Motorsports

What drivers said at Nashville after Cup race won by Ryan Blaney

Published

7 months ago

June 2, 2025

Ryan Blaney — winner: “I never gave up hope, that’s for sure. We’ve had great speed all year, just hasn’t really been the best year for us as far as good fortune. The 12 boys are awesome. They stick with it no matter how it goes, and it was great to finish one out now.”

Carson Hocevar — second: “It just proves how strong this group is to go from the disappointment last week and having a really bad qualifying draw, qualifying really bad, sticking through it and having a shot. Just proud of this group. I think our average with this car is 38^th. So it’s a big upgrade. Jeff Dickerson, Spire. I was probably being a lot more vocal on the radio than I needed to be, but you’re just trying so hard and trying to find something that’s just not there. One spot short again. At least hopefully this is a step in the right direction. I haven’t seen the replay (of the Ricky Stenhouse Jr. wreck). I’ve seen a bunch of people do that same sort of move and get shipped, and I think he was the one for me to wreck them. But I felt like that was just a common move with how big of a run I had, but I didn’t see it. I’m sure he’ll want to talk about. I’ll talk about it. We’ll look at the replay. But I have no idea until I see it.”

Denny Hamlin — third: “I was hot. I don’t run a cool shirt or anything like that. That’s three elements other drivers have. Just couldn’t run with the 12 in the super long run. After 40 laps, I could maintain with them, after that, he just pulled away and stretched it on us. Our best strategy at that point was to go long. You either catch a caution, another caution comes, we all were going to stay out because the lap times don’t fall off, and then got fresher tires. We got jumped by (Hocevar). Then the track went through a really weird phase the last 30 laps where everyone had it pinned to the bottom. I think there was not enough cars running the middle, so it threw dust into that middle and top lane that was not an option. That definitely hurt the passing.”

The Team Penske driver took control on a long green-flag run to end the race after winning Stage 2.

Joey Logano — fourth: “We did the details well. All but the one restart, we lost the lead there, but I don’t think I would have maintained it anyway. That run, (Blaney) was just lights out, which gave him that huge lead. The last run, after the last pit stop, was pretty solid once I got going, just took me 15 or 20 laps to get speed in the Mustang, same as in practice. Good execution. Proud of Team Penske. All our cars got a win now. That’s pretty impressive to have everybody with a win. That shows all the teams are really strong. My guys were great on pit road as well. Proud of Team Penske and everyone at the shop. Just a solid hard-earned top five. Everyone fights hard. Last week at Charlotte, we just missed our setups. We just didn’t hit it right. Understood where that was at the end of the race. It’s just too late. This race, we fired off top five speed the whole race. (Blaney had) the best car. Glad the best car won.”

William Byron — fifth: “I felt like our car potential was probably third, behind (Ryan Blaney) and (Denny Hamlin). We just never really got to restart with clean air. I think if we could have restarted with clean air, maybe we could have held them off, but it just seemed like we had to do too much to our car to keep up with those guys. I thought it was a good effort by this No. 24 Chevrolet team. We tried something a little bit different on that last stop. It ran long and, honestly, it was going to be good, and then we just kind of had a slow sequence. It was a good day overall. Nashville Superspeedway has been kind of a tough place for us the past couple of years. I felt like we had good speed, we just couldn’t quite get the handling.”

Bubba Wallace — sixth: “(The speeding penalty) was frustrating because I knew that we were fast. It was nice to kind of methodically work our way through the field and make passes. I’ll never understand strategy. I thought we were pitting into 12th, and they were like that is fifth and fourth in front of you, and I was like how did that happen? All-in-all, a good night for our Camry.”

Erik Jones — seventh: “A great day. Ran really strong, at times a top-five car. We lost it a little bit in the end but two good weeks, so proud of that, and hopefully more to come at Michigan. I think our mile-and-a-half stuff has been pretty good all year. I feel like it is a matter of we have to put it together. Today was a good day of putting it together. We didn’t have any mistakes. We had good pit stops. It just is cleaning everything up, and continuing to improve on these cars. Like at the end there, that was all we had. Our balance was pretty good, so we still need to get a little faster. We’ve done a great job. We are getting there. We are optimizing the speed. The mile-and-a-halves are our strong suit, so hoping we have more of it in Michigan. That would be a fun one to be up front again.”

Kyle Larson — eighth: “It was a bit wild, I don’t know if the TV was able to catch everything that went on with my day. We just kind of struggled with our balance. And then just had some things happen along the way and found a lot of luck along the way, too. It was unfortunate to not be as fast and have the balance we wanted, but once we gave up on trying to fix it all and just focused on gaining track position, we had some good restarts, settled in and just good to recover to a top 10 but would like to be better here. It was good. Really every year we came to Nashville in Next Gen, it looks a lot like today where we suck and somehow get a top 10. And then on paper, it looks like we’re pretty good here, but we’re not. It’s days like this that show the strength of your team. Happy we were able to keep our heads in it and get away with a top 10.”

NASCAR: NASCAR Cup Series Race at Nashville

The Team Penske driver becomes the ninth driver to win in the 2025 season.

Chris Buescher — 14th: “Incredibly aero sensitive race. We just didn’t get the details right. We had decent speed but we didn’t perform at the level we are capable of. On to Michigan. We should be really good there. I am excited for it. It has been a really good one for us. We had a good tire test there. We will see what the new tire does but the speed was there.”

Daniel Suarez — 16th: “It was an OK day for this No. 99 Chevrolet team. We fired off a little bit too far off again. The speed got a little bit better, but it took us pretty much a stage and a half to get it where we needed it to be. It was just difficult to pass. It was an average night. We just have to continue to keep working on it.”

Cole Custer — 19th: “Our guys did a great job tonight and have been working their tails off to get better and better. We ran a good number of laps inside the top 15 and brought home a solid top-20 finish, but this race showed we can go out there and compete.”

Austin Dillon — 29th: “It was a long night for everyone on the No. 3 Chevrolet at Nashville Superspeedway. We missed the setup a little and I struggled with a Chevy that was too loose to race. Additionally, the brakes were chattering for most of the night. We did our best to manage it, but with the handling issues we were facing there was no way to gain track position. We tried to long run the last green-flag pit stop, but that strategy didn’t pan out for us. We ended up going from 21st to 29th. I don’t know what to say except it was miserable. As a team, we need to execute a little better. We all want more, so we’ll keep trying.”

Josh Berry — 30th: “I thought our car was pretty solid. We had worked our way into the top 10 at the end of the second stage. Unfortunately, had a penalty on pit road and got mired in the back and just couldn’t get back up there. All in all, I was pretty happy with our Ford Mustang and we will get them next week.”

Cody Ware — 33rd: “Just a really frustrating night. I felt like we had a decent Ford Mustang, but the night kind of fell apart after we had an issue with a wheel at the start of the final stage. It’s a tough, tough way to have a swing like that in what would have been a decent day for the team. So we’re just going to reset, re-rack it for Michigan and just keep building on the progress we’re making as a race team.”

Corey Heim — 37th: ““I’m pretty sure I just kind of cleared myself across the nose of (Brad Keselowski). A little bit too desperate. We were moving forward really quick and I had a lot of confidence in my Camry and thought I could clear him by the time I got to the wall, and just used too much racetrack, so sorry to those guys. It looks like I kind of ruined his day, too, and never want to do that. Just can’t say enough about the speed we had. I think if we didn’t start in 33rd, we could have been battling in the top 10. A lot of positives, just screwed it up on my part. Huge thank you to 23XI, Toyota. Definitely had a lot of fun, and looking forward to doing again.”

Noah Gragson — 38th: ““I gave (Alex Bowman) a whole two lanes off the bottom and he just trekked me. It annihilated us. It was so early in the race and that was a hard hit. It is just sort of the story of our year so far. We’ve been running good, running better, then we get taken out by things not of our doing. We just have to go faster to get away from it all. We have been building good cars. We ran good at Charlotte. I feel like we have good speed at some of these tracks. I am really proud of everyone at Front Row Motorsports. It just sucks to be annihilated like that.”

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. — 39th: “Lap or two before, (Carson Hocevar) tried to dive in there from about 10 car lengths back. That time, I just opened my entry a little bit, he overcharged the corner and just drilled us in the rear bumper. I’d say it’s not out of the norm for him, but I definitely wasn’t expecting that at that point in the race. Bummer for us. Our Camaro wasn’t great, but we were making changes, and I felt like that restart, I was a little better than the run before. We were just burning our right rear tire off throughout the run. Bummed that our day ended like that. I’ll definitely have something to do about it at one point. We’ll go back to the shop and regroup. It’s a busy couple of weeks for our team getting ready for Michigan and Mexico City. Those two races back-to-back, we have to have all four cars ready. We’ll refocus and get ready for next weekend. As soon as these races are over, we focus on what’s next. We’ll try and bounce back strong next weekend and get back rolling.”

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Motorsports

This Is What Happens When a WRC Co-Driver Gets a Crack at Driving

Published

2 hours ago

December 27, 2025

Your Sports Nation

It takes a special kind of person to willingly strap oneself into a hatchback aimed at flying through the woods at high speeds. Rally drivers are madmen full-stop, but their shotgun-riding co-drivers are a whole different breed. Don’t discount the amount of driving know-how tucked away in those high-flying passenger seats, however. Hyundai Motorsports co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe recently took the wheel of a Hyundai i20 N Rally2 at the 2025 Rallye du Pays Vençois in France, making fellow co-drivers round the world beam with pride.

While you might not be familiar with Martijn Wydaeghe, you have likely heard of his teammate Thierry Neuville. The two have been driving together since the 2021 season, with Wydaeghe co-driving during Neuville’s 2024 WRC Driver’s Championship effort. This year wasn’t as successful for last year’s champs, with Neuville finishing 5th overall in the standings. The results were largely tempered by two consecutive retirements at the Central Europe and Japan rallies towards the end of the season. The pair came back to win the final event of the year at Rally Saudi Arabia.

While the automaker didn’t put Wydaeghe out in the proper Rally1 machine he’s used to riding in, the Belgian driver made his driving debut in the production-based Rally2 machine. He did previously get a go in the Rally1 car at the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed, however. I’m sure the co-driver-turned-wheelman wasn’t too upset about the more approachable platform for his first go either.

With co-driver Florian Haut-Labourdette alongside, Wydaeghe pushed the IXO-sponsored Hyundai through the 25-mile rally. His pace was undeniable, with Wydaeghe managing to take home a stage win on his very first attempt. The pair only managed to muster sixth place overall, but fans were more than happy to see Wydaeghe give it a shot. That said, I don’t think Neuville needs to be too worried about job security for the time being. Perhaps the WRC should look at a co-driver shootout event moving forward, though.

Born and raised in Metro Detroit, associate editor Lucas Bell has spent his entire life surrounded by the automotive industry. He may daily drive an aging Mustang, but his Porsche 944 and NB Miata both take up most of his free time.

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Motorsports

Hendrick Motorsports reveals rare ‘Days of Thunder’ photos with Tom Cruise, others

Published

4 hours ago

December 27, 2025

Your Sports Nation

A Christmas gift from Hendrick Motorsports! A collection of rare, behind-the-scenes photos of “Days of Thunder” was revealed for fans. Featuring Tom Cruise, Rick Hendrick, Geoff Bodine, and more, the photos show moments that were largely unseen until now.

“Days of Thunder 2” is likely to happen. Tom Cruise is going to be part of it, if it does happen. It is amazing to look back at these photos, more than 35 years ago, and see how this film came to be.

The collection of photos also includes some from a 1987 IMSA race at Road Atlanta. Cruise shared a Nissan 300ZX Turbo with Rick Hendrick in the race. A mechanical issue hurt their finish in the race.

Check out the photos at the Hendrick Motorsports website. There are a lot of great snapshots into these mostly forgotten moments.

Since “Days of Thunder” came out, Hendrick Motorsports sure has changed a lot. All of the wins, championships, and so much more in the time since 1990. More than 40 years of history in the Cup Series, the story of Hendrick only continues to grow.

Kyle Larson is fresh off his second championship. William Byron was so close to becoming a champion for the third year in a row. Hendrick was not nearly the organization it is now, back when Mr. H was working with Cruise. The sport has completely changed as well.

If “Days of Thunder 2” happens, I am sure that Hendrick will be involved in that effort as well. They are involved in just about every major NASCAR promotion and new venture. Why would the sequel film be any different?

Hendrick Motorsports ready to race for championship again

In the 2026 NASCAR season, Hendrick Motorsports is going to be just as good as they were this year, if not better. Kyle Larson and William Byron are going to be good for about five wins each. Chase Elliott should be back to winning two to three races a year. You have to expect Alex Bowman to win a race or be top-16 in sports.

In the Next Gen era, Larson and Byron have been two of the most successful drivers on the track. In terms of wins, they top the list since 2022. Hendrick knows that they have three legitimate championship drivers in their stable, and a fourth that can win races and be incredibly competitive otherwise.

Hendrick Motorsports is also going to get a new Chevrolet Camaro body. What they discover with that new downforce and how they build speed with it will be very interesting to watch.

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Motorsports

Racing Ritual Announces Grand Opening of Premier Racing Simulator Experience in Tempe, Arizona

Published

4 hours ago

December 26, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Twelve state-of-the-art motion racing simulators with hundreds of car choices and 90+ circuits bring professional-grade sim racing to Phoenix Metro area.

TEMPE, AZ, UNITED STATES, December 26, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ — Racing Ritual, a cutting-edge simulator racing entertainment venue, will celebrate its public Grand Opening on Saturday, January 10th, 2025, at 10am, bringing an immersive motorsports experience to the heart of Tempe, Arizona.

The facility features twelve professional-grade racing simulators equipped with panoramic displays, a force feedback steering system, and a motion dynamics platform bringing the simulator telemetry to your seat. Whether visitors are seasoned motorsports enthusiasts or first-time drivers, Racing Ritual offers an accessible yet authentic racing environment. Customers have full control over their preferred level of driving assists, accommodating any skill level.

“We’re beyond excited to bring Arizona a facility that lets more people experience the joy and thrill of motorsports” said co-founder Brandon Garrett. “Our goal is to bring accessibility to a sport that is typically difficult to enter while also crafting a space that invites you to stay for more than just the racing.”

Key Features of Racing Ritual:
• Twelve Professional Simulators — State-of-the-art racing rigs designed for realistic driving dynamics, accommodating individuals, groups, and competitive events.

• Multiplayer Experience — Any number of simulators can run on the same car and track in a multiplayer lobby, with voice communications and a private leaderboard for your group.

• You’re In Control — You choose whether your group wants to run fastest lap competitions, practice, or race. You have the choice of your own car and track or lean on staff recommendations for popular combinations.

• Vehicles Across Every Discipline — Formula Style Open Wheel, Oval Racing, GT3, GT4, Prototypes, Group C, Touring Cars, Supercars, Sports Cars, and Classics

• 90+ World-Renowned Circuits — All Major Circuits, North American Favorites, European Legends, Global Destinations

• Event Space — For private venue rentals of our 2861 square foot space, you have control over our 140” 4k projector, sound system, and wireless streaming capabilities for any music and audio/visual content for your corporate event or private party. In addition, you have access to our coffee bar, refrigerators, and plenty of counter space to cater food. We have seating and table space for 40 spectators, and our venue capacity is 146.

Grand Opening Details:
• Date: Saturday, January 10th, 2025 from 10am to 1pm, Paid Sessions From 1pm-10pm
• Location: Tempe, Arizona
• Book: racingritual.com
• Instagram @racingritual

The Grand Opening event will feature special promotions and opportunities for attendees to experience all twelve simulators firsthand in short trial sessions from 10am to 1pm and then opens to paid sessions from 1pm to 10pm.
Racing Ritual invites motorsports fans, gamers, corporate groups, and families to discover the excitement of professional sim racing.

About Racing Ritual

Racing Ritual is Arizona’s premier full-motion sim racing center, a place where adrenaline meets precision, and the love of racing is celebrated.
Born from a deep passion for motorsport, we created a space where everyone from first-time drivers to seasoned racers can experience the thrill of world-class racing circuits in full-motion simulators that feel just like the real thing.
Located in the heart of Tempe, Racing Ritual is a hangout, training ground, and entertainment hub designed for connection, competition, and pure speed. Whether you’re here to chase lap times, battle friends, or just feel something real, we built this for you.

Thomas Balls
Racing Ritual
email us here
Visit us on social media:
Instagram
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Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability
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Motorsports

Everything You Need To Know About The 2026 Tulsa Shootout

Published

6 hours ago

December 26, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The 2026 Tulsa Shootout is shaping up to be the largest edition in the event’s history. This year’s “Mecca of Micros,” scheduled for Dec. 29–Jan. 3 inside the SageNet Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has drawn a record number of pre-entered drivers.

Held a week prior to the prestigious Chili Bowl Nationals in the same building, the Tulsa Shootout has currently attracted 1,939 entries from all across the globe.

Whether you’re a seasoned dirt racing enthusiast or new to the sport, the Tulsa Shootout is sure to deliver thrilling and memorable moments throughout the six days of on-track action.

This article breaks down everything you need to know about the 2026 Tulsa Shootout on FloRacing.

2026 Tulsa Shootout Schedule

View the schedule for the 2026 Tulsa Shootout below. All times are in Central Time.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 29

Practice: 9:00am (One round per class)

Joe’s Racing Products Stock Non-Wing

Hyper Racing Non-Wing Outlaw

K&B Motorsports Restricted

Sawyer Chassis Winged Outlaw

Flying A Motorsports Junior Sprints

JST Motorsports A-Class

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 30

Racing: 9:00am

Joe’s Racing Products Stock Non-Wing FuelTech Heats

Flying A Motorsports Junior Sprints FuelTech Heats

JST Motorsports A-Class FuelTech Heats

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31

Racing: 9:00am

Hyper Racing Non-Wing Outlaw FuelTech Heats

K&B Motorsports Restricted FuelTech Heats

Sawyer Chassis Winged Outlaw FuelTech Heats

THURSDAY, JANUARY 1

Racing: 9:00am

Joe’s Racing Products Stock Non-Wing E-Mains

Joe’s Racing Products Stock Non-Wing D-Mains

Joe’s Racing Products Stock Non-Wing C-Mains

Joe’s Racing Products Stock Non-Wing Qualifiers

Flying A Motorsports Junior Sprints Qualifiers

Hyper Racing Non-Wing Outlaw Qualifiers

K&B Motorsports Restricted Qualifiers

Sawyer Chassis Winged Outlaw Qualifiers

JST Motorsports A-Class Qualifiers

Sawyer Chassis Winged Outlaw D-Mains

Sawyer Chassis Winged Outlaw C-Mains

FRIDAY, JANUARY 2

Racing: 9:00am

Hyper Racing Non-Wing Outlaw E-Mains

Hyper Racing Non-Wing Outlaw D-Mains

Hyper Racing Non-Wing Outlaw C-Mains

Flying A Motorsports Junior Sprints C-Mains

Flying A Motorsports Junior Sprints B-Mains

K&B Motorsports Restricted C-Mains

K&B Motorsports Restricted B-Mains

JST Motorsports A-Class E-Mains

JST Motorsports A-Class D-Mains

JST Motorsports A-Class C-Mains

SATURDAY, JANUARY 3

Racing: 9:00am

Joe’s Racing Products Stock Non-Wing B-Mains

Hyper Racing Non-Wing Outlaw B-Mains

Sawyer Chassis Winged Outlaw B-Mains

JST Motorsports A-Class B-Mains

OPENING CEREMONIES, PARADE OF STATES

Joe’s Racing Products Stock Non-Wing LCQ

Hyper Racing Non-Wing Outlaw LCQ

K&B Motorsports Restricted LCQ

JST Motorsports A-Class LCQ

Sawyer Chassis Winged Outlaw LCQ

Joe’s Racing Products Stock Non-Wing A-Feature

Flying A Motorsports Junior Sprints A-Feature

Sawyer Chassis Winged Outlaw A-Feature

K&B Motorsports Restricted A-Feature

JST Motorsports A-Class A-Feature

Hyper Racing Non-Wing Outlaw A-Feature

**Schedule is subject to change without notice. Any updates will be posted to http://www.tulsashootout.com.

What Classes Race At The Tulsa Shootout?

OUTLAW (Wing & Non-Wing)

This is your headlining division at the Tulsa Shootout.

The sky’s the limit in this class. Many engines are professionally built nowadays with a 640cc max displacement, there are bigger 14 sq. feet wings to provide extra downforce, and cockpit adjustments to tweak your shocks and wings are allowed.

The unique distinction in car count for Winged Outlaw to Outlaw Non-Wing is because a good majority of racers will simply run their “Stock” car in the Outlaw Non-Wing class. Due to the size of the track and the nature of non-wing racing, the smaller motor is less of a disadvantage when the wing is not a factor. In fact, many of the Outlaw Non-Wing champions over the years have done it with a “Stock” engine under the hood.

STOCK (A-Class & Non-Wing)

More of an entry level type class, these are year-in and year-out the biggest divisions at the Tulsa Shootout and all across the country for that matter.

The “Stock” in this class is pretty simple, these are traditionally pulled right off 600cc motorcycles and plucked right into a micro sprint. Offering about 25 less horsepower, you’ll notice this group also has smaller 10 square foot wings. There are no cockpit adjustments of any sorts allowed.

RESTRICTED

The final kid class as a stepping stone before reaching Stock then Outlaw is this division intended for 8-16 years old.

Essentially the same as A-Class, the only difference in Restricted simply comes down to the motor under the hood. You’ll take a stock 600cc powerplant but similar to NASCAR, you’ll use a ¾ inch restrictor plate to tone the motor down for the kids. It’s a great entry level class for kids to understand the feel of the car and get to race competitively without the consequence of the power yet.

Like the Stock divisions, no cockpit adjustables are allowed and you’ll notice the smaller 10 square foot wings.

JR. SPRINT

The most obvious division to decipher at the Tulsa Shootout for a casual fan is the Jr. Sprints, intended for young kids 6-12 years old.

As you’d expect, everything is smaller with a Jr. Sprint from the car itself, the motor, the wings, the tires, you name it. It’s simply about getting the kids behind the wheel and learning how to race with each other. And don’t underestimate these kids either, the Jr. Sprints have often delivered some of the most exciting races of the night; and they’re certainly bringing the best interviews each and every single year.

For the complete technical breakdown of each class, you can find the official class rules at https://www.tulsashootout.com/classes/.

How To Watch The 2026 Tulsa Shootout

The 2026 Tulsa Shootout will stream live on FloRacing. You can follow the action as it happens and watch the replays and exclusive content on-demand after it’s all over on FloRacing. The 2026 Tulsa Shootout starts on Dec 29, 2025 and runs until Jan 3, 2026.

On Your TV: Now Available on Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast & Apple TV.

Cast: Cast to your smart TV including Vizio, Samsung and LG TVs.

On The Go: Download the FloSports app on iOS or Android.

When Does The 2026 Tulsa Shootout Start?

The 2026 Tulsa Shootout starts on December 29 at 9:00 a.m. CT and runs through January 3, 2026.

2026 Tulsa Shootout Entry List

The entry list for the 2025 Tulsa Shootout features nearly 2,000 entries across the six divisions and features a star-studded line-up at the SageNet Center. Among the entries are NASCAR Cup Series drivers Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Kyle Busch and Ty Gibbs in the Stock/Outlaw divisions, along with future stars Audrey Larson, Owen Larson and Brexton Busch.

View the full 2026 Tulsa Shootout entry list here.

FloRacing Race Replays On-Demand

Video footage from the event will be archived and stored in a video library for FloRacing subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscription.

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Motorsports

American Race Tire Named New Tire Series Tire Supplier

Published

7 hours ago

December 26, 2025

Your Sports Nation

If you listen closely enough, you can hear the rumble of change making its way through the garage area. In a move that is shaking up the open-wheel pavement world this Christmas Eve, NASCAR has officially confirmed a massive shift for the upcoming 2026 season.

After decades of running on Hoosier rubber, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is switching to different tires. American Racer Tire has been named the new exclusive tire supplier for the series, marking the end of a long-standing era and the beginning of a fresh chapter for the ground-pounders.

This isn’t just a supplier swap. It’s a fundamental change to the sport’s contact patch. For the drivers, crew chiefs, and car owners who live and breathe the Whelen Tour, this news brings a mix of excitement, nostalgia, and the immediate need to rethink chassis setups honed over years.

A Major Shift for the Whelen Modified Tour

The word came down exclusively to RaceDayCT on Wednesday, confirming rumors that had been swirling around the paddock. Gary Putnam, the series director for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, sent a bulletin to competitors officially announcing the transition. While the public announcement from NASCAR was still pending as of Wednesday afternoon, the message to the teams was loud and clear: American Racer is in, and they are ready to roll.

For the past 26 years, Hoosier Tire has been the one consistent variable in a sport defined by unpredictability. Since 1999, every pole run, every photo finish, and every championship celebration on the Whelen Tour happened on Hoosiers. Before that, older fans remember the fierce “Tire War Era,” where Goodyear and Hoosier battled for dominance. Now, American Racer steps into the spotlight, tasked with keeping the most powerful cars in NASCAR glued to the asphalt.

Why the Switch to American Racer?

This decision wasn’t made in a vacuum. According to the bulletin sent to teams, the move to American Racer addresses some of the most pressing concerns facing modern race teams: cost and availability. Racing is expensive, and there’s simply no way around that. But the new deal with American Racer aims to keep a little more cash in the team owners’ pockets.

The bulletin highlighted that the 2026 tire pricing is set at an MSRP of $195. That figure represents a significant 20% price reduction compared to the 2025 pricing structure. For a team running a full schedule on the Whelen circuit, those savings add up fast, potentially covering the cost of fuel or helping to refresh a tired motor.

Furthermore, American Racer is bringing logistical muscle to the table. They boast two factories capable of production, which is a massive safety net against the supply chain issues that have plagued the motorsports industry in recent years. They have also committed to minimizing production lead times and providing dedicated factory track-side support at NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events.

Testing the Rubber: The Road to Approval

NASCAR didn’t jump into this partnership blind. The sanctioning body, along with key stakeholders in the Whelen community, put the new rubber through its paces before signing on the dotted line. Verification tests were critical to ensuring the product could handle the immense stress a Modified puts on a right-rear tire.

A test session was held on November 5 at Jennerstown Speedway in Pennsylvania, a fast, sweeping track that demands grip. A second, perhaps more grueling test took place on December 3 at New Smyrna Speedway in Florida. New Smyrna is known for its abrasive surface that eats tires for lunch, making it the perfect proving ground for durability.

According to Putnam’s message to the teams, the drivers and squads involved in these verification tests successfully confirmed the product’s quality and consistency. The feedback suggests that the new rubber is ready for prime time.

Financial Relief and Future Growth

Beyond the immediate savings on the tires themselves, the partnership promises to inject more resources back into the series. The agreement includes increased contributions to both the event awards and the year-end point fund for the 2026 season.

In a sport where margins are thin, an increased point fund is a major morale booster. It signals that the series is healthy and looking to grow. As stated in the bulletin to competitors, “The ceiling is high with the possibilities of continued growth and prosperity on The Tour.”

Looking Ahead to New Smyrna

Change is rarely easy in racing. Crew chiefs will spend the winter scratching their heads, analyzing notes, and trying to predict how the new American Racer compounds will react to different track temperatures and banking. But that challenge is part of what makes the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour the best show in short-track racing.

The new era begins officially on February 7, when the haulers unload at New Smyrna Speedway to kick off the 2026 season. When the engines fire and the cars roll off the grid, they’ll be doing it on American Racer tires. It’s a brave new world for the Modifieds, and we can’t wait to see who figures it out first.

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Motorsports

Hendrick Motorsports reveals rare ‘Days of Thunder’ photos with Tom Cruise, others

Published

7 hours ago

December 26, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The collection of photos also includes some from a 1987 IMSA race at Road Atlanta. Cruise shared a Nissan 300ZX Turbo with Rick Hendrick in the race. A mechanical issue hurt their finish in the race.

Check out the photos at the Hendrick Motorsports website. There are a lot of great snapshots into these mostly forgotten moments.

Hendrick Motorsports ready to race for championship again

Hendrick Motorsports is also going to get a new Chevrolet Camaro body. What they discover with that new downforce and how they build speed with it will be very interesting to watch.

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