the pace was there — it was a very positive race.”

Verstappen wasn’t willing to buy into the idea that McLaren was truly within reach but did sound optimistic that the team had made some big gains in its understanding of the troubled RB21.

“The positives are that in the race I think we had quite good pace compared to Friday,” Verstappen said. “We improved a lot.”

“I do think we found a really good set-up on the car, but I think this track suits our car a bit better, plus the degradation is quite low.

“I think we know that we still have things to improve on the car. we just need to get a few updates the car to help that.

“I think what we need to try and work on is just being a little bit more consistent overall.”

NORRIS COMEBACK STIFLED BY FERRARI IN SINGLE HAMILTON BRIGHT SPOT

How you judge Norris’s comeback from 10th to fourth depends on your perspective.

You could argue he had the car in qualifying to start from the front row and probably pole. No comeback should have been required.

Alternatively you might put that he gained six places on an afternoon overtaking wasn’t easy.

“I think I’m pleased on the whole,” he told Sky Sports. “I just make life tough for myself, especially when it’s a race like that.

“It would’ve been much easier, a lot more chilled, to just drive up the front, so I’ve got to help myself out a little bit and have better Saturdays.”

But you could also say that a podium should have been comfortably within his reach in a car that was much faster than Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari. Instead he fell just over a second short of the Monegasque, having run out of laps to catch and challenge him for a trophy.

The reason for this marginal underperformance, his first non-podium finish of the year, was twofold.

The first was a superb race from Leclerc — who after a slightly shaky start to the season seems to be back in the groove he enjoyed for much of last year — and excellent execution from the team.

Leclerc ran long on a set of medium tyres — much longer than expected — to give himself a better hit at the hard tyres at the end.

It effectively neutralised Norris’s strategy — similar but switching from hard to medium — and gave him a fighting chance of keeping his nose ahead.

“I think we did the perfect race,” Leclerc said. “Today I don’t feel like there was anything more on the table.

“There were no mistakes. Strategy perfect. Pit stops again perfect.

“Overall it’s been the perfect race, and today I couldn’t do anymore more than P3.”

But Lewis Hamilton in the second Ferrari also played a role in preventing Norris from finishing higher than fourth — somewhat ironic given he was never in contention to get anywhere near the podium.

Hamilton’s big impact came between laps 12 and 15, when Norris was attempting to pass him in his gradual slog up the order before the pit stops.

The Ferrari driver defended relentlessly and cleverly, playing with the positioning of the DRS detection point before the final corner to let Norris through early only to blast back past him into the first turn with his rear wing open.

It took Norris three laps to understand the game and get through, costing him around four seconds.

He finished just one second behind Leclerc at the flag.

It was the single bright spot in Hamilton’s otherwise miserable weekend, the seven-time champion finishing 39 seconds off the lead and 31 seconds behind Leclerc.

“There wasn’t one second [when I felt comfortable in the car],” he told Sky Sports. “Clearly the car is capable of being P3. Charles did a great job today. I can’t blame the car.”

He was even more downcast speaking to F1 TV when asked whether the weekend off before the upcoming Miami Grand Prix would give him a chance to digest the lessons of his opening stanza of races and bounce back.

“If you want to look at it positively, yes, but I mean, honestly, I don’t’ think so,” he said. “It’s not going to make any difference.”

Reality is hitting hard in Hamilton’s Ferrari switch.

Related Topics:big bottom buy car competition f1 ferrari formula 1 happy live motorsports new night revival season sky sports team track try tv watch wow

Up Next

INSTANT REACTION! Ben Whittaker interview after Liam Cameron stoppage win

Don't Miss

Fairfax & Favor expands footprint in the US after strong growth

Click to comment

Motorsports

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

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — It took Tony Kanaan a dozen tries to win the Indianapolis 500, and, much later, four years… INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — 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 […]

Published

12 minutes ago

May 15, 2025

Your Sports Nation

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — It took Tony Kanaan a dozen tries to win the Indianapolis 500, and, much later, four years…

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — 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.”

Adjusting to a new role

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.’”

The drivers’ view

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.”

___

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

Copyright
© 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

Link

Motorsports

Previewing the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro

The NASCAR All-Star Race brings the NASCAR Cup Series to North Wilkesboro Speedway on Sunday, May 18. No points are on the line, but $1 million is up for grabs for the winner along with the pride of joining the list of All-Star winners. Date: May 18, 2025Track: North Wilkesboro Speedway (North Wilkesboro, North Carolina)Time: […]

Published

14 minutes ago

May 15, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Christopher Bell's pit crew in action as they win the pit crew challenge during qualifying at North Wilkesboro Speedway. — Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Ty Gibbs (54) and Alex Bowman (48) lead the field on a restart during the All Star Open race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. — Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Date	Time	Session	TV
Fri., May 16	4 p.m. ET	Practice	FS2
Fri., May 16	6 p.m. ET	Qualifying/All-Star Pit Crew Challenge	FS1
Sat., May 17	5:10 p.m. ET	All-Star Heat Races	FS2
Sun., May 18	5:30 p.m. ET	All-Star Open	FS1
Sun., May 18	8 p.m. ET	All-Star Race	FS1

Link

Motorsports

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 […]

Published

15 minutes ago

May 15, 2025

Your Sports Nation

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.

DON’T MISS:

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.”

Link

Motorsports

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

31 minutes ago

May 15, 2025

Your Sports Nation

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 […]

Published

33 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.”

Link

Motorsports

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 […]

Published

55 minutes ago

May 15, 2025

Your Sports Nation

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).

Young’s Motorsports PR

Link