Video: NASCAR's Ryan Preece, Chase Briscoe to Race in 'Talladega Nights'-Themed Cars
Sep 25, 2023
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 05: Ryan Preece, driver of the #41 HaasTooling.com Ford, and Chase Briscoe, driver of the #14 Mahindra Tractors Ford, race during the NASCAR Cup Series Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 05, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
Get ready to shake and bake.
Stewart-Haas Racing unveiled its Talladega Nights-themed cars for Ryan Preece and Chase Briscoe. The two racers will be doing their best Ricky Bobby and Cal Naughton Jr. in the Wonder Bread and Old Spice cars:
Jonathan Howard of On3 noted this will be the first time for the Wonder Bread scheme on the track since 2013 when Kurt Busch drove in a similarly decorated car. And it will be the first time for Old Spice since Corey LaJoie's car in 2019.
Preece and Briscoe will be in the Talladega Nights-themed cars for Sunday's YellaWood 500, which is, fittingly, taking place at Talladega Speedway.
Police: Man Dies from Neck Laceration While Working on Las Vegas F1 Grand Prix Prep
Sep 24, 2023
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 1: Road works take place on Las Vegas Boulevard during the construction from Sands Avenue on turn 9 on the 3.8 mile 50 lap course Formula One 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix Street Circuit race taking place on November 18 2023 - on June 1, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images)
A worker helping to prepare for Formula 1's Las Vegas Grand Prix died after suffering a "major laceration" to his neck, according to authorities (h/t Meredith Deliso of ABC News ).
It is unclear how the man suffered the fatal injury. Authorities were called to the Bellagio Fountains at 11:30 a.m. PT on Saturday and the man was transported to a local hospital, where he died.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the death.
The race, which will take place on Nov. 18, will go through the Las Vegas Strip, where many of the city's most famous casinos and landmarks are located.
The race will feature a 3.8-mile track in total.
Construction is currently underway in Las Vegas for the event.
Japanese F1 Grand Prix 2023 Results: Max Verstappen Nears Title After 13th Season Win
Sep 24, 2023
SUZUKA, JAPAN - SEPTEMBER 24: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing prepares to drive in the garage prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Japan at Suzuka International Racing Course on September 24, 2023 in Suzuka, Japan. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
After a one-week hiatus, Max Verstappen is back in his familiar spot atop the podium.
Verstappen turned in a dominant performance in Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix, earning a victory by more than 19 seconds over second-place Lando Norris. Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top five.
Verstappen has now won 11 of the last 12 Formula 1 races and is three wins away from breaking his own single-season victories record, which he set just one year ago. His 400 points are already the fourth-most in a single season, and he has six races to eclipse the 454-point mark from 2022.
Constructors Champions of the world!!! 🏆
What an unbelievable season we’re having 🙌 I couldn’t be more proud to be part of this @redbullracing 🙌 Everyone working on the track and back in the factory, thank you so much. What a rocket ship 🚀
"There were no real issues throughout the race. I think that sums up the weekend as well," Verstappen said, per Luke Smith of The Athletic. "It's just been an incredible weekend to drive the car."
The triumph for Verstappen clinched Red Bull its sixth constructors' championship. Clinching the constructors' championship with six races remaining sets an all-time F1 record.
Verstappen will almost certainly clinch his third straight individual title in two weeks at the Qatar Grand Prix. All he will need is a 146-point lead over Sergio Perez coming out of the weekend to walk away with the championship. It would take a complete collapse from Verstappen and his team for the points race to even stretch into the United States Grand Prix next month.
As it stands, we're in the midst of the most dominant stretch in F1 history with no end in sight. The last two seasons have seen Verstappen and Red Bull blow the competition out of the water, with no other racer even coming close to being a consistent challenger.
Sunday's race in Japan was a microcosm of the F1 season. While it might not be particularly thrilling for fans of other drivers, it's impossible to not marvel at the dominance.
Singapore F1 GP 2023 Results: Max Verstappen's Win Streak Snapped by Carlos Sainz Jr.
Sep 17, 2023
Ferrari's Spanish driver Carlos Sainz Jr (R) drives during the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix night race at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore on September 17, 2023. (Photo by Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP) (Photo by LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA/AFP via Getty Images)
It turns out someone besides Max Verstappen is allowed to win a Formula 1 race.
And so is another team besides Red Bull.
For the first time in 2023, a non-Red Bull driver won a grand prix when Ferrari's Carlos Sainz Jr. captured Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix in thrilling fashion. He faced a daunting challenge from McLaren's Lando Norris and the Mercedes tandem of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton on the final laps but did just enough to secure the victory.
Norris ended up in second, while Hamilton completed the podium in large part because Russell went into the barrier on the final lap in a disappointing end to what was a brilliant race by the 25-year-old.
Perhaps most notably, Verstappen's 10-race win streak came to an end as Red Bull finished off the podium with his fifth-place showing.
The story coming into the race was whether Red Bull would continue its dominance. After all, it won the first 14 races of the year with Verstappen taking 12 of them and Sergio Pérez prevailing at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Verstappen's most recent victory at the Italian Grand Prix gave him 10 consecutive victories, which surpassed Sebastian Vettel's for the longest winning streak in F1 history.
Yet Sunday was an uphill battle from the start for Red bull following a disappointing qualifying effort on Saturday.
Verstappen qualified in P11, while Pérez wasn't far behind at P13. That was all the more problematic for the dominant team because of the nature of the Marina Bay Street Circuit, which doesn't lend itself well to overtaking given the tight track. While Verstappen came back in Miami and Spa earlier this year, doing so in Sunday's race would have been even more impressive.
Sainz took pole position with Russell was in second.
Sainz capitalized with an ideal start and maintained his advantage, and Ferrari seemed to shift its attention toward his pursuit of victory at the expense of teammate Charles Leclerc:
To Verstappen's credit, he climbed as high as second place in the early going but was eventually passed by Hamilton, Norris and others. After pitting for new tires, the runaway leader in the driver standings found himself all the way back in 15th place.
The biggest question for the final laps was whether Sainz could hold off the Mercedes tandem of Russell and Hamilton. It helped his cause that Ferrari teammate Leclerc was in third place as an obstacle for the Mercedes drivers, but the challengers also had newer tires and a faster pace.
They eventually passed Leclerc, setting up the showdown between Sainz, Norris, Russell and Hamilton.
Yet Sainz held off all challengers and will take plenty of momentum into the Japanese Grand Prix.
NASCAR Legend Danica Patrick Reflects on Escaping 'Burning Man' Festival 2023
Sep 4, 2023
Danica Patrick sits on the set of ESPN's College Game Day program as a guest picker in Soldier Field before an NCAA college football game between Wisconsin and Notre Dame Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick was among the attendees at this week's Burning Man festival in Nevada's Black Rock Desert who were trapped in muddy conditions and largely unable to leave after a series of rain storms this summer.
Patrick spoke about her time at the festival in a post on her Instagram Stories:
Made it out. Stuck three times and it took four hours... but on pavement.
The challenge from weather really helped show everyone's true nature at BM and it was to step up and help each other. It is an alternate reality where everyone gives what they can and no money is exchanged.
Too bad that couldn't be our full reality but for now... It's one magical week in the desert. Or swamp this year.
Heavy rain on Friday and Saturday led to swampy conditions and flooded roads, making it impossible for most of the 70,000 attendees to leave. Some people hiked through the muddy desert and hitchhiked to the closest town or city like Reno in an effort to escape the festival.
Burning Man is an annual arts and music festival that places an emphasis on self-reliance and trading goods among the attendees or gifting rather than the exchange of money. A temporary city is built for the event and a giant sculpture of a man is ceremoniously burnt to end the event.
Patrick, 41, is a former NASCAR and IndyCar driver. She had one win and seven podium finishes in her IndyCar career and seven top-10 finishes during her time in NASCAR. She is the only woman to ever win an IndyCar event.
Italian F1 GP 2023 Results: Max Verstappen Wins, Breaks Sebastian Vettel's Streak
Sep 3, 2023
MONZA, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 02: Second placed qualifier Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing looks on in parc ferme during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Italy at Autodromo Nazionale Monza on September 02, 2023 in Monza, Italy. (Photo by Mario Renzi - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
Maybe it's time to start leading with who finished second in each Formula 1 race.
Max Verstappen made it 10 wins in a row Sunday in the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, surpassing Sebastian Vettel for the longest winning streak ever in F1.
Verstappen started from the second position behind Carlos Sainz, and Sainz needed to deploy his best defensive tactics from the outset in order to keep the reigning champion at bay.
LAP 6/51
Verstappen puts Sainz under immense pressure, but he closes the door at Turn 1
As has been the case all year, nobody seriously challenged Verstappen once he climbed to the top of the field. By the time he crossed the finish line, his Red Bull teammate Sergio Pérez trailed in second by a little more than six seconds.
The battle between Sainz and Pérez provided some late drama.
Perez goes wide at T1 again while battling Sainz for P2!
Perez 📻: “He keeps moving really late in braking.”
After Pérez passed him, Sainz immediately had Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc breathing down his neck for the third spot on the podium. One-tenth of a second separated the two at the end as Sainz and Leclerc wound up in third and fourth respectively.
Lewis Hamilton placed sixth for the second week in a row, and he might be somewhat fortunate he didn't wind up further down the leaderboard.
The same problems that have hampered the Mercedes star all year were once again an issue Sunday.
Hamilton also received a five-second penalty due to contact with Oscar Piastri on Lap 41. All things considered, his final position could've been worse even if he's unlikely to look back on the race as a whole positively.
The start of the event was delayed when Yuki Tsunoda experienced an engine failure on the formation lap. Tsunoda's day ended before it officially began as he watched his car loaded loaded onto the recovery vehicle and taken back to the garage.
this wasn't the #ItalianGP start we were hoping for 💔 Yuki DNS 😢
2 minutes to formation lap
C'MON LIAM 🇳🇿👊🏼
— Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team (@visacashapprb) September 3, 2023
Drivers will get a week off before they head to Southeast Asia for the Singapore Grand Prix. The practice sessions get underway Sept. 15 before the green flag waves Sept. 17 for the 16th race of the season.
Verstappen is looking for his first win at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. You like his odds of collecting the checkered flag in two weeks' time because there's no end to his dominance in sight.
Ryan Preece to Make NASCAR Return at Southern 500 After Scary Crash in Daytona Race
Sep 2, 2023
DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - AUGUST 26: Ryan Preece, driver of the #41 RaceChoice.com Ford, walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on August 26, 2023 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
Stewart-Haas Racing driver Ryan Preece will return to the track this weekend in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina, for the first time since his horrific crash at Daytona International Speedway last week.
"If I had headaches or blurry vision or anything like that that I felt I was endangering myself or anybody else here, I wouldn't be racing," Preece told reporters Saturday,. "I have a family that I have to worry about as well. This is my job, this is what I want to do, and I feel completely fine."
Preece's No. 41 Ford went airborne and flipped nearly a dozen times before coming to rest on the infield grass in the closing laps of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona on Aug. 26.
The accident occurred with five laps to go when he was bumped by Erik Jones and spun across the nose of Chase Briscoe's car and into the infield before going airborne in what was one of the more violent crashes of the NASCAR season.
"I've seen other interviews from drivers in the past that as you get sideways and as you go in the air, it's gets real quiet," Preece said. "After experiencing that, that's 100 percent true. Beyond that, everything's happening so fast, you're just flipping through the air. Until that ride stops, all you're thinking about is just trying to contain yourself.
"You tense up and you hope you're going to be OK," he continued. "Which obviously I am."
After being attended to by the AMR Safety Team, Preece was able to climb out of the vehicle before being transported to the hospital for further evaluation before being released on the morning of Aug. 27.
While Preece says he is not sore from the crash, his eyes are bloodshot and bruised from the accident.
Ryan Preece takes off his sunglasses to show reporters his eyes. He said he has no vision issues. It is typical after a flip like that to have blood vessels burst. pic.twitter.com/mnbnjlL3h0
Preece's accident eliminated him from the NASCAR playoffs as he faced a must-win situation at Daytona amid a difficult 2023 season. His best finish this year came when he finished fifth at Richmond Raceway in July.
The Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway kicks off at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes Agree to New Contract Until 2025 amid F1's 2023 Season
Aug 31, 2023
STAVELOT, BELGIUM - JULY 30: Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes is seen during the Formula 1 Belgium Grand Prix, held at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, in Stavelot, Belgium on July 30, 2023. (Photo by Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Formula One announced Thursday that superstar driver Lewis Hamilton agreed to a new contract that will keep him with Mercedes until 2025.
Hamilton's contract had been set to expire at the end of the 2023 season, but both he and teammate George Russell signed extensions of the same length Thursday, per ESPN's Laurence Edmondson.
Edmondson added that while there had been some links between Hamilton and Ferrari, the seven-time F1 points champion remained steadfast in his desire to remain with Mercedes.
The 38-year-old Hamilton began his F1 career with McLaren in 2007 before joining Mercedes in 2013 and remaining with the team ever since.
Hamilton won his first championship with McLaren in 2008, but each of his past six titles were under the Mercedes banner, winning it all in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.
With 103 career race wins, Hamilton is the winningest F1 driver of all time. The next closest is the legendary Michael Schumacher at 91, followed by Sebastian Vettel at 53.
From 2014 through 2021, Hamilton finished either first or second in the standings every year, including narrowly losing out on the points title to Max Verstappen in 2021.
Verstappen repeated as champion in 2022, and Hamilton dropped to sixth in the standings, marking the worst finish of his F1 career.
Hamilton didn't win a single race in 2022, and he has yet to win through 13 races this season, although he has improved to the tune of being fourth in the standings.
With a remarkable 11 wins in 13 races, Verstappen is trending toward a three-peat, plus his teammate Sergio Pérez is second in the standings, underscoring Red Bull's current dominance of the sport.
Mercedes was once in that position, and while it hasn't been the case lately, Hamilton re-signing suggests he believes it is possible for Mercedes to turn things around and compete with Red Bull over the next couple of seasons.
Netherlands F1 Grand Prix 2023 Results: Max Verstappen Wins, Lewis Hamilton in 6th
Aug 27, 2023
ZANDVOORT, NETHERLANDS - AUGUST 26: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing celebrates his pole position in parc feme during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of The Netherlands at Circuit Park Zandvoort on August 26, 2023 in Zandvoort, Netherlands. (Photo by Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images)
Max Verstappen extended his winning streak to nine races after claiming the checkered flag in the Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday at Circuit Zandvoort.
The reigning champion matched the Formula One record set by Sebastian Vettel in 2013. Fernando Alonso and Pierre Gasly drove their way onto the podium as well.
MAX VERSTAPPEN WINS THE DUTCH GRAND PRIX 🏆
The Red Bull driver takes his ninth win in a row to equal Sebastian Vettel’s record for most consecutive wins 💪#DutchGP#F1pic.twitter.com/lCJHFA0kCS
"After five wins in a row, Seb texted me and said well done with what you are doing, keep it up and you are going to do it," Verstappen told reporters before the race.
"But I was like, nine wins in a row is something very impressive and I never thought I would be able to already be on eight."
Verstappen started from the pole but briefly fell out of first place with the rainy conditions forcing he and his team to rethink their approach.
LAP 3/72
Verstappen and Alonso, who were running P1 and P2, both pit for inters
But another pit stop proved pivotal toward Verstappen assuming the top spot again. He received a set of soft tires on the 11th lap and moved into first shortly thereafter. Once reinstalled as the race leader, he proceeded to widen his lead little by little.
Alonso's onto the soft tyre and the two Red Bull drivers have yet to pit. Verstappen is given priority despite being P2 on track, so Perez has to wait another lap #F1#DutchGP
Actually Red Bull have played that perfectly. Verstappen leads, Perez pits and emerges P2 ahead of Alonso, and it's taken just 13 laps amid chaos to get the cars 1-2 #F1#DutchGP
A lengthy rain delay with seven laps remaining did little to level the playing field.
It's the same story that's played out all year. Mad Max becomes all but untouchable once he finds his groove on the track.
For Lewis Hamilton, Sunday was also a reflection of how his season has unfolded. Starting from the 13th position meant a podium finish was a tall order for Hamilton. The seven-time F1 champion did well under the circumstances but might come away disappointed overall with his sixth-place showing.
Mercedes teammate George Russell, meanwhile, had a brutal time on the track.
Russell qualified for third, so earning his second podium of the season was a reasonable goal. Instead, his race went off the rails so quickly, and he couldn't help but vent his frustration over the radio.
"I was forecast to be on the podium. How did we mess this up?"
While Russell eventually righted the ship, only to get a DNF due to a tire puncture after the restart.
Thanks to his crash on Lap 16, Logan Sargeant produced one of the most striking images from Sunday. He cut quite the forlorn figure as he watched the action from the sidelines, and he might still be sitting in that lawn chair right now.
Verstappen will look to overtake Vettel's record in one week at the Italian Grand Prix. Qualifying in Monza gets underway Saturday.
Given how much the 25-year-old is dominating the competition, you'd bet on him to make it 10 in a row.
Video: Michael Jordan Congratulates Bubba Wallace on NASCAR Playoff Berth at Daytona
Aug 27, 2023
DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - AUGUST 26: Bubba Wallace, driver of the #23 Columbia Sportswear Company Toyota, greets fans as he walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on August 26, 2023 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Bubba Wallace landed his first career NASCAR Cup playoff berth Saturday night at Daytona, and Michael Jordan was on hand to offer his congratulations.
The Basketball Hall of Famer greeted Wallace alongside other members of the 23XI Racing team as Wallace clinched the 16th and final playoff spot.
Michael Jordan greets Bubba Wallace on pit road and congratulates members of 23XI Racing on the NASCAR playoff berth. pic.twitter.com/181PseRhHw
Wallace snuck into the playoffs after Chris Buescher won the Coke Zero 400 on Saturday. He is one of only three drivers to qualify for the playoffs this season without a win. Veterans Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick are the others.
While Wallace has finished outside the top 10 in 11 of the last 12 races, his stellar string of top fives in May and his fourth-place finish in February's race in Las Vegas were enough to give him a bump.
Jordan launched 23XI Racing in 2020, with Denny Hamlin serving as a minority owner. After Jordan sold his majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets earlier this year, 23XI Racing is now his main sports entity.
We'll have to see if Wallace is as clutch in the playoffs as his car owner.
