Latest news with #INDYCAR
Fox Sports
2 hours ago
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Fox Corporation Announces One-Third Interest Acquisition Of Penske Entertainment
Fox Corporation and Penske Entertainment made a landmark announcement on Thursday morning, as FOX has acquired a one-third interest in Penske Entertainment, related to INDYCAR and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The move comes with the intention of having high-profile racing and entertainment events, prioritizing quality digital content and having more promotion of the NTT INDYCAR Series and its drivers. "This partnership is built on long-standing trust and a shared vision for the future," team owner Roger Penske said in a statement. "FOX sees the incredible potential across our sport and wants to play an active role in building our growth trajectory. Lachlan Murdoch and his team, starting with Eric Shanks, are committed to our success and will bring incredible energy and innovation to INDYCAR." Penske Entertainment, a subsidiary of Penske Corporation, is a primary provider of sports and entertainment. It operates in a range of fields, including professional motorsports, truck leasing and transportation logistics. Penske Entertainment has more than 3,300 locations. "We're thrilled to join the INDYCAR ownership group at such a pivotal time for the sport," FOX Sports CEO & Executive Producer Eric Shanks said in a statement. "INDYCAR represents everything we value in live sports — passionate fans, iconic venues, elite competition and year-round storytelling potential. This investment underscores our commitment to motorsports and our belief in INDYCAR's continued growth on and off the track. We're excited to help elevate the sport to new heights across all platforms." This news comes against the backdrop of FOX Sports agreeing to a multi-year extension to maintain exclusive INDYCAR media rights. The current 2025 INDYCAR season is the first year of the sport's respective races airing on FOX networks. At present, the sport is averaging a 31% increase in viewership year-over-year. This year's running of the Indianapolis 500, which was won by Alex Palou, averaged 7.01 million viewers, which was a 41% increase from 2024 and a 17-year-high. The race also had more than 300,000 fans present. 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! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience NTT INDYCAR SERIES Team Penske Get more from the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
Fox Sports
3 hours ago
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Nicholas Monteiro Joins HMD for INDY NXT Debut at Portland
INDYCAR Nicholas Monteiro will join HMD Motorsports for the 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Portland on Aug. 8-10, his debut in the INDYCAR development series. Monteiro will drive the No. 24 HMD Motorsports car on the 12-turn, 1.964-mile natural road course at Portland International Raceway. Brazilian-American driver Monteiro will pull double duty at Portland, as he will add his full-time driving duties in the USF Pro 2000 series to his INDY NXT debut. HMD is coming off its best weekend of the season at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, as team driver Caio Collet swept both races of the doubleheader from the pole position. 'I'm incredibly excited for the opportunity to drive for HMD Motorsports in Portland,' Monteiro said. 'It's another step closer to achieving my goals in racing. I'm grateful to the team for believing in me and to my partners for their support. 'I have traveled to the team's headquarters in Indiana, and it is an incredible facility. Their results in years past and the success at the last event at Laguna Seca show that they are one of the top teams in the series. I'm ready to put in the work and add to HMD's success.' Monteiro, 20, has gained valuable experience across multiple championships. After a successful karting career, he advanced to the Brazilian and Italian F4 Championships before making his USF Pro 2000 debut in 2023. Earlier this year, Monteiro competed in the Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy (CTFROT), where he finished 12th overall in a series HMD Motorsports plans to enter in 2026. 'We're very happy to have Nicholas join us for the final road course race of the year,' HMD Motorsports President Mike Maurini said. 'We've followed his progress closely in USF Pro 2000 and in international series and believe in his talent and speed. Nicholas will bring fresh energy to the team, building on the momentum from our recent success at Laguna Seca.' recommended Item 1 of 3
Fox Sports
9 hours ago
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Fox Corporation Acquires One-Third Interest in Penske Entertainment - Fox Sports Press Pass
Strategic Investment and Partnership Launches New Era of Growth Across INDYCAR that Includes a Multi-Year Extension of INDYCAR's Media Rights with FOX Sports INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, July 31, 2025) – Penske Entertainment and Fox Corporation ('FOX' or the 'Company') (Nasdaq: FOXA, FOX), the parent company of FOX Sports, today announced an investment in the future of North America's premier open-wheel racing series, with FOX's acquisition of a one-third interest in Penske Entertainment, inclusive of INDYCAR and the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The investment is expected to supercharge a new era of growth for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, the most competitive and dynamic motorsport on the planet. This includes: Innovative and industry-leading racing and entertainment events A hyper-engaged digital strategy and immersive content focus Enhanced promotion and star-building opportunities for NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers Today's announcement also includes a multi-year extension of INDYCAR's media rights with FOX Sports. 'This partnership is built on long-standing trust and a shared vision for the future,' Roger Penske said. 'FOX sees the incredible potential across our sport and wants to play an active role in building our growth trajectory. Lachlan Murdoch and his team, starting with Eric Shanks, are committed to our success and will bring incredible energy and innovation to INDYCAR.' FOX Sports acquired INDYCAR's media rights in 2025, bringing fresh promotional resources and significantly larger reach to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. This year's Indianapolis 500 on FOX averaged 7.01 million viewers, a 41 percent increase over the previous edition and a 17-year high. So far, the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season is averaging a 31 percent increase in viewership year-over-year. 'We're thrilled to join the INDYCAR ownership group at such a pivotal time for the sport,' said Eric Shanks, CEO & Executive Producer, FOX Sports. 'INDYCAR represents everything we value in live sports — passionate fans, iconic venues, elite competition, and year-round storytelling potential. This investment underscores our commitment to motorsports and our belief in INDYCAR's continued growth on and off the track. We're excited to help elevate the sport to new heights across all platforms.' This news builds on wider momentum across the sport, marked by rising attendance and record crowds at several events this year, including a sell-out of the Indy 500. INDYCAR has invested heavily in digital growth recently, launching a new mobile APP, web site and fantasy platform while also generating 1 million new social followers. The SERIES will also add a new showcase to its calendar in 2026, racing through Arlington's entertainment district through a first-of-its-kind joint venture with the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is the only premier motorsport in North America with every race on U.S. network television. It features an international field of the world's most versatile drivers who compete on superspeedways, short ovals, street circuits and permanent road courses. The 2025 season continues with the Grand Prix of Portland on Sunday, Aug. 10 at 3 p.m. ET on FOX. Also, part of the Penske Entertainment family, the world-famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway is annually home to the largest single-day spectator sporting event on the planet, the Indianapolis 500. This year's 'Greatest Spectacle in Racing' featured a crowd of more than 300,000 people. The famed venue is steeped on more than a century of racing heritage and has the largest seating capacity of any sporting venue across the globe.
Fox News
a day ago
- Automotive
- Fox News
McLaren Boss Zak Brown Believes F1 Blueprint Can Lift INDYCAR Team
Zak Brown has built a Formula 1 team that has emerged as the team to beat in the world's most prominent racing circuit. Now, the McLaren Racing CEO is attempting to use the same blueprint to build his INDYCAR program into an organization that can have a similar stature to the McLaren Formula 1 program. But at least one question remains: Is that blueprint applicable for a series that has more limitations when it comes to team control of body style and engines? "One-hundred percent [the same] and it's all people," Brown said earlier this month. "It's about having the right people, getting the right people on the bus." As Brown has found, it will take time. He's brought people on the bus. He's thrown them off (see former team principal Gavin Ward). He now has former driver Tony Kanaan running the program. Kanaan was quite popular during his driving days. He brought in driver Christian Lundgaard to replace Alexander Rossi, and Lundgaard has nine top-10 finishes and is fourth in the standings (Rossi had 11 top 10s last year and was 10th in the standings). And Nolan Siegel, in his first full season, has had the inconsistency one would expect of a rookie. Brown recently added Kyle Moyer as competition director after Moyer was let go as part of the Team Penske technical violation issues over the last two seasons. The team will also move into a new, bigger shop in January. This shop will increase the work space from their current 33,000 square feet to 86,000 square feet. "[It's] having the resources, the equipment, the technology, the driver," Brown said. "So I feel like we have everything, but we're young, and we can't stretch our elbows because we're not in a workshop that fits our goals and desires from an investment like in technology and things of that nature. "We're a big three-car team that's in a small two-car shop. With that, we've got buildings all over the place where there's storage units and paint shops, and that's not an ideal environment to work in." With two wins this year, Pato O'Ward sits second in the standings. Lundgaard is fifth. Siegel — who missed a race with a concussion — is 21st. Brown insists he's not making a run at Will Power, the Penske veteran who is still unsigned for next year. There has been speculation that McLaren could be interested. "I've heard everything you've heard," Brown said. "I've got the same drivers next year." Driver stability has not been something Brown has enjoyed on his INDYCAR program. Going back a few years, he had Alex Palou signed before Palou decided he would stay at Ganassi. In the wake of that was McLaren's $31 million lawsuit against Palou. Palou has admitted a breach of contract and a trial is scheduled for late September and October to determine how much Palou owes McLaren. David Malukas was signed by McLaren prior to the 2024 season but then a mountain biking accident resulted in a wrist injury and McLaren opted to release Malukas before he ever drove a race for the team. That resulted in a couple of reserve drivers until the team signed Siegel, who was running well in Indy NXT. "I am happy we've kind of had a year or two of driver stability. That was extremely disruptive, even more so than I would have even thought," Brown said. "It's just what I spent all my time on. "So it's good that that's kind of behind us. It's not totally behind us, but it's behind us from a distraction factor." Brown believes they are the best they have been and have room to grow. The team is the former Sam Schmidt-owned team that McLaren initially merged with more than five years ago. "I feel like we've got everything we need," Brown said. "Now we need to gel as a team, continue to drive the culture forward. I think where the team came from, it was like midfield mentality ... [and] we now have the culture of the team and the mindset of anything kind of short of podiums and going for the win is kind of a disappointment. "We've shifted from we're kind of happy to be there and get the occasional good result to we're here to win championships and Indy 500s. So you can see the team taking a step forward in their expectations of themselves, which is how a Penske and Ganassi and Andretti show up every weekend — with the intention of winning and anything kind of short of that is a bit disappointed." That doesn't mean Brown looks at 2026 as the year his organization will be on top. "Of course, we want to run for the championship next year," Brown said. "But reality is, I think we'll be stronger in '27 than we are in '26 because we're only moving into the shop at the end of '25. "These new hires have just started, so I think '26 is another year of gelling before I feel like '27 will be it." Brown says that because he thinks they just need time. "We've got drivers that can win the championship," Brown said. "I think we've got equipment, technology, the level of sponsorship that you need. I think we've got everything, but it takes time. No different in a relationship. You know someone for a week versus 10 years in. You can look at each other [and know]. "We just need a little bit of time to bring everything together, where the right foot knows what the left foot is doing, and they can get to a point where they can look at each other and communicate, versus having to communicate." One thing Brown got to experience for the first time came recently when he was in attendance for an O'Ward win at Toronto. It was the first time he was at a victory since McLaren took over the team. "It's the first one he's ever been there in the flesh," O'Ward said. "That was really cool." Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
Fox Sports
a day ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Bubba Wallace Can Start Believing In Himself After Brickyard Win
Did Bubba Wallace silence the doubters with his victory Sunday at the Brickyard 400? No. They will never be silenced, but only one of those doubters matters. And that's Wallace himself. A driver who has made no secret about his difficulty handling the pressures of NASCAR Cup Series racing, Wallace admitted he had those doubts near the end of the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway — a race that is considered by many as one of the sport's crown jewel events. "I'll say those last 20 laps, there was ups and downs of telling myself, 'You're not going to be able to do it,'" Wallace said. "I hate that I'm that way." Wallace rode a 100-race winless streak into Indianapolis, and the win was the third of his Cup career. It was his first in a regular-season race and it vaulted him into the playoffs. He signed a contract extension late last season and knows that the expectations are for him to win since he's driving for Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan. "Not being able to do it for almost three years, you really start to doubt yourself and wonder like, 'Is this it? After the contract's up, is this it?'" Wallace said. "I've still got a couple years left, but hopefully this gives me another year at least." The 31-year-old Wallace, whose son was born 10 months ago, has seemed to have a more balanced mindset this year. That's a mindset that doesn't let the frustrations of a bad performance (or a performance that didn't match the capability of the car) eat at him throughout the week. But make no mistake, having not won in nearly three years had to gnaw at Wallace. His teammate, Tyler Reddick, won the regular-season title and was one of the four championship finalists last year. Wallace failed to make the playoffs. Any driver who is on a 100-race winless streak will certainly face criticism about whether they still deserve a job. Wallace, as the only Black driver in the NASCAR Cup Series, gets scrutinized more about whether being Black helps him keep a ride. For context, as a woman, Danica Patrick faced similar criticism when she raced in NASCAR. "Does anybody know where the goal post got moved to now?" Wallace said after the race. "Did it get moved yet? [My win] is rigged?" Wallace has competed in Cup for eight seasons. In most pro sports, competing at the top level for that length of time would be considered a solid career. But in NASCAR, drivers are judged by wins and championships and any who can't remain in contention on a weekly basis get labeled as mediocre talent. Wallace has never rattled off the wins that would make someone look at him as a championship contender. But not every driver is going to be one. With three Cup wins, Wallace has as many (or more) Cup victories than 19 of the 35 other full-time drivers. Based on that stat, he has had a better career than half of his competitors. His victory last Sunday shows that he belongs in the Cup Series. He can start believing it now. Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass. recommended Item 1 of 3 Get more from the NASCAR Cup Series Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
