According to AP News, U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell, presiding over the Western District of North Carolina, held a nearly two-hour hearing Tuesday in which he pressed both sides to reconsider their approach to the escalating anti trust case. The dispute centers on NASCAR’s charter system — a key component of its franchise model — and the refusal of two teams, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, to sign a new agreement issued last fall.

23XI Racing, co-owned by Jordan and veteran driver Denny Hamlin, and Front Row, led by businessman Bob Jenkins, were the only holdouts among NASCAR’s chartered teams when a new deal was presented in September 2024. As reported by AP News, 13 other teams accepted the agreement, though some claimed they had little room for negotiation.

“It’s hard to picture a winner if this goes to the mat — or to the flag — in this case,” Judge Bell stated during the proceedings. “It scares me to death to think about what all this is costing.”

Related: Hamlin Remains Confident in 23XI, Front Row Antitrust Case Against NASCAR

The hearing focused on a motion from the two teams to dismiss NASCAR’s countersuit, which alleges that Curtis Polk — Jordan’s longtime business manager and a key figure in the negotiations — engaged in anticompetitive conduct. Per AP News, NASCAR claims Polk coordinated behind-the-scenes efforts among all 15 charter-holding teams to collectively reject individual negotiations, even raising the prospect of a boycott.

One particularly contentious point arose when a NASCAR attorney cited a quote Polk allegedly sent to the group: “We must all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately” — a line attributed to Benjamin Franklin. NASCAR argues this and other messages point to an effort to form a “cartel” that undermined fair competition.

The disclosure sparked immediate backlash from the teams’ legal team. Jeffrey Kessler, representing the plaintiffs, argued the quoted message was extracted from privileged communications and should not have been publicly revealed. He further asserted that NASCAR’s allegations fail to prove any unlawful behavior, maintaining that coordinated bargaining is a standard tactic in business negotiations.

Judge Bell’s comments throughout the hearing emphasized the potential damage of allowing the case to go to trial, both financially and reputationally for all parties involved. He urged the sides to seek a resolution outside of court before the dispute becomes even more entrenched.

Joe Gibbs Racing has landed another multi-year primary sponsorship partner as it has reached an agreement with Bob’s Discount Furniture. The retail store will serve as a sponsor for Denny Hamlin and the No. 11 Toyota Camry XSE in the NASCAR Cup Series, and the first primary sponsorship of the partnership will be at Iowa Speedway on August 3.

The partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing will mark the entry into the NASCAR and motorsports sponsorship space for Bob’s Discount Furniture. The company calls the sponsorship deal a “natural fit”.

“Partnering with Joe Gibbs Racing is a natural fit for Bob’s,” said Bill Barton, President and CEO of Bob’s Discount Furniture. “We’re both committed to excellence, delivering value, and engaging with communities in meaningful ways. Debuting the Bob’s-branded No. 11 car at Bob’s Grand Opening in Winston-Salem, a region with deep NASCAR heritage and our newest store location, makes this moment even more special.”

Joe Gibbs, the owner of Joe Gibbs Racing, is proud to be partnered with one of the largest and fastest growing retailers in the United States.

“We are thrilled to partner with Bob’s Discount Furniture,” Gibbs in a press release. “Racing every weekend all across the country, we will have the opportunity to promote their great furniture at everyday low prices to race fans everywhere. We are especially excited to have the opportunity to celebrate their expansion into North Carolina at the grand opening event at their new Winston-Salem store on July 17th.”

Hamlin, who has 701 starts in the NASCAR Cup Series, loves the creative nature of Bob’s Discount Furniture’s social media channels and is excited to work with the company on and off the track.

“We’re excited to welcome Bob’s to our No. 11 team and to have their new locations opening up close to home,” said Hamlin. “If you look at their marketing and social media, they do a great job being creative, so we’re really looking forward to what kind of ideas we can work on together both on and off the racetrack.”

Hamlin and the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team have already amassed three victories through the opening 16 races of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, which brings Hamlin’s career win total to 57 in NASCAR Cup Series competition. The 44-year-old driver did not compete in last weekend’s Viva Mexico 250 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez following the birth of his third child last Wednesday.

The Virginia native is slated to return this weekend at Pocono Raceway, where he has seven career wins.

Kaz Grala has agreed to compete in a three-race deal with Sam Hunt Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The 26-year-old will run three road course races later this year, driving the No. 24 Toyota Supra for the team.

Grala’s first race will be the Chicago Street Course on July 5th. He will also run at Watkins Glen on August 9th and the Charlotte Roval on October 4th. Overplay Games will serve as the primary sponsor, fully backing the effort.

Through the first part of the 2025 season, Grala has been absent from the grid, but he has plenty of experience. Grala ran 24 of the 36 Cup races on the schedule in 2024, running most of those races with Rick Ware Racing.

He last raced in the Xfinity Series in 2023 where he ran full-time with Sam Hunt Racing, so this is a bit of a reunion for the two. Along with 31 career Cup starts and 77 career Xfinity starts, he also has 51 starts in the Truck Series. He actually won the 2017 NASCAR Truck Series season-opener at Daytona International Speedway (where he became the youngest winner in Daytona history), which is his only win in one of the three national levels of the sport.

Grala is a solid road racer, earning a top ten in his Cup Daytona as a fill-in driver for Austin Dillon, which came at the Daytona Road Course. Of his seven top fives in the Xfinity Series, four of them also came at road courses.

Spire Motorsports on Tuesday issued a $50,000 fine to sophomore driver Carson Hocevar. Hocevar, 22, made controversial comments about the Nascar Cup Series’ debut race in Mexico City before flying down to Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

“If the travel was better, if getting here was easier, if you felt safer getting to and from everywhere, if it wasn’t such a sh*thole, if the track limits were a little better enforced, if it was going to be a little bit better of a race, and it wasn’t so easy to, or feel so locked down like you can’t leave anywhere, it’d be a great experience,” Hocevar said during a Twitch livestream while he was competing in iRacing.

Hocevar, who’s taken Nascar by storm this year while competing for wins, apologized for his comments prior to the penalty. His comments have not warranted a penalty from Nascar itself.

“Maybe a kid that had never been out of the country until Thursday should ever give an opinion about what any place is like other than Portage, Michigan,” he tweeted on Monday.

“When I answered that question on a stream, I was skeptical about the trip so far and believed everything I read or heard about Mexico City from people who more than likely also had never been here. Now that I’ve actually left my hotel a couple times and raced here in front of some of the most passionate fans I’ve ever seen, my opinion has changed. I am embarrassed by my comments, by the race I ran, and I may have to move here to hide out from Ricky anyway.

“Count this as another lesson for me in a season I’ve learned so much. Don’t believe everything you hear without seeing it yourself. If anyone should give anyone or any place the benefit of the doubt it’s me. I’m sorry Mexico City. Consider me an ally going forward and an example of getting off Twitch and seeing things with my own two eyes.”

Hocevar’s fine will be donated equally to three Mexican nonprofits, including Cruz Roja Mexicana (Mexican Red Cross), Un Kilo de Ayuda, and Fondo Unido México (United Way Mexico).

It is rare for a Nascar team itself to fine a driver, rather than the sanctioning body itself. Hocevar will also complete a mandatory cultural-sensitivity and bias-awareness training.

But Hocevar genuinely apologized – for the second time – after the team issued its public fine.

Hocevar said: “I said something that not only was wrong, I said it without even laying my own two eyes on CDMX or turning one lap in an actual race at an amazing facility that welcomed me with open arms and I go and say that? Thank you for the support but I’m not sure we’re on the same page. You guys want me to be me?

“It was me who said it and it was me who apologized after actually taking the time to explore the city and feel the passion of every fan in attendance. I appreciate the opportunity to learn and I knew before this weekend what respect means to this organization and I didn’t meet the standard so I got what I deserved. I hate learning these lessons in the public eye and bringing any negative attention to Spire or me.

“We’ve been fast just about every week and I’m sure I have plenty of mistakes left in me. I appreciate growing up in front of all of you and you guys get to see the good and the bad. I’m just me. I’m trying. It just doesn’t always go the way I want and I bring a lot of this on myself.”

Hocevar is known on track for his aggressive driving style, unafraid to irritate his competitors. His tactics have gotten him in trouble as of late, including multiple altercations with Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Hocevar has led 70 laps this year and has a pair of runner-up finishes at Atlanta and Nasvhille. At Charlotte, in Nascar’s longest race, he was in contention to win until an engine failure.

After 16 races, Hocevar is 20th in the standings and is in contention to be the first Spire Motorsports driver to compete in the playoffs.

Joe Gibbs Racing announced a multiyear agreement Wednesday with Bob’s Discount Furniture, under which the company will serve as Denny Hamlin’s primary sponsor for select events.

Bob’s Discount Furniture will be on the No. 11 Toyota for the first time at Iowa Speedway (Aug. 3). The full slate of races for which it will serve as the primary sponsor was not announced. This is the company’s first presence in motorsports sponsorship.

“We are thrilled to partner with Bob’s Discount Furniture,” said team owner Joe Gibbs. “Racing every weekend all across the country, we will have the opportunity to promote their great furniture at everyday low prices to race fans everywhere. We are especially excited to have the opportunity to celebrate their expansion into North Carolina at the grand opening event at their new Winston-Salem store on July 17th.”

Hamlin and Gibbs will be present on Thursday for the grand opening of Bob’s Discount Furniture in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where they will unveil the car’s livery. In addition to live entertainment and giveaways, Hamlin will participate in an autograph session for those in attendance.

“Partnering with Joe Gibbs Racing is a natural fit for Bob’s,” said Bill Barton, President and CEO of Bob’s Discount Furniture. “We’re both committed to excellence, delivering value, and engaging with communities in meaningful ways. Debuting the Bob’s-branded No. 11 car at Bob’s Grand Opening in Winston-Salem, a region with deep NASCAR heritage and our newest store location, makes this moment even more special.”

Joe Gibbs Racing has signed multiple new partners for Hamlin’s team this season. Bob’s Discount Furniture joins Progressive Insurance, National Debt Relief, King’s Hawaiian, and ampm.

Dubbin Motorsports is making a strategic shift in its racing schedule, opting to compete in back-to-back weekends at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio. The team has added the 19th Annual University Hospitals Cavalcade of Stars – NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event to its calendar this coming weekend, followed by the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals on June 26-29.

The decision comes as team owner Dean Dubbin prepares for shoulder surgery, which forced the team to withdraw from the Seattle national event. Instead, Dubbin Motorsports saw an opportunity to maximize its points position by competing in Norwalk twice.

“We aren’t going to Seattle since Dean will be having his surgery then,” said Kirk Wolf, the team’s lead driver. “Instead, we decided to add Norwalk. It is a back-to-back event – and who wouldn’t want to spend two weekends at one of the best tracks in the U.S.?”

Team Owner Dean Dubbin echoed the team’s enthusiasm for the change. “After scheduling my shoulder surgery, we looked at the calendar, and the Norwalk Regional was a perfect fit to get another points race to replace Seattle. It’s not a National event, but we needed more regional points if Kirk is going to make an impact in the National Points standings. It is a great place to race—you would be hard-pressed to find a better-run racetrack than Norwalk. Bill Bader always puts on a great race, and we sure enjoy racing there. And after all, the ice cream there is amazing!”

Summit Motorsports Park is renowned not only for its high-speed action on the track but also for its Velvet Ice Cream, a tradition enjoyed by racers and fans alike.

The Cavalcade of Stars event is expected to attract at least 12 of the nation’s top-rated Top Alcohol Dragster teams, while up to 20 teams are slated to compete at the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals the following weekend.

Dubbin Motorsports has a strong history at Norwalk. In 2023, the DMP Awnings – Kentex Roofing backed team delivered a near-flawless performance at the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals, securing its first NHRA National Event victory in Top Alcohol Dragster.

With early-season struggles behind them, Norwalk may be the perfect venue for Dubbin Motorsports to regain momentum. The injected nitro tune-up of Clay and Chase Copeland, the team’s lead tuners, is well-suited for the track’s conditions.

As the team prepares for two consecutive weekends of racing, all eyes will be on Dubbin Motorsports and Kirk Wolf to see if they can replicate their past success and make a strong push in the NHRA national points chase.

This story was originally published on June 18, 2025.