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Ryan Blaney channels ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage for Talladega inspiration

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TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) — His title hopes in danger after an early crash in the opening race of NASCAR’s third round of the playoffs, Ryan Blaney looked for some inspiration heading into a critical race at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday.

He found wisdom in the words of late wrestling Hall of Famer “Macho Man” Randy Savage.

“Unjustifiably in a position I’d rather not be in, but the cream will rise to the top,” Blaney said, quoting Savage about his title chances. “I don’t think there is a person before or after him that could cut promos quite like that guy. If I’m sitting at home and I’m bored — and maybe I’ve had a couple of drinks — I will go watch Randy Savage interviews just because I think it was amazing what was going through that man’s head.”

Blaney is last among the eight remaining playoff drivers and 31 points below the cut line with two races remaining to determine the championship four. Denny Hamlin via his win last week at Las Vegas is the only driver locked into the winner-take-all season finale at Phoenix.

Blaney, the 2023 Cup champion, finished last at Las Vegas to land in this position. He’s joined in the bottom four by Team Penske teammate Joey Logano — combined they have won the last three championships — as well as Hendrick Motorsports drivers Chase Elliott and William Byron.

Blaney and Elliott are the only two remaining playoff drivers who have won in the last nine races at Talladega. Blaney, who is trying to reach the championship four for the third consecutive season, used his 2023 victory on the Alabama track to lift him to the title.

While Blaney has three wins and six top-five finishes at Talladega, he also has failed to finish six of the 22 races he’s run there including the last two. He was in a crash in the spring and finished 37th and was 39th in last year’s playoff race.

When he crashed last week at Las Vegas, it was the eighth time in 33 races Blaney has failed to finish this season. And, if he does win the Cup title, he would have the most DNFs of any Cup champion since the format was created in 2004.

He remains optimistic, though.

“I told myself like, ‘Hey, you can be upset with the Vegas deal Sunday, but when you wake up Monday, we’re gonna be full-on looking forward and heads-up looking forward to Talladega and then what challenges come at Martinsville,’” Blaney said. “I think it gets easier as you get older and your outlook on things change and you’re just trying to look ahead a little bit more.

“I think some of it come naturally and just natural growth, but the other is just having these conversations with myself years ago of, ‘Hey, I want to kind of change this up about me,’ because early in my career I would stew on things a little bit longer. Now I try to just drop things and move on from them, so it’s a little bit of both, but I think that’s the healthiest way I’ve been able to deal with it.”

McDowell on pole

Michael McDowell continued to show his qualifying strength on superspeedways by winning the pole for Sunday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway for Spire Motorsports.

“The pole is awesome, but more important is just knowing you have a fast car for the race,” said McDowell.

McDowell ran his qualifying run in a Chevrolet at 182.466 mph for the eighth pole of Cup Series career. He bettered playoff driver Chase Briscoe, who was second in a Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Kyle Busch qualified third in a Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, while Ford drivers Austin Cindric of Team Penske and Ryan Preece of RFK Racing were fourth and fifth.

Christopher Bell and Blaney were the only other playoff drivers besides Briscoe to crack the top 10 at seventh and eighth.

Over half of the playoff drivers qualified outside the top 10: Byron was 13th, Logano 16th and Hamlin 17th. Kyle Larson was 119th and Elliott 23rd.

Race manipulation

NASCAR has warned that it will be monitoring teams for potential cases of race manipulation, and Talladega is ripe for those situations because Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota drivers all tend to work together to manage the draft.

But Cindric raised another point in that all eight playoff drivers have teammates who are not racing for the title but could be in position to offer an assist.

Hamlin is already in, but his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Briscoe and Bell are not while Ty Gibbs is not eligible. None of the three Hendrick Motorsports cars have clinched, but Alex Bowman has already been eliminated. And at Penske, Blaney and Logano are trying to advance and Cindric, winner of the spring race at Talladega, was eliminated in the second round.

“I have to be an asset to those guys throughout the course of the next two weeks,” Cindric said. “I think the interesting thing when you look at the field and the playoff grid is that there are two cars from two teams which are both sitting below the cut line. So there’s a wingman for each of those, like (Bowman) is in the same position as me, (Gibbs) as well and Hamlin is able to do the same thing for his teammates if he chooses to.

“Once you go down the list it’s pretty even as far as the opportunity to help your company if the opportunity presents itself. This is the type of racetrack where that would happen more than anywhere else.”

Byron crash fallout

Byron had one of the best cars at Las Vegas until he crashed out by slamming into the back of Ty Dillon at full speed. Byron had no idea that Dillon was trying to get to pit road.

The fallout put Byron out of the race, below the elimination cut line, and cost Dillon’s spotter his job.

Joe White said he was fired by Kaulig Racing for the poor communication on the spotter stand.

“Got to Talladega, parked the bus, got fired,” White posted on social media. “In an uber to the airport to go home for the weekend. Also to be clear, it was already determined that I would not be spotting for Ty next year, but that I would still be with Kaulig in some fashion. But not now.”

Dillon and Byron are in disagreement if Dillon’s intent to pit was ever relayed to Byron’s No. 24 team, and White’s account doesn’t exactly add clarity.

“Here is the story of what happened last Sunday. I did in fact go down and tell the spotter of the 24 that we were pitting, and he misinterpreted the information. That’s what happened,” White wrote.

Odds and ends

Blaney at plus-1000 is the betting favorite. … Talladega has hosted a playoff race in all 22 years of the format but this is the first season it is in the third round. … Each of the last 10 Talladega races has been won by a different driver — the longest streak of races at Talladega without a repeat winner. … The driver who led the most laps failed to win each of the last 10 Talladega races, while the eventual winner led 19 laps or less in each of the last nine Talladega races. … If there is a repeat winner or win by a non-playoff driver both Larson and Bell could clinch berths in the championship finale with help from other drivers.

___

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.



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Statement from Doug Boles and Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Greg Biffle – Speedway Digest

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Everyone at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is saddened by the tragic loss of Greg Biffle, his family and those involved with today’s plane crash. Greg made multiple starts in the Brickyard 400 at IMS and achieved several top-5 / top-10 finishes throughout his career here. He was a strong competitor on the track, but his selfless service to others defined the Greg Biffle we were so fortunate to know. His humanitarian efforts to serve his community and those in need, especially in the wake of Hurricane Helene, are truly heroic. Our thoughts and prayers are with his entire family, friends and legion of fans.



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Razgatlıoğlu embraces MotoGP learning curve, eyes Marquez in 2027

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Toprak Razgatlıoğlu is not arriving in MotoGP to make up the numbers – he is arriving with a long game.

The three-time World Superbike champion says his debut season in 2026 will be about adaptation rather than instant glory, with his true ambitions aligned with MotoGP’s regulation reset in 2027, when he hopes to challenge Ducati star and reigning champion Marc Marquez head-on.

Razgatlıoğlu, 29, will join the Prima Pramac Yamaha team next year after clinching his third World Superbike title in October, closing a remarkable chapter in production-based racing.

The move has been years in the making, but the Turkish rider is under no illusions about the scale of the step up – especially aboard a Yamaha package that has been outgunned by Ducati in recent seasons.

“The first year will be a learning year,” Razgatlıoğlu told Spanish newspaper MARCA. “After that, with the new tyres and new rules, I feel there will be a lot of success in 2027.”

He tempered expectations for immediate results but did not shy away from his ultimate target.

“If I can get some good positions, or podiums if possible, I will be very happy,” he said. “I hope to fight with him (Marquez) in some races, but in 2027 my biggest challenge will be fighting with him.”

Career built on disruption

Razgatlıoğlu’s reputation was forged by doing what few riders could: breaking dynasties.

His 2021 World Superbike title with Yamaha ended Jonathan Rea’s six-year reign, achieved through fearless late braking and an uncanny ability to extract grip where others found limits.

His switch to BMW only strengthened his legend.

After delivering a breakthrough title in 2024, he doubled down in 2025, fending off Ducati challenger Nicolo Bulega and sealing the crown before the season finale.

The run cemented him as one of the most naturally gifted riders of his generation – and a rare talent capable of transforming a manufacturer’s fortunes.

MotoGP interest followed for years, but Razgatlıoğlu repeatedly resisted, unwilling to gamble his prime without a credible pathway. Yamaha’s renewed technical push and Pramac’s factory-backed role finally provided that opening.

Yamaha challenge

Razgatlıoğlu will inherit a Yamaha project in transition.

Once the benchmark of the grid, Yamaha has been chasing Ducati’s aerodynamic and mechanical advantages, with Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins struggling to turn speed into sustained results.

Pramac’s move from Ducati to Yamaha marks a pivotal shift, giving the Japanese manufacturer an expanded development base and a proven race-winning satellite structure.

Razgatlıoğlu’s early tests have already underlined both promise and challenge – adapting from heavier Superbikes to MotoGP prototypes defined by carbon brakes, extreme aerodynamics and unforgiving Michelin tires.

Learning tire management, electronic maps and the relentless intensity of MotoGP weekends will define his rookie season.

Why 2027 is the real target

Razgatlıoğlu’s confidence is rooted in timing.

MotoGP’s 2027 regulation overhaul is expected to fundamentally reshape the grid: smaller engines, tighter aerodynamic limits, the removal of ride-height devices and revised tire constructions.

The aim is clear – reduce speed, increase safety and pull manufacturers closer together.

For a rider whose strengths lie in braking, balance and corner speed, the changes could neutralize Ducati’s power-driven edge and reward adaptability over brute force.

Yamaha, along with Honda, stands to gain – and Razgatlıoğlu believes he can be at the sharp end when the reset arrives.

Marquez challenge

Marquez remains the sport’s defining figure.

His 2025 title with Ducati reaffirmed his ability to dominate with the right tools, blending aggression with experience in a way few can match.

Razgatlıoğlu knows the comparison is unavoidable – and welcomes it.

He is not promising miracles in 2026. Instead, he is laying out a trajectory: learn first, survive second, then attack.

If MotoGP’s next era delivers the close racing it promises, the idea of Razgatlıoğlu throwing his Yamaha down the inside of Marquez may no longer feel like ambition – but inevitability.

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Forza Motorsport Is No Longer Receiving New Content

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The latest Forza Motorsport launched in 2023 as a live service game, initially set to be filled out with regular monthly updates that add cars and tracks. This continued throughout its first year and a half, but updates have been more focused on restoring previous monthly content since a wave of layoffs hit core Xbox teams in July. Now, the developers behind the game have confirmed that support for the game is coming to an end.

Word about the shift in the service was buried in a year-in-review post, which featured only a brief mention of the change in plans.

“As our team shifts its focus toward delivering the best possible experience with Forza Horizon 6 in 2026, we do not plan to introduce new cars, tracks, features, or regular bug fixes for Forza Motorsport,” the statement says. “However, we will continue supporting the game by keeping online servers active, hosting special events and competitions, and reintroducing previously released Featured Tours and reward cars on a monthly basis, until all content is available for you to enjoy anytime.”

This is a bad sign for the continuation of the mainline, Gran Turismo-like Forza Motorsport franchise, but the spinoff Horizon series is set to continue with Forza Horizon 6 next year. Microsoft has released few details on what exactly that game will be, but we do know that it is set to be the first Horizon game set in Japan. That detail alone makes it our most anticipated racing game of the new year.

Via CarThrottle

Headshot of Fred Smith

Fred Smith’s love of cars comes from his fascination with auto racing. Unfortunately, that passion led him to daily drive a high-mileage, first-year Porsche Panamera. He is still thinking about the last lap of the 2011 Indianapolis 500.



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Speedway Motorsports Hands Out Annual Awards

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Speedway Motorsports officials, in recognition of exemplary performance and exceptional service on behalf of and its world-class facilities, recognized the 2025 recipients for the company’s O. Bruton Smith Award, Promoter of the Year, Speedway of the Year and the Acceleration Award.

Announcements were made during a company-wide town hall meeting this week as the industry-leading company wraps up a successful year hosting entertainment and motorsports events across the country.

Dover Motor Speedway’s Jim Hosfelt earned the 2025 O. Bruton Smith Award, while Bristol Motor Speedway President and General Manager Jerry Caldwell received Promoter of the Year honors. Las Vegas Motor Speedway was named Speedway of the Year award and Sonoma Raceway earned the fourth annual Acceleration Award.

“At Speedway Motorsports, our goal is to exceed expectations in sports and entertainment by delivering unforgettable moments at every touchpoint,” said Marcus Smith, president and CEO of Speedway Motorsports. “That mission is only possible because of the passion, dedication and effort our teams across the country bring to their work each day. It’s a privilege to celebrate the leaders and teammates across our footprint whose commitment fuels our momentum and helps transform every event into a truly remarkable experience for our fans.”

Dover Motor Speedway Vice President of Safety and Security, Jim Hosfelt, received the 2025 O. Bruton Smith Award.

Established 13 years ago to recognize one employee annually across all of Speedway Motorsports and its subsidiaries, the recipient of this prestigious award is someone who exhibits Speedway Motorsports’ founder O. Bruton Smith’s traits: character, enthusiasm, drive, a heart for helping others, respect and appreciation for team members, vision and determination. It is the company’s highest honor.

Hosfelt joined Dover Motor Speedway in 2014 to oversee the day-to-day security and event-time public safety at the facility. Shortly after Speedway Motorsports acquired Dover in 2021, Hosfelt added the title of Director of Safety and Security for Speedway Motorsports, working as a liaison for NASCAR and federal agencies at events across the company’s portfolio of properties.

Prior to his speedway tenure, the Cumberland, Md. native spent 25 years in law enforcement with the Dover Police Department, where he retired as Chief of Police.

Away from the track, Hosfelt serves as a coordinator for food distribution events conducted by the speedway with the Food Bank of Delaware. An Air Force veteran and graduate of the FBI National Academy, he was elected to seats on Dover City Council (2015-2017) and Kent County Levy Court (2017-2019).

“The contributions Jim makes, the relationships he has across the sport, thankfully it’s a low profile thing, but (public safety) is one of the most important things we do,” said Speedway Motorsports Chief Operating Officer Mike Burch. “We talk about ‘safe, clean and comfortable.’ He’s invaluable to making sure our fans from across the nation are safe when they come to our race tracks.”

“When we finished the transaction to acquire Dover Motorsports, we had no idea what an amazing fit our teams would be,” Smith added. “Jim, specifically, is just remarkable – how he is able to be everywhere and always deliver so professionally. It’s really impressive and he’s made a tremendous impact on our company.”

Recognized for his team’s effort around the Speedway Classic partnership with Major League Baseball and continued success in NASCAR and other secondary events, Bristol Motor Speedway President and General Manager Jerry Caldwell was named H.A. Humpy Wheeler Promoter of the Year for 2025. The annual award, named in honor of the legendary promoter who passed away in August, is chosen by the selection committee and given to the Speedway Motorsports general manager who best displayed the creativity, innovation, leadership and execution that are fundamental to Speedway Motorsports’ way of doing business.

A first-of-its-kind event in baseball, the Speedway Classic saw the highest ticket sales for a single event in the history of Major League Baseball with over 91,000 tickets sold.

“Humpy was known as the PT Barnum of motorsports,” Smith said. “He inspired a lot of people to think outside the box. To name Jerry as this year’s promoter is very fitting as he’s done a great job in leading the team to phenomenal success this year. Bristol has a reputation where people aren’t going to question if something like building a baseball stadium inside a race track can happen – they know it can.”

Las Vegas Motor Speedway received Speedway of the Year recognition, edging out 10 state-of-the-art Speedway Motorsports entertainment complexes to earn top honors 11 of the last 14 years. The award was presented to LVMS President Patrick Lindsay, who replaced the facility’s longtime head Chris Powell upon his retirement earlier this year. The award recognizes the Speedway Motorsports facility with the best overall performance during 2025 in such aspects as fan friendliness, attendance, financial performance, sponsor relations and creativity.

“It’s not easy to grow on an already fantastic performance,” Smith said. “Patrick has carried the torch well and it’s great to have his leadership. It’s a huge effort because everything that happens — from corporate sales to operations and logistics — this team has done a great job and delivered every time.”

For the second year in a row, Sonoma Raceway was honored with the Acceleration Award, which recognizes a Speedway Motorsports subsidiary for significant year-over-year gains across multiple performance measures. The award was accepted by Sonoma Raceway Executive Vice President and General Manager Brian Flynn.

Sonoma Raceway delivered a strong performance in 2025, driven by growing track rental activity in the raceway’s premium Turn 11 facility, along with strategic cost-efficiency initiatives that enhanced operations across the property while maintaining a high-quality fan experience.

“We had multiple speedways that made significant improvements, but we had one that really outdid themselves year-over-year,” Burch said. “They continue to bolster the fan experience, drive down expenses and find new ways to use the speedway to serve their clients.”

 



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Broadcast schedule for 2026 Indy NXT season announced by FOX Sports, IndyCar

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FOX Sports and IndyCar have confirmed the race broadcast start times of the 2026 season for Indy NXT.

For the second consecutive year, the developmental category for the IndyCar Series will have all 17 rounds shown on live television, with 15 scheduled for FS1 and two on FS2. All practice and qualifying sessions will be shown on a combination of FS1, FS2, the FOX Sports App and FOX One.

“Our immersive partnership with FOX Sports has fueled impressive gains across our ecosystem, most especially within Indy NXT by Firestone,” Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles said.

“In 2026, we expect that significant growth to continue with additional races providing even more intense on-track action for our development series. The competition will be fierce for the drivers vying to advance to the NTT IndyCar Series, and FOX Sports’ coverage will provide another remarkable showcase.”

Read Also:

The road to the 2026 championship begins at 10 a.m. (all times Eastern) Sunday, March 1 on FS1 on the Streets of St. Petersburg.

One of the most anticipated rounds takes place two weeks later with the inaugural Streets of Arlington, with the race on the 14-turn, 2.73-mile temporary circuit beginning at 11 a.m. Sunday, March 15 on FS1.

The summer stretch of races at Road America, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Nashville Superspeedway will coincide with FOX Sports’ expansive coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The doubleheader in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, will take place at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, June 20 at and at noon Sunday, June 21, with both races airing on FS1. Coverage at Mid-Ohio’s doubleheader begins at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 4 and at 10 a.m. Sunday, July 5, with both races scheduled to air on FS1.

The television tune-in time for the Indy NXT race at Nashville will be announced in the coming weeks.

The championship concludes with the final doubleheader of the year at Laguna Seca with a race at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5 on FS2, followed by the season finale and the crowning of the Indy NXT champion at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 6 on FS1. It is the 15th time in series history that the legendary and historic track on California’s central coast will play host to the title celebration.

FOX SPORTS 2026 INDY NXT SCHEDULE

Date 

Venue 

Television 

Time (ET)

Sunday, March 1 

Streets of St. Petersburg 

FS1 

10 a.m.

Sunday, March 15 

Streets of Arlington 

FS1 

11 a.m.

Saturday, March 28 

Barber Motorsports Park Race 1 

FS1 

1 p.m.

Sunday, March 29 

Barber Motorsports Park Race 2 

FS1 

11 a.m.

Friday, May 8 

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course Race 1 

FS2 

4 p.m.

Saturday, May 9 

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course Race 2 

FS1 

2:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 31 

Streets of Detroit 

FS1 

10:30 a.m.

Sunday, June 7 

World Wide Technology Raceway 

FS1 

5:30 p.m.

Saturday, June 20 

Road America Race 1 

FS1 

12:30 p.m.

Sunday, June 21 

Road America Race 2 

FS1 

Noon

Saturday, July 4 

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Race 1 

FS1 

1 p.m.

Sunday, July 5 

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Race 2 

FS1 

10 a.m.

Sunday, July 19 

Nashville Superspeedway 

FS1 

TBA

Sunday, Aug. 9 

Portland International Raceway 

FS1 

2 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 30 

Milwaukee Mile 

FS1 

11 a.m.

Saturday, Sept. 5 

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Race 1 

FS2 

6:30 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 6 

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Race 2 

FS1 

12:30 p.m.

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Greg Biffle, Wife, and Two Children Among 7 Killed in Thursday Morning Plane Crash

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A plane owned by Greg Biffle crashed at Statesville Regional Airport on Thursday morning.
Tyler Barrick | Autostock

Greg Biffle, a former NASCAR star who was named to the sport’s 75 Greatest Drivers list in 2023, was killed Thursday morning in a plane crash at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina. A joint statement from the families confirmed that Biffle died alongside his wife, Cristina, their son Ryder, and his daughter (from a previous marriage) Emma, as well as Dennis Dutton, his son Jack Dutton, and Craig Wadsworth.

The tragedy sent shockwaves through the NASCAR community and beyond throughout Thursday as concern lingered due to the lack of confirmation of the identities of those fatally injured.

The aircraft, a Cessna 550 Citation owned by Biffle’s company, GB Aviation, took off from Statesville on an overcast and misty morning before reporting engine trouble and attempting to return to the airport.

The plane crashed during the attempted landing around 10:15 a.m. ET and burst into flames. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has taken over the investigation, and the airport was temporarily shut down as cleanup and investigative efforts continued.

In a heartfelt joint statement, the families described Biffle and his wife as devoted parents and philanthropists, centered on their children and community. They also paid tribute to Emma and Ryder, as well as to Dennis and Jack Dutton and Craig Wadsworth, all of whom were deeply loved. The families asked for privacy and compassion as they grieve and focus on honoring the lives lost.

NASCAR and longtime team owner Jack Roush both released statements expressing devastation over the loss. Roush called Biffle a dear friend and valued partner whose contributions to the team and the sport were immeasurable. NASCAR remembered Biffle not only as a champion and fierce competitor, but also as a generous humanitarian who notably helped North Carolina residents during the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

A native of Vancouver, Washington, Biffle enjoyed a distinguished racing career that included 19 NASCAR Cup Series victories and championships in the Xfinity Series and Craftsman Truck Series. He spent the bulk of his Cup career with Roush Fenway Racing, driving the No. 16 Ford, and made occasional starts in later years across several series. His legacy endures both through his accomplishments on the track and his impact off it, within the NASCAR community and beyond.

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