Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images By Adam Carabine & Logan Morris Logan Morris:  Hey Adam, after a week off, we’re here after a big one-less race at Talladega. Austin Cindric scored the 3rd win of his career, and there’s been plenty of post-race inspection drama we will have to break down! Adam Carabine: Yes, it’s good to be back - did you miss me!? It was maybe not the most exciting of Talladega races we’ve seen, but the ending was pretty nifty.  I was glad to see the race end under green conditions, rather than with a caution, or multiple overtimes.  And yet it was still quite competitive up until the very end.   And yes, you’re right, there has been some post-race drama here to unpack as well.  Ryan Preece (originally P2) and Joey Logano (originally P5) both were disqualified.  Is it just me, or have we seen a lot more DQs this year than normal? Also, thoughts on these two from Sunday? LM: It does feel like the DQ rate is a bit higher this year, at least at this point of the season. Still lots of racing to go, of course, so it could even out. Maybe the process has become stricter. Perhaps it’s teams pushing the limits more because they have had an ample amount of time with this car. As far as these DQs go, you have to feel for Logano. In a race where the car is being violently bumped and shaken from the drop of the green flag, it’s hard to accuse the 22 team of really trying to get away with something.  AC: This officially takes away Logano’s first Top 5 of the season, too, which I find wild.  He’s clearly had a tough start to the season, and just when things were looking up, he gets a DQ.  Team Penske has already announced that they accept the disqualification and they won’t be appealing.  To be honest, Ryan Preece had a great look at a win today too, and while I suppose I’m glad he didn’t get his first ever Cup Series win taken away from him with the DQ, it’s got to be pretty painful to go from P2 to P38.   It’s hard to know for sure what’s going on with these disqualifications, but something is definitely different this year.  You may be right that there is more pushing of the envelope going on, now that teams are pretty comfortable with this next-gen car.  However, I’m also going to challenge you on what you said - there actually isn’t all that much racing left.  Talladega was Race 10, which is close to the halfway point of the regular season.  If making the playoffs is your goal, you either need to get a win soon, or solidify your points standing, and a DQ is not going to help with either of those.  After the shakeup, Logano is still in the playoff picture for now, but Ryan Preece just fell out of it.  If Preece misses by a little bit, he’ll be pretty choked about this DQ. LM: There’s no question that time is ticking into the future, as the classic song says, but don’t get ahead of yourself, my friend. Think about all the chaos we will likely see ensue between now and the end of the regular season. It’s likely to be a lot. I think this penalty is a much bigger blow to Preece. It feels almost inevitable that Logano will win a race before the regular season is over. I’m not nearly as confident in saying the same about Preece.  AC: I would agree with that, for sure.  However, depending on how many other new winners we get, Preece might be able to point his way in if he keeps up the decent runs he’s been having lately.   Anyway, enough about DQs, what did you think of the race itself? We had four-wide trains, we had fuel saving, we had Toyotas taking gambles that didn’t really pay off.  What would you say is the biggest story of this race, aside from the post-race drama? LM: The relative calmness of the race. Yes, a handful of contenders had trouble fairly early, but by Talladega standards, this was as smooth as we’ve ever seen. The last 30 laps or so felt like we were building towards that ever-familiar big one, and it simply never came. The whole field showed why they are the best in the world at what they do. It was a masterclass in walking a tightrope.  AC: Even just the fact that we spent a good chunk of the first stage four-wide - that’s craziness! I know that they were all saving fuel, and so speeds were overall a little lower, but I’m not sure I could hold a wheel any steadier at 180 mph than I could at 195 mph.   Not everyone made it out unscathed, though.  Christopher Bell’s hit into the inside wall was terrifying, and I’m shocked that he was able to walk away from it.  Props to the safety teams who have been continuously developing more and more safety measures, because that did not look good at first.   LM: I couldn’t agree more. The hit itself looked downright nasty. People (us included) don’t give NASCAR enough credit for just how hard they work in terms of making these cars and tracks safer. I know one injury is one too many. But it’s so easy to forget just how dangerous this sport is.  AC: Connor Zilisch had a similar looking hit in the Xfinity race, and both drivers walked away.  I’m sure they’ll be sore over the coming days, but that could have been so much worse. As for the fuel saving, what did you think of that, and how it impacted the race?  I will say that when we first saw this a year ago at the Daytona 500 (fuel saving is obviously not new, but that was the first time I remember seeing some aggressive savings), I was pretty quick to write it off and say I hated it.  At this point, I’m maybe coming around to the idea - it adds another level of strategy, as well as some extra levers of control in the driver’s hands.  Are you upset with them going a little slower to save fuel? LM: Absolutely. It’s garbage. I completely agree with Chris Buescher and that it’s not racing. It’s riding around. It’s a Sunday drive. This car has more successes than people would care to admit, but the riding around half throttle routine that these races are turning into is an abject failure on NASCAR’s part. I can’t overstate how much I dislike it. These last two races have not been good for the current image of the sport. AC: Really, I don’t know if it bothers me as much these days, but maybe I’m just getting used to it.  I’m also not sure I’m qualified to come up with a solution to fix it.  Though, I suppose at a certain point in that first stage, the Toyotas attempted to do it on their own.   You had a good group of Toyotas that came together and decided they were going all out, which forced everyone to either continue half-throttle and get left behind, or to follow along, but it wound up forcing a pit stop in that first stage.  What do you make of the Toyota strategy, and what was it that bit them in the end? LM: I thought that they had a pretty solid strategy. I believe it would have paid off had Ross Chastain not slowed them up(and nearly caused calamity).  Had that not happened I think a Toyota would have found its way to victory lane. At the very least, they would have been a part of the equation at the end. In these superspeedway races, we both know that having momentum with your line is everything. Chastain took all the energy from them.  I’m sure it’s something that made for a late night for a lot of folks at TRD.  AC: I think you mean TGR! Remember, Toyota transitioned a bunch of their North American racing properties to the Toyota Gazoo Racing brand this year.   Anyway, let’s move on and discuss our weekly awards! Best Performer LM: My best performer has to be Ryan Preece. I know he got that post-race DQ. But, he put on a clinic Sunday and showed himself to be very capable of winning one of these Superspeedway races.  AC: He’s a hard guy to not root for, I will admit.  I’m sad that he didn’t get to keep his P2, because it was a great performance.  I’m going to go with someone else, though.  He didn’t get a ton of TV time, but after the DQs, Noah Gragson brought his car home P4, which is a great result for a driver still looking to find his Cup Series footing. Biggest Move of the Race LM: The biggest move of the race for me was Ross Chastain slowing up the Toyota momentum. I stand by that, without it, we’re likely talking about a different winner. AC: I was going to go with the Chastain move as well.  I know there were many who didn’t like it, and thought it was too gutsy, but I think it was a race saver for quite a few drivers, including Chastain himself.  The Toyota camp is likely to be annoyed, but technically it wasn’t a dirty move, or anything that they might not have tried either.  That’s racing.  But that changed the dynamic of the finish, as Chastain single-handedly destroyed multiple Toyota days. Biggest Disappointment LM: I have to go with Ryan Blaney. He suffered his 4th DNF of the season. That’s 40 percent! How’s that for numbers, Adam?  He was bitten by being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but the 12 team has to find a way to start finishing races if they want a legit shot at a second championship.  AC: I’m impressed, Logan - look at you go with those stats!  And I’ll give you one back here too.  Stats or no, I was sad to see Brad Keselowski crash out the way he did.  His stats haven’t been great this year, but just from an eye-test perspective, you know he’s bound to be a threat at the super speedways.  So for him to have another DNF was disappointing. What to Watch for Next Weekend LM: NASCAR heads to the Lone Star State next weekend, and the way-too-early forecast looks a little dicey. Remember the Jet Dryer 500 from a few years ago? Oh, those precious memories. It’s a track that you have to wonder if Kyle Busch could get some luck on his side, could he break his 67-race winless streak?   AC: Texas Motor Speedway has been dogged on by fans for a few years (and rightfully so, the product hasn’t always been super desirable), but I believe the Next-Gen Intermediate package has helped racing at Texas as of late.  Kyle Busch is the winningest current full-time driver in the field for next week, so he’s not a bad pick.  We’ve had a few streak-busters this year already.  I’d say watch out for Chase Briscoe.  He doesn’t have a ton of starts there in the Cup Series, but he’s got the best average finish of anyone.  I look forward to watching it, and we’ll meet up again next week - same time, same place, hey Logan?  LM: Absolutely. I’ll bring my cowboy hat!

By Adam Carabine Happy weekend everyone, it’s time for another edition of Stats Saturday. This weekend NASCAR travels to Lincoln, Alabama for the Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega SuperSpeedway.   Talladega is the largest oval on the NASCAR circuit, at 2.66 miles long.  The track opened in 1969, and Richard Brickhouse was the first to win a NASCAR race at the facility that same year.  Last year, Tyler Reddick won this race in the spring.  Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won the fall race.   Tomorrow’s race will be 188 laps long (for a total of 500.08 miles), with stage breaks occurring at 60 – 120 – 188.  Pit road speed is 55 mph, and the caution vehicle runs at 75 mph.  The fuel window is between 40-50 laps.   This year, the NASCAR Cup Series has run 2,605 laps, for 3,131.56 miles so far this season.  Denny Hamlin is the only driver who has completed all of them.   Top 5 Career Average Finishers at Talladega: William Byron 14.43 over 14 races Riley Herbst 14.50 over 2 races Todd Gilliland 14.50 over 6 races Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 14.52 over 23 races (2 wins) Chase Elliott 14.56 over 18 races (2 wins)   Bottom 5 Career Average Finishers at Talladega: Zane Smith 29.00 over 3 races Ty Gibbs 27.40 over 5 races Michael McDowell 26.54 over 28 races Cody Ware 26.33 over 9 races Josh Berry 26.00 over 2 races   Talladega is a Super Speedway   Top 5 Career Average Finishers at Super Speedways: JH Nemechek 14.90 over 9 races Bubba Wallace 16.68 over 30 races (1 win) Denny Hamlin 17.19 over 77 races (5 wins) Chase Briscoe 17.47 over 17 races Ryan Blaney 17.50 over 41 races (4 wins)   Bottom 5 Career Average Finishers at Super Speedways: Zane Smith 23.88 over 7 races Michael McDowell 23.70 over 56 races (1 win) Daniel Suarez 23.18 over 33 races Ty Gibbs 22.95 over 11 races Cody Ware 22.79 over 17 races   Dale Earnhardt is the winningest driver at Talladega, with 10 total wins.  Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, and Brad Keselowski are tied for 2nd with 6 wins each.   Notable drivers who have not won at Talladega:      Kyle Larson (has won at 18 other tracks) Christopher Bell (has won at 10 other tracks) William Byron (has won at 10 other tracks) Alex Bowman (has won at 8 other tracks) Chris Buescher (has won at 6 other tracks)   Three current drivers have scored their first Cup Series victory at Talladega.  Brad Keselowski in his 5th race, Bubba Wallace in his 143rd, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in his 158th    Based on average finish, both Riley Herbst and Ty Dillon list Talladega as their BEST track – no drivers list it as their WORST track.   Based on their point pace, let’s have a look at how this season is comparing to last season for drivers:   Drivers Faring Better than in 2024 Tyler Reddick +632 pts Bubba Wallace +531 pts Chris Buescher +505 pts William Byron +424 pts Chase Briscoe +308 pts   Drivers Faring Worse than in 2024 Brad Keselowski -410 pts Ty Gibbs -287 pts Todd Gilliland -273 pts Josh Berry -233 pts Joey Logano -197 pts   Next, let’s look at who’s having their best and worst career year by Average Finish:   Best Career Year           William Byron 9.11 Christopher Bell 9.78 Tyler Reddick 12.44 Chase Briscoe 15.11 Ryan Preece 18.11 JH Nemechek 18.89 Todd Gilliland 20.78   Worst Career Year Cole Custer 27.78 Brad Keselowski 25.00 Erik Jones 23.44 Carson Hocevar 23.33 Ty Gibbs 19.89 Zane Smith 19.33   Rookie of the Year Battle Riley Herbst 101 SVG 98   The Manufacturer Standings are calculated by awarding points to the highest finisher for each manufacturer according to their finishing position.  (40 for 1st, 35 for 2nd, 34 for 3rd, etc.)  No stage points or playoff points count.   Manufacturer Standings         Toyota 329 Chevrolet 327 Ford 291   Here is the same formula, but used on a team-vs-team basis:   Chartered Team Standings Joe Gibbs 326 Hendrick 324 RFK 255 23XI 252 Penske 252 Trackhouse 251 Spire 213 RCR 208 Kaulig 206 Front Row 199 Legacy MC 184 Hyak 162 Wood Bros 148 Haas Factory 83 Rick Ware 55   At each stage break, the Top 10 drivers are awarded points based on their finishing positions.  Here are the leaders this year:   Stage Point Leaders Ryan Blaney 89 William Byron 81 Kyle Larson 72 Bubba Wallace 68 Alex Bowman 66 Joey Logano 64 Denny Hamlin 54 Austin Cindric 47 Christopher Bell 47 Chase Elliott 46   Milestone Watch Chase Elliott Looking for his 20th Career Win Noah Gragson Looking for his 10th Career Top 10 Josh Berry Looking for his 10th Career Top 10 Bubba Wallace Looking for his 50th Career Top 10 JH Nemechek Looking for his 10th Career Top 10 Ryan Preece Looking for his 20th Career Top 10 Daniel Suarez Looking for his 70th Career Top 10   Here are the top 10 longest active winless streaks:   Winless Streaks Justin Haley 150 races Cole Custer 98 races Bubba Wallace 88 races Erik Jones 88 races Kyle Busch 66 races Michael McDowell 57 races Daniel Suarez 43 races Chase Elliott 36 races Brad Keselowski 32 races Austin Cindric 30 races   The race begins Sunday, April 27th at 3:00 pm EST (12:00 pm PST) – Enjoy the race everyone!   Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter  @RacingRefresh   Is there an error? Is there a stat missing that you’d like to see? Let us know!

Photo from www.x.com/f1 By Ryan Wu Piastri Shines Bright After five races—and perhaps to no one’s surprise—a McLaren driver is leading the World Championship standings. What may be surprising, however, is which McLaren driver is on top. Oscar Piastri, following his victory at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, now leads the championship for the first time in his career, holding a 10-point advantage over his teammate Lando Norris, who was widely considered the title favorite heading into the season. Piastri earned a front-row start in qualifying, narrowly missing out on pole to Max Verstappen by just one hundredth of a second. Norris, on the other hand, qualified 10th after a crash in Q3 prevented him from setting a lap time. When the lights went out, the race quickly turned dramatic. At the first corner, Verstappen appeared to overtake Piastri off-track and retained the position. Moments later, a collision between Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly brought out the safety car, with both drivers retiring from the race. Racing resumed on lap 3, and the stewards soon ruled Verstappen’s lap-1 move illegal, handing him a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. A close battle followed between McLaren and Red Bull, but Piastri made his pit stop two laps earlier than Verstappen—on lap 19—after reporting his medium tires were losing grip. From there, Piastri delivered a stellar drive, fending off Verstappen and crossing the line with a 2.8-second margin to claim victory. He needed every ounce of his skill as the reigning World Champion was closing down the gap and would have ultimately won the race without the penalty that was issued. Verstappen continued to extract every percent of performance out of what has been a fickle car to handle.  His performance in the past two weeks proves that he is not to be written off to win another title. Verstappen and Red Bull Sound Off on Stewards Decision After the race, Max Verstappen expressed hesitation about commenting on the penalty decision, saying he didn’t feel he could speak out for fear of being further penalized. His concern stems from a controversial FIA policy introduced last year—often dubbed a "swear jar"—which restricts certain language during press conferences. Under this rule, drivers face potential sanctions ranging from fines and points deductions to race bans for inappropriate language. Verstappen himself was handed community service last year after swearing during the Singapore Grand Prix press conference. Team Principal Christian Horner was also asked about Red Bull’s decision not to instruct Verstappen to give up the position following the Turn 1 incident. According to Horner, the team believed Verstappen was not at fault and was simply avoiding the turbulent air behind Piastri’s car. Additionally, the deployment of the safety car shortly after the incident made it difficult—if not impossible—for Verstappen to return the position, as position swaps are generally prohibited under safety car conditions. Tale of Two Ferraris Charles Leclerc continues his under-the-radar start to the season, securing Ferrari’s first podium finish of the year. He overtook George Russell on lap 38 and held off a late charge from Lando Norris to clinch third place. Leclerc has now outperformed his teammate Lewis Hamilton in every race so far and leads the qualifying head-to-head 4–1. Hamilton, meanwhile, finished seventh and expressed concern after the race, warning that a difficult season may lie ahead if his current struggles persist. He has already tempered expectations for the upcoming Miami Grand Prix, saying he’s unlikely to be competitive there. While some growing pains were anticipated following his move to Ferrari, the seven-time World Champion's start has been underwhelming. He currently sits seventh in the Drivers’ Championship—seven points behind Kimi Antonelli, the young driver set to replace him at Mercedes next season. The Prancing Horse has struggled during qualifying compared to their rivals as Leclerc qualified 0.376 seconds off Verstappen’s pole position lap, and this is with a new upgraded package brought to Jeddah. Podiums are great but if the team is serious about building off its strong finish to 2024, time is quickly running out to make a challenge for this year’s titles as they are now 52 points off the Drivers’ Championship lead and 110 points off the Constructors’. Quick Hits Williams celebrated its second double points finish of the season, with Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon finishing P8 and P9, respectively. The result boosts the team to fifth in the Constructors’ Championship—an encouraging sign as the midfield battle intensifies. Rookie sensation Kimi Antonelli continued his impressive debut campaign, qualifying fifth and finishing sixth. He now extends his rookie standings lead to 32 points over fellow newcomer Oliver Bearman. Another rookie, Isack Hadjar, also had a strong showing, finishing 10th and securing his second points finish of the season. Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda’s struggles since his promotion to Red Bull continued. A lap 1 collision with Pierre Gasly forced his retirement, marking another frustrating weekend. Tsunoda has scored just two points in three races with the team, with his best result so far being a ninth-place finish in Bahrain last weekend. Racing Refresh Driver of the Day Oscar Piastri, McLaren Final Points Finishing Positions 1st: Oscar Piastri 2nd: Max Verstappen 3rd: Charles Leclerc 4th: Lando Norris 5th: George Russell 6th: Kimi Antonelli 7th: Lewis Hamilton 8th: Carlos Sainz 9th: Alex Albon 10th: Isack Hadjar Next on the F1 Schedule: Miami Grand Prix: May 2nd-4th

Hey everyone! After Kyle Larson dominated on Sunday, it's time for the Top Ten Tweets of The Week! Let's get started 10. Congrats to Tony Stewart! He just might be the most versatile motorsports driver of all time. I'm betting this is his first Wally of many. 9. There aren't any words needed. This is so cool. 8. is the next-gen car the issue? I don't know. Clearly something is wrong. What we saw at Bristol shows there is still a major issue with the short-track package. Something has to change. 7. Steve Byrnes and his incredible legacy will never be forgotten. He sure is missed. 6. I adore Kenny Wallace. However, I have to disagree with him here. If fans are unhappy they have every right to express their displeasure. What we saw at Bristol warrants some strong opinions. 5. It's wonderful news that Mike Harmon Racing isn't going anywhere. We hope the recent trend of teams shutting their doors is something we don't have to see again for quite some time. 4. Kyle Larson is not wrong that it sounds cocky. However, his mentality is the right one to have. He met his goal on Saturday and Sunday for that matter. 3. Should Bristol dirt return? I don't know. But, what we saw on Sunday is the best we get for the spring race, maybe it's time for the dirt to return. 2. The kind words that have poured about Jon tell you all you need to know about the man. PR is a difficult and thankless job. The impact of PR on motorsports can't be overstated. 1. It's so fitting that Kyle Larson won on Sunday. For Jon.

Press Release | THE MOTORSPORTS HALL OF FAME OF AMERICA The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America announced its 2026 Induction Class today at the 50th running of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. The 38th Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (MSHFA) Induction Celebration presented by Toyota Gazoo Racing, which will formally usher the Class of 2026 into the MSHFA, will be held in the Hall’s home in Daytona Beach, Florida, March 9 – 10, 2026. The Class of 2026 includes two-time Daytona 500 Champion and winner of 15 straight NASCAR Most Popular Driver Awards Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Stock Cars), beloved NHRA Competition Director Steve Gibbs (Drag Racing), one of America’s greatest living motorsports reporters Pete Lyons (Media), one of America’s most accomplished road racers John Morton (Sports Cars), 2000 MotoGP World Champion Kenny Roberts Jr. (Motorcycles), one of “The Big Three” of modern winged Sprint Car racing Sammy Swindell (Open Wheel), and the winningest driver in Unlimited Hydroplane history Dave Villwock (Powerboats). Each of the MSHFA’s inductees is elected by a straight vote of 200+ motorsports experts — half of them inductees themselves. Regular voters include Mario Andretti (MSHFA Class of 1990), Don Garlits (MSHFA Class of 1989), Chip Ganassi (MSHFA Class of 2016), Tom D’Eath (MSHFA Class of 2000), Scott Parker (MSHFA Class of 2009), Richard Petty (MSHFA Class of 1989), Don Prudhomme (MSHFA Class of 1991), Rusty Wallace (MSHFA Class of 2014) and other titans of the sport. The nine Class of 2026 honorees will be formally brought into the Hall during the 38th Annual Induction Celebration presented by Toyota Gazoo Racing, which culminates with a traditional black-tie gala that is the crowning event of the two-day, multi-function MSHFA induction event. The Induction Ceremony will be preceded the night before by the traditional “Heroes of Horsepower” reception and strolling dinner at the MSHFA Museum on the grounds of Daytona International Speedway. Honda presented this year’s Heroes of Horsepower reception. In a 19-year NASCAR Cup Series career, the younger Earnhardt won 26 races, including two Daytona 500s (2004, 2014) and captured the Most Popular Driver Award a record 15 straight times (2003-2017). The streak ended only when he retired from full-time driving. His 26 wins put him 32nd all-time, tied with Fred Lorenzen and ahead of other MSHFA inductees, including Joe Weatherly, Terry Labonte, Benny Parsons and Buddy Baker. He was phenomenal on restrictor plate tracks. From 2001 – 2003 he won four straight races at Talladega. In addition to his two Daytona 500 victories, he finished second in the 500 four times. Although his highest ranking in Cup Series points was third (2003), Earnhardt Jr. won two Xfinity Series championships as a driver (1998, 1999) and five as an owner (2004, 2005, 2014, 2017, 2018), helping Martin Truex Jr., Chase Elliott, William Byron and Tyler Reddick advance to the top level. Since retiring from driving, he’s become a popular author, podcaster and was a color analyst on NBC. Earnhardt was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2022. (Photo Courtesy NASCAR)

Press Release | TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY Talladega Superspeedway announced today that NASCAR Cup Series driver Joey Logano will be inducted into the Talladega Walk of Fame at Davey Allison Memorial Park. The three-time Cup Series winner at the famed superspeedway is set to join a prestigious list of NASCAR legends on Friday, April 25 at 5:30pm. “Joey is no stranger to visiting victory lane at Talladega and his continued success has earned him a well-deserved spot among NASCAR’s greatest in the Talladega Walk of Fame,” said Brian Crichton, Talladega Superspeedway President. “Joey is a remarkable talent for our sport and his passion and dedication to racing will continue to be on full display for years to come.” Former Talladega City Council President James E. Spratlin will also be honored for assisting in the establishment of the Talladega-Texaco Walk of Fame and Davey Allison Memorial Park. Festivities will include the induction ceremony, food trucks, vendors and live music. Sponsors include the City of Talladega, Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega Bottling Works, RK Allen Oil, First Bank of Alabama, the Talladega Lincoln Munford Chamber of Commerce and TOP Trails. “The Walk of Fame Induction Ceremony at Davey Allison Memorial Park honors outstanding drivers and attracts race fans from near and far,” said Talladega City Manager Derrick Swanson. “We are thankful to Talladega Superspeedway and other community partners who are committed to helping the City of Talladega preserve this cherished tradition. We are also appreciative of the thousands of tourists and race car fans who have visited Davey Allison Memorial Park since 1994 to view plaques dedicated to their favorite drivers. We encourage fans to explore the city, dine, and shop while they are in Talladega for race weekend.” Logano has three career Cup Series wins at Talladega Superspeedway (2015, 2016, 2018) and has multiple top 10 finishes at the biggest and baddest track on the NASCAR circuit. Logano’s Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney was inducted into the Talladega Walk of Fame during the 2023 ceremonies. It’s no secret that Logano hopes to follow up the induction ceremony by securing his fourth career win at Talladega during the upcoming Jack Link’s 500 race weekend. Previous inductees include the likes of NASCAR Hall of Famers such as Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty, Bobby Allison, Donnie Allison, Red Farmer, Cale Yarborough and more. For a full list of inductees, please visit Walk of Fame | City of Talladega. The spring race weekend action at Talladega kicks off on Saturday, April 26, with a doubleheader. The ARCA Menards Series will hit the track at 12:30 p.m. ET for the General Tire 200 followed by the NASCAR Xfinity Series Ag-Pro 300 at 4:00 p.m. ET. On Sunday, April 27, the NASCAR Cup Series stars will duke it out during the Jack Link’s 500 to close out the weekend at 3:00 p.m. ET. For ticketing information and more details about upcoming events, including the Jack Link’s 500 race weekend, visit www.talladegasuperspeedway.com. Fans are also encouraged to keep up with all the happenings at Talladega Superspeedway by following along on X, Facebook, and Instagram, as well as in the NASCAR Tracks App for the latest speedway news. (Photo Courtesy NASCAR)

Press Release | DODGE Motorsports Hall of Famer Tony Stewart hit the “jackpot” in Las Vegas Sunday by winning his first National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Top Fuel race in his Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Dodge//SRT dragster at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals drag races, while TSR teammate Matt Hagan just missed a TSR win “double up” in the Funny Car division.  Stewart, a series champion and race winner in NHRA, IndyCar and USAC competition, became the first driver to win pro events in four different professional racing disciplines with an impressive performance in difficult track conditions at the popular “Strip” at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The NHRA Top Fuel victory puts Stewart in motorsports “rarified air” by winning an NHRA Top Fuel race, NASCAR Cup, Xfinity and Truck events, an IndyCar race and USAC events in Silver Crown, Sprint Car and Midget categories. In addition, Stewart is the only racer to score pro wins at all four Las Vegas Motor Speedway tracks at NHRA at the Strip, NASCAR at the Speedway and USAC open-wheel wins at the Bullring and the Dirt Track. Stewart also won the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in 2023 in the Top Alcohol Dragster division, a sportsman class. Stewart’s road to the winner’s circle was not an easy one, as the Indiana racer captured rounds one and two before taking on World Champion Antron Brown, Justin Ashley and Jasmine Salinas in the final. Stewart’s 3.870 pass in his Rayce Rudeen Foundation Dodge//SRT dragster outdistanced his three competitors in extremely difficult track temperatures which reached 138 degrees. In making motorsports history, Stewart drove to “holeshot” victories in the first round over Steve Torrence, Steve Chrisman and Rob Massey then piloted his HEMI® engine-powered, nitro-burning dragster past Ashley, Torrence and former World Champion Doug Kalitta in round two. It marked the second consecutive final-round appearance for the man known as “Smoke” after placing runner-up two weeks ago at the NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Calif. The win for Stewart now vaults him to second in the current NHRA Mission Top Fuel points standings as the national campaign heads to zMAX Dragway in Charlotte for another Four-Wide Nationals on April 25-27. “I haven’t been around the NHRA series very long, but I realized it takes a lot to win one of these Top Fuel races,” said Stewart. “Everything in my career, I never had to wait over a year to win a race. We always figured it out pretty quickly and we won. I had two ‘holeshot’ wins in the first two rounds today and my worst reaction time was in the final, but the TSR crew gave me a great car in the final. Neal Strausbaugh (crew chief) and Mike Domagala (co-crew chief) and the whole crew won that final round for us today. We needed this win. It’s been so stressful for everyone since Leah (Pruett, Stewart’s wife) nearly won the World Top Fuel Championship in 2023 when it came down to the final round of the whole season. “Two years ago, I won my first NHRA national event in the Top Alcohol Dragster here at Las Vegas, and now I win my first Top Fuel national event at the Strip. It’s pretty damn cool. I’ve been a motorsports fan my whole life, and I think we made racing history today with the Top Fuel win. I’m not sure if there has ever been a driver to win a NASCAR Cup race, an IndyCar race, the USAC Triple Crown championship and an NHRA Pro event (Top Fuel). To do it with our team and our family was very emotional. When Leah brought Dom (their new son) up on stage in victory lane, my heart stopped. I got so emotional there. That is a feeling I have never had in my life before.” Five-time Las Vegas Funny Car winner Matt Hagan was on pace for a sixth “Strip” title after winning rounds one and two in his 11,000-horsepower TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Hellcat machine and reaching the final round in the hot conditions. Hagan, a four-time NHRA Funny Car World Champion, took the victory in the opening round over J.R. Todd, Jack Beckman and Bobby Bode, and the Virginia driver then defeated Paul Lee, Dan Wilkerson and Todd in round two. However, in the final round, Hagan’s car dropped a rod at the starting line after a strong reaction time and was forced to coast to the finish line against race winner Austin Prock, Lee and David Richards. With his final round placing, Hagan now ranks fourth in the current NHRA Mission Funny Car points standings after four of 20 races in the 2025 NHRA Mission Drag Racing Series. “We had a good weekend going into the final with both Tony (Stewart) and I advancing,” said Hagan. “We had a rod bolt break at the hit of the throttle in the final round. Unfortunately, it took some cylinders out and threw some rods out of the motor. We are still right in the hunt for the points lead now going to Charlotte for another Four-Wide race. The crew is doing a great job, and we’ll get a win soon. “I was earning my money all weekend with this tricky track surface and the heat. The car was all over the track. It was going left and then right, and it was spinning the tires. That does make it fun driving a Funny Car. I felt like I was Tony Stewart in a dirt car here. I’m super proud of Tony and his whole crew with the win. They have had some tough times recently and they got to the final at Pomona and now a win here.” The NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte has nitro qualifying set for Friday, April 25, at 5:15 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. EDT. Saturday’s nitro qualifying rounds start at 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. EDT with final eliminations getting underway for 12 p.m. PDT, Sunday, April 27. The Charlotte NHRA Four-Wide Nationals finals telecast on Fox Sports 1 will begin on Sunday, April 27, at 7 p.m. EDT. (Photo Courtesy Dodge)

Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images By Adam Carabine & Logan Morris Logan Morris: Adam, we’re back here again after Kyle Larson has given nearly the entire field an old-fashioned drubbing at Bristol Motor Speedway. As much as it was a great week for him, I feel like it was a step backward for the much-discussed short track package. What were your thoughts?   Adam Carabine: Hey Logan, good to be back here with you! I have to agree with you about the short track package, though we can dive deeper into that later.  At the end of the day, the drivers are all reacting to the same package, and Kyle Larson reacted best.  I know we expected crazy tire wear, and we got none of that, which was a tad disappointing, but as I always say, a bad day at the races is better than a good day at work!  LM: That he did!  Everyone faced the same conditions and nobody stinks up a show more than Kyle Larson these days and credit to him. He was the class of the field on Saturday and Sunday. I feel like the sun coming out really changed how the track reacted to having rubber and that changed the whole ballgame so to speak.  AC: I love that - nobody stinks up a show more than Kyle Larson!  He certainly is an interesting driver, but him leading 411 of 500 laps doesn’t exactly make for a nail-biter.  He was close to completing the full sweep too, finishing P2 at the Truck race Friday night!  Though he did say post-race that this was his last triple-header of this year, and he may try again next season. As for the tire wear, let’s get into it.  Practice/qualifying on Saturday was difficult on the ol’ Goodyears.  You had tire runs only lasting like 40 laps or so.  Fast forward to Sunday, the temperature is about 15 degrees warmer, as you said, and suddenly we’re getting green flag pit stops for FUEL at BRISTOL?!  A fuel run is like 160 or so laps.  This is craziness!  Was it just temperature? Or do you think there was something else going on here? LM: I genuinely believe as far as the tires and rubber go it was because of the change in conditions. Nothing else accounts for it. We saw tires on Saturday looking like the local scrap yard and then suddenly after some sun on Sunday, they were more durable than the Flintstones car. I was looking for more chaos on Sunday and clearly, it was not to be. Drivers seemed antsy to say the least heading into race day. As fate would have it, it was much ado about nothing.  AC: Even the first 50 or so laps, you saw a lot of cautious drivers, not wanting to be the first to pop their tires.  As you said, it was all for not, and it really was Kyle Larson who took control of the race by being one of the first to put down some really competitive lap times.  He charged to the front and figured he could force someone else to make mistakes and hurt their tires.  While that strategy didn’t exactly play out, he now had the track position to control the rest of the race - and that’s certainly what he did.  Did anything else stand out to you this Sunday? LM: My hat’s off to Spire Motorsports, they didn’t exactly get the finishes they deserved but for much of the race two of their cars looked extremely strong. I think the future looks incredibly bright over there. It’s a slow process. However, signs of growth are there. AC: Spire has been looking great this season.  Obviously they’re not in the top tier of teams, but for the expectations they should have for themselves, I would say they’re overachieving.  It’s funny, because I assumed that Michael McDowell heading there would be a real bright spot for the team, and while I’m sure his leadership has had an effect all the way around, it’s actually been the other two Spire drivers who have made the biggest strides - Justin Haley and Carson Hocevar.  What’s been the special sauce for them? LM: I think having McDowell is paying off in other areas at the moment, and while it’s been a not-so-great start for him at Spire, we know it takes time to gel. Look no further than how Josh Berry ran in the second half of last season. Speaking of Josh Berry, I think his former crew chief is helping make a lot of improvement. Rodney Childers is one of the modern-day all-time great crew chiefs and while we don’t have any inside info, it’s a safe bet that he’s making a big impact over there.  AC: That’s a fair assessment, absolutely. And to be fair, when I look at the point standings, Michael McDowell is leading Spire in points, but it really does feel like the other two have been flashier.  Whatever it is, it’s working for them! I also wanted to touch on a few drivers we’ve been dogging on lately, having a great race at Bristol.  Ty Gibbs had his best finish in a long time, coming home P3, and his teammate Chase Briscoe finished P4.  Joe Gibbs Racing finished 2, 3, 4, and 8th.  While Denny Hamlin wasn’t able to complete his three-peat, it was a good day for the team.  What do you make of Ty Gibbs and Chase Briscoe this past weekend? LM: Ty Gibbs has shown some improvement over the last two weeks, all things considered, he had a respectable finish at Darlington, and momentum could be building for that team. Momentum looks to be building for Briscoe as well.  When you have the most wins as a team, even at this early portion of the season, some of that has to trickle down. Something is clicking for Coach Gibbs and crew so far this season. I don’t know that it lasts, but right now they’re cooking.    AC: I know you say it’s early, but we did officially just hit the ¼ mark of the season, which is crazy to me.  And yes, there’s some good momentum brewing at JGR… just in time for the one off-weekend of the year.  Hopefully they can carry that forward in a couple weeks when we get back to racing. Let’s move on to our weekly awards! Best Performer LM: The best performer has to be Kyle Larson, it was nothing short of a clinic. During an emotional week for Hendrick Motorsports, they got it done in blow-out fashion.  AC: Yeah, this award usually has a bit more drama around it, but I’m not sure there’s any other possible answer here.  Maybe an honourable mention to Justin Haley for a great run, but Larson blows everyone else out of the water. Biggest Move of the Race LM: Ryan Blaney and company tried to make it interesting, and it just wasn’t to be, but I’ll go with them to not have everything go to the 5 team. AC: I mean, when’s the last time you saw a driver have a lap on the field?  I know it was due to a differing pit strategy, but that was pretty cool to see (though I’m glad it didn’t finish that way)! I’ll go with Blaney as well, but in a different way.  Because he stayed out so long, he wound up being on a bit of a disadvantage when a caution never did come out, and he somehow battled his way back to a P5 finish.  So I’ll say Blaney, but after the long-pit strategy. Biggest Disappointment LM: For my  biggest disappointment this week, I’ll go with Legacy Motor Club. Erik Jones has had a lot of success at Bristol, but you wouldn't have known this week. Both of their cars seemed to be stuck in the back of the pack all day long. They’re certainly a team looking forward to the off week, I’d bet.  AC: My biggest disappointment is going to be Alex Bowman.  Again, another week with an engine blowing up, though this one was a Chevy with Hendrick Motorsports.  Bowman looked strong after securing the pole, but he wound up with a P37 on the day after retiring early. What to Watch for Next Weekend LM: It’s the Easter holiday for all those who celebrate, so the Cup Series gets a very rare off weekend - the only one of the season! I would bet a lot of money that many of the teams don’t take full advantage of the week off. Those who are off to a less-than-stellar start will be grinding, and preparing for Talladega, and the rest of the season.  AC: Yes, the one and only off weekend of the year.  It’s nice for the drivers to get a bit of time away, but as a fan I’m sad there won’t be any NASCAR to watch next weekend.  Talladega is up next on the schedule in two weeks, and you and I will reconvene here after that race to break it all down.   Enjoy YOUR off weekend, Logan - catch you in a few weeks! LM: Don’t forget the return of The Rock, and I don’t mean Dwayne Johnson!