Tyler Reddick Punches His Phoenix Ticket

^{Oct 28, 2024 | Edition #90}

👋 Dear Motorheads,

Money goes a long way in NASCAR. It can create legends like Richard Petty, thanks to a $250K grant. Or it can drive some difficult discussions, like 23XI Racing & FRM are preparing for in the courtroom. Fortunately, the Lucky Dog got to know more about it firsthand from the youngest Cup Series team owner ever!

But that’s not all. Today's edition also features the names of the winners from our recent survey, so do keep an eye out for that.

🫧 Drivers on the Bubble

Today, we’ll uncover the latest stories from the NASCAR universe:

💥 Reckless Rookie’s Act Leaves Rival Hospitalized

🏁 Tyler Reddick Punches 23XI Racing’s Phoenix Ticket

🎙️ Lucky Dog Talks Charters and Contracts With Special Guest

💭 Remembering the 90s, When Stock Car Racing Ruled USA

🗣️ Talk of the NASCAR Town

Truck Series Meltdown Terrorizes Homestead

We have a real mess on our hands, leaving Homestead. In Saturday's Truck Series race, Matt Mills of Niece Motorsport was involved in a nasty crash that sent him to the hospital. It all started when Mills and Rookie of the Year candidate, Conner Jones, of ThorSport Racing, got tangled up in a mid-pack battle that turned nasty. 

Battling for the 19th spot halfway through the race, Jones got a bit too hot under the collar and drove right through the bumper of Mills’ #42. The contact sent Mills hard into the outside wall on Turn 3, where his truck burst into flames.

Thankfully, Mills crawled out of the truck on his own, although shaken and dazed. He is currently in a hospital bed, being monitored by the doctors overnight because of severe smoke inhalation. But Jones? NASCAR handed the guy a two-lap penalty, which is barely a slap on the wrist for jeopardizing a fellow driver’s safety. And this is coming from veterans like Michael Waltrip and Phil Parsons, who agreed Jones deserved to be parked.

After the race, the 18-year-old avoided reporters in fear of saying “something stupid,” but later posted a public apology on social media for his “unsportsmanlike behavior.” Well, that just doesn’t cut it.

Yes, he’s only 18, but NASCAR can’t overlook his reputation for being a loose cannon. Earlier this season, he faced a scolding from NASCAR at Bristol for driving erratically. Then fellow driver, Daniel Dye, called him out at Charlotte too.

At what point does everyone say enough is enough? Sure, Jones apologized for his actions later, so we probably shouldn’t be this harsh. But what happened on Saturday has happened before, and will probably happen again if his actions go unchecked. That’s why such behavior should not be tolerated, and Conner Jones needs that message.

Continue Reading: “Classless Loser”: Fans Tear Into Truck Star’s Controversial Response After Worrying Matt Mills Crash

🏁 Lucky Dog’s Quick Poll 🏁

Last Poll’s Result: Almost 61% of you voted for Kyle Larson as ‘the most marketable’ driver in 2024. Behind him, we were not surprised to see his ‘Most Popular’ HMS teammate, Chase Elliott, at second. But at 21%, it ain't even close!

🏁 Sunday’s Race Report

23XI Racing Will Fight For The 2024 Title

Sunday’s Showstoppers:

Tyler Reddick has written an impressive story at 23XI Racing this year. As the team battles NASCAR in the courtroom, their #45 driver battled older tires and won his first-ever Cup race in Homestead. He is now locked in for the Phoenix finale—another career first for Reddick.

Ryan Blaney was inches away from joining his teammate, Joey Logano, in the final four. Rallying from a 20th-place starting spot, the defending champ appeared destined for a chance to defend his championship. But a late caution and a hard-charging Reddick spoiled his day.

William Byron fought back from a 25th-place qualifying effort to finish sixth. With this result, HMS’s #24 wheelman extends his top-10 streak to five straight weeks. He is now the last sitting on the final transfer spot, seven points safe.

The Also-Rans:

Kyle Larson began the race on row 1 alongside Tyler Reddick, but his fortune started souring only a few laps in. From tire troubles early on, to spinning out with 10 laps to go, it was a torrid day for Yung Money. He is the only Playoff driver apart from Joey Logano to have finished outside the top 10 in Homestead. Here is the clip of his overtaking maneuver going south and dropping him at the back of the pack.

Ty Gibbs placed last out of all JGR drivers, in 36th. This will be his third consecutive finish in the 30s, in just as many races. He languished at the back the entire day after qualifying 14th. The highlight of his race was an accident on Lap 187, where he spun the #7 car of Justin Haley, after a contact.

Chase Elliott might have scored a top-5. But leaving Kansas, Mr. Popular sits dead last in the Playoffs picture, 43 points below the cutline. That is strange, considering Elliott finished inside the top-5 in the first two stages and led the second-highest laps out of all drivers on Sunday (81).

• The Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway featured 33 lead changes - a new track record

• Thanks to a ninth-place finish, Carson Hocevar now has a comfortable 110-point advantage over Josh Berry in the Rookie of the Year standings with just two races left to decide the winner.

• Only one car had to retire early on Sunday at Homestead — JJ Yeley’s #44 NY Racing Chevy.

• Flag-to-flag, the race was 3 hours, 5 minutes, and 44 seconds long.

Miami turned up the heat, and now we’re just a race away from locking out our championship four. With Tyler Reddick paying his dues to Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, the question remains: who will swipe those last two spots for a chance at eternal NASCAR glory? It will boil down to who wants it most at Martinsville.

Continue Reading: Tyler Reddick Channeled His Inner Michael Jordan to Break Out of the Slump Haunting His Championship Hopes

🔎 The In-Depth View

Former Team Boss Uncovers NASCAR’s ‘Unrealistic’ System

The discussion around NASCAR charters and contracts can be a real head-scratcher. That's why the Lucky Dog sat down with Matt Tifft, the youngest Cup team owner in NASCAR history, to understand all of that better. Remember Live Fast Motorsports? They made headlines selling their charter to Spire Motorsports for a whopping $40 million last year. Matt co-owned Live Fast with BJ McLeod. But they went their separate ways when the team switched to a part-time schedule in 2024.

Now, Matt's getting back to his racing roots in the Late Model circuit. A brain tumor derailed his driving ambitions in 2019. Still, his passion for stock car racing burns brighter than ever.

As we chatted with Matt, he shared with us how even Live Fast Motorsports struggled with NASCAR's charter system, needing a hefty $5-6 million annual investment to stay competitive. As he explained, "There's the bottom three charter rule where you can't be in the bottom three of points for three years in a row. And [Live Fast] had already been there for two years, so it wasn't realistic."

Matt also weighed in on NASCAR's lawsuit defense against 23XI Racing and his former team, Front Row. He noted, "I believe that if we would have been there on that Friday, they said, 'You've got to sign this by midnight,' we would've had to do it... Just like Richard Childress said… He's got 300 employees, he's got sponsors, he's got people to take care of… I have to do this because you take that charter away, you take that revenue away, we're sitting ducks."

However, the 28-year-old thinks 23XI and Front Row have a point here. He just doubts NASCAR will agree to permanent charters. The bigger issue, Matt says, lies in NASCAR's reliance on sponsors and OEMs. He cites Kyle Busch's split with M&M's, which contributed to his Joe Gibbs Racing exit: "If that one Chief Marketing Officer comes in and says, 'I don't really like NASCAR,' that's what? $15-20M in sponsorship gone. And now one of the topmost talented drivers in NASCAR doesn't have a sponsor." Matt's perspective surely sheds new light on NASCAR's complexities.

Continue Reading: Matt Tifft Unravels His ‘Soul Searching’ Behind Overcoming Life-Threatening Injury

🔮 Lucky Dog’s Perspective

Where Did It All Go Wrong for NASCAR?

NASCAR in the 90s was more than a sport – it was a cultural phenomenon. The roar of the crowds, the frenzy of fans, and the widespread corporate support made it a national obsession. You couldn't escape it: From Jeff Gordon on Pepsi stands, Tony Stewart on Coke machines, and even Terry Labonte on your Corn Flakes boxes, it felt like the drivers were part of your daily life. But as times changed, the sport couldn’t keep up with the demands. 

Cable TV was king back then, and NASCAR was right there riding the trend. There were fewer digital distractions, meaning you didn’t have cell phones or Netflix, so more people tuned into the tube. And since NASCAR was one of the few major sports being broadcast on TV, it held a captive audience. Fast forward to today: half of America doesn’t even have cable. And that’s not to mention the confusion around NASCAR’s new media rights deal that will now see them split up their schedule and telecast races across half a dozen channels.

But above all, companies like Winston, Budweiser, and Ford were pouring millions into the sport, and turning it into a marketing powerhouse. The money wasn’t like any primary sponsorships we see these days. Fortune 500 companies used to push drivers, like Dale Earnhardt, the larger-than-life yet somehow still ‘one of us’ personalities as their biggest stars. So it felt way more human. 

Today, our NASCAR drivers rarely exist outside the track, leaving most of the world with little connection. No Nike deals, no mass commercials. Because of that, if you ask a non-fan to name a NASCAR driver in 2024, they’ll probably still say, "Dale Earnhardt." 

Regardless, the death knell fell after NASCAR had to say goodbye to their Winston sponsorship after a ban on tobacco advertising, under the 1998 Tobacco Industry Settlement Act. By 2003, Winston had finally left NASCAR to take away a sizeable chunk of the marketing money. Once that machine slowed down, the drivers, once household names, started fading from the spotlight. And when the once-strong bond between fans and drivers began crumbling under those financial constraints, NASCAR didn’t just lose a bit of popularity. It ended up losing its soul. 

While this is the Lucky Dog's perspective on the matter, we're sure there were more factors that led NASCAR to lose its steam over time. So send us your thoughts and get featured in our next edition.

A Big Thanks to the Lucky Dog Community! 🐾

Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete the survey! Your feedback is invaluable and helps us create content that you love.

Now, here are our Lucky Dogs who’ve received $50 gift vouchers:

We still have a few spots available! If you’d like to share your thoughts, join in and take part in the survey.

📰 More Stories to Check Out

1. Livid Kyle Larson Trashes NASCAR’s Next-Gen Abomination - Full Story

2. Kyle Busch Left Dumbfounded by NASCAR's "New One" - Full Story

3. Fans Bash NASCAR's 'Horrendous Decisions' - EssentiallySports

4. Tony Stewart’s Xfinity Champion Vents His Frustration Post Miami - Full Story

5. Richard Childress's Grandson Doesn't Give Kyle Larson His Due Respect - Full Story

✨ Featured Fan Comment

You too can share your NASCAR stories, opinions, and off-season news preferences with us by clicking here.

💌 Feedback