Max Verstappen reignited his Formula One title defense with a masterful victory at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday, pulling off a daring first-lap overtake and holding off a hard-charging McLaren duo in a thriller that may mark Imola’s final appearance on the F1 calendar.

The Red Bull star launched his assault from second on the grid, outbraking standings leader Oscar Piastri into Turn 2 with a breathtaking move around the outside – a pass that set the tone for the rest of the race and showcased Verstappen at his aggressive best.

“The start wasn’t perfect, but I thought, ‘Let’s send it,’ and it stuck,” Verstappen said. “That move really unlocked the pace.”

From there, Verstappen built a comfortable lead, only to see it evaporate when a safety car bunched the field. But he kept his cool, fending off late pressure to take his second win of the season and Red Bull’s 400th Grand Prix appearance in style. It was his first win since Japan in April.

Behind him, Lando Norris passed McLaren teammate Piastri with five laps to go to claim second – his fresher tires proving the difference in a near-carbon copy of Verstappen’s opening move.

“We had a good little battle at the end,” Norris said. “Oscar’s a tough one to race, but fair. Verstappen and Red Bull were just too quick today.”

Piastri, chasing a fourth straight win, had to settle for third and saw his championship lead shrink. Norris now trails him by just 13 points, while Verstappen closed to within nine of second place.

Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, in his first race in red on home soil, recovered from 12th on the grid to finish fourth after capitalizing on a chaotic late scrap between Charles Leclerc and Williams’ Alex Albon.

Albon complained of being forced wide by Leclerc in a wheel-to-wheel exchange, only for Hamilton to sweep past both.

Ferrari later instructed Leclerc to yield fifth to Albon.

George Russell was seventh for Mercedes, with Carlos Sainz Jr. eighth in the second Williams. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) took ninth, and Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) completed the top 10 after climbing from last following a qualifying crash.

While overtaking was expected to be rare at Imola’s tight, undulating circuit, fans were treated to bold passes, fierce duels, and a classic Verstappen masterclass.

Imola, revered by drivers for its old-school feel and demanding layout, may have hosted its final Formula One race. Its current contract expired with Sunday’s Grand Prix, and while no official announcement has been made, the future looks uncertain.

“If we don’t come back here, it’ll be a shame,” Piastri said Saturday – a sentiment echoed by many in the paddock.

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The fate of the NASCAR All-Star Race largely rests on the whims of Marcus Smith, who is giving few hints about how he’ll deploy a new “Promoter’s Caution.”

It’s the latest goofy gimmick in an event defined by annual format changes designed to goose the competition in the name of fender-banging fireworks. At a randomly selected point Sunday night during the first 220 of 250 laps at North Wilkesboro Speedway, a yellow flag will fly and possibly wipe out a big lead while bunching the field for a race-altering restart.

The decision on when to throw the yellow rests solely with Smith, the president and CEO of Speedway Motorsports, which owns the 0.625-mile track in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina.

“I’ll have a very special mystery guest with a little All-Star Race history of his own to help me out when it’s time to drop the yellow,” Smith said. “Hopefully, we’ll create a little chaos for the teams and some fun for the fans at the same time.”

It’s an attempt to restore some luster to the All-Star Race, which has lost touch with its no-holds-barred origins. The past two events at North Wilkesboro produced runaway victories for Kyle Larson and Joey Logano, who led 199 of 200 laps in 2024.

The most memorable event last year came after the race when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Kyle Busch engaged in fisticuffs after tangling for a mid-pack position. It was a far cry from the furious last-lap battles that once sent an All-Star Race winner to the emergency room (Davey Allison sustained a concussion in 1992 after crashing from contact with Kyle Petty at the checkered flag).

The Promoter’s Caution won’t guarantee a slam-bang ending, but it’s in the vein of an exhibition race with $1 million but no points at stake. While other pro sports have struggled to keep all-star events relevant, Cup Series drivers pride themselves on competing as hard as they would in a race with championship implications — and sometimes harder.

“The All Star Race is not just another race,” Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell said. “Everybody is more aggressive than a normal Sunday Cup race. Everyone has that win it or wear it attitude, and it races differently because of that.”

A sense of resignation from the All-Star Race’s annual format overhauls also makes it easier to accept the inanity of a random yellow.

“I have a hard enough time keeping up with all of the different format stuff,” Team Penske’s Austin Cindric said. “It doesn’t really bother me that much that we’re going to have a Promoter’s Caution because, unless I’m the caution, I can’t control it in any way. It’s just the racing gods, but maybe they’re on earth this time.”

Though its timing could cost him a win, Logano is fine with the Promoter’s Caution because “the All-Star Race presents the opportunity to try things outside of the box.

“I don’t think we should have a Promoter’s Caution in points-paying events,” he said. “But in this case, we do something different. It’s something everyone can talk about. And I just don’t know what they’re going to do. Are they going to put Marcus in the flag stand, and he’s just going to throw a yellow flag?”

The son of late NASCAR Hall of Famer Bruton Smith, who once lobbied for random yellows as the most bombastic promoter in Cup history, is coy about how the Promoter’s Caution will be unveiled.

“I’ve had no shortage of NASCAR experts from inside and outside of the garage giving me advice on what to do,” Marcus Smith said. “I’ve got a couple of scenarios in mind depending on what’s happening with the race. Or I could just go spur of the moment with my gut.”

Odds and ends

Christopher Bell (+350) is the BetMGM Sportsbook favorite, followed by pole-sitter Brad Keselowski (+600), Logano (+650), two-time defending Daytona 500 winner William Byron (+700) and Denny Hamlin (+800). Kyle Larson, who will start last after missing practice and qualifying while attempting to make the Indy 500, is listed at +1000. … Keselowski and Bell were the winners Saturday of the two 75-lap heat races that set the starting lineup for the All-Star Race. Keselowski already was guaranteed the top starting spot for Sunday night’s main event after qualifying on the pole position Friday. Bell will start second Sunday, followed by Ross Chastain, Logano and Byron. … After sitting essentially dormant for more than 35 years, North Wilkesboro Speedway is playing host to its third consecutive All-Star Race since a $20 million makeover. Keselowski wants to move a points race from Charlotte Motor Speedway’s “Roval” layout to North Wilkesboro Speedway and shift the All-Star Race back to Charlotte’s 1.5-mile oval (the host from 1987-2019). “This needs to be a points racetrack,” Keselowski said of North Wilkesboro. “I’m very strong about the Roval has got to go.”

AP Auto Racing Writer Jenna Fryer in Indianapolis contributed to this report.

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

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

INDIANAPOLIS — Scott McLaughlin crashed his Team Penske car in Sunday afternoon practice and ruined his chance to repeat last year’s Indianapolis 500 pole-winning run.

McLaughlin qualified Saturday inside the top 12 and was eligible to run for the pole later Sunday. But he spun at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and immediately lifted both hands to his helmet as he braced for impact with the Turn 2 wall.

The New Zealanders’ car was destroyed and Team Penske said they’d slot him at 12th and not even attempt a qualifying run Sunday. The car the team was working on for McLaughlin is Penske’s backup speedway car and had been earmarked for teammate Josef Newgarden to use in next week’s pit crew competition.

McLaughlin, who last year led a Penske sweep of the front row in qualifying, was clearly deflated after he was released from the medical center.

“I’m OK, I’m just really, really, really, really, really sorry for everyone at Team Penske,” McLaughlin said. “It was talking to me and I sort of felt it, and I probably should have backed out, but you’re trying to complete a run to see what it feels like and was it worth the risk? Probably wasn’t. I’m incredibly sad.”

He said he felt fortunate the car did not go airborne into the catchfence, but the crash did cause damage to the track surface that IMS workers were fixing during a stoppage created by his wreck.

“They can build a new car for me, but I’m just really gutted more than anything,” McLaughlin said. “It’s hard to take, like you wish it was for something, but it was for nothing, right? In practice.”

McLaughlin was also rattled to see his wife crying after his crash out of concern for him.

“They’re nervous about me,” he said. “I wanted to get out of the car straight away just so she knew I was OK.”

There have been three hard crashes in the last two days at Indianapolis. Marcus Armstrong and Colton Herta both crashed Saturday and Armstrong has to qualify Sunday for the field of 33 using a road and street course backup car. Herta qualified inside the top 30 to lock himself into the field once his car was ready for qualifying.

Originally Published: May 18, 2025 at 2:23 PM CDT

It is NASCAR’s All-star Race weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway, and officials want fans to know some important tips about parking around the track.

North Wilkesboro Speedway officials say fans should prepare for three things: plan to carpool, arrive early and buy your parking tickets online.

Carpooling cuts down on the number of cars entering the speedway. Arriving early helps cut down on traffic due to so many events, such as fan zone autograph sessions and concerts happening on the speedway grounds. Purchasing your parking ticket in advance can save you time.

“When you buy your parking ahead of time online, you can download that pass directly to your phone before you get here,” said Scott Cooper, with North Wilkesboro Speedway. “Then you can follow the Waze app and plug in your actual parking lot, and it will take you to the best route to get to your parking lot no matter what’s happening to the traffic circumstances.”

State highway patrol will be directing traffic at the speedway.

Lots 2 and 5 are available for fans to park.

Keep in mind, lot 2 is grass surface parking located northwest of the speedway, just off Speedway Road near gate one and the fan zone. Lot 5 is also grass surface parking, but located south of the speedway across Highway 421.

Fans parking in lot 5 can use the newly installed pedestrian bridge over 421 to get to the speedway.

We are told parking fees start at $27 — depending on the type of parking pass you have.

North Wilkesboro, NC – The NASCAR All-Star Race, one of the sport’s most prestigious exhibition events, returns to North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 18, 2025, marking the third straight year the historic short track hosts the 41st running of the $1 million spectacle. As the eighth time the All-Star Race ventures outside its traditional home at Charlotte Motor Speedway, anticipation is high for a thrilling showcase of NASCAR’s top talent.

A Star-Studded Field

Twenty-three drivers are set to compete in the 250-lap main event, with 20 already qualified based on their status as 2024 or 2025 race winners, past All-Star Race winners, or full-time NASCAR Cup Series champions. Three additional drivers will transfer from the 100-lap All-Star Open, including the top two finishers and the winner of the fan vote, a title claimed by Noah Gragson in 2023 and 2024. Harrison Burton stands out as the only driver making his All-Star Race debut, adding a fresh face to the high-stakes competition.

The field boasts six past All-Star Race winners: Kyle Larson (2019, 2021, 2023), Joey Logano (2016, 2024), Ryan Blaney (2022), Chase Elliott (2020), Kyle Busch (2017), and Denny Hamlin (2015). Larson, with three wins in the last six years, is tied for the second-most All-Star victories behind Jimmie Johnson’s four. Logano, fresh off his 2024 triumph, carries momentum with a record-setting streak of 10 consecutive top-10 finishes in the event.

Hendrick and Penske Dominate

Recent history favors Hendrick Motorsports and Team Penske, who have split the last five All-Star Races. Hendrick’s 11 victories lead all organizations, with Larson and Elliott contributing to their recent success. Penske’s Logano and Blaney have kept pace, securing Ford’s three wins in the last seven races. Meanwhile, Toyota remains winless since 2017, with Chevrolet claiming four victories in the same span.

Format and Storylines

The 2025 All-Star Race format features 250 laps with a mandatory caution around lap 100 and a promotional caution option before lap 220, ensuring strategic pit stops and restarts. Qualifying for both the All-Star Heat Races and the Open includes a unique three-lap session with a four-tire pit stop on lap two, doubling as the Pit Crew Challenge. Christopher Bell’s No. 20 crew, winners of the $100,000 bonus and trophy in 2023 and 2024, are favored to three-peat, having posted times of 13.012 and 13.223 seconds, respectively.

Two 75-lap Heat Races set the All-Star Race starting lineup, with Heat 1 determining the inside row and Heat 2 the outside. The All-Star Open offers a 100-lap path for non-qualified drivers, with cautions around lap 50 and overtime rules in play. The pole position has proven advantageous, producing seven All-Star Race wins, including Logano’s 2024 victory and Larson’s 2021 triumph.

Championship Implications

The All-Star Race has become a harbinger of championship success, with the winner capturing the Cup Series title in three of the last five years and 13 times overall. All nine winners since 2016 are Cup champions, raising the stakes for drivers like Larson, Logano, and Blaney. Brad Keselowski, however, remains a driver to watch. With 16 All-Star starts and three runner-up finishes—tied for the most without a win—he’s due for a breakthrough.

North Wilkesboro’s Revival

North Wilkesboro Speedway, revitalized after years of dormancy, has embraced its role as the All-Star Race host since 2023. The track’s gritty, short-track racing style has produced memorable moments, though rain canceled the 2023 Heat Races, where Daniel Suarez and Chris Buescher claimed victories. Fans and drivers alike praise the facility’s blend of nostalgia and modern upgrades, making it a fitting stage for NASCAR’s showcase event.

As the 2025 All-Star Race approaches, all eyes are on whether Larson can add a fourth win, if Logano can extend his top-10 streak, or if a new face like Burton can steal the spotlight. With a $1 million prize, a passionate fanbase, and championship implications, North Wilkesboro is poised to deliver another unforgettable chapter in NASCAR history.