(Pratt Miller Motorsports/RACER.com images)
Pratt Miller Motorsports will run special red, white and blue liveries for all of its cars with additional backing from Mobil 1, a partner of the team and the long-serving title sponsor of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. The two Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports GTD Pro cars will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States. Not only will the cars be wrapped in red, white, and blue, but there will be 50 stars on the passenger side of the hood of both Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs, representing every state. The team’s No. 73 ORECA 07-Gibson LMP2 (below) will carry a similar livery, without the 50 stars.
Porsche Penske Motorsport will compete in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 21 with a special livery of blue and red accents on a white base at the endurance classic in Florida. With this special design, Porsche and ExxonMobil celebrate a close partnership characterized by innovation over 30 years. June 14, 1996 marked the beginning of a strong partnership: at that year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, the two Porsche 911 GT1 factory entries in Mobil 1 livery finished second and third behind a customer Porsche. On that day, the Stuttgart-based sports car manufacturer and the US energy company signed a groundbreaking agreement that included the factory fill of lubricants for all new Porsche vehicles delivered worldwide. “Even with the current Porsche 963, we benefit in many areas from Mobil 1’s innovations and expertise,” said Urs Kuratle, Director Factory Motorsport LMDh. “In the tightly contested IMSA series, the smallest details make the difference – and recently we have consistently been at the front. The championship titles in the past two years and another victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona in January underline this. Together with all our partners, we want to keep winning in this anniversary year.”
(Photo by Chris Owens for Penske Entertainment)
It’s been a long time since a rival driver delivered some serious competitive heat to Alex Palou, but Kyle Kirkwood did just that to win the inaugural Java House Grand Prix at Arlington (Texas) on Sunday. Kirkwood took the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship lead and earned his first victory of the season despite a sluggish final pit stop by his Andretti Global crew, driving his No. 27 JM Bullion/Gold.com Honda to victory under caution over the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing DHL Honda of four-time series champion Palou, who has won the title the last three seasons. “That was so incredible,” Kirkwood said. “Man, did we have some pace. This JM Bullion Honda, Andretti, all these guys right here, they gave me the tools today. It’s because of this race car we won today, because of teamwork. One-three-four (finish) for Andretti; we’re just so stacked here. I’m so stoked.” Andretti Global placed three drivers into the top four at the finish of the 70-lap street-circuit race around AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, and Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers. Will Power placed third in the No. 26 TWG AI Honda and Marcus Ericsson, who earned his first career pole Saturday, finished fourth in the No. 28 InPwr Honda. Pato O’Ward rounded out the top five finishers in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, the highest-placing Chevrolet-powered driver on the 14-turn, 2.73-mile circuit. Watch the Race Highlights here. (Thank you to INDYCAR Media)
(Photo by Chris Jones for Penske Entertainment)
Alex Palou (No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing DHL Honda) finished second in Arlington on Sunday.
(Photo by Joe Skibinski for Penske Entertainment)
Will Power placed third in the No. 26 TWG AI Honda for his first podium finish at his new team after 16 full-time seasons at Team Penske.
(Travis Hinkle for Penske Entertainment)
In a thrilling race that blended chaos and excitement in equal measure, Max Taylor earned his first INDY NXT by Firestone victory Sunday in the inaugural Grand Prix of Arlington. Andretti Global driver Taylor, from Greenwich, Connecticut, drove his No. 28 Susan G. Komen car to a 1.8925-second victory over rookie Enzo Fittipaldi in the No. 67 HMD Motorsports car for his breakthrough win in his eighth career start in the INDYCAR development series. The margin of victory deceived, as the two drivers and rookie Tymek Kucharczyk dueled for the lead multiple times over the closing laps of the 30-minute timed race. Kucharczyk finished third for the second consecutive race in the No. 71 HMD Motorsports car to round out the podium finishers.
(Formula1.com)
Kimi Antonelli (No. 12 Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team) claimed his maiden Formula 1 victory in the Chinese Grand Prix, beating teammate George Russell (No. 63 Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team) as Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton (No. 44 Scuderia Ferrari) claimed his first Grand Prix podium for Ferrari after a thrilling intra-team battle. Having become the youngest Grand Prix polesitter on Saturday, Antonelli was only briefly headed at the start of Sunday's race in Shanghai, losing the lead to Hamilton who got the jump on both Mercedes from P3. Re-taking the lead before the end of the second lap, the 19-year-old Italian was never headed again, retaining first after his only pit stop under the sole Safety Car period early in proceedings. Despite a nervous moment after running deep at the Turn 14 hairpin with four laps remaining, Antonelli finished 5.5 seconds clear of Russell to become the second youngest winner of a Grand Prix. Russell, who had won Saturday's Sprint, fought back to second having found himself behind the squabbling Ferraris at the mid-point of the race after struggling for grip on the Safety Car restart. Russell still leads the Drivers' Championship. Hamilton took his first rostrum for Ferrari in a Grand Prix at the same venue where he claimed his only victory last season in the China Sprint 12 months ago. Watch the Race Highlights here. (Thank you to Formula1.com)
(WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca)
WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca has announced that legendary automotive designer, racer, and motorsports visionary Peter Brock will serve as Grand Marshal of the 2026 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, one of the world’s premier celebrations of historic racing.
A pivotal figure in American motorsports history, Brock’s career spans design, engineering, competition, and storytelling. Brock first made his mark at GM Styling as one of the youngest designers hired in at the age of 19. In November of 1957 he drew the sketch which became the iconic 1963 Corvette split window Sting Ray. Before the Sting Ray even hit the market, Brock joined Carroll Shelby in Los Angeles to run his new race driver’s school and played a key role in shaping the Cobra program and designing the Shelby Daytona Coupe which won the FIA GT Championship in 1965. He then founded Brock Racing Enterprises (BRE), the team that turned compact Japanese sedans into championship-winning race cars.
A pivotal figure in American motorsports history, Brock’s career spans design, engineering, competition, and storytelling. Brock first made his mark at GM Styling as one of the youngest designers hired in at the age of 19. In November of 1957 he drew the sketch which became the iconic 1963 Corvette split window Sting Ray. Before the Sting Ray even hit the market, Brock joined Carroll Shelby in Los Angeles to run his new race driver’s school and played a key role in shaping the Cobra program and designing the Shelby Daytona Coupe which won the FIA GT Championship in 1965. He then founded Brock Racing Enterprises (BRE), the team that turned compact Japanese sedans into championship-winning race cars.
“Peter Brock’s impact on motorsports cannot be overstated,” said Mel Harder, President and General Manager of WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. “His creativity, technical insight, and competitive spirit helped shape a golden era of racing, and his legacy continues to inspire generations of designers, engineers, and drivers. We are honored to welcome him as Grand Marshal of the 2026 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.”
“Salute to Japanese Motorsport: A Tradition of Precision and Heritage” will be the featured marque of the 2026 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, a title perfectly befitting Peter Brock’s storied career. As a driver, designer, and team owner, Brock not only claimed championship victories on track but also transformed perceptions of Japanese engineering, helping shape American racing culture and fueling the growth of Japanese motorsports internationally. His lasting influence across competition, automotive journalism, and design cements his place among the sport’s most respected innovators.
“I am honored to be invited as the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion’s Grand Marshal this year, celebrating Japanese vehicles,” said Peter Brock. “The JDM industry in the USA started with our BRE Datsuns and has never been stronger. It’s going to be an amazing event with no doubt the largest number of BRE original and Tribute cars ever gathered in one location, along with hundreds of other impressive entries. How fitting to be involved with such an honor as I turn 90 this year.”
Editor's Note: This is our dearly departed billboard, which we had at Road America for several years. Peter gifted the phrase "America's National Park of Speed" to the track, which now uses it proudly in all of its communications. -WG
Editor's Note: Click on "Next 1 Entries" at the bottom of this page to see previous issues. - WG