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The Thunder’s anonymous dominance, plus a NASCAR controversy

The Pulse Newsletter 📣 | This is The Athletic’s daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox. Good morning! Gather some assets today. While You Were Clinching: The Thunder have found their final form For years, the NBA had an inside joke of sorts about Sam Presti. The Thunder […]

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The Pulse Newsletter
📣 | This is The Athletic’s daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox.


Good morning! Gather some assets today.


While You Were Clinching: The Thunder have found their final form

For years, the NBA had an inside joke of sorts about Sam Presti. The Thunder general manager was always building, always hoarding assets, always making the smart move — but what was it all for? Kevin Durant, Paul George, Russell Westbrook. Superstars all out the door with no rings to show. 

Now, a ring sits four wins away after Oklahoma City thundered past the Timberwolves in a decisive 124-94 Game 5 win at home last night. Consider this arc: 

  • Entering last season, the joke was very much valid. Oklahoma City started the 2023-24 year with a ragtag group of young, talented players no one knew what to do with. Vegas had them winning 44.5 games — they won 57. They leaped ahead of Presti’s originally theorized timeline to contention. He went out and acquired Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein in the offseason to turn a surprise contender into a legitimate behemoth.

  • And, voila, this year’s Thunder — which still entered the year as the NBA’s youngest team — won 68 games, tied for the fifth-best season in league history. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a return piece from the Clippers in the George trade, just won MVP. The future is fully built. 

Not so suddenly, the Thunder are both the NBA’s best team and the clear favorite entering next week’s finals. They are terrifying to play against. BetMGM has them -750 to win it all. 

OKC isn’t flashy, either, and I’d wager this might be our most anonymous elite team/MVP pairing in recent memory. 

More eyes than ever will be on the Thunder next Thursday when they face the winner of Indiana-New York in Game 1 of the finals. I can’t wait. 

  • Not so surprising? In the NHL, the Panthers advanced to their third straight Stanley Cup final with a boffo win in a tight Game 5 on the road. The last three minutes of this game were a microcosm of Carolina’s entire series: down 4-3, on a power play, unable to score, with the penalized Sam Bennett racing out of the box to score an empty-netter for Florida with less than a minute left to seal the series. Brutal. 

We have two more clinch possibilities tonight. Onward:


News to Know

Vrabel addresses Diggs video
If you have logged on to any slice of sports social media in the last 24 hours, you’ve seen the video of new Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs on a boat partying, handing women a bag of an unknown pink substance. New England coach Mike Vrabel acknowledged yesterday he had seen the video and emphasized he wants players to “make great decisions on and off the field.” Diggs was not present at OTAs yesterday. More on this developing story here.

France scraps NASCAR plan after backlash
Jim France, NASCAR’s co-owner and CEO, was close to a deal that would’ve funded a car in an upcoming Cup Series race before intense backlash led him to step away. According to an exclusive report from The Athletic, France scrapped the deal after our reporters started asking around about the arrangement, which would present pretty obvious ethical hurdles. Owning a series and a team/car is not wholly unheard of — see the Penske dynasty/debacle in IndyCar — but France’s proposed involvement here still made people quite angry. Read the full report here.

More news

  • Baylor redshirt freshman defensive lineman Alex Foster died at just 18. Read our full report.
  • Former Sonic Shawn Kemp could face jail time in connection to a 2023 assault. More details here.
  • Roland Garros has not been nice to Casper Ruud. His French Open exit headlined yesterday’s action, which you can catch up on here.
  • Marlins second baseman Ronny Simon was grateful for the outpouring of support after his three-error game Tuesday. It’s a nice story.
  • The Wrexham documentary series was renewed for a fifth season, which I already assumed was happening.

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Phenoms: The teenager has fully taken over


Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images

In the sports world, there will always be phenoms. Young, shooting stars that take our breath away before making us say, “Wait, how old?” LeBron James posed on the cover of Sports Illustrated at 16. Tiger Woods won the U.S. Amateur at 15. 

Lamine Yamal is different. 

  • Over the last two years, we have seen Yamal go through the awkward stages of adolescence while taking over the soccer universe. Before his 18th birthday, Yamal helped Spain win Euro 2024 and become FC Barcelona’s best player. So much for plebeians like myself, who tended to plants at a local nursery for minimum wage at 17.
  • There is an argument to be made that Yamal is the best soccer player in the world at 17 years old. Many in the sport agree. Yamal has scored 18 goals and dished 21 assists while helping Barca win La Liga this year. He will soon take his talented left foot back to the Spanish squad for Nations League next week. Trust me, watch any game and his play will jump off the screen.

  • This week, Barcelona signed Yamal to a new contract that will keep him at the club until 2031 and pay him $45 million per year, which makes him the team’s highest earner before the U.S. would allow him to buy cigarettes. Off the pitch, he is the emerging face of a brand worth billions

Pol Ballús, our excellent Barca reporter, has the inside story of how the club signed Yamal to such a remarkable deal. It’s worth a read this morning. 

And try to catch this kid on TV soon if you can. 

  • In other phenom news: Woods’ son, Charlie, won his first junior golf tournament at 16 years old yesterday. He beat the top-ranked junior in America by six shots. Watch out.

What to Watch

📺 NBA: Pacers at Knicks
8 p.m. ET on TNT/Max
Do-or-die for the best Knicks season in 25 years. Indiana can book its first finals trip of this century. The atmosphere should be buzzy. This is why we watch sports. 

📺 NHL: Oilers at Stars
8 p.m. ET on ESPN
Copy and paste from above. The road team can clinch a trip to the Stanley Cup Final. The home team plays for its season in front of a home crowd. Fun night. 

Get tickets to games like these here.


Pulse Picks

Mike Sando picked his favorite offseason moves for each NFL team. Hooray for a QB retiring. 

Also, Dane Brugler revisited his 2025 NFL Draft top 50 rankings. See the hits and misses here

🎥 The “No Dunks” guys ranked Tyrese Haliburton’s flawless Game 4 among the best playoff performances so far. Watch it here

The Pirates don’t want to trade Paul Skenes but … they’d have to consider these five packages

Women’s golf has a new star in 16-year-old Asterisk Talley, as Brody Miller writes. The sport is wrestling with how to protect her

Great guest spot: Matt Antonelli was a first-round MLB bust. He gave us five lessons he learned

Sam Blum bought a ticket to attend a Sacramento A’s home game as a fan, and it doesn’t sound like anyone is happy there

Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Antonio Morales’ ranking of every five-star QB in the recruiting era. 

Most-read on the website yesterday: Our latest 2025 NHL Mock Draft.

Ticketing links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.

(Top photo: Trevor Ruszkowski / Imagn Images)



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Tickets on sale now for 2025 Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto – Speedway Digest

Public sales for all 2025 Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto multi-day tickets began today (June 6) online at hondaindy.com. The 37th edition of the legendary motorsport festival headlined by the NTT INDYCAR SERIES returns to Exhibition Place in downtown Toronto on July 18-20. The longstanding, iconic summer event will again bring high-speed racing action to […]

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Public sales for all 2025 Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto multi-day tickets began today (June 6) online at hondaindy.com. The 37th edition of the legendary motorsport festival headlined by the NTT INDYCAR SERIES returns to Exhibition Place in downtown Toronto on July 18-20.

The longstanding, iconic summer event will again bring high-speed racing action to Toronto’s downtown streets alongside a festival atmosphere full of family fun with interactive displays and diverse food and beverage options. The weekend offers great value for families as children 12 and under receive free general admission every day when accompanied by a ticketed adult.

On track, the stars and cars of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will take on the 2.874-kilometre (1.786-mile), 11-turn temporary street circuit built on Exhibition Place near the Lake Ontario shoreline. Exciting sports car action from Emzone Radical Cup Canada presented by Michelin, plus open-wheel competition from the sport’s rising stars at USF Pro 2000 Presented by Continental Tire and USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire add to the weekend schedule.

“World-class racing, food and fun for all ages returns to the Exhibition Place grounds in just six weeks!” said Jeff Atkinson, president of the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto. “Fans should act now to secure their preferred spots for another exciting edition of the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto.”

On Friday, July 18, Your Ontario Honda Dealers Present Free Fan Friday which offers general admission courtesy of the Ontario Honda Dealers Association through a voluntary donation to Make-A-Wish Canada. Since 2010, Toronto Indy fundraising has raised over $1 million for the charity.

Fans can further enhance their Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto experience by purchasing a Paddock Pass which grants access to the “locker room of motorsports,” and spectators looking to get even closer to the action can add a Pit Pass. For children ages 5-12, the Rookie Racers program offers behind-the-scenes experiences including access to the drivers and race cars.

Pricing starts at $85 for 2-Day General Admission for Saturday and Sunday. Fans planning on using public transportation can purchase a GO Combo ticket that includes a 2-Day General Admission ticket and two round trip GO Transit fares to and from the event for $90 at hondaindy.com/promotions. Bronze-level 2-Day Grandstand seating is available for $110. Silver and Gold levels are priced at $170 and $235, respectively. The Gold 2-Day Grandstand seat also includes a Paddock Pass ($80 value). For full ticket pricing and 2025 event information and news, visit hondaindy.com or follow Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto on social media using #indyTO.

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Tanner Gray fastest in NASCAR Trucks practice at Michigan

BROOKLYN, Mich. — Tanner Gray ran the fastest lap in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series practice Friday at Michigan International Speedway. TALLADEGA, ALABAMA – SEPTEMBER 30: Tanner Gray, driver of the #15 Sport Clips Toyota, waits on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Love’s RV Stop 250 at Talladega Superspeedway on September […]

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BROOKLYN, Mich. — Tanner Gray ran the fastest lap in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series practice Friday at Michigan International Speedway.

TALLADEGA, ALABAMA – SEPTEMBER 30: Tanner Gray, driver of the #15 Sport Clips Toyota, waits on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Love’s RV Stop 250 at Talladega Superspeedway on September 30, 2023 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

Gray paced the 2-mile, D-shaped oval in 38.726 seconds, averaging 185.922 MPH. The TRICON Garage also ranked second to Nashville winner Rajah Caruth on the best 10-consecutive-lap-average charts.

Caruth averaged 182.578 MPH from his second lap to his 11th lap in practice. Gray averaged 181.811 MPH from his first lap to his 10th lap.

Qualifying for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Michigan is scheduled for 8 a.m. ET with the race at Noon.

MORE: NASCAR TV schedule this weekend: Michigan 2025

Here is the full practice sheet:


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Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.

A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.

Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick’s final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen’s stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers’ stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.

Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com



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NASCAR Drivers Reflect On ​​​​​​​Their Cook Out Summer Shootout Roots – Speedway Digest

As Charlotte Motor Speedway gears up for the 32nd season of Cookout Summer Shootout, its legacy continues to shine. For decades, these summer nights on the famed frontstretch quarter-mile have served as a launching pad for future NASCAR stars. Long before piloting powerful stock cars at NASCAR’s highest level, many of today’s top drivers cut […]

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As Charlotte Motor Speedway gears up for the 32nd season of Cookout Summer Shootout, its legacy continues to shine. For decades, these summer nights on the famed frontstretch quarter-mile have served as a launching pad for future NASCAR stars.

Long before piloting powerful stock cars at NASCAR’s highest level, many of today’s top drivers cut their teeth in Legend Cars, learning the ropes at America’s Home for Racing. Now, those drivers reflect on the memories, milestones and lessons they gathered from the grassroots racing series that helped shape their careers now:

Austin Cindric, No. 2, Team Penske

“Racing Legend Cars made me a lot tougher, that’s for sure. Especially on long nights of Summer Shootout. It definitely started everything for me.”

Austin Dillon, No. 3, Richard Childress Racing

“Legend Car racing can be rough and tumble, and you’re going to use the bumper, so I learned a lot from Legend Car racing.”

Chase Elliott, No. 9, Hendrick Motorsports

“Those cars actually teach a lot of really good lessons. The tires are narrow. They’re overpowered, or they used to be overpowered for how big they were. I think it was kind of the first time, at least in my career, that you had more power than you needed and you didn’t have enough tire for the weight of the car. So, it was just a good car control learning experience.”

Ty Dillon, No. 10, Kaulig Racing

“I have so many memories. One of the most important ones is, my wife’s family from Washington state drove down for Summer Shootout, and they were parked beside us. Little did I know that that would be the beginning of me meeting the love of my life, my wife and now three kids. So that’s the most important thing that ever happened to me is that I met my wife at Summer Shootout, but also, I’ve competed against so many drivers that I’m now competing against in the Cup Series, which has been so cool. Daniel Hemric, Bubba Wallace, Austin Hill, so many of the guys that we grew up racing against each other and knew each other from those days. We all went our separate paths after our Legend Car days, but then we all ended up back in the Cup Series, and it really speaks to the amount of learning experience you get at that level.”

“I think, at a young age, being able to race in U.S Legend Cars, the competition is so high, but you’re learning the right ways to race and compete. You have to be aggressive in a lot of the races because a lot of the drivers there are hungry too, and there are a lot of eyeballs on that series as far as people in higher positions at race teams. So, there’s a lot of pressure on it, which is good, and I think if you can learn how to perform early with pressure, it’s obviously a solid thing to have on your resume.”

Ryan Blaney, No. 12, Team Penske

“I loved Legend Cars. I spent many weekends at Winter Heat, out on the fifth mile there and at the road course and Summer Shootout for many, many years. So I think Legend Cars are fantastic. A lot of motor, not a lot of tire. It kind of teaches you throttle control, car control, stuff like that. So, the one thing that Legend Cars probably didn’t do well for a lot of people is repairable bumpers that you just bolt on a new one. Some people just run into each other in Legend Cars. I thought the throttle and car control were the best things that it taught me.”

Chris Buescher, No. 17, RFK Racing

“U.S. Legends cars were a fantastic learning ride. It’s a lot of power for a very small tire, a small, short wheelbase. It gives you a lot of car control. They are technically open-wheel as well, so you do have to have that finesse and kind of that planning into each and every race, to where you wanna make sure you stay shiny side up at all times. It makes you learn how to race clean, but aggressively.”

William Byron, No. 24, Hendrick Motorsports

“The best memories were just making a lot of friends and memories at the track. I mean, just over the summer, being there every week and winning there was huge. So anytime you won one of the Summer Shootout races, it was a big deal. U.S. Legends Cars was just a great, great step for me in my career. Those cars were really fun to drive, and fun to race against people and I enjoyed it a lot.

Zane Smith, No. 38, Front Row Motorsports

“I raced Legend Cars initially on the West Coast, then I made my move out to the East Coast and I felt like they’re just such great cars. Way too much power for a little tire, and just taught me so much. There’s so much racing out here to just race all around the short tracks here, on the East Coast and even getting to do the Summer Shootout. I remember getting onto the big track on the front stretch and just praying that one day I’d be able to keep going straight and stay on the big track, so that was always really cool.”

From rising young talents chasing their dreams to NASCAR stars like Bubba Wallace, Kyle Busch, Shane van Gisbergen, and Australian Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin still jumping in on the action, the Cook Out Summer Shootout continues to deliver high-octane thrills. With 10 rounds of action-packed racing ahead, there’s no better place to be this summer than Charlotte Motor Speedway.

ABOUT COOK OUT SUMMER SHOOTOUT:

Celebrating its 32nd season, the Cook Out Summer Shootout is a 10-race showcase of speed, featuring eight racing divisions of Legend Cars and Bandoleros. Races are held each Tuesday night under the lights with championship points on the line all summer long.

TICKETS:

Tickets are $10; kids 12 and under get in FREE. For tickets, schedules and more details about all the happenings at Charlotte Motor Speedway, visit www.charlottemotorspeedeay.com/tickets.

KEEP TRACK:

Follow all the thrilling Cook Out Summer Shootout action at Charlotte Motor Speedway on X, Facebook and Instagram.

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How to watch Sunday’s Cup race at Michigan: Start time, TV streaming info, weather

With the 32-driver field for the In-Season Challenge set, Michigan International Speedway will begin a three-race run to determine the seedings for the five-race bracket tournament for $1 million. The winner Sunday at Michigan will be guaranteed one of the top three seeds in the In-Season Challenge, which will begin June 28 at Atlanta Motor […]

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With the 32-driver field for the In-Season Challenge set, Michigan International Speedway will begin a three-race run to determine the seedings for the five-race bracket tournament for $1 million.

The winner Sunday at Michigan will be guaranteed one of the top three seeds in the In-Season Challenge, which will begin June 28 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Seeding will be based on best finishes over the next three races at Michigan, Mexico City and Pocono Raceway with tiebreakers based on the second- and third-best finishes in those races (points standings after Pocono is the final tiebreaker).

NASCAR Cup Series Würth 400

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to one of its fastest tracks this weekend with a trip to Michigan International Speedway.

The bracket-style tournament will begin at Atlanta with the top 32 drivers in the points standings after the June 1 race at Nashville Superspeedway. Eliminations will take place over four races until two drivers face off at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the $1 million prize.

There have been four different winners in the last four races at Michigan: Tyler Reddick (2024), Chris Buescher (2023), Kevin Harvick (2022) and Ryan Blaney (2021), who is coming off his first victory of the 2025 season at Nashville.

Kyle Larson and Joey Logano lead active drivers with three wins apiece at Michigan, where only one of the past 12 races has been won by a driver earning his first win of the season. The past two races at Michigan each tied a track record with 16 leaders.

NASCAR Cup Series Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum

The only time the NASCAR Cup Series has had a podium celebration was for the Clash at the LA Memorial Coliseum exhibition races from 2022-24.

A Michigander has yet to celebrate a Cup victory at the Brooklyn, Michigan, track. There are three Michigan natives in the field Sunday: Brad Keselowsk (a three-time runner-up at Michigan), Erik Jones and Carson Hocevar, who just tied a career best with a second at Nashville.

Joe Gibbs Racing is in a peculiar drought at Michigan — winless in its past 14 races on the 2-mile oval despite having won five of the past seven stages there. Its most recent victory was in Aug. 16, 2015 with Matt Kenseth. JGR since has won 96 times on 25 other tracks.

This will mark the first Cup race in June at Michigan since 2019. The past seven races at the track (which was downsized to one annual Cup weekend) were held in August.


Details for Sunday’s Cup race at Michigan

(All times Eastern)

START: The command to start engines will be given at 2:10 p.m. by Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph. … The race is scheduled to begin at 2:19 p.m.

PRERACE: The Cup garage will open at 11 a.m. … The drivers meeting is at 1 p.m. … Driver introductions are at 1:25 p.m. … The Canadian national anthem will be performed by Lisa Bascom at 2:02 p.m. The U.S. national anthem will be performed by Staff Sergeant MeLan Smartt, United States Air Force Band of Mid-America, at 2:03 p.m.

DISTANCE: The race is 200 laps (400 miles) on the 2-mile oval.

STAGES: Stage 1 ends at Lap 45. Stage 2 ends at Lap 120.

ENTRY LIST: Click here for the 36 cars entered at Michigan.

TV/RADIO: Prime will broadcast the race starting at 1:30 p.m. … Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will have radio coverage.

FORECAST: WeatherUnderground —Partly cloudy with a chance for a shower or thunderstorm and a high of 77 degrees and winds from the south at 5 to 10 mph. It’s expected to be 74 degrees with a 15% chance of rain at the start of the Cup race.

LAST TIME: Tyler Reddick held off William Byron for a victory in overtime. The race was completed Monday, Aug. 18, 2024 from a postponement after 51 laps Sunday.





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Six-Time Pro Stock Champ Erica Enders Eyes Comeback in Bristol

After a tough start to the 2025 season, six-time Pro Stock champion Erica Enders hopes to continue her momentum from last week’s race in Epping at this weekend’s 24th annual Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway. Enders is not only a six-time Pro Stock world champion, but she is also the winningest […]

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After a tough start to the 2025 season, six-time Pro Stock champion Erica Enders hopes to continue her momentum from last week’s race in Epping at this weekend’s 24th annual Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway.

Enders is not only a six-time Pro Stock world champion, but she is also the winningest female across all of motorsports, with 49 wins to her lengthy list of accomplishments. However, she hasn’t visited the winner’s circle since the 2024 season opener in Gainesville. After finishing runner-up last weekend in Epping to her longtime rival and reigning world champ Greg Anderson, Enders is confident the Elite Motorsports camp has turned a performance corner with her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/Scag Power Equipment car.

“We worked nonstop,” Enders said. “We made some substantial changes and spent a lot of time on the dyno. We applied everything we learned at the shop to the track during some testing at Tulsa. Pro Stock is not for the weak. It’s competitive problem-solving and we take a lot of pride in how well we work together, accomplishing things legitimately. We may be down now but they will not keep us down forever.”

This weekend’s Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals marks the eighth event of the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. Scenic Bristol Dragway is always a highlight for drivers and fans, and that holds true for Enders as well.

“I feel good going into Bristol. I feel like we have a direction to head in and a small pep in our step,” said Enders, who has three wins Bristol wins to her credit. “Bristol has always been good to me and is one of my favorite tracks to race. I’m definitely looking forward to the weekend.”

In 2024, Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel), Austin Prock (Funny Car), Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all won in Bristol. Clay Millican, Prock, Erica Enders and Matt Smith each won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, while semifinalists from the NHRA New England Nationals will rematch in Bristol in 2025. The race will be broadcast on FS1, including eliminations starting at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 8.

Following her runner-up finish at the NHRA New England Nationals, Enders will also be slotted into this weekend’s Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge. Enders will rematch with her Elite Motorsports teammate, Aaron Stanfield, while points leader Anderson will meet up with Matt Hartford.

Enders made significant progress in Epping, moving up to ninth in points, and has another opportunity to make a big leap with plenty of season left.

“Confidence takes time to build, whether it is in yourself, your team, or your equipment,” Enders said. “It’s kind of like trust, easy to lose, hard to gain. Don’t get me wrong, we have definitely turned a corner, but we also still have a ton of catching up to do. I promise there is no other group that I’d rather go to battle with than my guys at Elite.

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“I look around and realize how lucky I am to have a group like I have. From their work ethic to the content of their character, to their never-quit mentality. We have been through so much together as a big family. This year has been tough on us personally and professionally, but the cream will always rise to the top.”

In the Pro Stock Motorcycle ranks, Herrera will be aiming to be the first rider to win twice at Bristol. Other Bristol winners include former champion Angelle Sampey, Jery Savoie, and Steve Johnson. However, Herrera’s competitor and six-time champion Matt Smith will have his sights set on his chance at history at Bristol Dragway.

Racing legend Tony Stewart has taken control in the Top Fuel ranks, advancing to the past five final rounds to move into the points lead. Other top names include Epping winner Brittany Force, Doug Kalitta, Shawn Langdon and Antron Brown.

Reigning Funny Car champion Austin Prock earned his first Bristol win last weekend over J.R. Todd. Todd is the most recent winner on tour, thanks to his Epping win over rookie Spencer Hyde. Prock currently leads the points after earning two wins earlier this year, with his John Force Racing teammate Jack Beckman in second. Others to note will be Phoenix winner Paul Lee, as well as former champs Matt Hagan and Ron Capps.

The event will also feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series, Flexjet NHRA Factory Stock Showdown and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Mountain Motor Pro Stock. After final qualifying on Saturday, fans will also be treated to a special autograph session and fanfest at the Bristol Dragway Welcome Tent in the midway.

All weekend, fans will be invited to the Nitro Alley Stage, which is the main entertainment hub in the pits. The stage hosts Nitro School, meet and greets, autograph sessions and more. Bristol race fans can enjoy the special pre-race ceremonies that introduce each driver and includes the fan favorite SealMaster Track Walk. Fans are also invited to congratulate the winners at the winner’s circle celebration on Sunday.

As always, fans get a pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. Fans can see their favorite teams in action and servicing their cars, get autographs and more. They can also visit NHRA’s Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and vendors create an exciting atmosphere.

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 3 and 5:30 p.m. ET on Friday, June 6, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, June 7 at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Eliminations will begin at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 8. Television coverage includes qualifying action at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday and 8 p.m. on Sunday on FS1, leading into eliminations at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday.

To purchase tickets to the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, fans can visit www.NHRA.com/tickets. For more information on NHRA, please visit www.NHRA.com.

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This story was originally published on June 6, 2025. Drag IllustratedDrag Illustrated





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New documentary showcases Britain’s first Black, female race team owner

A new documentary is set to launch on sports broadcaster TNT to showcase the work of Carol Glenn, who is Britain’s first Black, female motorsports official. The short film follows Glenn through the launch of her new Formula Ford team, Next Generation Racing, which saw her become the country’s first woman of colour to launch […]

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A new documentary is set to launch on sports broadcaster TNT to showcase the work of Carol Glenn, who is Britain’s first Black, female motorsports official. The short film follows Glenn through the launch of her new Formula Ford team, Next Generation Racing, which saw her become the country’s first woman of colour to launch a race team.  

Directed by filmmaker Daisy Ifama, Set Pace is the first in a new series of three short films as part of a joint initiative from TNT Sports Reframe the Game and the Warner Bros Discovery Access development programme. The series aims to highlight the untold stories of women in sport. 

Ifama previously directed numerous documentaries, which highlighted subjects such as police brutality in London and mental health. Her latest film spotlights Glenn’s story as a trailblazer in her field and follows the creation of her new team, Next Generation Racing. 

“[Daisy] had done her research, she’d looked about what I was doing. And she could see that there was a story to tell,” Glenn told Autosport.  

“Especially nowadays, I think it is very important because as somebody that’s now representing for people of Black and Brown, and they haven’t got very many role models, other than maybe Lewis [Hamilton], and there’s not many people who are actually visible.  

“I always thought of myself as being a bit behind the scenes, but now having the last few years out there talking to kids in schools and universities, I realise a lot of them actually do Google to find out who’s in the industry and that I am that face for them.” 

The film, which is available to stream on TNT Sports and discovery+, follows Glenn’s story as she manages her team over a race weekend in Silverstone. It highlights the obstacles and microaggressions that she faces over a weekend, and discusses the origins of Next Generation Racing.

“I’ve been around motorsport for 37 years, and at the time I never set out to break any records or barriers or anything,” Glenn said.

Photo by: WBD

“I just did it because I was interested, I really loved being around cars.

“When I started off as a marshal, I was the first person of colour, and I didn’t know that at the time.

“Being around in the space and realising that there was nobody else like me around. There was very, very few.

“Now, I really want to try and change that to make sure we’re not always talking about the first and the only, it should just be normal conversations going on.” 

Since the film’s premiere, it has received positive reviews, with TNT Sports presenter Suzi Perry saying that it shows Glenn is an “amazing person.”

“She was the first black official in British motorsport, and now the first Black woman to have a team in motorsport in the UK, and I hope that she does really well, and I think she will,” Perry said.

“She’s an inspirational character. I think people will be inspired by her – young women, and particularly young Black women. Because if you see somebody that you relate to doing well, it opens a door for you, you think it’s possible.”

The film’s director added that she was “inspired by Carol’s tenacity and perseverance” over her 37-year career in motorsport. Ifama said that she hopes the short film will serve as an “example of the sport’s future.”

“I want people to see a piece of themselves in Carol’s story and feel galvanised to keep up the fight, not be swayed by obstacles and be the change they wish to see in their world,” Ifama added.

“As Carol says in the film, ‘the only way I can see change is if I make it happen’.”  

In this article

Hannah Newman

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