Latest news with #Gen7
Business Insider
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Jefferies analysts hold an analyst/industry conference call
EMEA Software & IT Services Analysts Brennan and Agarwal, along with a platinum Dassault reseller of Catia, discuss the latest Gen7 product release as well as current macro-momentum on an Analyst/Industry conference call to be held on June 25 at 10 am. Webcast Link Confident Investing Starts Here: Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter Published first on TheFly – the ultimate source for real-time, market-moving breaking financial news. Try Now>>
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Pony AI Expanding Robotaxi Fleet: What's the Path Forward?
Pony AI PONY, an autonomous-driving company based in Guangzhou, China, is accelerating its robotaxi ambitions. The company, which had around 250 robotaxis in its fleet late last year, aims to have in excess of 1,000 by the 2025-end. Management stated on the first quarter of 2025 conference call that the large-scale deployment will ramp up gradually throughout the second half of the year. PONY is working closely with its partners to ensure a quick ramp-up. To this end, PONY recently entered into a partnership with Xihu Group, Shenzhen's leading taxi operator. Through this association, the company plans to deploy more than 1,000 Gen 7 robotaxis throughout the city. This move represents one of PONY's boldest fleet scale-up efforts to date and signals its growing operational focus on tier-one urban centers in China. Crucially, the partnership adopts an asset-light and AI-empowered strategy. While Xihu Group handles vehicle operations and compliance, PONY concentrates on AI innovation and dispatch capabilities. As the first company approved for fully paid driverless services in Shenzhen's city centers, PONY is uniquely positioned to push robotaxi adoption into the mainstream. With urban mobility demand rising, this 1,000+ vehicle push marks a defining step toward the large-scale commercialization of autonomous transportation. Pony AI and the Japan-based Toyota Motor TM have a joint venture to mass-produce fully driverless robotaxis in China. The joint venture leverages GAC Toyota's production capabilities to mass-produce the autonomous vehicles. GAC Toyota refers to the joint venture between Toyota Motor Company and GAC Group (Guangzhou Automobile Group) to manufacture and sell Toyota vehicles in China. In May, PONY partnered with Uber Technologies UBER to deploy its robotaxis onto the Uber platform. The partnership is expected to first launch in a key market in the Middle East later this year, with scope for further expansion. During the initial pilot phase, the robotaxis will have a safety operator onboard. PONY's technology is a suitable choice for Uber's global platform as it is scalable and cost-effective. Shares of PONY have plunged 17.9% year to date, underperforming the Zacks Transportation-Equipment and Leasing industry's 1.8% increase in the same time frame. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PONY's 2025 and 2026 losses has remained stable over the past seven days. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research PONY currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Toyota Motor Corporation (TM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Uber Technologies, Inc. (UBER) : Free Stock Analysis Report Pony AI Inc. - Sponsored ADR (PONY) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
PONY AI Inc. Announces Unaudited First Quarter 2025 Financial Results
NEW YORK, May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pony AI Inc. (' or the 'Company') (Nasdaq: PONY), a global leader in achieving large-scale commercialization of autonomous mobility, today announced its unaudited financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025. Dr. James Peng, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of commented, '2025 is the year of scaling up for and we embraced it with strong growth momentum. Our robust total revenues in the first quarter were fueled by a 200% year-over-year rise in Robotaxi services, with fare-charging revenues achieving approximately 800% growth rate. As we accelerate production and drive cost efficiency through technological advancement, the unveiling of seventh-generation autonomous driving system ('Gen 7') enables us to reduce bill-of-materials ('BOM') costs by 70% compared to its predecessor, strongly bolstering our confidence to expand the fleet to 1,000 vehicles by year-end. Along with the ongoing efforts to forge alliance with strategic partners, we are laying a clear path toward large-scale commercialization.' Dr. Tiancheng Lou, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of commented, 'The advancements we have achieved in our proprietary PonyWorld, AI capabilities, and system integration and optimization have led to significant breakthroughs in safety and enabled operations under complex scenarios. Our Gen 7 Robotaxis are the world's first to achieve full-scenario L4 autonomous driving on automotive-grade chips — a milestone that extends product lifecycle and optimizes hardware cost efficiency. Meanwhile, the high efficiency of our remote assistant, which operates without the need for vehicle control, has resulted in significantly lower operating costs. As we continue to advance our software and hardware technology, we are confident in our ability to accelerate and scale mass production and deployment in 2025.' Dr. Leo Wang, Chief Financial Officer of commented, 'Our first quarter performance in 2025 underscores the successful execution of our go-to-market strategy. Total revenues grew by a robust 12% year-over-year, driven by the strong momentum in Robotaxi services. As we scale up investments for Gen 7 Robotaxi mass production to accelerate our growth in this pivotal year, we will maintain our disciplined investment approach to foster a long-term and sustainable business model.'Unveiling of mass-production-ready Gen 7 Robotaxi lineup. We unveiled the Gen 7 autonomous driving system alongside the mass-production-ready Robotaxi lineup in partnership with Toyota, BAIC and GAC at the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition. 1) This next-generation system was designed to enhance passenger safety and reliability, featuring a 100% automotive-grade autonomous driving kit, a 70% reduction in BOM costs compared to its predecessor, and an integrated modular architecture. 2) The Gen 7 marks a milestone toward mass production, which is expected to begin from mid-2025. Technological advancements to enhance safety and drive cost efficiency. 1) Our proprietary AI-powered world foundation model, PonyWorld, creates a high-fidelity training environment and evaluation system, generating over 10 billion kilometers of testing data weekly. 2) Leveraging our AI capabilities, and system integration and optimization, we are proven to drive passengers under complex and challenging scenarios, and effectively optimize cost efficiency across our operations. 3) All these resulted in improving remote assistant efficiency, lowering commercial insurance premiums, and reducing hardware costs – including computing platforms, LiDARs, and other hardware. Extending operations and regulatory approvals. 1) Extended our total commercialized footprint to over 2,000 square kilometers across Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Shanghai, nearly 20 times larger than the city area of San Francisco, United States. The coverage now includes key transportation hubs such as central business districts, airports, and high-speed rail stations. 2) Secured China's first fully driverless commercial Robotaxi license in Shenzhen's Nanshan District in late March. Expanding user base and growing ecosystem. 1) Our registered user numbers increased by more than 20% sequentially in the first quarter. 2) Entered into a strategic partnership with Tencent's Weixin 'Mobility Services' platform – including Tencent Maps and its advanced cloud computing, AI, and big data infrastructure – further expanding our reach to China's billions of user collaboration with local partners. 1) We have forged strategic alliances with Uber to enable users to access our Robotaxi services on the Uber platform. The partnership is expected to first launch in a key market in the Middle East later this year, with a goal of scaling deployments to additional international markets in the future. 2) We are also collaborating with ComfortDelGro, one of the largest land transport companies headquartered in Singapore, on a joint Robotaxi pilot program. Ongoing positive regulatory and testing progress. We secured a L4 Robotaxi testing permit from Luxembourg's Ministry of Mobility and began road testing in Seoul's Gangnam district, South Korea, during the first quarter. Unaudited First Quarter 2025 Financial Results Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 March 31, 2025 Revenues: Robotaxi services 576 1,730 Robotruck services 7,467 7,780 Licensing and applications 4,478 4,469 Total revenues 12,521 13,979 Total revenues were US$14.0 million (RMB101.6 million)1 in the first quarter of 2025, representing an increase of 11.6% from US$12.5 million in the first quarter of 2024. The increase was mainly driven by rapid growth in Robotaxi services revenues. Robotaxi services revenues were US$1.7 million (RMB12.3 million) in the first quarter of 2025, representing an increase of 200.3% from US$0.6 million in the first quarter of 2024. The increase was driven by both fare-charging and project-based engineering solution services revenues, with fare-charging revenue achieving faster growth rate — increasing by approximately 800%. The strong growth rate was primarily attributable to the expansion of its public-facing fare-charging operations in Tier-one cities in China and refined operational strategies for diverse user groups. Robotruck services revenues were US$7.8 million (RMB56.6 million) in the first quarter of 2025, representing an increase of 4.2% from US$7.5 million in the first quarter of 2024. The increase was mainly due to contributions from new clients. Licensing and applications revenues were US$4.5 million (RMB32.7 million) in the first quarter of 2025, remaining largely flat compared to US$4.5 million in the first quarter of 2024. However, orders and delivery for autonomous domain controllers ("ADC") increased, primarily driven by new robot delivery clients. Cost of Revenues Total cost of revenues was US$11.7 million (RMB84.9 million) in the first quarter of 2025, representing an increase of 17.9% from US$9.9 million in the first quarter of 2024, in-line with revenue trends. Gross Profit and Gross Margin Gross profit was US$2.3 million (RMB16.7 million) in the first quarter of 2025, compared to US$2.6 million in the first quarter of 2024. Gross margin was 16.6% in the first quarter of 2025, compared to 21.0% in the first quarter of 2024. The decrease was mainly due to changes in the revenue mix with increased ADC sales for new robot delivery clients in the first quarter. We continue to actively work on initiatives to reduce gross margin variability. Operating Expenses Operating expenses were US$58.4 million (RMB423.8 million) in the first quarter of 2025, representing an increase of 56.3% from US$37.3 million in the first quarter of 2024. Non-GAAP2 operating expenses were US$49.3 million (RMB357.8 million) in the first quarter of 2025, representing an increase of 35.0% from US$36.5 million in the first quarter of 2024. The increase in operating expenses was primarily due to investments in mass production for Gen 7 and one-time expenses associated with share awards vested upon IPO and settled in the first quarter of 2025. Additionally, we increased employee compensation and benefits in the first quarter to strengthen our R&D capacity for concurrently developing 3 Gen 7 vehicle models. Research and development expenses were US$47.5 million (RMB344.7 million) in the first quarter of 2025, representing an increase of 59.8% from US$29.7 million in the first quarter of 2024. Non-GAAP research and development expenses were US$40.6 million (RMB294.6 million), representing an increase of 38.1% from US$29.4 million in the first quarter of 2024. The increase was mainly due to i) investments in mass production for the Gen 7 vehicles; ii) one-time expenses associated with share awards vested upon IPO and settled in the first quarter of 2025; and iii) increased employee compensation and benefits to strengthen technological capabilities. Selling, general and administrative expenses were US$10.9 million (RMB79.1 million) in the first quarter of 2025, representing an increase of 42.6% from US$7.6 million in the first quarter of 2024. Non-GAAP selling, general and administrative expenses were US$8.8 million (RMB63.9 million), representing an increase of 22.3% from US$7.2 million in the first quarter of 2024. The increase was mainly due to i) one-time expenses associated with share awards vested upon IPO and settled in the first quarter of 2025 and compliance expenditure and ii) increased employee compensation and benefits. Loss from Operations Loss from operations was US$56.0 million (RMB406.4 million) in the first quarter of 2025, compared to US$34.7 million in the first quarter of 2024. Non-GAAP loss from operations was US$47.0 million (RMB341.1 million), compared to US$33.9 million in the first quarter of 2024. The increase also reflected i) investments in mass production for the Gen 7 vehicles; ii) one-time expenses associated with share awards vested upon IPO and settled in the first quarter of 2025; and iii) increased employee compensation and benefits to strengthen technological capabilities. Net Loss Net loss was US$37.4 million (RMB271.4 million) in the first quarter of 2025, compared to US$20.8 million in the first quarter of 2024. Non-GAAP net loss was US$28.4 million (RMB206.1 million) in the first quarter of 2025, compared to US$25.7 million in the first quarter of 2024. The increase also reflected i) investments in mass production for the Gen 7 vehicles; ii) one-time expenses associated with share awards vested upon IPO and settled in the first quarter of 2025; and iii) increased employee compensation and benefits to strengthen technological capabilities. It was partially offset by the gains in investment income. Basic and Diluted Loss per ordinary share Basic and diluted net loss per ordinary share was both US$0.12 (RMB0.87) in the first quarter of 2025, compared to US$0.23 in the first quarter of 2024. Non-GAAP basic and diluted net loss per ordinary share was both US$0.10 (RMB0.73) in the first quarter of 2025, compared to US$0.28 in the first quarter of 2024. Each ADS represents one Class A ordinary share. Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, restricted cash and long-term debt instruments for wealth management were US$738.5 million (RMB5,359.1 million) as of March 31, 2025, compared to US$825.1 million as of December 31, 2024. The decrease in the balance of such items was mainly driven by our R&D efforts and supply chain preparation to scale Gen 7 vehicle production and one-time cash payments associated with employee expenses. The net cash used in investing activities was US$93.3 million (RMB677.1 million) in the first quarter of 2025, compared to US$54.3 million provided by investing activities in the first quarter of 2024. This was attributable primarily to purchases of investments in marketable debt securities and long-term investment, which was incorporated into the short-term investments and long-term debt instruments for wealth management. 1 Unless otherwise noted, all translations from Renminbi to U.S. dollars and from U.S. dollars to Renminbi in this earnings release are made at RMB 7.2567 to US1.00, the exchange rate set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board on March 31, 2025. We make no representation that any Renminbi or U.S. dollar amounts could have been, or could be, converted into U.S. dollars or Renminbi, as the case may be, at any particular rate, or at all. For the avoidance of doubt, our reporting currency and functional currency is the U.S. dollar. 2 Non-GAAP financial measures exclude share-based compensation expenses and changes in fair value of warrants liability, and such adjustment has no impact on income tax. For further details, see the 'Unaudited Reconciliation of U.S. GAAP and Non-GAAP Results' set forth at the end of this press release. Conference Call will hold a conference call at 8:00 AM U.S. Eastern Time on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 (8:00 PM Beijing/Hong Kong Time on the same day) to discuss financial results and answer questions from investors and analysts. For participants who wish to join the call, please complete online registration using the link provided below prior to the scheduled call start time. Upon registration, participants will receive a confirmation email containing dial-in numbers, passcode, and a unique access PIN. Participant Online Registration: A replay of the conference call will be accessible through May 27, 2025, by dialing the following numbers: United States: 1-877-344-7529 International: 1-412-317-0088 Replay Access Code: 1232599 Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Company's investor relations website at Exchange Rate This press release contains translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollars ('USD') at specified rates solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise stated, all translations from RMB to USD were made at the rate of RMB7.2567 to US$1.00, the noon buying rate in effect on March 31, 2025, in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board. The Company makes no representation that the RMB or USD amounts referred could be converted into USD or RMB, as the case may be, at any particular rate or at all. For analytical presentation, all percentages are calculated using the numbers presented in the financial statements contained in this earnings release. Non-GAAP Financial Measures The Company uses non-GAAP financial measures, such as non-GAAP research and development expenses, non-GAAP selling, general and administrative expenses, non-GAAP operating expenses, non-GAAP loss from operations, non-GAAP net loss, non-GAAP net loss attributable to Pony AI Inc., non-GAAP basic and diluted net loss per ordinary share, and non-GAAP free cash flows, in evaluating its operating results and for financial and operational decision-making purposes. By excluding the impact of share-based compensation expenses and changes in fair value of warrants liability, the Company believes that the non-GAAP financial measures help identify underlying trends in its business and enhance the overall understanding of the Company's past performance and future prospects. The Company also believes that the non-GAAP financial measures allow for greater visibility with respect to key metrics used by the Company's management in its financial and operational decision-making. The non-GAAP financial measures are not presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP and may be different from non-GAAP methods of accounting and reporting used by other companies. The non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tools and when assessing the Company's operating performance, investors should not consider them in isolation, or as a substitute for financial information prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The Company encourages investors and others to review its financial information in its entirety and not rely on a single financial measure. The Company mitigates these limitations by reconciling the non-GAAP financial measures to the most comparable U.S. GAAP performance measures, all of which should be considered when evaluating the Company's performance. For more information on the non-GAAP financial measures, please see the table captioned 'Unaudited Reconciliation of U.S. GAAP and Non-GAAP Results' set forth at the end of this press release. About Pony AI Inc. Pony AI Inc. is a global leader in achieving large-scale commercialization of autonomous mobility. Leveraging its vehicle-agnostic Virtual Driver technology, a full-stack autonomous driving technology that seamlessly integrates proprietary software, hardware, and services, is developing a commercially viable and sustainable business model that enables the mass production and deployment of vehicles across transportation use cases. Founded in 2016, has expanded its presence across China, Europe, East Asia, the Middle East and other regions, ensuring widespread accessibility to its advanced technology. For more information, please visit: Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains statements that may constitute 'forward-looking' statements pursuant to the 'safe harbor' provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as 'will,' 'expects,' 'anticipates,' 'aims,' 'future,' 'intends,' 'plans,' 'believes,' 'estimates,' 'likely to,' and similar statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about beliefs, plans, and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law. For investor and media inquiries, please contact: RelationsEmail: ir@ Christensen AdvisoryEmail: pony@ AI Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets(All amounts in USD thousands) As of As of December 31, 2024 March 31, 2025 Assets Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents 535,976 379,183 Restricted cash, current 21 20 Short-term investments 209,035 250,765 Accounts receivable, net 28,555 21,687 Amounts due from related parties, current 8,322 8,524 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 52,713 56,048 Total current assets 834,622 716,227 Non-current assets: Restricted cash, non-current 175 175 Property, equipment and software, net 17,241 19,918 Operating lease right-of-use assets 13,342 12,090 Long-term investments 130,799 154,172 Prepayment for long-term investments 52,823 52,862 Other non-current assets 1,819 16,892 Total non-current assets 216,199 256,109 Total assets 1,050,821 972,336 Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity Current liabilities: Accounts payable and other current liabilities 66,548 40,866 Operating lease liabilities, current 3,438 3,618 Amounts due to related parties, current 900 668 Total current liabilities 70,886 45,152 Operating lease liabilities, non-current 9,835 8,482 Other non-current liabilities 1,389 1,356 Total liabilities 82,110 54,990 Total Pony AI Inc. shareholders' equity 951,122 899,875 Non-controlling interests 17,589 17,471 Total shareholders' equity 968,711 917,346 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity 1,050,821 972,336 Pony AI Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss(All amounts in USD thousands, except for share and per share data) Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 March 31, 2025 Revenues 12,521 13,979 Cost of revenues (9,894 ) (11,663 ) Gross profit 2,627 2,316 Operating expenses: Research and development expenses (29,714 ) (47,486 ) Selling, general and administrative expenses (7,623 ) (10,873 ) Total operating expenses (37,337 ) (58,359 ) Loss from operations (34,710 ) (56,043 ) Investment income 6,177 22,174 Changes in fair value of warrants liability 5,617 - Other income (expenses), net 2,087 (3,508 ) Loss before income tax (20,829 ) (37,377 ) Income tax expenses - - Net loss (20,829 ) (37,377 ) Net (loss) income attributable to non-controlling interests (231 ) 5,611 Net loss attributable to Pony AI Inc. (20,598 ) (42,988 ) Foreign currency translation adjustments (305 ) 104 Unrealized gain (loss) on available-for-sale investments 51 (13,724 ) Total other comprehensive loss (254 ) (13,620 ) Total comprehensive loss (21,083 ) (50,997 ) Less: Comprehensive loss attributable to non-controlling interests (261 ) (118 ) Total comprehensive loss attributable to Pony AI Inc. (20,822 ) (50,879 ) Weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding used in computing net loss per share, basic and diluted 91,427,302 351,651,363 Net loss per ordinary share, basic and diluted (0.23 ) (0.12 )Pony AI Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows(All amounts in USD thousands) Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 March 31, 2025 Net cash used in operating activities (41,076 ) (54,159 ) Net cash provided by/(used in) investing activities 54,344 (93,271 ) Net cash used in by financing activities (353 ) (9,486 ) Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (4,972 ) 122 Net change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash 7,943 (156,794 ) Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period 426,205 536,172 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period 434,148 379,378 Pony AI Reconciliation of U.S. GAAP and Non-GAAP Results(All amounts in USD thousands, except for share and per share data) Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 March 31, 2025 Research and development expenses (29,714 ) (47,486 ) Share-based compensation expenses 332 6,904 Non-GAAP research and development expenses (29,382 ) (40,582 ) Selling, general and administrative expenses (7,623 ) (10,873 ) Share-based compensation expenses 457 2,108 Non-GAAP selling, general and administrative expenses (7,166 ) (8,765 ) Operating expenses (37,337 ) (58,359 ) Share-based compensation expenses 789 9,012 Non-GAAP operating expenses (36,548 ) (49,347 ) Loss from operations (34,710 ) (56,043 ) Share-based compensation expenses 789 9,012 Non-GAAP loss from operations (33,921 ) (47,031 ) Net loss (20,829 ) (37,377 ) Share-based compensation expenses 789 9,012 Changes in fair value of warrants liability (5,617 ) - Non-GAAP net loss (25,657 ) (28,365 ) Net loss attributable to Pony AI Inc. (20,598 ) (42,988 ) Share-based compensation expenses 789 9,012 Changes in fair value of warrants liability (5,617 ) - Non-GAAP net loss attributable to Pony AI Inc. (25,426 ) (33,976 ) Weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding used in computing net loss per share, basic and diluted 91,427,302 351,651,363 Non-GAAP net loss per ordinary share, basic and diluted (0.28 ) (0.10 ) Pony AI Inc. Unaudited Reconciliation of U.S. GAAP and Non-GAAP Results (All amounts in USD thousands, except for share and per share data) Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 March 31, 2025 Net cash used in operating activities (41,076) (54,159) Capital expenditures (170) (4,888) Free cash flows3 (Non-GAAP) (41,246) (59,047) 3 Free Cash Flows is a non-GAAP measure, commonly defined as cash flows from operating activities as presented in the statement of cash flows, less capital expenditures. However, in the context of the Company, where operating cash flow is a cash out (i.e., a cash outflow), Free Cash Flows represent the total of operating cash outflows plus capital expenditures. This metric reflects the Company's important cash outflows, as it combines the funds required to maintain operations and invest in growth. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Miami Herald
04-05-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Carson Hocevar wins first career NASCAR Cup pole at Texas
FORT WORTH, Tex.--Ride 'em, cowboy. Decked out in Texas-appropriate attire, Carson Hocevar put his No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet on the pole for Sunday's WURTH 400 presented by LIQUI MOLY at Texas Motor Speedway (3:30 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). With the second fastest lap in the era of the Gen 7 car, Hocevar toured the 1.5 mile track in 28.175 seconds (191.659 mph) to edge 2023 race winner William Byron (191.564 mph) for the top starting position by 0.014 seconds. The Busch Light Pole Award is the first of Hocevar's career, and at age 22, he's the youngest-ever pole winner at Texas. Clad in a firesuit designed as a cowboy outfit--courtesy of sponsor Chili's--and sporting a black 10-gallon hat, Hocevar reveled in the moment after his lap stood up to all comers. "Having the cowboy outfit--what better place to be on the pole," Hocevar said. "I'm normally so hard on myself, and I didn't think I nailed that lap at all, but I'm super proud of this team. "I'm so proud, because I've never had the No. 1 pit stall, and I've had a lot of issues with pit road and we've had a lot of bad luck. So I finally get the No. 1 pit stall, and I'm pumped about that." Austin Cindric, last Sunday's Talladega winner, qualified third at 191.523 mph in a closely compacted field. Larson, the last driver to make an attempt, was fourth at 191.421 mph. With 10 drivers to go, Ty Gibbs topped the chart at 191.293 mph, but Michael McDowell, Hocevar's teammate, eclipsed his time by 0.006 seconds in a lap at 191.333 mph. "Obviously, with Michael going out and putting up a really good lap time, I felt like we were faster than him in practice, and that gave me a little bit of confidence that our stuff was going to be as quick, if not hopefully a little quicker," Hocevar said. McDowell will start fifth on Sunday, with Gibbs sixth. Josh Berry, three-time Texas winner Denny Hamlin, Bubba Wallace and AJ Allmendinger completed the top 10 on the grid. One driver who left the session with regret was Cindric, who felt he could have gone faster. "I feel like I left a pole lap out there," he said. "I sent it into Turn 1 and didn't quite get to the bottom and didn't quite maximize my exit. I guess I can be happy with where we are at, but I definitely feel like you want to do it all. "We're in a great spot for (Sunday) and should have a good pit stall, so I feel good about where we are. We'll try to go get another one." Defending race winner Chase Elliott will start 29th. Note: Since the Gen 7 car was introduced in 2022, only Christopher Bell at Michigan International Speedway in 2023 has run a faster lap than Hocevar at Texas. Bell's speed at the 2.0-mile track was 193.382 mph. --By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service. Special to Field Level Media. --Field Level Media Field Level Media 2025 - All Rights Reserved
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
NASCAR Current Cup Car Has Made Restarts 'a Brutal Bloodbath'
Kyle Larson believes he would have more wins if he still drove the sheet metal version car used in NASCAR Cup in 2021. The composite car bodies now used in both series are more durable than their sheet metal predecessors. The current car can endure more beating and banging without cutting a tire. Kyle Larson's recent win at Homestead-Miami Speedway gives him 14 victories in the current NASCAR Cup composite body car, but he believes he would have more if he still drove the sheet metal version used in the series in 2021. 'I think switching to this car has limited us from winning,' Larson says. 'They're difficult cars to drive. You have to run really hard. That probably benefits a guy like myself.' Larson cites the ability to adapt to new things as the reason for his and teammate William Byron's success in the current Cup car. Byron has won 12 races since the Next Gen or Gen 7 car was introduced in 2022. 'I think that's an area (adaptability) where the five team really excels, and the 24 (William Byron) as well,' Larson says. 'Young, adaptable drivers and teams.' That adaptability includes aggressive driving on restarts in NASCAR's Cup and Xfinity series. The composite car bodies now used in both series are more durable than their sheet metal predecessors and can endure more beating and banging without cutting a tire. 'When you look at the Cup Series and the bumpers and how stiff and rigid they are and how well they line up, there's beating and banging going on, on these restarts to another level,' says Justin Allgaier, NASCAR's current Xfinity Series champion. 'It's actually pretty impressive that they're able to not wreck on some of these restarts on the Cup Series side. You know 90% of the passing that you're going to do is going to come from those first five, 10 laps. I think restarts have become more aggressive and more haywire than they've ever been but it's risk versus reward; way higher reward than risk.' Allgaier admits he's had to adapt his driving style during the last five to 10 years due to the way racing has changed. 'I would say as I've gotten older, I've probably gotten a little more feisty and probably become a little more aggressive,' Allgaier says. Ryan Preece admits it's easy to get 'tunneled into being aggressive.' 'The style of racing that we're in now, with the bodies being so durable, guys are more likely to put them, or you or whoever is in front of you in a bad position,' Preece says. 'You need to be ready for somebody to wreck at any time on a restart. This style of racing is you get everything you can on a restart and if you don't, somebody else will, and then you're just going to be fighting yourself out of a hole. 'These restarts have turned into a brutal blood bath of just putting guys in bad situations. There's times when you need to take advantage of it, and then there's times you need to say, 'Well, this isn't going to work out' and you need to be ready for that. I'm not saying you need to hold yourself back. I think in certain situations, if you see something transpiring that's going to be bad, you need to be ready for it.'
