NASCAR

Kyle Larson emerged victorious in the Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday.

Driving the No. 5 Chevrolet, Larson secured his 30th overall NASCAR Cup Series win and first of 2025.

Never doubt Yung Money! @KyleLarsonRacin wins at @HomesteadMiami! pic.twitter.com/o1DtNc5dux

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 23, 2025

KYLE LARSON WINS AT HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY! #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/0nbQAKluJc

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) March 23, 2025

Sunday's result also represented the 32-year-old's second NACAR Cup Series victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway in his career.

Cup race results from Homestead: ⁦@NASCARONFOX⁩ pic.twitter.com/i61At76MoJ

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) March 23, 2025

Larson passed Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman with roughly six laps remaining in Sunday's race, leading for 19 of the 267 total laps.

Bowman in the wall!

Larson to the lead!! pic.twitter.com/PfxEa2nQQD

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 23, 2025

There are NASCAR drivers who can win some races. There aren't drivers who can do what Kyle Larson makes look normal about once a month. This is why people say he's the best in the world, folks.

— Ryan McCafferty (@rjmanalytics) March 23, 2025

Kyle Larson was 🤏🏼 close to sweeping the weekend

Homestead remains NASCAR’s best track

— Chris Pennell (@ChrisPennell16) March 23, 2025

Kyle Larson masterclass today.

Really wish he could have gotten the sweep, but still a great weekend for Larson nonetheless.

— Brandon White (@BrandonWhite95) March 23, 2025

Kyle Larson was a clean restart away from a weekend sweep. Could this be the moment we circle as a potential "turning point" for Kyle Larson's season?

Also, hate it for Bowman. But Larson put pressure on him and he made the mistake of bouncing off the wall & using up his stuff.

— Jordan Ferrell (@FerrellonFM983) March 23, 2025

Kyle Larson is unbelievable man

— skyboxnascar (@SkyboxNascar) March 23, 2025

Bowman, who won pole position on Saturday, was battling with Bubba Wallace throughout the final few laps before both drivers fell behind Larson.

"One of the coolest wins of my cup career because of all the heartbreak here," Larson said after the win, via Brett Winningham of Speedway Digest.

He had a chance to sweep the weekend, but he fell just short in his Xfinity Series appearance after clinching a late win in the Truck Series on Friday.

Ryan Blaney, the runner-up in the past two Homestead races, was able to hold off Bowman for the Stage 1 win to secure 10 championship points and one playoff point.

Blaney led for a race-high 124 laps, but an engine failure put an end to his hopes of coming away with a win.

Ryan Blaney's engine just exploded. That's the second engine failure of the year for the No. 12 team. #NASCARonFS1 pic.twitter.com/UyRwsOXkw7

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) March 23, 2025

Denny Hamlin won Stage 2 on Sunday, narrowly edging out Larson. Bowman, Hamlin, Larson and Wallace were battling for the lead throughout the final stage before Bowman cleared Wallace for the No. 1 spot with 33 laps to go.

Back out front, it's @Alex_Bowman! pic.twitter.com/bAelUQeOs5

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 23, 2025

Tyler Reddick won the race in 2024 but couldn't achieve the feat for a second consecutive year, finishing eighth.

The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series will continue at Martinsville Speedway on March 30.

Katherine Legge endured some early adversity as she became the first woman since Danica Patrick in February 2018 to compete in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Sunday's Shriners Children's 500 at Phoenix Raceway.

Legge's No. 78 car spun out just four laps into her Cup Series debut, but she avoided any major damage and was able to continue. She experienced frequent issues with her car, causing multiple pitstops.

Lap 4: Early trouble for Katherine Legge. pic.twitter.com/z29cu6bcWt

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) March 9, 2025

Here's what happened on Katherine Legge's spin today at Phoenix: https://t.co/eKtDfo3ueo pic.twitter.com/42fBSVCe7z

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) March 9, 2025

Katherine Legge spins off Turn 2.

"Hey guys, I'm sorry. I'm so tight" Legge tells the No. 78 team.

The team tells her to take a breathe and that she's learning every lap. #NASCAR

— Dustin Albino (@DustinAlbino) March 9, 2025

"Entry and exit. Mostly exit. Like really, really bad on exit. But also on entry. Like 5/10 on entry and 10/10 on exit." - Katherine Legge regarding her loose No. 78 car.

She added that her car isn't what it felt yesterday.#NASCAR

— Luis Torres (@TheLTFiles) March 9, 2025

Unfortunately, things got worse later on when Legge spun out again and Daniel Suarez ran into her car, ending her day after 216 laps in the 312-lap race:

Katherine Legge goes around and collects Daniel Suárez! 👀 #NASCARonFS1 https://t.co/z25cBIBQvE pic.twitter.com/VAYiUx99OL

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) March 9, 2025

Legge told Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass afterward that she and her team "made some changes to the car overnight, and they were awful." Still, she added that she "learned so much" and expressed interest in returning to the Cup Series in the future:

Katherine Legge on her Cup debut: @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/XjEEvu4knU

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) March 9, 2025

Legge ended up finishing 30th. Christopher Bell won the race for his third consecutive victory of the 2025 season.

Fans on social media praised Legge for her resilience while competing in Sunday's race:

Katherine Legge is a very solid race car driver. There’s more to racing than just NASCAR. Some fans need to realize that. Going to go after her accomplishments, meanwhile there are multiple drivers in Cup and Xfinity that shouldn’t be there. #NASCAR

— Chad Frankenfield 🦅🇺🇸🏁 (@Chad__15) March 9, 2025

Fun fact:

Katherine Legge has a faster lap than Chase Briscoe, SVG, Cole Custer, Ty Gibbs, Ty Dillon, and Cody Ware.#NASCAR

— Ben (@bcam_14) March 9, 2025

i will defend katherine legge with my life

— ori ⚢ (@elliottistic) March 9, 2025

It’s badass that Katherine Legge ran the Chili Bowl, ARCA at Daytona and this cup race at PHX.

Any driver who had the chance would do the same if the opportunity presented itself…but none of these endeavors have gone well

Just wonder if it’s been worth it or even fun for Kat.

— Nick Yeoman (@NYeoman) March 9, 2025

That being said, I would love to see Katherine Legge back in the #NASCAR Cup Series this season. https://t.co/9H6YisbPMK

— Joseph Srigley (@joe_srigley) March 9, 2025

Legge is a 20-year racing veteran who has five career starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. She's also competed in the IndyCar Series, with four career starts in the Indianapolis 500.

The 2025 Cup Series season will continue with next Sunday's Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

This weekend's NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway will feature a new driver who will be making history.

Per ESPN, Live Fast Motorsports announced Monday that Katherine Legge will make her Cup Series debut in Sunday's Shriners Children's 500 driving the No. 78 Chevrolet. She will be the first woman to compete in a Cup Series race since Danica Patrick at the Daytona 500 in 2018.

"Entering the NASCAR Cup Series is a dream come true," Legge said, per The Athletic's Jeff Gluck. "Racing stock cars has been an incredibly fun and new challenge that’s given me a renewed sense of vigor for this sport. As always, I’m grateful for the opportunity to do what I love and am inspired by all of the effort, preparation and behind the scenes work it takes to get here."

We are thrilled to announce that @katherinelegge will be driving the No. 78 DROPLiGHT Chevy Camaro this week in Phoenix!

This will be Katherine’s debut in the NASCAR Cup series.#nascar #cupseries pic.twitter.com/w9zdc3clac

— Live Fast Motorsports (@teamlivefast) March 3, 2025

A 20-year racing veteran, Legge has made five career starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, most recently competing at Road America in 2023. She's also competed in the IndyCar Series and ran a partial schedule in 2024. She's made four career starts in the Indianapolis 500 and set a record for the fastest qualifying time by a woman in 2023.

Legge was recently in action last month in the ARCA Ride the 'Dente race at Daytona International Speedway and finished 39th after being involved in an early accident. Per NASCAR, she also expanded to dirt-track racing this year and earned an entry to the Chili Bowl Nationals.

"The opportunity to have such a versatile and dynamic championship-winning driver join our program is exciting for everyone on our team," Live Fast co-owner Jessica McLeod, who owns the team with driver husband B.J. McLeod, said, per Gluck. "This partnership reflects our commitment to providing opportunities for drivers making their way into the NASCAR Cup series in the Next Gen Era."

The first NASCAR Cup Series road race of the year belongs to Christopher Bell.

Bell won the Echopark Texas Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, on Sunday and held off second-place finisher William Byron and third-place finisher Tyler Reddick in the process.

He also clinched his second straight race victory after taking home the Ambetter Health 400 in Atlanta last week.

Back-to-back Bell!@CBellRacing wins at @NASCARatCOTA! pic.twitter.com/uJCaXVATcH

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 3, 2025

.@WilliamByron and @TylerReddick have joined the battle for the lead!

Two to go at @NASCARatCOTA. pic.twitter.com/4LKdUo4zhp

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 2, 2025

Here is a look at the race's standings:

1. Christopher Bell

2. William Byron

3. Tyler Reddick

4. Chase Elliott

5. Kyle Busch

6. Shane van Gisbergen

7. Chris Buescher

8. Noah Gragson

9. Alex Bowman

10. Todd Gilliland

While Byron was the defending champion and Reddick started in front of the field after winning pole position, it was Bell who made the necessary maneuvers with the race hanging in the balance.

And those maneuvers were under more of a spotlight than usual Sunday, as the drivers faced a different version of the course than they are accustomed to from previous competitions. The new and shorter track was 2.3 miles instead of the 3.4-mile Grand Prix circuit used for Formula 1 and other road racing series.

That also increased the lap count from 68 to 95.

Bubba Wallace got off to a quick start on that version of the track and won Stage 1, while Ryan Preece won Stage 2.

There was also no shortage of eyes on 18-year-old Connor Zilisch in his highly anticipated Cup debut, although it came to an earlier end than expected when he hit Trackhouse Racing teammate Daniel Suarez's spinning car and had to retire before the checkered flag.

It was anyone's race heading into the closing stretch, especially after a restart was needed after an incident involving Denny Hamlin and Austin Dillon that left the latter stuck in gravel.

The Nos. 3 and 11 make contact and the yellow flag flies. pic.twitter.com/u1h7u5YhoM

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 2, 2025

Bell, Byron and Reddick were all in position to make a charge in the final laps, but Bell prevailed.

Kyle Busch has never won the Daytona 500, one of the rare blemishes on an otherwise impressive career résumé. But oddsmakers believe Sunday could be the day to end that drought.

According to DraftKings Sportsbooks, Busch is the favorite to win the 2025 Daytona 500 (+900), followed by Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott and Bubba Wallace (all +1100).

Busch is also attempting to end a 57-race winless streak

"You’ve got to win, right?" he told reporters this week. "And unfortunately, we weren't able to win last year. So being able to get back to victory lane, being able to build on some consistency, getting those top-five, top-10s, getting that number higher than what it was this year is definitely paramount. We had a rough summer last year, had a lot of DNFs in that stretch that kind of brought us outside the playoff and being able to get ourselves in contention."

Meanwhile, last year's winner, William Byron, will carry somewhat longer odds (+1700) to win on Sunday. He and his crew had some car issues to iron out ahead of the race, though he felt confident his car was in good shape heading into the race:

William Byron had some fuel pressure issues during his duel. What they did to fix them and why the Hendrick Motorsports driver feels good after Friday's practice. @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/zxRXA3wCfL

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) February 16, 2025

Then there is Hamlin, who has the most Daytona 500 wins among active drivers with three. Another victory at the race would put him in rarefied air—only Cale Yarborough (1968, 1977, 1983, 1984) and Richard Petty (1964, 1966, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1981) have ever won the race four or more times.

3-time #DAYTONA500 winner @DennyHamlin talks with @The_ChrisMyers. pic.twitter.com/C500rodOsj

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 16, 2025

Hamlin has remained humble regarding his past wins at the race, however.

"I want to remind everyone that I've ran 40 races at Daytona, and I've only won three of them," he joked with reporters this week. "If you look at it from a win-loss perspective, it's horrendous. But in our sport, they

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The NASCAR Cup Series got off to an exciting start with the Cookout Clash at Bowman Gray on Sunday.

A battle between Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin ultimately saw Elliott come out victorious in the short-track race. Blaney was in striking distance in the final laps but didn't have enough time to mount the comeback to get the win.

From the pool hall to The Madhouse, the si-reen sounds!@chaseelliott wins the #CookOutClash at @BGSRacing! pic.twitter.com/veUhEF8ccH

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 3, 2025

Elliott started in the top position thanks to a tremendous showing in the qualifying heats, and getting that kind of start is always important in a race that features a track as small as the one at Bowman Gray.

Elliott led for 171 of 200 laps and had the fastest lap of the race. Hamlin was in the mix for much of the race, leading for 28 laps, but it was mostly between Elliott and Blaney towards the end.

It's getting physical for the lead! 💥 pic.twitter.com/8syreEujTA

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 3, 2025

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Cookout Clash Race Results

1. Chase Elliott
2. Ryan Blaney
3. Denny Hamlin
4. Joey Logano 
5. Bubba Wallace
6. Ross Chastain
7. Austin Cindric
8. Tyler Reddick
9. Chris Buescher
10. Shane van Gisbergen

Full race results can be found here.

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Elliott dominated the race through and through and held off a late comeback from Blaney, leading to high praise for the driver on social media afterward.

Congrats to all my friends that are Chase Elliott fans. He had a hot rod tonight.

— Curtis Bailey (@Curtis_Bailey) February 3, 2025

CHASE ELLIOTT IS UNDEFEATED FOR THE 2025 NASCAR SEASON

— Jordan Dworaczyk (@JCR_JWOWisBACK) February 3, 2025

Hope this is the start of a banner year for Chase Elliott! https://t.co/Ncd69JH4V0

— Jonathan Sanford (@TheJSanford) February 3, 2025

Chase Elliott is the 2025 Cook Out Clash Winner at Bowman Gray Stadium. What an event. Thanks @NASCAR for doing this we need to do this again in 2026!!!

— OhioSportsMan (@OhioSportsMan12) February 3, 2025

What a way to start 2025 for Chase Elliott! Winner of the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium! #di9 #NASCARCLASH @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/RjdmzJCTAn

— Grant Reynolds (@GrantReyn93) February 3, 2025

#NASCARClash and just like that, Chase Elliott is the best race car driver in the world once again. pic.twitter.com/FQnq7dBqKF

— Game of Noles (@gameofnoles) February 3, 2025

Chase Elliott is undefeated in 2025. #di9 https://t.co/nOjSuoG3rI

— Anthony Sperando (@Vikingfanant) February 3, 2025

https://twitter.com/tdub4b/status/1886253570145788345

Elliott had a decent year last season, finishing seventh in the Cup Series standings, but he's hoping for a better finish this time around. The Clash at Bowman Gray won't give him any points in the Cup Series as it was just an exhibition, and his first chance to pick up points will come at the Dayton 500 on Feb. 16.

Still, he has to feel good about himself heading into the Great American Race later this month.

The NASCAR Cup series is back in 2025 with the Cook Out Clash, as qualifying took place on Saturday at Bowman Gray Stadium.

Chase Elliott secured pole position for Sunday night's 200-lap race by winning Heat 1, overcoming a physical start to emerge victorious. It was an impressive day for Elliott, as he previously earned the top spot in the first heat by clocking the fastest lap of the timed practice session.

Denny Hamlin, the defending Cook Out Clash winner, will start Sunday's race at No. 3 after winning Heat 3.

Here's the full starting lineup following Saturday's action.

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Cook Out Clash Lineup

1. Chase Elliott
2. Chris Buescher
3. Denny Hamlin
4. Tyler Reddick
5. Brad Keselowski
6. Chase Briscoe
7. Joey Logano
8. Christopher Bell
9. Noah Gragson
10. Shane van Gisbergen 
11. William Byron
12. Ryan Preece
13. Kyle Busch
14. Bubba Wallace
15. Carson Hocevar
16. Austin Cindric
17. Ross Chastain
18. Daniel Suárez
19. Alex Bowman
20. Todd Gilliland

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Elliott took Heat 1 and Hamlin emerged victorious in Heat 3, while Buescher earned the No. 2 spot in Sunday's race by winning Heat 2.

Reddick also clinched a top-four start in the Cook Out Clash by winning Heat 4.

There weren't many surprises in each of the 25-lap heat races, as all four drivers started their respective races in pole position before securing their wins.

Elliott, the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion, acknowledged his pole position on social media.

Heat race ✅🏁

P1 tomorrow at the Clash pic.twitter.com/z55pfxh8oS

— Chase Elliott (@chaseelliott) February 2, 2025

Chase Elliott wins Heat Race No. 1 at Bowman Gray Stadium! #NASCARonFS1 pic.twitter.com/cLoIROBWP4

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 2, 2025

Ryan Preece was able to clinch a spot in Sunday's lineup despite starting Heat 4 in the No. 6 spot. Preece and John Hunter Nemechek battled throughout the race before the No. 60 car made an aggressive move to jump in front.

A little Madhouse Mayhem™️. pic.twitter.com/yaj4616P9t

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 2, 2025

Preece finished the Heat race at No. 3, securing his Cook Out Clash spot.

There was some more aggression in Heat 4, as AJ Allmendinger squeezed Cole Custer into the wall and sent Custer's car spinning while the two battled for a transfer spot. Allmendinger and Custer finished No. 7 and No. 9 in their heat, respectively.

Allmendinger and Custer make contact! pic.twitter.com/e35bSet5O8

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 2, 2025

For drivers that missed the initial cut such as Allmendinger and Custer, they'll still have a chance to earn a spot in Sunday's race by finishing with one of the top two spots in the Last Chance Qualifier.

There's also an available spot that will be rewarded to the driver ranked highest in the 2024 standings who wasn't able to transfer.

Ryan Blaney, who will compete in the Last Chance Qualifier, has the most 2024 points of the 19 drivers vying for a Cook Out Clash spot.

Action continues on Sunday, with the Last Chance Qualifier kicking things off at 6 p.m. ET.

The 200-lap race is then set to commence at 8 p.m. ET.

In the final race of the 2024 NASCAR Monster Cup season, Ford's Joey Logano emerged victorious at the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona, defeating fellow Ford driver Ryan Blaney by 0.33 seconds.

With Logano's victory, he claimed his third NASCAR Cup Series Championship.

THE LEGEND OF LOGANO GROWS!@joeylogano is a three-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion! pic.twitter.com/THSUyNfYZ1

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) November 10, 2024

Chevrolet's William Byron finished third, 5.119 seconds behind the leader, while Chevrolet's Kyle Larson placed fourth, 7.169 seconds behind first.

Blaney entered Sunday's championship leading the standings with 5,000 points, bolstered by the best finishes in the early races that determined his placement, with Logano bringing in second place.

Blaney makes a charge, but it's not enough! @joeylogano is the champion in 2024! #Championship4 pic.twitter.com/HHFZV7GfkG

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) November 10, 2024

Notably, Tyler Reddick finished in sixth place and Bubba Wallce in seventh.

With a total of 16 lead changes, the race to the top was a hard-fought battle, particularly between Byron and Logano, who had been vying for the top spot all season long.

Bobby Allison, a NASCAR Hall of Famer who won the Daytona 500 three times, died at 86 on Saturday, per the Associated Press.

NASCAR announced that Allison died peacefully at his home.

The NASCAR family mourns the loss of Bobby Allison, who passed away peacefully at home today at the age of 86. pic.twitter.com/X4zUxohSNc

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) November 10, 2024

Allison, who became full-time on the Grand National circuit in 1965, is fourth on NASCAR's all-time win list for its premier series. He made 718 career starts, the 14th-most in series history, and finished inside the top five 336 times, the most of any driver besides the legendary Richard Petty.

He was the 1983 premier-series champion and won 85 races during his career.

He won the Dayton 500 in 1978, 1982 and 1988 and the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway four times (1971, '72, '75, '83). Allison also claimed victory at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway three times ('71, '81, '84).

Allison helped propel NASCAR to the national stage both with his performance on the track and his personality off it, which added entertainment value to the sport. During the 1979 Daytona 500, his fight with Cale Yarborough in the final laps made headlines and sparked a new era for NASCAR.

Allison was a founding member of the legendary "Alabama Gang," a racing group started by Allison, his brother Donnie and Red Farmer. The group gained and lost members over the years, but all of the original members have been inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.

Frankie Muniz's first season as a NASCAR driver ended with an unfortunate wreck on Friday at the Craftsman Truck Series Championship.

The Malcolm in the Middle star, who made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut earlier this season, limped away from a crash on Friday, but confirmed after the race that he's fine.

"I'm okay, yeah. Unfortunate," he told reporters after the race (h/t Deadline's Glenn Garner). "I felt like got a good opportunity to run with some guys, I made some passes. Lost a few spots on restarts, then went back out and passed them again. So it was good for me to figure out how to get by people, you know I haven't really gotten to do that much this year so that was really positive."

A big mess in Phoenix. 😳 https://t.co/5MxiqKB6cD pic.twitter.com/uVPFSNiTUb

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) November 9, 2024

Muniz was promoted to full-time for the Reaume Brothers Racing team's 2025 season in October after making his NASCAR debut last January.

"Ever since childhood, it's been my dream to pursue racing in NASCAR, and it was important for me to partner with a team that aligned with my long-term objectives and vision while providing every opportunity imaginable to grow mentally and physically as a full-time race car driver," Muniz said in a statement (h/t Deadline's Bruce Haring).

The former actor has been involved in the racing world for years and finally got the chance to compete in NASCAR recently. While his season didn't end the way he would have liked, he said he's looking forward to getting back behind the wheel next year.

"That said, I'm so grateful for my team," Muniz said. "And I'm so excited for next season. This year wasn't what we had hoped, but this proved that I can race with guys, I can pass here. We're gonna be better next year, and I've got the whole off-season to prepare. We're gonna go get it."