Auto Racing – Winnipeg Free Press

Chase Elliott poses with the trophy in Victory Lane after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race in Martinsville, Va., Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

Rick Hendrick and his team made all the right calls in earning first NASCAR victory of the season

Nate Ryan, The Associated Press 5 minute read Monday, Mar. 30, 2026

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (AP) — Alan Gustafson ignored the phone call while packing a suitcase for the Sunday morning drive to Martinsville Speedway. Then he saw whom he’d missed — NASCAR Cup Series team owner Rick Hendrick.

“I better get on it,” Gustafson said with a chuckle. “As soon as I got in the car, I called him right back.”

The founder of Hendrick Motorsports had a message that he wanted the crew chief for Chase Elliott to deliver to his team, and it set the tone for their first victory of the season.

“He just basically was super positive,” Gustafson said. “The quote from him was: ‘This is a marathon, not a 10K race. We’re in it for the long run. Regardless of the way it starts, it’s about the way it finishes.’"

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Takeaways for F1 meetings on rule changes after a big crash and Verstappen’s hint at retiring

James Ellingworth, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Takeaways for F1 meetings on rule changes after a big crash and Verstappen’s hint at retiring

James Ellingworth, The Associated Press 4 minute read Monday, Mar. 30, 2026

A huge crash which left Oliver Bearman limping. Overtaking that sometimes happens by accident. And four-time champion Max Verstappen mulling retirement.

Calling off races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia leaves Formula 1 and the FIA with a month before the Miami Grand Prix to figure out which problems to focus on and what to do.

The FIA is using that time for “a number of meetings,” the sport's governing body said after Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix, “to assess the operation of the new regulations and to determine whether any refinements are required.”

Here's what they're likely to discuss.

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Monday, Mar. 30, 2026

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, right, of the Netherlands and Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli of Italy talk during the drivers parade ahead of the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix at Suzuka in central Japan, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Chase Elliott beats Denny Hamlin at Martinsville Speedway for 1st NASCAR win of season

Nate Ryan, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

Chase Elliott beats Denny Hamlin at Martinsville Speedway for 1st NASCAR win of season

Nate Ryan, The Associated Press 6 minute read Sunday, Mar. 29, 2026

Martinsville, Va. (AP) — The strategy calls don’t always work out for Chase Elliott in the Cup Series.

So when the plan comes together — as it did in a victory Sunday at Martinsville Speedway – it’s especially sweet for NASCAR’s eight-time most popular driver and his legions of adoring fans.

“It’s really cool when this stuff works out, and to win these races is so tough,” Elliott said while celebrating on the frontstetch to huge cheers after his first win this season and the 22nd of his career. “So just really, really grateful for the opportunity. I never take it for granted. Trust me, this is a dream come true for me.”

The 30-year-old from Dawsonville, Georgia, capitalized on a shrewd gamble by crew chief Alan Gustafson to pit the No. 9 Chevrolet earlier than the other contenders. When the caution flew on the 312th lap, Elliott was in second behind Denny Hamlin and pitted with the rest of the lead-lap drivers aside from Ross Chastain, who took the lead by staying on track.

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Sunday, Mar. 29, 2026

Crew members perform a pit stop on driver Denny Hamlin's car during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race in Martinsville, Va., Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

Verstappen again questions his F1 future and says this season could be his last

The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Verstappen again questions his F1 future and says this season could be his last

The Associated Press 3 minute read Sunday, Mar. 29, 2026

SUZUKA, Japan (AP) — Four-time world champion Max Verstappen has not ruled out retiring at the end of the Formula 1 season, saying he is trying “very hard” to enjoy racing under the new changes.

The Red Bull driver again openly expressed his dissatisfaction on Sunday after an eighth-place finish at the Japanese Grand Prix, which was won by 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes.

“Privately I’m very happy," Verstappen told the BBC after the race. "You also wait for 24 races. This time it’s 22. But normally 24. And then you just think about is it worth it? Or do I enjoy being more at home with my family? Seeing my friends more when you’re not enjoying your sport?"

The 28-year-old Verstappen said “That's what I'm saying” when asked by the BBC if this could be his last season.

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Sunday, Mar. 29, 2026

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands leaves during the qualifying session of the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix at the Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, Japan, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (Franck Robichon/Pool Photo via AP)

19-year-old Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes wins Japanese GP for second straight victory

Stephen Wade, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

19-year-old Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes wins Japanese GP for second straight victory

Stephen Wade, The Associated Press 4 minute read Sunday, Mar. 29, 2026

SUZUKA, Japan (AP) — Italian 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes has won his second consecutive Formula 1 race, taking Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix ahead of Oscar Piastri of McLaren. Antonelli finished a comfortable 13.7 seconds ahead of the Australian.

Charles Leclerc of Ferrari was third with George Russell of Mercedes in fourth. McLaren's Lando Norris was fifth with sixth for Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari at the Suzuka circuit in central Japan on a clear, sunny spring afternoon.

Antonelli won the first F1 race of his career two weeks ago in China, the second-youngest winner in history. The youngest was Max Verstappen in 2016 at 18. Antonelli also won from pole position in China.

Antonelli has 72 points from three races and now becomes the youngest to lead the season drivers' standings.

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Sunday, Mar. 29, 2026

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli of Italy, left, and Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain, right, greet each other prior to the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Suzuka, central Japan. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Denny Hamlin qualifies first at Martinsville, moves into tie for 10th in NASCAR poles

The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Denny Hamlin qualifies first at Martinsville, moves into tie for 10th in NASCAR poles

The Associated Press 3 minute read Saturday, Mar. 28, 2026

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (AP) — Denny Hamlin earned his fifth pole position at Martinsville Speedway and 49th of his Cup Series career, tying him with NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Isaac for 10th all time.

The Joe Gibbs Racing star turned a 98.241-mph lap Saturday in the No. 11 Toyota to beat William Byron, whose No. 24 Chevrolet qualified second at 97.957 mph for Sunday’s 400-lap race.

With his win two weeks ago at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Hamlin, 45, broke a tie with Kevin Harvick for 10th on the all-time win list in NASCAR’s premier series. He is two poles away from tying the career total of Ryan Newman, one of the greatest qualifiers in NASCAR history.

“It’s pretty awesome,” said Hamlin, who grew up a few hours east of Martinsville in the Richmond, Virginia, suburb of Chesterfield. “Really with age, the hardest part is still having the fast time. It’s one thing to be able to manage races and use your experience to your advantage. But usually the first thing to go is your all-out speed, and we’re still knocking off poles, which is really good. I was around when Newman was just unstoppable in qualifying. So damn, I didn’t know he had that many.”

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Saturday, Mar. 28, 2026

Denny Hamlin waves during driver introductions before a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Sunday, March 15, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Steve Marcus)

Brad Keselowski is seeking a special day at Martinsville for his 600th NASCAR Cup start

Nate Ryan, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

Brad Keselowski is seeking a special day at Martinsville for his 600th NASCAR Cup start

Nate Ryan, The Associated Press 6 minute read Saturday, Mar. 28, 2026

Brad Keselowski will make his 600th career start on Sunday in the Cup Series, a tribute to the adaptability of a 42-year-old who became NASCAR’s first millennial champion in 2012.

“It’s a number I never dreamed of,” Keselowski said before practice and qualifying at Martinsville Speedway, the 0.526-mile oval in Southwest Virginia where he will try to join Richard Petty as the second driver to win in his 600th start.

Longevity is nice, but the co-owner of Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing knows there’s only one statistic that truly determines his value.

“To be judged as successful in this sport, you have to win and be a contender to win regularly,” Keselowski said. “I sense we’re not far off, but we’re also not there. So we’re somewhere in this ambiguous spot. I’m hopeful that we can push through with some sort of stellar performance and assert ourselves.”

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Saturday, Mar. 28, 2026

Brad Keselowski steers through Turn 4 during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Sunday, March 22, 2026, in Darlington, S.C.(AP Photo/Matt Kelley)

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Formula 1: Antonelli and Russell 1-2 in qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix

Stephen Wade, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Formula 1: Antonelli and Russell 1-2 in qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix

Stephen Wade, The Associated Press 3 minute read Saturday, Mar. 28, 2026

SUZUKA, Japan (AP) — Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli took the pole for Sunday’s Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix, just two weeks after he led qualifying and won the first race of his career at the Chinese Grand Prix.

The 19-year-old Antonelli's qualifying time Saturday was 1 minute, 28.778 seconds on the 5.8-kilometer (3.6-mile) Suzuka circuit in central Japan.

Teammate George Russell will start alongside him. Russell won in Australia in the first race of the season and also took the pole, the start of Mercedes' early dominance in 2026.

McLaren's Oscar Piastri, who has yet to start a race this season, will start alongside Charles Leclerc of Ferrari in the second row, and Lando Norris of McLaren starts on row three next to Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari.

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Saturday, Mar. 28, 2026

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli of Italy talks to a team member during the third practice session of the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix at the Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, Japan, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

F1 hiatus upcoming: Japanese GP will be the last race for 5 weeks due to the Iran war

Stephen Wade, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

F1 hiatus upcoming: Japanese GP will be the last race for 5 weeks due to the Iran war

Stephen Wade, The Associated Press 5 minute read Friday, Mar. 27, 2026

SUZUKA, Japan (AP) — The Japanese Grand Prix is only the third race of the new Formula 1 season, but it will be the last one for five weeks with events in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia called off because of the war in Iran.

The next F1 race is not until May 3 in Miami. Here's what we've learned so far from races in Australia and China with the Japanese GP set for Sunday:

Mercedes and Ferrari have adapted best to Formula's 1 most radical change in power and chassis in more than a decade.

George Russell and Kimi Antonelli have won each of the first two races, and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have flip-flopped finishing third and fourth. Mercedes and Ferrari are the favorites on Suzuka's figure-eight circuit, located in central Japan and among F1's most storied venues.

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Friday, Mar. 27, 2026

Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy works with his team members in the garage in Suzuka, central Japan, Thursday, March 26, 2026, ahead of Sunday's Japanese Formula One Grand Prix race. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

Joe Gibbs Racing alleges Spire cheated with stolen data from former competition director

Jenna Fryer, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Joe Gibbs Racing alleges Spire cheated with stolen data from former competition director

Jenna Fryer, The Associated Press 4 minute read Thursday, Mar. 26, 2026

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Joe Gibbs Racing accused rival NASCAR team Spire Motorsports of cheating by hiring its former competition director and using stolen intellectual property to improve its organization.

The accusation was made in federal court Thursday in JGR's pursuit to prevent Chris Gabehart from working for Spire. The racing organization founded by NFL Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs is suing Gabehart and Spire in the Western District of North Carolina alleging Gabehart illegally took JGR data to Spire to make himself a more valuable employee.

Gibbs, who won three Super Bowls as coach of Washington's football team, was in court Thursday alongside his daughter-in-law, Heather, who is co-owner of the race team.

Tom Melsheimer, attorney for JGR, alleged Thursday that Spire was motivated to improve after scoring just one Cup Series victory since its 2018 inception. JGR is one of NASCAR's winningest organizations. Melsheimer noted that Spire has conceded 2025 was a disappointing season.

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Thursday, Mar. 26, 2026

FILE - Christopher Gabehart, crew chief for Denny Hamlin, watches practice for a NASCAR Cup Series auto race on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019, at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Fla. (AP Photo/Terry Renna, File)

Max Verstappen demands journalist leave media session at Japanese Grand Prix

The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Max Verstappen demands journalist leave media session at Japanese Grand Prix

The Associated Press 3 minute read Thursday, Mar. 26, 2026

SUZUKA, Japan (AP) — Max Verstappen ordered a journalist to “get out” of a scheduled media session at Formula 1's Japanese Grand Prix on Thursday after objecting to a question he asked last year.

“I’m not speaking before he's leaving," Verstappen said, indicating reporter Giles Richards of British newspaper The Guardian, as the question-and-answer session was due to begin in Red Bull's hospitality area.

Richards approached the table where Verstappen was sitting and tried to plead his case. Verstappen told him to "get out" and Richards left.

Verstappen indicated he objected to a question Richards asked in December after the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

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Thursday, Mar. 26, 2026

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands speaks during an interview in Suzuka, central Japan, Thursday, March 26, 2026, ahead of Sunday's Japanese Formula One Grand Prix race. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

Lewis Hamilton makes it clear he’s back in the F1 chase: ‘I’ve not lost what I had’

Stephen Wade, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Lewis Hamilton makes it clear he’s back in the F1 chase: ‘I’ve not lost what I had’

Stephen Wade, The Associated Press 3 minute read Thursday, Mar. 26, 2026

SUZUKA, Japan (AP) — Lewis Hamilton said he finished a recent morning training run and returned to his hotel sweating to find some other Formula 1 drivers just getting up.

He was pleased.

“I know that none of the drivers I’m racing against have trained as hard as I have and given it what I have, especially at my age as well," the 41-year-old Hamilton said Thursday at the Suzuka circuit, site of Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix.

“I love that — that I still have that drive to push myself."

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Thursday, Mar. 26, 2026

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain steers his car during the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix race at the Shanghai International Circuit, in Shanghai, China, Sunday, March 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Budding NASCAR powerhouse team owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan just needs short track magic

Nate Ryan, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Budding NASCAR powerhouse team owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan just needs short track magic

Nate Ryan, The Associated Press 5 minute read Monday, Mar. 23, 2026

Denny Hamlin likes comparing his lightning-fast assembly of 23XI Racing to solving a Rubik’s Cube.

He knows there’s one critical piece left to solving the championship puzzle for the budding NASCAR powerhouse that he’s built with NBA great Michael Jordan.

“It’s the short tracks,” Hamlin said Sunday after Tyler Reddick won at Darlington Raceway for 23XI’s fourth win through six of 36 races this year (already a season-best victory total for a team that started in 2021). “The short tracks (are) the only place where 23XI as a whole could get a little bit better. I know they’re all working on that, but I don’t know. We just don’t have any weaknesses right now.”

In his seventh Cup season, the 30-year-old Reddick has emerged as the runaway points leader in the Cup Series. He has a 95-point lead on second place in the regular-season championship standings, and 23XI teammate Bubba Wallace is ranked third. Reddick’s margin is larger than the points total for any driver outside the top 25 in the 2026 standings.

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Monday, Mar. 23, 2026

Tyler Reddick, center right, celebrates with his team in Victory Lane after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Sunday, March 22, 2026, in Darlington, S.C.(AP Photo/Matt Kelley)

Tyler Reddick wins at Darlington in 4th NASCAR win this season for Michael Jordan’s team

The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Tyler Reddick wins at Darlington in 4th NASCAR win this season for Michael Jordan’s team

The Associated Press 5 minute read Sunday, Mar. 22, 2026

DARLINGTON, S.C. (AP) — A malfunctioning battery, a cool suit that got very hot and a big deficit to the leader with less than 50 laps remaining at Darlington Raceway.

The “Track Too Tough To Tame” tested Tyler Reddick in every way possible Sunday, and this year’s top star in NASCAR naturally passed with flying colors for his fourth victory of the season.

“I know never to give up,” said Reddick, who broke through after three runner-up finishes on the tricky 1.366-mile oval. “I think it’s very fitting that when we finally get our first win here at Darlington that ‘The Lady in Black’ would test us like that. We’ve been so close so many times.”

Starting on the pole position for the 23XI Racing team co-owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan, Reddick led 77 laps in the No. 45 Toyota for his 12th career victory. Chasing down Brad Keselowski after his final pit stop, Reddick breezed to a 5.847-second margin of victory.

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Sunday, Mar. 22, 2026

A pack of cars compete through Turn 3 during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Sunday, March 22, 2026, in Darlington, S.C.(AP Photo/Matt Kelley)

Hot start continues for Michael Jordan’s NASCAR team as Tyler Reddick takes Darlington pole

The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Hot start continues for Michael Jordan’s NASCAR team as Tyler Reddick takes Darlington pole

The Associated Press 3 minute read Saturday, Mar. 21, 2026

DARLINGTON, S.C. (AP) — The NASCAR team co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan continued its strong 2026 start in the Cup Series, locking up the top two starting spots Saturday at Darlington Raceway.

Daytona 500 winner Tyler Reddick, the first driver in NASCAR history to win the season’s first three races, qualified first for Sunday’s 400-mile race with a 169.152 mph lap on the 1.366-mile oval.

The 23XI Racing driver captured his 13th pole position despite smacking the wall with his No. 45 Toyota as he struggled with a new package that makes driving harder with higher horsepower and lower downforce.

“I tried to take it easy and just overdid the throttle,” Reddick said. “I kind of knew I was in trouble about a third of the way through, so I just had to hit the wall at that point.

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Saturday, Mar. 21, 2026

Michael Jordan part owner of 23XI Racing shares a laugh before a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Phoenix Raceway, Sunday, March 8, 2026, in Avondale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)

NASCAR tempers could be flaring as the tires are wearing at Darlington Raceway

Nate Ryan, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

NASCAR tempers could be flaring as the tires are wearing at Darlington Raceway

Nate Ryan, The Associated Press 6 minute read Saturday, Mar. 21, 2026

“The Track Too Tough To Tame” somehow is expected to get even tougher this weekend, and that’s just fine with NASCAR drivers who have lobbied for bigger challenges.

It’s also probably fine with NASCAR executives, who have a crowd-pleasing feud brewing in the Cup Series circuit at Darlington Raceway, the egg-shaped oval in the Pee Dee region of South Carolina that has given top drivers fits for 76 years.

Anger and frustration often flare at the tricky 1.366-mile track, and all eyes will be on how Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez race each other Sunday. The former teammates at Trackhouse Racing had a brief but animated confrontation after their cars made contact last week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and they’ve continued taking swipes at each other this week.

Suarez accused Chastain of being two-faced and later told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that “if I want to fight Ross, and he knows this, it’s not going to last 5 seconds.” Chastain said he regretted sideswiping Suarez’s car before lightly shoving him in the pits, but added “I don’t agree with the way he handles things. What made me so mad was just that there was no accountability.”

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Saturday, Mar. 21, 2026

April 8, 2026

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