Saturdays are usually pretty hectic for NASCAR Cup Series drivers. After a week’s work preparing their race cars, they would be focused on the practice and qualifying sessions. However, this won’t be the case for two weeks as the Cup Series races will resume on August 12 after the Paris Olympics.

Such mid-season breaks are a rarity for the drivers and the teams. However, this change was embraced and welcomed with open arms by the NASCAR stars. This provided them with an opportunity to get away from the hustle and bustle of racing and take a much-needed break. Going by their social media activities, it seems like the drivers are making the most of the break period.

Vacations, marriage, kitten rescues, and much more

If there’s one driver who needed a break from the grueling 2024 season, it was none other than Kyle Busch.
18th in the points standings, without a win and possibly going through the worst lean patch of his career, he needed to get away from racing, allowing himself to take a step back, rethink his approach, and come out with fresh energy. And that’s exactly what he’s doing with a family trip to Italy. Rowdy’s wife, Samantha, kept the fans in the loop about their exploits in Rome with updates via her Instagram account. For a change, it was good to see a smile back on his face, but don’t miss out on the wrist brace.

Next, things are looking more than just bright for the 23XI Racing team at the moment, not just on the racetrack but off it as well. Tyler Reddick has already locked himself in playoffs, and Bubba Wallace too has made some significant gain, now just seven points shy of the cutline.

However, Reddick is the one who will remember this Olympic break throughout his life as he finally gets married, and yes both Denny Hamlin and Wallace joined the celebration. Reddick tied the knot with his longtime girlfriend, Alexa DeLeon. Thus, he achieved a personal milestone. Both Wallace and Hamlin congratulated Tyler Reddick via their social media handles.

Coming to the Melon Man, the 2024 season hasn’t been business as usual in the No. 1 Chevy. With just two top-five results to show for his efforts, he is barely hanging on in the 16th spot to make the playoffs. So just like Rowdy, Chastain certainly could do with a break to assess the situation and bounce back.

While others are lavishly spending their off time exploring relationships and new destinations, Chastain decided to return to his roots and joined in promoting his watermelon business. Taking to his Instagram handle, he even shared the health benefits of consuming watermelons regularly. He wrote, “🍉 Fact: Watermelons are 92% water, which makes them great for a pre or post-workout, or NASCAR race 😉.”

On the other hand, Daniel Suarez and his fiancee Julia Piquet had a rather adventurous task on their hands. After returning from dinner late in the night, the couple rescued a cat off the road. They even named him El Faco, which translates to skinny in English. The couple even found a permanent home for Faco, which was recommended by Julia. Thanks to the Paris Olympics 2024 break Suarez met Faco and the latter as a result got introduced to his new family of seven cats at that horse riding facility.

Additionally, it’s not just NASCAR; the entire motorsports industry is on a two-week break. While the best sporting disciplines are represented at the Olympics, ever wondered why motorsports is void of its place? We have seen the likes of Kyle Larson, Tony Stewart, and Christopher Bell, who can compete in anything with four wheels and a motor. It would make quite a representation. Although there was a time when motorsports did feature at the Olympic Games.

A look back at motorsports events at the Olympics

Motorsports have featured twice at the Olympic Games, but on both occasions, it wasn’t considered a part of the official event. Coincidentally, the first appearance of motorsports was during the 1900 Paris Games, which were held in the backdrop of a seven-month-long world trade fair. This allowed the car manufacturers to showcase their four-wheel creations on the world stage.

However, the event was overshadowed by French car manufacturers. Renault, Peugeot, Delahaye, Serpollet, Panhard-Levassor, and Huru made the lineup. The races were mere tests for mileage and car performance, and the event was won by Louis Renault, one of the founding members of the company. Although the medals were awarded, motorsports wasn’t part of the Olympic program.

Things again changed in 2012 and added a ray of hope about the inclusion of motorsports as an official competitive category. FIA was officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee that year and six years later, the vision finally began to shape up. Motorsports was included at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Argentina, which also saw the emergence of e-karting. FIA President Jean Todt and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach on 05 October 2018 officially opened the FIA Road Safety Exhibition taking place at the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Buenos Aires.

Hopefully, someday, international race fans can witness a battle between the likes of Kyle Larson and Max Verstappen. And that is only possible if motorsports gets its due recognition by the Olympics.