F1, IndyCar, MotoGP and NASCAR Racing Wrap-ups

Newgarden takes Gateway IndyCar victory, Hamlin wins Michigan NASCAR race, Marc Marquez sweeps both MotoGP races in Hungary, and Kimi Antonelli rolls on in Formula 1.

IndyCar

Josef Newgarden once again proved why he is considered IndyCar's premier oval racer, overcoming rain delays, strategy twists, and a determined challenge from 2022 Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson to secure his sixth victory in the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway's 1.25-mile 'short track.'

Driving the No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet, the two-time series champion started eighth and patiently worked his way through the field before seizing control in the closing stages of a race that stretched more than three hours due to two red flags for rain.

Ericsson appeared poised to end his 58-race winless streak after leading a race-high 114 of the 260 laps in the No. 28 Andretti Global Honda. The Swedish driver wrestled the lead away from pole-sitter Alex Palou before lap 50 and appeared in control of outcome, but Newgarden steadily closed the gap and made the decisive pass late in the race. Ericsson crossed the finish line just 0.6 seconds behind, earning his best result of the season and moving into the championship's top 10.

Christian Rasmussen delivered one of the drives of the night, charging from deep in the field to finish third for Ed Carpenter Racing. Rinus VeeKay continued his strong season with a fourth-place finish for Juncos Hollinger Racing, while Team Penske's Scott McLaughlin completed the top five.

The race's biggest turning point came after a second rain delay disrupted fuel strategies. Championship leader Alex Palou appeared well-positioned to capitalize, but a fuel shortage under caution left his No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda stranded entering pit lane. The resulting delay cost him two laps and dropped him to 17th at the finish.

Despite Palou's misfortune, he remains atop the standings after the halfway point of the season.  And if he takes his fifth championship in 2026, he will tie Sebastien Bourdais’ record of four-in-a-row set from 2004-2007.

Next race: XXPEL Grand Prix at Road America, June 18-21

MotoGP

Seven-time MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez continued his perfect record in Hungary on Saturday, delivering a dominant victory at Balaton Park, cruising to his 18th career Sprint victory. 

Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) grabbed the holeshot at the start and quickly established control of the race, opening a two-second advantage over Pedro Acosta by the halfway point. Acosta rode a strong and composed race to secure second place and nine valuable championship points for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.

Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi produced one of the standout performances of the Sprint, charging from sixth on the grid to third on the opening lap. The factory Aprilia Racing rider then spent the remainder of the 13-lap race fending off intense pressure from Raul Fernandez (SuperFile Trackhouse Aprilia) to claim his second Sprint podium of the season and extend his MotoGP championship lead to 20 points.

Fernandez finished a close fourth, just over a second shy of the podium, while Fermin Aldeguer recovered from an early front-end scare to finish fifth. Jorge Martin fought through to sixth after an early mistake, ahead of Diogo Moreira and Enea Bastianini. Francesco Bagnaia claimed the final championship point in ninth.

On Sunday, Marquez secured his 100th career MotoGP victory, finalizing a flawless Hungarian sweep, adding the main race win to his pole position and Sprint triumph. This victory places him in truly elite company as he became only the third rider ever to reach the century mark, alongside legends Giacomo Agostini and Valentino Rossi.

The featured race began with immediate turmoil at the first corner when Jorge Martin (Aprilia) suffered a braking error, sparking a massive collision. The incident forced championship frontrunner Marco Bezzecchi, Raul Fernandez, and Fermin Aldeguer out of the race, along with Martin. Fabio Di Giannantonio was also caught in the fray but managed to rejoin the field.

Pedro Acosta emerged from the chaos as the primary threat to the lead, overtaking for the top spot on the second lap and establishing a one-second gap. However, Marquez methodically closed the distance, leading to a fierce mid-race duel before the Spaniard successfully executed a pass on Lap 15 to retake control.

After regaining the lead, Marquez showcased his obvious speed and (another) successful recovery from recent injuries, recording the fastest lap of the day and cruising to his historic win. Acosta followed in second, while Marquez’s teammate Francesco Bagnaia maintained his consistent form by taking third, marking his third straight podium appearance.

Next race: Monster Energy Grand Prix of Czechia, June 19-21

NASCAR

Denny Hamlin continued his midseason surge Sunday at Michigan International Speedway, charging from the rear of the field to score his second consecutive NASCAR Cup Series win and his second straight at the two-mile oval.

Pole winner Hamlin was forced to start the FireKeepers Casino 400 at the back of the field after his Joe Gibbs Racing team had to repair damage to the underbody of his Toyota following a crash due to a flat left-rear tire in practice. That did not matter, as he methodically worked his way forward before making the decisive move with 38 laps remaining.

Exiting Turn 4, Hamlin split Spire Motorsports teammates Carson Hocevar and Daniel Suarez in a dramatic three-wide battle for the lead. Once out front, he quickly pulled away from the Chevys, ultimately winning by a commanding 11.1 seconds over Michigan native Erik Jones (Legacy Racing Toyota).

The victory marked the 63rd of Hamlin's NASCAR Cup Series career, tying him with Kyle Busch for eighth place on the sport's all-time wins list. Hamlin celebrated afterward by carrying a flag featuring Busch's No. 18 and signature.

Bubba Wallace, in the 23XI car owned by Hamlin and Michael Jordan, completed a strong day for Toyota in third. Kyle Larson finished fourth, followed by Hocevar in fifth. Suarez faded to sixth, with Joey Logano (highest placing Ford), Ryan Blaney, Chris Buescher, and Chase Briscoe rounding out the top 10.

The race featured plenty of action throughout the NASCAR Cup field. A late caution triggered by contact between Michael McDowell and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. set up a 39-lap sprint to the finish, but Hamlin quickly eliminated any suspense once he grabbed the lead.

Michigan's race was marked by heavy attrition, with 13 drivers failing to finish and 11 cautions slowing the action. The most significant incident came on Lap 148 when Chase Elliott and Christopher Bell crashed heavily in Turn 3, ending both of their afternoons. In all, the race featured 22 lead changes among 11 different drivers, highlighting the competitive nature of Sunday's event.

Next: Great American Getaway 400 presented by VISITPA at Pocono, June 13-14

Formula 1

Kimi Antonelli delivered a commanding performance on the streets of Monaco on Sunday, converting pole position into a dominant victory for Mercedes and extending his lead in the Formula 1 World Championship.

Never seriously challenged throughout the 78-lap race, his task was made easier before the first corner when Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who had lined up P2, suffered a power unit problem and failed to launch, eliminating a major threat before the race had truly begun.

With clean air ahead, Antonelli immediately established his authority, pulling more than five seconds clear of Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari within the opening 10 laps. As the race settled into a rhythm, the Italian continued to build his advantage, stretching the gap beyond 10 seconds by the midway point despite the challenge of navigating lapped traffic around Formula 1's most unforgiving and pass-averse circuit.

Ferrari attempted to shake up the race with strategy, bringing Hamilton's teammate Charles Leclerc into play as both Scuderia drivers searched for a way to pressure the 19-year-old phenomenon. Hamilton stopped early for hard tires on Lap 28, while Leclerc briefly inherited second place before making his own pit stop several laps later. But Antonelli responded perfectly, pitting on Lap 37 and rejoining comfortably in the lead with a 13-second cushion.

Any hopes of a late challenge were erased by Antonelli's flawless execution. Although two late safety cars and a subsequent red flag repeatedly erased his sizeable advantage, the championship leader handled every restart with confidence and precision.

The race's flow was fractured by two separate incidents, starting with a heavy impact for Lance Stroll and followed shortly after by Charles Leclerc striking the barriers. Despite these disruptions, Antonelli remained composed, expertly rebuilding his cushion over the field each time the green flag waved.

This season, Kimi Antonelli has shattered multiple F1 records, including youngest Grand Slam (won from pole, led every lap, and set the fastest lap), youngest pole sitter, youngest points leader, most consecutive wins to begin his career, youngest fastest lap setter, most points by a rookie, and the youngest Monaco winner.  And we’re only a third of the way through the season!

Next: F1 MSC Cruises Gran Premio De Barcelona-Catalunya, June 12-14

Indy NXT

A little history.  In 1986, the American Racing Series (ARS) was founded as a development series for Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART).  It was later rebranded as Indy Lights, then the Infiniti Pro Series, then Firestone Indy Lights, and finally, in 2023, renamed Indy NXT.

It is a spec series, featuring a Dallara IL-15 chassis, a Mazda-AER 2.0 L turbo four with 450 HP (plus 50 hp on push-to-pass), a halo, and styling cues that resemble the DW12 IndyCar.

On Sunday, 2023 USFPro 2000 champion Myles Rowe delivered a performance for the history books, charging from the 24th and final starting position to win the INDY NXT by Firestone race at World Wide Technology RacewayIndy NXT race — the longest climb to victory in the series’ 40-year history.

Rowe was moved to the back of the grid after a qualifying infraction on Saturday, but he wasted no time slicing through the field on the 1.25-mile oval on race day. By lap 19, he had already cracked the top ten. On lap 41, Rowe executed an impressive three-wide pass for second, before ultimately diving under Josh Pierson on lap 47 to take a lead he would never relinquish. Rowe took the checkered flag 2.2 seconds ahead of rookie Alessandro de Tullio, with Pierson crossing the line in third.

The event set track records with 229 total on-track passes. Despite surviving two late-race cautions and a minor debris scare, Rowe managed his tires perfectly to secure his first win of the season. Meanwhile, a seventh-place finish by rookie Nikita Johnson was enough to propel him back into the series points lead.

IndyNXT is the top rung of what was formerly known as the Road to Indy ladder, with USF2000 and USFPro 2000 the bottom rungs.  All of those races are competitive and entertaining, but the NXT events — six different winners in seven races — are really worth watching.  

Previous Indy Lights/Indy NXT champions include current IndyCar drivers Joseph Newgarden, Pato O’Ward, Kyle Kirkwood, Christian Rasmussen, Louis Foster and Dennis Hauger.

Next: Grand Prix at Road America, June 19-21