NASCAR reporter shares feelings after serving as Grand Marshal in the Las Vegas Xfinity race

Veteran NASCAR journalist Holly Cain has shared her gratitude after serving as the Grand Marshal for the Focused Health 302 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff Race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The NASCAR reporter has decades-long experience covering motorsports and was chosen as Grand Marshal for the Focused Health 302 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs. The event was held on Saturday, October 11, marking the start of the Round of 8. Cain uploaded her message on X and wrote:

“So thankful to Focused Health for having me serve as a Grand Marshal in yesterday’s ⁦@NASCAR_Xfinity⁩ race ⁦@LVMotorSpeedway⁩! An honor and incredible experience!”

The honor was announced by Jayski and Speedway Digest. Both mentioned that over the past 30 years, she has covered NASCAR, IndyCar, Formula One, IMSA, and NHRA, along with Major League Baseball and the NFL.

Cain's reporting for outlets like The Tampa Tribune, The Dallas Morning News, and NASCAR.com has made her one of the sport’s most trusted voices. She currently writes for the NASCAR Wire Service and is also a voter for the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Focused Health, the sponsor of the race, praised Cain’s commitment both on and off the track. Celebrating October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Focused Health co-founders Larry Cassar and Shawn Holt shared in a joint statement:

“Holly exemplifies the power and determination of being a human being, overcoming great odds, and being a breast cancer survivor. We’re excited to partner with Las Vegas Motor Speedway.” (Jayski)

Cain is a two-time Stage 3 cancer survivor, including a 2015 breast cancer diagnosis. In 2017, she became the first woman to receive the Bob Russo Founders Award, permanently displayed at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, honoring her dedication and inspiration in the face of adversity.

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NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell addresses playoff format, text message controversy, and horsepower plans

NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell shared a series of posts on X, as reported by journalist Jeff Gluck. His comments covered multiple issues: the NASCAR playoff format, a recent text message controversy, and the future of car performance.

O’Donnell made it clear that there will be no changes to the NASCAR playoff format before the end of the season. He said that he wanted the focus to stay on major wins instead of playoff debates that begin too early in the year.

The NASCAR President then added that any future changes must have the support of drivers and longtime fans. As Jeff Gluck put it:

"NASCAR can't have a format in place to bring in new fans at the expense of the existing fans."

O’Donnell pointed out that NASCAR fans were different from football fans and that the sport needed to respect that difference when making decisions about format or structure. O’Donnell also used his posts to address reports from a recent court hearing involving 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports. Some reports claimed that he had texted “F the teams.” He called the claim false and said his message had been taken out of context.

“I was actually defending the teams to Jim France,” O’Donnell said.

He explained that he and the NASCAR Chairman were discussing how to support race organizations during negotiations. He went on to share what Jim France told him afterward:

“I don’t hire ‘Yes’ men. I hire people to tell me what they feel is right and how do we get to a good deal.”

Earlier, on the Dale Jr. Download podcast, O’Donnell also talked about NASCAR’s plan to raise horsepower to 750 for all tracks shorter than 1.5 miles and for road courses starting in 2026. The current cars run at 670 horsepower. He said that the goal was to make races more exciting while keeping costs under control. NASCAR will test the 750-horsepower package at North Wilkesboro Speedway during the offseason.

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Edited by Tushhita Barua