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2025 NASCAR Discussion ThreadNASCAR
- Thread starter Dylan
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As expected, Martin Truex Jr. is trying for the Daytona 500. Because of the lawsuit, instead of being the 4th 23XI car, it is the 5th JG...er, "Tricon" car, running the 56 number Truex ran with the long-dead Michael Waltrip Racing and long-time partner Cole Pearn as crew chief and Bass Pro Shops as the sponsor.
That makes 42 cars, which means at least 1 will go home before Daytona 500 Sunday, with 2 going home if Helio Castroneves qualifies or races his way in.
Make it 43 cars - Jimmie Johnson is doing the Daytona 500 and Coca-Cola 600, and just those 2 races (assuming the goal is to hit 700 starts as suggested by the LMC release).
It's not 44 cars for the Daytona 500, but there will be at least 37 at The Clash - Team AmeriVet is running multi-time (and defending) Bowman Gray Modified track champion Burt Myers in the 50.
Make it 38 cars for The Clash - the freshly-renamed Garage 66 is running Garrett Smithley. Still no word on who, if anybody, replaces the DQ'ed Mike Wallace for the
Daytona 500.
That makes 42 cars, which means at least 1 will go home before Daytona 500 Sunday, with 2 going home if Helio Castroneves qualifies or races his way in.
Make it 43 cars - Jimmie Johnson is doing the Daytona 500 and Coca-Cola 600, and just those 2 races (assuming the goal is to hit 700 starts as suggested by the LMC release).
It's not 44 cars for the Daytona 500, but there will be at least 37 at The Clash - Team AmeriVet is running multi-time (and defending) Bowman Gray Modified track champion Burt Myers in the 50.
Make it 38 cars for The Clash - the freshly-renamed Garage 66 is running Garrett Smithley. Still no word on who, if anybody, replaces the DQ'ed Mike Wallace for the
Daytona 500.
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- 4,106
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The Clash format is out, and it looks to be much the same as the LA version of The Clash:
- The field will be divided into 3 practice groups, and each group gets 3 sessions.
- The fastest lap in the final session sets the lineup for the heat races (fastest starts heat 1 on pole, 2nd-fastest starts heat 2 on pole, 3rd-fastest starts heat 3 on pole, 4th-fastest starts heat 4 on pole, and keeps on rotating through the heats), with presumably a 40-car limit.
- Heat races are 25 green-flag laps (no overtime), with the top 5 in each heat going on to the main.
- Heat 1 finish sets 1st/5th/9th/13th/17th for both the main and the last-chance qualifier (assuming 10 cars in the heat for the latter), Heat 2 finish sets 2nd/6th/10th/14th/18th, Heat 3 finish sets 3rd/7th/11th/15th/19th, Heat 4 finish sets 4th/8th/12th/16th/20th.
- The LCQ is 75 green-flag laps (again no overtime), with the top 2 advancing to the main, starting 21st and 22nd.
- 23rd and last in the main goes to the driver with the most 2024 points that did not otherwise qualify.
- The main event is 200 green-flag laps (with a guaranteed green-flag finish), with a break at 100 laps.
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The option tire is back for the spring Phoenix Cup race. The word is, if it does well there, it will be the tire used for the Cup championship.
Meanwhile, I would like to see NASCAR try to screw MB...er...Pow...er...Garage 66 out of attempting the Daytona 500 after they got Chandler Smith as a replacement for the DQ'ed Mike Wallace. Smith. whose regular driving gig this year is with the Front Row truck team, has a top-15 in the 2023 Coke Zero Sugar 400, and top-20s in his other two Next-Gen Cup starts.
Meanwhile, I would like to see NASCAR try to screw MB...er...Pow...er...Garage 66 out of attempting the Daytona 500 after they got Chandler Smith as a replacement for the DQ'ed Mike Wallace. Smith. whose regular driving gig this year is with the Front Row truck team, has a top-15 in the 2023 Coke Zero Sugar 400, and top-20s in his other two Next-Gen Cup starts.
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Jimmie Johnson is now the principal owner at Legacy Motor Club, with founder Maury Gallagher retaining a minority stake and an ambassador role, and a hedge fund joining as another minority owner.
Corey LaJoie may have lost the full-time Rick Ware seat to Cody Ware, but he's still doing a part-time schedule in the 01 (renumbered 15) for them, including the Daytona 500, while also doing pre-/post-race analysis for Prime. That makes 10 open teams for the 500:
Meanwhile, I forgot to mention last month that RWR is entering the 15 in The Clash with the guy with the most wins at Bowman Gray, Tim Brown. That makes 39 (likely) entries, with the entry list due to be released any time now (I think Tuesday is the likely day).
Also, an update of sorts on the Project91 provisional - ex-full-time Cup drivers with "elite" credentials are also eligible...assuming they provide 90-day advance notice (and presumably also if they last raced less than 4 years prior, so no Rusty Wallace). Still no word on what happens if multiple requests are given.
Finally, the charter (or simply owners' points should NASCAR get to seize the FRM/23XI charters) changes are in:
Corey LaJoie may have lost the full-time Rick Ware seat to Cody Ware, but he's still doing a part-time schedule in the 01 (renumbered 15) for them, including the Daytona 500, while also doing pre-/post-race analysis for Prime. That makes 10 open teams for the 500:
- LaJoie in the RWR 01
- Justin Allgaier in the JR Motorsports 40
- JJ Yeley in the NY Racing 44
- Martin Truex Jr. in the Tricon/JGR 56
- Anthony Alfredo in the Beard 62
- Chandler Smith in the Garage 66 (ex-MBM/Power Source) 66
- BJ McLeod in the LiveFast 78
- Johnson in the Legacy 84
- Helio Castroneves in the Trackhouse 91 (with the Project91 provisional should he need it)
Meanwhile, I forgot to mention last month that RWR is entering the 15 in The Clash with the guy with the most wins at Bowman Gray, Tim Brown. That makes 39 (likely) entries, with the entry list due to be released any time now (I think Tuesday is the likely day).
Also, an update of sorts on the Project91 provisional - ex-full-time Cup drivers with "elite" credentials are also eligible...assuming they provide 90-day advance notice (and presumably also if they last raced less than 4 years prior, so no Rusty Wallace). Still no word on what happens if multiple requests are given.
Finally, the charter (or simply owners' points should NASCAR get to seize the FRM/23XI charters) changes are in:
- SHR 4 now FRM 4
- SHR 14 now Trackhouse 88
- SHR 10 now 23XI 35
- RWR 15 now RFK 60
- Kaulig 31 now Kaulig 10
- SHR 41 now Haas Factory Team 41
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I apologize for the delay, but the OP has been updated with the schedules for all 3 national series as well as a video by Eric Estepp that breaks down how to watch the sport here in the states.
Practice, qualifying, and the heat races for the Clash were tonight. So far the track seems to race way better then the Coliseum has the past 3 years. Looks much easier to set up a pass without having to punt the guy in front. However the 1st and 4th heat races were full of very aggressive driving that we can probably expect more of for tomorrow nights LCQ and main event.
Practice, qualifying, and the heat races for the Clash were tonight. So far the track seems to race way better then the Coliseum has the past 3 years. Looks much easier to set up a pass without having to punt the guy in front. However the 1st and 4th heat races were full of very aggressive driving that we can probably expect more of for tomorrow nights LCQ and main event.
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Three drivers could use the points provisional to make the main race tonight. In order, they're Ryan Blaney (starting 17th in the Last Chance Qualifier), Kyle Larson (starting 10th) and Ty Gibbs (starting 3rd). John Hunter Nemechek (was to start 12th) is the only driver going to the back for repairs/unapproved adjustments at this point, which will be done at-track this morning without a re-inspection.
As for the field-fillers, Cody Ware is starting the LCQ14th 12th, Cole Custer is starting 15th, Garrett Smithley is starting 18th 16th and Tim Brown is starting 19th (may be 18th if they move him outside and Nemechek inside as there is no 20th-place LCQ starter). You may object to me calling Custer a field-filler, but that's where SHR (the predecessor to Haas Factory Team) ran much of last year.
The surprising thing is Shane Van Gisbergen raced his way into the main, finishing 3rd in the 2nd heat race (which is where he started) to start 10th tonight.
As for the field-fillers, Cody Ware is starting the LCQ
The surprising thing is Shane Van Gisbergen raced his way into the main, finishing 3rd in the 2nd heat race (which is where he started) to start 10th tonight.
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