Sub Kyle Larson Earns NASCAR Xfinity Series Win at Texas
Kyle Larson was subbing for injured Connor Zilisch in the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. The victory was Larson’s second of the Xfinity Series season, his second at Texas and the 17th of his career. Larson pulled away to win by 1.265 seconds over Taylor Gray, who surged from fourth to second in the final […]
Kyle Larson was subbing for injured Connor Zilisch in the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet.
The victory was Larson’s second of the Xfinity Series season, his second at Texas and the 17th of his career.
Larson pulled away to win by 1.265 seconds over Taylor Gray, who surged from fourth to second in the final two laps.
Crew chief Mardy Lindley called his shot.
“We’ve got to stop to win,” Lindley radioed to driver Kyle Larson, subbing for injured Connor Zilisch in the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet.
Lindley was right. Larson made a late pit stop and proceeded to win Saturday’s Andy’s Frozen Custard 300 at Texas Motor Speedway in two overtimes.
The victory was Larson’s second of the season, his second at Texas and the 17th of his career, with Larson charging from the seventh position on a Lap 194 restart—behind six cars that stayed out on older tires—to win in two extra periods.
On Lap 188, Larson was cruising to a probable win with a lead of more than six seconds when Corey Day—in the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Larson drove to a dominating win at Bristol in mid-April—hit the tire barrier on the inside of Turn 3 to cause the ninth of 11 cautions.
Kyle Larson has won nine of the 17 NASCAR Xfinity Series races he’s started since 2018.Kenneth Richmond – Getty Images
That’s when Lindley made the call to bring Larson to pit road, and ultimately it paid off. After moving from third to second on the first overtime restart, Larson took the lead from defending race winner Sam Mayer in the second overtime and pulled away to win by 1.265 seconds over Taylor Gray, who surged from fourth to second in the final two laps.
“It was a lot of survival, I felt like in that race,” Larson said. “I got in some wrecks, the balance we had to work on quite a bit. So, it was fun. I felt like if I could ever get the lead, I could stretch it out, but I couldn’t get by Justin (Allgaier). He was running where I needed to be.
“Thanks to JRM for letting me come run this thing here today. Obviously, I wish Connor was in the car, but it means a lot that they thought of me to call up to run this thing.”
As Larson worked his way through the field twice—once from the 20th starting position and again after an uncontrolled tire penalty sent him to the rear after the first stage break—Allgaier led a race-high 99 laps and kept Larson at bay until a cycle of green-flag pit stops in the final stage scrambled the running order.
It was during that cycle that Allgaier’s race came to an untimely end. Running 12th after pitting on Lap 153, Allgaier closed fast on the No. 5 Chevrolet of Kris Wright near the exit from Turn 4.
Wright failed to hold the bottom lane and drifted up the track into Allgaier’s line. Allgaier made a move toward the inside but couldn’t avoid Wright’s car. The No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet slammed into the outside wall in the tri-oval, slid down onto the infield grass and ended the race on a wrecker.
Allgaier, who had lost position to Larson during the pit sequence, was gracious in his assessment of the wreck that ended his day.
“The hard part is, ultimately it falls on my shoulders,” Allgaier said. “We’d about gotten crashed a couple laps before the green-flag stop there, and I think they had some damage and he (Wright) was having a bit of a tough time with his race car, and I’m trying to catch back to the 88 and trying to push and ultimately put myself in a bad position…
Justin Allgaier battled with Kyle Larson early before a wreck sent him home early.James Gilbert – Getty Images
“Kyle and I had a great battle, and I was having a lot of fun with it. Obviously, the guy’s ultra-fast in anything that he drives… I think probably the most disappointing part about today is that it’s my mom’s birthday. I would love to get a trophy and celebrate her birthday with that, but instead I’m standing here talking to you guys.”
Allgaier’s exit opened the door for Mayer, Gray, Austin Hill and Nick Sanchez. Driving the No. 48 Big Machine Racing Chevrolet, Sanchez ran consistently in the top five until the second overtime, when he hit the wall and dropped to 20th at the finish.
Riley Herbst finished third after restarting sixth in the final overtime, with Hill coming home fourth, Mayer fifth and Harrison Burton sixth. Jesse Love, Ryan Sieg, Brandon Jones and Jeb Burton completed the top 10.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Andy’s Frozen Custard 300
Texas Motor Speedway
1. (20) Kyle Larson(i), Chevrolet, 208.
2. (12) Taylor Gray #, Toyota, 208.
3. (27) Riley Herbst(i), Toyota, 208.
4. (1) Austin Hill, Chevrolet, 208.
5. (7) Sam Mayer, Ford, 208.
6. (5) Harrison Burton, Ford, 208.
7. (3) Jesse Love, Chevrolet, 208.
8. (31) Ryan Sieg, Ford, 208.
9. (21) Brandon Jones, Toyota, 208.
10. (4) Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, 208.
11. (9) Daniel Dye #, Chevrolet, 208.
12. (10) Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, 208.
13. (35) William Sawalich #, Toyota, 208.
14. (34) Parker Retzlaff, Chevrolet, 208.
15. (8) Matt DiBenedetto, Chevrolet, 208.
16. (33) Corey Day, Chevrolet, 208.
17. (18) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 208.
18. (22) Sammy Smith, Chevrolet, 208.
19. (13) Carson Kvapil #, Chevrolet, 208.
20. (14) Nick Sanchez #, Chevrolet, 208.
21. (32) Mason Massey, Chevrolet, 207.
22. (26) Kyle Sieg, Ford, 207.
23. (19) Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, 207.
24. (11) Blaine Perkins, Chevrolet, 207.
25. (37) Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 207.
26. (28) Mason Maggio, Ford, 207.
27. (16) Dean Thompson #, Toyota, 205.
28. (24) Josh Bilicki, Chevrolet, 205.
29. (15) Nick Leitz, Chevrolet, 204.
30. (38) Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet, 201.
31. (25) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, Accident, 200.
38. (23) Christian Eckes #, Chevrolet, Engine, 47.
Average Speed of Race Winner: 106.424 mph.
Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 55 Mins, 54 Secs. Margin of Victory: 1.265 Seconds.
Caution Flags: 11 for 62 laps.
Lead Changes: 12 among 6 drivers.
Lap Leaders: J. Allgaier 1-24;A. Hill 25;J. Allgaier 26-49;A. Hill 50-102;J. Allgaier 103-153;S. Mayer 154-158;D. Dye # 159;K. Larson(i) 160-189;A. Hill 190-192;N. Sanchez # 193;S. Mayer 194-206;K. Larson(i) 207-208.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Justin Allgaier 3 times for 99 laps; Austin Hill 3 times for 57 laps; Kyle Larson(i) 2 times for 32 laps; Sam Mayer 2 times for 18 laps; Nick Sanchez # 1 time for 1 lap; Daniel Dye # 1 time for 1 lap.
Prime Video Unveils Tech Plans for NASCAR Cup Series Coverage
NEW YORK—Prime Video has released some of its tech plans for NASCAR Cup Series, which begins on Sunday, May 25 at 5:00 p.m. ET with the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. As part of its coverage of five consecutive races including the series’ first-ever international points event in Mexico City, Prime Video will use […]
NEW YORK—Prime Video has released some of its tech plans for NASCAR Cup Series, which begins on Sunday, May 25 at 5:00 p.m. ET with the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
As part of its coverage of five consecutive races including the series’ first-ever international points event in Mexico City, Prime Video will use 70+ cameras, provide real-time highlights on demand, offer a 1080p HDR feed and provide coverage of every green flag moment during the races.
More specifically the streamer said it would offer:
Double-Box Commercial Format. Every Prime Video race will feature end-to-end live coverage of green flag racing with a double-box commercial format, ensuring that viewers never miss a moment of action.
Key Moments. Prime Video will leverage real-time data to provide fans with an ability to view race highlights and every flag change on demand while watching NASCAR on Prime. A bank of pivotal moments builds as the race progresses, offering viewers immediate access to these key moments.
Rapid Recap. This feature is designed to help those who join the race in-progress and want to catch up on the action they missed before entering the livestream. Rapid Recap employs real-time data to compile highlights, with the full recap lasting no longer than two minutes. Once caught up, fans are automatically dropped into live action.
Robust Equipment Arsenal to Capture all the Action. Prime Video will deploy 70+ cameras at each race, including in-car and POV cameras with mics, all connected by up to 10 miles of fiber optic cable. In addition, a drone will also patrol the sky at select races to capture unique angles and the high-octane atmosphere of the track.
Premium Viewing Experience and Next-Generation Productions. Each race to be produced in 1080p native High Dynamic Range (HDR) with Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound.
Proprietary Ultra-Low-Latency Technology. Prime Video and AWS technology will be using a proprietary, end-to-end livestreaming solution that delivers ultra-low latency, eliminates drift and ensures synchronization. Prime Video offers delivery speeds that match and often surpass what fans receive from traditional cable and broadcast networks, the streamer reported.
In addition, Prime Video will offer wraparound booth and trackside coverage headlined by NASCAR Hall-of-Famers Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Carl Edwards and a signature new anthem from mega-stars Eric Church and John Fogerty.
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Pagenaud easing back into motorsports after serious injury in 2023. Finding a new career outside car | National News
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Simon Pagenaud’s career was cut short eight races into the 2023 season when he was badly injured in a crash that caused concussion-related symptoms he’s still battling nearly two years later. He wants no sympathy, no pity, and looks back fondly on a career in which he won the Indianapolis 500, an […]
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Simon Pagenaud’s career was cut short eight races into the 2023 season when he was badly injured in a crash that caused concussion-related symptoms he’s still battling nearly two years later.
He wants no sympathy, no pity, and looks back fondly on a career in which he won the Indianapolis 500, an IndyCar championship, 15 races and the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
He also doesn’t want to dwell on his personal health, which has been a frustrating rollercoaster of improvements, setbacks, and constant rehabilitation to return to some normalcy and enjoy life with his wife and two young children.
But the Frenchman will never be able to shake the motorsports bug — and he has a goal of one day returning to some form of racing because without goals, what does a racer even have?
For now, though, he’s adjusting to a slow comeback that began last year when Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin asked Pagenaud to be his driver coach at the Indianapolis 500. It wasn’t as easy as he’d hoped because everything from his vision to the noise at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the vibration he felt as cars whizzed past the Team Penske timing stand disrupted his recovery.
Even so, McLaughlin has him back this year as Pagenaud attempts to find a career outside the racecar.
“Last year he didn’t know how he was going to feel with the noises, but he definitely feels a lot better,” McLaughlin said. “I really enjoy working with him and bringing him back to the speedway, brought him back to something he loves. He’s really intense, too. His preparation is next level.”
It’s just the start for Pagenaud’s transition: Théo Pourchaire, a fellow Frenchman, announced Tuesday that Pagenaud will be his representation as Pourchaire tries to make a full-time move to racing in the United States.
“I don’t want to be involved with the management of 30 drivers, but I want to be involved with the best,” Pagenaud said. “I want to go to teams with a guy I know can perform. I don’t want to put my name on someone and then have a team come back to me and say he didn’t perform, the guy wasn’t good enough. I’ve got to be selective and to me, I think Theo can be one of the best.”
But that’s not all for Pagenaud, who was contacted by Chevrolet and asked to help do simulator work for the manufacturer in a true case of “just what the doctor ordered.”
“I had no idea if I was going to be of use, but I was very attracted by the idea and my doctors were very enthused by the chance to test myself on a moving simulator,” he said. ”I’m not going to lie — it was a big challenge personally — but it was awesome to have a reference, a new reference, of where I was at and how much I was struggling for different things.
“And we decided that we would do this a bit more frequently. It was very useful for my recovery. It’s probably been the most useful therapy I’ve had, and when I’m talking about therapies, physical therapy, eye coordination, reconnecting the bridges in the brain, things that were not as seamless as they used to be.”
Pagenaud is also open to a more formal role with former team Team Penske, where he spent seven seasons and time with their sports car program. Team President Tim Cindric didn’t rule out a role within the organization for the driver who contributed one of Roger Penske’s record 20 Indy 500 wins.
McLaughlin has raved about what Pagenaud has brought him at Indy.
“I’m probably a detriment to my own career throughout the years — I haven’t been as intricate with looking at little details, and I think Simon is the professor in that regard,” McLaughlin said. “He strives for perfection in a lot of ways in how he sets up his car and what he feels. He’s probably allowing me to look into more details and just the way I look at myself and the driving, the lines and what I’m doing with weight jacker and bars. It’s really helped sort of accelerate my progress here, and really am enjoying working with a friend, as well.”
That knowledge could be welcome inside Team Penske as a whole at some point, Cindric said.
“Simon is always welcome within our team,” Cindric said. “But Simon has a lot going on on his own, beyond our team. I know Simon has been offered some really good things to do, but there’s only so much that Simon really wants to do.
“I think he can be a benefit for anybody around this place. I don’t think there’s any limit in terms of what he does, but at the same time, he wants to be productive. Just hanging around probably isn’t what he wants to do, either. I think we have a pretty good balance, and we’re always open to him within our team.”
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.
Logano ‘P***ed Off’ After Bell Gave Him ‘No Option’ In NASCAR All-Star Race
By Lydia Mee is a contributing sports writer located in the West Midlands, England. Her focus is on F1 and NASCAR. She has in-depth knowledge of Motorsport as a whole. Lydia joined Newsweek in March 2024, having previously written Motorsport content for Sports Illustrated. You can get in touch with Lydia by emailing, l.mee@newsweek.com. You […]
Lydia Mee is a contributing sports writer located in the West Midlands, England. Her focus is on F1 and NASCAR. She has in-depth knowledge of Motorsport as a whole. Lydia joined Newsweek in March 2024, having previously written Motorsport content for Sports Illustrated. You can get in touch with Lydia by emailing, l.mee@newsweek.com. You can find her at X @LMeeMotorsport.
Lydia Mee
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Team Penske driver Joey Logano missed out on the $1 million prize in the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway after seeing his lead slip away.
Logano shared his frustrations after being edged out by Christopher Bell, who went on to celebrate on Victory Lane, while speaking to the media after the race. He explained:
“I’m glad you had a blast. I’m p***ed off right now. Just dang it, we had the fastest car. The Shell-Pennzoil Mustang was so fast. I’m trying to choose my words correctly on the caution situation.
“Obviously I got bit by it, so I am the one frustrated. I felt like the falloff wasn’t too bad as the sun went down, and yeah, six cars or so stayed out with us. Thought maybe we could hold him off, but [Bell] had a good enough restart, cleared too many of them too fast. I couldn’t get away in time. It took me six, seven laps to get my car up and rolling again.
Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, waits on the grid prior to the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 18, 2025 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, waits on the grid prior to the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 18, 2025 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. James Gilbert/Getty Images
“I did all I could do to hold him off and he got under me and released the brake and gave me no option. Kind of just ran me up into the wall, and if I could’ve got to him, he was going around after a move like that, I just couldn’t get back to him. Just too much to try to make up with the tire deficit.”
The 34-year-old added:
“Just frustrated after you lead so many laps and the car is so fast and you don’t win, it hurts quite a bit. … Yeah, I’m all about no gimmicks with the caution. I am all about that. Me and Marcus Smith aren’t seeing eye to eye right now, OK? I’ve got to have a word with him.
“It’s all you’ve got. I was hoping I could just fight him long enough to where the advantage would go away a little bit, but it just never did. I did as best I can blocking my butt off, but once he got under me just released the brake and gave me no option to either fence it and wreck or run up in the marbles and spin out like what happened to Heim in the Truck race. I get it.
“We’re racing for a million bucks, but things carry over all the time, but it just stings. I’m upset because we had the best car. We had the best car by a long shot and we didn’t win. I don’t know. A lot of things are running through my mind I probably shouldn’t say.”
Pagenaud easing back into motorsports after serious injury in 2023. Finding a new career outside car | National Sports
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Simon Pagenaud’s career was cut short eight races into the 2023 season when he was badly injured in a crash that caused concussion-related symptoms he’s still battling nearly two years later. He wants no sympathy, no pity, and looks back fondly on a career in which he won the Indianapolis 500, an […]
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Simon Pagenaud’s career was cut short eight races into the 2023 season when he was badly injured in a crash that caused concussion-related symptoms he’s still battling nearly two years later.
He wants no sympathy, no pity, and looks back fondly on a career in which he won the Indianapolis 500, an IndyCar championship, 15 races and the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
He also doesn’t want to dwell on his personal health, which has been a frustrating rollercoaster of improvements, setbacks, and constant rehabilitation to return to some normalcy and enjoy life with his wife and two young children.
But the Frenchman will never be able to shake the motorsports bug — and he has a goal of one day returning to some form of racing because without goals, what does a racer even have?
For now, though, he’s adjusting to a slow comeback that began last year when Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin asked Pagenaud to be his driver coach at the Indianapolis 500. It wasn’t as easy as he’d hoped because everything from his vision to the noise at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the vibration he felt as cars whizzed past the Team Penske timing stand disrupted his recovery.
Even so, McLaughlin has him back this year as Pagenaud attempts to find a career outside the racecar.
“Last year he didn’t know how he was going to feel with the noises, but he definitely feels a lot better,” McLaughlin said. “I really enjoy working with him and bringing him back to the speedway, brought him back to something he loves. He’s really intense, too. His preparation is next level.”
It’s just the start for Pagenaud’s transition: Théo Pourchaire, a fellow Frenchman, announced Tuesday that Pagenaud will be his representation as Pourchaire tries to make a full-time move to racing in the United States.
“I don’t want to be involved with the management of 30 drivers, but I want to be involved with the best,” Pagenaud said. “I want to go to teams with a guy I know can perform. I don’t want to put my name on someone and then have a team come back to me and say he didn’t perform, the guy wasn’t good enough. I’ve got to be selective and to me, I think Theo can be one of the best.”
But that’s not all for Pagenaud, who was contacted by Chevrolet and asked to help do simulator work for the manufacturer in a true case of “just what the doctor ordered.”
“I had no idea if I was going to be of use, but I was very attracted by the idea and my doctors were very enthused by the chance to test myself on a moving simulator,” he said. ”I’m not going to lie — it was a big challenge personally — but it was awesome to have a reference, a new reference, of where I was at and how much I was struggling for different things.
“And we decided that we would do this a bit more frequently. It was very useful for my recovery. It’s probably been the most useful therapy I’ve had, and when I’m talking about therapies, physical therapy, eye coordination, reconnecting the bridges in the brain, things that were not as seamless as they used to be.”
Pagenaud is also open to a more formal role with former team Team Penske, where he spent seven seasons and time with their sports car program. Team President Tim Cindric didn’t rule out a role within the organization for the driver who contributed one of Roger Penske’s record 20 Indy 500 wins.
McLaughlin has raved about what Pagenaud has brought him at Indy.
“I’m probably a detriment to my own career throughout the years — I haven’t been as intricate with looking at little details, and I think Simon is the professor in that regard,” McLaughlin said. “He strives for perfection in a lot of ways in how he sets up his car and what he feels. He’s probably allowing me to look into more details and just the way I look at myself and the driving, the lines and what I’m doing with weight jacker and bars. It’s really helped sort of accelerate my progress here, and really am enjoying working with a friend, as well.”
That knowledge could be welcome inside Team Penske as a whole at some point, Cindric said.
“Simon is always welcome within our team,” Cindric said. “But Simon has a lot going on on his own, beyond our team. I know Simon has been offered some really good things to do, but there’s only so much that Simon really wants to do.
“I think he can be a benefit for anybody around this place. I don’t think there’s any limit in terms of what he does, but at the same time, he wants to be productive. Just hanging around probably isn’t what he wants to do, either. I think we have a pretty good balance, and we’re always open to him within our team.”
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.
2025 NASCAR Cup Series entry list for Charlotte Motor Speedway
After an exciting All-Star Race Weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway, the NASCAR Cup Series resumes its regular-season push at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday (6 p.m. ET, Prime Video, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). ENTRY LISTS: Cup Series | Xfinity Series | Truck Series Connor Zilisch, who returns to on-track action […]
After an exciting All-Star Race Weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway, the NASCAR Cup Series resumes its regular-season push at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday (6 p.m. ET, Prime Video, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
ENTRY LISTS: Cup Series | Xfinity Series | Truck Series
Connor Zilisch, who returns to on-track action following a lower back injury sustained at Talladega Superspeedway in the Xfinity Series on April 26, will make his second career Cup Series start this weekend, piloting the No. 87 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet.
MORE: How to watch NASCAR on Prime Video
Take a look at the full entry list for Sunday’s event:
