NASCAR’s was interrupted by a decide’s gavel over Christmas week, and now we barrel onerous off Flip 4 and level to the approaching new yr and the following countdown to the firing of engines.
(By the best way, it’s coming in lower than three weeks for and in simply over a month for NASCAR and its preseason Conflict.)
Get you a handful of that shifter, present that clutch who’s boss, and let’s undergo the gears to recap the earlier week’s information — massive, small and downright embryonic.
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First Gear: 23XI, Michael Jordan get a win (pending appeals)
Generally these information gadgets get misplaced within the vacation hustle, so in case you missed it through the rush, it was a good Christmas for race groups 23XI and Entrance Row Motorsports. A federal district decide sided with the 2 groups, and so they’ll retain their franchise standing (“charters” is the business time period) for the approaching season.
With out the official charters, the 2 groups and their six vehicles (every is including a 3rd automotive for 2025) would nonetheless be allowed to enter every race, however would achieve this and not using a assured beginning spot. Chartered groups additionally race for an even bigger piece of the monetary pie than “open” groups who cherry-pick races right here and there on a part-time foundation.
The authorized architects design their system to verify this stuff by no means finish, after all, so NASCAR has determined to attraction the 2 groups’ earlier attraction. The place? An appeals court docket, after all, recognizable by its revolving door out entrance. So keep tuned.
Second Gear: What you get for $160,000 in NASCAR
All of us received a peek below the monetary hood and realized what sponsors get for slapping their logos and colours on a Cup Collection automotive for a few inexperienced flags.
The web site Sportico, which specializes on the enterprise facet of sports-entertainment, used an open-records request to be taught (and cross alongside) what Texas A&M College obtained for the $160,000 it paid to sponsor a Stewart-Haas race automotive in two 2024 races.
The chance for the Aggie colours and branding to be seen on community TV is clearly a part of the deal, though these Stewart-Haas vehicles weren’t all the time straightforward to search out in 2024. However should you’re gonna drop 160k for a pair of weekends, you want some ensures, equivalent to …
∎ Texas A&M obtained 20 complimentary VIP full-access credentials to every of the 2 races (are you able to name it “complimentary” if it’s below the umbrella of a $160,000 deal?)
∎ A race-day tour for college company — “that is the inspection bay, over there’s the Sunoco fueling station …”
∎ A meet-and-greet with A&M’s sponsored driver, which should final at the very least 10 minutes and embody photo-ops.
∎ A minimal of 4 social-media posts by the race group on every of the weekend, in addition to an settlement to “tag the varsity’s socials in all race-related posts.” Ask a teenager to clarify that one.
It feels like a ton of dough for simply two race weekends, however don’t fret about Texas A&M and its coffers. In keeping with Sportico, the varsity’s institutional bills for the earlier yr totaled $2.3 billion.
Third Gear: RFK provides a ‘pseudo’ experience to its secure
The aforementioned Stewart-Haas group has closed store, however that’s outdated information you already knew. Nonetheless, co-owner Gene Haas has retained one of many group’s 4 charters and can function the No. 41 Ford with driver Cole Custer, who returns to the Cup Collection after two profitable seasons in Xfinity.
Aaron Kramer is the brand new crew chief for the 41 group after serving as lead engineer for RFK Racing’s No. 17 automotive, piloted by Chris Buescher. On Sirius XM’s NASCAR channel, Kramer stated the No. 41 Ford will — operationally — be a “pseudo fourth automotive” for RFK, just like the Wooden Brothers-Staff Penske alliance.
Fourth Gear: A midseason supply coming for Denny Hamlin
It’s been an eventful couple of weeks for Denny Hamlin, co-owner of the 23XI group that received a constructive authorized ruling final week.
Denny and longtime associate/girlfriend/fiancee (no matter time period matches the fashionable template) Jordan Fish introduced they’re anticipating their third baby, which is due in June.
Check out that June racing schedule. Not solely no off-weekends, however with a race on June 1, it’s a kind of uncommon months with 5 Cup races scheduled. Put together for the announcement of an emergency backup driver as soon as June arrives, however don’t worry, as a result of in-season NASCAR infants are virtually all the time born on a Tuesday.
