The harsh realities of NASCAR’s financial landscape often play out behind the scenes, far from the roar of engines, occasionally surfacing in painful public announcements of team closures. A stark reminder of this brutal cycle comes from the fate of James Finch’s Phoenix Racing. In the early 2010s, Finch, a long-time independent owner, took a calculated risk by bringing in a high-caliber talent like Kurt Busch, hoping for increased funding opportunities. However, Busch’s tenure, while fast, was marked by a propensity to destroy their equipment, leading to extensive damage and ultimately contributing to the demise of the team.

This familiar specter of financial instability now appears to haunt Our Motorsports, an Xfinity team that had shown flashes of an imminent shutdown. Founded in 2020 by Chris and Mary Our, the team punched above its weight in 2024, flirting with playoff status behind Anthony Alfredo. In November 2024, they announced Kris Wright would drive full-time in 2025, a move aimed at continuing momentum after Alfredo’s departure. Wright, a 30-year-old ex-IMSA prototype champion, had modest ARCA success and was stepping into a career-defining Xfinity season.

Then came mid-July, and Wright was nowhere on the entry list for Dover, replaced by Kaz Grala, and shortly after, confirmed the pair parted ways effective immediately.  Sources cite his struggles, with just three Top-20s, a DNQ at the Chicago street race, and sitting last among full-time drivers in points. The culmination of these mounting pressures has manifested in a widespread rumor of Our Motorsports’ definitive shutdown after the Dover race this weekend. This unfortunate development gained particular traction when the team reportedly opted to remove Kris Wright from he driver’s seat just before what would have been their final races.

The instability plaguing Our Motorsports was not a sudden downturn but rather a series of challenges that had been brewing for some time. Early in the team’s history, a situation arose involving driver Andy Seuss, who was initially promised a ride for the 2020 season. However, plans abruptly changed, leading to Brett Moffitt continuing in the seat full-time, leaving Seuss in the lurch.

Ultimately, the news of steam like Our Motorsports ceasing operations, even if anticipated, resonates deeply with fans of NASCAR. There’s a palpable sadness in losing another entry from the Xfinity Series garage, which impacts not only the car count on Sundays but also limits opportunities for aspiring drivers and crew members. While fans on Reddit and X dissect the team’s past decisions regarding prioritizing funding over consistent performance, the prevailing sentiment has been one of regret.

Fans grapple with the fallout as rumors turn real

“Hate to see any team shut down, especially in the middle of the season. It seemed like hiring Wright was a desperate Hail Mary for funding that didn’t work out,” one fan commented on Reddit. Smaller teams in NASCAR frequently face immense financial pressure, often relying heavily on a driver’s ability to bring sponsorship dollars. While Our Motorsports had a multi-car presence in the Xfinity Series, their financial stability was often questioned, with periods of running unsponsored or partially sponsored entries.

Another example would be that of the Cup Series team, StarCom Racing, which struggled immensely in its later years, before ultimately selling its charters and shutting down in 2021. Just like Our Motorsports, StarCom often rotated through a series of drivers with various levels of funding, including Quin Houff, in an effort to keep its single car on the track week after week. But in this case, there are 3 cars involved, with one fan noted, “I’m not surprised. The owner bit off more than he could chew right away- running 3 cars that were blank almost every weekend. They tried to save themselves by bringing in drivers with funding- but Anthony saw greener pastures with Tyler Young- and Kris Wright is- well- Kris Wright.. Sucks to see a team close- but this team seemed like a passion project that steadily lost passion as the money pit grew wider.”

To sustain operations, Our Motorsports, under owner Todd Braun, sought multiple drivers with funding. However, this strategy had its limitations. Anthony Alfredo ultimately sought greener pastures by moving to Tyler Young’s Young Motorsports in the Truck Series. Even the addition of drivers like Kris Wright, known for bringing sponsorships as F.N.B. Corporation and Wright Automotive Group, couldn’t prevent the financial strain. One fan added to this sentiment, saying, “It also explains why they had a short-track setup car for a street course race. At that moment, they were running out of materials and I knew they were on the verge of shutting down.”

This isn’t just idle talk. Street courses require specialized road-course suspension and aeros parts that differ significantly from short-track configurations. When a team fields a short-track setup on a road course, it is often a clear sign that they have exhausted their dedicated parts inventory. That is exactly what Our Motorsports did when they were scrambling to stay afloat or preparing to wind down operations. One fan added, “Says a lot that they decided to can Kris Wright before their final race. They probably wanted a chance to take the car home in one piece to be able to sell it,” hinting at a possible lack of equipment and funding.

This journey of the team left observers often confused, as one fan noticed, “I’ve been conflicted about the team since the bulk of their original team left. Clearly something was going on way back then but no one ever really said anything. But at the same time I hate losing more teams. And I did once spend a long rain delay hanging out with one of their execs that I hope finds a new spot as he was a great guy. Had no idea who I was BSing with until he handed me his card. I just knew he had an Our shirt on.”

Within NASCAR, personnel shifts are common, but significant departures can indeed signal underlying instability, even if official explanations are scarce. Despite any organizational turmoil, the sentiment of losing another team is pretty stark across the fandom. It’s a testament to NASCAR’s accessible nature that fans occasionally forge personal connections with team members. Unfortunately, the interconnectedness of funding, performance, and personnel dictates survival in a sport where the dream of racing often collides with harsh economic realities.