After two years of discussion, setbacks, and advances, it appears that the popular American car racing NASCAR will be back in Montreal in 2026, Le Journal de Sources Reliable. The cars of the Cup series would then run in 2027 if the project was well crafted by the players.
It was first of all the XFinity series, formerly known as Nationwide, that would run on the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit in the summer of 2026 in addition to the [Truck Series], according to our information.
Recall that the “Nationwide” was landed in Montreal in its first adventure from 2007 to 2012.
This return of the stock-car to the Quebec metropolis in 2026 would serve as a sort of “heating tower” to accommodate the greatest stars.
Prior to the recent 2025 Kubota High Limit Racing season opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on FloRacing, series co-founders Kyle Larson and Brad Sweet held a press conference to reveal developments for the series including the first details of a landmark franchise system.
Effective in 2026, 10 Kubota High Limit Racing team owners will enter the Kubota High Limit Racing Franchise System.
Focused on creating a sustainable business model for its race teams, Kubota High Limit Racing will distribute up to $18 million in total value over the next four years.
Maximum Investment of Franchise System by year:
In 2026, the Franchise System is set to pay up to $3,970,000 to teams.
In 2027, the Franchise System is set to pay up to $4,322,500 to teams.
In 2028, the Franchise System is set to pay up to $4,620,000 to teams.
In 2029, the Franchise System is set to pay up to $5,032,500 to teams.
As the five-highest finishers in the 2024 standings, the first five franchises currently belong to Kasey Kahne Racing (No. 49), Clauson-Marshall Racing (No. 7BC), Rico Abreu Racing (No. 24), Roth Motorsports (No. 83), and Murray-Marks Motorsports (No. 19).
Five more franchises will be awarded at the conclusion of the 2025 Kubota High Limit Racing season. These franchises will be secured based on average point finishes from the 2024 and 2025 seasons among drivers who didn’t earn a franchise in 2024.
Franchises are permanent and create long-term value for team owners with the ability to sell and/or transfer the franchise they’ve earned.
The year-by-year franchise rankings are determined by a rolling two-year average of point finishes. A pathway will be possible for up to five additional teams to enter the Franchise System over the 2026-27 seasons, creating up to 15 franchisees by the time the 2028 season begins.
There are seven teams returning from 2024 that will battle for franchises six through 10 in 2025: Jason Meyers Racing (No. 14), Buch Motorsports (No. 13), CJB Motorsports (No. 5), Ridge & Sons Racing (No. 87), Rod Gross Motorsports (No. 88), Rudeen Racing (No. 26), and Kasey Kahne Racing (No. 9).
When the franchise system takes effect in 2026, it will pay out $4 million dollars including $2.6 million guaranteed to the 10 original franchisees. By 2029, the franchise system will grow to north of $5million with up to $4.5 million going to 15 potential franchisees then.
Additional topics discussed during the press conference included the 2025 schedule, 14 committed drivers and teams, inaugural rookie class, introduction of sports betting through ALT Sports Data, and the premiere of DIRT II: A Season with High Limit Presented by NOS Energy Drink, a five-part docuseries streaming on FloRacing.
The Sprint Car racing landscape underwent a major change at the beginning of the 2024 season. After years of there being just one national touring series in that form of motorsports, a second series emerged offering more opportunities for drivers and teams and more options for fans than had previously been the case. More races, more money, more tracks, and more exposure for all involved came about as a result of the new circuit.
The Kubota High Limit Racing Series first came onto the scene in 2023 as a somewhat limited tour that ran just a few mostly midweek events that did not go directly against the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series with its schedule. But that all changed at the beginning of the 2024 campaign when the Brad Sweet and Kyle Larson-owned series embarked on a schedule that would take participants across the country and would go directly head-to-head with the more established tour.
Not only were there more races, often with significant purse money at stake, but there were suddenly more eyes on winged Sprint Car racing than before. Subscription-based streaming services aired every lap contested by the two series throughout the year with High Limit races being shown live by FloRacing.com while DirtVision.com brought the World of Outlaws to screens large and small.
With one year of the two series operating simultaneously now in the rear view mirror, a couple of major players representing each side have offered comments regarding their thoughts on how 2024 played out and what they expect going forward. During a recent media availability at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, High Limit co-owner Kyle Larson and World of Outlaws team co-owner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. responded to questions from MotorsportsReport.net.
As well as being the co-owner of High Limit, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion is a frequent competitor on dirt, particularly in Sprint Cars driving the Paul Silva Motorsports No. 57 machine. His partner in the venture, and also his brother-in-law, is five-time World of Outlaws Sprint Cars Series champion Brad Sweet. Not only does he co-own and operate the tour but he also drives the Kasey Kahne Racing No. 49 car.
Larson was the High Limit champion in 2023 when the circuit ran a limited schedule while Sweet was the tour’s first full-time series champion in 2024.
Stenhouse co-owns Stenhouse Jr./Marshall Racing which not only fields cars on occasion for the 2023 Daytona 500 winner himself but also for the full-time racing efforts of regular World of Outlaws competitor Sheldon Haudenschild.
Haudenschild has driven the No. 17 machine since 2018 and finished in the top-10 of the series standings in each of those campaigns with a fourth in 2020 being the high water mark. The third generation racer has won 42 WoO features for his team.
“I think it was a little touch-and-go early, right?” Stenhouse said. “I think there was a lot of ‘who's gonna do what?' I feel like the health of the sport is good. I've always told people, and I tell Kyle and Brad this- I don't know if they like listening to me or not- I know Kyle only worries about what it pays to win because that's all he's there to do. But me as a team owner, if I'm winning every Outlaw race, we're making money… period. But if you're finishing 4th to 10th, that's where you kind of struggle to make ends meet.”
Larson agrees that the health of the sport is good and he also believes that having a second national series added value to the overall product. He further adds that the new series is responsible for the improved condition of the sport.
“Absolutely,” the driver of the Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet declared. “I think you can look at whatever the top-ten teams earned and I felt like everybody was higher. There were more teams that earned a lot of money last year, which wasn't the case before. So we've got bigger and better plans, and we look forward to helping out Sprint Car racing even more.”
A common assertion from dirt racing team owners is that there is too much focus on the amount being paid to win the individual features where more attention could be placed on the pay back through the field. Stenhouse shares that viewpoint. At the same time, the addition of a new series did open the door for more teams that might have only raced regionally now transitioning to national operations.
“And so for me, kind of beefing up the middle of the pay, I feel like it's better for the economy of the sport,” the team owner stated. “I'm excited for how many new teams are going out on the road on both series. I think that's something that we haven't had in a very long time.”
Now, there are more than just powerhouse organizations such as Tony Stewart Racing, Big Game Motorsports, and Kasey Kahne Racing travelling across the country.
“You've always had your TSRs and your Big Games, and the KKRs,” Stenhouse explained. “Then you've always had those teams to fill out the World of Outlaws Series. And now that you have two series, it's enticed smaller teams to jump out on the road which I think is really good. The seats that were open to run a traveling Sprint Car series, there weren’t many seats to get in and I think that has the state of the sport going in a good direction.”
Grandview Speedway is pleased to announce that VP Racing Fuels will continue to support the season opening Bruce Rogers Memorial Money Maker, sponsoring the race for the eighth consecutive year.
Since the very first Bruce Rogers Memorial race in 2018, VP Racing Fuels has been the presenting sponsor and has been supporting the season opening race event, dedicated to remember and honor the longtime owner and Promoter of Grandview Speedway, Bruce Rogers, who passed away in 2017 after helping his father build the track, and running Grandview Speedway with his family for over 50 years.
For nearly 50 years, VP Racing Fuels has powered more race winners than any brand worldwide. VP’s experts design more than 70 proprietary blends of race fuel for every application. They also formulate custom blends. VP is the undisputed World Leader in Fuel Technology. Their race fuels give you consistent quality you can count on, race after race.
In addition to offering a wide line of race-proven fuels, VP Fuels also has lubricants & engine oils, gear oils, coolants, additives, diesel care, small engine fuels and cleaners for your racecar, bike, or truck! VP Racing is involved in all types of motorsports all over the world with a growing roster of VP-fueled champions across the entire spectrum of motorsports.
To find an authorized dealer or distribution center in your area, further information is available by calling 210-635-7744 or on their website at http://VPRacingFuels.com/ or tech@vpracingfuels.com.
The first race of a brand-new season is always one of the most anticipated race events of each year, so when the green flag drops on Saturday night April 5 at Grandview Speedway, it will begin the 63rd consecutive season of professional stock car racing at the one-third-of-a-mile high banked clay raceway, all under the direction of the founding Rogers family.
The VP Racing Fuels Bruce Rogers Memorial Money Maker is open to both Big and Small Block Modified competitors. The feature race will be run over the distance of 50-laps, paying a cool $7500 to win. Not only will the winner be rewarded handsomely, but the race will pay $1000 to take the green flag in the main event!
Since the very first race, the payoff has been outstanding for all drivers in the feature race, front to back, including the unbelievable $1000 to qualify and take the green flag in the main event for just 50-laps of racing on the one-third-of-a-mile speedway. This was designed to give a good payoff to all drivers in the feature, and make it a great night for some of the smaller race teams that don’t always get a chance to finish in the top five.
Grandview Speedway management is announcing that the same procedures that were in effect last year on the Opening Night program, will be in effect again for the 2025 event. The Bruce Rogers Memorial will be sanctioned by NASCAR, and will be the first point race of the new campaign for both the T.P. Trailer Modified and T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman divisions toward both the Grandview track and NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Championships.
As was the case last season, only the driver is required to hold a NASCAR license for competition during the season, with owners and crew members having the option to enter the pits as members or pay a non-member fee. Management does encourage purchasing the NASCAR license for the additional insurance coverage.
For the Bruce Rogers Memorial event, all drivers are welcome to compete as in years past, and if any driver is not a track regular, the Speedway will cover the cost of the $25 temporary NASCAR driver license for this one night of competition.
The Bruce Rogers Memorial feature event will qualify 24 cars to start. There will be no provisional or guaranteed starters added of any kind. Heat races will be lined up by a draw, consolation qualifiers will follow to set the field for the 50-lap championship feature.
There is no entry fee for this special event, however drivers are encouraged to pre-enter by calling or texting 484.256.4375, providing the driver’s name, contact information and phone number. Drivers are also reminded to visit the speedway website at www.grandviewspeedway.com to print and fill out a W-9 form and bring it with them to the track on Opening Night. The W-9 form must be provided to the pit office to be eligible for drivers to draw for heat race starting spots and to receive any earnings for the night.
Information on car rules (tires and weights etc.) are listed for the VP Racing Fuels Bruce Rogers Memorial Money Maker on the speedway website at www.grandviewspeedway.com under the Bruce Rogers Memorial tab.
The T.P. Truck Equipment 602 Sportsman, will also begin their point season on the Opening Night program in a full show which includes qualifying events and a 25-lap feature race.
Race time on Opening Night is 6 pm, which will be the starting time for all Saturday night programs for the month of April. Pit gates open at 1 pm, grandstand gates open at 4 pm, with a mandatory drivers meeting also at 4 pm. followed by the drivers draw, then warm-ups at 5 pm.
Saturday, April 12 is set aside as a rain date if needed for the opener. However, if not needed, then it will be a two-division program for the T.P. Trailer 358 Modifieds and T.P. Truck Equipment 602 Sportsman under the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series banner. The program will consist of qualifying races leading up to the 30-lap Modified and 25-lap Sportsman main events.
