Iowa and New Hampshire may be two of the shorter tracks on the NASCAR schedule, but they've gone a long way in saving Ricky Stenhouse Jr's 2024 season.
Heading into the Iowa Corn 350 on June 16, Stenhouse sat just 27th in points, with his only top-10 finishes occurring at the drafting tracks of Atlanta and Talladega.
However, Iowa and New Hampshire have both yielded top-seven finishes for the No. 47 team, a welcome sight for a team that was struggling to be competitive. Stenhouse has now risen to 24th in points after New Hampshire, and looks to continue to move up at Nashville.
Make no mistake: Stenhouse still needs a win in the next eight races to make the playoffs, and a couple of good runs aren't going to magically turn around his season. However, for a driver whose biggest highlights prior to Iowa was a fight with Kyle Busch at North Wilkesboro, consecutive top-10 days are a major cause for celebration.
After Stenhouse won the Daytona 500 and had one of the best seasons of his career in 2023, 2024 has been a major disappointment. However, the past two races show the potential the No. 47 team has if everything comes together.
While it was strategy that helped Stenhouse grab his fifth-place finish at Iowa, he was put in the same situation as everyone else in the field at New Hampshire, having to run the final 82 laps of the USA Today 301 on wet-weather tires. Despite this, Stenhouse found a way through the late race chaos to notch a seventh-place finish that proved his Iowa run wasn't a fluke.
The next short track on the schedule is Richmond on Aug. 11. Don't be surprised if Stenhouse is back in the top-10 at the Virginia short track, as it could be his last legitimate chance — besides Daytona on Aug. 24 — to win his way into the postseason.
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It looks like someone else is finally saying what everyone else is thinking. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has expressed disgust with the whole Austin Hill fiasco. The NASCAR legend recently weighed in on Richard Childress Racing’s unwavering support of their driver amid all the controversy, and let’s just say Junior sees some familiar patterns here. If you’ve been taking a break from the recent NASCAR drama for five minutes, Austin Hill has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons lately. The guy managed to get himself suspended for a race after some questionable comments about NASCAR officials, and instead of throwing him under the bus, Richard Childress doubled down on his support. Sound familiar? According to Dale Earnhardt Jr., it absolutely should. The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From the Tree During a recent episode of the “Dale Jr. Download,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. couldn’t help but draw parallels between Childress’ current stance and the loyalty he showed to Dale Sr. back in the day. It’s kind of beautiful in a twisted, motorsports soap opera kind of way. “There were times in the 80s and 90s where there was a little bit of that where dad would get penalized for rough driving and boy you know Richard would be like you know NASCAR’s wrong, they, you know, they screwed us,” he explained. It’s almost poetic in a sense, or at least that’s what it seems like based on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s perspective. Here’s Childress, decades later, still playing the same tune but with a different driver wearing the helmet. The man has been consistent, I’ll give him that. Whether it was defending The Intimidator’s aggressive driving style or standing by Austin Hill’s recent outburst, Childress seems to have a “my driver, right or wrong” mentality that’s both admirable and slightly concerning. The Richmond Effect Still Haunts RCR Dale Earnhardt Jr. thinks this whole situation with Austin Hill has been amplified by what went down at Richmond last year. Remember when Austin Dillon basically turned into a wrecking ball on the final lap, taking out Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin to steal a win? Yeah, that didn’t go over well with NASCAR, and they stripped the victory away faster than you could say “intentional contact.” “What I’m seeing ain’t nothing new, but it’s just really aggravated. I think in this instance because of that Richmond result and how that was handled, they didn’t love, and it just seems like ever since then Richard feels like that they’re out to get them,” Earnhardt Jr. observed. He might have a point. When you feel like the sanctioning body has it out for you, every penalty starts to feel personal. Every call goes from being questionable to being part of some grand conspiracy. It’s like when you’re already having a bad day and then someone cuts you off in traffic suddenly, they’re not just a bad driver, they’re personally attacking your entire existence. The Childress Philosophy: Loyalty Over Logic? Richard Childress has always been known for his fierce loyalty to his drivers, and in many ways, that’s exactly what you want from a team owner. But there’s a fine line between having your driver’s back and enabling bad behavior, and sometimes it feels like Childress might be doing a tightrope walk on that line. Back in 2011, Childress told ESPN about the racing philosophy he shared with Dale Earnhardt Sr.: “That’s race as hard as you can, run up front all day to give these fans a show.” It’s a noble sentiment, really. Race hard, give it your all, let the chips fall where they may. However, when that philosophy starts extending to defending every questionable decision your drivers make, well, that’s when things get complicated. The man retired the legendary No. 3 after Dale Sr.’s death and didn’t bring it back until his grandson Austin Dillon was ready to drive it in 2014. That’s the kind of loyalty and respect that makes you believe in humanity again. But defending a driver’s right to publicly trash NASCAR officials? That’s something else entirely. The Bigger Picture: Is NASCAR Really Out to Get RCR? Here’s the million-dollar question based on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s synopsis of the never-ending Austin Hill saga. Is NASCAR actually targeting Richard Childress Racing, or is RCR just really good at finding trouble? It’s like that friend we all have who always seems to have drama following them around. At some point, you start to wonder if maybe they’re the common denominator. Since the Richmond incident, it does seem like RCR can’t catch a break. But then again, when you’re consistently pushing the boundaries and making headlines for the wrong reasons, maybe those breaks become a little harder to come by. NASCAR isn’t exactly known for its sense of humor when it comes to public criticism. The fact that Hill received a one-race suspension under the new 2025 regulations indicates that NASCAR is taking a tougher stance on driver conduct. Whether that’s specifically targeting RCR or just applying the rules equally across the board is probably a matter of perspective. Moving Forward: Can Austin Hill Redeem Himself? Despite all the drama, Austin Hill did manage to score a top-5 finish at Watkins Glen after returning from his suspension. Of course, thanks to the penalty, he won’t earn any playoff points for his efforts, but at least he showed he can still drive when he’s not busy putting his foot in his mouth. NASCAR granted RCR a playoff waiver for sitting out Iowa, suggesting they’re not completely out to destroy the team. According to Dale Earnhardt Jr., it’s more like they’re the stern parent who still loves you but really needs you to learn your lesson and stop acting up in public. And he’s right. Final Thoughts The truth is, Austin Hill has the talent to be successful in NASCAR, but he needs to learn that sometimes the best response to adversity is to let your driving do the talking. Save the commentary for after you’ve won the championship, not while you’re trying to make the playoffs. At the end of the day, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s observations about the situation are spot-on. Richard Childress is doing what Richard Childress has always done. standing by his drivers through thick and thin. Whether that’s the right approach in this particular situation remains to be seen, but you can’t fault the man for consistency.
Just when it seemed everything was going right for Shedeur Sanders, the Cleveland Browns' rookie quarterback caught an unlucky break on Wednesday. The 23-year-old QB was sidelined during Wednesday's joint practice with the Philadelphia Eagles after suffering an oblique injury. Per Kelsey Russo of the team website, the 2025 fifth-round pick won't practice Thursday and is considered day-to-day. He is deemed unlikely to play in Saturday's preseason game against Philadelphia, scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on NFL Network. Before Wednesday's practice, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed rookie QB Dillon Gabriel will start against Philadelphia as long as he's healthy enough to play. The 2025 third-rounder missed Cleveland's preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers because of a hamstring issue. However, Stefanski previously said Sanders would get more reps this week after a solid preseason debut. The former Colorado Buffaloes star received the start in the 30-10 win over Carolina, going 14-of-23 passing for 138 yards and two touchdown passes. Not playing against Philadelphia could disrupt Sanders' momentum. More importantly, it may eliminate another opportunity for him to overtake Gabriel in Cleveland's four-way QB competition. Sanders is listed as the Browns QB4 behind Gabriel, Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco on the team's unofficial depth chart. Despite questions about Gabriel's size (5-foot-11, 205 pounds), the coaching staff seems to favor him over Sanders. Earlier this offseason, Gabriel's processing speed reportedly impressed Browns coaches, giving him an edge over Sanders. The former Oregon Ducks star also received reps with the first-team offense during OTAs and mandatory minicamp, while his fellow rookie didn't. If Gabriel plays well against the Eagles, that would continue to affirm the coaching staff's confidence in the 24-year-old QB. Neither Sanders nor Gabriel is expected to be the Week 1 starter for the Browns. It's likely going to be Flacco, who helped Cleveland make the playoffs in 2023 when he went 4-1 during a late-season stretch. Still, another solid preseason showing could help Sanders position himself to replace 40-year-old Flacco in the future. With the setback, it may take more time to climb the depth chart.
Boston Bruins top prospect James Hagens has announced he will return to Boston College for his sophomore season. In a brief interview with Scott McLaughlin of Boston’s WEEI 93.7, Hagens shared that he’s in no rush to advance to the next step, acknowledging that development is a, “marathon, not a sprint.” Hagens revealed the news while participating at the Bruins’ 14th annual back-to-school celebration, alongside current Bruins Mason Lohrei and John Beecher. Few announcements will shake the college scene as much as the news of Hagens’ return. He was among the best freshmen in college last season, tracking to 37 points in 37 games. That scoring earned him a unanimous selection to Hockey East’s All-Rookie team — an accolade he shared with teammate Teddy Stiga and Boston University rival Cole Hutson. Hagens reached those heights while filling an interesting role with the Eagles, stepping in between wingers Gabe Perreault and Ryan Leonard after the two spent their last three years centered by San Jose Sharks prospect Will Smith. Each of Perreault, Leonard and Hagens scored fewer points than the Eagles’ top-line managed in 2023-24, but it seemed that was more the cause of a low-scoring year across Hockey East. The top unit recorded points on 36 percent of BC’s goals this season, an ever-so-slight improvement over the 34 percent contributed by Smith, Leonard and Perreault in 2024. But while Hagens faced questions of his scoring upside relative to other top draft-eligible talents in the NCAA, it was hard not to be impressed by his on-ice results. He’s long been a dynamo among his age group, with an innate ability to predict movement and put himself in position to make a play. Hagens is strong on the puck — with an ability to use finesse moves and bulky shoulders to force his way into the dangerous areas of the ice. More than that, he showed clear signs of improvement as the year went on — developing his physical presence and ability to make a difference even when he wasn’t the first man in on a play. Those signs of growth give Boston a prospect to be excited over. Hagens was lauded as the clear first overall talent in the 2025 draft class, prior to the beginning of the 2024-25 season. Much of that claim came from his command of the U.S. NTDP over the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, where he served as the team’s top-line center and snappy playmaker next to electric goal-scorer Cole Eiserman. With Eiserman’s help, Hagens was able to become the fifth-highest scoring player in NTDP history, with 187 points in 118 games. He also set the scoring record at the World U17 Hockey Challenge in 2023, with 21 points in seven games, and the World U18 Championship in 2024, with 22 points in seven games. Hagens will be returning to a fresh-faced Boston College lineup next season. Both Leonard and Perreault signed their NHL entry-level contracts at the end of last season, leaving the Eagles with vacancies on both wings on their top-line. One of those spots will be occupied by Stiga, who has shown years of chemistry playing next to Hagens. The other spot will be closely contested, but could land in the hands of transfer forward Ryan Conmy or fellow Bruins draft pick William Moore. Hagens and Moore will be two of six Bruins prospects on next year’s Eagles squad, providing local fans with plenty of reasons to walk to Conte Forum when the puck drops.
Jon Gruden sent another warning shot toward the NFL after scoring a major win in court. On Tuesday, Gruden welcomed a ruling that will force the NFL to litigate the circumstances of his firing in court rather than closed-door arbitration. The former Las Vegas Raiders coach made it clear that he intends to continue his legal challenge to the NFL, ensuring that they are held accountable. “I’m looking forward to having the truth come out, and I want to make sure what happened to me doesn’t happen to anyone else,” Gruden said in a statement provided to ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. “The league’s actions disrupted the whole season. We were leading the division at the time and they completely blindsided me and the team.” The Raiders were 3-1 in 2021 when Gruden was forced to resign after offensive emails he had sent between 2011 and 2018 were leaked. Gruden has alleged that the NFL leaked the emails to force him out of a job after obtaining them during an investigation into the Washington Commanders. The NFL is set to appeal Monday’s ruling, but if that appeal fails, the league may be forced into public discovery. One alternative would be to offer Gruden a settlement, but he has not said whether or not he would be interested in such a resolution. Gruden has not held an NFL coaching job since the Raiders forced him out. He has recently spoken about possibly making a return to coaching at the college level.
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