Author Archives: PressBox

May 30, 2026

Macedo dives under Gravel with four laps left to win River Cities

Carson Macedo charged from ninth and dove under David Gravel with four laps remaining to win the 40-lap World of Outlaws feature at River Cities Speedway. He made the pass down the front straightaway in the first leg of the Northern Tour Don Mack Classic; Gravel countered with a slide job through Turns 3 and 4, but Macedo cleared him on the following circuit and pulled away to the checkered flag.

Gravel finished second for his series-best 14th podium this season, while rookie Kasey Jedrzejek (Bill Rose Racing No. 6) scored his first career World of Outlaws podium in third. Chris Windom was fourth and Sheldon Haudenschild fifth.

The victory moved Macedo into sole possession of second in the standings, cutting the gap to series leader David Gravel to 114 points and tightening the championship picture.

It was Macedo’s 61st career World of Outlaws win and his third at River Cities Speedway, tying him with Craig Dollansky for the second-most wins at the quarter-mile facility. The result was Jason Johnson Racing’s third win of the season.
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May 30, 2026

Erb leads all 40 laps, fends off Overton to win $100K

Tyler Erb won the World of Outlaws Late Model feature at Mansfield Speedway and collected a surprise $100,000 winner’s prize after local philanthropists the Niss family boosted the advertised purse from $12,000 to $100,000 moments before the race. The six-figure payout was Erb’s first and elevated the one-off 57 Special Opener on the World of Outlaws Late Model Series calendar.

The payday came a day after Erb and his girlfriend, Emma Hodge, announced they were expecting their first child.

Erb started second, passed pole-sitter Ricky Thornton Jr. on the opening lap and led all 40 laps, fending off a late charge from Brandon Overton to win by roughly half a second. Thornton later fell out of contention with a flat tire. Bobby Pierce rallied from 10th to finish third, while Josh Rice was fourth and Hudson O’Neal fifth. The victory added to Erb’s résumé — five World of Outlaws wins, a World of Outlaws series championship, and 21 DIRTcar Summer Nationals victories, including the Gateway Dirt Nationals and the National 100. Erb, of New Waverly, Texas, quipped that after taking the lead on lap one he wound up with a $100,000 payday.
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May 30, 2026

Cadillac rejects rumours of replacing Bottas with Colton Herta

Cadillac rejected social-media speculation that it planned to replace Valtteri Bottas with reserve driver Colton Herta. Team principal Graeme Lowdon told PlanetF1 the reports were “baseless and illogical,” a “complete fabrication” and had “no basis in truth.” The rumours followed Bottas appearing slower than teammate Sergio Perez in Canada and included suggestions of a switch ahead of the Monaco race, but Lowdon said those claims were wide of the mark.

Lowdon defended both Bottas and Perez, saying they had been doing extra development work as Cadillac built up its operation and that outsiders did not understand those tasks. He said it was premature to judge Bottas on current standings and that the team needed to gather more data over the remainder of the season before making performance assessments. Observers and Cadillac noted the GM-backed project has been set back by the challenges of building a team from scratch; early teething problems and organisational complexity are influencing results more than any imminent driver change. The entry debuted this season as F1’s 11th team, sits 10th in the constructors’ championship and has not yet scored a championship point.

Cadillac also pointed to practical and contractual limits on a mid-season change. Lowdon and reports emphasised that Herta does not hold the FIA Super Licence required to race in F1, PlanetF1 said Bottas is a valued member of the programme, and media accounts noted both drivers spent 2025 on the sidelines. Perez is a recent departure from Red Bull, and Bottas is understood to have a contract with an option to continue in 2027. Cadillac’s statements largely closed down immediate speculation while preserving the normal end‑of‑season evaluation process.
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May 30, 2026

Phillips argues Till matchup makes competitive sense at 205

John Phillips said Darren Till should be his next opponent in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, arguing the matchup makes competitive sense because both men are natural 205-pounders. Phillips told Bloody Elbow that Till historically struggled cutting to 185 pounds in MMA and that the fighters’ similar size and strength would produce a more even fight than Till’s lighter opponents. Phillips said if both fighters win their next bouts it “will make sense” to book the fight and called it “an exciting matchup fans need to see.” The two men had shared a BKFC card at BKFC 90.

Darren Till moved to BKFC after leaving MMA and signed a three-fight deal in April. He scored a second-round stoppage in Dubai, a result that put him on a Birmingham card. Till had been scheduled to make his bare-knuckle debut at BKFC 90 against Aaron Chalmers.

At the BKFC 90 weigh-ins Till weighed 188.8 pounds, his lightest recorded weight since December 2022. Aaron Chalmers weighed 187.8 pounds, one pound lighter than Till. The weigh-ins underscored Till’s history of changing weight classes: he had difficulty making welterweight in the UFC, moved up to middleweight during his UFC career, and after leaving the promotion bulked up to just under 200 pounds for his first professional boxing match. Chalmers has competed at weights as low as 155 pounds in Bellator. The face-off portion of the BKFC 90 weigh-ins was briefly overshadowed by a brawl between Connor Tierney and Rico Franco. Phillips’ remarks positioned a Phillips-versus-Till bout as a plausible near-term booking for BKFC, pending each man’s upcoming results.
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May 29, 2026

Feldman hails BKFC-90 as first all-British title, vows expansion

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship completed its final press conference in Birmingham on May 28 and confirmed official weigh-ins have been completed ahead of BKFC-90, scheduled for May 30 at the Utilita Arena. The card is headlined by an Interim Welterweight World Title bout between Connor Tierney and Rico Franco, with Darren Till making his BKFC debut in the co-main against Aaron Chalmers.

At the press conference BKFC founder David Feldman said Conor McGregor called in to add an extra knockout bonus to each fight, and he described the event as the promotion’s first all-British world championship while saying BKFC is expanding internationally. Feldman and organizers framed BKFC-90 as a milestone for the company’s U.K. expansion and said stakes were heightened for fighters on the card. Tierney called the matchup the toughest fight of his career. Till vowed to “wipe” the roster and singled out Chalmers, who accepted underdog status and said the bout will demonstrate his level and bring his contract to a close. BKFC released final press conference photos, video and quotes from Birmingham.

BKFC posted weigh-in photos, videos and official results for both the main card and the prelims. Main-card weights included Tierney at 164.8 pounds and Franco at 164.4, Till at 188.8 and Chalmers at 187.7, John Phillips at 205.4 and Ryan Barrett at 205.0, and Tommy Hawthorn and Will Smith both at 155.6. Prelim weights included Kris Trezise 165.8, Luke Brassfield 162.4, Lucasz Parobiec 264.5, Kaseem Saleem 274.0, Nathan Leeson 154.6 and Stevie Davenport 154.4. The posted results provide the official weights and confirm whether each fighter made or missed their mark. The prelims will be available free on the BKFC app at 7:00 p.m. BST (2:00 p.m. EDT) and the main card airs at 8:00 p.m. BST (3:00 p.m. EDT). UK viewers can access the show on Triller PPV.
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May 29, 2026

Ricky Thornton Jr. wins Lonewolf 40 at Wayne County; sixth WoO victory

Ricky Thornton Jr. won the Lonewolf 40 at Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, Ohio, capturing his sixth World of Outlaws Late Model Series victory and his first Series win since the 2024 World Finals. Thornton started from the Bilstein Pole in his first World of Outlaws start at Wayne County and led the 40-lap feature to the checkered, surviving a chaotic three-wide opening sequence.

A final restart with two laps remaining tightened the contest, and Thornton held off late charges from Nick Hoffman and Bobby Pierce to secure the victory. Hoffman finished second, Pierce — who charged from a 16th-place start — was third, Tyler Erb fourth and Dustin Sorensen fifth, marking Sorensen’s second straight top-five.

Early incidents produced flat tires for Hudson O’Neal and Brandon Sheppard. The win ended a difficult stretch for Thornton: after opening May with a victory at Circle City Raceway, he had two top-five finishes and four results of 18th or worse across seven subsequent starts. The Lonewolf 40 was also Thornton’s third win in his first 40 Late Model starts this season.
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May 29, 2026

FIA bans straight mode and DRS for 2026 Monaco over safety

The FIA has banned active aerodynamic “straight mode” and removed DRS for the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix, ruling that cars must run with fixed aerodynamic surfaces for safety and circuit-specific reasons. The governing body confirmed straight mode will not be available during laps at Monte Carlo and F1.com’s official track map shows no straight-mode activation zones. Officials cited Monaco’s curved start-finish layout, the lack of any sustained section meeting the FIA’s minimum three-second activation requirement, the Tunnel exit speeds and limited run-off as reasons the adjustable wings and straight-mode stability limits are incompatible with the circuit. The FIA said the decision makes Monaco the first race weekend without moveable wings since DRS was introduced in 2011 and stressed the restriction is targeted to Monaco rather than a permanent rule change.

Overtaking aids will be limited to the new Overtake Mode, with a detection window placed between the Swimming Pool and Rascasse corners and activation occurring on the run to the final corner, just before Turns 18 and 19 (Anthony Noghes). The FIA and drivers warned that deploying straight mode causes a substantial loss of downforce and that disabling it at Monaco will make passing more difficult. Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto said he expects overtaking to be harder under the change. The move is part of a format and technical response to Monaco’s chronic lack of overtaking, and last year’s one-off mandatory two-stop rule has been dropped for 2026.

Teams must shift technical emphasis toward maximum downforce and strong low- to medium-speed handling and may bring Monaco-specific high-downforce packages to compensate for the ban on active aero. Qualifying is expected to be especially decisive on Monte Carlo’s tight street layout. Observers flagged potential beneficiaries, naming Ferrari’s SF-26 and McLaren’s short-wheelbase MCL40 as cars that could gain from the fixed-aero conditions, while Mercedes arrived at the weekend as the season favorite after recent dominance and a W17 downforce upgrade introduced in Montreal. The FIA framed the ruling as a safety-driven, circuit-by-circuit application of the 2026 rules that could reshuffle the weekend pecking order without eliminating existing pace advantages, and other venues such as Montreal will retain multiple straight-mode zones.
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May 29, 2026

Monster to be Aprilia’s main MotoGP sponsor in 2026

Monster Energy became Aprilia Racing’s multi-year MotoGP sponsor, with the partnership announced during the Grand Prix of Italy and set to launch in 2026, and Monster slated to assume official title-sponsor status in 2027. Aprilia described Monster as its first-ever title sponsor and the deal ends Aprilia’s run without a title partner since the squad became a full factory team in 2022. The agreement was presented publicly at the Italian Grand Prix; one report said it took effect immediately on signing, while other reports described a formal planned start date in 2026. No financial terms or detailed operational arrangements were disclosed.

Under the agreement Monster will serve as Aprilia’s main sponsor in 2026 and its logo, including the three-claw mark, will appear on the factory RS-GP machines, riders’ leathers and team assets, with the branding due to start appearing at the Mugello round. Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola called the deal a milestone for the Noale-based manufacturer. Monster Senior Vice President Mitch Covington said the company sees MotoGP as a key global platform and that the partnership advances Monster’s MotoGP presence. The announcement coincided with Jorge Martín putting his personal Red Bull sponsorship on hold and Red Bull branding disappearing from his Aprilia gear; reports said Monster will join Martín’s Aprilia team as the title partner.

The sponsorship comes as Aprilia enjoyed a period of sporting dominance, opening 2026 with three straight Grand Prix wins, reaching the podium in each of the season’s first five races and recording a 1-2-3 at the French Grand Prix. Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martín combined for multiple wins and were first and second in the 2026 rider standings, separated by 15 points, while Aprilia led the manufacturer and team standings. The deal strengthens Aprilia’s commercial positioning at a moment of heightened sporting visibility. The announcement also arrived amid wider commercial speculation, since Monster currently remains Yamaha’s factory title sponsor and Yamaha’s arrangement with Monster has been the subject of reporting that it could change around 2027.
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May 29, 2026

WSL grants Tatiana Weston-Webb wildcard for VIVO Rio Pro return

The World Surf League (WSL) awarded Kauai-based Tatiana Weston‑Webb (BRA) a wildcard to the VIVO Rio Pro Presented by Corona Cero, which is scheduled to run June 19–27 at Praia de Itaúna in Saquarema. The Rio appearance will be Weston‑Webb’s first competition since the birth of her daughter, Bia, and follows a midseason withdrawal in 2025 for mental health reasons and a later pregnancy announcement; she last surfed at Saquarema while pregnant.

Weston‑Webb said the comeback will be emotional with Bia by her side and that motherhood has given her greater emotional strength, maturity and gratitude. She said she intends to compete “in a lighter way” while maintaining her intensity and desire to win. The wildcard gives her a competitive opportunity and a first step toward her stated goal of returning to the Championship Tour in 2026, while reconnecting with Brazilian fans at a familiar venue. Ivan Martinho, President of WSL Latin America, said her bond with Praia de Itaúna and its spectators will make the return memorable and called the selection meaningful for local supporters.
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