NASCAR Mourns Loss as Dec. 2024 Death Report Surfaces

^{Jan 30, 2025 | Edition #130}

👋 Dear Motorheads,

Sometimes you sign up for one thing and end up getting a little extra—like ordering a burger and unexpectedly getting fries. That was us on Tuesday. The Lucky Dog On Track Lite edition—normally sent to our most die-hard readers—went out to everyone. Consider it a free sample. But if you liked it, just click here to make it official.

Now, back to today’s stories. Did you know the real magic happens in the moments we don’t talk about enough? Like Harrison Burton’s epic defense at Daytona in his #21 car—a moment that might have been forgotten if not for the call that made it unforgettable.

And speaking of legendary calls, we’ve lost one of the voices behind so many of them.

🫡 The Lucky Dog Salutes

NASCAR’s Legendary Broadcaster Dies at 67

“Tony Stewart, a native Hoosier, his dreams come true,”- If you remember this call, you know who we are talking about!

It saddens us to share that Bill Weber has passed away. He died on Dec 13th [last month] at the age of 67. But for some reason, it was kept a secret.

He first made his mark in the late 90s and became the voice behind iconic moments, including Stewart’s second championship and Jimmie Johnson’s Trifecta. As the pre-race host for NBC after securing NASCAR's broadcasting rights in 2001, his contributions were unforgettable. While his passing is a loss, we celebrate his legacy, and must not forget that he was epic on ‘Countdown to Green.’ Or when he gave that emotional monologue on NBC [you need to listen to this one].

And it was in 2004 that Weber finally got a seat in the booth. The original plan was to swap him with Allen Bestwick for a few races. But Weber’s voice kind of grew on everybody and Bestwick lost his spot despite making sports history’s biggest calls - “It’s going to be Dale Earnhardt Jr, from lessons learned from his father.” [still gives us the shivers] Watch the footage.

So, Weber had some big shoes to fill!

• He called the entire 2005 and 2006 seasons with NBC.

• NBC left the sport in 2006, but Bill Weber continued in the booth with TNT until 2009, when things spiraled down.

• At the end of the 2009 season, Ralph Sheheen suddenly replaced Weber.

His career took a mysterious turn after an undisclosed altercation at a TNT hotel led to his departure from NASCAR broadcasting. While the details remain unclear, TNT was tight-lipped about the incident. Following his exit, Weber briefly worked in unlimited hydroplane racing, but it was not his true passion. In his final years, he made a surprising career change, becoming a magician in Florida—a unique twist to his already colorful journey.

But his exact words after losing the TNT gig were, "It's a passion I hope to turn into a profession." No matter what, Bill, you will always have a place in our hearts.

The Lucky Dog and your fans hope that you rest in heaven! 

Watch some of Weber’s best calls in NASCAR.

🗝️ From the Vault

When Little Dale and Kelley Earnhardt Had a Car Crash

When you are ‘The Intimidator's' children, a normal childhood is not expected. But this story is a bit of a stretch [by even their standards].

So, Junior had TJ Majors in his recent podcast episode and the two discussed Intimidator’s car collection as the former was growing up [like everyday cars, not collectibles]. And, turns out the first memory he has as a child was riding in 1978 Monte Carlo. 

Imagine a 2-year-old, playing on the floorboard of the ‘78. Carefree and reckless. But this doesn’t come close to when he and Kelley wrecked the same Monte Carlo. One moment, Sr. and Brenda stepped into the house to grab a few things. The next thing they knew, their Monte Carlo was nowhere in sight—until they looked down the street.

There it was, nose-first into a building. A tiny Dale Jr., barely old enough to walk, was upside down on the floorboard. Kelley, likely sprawled across the dashboard. Two little Earnhardts, a wrecked car, and a mystery—who hit the clutch, who shifted the gear, and how did they pull it off? Hear Junior narrate the full story.

And this was a common scenario at the Earnhardts. According to Dale Jr, he was just 2-3 years old. So that means Kelley wouldn’t be more than 5. And, we for sure the big sister protected her tiny brother. Seriously, look at how little he was! 

Maybe they shared the blame in the car incident, like the time they did for T-boning their Jet Skis. The duo and their crash stories are plenty (Go-karts, bicycles, and more). After all, we can't forget whose kids they are!

Continue Reading: “Undercover” Jokester Leaves Dale Earnhardt Jr. in Stitches Over Chase Briscoe Jab

🏁 Lucky Dog’s Quick Poll 🏁

🌪️ Cause for Controversy

Did Corey LaJoie Just Insult NASCAR?

In 2025, LaJoie will mostly be on the sidelines and only be running the #01 car for Rick Ware Racing as a part-timer. Other than this, he’s set to spend time as a race analyst for Amazon Prime Video. That’s huge we know! But this clearly is a step down after running 8 full Cup Seasons. 

But his stance has completely changed about a demotion [rather, he’s taking it as an insult!]. Apparently, “It’s all about Sunday” for LaJoie [which is the ultimate goal of any NASCAR driver].

So he’s not wrong! But he probably took it too far with his comments where he said, “12 people in the grandstands” for a truck race is a bit much. And that's not all, there are more nasty things: Here, hear for yourself. 

We get it, Corey! You don’t want to be stuck in a lower series. And it was natural for someone who has been in it, to get offended.

But imagine Josh Reaume, who has seen the nitty-gritty of the lower divisions. That's probably why he thought LaJoie’s comments were an insult to “NASCAR itself.” Read Reaume’s statement. 

And there have been so many drivers who never made it to the Cup, but still are legends of the sport.

1. Ron Hornaday Jr. is one. He won four Truck Series championships and 51 races.

2. Justin Allgaier is another. He was in the Cup for some time. But he chose to come back to Xfinity. And not because it's easier (it has its challenges). And with so much success on his Xfinity resume, it might now be easier for him to bag a top-tier Cup ride. 

The lower series is like progressions to slowly hone your race craft and finally make it to the Cup. LaJoie, after some ARCA success (2012-2013), directly got a Cup ride (214). That’s probably why we haven’t seen his true potential (like we saw in ARCA). Also, he’s only run with backmarkers (5 different ones) till now!

Currently, he’s with RWR. And even though he claims to have the ability to contend for wins (whenever he wants)...it seems unlikely with RWR! So, we think if he stays so rigid in his stance, we might not see much of him in NASCAR (at least on the track). Here is the link to it.

🔎 The In-Depth View

The Testing Results From “The Rock” Are Here

In the past edition, we spoke about Kasey Kahne’s NASCAR return [after 6 years]. If you missed it…Kahne’s piloting an RCR car in the Xfinity Series race at the Rockingham Speedway. 

While the Truck and Xfinity races are on the 18th and 19th weekend, NASCAR thought of giving drivers a bonus practice session [28th Jan.]. But, because the track was damp, the session was delayed. So, NASCAR extended it to the next day [29th Jan. The last time NASCAR was here was the 2013 Truck Series race [2004 for Cup and Xfinity]. If you recall, Kyle Larson was the winner, and the year before that, it was Kahne. So this comeback is really special for the latter.

Coming back to the test results, you’ll be surprised to know!

• After the test, “it still feels pretty familiar,” Kahne mentioned. Well, he seemed overwhelmed. Take a look at this clip of him enjoying the Rock.

• 2024 Truck champion, Ty Majeski did 166.547 mph. This was on Day 1, and it seemed like no one could beat it.

• On Day 2, 18-year-old Gio Ruggiero clocked a lap of 167.270 mph.

• The highest speed in the Xfinity Series was 162.431 by Corey Day. Check these moves around the Turns.

The past track record on the track was 158.033 mph (Rusty Wallace in the 2000 Cup race). And if you are wondering about how Kahne did, he was 12th fastest! Also, we did not see a lot of slipping and sliding. The minor crashes were Sam Mayer getting into the wall and Mason Maggio having a little spin. While it was the same for Ryan Ellis, he is hoping for some minor changes on race day! 

Overall, Rockingham’s return is feeling like a success on and off the track. The sessions were free for the public and on both Tuesday and Wednesday, they were packed with fans. So we don’t think attendance would be a problem again at the track. Let’s hope it stays the same on race day and that encourages NASCAR for a Cup race in 2026. 

Continue Reading: Ty Majeski Crushes 25-YO Record at Rockingham as NASCAR Plans Its Return

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