In a busy city like Las Vegas, you don’t want to be stuck with a broken car key or locked out of your car especially late at night. That’s horrible, right? This city has nonstop nightlife, constant long travel and many visitors. So, car lockouts and key problems happen at anytime and it can be very frustrating. Whether you live in Las Vegas or are just visiting there, a reliable 24-hour automotive locksmith can save you in these situations. In this blog, you will learn why having a 24-hour locksmith is not just helpful but something you really need in Las Vegas.
Emergencies Don’t Follow a Schedule
Las Vegas is a city that never sleeps. It has the bright lights of the Strip to late-night parties and early morning coffees. Because of this, 24-hour automotive locksmiths are very important. Car emergencies don’t wait for regular business hours. They can happen anytime. Sometimes, you often get locked out of your car after a night out, need a spare key at 2 a.m., or have a broken key fob during a busy day, a locksmith who is available all day and night can save you from a lot of stress.
Quick Response Times for Urgent Situations
When you suddenly lock yourself out of your car, it can feel like more than just a hassle. It really feels like an emergency. Imagine you’re rushing to catch a flight at McCarran Airport. You realize your keys are locked inside your car. Or maybe you’re stuck in a quiet part of Las Vegas and your car key breaks in the ignition. These situations can cause a lot of stress especially if you’re in a hurry. When you have a 24-hour automotive locksmith, you can call makes all the difference. One great thing about 24-hour locksmiths is how quickly they respond. If you’re locked out, lose your keys, or have a broken lock, you need help fast. A 24-hour locksmith, such as yhlocksmithlasvegas.com, can usually reach you within 30 minutes to an hour no matter if you’re in Downtown Las Vegas or farther away. Their fast service gets you back on track quickly. So, you don’t have to wait long or deal with delays.
Protection Against Safety Risks
Las Vegas is a fun and exciting city. With this, safety is also a concern especially if you are alone late at night. If you get locked out of your car in a dark or unfamiliar place, it can feel scary and unsafe. If you are stuck somewhere in the early morning or late at night, it can make you a target for people who want to take advantage of that situation. When you have access to a 24-hour automotive locksmith, it gives you the help you need to fix your car problem. This makes you feel safer in those moments.
A Lifeline for Tourists and Visitors
Las Vegas is a very popular place for tourists. It always has millions of visitors from around the world over the year. Many tourists rent cars to explore the city. Being in a new place can lead to problems like losing keys or getting locked out. If you are a tourist, a reliable 24-hour automotive locksmith can help you anytime and anywhere you have a car lock issue. You can call for help and get back to your plans quickly. They can help even if you’re locked out late at night after a show or early in the morning before sightseeing. A 24-hour locksmith can solve the problem quickly so you can enjoy your trip without worry.
Wide Range of Services for Different Car Issues
Automotive locksmiths help you with more than just unlocking car doors. Modern cars have complex keys like transponder keys, key fobs and remote starters. You need special tools and knowledge to fix problems with these. When you call a 24-hour automotive locksmith, you get many services to help you with your car’s security needs. If your key gets stuck in the ignition, the locksmith can remove it without damaging your car. If you lose your car key, they can make a new one on the spot and even program it for modern vehicles. You can get these services anytime, which actually saves you time and money.
Lastly,
Las Vegas is a city that never sleeps. You never know when you might face a car emergency. Having a reliable 24-hour automotive locksmith is not just helpful. It’s definitely something you need. Whether you live in this city, just visiting, or find yourself in an unexpected situation, you can call a locksmith anytime. This gives you peace of mind. It also reduces the stress of car lockouts or other problems with your car. With fast service and expert help, a 24-hour locksmith makes sure your car and safety are taken care of. When you’re stuck, they help you get back on track quickly and easily!
Fred Lorenzen, Hall of Fame legend, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 18, at the age of 89 as confirmed by his family. No cause of death was revealed, but he had suffered from dementia and failing health in his later years.
NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France expressed the sport’s sense of loss and Lorenzen’s impact on and off the track.
“Fred Lorenzen was one of NASCAR’s first true superstars. A fan favorite, he helped NASCAR expand from its original roots, France Said. Fred was the picture-perfect NASCAR star, helping to bring the sport to the silver screen — which further grew NASCAR’s popularity during its early years. For many years, NASCAR’s ‘Golden Boy’ was also its gold standard, a fact that eventually led him to the sport’s pinnacle, a rightful place in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. On behalf of the France family and all of NASCAR, I want to offer our condolences to the friends and family of Fred Lorenzen.”
Lorenzen was one of NASCAR’s most beloved drivers and and highly regarded by his peers and his fans. This admiration resulted in numerous nicknames, including Fearless Freddy and Golden Boy.
He rose through the ranks after starting his career as a mechanic for Holman Moody in 1960. But, by the end of the year, he became the lead driver for the team. He captured 26 race wins throughout his career in NASCAR’s premier series, including the 1965 Daytona 500. And he accomplished this, despite never running a full season.
In 1963, he achieved another milestone in his career. Lorenzen was the first driver to earn $100,000 in a single season. He did so after competing in only 29 of the 55 races.
He retired in 1972 at the age of 32 to focus on his family and health. At his retirement banquet, Lorenzen said, “I guess every athlete wants to quit when he’s on top. I know I’m slowing down and have been a little more cautious in the last year and a half. Plus I haven’t been feeling too well lately. The ulcer is a small one, but it sure takes a lot out of you. I added up all these things and decided that now was the time to quit.”
And though his career was short, his expertise was undeniable. He left an enduring legacy that will live on through NASCAR and his fans. Lorenzen was named one of NASCAR’s greatest drivers in 1998 and was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in January 2015.
At his retirement banquet, Lorenzen said, “I guess every athlete wants to quit when he’s on top. I know I’m slowing down and have been a little more cautious in the last year and a half. Plus I haven’t been feeling too well lately. The ulcer is a small one, but it sure takes a lot out of you. I added up all these things and decided that now was the time to quit.”
Though his career was short, his expertise was undeniable and he left an enduring legacy that will live on through NASCAR and his fans.
Chris Lawson has been named crew chief for Todd Gilliland and the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports (FRM) Ford Mustang Dark Horse team for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.
The news comes as Lawson, a former racer turned crew chief from Medway, Ohio, spent this past season as a Cup Series crew chief for Rick Ware Racing’s No. 51 Ford Mustang Dark Horse entry that was split between Justin Haley and Corey LaJoie. Through the first 29-scheduled events of the 2024 season, Haley recorded two top-10 results. Following a midseason driver swap between Rick Ware Racing and Spire Motorsports, LaJoie replaced Haley and piloted the No. 51 entry for the remaining seven events on the schedule. At the conclusion of the 2024 season, the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing entry settled in 34th place in the final owner’s standings.
Lawson, who made his crew chief debut during the 2018 Craftsman Truck Series season for DGR-Crosley, first joined FRM in 2020 when he was paired with Gilliland and the No. 38 Ford F-150 team. Over the next four seasons, Lawson would notch six victories while working with Gilliland and Zane Smith. During the 2022 season, Lawson achieved his first NASCAR championship as a crew chief when Smith fended off the competition during an overtime shootout to win the finale at Phoenix Raceway. The championship would also mark the first for both Smith and FRM.
Prior to the 2024 season, Lawson made his debut as a Cup Series crew chief for Gilliland and the No. 36 FRM Ford team at Talladega Superspeedway, where Gilliland finished 10th. Through 36 appearances as a Cup Series crew chief, Lawson has recorded three top-10 results and has worked with four different competitors as both he and Gilliland strive to notch their first victory in NASCAR’s premier series in 2025. The duo had previously achieved back-to-back ARCA Menards Series West championships between the 2016 and 2017 seasons while competing for Bill McAnally Racing.
For the 2025 Cup Series season, Lawson and Gilliland replace crew chief Travis Peterson and driver Michael McDowell. The latter duo are set to join Spire Motorsports after spending this past season notching a season-high six poles, seven top-10 results and an average-finishing result of 21.3 with FRM’s No. 34 team.
The remainder of Front Row Motorsports’ driver and crew chief lineup remains to be determined.
The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season for crew chief Chris Lawson, driver Todd Gilliland and the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford Mustang Dark Horse team is scheduled to commence with the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on February 2 at 8 p.m. ET on FOX. This event will be followed by the 67th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway that is scheduled to occur on February 16 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
Let’s review the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season and highlight the most memorable moments. This journey will take us through the highs and the lows of the 2024 season, which includes 18 different race winners but only one champion. We will analyze some of the biggest wins, unexpected upsets, the final season for a 19-year career champion, and some heartbreaking losses.
The Championship Chase: A Look Back
The 2018, 2022, and 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Champion, Joey Logano, captured four victories in 2024, including three in the Cup Series Playoffs. The driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford didn’t capture his first win of the 2024 season until May, when he won the non-points race in the 40th annual running of the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway on Sunday, May 19.
Logano erased his difficult start to the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season by capping off a dominant run with a big victory. He captured the pole, which was determined through a combined session of on-track qualifying and the NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge, and he led all but one of 200 scheduled laps in the event.
“Very proud of the whole team,” Logano said. “This qualifying session is the most fun session of the year. It really takes every crew member all the way through. Everybody’s got to do their part to make it happen and that’s why it means a lot to get an All-Star pole. Obviously, a great starting spot. Get a little momentum booster for our team.”
“How about that, Wilkesboro?! That was awesome!” Logano said. “What an incredible Shell/Pennzoil Mustang. It was so fast. Man, we came here and tested. We ran over 800 laps at the tire test. Paul really put me to work, really figured out what it was going to take to win the race. The boys executed a fantastic stop. Fantastic weekend, great execution. It’s been a while since we’ve won a race. I wish this one counted for points, but a million bucks will work as well…Man, it feels good. Feels great.”
With an average-finishing result of 17.9 and eight results outside the top 20 through 18-scheduled events, Logano turned his luck into good fortunes after surviving through a record-setting five overtime attempts while going 110 laps on low fuel to capture a thrilling victory in the fourth annual running of the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway on Sunday, June 30. He started 26 and led the final nine of 331 over-scheduled laps to capture his first Cup Series victory of the 2024 season. This key moment guaranteed him a spot in the 2024 Cup Series Playoffs.
“It’s been a stressful few weeks trying to get into the Playoffs,” Logano said. “Being able to win here is huge for our season. It felt great to get that [win]. Boy, that feels good. I’m out of breath. We had it won off of [Turn] 4 and the caution came out. I was like, ‘Oh my god,’ but you can’t pit, like you kind of got to go for it. Boy, it was close, but we got to give a lot of credit to Roush Yates not only building horsepower, but build a fuel mileage that won today. When I went into [Turn] 3 and saw that [fuel] light [blinking], I was like, ‘Oh no, I’m gonna run out off of [Turn] 4.’ It just stumbled and spit and sputtered across the [finish] line. Trying to make the Playoff’s not easy these days with these Next Gen cars and everyone’s so equally matched. I made a lot of mistakes, even some tonight. It’s nice to be able to overcome. It’s a much-needed win, for sure.”
Logano started the 2024 Playoffs on a high note by winning the Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in overtime on Sunday, September 8 for his second win in 2024. He led nine of the 266 over-scheduled laps in an event where he qualified in seventh place and survived a war of attrition amongst his fellow Playoff and non-Playoff contenders.
“[It was an] Incredible execution from the team,” Logano said. “When it’s Playoff time, it’s out time. That’s what I said. We got to always level up when it comes to Playoff time and [the team] gave me a great AutoTrader Mustang. [The car] was fast all day. We got stuck in the back a little bit. It was hard to get track position back.
“We had a good restart and got towards the front. [I] Had my teammate [Ryan] Blaney behind me. It really helped out in that last lap to be able to make sure [a] Penske car won and ultimately, move on to the next round. Good day for all the Penske cars. Pretty good day today. There’s a lot of memories right here on this start/finish line for me racing Legends cars as a kid, so this is a really cool feeling to be out here in a Cup car again.”
Logano became the first Playoff competitor to clinch a Championship 4 berth after utilizing a late strategic pit call to win the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, October 20th. He started 10th and led the final six of the 267-scheduled laps for his 35th career win in the Cup Series and his third win in 2024.
Ironically, the 2024 season marks the fourth season where Logano has won the Playoff’s Round of 8 opener, with his previous three victories all occurring in even years (2018, 2020 & 2022).
This key moment comes after Logano only became eligible for the Round of 8 after the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, driven by Alex Bowman, was disqualified in the Round of 12 elimination race when his car did not meet minimum weight post-race. Logano advanced to the Playoffs as a result of the disqualification. He was previously 4 points short of transferring to the Round of 8.
“What [an] incredible turn of events here the last week,” Logano, who led the final six laps, said on NBC. “What a very fast Pennzoil Mustang. We’re going to the Championship 4 again! I don’t know what the deal’s [winning here at Vegas] with the even-year thing, but maybe it’s real. Thanks to the fans out here. Thanks to Roush Yates Engines for making great fuel mileage. Great calls by [crew chief] Paul [Wolfe], Nick Hensley, our gas man, making sure [the car]’s full, giving me the good info I need to save fuel and keep the lead that we needed to. Boy, we’re going racing again. What an incredible situation. I’m blessed.”
Logano elevated his driver status to another level and in an elite category of three-time champions in NASCAR’s premier series by claiming a dominant victory in the 2024 finale at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, November 10. He started second and led twice for 107 of 312 scheduled laps.
Despite teammate Ryan Blaney inching up on him through every turn and straightaway while cutting away his advantage, Logano had enough horsepower to fend off Blaney to win the 2024 finale and claim his third Cup Series championship in seven seasons in the process.
“I love the Playoffs,” Logano said. “I love it, man. What a race. What a Team Penske battle there at the end. [I] Had a good restart and was able to get in front of [Blaney]. He had a lot of long-run speed there. That was all I had there to hold him off. Man, three [championships]. That’s really special to get to [three titles]. What a team to fight through today. We threw a little bit of adversity throughout the race. [Crew chief] Paul Wolfe, I mean, what a crew chief do I have. I got the best team. I don’t know if I’m the best driver, but I got the best team. Together, we’re very well-rounded and can show up when it matters the most. We get a mentally tough team that can make things happen when it matters.”
Logano ended the season with four wins (Ally 400 at Nashville, Quaker State 400 at Atlanta, South Point 400 at Las Vegas, NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix), one non-points win (NASCAR All-Star Race), 13 top-10s, seven top-5s, three poles, and led 414 laps.
Blaney, Byron, and Reddick short of the championship
Ryan Blaney made his second consecutive appearance in the Championship 4 but fell just one spot short of becoming the first repeat champion since Jimmie Johnson won five consecutive titles from 2006 through 2010. Blaney capped off the season with three victories, 18 top-10s, 12 top-5s, one pole, and led 567 laps.
“Yeah, [I’m] just worn out,” Blaney said. “[I] Just couldn’t quite get there. I tried really hard to do so. Just [the last] restart didn’t really work out. [Logano] just got too far away from me and it took me a while to pass a couple guys. [I] Just could never get by Joey and just ran out of time, but congrats to him. Congrats to the No. 22 team and Pennzoil and Ford. They put together a great Playoffs and we’re happy.
“If we’re going to race somebody, I’m happy it was [Logano] for the championship and happy to be one, two for [owner] Roger [Penske]. Three in a row for Roger. Super amazing. On my side, I hate it for Menards,…everybody who really puts a lot of effort into our program. Just super fast. Just didn’t quite have enough there at the end. At least, a Penske car won it, but yeah, heck of a battle. [I] Hope the fans enjoyed it and yeah, hopefully, we come back even stronger next year.”
Making his second consecutive Championship 4 appearance, William Byron capped off his seventh full-time Cup Series campaign with three wins, 21 top-10s, 13 top-5s, one pole, led 357 laps, won the 2024 Daytona 500, and finished third in the final standings.
“We just needed a little bit more,” Byron said. “I felt like we gave it all we had and that’s something to be proud of. We just didn’t have enough to go fight with the Penske guys. [Crew chief] Rudy [Fugle] made a great call. I was really proud of that. That was cool to give us a shot at the front row and ultimately, it netted out better. Just not quite enough, but so proud of this team. It’s been a great year. To make the Championship 4 and win the [Daytona] 500 is awesome. I know what we need to work on and we’ll go at it next year.”
Tyler Reddick made his first Championship 4 appearance. He notched three victories, 21 top-10s, 12 top-5s, three poles, led 597 laps, won the 2024 Cup Series Regular Season, and finished fourth place in the final standings.
“I think we definitely got our [Tame the] Beast Camry better throughout the day,” Reddick added. “[Blaney, Byron, and Logano] were able to pull away over time. It was a good year for us and everyone at 23XI [Racing]. To get to the Championship 4 and have a shot at [the title] was nice. We got to get a little bit better here at Phoenix. Obviously, we’re definitely motivated to do that knowing [the] championship’s sited here. Good year for us. Proud of the effort. It’s a lot to do. All the preparation, all the work that goes into this. It takes everybody. We were close. We were just not quite good enough, unfortunately.”
Larson, Elliott, and Bell had a Great Season
Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, and Christopher Bell were eliminated from the Playoffs at Martinsville Speedway.
Bell and William Byron were battling for the final playoff spot as Bell drove into the final corner, riding against the outside wall. NASCAR officials reviewed the move and determined that Bell had committed a safety violation, which resulted in a penalty.
Despite Bell’s move being similar to the move Ross Chastain made up against the Turns 3 and 4 outside wall to gain spots and make the Championship 4 round in 2022, NASCAR had banned the wall-ride maneuver from competitors before the start of the 2023 season. After a lengthy NASCAR review, Bell was demoted from 18th to 22nd in the final running order, which left him four points out of the Championship 4 field, and Byron advanced.
“I don’t know what to say,” Bell said, “I understand that the rule was made to prevent people from riding the wall, but my move was completely different than what Ross’s [Chastain] was. He explained, adding, “I got loose getting into the corner, and slid right into the fence. I don’t know what else to say.”
But overall, Bell had a great season, with three wins, 23 top-10s, 15 top-5s, three poles, and 1145 laps led.
Larson had a dominating season and captured six wins but came up short in the Playoffs. Larson had 18 top-10s, 15 top-5s, five poles, and led 1700 laps. He won the Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, AdventHealth 400, Kansas Speedway, Toyota/Save Mart 350, Sonoma Raceway, Brickyard 400, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Bass Pro Shops Night Race, Bristol Motor Speedway, and the Bank of America Roval 400, Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval.
“I’m proud of the effort from this No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevy team. This whole Round of Eight has been a fight, really. From the first stage at Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) on, it’s been a fight. I feel like we made the right pit call to give ourselves the best opportunity. I’m proud of my team; the car, the pit crew, everyone at Hendrick Motorsports. We just didn’t have enough.”
Despite having a great season, Elliott also came up short of making the Playoffs with a second-place finish at Martinsville. Elliott finished the season with one win, 19 top-10s, 11 top-5s, and led 431 laps.
Illustrious 19-year career
Martin Truex Jr. finished 17th in his 693rd and final start as a full-time Cup Series driver. The 2017 Cup Series champion’s No. 19 Bass Pro Shops/Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry XSE entry had a special red throwback scheme that mirrored the scheme Truex had when he made his Cup Series debut at Atlanta Motor Speedway in October 2004. He captured his 25th and final pole position with a lap of 134.741 mph in 26.718 seconds during qualifying at Phoenix.
Truex led 555 laps, only the sixth driver in history to accomplish this feat. He also notched a total of five top-five results and 11 top-10 results with an average finish of 17.4, which was enough for him to settle in 10th place in the final championship standings in 2024.
Truex Jr. was left with mixed reactions in his final event as a full-time competitor in NASCAR’s premier series. Amid the disappointment, Truex, who received a standing ovation during the pre-race drivers meeting before the finale, was praised and greeted on pit road by NBA legend/23XI Racing co-owner Michael Jordan and four-time Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon.
“It means a lot,” Truex added. “To have the respect of guys like that and what they mean to the sport and absolute legends. It makes me feel good that I’ve earned that respect over the years. It means a lot.”
Truex capped off an illustrious 19-year career in NASCAR’s premier series, where he achieved the 2017 championship, 34 race victories, 25 poles, 147 top-five results, 291 top-10 results, 12,747 laps led, 11 Playoff appearances, and an average-finishing result of 15.3 through 693 starts. Truex made his mark throughout his Cup Series career with organizations such as Dale Earnhardt Inc., Chip Ganassi Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing, Furniture Row Racing, and Joe Gibbs Racing.
In addition to winning the 2017 Cup Series championship, Truex, a two-time champion in the Xfinity Series, departs from full-time Cup competition with notable accomplishments that include capturing two Coca-Cola 600s, the 2016 Southern 500, and the 2023 Busch Light Clash victory. Named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023, Truex is among 40 drivers to win across NASCAR’s top three national touring series.
Rookie-of-the-Year
Carson Hocevar claimed the 2024 Sunoco Rookie-of-the-Year title in his first Cup Series season and finished in 21st place in the Cup Series driver standings while driving the Spire Motorsports No. 77 Chevrolet. He had six top-10s, one top-5, and led 16 laps during the 2024 season.
“So to be the highest finishing Spire car ever for their tenure — I think their highest ever is 26th — that’s what I’m probably most proud of is 21st is really good, I thought. Twentieth was about where I really wanted to be. To be really close there is really important. But Rookie of the Year is obviously the only thing you can’t win (later), and I missed out on it my truck year and obviously didn’t run Xfinity, so ideally it’s the last time I can really do it unless I somehow end up back in Xfinity. But yeah, happy to at least have a Rookie of the Year something in my NASCAR tenure.” Hocevar said.
Most Popular Driver Award
Chase Elliott won the NASCAR Cup Series Most Popular Driver Award for the seventh year in a row. The National Motorsports Press Association announced the 2024 Most Popular Driver Awards at the NASCAR Awards Banquet at the Charlotte Convention Center, that is based on a fan vote.
“Thank you to the fans,” Elliott said during the awards banquet. “The fans have meant so much to myself, my career, my family and beyond. When I look at that award, regardless whether I won it tonight or not, I’m grateful for the fans across the country and around the world for what they do for me, but I’ve always looked at it as a little bit of just an opportunity to honor and appreciate the legacy that my family has really set up for me. I think at the end of the day, I’ve always just tried to carry myself and represent that as they would want me to and try to make them proud.”
Only Elliott or Earnhardt drivers have received the NASCAR Cup Series Most Popular Driver Award since 1991.
Finishing Strong, Moves, and New Beginnings
Chris Buescher finished ninth at Phoenix and emerged as the highest non-Playoff contender in the standings, in 17th place. Driving the No. 17 RFK Racing Ford Mustang, he captured his sixth Cup Series win in September at Watkins Glen International. He finished the season with 15 top-10s, six top-5s, and led 208 laps.
Michael McDowell finished 31st in his final event with Front Row Motorsports. In 2025, he will join Spire Motorsports to drive the No. 71 Chevrolet.
Harrison Burton will join AM Racing next season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He will return to the Xfinity series after three seasons in the Cup Series with Wood Brothers Racing. He captured his first premier series victory at Daytona International Speedway and his first playoff berth.
“I’m excited to join AM Racing and help build it into the race-winning race team I believe it can and will be,” said Burton. “I think this will be a great opportunity for me to take the things I’ve learned in the Cup Series, bring those to the Xfinity Series, and be the best driver I can be.
Riley Herbst will join 23XI Racing for his first Cup campaign in 2025. Herbst, a 25-year-old racer from Las Vegas, Nevada, will drive the No. 35 Toyota Camry XSE entry sponsored by longtime partner Monster Energy. He will compete alongside Tyler Reddick, driver of the No. 45 Toyota, and Bubba Wallace, driver of the No. 23 Toyota.
“It’s an honor to join 23XI and Toyota for the opportunity to race in the Cup Series each week,” Herbst said. “Racing full-time in the Cup Series has been my goal since I started in NASCAR, and I’m excited to start my Cup career with such an accomplished and driven team. What 23XI has accomplished in a short time is impressive, and I look forward to building on their success as the organization grows. It’s also great to continue representing Monster and I’m excited about adding to their legacy in NASCAR.”
Looking Forward to 2025
Kyle Busch concluded a Cup Series season winless for the first time in his Cup Series career. He has captured at least one win per season in the sport’s top level in 19 consecutive seasons, an all-time series record that ended in 2024.
The 2015 and 2019 Cup Series champion finished the 2024 season with ten top-10s, five top-5s, one pole, and led 229 laps in the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.
“Certainly frustrating,” Busch said during Championship Weekend at Phoenix Raceway. “Just not at all what we had hoped it to be after some success last year, especially early in the year, and having those three wins, and then struggling a little bit on and off, but then this year, just seemingly not being able to get the monkey off our back.”
NASCAR will return for the 2025 season with an exhibition race at Bowman Gray Stadium on Sunday, Feb. 2 at 8 p.m. ET.
Kaulig Racing revealed its crew chief lineup and the hiring of a technical director for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Veteran crew chief Trent Owens will be paired with veteran driver AJ Allmendinger and the No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry while Andrew Dickeson will be working atop the pit box of the No. 10 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry that will be piloted by Ty Dillon. For the technical director position, Mike Cook will assume the position after recently being a lead engineer for Stewart-Haas Racing.
The news comes as Kaulig Racing, which strives to be competitive in NASCAR’s premier series in 2025, is coming off its third consecutive season in fielding two full-time cars in the Cup Series division. Throughout the 36-race schedule in 2024, Kaulig’s two entries (Nos. 16 and 31 Chevrolets) recorded a combined 11 top-10 results and 108 laps led. In addition, Daniel Hemric, who drove Kaulig’s No. 31 entry that is renumbered to 10 in 2025, finished in 29th place in the 2024 driver’s standings while Kaulig’s No. 16 entry that was split between Allmendinger, Dillon, Derek Kraus, Shane van Gisbergen and Josh Williams ended up in 28th place in the owner’s standings.
“I think this is the most impressive competition leadership group we have ever had,” Chris Rice, president of Kaulig Racing, said in a released statement. “We have such a great core team with all the men and women of Kaulig Racing, and bringing in smart people with fresh eyes will really help us compete on the track.”
Owens’ move to Kaulig’s No. 16 team reunites him with Allmendinger, both of whom worked together for nine Cup races in 2018 at JTG-Daugherty Racing. This past season, Owens was the crew chief for Hemric and the No. 31 Chevrolet team. In addition, Allmendinger scaled back down to a full-time Xfinity Series competition after competing on a full-time Cup basis in 2023, where he won at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course. During the 2024 season, Allmendinger notched a victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway during the Playoff’s Round of 8 opener, transferred to the Championship 4 round and settled in third place in the final driver’s standings.
Dickeson’s move as a crew chief for Kaulig’s No. 10 team and Ty Dillon marks a new beginning for the Australian native, who recently spent a bulk of his career as an engineer for Richard Childress Racing. In addition, the 2025 season marks Dillon’s return to full-time Cup racing since 2023 after he spent this past season competing in all but the remaining five Craftsman Truck Series events for Rackley W.A.R., where he notched two top-10 results.
The new position with a new organization generates a new and exciting adventure for Cook, who first joined Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014 to work as an engineer and had remained at the organization until it ceased operations at the 2024 season’s conclusion. During Cook’s role at Stewart-Haas Racing, he went to Victory Lane in the 2017 Daytona 500 with former Cup Series champion Kurt Busch.
“After a decade of learning and honing my craft, I am really excited to contribute to the continuing growth of Kaulig Racing,” Cook said. “Nothing in racing happens overnight, but I know I have the tools and the support I need to bring immediate impact. Andrew [Dickeson] has the demeanor and stability that I think will give Ty [Dillon] the best opportunity he has ever had at the Cup level. AJ [Allmendinger] and Trent [Owens] are just in sync and have a great working relationship. Both drivers are hungry and dedicated, so I know that team is going to be strong and impress some people in 2025.”
Kaulig Racing’s 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season is set to commence with the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on February 2 that will commence at 8 p.m. ET on FOX. This event will be followed by the 67th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway that will air at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) revealed its realigned driver-crew chief lineup for the organization’s No. 54 teams between the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series divisions for the 2025 season.
Tyler Allen, who was initially set to crew chief Taylor Gray and the No. 54 JGR Toyota Supra team in the Xfinity Series, has now been named crew chief for Ty Gibbs and the No. 54 JGR Toyota Camry XSE team in the Cup Series. As a result, veteran crew chief Jason Ratcliff will return atop the pit box to crew chief Gray for the latter’s first full-time Xfinity campaign in 2025.
The news comes 10 days after JGR announced that Chris Gayle, who was paired with Ty Gibbs over the previous two Cup seasons, would be paired with Denny Hamlin and the No. 11 Toyota team while Chris Gabehart, Hamlin’s former crew chief, would be promoted to work as the organization’s competition director.
“We take a lot of pride in our Xfinity Series program and the depth of talent that we have been able to maintain,” Joe Gibbs, owner and founder of Joe Gibbs Racing, said. “Tyler Allen was successful at the Cup level with us while working under Adam Stevens and was impressive last season in the Xfinity Series leading that 20 team to eight wins while working with a number of different drivers. We have an exciting young and talented team on the 54 car.”
Allen, who enters the 2025 season for his first year as a full-time crew chief in NASCAR’s premier series, spent seven seasons (2017-23) working as a race engineer under crew chief Adam Stevens. During the seven-year span, he was a part of the 2019 Cup Series championship with Adams and Kyle Busch. In addition, Allen served as an interim crew chief for a single Cup race for Christopher Bell and the No. 20 JGR Toyota team at Martinsville Speedway in October 2021, where Bell finished 17th.
This past season, Allen served as a first-year crew chief in the Xfinity Series, where he worked atop the pit box of JGR’s No. 20 Toyota team for 29 races and JGR’s No. 19 Toyota team for four races. Throughout the 33-race schedule, Allen notched eight victories between four competitors (Aric Almirola, Christopher Bell, John Hunter Nemechek and Ryan Truex) and led the No. 20 team to a runner-up result in the final Xfinity owner’s standings, all of which Allen strives to utilize the momentum and success from the Xfinity division over to the Cup Series that would enable both him and Ty Gibbs to contend for victories while also returning the No. 54 team back into the Playoffs.
“It’s an honor to be named crew chief for Ty Gibbs and the 54 Team as we head into the 2025 season,” Allen said. “This opportunity has been a dream of mine since starting here at JGR 10 years ago, and I’m thankful for the support and guidance I’ve received from my mentors, teammates, and everyone along the way. Ty has shown a lot of speed and potential the last two years, and I look forward to building on that experience to get the 54 car in victory lane.”
For JGR’s No. 54 team in the Xfinity Series, Ratcliff makes his return atop the pit box as a crew chief following a one-year absence. He initially retired from being a crew chief at the conclusion of the 2023 season and spent this past season working as a driver and team coordinator for JGR’s Xfinity and ARCA Menards Series operations. Since making his crew chief debut in the Xfinity Series in 2000, Ratcliff has notched 57 victories between seven competitors and the 2009 championship with Kyle Busch. He has also recorded 15 victories as a Cup Series crew chief, 14 of which occurred with Matt Kenseth and one with Joey Logano.
Overall, Gray, who was announced to drive for JGR for the 2025 Xfinity season on October 16, is set to become the 26th competitor to work at least one race with Ratcliff, the latter of whom intends to make Gray competitive for his first Xfinity campaign after he spent the previous two seasons competing in the Craftsman Truck Series for TRICON Garage.
“I’m thrilled to join Taylor and the 54 team for the 2025 season,” Ratcliff said. “After a year away from the track, I’m eager to return to the pit box every weekend. Taylor has the talent and determination to excel in NASCAR, and it’s our mission to help him achieve that success.”
“It is also exciting to have Jason Ratcliff back on the pit box in the Xfinity Series to work with Taylor Gray next season,” Gibbs added. “He has contributed so much to our organization over his career.”
Photo by Ted Seminara for SpeedwayMedia.com.
Joe Gibbs Racing’s 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season is set to commence with the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on February 2 that will commence at 8 p.m. ET on FOX. This event will be followed by the 67th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway that will air at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
Meanwhile, Joe Gibbs Racing’s 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series season is set to commence at Daytona International Speedway on February 15 at 5 p.m. ET on the CW Network.
The National Motorsports Press Association announced the 2024 Most Popular Driver Awards on Friday evening at the NASCAR Awards Banquet at the Charlotte Convention Center. Fans vote annually to determine the award’s recipients.
Chase Elliott- NASCAR Cup Series
“Thank you to the fans,” Elliott said during the awards banquet. “The fans have meant so much to myself, my career, my family and beyond. When I look at that award, regardless whether I won it tonight or not, I’m grateful for the fans across the country and around the world for what they do for me, but I’ve always looked at it as a little bit of just an opportunity to honor and appreciate the legacy that my family has really set up for me. I think at the end of the day, I’ve always just tried to carry myself and represent that as they would want me to and try to make them proud.
“As I look at my fans and the people that genuinely want to see us do well, I just see a lot of dedication and people that are willing to spend their hard-earned money on T-shirts and hats and to come to the races and support us. I see a lot of that at the race track, and I don’t want anyone to ever think that I take any of that for granted.”
Only drivers named Elliott or Earnhardt have received the NASCAR Cup Series Most Popular Driver Award since 1991.
Bill Elliott – 16 times (1984-1988, 1991-2000, 2002) Dale Earnhardt – 2001 Dale Earnhardt Jr. – 15 times (2003-2017) Chase Elliott – 7 times (2018-2024)
Justin Allgaier – NASCAR Xfinity Series
It was Allgaier’s fifth NASCAR Xfinity Series MPD award. He previously won in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2023 and the 13th straight for JR Motorsports among whose previous winners include Allgaier, Danica Patrick (2012), Regan Smith (2013), Chase Elliott (2014-2015), Elliott Sadler (2011, 2016-2018) and Noah Gragson (2022).
“This is such an incredible honor to win this award,” Allgaier said. “I can’t thank the fans enough for all of their support, and for this No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture team at JR Motorsports who worked so hard all year long to make this championship happen. It means the world to me.”
Rajah Caruth – NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series
Caruth won the Most Popular Driver Award in only his second full-time season in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. It was a breakout year for him as he also scored his first career victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March earning him a spot in the series Playoffs this year and finishing in seventh place in the points standings.
Caruth thanked his fans in a video posted by NASCAR from the Banquet Awards.
“What’s up fans? I want to thank you for voting me for Most Popular Driver in the Craftsman Truck Series,” Caruth said. “Appreciate all y’all’s support and we’ll see you in 2025.”
NASCAR will return for the 2025 season with an exhibition race at Bowman Gray Stadium on Sunday, Feb. 2 at 8 p.m. ET.
Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) announced a new role and new team for crew chiefs Chris Gabehart and Chris Gayle, respectively, for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.
For the upcoming season, Gabehart will be assuming the role as JGR’s Competition Director while Gayle will shift from JGR’s No. 54 Toyota Camry XSE team to the No. 11 Toyota Camry XSE team, where he will be paired with veteran driver Denny Hamlin.
The news comes as both Gabehart and Gayle are coming off their respective roles as crew chiefs for the Nos. 11 and 54 JGR Toyota teams, the latter of which is piloted by driver Ty Gibbs, in the Cup Series.
“We have a lot of pride in the depth of talent we have throughout our organization,” Joe Gibbs, owner and founder of Joe Gibbs Racing, said. “Chris Gabehart will now be an asset across all four of our teams as competition director and we thought it was important to have him transition into his new role immediately. Chris Gayle will bring his own perspective to the 11 team while also maintaining the consistency and continuity they have developed with Denny [Hamlin] over the past several years. While we are still in the process of finalizing the new crew chief for the 54 team, we believe all these moves ultimately make our team stronger as we prepare for 2025.”
Gabehart, a native of Louisville, Kentucky, who graduated from Purdue University with a mechanical engineering degree, made his crew chief debut in the Xfinity Series in 2016, where he was paired with Erik Jones at JGR. The following season, he made his Cup Series crew chief debut on an interim role with Denny Hamlin and the No. 11 Toyota team at Richmond Raceway, where Hamlin finished fifth.
After accumulating a total of nine Xfinity victories between 2016 to 2018, Gabehart was promoted to the Cup Series to serve as a full-time crew chief for Hamlin and the No. 11 team in 2019. Commencing his Cup crew chief career with his first career victory in the 61st running of the Daytona 500, Gabehart and Hamlin would accumulate a total of 22 victories through 209 events (2019-24). In addition to making the Playoffs throughout their six-year journey, they also made the Championship 4 round from 2019 to 2021, where they finished as high as third place in the final standings during the latter season.
Through 209 appearances as a Cup Series crew chief, Gabehart has also recorded 11 poles, 90 top-five results and 120 top-10 results, all while working atop the No. 11 JGR Toyota pit box and paired with Hamlin as he prepares to etch a new chapter with his new role in 2025.
“I am very thankful for the opportunities that Joe Gibbs Racing has continued to provide me for my entire tenure here and cannot say enough about how much I have enjoyed and appreciated my time with Denny and the entire 11 team,” Gabehart said. “They have all taught me so much about not only how to race at the top of the NASCAR Cup Series, but also, how to lead a great group of talented professionals. In my next opportunity, I am as excited as I have ever been to work with all our talented drivers, crew chiefs, teams and partners to help focus all our efforts towards making 2025 one of the best seasons Joe Gibbs Racing has ever had.”
Meanwhile, Gayle, a native of Little Rock Arkansas, and a graduate from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a Mechanical Engineering degree, made his crew chief debut in 2013, where he was paired with Elliott Sadler at JGR in the Xfinity Series. During the season, he made his Cup crew chief debut with Sadler at Kansas Speedway, where Sadler finished 40th.
Four years later, Gayle became a full-time crew chief in the Cup Series for the first time, where he was paired with Erik Jones at Furniture Row Racing. After notching the 2017 Rookie-of-the-Year title, both Gayle and Jones moved back to Joe Gibbs Racing and notched their first Cup career victory at Daytona International Speedway in July. Gayle would continue to work with Jones over the next two seasons, where they won the 2019 Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, before he transitioned back down to the Xfinity Series during his next two years.
After capturing the 2022 Xfinity Series championship with Ty Gibbs, Gayle moved back up to the Cup Series and continued to work with Gibbs as his crew chief in 2023, where Gibbs captured the Rookie-of-the-Year title while piloting the No. 54 JGR Toyota entry. This past season, they qualified for the 2024 Playoffs and finished in 15th place in the final standings on the strengths of two poles, eight top-five results and 12 top-10 results.
Photo by Tim Jarrold for SpeedwayMedia.com.
Through 214 appearances as a Cup Series crew chief, Gayle has achieved a total of two victories, four poles, 43 top-five results and 81 top-10 results while working with three competitors as he now strives to pick up the torch and maintain the momentum carried forth by the No. 11 team and his new driver Denny Hamlin. Ironically, Gayle is set to become Hamlin’s fifth full-time crew chief overall as Hamlin enters his 20th consecutive season as a full-time Cup Series competitor, all with JGR, in 2025.
“Denny is obviously a first-ballot Hall of Famer,” Gayle added. “I’m looking forward to working with him and the guys on the No. 11 team. He and Gabehart have established an incredible culture that is a very good barometer for our other drivers and teams to strive to match. I have all the confidence in the world we can hit the ground running and continue the success that this group is accustomed to in 2025.”
A crew chief replacement for Ty Gibbs and the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team remains to be determined.
The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season for Joe Gibbs Racing is set to commence with the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on February 2 that will commence at 8 p.m. ET on FOX. This event will be followed by the 67th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway that will air at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
Riley Herbst will etch a new beginning to his racing career by joining 23XI Racing for his first full-time campaign in the NASCAR Cup Series division in 2025.
Herbst, a 25-year-old racer from Las Vegas, Nevada, will assume the steering wheel of the No. 35 Toyota Camry XSE entry sponsored by longtime partner Monster Energy. He will compete alongside Tyler Reddick, driver of the No. 45 Toyota, and Bubba Wallace, driver of the No. 23 Toyota.
The news comes as Herbst is coming off his fifth consecutive full-time campaign in the Xfinity Series, where he piloted the No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang entry to two victories, 15 top-10 results and a seventh-place result in the final standings after qualifying for his fourth Xfinity Playoffs. Following the closure of Stewart-Haas Racing at the conclusion of the 2024 season, Herbst was initially left without a ride for the 2025 season until his announcement at 23XI Racing was officially announced. As Herbst makes the move to 23XI Racing, Davin Restivo, who served as Herbst’s crew chief in the Xfinity Series, will also move to continue to serve as his Cup Series crew chief.
“It’s an honor to join 23XI and Toyota for the opportunity to race in the Cup Series each week,” Herbst said. “Racing full-time in the Cup Series has been my goal since I started in NASCAR and I’m excited to start my Cup career with such an accomplished and driven team. What 23XI has accomplished in a short time is impressive and I look forward to building on their success as the organization grows. It’s also great to continue representing Monster and I’m excited about adding to their legacy in NASCAR.”
Herbst, a former ARCA Menards Series Rookie-of-the-Year recipient and a two-time Baja 1000 Trophy Truck Spec Class winner, made his Cup Series debut during the 2023 Daytona 500, where he piloted the No. 15 Ford for Rick Ware Racing to a 10th-place finish. He would make three additional Cup starts between Rick Ware Racing and Front Row Motorsports for the remainder of the 2023 season, where he competed at Daytona in August and in both Talladega Superspeedway events. During the span, he notched a career-best ninth-place result at Talladega in October. This past season, Herbst made four Cup starts with Rick Ware Racing, where he notched a season-best 24th-place result during the 66th running of the Daytona 500.
In addition to making a total eight Cup starts to date, Herbst has made 175 career starts in the Xfinity Series and 11 in the Craftsman Truck Series. Within his Xfinity starts, he has notched three victories, two poles, 34 top-five results, 86 top-10 results, 506 laps led and an average-finishing result of 15.2 while competing between Stewart-Haas Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing.
The addition of Herbst as a full-time Cup competitor to 23XI Racing marks a milestone moment for the organization, which will field three full-time entries for the first time since debuting as a single-car operation in 2021 before expanding to fielding two full-time entries in 2022. Over the previous two seasons, 23XI Racing had fielded a third entry on a part-time basis (five races total), where select names that included Corey Heim, Kamui Kobayashi, Juan Pablo Montoya and Travis Pastrana took turns piloting the entry.
Currently, 23XI Racing has recorded eight victories, eight poles, 46 top-five results, 83 top-10 results and 1,889 laps led through a combined 257 Cup Series starts. The organization is coming off one of its strongest seasons to date, where Reddick and Wallace accumulated a combined 18 top-five results and 35 top-10 results. In addition, Reddick notched three victories and transferred all the way to the Championship 4 round before settling in a career-best fourth place in the final standings.
“As 23XI enters our fifth season next year, we felt the time was right to continue the growth of our organization by adding a third team, and Riley is a driver we think will be a great fit for us,” Steve Lauletta, team president of 23XI Racing, said. “We have a very solid foundation with both Bubba and Tyler, and we know they will be a great resource for Riley as he begins his journey in the Cup Series.”
The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season for both Riley Herbst and 23XI Racing is set to commence with the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on February 2 that will commence at 8 p.m. ET on FOX. This event will be followed by the 67th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway that will air at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
Travis Mack has been named crew chief for John Hunter Nemechek and the No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota entry for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.
The news comes as Mack spent the 2024 Cup season as a crew chief for Kaulig Racing’s No. 16 Chevrolet entry that was piloted by five competitors (AJ Allmendinger, Ty Dillon, Shane van Gisbergen, Derek Kraus and Josh Williams) throughout the season. In 32 races, Mack led the No. 16 team to one pole, one top-five result and four top-10 results. Ultimately, Mack would be released by Kaulig and replaced by Darian Grubb and Andrew Dickeson for the remaining five events of the season.
“I’m looking forward to helping LEGACY MOTOR CLUB build something great,” Mack said in a released statement. “There are a lot of talented people here at LEGACY M.C. I worked with Jimmie [Johnson] at Hendrick Motorsports, and I know his work ethic and determination – so his vision for the CLUB is really exciting, and I’m ready to get to work.”
Mack, a native of Louisville, Kentucky, commenced his racing career as a mechanic for Clement Racing in the ARCA Menards Series division. After winning three championships with driver Frank Kimmel, he joined Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) and worked as a shock specialist and front-end mechanic. Nine years later, Mack joined JR Motorsports, where he would spend the next two seasons working with Regan Smith and Chase Elliott in the Xfinity Series before he returned to the Cup Series to work as a car chief for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the No. 88 HMS Chevrolet team in 2015.
In 2017, Mack made his first appearance as a Cup Series crew chief in an interim role for Earnhardt Jr. at Richmond Raceway, where the latter finished 13th after leading 13 laps. Mack then became a full-time Cup crew chief in 2018, where he was paired with veteran Kasey Kahne at Leavine Family Racing. Near the halfway point of the 2018 season, however, Mack scaled back down to the Xfinity circuit, where he reunited with JR Motorsports and worked as a crew chief for Michael Annett.
After spending the 2019-20 seasons as Annett’s crew chief in the Xfinity Series, Mack returned to the Cup Series as he was paired with Daniel Suarez and the newly formed Trackhouse Racing, beginning in 2021. The following season, the duo notched their first Cup career victory at Sonoma Raceway in June 2022, which enabled both to make the Playoffs and settle in a career-best 10th place in the final standings.
Through 155 appearances as a NASCAR Cup Series crew chief, Mack has achieved one victory, two poles, one Playoff appearance, 11 top-five and 31 top-10 results while working with eight different competitors.
Meanwhile, Legacy Motor Club’s No. 42 Toyota team is coming off its first campaign with John Hunter Nemechek as a full-time competitor in the entry. Throughout the 36-race schedule of the 2024 season, Nemechek recorded four top-10 results, an average-finishing result of 25.4 and settled in 34th place in the final standings, where they ended up six spots behind teammate Erik Jones and the No. 43 Toyota team. The No. 42 team was primarily led by crew chief Ben Beshore before Brian Campe, Legacy’s technical director, filled in as an interim crew chief for the remaining five events on the schedule.
“Travis is a welcome addition to LEGACY MOTOR CLUB,” Jacob Canter, SVP – Sporting Director for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, added. “As we continue to make changes and evolve on the competition side, the goal is to place the right people in the right places. That will take some time, but we are thrilled to have a talent like Travis on board and can’t wait to see what he, Ben and the rest of the engineering team can accomplish over this short off-season.”
The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season is set to commence at Bowman Gray Stadium for the Clash on February 2, 2025, with a start time of 8 p.m. ET on FOX. This event will be followed by the 67th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway which is scheduled to occur on February 16 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
