PressBox, Author at NXTbets Inc

August 11, 2026

Las Vegas, Martinsville unveil key 2027 NASCAR race dates

Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Martinsville Speedway announced key parts of their 2027 NASCAR schedules, laying out race weekends that will anchor the season at two of the sport’s prominent tracks. Las Vegas scheduled its spring weekend for March 19-21 and its fall weekend for October 8-10, while Martinsville set its spring dates for April 16-18 and its fall dates for November 5-7.

At Las Vegas, the spring weekend will feature the Pennzoil 400 NASCAR Cup Series race and a LiUNA NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series event. The fall weekend will include the South Point 400 Cup Series race and another O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race. Speedway officials said the South Point 400 is expected to remain a key stop in NASCAR’s championship chase and part of the playoff schedule, and general manager Patrick Lindsey said the track looks forward to hosting fans for two race weekends again. Ticket, broadcast, camping, schedule and fan-experience details will be announced later.

Martinsville said all of its 2027 races will be part of its 80th anniversary season. The spring weekend will include the Whelen Modified Tour on Friday, the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series on Saturday and the Cup Series on Sunday. The fall weekend will again be the penultimate weekend in The Chase for all three national series, with the Truck Series on Friday, the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series on Saturday and the Cup Series on Sunday. Martinsville said its full 2027 schedule, including start times and broadcast information, will be released later.
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August 11, 2026

Black’s Tire returns as Allmendinger’s Richmond sponsor

Black’s Tire Service will return as the primary sponsor on AJ Allmendinger’s No. 16 Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing in Saturday night’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway, marking a fourth straight year of the partnership. Black’s Tire will also serve as the presenting sponsor of Friday’s Black’s Tire 250 Presented by BTS Rewards NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, while Down East Heating & Air will join as a partner on Allmendinger’s car. Ty Dillon’s No. 10 Chevrolet also carried BSF sponsorship for a second straight weekend.

Black’s Tire president Ricky Benton II said the Richmond weekend will be a major event for the company’s employees and customers. Allmendinger said he was excited to have Black’s Tire back on the car and hoped to deliver a strong result at Richmond. He reached 500 Cup starts in June and has three Cup Series victories and 18 Xfinity Series wins.

Allmendinger heads to Richmond after finishing eighth at Iowa, his fourth top-10 finish of the season. He said Richmond has not always been one of his better tracks, but Kaulig Racing’s short-track progress, strong pit work and improved preparation could help the team contend. The Cup race is set for 7 p.m. ET on USA, with MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio carrying the radio coverage.
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August 11, 2026

MotoGP to launch 2027 season in Rio de Janeiro

MotoGP will open its 2027 season in Rio de Janeiro on Feb. 21, with the official launch set for Botafogo Beach beneath Sugarloaf Mountain. The event will bring together all MotoGP teams, riders and manufacturers before the opening race weekend, and is planned to include season presentations, rider appearances, fan activities and live entertainment. MotoGP chief executive Carmelo Ezpeleta said the launch has become an important moment for the championship, while Rio Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere said the city was honored to host it after MotoGP’s return to Brazil in 2026.

MotoGP said the Rio launch is meant to give the city major international exposure and showcase its landmarks, culture and hospitality to a global audience. The announcement follows a sold-out Grand Prix weekend in Goiânia in 2026 that drew nearly 150,000 spectators. Ezpeleta also pointed to the response from Brazilian fans at that event, and said the launch would highlight Rio to the world.

The Rio event will be the third different season-launch location in three years, after Bangkok in 2025 and Kuala Lumpur in 2026. MotoGP moved the 2027 launch to Brazil after rumors had pointed to Miami. The championship said its full 2027 calendar and pre-season test dates are still not set, with the only confirmed race date so far the Thai Grand Prix on March 5-7 at Buriram International Circuit. MotoGP also said the 2027 season will feature reduced aerodynamic influence and the removal of ride-height devices.
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August 11, 2026

MotoGP transfer window could void deals signed too early

MotoGP stakeholders are studying a football-style rider transfer window that would limit when teams can sign riders, after the idea was discussed during a nearly three-hour IRTA Management Council meeting at Silverstone on Friday morning. The proposal is intended to stop the rider market from opening too early and from dominating the season before it is well underway. Under the plan, deals signed outside the transfer window would be treated as invalid, although no formal decision has been made.

The push for change follows a reshaped 2027 grid, with many deals announced in January and before the summer break, and roughly 80% of the available seats reportedly filled by then. Reported moves included Fabio Quartararo from Yamaha to Honda, Jorge Martin to Yamaha and Pedro Acosta to Ducati. Stakeholders say the speed of the market has raised questions about whether a more structured signing period is needed.

Views among manufacturers and teams are split. Yamaha is seen as supportive of the proposal and views it as a positive, viable step, while Ducati is more skeptical and reportedly said the change would be extremely difficult to implement. One unresolved issue is how any transfer window would affect riders moving up from Moto2 and Moto3.
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August 11, 2026

F1 and Teams Back Slower Engine Shift After Verstappen Input

Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said he has spoken with Max Verstappen about the Dutch driver’s future and the sport’s planned regulation changes, and he believes the four-time world champion will remain in Formula 1 despite speculation about a Red Bull exit or even a full departure from the series. Domenicali said he has an “incredible relationship” with Verstappen and that the driver is discussing both his future and the next rules package with the sport.

The talks have centered on Formula 1’s planned power-unit revision, which would move to a 58-42 split in favor of the combustion engine, then to 60-40 by 2028. Domenicali said Verstappen was directly consulted and that drivers who tested the package in simulators reacted positively. He said the slower transition was approved by teams to help contain costs under F1’s capped development rules, and that any change would still need agreement from teams, manufacturers, the FIA and FOM.

Verstappen has been one of the sharpest critics of the current rules and had suggested he could leave Formula 1 if they were not changed. He is sixth in the 2026 standings, has not won a race this season, and Red Bull has struggled to regain its previous dominance. Domenicali said he thinks Verstappen loves Formula 1 and that the sport is big enough for him, adding that he hopes the driver’s stay in the series proves true.
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August 10, 2026

Windy barrels keep Tahiti Pro heats under 10 points

The first two days of the Tahiti Pro at Teahupo’o were run in heavy, windy conditions that produced dramatic barrels and a string of low-scoring heats. Many heats were decided by totals under 10 points as the blustery surf made the opening rounds difficult for competitors.

Kelly Slater beat Eli Hanneman in the opening round with a nine-point ride and moved on to a Round 2 matchup with Gabriel Medina. Seth Moniz, Kauli Vaast and Eimeo Czermak also won heats in the opening rounds.

Hanneman suffered two hard wipeouts during his heat but was not hurt. He finished the event in 30th place overall as he continues his push to requalify for the 2027 tour.
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August 10, 2026

Kelly Slater posts top Tahiti Pro heat at Teahupo’o

Kelly Slater delivered the standout performance on the opening day of the Tahiti Pro, posting the highest heat total at 16.23 points and backing it up with a nine-point ride in his first-round heat against Eli Hanneman at Teahupo’o. The 54-year-old wildcard, who retired from full-time competition in 2024, advanced to the second round and is set to face Gabriel Medina next.

Slater earned the nine-point score with a late drop and a deep barrel, and he did not need that wave to move on. He said after the heat that Teahupo’o is “sort of like riding a bike,” adding that the break is so gnarly that competitors have to jump right back in.

The event unfolded in huge, unruly surf with triple-overhead waves, strong cross-shore winds, heavy rain and strong wind. Matthew McGillivray, Ramzi Boukhiam and Hanneman all had difficult wipeouts, while Kauli Vaast also impressed before competition was called off. More big waves were expected in the following days.
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August 10, 2026

Kelly Slater posts Tahiti Pro’s first excellent heat

Kelly Slater delivered the standout performance of the opening weekend at the Tahiti Pro at Teahupo’o, earning the contest’s first excellent heat score and later saying he felt like he was “locked back in” after trying to stay relaxed and in the moment. The 54-year-old returned to a Championship Tour jersey for the third time since leaving the tour in 2024.

Slater opened with a 16.23 in round one against Eli Hanneman, highlighted by a nine-point ride that gave him the event’s first top-tier score. That result set up a round-two matchup with Gabriel Medina.

The event itself was uneven, with Saturday and Sunday both interrupted as conditions worsened after some early high-scoring heats. Slater’s round-two heat against Medina was interrupted on Sunday afternoon.
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August 10, 2026

Hamlin Sent to Rear as Brake Problems Hit Iowa Build-Up

Brake problems and rear-start penalties shaped the build-up to Sunday’s Iowa Corn 350. Denny Hamlin, the points leader entering the race, was sent to the back after Joe Gibbs Racing changed a cooling unit on the No. 11 car before the green flag, and NASCAR said the adjustment was unapproved. Brad Keselowski and Chase Elliott also started from the rear after crashes in qualifying and practice, while Hamlin, Chase Briscoe and Riley Herbst reported brake-pressure problems soon after they got on track Saturday at Iowa Speedway.

Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI Racing spent Saturday morning repairing the affected cars. Teams were allowed to bleed brake lines and replace cracked rotors for safety, but NASCAR would not allow a brake-pad change unless the manufacturer reported a defect, and crews could not switch between the heavier short-track and road-course rotors and the lighter superspeedway version. Crew chief Chris Gayle said Hamlin had only a 50-50 chance of reaching the finish at full speed, while crew chief James Small said Briscoe’s brake pads were destroyed. The brake issues also affected the three 23XI Racing cars — Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace and Riley Herbst — to varying degrees, as the teams tested setup ideas through the JGR-23XI technical alliance for the Chase for the Championship.

The trouble carried into the race itself. On Lap 3, Tyler Reddick got loose, slid up the track and collected Erik Jones, badly damaging both cars and bringing out a caution. Reddick said, “We have no oil pressure,” and finished 36th, while Jones was 35th. Hamlin stayed in the race but said, “I can’t brake, I have no brakes.” After the penalties and early trouble, Ryan Blaney closed to within 120 points of Hamlin in the standings.
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