When a Pace Car Driver Stole the Show

^{Dec 7, 2024 | Edition #107}

👋 Dear Motorheads,

We’re back with another "Top Five" recap! Last time, we relived the wildest crashes of 2024. But this time, we’re keeping it light while diving into some bizarre pit road moments - where chaos and comedy collided.

But that’s not all! The Lucky Dog is bringing you some off-season tea too. Over the next few editions, we’ll spill all the deets on your favorite drivers’ off-season whereabouts. And first up, we have someone who came ‘this’ close to winning the title this year!

A Quick Glimpse Into Today’s Stories:

💥 2024’s Memorable Pit Road Incidents

💍 Ryan Blaney’s Hearing Wedding Bells

⏎ ‘Project 91’ to Make a Comeback!

🤬 JGR Driver ‘Pissed Off’ Noah Gragson

⏪ Season Rewind

5 Bizarre Pit Road Incidents From 2024

We have seen how pit road is always a high-stress, high-drama place during a race. With so much on the line, mistakes are bound to happen. And, sometimes, these mistakes are scary. But let’s see what all made it to our 2024 pit-road fiasco list.

#5 Tough Day at Work!

Even the best NASCAR drivers crack under pressure. So, can we really blame the poor pace car driver during the season’s biggest race? Eight laps into Stage 2 at Phoenix, the pace car failed to make it to the pit road in time. But when it did, it nearly took out Chase Elliott with the sudden (and quite late) sharp left turn.

Despite the effort, it couldn’t successfully make it into the pit lane, and instead slammed into the sand barrels, causing a red flag. Having a front-row seat to the crash, Elliot said “he (pace car driver) was not gonna make it.” Here is a clip of that strange moment from Phoenix.

#4 The Xfinity ‘Fight’ at Martinsville

Martinsville never disappoints with the drama! Chandler Smith, in a must-win spot, bumped Cole Custer with 30 laps left. But Custer bumped him right back—sending both spinning. As a result, Smith’s season ended. Livid as he was, he vowed over the radio to “beat his “f***ing ass.” And he tried too, storming over to him after the race. But his punch? Well… you have a look at tell us if it was a total whiff or a flying slap.

#3 Logano’s Uncalled For Reaction

Just when Austin Dillon was having a good race at Richmond, Joey Logano, being Joey Logano, had other ideas. On the final lap, the Penske driver took the lead, and Dillon wasn’t about to let him have it. Dillon wrecked Logano to take the win. But what really made this incident stand out wasn’t the race itself—it was Logano’s reaction afterward.

After the race, the Penske driver revved his engine as it is shown here in the video, several times right in front of Dillon’s pit crew and family members. “I wasn’t going to run anyone over,” he said in his defense afterward.

#2 At Least Don’t Hit Your Pit Crew Members!

At the Kansas race, Lawless Alan overshot his entry into his pit box as he thought “the #38 and the #33 were switched.” Why would that happen? And even if that were true, the flag clearly said #33, so it wasn’t much of an excuse.

He completely misjudged his entry, slammed into his own tire changer, Brandon Henry, and sent the poor guy flying into the #38 team’s pit area. In the video, as you can see, it was an absolute disaster! Luckily, Henry gave a thumbs-up from the infield care center, but you could tell he was still thinking, “What just happened?!” A wild first in his NASCAR career—and let’s hope it’s the last!

#1 Kyle Busch Gets Punched in the Face

And we have to wrap this up with the wildest pit road drama of 2024. During the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro, Kyle Busch wrecked Ricky Stenhouse Jr on just lap 2. Fast forward to after the race—Stenhouse, still fuming was found waiting for Busch in the pits. While Busch tried to explain, Stenhouse threw a right hook out of nowhere, landing it clean and leaving Busch—and everyone watching—completely stunned. Here is the video of what was probably the most shocking 2024 NASCAR interaction.

After Stenhouse Jr threw the punch, Busch went down hard onto a tire stack. But that was just the beginning - things went from bad to worse in a hurry. Next thing you know, Ricky's dad jumps into the fray and takes a swing at Busch! NASCAR wasn't having it, though. They slapped Ricky Jr with a $75,000 fine and indefinitely suspended Ricky Sr from the team. Talk about a wild scene!

The elder Stenhouse had to sit out for four months, hopefully with some financial safety net to fall back on after such an unexpected series of events. But speaking of financial safety, here is a word from our sponsors...

🏁 Lucky Dog’s Quick Poll 🏁

Last Poll’s Result: We know how Dale Earnhardt holds a special place in every NASCAR fan’s heart. But now, we have numbers to prove it too (sort of).
In our last edition, we asked you all if Ross Chastain could be the next Intimidator. And a whopping 77.38% of you said “not at all.” We heard you loud and clear, folks!

🌊 The Off-Season Wave

Ryan Blaney’s Off-Track Whereabouts

While some drivers, like Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson, are running USAC events, others like to take it easy. And when it comes to Ryan Blaney, he’s somewhere in between! With less than a month to go before he and Gianna Tulio say, "I do," things are definitely busy on his end.

The couple got engaged only a few weeks after he lifted his first Cup Series trophy in 2023! Now that the wedding planning is in full swing, Blaney might not be racing, but that doesn’t mean he’s off the clock. In fact, he has plenty of brand commitments to keep him busy.

Recently, Blaney shot a fun video for an apparel brand, where he answered Thanksgiving-related questions while sporting their latest gear. In the video, he revealed a few fun facts about himself—like his preference for pumpkin pie over apple pie at Thanksgiving. Blaney and Tulio, who’s a social media influencer and a pro at promotions, have also teamed up for some fun collaborations. Here, catch a glimpse of this dynamic duo making the most of the pre-wedding hustle!

But don’t think Blaney’s staying inside all season long—he’s got a big love for golf, just like many other NASCAR drivers. Just like Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, and Dale Earnhardt Jr, Blaney too is often seen hitting the links with fellow driver Chase Elliott. He recently even claimed to be “a little bit” better than Elliott on the course.

Meanwhile, Tulio, a big fan of horses, regularly shares photos of her horseback riding adventures. And who knows? Maybe Blaney’s taking up horseback riding in the off-season too! Amid all these hobbies, he hasn’t forgotten about his nonprofit work thought. He’s deeply involved with the ‘Ryan Blaney Family Foundation,’ which raises awareness for brain health. He recently announced a giveaway to caregivers to honor their dedication to their families.

That is pretty much what Blaney’s been up to as he gears up for his wedding and, of course, his return to racing. After the wedding, he’ll waste no time getting back into action for the 2025 season, hoping to snag a second trophy after missing out this year. Oh, and as for the honeymoon? He’s “postponing” that for now—because NASCAR doesn’t wait!

More on Blaney’s Off-Season Life: Veteran Insider Settles the NASCAR Awards’ Bougie Debate in Favor of Ryan Blaney’s Fiancée

📈 Trending News

Trackhouse Racing’s ‘Project 91’ Will Come Back!

So, what’s the deal with Justin Marks’ Project 91?’ If you’re not familiar, here’s a quick rundown. Marks, the owner of Trackhouse Racing, kicked off the project with one big goal: to shake up NASCAR by attracting top-tier drivers from all over the motorsports world.

He decided to revive the iconic #91 car, which hadn't been seen on the track since 2012. Fun fact: this is the same car that NASCAR legend Tim Flock used to win championships in 1952 and 1955. So with the arrival of the next-gen car, it was the perfect opportunity. 

To kick things off, Marks went after none other than 2017 Formula One champ Kimi Räikkönen. The story goes that he flew to Switzerland to meet with Kimi and pitch the idea of racing in a few Cup Series events, including COTA, Road America, and Watkins Glen. At first, Räikkönen wasn’t really interested—but made his Cup Series debut in 2022 at Watkins Glen. Sadly, he crashed and had to settle for a DNF. Still not satisfied, he did the 2023 COTA race, finishing 29th.

That same year, Trackhouse brought in their second Project 91 star: Shane van Gisbergen. After a solid Xfinity season, SVG is now stepping up to the Cup Series—and his move is exactly why ‘Project 91’ hit the pause button. But now, Marks has put all the rumors to rest, saying the project is far from “dead. We just had so much going on with the third car that we prepared for a few races for Shane Van Gisbergen.” 

Now, that the team’s three-driver lineup is set, Marks says Project 91 is ready to make a comeback. In fact, he expects it to happen “sooner rather than later.” So, who’s going to be the next driver for the #91? Could it be Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull’s former F1 driver? Marks has talked about wanting to bring him in. And now that Ricciardo’s without a ride, it seems like a real possibility. Ricciardo, who “grew up a fan of NASCAR” has even said he’d love to race in the Daytona 500 someday. 

Well, nothing’s certain yet, but according to Marks, his phone doesn’t stop buzzing. “I get phone calls all the time from some of the greatest drivers around the world about coming and doing it.” Looks like Project 91 might have some exciting twists ahead!

Is Ricciardo Joining? Fans Urge Trackhouse to Fulfill Daniel Ricciardo’s NASCAR Dream as Justin Marks Leaks Project91 Plans

🌪️ Cause for Controversy

Snowball Derby Sees Rivalry Before Kick-Off

Let’s talk a little about the Snowball Derby. It is officially underway, and as we told you in the last edition, there were two practice sessions before the qualifying that recently wrapped up. And as things stand, Noah Gragson is not happy. The 2018 Snowball Derby Champion wasn’t expecting to finish 13th and 24th in practice. He was quick to admit that he wasn’t “quite where we need to be yet,” but he wasn’t about to take all the blame.

In the second session, things got tense when William Sawalich, a two-time ARCA Menards champion & soon-to-be JGR’s full-time Xfinity driver, moved Gragson off the bottom of the track, leading to a heated argument in the infield. Gragson even called him "the dip dot in the 62."

Here’s Gragson’s side of the story: “I’m on a race run, I’m already on the racetrack. He blends up right in front of me…That p*ssed me off. He’s tucked up behind me on a mock run, which doesn’t make any sense. Then he picks us up and sends us down in Turn 1. Just, it’s unnecessary, but you just can’t fix stupid.” Ouch, right?

Sawalich, on the other hand, doesn’t think it’s a big deal. To back up his side of things, he even posted footage from his in-car camera on X. But guess what? Fans aren’t buying it. Sure, some folks might just brush it off, but for Gragson, this race is huge. It’s not the NASCAR Cup Series, but for the Nevada native, the Snowball Derby is everything. In fact, he’s said it’s “bigger than the Daytona 500” for him.

It’s clear this race means the world to him, not just for the title, but also for the chance to reconnect with old friends and race against them in a one-of-a-kind event.

Since the moment he came to the event, Gragson has been driving from pit area to pit area just to catch up with racers he hadn’t seen since last December. He’s friends with everyone here. So, here’s hoping he can put the practice drama behind him and make the most of his shot in the main event on Sunday. 

Comments on Gragson: NASCAR Stars Get Candid on True Reasons Behind Snowball Derby Show Amid Noah Gragson’s Surprising 6-Word Claim

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✨ Featured Comment

Our last poll sparked plenty of opinions on whether Ross Chastain could eventually reach the legendary status of Dale Earnhardt. Super Fan Carol Howard, however, believes it is not just about the drivers…

Lucky Dog's Take: It is hard to argue with that. Moreover, if you ask the Lucky Dog... even if someone starts driving like Earnhardt in the modern era, they will surely be met with more jeers than cheers, at least at first.

Seeing all your comments (or rather love) reaching us from everywhere, the Lucky Dog is taking things to the next level.
Now, instead of just comments, we want to cover Your Story as a NASCAR Fan! All you have to do is share your story with us about the time you met your favorite driver, and we'll feature your in our next edition. Tell us here!

💌 Feedback