RCR Competition Executive Resigns Effective Immediately
What’s Happening? Richard Childress Racing announced on Tuesday that Executive Vice President and competition executive Andy Petree has immediately retired…
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We are now in the second half of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season, and some drivers have enjoyed better years than others. Today, we focus on those who have been the most disappointing this season.
| Drivers | Wins | Top-5s | Top-10s | Avg. Finish | Laps Led | Points Position | Points Out of Playoffs |
| Erik Jones | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21.9 | 0 | 28th | -217 |
| John Hunter Nemechek | 0 | 0 | 3 | 23.4 | 20 | 27th | -217 |
Legacy Motor Club made many big moves in the off-season, moving from Chevy to becoming a “Tier One” Toyota team and signing John Hunter Nemechek. Unfortunately, this has translated to both drivers being more than 200 points out of the Playoffs with only seven races left in the Regular Season. This includes Erik Jones missing two races after a crash at Talladega.
While it was expected that moving to Toyota would cause some growing pains, LMC lags far behind 23XI and Joe Gibbs Racing. It’s been a disappointment team-wide.
What’s Happening? Richard Childress Racing announced on Tuesday that Executive Vice President and competition executive Andy Petree has immediately retired…
| Drivers | Wins | Top-5s | Top-10s | Avg. Finish | Laps Led | Points Position | Points Out of Playoffs |
| Kyle Busch | 0 | 2 | 5 | 19.3 | 131 | 17th | -104 |
| Austin Dillon | 0 | 0 | 2 | 25.5 | 0 | 32nd | -265 |
The end of 2022 and the first half of 2023 looked like a turning point for RCR, but the team has regressed in 2024. Both Kyle Busch and Austin Dillon are having some of the worst seasons they have had, either ever or since their rookie season. RCR will have more decisions as Andy Petree has retired from his post as Executive Vice President.
Busch and Dillon are signed through at least 2025, so RCR will run it back. However, some major changes and improvements are needed for either to succeed.
What’s Happening? As the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season nears its halfway point, Spire Motorsports, one of the most active…
| Drivers | Wins | Top-5s | Top-10s | Avg. Finish | Laps Led | Points Position | Points Out of Playoffs |
| Corey LaJoie | 0 | 1 | 1 | 23.2 | 38 | 29th | -226 |
| Zane Smith | 0 | 1 | 1 | 26.7 | 0 | 34th | -299 |
Spire Motorsports, like Legacy Motor Club, was very active in the offseason, purchasing a charter, buying out Kyle Busch Motorsports, and signing Zane Smith alongside Carson Hocevar. While Hocevar has shown some promise, Smith and LaJoie have struggled immensely. The expectations for both were to compete for a Playoff spot and, hopefully, the occasional win, but that has not materialized consistently.
Smith and LaJoie showed some promise at Nashville, running in the top five late in the race thanks to strategy. While Smith, a Trackhouse development driver, is definitely gone after the season, LaJoie is in the first year of a multi-year contract. LaJoie needs to step it up.
| Wins | Top-5s | Top-10s | Avg. Finish | Laps Led | Points Position | Points Out of Playoffs |
| 0 | 1 | 5 | 21.6 | 150 | 23rd | -166 |
Michael McDowell and Front Row Motorsports have shown more pure speed this season, with three poles and a career-best average finish of 13.3. However, they haven’t put it all together on race day. Sometimes, it’s due to mechanical problems, but sometimes it’s due to mistakes and poor performance.
However, the potential is still there, and McDowell has some great opportunities to win in the regular season, with the Chicago Street Race and the summer Daytona race still looming. McDowell undoubtedly wants to leave Front Row on a high note as he prepares to go to Spire Motorsports in 2025.
| Wins | Top-5s | Top-10s | Avg. Finish | Laps Led | Points Position | Points Out of Playoffs |
| 0 | 3 | 6 | 17.4 | 35 | 15th | -51 |
Bubb Wallace has improved every year in the NASCAR Cup Series and made it all the way to the Round of 12 last year. This year, he’s failed to win a race and hasn’t won one since the fall of 2022. He now sits nearly a full race outside the Playoffs, with only seven races left in the regular season.
While Wallace hasn’t had an awful year, and his ride is not in jeopardy, his expectations for 2024 were higher than this. He has the equipment and the talent to get a win before the regular season is out, but he is running short on time.
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