Category: Cup

PENALTY REPORT: Pocono and Michigan

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CJR Officials announced penalties on Thursday stemming from this weeks events at Pocono and Michigan.

ARCA

Aiden Schramm has been penalized post race for violating Section 4.1.2.1 of CJR’s Official Sporting Code. CJR officials ruled on lap 9 of the Pocono ARCA event that Aiden had intentionally wrecked opponent Jim Mott. As the incident involved only the two cars it is classified as an L1 penalty and Aiden will be penalized with a Stop and Hold for 1 lap at the next ARCA event.

TCSP Cup Series

Officials also announce the IC/Penalty report following the TCSP event at Michigan International Speedway.

LapDrivers InvolvedResult/Penalty
992, 69, 22, 8Racin’
1330, 3830
2329, 3, 103
4066, 51, 1Racin’
4729, 131Racin’
5611, 66, 8811
8238, 6, 2938
8611
10166, 61, 94, 00Racin’
11022, 131, 68Netcode
1141, 38Racin’
Much better than last week

Drivers who received 1 IC and will be penalized with an EOL at the beginning of their next race are.
#30 Mason Hoeffner
#3 Ben Lawson
#11 Russell Bratka
#38 Zander Short
#1 Cory Mott

Outstanding Penalties to be served at the beginning of their next race are

#91 Zack Saunders
#15 Cody Leach

PENALTY REPORT: RICHMOND

Cody Leach catches some air

CJR officials announced penalties on Saturday, August 17th following this weeks events at Richmond Raceway. Due to the sheer volume of cautions, Race Control was unable to provide videos for each incident.

VRS Truck Series

LapDrivers InvolvedResult/Fault
286, 886
1351, 46, 18, 21Netcode
2035, 95, 1Racing
2861, 4561
3695,2121
457676
542525
6104, 15, 97, 4, 97, 00, 47, 84, 1, 34, 86, 78, 21, 15, 46, 76, 294
7411
822121
8876, 9999
10284, 4Netcode
1391515
1471, 78Racing
15415, 1, 9515
1617676
16851,0051
1929595
21511
2237676
22978, 3078
23761, 82, 78, 461

Drivers penalized with 1 IC and an EOL at the beginning of the next race are;

#86 Ryan Taft
#25 Jim Mott
#4 Tyler Krawczyk
#99 Zack Saunders
#51 Michael Deitch
#95 Pete Morales
#78 Thomas Villano(temporarily retired)

Drivers penalized with 2 ICs and a drive through at the beginning of the next race are:

#61 Nishil Condoor
#21 Mack Fabiny
#1 Cory Mott
#15 Cody Leach

Only one driver reached 3 ICs and will be suspended for the next race.

#76 William Ransone

Team Conti Sim Performace Cup Series

LapDrivers InvolvedResult/Fault
1716, 6616
317, 1515
419696
549696
8561, 8, 361
907272
1006868
10831, 6531
117131, 9595
13886, 3186
14800, 9400
15529, 1515
16555, 86, 3155
17291, 8391
1806, 83Racing
1866161
1921515
20011, 0011
2107777
21828, 15, 37Racing
22656, 29Netcode
23938, 66Racing
24677, 5277
…woof

Drivers with 1 IC and and EOL at the beginning of next race are;

#16 Nathaniel Campbell
#72 Richard Dusett(retired?)
#68 Alexander Hodge
#31 Mark Roettgen
#95 Bob Fitzpatrick Jr
#86 Ryan Taft
#00 Garth Griswold
#55 Cameron Romano
#91 Zack Saunders
#11 Russell Bratka

Drivers penalized with 2 ICs and a drive through at the beginning of the next race are:

#96 Vince Mitchell
#61 Nishil Condoor
#77 Jim Mott

Only one driver reached 3 ICs and will be suspended for the next race.

#15 Cody Leach

As always these penalties can be appealed through the help desk in the CJR Discord.

RICHMOND: ADAM BENEFIEL PREVAILS FOR FIRST WIN AT COOKOUT 250

For the second time this year, the CJR Cup Series travelled to the short track of Richmond Raceway for the Cookout 250 under the new sponsorship deal, the Team Conti Sim Performance Cup Series. An exciting night for new growth for the Crown Jewel Racing League, and of the possibilities to come, were hampered with a downpour of cautions throughout the race. The cautions may have slowed down the tempo of the race, but it couldn’t slow down Team Conti Driver Adam Benefiel who would triumph at the end to win the first ever race under the Team Conti Sim Performance Cup Series.

The TCSP Cup Series last travelled to Richmond Raceway in April, but a lot of new faces and names would make the trip to Virginia on Wednesday night. The Crown Jewel Racing League had a big turnout of 42 drivers trying to qualify in for the start, but only 36 drivers would create the field. With the Top 32 drivers in the standings being locked in and the last 4 qualifying in on lap time, six drivers were forced to pack up their haulers and head home early.

Quick Stats

  • Richmond Virginia,
    • Start Time: 6:30 P.M,
    • Race Length: 2 hr, 14m/254 Laps
    • 82 Degrees, Mostly Cloudy, Wind SW @ 1-2 mph
  • 10 Lead Changes
  • 7 Different Leaders
    • Johan Seminario – 77 Laps
    • Cory Mott – 73 Laps
    • Adam Benefiel – 54 Laps
    • Nic Vasquez – 42 Laps
    • Thomas Wolfe – 5 Laps
    • Robert Fitzpatrick Jr. – 2 Laps
    • Zach Johnson – 1 Lap
  • 25 Cautions – 76 Laps

Qualifying

#65 Johan Seminario would take the pole position in his appearance in the Crown Jewel Racing league with a time of 22.211. #72 Richard Dusett qualified 2nd and would start on Seminario’s outside with a time of 22.269. #131 John Williams would start 3rd with a time of 22.341, #83 Adam Benefiel would start 4th with a time of 22.366, and #5 Steven Carlile would start 5th with a time of 22.475. It was an impressive feat that four out of the Top 5 in qualifying are proud Team Conti drivers and there was no doubt they had their cars dialed in for the start.

STAGE 1

Seminario would bring the field to the green flag as the evening sun was setting to the West just over the grandstands. The pace of the race started really up-tempo on the start as 24 out of 36 drivers would set their fastest lap of the stage during this first green flag run. It would end up being the longest green flag run of the night.

The first caution would come out on lap 17 as contact was made between #16 Nathan Campbell and #66 Ray Gill. The caution would fly 3 more times in the stage on laps 31, 41, and 54. Seminario would take the green white checkered for the stage win leading all 75 laps for his first stage win of the season. Williams would take 2nd in the stage, and Benefiel would take 3rd.

STAGE 2

The majority of the field would take to the pits to get fresh shoes and #94 Thomas Wolfe would take the lead winning the race off of pit road. Wolfe would lead the field back to green as race fans were hoping to see some good green flag runs, but sadly they would be disappointed as 9 more cautions would come out in Stage 2. Stage 2 would end on Lap 148 as (yours truly) the #00 of Garth Griswold would miss his braking point and lock them up going into Turn 1 and collect the #94 Thomas Wolfe to bring out the 13th caution of the night.

#83 Benefiel would take the yellow and green white checkered to end the stage and win his first stage of the Team Conti Sim Performance Cup Series. #95 Robert Fitzpatrick Jr. would take second place while #15 Cody Leach would come in 3rd.

The up-tempo of the beginning of the race had completely disappeared by this point. The repetitiveness of green and yellow flags would cause tire wear to be minimal, and the pit strategy game hadn’t come into play by the beginning of Stage 3.

STAGE 3

#1 Cory Mott, the current points leader in the TCSP Cup Standings would take the lead to begin Stage 3 and would lead the field to the green flag. Mott would continue to hold the lead through nine more cautions until lap 225 when the #83 of Adam Benefiel would take back the lead. Benefiel would hold onto that lead through 3 more cautions as the final caution would come out on lap 246 which would bring us to our first overtime.

Benefiel would take the green flag and give the deuces to the field like Tyreek Hill running down the sideline. The only possible way to catch him would be for another dreaded caution to come out before he made it around the track to take the white flag. For what seemed like the first time of the night, that caution wouldn’t appear as Benefiel would take the checkered flag to win the first Team Conti Sim Performance Cup Series.

“Wasn’t sure I was going to make it in time, didn’t get a lot of practice, but Team Conti had the car setup just perfect, and it was just like driving a Cadillac around this track.”

#83 Adam Benefiel, Team Conti, Chevrolet

If you thought qualifying was a fluke with Team Conti drivers being at that the front, take a look at the finishing results. Four out of the Top Five drivers are members of the Team Conti Community with Benefiel taking 1st Place and John Williams finishing in second. #22 Nic Vasquez would take the last spot on the podium.

Playoff Outlook

It was a long drawn out race with the number of cautions, but with the regular season winding down, drivers had to endure until the finish to try and salvage as many points possible to try and retain or move up in the standings. Nobody moved any spots in the Top 16 Playoff Standings, Cory Mott still sits atop of the Iron Throne with a 56 point lead over Zack Saunders. That final playoff spot battle is really heating up with Garth Griswold being locked in for the time being, but Ben Lawson has closed the gap to 29 points. Tommy Carroll Jr. and Joe Wright both moved up one spot to 17th and 18th with Carroll trailing Lawson by 34 points and Joe Wright 2 points behind him.

Brighter Days Ahead

The Team Conti Sim Performance Cup Series will head to Brooklyn, Michigan next Wednesday, the 21st of August, for the Firekeepers Casino 250 for 125 Laps of nearly full throttle action. Drivers are looking forward to getting the field spread out and back to some green flag runs and leave the poor memory of Richmond in the dust. With three races left in the regular season, pressure is on the playoff bubble drivers to perform, and that pressure is starting to weigh. Come watch as the action unfolds on the Crown Jewel Racing Network, race starts at 8:15 P.M. EST.

Still looking for that edge on the competition? Head on over to Team Conti Sim Performance to checkout all of their products and services to help you succeed on the track.

Crown Jewel Media Team

Garth Griswold

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: RICHMOND RACEWAY

The TCSP Cup Series returns tonight at Richmond Raceway. Green Flag flies at 8:15pm EST. WATCH HERE

HOT DRIVERS

  • Thomas Wolfe-BBR-CHEVY- If one thing is true in life, it’s that Thomas will be battling for a win night in and night out. With 2 wins in the last 3 races, and a hop up to 4th in the season standings, Thomas may be making a last second push for the regular season championship.
  • Steven Carlile-PMT-CHEVY- Steven has been more than consistent, he has been damn good. With his last 4 racing all finishing in the top 6, including 3 podium finishes in a row, His points will have locked him into the playoffs, but it seems like he’s fishing for a win to cap of the regular season.
  • Zach Johnson-Palmetto-CHEVY- It seemed as if during the middle of the season, Zach may have gotten comfortable after the win at Atlanta locking him into the playoffs. But after this string of 3 top 10 finishes in the last 3 races, the pressure is on the 8 team to build points for a deep playoff run.

NOT DRIVERS

  • Mike Burnett-BBR-CHEVY- From fighting for a regular season championship to a no show at Indianapolis, to the rumors of the selling of the team, is the dominate heel of our sport retiring for good? Does this open up another playoff spot? Alot of questions and concerns with only 3 races left before the playoffs.
  • Joe T Wright-WRL-FORD- Joe has had good days, and Joe has had bad days, but the donut man cannot afford any more bad days with the playoff battle heating up. The number 37 Krispy Kreme team has an opportunity to secure a playoff spot only 1 point behind Tommy Carroll Jr. A late season push of consistency in the last 3 races could turn around a season that has been mired by junk race cars, with the majority at no fault of his own.

DRIVER NEWS

  • Team Conti Sim Performance has taken over the helm of title sponsor bringing in a wave of new talented drivers. All these new drivers will be racing their way into a starting position tonight at Richmond. Keep an eye out for exhibition race winner in the 41 car Cruise Caudell and 3rd place finisher Patrick Gitter.
  • Vince Mitchell will be moving from Uber Motorsports to Palmetto Motorsports (formerly TopTier) at seasons end.
  • Tyler Belanger has received a contract extension through next season at WRL.
  • News of the sale of Backroad Bandits is circulating the garage but no official statement has been made.
  • 3 drivers remain winless in the top 10 in points (Steven Carlile, Cody Leach, Vince Mitchell)
  • Cup drivers Cody Leach and Cory Mott got together in an incident during the trucks race at Michigan. Both were released from the infield care center with minor injuries and both team’s spokespersons have confirmed the drivers will be 100% for Richmond tonight.

PLAYOFF PICTURE

  • First 3 in: Allen Phillips, Natheniel Campbell, Garth Griswold.
  • First 3 out: Ben Lawson, Tommy Carrol Jr, Joe Wright.
  • Note: whereabout for Mike Burnett and Zander Shorts are unknown until official statement has been made by both team’s managements which could free up two potential playoff spots.
  • Note: potential first round exits due to playoff point penalties and lack of playoff points: Kristopher Burnham (-8), Caleb Tipton (1), Vince Mitchell (4)

FAN PICK OF THE WEEK

Cody Leach- WRL- FORD
We have gone all season without a thought of maybe this will be his week before the race. Always a good money pick for a parlay for a top 10 or top 5 but never a thought of maybe he will win this thing. Thats until we get in the race, and he’s fighting tooth and nail to for that elusive first win. Yea he blew it at Texas and crapped a huge +8700 win for us but tonight sitting at +4400, it seems like the smart move. If the number #15 can get dialed in and focus on their race, we believe that +4400 for a win is free money. If you are scared or want to hedge, yea take the +1500 for a top 5 but “scared money don’t make no money.” Little comment was given to us about sim work last week to get ready for Richmond from the team, but we did see him shine during the exhibition race at Chicagoland, against a field of our newly acquired Iracing Thanos’. Yea the safe choice here is Thomas Wolfe at +1500 or Zack Saunders at +1700 but if you are looking to have some fun, the #15 car of Cody Leach is your pick. Keep an eye out for the #6 Stephen Menke as well who ran extremely well at Richmond earlier in the season. If you hedge anything I would hedge with the #6 win at +3300.


SILLY SEASON IN FULL SWING

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!

Garth Griswold

OFFICIAL: Team Conti Sim Performance joins Crown Jewel as Cup Series title sponsor

Crown Jewel partners with a growing sim racing brand – Team Conti Sim Performance. Team Conti will join as the Cup Series title sponsor for the remainder of the 2024 season.

The Crown Jewel Cup Series – the flagship racing series of the Crown Jewel Community – has received a brand-new title sponsor for the remainder of the 2024 season. Team Conti Sim Performance – a popular setup shop, coaching service, and eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing team – has agreed to sponsor the remainder of the 2024 Cup Series season. The partnership between Crown Jewel and Team Conti will bring prizes for the Cup Series and discounts to Team Conti Sim Performance setup packs, merchandise, and coaching services! For a 10% discount on all Team Conti store items, use code: CROWNJEWEL10.

READ MORE: 2025 Franchise System Reveal

As part of the agreement, Team Conti will be promoting Crown Jewel and its leagues through social media and their driver base in the Team Conti Discord Server. Team Conti will also be providing prizes for the Championship 4, as well as supplemental prizes for the end-of-year banquet:

  • Champion (1st Place)
    • Team Conti Sim Performance Cup Quarterly Subscription
    • Additional Team Conti Merchandise
  • 2nd, 3rd, 4th Places
    • Team Conti Sim Performance Cup Monthly Subscription
    • Additional Team Conti Merchandise
  • Rookie of the Year
    • Team Conti Merchandise
  • Most Improved Driver
    • Team Conti Merchandise

With the new title sponsorship, the Team Conti Sim Performance Cup Series logo has been reworked. New contingencies have also been added to the contingency sheet.

Team Conti Sim Performance owner, Michael Conti, spoke with the Crown Jewel media team regarding the partnership:

Team Conti Sim Performance has grown tremendously over the last eight months, and we’re excited to be able to further our involvement in the iRacing community by becoming the title sponsor of the Crown Jewel Cup Series. We look forward to working with the series over the remainder of 2024 and are thrilled to be partnered with a league that has such a strong and passionate group of drivers.

Michael Conti, Owner – Team Conti Sim Performance

Crown Jewel owner, Cory Mott, also spoke with the Crown Jewel media team regarding the partnership:

Over the last 2 years, we have focused on growing our community organically while ensuring our league was accessible as possible to everybody in iRacing. Today marks a big step in that mission, as we partner with one of the fastest growing brands in the iRacing industry. In nearly every NASCAR open official you join you will see the Team Conti branding on a paint scheme. We are extremely excited to welcome them to our community and further our partnerships in the iRacing community.

Cory Mott, Owner – Crown Jewel Racing

The Team Conti Sim Performance Cup Series returns to action on Wednesday, August 14th at 8:15 PM EST – following the conclusion of the Olympic break. Catch the action live on the Crown Jewel Racing Network!

For all orders placed on teamconti.gg, make sure to use code CROWNJEWEL10 for 10% off all orders!

Crown Jewel, Fireball Talks NASCAR, & High Velocity TV pen historic media deal

Crown Jewel, Fireball Talks NASCAR, and High Velocity TV have come to terms on a historic media rights deal for the 2025 Crown Jewel season. For the first time in Crown Jewel history, races will be broadcasted by external partners with commentators, live production, and media content.

Crown Jewel officials have finalized a deal for the Crown Jewel Cup Series with Fireball Talks NASCAR for all 36 points races, and 2 exhibition races for the 2025 Crown Jewel Cup Series season. Races will continue to take place on Wednesday nights and will feature the new franchise system announced by the officials yesterday. FTN will be rotating multiple sets of commentators through the booth for the 2025 season, each bringing a unique perspective to the league, while continuing to build on storylines created in the 2024 season. Each broadcast will consist of live production, custom numbers, custom broadcast assets, driver headshots, social media posts, pre-race trailers, and in-race advertising. This will allow the league to expand its social media and marketing efforts while also expanding sponsorship opportunities for the 2025 season and beyond.

READ MORE: 2025 Franchise System Reveal

For the 2025 Crown Jewel Xfinity Series, spectators can expect a twist for the broadcast – welcome to the Crown Jewel Cup Series Drivers Only broadcast! Headed by current broadcasters Nathaniel Campbell and Cory Mott, fans will be treated to a rotating cast of Cup Series talents telling the stories throughout the 33-race schedule. Nobody knows the league storylines quite like the veterans and giving them the opportunity to shine on the Xfinity broadcast will bring nothing but good times and great commentary for the fans of the Xfinity drivers.

For the 2025 VRS Truck Series, has inked an agreement with an up-and-coming broadcasting company – High Velocity TV. High Velocity TV recently filled in during a time of need for the Cup Series, and proved they can be a great asset to the community. HVTV will broadcast all 23 races of the VRS Truck Series season, with HVTV commentator Christian Delgado heading the booth. He will be joined by Crown Jewel community member and current Cup Series commentator Bill “Billy” Martin, who will continue as the “colorful” commentator and league expert for the broadcast.

SEE NOW: OFFICIAL: VRS partners with Crown Jewel as Truck Series title sponsor

League owner, Cory Mott, spoke on the media deal today:

This historic media deal will allow us to reach audiences that otherwise would not have been able to enjoy the exciting atmosphere our league has crafted. Combined with the franchise system, this will allow us to bring an even more authentic racing experience to all league members, their friends and families, and of course – the fans. Increasing fan experience has been a major focus for us for the 2025 season, and this brings us one step closer.

High Velocity TV owner, Christian Delgado, also spoke to the media:

We are happy for the opportunity to broadcast for Crown Jewel. We are fairly new and just getting our foot in the door when it comes to broadcasting, but we look forward to getting to know the drivers and community members throughout our time.

2025 Franchise System Reveal

Crown Jewel officials have released the official 2025 Franchise System transition processes and procedures – let’s discuss. Haven’t seen it yet? You can find it here: 2025 Franchise System.

Before we start talking about the franchise system itself, we need to understand how teams will be classified for the remainder of the 2024 season and transitioned over to the 2025 season. With a system like the franchise system, team owners take a step up into a middle management-type role, where they will be responsible for operating their team and will also be responsible for their drivers. As seen below, it is imperative that any teams planning on participating in franchise bidding over the offseason are registered prior to the 2024 Cup Series playoffs and participate in 20 combined races (2 drivers complete one race means 2 combined races) before the end of the 2024 season.

  • Full Time Team
    • A team that completed a minimum of 20 combined races in the 2024 Cup season.
  • Part Time Team
    • A team that completed less than 20 combined races in the 2024 Cup season.
  • Open Team
    • A team that is registered after the beginning of the 2024 Cup Series playoffs.

Now that we understand the types of teams that will be transitioning over, we can outline the transition procedures:

Transition Procedure Breakdown

  • At the end of the 2024 season, all drivers will become free agents.
League# of FranchisesCost ($)
Crown Jewel Cup Series36$50.00/season ea.
Crown Jewel Xfinity Series24 – 30$20.00/season ea.
  • Full time teams and Tier III Discord supporters that have been subscribed for a minimum of 3 months will have priority access to Cup Series franchise bidding.
  • All teams that do not acquire a Cup Series franchise will have priority access to Xfinity Series franchise bidding.
  • Teams may claim a maximum of 4 franchises in each series.
  • All un-acquired franchises will be auctioned to the community.
  • Full-time Cup Series drivers are ineligible for Xfinity Series drivers points and limited to 8 regular season starts in the Xfinity Series.
  • Full-time Xfinity drivers are ineligible for Cup Series drivers points, but are not limited in Cup Series starts.
  • Crown Jewel will be hosting a media day for all series on January 29, 2025.

Why a franchise/charter system?

Having a system like this will allow all dedicated community members the opportunity to guarantee a place to race at least once per week in our flagship series. With concerns over the skill level in the league rising, this will allow us to cater to dedicated, long-term members while still offering the opportunity for new drivers to join and race.

The franchise system will bring an aspect of teambuilding not seen anywhere else in iRacing community leagues. Team owners will be responsible for putting the most competitive drivers in the Cup Series, while being encouraged to scout and develop talent in the Xfinity Series. Team owners will take a larger role in the community and continue to grow the overall talent pool within the league. Drivers will naturally climb to the ranks of the Cup Series, while others will fall due to poor performance, team orders, etc. This is the start of a greater expansion towards having a fully developed NASCAR career mode eco-system that spans from Cup all the down to ARCA and eventually beyond.

In the event that participation does not reach the levels expected, we have a failsafe plan to remove the Xfinity franchises and open it back up for full participation. In the event that participation is larger than expected, we also have a rapid acceleration plan in place to implement Truck team owners and move forward with a similar system to expand the ecosystem before the 2025 season starts. However, it is the current plan to keep the VRS Truck Series open to all for the 2025 season.

On top of an expanded ecosystem, expanded owner’s standings will be tracked based off the car numbers ran in the Cup and Xfinity series, and team owners can expect prizes at the end of the season based on performance. As well as a more refined incident system that will be announced later in the fall. These are all features that are now possible due to the new franchise system – with more planned on being added moving into 2025, 2026, and beyond!

If you haven’t seen the full breakdown of the 2025 Crown Jewel Franchise transition processes and procedures, you can find them here.

INDIANAPOLIS: WOLFE’S ON FIRE, WINS BRICKYARD AND MID-SEASON TOURNAMENT

Thomas Wolfe emerged victorious in a thrilling showdown at the iconic Indianapolis Speedway on Wednesday, July 24th, as he clinched the prestigious Brickyard 400 title and secured the Mid-Season Tournament crown. Wolfe has been red hot through the summer and has emerged as the new alpha male in the CJR Circuit Cup Series.

The high track temperatures on race day presented a challenging environment for the drivers, leading to low grip levels and creating an electrifying atmosphere for fans. Despite the difficult conditions, the drivers showcased their skills and determination, resulting in a total of 14 lead changes. As track temperatures dropped speed and aggressive driving increased causing a lot of turmoil in the field with 17 Cautions throughout the race and completing 45 laps under the yellow flag.

PORTER DOMINATES STAGE 1-2

Cody Porter delivered a standout performance by clinching first place in Stage 1, with Oskar Jensen and Wyatt Sadler taking the second and third spots, respectively. Porter continued his strong showing by winning Stage 2, with Thomas Wolfe and Oskar Jensen finishing in second and third place, respectively.

Cody Porter, who led an impressive 72 laps, had a strong start as it seems to be the weekly norm, but would get caught up in some trouble at the end causing Porter to finish outside the Top 10 for the first time this year. Oskar Jensen also demonstrated his prowess behind the wheel by leading 67 laps, putting up a tough fight until the very end.

CAUTIONS LEAD TO THRILLING FINISH

The race was not without its fair share of drama with multiple wrecks occurring down the stretch, as a wreck on lap 139 ignited tensions between drivers Stewart Harding Walker and Michael Deitch, culminating in a heated exchange and post-race confrontations. Security was tight to avoid any brawls from breaking out in the pits, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this new fierce rivalry remerges later in the season.

With 7 to go the racing got wild in the front. Porter and Wolfe were battling hard for the second-place spot behind Jensen. Porter and Wolfe would make contact in the short shoot of turns 1-2 sending Porter sliding across the nose of Wolfe and the yellow flag would come out which was the one thing Jensen did not want as he was in control out front. CJR Officials would rack’em and stack’em for a G/W/C Finished but another caution would fly on the restart as the field would get stacked up in the back.

Jensen and Wolfe would bring it to the green flag for the 2nd overtime and both would get a great jump off the line. By the time the leaders hit the backstretch they had a half second lead on the field and would go door to door down the back stretch and Wolfe would get put into the wall entering Turn 3, but Jensen overdrove the entry giving Wolfe room to crossover and take back the lead going into Turn 4 where both drivers would send it in both slightly overdriving the exit sending Wolfe into the wall and Jensen on his rear quarter panel catches all of that momentum off the wall and shoots him sliding into the inside wall, but Barney doesn’t take out the yellow flag and the race would stay green.

RACE TO THE LINE

Wolfe would take the white flag, after being involved in incidents with the Top 2 leaders of the race, its now his turn to fight off a charging Steven Carlile not only for the race win, but for the Mid-Season Tournament win. Carlile who has been drooling over a win has finished 6th, 2nd, and 3rd in the last three races and would try to catch Wolfe going into Turn 1. Carlile would be side by side coming out of Turn 2, but then Allen Phillips would catch Carlile out of Turn 4 and would take the momentum off Carlile allowing Wolfe to run away with the win. Phillips and Carlile would go door to door for 2nd place with Phillips edging out Carlile by 0.018.

“It was a great point day for me, especially with being on the bubble for the playoffs, I will take a 2nd place finish at this point in the season. Big shoutout to my spotter Jay, and my team owner Nathan for giving me the opportunity to have a great finish this week.”

Allen Phillips #5 Hollywood Motorsports Chevrolet

Carlile who is probably disappointed with not being able to secure that win once again can’t hang his head on the valiant effort. Carlile has now finished Top 5 in the last 3 races and has 6 Top 10 finishes in the last 9 races since winning the All-Star Open Race at North Wilkesboro.

Wolfe who has been holding down the Backroad Bandit Racing team it seems for the last month continues his hot streak through the summer with his 3rd win of the regular season winning 2 out of the last 3 races. It would seem that Wolfe is challenging for his alpha male role at the front of the pack. Wolfe was last seen leaving the track at Indianapolis with a big $50 Check tucked under his arm and a big smile on his face.

“Normally the luck does not swing my way, so this was a welcomed change. I think after Chicago happened everything else is just a bonus, winning the Brickyard 400 is certainly a nice one.”

Thomas Wolfe #94 Backroad Bandit Racing Chevrolet

The Circuit Cup Series will take a 2-week break before resuming the racing action for the Cookout 250 at America’s Premier Short Track Richmond Raceway. With 4 races to go in the chase for a playoff spot, drivers are feeling the pressure to perform at a high level which leads to tensions in the garage. Relax for two weeks and be ready to come back for a thrilling end to the regular season folks!

INDIANAPOLIS: WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Circuit Cup Series takes the green flag live from Indianapolis Motor Speedway at 8:15pm EST.
WATCH HERE

HOT DRIVERS

  • Cody Porter-Xpress Esports-Chevy- Cody Porter has taken the Cup Series by storm. With 2 wins in his 4 starts, it seems like we are looking at a future Crown Jewel Champion in the years to come.
  • Vince Mitchell-Uber Motorsports-Ford- The curse may have lifted off of Vince’s season and boy is it the right time! 2 top 10 in the last 2 races and he has moved his way up to 8th in the points standings.
  • Justin Bell-Uber Motorsports-Ford- Justin Bell has taken form late in the season with 2 top 15’s in his last 2 starts. Moving up to 20th and out of the playoff battle, but a win with his recent form could be all the difference he needs to add another Uber Motorsports driver to the playoffs.

NOT DRIVERS

  • Zack Saunders-BBR-Chevy- Yes we know, Zack has had an amazing season so far but currently he has been out of form the last 3 races(outside of the top 5). With expectations so high for him can he turn his form around to make a late push for the regular season championship.
  • Paul Maziere-Independant-Toyota- With his last 2 races being a long cry from recent and outside of the top 20, the multi race winner may not retain his spot in the playoffs due to his extended leave of absence.

DRIVER NEWS

  • Thomas Villano penalty appeal was approved last week after some heated hearings. Even with him retaining his points it seems like he will be on the outside looking in during playoff time.
  • Nic Vasquez’s suspension has been lifting and will be racing tonight at Indy.
  • The silence of Mike Burnett has been felt this week with no statements to the media after his wreck. The 39 cars hauler was spotted entering the speedway in the early hours of the morning.
  • We still have no sign of Zander Short, even after the vague comments from principal owner of FMS Stephen Menke on his whereabouts. The 38 cars hauler has arrived at Indy but has not entered the gates.

PLAYOFF BUBBLE

  • FIRST IN: Natheniel Campbell(15th) Allen Phillips(12th) Caleb Tipton(10th)
  • FIRST OUT: Joe Wright(19th) Ben Lawson(18th) Garth Griswold(17th)

FAN PICK OF THE WEEK

Zach Thomas Johnson-Top Tier-Chevy
Zach has not had a good run as of late but luckily his win at Atlanta has sealed him into the playoffs. Some fans calling into Crown Jewel SiriusXM radio have stated that the driver of the #8 Zone chevy has become complacent this season after the win and believe if he doesn’t get to work, he will end getting eliminated in the first round of cuts. We on the other hand feel like this week is his chance to prove haters wrong. The Top Tier PR team has informed us that his sim time this week has shown great promise for him to secure his second win and get the team back on the right track before the playoffs. Johnson’s odds currently are sitting at +11000 for a win and +3700 for a top 5 and we believe this is good money based on the information received.