This, That and the Next Thing by Ernie Saxton - June 28, 2025

This from Holly Cain of NASCAR Wire Service. Chase Elliott’s body language as he leaned against his car on pit road following Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway was unmistakable.

He was understandably spent after a physical day in the heat and humidity driving 160 laps around the iconic and super-demanding 2.5-mile triangular-shaped track. And the 2020 series champion climbed out of his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet simultaneously encouraged with his fifth-place showing, but also wanting more.

Although Elliott, 29, is the only driver in the series to have scored top-20 finishes in all 17 races to date, he is a former champion, a perpetual winner and is still frustrated every time he does not take home a trophy. And he’s still racing for that first piece of hardware this season, hoping Saturday night’s Quaker State 400 (7 p.m. ET on TNT, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Atlanta’s 1.5-mile EchoPark Speedway changes his trajectory.

Headed to Atlanta Elliott was ranked fifth in the championship, 80 points behind his Hendrick teammate, standings leader William Byron with nine races remaining to settle which 16 drivers advance to the 2025 Playoffs. He is the highest-ranked driver without a win, which is both a testament to his work and a motivator to do even better.

“That is a good question," he said when asked if he considers this a “good season.”

“Good? Sure, but it’s not where I want to be no doubt. I think for us there have been some high spots and to be honest, there have been weeks where we have run well where we have had a good finish, and there have been weeks where we have not had a good finish and I can go home and be like, ‘man, we were in the mix, and we had good pace today’. And those are the weeks where you just want to feel like you are in the ball game as it pertains to pace, doing the right things, and getting up in there and giving yourself a shot.

“Those days I can go home and have something to be proud of," he continued. “It’s the days and weekends where we are just not even relevant that I think are the most frustrating to me. We have had more of those than I would want to have and that we would want to have as a team.

“So, I think it’s been good but not satisfactory for myself or to our team, but there is still a lot of racing left in the season and I think we have ourselves in a position to make a mediocre day alright. We can build from it, and we still have a chance.”

Sunday’s Pocono showing marked the first time this season Elliott has had back-to-back top-five finishes after earning a season best third place at the inaugural Mexico City road course a week ago.

And the next three races include a stop at the Georgia-native’s “home track” in Atlanta, followed by back-to-back road course races – on the Chicago Street Course and the Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway.

Elliott won from pole position at Atlanta in 2022 and has eight top-10 finishes in 13 starts there, but only one - that win - in the track’s new configuration that made it race more like a superspeedway.

The road courses, however, have absolutely been Elliott’s talent palate. With seven career road course victories – on five different tracks – he is the best among active drivers on that style of track. Only a pair of NASCAR Hall of Famers – Tony Stewart with eight wins and Jeff Gordon with nine - have won more on road courses in NASCAR history.

“It’s do you really have a legit shot at winning that day; I mean just based on your pace and so on and so forth," Elliott said of strategy for these next races. “Its super circumstantial is the best way to answer that. The biggest circumstance that is going to dictate what you do in those moments is what kind of pace you have, and what kind of real shot you have to win the race when you just kind of sit back and look at the day so far and compare it to the guys that have had good air and are out front.

“I have a pretty good idea when that is the case and when that is not the case, but certainly [crew chief] Alan [Gustafson] and everybody on the box on the team, they are the ones that are watching that much closer than I am able to. So, we will see, and I hope that we are fast, and I am down with giving up Stage points to give ourselves a shot to win, all day long for sure.”

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Chase Briscoe claimed another automatic Playoff bid with his victory at Pocono on Sunday – six of the last eight race winners have been first-time race winners this season. Eleven of the 16 automatic bids have been claimed by race winners with nine races remaining to settle the final five spots.

Of note, the TNT broadcast portion of the schedule started at Atlanta and will feature an inaugural In Season Challenge - a $1 million to win incentive program playing out over the next five races.

The top-32 drivers in the points standings following the Nashville race qualified for the bonus program and the seeding was set based on how drivers fared in the Michigan, Mexico City and Pocono races.

Each week two drivers are pitted against one another, with the lower finishing driver that day eliminated in bracket-style competition. The final driver-to-driver round based on the outcome of the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway will decide the champion and winner of that $1 million check.

LOOKS LIKE THERE IS A LOT OF MONEY IN MOTORSPORTS according to an article posted in Speed Sport.PRI Study: Motorsports Generates $69.2 Billion To American Economy

According to a study released recently by Performance Racing Industry, the motorsports industry generates more than $69.2 billion in annual economic impact to the American economy.

PRI, the leading voice for the motorsports industry in the U.S., commissioned the research, which was conducted by John Dunham & Associates, based on 2025 U.S. economy data. The study encompasses automobile, truck, motorcycle and UTV/side-by-side racing activity.

Traditionally, economic impact reports about racing are focused on the impact of a single event – major race weekend events for a specific local and state economy.

These are studies that examine the impact of the tourism dollars that come into the economy as a result of that single event. PRI’s report is different because it determines the economic impact of the businesses that support the existence of racing in the first place.

PRI’s research represents the most comprehensive assessment of motorsports’ economic footprint ever undertaken to quantify the scale and significance of the business of racing to the U.S. economy. It evaluates the economic contributions from multiple racing businesses, including tracks and promoters, parts manufacturers, distributors, retailers, service providers, and incorporated race teams.

Key findings from the study include:

The industry contributes more than $69.2 billion in annual economic impact to the American economy.

Nationwide, the motorsports industry supports more than 318,000 American jobs.

• American workers in the motorsports industry earn more than $22.1 billion worth of wages and benefits.

The industry generates more than $8.2 billion in tax revenue, including $5 billion in federal taxes and $3.2 billion in state and local taxes.

This economic impact study represents an important bookend to PRI’s 2024 Racing Market Report, a consumer trends analysis which found that consumers spent $8 billion on track-use only parts for motorsports in 2023.

As part of this study, PRI also launched an interactive economic impact map, enabling users to explore motorsports-related data by state and county — highlighting the industry’s reach and relevance in communities of all sizes across the country.

The website also offers downloadable infographics that can be shared with policy makers and other businesses to show the impact motorsports has on individual states and communities.

The PRI Economic Impact Study provides valuable data about the economic footprint of the motorsports industry in the United States. PRI undertook this effort to provide policymakers, industry stakeholders, and the public with credible, data-driven insights into racing’s role as a major driver of economic activity, employment, and tax revenue.

The study not only affirms the industry’s significance but also serves as a foundational resource to inform advocacy, investment and long-term planning.

“Racing holds a special place in American life, and this milestone report highlights the broad scope of the motorsports industry as an economic driver at the local, state, and federal levels,” said PRI President Michael Good. “Using these results as a foundation, PRI will continue to seek ways to foster the motorsports industry, from racetracks to manufacturers, and from small businesses to major national employers, to ensure motorsports continues to touch every part of the country and bring together people from all walks of life for competition and community. We’re proud to serve as the leading voice for the motorsports industry in the U.S. and will continue delivering the data needed to demonstrate the industry’s economic strength and value.”

In 2023, a study commissioned by the Specialty Equipment Market Association found that the automotive aftermarket industry generates an economic impact of $337 billion annually to the American economy.

While the motorsports study found small areas of overlap in the parts, repair, and facilities areas, the motorsports study results are a complement to the SEMA report. PRI was acquired by SEMA in 2012 to connect, protect, and advocate for the motorsports industry.

More developments in 23XI Racing, Front Row Motorsports lawsuit against NASCAR

There have been two key developments in the 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports v. NASCAR lawsuit and countersuit on Monday.

The judge overseeing the case in the Western District of North Carolina has denied the two teams’ motion to dismiss the countersuit, even though it disagreed with key elements of the counterclaim. The 13 Cup Series teams that are not party to the lawsuit will be in court on Tuesday to fight subpoenas from both litigants seeking specific financial documents as part of fact discovery and issued filings in support of their combined argument.

As for the teams fighting the subpoenas.

Kaulig Racing has come to an agreement with NASCAR over what financial documents it will share as part of fact discovery, but the remaining 11 teams have still not reached a formal agreement yet, although all parties have exchanged emails and/or met in person on the matter.

The other 11 teams say NASCAR has not been specific enough for their legal likings, according to their … filing,

The teams also just do not believe NASCAR has met the burden of proof to obtain individualized financial documents on a need to know legal basis.

Berks County’s Baddest Bullring, Kutztown, PA's Action Track USA will now be dark until Wednesday, July 9, as the annual mid-season break occurs. On July 9, the Innovative Machine Technology USAC East Coast Sprint Cars make their first visit of the season to Action Track USA for the Iron Cowboy Classic. Joining the non-wing 360 Sprint Cars will be the Hyper Racing 600 Sprints, along with the All Star and Junior Slingshots.

Grandstand gates will open at 5 p.m., and warm-ups begin at 6:15. Opening ceremonies and qualifying heats immediately follow the hot lap sessions.

Taking extreme heat into consideration, management teams of both New Egypt Speedway and the Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco have postponed the annual ‘Dirty Jersey’ event to Tuesday, July 8.

Temperatures upward of 100 degrees – with real feel temperatures of 110-plus – led to the joint decision.

“With all the rain both the series and New Egypt have endured, postponing this event was not something any of us wanted to do,” STSS director Brett Deyo said. “But there are several factors including track and series staff preparing for the event, driver and fan safety and a concern about the effects of the extreme temperatures on engines.

“Fortunately, we were able to find a workable date for both parties in the very near future to run the event.”

The event, in its entirety, will move to July 8 with the STSS Modifieds of the NJ Quality Drywall South Region racing 50 laps for $6,000 to win, Belmont’s Garage South Region STSS Sportsman in a 25-lap, $1,500-to-win program and Four Cylinders in competition.

New Egypt Speedway is located at 720 County Road 539 New Egypt, NJ 08533. Learn more online at www.newegyptspeedway.net or call 609.758.1900.

To learn more about the Short Track Super Series Fueled By Sunoco, visit www.shorttracksuperseries.com, e-mail bdmotorsportsmedia@gmail.com, check out ‘Short Track Super Series’ on Facebook or @ShortTrackSS on (X) or Instagram.

The Short Track Super Series is presented by Bob Hilbert Sportswear, FloRacing, American Racer, Lias Tire, Sunoco Race Fuels, BDR Speed, NJ Quality Drywall, HYTORC of New York, Ollie’s, Penske Racing Shocks, Saint Lawrence Radiology, Capitol Custom Trailers & Coaches, Bicknell Racing Products, Behrent’s Performance Warehouse, Madsen Overhead Doors, Belmont’s Garage, Wegner Automotive, DIG Race Products, ATL, Dirt Draft, Swagger Factory Apparel, F.X. Caprara Car Companies, Algonkin Motel LLC, Beyea Custom Headers, Design for Vision, Sunglass Central, Dirt Track Digest TV, DKM Fabrication, EIBACH, Fastline Performance, Flach Performance Products, Henry’s Headers & Exhaust Systems, JK Signworks, JLR Technologies, Dave Prime Jr. MAC Tools, MD3, PEM Engineering, Schultz Racing Fuel Cells, SRI Performance, Superior Remodeling, Swift Springs, The Exotic Brand, TV 12 Racing Products, VAHLCO Wheels & Wilwood Disc Brakes.

BY ERNIE SAXTON