Motorsports

Ryan Newman Adds to Recent History of NASCAR/CARS Crossovers

Hello, Newman! In case you missed it, 2008 Daytona 500 champion Ryan Newman will attempt his first start with the zMAX CARS Tour this Saturday (April 26) at Orange County Speedway. The Rocket Man will drive the No. 7 for Matt Piercy Racing with sponsorship from High Rock Vodka, adding his name to an ever-growing […]

Published

1 month ago

April 26, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Hello, Newman!

In case you missed it, 2008 Daytona 500 champion Ryan Newman will attempt his first start with the zMAX CARS Tour this Saturday (April 26) at Orange County Speedway.

The Rocket Man will drive the No. 7 for Matt Piercy Racing with sponsorship from High Rock Vodka, adding his name to an ever-growing list of NASCAR-CARS Tour crossovers in recent years.

There are plenty of examples for CARS Tour drivers making their way into the NASCAR National ranks – Carson Kvapil and defending champs Kaden Honeycutt and Brenden Queen to name a few.

NASCAR stars going the other way are more of a rarity, often resigned to one-offs, but they still make a memorable experience for grassroots fans. Since the North Wilkesboro Speedway revival in 2022, the status of the CARS Tour has been on a steady rise. Newman is one of many high-profile drivers to throw their hat in the ring.

How will Newman fare against those before him? It remains to be seen. But we’ll help you make an educated guess.

Here’s a brief history of those major guest appearances and how they fared.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

There is no better way to kick this list off than with Dale Earnhardt Jr., the catalyst behind this entire period of growth.

Earnhardt has fielded a car in the series since its creation back in 2015 and now co-owns the series to go along with the driving efforts he puts in himself. Going back to 2022, the fan-favorite has also raced five times with the series, at least once in each season.

The first of those was the famous Wilkesboro revival race that put the series on the map, putting a bow on a magical return for a racetrack many had hoped would come back to life for decades. Earnhardt was a contender all night long and finished third.

One year later, Earnhardt returned to Wilkesboro with the series, this time as part of NASCAR’s return with All-Star weekend. A strong run early was derailed by crash damage as Earnhardt settled for 16th in 2023.

In 2024, Earnhardt raced with the series twice, both at New River All-American Speedway and Florence Motor Speedway. A mid-race crash held Earnhardt to 14th at New River, while he picked up his second series top-10 at Florence (10th).

Earnhardt made his first 2025 appearance early, traveling with the Tour to Cordele Motor Speedway in a debut for both the driver and series at the south Georgia track. His No. 8 was in contention for a top-five, but came home 21st after a late incident. The NASCAR Hall of Famer has announced plans to run at Tri County Speedway, so he’ll be back with the Tour later this season.

Kevin Harvick

Moving from one series owner to another, Kevin Harvick has two starts with the Tour under his belt, both coming at North Wilkesboro.

Harvick made his return to Late Model Stock racing at Wilkesboro in 2023, bringing back Kevin Harvick Inc. in the process. Harvick qualified 19th and brought the No. 62 home in 11th at night’s end.

The 2024 Wilkesboro race originally scheduled for All-Star week in May was rescheduled to August after rain washed out the May date. The rescheduling prevented Josh Berry from running the race an opened up the door for Harvick to return. The 2014 Cup Series champion qualified 19th and finished 11th, a mirror image to his performance a year prior.

Outside of Late Model Stock competition, Harvick also has one Pro Late Model start to his name. He competed at Florence Motor Speedway last August, starting sixth and finishing seventh.

Kyle Larson

Perhaps American motorsport’s biggest modern star, 2021 Cup Series champion Kyle Larson made his Late Model Stock debut with the Tour in 2023, driving for JR Motorsports at Caraway Speedway.

Caraway being run on a Wednesday opened the door for Larson to compete, allowing the driver known for racing anything to add another discipline to his racing resume.

Larson had never raced a Late Model Stock car before the event, so his performance was solid, all things considering. The Californian qualified 16th out of 31 cars, kept his nose clean throughout the race and drove to seventh at race’s end.

William Byron

A year after his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, two-time Daytona 500 champion William Byron took his shot with the Tour at Caraway in 2024. Like Larson, the Wednesday date for Caraway allowed the race to fit into Byron’s busy Cup Series schedule.

With much more experience behind the wheel of a pavement late model, Byron skipped the learning curve Larson had to overcome, immediately becoming a threat to win.

Byron missed the mark in qualifying, clocking in 15th, but quickly charged through the field in the feature. The final 10 laps saw arguably the greatest four-car battle for the win in series history, with Byron ultimately finishing second to Brent Crews.

Brad Keselowski

Like Earnhardt and Harvick above, Brad Keselowski was a part of the Wilkesboro All-Star week event for the Tour back in 2023. The race was Keselowski’s debut with CARS and his only start with the Tour to date, coming with Hedgecock Racing.

After qualifying down in 22nd, the race itself was an uphill climb for the RFK Racing owner-driver, but the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series Champion kept his nose clean for a 12th-place finish at the end of the night.

Chase Briscoe

Chase Briscoe joined Harvick and Keselowski above in making his CARS Tour debut at North Wilkesboro in 2023, driving the No. 5 for Chad Bryant Racing.

Of every Cup driver in the field at Wilkesboro, Briscoe seemed to have the best shot to win as pit strategy put the No. 5 in the top five for a good majority of the race. But newer tires prevailed in the end and Briscoe wound up a respectable 10th after starting down in 30th.

Daniel Suarez

Daniel Suarez has made one start with the CARS Tour, coming at North Wilkesboro in 2023.

There’s a trend here, if you haven’t noticed.

Suarez nearly had his night ended by an early pile-up, the same wreck Earnhardt received his damage from. But the Mexican star battled back from the front nose damage to be in contention late, finishing the best of the Cup drivers in sixth.

Had Suarez not suffered damage, he very well could have gotten a few spots higher and possibly even challenged Queen for the win. But the end result was still a solid one, leading a field of Cup contenders.

Ross Chastain

Like nearly everyone listed above, Ross Chastain made his CARS debut at North Wilkesboro in 2023. But it wasn’t the greatest of showings for the Trackhouse Racing driver.

Chastain started 27th and was well off the pace for a good portion of the event, struggling to climb through the field en route to a 19th-place finish.

Although his Late Model Stock start did not go to plan, Chastain has made multiple Pro Late Model starts outside of the CARS Tour with relative success, including driving the Tootsie’s No. 1 at Nashville Fairgrounds last summer.

Kenny Wallace

Here’s one for the old-school fans.

With some convincing from Earnhardt, Kenny Wallace jumped behind the wheel of a Late Model Stock car at South Boston Speedway in 2023.

Primarily known for dirt racing outside of NASCAR, Wallace did a solid job at age 50, staying on the lead lap to score a 21st-place finish. It was all about fun for the Hermanator, who had a blast at South Boston.

Josh Berry

Okay, this one is kind of cheating.

The final driver on this list is the embodiment of a crossover from CARS to NASCAR. Josh Berry picked up his first Cup Series win earlier this season. but wouldn’t be where he is now without his success in the CARS Tour along the way.

Berry is still the all time wins leader in the series with 22 victories and claimed the series championship in 2017. But that’s from a different time, when Berry was ‘the guy’ and not the invader.

Since his rise to Cup racing, Berry has one start under his belt at Hickory Motor Speedway in 2024. Berry stayed in contention throughout the race and finished ninth after starting seventh. But the Tennessean will be back in May, contesting the Pro Late Model race at North Wilkesboro.

Every one of these drivers has brought eyes to the series and given local fans a chance to see one of the stars of Sunday in the short track ranks. It’s always fun to see the Cup guys try their hand against the aces who run these cars on a weekly basis.

With multiple events held in conjunction with NASCAR this season and a another Wednesday night race at Caraway, don’t be surprised if a few names are added to this list in the near future.

Chase began working with Frontstretch in the spring of 2023 as a news writer, while also helping fill in for other columns as needed. Chase is now the main writer and reporter for Frontstretch.com’s CARS Tour coverage, a role which began late in 2023. Aside from racing, some of Chase’s other hobbies include time in the outdoors hunting and fishing, and keeping up with all things Philadelphia sports related.

Motorsports

Previewing the NASCAR Cup Series Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville

The NASCAR Cup Series makes its lone visit of the year to the Music City this weekend, competing in the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway. Here’s a look at what to expect as the NASCAR starts take on Nashville on Sunday. Date: June 1, 2025Track: Nashville Superspeedway (Lebanon, Tennessee)Time: 7:00 p.m. ETTV: Prime VideoStages: […]

Published

4 hours ago

May 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Fireworks celebrate the checkered flag during the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway. — Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

NASCAR Cup Series driver Ross Chastain shows off his diamond ring for winning the Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. — Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

Date	Time	Session	TV
Sat., May 31	4:30 p.m. ET	Practice	Prime Video
Sat., May 31	5:40 p.m. ET	Qualifying	Prime Video
Sun., June 1	7:00 p.m. ET	Cracker Barrel 400	Prime Video

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Motorsports

Justin Bonsignore Set For Return to Seekonk Speedway – Speedway Digest

The Action Track of the East will host the fourth race of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season this Saturday, May 31. The series returns to Seekonk Speedway for the J&R Precast 150 – under the lights in Massachusetts. Justin Bonsignore heads back to Seekonk looking to visit Victory Lane at the third-mile for the […]

Published

4 hours ago

May 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Justin Bonsignore heads back to Seekonk looking to visit Victory Lane at the third-mile for the first time since 2018. That season, Bonsignore won at Seekonk en route to his first series championship. In six career Seekonk Whelen Modified Tour starts, Bonsignore has finished sixth or better in all of them, including three podium runs.

The Holtsville, New York, native enters the race tied for second in the Whelen Modified Tour championship standings, just one point behind the leader, through three events in 2025.

“We won at Seekonk back in 2018, but the track has changed a lot since with the new pavement in the corners,” Bonsignore said. “We’re looking forward to getting back there and improving on how we ran last year. We’ve had a solid start to the year with three top-five finishes and have come away from races that didn’t go our way still with strong finishes. Consistency is key.”

The schedule for NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race day at Seekonk Speedway includes NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour practice from 3-4:10 p.m., followed by qualifying at 5:30 p.m. and the J&R Precast 150 at 8 p.m. Tickets are available online at SeekonkSpeedway.com. The event has a rain date of Sunday, June 1 if necessary. If the event is moved to Sunday, action will begin at 2:30 p.m.

For more information on four-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Justin Bonsignore, visit JustinBonsignore.com and follow him on social media

Justin Bonsignore PR

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How Prime is raising the bar for NASCAR coverage

For the first time in the history of the NASCAR Cup Series, a race was featured exclusively on streaming. The numbers are in and they are solid for the first outing. The Coca-Cola 600 peaked a 2.92 million viewers with over one million watching the extended post-race show, but most importantly, the average median age […]

Published

7 hours ago

May 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

As NASCAR chases a younger demographic, this alone makes it a huge win. There were around 800,000 viewers from the 18-49 demographic, which is more than any race on cable for the last three years (at least). And while the total viewership is down from the 600 on FOX, which is to be expected, it still beat six of the eight Cup races this year that were aired on FOX Sports 1.

NASCAR on Prime

Photo by: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

But what made Prime Video a real winner on Sunday night was how they approached the event. The booth was energetic and informative, and they took the event seriously (aside from the puppet segment). You felt the gravity of it, which FOX managed to do quite well for the Indy 500, but it’s something that has been missing from a lot of their NASCAR events. The commercials were minimally invasive and side-by-side was used constantly. Even with William Byron dominating 283 of 400 laps, the middle portions of the race never felt boring as Prime went around the track to find the action. Stunningly, the final stage went without a single commercial interrupting the final two runs of the event — about 64 consecutive laps.

The addition of personalities like Carl Edwards and Corey LaJoie was a great move while the booth unsurprisingly nailed it between Adam Alexander, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Letarte. And the way they explained things without patronizing the viewer was refreshing as well. They weren’t explaining what stages were or how caution flags at the end of the race work, but they did throw together a highly informative 30-second segment on the fly to explain why Denny Hamlin’s team failed to get their car full of fuel.

The never-ending post-race show

Carl Edwards and Corey LaJoie

Photo by: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

But the post-race show was the biggest breath of fresh air. On cable, NASCAR fans are used to not getting much of a post-race show due to the constraints of that medium. FOX and NBC have their hands somewhat tied in that regard, but Prime took full advantage of that, giving viewers one hour and 18 minutes of post-race coverage where they brought in race winner Ross Chastain and runner-up finisher Byron for full sit-down discussions. Team owner Justin Marks also joined the panel to discuss the big win for Trackhouse. They even interviewed crew chief Phil Surgen in Victory Lane and were sure to tell the whole story of Chastain’s remarkable comeback, fighting from last to first in a backup car to win NASCAR’s longest race.

Speaking on his weekly podcast, Earnhardt Jr. said of the post-race show: “The other luxury of streaming is that the post-race is fluid. If we feel like we’ve got everything done, and everything we can possibly share in 30 minutes, that’s when it’ll end. if it needs to go longer, it’ll go longer. we don’t have an out … And if there was ever so much going on that we need to be on for an hour and a half, they will. That’s the great thing about the post-race.”

Prime purchased a total of five races this year and for fans not willing to open up their wallets just yet for streaming, they could still opt in for a 30-day free trial that covers the entire run on Prime. Around these events, Prime is doing a ton of activation between commercials and highly-acclaimed documentaries like the new ‘Earnhardt’ docuseries, which quickly became the No. 1 trending series on Prime.

It showed that change is sometimes needed to shake up the status quo, and that’s not a knock on FOX. Just look at IndyCar moving from NBC to FOX and everything FOX has done for the series. Just handing someone else the same ball will result in an entirely different ballgame. So congrats to Prime, who took the expectations for a NASCAR broadcast and hit that ball right out of the park.

Motorsports

Hendrick Motorsports Media Advance: Nashville – Speedway Digest

5 KYLE LARSON Age: 32 (July 31, 1992) Hometown: Elk Grove, California Last Week: 37th (Charlotte) Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels Standings: 2nd Twitter Instagram Facebook No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet 2025 Cup Career Nashville Races 13 379 4 Wins 3 32 1 Poles 1 22 0 Top 5 8 127 3 Top 10 9 191 4 Laps Led […]

Published

7 hours ago

May 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

5 KYLE LARSON

Age: 32 (July 31, 1992)

Hometown: Elk Grove, California

Last Week: 37th (Charlotte)

Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels

Standings: 2nd

Twitter Instagram Facebook

No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet

2025

Cup Career

Nashville

Races

379

Wins

Poles

Top 5

127

Top 10

191

Laps Led

851

10,107

264

Stage Wins

Average Finish

11.9

14.0

4.5

Kyle Larson finished the first half of the NASCAR Cup Series regular season as the leader in laps led (851), top-five finishes (eight), stage wins (eight) and playoff points (23). Those eight stage victories are tied with Martin Truex (2017) for the most ever through a season's first 13 events. 
In addition to his top fives and laps led, Larson's nine top-10 finishes and three victories are his most through the first 13 races of any season in his career. 
Victorious in the inaugural Cup Series event at Nashville Superspeedway in 2021, Larson is the only driver to register top 10s in all four races at the 1.33-mile tri-oval. His average finish of 4.5 is best among all drivers with more than one start. 
Larson has won the last four stages on concrete tracks. 
Entering Sunday's race, Larson has won six of the last 11 stages including sweeps at Bristol Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway.

9 CHASE ELLIOTT

Age: 29 (Nov. 28, 1995)

Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia

Last week: 6th (Charlotte)

Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson

Standings: 4th

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No. 9 Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet

2025

Cup Career

Nashville

Races

335

Wins

Poles

Top 5

107

Top 10

178

Laps Led

5,602

Stage Wins

Average Finish

11.2

12.8

15.5

Chase Elliott heads to Nashville Superspeedway fourth in the NASCAR Cup Series points standings, 84 markers behind leader and teammate William Byron.
The 2020 Cup Series champion is the only driver to finish in the top 20 in all 13 races this season. His average finish of 11.23 ranks third.
Elliott is a previous winner at Nashville, leading 42 laps en route to a victory in 2022.
The 29-year-old driver is tied with teammate Kyle Larson for the second most wins on concrete tracks in the Next Gen era with two. In addition to his 2022 Nashville triumph, Elliott was also victorious at Dover Motor Speedway that same year.
So far this season on tracks measuring 1-to-1.366 miles in length, Elliott has two top-10 finishes in two starts, placing 10th at Phoenix Raceway and eighth at Darlington Raceway.

24 WILLIAM BYRON

Age: 27 (Nov. 29, 1997)

Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

Last Week: 2nd (Charlotte)

Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle

Standings: 1st

Twitter Instagram Facebook

No. 24 RAPTOR High Heat Chevrolet

2025

Cup Career

Nashville

Races

265

Wins

Poles

Top 5

Top 10

112

Laps Led

669

3,647

Stage Wins

Average Finish

9.5

14.9

15.8

After capturing the win Saturday in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race, William Byron continued his domination in the Cup Series, winning the first three stages and leading 283 laps in the Coca-Cola 600 before settling for a runner-up result at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
It marked the most laps Byron has led in a race. He has now led 669 laps in 2025, second-most in the sport.
Through 13 races, William Byron has an average starting position of 8.85 and an average finish of 9.54 – both best of the field. He also is back on top of the 2025 driver points standings.
In the Next Gen era, Byron has the most wins in night races with four. 
In four starts at Nashville Superspeedway he has one top-five finish and three top 10s with a best finish of third coming in 2021.

48 ALEX BOWMAN

Age: 31 (April 25, 1993)

Hometown: Tucson, Arizona

Last Week: 29th (Charlotte)

Crew Chief: Blake Harris

Standings: 10th

Twitter Instagram Facebook

No. 48 Ally Chevrolet

2025

Cup Career

Nashville

Races

338

Wins

Poles

Top 5

Top 10

103

Laps Led

110

1,478

Stage Wins

Average Finish

17.8

19.3

20.3

Alex Bowman sits 10th in the NASCAR Cup Series points standings, 166 markers behind Hendrick Motorsports teammate and series leader William Byron.
The Tucson, Arizona, native has made four Cup Series starts at Nashville Superspeedway. His best finish at the 1.33-mile concrete tri-oval came in 2021, in which he started eighth and finished 14th. Bowman’s average finish at Nashville is 20.3, with an average starting position of 11.8.
For the Best Friends Animal Society programming, Ally and Bowman will be partnering with Monroe County Friends of Animals as their selected shelter for this weekend at Nashville.
Ally and HendrickCars.com are teaming up again to give fans the chance to win prizes with this year’s “Open Road Sweepstakes.” Fans can win VIP experiences at various races throughout the season and one lucky winner will hit the open road in a Chevy Silverado LT Trail Boss with an Airstream camper. Fans can stop by the Ally Fan Zone to enter the sweepstakes in-person and check out the camper. Fans can also enter at ally.com/sweepstakes/nascar.

HENDRICK
MOTORSPORTS /
Hendrick Motorsports

2025

All-Time

Nashville

Races

1,394

Wins

316*

Poles

258*

Top 5

19*

1,298*

Top 10

31*

2,218*

Laps Led

1,706*

84,018*

334

Stage Wins

14*

129

*Most all time
**Tied for most all time

Combined, Hendrick Motorsports drivers have led 1,706 laps so far this season, most of all organizations by 989 circuits and the team's most since 1996. That number accounts for 46% of laps run through 13 races this year. A Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet has led the most laps in five of the last six NASCAR Cup Series races.  
The organization enters Sunday's race at Nashville Superspeedway leading all teams in poles (five), top fives (19), top 10s (31), laps led and stage wins (14), the most stage wins ever through a season's first 13 events.
Hendrick Motorsports is the only team to have at least one car finish in the top five in every race this year with no other organization placing a car in the top 10 in each event. Dating back to last season, Hendrick Motorsports has had a top-five finisher in the last 21 races, the company's third-longest such streak.
With Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott each having a win at Nashville, Hendrick Motorsports has won half of the Cup Series races at the 1.33-mile tri-oval thus far. In addition to having the most wins, the team is also the all-time leader in top fives (six) and top 10s (eight). 
Hendrick Motorsports has won seven of 22 night races in the Next Gen era, the most of any team.

QUOTABLE /

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet, on Nashville Superspeedway: “We’ve been good at Nashville, but we haven’t been great, which you need to be to win there. I know I won in 2021, but since then I think we have some more to work on. Hopefully we can qualify well and build off of that.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet, on what makes Nashville Superspeedway a popular venue: “The town has just gotten so popular. I think that there’s just a lot of energy there right now. Nashville is trendy and has been trendy for a period of time. A lot of people are moving to Nashville. The music scene has become as big as it’s ever been, I would argue, in the country music world. So, you have the opportunity to have some big names out at the track. It seems like we all enjoy it. So, I think all those things are good.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet, on Nashville Superspeedway: “Nashville has been kind of OK for us. I feel like the first year, first couple of years we went there, we were super fast. But then last year we weren’t so good, so just got to keep working on that. It seems like it has some mile-and-a-half characteristics, like the guys who are fast at mile-and-a-halves seem to be pretty strong at Nashville, even though it’s a shorter track. So we’ll see. I think we could run well there. Definitely, the expectation is obviously to go there and try to run top five and try to compete for a win. So, yeah, I think it’s just a matter of looking at what we did last year and kind of where we need to be better.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet, on Nashville Superspeedway: “Nashville is a really tough place. The concrete surface makes it feel totally different from most of the tracks we go to. It’s slick, it changes a lot during the race, and it doesn’t give you much forgiveness. But it’s a cool atmosphere with the fans and the city close by. We haven’t had the results we want there yet, but we’re bringing a fast Ally Chevy and hoping to turn that around this weekend.”

Hendrick Motorsports PR

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Motorsports

ECR suing former sponsor | RACER

Ed Carpenter Racing is suing former sponsor Milton “Todd” Ault III, whose companies, including BitNile, were carried on ECR’s IndyCar Series entries from 2022-’24. The lawsuit is for alleged non-payment of a seven-figure sum owed to the team. Reached by RACER, ECR team president Tim Broyles said “no comment” when asked about the matter. “Yes,” Ault told […]

Published

8 hours ago

May 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Reached by RACER, ECR team president Tim Broyles said “no comment” when asked about the matter.

“Yes,” Ault told RACER, confirming the legal proceedings. “I sponsored the team for a couple years, and in 2024 I didn’t think I could really do much for that year. It was important to me that ultimately I had a path to ownership, and in its most simplistic form, they sold the team to someone else. And my deal was tied to the idea that I would have naming rights and I would have ownership, and basically, the team was sold to someone else.”

ECR, which formed in 2011 and made its IndyCar Series debut in 2012, was owned by Carpenter, Carpenter’s stepfather Tony George, and Stewart Reed through the 2024 season when Ault-owned brands adorned the team’s Chevy-powered entries.

At the end of the 2024 season, ECR announced the addition of Ted Gelov to its ownership base. Gelov’s investment into the team, appointment as its chairman and co-owner, and primary sponsorship provided for all of ECR’s cars through his Heartland Food Products Group company coincided with the end of Ault’s involvement with the team.

According to Ault, the funds being sought by ECR are limited to last season’s involvement.

“They’re definitely seeking seven figures,” he said. “And I dispute it because it has to be adjusted based on the idea that I never signed the contract for 2024 because they would never put in writing, other than emails, that I had the path to ownership and to be able to partially name the team.”

Ault hopes to find an amicable end to the lawsuit.

“I love Ed Carpenter, and the 22 years he’s been at Indy and his family and everyone involved,” he added. “They’re all people that I care about, and I would hope to settle it with them, but the reality is, they sold the team to someone else, and there’s no path for me to have ownership there, so they’re going to have to figure out how to settle with me, because I didn’t sign a contract for ‘24 and they specifically wouldn’t give me one with naming rights and ownership. And so they want to get something that they have to adjust for, because at the end of the day, they sold the team to someone else. Now that being said, I’m sure we can settle it.”

After parting with ECR, Ault returned with two racing team engagements where his askROI company serves as the primary sponsor on the No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda piloted by Rinus VeeKay in IndyCar, and the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06 GTP car in IMSA’s WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Ault says the dispute with ECR will have no impact with his ongoing sponsorship programs in 2025.

“Absolutely not,” he confirmed. “I am committed to IMSA, and I’m committed to Indy. I love Indy. I’ve loved it since I was a little kid, and I’m committing to solving the problem with Ed. They just have to be honest with each other about the fact that I have no path to ownership and no path to naming the team.”

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Motorsports

Everything to Know About NASCAR Driver William Byron

The NASCAR Cup Series is headed to Nashville, Tennessee this weekend for the 14th race of the 2025 season! How to Watch Catch up on past episodes of Race For The Championship on Peacock But before the racers can rev up their Next Gen chariots and hit Music City’s superspeedway for the Cracker Barrell 400, […]

Published

9 hours ago

May 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The NASCAR Cup Series is headed to Nashville, Tennessee this weekend for the 14^th race of the 2025 season!

How to Watch

Catch up on past episodes of Race For The Championship on Peacock

But before the racers can rev up their Next Gen chariots and hit Music City’s superspeedway for the Cracker Barrell 400, we’re kicking off our profiles of Cup Series wheelmen with none other than Hendrick Motorsports’ elite driver, William Byron.

Who is William Byron?

Born November, 29, 1997 in Charlotte, North Carolina, William Byron is a NASCAR Cup Series driver who discovered his affinity for racing at just the tender age of six, after watching racing broadcasts on TV. That interest led his father to first take “Willy B,” as he’s affectionately known amongst his peers, to his first race at the acclaimed Martinsville Speedway three years later. Having caught the high-octane racing bug, Byron set out to hone his skills on the iRacingsimulator, capturing 100 wins to accompany his nearly 300 top-five finishes in online competitions. From there, the next step was to get Bryon in a car, which happened in 2012. As a 15-year-old, Byron began racing Legends, amassing 33 wins enroute to becoming the Legend Car Young Lions Division champion.

As he ascended the ranks through competition, Byron enjoyed success with every new challenge he undertook. When he signed with Justin Marks’ outfit HScott Motorsports in 2015 to compete in NASCAR’s K&N Pro Series East, now renamed to the ARCA Menards Series East, he notched a quartet of wins before winning the series championship and scoring the Rookie of Year award.

When he moved to the Craftsman Truck Series under Kyle Busch Motorsports, Byron’s skill in the fast lane powered him to win the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year award in 2016 as well.

William Byron and the Xfinity and Cup Series

His successful momentum paved the way for a smooth transition into the Xfinity Series the following year. While everyone knew Willy B was already a force to be reckoned with because of his innate skill behind the wheel, his heroic, overtime win at Daytona amidst a slew of wrecks proved he also had the other requisite ingredient to be an elite driver: intestinal fortitude. Steady in the face of a revolving door of obstacles on the track, Byron scored three more regular season victories before taking home the division’s ultimate prize of the 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship.

Having climbed all other rungs, Byron’s time to join NASCAR’s coveted top flight came in 2018 after he replaced Hendrick Motorsports’ Kasey Kahne in the No. 5 car before he and that team’s crew moved to the No. 24 car, so his teammate Chase Elliott could claim the No. 9 car. That year, Byron again took home the Rookie of the Year award to become the second driver alongside Erik Jones to score the honor in consecutive seasons in each of the three national series. Now in his eighth year in the Cup Series, with 14 wins and 112 top-10 finishes in 265 total races, including consecutive Daytona 500 wins in 2024 and 2025, Bryon’s flag is firmly planted in the league with many wondering if this season will be his year to take home the grand prize of them all – the NASCAR Cup Series Championship.

What kind of car does William Byron drive?

Having gone from simulator to track in record time with success following him literally everywhere he goes, Byron now drives the No. 24 Chevrolet ZL1 – the brand’s super-charged sixth generation Camaro – in the Cup Series for NASCAR titan, Hendrick Motorsports (HMS). When he participates in Xfinity races, he drives the No. 17 Chevrolet SS, and when competing part-time in the Craftsman Truck Series, he pilots the No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado RST.

Nowadays, Byron, who graduated from Lynchburg, Virginia’s Liberty University, enjoys LEGO’s and snowboarding; counts Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch as his mentors; and he likes to drive trucks when he’s at home. After his father convinced him to buy it, Byron’s first recreational vehicle was a 2006 blue Chevy Silverado with a stick shift that Bryon credits to genuinely helping propel his NASCAR career. While he’s no longer dating Ryan Blaney’s sister Erin Blaney, no matter who’s riding shotgun in Willy B’s ride, they better like country music because groups like the Texas-based Eli Young Band will be the prevailing tunes on his Spotify playlist.

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