Lots of news came out this week around the NASCAR scene. Let’s break down all the stories from this week. This is the NASCAR News Flash for May 12th through the 16th.
Buescher DQ-ed After Kansas, Driver Announcements For Charlotte, and More: NASCAR News Flash
We saw dominance by Larson at Kansas, but that was not the last story to come out of the heartland state. As we get closer to the NASCAR triple header at Charlotte, we are seeing some driver announcements released. Finally, we cover the CARS Tour and Whelen Modified Tour racing this weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway in support of the All-Star Race Weekend. This is a NASCAR News Flash for May 12th through 16th.
Chris Buescher Disqualified After Kansas, Fined 60 Pts and Crew Chief Suspended:
Following Larson’s dominant performance at Kansas, it was Chris Buescher stealing headlines on Tuesday about the race. Following the post-race inspection, Buescher’s car was taken to NASCAR’s research and development center for a random and more in-depth inspection.
The #17 Ford Dark Horse Mustang was found to violate NASCAR Rule Book sections 14.1C, overall assembled vehicle rules, and 14.5.4.G, front bumper cover. It was found that the team went above the legal amount of reinforcement of the front bumper. Bozi Tatarevic shared his expertise on the issue in a great thread on X (formerly Twitter):
The No. 17 team has been penalized for unapproved modifications to the front bumper cover under rule 14.5.4.G: Front Bumper Cover.
The rule allows bumpers to be reinforced on the inside up to a 2-inch border around the foam and they likely went further than that. pic.twitter.com/qkjfdHmA7N
— Bozi Tatarevic (@BoziTatarevic) May 15, 2025
RFK Racing’s #17 Team was issued an L1 Penalty. NASCAR fined them 75,000 dollars, 60 championship points, and 5 playoff points. Crew Chief Scott Graves will be suspended for the All-Star Race and the Coke 600.
RFK has not determined whether they will attempt to appeal. Here is the statement they released:
Update from RFK Racing: pic.twitter.com/XjoSMvmRZb
— RFK Racing (@RFKracing) May 16, 2025
Charlotte Race Weekend Driver Announcements:
We are one week from NASCAR homecoming and racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Teams and drivers have been announcing their entries into the weekend’s racing action.
Spire Motorsports announced that BJ McLeod will pilot the #07 Chevrolet for them in Friday Night’s NC Education Lottery 200. It will be BJ McLeod’s 42nd start in the Truck Series, and first since 2021.
Getting his reps in for the Racing Coaster.@bjmcleod78 will pilot our No. 07 @pfracingcoaster Chevrolet Silverado in next weekend’s @NASCAR_Trucks race in Charlotte!
📰: https://t.co/9bASL5qgih pic.twitter.com/RZ0JPeFiJs
— Spire Motorsports (@SpireMotorsport) May 16, 2025
Viral sensation and top-ten finisher in the ARCA race at Talladega, Garrett Mitchell AKA Cleetus McFarland, announced today as well. Previously, he was slated for the ARCA race at Bristol in the fall, but now he will be in the field for the ARCA race at Charlotte. His first non-drafting track start in his career.
The ‘Cleetus Effect’ has been real for the ARCA Menards Series. In just YouTube views alone, he has brought over 8 million views to content relating to him racing in ARCA. It is exciting for the ARCA Series to have this increased viewership and as a long-time fan of Garrett/Cleetus’ content. Let’s see how he fares in his first non-drafting race.
READ MORE: Youtuber Garrett Mitchell, Cleetus McFarland To Test Rette Jones ARCA Car at Daytona
CARS Tour Doubleheader at North Wilkesboro Brings Major First:
While the NASCAR Cup Series and Craftsman Truck Series headline this weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway, fans will also be treated to a full slate of racing action from both the CARS Tour and the Whelen Modified Tour.
The CARS Tour, now co-owned by racing legends Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick, and Trackhouse Racing’s Justin Marks, is running a double-feature during All-Star Weekend.
The first event, the Pro Late Model race, was held Thursday night and saw Truck Series regular Kaden Honeycutt take the win. Keelan Harvick, son of Kevin Harvick, impressed with a third-place finish, while Josh Berry rounded out the top five. Luke Baldwin, son of Modified legend Tommy Baldwin Jr., finished seventh, kicking off a packed weekend in which he will compete in three different series across three days.
Friday night marks a historic milestone as the CARS Tour Late Model Stock Cars make their national TV debut on FS1. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick will be in the broadcast booth. The race—the Window World 100—will feature a 100-lap shootout under the lights. Notable entrants include Kaden Honeycutt, Corey LaJoie, Layne Riggs, and defending CARS Tour champion Carson Kvapil.
Coverage for the Window World 100 begins Friday at 8:15 PM EST, following the conclusion of the NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge. The race will be simulcast on FloRacing and FS1.
Whelen Modified Tour Book-Ends the North Wilkesboro Weekend:
Capping off the weekend is NASCAR’s oldest touring series—the Whelen Modified Tour, which hits the track Sunday. The entry list includes some big names, both past and present. Cup veteran Ryan Newman, 2000 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Bobby Labonte, Corey LaJoie, and Luke Baldwin are all expected to compete.
Practice and qualifying begin Sunday at 10:15 AM EST, with coverage available exclusively on FloRacing.
That is your NASCAR News Flash for the second week of May. Stay connected to Last Word on Motorsports for all your NASCAR coverage.
