A points race is a NASCAR event that awards championship points based on finishing position. Those points accumulate over the season and determine who’s leading the standings and ultimately competing for the title.
NASCAR teams race with cars that have numbers. The “number 22 machine” means the #22 car, and they’re saying that car hasn’t been performing well until this weekend.
Team Penske is one of the big NASCAR racing teams. The hosts mention it because Joey Logano was talking about what it was like working through problems with the team.
A crew chief is the team’s main strategist in NASCAR. They help decide how the car should be set up and what the team should do during the race so the driver can go faster.
The All-Star Race is a NASCAR event for the sport’s top drivers. It’s not like a normal points race—there are special rules that make it a different kind of challenge.
In NASCAR, a speeding penalty is what you get if you go faster than the rules allow in a certain zone. The penalty usually costs you time or positions, making it harder to stay near the front.
Paul Wolf is referenced as Joey Logano’s crew chief. In NASCAR, the crew chief is the key strategist who calls pit decisions and helps set up the car for race conditions.
Ryan Blaney is another NASCAR driver being discussed as a key competitor in the season. The hosts are saying he and his team are still in the mix for strong results.
“Loudon” is shorthand for the NASCAR track in New Hampshire. It’s a different kind of race than other tracks, so teams tune for it.
Term
old playoff system
NASCAR has a postseason format that decides who keeps racing for the championship. The “old playoff system” means the earlier rules version before NASCAR changed the format.
The “Chase system” is NASCAR’s way of running the playoffs. It’s designed so that drivers who make too many mistakes can get knocked out as the season ends.
An “oval” is a type of race track NASCAR uses, with mostly left turns and high-speed corners. Cars often need different setup to stay stable around those banked turns.
“Racing IQ” means how smart a driver is during the race. It’s about making good calls—like when to take risks and when to play it safe—based on what’s happening around them.
A short track is a smaller oval where races are typically more about momentum, braking/turn-in, and managing traffic because laps come quickly. The hosts say SVG is learning new situations by leading on a short track, implying the car setup and driving adjustments can differ from larger ovals. This is a situational racing concept rather than a specific car part.
Qualifying is when drivers race to earn where they start on the grid. If you qualify near the front, you usually have an easier race because you’re not stuck in traffic. The speaker says SVG does best when he starts up front.
Atlanta is a NASCAR track where races are run on an oval. The speaker is using it as an example that when a driver qualifies well, they tend to be able to run near the front during the race. It’s not the main track of this segment, just a comparison.
Here, “race car” means the special car built to compete in NASCAR, with tuning for speed and handling. The point is that the team’s design plan didn’t match what the rules ended up requiring.
Downforce is the “push” from the air that presses the car onto the track. More downforce usually helps the car stick better in turns, but it can make the car slower on straights because it creates more air resistance.
Drag is air resistance that makes the car work harder to go fast. Less drag helps the car move quicker on straightaways, but you still need enough grip for turns.
Term
drivable every week
“Drivable every week” means the car feels manageable and predictable at different races, not just one track. It’s about having a setup that works reliably so the driver can push confidently.
Consistency means the car performs well again and again, not just sometimes. The speaker is saying the team’s cars aren’t showing the same level of speed every weekend.
Bristol is a NASCAR race track where the racing is usually very close and tires can wear quickly. The speaker is using it as an example of a track where one driver led laps.
A diffuser is a shape on the bottom of the race car that helps the air flow in a way that makes the car stick better to the track. It can create more downforce, which helps the car turn and stay stable. Teams change diffuser setups when the rules or aero package changes.
“Nose heavy” means the front of the car feels like it has too much weight compared to the back. That can make the car handle differently, especially when you turn in or slow down for a corner. It’s basically a balance problem caused by setup or aero changes.
Aerodynamics is how air moves around the car. In racing, that air movement can push the car down onto the track (more grip) or slow it down. Here, the host is saying aero changes are affecting the car’s balance.
Stage points are bonus points NASCAR awards during parts of the race (stages), not just for where you finish. They can help a driver stay high in the standings. The host is saying Larson had been earning the most of those bonus points.
The Craftsman Truck Series is NASCAR racing with race trucks instead of cars. Drivers compete for points and a championship just like other NASCAR series. Here, they’re talking about a standout truck race.
Chandler Smith is a NASCAR driver in the Truck Series. In this part of the show, they’re praising him for leading most of the end of the race and winning by a big margin. It’s presented as a standout performance.
Front Row is a NASCAR racing team. The host is saying the team has been doing a great job preparing their trucks and getting good results with their drivers. It’s team performance, not just driver skill.
Lane Riggs is a NASCAR driver. Here, the host mentions him alongside Chandler Smith as part of the same team’s success. It’s basically crediting the drivers and their team for good truck performance.
Road courses are the kind of tracks with lots of turns and braking—more like a typical road than an oval. In NASCAR, doing well on road courses usually takes different driving skills than ovals.
The Truck Series championship is the overall title for the best driver across the whole Truck Series season. It’s a big deal because it can help a driver get noticed for moving up.
“Truck races” means NASCAR’s Truck Series, where the cars look like pickup trucks. It’s often where drivers cut their teeth before moving up to the top NASCAR series.
A “Cup car” is the main NASCAR race car used in the top series. It’s the highest level of NASCAR competition, so the cars and rules are geared toward that top tier.
A “long-term program” means a planned path for a driver over time. Instead of just one race, it’s about building experience step by step so they’re ready for the next level.
Corey Heim is a NASCAR driver. In this conversation, they’re using his viewpoint to argue that the best path upward depends on the right chances to race and learn.
Scott Riggs is Lane Riggs’ dad. They’re saying his experience in NASCAR’s top series helps Lane because he’s been around racing and understands how things work.
Topic
NASCAR's return to traditional racetracks
They’re talking about NASCAR going back to older, classic race tracks. The idea is that these tracks feel more nostalgic and give fans a different kind of race-day experience.
Grandstands are the main areas where spectators sit to watch the race. “Packed the grandstands” just means lots of people showed up and filled the seats.
A late model race is a type of stock-car racing that often happens at local short tracks. Here, the hosts mention it because it showed people were willing to come out and support the track’s comeback.
A Cup race is NASCAR’s highest-level series. The hosts are basically saying that if even the top series can fill the stands, the track’s return is fully successful.
First practice is an early practice session before the race. Teams use it to try out their cars, and if there’s a crash, it can disrupt what they learn.
The pit stand is the team’s control area in the pits. It’s where they make the race strategy calls—like when the car should come in and how to respond to what’s happening on track.
A “yellow” is when the race is slowed down because of something unsafe on track. Everyone has to go slower, and teams often use that moment to pit and improve their position.
Track position just means where you are on the race track compared to other cars. In NASCAR, being in front often makes it easier to stay ahead and manage the race.
The pit lane is the area off the racing line where cars pull in for service. If the pits are “closed,” teams aren’t allowed to pit anymore, so timing becomes critical.
Chip Ganassi Racing is a well-known IndyCar racing team. When drivers are rumored to be joining or leaving, this is one of the teams people talk about.
“RLL” is an IndyCar team. The hosts are talking about whether the team will run three cars next year or scale down to two.
Concept
franchises within the sport
In IndyCar, teams can operate under a franchise-style structure, meaning they hold an entry/slot that allows them to compete. When the hosts mention selling a franchise, they’re referring to transferring that team’s place/entry rights rather than just swapping drivers.
Kimi Antonelli is a Formula 1 driver. In this segment, they say he won a race at Spa and is leading the championship, with people watching how he handles problems and bounces back.
Spa refers to Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, one of Formula 1’s most famous tracks. It’s known for fast corners, elevation changes, and weather variability, which can strongly affect race outcomes.
Lewis Hamilton is a famous Formula 1 driver. Here, they say he’s not leading the championship right now and that something went wrong for him during the race weekend.
Engine upgrades are improvements to the race engine. In Formula 1, teams can’t just change everything freely, so upgrades are planned to get more speed or better reliability.
An unsafe release is a racing penalty for leaving the pits in a way that’s not safe. It usually means the car was released into traffic at the wrong time and could have caused a collision.
“Carding” here means karting, which is the common first step for many pro drivers. It’s small race cars (karts) that teach kids how to race and compete before they move to bigger cars.
George Russell is a driver in Formula 1. The hosts are talking about how his teammate situation affects expectations and performance during the championship fight.
Person
Hamilton and Russell
They’re talking about whether Lewis Hamilton and George Russell can still win the championship. It’s about who can score enough points over the remaining races.
Formula One is the highest level of open-wheel racing. The hosts are talking about the F1 championship and how results and teammate comparisons matter over the season.
When there’s an accident or danger, cars slow down behind a safety car. When they get the green light again, everyone accelerates back up together, which can make the race feel “reset” and create new chances to pass.
A red flag means the race is stopped because it’s not safe to keep going. After that, the race restarts in a way that can change who has the advantage.
The front wing is a key part that helps the car stick to the track. If it’s damaged, the car can lose grip and feel harder to control, so passing becomes tougher until the driver adapts.
The Hungarian Grand Prix is a Formula 1 race held at the Hungaroring circuit near Budapest. It’s a major stop in the F1 calendar, and the timing of the event can matter for driver and team momentum heading into the summer break.
A podium finish just means you finished in the top three. It’s a big deal because it usually comes with points and shows the car and driver are working well.
“6x6” means six wheels total, and the vehicle is designed to drive all six wheels. It’s a layout you usually hear about on heavy off-road vehicles, not normal cars.
A “cease and desist” is a legal warning that says, “Stop doing this.” It’s often sent when someone thinks you’re using something you shouldn’t, and they want you to stop immediately.
A “porta-potty” is a temporary portable toilet, often used at outdoor events like races. It’s not an automotive term, but it’s a specific detail in the segment’s joke.
Term
infill flooded
On a race track, the “infield” is the area inside the main oval. If that area floods, it can make the pit area and trackside access unsafe or unusable because water collects where people and equipment have to go.
The “pit wall” is the barrier right next to the pit lane. It’s meant to keep people separated from the track, but if there’s flooding or a bad situation, it can still be dangerous.
“Porta-johns” are the portable toilets you see at big events. If they get tipped over in a flood, it’s a sign the whole area is in chaos and not safe.
Topic
cars tour divisions
A “sweep” here means winning in more than one race category in the same night. The “cars tour” divisions are different groups of races within that tour system.
Caden Honeycutt is a driver who races in smaller, local-style stock-car series. The hosts are saying he’s been winning a lot and is always at the track working on his car.
“Pro-late model” is a more advanced class of short-track stock-car racing. Compared to simpler late-model events, the cars are usually set up for more speed and tougher competition.
“NASCAR Triple Crown” is a set of three important races where drivers try to win the overall challenge. In this segment, it’s for the late-model stock class.
“Grassroots racing” means racing at the local level, where teams are smaller and more community-based. The hosts are saying Honeycutt fits that style because he’s always working on his race car.
“Late model” racing refers to a grassroots-to-regional NASCAR-style class where cars are typically purpose-built for short-track competition. When the speaker says “late model world,” they mean that level of racing where drivers can build experience and confidence with less pressure than the top national divisions.
In racing, “vehicles” just means the race cars you’re driving. Different series can make the cars handle differently, so you have to learn what the car needs to drive well.
“Driving style” means how a driver likes to drive—like how they brake and steer and when they get on the gas. Different drivers want the car to feel a certain way, so the setup has to match the person.
LIVE
I feel like Denny Hamlin is still the guy to beat for the championship.
This kid's a stud.
Winners win.
And that's one thing that I always tell the young kids.
I thought you were going to tell me this is where Will Buxton was today.
He was stuck in a porta-potty.
Welcome to Speed with Harvick and Buxton, fueled by Poet.
I'm filling in for Will Buxton.
Caitlin Vinci here with you today for another racing show.
Well, welcome to the show, Caitlin.
Welcome back to the Speed Studio.
So let's talk some racing.
Yes, we are going to talk some racing.
This is a bit nostalgic for me.
Still seeing the Speed logo, by the way.
I love to see that it's been revived.
This is nice such a gun here.
It is nice and happy that you get to experience it again.
So we'll have some fun and tell the world about racing again today.
There's plenty to talk about in the racing world.
And we are going to check in with Will and the IndyCar on Fox team
after the relay delayed Monday race in Nashville.
But we got to start in North Wilkesboro, where the NASCAR Cup Series
held its first points paying race since 1996.
Yes, and it was it was an epic weekend, not only for Joey Logano
winning the race, but I think just for the race in general
in the feel of North Wilkesboro having another NASCAR Cup Series
points race and to see it fully revived.
We've seen all star races and different events there.
But to see a points race back at North Wilkesboro was awesome.
And Joey Logano took complete advantage of the weekend, leading
300 and 23 laps in the in the race.
And one is first race of the season and breaking a 45 race
winless streak.
So it's great to see Joey put himself back in Victory Lane.
And I think when you look at Joey Logano and the season that they have had,
it has been a struggle.
I mean, they have had a tough time getting the performance out of that
number 22 machine all year long.
And when you go to North Wilkesboro, I think a lot of us were a little gun
shy to say Joey Logano is going to be in contention this weekend
because of how bad it's been.
But to see them show up at North Wilkesboro, put on the performance
that they did shows us that the 22 car can still get it done.
Yeah, definitely can.
I thought he was very candid to speaking after the win about just
the struggles that he had and going into those meetings at Team Penske
and not knowing what the solution could be.
And he's like, you start to question everything about yourself,
starting with the driver of like, can I still do this?
I mean, can you relate to that at all? Absolutely.
I mean, I've been through winning streaks that are a hundred plus races.
And you know, you go through these moments of time when you're not running well
and when you're a driver that has won so many races and 33 cup
series championships and you still question yourself and you still question
the things that you're doing, you question your team, you question
the decisions that that you have made.
And I think for there's only a handful of guys in the cup series garage
that can really get with their team and help change the direction
of of what the car's performance is is doing.
And Joey Logano is is one of those individuals that can dig in there
with his team and and and they're going to believe in him.
Because a lot of times what happens is you you'll get the the crew
chiefs and engineers and the organizations and they want to make
decisions based upon what they think is right on paper.
And sometimes when you when but when you have an experienced driver
and you're able to lean on him to say, no, this looks good on paper.
This is this didn't work here.
This didn't work here.
What we really need to focus on is X, whether it's front end, back in arrow,
whatever that is to be able to get the car drivable and get more speed out of the car.
So it takes a very in tune driver that the company believes in to be able
to to make those decisions to put the car back in a place that it's competitive.
And, you know, I think for the 22 car of Logano, I think that North Wilkes
borough, they've been dominant there in the All-Star race before.
And we've seen them have a tough start to the season, go to the All-Star race
for practice and or a test and then go back for the race and do exactly what
they did this weekend.
Now, I do think that the 54 car of Ty Gibbs was probably the only car
that was strong enough to compete with Joey Logano.
He put himself in a box early with the speeding penalty after winning
stage one. And and after that, there was really nobody left in the field
that was really able to compete with Joey Logano.
Yeah. And I feel like Joey is one of those drivers just never count him out.
I think about his crew chief, Paul Wolf, like every driver he's worked with,
he's helped guide them to championships, have great seasons.
But I guess now it begs the question, like, can they have that magic again?
Like, is this the turning point for Joey Logano and company?
That's the big question.
Is this the turning point for for Pinsky?
I think that Pinsky is in the equation with Ryan Blaney.
I think that they've been able to survive through the the the middle
part of the season here to put themselves in the conversation.
They're high enough in the points.
That's really what it's going to boil down to for Joey Logano.
Can he gain some more positions in the standings to get that deficit
down to as little as possible?
Because it wasn't but a couple of weeks ago, we were talking about Logano
being on the outside looking in to even make the chase.
So if they can go to Indy and they can go to Loudon and Daytona
and put themselves in a spot to where they can either get back to Victory Lane
or they can gain some more points, then, you know, I don't think it's out
of the question to put Joey Logano in that conversation.
I think that the big question is going to be the mile and a half race tracks.
Can they turn it around on the mile and a half race tracks?
I think he's going to make the chase.
I think he's going to be in contention.
I think it's just how far down in the standings is he and how many points
does he have to make up?
But, you know, I think that Ryan Blaney is in that mix to be able to be
in the conversation of having a possibility to win the championship
because you just don't know what's going to happen and what they had left
laying on the table to to show up for the last 10 weeks.
Yeah. So the guy that finished second to him was Denny Hamlin.
Do you still feel like he is the top contender for the championship right now?
I do. I feel like Denny Hamlin is still the guide to beat for the championship
I think that when you look at Denny, he just he doesn't make as many mistakes
as a lot of the other guys and not having a road course in with Charlotte
being back on the oval this year, only one super speedway race at Talladega.
I think that the race tracks line up really well for him.
Homestead is a homestead is a different beast if it comes down to the end
because of Tyler Reddick and Kyle Larson being so good at that that one race.
But with the 10 race format this year, I think you can have some
I think you can have some weak race tracks and get away with a top five finish.
But you just never know what's going to happen when the when the pressure is on.
And it's going to be a 10 week stretch of pressure.
It has been in the past for three weeks at a time up until that elimination race
with the old playoff system.
But now with the chase system and everything that's happening, I just I feel like
I feel like Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney doesn't make a lot of mistakes.
I think that, you know, those two guys are really
the ones that you have to put at the top of the list.
I think when you look at Ty Gibbs, they've had the performance of just
knocking out top fives and having the speed to do those things.
Christopher Bell is a little bit of a wild card because they haven't been consistent.
They haven't been to Victory Lane.
Didn't run well as well as we thought he would at North Wilkesboro.
So I think that that's the question that I have about the 20 is,
you know, the race tracks that we expect them to go to and compete
a couple of those times this year, they haven't shown up to be able to do that.
So I think it's, you know, Denny Hamlin is definitely the favorite.
Joe Gibbs racing as a whole.
A lot of names you just said are all in the Joe Gibbs racing camp.
Someone who is not that had a good showing over the weekend on an oval
was Shane Van Gisburgen, top five performance at North Wilkesboro.
How impressed are you in the progress that we have seen from him?
And now he is truly the leader at Trackhouse.
SVG is the lead dog at Trackhouse.
And every time he gets better on these ovals, it just becomes more and more apparent.
Shane has an extremely high racing IQ.
He's he's a he's a workhorse, right?
Like he understands the data, but he really understands the data
to be able to to take himself out on the racetrack and apply it
and change the things that that he does in the car.
We saw him run the truck race on Saturday, got a got a top five in the truck race.
And you and you saw that in the Cup race.
He he was on the bottom of the racetrack.
Traditionally, this has been up at the top of the racetrack.
We saw it migrate to the top of the racetrack as as the race went on later
to the into the night.
But you know, I think that that Shane just keeps getting better and better and better.
And right now that 97 is is the lead dog at Trackhouse.
It was funny when he took the lead hearing him say like, what do I do now?
Because he's learning a lot, right?
Because he's getting in new situations like that one leading on a short track.
Yes. And really, the key for for SVG is qualifying.
Right. When they qualify at the front on an oval,
they perform at the front on the oval all night.
So we saw him do that at Atlanta.
We saw him do that again this weekend at at at North Wilkesboro.
So, you know, I think it's it's it's fun to to see
that progression from from Shane and being able to to do that.
To me, the key on the ovals for him is is 100 percent qualifying
and that leads to a good day because you just you don't have to be in the middle
of the storm as you go through the afternoon of trying to figure out how to
get get by 15 or 20 cars.
But, you know, it's it's really interesting, the tracks that he runs well at.
We saw him run well at Charlotte, bumpy, rough up at the top of the race track.
So I think every time he goes to the racetrack for for a second,
third time in the cup car, he just he applies something and does a little bit
better. So qualifying is the key for them.
He's making a lot of progress, and I do want to play this audio for a moment
because it is funny. Take a listen to SVG in car.
So it's your door.
So it's your door.
Applying off at your door.
So there.
So their corner.
So their corner.
So there.
Clear, clear, clear.
Half in line.
After the top now.
Bleeding.
What the fuck are they doing now?
I don't know.
Drive straight, my friend.
Drive straight.
He's just so great for the sport, isn't he?
I mean, it's been really cool to see this guy come over here and not
only become a quick fan favorite, but then actually having real results to back it up.
Well, and that's what sets him aside from a lot of the other road race guys that
have come in.
We've seen Robbie Gordon and some of these guys come in and have a small amount of success.
The other thing that a lot of the road course guys haven't done in the past is
win as much as him on the road courses.
Right. That's true.
You know, you see the ringers come in and do the things that they've done in the past,
but they just, they've never had the type of results that Shane has been able to have
on all of these road courses and he delivers, right?
Like everybody knows that he's supposed to win on the road courses and he does.
And you look back at San Diego, got caught up in a wreck.
Going to be in contention in that race goes to Sonoma does what he did at Sonoma with
probably not the best car, but he's just, he's better than everybody else on the road
courses. And now you're starting to see that bleed over into the oval races.
And it was interesting to hear him talk about it.
Post race when, when he was able to, uh, he, he just feels like he has a better understanding
of the things that he's done on the road courses and it applies more to the short tracks.
And we've seen a lot of the road course guys, like Almond Dinger was, was kind of the same
way you go to Martinsville and some of these short tracks and he would just show up.
And Shane has kind of been the same way, but he talks about the mile and a half programs
to be more difficult for him because of the things that you need in a car and what you
needed to do and the technique of how you drive the cars is a little bit different.
Short tracks are a little more straightforward for him.
So SVG obviously competes in a Chevrolet, which brings me to another Chevrolet team that is
not performing at the level we have grown very accustomed to.
The bar is high for a hundred motor sports because of the championships they've produced,
the race wins.
It's hard to believe that of their four drivers, only one has gone to victory lane this year
with Chase Elliott.
So what do you think is going on at that organization?
Well, I think Jeff Andrews put it really well.
I think when they designed this new race car, they won paper.
It looked like it had more downforce, less drag and then the rules changed.
And I think that that balance that they're looking for in the race car, they just haven't
figured it out.
And this is from them, not us speculating.
This is from Jeff and the drivers and all the people at Hendrick Motorsports to be able
to get the race car so it's drivable every week.
And really where that shows up is just not having the consistency out of their four cars
that are running well on the racetrack to be able to say all four cars are running good today.
I can't think of a weekend that we've gone to this year where all four cars have been
in the mix.
And they haven't gone to a racetrack yet where they've really dominated a weekend to say,
I mean, Larson's led a bunch of laps at Bristol and things, but that was when, you know, a
couple of the contending cars would have penalties and Vegas and some of those issues that they
were able to capitalize on for a small portion of the race, but they still weren't the fastest
car.
I haven't gone to, I haven't watched a race yet where I'm like, Kyle Larson is just
kicking their ass today.
And, you know, I think that's the part that has been really, and that's the expectation
they have.
You know, it's just that they're looking to try to figure out the speed.
And when they designed that car, it was for last year's diffuser and downforce package.
And then now you have a simple diffuser, less downforce.
And everything that they did was to probably try to make the car turn.
And now it's probably nose heavy with all the aerodynamics and things.
And they just can't mechanically make that up.
There's only five races to go to until the post season for them to try and figure out.
But they've done a good job of keeping themselves at least somewhat in the mix from a point
standpoint.
Larson's still up there in the mix and up until this weekend had scored the most stage
points of anybody in the field.
So, you know, I think that as much as we want to talk about, look, we hold Hendrick Motorsports
here, they hold themselves up here to be the best and to dominate races and win races.
And so those expectations aren't something that we're falsely putting on them.
Those are the expectations they have for themselves.
So it's definitely, I know that they're frustrated and want to make it better too.
You mentioned dominating races, which leads me to another series that was on track over
the weekend, the Craftsman Truck Series, where Chandler Smith led the final 105 laps.
Also, this was the largest margin of victory on a short track for the series.
How impressive is that for Chandler?
Yeah, well, Front Row has just done a great job with their trucks with Lane Riggs and
Chandler Smith.
And I think Lane, for whatever reason, being in that organization, you see Dylan Capello
was sitting on that box for him.
Just seems like they have a great chemistry in both just hardcore racers, right?
When you have those two hardcore racers and you have a truck program that has had success
in the past, and Chandler has been, he's been really good this year.
I mean, they've made some mistakes.
He's made some mistakes from the driver's seat.
But that's what they're there to do, right?
We're talking about a lot of really young drivers, a lot of guys that are looking to
put themselves in a position to have success and do the things that they need to do to
get to the next level.
And this is where the Truck Series is a great spot for that.
But being in Victory Lane for Chandler Smith is super important.
I mean, he's going to be in the mix when we get to the Truck Series and their chase as
we go down the road.
So it'll be fun to watch Lane, Chandler, and, you know, Kate and Honeycut.
You know, I think those are the three guys that you're going to have to contend with,
you know, amongst the championship three.
The Chandler Smith story is of interest because he'd obviously graduated and moved up to the
O'Reilly Series.
Things didn't really work out there.
He came back down to the trucks.
It came together very quickly last season.
And now it feels like that team is obviously getting into a better groove.
And same as you mentioned with Lane Riggs, a guy who's been able to win on all these road
courses this year, who's a short track guy, I think is awesome.
But it's already starting all those conversations too of like, where will Lane Riggs go next?
Is he going to stay in trucks?
Is he going to move up to Cup?
He's been very vocal that he wants to advance to the Cup Series.
Well, it's interesting because we've had Carson Hosevar and Corey Heim go straight from the
trucks to Cup.
And we've listened to SVG talk about, you know, he feels like he wasted a year in the O'Reilly
Series of his time.
And now you're starting to see SVG run more truck races, which I think is really interesting
as to what compares and what doesn't compare.
Now we have seen Shane run some of those races on road courses.
But if I was SVG, I'd run every road course race that I could get because my trophy collection
was going to get a lot bigger.
Huge, yeah.
Yeah.
I'm going to get a huge, huge trophy collection.
Look, I think that front row is a really interesting place as to who fits there.
Yeah.
I think Michael McDowell was great there.
He went to Spiron on his good.
You know, Todd Gillen fits in well there.
You look at Zane Smith went to Trackhouse back to front row and has had success.
So I think that if, you know, if that four car is going to be open, why wouldn't you
put Lane Riggs in there?
It's not like there's, I mean, he can win the truck series championship, but how many
truck races do you need to win to be able to just say, Hey, this guy can do it.
Let's get him in the Cup car, get him the experience, let him get through all of that
and figure out, you know, how to make a long-term program for it.
It's an interesting conversation because I feel like before traditionally it was always
trucks, O'Reilly Cup, but now do you feel like you don't need to follow that system
anymore?
Like whatever's fitting for people is best.
Yeah.
And it just doesn't seem like it's necessary.
I think you can do when we talked to Corey Heim a couple of weeks ago, it was interesting.
He's like, I don't really think one or the other is better.
I think that it's just whatever you have the opportunity to do before you and get the proper
seat time and learn the things that you need to learn from a racing standpoint to be able
to go to the next level.
So look, I think Lane has obviously proven he can win truck races and contend for a championship.
It'd be better if you put the championship on your resume, but he's also got a lot of
help at home.
Scott Riggs, his father was in the Cup series and has run a long time and I know that a
lot of people say, well, does that really matter?
It does because those conversations have been happening since he was this high and he's
been at the racetrack and understands the lingo and the talk.
And so look, if they were to do that, it wouldn't surprise me and I don't think he'd do a bad
job at it.
Yeah.
Well, we'll have to keep an eye on Lane Riggs' future and whether or not he may be advancing
on up to Cup.
So North Wilkesboro has gone through a massive transformation and it's so cool to see NASCAR
going back to some of these traditional racetracks that have a very nostalgic feel.
I mean, just a few short years ago, this racetrack was in no shape or form being able to be used,
right?
I mean, this is pretty incredible when you see the before imagery of what this place
looked like compared to what it looked like Sunday night, right, Kevin?
It is.
And when they cleaned it all up and Dale Jr. and Marcus Smith and Wilkes County and all
the people that had so much enthusiasm for this project to be able to make it happen,
the cars who went there for the first time and they packed the grandstands.
And I think that was really the first step to say, okay, we cleaned all this up.
We got the racetrack functioning again.
Not all the seats are usable.
We have no running water or no bathrooms or anything, but they held the event.
And I think the most important thing is the people show up, right?
That's right.
And when the people showed up for the late model race, it was like, hey, I'm raising
my hand here.
I'm here to support it.
And you saw that.
I mean, there had to be 12, 15,000 people there on Friday night for the cars to a race.
And then you look at the truck race and cup race just packed grandstand.
So that's ultimately that's the final box that has to be checked for the racetrack to
say, okay, let's put the however many millions of dollars they put into the racetrack to
be able to say, okay, this can be a successful cup weekend.
And we all, we all want short tracks on the schedule.
And we all, I love the nostalgic feel that North Wilkesboro brings because it has so
much history in our sport with as far back as you want to go with some of our sports
greats.
And to be able to continue that tradition on is important.
It is important to revive these places and see some of these tracks back on the schedule.
It is.
Now let's turn our attention to Indy car where Sunday's race was delayed until Monday afternoon
due to thunderstorms Sunday night at Nashville super speedway.
So let's send it out to Nashville where speeds will Buxton is standing by with post race
reaction.
Well, it feels, it feels odd doing this not from a hotel room or from the studio, but
actually from the commentary box.
Yes, I'm glad you finished that sentence.
But it's nice to have you guys here to chat everything Indy car and the race has literally
just finished.
The reason that I'm not in the studio today is because ultimately we had a massive delay
last night.
We tried to make it work and bring through that huge audience from the World Cup final
and congratulations to the Fox team on a brilliant 39 days of broadcasting on that.
Ultimately the weather didn't play ball yesterday, but we've got a great race today.
Kyle Kirkwood leading off from the pole, Joseph Newgarden alongside him, Scotty Mack back there
on the second row of the grid.
David Maluchus turns it after a big crash in first practice starting right at the back
in 25th.
Yeah, undoubtedly the driver of the day Maluchus with a massive bone bruise.
I've had that exact same crash.
I can't believe that he was able to not only finish practice and be fastest in practice,
but do what he did today here on Monday, race day, great race craft, great decision making.
He was so disciplined about the timing of his passes, respecting the marble situation,
which is so pervasive here at Nashville.
But at the end of the day, Spain a favorite in the World Cup, Spain a favorite in Indy
car right now with Alex Palo, Spain, Spain back to back impressive from Palo once again.
Yeah, Palo got it all right today, didn't he, Hinch?
For Maluchus, it looked like he was kind of in the mix for the win right from the outset,
chose that alternate strategy, then two definitive caution periods, one dropping him out of contention,
one bringing him back in, but ultimately nothing that anyone could do about Palo.
Sounds familiar, right?
We hear it a lot.
Yeah, we've seen this one before, certainly.
And then for the Maluchus one, I was happy for him that it sort of evened out,
because I think it really just put an exclamation mark on what was an incredible effort.
It wasn't just a lucky yellow that got him to the front, right?
It was a strategy.
He had a yellow work against him.
Another one, kind of like I said, even the score and put him back up there,
get back up on the podium after all that, unbelievable.
But again, Palo, we set up the end of the broadcast.
This is a team sport, and we give Palo a lot of praise, deservedly so.
And we try to give the 10 crew just as much praise, because they played just as big a part in this.
Those calls from the pit stand today were absolutely sublime.
We were screaming at each other, like, he's got a pit, he's got to cover McLaughlin.
The two laps that he stayed out, ignoring us, that's what got him to lucky break with the yellow,
got him to track position, and from there it was just cruising home.
It's just like him and Barry Onza have a crystal ball.
Yes, because he pitted just as the pits closed, exactly the right time, the first time round.
Then he stays out, and it pays out perfectly for him the next time round.
It was absolutely brilliant.
Joseph Newton-Garden came home second, didn't look that happy with the result.
Do we take that as just disappointment, because he looked like he could have another oval win this year,
and that would have been three for four?
I think so. I mean, listen, we call him the king of ovals for good reason.
He's just so dominant.
He's a factor every time we show up at a racetrack like this.
This is his hometown, and he's severely wounded.
I mean, still on crutches, his foot still healing from that massive crash in Indianapolis,
and he knew that this was his chance to really haul the most amount of points,
disappointed, legitimately disappointed with second, because I think he thought he had the faster car today.
You heard it from Palo. I was flat out at the end.
New Garden was quicker, just couldn't get by.
I understand the frustration.
I think it's probably more to do with how much he has suffered over the last several races to just get to this point.
It would have felt great for him to have a win, but still a brilliant drive from the two.
I'm going to go back to the team's sport point.
That team didn't make the right calls all day long, had a couple small issues in the pits,
and I wonder if that's where part of that frustration comes from, because he was the fastest guy out there today.
He could have won that race and probably thinks he should have, but those kind of curt, quick responses tells you
he's definitely not happy with the result.
If that was just all they had, if that was just a hard on your sleeve, all the cards on the table kind of performance,
and they came home second, I think he would have been a little happier because of the stretch that he's been on,
some of the bad luck that he's had dealing with the injury, but having some strong races kind of fall apart late in the day on those road courses.
I think that he genuinely feels as a team, they lost that race rather than Palo winning it.
It could have been any one of the Penske's, to be fair, because McLaughlin, who came home fourth today, was equally impressive.
If we step back from there, how about Mick Schumacher, his best-aided car finish, from the moment he first drove at Phoenix,
we were all like, wow, this guy's freakishly comfortable on some really sketchy short ovals like Phoenix,
then you come here to Nashville, I would have thought it would have been very easy for Mick Schumacher to run around in 20th all day,
and we would have said, ah, good solid run, he's getting experience at a very unique kind of racetrack on concrete with the bumps,
but no, Mick Schumacher, best of the Ray Hall cars all weekend.
It's by a mile.
Strong in the race, held his position, even down the stretch, he comes home eighth,
I think that, hopefully that's a turning point for him in his IndyCar career where he really starts to settle in.
Let's hope so, because we are in the midst of silly season, there's now a good couple of weeks off,
lots of rumours about who's going to end up, where lots of chat that Christian Lundgaard is due to be announced at Chip Ganassi Racing,
lots of talk about whether RLL will even have three cars next year,
or whether that will shrink down to two and they will sell one of their franchises within the sport.
We have in front of us six races in five weeks to finish off this season.
It is quite the run.
I can't believe we are staring at the end of the IndyCar season already.
How do the drivers prepare now over the next two weeks for what will be this massive onslaught to take this championship home?
I think you really have to focus on the two new events coming in Markham up just north of Toronto there,
and of course the Freedom 250 in Washington DC, two street circuits that nobody's ever seen before.
That always presents the biggest challenge.
So we're going to have five in a row to finish.
How do you allocate your bandwidth, your attention?
You can't cover all the bases.
If I'm any of these drivers right now, I think I put most of my effort into getting ready for those two.
What do you say?
We talked about this at the start of the season when we had that kind of marathon stint from the beginning of May
through what was after Detroit Gateway, I guess.
When you have all these back-to-back events, there's so little time for teams to come back from a race,
do the debrief, the post-mortem, see what went right, what went wrong, address issues, apply them,
and then get back to the racetrack.
You get home, you take the car to the trailer, you take a breath, you put it back in the trailer and you go.
So at this stage of the season, a lot of it is momentum.
A lot of it is what have you already baked into your program because it's tough to make big changes and make big gains at this point.
So you look at the teams that are running well right now, it is the top two in the points.
It's the 10 of Alex Blow, it's a 27 of Kyle Kirkwood.
Both of those groups are firing on all cylinders and I think that is going to continue throughout the rest of the season.
You're going to see the pop performances, you're going to see, you know, Lundgaard is going to be quick at Laguna Seca for example,
your paddle is always going to be good at Milwaukee, you know, there are some stand-out performances you expect to come,
but I think the teams that are on that roll and have that momentum now are going to be able to carry that through this stretch.
David Malukas up to second in the championship to finish off the season, six races,
and we always talk about you having to be the all-rounder in IndyCar of those six races.
Two road, two straight, two oval. Perfect split for the last six.
Guys, thank you so much. Time to head home.
That was fun. Let's do it again.
Let's do it again. Caleb, back to you.
Thank you, Will. Great stuff there.
So in IndyNext, it was Matteo Nanini who dominated at Nashville, leading 64 of 65 laps to earn his second win of the season
and deliver Cape Motorsports, its first ever 1-2 finish in the series with teammate Nikita Johnson.
Johnson's runner-up finish also vaulted him back into the championship lead by a single point over Enzo Fittipaldi with just four races remaining.
In Formula One, Mercedes rising superstar Kimi Antonelli won his 6-F1 Grand Prix of the season at Spa.
Antonelli's championship points lead is now 45 points over Lewis Hamilton and 50 points over teammate George Russell.
Okay, so how impressive was that performance out of the old 19-year-old there?
Yeah, well, this is definitely a conversation that Will and I have been having over the past couple months about Antonelli.
And you talk about the engine upgrades and you talk about the rules and you talk about him being 19 years old.
And is he going to be able to rebound after these weekends when he has a DNF or something goes wrong?
And look, this kid's a stud.
And to be able to bounce back and put yourself in victory lane for his confidence, he's obviously pretty confident.
And he's surrounded by a great group of people at Mercedes to do the things that he needs to do.
But I think this fully puts him in control of his own destiny and with one more race and then the summer break,
I think that that would really allow him to just really turn it on if he can do the same thing again next week.
So Antonelli looks like he's fully in control of everything that he needs to do to win the Formula One championship.
But you look at Lewis Hamilton, he's already scored more points this year than he scored the entire year last year.
So Ferrari is definitely in the conversations you see Leclerc back on the podium this week and doing the things that he needs to do.
And Hamilton had a little bit of a disaster this weekend with his contact with George Russell.
And then he had a, you know, he got a penalty for an unsafe release and got fine 30 grand.
So, you know, but I still think that Charles and Lewis Hamilton are, you know, they're in the conversation.
But I think Antonelli is fully in control of what happens here with the championship.
And what's that like for a young driver in Antonelli?
When you are trying to obviously make a name for yourself, you have those rough weeks in a row.
I know you've experienced this, like just how do young drivers overcome those things?
Great people. And I think that just look, the winners win and they let last week go.
And that's one thing that I always tell the young kids, whether you win or lose, you have to approach Monday the same way.
And I think that that isn't doable by a lot of people.
And I think that the greats of whatever racing division that you're in are able to do that better than everybody else.
And I think Kimmy is, he's obviously been put through the ringer in the development process through the carding system that they have in Europe.
I've been able to experience that with Keelan and see what that is all about.
And the good kids stick out.
And Kimmy obviously has been in that position.
And at 19 to be able to do the things that he's doing in F1 is not something that everybody can do.
And just a kid that is talented beyond his years.
And I think with that becomes the mental capacity to be able to process all those things and be able to apply that to the racetrack and block out the rest of the world.
Right. So when we look at that championship picture as it pertains to them, you think it's possible for Hamilton and Russell to make a charge of the title?
Well, I think that, look, George Russell is in a really interesting spot just because of the fact that he has Kimmy Antonelli as his teammate.
He's obviously the guy that is expected to go be the championship contender and he's not.
He's the guy that is really playing second fiddle to Kimmy at this point.
He's in the same car.
But he doesn't have the same experience that Lewis Hamilton does as far as the grind of the championship and multiple times.
And, you know, when you're in George Russell's position and your teammate in F1, your teammate is the judge of where you are and everything that you do.
Now, we saw him go to victory lane a couple of weeks ago, but everything else before that has kind of been questionable as far as being better than Kimmy.
And, you know, I think that right now it's, I mean, anything can happen.
But I just don't know that they're going to consistently be able to beat Antonelli like they need to.
Twelve races remaining will be interesting to continue following the Formula One discussion.
Absolutely.
In Formula Two and Victor Racine's Joshua Durickson managed a late race safety car restart to lock down his second FIA Formula Two victory of the season in the Spa Sprint.
In the feature race, Rafael Camara delivered a masterful performance from pole position to capture the chaotic red flag victory.
The rookie's triumph secured a weekend sweep for Invicta and moved the Ferrari driver Academy talent up to third in the championship standings behind leader Nicola Solov.
In the Formula Three Sprint race, Keen Nakamura-Berta capitalized on a dramatic opening lap collision between championship frontrunners Ugo Ugo Chukwo and Freddie Slater to emerge victorious, securing his first Formula Three victory.
In the feature race, Campos Racing's Ernesto Rivera charged from fourth on the grid overcoming front wing damage to make a late race pass on pole sitter Freddie Slater and capture another first Formula Three win.
Okay Kevin, the Hungarian Grand Prix is this weekend, last race before that big summer stretch.
I mean you know what this is like, we don't have those stretches in NASCAR necessarily, but how important is it to kind of end on a high note before you have that break?
Well I think it's important for Kimmy to carry that momentum because typically during the summer break you have a lot of things and work that goes on with the vehicle.
So I think that the advantage that they have, he needs to capitalize on.
On George Russell, same thing, right? Like if you really want to set the tone with your team and the break and everything, you need to beat your teammate to kind of try to take some of that momentum away from Antonelli.
And I think that falls right into the Ferrari camp as well.
I think Max Verstappen, he just, he quietly, I know that he's complained a lot about the car and doesn't like what he's driving, but he's quietly kept himself in the mix on the podiums and doing the things that he needs to do.
So I think anything that those other four guys, other three guys can do to keep Antonelli out of victory lane this weekend, super important for the momentum because you just, you don't know where all that's going to fall as you come back.
But I think right now for Kimmy it's try to put the nail in the coffin.
And let's be able to secure this before we go to the summer break with everything that he did this weekend.
And the other three guys, it's everything that you can do to not let that happen for Antonelli.
You want momentum on your side as you're going into a break.
Can't beat Big Mo.
That's right. Big Mo, I like that.
Okay, it's time now for this week's Social Speedway.
Make sure to follow at speed on Fox and tag us in the best motorsports moments of the week.
So let's start with NASCAR legend Richard Childress going racing at Stafford Speedway.
This is so awesome.
I mean, we knew he was going to be doing this and joining Cletus's group and all of that, but this is funny to see him back.
I don't know that.
I mean, I've only seen Richard in a driving suit once or twice and there is, you just can't beat the cool factor of Richard Childress.
Seeing him leaned up next to that three-car Stafford Motor Speedway is packed with race fans.
You see the damage right there on the side of that car.
Flat tire and Cletus inside the car trying to figure out what the heck's going on with Richard's car right here.
And look how happy he is.
He does look so happy.
And I know the stress and everything that comes with owning race teams.
And I know how much of that Richard puts on himself to see him having fun and at the racetrack and tie his grandson,
being there racing with him and just having a good time.
So happy for Richard to be able to do that at 80.
I was just 80 years old.
80 years old.
That's maybe most impressive to me about the whole thing.
Okay, let's take a look at this.
This is kind of interesting.
A truck navigating an insane drop.
This is a gunshot creek.
It says it's a chicken track.
Look at this thing.
I mean, this is kind of crazy.
It says I was nervous as an understatement.
I have no idea what is getting ready to happen right here,
but it looks pretty much impossible at this point.
Yeah.
And I would not want to be inside that.
No.
That looks like something I might do, though, by accident.
I was going to say, if this happens for you, this is definitely by accident.
There's a trailer on the back of that thing.
Yeah.
That's what I mean.
I don't know why they thought this was a good plan, but...
It definitely doesn't look like it was an accident, though.
It looks like this was intended to try to make this happen, and...
There they go.
It sure looks like it's going to happen.
So much fun, they say.
That does not look fun to me, but maybe we have different definitions.
The first thing that I wonder right here is,
what would have happened if it didn't happen?
Right.
Right?
Like, how do we get that?
I mean, that's a big puddle of mud.
Exactly.
In a really unique corner of...
And now we're going to go through the water.
You've got to clean the tires off.
We've got to clean everything up, so never know what we're going to find here on speed.
Just some off-roading.
All right.
What about this one?
Speaking of all the Formula One talk, the world's first 6x6 Ferrari.
Take a look at this, Kevin.
Drop your thoughts, it says.
Daily Ferrari.
Hmm.
It's a good-looking vehicle, right?
Yeah.
Well, I've seen a Formula One car that kind of looked like that at one point.
But look, the thing that amazes me with all these YouTubers
and the things that they do to these cars,
and I mean, that was a Ferrari.
Right.
And we're going to take this thing and put six wheels on it,
and I don't know.
Seems like a pretty nice car to...
Just be messing around with like that?
Yeah.
I don't know.
Ferrari.
All these YouTube people, they find a way to make unique things
and monetize them in a pretty heavy way.
I wonder what Ferrari...
What do you think Ferrari thinks about that?
Oh, I bet not.
They are traditional type of...
Yeah.
Yeah, no.
I'd say that...
Yeah, I'd say the Ferrari...
I hear that there's a cease and desist.
Cease and desist?
Yeah, that is probably been put on this situation.
So...
Yeah.
Unfortunate because they're just having fun.
Yeah, they are.
This girl's really amped up about it.
Okay, so that's the 6x6 Ferrari.
Now let's take a look at this.
This is pretty funny.
A fan was taking shelter at North Wilkesboro,
but where are they located?
A porta-potty.
I thought you were going to tell me this is where Will Buxton was today.
He was stuck at a porta-potty in Nashville,
waiting for the rain delay to be over in Nashville,
but that is not Will Buxton.
You got to see shelter.
Did you see the footage at North Wilkesboro?
I did.
It was coming down like crazy.
Well, I think it was last year or the year before
where the infill flooded because the pit sign had gone over the drain
and the whole infill flooded.
Remember the guy that was diving off the pit wall into the water
right next to the porta-john that was tipped over?
When it comes to performance, you can't beat zero.
Learn more at Poet.com.
All right, Kevin, let's switch gears to a series.
I know you're very passionate about the cars tour,
and Caden Honeycutt, he pulled off an impressive feat.
He finished 11th in the truck series,
but then he is just the second driver in 2026
to sweep both cars tour divisions in one night.
So, I mean, that's pretty impressive.
Right?
How impressed were you watching him do that?
Well, I did it for the second time this year,
and that's the impressive part.
Caden Honeycutt has been on an absolute tear
with the late model stock and the pro-late model
in the cars tour this year.
So, he is definitely the guy to beat on the East Coast
as we go through these races.
We saw him win at South Boston a couple weeks ago
with the NASCAR Triple Crown race with the late model stock.
So, he has definitely, he puts a lot of effort in.
I mean, you'll see him at the track during the week
testing these cars, and, you know, he showed up this weekend
and ran all three races.
It looked like he was about to die
after the pro-late model race.
It was hot in North Wilkesboro with all these guys
that ran all these races, but, look, he's a racer.
And, you know, I think that when you look at the cars tour
and you talk about grassroots racing,
Caden Honeycutt is one of those guys that fits that mold
because he's at a racetrack all the time
working on his race car.
He's good with the race cars and has a lot of input
into what goes into the car from the driver's standpoint
to help teams get better.
I mean, he's doing this with teams
that really hadn't been that successful,
and he's making them the teams to beat.
So, great weekend for Honeycutt at North Wilkesboro.
And him racing in those other series,
how is that still advantageous as he races in trucks,
just having that extra lap time?
Well, I'm not, I mean, I'm of the opinion
that if you can race all the time, race everything,
I think that, you know, I think that the hard part
for Caden is the expectation following Corey Heim
going into that 11-truck is tough.
And I think that finishing 11th in the truck race
is obviously not where the team or he expects to be
as far as the results go.
So, there's a ton of pressure on Caden
when he gets in that truck every week.
You can see that he puts it on himself.
You can see that the team expects him to do
what Corey Heim has done in that truck.
I don't think he's going to do right off the bat
what Corey Heim did in that truck.
I think it's going to take a little bit of time.
I think he has the capability to do that
on the truck series side.
But he's got to learn the communication
and the pressure of having to deal with that.
But on the flip side of that,
when you can go back to the late model world
and have all that pressure go away
and win races and do the things that you need to do there,
it's a great reminder of the confidence
to believe in yourself, to know that you can get it done.
You just need the experience to make it happen
because the higher you go, the tougher it gets
and those details of what you need in the vehicles.
And he's still learning that.
He's still learning what he wants in the vehicle
because you can put Caden Honeycutt
and Corey Heim's truck and he's not going to like it.
I could very rarely drive what my teammates drove.
And I think that building that system is important for Caden
when he gets into those trucks on the weekends
and trying to make them fit his driving style.
So late model racing is good to relieve a lot of that pressure
that you get in some of our top divisions.
You mentioned running late models and winning in them.
And speaking of that, you had your own win over the weekend
at State Line Speedway in Idaho.
We were all out there together for the event.
But what was the race like?
I mean, was it being back behind the wheel
in the fireworks show in the whole nine yards?
It was great.
And look, the fans in the Northwest and you and Will
both heard me talk about just the enthusiasm
for Northwest racing right now from the competitors,
from the teams, from the racetrack promoters
to be able to put on these events
has just been really refreshing for me
to participate in.
And we put a big focus from the cars tour side this year
in the Northwest to be able to get these divisions.
But you can't do it without the fans
and you can't do it without the drivers.
You got to experience it firsthand this weekend
with the pill draw parties.
You see the fireworks and the things and the effort
that the promoters are putting into their racetracks
to be able to put on a good show.
I didn't have the best car this weekend.
Hayden Plybon had the best car,
one of the Northwest Premier regional drivers
that shows up on a weekly basis.
Great kid, learning a lot.
Just had an unfortunate situation where he hit some oil,
leading the race and got up into the fence.
But they've got a great points battle going up there.
All the points leaders pretty much had trouble.
So leading into Colorado in a couple of weeks,
it'll be interesting to see where this Northwest division goes.
Yeah, it was really neat to be out there
and witness it firsthand.
I had never been to Idaho before.
Great fan base, just a beautiful state also.
I was very impressed with the facility.
Tell us about your ride-along.
Time and effort into that.
Oh, yes, I did a ride-along with Kevin.
This is honestly not to sound cheesy,
but it's definitely a highlight of something I've ever done.
The racing industry is taking a ride-along
with freakin' Kevin Harvick.
It was very cool.
It was a little scary, I'm not going to lie,
but it gives you even more respect for what drivers do
because there's no way I could do it.
That was an eight o'clock.
Hey, we're at the pill-draw party.
We just got done with dinner and Caitlin's like,
hey, let's go have some ride-alongs.
It wasn't my idea.
Can this propose it to me?
And the track promoter's like, oh, yeah, let's go.
And I think that's the one thing that's fun
about short track racing.
Let's just go back to the track and turn the lights on
and start giving ride-alongs.
And it went from you to the officials
to a whole bunch of people who had never done that before.
Yeah, then Kevin was like, well, what did I sign up for here?
There's a whole line of people.
Yeah, it was fine.
I like seeing people experience things that they hadn't,
especially when they're covering the sport like you have,
or they're the tech officials that have been to the racetrack
and it's just grind, grind, grind all the time.
So to see those smiles on everybody was,
that's fun for me because I do it all the time.
It was a really good experience.
So go visit your local short tracks.
That is key.
OK, so let's transition to Brexton Bush.
Had an emotional first victory obviously
since the passing of his father, Kyle Bush,
but he was in a micro-A feature at Port City Raceway.
This was really cool to see and it's just,
I can't even imagine the things that he's been through
and has been dealing with the last several months.
But racing is what he loves and what his dad wanted him to do
and what he seems to want to do.
Just a special moment seeing him get back to victory.
Well, this is exactly what his dad would want him to be doing.
You know, having a little bit of trouble at the beginning of the race
with an accident, ripping the top all the way back to the front.
I mean, this would have been an epic Kyle Bush clip after this race
because he would have been absolutely through the roof
excited and proud of everything that Brexton did.
And I know everybody is rooting for this kid
to be able to keep doing what he's doing
and exactly where and what his dad would tell him to do.
If he had the opportunity to tell him
he wasn't going to be here anymore,
get back out on the racetrack and keep doing the things
that we've been working on and to see him in victory lane.
I think the whole racing world is just over the top happy.
Yeah, definitely.
And his mom, Samantha, also said the racetrack
is still where they feel closest to Kyle.
Well, it's a community.
And when you, we talk all the time about racing being a family sport
and the reason that we all love going to the racetrack are the people.
And when there's a tragedy that happens,
there is no better place to be than the racetrack
because everybody there is going to help you.
And I think everybody wants to see,
not only Brexton succeed,
but they want to see their family succeed
and be able to be felt like they're wanted
and have help and people to lean on.
Good for Brexton.
And he also is a driver of the week nominees.
I love it.
We'll have to stay tuned to see if he gets that honor.
All right, Kevin, time now to take a trip around the rest
of the racing world.
So let's start in wine country with NHRA.
In top fuel,
reigning world champion, Doug Coletta,
continued his absolute mastery of Sonoma Raceway,
laying down a blistering 3.731 second pass
at nearly 340 miles per hour.
And the final round to deny local favorite,
Jasmine Salinas, her first career victory in Funny Car.
John Force, racing newcomer, Jordan Vandergrift,
continued his stellar breakout season,
delivering a near flawless performance
to defeat Daniel Wilkerson in the final
and secure his second national event trophy of the year.
And finally in pro stock, Greg Stanfield,
capitalized on a historic weekend in wine country,
outdoing a powerhouse field to take the pro stock win
and celebrate alongside a massive three day sell out crowd
at Sonoma.
All right, Caitlin, let's head to the dirt.
Eldora Speedway Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing
at the famous Eldora Speedway Kyle Larson beat Rico Abreu
in the $100,000 to win Interstate Batteries
High Limit Main Event.
Fan favorite Rico Abreu led the first 20 laps
before he and Larson traded sliders with Larson,
narrowly squeezing through to take the lead.
Larson's win in Eldora is his 10th career victory
at the famed dirt track.
All right, Caitlin, we're going to stay on the dirt.
Here we are, a world of outlaws sprint cars.
They took over for the weekend at Eldora
and NASCAR rising star Corey Day made a spectacular
2026 World of Outlaws season debut by winning
a chaotic rain delayed race and fending off Aaron Reitzel
in the night before the King's Royal at Eldora Speedway.
On Saturday in the King's Royal Main Event,
Anthony Macri made history at Eldora Speedway
by battling back through traffic to retake the lead
with three laps to go, joining Donnie Schatz,
as the only drivers to capture consecutive King's Royal crowns
and securing a massive $200,000 payday.
And Toyota pairing Sammy Piari and Marco Salmonin
won rally Estonia for their maiden world rally car win.
Driver Sammy Piari was unstoppable
over the weekend, winning 12 of the 18 stages.
This is his sixth podium from nine events this year.
Piari is up to third in the championship standings,
and the Finn heads home to rally Finland next.
All right, let's head to the GT World Challenge in Europe
from Misano team WRT's Charles Wurz and Kevin Vanderlin
delivered an absolute masterclass under the lights in Misano,
capitalizing on a chaotic opening lap pile up
to cruise to a dominant race one victory.
The defending champions then completed
the perfect weekend sweep on Sunday afternoon
using a blistering lightning fast pit stop in race two
to leapfrog the pole sitting verstap in racing Mercedes
and reclaimed the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup points lead.
All right, Kevin, here the Honda HRC's Hunter Lawrence
reclaimed the 450 class championship points lead
with a dominant 1-1 Moto sweep at the Spring Creek National
while Red Bull KTM's Julian Bome broke through
for his first career victory in a chaotic 250 class.
All right, that's all that happening.
It's all across the racing world.
It's time now to crown our driver of the week.
So you've seen our nominees throughout the week,
and now it's the fans' turn to have their say.
Before we share those results, Kevin,
who was your driver of the week?
Well, I waited for Will to not be here to pick somebody
besides a NASCAR Cup Series race winner.
I did pick Antonelli after he had his first win.
Yeah, I remember that.
I'm going with Brexton Bush this week.
I don't know how you can go against that young man
and everything that he's gone through
and getting back to victory lane this weekend.
Yeah, I don't either.
That's definitely my driver of the week, Brexton Bush.
I love it.
He probably will be a driver of the week for a long time
if we think about it.
You're probably right.
Long history ahead for Brexton Bush.
OK, so here we see it again.
The win he had over the weekend, we talked about it,
how special it was, obviously, for Samantha and the family
and just the emotions he had returning back to victory lane.
So Brexton, a strong candidate for driver of the week,
but I think we need to find out who the fans went with.
Well, they're definitely the ones that speak the loudest.
So let's see what the fans think about our vote this week.
Yeah, what do we got?
Where is the results for this?
Oh, Brexton Bush, driver of the week.
Very good.
Not even close.
Not even close.
Not even close.
On the poll results.
Good job, fans.
Yeah, good job, fans.
You guys made the right selection.
Good job, Brexton.
The votes of confidence.
Good job, Brexton Bush.
That's right.
OK, we are now going to look ahead to next weekend.
Here are some of the top races of the weekend.
Of course, the NASCAR Cup Series returns to the famous
Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Can't wait to see who kisses the bricks there.
Then the NASCAR Truck Series.
They will also be in Indy, but will run over
at Indianapolis Raceway Park along with the Arca Menard Series.
So the last Formula One race before the summer break,
we talked about it.
It's Sunday at Hungarian Grand Prix.
We look forward to that.
And finally, Formula E returns to the schedule
with the Tokyo E-Prix.
That'll be cool.
OK, so that's a big list of exciting events.
Which one are you most looking forward to, Kevin?
I look forward to anything that is racing at the brickyard
in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Always one of my favorite racetracks to go to.
I grew up a Rick Mears fan and being able to watch stock cars
at the brickyard, Indy cars, whatever it is.
I love the brickyard, so I can't wait to see who comes out
with the big ring and the big trophy.
That's right.
Kissing the bricks.
The brickyard is so special.
It is.
If you are a fan, you got to go there and see that.
If you have not watched the Indy 500
or not been to a brickyard 400,
you are missing something in the brickyard.
No matter what you go for, it's a spectacle
just walking around and you can feel the history there.
Awesome place.
We look forward to that on Sunday.
Thanks for letting me join you here on the show today, Kevin.
Well, thanks for filling in.
Will is, you know, he's off at the racetrack
with a rain-delayed Indy car race.
And we always have fun.
And I know you like to talk racing
and love the racing world.
So thanks for helping us out.
And coming up on Wednesday,
we hear from Indy next driver, Miles Rowe.
Rowe is the one of the most talented
open-wheel oval drivers in IndyCar.
And he's looking for a seat in the 2027 Indy 500.
So if you're enjoying the show,
do us a favor and subscribe to the channel.
Follow us on social media and jump into the comments
to let us know what you thought
and what you want to see next here on the show.
Also, a big thank you to our friends at Poet.
Poet produces high-octane bioethnol
delivering maximum performance
with zero carbon intensity.
You can't beat zero.
For Kevin Harvick, I'm Caitlin Vinci.
Thanks so much for watching Speed with Harvick and Buxton,
fueled by Poet.
And now we send you out with the Wrecks of the Week.
About this episode
North Wilkesboro’s return takes center stage, with the hosts celebrating a points race coming back and Joey Logano’s dominant weekend—plus how driver feedback and setup focus can swing results. The conversation then widens to the championship picture: mile-and-a-half track questions, mistake-avoidance, and Shane van Gisbergen’s qualifying-driven oval run. IndyCar coverage follows, including Nashville’s weather delay and silly-season chatter, before the show pivots to Kimi Antonelli’s Spa surge and the broader motorsport roundup.
Kaitlyn Vincie fills in for Will Buxton alongside Kevin Harvick to break down a massive weekend in motorsports! NASCAR returned to North Wilkesboro Speedway for its first points-paying race in 30 years as Joey Logano dominated to break his 45-race winless streak.
Meanwhile, Kimi Antonelli captures his 6th F1 win of the year at Spa, INDYCAR faces rain in Nashville, and Kevin Harvick himself claims victory at Stateline Speedway in CARS Tour West!
Plus, an emotional win for Brexton Busch, full rundowns of F2, F3, NHRA, Eldora Sprint Cars, World Rally, GT World Challenge, and Pro Motocross!
00:00 - Intro & Welcome Kaitlyn Vincie
00:30 - NASCAR Cup Series: Joey Logano Dominates North Wilkesboro
07:00 - NASCAR Cup Series: Hendrick Struggles & SVG’s Top-5 Run
14:00 - NASCAR Truck Series: Chandler Smith’s Record Margin Of Victory
19:00 - North Wilkesboro Speedway: Before & After Transformation
21:00 - INDYCAR: Rain-Delayed Monday at Nashville
29:00 - Formula 1: Kimi Antonelli Wins Spa-Francorchamps
35:45 - Social Speedway
40:20 - CARS Tour: Kaden Honeycutt Sweeps N. Wilkesboro & Kevin Harvick Wins in Idaho
46:30 - Emotional Victory: Brexton Busch Wins at Port City
48:13 - Around the Racing World
51:45 - Driver of the Week
52:40 - Final Lap
54:45 - Wrecks of the Week
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