JR Motorsports’ three Xfinity drivers are now in the Round of 8 after Sam Mayer claimed the Cure 250 race win. While Mayer engaged in smoke show celebrations on Victory Lane, his rival Parker Kligerman watched a replay of the whisker-close incident that pushed him outside the playoffs. And despite his team’s glory, Dale Earnhardt Jr. found his heartstrings getting pulled by Kligerman’s painfully unfortunate situation.

This solidarity with his driver’s rival stands to reason. While Mayer is just kickstarting his career, he already has seven Xfinity victories under his belt for 2 years. On the other hand, Parker Kligerman has been winless since he first entered the series in 2009 and came close to breaking that trend last weekend. So Dale Jr. understands his pain.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. throws shots at NASCAR

1. The sanctioning body has been under fire recently for botched-up race calls. In the Cup Series, we saw Josh Berry wrecking on lap 1 of the Kansas race and NASCAR nullifying the rest of his run based on DVP.
2. Then immediately after, the officials contradicted their own rule in Talladega, where they towed out Chase Elliott’s wrecked car and allowed it to be repaired. These instances of egregious inconsistency affected Xfinity too.
3. NASCAR took a 15-20 second delay to wave the yellow flag after Leland Honeyman wrecked, only to call it right before Kligerman took the flag.

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Being on the cusp of his departure from the series, Kligerman drew support from fans. Even Dale Earnhardt Jr. joined this bandwagon, ridiculing NASCAR for its slip-up. The 26-time Cup Series winner clearly stated his idealistic priorities on an episode of the Dale Jr. Download, saying, “This just sucks, I’m being ripped in two. Because I’m thrilled that Sam won the race – this was a perfect outcome for me. What’s even more important to me than any of that is the integrity of the sport. It is hard to see that happen to Parker or any other driver. You’re a foot from the white flag…if the caution comes out after you cross it, would determine the race is over.”

Mick Schumacher, the son of seven-time Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher, is in the running for a potential return to F1. The young racer has emerged as a late contender for a seat at Kick Sauber, which will become Audi in 2026. Led by Mattia Binotto, the team announced Mick as a candidate for their drivers’ lineup in 2025.

Speaking in an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Binotto dived into details about the young driver. “We are definitely evaluating him [Mick Schumacher],” he said.

The statement is being seen as the 25-year-old’s last chance to return to the sport.

Mick has previous association with Mattia Binotto through the Ferrari Driver Academy.

Speaking about their connection, Binotto added, “I met him and spoke to him. I have known him for a long time, having been part of the Ferrari Driver Academy. I know his strengths and advantages. He is one of the names we have in mind.”

Mick, who drove for Haas during his last stint in Formula 1, was a reserve for Mercedes in the last two seasons. The driver was also in contention for a seat at Alpine after Esteban Ocon left the team for Haas. He even raced for the French manufacturer in the World Endurance Championship. However, the squad decided to go with rookie driver Jack Doohan, instead.

Audi Chief Binotto now has the young racer on the radar as he hopes to bring him back to the sport.

He discussed how the team was in no rush to make a hasty decision, especially now that most teams have already decided their line-ups. “There are two essential options: on the one hand, experience to set us on the growth path. On the other is a young, talented driver who can accompany us on the path to the top,” Binotto said.

With Sauber preparing for a full acquisition by Audi in 2026, the German carmaker looks focused on assembling a competitive team. Should Mick join Sauber, he would team up with Nico Hulkenberg, who leaves Haas at the end of the 2024 season. The 37-year-old German racer is taking one of the two seats next year.

Carlos Sainz teased one day revealing his true thoughts on Mattia Binotto claiming he would not have signed Lewis Hamilton if still Ferrari boss.

Ahead of the F1 2024 campaign, Hamilton activated an exit clause in his Mercedes contract to engineer a blockbuster F1 2025 move to Ferrari, signing a multi-year deal. That came at the expense of Sainz, who has since agreed terms with Williams.

Carlos Sainz reacts after Binotto’s Lewis Hamilton Ferrari bombshell
At Ferrari, Hamilton reunites with his former junior series boss Fred Vasseur, who took over the reins at Maranello in 2023, after the exit of former team principal Mattia Binotto.

And Binotto has confirmed that if he were still calling the shots, Hamilton would not have got his Ferrari dream move.

Asked by Corriere della Sera if he would have signed Hamilton to Ferrari, Binotto replied: “No. But he did very well to go to Ferrari, I agree with his decision.”

Explaining his reasoning, Binotto said that Hamilton’s future Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc – a part of their line-up since 2019 and a Ferrari Driver Academy graduate – should be their centrepiece for an F1 title challenge.

“Because Ferrari had set their sights on other drivers. And if the talent is Leclerc, he is the one who somehow I think should be taken to the target,” claimed Binotto.

And Sainz, speaking at the 2024 Marca Sports Weekend, was asked for his reaction to that.

“Binotto says he wouldn’t have signed Lewis?” Sainz replied.

Gathering up his thoughts, Sainz teased that he would one day share them, but this was not the time.

“I don’t get involved in that,” he said, “I’ll keep my opinion to myself and I’ll tell you my opinion over dinner one day.”

As for the Hamilton and Leclerc partnership, Sainz believes it will be a successful one for Ferrari.

“He and Leclerc are two great drivers, I’m sure they’ll have a good time,” he said.

Sainz will be joining a Williams team striving to work its way up the F1 pecking order, with F1 2026 – the year that new chassis and power unit regulations arrive – very much the goal in mind rather than next season.