PressBox, Author at NXTbets Inc

October 27, 2026

Toto Wolff rejects Helmut Marko’s criticism of George Russell

Toto Wolff defended George Russell after Helmut Marko questioned whether the Mercedes driver was still good enough to fight for a Formula 1 title. Wolff rejected Marko’s assessment and said Russell “has absolutely what it takes to win a championship” in the right car, adding that Russell’s recent struggles were tied in part to a Mercedes car that did not suit him. Wolff said a faster car next season could give Russell another chance at a title, pointed to his success in Formula 2, Formula 3 and karting, and said he remained one of Mercedes’ best drivers.

The debate came after Russell finished eighth at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, behind Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli. Russell was given a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage while battling Oscar Piastri on lap one.

Wolff said the penalty was not the main reason for Russell’s result and said Mercedes needed to understand why the car suited Antonelli much better. He said the Mercedes W17’s narrow operating window likely explained Russell’s lack of pace in Austin. Antonelli won the race and led Russell by 123 points with 125 points still available, while he needed two points in Mexico City to clinch the 2026 championship.
More
October 27, 2026

Kyle Busch and Greg Biffle recognized as 2026 Comcast Community Champions

Kyle Busch and Greg Biffle were named the 2026 Comcast Community Champions of the Year, becoming the first co-champions in the award’s history. Comcast said it will donate a total of $120,000 to the two funds tied to their philanthropic work, with each fund receiving $60,000.

Busch was recognized for cofounding The Bundle of Joy Fund with his wife, Samantha Busch. The fund helps families pay for fertility treatment and has awarded more than $2.5 million in grants to nearly 200 families, helping welcome 114 babies.

Biffle was honored for his response to Hurricane Helene, when he used his personal helicopter for 14 straight days to help stranded residents and support rescue efforts. He was also recognized for the Biffle Family Legacy Impact Fund, which he created with Foundation For The Carolinas to support communities and causes in need.
More
October 27, 2026

O’Reilly Series opens Martinsville weekend Saturday with 38 entries

NASCAR’s Cup Series will race Sunday at Martinsville Speedway in the Xfinity 500, the penultimate race of the season and the ninth of 10 Chase races, with 37 cars on the entry list. The field includes Chase contenders Ross Chastain, Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, William Byron and Shane van Gisbergen, along with part-time or affiliated entries such as Austin Hill, Josh Bilicki and Connor Zilisch.

Larson goes to Martinsville after winning at Talladega and extending his Chase lead to 73 points. He could clinch his third Cup title at Martinsville. Byron is the defending Martinsville fall winner, and nine drivers already have been eliminated from Cup title contention.

The O’Reilly Auto Parts Series will open the Martinsville weekend Saturday in the eighth of nine Chase presented by Mobil 1 races and the 32nd points-paying event of the season. Its entry list has 38 names and still includes two TBA spots. Defending series champion and current points leader Jesse Love leads Justin Allgaier by 19 points after Sammy Smith’s Talladega victory, while Allgaier brings strong Martinsville results with two career wins, eight top-fives and 10 top-10s in 12 O’Reilly starts there. Taylor Gray is the defending Martinsville fall winner, and five Chase drivers already have been eliminated: Gray, Austin Hill, Brandon Jones, Parker Retzlaff and Rajah Caruth.
More
October 27, 2026

Sophie Cunningham responds to criticism of F1 appearance with heart emojis

Sophie Cunningham’s appearance at the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix in Austin became one of the weekend’s main talking points after she served as the ceremonial checkered-flag waver at Circuit of the Americas on Oct. 25. Cunningham appeared on the race broadcast at the end of Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli’s winning lap while waving the flag. Before the race, she posted an Instagram story showing herself in a Tecovas cowboy hat that said, “YEE MF HAW,” and she also met three-time Olympic gold medalist Gabby Thomas at the event.

Cunningham said she was new to Formula 1 and more accustomed to NASCAR, and said she was enjoying the experience while representing the Western-wear brand Tecovas. She said people should embrace what makes them different, said she had previously been uncomfortable posing for photos, and urged women not to let others’ expectations dictate how they present themselves. She also said, “Simply be you.”

Some fans criticized Cunningham on social media for being given such a prominent role at the race and objected to the use of celebrities at Formula 1 events. Cunningham responded indirectly by posting two heart emojis on an Instagram post tied to her appearance.
More
October 27, 2026

Cleetus McFarland set to compete full time in ARCA Menards Series in 2027

Garrett Mitchell, known as Cleetus McFarland, is set to compete full time in the ARCA Menards Series in 2027 in a Richard Childress Racing-prepared car, according to Matt Weaver of Motorsport.com. McFarland did not confirm the move at Talladega Superspeedway, but Weaver said on The Burnout Podcast via Kenny Wallace Media that McFarland is headed for a full-time ARCA schedule next season, with an announcement expected this week.

McFarland signed a two-year deal with Richard Childress Racing earlier in 2026 and has made eight ARCA starts across 2025 and 2026. He earned his first ARCA pole at Michigan in 2026 and had a best finish of second at Talladega, along with a fourth-place run at Rockingham.

McFarland also made two NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts in 2026, finishing 32nd and 35th, and added three Truck Series starts. He said there are “cool and unexpected” plans in the works with NASCAR, said his first meeting with the sanctioning body led to two penalties, and said the relationship has since improved. McFarland added that NASCAR’s involvement could extend to his Freedom Factory track and could support other racing plans, while he also mentioned a possible O’Reilly start on a superspeedway next year.
More
October 26, 2026

Koa Smith leads opening day at HTA Sunset Pro with 15.35 heat total

The World Surf League’s Hawaiʻi/Tahiti Nui Qualifying Series opened its North Shore schedule with the HTA Sunset Pro at Sunset Beach, and the event window began Oct. 26. Organizers were scheduled to meet at 7:00 a.m. HST on opening day to assess surf conditions, with a strong swell forecast, and the beach delivered solid four-to-six-foot waves with occasional eight-foot-plus sets.

The opening day featured completed women’s Round of 28 and Round of 24 heats, along with the men’s Round of 96. Zoie Zietz posted the best women’s opening-round total at 14.90, while Koa Smith turned in the day’s top score with an 8.50 ride and a 15.35 heat total. Thirteen-year-old Zoee Bradshaw advanced in her QS debut with a 12.50 heat total.

Kiara Goold returned to defend her title after winning the event last year, and the field also included Moana Jones Wong, Aelan Vaast, Eweleiula Wong, Chesney Guinotte and Vaihitimahana Inso. Joshua Moniz returned to Sunset after finishing runner-up there in 2025 and entering the 2026/2027 Challenger Series season. The event also included the new HTA Scholar Athlete Program, with Ace Arizumi and Kenzi Nakamura entered as wildcards and additional local scholastic surfers slated to compete at Haleʻiwa.
More
October 26, 2026

Griffin Colapinto’s Portugal win lifts Matt Biolos to first

Matt Biolos moved into first place in Stab’s Surfboard Empire CT 2026 Shaper Rankings after Griffin Colapinto’s win at the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal. Biolos has 165,030 points after Portugal and leads DHD by 44,960 points.

DHD gained ground at the event through Molly Picklum, who won her second straight women’s title in Portugal, and Bettylou Sakura Johnson, whose semifinal finish also added to Biolos’s total. Caity Simmers and Gabriel Medina were the other event finalists.

Simmers and Medina were the only Championship Tour surfers on their shapers’ rosters in Portugal. DHD is the only shaper with a mathematical chance to win the rankings, but it would need an extremely unlikely sequence of results in the remaining events at Cloud 9 and Pipeline to do it.
More
October 26, 2026

PBR sets 2027 World Finals Championship Weekend for Glendale

Single-day tickets for the 2027 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast go on sale Monday at 10 a.m. MST as the event prepares for a new championship-site arrangement in Glendale, Arizona. The 2027 Championship Weekend is scheduled for May 20-23 at Desert Diamond Arena, marking the first time Glendale will host the final weekend.

The World Finals will open in Fort Worth, Texas, with four rounds at Cowtown Coliseum from May 6-9 before moving to Arizona. PBR said the shift to a rotating host-city model is intended to grow the event’s reach.

PBR also said its tours have competed in Arizona for more than two decades, adding a longtime regional stop to the backdrop for the series’ expanded championship format.
More
October 26, 2026

Russell’s management spoke with other teams during contract talks

George Russell’s future at Mercedes looked increasingly uncertain after a difficult United States Grand Prix left him trailing Kimi Antonelli, whose pole position and decisive victory in Austin highlighted the rookie’s rise and Mercedes’ latest power shift. Russell finished eighth, 54 seconds behind Antonelli, received a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage while battling Oscar Piastri, and spent the final 26 laps behind a McLaren without finding a way past.

Russell described his pace as “rubbish” and said he could not explain the race, adding that the bigger problem was a poor opening stint in which he was much slower than Antonelli and lost ground to other cars. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said Russell struggles when the car is outside his preferred operating window, but also said he is capable of winning at the highest level. Wolff called Antonelli’s Austin drive “the race of a champion who isn’t the champion yet.”

Antonelli’s win left him 123 points ahead of Russell with 125 points still available, while Mercedes’ upgrade package appeared to work on Antonelli’s car in Austin and made the W17 look more competitive. Russell said he no longer cared where he finished in the championship and that the Constructors’ Championship was his main concern. James Hinchcliffe suggested Russell could consider other options, and Russell’s management had previously spoken with other teams during contract talks.
More