No. 22 Secures VVIP Spot on the White House South Lawn!

^{Apr 12, 2025 | Edition #162}

👋 Dear Motorheads,

The Food City 500 is here, and Denny Hamlin is eyeing a potential three-peat. But before we dive into the Cup Series showdown, Roger Penske and the Penske boys pay a visit to the White House

And, it wasn’t just the team that got the spotlight. One of their Fords even rolled onto the South Lawn. On the other hand, Dale Jr. has quietly stepped away from a potential trademark clash. But is it a retreat?

Not quite. It turns out he found a smart workaround, one that caught fans off guard and avoided the legal drama everyone feared.

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Team Penske And Joey Logano Meet Donald Trump

Winning the Cup Series has its perks. Just ask Joey Logano. He didn’t just get a trip to the White House with his teammates. He got to shake the President’s hand! To those unaware, President Donald Trump is one of the biggest fans of motorsport.

The Lucky Dog remembers his appearance at the Daytona 500 earlier this year, as he took the Beast down the track ahead of the race. It was one of the biggest moments in NASCAR this year, right? The Beast led the cars on the pace lap as jets roared in the sky.

And, now, President Trump couldn’t help but admire Penske & team’s success, too. When Roger, with his team, reached the White House, the President made a huge statement, saying, “This is just a celebration of racing. It’s a celebration of Roger and his great success.” Mr. President even went into the nitty gritty of the IndyCar. And, did you know Roger Penske and the President are friends? Well, we didn’t.

And Team Penske didn’t show up empty-handed either. Roger and his boys pulled up in style. Also, Logano’s No. 22 Mustang turned the White House into a mini-pit garage. Watch the meet and greet at the White House lawn.

But the meeting wasn’t just about NASCAR. The celebration was to recognize Team Penske’s many successes across motorsports.

As for Logano, it wasn’t his first visit to the White House. He also made a trip to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in 2019 after winning his first Cup Series title. His No. 22 Ford Fusion lined up on the pavement as President Trump honored the driver and his crew.

This time around, he has three championships under his belt. And even though the gathering was meant to celebrate Team Penske’s achievements, President Trump had a surprise guest. And, as President Trump introduced, “This is Charles Schwab. It’s not just a company, it’s actually an individual. He made $2.5 billion today, and he made $900 million.”

Now, the visit is over and it’s back to work for Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, and the rest of the Team Penske lineup. For the Cup Series racers, the next race is at Bristol Motor Speedway, where both drivers will finally try to break their winless streak and secure a victory.

Continue Reading: Ugly Altercation at Bristol: Denny Hamlin Dodged Joey Logano’s Wrath in a Heated Clash

🔎 The In-Depth View

Dale Jr. Comes Clean On No. 8 Trademark

Everything was going great. JR Motorsports and No. 8 had big plans. Even revealed that Sammy Smith will be driving the No. 8 Chevy for 2025 in the Xfinity Series. But only until Lamar Jackson stepped in. And it almost seemed like a NASCAR vs. NFL situation. Fans began to pick sides, and emotions were running high. However, Dale Earnhardt Jr. maintained his composure through it all.

He knew a solution had to be found, and Junior couldn’t have made putting this battle to rest any easier! Having talked to Kelley Earnhardt Miller and the rest of the team, he realised the problem wasn’t with the Budweiser No. 8 at all! It was the font JR Motorsports had been using since 2019.

Yes, we must say Dale’s smart. “I wasn’t gonna argue with Lamar over something that I didn’t plan on using. I wasn’t gonna spend thousands of dollars with my lawyers to fight for something I didn’t need,” he said. And, there’s another layer to using the trademark. Dale Jr has succeeded with a trademark already, something that Lamar doesn’t know for sure. Dale Jr is somewhat abandoning the No. 8; here are the details.

But Dale Jr. has always had a deep-rooted bond with the No. 8, stretching from his iconic Budweiser days to his part-time runs with JR Motorsports. And when you picture that red Bud car, it’s impossible not to think of his defining moments in Victory Lane. From conquering Talladega with four straight wins to capturing the 2004 Daytona 500, and carving out his own legacy just six years after his father’s triumph, the No. 8 wasn’t just a car number, it was a statement.

That No. 8 car never gave up. Remember the 2006 Martinsville race. His car was running in P4, and having no protection for his right tire, Earnhardt lost his tire and the right bumper, calling a yellow. With 21 to go with that half-broken bumper, and multiple cautions, Junior picked Kyle Busch for the 4th position. Have a look at his car.

So, naturally, Junior loves that No. 8 indefinitely. And, when Teresa Earnhardt let the Budweiser-style No. 8 trademark expire, Junior wasn’t going to let the opportunity go by easily. He was as clueless as everybody else about its availability.

While that’s an old story now, we can breathe easy. The Bud 8 is safe. And Dale Jr. couldn’t have handled it any better. No drama. No Controversy. No legal battle. And, thousands of dollars saved.

Continue Reading: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Gives Stern Warning to Team Owners as He Prepares to Make a Harsh Call

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🗣️ Talk of the NASCAR Town

In the Charter Lawsuit, Jordan Seeks IndyCar’s Help

The charter battle is heating up. It seems like Michael Jordan and Co. aren’t just focused on the stock car world anymore. They’re also setting their sights on IndyCar, hoping that the open-wheel racing series will help them win the antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR.

But to prove that NASCAR operates as a monopoly is easier said than done. They need financial comparisons, and desperate times lead to desperate measures. As a result, they have subpoenaed the NFL, NBA, NHL, and Formula 1, asking for internal data on revenue distribution, which will help prove their case.

While that’s an ambitious move, IndyCar might prove to be a more cooperative partner. But then again, let’s not forget IndyCar is owned by none other than Roger Penske. As the biggest winner of NASCAR’s new era, would he be looking to upset the scales of balance by helping Jordan out?

If the open-wheel racing series doesn’t play ball, Michael Jordan and Co. will have hit a wall after exhausting all possible options.

However, things aren’t going very well so far. The NFL shot back immediately, and flat-out said that the subpoena was “based on the flimsiest of premises.” To make matters worse, the plaintiff’s attorney, Jeffrey Kessler, isn’t exactly popular with the NFL. He was behind the case that brought back free agency to the sport.

And, Formula 1? Well, things aren’t any better on that front either. Liberty Media isn’t looking to comply with the demands based on “undue burden and confidentiality concerns.”

It’s no surprise. F1 hasn’t revealed its Concorde Agreement, a practice similar to the Charter Agreement, nor has it ever given the specifics of the media revenue split. And to add to 23XI’s troubles, Liberty Media has tangled with courtrooms before.

Either way, it’s clear that 23XI and Front Row aren’t giving up anytime soon, and with an experienced attorney like Jeffrey Kessler, they’ll move heaven and earth to prove their case in court.

Continue Reading: Amidst Increasing Financial Burdens, Another NASCAR Team to Potentially Shut Its Doors 

🫡 The Lucky Dog Salutes

Heartfelt Farewell to Veteran Journalist Al Pearce!

For some of you long-term fans, you’re probably familiar with Al Pearce. The motorsports journalist was present at racetracks across the country, wearing his trusty cap, drinking his soda while working on a weathered laptop. He was one of the most recognizable faces in the media.

Pearce passed away on Wednesday, April 9. He was 82. It’s hard to believe that he’s really gone. For over half a century, he covered every Daytona 500 from 1970 to 2024, 56 in total. And, his popular moment, as he mentioned, was from the 1979 Daytona 500. And, if you look at how Donny Allison and Cale Yarborough fought at that inclined turn, it would become your favorite moment as well. And, it was an actual fight.

Al Pearce saw this incident from the first seat on the last row near the podium. Yes, that would be his permanent spot. The man was simply in love with stock car racing.

During his rookie years, he once asked NASCAR royalty Richard Petty a rather embarrassing question: “Why did you come out of the window instead of opening the door?” And, imagine what Petty said?

“Boy, you don’t know much about racing, do you?”

Pearce’s response, “No, sir, but I expect to learn.”

Well, Pearce was curious, yet one of the most respected voices in the sport over the years. And, there’s more to his achievements.

As a Vietnam War veteran, Pierce took up a teaching job after he returned, but he found comfort in journalism. And that moment with Richard Petty kicked off his career in Virginia in 1969 at the Newport News Daily Press, where he remained until his so-called ‘retirement’ in 2004.

Afterwards, he kept writing for Autoweek, covering stories despite being in his 80s. The journalist in him never really died. Not because he had to work, but because he simply loved what he did, or you can say he was a true motorsports lover, just like us.

And, he wasn’t just a journalist, he was also a mentor. NASCAR on FOX broadcaster Kaitlyn Vincie recalled how Al Pearce helped her out during her college days, saying, “I emailed Al Pearce my NASCAR column every week for his critiques. He always took time for aspiring journalists and introduced me to dozens of industry professionals. He is one of the absolute best at his craft & will be greatly missed.”

It’s not too late to get caught up with Pearce’s work. His latest work, NASCAR 75 Years, a book he co-authored with Mike Hembree and Kelly Crandall, is a deep dive into each decade of the sport’s history. The book is full of NASCAR Nostalgia. You can get your copy here.

Continue Reading: NASCAR Experts Crown Bristol’s Gladiator Sword Most Iconic Reigning Supreme Over Classic Trophies

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