Fake news… The bane of any journalist’s existence. In times like these, April Fool’s Day is usually a nightmare for many journalists because nobody is sure what to trust. Now, with the rise of social media, there are a bunch of pranksters and trolls who find it funny to spread fake news around. This is especially true in sport and motorsport, where the rumor mill is easily the best place to abuse the ‘fake news’ stunt. No sport is safe, be it football, F1, NASCAR, NFL, NBA, you name it.

Speaking of NASCAR, the sport is no stranger to rumors flying around. It is just up to people to decide which is credible and which is outlandish. Occasionally, some rumor will pop up and appear to be true when it isn’t, and then it goes viral. Naturally, there are consequences in the form of lawsuits from affected parties and a reputation tanking massively.

Recently, there was one particular rumor that began doing the rounds on social media, and it was about Richard Childress. Apparently, he was ‘under investigation’ by the FBI for ‘deliberate efforts to hide or launder campaign donations’. At face value, this was a serious allegation, and it prompted insider Mike Bagley to do some digging. However, as one would expect, he came up with little to no more information.

Bagely, who presumed the news was from the Daily Downforce, a page on X that has more than thirteen thousand followers and shares regular updates about the motorsports world. He even took the effort to verify the hoax, as it mentioned that the report was by Adam Stern, a reputed journalist at Sports Business Journal, “Could you provide a link? I have researched Adam‘s postings since April 1 and have found nothing related to this.”

If anything, RCR has been on the receiving end of financial woes. The team owner, Richard Childress, was livid after Austin Dillon’s win at Richmond was cancelled out when he dumped both Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin. An entry in the playoffs sees a Cup team gain a windfall of $3 million, but with the DQ, that didn’t happen for them last year. “The whole thing, that deal [Martinsville], and Richmond cost us over $3 million… It isn’t always about the money but … it’s real money. But those two things, and I’ll never get over Richmond.” And this was only the first jolt they faced last year.

Later that year, RCR, like most of the teams, had to bend the knee and sign the controversial charter agreement deal. Although the teams demanded a better financial model, NASCAR didn’t budge and threatened to take over their charters if they disagreed. “I didn’t have a choice because we had to sign. I have over 400 employees, OEM in contracts, contracts with sponsors, and I have to take care of my team.”

Well, heading into 2025, RCR’s troubles have not ended. This time, NASCAR snatched away a win by their Xfinity driver, Jesse Love, at the Rockingham Speedway. And despite the appeal, the verdict came against them.

The RCR team were dealt some bad news

The so-called investigation may have been a hoax, but a spot of news just dropped, which is far from a hoax. Last weekend at the Rockingham Speedway, RCR Xfinity Series driver Jesse Love triumphed in the race. That lasted until his car failed post-race inspection and he was subsequently disqualified.

The No. 2 Chevrolet car was found violating Section 14.14.2.I-5.h in the NASCAR rule book, which states, “Spacers/pinions angle shims must have single planar mating surfaces. All mating surfaces between the truck trailing arm and the U-bolt saddle must be in complete contact with each other.”

RCR had hopes of reversing the decision made by NASCAR officials, but a unanimous decision was made by Langley Speedway owner Mr. Bill Mullis, Raycom Sports television producer Mr. Hunter Nickell, and experienced track promoter Mr. Steve York, rejecting the appeal to reverse NASCAR’s decision of disqualification.

“The panel finds that it is more likely than not that there was a violation of 14.14.2 Rear Suspension, I-5.H. The panel was unable to determine whether the violation was intentional or unintentional. The panel finds that the mating surfaces between the truck trailing arm and the U-bolt saddle were not in contact with each other,” the statement read.

Well the good news is that Jesse Love already has a win to his name and has more or less secured his spot in the playoff.