NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch will miss Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway after being admitted to hospital with a severe illness.
The 41-year-old was also scheduled to compete in the weekend’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event prior to his unexpected medical emergency.
Austin Hill steps in as substitute
Richard Childress Racing (RCR) has confirmed that Austin Hill will replace the recovering driver in the No. 8 Chevrolet for the Cup race.
Hill currently drives the No. 21 entry for the organisation in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
“Kyle Busch’s health is our upmost priority and he and his family have the full resources of RCR behind them,” an official team statement read.
The racing team emphasised that their regular driver remains an integral part of the organisation and wished him a safe, speedy recovery.
Family requests privacy
Details surrounding the specific nature of the medical condition have not been disclosed by representatives.
“Kyle has experienced a severe illness resulting in hospitalization,” his family announced via social media.
The statement confirmed he is currently undergoing treatment and will halt all scheduled racing activities for the weekend.
“We ask for understanding and privacy as our family navigates this situation,” the family added.
The veteran racer currently sits 24th in the Cup Series standings following the opening 12 events of the season.
George Russell heads to the Canadian Grand Prix under mounting pressure to reignite his Formula 1 world championship challenge after Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli’s run of three successive victories.
The 28-year-old Briton returns to action in Montreal trailing the Italian teenager by 20 points at the top of the standings.
This weekend marks the start of a crucial phase in the 2026 season, with seven races scheduled over the next 10 weeks before the August summer break.
Shifting momentum at Mercedes
Russell began the new regulatory era as the overwhelming favourite to claim his maiden world title.
He immediately justified that status by taking pole position and the race victory at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
The momentum remained with the experienced driver when he triumphed in the China Sprint race, again starting from the front of the grid.
However, the championship pendulum has swung dramatically towards his younger garage companion since that early success.
Can experience overcome youth?
A technical problem during main qualifying in China restricted Russell to a single run, opening the door for Antonelli to secure his first career pole position.
That misfortune was followed by a troubled weekend in Miami, allowing the 19-year-old to complete a hat-trick of wins and seize the championship initiative.
Despite the current deficit, Russell can draw confidence from his dominant performance against the same team-mate last year.
During his team-mate’s rookie campaign, Russell outqualified him 21-3 and comprehensively outscored him by 319 points to 150.
With Mercedes widely recognised as the dominant force under the new regulations, their intra-team battle is poised to dictate the destination of the world championship.
Former Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick has been elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame as a first-ballot inductee after securing 92% of the vote on Tuesday.
The 48-year-old began his premier class career under immensely difficult circumstances in 2001, unexpectedly stepping in to replace the late Dale Earnhardt.
Over two decades at the highest level of stock car racing, the California native established himself as an all-time great.
A staggering legacy on and off the track
The 2014 series champion amassed 60 race victories, conquering all four crown jewel events at Daytona, Charlotte, Indianapolis and Darlington.
He also boasts an incredible 121 combined wins across the sport’s three national divisions.
“Even though you’re expecting the call, it’s still somewhat weird to get the call.”
Harvick said.
Beyond his driving accolades, the former racing star has successfully transitioned into a broadcasting role with Fox Sports.
‘The complete package’
The newly minted Hall of Famer also serves as a championship-winning car owner, track partner and management company executive.
Fellow NASCAR legend Tony Stewart praised his former driver’s immense versatility and mental toughness.
“He’s definitely deserving, for sure. The thing that I learned firsthand working with Kevin and driving his cars, he is the complete package.”
Stewart said.
Stewart emphasised that statistics only tell a fraction of the veteran driver’s story.
Reflecting on a remarkable journey
“People don’t realize how good he is. There is nobody that can do what he does.”
Stewart added.
Reflecting on his journey from racing go-karts in rural fields, the newest inductee admitted the recognition felt surreal.
He noted that waiting for the voting results in his pickup truck felt slightly uncomfortable, not wanting to appear arrogant.
“To be amongst the best that have ever done it in our sport, it’s pretty rewarding.”
Harvick concluded.
Former winner Alexander Rossi has been taken to hospital for evaluation following a multi-car crash during Monday’s practice session for the Indianapolis 500.
The 2016 champion spun through the second turn on the 2.5-mile oval at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
His car struck the outside wall before skidding down the track, collecting trailing drivers Pato O’Ward and Romain Grosjean.
Medical evaluations follow track incident
The Californian appeared unsteady as he climbed into a vehicle transporting him to the track’s infield care centre.
Dr Julia Valzer later confirmed that the front-row qualifier had been transferred to a local hospital for further assessment.
O’Ward and Grosjean were also evaluated at the medical centre but were quickly checked and released without serious issue.
Mexican driver O’Ward admitted there was little he could do to avoid the collision at such high speeds.
“Just wrong place, wrong time and just got collected there. These cars don’t stop very well when you’re going at those speeds and with how you run the brakes.”
Grid preparations disrupted ahead of race
The incident marked the first crash on the famous oval this month and leaves several teams facing extensive repair work.
Less than 24 hours prior, Rossi had narrowly missed out on pole position to defending champion Alex Palou, securing a career-best second place start.
Conor Daly, who qualified eighth for his season debut, also sustained damage in the subsequent chaos.
“Unfortunately, we got caught up in the Turn 2 accident in front of us and collected some damage. Hopefully the guys can get that all fixed up.”
The sold-out weekend race has already seen starting grid changes after IndyCar officials penalised Caio Collet and Jack Harvey.
Both drivers were sent to the back of the 33-car field following technical inspections that uncovered unapproved equipment changes.
Former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is exploring a return to Formula 1 by attempting to acquire a stake in Alpine following the expiration of his non-compete clause.
The 52-year-old was dismissed from his dual roles as team principal and chief executive at Red Bull following the British Grand Prix in July 2025.
His departure ended a highly successful 20-year tenure that yielded multiple world championships with both Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.
The Briton reportedly accepted a reduced severance package, believed to be around £75m, to secure a shorter gardening leave period and expedite his paddock comeback.
Alpine investment battle looms
Horner is part of an investment consortium interested in purchasing the 24% stake in the Alpine team currently held by US firm Otro Capital.
Securing a significant ownership percentage would afford the former Milton Keynes chief greater operational power and protect him from future dismissals.
However, his route back to the pit wall faces fierce competition from a familiar adversary in the shape of Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.
The German manufacturer emerged in March as a rival bidder to acquire the same lucrative slice of the French outfit.
Unexpected paddock alliances
In a surprising twist, McLaren chief executive Zak Brown has emerged as an unlikely ally in the Briton’s quest to secure the Alpine investment.
The American executive strongly opposes the concept of affiliated secondary teams in the sport and views an independently operated Alpine as a preferable outcome.
Ahead of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix, the returning executive has been visibly ramping up his motorsport presence with appearances at recent MotoGP and Formula E events.
Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen was denied victory on his Nurburgring 24 Hours debut due to a late mechanical failure, on a weekend that also saw former F1 driver Timo Glock stripped of his racing licence.
The Dutch driver had helped steer his Verstappen Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 into the race lead alongside team-mates Lucas Auer, Jules Gounon and Daniel Juncadella.
However, their hopes of securing a famous endurance win were dashed with just a few hours remaining.
Late heartbreak for Verstappen Racing
Juncadella was forced into the pit lane from the lead shortly after taking over driving duties from the three-time F1 champion.
A puncture combined with an anti-lock braking system issue ultimately revealed a terminal driveshaft failure.
The lengthy repair period meant the squad were only able to return to the track for the final lap of the iconic German circuit.
“Very unfortunate and frustrating ending, but these things can happen,” stated Verstappen.
“I still really enjoyed the experience together with Jules, Luggi and Dani.”
The Red Bull star will now refocus on his championship commitments ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend, though he refused to rule out a future return to the endurance event.
Glock disqualified from endurance classic
Elsewhere on the grid, former Jordan and Toyota racer Timo Glock endured a disastrous weekend after having his Nordschleife permit revoked.
The German driver was steering Dorr Motorsport’s McLaren 720S when he was penalised for speeding through an incident zone.
Those slow areas signal a track blockage where recovery vehicles and marshals could be present.
The veteran racer was handed two penalty points for the dangerous infringement.
Having previously received identical punishment for a pit-lane timing breach, the accumulated points triggered an automatic suspension.
“Immediate disqualification of the driver T. Glock for this event and a general withdrawal of the DPN license,” confirmed the official stewards’ report.
His team were subsequently handed an 82-second time penalty but were permitted to continue the race without him.
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli has established a 20-point lead at the top of the Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship following his third consecutive victory at the Miami Grand Prix.
The 19-year-old has defied all pre-season expectations during the opening four rounds of the 2026 campaign.
He currently sits comfortably ahead of his highly experienced British team-mate George Russell in the overall standings.
National hopes turn to motorsport
Excitement surrounding the talented teenager has reached fever pitch in his native Italy during an extended five-week break in the racing calendar.
The European nation failed to qualify for the upcoming summer football World Cup, leaving a massive sporting void for passionate fans to fill.
Italian supporters have subsequently transferred their lofty expectations onto the lightning-fast Silver Arrows star and tennis world number one Jannik Sinner.
Mercedes are yet to introduce their first major upgrade package of the season, meaning their current track dominance could be extended further at the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix.
Wolff warns against intense pressure
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has expressed genuine concern regarding the intense media spotlight now focused firmly on his young prodigy.
“The bigger problem is the Italian public,” Wolff stated following the recent triumph in Florida.
“Now that they are not qualified for the football, it’s all about Sinner and Antonelli. It’s the two who are superstars. And that’s something which we need to contain.”
The Austrian executive stressed that the Brackley-based team must carefully manage these overwhelming commercial and media demands.
“There are so many requests for his time from the media, from sponsors. Now it’s on us to keep the handbrake on,” he added.
“The risk is that he is being carried away too quickly.”
Surpassing early expectations
Russell had initially been considered the clear favourite to lead the famous constructor’s title charge this year.
The 28-year-old secured a commanding victory at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix before being thoroughly outperformed by his emerging colleague.
The promising Italian followed up his maiden Formula 1 wins in China and Japan with a flawless display in Miami.
Italian racing driver and pundit Vicky Piria noted that the domestic reaction to this unprecedented winning streak has “gone wild” as championship anticipation continues to build.
Fabio di Giannantonio won a chaotic Catalonia MotoGP in Barcelona that was red-flagged twice after severe crashes sent Alex Marquez and Johann Zarco to hospital.
The Italian Ducati rider secured victory at the third attempt, finishing ahead of Joan Mir and Fermin Aldeguer.
However, the premier class race was overshadowed by two major incidents that halted proceedings.
High-speed collision causes chaos
The first major accident occurred on lap 12 when race leader Pedro Acosta suddenly lost power on the straight.
The Spanish prospect desperately attempted to warn the pursuing pack, but the second-placed Marquez had no time to react.
He slammed into the rear of the stricken KTM machine, sending his own motorcycle hurtling towards the wall before cartwheeling violently through the air.
Gresini Racing confirmed the younger Marquez brother was conscious as he was transported from the circuit in an ambulance.
Second red flag and Zarco injury
Following the initial stoppage, the restarted race was immediately suspended again when Zarco crashed heavily.
The former Moto2 world champion became tangled in his bike and will undergo tests on his left leg.
Eventual race winner Di Giannantonio was actually struck by flying debris during the first incident but recovered to take the chequered flag.
Riders reflect on inherent dangers
Speaking after the race, the victorious rider admitted the paddock was shaken by the terrifying scenes.
“Today has not been an easy day for everybody. I really hope that Alex is fine.”
“We’ve been really lucky. We know that our sport is amazing. We try to give an amazing show, but also we are humans and we are in danger. So I really hope that everybody is safe.”
The grid was already missing reigning world champion Marc Marquez, who was sidelined after fracturing his foot at the French Grand Prix last weekend.