NASCAR Rant Report - Wednesday, May 14th

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Major headlines out of the Monday and Tuesday:

Reflecting on the Kansas Weekend
Harrison Burton to Run All-Star Race
Top Drivers in All-Star Fan Vote

Plus, miscellaneous topics so far this week.

Reflecting on the Kansas Weekend:

Larson delivered a historic performance at Kansas, leading 221 of 267 laps and sweeping both stages, earning a perfect 61-point day. It marked his third win of the season and solidified his position atop the standings. Larson’s Kansas win sets the tone for his upcoming attempt at the Indy 500/Coke 600 double.

Josh Berry showed resilience, recovering from a pit penalty to finish sixth, continuing a strong season for Wood Brothers Racing. Corey Heim impressed in a part-time role, finishing 13th and outperforming full-time teammates at 23XI Racing. Brad Keselowski’s season of misfortune continued with a blown tire while running second, marking his third consecutive DNF. AJ Allmendinger’s engine failure added to ECR engine woes, which have plagued multiple teams including Trackhouse and RCR.

The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway, the AdventHealth 400, drew an average of 2.319 million viewers on FOX Sports 1. This marked a slight increase from the 2024 event, which had 2.296 million viewers despite being delayed by rain. Overall, the ratings reflect a modest but positive trend for NASCAR, with FS1’s 2025 Cup Series broadcasts up approximately 6% compared to the previous year.

Driver Quotes:

Kyle Larson: “I do think it’s because I race a lot, I’m guessing. I would say that that’s a big part of me being able to move on quickly from things, whether it’s a good race or a bad race, a wreck or good result, bad result, mistakes on track. Obviously, though, if [a poor result] happens multiple times in a row, it can kind of linger a little bit longer, but more so just hurt your confidence a little bit. But, yeah, I don’t know. I think I just race a lot.”

Denny Hamlin: “Yeah, I think eventually just broke the transaxle trying to leave the stall there. Unfortunate for the Progressive Toyota team. Just really fast again — just can’t keep it together right now.”

Ross Chastain: “Just no confidence in the car yesterday, y’all saw that, and just the speed of the Trackhouse cars is terrible. We’re just not confident, all three drivers. … I can’t drive an uncomfortable car, personally.”

Kyle Busch: “We’re all clowns. Every one of us. We all don’t know how to freaking drive. … It’s the composite bodies. That’s what it is. Everybody just runs into everybody and runs over everybody and hits everybody and hits the wall. Because we all just bank on the fact that the body’s just going to pop back out and we’re going to be fine. These clowns would not have any clue how to drive a steel body car. You touch the wall and it plows. Put them back in the Gen 4 cars.”

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

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

Harrison Burton to Run All-Star Race:

Harrison Burton is set to return to the NASCAR Cup Series by competing in the 2025 All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Burton, who lost his full-time Cup ride with Wood Brothers Racing at the end of 2024, will drive the No. 51 Ford for Rick Ware Racing (RWR), with his entry into the All-Star Race being secured by his win at Daytona last summer.

This marks a milestone for both Burton and RWR. It will be Burton’s first appearance in the All-Star Race after previously failing to advance from the Open in three attempts. For RWR, it’s their debut in the All-Star main event. Team owner Rick Ware expressed pride in giving Burton the opportunity, emphasizing that the young driver earned his place on the grid.

Cody Ware, RWR’s regular No. 51 driver, will shift to the No. 15 entry for the All-Star Open, aiming to race his way into the main event. He praised the team’s decision to prioritize Burton’s earned opportunity and sees it as motivation to join him in the feature race.

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

Top Drivers in All-Star Fan Vote:

As the 2025 NASCAR All-Star Race approaches at North Wilkesboro Speedway, the ongoing All-Star Fan Vote will determine one final entrant into the main event. NASCAR recently revealed the top five drivers in the fan vote standings (listed alphabetically), and they are:

Shane van Gisbergen (Trackhouse Racing)
Noah Gragson (Front Row Motorsports)
Carson Hocevar (Spire Motorsports)
Ryan Preece (RFK Racing)
Bubba Wallace (23XI Racing)

Voting remains open until 11:59 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 17. Fans can vote up to five times per day per email address, and NASCAR Fan Rewards members receive a bonus for their first vote. The winner will be announced after the All-Star Open, which takes place Sunday at 5:30 p.m. ET, just before the All-Star Race at 8:00 p.m. ET.

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

Miscellaneous:

Kyle Busch’s Missed Indy 500 Opportunity: Kyle Busch revealed on Denny Hamlin’s podcast that he had two near-deals to race in the Indianapolis 500 fall through. The first was blocked by Joe Gibbs during Busch’s time at JGR, despite M&M’s being ready to sponsor the effort. The second, more recent attempt with McLaren was derailed when Zak Brown asked the sponsor to purchase the car outright, a condition the sponsor declined. Ultimately, Kyle Larson secured the opportunity instead, signing a two-year deal with McLaren. Busch also explored a potential ride with Team Penske, but logistical constraints prevented it. Despite the setbacks, Busch remains determined to compete in the Indy 500.

Todd Gilliland and Overplay Partnership: Todd Gilliland will debut a new sponsor, Overplay, on his No. 34 Ford Mustang for the All-Star Race and Coca-Cola 600. Overplay is a user-generated gaming platform that allows fans to create games from videos. The partnership includes interactive fan engagement, with QR codes on the car linking to games featuring Gilliland. Overplay, which gained attention on Shark Tank, sees this as a major step into motorsports marketing.

Carson Hocevar’s WNBA-Themed Paint Scheme: Spire Motorsports and Gainbridge are using Carson Hocevar’s No. 77 Chevrolet to promote the 2025 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis. The car will feature the “Indy25” logo during the NASCAR All-Star Race weekend at North Wilkesboro. This cross-promotional effort highlights Gainbridge’s commitment to women’s sports and aims to connect with broader audiences. Hocevar, a rising star and fan-favorite, expressed excitement about the initiative and the opportunity to race his way into the All-Star main event.

Wood Brothers Racing Honored at North Wilkesboro: Celebrating their 75th anniversary, Wood Brothers Racing will be honored during the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Team executives and family members will serve as dignitaries, with Len Wood acting as honorary starter and Eddie Wood driving the pace car. Josh Berry will race the No. 21 car with a throwback paint scheme honoring Michael Waltrip’s 1996 All-Star win. The team’s deep history at North Wilkesboro includes two wins and 23 top-10 finishes.

Mike Skinner Named Grand Marshal for Truck Race: 1995 NASCAR Truck Series champion Mike Skinner will serve as Grand Marshal for the Window World 250 at North Wilkesboro. Known for his pivotal role in shaping the Truck Series, Skinner will deliver the command to start engines during a weekend packed with racing and fan events.

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

Thumbnail image credits on our Source Materials Page.

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