PressBox, Author at NXTbets Inc

August 27, 2026

Sammy Smith to leave JR Motorsports after 2026 season

Sammy Smith said he will leave JR Motorsports after the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season, ending a three-year run in the team’s No. 8 Chevrolet. Smith said he will move to a new team for 2027 and thanked JR Motorsports for the past three years, adding that his focus remains on the current championship run.

Smith joined JR Motorsports at the start of the 2024 season after driving for Joe Gibbs Racing. He has three career wins in the series, with victories at Phoenix in 2023, Talladega in 2024 and Rockingham in 2025, and two of those came with JR Motorsports. He is eighth in the 2026 standings, has not won through the first 23 races of the season, and entered the regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway eighth on the playoff grid with six top-five finishes and 10 top-10s.

JR Motorsports announced that Carson Kvapil will return to the team for the 2027 season and take over the No. 8 Chevrolet after Smith departs. The roster change opens the seat Smith has driven since 2024.
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August 27, 2026

Russell says McLaren has overtaken Mercedes in F1

George Russell said McLaren had passed Mercedes as Formula 1’s team to beat for the rest of the 2026 season, with upgrades introduced in Hungary and the Netherlands helping Lando Norris win the last two races. Russell said McLaren had started the year badly, including a double DNS in China, but had become especially strong on high-degradation circuits, a type of track that has also exposed weaknesses for him and Mercedes. Kimi Antonelli said Mercedes were no longer the fastest car after finishing second at Zandvoort, where Norris won, and said the team was probably the second- or third-fastest outfit. Norris said McLaren’s gains had come mainly in high-speed corners, while Mercedes still held an advantage in slow-speed sections. Russell expected Mercedes to be a little more competitive at Monza, and he said Ferrari’s coming engine upgrade made the picture less certain.

Norris’s back-to-back victories at Hungaroring and Zandvoort have revived the title fight, even as he said McLaren’s MCL40 was still difficult to drive. He said he was getting better at understanding the car and giving clearer feedback to the team, and said the Zandvoort win came after overnight work improved race pace. Norris said McLaren now had a car capable of beating Mercedes, but he still viewed Mercedes’ W17 as the better all-around package. He also said his recent results reflected both better driving and stronger work away from the track.

After 12 rounds, Antonelli led the championship on 242 points, with Norris fourth on 159 and 83 points behind. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton were tied on 183 points, while Charles Leclerc sat fifth on 155 and Max Verstappen sixth on 112. Former driver Riccardo Patrese said Norris looked more relaxed and confident and that the Norris-McLaren pairing was getting stronger, but he still called Antonelli the leading title contender because of his points lead and consistency. Patrese also said Antonelli’s form was troubling for Russell and that Antonelli had been stronger when both Mercedes cars were running well.
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August 27, 2026

Beta adds McElrath to 450SX roster through 2028

Shane McElrath has signed a two-year deal with Beta USA and Liqui Moly Beta Factory Racing, a move that adds the Canton, North Carolina rider to the team’s 450SX program for the next two seasons. He is set to race the Factory Beta RX 450F and make his debut at the opening round of the SuperMotocross Playoffs in Columbus, Ohio, with the deal covering the 2027 and 2028 seasons and keeping him with the team through the end of 2028.

McElrath will join Benny Bloss on Beta’s 450SMX roster and is expected to line up in the LCQ alongside Bloss and Honda-bound Mitchell Oldenburg. Beta announced the roster before the 2026 SMX World Championship had ended, and the team has not yet finalized its 250SMX lineup. Derek Kelley is reportedly expected to fill one of the open 250SMX seats, while the second remains open.

McElrath turned pro in 2013 and has won two FIM World Supercross Championships, taking SX2 titles in 2022 and 2024. He also has three AMA 250SX runner-up finishes, in 2015, 2017 and 2020, along with multiple AMA Pro Motocross and Supercross wins. Beta team director Carlen Gardner said McElrath’s experience, championship mindset and bike-development knowledge would help the factory program over the next two seasons. McElrath said he was excited to partner with the team for the next two years and beyond, and he arrived from Quad Lock Honda after qualifying for all 17 main events in the 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season, with five top-10 finishes and a best result of sixth in Philadelphia.
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August 27, 2026

Yamaha promotes Izan Guevara to Pramac for 2027 MotoGP

Yamaha confirmed that Izan Guevara will move up from its Moto2 program to the Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP team for 2027, where he will replace Jack Miller and race alongside Toprak Razgatlioglu. The move completes Yamaha’s 2027 rider reshuffle ahead of MotoGP’s new 850cc regulations and a new tire supplier, and Miller is set to be left without a MotoGP seat after this season. Yamaha also said it has signed Jorge Martin to replace Fabio Quartararo and Ai Ogura to replace Alex Rins as part of the broader lineup changes.

Yamaha said Guevara’s promotion is tied to its BLU CRU rider development program and is the first promotion from that pipeline with Pramac. Paolo Pavesio, Yamaha’s managing director, said the timing fits MotoGP’s new technical era in 2027. Guevara, the 2022 Moto3 world champion, has been a frontrunner in Moto2 in 2026 and was second in the standings, 42.5 points behind the leader after the British Grand Prix.

Guevara said the move was a dream come true after testing a Yamaha MotoGP bike in Valencia last November. He thanked Yamaha and the people who supported his career, and said he is focused on finishing the current Moto2 season before targeting a smooth transition to MotoGP in 2027.
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August 27, 2026

Alpine confirms 2027 F1 lineup with Colapinto, Gasly

Alpine has confirmed its 2027 Formula 1 driver lineup, with Franco Colapinto staying alongside Pierre Gasly after signing a one-year extension. Colapinto will spend a second season as a full-time race driver with Alpine after joining the team in 2025 as a reserve driver and later replacing Jack Doohan from the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.

Colapinto has grown more consistent in 2026 after a difficult start to his F1 career. After 12 rounds, he has 19 points, six points finishes and best results of seventh in Miami and sixth in Montreal. He is 12th in the drivers’ standings, while Gasly has 44 points and Alpine has scored 63 points overall to sit sixth in the constructors’ championship.

Alpine adviser Flavio Briatore said consistency was important and said Colapinto had shown growth and maturity and belonged in Formula 1. Colapinto said he felt settled and grateful for the team’s trust. Briatore also said Alpine’s main priority remained building a faster car to fight at the front, and the Enstone-based team has improved in 2026 after a difficult 2025 season, switched to a Mercedes customer team and returned to midfield competitiveness.
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August 27, 2026

Williams gives Luke Browning Monza FP1 run for Italian GP

Williams is set to give reserve driver Luke Browning another Formula 1 practice outing at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, where he will drive Alex Albon’s FW48 in FP1 on September 4 at 12:30 local time. The session will be Browning’s second practice appearance of the 2026 season and his sixth FP1 run overall for the team.

Browning joined the Williams Driver Academy in 2023 and became Williams’ reserve driver for 2026. He made his Formula 1 practice debut at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, has since built more mileage in the car, and also races for Team Kondo Racing in Japan’s Super Formula championship. Williams previously planned to run him in Barcelona and Austria this season, but an electrical fault stopped him from taking part in the Spanish session. He made his first official appearance of the season at the Austrian Grand Prix, where he finished 18th in FP1, three-tenths behind Albon.

Williams said the Monza run will satisfy its second mandatory rookie practice session of the year, while also helping collect data, support Browning’s simulator work at Grove and continue his development. Browning said he was thrilled to get another chance in the FW48 and wants to use the session to help Williams gather data and improve its result at Monza.
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August 27, 2026

Erb Earns Fourth Win of Season in Southern Iowa Speedway Run

Tyler Erb won the inaugural World of Outlaws Corn Belt Showdown at Southern Iowa Speedway on Wednesday night, giving him his fourth World of Outlaws Late Model Series victory of the season and the eighth of his career. Erb used the chassis he last ran in the Dirt Late Model Dream after a rollover crash at Maquoketa Speedway, set quick time, and worked through the field before moving past Dallon Murty, Ethan Dotson and Dustin Sorensen to take the lead.

A lap 14 caution involving Trey Mills and Sorensen briefly put Sorensen back in front, but Erb reclaimed the lead after the restart and pulled away to win by 2.1 seconds. The victory continued a strong season for Erb and came in the first running of the Corn Belt Showdown.

Dotson finished second for his best result of the season, while Sorensen took third for his first World of Outlaws podium of 2026. Daulton Wilson and Bobby Pierce completed the top five.
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August 26, 2026

RCR names Smith to No. 21, Brown to No. 2 on multiyear deals

Richard Childress Racing announced that Chandler Smith and Carson Brown will form its 2027 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series lineup, with Smith set to drive the No. 21 Chevrolet and Brown in the No. 2 Chevrolet on multiyear deals. Smith will replace Austin Hill in the No. 21 program, while Brown takes over the No. 2 seat from Jesse Love, who is moving to Wood Brothers Racing in Cup in 2027. Hill is set to move to RCR’s No. 33 Cup car full time.

Smith returns to the O’Reilly series after two Truck Series seasons with Front Row Motorsports, where he won four races, and he has nine Truck Series victories overall. He previously won three O’Reilly Series races in 71 starts, and he has 25 top-five finishes and 36 top-10s in the series. Smith said he was excited to join RCR and build something lasting with the team, while Childress said he had earned the opportunity and fit the team’s goals for the No. 21 program. The No. 21 will carry 1-800-PACK-RAT as its primary sponsor, and the company will expand its involvement beginning in 2027 as part of a larger marketing push tied to Smith and RCR.

Brown, 17, is early in his NASCAR career and has been competing in ARCA this season. He won his first ARCA race at Phoenix earlier this year, leading every lap, and made his O’Reilly debut Aug. 8 at Iowa, finishing 15th. Childress said Brown earned the chance through his performance and work ethic. The No. 2 car will continue with Whelen as its sponsor.
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August 26, 2026

Daytona sets warm, dry weekend for Coke Zero 400

Daytona International Speedway is set for a warm, mostly dry NASCAR weekend Friday and Saturday, with forecasters calling for sun and clouds, highs in the upper 80s and no significant rain threat for on-track activity. The outlook is favorable for both days, though August weather in Daytona can change quickly and scattered storms remain possible.

Friday’s schedule opens with O’Reilly Auto Parts Series qualifying at 3 p.m. ET, followed by Cup Series qualifying at 5 p.m. ET on truTV, with radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM. The Winn-Dixie 250 Powered by Coca-Cola is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on The CW and ESPN, with MRN and SiriusXM also carrying the race. The Cup Series has no practice at Daytona, making Friday qualifying its only on-track session before Saturday night’s race.

The weekend closes with the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET, a 160-lap, 400-mile race on Daytona’s 2.5-mile superspeedway that airs on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, and streams on HBO Max. The event is the regular-season finale and the final chance for drivers to reach the postseason. All 41 drivers will take part in single-lap qualifying, the slowest non-chartered car will miss the race, the top 10 from the first round will advance to a second round to decide the top 10 starting spots, and positions 11 through 40 will be set by first-round speeds. The race is the 26th of 36 on the schedule and will be run in stages of 35, 60 and 65 laps.
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