NASCAR Cup Series drivers shared who they would love to have as a celebrity passenger during a race. Some preferred their favorite stars, while others opted for more practical choices.
23XI Racing's Bubba Wallace chose basketball legend Michael Jordan, while Hendrick Motorsports' Alex Bowman picked singer Dua Lipa.
“I mean, I think obviously it's MJ, right? Yeah, I'd like to see him get in there,” Wallace said.
"Dua Lipa...Because Dua Lipa,” Bowman said.
Daniel Suarez joined in to say that he would like to have Pitbull ride with him, while Austin Dillon chose mixed martial artist, boxer and actor Conor McGregor.
Stewart Haas Racing's Noah Gragson mentioned rapper 21 Savage as his choice. Gragson added that it would be fun to see how 21 would react during the race. He also liked the idea of having singer Hardy but felt 21 would be more scared during the ride.
“21's a goat and I love 21,” Gragson said.
Tod Gilliland and Erik Jones chose Tom Cruise. Gilliland said that "he'd be the best one," and Jones hopes to get some racing tips from him, while Chase Briscoe picked comedian Will Ferrell.
Spire Motorsports' No. 77 Chevrolet driver, Carson Hocevar chose Kevin Hart.
“He's (Kevin Hart) short. I'm just thinking weight, but, at the same time, He can just talk smack to everybody else while they're next to him,” Hocevar said.
Finally, Garrison Burton and Zane Smith both picked Matthew McConaughey.
You can watch the full video below.
NASCAR responds to preliminary injunction request
Two NASCAR teams, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, filed an anti-trust lawsuit against NASCAR earlier this month.
It started after long talks about the new and updated charter agreements. Most teams accepted the new agreement, but Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin-owned 23XI Racing and Bob Jenkins's Front Row Motorsports didn't sign it before the deadline in late September.
The teams claimed that NASCAR was engaging in monopolistic practices and requested access to documents from officials. However, NASCAR rejected the request on Wednesday and argued that the lawsuit was about money and not about protecting competition.
"The Motion seeks to change the status quo, not maintain it; is about money, not irreparable harm; and fails to show a likelihood of success on the merits.
"This lawsuit is not about protecting competition; it’s a bid by Plaintiffs to secure more money than they could through arm’s-length negotiations. The Motion should be denied," the legal statement read.
The teams also want to keep their charters for the 2025 season while their lawsuit is ongoing. The court hearing for the case is scheduled for November 4.