NASCAR, IndyCar and F1 Wrap-ups

Logano Dominates North Wilkesboro, Palou Wins at Nashville, and Antontelli Beats Leclerc at Spa.

Formula 1

Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli returned to the top step of the podium with a hard-fought victory in the Belgian Grand Prix, mastering Spa-Francorchamps' demanding blend of high-speed corners and long straights while carefully managing Formula 1's hybrid power unit and energy recovery systems. The 2026 cars require drivers to balance outright pace with battery deployment and recharging, making full-throttle driving almost impossible for an entire race distance.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen launched brilliantly when the lights went out, sweeping past Antonelli through Eau Rouge on the opening lap, but the Mercedes driver quickly reclaimed the lead as superior energy deployment helped him regain track position. Behind them, George Russell's race ended almost immediately after contact with Lewis Hamilton sent the second Mercedes into the gravel, a costly retirement with championship implications.

Antonelli then withstood a Safety Car restart and a relentless late charge from Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. By maximizing battery regeneration under braking and strategically deploying electrical power on Spa's long acceleration zones, the Italian preserved just enough performance to pull away when it mattered, crossing the finish line 1.9 seconds ahead for his sixth victory of the season and first since Monaco.

Leclerc finished second, followed by Verstappen. Hamilton recovered to fourth despite a five-second penalty, while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri completed the top five. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bull), Lando Norris, Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi), Arvid Lindblad, and Alpine’s Franco Colapinto rounded out the top 10.

Results

Next: Formula 1 AWS Hungarian Grand Prix at Hungaroring, July 24-26

NASCAR

Penske Ford driver Joey Logano ended a lengthy 45-race victory drought with a dominant performance in the NASCAR Cup Series' first points race at North Wilkesboro Speedway in 30 years. The three-time champion led a career-best 323 of 450 laps and crossed the finish line 0.859 seconds ahead of championship leader Denny Hamlin (Toyota) to win Sunday's Window World 450, his first victory since Texas in May 2025.

Logano had previously won the 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race at the restored 0.625-mile oval, but this marked his first points-paying triumph at the historic venue and the 38th Cup victory of his career, tying him for 23rd on the all-time wins list. The win also revived his championship hopes, moving him from 17th to 15th in the standings and 49 points above the playoff cutline.

Hamlin stayed within striking distance throughout the final stage, but Logano expertly managed lapped traffic and gained the decisive advantage during the final green-flag pit cycle. Hamlin pitted on Lap 359, with Logano following one lap later and emerging roughly a half-second ahead. From there, the No. 22 Mustang driver never looked back. Despite finishing second, Hamlin extended his championship lead over Tyler Reddick to 68 points with five races remaining before the Chase field is set.

Shane van Gisbergen (Trackhouse Racing Chevy) continued to show his growing versatility on oval tracks with one of the strongest performances of his Cup career. Starting eighth, the New Zealander passed Hamlin for the lead on Lap 52, led 49 laps—second only to Logano—and finished fifth on pace. The result moved him to 14th in the standings, 54 points above the playoff cutline.

Chase Briscoe completed the podium, followed by Ty Gibbs, who recovered from an early pit-road speeding penalty. Bubba Wallace finished sixth as the final driver on the lead lap, with Brad Keselowski, Todd Gilliland, Daniel Suarez, and Ryan Preece completing the top 10. The race featured five cautions, but the final 175 laps ran uninterrupted under green, allowing Logano to showcase his commanding pace.

The victory also extended Logano's streak of winning at least one Cup Series race to 15 consecutive seasons, the longest active streak in NASCAR. The late Kyle Busch holds the record with 19 consecutive seasons (2005–2023)

Results

Next:  Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis, July 25-26

IndyCar

Alex Palou took another significant step toward a record-tying fourth consecutive NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship Monday, winning the rain-delayed Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Superspeedway to extend his points lead to 83 with just six races remaining. The victory also marked the 150th IndyCar win for Chip Ganassi Racing.

One day after Spain captured the FIFA World Cup, the four-time series champion from Barcelona earned his fifth victory of the season and the 24th of his career by leading the final 95 laps of the 225-lap race. Starting fourth, Palou crossed the finish line 0.873 seconds ahead of defending Nashville winner Josef Newgarden, while David Malukas produced one of the drives of the day, charging from 25th on the grid to finish third. Scott McLaughlin and Indianapolis 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist completed the top five.

Palou's victory was built on equal parts speed and strategy. Chip Ganassi Racing transformed an ill-handling car with adjustments during mid-race pit stops, while perfect timing elevated Palou into the lead. He made his stop moments before the race's second caution, triggered when Alexander Rossi slowed on the racing surface as if entering pit lane before Scott Dixon ran into the back of the Ganassi Honda. The incident eliminated Rossi and left Dixon with heavy damage, although he was able to recover to finish 18th, seven laps down, after lengthy repairs.

Once Palou inherited the lead, he never relinquished it. The decisive moment came after the final caution when Palou took on four of Firestone's more durable primary tires while Newgarden, Malukas and Rosenqvist switched to the softer alternate compound. Although the alternate tires offered superior grip on the restart, Palou expertly defended his position before the harder primary tires came into their own over the closing laps, allowing him to pull away for his third career oval victory.

Malukas' podium was especially impressive after the Team Penske driver started 25th and spent time in a local hospital following a heavy practice crash Saturday. He briefly led the race on an alternate pit strategy before rebounding from a caution that shuffled him to the back of the field, two laps down.

Rookie Mick Schumacher continued an encouraging first IndyCar season by finishing eighth in just his first year of oval competition. However, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing endured another difficult outing. Schumacher was the team's lone bright spot, while Louis Foster finished 17th, two laps down, and veteran Graham Rahal crossed the line 19th, 16 laps behind the leaders. The disappointing performance highlighted RLL's continuing struggles on high-speed ovals despite showing improved pace on road and street circuits this season.

Will Power's difficult first season with Andretti Global also continued. The two-time series champion finished 20th, 16 laps down, and now sits 14th in the championship standings—by far the lowest points position of his IndyCar career. After leaving Team Penske during the offseason, the veteran has yet to find the consistency that made him one of the series' perennial title contenders.

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES returns Aug. 9 at Portland International Raceway, beginning a demanding stretch of six races over five consecutive weekends that will decide the 2026 championship.

Results

Next:  OnlyBulls Grand Prix of Portland at Portland International Raceway, Aug 8-9