Tag: Driver News

Silly Season Heats Up in Majors Garage Cup Series with Rule Changes and Charter Chaos

Darlington, SC – April 08, 2025 – The Majors Garage Cup Series (MGCS) Silly Season roared back into the spotlight last night, as Crown Jewel Racing Executives dropped a double dose of chaos following a tense board meeting. The result? Sweeping rule changes to race control and a wild reshuffling of charters that have teams and drivers buzzing ahead of tomorrow’s Goodyear 400 at Darlington.

The rulebook got a major facelift, starting with clearer guidelines on racing incidents. Crown Jewel Racing unveiled a system to judge fault based on where contact happens—corner entry, center, exit, or straightaways—using a driver’s “predictable line” from their prior three laps as the benchmark. Penalties range from 1 to 2 RC points for infractions like unsafe apron re-entries or late blocks, with shared fault splitting the difference at 1 point each. Race lengths also stretched from 80% to a full 100% for the season’s remainder, pushing driver stamina to the limit. Meanwhile, the RC penalty ceiling tightened suspensions now kick in at 6 points (down from 8), qualifying bans at 4, and suspended drivers reset to 3 points post-ban. It’s a stricter leash for a wild field. Read all about the Rule Updates here.

The bigger shockwave, though, was the axing of open cars from MGCS. These developmental slots will stick around in the Conti Sim-Performance Dash Series and VRS Truck Series, but their four Cup Series spots were snatched up overnight by new charter teams, keeping the field capped at 40. Here’s the rundown on the charter scramble:

Moonshine Motorsports Expands with XPress eSports
Cody Porter, already behind the wheel for Moonshine Motorsports, secured the first charter and launched XPress eSports to bolster his operation. The #63 Ford Mustang hits the track this week, and rumors are swirling that Porter’s move is a bold play to bring back Johnny Avila—last season’s VRS Truck Series dominator who vanished into the shadows. A superhero sequel in the making?

Majors Garage eSports Doubles Down
Charter number two went to Majors Garage eSports, where points leader Dallas Pataska welcomed a teammate to his arsenal. Nathan Fuller takes the #7 Chevrolet into Darlington, but speculation swirls: will Fuller lock down the seat, or will Pataska shuffle his roster of aces to keep rivals on edge?

Gateway Racing Rises
The third charter landed with Garth Griswold (yours truly), who’d been stalking a charter since Silly Season sparked last month. With slim pickings and charters flying to heavyweights like THW Motorsports, Griswold pounced, forming Gateway Racing. The #10 Chevrolet evens out the manufacturer mix and opens doors for hungry talent. “We’re at the Gateway to the Future,” Griswold declared. “I’m thrilled to be apart of this.”

Patriot Motorsports Bolsters the Ranks
Patriot Motorsports snagged the fourth charter, as team owner Zach Johnson paired #94 driver Thomas Wolfe with a new ally. Early reports confirmed a bombshell: Hollywood Motorsports’ #5 driver Allen Phillips ditched a resignation letter on owner Nathaniel Campbell’s desk this morning, bolting to Patriot’s #42 car. Campbell had just revived Mike Burnett for the #16 last week, but Phillips saw greener pastures elsewhere.

Sources said that Hollywood’s #5 Chevrolet won’t stay vacant long. Sources are saying that Campbell gave Jacob Quill the nod once again, who drove for the team at Phoenix, to step in. No official word yet, but insiders peg Quill as the full-time fix for the season.

With rules sharpened, charters reshuffled, and drivers on the move, MGCS Silly Season is a runaway freight train. Will these changes tame the chaos or fuel the fire? Darlington’s green flag tomorrow holds the answers—strap in.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: MARTINSVILLE

The Majors Garage Cup Series presented by Crown Jewel Racing Network is live tonight from Martinsville speedway. Green Flag flies at 8:15pm est. WATCH HERE

TOO HOT TO HANDLE

  • Boyd Hoggan has finally done the inevitable, win a race. Look we all knew this would happen and happen soon based on his performance so far this season, but now that the pressure is off and the playoff spot has been secured, the question is how many can he win?
  • Allen Phillips has snuck himself up into the 12th spot in the points standings with 3 top 15 finishes in a row. Looks as if the number 5 team have learned to calmed down from the early season nerves and settled into place for the dog days of summer.
  • Nic Vasquez still hasn’t lost his touch from last season it seems. With all the rumors and turmoil going on he still hasn’t finished outside of the top 15 all year. He may have a new owner and home at Palmetto Motorsports, but it seems this dog and the 22 team still knows its tricks.

EXTRA, EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT IT!

  • This season has been the gift that has not stopped giving. The latest news happened to be a purchase and three-way trade of charters. To sum it all up, Nic Vasquez and the 22 car now finds themselves under the Toyota umbrella over at Palmetto Motorsports, Vince Mitchell and the 18 car returns home to Tipton Harding Motorsports, and Factory Motorsports bolsters its roster after acquiring the 95 charter and fill it with Tyler Justice. Only time to determine which teams are playing chess and which teams are playing checkers with all these moves. Will Factory Motorsports become the Iracing version of Hendrick Motorsports, or will all the talent and personalities implode under one roof? Will Vasquez feel appreciated now and grow with Palmetto as they plan? Will Vince’s return home to THM spark the fire under him and that whole team now that the band is back together again? Only time will tell, and Martinsville seems like the first official test.
  • No, you aren’t dreaming, this is not a fire drill, and you aren’t being punked. Mike Burnett will be returning to the Majors Garage Cup Series, driving the number 16 car for Hollywood Motorsports. Many are excited, some are nervous, but us here at Crown Jewel Racing Network are ready for the show. Sources have told us that there were a few possible suitors for Burnett’s return, which would have likely been in the Team Conti Sim Performance Dash Series. Some thought his extended time away from the cup series could have caused him to lose his edge, but executives at Hollywood Motorsports thought otherwise. Burnett will stay loyal and remain in the Chevy camp which made this decision to sign a heck of a lot easier to facilitate. There is no official date on when Burnett will be in the seat of the 16 car even though the team has been assembled, but sources inside of Hollywood Motorsports have told us that meetings have been taking place all week and sim work will be conducted this weekend. We should expect to see him on the track possibly by Darlington.

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: FACTORY MOTORSPORTS FACES EGO CLASH

Garth Griswold

The Majors Garage Cup Series is only six races into the 2025 season, and already the paddock is buzzing with drama that suggests the Silly Season is far from over. This time, the turbulence isn’t about driver suspensions or off-track antics—it’s brewing inside one of the sport’s powerhouse teams, Factory Motorsports. After a seismic shakeup earlier this year, the garage is once again a hotbed of tension, and it’s all boiling down to a clash of egos among some of the series’ brightest talents.

The latest chapter in this saga began when veteran driver Ben Lawson parted ways with Factory Motorsports to strike out on his own, forming the independent Rip CO Racing team. His departure left a vacancy in the Factory lineup, promptly filled by newcomer Boyd Hoggan. Hoggan wasted no time making his mark, piloting the #20 Ford Mustang Dark Horse to victory in last night’s thriller at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It was a statement win for the rookie, but sources close to the team suggest that his rapid rise has only intensified an already volatile dynamic within the garage.

Factory Motorsports, led by owner and driver Stephen Menke, has assembled a formidable roster for 2025. Alongside Menke in the #6 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, the team boasts Hoggan, the steady Zander Short in the #2, and the seasoned Nic Vasquez rounding out the quartet in the #22. On paper, it’s a dream team capable of dominating the Cup Series. But as Menke himself acknowledged post-race, talent of this magnitude comes with its own set of challenges.

“When you have this much talent on the team, it’s inevitable that drivers are going to bump heads from time to time,” Menke said after Hoggan’s Homestead triumph. “We are just going to work through this and figure it out going forward.”

The friction reportedly stems from early-season accusations and critiques about unequal treatment in the garage, particularly regarding setup changes. Sources indicate that not all drivers felt they were getting the same level of attention or resources during race weekends. Whispers of favoritism and disagreements over car setups have fueled tensions, with some insiders pointing to Hoggan’s arrival as a tipping point. His win at Homestead may have solidified his standing, but it’s also amplified the spotlight on the team’s internal dynamics.

Adding to the pressure, Factory Motorsports is locked in a fierce chase to catch Dallas Pataska, who has stormed out to a commanding lead in the standings behind the wheel of the #17 Majors Garage Esports entry. Pataska’s consistency and speed have set a blistering pace, leaving Menke’s squad scrambling to close the gap. Hoggan’s victory at Homestead was a step in the right direction, but the team knows it’ll take a unified effort to dethrone Pataska, whose early-season dominance has made him the man to beat.

Hoggan, for his part, has remained tight-lipped about the rumors, focusing instead on his on-track performance. “I’m here to race and win,” he said in the victory lane. “The rest is just noise.” Meanwhile, Short and Vasquez have kept a lower profile, though their silence hasn’t quelled speculation about where they stand in the growing rift.

If the ego battles weren’t enough, Menke might soon have another option to consider. Tyler Justice, a rising star in the Team Conti Sim Performance Dash Series, has been turning heads with back-to-back victories—first at Las Vegas and then again on Tuesday night at Homestead. Justice’s success in the feeder series has put him on the radar as a potential call-up if Factory Motorsports decides to shake things up further. With his stock rising, Justice could be the wildcard Menke needs to either unify his current lineup or send a message to his feuding drivers.

Six races into the season, Factory Motorsports is sitting pretty in the standings, thanks in large part to Hoggan’s win and consistent performances from Menke, Short, and Vasquez. But beneath the surface, the battle of egos threatens to derail what could be a championship-caliber campaign—especially with Pataska pulling away in the points. Menke’s leadership will be tested as he navigates this storm, balancing the personalities and ambitions of his star-studded roster while keeping the #17 in their sights.

For now, the team is focused on the next race, but the paddock is watching closely. Will Factory Motorsports resolve its internal strife and harness its potential to challenge Pataska, or will the Silly Season chaos spill over into more roster changes? One thing is clear: with talent this explosive, the drama is far from over.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: LAS VEGAS

The Majors Garage Cup Series presented by Crown Jewel Racing is live from Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Green flag flies tonight at 8:15pm EST. WATCH HERE

HOT DRIVERS

  • Dallas Pataska holds onto the number one spot after securing his third straight win at Phoenix last week. Dallas seems to be a man on a mission and the driver everyone in the league is trying to beat. If he can keep this form well into the season it seems like Dallas is on a historic run.
  • Zander Short has overcame he poor qualifying in last week’s race to finish on the podium (3rd). It seems like the uptick in competition has brought back out the fire in Zander. Let’s see if the number 2 team has what it takes to get the win in Vegas tonight.
  • Zach Johnson has taken the crown of Mr. Consistent this year and he is holding onto it for dear life. With an array of stage points and his latest back-to-back top 15 finishes he continues to ride the line of the top 10 in points. Let’s see if he will be complacent or push for the front.

NOT DRIVERS

  • Steven Carlile has had his consistent crown snagged from him. Easily one of the most consistent drivers of 2024 has been on a bit of a rollercoaster. With only 2 top ten finishes out of the first 4 races and an early exit at Phoenix (37th), Steven has fallen out of the top ten in driver standings (15th). One thing we think we know is that this won’t be a trend for the 81 team, and everyone expect to see them back in the fight tonight.
  • Vince Mitchell’s rocky start is leaving the palmetto garage in somewhat of a confused state. One of their hottest prospects coming into 2025 just hasn’t been able to show his worth to the team. Currently sitting in 36th with no top 20 finishes through the first 4 races, meetings have been taking place in the palmetto headquarters on how to fix this issue and fix it fast. We will see if a resolution has been made tonight or will more drastic actions be needed in the near future.

RUMOR HAS IT

  • After seeing last night’s entry list of the Team Conti Sim Performance Dash series race at Las Vegas one person seemed to be missing. That person was Jacob Quill. The driver of the 39 car was replaced by Haden Higginbotham. We reached out to Jacob for a statement, and he kept it brief that he has been released from Tipton-Harding Motorsports development team for the Dash series. After learning this breaking news our team then reached out to co-owner Stewart Harding-Walker for a comment. “That rookie didn’t appreciate being part of a team and disrespected our alliance and entire team during and post-race at Phoenix, I’m putting someone who deserves a ride in one of my cars into the 39. I don’t care if your Dallas Pataska, if you disrespect your teammates, you can go find another ride.”- Stewart. Sources have said an altercation broke out between the co-owner and Jacob after the race near the 29’s hauler. No media was around to witness but it was confirmed by sources that it was all verbal and did not get physical but was bad enough that the driver was removed from the team indefinitely. This has caused an uproar amongst team owners again with one of the hottest rookies and now free agents back on the market. WRL co-owner and principal owner of Leach Brother Motorsports, Cody Leach was heard saying ” I don’t care what kind of the mouth the kid has on him; he can wheel a car and if we had an extra seat he’d have it.” Sources have also said that Factory motorsports wouldn’t mind beefing up their roster with him and word out of the Palmetto shop is that he could end up being either full time in their all-star TCSPDS car or arrangements could be made for him to take the seat of the struggling 18 car. We should know in the coming weeks if not days where Jacob will call home for the remainder of the season.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: PHOENIX

The Majors Garage Cup Series comes to you live from Pheonix Raceway for the Shriners Children’s 250. Green flag flies tonight at 8:15pm est. WATCH HERE

HOT ONES

  • Dallas Pataska currently sits 43 points to the good in the top spot of the series standings. Coming off back-to-back wins at Atlanta and COTA, tonight we will see if this hot streak continues.
  • Steven Carlile has shown us that his consistency wasn’t a fluke last season. Some may have questioned it with his early exit from the Daytona 500(29th), but with his back-to-back top 10 finishes, seems like Old Dogs don’t forget their tricks.

ANOTHER BAD START

  • Cody Leach has been off the mark since his duels win. This seems to be the case for the driver of the 23 Toyota Camry. Last season he didn’t find his footing until Richmond, which then sparked a flurry of top 5 finishes helping secure himself into the playoffs. From conversations with the 23 team and the WRL camp, they seem not to be worried about this early season funk. They keep referring to the dog days of summer as what they are looking forward to. They have also stated testing went well for phoenix and they are eager for tonight’s race.
  • Cory Mott, our 2024 regular season champion currently sits 22nd in the standings through our first 3 races. This also may be a little case of Deja Vu from last season. Cory was only able to obtain 2 top 10 finishes in the first 7 races last season. The only difference this season is that Cory has not been able to finish inside of the top 15 with his worst finish being 37th at Atlanta. If anyone knows the team over at Palmetto Motorsports, you know they won’t go down without a fight and we except to see him and the rest of the Palmetto Motorsports camp put up more of a fight here in the coming weeks.

SHOW ME THE CHARTERS!

  • This past weekend in the early hours of the morning, we were informed that Nim Silva has dissolved all of Back Road Bandits Cup assets and boy were the sharks feasting on the scraps. For more in depth information on the all the moving parts READ HERE.
  • Some may say the biggest news out of all of this information is that the #94 team will join the Toyota Gazoo Racing umbrella driving for patriot motorsports. Patriot is a one car team but get this, they are owned by driver Zach Johnson of Palmetto Motorsports. All of the resources available by Palmetto will now be available to Thomas Wolfe, which should give him a better chance at defending his title of Cup Series Champion.
  • The inevitable happened during all the madness last weekend, Boyd Hoggan and Factory Motorsports secured a full time Cup series charter by the way of the 20. The 20 car will now rebrand to a Ford Performance Mustang, and it might be a metaphor that Boyd and mustangs are both bad fast. With what Boyd has shown us so far this season, we believe that even starting at zero points in the cup standings, there is no reason why he doesn’t launch his way up through the standings and find himself in the playoffs at the end of the season. Currently he sits as our favorite tonight to win at Phoenix at +388.

Driver Spotlight: Jim Mott

Buckle up, because we’re about to put the spotlight on some of our most interesting (and maybe slightly crazy) drivers! From tire-screeching legends to the rookies who still can’t figure out the brake pedal, we’re here to give you the inside scoop on who’s tearing up the track. Get ready for some laughs, some racing tips (maybe), and a peek into the personalities that make our league the place to be. Let’s see who’s behind the wheel and dive into the minds of the drivers and see what really fuels their need for speed.

Jim Mott – Palmetto Motorsports

Where are you from, and what do you do for a living?
I currently live in Lexington, South Carolina. I was born in Wichita, Kansas and have lived over ten years in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. I work as a Regional Customer Service Manager for the world’s largest tire manufacturer.

Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of sim racing?
I enjoy going to concerts with my wife. Mostly country-bands from the 90s to current, as well as classic rock.

What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?
I have a baseball card collection that is over 20,000 cards. Ranging from the early 60s to mostly early 90s.

What got you into sim racing, and how long have you been racing?
My son Cory started sim racing, and I was interested as I ran NASCAR 2002 on the computer when it came it out. I was in a league back then racing via a dial up connection. I have been a NASCAR fan since the late 80s, and rarely miss a Cup, Xfinity or Truck race, so I was excited to get back on the sim. I have been on iRacing for 2.5 years.

Do you have any real-life racing experience, or is sim racing your main focus?
I have never drove a car on the track in the real world but in Las Vegas I did a 3 lap NASCAR ride along.

Do you have a favorite car or track to race on?
I enjoy racing the trucks the most, but I have had the most success in the ARCA car. My favorite track to run is Bristol.

What inspired you to join this online racing league?
Cory and I were racing in another league, and he was thrown out. I wanted to join another league, so it was a natural fit. I stayed and finished out the season in the other league as well.

Do you have a particular racing style (aggressive, strategic, defensive)?
Strategic/defensive. I have more success in ARCA, because I tend to stay back, but it hurts me in other divisions due to a lack of stage points. I generally try to use the early part of the race to get a feel for the track and how everyone is running. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work a lot of the time due to incidents on the track.

Are there any real-life drivers or teams that influence your approach to racing?
No. I was always a Dale Earnhardt fan, but I definitely don’t model my driving like he did. I try not to be overly aggressive, unless I have a very good opportunity for a strong finish.

What has been your most memorable race or moment in the league?
2024 ARCA Champion. I didn’t win a race but showed up and ran consistently.

What do you think makes this league special compared to others?
There is a great mix of drivers here. There is a small group of us who have been here since the beginning. There are those who have come in, left and came back. Lately, some very good drivers have joined the group who make all levels ultra-competitive. All and all, each level is competitive, and I look forward to racing each week.

What kind of equipment do you use (wheel, pedals, rig, etc.)?
Ask Cory-he is my IT guy! All I know is that I got a Moza Racing setup for Christmas and every time something breaks Cory uses TeamViewer to fix it.

What’s your pre-race routine or superstition?
Just the little things. Make sure I have a cold beverage, and my pillow is set right in the chair for my back.

If you could race on any real-world track, which one would it be and why?
Charlotte. I have been to 16 Cup races there since the early 90s. It is the center of the NASCAR world, and I always enjoy going there. The atmosphere for the Coca-Cola 600 is my favorite, and it would be great to race there.

What is your favorite track to go to or that you want to go to?
That’s tough. I really like Charlotte, but also Darlington and Atlanta. I have been to Cup races at 9 tracks. I haven’t been to Bristol but would love to go there.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to new racers joining the league?
Don’t be overly aggressive right out of the box. Be respectful to those around you. Follow the rules. Know that you will make a lot of people mad, just try to correct your mistakes and move forward.

Do your friends and family support your racing hobby?
Yes. Everyone needs a hobby; it is important to do things you enjoy and let other around you do the same. Our family realizes that.

Have you ever introduced someone else to sim racing?
I have spoken to a lot of other people about iRacing but have not really gotten anyone into it.

How do you balance racing with work, family, or other responsibilities?
Family and work come first, but I do my best to meet racing obligations. Fortunately, my schedule is now flexible enough that I don’t miss a lot of races.

Would you rather have the fastest car but no brakes, or the slowest car with perfect handling?
Slowest car with perfect handling.

Think you’ve got what it takes to be in the next Driver Spotlight? Fill out this form to have a chance to be selected! Whether you’re a racing pro or just really good at pretending to be one, we want to hear from you!

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: ATLANTA

The Majors Garage Cup Series presented by Crown Jewel Racing is live tonight from Atlanta Motor speedway. Green flag flies at 8:15pm EST. WATCH HERE

STARTING OFF HOT!

Cody Porter sits on top of the league table by securing the win at the Daytona 500 last week. Even with an early wreck that put the team of the 04 Toyota Camry into crisis mode, Cody was able to dig in and bring the first trophy of the year back to the Moonshine Motor Club garage.

Tyler Belanger looked to bring the field to the checkered flag at the end of the Daytona 500 but with a late move by Cody Porter sent him home empty handed. The good news is that was the first race of the season not the last. If this is what Tyler and the 88 team are showing early this season, we can comfortably say that the 88 team will find their way into victory lane!

A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS

Top 20 finishers from the Daytona 500.
Top 25 in the season standings.

RECENT NEWS

  • A statement out of the Backroad Bandit’s garage have confirmed that Austin Runkel has been removed from the seat of the number 20 Chevy Camaro. The new face behind the wheel of the number 20 will be James Nesta. Backroad Bandits owner Nim Silva stated “We decided to part ways with Austin Runkel for purely playoff strategic wise, and no harm foul at all. Backroad hopes James Nesta takes the #20 Cup Charter to the playoffs”
  • Not long after the Factory Motorsports media team released their promo for tonight race. It has been confirmed that Zander Short will not be behind the wheel of the number 2 flo-racing Ford Mustang. It is unknown why he won’t be in attendance for tonight and Factory Motorsports owner Stephen Menke has declined to give a statement. Tyler Justice will be behind the wheel of the number 2 tonight. Sources inside the Factory motorsport garage haven’t been too informative about this driver, but it is known that him and Boyd Hoggan have raced together before. If he is cut from the same cloth, then Factory won’t have to worry about securing points tonight for the 2 car.

Ambetter Health 350 Entry List

Tyler Justice and the number 2 team will receive and EOL for driver swap. Austin Runkel, Josh Stoltz, Daulton Shearer, Nathan Barrows, Boyd Hoggan, and Justin Bell will be fighting to qualify in on time. The 6 drivers will be competing for 4 open spots in tonight’s race.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: DAYTONA 500

The Majors Garage Cup Series is live from Daytona tonight for the Daytona 500! Green Flag flies at 8pm EST with coverage going live at 7:15pm EST, Watch Here.

STARTING GRID

TALE OF THE TAPE

Tonight, these Cup Series drivers have 200 laps of terror at Daytona. Screaming down the track at over 190mph, these drivers will not only have to control their own cars destinies, but one wrong decision could kill the dreams of many drivers. A bad push, a late block, an arca brake could be the one mistake that could be the end of your night. No one knows how to navigate these waters more than our defending Daytona 500 winner, Nic Vasquez. Nic wheeled the number 22 Ducks unlimited ford mustang to 2 wins out of the 4 Superspeedway races of last season. When Nic was asked about how he feels on lifting the trophy for the second year in a row he said “I feel confident about today and winning back-to-back Daytona 500’s. The car in qualifying and the duels was good and just needed a few minor changes…. funny thing is a lot of people say it’s luck, but I believe 0% of it is luck. I think you create your own luck, and the stats prove that. Superspeedway racing is an art form that only a few can master and there’s no doubt you’ll see that tonight.”

Duel Winners

Dallas Pataska not only wheeled the number 17 majors’ garage Chevy Camaro to a duel win last Wednesday; He also was already locked into the front row from posting the fastest qualifying lap. Dallas seems to have Daytona figured out and his competition should be looking at his as the one to beat.

Cody Leach and aggression go together like peanut butter and jelly. With him securing a duel win he has placed himself in the second row on the outside line, inches away from the promise land. The question is will he take his time and enjoy all 200 of these laps, giving himself a chance to fight for the win, or will he be his own worst enemy and end up in the garage early?

THE BIG BAD WOLFE

We caught up with Thomas Wolfe this morning in the infield at Daytona to ask him how he was feeling about tonight and the start of the season.
Crown Jewel: Knowing plate tracks aren’t your strong suit, what’s your gameplan for starting off this season on a high, the same way you finished last season with the championship win?
Thomas Wolfe: Well if I still have power (snow storm happening right now) def would love to keep it out front. But for the most part just need to stay patient, if I get shuffled back, and not worry about racing until it’s go time.

RUMOR MILL

  • With Nathaniel Campbell taking a new role as the head of media for Crown Jewel Racing league and broadcasting for the Majors Garage Cup Series, many wondered what would happen to that cup charter. Sources said that Ben Lawson offered an undisclosed amount to purchase the charter from the Hollywood Motorsports owner, but it was turned down so that they could keep it as an in-house open charter car. Information on what driver would have gotten the seat is unknown, but we do know that the car would have been an extension of the Factory Motorsports team owned by Stephen Menke.
  • Nic Vasquez goes for his 3rd superspeedway in in 2 years tonight, attempting to continue his dominance on plate tracks. Nic will start 21st tonight.
  • All of the Zandervolt Unlimited Honda entries will receive EOL penalties for late driver swaps. We will see if having all 3 Hondas already link up near the rear of the field will be more of a blessing than a curse in the long run.
  • Manufacturer numbers for tonight: Chevy-14 cars, Honda-3 cars, Ford-12 cars, Toyota-11 cars.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: THE DUEL AT DAYTONA

The Majors Garage Cup Series is live from Daytona tonight for the Bluegreen Vacations Duel at Daytona. Green Flag flies at 8:15pm EST live on WTTV

SNAPSHOT OF QUALIFYING

As of 1:30pm cst, Thomas Wolfe and Logan Giesbrecht have locked themselves into the front row of the Daytona 500 next week. As of right now, Boyd Hoggan and Leeroy Sellers have locked themselves in as the 2 open cars to get in through qualifying.

Crown Jewel, we have THE BEEF

Some would say this is DeJa’Vu from the season finale of last year. Nic Vasquez has once again killed his teammate and Factory Motorsports owner Stephen Menke. Last week with an oddly late attempt to enter pit road, Nic Vasquez slammed into the pit barrels Kyle Larson style flipping Menke in the process. Oddly enough, he’s a Joey Logano fan. Stephen has kept things cool and lighthearted, but things may change if this happens in a points paying race.
In the LCQ for the Clash, a last lap move by Caleb Tipton has started some new beef. Apparently from reports of arguments at the 00 hauler between the two, this beef is a Griswold vs the entire THM crew. Stewart was heard yelling from the pits at the Hollywood Motorsports executive about getting “JET PUFFED”. Moments later, Tipton, who was 100% locked into the Clash Feature race gave Garth a shove in turns 1 and 2. This sent Garth around and to the ice cream stand earlier than he hoped. Garth has been heard saying “they’ll pay for their sins” under his breath since the incident. Tonight, we will see if he gives them grace by getting his revenge now instead of next week in the Daytona 500.
Toyotas vs everybody. WRL has been an anchor team in superspeedway racing at Crown Jewel. With creating the Ford alliance last season and starting the domination of Fords on Superspeedways. Last Season a Ford Driver won 3 out of the 4 superspeedway races, but WRL making the controversial move to Toyota and Top Tier rebranding to Palmetto Motorports and also getting the call from Toyota, this has created a new the new super team. Not to mention that Toyotas legacy team of Moonshine motor club and their four chartered cars to add makes them an 11-car train.

RUMOR HAS IT

Sources inside the garage are saying that the number 20 car for BBR could be up for grabs with Boyd Hoggan looking for a cup ride. Nim has told us that he has “no comment.” and “don’t believe everything you hear.” when we asked him about the situation. Boyd has a resume that many racers dream of and after the big shock of the Luka to the Lakers trade during the NBA trade deadline, we can confidently say that anything is possible. Austin Runkel has decline to give us a statement.
The Factory Motorsports camp is hopeful that they can create an alliance with Tipton-Harding Motorsports going into the Daytona 500. After losing WRL as their main partners, Factory could have trouble next week in continuing their dominance on superspeedways. Stewart has been heard by sources talking around the garage that he would work with the Factory Motorports drivers, but he does not trust them as far as he can throw them. We caught a glimpse of an unnamed executive’s schedule and noticed that the two teams have scheduled a meeting before the duels to attempt to clear out any grievances they have from last season and move forward going into the duels and the Daytona 500.

HOW THINGS WILL WORK TONIGHT

  • Top 2 qualifying times will be locked into the first row, regardless of duel finish.
  • Top 2 open car qualifying times will be locked into the Daytona 500.
  • Franchise entries and open car entries will be seeded separately to ensure an even split of each across both duels.
  • Duel 1 will consist of 18 franchise entries + 11 open cars. Top finishing open car (qualified car exempt) advances to the 500. Finishing order sets the inside row of the 500.
  • Duel 2 will consist of 18 franchise entries + 10 open cars. Top finishing open car (qualified car exempt) advances to the 500. Finishing order sets the outside row of the 500.
  • Each duel will pay stage points – 10, 9, 8, 7, etc.
  • RC (incident caused) points will begin being counted tonight!