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The sixth-generation Subaru Forester has just been tweaked for Japan, but don't worry, at least some of the changes are expected to reach the U.S.-spec model. The compact crossover's biggest update is that a more affordable Touring trim has been added to the JDM Forester, but it's not like the Touring sold here in America, though that's nothing new. While our Touring is more premium, Japan's is more basic, and it removes certain features to make a more attractive price possible, but given the practical nature of the Forester, the changes fit the crossover well. Let's take a closer look. Cheaper Subaru Forester Touring Simplifies the Crossover Subaru The JDM Forester Touring gets unpainted black bumper guards fitted front and rear with matching side mildings, and 18-inch two-tone diamond-cut wheels appear in a similar design to the Sport and X-Break trims. Inside, the barebones approach continues with cloth upholstery in plain black or gray and platinum, but it's not as sparse as you might expect. While the base Forester in the U.S. loses out on the 11.6-inch touchscreen infotainment display in favor of a cheaper 7-inch screen, this does not. But the script is flipped with the driver display, though that may not be a bad thing. The JDM Forester Touring doesn't have a 12.3-inch digital cluster behind the steering wheel, instead featuring a relatively old-school set of analog gauges with a 4.2-inch display between them. Other notable attributes of the JDM Forester Touring are a 10-way power driver's seat with memory, an 8-way passenger seat, heated front and outboard rear seats, and power folding mirrors. Step up to the Touring EX, and the large digital driver display returns, and you get Eyesight X ADAS driver aids, which come standard on all U.S.-spec Foresters. Other Updates to the 2026 JDM Forester Subaru The rest of the Forester range in Japan includes the bronze-accented Sport EX, the black-accented Sport EX Black Selection, the more rugged X-Break and X-Break EX, and the top-of-the-range Premium EX, which is more like America's Touring. Subaru has also improved the resolution of the digital rearview mirror, added faster wireless smartphone charging, and included a 100-volt AC power outlet with 1,500 watts of power on all hybrid models. In terms of powertrains, the Touring, Touring EX, Sport, and Sport EX get a turbocharged 1.8-liter boxer-four with 174 horsepower and 221 lb-t of torque, sent to all four corners through a CVT. The other trims (X-Break, X-Break EX, and Premium EX) are only available with the self-charging hybrid (S:HEV) powertrain, which marries a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated e-Boxer engine making 158 hp to a traction electric motor with 118 hp. Pricing starts at ¥3,850,000 ($24,200). Expect to see mild trim updates and things like a better digital rearview mirror and faster smartphone charging when the Forester is revised for North America. After prices went up in the U.S. for 2026, a more affordable option might be just what buyers need right now. View the full article

Rear Suspension Recall The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has just published a recall order for the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 and the Ioniq 5. The electric SUV's rear suspension apparently needs some work, as it has a loose rear suspension that can cause accidents. Certain production numbers have been marked, with the report citing that specific production dates from Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America need to undergo the recall service. Hyundai Specific Production Dates Hyundai Ioniq 9s that were produced between March 25, 2025, and July 23, 2025, have been flagged for recall. Meanwhile, Hyundai Ioniq 5s that were produced between December 10, 2024, and July 10, 2025, are also being recalled for the same issue. These models were all locally produced for the U.S. market at the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America in Bryan County, Georgia. As per usual, check with Hyundai America's VIN checker to see if your car falls under the recall parameters, then go to your assigned dealer in order to facilitate the recall process. Kristen Brown The Problem As for the production defect itself, the rear suspension of the affected Ioniq 5s and Ioniq 9s "may have been assembled with insufficiently torqued fasteners, which can loosen over time and result in noise or vibration. If the vehicle is continuously operated under this condition without being addressed, the nut and/or bolt may detach from the vehicle over time and potentially reduce vehicle stability or control during operation," the recall report reads. In a nutshell, the Hyundai factory might not have tightened the bolts on certain Ioniq 5s and 9s, which will cause discomfort and possibly a crash. With that being said, the early warning signs include noise coming from the rear of the car while it's running. The problem was first identified through a field report, dated August 1, 2025. From there, investigations were held, durability testing was done, and on May 11, 2026, the recall order was underway. At this time, there are no confirmed fires, crashes, injuries, or fatalities that are linked to this recall, thankfully. Hyundai View the full article

Alfa Romeo’s future is finally starting to take shape. During Stellantis’ 2026 Investor Day presentation, the Italian brand confirmed two major additions to its lineup: a new compact SUV and a mysterious low-volume “Bottega Fuoriserie” project developed alongside Maserati. These announcements come at an important time for Alfa Romeo and its parent company. Stellantis lost $26.3 billion last year, yet Alfa Romeo's global sales rose by 20.1%. That said, the company’s lineup has started to feel increasingly stale. Aside from the Alfa Romeo Tonale and the all-electric Junior, the brand has very little fresh metal in showrooms. Alfa Romeo’s Core Models Are Showing Their Age Alfa Romeo The Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio have now been on the market for nearly a decade. Alfa Romeo has kept them relevant with updates and special editions like the Collezione range and Giulia Luna Rossa, but both models are beginning to show their age against newer rivals from Germany. Despite that, the Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio remain some of the most characterful performance cars in their segments, which helps explain why enthusiasts are still so attached to them. Reports suggest the next-generation Giulia and Stelvio may not arrive until 2028, leaving Alfa Romeo with a significant gap to fill. Another Compact SUV On The Way Stellantis Alfa Romeo wants to focus on smaller cars and SUVS for the future. That's why we're seeing yet another small SUV being revealed, despite the brand already offering the compact Tonale in the US. Alfa Romeo teased the crossover under a cover during the presentation, while executives confirmed it will ride on Stellantis’ new STLA One platform. The architecture supports both hybrid and fully electric powertrains and is expected to introduce technologies like steer-by-wire systems and advanced centralized software controls. Alfa Romeo’s Next Passion Project Stellantis Enthusiasts have always admired Alfa Romeo for its emotional halo cars as much as its everyday models. Cars like the 8C, 4C, and 33 Stradale helped define the brand’s image, despite small sales volumes. Now Alfa Romeo wants to continue that tradition with its new “Bottega Fuoriserie” project. Developed together with Maserati, the initiative will focus on ultra-exclusive halo models inspired by cars like the 33 Stradale and Maserati MCXtrema. Early teaser images suggest the upcoming vehicle may have a slightly more practical shape than previous Alfa Romeo specials, though the company has not revealed any technical details yet. The project also arrives during a difficult period for Maserati itself. The luxury brand has struggled with declining sales, while recent reports claimed Maserati’s next EV could even be built in China with help from Huawei. A project like Bottega Fuoriserie could be exactly what both Italian brands need to reconnect with the emotion and exclusivity that made them desirable in the first place. View the full article

Built Tough, But Not BulletproofFull-size SUVs are often presented as large, commanding vehicles capable of conquering almost any terrain or hauling big families, but even something as small as a defective bolt can cause major problems. Case in point: General Motors is recalling 2,464 full-size SUVs over incorrect wheel-hub bolts that may loosen or deform over time, increasing the risk of a crash. NHTSA recall number 26V304 states that the affected vehicles may have been fitted with incorrect bolts after receiving a dealer-installed accessory brake package or undergoing front wheel-hub bearing service. These vehicles include the following: 737 2025 Cadillac Escalade units411 2025 Cadillac Escalade ESV units83 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe units76 2025 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 units12 2025 GMC Yukon unitsSeven 2025 GMC Yukon XL units647 2026 Cadillac Escalade units335 2026 Cadillac Escalade ESV units51 2026 Chevrolet Tahoe units35 2026 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 units49 2026 GMC Yukon units21 2026 GMC Yukon XL units Chevrolet Rolling HeavyThe affected units are limited to models equipped with 24-inch wheels, which are typically offered on higher-end trims. Most of these SUVs come with 20- or 22-inch wheels, while the Chevy Tahoe and Suburban are also available with 18-inch wheels. Given the size of these vehicles, especially under heavy braking, replacing the bolts is crucial to avoid consequences such as a possible loss of control. The safety campaign states that GM is not aware of any crashes or injuries related to the issue. However, it warns owners that they may hear noise or feel vibration from the affected wheel hub. Affected owners will be asked to bring their vehicles to a dealer to have the front left and right wheel-hub bolts replaced. Since all affected vehicles are still under warranty, reimbursement will not be offered. Recall TroubleGM will begin notifying owners on June 29, 2026, though affected VINs have been searchable since May 14 for owners who want to check whether their vehicles are included in the recall. Aside from that, a separate recall is affecting certain GM full-size SUVs and trucks, including some 2026 model-year examples and older vehicles that may have received a replacement transfer case. That safety campaign involves a missing oil pickup tube inside the transfer case, which could prevent proper lubrication and potentially lead to internal damage or wheel lock-up. Chevrolet View the 4 images of this gallery on the original article View the full article

In all of the tributes and reactions pouring in from across the motorsports world and beyond, this one stands out. On Friday, Austin Dillon, the driver of the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet and grandson of the team's namesake, posted the following letter to his social media. RCR runs two full-time Cup cars, and for the past four seasons, those cars were driven by Dillon and his ...Keep readingView the full article

Late last year, Jason Fenske from the Engineering Explained YouTube channel detailed several faults encountered during just six months of leasing a Lucid Air sedan. In January, he reported that Lucid had reached out and explained how it intended to fix the flaws, but in the five months since, things have only gotten worse, as he explains in another new video (embedded below). As if that's not frustrating enough, when Lucid offered to replace the car under Lemon Law, Fenske discovered that finding an exact match to his current spec in an effort to maintain his current lease payments was impossible. So Lucid offered to compensate him for his past payments, buying the car outright to let him start a new lease with a new car. But even that didn't work out, and there's still more to the story, including how Lucid's offer of a Gravity SUV as a long-term loaner only added to his inventory of irritations. Weekend From Hell: 8 Unique Lucid Air Glitches in One TripAfter Lucid offered to address Feske's multiple earlier issues with software updates, some problems still persisted, and on a single weekend trip over four days and roughly 400 miles, eight unique new problems appeared from a Thursday to a Sunday. You can watch the full video above for more details, but in a nutshell, these were the issues: All of the Air's electronic door handles popped out, but the rears would not open.One rear vent was measured to be blowing 50 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the other, despite temperature testing being carried out in a garage out of sunlight, and with equal settings for all four zones of the climate control system.Dynamic white lines to assist with parking using the display from the rearview camera did not load.Apple CarPlay booted up, but navigation did not work, despite leaving the car, coming back, and trying again.On another occasion, CarPlay simply would not load at all.With around 7,000 miles on the odometer, Fenske noted that the car's stop mode, despite being set to 'Hold' instead of 'Roll' (enabling one-pedal driving in tandem with regeneration set to 'High'), randomly switched to the opposite after just a few minutes inside a nearby store, causing the car to roll forward after being started and pressure being taken off the brake pedal.The car indicated that the speed limit in a 45-mph zone was 75, despite neither the zone before nor after the 45-mph zone being a 75-mph zone.Music randomly stopped playing, on one occasion pausing three times during a single song and never resuming playing automatically, despite good cell coverage.Fenske documented all these problems so he could email Lucid for assistance, with the most concerning being how the car changed its stop mode after he spent just a few minutes inside a nearby store. Picture this: when starting the car, you put your foot on the brake and select Drive or Reverse, and with 'Hold' selected instead of 'Roll,' the car should slowly creep away in the selected direction. Normal, right? As Fenske was on a slight decline and the car had changed its setting without warning, he rolled forward. Trying to go back into Park and into Reverse again didn't solve the issue (he didn't know the setting had changed at this point), and on the third try, he used the accelerator pedal, and the car finally moved back. As Fenske notes, if this setting changes when someone is on a steep hill, especially when they're accustomed to the car behaving as they had selected, this could cause a crash or worse. Unfortunately, the problems didn't end there. Other Problems Appearing on Fenske's Lucid Air Engineering Explained/YouTube While all the above happened over one weekend, other issues have appeared in Fenske's short time with the car. The audio system was particularly buggy, sometimes not working at all, and sometimes sounding tinny. On other occasions, only the front speakers would stop working, and these audio issues were separate from the regular but random pausing of music. Another problem was that the heated seats would keep turning off, and sometimes, the car would select neither Drive nor Reverse, despite all other functions working - Fenske theorizes that the car thinks it's connected to a charger when this happens. Finally, on that one weekend trip while skiing, the Lucid mobile app was operating in the background and consumed a whopping 46 percent of Fenske's new iPhone 17's battery charge, despite only one minute of screen time, while a GPS-tracking app that was running simultaneously in the background only used 7 percent. Engineering Explained/YouTube Yet another issue discovered later on is that, after leaving the frunk and trunk open for roughly 10 minutes or more (as many do while packing for a trip), the apertures would not close, regardless of whether Fenske used the buttons in the storage spaces, the screen on the dashboard, or his smartphone app. This was despite the car showing on-screen confirmation that the openings weren't closed and that the app wasn't working. Furthermore, after closing manually, the trunk would sometimes not reopen. Since the people at Lucid are reasonable, they agreed that these numerous issues were too big to live with on an $85,000 car, and they tried to make the "popular YouTuber," as the engineer laughingly admits he is, happy with a replacement. Lucid's Solution to a Buggy Air Touring Backfires with the Gravity SUV Engineering Explained/YouTube Lucid offered to replace the car under the existing lease agreement using a similar spec, but legally, for Fenske's payments to stay the same, Lucid would have to provide the exact same spec, not similar. With Fenske finding over 4,600 unique builds based on the Air Touring alone, and with Lucid being a relatively low-volume company, that would be impossible. To Lucid's credit, the company still didn't give up, offering a full buyback and a new lease, providing a Gravity SUV as a long-term loaner while a suitable vehicle was being sourced, but Fenske was at his breaking point and declined for three reasons. Firstly, the lease signed in August 2025 was at $865, and speccing the same build now is $265 more, at $1,130. Secondly, Fenske only wanted a three-year lease, and at this point is already 11 months in; not only would a new lease restart the term, but a signing two-year lease would increase payments even more dramatically, to $1,440. Finally, the experience left a bitter taste in Fenske's mouth, and he knew that if the replacement was bad, it would make things even worse for Lucid. If the replacement was good, critics would suggest Lucid had provided a flawless car just because of Jason's publicity, impossible as that would be for software-related issues. Even though he declined, Lucid kept trying to make things right by maintaining the offer of a long-term Gravity loan. Related: New Lucid Gravity Recall Isn't Even Lucid's Fault So, Fenske took delivery of the electric SUV and planned an in-depth long-term review, but shortly after editing the video, the Gravity had to return to Lucid Service because a passenger-side window would not roll back up even after multiple vehicle resets. As if the experience couldn't get much worse, the cruise control "cancel" button would only work sporadically, and the cameras would repeatedly fail to load images. Sigh. Lucid may be brilliant when it comes to engineering and packaging, but its software still has a long way to go, as Fenske's closing statement sums up nicely. "While Lucid has been very understanding and supportive, I am not sure if I will complete the long-term loan. While I believe Lucid has continuously innovated in the EV space and delivered impressive engineering throughout their vehicles, unfortunately, my personal experience has been overshadowed by glitchy software." - Jason Fenske, Engineering Explained View the full article

The NASCAR community arrived to Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend facing the unthinkable, trying to deal with the tragic and sudden death of 41-year-old NASCAR Cup star Kyle Busch. The Truck Series was first up on Friday, but practice and qualifying were canceled due to rain. Because of Busch's win last weekend, the No. 7 Spire Motorsports truck he was supposed to drive -- now covered in ...Keep readingView the full article

To fully understand the impact of the loss of Kyle Busch, NASCAR Chief Executive Officer Steve O’Donnell says those outside of the sport must understand the family dynamic of everyone within it. That was the theme of an opening statement and 20-minute press conference on Friday evening at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Read Also: NASCAR CupNASCAR great Kyle Busch dies at 41 after ...Keep readingView the full article

Part Of The ExperienceWhen it comes to purchasing very premium, high-performance cars, owners expect that, apart from a great product, the experience must also be top-notch. This is why high-priced brands have offered bespoke services, allowing customers to play around with their cars' interiors and some exterior pieces as well. This practice was more common for luxury brands like Rolls-Royce and Bentley, but over the years, even supercar brands have launched their own customization arms. Lamborghini's own has just reached a milestone and is celebrating in a very unique way. Lamborghini View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article 20 Years of Ad PersonamAd Personam is a Latin phrase meaning "for the person" and is the official name of Lamborghini's personalization department. It just reached 20 years in the business, starting out in 2006 as a small group, and has quickly become an essential part of the Lamborghini buying experience. According to the Sant'Agata automaker, 96% of all new cars bought from them have at least one specialized detail courtesy of Ad Personam. In celebration of 20 years of Ad Personam, Lamborghini is debuting a special colorway called Azzurro 20 Anniversary Ad Personam, a blue hue inspired by the Lamé Sky Blu that once graced the artful line of the Lamborghini Miura Roadster. To achieve this color, Lamborghini used a 4-layer paint process that was designed to enhance coverage, brilliance, and visual depth, combined with a high concentration of fine aluminum particles and pearlescent pigments that create an intense “star dust” effect. It will be available as an option for a limited time only, so best get your orders in quick. Federico Foschini, the Chief Marketing and Sales Officer of Automobili Lamborghini, says that "Every Lamborghini configured through Ad Personam is unique by definition, and this uniqueness is never accidental. It is the result of a precise vision, rigorously selected materials, and an attention to detail that is part of our brand’s DNA," said Federico Foschini, Chief Marketing and Sales Officer of Automobili Lamborghini. Lamborghini View the 4 images of this gallery on the original article The BeginningAd Personam can trace its origins back to 2006, at the Paris Motor Show. It was there that the brand showcased a limited-edition Gallardo that signaled its desire to help customers achieve a sense of individuality. That Gallardo had matte contrasts, Nero Noctis Bodywork, Callisto wheels, and two-tone leather and Alcantara interiors enhanced by the iconic Q-Citura stitching. Lamborghini View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article View the full article

The Lexus RX has been convincing premium buyers that going hybrid is no bad thing for ages now, and the current fifth-generation model, launched in 2022, has earned the crown of the best-selling Lexus in the U.S. Four years after this ALA10/ALH10 model arrived, Lexus is preparing to update the midsize crossover SUV for the 2028 model year, and though these spy shots, captured near the Nürburgring, may appear to show minimal changes, the updates will be more than skin-deep, with significant changes to the interior that will bring the RX's cabin in line with that of the ES sedan and TZ three-row. 2027 Lexus RX Spied with Subtly Updated Front End SH Proshots/Autoblog View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article In all honesty, telling the 2028 Lexus RX apart from the current model won't be easy. This prototype's only camouflage is on the front bumper, and with no apparent changes to the headlights and no major updates to the fascia, the facelift won't grab attention. As far as we can tell, the only element of the front end that has been revised is the border of the central spindle grille, which appears to be clearly delineated; the 2026 RX's grille nodes bleed into the bumper, while this 2028 RX seems to have a solid surround for the grille. Elsewhere, the lower side intakes appear to be of the same shape, the wing mirrors are the same, and the taillights and rear bumper look the same. As Lexus' best-seller, it makes sense not to fix what isn't broken, and we expect little to change in the powertrain department, but that mindset will change in the cabin, where a more futuristic look and feel will come to the RZ next year. 2027 Lexus RZ Interior Is the Only Major Update SH Proshots/Autoblog View the 4 images of this gallery on the original article According to our spies (who haven't yet snapped interior imagery), the new RZ will "undergo considerable changes" in the cabin, with its infotainment interface losing the touchpoints buyers have become accustomed to. While the existing RX has ditched the frustrating trackpad of old in favor of a touchscreen (9.8 inches as standard, 14 inches available), Lexus is updating the user experience again, bringing the cabin in line with newer releases like the TZ three-row EV, which debuted this month. That means the rotary knobs on the touchscreen will likely disappear, with climate control functions moving to haptic pads on the area of the dash just below the display. Fortunately, there's still a physical scroller for controlling volume in the recess beneath the screen of the TZ (which shares its underpinnings with the Toyota Highlander EV), and this will be the case for the new RX too. We'll have to wait a while to see exactly what Lexus has planned, as the mid-cycle refresh is only expected to debut sometime next year, potentially arriving as a 2028 model. View the full article

Due to persistent rain and mist, as well as more inclement weather in the forecast, Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series officials have cancelled the PDRA Mid-Atlantic Showdown presented by Classic Graphix, May 21-23, at Virginia Motorsports Park. The event will not be rescheduled. The Mid-Atlantic Showdown was the third of seven races on the 2026 PDRA schedule. “Due to constant heavy mist this morning and rain returning to the hourly forecast for Friday, continuing worsening conditions for Saturday and Sunday, the Mid-Atlantic Showdown is officially cancelled,” said Tyler Crossnoe, series director, PDRA. “We are sorry for the decision and we hate that we could not complete the event this weekend.” All race entries, crew passes, racer motorhome, and pit parking passes will be rolled over to the next event that each participant attends this season. All spectator tickets purchased online will be refunded to the card they were purchased on. The 2026 Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series season will continue in one month at the Hoosier Racing Tire North vs. South Shootout presented by Callies Performance, June 25-27, at Maryland International Raceway in Budds Creek, Maryland This story was originally published on May 22, 2026. The post PDRA Mid-Atlantic Showdown Cancelled Due to Weather first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article

It’s happening slowly, but many automakers are making an effort to reintroduce tactile, physical controls in their cars after years of screens increasingly taking over the entire dashboard. While screens aren’t going anywhere, key functions are once again being made accessible via buttons. The latest automaker to announce it will be introducing more physical controls is Polestar, a relatively young brand that has always had a touchscreen-dominated user interface, much like Tesla. The automaker’s CEO says feedback from customers has led to the decision to incorporate more traditional controls. Related: 5 Essential Car Features That Should Never Be On Touchscreens Polestar Drivers Want More Buttons Polestar Ever since the Polestar 1 and 2 arrived, vehicles from the Swedish brand have had a scarcity of physical controls. In their place is a vertically-oriented touchscreen, the same layout used in parent company Volvo’s cars. “We have very close contact [with] customers,” said Polestar CEO Michael Lohscheller when speaking to Autocar. “We have an agency [retail] model, so we go directly to customers, and we have a very big community who tell us their views, so we are very, very close to them.” Lohscheller was asked if Polestar would follow brands like Volkswagen and Ferrari in bringing back physical controls to replace some touchscreen- and haptic-based functions in future models. “Absolutely. Customers are very outspoken about that. They say ‘we want more buttons’. It’s that simple. And yes, we will do buttons.” Polestar Next year, we’ll get a first look at this change in the Polestar 3 SUV, which is set to adopt more traditional steering wheel buttons. These will replace some or all of the touch-sensitive pads used currently. Mercedes-Benz and VW are other brands that have also brought back physical buttons on the steering wheels of their latest models. “We’re very open-minded," said the CEO. 'We’re not religious here in terms of saying ‘this is how it has to be’. Customer feedback is overwhelmingly clear: they want buttons back. So we will bring buttons back.” Related: Top 6 Vehicles with the Best Physical Controls Other Polestar Improvements Coming, Too Polestar Other than improving usability with more physical controls, Polestar will be working on eliminating other customer frustrations, too. The brand’s Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are continuously being optimized, and it’s once again turning to real-world feedback to do that. Polestar’s aim is to perfect current systems before introducing even more advanced self-driving capabilities. The CEO believes all ADAS features “should work flawlessly.” Customer feedback has also been important in addressing glitches in its cars, as was the case with the digital key’s proximity function in early examples of the Polestar 3. “In terms of Polestar 3, we really took those things very much on board, very seriously, and integrated it in the model-year 2026 car," he said. "This will be a major, major improvement. We have many over-the-air updates to fix things as quickly as possible, because quality is the highest priority.” What It Means Polestar Like Tesla, Polestar built its visual identity around minimalist design from the start. All its models have had clean, uncluttered interior designs that look fantastic at first glance, but haven’t always been the easiest to interact with. The fact that a brand like Polestar is now introducing more physical controls is a clear sign that there’s a fundamental change underway within the industry. Tactility and usability have largely been lost to an obsession with tech, but automakers are realizing these approaches can co-exist. Given the link between Polestar and Volvo, we hope to see similar changes in Volvo models, too. The small EX30 is just one example of a Volvo that prioritized screens over ease of use. These Swedish brands don’t need to abandon their distinct designs, but a greater focus on the user experience is long overdue. View the full article

Tesla is no stranger to controversy when it comes to advertising, among other things. For a company that allegedly doesn’t spend a dime on advertising, the EV maker is constantly in the news, although not always for the right reasons. The latest mishap involves Tesla Canada’s website, which recently started advertising a new Model 3 Premium RWD version that’s about $8,000 cheaper that the previous entry-level version. As it often does, Tesla did not provide details, preferring to leave people guessing the reason behind the sudden price drop. This “strategic ambiguity” approach the company sometimes uses—deliberately or not—often results in wider coverage than if a press release was issued regarding the matter. Tesla Canada Changed The 0-62 MPH Time Twice In Two Weeks Tesla Canada While the reason behind the price drop is pretty obvious—Tesla will export China-made, LFP battery-powered Model 3 sedans to Canada to take advantage of the reduced tariffs—it doesn’t explain why the automaker has rectified the Model 3’s 0-62 MPH (0-100 km/h) acceleration time twice already. When the cheaper Model 3 started to be advertised on Tesla Canada’s website on May 1, the 0-62 MPH time was listed at 4.2 seconds, with information also including a top charging speed of 250 kW and a 119,000-mile (192,000-km) battery warranty. But as Electrek points out, only two days later, Tesla amended the Model 3 page with new specifications, namely a 0-62 MPH time of 5.2 seconds, a top charging speed of 175 kW and a 100,000-mile (160,000-km) battery warranty. Tesla said the initial 0-62 MPH time of 4.2 seconds was a “website error” and told customers who inquired about the changes that the previous specs had been posted in error. But wait, it gets worse. Fast forward to May 19, and Tesla has changed the acceleration time once again to 6.2 seconds, which means the Model 3 Premium RWD ended up being two full seconds slower than initially advertised. So why is that? It Looks Like Tesla Mixed Up The Specs With The Fremont-Built Model 3 RWD Tesla Canada Well, the 6.2-second time appears to be the correct one as it aligns with the 0-62 MPH time Tesla lists for the Model 3 Standard RWD in Europe and other markets that features the same LFP battery pack made in Shanghai, China. That means the original 4.2-second time was never accurate—it was actually the acceleration time of the Fremont-built Tesla Model 3 that was previously sold in Canada. The China-made Tesla Model 3 RWD features a 3D7 rear motor that makes 194 kW (260 hp) of peak power and 340 Nm (251 lb-ft) of torque, while the California-made Model 3 RWD has a different 3D6 motor that delivers more power and torque—220 kW (295 hp) and 440 Nm (324 lb-ft) to be exact. The Model 3 Premium RWD’s less powerful electric motor combined with the LFP pack that delivers lower peak discharge rates than the NMC battery pack results in a slower 0-62 MPH time for the China-built Model 3, which is totally fine as long as it’s advertised correctly. Let's just hope not too many Canadians placed orders for the Model 3 Premium RWD based on the 0-62 MPH time during the roughly two weeks that the website displayed incorrect information. View the full article

Autonomous Future?It seems like the one segment of the automotive industry that's still hotly debated is autonomous driving. Some say that it has a place in our current society, while others (most people) claim that they are still years away from being safe and independent enough to be offered on a wide scale. That hasn't stopped manufacturers from entering autonomous driving; most major makers have recently been investing in future technologies to advance self-driving tech. Nis Stellantis x WayveStellantis has just made its move, partnering up with British autonomous driving tech leader Wayve. This new strategic partnership with Stellantis aims to integrate Wayve's AI driver tech and automated driving intelligence into the Stellantis-based Autodrive Platform. Doing so will enable the company to offer hands-free, supervised Level 2++ driving in both city and highway conditions. This partnership follows Stellantis' recent investment in Wayve, combining Wayve's end-to-end AI driving technology with the automaker's STLA AutoDrive platform, manufacturing scale, and engineering expertise. Initially, the partnership will focus on enabling people to use autonomous driving features from a "door-to-door" perspective, while still under the supervision of a licensed driver. However, both companies are also working to develop and expand the technology to become more capable in the future, should regulations allow. The first vehicle integration of this new autonomous tech is set to launch sometime in 2028. Ned Curic, the Chief Engineer and Technology Officer at Stellantis, said they are committed to giving customers a "genuinely intuitive and enjoyable hands-free driving experience." Riding The WayveStellantis isn't the first and only believer in Wayve; the company is considered one of the most valuable technology startups in Europe. Wayve is backed by major companies like Nvidia, Microsoft, and Uber, not to mention Silicon Valley support from AMD, Arm, and Qualcomm, which make the chips that automakers use. Nissan is also working with Wayve to enhance its proprietary ProPILOT tech for a mass-market launch. Also part of that collaboration is Uber, with all three companies working on Level 4 autonomous driving cabs for London and Tokyo. N View the full article

The EV That Put VinFast On The MapThe VF 8 is the model that really put VinFast on the map, especially for North American buyers – but not always for the right reasons. Early reviews called out issues with ride comfort, software quirks, and a general lack of polish. Owners soon added their own complaints about charging, reliability, and day-to-day usability, with a few even taking legal action over persistent problems. To be fair, VinFast tried to fix what it could through software updates and tweaked hardware. But these days, first impressions are tough to shake off, especially when buyers have plenty of other options. Now VinFast is back with what it’s calling the new-generation VF 8, starting in Vietnam. It’s not a ground-up redesign, but rather a thorough rework aimed at making the SUV smoother, more efficient, and easier to live with every day. VinFast Cleaner Styling, Smarter CabinVisually, the new VF 8 finally looks more cohesive than before. VinFast talks about a 'Tech Fluid' design, which really just means smoother shapes, cleaner lines, and a more up-to-date look. The front still has those wing-shaped LEDs, but the grille and bumper now blend in better and don’t look as cluttered. Size-wise, the VF 8 is 185.1 inches long, 73.7 wide, and 65.7 high, riding on a 111.8-inch wheelbase. That means you get decent cabin space without making city driving a hassle. Inside, the VF 8 has a cleaner dashboard with a big 12.9-inch touchscreen running most of the controls. There’s a separate display for the driver’s info. You also get dual-zone climate, air ionization, reclining rear seats, and an eight-speaker sound system. Underneath, the updated VF 8 uses a revised chassis with frequency-selective dampers at both ends. These adjust on the fly depending on the road, which should help fix one of the biggest complaints about the old VF 8: the rough ride. VinFast More Focus On Efficiency And StabilityPower comes from a front-mounted electric motor with 228 horsepower and 243 lb-ft of torque. You get Eco, Normal, and Sport drive modes. The new VF 8 uses a 60.13-kWh battery, and VinFast claims up to 311 miles of range on the NEDC cycle (probably lower on EPA standards). Fast charging lets you go from 10% to 70% in under 30 minutes. VinFast also added a new thermal management system that controls the battery, motor, electronics, and cabin temperatures all at once. They say this helps with efficiency, charging speed, and long-term reliability. Safety features include adaptive cruise, highway assist, blind spot warning, lane keeping, and a 360-degree camera. VinFast says it’s aiming for a five-star ASEAN NCAP rating with this SUV. It’s unclear whether its newly minted self-driving feature will be available on this model. For now, the updated VF 8 launches in Vietnam, with pre-orders starting May 27 and deliveries set for late July. There’s no official word yet on a US or global release, but given how important the VF 8 is for VinFast, it would make sense to see it roll out worldwide sooner or later. Of note, the new VF 8 is priced at around $39,000 at current exchange rates. VinFast View the 7 images of this gallery on the original article View the full article

Richard Childress Racing has made the decision to change the number on the side of what was supposed to be Kyle Busch's 2026 Coca-Cola 600 entry. The 41-year-old NASCAR legend died suddenly on Thursday, and the shock and grief that has followed is overwhelming. RCR announced that Austin Hill will drive the entry meant for Busch in this weekend's race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but it ...Keep readingView the full article

The custom motorcycle scene is a fickle beast. One month, we’re drowning in Bluetooth brakes and half-baked café racers; the next, the stars align, and our inbox is a goldmine of engineering marvels. May 2025 was undoubtedly the latter. From Tokyo’s quiet backstreets to the industrial heart of Portu... View the full article

Kyle Busch has died, aged 41. I stared at the notification, and I simply couldn't process it. I watched Dan Wheldon take his final lap on live TV, I was covering Jules Bianchi's tragic crash from my Miami apartment in the middle of the night, I was there that day on Pocono when we lost Justin Wilson, and Greg Biffle's tragic plane crash is still fresh in my mind. The list of tragedies both on ...Keep readingView the full article

There is soooo much going on at the 9th Annual Ronnie Buff Memorial race at Shadyside this weekend! No matter what kind of racing you are into, there is going to be something here for you to enjoy. We’re really excited about the Lil’ Gangstas and Baby Gangstas classes. Tom and Poland have done a great job bringing those classes to the masses and getting excitement rolling around them. Check out all the racing action, all weekend long, right here! Video Description: Spoold Media Live at the 9th Annual Strange Engineering Ronnie Buff Memorial!!! Friday features testing and grudge racing from 3pm-9pm est!!! Classes testing include King of the South, Knight of the South, Lil Gangstas, Street Racer 6.30 and more!!!! The post FREE Drag Racing Livestream: 9th Annual Strange Engineering Ronnie Buff Memorial Friday appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article

While Dodge has been relegated to the status of a regional player in Stellantis’ new Fastlane 2030 strategy that focuses 70% of resources on four global brands—Jeep, Ram, Peugeot and Fiat—Dodge’s U.S. product roadmap looks quite exciting for fans of performance vehicles. During yesterday’s Investor Day 2026 event (you can watch a replay here), Stellantis teased two all-new Dodge models: an entry-level performance hatchback called the GLH (for “Go Like Hell”) and a high-powered SRT muscle car introduced as the Dodge Copperhead SRT. A Dodge Hot Hatch That "Goes Like Hell" Stellantis The GLH was described by Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis as a midsize “hot hatch” that would serve as “the gateway into the Brotherhood of Muscle,” according to The Detroit News. "Think of it as the next generation of Hornet, but the way we should have done it the first time," Kuniskis said, referring to Dodge's prior small SUV built in Italy and sold for the 2023-2025 model years in the U.S. as a rebadged Alfa Romeo Tonale. Dodge pulled the plug on the Hornet in January 2026 after a production pause in mid-2025 due to U.S. tariff policies and declining sales caused by quality issues, among other factors. During the presentation, Stellantis showed a teaser image of a fully covered Dodge GLH. There’s not much we can take from it other than the fact it appears quite tall, which may suggest it will be a crossover. The automaker did not say when the GLH would launch, but we have to assume 2030 is the deadline according to the new Fastlane 2030 strategy. The Copperhead SRT Will Be Dodge's Crazy Halo Muscle Car Stellantis Moving on to the second teaser, it’s arguably more exciting for Dodge fans because we’re talking about a full-size muscle car called Copperhead SRT. The last vehicle Dodge used this name on was the 1997 Copperhead concept, which envisioned a watered-down version of the Dodge Viper powered by a V6 and focused on handling and driving pleasure that sadly never came to fruition. The teaser image for the new Copperhead SRT, which appears to be a coupe, is quite revealing as the red cover cannot disguise a giant rear wing that reminds us of the original 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona’s towering aluminum spoiler. Is this the true successor to the OG Charger Daytona? Let’s hope it is, and let’s hope it packs a HEMI V8. Tim Kuniskis described it as “hyper muscle car” to fill a “white space,” according to The Drive, which attended the event where a 3D-printed design buck for the vehicle was shown. Stellantis This suggests the Copperhead SRT will be a halo car for Dodge. The vehicle appears to be based on the current Charger 2-Door and features a shark nose front end—another throwback to the ’69 Charger Daytona—a massive front splitter, front fender vents, and a ducktail spoiler. It also dons horizontal taillights, rear glass with vents on both sides, two large oval center exhaust tips and a hood scoop—the latter two elements being dead giveaways that a gas engine is under the hood. Besides teasing the GLH SRT and Copperhead SRT, Stellantis has also announced that another refresh for the three-row Durango SUV launched 16 years ago is on the way. Stellantis View the full article

It’s time for more LIVE big money bracket racing. This weekend’s Coal Rush 20s start now and promise tight racing and big payouts. With other races being cancelled this weekend due to rain, we expect there will be some folks making the trek to Ellis 57 Dragstrip for the bracket racing, burnouts, and the wheelstand competition! Check it all out below. Video Description: WASTING FUEL PROMOTIONS PRESENTS: COAL RUSH 20s Get ready for an action-packed night of high-speed competition at the legendary Ellis 57 Dragstrip! Wasting Fuel Promotions brings you Coal Rush 20s — a thrilling bracket race where racers from all around will battle it out for cash, bragging rights, and the ultimate victory under the lights. Expect intense side-by-side racing, close finishes, and nonstop excitement as competitors dial in and compete at a high level. Whether you’re a dedicated racer, hardcore drag racing fan, or just looking for an exciting night at the track, Coal Rush 20s is the event you don’t want to miss. Live at Ellis 57 Dragstrip • Bracket Racing • Burnouts • Wheelie Contest • Hosted by Wasting Fuel Promotions Bring your crew, fill the stands, and experience the speed, competition, and atmosphere of one of the hottest racing events around. Don’t miss the excitement of Coal Rush 20s! #CoalRush20s #WastingFuelPromotions #Ellis57Dragstrip #BracketRacing #dragracing The post Wasting Fuel Productions Coal Rush $20ks Big Money Bracket Racing Weekend LIVE! appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article

One of the biggest drag racing events in Europe is on this weekend and you can watch it right here, live! The event is the kickoff for the 2026 FIA Championship drag racing season and it is also known as The Main Event. Held each year at England’s Santa Pod raceway, it is the official start to pro level drag racing in the “European theater” if you will. You’ll see all the machines that you expect like pro mods, top fuel dragsters, funny cars, etc but you’ll also see all of the other cool stuff they typically bring in to entertain the masses. Watch the entire weekend and you’ll love the show they put on. The post FREE LIVE DRAG RACING: Watch The Main Event At Santa Pod LIVE HERE! Top Fuel, FIA Championship Drags, And More! appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article

Unsung HeroesEach and every car we own and drive has gone through a complicated, process-driven production line. Cars are filled with hundreds, if not thousands, of individual parts. The unsung heroes are the men and women who work behind the scenes, responsible for putting together our reliable and dependable cars. In America, numerous manufacturing plants produce major components for the cars we buy. Toyota Missouri is marking an important milestone in the assembly business, building expertise in engine parts manufacturing for over three decades. Car Confections on YouTube Aluminum and Community ExpertsFor 35 years, the team behind the manufacturing at Toyota Missouri's plant has been building a major engine part: the aluminum cylinder head. This part plays a vital role, serving as the "lung" of the engine, and the plant has been manufacturing it for models like the Tundra, Camry, and Corolla, in hybrid and ICE forms. Todd Williams, the President of Toyota Missouri, said that their plant is committed to casting high-quality parts and that it's an honor to provide key components for the Toyota lineup. He also points to the team, saying each member is the heart of the facility and a major reason they reached the three-decade milestone. To celebrate their anniversary, they are looking to give back to the community. Toyota 3 Decades StrongAs part of the festivities over the past 35 years, Toyota has donated $35,000 to three local non-profits serving Lincoln County communities. These groups are Bread For Life, which feeds around 16,000 people annually; the Gateway Region YMCA, which is expanding; and the Lincoln County R3 Education Foundation. supporting STEM teachers and students. In the past 35 years, the plant has donated over $4.3 million. Located in Troy, Missouri, this plant was built as Toyota's original casting plant back in 1991. This was a time when the automaker was still growing its U.S. manufacturing presence; today, it has 11 plants in America and employs over 48,000 people. Toyota Missouri is also expanding, building a new cylinder head production line, which is set to add 57 new jobs. Car Confections on YouTube View the full article

On a Saturday afternoon in April 2026 at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Justin Ashley sat in the cockpit of his 12,000-horsepower SCAG Power Equipment Top Fuel dragster and did the same thing three rounds in a row. He left with an .025 light. Round one. Round two. Round three. He cut a good light in the final, too – .036 – but it just wasn’t enough to hold off a hard-charging Tony Stewart and his 3.683-second blast. Most fans walked out of Pomona talking about motorsports Hall of Famer Tony Stewart further cementing his legacy with another NHRA Top Fuel win. Drag Illustrated walked out asking a different question. Has anyone in the modern history of NHRA Top Fuel ever been as much of a killer on the starting line as Justin Ashley? The numbers say no. The competition in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series nitro categories has never been higher than it is right now. Virtually every car on the sheet is capable of throwing down a number that will stand as low ET of the meet. The performance gap is the smallest it has been in a generation. Which means that, for the first time in a long time, the starting line has become the single biggest place a Top Fuel race can swing. A driver who can flat-out beat the field on the tree is more dangerous than ever before. And nobody has been more dangerous than Justin Ashley. Drag Illustrated pulled every Top Fuel elimination run from the past fourteen months – twenty-five NHRA national events, including the full 2025 season plus the first six races of 2026. That’s a total of six hundred and eighty-six reaction times across the entire field. In 2025, Justin Ashley posted the best reaction time in 87.8 percent of the elimination rounds he raced. Forty-three of forty-nine, across an entire season, across nineteen events, against every former world champion in the class. He beat his opponent off the starting line eighty-eight rounds out of every hundred. His 2025 season RT average was .0424. The field average was .0802. He reacted nearly four full hundredths quicker than the average driver across an entire season, and in a class decided by thousandths, four hundredths is a chasm. Eleven of the fifteen best individual reaction times of all of 2025 belonged to Ashley. Through six races of 2026, he has somehow improved on that, dropping his RT average to .0364. The 2026 leaderboard has Ashley first by a country mile, with teammate Will Smith second at .0442 and Antron Brown third at .0560. The gap between Ashley and the next best leaver in the class is wider than the gap between second and sixth. Here is the strange dynamic Justin Ashley has created. Every driver who walks to the starting line against him knows what is coming, and they bring their absolute best light of the weekend as a result. There are no off rounds against Justin Ashley. There are no free passes. The pressure cuts both ways. Ashley walks to that same starting line every single round preparing to face the maximum effort his opponent has in them. Whoever he is racing on any given Sunday is, more likely than not, about to cut the best light they have cut all weekend, because they have to. It is a unique situation in our sport, and Ashley has created it entirely on his own. Tony Stewart was asked at one point how he prepares to race Justin Ashley, and said this: “Competitors know when they race him that they’ve got to bring their A game. It’s a curse for Justin as well because he’s so good that you know that you have to rise to the occasion. The hard part is doing that. But when you do it, the even harder part after that is figuring out how do you do it all the time, like he does.” Stewart won the conversation’s referenced final – the 2025 Route 66 race at Chicago. Ashley reacted .042. Stewart reacted .048. Stewart’s car was quicker. Ashley out-reacted him and lost anyway. That, in a single sentence, is the entire story. On The Wes Buck Show this week, Clay Millican was asked what was driving the new attention to reaction times in nitro. “People haven’t gotten that much better,” Millican said. “But crew chiefs are now starting to pay attention to car reaction time. Me and the eight-time champ Tony Schumacher, we are slacking, because we suck on the tree right now. But Justin Ashley is definitely a special individual. He is just rock solid all the time.” When the conversation turned to the state of Top Fuel as a category in 2026, Millican said the line that explains the entire context for what we are watching. “We figured out the horsepower. We know how fast these things can go. Now, it’s a driver’s race.” It is a driver’s race, and one driver is winning it 88 percent of the time. Justin Ashley has run 121 NHRA Top Fuel national events. He has won 19. He has been a runner-up in 14 more. His career round record stands at 188-102, a sixty-five percent rate of round wins across six seasons. That is an elite career number by any measure. But it sits next to that 88 percent figure from 2025. The gap between Ashley winning the driver portion of a round and Ashley winning the round itself is exactly the reason he does not yet have a Top Fuel world championship. Top Fuel is a twelve-thousand-horsepower team game. The driver controls one variable inside a much larger system – the tune-up, the clutch, the chassis, the crew chiefs’ Saturday-night decisions, the air, the track prep. Ashley has won the driver portion of this sport more reliably than anyone we have ever measured. The other variables have not always come along for the ride. But sometimes, they do. On September 1, 2025, Justin Ashley won the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis – the most prestigious event in drag racing – with reaction times of .036, .035, .034, and .027 across four rounds. In the final against Tony Stewart, with both cars running essentially identical eighth-mile passes, Ashley reacted .027 and Stewart .053. The biggest race of the year, decided on a twenty-six-thousandths holeshot. What makes the 2026 numbers stranger still is that they have happened during a reset. Ashley entered this season with an entirely new program around him, new crew chiefs, a team largely rebuilt from the ground up. After the season’s first two races at Gainesville and Phoenix, he was sitting outside the Top Fuel top ten in points for the first time in his career. What he did next was rip off the three .025 lights at Pomona, climb back to seventh, and hold a top-ten spot – he’s currently eighth after Route 66 – entirely on the strength of his own starting line execution while the team tuned the car around him. So is this the most dominant starting line stretch in modern Top Fuel history? Honestly, the historical comparison work hasn’t been done. There’s no published all-time reaction-time leaderboard for this sport – but Drag Illustrated is working to change that. But the early verdict is this: there is almost certainly no driver in modern NHRA Top Fuel who has posted Ashley’s combination of consistency and peak over a comparable window. Eighty-eight percent best-in-round across an entire season. Eleven of the season’s top fifteen lights. A year-over-year improvement on what was already an all-time great career average. The Wally count will inevitably catch up, and when it does, the man showing up to claim it will be the same one who has been the absolute monster at every drag strip he has rolled into for two full seasons running. Whether or not that ends in a championship in 2026, there is something more important happening in the meantime. We are watching a driver, in real time, do something to a single fundamental skill that nobody else in this sport can do. The rest of us are very, very lucky to be paying attention. Reaction-time data via dragracecentral.com / CompuLink. Sample: 686 Top Fuel elimination runs across 25 NHRA national events, March 2025 through May 2026. The post UNCONSCIOUS: Justin Ashley is in a League of His Own first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article

Kyle Busch: 1985-2026Two-time NASCAR Cup Champion Kyle Busch has passed away at the age of 41 years old. He was hospitalized earlier Thursday but succumbed to a yet-to-be-disclosed illness later in the day. Prior to his passing, the family announced that he would be missing the Coca-Cola 600 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. The last couple of months have been rough for NASCAR. The sport is just reeling in from the death of Greg Biffle and his family from a plane crash, and now, the sudden passing of one of its most popular drivers. In a joint statement by the Busch family, Richard Childress Racing, and NASCAR: "Our entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch. A future Hall of Famer, Kyle was a rare talent, one who comes along once in a generation. He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled and he cared deeply about the sport and fans. Throughout a career that spanned more than two decades, Kyle set records in national series wins, won championships at NASCAR’s highest level and fostered the next generation of drivers as an owner in the Truck Series. His sharp wit and competitive spirit sparked a deep emotional connection with race fans of every age, creating the proud and loyal 'Rowdy Nation.' Our thoughts are with Samantha, Brexton and Lennix, Kyle and Samantha’s parents, Kurt and all of Kyle’s family, Richard and Judy Childress, everyone at Richard Childress Racing, his teammates, friends and fans. NASCAR lost a giant of the sport today, far too soon." Richard Childress Racing Starting YoungBorn on May 2, 1985, in Las Vegas, Nevada, Kyle was the younger brother of Kurt Busch, himself a NASCAR champion and Hall of Fame inductee. The younger Busch looked up to his brother in racing, and Kurt was once quoted as saying, "You think I'm a pretty good race car driver? Wait until you see my brother. He's the best driver in the family." Kyle was introduced to racing by his father, Tom, and began by driving a makeshift go-kart around the neighborhood cul-de-sac at age 6. His professional driving career kicked off in 1998 at age 13, starting out in Legends race cars. As a teen, he had a successful career in that and in late-model racing. In 2001, at just 16 years old, he made his NASCAR debut in the Craftsman Truck Series with Roush Racing. Busch joined the Busch Series (now called the O'Reilly Series) in 2003 with Hendrick Motorsports. The following year, he won Rookie of the Year and entered the Nextel Cup Series (now the Cup Series) in 2005. He scored two wins in his debut season, bagging him yet another Rookie of the Year title. It would be the start of a colorful and successful career in NASCAR's top division. More SuccessAfter three seasons with Hendrick Motorsports, Busch moved to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008. It was a gamble at the time, as it was the team's first year with Toyota bodies. The combination of Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing, and Toyota would prove successful, bagging eight wins that year. After ten years of trying, he finally won his first Cup series title in 2015, scoring five wins, twelve top-five finishes, and sixteen top-ten finishes. That's despite suffering an injury earlier that year and competing in just 25 of 36 races. Busch won his second Cup Series championship in 2019, again with Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota. He parted ways with the team in 2023 to join Richard Childress Racing. He also made frequent appearances in NASCAR's lower divisions, also taking wins along the way. His final win in the sport was a little over a week ago at the time of writing, taking the checkered flag at the Ecosave 200 in Dover on May 15, 2026. Remembering RowdyBusch's career wasn't without controversy. But while he gained a reputation of becoming a bit of a 'villain' at points in his career, his hard-charging driving style also won him legions of fans, not just in America but worldwide. It's no surprise then that he gained the nickname Rowdy, a nod to the Days of Thunder character, Rowdy Burns. He was also called Shrub early in his career, as he was the younger brother of Kurt, and The Candy Man because of his longtime association with Mars Inc. With 63 wins, 22 full-time seasons, two titles, and millions of fans, Kyle Busch will be remembered in the world of motorsport. View the full article