Rumor Mill: Are These the Top Candidates For Legacy Motor Club’s Expansion?
What’s Happening? The NASCAR rumor mill is heating up as a new rumor suggests that a former series champion and an…
America’s VetDogs, a 501(c)(3) charity headquartered in Smithtown, New York, is making a tremendous and lasting impact on the lives of military veterans, active-duty service members and first responders with physical and emotional disabilities.
Since 2003, the non-profit organization has trained and placed nearly 1,200 service dogs with the men and women who have served the nation throughout all 50 U.S. states and territories.
These animals – primarily Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers and Lab/Golden crosses – are purpose bred at America’s VetDogs headquarters and training center on Long Island in New York. In most cases, these puppies then enter the organization’s prison puppy program when they are 8 to 10 weeks old. In this special program, incarcerated individuals at more than a dozen correctional facilities up and down the East Coast, with support from expert advisers, help raise and train puppies who will one day work as service dogs. In many facilities, incarcerated veterans participate in the program, which gives them an emotional connection to their dog’s future handler and partner.
Each weekend, the puppies go home with a volunteer weekend puppy raiser. These weekend puppy raisers – who generally live within 30 miles of the facility – teach house manners, socialize them to car rides and traffic noise, visit stores, restaurants and hospitals, and hang out with kids and families so that they will be confident wherever their future veteran partner will go. When the puppies are between 14 and 16 months old. these special canines return to the headquarters of America’s VetDogs. For the next three to four months, they will work with a certified service dog or guide dog mobility instructor as they continue their formal training to become a guide or service dog.
After an extensive evaluation process, a dog will be matched and custom trained for a military veteran, active-duty service member or first responder who has gone through the application process. Thanks to generous donors, these dogs and training are provided at no cost to the people the organization serves.
While the monetary contributions of individuals, corporations, foundations, businesses, and service and civic clubs certainly play a critical role in helping America’s VetDogs accomplish its mission, the same is true of the puppy raisers who devote countless hours to helping prepare the animals for life with their future owner.
“We rely on between 1,400 and 1,600 volunteers – the majority of whom are raising puppies for us either full-time or part-time throughout the year,” said Mike Rosen, chief marketing officer for America’s VetDogs. “It is an incredibly selfless way to give back to America’s heroes. You’re investing a year or so of your life into raising a puppy, and then you’re giving it back to us so that dog can change, and sometimes even save, the life of a veteran or first responder.”
The job of a volunteer puppy raiser is twofold. It starts with basic obedience training, which involves the volunteer following the curriculum set by America’s VetDogs. “It’s ‘sit,’ ‘stay,’ ‘come,’ and ensuring the pups stay off the furniture and don’t beg for food, etc.,” Rosen said. “The most important role of a puppy raiser is socialization – getting that puppy accustomed to the sights, sounds and smells of the world that their future veteran or first responder handler may one day experience.
“We want our raisers to take them to work, take them into restaurants and bars, take them shopping, have them be around families and kids and other dogs. That way, they’ll really get used to anything that their future handler may one day walk into.”
Some puppy raisers have dedicated their time and energy to training more than 20-plus dogs for America’s VetDogs and its sister nonprofit, the Guide Dog Foundation, over the course of many years.
“If you or somebody you know may benefit from a service dog, apply,” Rosen said. “If you want to give back to the veteran and first responder community, volunteer. And if you have the wherewithal, consider donating. It’s an incredible way to give back and help save or change the life of a veteran or first responder who has served our nation or served your community.”
Learn how to apply, volunteer and donate at VetDogs.org/PolePosition.
PUPPY WITH A PURPOSE®
Retired U.S. Army Sgt. Major Kevin Bittenbender is no stranger to service—or resilience.
After 34 years in the military and the amputation of his left leg due to combat-related burn pit exposure, Bittenbender found a new kind of support in Kirby, his highly trained service dog from
America’s VetDogs. Kirby was raised through the organization’s Puppy With a Purpose® program, in partnership with the NFL’s Houston Texans and Kroger.
Kirby was a frequent presence at Texans games and community events, acclimating to the sights and sounds of large crowds. That socialization molded Kirby into the calm, confident service dog that now stands proudly beside Bittenbender—whether at home or at Pocono Raceway, where he serves as Director of Military Affairs. Fans can meet Kirby during NASCAR race weekend at Pocono Raceway, June 20–22, where he’ll accompany Bittenbender at Veterans Village—an initiative he founded to connect veterans with vital resources and community.
America’s VetDogs has partnered with sports teams, media companies, and corporations to raise nearly 50 future service and guide dogs through its Puppy With a Purpose® program. The initiative serves as a fundraising, awareness and training initiative designed to bring national attention to America’s VetDogs and the philanthropic work of its partners.
In this post, we’re breaking down the top 10 all-time lap leaders at Circuit of the Americas, along with key stats, besides reviewing the top 15 active drivers with the most laps led at the track. And that’s not all; we’re also examining some of COTA’s historic track records and the names still holding them, so stick around until the end to check them out
| Races | Laps Run | Wins | Poles | Avg. Finish | Avg. Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 361 | 1 | 2 | 6.2 | 9.2 |
| Races | Laps Run | Wins | Poles | Avg. Finish | Avg. Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 361 | 0 | 0 | 10.8 | 10.4 |
| Races | Laps Run | Wins | Poles | Avg. Finish | Avg. Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 361 | 1 | 2 | 4.6 | 2.2 |
| Races | Laps Run | Wins | Poles | Avg. Finish | Avg. Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 361 | 1 | 0 | 5.6 | 12.6 |
| Races | Laps Run | Wins | Poles | Avg. Finish | Avg. Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 163 | 0 | 0 | 13.0 | 9.0 |
| Races | Laps Run | Wins | Poles | Avg. Finish | Avg. Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 323 | 1 | 0 | 15.0 | 10.8 |
| Races | Laps Run | Wins | Poles | Avg. Finish | Avg. Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 361 | 0 | 0 | 19.4 | 17.0 |
| Races | Laps Run | Wins | Poles | Avg. Finish | Avg. Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 361 | 0 | 0 | 16.4 | 12.6 |
| Races | Laps Run | Wins | Poles | Avg. Finish | Avg. Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 308 | 0 | 0 | 30.2 | 9.2 |
| Races | Laps Run | Wins | Poles | Avg. Finish | Avg. Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 344 | 0 | 0 | 16.2 | 22.6 |
Let us know your thoughts on this list. Are there any drivers that surprise you? What track record do you think is never being broken? Join the discussion on Discord or X, and remember to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for more updates.
With the NASCAR team Legacy Motor Club set to expand, there are many names in the rumor mill as to who will drive the team’s third car in 2027, but one new name entering the rumor mill could be the biggest surprise yet.
What’s Happening? The NASCAR rumor mill is heating up as a new rumor suggests that a former series champion and an…
During the 2025 season, Legacy Motor Club, which missed the opening to buy one of Stewart-Haas Racing’s three Charters for sale at the end of the 2024 season, was aggressively pursuing a third charter for its NASCAR Cup Series team.
This mission took the team to court, where it battled Rick Ware Racing over a Charter sale gone awry, with hopes of getting this charter ahead of the 2026 season.
While this goal never came to fruition, per a settlement between the two parties, LMC will have a third Charter for 2027, as RWR will sell the charter currently leased to RFK for their No. 60 at year’s end.
Now that all the excitement has leveled off, it’s decision time for LMC, as they search for a driver to fill this new seat ahead of the 2027 season.
The rumor mill concerning this third seat is heating up, as two names floated through the NASCAR community earlier this week, when a post from a well-known rumor mill account listed Riley Herbst and Jesse Love as potential candidates to drive for LMC in 2026.
Herbst, for one, is facing the loss of his ride at 23XI Racing with the rumored (and all but confirmed) promotion of top prospect and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion Corey Heim to full-time status in 2027.
Love, on the other hand, seems destined for a Cup Series ride as the reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion, alongside this rumored spot at LMC, could see a spot open up at his current home, Richard Childress Racing, depending on how Kyle Busch’s 2026 season shapes out.
But, not even three races into the 2026 season, the rumor mill is still spitting out potential candidates for this third car.
What’s Happening? NASCAR Hall of Famer and Seven-Time Champion Jimmie Johnson’s Legacy Motor Club is suing Rick Ware Racing over a…
This time, the online rumor mill is heating up for a potential return to the Cup Series, with rumors pointing to former Wood Brothers Racing driver Harrison Burton as another potential candidate to join LMC in 2026.
Burton, the son of former Cup Series standout turned NBC Sports analyst Jeff Burton, most recently raced full-time with WBR in the Cup Series in 2024 before losing his ride at year’s end, moving to AM Racing for the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, and eventually jumping to Sam Hunt Racing (and Toyota) for the 2026 NASCAR OAP Series season.
While Burton’s return to NASCAR’s second-highest division has not produced any wins, the 25-year-old still maintained a solid effort in 2025, granting AM Racing its first-ever run in the playoffs on points alone.
Much like Herbst, Burton has a winning resume in the OAP Series, and, most important of all, loyal sponsorship, with brands like Dex Imaging sticking with him throughout most of his development, time in the Cup Series, and his return to the OAP Series.
Burton is the type of driver that fits the LMC mold, as, if he were to return to Cup, he would have taken a similar path back to the top that fellow second-generation driver and LMC Cup Series talent John Hunter Nemechek took before landing with LMC in 2024.
A potential return to the Cup Series would also mark an ironic turn in Burton’s career, as he was once a top prospect for Toyota, even making a Cup Series start with the manufacturer before jumping ship to Ford in 2022.
Of course, many fans would say that, given a choice, they would pick Love over Burton, but, then again, LMC may not have a choice, and a driver as experienced as Burton could be a safe bet to get this third team off the ground at the very least.
As always, these are just rumors, and it’s important to note that neither party has expressed plans for the still very, very far away 2027 season. Furthermore, as most NASCAR fans know, even rumors that may seem like a done deal can change at the very last second.
What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
An email sent by former Joe Gibbs Racing Competition Director Chris Gabehart claims that resentment towards him from members of the Gibbs family made him feel that the future of JGR was a “no-win situation.”
Last week, Joe Gibbs Racing filed a lawsuit against former Crew Chief and Competition Director Chris Gabehart, claiming that the former Daytona 500 Champion had schemed to steal vital information from the team in the lead-up to his departure from JGR for Spire Motorsports.
Not even ten days since JGR filed this lawsuit, the two have continued to trade barbs and accusations back and forth through the court system.
In a filing earlier this week, Gabehart accused the team of misleading him in his duties as competition director in 2025, and specifically calling out JGR’s No. 54 team, driven by Joe Gibbs’ grandson Ty, alleging that the team received “differential treatment.”
Friday, an email sent to JGR CFO Tim Carmichael by Gabehart in November 2025 (released as part of this lawsuit) showed just how uncomfortable he had grown working at JGR during his tenure as Competition Director, with the industry veteran stating that Ty Gibbs and his mother, Heather, held “resentment” towards Gabehart.
The now former Competition Director went on to say in this email that, as the two were the future bosses of JGR, “I’m afraid that leaves me in a no-win situation.”
These exchanges, including the claims made by Gibbs in his filing earlier this week, have swept fans into a whirlwind of sorts, with the two sides even meeting in court today for the lawsuit’s first official hearing.
Of course, Gabehart’s claims about the state of operations at JGR pale in comparison to the accusations made by the Gibbs team in their initial lawsuit.
On Tuesday, the team even added Spire Motorsports, Gabehart’s current employer, as a co-defendant, and requested the court force Gabehart to sit out at least the 18 months since his termination before doing any work in NASCAR similar to his role at JGR.
The team is also asking that any information procured by Spire from Gabehart be returned, though the CEO of TWG Motorsports, which owns Spire, Dan Towriss, told Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports Friday that “Spire doesn’t want data from Joe Gibbs Racing. It doesn’t have data from Joe Gibbs Racing. No point in time has it had data from Joe Gibbs Racing.”
Alongside Spire, Gabehart adamantly denied any wrongdoing in a post to social media last week, saying, “I feel compelled to speak out today and forcefully and emphatically deny these frivolous and retaliatory claims.”
What’s Happening? Former Joe Gibbs Racing Crew Chief and Competition Director Chris Gabehart has filed a new response slamming JGR as…
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