BLUE CHIP COMING TO T-CITIES, GOLD CUP
Mitch Evans from Chelan in his restored U-80 vintage hydro, Blue Chip. Mitch Evans photo
KENNEWICK — Mitch Evans will be bringing his U-80 Blue Chip vintage Unlimited Hydroplane back to the Tri Cities Water Follies, July 25-27.
The Blue Chip will be on the Columbia River with other vintage Unlimiteds from the Hydroplane & Raceboat Museum making exhibition runs.
This particular version of the U-80, built in 1957 (according to Hydro’s Who’s Who), raced as the Blue Chip in 1963 and 1964 on the Unlimited circuit.
When Evans acquired the hull, he first ran it as the vintage U-22 Breathless III.
Evans won the 2003 Tri Cities race driving Ed Cooper’s U-3 “Turbinator” and was the 1989 Columbia Cup winner as well.
JACE HANSEN ADDS CONTROVERSIAL 'SUMMER SHOWDOWN' TO RESUME
From NWSLM Media
Monroe, WA – The 13th annual “Summer Showdown 200” for the Northwest Super Late Model Series presented by Knottical Marine will go down as one of the more memorable races in the history of the rich event.
For the third consecutive year, the driver who took the checkered flag first did not end up with the winner’s check at Evergreen Speedway. This year, Kole Raz crossed the stripe first, but it was Jace Hansen that ended up with the $30,000 payday after 200 competitive laps, high speed thrills and spills, 12 caution flags, two reds, and post-race drama.
However, after the post-race inspection, the #27 of Raz was found to be out of compliance with the series rule book for excessive tape on the front nose grill and was disqualified.
For Hansen, the payday was his largest career tally, after multiple SRL victories, double digit Colorado National Speedway (CO) wins, and a recent victory in the “Chilly Willy 150” at Tucson Speedway (AZ). He did it with a small crew that consisted of the team owner, three friends, and advice from Preston Peltier.
“That is the biggest check I have gotten” Hansen said his large haul. “$15,000 was the biggest I had previously won, which I had gotten earlier this year at the ‘Chilly Willy’”.
A lap 185 restart changed the complexion of the event again, as Riddle spun coming off Turn 2, as the leaders banged together, also with contact from the rear. Riddle was out and the caution laps stopped at lap 190 per rule.
The restart found Raz squeezing out in front of Hansen, as teammate McKee challenged Hansen for second. Hansen was able to hold off McKee, but Raz slowly pulled away. At the finish, Raz headed Hansen, McKee, Shepherd, Ebert, Wyatt Gardner, Garret Archer, Ryan Phipps, Dawson Cox, and Doni Wanat.
Hansen has had multiple strong efforts as of late, and he leads the CARS Tour West Super Late Model standings. He feels fortunate enough to be working with Preston Peltier Racing and a team that is full of talented individuals.
The Northwest Super Late Model Series will now visit Magic Valley Speedway (ID) for the first time since 2021, on August 16th. Eddie McKean was the winner that day in the series only visit to the 1/3-mile. It will be Round #5 of the seven-race schedule.
Results: 1. Jace Hansen, 2. Tristan McKee, 3. Buddy Shepherd, 4. Ethan Ebert, 5. Wyatt Gardner*, 6. Garret Archer, 7. Ryan Phipps*, 8. Dawson Cox, 9. Doni Wanat, 10. Ken Bonney, 11. Owen Riddle, 12. Johvan Dillon*, 13. Randy Marshall Jr., 14. Max Schroeder, 15. Jan Evans, 16. Logan Cole, 17. Naima Lang, 18. Terry Halverson*, 19. Kasey Kleyn, 20. Brandon Brock, 21. Michael Atwell, 22. Dave Garber, 23. Greg Bennett, 24. Nick Beecher, 25. Christopher Kalsch, DQ. Kole Raz, DNS. Zandar Peters, DNS. Haeden Plybon
Denny Hamlin wins in overtime at Dover
By Holly Cain/NASCAR Wire Service
Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Menards/Cardell Cabinetry Ford, celebrates in victory lane after winning NASCAR Cup Series Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway. NASCAR photo
DOVER, Del. (July 20, 2025) Denny Hamlin prevailed in Sunday’s EchoPark AutoTrader 400 at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway - a race that featured a 56-minute red flag for rain, late-race strategy decisions, and involved a pair of overtime restarts before the trophy was ultimately settled between a pair of Joe Gibbs Racing teammates.
But the veteran Hamlin got it all right when it mattered most, getting a jump on the field in both overtime restarts and in the end holding off his newest teammate Chase Briscoe who was even on fresher tires. It marks back-to-back wins at the Dover concrete-mile for Hamlin and a NASCAR Cup Series-best fourth victory of 2025.
“Things were going pretty well there before the rain and then obviously had to endure a few restarts there,’’ said a smiling Hamlin, 44, who collected his 58th career victory.
Hendrick Motorsports teammates Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson finished third and fourth with another JGR driver, Ty Gibbs rounding out the top five.
The NASCAR Cup Series moves to one of its premier showcases, the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway for next Sunday’s Brickyard 400.
O'Ward wins in Toronto, slices Palou's lead by 30 points
TORONTO (Sunday, July 20, 2025) – Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward isn’t ready to concede the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship to Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou quite yet...
O’Ward drove that point home in Sunday’s Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto by winning his second race in eight days as Palou finished 12th.
Palou entered the weekend with a 129 point lead over O’Ward, the largest leader’s margin this point system has ever seen this deep in a season. But 30 points evaporated at Exhibition Place, dropping their separation to 99 points with four races remaining.
A race win can be worth as many as 54 points.
“Oh, man, I can’t say I saw this (win) coming,” O’Ward said. “But I was feeling so good on the (primary) tires all weekend really.”
The win was the first for O’Ward in Toronto and his ninth in the series overall. He started the race in the 10th position but felt luck was going to be with him after a bird dropped an unlikely present on the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet and a crew member in the morning practice.
Joining O’Ward on the podium were a pair of drivers scoring season-making finishes. Dale Coyne Racing’s Rinus VeeKay (No. 18 askROI Honda) finished second, with Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyffin Simpson (No. 8 Journie Rewards Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) finishing third.
Palou still has reason to be optimistic. Of the four races left on the schedule, he has won twice at each of the next two road courses: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca (2022 and 2024) and Portland International Raceway (2021 and 2023). O’Ward won last year’s race at The Milwaukee Mile, which hosts the third of the season’s final four.
Langdon, Hagan, Glenn, Herrera reign at Northwest Nationals
SEATTLE (July 20, 2025) – Top Fuel’s Shawn Langdon moved past Tony Stewart into the points lead on Sunday at Pacific Raceways, defeating Brittany Force in the final round of the Muckleshoot Casino Resort NHRA Northwest Nationals.
Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the 11th of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
Langdon went 3.662 seconds at 337.07 mph in his 12,000 horsepower Kalitta Air Careers dragster to race past Force, picking up his third win of the season for Kalitta Motorsports and the 22nd in his career. On a crucial points day, Langdon defeated Cam Ferre and Tony Stewart earlier in the day en route to his first career win at Pacific Raceways.
Funny Car’s Matt Hagan cashed in with a win on Sunday in Seattle for Tony Stewart Racing, finishing off a strong day with a run of 3.904 at 331.94 in his 12,000 horsepower Direct Connection Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to slip past Ron Capps. Hagan had been consistent for the bulk of the season but had zero wins to show for it, until Sunday.
In Pro Stock, Dallas Glenn can finally lay claim to a win at his home track, picking up his first career victory at Pacific Raceways in his RAD Torque Systems Camaro when Jeg Coughlin Jr. went red in the final round. Glenn, who earned the GESi No. 1 Qualifier Award, struggled off the starting line as well, but was the beneficiary of Coughlin’s early start, picking up his fourth win this season and the 17th in his young career.
Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Gaige Herrera continues to rack up NHRA records, becoming the quickest competitor to reach 25 career wins in NHRA history after going a track-record 6.690 at 201.55 on his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki to defeat Richard Gadson. Herrera reached the milestone victory in just his 43rd career start as the two-time world champion continues to rack up wins at a record and historic rate.
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns July 25-27 with the 37th annual Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals presented by PowerEdge at Sonoma Raceway.
