NASCAR Rant Report - Friday, March 14th

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Major headlines out of Wednesday and Thursday:

Las Vegas Preview
The World of Motorsports Hits Big this Weekend
Rule Changes and Penalties
Casey Mears Returning, Aiming for 500

Plus, miscellaneous topics so far this week.

Las Vegas Preview:

The upcoming NASCAR weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway has a focus on Christopher Bell's attempt to win his fourth consecutive NASCAR Cup Series race. Bell, who has already won at Atlanta, Circuit of The Americas, and Phoenix, is aiming to join an elite group of drivers who have achieved this feat. Despite his recent dominance, Bell faces tough competition from Kyle Larson, who has a strong track record at Las Vegas, including three wins and consistently high finishes.

The weekend's events include the Pennzoil 400 for the Cup Series, The LiUNA! for the Xfinity Series, and the Ecosave 200 for the Craftsman Truck Series. The races will be broadcast on FS1, The CW Network, and FS2, respectively. Kyle Busch, Noah Gragson, and Riely Herbst are all Las Vegas natives, hoping to score wins at their home tracks.

Currently, Bell and Larson are the even favorites for the Cup Series race. For the Xfinity Series, Austin Hill is the favorite, as he is the only current Xfinity Series driver with a previous win at the track. Corey Heim, Chandler Smith, and Ty Majeski are all close favorites for the Truck Series race.

Check out our Source Materials Page for more on this topic.

Want some non-AI content? Check out the previous Editorial:
NASCAR Officiating Needs To Meet New Expectations

The World of Motorsports Hits Big this Weekend:

This weekend the world of motorsports is coming on strong, with multiple series making returns. It is a NASCAR Tripper Header, with all three national series racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, after the Truck Series had a two-week break since Atlanta. The 2025 Formula 1 season kicks off in Australia, with everyone wondering if Max Verstappen will have another year to pace the field, or if more challengers will arise. On Saturday, the IMSA series will be returning for its second major this year, the Twelve Hours of Sebring. Lastly, for MotoGP will have its second event of the year, taking place in Argentina.

This is not a true “Motorsports Triple Header”, with Formula 1, IndyCar, and the NASCAR Cup Series all on Sunday, back-to-back, as there are only a few of those each year when the race times work out perfectly in line. The first of these is not until April, but there is plenty of racing fun this weekend nevertheless!

TODAY - Friday, March 14
12:55 a.m., Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix Practice 2, ESPN2
10:15 a.m., IMSA Mustang Challenge Race 2 at Sebring, IMSA TV
11:20 a.m., IMSA Twelve Hours of Sebring Qualifying, IMSA TV
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Practice And Qualifying at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, FS2
5 p.m., IMSA Lamborghini Super Trofeo Race 2 at Sebring, IMSA TV
6 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Practice And Qualifying at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, The CW App
6:10 p.m., IMSA Porsche Carrera Cup Race 2 at Sebring, IMSA TV
8:15 p.m., Formula 3 Australian Sprint Race, ESPN+
9 p.m., NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Ecosave 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, FS1
9:25 p.m., Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix Practice 3, ESPN3.com
11:15 p.m., Formula 2 Australian Sprint Race, ESPN+

TOMORROW - Saturday, March 15
12:55 a.m., Formula Australian Grand Prix Qualifying, ESPN U
10 a.m., Twelve Hours of Sebring, Peacock
1:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Practice And Qualifying: Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Prime Video
4 p.m., NASCAR Countdown Live, The CW
4:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: The LiUNA! at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, The CW
6 p.m., Formula 3 Australian Feature Race, ESPN+
8:30 p.m., Formula 2 Australian Feature Race, ESPN+
10:30 p.m., Formula 1 Australian Pre Race Coverage, ESPN News
11:55 p.m., Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix

Sunday, March 16
1:30 p.m., MotoGP Racing From Autódromo Termas de Río Hondo, FS2
2 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay, FS1
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, FS1

Check out our Source Materials Page for more on this topic.

Rule Changes and Penalties:

NASCAR has recently announced updates to its Open Exemption Provisional (OEP) rule, which was first used at the Daytona 500 to secure a starting spot for Helio Castroneves. The revised rule mandates that if more than 40 cars are entered in an event, the field will automatically expand to 41 cars, and the team requesting the provisional must use it regardless of where it qualifies. This change ensures that an OEP driver does not prevent another driver from making the field. Additionally, NASCAR retains full discretion to deem certain events ineligible for the OEP. Teams using the OEP are not eligible for points or prize money from the race.

In other news, NASCAR issued penalties to Joe Gibbs Racing's Nos. 18 and 20 Toyota Supra teams in the Xfinity Series for having improperly secured lug nuts following the race at Phoenix Raceway. Both teams were fined $5,000 each.

Check out our Source Materials Page for more on this topic.

Casey Mears Returning, Aiming for 500:

Veteran NASCAR driver Casey Mears is set to make his return to the NASCAR Cup Series at Martinsville Speedway on March 30, driving the No. 66 HitchGO Ford Mustang for Garage 66. This race will mark Mears' first Cup Series start since the 2019 Daytona 500 and his 490th career start. Mears, who turned 47 recently, aims to reach the milestone of 500 career starts, a feat achieved by only 47 drivers in NASCAR history.

Garage 66, co-owned by Carl Long, is an open team that does not compete full-time. The team failed to qualify for the Daytona 500 earlier this year with Chandler Smith. Long expressed pride in having Mears drive for Garage 66, highlighting Mears' respectful character and historic racing family background.

Mears is excited to return to Martinsville, one of his favorite tracks, and appreciates the support from HitchGO, Mosby’s Towing and Transport, and Coble Enterprises as he works towards his goal of 500 NASCAR Cup Series starts. While no additional races have been confirmed, it is likely that Mears will attempt more races this year to achieve his milestone.

Check out our Source Materials Page for more on this topic.

Miscellaneous:

IMSA has announced that the 64th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona will take place on January 24-25, 2026. The event, known for its endurance challenge, will feature a multiday festival with support series races, practices, and qualifying sessions starting on January 22. The ROAR Before the Rolex 24 will occur the weekend prior, from January 16-18

NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson is bringing his High Limit Racing series to the dirt track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS) this weekend. The series, co-owned by Larson and Brad Sweet, will feature sprint car races on Thursday and Saturday. This marks the first time a national dirt racing series will race at the LVMS dirt track since 2019.

NASCAR has partnered with Amazon Prime Video to stream five major races exclusively starting in May 2025. NASCAR President Steve Phelps is confident that the viewership on Prime Video will match or exceed cable TV numbers, projecting around 2 million viewers per race. The partnership aims to attract a younger audience and expand NASCAR's reach. Prime Video will also air select practice and qualifying sessions.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series Dash 4 Cash program returns for the 2025 season, starting with a qualifier race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 15. The four-race program will include events at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, and Rockingham Speedway. The highest-finishing series regulars in each race will compete for a $100,000 prize.

Denny Hamlin will have ampm as the primary sponsor for two races in 2025 at Sonoma Raceway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This marks ampm's first foray into motorsports sponsorship.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will have Real American Beer, co-founded by WWE legend Hulk Hogan, as his sponsor for the Las Vegas race. The sponsorship aims to bring a sense of American pride and community to the track.

Greg Van Alst and Prescott Tire Pros & Automotive Service have added the Xfinity Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to their 2025 schedule. This will be Van Alst's third Xfinity Series start of the year.

Alpha Prime Racing driver Brad Perez will compete at Homestead-Miami Speedway with new sponsorships from KSDT CPA and Florida International University Athletics. Perez, a Florida native, is excited to represent local businesses at his home track.

TRICON Garage driver Tanner Gray announced that he and Brittany Cooper are expecting their first child, a boy, due in August.

Check out our Source Materials Page for more on these topics.

Thumbnail image credits on our Source Materials Page.

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