The 2024 running motorsports thread

From Jordan Bianchi at The New York Athletic Times:

The showdown most everyone has anticipated for the past two years has officially arrived, and one group is particularly curious to watch how it unfolds — those heading the 13 chartered Cup Series teams that are not part of the lawsuit. These team owners, presidents and high-ranking executives have a vested interest in the outcome, though many aren’t actively rooting for one side over the other — or at least not openly. This story is based on conversations with a dozen of those people, some granted anonymity here to speak candidly about the contentious situation. Their reactions show an industry anxious to see what comes from an unprecedented situation in the sport.

“I did not have the balls to do what 23XI and FRM are doing because I was afraid I’d lose my charters,” said one team owner.

On one side you have 23XI Racing, whose ownership group includes Jordan and star NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin, and Front Row Motorsports, owned by restaurant entrepreneur Bob Jenkins. An unlikely coupling, yet one that may shake NASCAR’s foundation to its core.

On the other side is NASCAR, a sanctioning body that has long been accustomed to setting the rules largely unfettered, and France, the son of NASCAR’s founder who grew up watching his father rule with an iron fist.

Neither side is accustomed to losing. Each is strong-willed and expects those within their orbit to bend to their will. No wonder that, across the industry, people are starting to pop their popcorn.

“I don’t know how this ends up, but I don’t see either MJ and Curtis (Polk, Jordan’s business partner) or Jim giving an inch. That’s not what either does,” a longtime NASCAR team executive said. “Gonna be fascinating to see what happens next.

“This could be potentially very good or very bad for the sport.”​

Team owners on Michael Jordan’s legal fight with NASCAR: It’s ‘going to be wild’

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Just read that MJ has THE sports anti-trust attorney, Jeffrey Kessler on board. This is going to be the biggest challenge ever to NASCAR.

 

IndyCar should join the suit or at least write a brief of support since so many ISC tracks freeze them out of racing there. Or, like Nazareth and a few others back in the day, were shuttered and closed so no one could race there anymore.

They won't, though, because Roger Penske is in bed with them.

 

Very Large One ... and who's left?

The 22 bumped the 17 6 pretty hard, and the 17 6 turned the 2. After that? Chaos.

Loved the 23 driving away for a major distance on the apron backward.

 

Right at the front of the field. Ugh. I'm so happy to be sitting on the couch instead of thinking about what the hell to write.

And yet NASCAR believes that's what brings fans to Talladedga. Why not just hold a demolition derby on the front stretch?

The whole damn bottom row looked like they were trying to merge onto I-85 at Spaghetti Junction during rush hour. It's not really Kez's fault. Five or six other cars were ramming the back bumpers behind him.

 

Great finish.

 

Yeah, but what had to happen to get to that finish ...

Anyway, I'm short of hurricane supplies so I gotta go buy a bunch of Dr Pepper.

 

Wrecky didn’t wreck? Stunned.

 

IJAG approves of your message. And yeah, my opinion of a great finish is tempered by the 25 guys sitting in the garage area with torn-up stuff. Plus, any race Stenhouse wins is a shitty race.

 

And then Stenhouse wins with what is practically a hole in his door. Cindric gave him a 190 mph donut. How he didn't get wiped out too I'll never know.

 

Of note over the weekend, Tony Stewart won the North Central Division Top Alcohol championship.