Author Archives: PressBox

February 9, 2026

Volusia DIRTcar Nationals Run Six Nights, Big Gator Looms

Volusia Speedway Park will host the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals for six straight nights, February 9–14. The week mixes non-points cards and World of Outlaws Late Model Series (WoO) points-paying mains. There are two $7,000-to-win shows on the first two days, a split-field night with three $5,000 features on night three, and $12,000-to-win mains on February 12–13. But the main event is reserved for the final night, when racers will contest the $20,000-to-win Big Gator finale. AMSOIL USAC Sprint Cars join the opening nights, and the Super DIRTcar Series runs from February 11–14, creating a stacked week of touring-series competition.

This year’s entry list is expected to be among the season’s strongest, with established stars and in-form contenders entered for the WoO points events and the Big Gator finale. Brandon Sheppard, fresh off a Sunshine Nationals victory, leads the de facto WoO points entering Volusia ahead of Nick Hoffman, while two-time defending Volusia champion Bobby Pierce sits fifth, 18 points back. Hudson O’Neal has already posted three wins this year, and 2025 Big Gator champion Ricky Thornton Jr. arrives after two wins and a worst finish of sixth at Volusia last year. The list mixes veterans such as Dennis Erb Jr., Chris Madden, and Tim McCreadie with rising contenders and newcomers, including Daulton Wilson and Trey Mills.

The Big Gator trophy was first awarded to Dennis Erb Jr. in 2012 and remains the marquee prize at the finale and often foreshadows season momentum. Josh Richards used Volusia success to power an 18-win championship campaign in 2016, and Brandon Sheppard turned strong Volusia weeks into series championships and crown-jewel victories in 2019, 2020, and 2024. Scott Bloomquist and Shane Clanton similarly leveraged Volusia as a springboard, while Devin Moran and Ricky Thornton Jr. translated Volusia form into major wins in recent seasons. With six nights on tap, this year’s DIRTcar Nationals and the Big Gator finale will serve as both a standalone crown and an early indicator of which drivers could carry momentum through the WoO season.
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February 6, 2026

Quartararo Denies Honda Deal After Sepang Setbacks

Reports before the first official 2026 pre-season test at Sepang claimed Fabio Quartararo had signed a two-year deal to join Honda from 2027. However, the rider publicly denied a completed agreement, while confirming HRC remained one of the options he was considering. The Sepang test itself was disruptive. Quartararo crashed on day one, broke a finger, and missed the remainder of that session, then encountered an engine problem Yamaha could not fix during the test. Yamaha also missed running after an unexpected engine issue described by team management as something they had “never had” before, as Alex Rins posted Yamaha’s best finish (12th). Team sporting director Massimo Meregalli said the Sepang incident did not change decisions on Quartararo’s future and characterized the interruption as a delay that pushed parts of the negotiation and testing program toward the next test.

Yamaha acknowledged it had reduced engine revs as a protective measure while continuing the development of its new V4, and planned to complete unfinished work during the upcoming Buriram test. The manufacturer emphasized continuity of its V4 program and insisted contract talks over 2027 were proceeding despite the Sepang interruption. Quartararo himself denied reports he had already signed for Honda even as questions about Yamaha’s pace of development and testing reliability intensified. Media reports and team comments linked the technical setbacks at Yamaha with increased speculation over the rider market, rather than presenting any confirmed move.

Honda presented a contrasting picture of forward momentum at Sepang. Team manager Alberto Puig praised Quartararo as “fantastic,” highlighted steady technical progress at HRC, including a lighter bike and improved engine response. The former rider cautioned that immediate wins could not be guaranteed. Joan Mir set the fastest time on day two, in what was reported as the quickest Honda lap around Sepang, and described the current RC213V as the best bike he had ridden, adding weight to Honda’s on-track gains. Puig repeatedly denied that anything for 2027 had been decided, and said Honda would prioritize its current roster while seeking riders who were both fast and intelligent. He noted that Johann Zarco and Diogo Moreira were already locked in with LCR through 2027, leaving factory-team seats contested between Mir and Luca Marini. Puig framed the 2026 contract season as chaotic and said on-track results and the evolving rule environment would shape final decisions once the season got underway.
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February 6, 2026

Hamilton Parts with Hynes Weeks Before 2026 Season

Lewis Hamilton has split from long-time manager Marc Hynes weeks before the start of the 2026 F1 season. The split was described as mutual. The pair first worked together in 2015, paused the relationship in 2021 when Hynes left his role as chief executive of Hamilton’s Project 44, and reunited ahead of Hamilton’s move to Ferrari for 2025. Hynes is reportedly set to join the nascent Cadillac F1 team and continues to manage Zhou Guanyu, Cadillac’s 2026 reserve driver. Reports say he is expected to work with Cadillac team principal Graeme Lowdon on Zhou’s management. Hamilton has privately hinted at adjustments to his personal and team setup over the winter but has not publicly commented on Hynes’s departure.

The change comes amid a reshuffle at Ferrari. The team moved Riccardo Adami to head Ferrari’s Academy and TPC programmes, Bryan Bozzi filled in at the recent Barcelona shakedown, and Cedric Michel‑Grosjean is expected to step up in the race operation. These staff moves, together with Hamilton’s split, alter his immediate support network ahead of the new campaign.

Those personnel shifts sit alongside wider technical and competitive change across F1. Last season, Lando Norris won his maiden world championship by two points over Max Verstappen in Abu Dhabi. Teams are preparing technical updates for 2026, Williams confirmed a mixed pushrod–pullrod suspension layout. Adrian Newey said Aston Martin fell roughly four months behind rivals during AMR26 development. Together, these developments underline a period of transition as F1 enters the 2026 season.
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February 5, 2026

Cooper Webb Nets 50th SMX Win, 6th Triple Crown

Yamaha announced an update to the 2026 YZ450F that prioritized refined power delivery and improved handling to make the bike easier to ride fast.

At the most recent SMX League round, Cooper Webb won the 450SX overall with moto finishes of 4-2-3, earning his 31st 450SX class victory and his 50th career SMX League win. That milestone made Webb the 13th rider in SMX history to reach a half-century of wins and delivered his sixth Triple Crown in the process. The Yamaha rider also became only the fourth rider to take an overall round without winning a single moto race, underscoring his consistency and the influence of Triple Crown scoring on round outcomes.

Hunter Lawrence finished second on the day (7-1-2), marking his fifth 450SX podium, his 70th SMX podium, and his 95th career SMX top-five. The event marked the Australian’s 150th 450SX start, and he now sits four points behind championship leader Eli Tomac. Ken Roczen took a Triple Crown race victory (1-5-4 across the program) and extended his totals to a 79th 450SX rostrum and a 166th career SMX top three. Tomac entered Victory Lane in one of the races to earn the 19th scalp of his career. He maintained the early-season points advantage, with the moto-level results continuing to sort the championship picture.

In 250SX, Haiden Deegan swept the motos for his 10th 250SX class victory and his 28th SMX League win, moving him further up the all-time 250SX wins list and closing in on class records. Levi Kitchen finished second and Cameron McAdoo third. The latter’s result was his 25th 250SX podium, moving him into fifth all-time in that metric.

Across both classes, the round reshaped round honors, season tallies, and career milestones, with Yamaha’s YZ450F update serving as a timely product backdrop to a weekend of notable achievements.
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February 5, 2026

Marquez Calls Sepang Baseline, Eyes Buriram for Verdict

Marc Marquez returned to the track at the Sepang pre‑season test and delivered a mixed but constructive outing. He was fastest on the opening day, but endured a roller‑coaster three days of running, ending fourth on the final day, around 0.4 seconds behind his brother Álex Márquez’s best lap. In sprint‑simulation work, he posted a best simulation lap of 1:57.602 and completed 10‑lap runs with averages in the 1:58.2–1:58.3 range. “The Ant of Cervera” showed competitive race‑pace potential despite not feeling fully 100% fit. Marquez completed the planned program using 2025 front aero on both machines while sampling 2026 aero, and suffered a low‑speed crash at Turn 1 after an aero change altered the Ducati’s balance. The reigning champion was uninjured and able to continue evaluating settings.

Beyond lap times, Marquez stressed caution about interpreting Sepang data. He warned that grip levels in Malaysia were unrealistically high and that tire usage and track conditions can skew sprint runs. Ducati displayed notable depth at the test, but Marquez said “two, three riders are faster than me” and highlighted Francesco Bagnaia, Marco Bezzecchi, and others as genuine threats. His words underline his view that the 2026 championship will be fiercely competitive. He framed testing as information gathering that must be validated under race conditions, pointing to the upcoming Buriram (Thailand) test on 21–22 February as a more decisive rehearsal because the season-opening race follows shortly afterwards.

Looking ahead, Marquez described the Sepang work as a positive step while emphasizing the need to protect his fitness and to keep evolving. A MotoGP title is earned across 22 race weekends, and riders must “reinvent” themselves year to year. His priority will be to close the gap to the riders ahead and to refine race pace and bike balance at Buriram and in the early races, using the Sepang data as a baseline rather than a final verdict on form.
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February 5, 2026

Bayston Navigates Chaos to Win Season Opener

Spencer Bayston won the season-opening 25-lap Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals feature at Volusia Speedway Park, driving the NOS Energy Drink No. 17 for Stenhouse Jr./Marshall Racing. Bayston started 10th and immediately picked off three cars on the opening circuit. He moved into fourth amid a mid-race stretch of chaos before sweeping around Anthony Macri on the outside on lap 16 to seize the lead and pull away. The victory marked his first sprint car win since August 4, 2023, when he bagged the Night Before the Ironman. The result handed Bayston his sixth career World of Outlaws checkered flag, and his first triumph at Volusia, where he left with a gator trophy.

Carson Macedo finished runner-up with Anthony Macri, Michael Kofoid, and Donny Schatz completing the top five. The 25-lap Feature opened the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series at Volusia and set an early competitive tone for the DIRTcar Nationals weekend. The way Bayston navigated traffic and capitalized on opportunities through the race underlined the strength of the Stenhouse Jr./Marshall Racing entry.

The victor described the result as validation after a rocky stretch in his career, and he credited team owners Richard and Jennifer Marshall, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and his partners for helping spark the turnaround. He said the win quieted doubts about his recent form and rewarded the team’s decision to sign him. The NOS Energy Drink sponsorship was part of the package that supported the effort, and the victory both ended Bayston’s win drought and created an early-season storyline for the series. The result highlighted a successful team effort and a personal milestone for Bayston as the World of Outlaws season began.
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February 5, 2026

Verstappen Vows Title Push as Red Bull Debuts Power Unit

As Formula 1 moves into a new technical era in 2026, Max Verstappen has declared his intention to reclaim the drivers’ title. He narrowly lost the 2025 championship to Lando Norris by two points despite recording the most wins and pole positions that year. His record last season read eight victories and eight poles, but he never led the standings during the season. That close finish raises the stakes for 2026, where wholesale regulation changes have reset the pecking order, and early running will be closely examined. Red Bull faces particular scrutiny because it will race as an engine constructor for the first time after Honda’s exit, making the performance of Red Bull Powertrains’ power unit central to its prospects.

Team leadership under Laurent Mekies opted not to prioritize 2026 development as early as some rivals, a timing decision that observers say could affect Red Bull’s early-season form. Former driver Jan Lammers suggested the team would be “very happy” simply to be among the top three or top six immediately, but questioned whether Verstappen would accept settling for anything short of first. Those comments underscore how engine performance and development timing have turned the campaign into a technical test for Red Bull and a make-or-break moment for Verstappen’s title bid.

Mercedes emerged from the recent Barcelona running as an early favorite, and George Russell said he wants a direct, wheel-to-wheel championship showdown with Verstappen. Russell warned that Red Bull remains a major threat despite reported engine uncertainty and described the 2026 field as tightly matched. The Briton cited McLaren’s Lando Norris, Ferrari (with Lewis Hamilton posting strong shakedown times), and an improving Aston Martin now backed by Honda and influenced by Adrian Newey, alongside Fernando Alonso. He said he hopes the title battle becomes a multi-team dogfight decided “fair and square” on track. With the new regulations in place, early-season reliability and power-unit competitiveness are likely to determine how quickly contenders can mount serious challenges for the championship.
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February 5, 2026

Sepang Pace Boosts Marquez Value Ahead of 2027 Rules

At the Sepang test, Alex Márquez told reporters he had “several options” for the 2027 MotoGP season and wanted his situation resolved before the first race. Márquez, who finished runner‑up last season and earned a factory‑spec Ducati for 2026, ended the Sepang running fastest primarily using the 2024‑spec front aero. He reported a strong day that included a good sprint simulation and said additional aero and setup work would be evaluated during the upcoming running in Thailand. Márquez described Gresini’s offer as the most emotionally solid because he knows the team, but he is also being linked to factory moves as his market value rises ahead of the 2027 regulation changes and the adoption of Pirelli tires.

KTM’s interest in the younger Márquez intensified amid expectations that Pedro Acosta could move to Ducati for 2027, with reports naming the former as a favorite to join KTM and potentially partner with Maverick Viñales. Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali confirmed the factory would formally consider its 2027 rider line‑up after the Sepang test and acknowledged Acosta among several riders under review. While reports suggested Ducati was close to signing Acosta on a two‑year deal, Domenicali said no final decision had been made and emphasized a measured approach. The Italian team was believed to be waiting to finalize a new two‑year contract for Marc Márquez before completing any agreement with Acosta, making the 2025 champion’s contract a gating factor in those negotiations.

Yamaha remained a possible destination, but its ability to pursue Márquez was reported to depend in part on the unresolved future of Fabio Quartararo. With teams waiting on contract clarifications and internal deliberations, multiple outcomes for 2027 lineups remain possible, and official announcements are expected after those processes. Márquez reiterated he planned to decide his 2027 ride well before the 2026 season opener, closing a window that many teams were watching closely as they shaped their lineups ahead of the regulatory shift. The combination of Sepang form, contractual movements around Acosta and Marc Márquez, and the upcoming rule changes ensures that the 2027 market will remain active in the weeks ahead.
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February 5, 2026

Piastri Backs McLaren’s Refined ‘Papaya Rules’ After Monza

Oscar Piastri publicly backed McLaren’s calibrated approach to letting him and Lando Norris compete on equal terms, saying he wanted to avoid “causing some headaches for ourselves that we didn’t need.” Speaking at the 2026 Autosport Awards, Piastri pointed to the Italian Grand Prix in Monza as a concrete example, where the team asked him to let Norris through after a slow pitstop, and he strongly disagreed with that direction. He described the move to streamline McLaren’s racing principles as a “wise decision” and said he hoped it would stop carry-over distractions from the 2025 season. Piastri also said he expects his rivalry with Norris to “look a lot different” as they enter their fourth year together at McLaren.

Team principal Andrea Stella confirmed the outfit had reviewed the internal “Papaya Rules” and would reaffirm and streamline them after additional discussions with both drivers. The principles are framed around fairness, integrity, and equal opportunity and will be refined rather than abolished, Stella said, intending to sharpen execution and reduce internal headaches. McLaren’s stated aim for 2026 is to preserve on-track wheel-to-wheel competition while better synchronizing driver behavior and team processes so intra-team rivalry produces wins instead of damaging conflict. The changes focus on adjusting behavioral rules and team processes, not on removing the competitive framework that underpinned strong performances in 2025.

The review followed a season in which Piastri led much of 2025 but faded late, losing the points lead in Mexico City and ultimately finishing third behind Max Verstappen. Piastri had acknowledged that the Papaya Rules “caused headaches” during 2025 and said tweaks should retain their benefits while minimizing negative effects. McLaren framed the reset as central to internal governance and on-track strategy heading into 2026, seeking clearer role execution and messaging between its drivers. The team will try to balance clarity and fairness with competitive independence, making internal guidance sharper so that the Piastri–Norris rivalry remains healthy and productive.
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