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Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
NASCAR set for summer stretch March Madness style. Will new tournament end summer schedule malaise?
Chris Buescher walks to his car before a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Hermanos Rodríguez race track in Mexico City, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano) Chris Buescher walks to his car before a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Hermanos Rodríguez race track in Mexico City, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano) LONG POND, Pa. (AP) — It's time to bust out the brackets, pick an upset or two, and follow winners on the road — a journey over city streets, concrete and bricks — to the final four and beyond. Totally awesome, baby? Advertisement Forget all the upset specials in March. NASCAR will find out soon enough if its attempt to snap out of a mid-summer malaise with its first in-season tournament is a success with drivers and fans as it strives to boost engagement and build buzz in the staid regular season. The concept has already juiced enthusiasm in NASCAR to levels not seen since the halcyon days when Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough duked it out in the 1979 Daytona 500. 'To be really honest with you,' 2020 NASCAR champion Chase Elliott said, 'I have not paid any attention to it.' Maybe a look at the matchup will get NASCAR's most popular driver pumped! Advertisement Elliott is seeded fifth against No. 28 seed Austin Dillon in the first round of the head-to-head showdown in the race-within-the-race set for this weekend at the track better known as Atlanta Motor Speedway. Here's a refresher for Elliott and any other sports fan who missed out on the specifics of NASCAR joining the in-season tournament party, much like attempts in the NBA, NHL, and, of course, throughout the world in soccer. NASCAR is set to start the engines on a five-race, bracket-style tournament called the In-Season Challenge in the midst of the summer slate, which comes with a $1 million prize to the winner. The final 32-driver field was set by results of the last three races at Michigan, Mexico City and Pocono. The drivers are paired in head-to-head matchups based on seeding, with the winners advancing to the next round in a bracket format that mirrors the NCAA basketball tournaments. Advertisement Buoyed by a win at Michigan and a runner-up finish at Pocono, Denny Hamlin earned the top seed. He'll square off — race off? — against No. 32 seed Ty Dillon. Pocono winner Chase Briscoe is the No. 2 seed and is pitted against No. 31 seed Noah Gragson. Chris Buescher is third, Christopher Bell fourth and Elliott fifth, among notable names. The format is single elimination with the field cut to 16 at the street race in Chicago, eight at Sonoma, four on the lone concrete track in the series at Dover and the final two over the yard of bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Challenge is part of NASCAR's media rights deal that includes TNT, and the Atlanta-based cable network will broadcast all five races in the tournament, starting with the 400-miler in Atlanta. Advertisement Aside from a shrug from Elliott and a few others, drivers are intrigued by the idea of increasing the stakes in each race beyond a playoff berth, trophy and the winner's purse. 'I love it. I think it's great,' three-time Cup champion Joey Logano said. 'I think it's placed perfectly where it is in the season. This is kind of that moment where the newness is worn off. We're into the rhythm, we're racing every week. It's starting to start a little bit of, who's going to be in the playoffs, who's not, the cutoff line all those types of things. But it's not really the main story quite yet.' Stories are what sell, of course, and the sizzle in Pocono over the weekend had little to do with which drivers or teams are the ones to beat for the 2025 championship. Rather, it was whether two pedestrian drivers were going to fight, the end of Amazon Prime's run of wildly-popular telecasts and Hall of Fame driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s win in his first race as a crew chief. 'This really spices up the mid-part of the season,' Logano said. Advertisement So does placing a few bucks on No. 11 to win. But as of Monday afternoon, most sports gambling sites did not offer odds on specific matchups headed into Atlanta. NASCAR is offering $1 million to a winning fan with a perfect bracket in its fantasy game. There are some quirks to the bracket: Shane van Gisbergen won the Cup race in Mexico City and is not in the field while series points leader William Byron is only a No. 9 seed. The tournament boasts matchups in the first-round of past Cup champions (Kyle Busch-Brad Keselowski), former teammates (Briscoe-Gragson), and even best friends (Bubba Wallace-Daniel Suarez). The idea for the challenge was largely championed by Hamlin, a three-time Daytona 500 champion who floated the idea of a mid-season tournament on his 'Actions Detrimental" podcast. When NASCAR bought into the idea and announced the creation of the tournament last year, Hamlin called the tournament on social media 'such a win for our sport and drivers.' He jokingly added, 'I will collect my 1M royalty next season.' Advertisement Hamlin's on deck and clearly a favorite to win it all, with three wins this year for Joe Gibbs Racing and the top seed. (And let's not haggle over who gets credit in court.) 'I'm a sports guy, so I'm going to be engaged with it," Hamlin said. "I'll know who I will have to beat next week. I've told the team, we are going to try and do what we can. We are going to be up against it because we are going to tracks that aren't very favorable to me. But we are going to try to do our best to beat that one car for the next four to five weeks.' NASCAR will present the tournament winner at Indianapolis with a ring, jackets, trophy and — oh yeah, a million bucks. Advertisement That's enough cash to get anyone's attention — even Elliott's. 'I don't know what you get. You get anything,' Elliott asked. 'Oh, a million dollars to the winner? Then yeah, we want to win.' ___ AP auto racing:
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
NASCAR on Amazon Prime, through two races, is mixed bag of good reviews and frustration
The owners of Atlanta Motor Speedway sold the track's naming rights this week and, frankly, you could sense the collective shoulder shrug. EchoPark Speedway? Sure, why not? There was no mere shrug back in 1999 when Bruton Smith and Humpy Wheeler brought another innovation to NASCAR: The rebranding of their mothership Charlotte Motor Speedway, which would henceforth be known as Lowe's Motor Speedway. Advertisement For a decade, anyway, when the deal ran its course and the Charlotte signs were dusted off and rehung. Carl Edwards and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are part of Prime's broadcast team and a big reason reviews are good so far (among those watching). The late-'90s were near the tail-end of a time when the mainstreamers made fun of NASCAR for selling out whenever and wherever the selling was good. Individual races had long ago set a marketing tone that's now commonplace. Even the sport's most vaunted event was briefly known as the Daytona 500 Presented by STP. The Winston Cup and Busch Series brought title sponsorship to entire leagues, while all along, the drivers and their cars were walking and rolling billboards. In certain circles, you still might find a longtime fan who can do an impression of Ward Burton gushing over his Gwaltney Meats Chevrolet. NASCAR, teams, drivers have always sought the highest bidder All of it had been digested by a loyal fan base that seemed to take pride in being so different from the traditional sporting fare. Advertisement Individual racetracks and race teams didn't have the built-in, guaranteed income streams like those in the NFL, MLB, etc., so you eventually get used to seeing the DuPont Chevy win a race at Lowe's on its way to a championship sponsored by RJ Reynolds. With a driver touting Pepsi while wearing his Ray-Bans. But boy oh boy is this different. NASCAR's partnership with Amazon's Prime Video involves just five midseason races within a 36-race season, but it has thrown a definite monkey wrench into the clutch assembly. The reviews of Prime's coverage are solid to great, and the reviewers aren't wrong, by the way. The product is really good. You also hear great things about a 2003 Dom Pėrignon — but good luck finding it, even if you don't mind paying the price. Struggling with the labyrinth of streaming TV offerings isn't a made-up malady. It's a real thing, and quite maddening for folks who are already being nickel-and-dimed to death by phone and cable companies selling us air at ever-increasing prices. Advertisement Let's check the mailbag for a sampling of the above gripe. HEY, WILLIE! I'm really disappointed NASCAR went to 'restriction TV.' I would assume many fans — current and prospective — don't subscribe to Prime or in my case don't want to (mess) around with my TV settings to change to Prime. Do you have any numbers on the viewership of the Prime broadcasts? I didn't think NASCAR was popular enough these days to alienate fans. PATRICK IN MELBOURNE HEY, PATRICK! Kinda-sorta bad news for the angry holdouts. The numbers are OK through two weeks of NASCAR on Prime. According to the Nielsen folks, Prime is averaging between 2-3 million viewers per race, which is right in line with races on Fox's cable arm, FS1. Races on Fox do better. Advertisement If the numbers were in the ditch, meetings would be held. Not sure what they'd produce, but with six more years on the NASCAR-Prime deal, the Smart People would be looking for a Plan B and potential carve-outs. One has already been delivered. Commercial entities with DirecTV (sports bars, mainly) can offer these Prime races on one of their 32 screens each Sunday. So there's an alternative to get you through these next three Sunday afternoons, though a few draft beers aren't the cheap date they once were — or so I'm told. Can Amazon Prime deliver new fans? NASCAR is banking on it As for alienating longtime fans, that probability was surely baked into the decision do business with Amazon. Also, Prime is reportedly paying a little more than a billion bucks for its piece of seven-year deal worth $7.7 billion overall. That can make the baking smell better. Advertisement Also, the modern world doesn't care much about the way you've always done it, and barely cares about how you're doing it right now. Most important is future potential, and the parties are betting that Prime offers the opportunity to attract new viewers and fans that might not otherwise pay attention. Over the decades, there have been plenty of 'new ways of doing things' that angered the stock-car masses. The ditching of traditional Southern tracks. Changing the championship format. Changing it again. And again. Toyota. Stage racin'. Car of Tomorrow. Some changes came and went, some came and stayed. Advertisement But none of them took away your ability to watch on Sunday. In reality, this one hasn't done that, but some (many, probably) perceive it that way. And you know what they say about perception. — Email Ken Willis at This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: NASCAR and Amazon Prime TV partner to entertain some, alienate others
Forbes
03-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
NASCAR's Atlanta Motor Speedway Is No More —For Now
HAMPTON, GEORGIA - FEBRUARY 23: Josh Berry, driver of the #21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford, and Joey ... More Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, race during the NASCAR Cup Series Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on February 23, 2025 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by) It's not every day the governor of Georgia shows up to a racetrack press conference, so you could be forgiven for thinking something earth-shattering was about to be announced—alien landings, a third Buc-ee's, perhaps. Instead, we got a renaming. In a move that combines family synergy, corporate branding, and the high-speed theater of NASCAR the track long known as Atlanta Motor Speedway has officially been rebranded as EchoPark Speedway. The seven-year naming rights agreement was announced Tuesday by Speedway Motorsports and EchoPark Automotive, a subsidiary of Sonic Automotive. If those names sound related, it's because they are: both are run by members of the Smith family dynasty, heirs to the late Bruton Smith's motorsports empire. The deal gives Georgia's only NASCAR track a new name and a bright green makeover just in time for its national debut as the opening race of TNT's NASCAR broadcast slate on June 28. EchoPark, which specializes in pre-owned vehicle sales, will now beam its brand across every inch of the 850-acre speedway in Hampton, Georgia, from track walls to Victory Lane. David Smith, CEO of Sonic Automotive and brother to Marcus Smith, CEO of Speedway Motorsports, is at the heart of this deal. So is this a savvy business partnership, or a case of one Smith brother Venmo-ing another under the table and slapping a logo on Turn 4? The terms are described as a "multi-million-dollar" agreement, but one can't help but wonder if the actual check was written in crayon at a family barbecue. To be fair, EchoPark has been steadily expanding its presence in NASCAR, with activations across nine Speedway Motorsports venues and an increasingly visible footprint among the fanbase. The company operates 17 locations in 13 markets, many of which overlap with core NASCAR territories like Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee. As for the rebrand, fans will get their first look at the new EchoPark Speedway during the Quaker State 400 on June 28. The winner won't just get a trophy; they'll be handed a "nearly new" Chevy Silverado and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle so rare it sounds like something a Bond villain would collect. Only 26 of the limited-edition Sturgis Rally Harleys exist, and the first one goes straight to Victory Lane. HAMPTON, GEORGIA - FEBRUARY 25: Daniel Suarez, driver of the #99 Freeway Insurance Chevrolet, ... More crosses the finish line ahead of Kyle Busch, driver of the #8 Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet, and Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 BodyArmor Zero Sugar Ford, to win the NASCAR Cup Series Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on February 25, 2024 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by) Marcus Smith described the partnership as a union of like-minded, customer-focused companies. "EchoPark Automotive is as committed to exceptional customer service as we are," he said. That may be true, but it also helps when your brother runs the other company. The track itself has seen plenty of reconfigurations over the years—the most recent in 2021 turned it into a superspeedway-style oval with 28 degrees of banking. That shift has produced some of the most thrilling finishes in recent NASCAR history, including the closest three-wide finish ever recorded last year. EchoPark Speedway—still tough to say without a raised eyebrow—has been part of NASCAR's core calendar since 1960. It hosted the season finale from 1987 to 2000 and was the backdrop to one of the sport's most iconic races: the 1992 finale that featured Richard Petty's last race, Jeff Gordon's first, and Alan Kulwicki's improbable championship win. This deal also marks a return to naming rights for Speedway Motorsports, which hasn't put a corporate label on one of its tracks since Charlotte Motor Speedway became Lowe's Motor Speedway in 1999. That deal, estimated to be worth around $35 million over ten years, ended in 2009 when Lowe's opted not to renew. While NASCAR has seen several tracks rebranded under naming rights—like World Wide Technology Raceway in Illinois, which is still going, Phoenix Raceway which was known as IMS Raceway, which is not going, and California Speedway once known as Auto Club Speedway which is now little more than a collection of buildings, piles of dirt and dreams of a rebirth—SMI has been largely quiet on that front. EchoPark Speedway is their first foray back into the naming game in over a decade. Now, under its new name, the track aims to usher in a fresh chapter for NASCAR in Atlanta—one with faster racing, brighter signage, and perhaps a few more family phone calls about marketing strategy. Tickets, schedules, and camping info for the June 26-28 NASCAR weekend can be found at Just don't ask Siri for directions to Atlanta Motor Speedway. She's still adjusting.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Atlanta Motor Speedway gets a new name
Say goodbye to the Atlanta Motor Speedway and hello to EchoPark Speedway. Gov. Brian Kemp joined officials on Tuesday morning at the iconic track in Hampton to announce the new name. EchoPark Automotive has secured a seven-year, multimillion dollar agreement for the naming rights. Advertisement [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Channel 2's Alison Mastrangelo was there as the new name and branding were unveiled around the speedway. 'We're thrilled to partner with an innovative, customer-focused company like EchoPark Automotive as the entitlement partner of our newly named EchoPark Speedway,' said Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith. 'This partnership will fuel great experiences for fans attending our speedway for years to come.' After the announcement, NASCAR driver Ross Chastain took Gov. Kemp on a ride around the newly renamed track. Fans will get their first chance to see the new track logo along the track walls and Victory Lane at the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart on Saturday, June 28. Advertisement EchoPark Automotive specializes in pre-owned vehicle sales and is one of three operating segments of Sonic Automotive, Inc., a Fortune 300 company and one of the largest automotive and powersports retailers in the U.S. According to a news release, EchoPark Automotive operates 17 locations in 13 markets, including Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama, where a majority of Atlanta NASCAR fans travel from each year to visit the historic speedway. 'We have enjoyed serving guests in the Atlanta metro area since EchoPark Atlanta opened its doors in 2020,' said David B. Smith, Chairman and CEO of Sonic Automotive. 'This partnership allows us to share the value of the exceptional EchoPark car-buying experience with more guests in Atlanta and the surrounding area who enjoy the excitement of NASCAR racing at this iconic venue.' [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
NBC Sports
14-03-2025
- Automotive
- NBC Sports
How to watch Sunday's Cup race at Las Vegas: Start time, TV info and weather
Christopher Bell will try to continue his historic run at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. After victories at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Ciricuit of The Americas and Phoenix Raceway, Bell is poised to become the first driver since Jimmie Johnson in 2007 with four consecutive wins. Bell still is seeking his first Cup win at Vegas but has dominated recently at the 1.5-mile track. Last October, he qualified first and led a race-high 155 of 267 laps but finished second. He also finished second from the pole position in the Oct. 15, 2023 race. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is trying to become the first since Bill Elliott in 1992 to win four of the first five races. Bell already is the first to win three consecutive races in the Next Gen era. There have been eight drivers with four consecutive victories in NASCAR's premier series: Cale Yarborough (1976), Darrell Waltrip (1981), Dale Earnhardt Sr. (1987), Harry Gant (1991), Elliott (1992), Mark Martin (1993), Jeff Gordon (1998), and Johnson (2007). Details for Sunday's Cup race at Phoenix Raceway (All times Eastern) START: The race will begin shortly after 3:30 p.m. PRERACE: The Cup garage opens at 12:30 p.m. ... The drivers meeting will begin at 2:30 p.m. ... Driver introductions will be at 2:55 p.m. DISTANCE: The race is 267 laps (400.5 miles) on a 1.5-mile oval. STAGES: Stage 1 ends at Lap 80. Stage 2 ends at Lap 165. ENTRY LIST: Click here for the 36 cars entered TV/RADIO: FS1 will begin its race broadcast at 3:30 p.m. Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will have radio coverage. FORECAST: WeatherUnderground — A mix of clouds and sunshine with a high of 72 degrees and 10-15 mph winds. It's expected to be 62 degrees with a 0% chance of rain at the start of the Cup race. LAST YEAR: Kyle Larson led a race-high 181 laps and held off a late charge by runner-up Tyler Reddic.
