For the first time in the history of the NASCAR Cup Series, a race was featured exclusively on streaming. The numbers are in and they are solid for the first outing. The Coca-Cola 600 peaked a 2.92 million viewers with over one million watching the extended post-race show, but most importantly, the average median age of viewers went down by seven years.

As NASCAR chases a younger demographic, this alone makes it a huge win. There were around 800,000 viewers from the 18-49 demographic, which is more than any race on cable for the last three years (at least). And while the total viewership is down from the 600 on FOX, which is to be expected, it still beat six of the eight Cup races this year that were aired on FOX Sports 1. 

NASCAR on Prime

Photo by: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

But what made Prime Video a real winner on Sunday night was how they approached the event. The booth was energetic and informative, and they took the event seriously (aside from the puppet segment). You felt the gravity of it, which FOX managed to do quite well for the Indy 500, but it’s something that has been missing from a lot of their NASCAR events. The commercials were minimally invasive and side-by-side was used constantly. Even with William Byron dominating 283 of 400 laps, the middle portions of the race never felt boring as Prime went around the track to find the action. Stunningly, the final stage went without a single commercial interrupting the final two runs of the event — about 64 consecutive laps. 

The addition of personalities like Carl Edwards and Corey LaJoie was a great move while the booth unsurprisingly nailed it between Adam Alexander, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Letarte. And the way they explained things without patronizing the viewer was refreshing as well. They weren’t explaining what stages were or how caution flags at the end of the race work, but they did throw together a highly informative 30-second segment on the fly to explain why Denny Hamlin’s team failed to get their car full of fuel.

The never-ending post-race show

Carl Edwards and Corey LaJoie

Photo by: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

But the post-race show was the biggest breath of fresh air. On cable, NASCAR fans are used to not getting much of a post-race show due to the constraints of that medium. FOX and NBC have their hands somewhat tied in that regard, but Prime took full advantage of that, giving viewers one hour and 18 minutes of post-race coverage where they brought in race winner Ross Chastain and runner-up finisher Byron for full sit-down discussions. Team owner Justin Marks also joined the panel to discuss the big win for Trackhouse. They even interviewed crew chief Phil Surgen in Victory Lane and were sure to tell the whole story of Chastain’s remarkable comeback, fighting from last to first in a backup car to win NASCAR’s longest race.

Speaking on his weekly podcast, Earnhardt Jr. said of the post-race show: “The other luxury of streaming is that the post-race is fluid. If we feel like we’ve got everything done, and everything we can possibly share in 30 minutes, that’s when it’ll end. if it needs to go longer, it’ll go longer. we don’t have an out … And if there was ever so much going on that we need to be on for an hour and a half, they will. That’s the great thing about the post-race.”

Prime purchased a total of five races this year and for fans not willing to open up their wallets just yet for streaming, they could still opt in for a 30-day free trial that covers the entire run on Prime. Around these events, Prime is doing a ton of activation between commercials and highly-acclaimed documentaries like the new ‘Earnhardt’ docuseries, which quickly became the No. 1 trending series on Prime. 

It showed that change is sometimes needed to shake up the status quo, and that’s not a knock on FOX. Just look at IndyCar moving from NBC to FOX and everything FOX has done for the series. Just handing someone else the same ball will result in an entirely different ballgame. So congrats to Prime, who took the expectations for a NASCAR broadcast and hit that ball right out of the park.

5 KYLE LARSON
 

Age: 32 (July 31, 1992)
 

Hometown: Elk Grove, California
 

Last Week: 37th (Charlotte)
 

Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
 

Standings: 2nd
 
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No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet
 

2025

Cup Career

Nashville

Races

13

379

4

Wins

3

32

1

Poles

1

22

0

Top 5

8

127

3

Top 10

9

191

4

Laps Led

851

10,107

264

Stage Wins

8

70

1

Average Finish

11.9

14.0

4.5

Kyle Larson finished the first half of the NASCAR Cup Series regular season as the leader in laps led (851), top-five finishes (eight), stage wins (eight) and playoff points (23). Those eight stage victories are tied with Martin Truex (2017) for the most ever through a season's first 13 events. 
In addition to his top fives and laps led, Larson's nine top-10 finishes and three victories are his most through the first 13 races of any season in his career. 
Victorious in the inaugural Cup Series event at Nashville Superspeedway in 2021, Larson is the only driver to register top 10s in all four races at the 1.33-mile tri-oval. His average finish of 4.5 is best among all drivers with more than one start. 
Larson has won the last four stages on concrete tracks. 
Entering Sunday's race, Larson has won six of the last 11 stages including sweeps at Bristol Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway. 

 
9 CHASE ELLIOTT
 

Age: 29 (Nov. 28, 1995)
 

Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
 

Last week: 6th (Charlotte)
 

Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
 

Standings: 4th
 
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No. 9 Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet
 

2025

Cup Career

Nashville

Races

13

335

4

Wins

0

19

1

Poles

0

12

0

Top 5

3

107

2

Top 10

7

178

2

Laps Led

76

5,602

56

Stage Wins

0

38

0

Average Finish

11.2

12.8

15.5

Chase Elliott heads to Nashville Superspeedway fourth in the NASCAR Cup Series points standings, 84 markers behind leader and teammate William Byron.
The 2020 Cup Series champion is the only driver to finish in the top 20 in all 13 races this season. His average finish of 11.23 ranks third.
Elliott is a previous winner at Nashville, leading 42 laps en route to a victory in 2022.
The 29-year-old driver is tied with teammate Kyle Larson for the second most wins on concrete tracks in the Next Gen era with two. In addition to his 2022 Nashville triumph, Elliott was also victorious at Dover Motor Speedway that same year.
So far this season on tracks measuring 1-to-1.366 miles in length, Elliott has two top-10 finishes in two starts, placing 10th at Phoenix Raceway and eighth at Darlington Raceway. 

 
24 WILLIAM BYRON
 

Age: 27 (Nov. 29, 1997)
 

Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
 

Last Week: 2nd (Charlotte)
 

Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
 

Standings: 1st
 
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No. 24 RAPTOR High Heat Chevrolet
 

2025

Cup Career

Nashville

Races

12

265

4

Wins

1

14

0

Poles

2

15

0

Top 5

6

60

1

Top 10

8

112

2

Laps Led

669

3,647

5

Stage Wins

6

29

2

Average Finish

9.5

14.9

15.8

After capturing the win Saturday in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race, William Byron continued his domination in the Cup Series, winning the first three stages and leading 283 laps in the Coca-Cola 600 before settling for a runner-up result at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
It marked the most laps Byron has led in a race. He has now led 669 laps in 2025, second-most in the sport.
Through 13 races, William Byron has an average starting position of 8.85 and an average finish of 9.54 – both best of the field. He also is back on top of the 2025 driver points standings.
In the Next Gen era, Byron has the most wins in night races with four. 
In four starts at Nashville Superspeedway he has one top-five finish and three top 10s with a best finish of third coming in 2021.

 
48 ALEX BOWMAN
 

Age: 31 (April 25, 1993)
 

Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
 

Last Week: 29th (Charlotte)
 

Crew Chief: Blake Harris
 

Standings: 10th
 
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No. 48 Ally Chevrolet
 

2025

Cup Career

Nashville

Races

13

338

4

Wins

0

8

0

Poles

2

7

0

Top 5

2

42

0

Top 10

7

103

0

Laps Led

110

1,478

9

Stage Wins

0

7

0

Average Finish

17.8

19.3

20.3

Alex Bowman sits 10th in the NASCAR Cup Series points standings, 166 markers behind Hendrick Motorsports teammate and series leader William Byron.
The Tucson, Arizona, native has made four Cup Series starts at Nashville Superspeedway. His best finish at the 1.33-mile concrete tri-oval came in 2021, in which he started eighth and finished 14th. Bowman’s average finish at Nashville is 20.3, with an average starting position of 11.8.
For the Best Friends Animal Society programming, Ally and Bowman will be partnering with Monroe County Friends of Animals as their selected shelter for this weekend at Nashville.
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

Nashville

Races

13

1,394

4

Wins

4

316*

2*

Poles

5*

258*

0

Top 5

19*

1,298*

6*

Top 10

31*

2,218*

8*

Laps Led

1,706*

84,018*

334

Stage Wins

14*

129

1

 
*Most all time
**Tied for most all time

Combined, Hendrick Motorsports drivers have led 1,706 laps so far this season, most of all organizations by 989 circuits and the team's most since 1996. That number accounts for 46% of laps run through 13 races this year. A Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet has led the most laps in five of the last six NASCAR Cup Series races.  
The organization enters Sunday's race at Nashville Superspeedway leading all teams in poles (five), top fives (19), top 10s (31), laps led and stage wins (14), the most stage wins ever through a season's first 13 events.
Hendrick Motorsports is the only team to have at least one car finish in the top five in every race this year with no other organization placing a car in the top 10 in each event. Dating back to last season, Hendrick Motorsports has had a top-five finisher in the last 21 races, the company's third-longest such streak.
With Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott each having a win at Nashville, Hendrick Motorsports has won half of the Cup Series races at the 1.33-mile tri-oval thus far. In addition to having the most wins, the team is also the all-time leader in top fives (six) and top 10s (eight). 
Hendrick Motorsports has won seven of 22 night races in the Next Gen era, the most of any team. 

 
QUOTABLE /
 

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet, on Nashville Superspeedway: “We’ve been good at Nashville, but we haven’t been great, which you need to be to win there. I know I won in 2021, but since then I think we have some more to work on. Hopefully we can qualify well and build off of that.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet, on what makes Nashville Superspeedway a popular venue: “The town has just gotten so popular. I think that there’s just a lot of energy there right now. Nashville is trendy and has been trendy for a period of time. A lot of people are moving to Nashville. The music scene has become as big as it’s ever been, I would argue, in the country music world. So, you have the opportunity to have some big names out at the track. It seems like we all enjoy it. So, I think all those things are good.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet, on Nashville Superspeedway: “Nashville has been kind of OK for us. I feel like the first year, first couple of years we went there, we were super fast. But then last year we weren’t so good, so just got to keep working on that. It seems like it has some mile-and-a-half characteristics, like the guys who are fast at mile-and-a-halves seem to be pretty strong at Nashville, even though it’s a shorter track. So we’ll see. I think we could run well there. Definitely, the expectation is obviously to go there and try to run top five and try to compete for a win. So, yeah, I think it’s just a matter of looking at what we did last year and kind of where we need to be better.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet, on Nashville Superspeedway: “Nashville is a really tough place. The concrete surface makes it feel totally different from most of the tracks we go to. It’s slick, it changes a lot during the race, and it doesn’t give you much forgiveness. But it’s a cool atmosphere with the fans and the city close by. We haven’t had the results we want there yet, but we’re bringing a fast Ally Chevy and hoping to turn that around this weekend.”

Hendrick Motorsports PR

Ed Carpenter Racing is suing former sponsor Milton “Todd” Ault III, whose companies, including BitNile, were carried on ECR’s IndyCar Series entries from 2022-’24. The lawsuit is for alleged non-payment of a seven-figure sum owed to the team.

Reached by RACER, ECR team president Tim Broyles said “no comment” when asked about the matter.

“Yes,” Ault told RACER, confirming the legal proceedings. “I sponsored the team for a couple years, and in 2024 I didn’t think I could really do much for that year. It was important to me that ultimately I had a path to ownership, and in its most simplistic form, they sold the team to someone else. And my deal was tied to the idea that I would have naming rights and I would have ownership, and basically, the team was sold to someone else.”

ECR, which formed in 2011 and made its IndyCar Series debut in 2012, was owned by Carpenter, Carpenter’s stepfather Tony George, and Stewart Reed through the 2024 season when Ault-owned brands adorned the team’s Chevy-powered entries.

At the end of the 2024 season, ECR announced the addition of Ted Gelov to its ownership base. Gelov’s investment into the team, appointment as its chairman and co-owner, and primary sponsorship provided for all of ECR’s cars through his Heartland Food Products Group company coincided with the end of Ault’s involvement with the team.

According to Ault, the funds being sought by ECR are limited to last season’s involvement.

“They’re definitely seeking seven figures,” he said. “And I dispute it because it has to be adjusted based on the idea that I never signed the contract for 2024 because they would never put in writing, other than emails, that I had the path to ownership and to be able to partially name the team.”

Ault hopes to find an amicable end to the lawsuit.

“I love Ed Carpenter, and the 22 years he’s been at Indy and his family and everyone involved,” he added. “They’re all people that I care about, and I would hope to settle it with them, but the reality is, they sold the team to someone else, and there’s no path for me to have ownership there, so they’re going to have to figure out how to settle with me, because I didn’t sign a contract for ‘24 and they specifically wouldn’t give me one with naming rights and ownership. And so they want to get something that they have to adjust for, because at the end of the day, they sold the team to someone else. Now that being said, I’m sure we can settle it.”

After parting with ECR, Ault returned with two racing team engagements where his askROI company serves as the primary sponsor on the No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda piloted by Rinus VeeKay in IndyCar, and the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06 GTP car in IMSA’s WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Ault says the dispute with ECR will have no impact with his ongoing sponsorship programs in 2025.

“Absolutely not,” he confirmed. “I am committed to IMSA, and I’m committed to Indy. I love Indy. I’ve loved it since I was a little kid, and I’m committing to solving the problem with Ed. They just have to be honest with each other about the fact that I have no path to ownership and no path to naming the team.”

The NASCAR Cup Series is headed to Nashville, Tennessee this weekend for the 14^th race of the 2025 season!

But before the racers can rev up their Next Gen chariots and hit Music City’s superspeedway for the Cracker Barrell 400, we’re kicking off our profiles of Cup Series wheelmen with none other than Hendrick Motorsports’ elite driver, William Byron.

Who is William Byron?

Born November, 29, 1997 in Charlotte, North Carolina, William Byron is a NASCAR Cup Series driver who discovered his affinity for racing at just the tender age of six, after watching racing broadcasts on TV. That interest led his father to first take “Willy B,” as he’s affectionately known amongst his peers, to his first race at the acclaimed Martinsville Speedway three years later. Having caught the high-octane racing bug, Byron set out to hone his skills on the iRacingsimulator, capturing 100 wins to accompany his nearly 300 top-five finishes in online competitions. From there, the next step was to get Bryon in a car, which happened in 2012. As a 15-year-old, Byron began racing Legends, amassing 33 wins enroute to becoming the Legend Car Young Lions Division champion.

As he ascended the ranks through competition, Byron enjoyed success with every new challenge he undertook. When he signed with Justin Marks’ outfit HScott Motorsports in 2015 to compete in NASCAR’s K&N Pro Series East, now renamed to the ARCA Menards Series East, he notched a quartet of wins before winning the series championship and scoring the Rookie of Year award.

When he moved to the Craftsman Truck Series under Kyle Busch Motorsports, Byron’s skill in the fast lane powered him to win the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year award in 2016 as well.

William Byron and the Xfinity and Cup Series

His successful momentum paved the way for a smooth transition into the Xfinity Series the following year. While everyone knew Willy B was already a force to be reckoned with because of his innate skill behind the wheel, his heroic, overtime win at Daytona amidst a slew of wrecks proved he also had the other requisite ingredient to be an elite driver: intestinal fortitude. Steady in the face of a revolving door of obstacles on the track, Byron scored three more regular season victories before taking home the division’s ultimate prize of the 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship.

Having climbed all other rungs, Byron’s time to join NASCAR’s coveted top flight came in 2018 after he replaced Hendrick Motorsports’ Kasey Kahne in the No. 5 car before he and that team’s crew moved to the No. 24 car, so his teammate Chase Elliott could claim the No. 9 car. That year, Byron again took home the Rookie of the Year award to become the second driver alongside Erik Jones to score the honor in consecutive seasons in each of the three national series. Now in his eighth year in the Cup Series, with 14 wins and 112 top-10 finishes in 265 total races, including consecutive Daytona 500 wins in 2024 and 2025, Bryon’s flag is firmly planted in the league with many wondering if this season will be his year to take home the grand prize of them all – the NASCAR Cup Series Championship.

What kind of car does William Byron drive?

Having gone from simulator to track in record time with success following him literally everywhere he goes, Byron now drives the No. 24 Chevrolet ZL1 – the brand’s super-charged sixth generation Camaro – in the Cup Series for NASCAR titan, Hendrick Motorsports (HMS). When he participates in Xfinity races, he drives the No. 17 Chevrolet SS, and when competing part-time in the Craftsman Truck Series, he pilots the No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado RST.

Nowadays, Byron, who graduated from Lynchburg, Virginia’s Liberty University, enjoys LEGO’s and snowboarding; counts Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch as his mentors; and he likes to drive trucks when he’s at home. After his father convinced him to buy it, Byron’s first recreational vehicle was a 2006 blue Chevy Silverado with a stick shift that Bryon credits to genuinely helping propel his NASCAR career. While he’s no longer dating Ryan Blaney’s sister Erin Blaney, no matter who’s riding shotgun in Willy B’s ride, they better like country music because groups like the Texas-based Eli Young Band will be the prevailing tunes on his Spotify playlist.

Bob Pockrass

FOX Motorsports Insider

DETROIT — There’s one part of Scott McLaughlin’s Indy 500 that he’ll probably never get over. But there’s another part that he’s already moved past. 

Scott McLaughlin after wrecking right before Indy 500 start

Kyle Larson gave McLaughlin a thumbs up when driving by his wrecked car on the Indy 500 pace laps. But Scott said he’s harboring no ill will toward Larson after the fact.

Larson was on a time crunch trying to compete in and complete both the Indy 500 and Coke 600 races on Sunday. He apparently delivered the gesture as part sarcasm and part frustration over seeing his chances to complete both slip away, thanks to drizzle delaying the Indy 500 start.

The video went viral. 

McLaughlin said Larson texted him. And McLaughlin also took a little dig at Larson in the debate about whether Larson is better than Formula 1 standout Max Verstappen.

“He texted me. We’re all good,” McLaughlin said Thursday, prior to a luncheon to kick off the Detroit Grand Prix weekend. “I’ve got a tremendous amount of respect for Kyle.

“I just love poking s— at everyone, too. So my tweet was a bit of making fun of that whole conversation because that’s been such a big piece. But also, I wasn’t going to let him off the hook with that [gesture] either. That’s the type of person I am.”

McLaughlin said he never felt that Larson’s gesture was vindictive. 

Larson, the NASCAR Cup Series points leader and 2021 champion, had about a 40-minute buffer from when the race typically would end and when he felt he needed to leave for Charlotte. The rain delay lasted about 45 minutes, and McLaughlin’s wreck delayed the start even longer.

“He texted me and apologized and didn’t mean it. And I know he didn’t,” McLaughlin said. “He’s really a respectful racer. And kudos to him for even reaching out. He didn’t need to.

No. 3, Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske Chevrolet, crash on the parade lap during the NTT IndyCar Series 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway 

“He doesn’t care about my INDYCAR [race]. I understand it. They know it’s logistically tough. … Forty minutes is cutting it pretty close to even do it. So maybe the two series need to come together and talk about different times or whatever? At the same time, Indy is Indy and the 600 is the 600, and if you want to run the risk of doing that, that’s up to you.”

As far as his own mentality, McLaughlin said the 2025 Indy 500 won’t be one he will forget. He never took the green flag, and that came a week after he crashed in practice preparing for the qualifying sessions where he possibly could have won the pole.

“I’m not over it,” McLaughlin said. “I don’t think I’ll ever be over it. It’s been a character-building couple of weeks. Definitely the hardest thing that I’ve gone through ever in my career in terms of the 500 race and what happened there.

“I’m obviously replaying events over in my head, but the best thing for me right now is just get back on track.”

McLaughlin has already been back on track — just not in his regular ride. 

He tested a Legends car on Wednesday on the quarter-mile oval on the front-stretch of Charlotte Motor Speedway with NASCAR’s Bubba Wallace and his former Supercars rival Shane Van Gisbergen.

“It definitely took my mind off it,” McLaughlin said. “And we’re hanging out with Bubba, who is a great friend of mine.

“Honestly, I had a lot of people reach out from all disciplines, from NASCAR, some F1 guys, some INDYCAR guys. I got a lot of support, which is really nice and humbling.”

As far as the accident itself, McLaughlin could only be left wondering what he did to deserve spinning out on the pace lap as he warmed up his tires. He hit an inside wall and was out of the 500 before it even began.

Whether there was moisture on the track or not, McLaughlin said he was still unsure.

“You’ll never know if there was or not,” McLaughlin said. “I definitely picked up throttle — not aggressively — but it was coming to 1 [lap] to go, so I was getting warmed up. … It was just unfortunate.”

After the crash, McLaughlin saw his family and even signed some autographs as he went to a suite to watch the race.

“The first bit, I was pretty emotional, but when you go back and you see your kid and see your wife, you realize that’s all you need,” McLaughlin said. “It was definitely a hard race to watch.”

McLaughlin even got a little philosophical when speaking on Thursday.

“I’m a big believer in everything happens for a reason,” McLaughlin said. “Something happened there, and I’ll figure it out, and everything will be good. 

“I wasn’t meant to start that race, unfortunately.”

Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.

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