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Photo from www.x.com/f1 By Ryan Wu In what was the swan song for the Dutch Grand Prix, it’s fitting that a car draped with the iconic orange associated with the Netherlands won the race. Lando Norris won by a healthy 11s to fend off the pair of Mercedes Drivers to mark his second race win in a row. He was joined on the podium by Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, with the former now growing his Championship lead to 59 points with 11 races remaining. It was a critical race result for Russell as he is now level with former Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton at 183 points to secure a tie for second in the standings. Finishing in the points for only the second time this season was also the veteran Fernando Alonso whose paltry haul of 3 points is somehow the only points the team has scored this season. Alonso’s teammate Lance Stroll also made some unfortunate history this weekend as he became the first and only driver with 100 Q1 exits. Race Recap Norris started the race from pole and was immediately under pressure from Kimi Antonelli, who started third. He quickly overtook Russell, who did not get away well. The race was quickly interrupted by a red flag when fan favorite Max Verstappen crashed on the second lap after going off track. Gabriel Bortoleto also spun on the home straight, with his teammate Nico Hulkenberg narrowly avoiding a collision. Oliver Bearman was unable to take part in the restart after an engine issue, joining Verstappen as one of the six drivers who ultimately failed to finish the race. Once the race finally restarted, Antonelli passed Lando Norris to take the lead, making it look like another weekend that would be dominated by the young Italian. Oscar Piastri overtook Russell to move into third, but a slow pit stop on lap 19 allowed the British driver to undercut him and reclaim the final podium position. Norris began closing in on Kimi Antonelli, who was running second, before overtaking Lewis Hamilton for the race lead on lap 54. Hamilton had yet to make his second pit stop at that point. A virtual safety car was triggered when Esteban Ocon’s car stopped on track, allowing Antonelli to pit for soft tires. It was a major change in fortune for the Mercedes driver, as Russell had been gaining on him shortly before Norris took the lead. Antonelli had struggled on the hard tire which Russell enjoyed and the virtual safety car provided the opportunity Antonelli needed to change tires. Mercedes switched the order on lap 66, with Antonelli significantly faster and eager to protect the team's double podium. The decision put Russell under intense pressure, however, as Lewis Hamilton spent the remaining six laps constantly attacking for third. Russell ultimately held on to claim third by just over 0.8 seconds. After the race, he called the decision “the right decision,” while Antonelli admitted that “we put George at risk with having to let me by.” Racing Refresh Driver of the Day Lando Norris, McLaren Final Points Finishing Positions 1st: Lando Norris 2nd: Kimi Antonelli 3rd: George Russell 4th: Lewis Hamilton 5th: Charles Leclerc 6th: Oscar Piastri 7th: Liam Lawson 8th: Nico Hulkenberg 9th: Fernando Alonso 10th: Pierre Gasly Next on the F1 Schedule: Italian Grand Prix: September 4th-6th

By Adam Carabine Happy weekend everyone, it’s time for another edition of Stats Saturday, this time on a Friday. This weekend the Cup Series travels to Daytona Beach, Florida for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway. Daytona is a 2.5-mile Super Speedway oval, with high banking and a tri-oval at the start-finish line. The track was opened in 1959, and Lee Petty won the inaugural race there in the Cup Series that same year. Tyler Reddick won the Daytona 500 here earlier this year, and Ryan Blaney won the late summer race here last year. Saturday’s race will be 160 laps long (for a total of 400 miles), with stage breaks occurring at 35 – 95 – 160. Pit road speed is 55 mph, and the caution vehicle runs at 70 mph. The fuel window is 45-50 laps. This year, the NASCAR Cup Series has run 6,581 laps, for 8,935.22 miles so far this season. No drivers have completed all of them, but Denny Hamlin is the closest, running just two laps down. Top 5 Career Average Finishers at Daytona: JH Nemechek 13.14 over 7 races Bubba Wallace 14.17 over 18 races Alex Bowman 17.05 over 20 races Chris Buescher 17.67 over 21 races (1 win) Ty Gibbs 17.75 over 8 races Bottom 5 Career Average Finishers at Daytona: Connor Zilisch 33.00 over 1 race SVG 28.50 over 4 races Todd Gilliland 27.78 over 9 races Carson Hocevar 26.60 over 5 races Ryan Preece 24.31 over 13 races Daytona is a Super Speedway. Top 5 Career Average Finishers at Super Speedway: Bubba Wallace 16.88 over 35 races (1 win) JH Nemechek 17.00 over 14 races Chase Elliott 17.24 over 42 races (2 wins) Denny Hamlin 17.57 over 82 races (5 wins) Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 17.80 over 54 races (4 wins) Bottom 5 Career Average Finishers at Super Speedways: Connor Zilisch 29.50 over 2 races Josh Berry 25.07 over 11 races SVG 24.55 over 9 races Michael McDowell 23.25 over 61 races (1 win) Cody Ware 22.88 over 22 races Richard Petty is the winningest driver at Daytona, with 10 wins under his belt. Cale Yarborough is in 2nd with 8 wins. As far as current drivers go, both Denny Hamlin and William Byron have three wins. Drivers who ran their first Cup Series race at Daytona: Riley Herbst 2023 – P10 Austin Cindric 2021 – P15 Chase Briscoe 2021 – P19 Christopher Bell 2020 – P21 William Byron 2018 – P23 Drivers who earned their first Cup Series win at Daytona: Austin Cindric 8th Start Erik Jones 67th Start William Byron 98th Start Michael McDowell 356th Start Drivers whose most recent Cup Series Victory was at Daytona: No One -- Notable drivers who have not won at Daytona: Kyle Larson (has won at 18 other tracks) Chase Elliott (has won at 15 other tracks) Christopher Bell (has won at 10 other tracks) Alex Bowman (has won at 8 other tracks) Ross Chastain (has won at 6 other tracks) Based on average finish, JH Nemechek and Cody Ware list it as their BEST track, while Chase Elliott lists it as his 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 Ty Gibbs +481 pts Daniel Suarez +354 pts Denny Hamlin +270 pts Carson Hocevar +253 pts Tyler Reddick +205 pts Drivers Faring Worse than in 2025 Alex Bowman -326 pts (missed 4 races with vertigo) William Byron -273 pts Kyle Larson -212 pts Ross Chastain -175 pts Christopher Bell -164 pts Next, let’s look at who’s having their best and worst career year by Average Finish: Best Career Year Denny Hamlin 8.12 Ryan Blaney 10.60 Ty Gibbs 11.48 Tyler Reddick 12.60 Daniel Suarez 15.20 Carson Hocevar 15.88 SVG 18.00 Riley Herbst 22.20 Worst Career Year Cole Custer 25.16 Josh Berry 23.88 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 1,118 Chevrolet 985 Ford 912 Here is the same formula, but used on a team-vs-team basis: Chartered Team Standings Joe Gibbs 960 23XI 912 Penske 871 Hendrick 802 Spire 723 RFK 686 Trackhouse 683 Front Row 569 Legacy MC 508 Kaulig 469 RCR 458 Hyak 361 Wood Bros 330 Haas Factory 308 Rick Ware 195 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 Ty Gibbs 200 Denny Hamlin 198 Ryan Blaney 195 Kyle Larson 185 Christopher Bell 156 Tyler Reddick 154 Chase Briscoe 146 Joey Logano 130 William Byron 116 Austin Cindric 112 Milestone Watch Ross Chastain Looking for his 40th Career Top 5 Daniel Suarez This will be his 350th Career Cup Series Start Joey Logano Looking for his 180th Career Top 5 William Byron Looking for his 70th Career Top 5 Joey Logano Looking for his 310th Career Top 10 Ty Gibbs Looking for his 50th Career Top 10 Scorigami Update – AKA The All-40 Challenge Pocono was the first time that: Riley Herbst finished 16th Noah Gragson finished 35th Austin Cindric finished 14th Here are the top 10 longest active winless streaks: Winless Streaks Cole Custer 158 races Erik Jones 142 races Michael McDowell 109 races Brad Keselowski 84 races AJ Allmendinger 81 races Chris Buescher 69 races Alex Bowman 69 races Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 66 races Josh Berry 56 races Austin Cindric 51 races The race begins Saturday, August 29th at 4:00 pm EST (1:00 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!

By Adam Carabine Happy weekend everyone, it’s time for another edition of O’Reilly Stats Friday, this time on a Thursday. This weekend the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series travels to Daytona Beach, Florida for the Winn Dixie 250 at Daytona International Speedway. Daytona is a 2.5-mile Super Speedway oval, with high banking and a tri-oval at the start-finish line. The track was opened in 1959, and the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series started racing there in 1982. Dale Earnhardt Sr. was the first driver to win in this series that same year. Austin Hill won the race at Daytona earlier this year, while Connor Zilisch won it in the late summer last year. Friday’s race will be 100 laps long (for a total of 250 miles), with stage breaks occurring at 30 – 60 – 100. Pit road speed is 55 mph, and the caution vehicle runs at 70 mph. The fuel window is 39-41 laps. This year, the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series has run 3,741 laps, for 5,275.36 miles so far. No driver has completed 100% of all laps, but Brennan Poole is 3 laps down. Top 5 Career Average Finishers at Daytona: Harrison Burton 10.00 over 7 races Jesse Love 11.00 over 5 races (1 win) Justin Allgaier 14.32 over 31 races (1 win) Lavar Scott 16.00 over 1 race Jeb Burton 16.21 over 14 races Bottom 5 Career Average Finishers at Daytona: Corey Day 27.00 over 1 race William Sawalich 24.33 over 3 races Jeremy Clements 23.09 over 32 races (1 win) Dean Thompson 23.00 over 3 races Josh Bilicki 22.67 over 9 races Daytona is a Super Speedway. Top 5 Career Average Finishers at Super Speedways: Brent Crews 2.00 over 1 race Jesse Love 8.20 over 10 races (2 wins) Jeb Burton 13.19 over 26 races (2 wins) Corey Day 14.00 over 2 races (1 win) Sheldon Creed 14.18 over 18 races Bottom 5 Career Average Finishers at Super Speedways: Patrick Staropoli 27.50 over 2 races Sam Mayer 24.23 over 19 races William Sawalich 24.17 over 6 races Ryan Ellis 23.49 over 17 races Jeremy Clements 22.93 over 53 races (1 win) Dale Earnhardt and Tony Stewart are the winningest driver in this series at Daytona, having each won 7 races here. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has 6 wins. Of the current crop of drivers, Austin Hill is the winningest with 4 wins at Daytona. Drivers who ran their first O’Reilly’s Series race at Daytona: Jesse Love 2024 – P20 Drivers who earned their first O’Reilly’s Series win at Daytona: Austin Hill 16th Start Drivers whose most recent O’Reilly Series Victory was at Daytona: Jeremy Clements 2022 Notable drivers who have not won at Daytona: Sam Mayer (has won at 6 other tracks) Brandon Jones (has won at 5 other tracks) Harrison Burton (has won at 4 other tracks) Sammy Smith (has won at 3 other tracks) Taylor Gray (has won at 2 other tracks) Based on average finish, no driver lists Daytona 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 +240 pts Sheldon Creed +238 pts William Sawalich +189 pts Sammy Smith +97 pts Jeremy Clements +47 pts Drivers Faring Worse than in 2025 Harrison Burton -279 pts Jeb Burton -220 pts Sam Mayer -203 pts Dean Thompson -90 pts Ryan Ellis -82 pts Next, let’s look at who’s having their best and worst career year by Average Finish: Best Career Year Sammy Smith 11.61 Brandon Jones 12.48 Parker Retzlaff 12.83 William Sawalich 16.00 Dean Thompson 19.70 Blaine Perkins 23.04 Worst Career Year Ryan Ellis 26.87 Kyle Sieg 25.48 Jeb Burton 22.61 Harrison Burton 21.74 Jesse Love 12.30 Rookie of the Year Battle Patrick Staropoli 329 Lavar Scott 255 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 Chevrolet 1,204 Toyota 796 Ford 159 Here is the same formula, but used on a team-vs-team basis: Chartered Team Standings JR Motorsports 1,069 Joe Gibbs 794 RCR 725 Haas Factory 683 Viking 611 Hendrick 587 RSS 511 Jordan Anderson 510 Sam Hunt 498 Alpha Prime 435 SS-Green Light 414 DGM 379 Peterson 359 Jeremy Clements 340 Big Machine 329 Young’s 294 Joey Gase 132 Hettinger 117 AM Racing 75 Barrett-Cope 50 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 296 #1 Car 235 #88 Car 218 Jesse Love 179 Sam Mayer 157 Sheldon Creed 154 Corey Day 140 Brandon Jones 136 Brent Crews 130 Taylor Gray 118 Milestone Watch Justin Allgaier Looking for his 320th Career Top 10 Jeb Burton Looking for his 50th Career Top 10 Here are the top 10 longest active winless streaks: Winless Streaks Jeremy Clements 132 races Jeb Burton 113 races Harrison Burton 90 races Sammy Smith 46 races Sam Mayer 34 races Jesse Love 23 races Sheldon Creed 21 races William Sawalich 15 races Taylor Gray 13 races Corey Day 9 races The race begins Friday, August 28th at 7:30 pm EST (4:30 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!

Press Release | NASCAR NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Compete on the Streets of Coronado on July 30-Aug. 1, 2027 NASCAR, Department of War Announce Multi-Year Plan to Bring Races to U.S. Military Installations SAN DIEGO (Aug. 25, 2026) – NASCAR San Diego announced today that it is re-enlisting for another tour of duty in 2027. After a successful, sold-out debut in 2026, NASCAR San Diego Weekend presented by Anduril will return with the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series on July 30-Aug. 1, 2027, at Naval Base Coronado. NASCAR’s finest will once again answer the call of the 16-turn, 3.4-mile Qualcomm Circuit at Naval Air Station North Island. The street course, nestled inside the Birthplace of Naval Aviation, became one of the most challenging and picturesque in the history of motorsports, and in 2027, it will continue showcasing the winning combination of two iconic institutions – NASCAR and the U.S. Navy. “What we experienced this year — the incredible racing, the energy from our fans and the partnership with the U.S. Navy and the San Diego community — showed just how special this event can be,” said NASCAR San Diego President Amy Lupo. “We are grateful for the opportunity to build on that momentum, and we are fully committed to improving the experience for our fans. Together we will create another unforgettable weekend that celebrates the San Diego region, NASCAR, and most importantly, the brave sailors who selflessly serve our country.” NASCAR and the Department of War share a multi-year plan to continue hosting events beyond Naval Base Coronado. In 2028, NASCAR and the Department of War intend to take the military-base street race to a different U.S. military installation, expanding the opportunity to celebrate and connect with service members, military families and communities across the country. “Our partnership with NASCAR gives us a unique national platform to honor the men and women who serve, strengthen connections with military families and communities, and showcase the mission and values of our Armed Forces,” said Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. “Our vision is bigger than a single race or location. By bringing this event to different military installations in the years ahead, we can reach more service members across the country and build an enduring tradition that celebrates courage, commitment and elite performance.” On Sunday, Aug. 1, 2027, the Cup Series street race will serve as the cornerstone event of the weekend and be broadcast live on TNT, truTV and HBO Max. That will follow the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series street race on Saturday, July 31, which airs nationwide on The CW and ESPN App. Tickets for both events will go on sale at a later date, but given the incredible demand, fans are urged to visit www.nascarsandiego.com now to register for presale opportunities. "We are proud to welcome NASCAR back to Naval Base Coronado for another incredible weekend in 2027. It takes teamwork, toughness, and precision to win on the track—all traits our Sailors and Marines demonstrate every day in defense of our nation," said Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao. “We look forward to celebrating this partnership with the San Diego community and giving our service members and their families an unforgettable experience." NASCAR San Diego will also host Navy Community Night on Friday, July 30, offering exclusive free access to sailors and members of the Coronado community. They will be treated to O’Reilly Auto Parts Series practice and qualifying along with a variety of interactive experiences highlighting both the Navy's proud heritage and NASCAR's competitive spirit. “I’m excited about NASCAR’s partnership with the Navy as it returns to Coronado for a second year,” said Coronado Mayor John Duncan. “Hosting this iconic event at Naval Base Coronado is a unique opportunity for our community and one that brings tremendous energy to our city, our residents and local businesses. We’re proud to once again welcome race fans from across the country and honoring the active duty Navy personnel. We look forward to partnering with NASCAR to ensure a smooth and successful race weekend in Coronado.” Anduril on the Cup Series and United Rentals on the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series return as entitlement partners for the street races. Pala Casino Spa Resort, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and Red Bull continue as supporting partners for NASCAR San Diego. Start times for 2027 NASCAR San Diego Weekend presented by Anduril and the entire NASCAR schedule will be announced at a later date.

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: Kyle Larson – This week: 10 – Last week: 18 It was a solid weekend for Kyle Larson in New Hampshire, as he finds his way back into the Power Rankings Top 10. He earned the most stage points of anyone (including winning Stage One), led 18 laps, and was the highest finishing Chevrolet (P5) on the day. It might be hard to gain another spot on the Regular Season Standings, as Chase Briscoe is 19 points ahead of him, but if there’s anywhere it could happen, it’s Daytona. Ryan Preece – This week: 9 – Last week: 17 Ryan Preece did what he needed to do to keep himself alive in his quest to make The Chase, though it may still fall short. He is known for being good on short tracks, and he eked out a P9 finish in New Hampshire. He earned points in both stages, and maybe most importantly, gained on SVG, who currently holds the last spot in The Chase. The gap is still 29 points, so it will be a tall order to get in this year, but it’s not impossible. William Byron – This week: 8 – Last week: 9 Byron’s New Hampshire race ended horribly, as a wheel came off of his car and he was held two laps. He’ll also lose some crew members for the next two races. But aside from that unfortunate finish, he was actually having a fairly solid day. He qualified P3, earned some stage points, and his underlying numbers were better than the P30 finish showed. Bubba Wallace – This week: 7 – Last week: 8 Bubba Wallace wasn’t super happy with his qualifying effort, starting in the 23rd spot at New Hampshire. But they clearly did some good work on adjustments throughout the race, as he wound up finishing P2, and looked like he could have challenged for the win if there were an extra 10-15 laps or so. The result essentially guarantees a spot for Bubba in The Chase. Christopher Bell – This week: 6 – Last week: 6 Christopher Bell had a quiet day in New Hampshire (and hey, didn’t finish P2!), but somehow still managed to finish with a Top 5. It’s not a bad rebound after nearly running over one of his tire carriers early in the race. After that Bell remained pretty under the radar, but he was rewarded by his consistent effort once again. Chase Briscoe – This week: 5 – Last week: 5 Something weird happened with Chase Briscoe at the end of the New Hampshire race this weekend, and he fell off really quickly. Earlier he was challenging Ryan Blaney for the lead, when things just started not going well. Despite a P26 finish, though, his underlying numbers were good and he didn’t lose any ground in the Power Rankings. He also had the most Quality Passes (62) of any driver in the field. Ty Gibbs – This week: 4 – Last week: 4 I’m not sure Ty Gibbs was really mentioned at all on the broadcast this week, but he still performed well enough to maintain his Top 5 in our Power Rankings. He scored points in both stages, had an average running position of P7 all day, and finished 6th. It might not have been flashy but he’s also third in the Regular Season Standings, and at this point hard to deny as a Championship threat. Joey Logano – This week: 3 – Last week: 2 Logano is coming off of a win last week in Richmond, which explains his sudden resurgence to the top of our Power Rankings. He didn’t follow it up with a repeat win, but it was a respectable day for the 22 team. Especially after getting caught up in some trouble when Carson Hocevar spun out after contact with Connor Zilisch. Logano didn’t have the best car on track but he finished with a Top 15, and is locked into The Chase. Ryan Blaney – This week: 2 – Last week: 1 It might not seem super fair that Ryan Blaney wins a race and falls a spot on the Power Rankings, but there is a method to the madness. Blaney had a great race in New Hampshire, don’t get me wrong, but his average finish over the last 5 races is 10.8, with three races finishing outside of the Top 10. With the Power Rankings formula taking the last five races more heavily into account, it’s also worth noting that his last victory was six races ago, so this was the first week it didn’t buoy him up some more too. Look ahead to see how Denny’s previous five races have gone… Denny Hamlin – This week: 1 – Last week: 2 As I alluded to above, Denny Hamlin’s been on a good run these last five races, and with our Power Rankings formula weighing those a bit heavier than any other races, he’s rewarded with our top spot this week! Denny hasn’t finished outside of the Top 10 in the last five races, and his average finish is 4.6. He might not have a win in there, but the consistency is key. He’s also locked himself into winning the Regular Season Championship, which gives him the best odds at this moment to win his first Championship. Biggest Movers Ross Chastain – This week: 21 – Last week: 12 Falls 9 places Josh Berry – This week: 12 – Last week: 21 Gains 9 places Rest of the List 11. Austin Cindric LW: 13 +2 12. Josh Berry LW: 21 +9 13. SVG LW: 7 -6 14. Tyler Reddick LW: 10 -4 15. Carson Hocevar LW: 11 -4 16. Daniel Suarez LW: 15 -1 17. Brad Keselowski LW: 20 +3 18. Chris Buescher LW: 16 -2 19. Chase Elliott LW: 14 -5 20. Todd Gilliland LW: 19 -1 21. Ross Chastain LW: 12 -9 22. Zane Smith LW: 23 +1 23. Noah Gragson LW: 25 +2 24. Michael McDowell LW: 24 -- 25. Austin Dillon LW: 22 -3 26. Alex Bowman LW: 29 +3 27. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. LW: 27 -- 28. AJ Allmendinger LW: 32 +4 29. Riley Herbst LW: 26 -3 30. JH Nemechek LW: 30 -- 31. Cole Custer LW: 33 +2 32. Ty Dillon LW: 31 -1 33. Cody Ware LW: 34 +1 34. Erik Jones LW: 28 -6 35. Connor Zilisch LW: 35 --

Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images By Adam Carabine The Penske resurgence continued at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this past weekend, as Ryan Blaney returned to Victory Lane for the third time this season. What started as a wet-weather race ended up drying up and showcasing a fairly entertaining short track show. Let’s have a look at how it all shook down! Pre-Race: Carson Hocevar spun on the warm-up laps, and then the rain picked up a bit more. Cars were brought down pit road and covered for a bit while they dried some standing water on the track. Lap 1: Tyler Reddick qualified on the pole, with Josh Berry beside him. Before the first lap was through, Reddick spun on his own and brought out the caution. He didn’t hit anything, but it stopped up Denny Hamlin as well and they lost a ton of track position early. Lap 7: Back to green, this time with William Byron the leader. Lap 12: John Hunter Nemechek spins on his own, but manages to keep it straight and it stays green. Lap 26: Shane Van Gisbergen passes Byron for the lead, he looks strong on these wet weather tires. Lap 38: There’s some smoke coming out of Ross Chastain’s car – he’s trying to nurse it another couple of laps for the competition caution that’s coming out at Lap 40. Lap 40: The caution is thrown, NASCAR allows everyone to put slicks on their cars as the rain has mostly dried up. Pit stops are non-competitive, so no one loses any position. However, Chastain’s car is done for the day here. Lap 50: Green flag – SVG and Josh Berry on the front row. Everyone’s on slick tires. Lap 52: CAUTION – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. spins and backs it into the wall. Lap 56: Green flag – SVG leads William Byron this time. Lap 57: Starting from third, Kyle Larson now powers up to the lead – looks like SVG’s car isn’t as strong on the slicks, as he’s falling back quickly. Lap 58: SVG back to 6th already. Lap 70: Kyle Larson wins Stage 1. Followed by 20, 77, 24, 21, 54, 12, 60, 97, 19. Lap 73: Messy pit stops for a few drivers. William Byron takes a wrench with him outside of the box, Christopher Bell nearly drags his tire carrier with him all the way out. There’s a mixture of strategies with both two and four-tire stops. Lap 79: Green flag. Ryan Preece and Zane Smith stayed out at this caution and are now the leaders. Lap 84: CAUTION – Contact between Connor Zilisch and Carson Hocevar. Hocevar gets the worst of it. Joey Logano and Austin Dillon are also involved as they try to avoid the wreck ahead of them. Lap 90: Back to green. Preece again with Berry. Lap 91: Berry makes quick work of Ryan Preece and takes the lead. Lap 97: Ryan Blaney looking strong, he’s making moves and is up to P2 now. Lap 114: Reports on some driver radios of some raindrops, but things stay green. Lap 118: Berry is still the leader, Blaney is behind him. Bubba Wallace in P3, about 5 seconds back. Lap 120: Pit cycle starts with Chase Elliott heading down pit road. The window is officially open to make it to the end of this stage on fuel. Lap 123: Ryan Preece pits, though he’s on a different strategy than the other leaders. Lap 130: Pit stops are continuing, but with new tires not showing a ton of advantage, it’s a slow trickle rather than an onslaught. Lap 134: Leaders pit now, Berry beats Blaney to the line and retains the provisional lead. Lap 149: New leader, Ryan Blaney as he passes Berry finally. Lap 185: Ryan Blaney wins Stage 2. Followed by 21, 23, 60, 5, 6, 17, 54, 11, 20. Lap 191: Slow stop for Ryan Blaney, as the front left wheel isn’t tight and they have to re-jack the car. He loses a lot of spots on pit road. Lap 194: Green flag, Bubba Wallace and Josh Berry. They’re back and forth for a while but Berry eventually takes the lead. Lap 203: CAUTION – Hocevar is around on his own. Lap 209: Back to green, with Berry and Wallace at the front. Lap 210: This time Bubba Wallace has a good restart and retakes the lead. Lap 222: Some contact from Josh Berry as he takes over the lead from Bubba Wallace! Lap 223: They start trading some blows back and forth, and trading the lead! Lap 224: With the two leaders duking it out, Ryan Preece has come up behind them. Lap 225: CAUTION – Riley Herbst with a huge hit after some contact with Michael McDowell. Then Connor Zilisch, much later, somehow gets into Herbst who is stopped up against the fence. This ends Herbst and Zilisch’s days. Lap 232: Back to green again, Blaney is the leader. Lap 233: CAUTION – William Byron loses a wheel! Lap 238: Back to green, Ryan Blaney and Chase Briscoe are battling it out for the lead. Lap 267: Blaney still leads, Bubba Wallace in 2nd, about a second back. Lap 271: Josh Berry finding some speed, back up to P3 now. Lap 291: Blaney is getting caught up in some lapped traffic. Bubba Wallace and Josh Berry are catching up to him, but is there enough time left? Lap 301: Ryan Blaney holds on to win the race! This is Ryan Blaney’s 20th Cup Series win, and his second win at New Hampshire, after winning last year’s race there too. With one more week left in the Regular Season, there are three drivers now vying for two spots left in The Chase. Austin Cindric +44 SVG +29 --- Ryan Preece -29 Next weekend is the Regular Season Finale in Daytona!

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: Tyler Reddick – This week: 10 – Last week: 17 Reddick being on a cooler this summer has been well-documented. After having a commanding lead over the rest of the field, he now sits 4th in points. However, Richmond might have been a sign of things turning around for the 45 team. While they wound up on the wrong tire strategy, they still pulled off a P11 finish. Reddick also had the best pass differential of any driver on Saturday evening. William Byron – This week: 9 – Last week: 7 Byron continues to baffle me, but he still manages to be in the Top 10 of the Power Rankings. He has been pretty under the radar, he hasn’t won all year, and yet he sits comfortably above the cutline for The Chase (+113 pts). He earned two additional stage points at Richmond, and finished in the Top 10. Bubba Wallace – This week: 8 – Last week: 8 Bubba Wallace looked to have a pretty good car earlier on in the race at Richmond, but things didn’t stay that way. Whether it was some bad adjustments on pit road, or difficulty managing tire wear, Bubba fell back and eventually ended the race in 20th. He did score points in Stage One, and led three laps, which probably helped him to stay in the same position as last week in our Power Rankings. SVG – This week: 7 – Last week: 10 I had originally pencilled in Richmond as SVG’s best shot at a win on an oval this year. While that didn’t happen, he continues to show more and more growth on the left-turn-only tracks. He didn’t get any help in our Power Rankings from his impressive run in the Truck race, but he clearly is focused on improving this part of his NASCAR career and it really is only a matter of time. Christopher Bell – This week: 6 – Last week: 4 Is Bell sad he didn’t win at Richmond? Or happy that he didn’t finish 2nd again. Like Reddick, Bell was on the wrong tire strategy at the end, and was easily passed for the lead by other cars who had newer tires. P7 is nothing to scoff at, but he still falls a few spots in our Power Rankings. Chase Briscoe – This week: 5 – Last week: 6 Since Atlanta, Briscoe has moved up an impressive five positions in the overall points standings. His P2 at Richmond helped him to clinch a spot in The Chase, and gave him a 20-pt gap over 6th-placed Chase Elliott. Briscoe might be a bit annoyed to have had the win slip out of his hands at Richmond, as he was likely the better car in the final run, but the 19 team is in good form heading to The Chase. Ty Gibbs – This week: 4 – Last week: 3 It was a solid effort at Richmond for Ty Gibbs. Coming off his second win of the season last week in Iowa, Gibbs was looking good early. A speeding penalty on pit road derailed his day a bit, but he still managed to rally back to an impressive P15 finish. He’s also clinched into The Chase, and he’s a legitimate contender for the Championship. Denny Hamlin – This week: 3 – Last week: 1 Hamlin had another solid outing at Richmond, and yet somehow tumbles two spots in the Power Rankings. The scoring metric is very tight at the top of our rankings, and Hamlin’s fall is more likely related to the good performance of the other two drivers who moved up. Denny led some laps, scored points in both stages, and finished P4, as he continues to lead the regular season scoring title. Joey Logano – This week: 2 – Last week: 5 Good old “even-year-Logano” is at it again. Weeks ago he wasn’t even in the Top 16 in points, and now he’s won twice and looks like he could be a title contender after all. He’s certainly got his work cut out for him, since he did dig himself a bit of a hole through the first half of the season, but he looks strong. Penske has looked good at these flatter ovals, and so we’ll see how he fares when The Chase starts, and we start returning to some heavier banking, but regardless, Logano will still be happy with a win at Richmond this weekend. Ryan Blaney – This week: 1 – Last week: 2 Ryan Blaney had the car to beat at Richmond… if the race had ended at Stage One. Unfortunately for Blaney, they weren’t able to keep up with the adjustments in the same way the other teams did, and he wound up fading back to finish 13th. However, he did win Stage One, led 88 laps, and also scored the point for the fastest lap of the race. He moves back to the top of our Power Rankings. Biggest Movers Chris Buescher – This week: 16 – Last week: 12 Falls 4 places Todd Gilliland – This week: 19 – Last week: 15 Falls 4 places Tyler Reddick – This week: 10 – Last week: 17 Gains 7 places Rest of the List 11. Carson Hocevar LW: 9 -2 12. Ross Chastain LW: 11 -1 13. Austin Cindric LW: 14 +1 14. Chase Elliott LW: 16 +2 15. Daniel Suarez LW: 13 -2 16. Chris Buescher LW: 12 -4 17. Ryan Preece LW: 18 +1 18. Kyle Larson LW: 19 +1 19. Todd Gilliland LW: 15 -4 20. Brad Keselowski LW: 21 +1 21. Josh Berry LW: 27 +6 22. Austin Dillon LW: 22 -- 23. Zane Smith LW: 20 -3 24. Michael McDowell LW: 24 -- 25. Noah Gragson LW: 29 +4 26. Riley Herbst LW: 23 -3 27. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. LW: 26 -1 28. Erik Jones LW: 25 -3 29. Alex Bowman LW: 28 -1 30. JH Nemechek LW: 31 +1 31. Ty Dillon LW: 32 +1 32. AJ Allmendinger LW: 30 -2 33. Cole Custer LW: 33 -- 34. Cody Ware LW: 34 -- 35. Connor Zilisch LW: 35 --

Photo from www.x.com/f1 By Ryan Wu What appeared to be another dominant weekend for Championship leader Kimi Antonelli ended in disaster when a late issue with his front left wheel shield made the car difficult to control. The problem led to multiple off-track excursions before ultimately triggering a safety car period, and Antonelli could manage only a 16th-place finish. Lewis Hamilton secured sprint pole position at his home race, edging Antonelli by just over one hundredth of a second. However, it was the young Italian who emerged victorious in the sprint, finishing just ahead of Hamilton. Antonelli then went on to claim pole position for the Grand Prix, but victory ultimately belonged to Charles Leclerc, who started alongside him on the front row. Leclerc secured his first race win since Austin in 2024, while George Russell and Lewis Hamilton completed the podium. Race Recap Ferrari rediscovered its race-start magic from earlier in the season as both Leclerc and Hamilton overtook pole sitter Antonelli when the lights went out and charged into Turn 1. Unfortunately for Hamilton, he was judged to have moved before the start lights were extinguished, earning a five-second penalty. The opening lap brought further drama as Oscar Piastri suffered front-wing damage, forcing him to make an early pit stop. Antonelli finally reclaimed second place on lap 11 by passing Hamilton, who later served his penalty on lap 24. Russell also managed to get ahead of Hamilton during the pit stop sequence. Hamilton and Russell produced some thrilling wheel-to-wheel racing in their battle for fourth place, going side by side through several high-speed corners around the midway point of the race. In a trend that has become a defining feature of the 2026 season, their duel soon evolved into a contest of battery management and deployment, with the former teammates exchanging positions multiple times. Russell's run of bad luck continued on lap 34 when he was informed of a left-rear puncture. Remarkably, he was still attempting to overtake Verstappen at the time before finally coming into the pits a lap later. Race leader Antonelli stopped for fresh hard tires on lap 36, allowing Leclerc to regain the lead. The complexion of the race changed dramatically on lap 41. Antonelli reported damage to his car over the radio and quickly began losing pace, dropping to third place. Replays later revealed a failure of his front-left brake duct after he drove over an exit curb. With the car visibly difficult to control, Antonelli pitted again on lap 44 so his mechanics could manually remove the damaged component in the hope of salvaging points. The teenager's determination was evident over the closing laps, as he repeatedly resisted calls to retire the car and instead pushed to remain in the points while running tenth. However, his task became even more difficult when he received a five-second penalty for exceeding track limits, much to the frustration of the team. On lap 48, Max Verstappen ran wide after losing front-end grip, triggering a safety car. Any hopes of a racing finish quickly disappeared as it took considerable time for the unlapped cars to reorganize themselves. Although there were indications that the safety car might come in for a final lap sprint, that never materialized and the Grand Prix ended under caution. Ferrari elected to pit both drivers in anticipation of a late restart that never came. The decision had little impact on Leclerc because of the substantial lead he had built, but it cost Hamilton second place. Mercedes chose not to pit Russell, allowing him to move ahead of Hamilton and secure the runner-up position. Antonelli was never given the opportunity to build the five-second gap needed to offset his penalty and ultimately fell to 16th place. Russell has now reduced Antonelli's championship lead to 25 points, while Hamilton sits just seven points further back, ensuring the title fight remains very much alive. Terrific Showing for the Racing Bulls It was a great day for Red Bull associated drivers not named Max Verstappen as Isack Hadjar finished in fifth. Moreover, Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad claimed a double points finish by crossing the line in sixth and seventh, respectively. Racing Bulls are now one point behind Alpine for the ‘best of the rest’ moniker and provided a huge boost in what would be remembered as a frustrating day for the main team. Racing Refresh Driver of the Day Charles Leclerc, Red Bull Final Points Finishing Positions (Provisionally) 1st: Charles Leclerc 2nd: George Russell 3rd: Lewis Hamilton 4th: Lando Norris 5th: Isack Hadjar 6th: Liam Lawson 7th: Arvid Lindblad 8th: Gabriel Bortoleto 9th: Franco Colapinto 10th: Pierre Gasly Next on the F1 Schedule: Belgium Grand Prix: July 17th-19th

Photo from www.x.com/F1 By Ryan Wu George Russell added further intrigue to this year's Championship race with a narrow victory over Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli as both drivers finished within two seconds of the English driver. Russell has now cut Antonelli’s championship lead to 40 points with plenty more to be contested, especially with a sprint race weekend upcoming at Silverstone. A week after winning his maiden race for Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton finished in fifth place after qualifying in third, with his teammate Charles Leclerc down in a disappointing eighth after starting the race in the front row. Race Recap The opening lap of the race began with great drama as the Ferraris swapped places with Hamilton overtaking Leclerc within a few corners. Antonelli went off the track a few times in the first two laps trying to overtake Charles Leclerc and was eventually able to gain fourth place on lap seven of the race. Max Verstappen and Hamilton had a great duel through the first third of the race as the two World Champions battled for third place and track position as they went back and forth with overtakes. Carlos Sainz’s retirement on lap 24 brought some misfortune for Antonelli, as he had stopped for new tires just before the Virtual Safety Car was deployed, effectively eliminating the advantage drivers typically gain by pitting under caution conditions. Ferrari appeared to struggle with tire temperature management, as Lewis Hamilton was forced to make an additional stop shortly after pitting during the Virtual Safety Car period. The extra stop cost him track position and allowed Oscar Piastri to overtake him. The Red Bulls were showing great pace, allowing Isack Hadjar to climb up to P6 with a brilliant overtake on Leclerc during the late stages of the race. It was a sprint to the finish in the closing stages of the race as Russell held off Verstappen to secure his second victory of the season. The Dutch driver reduced the gap to just 1.6 seconds by the chequered flag, while Antonelli remained close behind, finishing only 1.9 seconds adrift of his teammate. It was a crucial result for Red Bull, as the team gained valuable points in its pursuit of last year's Constructors' Champions, McLaren, for third place in the standings. Further ahead, Mercedes extended its advantage over Ferrari in the Constructors' Championship, increasing its lead to 302 points compared to Ferrari's 204. Racing Refresh Driver of the Day Max Verstappen, Red Bull Final Points Finishing Positions (Provisionally) 1st: George Russell 2nd: Max Verstappen 3rd: Kimi Antonelli 4th: Oscar Piastri 5th: Lewis Hamilton 6th: Isack Hadjar 7th: Lando Norris 8th: Charles Leclerc 9th: Liam Lawson 10th: Arvid Lindblad Next on the F1 Schedule: Great Britain Grand Prix: July 17th-19th

by Crystal Clay SONOMA, Calif. — Shane van Gisbergen left Sonoma Raceway with another NASCAR Cup Series trophy Sunday, but by his own measure, it still wasn’t his best. Van Gisbergen completed a weekend sweep at Sonoma after winning Saturday’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race, but Sunday’s Cup victory proved to be the more difficult half of the accomplishment. The biggest surprise, he said, was how much better the No. 97 Chevrolet was on race day after a difficult Saturday. “I think my team did an excellent job making my car better,” van Gisbergen said in Victory Lane. “It was a real battle yesterday. So yeah, it surprised me that we made it better. It was awesome.” Even with those improvements, van Gisbergen admitted the car never reached the standard he expected. Shane van Gisbergen removes his helmet after completing a weekend sweep with victory in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway. (Photo: Eric Thompson/Shamboozled Photography) “I thought we were a lost cause,” he said. “It was a pretty amazing day, really, to improve it as much as they did.” As the race unfolded, however, his confidence began to grow. “As soon as the race started, I still felt average, but I saw other people had similar issues or worse. Then that gave me confidence,” van Gisbergen said. Crew chief Stephen Doran echoed his driver’s assessment, admitting the No. 97 wasn’t at the level the team expected. “I have to say that it wasn’t a good car we gave him today,” Doran said. “Luckily we had him driving it to get here.” After a difficult Saturday, Doran said the team spent the night trying to improve the No. 97 Chevrolet. “We did a lot of work overnight trying to get better,” Doran said. “He obviously hated the car all weekend. I would say it was slightly better today, but still not great. Not as good as it was last year.” Even so, Trackhouse’s strategy and van Gisbergen’s ability to manage his tires put the New Zealander in position to win. “Stephen made great calls all day,” van Gisbergen said. “That group did an amazing job with the strategy and where I’d come out. Even that last stop, coming out in front and being able to manage my tires and manage that gap, it was really cool.” The closing laps, however, were anything but comfortable. “There was a lot of pressure at the end,” van Gisbergen said. “The last ten laps I was really in a world of hurt. It got pretty tense at the end.” Behind him, Chase Briscoe believed he had the better car but admitted a late mistake entering Turn 1 cost him a chance at the victory. “I definitely had the better car,” Briscoe said. “I didn’t do as good of a job as he did driving.” Briscoe said he nearly lost control while trying to close the gap. “It was just such a razor’s edge, and I about crashed,” Briscoe said. “If I don’t make that mistake, I’m probably ahead of him at the end.” Van Gisbergen agreed another lap or two could have changed the outcome. “If there was a lap or two more, I would have been in trouble,” he said. “I’m really thankful it wasn’t one or two laps longer.” The victory helped make up for last week’s early exit at the inaugural NASCAR San Diego weekend, where van Gisbergen was collected in a multicar accident. “I was certainly pissed at the start of the week,” he said. “This really makes up for it, sharing it with these guys.” The relief extended beyond the driver. Former Oakland Raiders linebacker and current No. 97 jackman Marshall McFadden said last week’s early exit in San Diego motivated the entire team. “Obviously, in San Diego, things didn’t happen in our favor, so all of us kind of chomped on it a bit,” McFadden said. “We all came out like mad men.” For McFadden, returning to Northern California ended on a much different note. “At the end of the day, we had to execute,” he said. “SVG, the car chief, the crew chief—everybody executed well. We came out with it.” Despite another road-course victory, van Gisbergen’s attention quickly shifted to the upcoming stretch of oval races. Asked what he wants the team to carry forward, he said improvement remains the priority. “I’m still the weak link as a driver, but I’ve got good teammates and the other cars, and they’re struggling as well,” van Gisbergen said. “So we all as a team need to improve.” “It’s just going to come through hard work and trying to emulate what the other Chevys are doing. They’ve really stepped up the last couple of months. We need to do the same.” “I just have to do my best every week and keep improving, don’t do anything stupid,” he said. “Just accumulate points. Qualify well. Start up front. Hopefully we get better.” “Against that guy,” Briscoe said, “you’ve got to be absolutely perfect.”

by Crystal Clay SONOMA, Calif. — Great wine doesn’t become great by becoming something else. It matures, refines itself and gains character over time. Five hundred NASCAR Cup Series starts into his career, AJ Allmendinger has found the same is true of a race car driver. The Northern California native reaches the milestone this weekend at his home track, Sonoma Raceway; a fitting setting for a driver whose career has been defined by resilience, reinvention and an unwavering commitment to improvement. SONOMA, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 27: AJ Allmendinger, driver of the #16 EchoPark Automotive Chevrolet, looks on during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway on June 27, 2026 in Sonoma, California. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) Allmendinger admitted the milestone caught him somewhat by surprise. “I’ll be real honest, the fact that I’m the 48th person, I just thought there was more people that have done it,” Allmendinger said. “That kind of shocked me that I guess I’m number 48 to reach that milestone.” For now, however, the accomplishment isn’t something Allmendinger is ready to dwell on. “I think it’s something I’ll look back on when I’m done and kind of go through the fun times,” Allmendinger said. “Maybe at the end of it, look back and like, ‘Hey, that’s pretty amazing I’ve gotten to do so many of them.’ But right now I just want to be better.” That desire to keep improving has shaped Allmendinger’s approach throughout his career, even as the road-course landscape around him has changed. Road-course racing has evolved dramatically since Allmendinger first established himself as one of NASCAR’s aces. New talent has emerged, new benchmarks have been set and today’s standard is often measured against Shane van Gisbergen. But after 500 Cup starts, Allmendinger understands there is a difference between learning from greatness and trying to become someone else. “You know, you still learn from what makes him so good,” Allmendinger said. “But with that said, it’s like, you go out there and you try to drive exactly like him… it makes some of the things I think I’m strong at weak, trying to do that. So, it’s just a balance.” Instead, Allmendinger studies what works while remaining true to the strengths that have carried him through nearly two decades in NASCAR’s premier series. “More than anything, he’s so smooth and the way he takes care of the rear tires,” Allmendinger said of van Gisbergen. “If you watch his in-car stuff, it looks slow. If you don’t put a stopwatch on it, you’re like, ‘It’s not very fast,’ but obviously it is.” Even with 500 starts behind him, the learning hasn’t stopped. “So, yeah, there’s always a little bit of mix in there. I still study, though.” That mindset has become one of Allmendinger’s defining traits both as a driver and as a teammate. Kaulig Racing teammate Ty Dillon said Allmendinger’s intensity was immediately apparent when they first began working together. Over time, however, Dillon came to appreciate the work ethic and openness behind that competitive edge. “AJ is probably my favorite teammate I’ve worked with,” Dillon said. “He’s an absolute grinder, hard worker, puts so much effort into it. You put him in any situation, he’s gonna get the most out of it.” Dillon credited Allmendinger’s willingness to share information and work collaboratively with helping elevate not only his own road-course performance, but Kaulig Racing as a whole. “He’s been such a good teammate,” Dillon said. “He’s helped me so far in these road courses come a long way… When you have two teammates that are pretty open and vulnerable with each other about what they need to get better, it’s helped our whole program.” Five hundred starts also brings perspective. For Allmendinger, that means knowing what lessons to embrace, which strengths to preserve and understanding that growth never truly ends. Like a great wine, the best version of AJ Allmendinger wasn’t created overnight. It's been refined, one start at a time.