Harder. Better. Faster. Stronger. (A Racing Journey)

[Chris]

Man if I was more into racing this shit would be so much cooler for me I love how in depth it is though, similar to your Stoops one.

What game are you using btw?

 

[CakeWalker]

(For the Nascar I was using - will use Nascar Heat 4)
(For the Rallies I have used WRC8, Dirt 4 & V-Rally 4)

There are a few other games I am sitting on to potentially incorporate into this diary, but I am very excited as the hook is now set that AJ will be returning to race in Nascar for Season 8 just in time for her 26th birthday.

 

[Chris]

(For the Nascar I was using - will use Nascar Heat 4)
(For the Rallies I have used WRC8, Dirt 4 & V-Rally 4)

There are a few other games I am sitting on to potentially incorporate into this diary, but I am very excited as the hook is now set that AJ will be returning to race in Nascar for Season 8 just in time for her 26th birthday.

I thought you were using Heat 4 this whole time until about 4 years in when I realized the rally portion of that career would NOT last that long in game

 

[CakeWalker]

Season Seven: Part II

AJ would arrive in Italy clearly wanted to improve on her 2nd place position that she had achieved last year and had look on course to claim yet another rally victory for the season, only for one of her tyres to deflates in the final two kilometres of Power Stage that would result missing out on power stage points as she finished seventh, but to add insult to injury would lose significant time and drop from 1st to 3rd in the overall standing as she would finish in 3rd place. To make it worse Ostberg had frog leaped both AJ and Neuville to win the Rally Italia and take an 11pt lead in the standings.

The month of July would see two RX Invitational Invents take place with the first being two races in Romania, in which AJ would struggle finishing dead last in 6th place. However, she would fair much better in Japan finishing 1st and 2nd in both race to finish in 1st place overall to win the Japan Invitational.

AJ would turn up in Rally Finland and once again show her unwillingness to surrender her 2023 Rally Finland title as she would win four rally stages and finish in 1st place in Finland meaning that her record of winning every rally she had the previous year was still intact. Meaning that if AJ was able to win in Great Britain and Spain she would have achieved the seemingly possible. However, it was clear that Aj was incredibly focused on doing well in Germany.

The manner in which Millar drove in Germany, it seemed as though she was very much putting her foot down and making sure that she finished 2024 as the WRC champion. And with two out of four stage wins going into the Power Stage and it looked almost certain as if she was going to win the rally. However, the controversy really rose in the stage prior to the Power Stage as Millar had left the service station with Wet Asphalt Tyres with the understanding that it would be heavily raining in the final stage of the day, but the rain well it simply did not come. This would lead to direct comparisons being made to the first rally of the year where Millar had been subscribed to the wrong tyre compound which had cost her the rally victory. This time though it was even worse as the tyres would just fall off the cliff as Millar would finish the stage in 14 place and find herself sliding down the order. It would rain during the Power Stage and she would manage to claim the victory in the stage, but the lack of rain in Stage 5 had resulted in AJ finishing in 4th place and Mads Ostberg lead over her having increased to 19 points.

To make the situation even more intense the camera crews would pick up AJ Millar and Red Bull RT’s team boss Christian Horner have a full on argument as soon as Millar stepped out of the car. It was clear that AJ was very upset and refused to speak with the media after the race.

AJ would drive well in Great Britain in what was the final race of the season, and would make her way easily through both the qualifying heats and semifinals earning herself a spot in the GB final. However, AJ would be caught out in a collision with Solberg that would result in Millar barrel rolling onto her roof and her car failing to finish the race meaning that she would finish the event in 6th place. However, the points would be tallied and final standing would indicate:

1st place Millar 100 pts | 2nd place Kristoffersen 99 pts | 3rd place Solberg 94 pts

Despite having been forced to retire from the final AJ had managed to claim the 2024 Rally-X Championship by just a single point. AJ would share thoughts after the fact:

“This is a really big deal and I am really grateful to everyone at Team Peugot Hansen and at Red Bull that made this possible for me this year, the car was absolutely fantastic and I want to apologies for writing off the car twice this season and I must admit it was crazy to think that I won this championship by just one point. However, until the World Rally Championship season is over I won’t celebrate this victory just yet. I have four more races left this calendar year and I really must do everything in my power to earn as many points as possible. I finished dead last in Turkey last year and on two different attempts I am yet to complete Rally Australia - so I am more than aware that there are two real challenges on the horizon.”

AJ would have a positive start to the rally and would win the first, second and fourth stage of the rally, only for the suspension of the Citroen to completely fail in the middle of SS5 which would result in a 14th place position and then a 13th place finish in the Power Stage. This would cause a massive chunk of time to be added to AJ’s total as she finished the rally in 7th place. To make the rally result even worse Ostberg lead was extended by 35 points, and AJ would actually say during a press interview that “I feel as though the suspension failure I suffered in special stage five, might just have ended any chance of me winning the championship. Honestly, I don’t even know what to say about this situation.”

The manner in which AJ drove her Citroen C3 in Wales Rally GB was that of a manner in which you could tell she was releasing all the pent up anger she had been carrying from Turkey. She would claim four stage victories including the Power Stage which would result in an important rally victory for her sixth of the year; matching her rally victory in 2023. The points haul of thirty points meant that Ostberg lead over Millar was now just nineteen points with two races left to go as she finished 1st place in Wales Rally GB.

Rally Catalunya would start awfully as AJ would finish 10th after the first stage and despite improving her total time differential by finishing 2nd in SS2, 1st in SS3, 1st in SS4 and 4th in SS5 AJ had managed to climb back up to 3rd in the overall standings. The power stage would really struggle in the rain though as she would lose a massive amount of time and finish 8th in the stage and have to settle for finishing 3rd place in Spain. Ostberg now holds a 26 points advantage and goes into the final race of the season, knowing that they only need five more points to win the WRC World Title.

Rally Australia would prove to be a fantastic weekend for AJ as she would slowly work her way up in the standings and after claiming a stage win in special stage five she had found herself with a 14 second advantage over her nearest rival. However, the Power Stage would be a struggle and AJ would only manage to finish in 8th position. However, much to her surprise she would find out she had managed to beat Ostberg by a fraction of just 0:716 seconds to finish Rally Australia in 1st place. However, Ostberg had finished the rally in 2nd and claimed four points in the power stage to seal the deal and become the 2024 World Rally Champion.

​

WRC 2023​	Driver​	Constructor ​	Rally Wins ​	Points ​
1st​	Ostberg​	Toyota​	4​	322​
2nd​	Millar ​	Red Bull RT​	7​	299​
3rd​	Neuville​	Hyundai​	2​	292​
4th​	Tanak​	Hyundai ​	1​	227​
5th​	Sordo​	Hyundai​	0​	132​
6th​	Tideman ​	Red Bull RT​	0​	87​
7th​	Rovanpera​	Toyota​	0​	77​
8th​	Veiby​	Toyota​	0​	77​
9th​	Evans​	M-Sport​	0​	49​
10th​	Sunninen ​	M-Sport ​	0​	44​

Mads Ostberg would be crowned the 2024 World Rally Championship having won Rally Mexico, France, Italy and Germany but throughout the season being the most consistent driver of the field. AJ would have to settle for 2nd place despite the fact that she had improved her performance from the previous season earning herself seven wins for the season and twenty four extra points. Her worst placing of the season had been 7th in Turkey, with three 4th place finishes in Mexico, France and Germany which was a massive improvement from 2023 in which she had suffered two DNFs and a 14th place finish. AJ would share her thoughts about her seven years she had spent competing in the rally world.

“These last seven years for me have been life changing for me, you could say they have really helped me grow up. When I started competing in the Junior WRC I never thought I would find myself in a position where I would be competing in the main WRC competition. Winning the WRC-3 title in 2021 was a great moment, but of course being dropped by Hyundai in 2022 was a major low point in my career. Toyota Gazoo gave me a second chance and finishing 3rd in 2023 was beyond my wildest dreams, so to finish 2nd this season with the Red Bull Rally Team is just a magical feeling. I offer my congratulations to Mads for winning the WRC, he has been fighting for this for the last fifteen years and so he really deserves this victory. I don’t know what the distant future looks like, so I can’t say for certain if I will or won’t return to compete in the WRC but it has been a great seven years and I’m thankful for all the opportunities that I have been given.”

Support Series: World Rally Championship - Career Results
​

Location​	Year​	Team​	Position​	Stage Results​
Rally Monte Carlo​	2022​	Hyundai Shell Mobis RT​	14​	1 | 5 | 3 | 14 | 14| DNF​
Rally Sweden​	2022​	Hyundai Shell Mobis RT​	1​	1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 11​
Rally Mexico​	2022​	Hyundai Shell Mobis RT​	4​	11 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 2​
Tour de Corse​	2022​	Hyundai Shell Mobis RT​	14​	2 | 2 | 14 | DNF | 14 | 11​
​	​	​	​	​
Monte Carlo​	2023​	Toyota Gazoo Racing ​	5​	7 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 11​
Rally Sweden​	2023​	Toyota Gazoo Racing ​	1​	2 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 3​
Rally Mexico​	2023​	Toyota Gazoo Racing ​	5​	4 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 2​
Tour de Corse​	2023​	Toyota Gazoo Racing ​	14​	4 | 14 | 14 | DNF | 14 | 1​
Rally Argentina ​	2023​	Toyota Gazoo Racing ​	1​	1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7​
Rally Chile​	2023​	Toyota Gazoo Racing ​	3​	1 | 1 | 3 | 3 |1 | 12 ​
Rally Portugal ​	2023​	Toyota Gazoo Racing ​	1​	1 | 3 | 1 | 4| 1 | 1​
Rally Italia ​	2023​	Toyota Gazoo Racing ​	2​	3 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 2​
Rally Finland ​	2023​	Toyota Gazoo Racing ​	1​	1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3​
Rally Germany​	2023​	Toyota Gazoo Racing ​	3​	14 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1​
Rally Turkey​	2023​	Toyota Gazoo Racing ​	14​	6 | 1 | DNF \ DNS | 14 | 1​
GB Rally ​	2023​	Toyota Gazoo Racing ​	1​	5 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1​
Rally Catalunya ​	2023​	Toyota Gazoo Racing ​	1​	1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 11​
Rally Australia ​	2023​	Toyota Gazoo Racing ​	14​	6 | DNF | RETIRED​
​	​	​	​	​
Monte Carlo​	2024​	Red Bull RT​	2​	1 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 4​
Rally Sweden​	2024​	Red Bull RT​	1​	1 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1​
Rally Mexico​	2024​	Red Bull RT​	4​	4 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 11​
Tour de Corse​	2024​	Red Bull RT​	4​	4 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4​
Rally Argentina ​	2024​	Red Bull RT​	1​	1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 1​
Rally Chile​	2024​	Red Bull RT​	1​	1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 ​
Rally Portugal ​	2024​	Red Bull RT​	1​	1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1​
Rally Italia ​	2024​	Red Bull RT​	3​	1 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 6 |7​
Rally Finland ​	2024​	Red Bull RT​	1 ​	1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8​
Rally Germany​	2024​	Red Bull RT​	4​	1 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 1​
Rally Turkey​	2024​	Red Bull RT​	7​	1 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 14 | 13​
GB Rally ​	2024​	Red Bull RT​	1​	1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1​
Rally Catalunya ​	2024​	Red Bull RT​	3​	10 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 8​
Rally Australia ​	2024​	Red Bull RT​	1​	2 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 8​

AJ Millar ends her Senior WRC Career with 85 stage wins and 13 overall rally victories having finished 2nd and 3rd in the WRC in her final two seasons competing in the WRC. AJ impressive performance in winning stages means that she holds a a 44% stage win rate. AJ leaves having won the WRC-3 title in 2021 as well impressing everyone in the world of rally over the last seven years competing in the sport. AJ will start her eighth year in motorsport by relocating to the United States to compete in both the Nascar Truck and Xfinity Series for Team Red Bull. ​

 

[CakeWalker]

Season Eight: Part One

AJ Millar’s eighth season in professional motorsports would see her return to Nascar for the first time since 2020, having been actively involved in various WRC Classifications that she had been unable to commit to both series. AJ however, would be returning to the Nascar Truck Series as a former champion with race wins at Daytona, Martinsville, Kansas, Iowa & Eldora to her name. However, this time round she would be racing for Team Red Bull who had returned to the sport for the first time in fourteen years having closed their doors in 2011. The new version of team had fielded one car in the Truck Series #65 the same number she had held during her one season with Halmar Friesen Racing. Red Bull had signed a deal with Toyota and AJ would be driving the Tundra in the 2025 Nascar Truck Series.

(Toyota Tundra)

AJ would also be involved in the Xfinity Series for the first time in her career and would also do this in a Toyota powered Supra in the #82 for Team Red Bull. Her young brother Jester Millar had been signed by Team Red Bull to be the reserve driver for either car, if AJ was either unable to drive or decided not to enter a race weekend.

(Toyota Supra)

AJ’s season would begin at Daytona, where she would drive in both the Truck and Xfinity cars over the same racing weekend and it was clear that there was a lot of interest on three levels. The first being how would AJ fair in the Truck as a former champion. The second was how AJ would perform in an Xfinity Series car for the first time in her career. Whilst the third question was centered around Team Red Bull’s ability to be competitive with the rest of the field as effectively a new team. AJ would have a tough time qualifying in her truck on her return to Daytona, but would do her best to fight her way through the field and would benefit from a caution being called towards the end of the race that would send the race into overtime. This would allow the field to close up and AJ to claim an inspiring 10th place finish. A finish that would very much be deemed as ‘Team Red Bull outperforming themselves’.

Things would go from good to great for AJ in her first outing in the Xfinity Series and despite finishing towards the back after qualifying and benefit from a number of cautions, Millar would claim a top five finish in Daytona as the #82 would cross the line to claim a 4th place finish.

AJ would have the pleasure of being involved in a second double header as Team Red Bull would arrive in Atlanta hoping to continue their solid start to the season. It was clear that Millar was taking an active role in the way in which he Tundra was being put together and would claim a second top ten finish as she would cross the line in 6th place to continue to impress on her return to the Truck Series. Unfortunately, the Xfinity wouldn’t be as stress free for AJ as she would have to settle for finishing in 21st place. It was clear after the race though that neither AJ nor her team actually seemed disappointed as there was no real expectation for Team Red Bull to pull off any shock wins this season.

AJ would then have a string of races in the Xfinity Series as she would start to really get to grips with her Supra as she would finish in 19th place at Las Vegas, 15th place at the Phoenix (Short Track) and 13th place at Auto Club speedway. Although these three results were nothing to write home about, they were consistent finishes and showed that Team Red Bull were able to hold their own and would surely start working their way up the field after a number of upgrades to their racing package.

AJ would return to the the Truck Series for 'The Strat 200' and arguably have her best drive of the she would finish all three stages in the top ten to pick up point, although her tyres would start to give out on her in the last few laps as she would find herself being passed by a number of cars but would be able to hold on long enough to claim a 10th place finish. AJ would leave Vegas knowing she would have four more Xfinity races in a row, with the last being the Talladega 300.

AJ would share her thoughts on her performance in both the Trucks and Xfinity series following her finish at Las Vegas:

“I have to say that it feels amazing to be involved in Nascar once again, I really couldn’t believe it had been four years since I had stepped out of my Halmar Friesen Silverado at Homestead and been handed the Truck Series Championship, but reality has very much set in and I very much have come to the realisation that being active in both the Truck and the Xfinity I am going to have to put in a lot of hard work this year. I am really pleased to have claimed that 4th place finish in the Supra, as I think it really shows the potential of things to come if the mechanics manage to fully understand what is needed of the car in the Xfinity Series. As for all of the crew involved in building my #65 truck - I can not fault them at all. Three top ten finishes already, it's already making me believe that if we really put in the hard work I can end the season with a second Truck Series Championship. The string of the next four races in my Supra are going to be very important, and I think we are really targeting Talladega as somewhere I can do well at. Winning races and earning a seat in the Cup Series from this point on is my main focus, as I really want to put missing out on winning the WRC Championship last year very much in the back of my mind.”​

 

[CakeWalker]

Season Eight: Part Two

AJ would start her string of four Xfinity races in a row with a trip to Texas would see the young driver really show sign of improvement in her #82 car as she would finish the first two stages in thirteenth before managing to claim an extra place as she crossed the chequered flag to claim a 12th place finish at the Texas Motor Speedway.

AJ would arrive at Bristol in positive spirits, with a very strong record at short tracks in the Nascar Truck Series and a proven understanding of them in the Xtreme Dirt Tour although there was no denying that driving at Bristol in the Toyota Supra was going to be a massive step from Millar previous experience in the Chevrolet Silverado four years ago. Bristol would prove to be a totally flawless weekend though for AJ, as she would claim pole position and then proceed to cross the line in first position at the end of both the first and second stage before crossing the line to claim he first Xfinity Series win and some important playoffs point with a 1st place finish at Bristol.

It would surface that Team Red Bull were only in possession of one Short Track car ahead of Richmond, and that the specialised car would not be running at his strongest level. This would result in a 13th place finish for Millar, which was proving to be a fairly average position for the Team Red Bull to finish since returning to the Xfinity Series.

Talladega is always one of the highlights of the calendar year and AJ would get to start in the middle of the pack as she would qualify in 18th to start the race on the ninth row of the grid. The race proper would prove to be another stellar performance from AJ who would claim a points at the end of the first two stages crossing the line in fifth and fourth respectively and would continue to hold fourth position for most of the race. A caution would be called towards the end of the race, that would result in the overtime being called. The extra two laps would play into AJ’s hand as she would jump two places to come 2nd place, in what would be her third top five finish of the season in Xfinity. Franz Tost who had been employed as the team manager for the Team Red Bull in the Xfinity series would share his thoughts about Millar’s recent performance.

“AJ is without question a truly talented driver and finishing first at Bristol and second at Talladega in the same month, is just such a massive accomplishment especially for a team that is in its infancy. Despite what people may believe, we are not the same team that was previously involved in the sport as we have a whole different team setup and a completely different approach to the sport. We are collecting as much data as we can over the next few seasons, so we can have a package that will be most suited to compete in the Cup Series. Historic data exists for AJ in regards to her time in the Trucks, having already won that series, but as a team we really need to solve the intricacies of the Xfinity series so we can climb the next rung of the ladder. At the moment we only have one car, but we are in talks with another team and are seeking to buy them out in time for next season. At this present moment though, are are concentrating on providing the best car possible for AJ to drive.”

AJ would return to driving her #65 Tundra with two truck races, although her first would be one that she would want to forget as would tumble down the order at Martinsville after suffering a tyre puncture that would result in a 29th place finish. Much to everyone’s surprise it would actually be the first time that AJ had ever finished outside the top twenty in a truck, with her worst previous placing being 16th at Pocono. AJ turnaround would be positive as she would revisit Texas for the second time in the year, but the first time in the Truck which seemed to aid her as she would finish in 5th place to claim an important haul of points from the race in what was now her thirteenth race within the calendar year.

AJ would get to enjoy her third double header of the year as she would arrive at Dover, although it would the Xfinity race that would take place on the Friday night in a race that it looked as if AJ was just going to miss out on some vital points only to benefit from overtime that would allow her to claim a 9th place finish in the Supra. AJ would do race with much more aggression in the Truck race and would finish third at the end of stage one and fourth at the end of stage two, and for the most part would find herself bouncing between third and sixth through much of the latter portion of the race before eventually finishing the race in 4th place. Two top ten finishes in two different classifications at Dover was certainly seen as a positive weekend for AJ and certainly a treat for all her fans who had been present to watch her in action.

AJ's next races would see her visiting Charlotte in the Xfinity, Kansas in the Trucks before driving at Pocono, which AJ had gone on record in the past that the ‘Trick Triangle’ was one of her least favourite places she had ever driven in her career. A rumour had already started circulating that a number of Cup Series team had already started to consider AJ as a potential acquisition for 2026.​

 

[CakeWalker]

Season Eight: Part Three

AJ would have a number of solid performances as she would bounce between driving her Tundra (Trucks) and Supra (Xfinity) for a number of races. AJ would claim a 13th place after OT at Charlotte in Xfinity, before travelling to Kansas in the Trucks and claim another top ten finish as she would finish in 7th place. Pocono would continue to be a race that AJ was visibly struggling at, with her second visit to the ‘Tricky Triangle’ would this time be in the Xfinity Series, but it seemed that it wasn’t the car that was the problem but rather Millar as despite it being a different series she would once again finish in 16th place at Pocono.

AJ would then return to Charlotte this time in the Truck Series and look as if she was having a fairly pleasing race, only to have herself shoved into the wall with clear intent from Enfinger who would bring any chance of a good finish to an end as she would finish in 20th place. However, on the same weekend AJ would make a quick flight to Michigan where she would finish in 9th place in the Xfinity Series in what would be the halfway point in the regular season within the Xfinity Series.

AJ would travel to Texas for the third time in 2025, but more importantly the second time in Truck Series for the slightly longer SpeedyCash,com 400 in a race that would prove to be a really entertaining event. AJ would impress with a second place finish at the end of stage one, but drop a number of places only managing to claim fourth at the end of stage two. However, she would start making her way up towards the front and when it mattered found herself at the front of the pack when the chequered flag was waved as she would claim her first Truck Series win of the season as she finished in 1st place at Texas.

Iowa would be one of two Xfinity races in a row for the series rookie and AJ would claim an important second row start as she would qualifying in 3rd position and would go on to win the first stage of the CircuitCity 250 and have a solid drive for the rest of evening as she would complete the race by finishing in 4th place.

AJ visit to Chicagoland Speedway the following week would see for the second successive week qualify in third position, but it would become clear that AJ’s Supra had been perfectly put together to drive strong in Chicago as she would go on to win stage one, win stage two before going on to claim her second career Xfinity race by finishing in 1st place at the end of the Camping World 300.

Following her win at Chicagoland, AJ would return to Iowa this time for the Truck Series race in a race which she would be completely flawless. Starting the race in pole position before going on to win all three stages as she would come in 1st place at Iowa. This would mean that in the space of four races AJ had gone on two claim two wins in the Truck Series and one win in the Xfinity Series.

AJ would share her thoughts about her recent success with members of the media after celebrating winning at Iowa on what was being described as a perfect weekend:

“The last couple of races have just gone so brilliantly that I don’t even know what to say, it is always nice to get the monkey off your back and I really felt that until I claimed a victory in the Truck Series a shadow that was looming over me was only going to get larger and larger. Despite what people may believe, there is a lot of pressure on me to perform at a high level each and every race in the Truck Series now that I have a championship to my name. Getting my first ever win at Texas was a special feeling, but at the same time having a 100% winning record at Iowa in the Truck is one of those accolades that I feel you can really appreciate in the latter stages of your career. At the same time claiming my second win in Xfinity at Chicagoland, I think sends a message to the rest of the field. That my first win at Bristol wasn’t a fluke and that Team Red Bull really means business from this point on and we have no intention of being brushed to the side as a pretender for the crown. Next week we will be visiting Daytona for the second time in Xfinity and my main target for next week is to make sure I improve on my 4th place finish that I claimed at the first race of the season.”

Millar would have a really solid performance at Daytona as she would work her way up from qualifying in eleventh place to claiming some really important playoff points as she would finish in first at the end of both stage one and stage two and looked as if she was on track for claiming victory at Daytona for the second time in her career only to be caught out by Christopher Bell who would manage to sneak past Millar on the final corner of race, which would relegate her to a 2nd place finish. It was clear a hard pill for AJ to swallow, but it had become clear that the rest of the field had really started to take notice of the package that Team Red Bull was bringing to the table.

Millar would continue to present herself as a potential unexpected entry for the Playoffs as she would visit Kentucky and continue to claim a number of important points which would result in a 4th place finish for the Polish-American driver who was continuing to turn a number heads in the Nascar Cup Series including Penske driver Brad Keslowski:

“I would be lying if I said I hadn’t heard of Millar, I have never hidden away from my Polish ancestry although it isn’t something that defines me as a person. However, comparisons have always been made and I often find myself being asked questions about what I think about AJ. I think it goes without any question that she is probably the most talented woman that has ever driven in all forms of Nascar. She has more wins than any female driver ever in the sport as well as having won the Truck Series in 2020 plus even if you don’t know much about world rally like myself, you have to respect that she has 3rd and 2nd place finishes in that championship series to her name as well. Honestly, I would expect her to be taking part in the Cup Series next season. I think she is a talent, that teams would be crazy not to try and put into a car. I wish her the best of luck in both Truck and Xfinity Series this year.”​

 

[CakeWalker]

Season Eight: Part Four

The Truck race at Gateway would prove to be a really chaotic race for the entire field, but AJ would start the race well by adding to her playoff points by winning the first stage and then finishing in 5th at the end of the second stage. The final stage would see three caution flags being waved, which would result in the race being sent into overtime and even after OT another caution flag would be shown. AJ would manage to have preserved her tyres well enough though but the race would end in a massive crash as Ben Rhodes would collide into AJ, which would allow Brett Moffit to edge in front to claim the race victory. The stewards would judge that AJ was ahead of Rhodes when the caution was called to give AJ the 2nd place finish although Millar was visibly annoyed at Rhodes whose carelessness had cost her the win.

AJ would then manage to finish at 9th place in the Xfinity race at Xfinity before claiming a solid 3rd place finish at Chicagoland in the Trucks in a race where she had been forced to start at the back of the grid because of needing to change her gearbox after what had originally been a top ten qualifying position. AJ would return to Iowa for the second Xfinity race of the year, but would have to settle for a top ten finish as she claimed 9th place in what would prove to be a very challenging race for Millar with the only silver lining being that she had manage to pick up a playoff point after finishing first at the end of stage one.

The Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen would be the first Road Course race in Millar’s race schedule for 2025 and also be the first time that Millar had ever driven at The Glen. One thing became very apparent though as AJ navigated the road course and that was the experience that she had picked up the various sports park that make up the World Rally Championship and all the circuits she had visited during her season in the Rally-X Championship is that AJ seemed to have a gained a lot of confidence when driving at road courses which would be backed up with a third place finish in stage one and first place finish at the end of stage two would see AJ really impress the fans at Schuyler County as AJ wound finish in 2nd place.

AJ would then turn up at Kentucky in the Trucks to claim a 7th place finish, with just three races left in the Gander Outdoor Truck Series regular season.

The B&L Transport 170 would be the second road course in a row in the Xfinity Series although AJ would seem to really struggle in qualifying as she would start the race on the back row in thirty-first place and it looked as if the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course could finally prove to be AJ’s kryptonite track for the season. However, AJ would work her way up the field finishing the first two stages in top ten, before surprising everyone in the final ten laps of the race as she would push her Supra to front of the pack and hold her line to claim a 1st place finish and her third win in the Xfinity Series on her rookie season within the classification. Millar would follow up her victory with her best career drive at Pocono in the trucks that would see her cross the line in 4th place, in a race which would be completely dominated by her former teammate Stewart Friesen.

AJ would return to Bristol for the second time in the Xfinity Series with the track already holding good memories for AJ as it would always be remembered as the first track in which she had claimed her victory driving her #82 Toyota Supra. AJ would add to her playoff points haul as she would claim wins in both the first and second stage, but then have to battle in the latter portions of the race and have to settle for a 4th place finish. This however, would actually not be the end of Millar’s weekend at Bristol.

It had been revealed in the build up to Bristol that AJ would be hot seating for Spire Motorsports in what would be her first ever race in the Nascar Cup Series. With a perspective held by many analysts, that if AJ was able to impress driving the ZL1 Camaro then she would surely find herself with a spot in the Cup Series next season.

Millar would really impress in her first ever Nascar Cup Series qualifying session as she would qualify 25th out of 40 cars. AJ clearly knew how to race at Bristol with her 1st and 4th place finishes in the Xfinity Series and this really seemed to play to Millar’s advantage as she would push herself up to eighteenth at the end of stage one and then would find herself in the top ten at the end of stage two. The final session would be really interesting as a number of crashes and collisions would take place towards the front of the race, but Lady Luck was on AJ’s side as she would manage to weave through traffic and on her Cup Series Debut would find herself in ninth as the race would go into overtime. AJ would push the Camaro to its absolute limit on her final two laps as would squeeze up into 5th place to claim a truly career changing finish on her Cup Series Debut.

AJ would look over the moon at the end of the race and it was clear that she was struggling to control her emotions, in what without a shadow of a doubt was the most important drive of her nascar career. It would be announced by Team Red Bull that their reserve driver Jester Millar (AJ’s brother) would be driving the #82 car at the Road America course, with AJ being given a weekend off after what had clearly been an exhausting weekend at Bristol. Jester would have a fairly impressive drive as he would finish in 27th place on his Nascar debut, although it was clear that he wasn’t close to being the talent that his older sister was.

AJ would return to racing action knowing that there was only two races left in the Truck’s regular season with races at Eldora and Michigan and only three races left in the Xfinity Series with Darlington, Indianapolis and Las Vegas although it would be revealed that Jester Millar had been registered to drive the #82 car at Las Vegas in what would be the final race of the regular season. ​

 

[CakeWalker]

Season Eight: Part Five

AJ’s first race after her Cup Series debut would see her travel to Eldora for the Dirty Derby, in which had been one of the five races she had won in her championship winning year in the Trucks. She would perform well earning playoff points by claiming first place finishes at the end of stages one and stage two, but would go onto have a strong battle with her former teammate Stewart Friesen. It would be a battle that she would eventually have to back down from, in order to save her own tyres as she would finish in 2nd place at the unique Dirty Derby.

AJ would find herself travelling to the Darlington Raceway for the first time in her career in what was seen as a very unique oval track for the very difference in size it had on its opposite sides. Her first qualifying at Darlington would be impressive though as Millar would start on the sixth row in 11th place. She would put up to fourth at the end of stage one and only drop a couple of places to finish the second stage in seventh. A number of cautions would be called during the stage three that would seem to benefit AJ, as they would tighten up the grid and close spaces in which she would find herself in fifth position as the race would move into overtime. Millar would have a fantastic restart on slightly fresher tyres than her rivals to push up to the front of the pack and claim her fourth win of the Xfinity season with a 1st place at Darlington. It was clear that Millar was very pleased with the win, but would make it clear to interviewers “We have got Indy next weekend - and then I get a week off. I’ll go about and do some celebrating then.”

Millar's last Xfinity race of the regular season would see her have to battle through most of the mid-pack during the race as it was clear that the package of her Supra wasn’t at a high performance level to really push for the same sort of speed as some of the other playoff runners. However, she would have a clean race and avoid collisions which would have a positive result as she would finish in 5th place to claim another top five finish for the season. Despite, there be a final Xfinity season race at Las Vegas it had been announced that her younger brother Jester would be driving the #65 trucks that weekend.

Millar would travel to Michigan for the final Truck race of the regular season and would have a terrible qualifying session, having to start on the back row. However, the race itself would see her climb up the order to the point where she would finish stage two in seventh place. A number of cautions would see her bounce around the top ten, but an overtime would be called and with some cars being forced to pit because of a lack of fuel Millar would find herself crossing the line in 3rd place.

The end of the regular season would see Brett Moffit named the regular season champion and had been the most consistent member of the field to claim points, despite only having one victory to his name in 2025. Stewart Friesen would sit in second, whilst Millar would finish in third on her comeback to the sport. Below is how the driver’s standing looks as all their hard work is converted into playoff points.

​

Position​	Driver​	+/-​	Playoff Points​	Points​
1st​	Tyler Ankrum​	11​	25​	2025​
2nd​	AJ Millar​	9​	23​	2023​
3rd​	Brett Moffit​	9​	23​	2023​
4th​	Stewart Friesen​	8​	22​	2022​
5th​	Dylan Lupton​	6​	20​	2020​
6th​	Matt Crafton​	5​	14​	2014​
7th​	Ross Chastain​	-5​	14​	2014​
8th​	Austin Hull​	-10​	4​	2004​

AJ would speak out about her thoughts ahead of the playoffs:

“To make the Truck Series playoffs on my return to the sport, it is just really important although there can be no denying that this season hasn’t been as impressive as my run in 2020. This season I have only claimed two race wins and have 23 playoff points to my name, back in 2020 I won five races and had 47 playoff points which is more than double what I have now. Now I know you could make the point that maybe the field has just become more competitive but I feel like I have to be hard on myself in these situations. I am in a comfortable position though because I see both Bristol and the Canadian Tire Sports Park as two races I can get a lot of points and potentially one race win. I am also aware that I must maintain my focus, as the Xfinity Playoffs will be equally as stressful.”

Jester Millar (the young brother of AJ) would drive at the Las Vegas for Rhino Pro Truck Outfitters 300 and finish in 29th to bring an end to the regular season - with Chase Briscoe having won the regular season by a country mile with a superior points difference. Below is how the driver’s standing looks as all their hard work is converted into playoff points.

​

Position​	Driver​	+/-​	Playoff Points​	Points​
1st​	Chase Briscoe​	41​	50​	2054​
2nd​	AJ Millar​	28​	35​	2035​
3rd​	Noah Gragson​	17​	30​	2030​
4th​	Michael Annet​	12​	25​	2025​
5th​	Cole Custer​	8​	21​	2021​
6th​	Tyler Reddick​	4​	17​	2017​
7th​	Christopher Bell​	3​	16​	2016​
8th​	Justin Allgaier ​	0​	13​	2013​
9th​	Austin Cindric​	0​	7​	2007​
10th​	John Nemecheck​	-6​	7​	2007​
11th​	Jeremy Clements​	-8​	5​	2005​
12th​	JUstin Hayley​	-9​	3​	2004​

AJ would go into the Xfinity Round of 12 with races at Richmond, Charlotte Motor Speedway (Road Course) and Dover. AJ had finished 13th at Richmond and 9th at Dover, but this would be her visit to ‘The Roval’. AJ wouldn’t reveal too much on her thought the Round of 12, although earlier sentiments were she was finding the thought of it quite stressful. ​

 

[CakeWalker]

Season Eight: Part Six

Millar would arrive at Bristol in her truck for the first race in the Truck Series Playoffs having already race at Bristol three time previously this season, with a 1st and 4th finish in the Xfinity and a 5th place finish on her Cup Series debut - so it was clear going into the race that this was a track where AJ was not lacking confidence. She would start on the twelfth row of the grid and push up to end stage one in seventh place, but improve and claim an important playoff point as she would place first at the end of stage two. AJ would be involved in a crash with twenty laps to go that would force her down to twelfth, but she would benefit from the caution being called and half of the field pitting. AJ would manage to make up some ground to finish in 3rd place at the end of the race to have claimed four top five finishes out of four races at Bristol in 2025. Austin Hill would win the UNOH 200 to advance automatically to the Round of 6.

The first race in the Round of 12 in the Xfinity would also be a short track race at Richmond and it looked as if Millar was in store for a good race as she started the race in ninth, going on to finish sixth in stage one and pushing all the way up to second at the end of stage two. There would be a number of cautions towards the end of the race as AJ would bounce around the top four and with five laps to go was in second position, but would lose a head of her steam and her tyres would just give up from underneath her as she would drop down the order to finish in 11th place. It would actually be an improvement from her performance at Richmond earlier in the year, but it was clear that AJ was clearly disappointed by the manner in which the race had ended. Noah Gragson would be the overall winner of the race and thus find themselves advancing to the Round of 8.

The second race in the Round of 8 would see the Trucks traverse around the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for the only Road Course of the season and was a location where Millar had driven strongly in her 2020 Championship winning season as she had finished 2nd there. She would claim an eight finish in stage one and third finish in stage two, but would absolutely blitz the field as she would dominate the last stage of the race to cross the line in 1st place in a win that would automatically advance her into the Round of 8. It would be her third win of the year in the trucks, but also more notably her first win ever in the Nascar Playoffs.

AJ would take her win at the Trucks Road Course to her advantage, as Xfinity arrived at ‘The Roval’ and it was clear that this course was extremely challenging despite the fact that AJ finished the second stage in second position. After a caution that would send the race into Overtime AJ would find herself in fourth with two laps to go. Allgaier, Briscoe and Millar would find themselves battling for second position, unable to catch Cindric who would be the race winner and advance to the Round of 8. However, disaster would strike on the final corner as the trio fighting for second would all collide going three wide and spinning each other out allowing for a number of cars to pass before the caution was called with the race ending immediately and AJ having to settle for a 7th place finish.

The final race in the Xfinity Round of 12 would see the car travel to Dover. AJ would do her best to navigate the course with a fifth finish in stage one and a fourth finish in stage two, but would suffer from cautions when she perhaps would have been better suited to pitting under the first caution called, and was effectively force to pit when a second caution was called as she was losing speed because of degrading tyres. However, AJ would have to settle for an 11th place finish in a race that would be won by Noah Gragson for the second time during the Round of 12. Nemecheck, Clements and Hayley who had started the Round of 12 in the danger zone find themselves eliminated, as would Justin Allgaier who would find himself eliminated in 9th as Cindric’s win at ‘The Roval’ had been a real game changer.

​

Position​	Driver​	+/-​	Playoff Points​	Points​
1st​	Chase Briscoe​	33​	54​	3054​
2nd​	Noah Gragson ​	19​	40​	3040​
3rd​	AJ Millar ​	14​	35​	3035​
4th​	Michael Annet​	6​	27​	3027​
5th​	Cole Custer​	-6​	21​	3021​
6th​	Tyler Reddick​	-8​	19​	3019​
7th​	Christopher Bell​	-11​	16​	3016​
8th​	Austin Cindric ​	-11​	14​	3014​

The Round of 8 would see the Xfinity Series travel first to Kansas for the first time of the year, before heading to Texas (where AJ had finished 12th earlier in the season) before the final race ahead of the Championship Four would be at Phoenix. The race at ISM was being tipped by ‘Team Red Bull’ as a location where AJ could really perform and was a location they actually believed the #82 was capable of winning.

AJ would arrive at Las Vegas already with the knowledge that they had secured a berth in the Round of Six, but had made it clear prior to the race that she still wanted to claim a victory at the World of Westgate 200 and it looked as if she was setting herself up for success as she would qualify on the second row of the grid in 4th position. She would claim a third at the end of stage one and a second position at the end of stage two, but seven cautions would be called towards the end of the race as it was clear that all the playoff contenders were taking massive risks and trying to advance themselves. It would be a race in which Stewart Friesen would claim victory and secure themselves into the Round of Six as AJ would have to settle for a top ten finish as she took 8th place. Dylan Lupton would be the first man to find her had been eliminated, but had been on the cusp after his performance at the previous race. However, much to everyone’s surprise it had been the playoff points leader starting the Round of 8 Tyler Ankrum who was eliminated after having a horrible time in the last three races of competition.

​

Position​	Driver​	+/-​	Playoff Points​	Points​
1st​	AJ Millar ​	15​	29​	3029​
2nd​	Stewart Friesen​	14​	28​	3028​
3rd​	Brett Moffit​	9​	23​	3023​
4th​	Matt Crafton​	6​	20​	3020​
5th​	Austin Hill​	-6​	14​	3014​
6th​	Ross Chastain​	-6​	14​	3014​

The Trucks would travel to Talladega for the first time of the season, before heading to Martinsville Short with the last race prior to Championship Four behind the Double Header at the ISM Raceway.

AJ would discuss her chances prior to the next rounds of playoffs beginning:

“I am honestly in shock that I made the Round of 8 in the Xfinity Series, as my performances weren’t all that impressive. A seventh and two eleventh place finishes realistically could have really put me in the drop zone, so to find myself third on the board with a bit of breathing room over the elimination zone gives me a little bit of encouragement. Team Red Bull have really been working very hard this year and the way the Supra has been performing recently just can't be faulted. I’d love to make the Championship Four, but I am still trying to be realistic about everything. In regards to the Trucks, the victory at the Chevrolet Silverado 250 was game changing as I think race wins always fill you with confidence and to be sitting on top of the board - well that is just a good feeling. I am a little bit more confident with my hand on the wheels of my Tundra and I do feel that the #65 car has a realistic chance of making me a two time Nascar Truck Series Champion. Talladega is next weekend though and I am really excited to see how we will perform there!”​

 

[CakeWalker]

Season Eight: Part Seven

AJ’s first visit to Kansas would be a fairly positive one as she would earn a third row starting spot which would be backed up by a fourth position finish in stage one and then a point grabbing first place finish at the end of stage two. AJ looked as if she was likely fighting for the lead with Michael Annet when a caution would be called forcing the race into overtime. AJ would do her best to maintain her car in working order but would drop down to finish in 4th place at Kansas. The big winner though would prove to be Cole Custer who would claim victory and by doing so would remove himself from the drop zone and automatically advance himself to the Championship Four race at the end of the season.

AJ would struggle during qualifying, starting in 18th position, in a race that would see her push up to sixth at the end of stage one and then right up to second at the end of stage two. It is important to note that Austin Hill who was jointly placed with Ross Chastain at the bottom of the Round of 6 rankings would have won the first two stages of the race to add to his point haul. On the final lap of the race though Ross Chastain would attempt to overtake Austin Hill, but would actually mistime the manoeuvre and force himself to spin out although no caution would be called. Austin had taken a bump which would slow him down, just enough for AJ to move ahead of him to claim an important victory to advance herself into the Truck Series Championship Four with a 1st place finish at Talladega in what was now her fourth win of the season as she seemed on course to win the Truck Series for the second time in her second season in the Truck Series, ignoring the fact that she had been absent from Nascar for four years.

AJ would arrive at Martinville for the second race of the season clearly wanting to rectify her 29th career worst performance she had experienced during the fourth truck race of the season and she would prove to be in great spirits with a 2nd position qualifying position, only furthered by finishing in first at the end of both stage one and stage two. The race would move into overtime - and would be won overall by Jeb Burton (who was not in the playoffs and therefore had taken some key points off other drives) with AJ crossing the line in 3rd place and very much putting to bed and demons she might have been carrying since her abysmal performance at the start of the year.

Texas would prove to be a tricky race to master and despite finishing in the top ten at the end of both the first two stages it was clear that this was a race that a number of lower placed members of the Round of 8 were doing their best to claim points. Tyler Reddick for example had been controlling the race nicely finishing first at the end of both the first two stages. It would be a man who had been unable to advance to this round in the playoffs Dylan Lupton who would leave Texas with the win as AJ would have to settle for a 5th place finish.

The ISM Raceway would play host to a triple header as all three Nascar Series would be racing at Phoenix, with all playoff contenders vying for a place in their respective classification’s ‘Champion Four’. For AJ this would mean that she would have two race at Phoenix two days in a row, although she had already earned herself a spot in the Truck Series final - so very much it was vital that she performed well in the Xfinity race in what was proving to be a season over achievement.

AJ would drive well in the Truck Race and with no pressure on her shoulders, once she was in the top ten she would never drop out of it. Johnny Sauter would claim the win at ISM, but AJ would do the best of those in the Playoffs to claim a 2nd place finish and continue to show her dominance in the Truck Series. After the race Brett Mofftt and Matt Crafton would be officially eliminated from the playoffs as the Championship Four would be confirmed. For AJ the line-up she would face would feature none of the three drivers she had face in 2020, but would involve her former team-mate and long standing friend Stewart Friesen. On the same strand, it would also feature a driver that she had never seen eye to eye with Ross Chastain meaning that a really interesting race looked on the cards at Homestead.

​

Driver​	Team ​	Wins​
AJ Millar​	Team Red Bull​	4​
Austin Hill ​	Hattori Racing Enterprises ​	2​
Ross Chastain ​	Niece Motorsports ​	1​
Stewart Friesen ​	Halmar Friesen Racing​	3​

The last race in the Round of 8 would be an interesting and intense affair flooded with caution flags with AJ spending most of her time bouncing from third to fourth and back again. On the final lap of the race Michael Annet would manage to get in from AJ on the last lap to take 3rd, as AJ would have to settle for 4th place, whilst Cole Custer would end up winning the race. Despite Annet's third place finish he would find himself being eliminated along with Tyler Reddick, Christopher Bell and Austin Cindric.

This would mean that the Championship Four in the Xfinity Series would be:

Cole Custer, Noah Gragson, Chase Briscoe & AJ Millar.

Homestead-Miami would mark the final race of the year and for AJ this would be arguably the most important races of her career, with a chance of winning the Xfinity Series on the first time of asking. Before AJ would get a chance to drive her #82 Supra would first take part in the Truck Series race.

AJ would qualify at Miami in 11th position and would find herself in a strong position going into the final race in the Truck Series. The first stage would be a very positive start as AJ would finish stage one in 1st position with Ross Chastain in 2nd, Austin Hill just behind and Stewart Freisen in 5th meaning that all of the Championship Four finished the first stage of Homestead in the Top 5.

The second stage would end with Freisen climbing up to 4th, whilst Austin Hill would finish in 2nd and AJ would continue to control the race as she would claim the second stage win in 1st once again. The only person who had seemed to slip off the pace was Ross Chastian who finished in 10th position.

The final stage would be a really intense battle with all of the Championship Four finding themselves at the front of the pack for the last few laps, however the race would be won by Clay Greenfield in which would be Clay’s first ever career win in the Truck Series. AJ would cross just behind in 2nd place, with Freisen taking 3rd, Chastain 4th and Austin Hill 5th. By simple calculation alone, with AJ having never been beaten by a playoff rival she had successfully won the 2025 Truck Series Championship and by doing so was a two time champion in the class.
​

Position​	Drivers​	Points Difference​	Points​
1st​	AJ Millar​	Champion​	4035​
2nd​	Stewart Friesen ​	-1​	4034​
3rd​	Ross Chastain​	-2​	4033​
4th​	Austin Hill​	-3​	4032​

AJ would have a massive smile on her face after she would clamber out of her car doing a burnout on the home straight before proceeding to celebrate with the rest of the team. Before she could get too excited the Franz Tost the Team Manager for the Xfinity Team Red Bull would be seen shaking hands with AJ and clearly having a conversation with AJ, which would respond in her relaxing somewhat and would come off as being a little bit more massive for the rest of the proceedings. She would have to wait until the conclusion of the weekend to be awarded her trophy, and it was clear that Tost wanted AJ to keep her focused on the Xfinity race tomorrow evening.

AJ’s would ended up crashing her Supra in qualifying in what was a nightmare start to her push for the Xfinity Series Championship as she was forced to start in 36th position. The first stage would see Cole Custer finish in 2nd, Chase Briscoe in 3rd and Noah Gragson in 6th, whilst AJ would do her best to recover her chances of glory as she would manage to push up to end in 22nd place at the end of the first stage.

The second stage would prove to be more beneficial for AJ as she would manage to push ahead of both Gragson and Briscoe who would have to settle for 9th and 10th respectively, with AJ managing to work her way all the way up to 4th place, although Cole Custer was still looking on course for winning the championship as he would claiming 2nd place finish at the end of the stage.

AJ would manage to push herself into 2nd just behind Custer as a caution would be called as Briscoe would spin off the track with a blown tyre. The race would restart, but AJ wouldn’t start well and drop down to 5th and was starting to fall back only for another caution to be called and AJ would make a tactical decision to drive into the pits for the tyre change. The tyre change would prove to be beneficial as AJ would push up into second place and find herself right on Custer’s rear bumper with five laps to go. On the penultimate lap though, AJ would dive down the inside and edge past Custer and wouldn’t allow him to retake the position as she would cross the finish line to claim victory at Homestead with a 1st place finish. The win would not only be her fifth win within the Xfinity Series, but also her fourteenth Nascar combined series win. Even more importantly though, winning the race meant that AJ had defied all expectations as she had become the 2025 Xfinity Series Champion on the first time of asking.
​

Position​	Drivers​	Points Difference​	Points​
1st​	AJ Millar​	Champion​	4040​
2nd​	Cole Custer​	-8​	4032​
3rd​	Noah Gragson​	-10​	4030​
4th​	Chase Briscoe​	-15​	4025​

AJ would speak quite openly about her achievements following being crowned the champion of both the Truck and Xfinity Series at the end of the racing weekend:

“What an amazing weekend I have just had, I honestly keep pinching myself in case this is all a dream. Winning the Truck Series for the second time in my career is a really special feeling, and especially after I dedicated myself for a number of years chasing my rally dreams to return to Nascar and win a second championship is just that much sweeter. It really makes me feel good, as though I was right to make the decision to concentrate on this particular type of racing insead of chasing dreams that might never be attainable. I love taking part in the Truck Series and although I am not sure what my plans for next year are just yet, I do see myself taking part in another few championships hopefully in the future.

Of course I really need to talk about how well Team Red Bull have done in turning my #82 Supra in such an amazing car this season and to win at Homestead to claiming the championship - oh it was just such an incredible feeling and all of this would just never have been possible without all of the support I have received from everyone at Red Bull since they signed me as one of their drivers last year. I will have to wait for confirmation from Franz Tost about what my plans for next year will be, but maybe just maybe I can join the ranks of drivers to win two Xfinity Championships. 2025 has been such a great year and I want to thank all my fans for supporting me. Especially my Texas Fan Club which has always shown me love over the years!”​

 

[CakeWalker]

@Christian Cage did you spot the easter egg?

 

[Chris]

I didn't notice it at first if you mean the last line so I just went back and read this whole post really close until I got to it and I assume that's the line you mean

 

[CakeWalker]

Season Eight: Conclusion

Nascar Truck Series - Career Results
​

Location​	Year​	Team​	Position​
Daytona ​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	10th​
Atlanta ​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	6th​
Las Vegas​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	10th​
Martinsville​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	5th ​
Texas​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	10th​
Dover​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	4th​
Kansas ​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	7th​
Charlotte ​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	20th​
Texas​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	1st​
Iowa​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	1st​
WWT​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	2nd ​
Chicagoland​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	3rd​
Kentucky​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	7th​
Pocono​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	4th​
Eldora​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	2nd​
Michigan​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	3rd​
Bristol​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	3rd ​
Canadian Tire Motorsport Park ​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	1st ​
Las Vegas ​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	8th ​
Talladega ​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	1st​
Martinville ​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	3rd ​
Phoenix ​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	2nd ​
Homestead-Miami​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	2nd ​

Team Red Bull would announce that for 2026 the #65 car would be driven by Ty Majeski who had been signed on a provisional one year contract dependent on how he performed during the entirety of the season. This announcement would start to generate rumours that AJ Millar was currently in communication with a number of Cup Series’ teams who might be showing an interest in signing her for a 2026 drive. It would also be announced that WRC rally driver Esapeka Lappi had been offered two hot seats for the season - with it not being clear if Lappi was looking for a permanent move to Nascar or whether this was just a publicity stunt being put together by Red Bull.

Ty Majeski & Esapekka Lappi

Nascar Xfinity Series - Career Results
​

Location​	Year​	Team​	Position​
Daytona ​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	4th​
Atlanta ​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	21st​
Las Vegas​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	19th​
ISM​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	15th ​
Auto Club​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	13th​
Texas​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	12th​
Bristol ​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	1st​
Richmond​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	13th​
Talladega​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	2nd​
Dover​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	4th​
Charlotte ​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	13th ​
Pocono​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	16th​
Michigan​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	9th​
Iowa ​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	4th​
Chicagoland​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	1st​
Daytona​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	2nd​
Kentucky​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	4th​
New Hampshire​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	9th ​
Iowa​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	9th ​
Watkins Glen​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	2nd​
Mid-Ohio ​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	1st​
Bristol ​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	4th ​
Road America​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	N/A ​
Darlington​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	1st​
Indianapolis​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	5th​
Las Vegas ​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	N/A​
Richmond​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	11th​
The Roval​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	7th​
Dover​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	11th​
Kansas​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	4th​
Texas​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	3rd​
ISM​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	4th​
Homestead-Miami​	2025​	Team Red Bull​	1st​

Franz Tost would be announced as no longer being the Team Manager for Xfinity Red Bull but instead had been promoted to the Principal of Team Red Bull and all of its operation in Nascar. Tost would reveal that Team Red Bull had purchased the #00 & #98 car from Stewart-Haas Racing with it emerging that Gene Haas had been unwilling to support the team anymore in the Xfinity Series, with a desire of wanting to invest more funds in his Formula 1 team Haas Racing. It would be revealed that both Cole Custer’s and Chase Briscoe’s services had been signed by Team Red Bull and that the #82 car would be driven by Jester Millar for the 2026 season. Tost would have this to say on the matter:

“The Xfinity Series last year showed us that Team Red Bull is more than capable of putting together a great car, and so we are choosing to challenge ourselves by having three cars out on the track each and every weekend instead of just having a singular car. Cole and Chase are both excellent drivers and have proven themselves over the years, whilst Jester is a young rookie that we feel can offer some potential for the future. Although we are a couple of years away from our target of having a car in the Cup Series, we are going to continue to put in all the hard work so when we are ready - we can be competitive from the get go. Our Xfinity Cars will be powered by Ford for next season, although our Truck will continue to be powered by Toyota. As a customer there isn’t a conflict in interest in representing two different manufacturers as our Truck Series Team will be known as Red Bull Trucking and our Xfinity Series Team as Team Red Bull”.

The announcement of Jester Millar driving the #82 car had all but cemented the rumours that AJ had been offered a drive in the Cup Series for 2026.

It would be reveal that AJ Millar had signed a two year contract with Wood Brother Racing to replace the retiring Paul Menard and taking the seat in the #21 car. It was revealed that Red Bull as part of the deal had agreed to pay 50% of AJ’s wages on the agreement that the team would be branded as Red Bull-Wood Brothers Racing for the entirety of AJ’s contract. This race ouf course would mean that AJ would officially be taking part in the Cup Series in 2026 and share her thoughts on the situations:

“To be part of the Cup Series next season is a massive honour and I am really happy with the situation that has taken place for me to be driving the #21 car with the newly labelled Red Bull-Wood Brothers Racing for at least the next two seasons. I really hope I can show everyone what I am able to bring to the table and hopefully start to really make a name for myself in this sport. I am often told that I am the most successful woman ever in the history of Nascar, but honestly I claimed that accolade after my first Truck Series Championship. The truth of my situation is that only Greg Biffle, Johnny Benson, Jr. and Austin Dillion have won both Xfinity and Truck Series Championship which makes me now only the fourth person to have ever achieved that accolade. My next career target is to achieve a triple threat and win my first ever Cup Series race - because I feel that will well and truly put me down as a driver that no one will ever be able to forget.”

Leonard Wood would offer words on AJ joining the team:

“We’ve got a two time Truck Series Champion, a one time Xfinity Series Champion, a proven Dirt Car racer and someone that has excelled in a completely different discipline altogether driving our car. AJ is racer that understands what is needed to be successful and we are really happy to have her join us at Wood Brothers Racing. She is known for getting the most out of a car, when a lesser driver wouldn’t know how to so maybe we can claim our first win in sixteen years with her at the helm. We’ve been looking for our 100th win for a long time now, and I have a feeling this fire cracker is just the person we need to do this.”
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[CakeWalker]

Writer's Note: In a similar fashion to Grim (with his Vikings) - I am going to take a break from this project, as well I need to create some content for it and also need to think of some fresh idea to get this going. I also have another Non-Wrestling project - that I won't to bring to the table.