RCR team owner and NASCAR Hall of Famer, Richard Childress waits on the grid prior to the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 18, 2025 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina.
James Gilbert
Getty Images
Five witnesses testified Tuesday in the trial that has grabbed the stock car racing world’s attention — but it was someone not employed by NASCAR, 23XI Racing or Front Row Motorsports who was most revealing.
Longtime Cup Series owner Richard Childress confirmed during his testimony Tuesday that he had engaged in discussions to sell a portion of his 60% stake in Richard Childress Racing, the company he founded in 1969.
The six-time Cup Series champion owner, who famously owned the car that helped bring Dale Earnhardt and the sport of NASCAR into the nation’s consciousness in the 1980s and ‘90s, appeared confused when he was asked during cross-examination about what he thought were confidential discussions with a group that includes former NASCAR driver Bobby Hillin Jr.
“I don’t want to answer that,” Childress said at one point during this line of questioning, before District Judge Kenneth Bell reminded him he was under oath and obliged to answer to the best of his ability.
RCR team owner and NASCAR Hall of Famer, Richard Childress walks the grid prior to the NASCAR Xfinity Series BetRivers 200 at Dover Motor Speedway on July 19, 2025 in Dover, Delaware. Sean Gardner Getty Images
Childress said that he sent Hillin a termination letter earlier this year — “They don’t have the money,” Childress said — and that both parties signed a non-disclosure agreement pertaining to RCR’s finances. Childress also clarified that Hillin was mainly going to purchase the stake in the company owned by Chartwell Investments, which has wanted out of their ownership of RCR for the last “five or six years.” When asked directly, Childress admitted to considering selling part of his stake to Hillin, too.
Once the jury departed for the evening, plaintiffs counsel requested to Judge Bell that the defense turn over the documents they have concerning Hillin’s claims about Childress’s finances and to find the source who availed those documents to NASCAR. The two legal teams were told to discuss the matter Tuesday evening.
Still, the 80-year-old NASCAR Hall of Famer answered more than he wanted to, as was apparent in the Potter Courtroom in the U.S. District Court of the Western District of North Carolina in uptown Charlotte. The answers, though not at the center of the case, were ostensibly relevant, however.
Jesse Love, driver of the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet, and NASCAR Hall of Famer and RCR team owner, Richard Childress embrace in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway on November 01, 2025 in Avondale, Arizona. Meg Oliphant Getty Images
The fact that Childress is looking to sell a portion of his stake in RCR demonstrates that life in the Cup Series isn’t easy, something that he testified to at great length on Tuesday. Childress confirmed that his business affairs have yielded 55 straight years of EBITA — an economics term that shows a company’s operational profitability before interest, taxes and other processes — but he also clarified: “I have other businesses to pay our bills for NASCAR.”
“I’d be broke if I was just doing the Cup teams,” Childress said.
Those businesses include ECR Engines, a high-performance combustion engine development and production company, as well as RCR Manufacturing Solutions, which produces weapons and vehicles for the military. Both profitable businesses operate on the Richard Childress Racing campus in Welcome, North Carolina. Childress also owns a vineyard in Lexington.
Childress, despite being forced to disclose some aspects of his business, was not deterred by his primary point of being called as a plaintiff witness.
“That money should be going into my bank account (instead of) going to pay my NASCAR teams,” he said.
NASCAR President Mike Helton, left, chats with owner Richard Childress at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in 2001. CHRISTOPHER A. RECORD
The point Childress was trying to make
Prior to his cross-examination, Childress was guided down a line of questioning from plaintiff attorney Danielle Williams and was direct in his frustrations with NASCAR and its current model of business.
His main gripe was with the 2025 charter agreement.
“We were negotiating a better contract for the charters,” said Childress, who owns two full-time Cup Series charters. “And then it just didn’t happen that way.”
Childress is referring to the document that was the catalyst to the lawsuit that has led us to this trial. The lawsuit was filed in October 2024 and involved Cup teams 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports asserting that the sanctioning body of NASCAR operated as an unlawful monopoly.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team owner Richard Childress looks on during the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway’s stop at Richard Childress Racing on Tuesday, January 25, 2011, in Welcome, North Carolina. Jeff Siner MCT
A quick refresher on the charter agreement: NASCAR established its charter system in 2016. A “charter” can be thought of like a franchise, similar to how the Chicago Bulls belong to the NBA. Cup teams that own one of the 36 charters have certain benefits; they have guaranteed entry into every race, for instance, and thus a guaranteed slice of each race weekend’s purse.
Team owners this week have testified that the 2016 deal was a good start but that come the expiration of that deal — in 2025 — the sport ought to improve the charter system. For the teams, that meant making the charters “evergreen,” or permanent.
Such a prospect would make it so teams wouldn’t have to forfeit their charters if they didn’t sign on to a new charter agreement, which, if trends persist, get renegotiated after seven-to-nine years. It would also foster a partner-to-partner relationship rather than a contractor-to-employer relationship, teams say — all teams want is an asset that can’t be taken away and that appreciates or depreciates as the sport fares over time.
“It wouldn’t cost NASCAR nothing to give us a (permanent) franchise,” Childress said. “All we want to do is be good partners.”
Childress also agreed with other owners who have testified and said that NASCAR offered the teams a “take-it-or-leave-it” ultimatum in September: In other words, if you don’t sign now, you lose your charters. Childress ultimately decided to be one of the 13 teams to sign onto the charter agreement.
The only two teams that didn’t sign the agreement are the ones who sued NASCAR and are the plaintiffs in this case: 23XI Racing (owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin) and Front Row Motorsports (owned by Bob Jenkins).
“We would’ve lost them,” Chidress said. “… Financially, I couldn’t lose our charters.”
Cup team owner Richard Childress watches practice from atop his transporter at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in 2006. JEFF SINER
Jim France takes the witness stand to little avail for teams
NASCAR board chairman and CEO Jim France took the witness stand Tuesday and was examined by plaintiff attorney Jeffrey Kessler. His testimony was largely uneventful; he mostly deflected Kessler’s questions, citing a faulty memory and relying on generalities.
For instance, when plaintiffs showed in evidence an email in which NASCAR president Steve O’Donnell wrote that “Jim’s overarching comment” in a charter negotiations meeting was a fiery one — “We are in a competition … we are going to win!” — France was steadfast.
“I’m not sure,” France said, when asked to recall his message to NASCAR leadership. He added, “That would be his interpretation.”
France had a similar response when he was shown a bevy of letters from NASCAR Cup Series owners during charter negotiations — leaders France referred to as friends, like Rick Hendrick and Roger Penske. He was asked about one line in particular from Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports: “HMS has won two Cup championships and lost $20 million (in the last five years). … To be asked to consider a lesser deal as your most recent proposal suggests is a slap in the face. I will not agree to it.”
France’s response when he was asked if he sees the letter: “I do see that.”
When asked if he remembers how the letter made him feel: “I do not recall.”
Jim France (center), NASCAR chairman and CEO, departs the Charles R Jonas Federal Building on December 1, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Grant Baldwin Getty Images
Other notes from NASCAR trial Day 7
—The five witnesses who testified Tuesday, in order: plaintiff expert economist Edward Snyder (who finished up from Monday), accountant Anthony Smith, NASCAR commissioner Steve Phelps, Childress and France.
—Phelps reiterated the company line, stating that the charter system was good for NASCAR and that he set out to strike a compromise with the teams knowing that NASCAR did not want permanent charters. He also added that the Next Gen car is the “safest car in motorsports”; when reexamined by plaintiff counsel and asked about the concussions that transpired in 2022 and even one that ended the career of Kurt Busch early, Phelps acknowledged those early bumps but also acknowledged the progress the car has made and clarified that this car is safest against “big hits” that could cause “fatalities.”
NASCAR commissioner Steve Phelps speaks to the media during the NASCAR annual “state of the sport” press conference on Oct. 31, 2025, at Phoenix Raceway. Jared C. Tilton Getty Images
—France was the final witness called by the plaintiffs. His cross-examination will continue and conclude Wednesday. Defense attorney Chris Yates informed Judge Bell that it is his team’s goal to get through all their witnesses by the end of the week, meaning that closing arguments are possible for Monday.
“We will endeavor to be as efficient as possible,” Yates said.
Plaintiffs counsel appeared skeptical of this goal as the defense still has over 10 people on its potential witness list; Yates said he and his team will pare down the witness list Tuesday night.
This story was originally published December 9, 2025 at 8:14 PM.
Alex Zietlow
The Charlotte Observer
Alex Zietlow writes about the Carolina Panthers and the ways in which sports intersect with life for The Charlotte Observer, where he has been a reporter since August 2022. Zietlow’s work has been honored by the Pro Football Writers Association, the N.C. and S.C. Press Associations, as well as the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) group. He’s earned six APSE Top 10 distinctions for his coverage on a variety of topics, from billion-dollar stadium renovations to the small moments of triumph that helped a Panthers kicker defy the steepest odds in sports. Zietlow previously wrote for The Herald in Rock Hill (S.C.) from 2019-22.
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After moderate success in her rookie campaign in the ARCA Menards Series, Isabella Robusto is going full-time again. This time, Robusto will team up with Nitro Motorsports. Nitro bought out the Venturini Motorsports program earlier this year.
Isabella Robusto was a common sight in the top-five last season in the ARCA Menards Series. She has legitimate talent at 21 years old. Early in the season, DNFs cost her points to compete for the top spots in points. Besides those DNFs, Robusto’s worst finish was a P10 at Lime Rock Park and Kansas. Not bad for a driver still figuring out stock cars.
During her high school years, Robusto was a multisport athlete. Now, she’s racing cars full-time in ARCA. I’d expect her to compete for wins in the 2026 season. We will have to see who Pinnacle Racing Group and Joe Gibbs Racing have in store for the year. But Robusto should be in one of the best cars week in and week out.
We have seen Isabella Robusto’s talent on display multiple times before. She has come close to winning more than a few times, but hasn’t been able to close the deal. She has finished P2 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds on dirt and had a P2 finish at Irwindale in the West Series, as well as Nashville Fairgrounds in the East Series.
Toyota believes that Robusto can be the next woman driver to make it big in racing. They have a few women signed to development deals. Robusto is joined by drivers like Taylor Reimer, Jade Avedisian, and others in that development group. Of course, Reimer forms one half of a NASCAR power couple with Truck Series champion Corey Heim.
Expectations for Isabella Robusto in 2026
Again, we have to see what the rest of the full-time ARCA Menards Series field looks like, and who the part-time drivers are, but Isabella Robusto should take that next step up in 2026. If she doesn’t, then her NASCAR journey might see itself come to a halt or a major speedbump at the very least.
Nitro Motorsports has taken over the Venturini program. Outside of JGR, they are going to be the top Toyota organization in ARCA. Still, they have to put the cars on the track and make them go fast. Venturini found out how to do it, now Nitro has to replicate that success.
It would be fantastic to see Robusto win a race in 2026. There are so many young girls and women in racing right now, not nearly as many as there are young boys and men, but the time is coming where one of these women breaks through. With her athleticism and generally easygoing attitude, Robusto has a real chance to be the one who does it first.
Since Hailie Deegan won her K&N race all those years ago, we’ve waited for the next woman to win in a NASCAR-sanctioned series. It might just be Isabella Robusto in 2026.
The FIA’s updated changes of the superlicense points allocation to the IndyCar Series championship ahead of the 2026 season has been welcomed by several in the paddock, including Arrow McLaren team principal Tony Kanaan.
The FIA World Motor Sport Council concluded its final meeting for 2025 on Wednesday, making several changes across several series that also impacted North America’s premier open-wheel championship.
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Previously, the top 10 in the IndyCar championship were awarded superlicense points from first to 10th as follows: 40-30-20-10-8-6-4-3-2-1. However, the updated changes will now see first to 10th allocated 40-30-25-20-15-10-8-6-3-1.
This brings IndyCar’s status closer to Formula 1 as a ‘feeder series’ in terms of hitting the required 40 superlicense points over a three-year span, remaining behind Formula 2 (40-40-40-30-20-10-8-6-4-3) and ahead of Formula 3 (30-25-20-15-12-9-7-5-3-2).
Kanaan reacts to FIA superlicense change
Tony Kanaan
Photo by: Gregg Feistman / Motorsport Images
“No one doubts that IndyCar is one of the most competitive racing series in the world, and I’m glad the FIA is acknowledging that by increasing the points to be more comparable to F2,” Kanaan said, via a statement sent to Motorsport.com.
“It’s good news for IndyCar and good for the drivers in the series if they do want to race in F1. An IndyCar driver shouldn’t need to go to a feeder series to prove they’ve got what it takes to compete in any other series.”
Although Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward also serves as McLaren F1’s reserve and test driver (and recently driven in FP1 outings in Mexico and Abu Dhabi this year), Kanaan is likely referencing Colton Herta.
Herta has been among the shortlist of drivers highly touted in the IndyCar paddock since coming onto the scene at the end of 2018, and becoming the youngest race winner in 2019 (at 18 years, 11 months and 25 days old). However, his eligibility for a superlicense has been difficult. A potential F1 debut for AlphaTauri in 2023 was halted due to having 32 superlicense points despite finishing seventh, third and fifth in the title race from 2019-21.
The 25-year-old Herta went into the 2025 season with 31 superlicense points and, under the FIA’s previous criteria, needed to finish fourth in the championship or fifth with an FP1 appearance.
Despite Herta falling short of that goal and ending up seventh in the title race, he was still brought into Cadillac’s F1 team, albeit a test driver. He also left IndyCar at the end of the year to run F2 with Hitech in pursuit of securing enough superlicense points for a shot at an F1 seat in 2027. He needs to either finish eighth, but could also secure it with 10th in combination with multiple free practice appearances.
Only Alex Palou (120 points), Scott Dixon (56 points), O’Ward (48 points) and Scott McLaughlin (41 points) are eligible based on results from the past three seasons. The updated changes will only impact points scored from 2026 onwards.
The man who avoids the limelight and a microphone didn’t have that luxury Tuesday in a North Carolina federal courtroom.
NASCAR chairman and CEO Jim France (pictured above) was called as the final witness for the plaintiffs, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, in the antitrust lawsuit the teams filed against France and the sport he owns and operates. France was questioned by the team’s lead counsel, Jeffrey Kessler, for nearly 2.5 hours, during which he repeatedly said he couldn’t recall certain internal communications, events or numbers.
But France did admit that “I did say no” to permanent charters. Kessler did not ask why.
The concept of permanent charters was a key point for race teams during negotiations for the 2025 charter agreement. Heather Gibbs testified to the importance they had for the Gibbs family and how valuable they would be for stability. Richard Childress also testified that permanent charters would help financially in a sport with a challenging economic model.
NASCAR, however, wanted to remain flexible going forward, according to Steve O’Donnell’s testimony. O’Donnell, who became president of NASCAR earlier this year, said the unknowns were part of the reason for not granting permanent charters, as NASCAR didn’t know what the sport would look like in the future regarding costs, schedule, cars and other financial variables.
Kessler repeatedly pressed France on being the top of the NASCAR food chain and the one who makes decisions. Some of that came through Kessler asking, “You bear the ultimate responsibilities for the company?” and, “The buck stops with you?”
But France, like other NASCAR executives who testified before him, such as Phelps, O’Donnell and Scott Prime, would only say that NASCAR has a board of directors, and that’s where the discussion and decisions go.
Although France said the board can overrule him, he couldn’t recall one of those instances. Kessler quipped to let him know if he thought of one while they continued with the testimony.
France owns 54% of NASCAR through the family trust. Lesa France Kennedy, his niece, owns 46%.
Kessler also spent time showing France communications within the company during the charter negotiations, one of which was O’Donnell saying that France was visibly reacting, swearing, while reading a Heather Gibbs letter out loud. But not only did France counter that he doesn’t recall being upset about the letter, nor there being anything in it that would make him upset, France also said he’s not sure why O’Donnell characterized things that way.
France also challenged part of Heather Gibbs’s testimony. She explained that Sept. 6, the deadline to sign the charter agreement, France had told Joe Gibbs that the negotiations were done and the deadline set. Furthermore, “If I wake up and I have 20 charters, I have 20. If I have 30, I have 30,” is what Gibbs relayed.
“I don’t think I’d say that to Coach (Gibbs),” France said.
And so the testimony went as Kessler continued to press on communications France received from team owners and his reaction. France acknowledged receiving letters from Roger Penske, Rick Hendrick, Jack Roush and Joe Gibbs in the spring of 2024. All expressed concerns over the sport’s business model and race teams losing money.
France will return to the stand Wednesday for cross-examination by NASCAR’s counsel. NASCAR will then begin presenting its case.
Childress says his race team relies on support from his other businesses and thinks permanent charters could address this. James Gilbert/Getty Images
Tuesday closed with France after also seeing Childress and Phelps on the stand.
Childress testified that he signed the charter agreement because he had no choice. The NASCAR Hall of Famer didn’t want to lose his charters, admitting his company isn’t financially able to compete without them. He said the other businesses Childress has founded help support the race team.
But, he, too, wanted permanent charters. Childress also agreed with the other key items the teams asked for, including a say in the governance of the sport, revenue, and receiving a percentage of new revenue.
“It wouldn’t cost NASCAR nothing” to award permanent charters, said Childress.
He also said, “I would love to see RCR running 60 years from now, but with this model, we can’t do it.”
As for the testimony from Phelps, there were times when he, too, under questions from Kessler, said he couldn’t recall or didn’t know about what he was being asked. However, he disputed the version of events the teams have relayed, claiming the Sept. 6, 2024, deadline was a take-it-or-leave-it situation. Multiple times, Phelps said that wasn’t what happened, or it was an unfair statement.
According to Phelps, the first draft went out in December of 2023. The teams responded in January of 2024.
Another response from the teams came through in February, and soon thereafter, NASCAR began meeting with the teams individually because they were hearing that not all of the information NASCAR was giving to the Team Negotiating Committee (TNC) was making its way back to everyone.
In May, another draft went out with a response from the teams in June. The meetings continued in June, July, and August. The third draft went out on Aug. 14, in which the teams were told the deadline would be the end of August.
Phelps said that Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports then asked for an extension of the deadline. It was moved to Sept. 6. When the new deadline was set, Phelps said he called every team owner or team representative and let them know.
Lawyers for the teams sent comments about the draft on Sept. 5. At this point, Phelps said he was “pleasantly surprised” that the changes and comments weren’t that extensive. He was at the point where he felt the teams would sign after those updates were made.
As for September 6, Phelps said the day unfolded with the deadline being the end of the day. Jim France, meanwhile, had promised Roger Penske that no charter agreement would go out until they had spoken. Penske ended up calling Phelps, who told him to make sure he spoke with France before they could proceed.
Soon enough, the deadline was extended to midnight. Phelps made that decision because he said he knew the teams needed time for the agreement to reach their inboxes. He was still under the impression they were going to sign, and they had been updated by their lawyers.
“I was surprised,” Phelps said, when 23XI Racing and Front Row didn’t sign. Those two teams were even given an additional deadline to sign, but they didn’t.
Phelps also testified that NASCAR could not give the teams the $720 million per year they wanted because it would bankrupt them.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., just like the rest of the NASCAR community, is keeping a close eye on the 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports versus NASCAR antitrust lawsuit trial. Through now eight days of court, Earnhardt has heard some things that he doesn’t particularly like.
23XI and FRM have pointed out that NASCAR, along with Marcus Smith‘s Speedway Motorsports, own most of the racetracks on the Cup Series schedule. Earnhardt is hoping that the teams’ goal is not to get NASCAR to sell the tracks in which they own.
“There’s been a point made about NASCAR owning the racetracks. I don’t know that 23XI wants NASCAR to sell their tracks. I’m hoping that’s not really what they’re asking,” Earnhardt said on Tuesday’s Dale Jr. Download. “I think they’re using that against NASCAR because NASCAR did tell some other people like Marcus Smith and so forth, ‘You’re gonna have to sign an exclusivity deal because we don’t want anyone else running a race before we come into town.’
“That’s not unusual in any other sports and arenas and so forth. But I think there’s been something made about NASCAR owning the racetracks and the way they’ve restricted use of those facilities is helping the argument of 23XI.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. issues warning to 23XI Racing, Front Row Motorsports
Economist Edward Snyder testified Monday that NASCAR has violated antitrust laws because “teams don’t have anywhere else to sell their services,” citing NASCAR’s ownership of “the tracks, the teams and the cars.” Snyder then brought up the exclusivity agreements NASCAR began entering into with racetracks after the charter system began in 2016.
The agreements keep racetracks from hosting events with rival racing series. Snyder, according to The Associated Press, stated his belief that NASCAR entered into the agreements in an effort to stave off any threats of a potential startup series.
If 23XI and FRM’s position is that NASCAR needs to sell their racetracks, Earnhardt strongly encourages them to reconsider. He noted the current landscape in regard to owning racetracks, which he called a non-lucrative business. Earnhardt questions the future of the sport if NASCAR is forced to sell its racetracks.
“It’s kind of got to be a be careful what you wish for kind of thing because No. 1, no one’s building racetracks. Building a racetrack today is not a financial success. Running a racetrack today is not a lucrative operation,” Earnhardt said. “No one is clamoring to go out there and build any type of racetrack, big or small. … No one’s in the business of owning racetracks. Nobody’s gonna be standing on the steps waiting for those tracks to go to the highest bidder.
“If NASCAR and Marcus don’t own these racetracks, who does? They’re gonna turn into development, they’re gonna be turned into Amazon centers — they won’t be racetracks. What will happen is in 10 years, we’ll be racing on a bunch of street courses and road courses, no sh*t. So, everybody kind of be careful around that because as unique as it is, we need NASCAR to own the tracks they own because it’s really a lost or dying sort of business model.”
Day 9 of the trial will resume Thursday. It will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Western District of North Carolina courthouse in Charlotte.
Families and representatives of the Vermont Motorsports Hall of Fame’s inaugural Class of 2025 gather during the Dec. 6 induction ceremony at Vermont SportsCar in Milton. Nine figures from across Vermont racing history were honored during the sold-out event.
Courtesy of Vermont Motorsports
MILTON — The Vermont Motorsports Hall of Fame inducted its inaugural class Saturday, honoring nine trailblazing figures in the state’s racing history during a sold-out ceremony at Vermont SportsCar in Milton.
The Dec. 6 event marked the official launch of the new hall of fame and drew a crowd of 175 people — many representing different eras and disciplines of motorsports across Vermont. Restored racecars connected to several inductees were displayed throughout the facility.
The Class of 2025 included John Buffum, Tom Curley, Harmon “Beaver” Dragon, Bobby Dragon, C.V. “Chuck” Elms II, Shirley Muldowney, C.J. Richards, Ken Squier and Gardner “The General” Stone. East Thetford driver Brandon Gray was also recognized as the organization’s first Racer of the Year.
Inductees recognized for decades of contributions
Buffum, of Colchester, is widely considered the top American rally driver of all time, with 23 national championships and 123 major event victories. Vermont SportsCar founder Lance Smith credited Buffum as a driving inspiration for the team and its Milton facility.
Curley — the longtime Thunder Road co-owner and founder of the NASCAR North Tour and American-Canadian Tour — was honored posthumously. The renowned stock car promoter died in 2017.
Milton natives Beaver and Bobby Dragon were celebrated for their legacies on asphalt tracks across the region. Beaver Dragon won back-to-back NASCAR North Tour titles in 1979 and 1980 and was a multi-time track champion at Airborne Park Speedway and Catamount Stadium.
Harmon “Beaver” Dragon speaks during his induction into the Vermont Motorsports Hall of Fame on Dec. 6 at Vermont SportsCar in Milton. Dragon, a Milton native, is a two-time NASCAR North Tour champion and one of Vermont’s most celebrated stock car drivers.
Courtesy of Vermont Motorsports
His brother Bobby remains the winningest Vermont-born asphalt stock car driver in history with 145 documented victories and 21 championships.
Elms, who died in 1989, played a pivotal role in establishing Bear Ridge Speedway in Bradford and previously served as president of Northeastern Speedway. His award was accepted by family members.
Muldowney, a South Hero-raised pioneer known worldwide as “The First Lady of Drag Racing,” became the first woman licensed by the NHRA in 1965 and earned three Top Fuel world championships.
Richards, a well-known dirt track promoter from Fair Haven, founded Devil’s Bowl Speedway and managed multiple venues across Vermont and New York before his death in 2012.
Waterbury native Squier — a legendary broadcaster and co-founder of both Thunder Road and Milton’s former Catamount Stadium — was inducted posthumously. Squier, who died in 2023, was added to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2018.
Stone, of Middlebury, was recognized for decades of success in tractor pulling, stock car racing and drag racing. A five-time NTPA Grand National champion, he earned an NHRA national event win at age 74.
Racer of the Year
Gray, 28, captured the VMHoF’s first Racer of the Year award following an 18-win season across multiple divisions, including the Super Street championship at Claremont Motorsports Park. He also earned Rookie of the Year honors at Thunder Road in Late Models.
Gray was selected from among 20 nominees through a committee vote and a public fan vote that drew more than 500 responses.
A community gathering
VMHoF president Justin St. Louis emceed the ceremony. Family members accepted awards on behalf of several inductees who have passed.
A restored No. 71 stock car driven by Milton racing legend Bobby Dragon sits on display during the Vermont Motorsports Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Dec. 6 in Milton.
Courtesy of Vermont Motorsports
The event was supported by underwriting partners including G. Stone Motors of Middlebury, Goss Cars of South Burlington and New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Dinner was catered by The Roving Feast of Waterville, with technical support from VT Audio Visual of Burlington.
The organization plans to open nominations soon for the Class of 2026. More information is available atvermontmotorsports.net/halloffame.
While Rick Hendrick has not taken to the stand in the 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports versus NASCAR antitrust lawsuit trial in Charlotte, North Carolina, a letter from the longtime team owner has helped shed light on his frustrations with the 2024 charter agreement at he heart of the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges “monopolistic” practices from NASCAR in response to the controversial charter agreement, which is set to run through 2031, and neither 23XI nor FRM signed up for by the September 6, 2024, deadline.
As a result, both teams eventually lost their charters late in the 2025 season, totaling six rides, ahead of the lawsuit, which will help shape the future of NASCAR and its charter system.
Throughout the course of the trial thus far, it has become clear that there was hesitance from other teams to sign the agreement, including Joe Gibbs Racing, as per co-owner Heather Gibbs, and Richard Childress Racing, as per its namesake.
One major sticking point during negotiations between NASCAR bosses and team owners was the latter’s desire for permanent charters, with letters from RFK Racing’s Jack Roush, Team Penske’s Roger Penske, and Hendrick Motorsports’ Rick Hendrick all being presented as proof of this, as per Jayski.
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Hendricks’ letter to NASCAR CEO Jim France from April 2024 has since made its way onto social media, via Bob Pockrass, in which he offers a fascinating insight into the team’s financial structure, noting how teams have “reached a breaking point.”
“You and I have become good friends. I have tremendous respect for you and truly value our personal relationship. In turn, I understand you must prioritize business and the best interests of your company, your family and your employees,” Hendrick wrote.
“But for the sake of transparency, I want to share my dismay at the state of these negotiations and the ineffective process we’ve endured over the last two years. Both sides have wasted a tremendous amount of time and resources, and we find ourselves at an unnecessary impasse.”
Hendrick explained how, despite winning two Cup Series titles in the previous five years, his team has still run at a total loss of $20 million, going on to label the existing model as “unsustainable for teams and cannot continue without substantive, fundamental change.”
He added how his team has helped bring in key sponsors to the sport, such as Ally and NAPA Auto Parts, while they spend $20 million annually on “sponsorship and advertising with NASCAR’s broadcast partners.”
Hendrick went on to break down his team’s gargantuan spending, saying, “To allow our racing programs to operate, Hendrick Automotive Group did $1 billion in business with Hendrick Motorsports sponsors in 2023, including:
“Ally: 22,000 loan originations ($951 million in retail paper)
“UniFirst: 24,000 uniforms leased ($4 million)
“Axalta: 33,000 gallons of Axalta paint used ($8.5 million purchased)
“Valvoline: 887,000 gallons of oil poured
“NAPA: 1.2 million parts purchased ($9 million)”
Hendrick felt that despite investing in and promoting NASCAR for four decades, “The message I continue to hear from NASCAR is that the teams bring no value, our rights are worthless, and we don’t know how to run a viable business.
“To be made to feel that my family’s investments and sacrifices are not appreciated, valued or respected by NASCAR is disappointing, to put it mildly,” he said. “To be asked to consider a lesser deal, as your most recent proposal suggests, is a slap in the face. I will not agree to it.”
He called upon France to meet with team owners as a collective to find a mutually beneficial middle ground, commenting, “In my heart, I know there is a win-win solution that will allow all of us to thrive for many, many more years.”
However, Hendricks’ pleas fell on deaf ears, with France testifying regarding permanent charters, via Pockrass, “I don’t have a sightline to the future and I don’t want to make a promise forever that I can’t keep.” His stance remains that permanent charters would remove any sense of flexibility from NASCAR’s structure moving forward.
