JGR AT SONOMA: Joe Gibbs Racing has earned six NASCAR Cup Series wins at Sonoma Raceway. In 85 combined starts at the California road course, the organization has recorded 19 top-five finishes, 35 top-10s, four pole awards, and 457 laps led. Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart, and Martin Truex Jr. each claimed a pair of victories at Sonoma while driving for JGR.

ROAD COURSES THIS YEAR: In 12 combined starts on road courses this year, JGR drivers have posted one win (Christopher Bell at Circuit of the Americas), four top-five finishes, five top-10s, and 52 laps led.

DENNY HAMLIN

No. 11 ampm Toyota Camry XSE

HAMLIN AT SONOMA: Denny Hamlin owns four top-five finishes and seven top-10s in 18 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Sonoma Raceway. From 2016 to 2021, Hamlin posted five consecutive top-10 results at the California road course. In 2023, he won the pole award, led 33 laps and won stage one before a late-race accident left him with a 36th-place finish. Last year, Hamlin finished 38th because of a mechanical issue after completing only two laps.

CHICAGO RECAP: Hamlin finished fourth in last weekend’s street race in Chicago. After an engine failure on Saturday forced the No. 11 team to miss the entire practice and qualifying session, Hamlin started 40th. He worked his way up to 26th by the end of stage one and a pit stop midway through stage two put him in position to stay out for the remainder of the race. Hamlin finished sixth in stage two and remained amongst the lead group throughout the final segment to finish fourth. This was Hamlin’s fourth top-five finish in his last five starts.

SEASON SO FAR: With eight races remaining in the regular season, Hamlin is currently fourth in the overall standings. Since missing the race at Mexico City last month, Hamlin has trimmed his deficit to the leader from 110 points down to 43 points. He is tied for the series lead in wins (three) and top-five finishes (nine).

AMPM: Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota Camry XSE will feature ampm, a top-ranked C-store brand based on the west coast, for this weekend’s race at Sonoma Raceway. ampm operates more than 1,000 stores, primarily on the west coast, serving nearly 2,200 different products. The company was founded in Southern California in 1978 and has grown to become a leading C-store across multiple states. ampm prides itself on introducing innovative technology to provide a faster and easier shopping experience for its customers no matter the time of day or meal they are looking for. For more information, visit www.ampm.com.

CHASE BRISCOE

No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE

BRISCOE AT SONOMA: Chase Briscoe has made four NASCAR Cup Series starts at Sonoma Raceway with a best finish of 13th in 2022.

BRISCOE ON ROAD COURSES: Briscoe owns two NASCAR Xfinity Series victories on road courses – the Charlotte ROVAL in September 2018 and the Indianapolis Road Course in July 2020. Briscoe has seven top-10 finishes on road courses in the NASCAR Cup Series. This year on road courses, Briscoe finished 14th at Circuit of the Americas, seventh at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, and 23rd last weekend in the Chicago Street Race.

CHICAGO RECAP: Briscoe started fifth last Sunday at the Chicago Street Course and ran inside the top 10 throughout the race. After scoring points with a fourth-place finish in stage one and a second-place finish in stage two, Briscoe led 13 laps during the final segment before being passed by eventual race winner Shane van Gisbergen. On the final restart, Briscoe was battling for fifth when he cut a tire and had to make an unscheduled pit stop. With the misfortune, the No. 19 Toyota Camry finished 23rd in the race.

2025 SO FAR: Briscoe earned his spot in the 2025 Cup Series Playoffs with his win at Pocono Raceway – his first victory in a Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry. Briscoe leads the Cup Series with four pole awards this season, including the Daytona 500 and three consecutive poles at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Nashville Superspeedway, and Michigan International Speedway. His four pole awards this season are twice as many as he had in his first 144 career Cup Series starts. His six top-five finishes this year match his previous best for an entire season (2022).

JAMES SMALL: 2025 marks James Small’s sixth season as a NASCAR Cup Series crew chief. The first five years of his tenure as crew chief were spent with Martin Truex Jr. as Small led the No. 19 team to eight wins, 46 top-five finishes, 86 top-10s, and four NASCAR playoff appearances. The Australia native led Truex to a runner-up finish in the 2021 championship and to the 2023 regular season championship. Small earned his ninth career win with Briscoe at Pocono Raceway earlier this year. At Sonoma, Small led Truex to a win in 2023 and a third-place finish in 2021.

BASS PRO SHOPS: Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Newsweek as “America’s Most Trusted Retailer for Outdoor Gear”. For more information or to shop online, visit www.basspro.com.

CHRISTOPHER BELL

No. 20 Rheem Toyota Camry XSE

MILESTONE: This Sunday at Sonoma Raceway will mark Bell’s 200th career NASCAR Cup Series start. So far in his Cup Series career, Bell has earned 12 victories, 53 top-five finishes, 96 top-10 finishes, 14 pole awards, and two Championship 4 appearances.

BELL AT SONOMA: Christopher Bell has posted back-to-back ninth-place finishes at Sonoma Raceway. His best qualifying effort at the track was fourth in 2023.

BELL ON ROAD COURSES: The Oklahoma native has a stellar resume on road courses. He earned his first career Cup Series win at the Daytona Road Course in February 2021. In 2022, Bell earned a victory in the NASCAR playoff race at the Charlotte ROVAL. Earlier this year, he captured his third road course win at Circuit of the Americas. In June, he finished second at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City. Prior to his time in the Cup Series, Bell also won a NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Road America.

CW BROADCAST: Bell will join The CW broadcast booth for Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Sonoma Raceway. Coverage begins at 4:30 p.m. ET on The CW.

CHICAGO RECAP: Last weekend in Chicago, the No. 20 team started 13th and Bell made up ground early on until a pit road speeding penalty cost him valuable track position. While he was mired in traffic, Bell’s Toyota suffered nose damage after contact on a restart, but the team made repairs and he once again maneuvered his way forward. Contact from behind resulted in a spin late in the race and then the No. 20 Toyota suffered a mechanical issue, resulting in a 24th-place finish.

RHEEM AT SONOMA: Rheem will host more than 185 guests this weekend at Sonoma Raceway. Executives will be on site from the Rheem Operations team in addition to guests from Friedrich, Rheem Customers of MegaWestern from the Water Heater Division (WHD) West, and customers from key distributor Ferguson.

TY GIBBS

No. 54 SAIA LTL Freight Toyota Camry XSE

GIBBS AT SONOMA: Ty Gibbs has two NASCAR Cup Series starts at Sonoma Raceway. On both occasions, he qualified inside the top 10. He finished 18th in 2023, but an early accident last year left him with a 37th-place finish. In two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the track, Gibbs qualified in the top seven both times. He finished fourth in 2023. Last year, he led 26 laps before being collected in a multi-car accident that put him 35th.

GIBBS ON ROAD COURSES: Gibbs has earned five top-five finishes and seven top-10s in 17 Cup Series starts on road courses. He has enjoyed remarkable success on road courses in the Xfinity Series with four wins, nine top-five finishes, 11 top-10s, three pole awards, and 330 laps led in 21 starts. His first road course victory came in dramatic fashion as Gibbs won in his Xfinity Series debut at the Daytona Road Course in February 2021. He followed that up with wins at Watkins Glen International (August 2021), Road America (July 2022), and the Indianapolis Road Course (August 2023).

CHICAGO RECAP: Gibbs matched his career-best finish with a second-place result last weekend at the Chicago Street Race.

IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT: Gibbs advanced to the quarterfinal round of the inaugural In-Season Tournament with his runner-up finish at Chicago. This week, Gibbs will face off against Zane Smith with the head-to-head winner of their matchup advancing to the Final Four. Through 19 races this season, Gibbs has finished higher than Smith 11 times, including four of the past five races. Gibbs finished ahead of Smith at Sonoma in 2023, but Smith bested Gibbs in 2024.

TYLER ALLEN: Crew chief Tyler Allen is in his first year leading Gibbs and the No. 54 team. While this is Allen’s first experience as a crew chief at the Cup Series level, he had a standout season in 2024 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Allen led JGR’s No. 20 Xfinity Series team to eight victories and a runner-up finish in the owner’s championship.

SAIA: Saia Inc. (NASDAQ: SAIA) announced in January that Saia LTL Freight has partnered with Joe Gibbs Racing for a multi-year sponsorship of Ty Gibbs and the No. 54 Toyota Camry XSE in the NASCAR Cup Series. Saia offers customers a wide range of less-than-truckload (LTL) services including service to Canada and Mexico. In addition, they offer expedited and logistics services through their subsidiary, LinkEx. Currently, they operate 213 terminals across the United States and employ more than 15,000 people. For more information, visit www.saia.com.

JGR PR

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In its most challenging time, KTM AG still looks back on a successful first half of the year. KTM sold 100,391 motorcycles to end customers and delivered 50,286 units to dealers and importers worldwide. These results exceeded the company’s expectations and confirmed its strength in the global motorcycle market. KTM motorcycle sales in 2025 so far demonstrate loyalty and enjoyment from the growing global KTM community.

“The last six months have shown that the support of the motorcycle community for the KTM brand is unbroken. Our innovative spirit, our unique know-how and our passion are responsible for our strong market position — over 100,000 motorcycles sold in a challenging first half of the year show that our bikes remain popular all over the world and that we are back on the right track,” said CEO Gottfried Neumeister.

Dealer Demand and KTM Motorcycle Sales 2025 Momentum

KTM reduced its inventories significantly during the first half of the year. The company reactivated its entire global supply chain successfully. Dealers and importers continue to report strong demand for all KTM brands worldwide.

KTM motorcycle sales 2025 show strong customer interest and ongoing dealer performance. KTM continues to sell through to customers and supply global partners without disruption. These combined efforts help KTM strengthen operations as worldwide market conditions begin to stabilize.

KTM increased its hiring efforts in Austria and in international markets. The company seeks qualified specialists and managers, especially at its Austrian headquarters.

“If the last few months have shown us one thing: only because of our employees we are that strong.
KTM is growing again and is therefore also intensively looking for enthusiastic employees for all Austrian and international locations. Anyone who wants to play an active role in shaping the company will find a place with us,” emphasized Neumeister.

KTM invites top global talent to apply and join its growing international workforce. The company supports relocation and helps new employees settle into their new region. This strategy ensures new team members thrive in KTM’s performance-driven culture.

Customer Satisfaction, Quality, and Long-Term Vision

KTM continues defining its future direction with a clear focus on satisfaction, quality and sustainable success. Listening to customers remains central to KTM’s evolving strategy. Programs like “Orange Blood” and the “Orange Board” increase rider participation in decision-making.

KTM selected 15 members from 5,000 applicants to join this new feedback committee. The group provides direct feedback to KTM management and helps identify industry trends early. This process enables the company to develop practical, customer-driven innovations.

KTM also launched the Dealer Excellence Center to strengthen its global network. The center supports dealer growth and helps build stronger long-term customer relationships.

“Only if we put the customer at the center of all our actions and focus on quality and differentiation,
it will be reflected in the future economic success of our company,” concluded Neumeister.

If there’s an accolade that holds weight close to a NASCAR Cup Series championship in Joey Logano’s book, it’s the one that honors more than just on-track wins. Speaking on REKAP, the Team Penske driver reflected on a moment that stood apart in his career, the 2018 Comcast Community Champion of the Year Award, a recognition that struck a deeper chord than any checkered flag.

While nothing tops hoisting the championship trophy, Logano admitted that earning that community honor alongside the Joey Logano Foundation stood out as a milestone. The award, which recognizes those in NASCAR who go the extra mile to uplift their communities, has been a symbol of purpose beyond racing.

The Comcast Community Champion of the Year Award has been celebrating those who selflessly serve through nonprofit work, transforming lives and revitalizing neighborhoods, since 2015. Comcast selects three finalists each year, bringing their stories to the forefront before crowning one winner. The champion receives a $60,000 donation to their affiliated charity, while each of the remaining finalists’ causes receives $30,000.

Eligible contenders for the award span a wide cross-section of the NASCAR ecosystem. Team owners, drivers, and full-time personnel across all three national series, Cup, Xfinity, and Trucks, are qualified to receive the award. The recognition also extends to NASCAR media members holding a Hard Card in print, broadcast, or photography, along with NASCAR officials, partners, sponsors, and even family members of credentialed drivers.

For this year, the nomination window for the NASCAR award is currently open at ComcastCommunityChampion.com. Erik Jones took home the honor in 2024, becoming the 10th recipient thanks to the impact of the Erik Jones Foundation, which he launched in 2021 to support charitable causes and direct-to-individual programs across the country.

Before Jones, NASCAR driver Ryan Vargas was named the 2023 Community Champion. At 23, Vargas was recognized for his work with FACES: The National Craniofacial Association. Born with craniosynostosis, Vargas turned his platform into a beacon for children facing similar health battles, using the award’s donation to assist with medical costs, travel, and camp experiences through FACES.

Bubba Wallace joined the ranks in 2020, earning the award for his Live To Be Different Foundation, which empowers individuals to rise above limitations of race, gender, disability, and background. Wallace was selected by a panel of Comcast NBCUniversal and NASCAR executives, along with 2019 winner Mike Tatoian, who was honored for his work with USO Delaware.

But for Logano, the recognition meant more than just another trophy in the cabinet. As he put it, it “hit home” in a way race wins never had. Until then, everything he had collected came from behind the wheel. This award spoke to a different kind of victory, one that resonated far beyond the racetrack.

John Hunter Nemechek and the No. 42 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB team will be rocking a new look with a new primary sponsorship partner in a couple of weeks as Hertz, an iconic rental car brand, will adorn the team’s No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE in the July 20 NASCAR Cup Series event at Dover Motor Speedway.

The partnership provides a link between LEGACY MOTOR CLUB and the Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA Racing organization in the FIA World Endurance Championship, which is also co-owned by Knighthead Capital Management, LLC, which became an investor in LEGACY MOTOR CLUB heading into the 2025 season.

Nemechek, 28, is amped to partner with Hertz, which last sponsored a NASCAR Cup Series entry in 2020 as it served as a primary sponsorship partner for William Byron and Hendrick Motorsports for a three-season stretch.

“We’re excited to see Hertz and Hertz Car Sales on the No. 42 this summer at Dover,” said?Nemechek in a team press release. “It’s awesome to represent such a recognizable global brand, and even more special knowing it ties into the broader Knighthead motorsport vision that spans NASCAR and endurance racing.”

Hertz, which sponsors the No. 12 and No. 38 Cadillacs in the WEC is happy to expand its motorsports portfolio to once again include NASCAR Cup Series race cars in this new partnership with LEGACY MOTOR CLUB and Nemechek.

“Hertz has a proud legacy in motorsports, and we’re excited to expand our presence by partnering with LEGACY MOTOR CLUB and John Hunter Nemechek for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover,” said Gil West, Hertz Chief Executive Officer. “This collaboration not only highlights our iconic brand on one of racing’s biggest stages, but also showcases Hertz Car Sales as a trusted source of high-quality used vehicles. It’s an exciting opportunity to connect with fans and customers through the thrill of racing.”

While the paint scheme has yet to be officially revealed, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB ensures that Nemechek will pilot an iconic black and gold Hertz scheme at Dover Motor Speedway when the team unloads its car from the trailer for practice and qualifying on Saturday, July 19.

Through the opening 19 races of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, Nemechek has been one of the pleasant surprises in the NASCAR Cup Series garage. The second-generation NASCAR Cup Series racer has collected a career-high six top-10 finishes, including his career-best finish (fifth in the season-opening Daytona 500).

Nemechek ranks 20th in the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings heading into this weekend’s event at Sonoma Raceway, which equates to a seven-position improvement from this point in the season a year ago.

NASCAR raced on the streets of Chicago for the third and potentially final time over the weekend.

The initial three-year deal between NASCAR and the city of Chicago ended with Sunday’s race. However, there is a two-year option in the contract that could be exercised, allowing the event to continue. 

Regardless, it should be viewed as a successful event for NASCAR. The industry saw it as an opportunity to put the sport in front of new fans and bring racing to those who are unwilling to travel to Joliet, Illinois, for Chicagoland Speedway. That track is about an hour away from Grant Park.

As for the city of Chicago, it cashed in. The economic impact of the inaugural 2023 event was $109 million. The 2024 race generated a total economic impact of $128 million for the city.

NASCAR commissioner Steve Phelps revealed in December during Race Industry Week that it costs the industry $50 million to put on the Chicago event. The event was the first time the Cup Series had raced on a street course.

However, if Chicago were to disappear, that doesn’t necessarily mean street racing would. San Diego, a rumored destination for NASCAR for over a year now, is picking up steam. 

RACER is unaware of any finalized deal in place for NASCAR to race in San Diego in 2026. The city has also said there is no documentation available related to any conversations or plans with NASCAR. However, that could simply be because the deal being worked on is also being handled in a way to prevent it from leaking. Earlier this month however, The Athletic reported NASCAR is working on finalizing such a deal. 

A date change could be on the cards for Mexico City. Jaime Lopez/Getty Images

The most intriguing aspect of the San Diego idea is its location. A natural assumption is that it’s someplace downtown, in a similar manner to Chicago. But talk of an interesting alternative started floating around the garage over the weekend: Coronado. It’s the peninsula, or island, depending on your view, that’s connected to the mainland in San Diego, which also has a naval base on it.

NASCAR has long stated its desire for a presence in California, which it lost after the 2023 race at Auto Club Speedway. And then the Busch Light Clash, a pre-season exhibition event, was moved from Los Angeles to North Carolina. L.A., though, was a purpose-built short track that served its purpose of introducing NASCAR to new fans while using celebrities, music, and athletes to help hype the event ahead of a new season.

San Diego would keep a street course on the NASCAR map. It would put the sport back in Southern California. 

But there are so many questions to be answered about the 2026 schedule. And quite frankly, there isn’t enough space for all the puzzle pieces to fit.

Chicago, does it stay or does it go? San Diego: Yes? No?

And then some are pushing hard for a return to Chicagoland Speedway. NASCAR has kept any potential plans for the track close to the vest. Chicagoland Speedway, a 1.5-mile oval, has not hosted the three NASCAR national series since 2019. The good news is that it is still in good enough shape to be made presentable to welcome guests again in short order.

Carson Hocevar stirred the pot by making a recent visit to the facility and posting about it on social media and his YouTube page. Hocevar claims he went there on his own because he had the time, and he had never seen the track before. In other words, chalk it up to curiosity.

But it goes without saying that when someone wants something, there is no better way to manifest it than to start talking about it. Chicagoland has been mentioned far more this season than ever before.

Then there is the international approach. 

Mexico City’s status beyond this year is unknown, although NASCAR has a multi-year contract in place for racing there. Some of the discussions since the inaugural event last month have been that if it does stay on the schedule, perhaps it will be moved to a different date on the calendar. 

On the other hand, Mexico City seemed to win out over Canada – an either-or situation. NASCAR is still interested in making a return north of the border, but it’s unclear when or how it is going to get there. Montreal has previously hosted Xfinity Series events. Canadian Tire Motorsport Park did the same with the Craftsman Truck Series.

It would be a shame if NASCAR limits itself to only new venues that are road or street courses. Denny Hamlin threw out the idea, which could be considered wild depending on who you ask, about a street oval somewhere. Brad Keselowski, who has previously raced in Canada and praised its racing fan base, is a proponent of hosting an oval race in Canada to show what NASCAR is capable of.

It will likely be another few months before NASCAR rolls out its 2026 schedule. What is known is that there is a lot to figure out, and a lot of chatter about what could be on there, for the months in between the Daytona 500 on February 15, 2026, and championship weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 8.