As those who have the “pleasure” of listening to me ramble in person might be annoyed to hear, one of my favorite one-liners is “it takes all types to make a world.” I often use this as a stand-in for simply saying that how someone else chooses to do a task is not the way I would have done it. It’s not good or bad, just different than what I would do. Last weekend, I went against my own sensibilities and took my 1985 Corvette to a local autocross event to see just how much fun I could have and how quickly I could go with the tired 120,000-mile car. The answer surprised me, but didn’t come without consequences.

For starters, I’m a person who loves track time. Unfortunately, my heart and wallet are often in disagreement about the value of track time. So when a flyer was left in my driver’s seat about an autocross event happening just two miles from my driveway with a comically low $35 per-day entry fee, both heart and wallet were finally in full syncromesh. The only problem was a lack of an appropriate car.

Even as the most approachable form of motorsports, autocross has technical and safety requirements, a few of which were unwelcoming to my 1965 Chevrolet Corvair. I really love my Corvair as it sits, but the lap-belt-only restraint combined with an unbolstered seat and solid steering shaft makes the car less than ideal for modern motorsports. I love to drive the Corvair—on the street. The amount of modifications I would want to do to feel comfortable autocrossing the Corvair would change it more than I want to. So when I bought my 1985 Corvette last fall, I saw the opportunity.

The Corvette is well-worn, but when I saw that the technical inspection for this autocross event boiled down to tires not showing cords, battery restrained with OE or better hold down, me having a helmet, and not much more, I realized my black targa would be perfect. I no longer had an excuse to stay home. So I registered online, did an oil change and brake fluid flush, and drove out to the baseball field parking lot to be greeted by a field of Michigan’s state flower—traffic cones. And plenty of them.

After sailing through tech inspection with my taped-on car numbers and class designation, a quick driver’s meeting confirmed the run schedule for the day. Each of the three run groups also has to work for one of the other run groups, helping with staging cars or resetting cones between runs. It was pure luck that I was put into the third run group and was positioned in the center of the track, flagging for the first group. It gave me a great view to see how things worked and also how drivers with more experience took the course.

A lot could be learned from spectating, but there is no replacement for time in the driver’s seat. The sky was spitting rain off and on all morning while the temperature struggled to get above 55 degrees. While this all but ensured the Corvette wouldn’t overheat even with its broken front air dam, it also made sure that the high-performance summer Bridgestones were not going to be happy. Before the driver’s meeting, I walked the course with a friend who regularly autocrosses his C5, and even with the big layout, I had dedicated most of it to memory before I rolled up to the start line. Sitting and waiting for the car in front of me to get about halfway through their run, I mentally ran the course in my head, and right when I opened my eyes, the guy in charge of starting waved his hand and said, “You’re good to go.”

I got the clutch out and put my right foot down, grabbed a quick shift to second, and settled in for a rodeo ride. A tame rodeo ride. With no experience, my goal was just to make a clean run, not getting lost as I used the pointer cones to navigate the multiple slalom sections and tight switchback corners. The Corvette rolled and pitched more than it ever had in my ownership, even more than those times I tried to set the record for fastest pass through the new roundabout in town. Squealing tires told me that my requests for both braking and steering at the same time were not only foolish but detrimental to a smooth and quick run. Regardless, 68 seconds after leaving the starting line, my front tires tripped through the timing beams at the finish. I looked over to the timing tent and got a thumbs up, confirming I hadn’t taken out any cones or cut the course. Back around to the staging lanes to make some mental adjustments and get prepared for my remaining four runs.

With each clutch drop from the starting line, I had my fingers crossed that the bone-stock and barely prepared Corvette wouldn’t snap a ball joint or push a head gasket out from between the head and the block. Even when I was “taking it easy” on the early runs, this was clearly the hardest this particular car had been driven. But at the end of each run, the gauges leveled out, and despite my picking up the pace with each run, there were no new clunks or hiccups. I’d bet my relative novice inputs were actually harder on the car than what a better driver would do. Despite the hard braking and wide-open pulls for most of the afternoon, the Corvette happily drove home at the end of the day with no signs of anything bad or broken.

Having been lucky enough to try a few different forms of motorsport over the last few years, there is no question in my mind that autocross is far and away the most approachable. The atmosphere was laid back all day, and everyone I talked to was both kind and helpful. Even a small amount of interest would have drivers offering the right seat of their car for a ride, something I leveraged heavily on the second day when the course switched directions. I also took advantage of the ability to double-enter the car with two drivers. My friend Tim loaned me one of his cars to participate in a bump-n-run race last fall, so I repaid the favor by tossing him the keys to try autocross for the first time in my Corvette.

It also meant I got to ride passenger for his six runs. We alternated driving, each picking up a little from the other and debriefing after each run between the two of us. We both spun the Corvette multiple times, and Tim even took out a few cones in one spectacular rotation near the finish line, and the only consequence was a little rubber scuffed off the tires.

Interestingly, a large takeaway from the weekend was that the Corvette as it sits and I were pretty well matched. I had convinced myself I needed a host of performance suspension bits before really wheeling the ‘Vette, and yet, at the end of two days, I found that the car was faster than me in stock form, and I would likely be better putting my cash into entry fees than fancy suspension. It was humbling to go out with what looks like a rough car and find that nothing on the car was holding me back; I was holding myself back. Maybe I’ll find the limit of the Corvette one day and will likely put a few fun parts on it at that time, but between here and there, I’ve got a lot of learning and even more driving to do.

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Given his résumé, Kurt Busch knew it was a matter of when, not if, he would be selected into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Still, getting voted in on the first ballot Tuesday was a huge relief for Busch, who let out an emotional sigh of relief after hearing his named called at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

“I’m very grateful and thankful that it happened this first time,” Busch said. “You want to have that answer as fast as you can.”

Ray Hendrick and Harry Gant were also voted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Tuesday, while executive Humpy Wheeler was named the Landmark Award winner for his contribution to the sport. A ceremony will be held Jan. 23 to officially induct the Class of 2026 into the Hall of Fame in March.

The 46-year-old Busch held off Jimmie Johnson to win the 2004 Cup Series championship and went on to win 34 Cup races, including at least one victory in 19 of his 21 full-time seasons on the premier circuit before he retired in 2023.

His journey to NASCAR stardom began in 2000 with a Truck Series rookie season that foreshadowed greatness. His big breakthrough came in 2004, when he became the first driver to win the title under NASCAR’s “playoff” system — a feat that proved both his excellence and adaptability.

The consistent Busch finished in the top 10 in the Cup Series standings 10 times.

“Things happened fast for me in this sport and I don’t know how or why,” Busch said. “There was no template, there wasn’t the ladder that these days you see the kids that have a system where it is going to be this or that. For me it was being in the right place at the right time and the universe smiled down on me.”

Hendrick, who died in 1990 at age 61, was the original “Mr. Modified.”

He is one of the winningest drivers of all time, with than 700 modified and late model sportsman wins between 1950 to 1988. His success started in his home state of Virginia, where his No. 11 was well-known. He won five track championships at South Boston Speedway — four modified and one late model sportsman.

He was known as a driver that was willing to race “anywhere and everywhere,” and did just that. He filled his schedule with modified and late model sportsman races across the East Coast. Hendrick was known best for his wins on short tracks, but also produced victories at Talladega, Charlotte and Dover.

Despite never winning a Modified Division championship, Hendrick finished in the top 10 in the standings nine times from 1960 to 1969.

The 85-year-old Gant, known as the “Bandit” for his longtime sponsorship with Skoal Bandits, won 18 Cup Series races, including the Southern 500 in 1984 and 1991. In the five seasons from 1981 through 1985, he finished in the top five in points four times, including a runner-up championship finish to Terry Labonte in 1984.

He also won 21 Xfinity Series races.

Members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel met Tuesday in an in-person closed session at the Charlotte Convention Center to debate and vote on the 15 nominees for the induction Class of 2026 and the five nominees for the Landmark Award.

The 49-person voting panel included representatives from NASCAR, the Hall of Fame, track owners from major facilities and historic short tracks, media members, manufacturer representatives, competitors (drivers, owners, crew chiefs), recognized industry leaders, a nationwide fan vote conducted through NASCAR.com and the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion (Joey Logano).

Busch and Gant received 61% of the “modern era” ballot votes. Jeff Burton finished third, followed by Harry Hyde and Randy Dorton.

Hendrick received 31% of the “pioneer” ballot votes. Bob Welborn finished second.

Gant raced into his 50s and still holds premier series records for oldest driver to win a race (52 years old) and a pole (54). He drove the first race car with a telemetry system installed in it at Talladega in 1985 and relayed the data to CBS during its coverage of the event.

This was the Gant’s seventh time on the ballot. He did not attend the announcement ceremony Tuesday and was not available for comment.

All three were among NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers and one of NASCAR Modified’s All-Time Top 10 Drivers.

Wheeler became synonymous with promotion and innovation.

He spent 33 years as the president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway and played a pivotal role in transforming the venue into a world-class facility.

Wheeler added a new dynamic to the sport, a visionary whose leadership and creativity helped shape today’s fan experience with the introduction of dramatic prerace ceremonies and the development of night racing at superspeedways.

He was known for his innovative promotions and stunts.

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.

23XI Racing announced today that Pinnacle has expanded its relationship with the team in a multi-year partnership that makes Pinnacle the official banking sponsor of Tyler Reddick and the No. 45 team. The Nashville-based firm is a leading financial institution located in urban markets across the Southeast. Pinnacle has been an associate partner with Reddick and 23XI since 2023, but this partnership expansion marks the first time Pinnacle will have a featured, brand-focused design on the No. 45 Toyota Camry XSE.

The Pinnacle-branded paint scheme will first compete at Nashville Superspeedway in June and will return during the Playoffs for the Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway in September. Additionally, Pinnacle branding will be included on the No. 45 team’s equipment and will continue to be featured on Reddick’s driver uniform.

Pinnacle has long supported Reddick, partnering with him in NASCAR each season since 2018, when he won the first of his two consecutive Xfinity Series championships. While Reddick has raced a Pinnacle-branded car in the Xfinity Series, the Nashville race will mark the first time Pinnacle will be featured with a paint scheme in the Cup Series. In addition to the partnership with 23XI and Reddick, Pinnacle is the official bank of the Memphis Grizzlies, Tennessee Titans and The Pinnacle, a recently opened state-of-the-art premier live music venue located in the heart of Nashville Yards.

“Our team has enjoyed the partnership with Pinnacle since Tyler joined the team, and we’re excited to grow our relationship with Pinnacle to more prominently feature their brand on the No. 45 car,” said team president Steve Lauletta. “Much like 23XI, Pinnacle is driven to be impactful for their clients, their employees and their community, and we look forward to developing more programs and activations with them.”

“The group at Pinnacle has played such an important role in my career, and I’m honored to have the chance to represent them in a greater way through this partnership expansion,” said Tyler Reddick, driver of the No. 45 Toyota Camry XSE. “From supporting me earlier in my career to continuing to believe in me and what we’re doing at 23XI, I’m excited to represent all the associates at Pinnacle and look forward to having a great opening race with them in Nashville.”

“Pinnacle and 23XI are such a great match for each other because we both share a vision of being the best,” said Andy Moats, Pinnacle’s director of music, sports and entertainment. “The love for NASCAR and racing runs deep at our firm, and we’ve been with Tyler for a long time. Working alongside him as he’s grown into the racer he is today has been a privilege, and this partnership will bring us even closer to him, his team and the incredible community that surrounds this sport.”

23XI PR

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Given his resume, Kurt Busch knew it was a matter of when, not if, he would be selected into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Still, getting voted in on the first ballot on Tuesday was a huge relief for Busch, who let out an emotional sigh of relief after hearing his named called at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

“I’m very grateful and thankful that it happened this first time,” Busch said. “You want to have that answer as fast as you can.”

Ray Hendrick and Harry Gant were also voted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Tuesday, while executive Humpy Wheeler was named the Landmark Award winner for his contribution to the sport. A ceremony will be held to officially induct the Class of 2026 into the Hall of Fame in March.

The 46-year-old Busch held off Jimmie Johnson to win the 2004 Cup Series championship and went on to win 34 Cup races, including at least one victory in 19 of his 21 full-time seasons on the premier circuit before he retired in 2023.

His journey to NASCAR stardom began in 2000 with a Truck Series rookie season that foreshadowed greatness. His big breakthrough came in 2004, when he became the first driver to win the title under NASCAR’s “playoff” system — a feat that proved both his excellence and adaptability.

The consistent Busch finished in the top 10 in the Cup Series standings 10 times.

“Things happened fast for me in this sport and I don’t know how or why,” Busch said. “There was no template, there wasn’t the ladder that these days you see the kids that have a system where it is going to be this or that. For me it was being in the right place at the right time and the universe smiled down on me.”

Hendrick, who died in 1990 at age 61, was the original “Mr. Modified.”

He is one of the winningest drivers of all time, with than 700 modified and late model sportsman wins between 1950-88. His success started in his home state of Virginia, where his No. 11 was well know. He won five track championships at South Boston Speedway — four modified and one late model sportsman.

He was known as a driver that was willing to race “anywhere and everywhere,” and did just that. He filled his schedule with modified and late model sportsman races across the East coast. Hendrick was known best for his wins on short tracks, but also produced victories at Talladega, Charlotte and Dover.

Despite never winning a Modified Division championship, Hendrick finished in the top 10 in the standings nine times from 1960-69.

The 85-year-old Gant, known as the “Bandit” for his long-time sponsorship with Skoal Bandits, won 18 Cup Series races, including the Southern 500 in 1984 and 1991. In the five seasons from 1981 through 1985, he finished in the top five in points four times, including a runner-up championship finish to Terry Labonte in 1984.

He also won 21 Xfinity Series races.

Members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel met Tuesday in an in-person closed session at the Charlotte Convention Center to debate and vote on the 15 nominees for the induction class of 2026 and the five nominees for the Landmark Award.

The 49-person voting panel included representatives from NASCAR, the Hall of Fame, track owners from major facilities and historic short tracks, media members, manufacturer representatives, competitors (drivers, owners, crew chiefs), recognized industry leaders, a nationwide fan vote conducted through NASCAR.com and the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion (Joey Logano).

Busch and Gant both received 61% of the “modern era” ballot votes. Jeff Burton finished third, followed by Harry Hyde and Randy Dorton.

Hendrick received 31% of the “pioneer” ballot votes. Bob Welborn finished second.

Gant raced into his 50s, and still holds premier series records for oldest driver to win a race (52 years old) and a pole (54). He drove the first race car with a telemetry system installed in it at Talladega in 1985 and relayed the data to CBS during its coverage of the event.

This was the Gant’s seventh time on the ballot. He did not attend the announcement ceremony on Tuesday and was not available for comment.

All three were among NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers and one of NASCAR Modified’s All-Time Top 10 Drivers.

Wheeler became synonymous with promotion and innovation.

He spent 33 years as the president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway and played a pivotal role in transforming the venue into a world-class facility.

Wheeler added a new dynamic to the sport, a visionary whose leadership and creativity helped shape today’s fan experience with the introduction of dramatic prerace ceremonies and the development of night racing at superspeedways.

He was known for his innovative promotions and stunts.