The Chili Bowl Nationals just got a lot more Chili-er. FloRacing has signed a deal with Chili’s to partner on broadcast coverage of the event. 2026 will be the 40th edition of the Chili Bowl, and there will be plenty of big names to watch and great races to see.

It is still the Chili Bowl Nationals powered by NOS Energy Drink. However, FloRacing, the exclusive broadcast provider of the Chili Bowl, has signed a deal with the Bar & Grill that is so aptly fitting of this dirt race.

Chili’s is serving as the official sponsor of the live pre-show. Each day, a new NASCAR star will be a special guest each day of the Chili Bowl Nationals. Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Carson Hocevar, Tony Stewart, and Chase Briscoe are all going to be on the show throughout the week. Chili’s will sponsor the post-show as well as a new series on Flo called “Chili’s Road to Chili Bowl.”

There is going to be a lot of Chili’s influence in the event. I love seeing the NASCAR stars getting involved. Of course, Larson, Bell, and Stewart are not so much NASCAR stars as they are multi-time Chili Bowl Nationals champions, but I digress. A lot of dirt racing knowledge in that lineup, including Chase Briscoe. Then you have Carson Hocevar, the young and wild Cup Series driver. He has some dirt racing experience, just ran the Gateway Nationals in a late model.

Spire Motorsports is definitely the one to thank/blame for this Chili’s sponsorship around the Chili Bowl. They have recently expanded into the High Limit Racing series with Gio Scelzi for 2026. He is also competing in the Chili Bowl. Chili’s is taking this Spire deal and using it to become a premier partner, not just in NASCAR, but in dirt racing as well. It’s exciting to see a brand like this take racing so seriously.

Chili Bowl Nationals featuring NASCAR talent

If Chili’s is serious about racing like it appears they are, that’s good for all motorsports. Who cares if they want to spend some money in NASCAR and in dirt racing. It’s good for everyone.

For instance, Kyle Larson is heavily involved in dirt and NASCAR racing, duh. His High Limit Racing series is becoming a major player against the World of Outlaws. Larson’s talent speaks for itself, as he wins races and championships on both dirt and pavement with regularity. I’d say that his popularity and success as a driver is because of, not in spite of, his overall dedication to motorsports and racing.

The Chili Bowl Nationals is an event that should have so much more mainstream attention. It is a brutal journey for many of these teams and drivers. To go through the alphabet soup and come out on top in the A-Main, that’s the dream of all those who come to Tulsa for this event.

Chili’s is seizing on a moment of growth in motorsports. Believe it or not, that is something that is happening.

“Live sports moments have been key to us reaching passionate fanbases, and that’s what initially drew us to motorsports,” said Tim Forman, Chili’s Director of Media, in a statement. “We continue to show up in unexpected ways with Spire Motorsports, and in that spirit, we’re excited to join both Spire and FloRacing at the iconic Chili Bowl Nationals. We couldn’t think of a better event for Chili’s than the Chili Bowl Nationals and we’re excited to partner with Flo to bring more content to race fans across the country.” 

CONCORD, N.C., Dec. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Ten Tenths Motor Club has named longtime automotive executive Andy Thomas as its new Vice President of Manufacturer Relations, bringing more than three decades of global experience in luxury automotive sales, marketing and brand management to the newly opened motorsports and lifestyle destination.

In his new role, Thomas will develop and maintain relationships with OEM partners to understand their needs, perspectives and objectives, while working to identify opportunities for growth by leveraging new and existing partnerships to increase facility usage.

Click here for photos to support this release.

Thomas joins Ten Tenths Motor Club after serving as Vice President of Marketing and Communications for McLaren Automotive North Americasince 2015, where he led strategic marketing, communications and global strategy that helped drive record sales growth. During his decade with McLaren, Thomas oversaw experiential events in over 30 major metro markets and developed retail programs that significantly increased sales conversions and owner engagement.

“Andy’s reputation and relationships within the global automotive community are unmatched,” said Rick Hendrick, who founded Ten Tenths Motor Club in partnership with Speedway Motorsports. “His leadership will be instrumental in strengthening our partnerships with manufacturers and luxury brands as we continue to establish Ten Tenths as a world-class venue for automotive experiences.”

Prior to McLaren, Thomas served in leadership roles with Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in both Goodwood, U.K. and North America, where he guided global brand alignment and oversaw international marketing strategy across Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. Earlier in his career, he held key marketing and sales roles with BMW of North America, Ferrari North America and Land Rover North America, gaining experience in dealer relations, product marketing and luxury customer engagement.

“Our vision for Ten Tenths Motor Club is to establish the facility as not only a premier experience for passionate automotive enthusiasts, but also to create a destination for corporate events that is unmatched in the automotive industry,” said Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith. “We look forward to Andy joining our efforts to invite manufacturers from around the world to Ten Tenths Motor Club and the greater Charlotte region.”

A Clemson University graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Thomas also serves on the Board of the Erwin Center for Brand Communication at his alma mater. In that role, he mentors students, sponsors real-world marketing projects and connects students with opportunities across the automotive and luxury brand landscape.

A native of Salisbury, Maryland, Thomas began his career in dealer operations at Fox Chevrolet in Baltimore before joining the OEM side of the industry. His work has taken him across the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe, building a broad network and a deep understanding of international brand collaboration.

“I’m thrilled to join Ten Tenths at such an exciting time,” Thomas said. “The club’s vision represents the next evolution of automotive lifestyle and performance culture. I look forward to connecting global manufacturers with this extraordinary facility and to becoming part of the Charlotte community.”

Located adjacent to the iconic Charlotte Motor Speedway, Ten Tenths Motor Club combines exclusive track access, curated events and premium hospitality to create an unparalleled environment for members and partners. The facility has quickly become a premier destination in the Charlotte metropolitan area for automotive launches, luxury brand activations, enthusiast experiences and special events. Tickets are now on sale for Ten Tenths Motor Club signature public event, Heritage Invitational, April 9-11, 2026.

About Ten Tenths Motor Club

Based in Concord, North Carolina, Ten Tenths Motor Club is a private automotive and lifestyle destination designed for those who live and breathe performance. Located beside Charlotte Motor Speedway, the club offers members access to exclusive driving experiences, signature events, and brand collaborations with the world’s most respected automotive manufacturers and luxury partners.

Learn more at www.tententhsmotorclub.com.

SOURCE Speedway Motorsports

https://www.hendrickmotorsport…Editor’s note: This is part of a series from NASCAR.com reviewing the top 30 drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in reverse order of the 2025 final standings. 

• Driver: Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 
• Crew chief: Blake Harris 
• Final 2025 ranking: 13th
• Key stats: six top fives, 16 top 10s

How 2025 ended: Bowman made the Cup Series Playoffs for the second year in a row, earning the final spot available on points.  

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Best race: Suffering a major crash in the previous race at Michigan International Speedway, Bowman participated in the inaugural Cup Series event in Mexico City in obvious pain. Not feeling 100%, Bowman overcame a 29th-place starting position to finish fourth at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, earning what was his third top five of the season. It began a streak of seven top-11 results over the next eight races. Odd timing for sure, but Mexico City paved the way toward his 2025 playoff spot. 

Other season highlights: Bowman’s stellar summer certainly stood out, but his superb start to the season was equally impressive. The Tucson, Arizona, native earned top 10s in five of the first six races, including a runner-up at Homestead-Miami Speedway after earning the pole. During the summer months, he finished third twice and added a second-place at Richmond Raceway, nearly besting Austin Dillon for the win. Down the stretch, he finished seventh at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, adding another plus result to what’s historically been one of his best tracks.

RELATED: Check out all of Hendrick Motorsports’ 2026 paint schemes right here!

Quotable: “The biggest strength is the momentum that we have behind us … the year that we’ve been able to put together, the speed that we’ve had at some race tracks that I’ve been pretty bad at before. At Homestead(-Miami Speedway), we’ve never been good and we almost won. Richmond, we’ve been pretty bad with the Next Gen car, and we were strong there. So, I think that shows me that we can go to places that we haven’t been good at before and be really strong.”

Looking ahead: Bowman will return to Hendrick Motorsports in 2026 for his ninth full-time campaign with the organization. 

(GMM) Formula 1’s 2026 engine rules have been thrown into early controversy after reports that Honda, Ferrari and Audi are challenging Mercedes and Red Bull over an alleged compression-ratio loophole.

According to German outlet motorsport-magazin.com, the three manufacturers have lodged a complaint with the FIA claiming Mercedes and Red Bull Powertrains have found a way to effectively retain an 18:1 geometric compression ratio under the new regulations, despite the mandated limit of 16:1.

The allegation centers on thermal expansion. While the 2026 rules cap compression at 16:1, measurements are specified to be taken at ambient temperature. Rivals suspect that once the engines reach operating temperatures, component expansion allows Mercedes and Red Bull to regain a higher effective compression ratio – potentially restoring levels similar to 2025.

Estimates cited in the report suggest the advantage could be worth around 15 horsepower, translating to as much as three tenths of a second per lap at a circuit like Albert Park.

Editor’s Note: This smells like the typical F1 off-season bullshit that comes up every winter to keep F1 in the news. The regulations define the materials you can use for most of the internal internal compbustion engine components – pistons, piston connecting rods, crank, etc. – and even the size of any inserts in the cylinder heads. Thermal expansion of about 0.5mm needed to get to a 1:18 compression ratio should be the same for everyone.  If Mercedes and Red Bull have found another way to do it then, good for them.  That is what we call genius engineering and it’s what we come to expect from F1.

The FIA has acknowledged the issue is under active discussion. A spokesperson said: “Thermal expansion can influence dimensions at operating temperature, but current regulations do not require measurements under hot conditions.

“That said, the issue has been and continues to be discussed in technical forums with manufacturers.”

French newspaper L’Equipe reports that all five 2026 power unit suppliers – Mercedes, Red Bull-Ford, Ferrari, Honda and Audi – are meeting with the FIA on Monday in an extraordinary technical session. If Mercedes and Red Bull reach an understanding with the governing body, the other manufacturers are still expected to retain the right to protest ahead of the Australian GP.

Engineers quoted in the German press warn that if the FIA rules against the interpretation, Mercedes and Red Bull could be forced to mechanically reduce compression back to 16:1 – a change that would likely cost performance, given that the power units are already homologated for 2026.

The timing is significant. Red Bull’s in-house power project, backed by Ford, had been widely expected to face early difficulties under the new rules. However, Max Verstappen’s manager Raymond Vermeulen has played down those fears.

“We’ve heard good things about the engine,” Vermeulen said – a remark now gaining added weight as scrutiny intensifies over Mercedes and Red Bull’s alleged behind-the-scenes confidence.

Much has been said about how Forza Motorsport is essentially winding down after two years on the market, with the team recently confirming that no major new content would be added to the game in 2026.

That obviously comes as a shame for those who enjoy a more simulation-focused experience than what Forza Horizon offers, but it also indicates that 2023’s FM reboot hasn’t managed to prove as popular as Xbox had likely hoped.

Meanwhile, PlayStation’s Gran Turismo 7 — a game that’s very similar to Forza Motorsport — is apparently experiencing a “phenomenon” right now due to how many players are still engaging with it. That number is growing as well.

Here’s what series producer Kazunori Yamauchi had to say in a recent roundtable interview (via GTPlanet):

“Gran Turismo 7 has been released for several years, but still, the active users are currently over 2 million people, and the new users are increasing. The status that Gran Turismo 7 is in now is probably the best of any Gran Turismo titles that we’ve had in the past. We’ve never experienced this phenomenon before, and neither has PlayStation.”

What’s the reason for Gran Turismo’s immense success and Forza Motorsport’s drop-off, then? According to GTPlanet, Yamauchi apparently attributed GT’s continued appeal to “the studio’s evolving relationship with its community and a shift in how it supports titles long-term”, while the outlet also highlighted the game’s recent update, Power Pack DLC and the millions of people who are watching Gran Turismo World Series events.

And just to be clear, we’re not ragging on Forza Motorsport in terms of the game itself here. We’ve mentioned numerous times how we think FM has an excellent base to it, but it just didn’t quite evolve in the way that we’d hoped.

It also makes sense that Xbox would rather prioritise Forza Horizon these days, and you can bet Forza Horizon 6 will be a best-seller across all platforms that it’s available for, including PlayStation. Sony might have the dominant sim racer of the two companies, but Forza Horizon is in a league of its own in terms of casual open-world racers.

Still, we’ll keep our fingers crossed that Forza Motorsport can make a return with GT7 levels of success in the future!

Despite being called the winter ‘break’, there is hardly any rest for teams during this period. If anything, the weeks between the season finale and pre-season testing are some of the most intense.

For aerodynamic and engine-focused personnel alike, the next few months are a race against time to prepare the first F1 2026 machines.

At surface level, pre-season testing will provide the first glimpses of next year’s challengers. Crucially, however, it is reliability – not outright performance – that will be most representative.

Reliability first, performance to come later

After this season’s conclusion, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur gave a series of declarations about F1 2026.

Some of his most interesting commentary focused on pre-season testing and the opening rounds of the year. According to Vasseur, the 2026 hierarchy will be impossible to predict until later in the season.

The Frenchman predicts most teams will focus on reliability in the early months of 2026.

This sentiment is clearly prevalent, with Cadillac, Audi and even Mercedes suggesting they will bring relatively basic packages in Barcelona testing – with more sophisticated iterations to arrive in the subsequent months.

For some teams, this will be out of necessity.

Due to limited wind tunnel hours and financial restrictions, some teams are at relatively early stages in their 2026 development.

Consequently, there will be some assembly lines still producing the first components to be used in pre-season testing. In some cases, only after the first few rounds will more serious upgrades be in the pipeline.

This is not to say all teams will be conservative in their rollout. Those who started early on their 2026 challengers, such as Williams, are already finalising their a-spec and b-spec cars.

Still, even in these cases, reliability will be the first order of business in testing. From hydraulics to suspension to engines, teams must ensure they have avoided any massive blunders when the cars first take to the track.

The near-faultless reliability F1 has become accustomed to will not be present in 2026. Much like at the start of the hybrid era in 2014, some outfits could be in serious trouble with their chassis and powertrains.

Because of this, it will be easier to spot the teams struggling in pre-season – whilst those in a stronger position will be more understated.

A game of cat and mouse to start F1 2026

As previously assessed on LWOS, teams began working towards 2026 at different times. This means some teams will be several steps ahead in terms of how they plan to evolve next year’s cars.

Others, meanwhile, will be trying to make up for lost time.

However, regardless of when teams made 2026 their development focus, there could be a dramatic range in how teams approached the new regulations.

In some cases, this could manifest itself in more obvious differences in visible parts of the car. In others, more disguisable areas – such as engine power – could be critical in separating teams.

Because of this, those who believe they have found something others have overlooked will avoid drawing attention to themselves with flashy lap-times.

This was Brawn’s approach when they first tested their title-winning 2009 car. Jenson Button recalls that after his first lap in Barcelona testing, he went six tenths faster than anyone else – much to the team’s surprise.

At that point, Brawn did not complete another low-fuel run. This was integral in keeping the team under the radar in pre-season, and meant rivals only began to emulate their game-changing double diffuser several months later.

Though an extreme example, this case study is relevant for the coming months. Teams that are struggling will have less to hide, and can work on testing their cars with slightly more freedom.

However, whichever engineering department has nailed the 2026 regulations will spend much of pre-season testing trying to avoid attention from elsewhere on the grid. After all, teams naturally protest to the FIA when someone else introduces an innovation they missed.

READ MORE: Lawrence Stroll says “patience” necessary for Aston Martin project

Main photo: Steven Tee/LAT Images (McLaren Racing Media Centre)