Sports Benches presents this week’s sports post where NASCAR just returned to North Wilkesboro Speedway as a full points race.
We’ll also relive May’s Indy 500 ahead of next weekend’s NASCAR Brickyard 400 race also at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Plus, what now for Netball New Zealand despite Silver Ferns success when it comes to their ANZ Premiership competition? More on that later.
As always, Sports Benches is here to keep you company with the latest weekly sports coverage. Don’t forget to check out our General Hospital recaps every Saturday where Drew Cain finally spoken a word for the first time in months, James West walked out on Cody Bell & a new baby’s just been born.
NASCAR Cup Series: Window World 450 at North Wilkesboro
It was another top Ford Mustang weekend this time by a different Team Penske driver and 3 x Cup champion Joey Logano.
A fast race car speaks for itself even if he didn’t start from pole where a patient but effective long run approach wins the race — just ask last week’s winner Ryan Blaney, also a champion himself from 2023.
Meanwhile, inside Denny Hamlin’s No.11 Toyota Camry, oh so close after he came off a strong 2nd half performance that’s caution-free. He was almost there having been a touch isolated earlier on as always but still a decent front-running threat nonetheless.
Finally, SVG from the No.97 Chevy Camaro for Trackhouse: usually a road course specialist who has since evolved his legendary Supercars success into ovals of any kind so far on his sophomore full-time Cup season.
Now that doesn’t mean he didn’t struggle with the lead at times following a flying start before some poorly timed mid-race yellows reshuffled things ahead of restarts. However, he’s sure earned a A+ rating though where he provided the consistency needed to stay Top 5 under long greens after he finished 5th.
From May: 2026 Indianapolis 500
As someone who’s been interested in the Indy 500 before, the Month of May festivities never disappointed fans at IMS & yet we had another new winner: Sweden’s Felix Rosenqvist in the No.60 MSR-Honda.
He may have had an up & down start when they were many lead changes, but picked the most impeccable timing to gradually jump himself ahead of the queue.
Especially with his long run package where he comes out alive including quick adjustments on pit road, so he’s got enough fuel & tire management that lasts. Not to mention that one-lap shootout at the white flag over Team Penske’s David Malukas following multiple yellows/rain delays.
Gotta feel for the boy who has the aggression consistently where every lap out of 200 counts. At the same time, it’s always so hard to defend but that’s Indy 500 for you, as sure Malukas will rebound.
What’s also great from that day was two Kiwis in Top 6:
- Supercars legend Scott McLaughlin, 3rd also with Team Penske
- Marcus Armstrong, 6th: Felix’s team-mate meanwhile at MSR
Didn’t see much of McLaughlin leading but wasn’t too bad consistently all afternoon while Marcus was also unlucky that late likewise with Malukas where his race trim otherwise had excellent speed.
The Future of Netball New Zealand: ANZ Premiership
I was fortunate to follow Netball again for three seasons, particularly ANZ Premiership whose rivalries resembled Super Rugby but on Centre Court.
Previously, I watched SpeedSeries for two years when Super Netball changed TV rights back in 2022; although Netball games will return to Nine next year.
SpeedSeries was Australia’s 2nd tier motorsports comp to Supercars including 2 x local TCR World Tour races over 2023 at Eastern Creek and Bathurst.
Today, only Trans-Am & GTs survived but TCR Australia & S5000s are defunct.
Unfortunately, the ANZ Premiership could be next when there’s little to no TV money following years of boardroom mismanagement. We’ve also seen top Silver Ferns playing in Oz earlier this year and of course, Dame Noeline Taurua being sidelined last year due to high performance alignment issues who has since been reinstated as head coach.
Now it’s easy to ask Netball Australia by letting NZ teams play there again but they should instead tap the Asia-Pacific market for 3-5 new teams while keeping their own five.
Unlimited International players? Only applicable to foreign teams.
A composite Pacific Islands team, Malaysia & Singapore would be a good start — even Sri Lanka and Hong Kong someday.
Bring me back the old ANZ Championship Trans-Tasman comp any day but without Australia as NZ Netballers deserve better than the board.
