Palou, MSR Acura Win at Long Beach, Reddick Tops Kansas NASCAR Race

Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou took the lead at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach with 32 laps to go, after a faster final pit stop than polesitter and most-laps-led Meyer Shank Racing driver Felix Rosenqvist, and won his third race of 2026. 

Rosenqvist had been able to maintain a 1.5 to 2 second gap over Palou until the day’s only caution flag, but the CGR crew did its job better. Scott Dixon, Kyle Kirkwood, and Pato O’Ward were third though fifth.

Will Power was having his best weekend since joining Andretti Global this year after 17 seasons with Team Penske, starting seventh and spending most of the race in the top 10. But on his final stop, while exiting his pit box, he made contact with a crew member of A.J. Foyt Racing’s Caio Collet. The drive through penalty sent him to the back of the pack, resulting in a disappointing 19th place finish.

Note: The storied Long Beach street course isn’t famous for great starts as the last rows are generally just rounding the turn 11 hairpin when the green flag flies. Sunday’s race saw the first three rows in formation when they passed the start/finish line on Shoreline Drive, while row four was completely unorganized, and the rest of the field was not even in view. The race was not impacted, but keep an eye out for starts from here on out.

Next race: Sonsio Grand Prix, May 9, on the Indianapolis road course.

Acura Meyer Shank Racing’s Nick Yelloly and Renger van der Zande drove their No. 93 Acura ARX-06 to victory in a wild IMSA WeatherTech series Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Acura has been the title sponsor since 2019 but never scored a win with their name on all the advertising. It was the first overall win for Acura or Honda at Long Beach since 2013, when the sanctioning body was the American Le Mans Series.

The No. 31 Whelen Racing Cadillac and No. 6 Porsche Team Penske entry completed the podium, with the No. 7 Porsche and No. 24 BMW filling out the top five. The race was unusually rough, with five full-course caution periods (paced by IMSA safety car driver/Podium Club Racing Academy lead instructor Tim Rose). The most significant incident was Ricky Taylor in the No. 10 Cadillac hitting the tire barrier with 24 minutes left, completely ruining many team’s race strategies. Similarly, Philipp Eng (No. 25 BMW) hit a wall hard mid-race, clearly impacting the GTP leader’s pit stop plans.

Even after a significant Balance of Performance rule change, the two Porsche Penske Motorsport 963s still finished third and fourth. Chances are better than good that one of those cars will provide Penske with their third championship in a row.

Next race: Monterey Sportscar Championship, May 1-3 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway delivered high drama, late-race chaos, and yet another near-miss for Denny Hamlin.

Most of the race unfolded cleanly, with long green flag runs and tire management dictating strategy. Hamlin appeared poised to capitalize, using a savvy undercut to jump ahead of Christopher Bell and take control late. But Tyler Reddick, dominant throughout the day, charged back with fresher tires and reclaimed the lead in the closing laps.

Then came the chaos. With just two laps remaining, Reddick suddenly slowed, seemingly out of fuel, handing Hamlin an unexpected opportunity. But before he could secure the win, a spin by Cody Ware — running six laps down — brought out a late caution and forced overtime.

That restart proved decisive. Hamlin, opting for two tires, was quickly challenged by Kyle Larson and shuffled into the middle lane, losing critical track position. Contact and tight racing among teammates followed, ultimately dropping Hamlin back to fourth. Up front, Reddick recovered to take the victory — his fifth win in nine races — while Hamlin was left to reflect on another Kansas heartbreak.

Next race: Jack Link's 500, April 26, at Talladega Superspeedway.

The 2026 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship roared to life at Road Atlanta last weekend with a dramatic, weather-shifting event that delivered two very differing races — and two standout winners.

Saturday’s opening race was defined by early chaos and total control at the front. A weekend already filled with incidents in practice and qualifying carried into race day, but once the lights went out, Yamaha rider Mathew Scholtz took command. The Strack Racing rider led from the outset and remained unfazed even after a red-flag restart reset the field. Scholtz quickly re-established his advantage and pulled away decisively, setting the fastest lap of the race at 1:24.406. By the checkered flag, he had built a commanding 6.630-second margin, sending a strong message to the rest of the grid to open the championship’s 50th anniversary season.

Sunday brought a completely different dynamic. Cooler temperatures, overcast skies, and gusty winds created more challenging conditions — and a much tighter fight. This time, Attack Performance rider Bobby Fong emerged as the victor after an intense duel with Scholtz. The two Yamaha riders ran nose-to-tail for much of the race, rarely separated by more than half a second. Fong shadowed Scholtz for 17 laps, repeatedly probing for an opening, particularly into Turn 10A. The critical moment came with just two laps remaining, when Scholtz suddenly lost pace on the backstretch, allowing Fong to slip past and seize control. Fong capitalized, stretching his lead to win by 2.921 seconds.

Orange Cat Racing BMW rider Sean Dylan Kelly delivered a consistent weekend with a pair of podium finishes, while Cameron Beaubier charged from deep in the field to secure a top-five result.

Next event: May 15–17 at Barber Motorsports Park.

The FIA World Superbike Championship races at TT Circuit Assen delivered a dominant performance from Ducati rider Nicola Bulega, who completed a stunning weekend sweep to further cement his place at the top of the standings.

Bulega’s hat-trick of victories extended his remarkable run to 13 consecutive wins, tying the all-time record for longest winning streak in WSBK history. The Italian once again showcased a blend of pace and composure, controlling each race even as challengers attempted to disrupt his rhythm.

Close behind throughout the weekend was Iker Lecuona, who continued his own impressive form. Lecuona secured multiple podium finishes at Assen, stretching his streak to six in a row—a significant turnaround after managing just two podiums across his first four seasons in the series. Sam Lowes emerged as a credible early-race contender, particularly in Sunday’s races, where he battled the factory-backed frontrunners before ultimately falling back as the races unfolded.

Despite the competition, the Assen round ultimately belonged to Bulega, whose consistency and outright speed are setting the tone for the 2026 season. With momentum firmly on his side, he is quickly becoming the benchmark every rider must chase.

Next round: May 1–3 at Balaton Park Circuit.