NASCAR Ditches Cheap Gimmicks In Favor Of A Playoff Format Focused On Racing
Most motorsports fans will find something to like in a 'new' format that echoes one from two decades ago.Most motorsports fans will find something to like in a 'new' format that echoes one from two decades ago.NASCAR Legend Greg Biffle Died An American Hero
Greg Biffle not only succeeded in the highest levels of stock car racing but also helped his suffering fellow citizens after Hurricane Helene.Michael Jordan’s 14-Month Brawl With NASCAR Shakes Up America’s Favorite Motorsport
The sport itself is changing for each of the three major racing leagues.Beloved NASCAR legend Greg Biffle dies in horrific plane crash, police believe
Iconic NASCAR driver Greg Biffle died in a plane crash on Thursday in a horrific incident that reportedly involved his family members.
Biffle, 55, had 56 NASCAR national series wins throughout his career, including two championships.
'We are devastated. I'm so sorry to share this.'
On Thursday, Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina reported that an aircraft had crashed while landing at 10:15 a.m.
The FAA arrived to investigate the incident at around 12 p.m., the airport stated.
Iredell County officials soon confirmed the plane crash, with the county sheriff confirming that several people had died in the crash, according to WCNC-TV. WCCB-TV later reported that multiple witnesses and family friends confirmed that Biffle and his wife were on the plane.
Jordan Bianchi, motorsports reporter for the Athletic, wrote on X that North Carolina State Highway Patrol stated there were seven total fatalities from the crash and that they "believe that Mr. Greg Biffle was one of the deceased occupants."
Garrett Mitchell, a YouTuber who goes by the name Cleetus McFarland and has over 4.5 million subscribers, made a Facebook post with similar remarks.
"Unfortunately, I can confirm Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, daughter Emma, and son Ryder were on that plane ... because they were on their way to spend the afternoon with us. We are devastated. I'm so sorry to share this," Mitchell wrote.
RELATED: NASCAR owner sells vehicles to ICE — and liberals are outraged
Mitchell lives in Florida, and Biffle's plane was reportedly headed to Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport in Florida before it crashed, with the airport CEO issuing a statement.
"We are deeply saddened by the news of the Cessna C550 aircraft crash at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina and en route to SRQ this morning. Our thoughts and prayers are with those on board and with their families and loved ones during this difficult time. Our thoughts also go out to the first responders who we know are diligently working to assist all those involved," the statement said.
Last year, Mitchell and Biffle teamed up to deliver disaster relief supplies in North Carolina via helicopter after Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina.
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Flight logs reportedly showed that the aircraft was traveling over 100 mph at the time of the crash, WCCB stated. The plane was described as a Cessna C550 business jet with tail number N257BW. The outlet also confirmed the plane belonged to Biffle.
Republican Rep. Richard Hudson (N.C.) wrote on X that he was "devastated by the loss of Greg, Cristina, and their children, and my heart is with all who loved them."
The congressman added, "They were friends who lived their lives focused on helping others. Greg was a great NASCAR champion who thrilled millions of fans. But he was an extraordinary person as well, and will be remembered for his service to others as much as for his fearlessness on the track."
Biffle was named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023 for his "spectacular start in the 1990s" that ran through the 2000s.
"Though Biffle has stepped away from full-time competition at the NASCAR national level, the longtime veteran made five starts in 2022, including the season-opening Daytona 500. His last full season was in 2016," NASCAR wrote.
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NASCAR owner sells vehicles to ICE — and liberals are outraged
Hendrick Motorsports Technical Solutions is under fire for its willingness to engage in commerce with the federal government.
The company, founded by former NASCAR driver Rick Hendrick, is related to Hendrick Motorsports, one of NASCAR's top teams. Hendrick Motorsports has the most wins in Cup Series, the most Cup Series championships at 14, and has consistently ranked among the most valuable teams, including being named most valuable by Forbes in 2020 at $315 million valuation.
'We're not going to support them.'
Originally reported by the Washington Post, Hendrick recently sold more than two dozen vehicles to the Trump administration for use with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
"Earlier this year, we sold 25 standard Chevrolet Tahoes to the federal government," a Hendrick Companies spokesperson said, per WBTV-TV. "The vehicles were unmodified, and we fulfilled the commercial sale. We do not participate in or control how agencies equip, brand, or use vehicles after purchase."
The federal government paid $2.25 million for the Tahoes from Hendrick in North Carolina and dished out another $174,000 to other companies for custom wrappings, the Post reported.
Due to the lack of an open-bidding process, ICE was required to submit their justification for skipping any competitive bargaining.
"The agency's need for the services is so urgent and compelling that providing full and open competition would result in unacceptable delays and seriously hinder the government’s recruiting initiative," the contract states.
It added, "Urgency is warranted as these vehicles must be deployed to the streets immediately to provide a visible law enforcement presence, support public safety operations, and reinforce recruitment efforts."
The lack of bidding was not the point of focus for anti-ICE activists online. Rather, it was the simple fact that Hendrick was working with the federal agency.
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For example, a man from Georgia said that Hendrick "should be harassed" for being a "damned crook who needed to buy a pardon from Clinton."
He added, "I don't care who ICE buys vehicles from, but I would never put a dime in that crook's pocket."
Another X user seemingly called Hendrick an "Evil f**king man" for supplying ICE with vehicles.
In a video shared online, a woman addressing the people of Charlotte said, "You know how ICE is driving around those new SUVs? You can thank Rick Hendrick at Rick Hendrick Auto ... just remember that the next time you're in the market for a car!"
"We're not going to support them," another woman said about Hendrick Motorsports, using a filter that gave her devil horns. She then promoted a different Ford dealer in North Carolina, touting that the dealership has "Hispanic salesmen" who can speak Spanish.
"Go there, they're amazing! They're not doing all this mess," she declared.
RELATED: ICE takes down alleged 'wanted terrorist' illegal alien trucker
A self-professed left-wing NASCAR fan, meanwhile, wrote on X, "i have very low expectations of people in nascar, but rick hendrick selling vehicles to f**king ICE is probably a new low."
A senior official from the Department of Homeland Security told the Post last week that "ICE is a law enforcement agency, and like all other law enforcement agencies, has a fleet of vehicles that includes those with ICE branding."
The official's statement continued, "Thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill, ICE finally has the resources to grow its workforce to support ICE's mission, and that will include all types of additional vehicles."
"These specific vehicles will supplement the existing ICE fleet and support operations across the country," the DHS statement concluded.
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NASCAR drivers go all out in memory of Charlie Kirk: 'This one's for Charlie'
The NASCAR world lit up over the weekend with tributes from drivers to Charlie Kirk at the Bristol Motor Speedway.
NASCAR's Xfinity Series Food City 300 and the Cup Series' Bass Pro Shops Night Race in Bristol, Tennessee, saw a huge outpouring of love for Kirk following his murder earlier in the week. Kirk's life was taken at a university event in Utah on Sept. 10, leaving his wife, Erika, and two children behind.
'I look up to his heroism when it comes to standing for God ...'
Following the national anthem on Saturday, not only was there a flyover, but at the same time, a remembrance of Kirk appeared on the big screen over the racetrack. That was far from being the only tribute to Kirk, though, as at least seven drivers let their support be known.
This included race winner Christopher Bell — driver of the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 car — who dedicated his victory to Kirk.
"This week's obviously been a very tough week, and, you know, there's a lot on our mind, and this one’s for Charlie," he said.
Tributes also poured in from from all the current drivers of Richard Childress Racing. Decals dedicated to Kirk were placed on Jesse Love's Xfinity No. 2 car, Austin Hill's Xfinity No. 21, Kyle Busch's Cup No. 8, and Austin Dillon's Cup No. 3.
Dillon was asked about his tribute and did not mince words when speaking about the "tragic incident."
"I look up to his heroism when it comes to standing for God and I love some of his teachings of the Bible," Dillon explained. "His ability to debate without really attacking someone. I thought that it's just a very sad day; all I know it makes me want to get into the Bible more and learn more about Jesus and try and spread the word whenever I can."
With the entire team making tributes to Kirk, owner Richard Childress was not shy about commenting on the event and provided some of the kindest remarks heard from the sports world in reference to Kirk's death.
"Charlie loved this country; he loved God," Childress told Fox News' Laura Ingraham.
Calling the assassination a "senseless, senseless murder," the team owner referred to Kirk as a "friend and a great American patriot."
When Ingraham asked if he ever imagined something like Kirk's death would happen in the United States, Childress remarked, "Some of the crazy stuff that you hear that these people come up with, I can't believe it. ... We've got the greatest country on Earth. If you've ever been to other countries, especially communist countries, you'll understand what you have."
RELATED: Beloved race car driver dies after mid-race catastrophe has officials tearing his car apart
Jeremy Clements' Xfinity No. 51 car from Jeremy Clements Racing also put a photo of Kirk on his car with the caption "RIP Charlie Kirk."
Austin Green's Xfinity No. 32 car for Jordan Anderson Racing also paid tribute to Kirk, simply writing his name next to the American flag above the rear driver-side window.
The outpouring of love by the drivers is by far the biggest showing of support for Kirk in any of the major sports to date.
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Beloved race car driver dies after mid-race catastrophe has officials tearing his car apart
A beloved race car driver died following a case of extreme circumstances at a historic North Carolina track.
Robbie Brewer, a veteran driver with wins across multiple divisions, lost his life at just 53 years old following a race at the Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on Saturday.
The 87-year-old venue recently welcomed the NASCAR Cup Series back to the stadium after more than half a century in 2025, which sparked renovations, investments, and a promise of more NASCAR events in the coming years. The stadium's revitalization makes the death of Brewer even more tragic, especially when coupled with the unique circumstances that led to his passing.
'I gave my last fist bump to Robbie last night.'
With just four laps remaining in the Sportsman division race on Saturday, Brewer's No. 17 car was in the fourth position following a restart. As the field headed toward the green flag, Brewer's car slammed into the outside wall in turn four and bounced off before driving back down the track and eventually coming to a stop.
In a video of the event showing the crash (not graphic), fans can be seen waving to Brewer, hoping to receive a thumbs-up from the driver. When he did not respond, fans looked panicked as race officials approached the car.
FloRacing reported that inside sources revealed Brewer suffered a heart attack during the race, which led to the crash.
In a video of the tragic incident, track personnel are seen rushing to Brewer. They eventually had to cut away the roof of his race car to remove him from the vehicle. He was then loaded onto an ambulance and taken to a nearby hospital.
RELATED: NASCAR driver calls Mexico City a 's***hole' — immediately sent to 'cultural sensitivity' training
Brewer was later pronounced dead, with Bowman Gray Stadium releasing a statement.
"We are saddened by the passing of Robbie Brewer after he was transported to an area medical facility following an on-track medical incident during last night's event at Bowman Gray Stadium," the track said in a statement. "Robbie was a talented and passionate racer, and highly respected competitor among his peers. Our thoughts and prayers are with Robbie's family and friends at this time."
Fellow driver Brad Lewis posted his condolences on Facebook, sadly writing, "I gave my last fist bump to Robbie last night and told him to give 'em hell. Emilee spoke the last words to him over the radio. Hardest thing I've had to do was climb in a car after he was gone, but he would've told me to pump them up and get on the wheel."
Brewer had a remarkable 35-year career with 11 wins in the Sportsman division.
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NASCAR driver calls Mexico City a 's***hole' — immediately sent to 'cultural sensitivity' training
A NASCAR driver was too honest about his experience in Mexico while hosting a livestream, and now his team feels he needs re-education.
Carson Hocevar, currently the 20th-ranked driver in the NASCAR Cup Series, was preparing for the Viva Mexico 250 race in Mexico City and was livestreaming himself using a driving simulator to practice the track. Blaze News reviewed the livestream video on X, where it was posted by a user.
With the question from a viewer "are u a fan of the track" visible on screen, Hocevar began describing his experience in Mexico City, and it was his description of the lack of safety in the city that landed him in hot water.
'[If] it wasn't so easy or feel so locked down like you can't leave anywhere, it'd be a great experience.'
Hocevar began by saying that if "the travel was better, if getting here was easier, if you felt safer getting to and from everywhere," it would be a much better experience — but he did not stop there. The driver unleashed even more descriptors of the trip that were holding him back from having a good time.
"If it wasn't such a s***hole, if the track limits were a little better enforced, if it was gonna be a little bit better of a race and it wasn't so easy or feel so locked down like you can't leave anywhere, it'd be a great experience. It'd be an absolutely great experience. If you take all those out, it's unbelievable."
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— (@)
The 22-year-old admitted "the track itself is fun" and that the venue is a "great park."
However, it did not take long for Carson's racing team, Spire Motorsports, to conspire with NASCAR for a hefty fine of $50,000 and a bevy of excuses from the team as to why the young driver's comments were unnecessary.
In a press release, Spire Motorsports said Hocevar's fine would be split between the Mexican Red Cross, a nonprofit battling childhood malnutrition, and "local NGOs that improve education, health, and housing in 22 Mexican states."
Carson is now also subject to "mandatory cultural-sensitivity and bias-awareness training," with the racing team citing the word "respect" written on their cars as a reason for the training.
"Carson Hocevar's recent comments made during the livestream fell short of that standard," the team wrote.
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Hocevar issued a groveling apology on his X page less than two hours later, doing a complete 180-degree turn on his previous remarks about the city.
"Whoa everybody, the truth is the truth," the driver stated.
"You guys want me to be me? It was me who said it and it was me who apologized after actually taking the time to explore the city and feel the passion of every fan in attendance," Hocevar continued. "I appreciate the opportunity to learn and I knew before this weekend what respect means to this organization and I didn't meet the standard so I got what I deserved."
On top of "learning these lessons in the public eye," Hocevar said he brought negative attention to his team and chalked it up to "growing up in front of" the fans. "I'm just me. I'm trying," he said.
"It just doesn't always go the way I want and I bring a lot of this on myself," Hocevar concluded.
NASCAR has some legitimacy in their reactions, sports reporter Alejandro Avila told Blaze News. At the same time, "sending the man to their version of 're-education' camp is ridiculous."
Avila added, "Just fine him behind closed doors or let it go."
Hocevar's no. 77 car finished 34th out of 37 drivers in Mexico City, with just two drivers not finishing the race.
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Nostalgic Earnhardt Breaks Hearts, Transports Fans Back To NASCAR’s Golden Age
Earnhardt’s music, wrecked cars, iconic interviews, and fresh tracks take viewers back to NASCAR’s best days.NASCAR tried to hide its Pride Month promotion, but fans found it anyway
NASCAR seemingly ditched gay Pride celebrations for 2025, but internet sleuths were quick to notice that they were trying to pull a fast one on racing fans.
In 2024, the stock racing company happily posted pro-Pride graphics across their social media, including a flag that promotes transgender ideology.
"NASCAR is proud to support the LGBTQ+ community," the company wrote on its Instagram page last year. For 2025 however, NASCAR's support seemed absent, until someone found where it was hiding.
'Truth is, this sneaky acknowledgement of Pride Month showcases what most of us already knew ... these leagues don't care.'
Blaze News could not find any sexuality- or gender-based content on NASCAR's X, Instagram, or Facebook pages over the past week, but one X user noticed the sports league tried to fly under the radar by posting in an inconspicuous location.
'Hey @NASCAR is there a reason you’ll post this on LinkedIn but not any other social media platform?" a user wrote, showcasing a picture from the company's page.
In a post to its more than 87,000 LinkedIn followers, NASCAR displayed a graphic with "Pride Month" in big, bold letters.
"We celebrate the LGBTQ+ community during Pride Month and beyond," it said.
While the post had abysmal engagement, the top reply came from a physician's assistant in California; it read:
"Very strange that you’d post this to LinkedIn but not any other social media platform. You want to hire gays but don't want to support them elsewhere?"
The next reply was a post in support of veterans, but at the time of this publication, there were fewer than 10 comments on the post.
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"It's truly strange that NASCAR would choose to post pro-Pride images on its LinkedIn page to garner a whopping seven comments," OutKick's Alejandro Avila told Blaze News.
Avila continued, "Truth is, this sneaky acknowledgement of Pride Month showcases what most of us already knew ... these leagues don't care. If they have to 'wear the ribbon' then I guess pinning it to your a** (LinkedIn) counts. Way to go, NASCAR," he laughed.
NASCAR's television viewership is down in 2025, which makes the move even more peculiar.
After 17 races, total viewership is down almost more than 5.4% compared to 2024. This equates to a decrease in average viewership of almost 175,000 viewers per event, according to numbers from Daily Down Force.
Last year, NASCAR increased viewership by 1.2% over 2023, but those numbers will be erased if business does not pick up.
Recent additions of female drivers (Katherine Legge in NASCAR Cup Series, Toni Breidinger in the Craftsman Truck Series) and even former television star Frankie Muniz have garnered outside coverage, but the latest news seems to have angered fans on both sides.
One fan pointed out that while the company has chosen to hide its public support, the fan was disappointed that NASCAR is still willing to sell T-shirts with rainbow checker flags that display phrases like "Yaaascar" or "Slaytona."
"I wish they would at least pretend to care because what this tells me is that these are all cash grabs which once again not surprising but still sad," the fan wrote.
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