Darius Rucker is adding NASCAR team owner to his resume. The three-time Grammy winner announced he is now a co-owner of Legacy Motor Club. He joins a star-studded group that includes racing legend Jimmie Johnson.

While the team made the announcement official on its social handles, Rucker also shared the news on an episode of the Dan Patrick Show, stating that he asked Johnson before revealing the information.

‘I gotta text Jimmie and ask if this was ok. Because we just decided to do this, we can announce now that I’m one of the investors and one of the owners of Legacy Motor Club. So, you know, I own NASCAR teams now, Dan. Look at me,” the artist said.

Rucker also mentioned his love for motorsports and that he’s loved NASCAR for years. Rucker is the lead vocalist for the band Hootie & The Blowfish, which has consisted mostly of Rucker himself, Mark Bryan, Dean Felber, and Jim Sonefeld. The band went on a brief hiatus in 2008.

Besides NASCAR, Rucker also has a keen interest in golf, and he was said to be a partner in a sports agency representing golfers Steve Stricker and Kenny Perry.

And there is also going to be the addition of a third car in the lineup

While co-owner Jimmie Johnson still drives part-time, the team mainly fields two cars on the track: Erik Jones’ No. 43 and John Hunter Nemechek’s No. 42 Toyota Camry. earlier this year, Johnson was asked about the possibility of fielding a third car.

The driver seemed clear on his plans to grow and expand the team ahead of the 2027 season, especially as it looks to record its first win since the rebrand in 2023.

“Without question, we will have a third car on the grid next year. Very excited about that. And as we continue to improve, we continue to go inside the industry. With our growth and our commitment to growth, we’ll be able to attract and recruit the right individuals to help come in and really grow the workforce for this third car.

And that’s really an exciting time for us, where we can bring a lot of IP in-house, have 30 percent more on-track time, and all the benefits that come with running an additional car will help speed up our progress,” Johnson concluded.

As of now, Legacy’s drivers Jones and Nemechek occupy the 24th and 25th spots on the points table, respectively, with 103 and 101 points in their tally. The team hopes this expansion will reverse its fortunes on the track.

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

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On a podcast, Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, Harvick pointed to Keselowski’s inconsistent qualifying as the key weakness behind otherwise competitive performances with RFK Racing.

“He’s been in the trunk every week in qualifying. And if you don’t qualify in the front of these races, you don’t get to make adjustments leading the pack, running in the front of the pack,” Harvick said.

That lack of track position keeps Keselowski buried in traffic, forcing him to work forward instead of controlling the race.

“Your car handles differently in the middle of the pack and the back of the pack, which is where they’ve been starting. And it takes them all day to get to the front of the pack,” he said.

Harvick added that the issue is bigger for Ford teams, where track position becomes even more important.

Even though NASCAR engines are tightly regulated, each manufacturer builds its own package, and that creates differences in how cars handle in traffic, with Ford tending to struggle more in those conditions.

In his view, Ford cars tend to struggle more in dirty air, which makes qualifying near the front even more important to keep track position.

At the same time, RFK Racing’s progress is becoming visible. Harvick pointed to the way Brad Keselowski, Chris Buescher and Ryan Preece work together as a reason behind that improvement.

The communication within the team is carrying over into races, helping them execute better on track.

Brad Keselowski Took Advantage of the Opponent Going Back – Kevin Harvick

Harvick also pointed out that Keselowski’s recent second-place finish came with a situational advantage involving Tyler Reddick.

Driving for 23XI Racing, Reddick was forced to drop to the back of the field due to battery issues, opening up an opportunity at the front.

“I think that Brad took advantage of Tyler having to go to the back of the field to make his pit stop for all the battery issues,” Harvick said.

While Keselowski made the most of that moment, it also showed how much his results still depend on how the race plays out rather than being in full control.

Starting deeper in the field leaves little room for error and makes a team too dependent on luck.

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

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In a recent episode of the Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin noted that the team is probably not in a good place, but he didn’t entirely blame the team, stating that the car certainly has better pace than where they are finishing right now.

“If Kyle is great, like we all believe he is, then he should be 8th, but he wasn’t. I think he’s searching right now, I think, in just my opinion, trying to figure something out, and it’s just not, I don’t know, I can’t put it all on RCR.

They’re not race-winning teams right now; they don’t have that pace, but they don’t have 30th-place pace. That’s something that the driver-individual team has a role in,” he concluded.

Busch has been in a winless streak since 2023, when he won the Pala Casino 400 at Fontana. With the Darlington weekend done for, this streak has now extended to 98 races.

At the beginning of this season, it looked like he was back following his performance in the qualifying session at the Daytona 500. However, since then, he has been finishing in the lower spots, not even making the Top 11 once.

With five races into the current season, there is still a window of opportunity for Busch to turn things around. However, that window will only close faster.

However, Denny Hamlin’s driver Has Only Gotten Better

23XI Racing’s driver Tyler Reddick went on to secure his fourth win of the season at Darlington. However, he really had to earn it, as he suffered alternator issues early on, which required a battery change during the pit stop. Then, his cool suit failed, and he also made contact with Chris Buescher on Lap 242.

He also had to chase down Brad Keselowski, who won the first two stages and led for 142 laps. However, once Reddick went past him, he held on to that lead.

In the same episode of the Actions Detrimental podcast, Denny Hamlin mentioned how he and the entire 23XI Racing team saw potential in Reddick, the areas he needed to work on, and how he has changed over the years.

“I think he is mentally tougher than he was before. I think he’s got a lot of maturity that he’s done over the last few years, his race-craft, everything has gotten better. This is what we saw in him, in that he’s someone who had a lot of speed but he needed to work on managing races.

He needed to work on, when adversity hits him, how does he respond to that, and it just seems like there is a poise to him now that he didn’t have before, and a lot of that comes from just time, maturity, age, things like that, but he has taken fast cars and winning with them,” he said.

What are your thoughts on Tyler Reddick’s recent victory streaks?

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

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Amanjeet Singh

One can say that NASCAR and F1 are two key pillars of motorsports. While both bear differences in many aspects, they share the same core principles. Therefore, it isn’t uncommon to see F1 drivers getting into NASCAR.

Piquet Jr. has been signed by Alumitec Racing, which fields the No. 11 Ford Mustang driven by Gianmarco Ercoli. The team is coming off a very strong 2025 season, with Ercoli finishing second in the Euro Pro Championship Final, with a total of 496 points in his tally.

Interestingly, back in 2020, Piquet Jr. told Autosport he was considering a return to NASCAR, citing two reasons. He believed that he could still be competitive between the ages of 40 and 50. However, while now he makes his debut in the NASCAR Euro Series, back then, he didn’t see himself staying in Europe post-retirement.

“I don’t see myself living in Europe after retiring or having a business there; my businesses are in Brazil and the United States. Making NASCAR for me seems more realistic than F1, Formula E, or Indy,” he said back then.

Piquet Jr. got his big break in F1 in the 2008 season, when he got promoted to drive alongside Fernando Alonso for the Renault Formula One team, with whom he stayed for two seasons, before being dropped in 2009 following the infamous ‘Crashgate’ s******.

He then made his NASCAR debut in 2010, beginning with Red Horse Racing in the Craftsman Truck series. Over the next four years, he would drive for various teams before taking a brief hiatus at the end of the 2014 season. In 2016, he had a short-lived career in the Xfinity Series, driving the No. 98 Ford for Biagi-DenBeste Racing.

Meanwhile, Max Verstappen Has Ruled Out his NASCAR Appearance

While Piquet Jr. makes his return to NASCAR, Max Verstappen recently reinforced his statement on not entering NASCAR anytime soon, and it isn’t the first time he has made his stance on this matter clear. For the uninformed, Verstappen’s girlfriend, Kelly, is the sister of Piquet Jr.

In a recent tweet by Autosport, Verstappen clarified the racing series he would like to participate in someday. While the World Endurance Championship, the Supercars Championship, and GT World Challenge were green-lit, he said no to NASCAR, IndyCar, and WRC.

Verstappen’s reluctance to enter NASCAR goes back a few years. During an interview in 2022, the Red Bull Racing driver admitted that while he does race stock cars on his simulator, the learning curve is a lot different in real-life.

“I do race a bit of let’s say NASCAR on my simulator at home, and it’s a completely different discipline. So, for us to get good at it, it would also take quite a bit of time. It’s not easy, and, it’s the other way around for them as well. You know, to get good in a pod car or whatever. It also takes time. You need to really grow up with it,” he concluded.

Read More at the RFK Racing Digest!

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According to reports, the run was successful, with the VA 250 reaching a claimed 253mph. While Kyle Petty was initially said to be driving the car, the former racer had actually withdrawn from the event not too long ago, with no reason given yet.

The VA 250 is built on an original Gen 4 Cup Series chassis, with its bodywork based on the 1969 Dodge Daytona Charger. Under the hood lies a naturally aspirated V8, which is said to produce 1000 hp at 9500 rpm.

The car is the result of a joint effort by Joey Arrington and engineers from the University of Virginia. Arrington also built the engine that set the record at the Bonneville Salt Flats back in 2007 in a similar top-speed run, where he hit 244.9mph.

For the VA 250 project, he approached Tommy Hurley to get behind the wheel. Hurley is known for his expertise on drag strips. Reports say there will be a video of the top speed run coming out soon.

The Arrington Connection To NASCAR

Joey Arrington’s father, Buddy Arrington, was a former NASCAR driver and team owner with whom he founded Arrington Engines. The company built engines for Dodge truck teams Bobby Hamilton Racing and Ultra Motorsport, who won the 2004 and 2005 seasons with Bobby Hamilton and Ted Musgrave, respectively.

NASCAR and NHRA teams were their main clients. It’s interesting to note that the Penske, Petty, and Ganassi teams have been the most well-known and demanding.

Joey himself had a short-lived career as a racer, making his debut in the Cup Series in 1974. While he never won or found himself in the Top 10, his racing career lasted for six years, with his final race taking place in 1980.

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

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It was only at Lap 266 that Reddick managed to move past the No.6 RFK driver, and he continued to hold the lead from there on. While speaking to reporters after the race, Keselowski admitted the team could’ve finished better, especially given the position they were in. However, he also remained upbeat and commended the team’s effort.

“I wish we could’ve finished that way. I was thinking how cool that would be for Greg, given the schemes on the car, but Tyler was just in a class of his own. It was really that way this whole weekend.Of the cars, I felt like we were in the same class. I thought we executed really well today, really proud of the effort, great on pit-road, good car setups, and did some really good driving,” he said.

Keselowski also gave due credit to Reddick for his driving and noted that the Toyotas are a step ahead when it comes to performance. He said, “I think Tyler is a great driver; you shouldn’t take anything away from that, but they are clearly up on horsepower and downforce right now, and he is making that count, so he deserves a lot of credit.”

At one point, it seemed as if RFK would snag the first two positions, as teammate Chris Buescher was closing in on Keselowski in the closing laps of the second stage. However, Buescher eventually ended up in ninth place, while Ryan Preece took the thirteenth spot.

Are Things Falling In Place For RFK Racing?

While RFK may have just fallen short of a win,the team’s strong performance at Darlington suggests it is building momentum. This trend was evident in Las Vegas, where the team recovered dramatically after a disastrous practice session.

At the time, Chris Buescher, whose sixth-place finish is his best of the season so far, attributed it to a lot of hard work and good pit stops. Brad Keselowski and Ryan Preece took up the tenth and eleventh spots in that race, respectively, thus ensuring a Top-11 finish for the team.

With the strong performance in Darlington, all three RFK drivers have moved up significantly in the points table. Buescher sits at seventh, moving from ninth, with 188 points in his tally, while Keselowski moved up two spots and currently sits at ninth, with 182 points. Ryan Preece managed to move up one spot, and now sits at 154 points.

Read More at the RFK Racing Digest!

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Wallace finished second in the session, just behind teammate Tyler Reddick in NASCAR qualifying at Darlington Raceway. He spoke about the team’s effort and how tough Darlington has been this weekend, before then sharing a personal update that caught many by surprise.

“Just proud of the efforts from the team, continued to ride the momentum from race one, and now Darlington is super tough. This package is a handful. I thought we were really far off in practice, but we’re pretty close to the 45. So it’s more on me trying to figure it out and get there,” Wallace said.

“I will say that lap for the 23 was driven by Cameron Jade. You know who that is? That’s my baby girl! Just born Thursday,” he added during the post-qualifying interview.

Cameron Jade Wallace was born on March 19, becoming the second child of Bubba and Amanda Wallace. The couple later confirmed the news on social media with a family photo that also featured their firstborn, Becks Hayden Wallace.

The unexpected reveal quickly drew attention, with Wallace blending a major personal milestone into a routine post-qualifying interview.

“Blessed beyond words. We welcomed Cameron Jade into the world on 3/19! Becks is already loving his little sister!” the caption read.

The announcement quickly sparked reactions across social media.

Fans React as Wallace Builds Momentum at Darlington

One fan wrote, “Welcome to the World Cameron Jade You got an Awesome dad a sweet mother and a Cool Big Brother.”

Announcing it after a strong qualifying run made the moment even more special.

Another fan added, “This is wonderful noose!!!!!! Congrats bubbles.” A third fan commented, “Bubba gets better as a driver with every baby they have.”

Wallace secured a front-row start with a P2 run in NASCAR Cup Series qualifying after struggling in practice.

At a track like Darlington, where passing is difficult and track position often plays a decisive role, the result puts Wallace in a strong position heading into the race.

With momentum on his side, Wallace has a clear opportunity for a competitive finish.

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

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With five races over, Toyota leads the current season, while Ford has just one win to its name, courtesy of Ryan Blaney at Phoenix. But now, that win means nothing unless points follow for Ford.

Many fans online are wondering what is up with the blue oval, and a Reddit post has now asked that question: ‘Why does Ford struggle on non-flat tracks?’ and fans responded by warning Ford of the repercussions if performance doesn’t improve.

A user responding to this question noted that despite their aero struggles, the Ford cars perform better on turns and corners, and the No.12 car seems to have something special.

“They might struggle on non-flat tracks to an extent, but they also turn and corner better than every other car. Especially the 12 team. It’s like they’ve unlocked something in that car that no one else has,” the user wrote.

Another user mentioned the Blue Oval’s lack of serious contenders for a title win, except for Team Penske Racing.

“Ford has a multitude of problems. Outside of Penske, they don’t have a serious contender organisation-wise. RFK isn’t there as far as being a serious contender. They haven’t had a serious 1-2 punch as far as organisations go since the late 2010’s with Penske and SHR,” the user wrote.

Yet another user pointed out Ford’s loose structure, due to which data sharing suffers, and how they can’t stick to their previous practices.

“They really need to get their act straight on tracks (no pun intended), just being one trick pony doesn’t help. Not sure why the 12 team doesn’t share the data with other Ford teams, and if they are, then aren’t they able to execute?,” the comment read.

The contrast between Ford and other manufacturers was even clearer in the previous season, where we saw Chevrolet leading the Cup Series with 15 wins and Toyota trailing right behind, while Ford lagged with just 7 wins.

The last time we saw Ford win the manufacturer’s title was back in 2020. This highlights a deeper issue, as Ford is yet to clinch a manufacturer title with the Next-Gen car.

Clearly, there are issues with the Next-Gen spec Mustang, as Ryan Blaney faced engine failures on multiple occasions, resulting in an alarming 8 DNFs in the 2025 season.

The introduction of the Dark Horse body style has also brought along aerodynamic disadvantages. This meant that while these cars performed well on flat tracks, they couldn’t generate enough downforce to be effective on other track types.

A Big Picture Look

Ford’s struggles in NASCAR stem from both its current car and several external factors.

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The car maker has seen its portfolio reduce considerably in the last few years, leaving it with just four teams in the Cup Series: Team Penske Racing, RFK, Front Row Motorsports, and the Wood Brothers.

In recent times, we have also seen the children of NASCAR choose different manufacturers. despite their parents having raced for Ford.

Keelan Harvick, the son of Kevin Harvick, made headlines for signing up with Toyota Racing Development USA, which surprised a lot of people in the NASCAR community.

Similarly, Michael Edwards, the son of Carl Edwards, is an active racer for Toyota Gazoo in IndyCar.

Toyota’s developmental driver program also appears unbeatable. Christopher Bell, Corey Heim, and John Hunter Nemechek are three notable figures who have emerged from Toyota’s programme, while Ford’s lineups usually consist of veterans and mid-tier younger drivers.

With a majority of the season still left, and the next two races set to take place with the added horsepower package, it will be interesting to see whether the Blue Oval can regain some lost ground.

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

The Spire Motorsports driver keeps getting linked to Dale Earnhardt Sr., mostly because of how aggressive he is on track, and that talk has only grown over the past year.

Addressing the topic in a press conference, Hocevar said, “I think I’ve hit enough people already. I am just driving how I want to drive. I don’t really love the comparisons of what they have turned into.”

He added that what began as criticism for aggressive driving and not apologizing after incidents eventually escalated into claims that he was as good as Dale Earnhardt Sr., something he said he does not understand.

The comments show how things have gone past just driving style. Now it’s more about expectations, and that brings pressure and takes attention away from his own progress.

That’s only picked up going into Darlington, where his No. 77 Chevrolet will run a modern take on Earnhardt’s blue-and-yellow 1981 scheme from early in his career.

Hocevar says he just wants to be known for his own style, with his main focus on staying fast and competitive.

He added that, despite the spotlight around the throwback scheme, he would rather stay true to himself than try to live up to comparisons.

Hocevar is not the only driver leaning into NASCAR’s past at Darlington, with several teams bringing tribute schemes for the race weekend.

Embracing the Throwback Spirit

Todd Gilliland will be in the No. 34 for Front Row Motorsports with a red, white, and gold throwback to Bill Elliott’s 1985 Thunderbird, from a season where he won big.

RFK Racing is also running three throwback schemes linked to Greg Biffle’s cars, and they’re bringing back his number style across all three entries from the Roush days.

Legacy Motor Club’s No. 43 Toyota Camry will run a throwback to Wally Dallenbach Jr.’s 1994 car, with light blue and red colorway.

The weekend may celebrate NASCAR’s past, but for Hocevar, the bigger fight is making sure it does not define his future.

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

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His family confirmed his passing in a post on Instagram, stating that he passed away peacefully, surrounded by family. The cause has not been disclosed.

The post read, “To the world, he was a martial artist, actor, and a symbol of strength. To us, he was a devoted husband, a loving father and grandfather, an incredible brother, and the heart of our family.”

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A post shared by Chuck Norris (@chucknorris)

Norris was best known for his work in film and television, but he also had a visible connection to NASCAR.

He never raced himself. That link came through his son Eric, a former stock car driver who debuted in the Craftsman Truck Series in 1997 and later won the Winston West Series championship in 2002.

Chuck Norris made occasional appearances at select race weekends, including Texas Motor Speedway, where he took part in pre-race activities like driver introductions. His appearances were not frequent, but they stood out when he did show up.

For Norris, the connection was never really about racing itself. It was the kind of toughness around the sport. Through his son’s career and his own appearances, he stayed close to that world.

Some fans have been bringing up his appearances at race weekends and his son’s time in the sport again, putting that side of Norris back into focus.

But that was only part of a much larger life and career that went well beyond the track.

Norris’ Personal Life and Career

Away from the spotlight, Norris stayed mostly private, keeping his focus on family despite everything that came with his career.

Norris’ career ran for five decades, mostly around that tough-guy image. Before Hollywood, he was in the United States Air Force and then got into martial arts, which eventually led to his 1972 debut alongside Bruce Lee in Return of the Dragon.

He broke into the mainstream in the 1980s across film and television, and later became the subject of humorous factoids called Chuck Norris Facts.

Condolences have been pouring in across social media, with fans paying tribute in the familiar Chuck Norris Facts style.

Over time, the line between the roles Norris played and the image he carried in real life all but disappeared.

That is part of why his presence reached beyond film. People bought into it, whether it was on screen or somewhere like a NASCAR track.

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!