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NBC Sports
13-07-2025
- Automotive
- NBC Sports
What to watch for in today's NASCAR Cup race at Sonoma
For the second weekend in a row, NASCAR Cup drivers will be racing on a road course. They'll compete today at the 1.99-mile Sonoma Raceway. Here are a few things to watch. Seeking to tie a Hall of Famer Shane van Gisbergen seeks to tie Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon's record for three consecutive Cup road course victories from the pole. Gordon did it from 1998-99. 'We've had a really cool couple of weeks,' van Gisbergen said after winning the pole for today's race. 'You just feel the energy in the shop when you walk in on Monday and Tuesday. Even the stay-at-home guys and girls preparing the cars -- it's just a cool atmosphere in the shop. Everyone's lifted up. Ross (Chastain's) win kind of started it at the Coke 600, and we just got better and better. So yeah, it's really cool for everyone.' Nate Ryan, Already this season, van Gisbergen has won at Mexico and Chicago from the pole. He ranks second in the series in average finish (9.8) on road courses in the Next Gen era. 'He's so good, and it's rare that you see somebody stand out and distance himself from the competition as much as he is,' Larson said about van Gisbergen. 'You know, he's way, way, way better than us at the road course stuff. 'And he's got his own technique, you can call it. Not his own because the rest of the world does it – you know, right-foot braking, clutching and all that stuff. You can't teach an old dog new tricks … like there's zero chance I can learn how to do that. And even if I did, like there's zero chance that I can have it be better than what I'm probably doing with left-foot braking.' What's up with Kyle Larson? The Hendrick Motorsports driver who won last year's race at Sonoma has not led in the last six races. It's the longest stretch he's gone in Cup without leading a lap since the end of the 2019 and beginning of the 2020 seasons when he also went six races without leading a lap. Larson has not had much success on road courses this season. He finished 13th at Chicago, placed 36th after his car was damaged in an early accident triggered by Kyle Busch at Mexico and was 32nd at Circuit of the Americas after being issued a two-lap penalty for a wheel coming off his car. Dustin Long, Larson has three top-10 finishes in his last seven races. 'You know, just on paper, it looks like we're just very average, which we have been,' Larson said Saturday at Sonoma of his recent stretch of races. 'But, you know, we've taken days where we've been not a top-10 car and finished in the top-10 or even top five. 'Those days, although they're not fun, they are rewarding at the end of it because I think, a lot of times in my past, I'll try even too hard and make big mistakes and crash, which I've done that here lately some also. But, yeah, I don't know. We just haven't been as strong as we've wanted to be here lately. 'We've gone to some tracks where when you look at results from the past, we haven't been quite competitive or have race winning speed and it's kind of carried over to this year at some of those places too.' Points races tighten The points race for the regular season championship and for the final playoff spot have tightened. At the top of the standings, William Byron has seen his points lead shrink from 67 to 13 in the last three races. Byron has finished no better than 27th in the past three races. He enters today's race 13 points ahead of teammate Chase Elliott and 19 points ahead of teammate Kyle Larson. Denny Hamlin trails Byron by 43 points and Tyler Reddick is 48 points from the top of the standings. There have been 12 different winners this season, leaving four playoff spots via points at this time. Bubba Wallace holds the final playoff spot. He's two points ahead of Ryan Preece, who gained 21 points on Wallace last weekend at Chicago. AJ Allmendinger is next, 43 points below the cutline. Kyle Busch is 46 points below the cutline.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Indianapolis 500 start delayed due to light rain showers
For the second consecutive year, the start of the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 has been delayed due to light rain around the track. It was originally scheduled to start a 12:45pm EST, but sprinkles forced IMS officials to pause the action, placing the command to start engines on hold. The rest of the pre-race ceremonies have already taken place. There have been overcast conditions all morning but there should be no trouble getting the entirety of the race in today. Track drying Track drying Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Advertisement Any delay like this could seriously jeopardize Kyle Larson's attempt to successfully complete the Indy 500/Coke 600 Double, running all 1,100 miles on the same day. Only four drivers have ever ran both races on the same day and only -- Tony Stewart -- has managed to complete 1,100 miles. He has a very small window (about 45 minutes of delays) that will allow him to both run the 500 and still make it to Charlotte in time for the NASCAR race. Driver introductions are set to begin at 5:25pm EST. with the race beginning at 6pm EST. Larson's 2024 attempt at 'The Double' was derailed by weather as well with rain delaying the start of the Indy 500. He missed the start of the Coca-Cola 600 and same weather system arrived at Charlotte mid-race, ending the event early just as Larson arrived. This year, he has to start the Coke 600 or risk forfeiting all of his playoff points due to an updated playoff waiver policy implemented by NASCAR. 2013 Indy 500 winner and Arrow McLaren team principal Tony Kanaan is on standby for Larson at Indianapolis, should he need to get behind the wheel of the No. 17 Chevrolet. Kanaan told IndyCar on FOX that Larson has to leave the track between 4pm and 4:30pm EST at the latest. When the 2025 Indy 500 does get underway, rookie Robert Shwartzman will lead the field to the green flag in the No. 83 Prema Racing Chevrolet. He will share the front row with Takuma Sato and Pato O'Ward. Advertisement The race has only been completely postponed to Monday three times in its history and that hasn't happened since 1997. The event hasn't been rain-shortened since 2007, which has happened a total of seven times. However, current situation is unlikely to result in a full postponement or a rain-shortened race. Photos from Indianapolis 500 - Race Robert Shwartzman, Prema Racing Robert Shwartzman, Prema Racing Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Race start Race start Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Images via Getty Images General view General view Brandon Badraoui / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Brandon Badraoui / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Indy 500 grid Indy 500 grid Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Patricio O'ward, Arrow McLaren Patricio O'ward, Arrow McLaren James Gilbert / Getty Images James Gilbert / Getty Images Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Images via Getty Images General view General view Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Marco Andretti, Andretti Global Marco Andretti, Andretti Global Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Images via Getty Images IndyCar and IMS President Doug Boles IndyCar and IMS President Doug Boles Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Will Power, Team Penske, Josef Newgarden, Team Penske Will Power, Team Penske, Josef Newgarden, Team Penske Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Kyle Larson, Arrow McLaren Kyle Larson, Arrow McLaren Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Patricio O'ward, Arrow McLaren Patricio O'ward, Arrow McLaren Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Borg-Warner Trophy Borg-Warner Trophy Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Helio Castroneves, Meyer Shank Racing Helio Castroneves, Meyer Shank Racing Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images IndyCar and IMS President Doug Boles IndyCar and IMS President Doug Boles Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images The field of 33 Honda and Chevrolet drivers The field of 33 Honda and Chevrolet drivers Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Takuma Sato, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Takuma Sato, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Patricio O'ward, Arrow McLaren Patricio O'ward, Arrow McLaren Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Josef Newgarden, Team Penske Josef Newgarden, Team Penske Brett Farmer / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Brett Farmer / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske Brandon Badraoui / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Brandon Badraoui / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske James Gilbert / Getty Images James Gilbert / Getty Images Takuma Sato, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Robert Shwartzman, Prema Racing Takuma Sato, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Robert Shwartzman, Prema Racing James Gilbert / Getty Images James Gilbert / Getty Images Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske Justin Casterline / Getty Images Justin Casterline / Getty Images Borg-Warner trophy Borg-Warner trophy James Gilbert / Getty Images James Gilbert / Getty Images Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing James Gilbert / Getty Images James Gilbert / Getty Images Patricio O'ward, Arrow McLaren Patricio O'ward, Arrow McLaren James Gilbert / Getty Images James Gilbert / Getty Images Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global James Gilbert / Getty Images James Gilbert / Getty Images Devlin Defrancesco, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Devlin Defrancesco, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing James Gilbert / Getty Images James Gilbert / Getty Images Kyle Larson, Arrow McLaren Kyle Larson, Arrow McLaren James Gilbert / Getty Images James Gilbert / Getty Images General view General view James Gilbert / Getty Images James Gilbert / Getty Images General view General view James Gilbert / Getty Images James Gilbert / Getty Images Borg-Warner triphy Borg-Warner triphy James Gilbert / Getty Images James Gilbert / Getty Images Marco Andretti, Andretti Global Marco Andretti, Andretti Global James Gilbert / Getty Images James Gilbert / Getty Images Takuma Sato, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Takuma Sato, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing James Gilbert / Getty Images James Gilbert / Getty Images Robert Shwartzman, Prema Racing Robert Shwartzman, Prema Racing James Gilbert / Getty Images James Gilbert / Getty Images Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Patricio O'ward, Arrow McLaren Patricio O'ward, Arrow McLaren Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Louis Foster, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Louis Foster, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Kyle Larson, Arrow McLaren, Sting Ray Robb, Juncos Hollinger Racing Kyle Larson, Arrow McLaren, Sting Ray Robb, Juncos Hollinger Racing Brandon Badraoui / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Brandon Badraoui / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Josef Newgarden, Team Penske Josef Newgarden, Team Penske Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Robert Shwartzman, Prema Racing Robert Shwartzman, Prema Racing Geoff Miller / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Geoff Miller / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Robert Shwartzman, Prema Racing Robert Shwartzman, Prema Racing Geoff Miller / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Geoff Miller / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Christian Rasmussen, Ed Carpenter Racing Christian Rasmussen, Ed Carpenter Racing Brett Farmer / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Brett Farmer / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Christian Rasmussen, Ed Carpenter Racing Christian Rasmussen, Ed Carpenter Racing Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Patricio O'ward, Arrow McLaren, Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Colton Herta, Andretti Global, Callum Ilott, Prema Racing Patricio O'ward, Arrow McLaren, Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Colton Herta, Andretti Global, Callum Ilott, Prema Racing Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Jake Galstad / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Jake Galstad / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Brandon Badraoui / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Brandon Badraoui / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Brandon Badraoui / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Brandon Badraoui / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Jake Galstad / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Jake Galstad / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Brandon Badraoui / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Brandon Badraoui / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Brandon Badraoui / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Brandon Badraoui / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Brandon Badraoui / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Brandon Badraoui / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Read Also: Shocking pre-race crash takes Scott McLaughlin out of Indy 500 To read more articles visit our website.
New York Times
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- New York Times
Daniel Suárez on NASCAR in Mexico City, the expansion push and more: 12 Questions
Each week, The Athletic asks the same 12 questions to a different race car driver. Up next: Trackhouse Racing's Daniel Suárez, who heads to his home country of Mexico this week for NASCAR's inaugural Cup Series race in Mexico City. This interview has been edited and condensed, but the full version is available on the 12 Questions podcast. 1. What was one of the first autographs you got as a kid and what do you remember about that moment? I cannot remember my first autograph, but I do remember being at school practicing my signature. I was racing go-karts at the time and nobody had ever asked me for my autograph. But I remember practicing my signature. My number growing up was No. 4. And in my signature, I included the number. And I guarantee you that 99 percent of people can't even see it and can't even tell, but in my signature, there is a number four. That's been my thing since I was probably 12 years old. I was in school practicing my signatures and I had pages and pages. Advertisement 2. What is the most miserable you've ever been inside of a race car? In 2022, at the Roval, when my steering rack broke. We were in the playoffs and everything was looking very good to transfer in the Round of 12. I learned there are different levels of steering going away. I have experienced a couple of those levels. But the one I had at the Roval, it was nearly impossible to drive, and that was by far the most miserable I have been. My hands were destroyed. The gloves didn't even work anymore because the whole fabric was almost like a tortilla, like a little roll. 3. Outside of racing, what is your most recent memory of something you got way too competitive about? You know the game Phase 10, with cards? My family was just in town for the Coke 600 with my best friend and a few people. Everything is about what kind of cards you get. I would say it's 90 percent luck. And man, I was having a rough night. So I started cheating, and then I started winning, and then I got caught, and then they were checking me and I was trying to do business with the person that was around me. I'm competing with everything I do. (Wife) Julia will tell you that sometimes she gets annoyed because everything I do, I try to convert it into a competition. 4. What do people get wrong about you? A handful of years ago, they thought I was coming from family money. Now people have seen a little bit more of my story and my background. That bothered me, because I actually wish those people who thought I was growing up in a family with a lot of money got to see a little bit of where I grew up. That's the one thing I'm 100 percent sure of: Nobody here in the garage had it as rough as I had it growing up. It was different and difficult. 5. What kind of Uber passenger are you, and how much do you care about your Uber rating? For some reason, my Uber rating is actually pretty good, but I don't use it a lot. Most of the time we use (Julia's). I don't really care about it too much, to be honest; Julia does care. I'm very easygoing when it comes to that. Sometimes I get drivers who are extremely cautious, and when they are extremely cautious, I just make fun of the situation, especially if I'm with Julia. Advertisement 6. This is a wild-card question where I'm mixing it up for each person. With the Mexico City race coming up, there's going to be so much pressure on you, and you are the face of the race. Not only is there pressure on you in terms of people watching to see how you'll perform, but you're being asked to do so many things – interviews and appearances and publicizing all this stuff. When we get there, how are you going to balance getting the rest you need and having the preparation you need to focus on your race while also trying to help the race as a whole? It's a tricky balance. I've been hoping for this moment to come for years, since I won the championship in Xfinity almost 10 years ago (in 2016). And now we are here. It's not just a very special moment for myself, but also for the sport, for the industry. Obviously, I'm very proud of being part of this race, of this event. I'm very proud of bringing you guys in the media, the teams and the drivers to my home to teach you a little bit about myself and about my culture. So I'm extremely proud, and I've been working very hard to make sure this event is going to be extremely successful. With that being said, once we get to Friday, it's time to be selfish because I want to be the best version of myself, and I know we can win the race. But for that, I have to execute everything right, and I have to be on my game. So I'm going to be traveling to Mexico City very early, way earlier than normal (he flew Tuesday), so I can acclimate with the altitude, I can start training a little bit and then do a lot of media activities I have to do. And once Friday starts, I have to slow down because I have to focus on racing. 7. This is my 16th year of doing these 12 Questions interviews, so I've been going back to an earlier one to see how your answer compares. The first time we did this was 2015, so 10 years ago. At the time, I asked you if you've ever been mistaken for another driver. You said no. In the decade since then, do you get confused for someone else? It doesn't happen often at all. But someone a few months ago called me Alex Bowman. I was like, 'What the heck, man? I think I'm way better looking than him!' (Laughs.) Maybe we had similarly-colored paint schemes that weekend. They were like, 'Alex! Alex!' I said, 'I'm Daniel.' 8. Other than one of your teammates, name a driver who you would be one of the first people to congratulate them in victory lane if they won a race. Bubba Wallace, (Ryan) Blaney or Chase (Elliott) because I have known those guys for a very long time. When I won my first race, it was very meaningful to me, and all those guys showed up. They knew it was special for me. Most of the time when you get beat at the racetrack, you're not super happy. It's very rare when somebody is happy for someone else, like genuinely. And those guys were very happy for me. So that means a lot. Advertisement 9. How much do you use AI technology, whether for your job or your daily life? I have never used it, actually. I tried once with my engineer. We were just messing around and did 'Draw Daniel Suárez, race car driver, with a sombrero and eating a taco.' And 'now put him in a race car.' But I didn't even do it (myself); he was doing it with me. 10. What is a time in your life you felt was really challenging, but you are proud of the way you responded to it? That's a very easy question for me. In 2011, I came to the United States and I didn't have anything. I was living with friends of friends, and I couldn't even rent an apartment because I didn't have Social Security and I didn't speak English. Somebody asked me, 'Hey, what has been the biggest challenge in your racing career?' And they didn't believe me when I said to them, 'learning English.' I'm being serious. I've had a lot of very, very big challenges, but learning English was the one challenge where I was a little bit scared. … I knew I didn't want the language to be the reason why I wasn't going to have a real shot at it. 11. What needs to happen in NASCAR to take this sport to the next level of popularity? The first thing is we have to continue to get to know the drivers in a personal way. The Netflix show 'Full Speed' is a great way to get to know drivers on a personal level. I personally have learned a lot about all the drivers just from watching this show. A lot of fans know who I am as a driver, but they don't know who I am as a person. And also for drivers to be authentic. I wish sometimes NASCAR let us open up a little bit more (without) the fines and all the different things. If you're aggressive and you want to show your emotions, show it. If you want to say something on the radio, say it. I don't want drivers to be too vanilla. I wish we could be allowed a little bit more to show whatever we're thinking or our emotions. The second thing is … the sport is very big internationally. Having a wife from Brazil, me being from Mexico and I have spent a lot of time in Europe. There are a lot of NASCAR fans around the world, and NASCAR obviously is working very hard on this. But we have to continue that path, because there is just a lot of opportunity. Obviously, the United States is our main market, and that's going to continue to be the main market forever. With that being said, there are opportunities to continue to grow south of the border, like we're doing with Mexico. In South America — Brazil and Argentina — you have no idea how big motorsports are down there. It's huge. The race in Mexico is going to be the beginning of a lot more things internationally, hopefully. 12. Each week, I ask a driver to give me a question for the next person, the last one was with Corey Heim. He says (of you): 'Aside from Trackhouse, he's never been able to settle into a groove with one team. He was with the Xfinity team with Gibbs for one year, won the championship, went Cup racing probably prematurely (when Carl Edwards suddenly retired). Once he was getting in his groove (in Cup with Gibbs), he's out the door going to Haas, and then once he was getting his groove there, he's out the door with the next move. What's it been like to have to readjust constantly every year versus being comfortable and finding his groove at Trackhouse?' Once I went to the Xfinity Series, I felt like I had (a) home and I was able to hit home runs fairly early in my career. Once I went to the Cup Series, it was a completely different game. I started to realize talent wasn't just going to do it (alone); it was going to require way more than that. It's going to require preparation. It's going to require the group of people around you. It's going to require a group of people trying to push you to go to the next level. Advertisement I struggled with that. I really struggled to find that home, to find that group of people, that group of leaders in the company. I'm not saying they didn't want me to be successful, but when you have an organization that has several teams, sometimes you have priorities. You have sponsors, and it's a business, right? Unfortunately, I felt like I was always on the short end of the stick until I came to Trackhouse. At Trackhouse, we still obviously have work to do. We want to continue to build this place to be a consistent contender, a team that can be fighting on a weekly basis with the big teams — Penske, Hendrick and Gibbs. Hopefully, definitely I have found a home here. Hopefully, we can continue to build this, to continue to bring Trackhouse to the next level. The next interview is with Christopher Bell. Do you have a question I can ask him? How many dirt races are you doing this year? Do you think it helps you for the Cup races, or is it just something (you've loved) doing since you were younger? (Top photo of Daniel Suárez at last month's All-Star Race: James Gilbert / Getty Images)
Miami Herald
10-06-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Stubbs: Ross Chastain continues to outperform his car
There may not be a driver in NASCAR who is better at doing more with less than Ross Chastain. Chastain, the driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing, currently sits ninth in the Cup Series standings through the first 14 races. Meanwhile, Trackhouse teammates Daniel Suarez and Shane van Gisbergen are 28th and 33rd, respectively. Trackhouse, while a very respectable organization, is not one that can consistently provide cars capable of winning races on pure pace. Chastain's ability to outperform his equipment was perhaps never more noticeable than in the Coca-Cola 600 on May 25. Driving a backup car after a crash in practice, he started 40th and finished first in one of NASCAR's crown jewel events. In a David Pearson-esque manner, Chastain quietly drove to the front of the pack before getting around leader William Byron with six laps to go and driving away. Chastain's remarkable effort furthered his reputation as a driver who is used to getting the most out of a car. 'We don't have the speed that we've had the last couple of years, and the sport kind of ebbs and flows, and teams have periods of a lot of winning and then get passed by and have to kind of regroup or re-engineer the team to get back. That's kind of like where we're at right now,' owner Justin Marks said after Chastain's win in the Coke 600. 'Ross, you know, he's such an elite talent, and he's really one of the founding members of this organization. What I've said throughout the year is, the problem that we have to diagnose is the fact that we don't unload with a lot of speed.' There was a time in 2022 when it looked like Chastain would no longer have to push the limits of machines that weren't up to winning. In the first year of NASCAR's Next Gen car, Chastain notched the first two wins of his career with Trackhouse en route to a Championship 4 appearance. But over the last two and a half years, the top dogs of the Cup Series -- Hendrick, Penske and Gibbs -- have figured things out and reclaimed their spots on the mountaintop, slowly snuffing out the parity present in the Cup Series in 2022. Going into 2025, it was clear that Trackhouse was not at the level it was in 2022. Chastain managed to win two races in 2023 and one in 2024, but the speed that was under the hood of the No. 1 in 2022 was long gone. If Chastain wanted to get back to both victory lane and the postseason in 2025, he was going to have to do so with cars that were far from the best the garage had to offer. That's where Chastain's rough-and-tumble career proves to be one of his most valuable assets. For years, he drove for mid-pack teams in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. When a top-tier Xfinity Series program in Chip Ganassi Racing prepared to sign Chastain for the 2019 season, an FBI raid on the home of the CEO of DC Solar, who would've been Chastain's primary sponsor, shut down CGR's Xfinity Series program. In the Cup Series, Chastain raced for the likes of Premium Motorsports, a backmarker team with no prospect of ever sniffing the front of the field. So when Marks and Trackhouse came knocking and signed Chastain in 2022, his aggressive, no-holds-barred driving style stuck around. Today, it's his trademark -- there isn't another driver getting everything out of his car quite like Chastain. If there's one good thing about Trackhouse's speed lagging slightly behind its peers, it's that the garage is finally seeing how valuable Chastain is as a driver. In a year where Trackhouse has struggled to unload with speed for practice and qualifying on Saturday, Chastain has dragged his No. 1 to seven top-10 finishes. His teammates, on the other hand, have a total of four between them. Chastain has also been the highest-finishing Trackhouse driver in nine of the 14 races. On the heels of an 11th-place finish at Nashville on June 1, Chastain is looking for his second victory of the season at Michigan on Sunday. If the No. 1 doesn't have winning pace, don't be surprised if you see him mounting another patented charge into the top-10 in a manner that makes him one of the most valuable drivers in NASCAR. Field Level Media 2025 - All Rights Reserved
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Analysis: 'The Double' is hard because it's supposed to be hard
Since rain wrecked the well-laid and meticulously constructed plans of Kyle Larson for the second consecutive year, there's been an outcry of how to make 'The Double' logistically easier. Earlier and later start times! Greater collaboration between IndyCar and NASCAR leadership! Souped up planes, helicopters and golf karts! Advertisement All this misses the point of the most Herculean quest in motorsports: Racing the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day is supposed to be extremely hard to accomplish. Its demanding appeal stems from overcoming an inherent nightmare of logistics. Making a 600-mile commute between the Midwest and Southeast enough times to earn Admirals Club access. While also turning thousands of laps in practicing and racing two wildly different cars at top speeds over 235 mph. RELATED: Larson's 'Double' fallout; fresh playoff contenders emerge 'The Double' is underpinned by its degree of difficulty — starting with the fact it was a literal impossibility for decades. Advertisement The Coke 600 didn't exist until 1960 (49 years after the inaugural Indy 500). For its first 14 years, NASCAR's longest race ran once on the same day as the Indy 500, which was annually held on May 30 until 1974 (when Memorial Day permanently moved to Monday). For the next 20 years, the signature races were held on the same day but often concurrently and with no window that allowed for racing in both. Until Charlotte Motor Speedway added lights and moved the 600 to a nighttime finish in 1993. In the second year that 'The Double' as we know it was possible (there were four drivers who ran the Indy 500 and Coke 600 on separate days in the same year from 1967-71), John Andretti made it a reality in 1994 (and with much less buffer than Larson was scheduled to have with no delays). Advertisement It's been a hit-or-miss opportunity that four more have tried since. From 2005-11, the race shifted to a 1 p.m. EDT start that essentially made completing 'The Double' impossible. In the 14 years since moving to a noon EDT start in 2012, there have been three attempts — Kurt Busch in 2014 and Larson in 2024-25. Those are two NASCAR Cup Series champions who had a legitimate shot to win one or even both races. That's a select list. This isn't open to anyone, nor is it an annual guarantee. Again, 'The Double' is hard because it should be. After Larson's meteorological misfortune the past two years, it's logical to address how to minimize a 45-minute rain delay negating months of careful coordination and preparation. Advertisement There might be wiggle room on the start times of both races. RELATED: Delaying start of Coca-Cola 600 was considered for Larson Until 2005, the Indy 500 started at 11 a.m. during an era when the Indianapolis area didn't observe Daylight Savings Time as it does now. Surely it's possible to get the same crowds of 300,000-plus through the gates before noon now with modern technology. Until Larson crashed Sunday on Lap 91 of the Indy 500, NASCAR was considering a delay of the Coke 600 from its 6:27 p.m. ET start. But there are natural limits to how much 'easier' it can be to attempt 'The Double' — which is good. Advertisement As Trackhouse Racing co-owner Justin Marks alluded to after Ross Chastain's Coke 600 victory, there's an aspirational side to watching a versatile superstar such as Larson take on a challenge that can inspire the general populace to do the unthinkable. Who's building Hoover Dam, digging out the Panama Canal or laying the Transatlantic cable anymore? When the country made an 11-figure investment in space exploration in the 1960s, it was as much about getting the youth of America interested in math and science as putting a man on the moon. That's the limitless value of 'The Double.' If Larson somehow were to win both races, imagine trying to attach a price tag to the resultant exposure and sponsor interest that likely would follow for IndyCar and NASCAR. People want to see the seemingly improbable happen, which is why 'The Double' needs to remain very hard to do — even if that compromises the frequency with which it occurs. Advertisement Greatness is harder to witness if it happens every year. Nate Ryan has written about NASCAR since 1996 while working at the San Bernardino Sun, Richmond Times-Dispatch, USA TODAY and for the past 10 years at NBC Sports Digital. He is a contributor to the 'Hauler Talk' show on the NASCAR Podcast Network. He also has covered various other motorsports, including the IndyCar and IMSA series.
