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Ryan Blaney Breaks Through to Take Victory in Cracker Barrel 400 – Speedway Digest

A season full of near misses and hard-luck finishes for Ryan Blaney disappeared in a magical Music City night. At a sold-out Nashville Superspeedway, with fireworks and cheers washing over him, Blaney was finally able to celebrate a victory. Blaney, driving the No. 12 Ford for Penske Racing, led a race-high 139 laps, earned his […]

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A season full of near misses and hard-luck finishes for Ryan Blaney disappeared in a magical Music City night.

At a sold-out Nashville Superspeedway, with fireworks and cheers washing over him, Blaney was finally able to celebrate a victory.

Blaney, driving the No. 12 Ford for Penske Racing, led a race-high 139 laps, earned his first NASCAR Cup Series win of the year and the 14th victory of his career by taking the checkered flag in the Cracker Barrel 400.

“We’ve had great speed all year — just hasn’t been the best year for us as far as good fortune,” said Blaney, the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion. “The 12 boys are awesome; they stick with it no matter how it goes, and it was great to finish one out tonight.”

Blaney gained top position early by making a two-tire stop, won the second stage after surviving a wave of caution flags and held on through a green-flag pit stop cycle in the third stage to beat Carson Hocevar to the start-finish line by 2.83 seconds.

“I never gave up hope,” said Blaney, who won his first Cup Series race since last fall in Martinsville, a span of 15 events.

“I thought [two tires] was a good call. We drove up to seventh there in the first stage, and I thought two tires were great. I thought my car was really good, and that really set us up for the rest of the race.

“It’s nice that it’s finally happening. It’s time to go celebrate!”

Denny Hamlin, making his 700th career Cup Series start, won the opening stage, led 79 laps and placed third. Defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano, the 2024 Nashville Superspeedway winner, finished fourth and William Byron came in fifth.

For Hocevar, a past Truck Series winner at Nashville, it was his second runner-up finish of the season.

“Proud of this group — proud of this car,” Hocevar said. “At a place that is difficult to pass, we went from 26th to second. It’s good to get a deserved finish for once.”

“Good run for the 12,” Hamlin added. “He just pulled away and stretched it on us.”

Blaney, 31, from Hartford Township, Ohio, averaged 129.068 mph around the 1.33-mile concrete oval, completing 300 laps in 3 hours, 5 minutes and 29 seconds. Seven caution periods took up 35 laps while nine leaders exchanged the lead 18 times, with 25 drivers finishing on the lead lap. The Cracker Barrel 400 was the 2,800th NASCAR Cup Series race.

Chase Briscoe, the fastest Cup Series qualifier in track history, led 51 laps overall before slipping back to finish 17th.

Among other notables, Josh Berry, from nearby Hendersonville, Tennessee, placed 30th while Knoxville, Tennessee, native Chad Finchum finished 35th.

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Motorsports

Gallery: VARAC Vintage Grand Prix 2025

VARAC returns to action this weekend with the Peter Jackson Trophy Races at Shannonville Motorsport Park on Saturday, July 12. The single-day event includes practice, qualifying and two races each for a trio of run groups (VHC – Vintage Historic and some Classic/Modern Classic; CMC – additional Classic/Modern Classic; and Formula Classic – open-wheel). There […]

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VARAC returns to action this weekend with the Peter Jackson Trophy Races at Shannonville Motorsport Park on Saturday, July 12. The single-day event includes practice, qualifying and two races each for a trio of run groups (VHC – Vintage Historic and some Classic/Modern Classic; CMC – additional Classic/Modern Classic; and Formula Classic – open-wheel). There will also be a Peter Jackson tribute Sportsman grid after lunch and an awards presentation at end of day.

As we get geared up for another prestigious VARAC event, here’s a look back at some photos from last month’s Vintage Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.



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The eight remaining drivers in NASCAR’s $1 million bracket challenge

The improbable march of Ty Dillon continues as the bottom seed in NASCAR’s new $1 million in-season tournament advances once again. Dillon has now dispatched both Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski as he moves into Round 3 in the five-week challenge. At Sonoma, Dillon will have another David vs. Goliath battle on his hands as […]

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The improbable march of Ty Dillon continues as the bottom seed in NASCAR’s new $1 million in-season tournament advances once again. Dillon has now dispatched both Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski as he moves into Round 3 in the five-week challenge.

At Sonoma, Dillon will have another David vs. Goliath battle on his hands as he faces Alex Bowman, the lone remaining Hendrick Motorsports driver in the competition. Bowman advanced after a tense battle with Bubba Wallace on the streets of Chicago, which featured a lot of contact and ended with Wallace spinning into the wall.

However, the next matchup is potentially even more interesting as both John Hunter Nemechek and his Legacy Motor Club teammate Erik Jones have survived into Round 3. Nemechek beat Chase Elliott by one position on track at Chicago, narrowly avoiding elimination. And now, it will be a battle between the two LMC drivers at Sonoma.

John Hunter Nemechek, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Toyota

John Hunter Nemechek, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Toyota

Photo by: Chris Graythen – Getty Images

Ryan Preece has been a surprise this season for RFK Racing, and that trend continues in this tournament as he is the last RFK Racing driver left in the fight. He will face Tyler Reddick at Sonoma, who didn’t really have to worry at Chicago as his rival [Carson Hocevar] wrecked out of the Chicago race very early. Preece didn’t have much of a fight either as Noah Gragson had some issues on track.

The final matchup will be Ty Gibbs and Zane Smith. Gibbs has been struggling in 2025, but he just earned an impressive runner-up finish this past weekend. Meanwhile, Smith has been facing his fellow Ford drivers in this challenge until now, beating Chris Buescher by four positions to advance into Round 3. He has been quietly consistent so far, making little noise and staying out of trouble.

Motorsport.com’s bracket was completely busted in the opening round, but hey, we did manage to correctly predict the outcome for six of the eight matchups heading into Chicago.

Now, here’s a complete rundown of the Round 3 matchups for Sonoma Raceway…

Round 3 — Sonoma

Ty Dillon, Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

Ty Dillon, Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Chris Graythen – Getty Images

Alex Bowman (No. 8 seed) vs. Ty Dillon (No. 32 seed)


John Hunter Nemechek (No. 12 seed) vs. Erik Jones (No. 20 seed)


Ryan Preece (No. 15 seed) vs. Tyler Reddick (No. 23 seed)


Ty Gibbs (No. 6 seed) vs. Zane Smith (No. 14 seed)


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Front Row Motorsports: Chicago Street Course Race Report – Noah Gragson, Todd Gilliland, Zane Smith – Speedway Digest

Zane Smith Key Takeaways Stage One: 8th / Stage Two: 25th / Race Result: 14th “14th doesn’t show what this car was capable of, but all things considered this was definitely a step in the right direction for our road course program,” said Smith. “Really excited to take another step at Sonoma and I’m really […]

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Zane Smith Key Takeaways

  • Stage One: 8th / Stage Two: 25th / Race Result: 14th
  • “14th doesn’t show what this car was capable of, but all things considered this was definitely a step in the right direction for our road course program,” said Smith. “Really excited to take another step at Sonoma and I’m really thankful for Vermeer Midwest coming on board this weekend for their first race.”

Todd Gilliland Key Takeaways

  • Stage One: 38th / Stage Two: 38th / Race Result: 38th
  • “This was probably the worst-case scenario for how our day could have ended,” said Gilliland. “We had only made it two laps before the 77 hit the wall and caused a traffic jam. I’m not really sure how that happens but it’s disappointing. Super thankful to have Grillo’s on board this weekend, the “Hot Pickle” scheme was awesome and was definitely a crowd favorite. I wish our day had ended better, but we’ll come back stronger next week.”

Noah Gragson Key Takeaways

  • Stage One: 10th / Stage Two: 24th / Race Result: 30th
  • “During the race, the car didn’t feel quite as good as it had—ride quality was a bit rough, but still manageable,” said Gragson. “Our pit strategy and speed were solid, and things were going fairly well. On a restart, I was racing the 60 hard—he was our competitor for the In-Season Challenge —and ended up tagging the wall again, which bent another toe link. Unfortunately, the repair didn’t go as well as we’d hoped, and from that point on, everything was a struggle. We ended up seven laps down.”

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NASCAR, Publix get tax breaks in Florida. You get higher tolls

The headline stripped atop the Orlando Sentinel’s front page at the end of this past legislative session seemed like it should’ve been accompanied by a sad-trombone sound: “Tax relief collapses as session ends.” Womp womp. Scott Maxwell [ Provided ] It sure seemed sad for taxpayers. The governor and the Legislature’s GOP leaders had spent months promising you tax relief. […]

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The headline stripped atop the Orlando Sentinel’s front page at the end of this past legislative session seemed like it should’ve been accompanied by a sad-trombone sound:

“Tax relief collapses as session ends.”

Womp womp.

Scott Maxwell
Scott Maxwell [ Provided ]

It sure seemed sad for taxpayers. The governor and the Legislature’s GOP leaders had spent months promising you tax relief. But then, Golly Ned, they just couldn’t manage to deliver.

Well, not to you anyway. The special interests, though, well, they got tax breaks galore.

NASCAR scored one on its ticket sales. So did Publix on lease taxes. South Florida casinos even scored one on slot machines.

Much of that was summed up in a follow-up story: “DeSantis signs austerity budget, saves Florida businesses nearly $1 billion in taxes”

So to recap: Business lobbyists scored a billion bucks in tax savings while efforts to provide you relief collapsed.

But wait, there’s one more headline you should see that ran in the Sentinel this past week: “Tolls increasing on Central Florida roadways”

You’d better believe all of this is connected. See, when lawmakers give corporations a pass, someone else has to pay. And that someone is usually you. If the state doesn’t collect enough money for roads, road builders have to find other ways to pay for them.

That is why Florida has more miles of tolled roads than any other state in America.

Many states consider providing free-to-drive roads a basic function of government. Florida gives businesses tax breaks and then forces you to make up the difference one toll at a time, at a rate that’s constantly climbing.

Florida bills itself as a low-tax state. But it’s really a low-tax state for corporations.

While the state doesn’t collect income taxes on individuals  — by order of the Florida Constitution — the state taxes residents to death in other ways.

In Florida, you face above-average sales taxes, hefty property taxes, some of the highest gas taxes in America and the highest number of toll-road miles.

Why? Because a tax burden is like a pie. It must always add up to 100%. So when the corporate share of the pie goes down, yours usually goes up.

And in Florida — where only about 1% of businesses pay corporate income taxes and where lawmakers keep reducing the other taxes businesses pay — your piece of the tax-burden pie keeps getting bigger.

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This past session, the biggest tax break, about a billion dollars’ worth, was given to businesses that previously paid taxes on leases. That tax was nixed after companies like Publix lobbied for years to have their tax bills reduced. In 2023, the Florida-based supermarket chain had five lobbyists pushing to reduce its tax payments.

You can actually make a fair argument that this was a bad tax, since it taxed businesses on money they spend to do business rather than on profits they reap. The problem is that Florida doesn’t collect many taxes on profits. So this tax was one of the few that actually forced businesses to pay anything. And now it’s gone.

Another tax break was awarded to NASCAR, exempting the sales tax levied on tickets to the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Races at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. Some economists say that’s more of a gift to NASCAR than the fans, since ticket sellers can then jack up prices and then keep all of the money for themselves. More problematic in my mind, it’s not a level playing field, since some ticket-selling businesses get this break while others do not.

Gambling interests also scored tax breaks, specifically card rooms and casinos at horse tracks where lawmakers cut everything from the pari-mutuel taxes to the license fees for slot machines.

Meanwhile, efforts to provide direct relief to you, the average taxpayer, went largely unfilfilled with only very targeted sales tax exemptions granted on things like hurricane supplies and purchases associated with outdoor activities. Think bottled water and bug spray.

So you save 24 cents on a can of OFF! while Publix saves a few million on lease payments.

Welcome to Florida, where corporate lobbying is a pleasure.

GOP lawmakers also shot down another proposal to provide tax relief to real-life Floridians when they caved to the state’s tourism lobby and refused to allow counties to spend hotel taxes on services locals need, such as roads, transit, police and affordable housing. By letting tourism interests hoard these tax dollars for themselves, lawmakers force local taxpayers to shoulder the tax burden. You’ve seen the results, as Orange County leaders have repeatedly proposed raising your taxes, partly because state lawmakers won’t let them spend hotel taxes on pressing needs.

Of the two proposals GOP lawmakers had floated to help everyday Floridians — both of which they abandoned — one had merit.

Republican House Speaker Danny Perez’s proposal to reduce sales taxes statewide would’ve added up to real relief on a regressive tax that hits everyone.

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ proposal — to reduce or even abolish the property taxes collected by local governments — was simply nonsensical. It would be like Publix declaring that Winn-Dixie should cut prices.

The real problem is that these same lawmakers can’t afford to give you meaningful relief, because they keep providing it to the corporations that cut them big campaign checks.

So instead of getting relief, you get higher sales taxes, higher gas taxes and yet another toll hike.

©2025 Orlando Sentinel.



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Motorsports

Scott Fischer Enterprises Buys Wisconsin Harley-Davidson Dealerships

Motorsports industry leader Scott Fischer Enterprises has purchased two Wisconsin Harley-Davidson dealerships in Harley-Davidson’s home state. Florida-based Scott Fischer Enterprises owns Harley-Davidson stores across the U.S. and recently acquired Milwaukee Harley-Davidson and West Bend Harley-Davidson. Industry veterans Scott Fischer and John Greene lead the company with 40-plus years of combined dealership experience nationwide. They have […]

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Motorsports industry leader Scott Fischer Enterprises has purchased two Wisconsin Harley-Davidson dealerships in Harley-Davidson’s home state. Florida-based Scott Fischer Enterprises owns Harley-Davidson stores across the U.S. and recently acquired Milwaukee Harley-Davidson and West Bend Harley-Davidson.

Industry veterans Scott Fischer and John Greene lead the company with 40-plus years of combined dealership experience nationwide. They have bought, sold, owned and operated multiple award-winning dealerships across the country.

“We know that Harley-Davidson is beloved in the region and globally, and as a custodian of the brand, it’s our honor to lead the next chapter at both the Milwaukee and West Bend Harley-Davidson locations in the hometown of our parent company,” said Scott Fischer, founder, owner and CEO, Scott Fischer Enterprises. “As long-time Harley-Davidson store owners and operators, we are committed to elevating the Harley-Davidson brand, its focus on lifestyle, community and freedom. We are taking all that we have learned over the years to further engage employees, enhance the culture, build community and grow both dealerships into more customer-focused destination dealerships for Harley owners and enthusiasts to enjoy.”

Milwaukee and West Bend Locations Offer Full-Service Experience

Milwaukee Harley-Davidson is located at 11310 W. Silver Spring Road and offers new and pre-owned motorcycles. The dealership provides a top-tier service and parts department, as well as financing, apparel, events and more.

West Bend Harley-Davidson sits at 2910 West Washington St. in West Bend, Wisconsin. It features new and pre-owned inventory, award-winning service and a wide parts and accessories selection. The dealership also offers the latest Harley-Davidson MotorClothes and branded merchandise.

Rider Training Anchors Local Community Offerings

Both dealerships offer the Harley-Davidson Riding Academy to deliver rider education and skills training to new and returning riders. These Wisconsin Harley-Davidson dealerships continue to serve their local communities through accessible education and immersive brand experiences.

For more information, including store hours, visit MilwaukeeHarley.com or WestBendHD.com.





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Forza Motorsport Series Likely Dead After Microsoft Layoffs, While Horizon Lives On

Get The Drive’s daily newsletter The latest car news, reviews, and features. Last week, we learned of massive job cuts across Microsoft’s various divisions that produce Xbox games. Forza Motorsport developer Turn 10 Studios was among the departments hardest hit by the move, as The Verge reported that the Redmond, Washington-based team lost over 70 […]

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Last week, we learned of massive job cuts across Microsoft’s various divisions that produce Xbox games. Forza Motorsport developer Turn 10 Studios was among the departments hardest hit by the move, as The Verge reported that the Redmond, Washington-based team lost over 70 people from its ranks. The layoffs appeared to have affected key individuals across the whole company, from physics and audio leads to artists, engineers, and community support personnel. And it’s left the future of the Motorsport side of the brand in limbo, following a comprehensive live service reboot with the most recent entry released in 2023.

Late last week, an employee who last worked at Turn 10 in 2016 named Fred Russell posted on Facebook that Forza Motorsport was “shuttered,” but the Forza Horizon franchise “would continue.” The Verge’s report linked above states that the layoffs have left “enough people behind to keep Forza Motorsport up and running,” though that doesn’t necessarily mean that the game will receive new content going forward—just that it’ll stay online. Motorsport got a significant update in May celebrating the franchise’s 20th anniversary, bringing a large number of new single-player events, retrospective races, and, most notably, the return of the fan-favorite Fujimi Kaido track to the series.

Last month, before the staff cuts, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer mentioned the arrival of “the next Forza” in 2026, which would coincide with the 25th anniversary of the original Xbox. It was already assumed that this upcoming title would be a new entry in the open-world, arcade Forza Horizon series, rather than a new Motorsport sim, and the Turn 10 layoffs would seem to confirm that. The last Horizon came out in 2021, after all, and that series is managed by U.K.-based Playground Games, unlike Motorsport, which has always belonged to Turn 10. What’s left of Turn 10 would supposedly assist Playground in building Forza Horizon 6. The Drive has reached out to Microsoft about the future of the Forza Motorsport franchise, and will update this story should we learn anything.

Forza Motorsport gameplay at Nurburgring
The Nürburgring Nordschleife missed Forza Motorsport’s launch, and was added to the game months later. Xbox Game Studios

The latest Forza Motorsport was released to mixed reception in October 2023, with many reviewers and gamers praising its handling and rebuilt circuits, but finding fault with its experimental single-player campaign, performance on Xbox consoles and particularly PC, and day-one bugs. In early 2024, one of many contractors who worked on the game shared his account about a challenging development environment.

Forza Motorsport quickly became one of Microsoft’s tentpole gaming properties alongside Halo and Project Gotham Racing toward the tail-end of the original Xbox’s lifecycle. The first entry emerged in May 2005, three months after Gran Turismo 4 dropped on the PlayStation 2. While it was clearly Microsoft’s aim to compete with Sony’s racing simulator, Forza had a different identity, mostly based around letting players do all the things Gran Turismo refused to—including damaging vehicles, modifying them cosmetically, swapping powertrains, and designing liveries.

Forza Motorsport was the grassroots challenger to the more suave and avant-garde Gran Turismo, capturing automotive subcultures from the 2000s tuner boom to golden-age American muscle and contemporary motorsports. And its soundtrack, largely consisting of Junkie XL arrangements of classic guitar rock jams, was the furthest cry imaginable from GT’s jubilant jazz. The series would arguably hit its zenith during the Xbox 360 generation, with FM3 taking Xbox’s racing sim to new heights, and FM4 arguably perfecting the formula. Since the release of Playground Games’ first open-world Forza Horizon game in 2010, however, the more casual spinoff has eclipsed Motorsport in general popularity.

Forza Motorsport hasn’t managed to quite recapture its magic from 15 years ago—and, frankly, neither has Xbox—but there was always this hope that the series would get back on its feet again, and reclaim its place as a leader in the genre, rather than a follower. That dream is sadly looking bleaker than ever, 20 years and two months since the very beginning.

Got a tip? Reach the author at adam.ismail@thedrive.com

Backed by a decade of covering cars and consumer tech, Adam Ismail is a Senior Editor at The Drive, focused on curating and producing the site’s slate of daily stories.




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