What could possibly be the one thing that could be holding back a potential Cup Series driver from running at the top level of stock car racing? Lee Pulliam realized it over a decade ago when he was faced with perhaps the harshest reality of motorsports, when he had to let go of a massive opportunity to run for Kyle Busch Motorsports, only because he lacked something. And it wasn’t talent. The team loved his racing portfolio, but it was a lack of funds that held him back from being a driver for KBM Motorsports.

“When I saw that number, I was like, I mean[…] How am I gonna ever get an opportunity?” said the driver in his recent appearance on Dale Earnhardt  Jr.’s podcast. It has become quite transparent now that NASCAR, and motorsports in general, are very expensive to run. Teams pick certain drivers on their sheer ability to bring sponsors, and this cost Pulliam a potential career as a Cup Series driver.

“It was tough for me to swallow, and I said, dude, I really appreciate your time, but I don’t know how I can do that, you know, I don’t have any connections like that, my family has no… You know, we can barely Late Model race,” said Pulliam.

Despite being quite a competitive driver, Lee Pulliam struggled for a long part of his racing career. In fact, after his chance to meet Kyle Busch passed, he did not have any other opportunity in any of the NASCAR series until 2026. It was Earnhardt Jr. who noticed his brilliance and gave him a chance at the Martinsville Speedway. He impressed with a 5th place finish and broke down while speaking to the media, understandably.

It took him well over a decade to get the chance back, but there are many drivers who struggle with the same. In fact, Kyle Busch had also reflected on this a few years ago, when speaking about yet another promising Cup prospect.

When Kyle Busch broke down the harsh reality of Cup racing

John Hunter Nemechek was yet another promising driver, stuck with racing in the NOAP Series (called the Xfinity Series back then). He had been rather promising with Joe Gibbs Racing, winning multiple races in the 2023 season. However, there were no talks about a potential move to the Cup Series, despite the results he was bringing. It was then that Busch broke down what racing had become:

“This isn’t to be mean or rude or a bad word, but he needs 6 million bucks, and he’ll be in a JGR Cup car next year. It’s all he needs. It’s not a success game anymore; it’s a money game. So if he can find the cash, then there’ll be a seat for him. I’m pretty sure,” he said.

This was a harsh truth that Nemechek had to face at the time. He had run a full-time season with Front Row Motorsports back in 2020, but nothing solid after that. Luckily for him, Jimmie Johnson’s Legacy Motor Club signed him in 2024, and he continues to race for them, full-time, in the Cup Series.

But this wasn’t easy to clinch, and while Nemechek did get the opportunity, there are still many drivers who don’t. Even grassroots levels of racing are incredibly hard to participate in because of all the costs of the car, and the sponsorship issue at the national and even regional levels is another stressor for the drivers.

While even Pulliam got the chance this year, it is tough to say if he will be going forward. He did put on an impressive show, though, with a fifth-place finish, which could catch the attention of some strong sponsors. But there seems to be no confirmation right now.