PressBox, Author at NXTbets Inc

October 18, 2026

ISA and WSL settle Cloud 9 schedule clash for World Surfing Games

The ISA and the WSL reached a deal that will allow Championship Tour surfers to compete in the ISA World Surfing Games in Peru in November, despite the schedule overlap with the WSL’s Cloud 9 event in the Philippines. The arrangement resolves a conflict between two events that are about 11,220 miles apart.

Championship Tour surfers seeded into Round 3 will not begin competing in Peru until November 11, one day after Cloud 9’s waiting period ends. The trip between Punta Rocas in Peru and Cloud 9 in the Philippines can take roughly 41 hours.

The ISA also added a repechage round after Round 2, giving surfers who miss their first heat another chance to advance.
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October 18, 2026

Phoenix leaves Kyle Larson atop Cup playoffs, with Christopher Bell five points back

Kyle Larson came to Phoenix Raceway leading the NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings and left still on top, though Christopher Bell cut the gap to five points after Sunday’s Freeway Insurance 500. Larson entered the sixth race of the 10-race playoffs with a 51-point lead over Bell, a 65-point edge over Chase Briscoe, an 85-point cushion over Ryan Blaney and a 49-point lead over Denny Hamlin.

Blaney won the pole at Phoenix, with Joey Logano second to give Team Penske an all-Penske front row. Briscoe qualified third after back-to-back wins in Las Vegas and Charlotte, Hamlin was fourth and Bell fifth. Larson qualified 22nd after a bobble and a loose car in qualifying, even though he had two playoff victories and two second-place finishes through the first six postseason races.

Phoenix Raceway hosted a playoff race for the first time since 2019, but it was not hosting championship weekend this year. The race marked the sixth stop in the 10-race Cup Series playoffs, with Larson still holding the championship lead afterward.
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October 18, 2026

Denny Hamlin says O’Reilly Series economics can block Cup Series path

Denny Hamlin said on the Actions Detrimental podcast that about 80% of drivers in NASCAR’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series pay some amount of money to race, and he described the series as NASCAR’s most financially fragile division. Hamlin said the problem is economics rather than talent, warning that financial barriers can make it difficult for drivers to use the series as a path to the Cup Series.

Hamlin estimated that some rides in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series cost between $40,000 and $45,000 per race, while top seats at teams such as Joe Gibbs Racing or JR Motorsports can run from $100,000 to $150,000. He also said a full season in a weaker car can cost between $1.3 million and $1.4 million. Alpha Prime Racing co-owner Tommy Joe Martins said small teams may operate on budgets of $2.5 million to $3 million, and that sponsorship alone often covers only part of those costs.

Parker Kligerman said Hamlin was “maybe 50% correct,” adding that seat funding in the series often comes from a mix of family money, manufacturer support and sponsorship rather than a simple pay-to-drive setup. The debate unfolded against a 2026 season in which driver results varied widely, with Brent Crews posting a 12.4 average finish, Parker Retzlaff recording 12 top-10s and four top-fives in the No. 99 car, Taylor Gray winning at Kansas and leading 191 laps through Charlotte, and Patrick Staropoli still without a top-10 finish through the Charlotte race.
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October 18, 2026

Dave Feldman says BKFC will use influencers as ambassadors, not just fighters

BKFC President Dave Feldman said the promotion would work with influencers only if they have real fighting experience, saying inexperienced influencers would not be suited for bare-knuckle competition. He said BKFC plans to involve influencers more through appearances, content and brand ambassador roles rather than necessarily putting them in the ring.

Feldman said Aaron Chalmers was the closest example of an influencer-style fighter in BKFC because of Chalmers’ prior fighting experience. He made the comments after BKFC 95 in Newark, New Jersey.

Feldman also said the John Dodson-Jamel Herring main event left him disgusted because he wanted more action and more effort to create a fight.
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October 18, 2026

Max Reaves wins Phoenix after overtime and rain ends race under caution

Max Reaves won the Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100 ARCA Menards Series West race at Phoenix Raceway on Oct. 17 after overtime and a late rain shower helped end the event under caution. The race was extended from 100 laps to 114 after contact with Andrew Chapman triggered overtime, and Reaves led 90 laps en route to the victory. Taylor Reimer finished second, 0.072 seconds behind.

Reimer also made history by leading 24 laps, the first laps she had ever led in ARCA Menards Series platform competition. The race also featured six women in the field, a new ARCA Menards Series West record.

Reaves earned the pole with a lap of 27.683 seconds at 130.044 mph, while Jade Avedisian qualified second, 0.012 seconds behind him. Taylor Reimer qualified third, Gavan Boschele fourth and Mia Lovell fifth. Hailie Deegan started eighth in the 25-car field. Mason Massey finished third and gained four points on series leader Trevor Huddleston, who finished seventh and entered the ARCA Menards West finale at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway with a 39-point lead over Massey. Reaves’ win came in Joe Gibbs Racing’s final ARCA Menards Series start.
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October 18, 2026

Gabriel Bortoleto says he is committed to Audi’s long-term Formula 1 project

Gabriel Bortoleto said he is staying patient with Formula 1 progress and remains committed to Audi’s long-term project, even as Kimi Antonelli and Isack Hadjar have already reached the podium. Bortoleto said he sees himself as part of a team that is improving rather than as a stepping stone to another seat, and he added that drivers should be judged over the long term because every career path in Formula 1 is different. He said being viewed as a future team leader is “pride, not pressure,” and that he wants to be ready when Audi eventually wins.

Bortoleto said he is focused first on helping Audi build toward future success and on scoring points, after spending his junior career in winning machinery. He said he has had to adjust to a Formula 1 season centered on points rather than victories, and he hopes to be fighting for world championships with Audi in five years. At the time of the article, he was 15th in the drivers’ standings and Audi was eighth in the constructors’ championship.

The Brazilian said he was emotional when he learned he would race full time in 2025. He said he never had a Plan B before reaching Formula 1, credited his family’s sacrifices, and pointed to his 2024 Monza Formula 2 victory after a qualifying setback as an important moment in securing his chance in the sport. Bortoleto also said advice from Mattia Binotto and Max Verstappen helps keep him motivated, and he said he is happy to be in Formula 1 after winning the 2023 Formula 3 title and the 2024 Formula 2 title.
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October 18, 2026

Buddy Kofoid wins Belle-Clair World of Outlaws debut

Buddy Kofoid won the 40-lap World of Outlaws feature Friday night at Belle-Clair Fairgrounds Park Speedway in Belleville, Illinois, taking the checkered flag in the Roth Motorsports No. 83. The race, the track’s World of Outlaws debut, featured multiple lead changes before Kofoid took command for good on lap 18.

A late red flag came out after Garet Williamson flipped with 11 laps remaining, but Kofoid held on to earn the Battle at Belle-Clair championship belt. The victory was his 16th World of Outlaws Series win of 2026 and matched Roth Motorsports’ single-season win mark. Parker Price-Miller finished second after starting from the pole, Karter Sarff was third for his first World of Outlaws top-three finish in his third Feature start, Sheldon Haudenschild placed fourth and Spencer Bayston was fifth.
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October 18, 2026

Gavin Miller wins Bomb City 40 for first USAC Sprint Car victory

Gavin Miller earned his first career USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car feature victory on Oct. 17, 2026, winning the Bomb City 40 at Route 66 Motor Speedway in Amarillo, Texas. The 19-year-old from Allentown, Pennsylvania led all 40 laps and won by 6.953 seconds in his 15th series start, collecting $10,000 for the victory.

A multi-car opening-lap incident involving Justin Grant briefly scrambled the field behind Miller, but Cale Coons held on for second and Grant recovered to finish third. Jake Swanson placed fourth and Mitchel Moles finished fifth.
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October 18, 2026

George Russell says Mercedes must improve upgrades with six races left

Mercedes is on course for a double championship in 2026, with Kimi Antonelli leading the drivers’ standings and the team in position to challenge for the constructors’ title. Antonelli leads George Russell by 102 points, has outperformed him individually this season and is the likeliest title winner, with a chance to clinch his first world title in Austin next weekend.

Mercedes has won 11 of the first 17 grands prix and leads Ferrari by 134 points in the constructors’ championship. Ferrari is Mercedes’ only realistic rival for the team title, with 258 constructors’ points still available. Mercedes may need to wait longer to officially secure that championship, and Brazil is the most likely place for it to happen, even if the team has a strong weekend in Mexico City.

Russell said Mercedes need to improve their recent upgrades, with six race weekends left and the team’s goal to make the car better. Mercedes’ new upgrade package struggled in Malaysia, Russell reverted to the previous specification in Singapore, and Antonelli kept the updates. Russell and Antonelli have combined for 11 Grand Prix wins and four Sprint Race victories this season, while Russell also won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku for his third victory of the year.

Max Verstappen and Red Bull have emerged as the strongest team over the last two races, and McLaren and Red Bull are expected to be out of contention for the constructors’ title after Austin.
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