Bids on IndyCar? The landscape is shifting

June 05, 2025

Jun 5, 2025 | Edition #184

👋 Dear Motorheads,

This week, the Xfinity Series is taking a short break, while the Cup and Truck Series gear up for action at Michigan International Speedway. With NASCAR set to venture into international waters soon, the Michigan races carry even more weight (especially for those eyeing a playoff spot).

Other than this, NASCAR’s only full-time female driver just made a bold announcement, or you can see she’s being ambitious. And, talking of ambitions, the France family might be getting ready to take control of yet another racing series.

📅 Weekend Schedule

🗣️ Talk of the NASCAR Town

NASCAR’s Only Female Driver Shares Cup Ambitions

Toni Breidinger has been juggling her NASCAR commitments with her thriving modelling career for a long time now. While for some, it is an unorthodox side gig for full-time racers, for Toni, it’s her passion. And, she’s known for her bold choices and fearless personality.

Remember when she called the entire truck grid aggressive. This was after she crashed out early at Daytona International Speedway in her Truck Series debut, followed by another chaos in the ARCA Menards series race.

But this time, her words are for herself. Toni wants to compete in the Cup Series within five years. “I would say my five-year plan is to be in the NASCAR Cup Series. I feel that’s a realistic goal for me. But I would love to be in this sport until I have to stop doing it,” she said.

Let’s not forget, Breidinger isn’t your typical stock car racing driver. She made her debut at just 21, becoming the first Arab-American woman to compete in NASCAR, and the only female driver running full-time in the top three national series.

As things stand, she has made 65 ARCA starts under her belt, which includes a few top-five finishes. But results (in NASCAR) with Tricon Garage have been hard to come by, having finished no higher than 18th in 12 appearances this year. But she’s trying.

During the Weather Guard Truck Race at Bristol in April, Toni was having a good run on the lead lap until she got a little loose. And, it wasn’t even her fault. With 160 laps to go, a top 15 finish was snatched away from her. Watch here.

But despite all these bad runs, she’s made it clear, it’s not solely about finishes. “Did I improve this week? Did I learn?. If I can achieve that, then it’s a success.” That’s certainly a positive way to look at things. But her comments didn’t sit well with everyone.

Some feel, “She’s not even Xfinity caliber, let alone Cup caliber.” Others said, “A five-year plan to get to the cup? She’s lower in points than a guy who drives for his own team and a guy who’s missed multiple races.” 

But let’s not forget, Toni has been a trailblazer ever since she started go-karting at the age of 9. And, she’s clearly not asking for permission.

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🔮 Lucky Dog’s Perspective

France Family Likely to Dominate American Racing

Another week, and we are here with another France Family update. Last week, it was Jim France broadening his Cup ambitions by running a car in Sonoma, and this time it’s a potential IndyCar takeover by IMSA.

After back-to-back scandals, Roger Penske, the IndyCar boss, is caught up right in the middle of it, and scrutiny around conflict of interest is reaching an all-time high. Meanwhile, NASCAR and IMSA are watching the chaos from the background, ready to pounce at a moment’s notice.

So, the update is: After Josef Newgarden and Will Power’s cheating scandal, IndyCar is scrambling to win back the trust of its stakeholders by fast-tracking an independent officiating board by 2026. And that independent body is likely to be NASCAR.

NASCAR’s Instagram account, nascarman, released this post with a funny image and a caption, “Let Roger keep the Indy 500 and his events, but these conflicts of interest would be gone if IMSA were in control of the series.” And that’s not just a knee-jerk reaction.

Let’s look at it this way: The France family owns IMSA and could offer neutrality to IndyCar, which they are desperately lacking right now. To make things worse, even manufacturers like Honda are not willing to commit to IndyCar beyond 2026.

Additionally, with Chevrolet evaluating the ‘conflict of interest,’ things are not looking good for Roger Penske. So, the need for IMSA to step in is naturally dire. We know how it has pioneered safety innovations, from crash data analysis to hybrid technology, endurance innovations, and manufacturer R&D, to its stability amid chaos capabilities.

While Jim France would be more than happy to have a say in every racing series in the United States, it equally has the potential to bring Roger Penske’s project back.

However, after Jim France’s Sonoma stunt through Spire Motorsports, fans are skeptical about how that would change the Indy scenario. They are also hoping for NASCAR not to bring in Prime broadcasting for another racing series.

🏁 Lucky Dog’s Quick Poll! 🏁

Do You Think Jim France Can Run IndyCar Better Than Roger Penske?

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 🌪️ Cause for Controversy

Did NASCAR Make a Rare Exception For Dale Jr?

We know how NASCAR is when it comes to penalties. It’s so strict that fans aren’t even surprised at this point when the sanctioning body penalizes a team for infringements.

But every now and again, something happens that makes people lift their eyebrows. Yes, NASCAR has allowed Dale Earnhardt Jr’s JR Motorsports to delay a suspension. Now, that’s unlike them.

The cause: It all started with Connor Zilisch’s inspiring runner-up performance at Nashville Superspeedway. The 18-year-old finished behind teammate and reigning champ Justin Allgaier. The race ended peacefully. Connor had high praise for Allgaier, calling him “talented,” and said that he deserves to be in the Cup series. And, everything was going well until he got penalized.

So, after the checkered flag was waved and Connor was done doing his interview, NASCAR found two unsecured lug nuts on his car during the post-race inspection. Now, that’s a violation as per Section 8.8.10.4a of the rule book, which means a standard one-race suspension for the crew chief along with a fine.

But, to everybody’s surprise, this penalty PDF from NASCAR looked biased.

Controversy: As a result of the penalty, Mardy Lindley, Zilisch’s crew chief, was forced to sit out a race and pay the hefty penalty. But, instead of being suspended for the next race, which is in Mexico City, NASCAR allowed Lindley to serve his suspension at Pocono Raceway.

FOX confirmed the news, posting, “Connor Zilisch, crew chief, Mardy Lindley has been suspended for one race because of two loose/missing lugs (which was expected penalty). The suspension will be deferred from Mexico and will be served at Pocono.” 

We know NASCAR rarely shows this kind of flexibility towards anyone. Remember when Joe Gibbs Racing incurred a similar penalty earlier this season, they didn’t get to pick and choose when those suspensions would be served.

While NASCAR has not explained its reasoning yet, fans are coming to their own conclusions. According to them, the gap between the races in Nashville and Mexico could be a reason. And, they are guessing, maybe the sanctioning body felt the timing didn’t matter. While some fans think it’s no big deal as long as the suspension is served, others think it’s highly unorthodox from NASCAR.

But to allow Mardy Lindley to be atop the pit box at an international event feels convenient. Especially when Zilisch is 5th in the standings, and has momentum on his side.

In all, it raises an important question: if this is a one-off decision, or will the sanctioning body now treat the top teams, like Earnhardt’s, differently?

 🫡 The Lucky Dog Salutes

Rewriting NASCAR Narratives - Brehanna Daniels

Last time, it was a female fueler, and this time it’s a tire changer.

It’s the kind of career Brehanna Daniels never envisioned for herself. For a girl who was more focused on shooting hoops in her Norfolk State University days, the world of stock car racing wasn’t on the radar.

And, when she did, she was nervous, as there were “no black women” in NASCAR. She was even worried about how people would look at her and treat her.

“It never crossed my mind,” Brehanna mentioned. But almost a decade later, here she is, in the middle of the male pit crew, training, breaking barriers, and changing tires.

For her, it all started in 2016 when she joined NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program after a recruiter spotted her athletic potential. She had never even lifted a tire, but her natural strength, speed, and unrelenting drive made her stand out.

And within a year, she was already working in the Xfinity and Truck races. Today, she’s fast and fierce and is the first Black woman to work in the pit crew in a Cup Series race. Here, watch Brave Brehanna in action. 

However, her journey as a female and the only black pit crew member has been far from smooth. “I just remember getting emotional because I was like, this is my life now. This is what I’m going to be doing. This is who I am now,” she said while stating the hardships of the sport.

Still, Brehanna Daniels persisted. Not only that, but also paved the way for other women in motorsports. She’s still one of the very few women, along with Breanna O’Leary, who are working in a top-tier Cup Series pit crew.

We’re proud to see you in NASCAR, Brehanna. And we’re sure you are too. Keep leading that race for diversity, it matters now more than ever.

  1. 2x Oscar Winning Producer Finally Reveals His Interest in the Earnhardt Legacy - Full Story

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  3. NASCAR Is Going Global, Insider Backs the Mexico City Move - Full Story

  4. Kyle Larson’s Rival Reveals His Racing Career’s Unknown Struggles - Full Story

  5. Insider Drops a Big SVG Claim Amidst Trackhouse’s Exit Rumors - Full Story

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