NEW ERA BEGINS: DISCOVER HOW STEVE O’DONNELL IS TRANSFORMING NASCAR FOR 2026
NASCAR news: Steve O’Donnell brings back The Chase to restore stability and trust between teams and fans for the 2026 season.
NASCAR heads into 2026 with a much-needed sense of direction. After years of lawsuits, leadership shake-ups, and teams butting heads, the focus is finally shifting back to what really matters: the racing.
Steve O’Donnell is at the centre of this new chapter. He’s not promising quick fixes—just patience and steady progress. Talking to The Athletic, he said the sport finally has some breathing room, a “clear runway” compared to the mess of recent years. NASCAR’s already tweaked the competition and put major disputes to bed. With the Daytona 500 coming up, there’s real hope among leaders and teams that these changes will bring back some much-needed stability and trust.
O’Donnell knows this reset won’t happen overnight. He told The Athletic, “It starts with being a little humble about where you are as a sport, being honest with where you are as a sport, what the challenges are, but also what the opportunities are, and then, not just talking about it, but doing it.” He’s made it clear: NASCAR’s all-in on working with partners and delivering for the fans.
It hasn’t been easy getting here. There’s been an antitrust lawsuit with Michael Jordan, tough media rights talks, backlash over the playoff system, and messy charter negotiations. The lawsuit wrapped up in December, and after some drama with inappropriate texts, Steve Phelps stepped down.
Now, looking ahead, O’Donnell feels good about the future. He sees 2026 as a real shot to move forward and reset the sport.
One of the biggest changes? NASCAR is bringing back the Chase playoff system. After a year of debate, they’re going back to a format that rewards drivers for consistent performance, not just fluke wins. Some fans always hated how the last system seemed to reward luck. Even Mark Martin, a long-time critic, is on board with the change this time.
O’Donnell says reconnecting with fans is a top priority. “Our fans feel as if they have ownership in the sport. And I think for a time, they felt a little disconnected from that kind of ownership position,” he said. He wants fans to feel involved again, without losing what makes NASCAR real.
Fixing relationships across the sport is another big focus. Hendrick Motorsports’ Jeff Gordon told The Athletic, “The relationship side of it has been missing for a while, and getting that back on track is important.” He remembers when group trips and shared experiences brought everyone closer—something that’s been missing lately. Gordon thinks O’Donnell can help rebuild those connections.
Denny Hamlin likes the new direction, too. He’s seen the fresh strategy and thinks it’s the right call to get back to what made NASCAR work.
Brad Keselowski pointed out that leadership has changed since Phelps left. “Steve’s big hurdle is I think he and Phelps were a pretty good combination in a lot of ways,” Keselowski said, but he added that now it’s O’Donnell’s show—he’s got “the keys to the castle.”
Defending champ Kyle Larson has confidence in O’Donnell. “I think he's an outstanding leader. "I feel like he runs a good balance of being friends with everybody but also can stand his ground," he said.
NASCAR executive Ben Kennedy agrees, calling O’Donnell the opposite of a “yes man”.
O’Donnell’s main goal is simple: bring everyone together and keep building the sport. “Not taking advantage of the opportunity we have to grow this sport would really bum me out,” he said. Right now, unity and progress are at the top of his list.
MILLION DOLLAR BET: LOGAN PAUL’S OPEN CHALLENGE TO THE NFL BACKFIRES AS BELL ACCEPTS
Logan Paul is ducking: Read about Le’Veon Bell’s $1M challenge, Tom Brady’s "cute" insult, and the Pittsburgh Draft fight rumours.
A former NFL star just called out Logan Paul, saying he’s dodging their $1 million fight.
So here’s what’s been going on: Logan Paul, who’s held the WWE United States Championship, got into it with NFL legend Tom Brady. Brady kicked things off by saying pro wrestling is “cute” and throwing shade at Paul’s athleticism compared to NFL players.
Logan didn’t let that slide. He fired back, claiming 99% of NFL players would fall apart if they tried wrestling in WWE, and then flipped the script by calling football "cute". Things really heated up when Brady straight-up called him a b*tch, and Logan decided to up the ante.
On his IMPAULSIVE podcast, Logan claimed no football player could beat him in a boxing match. He even put $1 million on the line, daring any NFL player to prove him wrong. A bunch of NFL guys jumped in, but Le’Veon Bell, a former Steelers star and a pro boxer himself, really took the bait.
Bell challenged Logan to fight in Pittsburgh during the 2026 NFL draft. He didn’t hold back, posting, “STOP DUCKING, @LoganPaul. Bro’s trying to fight an NFL player that’s never fought before. Let’s set it up; we all heard you say you can beat any NFL player. We can fight in April; the NFL draft is in PITTSBURGH. Let’s make it happen.”
Logan fired back. He pointed out that Bell isn’t in the NFL anymore, and since Bell actually knows how to fight, Logan said he’d need serious training time, which means stepping away from WWE, something he’s not willing to do. Plus, Logan claimed the fight isn’t worth it because Bell doesn’t draw a big crowd. “You’re not in the NFL. You can actually fight, so I’d have to properly train and step away from WWE (which I’m not doing, especially not for you). There’s no money here because you’re not a draw. Prove me wrong. Of course, you want the opportunity. I’m a goldmine for retirees like you. But gg,” Logan replied.
Bell wasn’t having it. He accused Logan of ducking out, saying Logan’s only interested in fighting NFL players with zero boxing experience. “THIS MF A (duck emoji) bro said, 'You can actually fight,' so he’s telling everyone he wants to fight someone who he feels can’t fight. That’s what we call DUCKING,” Bell shot back.
THIRD FASTEST EVER? HOW DID JAYSON TATUM BEAT KEVIN DURANT’S RECOVERY BY 254 DAYS?
Jayson Tatum is back: Read about his 298-day Achilles recovery, the 15-minute limit, and why the Celtics are now title favourites.
Jayson Tatum sat at the Auerbach Center, listening to questions from reporters during Celtics media day, looking like he was itching to get back on the court.
The Celtics’ star forward is finally on the verge of returning after tearing his Achilles less than 300 days ago, but don’t expect to see him logging big minutes right away. Reports say Boston plans to be extra cautious. Brett Siegel from ClutchPoints even said he’d be surprised if Tatum plays more than 10 to 15 minutes per game at first.
Tatum’s officially listed as questionable for Friday’s home game against the Mavericks. If he suits up, it'll be a huge boost for Boston, and honestly, a bit of a shock, considering how long other players have been out with the same injury. Just look at Dejounte Murray; he had to wait nearly 100 days longer than Tatum before coming back, and the Pelicans have limited him to 25 minutes a night since.
At the start of the season, most people figured Tatum would sit out the whole year. That’s what usually happens with Achilles injuries; guys like Durant, Klay, and DeMarcus Cousins all missed at least a year. Damian Lillard and Tyrese Haliburton, who tore their Achilles in last year’s playoffs too, were ruled out for the entire season.
But then whispers started. Suddenly, Tatum was practising with the G League’s Maine Celtics, then joining full scrimmages with the big club. The rumours got louder, and now, here we are. If he does play Friday, he’ll have pulled off the third-fastest return from an Achilles tear in recent NBA history; only Kobe Bryant and Chauncey Billups came back quicker.
Here’s a quick rundown:
Kobe Bryant: 240 days
Chauncey Billups: 296 days
Jayson Tatum: 298 days
DeMarcus Cousins: 357 days
Kevin Durant: 552 days
Of course, Boston isn’t taking any chances. Tatum had to hit every checkpoint – conditioning, weight, you name it – before they’d let him suit up. And by all accounts, he looks good. Derrick White said Tatum has been moving well and playing like his old self in practice. You can see how hard he’s worked to get to this point.
The Celtics are 41-21 and already one of the league’s best, but Tatum’s return suddenly makes them the favourites to win the East and push for another Finals trip. Oddsmakers have noticed, too. Thomas Gable at Borgata said Tatum’s comeback could give Boston’s title odds another bump, and David Lieberman at Caesars pointed out that bettors have already started to back the Celtics with his return in mind.
So, yeah, Boston fans have a lot to be excited about. Tatum’s almost back, and the Celtics’ championship hopes just got a whole lot brighter.
