The pit lane at Anderson Motor Speedway witnessed an ugly incident in August. Landon Huffman, a veteran of the CARS Tour, rushed over to 19-year-old Tyler Reif’s car, kicked the door, and confronted him aggressively, accusing him of being a “spoiled” driver who was only in the sport because of his family’s money. In racing, that is something traditionalists have complained about for a long time.

And rightly so, there are plenty of drivers across different levels who have found little to moderate success but continue racing because of their financial backing. However, former NASCAR driver Landon Cassill has an interesting take on the situation and actually feels that these drivers may be worse off.

On The Money Lap podcast with Parker Kligerman, Cassill recalled a conversation with Corey LaJoie, where the latter was complaining about a — he decided to keep it anonymous — driver who they felt was only in the sport because of family wealth. Cassill told LaJoie that they are actually the ones under more pressure.

“You don’t realize it. You don’t get it. We’re the lucky ones. Could you imagine that kid? The pressure that he’s under, knowing he’s in the best equipment? He knows he’s blowing his family’s trust fund. He doesn’t know when that money is going to run out. Maybe he does know when the money’s going to run out. That’s even worse,” Cassill said on the podcast.

This paints a picture that not many in NASCAR and racing as a whole often focus on. The youngsters who come from wealthier backgrounds put millions of their own family’s hard-earned money on the line for a sniff at success. And that’s something money can’t guarantee.

There’s Martin Truex Jr., whose family ran a successful sea clamming business. He went on to win the Cup Series in 2017 and has 34 career victories. Money well spent, most would say. And then there are drivers like Riley Herbst, whose family owns an $800 million gas station empire, but who has made little mark at the highest level.

Cassill, however, doesn’t really see anything wrong with that. In the same podcast, he spoke about how even his own children aren’t racing go-karts simply because they are talented. They have the seats and equipment because Cassill has the means to support them. He became a millionaire through his long career in NASCAR, and his children can reap the benefits by pursuing their dream of racing cars, if they choose to. Racing, after all, is an extremely expensive sport.

Talking about the Reif incident at Anderson Motor Speedway, Cassill insisted that it’s not his fault that his grandfather is a “billionaire.”

Reif’s grandfather and father have significant business interests in the Las Vegas area, particularly in the industrial sector. They have headed companies such as Vegas Fastener Manufacturing and Power Gen Components. Huffman, angry after Reif’s actions resulted in damage to his car, used that success to attack him.

“The kid [Reif] wasn’t born and didn’t ask for all that. The kid just wants to be a race car driver, and his family has the resources to make it happen. Get over it. That’s what you’re up against,” Cassill said in the same podcast.

There are those who romanticize true talent, and rightly so. Motorsports needs that. But it’s something that is normally associated with the sport’s “golden era,” as some veterans have claimed. Rick Mast, for instance, said that back during his days racing in the Cup Series, no driver could buy their way into the sport. Cassill, however, thinks otherwise.

Money has always been a factor, hints Landon Cassill

Cassill made a bold claim in the podcast. He didn’t take names once again, but asked fans to take a trip down memory lane, recall the names of their favorite drivers from the 80s, 90s, and 00s, and run a Google search on what their first-ever NASCAR teams were. What he hinted at was that they too had to make their way to the sport through money.

“Look at some of your most beloved Hall of Famers, some of your most beloved old-school drivers, and go look at their early careers. See who they drove for and get back to me,” Cassill added.

Cassill didn’t grow up poor himself. His father owned a successful used-car dealership in Iowa, and although the family wasn’t extremely wealthy, it was enough to support his early dreams of getting into racing. Today, he understands that the sport is built on money, and for those who don’t come from it, watching young drivers take what may seem like an easier route can sting.

Landon Huffman, for instance, is a true embodiment of the blue-collar drivers who have built careers through grit and determination. He carved out a career in racing and even reached NASCAR, making five starts in the Truck Series.

Cassill understands Huffman’s frustration toward the ‘rich kids’. But he insists that nothing will change. He, too, added that he hopes his own kids make it to NASCAR one day, with him spending the big bucks. “That’s just racing,” he said.