Stephen A Smith challenged by NASCAR team after – Sports News
Front Row Motorsports has fired back at Stephen A. Smith with a problem after his latest feedback suggesting that drivers shouldn’t be thought-about athletes.
Smith sparked debate on Tuesday whereas discussing the place LeBron James ranks among the many best athletes of all time. During the section on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio, a caller proposed that NASCAR legend Richard Petty deserved to be included in that dialog
He went on to query whether or not NASCAR drivers ought to even be thought-about athletes, rapidly dismissing the thought. Smith additionally broadened his criticism, taking intention at golfers too. “You can be behind the wheel of a car in your 60s and 70s for crying out loud,” Smith mentioned. “A golfer is not an athlete. A NASCAR driver is not an athlete. Just because you’ve got to walk the course for 18 holes for four days, that don’t make you an athlete.”
In response, Front Row Motorsports stepped in to defend the NASCAR neighborhood, which rapidly pushed back towards Smith’s remarks. The team even mocked his distinctive on-air model in a direct message reportedly despatched to his Instagram account.
“Stephen A., what’s going on, my man?” the message learn. “We heard that ABSOLUTELY PREPOSTEROUS take of yours claiming NASCAR drivers aren’t athletes, and quite frankly, we were stunned. Stunned!
“So here’s what we’re gonna do; we’re inviting you to step out of that studio, come down here, and hop in for a ride-along with one of our three Cup Series drivers. Then you can tell the world how ‘not athletic’ it feels going 180 miles per hour, pulling G-forces, and fighting that wheel for three straight hours. We’ll be waiting.” It stays to be seen whether or not or not the ESPN analyst will take up FRM’s offer.
Front Row Motorsports presently operates three full-time entries within the NASCAR Cup Series, fielding Ford Mustang Dark Horse vehicles for Noah Gragson within the No. 4, Todd Gilliland within the No. 34, and Zane Smith within the No. 38.
The group additionally maintains a presence within the Truck Series, the place it runs two full-time Ford F-Series entries, with Layne Riggs piloting the No. 34 and Chandler Smith behind the wheel of the No. 38.
23XI Racing and FRM filed a lawsuit towards NASCAR in 2024 after rejecting what they described as a take-it-or-leave-it offer for the newest cycle of constitution agreements.
Both groups competed for a lot of the 2025 season with out charters as they pursued modifications to the system. The dispute was in the end resolved in December 2025, when a settlement granted all groups everlasting, or “evergreen,” charters with improved phrases—marking a vital structural shift for the game.
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