CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The two teams suing NASCAR have asked for a court order to compete under the 2025 charter agreement as their antitrust case moves through federal court. 23XI Racing is owned by Michael Jordan, veteran driver Denny Hamlin and Curtis Polk. Front Row Motorsports is owned by Bob Jenkins. The teams sued NASCAR and chairman Jim France last week, accusing NASCAR of being “monopolistic bullies” in the new charter system that they refused to sign.… Continue Reading
TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) — Ricky Stenhouse Jr. snapped a 65-race losing streak by winning in overtime at Talladega Superspeedway after a late crash collected more than half the field, including eight of the 12 championship contenders. Stenhouse is not in the playoffs and his victory Sunday marked the second consecutive week a driver not competing for the Cup Series title has won. The victory was the first for Stenhouse and his JTG Daugherty Racing team since he won the season-opening Daytona 500 to start 2023. Four drivers will be eliminated from the playoffs next Sunday on the hybrid road course/oval at Charlotte. Joey Logano, Daniel Suarez, Austin Cindric and Chase Briscoe are all below the cutline.… Continue Reading
TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) — It’s most fitting that NASCAR this weekend races at Talladega Superspeedway, site of one of the first major disputes between drivers and the top stock car series in the United States. It was at the Alabama track’s 1969 debut race when the NASCAR-despised Professional Driver Association led by Richard Petty deemed the track too dangerous and not ready for competition. The PDA wanted to postpone the race, NASCAR founder Bill France said no and held the event anyway after 36 regulars boycotted. Now 55 years later, NASCAR is back at Talladega with the France family again under challenge. This time from only two teams who filed an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR over its charter system.… Continue Reading
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — NASCAR is facing a federal antitrust lawsuit from two of its teams, including one co-owned by Michael Jordan. The suit seeks unspecified damages and says the charter system limits competition by unfairly binding the teams to the stock car series. NASCAR gave teams a take-it-or-leave-it offer last month and only 13 teams signed. Jordan’s 23XI team and Front Row Motorsports refused and have hired the top antitrust lawyer in the country to fight their battle with NASCAR.… Continue Reading
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Ross Chastain took the lead from Martin Truex Jr. on a late restart and won the NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway on Sunday. William Byron was unable to chase down Chastain after he took the lead with 20 laps to go, though the Hendrick Motorsports driver still wound up with the best finish among the 12 to qualify for the second round of the postseason.. The retiring Truex, who was eliminated last week at Bristol, finished third in what was his last race at Kansas. Ryan Blaney had a loose left wheel in the final stage but rallied to finish fourth, giving the defending champion’s postseason hopes a big boost.… Continue Reading
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Alex Bowman opened NASCAR’s playoffs on defense — not of his style of driving, but of his status in the seat of the No. 48 Chevrolet at Hendrick Motorsports. The first playoff race was just days away and Bowman spent an entire afternoon insisting rumors he’d be out of the car next season were untrue. He ended the first round by scoring the most points of any driver through the three races and advanced to the second round. Bowman joins Chase Briscoe, Austin Cindric and Daniel Suarez as drivers who were iffy to make it out of the first round but head to Kansas Speedway still in title contention.… Continue Reading
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The dog can stay, at least for another round of NASCAR’s playoffs. The future of little Lulu, the stray puppy Denny Hamlin’s daughters found under the Gateway Arch in St. Louis in June, has been in doubt ever since Hamlin decided the addition to his household had derailed his season. Hamlin’s statistics had plummeted since the girls added Lulu to the household and as he headed into Bristol Motor Speedway facing playoff elimination, he joked the dog had to go. But a fourth-place finish advanced Hamlin to the second round and earned Lulu a reprieve.… Continue Reading
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Bubba Wallace has signed a multi-year contract extension with 23XI Racing that the team announced with a 10-second video on social media. Wallace did not make the Cup Series playoffs this season. He heads to Bristol Motor Speedway winless on the year and ranked 19th in the standings for Saturday night’s elimination race. Wallace has driven for 23XI since its 2021 inception. The team is owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan.… Continue Reading
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (AP) — Chris Buescher won Sunday at Watkins Glen International, leading a string of five non-playoff drivers to the finish in a NASCAR Cup race marred by late wrecks, shredded tires, and busted parts among the championship contenders. The chaos on the 2.45-mile road course at The Glen — in the playoffs for the first time before it returns to an August date next year — shook up the playoff standings heading into the cutoff race. Buescher held off Shane van Gisbergen in the thrilling two final overtime laps to play spoiler. Chase Briscoe, who entered 16th in the playoff standings and 21 points behind the cutline, was sixth and the highest-finishing playoff driver in the field in the second race in NASCAR’s postseason.… Continue Reading