Keen-eared listeners of Door Bumper Clear may have noticed a remark to a driver who was “one of the other guys that was potentially on the chopping block.” Many online sleuths deduced that the driver who “went out and won a race” may have been the No. 48 of Alex Bowman.
The audio references Justin Haley, Corey Lajoie, and Spire Motorsports’ No. 7. Host Freddie Kraft’s other clues include a situation involving three drivers and two seats.
Justin Haley has been a hot topic this season. In the RWR No. 51, Haley has outperformed any driver the team has ever put on track. This has led to speculation that he could perform well wherever Haley goes in 2025 if it were a quality ride.
So who is the third driver, the one who “went out and won a race”? Well, two names came to mind for many fans.
First was Daniel Suarez. Suarez entered 2024 on a cold spell, including 19th place average finish last season. However, in a contract year, Suarez won at Atlanta earlier this season.
Subsequently, Suarez earned an extension with Trackhouse Racing two weeks ago. However, with Suarez winning early in the season, it may be a driver whose cold spell lasted further into the season.
One driver who matches all these points is Alex Bowman. Bowman entered the season in a long losing stretch. Since his four-win 2021 campaign, Bowman had eight top-fives in 64 races. This stretch was complimented by an 80-race losing streak that began in Las Vegas in the spring of 2022.
Bowman snapped his long winless streak at Chicago, and in doing so, he may have retained a spot with Hendrick Motorsports.
The only two seats known to be open are the No. 7 at Spire Motorsports and an unknown entry at Front Row Motorsports. However, in the podcast, Kraft refers directly to the No. 7 but not the FRM entry.
If the seat were filled with the driver who won out, the logical conclusion as to who the other team was would be Bowman’s No. 48. The rational thought that could come from this is that Bowman signed an extension through 2026.
However, performance can always be a factor in a driver change. Take Trevor Baynes’s late days in the No. 6, for example. While Bowman is far from the number accrued by Bayne, a contract doesn’t necessarily mean that much.
The speculation game is always fun, and out of this metaphorical scenario, some have speculated that Justin Haley could have been the driver of the No. 48. But what about Bowman? With the No. 7 open and the existing relationship between Spire and HMS, it could have opened the door for Bowman to drive that car.
We may never know whether this rumor was true, as the rumored driver, Bowman or Suarez, appears locked into place. Leaving this as another Silly Season rumor to look back on in the future.
What do you think about all this? Let us know on Discord or X what your take is, and don’t forget you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
Joe Gibbs Racing alleged that former competition director Chris Gabehart took a wide range of confidential team information regarding competitive performance data, engineering processes, financial records, and internal personnel details. But what exactly do the documents say was taken?
JGR states it is entitled to damages believed to exceed $8 million, potentially subject to enhancement, along with attorneys’ fees. The organization is also seeking multiple forms of relief, expected to exceed that amount, as well as a cease-and-desist order to prevent any use or disclosure of what it describes as trade secrets.
You can learn more about the lawsuit itself, the circumstances surrounding Gabehart’s departure, and the broader allegations in the article linked below
NASCAR isn’t nerdy enough. Not in a cringe way, not in a gimmicky way, but in a way that could quietly and organically grow the sport. After a Daytona weekend filled with spectacle and nostalgia, DJ Yee believes there’s a bigger opportunity sitting right in front of NASCAR, one that doesn’t change the racing at all but could completely change how fans engage with it.
Other leagues have turned analytics into conversation fuel. In baseball, stars like Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani aren’t loud personalities, but advanced metrics tell their story anyway. NASCAR, meanwhile, has mountains of telemetry data but shares very little of it in a meaningful way. Throttle traces, brake usage, steering inputs, tire wear models, fuel efficiency ratings, clean air percentages, and even a “positions above replacement” type metric, the possibilities are endless. None of it would intrude on the racing. Casual fans could ignore it. But hardcore fans, creators, and analysts would suddenly have tools to build deeper narratives around drivers and performance.
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For the first time in a while, it feels like NASCAR fans see a bigger light at the end of the tunnel. The start of 2026 has brought real optimism, from improved racing to sharper marketing, and even an 11 percent bump for the Daytona 500 to 7.5 million viewers. After a rough couple of seasons, that kind of stability matters. The question now is simple, is this momentum real or just a honeymoon phase?
There’s been a noticeable shift. The marketing feels more modern without feeling fake. Broadcasts are embracing energy and meme culture without losing authenticity. Social media efforts are spotlighting drivers and personalities in ways that echo how legends like Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, and Tony Stewart once drew fans in. NASCAR’s identity has always been edge, personality, and grassroots simplicity, and recent changes feel closer to that core. But none of it matters without patience. Jaret believes the foundation may be stronger right now, but consistency will decide whether this is a spark or a true turning point.
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