While this weekend didn’t count for points, it sure did matter to the fans and the NASCAR Cup Series drivers battling it out for a cool $1 million in the NASCAR All-Star Race. So, who are the biggest losers from NASCAR’s All-Star weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway?
We begin our week with Ryan Preece, who, as a legendary modified racer, was one of the favorites in the All-Star Open to advance to the All-Star Race. But late in the All-Star Open, Preece fell victim to NASCAR’s choose cone, a triangle painted on the front stretch which signals drivers to choose the outside lane or inside lane for a restart. Preece, who was set to restart second with 20 to go, could not see the choose cone and drove right over it.
Preece initially chose the inside lane. However, NASCAR sent him to the rear of the field for driving over the choose cone. Preece, who went on to finish 11th, told NASCAR on FOX that the cone was “non-existent from inside the car.” Not only did the broadcast agree this was the case, but so did NASCAR officials, who repainted the cone prior to the main event.
In the fallout of this, fans agree on two things: First, Preece had one of the best cars in the Open and likely could have been in the All-Star Race. Second, this rule should not have ended the day for the No. 60 team.
Layne Riggs is often considered one of the top up-and-comers in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. With two breakthrough wins late last season, the second-generation racer established himself as one to watch in the 2024 season. So far, he hasn’t disappointed. While he is winless, Riggs has improved both his average starting spot and his finishing spot this season.
So, why is a young driver of such regard on our list? Well, while it was a short race, Riggs, in the midst of some pretty rough racing for the lead, wrecked Corey Heim on the final lap of the race. Heim, who many consider the premier driver in the Craftsman Truck Series, was, prior to this late restart, walking away with yet another dominant win. However, Riggs’s aggression cost them both, as his Front Row Motorsports teammate Chandler Smith took home the win.
To add insult to injury, Heim approached Riggs after race, while Riggs sat in silence, Heim told his fellow young driver, “You are racing like fucking idiot. Calm down, or else someone’s gonna take care of you.”
So, Mr. Logano, do you not like gimmicks when they don’t work for you? The No. 22’s early struggles have low-lighted Joey Logano’s season after winning a very unlikely championship last fall. But, right on cue, it looked like Logano was coming into his own just like last season, with a smart victory at Texas Motor Speedway, and once again dominating the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro.
However, Logano’s lead was cut down by the Promoters Caution, a gimmick that allowed a Caution to be flown prior to lap 220. When Michael Waltrip quite literally threw the flag, Logano opted not to get new Goodyear Eagles. A battle then commenced with Christopher Bell, who had the second-best car with new tires. After a hard-fought battle with Bell, Logano’s 139 laps led amounted to a mere second-place finish.
Now, fans, most of whom despise a playoff system they deem a gimmick, are reveling in Logano’s loss in a gimmicked race. Logano even told the media after the race, “When you lead that many laps, you have the fastest car, and a gimmick caution beats you – it just sucks.”
Yikes, another one, Brad? Though we began doing the biggest loser awards this season, former NASCAR Cup Series Champion Brad Keselowski can’t seem to get off the list.
Last week, it was a blown tire. Before that, Keselowski’s RFK Racing team had a great weekend that turned sour at Texas. This time, Brad looked like the favorite to win the race, with his No. 6 the best in qualifying and winning the All-Star Race Heat on Saturday.
But this time, the racing gods bestowed the No. 6 team with another difficult weekend. Early on, Brad looked promising, fending off several other drivers, working his total up to 62 laps led, the second most of Sunday’s main event. But on Lap 77, Keselowski got loose and slammed into the turn three wall. Honestly, we are at a loss for words on Brad’s season thus far. Perhaps the All-Star break and transition to NASCAR on Prime Video can help the No. 6 team move on after a miserable start to 2025.
While NASCAR on FOX often gets a bad rap, it wasn’t at its worst during All-Star Weekend. Now, there were minor issues, such as incorrect replays and a scoring pylon that had Justin Allgaier still behind the wheel of the No. 5 rather than Kyle Larson. But it seems like the team at FOX is slowly correcting the course.
However, if you were on social media Sunday night, you would have no way of knowing this. Fans, as always, had their memes and normal comments about “surviving” FOX’s NASCAR Cup Series coverage. However, the key takeaway here is how far FOX has fallen, and there is a literal celebration when their coverage ends.
Fan sentiment is at an all-time low for FOX, and even if they revamp their product when cars roll into Daytona next spring, regaining not only their respect but also their trust will be a challenge of its own.
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