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For the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway, Kyle Larson is bringing back another classic Terry Labonte-inspired NASCAR paint scheme. Getting to do these throwback schemes has allowed Larson to get to know Labonte more in the last couple of years.
Last season it was Corn Flakes. This year, the Frosted Flakes car is back. Well, it is a HendrickCars.com look-a-like. So, not the same, but very cool in its own right.
Speaking to Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports, Larson was asked about his relationship to Labonte. Before, as a fan of racing, and now, as he has gotten to know him.
“I don’t know, I mean, I didn’t watch a whole lot of NASCAR back then,” Larson explained. “I don’t know, obviously, I was a Jeff Gordon fan. There was never anybody I remembered like not cheering for. Like, I ate Kellogg’s, so I’m sure I was a Terry Labonte fan.”
Kyle Larson joined Hendrick in 2021. Since then, he has gotten to know Labonte.
“Jeff’s told a lot of stories about how much of a tough competitor he was,” Larson explained. “Like, his personality is very quiet. But like, I remember Jeff saying, you never really knew what he was thinking. When he would pay you back, he would pay you back big. So, I thought that was really cool. Yeah, just the little bit I’ve been around him now since I’ve been at Hendrick, yeah, he just seems like a great guy, down to earth, easy going. Very similar like, I feel like myself you know, just quiet, calm, mellow. All that. Yeah, he’s just a legend so it’s cool to get to spend a little bit of time around him and doing things like this.”
Kyle Larson honoring ‘legend’ Terry Labonte
A legend, indeed. I’m sure Terry Labonte is honored to have Kyle Larson representing his old looks on the track. Larson already has a championship and 30 career wins. He won’t turn 33 until this July and has barely entered his prime as a race car driver.
Fresh off his win at Homestead-Miami, I’m sure Kyle Larson has big plans to get to victory lane at Darlington as well. He can run right up on that wall better than almost anyone in the Cup Series.
The chances of Larson winning at Darlington are pretty good. He has a Southern 500 win and is great at these intermediate tracks. Even at Chip Ganassi, Larson was pulling off top-three finishes regularly at The Lady in Black.
Are we going to see Kyle Larson park this Frosted Flakes-inspired car in victory lane? Or will it be another rough day at Darlington for Larson, like it was last spring in May?
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Bobby Dale Earnhardt Ignites a 2026 ARCA Menards Power Surge by Joining Forces With Rise Motorsports
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Shares the Reason JRM Will Re-enter the Daytona 500 Field Post-2025
There is something undeniable about the pull of Daytona International Speedway. It’s a siren song that calls to every racer, mechanic, and fan who has ever smelled burnt rubber and high-octane fuel. But for the Earnhardt family? That place is practically sacred ground. It’s where legends were made, where hearts were broken, and where history is written at 200 miles per hour.So, when the news dropped that JR Motorsports (JRM) is loading up the hauler to take another swing at the Great American Race in 2026, it felt right. It felt like the universe was aligning. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his sister Kelley Earnhardt Miller aren’t just owners. They are racers down to their marrow. And as Dale Jr. revealed recently, the motivation behind this return isn’t complicated corporate strategy or 4D chess. It’s simple, raw, and honest: They just want to race. The Earnhardt Philosophy: Racers Gonna Race If you tuned into the Dale Jr. Download on Monday, you heard the passion in his voice. There’s a purity to it that you don’t always find in modern professional sports. When asked why they are putting themselves through the grinder of qualifying for the Daytona 500 again, Earnhardt didn’t pull out a spreadsheet. He pointed to the racer’s spirit. “Kelley will tell you that we race,” Earnhardt said. “We got a chance to go race, we race. We just wanna race.”That statement right there? That is the ethos of a family that changed the sport forever. But let’s be real for a second passion doesn’t pay the tire bill. Earnhardt was candid about the financial reality of the situation. The Daytona 500 stands alone as a unique beast where the risk-to-reward ratio actually makes sense for an open team. Trying to run a one-off Cup race at a random intermediate track in July? That’s a quick way to burn cash. But Daytona? With the eyes of the world watching and partners willing to back the effort, it’s the one stage where the math works as well as the heart does. Getting the Band Back Together For fans of JRM, the 2026 entry feels like a reunion tour of a classic rock band. Justin Allgaier, the newly crowned Xfinity Series champion, is back behind the wheel of the No. 40 Chevrolet. And if Earnhardt has his way, the pit box will look familiar, too. The chemistry between a driver and crew chief is everything. It’s the difference between a trophy and a DNF. Earnhardt was clear about his desire to keep the magic alive by pairing Allgaier with veteran crew chief Greg Ives again. “I would have everything as it was,” Earnhardt admitted. “That was a great, fun group of people. They all wanted to be there. They all cared about it. “Seeing that kind of loyalty and continuity is special. It turns a business venture into a family affair. When you have guys like Rodney Childers hopping on social media to hype up the car, and shop employees treating the No. 40 like the flagship vessel of the fleet, you know you’ve got lightning in a bottle. That shared ownership, that collective pride that is the secret sauce that JRM has brewed up in Mooresville. The Nerves and the Earnhardt Reality Check However, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. As much as we love the romance of a Daytona return, the racetrack doesn’t care about your last name or your feelings. Attempting to make the Daytona 500 as an open team is one of the most stressful, ulcer-inducing experiences in motorsports. You are not locked in. You are not guaranteed a Sunday start. You have to earn it, either on the stopwatch or through the Duel races. Earnhardt is keenly aware of this. He’s been around long enough to know that confidence can be dangerous at the World Center of Racing.”You got to rein all the expectations back in,” Earnhardt cautioned. “We just got to get in the show.” It’s a humble approach from a guy who could easily walk around with a swagger. He knows the new body style brings unknowns. He knows that pure qualifying speed was a struggle last time. There is a very real scenario in which they have to race their way in on Thursday night, with 40 cars drafting inches apart and disaster lurking around every corner. A Star-Studded Partnership Adding to the excitement is the return of a partnership that fits NASCAR like a glove. Chris Stapleton and his Traveller Whiskey brand are back on the hood. You’ve got the biggest name in country music teaming up with the biggest name in racing royalty. It’s a crossover that just works. Final Thoughts But at the end of the day, all the sponsorship and hype fade away when the engines fire. What remains is the car, the driver, and the track. For Dale Earnhardt Jr., the moment of truth isn’t the checkered flag it’s that Sunday morning feeling. It’s pushing the car onto the grid, standing next to his driver, and soaking in the electricity of the Daytona 500.”That’s a proud moment,” Earnhardt said. And come February 2026, we’ll all be watching, hoping to see that No. 40 car roaring where it belongs.
New Angels pitcher Grayson Rodriguez reveals interesting health update after Orioles trade
Acquired in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles, new Los Angeles Angels pitcher Grayson Rodriguez believes there is a big reason why he is ready to put his injury history behind him in Anaheim. Just three days after turning 26 years old, Rodriguez is now a member of the Angels after a one-for-one trade that sent outfielder Taylor Ward to Baltimore. He is also hoping that a new location means an end to injuries that have limited him to 43 starts over the past three seasons. That includes zero starts and innings in 2025 because of an elbow issue in spring training, followed by a right lateral strain in April. More elbow problems popped up for Rodriguez in July before he underwent debridement surgery on his elbow in August, officially ending his season. That surgery, however, is, Rodriguez believes, the key to his return to the mound in 2026 as well as his ability to stay on it. Angels' Grayson Rodriguez said bone spurs have been an issue for a long time In a Zoom meeting with Angels reporters on Wednesday, Rodriguez said the bone spurs that were removed had been a problem for years. "That was something that's kind of lingered with me for about three or four years now," Rodriguez said. "I've had them for a while and kind of just got to the point where I couldn't really pitch through it. Pretty sure that's kind of what was causing some of the lat injuries." If that's the case, it could unlock a pitcher who has logged a 4.11 ERA in 238.2 innings over those 43 starts. He has also registered 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings while issuing just 2.9 walks. Getting those kinds of numbers would be a big boost for an Angels rotation that finished 28th out of MLB's 30 teams last season in ERA at 4.91. It would also represent a missed opportunity for an Orioles team that has stated it is looking for another front-line starter. Rodriguez said on Wednesday he would be ready for spring training, giving hope to the Angels that they have found a pitcher who can be a long-term answer for them on the mound. Rodriguez is not scheduled to be a free agent until the 2030 season. If Rodriguez can stay healthy and produce in Anaheim, it would be a gut punch for an Orioles team that is looking to get back into the postseason conversation in 2026. However, time will tell if those bone spurs are truly the answer to Rodriguez staying healthy and on the field.
Aaron Rodgers explains his criteria for playing Sunday vs. Bears
Aaron Rodgers has always been a tough quarterback. He has dealt with several injuries throughout the course of his career, but he's always done everything he could to see the field. That's no different now that he's with the Pittsburgh Steelers and dealing with a fracture in his left (non-throwing) wrist. Rodgers injured himself against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, but he's already talking about trying to get back for Pittsburgh's Week 12 contest against the Chicago Bears. In fact, he revealed on Wednesday that he will try things out at practice before this week is over. "It feels better than it did Sunday, that's for sure," Rodgers said Wednesday afternoon, according to Brooke Pryor of ESPN. "... Was thankful to get today to work with [head athletic trainer Gabe Amponsah] and just focus on rehab for today. Trying to get back on the field tomorrow and see what I can do." Aaron Rodgers going to test out his wrist injury on Thursday Rodgers wants to be able to play against the Bears, a team he has owned throughout the years, but he's also saying that he'll be cautious. Remember, he is just weeks away from turning 42. A fractured wrist would be tough to play with at 24. As anyone who has ever gotten older would attest, things tend to hurt even more as you age. Throw in the fact that Rodgers is playing perhaps the most physical sport on Earth, and it makes sense that he does have a very specific standard that he must meet before he decides if he can play — and it has nothing to do with pain. "It's a safety thing," Rodgers said. Rodgers has played in 29 regular-season games against the Bears in his NFL career. Including two playoff wins, he boasts a 26-5 record against them. Since he last squared off with Chicago as the quarterback of the Green Bay Packers in 2022, he had won nine games in a row against the Bears. If he feels he can keep himself safe on Sunday, you can bet he's going to try to play.
No. 4 Arizona accomplishes rare feat in thrilling road win over No. 3 UConn
The fourth-ranked Arizona Wildcats are putting a strong resume together and it is just the third week of the college basketball season. After riding freshman Koa Peat's sensational debut to an opening-night win over then-No. 3 Florida, the Wildcats added another impressive win on Wednesday night with a 71-67 victory at No. 3 UConn. Although Arizona led by as many as 13 in the second half, a 17-5 run from the Huskies made it a one-point game with 4:41 to play. UConn even held a 64-63 lead with just over a minute to play before Arizona took charge and accomplished something rarely seen in the sport. Arizona joins exclusive list after latest win over top-three opponent According to ESPN's Jeff Borzello, Arizona (5-0) is just the third team in AP poll history to have multiple wins over top-three opponents in its first five games of the season and the first since Kansas in the 1989-90 season (h/t ESPN Research). As Borzello noted, UConn was without leading scorer Tarris Reed Jr., who was sidelined with an ankle injury. While that certainly was a tough break for UConn in a top-five matchup, Arizona still had to take advantage and it did just that. Although the Wildcats were terrible from long-range (2-of-10), they outrebounded the Huskies, 43-23, and outscored them, 42-24, in the paint. Senior guard Jaden Bradley led the way with 21 points (6-of-13 FG), including this clutch layup to extend Arizona's lead to three with 16.3 seconds left. The freshman Peat was not far behind with 16 points (7-of-14 FG) and 12 rebounds as Arizona appeared to be the aggressor for much of the game. Arizona continues to ace tough nonconference schedule Wednesday night marked the third of five scheduled ranked matchups prior to the start of Big 12 play. Along with wins over Florida and UConn, the Wildcats also took down then-No. 15 UCLA, 69-65, on Friday. The schedule lets up through the end of November, but back-to-back games against No. 22 Auburn (Dec. 6) and No. 11 Alabama (Dec. 13) will provide two more tests for Arizona before a grueling Big 12 slate takes shape in January. Arizona may not be the top team in the country at the moment, but if it continues to pile up signature wins and handle tough road environments like it did on Wednesday night, it will only strengthen its case.
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