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NBC Sports
an hour ago
- Automotive
- NBC Sports
San Diego fills one spot on 2026 NASCAR Cup schedule but questions remain
NASCAR's announcement Wednesday that it will race on a military base in 2026 filled one spot on next year's Cup schedule. But many questions remain. Ben Kennedy, NASCAR executive vice president, chief venue & racing innovation officer, said Wednesday that the 2026 Cup schedule should be out in 'the next few weeks or so.' Dustin Long, Here is what has been announced or revealed about the 2026 NASCAR Cup schedule: Feb. 1 — Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium Feb. 15 — Daytona 500 May 24 — Coca-Cola 600 June 21 — San Diego/Naval Base Coronado Nov. 8 — Homestead-Miami Speedway (championship race) NASCAR recently announced that it will 'pause' the Chicago Street Race and not hold it next year. NASCAR hopes to run that event again in 2027 but its absence next year leaves the July 4 weekend spot open on the NASCAR calendar. 'We've looked at a handful of options for the July 4 weekend,' Kennedy said in response to a question from NBC Sports. ' … Not sure exactly where it's going to land yet, but it is an important part of our schedule.' The summer Daytona race had been the traditional home for the event on or near July 4 until that race was moved to the regular season finale in 2020. Since then, the July 4 weekend race for Cup has been at Indianapolis (2020), Road America (2021-22) and the Chicago Street Race (2023-25). Another key element with the schedule is how many street and road course races there will be. There are six this year: Circuit of the Americas, Mexico City, Chicago Street Race, Sonoma, Watkins Glen and the Charlotte Roval. Since 2021, there have been at least five road course events on the Cup schedule. In 2021, there were seven such races. The Cup Series had two road course events (Watkins Glen and Sonoma) before the Charlotte Roval was added to the schedule in 2018. Brad Keselowski has been vocal in the sport having too many road course races, stating on social media earlier this month: 'We went from 2 to 6 Road course races, Possibly 7 next year. 'NASCAR was successfully built as a primarily oval racing series. IMSA was built as the primary road course series in North America. IMSA will always do road racing better than NASCAR and that's ok. 'Yes, TOO Many Road courses in NASCAR.' He's not alone in that feeling. 'I would love to do a couple a year,' Erik Jones said this month on the optimal number of road course races in a season. 'I was totally happy running (Sonoma) and Watkins Glen. I don't know. I'm probably not the right guy to ask. I grew up as an oval racer. I didn't race a road course until 10 years ago for the first time. 'My opinion is –- this car is not, just hasn't put on as good of a show on road courses that the old car did, to be frank. I think it is fun to go to different places, but I could see us doing (Sonoma), Watkins Glen and one street course. I think you would be hard pressed to find many that wouldn't agree with that. 'We know where this car puts on good races -– the mile-and-a-half stuff is great –- there is plenty of those tracks that we can go back to that are sitting there and primed to race, so I would love to go back to some of those.' Kennedy said NASCAR is 'keeping a pulse' on the topic. 'We get a lot of feedback, certainly from our partners, from our fans, from the industry, teams and drivers on it,' he said in response to a question from NBC Sports. 'I would say it's bit of a mixed bag. You have some fans that absolutely love the road course racing and would like to see more of it, and then you have others that, conversely, would like to see less of it. 'For us, it's really just finding a good blend. We feel like we're at a good number or around a good number right where you can still have the diversity of being able to go to a number of road courses, some historic ones that we go to, a street course or two, and then still keeping a majority of our events — and especially the ones during the playoffs — as to what fans would typically expect of traditional NASCAR racing and that's oval racing. We're proud of the product we put on from that perspective. 'So that said, we're constantly thinking about it. We're evaluating it, something we're considering for the '26 schedule.'
Hamilton Spectator
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Hamilton Spectator
There are seven, yes, seven, of these cars for Canada. Want one? It'll cost ya!
When I saw the 2025 Audi RS 6 Avant GT at the Toronto Auto Show back in February, I thought it was pretty jaw-dropping. Gigantic wheels, wild graphics package, and what's with all the white? Having driven it, I can confirm it is, indeed, jaw-dropping. It drives like it looks — an absolute land rocket. And a very rare one at that. This car is blindingly fast, loaded with exclusive touches and prohibitively expensive. Oh, and there are seven for Canada. Audi Canada tells me the one I drove is still unclaimed. For now. I'll get right to it: my time in unit 385 (out of 660 built worldwide) was memorable. The sonorous sounds from its twin-turbo V8 fill the cabin when I squeeze the throttle, and this white wagon launches, pressing me into the driver's seatback. As you might imagine, everything in this car is turned up to 11. Red stitching everywhere. Embroidered seats and headrests. In red, of course. Numbered console plate. Quilted leather seats. Red seatbelts. Same goes for the exterior. Gigantic 22-inch Ibis white wheels. Huge shiny black grille. Carbon fibre hood and fenders. A red, black and grey graphics package that pays homage to the Audi 90 quattro race car that dominated IMSA sports car racing. In 1989. A bit obscure, I think to myself. But then I look up the IMSA GTO results from 1989 and see the Audi 90 won seven of thirteen races entered, including five of the last seven. Impressive. Audi began RS 6 Avant GT development in 2020 around the same time the current gen. RS 6 Avant was going on sale in Canada. The GT serves as a capper for the fourth generation RS 6, which goes out of production this year. And Audi decided it should go out with a bang — a big one. The RS 6 Avant GT is powered by a 4.0-litre, twin-turbo, V8 engine that produces 621 horsepower and 627 pounds-feet of torque, or motive force. Paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and Audi's quattro all-wheel drive system, this wagon is made for quick exits. The official 0-100 km/h time is 3.3 seconds, with a top speed of 305 km/h. Mechanical bits unique to the RS 6 Avant GT include red ceramic brakes, all-wheel steering, sport-tuned suspension and steering, and Continental high-performance tires. Some cars I drive are more head-turning than others, and the white Audi wagon had more admirers than most. Lots of thumbs up, discreet photo snapping and staring. Despite being white, the RS 6 Avant GT really stands out. Especially in the Toronto suburb I live in, where Audis generally aren't all that common. A few interested parties — yes, they were guys in their 20s — drove by while I was taking photos, parked their cars and walked over for a closer look. Another gaggle pedalled over on bikes and asked me a bunch of questions. Which I dutifully answered to the best of my ability. I think owning a rare car isn't just about the car, but also the way people react to it. Sure, you're not spending $250K for that reason alone, but I suspect it's a perk for many owners. If you want to be noticed, driving a car like the RS 6 Avant GT will certainly do it. And that made driving unit 385 so much fun. Sure, the car's prowling, lunging nature — it's very hard to drive it slowly — is fun, but doing regular stuff is also fun. Like going to the supermarket. Or visiting a lakeside park. If this car could give autographs, it would have used a lot of Sharpies. Plus, it's still a wagon and has wagon practicality. Lots of room for people and cargo. All-wheel drive for Canadian winters. And it fits in most garages. Negatives are few, but cost is a big one. The GT has a price tag that is almost $100K greater than the regular 2025 RS 6 Avant Performance model. It's priced like a Lamborghini, and that will eliminate most buyers. But it's actually rarer than most Lamborghinis, so maybe that makes up for it. It's in the eye of the beholder, I suppose. Lower order nitpicks include a digital screen that houses climate controls. (Buttons work much better for this stuff.) And the twin-turbo V8 is thirsty. Not supercar terrible, but not great either. So, it's not perfect. But when you're cruising around in a powerful, retro-cool, extremely limited edition car with a Bang & Olufsen stereo booming, you won't care about any of the drawbacks. You'll be too busy waving to adoring onlookers. And giving them the thumbs up. Wow! Type: High-performance premium wagon, front-engine, all-wheel drive Motor: 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8; 621 horsepower; 627 pounds-feet of torque (motive force) Transmission: Eight-speed automatic Fuel (Premium 91+): 17.0 litres/100 km in the city; 11.0l/100 km on the highway; 14.3l/100 km combined Cargo: 548 litres, or 19.4 cubic feet; 1,658l, or 58.6 cu. ft. in total Price: $249,785 as tested, plus $2,850 freight
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Highlights: IMSA Chevrolet Grand Prix at CTMP
Relive all of the action from the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship's Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
Belfast Telegraph
12-07-2025
- Automotive
- Belfast Telegraph
Dan Harper looks to build momentum after breakthrough victory as Championship chase moves to Canada
Taking place from 7.00pm UK time at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park outside Toronto, the near three-hour race is another new track for Harper and his Paul Miller Racing team-mate Max Hesse. The pair arrive in buoyant mood having finally ended their run of disappointing results in the North American competition at June's Six Hours of the Glen where they were victorious in the GTD Pro class. They had to do it the hard way, however, with a pitstop infringement attracting a hefty 60-second stop and go penalty appearing to end their dream of a podium once again. Incredibly, they fought their way through a capacity field to seal a superb win and reignite their title hopes in the process, moving to within 122 points of current leaders Alexander Sims and Antonio Garcia — winners of the support category around the 1.645-mile venue 12 months ago – and just 70 shy of second-placed Klaus Bachler and Laurin Heinrich. 'It is a great feeling to have got our first IMSA win under our belts last time out, and now we need to keep the ball rolling and carry that momentum forward. We need another big result this weekend to continue clawing back the points for our Championship challenge,' said Harper, who will leave Canada straight afterwards and travel to Italy for next weekend's GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup meeting at Misano in north east Italy. 'I am looking forward to getting back to IMSA duty at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park — it is a new circuit to me and we have not had the chance to test there, so we know it is going to be a big challenge going into the event, but still, it's one that I'm really excited for. 'I have watched some footage of the circuit and it looks like a fast one, similar to Watkins Glen, so that should be fun. The priority for me is getting some laps under my belt, get up to speed around the track, and push forward from there with Max and Paul Miller Racing,' the 24-year-old added. A total of 35 cars makes up the grid for Sunday's race, 10 of which are from GTD Pro, with who lines up where being determined by qualifying which starts at 8.55pm UK time on Saturday.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Wickens to drive feature race at home seven years after crash left him paralyzed
Robert Wickens's promising racing career seemed like it was cut tragically short after a 2018 crash left him paralyzed from the chest down. But almost seven years later, Wickens is racing in the headline event of the Chevrolet Grand Prix, competing at the highest levels of his sport in Canada for the first time since that accident. Advertisement The event is at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ont., a course Wickens grew up around and where his dream of becoming a professional race car driver first began to take shape. "It's been a long time since I've raced a home race as the headline class," Wickens said in a video call Thursday. "The Toronto Indy in 2018 would have been the last time, and thankfully, we finished on the podium there." Racing IMSA GTD, the highest class of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, on a track where he used to watch his heroes compete as a boy, is a full-circle moment for Wickens. "I raced a lot of the cart track just next door, and when I wasn't on track, I'd ride my bike over to the car track and watch whatever car was driving around," Wickens said. "Whether it was a IMSA race weekend or a regional kind of Formula Ford race, or a Canadian NASCAR race, anything in between. Advertisement "I feel like I knew every inch of this track, even though I didn't drive it much." Wickens's professional career officially began in 2005 when, at 16, he started racing in Formula BMW USA with Team Apex Racing USA. As a result, he didn't spend much time at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park like many Canadians in motorsport do, instead cutting his teeth in the United States and Europe before graduating to IndyCar in 2017. After getting a full ride with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports at the start of the 2018 season, Wickens was named the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year that May after leading two laps and finishing ninth during the race. Wickens continued to thrive that summer, including a third-place finish at the Honda Indy Toronto on July 15, 2018, climbing to sixth in the IndyCar rankings. Advertisement Disaster struck just over a month later, on Aug. 19, when he sustained a serious spinal cord injury in a catastrophic crash during the ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway that left him partially paralyzed. Using hand controls, Wickens resumed driving after his injury and, this year, began racing a Corvette for DXDT Racing in the Sprint Cup of the IMSA SportsCar Championship. Back competing at the highest levels of North American motorsport, Wickens said "it's amazing" to be part of the Chevrolet Grand Prix. "I love the added attention of a hometown race," he said. "I think any racing driver wants that spotlight moment. You want to be the quarterback in the fourth quarter at the two-minute warning with the game on the line and the ball in your hands." Advertisement Wickens's goal for the Chevrolet Grand Prix is straightforward: just run a mistake-free event. "I think in the IMSA WeatherTech, SportsCar Championship, you can't expect success, you have to work for it," said Wickens, noting that Corvette has won 13 races at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park since 2001. "You have to be perfect. "So far, in my few races that I've done in the Corvette, we've shown a lot of potential, but we haven't been perfect, and because of that, we haven't gotten the end result." Because Wickens is racing back on home soil for the first time since his accident, he's offering all kinds of unique fan experiences through his website. That includes a tour of DXDT Racing, a personal tour of his Corvette Z06 GT3.R with his custom-made Bosch electronic hand control system, and a photo op on the track. Advertisement Wickens has also organized a viewing section for anyone who wants to join outside of Turn 2, his favourite place to watch races at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park when he was growing up. "It's such a family sport. It's a lot of parents that love the sport, it's generational fandom," said Wickens. "I think it's so important when you see kids around that they just have a great experience because that was me growing up, right? "I remember my first Toronto Indy, or my first time at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park and meeting drivers and getting autographs and seeing the car firsthand and just how welcoming it's always been. Now I feel like it's my turn with the baton to run that back." This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 10, 2025. John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press
