Sad news rocked the NASCAR world on Thursday night. Speedway Motorsports Inc. announced that former Texas Motor Speedway Track President and longtime SMI employee Eddie Gossage died. The cause of death was not disclosed. SMI CEO Marcus Smith gave the following statement on the passing of Gossage, according to Jayski.
Today we have lost one of the world’s biggest race fans. From his legendary promotions to the lasting relationships he developed throughout the sports and entertainment industries, Eddie Gossage meant so much to the world of motorsports. On behalf of our Speedway Motorsports teammates across the country, our hearts go out to his many friends and his beloved family.
Marcus Smith
Road course racing is back, and with the NASCAR Cup Series at Circuit of the Americas up next, it’s the perfect time for a special conversation. Josh Bilicki joins the show to talk COTA prep, a new season with SS-Green Light Racing, why he loves the O’Reilly cars, and his new partnership with Mando.
From winning a recent endurance race at COTA to breaking down the challenge of managing brakes and tires in the O’Reilly car, Josh offers insight into why road courses are such an opportunity for drivers like him. It’s a great look at the grind smaller teams embrace every week and how preparation can make the difference.
Huge thanks to Mando for supporting Josh and the show this season. Don’t just mask it, Mando it. Available at Walmart and Target.
Watch Also
Five years ago, turning Atlanta into a drafting track felt like madness. Drivers were mad, fans were skeptical, and the history of track reconfigurations didn’t exactly inspire confidence. Now, nine races into the new era, it’s fair to ask a wild question — is EchoPark Speedway actually one of the best tracks in NASCAR?
From instant classic finishes to all three national series delivering intensity, the new configuration has built a reputation quickly. What once looked like a risky overreach now feels like a bold move that paid off in a big way. The bigger debate might be what happens next. If the surface keeps wearing and the style evolves again, Atlanta could shift yet another time. For now, though, this track has gone from controversy to cornerstone.
Watch Also
NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell claims that he feels NASCAR “got a little lazy” in its attempts to keep growing the sport during a recent interview.
NASCAR’s Steve O’Donnell is entering his first full season as NASCAR President, after taking over the post from former President Steve Phelps in March 2025.
O’Donnell took over his post during a turbulent time in sports history, as schedule changes and car generations compounded fans’ growing issues with things such as the 2014 playoff system.
To add to his troubles, NASCAR was in the midst of a heated antitrust lawsuit with two of its teams, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, that was bound for court in late 2025.
Ultimately, NASCAR would manage to put a bow on most of its troubles before the start of the 2026 season, settling the lawsuit with the two teams, changing its points format, and expressing an openness to explore changes to its NASCAR Next Gen car, such as increased horsepower on short tracks and road courses.
This whirlwind of change is turning gears in the NASCAR fanbase, with many fans saying a lot of the reshuffling is just as good for the sport as putting things such as the lawsuit and playoffs in the rear-view mirror, a sentiment shared by O’Donnell.
During an interview with Sports Business Journal on Monday, the long-time NASCAR executive said, “This is the first year I can remember where we’re going into the season, just talking about racing and what’s great about NASCAR.”
This isn’t the only shared feeling between O’Donnell and NASCAR fans, as prior to that, he said he felt NASCAR had grown “a little lazy” after overtaking IndyCar as the top motorsport in America, something he has even told NASCAR employees.
“When I started at NASCAR, we were chasing IndyCar, and the goal was, if we can just kind of surpass IndyCar, and we did that, and, you know, I’ve told our employees, I think we all got a little lazy.” — Steve O’Donnell
While many fans would agree that NASCAR has turned around for the better, there is still work to be done, and in O’Donnell’s eyes, the sport is in a prime spot to grow.
“My job and all of our jobs is to bring the industry together and talk about, we got a pretty cool thing going here, and we can really grow it,” O’Donnell said.
NASCAR isn’t exactly setting lofty goals for itself in 2026, at least in public, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have the attention of its fanbase.
While the revived Chase format has drawn back some eyes, things like NASCAR’s “Hell Yeah” advertising campaign were the talk of the NASCAR community entering the 2026 Daytona 500.
That race also produced a finish that saw NBA legend, team owner, and former NASCAR lawsuit plaintiff, Michael Jordan, bring home another major race win on National TV with driver Tyler Reddick.
This race also saw a slight increase in viewership from the 2025 Daytona 500, one hurt by a major rain storm that blew in early in the race’s running.
Though TV ratings may not be skyrocketing, NASCAR has early momentum to make 2026 good enough to set a firm foundation for O’Donnell’s goals of growth, but maintaining that momentum will be another challenge in and of itself.
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.
