Palou, Reddick Win in USA, Bezzecchi Tops MotoGP Opener in Thailand

Tyler Reddick added another new page to the NASCAR history book Sunday at COTA, becoming the first driver ever to open a Cup Series season with three consecutive victories.

Driving the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing, Reddick started from the pole and dominated much of the afternoon, leading a race-high 58 of 95 laps. But the win was anything but easy. In the closing stage, he had to fend off one of the sport’s premier road course racers, Shane van Ginsbergen, in a tense late-race battle.

SVG was on a mission to tie Jeff Gordon’s record of six consecutive NASCAR Cup Series road course wins, but after winning five straight road/street races, the Trackhouse Racing driver could only finish second.

The victory continued a dream start to the season for Reddick and the No. 45 team, owned by former NBA superstar Michael Jordan and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin. He opened the year with a dramatic last-lap pass to win the Daytona 500, then followed it up with a dominant performance at the track formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway. Sunday's race marked his second career Cup win at the Austin road course and the first track where he has won twice at NASCAR’s top level.

Christopher Bell came home third, followed by Ty Gibbs and Glendale, AZ's Michael McDowell. Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, AJ Allmendinger, and Hamlin rounded out the top 10. Blaney led 11 laps, and the race featured nine leaders and 14 lead changes, with only one on-track caution outside of stage breaks. For Reddick, however, the storyline was clear: three races, three wins, and a place in the record book.

After a long winter break, MotoGP roared back to life at Buriram for the opening round of the 2026 season, delivering a weekend that reshaped the pre-season championship narrative.

KTM’s Pedro Acosta claimed a dramatic victory in Saturday’s sprint race, while Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi dominated Sunday’s Thailand Grand Prix at the Buriram circuit in commanding fashion.

The sprint was an instant classic, featuring a thrilling duel between Acosta and veteran Marc Marquez. The young KTM star showed maturity beyond his years, holding firm under relentless pressure (Marquez actually made a pass to take the lead on Saturday, only to be forced to give up the position on the last lap due to an aggressive move that exceeded track limits and race conduct regulations). Now in his third MotoGP season, Acosta avoided the mistakes that occasionally hampered him in the past, completing the entire weekend crash-free. On Sunday, he backed up his sprint triumph with a strong second-place finish, capping his most complete MotoGP weekend to date.

If Saturday was dramatic, Sunday was anything but, belonging entirely to Bezzecchi. The Aprilia rider topped practice, grabbed pole position, and controlled the featured race from start to finish. Aside from a crash while leading the sprint, he was untouchable at Buriram. His performance marked a powerful statement from Aprilia, which placed all four of its bikes near the front. Jorge Martin returned to podium form, Raul Fernandez remained competitive, and Ai Ogura continued his upward trajectory. After missed opportunities in 2025, Aprilia now looks poised for a sustained title challenge.

The weekend also signaled a shift in the competitive order. Ducati, dominant for much of the early 2020s, endured a surprisingly subdued round, managing no better than sixth place. Even Marc Marquez, who qualified just 0.035 seconds off pole, faced setbacks. A wheel rim failure ended his Sunday race prematurely, and he lacked the pace to match Bezzecchi or Acosta over full distance.

Honda showed signs of quiet progress through Joan Mir, who impressed in both qualifying and race trim before tire concerns forced his retirement while running strongly. Meanwhile, Yamaha endured a difficult opener. Off the pace in qualifying and adrift in both races, the manufacturer left Thailand facing serious questions about its competitiveness.

Buriram made one thing clear, though: 2026 will not be business as usual in MotoGP. Multiple manufacturers are now in the fight, and it appears a new generation of riders is ready to challenge the established order.

Same story, new season: Alex Palou is still the driver to beat in the NTT IndyCar Series.

For the second consecutive year, Chip Ganassi Racing's Alex Palou opened the season by winning the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, immediately reasserting his dominance over the field. After an extraordinary 2025 campaign in which he captured eight victories—including the 109th Indianapolis 500—and another series championship, his rivals arrived in Florida hoping the reset button of a new year would bring different results.

It didn’t.

Palou's Honda-powered DW12 IndyCar led 59 of 100 laps on the tight, unforgiving streets of St. Petersburg and cruised to victory by 12.4948 seconds over pole-sitter Scott McLaughlin in the No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet. The margin was the largest in the history of the event, underlining just how firmly Palou controlled the race once he took command.

The four-time champion secured his 20th career IndyCar victory in just his 99th start, a remarkable benchmark of consistency and efficiency. He grabbed the lead on Lap 37 and, aside from the cycle of pit stops, was never seriously threatened. While strategy and track position shuffled others forward briefly, no one had the pace to challenge him over a full stint -- not even polesitter Scott McLaughlin, who led 34 laps.

Christian Lundgaard delivered a strong drive to finish third for Arrow McLaren, followed by Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global in fourth. Pato O’Ward completed the top five, giving McLaren two cars inside the first five positions. Significantly, Dale Coyne Racing drivers Romain Grosjean and rookie Dennis Hauger both started and finished in the top 10.

The race featured eight lead changes among seven drivers and two cautions totaling seven laps. An opening-lap incident triggered by Sting Ray Robb eliminated rookie Mick Schumacher and Santino Ferrucci. Six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon DNF'd in 23rd after he lost a wheel following a pit stop -- a rare miscue by the usually perfect No. 9 Ganassi team.

One race into 2026, the question already looms: can anyone stop Alex Palou this season?