Bobby Allison, founder of racing’s

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Joey Logano took home his third career NASCAR Cup Series championship at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona on Sunday.
Logano held off teammate and last year’s champion Ryan Blaney for the final 20 laps to take the checkered flag. Blaney was looking to become the first back-to-back champion since Jimmie Johnson won five straight from 2006-2010.
With the win, Logano becomes the 10th driver in NASCAR history to win three or more titles. He previously won the championship in 2018 and 2022.
An exuberant Logano told the NBC broadcast after the race, “I love the playoffs, I love it, man.”
“What a race, what a Team Penske battle there at the end,” Logano continued. “Had a good restart, was able to get in front of the No. 12, had good long-run speed and that was all I had to hold him off. To get three of them, that’s pretty special.”
Logano’s third title wasn’t always guaranteed after he was eliminated in the Round of 12 at Charlotte Motor Speedway last month. However, Alex Bowman’s No. 48 car was disqualified for failing weight requirements in a post-race inspection. Logano was then reinstated.
A week later, Logano won at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the Round of 8 to clinch his spot in the championship race.
Team Penske’s recent dominance continued as Logano’s win gives the team its third consecutive title after Blaney won last year.
Blaney said he was “worn out” but celebrated his teammates victory following the race.
“Congrats to him, congrats to the 22 team, Penzoil and Ford,” Blaney said. “They put together a great playoffs and if we are going to race somebody, I am happy it was him for the championship. I am happy to be 1-2 for Roger (Penske). Three in a row for Roger is super amazing … At least a Penske car won it. Heck of a battle. Hope the fans enjoyed it. Hopefully we come back even stronger next year.”
The championship came down to four drivers – Logano, Blaney, Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron and Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing team owned by NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin.
Byron finished in third and Reddick finished sixth.
The 34-year-old Logano finishes the 2024 season with three race wins.

James Gilbert/Getty Images
In the final race of the 2024 NASCAR Monster Cup season, Ford’s Joey Logano emerged victorious at the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona, defeating fellow Ford driver Ryan Blaney by 0.33 seconds.
With Logano’s victory, he claimed his third NASCAR Cup Series Championship.
Chevrolet’s William Byron finished third, 5.119 seconds behind the leader, while Chevrolet’s Kyle Larson placed fourth, 7.169 seconds behind first.
Blaney entered Sunday’s championship leading the standings with 5,000 points, bolstered by the best finishes in the early races that determined his placement, with Logano bringing in second place.
Notably, Tyler Reddick finished in sixth place and Bubba Wallce in seventh.

The 1957 Chevy Black Widow is one of those rare cars that is loved and remembered as much for its build as it is for its backstory. The Black Widow was never a distinct machine by itself; instead, it was built off the 1957 Chevy 150 two-door sedan, which was a robust, lightweight, and pocket-friendly option. In fact, the ’57 Black Widow was initially nothing more than a special equipment package that did not even come from Chevrolet’s official factory line.
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After the 1955 Le Mans tragedy, where the French driver Pierre Levegh’s silver Mercedes crashed into the side stand and killed close to 80 people, racing was viewed as a starkly risky sport. This led to GM withdrawing its official support from racing teams. However, off the radar, GM established SEDCO under the leadership of Vince Piggins, a former Hudson engineer, which led to the inception of several iconic cars in the years to come, including the Black Widow.
The formula for building the first Black Widow, which debuted on the NASCAR circuit, was fairly simple — it was Chevy’s lightest sedan equipped with a ridiculously powerful engine. Though the engine of the car was certainly an attention grabber, it was the other minor tweaks and modifications that made it a raging success.
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[Featured image by sv1ambo via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY 2.0]

Roger Penske and his team Penske Racing is arguably the best auto racing company in the United States. This idea was further bolstered by his team’s exploits in winning a third straight NASCAR Cup Series championship at Phoenix last Sunday. Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney finished 1-2 in stretching the team’s dominant run in the Next Gen era.
This triumph couldn’t have come at a better time for the veteran team owner. In fact, this win in Phoenix was an extension of how the other arms of Penske Racing have performed this year. They won the Indianapolis 500, the IMSA Weathertech Championship, the World Endurance Championship, and the 24 Hours of Daytona. It is indeed a long list and one that none of the other owners can match or come close to in the NASCAR garage. So what’s next for Penske Racing, and what could his NASCAR team do to level up next year?
Roger Penske has immense trust and faith in his team members
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There’s a different level of comradery among the team members at Team Penske. This was evident from Joey Logano’s comments in the victory lane. “I’ve got the best team. I don’t know if I’m the best driver, but I’ve got the best team.” The same was reciprocated on the racetrack, as the two Penske drivers fought tooth and nail in the final few laps. It was hard racing, but nothing egregious that could derail Penske’s hopes of a third title.
Although the 87-year-old owner isn’t too invested in the daily operations of his team at NASCAR, his message and vision remain consistent every year. Moreover, this year’s success across different series was a source of inspiration for his NASCAR drivers to add to the silverware. And this is indeed an advantage they have over their rivals in the Chevy and Toyota camps.
“I think that’s been a great thing for us not only here in NASCAR racing but all other series. Because it rubs off. I mean, we talk about the 24 hours at Daytona that rubbed off on these guys; they’re always asking me how we are doing. When you think about it, the number of people that we have that we touch, every race in our company, and we have 74,000 people that tomorrow are going to be just climbing the walls with happiness because of the success, that’s what I’m in it for.” Roger Penske said after celebrating a championship win in Phoenix.
He also shared the formula of success that has worked out for his team. And it is about putting the right people in the right places and nurturing them from the grassroots level. “We want to win properly. I think when you race in this league with the teams we have here. We didn’t put them in from the top in the funnel; they came up through the bottom, every one of them. So they have that domain knowledge, which makes it so important, and they work as one team.”
via Getty INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MAY 28: Team owner Roger Penske poses for a photo in victory lane after his driver Josef Newgarden, driver of the #2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet, wins the 107th Running of Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 28, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
If anything, Roger Penske certainly has an eye for the talent. But with the legacy of his racing company, it isn’t an easy task to handpick the drivers that represent his brand of racing. One that thrives on the success of championship wins. So the question begs, how does he identify the right drivers that would carry the flag of Penske Racing and elevate it to new heights?
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Here’s how Roger Penske picks his race car drivers
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Racing for Team Penske is indeed a massive undertaking. The history, the legacy across different disciplines of racing, is something that can be overwhelming for drivers representing the team colors. But the veteran owner has been able to identify the star, which he feels can sustain the pressure of delivering the goods. And not fold when the going gets tough.
Sharing his thought process in what he sees in his driver before roping them in, he said, “I think first we want drivers that have won in some series. Today the technical relationship with the crew chief or the chief mechanic, or the engineer is so important… You kind of look at that; do they have those attributes to be a part of that success, and we don’t have to tell our guys what to do?” The 87-year-old owner added.
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Looking at the last few years, Penske drivers have certainly stepped their game up and maybe overdelivered on their promises. It will be interesting to see if the likes of Rick Hendrick and Joe Gibbs have a rebuttal to this dominant run next year.

Frankie Muniz insisted he was

Joey Logano’s championship win in Phoenix has led to a massive backlash against the current playoff format. With an average finish of seventeen, was Logano’s win justified as the best racer of the 2024 season? If you compare his run to that of either Kyle Larson or Christopher Bell, the arguments about the current format being flawed make sense. However, despite the constant bickering from the community, NASCAR is adamant that they will continue with the playoffs.
“You can talk about the format if we do some different things, but absolutely we’re going to stick with it,” Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR’s chief executive officer, said this ahead of the Phoenix race. So, on the one hand, you’ve got a stubborn governing council of NASCAR and, on the other, enraged fans who want to see consistent drivers be a part of the championship race. With the current order, you’ll only get more surprise winners like Austin Dillon, Chase Briscoe, and Harrison Burton advancing to knockout rounds.
So is there a solution to this dilemma? Well, the thought of NASCAR being open to tweaking the current format ignites hopes. But what would the new format look like? Does the return of the Chase format make sense, and if yes, how would that work out with the knockout stages?
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Chase vs the Playoff—which format is better?
Since its inception year in 2004, the Chase format rewards the most consistent race car drivers. From 2004-06, the chase or playoff as we know it today was made up of 10 drivers. This was changed to 12 drivers from the 2007 season. Here the drivers competing in the playoffs with the most amount of points in the 10 races would go on to win the championship.
But, in 2014, the elimination-style format was implemented, and the onus was now given to race winners. Be it the regular season or the playoffs, and since 2017, tweaks and changes have been made to this format with the addition of stage races and more. However, something is off when a star driver like Kyle Larson, who has multiple race wins, isn’t able to make it to the championship 4.
While the storylines are good for the sport, fans want to see the best drivers throughout the entire run battle for the championship. And this is where the fans were divided on Joey Logano’s championship win. Just like NASCAR fans, Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi have polar opposite viewpoints on the current playoff format. Gluck leaned on a chase-style format, while Bianchi wanted a win, and you’re in element retained to the new system.
“This car is designed to keep everybody close; this car is designed for parity; why not just go back to the 10 race, the Chase as we knew it? Give maybe double the bonus points and playoff points so people have more to start with so they don’t. You only have 30 to start with, and then you’re gone in one round. So maybe you have like 70 to start with or something right for top guy.” Jeff Gluck said this while speaking on Teardown.
via Getty LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 06: Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, waits on the track prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on February 06, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Although Bianchi was open to rewarding a change that rewards consistency, he wanted to retain the wins rewarding the drivers. “I’m not against it. If you reward drivers enough for winning, and I think that to me is a big thing where the one beauty of this format I really like it, rewards winning unlike anything else. I want to make sure that one rewarding wins is still there, and it’s still important, and that if it doesn’t work, we end up, you know, we’re going to this playoff format this year. Oh, we’re going to change it up.”
But how do the two formats and their strengths stand out, and how will it help NASCAR to make the tweak to the current system? Let us find out.
A mix of chase and elimination-style racing is what NASCAR needs
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We’ve seen the Chase format give us stories like Tony Stewart’s incredible comeback in 2011. He won the championship on a tiebreaker against Carl Edwards. It was an incredibly close points battle, and yet the winner was decided based on the number of wins. Stewart had five, while Edwards only had one win that season. Now you see multiple race winners do make a case for the return of the chase.
Making this argument, Gluck stated, “10 races is a long time. Tony Stewart did in 2011; you top your cap to them. You say, wow hey over 10 races, that was phenomenal. Like, I don’t think anybody would be going well. That’s a gimmicky, fluky kind of thing over 10 races and two and a half months.” On the flip side, winning certainly brought out the thriller races and storyline, especially in the playoffs. You had Tyler Reddick send it through on the last lap at Homestead and Ryan Blaney redeeming himself at Martinsville.
Perhaps NASCAR should chalk out the win, and you’re in to make the playoffs. But in the knockout round, a win should be able to help the driver advance, and such an idea would make sense to Bianchi too. “So like, if you could figure out a way and say, hey we’re gonna have this one through ten playoff format, okay. But I want to make sure you do it in a way where winning matters, where guys are going to be kind of put in fairly on the basis of winning.”
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Seeing that the playoffs or the chase has undergone a number of tweaks, therefore there’s a potential for a new change ahead of 2025. It’s been eight years since the current model was implemented, and perhaps now is the time for something different.

Hendrick Motorsports drivers finishing 1-2-3 at the Martinsville Speedway on their 40th anniversary was indeed a big highlight of this season. Very few teams in the Cup garage could pull off such a stunt, and the likes of William Byron, Kyle Larson, and Chase Elliott delivered quite a spectacle. But just when we thought nothing like this could repeat in 2024, Team Penske replicated them at an even grander stage.
The championship decider at Phoenix Raceway was indeed a historic one for Roger Penske and his team. Joey Logano emphatically won his third championship, and his teammate Ryan Blaney, who was nipping at his heels, finished a close second. It was total dominance from the Penske drivers as they finished 1-2. And this did draw the veteran team owner to level with his two rivals in the Cup garage in another NASCAR record.
Roger Penske is on a record-making spree
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The driver’s points standings play a big role in judging how the teams have performed throughout the season. Despite the playoffs being a roller coaster ride, the #22 and #12 teams outwitted their rivals on the biggest stage in the championship race. It wasn’t just a normal 1-2 finish, but these results saw the two top the driver’s standings as well.
Logano winning the title saw him clinch the top spot in the standings, whereas Blaney, with just five points behind his teammate, secured the second place. For the first time since 2019, a team was able to finish 1-2 in the driver’s standings. Joe Gibbs Racing was able to achieve this feat with Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. in 2019. Moreover, it was Hendrick Motorsports who set the tone for setting up this record back in 1996, and they managed to repeat it twice during the 2007 and 2009 seasons.
“Team Penske becomes the third team in the history of the NASCAR Cup Series to finish 1-2 in driver point standings — joining @JoeGibbsRacing (’19) and @TeamHendrick (’96, ’07, ’09).” Joseph Srigley shared this via X. Moreover, this was also the first time since 2010 a team was able to win three championship titles in a row. Jimmie Johnson and HMS were the ones who held this record from their dominant streak of five consecutive championship wins from 2006-10.
For the last decade or so, none of the teams truly stamped their authority on the sport with a streak of championship wins. But somehow Team Penske has risen to the occasion and has set the tone for this decade. They already have three, and with the talent at their disposal, they can go for more. However, it is indeed a head-scratcher on how this team has managed to stay dominant in an era where the Next Gen car was supposed to bring parity to the field.
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A resilient team and years of hardship now bearing fruit for Team Penske
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Ever since the Next Gen car rolled, teams have been having a hard time trying to figure out how to get the best out of them. Moreover, the unique playoff format certainly makes it difficult for the teams to experiment and find their strengths as the season goes on. But, for a team like Penske Racing, they are not just restricted to stock car racing. They are involved in IMSA, IndyCar, and Endurance racing. So if there was one team who could stand tall and set the tone in the spec car era, it was going to be them.
However, the real strength for them lies in their team and how they’ve gotten better over the years. “When you think about it, the number of people that we have that we touch. Every race in our company, and we have 74,000 people that tomorrow are going to be just climbing the walls with happiness because of the success. That’s what I’m in it for.” Roger Penske said after the championship win in Phoenix.
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“I think when you race in this league with the teams we have here. We didn’t put them in from the top in the funnel; they came up through the bottom, every one of them. So they have that domain knowledge, which makes it so important, and they work as one team,” he added.
It is about time that HMS and JGR get their house in order, or there is a possibility of Team Penske dominating this entire decade.

Kyle Busch has had quite a difficult season, hasn’t he? For the first time since he started his full-time racing career, the Nevada native finished the season winless, breaking a streak that has existed for 19 years. ‘Rowdy’ has had his share of bad luck in the sport’s top division this year, proving that even legends are not immune to poor seasons. A 20th-place finish in the Cup Series is not good enough for the Richard Childress Racing driver, who will learn valuable lessons from his 2024 campaign.
The outcome of Busch’s season hasn’t been because of a lack of effort. Having come agonizingly close to Victory Lane several times, the 39-year-old has had to deal with his fair share of bad luck. Reflecting on the season gone by, the No. 8 Chevy driver took to social media to pen a heartfelt letter to his fans.
Kyle Busch hopes to come back stronger
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It seems like Kyle Busch has come full circle. He started his full-time career at Hendrick Motorsports, finishing 20th in the driver standings in his rookie season, a position he was forced to settle for this year when the checkered flag was waved at Phoenix Raceway. Over the years, the racing driver has experienced all the highs and lows that NASCAR has to offer, winning two Cup Series championships and an Xfinity Series title. Having gone from being a talented but outspoken youngster to a respectful elder statesman, fans have seen plenty of character growth for ‘Rowdy’ over the years, both on and off the racetrack.
Acknowledging the rough year he has experienced in 2024, Kyle Busch took to social media and wrote, “Arguably the toughest year of my career. Full of trials, n heartbreaks. I know my RCR guys r gonna get after it this winter n we’ll come back stronger nxt season. Grateful for all of our partners, helping us do what we love. Thx Rowdy Nation for sticking w me. Y’all r the best.💯”
It’s not like Kyle Busch hasn’t had the chance to enter Victory Lane this season. During the second race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, he finished 0.007 seconds behind eventual race winner Daniel Suarez, highlighting just how fine the margins can be between victory and third place. Busch also secured back-to-back runner-up finishes at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 and Cook Out Southern 500, while securing top-five results at Dover and Michigan as well. Such has been his bad luck that even Kevin Harvick couldn’t help but say, “I’m starting to feel sorry for Kyle Busch because of everything that is happening.”
Having won three races in 2023 and ending the season in 14th place, it’s been quite a fall in performance for Kyle Busch, who has faced one setback after another at NASCAR’s highest level. The No. 8 Chevy driver has faced every issue under the sun this year, from lack of speed to pit road troubles and being involved in multi-car wrecks, it almost seems like Murphy’s law has been working overtime against the Richard Childress Racing driver. However, with one year remaining on his contract, will Rowdy use the off-season to refresh and recharge and aim for a better season in 2025? Or is the thought of retirement looming?
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Busch responds to fans demanding his retirement
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Despite his lackluster 2024 season, Kyle Busch remains one of the winningest drivers in NASCAR history. With 63 wins in the Cup Series, no other active driver can match Rowdy’s record at the highest level. If that wasn’t all, the Nevada native also has 102 wins in the second tier and 66 Truck Series wins, highlighting his dominance across the sport’s three national series. While Rowdy may have fallen short this time around, are calls for his retirement premature?
Sharing his views about the fans’ opinion, the Richard Childress Racing driver said, “Generally speaking, I probably actually agree a lot of times with the fans. Sometimes they get a little overzealous on some things. But on-track product, commercial times, things like that. I agree with a lot of the stuff they say. And to then have fans tell you you’re washed up and you can’t do it and you should retire and you should just get out of it? I’m like, ‘Wow, OK, cool. Maybe.’”
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It’s fair to say that Kyle Busch will be looking to redeem himself during the 2025 season. While there have been plenty of talks about a potential move elsewhere, the 39-year-old is expected to remain at RCR for another year at least and will hope to work alongside his No. 8 team to analyze the problems from the season gone by. Could we finally see a sensational ‘Rowdy’ comeback when the Cup Series season resumes next year? Time will tell. However, the Nevada native will be hungrier than ever to prove himself once again.

Joey Logano has pretty much nailed the win-and-in playoff format. The Team Penske driver secured his third Cup Series title with an impressive victory at Phoenix Raceway, ensuring a three-peat for Team Penske. While the No. 22 Ford racer has excelled within the postseason framework, the triumph didn’t come without controversy, as more consistent drivers such as Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell failed to make it into the Championship 4. However, the 34-year-old was a deserved contender, performing when it mattered the most to lift the Bill France Cup in the final race of the season.
Revealing the secrets behind his success, Logano shared insights about his approach going into the championship race at the 1-mile tri-oval. Has the Team Penske driver found an unorthodox way of achieving glory at NASCAR’s highest level?
Joey Logano’s shrewd approach paid off
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Work smart, not hard. That’s a mantra Joey Logano seems to have adopted, given the way he won the championship in 2024. While the amount of effort he has put in cannot be underestimated, the Connecticut native has epitomized what a ‘clutch performer’ means with his performances in the Cup Series. He won a race at Nashville Superspeedway during the regular season to qualify for the playoffs and went on to secure a statement victory in the opening postseason race at Atlanta. Having almost been eliminated at the Charlotte Roval, Bowman’s disqualification gave him another shot at the title, and Logano capitalized by winning in Las Vegas.
Victory in the opening Round of Eight race gave Joey Logano plenty of time to prepare for the championship race in Phoenix. Revealing why he deliberately underperformed at Homestead-Miami and Martinsville, the Team Penske driver said on The Teardown podcast, “For us, our advantage was that we got in sooner and we took those two weeks to really not do good at those two racetracks because we were focused in here. I guess, you know looking back at it, there’s a reason why we won those three and it seems like that’s the recipe to do it. It’s easy to say, hard to do.”
via Getty DAYTONA, FL – FEBRUARY 16: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Pennzoil Team Penske Ford Mustang Shell, fields questions from the media during Daytona 500 Media Day on February 16, 2022 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fl. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
After winning the 2024 South Point 400, Logano and the No. 22 Ford team set their sights on Phoenix Raceway, as the outcome in the remaining two playoff races became inconsequential. Even though fans speculated that had he not won at Vegas, the Team Penske driver would have struggled in the subsequent two races, the 34-year-old shut down the hypothetical scenario by saying, “You can’t say that because we would run completely different at those racetracks because we’d actually care, you know.”
Ultimately, the team’s approach paid off, as having more time to prepare helped the team perform when it mattered the most. Joey Logano qualified in 2nd place at Phoenix Raceway, winning the opening stage and showcasing a defensive masterclass to keep his teammate Ryan Blaney at bay during the closing laps. In a sport where the finest of margins can make all the difference, having more time to prepare ultimately proved to be the difference maker, with the Team Penske driver saying, “You’re not under stress right? So your batteries are recharged.”
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Logano defends the playoff system after Phoenix Raceway triumph
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If there’s one driver who has excelled in the elimination format, it’s Joey Logano. The Team Penske driver has made it to the Championship 4 six times in the last decade, reinforcing the ‘Even-Year-Logano’ theory that has been making rounds on social media. While the playoff system has been a perennial punching bag in the NASCAR community, and in some cases, rightly so, the Team Penske driver doesn’t share the same views as some of his colleagues, who consider it ‘broken’.
With Kyle Larson securing six wins but not making it to Championship 4, questions were raised about the win-and-in format, which failed to reward drivers for their consistency. However, Logano defended the existing postseason structure by saying, “Can we tweak things? I’m sure. But gosh, it just makes incredible storylines all the way through. And everyone has the same opportunity…The advantage that the 5 had, the 45 had, going into the playoffs – what else could you want? They earned the advantage…if you don’t make it from that, like oh well.”
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Ever since the Next-Gen cars were introduced in 2022, Team Penske has been dominating the Cup Series championship, winning three titles in a row. As for Joey Logano, the 34-year-old has found a way to thrive in a complicated format, while his counterparts Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson have struggled. It’s not difficult to see why the No. 22 Chevy driver is enjoying life under the existing postseason framework, having lifted the Bill France Cup in 2018, 2022, and 2024. However, could NASCAR look into rewarding consistency by making changes to the existing structure? Time will tell.

Will Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin’s 23XI Racing run as an open organization for the 2025 season? Well, there’s a huge possibility that both the owners of 23XI and FRM will have to go down this road after their request for preliminary injunction was denied by the courts. This was the second setback for the teams after they were denied a request for expedited discovery. This would’ve made their argument for the injunction strong.
Instead, now that the tides have turned against them, while the teams are going to file an appeal to this ruling, they will have to make haste. After the end of 2024, the charters owned by the two teams would be of no value, as they haven’t agreed to the new deal. Former NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace had his reservations about Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin’s move to go to court against NASCAR. And after the injunction was denied, he once again shared a similar take.
Kenny Wallace isn’t feeling optimistic about 23XI & FRM’s chances in their legal battle against NASCAR
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This isn’t the first time NASCAR is facing an anti-trust lawsuit. Back in 2002, Francis Ferko, a minority shareholder of then-publicly traded SMI, held NASCAR and ISC accountable for violating the agreement to have a second Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway. But in 2004, when the suit was about to go to trial, the two parties settled.
Something similar happened when Kentucky Speedway filed a case on anti-trust grounds for lack of races at the racetrack. In this instance, the court backed NASCAR, citing that as the governing body, they can decide the venues and locations where they want to operate. So as far as legal matters go, NASCAR seems to come out on the sweet end of things one way or another. This is why Kenny Wallace’s response to the court ruling was once again to warn Michael Jordan and Co. of the potential outcome.
“I hate it for them, but I said, man, be careful. NASCAR’s got friends in Washington DC; they know what they’re up to, Richard Petty and the gang; they tried to do this stuff years ago, but the injunction failed. The judge ruled yesterday on Friday, so right now Michael Jordan, 23XI, and Front Row are O and 3. It means they have tried to go against NASCAR three times and they have lost all three times.” Wallace shared this on X.
Meanwhile, Wallace also shared a contrasting example of how RFK Racing and Brad Keselowski are looking to expand. “I’m a crack a little joke right now. NASCAR’s doing so bad that Brad Keselowski is going to start another team up. Poor NASCAR, we’re losing so much money that we’re gonna start another team up, says Brad Keselowski. Then you’ve got these guys over here suing NASCAR because they say it is a Monopoly. Listen, I understand Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan; they just want a bigger piece of the pie, and I’m not condemning it whatsoever.”
Speaking of a bigger piece of the pie, NASCAR also made a huge revelation ahead of the championship race in Phoenix.
Teams are the biggest beneficiaries of the new TV deal
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NASCAR is from its glory days when sponsorship money was in abundance and TV ratings were sky-high. Now, the teams have to scramble for multiple sponsors so that they can run their race cars throughout the years. Rising costs of racing and not enough returns have seen many teams pack their bags and leave NASCAR. Stewart Haas Racing is the prime example of how a crippling business model has led to more problems for the owners and the teams.
Even the winningest team, Hendrick Motorsports, hasn’t been profitable in the last 10 years. “I don’t think Hendrick Motorsports has made a profit in 10 years.” Jeff Gordon said this on Dale Jr. Download. One of the sticking points in the charter negotiations was that the teams wanted more split from the TV money, and it seems like they are getting that.
“I won’t go into what the money split looks like, but what I will say is that the amount of money it now puts the race teams, starting in 25, as the single largest beneficiary of our media deal. And we did that because the race teams were upside down financially.” NASCAR President Steve Phelps said in a press conference.
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So this now puts Michael Jordan and his team in a precarious position. They declined to sign up for a potentially good deal and are now staring at the possibility of running as an open organization for the 2025 season.

Justin Allgaier is the only driver to compete in all nine NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs, but he has never won a championship. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride. In those nine playoffs runs he finished second twice and appeared in the Championship 4 a series-leading seven times. So much success and yet no championships for Allgaier.

NASCAR Truck Series championship contender Ty Majeski was fined $12,500 by the stock car series this week after missing media obligations to vote in his home state of Wisconsin on Election Day.
Majeski is one of four drivers who can win the truck title at Phoenix Raceway on Friday night. Majeski talked with Thorsport Racing owners and all agreed he would cast his ballot in person on Tuesday.
Majeski called the penalty “unprecedented” and said he will appeal the decision.
“I felt like I needed to do my duty as a U.S. citizen to vote. My team owners and I, we all made the decision to exercise that right,” he said.
A NASCAR spokesman said the team never disclosed Majeski was not available because he was voting.
Majeski said he didn’t know until last week after the race at Martinsville, when he finished 11th to advance on points, that he would be in the championship four. The 30-year-old Majeski will compete with Corey Heim, Christian Eckes and Grant Enfinger in trying for his first Truck Series title.
“This has never happened before. Election Day, everyone knew it was Election Day for a long time,” he said. “It’s unfortunate circumstances for everybody.”
Majeski said he has always been a person who votes on Election Day and has never filled out an absentee ballot.
“I wanted to make sure my vote was counted,” he said.

When 23XI Racing realized their playoff hopes were slipping, the team took drastic measures. With the Final Four in sight, tension soared, and strategies veered into the gray. As Ryan Blaney closed in on the third championship slot, it was a points battle between him and William Byron that held the key to the final berth. Their teams deployed stealthy moves to boost chances, triggering NASCAR’s penalties. Meanwhile, Richard Childress and other team owners could do little but watch as NASCAR cracked down on these high-stakes tactics.
All three drivers were slapped with a total of $600,000 fine along with a deep points redux and suspensions of crew chiefs, spotters, and team executives for Phoenix. Their teams were outraged at this severe punishment at first,cing was the first to know it was useless, and now their fellow perpetrators are in a similar soup. but then that opposition fizzled out. 23XI Racing was the first to know it was useless, and now their fellow perpetrators are in a similar soup.
Richard Childress got a slap in the face
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Well, the acts looked pretty egregious to begin with. Although William Byron exchanged the lead of the Xfinity 500 race several times, the No. 24’s car lost its pace by lap 471, falling to 6th place. Brad Keselowski was in the mode to overtake him, but the No. 1 and the No. 3 crew chiefs colluded for a Chevy ‘deal’. Soon, Austin Dillon and Ross Chastain formed a ‘rolling roadblock’ behind him, preventing other cars from overtaking Byron. Similarly, Bubba Wallace intentionally slowed down to let Christopher Bell take a wall ride to the front.
And Wallace’s team was the first to realize the gravity of the act. Shortly after declaring their intent to appeal on Tuesday, 23XI Racing withdrew it. The National Motorsports Appeals Panel (NMAP) heard and considered the appeal by Trackhouse Racing on Thursday. Eventually, the three-person panel of Kelly Housby, Lyn St. James, and Steve York determined Ross Chastain’s actions to be violating the NASCAR rulebook. Soon after this decision rolled out, Richard Childress accepted defeat. They had a hearing set for 5:30 p.m. ET but withdrew its appeal.
Richard Childress clearly felt it was impossible to pull his grandson out of this mess. Holding sufficient precedents—like Clint Bowyer’s ‘Spingate’ fiasco in 2013 or Cole Custer intentionally slowing to let Chase Briscoe win in 2022—the Martinsville dilemma was a clear-cut case.
The panel explained its decision about Trackhouse, announcing, “We feel in the best interest of racing, and to protect the integrity of the sport, it was appropriate to uphold and affirm NASCAR’s decision with regard to the NASCAR rule 4.4, attempting to manipulate the outcome of the race.” The suspension of spotter Brandon McReynolds will also affect Parker Kligerman and Big Machine Racing for the upcoming Phoenix activities.
However, will this teach the perpetrators a lesson? History counters this possibility.
Inadequate penalties?
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Dale Earnhardt Jr. vehemently opined that this is hardly enough to contain the lawlessness running wild in NASCAR. “To really get someone’s attention, I think parking them a race – it will be enough of a deterrent for someone to not do it again,” Dale Jr. said. On top of that, Richard Childress’ grandson has a checkered history of illicit moves this season.
During the August Richmond race, Austin Dillon wrecked out both Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin to seize the win. Then Bubba Wallace also holds this history—he ‘door-slammed’ Alex Bowman during the cool-down lap after the latter won the Chicago Street Race. Last year, another infraction of rules was committed, and the perpetrators clearly did not learn their lesson.
In March 2023, NASCAR issued L3 penalties to all four Hendrick Motorsports cars and one Kaulig Racing car. The issue was “Unapproved modification of a single source vendor supplied part (hood louvers).” Each race team lost 100 driver points, 100 owner points, and 10 playoff points. Also, the crew chiefs had to pay $100,000 fines each.
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The appeals only reduced their points penalties, but the monetary fines were in place. Despite this hefty punishment, only a month later the No. 24 and the No. 48 HMS cars breached the rules yet again. This time, they made illegal modifications to the greenhouses of both cars. Penalties came yet again: 60 driver and owner points, 5 playoff points, fines of $75,000, and two-race suspensions for the crew chiefs.
Evidently, the penalty may not be enough to avoid a repetition of the Martinsville fiasco. For now, Richard Childress and Co. have realized their futile appeals and can focus on nursing their penalized teams back into form again.

The veteran Motorsports journalist Holly Cain is back at her desk in the NASCAR wire service office, with her earphones plugged in and glued to her laptop, working the magic as she gives timely updates from NASCAR. Cain is a true testament to hard work and dedication, as it wasn’t long ago that the Lakeland native was fighting cancer. That too for the second time!
On January 7th, 2024, Cain announced her cancer’s return, starting a grueling seven-week treatment of chemotherapy and radiation. After five rounds, she was cleared to race again, making her comeback at Talladega’s spring race. Her return sparked joy in the NASCAR community, and now a fellow journalist’s tribute to her battle moved Dale Earnhardt Jr., reflecting the deep respect for Holly Cain’s strength and resilience.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is delighted to have Holly Cain back!
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This wasn’t Cain’s first tussle with cancer. Back in 2014, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and, after a long battle, defeated it. But it returned during the NASCAR 2023 season finale at Phoenix. Recently, The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck shared the story of how it started. Gluck recently posted a photo of Cain, hard at work, as it took him down memory lane to when, on this very day, her cancer reappeared.
Gluck wrote on X, “This morning walking into the track, I was thinking of how a year ago on this day, I was riding on the back of a golf cart with Holly Cain. She pointed to a large lump on her neck and expressed concern it meant her cancer had returned.” According to the Athletic journalist, Holly Cain, despite that, worked throughout the race weekend, and only after that, when she went home to do a checkup, did she get to know that the cancer had returned. After strenuous treatment, Cain notified everyone in the NASCAR community via X.
She wrote, “Just had my second big exam to confirm…I am cancer-free! And soooooo appreciative of my doctors, my family, and friends – everyone who encouraged and supported me! Still recovering from treatment, but I’ve got this.” Jeff Gluck, after seeing her recently, was delighted to have his fellow motorsport journalist still contributing to impactful storytelling.
“Holly underwent an extreme chemo/radiation treatment that many people do not survive. Somehow, she’s still with us. And one year later, she’s here at the track again, doing her job as always. Definitely not taking it for granted. We’re so happy to get extra time with you, Holly,” Gluck added.
The veteran journalist was touched reading this as she replied, “Thank you for always being so kind and thoughtful Jeff. You checked on me throughout it all and your friendship and care has meant more to me than you know. I’m so fortunate!” Seeing Gluck’s post, even Dale Earnhardt Jr. was glad to see his good friend Cain back at what she does best. Jr. was quick to reply to Gluck’s post, “Best post of the day.” Holly Cain and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have known each other since before Junior became one of the most popular names in the sport.
Holly Cain, remembering her first meeting with Jr., had previously said, “It came in the small conference room of a Charlotte chain hotel in 1998 during the traditional preseason NASCAR Media Tour. And the 23-year-old Earnhardt wasn’t even the primary focus of the interview session, scheduled to promote the upcoming Busch Grand National season, as the Nationwide Series was then known. Looking a little overwhelmed by his first “media tour,” Earnhardt sat quietly at a table by himself, waiting patiently in case any of the handful of reporters wanted a one-on-one interview when the formal portion of the event was over.”
And not just Dale Jr., but pretty much the entire NASCAR community would be pleased to see her back to full strength as they all rallied together for her treatment.
Holly Cain is loved across the NASCAR community
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When the news of her second bout with cancer became public, a fundraising campaign for her treatment expenses was started. After having been a motorsport journalist for more than 30 years, Cain is admired and respected by other media members, as well as the racers she writes about. NASCAR journalist Doug Rice was quick to take charge of the campaign as they aimed to raise $60,000 for medical expenses.
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And, the overwhelming support from the motorsport community was instrumental in raising nearly $25,000 within just one day, demonstrating how the NASCAR community cherishes her. In the three decades of writing stories, Holly Cain has won many awards, including the NMPA Pocono Spirit Award back in 2015, an honor that celebrates those who demonstrate courage, sportsmanship, and dedication to Motorsports.
It’s often rare for a journalist to have such deep bonds with the sportsmen or, in this case, drivers that she covers, interviews, and at times is also critical about. Yet, it has led to long-lasting connections, ones that stand firm in times of need. Like this recent campaign, even when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014, the NASCAR community came together to support her.
In fact, NASCAR legend Clint Bowyer in the 2014 Kansas race carried Cain’s name on the roof, along with sponsorship from 5-Hour Energy to support the company’s program with Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC). When Cain got to know about this, she was back home in Florida undergoing chemotherapy. “I merely represent thousands of others affected by breast cancer and what Clint and Living Beyond Breast Cancer and 5-Hour Energy are doing will have a tangible effect on all of us,” This is what she had said after hearing about Bowyer’s gesture.
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via Imago Jimmie Johnson (left), Holly Cain (right)
With the Cup Series finale nearing, surely Holly Cain is super busy with work as NASCAR’s 2024 champion will soon be crowned? However, who do you think it will be?

NASCAR is heading to the season finale at Phoenix and this would be the 6th time Joey Logano has made it to the championship 4 since the elimination format was introduced in 2014. No other active driver has achieved this feat! Logano is also the only multiple-time Cup Champion among the four contestants. However, the way Logano’s 2024 season was going, reaching the finale seemed like a bleak possibility.
If you look at the stats, Logano only finished in the top 5 just four times this season! Four out of 25 races is unlike the 2022 champion. This reflected in the playoffs as, other than his win in the opening race at Atlanta, his campaign was mediocre until the round of 8. Thrice he finished 28th or worse in the playoffs. However, throughout the season, the Logano faction seems to bring their best game when it’s needed the most. While many are crediting his Championship 4 appearance to luck, Logano disagrees!
Joey Logano on why he is deserving of the Championship 4 berth
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The #22 team only bagged just one win in the regular season, but that was enough to make it to the playoffs. Similarly, the win in the Atlanta race was enough to reach the next round. However, in round 2, Logano was in a pickle entering the eliminator at ROVAL. With -13 points below the cutline, the #22 faction had to bring their A-game. And that is exactly what they did. After four consecutive finishes outside the top 10, Logano got a P8 at ROVAL, which initially did not prove enough but kept him next in line in case someone was eliminated.
To his good fortune, Alex Bowman’s car failed post-race weight inspection, giving Logano his spot. While luck is a factor in this, Logano believes that they were always in contention since the HMS driver had an illegal entry. Then the Penske driver won the round three opener at Las Vegas and booked a spot in the top 4, now eyeing his third championship.
Ahead of the final race, Joey Logano opened up on the Bowman incident, explaining how it was not luck that put him in round 3. Logano on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio said, “If we all are supposed to be playing on an equal playing field, they pushed it too far and you get dinged for it. Like we all push it far and however it happened I don’t know, but they went too far in NASCAR to put the foot down. And we were next in line, does that make us lucky? No. We were next in line for a reason and we had a race against a car that wasn’t legal. So we had the spot the whole time in my opinion.”
The Penske driver is of the opinion that no one makes it to the final 4 without deserving it. And if the 6-time finalist is saying that, we can take his word for it. “Nobody makes it to the championship 4 for not in a deserving way. You have to get here somehow. Everyone has this same opportunity when we roll into February Daytona. Everybody has the same opportunity to get to championship 4, no matter how you get there. But we all have the same opportunity to get there. So we came in as maybe not the number one seed or maybe not even the number 10. But we figured out how to get through the rounds and now we are here. So everyone has the same opportunities to do that,” Logano added.
Luck or no luck, there is no denying that Logano is one of the most successful active drivers in the Cup Series. The 35-time Cup Series race winner is 4th in standing after Kyle Busch (63), Denny Hamlin (54), and Brad Keselowski (36). Logano has a strong chance to equal the wins with Keselowski after the Phoenix race and also become the driver with the most amount of championships amongst the active ones. However, a driver who can prove to be a thorn in this journey is the defending champion and his teammate, Ryan Blaney. But in contrast, according to Logano, the two teams are prepping together for the championship race.
Teamwork continues as championship chances have doubled for Penske
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Ryan Blaney won the dramatic Martinsville race, making it Penske domination in the championship 4. And Team Penske has clearly got an upper hand amongst the four divers. Blaney and Logano are former champions whereas Tyler Reddick and William Byron haven’t yet won a title. Other than the experience difference, Blaney is coming off a win and momentum can definitely be a factor in giving Penske the upper hand. Lastly, Blaney has the best average finish among all active drivers at the Phoenix Raceway. The #12’s average finish on the track since 2021 is 4.1 compared to Byron’s 10.3, Logano’s 12.1 and Reddick’s 15.6.
via Imago Joey Logano (left), Ryan Blaney (right)
However, some think that the drivers with the most amount of preparation time have the upper hand. Logano, after winning Kansas, had 2 weeks to prep for the final race, naturally giving him an advantage. And thankfully for Penske, the #22 team is helping in expediting the prep process for the #12 team. On this Logano said, “Yeah, I mean, it’s an advantage to just get the team working that direction already. While Paul (Wolfe, Logano crew chief) and our engineers have been focused 100% on Phoenix the last two weeks, that allows (Johnathan) Hassler (Blaney crew chief) to be able to kind of lean on those guys a little bit what we’ve been studying and working on.”
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If team Penske wins another championship, it would be Penske’s 5th and Logano’s 3rd. However, the #22 has put his team’s goals ahead of his. “Yeah, I mean, obviously it would be great. I guess when it comes to individually, I don’t think about it that much. I think of it more of a team ’cause I know what a championship is worth to everybody. I think that matters more…But I’d like to see the people that I care about at our race team celebrate,” Logano added.
Do you think Team Penske can win the 2024 championship? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

Joey Logano is in a unique position. The driver could deliver a Cup Series three-peat for Team Penske at Phoenix Raceway, cementing their dominance in the Next-Gen era. His teammate Ryan Blaney, who is the reigning champion, will also be in contention for the Bill France Cup, while Tyler Reddick and William Byron occupy the remaining two Championship 4 spots. With the stakes higher than ever, the Connecticut native is hoping to avoid the controversy that occurred at Martinsville.
Despite accusations of race manipulation flying around, Joey Logano has thrown shade at NASCAR for not taking action against the No. 24 Chevy team, who ultimately benefited from Austin Dillon and Ross Chastain’s assistance at the 2024 Xfinity 500.
Joey Logano hopes for a clean race in Phoenix
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The penultimate race of the Cup Series season had no shortage of drama and controversy. Ross Chastain, Austin Dillon, and Bubba Wallace, along with their respective teams, were punished by NASCAR for race manipulation, resulting in the suspension of key personnel as well as a $600,000 overall fine. Driving under the Chevrolet umbrella, the Trackhouse and Richard Childress Racing drivers were found guilty of blocking incoming traffic from making the pass over William Byron, who was competing for a spot in the Championship 4.
While the sanctioning body has punished those involved, Byron remains in contention at Phoenix Raceway under controversial circumstances. When asked by Bob Pockrass how the penalties could impact the final race of the season, Joey Logano replied, “It’s kind of hard to say. The beneficiaries of it are still in and nothing happened. You tell me if it was good enough or not. Did it work or did it not? Was it worth it? I don’t know, I’m not NASCAR. I’m not the person that can make the call on that stuff. Just driving cars. You just hope everyone races fairly.”
In many ways, NASCAR’s punishment was also meant to serve as a reminder to other drivers to not attempt a similar feat in the winner-takes-all-race at Phoenix. However, William Byron ultimately benefitted from the so-called “deal,” and escaped unscathed despite his controversial sixth-place finish at Martinsville Speedway.
Unsurprisingly, Joey Logano feels hard done by, given that the rest of the Championship 4 contenders secured race wins to earn their shot at the title, while the Hendrick Motorsports driver received help from fellow Chevy drivers.
As he has done so often in the past, Joey Logano will hope to pull off one more clutch performance in the final race of the season. The 34-year-old has the experience of performing at the biggest race of the season, having lifted the championship twice already, in 2018 and 2022. While his season might not have been the most dominant this year, Logano has performed when it mattered the most to continue his even-year streak. Could he go on to win the title, just as he did in 2018 and 2022? Time will tell.
Logano dismisses ‘lucky’ claims ahead of championship race
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In the last 10 years, Joey Logano has made it to Championship 4 a staggering six times. The Connecticut native has firmly established himself as one of NASCAR’s modern greats, highlighting the importance of consistency and hard work to secure results on the racetrack. Despite securing just three wins this season, the Team Penske driver has refuted claims that he was lucky to have made it this far, as Alex Bowman’s disqualification earned him a spot in the Round of Eight.
Explaining how he and his team found a way to remain in the title race, Joey Logano said, “If we’re all supposed to be playing on an equal playing field and they (No. 48 team) pushed it too far, you’re going to get dinged for it. We all push it far and however it happened, I don’t know. But they went too far and NASCAR had to put the foot down. We were next in line. Does that make us lucky? No, we were next in line for a reason and we had to race against a car that wasn’t legal. We had the spot the whole time.”
In a format that rewards consistency, making it to Championship 4 is impossible without earning a spot amongst NASCAR’s best. Logano has secured wins at key moments during the ongoing Cup Series campaign, whether it was at the Nashville Superspeedway, the opening playoff race at Atlanta, or the Round of Eight fixture in Las Vegas.
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Given the circumstances, he has done more than enough to earn his place at Phoenix Raceway in the final race of the season. All he needs to do is perform one more time to lift the silverware on the grandest stage of them all.

Over the years, the NASCAR playoff format has become a proverbial punching bag. The controversy at Martinsville Speedway in the penultimate Cup Series race highlighted the uglier side of the existing structure, with manufacturer allegiances becoming more pronounced than ever before. Drivers such as Kyle Larson, who have won six races in the season failed to make it to Championship 4, while less consistent drivers remain in contention for the title at Phoenix Raceway.
Reflecting on the existing format, Denny Hamlin issued a warning that NASCAR could face severe backlash on social media if Joey Logano were to clinch the Bill France Cup in the final race of the season.
Don’t hate the player, hate the game
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Joey Logano has pretty much nailed the win-and-you’re-in playoff format. Ever since the elimination-style playoff structure was introduced in 2014, the Connecticut native has made it to Championship 4 six times, winning the Cup Series twice during that timeframe. Despite having a lackluster season, the Team Penske driver has secured three victories at key points during the campaign, helping him fight for the crown once again. The 34-year-old was kicked out of the postseason after finishing eighth at the Charlotte Roval, but Alex Bowman’s disqualification reinstated him, and victory in Las Vegas punched his ticket into the final four.
However, Denny Hamlin isn’t expecting a good reception should Logano win the championship at Phoenix Raceway. Speaking on the Actions Detrimental podcast, the veteran driver said, “I can tell you this and it’s not their fault or his fault or anyone. But if Joey Logano wins this title, there is going to be a wrath on social media about this format. It already is. It’s so interesting because Kyle Larson, you said in this season or when you decided this that you wanted to put an emphasis on winning. He’s won more races than anyone by a long way and yet he is not part of the title fight.”
Had NASCAR followed the Sprint Cup Chase format, which was used until the 2014 season, Kyle Larson would have remained in contention for his second Cup Series title. Instead, the existing format doesn’t reward consistency but encourages a win-at-all-costs approach, as victory is the only way to automatically progress into the next playoff round. Taking advantage of the situation, Joey Logano has legitimately earned his spot in the Championship 4, while more consistent drivers throughout the season have fallen short.
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Denny Hamlin cited another example to highlight the issues with the existing playoff structure, saying “Kevin Harvick won ten races and didn’t get to race for the title. The format is broken and if you disagree you’re in denial.” With car manufacturers having so much sway on the sport, it was only a matter of time before certain parties would game the system to work in their favor. It’s time NASCAR does more to reward consistency and give drivers a reason to perform at the highest level for the duration of the season. Could Joey Logano’s victory prompt the sanctioning body to re-work its existing format? Time will tell.
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Denny Hamlin reflects on missing out on the championship
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If there is one driver who knows what it’s like to miss out on the championship, it’s Denny Hamlin. The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran has come close plenty of times, but not close enough to lift the elusive Bill France Cup in the final race of the season. While 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick remains in contention, the only way Hamlin can lift the trophy this year will be as an owner, not a driver for the No. 11 Toyota team.
Despite having three wins this season, Denny Hamlin hasn’t entered Victory Lane since the 2024 Würth 400 at Dover Motor Speedway earlier this season. Criticizing the playoff format for missing out on the title, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver said, “You know you have that stretch in the middle of the summer you’re thinking, ‘We’re right there on the verge, we’re one of the top teams.’ But the win and you’re in just changes everything and it certainly, those good consistent finishes is definitely what it does not reward.”
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At the age of 43, Denny Hamlin doesn’t have time on his side as he continues his hunt for the Cup Series title. He might still be at the top of his game, but the championship will continue to elude him unless he can adapt to the existing playoff format. While his focus will be on cheering for the No. 45 entry for the team he owns, the Florida native will feel a tinge of resentment for not being in contention for the ultimate prize at Phoenix Raceway.

As Dirty Mo Media prepares to launch the latest episode of Herm & Schrader on November 13, they do a deep dive into the enduring friendship between Ken Schrader and Dale Earnhardt Jr. In the latest episode of the Dirty Mo Media channel, Schrader and Dale Jr. reflect on the early days of stock car racing, sharing stories of the challenges that shaped their careers. They explore the evolution of the sport, the bond that ties drivers together, and all that makes NASCAR more than just a competition.
But it’s not just about racing. Dale Jr also reveals moments of connection, humor, and respect between two of NASCAR’s most beloved figures. As they recount their shared experiences, Dale Jr. takes a moment to express his gratitude to Ken in a heartfelt letter, paying tribute to their friendship and the legacy of Dale Earnhardt Sr. However, the real twist comes years later when Dale Jr. connects the dots in an unexpected way—revealing the surprising connection to Carl Edwards’ father.
How Dale Earnhardt Jr met Carl Edwards’ father
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As Dirty Mo Media gears up to launch the latest episode of Herm & Schrader on November 13, the Dale Jr Download shares a heartwarming moment between Ken Schrader and Dale Earnhardt Jr. But there’s one story that stands out—a surprising flashback from Dale Jr.’s past, which ties back to Carl Edwards’ dad.
On the November 8th episode of Dale Jr. Download, the JR Motorsports boss starts reminiscing about an incident that happened years ago. Back when he was just starting to carve out his place in NASCAR, he and his friends ended up at a gentleman’s club after a race. The group of drivers, including Jr., had been traveling, and it was supposed to be a quick stop on their way home. But things didn’t go quite as expected.
Jr. recalls with a chuckle, “We get to the door and try to go in, and the guy says, ‘Hey, you can’t come in.’” Turns out, they weren’t exactly welcome. Schrader and the others, trying to make light of the situation, told Jr. to stay quiet and act like he belonged. “Just keep your eyes forward. Don’t say a word,” they told him. But the plan didn’t work. They were turned away.
So, Dale Jr. and one of the guys, who happened to be Cousin Carl (Carl Edwards), ended up sitting in the bed of a pickup truck outside the club, drinking beer and watching the chaos unfold. It was the kind of night that would stick with him. “We’re just sitting there, and we watch this guy doing a gun deal in the parking lot,” Jr. remembers. “It was wild.”
But the most unexpected twist came years later when Jr. and Carl Edwards were sitting together at a driver’s meeting at Daytona. Jr. had just arrived early and sat down next to Carl, who waved him over to meet his dad. “You know my dad?” Carl asked. Jr. was a little confused, saying, “No, I don’t think so, man.” That’s when Carl hit him with the surprising bombshell: “Yeah, y’all hung out in the back of a pickup truck outside a st–p club in Kansas back in ’91.”
via Imago Dale Earnhardt Jr
Dale Jr. laughed, stunned by the connection. “That was you?” he says, realizing just how small the racing world is. Carl’s dad, who had shared that night with Jr., was none other than the guy he’d met with years ago outside the club. Now that Carl Edwards has retired, he, in fact, decided to follow in Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s footsteps by giving up the steering wheel for a mic.
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Carl Edwards gets into the media side of NASCAR
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Carl Edwards is embracing a new chapter in his career. After retiring from racing in 2016, he stepped away from the spotlight to focus on family and community work. But Edwards has recently revealed a growing interest in following the footsteps of legends like Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick. He wants to do this by making a transition into broadcasting.
Despite his legendary status on the track, Edwards prefers the microphone to the fire suit, indicating that he’s open to TV work. Edwards’ broadcasting journey is not entirely new. He first dipped his toes into the TV world back in 2012, calling Nationwide Series races for ESPN. His appearances continued in the following years, and now, with veterans like Harvick joining FOX Sports and Dale Jr. moving to TNT Sports, it’s clear the trend of drivers transitioning to the booth is only growing.
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This shift towards veteran drivers in broadcasting isn’t accidental. NASCAR on FOX made a strategic decision in 2022 to bring in a rotating lineup of former drivers like Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, and Danica Patrick to keep things fresh and relatable for the audience. With that said, would you be interested in watching a Carl Edwards broadcast? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Drama continued to encompass NASCAR ahead of its championship-deciding season finale as the sanctioning body issued $600,000 in fines and suspended nine team members from three different teams on Tuesday for alleged race manipulation at Martinsville Speedway.
The penalties came down after a contentious final battle Sunday at the Virginia track in which Christopher Bell initially qualified for the championship final four, but his move to hit the wall and use it for momentum violated a banned safety rule and was disallowed.
That gave the final spot in this week’s winner-take-all finale at Phoenix Raceway to William Byron.
But, NASCAR was clear in disqualifying Bell that it would take a hard look at the actions other drivers played in the sequence of events as Bell and Byron battled for the final spot in the championship four.
Elton Sawyer, NASCAR’s senior vice president of competition, seemed to stress that punished drivers Ross Chastain, Austin Dillon and Bubba Wallace were lucky not to be suspended.
“In this case we felt we wanted to focus more on the team leadership, something that we haven’t done in the past,” Sawyer said. “But I promise you that does not exclude going forward. We have meetings coming up this week with our drivers and we will get that point across to them and be very clear that when you do anything that’s going to compromise the integrity of our sport, we’re going to react.”
Drivers have been on notice since a 2013 scandal that they are mandated to give 100% at all time and not participate in any race manipulation. It stemmed from the final regular-season race of that season when Clint Bowyer deliberately spun to start a sequence of events that gave teammate Martin Truex Jr. the final playoff spot.
Truex was kicked out of the playoffs — the scandal ultimately caused the closure of Michael Waltrip Racing — and Jeff Gordon was added as an unprecedented additional driver because he’d been robbed of the chance to race for the playoff position. It was after a weekend of crisis meetings between NASCAR and the teams at the playoff-opening race that NASCAR made its 100% rule.
But the manipulation rule is openly flouted at Daytona and Talladega, where the cars from the manufacturers all work together in the draft and when the drivers make their pit stops. There has yet to be a penalty for those instances.
In this latest case, NASCAR determined Toyota driver Wallace faked a flat tire in order to give Bell the leeway to move out of the way and hit the wall. The riding the wall move was banned after Chastain did it in 2022 to earn the final playoff berth.
In the case of Byron, NASCAR ruled that Chastain and Dillon both ran interference to help fellow Chevrolet driver Byron not lose any position on the track that would cost him a spot in the championship.
Sawyer said the sanctioning body considered taking action against manufacturers Chevrolet and Toyota, but there is nothing in the rulebook that would call for the manufacturers to be punished. NASCAR also planned to meet with the leaders of Ford, Chevy and Toyota to discuss the situation.
Because the penalties were issued the week of the season finale, the teams have until Wednesday afternoon to ask for an expedited appeal. The appeals would likely be heard Thursday.
Trackhouse Racing, which fields Chastain’s Chevy, said it would appeal, as did 23XI for the Toyota of Wallace.
“We feel strongly that we did not commit any violations during Sunday’s race,” 23XI said in a statement. The team is currently embroiled in a lawsuit against NASCAR over the charter system and has Tyler Reddick racing Sunday for the Cup Series title.
The penalties issued were:
Ross Chastain
A $100,000 fine for Chastain, a $100,000 fine for Trackhouse, and one-race suspensions for team executive Tony Lunders, crew chief Philip Surgen and spotter Brandon McReynolds. Chastain is the defending race winner at Phoenix. The team also lost 50 points.
Austin Dillon
Dillon was fined $100,000, as was Richard Childress Racing. One-race suspensions were given to team executive Keith Rodden, crew chief Justin Alexander and spotter Brandon Benesch. The team also lost 50 points. Richard Childress Racing also said it would appeal.
Bubba Wallace
Wallace was fined $100,000, as was 23XI. The one-race suspensions went to team executive Dave Rogers, crew chief Robert Barker and spotter Freddie Kraft. The team also lost 50 points.
Sawyer had said Sunday that NASCAR would review the Martinsville finish to see if there was indeed any race manipulation with rival drivers helping others that are aligned with the same manufacturer.
But he said he hoped the penalties were harsh enough to curb the manufacturer alliances and race manipulation.
“We looked at the most recent penalty that we had written for an infraction very similar… we wanted to ramp this one up,” Sawyer said, “and we did. We did that in a way that included team leadership and this is something that we felt like we wanted to get our point across that it is a responsibility of all of us…. to uphold the integrity of the sport.”

The only thing certain after the last lap of the cutoff race in Martinsville was Ryan Blaney’s win, securing him a championship 4 spot. However, there was utter chaos and confusion surrounding Christopher Bell’s finish, along with potential race manipulation tactics. The JGR driver was fully committed to his cause and shipped his race car in the fence. For the time being, it looked like he just might have made the transfer.
But, surprisingly, there was no reaction from Bell after he exited his race car. Perhaps he knew that he used the hail melon and that NASCAR was probably going to rule him out. Well, after a long 27-minute discussion, the officials did reach a verdict and penalized Christopher Bell for a safety violation. However, throughout this sequence, Jeff Gluck felt something was off and was expecting Bell to plead his case right from the get-go.
Did Christopher Bell know he was guilty of breaking the safety rules?
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Before the #20 Toyota Camry pulled off a hail melon 2.0, something strange happened on the last lap of the race. William Byron, driving the #24, couldn’t afford to lose a spot; meanwhile, Bell needed to gain one to make it through to the final 4. As he approached turns 3 and 4, Bubba Wallace surprisingly got loose and strayed up the racetrack. This allowed the #20 to thread the needle and ride the wall to claim the finish.
Certainly, Bell knew that he had gotten the better of Byron, and he had claimed the fourth and final spot. His reaction should’ve been celebratory, but instead, he had a grimace on his face, which was spotted by Jeff Gluck. “He got out of the car with a grim face, and it seemed to me like he was yeah, they’re probably not going to let this stand. I rode the wall. So then I was kind of surprised, but then afterwards they said, Well, I didn’t do it on purpose, and Adam Steven’s really mad about it, and Gibbs tried to protest it in the hauler.” Gluck said on the Door Bumper Clear podcast.
“My move was completely different than what Ross’ was. I got loose getting into the corner and slid right into the fence.” This was Christopher Bell’s defense after the verdict came in. But why exactly was Bell so unsure about his finish? We saw Austin Dillon celebrate at Richmond, knowing he might have crossed the line. Why didn’t Bell react or protest as soon as he got out of his race car?
This was the mystery Gluck was trying to solve. “If Bell thought, Hey, I didn’t do that on purpose, he should’ve been jumping up and down. He should’ve left his car and gone to the hauler and said, Hey, whatever you guys think happened, that was not a wall ride; there was none of that. If he felt like that wasn’t intentional and he didn’t mean to do that to gain positions. How come he wasn’t out there screaming about it?”
The big surprise was NASCAR took a long, hard look at Bell’s wall ride for 27 minutes and decided that was the only verdict they reached. William Byron was cleared as the fourth car to race for the championship, and others were let off the hook. But what happened next did take everyone by surprise.
NASCAR dropped the hammer on the leadership group
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On Tuesday, NASCAR announced that they had penalized the No. 1, 3, and 23 teams for violating the NASCAR Member Code of Conduct at Martinsville Speedway. It was evident that the spotters, the crew chiefs, and the team members had way too much leverage in altering the outcome of the race via the team radio. Therefore, addressing the issue at its core, NASCAR banned the crew chiefs, spotters, and team executives from all three teams involved.
The drivers and the owners were handed a $100,000 fine each and docked 50 points from the owner’s and driver’s standings. Although the drivers in this instance were excused from serving the ban, a repeat of such an incident could see NASCAR setting a new precedent. Moreover, they are also looking into making changes to the rule book that can help them penalize the OEMs as well.
“We plan this week to have meetings with all of our stakeholders to make our point very clear going forward that we will include drivers in this if we have to. This is something that’s not gonna be tolerated. We’re not going to be dealing with this, and we’re going to be going to the racetracks and giving our fans the best product that we possibly can on the racetrack. That’s our goal.” Elton Sawyer said this via SiriusXM NASCAR radio.
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It’s fair to say NASCAR is taking steps to tackle the issues that might plague the sport. But will this be enough to keep the dirty tactics of drivers and teams at bay? Only time will tell.

The final laps of the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville promised a classic NASCAR thriller: tight competition, high stakes, and ballsy maneuvers. Christopher Bell, fighting for a Championship 4 berth, pushed his No. 20 JGR car around the outside wall after making a move on Bubba Wallace on the final lap to secure his spot, somewhat echoing Ross Chastain’s jaw-dropping “Hail Melon” move from 2022. But as Bell made his move, NASCAR assessed him with a safety violation, a call that cost him a chance at the title and sparked heated debate across the sport. Speaking on his ‘Happy Hour’ podcast, veteran driver Kevin Harvick didn’t hold back, explaining exactly why he believes NASCAR made the right choice in penalizing Bell.
Harvick’s perspective carries weight due to his own track record as a driver with NASCAR’s rule enforcement. In 2002, Harvick experienced fines and a suspension for rough driving after intentionally spinning out Coy Gibbs during a Truck race at Martinsville. That incident, where he admitted his intentions over the radio, prompted NASCAR to take immediate action, removing him from the race. He’d already been fined that same season for a post-race altercation with Greg Biffle. Known for his on-the-edge driving style, Harvick has firsthand experience with NASCAR’s evolving approach to safety and rule consistency, giving him unique insight into why moves like Bell’s need firm enforcement.
The Hail Melon rule: A clear but controversial decision
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For Harvick, NASCAR’s decision against Bell wasn’t a difficult call; it centered on safety, which he says drivers had settled in 2022 after Chastain’s wall-riding stunt. Chastain’s move was exhilarating but risky, with him shifting into fifth gear and hurtling along the wall to secure his Championship 4 spot. Fans loved it, but drivers and officials saw clear dangers: flying debris, loose parts, and potential harm to fans and drivers. In a meeting with NASCAR, drivers agreed that stock car racing should boil down to more than just slamming the gas and clinging to the wall.
“There was a meeting with the drivers and NASCAR [after Chastain’s move] … the wall ride was unanimously voted to say, ‘We don’t need that. We can’t do that,’” Harvick said. He explained that the move wasn’t explicitly banned in the rulebook but was widely condemned by the racing community, who felt such maneuvers threatened safety. From Harvick’s view, NASCAR’s choice to penalize Bell reflected a shared stance within the sport—a way of saying NASCAR should involve more than wall-slamming tactics.
Christopher Bell’s team at Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), however, expressed disappointment with the ruling. JGR President Dave Alpern called it “a tough one to lose like this,” especially given that he had already overcome numerous obstacles, including a spin after contact with Corey LaJoie and a pit-stop blunder that cost him a lap. But Harvick felt otherwise, calling it “the easiest call that NASCAR’s gonna make” since drivers had already agreed that moves like Bell’s were too risky for high-stakes competition.
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Bell’s intentions: A mistake or repeat of the Hail Melon?
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Kevin Harvick admitted that Bell probably wasn’t trying to recreate Chastain’s wall ride but rather made a quick decision when he found himself in a tight spot. “He did get loose … but unfortunately for him, there’s a camera inside the car,” Harvick explained. In the last moments, footage appeared to show Bell choosing to “put the gas down [and ride] the wall” instead of easing back to regain control.
via Getty BROOKLYN, MICHIGAN – AUGUST 17: Christopher Bell, driver of the #20 Rheem Toyota, prepares to practice for the NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway on August 17, 2024 in Brooklyn, Michigan. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images)
With the timing right before the Championship 4, NASCAR faced a tough call, Harvick noted. Enforcing this “black and white” rule consistently—even if it’s not formally written in the rulebook—was critical to maintaining fairness and safety. NASCAR’s penalty against Bell signals a clear message about acceptable tactics. Harvick believes this ruling shows NASCAR’s commitment to ending wall-riding in any form, whether intentional or not.
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Bell’s penalty may have cast a shadow over the Martinsville race, but NASCAR’s stance remains firm: the Hail Melon move was an exciting flash in NASCAR history—now permanently off-limits.

The race manipulation incidents in the Martinsville eliminator raised questions about the integrity of the sport. Ross Chastain and Austin Dillon helped Chevy teammate William Byron by causing a blockade behind them. Had Byron lost a spot, Christopher Bell would have progressed and Chevy would have been out of championship contention. Also, Toyota was equally desperate for a second car in the playoffs after Tyler Reddick already had a spot in Phoenix, winning the Homestead race.
Bell needed a position to gain draw points with Byron because, in case of a draw, the driver with the best finish in any of the three races in round three progresses. And Bell had a P2 in Las Vegas to help him. To let the #20 driver pass, Bubba Wallace slowed down on the final stretch. These blatant displays of race manipulation had NASCAR penalize the culprits, in this case, the #1, #3, and #23. However, the question that currently remains unanswered is are the penalties enough for this to be a lesson. A NASCAR insider disagrees!
NASCAR needs to impose harsher penalties!
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As of now, NASCAR hasn’t suspended any of the three drivers. They have only been fined $100,000 and have been docked 50 points from their season. One race suspension has come for their crew chiefs, spotters, and race executives, along with a $100,000 fine for the teams as well. While a $200,000 fine per team might sound like a lot, is it? Wouldn’t this set a precedence that you can manipulate a race and get away with it by paying a fine?
NASCAR Vice President Elton Sawyer, justifying the penalties, said, “And this one, something that we feel like that, you know, we want to get our point across that it’s a responsibility of all of us, the team owners, the team leadership as well as ourselves here at NASCAR to uphold the integrity of our sport…We plan this week to have meetings with all of our stakeholders to make our point very clear going forward that we will include drivers in this if we have to. This is something that’s not gonna be tolerated.” Only talk and no actions aren’t going to change anything.
Even the 50 points docked are of drivers who are out of the playoffs and it rendered no effect on their standings. Bubba Wallace and Chastain are where they were. Only Dillon moved from 28th to 33rd. NASCAR spotter Brett Griffin recently referred to the 2013 Michael Waltrip Racing debacle at Richmond, which led to the team eventually shutting down. According to Griffin, those are the kind of precedents NASCAR should set to fix this broken system.
Griffin on the Door Bumper Clear Podcast said, “I think you know it was 11 years ago whenever the thing happened at Richmond with the MWR deal. And Clint (Bowyer) was never proven to have done anything wrong there. Despite what you think you can’t prove he wrecked on purpose. What got him was Ty Norris’ comments on the radio with Brian Vickers. But nonetheless they fined every car, they took points from every car. That means it was a big deal. Essentially, it put MWR out of business.”
According to Griffin, if NASCAR wants to bring a significant change or send a message to the culprits, they have to bring harsher penalties on everyone involved. “So when you come in and you make those types of fines and points (Like in the case of MWR) it gets people’s attention.” Griffin put forth a hypothetical situation explaining the kind of consequences that would be impactful in this case. Griffin said, “If the 23 gets hit and I’m not saying he will but if he gets hit with a 200-point penalty today that’s going to take a lot of money out of their pocket.”
Unless such penalties are issued, this might keep repeating. Like in 2022, Cole Custer slowed down to let Chase Briscoe pass and progress to the next round at the ROVAL. NASCAR issued the same penalties as Martinsville in that case. No driver was suspended. Had they been harsher there, this probably would have been avoided. And this is surprising since NASCAR is known to be harsher than this. The perfect example is the Michael Waltrip Racing incident.
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What happened with Michael Waltrip Racing?
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In 2013, it was the Richmond race, the last one before the chase began, including 12 drivers. In the race, Ryan Newman was leading and poised to win bagging a spot in the 12. But MWR had different plans. With just 10 laps to go, Clint Bowyer spun bringing out a caution. This gave Brian Vickers a chance to pit. It was later revealed that all this was orchestrated to let Martin Truex Jr. get a spot over Vickers and have enough points to qualify.
This led to the elimination of Newman as he was dropped spot in a race which was a must-win for him. After a lot of uproar from Newman’s SHR team and then NASCAR analyzed the video and in-car radio conversation. The most incriminating aspect of the incident was the radio exchange between Bowyer and crew chief Brian Pattie. NASCAR concluded that this conversation initiated a chain of events involving team orders, ultimately resulting in Bowyer intentionally spinning his car. NASCAR also investigated a radio conversation between Vickers and his crew chief Ty Norris, where Norris ordered a pit stop with three laps remaining to potentially benefit Truex Jr.
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As a result, Bowyer was fined $300,000 and docked off his 50 points. Not just that even Vickers and MTJ (who had no direct involvement in the race manipulation), also had 50 points docked off. This led to MTJ being ousted from the top 12 and Ryan Newman being reinstated. This was followed by several of the organization’s sponsors—including their primary and biggest sponsor, NAPA Auto Parts abruptly cut ties with the organization. Two seasons later, the team went out of business.
If such were the implications of indulging in race manipulation, no team probably would even think of doing it. What do you think about this? Were the NASCAR penalties enough? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

Who in their wildest dream would’ve thought that NBA legend Michael Jordan would challenge the status quo set by NASCAR and the France family? Since its inception, NASCAR has been operating as a family business, but the roll-out of the charters has dragged them back to the courtroom. The ownership group at NASCAR is facing an anti-trust lawsuit filed by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports.
While the two parties have put forth their arguments, it all boils down to getting the bigger piece of the pie. The new fans looking into this case from the outside might feel pretty confident about Michael Jordan’s chances in the court. But for those who’ve been associated with NASCAR for a long time, they’ve seen this movie before. And for the most part, NASCAR has pretty much had its way.
Although the federal court in North Carolina has yet to deliver its final verdict, it is hard not to think about the possible repercussions this can have on MJ and 23XI Racing.
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Michael Jordan is in a tough spot with the antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR
“I don’t have basketball anymore, but this could replace it very easily.” Michael Jordan said this while experiencing the Southern 500 race at Darlington Raceway. It felt like, after his illustrious career on the courts of basketball, he finally found a new home at the short ovals in NASCAR. And why wouldn’t he? His driver Tyler Reddick won the regular season championship and is now in contention to win the Cup Series championship in Phoenix.
Interestingly, Jordan has been more and more invested in his new business venture. Especially after he sold his majority stakes from the NBA team Charlotte Hornets for $3 billion. This sale saw Jordan turn a personal profit of $1.8 billion, according to Investopedia. With steady progress alongside his partner Denny Hamlin at 23XI Racing, MJ felt the grass was greener on the NASCAR side until he decided to trade blows with the France family on the new charter agreement.
The reason why MJ relinquished his ownership stake in his NBA team after 13 years was to pursue a different challenge. Another aspect for Jordan to make this decision was the lack of performance by the team. While the team did win the first and last game with Jordan as the owner, they only made the playoffs three times. This is far from ideal for an athlete who won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls and five MVP titles to his name. But, if you look at the rise of 23XI Racing in just four years, it is indeed tough to see the NBA icon turn his back on the team.
via Getty AUCHTERARDER, SCOTLAND – SEPTEMBER 27: Basketball player Michael Jordan watches on the 1st tee during the Afternoon Foursomes of the 2014 Ryder Cup on the PGA Centenary course at the Gleneagles Hotel on September 27, 2014 in Auchterarder, Scotland. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)
While the prospect of 23XI’s exit hangs in balance based on the lawsuit filed, it’s difficult to see it happen. This is evident from 23XI Racing’s attempts to get a preliminary injunction. The motive behind this move is to continue racing in NASCAR in 2025 while they continue with their anti-trust case. It is essentially a defense mechanism to safeguard the drivers, employees, and sponsors associated with the team. Neither NASCAR nor the two teams see eye-to-eye with the charter deal. And without a decisive verdict, it is indeed tough to guess in which direction the pendulum will swing.
However, a look back at NASCAR’s previous lawsuit just might give us a fair idea of what the outcome of this anti-trust case looks like.
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Major legal cases NASCAR had to face over the years
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This isn’t the first time NASCAR is facing an anti-trust lawsuit. Back in 2002, Francis Ferko, a minority shareholder of then-publicly traded SMI, held NASCAR and ISC accountable for violating the agreement to have a second Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway. But in 2004, when the suit was about to go to trial, the two parties settled. ISC sold Rockingham Speedway to SMI, and this allowed Texas to have its promised second Cup race of the season. However, the Rockingham Speedway was the one that came off the worst in the deal, as SMI sold the track in 2007, and by 2015, the oval track had announced bankruptcy.
Just a few years later, Kentucky Speedway filed another anti-trust lawsuit for lack of Cup race against NASCAR’s sister company, ISC. The racetrack argued that NASCAR prevented the non-ISC racetrack from hosting NASCAR races due to its association with ISC. The France Family is the majority owner of the ISC, and surprisingly, Michael Jordan and 23XI Racing are putting up similar arguments in their case. But the court dismissed Kentucky Speedway’s case, citing NASCAR can decide the date and the tracks where they want to operate.
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It is interesting how the challengers keep on changing, but the fact NASCAR stands tall despite the legal woes is something that stands out. Now this doesn’t necessarily mean they have an upper hand in their ongoing legal conflict against 23XI and FRM. Unlike the previous cases, NASCAR isn’t the sole winner even if they get the ruling in their favor. A global icon like Michael Jordan that brings attention and a new audience to the sport is something NASCAR is trying to achieve. So, his exit from stock car racing isn’t necessarily a win-win for the France family and NASCAR.

With six wins under his belt, a pole position at Homestead, and a knack for championship-level consistency, Corey Heim has proven he’s no ordinary talent. His rise through the ranks made him a strong contender for a Cup Series seat. However, will 2025 be the year the Heim finds himself a Cup Series drive?
But in a surprising twist, Heim has taken a detour that has fans and insiders confused. Could this unexpected decision signal bigger changes ahead for 23XI Racing and Michael Jordan’s involvement in NASCAR? What does this mean for Heim’s career in NASCAR?
Where is Corey Heim racing in 2025?
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As whispers floated around NASCAR about Corey Heim possibly leaping the Cup Series, fans were buzzing. Given that Heim entered the Truck Series finale at Phoenix without a definite route for his future, rumors buzzed and fans floated around them with excitement. Could Heim be a future 23XI driver? With Michael Jordan’s future in NASCAR up in the air, the idea of a young talent like Heim joining the big leagues added some spice to the speculation.
But Corey Heim just threw a curveball and instead of chasing Cup Series glory, he’s staying put with TRICON Garage for another full-time season in the Truck Series. The news dropped like a plot twist in a movie as the team announced X. TRICON even tweeted, “Here to stay,” making it clear that they’re thrilled to have Heim back for a third year. The chance to join 23XI Racing and race alongside stars like Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace might still be on the horizon, but for now, Heim’s staying true to TRICON.
Given 23XI’s ongoing battle with NASCAR, a third charter would have been a difficult prospect for the team. At the moment, Michael Jordan and Co. are fighting to retain their current charters, with the lawsuit in full swing. Given the difficult addition of a third car, 23XI Racing also has two drivers who look like they’re here to stay. Bubba Wallace received his extension recently, and with Tyler Reddick’s presence in the Top 4, the team may not be too keen on replacing either driver.
With Tricon, Heim has made it into the finals of the Truck Series, and looking at his momentum, there is a strong chance that he might win the title. Although Phoenix has not been one of his best tracks, Heim has managed to secure a 7th-place finish there in 2022. While ARCA is quite a different series of Stock car racing, Heim has managed to finish 2nd at Phoenix in the past.
What does Heim have to say about continuing in Tricon?
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Currently, Corey Heim is one of the four championship contenders set to battle it out at Phoenix Raceway for the series title on Friday night. Reflecting on his journey with Tricon, Heim shared his excitement, saying, “I am excited to be back with Tricon for my third full-time year. I have developed so much alongside this organization in the last two years, and we have made some incredible memories along the way. I can’t wait to continue this journey in 2025 with my No. 11 crew.”
Heim’s path to success has been nothing short of impressive. He began his NASCAR national series career with Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM), where he snagged his first win at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2021. After KBM closed its doors, Heim moved to Tricon and instantly made his mark, collecting three wins in 2023 with a stellar average finish of 6.8.
This season, he’s doubled his victories, taking six checkered flags in 22 races and dabbling in select Xfinity and Cup Series starts with Legacy Motor Club, 23XI Racing, and Sam Hunt Racing. “We’re extremely fortunate to get another year with Corey,” said Tricon’s general manager Kevin Ray.
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via Imago Corey heim
“His dedication to not only the No. 11 team but the entire organization has elevated TRICON beyond measure in our team’s short history. While we’re looking forward to 2025, our priority remains on closing out this season with a victory and our program’s first championship,” added Ray. With that said, do you think that this was the right move for Corey Heim? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Brad Keselowski isn’t content with just a playoff entry for the #6 car. It might look like the veteran driver is easing into his career after taking up an ownership role, but his recent actions suggest otherwise. Keselowski is still ambitious when it comes to his role as the driver of the #6 team, and this is why he’s making major changes to the team ahead of the next year.
After calling the shots for Brad Keselowski and the No. 6 team for three years, Matt McCall will not be returning as the crew chief for the 2025 season. McCall helped Brad Keselowski get back into victory lane this year at Darlington Raceway. However, this was the only win this partnership brought to the team, and Keselowski certainly isn’t satisfied with these results on the racetrack.
“We want to thank Matt [McCall] for his dedicated efforts over the last three seasons and his role in the success that we have had, and we wish him well in future endeavors.” RKF Racing shared this statement with a post via their Instagram handle. Matt McCall isn’t new to the role of crew chief; he spent seven years calling the shot for the #1 team at Chip Ganassi Racing.
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However, when Ganassi took an exit from NASCAR following Kyle Larson’s controversy, McCall made the jump to rebrand team RFK Racing. Expectations were going to be high being the leader of the camp for a former NASCAR champion, but he couldn’t live up to the expectations of the team. This ultimately forced Keselowski’s hand in trying to make changes in the team, and it looks like his fans are thrilled that he made this decision.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by RFK Racing (@rfkracing)
Brad Keselowski isn’t going to settle for mediocrity
110 races was the streak the #6 team broke when they won at Darlington this year. The Next-Gen era hasn’t been kind to veteran races, but Keselowski had almost no joy in terms of results on the racetrack. The top 5s and top 10s are good, but a team like RFK Racing with a driver like Brad Keselowski has to compete for trophies. Unfortunately, those opportunities have been few and far, with McCall leading the charge for the #6 team. Therefore, his departure from the team was a big relief to this race fan. “OH HAPPY DAY!!”
The win at Darlington did unlock the door for the playoff for Keselowski and his team. But in comparison to the other playoff teams, they didn’t have a strategy or tricks up their sleeve to have a deep run. Their playoff run only lasted for the first three races and they were out of the title race in the first round itself. Highlighting the same a fan added, “Thank goodness. Something was clearly holding the 6 car back. The 17 has shown consistent 5-15th speed almost every race. The 6 usually has to unload wish 20-25th speed and has to spend all race getting up to the 17.”
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A few might defend McCall given that he’s helped change the fortunes for the team in 2024. However, in the first two years, the #6 looked like a mid-pack team. In over 70 races, Keselowksi wasn’t able to win a single race, and in terms of progress, they had nothing but seven top 5 finishes. Lack of race-winning speeds and a vision certainly hampered the progress of the team, and the departure of McCall was indeed the right call, according to this fan. “I’ve been waiting for this announcement for two years now.”
RFK Racing is yet to announce the replacement for McCall, but going by the comments on Reddit, it looks like fans have identified the new crew chief for Keselowski’s team. “This is the right move. I hope Brad brings someone good on to replace him; odds are it’ll be Bullins but it could be a surprise pick for Brad’s twilight years as a driver as well.” Bullins is a veteran crew chief and commanded the #2 Penske car from Keselowski’s racing days at Team Penske. He is a free agent after his stint with Wood Brothers Racing and the #21 team, so there’s a possibility of a reunion between Bullins and Keselowski.
There were a few who almost predicted this outcome of McCall leaving the team. Their prediction began after the #6 team looked out of sorts and sync during the crucial playoff races. “Honestly, I don’t think him and BK were ever on the same page. Had some questionable decision making especially during the Round of 16.”
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Would you like to see Jeremy Bullins back with Brad Keselowski in the #6 team, or is there a better candidate who can pair well with the veteran driver?

A few days ago, The Hollywood Reporter published a story saying that in addition to developing another

Charlotte, N.C. — NASCAR issued $600,000 in fines and suspended nine team members from three different teams on Tuesday for alleged race manipulation at Martinsville Speedway.
The penalties came down after a contentious final battle Sunday at the Virginia track in which Christopher Bell initially qualified for the championship final four but his move to hit the wall and use it for momentum violated a banned safety rule and was disallowed.
That gave the final spot in this week’s winner-take-all finale at Phoenix Raceway to William Byron.
The race itself was won by Ryan Blanely.
Ryan Blaney, center, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Va., on Nov. 3, 2024. Chuck Burton / AP
But, NASCAR was clear in disqualifying Bell that it would take a hard look at the actions other drivers played in the sequence of events as Bell and Byron battled for the final spot in the championship flat.
In the case of Bell, NASCAR determined fellow Toyota driver Bubba Wallace faked a flat tire in order to give Bell the leeway to move out of the way and hit the wall.
In the case of Byron, NASCAR ruled that Ross Chastain and Austin Dillon both ran interference to help fellow Chevrolet driver Byron not lose any position on the track that would cost him a spot in the championship.
Elton Sawyer, NASCAR’s senior vice president of competition, said the sanctioning body considered suspending the drivers as well as taking action against manufacturers Chevrolet and Toyota. He said there was nothing in the rulebook that would call for the manufacturers to be punished, but NASCAR planned to meet with the leaders of Ford, Chevy and Toyota to discuss the situation.
Because the penalties were issued the week of the season finale, the teams have until Wednesday afternoon to ask for an expedited appeal. The appeals would likely be heard Thursday.
Trackhouse Racing, which fields Chastain’s Chevy, said it would appeal, as did 23XI for the Wallace’s Toyota.

With more eyeballs, new fans, and the expansion of the stock car racing series, this has been on NASCAR’s agenda in an attempt to bring back the glory days. NASCAR essentially is trying everything to try and bridge that gap. They have rolled out a new race car, raced at non-traditional venues, and have even planned an international race for 2025.
While the sanctioning body is looking to pull multiple strings in gaining a new audience, they might want to have a look in their backyard. Not all major sporting series are lucky to have Michael Jordan’s involvement; at NASCAR, he has his team, 23XI Racing. Just imagine if Tyler Reddick bags his first championship this Sunday; it does become a huge deal. And the impact of such a victory will be beyond NASCAR’s traditional borders.
23XI Racing President believes Michael Jordan’s ownership success is a big boost for NASCAR
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Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin’s brainchild has quickly cemented themselves as a competitive race outfit. Starting in 2021, the team has managed to go toe-to-toe with the giants of the sport like Hendrick Motorsports, Team Penske, and Joe Gibbs Racing. In 2023, both the drivers Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick managed to reach the playoffs. And the #45 team has leveled up further this season, reaching the Championship 4.
It is fair to say that the situation is far from ideal for the whole 23XI Racing team. Uncertainty looms over their heads as they are embroiled in a legal battle against NASCAR over the charter agreement. But, despite their tussle, a championship win by Jordan and Hamlin’s team is only going to promote NASCAR further.
Team President Steve Lauletta, in an interview with Toby Christie sharing a similar sentiment, explained, “I think very few professional sports teams has reached the level of championship success in such a short amount of time as we could this weekend. So that would be huge, and then you throw in the fact that it is owned by two legends in their own sports that we’ve been talking about. I think it will be big big news and something that will put NASCAR in the spotlight again, as we’ve tried to do it a few other times.”
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It certainly isn’t going to be an easy task to bring the trophy home for Tyler Reddick and the #45 team. They are up against seasoned championship-winning drivers like Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney. You’ve also got the surprise package in William Byron, who is Hendrick Motorsports’ final hope to win the title on their 40th anniversary. So multiple storylines are running parallel with 23XI Racing’s, and it will be interesting to see how it all pans out. Although Reddick doesn’t have a win at Phoenix, he did finish in third place during the 2023 Spring race.
However, the good news for Reddick is that he has the guidance and mentorship of Denny Hamlin. And while the JGR veteran has not won a championship, he has immense experience being in these situations.
Hamlin reveals the advice he’ll give to Tyler Reddick
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Out of all the Toyota drivers, Reddick has arguably been among the best ones this season. Maybe Christopher Bell might be the one who could edge him in terms of consistency, but again, he isn’t racing for the championship. However, for all the talent and hunger Reddick possesses, he does lack the experience of racing in a life-altering finale race. Moreover, his record at the low-banked mile oval track in Phoenix isn’t great. Especially in the fall, he’s never finished inside the top 10, so he will need all the help he can get to prepare for the race.
Information overload can be a big issue for a driver competing in a crucial race, and Hamlin out of all is aware of this fact. This is why his advice to his driver isn’t something out of the blue, but a simple one. “There is. I won’t say it on here. I’ll say it to him privately, but certainly yeah, there’s some experience that, you know, I can lend to him on how to treat the week. So much of it is about having fun and enjoying this process and understanding that, you know, making the championship 4 is most drivers’s goals.” Hamlin said this on the Actions Detrimental podcast.
The veteran driver even added that he should be looking to control to controllable and not spread himself thin in case things don’t fall in his favor. “What happens in a one-race, winner-take-all all? You know, some things are going to be out of your control there, but making sure you spend the week having fun, enjoying it, enjoying the process. That would be my advice.”
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Do you think Tyler Reddick is a genuine contender to win his maiden Cup Series title this Sunday? If not, which driver are you rooting for? Let us know in the comments below.

Joey Logano’s win at the South Point 400 in October 2024 left fans with a bitter taste in their mouths. The race unfolded with a twist that had people questioning the integrity of the playoffs. A major disqualification shook up the standings, pushing Logano into the Championship 4—despite his relatively low points total compared to other contenders. How could a driver who was out of the round of 8 suddenly be one of the leading contenders for the Cup Series win? Dale Earnhardt Jr had similar thoughts.
NASCAR eliminated Alex Bowman, a popular pick for the title this year, due to his car being underweight by 17 pounds. With how the season is unfolding, many fans have questions about the championship. Was the system designed to reward the most consistent drivers, or does it leave room for controversy? Fans are still debating whether this one race marks a shift in how the postseason should be handled and Dale Jr. had something to say on the matter.
Dale Earnhardt Jr’s take on the way NASCAR is handling the championship
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Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his wife, Amy opened up about how their loyalty to NASCAR is beginning to fade, especially when it comes to Joey Logano’s place in the championship race. On the latest episode of the Dale Jr. Download podcast, they both expressed frustration over the way things are being handled in the playoffs.
Dale Jr. was pretty blunt: “I don’t believe you put somebody that’s knocked out into the playoffs. I feel like that takes any legitimacy out of it entirely.” He went on to explain that NASCAR already got “tricky” when they penalized Alex Bowman’s 48 car and allowed Logano to move into the playoff picture. For Dale Earnhardt Jr, this kind of decision-making is pushing him to a breaking point: “I’m going to lose my… as a fan. I’m going to lose my… like, the value of this is in question.”
His comments are simply a reflection of what the NASCAR community feels at large. Martinsville essentially exposed the poor calls NASCAR when it came to violations on the track. Christopher Bell’s hail melon penalty knocked him out of the Top 4 and granted William Byron a spot. While the involved Chevys of Chastain and Dillon did pick up penalties, was it too little too late? Given NASCAR overturned Alex Bowman’s position after Charlotte, could a similar situation occur with Byron? All of this remains conjecture. What Dale Jr and his wife know for certain is that the governing body is rapidly losing trust with the fanbase.
This was when Amy chimed in, echoing Dale’s sentiments about the growing mistrust among fans: “The loyalty kind of starts to fade as a fan, and you can’t trust it.” It’s clear that, as long-time NASCAR fans, both Dale and Amy are struggling to find the same connection and trust in the sport they once had, especially with NASCAR being finicky with the rules.
Although Dale Jr. couldn’t admit it, his co-host tried to keep it blunt, saying, “Well, I’ll say it,” adding, “I couldn’t tell if I was entertained or disgusted” while watching the race. It’s a sentiment that many fans may find relatable, as it seems the sport’s integrity is being called into question more than ever. Now that the only race remaining for the season’s conclusion is the finals, let’s dive into how each driver found themselves in the Championship 4.
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The 2024 Championship 4 for the Cup Series title
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The 2024 NASCAR season is coming down to the wire this weekend, with three championships still up for grabs as we head into the final round at Phoenix. Four drivers from each series—Cup, Xfinity, and Trucks—are battling for the title, and the highest finisher in each series will take home the crown. As the championship race kicks into high gear, it’s time to meet the contenders who’ll be fighting for the ultimate glory.
In the Cup Series, Tyler Reddick has had a rollercoaster year but earned his spot in the Championship 4 with a win at Homestead. Despite a rough start to the playoffs, he’s unpredictable and could surprise. Joey Logano, with two championships under his belt, made his way into the playoffs with his Las Vegas win with hopes of winning his third title.
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USA Today via Reuters Feb 15, 2024; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Joey Logano (22) before the start of the Bluegreen Vacations Duel 1 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
Ryan Blaney, the 2023 champion, is looking to defend his title after a strong finish to the year, while William Byron, who snuck into the Championship 4 after a dramatic disqualification, has been a consistent force all season. With everything on the line, Phoenix will be an action-packed race, with all 4 drivers having an equal shot at the title. Who is your pick for the 2024 title winner?

23XI Racing co-owner Michael Jordan hasn’t always been a one-sport man. Even when he was dominating the basketball court wearing the #23 for the Chicago Bulls, he enjoyed playing golf. His passion for basketball was limited not only as a player but also as a team owner. He became the part-owner of the Chicago Hornets in 2006 and bought a majority stake in 2010.
During this time, no one in their wildest dream could’ve imagined Michael Jordan switching lanes and owning a NASCAR team. But things changed when he was introduced to JGR driver Denny Hamlin, who pitched him the idea about the race team. And that did the trick for Jordan, who since then has been enjoying his stay in NASCAR.
While the NBA Hall of Famer was, at times, accused of not being present at the racetrack in support of his team, the 2024 year has been different. Tyler Reddick further emphasized it by helping Jordan experience what it feels like to be in the victory lane twice this season.
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Is Michael Jordan shifting his focus entirely to NASCAR?
It is indeed difficult to believe that MJ is shifting his alliance from the courts of basketball to the ovals of NASCAR. He claimed this while being trackside during the Southern 500 race. “I don’t have basketball anymore, but this could replace it very easily, I’m excited for today.” It is important to note that Jordan sold off his majority ownership stakes from the Chicago Bobcats last year. And ever since, he’s been more and more invested in his role at 23XI Racing.
His driver Tyler Reddick knows how involved Jordan is with the team, and he’s seen him evolve in the two years he’s been with the team. “It’s been nice getting to know Michael, him getting to know me and understand on top of it how passionate he is about racing. You know my first conversation was something that he made even more apparent to me, but it’s just also I’ve been seeing it through his actions, through his excitement over these last two years too.”
Just like the last-second three-pointer in the NBA, NASCAR has the last-lap chaos. While the pendulum can swing either way, Michael Jordan and the #45 team found themselves on the sweeter side of things at Homestead Miami Speedway. And it was quite an emotional roller coaster of a ride for Michael Jordan, who witnessed his driver pull off a last-lap clutch performance, racing his way into the Championship 4.
For Michael Jordan, NASCAR is not just a business. The sport remains deeply rooted in the basketball legend’s DNA. As a kid, his father James often took Michael and his siblings to different Winston Cup Series races. Cut to a few years later, when Michael Jordan established himself in the NBA, he returned to the track whenever he could. Following his retirement, his NASCAR investment continues to be one of his biggest ventures and one that’s paying off. With Tyler Reddick’s entry into the Top 4, 23XI Racing is on cloud nine. In just a few seasons, they established themselves as a team capable of going for the Cup Series trophy. Reddick showed off marvelous performances throughout the season. More importantly, as 23XI’s President also explained, if the team manages to lift the trophy, it effectively ensures the team’s continued presence.
While the prospect of Reddick winning the NASCAR Cup Series championship is massive for 23XI Racing, there’s also a flip side to this story. Which might see the team losing out on their championship-caliber driver for the 2025 season.
Tyler Reddick could be a free agent at the end of 2024
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Out of the 15 teams, 23XI Racing and FRM have rebelled against NASCAR after declining to agree to the new charter agreement. To have a fair and equitable business model, the teams have taken NASCAR to court and filed an anti-trust lawsuit. But, to secure their driver sponsors, the teams have filed for a preliminary injunction. Which will allow the two teams to compete as chartered organizations next year. Now, this isn’t indeed an ideal condition for a race car driver who, on the one hand, is racing for the championship but is unsure about his future at the team.
In case the court rejects the team’s plea for the injunction, 23XI Racing will have to run as an open team. That means no secured position on the starting lineup, no extra payouts, and additional TV revenues. The two parties were present in court on Monday, and while the decision is still pending, there’s a lot to talk about.
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Going by the update Bob Pockrass shared on X, the 2024 regular-season champion Tyler Reddick can leave the team if 23XI Racing has to race as an unchartered team. Meanwhile, the team has gone on to purchase a third charter. And there’s no confirmation regarding the transfer of its ownership. NASCAR is the one who gives the go-ahead when it comes to the transfer of a charter from one ownership group to another.
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The fate of Tyler Reddick and others working at 23XI depends on the court ruling, which is expected to be delivered by this Friday.

Martinsville Speedway always promises fireworks, but this time the race drama extended far beyond the track and into the NASCAR boardroom. Following a controversy-laden Xfinity 500, officials dropped the hammer on some of NASCAR’s most talked-about names. They punished three teams under egregious allegations of race manipulation. Fans and industry insiders alike are now debating whether the league’s actions were necessary or excessive. So, how did things spiral into this mess, and why is everyone from former crew chiefs to team execs sounding off?
It wasn’t long before renowned NASCAR names began weighing in on the debate, with Jimmie Johnson’s former crew chief Todd Gordon giving his opinion on the situation.
Todd Gordon jumps in on Martinsville debate
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Todd Gordon is no stranger to controversies in NASCAR. When he worked with Joey Logano, the crew chief ran into trouble during Team Penske’s 2017 win at Richmond. The win was thrown out after a 1/32-inch gap was found between the pinion shim and the truck arm surface on the right truck arm. As a result, he received a fine of $50,000. However, one thing to note is this violation was as per the regulations. As Gordon explained on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, what happened in Martinsville last weekend was not a situation defined in the rulebook.
He highlighted the difficulty of doling out punishments that aren’t explicitly detailed in the rulebook. “We can only penalize by what we have published in the rulebook. You can’t go give penalties that aren’t out there,” Gordon noted, pointing out that the fines and point deductions represent the maximum allowed by current guidelines. Still, he hinted that future rulebook revisions could include harsher consequences for race manipulation, depending on how NASCAR evaluates this debacle.
Gordon further acknowledged the emotional frustration that comes with watching strategic race manipulation unfold. However, he was also quick to emphasize the need for consistency and transparency. “We don’t need to see manipulation of a race, and we did from a couple different sides,” he admitted. Yet he warned, “NASCAR can’t be cavalier and just make up penalties.” While suspensions have some discretionary room, Gordon believed any financial or point penalties must stay within printed regulations. There’s a delicate balance, he argued, between enforcing rules and overstepping authority.
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As teams like Richard Childress Racing and 23XI Racing prepare to appeal the decisions, the broader question looms: how will NASCAR handle similar situations in the future? Will the current backlash push officials to strengthen the rulebook? Or will the appeals process yield more leniency for the penalized teams? One thing is clear: this Martinsville fallout is more than just a blip on the radar. It’s a test of how NASCAR balances competitive fairness, the strategic intricacies of team racing, and the ever-present need to maintain fan trust.
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Suspensions and Fines Galore
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So, what exactly prompted NASCAR to act? In the race’s closing laps, it seemed like Chevrolet drivers Ross Chastain and Austin Dillon, running in formation behind William Byron, deliberately avoided passing their fellow Chevy competitor. Byron was teetering on the brink of elimination from the Championship 4, so any aggressive move could have spelled disaster for his title chances. Allegations swirled about a coordinated effort to block, effectively protecting Byron’s championship hopes.
On the Toyota front, the pilot of the No.23 23XI car, Bubba Wallace came under fire for allegedly slowing down to assist the No. 20 of Christopher Bell, his fellow Toyota driver, in a crucial bid to edge out Byron. The aftermath of the Martinsville showdown was anything but quiet. Christopher Bell received a heavily disputed penalty for allegedly wall-riding on the final lap. NASCAR also issued hefty fines and season-ending suspensions to Ross Chastain, Austin Dillon, Bubba Wallace, and their respective teams. Citing race manipulation, the league slapped each driver with a $100,000 fine and docked them 50 driver points.
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The teams’ owners, including Trackhouse Racing and 23XI Racing, faced similar financial and point penalties. Adding to the consequences, crew chiefs Phil Surgen (Trackhouse), Justin Alexander (Richard Childress Racing), and Bootie Barker (23XI), along with their spotters Brandon McReynolds, Brandon Benesch, and Freddie Kraft, all received suspensions from participating in the 2024 season finale at Phoenix Raceway.
Stay tuned. The road to Phoenix just got a whole lot bumpier.

The half-mile short oval of the Martinsville Speedway witnessed an eventful week of NASCAR racing. Drama, fender-bending action, late race controversies—you name it, and the track delivered. Thanks to the format, drivers are left with no choice but to throw everything they have in a crucial elimination race. Although we’ve been talking about the race manipulation saga from the Cup race, the craziness started right from the Truck race.
Like most of the playoff drivers, Taylor Gray was in a must-win situation at Martinsville. And he was trading blows with Christian Eckes for the lead for the latter half of the race. However, Eckes didn’t mind getting his hands dirty as he put his bumper in the back of the #17 truck. This certainly cost Gray a spot in the final 4, and he certainly didn’t like the treatment after he’d raced Eckes fairly throughout the race.
Although the McAnally-Hilgemann Racing driver received a lot of flak from the fans on social media, he still doesn’t feel any different about the way he raced the last few laps. He even accepted his wrongdoing for shipping the #99 truck, but he wanted to win the race at all costs.
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Christian Eckes isn’t losing sleep over his racing antics at Martinsville
Gray was on the fresher rubber late in the race and got the jump he needed on the #19 truck. The two drivers were side by side for the first corner, and just when it looked like Gray would go clear of Eckes, he was bumped out of the way. In trying to not hit the outside wall, Gray had to lift his foot off the gas and correct his course. But this incident was the final nail in the coffin for his championship hopes, and he wanted Christian Eckes to know how he felt after the race.
The Tricon Garage racer angrily confronted Eckes; although he didn’t throw any punches, Gray warned him of a potential payback. “I got sent to the fence when I raced him perfectly clean in (Turns) 1 and 2. “What goes around comes around.” Gray said after the race. But despite the heated confrontations and backlash on social media, Eckes still doesn’t have second thoughts about how he raced the race’s final few laps. Although his qualification to final 4 was secured, he wouldn’t allow his past mistakes to creep in at Martinsville Speedway.
“I mean, I don’t know if I’d necessarily do anything differently because, like I said earlier, I’ve lost my job twice by being a guy that doesn’t do what it takes. You know wins a win, nothing’s guaranteed this week. So I felt like my best thing to do was to go and win the race; it was maybe a little egregious as far as the contact back.” Christian Eckes said this to Bob Pockrass.
Not only Taylor Gray, but even Ben Rhodes driving the #99 truck received a similar treatment by Eckes. Knowing all bets were off, Rhodes used his bumper to clear the #17. But Eckes retaliated back and ran him out of track in Turn 1 with 3 laps to go. And this is where he feels he could’ve avoided roughing Rhodes up.
“I don’t really regret anything; I wish I didn’t get the 99 the second time. I felt bad about that, but it’s what we’ve become accustomed to seeing at Martinsville; you saw it in the Cup and Xfinity races too, and it’s just unfortunate and how it is,” he added. Hopefully, the payback by Gray isn’t due for this weekend, as Eckes is eager to clinch his first NASCAR championship.
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Eyes on the prize this weekend at Phoenix
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Interestingly, Christian Eckes won last year’s championship race at the half-mile low-banked oval track in Phoenix. The only drawback was that he wasn’t a part of the championship 4. He did start the Round of 8 on a good note and almost grabbed a win at Bristol. He finished 2nd at the short track, but he just wasn’t able to repeat this run at Talladega and Homestead. And this ultimately cost him a shot to race for the championship.
Now that he’s in a position to clinch the title, he reflects on how frustrating it was for him to win in the final race. “Those four points could’ve come from anywhere; it could’ve come from the 18 plus we gave away at Talladega, those stage points at Talladega, giving away the win at Bristol, making two mistakes at Homestead. Like everything had to happen for us perfectly for us to not advance, so it just wasn’t meant to be, but at the same time in the victory lane it was not fun at all,” Eckes explained further.
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Given how dramatically the Martinsville race ended, the expectation for the championship race has certainly notched up. It certainly will be interesting to see how Taylor Gray and Christian Eckes race each other.

Since kicking off their partnership in June 2022, NBC has become a crucial player in delivering NASCAR coverage. With a talented broadcast team that includes legends like Dale Earnhardt Jr. and innovative presentation styles that immerse viewers in the action, NBC has kept fans on the edge of their seats.
Now, in a surprising twist, the network is using its platform to give Donald Trump equal footing in the presidential race against Kamala Harris. With millions of NASCAR fans watching the playoffs, NBC decided to give Trump screen time during the peak of the sport as they did for Kamala Harris on Saturday Night Live. Now that NBC shared Trump’s campaign on its network, let’s take a look at what the 45th president had to say.
Donald Trump shares a message with NASCAR fans
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NBC is shaking things up by giving former President Donald Trump some airtime during its coverage of NASCAR and Sunday Night Football. This move seems to be a direct response to Vice President Kamala Harris’ recent appearance on Saturday Night Live, which lasted a brief minute and a half.
According to sources, this means that if another presidential campaign steps up, NBC has to provide a similar chunk of airtime—in this case, about 90 seconds. On Sunday, as the NASCAR playoff race wound down, viewers spotted Trump appearing in an unusual ad.
Clad in a red “Make America Great Again” cap, he looked straight into the camera, warning that electing Harris could lead to a “depression” and urging folks to “go and vote.” This spot wasn’t just a one-off; NBC also slotted Trump in for 60 more seconds during the post-game segment of Sunday Night Football, right after a paid campaign ad.
It’s still unclear who orchestrated this unique placement—was it the Trump campaign pushing for it, or did NBC take the initiative? And what about other campaigns? NBC will have to accommodate them if they come knocking for their equal time due to FCC rules.
Donald Trump is no stranger to the world of NASCAR, though. The former president has been spotted at the Daytona 500 in 2020, and when he did it, he did it in style.
Starting the Daytona 500 2020 in style, Donald Trump
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Picture this: It’s the Daytona 500, one of NASCAR’s biggest events, and President Donald Trump arrives in style, making a grand entrance in his presidential limousine. As he takes a ceremonial lap around the famed racetrack, the crowd cheers him on.
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Just moments earlier, he had soared overhead in Air Force One, giving spectators a dramatic flyby that only heightened the anticipation. Riding alongside First Lady Melania Trump, the president soaks in the roaring cheers from the fans, who are all about that NASCAR spirit.
Trump has always had a name in the NASCAR world and that’s probably why he decided to run his campaign ad during the race broadcast. Whether you’re a fan of racing, or politics, or just love a good show, you can’t deny the spectacle of Trump cruising around the track, making his mark on one of NASCAR’s most prestigious events.
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With the final race at Phoenix next, who do you think will win this year’s Cup Series championship?

The battle was always going to be bitter. When Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing joined hands with Front Row Motorsports to file a lawsuit against NASCAR, the decision was always going to be bold and risky. Not only were both teams risking their valuable charters after months of intense negotiations, but they were also going against the norm. 13 teams had already signed the final proposal under controversial circumstances, but the little ‘rebellion’ chose a path less traveled.
During the hearing on Monday, NASCAR refuted allegations pointing toward teams being coerced into signing the agreement or risking losing their charters. Describing it as a “complete distortion” of facts, anti-trust attorney Jeffrey Kessler was disappointed with the sanctioning body’s approach, a sentiment that was shared by Jordan.
Michael Jordan stands firmly behind his lawyer’s views
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It almost seemed like NASCAR had issued an ultimatum. 48 hours before the opening playoff race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the sanctioning body presented a take-it-or-leave-it charter proposal to its teams with a short deadline for signing the agreement. Not willing to risk their valuable charters, 13 teams put pen to paper and agreed to the organization’s terms, which included a clause of not being able to file an anti-trust lawsuit. Two teams decided to take the chance, which included Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing and Bob Jenkins’ Front Row Motorsports.
Representing NASCAR and the France family, attorney Christopher Yates dismissed claims of coercion and said, “We’re talking about Roger Penske, Rick Hendrick, and Joe Gibbs — people who do not get pushed around.” However, the cherry-picked quotes presented in court didn’t go down well with Jeffrey Kessler, who said, “I think I said it in open court that I think the actual record corresponded to how they presented the facts. How they did it in the slides. The judge will make that determination but I was disappointed in the other side for not really portraying the record as it is.” Michael Jordan echoed that sentiment by saying, “I agree with him.”
Speaking under conditions of anonymity, a NASCAR team owner said, “I did not have the b–lls to do what 23XI and FRM are doing because I was afraid I’d lose my charters.” He wasn’t the only one to feel this way as Richard Childress also expressed that he felt compelled to sign the charter proposal, saying, “6:37 is when it came in, and we had to sign by 12:00, or we lose our charters.” While some team owners, such as Brad Keselowski and Rick Hendrick, felt satisfied with the terms offered, this sentiment wasn’t shared across the board, especially because of how the matter was handled by the sanctioning body.
As the rest of the teams look from the sidelines, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports are fighting a bigger battle. The France family and Michael Jordan are not accustomed to losing, which means everything depends on the court’s verdict, which could alter the sport forever. If the ‘rebellion’ does win, the other 13 teams will receive better terms as per a revised charter proposal as well. In its 76 years of existence, NASCAR has had its authority questioned many times before, but this time, the opposition is equipped with vast financial resources and a powerful attorney. Will they be able to bring about a seismic change in the sport?
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NASCAR’s attorney opens up about charter dispute
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The fifth floor of the federal courthouse in Charlotte was packed. That is s to be expected, especially because the high-profile case involved NASCAR’s hierarchy and Michael Jordan, one of the most recognizable athletes in the world. Both the attorneys, Jeffrey Kessler and Christopher Yates, enthusiastically took part in the hearing, each given a little more than half an hour to make themselves heard. Meanwhile, the NBA Hall of Famer sat attentively in the front row, occasionally smirking or holding his chin while absorbing every word.
23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports are hoping that with the injunction, the teams can compete in the 2025 season as per the terms of the new agreement. However, they want the clause that forbids teams from filing an anti-trust lawsuit against NASCAR to be waived. Even though the final proposal had a deadline of November 5th, the sanctioning body has withdrawn the offer, as they no longer want to enter into a charter agreement with Michael Jordan or Bob Jenkins’ teams.
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On that note, NASCAR and France family attorney Christopher Yates said, “They have been calling NASCAR a series of names that undermine NASCAR’s brand and goodwill. NASCAR only wants to enter into charter agreements with teams who want to work collectively to grow the sport.” He added that both teams have launched a “frontal assault on the charter system” and urged Michael Jordan to invest his money in another sport, such as “buying another NBA team.” The comment was a swipe at the 61-year-old’s former ownership of the Charlotte Hornets last year, sold for a reported sum of $3 billion.

“Mayhem” is the perfect word to classify all the events that took place down in Martinsville over the weekend. From tempers flaring to teammates locking horns—we saw everything a NASCAR fan would usually expect from a typical fall race at the Paperclip.
While Ryan Blaney showed up when it mattered the most and secured his most recent championship 4 entry with back-to-back wins at the Martinsville cutoff race, the field stirred up some suspicious manufacturer shenanigans. Think ‘race-altering’ moves that held up the pack around fellow Phoenix finalist William Byron.
His ‘Bowtie’ buddies, Austin Dillon and Ross Chastain, ran a controversial two-car blockade behind the #24 Chevy as the race neared its end, which essentially escorted Byron to a sixth-place finish. In the fallout, all the available in-car radio evidence points to some hefty penalties for Dillon and his #3 team. But even more surprisingly, the grandstands aren’t cutting Ross Chastain any slack for his actions either.
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Radio Chatter & Ross Chastain’s cautious tactics spark conspiracy claims
NASCAR has a lot to look forward to leaving Martinsville. And that’s not to mention the vast volume of incidents that NASCAR had to look into while they were in Martinsville the last few days. For starters, it took them nearly half an hour after Ryan Blaney took the checkered to conclude that Christopher Bell’s wall ride on the last lap was, in fact, illegal. Bell walked into Virginia 29 points above the cutline, leading all the six playoff drivers, not yet locked in for the final 4 at Phoenix.
And as Blaney charged hard to secure one of the last two remaining spots, the battle for the penultimate one wound down to the Joe Gibbs Racing #20 driver and William Byron with 15 laps to go. Bell was running a lap down in 19th, behind the #23 Toyota of Bubba Wallace, while Byron struggled for speed in sixth after suffering some damage to his toe picked up earlier from battles with Ryan Blaney and Shane van Gisbergen. At this moment, the point difference between Byron and Bell had chipped away to only a single point. Thanks to the top 5 finishes in both stages earlier, the #24 driver was above the elimination line. Bell was -1 below.
As their points fight raged on, a crew member on the #3 Chevrolet of Austin Dillon, who was battling Ross Chastain for seventh place right behind Byron, had noted over the radio, “If we pass [Byron], he’ll be out.” And that wouldn’t be it. Amidst the radio chatter, someone from Dillon’s Chevy team asked if “the #1 crew chief” (Phil Surgen) knew the “deal.” Someone from Dillon’s crew replied to that, saying, “Yeah, he should.” Although no such auditory evidence surfaced against Chastain, Phil Surgen, or even spotter Brandon McReynolds, that brief mention by Dillon’s crew could levy a penalty on the #1 team if found guilty.
Besides, it is almost unbelievable that Ross Chastain, a driver who rarely gives an inch, could not pass the #24 car even once in the last 15 laps. For that matter, the Ford brigade of Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, and Noah Gragson were snapping at Dillon and Chastain’s heels. However, the Chevy duo were on live TV, leaning on each other multiple times, as the #6 of Keselowski even tried to loosen those cars, stopping others from moving up, out of shape, and off the groove.
Neither of those two drivers made the post-season. Nor were they racing for a win or a provisional spot in the final 4. On the surface, it looked like the pair were solely trying to help Byron make the transfer by not letting other cars pass him. If they did, Christopher Bell, who was inching for those few points over Byron in the closing laps, would’ve caused an upset from an 18th-place finishing position on points difference. For a few moments, the #20 and the #24 were even after the race while NASCAR deliberated who deserved that last ticket to Phoenix.
But after careful consideration, NASCAR issued a safety violation against Bell, who either accidentally, or by intent, pulled off a ‘Hail Melon 2.0’ on the same track where Ross Chastain used the 1.0 version to make the final four transfer, two years ago. After that video game moment, NASCAR banned any drivers from using a move like that in the future. So, they dropped Bell four positions to 22nd in the final race results. And with that, he lost those four crucial points that pushed William Byron into the Phoenix grand finale for his second straight year.
In Bell’s own words after the race, “I understand that the rule was made so you prevent people from riding the wall. But my move was completely different than what Ross’s was. I got loose getting into the corner and slid right into the fence.” Scrambling hard to pass his fellow Toyota teammate, Bubba Wallace, the #20 driver overshot the last corner and got clipped by Wallace’s #23 which sent Bell up the wall. He then rode the wall in a manner very similar to Chastain in 2022. But these are different times, so NASCAR did not think twice too much and penalized Bell.
In the wake of all the contentious updates, Wallace will also be under the microscope since he had informed his team before the brush-up with Bell that he had a “tire going down.” And their contact that led to Bell taking a wall ride was all but a little dicey, to say the least. NASCAR Senior VP of Competition, Elton Sawyer assured fans after the race that the sanctioning body would “look at everything” Sawyer also asserted that, “The situations going on with #23 and the cars behind the #24 really have no bearing at this time,” Hence, he declared they would take a “look at those at a later time.”
However, the #20 team’s frustrations, NASCAR’s reaction to Bubba Wallace, and the collective fan sentiments paint quite the incomplete picture.
Christopher Bell’s crew chief speaks out: “Guess they wanted a Chevy”
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If we’re being honest, things like that have been happening in the Playoff format for as long as one can remember. In 2013, there was ‘Spingate’ involving Michael Waltrip Racing, Furniture Row Motorsports, and Team Penske, which everyone must have thought about after all this talk of a manipulated finish in Martinsville on Sunday. However, the only reason Spingate is so renowned is because so many other incidents in the last two decades have gone overlooked under NASCAR’s scanner and even by the sharpest of eyes in the grandstands.
Racing is not a simple sport by any means. It’s easy to make judgments from across the screen at home. But the massive list of possibilities and probabilities that rear its face every time the green flag waves for the next best NASCAR race is nearly endless. For example, Ross Chastain and Austin Dillon have quite evidently violated NASCAR’s ‘100% Performance Obligation’ rule, which “requires its Competitor(s) to race at 100% of their ability with the goal of achieving their best possible finishing position in the Event.”
At the same time, Bob Pockrass of FOX tweeted that NASCAR ‘tore down Wallace’s car.’ The long-time NASCAR journalist then opined that if inspectors found nothing broken, a “penalty (could be) coming to (the #23) team”. It looks like NASCAR is suspicious about Wallace’s lack of pace in the closing laps but in the same post, Pockrass also wrote that it’s “hard to predict Dillon/Chastain b/c didn’t lose spots (don’t expect anything to Byron).” He informed diehards that “There isn’t a no-blocking rule,” after all.
NASCAR might drop the hammer on Wallace if they find even the slightest infraction. But fans are now calling out the sport’s bias, claiming its quick scrutiny of Wallace contradicts their leniency towards Chevy drivers like Chastain and Dillon. With on-board camera footage from Chastain’s #1 Chevy surfacing online, some fans said, “This entire Chevy orders to not pass Byron is the… Spygate, NBA betting, Astros, BlackSox of racing. With organized wagering allowed on an event, this a race-fixing scandal.”
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Others weren’t so kind and blamed everyone involved for bringing forth the controversial fallout. “These guys are ALL clowns, driver team owner spotter manufacturer, all of them,” wrote one passionate member of the NASCAR community. One eagle-eyed fan noticed that Chastain “had a run to the outside and completely gave up the run.” But in fairness, he had at least half a dozen runs like that in the closing stretch. As this fan elaborated best, “We all know how Ross drives & he ABSOLUTELY could have passed Byron cleanly 100 times in the last 15 laps so that’s not 100% & is RACE MANIPULATION!!”
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While a few more opined that there was “Nothing wrong with any of this, nothing!” On the verified side of Twitter, Christopher Bell shared a post where it seemed like the disgruntled Toyota driver had more than a few things to say after his penalty. He tweeted a picture of himself and team owner Joe Gibbs with the caption, “Just a couple of guys missing a bow tie.” And that’s open to everyone’s respective interpretations.
But his crew chief Adam Stevens made his discontent clear when he told Jeff Gluck of The Athletic after the race, “I think that’s a bad look, but bad looks aren’t gonna put me in the Championship 4, apparently. Guess they wanted a Chevy in there. They got one.” Now, Martinsville isn’t new to drama. However, this one turned ugly in a manner even the oldest active track on the NASCAR calendar has never seen before.

The excitement is at an all-time high. Why would it not be? The championship race is on the horizon and four drivers will battle it out for the Bill France Cup at Phoenix Raceway. Traditionally, the news in the NASCAR circles would revolve around speculation about the race, betting odds, and strategy at the 1-mile track. This time around, things seem to be very different. A court hearing involving Michael Jordan has been dominating the headlines, which could potentially alter the sports landscape forever.
While a lot has been said about NASCAR’s charter proposal, little has been revealed about the financial terms being offered to the 13 teams that have put pen to paper. That was until now. The sanctioning body’s attorney, Christopher Yates, has disclosed new details about the agreement, flipping the narrative surrounding the ‘coercion’ accusations.
Yates reveals terms rejected by Michael Jordan and FRM
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After years of intense negotiations, NASCAR finally ran out of patience and issued an ultimatum. Just 48 hours before the opening playoff race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the sport’s hierarchy offered a final proposal to its teams, giving them time until midnight to make a decision. The take-it-or-leave-it offer put owners in a spot, not only because there was no room for negotiations but it also came with conditions that meant the organization could not be held accountable in the court.
With the threat of losing their charters looming large, the majority of team owners gave in to NASCAR’s terms, except for Michael Jordan’s co-owned 23XI Racing and Bob Jenkins’ Front Row Motorsports. However, as per NASCAR’s attorney Christopher Yates, teams had an additional source of motivation that prompted them to sign the agreement. The Latham & Watkins LLP representative said that under the new terms, teams would receive “nearly half of the TV revenue — that is not a small amount by any metric.”
With NASCAR signing a multi-billion dollar media rights deal worth an estimated $7.7 billion with NBC, Fox, Amazon, and Warner Bros Discovery from 2025 to 2031, it was only natural that teams would want a significant slice of the pie to make the sport more sustainable. While not every stakeholder was happy with all the terms presented in the charter proposal, one team owner, who wished to remain anonymous said, “Even though it wasn’t a great deal, we took the deal because it is getting us more revenue.”
Echoing a similar sentiment, Rick Hendrick, owner of the sport’s most successful team, went on to say, “I felt it was a fair deal, and we protected the charters, which was number one, we got the (revenue) increase.” In many ways, revealing the financial terms being offered to the 13 NASCAR teams was a smart move by attorney Christopher Yates, as it not only flipped the narrative surrounding stakeholders being coerced but also highlighted the equitable terms being offered in return. Could this prove to be a blow to Michael Jordan’s anti-trust lawsuit? Time will tell.
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Christopher Yates dismisses the need for preliminary injunction
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While Michael Jordan’s co-owned 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports would prefer keeping their charters, anti-trust attorney Jim Kessler has revealed that the teams could be willing to compete in the ‘open’ category if their preliminary injunction is denied. However, they would still want the clause where NASCAR cannot be sued on monopolistic grounds to be waived away, in order to compete in the Cup Series during the 2025 season while pursuing legal action.
However, NASCAR’s attorney, Christopher Yates, believes that the injunction request is too broad and the teams should compete in the open category, as they have done so with one-off cars in the past. Should the Michael Jordan-led lawsuit win the judgment, they could seek financial compensation from the sport’s hierarchy for the damages incurred during the 2025 season. However, Yates has made it clear that the sanctioning body no longer wants to sign a charter agreement with the two teams after they disparaged NASCAR publicly.
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Having accused Michael Jordan, Denny Hamlin, and Bob Jenkins of making a “frontal assault to the charter system”, the attorney went on to say, “They have been calling NASCAR a series of names that undermine NASCAR’s brand and goodwill. NASCAR only wants to enter into charter agreements with teams who want to work collectively to grow the sport.” With just a few more days to go until the court reaches a verdict, both parties will be optimistic about their chances, believing that they have made a compelling case in front of Judge Frank Whitney.

The Martinsville Speedway seemed to be unfavorable for Christopher Bell after NASCAR brought out a decision that completely ribbed him off his position. While Bell seemed to be trying hard to make a mark and trying new strategies, he was denied his Top 4 position due to a “safety violation”. However, this decision did not go well with the fans who called out NASCAR for their decision.
But this is not the only thing that NASCAR was accused of by the fans. There was also quite a mutual consensus that NASCAR has always been more favorable to Hendrick Motorsports and this time too, history has repeated itself. Here’s what Bell did at Martinsville that got him off the Top 4 battle at Phoenix.
Christopher Bell loses the Top 4 position to Byron
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With Joey Logano and Tyler Reddick making it to the top 4, before the Martinsville Speedway, only two positions were left. Ryan Blaney won at the Martinsville Speedway which ensured that his position to the top was also secured. He was accompanied by Christopher Bell. However, it seemed as though Bell had undertaken a move that would prove to be catastrophic for his future ahead. The reason? It was declared that Bell’s move was a safety violation!
Christopher Bell was towards the last closing 10 laps when he overtook Bubba Wallace who slowed down. This slowing down allowed Bell to run against the wall and dash forward. He dashed ahead of Bubba Wallace for the P18 which allowed him to gain an edge over with points. While Bell and Byron were in a point-wise tie, this move allowed Bell to move ahead with a benefit of one point. However, it seems as though fate has some other plans. Soon, NASCAR announced a major announcement that threatened Bell’s position in the top 4. It said that anyone who attempts to perform the Chastian wall ride will be penalized and this move is considered as a safety violation. This is exactly what happened with Bell as well. His move was hailed as a safety violation and the points he earned were also deducted. This ensured that Bell lost his standing from the Top 4 and he was replaced by William Byron. This decision however did not go well with the fans who called it an “ absolute joke”.
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The Twitter community showered their frustration over this decision as fans hailed this move to be an “absolute joke of a decision”. However, this did not end there. A fan even pointed out saying, “What a joke of a call. If Ross and Austin didn’t block for 10+ laps then Byron would have lost at least 3 – 4 positions. Bell wouldn’t have had to make that desperate wall ride. Should have penalized the 1 & 3 after a few laps of blocking”. This comes as a reaction after Byron was constantly guarded by his Chevy team members, Austin Dillon, and Ross Chastain which ensured that Byron did not lose out on positions. There were several times when the two drivers could have crossed him and yet they managed to block Byron so that he did not lose out on either points or position. This created a major problem for Bell who had to climb the wall as a desperate move to salvage his position. Citing this, a fan mentioned, “Absolute joke with Chevy guilty of race manipulation”. Reacting to this move on the tracks, Christopher Bell said, “I mean that was disappointing. That was disappointing to see them blocking like that and manipulating the race. I don’t know”.
USA Today via Reuters Feb 16, 2024; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Christopher Bell (20) during practice for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Joe Gibbs Reacts to Decision By NASCAR
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It seems as though Joe Gibbs is not having a good time this season as all its four drivers, Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr, and Ty Gibbs are out of the battle. The decision by NASCAR met with all kinds of reactions and this is when Joe Gibbs shared his bits about what he felt about the decision. Gibbs said in quite a heavy and melancholic time, “They said it’s over”. When asked about whether he would like to appeal or not against the decision that NASCAR had made official, he said, “I love to. They said we can’t appeal”. Along with Gibbs, Bell too spoke about how he felt about this move and the decision imposed by NASCAR. He said, “ I don’t know what to say. I understand that the rule was made to prevent people from riding the wall, but my move was completely different than what Ross [Chastain’s] was. I got loose getting into the corner a slid right into the fence. I don’t know what else to say”. Joe Gibbs drivers did not have the stars to their favor and while Truex Jr and Ty Gibbs were eliminated postseason, Hamlin and Bell could not make it to the decider at Martinsville Speedway.
With Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney, and William Byron making it to the Top 4 battle at Phoenix Raceway, who do you think would seal the deal?

Stewart Haas Racing co-owner Tony Stewart received a lot of backlash for his untimely exit from NASCAR. But, for him, it was the right time to exit the sport with the financial burden and cost of racing crippling the owners. He didn’t hesitate to highlight 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports’ lawsuit against NASCAR, to help the racing community better understand the dynamics of running a team in the modern era.
As SHR nears its last NASCAR race, Tony Stewart has been more vocal and unfiltered in his criticism. He labeled the current charter agreement a joke after seeing the big boys bend their knees in front of France family. NASCAR has ruled the sport with an iron fist ever since its inception. And even Rick Hendrick and RTA’s alliance wasn’t successful in getting a fair deal when it came to the new charter agreement.
Tony Stewart didn’t want to be a part of the charter system
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The charter deal saga has been going on for almost two years. All but two teams have agreed to sign the new charter deal controversially. It was a take-it-or-leave-it type of deal, and the threat of losing the ownership of their charters forced the owners’ hands into inking the new charter agreement.
Initially, it looked like the alliance of owners like Joe Gibbs, Rick Hendrick, and Roger Penske would force NASCAR to build a sustainable business system. But, ultimately, NASCAR had its way, just like they usually do, and this is what HMS owner Rick Hendrick had to say about the negotiation process: “I was just tired.” This stood out for SHR co-owner Tony Stewart, who didn’t hold back in calling out NASCAR’s broken system.
“The charter agreements are a joke. And if people aren’t smart enough to read between the lines of when someone like Rick Hendrick says, I just got tired of arguing with them. Do you think Rick Hendrick runs his business and negotiations just say, I’m just going to sign this agreement because I’m tired arguing with you? Rick Hendrick’s never done that a day in his life.” Stewart said in a recent interview.
Teams have to shell out close to $20 million a year to run a race team. For a team like SHR, which has four charters, the expenditure is even more. Not to forget, the teams still depend on sponsorship money to stay afloat in the business, and that aspect hasn’t been too promising for them as well. Well, if a team like Hendrick Motorsports is unable to churn out profits, it goes to show how difficult it is for teams to operate financially.
“So if people aren’t smart enough to read between the lines and figure out what that means, then you’re all missing the whole big picture, all by itself. So it’s just an era that I don’t want to be a part of anymore. I’m a purist; I’m an old-school guy when it comes to racing,” he added. Moreover, while speaking to his old friend Kevin Harvick, Stewart further elaborated on his exit from NASCAR to shift his attention to other important projects.
NASCAR racing isn’t what it used to be
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We often hear about the heyday of stock car racing, where sponsors used to line up to feature on the race cars. The racing was exciting and one that allowed the drivers to make or break their fortunes on the racetracks. Moreover, Stewart Haas Racing over the last decade from 2011-2020 was a powerhouse team that enjoyed success with the #4 team. But, for some reason, the team wasn’t able to continue its dominance in the new era of stock car racing.
SHR lost out on their star driver this year and also saw Busch Light jump ship to Trackhouse Racing. Not only that, their OEM partnership with Ford was also about to end by 2024. Unable to turn the corner in terms of performance on the racetrack, Stewart and Gene Haas had to make a tough call to shut down. While the new teams like Spire Motorsports and Trackhouse Racing are thriving, SHR wasn’t sold on the new business model.
“NASCAR is not what it used to be; it is drastically different than what it used to be. And that’s okay for some people; for some people it’s not. I guess I’m one of those people. I have a lot of respect for the France family… But this is a time when things are drastically changing in the sport. You look at what’s going on with 23XI and Front Row Motorsports right now and the direction that things are going. It’s not a direction that I want to be a part of. This was never part of the master plan, but this is the right time for me to get out of the sport.” Smoke said this on the Happy Hour podcast.
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While NASCAR has all the right to defend its stance against the teams, the exit of a notable team like SHR is indeed a loss for the sport.

If Martinsville was anything to go by, the Championship race at Phoenix cannot disappoint. Both Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin, this year’s favorites, are out! A massive shocker to most fans, the Martinsville race prompted immediate anger among fans, who called for NASCAR to take action. However, it was not because the two drivers weren’t in the Top 4. Rather, it was because of what fans believed was faulty ruling when it came to William Byron and Christopher Bell, and Kyle Petty is having none of it.
Following the outcome of the Martinsville race, Kyle Petty sent a firm message to “whining
Kyle Petty Takes to a Bold Stand
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On Sunday, the tracks saw Chevy drivers Austin Dillon and Ross Chastain not bypassing fellow Chevy driver William Byron even though they had enough speed. This ensured that Byron did not lose out on points anymore. Consequently, towards the closing laps it seemed as though Bubba Wallace slowed down intentionally so that he could let Bell take the lead. Both these instances stirred up a pool of emotions among fans and drivers who questioned race manipulation. The post-race controversy has been the talk of the town for the last couple of days and now there is news that NASCAR will be delving deeper into the possible angles and contexts.
When William Byron was recently asked about the blockage that his fellow Chevy drivers contributed to, he quickly shifted the focus to Bubba Wallace. Defending both Chastain and Dillon, Wallace said, “How about the 23 lifting for a lap? Nobody lifted behind me. Well, they never moved me. But they’re racing hard, they’re still getting in the corner hard. They’re not lifting down the straightaways…big margin to get back to somebody, like the 23 did. So it’s hard racing and we’re all at the limit.”
Kyle Petty seemingly has quite a tough stance when it comes to allegations against race manipulation. This comes as a reaction after fans saw drivers pointing fingers at each other. Reacting to this, Kyle Petty said, “I am gonna say this again to race fans, you can whine and moan all you want to. But everybody knew rolling into Daytona what the point system was, everybody knew what the playoffs were, everybody knew what the rules were. So you can whine all year long, whine all you want to call whoever you want to. That’s the rules we play under”.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Richard Petty (@therichardpetty)
Fans had earlier called out that it was unfair of NASCAR to penalize Bell and not take any action against the Chevy lobby. Bell’s penalty came due to the “hail melon” move which directly falls under safety violations. NASCAR had an in-depth discussion with drivers and then decided that following this move would lead to penalization. This is exactly what happened with Bell on Sunday after he attempted to drive past the high wall imitating the hail melon move.
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Kyle Petty added that race drivers commonly pass off race wins intentionally, as they are more interested in collecting stage points. Usually, the sponsorship and longevity of a driver comes from the point standings and this is why drivers often behave in such a way. Citing this, Petty said, “And we see it during the year you want to talk about manipulating races, you see it all year long where a guy will win the first segment and win the second segment to get those bonus points just to give up the win. He’s not worried about a race win, he’s just worried about getting his points. Is that manipulation? I don’t know, I’m asking you people”. However, this remark by Petty has not gone very well among the fans who think that he might be siding with NASCAR.
Petty Chooses a Side In Light of Martinsville Controversy
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Kyle Petty recently took to social media where he made his stance quite clear to the audience. He took to his X account and shared how blocking is not something that is against the rule book. Consequently, this hinted that what Byron, Chastain, and Dillon did at Martinsville Speedway did not count as a manipulation for him. On the contrary, he also added that there are serious rules against wall climbing in the NASCAR rulebook.
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Consequently, the decision regarding Bell is indeed appropriate. His tweet read, “I’m not arguing tonight because I don’t feel like dealing with some of you honestly. 1st there is no rule against blocking and manufacturers have been working together for years! (See Daytona and Talladega) 2nd wall ride is against the rules, that’s a fact. Conversation over”. This particular stunt ensured that Bell lost out on his Top 4 position after the points were deducted.
Reacting to the same, Bell said, “I understand that the rule is made to prevent people from riding the wall. But my move was completely different than what Ross’ was. I got loose getting into the corner and slid right into the fence”. After the official decision was announced, team Hendrick Motorsports was also informed that because this is a safety violation, one cannot appeal against this decision. What is your take on this controversy?

After Ryan Blaney claimed the checkered flag at Martinsville Speedway, it seemed as though the real drama started to unfold. One could see a silent Christopher Bell and William Byron by their cars, waiting for the official announcement to be made by NASCAR. While it seemed as though Bell was the last one to enter the top 4 contenders, it went haywire after he was penalized, citing safety violations.
This put Byron in the last position. However, this is not as easy as it seems. This is when there were whispers of race manipulation by Byron’s Chevy teammates. As he advances to the next track, there have been rising questions about integrity from insiders as well as NASCAR veterans.
Willian Byron’s victory due to cordoning off by Chastain and Dillon
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Towards the closing laps, both Byron and Bell were seen in a tough battle trying to manage their lead and move up. After all, their position would ultimately decide their chances of making it to the finals at Phoenix. It was during the last few laps of the 500-lap race that fans saw Byron fading from the field after he successfully led 51 laps. For every spot that William Byron lost, he fell one point behind and closer to the elimination line. He finally settled in the 6th position, just a point behind Christopher Bell. This is exactly when William Byron’s Chevy teammates did something that raised speculations. Although both Chastain and Dillon had the speed to overtake, they chose to not do so. Initially, it seemed slightly confusing. However, one could understand that this move was intentional.
Not only that, both Chastain and Dillon seemed to create a barricade that ensured that no one could topple them. If William Byron had lost even one position, he would be out of the Top 4. It seemed as though there was some hidden Chevy strategy that each of these drivers was following so that they could safeguard the one who had the highest chance of making it to the Finale. Reacting to this move, NASCAR insiders lashed out.
Jeff Gluck broke down exactly what happened on the track that day. He said, “As the laps are winding down like ten to go Byron cannot lose a single one more spot because Byron is hanging on by one point and Bell has the tie breaker. So even though Bell can’t gain a lot because he’s trapped a lap down, Byron cannot afford to lose any spots. But Byron is fading, it was almost starting to look reminiscent of last year where he cannot hang on and other cars are coming up. But instead of passing him, it just so happens that Chevy teammates were behind them. You have Austin Dillon, you have Ross Chastian and it was clear even before we heard the radio chatter, these guys were not going to pass him. Lap after lap, they just get in line they’re riding behind him, they’re clogging him, they clogged up the track”.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dirty Mo Media (@dirtymomedia)
What added fuel to the speculations was a radio conversation between Dillon and his crew. In this radio conversation, it was evident that both Dillon and Chastain had the instructions to cordon off William Byron and not surpass him in the drive. During the radio conversation, Dillon asked, “Does he know that deal?” His crew chief responded to the same saying, “I’m just trying to find them to tell them. Does the #1 crew chief know the deal?” to which another RCR member replied, “Yeah, he should”. This radio conversation is a clear indication that there was a strategy cooking between the Chevy drivers and it was indeed a well-planned move.
Reacting to the same, Jeff Gluck, “NBC plays that radio chatter during that 27 minute delay as they’re trying to figure out everything after the race and you know both are told, hey listen, you know the situation whatever it is, he’s in by one point, and they didn’t have to say, I don’t know I heard them specifically say don’t pass. I don’t know that we said that or we heard that but they were saying he’s in by one point. They’re smart and they are like okay we are not going to do that. So is that race manipulation? We will find out, we don’t know how NASCAR feels about that yet”.
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It’s not just Chevrolet facing backlash, as Martinsville exposed another team’s behind-the-scenes strategy.
Chevrolet Might not Be the Only Lobby at Work During Martinsville Speedway
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Although the strategy adopted by the Chevy drivers seems to be alarming, they were probably not the only ones up to this kind of lobbying. There has been growing consensus among the audience that even the Toyota drivers underwent a similar strategy on the tracks. Audiences are now of the opinion that even Bubba Wallace slowed down deliberately so that he could let Christopher Bell pass, thus maintaining manufacturer teammate spirit.
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Although this might have worked, Bell made a blunder by climbing up the wall and replicating the Hail Menon move by Chastain from two years back. Keeping in mind the recent NASCAR derivations, he was penalized and ultimately Byron had made it to the Top 4. Citing that this could also possibly be a race manipulation, NASCAR insider Jeff Gluck said, “We also don’t know how NASCAR feels yet about Bubba Wallace. Bubba Wallace was the only car that Christopher Bell could have passed coming to the end there because he was trapped a lap down”.
He further added, “I do think it’s not great, and I’m wondering how NASCAR will react to it if they do anything. But the Bubba thing there, because that’s really, that’s him slowing down to give a spot.” Although Bubba Wallace has mentioned that there were problems with his tire and it was purely unintentional, do you think that Wallace will lose out on his position in the finals?

Retired basketball superstar Michael Jordan appeared in Charlotte, NC federal court on Monday after he and two of his fellow NASCAR team owners filed suit against the auto racing association for alleged antitrust violations.
Jordan, who co-owns 23XI Racing alongside three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, sat in the front row of the gallery and listened intently as antitrust lawyer Jeffrey Kessler asked for a temporary injunction that would allow the former Bulls star’s team to compete in races while challenging NASCAR’s business model.
Jordan’s team 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, which is owned by restaurant entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, filed suit against NASCAR and chairman Jim France last month after months of tense negotiations over NASCAR’s charter system.
3 Michael Jordan, a NASCAR team co-owner, is suing NASCAR for alleged antitrust violations. AP
The two teams say NASCAR gave all Cup Series teams a last-minute, take-it-or-leave-it offer in September that both 23XI and Front Row refused to sign.
The owners contend the charter system limits competition by unfairly binding teams to the series, its tracks and its suppliers, and they called the France family and NASCAR “monopolistic bullies.”
The two teams are represented by Kessler, the top antitrust lawyer in the country, who argued repeatedly they are only asking for a temporary injunction that allows them to compete without the clause that would prevent their ongoing lawsuit.
He said NASCAR has since rescinded the charter agreements offered to 23XI and FRM in September.
“We do not challenge the entire charter agreement. We want a return to status quo,” Kessler said.
“We are not seeking a seven-to-14-year argument. Let us operate under the terms they offered for the duration of the (court) case and race under the charter terms for the duration of the case.”
Kessler said NASCAR is fighting the injunction because NASCAR does not believe it has a winnable case.
3 Jordan is seen right with Front Row Motorsports owner Bob Jenkins. AP
The fight is playing out as NASCAR heads into its championship weekend, with the title-deciding race set for Sunday in Phoenix with 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick among the four drivers who can win.
After a hearing that lasted nearly two hours, US District Judge Frank D. Whitney said he’d have a decision on 23XI and FRM’s request for a preliminary injunction to be recognized in 2025 as chartered teams by Friday — when cars hit the track in Phoenix to begin preparations for the title-deciding race.
Jordan said he didn’t think the legal battle would detract from 23XI’s effort to win the championship with Reddick.
“No, I’ve been in situations of disparity. I think the race team is going to focus on what they have to do this weekend, which I expect them to do,” Jordan said.
“I think Jeffrey did an unbelievable job today, and I think I put all my cards on the table. I’m looking forward to winning a championship this weekend.”
3 Jordan is seeking an injunction against a new revenue-sharing agreement that was signed by NASCAR teams. Getty Images
At issue before the court is 23XI and FRM’s request to be released from a clause in NASCAR’s agreement that prohibits teams from suing the sanctioning body.
Both teams have said they will operate as “open” teams in 2025 if they don’t receive the injunction, but even that agreement prevents them from suing NASCAR.
Also, an “open” team is not guaranteed a spot in the weekly 40-car field, does not receive the same amount of revenue as chartered teams, and its drivers and sponsors potentially could leave because they are associated with unprotected chartered teams.
The charter system began in 2016 and has now twice been extended, with the deals signed by 13 organizations set to run from 2025 through 2031.
With Post Wires

The cutoff race at Martinsville Speedway had all the ingredients of a thrilling NASCAR race. Be it late-race lead changes or controversies, the race delivered on all fronts. However, Christopher Bell’s last lap dramatic hail melon finish was the one that quickly became the talking point. Although Bell initially looked to have made the cut for the final 4, NASCAR’s intervention saw him lose his spot to William Byron.
While there were debates and heated discussions about Bell’s last-lap antics, his teammate Denny Hamlin felt that NASCAR made the right call. For some, this might come as a surprise, but Hamlin, out of all the drivers, knows what it is like to be on the receiving end of a hail melon move. Despite agreeing with the call, he couldn’t help but highlight the gray area, which allows NASCAR to choose what they feel like penalizing.
NASCAR can bend the rules according to their liking
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Bell’s move wasn’t exactly the same as what Ross Chastain pulled off back in 2022. However, the #20 Toyota Camry got loose after making an aggressive pass on the #23 car, and with the momentum, the driver couldn’t make the corner. With a spot in the championship 4 on the line, the JGR driver shipped his car into the wall and went wide open. Now, it is hard to judge if Bell would’ve been able to avoid the contact or if his wall riding was intentional.
But ever since Chastain drove his way in the final 4, the teams and drivers had decided to ban the hail melon move. This was looked at as a safety concern, and all parties agreed to stray away from entertaining such a move in the future, and that is exactly what NASCAR did last Sunday. The only catch here is that there is no specific rule about penalizing the drivers for riding the wall. And this is what stood out for Denny Hamlin as he highlighted NASCAR’s smart tactics to deal with controversial calls.
“I think they made the right call. I don’t like it, but they wanted to avoid us wall-riding on the last laps to either gain or defend positions, and C Bell didn’t have to do it… Now there is no rule against wall riding. The preface is that it just says anything that we deem. NASCAR is really good at this, just putting sentences in that are so vague that allows them to kind of do whatever they want to do.” Denny Hamlin said this on the Actions Detrimental podcast.
USA Today via Reuters Feb 14, 2024; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin (11) speaks with reporters during media day at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
The veteran driver also went on to explain why the move was banned in the first place. “Simply because we don’t want to have to go in corners wide open and destroy the car for the owners that’s 300-400 grand, and then you got the safety aspect of it. No telling what could come off the car and go into the stands, right? So that’s why they put this under the quote-on-quote safety violation.”
However, this wasn’t the only controversy that played out in the final few laps. Perhaps NASCAR dodged a bullet in handing out a verdict on potential race manipulation tactics that involved both Christopher Bell and William Byron.
NASCAR is planning to investigate race manipulation tactics by the drivers
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Christopher Bell’s wall ride was an easy black-and-white call for NASCAR to make in the heat of the moment. But, there was more to it than just the hail melon finish. Austin Dillon and Ross Chastain looked to defend the #24 of William Byron from the rest of the field. Byron was on the verge of crashing out of the championship spot if he was passed by a single car, which obviously didn’t happen.
On the other hand, Bubba Wallace driving the #23 car also surprisingly slowed down on the last lap, allowing fellow Toyota driver Bell to make that pass. This scenario somewhat resembled the infamous Spingate, which led to the downfall of Michael Waltrip Racing back in 2013. Although NASCAR seemed to steer clear of making a controversial call, they are looking into the incident. This could result in potential penalties or fines this week ahead of the finale in Phoenix.
“Yeah, we’ll look at everything. As I said earlier, we want to go back, as we would have done anyway. We’ll get back. We’ll take all the data and video, we’ll listen to in-car audio, we’ll do all that, as we would any event.” NASCAR’s senior vice president of competition, Elton Sawyer, said this in a press conference after the race at Martinsville.
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It will be interesting to see if there are any repercussions for William Byron and the #24 team. They are the ones who were allowed to advance to the finale race, while Bell crashed out.