Ford lost Zane Smith to Chevrolet. Smith was far and away the best prospect in the Ford pipeline, but, he is now gone. Ford’s pipeline is now pretty dry with Smith being gone, so, who does Ford have left among their prospects?
This season, only five drivers drove the full schedule for Ford in the Xfinity Series including the following: Joe Graf Jr., Ryan Sieg, Brett Moffitt, Riley Herbst, and Cole Custer. Of those five drivers, only one made the Xfinity Series Playoffs in Custer.
None of those five drivers are exactly hot prospects. Herbst is the youngest of that group at 24 years old, and he has not yet won an Xfinity Series race. Custer and Graf Jr. are both 25, and Custer already has three unimpressive Cup Series seasons under his belt with Graf never being a serious Xfinity Series race-win contender.
To put it bluntly, there is nobody in the Xfinity Series that can be considered a hot young prospect for Ford. The only driver in the Playoffs already has raced with little success in the Cup Series, yet he may be their best option moving forward. If the Xfinity Series is this barren, then what about the Truck Series?
Ford has two race teams under their umbrella in the Craftsman Truck Series in ThorSport and Front Row Motorsports. Zane Smith currently drives for Front Row, so he does not count as being a Ford prospect anymore since he is moving to Chevrolet. The other three drivers are as follows: Ben Rhodes, Ty Majeski, Matt Crafton, and Hailie Deegan.
Crafton is a Truck Series lifer, so, he is likely not moving up to the Cup Series. Rhodes and Majeski are 26 and 29 years old respectively. Hailie Deegan is 22 years old, but she failed to make the Truck Series Playoffs this year. Ford also has the young Connor Jones making part-time starts with ThorSport in the Truck Series, but he has yet to win an Arca race or even a CARS Tour race.
Again, there are drivers with talent in this list, but, no young phenom for Ford to build their future around. That is someone Ford may need with Aric Almirola potentially retiring at season’s end. It just does not exist in either the Xfinity or Craftsman Truck Series.
Wow, Ford is in a tough spot, and it is easy to see why Stewart-Haas Racing wants Aric Almirola to return next year. There is just not a lot of options for Ford in their pipeline. Ford either needs to poach someone from another team or develop someone from a very young age to replace Zane Smith. Not only was Smith an unfortunate loss for Front Row, but it also meant that Ford’s pipeline may need to be reset completely.
NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell says the Cup Series schedule is not guaranteed to remain at 36 races, and the sanctioning body is evaluating whether a different structure would make more sense.
Speaking about the long-term outlook, O’Donnell said everything from the total number of events to when they are held is under consideration.
“It’s worked for us, but I would not say this is the way it will always be. Is there a number of races that makes more sense? Could it be 30, or even more? Could we introduce midweek races and shorten the season? All of that is on the table.”
The Cup Series has run a 36-race points schedule for more than two decades, typically from February through November.
NASCAR’s current media rights deal spreads races across multiple broadcast, cable, and streaming partners, having been in place since 2025. Compared to the previous deal, far fewer races now air on traditional broadcast television, so fans have to follow the season across several networks and platforms, including FS1, USA, Prime Video, and TNT Sports. O’Donnell previously acknowledged that the transition led to a late-season dip in viewership as coverage has been on broadcast TV less often, and it clashes directly with the NFL.
O’Donnell says weekday races are an option if NASCAR wants to shorten the overall calendar without dramatically reducing the number of races. The sport last had midweek races during the 2020 season, when it was the first sport to return to action, at Darlington. During that time, NASCAR did multiple midweek races, including at Darlington, Charlotte, and Kansas, to compensate for the weeks missed during quarantine, and the audience showed up in TV ratings.
A shorter season could also reduce direct competition with football, which dominates the U.S. sports calendar each fall, while additional races would create more inventory for media partners.
Across sports, schedules are increasingly shaped by media strategy rather than tradition. The NFL, for example, has expanded its reach without drastically lengthening its season, adding standalone games on holidays, exclusive streaming packages, and international matchups to maximize value per game. The league also added a 17th regular-season game in 2021, its first expansion in decades, as part of a broader revenue push.
Other U.S. leagues are following similar paths. The NBA introduced an in-season tournament to create new broadcast inventory without extending the schedule, while MLB continues to sell national windows and streaming packages across its existing 162-game season.
In motorsports, Formula 1 has expanded the calendar itself. The series ran 21 races in 2021. 10 years earlier, it ran 19 races. And now it has a record-breaking 24-race schedule, despite being a global championship. Much of that growth is driven by hosting fees from cities and governments, as well as rising international demand, but drivers and the industry have already shown displeasure regarding the ever-growing schedule, deeming it too exhausting.
The shifts across sports accelerated drastically after the pandemic, when leagues became more dependent on media revenue and more willing to adjust calendars, formats, and distribution to match changing viewing habits. NASCAR, for example, rarely changed its calendar before 2020, but after the pandemic, it’s become one of the most diverse calendars in motorsports: racing on dirt, in stadiums, reviving old tracks, adding road courses, expanding internationally, and constantly changing its post-season race placements.
NASCAR has not announced any plans to alter the Cup schedule. O’Donnell’s comments indicate the organization is evaluating options as it plans future seasons under an evolving sports media environment.
What do you think? Should NASCAR have more, fewer, or the same number of races going forward? Would you like to see midweek races? Let us know what you think on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
Following days of intense online speculation and rumors within the diecast community, Lionel, LLC has officially confirmed that it is set to be acquired by Round 2, a portfolio company of Praesidian Capital.
The two giants of the hobby and collectibles industry will eventually merge to form a new entity known as the Lionel Brands Group.
The Daily Downforce reached out to Lionel, and they confirmed Round 2’s intent to purchase the company, noting that the transaction is expected to progress over the coming weeks. The move signals a major shift in the landscape of NASCAR merchandising and diecast production, bringing together two of the most recognizable names in the business.
“We are aligned around a shared vision to build a stronger, fan-first platform that supports the brands, communities, and partners that have made each company successful,” the statement read.
For fans and collectors worried about immediate disruptions to their pre-orders or current programs, Lionel emphasized that the transition will not affect day-to-day operations in the short term.
“In the near term, it remains business as usual,” the company stated. “Our priority is maintaining continuity and supporting the programs already underway.”
Lionel, which has long held the exclusive license for NASCAR diecast, and Round 2 (known for brands like AMT, Johnny Lightning, and Racing Champions) aim to leverage their combined “strong legacies” to create new growth opportunities.
While the announcement confirms the intent to merge, specific details regarding future product lines or changes to the “Lionel Racing” brand remain under wraps. The company noted that future updates will be shared via their official social media channels as the transaction moves forward.
The statement concluded with a nod to NASCAR fans: “We’ll be in touch once we have more to share – Enjoy the race Atlanta!”
Are you a diecast collector? What do you think about this latest move? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that 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
