HOT DRIVERS

• Justin Bell-Uber MS-FORD- On the outside looking in but not from lack of trying. Justin has been wheeling that Ford the last few weeks, and it seems the rookie has broken out of his shell. No playoffs this year, but with his last 5 races finishing in the top 25, Seems as if next year he could maybe figure things out to find himself in the top 16.
• Tyler Belanger-WRL-FORD- A late addition to the TCSP Cup Series, but not a bad one. With him qualifying into each race on speed and secured a 2nd place finish in his first ever race in the Cup Series, Tyler seems to be a force to be reckoned with in the 2025 season.
• William “Ben” Lawson-FMS-FORD- Just a couple of weeks ago we thought this driver had no shot of getting into the playoffs, but now his spot is all but buttoned up. Ben has finished in the top 15 in the last 4 races and a 5th place finish at the Chicago Street Course seem to be what may have brought this driver out of the darkness into the light. This playoff spot may not have only given this driver something to race for in the coming weeks but a potential lifeline for him to secure his Cup seat from Factory MS for the 2025 season.

NOT DRIVERS

• Ryan Taft-INDY MS-CHEVY- Ryan has had a long season in the TCSP. Refusing to take questions from the media on if he will have a seat next year in the series or if he will drop down the Crown Jewel ladder to figure things out. Taft has struggled only able to land 4 top 20 finishes in all of his 22 Cup Series starts. We are hoping this veteran driver can string something together here at the closing stages of the season to turn the spirits of the 86 team around.
• Cameron Romano-WRL-FORD- Cameron has had a long season and has repeatedly spoke to the media about this year being over and having a reset. Alot of his troubles have been no fault of his own but when things have been smooth sailing, he has only been able to string together six top 20s in his 23 starts. All of us would love a shock and awe moment of a new winner tonight getting themselves into the playoffs but can Cameron overcome this season’s downfalls and cap off this season on a positive note.

DRIVER NEWS

• Cory Mott has a chance to secure the regular season title tonight. Currently 79 ahead of Steven Carlile.
• Mike Burnett playoff spot has officially been revoked due to absence and lack of communication with Crown Jewel racing officials. This has awoken the playoff picture for tonight’s regular season finale at Darlington.
• The new penalty system and damage policy will be in effect tonight.
• BBR has been through the ringer this week, but news has broken that Thomas Wolfe will take over all operations for the team to finish the 2024 season and into the future. Learn more here
• Thomas Villano will return from his suspension after Darlington race. Sources who conduct the Crown Jewel Sensitivity training reported that he was engaged during classes and believe he has changed for the better.
• Tonight’s playoff will be a head-to-head matchup against Tommy Carroll who is the last man in and Joe Wright who is currently the first man out. Only 26 points separate the two drivers. Tonight is a must win situation for driver: Jim Mott, Justin Bell, Jonathan Leger, Ray Gill, Cameron Romano, and Ryan Taft.

PLAYOFF BUBBLE

• FIRST THREE IN: Garth Griswold (+77), Ben Lawson (+72), Tommy Carroll Jr (+26)
• FIRST THREE OUT: Joe T Wight (-26), Justin Bell (-64), Jim Mott (-69)

FAN PICK OF THE WEEK

Cory Mott-Palmetto MS-CHEVY
Cory is looking to knock off the first step in winning a Cup Series championship tonight and that is winning the regular season championship. This win not only guarantees him a better chance on making a deep run into the playoffs with the added bonus points, it gives him and his team the opportunity to taste what it feels like to be not just a race winner but a champion. That dragon is something that any man, woman, or child will chance given they have had the chance to taste it. Darlington is not only the last race of the season but Motts hometown track. Winning the championship in front of his hometown folks is something we don’t think Cory will allow slip through his fingertips. So, let’s make a bet here. Cory currently is +1780 for a win and if you are on a hot streak we think you should take it, but the free lunch program has cooked up a parlay. Cory Mott plus +760 for a top 10, and Cory Mott regular season champion at -7800, will next you a pretty penny on a pick 2 at +900. Some other bets for the gambling man include Joe T Wright to qualify for playoffs at +1920 and Tommy Carroll top 10 finish at +2300.

HOT DRIVERS

• Vince Mitchell-Uber MS-FORD- After picking up his first ever win of the season and securing a spot in the playoffs, Vince will come into Daytona tonight with a weight off his shoulders.
• Steven Carlile-EthiX Racing Team-CHEVY- Alot of focus goes to the winner but Steven has ridden in the shadows all the way up to 2nd in the points standings. With 4 out of the last 5 races finishing with on the podium, it seems like this team has gotten hot at just the right time.
• Zander Short-FMS-FORD- After a shaky returned at Indy, and his absence still not disclosed to the public by FMS ownership, all it took was a 12th and 5th place finish in the last 2 races to skyrocket him back into the top ten in points.

NOT DRIVERS

• Allen Philips-Hollywood MS-CHEVY- Out of form and on the playoff bubble is not where you want to be. With his position somewhat secure it seems as if Allen may be cruising his way mentally into the playoffs with only 1 top ten finish in the last 9 races. Will this be enough to keep him secured in the playoffs and be prepared to go past the first round?
• Garth Griswold-Hollywood MS-CHEVY- We do commend the fight this team has had this season to get to the point of making it into the playoffs, but skating in doesn’t seem like an option for them. Garth is currently in the last spot in and only -13 points to the good on Ben Lawson. Garth has not been able to put together a top 10 finish in his last 6 races, thankfully its Daytona week and with everything riding on a good race tonight we believe he has that dog in him to finally secure his spot in the playoffs and at worst build his points lead on the cut line.

DRIVER NEWS

• Cody Porters playoff waiver request was denied.
• Vince Mitchell secured his first win in the cup series at Michigan last week.
• Cody Leach returns from his suspension last week at Michigan. He stated it was a much-needed reset and self-reflection time going in the playoffs.
• EOL penalties for Daytona (Mason Hoeffner, Ben Lawson, Russell Bratka, Zander Short, Cory Mott, Cody Leach, Zack Saunders.)
• Look out for manufacturer alliances playing a part in strategy tonight at Daytona. The Ford camp has stated that driver and team meetings have all gone well to keep everyone on the same page to continue their superspeedway dominance so far this season. No comment has been given from Chevy and Toyota teams on their planned strategies.

PLAYOFF BUBBLE

• FIRST IN: Allen Phillips (+61), Nathaniel Campbell (+54), Garth Griswold (+13)
• FIRST OUT: Ben Lawson (-13), Tommy Carrol Jr (-61), Joe T Wright (-76)
  

FAN PICK OF THE WEEK

Nic Vasquez-FMS-FORD
Nic has showing his dominance at superspeedways have not been a secret. Both spring races at Daytona and Talladega were controlled and won by driver of the 22 Ducks unlimited Ford Mustang. Let’s face it we have lost a lot of money on these fan picks, so I think it’s time we dump the rent on a sure shot and have us a nice bankroll ready going into the playoffs. Vegas has it set at +350 for a win for Nic and a crazy -120 for a top 5 finish. This will be a rebuilding night for the us bettors, but if you haven’t taken our advice and has made a pretty penny it is worth picking one of the many bubble drivers. Joe T Wright is currently sitting at +1780 and Grath Griswold is currently at +2200. We also have a shot in the dark pick of Ryan Taft (+7200) for the win to completely flip this playoff picture on its head. Whoever you pick, good luck and Godspeed.

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.

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.

HOT DRIVERS

• Cody Porter-Xpress Esports-Ford: Cody has only raced 3 races this season with his late addition to the number 04 car but with all 3 races being in the top 5, the new kid on the block is shaking things up in the Circuit Cup Series.
• Caleb “the uberman” Tipton-UberMS-Ford: Goes to show you longevity will lead you to the mountain tops. The Uberman hasnt had a finish outside of the top 20 in his last 10 races.
• Zack Saunders-BBR-Chevy: Even after a 15th place finish in Chicago, He should be thanking the city of Chicago for its traffic jams that left his teammate Mike Burnetts hauler stranded on the I-90. He moves up to 2nd in the points standings.

NOT DRIVERS

• Nic Vasquez-FMS- Ford: With all the woes, suspensions, and looming news coming from Factory motorsports press conference this morning. This 3x winning driver has had all the wrong news for a season that was going so right. Seems like he is on his final lifeline from principle owner Stephen Menke.
• Zander Short-FMS-Ford: We have heard our first rumblings of the well being of the driver for the 38 car. Even though much information was not given to us by Stephen Menke and those at FMS, We do know Stephen is attempting to get Zander to the track for tonights race. With all the new talent in the league will he be able to come out as the same Zander we all know or are the lights to bright now.

DRIVER NEWS

• Nic Vasquez will be serving his 1 week suspension. Even though he was not at the FMS press conference, reporters and fans have seen him walking around the pit area today.
• Stewart Harding-Walker was given a week suspension as well but appealed with league officials so we are unsure if he will be on the track tonight at Pocono.
• Zander shorts number 38 hauler was spotted entering Pocono. However the driver remains in the wind. With rumors of ongoing benders and a possible mandatory stay at a rehab facility, FMS executives have been playing this news close to the chest.
• Mike Burnett and Cody Porter continue their back and forth that started after the Truck race at Chicagoland, which even spilled over into todays drivers meeting. Sources say both drivers were being held back by team members and the drivers meeting concluded with the last 15 minutes taking place on a zoom call.

FAN PICK OF THE WEEK

Ray Gill-MMC-Toyota:
If you can’t tell by now the fans dont want favorites to win, they want this current playoff situation shaking to its core. Ray Gill winning at Pocono would not only shake the fight for the playoffs but throw it off a 80 story building onto its back. Personally, I feel as if this race is all about strategy and who makes the right calls nearing the end of this race. If Ray Gill sitting currently at +26550 for a win and +9800 for a top 10 wins this it will all be about strategy. We tried to get a comment from his crew chief and we were “we will answer questions after the race.” Seems like they are locked in and dont want anything they have planned getting out for other teams to see. Tonight the points guys will get their points and a whole lot of them, but the winner, that driver will do something out of the box.

The Grant Park 110: presented by The Bryan A. Leach Foundation. Green Flag Flies at 8:15pm est. https://www.twitch.tv/crownjewelrn

HOT DRIVERS

• Thomas Wolfe-BBR-CHEVY- With 3, count them 3 second place finishes in the last 6 races, Seems like the 7th time might be the charm for Thomas in Chicago.
• Allen Phillips-Hollywood-CHEVY- After securing his first top 10 in the last 4 races, Allen moves up to 12th place in the heated battle for the last remaining playoff spots.
• Steven Carlile- PMR- CHEVY- Who would have thought a 6th place finish would bump him into the top 5 in points but here we are. Steven sits 4th in the points standings.

NOT DRIVERS

• Paul Maziere-Independent-TOYOTA- After missing the last 2 races because of logistical reasons, Paul has slipped outside of the top 15 and may not have a spot in the playoffs even with his win.
• Zander Short-Factory-FORD- Also not having raced since Iowa due to team issued substance abuse therapy, Zander, the series former points leader, finally falls outside of the top 5.(6th)

DRIVER NEWS

• Factory Motorsports have hinted at surprise news to come next week.
• Cameron Romano has signed a 1 year extension with WRL racing.
• New comer Cody Porter shocked the league with sweeping Nashville.
• Zach Johnson is reported to be back after his hauler was seen arriving in Chicago.
• Driver of the 15 Ford Cody Leach was ask about incident with Thomas Villano last week at Nashville. He responded “No Comment”

FAN PICK OF THE WEEK

JOE T WRIGHT-WRL-FORD

Some may think lets go with the easy pick, throw Saunders or Wolfe on here because they have been showing some of the quickest times here in Chicago. On the other hand, with Thomas sitting at +470 for the win and the 91’s hauler not even spotting in Chicago yet, Joe sitting at +1850 seems just Wright. Joe is no stranger to road circuit being a former formula driver before heading over to the oval side of things and his times are right there with the top of the competition for Wednesday night! Its a safe pick in terms of his experience but a big winner if you decide to chase the dream of Joe Wright getting his first win of the season and secure his spot in the playoffs.