Tag: contract

Silly Season Shakes Up MGCS: Vasquez, Mitchell, and Morales Headline Latest Moves

Columbia, SC – March 28, 2025 – The Majors Garage Cup Series’ Silly Season is proving it’s far from over, with a flurry of driver and charter moves sending shockwaves through the paddock ahead of this weekend’s race at Martinsville. The latest news broke early Friday, confirming that Nic Vasquez, driver of the #22 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, is packing his bags and heading to Palmetto Motorsports. Vasquez isn’t traveling light—he’s bringing his charter with him, and the #22 will trade its Ford roots for a Toyota Camry starting this week.

But Palmetto Motorsports’ team owner, Cory Mott, wasn’t done shaking up the roster. Sources reveal Mott had his sights set on Hollywood Motorsports’ Garth Griswold, hoping to lure the veteran driver to “the dark side.” After intense negotiations, Griswold opted to stay put, citing potential legal headaches from a breach of contract with Hollywood Motorsports. It seems the bright lights of Tinseltown still shine too strong for Griswold to leave.

With Vasquez making the trek from Texas to the Carolinas, Palmetto faced a numbers crunch. The odd man out? None other than Vince Mitchell, the rookie who joined the team just six races ago. Mitchell’s stint at Palmetto was anything but a fairy tale—amassing a mere 52 points, including a lone stage win worth 10. Sitting 32nd in the standings, the homesick driver is returning to his old stomping grounds at Tipton Harding Motorsports (THM), taking the #18 charter with him.

That homecoming, however, spelled tough news for someone at THM. When pressed for comment, team co-owner Stewart Harding struggled to articulate the difficult decision. Eventually, the bombshell dropped: Pete Morales, driver of the #95 charter, is out. The #95 is being transferred to Factory Motorsports, where Dash Series standout Tyler Justice—whose promotion was predicted by insiders—will step into the Cup Series spotlight. Justice takes over the vacancy left by Vasquez, sliding into the #95 seat like a hand in a glove.

For Morales, currently 22nd in the standings, the news stings. Being replaced by a driver currently sitting 32nd in the standings is a bitter pill to swallow. Morales now finds himself without a Cup ride, his future uncertain as Silly Season churns on.

The league’s relentless nature is on full display, and these moves raise the question: Is this the grand finale of Silly Season, or just the opening act of an even wilder shake-up? With charters swapping hands and drivers on the move, the Majors Garage Cup Series is proving once again that nothing is set in stone until the checkered flag falls.

Stay tuned as the drama unfolds at Martinsville this weekend.

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

REPORT: HAS THE DRIVER CAROUSEL STARTED TO SPIN?

It’s that time of year when team owners grow tired of excuses, poor performance, and bad behavior. Their patience only lasts so long before they decide enough is enough and make changes to see who will finish out the remaining races of the season.

The rumor mill is in full swing, with grumblings heard across the league, and this week’s penalty report hasn’t helped slow it down. Factory Motorsports is at the top of the list, with their Public Relations team working hard to put out fires. Will Nic Vasquez return as the driver of the #22 Factory Motorsports Ford once his suspension is over, or will team owner Stephen Menke give a lesser-experienced driver the reins for the rest of the year?

The team is also dealing with Zander Short’s absence from the Cup League. Reports suggest he has been seen in numerous clubs in the early hours of the morning. Let’s hope Factory Motorsports isn’t facing a Johnny Manziel situation in the garage. Factory Motorsports said they will not be issuing any comments at this time.

Mike Burnett and Kris Burnham did not make it to Chicago for the street race. The Backroad Bandit’s Racing Teams social media page showcased the #39 Sears Chevrolet paint scheme earlier in the day, ready to go, but the hauler must have gotten stuck in traffic on the backroads of Chicago. A request for comment was not returned at the time this article was published.

Word on the street is that Moonshine Motorsports will be looking to add at least one more driver for next season. Potential drivers for that spot could be Paul Maziere, Jonathan Leger, or Thomas Villano, all of whom sit within the Top 25 of the seasons point standings and remain independent drivers in the league.

Connor Wold, the defending MCRL Cup Series Champion, has been unable to race since Phoenix this year due to scheduling conflicts with his employer. Will Top Tier keep his seat warm, waiting for his return, or will they kick him to the curb before next season to try to improve in the team point standings?

OFFICIAL: Romano Signs Contract Extension with WRL

Cameron Romano has secured his seat for the 2025 Crown Jewel Cup Series season per a recent press release from WRL Racing. Cameron Romano will be retiring the #55 Ford Mustang Darkhorse in favor of the #67 Toyota Camry TRD in 2025 for WRL Racing.

Official Press Release:

Cameron Romano currently sits 27th in the Circuit Cup Series standings with 0 top 5s and 3 top 10s. Earning only a dismal 21 stage points throughout the course of the season and an average running position of 18.6. The veteran Crown Jewel driver will look to have a turn-around season in 2025 with new support from their alliance with TRD and Top Tier.

STATS: Cameron Romano – CCS 2024