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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
What to watch for in today's NASCAR Cup race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
INDIANAPOLIS — The challenges will be immense for NASCAR Cup drivers and teams in today's race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. A narrow track and high speeds make it tough to pass. That impacts what happens on the track and how the strategy goes. Here's a look at what to watch for today. Cautions breed cautions Last year's race saw half of the 10 cautions come after restarts, including crashes that eliminated, among others, William Byron, Joey Logano, Alex Bowman and Denny Hamlin. Logano was eliminated by a crash on a restart that started behind him. 'It came forward,' Logano said of the accident that ended his race a year ago. 'You don't see that every day, do you? 'I think everyone knows it's hard to pass. If (a restart is) your opportunity to pass, everybody's willing to ship it in there and figure it out later. Unfortunately, it causes accidents. 'If there's ability to pass later on, then everybody probably would have a little more respect for each other, more grace out there, a little more give and take.' The last three Cup races on the Indy oval have seen at least one crash on a restart. 'I think without fuel saving, restarts are kind of one of your only opportunities to pass here,' Bowman said. 'They got super crazy there at the end (last year).' Tight pit road A majority of the fast cars selected pit stalls near pit exit because the width of pit road at Indianapolis (not including the pit boxes) is 24 feet. Only World Wide Technology Raceway has a narrower pit road width at 22 feet. Ryan Blaney knows the challenges of pitting near pit entrance. In the 2020 race at Indianapolis, Zach Price, who remains the rear tire changer for Blaney, was struck on pit road when there was a chain-reaction crash just after pit entrance that blocked pit road. 'I'm like ultra vigilant here,' Blaney said of pit road. 'Let's say I'm done with my stop and I'm cruising down pit road (in the far right lane), I'm always watching those cars on the left who are in their stall. I've got to look at are they about to drop the left-side jack, and what that looks like because you can't bail anywhere. The only way you can bail is to slow down and stop. It makes it pretty tough. Hopefully … you don't see any issues on pit road and guys stay safe.' Indianapolis starting lineup: Chase Briscoe claims NASCAR Cup pole at home track Chase Briscoe has won five poles this season, including at the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600 and now the Brickyard 400. Dustin Long, Teams pick pit stalls based on how they qualify. The pole winner gets first choice, the No. 2 starter the second choice and on down to the final car. Most teams select closer to pit exit to avoid potential incidents near pit entrance or the middle of pit road. Bubba Wallace will start second and that gives him a good pit stall. He will be in pit stall 5, which has an opening in front of it, allowing Wallace to exit his stall without worry of being blocked in. 'This is probably the sketchiest pit road, for sure,' Wallace said. 'Obviously, we've seen a lot of crashes (on pit road) here, a lot of injuries. So, we can keep ourselves out of harm's way, the better. I'm excited. That's what we want, a good qualifying effort.' Guess the right strategy Crew chiefs will be busy devising the strategy they think gets their car to the finish line first. Brad Keselowski tried to stretch his fuel in last year's race but a late caution sent the race into overtime. As the field headed toward the restart zone, Keselowski, who led, pulled off to pit road because he was out of fuel. How to watch Sunday's Brickyard 400 Cup race at Indianapolis: Start time, TV info and weather There are only three former winners in the field of the crown jewel event. Nate Ryan, 'I think we were really aggressive last year and we almost won the race,' Keselowski said. 'I wouldn't expect anything to change there, and we've got no reason not to be very aggressive. I certainly don't want to just do dumb things just to do them, but this is a race that lends itself to aggressive moves on the track and off the track with pit strategy.' Playoff picture Twelve drivers have won this season, leaving four playoff spots open at this time via points. Those in a playoff spot without a victory this season are Tyler Reddick (156 points above the cutline), Alex Bowman (+63), Chris Buescher (+44) and Bubba Wallace (+16). Ryan Preece is the first driver outside a playoff spot. He lost 13 points to Wallace last weekend at Dover and is 16 points back. Kyle Busch is 39 points below the cutline. Ty Gibbs is 52 points below the cutline. $1 million at stake NASCAR's inaugural In-Season Challenge comes to an end at Indianapolis. Ty Dillon, the last seed in the 32-driver event, faces Ty Gibbs. Whoever finishes better will claim the $1 million prize. 'If we execute our race and do the best to our abilities - no mistakes and out execute everybody in the field - we might not have the most speed to win the race, but we're going to do plenty to put pressure on him,' Dillon said of Gibbs.
USA Today
20-07-2025
- Automotive
- USA Today
NASCAR at Dover 2025: Start time, TV, streaming for Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400
After two weeks away from the norm, it's back to the familiar ovals this weekend for the NASCAR Cup Series at a classic venue. The grid leaves behind a road course in California wine country and heads east for the Monster Mile at Dover Motor Speedway. It's a unique oval on the calendar at 1 mile long with a concrete surface and high banking (24 degrees in all four corners). This is the Cup Series' first oval race since Atlanta on June 28. It'll also marks the penultimate round of NASCAR's inaugural in-season challenge. Ty Dillon, who was the 32nd and final seed, continued his unlikely run to the final four drivers thanks to 17th-place finish in Sonoma, upsetting No. 8 seed Alex Bowman. He'll take on No. 12 seed John Hunter Nemechek who finished one place ahead of Erik Jones to advance to the semifinals. In the bottom half of the bracket, No. 6 seed Ty Gibbs – the top remaining seed in the challenge – advanced with his second consecutive top-10 result. He'll face off against No. 23 seed Tyler Reddick to decide who will race for the championship. After two weeks of Shane van Gisbergen dominance, a new driver is likely to emerge on top. Will it be a new winner or a familiar face in victory lane? Here's everything you need to know to get ready for the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Dover Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 20: What time does the NASCAR Cup race at Dover start? The Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 20, at Dover Motor Speedway in Dover, Delaware. What TV channel is the NASCAR Cup race at Dover on? The Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 will be broadcast on TNT with an altcast on truTV. It's the third of five races to be broadcast on the network. Pre-race coverage will start at 1 p.m. ET. Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR Cup race at Dover? Yes, the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 will be streamed on WatchTNT, Max and Sling TV. How many laps is the NASCAR Cup race at Dover? The Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 is 400 laps around the 1-mile track for a total of 400 miles. The race will have three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 120 laps; Stage 2: 130 laps; Stage 3: 150 laps. Who won the NASCAR Cup race at Dover last year? Denny Hamlin held off a charging Kyle Larson in the final 10 laps to take the win in Dover last year. Hamlin's victory by 0.256 seconds was his third and final win of the season. A fast pit stop by the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota crew after Stage 2 powered him to the front, and he secured the lead with 72 laps to go. Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott rounded out the top five. NASCAR In-Season Challenge fourth round matchups We're down to four drivers in the inaugural in-season challenge. Thirty-two Cup Series competitors entered the tournament starting at Atlanta. The field was cut down to 16 for Chicago, then down to eight in Sonoma, leaving a final four in the fourth round. Round 4 has just one top-10 seed remaining (Gibbs) as well as the lowest seed in the challenge (Dillon). Two drivers will advance to the final round next week at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. What is the lineup for the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400? (Car number in parentheses) The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more. Our team of savvy editors independently handpicks all recommendations. If you purchase through our links, the USA Today Network may earn a commission. Prices were accurate at the time of publication but may change.
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
NASCAR Saturday schedule at Dover
The Xfinity and Cup series will be on track for nearly eight hours Saturday at Dover Motor Speedway, which is playing host to its first NASCAR weekend in July since 1969. The action on the 1-mile concrete oval will begin with Xfinity practice at 11 a.m., followed by qualifying. Cup will practice and qualify for nearly 90 minutes starting at 1:35 p.m. Saturday's highlight is a 200-mile Xfinity Series race, which will begin shortly after 4:30 p.m. Good news, bad news for NASCAR Cup drivers ahead of Dover weekend Alex Bowman has four consecutive top-10 finishes at Dover, including a victory. Dustin Long, Dover schedule (All Times Eastern) Saturday, July 19 Garage open 9:30 a.m. - 10 p.m. — Xfinity Series 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. — Cup Series Track activity 11 - 11:55 a.m. — Xfinity practice (CW App) 12:05 - 1 p.m. — Xfinity qualifying (CW App) 1:35 - 2:35 p.m. — Cup practice (truTV, Performance Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) 2:45 - 3:30 p.m. — Cup qualifying (truTV, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) 4:30 p.m. — Xfinity race (200 laps, 200 miles; Stage 1 at Lap 45, Stage 2 at Lap 90; CW, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) Weather Saturday: Cloudy with a shower or thunderstorm possible in the afternoon. The high will be 83 degrees with winds from the southeast at 5 to 10 mph. It's expected to be 88 degrees with a 24% chance of rain at the start of the Xfinity race.
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
NASCAR Will Not Race in Downtown Chicago Next Season
Over the past three seasons, NASCAR's annual 4th of July weekend race on the streets of Chicago has gone from a bold experiment to a successful proof-of-concept for stock car racing in the streets of any given city in America. It will not continue into 2026. In a statement shared to social media on Friday evening, organizers say that the race "will hit pause in 2026" in order to "explore a new potential date" and "further [optimize] operational efficiencies." This, the statement claims, is being done with the goal of resuming the race in 2027. NASCAR saw impressive racing over three years on a surprisingly wide temporary street circuit in the heart of Grant Park in downtown Chicago. Each weekend included two races, one Xfinity Series event and one Cup Series race. Shane van Gisbergen, who entered five of the six events ever held, won four. The only other winners in track history are 2024 Cup Series winner Alex Bowman and 2023 Xfinity Series winner Cole Custer. The Chicago street circuit requires significant logistical commitment from the city, which offers up public streets around Grant Park as a track during the event. Since the race lasts a full weekend and road closures start the Monday before the race, any date the series chooses will significantly impact part of the city for a full week. That means a delay was a likely outcome if either NASCAR or the city felt that a 2026 Fourth of July weekend date was untenable. While Chicago will not be on the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series or Xfinity Series schedules, a rumored date in San Diego could serve as a spiritual successor to the event. Specific details of that proposal are expected to be announced as soon as next week. You Might Also Like You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners The Man Who Signs Every Car
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Chicago street course will not return to NASCAR schedule in 2026
NASCAR will not return to the downtown Chicago street course in 2026, race organizers announced on social media on July 18. In a statement, race organizers stated a goal of returning to the NASCAR schedule in 2027 with a possible new race date and a more efficient way to build and tear down the course. "Following the success of the first three years, the Chicago Street Race will hit pause in 2026 to afford us the time necessary to work collaboratively with the City of Chicago to explore a new potential date and to develop a plan that further optimizes operational efficiencies, with a goal to return to the streets of Chicago in 2027," organizers said. The Chicago street race became the first street race in the Cup Series in 2023, with Shane van Gisbergen stunning the sport by winning in his first Cup start. SVG returned to victory lane earlier this month in the third edition of the event, sandwiching Alex Bowman's victory in 2024. NASCAR is in talks with the city of San Diego to race in the streets of the southern California city in 2026, according to multiple reports. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NASCAR won't hold Chicago street races in 2026
