Photo from www.x.com/f1 By Ryan Wu “Speed, I am speed” — Max Verstappen before this weekend, probably. In the midst of the most dramatic teammate Championship duel since 2016 between Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, the reigning World Champion reminded everyone why he has claimed the last four Drivers’ titles. Verstappen stormed to pole with the fastest lap ever recorded at Monza—aptly nicknamed The Temple of Speed —with both McLaren drivers lining up behind him on the grid. Before the lights even went out, Nico Hülkenberg’s weekend came to an unfortunate end as a hydraulics issue forced him to retire, denying him another potential points finish after qualifying 12th. As always, the charge into Monza’s tight first corner delivered drama. Lando Norris clipped the grass on the run into Turn 1 while attempting to hold position, later claiming over the radio that Verstappen had forced him wide. Several cars went off track through the chicane, though luckily no contact was made. On lap 2, Verstappen was instructed to hand the place back to Norris, with Red Bull eager to avoid a penalty. Just two laps later, Verstappen reclaimed the lead with a decisive move into Turn 1 and never looked back, controlling the race to the chequered flag. Behind him, Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc staged an entertaining battle for third, swapping positions multiple times in one of the highlights of the race. Beyond a retirement for Fernando Alonso, the race unfolded relatively uneventfully—until a sluggish 5.9-second pit stop for Norris on lap 47 all but confirmed Verstappen’s victory. McLaren Team Orders and the Idea of ‘Fairness’ A slow pit stop on lap 47, caused by difficulty fitting Lando Norris’s front-left tire, allowed Oscar Piastri to overtake his teammate. Over the radio, Piastri was told he could pit first to cover off the pursuing Charles Leclerc. However, team orders soon followed, instructing Piastri—who had been about three seconds behind Norris before the stop—to return the position so the pair could resume racing. Neither driver was in contention to challenge Verstappen for the win, but the swap allowed Norris to gain three points on Piastri, narrowing the Championship gap to 31. McLaren deserves credit for upholding its culture of fairness, aiming to keep the Championship battle both competitive and respectful between teammates. The decision also drew sarcastic remarks from Verstappen, who found humor in the team orders—perhaps understandable given he was 18 seconds clear of his nearest rival and looking for something to occupy himself. Rookie Report Gabriel Bortoleto enjoyed a strong weekend, finishing 8th to secure points for Stake and marking his fourth top-10 finish in the last six races. Kimi Antonelli managed a partial rebound after his costly penalty in Zandvoort, returning to the points with a 9th-place finish. Isack Hadjar rounded out the top 10. For Haas and Oliver Bearman, however, it was a tough outing — Bearman received a 10-second penalty for causing a collision with Carlos Sainz, though both drivers were able to continue the race. Racing Refresh Driver of the Day Max Verstappen, Red Bull Final Points Finishing Positions 1st: Max Verstappen 2nd: Lando Norris 3rd: Oscar Piastri 4th: Charles Leclerc 5th: George Russell 6th: Lewis Hamilton 7th: Alex Albon 8th: Gabriel Bortoleto 9th: Kimi Antonelli 10th: Isack Hadjar Next on the F1 Schedule: Azerbaijan Grand Prix: September 19th-21st

Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images Press Release | KAULIG RACING Kaulig Racing announced today that Brenden Queen will make his NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) debut at Bristol Motor Speedway in the team’s No. 11 Chevrolet. Queen, the 2024 CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour champion, currently competes full-time in the ARCA Menards Series and boasts a series high of six wins and three pole awards in the 2025 season.   “It’s been a dream of mine to get a chance to drive in the Xfinity Series,” said Queen. “I can’t thank everyone at Kaulig Racing enough for making that dream become a reality. I’m fortunate to have this opportunity, and I can’t wait to get to Bristol and give the team all I’ve got and have a solid day.”   Queen is no stranger to short tracks, having won three-consecutive track championships at his home track of Langley Speedway in 2020, 2021 and 2022 in the Late Model Stock car division.   “We’re super excited to be a part of Brenden’s next steps in his racing career,” said Chris Rice, president of Kaulig Racing. “He has made a splash in the ARCA Menards Series and is an all-around great short track racer, so we’re looking forward to seeing what he can do in the Xfinity Series under the lights at Bristol.”   The Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway kicks off Friday, September 12 at 7:30 p.m. ET with coverage on the CW.

Photo from Haas Factory Team Press Release | HAAS FACTORY TEAM Haas Factory Team will align with Chevrolet beginning in 2026, a move that encompasses its fulltime NASCAR Cup Series program and two fulltime NASCAR Xfinity Series entries that will compete in the soon-to-be-renamed NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. As part of the manufacturer switch from Ford to Chevrolet, Haas Factory Team will have a technical alliance with Hendrick Motorsports, which will include using Hendrick-built engines across both series.   “First and foremost, we want to thank Ford for its partnership. Their support allowed us to establish Haas Factory Team and we remain dedicated to delivering results for them in Cup and Xfinity all the way through the season finale in Phoenix,” said Joe Custer, president, Haas Factory Team.   The alignment with Chevrolet in 2026 represents a full-circle moment for Haas Factory Team. Its origins began with Haas CNC Racing, which team owner Gene Haas founded in 2002. And when Haas partnered with NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart in 2009 to form Stewart-Haas Racing, the organization campaigned Chevrolets through the 2016 season.   “Personally, I have a deep history with Chevrolet and Hendrick Motorsports,” Haas said. “Both helped in establishing not only my presence as a team owner in NASCAR, but also the presence of Haas Automation. Together, we were able to build a race team that competed for wins and championships while growing the use of Haas CNC machinery throughout the racing and manufacturing industries.”   “We have a long history with Gene and his organization, including winning championships together, so this feels almost like a homecoming,” said Rick Hendrick, owner, Hendrick Motorsports. “Our relationship started many years ago with Haas CNC machines in our facilities, and I’ve always admired the passion that he and Joe Custer have for the sport and their desire to win. We’re proud to support Haas Factory Team and thrilled to work together to deliver more victories for Chevrolet.”   Cole Custer will continue to drive Haas Factory Team’s No. 41 entry in the Cup Series. Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer will also return to Haas Factory Team’s Nos. 00 and 41, entries, respectively, in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. Haas Factory Team will make its official re-debut with Chevrolet in the Feb. 1 Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where Custer will drive his No. 41 Chevrolet in the exhibition, non-points Cup Series race. Creed and Mayer will join the Bowtie Brigade in the season-opening O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race Feb. 14 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

By Adam Carabine Happy weekend everyone, it’s time for another edition of Stats Saturday. This weekend NASCAR travels to Madison, Illinois for the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway, also known as Gateway.   WWT-Gateway is a 1.25-mile oval just east of St. Louis, Missouri.  Similar to Darlington last week, the track is slightly egg-shaped – turns 1 and 2 are tighter than turns 3 and 4.  The track was built in 1997, but the Cup Series didn’t start racing there until 2022.  Joey Logano won the inaugural Cup Series race there that year.   Tomorrow’s race will be 240 laps long (for a total of 300 miles), with stage breaks occurring at 45 – 140 – 240.  The fuel window is approximately 72-78 laps.  Pit road speed is 40 mph, and the caution vehicle runs at 50 mph.   This year, the NASCAR Cup Series has run 6,878 laps, for 9,816.67 miles so far this season.  No driver has completed every single lap - Tyler Reddick is closest, running 14 laps down.   Top 5 Career Average Finishers at WWT Gateway: Joey Logano 3.00 over 3 races (1 win) Austin Cindric 8.33 over 3 races (1 win) Kyle Larson 8.67 over 3 races Christopher Bell 9.00 over 3 races Ryan Blaney 11.33 over 3 races   Bottom 5 Career Average Finishers at WWT Gateway: Josh Berry 36.00 over 1 race Cody Ware 34.00 over 2 races Cole Custer 29.00 over 1 race Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 28.00 over 3 races Noah Gragson 27.50 over 2 races   WWT Gateway is being classified as a Short Track for the purposes of this article.   Top 5 Career Average Finishers at Shorts: Joey Logano 11.27 over 191 races (13 wins) Chase Elliott 12.09 over 104 races (4 wins) Christopher Bell 12.54 over 60 races (6 wins) Ryan Blaney 12.58 over 108 races (3 wins) Brad Keselowski 12.89 over 181 races (10 wins)   Bottom 5 Career Average Finishers at Shorts: Michael McDowell 26.67 over 168 races Zane Smith 25.48 over 21 races Ty Dillon 25.00 over 80 races Noah Gragson 24.59 over 29 races JH Nemechek 24.12 over 29 races   Because WWT Gateway is so new to the Cup Series, there is no ‘winningest driver.’  After 3 races, there are three different winners – Joey Logano, Kyle Busch and Austin Cindric.   Drivers who ran their first Cup Series race at WWT Gateway: Zane Smith 2022 – P17 Carson Hocevar 2023 – P36    Notable drivers who have not won at WWT Gateway: Denny Hamlin (has won at 19 other tracks) Kyle Larson (has won at 18 other tracks) Brad Keselowski (has won at 17 other tracks) Chase Elliott (has won at 15 other tracks) William Byron (has won at 11 other tracks)   Based on average finish, Joey Logano, Austin Cindric and Justin Haley all list WWT Gateway as their BEST track, while Josh Berry and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. list 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 2024 Chase Briscoe +289 pts JH Nemechek +255 pts Ryan Preece +238 pts Erik Jones +206 pts Zane Smith +128 pts   Drivers Faring Worse than in 2024 Brad Keselowski -222 pts Noah Gragson -203 pts Daniel Suarez -121 pts Ty Gibbs -120 pts Christopher Bell -96 pts   Next, let’s look at who’s having their best and worst career year by Average Finish:   Best Career Year Chase Briscoe 13.22 Ryan Preece 16.52 JH Nemechek 19.41   Worst Career Year Cole Custer 24.00 Carson Hocevar 21.81 Zane Smith 20.52   Rookie of the Year Battle SVG 2,027 (4 wins) Riley Herbst 303   The Manufacturer Standings are calculated by awarding points to the highest finisher for each manufacturer according to their finishing position.  (40 for 1 st , 35 for 2 nd , 34 for 3 rd , etc.)  No stage points or playoff points count.   Manufacturer Standings Chevrolet 992 Toyota 960 Ford 899   Here is the same formula, but used on a team-vs-team basis:   Chartered Team Standings Hendrick 927 Joe Gibbs 927 Penske 775 RFK 763 Trackhouse 761 23XI 715 Spire 670 Legacy MC 632 RCR 628 Front Row 611 Kaulig 577 Wood Bros 429 Hyak 395 Haas Factory 351 Rick Ware 192   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 William Byron 240 Ryan Blaney 228 Kyle Larson 191 Tyler Reddick 179 Denny Hamlin 177 Bubba Wallace 162 Alex Bowman 149 Chase Elliott 138 Christopher Bell 136 Austin Cindric 128   Milestone Watch Chris Buescher Looking for his 30 th  Career Top 5 Christopher Bell Looking for his 100 th  Career Top 10 SVG Looking for his 10 th  Career Top 10 Chase Elliott This will be his 350 th  Career Cup Series Start   Scorigami Update Darlington was the first time in the Cup Series that: -       JH Nemechek finished 4th   Here are the top 10 longest active winless streaks:   Winless Streaks Justin Haley 168 races Cole Custer 124 races Erik Jones 106 races Kyle Busch 84 races Michael McDowell 75 races Daniel Suarez 61 races Brad Keselowski 50 races AJ Allmendinger 47 races Alex Bowman 43 races Chris Buescher 35 races   The race begins Sunday, September 7 th   at 3:00 pm EST (12:00 pm PST) – Enjoy the race everyone!   Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter  @RacingRefresh   Is there an error? Is there a stat missing that you’d like to see? Let us know!

Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images Press Release | SUPERCARS NASCAR Cup Series star Austin Cindric will steer a wildcard Tickford Racing Mustang at the upcoming bp Adelaide Grand Final. Cindric has been announced to race in the 2025 Repco Supercars Championship finale, where the Supercars champion will be crowned on a winner-takes-all weekend on November 27-30. The 26-year-old has raced for Team Penske in the Cup Series full-time since 2022, and won the jewel in the crown event, the Daytona 500, as a rookie. Son of former Team Penske heavyweight Tim, Cindric qualified for the NASCAR Playoffs in 2022, 2024 and 2025, also winning at Gateway last year and Talladega in April. Born in Columbus, Ohio, Cindric tested a DJR Team Penske Ford Falcon FG X back in 2016. Now, Cindric gets his chance to not only race a Supercar, but also get a front row seat to a championship-deciding weekend. “I’ve been a fan of the Supercars Championship since I was a kid. I’ve always rated the drivers and teams in the category highly,” Cindric said. “So needless to say, my interest has been high for an opportunity to test myself against the best, all while still getting to soak in the atmosphere of what I think should be a great weekend of racing at the Adelaide Grand Final. “I’m grateful for the effort, hard work, and support from Ford Performance, Tickford Racing, Supercars, and the South Australian Motor Sport Board for bringing this project to life. I can’t think of a better way to finish off a full year of racing than an adventure like this.”

Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images By Adam Carabine With the Cup Series playoffs now underway, Power Rankings will now follow only the 16 playoff drivers (even after they’re eliminated) for the rest of this season.     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, with an emphasis placed on the most recent 5 races.   Josh Berry – This week: 27 – Last week: 23 Imagine the unluckiest start to the playoffs you can think of, and Josh Berry had worse.  He wrecked before lap 1 was even complete.  While he was able to make some repairs and return to the track, he finished 128 laps down, in last place. Berry was already a longshot to make it far in these playoffs, and this certainly doesn’t help.  He’s now -19 to the cut line.   Alex Bowman – This week: 24 – Last week: 18 Bowman had an equally bad night at Darlington, but it was more to do with setup and execution than luck.  For whatever reason, all of the Hendrick cars were behind the eight-ball to start the race, and Bowman suffered the most.  P31, and he’s tied with Berry with -19 to the cut line.   Austin Cindric – This week: 20 – Last week: 22 Cindric was unremarkable at Darlington, which might actually be just enough to get him to the next round.  I suppose a P12 is plenty to write home about at one of NASCAR’s toughest tracks, but the real win here is not getting bogged down in trouble like many of the other playoff drivers did.  20 th  in the Power Rankings isn’t Championship worthy, but at this point it might be enough to make it to the next round. He’s +12 to the cut line.   Chase Elliott – This week: 19 – Last week: 16 Even though he was the best out of Hendrick Motorsports’ very bad no-good day, his P17 isn’t enough to cut it.  Elliott would probably point out that a successful year for the 9 team is either championship or bust.  His performance at Darlington erased his cushion over the cut line, and now he’s just +9.  It’s better than being in the negatives, but he’ll need to hope HMS brings something better to WWT Gateway next weekend.   Austin Dillon – This week: 18 – Last week: 21 Austin Dillon is another driver that isn’t likely anyone’s Championship pick, but could find his way into the next round if he manages to stay out of trouble.  P23 at Darlington isn’t going to cut it, but he’s also lucky that some of the other big-time names also struggled, so the deficit could be much worse.  He had a league-worst -23 passing differential, but Darlington is also one of the toughest tracks on the schedule.  He heads to WWT Gateway next week 8 points below the cut line.   Bubba Wallace – This week: 15 – Last week: 11 Bubba Wallace actually had a solid day at Darlington.  The reason his Power Rankings spot fell four spots is because his win at Indianapolis just fell into the 6-week-ago range (the Power Rankings formula weighs the most recent 5 races more heavily).  He’s been running really well lately, though, and he’s comfortably +25 to the cut line.    Joey Logano – This week: 13 – Last week: 15 It’s been an inconsistent year for Logano, and while he did earn his spot in the playoffs with a win, it was a lacklustre performance at Darlington.  He finished P20, with an average running position of 16 th .  His 6 th -ago race (similar to what happened to Bubba Wallace above) was a DNF at Indianapolis, so his Power Rankings spot moved up this week.  He’s -3 to the cut line.   Denny Hamlin – This week: 11 – Last week: 9 It was a good day to be driving a Toyota this past weekend in Darlington.  Denny Hamlin challenged for the lead at a few different times during the race.  He led 12 laps, earned some stage points, etc.  His P7 finish could have been better based on how he ran the day, but he’ll take it.  That puts him as the 2 nd  best driver in the standings right now, +43 to the cut line.   Kyle Larson – This week: 10 – Last week: 7 Another victim of the Hendrick Motorsports Darlington Debacle of 2025, Kyle Larson finished P19.  He got himself some stage points along the way, led two laps, and wasn’t horrible overall, but it’s not the championship-worthy performance we’re used to seeing out of Larson, especially at this time of year.  He’s +38 to the cut line.   SVG – This week: 9 – Last week: 8 SVG’s finishing position at Darlington doesn’t actually quite tell the full story.  Not necessarily known for his oval prowess, he was trying out an alternate strategy which appeared to be working okay.  He led a couple of laps, spent some time up front, etc.  An untimely caution put him two laps down at a really bad time, and he was unable to recover from it.  He’s +3 to the cut line, and I’m not ready to count him out just yet.   Christopher Bell – This week: 7 – Last week: 5 Remember when I said it was a good day to be a Toyota driver on Sunday in Darlington? I forgot about Christopher Bell when I said that.  He had a rough finish to his race, P29.  While he also led a couple of laps and earned some stage points, things really fell off in the latter portion of the race.  He’s only +11 to the cut line, so he’ll need to bring some heat next weekend.   Ross Chastain – This week: 5 – Last week: 19 This week’s most improved driver in the Power Rankings, Ross Chastain had a solid day for Trackhouse Racing.  He finished P11, led laps, earned stage points, and had the second-most Quality Passes (green flag passes in the Top 15) of any driver.  Chastain didn’t have a ton of cushion coming into the playoffs, and he boosted it up a bit.  Hopefully this positive momentum can keep him moving in the right direction.  He's +21 to the cut line.   Tyler Reddick – This week: 4 – Last week: 10 At the end of the Darlington race, both Tyler Reddick and Erik Jones looked like they were faster than eventual winner Chase Briscoe, but couldn’t get those final passes completed.  Reddick started the day off with the ‘Save of the Year,’ as they said on TV, and managed to somehow limit the amount of damage to his car after a collision with Josh Berry on lap one.  From there, some astute work on pit road, and some decent strategy calls found him finishing P2 on the day, in a faster car than the leader.  +35 to the cut line.   William Byron – This week: 3 – Last week: 2 I’ve ragged on Hendrick Motorsports enough in these Power Rankings so I’ll give it a break here, but Byron wasn’t good enough either.  He earned a single stage point, but that was about all that was good on his day at Darlington.  He finished P21, and falls down to +25 on the cut line.   Chase Briscoe – This week: 2   – Last week: 4 A really valiant effort from this 19 team, and Chase Briscoe at Darlington got him his second Southern 500 victory in a row.  He dominated the day, and didn’t even always have the best car.  In fact, his car seemed to be in the worst condition it had been all day in the final stint, but he managed to wheel it home safe anyway.  He’s automatically advanced to the next round, and can breathe easy these next few weeks.   Ryan Blaney – This week: 1 – Last week: 1 Blaney might not have had a picture perfect day, but his track record (no pun intended) over the last five races is enough to have him hold onto the number one Power Rankings spot this week.  He did show some signs of promise, despite a P18 finish.  He had the highest pass differential of any driver (+33).  He is +22 to the cut line heading into next week.  Honestly, it’s still anyone’s playoffs to lose – anyone that’s below the line right now could still fight their way out, and vice versa!   Biggest Movers   Todd Gilliland – This week: 25 – Last week: 17 Falls 8 places   Ross Chastain – This week: 5 – Last week: 19 Gains 14 places   Erik Jones – This week: 12 – Last week: 26 Gains 14 places   Best of the Rest: 6. Ryan Preece LW: 3 -3 8. Brad Keselowski LW: 6 -2 12. Erik Jones LW: 26 +14 14. Chris Buescher LW: 12 -2 16. JH Nemechek LW: 14 -2 17. Daniel Suarez LW: 13 -4 21. AJ Allmendinger LW: 24 +3 22. Kyle Busch LW: 25 +3 23. Ty Gibbs LW: 20 -3 25. Todd Gilliland LW: 17 -8 26. Carson Hocevar LW: 29 +3 28. Zane Smith LW: 30 +2 29. Cole Custer LW: 27 -2 30. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. LW: 33 +3 31. Michael McDowell LW: 31 -- 32. Justin Haley LW: 28 -4 33. Noah Gragson LW: 35 +2 34. Ty Dillon LW: 32 -2 35. Cody Ware LW: 34 -1 36. Riley Herbst LW: 36 --

Photo from www.x.com/f1 By Ryan Wu Was this the turning point in the tightly contested Championship battle? Oscar Piastri, who started from pole ahead of teammate Lando Norris, claimed his maiden victory at Zandvoort. He was joined on the podium by home favorite Max Verstappen and surprise contender Isack Hadjar. Piastri delivered a dominant weekend—winning from pole, recording the fastest lap, and leading every lap. The race began with a furious start as Verstappen overtook Norris into the first corner. The Englishman struggled off the line but recovered on lap 9 to retake second, just as looming rain threatened to shake up the strategy. On lap 23, Lewis Hamilton suffered a solo crash at Turn 3 as the rain intensified, bringing out the safety car. This erased the three-second gap between the McLarens and allowed both to pit for hard tires. At the restart, Piastri expertly defended against Norris, who remained within DRS range but couldn’t find a way through. A second safety car appeared on lap 53 after Kimi Antonelli collided with Charles Leclerc—again at Turn 3. The contact ended Ferrari’s race and earned Antonelli a 10-second penalty. Leclerc had been punching above the car’s pace, battling George Russell earlier in some spirited wheel-to-wheel racing, before his day ended abruptly. The incident nearly took out Liam Lawson as well, who narrowly avoided the stricken Ferrari cresting the hill. Once again, the safety car closed the gap between the McLarens, but Norris still couldn’t pass his teammate. His race ended in heartbreak on lap 65 when smoke forced him to retire. Post-race analysis confirmed an oil leak as the cause. Norris’ retirement has massive Championship implications. Instead of scoring valuable points, he left Zandvoort empty-handed—while Piastri extended his lead to 34 points with nine races remaining. Terrific Results for Haas It was a strong outing for Haas, with both drivers finishing in the points. Oliver Bearman secured an impressive 6th place, while teammate Esteban Ocon added a 10th-place finish. The result moves Haas to within seven points of Sauber in the Constructors’ standings, keeping them in realistic contention with both Racing Bulls and Aston Martin for position. Rookie Report What a weekend it was for Isack Hadjar. The rookie, who qualified 4th, converted his strong pace into the first podium of his career. Hadjar has been delivering consistent performances all season and now sits 10th in the Championship standings. Remarkably, he has already scored more points than Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda combined. At this rate, he looks like the frontrunner for Red Bull’s second seat next season, and for his sake, one can only hope the team gives him the opportunity and runway to succeed. On the opposite end of fortune, Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes endured a tough weekend. He was handed a penalty for causing Charles Leclerc to crash out of the race while battling for 7th place, and eventually finished 10th. It continues a rough stretch for the wunderkind: since the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in May, Antonelli has suffered twice the amount of DNFs (4) than points finishes (2). Racing Refresh Driver of the Day Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Final Points Finishing Positions 1st: Oscar Piastri 2nd: Max Verstappen 3rd: Isack Hadjar 4th: George Russell 5th: Alex Albon 6th: Oliver Bearman 7th: Lance Stroll 8th: Fernando Alonso 9th: Yuki Tsunoda 10th: Esteban Ocon Next on the F1 Schedule: Italian Grand Prix: September 5th-7th

By Adam Carabine Happy weekend everyone, it’s time for another edition of Stats Saturday. This weekend NASCAR travels to Darlington, South Carolina for the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.   Darlington is a uniquely egg-shaped oval, with corners 1 and 2 being quite a bit wider than 3 and 4.  The track is 1.366 miles long.  It was built in 1950, and Johnny Mantz won the first NASCAR race there that same year.  Chase Briscoe won last year’s Southern 500, and Denny Hamlin won the Darlington race earlier this year.   Tomorrow’s race will be 367 laps long (for a total of 501.32 miles), with stage breaks occurring at 115 – 230 – 367.  The fuel window is approximately 69-75 laps, though tire wear may be more of a factor deciding pit stops.  Pit road speed is 45 mph, and the caution vehicle runs at 50 mph.   This year, the NASCAR Cup Series has run 6,511 laps, for 9,315.35 miles so far this season.  No driver has completed every single lap - Tyler Reddick is closest, running 14 laps down.   Top 5 Career Average Finishers at Darlington: Denny Hamlin 7.92 over 26 races (5 wins) Brad Keselowski 12.00 over 23 races (2 wins) Tyler Reddick 12.33 over 12 races Kyle Larson 12.53 over 15 races (1 win) Kyle Busch 13.30 over 27 races (1 win)   Bottom 5 Career Average Finishers at Darlington: Riley Herbst 34.00 over 1 race Cody Ware 30.33 over 6 races JH Nemechek 27.67 over 6 races Carson Hocevar 27.00 over 4 races Michael McDowell 26.10 over 20 races   Darlington is being classified as an Intermediate track for this article.   Top 5 Career Average Finishers at Intermediates: Denny Hamlin 11.93 over 346 races (29 wins) Kyle Larson 12.15 over 184 races (18 wins) Chase Elliott 12.38 over 165 races (7 wins) Kyle Busch 12.45 over 362 races (29 wins) Joey Logano 12.55 over 292 races (19 wins)   Bottom 5 Career Average Finishers at Intermediates: SVG 22.40 over 16 races JH Nemechek 22.38 over 51 races Ty Dillon 22.33 over 132 races Ryan Preece 21.79 over 98 races Noah Gragson 21.44 over 46 races   David Pearson is the winningest driver at Darlington, having won there 10 times.  Dale Earnhardt had 9 wins.  Denny Hamlin is the winningest of current full-time drivers, having scored 5 career wins there. Notable drivers who have not won at Darlington: Chase Elliott (has won at 15 other tracks) Ryan Blaney (has won at 10 other tracks) Christopher Bell (has won at 10 other tracks) Tyler Reddick (has won at 8 other tracks) Alex Bowman (has won at 8 other tracks) Based on average finish, Denny Hamlin lists Darlington as his BEST track, while no drivers list 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 2024 Chase Briscoe +246 pts Ryan Preece +239 pts JH Nemechek +229 pts Erik Jones +175 pts Zane Smith +119 pts   Drivers Faring Worse than in 2024 Brad Keselowski -225 pts Noah Gragson -218 pts Daniel Suarez -113 pts Ty Gibbs -112 pts Tyler Reddick -95 pts   Next, let’s look at who’s having their best and worst career year by Average Finish:   Best Career Year Christopher Bell 12.50 Chase Briscoe 13.69 Ryan Preece 16.54 JH Nemechek 20.00   Worst Career Year Cole Custer 24.00 Carson Hocevar 22.31 Zane Smith 20.81   Rookie of the Year Battle SVG 2,022 (4 wins) Riley Herbst 294   The Manufacturer Standings are calculated by awarding points to the highest finisher for each manufacturer according to their finishing position.  (40 for 1 st , 35 for 2 nd , 34 for 3 rd , etc.)  No stage points or playoff points count.   Manufacturer Standings Chevrolet 960 Toyota 920 Ford 872   Here is the same formula, but used on a team-vs-team basis:   Chartered Team Standings Hendrick 907 Joe Gibbs 887 Penske 750 RFK 736 Trackhouse 735 23XI 680 Spire 642 RCR 599 Legacy MC 598 Front Row 587 Kaulig 545 Wood Bros 427 Hyak 388 Haas Factory 338 Rick Ware 191   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 William Byron 239 Ryan Blaney 227 Kyle Larson 179 Denny Hamlin 169 Tyler Reddick 161 Bubba Wallace 152 Alex Bowman 149 Chase Elliott 138 Christopher Bell 132 Austin Cindric 125   Milestone Watch Chris Buescher Looking for his 30 th  Career Top 5 Kyle Busch Looking for his 390 th  Career Top 10 Christopher Bell Looking for his 100 th  Career Top 10 SVG Looking for his 10 th  Career Top 10 Ross Chastain This will be his 250 th  Career Cup Series Start   Scorigami Update Daytona was the first time in the Cup Series that: -       Riley Herbst finished 40 th   -       SVG finished 16 th   -       Cody Ware finished 20 th   -       Josh Berry finished 9 th   -       Cole Custer finished 4 th   -       Ty Gibbs finished 8 th   -       Austin Cindric finished 39 th       Here are the top 10 longest active winless streaks:   Winless Streaks Justin Haley 167 races Cole Custer 123 races Erik Jones 105 races Kyle Busch 83 races Michael McDowell 74 races Daniel Suarez 60 races Brad Keselowski 49 races AJ Allmendinger 46 races Alex Bowman 42 races Chris Buescher 34 races   The race begins Sunday, August 31 st   at 6:00 pm EST (3:00 pm PST) – Enjoy the race everyone!   Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter  @RacingRefresh   Is there an error? Is there a stat missing that you’d like to see? Let us know!

Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images By Adam Carabine With the Cup Series playoffs starting, Power Rankings will now follow only the 16 playoff drivers (even after they’re eliminated) for the rest of this season.     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, with an emphasis placed on the most recent 5 races.   Josh Berry – This week: 23 – Last week: 26 Josh Berry comes in as the lowest Power-Ranked playoff driver.  Since his win at Las Vegas in the fifth race of the season, he hasn’t scored another Top 5.  While decent finishes (two Top 10s) in his last two races show some forward momentum, he’s going to need to perform well to make it farther in the playoffs.  Good news for him, he’s known as a short-track performer, and both WWT-Gateway and Bristol might play into his hands.   Austin Cindric – This week: 22 – Last week: 12 Since Cindric won at Talladega earlier this year, he also hasn’t been super solid.  He has one single Top 5 to speak of, and that was at Richmond two weeks ago.  Due to some stage wins throughout the year, Cindric is currently above the playoff cut-off line, but only by 2 points.   Austin Dillon – This week: 21 – Last week: 17 Dillon is riding some positive momentum from his dominating win at Richmond two weeks ago, but he still doesn’t have a whole lot else to show for this season so far.  His win was his sole Top 5 this year, and his average finish is just over 20.    Ross Chastain – This week: 19 – Last week: 27 Since Ross Chastain had his big win at the Coca-Cola 600, it’s been a bit slower in that 1 car.  No Top 5s since, and an average finish just under 20.  Those kinds of numbers won’t cut it in the playoffs, and he starts only +1 to the cut line.   Alex Bowman – This week: 18 – Last week: 5 Bowman barely squeaked his way into the playoffs after crashing out at the regular season finale at Daytona.  Despite his P36, Blaney’s win at the race ensured no new winners, and Bowman clung onto his final playoff berth.  However, he hasn’t been terrible – a P2 the week before at Richmond helped him get into a position where he could crash at Daytona and still make it in on points.   Chase Elliott – This week: 16 – Last week: 8 As the Power Rankings formula places a heavier emphasis on the last five races, Chase Elliott fell out of the Top 10 after a rough patch here.  In fact, his P10 at Daytona this past weekend was the best finish he’s had since Dover.  While he was Mr. Consistency all season, he trailed off a little and wound up losing the Regular Season Championship to William Byron.   Joey Logano – This week: 15 – Last week: 21 Logano faced some harsh criticism over winning the championship last year, despite a relatively poor regular season by comparison. However, if we know anything about the Team Penske camp, it’s that they place a lot of emphasis on the playoffs.  Joey Logano probably would have liked to come into the playoffs on a bit of a higher note, it’s far too soon to count him out.   Bubba Wallace – This week: 11 – Last week: 6 Bubba Wallace creeps just outside of the Top 10 in the Power Rankings, but his results haven’t always echoed how his car looks.  This 23 team is firing well right now, and Bubba seems to have been able to leave some nerves behind.  They might not be championship contenders yet, but they’ll be interesting to watch over the coming weeks.    Tyler Reddick – This week: 10 – Last week: 13 Weird to think that last year’s Regular Season Champ is still winless this season, but things have been particularly bad in this final push to the playoffs.  With he and Bowman being the only two winless drivers to make the playoff field, he’ll be up against it early with the lack of playoff points he’s amassed this year.    Denny Hamlin – This week: 9 – Last week: 3 Hamlin is tied for the most wins this season so far, and that playoff point lead will help him navigate these first few rounds.  He starts +23 on the cutline this year.  Denny has been endlessly asking “is it our year this year?”  Throw on top of that some major distractions with the lawsuit he and his team, 23XI are in the midst of against NASCAR, and a championship could be some major drama.    SVG – This week: 8 – Last week: 14 Obviously, we are all familiar at this point with SVG’s road course prowess, but his oval program has been slowly improving all season.  If his playoff point cushion can help push him into the second round, he could easily find his way into the Round of 8 with a win (or solid finish) at the Charlotte Roval.  He’s not likely to win the Championship, but there is a path to getting to the Final Four that isn’t completely far-fetched.   Kyle Larson – This week: 7 – Last week: 10 Kyle Larson is now considered a perennial favourite to make some noise in the playoff hunt, and this year is no exception.  A poorer showing at Iowa, and a major incident at Watkins Glen have coloured his Power Rankings position right now, but he certainly has the driving chops to make a push for the Championship this year.   Christopher Bell – This week: 5 – Last week: 7 Since Bell won three races in a row this year, he’s remained out of Victory Lane. Does that mean Bell fans need to be worried? I wouldn’t say so just yet.  He’s got the 2 nd  best average finish of any Cup driver this year, and has traditionally done well in the playoffs.  He’ll certainly be hoping that he can make some noise in the Championship hunt this year.   Chase Briscoe – This week: 4 – Last week: 4 Briscoe’s inaugural season with Joe Gibbs Racing has been a bit of a yo-yo.  You’ve got a win at Pocono followed by a P35 at Atlanta.  You’ve got two runner-up finishes at both Sonoma and Dover (two very different tracks, mind you), but you’ve also got a pair of P23s scattered in there too.  Briscoe is in the best equipment he’s had in the Cup Series, and has been much more consistent lately.  He could do some damage this year in the playoffs.   William Byron – This week: 2   – Last week: 2 The Regular Season Championship under his belt, and with it the extra bonus playoff points, put Byron in a solid position to start this year’s playoffs.  He’ll be +26 once they kick off this weekend – which isn’t 100% guaranteed, but it’s certainly a good starting point on his quest to his first Cup Series Championship.   Ryan Blaney – This week: 1 – Last week: 1 Ryan Blaney has been on a hot streak lately, and as we know, the playoffs can be all about getting hot at the right time.  He’s riding a six-race Top 10 streak right now, including his most recent win at Daytona last weekend.  When you consider that he finished 2 nd in Regular Season Points, while also being tied for most DNFs on the season so far, it goes to show that when he’s not crashing out of a race, he’s been excellent.    Biggest Movers   Alex Bowman – This week: 18 – Last week: 5 Falls 13 places   Ross Chastain – This week: 19 – Last week: 27 Gains 8 places   Ryan Preece – This week: 3 – Last week: 11 Gains 8 places   Best of the Rest: 3. Ryan Preece LW: 11 +8 6. Brad Keselowski LW: 9 +3 12. Chris Buescher LW: 15 +3 13. Daniel Suarez LW: 19 +6 14. JH Nemechek LW: 20 +6 17. Todd Gilliland LW: 24 +7 20. Ty Gibbs LW: 18 -2 24. AJ Allmendinger LW: 28 +4 25. Kyle Busch LW: 16 -9 26. Erik Jones LW: 29 +3 27. Cole Custer LW: 30 +3 28. Justin Haley LW: 34 +6 29. Carson Hocevar LW: 23 -6 30. Zane Smith LW: 22 -8 31. Michael McDowell LW: 31 -- 32. Ty Dillon LW: 35 +3 33. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. LW: 25 -8 34. Cody Ware LW: 36 +2 35. Noah Gragson LW: 33 -2 36. Riley Herbst LW: 32 -4

Press Release | COPE FAMILY RACING Cope Family Racing (CFR) proudly announces their newest sponsor, Credit Resources Optimizing Wealth (CROW), for the Pacific Office Automation 147 NASCAR Xfinity Series race  at Portland International Raceway!   CFR Driver Thomas Annunziata will spotlight his road-course talent once again with the CROW #70 this Saturday August 30 at 7:30 PM EDT/4:30  PM PDT on The CW. Annunziata is ready to bring victory-lane energy to  PIR after winning the ARCA Lime Rock race and earning his career best Xfinity finish in Chicago this summer.    “It’s awesome to have CROW on board as I take on PIR for the first time,”  Annunziata said. “It’s a new course for me and I’m looking forward to learning the track and putting down a strong performance.”  Crowbar, the endearing bird featured on the #70, is excited to help  Annunziata fly through the 147 miles of the Oregon road-course—all while  assisting you to strategically maximize your wealth. Now that’s an  impressive crow!   “We are so excited to join Cope Family Racing at Portland International  Raceway,” said owner of CROW Kelly Wells. “This was the perfect  opportunity to show off our new name and look. Credit Resources of  Washington is now Credit Resources Optimizing Wealth. Same company,  same great people, just a new name that reflects our mission and our  broader service locations across the country.”   Don’t miss the road-course standout Thomas Annunziata pilot the orange  and green #70 in Portland this weekend. You will continue to see great  things from this young driver—don’t miss the opportunity to say that you  watched him rise up the racing ranks from the beginning.

Photo from www.x.com/Cadillac_F1 By Ryan Wu Cadillac has unveiled its long-awaited first Formula 1 driver lineup, opting for two veterans in Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas. For months, speculation hinted at the possibility of an American driver, with Colton Herta and rising Formula 2 star Jak Crawford floated as contenders. In the end, Cadillac’s leadership made a clear statement: experience comes first. Pérez and Bottas bring plenty of it. Together, they account for 527 F1 starts, 16 victories, 106 podiums, and 23 poles — numbers that underscore why Cadillac chose stability over risk. Pérez, fresh off regaining his footing this year after a rocky 2024 with Red Bull, still carries the pedigree of finishing third and second in the championship just two seasons ago. Bottas, meanwhile, arrives with a résumé that includes five years of top-five finishes at Mercedes and back-to-back runner-up campaigns in 2019 and 2020. Still, both drivers are now 35, and neither looks like a long-term solution for a team just entering the sport. Their signings suggest Cadillac’s immediate priority is credibility: fielding a competitive, respected lineup from day one, while leaving the door open for a younger face — perhaps even an American — to join down the road.

Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images By Adam Carabine Come and check this out each Tuesday, where we break down the important stories of the last week in NASCAR!  Here are some of the headlines you might have missed in the last week:   2026 NASCAR Schedules Announced NASCAR announced the 2026 schedule for the Cup Series, newly renamed O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (formerly Xfinity), and the Craftsman Truck Series earlier this week.   Notable changes include a return to Chicagoland, the All-Star Races shifts to Dover, a street-course race on the navy base in San Diego, and the Championship Finale returning to Homestead-Miami, among other things.   Check out the full release here   Connor Zilisch Moving up to Cup in 2026 The worst-kept secret in NASCAR over the last little while, Trackhouse Racing finally made it official.  Connor Zilisch is moving up to the Cup Series in 2026. It’s a multi-year deal – no word on what number he’s going to drive just yet, but that will be announced in the coming weeks.   Press Release here   RAM Returning to Craftsman Truck Series – Kaulig Racing Named the Anchor Team While it’s been known for a while that RAM was coming back to NASCAR, it only recently became official which team will take the jump first.  Kaulig Racing, which currently doesn’t have a Truck Series team, will field one in 2026 as the anchor team for RAM.  The rest of their organization will continue to run Chevrolets, though one has to wonder if this is the start of RAM moving up to the other series too.    Press Release here   IndyCar Video Game in the Works with iRacing Studios iRacing Studios, who is about to release a brand new NASCAR Console Video Game, has announced that they are planning to release a standalone IndyCar video game in the latter half of 2026.  It’ll be the first strictly IndyCar video game in over two decades.   Press Release here

Graphic from IndyCar/iRacing Press Release | IRACING STUDIOS iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations and INDYCAR are pleased to announce a long-term licensing agreement for iRacing Studios to produce standalone INDYCAR titles for console and PC. As part of the agreement, iRacing Studios will release an INDYCAR title for PlayStation, Xbox and Steam in the second half of 2026. The new product will mark the first dedicated INDYCAR game in more than two decades. “INDYCAR fans have long been clamoring for a standalone title for consoles, and we’re excited to give them what they’re looking for in 2026,” said Tony Gardner, president, iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations. “iRacing Studios’ standalone INDYCAR title will offer all the excitement of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and an immersive experience that fans of all ages can enjoy. We are already very excited about how the game is coming together.” Said INDYCAR President J. Douglas Boles: “The most competitive and challenging racing on the planet deserves a dedicated and widely available gaming experience. iRacing Studios is the ideal partner for us, trusted and known to our core fans and ready to share our sport with a wider and highly engaged audience.” The iRacing Studios INDYCAR offering will join other iRacing Studios titles NASCAR 25 and the World of Outlaws: Dirt Racing games as officially licensed products that represent some of the top racing series in the world. The game will feature a robust, multilevel career mode, licensed drivers from the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone, and online multiplayer. The new product will be built from the ground up, with a dedicated development team creating the game on iRacing Studios’ proprietary and enhanced Orontes engine. “Our company has grown significantly in recent years with the addition of new development teams and studios,” Gardner said. “Our INDYCAR title will benefit from this growth, as it will be the sole focus of one of these teams. However, the game will also incorporate elements like car and track assets, technology and driving characteristics developed from other iRacing Studios products.” Real-world INDYCAR teams and drivers will be deeply involved in the creation of the new title, including Team Penske star and iRacing enthusiast Scott McLaughlin. Since transitioning to the series full time in 2021 from Australian Supercars, McLaughlin has won seven races and become a fan favorite. “I’m thrilled to be a part of the development process for iRacing Studios’ new INDYCAR title,” McLaughlin said. “It’s an honor to work with a team that has developed such amazing products to help deliver INDYCAR’s first dedicated title in quite some time. It’s already an exciting time to be an INDYCAR fan for so many reasons, and this game will take the fans’ at-home driving experience to the next level!” The heritage of the relationship between INDYCAR and iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations dates back more than three decades. The company’s predecessor, Papyrus Racing Games, created the iconic Indianapolis 500: The Simulation in 1989, followed by IndyCar Racing and IndyCar Racing II in 1993 and 1995, respectively. A standalone INDYCAR title is the latest step in a continuously expanding partnership between INDYCAR and iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations. Separately, the two parties have also extended their license agreement long term for the iRacing simulation. The extension ensures INDYCAR’s continued gaming presence on PC and consoles alike for years to come. To learn more about the full line of iRacing Studios products, visit www.iracingstudios.com . For more information on iRacing and for special offers, visit www.iracing.com .

Photo from Kaulig Racing Press Release | KAULIG RACING Ram officially confirmed today that Kaulig Racing will become the anchor factory team for the truck maker’s highly anticipated return to NASCAR, starting with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2026. Kaulig Racing, founded a decade ago by Ohio-based entrepreneur, community leader and philanthropist Matt Kaulig ,  is poised to field up to five Ram 1500 trucks in NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck Series starting with the February 13, 2026, season kick-off race at Daytona International Speedway. The race will mark the first time a factory supported team will carry the Ram badge in a NASCAR race since 2012.    “This partnership represents far more than a new chapter in Kaulig Racing’s history, it’s a union of shared values,” said Matt Kaulig, owner of Kaulig Racing. “Over the past decade, our team has built a legacy rooted in performance, integrity, and giving back to the community. To now join forces as the anchor team for Ram’s return to NASCAR is both an honor and a responsibility. Together, we’re ready to set a new standard on race day and in the impact we make off the track.”   Ram’s return to racing was officially unveiled during a live NASCAR event at Michigan International Speedway on June 8. The announcement featured a Ram 5500 towing a custom-built trailer designed for smoky donuts—courtesy of Ram’s NASCAR concept truck.   “We needed a partner that truly aligns with the Ram brand and embraces our unconventional approach to NASCAR,” said Tim Kuniskis, Ram CEO. “With Kaulig Racing, we found the perfect synergy to drive our ’Last Tenth’ culture forward.”   The announcement marks a monumental moment in the history of the burgeoning team.   “We are proud of what the men and women of Kaulig Racing have accomplished over the past decade,” said Kaulig Racing President, Chris Rice. “Special thanks to Ty Norris for his dedication to Kaulig Racing and helping get us to the next level.”   Kaulig Racing currently fields two chartered entries in the NASCAR Cup Series and three teams in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, scoring 29 race wins over the last seven seasons across the two series.   As Kaulig Racing continues to build its Craftsman Truck Series teams for the 2026 season, the driver line up for its inaugural season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will be announced at a later date.   Kaulig Racing will make its NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut with Ram under the lights at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, February 13, 2026, live on Fox Sports 1, the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SIRIUS XM NASCAR Channel 90.

Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images Press Release | TRACKHOUSE RACING Connor Zilisch, one of the hottest prospects in NASCAR history, will race a Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet full-time in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series.   The 19-year-old Zilisch and Trackhouse Racing founder and owner Justin Marks announced Saturday at Daytona International Speedway that they’ve reached a multiyear agreement for Zilisch to drive for the three-car team that has already won five Cup Series races this season with drivers Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen.   “This day has been a dream of mine for a long time,” said Zilisch, who has been a Trackhouse developmental driver since 2024 and competes this season for JR Motorsports, where he leads the Xfinity Series with seven race wins.   “Cup racing has been the goal since joining with Chevrolet and Trackhouse, and while I didn’t know it would come this soon, I feel like I’m ready,” Zilisch said. “I know the challenge that awaits entering the Cup Series as a full-time driver, but I feel that with the support of Trackhouse and Chevrolet, this is the right situation for me. I won’t be making any predictions for success next year. All I promise is to put in 100 percent effort, learn all that I can, plus have a little bit of fun along the way!”   Ten years of competitive kart racing, including a stint in Europe as an 11-year-old racer, gave the Mooresville, North Carolina, native the tools to adapt quickly when he moved to compete professionally in early 2021.   Since then, Zilisch has enjoyed success in every series he’s entered. In the last two years, he won the 2024 Rolex 24 and the 12 Hours of Sebring as well as five ARCA races, two NASCAR Truck Series poles, plus a victory in a CARS Tour late model race.   He swept the pole and won the race in his Xfinity Series debut at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International in 2024, and his dominance driving the No. 88 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports in 2025 has been remarkable. He’s won six times in just 22 races and leads the driver points despite missing a race after an accident at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. Since returning to the driver’s seat at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway in May, Zilisch has reeled off 12 consecutive top-five finishes, including six victories: Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway, Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway, Indianapolis (Ind.) Motor Speedway, Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International and Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.   Marks raced against Zilisch in Trans Am competition and watched the youngster at the Trackhouse Motorplex go-kart track in North Carolina. Since signing Zilisch to the developmental program, he has gotten to know Zilisch as a driver and as a person.   “Connor is a rare talent that comes along every few decades,” said Marks. “I have watched Connor grow from a kid racing go-karts at the Trackhouse Motorplex to an up-close seat as he beat all of us in the Trans Am races a few years ago. He quickly adapted to everything we have put him in, and what he is doing with JR Motorsports in Xfinity this season is historic.   “Connor is very mature, poised, and I know ready for Cup racing in 2026. He’s been mentored along the way by former racer Josh Wise and Dr. Eric Warren at General Motors. I can speak for everyone at Trackhouse Racing when I say we have a tremendous amount of faith in this young man.”   Warren, Vice President of Global Motorsports Competition for General Motors, predicts that Zilisch talent will lead to success in the most competitive racing series on the planet.   “We are excited for Connor to get the opportunity to compete full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2026,” said Warren. “What Connor has been able to accomplish in NASCAR over the last year has been remarkable. He has the drive and commitment to put in the work on and off the track, and we look forward to seeing his continued success in NASCAR’s top division.”   Trackhouse has already raced Zilisch in the Cup Series three times in 2025. He recorded an 11th-place finish at Echo Park (Atlanta) Speedway in June and showed tremendous speed at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, in March and Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway in May.   Marks expects the team to announce Zilisch’s car number, sponsorship, crew chief, and crew lineup in the coming weeks.   The Trackhouse Racing story has been a meteoric rise in world motorsports. The Trackhouse team began competition in 2021 as a single-car race team with driver Daniel Suárez behind the wheel. The team achieved success on and off track in 2021, running competitively and reaching out to non-traditional NASCAR audiences. Its culturally diverse pit crews, new sponsors and fresh openness are pillars of the Trackhouse philosophy.   The team has expanded to three full-time Cup Series entries and has logged 13 victories since 2021, including wins by Ross Chastain at Charlotte in May, Van Gisbergen in Mexico in June, as well as the Chicago Street Race and Sonoma in July, plus Watkins Glen in August.   Trackhouse Racing joined the MotoGP grid in 2024, bringing an American team back to the pinnacle of motorcycle racing for the first time in over a decade. Trackhouse Racing MotoGP is determined to be a competitive force on and off track in partnership with Aprilia as its official factory-supported team.