Author Archives: PressBox

April 8, 2026

Pierce Leads Hoffman by 3 Points into Illini 100

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series (WoO Late Model Series) heads to Farmer City Raceway for the Illini 100, the series’ first Midwest stop. Practice is scheduled for April 9 as teams acclimate to Farmer City’s distinctive black-dirt quarter-mile. Racing will run April 10-11, with Friday’s 40-lap “lid lifter” paying $12,000 and Saturday’s 60-lap headline finale paying $25,000, a combined 100 laps for the weekend. The program also includes the MARS Modified Championship season opener, adding a second championship event to the card.

Bobby Pierce leads the series with 1,909 points, a three-point advantage over Nick Hoffman; both drivers have four wins. Hoffman has paced a series-high 157 feature laps this year and Pierce has led 76, a combined 233 feature laps. Pierce and Hoffman are the only drivers carrying six-figure purses. Their positions reflect last weekend’s doubleheader at East Alabama Motor Speedway and Senoia Raceway, and the weekend is important for teams chasing early points and momentum.

The entry list blends regional talent with series regulars, including local Illinois drivers Jason Feger and Shannon Babb alongside Brandon Sheppard and Brian Shirley. Ryan Gustin remains winless through 14 World of Outlaws starts but has four top-five finishes and sits fourth in the standings. Daulton Wilson will make his first World of Outlaws start at Farmer City after narrowly missing becoming the series’ 105th different winner last weekend.
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April 8, 2026

World of Outlaws Return to I-55, Begin 12-Week Run

The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series will return from its Easter break to I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park in Pevely, Missouri, for the Federated Auto Parts Spring Classic on April 10-11. The stop begins a stretch of 12 consecutive weekends of World of Outlaws competition.

I-55 is a high-banked, one-third-mile bullring that sources describe as producing blistering early laps, commonly in the 10- to sub-11-second range. The surface slicks off and widens later in a program, enabling big slide jobs and crossovers.

Reports differ on I-55’s all-time World of Outlaws appearances. One source says the track is tied with Silver Dollar Speedway at 79 races and would take sole possession during the upcoming weekend. Another source says I-55 already holds sole possession with 79 races.

Fan programming for the Spring Classic includes a drivers’ autograph session on the midway, a Saturday meet-and-greet with comedian Jerry Wayne Longmire at the World of Outlaws merchandise trailer, and midway interviews hosted by Wes Irwin that will feature Longmire alongside drivers Carson Macedo and Donny Schatz. The weekend pairs high-speed on-track action with multiple fan engagement opportunities tied to the series and its sponsors.
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April 8, 2026

McLaren predicts Fornaroli will debut in F1 late 2026

McLaren said it accelerated the testing and development of 21-year-old Italian Leonardo Fornaroli after he did not secure a 2026 race seat, signing him over the winter as a reserve driver for 2026. Fornaroli, the reigning FIA Formula 2 champion who won consecutive FIA F3 and F2 titles without prior backing from an F1 junior program, will share reserve duties with IndyCar driver Pato O’Ward. Regulations require teams to give rookies two FP1 sessions, and McLaren expects Fornaroli to make his official F1 debut later in 2026.

Fornaroli completed his first on-track F1 tests in McLaren’s 2023 MCL60 recently at Barcelona and Silverstone, covering more than 900 kilometers in total, with 112 laps (512 km) at Barcelona and 68 laps (393 km) at Silverstone. McLaren described the Silverstone outing as a full-day session and an evolution of the earlier program. The tests focused on long stints with lower fuel and evaluations on hard and soft tire compounds to simulate race conditions; Fornaroli said the sessions helped him try different setups and build comfort with F1 machinery, and he reported noticeable improvements after the longer runs and setup work. McLaren noted the Silverstone run included 16 more laps than F1 drivers managed at last year’s British Grand Prix.

The team called the outings part of a structured Driver Development Program that pairs on-track work with simulator sessions at McLaren’s Woking base and trackside exposure, including attendance at the Japanese Grand Prix. Sporting director Alessandro Alunni Bravi said Fornaroli “made fantastic progress throughout” and showed consistency and a quick ability to learn. McLaren said he will have additional track outings across a variety of circuits and will support the team both trackside and in the simulator, providing significant seat time and data on how he adapts to the MCL60 under varied fuel and tire conditions.
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April 8, 2026

Brundle Warns 2026 F1 Power Units May Break Article 27.1

Martin Brundle warned that autonomous, self-learning energy deployment in the new 2026 Formula 1 cars may be breaching Article 27.1 of the sporting regulations by undermining driver control and making race decisions for drivers.

Speaking on The F1 Show and Sky Sports F1, Brundle said the power units appear capable of overriding driver inputs and argued regulators must examine whether that behavior contravenes the rule that the driver must drive “alone and unaided.”

He called the current power delivery architecture “fundamentally flawed” and said “drivers should not be surprised by a car’s behavior.”
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April 7, 2026

Mercedes, McLaren to Test Pirelli Tires at Nurburgring

Mercedes and McLaren will run a two-day Pirelli tire test at the Nurburgring on April 14-15. The outing will bring current-era F1 cars back to the circuit for the first time since the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix.

Pirelli describes the sessions as a technical tire program and the test has been promoted informally as a “Spring Break” Mercedes test. One report named Mercedes drivers as George Russell and Kimi Antonelli and McLaren drivers as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, split across the two days; another source said drivers had not been confirmed, though both teams are expected to divide duties across the test days.

The sessions will run on the Nurburgring’s GP layout and are scheduled as non-competitive tire work to provide data for Pirelli’s development program. Several sources said the work will focus on dry compounds after recent Pirelli running at Suzuka, but Pirelli has not formally confirmed whether sessions will target wet or dry tires and can artificially wet the surface if required. The GP layout’s 17 corners, large run-off areas and advanced monitoring make the track well suited to precise data gathering as teams evaluate tire behavior, car setup and long-run performance to inform future compounds and construction.

The Nurburgring outing replaces a planned pre-season wet trial in Bahrain and fills on-track time lost after the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix and the Bahrain test were canceled. Reports linked those cancellations to missile strikes tied to the US and Israel offensive on Iran. Organizers and supporters hope the return of top-level cars will strengthen calls to reinstate the Nurburgring on the official F1 calendar, and the work will give drivers preparation ahead of the championship resuming at the Miami Grand Prix on May 3.
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April 7, 2026

Nashville Supercross: Race Day Live 9am ET; Gate Drop 3pm

This weekend’s Monster Energy AMA Supercross stop is at Nissan Stadium in Nashville and serves as Round 13 of the championship. In the U.S., qualifying and the Race Day Live session will stream on Peacock at 9 a.m. ET (6 a.m. PT).

Listings show live main-program coverage — including the Gate Drop main race broadcast — beginning at 3 p.m. ET (12 p.m. PT) on Peacock and NBC; SiriusXM will carry the Gate Drop broadcast as well. Note on timing: some schedules list heat races as starting shortly after 3 p.m. ET while broadcast guides show live coverage beginning at 3 p.m. ET — check local listings for exact start times.

International viewers can watch Race Day Live at 1 p.m. GMT, with the main race available at 7 p.m. GMT on SuperMotocross VideoPass. Organizers also noted that next weekend’s Cleveland SX will be run as a day race with the same 3 p.m. ET main-program start.
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April 7, 2026

Liberty proposes F1-style permanent reserves for MotoGP

Liberty Media has proposed introducing F1-style permanent reserve riders in MotoGP as part of a new commercial framework, arguing that factories should name one or two reserves who travel to every round and can step in for factory or satellite teams. The proposal is framed as a response to an expanded calendar and a heavier weekend format (Friday practice, a Saturday sprint and a Sunday grand prix) that organizers say has increased injuries and produced prolonged absences — cited examples include Marc Márquez, Jorge Martín and the pre-season injury to Fermin Aldeguer — and is intended to reduce reliance on ad-hoc stand-ins and improve competitiveness and readiness. The idea remains under discussion rather than a confirmed rule change.

Proponents have proposed mandating manufacturer reserves, possibly two riders per brand with one slot reserved for a young rider, and argue such a system could give Moto2 stars meaningful race-weekend exposure and become a pivotal development route if cost and logistical hurdles are addressed. Supporters say a formal reserve pool would cover frequent injuries, avoid situations where full-time riders cannot be replaced and mirror Formula 1’s permanent reserve approach, while Liberty positions the plan alongside other F1-style changes it has introduced since taking control in 2025.

Officials, teams and riders raised multiple practical and commercial objections. Manufacturers currently rely on test riders — such as Dani Pedrosa, Andrea Dovizioso, the Espargaró brothers, Ducati’s Michele Pirro and Aprilia’s Lorenzo Savadori — who focus on bike development rather than being maintained race-ready; Pirro’s best substitute result in the last decade was fourth at the 2018 Valencia Grand Prix and he was over a minute off the lead when deputizing in Thailand, while Savadori scored points twice in 2025 with a best finish of ninth at the wet French Grand Prix. Critics point to the lack of MotoGP simulators, the need for extensive seat time, likely changes to weekend formats, riders’ reluctance to travel without a guaranteed chance to race (Alex Rins said “I wouldn’t be willing to do so”), and scheduling clashes with World Superbike — exemplified by the Nicolò Bulega case — as major obstacles. Ducati sporting director Davide Tardozzi publicly rejected the proposal as “not viable,” and teams warned they would be unwilling to risk their lead SBK or MotoGP riders serving as reserves. The proposal’s fate will hinge on whether manufacturers, teams and series officials can reconcile the operational, financial and talent-development trade-offs involved.
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April 7, 2026

Dean Wilson returns to Quad Lock Honda for final five 450SX

Dean Wilson will return to the Monster Energy AMA Supercross 450SX class for the final five rounds of the 2026 championship, joining Quad Lock Honda. The comeback begins at round 13 in Nashville, Tennessee, giving Quad Lock Honda an experienced rider for the closing stretch.

Wilson filled in for Honda HRC Progressive late in the 2025 Supercross series when Jett and Hunter Lawrence were sidelined. He made five 450SX starts in 2025 aboard the factory Honda CRF450R Works Edition, posting results of 17-9-10-10-7 and finishing seventh in the Salt Lake City finale; he has 74 career top-ten 450SX finishes and finished 17th in the 2025 Monster Energy SuperMotocross World Championship.

In fall 2025 Wilson won the AUSX SX1 title with Quad Lock Honda, and earlier in the year he won the UK Arenacross Tour to claim a second consecutive title. On social media he said he wasn’t sure where he stood in the 450 class but had “put in a good effort” and has been working on his preparation in recent weeks; he invited fans to visit the Quad Lock Honda rig and confirmed he will see fans and competitors in Nashville as he resumes competition for the closing rounds.
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April 6, 2026

Shimoda injured in St. Louis crash, drops to fourth

Jo Shimoda will undergo an MRI this week after sustaining a lower-left leg injury in a multi-rider pileup at the sixth round of the St. Louis Supercross. The Honda HRC Progressive rider was removed from the track by the Alpinestars Mobile Medical Unit, was ruled out for the remainder of the night, did not start the LCQ, and scored zero points in St. Louis.

The crash began when Phoenix Honda rider Evan Ferry went down; Shimoda rolled a section and was clipped in the lower leg by Luke Clout in the first rhythm section, prompting a red flag, and he was seen favoring his left leg after the incident. Alpinestars’ initial on-site assessment found no broken bones but indicated possible ligament damage; Shimoda said Alpinestars medical told him there were no fractures. The MRI has been described as the decisive diagnostic step to confirm or rule out ligament issues and to inform any short-term treatment or recovery timeline, and the team has said its immediate focus is obtaining accurate imaging and a recovery plan that preserves Shimoda’s championship chances.

Team manager Lars Lindstrom said the injury initially looked serious but that he is “more hopeful that it’s only a minor setback,” noting Shimoda could put weight on the foot during initial checks and that putting weight on the foot seemed to be okay. Entering the round Shimoda trailed championship leader Cole Davies by 14 points; after scoring no points in St. Louis he now sits fourth in the 250SX East standings, 36 points behind Davies.
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