NASCAR Rant Report - Wednesday, April 9th

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Major headlines out of Monday and Tuesday:

Reflecting on Darlington
Truck Series Team Owner Shigeaki Hattori Passes Away

Plus, miscellaneous topics so far this week.

Reflecting on Darlington:

Denny Hamlin's victory at Darlington Raceway in the Goodyear 400 secured his 56th career Cup win and moved him past Rusty Wallace to 11th on the all-time wins list. Hamlin's win was his second consecutive victory, following his triumph at Martinsville, and it showcased the prowess of his Joe Gibbs Racing team, particularly the pit crew's efficiency.

Fox Sports earned an average of 2,517,000 viewers for the event, a 15% increase from the same weekend last year. The race was the most-watched cable telecast on Sunday, peaking at 3,099,000 viewers towards the checkered flag.

In the Xfinity Series, the race winning Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 team is facing a $5,000 fine for a lug-nut infraction. This penalty did not overshadow the team's success, as Brandon Jones snapped a 98-race winless streak by winning at Darlington.

Driver Quotes:

William Byron: "I led the first 243 laps and felt really good about our chances. The car was strong, and we had great track position. But the green-flag pit stops changed everything. We lost a few spots during that sequence, and it was tough to get back to the front. Christopher Bell did a good job of air blocking and keeping us behind. It took me a long time to get by him. It's frustrating to come so close and not get the win, but there are still a lot of positives to take away from this race."

Ryan Blaney: "I really thought we had the race won after passing Tyler Reddick. We had one of the better cars out there, but things just didn't go our way. The caution for Kyle Larson's incident sent the race into overtime, and we lost the lead on pit road. It's tough to swallow because we had the speed and the car to win. We just need to keep pushing and hope things turn around for us soon."

Denny Hamlin: "I knew coming in third, I was going to have to have my best roll of the day. My fastest speed coming into the box. I needed to put it perfectly on the sign so they didn’t have to adjust. I needed to stack tenths and tenths and tenths on my side of the job. Once I got into the pit stall and they dropped the right side, I knew ‘oh boy, this is going to be a heater.’ The two-car length lead Ryan Blaney had on us, I don’t know what that equates to, it’s probably a second of total time and I have to make up some. When you stack all that together, you end up going from third to first."

Tyler Reddick: "This place is notorious for that, right? You can do everything right all day long. That wasn’t really us today, but yeah, it’s never over till it’s over at a place like this. I was just kind of hoping that the 12 wouldn’t really get by some of the cars he was racing. That was my best chance, I guess, to win. The last yellow kind of gave us a fighting chance, I guess. But also, we knew it came down to whoever controlled the race probably had a really good shot at winning. The pit crew’s done a really good job. They’ve been on it. We’ve been improving all year, and we gained a spot there over the 12. Just the 11 was a little bit better. That was all it took."

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

Want some non-AI content? Check out the previous Editorial:
NASCAR Sponsorship Flashback

Truck Series Team Owner Shigeaki Hattori Passes Away:

Shigeaki "Shige" Hattori, a former driver and championship-winning NASCAR team owner, tragically passed away at the age of 61 following a car accident in Huntersville, North Carolina. The accident occurred on NC Highway 73 when Hattori's vehicle crossed the centerline and collided with another car. The driver of the other vehicle sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Authorities do not believe speed or impairment were factors in the crash, which remains under investigation.

Hattori, originally from Okayama, Japan, began his racing career in go-karts and progressed through Japanese Formula Junior and Formula Toyota, eventually winning the 1994 series championship. He moved to the United States in 1995, competing in the Indy Lights Series and later in CART and the IndyCar Series, where he made two starts in the Indianapolis 500. Hattori transitioned to NASCAR in 2004, competing in the Craftsman Truck Series before founding Hattori Racing Enterprises (HRE) in 2008.

Under Hattori's leadership, HRE became a prominent team in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, winning 14 races and securing the 2018 series championship with driver Brett Moffitt. Hattori was known for his relentless drive, focus, and competitive spirit, as well as his ability to bring a light-hearted attitude and unique sense of humor to his teams. His contributions to motorsports extended beyond his team's success, as he also played a significant role in fostering partnerships and creating opportunities for aspiring drivers and mechanics.

Hattori's passing has deeply affected the motorsports community, with tributes pouring in from NASCAR, Toyota Racing Development, and various industry figures who remembered him as a passionate racer, a successful team owner, and a beloved member of the racing community. His legacy in both open-wheel and stock car racing will be remembered for years to come.

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

Miscellaneous:

Noah Gragson Sponsorship: Rural King has announced its first-ever NASCAR team sponsorship, partnering with Front Row Motorsports to sponsor Noah Gragson in the Cup Series and Chandler Smith in the Truck Series. This partnership will feature Rural King's branding prominently on the cars and uniforms throughout the season, starting with the Bristol Motor Speedway race on April 13.

AJ Allmendinger Sponsorship: Grizzly Nicotine Pouches will sponsor AJ Allmendinger in four NASCAR Cup Series races, starting with the April 13th event at Bristol Motor Speedway. This partnership expands Grizzly's involvement with Kaulig Racing and aims to increase brand exposure.

Corey LaJoie Sponsorship: Schluter Systems will sponsor Corey LaJoie for three events in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, starting with the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. LaJoie has been an ambassador for Schluter Systems since 2017, and the partnership continues to grow.

Josh Bilicki Partnership: MANSCAPED has partnered with NASCAR driver Josh Bilicki to support the Testicular Cancer Society (TCS) during the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Bilicki's car will feature a purple design to raise awareness for testicular cancer, and MANSCAPED will donate $50,000 to TCS.

Alex Labbé Sponsorship: Brian King Roofing will sponsor Alex Labbé in the SciApps 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. The family-owned roofing company aims to support the sport and reflect its values of drive, precision, and performance.

Ryan Ellis Sponsorship: Mike Albert Fleet Solutions has joined forces with NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Ryan Ellis, sponsoring his No. 71 Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway. This partnership emphasizes the importance of data and peak performance in both fleet management and racing.

Matt Mills Partnership: Matt Mills will race with support from Utilitra and J.F. Electric as his primary sponsors for three races in the Truck Series, beginning at Bristol Motor Speedway. Utilitra, a woman-owned utility and technology solutions firm, will be featured on Mills' No. 42 Chevrolet Silverado RST.

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

Thumbnail image credits on our Source Materials Page.

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