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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The Cadillac sports car owned by NASCAR chairman Jim France won the pole for the Rolex 24 at Daytona but was later disqualified in inspection, moving one of the favorites to the back of the class for the start of the most prestigious endurance race in the United States.
Action Express Racing won the pole on speed with driver Jack Aitken but forfeited its position when the No. 31 failed inspection because its rear skid block friction surface was beyond the allowed tolerance.
The disqualification dropped the Cadillac to the back of the top GTP class, while one of two Acuras owned by Meyer Shank Racing was bumped to the front for a race that starts Saturday and goes twice-round-the-clock at Daytona International Speedway.
France owns NASCAR, the IMSA sports car series, the Daytona track and the Action Express car that was disqualified. His car for this weekend features regulars Aitken and Earl Bamber, as well as Mercedes Formula 1 test driver Frederik Vesti and NASCAR rising star Connor Zilisch.
Zilisch, a 19-year-old Cup Series rookie, earned a Rolex class victory in 2024 but is racing at the top level for the first time. Gary Nelson, the Action Express team manager, held his breath last weekend when he sent Zilisch out for night practice because he was unsure if his experience level was high enough to manage the closing rate between the top cars and the slower classes -- especially in the dark.
No F1 opener
GROVE, England -- Williams will miss next week's first Formula 1 preseason testing in Barcelona after reporting "delays" in getting its car ready for the season.
Williams said Friday it still has "a lot to look forward to" despite the setback ahead of next week's five-day test. It's the first time that 2026-specification cars will be on track for more than brief filming and reliability runs.
"Atlassian Williams F1 Team has taken the decision not to participate in next week's shakedown test in Barcelona following delays in the FW48 program as we continue to push for maximum car performance," the team said.
A virtual testing program is planned for next week instead as Williams now aims for the first of two tests in Bahrain next month. The Barcelona test is being held in private with a focus on reliability, with teams able to run on any three of five days.
"We are looking forward to getting on track in the coming weeks and want to thank all our fans for your continued support - there is a lot to look forward to together in 2026," Williams added.
Gotta pay up
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Four-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou on Friday was ordered to pay McLaren Racing more than $12 million in the breach of contract suit the team filed when the Spaniard backed out of two different deals with the racing team.
The Friday ruling from London's High Court came after a five-week trial last year. McLaren initially sought almost $30 million in damages, but that number was reduced to $20.7 million as the racing juggernaut sought to reclaim money allegedly lost in sponsorship, driver salaries and performance earnings.
"I never wanted to end up in court. It's not really how we do things at McLaren Racing and we tried hard to find a solution at the time," McLaren Racing boss Zak Brown told The Associated Press at Daytona International Speedway.
"In the end Alex -- supported by a large legal team -- sadly left us no option, and they now have a very significant legal bill to show for it. I happen to believe that treating others with respect and staying true to your word matters a great deal both in life and in our sport, but as we have seen as this case evolved, that view wasn't shared by all involved."
McLaren added it is still seeking interest and reimbursement of its legal expenses -- a judgement in favor of the team could push Palou's total owed to more than $20 million. It is not clear if Chip Ganassi, the team owner Palou drives for in IndyCar, is covering any of the losses.
HOF class honored
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Kurt Busch was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Friday night along with fellow drivers Harry Gant and Ray Hendrick.
The 47-year-old Busch, who won the first Cup Chase in 2004, was selected in his first year of eligibility by the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel last May.
Busch talked about getting his start driving dwarf cars in his home state of Nevada and his quick acceleration to the to Cup Series after bypassing what was known then known as the Busch Series because of his talent.
"It's an amazing feeling," Busch said. "It's a journey that this blue-collar kid from (Las) Vegas never expected. All of these trips down memory lane talking with everyone and the different teams I was with, all the great racers that I raced against. It's been an amazing journey."
Nicknamed "The Outlaw," Busch was known for his fiery temper and often found himself at the center of controversy.
He won his only Cup Series championship at age 26 in his fourth year on the circuit. It was the first championship contested under the 10-race Chase format, and it came in dramatic fashion.
Busch's right front tire broke loose from his No. 97 Roush Racing Ford and rolled to the right of the pit wall as he steered to the left of the barrier. He managed to finish fifth and secured the title.
"There was this weird vibration happening with the right front," Busch said in a video he posted on social media before his induction. "So, I was coming down on the access road, and it's starting to vibrate bad like it's coming apart. Something's going down."