What should expectations be for NASCAR’s Kyle Larson in Indianapolis 500?
Kyle Larson will attempt the double for a second consecutive year, as he intends to race in the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday (12:30 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app) and, mere hours later, race in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, which begins at 6 p.m. ET. […]
Kyle Larson will attempt the double for a second consecutive year, as he intends to race in the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday (12:30 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app) and, mere hours later, race in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, which begins at 6 p.m. ET.
What should expectations be of the NASCAR star, as he attempts to pull off the feat?
“I think the goal is to run the 1,100 miles. I don’t think he has a chance to win at Indy,” Kevin Harvick said about Larson on the latest edition of “Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour.” “I think with the way that they qualified and all of the things that have happened this year, I think that hope is out of the picture, personally. I don’t see it. I think that he could come back and be a real contender at the Coca-Cola 600. I think just being able to finish on the lead lap at Indy and run all 1,110 miles and check that box is probably the most realistic goal for this year, but still an amazing feat.
“It doesn’t look like he’s having nearly as much fun this year as he did last year with a couple crashes already and everything that’s happening. It’ll be interesting to see if he moves forward with it after this year with it not being as much fun.”
Larson will begin the famed INDYCAR race in 19th place. Qualifying for the race was a struggle for Larson, as he crashed twice in qualifying setups.
“Expectations were high. Going from what he [Larson] did last year to this year, the expectation was to go there and compete for a win, and that was over early,” Harvick said.
Last year, Larson started the Indianapolis 500 in fifth place but finished in 18th. His ability to race both the Indianapolis 500 and then the Coca-Cola 600 was hindered by a multi-hour weather delay in Indianapolis, which forced him to miss the first half of the nighttime NASCAR race. Then, the Coca-Cola 600 was cut short due to weather, and Larson never raced a lap after arriving at the track mid-race.
As for how he’s faring on the NASCAR circuit this season, Larson is first in the Cup Series in total points (469), with three wins, eight top-five finishes and nine top-10 finishes. His three wins have come at Homestead-Miami Speedway (May 23), Bristol Motor Speedway (April 13) and Kansas Speedway (May 11).
Larson is the only NASCAR driver competing in the Indianapolis 500. Meanwhile, racing legend Helio Castroneves — a four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 who’s beginning the 2025 edition of the race in 22nd place — competed in this year’s Daytona 500. Granted, he didn’t finish the race.
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
FOLLOWFollow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
NASCAR Cup Series
Kyle Larson
Get more from NTT INDYCAR SERIESFollow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Kyle Larson Astonished by Hendrick Motorsports Michigan Victory Drought in NASCAR
In a stunning revelation ahead of the adrenaline-pumping weekend at Michigan International Speedway, Kyle Larson expressed his astonishment over Hendrick Motorsports’ drought at the D-shaped oval since Jeff Gordon’s last victory in 2014. The racing ace finds it perplexing as Michigan is not typically a track where the team faces setbacks. The only glimmer of […]
In a stunning revelation ahead of the adrenaline-pumping weekend at Michigan International Speedway, Kyle Larson expressed his astonishment over Hendrick Motorsports’ drought at the D-shaped oval since Jeff Gordon’s last victory in 2014. The racing ace finds it perplexing as Michigan is not typically a track where the team faces setbacks.
The only glimmer of hope in the last decade for Hendrick Motorsports at Michigan Speedway was Jeff Gordon’s triumph, a four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion. However, with Kyle Larson now part of the squad, boasting three victories at the track, the narrative might be on the brink of change. Larson clinched his first win at Michigan back in 2016 during his tenure with Chip Ganassi Racing.
Larson voiced his bewilderment, stating, “Yeah, I don’t know. I think it’s been since even I won in ’17 that a Chevy has won here. Which is, I mean, it’s kind of surprising because I don’t feel like it’s a track that we struggle at, you know, by any means.”
Despite consistently showcasing speed and dominance at Michigan in Hendrick cars, victory has eluded Larson and his teammates due to race dynamics. However, Larson remains optimistic, highlighting that Michigan is not a track where they encounter the same challenges faced at Nashville.
As the anticipation builds for the upcoming Firekeepers Casino 400 this Sunday, Kyle Larson will commence the race in the fifth position, sharing the front rows with Chris Buescher, another former Michigan International Speedway victor. Racing enthusiasts can catch the event live on Prime Video starting at 2 pm ET, with real-time updates available on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
In a heart-stopping prelude to the Cup Series race at Michigan, Kyle Larson narrowly escaped unscathed from a harrowing sprint car crash at Plymouth Dirt Track. Despite his No. 57 dirt car losing a wheel and careening into the catch fence, Larson emerged uninjured, much to the relief of onlookers. Larson, reflecting on the incident, mentioned, “Glad I’m okay. Big hits, but all in all I feel fine.”
On the NASCAR leaderboard, Kyle Larson currently holds the second position in the championship standings with 499 points, trailing behind his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, William Byron, who leads with 547 points. The racing world eagerly awaits Larson’s next move as he continues to chase victory and glory on the track.
Judging by the past two years, the summer months have been productive for Roush Fenway Keselowski’s Chris Buescher. Last year he earned his only win of the season in September at Watkins Glen. Two years ago, the driver of the No. 17 RKF Ford scored all three of his victories in the summer – back-to-back […]
Judging by the past two years, the summer months have been productive for Roush Fenway Keselowski’s Chris Buescher. Last year he earned his only win of the season in September at Watkins Glen. Two years ago, the driver of the No. 17 RKF Ford scored all three of his victories in the summer – back-to-back at Richmond (July 30) and Michigan (Aug. 7), then won again at the end of August at Daytona International Speedway’s regular season finale.
Heading into this week’s Firekeepers Casino 400 at Michigan, Buescher is the only one among the three RFK drivers ranked above the Playoff cutoff line – 15th in the championship by Playoff standings; six points up on Kyle Busch in that last Playoff position and only eight points up on his RFK teammate Ryan Preece in 17th.
Buescher is of course hopeful that he can reclaim some of that Michigan magic on the two-miler. He led a race high 52 of 200 laps and beat Martin Truex Jr. by a slight 152-second for his win two years ago. He has only three top 10s in 14 Michigan starts – but two in the last two races (win and sixth last year). It’s not enough to make him over-confident but does give him some optimism heading into the all-important summer months of competition. With points so close, a victory may be the best option to earn a Playoff bid.
“You can’t depend on points to get you in the playoffs when it’s as tight as it is every week,’’ Buescher said. “I think that’s been our mindset, which means that ultimately wherever we bounce around that [Playoff cutoff] line we’ll be aware of it, but it’s a matter of figuring out how to go win races and we haven’t done that yet.
“We’ve not been quite good enough and we’re working on trying to clean up some of the detail work and study a little harder and be better from my end behind the wheel and make it to where we basically lock ourselves in on that side of it and don’t have to have any of that thought in the back of our heads.
“But I certainly don’t want it to be what we’re sitting here thinking of how can we get two points here, three points there and try and just feel like we can skate our way in. It doesn’t work. Ultimately, you can’t count on that when it comes down to the end.”
FOX Broadcast Fuels NASCAR Dodge Bombshell as Cleetus McFarland Mentioned
By Saajan Jogia is a motorsport and automotive writer with over ten years of experience. His passion for cars and motorcycles has been a driving force behind his evolution as a writer. He has extensively covered Formula 1, MotoGP, IndyCar, NASCAR, WEC, and technology for publications including Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News, Newsweek, and Men’s Journal. […]
Saajan Jogia is a motorsport and automotive writer with over ten years of experience. His passion for cars and motorcycles has been a driving force behind his evolution as a writer. He has extensively covered Formula 1, MotoGP, IndyCar, NASCAR, WEC, and technology for publications including Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News, Newsweek, and Men’s Journal.
Saajan Jogia
Sports Contributing Writer
news article
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
✓ Link copied to clipboard!
English (Original)
Español
中国人
Français
Deutsch
Portuguese
हिन्दी
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Read original
Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.
FOX NASCAR’s broadcast of the Craftsman Truck Series on Saturday might have leaked the news of Stellantis’ RAM Trucks’ entry into the sport. While there is no official confirmation yet, RAM Trucks’ post on X of a big announcement on June 8 might be just that.
Rumors have been doing the rounds of Stellantis’ return to NASCAR next year. When RAM Trucks’ post on X was featured on FOX Sports’ broadcast, one of the hosts mentioned that “anything we can do to have more manufacturers in the sport would be great.”
“We’ll have to see what they’re getting at with the truck that they were showing there.”
Carson Hocevar, driver of the #7 Delaware Life Chevrolet, and Kaden Honeycutt, driver of the #45 DQS Solutions & Staffing Chevrolet, race during the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series DQS Solutions & Staffing 250 Powered by… Carson Hocevar, driver of the #7 Delaware Life Chevrolet, and Kaden Honeycutt, driver of the #45 DQS Solutions & Staffing Chevrolet, race during the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series DQS Solutions & Staffing 250 Powered by Precision Vehicle Logistics at Michigan International Speedway on June 07, 2025 in Brooklyn, Michigan.
Meg Oliphant/Getty Images
Another host also mentioned that he would like to see ARCA driver and YouTube sensation Cleetus McFarland race in the Truck Series. The famous automotive icon, whose real name is Garrett Mitchell, has been strongly linked to a NASCAR seat, and the arrival of RAM could facilitate this.
A report from Sports Business Journal addresses this speculation and confirms that something has been brewing in the background for RAM’s entry into the sport, considering the inputs from “four people familiar with the matter and a document seen by SBJ.”
The report stated further:
“Stellantis’ Dodge brand exited NASCAR after the 2012 season, and NASCAR has been working for over a decade to add a fourth automaker back to the sport. It hasn’t had a new one join since Toyota started out in the Truck Series in 2004.
“Stellantis is said to be likewise initially looking to re-enter the sport through the Truck Series as soon as next year, though nothing has been announced. The company and people that would form its new team have been in talks to enter NASCAR as soon as next year.”
Mitchell has been racing for Rette Jones Racing in ARCA and has made three race starts this season. While other race starts have been planned, they are yet to be announced.
SBJ stated further that it has accessed a document that states that Mitchell will be part of RAM’s team as a driver and brand ambassador. It read:
“A document viewed by SBJ listed McFarland as one of the names slated to be part of the program as a driver and brand ambassador. It was unclear if the document was final, and it’s possible that McFarland’s plans could change. It was unclear whether he’d run partially or full time. Nonetheless, the team is expected to lean on celebrity partnerships and potentially ownership to grow its presence quickly.”
Mitchell’s fan following of 4.4 million subscribers on YouTube outnumbers NASCAR’s following of 1.48 million. Could this be RAM’s strategy to partner with famous racing talent to grow its fan base and popularity when it enters NASCAR’s Truck Series?
Ryan Blaney reveals what’s in his NASCAR driver code of conduct
Inside the car, Ryan Blaney is an outspoken driver who often lets his rivals know when they’ve annoyed him. And as a veteran of over 350 Cup races with 14 wins (including last weekend at Nashville), he has plenty of thoughts regarding how he wants to be raced and how he chooses to race others. […]
Inside the car, Ryan Blaney is an outspoken driver who often lets his rivals know when they’ve annoyed him. And as a veteran of over 350 Cup races with 14 wins (including last weekend at Nashville), he has plenty of thoughts regarding how he wants to be raced and how he chooses to race others.
While this unwritten driver code of conduct varies throughout the field, Blaney helped create his with guidance from his father Dave, who started 473 Cup races in his own career.
The dos and the don’ts of racing in NASCAR
Three-wide battle for the race lead with William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Ford, and Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota
Three-wide battle for the race lead with William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Ford, and Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing ToyotaMichael Bush – Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Michael Bush – Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Advertisement
“Everyone’s line is different,” said Blaney is a Saturday press conference. “I can’t really speak for anybody else. My father [Dave] raised me. He raced for a long time, so I had that going for me that he was able to teach me the do’s and don’ts. I’ve been chewed out a lot when I was younger for doing the wrong thing – at being overly aggressive and costing somebody else. My dad chewed my ass out when I did that.
“I did it a few times in late models when I was like 13 and he said it right. He set the line. He said, ‘This is wrong. You do not race this way. This is just how it is.’ It was one of those situations where I’m racing someone hard and I made a mistake. I slipped up and I spun him out. It wasn’t intentional, but even those mistakes dad would really make me clean up right away. That’s just how his dad raised him.”
Blaney is also a driver who welcomes “hard racing” on the track, accepting that contact is a byproduct of that. Especially in modern NASCAR, where passing is extremely difficult and the field is so close together.
Learning from your mistakes
Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Chevrolet, Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Ford
Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Chevrolet, Ryan Blaney, Team Penske FordDavid Jensen / Getty Images
David Jensen / Getty Images
Advertisement
“Everyone races hard (and) contact is going to happen,” said Blaney. “I think it’s an issue if it happens repetitively, like a lot. I think that’s when it starts becoming an issue. It’s like, ‘Do you learn from your mistakes?’ You can say you’re sorry all you want, but if you don’t learn from them and make a change, then everyone thinks you’re lying and you don’t feel sorry about that.”
As for where the line is, Blaney drew it right about where Carson Hocevar hit Ricky Stenhouse Jr. at Nashville. Blaney himself had an issue with Hocevar at Atlanta after getting run into from behind while entering Turn 1.
“To me, over the line is if you get run over in the rear bumper and you get spun out and wrecked, then you have a brake pedal. You ran into that guy. I’ve read some stuff this week and people are like, ‘Well, Stenhouse could have cut him a break.’ I’m like, ‘How can Stenhouse cut him a break?’ I don’t understand. I think the #77 [Hocevar] could have cut him a break if you’re gonna talk about breaks. I don’t even think that situation was cutting somebody a break. That was just getting run over.”
Blaney did praise Hocevar as a natural talent who knows how to go fast, but he wants to see him learn and grow from these recent moments.
Advertisement
“All of us have been young,” continued Blaney. “We’ve all been aggressive. Everyone has a heavy right foot when they get going and that’s good. I think he’s a very, very talented race car driver. He’s one of the best guys out there. It’s hard to teach speed. I think he just has to refine a little bit of what he does. I don’t think he has to change who he is because this is what got him here, but I think he’s got to possibly think of some situations that he’s been in and just try to learn from them. That’s really all you can do, so I don’t really critique anybody. I’m not critiquing him at all. That’s just my stance on it is when guys keep spinning off the front of your bumper that becomes an issue. I’m not a huge fan of that. I’ve been a part of it. I got turned at Atlanta getting run into from behind. It’s like, ‘How many times are you gonna keep doing this until you learn?’ So, we’ll see.”
Hocevar and Stenhouse did talk this week, and according to the driver of the No. 77, they may have buried the hatchet in their short-lived feud.
Photos from Michigan – Practice & Qualifying
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletMeg Oliphant / Getty Images
Meg Oliphant / Getty Images
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletMeg Oliphant / Getty Images
Meg Oliphant / Getty Images
Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford
Joey Logano, Team Penske FordMeg Oliphant / Getty Images
Meg Oliphant / Getty Images
Ty Dillon, Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Ty Dillon, Kaulig Racing ChevroletMeg Oliphant / Getty Images
Meg Oliphant / Getty Images
Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Ford
Ryan Blaney, Team Penske FordMeg Oliphant / Getty Images
Meg Oliphant / Getty Images
Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing ChevroletMeg Oliphant / Getty Images
Meg Oliphant / Getty Images
Michael McDowell, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Michael McDowell, Spire Motorsports ChevroletMeg Oliphant / Getty Images
Meg Oliphant / Getty Images
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing ToyotaMeg Oliphant / Getty Images
Hamlin undeterred by ruling siding with NASCAR in lawsuit filed by Jordan-owned 23XI and Front Row
BROOKLYN, Mich. (AP) — Denny Hamlin is unfazed that a three-judge federal appellate panel vacated an injunction that required NASCAR to recognize 23XI, which he owns with Michael Jordan, and Front Row as chartered teams as part of an antitrust lawsuit. “That’s just such a small part of the entire litigation,” Hamlin said Saturday, a […]
BROOKLYN, Mich. (AP) — Denny Hamlin is unfazed that a three-judge federal appellate panel vacated an injunction that required NASCAR to recognize 23XI, which he owns with Michael Jordan, and Front Row as chartered teams as part of an antitrust lawsuit.
“That’s just such a small part of the entire litigation,” Hamlin said Saturday, a day ahead of the FireKeepers Casino 400. “I’m not deterred at all. We’re in good shape.”
Hamlin said Jordan feels the same way.
“He just remains very confident, just like I do,” Hamiln said.
NASCAR has not commented on the latest ruling.
23XI and Front Row sued NASCAR late last year after refusing to sign new agreements on charter renewals. They asked for a temporary injunction that would recognize them as chartered teams for this season, but the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, on Thursday ruled in NASCAR’s favor.
“We’re looking at all options right now,” Hamlin said.
The teams, each winless this year, said they needed the injunction because the current charter agreement prohibits them from suing NASCAR. 23XI also argued it would be harmed because Tyler Reddick’s contract would have made him a free agent if the team could not guarantee him a charter-protected car.
Hamlin insisted he’s not worried about losing drivers because of the uncertainty.
“I’m not focused on that particularly right this second,” he said.
Reddick, who was last year’s regular-season champion and competed for the Cup title in November, enters the race Sunday at Michigan ranked sixth in the Cup Series standings.
The charter system is similar to franchises in other sports, but the charters are revocable by NASCAR and have expiration dates.
The six teams may have to compete as “open” cars and would have to qualify on speed each week to make the race and would receive a fraction of the money.
Without a charter, Hamlin said it would cost the teams “tens of millions,” to run three cars.
“We’re committed to run this season open if we have to,” he said. “We’re going to race and fulfill all of our commitments no matter what. We’re here to race. Our team is going to be here for the long haul and we’re confident of that.”
The antitrust case isn’t scheduled to be heard until December.
NASCAR has not said what it would do with the six charters held by the two organizations if they are returned to the sanctioning body. There are 36 chartered cars for a 40-car field.
“We feel like facts were on our side,” Hamlin said. “I think if you listen to the judges, even they mentioned that we might be in pretty good shape.”
___
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.
Video: 12 drivers crash in frenzied NASCAR Truck restart melee at Michigan
With just five laps to go in the scheduled distance for Saturday’s NASCAR Truck race at Michigan, 18-year-old rookie Gio Ruggiero and NASCAR Cup star Ross Chastain lined up on the front row for a mad dash to the finish. Unfortunately for them, neither driver would be part of that fight to the checkered flag. […]
With just five laps to go in the scheduled distance for Saturday’s NASCAR Truck race at Michigan, 18-year-old rookie Gio Ruggiero and NASCAR Cup star Ross Chastain lined up on the front row for a mad dash to the finish.
Unfortunately for them, neither driver would be part of that fight to the checkered flag. Staying out on old tires with anxious drivers behind them, the pushes from trucks behind came early in the restart zone as Ruggiero tried to wait to accelerate for as long as he could, aiming to shorten the run down into Turn 1.
Advertisement
Leaving the restart zone, tires had already started spinning and trucks began to turn sideways, with Chastain saving his — only to be hooked by Ruggiero as he got turned down the track. 12 trucks were involved in the crash that followed, with Corey LaJoie moving from fifth to first in the chaos.
Chastain’s truck was destroyed, as was the truck of championship leader Corey Heim. Along with them and Ruggiero, the following drivers were listed as being involved in the incident: Jake Garcia, Tanner Gray, Daniel Hemric, Dawson Sutton, Frankie Muniz, Chandler Smith, Andres Perez De Lara, Connor Mosack, and Ben Rhodes.
What happened?
Ross Chastain, Niece Motorsports Chevrolet
Ross Chastain, Niece Motorsports ChevroletMeg Oliphant / Getty Images
Meg Oliphant / Getty Images
Advertisement
After the race, Ruggiero still wasn’t sure what happened. “Yeah, I don’t know. Have to watch the replay. Haven’t seen it yet, looked at it, (nor) talked about it as a team yet, said the rookie driver for TRICON. “Yeah, it’s unfortunate. We had a really good truck and not sure what happened there. Just felt like I wasn’t ready to go yet. I was right at the start of the restart zone. Just have to look at the replay to see what happened there.”
Heim was directly behind Ruggiero and was trying to push his teammate. On the radio, he seemed frustrated by the teenager’s decision to wait so long in the restart zone.
“Myself and the No. 17 [Ruggiero] just didn’t link up the way we wanted to, and it went down from there,” he said after the race, barely touching on it. “Definitely had the truck to beat today. Just didn’t work out.”
Chastain spoke with FOX Sport’s Bob Pockrass outside the infield care center, saying: “The push came really hard from behind. It felt like a couple trucks connected to come through the 15 [Gray] to me. I haven’t seen a great replay yet, but I was definitely getting pushed before the restart zone, and I didn’t want to jump.”
Advertisement
The race ended up going into triple overtime with Stewart Friesen ultimately capturing the checkered flag, snapping a three-year winless streak.
Photos from Michigan – Race
Stewart Friesen, Halmar-Friesen Racing Toyota
Stewart Friesen, Halmar-Friesen Racing ToyotaMeg Oliphant / Getty Images
Meg Oliphant / Getty Images
Luke Fenhaus, ThorSport Racing Ford
Luke Fenhaus, ThorSport Racing FordMeg Oliphant / Getty Images
Hendrick Motorsports
Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.
