Photos are courtesy of Michael Kristl and Alika Jenner of ARCA Racing.

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- Spire Motorsports announced Wednesday that Hendrick Automotive Group, via HendrickCars.com, has expanded their sponsorship of Rajah Caruth in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. HendrickCars.com will serve as the primary sponsor on Caruth's Chevrolet for the full 2024 season. Previously, HendrickCars.com was scheduled to be on the No. 71 Chevrolet for 10 of the 23 races.

- In the opening practice session for Formula 1 teams in Bahrain early Thursday morning, Visa Cash App Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo was fastest overall with a lap at 130.364 mph. Ricciardo's lap was .032 seconds faster than McLaren's Lando Norris. Oscar Piastri was third fastest in the second McLaren, followed by Yuki Tsunoda in the second VCARB entry. Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was fifth.

Free Practice No. 2 saw Mercedes-AMG's Lewis Hamilton put himself at the top early in the session on soft tires with a lap at 133.963 mph to lead the session. That lap was .206 seconds faster than teammate George Russell. Alonso was third, then Ferrari's Carlos Sainz Jr. and Piastri. Red Bull's Max Verstappen was sixth quickest in both sessions.

- In opening practice for the FIA World Endurance Championship in Qatar, Porsche Penske Motorsport's Matt Campbell was fastest overall with a lap at 118.272 mph. Campbell's lap was .046 seconds faster than Ferrari AF Corse's James Calado. Kevin Estre in the second factory Porsche was third, then Chip Ganassi Racing's Alex Lynn. Proton Competition's Harry Tincknell was fifth in the best of the customer Porsches.

In LMGT3, United Autosports' Nico Pino was fastest in his McLaren with a lap at 104.652 mph. Pino's lap was .159 seconds faster than Vista AF Corse's Alessio Rovera. Teammate Davide Rigon was third, then The Heart of Racing's Daniel Mancinelli. D'Station Racing's Erwan Bastard was fifth.

There were three red flags during the session. BMW M Team WRT's Raffaele Marciello spun into the gravel in the closing minutes of the session. Marciello's car was undamaged.

The other two red flags did not involve cars. One was due to issues in race control with their computers. The other was for a credential photographer being in an inappropriate place. The session resumed once the photographer was removed from the prohibited area (and likely stripped of his photo vest).

Free Practice No. 2 saw Estre top the charts with a lap at 121.224 mph, more than two seconds faster than anyone in the opening session and faster than anyone during the Prologue earlier this week. The lap was .782 seconds faster than Peugeot TotalEnergies' Jean-Eric Vergne. Hertz Team JOTA's Jenson Button was third, then Lynn and Campbell.

In LMGT3, Vista AF Corse's Simon Mann was fastest with a lap at 105.228 mph. The lap was .255 seconds faster than teammate Francesco Castellacci. Team WRT's Sean Galael was third fastest in his BMW, followed by Bastard and Marino Sato in the United Autosports McLaren.

The second session had two red flags. Isotta Fraschini's Jean-Karl Vernay spun into the green 15 minutes into the session to draw the first stoppage. The session ended nine minutes after Lamborghini Iron Lynx's Mirko Bortolotti stopped at turn 7.

- Czabok Simpson Racing announced Wednesday that they will field a second car on a part-time basis in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge in 2024. The No. 2 Porsche will be shared by Jackson Lee (son of NBC Sports' Kevin Lee) and Gordon Scully. Scully was already scheduled to serve as the team's third driver in the No. 67 Porsche for the two four-hour races. Lee is full-time for the team in IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, which will be back in action on the undercard of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg next weekend.

The No. 2 will debut in Pilot Challenge at Sebring on March 15. Additional outings are scheduled for Mid-Ohio, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Scully being in the No. 2 for the four-hour race at Mid-Ohio means that regular drivers Sebastian Carazo and Nikita Lastochkin will drive as a duo that weekend.

- The West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame announced their Class of 2024 Wednesday. Headlining the class is seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and current Legacy Motor Club co-owner/driver Jimmie Johnson. He'll be joined by 1996 INDYCAR champion Jimmy Vasser, current Legacy Motor Club CEO Cal Wells III and Dick Cobb. The four men will be inducted on June 6 in a ceremony at Sonoma Raceway that will kick off NASCAR's race weekend at the road course. 

"Pit stop dioramas. Cars with driver minifigures, complete with a couple different heads and expressions, a helmet modeled after the driver’s own (imagine how sick a Daniel Suarez sugar skull helmet would be) and added flair specific to a driver. A more expensive set that replicates a team shop or a portion of a track — or even a full-scale, but mini, set where fans can build entire tracks with tiny cars to boot.

"LEGO x NASCAR would be an insanely huge hit with fans. Kids love LEGO. Adults love LEGO. It presents a legitimately timeless challenge to anyone willing to take on a set (or two, or three). Sure, the instructions for building them are right there, but once it starts coming together and taking shape, it’s worth every single second." - Adam Cheek makes his pitch for a better relationship between LEGO and NASCAR. We've already had the LEGO version of Christina Nielsen in the past after LEGO made a set based on the Scuderia Corsa Ferrari that she raced, so it is possible.