標籤: Driver

The stage is set for the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, the second crown jewel race of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. Appropriately, the longest race of the year features a large group of drivers.

There are 39 drivers on the Cup Series entry list for the Coca-Cola 600. One driver, Katherine Legge, is attempting “the double” and may arrive late to Charlotte after competing in the Indianapolis 500. Meanwhile, Corey Heim (23XI Racing) and Timmy Hill (Garage 66) are also part of the field.

Here is the NASCAR entry list for this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

RELATED: NASCAR weekend schedule Charlotte

NASCAR Cup Series Entry List: Coca-Cola 600

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

Jimmie Johnson’s racing team Legacy Motor Club is set to expand next year, adding a third charter for the 2027 Cup Series season. With the new seat available, it appears that the team’s search for its wheelman is over.

According to Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic, Legacy’s year-long search for a third chartered driver is “effectively over” and the team is now focusing on 23XI Racing’s Riley Herbst to get behind the wheel in 2027.

Read more: NASCAR prospects whose stock is rising

Riley Herbst, age 27, became a full-time Cup Series driver with 23XI in the No. 35 car last season. He struggled in his rookie year, failing to record a single top 10 finish, while posting one of the worst average starting positions (26.97) and average finishing position (26.39) among full-time Cup drivers.

He has performed much better in 2026. Through 12 races, Herbst’s average starting position (20.25) and average finishing position (22.67) have improved significantly. Herbst earned his first top-10 finish (Daytona 500) since 2023, and he has finished in the top 20 four times this year.

Herbst also brings other qualities that probably have significant importance to the heritage. First of all, he has proven to be an excellent teammate to Tyler Reddick this season through his work in leading Tyler Reddick to victory at Daytona and in the sim.

Equally important for a relatively new team like Legacy, Herbst also brings funding. The Herbst family owns a vast chain of convenience stores, and Driver has a long-term relationship with Monster Energy. Combine all this with the improvements he has made this year, and it is easy to see why he is a top candidate to join the Legacy Motor Club next season.

The domino effect of joining Riley Herbst’s legacy

All of Legacy’s pursuit comes as it secured a third charter in the Cup Series for the 2027 season, creating a domino effect that will impact many top teams. Both 23XI and RFK Racing are affected by the move.

RELATED: Chase Contender Could Lose Chartered Status in 2027

The above charter is leased to RFK this season and is being used for Ryan Preece. RFK is also in a tough spot as all three of its drivers—Preece, Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski—are in contract years. Even if all three drivers are re-signed, there is currently no viable path for the team to acquire a third charter.

Since RFK deals with the loss of a chartered car, 23XI has its own vacancy. Fortunately for the team co-owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan, NASCAR’s top prospect Corey Haim is set to replace Herbst next season. Widely regarded as the top prospect in NASCAR, Heim’s arrival should give 23XI a chance to establish itself as the third-best team in the Cup Series.

RELATED: When Corey Heim Can Race Full-Time for 23XI Racing

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

There has been a major bombshell that has made the scandal that has rocked Italian football even more explosive: a Formula 1 driver caught up in a police wiretap has been linked to a high-level prostitution ring operating out of Milan.

The whole thing came to light when the matter was exposed by Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, which has been investigating the story in depth and has now implicated around 70 Serie A players, including Milan, Inter and Juve players. But the fact that an F1 driver is now at the center of it all has made it all the more shocking. This is absurd because F1 is usually a sport that stays “clean” and away from these types of dirty headlines.

At the center of the controversy is an intercepted phone call dated 18 February in which an intermediary allegedly says: “I have a friend, a Formula 1 driver, who is coming to Milan tonight, he is looking for a girl”.

According to judicial documents, the network allegedly responded by offering to send a “Brazilian” escort.

The identity of the driver remains unknown, and the reference comes from surveillance material, not formal allegations.

Timeline: Bahrain trial clues

One of the most interesting things is the fact that the times match very well. Pre-season testing for Formula 1 took place in Bahrain on 18 February, and most of the full-time drivers were there.

As a result, some are speculating that the person in question is not necessarily currently driving in the 2026 race, and may have some kind of connection to the sport (either as a reserve driver, a former driver or as an associate of someone in the sport).

But right now, it’s all speculation at this point.

Also read: Urgent changes to 2026 Formula 1 regulations: Changes affect Miami Grand Prix weekend

Inside the €1.2M “Made Luxury Concierge” operation

The investigation said that this entire affair was going on under the cover of some suspicious looking event agency named “Med_Luxury_Concierge” located in a small place called Sinisello Balsamo near Milan.

Their proposal was that you could get ultra-exclusive night out experiences for a certain level of clientele, such as VIP access to top clubs, fine dining in luxurious venues and even an overnight stay in a 5-star hotel like ME Milan Il Duca. And escort services were part of an “all-inclusive” package.

Italian financial police seized more than €1.2 million and were tracking bank transfers to people with links to sports and business giants.

Another detail has emerged regarding the alleged widespread use of nitrous oxide or commonly known as “laughing gas” during these events.

This substance is not banned in anti-doping rules. It produces a very intense feeling of euphoria and is quite useful for athletes as it leaves no trace in standard drug tests.

Arrests were made, but athletes were not charged

The legal action so far has been targeting the organisers, not the customers who used their services.

Four people have been arrested, including alleged ringleaders Emanuele Buttini and Deborah Ronchi. The allegations are quite serious, including allegations of exploitation of prostitution and money laundering.

Under Italian law, paying for consensual sex is not a crime in itself, but the people running the operation and profiting from it are.

For now, at least, no Formula One drivers have been named, and no soccer players are currently under investigation.

This scandal is bound to have a huge impact on Italian football.

Clubs and governing bodies are bracing themselves for possible consequences if the players’ names (which are still protected) become public.

Your Exclusive F1 Affiliate Link: https://tv.apple.com/channel/tvs.sbd.241000?itscg=30200&itsct=sportsnaut_formula_1&at=1010l3QfM

My love for motorsports began as a child watching races with my family in Tunisia. Fast forward to today… more about Farah Ben Gamra

Who is racing in NASCAR this weekend? The NASCAR entry list for this weekend’s Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway is the most crowded field of drivers all season. There are 41 entrants for the Jack Links 500 on Sunday, meaning no one will make the cut after qualifying on Saturday.

In addition to the 36 full-time drivers competing in Sunday’s NASCAR race, there are five additional competitors. Jesse Love is in the No. 33 car for Richard Childress Racing, Joey Gass is driving the No. 44 car for NY Racing Team, Casey Mears will drive the No. 62 for Beard Motorsports, Chad Fincham is in his own car in Garage 66 and Daniel Dye is getting a chance with Live Fast Motorsports in the No. 78 car.

RELATED: Controversial NASCAR driver added to Cup Series entry list at Talladega

Let’s take a look at the crowded NASCAR Cup Series entry list for Talladega Superspeedway.

NASCAR Entry List Martinsville: Cook Out 400 Field

RELATED: NASCAR weekend schedule for Talladega Superspeedway

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

Just three weeks after NASCAR Truck Series team Kaulig Racing parted ways with driver Daniel Dye after making insensitive comments on a livestream in March, the recently reinstated driver will now find himself competing in multiple Cup Series races later this season.

Live Fast Motorsports announced Monday that Daniel Dye will drive the No. 78 car in four Cup Series races, including the Jack Link’s 500 this coming weekend at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama.

RELATED: Daniel Dye, Kaulig Racing Part Ways

Even setting aside Dye’s suspension and insensitive comments, his results in the Truck Series and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series are an odd decision by Live Fast Motorsports. The 22-year-old driver has no experience in the Cup Series, and his results in the lower series do not guarantee a multi-race seat at the highest level.

He has raced 48 times in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, including The LEUNA at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 14. He finished 15th in that and has only finished in the top-20 in two of his three OARS races this year. In his last 21 races in that series, his average finishing position was 21.9.

READ MORE: Cletus McFarland reveals when he’ll run in the next O’Reilly race

In the Truck Series, he failed to finish in the top-12 in the three races before his suspension. Going back even further, his average finishing position was 16.44 with only one top-five finish (Talladega) in his last 13 Truck races.

As far as off-track, in addition to the insensitive comments, Dye was arrested in April 2022 while a student at Father Lopez Catholic High School and was charged with a felony, but that was later reduced to a misdemeanor.

As for why Dye is getting this ride with Live Fast Motorsports in the Cup Series, it’s worth noting that his father, Randy Dye, is a former pro late model driver who owns the Daytona Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram dealership in Daytona Beach and serves on the NASCAR Foundation’s board of directors. Money and influence certainly seem to have been heavy factors in the opportunity given to Dye.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

The NASCAR Cup Series is headed to Kansas Speedway this weekend for the AdventHealth 400. It is the ninth points race of the season, with Sunday’s race featuring 36 full-time drivers and one additional racer.

This week, it will be Corey Heim driving the No. 67 car for 23XI Racing. This would be Hamm’s first Cup race since the Daytona 500 and would really be the starting point for a busy 12-race period ahead. From now until the end of July, Ham will feature in seven Cup Series races for 23XI.

Let’s take a look at the NASCAR Cup Series entry list for this weekend’s AdventHealth 400 at Kansas.

RELATED: NASCAR weekend schedule Kansas

NASCAR entry list this week: Cup Series at Kansas

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

Corey Heim is the hottest prospect in NASCAR and the 23XI Racing Development driver is widely considered across the industry to be ready for a full-time ride in the Cup Series. However, after a record-breaking year finishing 11th in the Truck Series, Hamm is spending the 2026 season part-time at all three levels.

As Fox Sports’ Bob Pokrass reported on Saturday, Heim was announced as a development driver for the 23XI in February 2025. This kept him within the Toyota family, which is what he wanted, and Heim is “banking” on starting to ride full-time in 2027. As to why he cannot spend a season driving full-time for another team, Pokrass noted that the Legacy Motor Club “does not see itself as a training ground” for a driver until then. Departure for 23XI.

Reality: NASCAR Cup Series debut at Darlington, 23XI Racing drivers leading the field

As the full-time driver of the No. 11 Toyota Tundra Truck with Tricon Garage last season, Heim set single-season Truck Series records in laps led (1,625), points (4040), wins (12) and top-fives (19) in 25 races. He dominated throughout the season and then pulled away in the final lap to cap off a record-breaking year with a Truck Series championship at Phoenix.

Getting a full-time ride in the Cup Series has never been a matter of talent for Heim. Instead, money is the primary factor. 23XI Racing’s third full-time driver, Riley Herbst, brings with him a strong relationship with Monster Energy, and his family has a strong financial background and his father owned several gas stations and convenience stores that are in partnership with Monster.

RELATED: 23XI Racing Driver Riley Herbst Emerging as Option for Another Cup Team in 2026

Those financial resources were little needed for 23XI last season amid a legal battle with NASCAR that resulted in millions of dollars in court costs. Herbst was also originally signed to a multi-year contract, so the team wasn’t going to move on from him through 2025, even after a very poor season.

However, the No. 35 car should be open for Hamm to take over as a full-time driver next season. He will still only be 24 years old and his inclusion gives 23XI three drivers capable of winning races and earning a spot in The Chase.

READ MORE: NASCAR Stage Winners 2026, See Where 23XI Racing Drivers Rank

At the moment, all signs point towards Heim becoming a full-time driver for 23XI next season. Until then, he will split his time between the Trucks, Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts series this year. As Ross Chastain’s last lap pass on Friday night in the Truck Series race at Darlington showed, he’s already capable of beating some of the top drivers at the highest level.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to Darlington Raceway this weekend for the Goodyear 400, the sixth points race of the season. There is talk from the drivers about tire drops and how entertaining Sunday’s race can be, so fans should be prepared for the best battle of the season.

Ahead of Sunday’s Goodyear 400, we’re taking a look at the NASCAR odds for Darlington this weekend via DraftKings. You can find the odds ahead of Saturday’s qualifying below along with some of our favorite picks.

RELATED: NASCAR schedule, qualifying times and race information this week for Darlington

NASCAR Odds Darlington

RELATED: NASCAR Entry List Darlington

NASCAR betting guide: Driver picks for Darlington

Chris Buescher – Top-10 Finish (+135)

Not only did RFK Racing turn in one of its best performances of the season in Las Vegas, but Chris Buescher also scored his second top-10 finish of the year. The No. 17 team has been performing consistently so far, with an average mid-race position of 12.6 and ninth in average finishing position (13.2). Buescher has finished 10th or better in five of the last six races at Darlington, and he was seventh in both stages of the one outside (May 2024) before issues derailed his day. Looks like a top-10 finish on Sunday for Buescher.

RELATED: NASCAR standings entering Darlington

Ty Gibbs – Top-10 Finish (+165)

Ty Gibbs has been silencing many critics in recent weeks. As his reputation comes under scrutiny and the legal battle between Joe Gibbs Racing and Spire Motorsports reveals unflattering comments about Gibbs, he is performing behind the wheel. He has qualified in the top 10 twice over the last three races, and his average finishing position over that period is 4.33. He finished second and ninth in the last two spring races at Darlington, and we look to do so again.

RELATED: NASCAR Power Rankings, 10 Best Drivers Before Darlington

Denny Hamlin – Top-3 Finish (+165)

When you’re hot, you’re hot. Denny Hamlin isn’t just winning in Las Vegas, he has three consecutive top-10 finishes and said he considers finishing 10th at COTA the same as finishing top-5 at the oval. Darlington is also one of Hamlin’s best tracks, as evidenced by the fact that he has the highest average finishing position (9.3) among active drivers since 2023 and he has the fifth-most laps led (230) among active drivers. We don’t think it will be back-to-back wins for the No. 11 team, but he will shine with tire management on Sunday.

Read more: Best NASCAR races 2026, ranking every NASCAR race this season

Chase Briscoe – Race Winner (+250)

Chase Briscoe and the No. 19 team have had a difficult start to the season, finishing 36th or worse at Darlington three times. However, this is a track where Martin Truex Jr. dominated with two wins and four top fives. Briscoe has won here twice, but both of those came in the fall, while he finished 28th and fifth in his last two spring races at Darlington. After what we saw from the No. 19 on Sunday in Las Vegas, we think Brisco can get his first win of the season this weekend.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

NASCAR Cup Series driver Shane Van Gisbergen’s streak of five consecutive road course wins ended last Sunday at Circuit of the Americas, where he finished second to Tyler Reddick. Viewed by some as the best road-course driver in NASCAR history, he may soon get a challenger.

In the latest episode of “Actions Detrimental” coming from COTA, Denny Hamlin shared his belief that Van Gisbergen’s “road course supremacy” will soon be shared by 19-year-old Cup Series driver Connor Zylisch.

RELATED: Denny Hamlin Praises Another Driver for Great Road Course Improvement

“I think SVG is going to keep company in the road-course dominance bracket. It appears Zylisch is really, really there… I mean he’s already got to pass the race craft and build speed… As the weekend went on, he got better and faster. I think we’re going to be talking about him, certainly for a handful of races here where we’re racing left and right. Will turn.”

Denny Hamlin on Conor Zylisch’s ability to challenge street driving, Shane van Gisbergen

Heading into the NASCAR schedule at Phoenix this weekend, Zylisch has the fifth-fewest points (37) among full-time drivers in the Cup Series. That doesn’t tell the whole story about how well the rookie has been driving the No. 88 car this season for Trackhouse Racing.

While Zylisch finished 33rd in the Daytona 500, he was actually running third on Lap 85 when the car spun slightly and was then involved in a major wreck. The following week at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Zylisch was sixth on the restart on Lap 93 and eighth on Lap 135 before falling back to 30th after getting stuck behind some debris.

RELATED: NASCAR Power Rankings after COTA, see where SVG and Denny Hamlin land

However, the real standout performance came last week at COTA. The No. 88 car struggled in practice and qualifying, resulting in the team starting 25th on Sunday. To his credit, Zilisch made his way into the top 10 at the start of Stage 2. Unfortunately for Trackhouse, he spun in Turn 1 at the start of Stage 2 after being dumped by Daniel Suarez while passing the field No. 88 as it sat sideways.

Remarkably, Zylisch once again moved through the field with one of the fastest cars of the day. Unfortunately, misfortune struck him again in the final stages. In the same Turn 1 with 17 laps to go, Hamlin caused Zillisch’s second spinout when the No. 11 spun into the back of William Byron and effectively pushed the No. 24 into the other cars, resulting in Zillisch’s car spinning.

RELATED: Denny Hamlin predicts how Tyler Reddick finishes in the regular season

Zillisch suddenly found himself back in 32nd place with only 16 laps remaining. He was looking at the possibility of finishing outside the top 30 for the third consecutive race. Instead, he showed his mastercraft on the road courses by maneuvering through the field and moving up to 24th with 10 laps to go, moving up to 17th on the final lap and ultimately finishing the day in 14th.

By the end of the day, Zilisch had made 56 passes throughout the race and finished the day with a more respectable 23 points. He was one of the most impressive drivers so far at COTA on Sunday, showing that he was the only driver at any level last season who could consistently keep pace with SVG on road courses.

The 19-year-old is showcasing his magical skills on the roadways, which can only be matched by someone who is 36 years old and has much more driving experience. Given the year-to-year improvement SVG has shown on ovals since the start of last season, Zylisch’s career trajectory could make him one of the best drivers in NASCAR in just a few years. Until then, he’ll battle SVG to become the best road-course driver in NASCAR this season and beyond.

READ MORE: NASCAR Odds 4 Picks This Week Including Phoenix, Denny Hamlin

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

前 NFL 球星唐納德·德賴弗 (Donald Driver) 對其 HBCU 進行了巨額投資。 1 月 20 日，奧爾康州立大學將與 Driver 的公司 Driven Elite 建立合作夥伴關係。該合作夥伴關係將於 1 月 20 日作為 Driven Elite 的“新年，新開局”活動的一部分啟動。此次合作主要關注奧爾康州立大學學生運動員的健康和福祉，加倍關注整體健康和心理健康。

此次合作將使奧爾康州立大學的男性和女性項目受益。唐納德·德賴弗在一份聲明中談到了他的計劃的目標以及與奧爾康州立大學合作的目標，他說：“Driven Elite致力於為奧爾康州立大學的學生運動員創造一個安全、賦權的環境，以增強他們在賽場內外的心理彈性、領導力和認同感。我們相信心理健康驅動表現，而表現塑造生活。通過對年輕男女的有意投資，我們提供指導、心態發展和目的驅動的計劃。針對女學生運動員的SURGE計劃專注於擁有自己的身份，有目的地出現，並在他們進入的每個空間中創造持久的影響。

他補充道：“奧爾康州立大學是這些項目發展的理想場所，我很榮幸能與母校 Driven Elite 一起參與這一運動。”

通過合作，SURGE 計劃將向學生運動員開放。女學生運動員將獲得新的裝備和個性化的營養信息。男學生運動員將看到心理健康受到極大關注，包括推出一款新應用程序，該應用程序可以秘密地將運動員與心理健康專業人士聯繫起來。

奧爾康體育總監 D'Wayne Robinson 熱情洋溢地談到了此次合作，他表示：“SURGE 代表了我們致力於提升女子運動水平，並確保我們的女學生運動員能夠獲得她們取得優異成績所需的資源、指導和支持。我們非常感謝這一合作夥伴關係，它認識到我們女子項目的獨特需求。”