PressBox, Author at NXTbets Inc

June 19, 2026

Seth Hammaker Tops 250MX Qualifying at Hangtown, Keeps 13-Point Championship Lead

Round 2 of the 2026 AMA Pro Motocross, the Hangtown Pro Motocross at Prairie City SVRA in Rancho Cordova, saw qualifying set the starting gates and frame expectations for the motos. In 450MX qualifying Jett Lawrence took pole with a lap of 1:49.886, Haiden Deegan was second-fastest at 1:50.389 and Jorge Prado third at 1:50.543. Hunter Lawrence fell during the second qualifying session but still posted the fourth-fastest time of 1:50.797, while Justin Cooper was fifth-fastest in 1:51.014. In 250MX qualifying Seth Hammaker topped the charts with a 1:52.621 lap as he entered the Hangtown weekend 13 points clear in the 250 championship. Ryder DiFrancesco was second-fastest in 1:52.871, Jo Shimoda third in 1:52.950, with Cole Davies and Levi Kitchen listed just behind the top three.

The weekend arrived with key championship and injury storylines shaping expectations for race day. Hunter Lawrence held a six-point lead over Jorge Prado after last week’s season opener. Jett Lawrence remained hampered by a pre-supercross leg and ankle injury. Eli Tomac was sidelined after a crash and Malcolm Stewart was out with a twisted knee. Haiden Deegan had made his 450 debut last week, posting a 5-4 score for fifth overall. Track preparation at Hangtown featured rice hulls that were holding moisture and a revised layout that included an uphill roller, a big middle triple and a larger Fly 150. Morning temperatures were in the 60s with a forecast high near 84.

Press-day coverage and fan previews arrived ahead of the motos. TransWorld Motocross posted two short YouTube videos with rider impressions and a first look at the Hangtown track, presenting the material as preview content rather than race coverage. In WMX action from earlier, defending champion Lala Turner holeshot and crashed in moto one but charged back to pass Charli Cannon on the final lap, with moto two scheduled for today.
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June 18, 2026

Justin Barcia skips High Point to recover from back injury

Justin Barcia will miss this weekend’s High Point National, round four of the Pro Motocross Championship, after aggravating a back injury in qualifying at Thunder Valley last weekend. Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati Factory Racing said Barcia compressed his back after dabbing his leg in a corner, then raced Moto 1 before pain intensified and kept him from starting Moto 2.

The team and Barcia decided to sit out High Point so he can recover. He will spend the next two weeks in rehabilitation under the supervision of the team’s medical staff, and his progress will be closely monitored. Team manager Josh Wisenor said Barcia gave everything he had at Thunder Valley and that the team’s priority is getting him healthy.

Dylan Ferrandis will represent the team in Barcia’s place at High Point. Barcia entered the weekend 15th in the 450 class standings after three rounds, with his best Pro Motocross finish this season a 10th at round two. He is in his 18th Pro Motocross season and previously missed most of Monster Energy Supercross after an opening-round crash before returning for the final three rounds.
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June 18, 2026

10-Race Run Begins as Outlaws Debut at 141 Speedway

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is set for a major Midwest swing that opens with its debut at 141 Speedway in Maribel, Wisconsin, on Friday and Saturday, June 19-20. The two-night event adds another Wisconsin stop to the schedule and makes 141 Speedway the 13th different track in the state to host a World of Outlaws event. The series, which debuted in 1988, is extending its long-running presence in Wisconsin dirt late model racing.

The 141 Speedway weekend starts a run of 10 races in 16 days, the busiest stretch of the 2026 season. The swing covers seven tracks across Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota and ends with the NAPA Auto Parts Gopher 50 at Deer Creek Speedway on July 2-4.

Tyler Erb enters the stretch after a career-best $100,000 win at Mansfield Speedway and another victory at West Virginia Motor Speedway. Dennis Erb Jr. is coming off his best weekend of the season. Nick Hoffman trails Bobby Pierce by 44 points and has finished outside the top five in his last two races.

Cody Overton is scheduled to return to World of Outlaws competition in a second car for Triple B Motorsports at Ogilvie Raceway on June 22. Jonathan Davenport is set to join the tour for stops in Minnesota and North Dakota, with first-time appearances scheduled at Ogilvie, River Cities, Nodak and Norman County.
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June 18, 2026

Carlos Sainz weighs Williams future amid 2026 slump

Carlos Sainz is weighing his future at Williams after the team’s difficult start to the 2026 F1 season, with delayed winter development and an overweight car leaving it short of pace. Team principal James Vowles believes Williams can become competitive with F1’s top teams by 2028, and Sainz says that target is realistic, but he is still deciding whether he wants to wait that long to win again.

Speaking in Monaco, Sainz said he remains committed to helping Williams recover, though podium contention this year looks unlikely. He said he will have to make a decision about his future later this season. Former F1 winner David Coulthard said Sainz is likely assessing his options as Williams goes through its slump, with market speculation also continuing around both of the team’s drivers.
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June 18, 2026

Márquez Passes Medical Check, Set for Brno FP1 Tryout

Alex Márquez is set to make a comeback at the Czech Grand Prix in Brno this weekend after a heavy crash at the Catalan Grand Prix left him with a broken collarbone and a fractured C7 vertebra. He missed the last two MotoGP rounds in Italy and Hungary, and returns after about a month out and just 33 days since the injury, even though a C7 fracture would usually require around six weeks of complete rest.

MotoGP confirmed Márquez passed his medical check for Brno, so he is cleared to try Friday’s FP1 session, but he will need another assessment before he can continue through the rest of the weekend. Márquez said he is still not at 100% and will judge his condition session by session. He also said the early stages of rehab were difficult and that being back in the paddock mattered to him mentally.

The crash came when he hit the rear tire of Pedro Acosta’s KTM after Acosta’s bike suffered a mechanical failure. Márquez said he accepts that as part of racing, but added that the Catalunya runoff should be improved so a bike does not jump the same way again. He said the collarbone was the most serious injury, that he had already recovered from the head impact, and that watching the replay from hospital helped him understand and accept what happened.
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June 18, 2026

Briggs Danner Rebounds to Win Eastern Storm at Bridgeport

Briggs Danner rebounded from a late-race disappointment at Grandview Speedway to win the second round of the USAC Yokohama Tire Eastern Storm Presented by Levan Machine on Wednesday night at Bridgeport Motorsports Park in Swedesboro, New Jersey. The victory was Danner’s third USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship win of the season, his second career Eastern Storm feature victory and the 10th win of his career. Danner had been denied victory Tuesday at Grandview when he made contact with Kyle Cummins coming to the white flag and spun out.

At Bridgeport, Danner started sixth, set the fastest qualifying lap at 15.244 seconds and passed Robert Ballou for the lead on lap nine of the 30-lap feature. He led the rest of the race and the final 22 laps. Mitchel Moles finished second, Brady Bacon was third, Chase Stockon came home fourth and Justin Grant took fifth.

Stockon earned hard-charger honors after moving from 12th to fourth. Danner’s win gave him 10 career victories and moved him into a tie for 54th on the series all-time win list. The Eastern Storm was scheduled to continue June 18 at Big Diamond Speedway in Pottsville, Pennsylvania.
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June 18, 2026

Kawase to lead Honda MotoGP as Puig shifts to adviser role

Honda has named Mikihiko Kawase as the next team manager of its factory MotoGP program, promoting the longtime Honda engineer from within and moving Alberto Puig into an advisory role starting in 2027. Honda said Kawase will take over at the end of the 2026 season, with the transition beginning at the start of 2027 as the company prepares for a major regulatory reset in MotoGP. Puig, who has led Honda’s MotoGP effort for nine years, will remain with the organization and continue to oversee its MotoGP and WorldSBK projects in a reduced, consultative capacity.

Honda passed over Trackhouse team principal Davide Brivio after considering both an interim arrangement and an external option. Brivio’s future responsibilities are expected to focus on marketing and business development. The appointment keeps Honda’s leadership in house and puts Kawase in charge as the company looks ahead to a season it sees as a turning point for the championship.

Kawase joined Honda Racing Corporation in 2012 and became Honda’s MotoGP technical manager in 2024. He previously led Honda’s Moto3 project and helped HRC win the 2019 Moto3 world title with Lorenzo Dalla Porta. Kawase, a former racer who competed in Japan’s lightweight classes from ages 18 to 27, said 2027 will be a landmark year because of the rule changes and said Honda needs to be prepared to fight at the front. Honda has not officially announced its 2027 factory riders, although Fabio Quartararo and David Alonso have been reported as targets, with Joan Mir and Luca Marini said to be in line to be replaced.
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June 18, 2026

Trackhouse names Francesco Guidotti MotoGP team manager

Trackhouse has appointed Francesco Guidotti as its MotoGP team manager, giving the veteran Italian an immediate start and a first race in the role at this weekend’s Czech Grand Prix at Brno. The move is part of a wider restructuring under owner Justin Marks as Davide Brivio prepares to leave at the end of the season and remain in charge of day-to-day operations during the transition. Reports on Brivio’s next step vary, with one saying he is expected to join Honda in 2027 in a marketing and business development role and another saying he is set for a senior role at HRC next season.

Guidotti arrives with experience leading Pramac Ducati and Red Bull KTM, and he has also worked with Aprilia in Grand Prix racing and WorldSBK. Trackhouse said it considered multiple candidates before choosing him, citing his background with both factory and private teams in MotoGP. Marks said Guidotti’s experience and fit with the team’s culture made him the right choice as Trackhouse enters its next phase.

Guidotti said he was excited to return to the paddock and work with Aprilia machinery again, while also helping the team and its riders grow. Trackhouse said the appointment is intended to support continued progress in its third MotoGP season after stronger 2026 results tied to the Aprilia RS-GP26 and the performances of Raul Fernandez and Ai Ogura. One of Guidotti’s early tasks will be helping shape Trackhouse’s medium- and long-term plans, including its 2027 rider lineup.
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June 18, 2026

Verstappen Tells Red Bull to Wait on Extension

Ralf Schumacher said Max Verstappen rejected a Red Bull offer that would have kept him with the team through the end of the 2032 F1 season. Schumacher said Verstappen told Red Bull he is already under contract through 2028 and wanted to “wait and see” before agreeing to a longer extension. He said the meeting took place in Austria and suggested Verstappen’s hesitation reflected uncertainty about Red Bull’s ability to keep producing a championship-winning car. Schumacher also said Oscar Piastri could become relevant to Red Bull’s plans.

Verstappen’s future is also tied to a release clause in his current deal, which his agent Raymond Vermeulen confirmed exists. Reports differ on the trigger: one says it could activate if Verstappen is outside the top two at the summer break, while another says it would run from August to October with the same top-two condition. One report said Verstappen is seventh in the standings and 60 points behind second place with four races left before the deadline, and he has one podium in the first seven rounds of 2026, a third place in Canada. Mercedes also made an approach, but Verstappen rejected it immediately because the offer was not considered strong enough.

Vermeulen said Verstappen and Red Bull remain loyal to each other for now and that a decision could come before the summer break. He said the aim is to reach clarity soon, while reports also say Verstappen has declined to publicly commit to Red Bull for 2027. Red Bull is reported to be weighing ways to keep him, including a low double-digit-million payment to remove the exit clause and, in another rumor, a possible controlling stake in Racing Bulls. That ownership idea has been linked to FIA scrutiny of dual-ownership rules, though Joe Saward described it as unlikely. Saward said he expects Verstappen to stay with Red Bull at least through 2027, with engineer Gianpiero Lambiase expected to move to McLaren around that time.
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