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  • 2026 Great American Getaway 400 (Pocono) Race Recap

    Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images By Adam Carabine Is this déjà vu? (we said that last week too). For the third week in a row, Denny Hamlin has won the race from the pole! This week, it was a little less complicated for him, as he didn’t have to go to the rear early in the race. Let’s have a look at how it all shook down! Lap 1: Denny Hamlin on pole, Kyle Larson beside him, the race is green! Larson takes the lead from Hamlin by Turn 2. Lap 2: Daniel Suarez gets by Hamlin who is struggling early for P2. Lap 3: Hamlin seems to get it back together and gets back to P2 past Suarez. Lap 8: Another silent tribute lap in honour of Kyle Busch. Lap 15: Larson’s lead is up to 1.5 seconds over Denny Hamlin. Lap 18: Ty Gibbs is starting to charge forward. He’s up to P4 and right on Suarez’s tail. Hamlin is also cutting Larson’s lead down. Lap 20: Gibbs to P3. Lap 24: Hamlin is right at Larson’s rear bumper. Lap 25: As Larson tries to pass a lapped car, Casey Mears in the 62, he gets slowed up, and Denny Hamlin capitalizes and takes the lead. Lap 26: With 5 to go in the first stage, there are a few takers on pit road. Like road courses, Pocono is long enough that you can jump the stage by pitting ahead of time and not losing a lap. Lap 30: Denny Hamlin wins Stage One. Followed by Larson, Gibbs, Chase Briscoe, and Chris Buescher. Lap 34: Denny wins the race off pit road. Slow stop for Ty Gibbs after an issue with the right rear tire. Six cars stayed out after flipping the stage. Lap 37: Green flag, John Hunter Nemechek and Tyler Reddick. Lap 38: The two leaders are side-by-side for the entire lap, jockeying for position. Lap 39: Reddick finally gets clear and takes the sole lead. Lap 41: CAUTION – Zane Smith goes around in Turn One after a tough battle. Lap 46: Back to green, Reddick ahead of Nemechek, but at the tail end of the lap, CAUTION with a bunch of cars affected in the middle/back of the pack. The lone DNF in this wreck is Brad Keselowski. Lap 49: 13 cars stay out for track position, but everyone else pits. Reddick wins the race off pit road and will start 14th. Lap 53: Green flag, JH Nemechek and Chase Briscoe on the front row. Lap 64: Shoutout to Spire Motorsports, all three cars running in the Top 10, and Legacy Motor Club running P1 and P3! Lap 76: A few pitters here, 20 laps to go in the second stage. Lap 78: Briscoe pits from P2, now it’s Nemechek and fellow LMC teammate Erik Jones P1 and 2, respectively. Lap 79: Nemechek pits from the lead. Lap 80: Now Jones pits. Chase Elliott cycles up to the lead. Lap 91: With five to go in the stage, some of the leaders pit to jump this stage. Lap 95: Todd Gilliland stays out to win Stage Two. Followed by Briscoe, JH Nemechek, Jones, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Lap 98: Pit road opens, but 21 cars flipped the stage and will stay out. Lap 102: Green flag for the Final Stage. Briscoe is the control car alongside Nemechek. Lap 103: Nemechek gets the lead as Briscoe falls back. Hamlin up to P2. Lap 105: CAUTION – Casey Mears loses a wheel in the tunnel turn. Lap 111: Back to green. Nemechek and Hamlin, but Hamlin gets the lead. Lap 118: Some takers on pit road. Right on the cusp of the fuel window to the end of the race. Lap 122: Hamlin pits from the lead with 39 to go. Reddick to the lead. Lap 135: Reddick now pits from the lead, Ross Chastain follows suit, and Ryan Blaney takes the lead. Lap 136: Hamlin is P5, the first one who has already done his final pit stop. However, Christopher Bell is going to try and stretch his fuel and not need a final stop? Lap 138: Blaney pits from the lead, as he’s late in the cycle. Suarez joins him too. Now we have Bell in the lead, Hamlin in P2, 12 seconds back, but Bell is in heavy save mode, as he’s a little short on fuel. Lap 140: Bell’s lead is now 10 seconds. They’re telling Bell to save more so he can push in the final few laps. Meanwhile Byron is coming up behind Hamlin. Lap 144: 17 to go in the race. Hamlin is now 9 seconds back. Lap 147: Reddick is on fresher tires, with no fuel issues, and has made his way up to P5, charging forward. Lap 149: Hamlin is 6 seconds back now. Lap 152: Now it’s 4 seconds. It’s not looking like Bell will be able to hold the lead, but they’re hopeful it can convert into a solid finish, if not the win. Lap 153: Reddick up to P4, passing Nemechek. Lap 155: Under 2 seconds from leader Bell to Hamlin. Lap 156: Hamlin to the lead. Bell P2, and Byron behind, 2 seconds back. Lap 158: Byron to P2, Reddick to P3, Lap 159: Reddick gets P2 from Byron, but probably doesn’t have enough time to get to Hamlin. Bell runs out of fuel and has to limp it to pit road! Lap 160: Hamlin wins the race! Reddick P2. Bell unfortunately has to finish 26th after running out of fuel. Denny Hamlin now owns 9th on the all-time wins list, with 64. This is his 8th win at Pocono, which is also the site of his first ever Cup Series win. It’s the first time Denny Hamlin has ever won three Cup Series races in a row. Next week we are in San Diego for the street course on the Navy Base!

  • NASCAR San Diego to Host One-of-a-Kind Fun Run for Special Olympics Athletes Ahead of NASCAR San Diego Weekend presented by Anduril

    Fifty athletes will participate in fun run on the San Diego street course Press Release | NASCAR SAN DIEGO (June 12, 2026) – NASCAR San Diego today announced that it will welcome 50 athletes from Special Olympics Southern California for a one-of-a-kind Fun Run experience on the NASCAR San Diego street course’s Qualcomm Circuit on Thurs., June 18. From 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., the athletes will participate in a fun run between Turns 14 and 16, offering a unique opportunity to experience the course before the world's best drivers take to the streets of Coronado. "At NASCAR, we're committed to creating meaningful experiences that bring communities together and make our events accessible to fans of all backgrounds," said Amy Lupo, NASCAR San Diego President. "We're honored to welcome these incredible athletes and their families to the track and to support an organization like Special Olympics Southern California, whose mission embodies courage, determination and inclusion." NASCAR will also present a monetary donation to Special Olympics Southern California in support of the organization's year-round programming, helping provide inclusive sports training and competition opportunities for athletes with intellectual disabilities throughout the region. "We're incredibly grateful to NASCAR San Diego for creating this unforgettable experience for the athletes," said Special Olympics Southern California President & CEO Kelly Pond. " It’s an amazing opportunity to be part of race week and this support for our programs means so much to our community." The event underscores NASCAR's ongoing commitment to community engagement during the NASCAR San Diego Weekend presented by Anduril. The Special Olympics Southern California fun run is one of several community initiatives taking place during NASCAR San Diego race week, reflecting the sport's commitment to leaving a lasting impact in the communities it visits. For more information on NASCAR San Diego, visit NASCARSanDiego.com

  • NASCAR Cup Series StatChat 2026 - Pocono

    By Adam Carabine Happy weekend everyone, it’s time for another edition of Stats Saturday. This weekend the Cup Series travels to Long Pond, Pennsylvania for the Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway. Pocono is a unique triangle-shaped track that only has three corners rather than the traditional four. It is 2.5 miles long, and features three distinctly different corners, each modelled after other race tracks. Turn One is modelled after Trenton Speedway, Turn Two is from Indianapolis, and Turn Three is modelled after the Milwaukee Mile. The track in its current form opened in 1971, and has hosted NASCAR races since 1974. Richard Petty was the first winner at Pocono, and Chase Briscoe is the most recent Cup Series winner there. Tomorrow’s race will be 160 laps long (for a total of 400 miles), with stage breaks occurring at 30 – 95 – 160. Pit road speed is 55 mph, and the caution vehicle runs at 75 mph. The fuel window is approximately 37-42 laps. This year, the NASCAR Cup Series has run 4,045 laps, for 5,649.84 miles so far this season. No drivers have completed all of them, but Denny Hamlin and Carson Hocevar are the closest, running just two laps down. Top 5 Career Average Finishers at Pocono: Brad Keselowski 10.71 over 28 races (1 win) William Byron 10.83 over 12 races Denny Hamlin 11.00 over 36 races (7 wins) Kyle Larson 11.39 over 18 races Ryan Blaney 12.75 over 16 races (2 wins) Bottom 5 Career Average Finishers at Pocono: Riley Herbst 37.00 over 1 race SVG 31.00 over 1 race Cody Ware 28.83 over 6 races Ross Chastain 28.30 over 10 races Zane Smith 27.00 over 2 races Though Pocono is a unique track, we are lumping it in with the Intermediates, as it doesn’t have the same characteristics of your traditional 2.5-mile drafting tracks. Top 5 Career Average Finishers at Intermediate Tracks: Denny Hamlin 11.68 over 357 races (33 wins) Chase Elliott 12.32 over 176 races (9 wins) Kyle Larson 12.38 over 195 races (18 wins) Joey Logano 12.75 over 303 races (19 wins) Brad Keselowski 12.85 over 294 races (19 wins) Bottom 5 Career Average Finishers at Intermediate Tracks: Cody Ware 27.66 over 69 races Michael McDowell 25.80 over 260 races Connor Zilisch 24.61 over 10 races Riley Herbst 23.38 over 25 races Ty Dillon 22.26 over 143 races Denny Hamlin is the winningest driver at Pocono, with 7 wins over his career. Jeff Gordon has 6 wins, followed by Bill Elliott who won there 5 times. Drivers who ran their first Cup Series race at Pocono: Ty Gibbs 2022 – P16 Bubba Wallace 2017 – P26 Drivers who earned their first Cup Series win at Pocono: Denny Hamlin 21st Race Chris Buescher 27th Race Ryan Blaney 68th Race Drivers whose most recent Cup Series Victory was at Pocono: No One -- Notable drivers who have not won at Pocono: Kyle Larson (has won at 18 other tracks) William Byron (has won at 11 other tracks) Tyler Reddick (has won at 11 other tracks) Christopher Bell (has won at 10 other tracks) Ross Chastain (has won at 6 other tracks) Based on average finish, no driver lists Pocono as their BEST track, but Riley Herbst and Ross Chastain have it as their WORST. 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 2025 Tyler Reddick +573 pts Daniel Suarez +435 pts Ty Gibbs +340 pts Denny Hamlin +309 pts Carson Hocevar +304 pts Drivers Faring Worse than in 2025 Alex Bowman -361 pts (missed 4 races with vertigo) William Byron -295 pts Ross Chastain -278 pts Christopher Bell -250 pts Chase Briscoe -233 pts Next, let’s look at who’s having their best and worst career year by Average Finish: Best Career Year Tyler Reddick 7.53 Denny Hamlin 8.27 Ryan Blaney 11.87 Daniel Suarez 13.73 Ty Gibbs 14.00 Carson Hocevar 14.20 SVG 17.60 Riley Herbst 21.53 Worst Career Year Cole Custer 25.73 Josh Berry 26.07 The Manufacturer Standings are calculated by awarding points to the highest finisher for each manufacturer according to their finishing position. (55 for 1st, 35 for 2nd, 34 for 3rd, etc.) No stage points or playoff points count. Manufacturer Standings Toyota 693 Chevrolet 616 Ford 500 Here is the same formula, but used on a team-vs-team basis: Chartered Team Standings 23XI 575 Joe Gibbs 564 Hendrick 510 Spire 475 Penske 468 RFK 418 Trackhouse 394 Front Row 342 Legacy MC 322 RCR 293 Kaulig 283 Hyak 240 Haas Factory 181 Wood Bros 166 Rick Ware 127 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 Tyler Reddick 132 Kyle Larson 125 Denny Hamlin 125 Ryan Blaney 105 Ty Gibbs 102 Christopher Bell 94 Bubba Wallace 83 Chase Elliott 75 Chris Buescher 73 William Byron 71 Milestone Watch Ross Chastain Looking for his 40th Career Top 5 Kyle Larson Looking for his 140th Career Top 5 Ryan Blaney Looking for his 100th Career Top 5 AJ Allmendinger Looking for his 90th Career Top 10 Scorigami Update – AKA The All-40 Challenge Michigan was the first time that: Riley Herbst finished 13th Carson Hocevar finished 5th Here are the top 10 longest active winless streaks: Winless Streaks Cole Custer 148 races Erik Jones 132 races Michael McDowell 99 races Brad Keselowski 74 races AJ Allmendinger 71 races Chris Buescher 59 races Alex Bowman 59 races Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 56 races Josh Berry 46 races Austin Cindric 41 races The race begins Sunday, June 14th 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!

  • O'Reilly Auto Parts Series StatChat 2026 - Pocono

    By Adam Carabine Happy weekend everyone, it’s time for another edition of O’Reilly Stats Friday. This weekend the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series travels to Kansas City, Kansas for the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway. Kansas is a 1.5-mile tri-oval speedway, built in 2001. Jeff Green won the first O’Reilly Series race there that same year. Brandon Jones won the most recent race at Kansas last year. Tomorrow’s race will be 200 laps long (for a total of 300 miles), with stage breaks occurring at 45 – 90 – 200. Pit road speed is 45 mph, and the caution vehicle runs at 55 mph. The fuel window is 59-64 laps. This year, the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series has run 1,695 laps, for 1,931.36 miles so far. No driver has completed 100% of all laps, but Jesse Love and Brennan Poole are each 2 laps down. Top 5 Career Average Finishers at Kansas: Sheldon Creed 6.00 over 4 races Austin Hill 6.40 over 5 races Jesse Love 8.00 over 2 races Nick Sanchez 8.00 over 1 race Brandon Jones 8.18 over 11 races (3 wins) Bottom 5 Career Average Finishers at Kansas: Blaine Perkins 32.33 over 3 races William Sawalich 31.00 over 1 race Austin Green 29.00 over 1 race Ryan Ellis 26.40 over 5 races Dean Thompson 26.00 over 1 race Kansas is an Intermediate Track. Top 5 Career Average Finishers at Intermediate Tracks: Corey Day 7.17 over 6 races Austin Hill 9.95 over 67 races (8 wins) Jesse Love 10.34 over 29 races Justin Allgaier 11.31 over 233 races (14 wins) Harrison Burton 11.73 over 47 races (3 wins) Bottom 5 Career Average Finishers at Intermediate Tracks: Blaine Perkins 27.60 over 46 races Josh Bilicki 26.43 over 46 races Ryan Ellis 25.66 over 73 races William Sawalich 23.21 over 16 races Austin Green 22.94 over 7 races Kyle Busch is the winningest driver in this series at Kansas, having scored 4 wins. Brandon Jones is next with 3 wins, then you have Joey Logano and John Hunter Nemechek who each have 2. Drivers who ran their first O’Reilly’s Series race at Kansas: No one -- Drivers who earned their first O’Reilly’s Series win at Kansas: Brandon Jones 133rd Career O’Reilly’s Start Drivers whose most recent O’Reilly Series Victory was at Kansas: Brandon Jones 2025 Notable drivers who have not won at Kansas: Justin Allgaier (has won at 20 other tracks) Austin Hill (has won at 7 other tracks) Sam Mayer (has won at 6 other tracks) Harrison Burton (has won at 4 other tracks) Sammy Smith (has won at 3 other tracks) Based on average finish, no driver lists Kansas as their BEST or 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 2025 Justin Allgaier +459 pts Sheldon Creed +363 pts William Sawalich +254 pts Sammy Smith +145 pts Jesse Love +75 pts Drivers Faring Worse than in 2025 Nick Sanchez -485 pts Sam Mayer -372 pts Harrison Burton -346 pts Dean Thompson -232 pts Kyle Sieg -136 pts Next, let’s look at who’s having their best and worst career year by Average Finish: Best Career Year Justin Allgaier 6.33 Sheldon Creed 7.33 Sammy Smith 9.56 Jesse Love 9.78 Parker Retzlaff 12.00 William Sawalich 16.33 Blaine Perkins 22.56 Dean Thompson 23.11 Worst Career Year Ryan Ellis 27.78 Kyle Sieg 27.56 Nick Sanchez 26.57 Jeremy Clements 24.89 Harrison Burton 23.44 Sam Mayer 20.33 Rookie of the Year Battle Patrick Staropoli 129 Lavar Scott 103 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 Chevrolet 474 Toyota 281 Ford 131 Here is the same formula, but used on a team-vs-team basis: Chartered Team Standings JR Motorsports 428 RCR 296 Haas Factory 286 Joe Gibbs 278 Hendrick 254 Viking 236 Jordan Anderson 217 RSS Racing 205 Alpha Prime 181 Sam Hunt 167 SS-Green Light 143 Big Machine 129 DGM 127 Young’s 116 Jeremy Clements 110 Hettinger 89 Peterson 85 AM Racing 75 Barrett-Cope 50 Joey Gase 16 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 Justin Allgaier 135 #88 Car 112 #1 Car 81 Jesse Love 78 Brandon Jones 69 Sheldon Creed 54 Austin Hill 51 Corey Day 50 William Sawalich 43 Brent Crews 43 Milestone Watch Sheldon Creed Looking for his 40th Career Top 5 Jesse Love Looking for his 20th Career Top 5 Taylor Gray Looking for his 10th Career Top 5 Jeb Burton Looking for his 50th Career Top 10 Harrison Burton Looking for his 60th Career Top 10 Brennan Poole This will be his 200th Career Start in this series Here are the top 10 longest active winless streaks: Winless Streaks Jeremy Clements 118 races Jeb Burton 99 races Harrison Burton 76 races Sammy Smith 32 races Nick Sanchez 23 races Sam Mayer 20 races Brandon Jones 14 races Taylor Gray 10 races Jesse Love 9 races Austin Hill 8 races The race begins Saturday, April 18th at 7:00 pm EST (4:00 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!

  • NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race Named Navy 250 on June 19

    Highlight of Navy Community Day will highlight am opening day of action “Forged by the Sea” during NASCAR San Diego Weekend presented by Anduril Press Release - NASCAR SAN DIEGO (June 9, 2026) – NASCAR San Diego announced today that the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race on Friday, June 19, will be named the Navy 250, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States Navy during NASCAR San Diego Weekend presented by Anduril. The historic race will take place on the Qualcomm Circuit, the 16-turn, 3.4-mile street course constructed aboard Naval Base Coronado, marking a unique celebration of two iconic American institutions: the United States Navy and NASCAR. Friday’s activities on Naval Base Coronado will be reserved exclusively for members of the United States Navy and select Coronado residents. Throughout the day, attendees will enjoy a variety of interactive experiences highlighting both the Navy’s proud heritage and NASCAR’s competitive spirit. “The Navy 250 provides an incredible opportunity to celebrate the men and women who have served our nation for 250 years while bringing NASCAR’s unique brand of competition and camaraderie to Naval Base Coronado,” said Amy Lupo, president of NASCAR San Diego. “Hosting the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series on the Qualcomm Circuit allows us to honor the Navy’s legacy in a meaningful way and create unforgettable experiences for sailors, military families and the Coronado community.” The Navy 250 will begin at 4 p.m. PT and air live on FS1, capping an exciting opening day of action for members of the Coronado Navy community. Among the featured events will be the NASCAR Sailor Showdown at 1:30 p.m. PT, an exciting pit crew challenge that pairs sailors with NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series pit crew members in a head-to-head test of teamwork, precision and speed. Additional displays and demonstrations throughout the day will showcase the skills, technology and traditions that define both organizations. Ticket holders from the general public will be welcomed aboard June 20–21, for the final two days of incredible action. The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series’ United Rentals Driven to Serve 250 takes center stage on Saturday, June 20, and the stars of the NASCAR Cup Series will compete in the Anduril 250 Race the Base on Sunday, June 21. For the latest information on NASCAR San Diego Weekend presented by Anduril, visit www.nascarsandiego.com

  • Week Fifteen - 2026 StatChat Power Rankings After Michigan

    Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images By Adam Carabine The StatChat Power Rankings return in 2026! While finishing position is important, it’s not always indicative of the full picture. StatChat rankings are determined using a large number of statistical inputs. Let's look at the Top 10: Chase Briscoe – This week: 10 – Last week: 11 It felt like Briscoe was barely on the TV broadcast on Sunday in Michigan, though to be fair, there were a lot of things happening all at once. Briscoe put in a solid day, finishing P10 – his first Top 10 at Michigan. It wasn’t flashy, but he got the job done, and he’s now 41 points above the cutline for The Chase. Daniel Suarez – This week: 9 – Last week: 10 Daniel Suarez has been on a heck of a run lately. Whether it’s a mixture of Spire Motorsports gaining momentum, or Trackhouse faltering at the moment, it’s been a good look for Suarez since joining the 7 team this year. He led 10 laps at Michigan, earned points in both stages, and finished 6th. He’s looking confident. Ty Gibbs – This week: 8 – Last week: 9 Despite finishing the race a little sooner than he’d have liked with a DNF, Ty Gibbs still gets to move up a spot in the Power Rankings. He had a solid day going before the incident that took him out. He led some laps, earned stage points, and was a threat to win this race. Aside from the finishing position, Gibbs can be happy with how Michigan went, and it looks good for the 54 team. Kyle Larson – This week: 7 – Last week: 13 Lots was made on the TV broadcast that Hendrick Motorsports had found some speed in these last weeks. Larson was certainly a benefactor, even though an HMS car didn’t win the race. Larson was tied for the best average running position of the entire field, led some laps, scored points in both stages, and maybe most importantly, looked fast. The P4 finish helped him move up into the Top 10 of the Power Rankings again. Carson Hocevar – This week: 6 – Last week: 7 Carson Hocevar is an absolute menace on the track, and while sometimes that’s not a good thing (ask Tyler Reddick), the stats also speak for themselves when it comes to his performance. Hocevar was the other driver tied for the best average running position with Larson, he had the most Quality Passes (47), the fastest lap of the race, and scored the second-most stage points of anyone. His aggression sometimes gets the better of him, and can lead to some big consequences, but he certainly is an interesting one to watch. Chase Elliott – This week: 5 – Last week: 5 It was a tough hit for both Chase Elliott and maybe more so Christopher Bell, which ended up taking them both out of the race early, but Elliott put in enough solid work ahead of that to ensure he didn’t lose a spot in the Power Rankings. He earned the most stage points, including winning Stage Two, he led the most laps on the day (67), and he looked like a real threat to win the race. The P32 isn’t great for the bottom line, but Elliott is still comfortably in 4th place in the Season Standings. SVG – This week: 4 – Last week: 3 It was an off-week for Shane Van Gisbergen, who has shown some real promise on ovals lately. Again, he was someone we didn’t see a ton of on the TV broadcast, but he finished in 30th with a DNF, likely caught up in one of the many cautions. He loses a spot in the Power Rankings, but with the new road course at San Diego looming in the future, don’t count him out for too long. Does he end up sneaking into The Chase? Ryan Blaney – This week: 3 – Last week: 4 Blaney had a fairly ho-hum day, and managed to grind out a P8 finish at Michigan. No stage points, but a solid running position mostly in the Top 15. While it wasn’t flashy, something can be said for avoiding all of the carnage of the day, and bringing the car home in one piece. He’s still 3rd in the Season Standings, and at this point is likely a lock to make The Chase. Tyler Reddick – This week: 2 – Last week: 1 It was a tough day for Tyler Reddick, though probably the first real tough one of his 2026 season. Michigan proved to be his first DNF of the year, and unfortunately it wasn’t his fault at all. Due to a mistimed push from Carson Hocevar on John Hunter Nemechek on a restart, there was a chain reaction of many people spinning. Reddick got tagged, hit the inside wall, and then also got a secondary hit from Austin Dillon who was gassing up, thinking he was clear of the wreckage. Before crashing out, Reddick had won Stage One, led 33 laps, and looked like he might just be making his 6th trip to Victory Lane this year. Denny Hamlin – This week: 1 – Last week: 2 Last week we talked about Hamlin needing some more consistency before being able to take over the top spot in the Power Rankings, and while I’m sure he didn’t read the article, he matched last week’s win with another one at Michigan. Tying the recently departed Kyle Busch on the all-time Cup Series wins chart, Denny’s car really came alive in the final quarter of the race. He led 40 laps en route to his victory, earned stage points in Stage Two, and eventually won by more than 10 seconds over 2nd placed Erik Jones. Did we mention he started in the rear too? Biggest Movers Austin Dillon – This week: 29 – Last week: 19 Falls 11 places Bubba Wallace – This week: 15 – Last week: 28 Gains 13 places Rest of the List 11. Erik Jones LW: 15 +4 12. Christopher Bell LW: 6 -6 13. Chris Buescher LW: 8 -5 14. William Byron LW: 22 +8 15. Bubba Wallace LW: 28 +13 16. AJ Allmendinger LW: 17 +1 17. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. LW: 12 -5 18. Zane Smith LW: 14 -4 19. Riley Herbst LW: 25 +6 20. Austin Cindric LW: 21 +1 21. Michael McDowell LW: 20 -1 22. Brad Keselowski LW: 18 -4 23. Ryan Preece LW: 16 -7 24. Joey Logano LW: 30 +6 25. JH Nemechek LW: 31 +6 26. Todd Gilliland LW: 23 -3 27. Alex Bowman LW: 26 -1 28. Ty Dillon LW: 27 -1 29. Austin Dillon LW: 19 -10 30. Noah Gragson LW: 24 -6 31. Cole Custer LW: 33 +2 32. Ross Chastain LW: 29 -3 33. Josh Berry LW: 34 +1 34. Cody Ware LW: 32 -2 35. Connor Zilisch LW: 35 --

  • 2026 Firekeepers Casino 400 (Michigan) Race Recap

    Photo by Brett Farmer/Getty Images By Adam Carabine Is this déjà vu? Denny Hamlin won the pole, went to the rear, and then drove all the way to the front for the second week in a row. There was a lot of crashing and carnage at Michigan, but Denny rose above it to capture the win. Let’s have a look at how it all shook down! Lap 1: Denny Hamlin should have been on pole, but had to make repairs to his car, so he had to start at the rear. Carson Hocevar became the control car, and Tyler Reddick made his way up to the front row with him. Lap 3: CAUTION – Connor Zilisch spins, it doesn’t look terrible, but he got a bit of damage after hitting the wall. Lap 6: Back to green with Hocevar and Reddick again on the front row. Lap 7: Ty Gibbs with a neat little move to take it three-wide. He gets the lead for a second, but stalls out and Hocevar gets it back. Lap 9: CAUTION – Connor Zilisch again. This time he spins and hits the inside wall, and the damage is too much for him to continue. He’s out of the race. Lap 15: Back to green, Hocevar and Reddick again. However, this time, Reddick gets a heck of a restart and takes the lead from the bottom lane. Lap 21: Hamlin had worked his way up to around 27th but has started falling back again. Lap 30: Reddick still leads, Ty Gibbs in 2nd, Hocevar in 3rd. Hocevar is saving fuel at a much better rate than the other two leaders, though. Lap 39: Todd Gilliland got a flat tire but managed to limp his car to pit road with no incident. The race stays green. Lap 44: Ty Gibbs is suddenly gaining on leader Reddick, with just a few laps to go in the stage! Lap 45: Tyler Reddick holds on and wins Stage One. Lap 48: Pit road open, Gibbs wins the race off. Reddick loses four spots, but the team had planned on getting more fuel on this stop. Lap 52: Stage Two is green, Ty Gibbs and Bubba Wallace on the front row. Wallace gets the lead from the inside lane. Lap 59: Carson Hocevar takes the lead. Lap 66: Ty Gibbs gets the lead back, but immediately there is a CAUTION – Brad Keselowski has a tire go down and he hits the wall. Lap 68: Contact on pit road between Ty Gibbs and Ryan Preece, but both are able to continue. Lap 71: Green flag. Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson on the front row. Again, the inside lane gets Larson the lead, despite not being the control car. Lap 72: Cancel that, Elliott takes the lead back. Lap 78: CAUTION – AJ Allmendinger spins on his own. Lap 82: Green flag, Elliott and Larson again. However, HUGE crash on the restart resulting in another CAUTION. Hocevar gets into the back of John Hunter Nemechek, spinning him, and causing some major carnage with many cars. Tyler Reddick and Austin Dillon take the worst of it. Lap 90: Back to green, but then CAUTION – Keselowski is spinning again, this time he hits the inside wall. Lap 94: Green flag, Larson and Elliott. Lap 96: Seemingly out of nowhere, Bubba Wallace comes and gets the lead! Lap 99: Chase Elliott gets the lead back. Lots of back and forth up front. Lap 120: Chase Elliott holds it down and wins Stage Two. Erik Jones has made his way up to P2. Lap 127: Final stage is green, Chase Elliott ahead of William Byron. Christopher Bell gets the lead from third. Lap 142: CAUTION – Zane Smith spins on his own. Lap 148: Green flag, Byron and Bell, but then as Bell and Elliott battle for the lead, Elliott gets loose, and takes both himself and Bell out. A very violent crash for Bell, but both got out of their cars okay. Lap 150: The SAFER barriers were so damaged by such a hard crash that the race has to be red flagged for them to repair the wall. The race goes back to yellow about 20 minutes later. Lap 153: Back to green, this time it’s William Byron and Daniel Suarez. Suarez takes the lead on the restart, and now Denny Hamlin is up to third! Lap 154: CAUTION – Multiple cars in a wreck. Lap 161: Back to green again, Suarez over Byron. Hocevar battles up to the front with a great restart. Lap 162: Then there goes Hamlin! He takes the lead. Lap 165: While battling, Hocevar gets into the wall, but not enough to bring out a caution, and he keeps running, looking no worse for wear. Lap 179: Hamlin’s lead is now up to 2.5s over Suarez. Lap 184: Bubba Wallace passes Suarez for P2. Lap 186: Denny is just running away with it, his lead is now 6.5 seconds. Lap 191: Hocevar is back in the picture and takes P2 from Bubba Wallace. Lap 195: It’s a battle for second place. Erik Jones passes Hocevar now for P2. Lap 197: Denny’s lead now over 10 seconds. Lap 200: Denny Hamlin wins the race! Hamlin earns his 63rd Cup Series win, tying him for 9th on the all-time wins list with the late Kyle Busch. He celebrated with a tribute flag to Busch while doing his burnout. Next week we are in Pocono!

  • 2026 F1 Monaco Grand Prix Recap

    Photo from www.x.com/f1 By Ryan Wu The 2026 Formula 1 Championship battle is quickly becoming a rout. Kimi Antonelli, who remains a teenager until August, has now won five consecutive races, becoming the youngest driver in Formula 1 history to achieve that feat. With his victory in Monaco during a chaotic race that saw seven drivers fail to cross the finish line, Antonelli also became the youngest winner of the prestigious race, taking the record from Lewis Hamilton. In addition, he became the youngest driver ever to complete a Grand Slam in Formula 1 (taking this mantle from a mere mortal named Max Verstappen while being almost four years younger), an achievement that requires a driver to: • Take pole position in qualifying • Win the race • Set the fastest lap • Lead every lap from start to finish At just 19 years old, Antonelli continues to rewrite the record books and strengthen his grip on the championship. Mercedes has now won all six races this year and has an 89-point lead in the Constructors’ Championship while Antonelli extended his lead to 66 points over Hamilton. Race Recap At a circuit where overtaking is notoriously difficult, making qualifying even more important than usual, Antonelli secured pole position by beating Verstappen's time by just over four hundredths of a second. When the lights went out, Verstappen was unable to launch cleanly from the grid, dropping to the back of the field. His race then came to an early and unfortunate end on the opening lap due to an engine failure. Antonelli led Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc for most of the race. Behind them, his teammate George Russell spent much of the afternoon in fifth place, struggling to find a way past Isack Hadjar. Russell eventually moved ahead thanks to an excellent pit strategy, but the gain was later erased when he was penalized for speeding in the pit lane. On lap 45, Lando Norris was forced to retire his car, and then later a safety car was deployed on lap 60 after Lance Stroll crashed into the barriers. During the safety car period, Ferrari elected to double stack its drivers, with Hamilton serving a five second penalty for a pit lane speeding infringement. The decision frustrated Leclerc, who was forced to wait behind his teammate. The Monegasque driver's day then went from bad to worse when he made a mistake on the restart and crashed into the barriers at the final corner while in third, adding another chapter to his long history of heartbreak at his home Grand Prix. A late red flag was then deployed on lap-71 as the track surface was damaged with pieces missing. A standing restart was then required as Antonelli and Hamilton battled for the race win with seven laps remaining. The wunderkind was able to hold off the legend for the win, but Hamilton might be turning a corner as this marks a second consecutive runner-up finish for the Ferrari driver. A pair of penalties then knocked Pierre Gasly off the podium to seventh, allowing Hadjar to take his place in third. Note: Alpine has launched an appeal for Gasly’s penalties and Hadjar was noted for a potential red flag infringement so the race results still could change. Nightmare Race for George Russell The British driver now trails his teammate by 68 points in the championship standings, a remarkable deficit in a season that began with so much promise following his victory in Australia. Russell endured a miserable day in Monaco. During the safety car period triggered by Lance Stroll's crash, he was lapped by Antonelli, leaving him with little chance of fighting for points. Matters only worsened when the stewards determined that he had not properly served his pit lane speeding penalty, resulting in a drive through penalty. During the red flag restart, Russell then had to serve another drive through penalty while in third place. Russell ultimately crossed the line in a distant 13th place. With Antonelli continuing his dominant run of form, the result may have all but ended Russell's hopes of mounting a serious championship challenge. Stewards Issuing Speeding Tickets Pit lane speed limits proved to be a major factor in the outcome of the race, with several drivers receiving five second time penalties for speeding in the pit lane. Among those penalized were Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, and Pierre Gasly. Gasly's case was particularly noteworthy, as the Alpine driver was handed two separate penalties. Alpine has since appealed the decision, arguing that the sanctions were unwarranted. The outcome of that appeal could yet alter the final standings. Racing Refresh Driver of the Day Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes Final Points Finishing Positions (Provisionally) 1st: Kimi Antonelli 2nd: Lewis Hamilton 3rd: Isack Hadjar 4th: Oscar Piastri 5th: Liam Lawson 6th: Arvid Lindblad 7th: Pierre Gasly 8th: Alex Albon 9th: Esteban Ocon 10th: Fernando Alonso Next on the F1 Schedule: Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix: June 12th-14th

  • Week Fourteen - 2026 StatChat Power Rankings After Nashville

    Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images By Adam Carabine The StatChat Power Rankings return in 2026! While finishing position is important, it’s not always indicative of the full picture. StatChat rankings are determined using a large number of statistical inputs. Let's look at the Top 10: Daniel Suarez – This week: 10 – Last week: 13 Riding some momentum from last week’s win at the Coca-Cola 600, Suarez started near the front and had some solid moments at Nashville. He faded back early, but fought his way back forward a few times with different pit strategies. He also won Stage Two, though it did end under caution. Ty Gibbs – This week: 9 – Last week: 8 A 13th placed finish for Ty Gibbs at Nashville is solid enough, especially for a race with a lot of carnage. The young driver led a single lap, partially on a pit cycle, but it still counts. He finished on the lead lap, spent most of the day in the Top 15, and had the 4th-most Quality Passes of any driver on Sunday. Chris Buescher – This week: 8 – Last week: 5 Buescher falls a few spots this week, mostly due to a bad finishing position after he was one of the many brake rotor victims on Sunday in Nashville. Despite finishing with a DNF in 29th place, the rest of his day wasn’t terrible, and he managed to stay in the Top 10 of the Power Rankings. Carson Hocevar – This week: 7 – Last week: 7 Hocevar was involved in one incident in Nashville, where he tagged John Hunter Nemechek and got him spinning. Even with his ultra-aggressive reputation, Hocevar was off the hook on this one, as John Hunter Neme-checked up (see what I did there?) after getting loose going over some bumps, and Hocevar had nowhere to go. Hocevar rebounded with a P10 finish, and he stays put in the Power Rankings for the week. Christopher Bell – This week: 6 – Last week: 9 That’s two weeks in a row now where Christopher Bell gets a runner-up finish. He can hang his hat on the fact that he probably had the fastest car in the field, but sometimes that makes a P2 finish almost that much more painful too. He led 29 laps in Nashville, had the most Quality Passes of any driver, and was tied for the best average running position. Still winless this season, but he’s on the upswing. Chase Elliott – This week: 5 – Last week: 6 Chase Elliott was all over the place in Nashville this past weekend, and I mean that in a good way. He was all over the track, with varying different pit strategies and attempts at maintaining track position. It worked for the 9 team, as they finished P7 on a tough day for many of his teammates. Ryan Blaney – This week: 4 – Last week: 4 Blaney had a fast car in Nashville too. He probably couldn’t quite compete with Bell if it were just the two of them head-to-head, but he was up there quite a bit. He led 46 laps, earned some stage points, and finished the day P8 after some pit strategy didn’t entirely go his way at the end. A very respectable finish. SVG – This week: 3 – Last week: 3 Who even is this guy? He’s starting to figure out ovals, all of the other drivers are likely quaking in their boots (reference to the city of last week’s race?). Obviously SVG is the one to beat on road courses, but he has learned a lot about the ovals lately too. At one point he took the lead on a pit strategy call to only take two tires, and he held off Kyle Larson. He earned a Top 5 on the day, and rightfully maintains his spot in the Power Rankings! Denny Hamlin – This week: 2 – Last week: 2 Denny Hamlin was the winner in Nashville last weekend, and possibly may have deserved a shot at the top spot in the Power Rankings! He’s had a pretty remarkable run lately, including a 7.4 average finish over the last five races. Not only did he win in Nashville, but he did it in extra dramatic style, earning a pass-through penalty on lap one, and having to work his way back through the field. Tyler Reddick – This week: 1 – Last week: 1 While Denny Hamlin’s record over the last five races is impressive, Tyler Reddick’s was slightly better. His average finish over this time has been 6.6 – which strangely enough features no wins, and one of his worst finishes of the year at Talladega. Reddick had some strong moments in Nashville, though never seemed to have quite the car to pull off the victory. Hopefully the heavy impact of a hard hit just at the checkered flag won’t have too many lingering effects in the weeks to come. Biggest Movers Bubba Wallace – This week: 28 – Last week: 17 Falls 11 places Michael McDowell – This week: 20 – Last week: 28 Gains 8 places Rest of the List 11. Chase Briscoe LW: 14 +3 12. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. LW: 18 +6 13. Kyle Larson LW: 10 -3 14. Zane Smith LW: 21 +7 15. Erik Jones LW: 16 +1 16. Ryan Preece LW: 12 -4 17. AJ Allmendinger LW: 20 +3 18. Brad Keselowski LW: 11 -7 19. Austin Dillon LW: 22 +3 20. Michael McDowell LW: 28 +8 21. Austin Cindric LW: 19 -2 22. William Byron LW: 15 -7 23. Riley Herbst LW: 26 +3 24. Todd Gilliland LW: 25 +1 25. Noah Gragson LW: 27 +2 26. Alex Bowman LW: 24 -2 27. Ty Dillon LW: 30 +3 28. Bubba Wallace LW: 17 -11 29. Ross Chastain LW: 23 -6 30. Joey Logano LW: 29 -1 31. JH Nemechek LW: 31 -- 32. Cody Ware LW: 33 +1 33. Cole Custer LW: 34 +1 34. Josh Berry LW: 35 +1 35. Connor Zilisch LW: 32 -3

  • 2026 Cracker Barrel 400 (Nashville) Race Recap

    Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images By Adam Carabine A chaotic four-lap shootout, multiple brake rotor failures, and an interesting penalty at the start of the race – all of which Denny Hamlin overcame and earned his 62nd Career Cup Series win at Nashville! Let’s have a look at how it all shook down! Pre-Race: The start was delayed due to some light showers in the area. Once they got the track dry, NASCAR opted to include a Competition Caution at (or around) Lap 35. Lap 1: Denny Hamlin was on pole, with Tyler Reddick beside him. As they were approaching the restart zone, Hamlin hit the gas too soon and jumped the restart, earning him a pass-through penalty. Reddick was credited with leading the first lap and took over the lead as Denny quickly fell to the rear. Lap 8: A lap of silence from the TV broadcast in honour of Kyle Busch. Lap 26: Reddick still leads, but Christopher Bell is still holding on tough, only 0.6 seconds back in 2nd. Lap 36: CAUTION – Competition Caution. Reddick is still in the lead. Notables: Carson Hocevar up 7 spots into the Top 10, last week’s winner Daniel Suarez fell 8 spots to 11th. Lap 38: Pit road opens, Shane Van Gisbergen, Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski each take only two tires and catapult to the front of the field. Lap 41: Back to green, SVG leads Logano. Lap 43: SVG manages to keep the lead with only two new tires. Reddick and Kyle Larson have moved to P2 and 3, respectively, on four new tires. Lap 45: Major battle for P2 with Reddick and Larson. Larson eventually takes it, and the fight allows Christopher Bell to catch up and he snags P3 from Reddick. Lap 50: Larson is now challenging SVG for the lead. Great battle as SVG is not giving up without a fight! Lap 54: Larson finally wrestles the lead from SVG. SVG had to lift to avoid contact with Larson, and so Bell gets by him too for P2. Lap 57: Now a big battle for the lead with Larson and Bell! Lap 73: CAUTION – Connor Zilisch’s bad luck continues. The front-right brake rotor explodes, sending him into the outer wall and ending his day. Lap 76: Pit road opens, AJ Allmendinger and Riley Herbst stay out. A few others take only two tires to gain some track position. Lap 80: Green flag. Allmendinger and Herbst front row. Lap 81: Three-wide for the lead! LAP 82: CAUTION – Ross Chastain’s brake rotor ALSO explodes, Michael McDowell also spins trying to avoid contact. Chastain’s done for the day. Lap 88: Carson Hocevar and Ryan Preece come down pit road. Hocevar is getting some tape taken off as they’re worried about brake rotors now. Preece has some water pressure issues. It will be a one-lap shootout to the end of Stage 1. Lap 90: Ryan Blaney leads AJ Allmendinger to the start-finish line. Larson makes a strong case to get the lead, but Allmendinger reigns supreme and hangs on for the Stage 1 victory! Lap 98: Back to green for Stage 2 – Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney lead. Lap 100: Blaney is already fading, Chase Briscoe makes his way up to P2. Lap 105: Don’t look now but Denny Hamlin has made his way back into the Top 10 after having an early pass-through penalty. Lap 122: Chase Briscoe is starting to put some pressure on Larson for the lead. Reddick is in P3, but still 2.5 seconds behind the two of them. Lap 127: Briscoe takes the lead from Larson. Lap 137: Briscoe’s lead is now 3 seconds ahead of Larson. Reddick has now caught up to the 5 car, challenging for P2. Lap 139: Reddick pits from P3, starting the pit cycle. Lap 140: Larson reacts to Reddick and pits, and a few more takers too. Lap 145: CAUTION – Austin Dillon is around! The pit cycle is still in the middle, so this complicates things a bit for the entire field. Lap 152: Green flag, with Ryan Blaney leading Chase Elliott. Lap 155: Blaney is off to a fast start on this restart, already a second ahead of Elliott. Lap 172: Reddick is up 6 spots since the restart and is now P5. Lap 174: CAUTION – AJ Allmendinger has a blown brake rotor! What is going on!? Lap 178: Pit road is open, six cars stay out, a bunch take only two tires. Quite a few different strategies with another short run to end the stage. Lap 180: Penalty – to the rear for Carson Hocevar for his crew over the wall too soon. Lap 182: Green flag with 4 to go in the stage. Daniel Suarez and Alex Bowman, who both stayed out, lead. Lap 183: CAUTION – Todd Gilliland gets a bump from Corey Heim and spins. It collects Cole Custer too. Stage Two will end under caution. Lap 185: End of the stage – Suarez officially wins it. Lap 192: Green flag, but a CAUTION comes out on the same lap – Noah Gragson checks up some of the field as he got loose, Brad Keselowski and Austin Cindric get the worst of it. Lap 202: Green flag again, Hamlin leads Chase Briscoe. Lap 204: CAUTION – Bubba Wallace, Alex Bowman, Chris Buescher and William Byron are all involved. Buescher got loose, contact with Wallace, the rest is history. Lap 212: Green flag, Hamlin once again leads Briscoe. Lap 214: CAUTION – John Hunter Nemechek had to lift after getting out of shape over some bumps on the track. Hocevar had nowhere to go and tapped him, sending him spinning. Todd Gilliland also spins. Lap 217: Some takers on pit road, but most leaders stay out. Lap 221: Back to green. Hamlin and Briscoe again. Lap 223: Christopher Bell is pushing for P2 from Briscoe. Lap 225: They’re still side by side for P2! Lap 227: Chase Briscoe finally comes out with the win, and keeps P2. Lap 236: Bell is closing back in; he looks like he has the faster car but he can’t get the pass done. Lap 237: William Byron returns to the track, 33 laps down after earlier incident. Lap 239: P2 and P3 have both caught Hamlin’s tail. Three Joe Gibbs Racing cars all within half a second. Lap 244: Briscoe tries to make a move on Denny Hamlin, but it doesn’t work, and Bell ends up capitalizing and taking P2 from him. Lap 245: Now Bell flies by Denny. He’s clearly the fastest car on the track now, watch for him to take off. Lap 253: As predicted, Bell’s lead is now 1.5 seconds. Lap 256: After some differing strategies, it would appear that the Top 10 need to pit in order to have enough fuel until the end of the race. However, Zane Smith in P11, and Ryan Blaney in P12 have enough to make it if they can pace themselves… Lap 257: The pit cycle is now starting. Hamlin is the first one on pit road. Lap 259: Now Briscoe comes down pit road. Lap 260: This brings Bell down now, among many others. Lap 265: Tyler Reddick pits from the lead. Zane Smith is up to P3, but can his tires hold on? Lap 271: Zane Smith to the lead. Christopher Bell is 16 seconds back on fresh tires, and with no need for fuel-saving. Lap 275: Blaney, who was on the same strategy as Zane Smith, decides it won’t work and hits pit road. Riley Herbst is 6 seconds back on the same strategy. Lap 279: Bell is really gaining on Smith. The lap time differential is just too big for Smith to hold onto the lead, it would appear. Lap 283: Herbst gives up on the strategy too, hits pit road. Bell is now P2. Lap 288: Bell takes the lead from Zane Smith, without much fight as Smith’s tires are clearly much more worn. However, quickly after the pass for the lead – CAUTION for Chris Buescher blowing a tire rotor!! Lap 294: Smith has to pit as he’s on majorly old tires. Reddick joins him and the two take 2 tires. Blaney hits pit road as well and takes 4 tires. Lap 297: Green flag with four to go! It’s Bell and Briscoe on the front row. Lap 298: Crazy battle up front, Hamlin and Bell side by side for the majority of the lap, with Briscoe in waiting – hoping for them to falter! Lap 299: Briscoe pulls up beside them and it’s now three-wide for the lead just as the white flag comes out! Lap 300: Hamlin holds on and gets the win!!! Big crash just at the start-finish for Tyler Reddick. Looks like Chase Elliott got a bump and spun into Reddick, sending him nearly head-on into the outer wall. He’s okay though. Hamlin earns his 62nd victory, and the first win for Toyota at Nashville! A wild finish, and a well-deserved win. Next week we are in Michigan!

  • 2026 F1 Canadian Grand Prix Recap

    Photo from www.x.com/f1 By Ryan Wu Having already secured a sprint race win and starting from pole, George Russell looked to take the double over the weekend and eat into his teammate Kimi Antonelli’s Championship lead. Unfortunately for the British driver, a loss of power on lap 30 forced his retirement from the race after a back-and-forth battle amongst the two Mercedes. Antonelli won his fourth race in a row, extending his Championship lead to 43 points. Race Recap McLaren opted to start both drivers on intermediate tires to begin the race. This gamble looked to pay off early as Lando Norris had an amazing start to claim first place within the first corner up from third place. Oscar Piastri made a pit stop just after one lap and Norris followed on lap two as it was immediately clear that slick tires would be more than sufficient in the rapidly drying conditions. Piastri required a wing change on lap 13 as he collided into the side of Alex Albon, resulting in a 10-second penalty for the Australian and forcing the Williams driver to retire from the race. A back and forth between Antonelli and Russell then followed for two dozen laps as they narrowly avoided colliding on multiple occasions with multiple overtakes and retakes occurring between the two. When Russell retired from the lead on lap 30 he was visibly frustrated and robbed viewers of a potential dramatic race finish as Antonelli cruised to victory winning by 10.7 seconds. Lewis Hamilton overtook Max Verstappen on lap 62 to claim second place and his second ever podium while the Dutchman took the last podium spot. It was a miserable day for McLaren as Norris retired from the race due to a gearbox issue and Piastri finished just outside of the points in 11th place. Racing Refresh Driver of the Day Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes Final Points Finishing Positions 1st: Kimi Antonelli 2nd: Lewis Hamilton 3rd: Max Verstappen 4th: Charles Leclerc 5th: Isack Hadjar 6th: Franco Colapinto 7th: Liam Lawson 8th: Pierre Gasly 9th: Carlos Sainz 10th: Oliver Bearman Next on the F1 Schedule: Monaco Grand Prix: June 05-07

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