Okay, the break is over. Power down the streaming services. Close the book. Wipe the sand off your toes.
It’s time to get back to work and reality.
So it goes for NASCAR Cup series teams this week, as preparation for Richmond Raceway hits the final stretch following the two-week Olympic stop. Itโs also the final stretch of the season, 14 straight weeks, that will include the push to the postseason and the crowning of a new champion.
There might not have been racing over the last two weeks, but there is still a lot shaping up that is going to come to fruition in this final stretch. From on the racetrack to the business taking place off of it, itโs full steam ahead.
Here are a few things to keep on your radar:
Silly season
Ready? Here we go:
โขย Front Row Motorsports has yet to announce the driver of its third car but itโs not expected to be a surprise or shock. Once the driver is named, the car numbers for each will be assigned.
โข Ryan Preece has no announced plans for next season and is likely weighing options in all three series.
โข Trackhouse Racing is expected to purchase a third charter and if it does, Shane van Gisbergen is likely to be the driver.
A year ago, the company was high on Zane Smith, who it signed to a long-term contract but loaned out to Spire Motorsports. The plan was to expand in 2025 and bring Smith in house. But then van Gisbergen burst onto the scene and decided he wanted to come to NASCAR.
So, where do things currently stand? Trackhouse Racing has to decide if itโs van Gisbergen or Smith, and if itโs not Smith, does the team continue loaning him out elsewhere, or cut ties? Smithโs name has been rumored to be in the running for a return to Front Row Motorsports.
Josh Berry (left) will have a new home next season, but Corey LaJoie (Right) is still looking for somewhere to go. Rusty Jarrett/Motorsport Images
โข Corey LaJoie is on the job hunt after being informed by Spire Motorsports he wonโt drive the No. 7 car next season. LaJoie said on his podcast last week โIโll be fine,โ even if he doesnโt know what his next move going to be โ and he acknowledges it may not be in racing.
โข Spire Motorsports now has to fill the No. 7 car after releasing LaJoie. Whoever it ends up being will work with championship-winning crew chief Rodney Childers.
โข Spire Motorsports also has to put together the team for Michael McDowell. The No. 71 right now is a hodgepodge of members from Spire and Trackhouse Racing since Zane Smith is a Trackhouse Racing contracted driver. As Smith moves on next year, it puts them in a position of making the No. 71 (including finding a crew chief) into a full-fledged Spire Motorsports team.
โข Haas Factory Team has yet to name a crew chief for Cole Custer. The organization is also still working to fill out its two Xfinity Series cars.
โข 23XI Racing is expected to purchase a third charter. Riley Herbstโs name has come up in conversation as a potential candidate.
There are other names that have popped up in the rumor mill, such as Sam Mayer. He believes he should be considered for a Cup Series ride, saying at Iowa Speedway it makes him โso madโ his name is not out there because he and his team have proven themselves. There is also Harrison Burton, who is on the outside looking in right now as heโs being replaced next year at Wood Brothers Racing by Josh Berry.
And then there is Justin Haley. Although Haley signed a multiyear deal with Rick Ware Racing, his name continues to be thrown around as potentially going elsewhere. Itโs something to keep in the back of your mind as the board continues to shuffle for 2025.
The regular-season championship
NASCAR is in its eighth season of awarding points at the end of the regular season and somehow the battle still gets overlooked. Itโs easy to understand; the playoff grid and which drivers are in or out is more attractive and easier to follow. But donโt overlook the overall championship standings because the drivers certainly donโt as they fully understand the significance of every point.
Kyle Larson leads teammate Chase Elliott by 10 points and Tyler Reddick by 15. Those three are in the best position to take the extra 15 points that come with winning the regular season championship. But there are seven drivers less than 100 points behind Larson.
The reseeding always plays into the early rounds of the postseason, as do playoff points. It makes a driverโs path so much easier when there is insurance to fall back on if a mulligan arises in the postseason. And for those who might not get the full 15, every other point is just as important inside the top 10 and could be the difference between advancing or coming up short. Weโve seen it over and over, and expect this year to be no different so by paying attention now it wonโt be a surprise when it starts to develop in the final weeks of the season.
THe regular season championship still needs to be decided. Last year’s winner Martin Truex Jr., meanwhile, is heading towards retirement. Lesley Ann Miller/Motorsport Images
Chris Buescher
When it comes to the fight to make the playoffs, Buescher is a fascinating case in how cruel racing fate can be. In May, it looked like a matter of time before Buescher and the No. 17 team wound up in victory lane, and he came close in back-to-back weeks at Darlington and Kansas. But contact with Tyler Reddick ended his chances at Darlington with less than 10 laps to go, and at Kansas, he was on the losing end of the closest finish in Cup Series history.
And now, Buescher sits 15th of 16 on the playoff grid with four races left in the regular season. His advantage on the cutline is, ironically, 17 points. When asked by RACER before the break if those close finishes now sting more because of where he is on the playoff grid, Buescher laughed and said, โtheyโre starting to.โ
There is no doubt Buescherโs group is postseason worthy. There is no doubt they are capable of winning a race or two or more. But right now, this team needs to get back to knocking down those top five finishes while not being on the bad end of any unfortunate twists and turns.
Martin Truex Jr.
As his final season winds down, it means fewer and fewer chances to win one last race. Truex has been winless since July 2023 and has had an up and down season. Although he sits seventh in the overall standings, Truex is 13th on the playoff grid (the highest driver without a win) with two top-10 finishes in the last 10 races.
The 2017 series champion is going out on his terms and there would be nothing like going to victory lane before he does. Undoubtedly, it would be a popular victory within the garage. But not every driver has had such an opportunity in this final season โ Kevin Harvick being the most recent last year.
If Truex won at least once more, it would give him 35 in the Cup Series. It would break a tie Truex is in with Kurt Busch on the all-time wins list, which would be good enough to put Truex 20th on the list.
Charters
No, a deal is still not done. Is it close? Has any common ground been found? Honestly, it depends on who you ask because there could be one answer at one end of the garage and something different once making it to the other end. The same goes for whether or not the clock is ticking loudly or there is nothing to worry about.
There is a lot of chatter out there about what each side wants and itโs hard to keep up with what is accurate and whatโs just rumor.ย The longer this goes on, the more interesting it becomes of seeing what will end up in the final deal and who blinks first to sign.
