Motorsports World Mourns a Loss!

March 22, 2025

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Mar 22, 2025 | Edition #153

👋 Dear Motorheads,

The Cup Series showdown at Homestead-Miami is just around the corner, and while the engines are heating up on the track, the rivalries off it are burning even hotter. From veteran drivers taking shots at the young guns to legendary figures making their mark, and surprise partnerships shaking up the garage—there’s never a dull moment in NASCAR.

 🔎 The In-Depth View

Busch Doesn’t Hold Back on NASCAR’s Young Guns

If there’s a checklist of everything a driver could experience in NASCAR, Kyle Busch has probably ticked off three of them. He’s seen the best and worst of the sport, but if there’s one thing that drives him crazy, it’s young drivers showing zero respect for their competitors, their equipment, and most importantly, the sport itself. And right now, Carson Hocevar is at the top of that list with his full-blown ‘villain arc.’

After getting shoved up the track one too many times at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Busch finally snapped. Fuming over the radio, he didn’t hold back: “I don’t care if I wreck the whole f—— field. I’m going to wreck his a–.” And honestly, can you really blame him?

Hocevar has a reputation for stirring things up. But for Busch, the two go way back—to a wild night at Kalamazoo Speedway in Michigan.

Picture this: a young, fearless Hocevar, barely 13 or 14, sends it like there’s no tomorrow and straight-up sideswipes Kyle Busch into the fence. No hesitation. No mercy. Just pure, reckless audacity. And, recalling that incident, Busch said, “Never nothing after the fact, never a sorry, ‘Hey, my bad.’” And things have been the same ever since.

And, that’s what Kyle Busch finds hard to digest. It’s not just about the aggression, it’s a complete lack of respect! We all know Rowdy wasn’t exactly a saint coming up through the ranks. He wrecked Ron Hornaday in 2011 under caution and even tangled with his brother, Kurt Busch.

But here’s the difference: He had mentors. When Busch stepped out of the line, Tony Stewart set him straight before things got out of hand. “You just have to figure out how to rein it all in and be in control,” Stewart told him. And Busch listened, learned, and got better, carrying the advice forward.

However, when it comes to Hocevar, Busch believes there is a lack of mentorship, guidance, and little to no self-awareness. And that, for Rowdy is the root of all problems. “There is no fixing,” Busch said on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast. “What we’ve got going right now with everybody running over everybody, they would much rather crash than win a race. I don’t get it.”

NASCAR used to have an unwritten rule about racing hard but smart. Now, it’s all about making headlines, even if it means wrecking half the field in the process. At the age of 39, Busch is over it. He doesn’t want to fix what’s already broken. But will NASCAR do anything about it before it's too late?

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🗝️ From the Vault

The Racing World Bids Farewell to Eddie Jordan

This one truly stings. The motorsports world has lost an icon—Eddie Jordan, the man who helped shape Formula 1, has passed away at the age of 76. Jordan’s family confirmed that he lost his battle with aggressive prostate cancer on March 20th in Cape Town, surrounded by his loved ones. For those who have followed Formula 1 through the years, Eddie was a visionary. He had an unmatched eye for talent, the kind that changed the sport forever. He was the one who gave a young Michael Schumacher his first shot in F1, and we all know how that story unfolded. His legacy isn’t just about the cars, Formula 1 won’t be the same without him.

He did the same for countless others, including 1996 world champion Damon Hill, who said, “Eddie was a huge influence on me and many people in motorsport and around the world. There will never be another like him.”

And who can forget that moment from the 1998 Belgian Grand Prix where Jordan’s underdog team pulled off a stunning 1-2 finish at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, with Damon Hill taking the win and Ralf Schumacher trailing closely behind?

Watching Eddie Jordan lose it in the paddock—jumping, cheering, and celebrating every achievement—will forever be etched in fans’ memories. It was those raw, unfiltered moments that made him so special.

But Jordan was more than just a team owner chasing wins. He brought personality to a sport that often takes itself a little too seriously. While corporate giants and deep pockets dominated the grid, he was the ultimate underdog—the guy you couldn’t help but root for.

His influence reached far beyond Formula 1. Even "Bad" Brad Keselowski, who knows the struggles of team ownership firsthand, paid tribute to Jordan. Keselowski, who started his own team in 2007 with Brad Keselowski Racing, has always admired Jordan’s relentless spirit—and tried to channel it into his own journey. That’s the kind of impact Eddie Jordan had. And that’s why the racing world will never forget him. Here’s Keselowski’s heartwarming yet déjà vu post. 

At the end of the day, Eddie Jordan wasn’t just a team owner. He was a risk-taker who made motorsports fun. The world of motorsports will never be the same without him. And his legacy? That’s never going away.

🗣️ Talk of the NASCAR Town

ARCA’s Oversight Raises Serious Questions

We’ve got a bit of a situation brewing in the ARCA Menards Series, and Bubba Wallace’s spotter, Freddie Kraft, isn’t holding back. Freddie’s literally calling out some serious safety concerns after a young dirt racer, Nathan Goodrick, hit the track at Hickory Motor Speedway without even the most basic safety gear. And it actually happened.

When we say basic, we mean no HANS device, the window net down, and a missing windshield bracket. That’s insane. But what’s even crazier is Rise Motorsports proudly posting the whole thing on social media.

Now, there’s a reason these rules exist. NASCAR has seen far too many tragedies—from Fireball Roberts to Dale Earnhardt—where safety shortcomings had fatal consequences. While the sport’s safety measures were practically nonexistent in Roberts’ era, Dale Sr.’s tragic death in 2001 was a wake-up call that changed everything. Since then, NASCAR has made one thing clear: no driver should ever face the same fate. That’s why the HANS device, window nets, and SAFER barriers aren’t optional—they’re mandatory.

So, when a team decides to ignore those rules? You can bet people like Kraft are going to sound the alarm. It was Earnhart and Schraeder fighting. Afterward, Earnhardt was taken to the hospital. Take a look.

So when you see a rising star like Nathan Goodrick make laps without the basic safety gear, it’s a cause for concern. Freddie Kraft was straight-up raging, as he went on to call out both the driver and his team for not following the rules. The spotter makes a valid point in an X post, sharing the video, as running at a few hundred miles per hour without safety equipment can be a one-way ticket to disaster. Watch the video.

There’s no question that Goodrick has some serious potential. The folks at Rise Motorsports clearly rate him, saying that he’s one of the best drivers they have ever seen. But talent won’t help him get out of a sticky spot, right? Freddie Kraft knows this better than most. His driver, Bubba Wallace suffered a horrific crash at Pocono Raceway in 2018. So he’s definitely not playing around when he talks about safety.

While fast cars are needed to win races when it comes to safety? That can never be optional. Talent can only take you so far when your life is at risk.

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🔮 Lucky Dog’s Perspective

Penske & Wood Brothers Drop Iconic Henry Ford Tribute

Okay, here’s a big one. Roger Penske and Wood Brothers Racing have teamed up to bring an iconic piece of racing history for a ride. So their latest throwback color scheme is a tribute to one of the most iconic cars ever built - the 1965 Lotus-Ford. It’s a car that completely dominated the Indy 500 that year, proving that lighter and aerodynamic cars were the future of open-wheel racing.

This isn’t just any throwback—it’s a full-throttle tribute to Henry Ford’s game-changing impact on motorsports. Back in the ‘60s, Ford wasn’t just playing the game; he was rewriting the rules. The Lotus-Ford shattered them. With its revolutionary lightweight, rear-engine design, it was a rocket on wheels. And when Jim Clark dominated 190 of 200 laps to take that machine to victory, he didn’t just win a race—he flipped the racing world on its head. “Don't be afraid to try something new. It might be the best thing you ever do.“ That’s the historic win for Jim Clark

Fast forward to today, and Wood Brothers Racing is looking to channel that same innovative spirit into modern NASCAR. With Team Penske providing technical support, Josh Berry’s No. 21 Ford Mustang is already turning heads. A fourth-place finish at Phoenix and a win in Las Vegas prove that Berry has the potential to be a real contender—if he gets the right resources.

But not everyone is sold on the alliance. Denny Hamlin has voiced concerns about whether Wood Brothers Racing can maintain its identity or if it’s just becoming an extension of Team Penske. It’s a fair question—fans don’t want to see NASCAR’s oldest team lose its legacy.

Here’s the thing, though: this partnership isn’t about erasing history. It’s about honoring it. With PPG coming on board as a sponsor and Wood Brothers Racing celebrating its 75th anniversary, this is the perfect opportunity to blend the team’s old-school roots with a modern approach. WBR even paid tribute. Watch the X post.

Henry Ford built his empire by constantly innovating, and this partnership aims to follow in those footsteps. If it will work or not, only time will tell. However, one thing is clear, Henry Ford would have loved this if he was around!

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