In a brief but sharply worded order that chastised NASCAR for making a “play to the court of public opinion and perhaps color [the judge’s] perception” of 23XI Racing, Front Row Motorsports and their counsel, U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell on Monday denied NASCAR an order that would have required 23XI and Front Row to show cause over allegations of submitting fake evidence and attorney-scripted testimony.

Bell wrote that NASCAR’s motion “does not productively move this case forward.” He reminded the parties the antitrust case is “important” because it “risks the fortunes of NASCAR” and the two teams. The case also “significantly impacts all the other companies and individuals who depend on their success (as well as legions of stock car racing fans),” Bell stressed.

Last Friday, NASCAR accused 23XI—which is co-owned by Michael Jordan, Denny Hamlin and Curtis Polk—and Front Row, along with the teams’ attorneys, of presenting fake evidence and scripted letters. The accusation implied that Bell was duped into granting a preliminary injunction last December. The injunction, later vacated by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, ensured the two teams could enjoy the rights and face the obligations of the 2025 charter agreements without having to agree to a mutual release provision. 

Bell’s decision last December was based in part on assertions, purportedly from 23XI drivers Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace, that they were very worried about the lack of charters and how the absence of charters would impact their careers and contracts. A month earlier, a different federal judge, Frank D. Whitney, denied essentially the same motion on grounds 23XI and Front Row had submitted insufficient evidence that an injunction was necessary for them to avert irreparable harm, meaning the kind of harm that monetary damages could not later remedy.

Bell on Monday suggested NASCAR misunderstood where his focus rests. The judge wrote his concern is “not on how” evidence and affidavits “came to be” but instead on “determining what truthful substance they hold.”  

Along those lines, Bell reasoned that “regardless of whether or not the driver letters were prompted or even written by someone connected to Plaintiffs,” the substance of those letters is what counts. He added that “counsel often prepare their witnesses for depositions with suggestions on how to phrase answers.”

Last Friday, attorney Jeffrey Kessler, who is lead counsel for 23XI Racing and Front Row in the litigation, slammed NASCAR for “yet another baseless distraction.”

The Formula 1 grid is expanding in 2026 with the addition of an 11th team in the form of Cadillac.

It follows a lengthy tender process for new teams set out by the FIA and F1, with Cadillac taking over what was previously the Andretti entry.

Andretti was initially rejected because F1’s commercial rights holders felt it would not add value and held concerns over its competitiveness.

Cadillac would take over the entry bid and was duly accepted, with the American outfit set to join in 2026 as a customer team before bringing in its parent company, General Motors, as a power unit manufacturer in 2028.

Questions are now being raised over who could be part of their driver lineup, and James Hinchcliffe has suggested a driver he thinks would make an impact in a column for F1.com.

James Hinchcliffe suggests NASCAR driver for Cadillac F1 team

Mercedes and former Sauber F1 driver Valtteri Bottas has been slated as a potential candidate for Cadillac, given his recent experience.

Bottas teased a drive with Cadillac on his social media channels, indicating that it might not be too long before we see him back on the grid.

Cadillac will likely want to have an American talent, and while the continent is not short of potential drivers, Hinchcliffe has highlighted NASCAR driver Connor Zilisch.

“Competing full time in the [NASCAR] Xfinity Championship in 2025, he already has three wins in the season, including his first oval victory. Given his road racing background, it is incredibly impressive that he is now competitive on the types of track that a lot of the drivers he’s racing against trained on exclusively on their rise to this level,” said Hinchcliffe.

“And that’s really my point on Zilisch – he seems to be one of the most adaptable drivers that I’ve ever seen. Watching what he’s done so far gives me the feeling that if he was given a proper programme in an open wheel car, and a season or two of F2 to cut his teeth, he could be F1-worthy in short order. And he has the time, because despite the impressive CV he is still only 19 years old.”

READ MORE: All to know about General Motors’ Cadillac F1 team from engine to drivers

Sergio Perez slated for F1 return with Cadillac

With Bottas firmly on the list for a potential comeback, there could also be another former F1 face who rejoins the grid after a period of absence.

Sergio Perez has been slated for a comeback with Cadillac after being dropped by Red Bull at the end of the 2024 season, following a difficult campaign for the Mexican.

While it looked like things had reached their natural end for the Mexican, the performances from Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda have not been the improvement expected.

Perez was bought out of his contract for £11 million last year and is currently being paid not to race for Red Bull, having initially agreed a deal with the team to extend last year.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (WBTV) – A longtime driver died during a race at a historic North Carolina track over the weekend.

Robbie Brewer was racing in Saturday night’s Sportsman race at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem when he experienced a medical emergency that led to a crash, FloRacing reported.

FloRacing — who broadcasts races at Bowman Gray — said Brewer “crashed hard” in the fourth turn while coming to a restart during the Aug. 9 race. The crash reportedly came after Brewer had a heart attack in the car.

FloRacing said track personnel rushed to Brewer’s car and had to remove the roof of his racecar to get him out. The 53-year-old was then taken to a nearby hospital.

Brewer had been racing at Bowman Gray Stadium since 1990, according to FloRacing, and won 11 Sportsman races at the track. He made over 300 starts at the quarter-mile venue known as “The Madhouse” and competed in hundreds more races in other divisions.

The veteran racer died just over two weeks before he was set to be married.

His fiancée, Angel McCarter, took to Facebook on Sunday morning to remember Brewer.

“Robbie left this world in a way so fitting for the man he was — doing what he loved most,” she wrote. “Now… I’m lost. I’ve lost my best friend. I don’t know where to start picking up the pieces.”

McCarter said the couple had just picked up their marriage license on July 26, and was set to be married on Aug. 25.

FloRacing said Brewer’s death was the fifth at Bowman Gray Stadium.

Bowman Gray returned to the national spotlight earlier this year when NASCAR brought its preseason event “The Clash” to the historic venue. NASCAR has since said the event will be back at the Winston-Salem track in 2026.

Also Read: NASCAR star hospitalized after scary fall following race win

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After this Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International, Denny Hamlin believes fan disapproval of the Next Gen car is reaching “hate levels” that haven’t been seen in the sport in nearly two decades. Hamlin compared the fan dislike of the Next Gen car to that of the original Car of Tomorrow with the wing.

“I think that we have a fundamental car problem. It is no doubt a problem. Everyone that has ever driven it has said it’s a problem,” Hamlin said on Monday’s Actions Detrimental podcast. “I believe that the Next Gen car is reaching hate levels of the COT (Car of Tomorrow) with the wing. From fans — I think they’re starting to dislike this car as much as the drivers that have to drive it.”

The COT, which succeeded the popular Generation 4, was used in the Cup Series from 2007-2012. It was unpopular amongst fans and drivers, and NASCAR introduced the Generation 6 in 2013. In 2022, the Next Gen car was born.

We’re now in year four of the seventh-generation car, and it hasn’t exactly become a favorite of both fans and drivers. Its performance on short tracks and road courses has been panned, though it generally produces entertaining racing on intermediate tracks.

Denny Hamlin: NASCAR ‘has made some horrible decisions’

Sunday’s race at Watkins Glen left many fans frustrated, leading to Hamlin’s comments. As he sees it, NASCAR “has made some horrible decisions” over the years. He wonders if those decisions are beginning to catch up.

“We’ve just steadily progressed our way back and back and back and back and taken horsepower away more and more and more,” Hamlin said. “These are 10th floor decisions and let’s just say us drivers are on the third floor. No business is immune to bad decisions. I think that the NASCAR business has made some horrible decisions over the last given amount of time and eventually, it catches up.

“You can’t just say, ‘This is the direction I wanna go.’ ‘Well, why?’ ‘Well, this is the direction I wanna go,’ and not eventually have to pay for that. You’re going to have to pay for your bad decisions at some point. And this could be said for lots of things that have happened in those offices. We’ll just see how it goes.”

Andres Perez will finish the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season with Niece Motorsports, the team announced Aug. 11.

He’ll have sponsorship from Telcel in the No. 44.

Perez moves to the team from Spire Motorsports, where he’d driven the No. 77 this season.

While Spire said it will continue to operate the No. 77 this season, it has moved the owner’s points from its No. 07 to the No. 77 and plans to sunset the No. 07 for the rest of the year.

Kaden Honeycutt Finishing Season With HFR After Watkins Glen

“Andrés has made meaningful progress this season, and we remain confident in his future,” Spire President Bill Anthony said in a team release. “While we haven’t finalized our 2026 plans for the No. 77 team, we wanted to give him the opportunity to look ahead and pursue other options for the remainder of this year and beyond. He’s a hard worker, carries himself with humility, and brings a consistently positive attitude to the garage. He comes from a great family, and we fully expect him to continue making strides as part of Chevrolet’s driver development program. We’re proud to have been part of his journey and will continue cheering him on.”

“Overall, I’m really excited about the upcoming races with Niece Motorsports,” Perez said. “Making a change mid-season always has its challenges, but the team and I are working hard to be 100% by the time Richmond comes. I’m really focusing on having a good race there and feel very motivated with how the team has treated me. I feel the team is also motivated with having me there as well.”

According to Niece’s release, the team will bring its No. 41 to the track for the races where it already had scheduled drivers (Josh Bilicki and Conner Jones) for the No. 44.

Another driver, Bayley Currey, was previously moved to Niece’s No. 45 after Kaden Honeycutt was released from the team before Watkins Glen International. Honeycutt is now the driver of Halmar Friesen Racing’s No. 52 following Stewart Friesen‘s injury.

Spire’s driver scheduled for the No. 07, Corey LaJoie, will move to the No. 77.

Perez has two top 10s this season in his first full-time Truck season.

“We are preparing for a bright future ahead of us at Niece Motorsports,” Niece CEO Cody Efaw said. “Adding Andrés to our talent arsenal is an enticing addition as we look to finish out the year strong. While it is difficult to hear of another team scaling back their program, we saw this as an opportunity for our team to grow our footprint in the Truck Series. We have more exciting news coming out in the near future, and I look forward to seeing our team unload four fast Chevrolet Silverados in Richmond.”

Executive Editor at Frontstretch

Kevin Rutherford is the executive editor of Frontstretch, a position he gained in 2025 after being the managing editor since 2015, and serving on the editing staff since 2013.

At his day job, he’s a journalist covering music and rock charts at Billboard. He lives in New York City, but his heart is in Ohio — you know, like that Hawthorne Heights song.

Big trucks, rollovers and tuff truck carnage close out the grandstand action

A big-air motocross freestyle rider performs a backflip ahead of the 7 p.m. side-by-side racing show at the Clark County Fair Grandstands on Thursday, Aug. 7.

Photo by Cade Barker

The monster truck “Lone Wolf” jumps the table top before the freestyle run was cut short due to a mechanical issue during the final show at the Clark County Fair Grandstands on Sunday, Aug. 10.

Photo by Cade Barker

The mega truck “Omega” rolls over close to the crowd during the 7 p.m. monster truck show at the Clark County Fair Grandstands on Sunday, Aug. 10.

Photo by Cade Barker

The monster truck “Hillbilly” topples over performing a front-wheel stoppie during the 7 p.m. monster truck show at the Clark County Fair Grandstands on Sunday, Aug. 10.

Photo by Cade Barker

The mega truck “Beta” jumps the table top during the 7 p.m. monster truck show at the Clark County Fair Grandstands on Sunday, Aug. 10.

Photo by Cade Barker

A legendary tuff truck jumps the furthest of anybody across all motorsports action during the 7 p.m. monster truck show at the Clark County Fair Grandstands on Sunday, Aug. 10.

Photo by Cade Barker

A side-by-side makes a tight first turn to try for the best timed lap in the 7 p.m. side-by-side racing show at the Clark County Fair Grandstands on Thursday, Aug. 7.

Photo by Cade Barker

Posted

Monday,
August 11, 2025
5:09 pm