NASCAR Rant Report - Wednesday, April 2nd

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Major headlines out of Monday and Tuesday:

Reflecting on Martinsville
Another NASCAR Lawsuit - Legacy Sues RWR
Sammy Smith and Other Penalties
Steve Phelps Named Commissioner of NASCAR

Plus, miscellaneous topics so far this week.

Reflecting on Martinsville:

The recent Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway was marked by Denny Hamlin's dominant victory. Hamlin led 274 of the 400 laps, securing his first win of the season and his sixth at Martinsville, breaking a 31-race winless streak and a decade-long drought at the track. This victory also tied him with Rusty Wallace for 11th on the all-time win list with 55 career wins.

The Cup Series race at Martinsville was the most-watched cable telecast on Sunday, with 2,422,000 viewers tuning in, marking an 11% increase from last year's spring race. The broadcast peaked at 2,853,000 viewers

Driver Quotes:

Denny Hamlin: "When you have a car that is that good, it makes it feel like you’re invincible and certainly gives you a lot of confidence. Winning a race and dominating a race both give you the same credit on the stat sheet. But it does not do the same thing to your confidence. When you dominate a race, it’s like we whipped their ass, nobody was even close, and now it gives me dramatic confidence."

Christopher Bell: "I think it just goes to show that whenever we do it right, we are certainly as capable as anyone. I think there is upwards of five teams that can say the same thing. If we just do everything right and we race and execute on the level that we are capable of, we are certainly capable of turning a bad day into a top-15, top-10 finish."

Ryan Preece: "I didn’t expect that one. We’ve got some work to do to be able to drive through like some other cars do, but I think we’ve got some good ideas and obviously a little luck went our way today. They made the right adjustment when it mattered. There are some guys that hit it early and then they fell off. For us, we were at our best there at the end, so I’m just proud of everybody. I’m happy. We’re getting on a roll."

Ty Gibbs: "There’s no secret here. We’ve gone through a tough time to start the year. Everything that’s happened to us, not much gone our way. When that happens, I know what I’m studying through all of that. That is who surrounds us, who is there with us, who is working their rear end off at the race shop to try and get us back. Those are the people that I just really, really appreciate. Anytime you go through a tough time, for me, that is something I really want to look at. Who are the guys there. We got some of those guys that are leading us out of this."

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

Want some non-AI content? Check out the previous Editorial:
Motorsports ‘Hot or Not’ – Saturday, March 15th

Another NASCAR Lawsuit - Legacy Sues RWR:

Legacy Motor Club has filed a lawsuit against Rick Ware Racing (RWR) over a contract dispute involving the sale of a NASCAR charter. The lawsuit, filed in Mecklenburg County Court, claims that RWR is backing out of an agreement to sell one of its charters to Legacy Motor Club. The agreement, signed on March 3, 2025, was intended to allow Legacy to expand its operations for the 2026 season.

Rick Ware Racing, which has two charters, leased one to RFK Racing for the No. 60 team of Ryan Preece and uses the other for the No. 51 team of Cody Ware. Legacy Motor Club alleges that RWR, facing financial difficulties, agreed to sell one of its charters but is now refusing to complete the transaction. Legacy is seeking a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to prevent RWR from selling the charter to another buyer.

The dispute centers around the timing of the charter transfer, with RWR claiming the agreement was for the 2027 season, while Legacy asserts it was for 2026. Rick Ware Racing has not yet legally responded to the lawsuit.

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

Sammy Smith and Other Penalties:

The recent NASCAR events at Martinsville Speedway led to several penalties, with the most notable involving Xfinity Series driver Sammy Smith. Smith was fined $25,000 and docked 50 driver points for intentionally wrecking Taylor Gray on the final lap of the race. This penalty dropped Smith from sixth to 13th in the standings. Smith justified his actions by stating that he believed Gray would have done the same to him.

The incident sparked widespread criticism from competitors and commentators. Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano were among those who condemned Smith's actions, calling for stricter enforcement of racing conduct. NASCAR officials emphasized that while hard racing is part of the sport, Smith's move crossed the line and warranted a penalty.

In addition to Smith's penalty, Taylor Gray and Jeb Burton were each fined $5,000 for their conduct at the infield care center following the race. Gray confronted Smith, while Burton had a separate altercation with Daniel Dye.

Other penalties from the weekend included a two-race suspension for Trackhouse Racing crew members after a wheel came off Shane van Gisbergen's car during the Cup Series race. Additionally, the Haas Factory Team and Spire Motorsports were fined for unsecured lug nuts in the Xfinity and Truck Series, respectively.

Legacy Motor Club also faced a setback as Erik Jones' car was disqualified from the Cup Series race for failing to meet minimum weight requirements. The team accepted the penalty and apologized, stating they would take steps to prevent future issues.

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

Steve Phelps Named Commissioner of NASCAR:

NASCAR has appointed Steve Phelps as its first-ever Commissioner, a newly created role that will oversee all aspects of the sport, including IMSA and the 15 NASCAR-owned or operated tracks. Phelps, who has been with NASCAR for 20 years and served as President since 2018, will focus on strategic growth and international expansion. He will work directly with NASCAR owners Jim France and Lesa France Kennedy to provide value to stakeholders and increase global fan engagement.

Steve O'Donnell, previously the Chief Operating Officer, will succeed Phelps as NASCAR President. O'Donnell will manage day-to-day operations, including all three national series, commercial, media, and track operations, as well as international series and grassroots properties. His role will also involve overseeing NASCAR's investments in content creation and distribution through the new NASCAR Production Facility.

This leadership change aligns NASCAR with other major sports leagues and aims to drive international expansion and enhance fan engagement. Both Phelps and O'Donnell bring extensive experience, promising stability and innovation for the sport.

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

Miscellaneous:

Kyle Larson's Double Attempt: Prime Video will sponsor Kyle Larson's second attempt to complete the Memorial Day weekend double, racing in both the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600. Prime Video will also produce a documentary chronicling Larson's journey, set to release in 2026. Larson's first attempt was thwarted by rain, but he is determined to succeed this year.

NASCAR All-Star Race Week: The 41st NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway will feature four days of racing and entertainment from May 15-18. Events include qualifying races, the NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge, the Window World 250 Truck Series race, and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. The grand finale is the All-Star Race, offering $1 million to the winner.

Robinhood Sponsorship: Robinhood is entering NASCAR for the first time as an official partner of 23XI Racing, sponsoring Bubba Wallace and Corey Heim. Heim will debut the Robinhood-branded car at Kansas Speedway, with the sponsorship covering four events. Robinhood aims to reach NASCAR's passionate fanbase and support financial literacy.

Cody Ware's Throwback Scheme: Cody Ware's Darlington throwback scheme will honor Ward Burton and Tommy Baldwin Jr. The scheme pays tribute to Burton's successful partnership with Baldwin, particularly their victories at Darlington Raceway.

Carl Edwards Honorary Starter: NASCAR Hall of Famer Carl Edwards will serve as the honorary starter for the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. Edwards, known for his signature backflip celebrations, is excited to return to Darlington for the Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR.

Drive Tanks Sponsorship: Realty.com and Drive Tanks will sponsor Dawson Cram at the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Darlington Raceway. The partnership aims to leverage NASCAR's fanbase to build visibility for both brands.

Black's Tire Sponsorship: Black's Tire Service will sponsor Tanner Gray and the No. 15 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro for the Black's Tire 200 at Rockingham Speedway. This partnership celebrates NASCAR's return to the historic track and includes sponsorship for the Xfinity Series race.

Goodyear Tire Test: Goodyear will conduct a tire test at Michigan International Speedway, focusing on softer compounds and different tire constructions for intermediate-sized tracks. Teams participating include RFK Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing, and Trackhouse Racing.

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

Thumbnail image credits on our Source Materials Page.

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