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  • IndyCar roars into season opener at St. Petersburg as Palou chases 4th straight title

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — IndyCar opens its season with a roaring four races in March, a return to Phoenix Raceway, three new venues and the son of a motorsports icon making his debut in a North American-based series.

    Oh, and Alex Palou will be racing for his fifth championship in six years.

    The season begins Sunday on the downtown streets of St. Petersburg with a field of 25 drivers led by defending race winner Palou. The Spaniard kicked off his title campaign on the street course a year ago with the win, the first of eight victories that included the Indianapolis 500 and a third consecutive IndyCar title.

    He’s back with his Chip Ganassi Racing team intact, the breach of contract lawsuit with McLaren decided, and his eyes on another title. If he wins a fourth-straight, Palou would join Sebastien Bourdais as the only driver in series history to accomplish the feat.

    “I think 2025 was so strange, so good, so magical … it’s very hard to get there. That doesn’t mean that nobody can or that I cannot do it again, but you need so many things to go right to get eight wins, to win the 500, to win the championship,” Palou said. “Although I would love to have another season like 2025, I am pretty certain that it’s probably not going to happen again for me. But I’ll try. I’ll try.”

    His competition will come from within — teammate Scott Dixon, a six-time IndyCar champion, is looking to rebound from last year’s one-win season — as well as traditional heavyweight Team Penske. McLaren hopes to be a contender after Pato O’Ward finished second in the standings last year, and Andretti Global has been bolstered by the addition of former Penske stalwart Will Power and other key hires.

    Many eyes will be on Power, who turns 45 on Sunday, same day as his first IndyCar race driving for someone other than Roger Penske since 2009. He was replaced in the Penske lineup by David Malukas, who at 24 has a longer runway than Power.

    But Power was quickly snapped up by aggressive new Andretti owner Dan Towriss, who also hired Ron Ruzewski, one of three Team Penske executives fired after an Indianapolis 500 inspection infraction, as team principal of its IndyCar team. Ruzewski and Power know Team Penske inside and out and bring priceless knowledge to an Andretti organization that last won the IndyCar title in 2012.

    “It’s really difficult to understand, like, are we missing anything? Are we good or bad? We won’t know that until we actually have our first race,” Power said. “But the end of the first race weekend you’ll start to see, as you always do, ‘OK, we need to work on this, this, this and this.’”

    Power won Penske its last IndyCar championship in 2022 and the organization is trying to rebound from a rough season last year. Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden didn’t win until the season finale and finished 12th in the standings, while teammate Scott McLaughlin went winless but was ninth in the standings.

    “We’ve just got to focus on being more consistent. It’s kind of simple to say that, but that’s just what it will come down to,” Newgarden said. “If we don’t want to finish 12th in the standings, we’ve got to finish more races.”

    IndyCar has a healthy 18-race schedule this year, the most events since the 2014 season, and for the first time in years the series won’t go weeks between the opener and the next race.

    Penske, who owns IndyCar and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, was able to get a record four races in March by joining NASCAR next weekend for a return to Phoenix. IndyCar last raced at Phoenix in 2018, a race won by Newgarden.

    From Phoenix the series goes to the inaugural event on the Streets of Arlington in a collaboration with Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys. IndyCar closes out the month at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama.

    Arlington is one of three new venues on the schedule as IndyCar will move away from downtown Toronto to race on the streets of Markham, Ontario, and a President Donald Trump-backed event in Washington, D.C., to mark the 250th birthday of the United States.

    The season will end Sept. 6 with the finale back at Laguna Seca for the first time since 2023.

    IndyCar typically features a few new faces every year but none come with the name recognition that Mick Schumacher brings.

    Schumacher is the son of seven-time Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher and has made the move away from F1 after three seasons without a ride. He drove for Haas in F1 and became a Mercedes reserve driver after losing that seat at the end of 2022.

    He hasn’t made an F1 start since and instead competed in the World Endurance Championship. Now the 26-year-old German will give North American open wheel racing a try with a seat at Rahal Letterman Lanigan.

    He’ll need to quickly adapt to oval racing, which will be new to Schumacher, who said he’s leaning on teammate Graham Rahal for advice.

    “I’m very curious and interested in learning about that,” Schumacher said. “The good thing is we have Graham on board, who has done a couple of these races in his lifetime, and therefore I can learn very much from him.”

    Coincidentally, Schumacher will be on the grid this year with Romain Grosjean, the driver he replaced at Haas in 2021. Grosjean returns to IndyCar after a year away with Dale Coyne Racing, the team that first brought him to the series in 2021.

    Coyne has an entirely new lineup this year as Grosjean will pair with rookie teammate Dennis Hauger, the reigning INDY NXT champion.

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  • F1’s new era demands a new driving style as ‘big four’ seek opening victory in Australia

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    Chaotic starts, tricky overtaking, lifting off the gas on straights. Formula 1’s new era of regulations could upend the series in unexpected ways when the season begins with the Australian Grand Prix next week.

    Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, the two most successful drivers on the grid, were critical in testing of cars whose electrical hybrid systems promote unusual driving styles and make racing more strategic.

    Four-time champion Verstappen branded the cars “no fun” and suggested they might be a factor in considering retirement, while seven-time champ Hamilton suggested the rules are too complex for fans to grasp.

    It’s a crucial season for F1, which expanded rapidly over the last decade by putting drivers’ personalities center stage and not focusing on technological detail.

    “We need to stay calm because, as always when there is something happening as a new regulation, there’s always the doubt that everything is wrong,” F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali said last week at testing.

    Despite big changes, the top four teams are the same after Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull all showed promise in testing.

    The “big four,” as McLaren boss Zak Brown calls them, seem broadly similar on pace, with Mercedes and Ferrari perhaps having a slight edge in race simulations in testing.

    At the final test, Ferrari revealed a rear wing that turns upside down for straight-line speed and an innovative mini-wing behind the exhaust. It also stood out as the fastest in practice starts after other teams, especially Mercedes, were sluggish off the line.

    Rivals have praised Red Bull for mastering the electrical power technology, while champion Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri seem consistently strong again for McLaren, which uses a Mercedes engine.

    Mercedes’ mix of power and reliability could make George Russell a true championship contender. There’s extra attention on Mercedes’ engine, which was fast in testing following weeks of speculation from rivals about its legality. Mercedes says the design is perfectly legal.

    Some teams sacrificed the 2025 season to seek big gains in 2026. It hasn’t worked.

    Even with star designer Adrian Newey in charge, Aston Martin was late to testing, unreliable, and often slower than new team Cadillac. Williams and Alpine have also struggled but Haas may be able to challenge the top teams.

    The push by the FIA for a 50-50 split between power from the engine and from electrical hybrid technology means driving in 2026 is all about compromise.

    Drivers in preseason testing were revving the engines hard on the grid for a fast getaway, lifting off the gas on straights to charge the on-board battery and shifting down aggressively to first gear in corners. The FIA could intervene to tweak the regulations if the first few races throw up bizarre scenarios.

    Standing starts off the grid required a tricky procedure in testing because the hybrid system doesn’t kick in until 50 kph (31 mph). After some sluggish practice starts, tweaks have been made to the procedure, but that might not stop Ferrari, which identified the issue early and designed its engine to be quick off the line. Hamilton delivered one of the most eye-catching moments of preseason by blasting past four cars in a practice start in Bahrain last week.

    Fast starts might be extra important if overtaking is as hard as some drivers suspect. Get ready to hear about 2026 cars being “energy-starved” on certain tracks, including Australia, which doesn’t have as many heavy braking zones where the battery can charge.

    If cars can’t make full use of the hybrid system, the new “overtake mode” with extra power might be a waste of limited energy if it needs several laps to hit full charge and still leaves the overtaking car a sitting duck afterward.

    There’s a new team, a renamed team, a new track and a new broadcaster in the United States.

    Cadillac joins as the 11th team with veteran race winners Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas, but faces a year of learning after being consistently slow in preseason. Even the Super Bowl ad revealing its eye-catching asymmetric black-and-white livery hit trouble in the form of a lawsuit from Hollywood director Michael Bay.

    Sauber is now Audi after a takeover by the German automaker, which is producing its own engines.

    The Spanish Grand Prix leaves Barcelona after 35 years for Madrid’s new Madring street circuit. Italy’s second race at Imola makes way and Barcelona stays on as the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.

    Apple, whose studio helped to make last year’s “F1” movie, takes over the U.S. broadcast rights after the end of ESPN’s contract.

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  • Toyota Racing Development signs 13-year-old Keelan Harvick to a long-term driver deal

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    CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A familiar name may be introduced at the 2031 Daytona 500 when Keelan Harvick will be old enough to enter “The Great American Race” his father won 24 years ago.

    Toyota Racing Development said Monday it has signed the 13-year-old third-generation driver to a long-term deal as Kevin Harvick’s son has fully committed to a NASCAR career.

    “My main goal is to be just like my Dad and just try to make it to the Cup Series,” Keelan Harvick told The Associated Press.

    It’s a slight change of direction for Keelan, who had been pursuing a career in Europe until a jarring incident at a karting event in Italy attended by Formula 1 star Charles Leclerc made him realize he was likely more suited for a career in the top motorsports series in the United States.

    “I was in Italy racing and Charles Leclerc’s nephew raced on my team, and (Leclerc) came to watch the race and all the fans followed him there and they broke down the tent,” Keelan said. “It was just a lot of people and just not for me. There was like hundreds of people at a go-kart race just trying to meet him.”

    Toyota has a detailed schedule for the teenager and will partner him this year with RACKLEY W.A.R. and Kevin Harvick, Inc., to compete in dozens of late model races nationwide. Keelan will drive the No. 62 Toyota Camry with ExxonMobil as his primary sponsor for many of the races.

    It’s an interesting twist for the Harvick family as Kevin Harvick spent his 23-year career driving for Chevrolet and Ford, never for Toyota. Kevin Harvick retired after the 2023 season with 63 career Cup Series wins and the 2014 championship. He became an analyst for Fox Sports in 2024.

    “We’ve concentrated a lot on development and have a theory on how it should go, and I felt like the Toyota process matched what we would do,” Kevin Harvick explained. “I think that the effort that Toyota puts into, not only the driving piece of it, but the human piece of it is very important to us as a family. That was really one of the biggest reasons on why we went this direction.”

    The Toyota Driver Development program has promoted current NASCAR Cup drivers Christopher Bell, Corey Heim and John Hunter Nemechek, who compete with Toyota partner teams. Other drivers such as Erik Jones and Daniel Suarez worked with Toyota but now compete for rival manufacturers.

    TRD provides on-and-off the track opportunities to support development and gives its drivers access to the Toyota Performance Center, which provides support with physical fitness, sports psychology, recovery and nutrition.

    “Everyone at Toyota and TRD are excited to welcome Keelan into the Toyota Racing family,” said Tyler Gibbs, president, TRD, U.S.A. “Keelan has proven himself on-track, and despite his young age, has continued to be wise beyond his years with his professionalism and work ethic off of it.

    “TRD is thrilled to partner with Keelan and his family as Keelan continues to develop his racing craft. We see a bright future ahead for him, and everyone at Toyota is proud to be part of his journey.”

    Keelan Harvick has already found success across multiple racing series and in December scored the biggest victory of his career to date when he became the youngest-ever winner of the Snowflake 125 at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida. He followed it with a victory in Florence Motor Speedway’s Icebreaker in early February, where he was the youngest winner of that event while also earning his first career Late Model victory.

    He was the 2024 INEX Young Lions National Champion and transitioned from Legends to Late Models, where he won four zMAX CARS Tour Pro Late Model events and two CARS Tour West Pro Late Model Series races in 2025. Keelan is the first driver to win PLM events in both series in the same season.

    As for his aspirations to reach the Cup Series and follow in his father’s footsteps?

    “I think whatever Toyota thinks I’m capable of, the talent that they think I have, and whenever they think I’m ready to move up,” he said.

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  • From YouTuber to NASCAR driver: Cleetus McFarland expands his racing resume at Daytona

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    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Garrett Mitchell is better known as “Cleetus McFarland” to his millions of followers gained over the years as a racing influencer. He’s pretty much always been called a YouTuber, until he was out to dinner last week when a fan stopped by and referred to him as a NASCAR driver.

    It was the first time anyone has given McFarland that title.

    “I’ve been called a YouTuber forever,” McFarland told The Associated Press on Thursday. “I was like, ‘Awwwe. That’s sooo much better.’”

    It might be more accurate, too.

    McFarland will make his Truck Series debut at Daytona International Speedway on Friday night and then will race in the ARCA Series the following day. He has more racing in his future, too, hinting that details are dropping soon.

    He made four ARCA starts in 2025, beginning with the season opener at Daytona. He crashed 17 laps into that one — and made headlines for saying he felt like “the best racer there ever was” for some of his driving moves — but found more success by finishing 10th at Talladega, ninth at Charlotte and 17th at Bristol.

    It should pay dividends on the high banks at Daytona.

    “I feel a little more comfortable,” he said. “Last year, I couldn’t even get to the garage. I’m like, ‘Where the hell is my car even at?’ Now, I know where to go. I know some familiar faces. I know the track, so I feel a lot better.”

    McFarland will be one of 36 drivers in a star-studded Truck Series event at Daytona. The field includes three-time Cup Series champion Tony Stewart, X Games and RallyCross standout Travis Pastrana as well as five Cup Series regulars.

    Stewart, whose nickname is “Smoke,” is helping launch Ram’s return to the Truck Series.

    “I love Smoke,” McFarland said. “To go hang out with him and hopefully get to hit his bumper at some point, I’m wound up.”

    McFarland and Pastrana are teammates at Niece Motorsports, with Black Rifle Coffee and Brunt Workwear serving as sponsors. McFarland earned NASCAR superspeedway clearance following a test session at Rockingham Speedway on Tuesday and arrived at Daytona with more confidence than he had a year ago.

    “My expectations are much higher this year,” he said. “I understand when and where risk matters. Last year, I ended up falling out (of the draft) because someone was spinning out in front of me and I kept trying to push it and get around them to not lose the field. Now I would just be like, ‘There’s a caution coming anyway. Just stop. This is so stupid.’ So, I’m learning.”

    Pastrana has learned about McFarland, too. They raced against each other in several made-for-YouTube events like the Freedom 500.

    “Cleetus always downplays his driving skills, but he’s a wheel man,” Pastrana said. “He can wheel anything.”

    McFarland and Pastrana will race with Greg Biffle tributes on their trucks. Biffle was among seven killed when his plane crashed in Statesville, North Carolina, in December. Biffle, 55, was named one of NASCAR’s top 75 drivers, was a Hall of Fame nominee for the stock car series and drove for 18 years at the top of the sport.

    He drew headlines last year for his humanitarian efforts as a helicopter pilot supplying aid in North Carolina following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in 2024.

    “Be Like Biff” adorns their truck beds, with Biffle’s No. 16 topped by a halo. McFarland even cut Pastrana’s shirtsleeves off during a media availability Thursday in a tribute to Biffle.

    “I wouldn’t be here without Biff,” said McFarland, who delivered a eulogy at Biffle’s funeral. “We’re representing. I never really talked to him about trucks, unfortunately. This would have been so cool. He would have been so stoked that we’re doing this.

    “He was actually going to race with us. He was going to race ARCA with me here this weekend. I imagine he would have found a truck. It would have been sick. But we’re representing Biff out here. If I do anything dumb, it wasn’t something Biff taught me. But I’m going to use everything else he taught me to hopefully do well.”

    And maybe move closer to being better known as a NASCAR driver.

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  • Teen sensation Connor Zilisch is the most hyped NASCAR rookie since possibly Jeff Gordon

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    CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As sleet pelted Bowman Gray Stadium during NASCAR’s preseason warm-up race, multiple drivers complained about poor visibility and the wet track conditions.

    One of them — the youngest driver in the field — hit the button on his radio and grumbled it was time to get back to racing no matter the conditions.

    “We’re professional race car drivers — it’s our job to go figure it out,” 19-year-old Connor Zilisch radioed to his team.

    The teenager is the most hyped rookie to the elite Sprint Cup Series in decades. There was Kyle Busch in 2003, who had already been promoted by his Hall of Fame brother, Kurt, who famously said “if you think I’m good, wait until you see my brother.” Busch had been ready to go for two years, but a rule was passed that raised the minimum age to compete at the top level to 18, and he was forced to wait — which only built the anticipation.

    Joey Logano followed in 2008 hyped by Hall of Famer Mark Martin’s praise that the Connecticut youngster was “the best thing since sliced bread.” Like Busch, he also had to wait until he was 18 to debut.

    And now comes Zilisch with expectations that some believe exceed Busch and Logano.

    “I would have to say Jeff Gordon, honestly,” AJ Allmendinger said of the four-time NASCAR champion who was 20 in his first Cup Series season in 1992. “There was Joey and the whole ‘Sliced Bread’ thing, but I think straight-up hype? Connor is the deal and has already delivered. He’s jumping in everything and performing at very high levels.”

    Zilisch will make his Daytona 500 debut on Feb. 15 — four years after attending the race for the very first time. He was fairly new to racing at the time, had very few connections, and sat in the grandstands with tickets as a regular fan as Austin Cindric won as a rookie.

    “I think it’s very cool that people think that highly of me, when you are getting compared to Kyle Busch and Joey Logano there’s nothing to complain about, they have five Cup championships between them,” Zilisch told The Associated Press. “If I can have a career half as good as either of them, I think that would be a successful career. But I’ve got a lot of time to get to their level, I mean, four years ago I was in the grandstands for the Daytona 500 and to think I’m now going to be in the race is just crazy.”

    Not as crazy as it may seem considering the resume of the Charlotte native, who recently earned the internet nickname “Connor Connor Zilisch Zilisch” as a play on the moniker given to fellow Charlottean and New England Patriots quarterback Drake “Drake Maye” Maye. The idea is that the athletes are so elite, their given name needs no other moniker.

    Zilisch started go-karting five or six years ago and flirted briefly with pursuing a career racing in Europe. That dedication has given him a maturity far behind his years that Justin Marks, owner of Trackhouse Racing, recognized immediately as he set a path to get Zilisch to the Cup Series.

    In two years of racing sports cars and various NASCAR series, he’s won at almost every level. In 2024 he was part of the class-winning team that scored back-to-back victories at the Rolex 24 at Daytona and then the 12 Hours of Sebring, and the next year returned to the Rolex as teammates with Australian V8 Super Cars champions Scott McLaughlin and Shane van Gisbergen.

    McLaughlin is now an IndyCar winner for Team Penske and van Gisbergen, who made NASCAR’s playoffs as a rookie last year, will be Zilisch’s teammate at Trackhouse this year.

    “He’s just very mature, but there’s definitely times when you talk to him and you realize, ‘Oh yeah, you’re 18.’ Like, he’s young, but when he’s on track, he’s very smart and understands how to go about it in a respectful way,” McLaughlin said. “He’s got raw speed, he’s got no fear because he’s young, but at the same time, dudes like that are very temperamental.

    “You hope a guy like that has the right environment, and it looks like a good environment for him with Trackhouse.”

    Zilisch won a series-high 10 races last year in NASCAR’s second-tier national series but was denied the title in the winner-take-all finale when Jesse Love beat him head-to-head. That format has been scrapped for 2026 but Zilisch said after mourning the title loss for a week or so, he’s moved on and accepted Love has a trophy that he never will.

    The focus is fully on 2026, which is in full swing already. He was part of the second-place finishing team in the Rolex 24 at Daytona in the car owned by NASCAR chairman Jim France, and although he wound up 18th in The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, he raced up front at times and was one of the few drivers pushing to get the race going in wet conditions.

    He’ll race this season as teammates to van Gisbergen — and he and the New Zealander should be next to unbeatable on road courses — as well as Ross Chastain, who is eager to help the teen. Zilisch replaced Daniel Suarez in the Trackhouse lineup.

    “I want Connor to succeed. If he succeeds, it’s good for me,” Chastain said. “If I can’t win, a Trackhouse win is really good. Definitely want that for Connor, want that for me and want that for Shane. I’m the one clapping the loudest when they’re winning. I want to be right there competing with them and winning races.”

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  • Berry and Cindric secure final spots in NASCAR’s Clash after thrilling last chance heat

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    Josh Berry and Austin Cindric claimed the final two spots in NASCAR’s preseason exhibition race by finishing 1-2 in the last chance qualifying heat at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem.

    The Clash was originally scheduled for Sunday and twice postponed because of a snowstorm that blanketed North Carolina and pushed the non-points event to Wednesday.

    Berry ran away with the win in the heat race in the No. 21 for Wood Brothers Racing, a team affiliated with Team Penske. Cindric had a much tougher task as he raced side-by-side for over 15 laps with Corey Lajoie for the second transfer position.

    Lajoie was the injury replacement driver for Brad Keselowski, co-owner of RFK Racing, who is healing from a broken leg suffered in a fall in December. He held his own against fellow Ford driver Cindric, in a Penske entry, as the two jostled back-and-forth for second.

    AJ Allmendinger as they came to the checkered flag gave Cindric a shove in the hopes of moving both Cindric and Lajoie out of his way so that Allmendinger could take the final spot. The move instead pushed Cindric firmly ahead of Lajoie for the final spot in the 200-lap Clash at the historic short track.

    Bowman Gray is hosting The Clash for the second consecutive year. It was held at Daytona International Speedway for 43 years from its inception in 1979 through 2021, then moved for three seasons to a temporary track inside Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

    Among those who missed making the field for The Clash were Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Todd Gilliland, who both spent a day this week shoveling snow out of the grandstands at Bowman Gray to help NASCAR prepare the facility.

    Kyle Larson, the reigning Cup Series champion, will start the The Clash from the pole alongside Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron, the two-time defending Daytona 500 winner.

    Denny Hamlin, who had an emotionally traumatic rollercoaster of an offseason, will start sixth in his first time in a car since he dramatically lost the Cup title in November. Hamlin revealed before the race that he re-injured a torn labrum that was surgically repaired ahead of the 2025 season when he slipped in the debris from the December house fire that killed his father and critically injured his mother.

    He said he’d hold off on repairing it until the end of this upcoming season.

    “I don’t think that it ever healed properly,” Hamlin said. “Took a little fall at my mom’s house, going through all the rubble and stuff, and just didn’t feel right. Got it rescanned and retore it again.”

    Teams report to Daytona International Speedway next week for the Feb. 15 season-opening Daytona 500. Qualifying for the pole is next Wednesday and the rest of the field will be set via a pair of Thursday races.

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  • Sanders crashes out of Dakar Rally contention and Al-Attiyah reclaims car lead

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    BISHA, Saudi Arabia — Dakar Rally front-runner Daniel Sanders crashed and fell out of motorbike title contention and Nasser Al-Attiyah snatched back the car lead in the Saudi desert on Wednesday.

    Sanders broke his left collarbone and sternum jumping a dune 138 kilometers into the 368-kilometer second half of a marathon stage to Bisha. The defending champion continued but slower and within 30 kilometers his six-minute overnight lead was gone.

    The Australian’s KTM finished 28 minutes behind stage 10 winner Adrien van Beveren’s Honda and he dropped from first overall to fourth, more than 17 minutes back, two minutes off the podium.

    That left the title to be decided between new leader Ricky Brabec and Luciano Benavides, second and third on the stage. The American’s Honda and Argentine’s KTM were separated overall by 56 seconds ahead of, effectively, a two stage shootout. The final stage on Saturday is usually a ceremonial ride.

    Brabec won the Dakar in 2020 and 2024 while Benavides has never won; best placing was fourth last year.

    Al-Attiyah has a sixth Dakar triumph in sight.

    The dunes specialist from Qatar stamped his authority on the sandy special to finish second to Mathieu Serradori, who gave South African manufacturer Century its first Dakar stage win.

    Serradori won his second career stage by six minutes.

    The Fords of Nani Roma (first overnight), Carlos Sainz (second) and Mattias Ekström (fifth) were the biggest losers.

    Ekström was first to the checkpoint at 91 kilometers but moments later suffered a mechanical problem. Roma lost his way and dropped 10 minutes just before passing 200 kilometers. Sainz also made a navigation error in the soft sand.

    “I’m knackered, my back hurts, I suffered a lot today,” Roma said. “But that’s part of the game.”

    Also, Toyota’s Henk Lategan, fourth overnight, ran out of fuel and made a navigation error.

    Al-Attiyah grabbed the provisional overall lead about 200 kilometers into the 420-kilometer special and topped a Dacia 2-3-4 stage finish with Sébastien Loeb and Lucas Moraes.

    “My head and body have taken a real beating,” Al-Attiyah said. “But we really attacked from start to finish. Fabian (Lurquin, navigator) did a great job and we can feel both happy and lucky because it was really hard.”

    Overall, Al-Attiyah earned his biggest lead yet, over Lategan by 12 minutes, Roma by nearly 13 and Loeb by 23. Ekström and Sainz fell more than 34 minutes back.

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  • A deadly plane crash, a burning home and a tense trial add up in NASCAR’s offseason of heartbreak

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    CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The new year began with a celebration of life for Emma Biffle, the 14-year-old daughter of one of NASCAR’s 75 greatest drivers who was among seven people killed when Greg Biffle’s plane crashed just a week before Christmas.

    The service Sunday was standing room only as the performing arts center in suburban Cornelius wasn’t large enough to accommodate the turnout from the racing community and Davidson Day, the private school where many sent their children alongside Emma.

    The heartbreaking memorial to a teenager lost in a tragic accident capped a month of sorrow for NASCAR with a new season just weeks away. The grieving isn’t over, either, far from it.

    It’s not like the 2025 season ended on the highest note: Denny Hamlin was again denied his first Cup Series championship on a late sequence of events in the season finale that gave the title to Kyle Larson. When Larson was done with his post-race news conference, there was a toast in honor of Jon Edwards, a Hendrick Motorsports communications executive and mentor to many who died unexpectedly in April, a loss felt all season.

    Then came December, usually the start of a quiet offseason in which teams and drivers and every member of the 38-week traveling circus unwinds. Instead, it opened with a bruising federal trial in which two race teams accused NASCAR of being a monopolistic bully; the Michael Jordan-led lawsuit included eight days of testimony that embarrassed NASCAR until the France family settled a day before Hall of Fame owners Rick Hendrick and Roger Penske were due to testify. The landmark agreement will change the current revenue sharing model.

    The relief was far too brief. Biffle’s plane crashed Dec. 18 shortly after encountering an issue after takeoff from the nearby Statesville airport as the group tried to return for an emergency landing. Biffle was among those killed along with his wife, Cristina, five-year-old son, Ryder, and Emma, the only child from his first marriage.

    In a letter written by Nicole Biffle that she was too grief-stricken to read herself at her daughter’s service, she agonized over her decision to allow Emma to fly that day knowing Emma wasn’t feeling well. She had purchased tickets to Italy as a Christmas present for her daughter the night before the crash.

    Ten days after that tragedy, on the 52nd wedding anniversary of Denny Hamlin’s parents, the house he built to repay them for their years of sacrifice to get the future Hall of Famer to NASCAR’s top level, burned down. His father, Dennis, was killed. Mary Lou Hamlin was rushed to a hospital burn unit. Hamlin’s childhood racing memorabilia was lost along with his father.

    If there was any animosity from NASCAR toward Hamlin, a co-owner of the race team with Jordan that sued the series, it dissipated in a heartfelt statement from the sanctioning body.

    “Dennis Hamlin instilled a love of racing in his son, and sacrificed greatly to develop Denny into a world-class talent in the sport,” NASCAR said. “We also continue to offer our thoughts and prayers to Denny’s mother, Mary Lou, and hope for her full recovery.”

    The racing community is a quirky one, with hundreds of people living not just in and around Charlotte but feet away from one another in motorhome parking lots in infields around the country for three-fourths of the year. Relationships can sometimes be contentious and grudges held for years, even decades.

    But it’s also a community all too familiar with death and the dangers that come every weekend on the track. It is tight-knit and almost everyone looks out for each other or steps up in times of crisis and tragedy. There is a solemn pride in helping a fellow racing community member struggling with loss.

    In times of tragedy, NASCAR rallies like no other community. And there is more sadness ahead before the racing resumes.

    A public memorial will be held Jan. 16 for all seven people lost in the Biffle plane crash. It will be held at Bojangles Coliseum, a venue for Charlotte’s minor league hockey team that can be configured to seat more than 10,000 people.

    Knowing the NASCAR community, it will be packed.

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  • NASCAR settles federal antitrust case, gives all teams the permanent charters they wanted

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    CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Michael Jordan and NASCAR chairman Jim France stood side-by-side on the steps of a federal courthouse as if they were old friends following a stunning settlement Thursday of a bruising antitrust case in which the Basketball Hall of Famer was the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit accusing the top racing series in the United States of being a monopolistic bully.

    The duo was flanked by three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin and Curtis Polk, the co-owners of 23XI Racing with Jordan, Front Row Motorsports owner Bob Jenkins and over a dozen lawyers as they celebrated the end to an eight-day trial that ultimately led NASCAR to cave and grant all its teams the permanent charters they wanted.

    “Like two competitors, obviously we tried to get as much done in each other’s favor,” Jordan said, towering over the 81-year-old France. “I’ve said this from Day 1: The only way this sport is going to grow is we have to find some synergy between the two entities. I think we’ve gotten to that point, unfortunately it took 16 months to get here, but I think level heads have gotten us to this point where we can actually work together and grow this sport. I am very proud about that and I think Jim feels the same.”

    France concurred.

    “I do feel the same and we can get back to focusing on what we really love, and that’s racing, and we spent a lot of time not really focused on that so much as we needed to be,” France said. “I feel like we made a very good decision here together and we have a big opportunity to continue growing the sport.”

    A charter is the equivalent of the franchise model used in other sports and in NASCAR it guarantees 36 teams a spot in every top-level Cup Series race and a fixed portion of the revenue stream. The system was implemented in 2016 and teams have argued for over two years that the charters needed to be made permanent — they had been revokable by NASCAR — and the revenue sharing had to change.

    NASCAR, founded and privately owned by the Florida-based France family, never considered making the charters permanent. Instead, after two-plus years of bitter negotiations, NASCAR in September 2024 presented a “take-it-or leave-it” final offer that gave teams until end of that day to sign the 112-page document.

    23XI and Front Row refused and sued, while 13 other organizations signed but testimony in court revealed many did so “with a gun to our head” because the threat of losing the charters would have put them out of business.

    Jordan testified early in the trial that as a new team owner to NASCAR — 23XI launched in 2021 — he felt he had the strength to challenge NASCAR. Eight days of testimony went badly for NASCAR, which when it began to present its case seemed focused more on mitigating damages than it did on proving it did not violate antitrust laws.

    Although terms of the settlement were not released — NASCAR was in the process of scheduling a Thursday afternoon call with all teams to discuss the revenue-sharing model moving forward — both Jordan and NASCAR said that charters will now be permanent for all teams. 23XI and Front Row will receive their combined six charters back for 2026.

    An economist previously testified that NASCAR owes 23XI and Front Row $364.7 million in damages, and that NASCAR shorted 36 chartered teams $1.06 billion from 2021-24.

    “Today’s a good day,” Jordan said from the front-row seat he’s occupied since the trial began Dec. 1 as he waited for the settlement announcement.

    U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell, who had presided over two days of failed settlement talks before the trial began, echoed the sentiment. Bell told the jury that sometimes parties at trial have to see how the evidence unfolds to come to the wisdom of a settlement.

    “I wish we could’ve done this a few months ago,” Bell said in court. “I believe this is great for NASCAR. Great for the future of NASCAR. Great for the entity of NASCAR. Great for the teams and ultimately great for the fans.”

    The settlement came after two days of testimony by France and the Wednesday night public release of a letter from Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris calling for NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps to be removed.

    The discovery process revealed internal NASCAR communications in which Phelps called Hall of Fame team owner Richard Childress a “redneck” and other derogatory names; Bass Pro sponsors Childress’ teams, as well as some others, and Morris is an ardent NASCAR supporter.

    Childress gave fiery testimony earlier this week over his reluctance to sign the charter agreement because it was unfair to the teams, which have been bleeding money and begged NASCAR for concessions. Letters from Hall of Fame team owners Joe Gibbs, Rick Hendrick, Jack Roush and Roger Penske were introduced in which they pleaded with France for charters to become permanent; France testified he was not moved by the men he considers good friends.

    Hendrick and Penske, who were both scheduled to testify Friday, expressed gratitude that a settlement had been reached. Penske called it “tremendous news” and said it cleared the way to continue growing the series.

    “Millions of loyal NASCAR fans and thousands of hardworking people rely on our industry, and today’s resolution allows all of us to focus on what truly matters — the future of our sport,” Hendrick said. “This moment presents an important opportunity to strengthen our relationships and recommit ourselves to building a collaborative and prosperous future for all stakeholders. I’m incredibly optimistic about what’s ahead.”

    The settlement came abruptly on the ninth day of the trial. Bell opened expecting to hear motions but both sides asked for a private conference in chambers. When they emerged, Bell ordered an hourlong break for the two sides to confer. That turned into two hours, all parties returned to the courtroom and Kessler announced an agreement had been reached.

    “What all parties have always agreed on is a deep love for the sport and a desire to see it fulfill its full potential,” NASCAR and the plaintiffs said in a joint statement. “This is a landmark moment, one that ensures NASCAR’s foundation is stronger, its future is brighter and its possibilities are greater.”

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  • NASCAR chairman refuses to budge on team charters in testimony during Michael Jordan’s lawsuit

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    CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — NASCAR Chairman Jim France testified Tuesday in Michael Jordan’s federal antitrust lawsuit against his family that he still has not changed his mind on granting teams permanent charters, and evidence showed he entered negotiations on a new revenue-sharing agreement determined to thwart teams’ efforts for a better deal from the stock car series.

    France was the final witness called by attorneys for Jordan’s 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports on the seventh day of the trial. Those race teams have accused NASCAR of being a monopolistic bully that engages in anticompetitive business practices.

    Also called Tuesday was Hall of Fame team owner Richard Childress, who testified that he only signed the 2025 revenue-sharing agreement because refusing to do so would have put Richard Childress Racing out of business.

    NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps testified to the frustrating two-plus years of negotiations between the top motorsports series in the United States and its race teams. The plaintiffs introduced several documents detailing communication between NASCAR executives that showed France was stubbornly opposed to granting teams permanent charters throughout the process.

    The charter system is equivalent to the franchise model used in other sports. In NASCAR, a charter guarantees cars a spot in the 40-car field each week, as well as specified financial terms.

    Asked by plaintiffs’ attorney Jeffrey Kessler if he has changed his stance on making charters permanent, France said, “No, I have not.”

    Kessler later introduced a summary of notes from the first meeting of NASCAR executives on how they would approach negotiations with the teams over the new agreements. Steve O’Donnell, now the president of NASCAR, wrote in those notes, “Jim’s overarching comments — we are in a competition. We are going to win.”

    France’s position never changed, even though — as evidence showed — he received pleas from Hall of Fame team owners Joe Gibbs, Rick Hendrick, Jack Roush and Roger Penske. All four are close personal friends, France said on the stand Tuesday.

    France became chairman of the series his father founded in 1948 following the 2019 resignation of his nephew, Brian. NASCAR has always been privately owned by the Florida-based family, and Brian France negotiated the initial charter system that began in 2016 as a response to teams complaining they were bleeding money at an unsustainable rate.

    Jim France, who is 81, was soft-spoken on the stand and needed many questions repeated, and he said on numerous topics that he was either unable to recall, did not remember or was not sure — even in response to evidence introduced that the France Family Trust received $400 million in distributions from 2021 through 2024 and that NASCAR is valued at $5 billion.

    He wasn’t sure of the title his niece, Lesa France Kennedy, holds with NASCAR, or the ownership percentages between the two. Evidence showed Jim France owns 54% of NASCAR, while France Kennedy, the vice chair, owns 36%. France also testified he believes he is paid in “the $3.5 million range” as chairman.

    Richard Childress details his dissatisfaction

    Childress spoke to the pressure he felt to sign the charter agreement.

    “I would not have signed those charters if I was financially able to do what I do,” the six-time championship winning owner testified. “We are a blue-collar operation.”

    Childress has participated in NASCAR for 60 years and has a longtime personal relationship with the Frances. He testified that he pleaded with Jim France for the charters to be made permanent instead of renewable, and France refused.

    Childress testified he supports the charter system because before its implementation race teams “were worth 10 cents on the dollar at most. We didn’t have nothing.”

    He admitted that the charters added value to his team, but said the equity falls short of its financial potential if the charters were permanent. An economist testified that NASCAR owes 23XI and Front Row $364.7 million in damages, and that NASCAR shorted 36 chartered teams $1.06 billion from 2021-24.

    When Childress’ October declaration of his support for charters was introduced, Childress insisted NASCAR attorney Christopher Yates also show the jury language added to the statement in which Childress pushes for the charters to be permanent.

    Childress said he added those sentences to the declaration, which had been pre-written for him to sign.

    Phelps details negotiations with teams

    NASCAR commissioner Phelps noted that Jordan’s financial advisor would not compromise on key issues in the negotiations.

    Phelps, who was president of NASCAR during the negotiations, said Jordan right-hand man Curtis Polk was the lead representative for the teams and held firm in their demand for increased revenue, permanent charters, a voice in governance and one-third of any new revenue streams.

    The deal finally presented to the teams in September 2024 did not include permanent charters or a voice in governance, but NASCAR gave the teams a firm deadline to accept its final offer or forfeit their charters. 23XI Racing, owned by Jordan, Polk and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, and Front Row Motorsports, owned by Bob Jenkins, were the only two teams out of 15 organizations that refused to sign. They sued instead.

    Phelps, promoted to become NASCAR’s first commissioner earlier this year, testified that he worked hard to get the teams the best deal possible. But he said the teams’ initial request for $720 million in guaranteed revenue would have put NASCAR out of business.

    At the same time, Polk would not budge, either.

    “It was one of the most challenging and longest negotiations I’ve ever been part of,” said Phelps, who admitted he didn’t particularly enjoy negotiating with Polk, who was at the time the representative for the “Team Negotiating Council.”

    “The TNC never wavered off their four pillars. It was just the same thing, the same thing, and that was very frustrating,” Phelps said.

    Phelps testified at one point that NASCAR believed it had landed on a new charter agreement that satisfied the teams but it was contingent on NASCAR finalizing its new media rights deal.

    “I thought we’d just plug in the numbers,” said Phelps, who testified NASCAR was hoping to land a media deal worth $1.2 billion. When it became clear the media rights deal wouldn’t net that much money, Phelps said the teams asked to set a floor in negotiations.

    NASCAR ultimately got a media deal worth $1.05 billion — still an increase of $33 million a year from the previous deal — and Phelps said “every dollar” went to the race teams when it began this year.

    However, the ultimate revenue payout to teams is $431 million annually, the charters are not permanent and the teams did not get a voice in rules and regulations.

    Even so, Phelps testified he believed the charter agreement was “a fair deal.”

    Faster pace

    U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell has repeatedly admonished both sides to pick up the pace of the trial, and once France’s testimony concludes Wednesday, NASCAR will begin to present its defense.

    NASCAR has said it has a witness list of 16 people, but Yates informed Bell he can trim “four or five” names from it and is hopeful to wrap his defense by Friday.

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  • Economist says NASCAR owes $364.7M to teams in antitrust case

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    CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — An economist testified in Michael Jordan’s federal antitrust trial against NASCAR that the racing series owes a combined $364.7 million in damages to the two teams suing it over a revenue-sharing dispute.

    Edward Snyder, a professor of economics who worked in the antitrust division of the Department of Justice and has testified in more than 30 cases, including “Deflategate” involving the NFL’s New England Patriots, testified on Monday. He gave three specific reasons NASCAR is a monopoly participating in anticompetitive business practices.

    Using a complex formula applied to profits, a reduction in market revenue, and lost revenue to 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports from 2021-24, Snyder came up with his amount of damages owed. Snyder applied a 45% of revenue sharing he alleged Formula 1 gives to its teams in his calculations; Snyder found that NASCAR’s revenue-sharing model when its charter system began in 2016 gave only 25% to the teams.

    The suit is about the 2025 charter agreement, which was presented to teams on a Friday in September 2024 with a same-day deadline to sign the 112-page document. The charter offer came after more than two years of bitter negotiations between NASCAR and its teams, who have called the agreement “a take-it-or-leave-it” ultimatum that they signed with “a gun to their head.”

    A charter is similar to the franchise model in other sports, but in NASCAR it guarantees 36 teams spots in the 40-car field, as well as specific revenue.

    Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin for 23XI, along with Front Row Motorsports and owner Bob Jenkins, were the only two teams out of 15 to refuse the new charter agreement.

    Snyder’s evaluations found NASCAR was in fact violating antitrust laws in that the privately owned racing series controls all bargaining because “teams don’t have anywhere else to sell their services.” Snyder said NASCAR controls “the tracks, the teams and the cars.”

    Snyder repeatedly cited exclusivity agreements NASCAR entered into with racetracks after the charter system began. The agreements prevent tracks that host NASCAR from holding events with rival racing series. Prior to the long-term agreements, NASCAR operated on one-year contracts with its host racetracks.

    The Florida-based France family founded NASCAR in 1948 and, along with Speedway Motorsports, owns almost all the tracks on the top Cup Series schedule. Snyder’s belief is that NASCAR entered into exclusivity agreements with tracks to stave off any threats of a breakaway startup series. In doing so, he said it eliminated teams’ ability to race stock cars anywhere else, forced them to accept revenue-sharing agreements that are below market value, and damaged their overall evaluations.

    Snyder did his calculations for both teams based on each having two charters — each purchased a third charter in late 2024 — and found 23XI is owed $215.8 million while Front Row is owed $148.9 million. Based on his calculations, Snyder determined NASCAR shorted 36 chartered teams $1.06 billion from 2021-24.

    Snyder noted NASCAR had $2.2 billion in assets, an equity value of $5 billion and an investment-grade credit rating — which Snyder believes positions the France family to be able to pivot and adjust to any threats of a rival series the way the PGA did in response to the LIV Golf league. The PGA, Snyder testified, “got creative” in bringing in new revenue to pay to its golfers to prevent their defections.

    Snyder also testified NASCAR had $250 million in annual earnings from 2021-24 and the France family took $400 million in distributions during that period.

    NASCAR contends Snyder’s estimations are wrong, that the 45% F1 model he used is not correct, and its own two experts “take serious issue” with Snyder’s findings. Defense attorney Lawrence Buterman asked Snyder his opinion on NASCAR’s upcoming expert witnesses and Snyder said they were two of the best economists in the world.

    Slow pace of trial

    Snyder testified for almost the entirety of Monday’s session — the sixth day of the trial — and will continue on Tuesday. The snail’s pace has agitated U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell, who heard arguments 30 minutes early Monday morning because he was annoyed that objections had been submitted at 2:55 a.m. and then 6:50 a.m.

    He needed an hour to get through the rulings, and testimony resumed 30 minutes behind schedule. When the day concluded, he asked the nine-person jury if they were willing to serve an hour longer each day the rest of the week in an effort to avoid a third full week of trial. He all said all motions must be filed by 10 p.m. each evening moving forward.

    Bell wants plaintiff attorney Jeffrey Kessler to conclude his case by the end of Tuesday, but Kessler told him he still plans to call NASCAR chairman Jim France, NASCAR commissioner Steve Phelps and Hall of Fame team owner Richard Childress, who was the subject of derogatory text messages amongst NASCAR leadership and has said he’s considering legal action.

    NASCAR has a list of 16 potential witnesses and Bell said he wanted the first one on the stand before Tuesday’s session concludes.

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  • Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff sells 15% stake to CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz

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    LAS VEGAS — Mercedes team principal and part-owner Toto Wolff has sold 15% of his shareholding of the Formula 1 team to George Kurtz, the CEO and founder of cybersecurity company CrowdStrike.

    Mercedes said the deal makes Kurtz a co-owner of the team that is valued at $6 billion. Wolff was one of three equal owners alongside Mercedes-Benz and INEOS.

    The deal was announced ahead of Saturday night’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, where Mercedes driver George Russell is the defending race winner.

    Kurtz will become technology advisor to Mercedes, as well as join the team’s strategic steering committee alongside Wolff, Mercedes-Benz chairman Ola Kallenius, and INEOS founder and chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

    Wolff will continue as team principal and CEO.

    “George’s background is unusual in its breadth — he’s a racer, a loyal sporting ambassador for Mercedes-AMG, and an exceptional entrepreneur,” Wolff said. “He understands both the demands of racing and the realities of building and scaling technology businesses. That combination brings specific insight that is increasingly relevant to the future of Formula 1.”

    CrowdStrike became a global partner of Mercedes’ F1 team in 2019, but Kurtz’s purchase into the ownership group was his personally.

    “Winning in racing and cybersecurity requires speed, precision, and innovation. Milliseconds matter. Execution counts. Data wins,” said Kurtz. “Technology is reshaping competitive advantage and human capability everywhere, including motorsport. I’m excited to help the team securely accelerate forward.”

    Kurtz is considered a racer and has dabbled in sports car racing since 2016. He has class wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans LMP2 Pro-Am, Twelve Hours of Sebring, Petit Le Mans, Six Hours of the Glen, and he is the two-time winner of both the Indianapolis 8 Hour and 24 Hours of Spa in a Mercedes-AMG GT3.

    Kurtz won the 2023 SRO GT World Challenge America Team & Drivers’ Championship, the 2023 Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing Championship Driver Category, and the 2023-24 Asia Le Mans LMP2 Championship.

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  • NASCAR hoping must-win scenarios at Martinsville will avoid manipulation repeat

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    NASCAR has a buzzy slogan for the third-round finale of its Cup Series playoffs.

    With half of the remaining eight drivers desperate for a victory to reach the Championship 4 finale, Sunday is “Must-Win at Martinsville Speedway!”

    That certainly has a better ring to it than “Manipulation at Martinsville!” or “Martinsville’s Massive Scandal!”

    Those were the headlines written about what transpired last November at the 0.526-mile oval in southwest Virginia.

    A coordinated effort between multiple teams and manufacturers to engineer the results erupted in a controversial finish to the third-round finale. Officials took nearly 30 minutes to sort out that William Byron would advance over Christopher Bell to race for the title in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway.

    NASCAR issued a record $600,000 in fines and nine suspensions across three teams and added rulebook language in the offseason aimed at punishing race manipulation with a new penalty structure for manufacturers that engaged in nefarious behavior.

    Highly attuned to preventing another scandal, NASCAR executives already have warned drivers and crew chiefs during the 2025 playoffs about shenanigans motivated by the championship. A beefed-up staff of officials will be in place Sunday to scrutinize radio communications for foul play over 500 laps at Martinsville.

    “We’ll be on high alert this weekend,” NASCAR managing director of communications Mike Forde said on the “Hauler Talk” podcast. “Hopefully, it won’t matter.”

    It’s likely there won’t be a repeat of the embarrassing episode.

    With third-round winners Denny Hamlin ( at Las Vegas ) and Chase Briscoe ( Talladega ) having secured two of the berths in the Nov. 2 title race at Phoenix, the points breakdown is straightforward: The remaining six drivers are vying for the final two championship-eligible spots. Bell or Kyle Larson is virtually guaranteed to reach the Championship 4 based on the points standings, and both could advance without a victory.

    For Byron, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott and Joey Logano, the overwhelmingly plausible way for the four drivers below the points cutline to make the title round is by taking the checkered flag.

    That’s why “Must-Win At Martinsville” should be a relief for NASCAR — because it greatly reduces the likelihood that Hendrick Motorsports, Team Penske and Joe Gibbs Racing, as well as manufacturers Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota, could be tempted to order drivers to run interference for teammates to help gain or protect positions that improve points totals to reach the title race.

    “I just don’t see those scenarios even presenting themselves to be possible or advantageous,” said Adam Stevens, the crew chief for Bell, who enters Martinsville ranked third in the standings and 37 points above the cutline.

    Bell is a point ahead of Larson, who is in the last provisional Championship 4 spot but still well ahead of Hendrick teammate Byron, who trails by 36 points — the largest gap to the cutline for a cutoff race in NASCAR playoff history.

    “We’re not worried about points or a race finish other than the win,” said Rudy Fugle, Byron’s crew chief.

    The largest cutline deficit overcome in a cutoff race is 22 points. If none of the four drivers below the cutline wins Sunday, Bell and Larson easily could clinch title berths with top-25 finishes.

    Data analytics firm Racing Insights lists each driver with an 81% probability of making the Championship 4, and the odds are much worse for Blaney (12.5%), Elliott (9.6%), Byron (8.5%) and Logano (6.1%). All six are former Martinsville winners.

    Though there are 37 cars in the field Sunday, Larson and Bell essentially are in a match race with a championship berth for whoever scores the most points.

    “You don’t want to spend too much focus on him. but the majority of it for sure revolves around Bell,” Larson said. “This year is a little bit simpler because there’s four guys that probably look at it as a must-win, and then me and Bell just look at it as we have to outpoint each other, and we’re in. You know what you have to do, but it’s just going out there and doing it is the tough part.”

    After winning three consecutive championships with Logano (last year and in 2022) and Blaney (’23), Team Penske could fail to place a driver in the Championship 4 for the first time in four years.

    Blaney has won the past two third-round cutoff races at Martinsville, and Penske’s strength has been on flat tracks such as Martinsville, Phoenix and New Hampshire Motor Speedway, where Blaney and Logano dominated last month. But the team has struggled in the playoffs with multiple tire failures while trying to maintain its edge.

    “That’s just trying to find that little bit more,” said Paul Wolfe, crew chief for Logano. “That’s what we’re down to, pushing those limits without going over them, and we’ve had our struggles there a little bit here in the playoffs with that.”

    The points fight between Bell and Larson will rekindle a longtime rivalry that dates back more than a decade to when they were teenage phenoms in dirt racing. Though they occasionally have feuded during six seasons of facing off in the Cup Series, Larson said he and Bell enjoy a healthy respect.

    “I hated seeing him beat me all the time on dirt,” Larson said. “But it pushed me to get better. Once he got to NASCAR, I always really like seeing him do well because I like to root on guys that come from the dirt background. I don’t get as upset as I did when he was winning dirt races. Having us battle for trying to make the final four this weekend, it’s cool and says a lot about the dirt-racing community.”

    Blaney (+350) is favored by BetMGM Sportsbook ahead of Hamlin (+425), who won March 30 at Martinsville, Elliott (+650), Larson (+675) and Bell (+675). … After victories at Las Vegas and Talladega, Toyota could become the first manufacturer to sweep the Round of 8 if a Camry wins at Martinsville. … Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske — the three teams representing the eight playoff drivers — have combined to win the past 14 races at Martinsville.

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  • Michael Jordan laughs at NASCAR’s claims as bitter antitrust feud barrels toward a trial

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    CHARLOTTE, N.C. — CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — NASCAR and two of its teams returned to court Thursday after two failed days of mediation and resumed their bitter antitrust fight with a hearing that included team owner Michael Jordan laughing in disbelief at some of the testimony as the two sides hurtle toward a trial.

    “Today’s hearing confirmed the facts of NASCAR’s monopolistic practices and showed NASCAR for who they are — retaliatory bullies who would rather focus on personal attacks and distract from the facts,” Jeffrey Kessler, who represents the two teams, said afterward. “My clients have never been more united and committed to ensuring a fair and competitive sport for all teams, partners, drivers and fans. We’re going to trial to hold NASCAR accountable.”

    The lawsuit was filed a year ago by 23XI Racing, co-owned by Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, and Bob Jenkins-owned Front Row Racing. They are the only two organizations out of 15 to refuse to sign extensions for new charter agreements following more than two years of negotiations. Charters are at the heart of NASCAR’s business model, guaranteeing revenue and access to weekly races, and without them both teams say they will almost surely go out of business.

    Other teams have called for a settlement to clear the air and move the stock car series forward, but three mediation sessions have apparently gone nowhere and the hearing laid bare how far apart they are. The trial is scheduled for Dec. 1.

    U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell and Jeffrey Mishkin, a former executive vice president and chief legal officer of the NBA, both participated in mediation Monday and Tuesday and Bell opened the session by thanking both sides for working in good faith during the sessions. NASCAR wants Bell to throw the lawsuit out and the hearing focused on the series’ bid to narrow the scope of damages the two teams say they are owed.

    NASCAR has accused 23XI and FRM of manipulating other teams and conducting themselves with “classic cartel behavior, ultimately because they received less than they would have” under charter extensions signed late last year. It struggled to make those arguments Thursday.

    NASCAR repeatedly insisted that teams are free to compete in both IndyCar and F1, failing to disclose that entry into F1 is nearly impossible and the financials of IndyCar are simply not even close to the value of competing in the stock car series. Kessler likened a NASCAR move to IndyCar to a Major League Baseball team moving to the minors.

    “Experts found that the (IndyCar) prize money and TV ratings were too low to make them a minor league team,” Kessler argued. “Michael Jordan, if you put a gun to his head and said you have to join IndyCar, it better be a pretty big gun.”

    NASCAR also mischaracterized Chip Ganassi Racing’s sale of its NASCAR team to Trackhouse Racing ahead of the 2021 season as an opportunity for Ganassi — whose name was repeatedly mispronounced by NASCAR attorney Christopher Yates — to reinvest in IndyCar and expand that program to four cars. Ganassi has long run three to four cars in IndyCar and for more than three decades has been considered one of the top two teams in IndyCar.

    Jordan multiple times laughed and smiled at NASCAR’s claims, and at one point Hamlin and Jenkins vehemently shook their heads at NASCAR’s assertion that it pays its teams a higher percentage of revenue than F1 does to its teams. Jordan did not speak with reporters afterward.

    The original charters lasted from 2016 through 2020 and were automatically renewed to continue through Dec. 31, 2024. NASCAR contends they have added more than $1 billion in equity for its teams but owners have pushed for changes.

    23XI and FRM initially won a preliminary injunction to be recognized as chartered teams this season while the case played out, but that was overturned and the combined six cars have competed as “open” teams as the season nears its season finale Nov. 2.

    Kessler argued that damages in the case should date to the 2021 season because of 28 exclusionary items he says prevent NASCAR teams from competing in any motorsports series that closely resembles their version of stock car racing. NASCAR conceded that there was at least one exclusionary item in that charter agreement that began in 2021.

    Bell was supposed to hear testimony from expert witnesses but scheduled two November court dates, two weeks after Hamlin will race for the Cup Series title in suburban Phoenix.

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  • Matt Payne and Garth Tander win dramatic Bathurst 1000 after starting 18th

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    Matt Payne and Garth Tander won a dramatic Bathurst 1000 auto race in a Ford Mustang Sunday despite crossing the line in second place and after starting from 18th on the grid.

    James Golding was first across the line in a Chevrolet but was carrying a five-second time penalty that lifted Payne into first place and David Reynolds, also in a Chevy Camaro, into second. Golding and teammate David Russell finished third.

    Torrential rain, low cloud, multiple crashes, safety cars and repeated lead changes in the final laps produced some of the most extraordinary scenes in the 65-year history of Australia’s most prestigious auto race.

    Payne, a 23-year-old New Zealander, only led for three of the 161 laps of the endurance classic but stayed close to Golding in the final laps, knowing the outstanding time penalty would hand him his first victory in the race and the sixth for the veteran Australian Tander.

    “Those last laps felt like forever,” Payne said. “We kept getting safety cars that kept stalling our race. We just managed to get through but a win’s a win, we’ll take it.”

    The race had seven safety cars in all but four of those came in the last 35 laps, ensuring the leading drivers were always close together.

    First, the young New Zealander Ryan Wood held the lead until he was overtaken by Golding with 33 laps remaining. Wood eventually dropped out with engine failure.

    Cooper Murray led after the sixth safety car. Payne moved into second place after the seventh safety car with 17 laps remaining.

    With five laps to go, Golding and Murray came into contact and Golding picked up the penalty that handed the race to Payne.

    On final standings, Payne beat Reynolds by 0.959 seconds with Golding 4.040 seconds back in third.

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    AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

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  • Blaney opens 2nd round of NASCAR Cup playoffs with New Hampshire win as Penske dominates

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    LOUDON, N.H. — In a race in which Fords were fastest at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Ryan Blaney barely was best in class for the second-round opener of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

    The 2003 Cup champion led 116 laps in his No. 12 Mustang, including the final 39, but still had to fend off a furious charge by runner-up Josh Berry, who closed within a few car lengths with 10 laps left before overdriving a corner.

    Blaney pulled away to win by 0.937 seconds Sunday in his third victory of the season and 16th of his career.

    “That was probably the hardest 20 laps that I drove,” the Team Penske driver said. “I was trying to kind of bide my stuff and pull Josh a little bit, then he really started coming. It was all I could do to hold him off, trying new lanes. That was good and clean racing. I appreciate Josh for not throwing me the bumper when he could have.

    “What a cool day, what a cool weekend. Super fast car. Really have been strong through the playoffs. It’s great to get a win in the first race of the round.”

    Blaney, who is trying to reach the Championship 4 season finale for the third consecutive year, became the first driver to advance into one of the eight available spots in the third round of the Cup playoffs.

    Berry, whose No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford has a competitive alliance with Penske, overcame a spin on the 82nd lap and rebounded from his first-round elimination after finishing last in each of the first three races in the playoffs.

    “It was definitely an awesome day,” said Berry, who led 10 laps. “Hats off to Ryan at the end. All our cars were really strong, and Ryan did a great job there. I was honestly surprised I was able to keep him honest at the end.

    “Just a shame to finish second, but after the last couple of weeks, it feels good. This is definitely what we’re capable of, and hopefully we can keep it going.”

    The Fords backed up their impressive performances in qualifying Saturday when Penske star Joey Logano won the pole position to cap a sweep of the top three starting spots with Blaney and Berry. The same trio led 273 of 301 laps Sunday.

    William Byron was the highest-finishing Chevrolet driver in third.

    “It was a good day overall,” said Byron, who is the highest-ranked driver behind Blaney in the playoff standings with two races left in the second round. “Penske guys were super fast. I felt like they were in another zip code.”

    Logano took fourth after leading a race-high 147 laps in the No. 22 Ford. The Middletown, Connecticut, native started from the pole for the first time at New Hampshire, which he considers his home track.

    “(Blaney) was wicked fast in practice, and he showed that again in the race,” Logano said. “We obviously got a ton of points today, so we did what we needed to do, but I’d rather win. That’s just the greed in me, especially when it’s home.”

    After qualifying 27th, last among the 12 playoff drivers, Chase Elliott raced to a fifth-place finish.

    Christopher Bell took sixth as the top finishing Toyota driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, which went undefeated in the first round of the playoffs.

    Kyle Larson took seventh, and Ross Chastain was ninth as playoff drivers took eight of the top 10 spots on the 1.058-mile oval.

    The race turned awkward for Joe Gibbs Racing on Lap 110 when Denny Hamlin spun teammate Ty Gibbs into the Turn 2 wall while racing for 11th. Gibbs, the only JGR driver who failed to qualify for the playoffs, seemed to be impeding the progress of teammates Hamlin and Christopher Bell when the incident happened.

    “Does Ty know we’re running for a championship?” Hamlin said on his team radio shortly before they made contact. “What the (expletive) is he doing?”

    After the wreck, Hamlin questioned whether the grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs was getting preferential treatment. “Are they afraid to talk to him? That’s what I feel like,” Hamlin radioed his team. “They’re just scared of him.”

    Ty Gibbs briefly returned to the track before being forced to the garage with damage to his Camry. He finished 34th and refused to address the incident or what Hamlin said when asked directly about both.

    “It’s unfortunate, but I’m excited to go race next week and looking forward to it,” said Gibbs, the 2022 Xfinity Series champion who remains winless through 117 starts in the Cup series.

    After finishing 12th, Hamlin had a postrace conversation with Joe Gibbs and JGR director of competition Chris Gabehart before addressing the media.

    “It’s super unfortunate he got spun there, and obviously the contact came from us,” Hamlin said. “I don’t have any comment other than that. We’ll work through it and all, but we’ll see how it goes. But honestly, it’s unfortunate the contact happened.”

    After dominating the first round with three consecutive victories, Joe Gibbs Racing surprisingly faltered in the first stage at New Hampshire, where the team had won the past three Cup races and six consecutive stages.

    The team failed to earn any points in the first stage Sunday as Hamlin, Bell and Chase Briscoe finished outside the top 10 in the 70-lap segment.

    The second race in the second round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs is Sunday at Kansas Speedway. Kyle Larson won at the 1.5-mile track on May 11.

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    AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

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  • Brittany Force, ‘Queen of Speed,’ to retire after record-breaking season to start a family

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    Not long after Brittany Force went 343.51 mph in the fastest run in NHRA history, the two-time Top Fuel world champion announced Friday she is retiring at the end of the season to focus on starting a family.

    Force, the second of four drag racing daughters of 16-time champion John Force, married Bobby Lyons at the end of last season and told The Associated Press she’s ready to shift into a new role of motherhood. Brittany Force turned 39 in July.

    “It’s something that as a female in NHRA drag racing that has always been in the back of my mind,” she told the AP. “I watched my sisters get into the scene and have their careers and then ultimately had to make the decision to step out so they can try to start a family. Ashley has two little boys, Courtney has two little girls and has a third on the way. Because of that, it’s always been in the back of my mind because being a female in the sport, it is definitely more of a challenge.”

    Brittany Force’s announcement comes the same week Leah Pruett, wife of NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart, said she will return to NHRA in 2026, two years after stepping out of the dragster to start a family. Their son was born in late in 2024.

    Brittany Force said she has not ruled out a return to racing after starting a family.

    Known as “The Queen of Speed,” Force set the new NHRA Top Fuel world speed record last weekend at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. It broke her previous record of 343.16 mph set in Sonoma in July.

    “I couldn’t hear anything on my radio and then they repeated the 343 speed and I thought they were joking,” she recalled. ” I’m so pumped and so excited to do this in front of all the fans here. The stands were packed. We’ve run great mph lately, but to jump over 342 and go right to 343, I still can’t believe we did it.”

    At the start of the season, Force held the speed record of 338.94, a mark that had stood since 2022. Force has now made 10 runs of 340 mph or faster since April, setting even more new landmarks and milestones in the sport. Nobody had reached 340 before this year in Top Fuel.

    Her 18 wins are tied with Shirley Muldowney for the most in Top Fuel history and Force has now made nine of the 10 fastest runs in Top Fuel history.

    “What we get to do is awesome. I’m very proud to be able to drive this car, work with this team and I’m so proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish,” she said.

    Force has spent her entire career driving for John Force Racing, time spent with her father and crew members who have become family in a luxury afforded to few racers.

    John Force made his drag racing debut in 1971 and Brittany’s decision to step out of the car will mark the first time a Force family member isn’t actively competing since he stormed into the sport.

    “I’m really proud of Brittany and all she has accomplished throughout her career,” John Force said. “She’s won races, set countless records, and captured two World Championships. Her presence in this sport will be greatly missed. Although she’s stepping out of the seat at the end of the year, her focus is still firmly set on winning the championship and ending this season strong for all her sponsors.

    “Her mom, Laurie, and all her sisters are proud, as well, and we’re all looking forward to seeing what the next chapter of her life holds.”

    Brittany said she could return to NHRA someday.

    “I love the sport, I love NHRA drag racing, I’ve grown up around it,” she said. “I dedicated the last 13 years to the sport, so I am not closing the door on driving in the future. That’s definitely a decision for further down the road once I get there.”

    She said she isn’t exactly sure what she would have done with her career if she’d not followed her family into drag racing. She has a degree in secondary education and her teaching credentials, but “still feel I would have found a way to be involved in the sport, even if I wasn’t driving.”

    Brittany Force won her championships in 2017 and 2022, with her 2017 title the first in 35 years by a female in Top Fuel since Muldowney.

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    AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/apf-AutoRacing

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  • Toyotas turning heads with speed in NASCAR playoffs. ‘They’re ridiculously fast,’ Joey Logano says

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    When Toyota entered NASCAR’s premier series in 2007, the manufacturer was concerned more about making races than winning 200 of them.

    In its first year, Toyota drivers suffered through nearly 100 failed qualifying attempts — but the lack of speed didn’t dissuade Joe Gibbs Racing from signing with the automaker for the 2008 season despite its drivers’ concerns.

    “Certainly, I was worried when we switched over,” JGR driver Denny Hamlin said Sunday after winning at World Wide Technology Raceway to make Toyota the fourth manufacturer to reach the 200-victory mark in Cup. “Obviously, it was a big leap of faith by everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing. The drivers were kind of like an innocent bystander. We were going to live and die by those decisions that JGR made. It turned out to be the best partnership that they could imagine.”

    Two races into the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, Toyota’s blazing pace in trying to end a six-year championship drought has emerged as a prevailing storyline.

    After Toyota swept the top four and took six of the top seven spots in the playoff opener at Darlington Raceway, Hamlin and teammate Chase Briscoe claimed the top two spots at the 1.25-mile oval outside St. Louis that commonly is known as Gateway.

    Toyota’s Camrys have led 515 of 607 laps in the playoffs, and their all-around performance has left defending series champion Joey Logano marveling at the gap with Ford and Chevrolet.

    “They’re ridiculously fast,” Logano said when asked about Toyota after his No. 22 Ford took fifth at Gateway. “They’ve got a lot of grip, and they’ve got a lot of horsepower. We’ve got a lot of work to do to catch up. We’ve got to be absolutely perfect in every category to contend, and we need them to make mistakes, which they do. We have the potential to do it, it’s just going to be really challenging.”

    Logano has won two of the past three titles for Team Penske by winning the season finale at Phoenix, a track that is similar in size and shape to Gateway.

    After failing to lead a lap at Phoenix in his past two Championship 4 appearances in 2020-21, Hamlin is hopeful of being a factor again after leading a race-high 75 of 240 laps at Gateway.

    “I remember showing up to the championship race in 2021 knowing we had no shot, that we weren’t good on the short tracks,” he said. “I do feel like our cars are good right now. This is a track that you can draw some connections to Phoenix, the distance and the banking. You just never know. The Penske cars have come out of nowhere the last few years when you didn’t think they had the speed. They just showed up one week and, poof, they had it.

    “You just never know in this sport. It ebbs and it flows.”

    Toyota Racing Development president Tyler Gibbs also is cautiously optimistic about the consistency across the manufacturer’s nine-car lineup. Though Joe Gibbs Racing is Toyota’s winningest organization with 166 victories (56 apiece by Hamlin and Kyle Busch, who won the most recent title for JGR and Toyota in 2019 ), 23XI Racing won the Brickyard 400 with Bubba Wallace (who has five top-10 finishes in seven races), and Legacy Motor Club has three top fives in the past three races.

    “The tracks have suited us well and our drivers well,” Gibbs said. “I think execution is going to be what wins races in the playoffs and is going to win the championship at Phoenix. The cars are so close, and that execution can take all that away. We’re just going to keep our heads down and keep preparing the way we have. The work that the teams have done is incredible. We had some stumbles at the beginning of the year, and we worked really hard to eliminate those and be ready for the playoffs.”

    Hamlin reaffirmed after his 59th career victory that “the countdown has begun” to the end of his driving career. After signing a two-year extension through 2027 in June, he has 70 races remaining — the eight left on the 2025 schedule, plus the next two 36-race seasons — and he said the timeline is helping him stay motivated to remain in top form.

    “I’m just not going to leave this sport on my deathbed, just leaking oil and running in the back of the pack,” Hamlin said. “I have way too much pride for that. I’m way too cocky for that. There’s just no way. I want to be able to win my last race. To do that, I’m going to have to retire when I’m racing like this.”

    Ryan Blaney rallied for fourth at Gateway despite falling to 18th after being spun by Kyle Larson with 105 laps remaining. Blaney still was miffed after a postrace apology from Larson, who said he misjudged the distance from his No. 5 Chevy to Blaney’s No. 12 Ford entering Turn 3.

    “He just said he made a mistake, and that’s fine, but at the end of the day, I still got turned,” Blaney said. “He came from all the way on the bottom of the racetrack and hit me in the left rear. I know he most likely didn’t mean to do it, but it happened anyway. And so that’s just one I’ve got to remember.”

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    This story has been corrected to show that Joey Logano finished fifth, not fourth, at Gateway.

    ___

    AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

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  • McLaren driver Oscar Piastri wins Formula 1’s Dutch Grand Prix

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    McLaren driver Oscar Piastri wins Formula 1’s Dutch Grand Prix

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  • F1 tension builds as Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris resume title fight at the Dutch GP

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    ZANDVOORT, Netherlands — The Formula 1 title race is back and the tension is building.

    Ahead of this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, the first race in four weeks, Oscar Piastri is just nine points ahead of his McLaren teammate and title rival Lando Norris, who won three of the last four races before the mid-season break.

    Norris had the edge over Piastri in Friday’s first practice session, while Max Verstappen ended up in a gravel trap.

    “The intensity will naturally increase as we get closer to the end of the year, and I’m ready for that,” Piastri said Thursday.

    The Australian has won praise for his ability to stay cool in his first season as a true title contender, but he acknowledged that the nerves are there, even if they’re not always obvious.

    “I don’t believe anyone that says they don’t get nervous because I don’t think that’s possible, and I think it would be a bit weird if you weren’t nervous,” he said. “Ultimately the nerves can be good or bad and it’s how you manage it that decides that. I think for me, being calm is part of who I am, but definitely I’ve learned through the years that is how I get the most out of myself as well.”

    Despite the break, Norris remained F1’s in-form driver as he went fastest in the first practice session by the surprisingly large margin of 0.292 seconds from Piastri. Lance Stroll was an unexpected third for Aston Martin, half a second off the pace.

    Verstappen’s home race got off to a bad start as the four-time champion ended the first practice stuck in the gravel in bizarre circumstances, sliding off the track at the first corner after attempting a practice start. He was sixth fastest in the session but almost a second off the pace.

    Ferrari struggled, with Charles Leclerc 14th and Lewis Hamilton 15th, while Kimi Antonelli caused a red flag when he was beached in the gravel after skidding off in his Mercedes.

    A slow start actually ended up helping Norris win the last race in Hungary. He had to take a gamble on his strategy and hit the jackpot by stopping once, instead of twice, to get ahead on track and then hold off his teammate on old tires.

    That prompted questions of how the situation fit McLaren’s stated aim of letting its drivers race each other for the title. Typically, the driver in the lead would get the preference on strategy.

    “Maybe it wasn’t a perfect harmonic race between us as a team because it didn’t fall exactly into the place with what we normally go by,” Norris said. “It’s an example of what can happen in racing sometimes. I think we both want, as drivers, things not to be overly strict. We don’t want to be told not to race.”

    Piastri also favored keeping things simple and not letting McLaren’s “papaya rules” get too complicated.

    “Ultimately there are race situations where being the second car from the team on track … you’ve got a lot less to lose,” Piastri said. “I think it would be unfair to neutralize that just because of wanting to be on the same strategy.”

    Verstappen says the Dutch crowd “definitely brings a smile on my face when I’m driving,” but his title defense hasn’t given him much else to smile about.

    Verstappen is the best of the non-McLaren drivers but there’s still a gulf of 97 points separating him from Piastri. The Dutch driver said Thursday his aim is “just to try to make the best of it” for the rest of 2025 and that he doesn’t have any real target in the standings.

    Verstappen won the last wet race at Zandvoort in 2023 and his best hope of a fourth career win at his home GP might be the chance of rain affecting Saturday’s qualifying and Sunday’s race.

    “That always creates a bit of chaos, so we just need to see what happens,” he said.

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    AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

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