Joey Logano’s All-Star Gamble Backfires as Bell’s Bold Pass and Fresh Tires Steal Victory
Joey Logano faced multiple frustrations during Sunday night’s NASCAR All-Star Race, from a questionable late-race caution flag to a pit strategy that didn’t pay off, and ultimately a hard pass by Christopher Bell that sealed his fate. The decisive moment came when Bell, driving the No. 20 Toyota, pushed Logano’s No. 22 Ford up the track through tight corners in a maneuver that left Logano frustrated but unable to retaliate due to worn tires.
Caution Flag Shifts Momentum; Bell’s Tire Advantage Secures Late-Race Victory
Despite Logano’s strong performance, leading 139 of 250 laps, a promoter’s-choice caution at Lap 216 erased his lead and changed the race’s momentum. Logano’s crew chief, Paul Wolfe, chose to keep him on the track during the caution while several other teams pitted for fresh tires. Bell, with fresh tires and lined up sixth, quickly advanced to overtake Logano in the closing laps, ultimately securing the win.
Joey Logano’s All-Star Gamble Backfires as Bell’s Bold Pass and Fresh Tires Steal Victory
Bell defended his aggressive pass, suggesting that Logano’s frustration was unexpected and that his move was well within the norms of competitive racing. He noted that both drivers had pressured each other throughout the race and that his winning tactics were not unfair. Meanwhile, Logano hinted that he would have responded more forcefully had his tires been fresher, underscoring the importance of tire strategy in the race outcome.
Logano Questions Pit Strategy Gamble That Cost Victory in High-Stakes Race
After the race, Logano openly questioned the decision to stay out during the caution, acknowledging that it likely cost them the win. He and Wolfe agreed that while they had the fastest car, the strategic call to forego pitting was a mistake, especially given the high stakes of the All-Star Race’s $1 million prize. Logano noted the difference in risk tolerance between a heat race and a major event, recognizing that their gamble didn’t pay off.
Logano expressed his disappointment but remained pragmatic, recognizing they had one of the best cars and showed strong performance. He lamented the “gimmick caution” that disrupted his lead but indicated a readiness to move on. Both he and Wolfe acknowledged that sometimes even the best cars don’t win due to strategy and circumstances, leaving Logano with a second-place finish and lessons for the future.
NASCAR Hits RFK Racing and Chris Buescher With Major Penalty Over Bumper Violation
NASCAR announced severe penalties against Chris Buescher and his RFK Racing team for a violation involving the front bumper cover of his car. The team was docked 60 driver and owner points, as well as five playoff points each. Crew chief Scott Graves was suspended for two races—the upcoming All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro and the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte—and the team was fined $75,000 for an L1 level infraction.
RFK Racing Commits To Compliance As Buescher Drops In Playoff Standings
RFK Racing released a statement affirming their commitment to full compliance with NASCAR rules and mentioned they were reviewing the situation to decide on filing an appeal within the allowed timeframe. Doug Randolph has been named as the interim crew chief for the All-Star Race to replace the suspended Graves, as per the official crew roster submitted to NASCAR.
NASCAR Hits RFK Racing and Chris Buescher With Major Penalty Over Bumper Violation
Before the penalty, Buescher was 12th in the driver standings and held a playoff spot following an eighth-place finish at Kansas Speedway. The penalty dropped him to 24th in the standings, placing him 27 points behind the final playoff spot with 14 races remaining in the regular season. Consequently, his teammate Ryan Preece has moved up into the last playoff position.
NASCAR Penalizes Team For Exceeding Allowed Front Bumper Reinforcement And Safety Violations
NASCAR cited the team for violating Section 14.5.4.G, which limits how much reinforcement can be added to the car’s front fascia. The team bonded a larger area than permitted, strengthening the inner surface of the bumper cover beyond the allowed 2-inch boundary. Brad Moran, Cup Series managing director, explained the violation involved exceeding the allowed bonded area on the nosepiece, which NASCAR allows but only within specific limits.
The violation also involved non-compliance with Section 14 regarding vehicle and driver safety specifications, which mandates strict adherence during events. Buescher’s car was one of two vehicles inspected at NASCAR’s Research & Development Center following the Kansas race. No other teams or cars were penalized on this occasion.
NASCAR Roars Back to Rockingham as Revamped Speedway Hosts Xfinity and Truck Series in 2025
In April 2025, NASCAR is set to make a historic return to the Rockingham Speedway, marking a significant moment in the sport’s history. The NASCAR Xfinity and Truck Series will compete on this storied North Carolina track during the weekend of April 18-19. This return comes as the Cup Series takes its only off-weekend of the season.
The Trucks will race on Friday, while the Xfinity Series will take center stage on Saturday. NASCAR Executive Vice President Ben Kennedy emphasized the rich history of Rockingham Speedway and the excitement of showcasing future stars at such a legendary venue.
Rockingham Speedway’s Historic Revival Fueled by Infrastructure Upgrades and Government Support
Rockingham Speedway, which has hosted NASCAR races since 1965, has a deep connection to the sport’s history. It held both Cup and Xfinity races until 2004, but declining attendance and NASCAR’s shift towards more modern tracks led to its abandonment. The speedway, located in a rural area with fewer than 10,000 residents, faced challenges in competing with nearby Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The track had a brief revival in the early 2010s, but the Truck Series race was short-lived due to financial struggles. Despite these setbacks, there has been a renewed push for the track’s revival after the success of the North Wilkesboro revival in 2023.
NASCAR Roars Back to Rockingham as Revamped Speedway Hosts Xfinity and Truck Series in 2025
The revival of Rockingham Speedway in 2025 was made possible by funding from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which aimed to help the country recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper allocated millions of dollars to improve infrastructure at race tracks in the state, including $10 million specifically for Rockingham.
This funding led to extensive upgrades, such as a repaved track, new garages, and a modernized media center, allowing the historic venue to return to its former glory.
Rockingham Speedway Revitalized for NASCAR’s Return with Kahne, Legge, and 75 Drivers
Dan Lovenheim, the owner of Rockingham Speedway, expressed his excitement about the track’s revival. He highlighted the significant investments made in updating the facility, making it a proud destination for race fans. Lovenheim praised the efforts of the North Carolina government and NASCAR for helping bring the track back to life. With the infrastructure improvements in place, Rockingham is now ready to host the NASCAR Xfinity and Truck Series over the Easter weekend, marking the return of top-tier racing to the venue after nearly two decades.
This weekend’s event at Rockingham will also feature notable entries, including former race winner Kasey Kahne, who returns to NASCAR after nearly seven years. Kahne, driving for Richard Childress Racing, will compete in the Xfinity race alongside four-time Indy 500 starter Katherine Legge. A total of 75 drivers have entered the weekend’s races, with 35 in the Truck Series and 40 vying for 38 spots in the Xfinity Series field. The highly anticipated event marks a thrilling moment in NASCAR’s history, as Rockingham Speedway once again hosts top-tier racing.
The two teams suing NASCAR over antitrust issues stated in a filing on Wednesday that NASCAR’s countersuit against 23XI Racing, Front Row Motorsports, and Michael Jordan’s manager is “an act of desperation” and asked for it to be dismissed.
NASCAR’s countersuit claims that Jordan’s business manager, Curtis Polk, “willfully” broke antitrust laws by organizing unfair group actions related to the most recent charter agreements.
23XI and Front Row were the only teams out of 15 that refused to sign the new agreements, which were given to the teams last September, just 48 hours before the NASCAR playoffs started.
The charters were fought for by teams before the 2016 season and have been extended twice. The latest extension lasts for seven years to match the current media rights deal and ensures 36 of the 40 spots in each race for the teams that hold the charters, along with other financial benefits.
23XI, co-owned by Jordan, and Front Row chose not to sign and filed a lawsuit, accusing NASCAR and the France family, which owns the stock car series, of being a monopoly.
In Wednesday’s filing, the teams argued that NASCAR’s counterclaim is “retaliatory” and “does not allege the facts necessary to state a claim.”
“NASCAR is using the counterclaim to engage in litigation gamesmanship, with the transparent objective of intimidating the other racing teams by threatening them with severe consequences if they support Plaintiffs’ challenge to the unlawful NASCAR monopoly,” the filing said.
23XI and Front Row have asked for NASCAR’s counterclaim to be dismissed because they believe it “fails at the threshold because it does not allege facts plausibly showing a contract, combination or conspiracy in restraint of trade.”
“The counterclaim allegations instead show each racing team individually deciding whether or not to agree to NASCAR’s demands through individual negotiations — the opposite of a conspiracy.”
Michael Jordan and Bob Jenkins in the NASCAR Cup Series
The filing also defends Polk, who was specifically targeted in NASCAR’s counterclaim as the main person behind the two-year dispute between the teams and NASCAR. NASCAR’s countersuit claimed that Polk threatened a boycott of the Daytona 500 qualifying races, but the teams argued on Wednesday “there is no allegation that such a threatened boycott of qualifying races ever took place.”
“None of NASCAR’s factual claims fit into the very narrow categories of blatantly anti-competitive agreements that courts summarily condemn as per se unlawful,” the teams said.
Jordan, through a spokesperson, told The Associated Press that Polk speaks for him and that the NBA star views any attack on Polk as “personal.”
NASCAR’s lawyer has warned that if 23XI and Front Row win the lawsuit, it could lead to the complete removal of the charter system — NASCAR claims this would be a consequence, not something they actually want to happen — and said 23XI made it personal by naming NASCAR chairman Jim France in the original antitrust lawsuit.
However, the teams fought back against the threat to remove the charter system in Wednesday’s filing. They argue it’s an empty threat meant to scare the 13 teams that signed the charter agreements.
The filing also says Front Row should be removed from NASCAR’s counterclaim because “NASCAR does not allege any specific conduct by Front Row or its owners or employees to support a claim that it participated in the alleged conspiracy.”
“The other allegations in the counterclaim against Front Row are all entirely conclusory or improper group pleading that seeks to lump in Front Row with 23XI Racing, Mr. Polk, and ‘others,’ while never identifying what — if anything — Front Row Motorsports itself has done to supposedly participate in the alleged conspiracy.”
There is no deadline for when a judge will make a decision.
Kyle Larson passed Alex Bowman with six laps to go in NASCAR’s Cup Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, earning his 30th career win at one of his best tracks.
Larson, driving the No. 5 Chevrolet, made the move when Bowman scraped the wall on Turn 4 while leading. Larson increased his lead to over a second ahead of his Hendrick Motorsports teammate and held on to win by 1.205 seconds. This was Larson’s second Cup Series victory at Homestead and his second win of the weekend.
Larson missed out on sweeping the weekend by one race. He won the Craftsman Truck race on Friday and finished fourth in the Xfinity Series on Saturday, despite leading 132 out of 201 laps. He was hoping to become the second driver to sweep a triple-header weekend, following Kyle Busch, who did so at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2010 and 2017. Larson will have another chance to achieve this at Bristol next month.
Larson said the disappointment of Saturday’s race, where a late caution cost him a win despite dominating, motivated him. He has often felt disappointment at Homestead despite being successful there in the past.
“Proud of myself. Proud of the team. Just a lot of gritty hard work there today,” Larson said. “Super pumped. One of the coolest wins I think in my Cup career just because of all the heartbreak I’ve had here, the heartbreak yesterday. To just keep my head down and keep digging feels really good.”
Larson wasn’t dominant in the race. He led just 19 of 267 laps, started in 14th place, and had to overcome pit road issues and poor restarts to win — his first victory of the season and his first Cup Series win at Homestead since 2022.
“Given past history, I just wanted to take the green flag and kick everybody’s ass today,” Larson said. “I wanted to get to the lead early and just dominate like I was yesterday. Then the green flag flew, and it was like the opposite. I was going backwards, and getting (mad) in the helmet.
“After 10 laps or so, I forgot about the wanting to kick everybody’s ass all race long. It was like, ‘All right, let’s try to and work hard at this and get a win.’”
Bowman, the pole winner on Saturday, finished second in the No. 48 Chevrolet. Bubba Wallace finished third for 23XI Racing after leading 56 laps — the most laps he has led since September 2023. Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Chase Briscoe and Denny Hamlin finished in the top five.
Kyle Larson crosses the line after the win
Ryan Blaney was running third when his engine failed on Lap 207, causing a large cloud of smoke on the track and a long cleanup
Blaney had been having a strong race until that point. He led 124 laps and won Stage 1 after starting sixth. It was the second time in three races that Blaney did not finish because of an engine failure with his No. 12 Team Penske Ford.
“It just stinks,” Blaney said. “Led a lot of laps. Lost a little bit of track position there with some stuff on pit road but got back to third. And it was a great race between me, Bubba and Larson. … It was going to be a heck of a battle the last 60 laps or so, but just didn’t really work out for us. We’ll keep our head up.
“It’s one of those things where it’s not really going our way right now, but the good news is we’re bringing fast cars.”
Pit road issues were a problem for some drivers. On Lap 84, Josh Berry’s No. 21 Ford hit the side of Larson’s car, then hit Joey Logano’s No. 22 Ford. Both Logano and Berry spun and went in the wrong direction into their pit stalls to check for damage. Larson’s car was slightly damaged from the contact.
Another issue occurred on Lap 172. Chase Elliott received a penalty for not lining up single-file coming into pit road. He was heard on his in-car feed saying he had veered left to avoid hitting someone but gave the spot back. Elliott, driving the No. 9 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, finished 18th.
Some drivers would like to see Homestead return to the postseason after it stopped hosting NASCAR’s championship races from 2002-2019 and was removed from the playoff rotation.
Phoenix Raceway has hosted the final race since 2020, but Homestead was in the playoff rotation for the last three seasons before being moved to the regular season this year.
“I certainly would like to see it play a bigger factor in our championship, whether it’s in the playoffs or just part of the championship race or round,” Hamlin said.
Parker Kligerman during qualifying for a NASCAR truck series
Full-time television analyst and part-time NASCAR driver Parker Kligerman won the Truck Series season opener and quickly placed the checkered flag by the Daytona International Speedway logo.
Kligerman had celebrated all three of his previous truck victories in this way, including his first one at Talladega in 2012. So, it seemed fitting on Friday night for what Kligerman described as “the biggest win of my entire life” during an excited post-race celebration.
However, the celebration was short-lived: NASCAR disqualified Kligerman when his truck was found to be too low during a post-race inspection. Corey Heim was declared the new winner, and the change in the standings gave actor Frankie Muniz his first top-10 finish in his NASCAR career. Muniz is running the full Truck Series schedule this year as he balances a second career as a motorsports driver.
Kligerman, who retired from full-time racing at the end of last season and will have a larger role as a television analyst this year, said on Saturday that he would appeal the disqualification while preparing to cover the Xfinity Series race for The CW network.
“Biggest win of my life. Thank y’all for the wonderful messages. Over 700 texts,” he posted on social media. “I will not be commenting any further until we are able to present what I believe is a very, very valid case.”
“Until then, I’m fully focused on my job (as Xfinity analyst) because the drivers and teams deserve the full focus on the massive stage ahead of them,” he added.
Parker Kligerman celebrates after the win
Kligerman crossed the finish line first on Friday night, which would have been his fourth career Truck Series victory and his first win since Mid-Ohio in 2022.
His post-race celebration was a hit, and he energized the crowd by thanking the fans in the grandstands, saying, “All of you fans here at Daytona, thank you so much! God, I love this place. I love racing. I love winning.”
Kligerman stepped away from full-time racing at the end of last year and is now focusing on a growing broadcasting career. He had the support of Scott Borchetta, founder of Big Machine Label Group, throughout his career and was a fan favorite, despite never winning in 152 races in NASCAR’s top Cup and Xfinity Series.
Though he had a respectable career, Kligerman, now 34, decided to shift his future toward broadcasting. The CW has the full Xfinity Series schedule, and called Kligerman “one of the youngest correspondents to ever serve as a pit reporter for a NASCAR Cup race.”
The disqualification added to Kligerman’s racing disappointments. He almost won the Xfinity Series race last fall at The Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but NASCAR threw a late caution flag just seconds before he crossed the white flag, which would have made the race official. He ended up losing in overtime, and a win would have advanced him to the Xfinity Series playoffs and been his first victory in that series.
The 67th Daytona 500 will have a 41st driver as four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves uses a new NASCAR provisional to make his Cup debut in The Great American Race on Sunday.
Castroneves crashed on Lap 14 of the first Duel qualifying race. In a multi-car wreck caused by Chandler Smith, Castroneves’ No. 91 Chevrolet hit the outside wall with its right rear, breaking a toe link.
While driving back to the pits, Castroneves accidentally steered his left front onto the apron. His car shot up the banking into the outside wall with a heavy right-front impact and then slid back onto the infield grass. Jimmie Johnson said he wasn’t happy when he learned about NASCAR’s new provisional and that he wouldn’t be able to use it at Daytona.
“I should have brought it down on the warmup lane,” Castroneves told FS1. “I was a little fast. The second hit was a little bit tough. But the good news is hopefully the guys are going to be able to fix the car.
But I learned so much. How to save fuel, small details that folks don’t understand. It’s so interesting. I love it. We’re going to have to take the provisional. That’s not what I wanted, but we will, and in the end, I have more to learn.”
Despite the rookie mistake at Daytona International Speedway, Castroneves, who has two victories in the Rolex 24 at Daytona endurance race, was saved by his superstar reputation.
Although he didn’t make the 40-car field based on qualifying speed or race results, the 2007 “Dancing With The Stars” winner is still in the Daytona 500 as the 41st driver due to a new NASCAR rule for the 2025 season. This rule guarantees a spot for a “world-class driver” in every Cup race.
His Trackhouse Racing entry won’t earn points or prize money in his NASCAR debut. Drivers finishing behind Castroneves in the Daytona 500 will have their positions adjusted up one spot, with their prize money, race points, and stage points also adjusted.
Helio Castroneves talls to other drivers
Castroneves was given the Open Exemptional Provisional for the Daytona 500 because Trackhouse Racing applied before the deadline had passed, after many teams learned of the new rule, which has been heavily criticized by several prominent drivers, including Denny Hamlin.
“It reeks of desperation,” Hamlin said before The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. “I don’t know how else to say it. I don’t know how nice you can really say it. It just feels like you are really trying to get any kind of headline you can to be relevant, and I don’t love it.
To me, it is a short-term gain, long-term loss. I just think that you are premier stock car series in the U.S. The premier racing sport in the U.S. Be the big boys and force people to come in here and get their credentials and do it the natural way.
I don’t think it is going to be a big factor anywhere other than Daytona, but saying that someone has a name that interests you and that they are going to have an automatic bid in the highest form of motorsports in the U.S. I don’t love it.”
Past champions Martin Truex Jr. and Jimmie Johnson, who both had to qualify for the race without any guarantees, were also unhappy about the rule.
“We really didn’t know about it until the rule came out (in January),” Johnson said on Wednesday. “Evidently, it was buried in the charter agreement that was pushed out. When the rule came out … three minutes later we were on the phone with NASCAR and recognized that it wasn’t in the 90-day window (before the 500) and that we weren’t eligible.
We’ve had a lot of talks with everyone at NASCAR. I have a better understanding of the intent of the rule. I would anticipate some changes following here to better define and clarify that.”
Chase Elliott does a burnout after winning a NASCAR Cup Series
NASCAR returned to its roots with a preseason event at Bowman Gray Stadium, where there were no fights and Chase Elliott took the victory in The Clash on Sunday night.
Elliott won his heat race on Saturday night to start from the pole and went on to dominate the quarter-mile track, where the Cup Series last raced in 1971. The win was Elliott’s first-ever in The Clash, and it made him the second member of his family to win the race.
His father, Bill Elliott, won The Clash in 1987 before following it up with a Daytona 500 victory. Now, Chase hopes to do the same when the season officially starts at Daytona International Speedway on February 16.
“Excited to get to Daytona. It’s a great way to start the season,” Elliott said. “I know it’s not a points race, but it is nice to win, for sure. Just really proud of our team for just continuing to keep our heads down and push forward, for sure.”
The Clash has always been a non-points event, taking place at Daytona International Speedway from 1979 to 2021 as a warm-up for the Daytona 500. NASCAR changed things up in 2022 by moving the race to Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, where it was held for three years on a temporary short track.
This year, NASCAR returned to Bowman Gray as a throwback to the sport’s grassroots roots. The Cup Series raced there from 1958 to 1971, and the track is now used for local racing and serves as the football field for Winston-Salem State University. Though the track is famous for its rough-and-tumble atmosphere, it held two days of racing without any fights.
“This environment is special. This is a place that has had deep history in NASCAR,” Elliott said. “I think they deserve this event, truthfully. I hope we didn’t disappoint. It was fun for me, at least. We’ll hopefully come back here one day.”
Elliott led 172 of the 200 laps in his Chevrolet from Hendrick Motorsports to claim the win in front of a sold-out crowd of 17,000 fans. The crowd cheered loudly every time Elliott passed a lapped car while racing door-to-door with Denny Hamlin and holding off Ryan Blaney at the finish.
Chase Elliott celebrates after winning
“Thanks everybody for coming out,” Elliott told the crowd. “Y’all made for a really cool environment for us. We don’t race in stadiums like this, so this is just really cool and appreciate you making the moment special for me and my team. I hope it was a good show for you.”
“Had a tough race. Ryan kept me honest there at the end,” he continued. “Denny was really good at the second half of that break. I just felt like he was kind of riding, and I was afraid to lose control of the race and not be able to get it back. Fortunately it worked out. Great way to start the season.”
Kyle Larson and Josh Berry secured their spots in The Clash earlier in the night by finishing first and second in the last-chance qualifier, which was filled with crashes. Blaney made the field based on points from last season, completing the 23-driver lineup.
This year marked the first Cup Series race at Bowman Gray, but despite the track’s reputation for fiery tempers, there were no major fights. Still, the event had its share of memorable moments.
Richard Childress, a Hall of Fame team owner from nearby, was in the stands watching the race. As a young boy, he had sold peanuts at the track, and before the race, he stopped by the Fox Sports booth to deliver snacks to the broadcast team.
“As a kid we jumped the fence and come in and sell peanuts and popcorn, then I’d hang out with all the race drivers, and we had a heck of a time,” Childress said. “I said ‘Man, as much fun as they are having, I’ve got to be a race driver.’ We’d come over here for a fight and a race would break out.”
Blaney finished second in a Ford for Team Penske, with Hamlin following in third in a Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing.
Kyle Larson leads the field on a restart in the NASCAR Cup Series auto race
NASCAR started the season with nearly two races washed out, which could have led to a difficult 2024 season. However, the top motorsport series in the U.S. showed its ability to adapt by moving its preseason race at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum up one day, which helped set the tone for a year full of surprises.
The season had 18 different winners, including Austin Dillon, who was disqualified from advancing to the playoffs after an aggressive move that led to his victory. Joey Logano became the controversial Cup Series champion, sparking debates about the fairness of the playoff system.
As NASCAR moves toward the 2025 season, it will have a Cup Series race outside the United States for the first time in the modern era, with a race in Mexico City. This is part of NASCAR’s new seven-year television deal with multiple partners. The series is also facing a federal antitrust lawsuit filed by two teams, one of which is owned by Michael Jordan.
NASCAR President Steve Phelps defended the four drivers competing for the title last month and promised to review the playoff format if necessary. He also highlighted the positive television ratings and what worked well for the series in 2024. “It says the sport is resilient and the sport is growing,” Phelps said.
Joey Logano compete in the NASCAR Cup Series
How it all began
The season began with heavy rain that caused problems. The third edition of the exhibition Clash at the Coliseum was threatened by rain in California. NASCAR knew they wouldn’t be able to race on the scheduled day, so they moved the entire event up by one day.
This unusual change meant racing on a Saturday night, a time with lower television ratings, which cost NASCAR in viewership and money. “We did something we had never done before. We pulled a race up a day, and we raced on Saturday night,” Phelps said. “Got crushed in the ratings, right? Saturday night is the lowest-rated day of the week, but it was the right thing to do.”
Rain also delayed the Daytona 500 in February and shortened the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, which prevented Kyle Larson from completing the Indy 500-Coke 500 double. The Chicago street race was also delayed by rain, making three of the biggest events of the season affected by weather.
Despite these setbacks, Phelps pointed out that NASCAR was able to recover from a 27% ratings decline by the end of the season.
“If you had asked me at the beginning of the year, ‘I will bet you that you can dig out of a 27% hole at the 500 and then two double-digit ratings declines on your next two highest-rated races,’ I would have said there is no way that’s going to happen,” Phelps said. “And we sit here for our Cup races, we are in the positive numbers.”
Drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series
How they raced
Most of the winners this season were familiar faces, like Kyle Larson, who had the most wins with six, and William Byron, who won the Daytona 500 and three races in total along with four other drivers who also secured three wins each.
Joey Logano, who won his third Cup championship, only had one regular-season win but managed to win three races in the playoffs. This made him the 10th driver in NASCAR history to win three or more Cup titles.
There were also some surprises. Chase Briscoe and Harrison Burton won the last two regular-season races to take the final two spots in the 16-driver playoff field. Both had mixed feelings about their wins. Briscoe raced for Stewart-Haas Racing, which shut down at the end of the season. Burton, who won for the first time in his Cup Series career, did so in his final season with Wood Brothers Racing.
Austin Dillon got his first win in almost two years at Richmond Raceway, but the victory was taken away by NASCAR after he wrecked two cars in the final laps. There were also rumors that Richard Childress Racing had bought the car setup information from a Joe Gibbs Racing employee, but JGR has not commented, and no formal complaint has been made.
In the second-to-last race of the season, when spots for the championship were up for grabs, NASCAR fined several teams for working together to help drivers from the same manufacturers. NASCAR found this unfair and said it might consider suspending drivers in the future.
Alex Bowman leads Kyle Larson and Martin Truex Jr. at the start of the NASCAR Cup series
The Playoffs
As for the playoffs, NASCAR may review the format after Logano, who was eliminated in the second round, ended up winning the title. Logano was reinstated after Alex Bowman’s car failed inspection, which allowed him to continue in the playoffs.
He eventually secured a win, giving Roger Penske his third straight Cup Series title. NASCAR insisted that the correct four drivers—Logano, regular-season champion Tyler Reddick, Byron, and 2023 champion Ryan Blaney—competed for the title but said it would consider making changes if necessary.
“We are always looking if there are opportunities for us to tweak something,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR’s chief operating officer. “We are not the only sport where the best statistical team does not get to the Final Four or the Super Bowl or the World Series.
We’re not going to go away from playoffs. We read fans and everything. We will, as we always do, we’ll absolutely look at what form the playoffs take in the offseason.”
Drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series auto race
The lawsuit
NASCAR has been in tough talks with the teams for more than two years about its revenue-sharing model, which is based on charter agreements. The teams were given a final offer that they called a “take-it-or-leave-it” deal, just 48 hours before the playoffs started in September.
Out of the 15 teams that held 36 charters, 13 agreed to the deal. The two teams that didn’t agree were 23XI Racing, which is owned by NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, and Front Row Motorsports, owned by businessman Bob Jenkins. These two teams are now suing NASCAR with antitrust claims.
NASCAR has revoked the charter offers from the two teams, which held two charters each. These charters guarantee a spot in all 38 races and also secure revenue. The teams can still compete, but as “open” cars without the same benefits. The two teams had plans to buy charters from Stewart-Haas Racing to expand to three cars, but NASCAR said it will not approve these transfers.
The teams have requested a hearing in December to try to get an injunction, hoping to clear things up before their charters expire at the end of this year. NASCAR asked for the lawsuit to be dismissed on Monday.
The outcome of this situation could have big consequences, but it’s unclear how 23XI and Front Row will proceed if there is no resolution by February. Jeffrey Kessler, a lawyer for the teams, argues that if the cars aren’t chartered, drivers and sponsors may leave, and without the charter transfer, expansion plans are in doubt, even though both teams have hired drivers for 2025.
This is a complicated situation that will likely continue until a judge makes a decision or a settlement is reached. It’s unclear if that will happen before the preseason Clash, which will be held for the first time at Bowman-Gray Stadium in North Carolina on February 2.
Kyle Larson leads the field on a restart in the NASCAR Cup Series auto race
NASCAR President Steve Phelps defended the four drivers competing for the Cup Series championship this weekend, even though some other drivers had better stats than the finalists. He also stood by the playoff system during his State of the Sport address on Friday.
Reigning champion Ryan Blaney, his Team Penske teammate Joey Logano, Daytona 500 winner William Byron from Hendrick Motorsports, and regular-season champion Tyler Reddick from 23XI Racing will race for the title on Sunday in the winner-take-all finale at Phoenix Raceway.
Phelps acknowledged that NASCAR has heard fans complain that the most deserving drivers were eliminated from the title race. Fans pointed to Kyle Larson, who had six wins this season, and Christopher Bell, who was disqualified last week at Martinsville for riding the wall in a move considered unsafe.
As a result, Byron made it into the finale on points after Logano, Reddick, and Blaney had already earned spots by winning races. Drivers like Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin were eliminated.
Ryan Blaney drives his car
“There’s a lot of chatter around the four that are competing on Sunday,” Phelps said. “I’ve heard some say, ‘They’re not deserving, you’ve got the wrong drivers, two, three, four drivers.’ All our drivers knew the format. All four of these drivers deserve to be here — full stop.”
Logano was knocked out of the playoffs after the second round but was brought back when Alex Bowman’s car failed inspection after the elimination race. He’ll try to become the only active driver with three Cup titles.
He will race against Blaney, who, along with Logano, aims to give team owner Roger Penske and Ford a third consecutive Cup title. Reddick, who didn’t have the strongest playoffs, used a last-lap pass at Homestead-Miami Speedway to win and send Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin’s team to the championship for the first time in its history.
Byron made it to the finale on points once Bell’s wall-riding move was ruled illegal.
Penalties and Race Manipulation
This week, NASCAR handed out $600,000 in fines and suspended nine crew members from three teams over race manipulation at Martinsville Speedway. NASCAR’s chief operating officer, Steve O’Donnell, called the actions completely unacceptable.
NASCAR penalized 23XI Racing for helping Bell by interfering with other drivers, while Chevrolet teams Trackhouse Racing and Richard Childress Racing were penalized for aiding Byron.
“I would argue before what we saw, one of the best races we’ve seen in the playoffs, and it’s unbelievable that we’re sitting here talking about this topic,” O’Donnell said. “I’ll probably get in trouble for saying this, but I’ll say it anyway… what I saw in Martinsville pissed me off, and it pissed everyone off at NASCAR because we all know better, and we know what happens.”
NASCAR considered suspending drivers Bubba Wallace, Ross Chastain, and Austin Dillon but instead issued heavy fines. A meeting will be held on Saturday to discuss the penalties.
NASCAR has also already met with the manufacturers to discuss the role they played in instructing their teams to assist aligned teams.
Daniel Suarez and Kyle Suarez in the NASCAR cup
“We had a call with our OEMs where we were very clear in what our intentions are going forward,” O’Donnell said. “It is true, do we have a rule right now where we could do something? We don’t. Will we have a rule next year? 1,000%. They’re aware of that, and they’re aware if anything happens this weekend, which it won’t, but we will react.”
O’Donnell also rejected claims that NASCAR is inconsistent with its officiating and stood firm that the playoff system isn’t going anywhere.
“Can you name one sport that doesn’t have officiating questions throughout the year?” he asked. “The format is one thing, but playoffs, we’re not going to go away from playoffs. We read fans and everything.
We’ll absolutely look at what form the playoffs take in the offseason. You always learn, but playoffs in and of itself, you cannot argue with the quality of racing that the playoffs have delivered.”
Ryan Blaney drives on track in the NASCAR Cup Series
Reigning NASCAR champion Ryan Blaney was the fastest in the first practice session at Phoenix Raceway, where he is one of four drivers racing for the championship on Sunday.
Blaney, driving a Ford for Team Penske, topped the charts in the 50-minute practice on Friday. He’s aiming to be the first driver to win back-to-back titles since Jimmie Johnson, who won five consecutive championships from 2006 to 2010.
If Blaney or his teammate Joey Logano wins, it would give team owner Roger Penske three straight Cup titles. Logano, who finished ninth in Friday’s practice, won the title in 2022. Penske also recently won sports car championships in both IMSA and the World Endurance Championship, taking the title last weekend in Bahrain.
Martin Truex Jr., who was eliminated from the playoffs in the first round and will retire from full-time racing after Sunday’s race, was the second-fastest in a Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing.
Ryan Blaney celebrates after winning the race
Kyle Larson, who has won a Cup Series-high six races this season, was third-fastest in a Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. He was eliminated from the championship race last week in the final playoff qualifier.
William Byron, the Daytona 500 winner and one of the title contenders, was fourth in a Hendrick Chevy. Byron made the championship four on points after Christopher Bell’s wall-riding move at Martinsville Speedway last Sunday was ruled illegal.
Tyler Reddick, the fourth and final driver in the championship race, was the slowest of the contenders in 21st in a Toyota for 23XI Racing.
Reddick is the only driver making his first appearance in the winner-take-all finale. He drives for Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, who are suing NASCAR over the charter agreement they and Front Row Motorsports refused to sign in September.
Logano is aiming for a third Cup title, while Byron is hoping for his first.
Ryan Blaney drives on track in the NASCAR Cup Series
NASCAR is heading into its championship weekend amid several off-track issues. It is currently involved in a federal antitrust lawsuit with NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, and its officiating has been under investigation for months. This week, NASCAR also handed out significant fines for alleged race manipulation in the final playoff race.
Truck Series title contender Ty Majeski was fined $12,500 for missing media obligations in North Carolina on Tuesday so he could vote in person in his home state of Wisconsin.
Despite these controversies, the focus shifts to the three championships that will be decided starting Friday at Phoenix Raceway. However, these races are being overshadowed by the drama surrounding NASCAR in recent months. The four drivers competing in Sunday’s winner-take-all finale are trying to block out the distractions.
One of those drivers, Tyler Reddick, is making his first appearance in the final four and is hoping to help Michael Jordan win his first championship as a team owner, a role Jordan took on in 2021.
Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe in the NASCAR Cup series
“No, for me, and for our group, it is championship weekend and everything else is not in our focus,” Reddick said on Thursday.
A federal judge in North Carolina is expected to rule on Friday — the same day as the Truck Series championship and the first Cup Series practice — on a request for a preliminary injunction from 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports.
These two teams did not accept NASCAR’s offer in September for a new revenue-sharing agreement and have instead filed a lawsuit against NASCAR and its chairman, Jim France.
The teams are seeking recognition under NASCAR’s charter agreements and have accused the organization of being “monopolistic bullies.” The judge’s ruling will come the same day NASCAR is scheduled to give its annual “State of the Sport” address.
Ryan Blaney, the defending NASCAR champion, is hoping to become the first driver to win back-to-back titles since Jimmie Johnson won five in a row from 2006 to 2010.
Blaney said the off-track issues do not concern him or his team, Team Penske. Blaney and his teammate Joey Logano give Ford and Roger Penske a 50% chance of winning a third straight Cup title.
“For me it feels normal because I am not a part of any of it,” Blaney said. “I am part of what I am doing, the championship, so it’s nice to not be a part of any of the things going on outside sheer competition. For me, it’s a great week, championship week and we’ve got a chance to do it. To me, it’s normal.”
NBC Sports does not believe the off-track drama will interfere with their coverage of the three national series races at Phoenix.
“I think during the race, we are here to crown a champion and I can’t imagine us talking about anything other than that,” said analyst Jeff Burton, who added that play-by-play announcer Leigh Diffey is unlikely to mention anything like “but there’s a lawsuit!” when Reddick wins.
Tyler Reddick celebrates after the win
However, there are still other issues to deal with. On Tuesday, NASCAR fined teams a total of $600,000 and suspended nine members from three different Cup teams for alleged race manipulation at Martinsville Speedway last weekend.
NASCAR ruled that Bubba Wallace of 23XI Racing helped fellow Toyota driver Christopher Bell by pretending to have a flat tire. This caused Bell to hit the wall, allowing him to use the momentum to claim the final playoff spot over William Byron.
This move was deemed illegal after Ross Chastain used the same tactic in 2022, and it took NASCAR officials almost 30 minutes after the race to decide whether Bell should be disqualified. Bell was disqualified, and Byron from Hendrick Motorsports got the final playoff spot.
“It was excruciating,” Byron admitted Thursday. “It was so long. I was honestly numb to it. I was just preparing for not being in and thinking we had done all we needed to do to get in.”
NASCAR also determined that Chastain and Austin Dillon, both driving Chevrolets, acted as blockers for Byron in the final laps, stopping anyone else from taking his position.
Trackhouse Racing and Richard Childress Racing appealed the penalties, while 23XI withdrew its initial appeal and denied that it had manipulated the race for Bell. RCR also withdrew its appeal before the hearing. The appeal panel ruled on Thursday that Trackhouse Racing had violated the rules.
There’s also the ongoing scrutiny over NASCAR’s officiating in general.
Throughout the playoffs, NASCAR has been inconsistent with its damaged vehicle policy (DVP), which was poorly handled during the playoff race at Talladega Superspeedway.
The confusion about the DVP rule started early in the playoffs when Blaney and Josh Berry were involved in first-lap incidents. Even though the damage seemed minor, both drivers were ruled out of the race because they couldn’t continue after contact, and they were not allowed to return to the pits.
Alex Bowman leads Kyle Larson and Martin Truex Jr. at the start of the NASCAR Cup series
However, at Talladega, after a big 28-car crash brought out the red flag, NASCAR struggled to manage the cleanup. Several damaged cars were stuck with flat tires, and playoff contenders Chase Elliott and Briscoe were allowed to be towed back to the pit stalls for repairs.
According to the previous DVP rule, these cars should have been out of the race because they had four flat tires and couldn’t drive back to the pit road.
The drivers were upset over the change in how the rule was enforced. NASCAR later told teams that the DVP policy would be applied the same way for the rest of the playoffs as it was at Talladega.
“The DVP policy could spill into the live event,” NBC analyst Steve Letarte said. “So when it affects on-track clearly to us, we have to cover that, that’s our job. But there’s no chance I’m going to pull an off-track story and connect it to an on-track performance. I think it’s a slap in the face to whatever team wins the championship trophy.”
