A win at Darlington counts the same in the standings as any other NASCAR Cup Series victory. But the Southern 500 has never been just another race.
First run in 1950, the Southern 500 has grown into one of NASCAR's crown-jewel races, combining more than 75 years of history with a Labor Day tradition and a winner's list filled with some of the sport's biggest names.
Why the Southern 500 Is One of NASCAR's Crown-Jewel Races
Darlington Raceway opened in 1950 as NASCAR's first paved superspeedway and hosted the inaugural Southern 500. Seventy-five cars entered and roughly 25,000 fans showed up to watch, but it was Johnny Mantz, the slowest qualifier in the entire field, who ultimately won. While other drivers spent the race battling tire failures, Mantz used hard-compound truck tires to outlast the field and drive his way into NASCAR history. Darlington Raceway
Over the decades, the Southern 500 became closely tied to Labor Day weekend and established itself among NASCAR's biggest events. Its status was reinforced in 1985 when the race became one of four included in the Winston Million, a $1 million bonus available to a driver who could win three of NASCAR's major races. Bill Elliott secured the bonus by winning the Southern 500 that year, and Jeff Gordon repeated the accomplishment in 1997. NASCAR

#southern #race

This article originally appeared on SteelersNOW.com.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers revealed in an interview with Zito Salena of the Washington Post that he can't wait to be a father once he retires. Rodgers has said several times that this season will be his final one.
"My next chapter in my life is fatherhood. We are not expecting yet, but I cannot wait to be a father," Rodgers said.
During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show at St. Vincent College on Aug. 3, the four-time NFL MVP opened up on his marriage and how it's altered his life.
Click here to read more on SteelersNOW.com.

#wait #father #life

Congrats to Broc on a long history of success, both on and off the track.
Begin Press Release:
Six-time AMA Motocross National Champion and longtime Dunlop leader to receive prestigious honor during Sept. 10 induction ceremony
RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA – Dunlop Motorcycle Tires is proud to celebrate longtime member of the Dunlop family and Senior Manager of Off-Road Racing Broc Glover, who will be honored as an AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Legend during the 2026 AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Sept. 10 at the Event Center at Violet Woods in Pickerington, Ohio.
Already inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2000, Glover joins a select group of Hall of Famers to receive Legend status, a distinction reserved for individuals whose accomplishments and influence have extended well beyond the category for which they were originally inducted.

#dunlop #ceremony

Lionel Messi's former Argentina teammates have paid tribute to their retiring captain after the great No 10 brought the curtain down on his international career.
Messi confirmed on Monday that his Argentina career was at an end after 207 appearances and 125 goals for his country.
The 39-year-old, who will continue to play on for Inter Miami, led the nation to World Cup triumph in 2022, and again captained them to the final of this year's tournament.
Lionel Messi has retired from international football (PA)
The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward retires as the second leading male goalscorer in international football, with Messi behind only great on-field rival Cristiano Ronaldo.

#lionel #Argentina #Inter

Stephen Curry is confident he will be playing for the Warriors until he retires originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Since 2009, Stephen Curry has been the star player for the Golden State Warriors. He has been the franchise's most successful superstar, as he has been the driving force for all four of their championships from 2015 to 2022. It is a legendary tenure for any player, but especially because Curry continues to be excellent through the years.
Of course, Draymond Green has been with him since 2012, as they are the duo that continues to play for the Warriors. Despite Green's presence, everyone can agree that Curry is the foundational piece. Now, he is in the twilight years of his career, and it seems he will continue to play for the Warriors until the very end.
Since Curry's career is winding down, there are a lot of people who want him to make a move for a last-gasp opportunity to win a championship. Adding one more championship to his four rings would likely cement his status as the best point guard of all time.
However, it seems Curry wants to stick with the Warriors and fight with whatever the front office decides. That is a bit unfortunate because the Warriors are quite far away from a championship when compared to the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs.

#curry #since #until #four

Joe Mazzulla has a tendency to garner attention for viral quotes he makes to media. The Boston Celtics head coach made headlines once again regarding the legacy he wants to leave behind when he retires in the distant future.
Mazzulla has been at the Celtics' helm since the start of the 2022-23 season, the first stint of his head coaching career. He led the franchise to the championship in 2024, shining as one of the best coaches in the league as well as one of the youngest.
Mazzulla recently appeared for an interview with Derin McMaim on the No Show Dogs podcast last week. It was there where he was honest about how he wants to be remembered in his career or, in his case, forgotten.
"If the people around you didn't do what they do… I wouldn't do anything. The thing I reflect on the most is… I think you have to be willing to be forgotten. I think that's kind of my main goal. I want to be forgotten about. Because that means after you… It was better. I think that's what it means to be a Celtic. However long you play, coach, work for the Celtics…"
"Your job is to keep it exactly where it's at or bring it better. You cannot bring it down. If you leave and it gets worse, that's your fault. If you leave and they win, and they forgot about you, you did your job. I talk about that every day with the staff. Our job is to one day be forgotten about because you did your job. It became about something bigger than you. It's a burden and a love for being with the Celtics… But it's a responsibility. I think we could take that into our daily life. Can I leave it so much better that they don't remember me because the next person came and was better?"

#mazzulla

The LA Dodgers lost Game 2 of the three-game series against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on Saturday night. Detroit won 2-1 on a walk-off hit in the ninth. The victory was backed by spirited pitching from Keider Montero and Andrew Sears, along with contributions from Gleyber Torres and Kevin McGonigle.
During a post-game media interview shared by Spectrum SportsNet, Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez shared his thoughts on the 2-1 loss.
"They've been pitching really good against us," he said. "Everybody's gonna have a little extra when they face this team."
MLB fans quickly shared their reactions to Hernandez's comment.
"Not gonna lie, this "everybody vs. LA" mentality is getting tiresome," one fan commented.

#gonna #tigers

In my mind, I had this game in the loss column even before first pitch.
The Rays offense looked half asleep yesterday against a lesser pitcher, and today they would be facing Troy Melton, he of the 1.86 ERA. Those of you with good memories will recall that Melton had pitched a gem against the Rays back in June, going eight innings and scattering a few hits. He's a pitcher, Brian Anderson reminded us, who is good across the game but actually gets better second and third time through the line up, so it's not like you can just wait until he tires out to get your offense going.
And for the Rays, Freddy Peralta had looked a little better in recent starts but you really had to squint to see the effective pitcher he'd been prior to this year.
So just based on the pitching matchup, this game had the worst win chances for the Rays of the series.
Of course, then, they won. Because you never know with baseball.

#pitcher #melton #good #better

Kyle Larson has called out NASCAR's lack of wet-weather pit stops. The reigning champion went on the 'Door ***** per Clear' podcast and explained why teams should have more control over transitioning from wet-weather tires to slicks.
The recently concluded New Hampshire race saw drivers start on wet-weather tires before a competition caution on lap 40 allowed a change to slicks. As a result, drivers didn't have to race over the pit road, and teams took their time as well.
Larson believes the practice hurts the racing product.
"I think we've been doing this rain thing long enough now, it's gone well. There's other series that do live pit stops in the rain. Every other series does live pit stops in the rain. Why can't we?" he said.
"And bring in that element of strategy. And I think that's where the good teams can rise or even the slower teams like an SVG would have really smashed the field, he would've had a lot of cars a lap down. I think if they would've opened the strategy up. So I think it's just time, like we have the experience of doing it. Just let us just open it up," Larson added.

#drivers

Photos by Rob Gray (Polarity Photo)
Enea Bastianini is trading Tech3 KTM's struggling package for one of the 2026 grid's genuine front-runners, joining the SuperFile Trackhouse squad on Aprilia machinery for the next two seasons.
Trackhouse confirmed the signing on August 24, with the Italian set to partner Raul Fernandez, who recently renewed with the American outfit. Bastianini fills the seat vacated by Ai Ogura, who is moving to Yamaha. The switch pairs "The Beast" with a team that has been a regular presence at the sharp end of the championship this year - a marked upgrade over the Tech3 KTM effort he's been enduring.
Tech3 announced the split in the week leading up to Aragon, posting a farewell to Il Romagnolo on social media. "After two seasons with the team, it's time to say goodbye to Enea Bastianini at the end of the year," the team wrote. "Thank you for everything you've brought to the team over the past two seasons: the commitment, the racing, the laughs and the moments along the way. We've still got a season to finish together, but we'll be wishing you all the good luck, Enea!" Bastianini still has the balance of 2026 to run out on the RC16 before closing that chapter.
The timing lines up with a broader reset across MotoGP. Bastianini steps into a new-era Aprilia RS-GP built around the incoming regulations, with the reduced-capacity 850cc machinery, revised tires, and a fresh rulebook all landing at once. Pre-season testing kicks off at Valencia after the 2026 finale, giving him an early run at development work on the new bike.

#tech3 #team #seasons #year

An American Airlines flight landed safely in Dallas after a laptop battery caught fire on board, prompting flight attendants to contain the fire and emergency personnel to meet the aircraft, officials confirmed to Fox News Digital.
American Airlines Flight 2398 was approaching Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) on Friday after departing Atlanta when the crew reported a laptop battery fire, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Flight attendants contained the fire with a thermal containment bag, the FAA said.
The Airbus A321 landed safely at DFW at about 6:55 p.m. local time, according to the agency. The FAA is investigating the incident.
Two Planes Blow Tires While Landing At Major Us Airport Hours Apart, Faa Investigating

#flight #FIRE #american #safely

The 2026 Dutch Grand Prix sprint race provided McLaren with plenty of data, but it also delivered a sobering realization: Ferrari might currently possess the fastest race car on the grid.
While McLaren continues to fight at the front of the pack, Team Principal Andrea Stella was quick to single out Charles Leclerc's Sprint performance as the ultimate benchmark for long-run speed around Zandvoort.
Ferrari raised eyebrows across the paddock when they sent Leclerc to the Sprint grid on a used set of soft tires, bypassing the standard medium compound favored by the majority of the field.
However, Stella acknowledged that the Italian squad's aggressive strategy was rooted in hard data. "When we saw Leclerc starting on a used soft, we thought that that was quite ambitious, but eventually the information they got through the running in practice will have given them the confidence to do so," Stella told the media.
Leclerc's ability to manage the softer rubber over the course of the Sprint confirmed the ominous pace Ferrari had demonstrated earlier in the weekend. "I think the lap times of Ferrari in continuous laps that they showed during practice one, they were the best, and probably in the race Leclerc was still the best in terms of pace," Stella noted.

#stella #race #grid

ZANDVOORT, Netherlands (AP) — George Russell is back at the front of Formula 1 with a new driving style and nothing to lose.
Russell started the second half of the season with a sprint race win and second place in qualifying on Saturday. He said he'd used the mid-season break to learn from the techniques that have taken his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli to the top of the standings, and shed stress along the way.
"After the break I just feel way more relaxed. I don't think I've got anything to lose," Russell said. "I'm just going to go out, enjoy it, and I don't even really feel in a fight. It's not mine to lose, it's mine to gain."
In nearly a month since the last race in Hungary, Russell got engaged — he joked Friday that he's faster for no longer carrying the ring around — and he took inspiration not just from Antonelli, who he said was doing an "amazing job" with the 2026 car and tires, but from the world of golf.
"If you change your golf swing you'll probably take half a step back first before making those improvements. I think the break just allowed me to put those learnings into the back of my mind, come here this weekend, not fixating on what I want to try and achieve with the car and the tires but knowing it," he said.

#russell

Max Verstappen left the Dutch GP Sprint with three points and the same concern Red Bull identified on Friday: the RB22 is short of pace. After qualifying sixth, 0.527 seconds behind George Russell's sprint pole, the home driver started and finished P6 at Zandvoort. He spent much of the 24-lap race behind Oscar Piastri and could not turn that pressure into a pass.
Verstappen explained the problems he faced during the Sprint race at the Dutch GP, one of them included the high levels of tire degradation. The Red Bull driver believes that there is obvious scopes of improvement to achieve the pure pace that Red Bull and Verstappen are known for.
"I mean, we wanted to make some changes anyway, and after this race, it will stay the same, so same thought process, So we'll see if we can improve it a little bit. We we definitely lack a little bit on, like, pure pace, but at least the deg wasn't too bad in the race."
The four-time World Champion also adds,
"I just got a bit stuck behind Oscar in around here. As soon as you get close, your tires overheat and you you can't pass, so you're just stuck. But I think in the race we looked maybe a little bit more competitive, so that's good, but we need to find more overall performance."

#race #behind #dutch

Per-share earnings have outrun the business itself, and the cash behind it is real, yet near its high, each buyback dollar retires far fewer shares.
Expedia (EXPE) stock has gained about 56% over the past twelve months and now trades within a few percent of the 52-week high. The global travel marketplace has a quieter engine running underneath the bookings and margins: a share count that keeps getting smaller, which is why per-share earnings have been growing faster than the business behind them. Near a high, though, that engine costs more to run.
Nearly Ten Points A Year The Business Never Earned
Over the last three years, net income grew 36.9% a year on average. Earnings per share grew 46.8% a year on average over the same three years. That roughly ten-point gap is not something the operation produced. It is what happens when the same profit is split among fewer owners: over those three years the share count has fallen about 6.5% a year on average, so a holder who did nothing owns a steadily larger slice of the same company.
Free Cash Flow More Than Doubled In Two Years

#three

The Miami Dolphins had another former player announce their retirement recently, as running back Myles Gaskin called it a career after seven seasons in the NFL, including four with the Dolphins.
"Football . . . there will never be enough words to explain how I feel about you, so I won't even try," Gaskin wrote on social media. "What I will do is give all the game you gave me to the next generation of young players who dare to be great. Thank you. It's been real."
The 29-year-old played at Washington from 2015-18, earning All-Pac-12 honors thrice before the Dolphins took him in the seventh round (No. 234 overall) of the 2019 NFL draft. In four years with Miami, he rushed for 1,355 yards and seven touchdowns on 3.8 yards per attempt while catching 101 passes for an additional 701 yards and six scores.
After Miami released him in 2023, he had stints with the Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Rams, Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens and Seattle Seahawks. In all of those stints, he only rushed for an addition five total yards and caught one pass for 11 yards.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Former Dolphins RB retires from NFL after 7 seasons

#seasons

Why you should — and shouldn't — draft Christian McCaffrey in 2026 fantasy football originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
If you've been playing fantasy football long enough, chances are you've faced the dilemma of whether to draft Christian McCaffrey.
The latest tightness saga to come out of 49ers training camp has fantasy drafters feeling nervous about selecting the 30-year-old running back in the first round.
Though the Niners claim it's simply precautionary, the ghost of 2024 CMC still haunts us all.
Until McCaffrey retires from football, we'll be battling this decision in our heads every draft season. It's quite simple: when you draft CMC, you either get the best player in fantasy football or light your first-round pick on fire.

#Football

With former MVP Nneka Ogwumike announcing her retirement following the 2026 WNBA season, Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has spoken about her incredible career.
Once she retires following the 2026 WNBA season, fans will be able to truly appreciate Nneka Ogwumike's impact on women's basketball as well as the league.
Following the 36-year-old's announcement on Wednesday, there was an outpouring of appreciation and tributes from the WNBA world for the former champion.
The first overall draft pick in 2012, Ogwumike has enjoyed an exceptional career. And with her peers showing her love, league commissioner Cathy Engelbert wasn't far behind.
Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images

#engelbert

The Arizona Diamondbacks placed star second baseman Ketel Marte on the restricted list in June 2025 after his Phoenix-area home was burglarized during last year's All-Star break.
"We all know what he's dealing with," Dbacks manager Torey Lovullo said at the time. "It's been unfortunate. I think he retreats a little bit when he gets upset, and I respect that ***** e, and I'm going to give him that ***** e."
With the Diamondbacks in Boston this week to play the Red Sox, Marte didn't just retreat a little bit. He retreated a lot.
MORE: Mariners' 25-year-old prospect suddenly retires from baseball
Marte never came to Fenway Park for the series opener on Monday, Aug. 17. The Diamondbacks placed Marte on the restricted list again — only minutes before the game's scheduled first pitch — which means he will not get paid until he's activated, under MLB rules.

#marte #placed

Tonight, an emergency sent firetrucks racing to the scene of an American Airlines jet with two blown tires upon landing on the tarmac at Chicago O'Hare. The flight was arriving from New York's LaGuardia Airport with 180 people reported on board. It's the second time in two weeks a plane's tires have blown at O'Hare. NBC News' Ryan Chandler reports.

#tires #airport

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Credit: Anheuser-Busch
Who would've thought when he was fired from Saturday Night Live that Shane Gillis would go on to become one of the biggest comedians on the planet? His stand-up comedy took off, he has his own series, Tires, available with a Netflix subscription, and he also just so happens to be a spokesperson for Bud Light, one of the biggest beers in the nation. Hopefully, all three of those things are still true later this week, following a viral clip where he (allegedly) indulged in a rival beer.
Gillis was seated next to Matthew McConaughey at an MLS game between Austin FC and FC Dallas. The official MLS account posted a clip, which showed Gillis sitting with a Dos Equis, which is owned by Heineken and is a major rival to Anheuser-Busch. It appears someone noticed the camera on the comedian and quickly handed the man a Bud Light. Check out the funny moment:
Anyone who watches professional sports has no doubt seen Shane Gillis in several Bud Light ads. He's acted as a celebrity face of the brand for a couple of years now, and his ads are very memorable and very funny.

#anheuser #shane #rival

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas announced his intent to retire after the 2026 season during last year's postseason run, but he may change his mind.
"It's been a wild ride," Rojas said to Dodgers Nation's Doug McKain after the Dodgers clinched the NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies last October. "I've given it everything that I have every single night for the four years that I've been here. And hopefully I can finish my career here next year. Because I'm going to retire after next year."
The Dodgers did bring him back for another year, signing him to a one-year deal early in the offseason and offering him a player development role with the team after he retires.
According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, though, that offer may have to wait.
"Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas says he's thinking about changing his mind about retiring, and that it's possible he'll stick around for another year before he goes into a hybrid coaching/front office role," Nightengale wrote.

#Dodgers #rojas #shortstop #retire

Joey Logano leapfrogged into the top-10 standings after winning Saturday's Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway. The result marks his second win in just four races.
Logano had a podium start in the season-opening Daytona 500, but struggled to make headway ever since. At his lowest, the former champion was out of the Chase cutoff in 20th, while Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney consistently finished top-10.
With his latest win, Logano has tied Blaney for two wins this season. The No.22 driver addressed the resurgence in his victory lane interview, saying,
"Don't let the boys get hot, we're pretty strong right now. It's awesome to see the speed in the No. 22 again….we've had a great car here the last five races. We haven't been able to capitalize with a win, we've been so close but sweet redemption today."
"We got a strong team, no doubt, and Paul made some great calls there. The 19 was better than us in that last run so I was trying to just manage the tires and yeah, kind of a fun back and forth….it's getting the points that we need. This is important, we need to get ourselves back in the top-10 and I ***** ume this gets us pretty close," he added via NASCAR's official website.

#season #great

All eyes were on Ty Simpson for his NFL debut on Saturday afternoon at Arrowhead Stadium. It was the first preseason action for the Los Angeles Rams' top pick in the 2026 draft, giving fans a glimpse at what the future could hold once Matthew Stafford retires.
Simpson entered the game against the Chiefs at the end of the first quarter after Stetson Bennett played two possessions, much to the excitement of the Rams' faithful around the country. Though there were probably some pre-game jitters for the rookie quarterback, the moment certainly didn't look too big for him.
His first completion was a 7-yard dump-off to Max Klare on a roll-out to his right, getting the ball into the hands of a fellow rookie. It wasn't a highlight-reel play, but he took what the defense gave him, and that was an easy completion.
Simpson was just 1-for-2 on his first drive, which was a brief one that ended in a punt, but he found a rhythm on the second drive. He went 4-for-4 for 41 yards during drive No. 2, capping it off with a Harrison Mevis field goal from 40 yards to put the Rams up, 6-3.
His best throw on the drive was a 23-yarder to Mark Redman, once again on a boot out to his right. He layered the ball nicely to the tight end for a big gain.

#first #rookie #ball

The Black's Tire 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Richmond is under a delay with a lightning hold.
The race was scheduled to begin just after 7:30 p.m. Eastern/6:30 p.m. Central at Richmond Raceway, but storms were moving into the area from the west.
The lightning hold will last at least 30 minutes from the last lightning strike, with strikes still around the speedway as of 6:35 p.m. Central.
Wet-weather tires are available at Richmond this weekend, but the race won't start under heavy rain conditions and/or until the lightning hold is lifted.
When the race does begin, Shane van Gisbergen is on the pole.

#race

Mike McCarthy liked what he saw from quarterbacks Drew Allar and Will Howard following the Pittsburgh Steelers' preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night.
Howard prepares of his rookie campaign after four years of college football at Penn State. Meanwhile, Allar gears up for Year 2 after missing out on the 2025 season due to injury. They stand out as future options for Pittsburgh once Aaron Rodgers retires after 2026.
Allar attempted 13 passes in his preseason debut for the Steelers, completing 10 throws for 153 yards and two touchdowns while adding a rushing score for himself. Meanwhile, Howard completed seven of nine passes for 86 yards.
McCarthy reflected on both quarterbacks' performances after the game, via ESPN. He was high on their composure as he looks forward to their development as professional quarterbacks.
"I thought as far as the way they took the play, commanded the huddle. … I thought they were very poised," McCarthy said of Howard and Allar. "I liked the way all three of them played, especially our young guys. I liked the way Will responded. … He did a good job overcoming some long down on distances, and I thought his two-minute drill was outstanding. And I thought Drew played very, very well."

#pittsburgh

Red Sox Fan Favorite Who Was Drafted by Yankees Retires After 11-Year Career originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Red Sox have had many players come and go over the past few seasons. Some stayed for a few weeks, while others stayed for years.
Former Red Sox fan-favorite Rob Refsnyder was one of those guys who stayed for a few years. Refsnyder, now 35 years old, was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 2012 MLB Draft. He made his debut for New York in 2015.
Refsnyder eventually joined the Red Sox in 2022. He was mainly used as a platoon bat and could really swing it against left-handed pitching. The California native slashed .276/.364/.440 with 27 home runs and 48 doubles.
Joining the Seattle Mariners this past offseason, Refsnyder struggled a ton, hitting just .140 with 37 strikeouts and an OPS+ of 34 in 53 games. He was released by the Mariners on Aug. 4.

#years #york #Mariners #drafted

The Detroit Lions cut former first-round pick Terrion Arnold in June following his arrest on felony kidnapping and armed robbery charges.
But his legal peril isn't scaring other teams away. The Seattle Seahawks confirmed Monday that they hosted a tryout for Arnold. And the reigning Super Bowl champions aren't the only team kicking the tires on the 23-year-old cornerback.
Arnold has already worked out for the Houston Texans and had a tryout scheduled with the New Orleans Saints following his Sunday workout with the Seahawks, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reports. Citing court testimony from Arnold's agent, Texans beat reporter Aaron Wilson reported in July that the New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts had also been in touch with Arnold.
Arnold is a standout young cornerback whom the Lions selected with the 24th pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. His talent and age add up to tremendous value in the NFL. He also faces eight felony charges that could carry a maximum of life in prison if he's convicted.
The heat around Arnold became too high for the team that drafted him. But in the cutthroat world of NFL competition, his talent is proving too much for opposing teams to rule out giving him a look.

#following

It wasn't that long ago, June 28th, that Tyler Allen played it safe at Sonoma Raceway and Ty Gibbs really wished his crew chief had been more aggressive.
At the time, Allen took what looked like a car capable of challenging Shane Van Gisbergen for the win but took a more conservative strategy that led to a second-place finish. Allen, not knowing if they would have enough to take on SVG on a road course elected to get stage points and retain a spot inside the top five of the championship standings.
Allen was playing a long game, recognizing there would come a time and place to be aggressive for Gibbs, and Sunday at Iowa Speedway was just the moment.
Gibbs was running third behind Christopher Bell and Ryan Blaney approaching the final green flag pit cycle. Blaney undercut Bell but couldn't blend back in front of the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20.
Allen gambled further, taking two tires, and coming out ahead of both of them. Earlier in the race, Bell was able to pass Blaney for the lead on four tires versus two, but Allen tasked Gibbs with aggressively defending the lead.

#place

The NASCAR Cup Series competed at Iowa Speedway, and it was an exciting event. Ryan Blaney won Stage 1 while Christopher Bell won Stage 2; however, neither driver was able to enter victory lane. Instead, it was a Joe Gibbs Racing driver showdown with Bell finishing in the runner-up position.
Ty Gibbs and the No. 54 team for Joe Gibbs Racing won the Iowa Corn 350 on Sunday, earning their second victory of the 2026 Cup Series season. Gibbs held off a hard-charging Bell, who earned his fourth second-place finish in the last five races. For Gibbs, it is his second career Cup Series victory.
Tyler Allen, the crew chief of the No. 54 car, made the right strategy call with two tires during the final green-flag pit stops. Gibbs was able to hold off Bell and his four fresh tires on the No. 20 car. It was a thrilling beginning to USA Sports' portion of the NASCAR schedule with Gibbs ending up in the winner's circle.
No. 54 Ty Gibbs
No. 20 Christopher Bell

#iowa