What’s Happening?

In the latest episode of the Dale Jr Download, Dale Earnhardt Jr did not hold back when talking about Spire Motorsports driver Justin Haley’s performance during the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.

Entering the season, hopes were high for Haley. However, as Dale Earnhardt Jr. explained on Tuesday’s episode of the Dale Jr Download, this hype has fallen dramatically, making Haley appear as the weak link of the three-car team.

“Justin Haley was a good free agent in this sport… He drove for Rick Ware and did some pretty curious, solid runs in that car. And, he has leveraged that into this opportunity at Spire. But since he’s been there, it’s been awful. It has been bad.” — Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Earnhardt even went on to say, “I felt like that [No. 7 team] had the potential to be the best Spire car.” 

Now, there are a few factors that could have contributed to Haley’s fallout. After all, he was on a new team with a new Crew Chief and former Cup Series champion, Rodney Childers.

Childers, the former long-time Crew Chief for Kevin Harvick, made the jump to Spire this past off-season and, teaming up with a resurgent Haley, looked to take the team to a new level this year. But the two seemingly failed to click early on this year, and ultimately, just nine races into the season, Spire and Childers parted ways.

Neither side gave an exact reason for the split, but most attribute his departure to only further hurting Haley’s 2025 outings. Earnhardt agrees that this departure, one that would affect any driver in Haley’s position, has definitely played into the No. 7 team’s poor performance this season.

“I think that derailed Haley a little bit,” Earnhardt said. “Anytime you have a Crew Chief change mid-season, it’s not awesome, and it hasn’t seemed to have made Haley’s deal much different.”

Around this time last season, Haley was the talk of the town in NASCAR Silly Season. The former long-time staple of Kaulig Racing departed the team following the 2023 season and shockingly went to backmarker Rick Ware Racing for the 2024 season.

Justin Haley: 2024’s Top Silly Season Name

Despite this apparent downgrade, Haley outperformed all expectations in that car and proved to be a viable option for any team looking for a refreshed look in 2025. This hype got to the point where even diehard Hendrick Motorsports fans were calling for Haley to take over duties for Alex Bowman in the No. 48 for this season. 

Ultimately, Spire Motorsports, as part of a flurry of changes this past silly season, swapped long-time driver Corey LaJoie for Haley during the playoffs. Yet, seemingly in better equipment, Haley is barely improving on his stats from the 2024 season.

This performance is almost as shocking as that of former Spire Motorsports driver Zane Smith, who had a similar start to his time with the team in 2024. In his case, however, the former Truck Series Champion turned a major corner during the summer; perhaps his former teammate Haley can do so as the 2025 Cup Series season rolls on.

Let us know your thoughts on this! Join the discussion on Discord or X, and remember to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for more updates. 

What’s more thrilling than a high-speed NASCAR race? How about carb-loading right where the cars take off? This summer, Chicago Gourmet is rolling out one of its most daring (and delicious) experiences yet: a five-course Italian tasting menu served smack on the NASCAR Chicago Street Race track.

On Wednesday, July 2, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., the race’s start/finish line will transform into the city’s most unexpected fine-dining venue, blending Michelin-caliber cuisine with pit-lane vibes. As part of the Chicago Gourmet Festival’s new “Culinary World Series,” the event marks a high-octane kickoff to the city’s biggest food celebration and a once-in-a-lifetime chance to toast with wine where tires usually burn rubber.

RECOMMENDED: The 25 best restaurants in Chicago you have to try in 2025

The chef lineup is stacked with Chicago stars, including Fabio Viviani (Siena Tavern, Bar Siena), Tony Priolo (Piccolo Sogno), Joe Frillman and Leigh Omilinsky (Daisies) and Steve Maak (Levy Restaurants). The night’s theme: bold Italian flavors, dished out trackside with flair.

Diners can expect signature race-day cocktails from Jose Cuervo (the official tequila of the NASCAR Chicago Street Race, naturally) and a “Cup Series” of wine pairings from legendary Italian winery Marchesi Antinori. There’s even an emcee—culinary personality, Catherine De Orio—to steer the evening along.

Tickets cost $250 per person, and proceeds benefit the Illinois Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports the state’s hospitality workforce.

This isn’t Chicago Gourmet’s only sports-forward event this year. Friday, July 25, brings a Duck Dog face-off at the Crosstown Classic, and Wednesday, August 20 features a tribute dinner to Jackie Robinson led by chefs from Virtue.

But the NASCAR dinner is the wildest lap yet. Because why just watch a race, when you can eat a truffled raviolo where the rubber meets the road?

Event Overview

· Event: Viva Mexico 250

· Time/Date: 3pm EDT on Sunday, June 15

· Location: Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez

· Layout: 14-turn, 2.41 mile track

· Format: 242 miles/200 laps | Stages: 20/45/100

· TV/Radio: PRIME / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

Hyak Motorsports heads to Mexico City for the first time this weekend with FunPops. Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez was constructed in 1959 and is one of the most historic and distinctive racetracks in the world of motorsports. The NASCAR Cup Series has not raced internationally in 25 years, cementing this race in NASCAR history.

The No. 47 Chevrolet will feature the iconic red, white & blue FunPops branding once again this weekend. This partnership between Hyak Motorsports and FunPops bring a nostalgic flair to the track while delivering excitement to fans of all ages. Both brands hope to continue this long term collaboration.

In preparation for the Viva Mexico 250, Hyak Motorsports is focused on staying out of trouble early in the race and figuring out the track as the weekend progresses. Rain is forecasted and that will certainly challenge everyone since rain tires will be an option.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Driver of the No. 47 Chevrolet for Hyak Motorsports:

“It’s really exciting to head to Mexico City for the first time. Racing in a new country is always a unique experience, and I’m looking forward to seeing the fans, learning the track, and soaking in the culture. There’s a lot of unknowns, but that’s part of what makes it fun—we’re ready for the challenge. It’s awesome to have FunPops with us for this historic race.”

Hyak Motorsports PR

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended IRS-CI, the FBI, and USPIS for their investigation of the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caryn Finley and Daniel Ryan of the Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case.

Clint Adams figures about 2,000 fans can fit into the grandstands at Mosca Motorsports Park. He’s thinking about bringing in a set of portable stands to handle the overflow crowd that he’s expecting for Sunday’s big IMCA Father’s Day show in Mosca.

Adams and an army of good ol’ boys have spent the past four months getting the moth-balled track ready for racing. Now comes the IMCA Father’s Day event, with gates opening at 11 a.m. and races set to start at 3 p.m. in Mosca.

The International Motor Contest Association runs on a points system, where drivers in the various stock car categories compete in their respective states at certified IMCA tracks. The Colorado Alliance Tour is part of the circuit and all the leading drivers will be in Mosca on Father’s Day to race on the new track Adams has been building since he took over the track in March.

“We’ve put a lot of work in. We just put 600 yards of dirt on the track. We put gypsum on the track to hold the moisture. We’ve been working on it,” he said.

The points standings keep racing fans engaged and traveling the state circuits to see their favorite drivers, and it’s that experience that Adams expects to see when the refurbished Mosca Motorsports Park hosts its first IMCA show.

“A lot of good, fast competitive racing is what they’re going to see,” he said of the stock car and other racing fans will experience.

Adams was the 2023 IMCA Hobby Stock racing champion for Colorado. Now his 10-year-old son, Martin, is driving in the junior sport compact races and will be in a car on Sunday at his dad’s track.

Listen to this Valley Pod episode with Clint and Martin Adams on the Father’s Day event at Mosca Motorsports Park.

“We’re living the dream,” dad says of the summer months the Adams family travels to work the IMCA and BST Track circuit. Now he has a track of his own in the Mosca Motorsports Park, which has seen motorsports racing for over a decade.

On Tuesday, five days before the big show, Clint was watering the track and installing lights on the front stretch in case Sunday’s races extend into darkness. 

The Mosca track is a ⅓ mile and is built with 600 yards of dirt brought in mixed with gypsum, clay and straw to help hold the moisture in the track. It’s the only ⅓ mile track on the Colorado Alliance Tour and will get tested by the best stock car drivers in the state.

The Colorado Alliance Tour races Modifieds, Stock Cars, Hobby Stocks, Northern SportMods, and Sport Compacts, including the Junior Sport Compacts that young Martin Adams will race in. Clint Adams has added to the lineup a Warriors class race which are speedy cars in between a hobby and a stock car; and he’s added a low-budget race for anyone with a car.

Admission to Sunday’s race is $15 adults; $10 military veterans and youth ages 13-17; $5 kids ages 6-12; and free for kids 5 and younger.

Related

As the summer rages on, the bubble for the NASCAR Playoffs is as tight as ever. 20 points separate five drivers for the final spot at the moment, as Ryan Preece, Kyle Busch, Carson Hocevar, AJ Allmendinger and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. are battling at the moment.

On the latest episode of Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, Kevin Harvick sent a warning to that contingent, pointing out that with an influx of road courses on the schedule, things could get shaken up in quick fashion. The bubble could move, and that’s not good news for these veteran wheelmen on the outside looking in.

“The points are getting ready to change,” Harvick stated. “You mark my words, three weeks from now, the points are getting ready to change, just because of the road course season coming up. Squiggly season. I just think that, if we get one or two of these wild card winners that we are throwing into the possibilities of being able to win, with an SVG (Shane Van Gisbergen) or AJ Allmendinger, [Daniel] Suarez.

“You just don’t know how these road courses — especially a new road course in Mexico City, and a street course. I mean, it might be laid out the same, but it’s not going to — it’s just treacherous. It could bite you at any moment. It could rain. There’s so many things that could possibly go wrong. So, I don’t know. I think that that bubble is great to look at, but I think that bubble could be two spots higher for the guys that have points, which is like 40 some points.”

Out of all the drivers outside the cut-line, Hocevar is the one catching Harvick’s attention. He recognizes the young man has incredible speed at the moment, and if he doesn’t get to Victory Lane, he could point his way in.

“You talk about pointing your way in. I think Hocevar is scoring stage points. I think he’s fast enough to win. I think he’s fast enough to score those stage points consistently. He’s just a new player,” Harvick added. “The way that he handled the Stenhouse thing this week, it seems like there wasn’t really any animosity there. They talked through it.

“I’m just saying it doesn’t seem like there’s any lingering effects from them, so the politics of the internal dealings with situations like that seem to be getting corrected a little better each time. So, I think he’s progressing, and he still has the speed.”

Time will tell which drivers make the playoffs, but it’s evident we have a close battle on our hands. Nobody without a win at the moment is safe, and that’ll add intrigue over the course of the summer for the NASCAR Cup Series.