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Ty Gibbs celebrated his victory at Iowa Speedway in a unique way. He helped start the digging up of the track’s surface as it prepares to undergo a repave. Gibbs and some others might wish they wouldn’t repave the track. And that’s because Gibbs showed that, if a driver could get a handle on the seventh-eighth-mile oval, it’s possible to pass. For Gibbs, a bad pit stop sent him to near the rear of the field early in the race. But he was still able to work his way to the front and hold off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell. Here are my takeaways after Gibbs earned his second career victory: 1. Two Times The Charm The first career victory for Gibbs at Bristol earlier this year will be hard to top. But the second victory is important and Gibbs finally backed up that win from early in the year with the Iowa triumph. It took Gibbs 131 races to earn his first Cup victory. This one came just 15 races later. “It just took us a little bit to figure out what I needed and what I needed in the team, and now we got it,” Gibbs said in his post-race news conference. 2. The Bell Tolls Second Christopher Bell finished second. Tell me where you’ve heard that before. Bell now has seven second-place finishes this year, including four of the last five races. And all that without a win. And this one was frustrating, even though he moved from 10th to sixth in the standings. “This is what you call a bad second-place finish for sure,” Bell said in his USA Sports interview after the race. “I don’t know what else to say. “Ty did a really good job. He did a great job managing the race. I could tell that he was slipping and sliding around. … He just didn’t make a mistake.” 3. Reddick, Hendrick Woes Continue Tyler Reddick crashed on the fourth lap of the race and suffered his fourth finish of 30th or worse in the last six races. He took out Erik Jones, who is on the bubble to make The Chase, along the way. “For us to take ourselves out is one thing, but to take out a fellow Toyota teammate when they are racing for The Chase pretty much ended their day as well. It is the type of stuff you don’t do to yourself, and you don’t do to a teammate,” Reddick said outside the medical center. Reddick isn’t the only driver with recent woes. Chase Elliott wrecked in practice and had to overcome a bad pit stop to finish 15th for his ninth consecutive finish outside the top 10. His teammate Kyle Larson was 33rd after a wreck that also damaged Alex Bowman (34th). Larson has finished 30th or worse in four of the last five races. 4. Josh Berry Surging Josh Berry, who already knows he is out of a ride at Wood Brothers Racing after this year (Jesse Love will replace him), finished fourth at Iowa. That was following his seventh-place finish at Indianapolis. Those were the type of finishes Berry — who is 30th in the standings — had been hoping for all along. “We’ve just got to keep pushing,” Berry said in his USA Sports interview after the race. “I think we’ve got a lot of good tracks coming up.” 4 ½. What’s Next: Richmond The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Richmond, a relatively flat 0.75-mile oval, for a Saturday night race. It is the only visit to Richmond for the series this year. Austin Dillon has won the previous two races at Richmond. He captured the victory in 2024 but with controversy after having contact with Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin in the final turns. He won in 2025 with no drama.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Portland International Raceway (Portland, Ore.) — Alex Palou knew the race on Sunday was pivotal in his quest for a fourth consecutive INDYCAR title and fifth overall. He certainly wouldn’t lose the title at Portland, but he for sure could squash the hopes of many. The Chip Ganassi driver did just that. Palou led 60 of the final 80 laps. The 20 he didn’t lead were the result of various pit strategies — to increase his points lead from 83 points over David Malukas to 110 over Kyle Kirkwood (fifth) and 118 over Malukas (12th). Five races remain in the 2026 season. “It would take an immense amount of misfortune by them to not close out the championship and actually fight for it at the end and that’s just to fight for it,” Kirkwood told me after the race. “They’re doing everything right. … They’re doing a hell of a job, but they’re making our lives hell. “We’re just going to keep doing what we can do.” Here are my takeaways: 1. Palou Punishing Opponents With two new tracks in the next two weeks at Markham (Ontario, Canada) and Washington, D.C., Palou knew the race Sunday was pivotal. A win is worth 10 more points than a second-place finish. So Palou leaves Portland feeling really good. “I’m more comfortable than when we came here,” Palou said in his post-race news conference. “This was one of those weekends where we wanted to do good. “We want to do good every single weekend. But we don’t know what’s going to happen at Markham. New track for everyone, new track for me. We don’t know what’s going to happen at D.C. There’s still a lot of points to play. It was important to maximize.” 2. Kirkwood Happy With Fifth Kirkwood might have lost much sight of Palou in the championship battle. But overall, the Andretti Global driver was happy with fifth — considering he had finished 20th a year ago at Portland. “I’m going to take that,” Kirkwood told me. “I’m not happy to see Palou win. I don’t think anybody is except for himself and his crew. … But I’m happy with fifth. “We finished 20th here and that was on merit with no issues. Today, we had issues. We had a tire going down, we had to pit earlier than what we wanted to. We had a couple of little hiccups in pit lane and we still salvaged a fifth.” 3. Power’s Pit-Road Miscue Will Power didn’t hear his team call him to pit, so he pitted a lap later than the team wanted for his final pit stop. On that last lap before pitting, he lost a little bit of time trying to pass the lapped car of Sting Ray Robb. “I just didn’t hear [the team instructions] clear enough,” Power said in his post-race news conference. “Normally the strategists will repeat it multiple times. I never heard it again. “Heard in [Turn] 10. I was waiting, waiting [to hear again]. Was that a call or not? I think I missed a pit call there. … [And then] I absolutely got held up massively.” Both Power and second-place Felix Rosenqvist bemoaned the way the lapped cars race, although they indicated it wasn’t what allowed Palou to win. 4. VeeKay Finishes Fourth Again Rinus VeeKay finished fourth for the third time in the last five races. He made the Fast Six in qualifying, just as he did at Mid-Ohio, the most recent road-course race before Portland. The Juncos Hollinger Racing driver is showing that the speed in qualifying is translating into the race. “INDYCAR has become a track-position series, especially with the hybrid” VeeKay told me and other reporters after the race. “It was especially tough with Kyle Kirkwood on [soft tires] there at the start of the race, really breathing down my neck. “I had really good pace, but it wasn’t enough to move much further forward.” 4 ½. What’s Next: Markham With recent years of building construction in the area by the Toronto Exposition Center for the World Cup, INDYCAR ended up moving its Toronto race to the suburb of Markham. The new home for INDYCAR in Ontario is a 2.19-mile, 12-turn street course. The track should be nice compared to other street courses as the city has repaved the streets of the circuit.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

There wasn’t any game action in the NFL this weekend, but plenty of noteworthy news broke throughout the league. In the NFC East, one star offensive tackle made a big announcement about his future, while the Washington Commanders and Jayden Daniels received injury news that they didn’t want to hear. Elsewhere, the Buffalo Bills went public with their new alternate uniforms and their new home stadium during Saturday’s practice. That’s just a taste of what happened over the weekend. As we’re now less than one month away from the start of the regular season, here are things you should know that went down in the NFL this weekend. Philadelphia Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson indicated the 2026 NFL season will likely be his final year in the league over the weekend. “As you get older, things change in your life. Your children get older. Your parents get older. Just to put this thing into perspective, it’s looking like this is probably potentially going to be my last year,” Philadelphia Eagles star right tackle Lane Johnson said about his NFL future at a press conference on Saturday. “Just because I am getting to that point of those priorities away from football are starting to merge. Not that I don’t enjoy this [football]. I love everything about this game and preparing for it, but that’s kind of where I’m at in my career. Johnson is entering his 14th season, all spent with Philadelphia since being selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma. Throughout his career, Johnson has earned two All-Pro selections and six Pro Bowl honors while starting at right tackle during the team’s Super Bowl championship runs in 2017 and 2024. His 2025 season was cut short after 10 games due to a foot injury, but he did not allow a sack or a quarterback hit in those appearances. Washington Commanders left tackle Laremy Tunsil reportedly suffered a torn triceps during pass-rush drills in practice on Saturday. The 32-year-old tackle is expected to undergo surgery and miss a significant portion of the 2026 regular season, marking his second major health setback since joining Washington. Tunsil arrived in Washington prior to the 2025 season via a trade that sent a fourth-round draft pick to the Houston Texans, where he had previously earned five Pro Bowl selections. Before the start of last season, Tunsil signed a two-year extension with Washington. He is set to earn $34.35 million in 2026, which includes a $32.5 million signing bonus alongside a $1.495 million base salary, pushing his career earnings past $142.2 million. Washington is looking to bounce back from a dismal outing in 2025. The Commanders open the season against the Eagles, which is “America’s Game of the Week” on FOX for Week 1. The Buffalo Bills hosted fans at the new Highmark Stadium on Saturday for their annual Blue & Red practice, marking the first time players took the field at the newest NFL stadium. Quarterback Josh Allen made his entrance wearing Buffalo’s new Nickel City alternate uniform, featuring an all-gray jersey and pants combination paired with a royal blue helmet. The helmet features the first blue shell in franchise history and a red streak from the team’s logo. For Saturday’s practice, quarterbacks, punters, and kickers wore the full Nickel City alternate, while the rest of the offense wore blue practice jerseys and the defense wore white. Although the Nickel City alternate design faced some public criticism, Allen defended the new uniforms during a July 29 interaction with reporters. “I enjoy them. I think it’s very symbolic of what we want to do and what we want to be,” Allen said. “I understand people want the old jerseys and the old helmets and all that. “But at some point, too, we are moving forward. We have to move forward and do something new — and that’s what we’re doing.” And for Highmark Stadium, reporters at Saturday’s practice shared some visuals of how the inside of the stadium looks. Detroit Lions backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has decided to step away from professional football, informing the team of his retirement Sunday. Head coach Dan Campbell confirmed the news, marking the second time the 33-year-old quarterback has retired from the NFL. “I’ve known Teddy a long time and the human being is unbelievable. Certainly, the player, everything that he’s about. The type of teammate he is, the way he prepares … always played the game up here and had a huge heart,” head coach Dan Campbell told reporters. “He’s gonna be missed.” Bridgewater previously retired following the 2023 season before taking over as head coach at Miami Northwestern Senior High School, where he guided the team to a state championship. He subsequently unretired late in the 2024 season to rejoin Detroit, then spent the 2025 campaign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as Baker Mayfield’s backup. Bridgewater re-signed with the Lions in March. In response to Bridgewater being placed on the reserve/retired list, the Lions agreed to terms with veteran quarterback Joshua Dobbs on a one-year contract to serve as the primary backup behind starter Jared Goff, NFL Network reported. Dobbs backed up Drake Maye with the New England Patriots last season, but saw very little action. He’s 3-12 all-time in 15 career starts.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

With the five-person class of this year’s Pro Football Hall of Fame of Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Roger Craig, Adam Vinatieri and Luke Kuechly in the rearview, we can turn our attention to next year’s class. Of course, that will likely mean another discussion about the résumés of two controversial snubs who were not inducted as part of Saturday’s ceremony: former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and Patriots owner Robert Kraft. The news of their snubs (specifically Belichick’s) outweighed the news of those who were included as part of the Class of 2026, making them central figures among the candidates for the Class of 2027. Along with those two, first-time eligible candidates who make sense as possible first-ballot selections include tight end Rob Gronkowski, running back Adrian Peterson, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and cornerback Richard Sherman. Offensive tackle Willie Anderson, guard Marshal Yanda and edge rusher Terrell Suggs were among the final seven modern-era candidates this past year, which means they automatically advance to the final 15 for the upcoming process. It’s the second year in a row Anderson has been an automatic finalist. To be eligible for the Hall of Fame, players must be retired for at least five years, while the wait for coaches is one year. There are at least four inductees in each class, but no more than eight will be enshrined from the 20 finalists selected (15 modern-era finalists and a maximum of five candidates from seniors, coach and contributors categories). The 15 modern-era finalists are cut from 10 to seven. Voters are then asked to vote for five of those candidates, with candidates needing to receive at least 80% of the vote to be inducted. If only two or fewer candidates receive 80% of the vote, then the top three vote-getters move on. The new voting structure has led to a splintering of the vote from the selection committee, making it harder for players to get into the Hall, which ultimately led to Belichick not getting in the past voting cycle. As a member of the 50-person Hall of Fame selection committee, I’ve had the honor of voting on these candidates annually. It’s always a grueling process featuring long, challenging debates that lead to deserving candidates ultimately donning gold jackets. Here’s a first look at some of the candidates for the upcoming class, and what I think of their chances to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2027. GOOD SHOT Belichick won an unprecedented six Super Bowls as a head coach and two more as a defensive coordinator for the New York Giants. He coached the greatest player in league history in Tom Brady. The Patriots won 17 AFC East titles, made 13 appearances in the AFC Championship Game and went to nine Super Bowls. I voted for Belichick and Kraft last year and will vote for them again if they are on the ballot. Brady’s security blanket is another no-brainer. Gronkowski is a four-time Super Bowl champion who earned five invitations to the Pro Bowl and was on the All-Decade team for the 2010s. He’s also a member of the NFL’s 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. A freak of nature, Peterson was an unstoppable force as a runner for 15 seasons in the league. His 14,918 rushing yards are fifth in NFL history. He rushed for over 2,000 yards in a single season, won league MVP and Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. A seven-time Pro Bowler, Peterson is a member of the 2010s All-Decade Team. The only major thing he did not accomplish was a Super Bowl win, giving him strong odds to be enshrined in Canton. Roethlisberger was the most accomplished of the storied 2004 quarterback draft class that included Eli Manning and Philip Rivers. Roethlisberger won two Super Bowls, and at 23 years old, was the youngest quarterback to win the big game. He won Offensive Rookie of the Year, led the league in passing twice and earned six trips to the Pro Bowl. A six-time finalist, momentum continues to build for one of the best right tackles in league history. Anderson has finished in the top seven twice, a signal that voters are bullish on his candidacy. PUNCHER’S CHANCE A seven-time finalist, Holt fell out of the top 10 during the last voting cycle after making it to the top seven the year before, which is not a good sign for his candidacy. Holt is part of a logjam at receiver and deserves serious consideration. One of the cornerstones of the Rams’ “Greatest Show on Turf,” Holt finished with 920 career receptions for 13,382 yards and 74 touchdowns in 11 NFL seasons. Another one of the seven finalists from the last voting cycle, Suggs is a two-time finalist. He’s eighth all-time in sacks with 139, and all seven players above Suggs on the list are in the Hall of Fame. Like Suggs, Yanda was one of seven finalists in this past voting cycle. Considered one of the best guards to play the game, Yanda was an eight-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion for the Baltimore Ravens. Yanda’s also a member of the 2010s All-Decade Team. A charismatic trash talker and one of the leaders of the Seattle Seahawks’ fabled Legion of Boom, Sherman played in back-to-back Super Bowls, winning it all after the 2013 season. A five-time Pro Bowler, Sherman is a member of the 2010s All-Decade Team. He finished with 37 interceptions in 11 NFL seasons, including stints with the Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. One of the most complete tight ends in NFL history, only Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez had more catches among players at the position than Witten, whose 1,228 receptions rank fourth all-time. Witten’s 13,046 receiving yards are 20th in league history and second among tight ends, only trailing Gonzalez there as well. Witten is an 11-time Pro Bowler and won the Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2012. UPHILL CLIMB A two-time finalist, Manning has yet to crack the top 10 in his two voting cycles of eligibility. His postseason accolades are impressive, including two Super Bowl wins over Brady and the Patriots in which he was named MVP of both games. But also on his ledger is a 117-117 record as a starter, including a 9-26 mark in his final three seasons. Manning’s career 84.1 passer rating is 60th in NFL history. A finalist for the first time last voting cycle who cracked the final 10, Williams is a member of the 2000s All-Decade Team, a five-time All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowler. Williams is a member of the Vikings Ring of Honor. One of the leaders of the Dallas defense during his time with the team, Woodson is a three-time Super Bowl champion and five-time Pro Bowler. A four-time finalist, Woodson is a member of the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor, and the player in Cowboys history to have been in the starting lineup for five different head coaches. Wayne is one of only nine players in league history with at least 1,000 receptions, 14,000 yards and 80 touchdowns. A seven-time finalist, Wayne has been unable to separate himself from the logjam of talented receivers that remain a part of the voting process during his candidacy. Gore entered the league with significant knee issues but played an impressive 16 seasons for five teams, finishing as the third-leading in league history with 16,000 rushing yards. A member of the 2010 All-Decade Team, Gore was a five-time Pro Bowler who rushed for over 1,000 yards nine times and led San Francisco to the Super Bowl after the 2012 season. Another talented lineman who was a finalist for the second time in his third year of eligibility. A six-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro, Evans served as an anchor up front for one of the most dominant offenses of his era, led by Drew Brees. Known for his “Superman” celebration after scoring a touchdown, Newton took home league MVP honors after leading the Carolina Panthers to a 15-1 campaign and Super Bowl appearance after the 2015 season. A three-time Pro Bowler, Newton also won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2011. A dynamic emotional leader for the Chargers alongside Hall of Famer Junior Seau, Harrison is a two-time finalist whose resume deserves a closer look. A two-time Super Bowl champion, Harrison played 15 seasons with the Bolts and Patriots and is in both teams’ Hall of Fame. He totaled 34 interceptions and 30 sacks, making him one of two players to record over 30 picks and 30 sacks in their career. The other is Hall of Famer Ray Lewis. A Super Bowl champion and member of the 2010s All-Decade team, Brown was a seven-time Pro Bowler and dynamic playmaker during his time in the league. However, Brown is caught in the glut of WRs worthy of Hall of Fame consideration. Also, he finished his career by quitting on his teammates, stripping off his gear mid-game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And his short tenure with the Raiders was also marred by controversy. The emotional catalyst of Seattle’s drive to back-to-back Super Bowl appearances, Lynch was dominant from 2011-14, totaling 5,357 rushing yards and scoring 56 touchdowns over that time. A member of the 2010 All-Decade Team, the five-time Pro Bowler’s 10,419 rushing yards rank just 29th all time, but in the postseason, he’s eighth all time with 970 rushing yards.Others to consider: Alex Mack, Earl Thomas, LeSean McCoy, Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith Sr., Jimmy Smith, Eric Weddle, John Abraham, Robert Mathis, Hines Ward, Gerald McCoy, Andrew Whitworth.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports