NASCAR teamed up with Chevrolet and Hendrick Motorsports to field the Garage 56 special entry class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2023. NASCAR CEO Jim France wanted to fund an entry operated by Chevrolet team Spire Motorsports for the July Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway, again, leaving Toyota and Ford on the sidelines.

On the surface, it looks like the two manufacturers are getting the short end of the stick from NASCAR. Dale Earnhardt Jr. said on Tuesday’s “Dale Jr. Download” that he wouldn’t be surprised if they were upset about both of those occurrences.

“Toyota and Ford are always going to look for something to complain about,” Earnhardt said. “… You’re telling me that if Jim France had went to another Toyota team or another Ford team, they would have accepted that opportunity?”

Ultimately, France’s plan to financially support a Spire entry never came to pass. France was set to work with Spire to put Jack Aitken, a 29-year-old IMSA driver, in the race. Aitken races for a France-owned team in the sports car series. Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic reported that “backlash in the garage over the perception of another high-profile conflict of interest in motorsports ownership led him [France] to scrap the plans.”

NASCAR’s Jim France wanted to fund Cup Series entry at Sonoma

Gluck and Bianchi added that the original plan was to field a Hendrick car. However, the four-car limit prevents Hendrick from fielding a fifth car, even an open car. Spire has a Hendrick alliance and appeared to be the next best thing. Earnhardt is relieved that France decided to discontinue the plans.

“I wouldn’t necessarily think it’s a good thing,” Earnhardt said. “That’s the type of thing, for me, that needs to be grandfathered in. It’s like the four charters versus teams can only have three. Had Jim France and his family always owned cars for all of these decades of NASCAR, then you grandfather that in. And if that ever ended, you’d just be done with it. At this point, it just doesn’t feel like it’s very productive to do it now. Jim doesn’t need to do it. It’s not like a viable business proposition or opportunity that I think is necessary as a businessman to do it.

“It’s like a here’s a fun thing on the side, we’ll get a guy and he’ll race. Kind of one of those fun things you want to do with your buddies. But it’s not necessary because the dude owns the sport. So, what he might have could have done is shield his involvement. He probably still could have gotten Jack Aitken in a Spire car, still got him on the racetrack and shielded his involvement or his connection to Jack and the partners that would support this program.”

On3’s Jonathan Howard contributed to this report.

Max Verstappen Sparks Speculation of NASCAR Debut Following Cryptic 6-Word Revelation

In a seismic shift that could revolutionize the racing world, whispers of Max Verstappen potentially dipping his toes into NASCAR territory have ignited a firestorm of excitement among motorsport enthusiasts. The Formula 1 prodigy, known for his unparalleled dominance on the F1 circuit, dropped a mere six words that have sent shockwaves through the racing community, hinting at a possible transition to the world of American stock car racing.

The tantalizing prospect of Verstappen venturing into NASCAR gained traction after a chance encounter with NASCAR rising star Connor Zilisch, captured in an Instagram video by NASCAR and Trackhouse Racing. As the two drivers prepared for a showrun in Austria, Verstappen’s enigmatic response to Zilisch’s invitation to try out his #87 car left fans clamoring for more. “I would like to do it,” Verstappen nonchalantly quipped, setting the internet ablaze with speculation and anticipation.

While Verstappen has previously expressed his interest in NASCAR, his recent flirtation with the idea has reignited hopes of witnessing the F1 juggernaut take on the challenge of American oval tracks. The Dutch driver’s foray into sim racing has showcased his versatility, but the transition to the high-octane world of NASCAR presents a unique set of challenges that Verstappen seems keen to explore.

Amidst swirling rumors and fan fervor, the possibility of Verstappen gracing a NASCAR track has garnered widespread support, with enthusiasts envisioning the Red Bull Racing driver making waves in a different realm of motorsport. The allure of seeing Verstappen bring his trademark aggression and precision to the NASCAR Cup Series has fans buzzing with excitement, speculating on potential matchups and eagerly awaiting confirmation of his NASCAR aspirations.

As the racing world eagerly awaits a definitive decision from Verstappen, the tantalizing prospect of the F1 champion making a crossover to NASCAR has injected a renewed sense of excitement and anticipation into the motorsport landscape. With the stage set for a potential Verstappen debut in NASCAR, the racing community finds itself on the edge of their seats, eagerly anticipating the next chapter in the enigmatic driver’s illustrious career.

The drama between Carson Hocevar and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has NASCAR insiders Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi dissecting the entire situation. The duo likened it to Ross Chastain’s advent in the Cup Series.

Hocevar and Chastain share a lot of similarities, with their ultra-aggressive driving-style. Gluck elaborated on how that’s led to the Spire Motorsports wheelman not receiving the benefit of the doubt, no matter the situation.

“It all plays into the reputation that [Hocevar] has. But I also think there is a little bit of the, what I termed on Twitter, ‘The Chastain Disease,’ where Hocevar is clearly not going to get the benefit of the doubt. Everybody knows he races aggressively. Everybody knows he takes what he can get. So, it pisses everybody off, but nobody’s done anything about it yet,” Gluck stated, via The Teardown.

“… I don’t think that Stenhouse is going to take this lightly. however, he’s sort of like — get in line with Hocevar. Get in line with the long list of people. … [Hocevar] seems to find himself in hot water, but he’s not going to change the way he races.”

In response, Bianchi was in agreement, wondering if Hocevar needs to learn to pick his spots a little better on the track. That could be what leads to him receiving the respect he desires.

“You’re right when you say Hocevar is not going to get the benefit of the doubt, but that’s the world you created, and you’ve got to be able to manage it,” Bianchi responded. “It’s also — this is part of it, a young driver who’s only in the second full season, learning the rigors of racing at the Cup level. Like Chastain and like other young drivers we’ve seen, it’s about picking and choosing your spots.

“I go back to when Chastain was making a lot of his mistakes, and they were at the end of races or towards the end of races, racing for the win. Then it was like, it’s a little bit more excusable. Like, I’m all for aggressive driving, but the Chastain thing is like, I get it. You’re racing for the win, you’re aggressive. I get it. This big picture, you didn’t need to do that in that situation.

“If you’re faster than him, if you’re closing that quickly, you’re going to get them anyway. You obviously have a good race car. You don’t need to do anything out of the ordinary here. Just keep doing your thing. Looking at the tape, it looks like he kind of hit him flush. It wasn’t like he got underneath them and then they made contact, it was almost a flush hit. So if I’m Stenhouse, I’d be pissed too.”

The field certainly believes Carson Hocevar will get some comeuppance soon. Whether it’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr. or another driver remains to be seen, but the Spire Motorsports wheelman might need to show a bit more contrition if he’s going to avoid an altercation moving forward.

After sitting out for over a month following their failure to qualify for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, Garage 66 (MBM Motorsports) have competed on a fairly regular basis as of late.

The team have competed in five of the eight most recent points races, including the last two in a row and three of the last four.

After Josh Bilicki technically scored the team’s best result of the season, ironically a 33rd place DNF, in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway two weekends ago, Chad Finchum matched their actual best finish with a 35th place effort in Sunday’s Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway.

In fact, the team had not actually finished a race since Casey Mears placed 35th in their first official start of the year at Martinsville Speedway back in late March.

But the team will not be returning at Michigan International Speedway.

No open cars competing at Michigan

The entry list for Sunday afternoon’s 200-lap FireKeepers Casino 400 around the four-turn, 2.0-mile (3.219-kilometer) Brooklyn, Michigan oval features only the 36 chartered entries.

There were two other non-chartered (open) cars that raced at Nashville. NY Racing Team ran the No. 44 Chevrolet for J.J. Yeley, and 23XI Racing ran the No. 67 Toyota for Corey Heim. Both are set to return later this year, but not this weekend.

This weekend marks just the second race of the season to feature no open entries, and with all 36 chartered cars driven by full-time drivers, it marks just the second race in the entire history of the Cup Series not to feature a single part-time driver.

Garage 66 do plan to return later in the year. As of now, they are planning to compete in two more races before the 2025 season concludes, though that schedule is extremely likely to expand. Bilicki is currently set to compete in the race at the Chicago Street Course on Sunday, July 6 and the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 27.

Kyle Busch has listed his incredible North Carolina ‘barndominium’ property for sale. The NASCAR legend has been living in Denver full time with his family

NASCAR superstar Kyle Busch has put his North Carolina ‘barndominium’ house on the market for a cool $4.5 million, confessing that he just can’t spend as much time there as he would like.

The former two-time Cup Series champion is having a tough time at the moment. He admitted feeling “like a broken record” after the Coca-Cola 600 before being brutally insulted by Shane van Gisbergen over the radio at Nashville as Dale Earnhardt Jr. commented honestly on his “attitude” driving the No.8 car.

Busch, who previously resided in North Carolina, sold a waterfront mansion for a hefty $13 million two years ago and relocated to Denver with his family. Despite the move, the racing icon aimed to maintain ties to North Carolina, the heartland of NASCAR, by snapping up this distinctive property after offloading his luxurious mansion.

READ MORE: Dale Earnhardt Jr weighs in after leaked NASCAR plans prompted U-turnREAD MORE: Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin identify future NASCAR Cup Series winner

The property, which was originally bought from Brian Deegan, underwent a transformation under Busch’s ownership, turning an eight-bathroom, four-bedroom barn into a lavish residence. Now, it appears Busch is bidding farewell to the barndominium, listing it for sale as he seems set to settle back in Colorado permanently.

This unique estate boasts jaw-dropping features, from private fuel storage and subterranean garages to an exquisite saltwater pool, a personal bar, and even an indoor basketball court. Busch took to social media to explain his decision to sell.

His post read: “We love this piece of land and the amazing barndominium but right now we just don’t have enough time to spend there. We can’t wait for someone to love it as much as we have! 14,983 Sq Ft Barndominium, 35 Acres. More info on Zillow, or at the link on my Story. Contact Josh Tucker at joshtucker@hmproperties.com with serious inquiries.”

Located conveniently close to Lake Norman and just about an hour’s drive from Charlotte, North Carolina, this property is not one to be overlooked.

Busch made his first real estate purchase in North Carolina, snagging a property for $7 million before flipping it for a cool $13 million. He also listed the barndominium for sale at $4.5 million.

Throughout his remarkable career, Busch has reportedly raked in around $400 million, thanks to his two-time Cup Series wins. Despite his success, he has yet to clinch a victory in the Daytona 500, despite 20 attempts.

On Friday, Venturini Motorsports revealed that Jake Finch won’t be competing in the ARCA race at Michigan as previously scheduled. Finch is not filling well and will not be able to pilot the No. 25 Toyota in Friday night’s ARCA race.

As a result, the historic ARCA team has asked fellow Toyota driver Corey Heim to fill in for him. Finch is running part-time this year and was set to make his third ARCA start of the year today.

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Heim currently drives the No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota in the Truck Series where he leads the championship standings, winning four of the first 12 races of the year. Heim is also a developmental driver for 23XI Racing.

While he does have experience in ARCA, Heim hasn’t raced in that division since the 2022 season. Heim’s ARCA resume is just as impressive as his Truck statistics, winning nine races in just 43 starts. He was also the 2021 ARCA championship runner-up, losing to Ty Gibbs.

Venturini has been operating in ARCA since 1982 and currently fields a multi-car effort, but in April of this year, they announced plans to sell the entire organization to Nitro Motorsports later this year.

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