Reddick is hoping to regain momentum in Atlanta after losing his NASCAR Cup Series lead to Hamlin

HAMPTON, Ga. (AP) — EchoPark Speedway may be the perfect setting for Tyler Reddick to reclaim his momentum in the NASCAR Cup Series points race.

Reddick won five of the first nine stops on this year's Cup Series schedule, including at EchoPark Speedway on Feb. 22, one week after winning the Daytona 500, to take a dominant lead in the points race.

Reddick’s points lead has disappeared in recent weeks. Denny Hamlin, who co-owns 23XI Racing with Michael Jordan, enters Sunday night’s race leading Reddick by 44 points.

Overall, Reddick has two wins in three starts on drafting tracks this season in his 23XI Racing Toyota, giving him reason for optimism. Reddick said Saturday he is “extremely” confident he can enjoy more success in his return to the track formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway.

“In my opinion, we’re stronger when we come back here in the summer race,” Reddick said. “We’re still plenty good in the spring, but what we do well at EchoPark Speedway really shows up in the summer. ... Our strength typically is handling and I feel like the more that’s in play the better I do with these kind of races.”

Hamlin was third while Reddick finished 36th in last week's race at Chicagoland Speedway won by Chase Briscoe. Reddick has finished 25th or worse in four of the last five Cup Series races.

“For us to still be second in points ... all things considered I think most people with a race car would do anything to have that,” Reddick said.

Kyle Larson is trying to end a 43-race winless streak and also claim his first Cup Series win at the 1.54-mile oval track in Atlanta. He finished third in February 2025.

The winless stretch is his longest since joining Hendrick Motorsports in 2021. His last win came at Kansas in May 2025. Larson, who won Cup Series championships in 2021 and 2025, finished 34th after qualifying second last week in Chicago. He was in the top five before losing several laps following a spin in Stage 2.

Larson said he feels his Hendrick Motorsports team has been making gains each week.

“I feel like we’ve noticed each week, I feel like Hendrick as a whole has gotten just a little bit better and closed the gap a little,” Larson said. “I think it feels like a large chunk still left to get, but I feel like in this sport ... you’re probably closer than it really feels out on the track.”

Chase Elliott, Larson’s teammate at Hendrick Motorsports, won last summer’s race at EchoPark Speedway to end a 44-race winless streak.

Despite his streak, Larson is sixth in the points race, only one point behind Elliott.

The second year of NASCAR’s In-Season Challenge continues with the third round. The winner of the five-race, bracket-style tournament will earn $1 million. A compelling matchup is Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Hamlin and Christopher Bell.

“I guess probably we'll be the underdog against Christopher,” Hamlin said before adding “whoever doesn't wreck” has the advantage.

Elliott is matched against Briscoe, another Joe Gibbs Racing driver. The other matchups are William Byron against Ryan Blaney and Todd Gilliland against Alex Bowman.

Four drivers will advance to next week's race in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina and the championship round is scheduled for July 26 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Bell will again wear a cast on his left wrist that was broken during a hit at Michigan International Speedway on June 7. He had only a wrap on the wrist Saturday but said he'll add the cast for the race “just in case something happens." He said he hopes this will be the last race with the cast.

“I'm close if not 100% right there,” Bell said.

Ryan Preece worked with EchoPark Speedway to purchase billboards to promote the race.

Preece put his RFK Racing teammate Chris Buescher on each billboard. One billboard on Interstate 75 near the track promotes Buescher's hometown by proclaiming “Visit Prosper, Texas. 843 miles” with an image of Buescher in his racing uniform. Another billboard says “Come see me race this weekend” with an image of Buescher wearing a red wig.

Preece promoted the prank on his Facebook account.

Buescher smiled Saturday when he said “So Ryan’s back to shenanigans” and added he was planning to return the favor.

“It is fine, because I’m currently in the process as well, and I look forward to unveiling that before too terribly long,” Buescher said.

Added Buescher: “Ironically I did have that same haircut as a kid. It just wasn’t that red.”

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Chase Briscoe (19) talks to media after winning a NASCAR Cup Series Eero 400 auto race at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., Sunday, July 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Denny Hamlin (11) greets fans before start of a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., Sunday, July 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Denny Hamlin looks around before the start of a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., Sunday, July 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

LONDON (AP) — Alexander Zverev has more than just defending champion Jannik Sinner to deal with on Sunday in the Wimbledon final.

The 29-year-old German also has Type 1 diabetes, which requires him to monitor his glucose levels and, if needed, inject insulin during matches.

Zverev, who won the French Open and is seeking back-to-back Grand Slam titles, uses an insulin pen when needed to jab the top of his thigh during changeovers on court.

Here's some more information about Zverev and the disease.

Zverev disclosed in 2022 that he has Type 1 diabetes, having been diagnosed at age 4, according to his diabetes foundation. He had previously kept it quiet. If he needed an insulin jab during a match, he'd do it privately during bathroom breaks.

The announcement coincided with him launching his foundation, to help children in particular.

“If we as a foundation, and me just as a tennis player and somebody who has diabetes, can help even just a single kid or a single parent, I’ll be the happiest person in the world,” Zverev said after an early-round victory at Wimbledon. “There’s a lot of great athletes, there’s a lot of actors, musicians, who have diabetes. It shows that with diabetes there shouldn’t be any limits.”

At a Wimbledon warmup event in Halle, Germany, Zverev said his glucose sensor gave him an incorrect reading at his semifinal match against Taylor Fritz. Because it showed falsely high levels, he accidentally injected too much insulin.

When he figured out the problem, Zverev consumed 350 grams of sugar through glucose gels in the first hour of the match to normalize his blood sugar levels. He reported feeling “awful" and lost the match in three sets.

“The company’s investigating it, looking into it,” he said at a pre-Wimbledon press conference, referring to the firm that makes the sensor. “I’ve been using it for 10-plus years. This is the first time ever it happened."

The sensors are life changing, he noted.

“Those things are still very, very useful for a diabetic, make the life of a diabetic much easier than without them,” he added. “It was very unfortunate for me that it happened, but I think as a product, it still is very helpful for millions of diabetes patients.”

Zverev has permission from Grand Slam tournaments, the All England Club confirmed, to use his phone during matches to check his glucose levels. His sensor relays readings to the phone so that Zverev doesn't need to do finger-prick blood tests. Otherwise, phones are not allowed on court.

NHL Hall of Famer Bobby Clarke played his whole career with Type 1 diabetes, and current NHL player Max Domi also has the chronic disease.

Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews, diagnosed in childhood, frequently checks his blood sugar levels during games.

Former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in his mid-20s, as was Olympic champion swimmer Gary Hall Jr.

Advocates say visibility is important, and not just in sports.

A year ago, Mattel introduced its first Barbie representing a person with Type 1 diabetes. She wears a continuous glucose monitor — to track blood sugar levels — on her arm while holding a phone displaying an accompanying app.

It was once called “juvenile diabetes” because it most often occurs in children and teenagers. An estimated 9.2 million people have Type 1 diabetes, according to the International Diabetes Federation.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that with the disease, “your pancreas doesn’t make insulin or makes very little insulin. Insulin helps blood sugar enter the cells in your body for use as energy. Without insulin, blood sugar can’t get into cells and builds up in the bloodstream.” Insulin shots are required to manage the blood sugar levels.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Alexander Zverev of Germany returns the ball to Taylor Fritz of the United States in their quarter-final men's singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Alexander Zverev of Germany reacts after a point against Arthur Fery of Britain in their men's singles semifinal match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Friday, July 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Alexander Zverev of Germany celebrates winning against Taylor Fritz of the United States in their quarter-final men's singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)