PressBox, Author at NXTbets Inc

October 24, 2026

NASCAR to soften Phoenix Raceway dogleg without removing shortcut

NASCAR is planning to modify the dogleg shortcut at Phoenix Raceway to reduce the g-forces drivers experience and make the transition from the banking to the apron less jarring. Officials said data collected from drivers’ mouthpieces showed the change in elevation was producing uncomfortable and potentially harmful forces, and NASCAR is committed to making a change without removing the shortcut entirely.

The most likely fix is smoothing out the banking so the drop into the apron is less abrupt. NASCAR raised the issue with drivers during a scheduled competition meeting in August and is expected to discuss possible changes with drivers, teams and engineers in the coming months. The targeted timeline is to have the changes in place before the series returns to Phoenix in March 2027.

Several drivers said the dogleg is rough on the body, including Bubba Wallace, Christopher Bell and William Byron, who supported changing it. Wallace described the forces as “thirtysomething Gs,” although the actual readings were said to be in the low 10s. Tyler Reddick said seat setup affects how the section feels, while Joey Logano said the dogleg is painful but also a key part of the track’s appeal, where it has become central to Phoenix’s chaotic restarts and passing opportunities.
More
October 24, 2026

Jesse Love takes slim points lead into Talladega race

Jesse Love will take a slim NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series points lead into the Progress Group 250 at Talladega, where the top four drivers are separated by less than a race’s worth of points. Love moved to the top of the standings after winning at Phoenix and enters Talladega 36 points ahead of Justin Allgaier, 39 ahead of Hendrick Motorsports rookie Corey Day and 59 ahead of Sheldon Creed.

Love also earned the pole for the race by 0.002 seconds over Jake Finch, giving him his fifth straight Talladega pole. Carson Kvapil will start fourth and Austin Hill fifth. Day posted the 10th-fastest qualifying time but will start from the rear after an engine change.

Day won at Talladega this spring and said superspeedways are unpredictable, adding that he wants a clean race to have a shot at the end. The race is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on The CW, with radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The event also comes as several drivers look ahead to Cup opportunities, with Love set for a full-time Wood Brothers Racing ride in 2027, Hill moving to a full-time Cup seat with Richard Childress Racing in 2027, and Day scheduled for a handful of Cup starts with Hendrick Motorsports in 2027 before returning full time to the No. 17 in the O’Reilly Series after 2027. Kvapil is staying in the O’Reilly Series next year, which makes him less likely to move to Cup in 2027.
More
October 24, 2026

Jesse Love edges Jake Finch for Progress Group 250 pole

Jesse Love won the pole for Saturday’s Progress Group 250 at Talladega Superspeedway, edging Jake Finch by 0.002 seconds in final-round qualifying. Love posted a fastest lap of 52.435 seconds, while Finch was second at 52.437. It was Love’s fifth consecutive Talladega pole and the 12th pole of his O’Reilly Auto Parts Series career.

Sam Mayer qualified third, followed by Carson Kvapil, Austin Hill, Rajah Caruth and Anthony Alfredo. Corey Day qualified 10th on speed but will start at the rear after an engine issue. Lavar Scott, Carson Ware, Patrick Emerling and Lee Pulliam did not qualify. Love said he was proud of his Richard Childress Racing team and ready to defend his points lead.
More
October 24, 2026

PROSPORT racing head Rod Moskowitz charged with assault on government official

Rod Moskowitz, the CEO and head of racing at PROSPORT Management, was charged in North Carolina with assault with a deadly weapon against a government official after an incident involving a Huntersville police officer, according to Joe Bruno of WSOC-TV. He was arrested and booked in Mecklenburg County on Wednesday, Oct. 21.

An arrest warrant alleged that Moskowitz drove recklessly and nearly struck the officer multiple times, but those allegations had not been proven in court. No injury or physical contact had been publicly established in the case.

Moskowitz was initially held without bond after his arrest. Judge Roderick Davis later set bond at $1,000 secured. PROSPORT Management represents NASCAR drivers including Denny Hamlin, Bubba Wallace, Chase Elliott, William Byron, Kyle Larson, Tyler Reddick and Zane Smith.
More
October 24, 2026

Gavin Miller wins Western World Championships feature by 1.766 seconds

Gavin Miller won the 35-lap USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship feature Saturday night at the 59th Western World Championships at Central Arizona Raceway in Casa Grande, Arizona, capturing the biggest victory of his career. Miller started third, passed Kevin Thomas Jr. for the lead on lap 23 and pulled away to lead the final 12 laps, winning by 1.766 seconds and earning $42,450.

Kevin Thomas Jr. finished second, followed by Justin Grant in third, Jake Swanson fourth and Stevie Sussex fifth. Miller also was named the Whiz Kid Western World Rookie of the Year and received a $1,000 bonus. The result gave Team AZ its third Western World finale victory in five seasons.
More
October 24, 2026

Marc Márquez says surgery fixed radial nerve compression in his arm

Marc Márquez said he deliberately toned down his emotions during MotoGP weekends in order to save energy for Sunday’s main race, a habit that developed during the first half of the 2026 season as he dealt with injury-related fatigue. He said he often felt completely empty by Sunday and that the extra recovery and physiotherapy required by his right-shoulder problems from a crash in Indonesia the previous year made it harder to manage his energy across a grand prix weekend.

Márquez said the shoulder issues also brought episodes of sudden loss of sensation in his arm, and that surgery during the French Grand Prix weekend was needed to fix radial nerve compression in the arm. He said the sprint-race format introduced in 2023 has also made energy management more difficult.

He said focusing on his physical condition and staying mentally concentrated helped him feel better and believe he could perform at his best. Márquez also said he now spends more time in his garage or paddock office as he works to conserve energy over race weekends.
More
October 24, 2026

James Hunt finishes third at Fuji to secure 1976 Formula 1 title

James Hunt’s 1976 Formula 1 World Championship, won by one point over Niki Lauda, remains the defining moment of a season in which he was viewed as an underdog and staged a dramatic midseason comeback. Hunt took pole position in Brazil, then won races in the United States and Canada to pull back into contention after falling 17 points behind Lauda with three races left. The title fight also turned into one of Formula One’s most famous rivalries, and Freddie Hunt called the season “incredible.”

The championship was decided at Fuji, where Hunt needed at least fourth place and finished third in the rain-hit Japanese Grand Prix to clinch the crown. Lauda withdrew after two laps because he judged the wet conditions too severe, while Mario Andretti won and Patrick Depailler finished second. Drying conditions caused serious tire problems for Hunt and forced him into a pit stop, but his finish was enough to secure the 1976 title with 69 points to Lauda’s 68.

Freddie Hunt said the Hunt-Lauda rivalry was exciting and built on mutual respect and friendship. He said his father is remembered for his kindness, respectfulness, charisma and ability to make difficult situations feel fun. The 1976 title battle helped establish Formula One as a bigger broadcast property in Britain, and BBC Radio 2 covered the Fuji race live and uninterrupted. After racing, Hunt became a BBC commentator and worked with Murray Walker. He died of a heart attack in 1993 at age 45.
More
October 24, 2026

Williams makes uncomfortable changes in final nine races, says Sainz

Williams used Friday practice at the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas to try to understand why its 2026 car has been so uncompetitive, with Carlos Sainz saying the team is putting less emphasis on immediate results and more on collecting data for the rest of the season and next year’s development. Williams has scored only 12 points and sits ninth in the constructors’ standings after prioritizing the 2025 campaign to prepare for the new technical era.

Sainz said Williams is making major changes during the final nine races of the 2026 season to build momentum for 2027, describing the work as “quite uncomfortable.” He said the changes are meant to help the team “hit the ground running” next year, while also using the rest of the season to fix internal processes and accept short-term discomfort so it can start 2027 from a stronger base. Sainz also said the FW48 is not currently good enough to score points regularly, adding that Williams is probably no better than the top 15 in a normal race and that reaching the top 14 is very difficult.

Chief engineer Paul Williams said the car struggles in medium- and high-speed corners, which make up a major part of Circuit of the Americas, especially in sectors one and three. Sainz said the circuit’s bumps and high-speed sections would make the race physically demanding, and that the weekend was a chance to learn why the car is so weak.
More
October 24, 2026

Jose Vitor Leme ties PBR record in Gamblers win over Cowboys

The PBR Teams standings race tightened Friday in Kansas City, with several teams still locked in a battle to avoid the Ride-In Game. The No. 2 Austin Gamblers strengthened their hold near the top by beating the No. 3 Carolina Cowboys, moving within one win of securing a Top 3 seed and a first-round bye at the 2026 PBR Teams Championship.

Jose Vitor Leme powered the Gamblers with a personal season-high 92.20 points on Super Trooper, and the ride gave him his 94th career 90-point ride, tying Chris Shivers’ PBR record. Leme also extended his lead in the PBR Teams MVP race and can clinch the honor with one more qualified ride.

Friday’s other results added to the crowded standings picture, as the Florida Freedom upset the Nashville Stampede, the Oklahoma Wildcatters edged the Texas Rattlers by 0.15 points, the Missouri Thunder defeated the Arizona Ridge Riders, and the New York Mavericks topped the Kansas City Outlaws. PBR Teams Outlaw Days continued Saturday at T-Mobile Center.
More