- Xfinity 250 - Martinsville Speedway - 1. (#91) Zack Saunders - 2. (#1) Cory Mott - 3. (#29) Steward Harding Walker - 4. (#69) Caleb Tipton - 5. (#94) Thomas Wolfe - 6. (#22) Nic Vasquez - 7. (#6) Stephen Menke - 8. (#3) Ben Lawson - 9. (#37) Joe T. Wright - 10. (#16) Nathaniel Campbell - 11. (#57) Michael Deitch - 12. (#00) Garth Griswold - 13. (#11) Nishil Condoor - 14. (#7) Steven Carlile - 15. (#8) Zach Johnson - 16. (#99) Justin Bell - 17. (#74) Caleb Sheets - 18. (#30) Mason Hoeffner - 19. (#96) Vince Mitchell
Recent announcement of next seasons Crown Jewel Franchise System has sent most team owners into a frenzy. Some team owners have delved into the shadows and some wonder if they will be seen from again. New teams have formed faster than a wildfire, and wildfires are unpredictable with what is to come. So here is the latest news from this years Silly Season.
Top Tier Motorsports has rebranded to Palmetto Motorsports and to kick off this big announcement Team Owner Cory Mott announced that they have signed Vince Mitchell from Uber Motorsports. Vince Mitchell, who is currently sitting 8th in the cup standings and has a good shot of securing a playoff spot, was one of the first drivers to venture out to find a new home. Caleb “The Uberman” Tipton wasn’t quick to reveal his true thoughts on the departure, when asked his thoughts…
“I personally think the best meal you can get at Taco Bell is a large Pepsi, with a steak grilled cheese burrito with onions. But for just a few more bucks you can have a large side of their undefeated nacho cheese fries. But no, I’m cool with my boys exploring other options.”
Apparently Vince Mitchell is more interested in the South Carolina barbecue and pimento cheese than Mr. Uberman’s nacho cheese fries. Next season he will be behind of the wheel of a TRD Toyota Camry for Palmetto Motorsports.
Hot off the press news today was that Stewart Harding Walker has agreed to buy a 50% ownership stake in Uber Motorsports and will replace Vince Mitchell’s open seat in 2025.
“I have some good plans and ideas to bring this team to the top. With the right leadership and some better strategy, we’re going to be a force to be reckoned with next season.”
Other teams that are looking for drivers include Hoff Motorsports. They’re looking for drivers in the Truck and Xfinity Series next year, as is Factory Motorsports. Surprisingly team owner Stephen Menke isn’t entertaining any offers to replace any of his current drivers despite trouble in recent weeks getting them to race or getting them to race cleanly. Menke did announce today that Ben Lawson has been named Vice President and GM of Factory Motorsports Xfinity team to take the helm in the CJR Inaugural Xfinity Season in 2025.
Henry Kallhoff Racing is also fielding offers for drivers to compete in Xfinity and Trucks next year. A newer team looking to grow, but certainly not the only one that has emerged from dark in the past week. After announcing the Team Conti Partnership new teams emerged such as the Midpack Mafia, Zodiac Dynamics, and Team Conti #1.
Midpack Mafia Team Owner Kevin Martin is planning on bringing on a full team made up of Cameron King, Bradley Brandon, and Julio Villalobos Jr. Opposing drivers might need to be aware of their surroundings in the Midpack if they want to stay off the Mafia’s Hit List.
WRL isn’t very good at keeping a secret, but new driver Tyler Belanger has been seen hanging around their garage and is almost a sure bet to sign with WRL next season. Which could be a big boost for WRL going into the 2025 season as only 1 out of the 3 drivers are currently sitting in a position to make the playoffs.
A team that is really good at keeping secrets is the Backroad Bandit Racing team. BBR Team Rep. Kristopher Burnham danced around the questions of what is going on in the BBR garage. Rumor has it that Austin Runkel is looking for a Cup ride next year as the BBR garage is looking precarious. The BBR Team stole the spotlight and held it for ransom for most of the season, but if it wasn’t for Thomas Wolfe and his two wins in recent weeks, that light would have burnt out weeks ago. Request for comment from team owner Mike Burnett have gone unanswered and it would seem these new wildfires that have ignited in the league have developed some soot and smoke over the future of their team and if they will reappear from the ashes for a playoff run or not.
Drivers Looking for a Home
Drivers like Joe Gibbons and Gordon Fraley are still looking for a place to call home in the Cup Series. Fraley who is looking to retire from his full time Race Control duties and get back behind the wheel has only raced in a handful of races this season. Gibbons who received a waiver to join the Cup Series this season has shown improvement in the two races he has competed in.
Jonathan “Paint King” Leger and Thomas Villano still haven’t announced that they are joining any Cup Series team for next year. Villano hinted he found a home for next season, but that home has yet to claim him. Leger who has shown improvement in recent weeks in other series also comes with the additional side of his world renown painting abilities. Teams would be sure to have some great paint schemes week in and week out with him on their side.
Probably the most biggest surprise and a driver that has been flying under the radar is John Connor. Connor who is currently sitting in 4th place in the VRS Truck Series Standings is looking to move up the ladder next season and run in the Team Conti Sim Performance Cup Series. Connor has had 16 top 10 finishes in the 22 truck races this year with 6 of them being Top 5 finishes and an average finishing position of 11th.
I would say there’s plenty of time left to get teams lined out, but with the season winding down, time is quickly deteriorating for team owners and drivers to find their seats for next season. Stayed tuned for the next update of Silly Season!
