User blog:Ajaxcupseries/Are Chris Barrymore and CJ Barrymore Racing Heading Towards a Bitter Divorce

The Dwyer Report - February 2024

Remember at the start of the decade when I came on this platform and told EVERYONE that Chris Barrymore was a fraud who the media, fans, and ASCA team owners were putting on a pedestal simply because of his last name?

I caught flack from drivers, fans, team owners, and even my fellow coworkers for a “disgrace to journalism” daring to make a hit piece on the sport’s golden boy.

Fast forward four years and Barrymore signing one of the worst contract extensions in ASCA history - and who exactly turned out to be right?

Three wins.

THREE WINS.

That is the amount of times that Chris Barrymore has visited victory lane since the start of the 2020 campaign, THREE!

You cannot make this up.

At first, Barrymore nut huggers made excuses that “he didn’t have enough experience” to be winning just yet.

Well then, explain his 2023 season which was his SEVENTH in Cup where he barely even managed to crack the top 10 in points.

Then, his defenders pointed to CJ Barrymore Racing equipment, and how it wasn’t “on par” with Orkedi Bros Racing and Ronnie Woods Motorsports.

That argument flew out the window after last year’s Advocare 200, when Barrymore’s new teammate Cameron Atwood (making well under half his salary mind you) had won in three out of his last five starts, and by season’s end had more wins in 2023 than Barrymore has had his entire career.

Now, the excuse is that Barrymore isn’t getting the same quality of equipment that his teammate Atwood has been, which has led to inside reports of the 26 year old asking to be treated as the No. 1 driver on the team or he walks.

Mind you, entering the 2024 campaign Barrymore is tied as the second highest paid driver in the sport only behind Diego Orkedi. He’s currently making Randle Woods money, yet has won as many races in the past four years as Woods did last season alone at the age of 35.

But…..Barrymore is the dissatisfied one here that he’s not being treated like an elite level driver?

News flash Chris - just because your daddy has literally handed you everything in life and you can win a bunch of Craftsman races against kids doesn’t mean your s*** doesn’t stink.

Being able to make a few spectacular practice saves and rip the fence at will doesn’t mean jack when you can’t even crack the top five in points as a seasoned veteran.

This is not the 17, 18, 19 year old Chris Barrymore that was bullying the competition in the lower leagues and showing flashes of superstar potential at the Cup level. The guy is 26, entering his eighth Cup season, and has four career wins to his name.

The excuses need to STOP.

To be clear, I don’t think Barrymore is a bad driver per se, and the talent is most certainly there. You don’t win a Craftsman championship and multiple Cup races without it.

However, this is a guy making $11 million dollars a year through 2026 DEMANDING to be treated like the top dawg at an organization that currently features the reigning Cup champion!

You want the royalty treatment that Diego Orkedi, Randle Woods, Todd Kidd, and Greg Healey get at their teams right now? Then you need to PREFORM like they do on a weekly basis. Only racing at an elite level 6-8 races a year isn’t gonna cut it.

The ASCA is a cutthroat business. Excuses don’t matter in this sport, but results do.

If CJ Barrymore was wise, he would sit his son down and tell him to shut the hell up and do his talking on the track before he EVER makes demands about how he should be treated again.