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12+ min ago (1167+ words) Dec 14, 2025 | 10:47 AM EST [Editor's note: This is a joint column featuring Mark Martin's views and written by EssentiallySports columnist Jerry Bonkowski] Hey everyone, it's Mark Martin here, and I'm excited to present my first column for EssentiallySports to you. Along with co-writer Jerry Bonkowski, I plan on bringing one-to-two columns each month to you. We'll be talking about NASCAR, my overall racing career, my thoughts about racing today, how the sport has changed over the years, and much more. The genesis for this column is my upcoming book, "Never Lift," co-written with Mark "Bones" Bourcier " who has written a number of racing-related books, including "True Speed: My Racing Life" about Tony Stewart, "Wicked Fast" about Bentley Warren, as well as books about AJ Foyt, Mario Andretti and Richard Petty; Parnelli Jones; Ken Schrader; Richie Evans; Bill Simpson and many others....

13+ min ago (499+ words) Phillip van Osten 14/12/2025 at 15:4614/12/2025 at 15:32 Esteban Ocon is brimming with optimism about Haas" future " and a big part of that excitement comes from Toyota stepping up its involvement with the US outfit. With the Japanese giant set to become Haas" title partner from the 2026 season, Ocon believes the deal represents far more than a change of name for the F1 team. Instead, the Frenchman sees it as a powerful cultural and technical alliance that could help propel Haas into a new era. Haas confirmed ahead of last weekend"s season finale in Abu Dhabi that Toyota will replace MoneyGram as the team"s title sponsor, expanding a relationship that began in October last year. The timing is no coincidence, coming after Haas" strongest-ever campaign in 2025, where the team scored a career-best 79 points with Toyota"s support behind the scenes. For Ocon,…...

15+ min ago (679+ words) Dec 14, 2025 | 10:45 AM EST Image courtesy: Imago | (L) Christian Horner and (R) Helmut Marko An era comes to an end as Helmut Marko finally steps away from Red Bull Racing, closing the book on a 20-year run that helped shape one of Formula 1s most dominant teams. From day one in 2005, Marko wasnt just an advisor at the company. In fact, he was a builder, a decision-maker, and often the toughest voice in the room. But things at Red Bull arent the same as before, since hes left. The former F1 driver-turned-talent scout played a central role in discovering Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen, backing both long before they became world champions. Now, days after his exit, Marko is pulling the curtain back on internal power struggles at Red Bull, and his claims point directly at Christian Horner and a behind-the-scenes shift that changed everything....

1+ hour, 37+ min ago (492+ words) Phillip van Osten 14/12/2025 at 14:2314/12/2025 at 14:31 Fresh from clinching his maiden Formula 1 world championship last weekend in Abu Dhabi, Lando Norris is already looking ahead " and he's hoping that one familiar rival will join the fight at the front of the field next season. The McLaren star, who edged Red Bull's Max Verstappen by just two points to claim the 2025 crown, told Sky Sports that he would "love" to battle seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton more regularly. The Briton suffered a miserable debut season with Ferrari, finishing winless in 2025 and failing to reach the podium for the first time in his career. Norris, however, expects the Hamilton to rebound strongly and is excited by the prospect of racing him at the front once again. "We've had a good amount of battles already. I would love to race a bit more with…...

1+ hour, 59+ min ago (548+ words) Dec 14, 2025 | 9:00 AM EST Change is on the horizon, and it looks good so far. The antitrust trial involving 23XI Racing, Front Row Motorsports, and NASCAR ended in a settlement, which included several modifications." Many will recall the controversial three-strike rule, a provision that effectively allowed teams to lose their charters if they pushed back too firmly against the sanctioning body. The clause served as a mechanism for NASCAR to maintain firm control over teams when introducing new regulations. That rule nearly derailed the Charlotte Roval race several years ago when teams openly threatened to strike. Now, a revised version has resurfaced with meaningful changes. As put together in layman's terms, Bob Pockrass explains the five-strike rule. "Any rule change that will cost teams significant money gets put to a vote. If the teams vote no and NASCAR proceeds anyway, that is…...

2+ hour ago (498+ words) Lap records continue to fall for the mighty Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. Earlier in 2025, Chevy put its supercar to work across five iconic circuits. Now, the ZR1 can add another top time to its growing list of accomplishments. A 2026 Corvette ZR1 driven by Canadian hero Ron Fellows just blitzed the Mosport production car record with a time of 1:18.2. That bests the old time of 1:22.12, which was set by a 2023 Z06also driven by Fellows. Ron is no stranger to Canadian Tire Motorsports Park or Corvettes. Fellows is a co-owner of the circuit, and he's successfully raced Vettes for decades. He's without question the right man for this particular task. When you put a Le Mans and Daytona winning driver behind the wheel of a car with 1,064 horsepower, awesome stuff is bound to happen. The added downforce from the bonkers ZTK package certainly helps, too. "When you've…...

2+ hour, 10+ min ago (503+ words) The ripple effects from NASCAR's landmark antitrust settlement are already being felt across the industry and perhaps nowhere more dramatically than in the suddenly surging value of Cup Series charters. What began as a $365 million courtroom battle has ended with a structural shift that many team owners and investors had long chased but never truly believed would arrive. By agreeing to introduce evergreen provisions, the sanctioning body has fundamentally altered the economics of team ownership. In fact, for the first time since the charter system was introduced in 2016, teams now have the assurance that their charters will remain theirs indefinitely, provided they continue to meet competitive and operational standards. After a lengthy and increasingly embarrassing 14-month courtroom saga, NASCAR's Charlotte headquarters finally conceded to its rebel teams, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, on Thursday. Although experts had long forecast a…...

2+ hour, 25+ min ago (188+ words) MRF Tyres has secured the 2025 FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) Team Title at the FIA Awards Gala. MRF Tyres bags 2025 FIA European Rally Championship title (left) Manuel Avino, Vice President, FIA Europe, handing over the 2025 ERC Teams Championship Trophy to Arun Mammen, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, MRF Ltd at FIA Awards Gala MRF Tyres has secured the 2025 FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) Team Title at the FIA Awards Gala. This is the third time that the Chennai-based tyre manufacturer has secured the top position at the annual season-closing ceremony organised by the F'd'ration Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). It had bagged the title for the first time in 2022, followed by a second win in 2023. "We are deeply honoured to receive the Team Title at such a prestigious occasion. This award recognises not only the work of our engineers and staff, but…...

2+ hour, 51+ min ago (571+ words) Al Manar by Dragon heads into Gulf 12H intervention in the lead" Al Manar by Dragon led the 15th edition of the Gulf 12 Hours into the break after eight hours of racing, ahead of what is likely to be a three-way battle for overall victory in the final four hours. The No. 77 Ferrari 296 GT3, driven by Al Faisal Al Zubair, Ben Tuck and Chris Froggatt crossed the line with a margin of 12.931 seconds over the No. 81 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo of Marvin Dienst, Gabriele Piana and Rinat Salikhov. The No. 13 CapitalRT by Motopark Mercedes-AMG piloted by Denis Remenyako, Mikhail Aleshin and Adam Christodoulou was the last car to finish on the lead lap in third, with those margins set to be carried over into the second, four-hour segment. This was despite a collision between Remenyako and the No. 69 Optimum Motorsport McLaren 720S GT3 Evo of…...

2+ hour, 56+ min ago (617+ words) F1s silly season may have arrived earlier than expected, and McLaren has found itself right at the center of it. Despite Oscar Piastri being under contract until the end of 2028, fresh reports suggest the Woking-based team is already thinking about life without the Australian. And the more shocking thing about it is the name being floated as a potential replacement, Ferraris Charles Leclerc. Piastri is one of the most highly rated drivers on the grid and only recently signed a long-term extension, but underneath all that, the situation is far more complicated. Piastri arrived in F1 with a reputation built on results, having won multiple titles in junior categories, and wasted little time proving that he belonged at the top level. The 2025 season looked set to be his breakthrough, and for quite some time before the summer break, Piastri was firmly in…...