NASCAR Silly Season was shaken up last week when 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports sued NASCAR on antitrust grounds. In the following lawsuit released to the public, we learned a bit more about 23XI’s future plans.
The rumors about 23XI’s expansion came from all ends. However, it went up in the air even more in early September when 23XI and FRM held out on signing the 2025 NASCAR Charter Agreement. This decision left many wondering if 23XI would want to invest in a third charter.
Despite this, rumors persevered until the two parties sued NASCAR on Oct. 2. At first, most assumed this was the end of 23XI’s planned expansion, that was until they actually read the lawsuit.
“23XI is currently in the process of acquiring a third charter. 23XI and StewartHaas Racing, LLC entered into a purchase agreement on August 7, 2024, but the transaction is still in escrow and requires approval from NASCAR. In the interim, Stewart-Haas Racing, LLC signed NASCAR’s 2025 Charter Agreement.”
23XI agreed to buy the final charter prior to the signing of the new Charter Agreement. With 23XI agreeing to buy the final charter, the only obstacle to completion is NASCAR’s approval. Not only has NASCAR not signed off on the sale for 23XI, but for FRM’s purchase earlier this season.
An injunction filed by the two parties, if approved, would allow 23XI/FRM to race in 2025 under the new agreement. However, it is unclear whether or not that would include the finalization of the sale for the team. In the event it does, that would create a dead heat to fill that seat at 23XI.
@brakehard WHO GETS THE REMAINING SEATS IN NASCAR CUP SERIES SILLY SEASON? #nascar #racing #motorsport ♬ original sound – brakehard
There is a short list of available drivers for the third car at 23XI, both in and out of the Toyota camp. If the team goes with a TRD driver, it could be better competition-wise; if they go outside TRD, it could be better financially.
First is Corey Heim. Heim is the story of the Craftsman Truck Series these past two seasons. In 2023, Heim won three races and finished third in points. So far this season, Heim has had six wins with Tricon Garage.
However, he can’t seem to get a break with Toyota, as the rumored drama between Heim and Ty Gibbs, dating back to ARCA, might be keeping Heim out of top Toyota rides. 23XI has already stepped up and fielded Heim at Nashville in an unchartered entry.
What’s Happening? It was an awkward weekend for the Toyota camp at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Saturday was the main story for…
As good of a story as Heim and 23XI would be, he is not the front-runner.
SHR Xfinity Series driver Riley Herbst holds that title. Many sources point to Herbst as the likely driver of the third car. Herbst is a winning and consistent driver in the Xfinity Series. However, his ties to 23XI mostly stem from his sponsorship from Monster Energy and Terrible Herbst, his family gas station company.
Brakehard, via TikTok, reported that Herbst’s family might have helped with the purchase of that third Charter. Should that purchase go through, many expect to see Herbst in a Toyota in 2025.
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Where do all the drivers stand after the first official points race in the standings table?
After winning the opening points race of the season at Daytona by leading one lap, Tyler Reddick made it to the top of the standings. Under the new rules, he managed to pull up 58 points. He pocketed 55 for the win and added three more by finishing Stage 2 in P8. He may have squeezed out at least one more had he landed inside the top 10 in Stage 1, but after getting swept into a Lap 5 crash, Reddick limped the Stage 1 in P20, giving him no extra points.
Rounding out the top 10 are Brad Keselowski with 39 points in sixth despite a P5 finish, followed by his driver, Chris Buescher, in seventh with 39, Bubba Wallace in eighth with 37, Carson Hocevar in ninth with 36, and Ryan Blaney in 10th with 36.
Atlanta could be a springboard for Elliott, who owns an average finish of 11.4 across 14 starts there, with two wins, including one in last year’s fall race, plus three top fives and nine top 10s. The track could also pull Kyle Busch back into contention. Having already shown his speed at Daytona by winning the pole, he may potentially pull it off at the 1.54-mile track. The RCR driver sits P14 in the standings, but with an average finish of 8.8 at Atlanta since 2023 across six starts, the place might finally snap his 94-race drought.
Then again, Connor Zilisch has only one start at the track and came home P11 last year when he made his third Cup start there, making Atlanta a stage where he could stamp his mark.
Ryan Blaney will also have a better chance than anyone else to climb through a win or even points alone at Atlanta. The No. 12 Team Penske driver has one win there from 2021, but consistency has been his strong suit, with seven top fives and nine top 10s in 15 starts. And that puts him in a position to move the needle when the field rumbles into Atlanta.
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The Daytona 500 and Speedweeks may be over, but that doesn’t mean the chaos will cool off for the stars of NASCAR’s three National Series, as they roll into Hampton, Georgia, to the high banks of EchoPark Speedway for one of the schedule’s most unique race weekends.
Note: This article will be updated as more information about the weekend comes out.
One race weekend is in the books, and a 36-week march back to Florida is underway for the three NASCAR National Series. Whether you are going to be at the track or home, what does the forecast look like for the race weekend in Hampton, Georgia?
Before the Races (10:00 AM – 2:00 PM)
During the Truck Race (2:00 PM – 5:00 PM)
During the OAP Series Race (5:00 PM – 8:00 PM)
After the Race (8:00 PM – 11:00 PM)
Before the Race (11:00 AM – 3:00 PM)
During the Race (3:00 PM – 7:00 PM)
After the Race (7:00 PM – 10:00 PM)
NASCAR got lucky at EchoPark in 2025, and, as a matter of fact, everywhere else, but that doesn’t mean weather hasn’t affected the track’s races in the past with spot showers and major showers taking on race weekends. Take the summer of 2023, when the race took on a large rain shower that resulted in the race ending after just 185 laps, with race winner William Byron the leader at the time of caution.
Note: This article will be updated with a more accurate and detailed forecast as the race weekend nears.
