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NASCAR Straight Talk Wireless 400 takeaways: Homestead-Miami win decided in closing laps
Kyle Larson made a late pass on Bubba Wallace for second and got around teammate Alex Bowman with seven laps to go to win at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday. It is his second win at the track (2022) and the 30th of his career.
How many races will Kyle Larson win this season? #NASCARonFS1 pic.twitter.com/Puzt2pji39
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) March 23, 2025
Here are five takeaways from the Straight Talk Wireless 400:
Kyle Larson does it again at Miami despite some adversity
It may have only been Larson's second win at the South Florida track, but Sunday was another reminder of how well he takes to the 1.5-mile track.
While a 14th-place starting position put Larson in an early hole, he also received some damage on pit road after last week's winner Josh Berry hit his left rear trying to avoid Team Penske's Joey Logano, who was coming out of his stall.
Trouble on pit road for Joey Logano, Josh Berry and Kyle Larson! #NASCARonFS1 pic.twitter.com/3ZemgUXGU2
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) March 23, 2025
The final 51-lap run to the checkered flag played out in Larson's favor, as he was able to navigate his way to the front running next to the wall and get his second win in three races this weekend after winning Friday night's Truck Series race.
So close for Alex Bowman
The race's pole sitter led 43 laps, which marked the first time in Bowman's career that he has led in Miami. With top-six finishes in each stage, Bowman collected the second-most points in the race, only behind Larson.
Homestead-Miami has never been one of Bowman's better tracks. However, Sunday was his fifth top 10 in six races this season and continued what has been a strong start to the 2025 campaign.
Bubba Wallace, Chase Briscoe finally put solid finishes together
Before Sunday's third-place showing, Wallace had never finished better than sixth in six prior starts at Homestead-Miami. He led 56 laps and ran toward the front of the field for much of the day. With only one top-10 finish coming into Sunday (ninth at Atlanta), the third-place finish is an encouraging sign for Wallace after a difficult start to the season.
Chase Briscoe has always excelled at high tear-wear tracks like Miami and Sunday was no different. Briscoe had four straight finishes outside the top 10 coming into Sunday. Aft er coming home fourth at Homestead-Miami, Briscoe stopped the bleeding and will look to build some momentum as he puts more races together in his first season driving the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing.
When will Ryan Blaney catch a break?
For the third week in a row, Ryan Blaney suffered a DNF when his engine let go on Lap 207, resulting in a 36th-place finish. It was the second time in three weeks he blew an engine while the other DNF occurred during a multi-car crash at Las Vegas.
It is the first time in Blaney's Cup Series career that he has failed to finish three consecutive races. He won Stage 1 and led a race-best 124 laps, but had nothing to show for his speed once again as the early-season misfortune continues for the 2023 champion.
Homestead comes down to another battle in the closing laps
No, this year's Miami race did not feature three different leaders in the final three laps or a last-lap pass for the win as Tyler Reddick accomplished when he overtook Blaney in Turn 4 for the win in last season's playoff race.
Still, Larson's ability to go from fourth to the lead in the final 20 laps of the race was another reminder of Homestead-Miami Speedway's surface and why it continues to be a favorite among drivers and fans.
More must-reads:
- Kyle Larson stages late charge to win Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway
- Bubba Wallace runs a complete race to third-place finish at Homestead
- The 'NASCAR Cup Series win leaders' quiz
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Trackhouse Racing names 19-year-old phenom its new NASCAR Cup Series driver for 2026
Perhaps the worst-kept secret in the NASCAR garage has been officially revealed. On Saturday at Daytona International Speedway, Trackhouse announced that 19-year-old phenom Connor Zilisch, a seven-time winner in Xfinity Series competition in 2025, will replace Daniel Suarez in the organization's third Cup Series car for 2026 and beyond. Red Bull and WeatherTech will serve as two of Zilisch's primary sponsors in 2026. A car number was not announced. Zilisch has made three Cup Series starts with Trackhouse Racing in 2025 and is widely regarded as one of the best prospects in NASCAR history. He won in his Xfinity Series debut at Watkins Glen in September 2024 and is a championship favorite in the Xfinity Series this season. Suarez announced that he would not return to Trackhouse — a team he's driven for since 2021 — on July 1, opening up a seat for Zilisch. Suarez has not yet announced his plans for 2026. Zilisch will join a Cup Series lineup of Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen for 2026. "We got a bunch of guys that win a bunch of races, including Connor," Marks said during the news conference. "I never thought I would make it anywhere in racing," an emotional Zilisch said. It's safe to say Zilisch has made it, and race fans will likely be hearing his name for decades to come.
Angry Mike Vrabel vows to find 'rats' within Patriots organization who leaked major news
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel wasn't mad about how the backups performed in the team's 42-10 preseason loss to the New York Giants. He was angry that someone had leaked the news that wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk would need season-ending shoulder surgery. When asked if he had anything to add to the reports that Polk would miss the season, Vrabel didn't give the media anything aside from his unvarnished feelings. "I'd like to find out where some of these [reports] come from. Some of these rats around here. So, we'll figure that out," he added in a news conference on Thursday. Coaches and reporters are hardly the best of friends on a good day. Often, a coach will deflect if they don't want to add fuel to a report the team hasn't made official, but usually they won't deflect and promise to get the "rats" providing this information. NFL insider Jordan Schultz broke the news ahead of the Patriots' preseason finale against the Giants. According to Schultz, the decision for Polk to undergo surgery was made to ensure the 2024 second-round pick would be healthy for the 2026 season. Polk dealt with health issues throughout the offseason. It was during the second quarter of New England's preseason opener against the Washington Commanders that he took a nasty hit on a one-yard run, leading to the shoulder injury that will sideline him for 2025. Last season, Polk had a tough rookie debut, catching just 12 receptions for 87 yards and recording two touchdowns. The hope for 2025 was that he could redeem himself and become a reliable enough target for second-year quarterback Drake Maye. Expectations for Maye are much higher now with the return of Tom Brady's old offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels. Without Polk to run routes, though, the already-thin wide receiver room is nearly devoid of talent behind veteran receiver Stefon Diggs. The Patriots signed Diggs to a three-year, $69 million contract in the offseason. However, Diggs has brought some unwanted attention to the team through his offseason antics and is recovering from a torn ACL that ended his time with the Houston Texans. While Patriot fans should feel some hope in the direction of the team under Vrabel — a former defensive star for New England during the dynasty years — this roster is still in the midst of a rebuild. And with such a troubled roster, losses may pile up, and the team's relationship with the media could worsen if another season feels like a waste. So, Vrabel being upset by Polk's injury is fair, but what doesn't feel fair is to single out Patriots staff and players who are potentially talking to reporters as hostile to the organization. It's perhaps not surprising that Vrabel is willing to voice his frustrations, as he's shown no fear when breaking up practice scrums. Still, it's the job of any journalist to build relationships with staff and team members to gain reliable sources who can help them accurately report the news. While the "rats" moniker for those in the building talking to NFL insiders and the New England sports media will be swallowed up by all the other headlines as Week 1 nears, it's notable that Vrabel's time as head coach in New England is already off to a contentious start.
CFB Week 0 winners, losers: Fourth-down decisions loom large in ranked Big 12 showdown
The 2025 college football regular season kicked off on Saturday, headlined by a ranked Big 12 matchup across the pond in Ireland. With Week 0 in the books, here are our winners and losers from the first weekend of the college football season. Winner: Going for it on fourth down with a chance to win the game Arguably, two fourth-down decisions were the most consequential in Associated Press No. 22 Iowa State Cyclones' 24-21 win over Big 12 rival No. 17 Kansas State Wildcats. Let's start with the good. With 2:26 remaining in the fourth and facing a fourth-and-3 from Kansas State's 16-yard line, Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell elected to keep his offense on the field instead of kicking a field goal and taking a six-point lead. The decision was correct on multiple fronts. By settling for a field-goal attempt, Campbell would have given Kansas State, which had no timeouts, over two minutes to score a possible winning touchdown. The risk of failing to convert was offset by allowing Kansas State the ability to extend the game with a field goal as opposed to needing a touchdown to win. And again, if the Wildcats got in the end zone, would it really have mattered if Iowa State lost by one instead of four points? The Cyclones didn't have to worry about that. Instead, quarterback Rocco Becht found running back Carson Hansen, who picked up the first down, allowing Iowa State to run out the clock. Loser: Going for it on fourth from your own 30-yard line in a three-point game Conversely, Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman's fourth-down call from his own 30-yard line with 8:19 remaining was much less excusable. While his defense had just allowed two long scoring drives, putting them on the field with only 30 yards to defend was setting the unit up to fail. As much of a rhythm as Iowa State's offense may have found, it also had three three-and-outs and two fumbles to that point, so we're not exactly talking about 2019 LSU here. Rather than forcing the Cyclones to drive the field, Klieman handed them a golden scoring opportunity. Winner: Kansas State defensive end Tobi Osunsanmi It wasn't all bad for the Wildcats. Osunsanmi, a junior edge-rusher, established himself as a name to watch in the Big 12 with two first-quarter sacks. The class of 2022 recruit had 3.5 sacks all of last season and could eclipse that early in 2025. Loser: Dan Mullen trading the studio for the sideline The former Mississippi State and Florida head coach returned to the sideline on Saturday for his first game leading the UNLV Rebels. While he notched a win against FCS Idaho State, it didn't come easily. UNLV trailed, 31-24, in the fourth, before scoring 14 unanswered points in a 38-31 win. For someone who most recently spent his Saturdays in the fall watching games as an ESPN analyst, his new job is already exceptionally more pressure-inducing. Just wait until the Rebels play FBS competition. Winner: Kansas Jayhawks quarterback Jalon Daniels This is the Daniels that was promised. After breaking through in 2022 when Kansas snapped a 13-year bowl drought, Daniels was limited to three games in 2023 due to injury. Last season, he was healthy for the Jayhawks' disappointing 5-7 campaign and threw a Big 12-high 12 interceptions. He was outstanding in a 31-7 win over Fresno State, going 18-of-20 for 176 yards and three touchdowns while adding 47 yards rushing. If this is the Daniels that Kansas gets all season, it could make serious noise. Loser: Refs' judging of Clay Patterson's dance moves Stanford defensive lineman Clay Patterson celebrated a 12-yard sack late in the first half against Hawai'i by breaking out a TikTok dance, which officials apparently weren't fond of, hitting him with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, resulting in an automatic first down. It's another reminder that no one despises fun more than college football referees. But until they discover a sense of humor, it would be best for Patterson to save his moves for TikTok.
Mets manager confirms veteran pitcher done for the season due to 'pretty significant' injury
The New York Mets announced that Frankie Montas has been placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to Aug. 22) due to a UCL-related injury in his right elbow. Right-hander Huascar Brazoban has been called up from Triple-A to take Montas’ spot on the active roster. Manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters that Montas’ UCL injury is “pretty significant,” via Mike Puma of the New York Post. Mendoza went on to confirm that Montas will not pitch again in 2025. It’s the latest setback in what was been a brutal inaugural season for Montas in Queens. The right-hander signed a $34M guarantee with the Mets during the winter but has produced just 38 2/3 innings of work for the team so far. A lat strain suffered at the outset of Spring Training left Montas to open the season on the injured list and he did not make his season debut until June 24. After throwing five scoreless innings in his first start of the year, Montas pitched to a ghastly 7.85 ERA over his next six starts with an 18.2% strikeout rate and a whopping seven home runs allowed. Those brutal results led the Mets to move Montas to the bullpen earlier this month, where he’s surrendered four runs (two earned) on four walks and six hits (including a home run) while striking out just three. Altogether, Montas has posted a 6.28 ERA and a 5.31 FIP during his time with the Mets with an 18.0% strikeout rate and a 7.9% walk rate. It’s a deeply disappointing outcome, and now it’s an open question when Montas will next be available to pitch. The Mets have made no announcements about the right-hander’s timeline for return, nor offered any indications about the severity of the injury. Of course, many fans will wonder about the possibility of Tommy John surgery, which is often required to repair a pitcher’s UCL once damaged. Such a procedure (or even a less invasive internal brace procedure) would likely cost Montas not only the remainder of this year but also the entire 2026 season. With that being said, some UCL injuries are possible to address via rehab. That’s a path that Braves hurler Grant Holmes opted to take earlier this month as he deals with a partial UCL tear, though even Holmes’s rehab process has brought his 2025 campaign to an abrupt end. While the details of Montas’ prognosis and timeline for return won’t be clear until the Mets make an announcement offering more information, the club will be without the right-hander for at least the immediate future. Given the fact that Montas’ performance was poor enough that he was bumped from the rotation earlier this month, perhaps that’s not too massive of a blow. Sean Manaea, Kodai Senga, David Peterson and Clay Holmes remain in the club’s rotation and have recently been joined by top prospect Nolan McLean. Brandon Waddell and Justin Hagenman remain in the minors already on the 40-man roster as potential depth options behind that group, and well-regarded prospect Brandon Sproat has a 4.24 ERA in 24 starts at Triple-A this year. Replacing Montas on the roster is Brazoban, who began his career in the majors with Miami back in 2022 but has served as an up-and-down relief arm for the Mets this year. It’s a role he’s performed quite well in, with a 3.83 ERA and 4.14 FIP across 51 2/3 innings of work spread between 3 starts and 41 relief outings. Brazoban figures to take up Montas' mantle as the club’s long reliever going forward.
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