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| |
 
For the second time in as many seasons,
Denny Hamlin broke Matt DiBenedetto’s heart, before NASCAR removed the
pathos from the situation with a post-race ruling.
At the end of a third overtime at Talladega
Superspeedway, Hamlin beat DiBenedetto to the finish line to win by .023
seconds-roughly two feet-in Sunday’s YellaWood 500 NASCAR Cup Series
Playoff race at the 2.66-mile track.
But NASCAR erased the close call by penalizing
DiBenedetto for forcing William Byron below the yellow line separating
the racing surface from the apron in Turn 4 on the final lap. That made
a runner-up of Erik Jones and dropped DiBenedetto to 21st at the finish.
With a comfortable Playoff point cushion, Hamlin started
from the pole but spent the vast majority of the race riding in the
back. However, the driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota took
advantage of high attrition, a fast car and a fresh set of tires to pull
out his seventh victory of the season, his second at Talladega and the
44th of his career, tying him with NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott for
18th all-time.
"Just a lot of attrition," said Hamlin, who beat
DiBenedetto at Bristol with a late pass last year. "We just played the
strategy and the numbers game to run in the back until we were locked
in. Just things worked out. We finally got one back. This one was
unexpected to say the least, but proud of this whole FedEx team, Toyota
and everyone at JGR for bringing great race cars."
Playoff driver Chase Elliott initially was penalized for
passing below the yellow line on the final lap, but NASCAR reviewed the
video and rescinded the penalty after determining Elliott was forced
below the boundary. NASCAR also reviewed Hamlin’s trip to the apron in
the final corner but determined that he had had been forced to go there
to avoid a wreck.
"A lot of stuff happened, for sure," said Hamlin, who
clinched a spot in the Playoff’s Round of 8 with the win. "I don’t know
if the 21 (DiBenedetto) was running out of gas, but they obviously got
shuffled there. They were crashing up top. I think the 20 (Jones) hit
the wall and then started coming back down, which forced, I think, me
and the 24 (William Byron) down to the apron.
"Just was able to overcome. This is one of those that
you don’t plan on winning, but we got away with one today."
After the penalties, Ty Dillon was credited with third
place, Byron with fourth and Elliott with fifth, as multi-car wrecks
made mincemeat of the fortunes of the majority of Playoff drivers.
An 11-car wreck on Lap 109, 11 circuits before the end
of Stage 2, had a dramatic effect on the Playoff landscape. While
attempting to push Jimmie Johnson’s Chevrolet in the tri-oval, Clint
Bowyer turned the No. 48 of the seven-time champion, igniting a melee
that eliminated Bowyer, Kurt Busch, Cole Custer, Daniel Suarez and
Brendan Gaughan from the race.
Busch, last Sunday’s Las Vegas winner, was launched over
the hood of Custer’s Ford, but landed on his tires, his No. 1 Chevrolet
destroyed. Brother Kyle Buch, already damaged in two earlier incidents,
trailed the wreck but couldn’t avoid it and sustained additional damage
after contact with Gaughan’s Chevrolet.
Kyle Busch persevered, only to be collected in a massive
wreck that caused the 12th caution and sent the race to overtime. He
finished 27th and enters the final race of the Round of 12 tied with
Austin Dillon, 21 points below the current cutoff for the Round of 8.
"The car was just real slow due to all of the damage,
obviously, so I’m just holding up the line," Busch said of his final
wreck. "I was trying to draft off the guys in front of me, and I’m
pushing too much backwards on the guys that are trying to push me
forwards and it creates a wreck."
Austin Dillon recovered from multiple accidents to come
home 12th, the third-highest finish for a Playoff driver.
As the cars jockeyed for position near the end of Stage
1, Bowman-pushed aggressively by Logano in the top lane-pinballed into
the rear of race leader Aric Almirola’s No. 10, sending it into the
outside wall on the backstretch on Lap 58.
Kyle Busch, and Ryan Blaney were innocent victims of the
accident, but both drivers were able to continue, as was Bowman, who
finished 14th and is 22 points above the Round of 8 cut line.
Almirola wasn’t as fortunate. Knocked out of the race by
the accident, he fell to 12th in the standings, 48 points below the cut
line and almost certainly will have to win next Sunday at the Charlotte
Roval to advance to the Round of 8 in the Playoff.
"I’m just disappointed," Almirola said. "We were doing
everything we needed to do. We were closing in to the end of stage one,
and it looked like we were going to score a lot of points there, which
is exactly what we needed to do. It looks like he got to my outside and
my car started to turn to the right, so it’s unfortunate.
"I don’t know if he got in the back of me and hooked me
or how that played out, but my car just made a hard right into the
fence. It’s unfortunate. I had a lot of confidence going into today. I
thought we were going to have a good shot to win. Our car was so fast,
but unfortunately the Good Lord had different plans for us today. We’ll
go onto the Roval and try one more time."
In a race that went 12 laps beyond its scheduled
distance and featured 58 lead changes among 18 different drivers, Ryan
Newman, Tyler Reddick, John Hunter Nemechek, Brennan Poole and Ryan
Preece finished sixth through 10th, respectively.
Like DiBenedetto, Chris Buescher, who led three times
for 15 laps, was penalized for forcing a car below the yellow line on
the final lap. He was dropped from sixth to 22nd, the final position on
the lead lap.
NASCAR Cup Series Race - 52nd Annual YellaWood 500
Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega, Alabama
Sunday, October 4, 2020
1. (1) Denny Hamlin (P), Toyota, 200.
2. (16) Erik Jones, Toyota, 200.
3. (28) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 200.
4. (21) William Byron, Chevrolet, 200.
5. (10) Chase Elliott (P), Chevrolet, 200.
6. (19) Ryan Newman, Ford, 200.
7. (30) Tyler Reddick #, Chevrolet, 200.
8. (23) John Hunter Nemechek #, Ford, 200.
9. (32) Brennan Poole #, Chevrolet, 200.
10. (25) Ryan Preece, Chevrolet, 200.
11. (35) Justin Haley(i), Chevrolet, 200.
12. (12) Austin Dillon (P), Chevrolet, 200.
13. (33) Quin Houff #, Chevrolet, 200.
14. (4) Alex Bowman (P), Chevrolet, 200.
15. (37) Timmy Hill(i), Ford, 200.
16. (20) Matt Kenseth, Chevrolet, 200.
17. (36) Joey Gase(i), Ford, 200.
18. (7) Brad Keselowski (P), Ford, 200.
19. (34) Cody Ware, Chevrolet, 200.
20. (5) Kevin Harvick (P), Ford, 200.
21. (13) Matt DiBenedetto, Ford, 200.
22. (15) Chris Buescher, Ford, 200.
23. (3) Martin Truex Jr. (P), Toyota, 198.
24. (27) Bubba Wallace, Chevrolet, Accident, 192.
25. (14) Ryan Blaney, Ford, Accident, 192.
26. (8) Joey Logano (P), Ford, Accident, 188.
27. (6) Kyle Busch (P), Toyota, Accident, 188.
28. (29) Corey LaJoie, Ford, 188.
29. (17) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, Accident, 133.
30. (38) James Davison, Chevrolet, 118.
31. (18) Cole Custer #, Ford, Accident, 108.
32. (2) Kurt Busch (P), Chevrolet, Accident, 108.
33. (9) Clint Bowyer (P), Ford, Accident, 108.
34. (31) Daniel Suarez, Toyota, Accident, 108.
35. (39) Brendan Gaughan, Chevrolet, Accident, 108.
36. (24) Michael McDowell, Ford, Overheating, 79.
37. (11) Aric Almirola (P), Ford, Accident, 57.
38. (26) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, Accident, 8.
39. (22) Christopher Bell #, Toyota, Accident, 1.
Average Speed of Race Winner: 129.774 mph.
Time of Race: 4 Hrs, 5 Mins, 58 Secs. Margin of Victory: 0.086 Seconds.
Caution Flags: 13 for 54 laps.
Lead Changes: 58 among 18 drivers.
Lap Leaders: D. Hamlin (P) 0;D. Hamlin (P) 1-16;J. Logano (P) 17-18;D.
Hamlin (P) 19-26;M. McDowell 27;A. Almirola (P) 28-32;R. Blaney 33;A.
Almirola (P) 34;E. Jones 35;R. Blaney 36;E. Jones 37-41;R. Blaney 42-49;J.
Logano (P) 50;E. Jones 51;C. Elliott (P) 52-54;A. Almirola (P) 55-57;C.
Buescher 58-61;K. Harvick (P) 62;C. Elliott (P) 63-65;B. Keselowski (P)
66-67;C. Elliott (P) 68-69;C. Buescher 70-74;E. Jones 75;C. Buescher
76-81;E. Jones 82-86;M. DiBenedetto 87-88;C. Ware 89;C. Elliott (P)
90-106;J. Johnson 107;C. Elliott (P) 108-113;J. Logano (P) 114-116;M. Truex
Jr. (P) 117;T. Reddick # 118;M. Truex Jr. (P) 119-121;K. Harvick (P) 122;D.
Hamlin (P) 123;M. Truex Jr. (P) 124-125;B. Keselowski (P) 126;T. Reddick #
127;B. Keselowski (P) 128;B. Wallace 129-134;B. Keselowski (P) 135-136;J.
Logano (P) 137-148;*. Hill(i) 149;J. Logano (P) 150-152;W. Byron 153;J.
Logano (P) 154-158;C. Elliott (P) 159;J. Logano (P) 160;C. Elliott (P)
161;B. Wallace 162;J. Logano (P) 163-166;C. Elliott (P) 167-169;J. Logano
(P) 170-179;B. Wallace 180-182;J. Logano (P) 183-186;M. DiBenedetto 187;C.
Elliott (P) 188-192;M. DiBenedetto 193-199;D. Hamlin (P) 200.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Joey Logano (P) 10 times for
45 laps; Chase Elliott (P) 9 times for 41 laps; Denny Hamlin (P) 4 times for
26 laps; Chris Buescher 3 times for 15 laps; Erik Jones 5 times for 13 laps;
Matt DiBenedetto 3 times for 10 laps; Bubba Wallace 3 times for 10 laps;
Ryan Blaney 3 times for 10 laps; Aric Almirola (P) 3 times for 9 laps;
Martin Truex Jr. (P) 3 times for 6 laps; Brad Keselowski (P) 4 times for 6
laps; Kevin Harvick (P) 2 times for 2 laps; Tyler Reddick # 2 times for 2
laps; Jimmie Johnson 1 time for 1 lap; * Timmy Hill(i) 1 time for 1 lap;
William Byron 1 time for 1 lap; Cody Ware 1 time for 1 lap; Michael McDowell
1 time for 1 lap.
Stage #1 Top Ten: 17,22,3,2,20,9,8,19,1,41
Stage #2 Top Ten: 19,2,17,9,38,24,12,37,13,43
|
NASCAR Cup Series
Next
Race: Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500
The
Place: Texas Motor Speedway
The
Date: Sunday, October 25
The
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
TV:
NBCSN, 3 p.m. ET
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 501 (334 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 105),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 210), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 334)
NASCAR Cup Series
Flip the switch on the Big Hoss TV,
the Cup Playoffs are headed to Texas
Dust them Cowboy hats off in Victory
Lane and fire-up that Big Hoss TV on the backstretch because the NASCAR Cup
Series Playoffs are headed to Texas Motor Speedway this
Sunday, Oct. 25, for the Autotrader
EchoPark Automotive 500 at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR
Radio.
The
NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs began in 2004 and Texas Motor Speedway was added
to the postseason in 2005, replacing Darlington Raceway. Texas Motor
Speedway has hosted the eighth race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs since
being added in 2005. Only two tracks have hosted the eighth race in the
NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs: Phoenix Raceway in the Playoff’s inaugural
season in 2004 and Texas Motor Speedway from 2005-Present.
Six different
drivers have won the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff races at Texas Motor
Speedway, led by Jimmie Johnson with five victories (2007, 2012, 2013, 2014,
2015); followed by Carl Edwards (2005, 2008, 2016), Kevin Harvick (2017,
2018, 2019), Tony Stewart (2006, 2011), Denny Hamlin (2010) and Kurt Busch
(2009). Seven different drivers have won the
six
winners at Texas Motor Speedway and Dale Earnhardt Jr. won at Phoenix
Raceway in 2004.
Kevin Harvick has won the
last three consecutive Texas Playoff races and can tie Jimmie Johnson’s
record of four consecutive with a victory this weekend.
Three times the winner of
the eighth race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs has gone on to win the
title later that same season – all three at Texas Motor Speedway:
o
In 2007, Jimmie Johnson won from the eighth starting position
at Texas Motor Speedway and went on to win his second consecutive NASCAR Cup
Series title later that season (2006, 2007). The Playoff win at Texas was
his third of four consecutive victories in the 2007 Playoffs – the only
driver to win four straight in the NASCAR Cup Series postseason
(Martinsville, Atlanta, Texas, Phoenix).
o
In 2011, Tony Stewart won from the fifth starting position at
Texas Motor Speedway and went on to win his third NASCAR Cup Series
championship later that year. The Texas Playoff win was Stewart’s fourth of
his record setting five NASCAR Cup Series Playoff wins in a single
postseason run in 2011 (Chicago, New Hampshire, Martinsville, Texas, Miami).
o
In 2013, Jimmie Johnson won from the third starting position
at Texas Motor Speedway and went on to win his sixth NASCAR Cup Series
championship later that season. The Texas Playoff win was Johnson’s second
postseason victory (Dover, Texas) in 2013.
The worst finish in the
eighth NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race by a driver that went on to win the
title at Texas Motor Speedway was 38th by Jimmie Johnson in 2009 and at
Phoenix Raceway it was 10th by Kurt Busch in 2004. The 2018 series champion,
Joey Logano, finished third in the 2018 Texas Playoff race and last season’s
champion, Kyle Busch, finished seventh in the 2019 Texas Playoff race.
Three times a non-Playoff
driver has won the Playoff race at Texas Motor Speedway:
-
In 2006, Tony Stewart
was ranked 11th in the point standings at the time of the win.
-
In 2014, Jimmie Johnson
was 11th in points at the time of the win. Johnson had made the Playoffs
in 2014 but was eliminated in the Round of 12.
-
In 2015, Jimmie Johnson
was 12th in points at the time of the win. Johnson had made the Playoffs
in 2015 but was eliminated in the Round of 16.
In total, Texas Motor
Speedway has hosted the NASCAR Cup Series 39 times producing 25 different
pole winners and 20 different race winners. The first NASCAR Cup Series race
at Texas Motor Speedway was on April 6, 1997 – the event was won by Jeff
Burton. Chip Ganassi Racing’s Playoff contender Kurt Busch leads the series
in poles at Texas with three (Spring 2015, Playoffs 2017, Spring 2018).
Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson leads the series in
wins at Texas Motor Speedway with seven victories (2007, 2012, 2013, 2014,
2015 sweep and 2017).
Earlier this season at Texas
Motor Speedway, Richard Childress Racing teammates Austin Dillon and Tyler
Reddick finished 1-2, respectively. This weekend, Stewart-Haas Racing’s
Kevin Harvick will lead the field to the green flag with last weekend’s
winner Joey Logano on the outside front row. Dillon will start 12th and
Reddick will start 19th.
Team Penske’s Joey Logano is first to
lock into the Championship 4
In an impressive performance holding
off nine-time 2020 winner and Stewart-Haas Racing driver Kevin Harvick, Team
Penske’s Joey Logano grabbed the checkered flag at Kansas Speedway and
jumped to the top of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff standings becoming the
first to lock himself into the Championship 4. The move has sent ripples
through the postseason points as the 2018 series champion, Logano, entered
Kansas seeded fifth in the Playoff standings, five markers back from the
Championship 4 cutoff. Now, the 30-year-old from Middletown, Connecticut,
can hit the cruise control and start to prepare for the season finale
championship race at Phoenix Raceway; which Logano just so happens to be the
most recent winner at back in March.
Making the Championship 4 round is
tough, only 10 drivers have accomplished the feat since the inception of the
elimination-style format in 2014. Logano’s win at Kansas last weekend has
locked him into the Championship 4 round for the fourth time in his career
(2014, 2016, 2018, 2020).
Clinch Scenarios for the Elite Eight
in the Lone Star State
Just two races left to decide who will
clinch the three remaining spots in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff’s
Championship 4 round. This weekend, Texas Motor Speedway will set the stage
for the top series contenders to try and win their way into the Championship
4. Below are this week’s clinch scenarios for Texas, with a reminder that
any driver can clinch with a win this weekend:
Already Clinched
With his win at Kansas Speedway last
weekend, Team Penske’s Joey Logano has become the first driver to clinch a
spot in the 4-driver field of the next round.
Can Clinch via Points
If there is a new winner, the
following driver could clinch by being 56 points above the second winless
driver in the Playoff standings:
-
Kevin Harvick: Could only clinch
with help.
If there is a repeat winner, the
following drivers could clinch by being 56 points above the third winless
driver in the Playoff standings. They would also clinch if there is a new
winner among Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin and being 56 points above the
2nd winless driver in the Playoff standings:
-
Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin:
Could only clinch with help.
Playoff Contender Performances at
Texas Motor Speedway
Looking ahead to this weekend at Texas
Motor Speedway, there are nine former winners in the field and four of them
are Playoff contenders (Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano and Kurt
Busch). The Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN
and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio is one of just two races left for the Playoff
drivers to secure their spots in the Championship 4 round. Below are
insights into the eight drivers as they head to Texas Motor Speedway in
order of the Playoff outlook:
Joey Logano (No. 2 Team Penske Ford)
has catapulted himself into the Championship 4 round with his big win last
weekend to open the Round of 8 at Kansas Speedway. This is the fourth time
in Logano’s career he has qualified for the Championship 4 round
(2014, 2016, 2018, 2020). Th 2018 NASCAR Cup Series champion now has two
weeks to prepare for the season finale at Phoenix. Looking to this weekend
at Texas Motor Speedway, Logano has made 24 series starts putting up one win
(2014), 11 top fives and 13 top 10s. He is also ranked in top 12 of several
key pre-race Loop Data categories at Texas with an Average Running Position
of 14.624, 11th-best, a Driver Rating of 90.0, ninth-best and 4,773 Laps in
the Top 15 (59.7%), ninth-most. Logano finished third just behind the RCR
teammates of Austin Dillon and Tyler Reddick at Texas earlier this season.
Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Stewart-Haas
Racing Ford) conceded following Kansas that Joey Logano literally blocked
him from his 10th win of the season and now the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff
standings leader finds himself 41 points ahead of the Championship 4 cutoff
heading into Texas. Harvick is looking to make the Championship 4 for the
sixth time in his career (2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019). Arriving in Texas
this weekend, Harvick has made 35 series starts at the 1.5-mile speedway
posting two poles, three wins (last three Playoff races 2017, 2018, 2019),
12 top fives and 23 top 10s. Plus, the Stewart-Haas Racing driver from
California is in the top five of several key pre-race Loop Data categories
at Texas with an Average Running Position of 11.947, fourth-best, a Driver
Rating of 97.8, fourth-best and 7,450 Laps in the Top 15 (72.1%),
series-most. Harvick finished fifth in the Texas race back in July.
Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing
Toyota) will be looking to rebound this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway
after bouncing off the wall at Kansas Speedway resulting in a 15th-place
finish to start the Round of 8. Now the Virginia native, Hamlin is third in
Playoff standings outlook 20 points above the Championship 4 cutoff. Hamlin
is looking to make the Championship 4 round for the third time in his career
(2014, 2019). At Texas, Hamlin has made 29 series start accumulating three
wins (2010 sweep, Spring 2019), seven top fives and 13 top 10s. Hamlin also
is in the top 12 of several key pre-race Loop Data categories at Texas with
an Average Running Position of 14.456, 10th-best, a Driver Rating of 88.6,
11th-best and 6,076 Laps in the Top 15 (62.8%), seventh-most. But Hamlin
will have work cut out for him this weekend, the 39-year-old finished 20th
at Texas earlier this season.
Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Team Penske
Ford) might be walking with a little pep in his step this weekend after his
fourth-place finish at Kansas to open the Round of 8 helped him leap frog
Chase Elliott to the fourth in the Playoff standings outlook. Now Keselowski
sits in the fourth and final transfer position to the Championship 4, just
eight points ahead of Elliott as he looks to make the Championship 4 round
for the second time in his career (2017). The Michigan native now turns his
attention to the Lone Star state where he has made 24 series starts posting
five top fives and nine top 10s. Keselowski also ranks in the top 15 of
several key pre-race Loop Data categories at Texas with an Average Running
Position of 16.430, 15th-best, a Driver Rating of 85.6, 13th-best and 4,279
Laps in the Top 15 (53.5%), 10th-most. Keselowski finished ninth at Texas
Motor Speedway earlier this season.
Chase Elliott (No. 9 Hendrick
Motorsports Chevrolet), following a sixth-place finish at Kansas, has landed
fifth in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs – the first spot outside the
Championship 4 round cutoff. Elliott is on a quest to make the Championship
4 round for the first time in his NASCAR Cup Series career but is currently
eight points behind Keselowski in the final transfer position. Elliott has
made nine series starts at Texas posting two top fives and five top 10s.
Plus, the Georgia native falls into the top 15 of several pre-race Loop Data
categories at Texas with an Average Running Position of 12.777,
seventh-best, a Driver Rating of 88.6, 10th-best and 2,229 Laps in the Top
15 (75.1%), 13th-most. Elliott finished 12th at Texas back in July.
Alex Bowman (No. 88 Hendrick
Motorsports Chevrolet) kicked off the Round of 8 in impressive fashion,
finishing third behind Logano and Harvick at Kansas Speedway. Now the
27-year-old Hendrick Motorsports driver is sixth in the NASCAR Cup Series
Playoffs, 27 points behind the Championship 4 round cutoff. And like his
teammate Chase Elliott, Bowman is also looking for his first berth in the
Championship 4. Looking to Texas this weekend, Bowman has made 10 series
starts putting up one top-five finish – a fifth in this Playoff race last
season. Bowman is also in the top 30 of several key pre-race Loop Data
categories at Texas with an Average Running Position of 24.153, 26th-best, a
Driver Rating of 60.1, 24th-best and 1,073 Laps in the Top 15 (32.4%),
20th-most. Bowman will be looking to improve on his first stop at Texas this
season, he finished 30th due to an incident back in July.
Martin Truex Jr. (No. 19 Joe Gibbs
Racing Toyota) finished ninth last weekend at Kansas to start the Round of 8
and now finds himself seventh in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, 31 points
back from Chase Elliott in the final Championship 4 transfer position. The
2017 series champion is looking to make the Championship 4 for the fifth
time in his career (2015, 2017, 2018, 2019). Texas is a track Truex has yet
to win at, but has made 30 series starts, collecting four top fives and 16
top 10s. He has run well at the 1.5-mile track and his rankings inside the
top five in several pre-race Loop Data categories at Texas back that up. He
has an Average Running Position of 12.463, sixth-best, a Driver Rating of
93.4, sixth-best and 6,832 Laps in the Top 15 (68.3%), fourth-most. Truex
will be hoping to rebound from his performance at Texas earlier this season
where he finished 29th.
Kurt Busch (No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing
Chevrolet) was struck by bad luck last weekend at Kansas to open the Round
of 8 when the power plant to his Chevrolet expired mid-race, leaving him
with a 38th-place result. The Las Vegas, Nevada native is now eighth in the
NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs 73 points back from Chase Elliott in the final
Championship 4 transfer position.
In a must-win situation, the veteran
Busch is not giving up and is ready to lead his team. “It’s a shame for
everyone at Chip Ganassi Racing," Busch said. “Having an engine failure in
the Playoffs is like a huge parachute that slows you up. We’ll pack that
parachute up, throw it away and go to Texas to win. We knew we were going to
have win either here (Kansas) or Texas and Martinsville we’ve got a shot at
it too. The odds are stacked against us, but hey, we’re in the top eight for
a reason and I’ve got a great crew chief in Matt McCall. We’ll bounce back."
Busch has found success at Texas, in
35 series starts he has put up one win (2009), three top fives and 22 top
10s. Not to mention, Busch ranks in the top 10 in several pre-race Loop Data
categories at Texas with an Average Running Position of 13.156, eighth-best,
a Driver Rating of 90.5, eighth-best and 6,824 Laps in the Top 15 (66.0%),
fifth-most. Bush finished eighth at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this
season.
NASCAR Cup Series, Etc.
Chase Briscoe to pilot No. 14 for
Stewart-Haas Racing in 2021 - Stewart-Haas Racing announced this week they
will promote Chase Briscoe from its NASCAR Xfinity Series program to the
NASCAR Cup Series in 2021, whereupon the 11-time Xfinity Series race winner
will drive the team’s No. 14 Ford Mustang.
"Chase has to be one of the most
humble and grateful guys in the sport and he has worked incredibly hard for
this opportunity. We’re extremely proud to be a part of his journey from
Xfinity to Cup," said Mike Mendiburu, President and CEO of HighPoint.
"Everyone has seen his talent and he has combined it with incredible
humility and an unrelenting work ethic. Simply put, performance without
character is not important to us. Chase, however, has both in spades. It’s
why he’s ready for the NASCAR Cup Series and why we are so honored to
support him."
"Chase has worked incredibly hard to
make his mark in NASCAR and has earned this promotion to the NASCAR Cup
Series. Thanks to HighPoint and Ford, we were able to make it happen," said
Tony Stewart, co-owner of SHR with Haas Automation founder Gene Haas
Richard Petty Motorsports taps Erik
Jones to drive famous No. 43 in 2021 - Richard Petty Motorsports announced
this week that Erik Jones will join the organization in 2021 as the driver
of the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE in the NASCAR Cup Series, made famous
by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty. Jones has signed a multi-year driver
agreement with the team.
"Erik is an exceptionally talented
driver, and we are excited to have him join our team," Brian Moffitt, chief
executive officer at Richard Petty Motorsports, said. "At only 24-years old,
Erik is part of NASCAR's next generation of stars. He has won races at every
level in NASCAR he has competed in - including in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Erik is a proven winner, and we look forward to providing him with the
opportunity to add more wins to this already impressive resume."
NASCAR Cup Series
Next
Race: Hollywood Casino 400
The
Place: Kansas Speedway
The
Date: Sunday, October 18
The
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
TV:
NBC, 2 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 400.5 miles (267 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 80),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 160), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 267)
NASCAR Cup Series
Playoff’s Elite Eight to roll the dice in the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas
Just eight drivers
remain in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs as the series heads to Kansas
Speedway for the first race of the Round of 8, the Hollywood Casino 400,
this Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
|
NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Outlook Following Race No.
32 |
|
Rank |
Driver |
Points |
Starts |
Race Wins |
Stage Wins |
|
1 |
Kevin Harvick (P) |
4,067 |
32 |
9 |
7 |
|
2 |
Denny Hamlin (P) |
4,054 |
32 |
7 |
9 |
|
3 |
Brad Keselowski (P) |
4,035 |
32 |
4 |
7 |
|
4 |
Chase Elliott (P) |
4,027 |
32 |
3 |
8 |
|
5 |
Joey Logano (P) |
4,022 |
32 |
2 |
6 |
|
6 |
Martin Truex Jr. (P) |
4,017 |
32 |
1 |
5 |
|
7 |
Alex Bowman (P) |
4,009 |
32 |
1 |
4 |
|
8 |
Kurt Busch (P) |
4,006 |
32 |
1 |
1 |
The 2020
season marks the first time Kansas Speedway has hosted the seventh race of
the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs and the first race of the Round of 8. Since
the inception of the Playoffs in 2004, Kansas Speedway has occupied five
different positions on the Playoff schedule - from 2004, 2005, 2011, 2013
and 2014 Kansas hosted the fourth race in the Playoffs, from 2006-2010
Kansas hosted the third race in the Playoffs, from 2015 to 2016 Kansas
hosted the fifth race of the postseason and from 2012, 2017, 2018 and 2019
Kansas hosted the sixth race of the Playoffs. Kansas Speedway is the fourth
different track to host the seventh race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs;
joining Atlanta Motor Speedway (2004-2008), Talladega Superspeedway
(2009-2010) and Martinsville Speedway (2011-2019).
|
NASCAR Cup Series |
|
Kansas Playoff Race Winners |
|
Race Winners |
Wins |
|
Greg Biffle |
2 |
|
Jimmie Johnson |
2 |
|
Joey Logano |
2 |
|
Kevin Harvick |
2 |
|
Tony Stewart |
2 |
|
Chase Elliott |
1 |
|
Denny Hamlin |
1 |
|
Joe Nemechek |
1 |
|
Mark Martin |
1 |
|
Martin Truex Jr |
1 |
|
Matt Kenseth |
1 |
A total of 11 different
drivers have won the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff races at Kansas Speedway.
Jimmie Johnson (2008, 2011), Kevin Harvick (2013, 2016), Joey Logano (2014,
2015), Greg Biffle (2007, 2010) and Tony Stewart (2006, 2009) lead the
series in Playoff wins at Kansas Speedway with two each.
Twice the winner of the
NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race at Kansas Speedway has gone on to win the
title that same season:
-
In 2008, Jimmie Johnson
won the Kansas Playoff race from the pole, leading 124 laps, and then
went on to win his third consecutive series title later that season.
Kansas was the third race of the Playoffs in 2008.
-
In 2017, Martin Truex
Jr. won the Kansas Playoff race from the pole, leading 91 laps, and then
went on to win his first NASCAR Cup Series title later that season.
Kansas was the sixth race of the Playoffs in 2017.
Three non-Playoff drivers
have won a Playoff race at Kansas Speedway:
-
In 2004, Joe Nemechek
was ranked 21st in the points at the time of the win.
-
In 2006, Tony Stewart
was 11th in the points at the time of the win.
-
In 2007, Greg Biffle was
14th in the points at the time of the win.
The worst
finish in a Playoff race at Kansas Speedway by a driver that went on to win
the title later that same season was 15th by Tony Stewart in 2011. Last
season’s champion, Kyle Busch, finished third in the Kansas Playoff race.
|
NASCAR Cup Series |
|
Playoff Race No. 7 Winners |
|
Race Winners |
Wins |
|
Jimmie Johnson |
4 |
|
Carl Edwards |
2 |
|
Jeff Gordon |
2 |
|
Tony Stewart |
2 |
|
Clint Bowyer |
1 |
|
Dale Earnhardt Jr |
1 |
|
Jamie McMurray |
1 |
|
Joey Logano |
1 |
|
Kyle Busch |
1 |
|
Martin Truex Jr |
1 |
A total of 10 different
drivers have won the seventh race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, led by
Hendrick Motorsport’s driver Jimmie Johnson with four victories (2004, 2007,
2012 and 2016).
Four times the winner of the
seventh NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race has gone on to win the title later
that same season:
-
In 2007, Jimmie Johnson
won from the sixth starting position at Atlanta Motor Speedway and went
on to win his second consecutive NASCAR Cup Series championship.
-
In 2011, Tony Stewart
won from the fourth starting position at Martinsville Speedway, and went
on to win his third NASCAR Cup Series championship.
-
In 2016, Jimmie Johnson
won from the third starting position at Martinsville Speedway, and went
on to win his record tying seventh NASCAR Cup Series championship.
-
In 2018, Joey Logano won
from the 10th starting position at Martinsville Speedway, and went on to
win his first NASCAR Cup Series championship.
Three non-Playoff drivers
have won the seventh race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs:
-
In 2006, Tony Stewart
won the seventh race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs at Atlanta Motor
Speedway, he was 11th in points at the time of the win.
-
In 2009, Jamie McMurray
won the seventh race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs at Talladega
Superspeedway, he was ranked 22nd in the points at the time of the win.
-
In 2010, Clint Bowyer
won the seventh race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs at Talladega
Superspeedway, he was 12th in the points at the time of the win.
The worst finish by a driver
in the seventh NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race that later went on to win the
title that same season was a 42nd-place finish by Kurt Busch in 2004 at
Atlanta Motor Speedway. The finish was due to engine failure.
In total Kansas Speedway has
hosted 29 NASCAR Cup Series races dating back to inaugural event on
September 30, 2001. The race was won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon
driving a Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. The 29 Cup Series races at
Kansas have produced 16 different pole winners and 15 different race
winners. Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick leads the series poles at
Kansas with five (Playoff race 2013, 2014 sweep, spring 2018 and spring
2019). Four drivers are tied for the series-most wins at Kansas Speedway
with three wins each – Jeff Gordon (2001, 2002,
2014), Kevin Harvick (2013, 2016, 2018), Jimmie Johnson (2008, 2011, 2015)
and Denny Hamlin (2012, 2019, 2020).
Looking ahead
to Sunday, Hendrick Motorsport’s driver and last weekend’s winner Chase
Elliott will start on the pole and Team Penske’s Joey Logano will start on
the outside front row. Both drivers are previous winners at Kansas, and both
are looking to advance to Championship 4 this season.
Playoff driver outlook heading into the Round of 8
Entering the first race
of the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs at Kansas Speedway this
weekend, none of the postseason contenders can clinch a spot in the
Championship 4 round on points, making this week’s win and automatic bid to
advance that much more important.
Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Stewart-Haas
Racing Ford) enters the Round of 8 seeded first in the NASCAR Cup Series
Playoffs with 4,067 points. Harvick is 45 points ahead of the Championship 4
cutoff and is looking to make the final round for the sixth time in his
career (2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019). Harvick has made 29 series starts at
Kansas posting five poles (series-most), three wins (tied for series-most),
nine top fives and 16 top 10s. He also leads several key categories in the
pre-race Loop Data at Kansas with an Average Running Position of 8.906,
series-best, a Driver Rating of 108.6, series-best and 5,351 Laps in the Top
15 (80.6%), series-most. He finished fourth at Kansas earlier this season.
Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing
Toyota) enters the Round of 8 seeded second in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff
standings with 4,054 points. Hamlin is currently 32 points ahead of the
Championship 4 cutoff and is looking to make the final round for the third
time in his career (2014, 2019). Hamlin has 24 series Kansas starts under
his belt having posted three wins (tied for series-most), eight top fives
and nine top 10s. He also ranks in the top 10 of several key pre-race Loop
Data categories with an Average Running Position of 13.004, ninth-best, a
Driver Rating of 90.4, ninth-best and 4,359 Laps in the Top 15 (68.4%),
fifth-most. Hamlin has won the last two consecutive races at Kansas Speedway
(2019 Playoffs, 2020) and enters this weekend looking to become first driver
in series history to win three in a row.
Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Team Penske
Ford) arrives in the Round of 8 seeded third in the NASCAR Cup Series
Playoffs with 4,035 points. Keselowski is currently 13 points ahead of the
Championship 4 cutoff and is looking to make the final round for the second
time in his career (2017). The Michigan native has made 21 series starts at
Kansas Speedway posting one pole, two wins, five top fives and 11 top 10s.
He also ranks in the top 10 in several key Loop Data categories with an
Average Running Position of 12.645, eighth-best, a Driver Rating of 92.8,
seventh-best and 4,057 Laps in the Top 15 (72.1%), eighth-most. Keselowski
finished runner-up to Denny Hamlin at Kansas Speedway earlier this season.
Chase Elliott (No. 9 Hendrick
Motorsports Chevrolet) enters the Round of 8 seeded in the fourth and final
transfer spot to the Championship 4 round in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs
with 4,027 points – just five points ahead of the Championship 4 cutoff.
Elliott is looking to make the final round of the Playoffs for the first
time in his career. Elliott has made nine starts at Kansas Speedway posting
one win, four top fives and five top 10s. He also ranks in the top 15 of
several key pre-race Loop Data categories with an Average Running Position
of 12.583, seventh-best, a Driver Rating of 95.2, fifth-best and 1,724 Laps
in the Top 15 (71.3%), 14th-most. Elliott finished 12th in the series’ first
stop at Kansas earlier this year.
Joey Logano (No. 22 Team Penske Ford)
joins the Round of 8 seeded fifth in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff standings
with 4,022 points – just five points behind Chase Elliott in the final
transfer spot to the Championship 4. Logano is looking to make the Playoff’s
final round for the fourth time in his career (2014, 2016, 2018). Logano has
made 22 series starts at Kansas putting up two poles, two wins, seven top
fives and eight top 10s. He also ranks in the top 15 of several key pre-race
Loop Data categories with an Average Running Position of 15.234, 13th-best,
a Driver Rating of 87.4, 12th-best and 3,345 Laps in the Top 15 (56.7%),
ninth-most. Logano will be looking to rebound at Kansas Speedway this
weekend, after a disastrous showing earlier this season that resulted in a
35th-place finish due to an incident.
Martin Truex Jr. (No. 19 Joe Gibbs
Racing Toyota) enters the Round of 8 seeded sixth in the NASCAR Cup Series
Playoff standings with 4,017 points. Truex is currently 10 points behind
Chase Elliott in the final transfer spot into the Championship 4. The New
Jersey native, Truex, is looking to make the Playoff’s final round for the
fifth time in his career. The 2017 series champion has made 24 starts at
Kansas Speedway posting two poles, two wins, nine top fives and 11 top 10s.
Truex also ranks in the top five of several key pre-race Loop Data
categories with an Average Running Position of 11.215, fourth-best, a Driver
Rating of 100.7, fourth-best and 4,565 Laps in the Top 15 (71.6%),
third-most. Truex led 44 laps and finished third in the Kansas Speedway race
earlier this season.
Alex Bowman (No. 88 Hendrick
Motorsports Chevrolet) arrives in the Round of 8 seeded seventh in the
NASCAR Cup Series Playoff standings with 4,009 points. Bowman, who recently
signed a new deal to drive the Hendrick Motorsport’s No. 48 in 2021, is
currently 18 points behind his teammate Chase Elliott in the fourth and
final transfer spot to the Championship 4 round. Bowman is looking to make
the Playoff’s final round for the first time in his career. The Arizona
native, Bowman, has made 10 series starts at Kansas Speedway posting one top
five and four top 10s. He also ranks in the top 25 of several key pre-race
Loop Data categories with an Average Running Position of 22.106, 25th-best,
a Driver Rating of 69.8, 21st-best and 1,094 Laps in the Top 15 (40.7%),
18th-most. Bowman finished in the top-10 (eighth) in the Kansas race earlier
this season.
Kurt Busch
(No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet)
enters the Round of 8
seeded in the eighth and final position in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff
standings with 4,006 points. Busch is currently 21 points behind Chase
Elliott in the final transfer spot to the Championship 4 round. Busch is
looking to make the Playoff’s final round for the first time in his career.
The 2004 series champion, Busch, has made 29 series starts at Kansas posting
one pole, four top fives and 12 top 10s. He also ranks inside the top 15 in
key pre-race Loop Data categories with an Average Running Position of
14.196, 12th-best, a Driver Rating of 88.6, 11th-best and 4,301 Laps in the
Top 15 (64.8%), sixth-most. Busch finished ninth in the series’ first stop
at Kansas earlier this season.
NASCAR Cup Series, Etc.
Kansas sells out
available seats –
NASCAR announced this week all
available grandstand inventory for the NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino
400 at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, October 18 has been sold out.
“We are certainly excited that our
fans are eagerly anticipating being at the track to enjoy the intensity that
Playoff racing offers,” said Kansas Speedway President Pat Warren. “Hosting
them comes with a tremendous amount of responsibility, and our staff is
working diligently to provide all of our guests with a great experience.”
Kevin Harvick looking to make history
- If Kevin Harvick wins at least one race over the next four races to close
out 2020, he will become the 11th different driver to win 10 or more events
in a single season in the NASCAR Cup Series Modern Era (1972-Present). It
will be the 17th time in the series' Modern Era (1972-Present) the feat has
been accomplished and just the second time by a Ford driver; joining NASCAR
Hall of Famer Bill Elliott with 11 wins in 1985. The last driver to win 10
or more races in a single season was Jimmie Johnson in 2007 with 10
victories (13 years ago). NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon holds the record
for the most seasons with 10 or more wins at three (13 wins in 1998, 10 wins
in 1996 and 1997). NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty (13 wins in a Dodge
in 1975) and Jeff Gordon (13 wins in a Chevrolet in 1998) lead the series in
wins in a single season during the Modern Era (1972-Present) with 13
victories each. Petty also holds the NASCAR Cup Series all-time record for
the most wins in a single season with 27 victories in 1967.
Kansas native Clint Bowyer’s last go
at his home track – It was announced last week that Stewart-Haas Racing’s
Clint Bowyer would be hanging up his helmet at the conclusion of the 2020
season to pursue a venture in television joining the FOX Sports team to
cover NASCAR in 2021. As a result, that makes this weekend the last time
Kansas area fans will have a chance to see their local hero compete at the
highest level at his home track. Bowyer has made 24 series starts at Kansas
posting three top fives and eight top 10s. Though he has yet to win at his
home track, his best result on the 1.5-mile speedway was a runner-up finish
back in 2007.
Kyle Busch’s consecutive wins streak
might be in jeopardy – With 56 NASCAR Cup Series wins to his credit, Joe
Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch – a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion – is a
lock to make the NASCAR Hall of Fame. But the Las Vegas native is currently
in a winning slump and hasn’t visited Victory Lane since the season finale
of 2019 at Homestead-Miami Speedway putting his 15-year streak of
consecutive seasons with a win in the NASCAR Cup Series – the longest
current active wins streak - in jeopardy. Busch is currently tied for the
sixth-most seasons with a win in the series at 15 with NASCAR Hall of Famers
Darrell Waltrip (1975-1989), Dale Earnhardt (1982-1996) and Tony Stewart
(1999-2013).
Busch has made 25 NASCAR Cup Series
starts at Kansas Speedway collecting one win (2016), seven top fives and 11
top 10s. Busch finished in 11th-place at Kansas Speedway earlier this
season.
NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty
holds the series record for the most consecutive seasons with a victory at
18 from 1960 to 1977.
|
Consecutive Years With Victories |
|
Rank |
Drivers |
No. |
Years |
|
1 |
Richard Petty |
18 |
1960-1977 |
|
2 |
David Pearson |
17 |
1964-1980 |
|
3 |
Ricky Rudd |
16 |
1983-1998 |
|
|
Rusty Wallace |
16 |
1986-2001 |
| |
Jimmie Johnson |
16 |
2002-2017 |
|
6 |
Darrell Waltrip |
15 |
1975-1989 |
| |
Dale Earnhardt |
15 |
1982-1996 |
|
|
Tony Stewart |
15 |
1999-2013 |
| |
Kyle Busch |
15 |
2005-2019 |
Johnson & fellow drivers to wear visor
strips highlighting the Jimmie Johnson Foundation - Seven-time NASCAR Cup
Series champion Jimmie Johnson will highlight the Jimmie Johnson Foundation
this weekend during the NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway by raising
awareness for the Foundation by sporting a specially designed Team JJF strip
on the visors of their respective helmets.
“The Team JJF visor campaign and the
support it gets from the drivers means a lot to Chani (wife) and me,” said
Johnson. “I’m excited to be able to promote the Jimmie Johnson Foundation
this weekend, and I’m grateful to Ally for allowing us to run the visor
strip. It’s been a challenging year for everyone, but thanks to the
generosity of our partners and the NASCAR community, we are able to provide
essential financial support to K-12 public schools through fundraisers like
this one.”
At the conclusion of
Sunday’s race at Kansas, participating drivers will sign their Team JJF
branded visors. The signed visors will be available in an online auction the
week prior to the race at Phoenix International Raceway, Johnson’s final
race as a full-time Cup driver, to raise funds to support K-12 public
education. In total 27 drivers will participate this weekend and wear the
visor in the Kansas race. In addition to Johnson, drivers Ryan Blaney, Kyle
Busch, Matt DiBenedetto, Austin Dillon, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Joey
Logano and Ryan Newman will donate their visors for the auction.
NASCAR Cup Series
Next Race: Bank of America 400
The Place: Charlotte Motor
Speedway ROVAL
The Date: Sunday, October 11
The Time: 2 p.m. ET
TV: NBC, 2:30 p.m. ET
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR
Radio
Distance: 252.88 miles (109
laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 25),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 50),
Final Stage (Ends on Lap 109)
NASCAR Cup Series
Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL paves the way for Round of 12 Playoff cutoff
The NASCAR Cup
Series Playoffs have reached the Round of 12 cutoff event, the Bank of
America 400 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL this Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
ET on NBC, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Two drivers, Denny Hamlin and Kurt
Busch, have locked themselves into the Round of 8 on wins, leaving six spots
still up for grabs this weekend at Charlotte.
The 2020 season marks the first time the
NASCAR Cup Series Playoff’s sixth race has been held at the Charlotte Motor
Speedway ROVAL. Prior to 2020, the ROVAL hosted the third race in the
NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs for two seasons (2018, 2019) – Ryan Blaney won
the Playoff event in 2018 and Chase Elliott won in 2019. The Charlotte
Motor Speedway ROVAL is the fourth different track to host the sixth race of
the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs; joining Martinsville Speedway (2004-2010),
Talladega Superspeedway (2011, 2013-2016) and Kansas Speedway (2012,
2017-2019).
|
Sixth Race
of the Playoffs - Race Winners |
|
Season |
Track |
Playoff
Race Winners |
|
2019 |
Kansas |
Denny
Hamlin |
|
2018 |
Kansas |
Chase
Elliott |
|
2017 |
Kansas |
Martin
Truex Jr |
|
2016 |
Talladega |
Joey Logano |
|
2015 |
Talladega |
Joey Logano |
|
2014 |
Talladega |
Brad
Keselowski |
|
2013 |
Talladega |
Jamie
McMurray |
|
2012 |
Kansas |
Matt
Kenseth |
|
2011 |
Talladega |
Clint
Bowyer |
|
2010 |
Martinsville |
Denny
Hamlin |
|
2009 |
Martinsville |
Denny
Hamlin |
|
2008 |
Martinsville |
Jimmie
Johnson |
|
2007 |
Martinsville |
Jimmie
Johnson |
|
2006 |
Martinsville |
Jimmie
Johnson |
|
2005 |
Martinsville |
Jeff Gordon |
|
2004 |
Martinsville |
Jimmie
Johnson |
A total of 10 different drivers have won the sixth race in
the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, led by Hendrick Motorsport’s driver Jimmie
Johnson with four victories – all at Martinsville Speedway (2004, 2006,
2007, 2008).
Four times the winner of the sixth
race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs has gone on to win the title later
that season; once at Kansas Speedway and three times at Martinsville
Speedway:
o
In 2006, Jimmie Johnson won at
Martinsville, then the sixth race in the Playoffs, and went on to win his
first NASCAR Cup Series title later that season.
o
In 2007, Jimmie Johnson won at
Martinsville, then the sixth race in the Playoffs, and went on to win his
second consecutive NASCAR Cup Series title later that season.
o
In 2008, Jimmie Johnson won at
Martinsville, then the sixth race in the Playoffs, and went on to win his
third consecutive NASCAR Cup Series title later that season.
o
In 2017, Martin Truex Jr. won
at Kansas, then the sixth race in the Playoffs, and went on to win his first
NASCAR Cup Series title later that season.
The worst finish by a driver in the sixth
Playoff race that went on to win the series title was:
o
At Kansas Speedway (2012,
2017-2019) - Brad Keselowski in 2012 and Joey Logano in 2018 each finished
eighth in the sixth race of the Playoffs at Kansas Speedway and then went on
to win the title later that same season.
o
At Talladega Superspeedway
(2011, 2013-2016) – Jimmie Johnson in 2016 finished 23rd in the sixth race
of the Playoffs at Talladega Superspeedway and went on to win the title
later that season.
o
At Martinsville Speedway
(2004-2010) – Jimmie Johnson in 2010 and Kurt Busch in 2004 each finished
fifth in the sixth race of the Playoffs at Martinsville Speedway and then
went on to win the title later that same season.
Last season’s Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course winner, Chase Elliott,
finished the season 10th in the final championship standings and the 2018
Charlotte ROVAL winner, Ryan Blaney, finished the season 10th in the 2018
final standings.
Three non-Playoff drivers have won the sixth
race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs – one at Martinsville Speedway and
two at Talladega Superspeedway:
o
In 2005, NASCAR Hall of Famer
Jeff Gordon won the sixth race in the Playoffs at Martinsville Speedway, he
was ranked 15th in the series standings at the time of the win.
o
In 2011, Clint Bowyer won the
sixth race in the Playoffs at Talladega Superspeedway, he was ranked 13th in
the series standings at the time of the win.
o
In 2013, Jamie McMurray won the
sixth race in the Playoffs at Talladega Superspeedway, he was ranked 14th in
the series standings at the time of the win.
In total there have been 124 NASCAR Cup Series points races at Charlotte
Motor Speedway (includes road course configuration), two races per year
since the track opened in 1960. A total of 122 races on the oval track and
two races on the road course. In 2017, the track underwent renovations to
add what is now known as the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL a 2.32-mile,
17-turn, multi-elevational road course that incorporates part of the oval.
With only two previous NASCAR Cup Series Playoff races to its credit,
the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL is the youngest of the 10 Playoff tracks.
The Charlotte road course configuration has produced two different pole
winners (Kurt Busch in 2018 and William Byron in 2019) and two different
winners (Ryan Blaney in 2018 and Chase Elliott in 2019).
Starting on the
front row for the Bank of America 400 this weekend will be last Sunday’s
Talladega winner Denny Hamlin on the pole and defending Charlotte ROVAL
winner Chase Elliott on the outside front row.
Clinch Scenarios: Last chance to make the Round of 8
This weekend’s
Bank of America 400 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL will bring the
second round of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs to a close and four more
drivers will be eliminated from the postseason bringing the total to eight.
Two drivers, Denny Hamlin and Kurt Busch are locked in on wins and moving
on, leaving six spots still up for grabs. All remaining drivers can clinch a
spot in the next round with a win at Charlotte.
Already Clinched
The following
two drivers have clinched a spot in the eight-driver field of the next
round: Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch.
Can
clinch via Points
If there is a
new winner, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the 6th
winless driver in the standings.
o Kevin Harvick: Would clinch with 8 points
o Brad Keselowski: Would clinch with 35 points
o Martin Truex Jr.: Would clinch with 44 points
o Chase Elliott: Would clinch with 49 points
o Alex Bowman: Would clinch with 54 points
o Joey Logano: Would clinch with 55 points
o Kyle Busch, Austin Dillon, Clint Bowyer, Aric Almirola: Could only
clinch with help
If there is a
repeat winner, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the 7th
winless driver in the standings. They would also clinch if there was a new
winner among Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., Chase
Elliott, Alex Bowman or Joey Logano and being ahead of the 6th winless
driver in the standings.
o Kevin Harvick: Would clinch regardless of finish
o Brad Keselowski: Would clinch with 15 points
o Martin Truex Jr.: Would clinch with 24 points
o Chase Elliott: Would clinch with 29 points
o Alex Bowman: Would clinch with 34 points
o Joey Logano: Would clinch with 35 points
o Kyle Busch, Austin Dillon, Clint Bowyer, Aric Almirola: Could only
clinch with help
Keep
Digging: Drivers that have raced their way into the Round of 8
Since the
introduction of the ‘elimination style’ format of the NASCAR Cup Series
Playoffs in 2014, several drivers have raced their way into the Round of 8
in the sixth and final cutoff race of the Round of 12.
2014: Heading to Talladega (sixth race of the Playoffs) in 2014, Matt
Kenseth was ranked ninth in the Playoff standings, one point back from the
Round of 8 cutoff and Brad Keselowski was ranked 10th in the Playoff
standings, 19 points behind the Round of 8 cutoff. Brad Keselowski won the
race at Talladega and automatically advanced to the next round. Matt Kenseth
finished second at Talladega and advanced on points to the Round of 8
knocking Kasey Kahne (12th-place finish at Talladega) and Kyle Busch
(40th-place finish at Talladega) out of the Playoffs. Heading into the
elimination race, Kyle Busch was second in the Playoff standings 26 points
above the cutline and Kasey Kahne was eighth in points just one point above
the Round of 8 cutoff.
2015: Heading to Talladega (sixth race of the Playoffs) in 2015, Kyle Busch
was ranked ninth in the Playoff standings just six points back from the
Round of 8 cutoff. Kyle Busch finished 11th at Talladega and advanced on
points knocking his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin (37th-place
finish at Talladega due to an incident) out of the Playoffs. Heading into
the elimination race, Denny Hamlin was second in the Playoff standings, 18
points above the Round of 8 cutoff.
2016: Heading to Talladega (sixth race of the Playoffs) in 2016, Denny
Hamlin was ranked 10th in the Playoff standings, six points back from the
Round of 8 cutoff. Hamlin went on to finish third at Talladega and advanced
on points knocking Martin Truex Jr. (40th-place finish at Talladega due to
an engine failure) out of the Playoffs. Heading into the elimination race,
Martin Truex Jr. was sixth in the Playoff standings, 13 points above the
Round of 8 cutoff.
2017: Heading to Kansas (sixth race of the Playoffs) in 2017, Kyle Busch was
ranked ninth in the Playoff standings, seven points back from the Round of 8
cutoff. Busch went on to finish 10th at Kansas and advanced on points
knocking Kyle Larson (39th-place finish at Kansas due to an engine failure)
out of the Playoffs. Heading into the elimination race, Kyle Larson was
third in the Playoff standings, 29 points above the Round of 8 cutoff.
2018: The four drivers below the Round of 8 cutline heading into the sixth
race of the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs at Kansas Speedway – Brad
Keselowski (-1 point from cutoff), Ryan Blaney (-5), Kyle Larson (-19) and
Alex Bowman (-51) – all failed to advance to the Round of 8 and were
eliminated from the Playoffs following the Kansas race. At Kansas, Larson
finished third, Keselowski finished sixth, Blaney finished seventh and
Bowman finished ninth.
2019: Heading to Kansas (sixth race of the Playoffs) in 2019, Chase Elliott
was ranked 10th in the Playoff standings, 15 points back from the Round of 8
cutoff. Elliott went on to finish second at Kansas and advanced on points
knocking Brad Keselowski (19th-place finish at Kansas) out of the Playoffs.
Heading into the elimination race, Keselowski was fifth in the Playoff
standings, nine points above the Round of 8 cutoff.
Playoff dozen at the Charlotte Road Course
Below is a quick
look at the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff driver’s performances at the Charlotte
Motor Speedway Road Course.
Denny Hamlin is currently one of two drivers (Kurt Busch) locked into the
NASCAR Cup Series Playoff’s Round of 8 on wins – the fifth time in his
career he has advanced to the Round of 8 (2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020).
Hamlin has made two starts at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL posting a
12th-place finish in 2018 and a 19th-place finish in 2019. His average
finish is 15.5, 12th-best. He has put up an Average Running Position of
21.101, 19th-best, a Driver Rating of 66.9, 17th-best and has spent 66 Laps
in the Top 15 (30.3%), 19th-most. Hamlin will start on the pole in Sunday’s
Bank of America 400.
Kurt
Busch is currently one of two drivers that have locked themselves into the
NASCAR Cup Series Playoff’s Round of 8 on wins – the fourth time in his
career he has advanced to the Round of 8 (2015, 2016, 2018, 2020). Busch has
made two starts at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL posting a fifth-place
finish in 2018 and a 20th-place finish in 2019. His average finish is 12.5,
10th-best. He also has put up an Average Running Position of 15.188,
10th-best, a Driver Rating of 85.9, ninth-best and has spent 127 Laps in the
Top 15 (58.3%), 11th-most. Busch will be starting this Sunday’s race in the
10th starting position.
Kevin Harvick is currently ranked third in NASCAR Cup Series Playoff outlook
– the first driver without a win in the Round of 12 – 68 points ahead of the
Round of 8 cutoff. Harvick has made two starts at the Charlotte Motor
Speedway ROVAL, posting a ninth-place finish in 2018 and a third-place
finish in 2019. His average finish is 6.0, fifth-best. He has also managed
an Average Running Position of 6.390, series-best, a Driver Rating of 111.7,
second-best and has spent 201 Laps in the Top 15 (92.2%), series-most.
Harvick will start Sunday’s race in the fourth starting position in his hunt
to make the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Round of 8 for the seventh consecutive
time in his career (2014-2019).
Chase Elliott is currently ranked fourth in NASCAR Cup Series Playoff
outlook, 44 points ahead of the Round of 8 cutoff. Elliott has made two
starts at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, posting a sixth-place finish
in 2018 and winning the event in 2019. His average finish is 3.5,
second-best. He has also accumulated an Average Running Position of 8.188,
second-best, a Driver Rating of 122.0, series-best and spent 187 Laps in the
Top 15 (85.8%), second-most. Elliott will start on the outside front row
this weekend in his pursuit to make the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Round of 8
for the fourth consecutive year in a row (2017-2019).
Brad
Keselowski is currently ranked fifth in NASCAR Cup Series Playoff outlook,
41 points ahead of the Round of 8 cutoff. Keselowski has made two starts at
the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, posting a 31st-place finish in 2018 due
to an incident and a fifth-place finish in 2019. His average finish is 18.0,
15th-best. He has also posted an Average Running Position of 11.966,
seventh-best, a Driver Rating of 97.6, seventh-best and has spent 149 Laps
in the Top 15 (68.3%), eighth-most. Keselowski will start Sunday’s race in
the third starting position in his journey to make the NASCAR Cup Series
Playoff Round of 8 for the fourth time in his career (2014, 2015 and 2017).
Martin Truex Jr. is currently ranked sixth in NASCAR Cup Series Playoff
outlook, 32 points ahead of the Round of 8 cutoff. Truex has made two starts
at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL posting a 14th-place finish in 2018
due to an incident with Jimmie Johnson on the final turn and a seventh-place
finish in 2019. His average finish is 10.5, eighth-best. Plus, he has
amassed an Average Running Position of 8.862, third-best, a Driver Rating of
101.3, fifth-best and has spent 178 Laps in the Top 15 (81.7%), fourth-most.
Truex will start from the seventh starting position on Sunday in his quest
to make the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Round of 8 for the fifth time in his
career (2015, 2017, 2018, 2019).
Alex
Bowman was named this week the next driver to pilot the famous No. 48 for
Hendrick Motorsports in 2021, replacing seven-time NASCAR Cup Series
champion Jimmie Johnson. Bowman is currently ranked seventh in NASCAR Cup
Series Playoff outlook, 22 points ahead of the Round of 8 cutoff. Bowman has
made two starts at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, posting a
fourth-place finish in 2018 and a runner-up finish in 2019. His average
finish is 3.0, series-best. He has also put up an Average Running Position
of 17.656, 15th-best, a Driver Rating of 84.9, 11th-best and has spent 92
Laps in the Top 15 (42.2%), 14th-most. Bowman will start Sunday’s race from
the fifth starting spot in his mission to make the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff
Round of 8 for the first time in his career.
Joey
Logano is currently in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff’s Round of 12 ‘hot
seat’ in the eighth and final transfer position to the Round of 8 - just 21
points ahead of the cutoff. Logano has made two starts at the Charlotte
Motor Speedway ROVAL, posting a 10th-place finish in both starts (2018,
2019). His average finish is 10.0, seventh-best. Plus, he has accumulated an
Average Running Position of 13.996, ninth-best, a Driver Rating of 85.9,
10th-best, and has spent 119 Laps in the Top 15 (54.6%), 12th-most. Logano
will start Sunday’s Bank of America 400 from the eighth starting position in
his pursuit to make the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Round of 8 for the sixth
time in his career (2014. 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019).
Kyle
Busch is currently ninth in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs – the first spot
outside the Round of 8 cutoff – 21 points back from Joey Logano in the
eighth and final transfer spot. Busch has made two starts at the Charlotte
Motor Speedway ROVAL, posting a 32nd-place finish in 2018 due to an incident
and a 37th-place finish in 2019 due to a suspension failure. His average
finish is 34.500, 29th-best. He has also collected an Average Running
Position of 15.541, 11th-best, a Driver Rating of 79.0, 12th-best and has
spent 136 Laps in the Top 15 (62.4), ninth-most. Busch will start this
Sunday’s race from the ninth starting spot in his quest to make the NASCAR
Cup Series Playoff Round of 8 for the sixth consecutive time in his career
(2015-2019).
Austin Dillon is currently 10th in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff outlook, 21
points back from Joey Logano in the eighth and final transfer spot to the
Round of 8. Dillon has made two starts at the Charlotte Motor Speedway
ROVAL, posting a 39th-place finish in 2018 due to an incident and a
23rd-place finish in 2019. His average finish is 31.0, 27th-best. He has
also put up an Average Running Position of 23.555, 23rd-best, a Driver
Rating of 63.7, 20th-best and has spent 44 Laps in the Top 15 (20.2%),
21st-most. Dillon will start Sunday’s race in the sixth starting position in
his journey to make the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Round of 8 for the first
time in his career.
Clint Bowyer is currently 11th in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff outlook, 38
points back from Joey Logano in the eighth and final transfer spot to the
Round of 8. Bowyer has made two starts at the Charlotte Motor Speedway
ROVAL, posting a third-place finish in 2018 and a fourth-place finish in
2019. His average finish is 3.5, third-best. He has also put up an Average
Running Position of 10.977, fifth-best, a Driver Rating of 103.5,
fourth-best and has spent 157 Laps in the Top 15 (72.0%), seventh-most.
Bowyer will start the Bank of America 400 this Sunday in the 11th starting
position in his quest to make the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Round of 8 for
the second time in his career (2018).
Aric
Almirola is currently 12th in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff outlook, 48
points back from Joey Logano in the eighth and final transfer spot to the
Round of 8. Almirola has made two starts at the Charlotte Motor Speedway
ROVAL, posting a 19th-place finish in 2018 and a 14th-place finish in 2019.
His average finish of 16.5, 13th-best. He has also amassed an Average
Running Position of 16.706, 14th-best, a Driver Rating of 77.0, 13th-best
and has spent 101 Laps in the Top 15 (46.3%), 13th-most. Almirola will start
Sunday’s race from the 12th starting position in his pursuit to make the
NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Round of 8 for the second time in his career
(2018).
NASCAR Cup Series, Etc.
Richmond Raceway to Host Track Laps for Charity - Richmond Raceway will host
Track Laps for Charity presented by Virginia Credit Union on Saturday, Nov.
7 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Track Laps for Charity provide fans the opportunity
to drive their personal vehicles around America’s Premier Short Track for a
donation of $20. All proceeds will benefit Richmond Raceway Cares and the
Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU.
“Track Laps for
Charity is always a memorable experience for fans to drive their family and
friends around Richmond Raceway’s iconic ľ-mile D-shaped oval for a good
cause,” said Richmond President Dennis Bickmeier. “As fans take their laps
around America’s Premier Short Track, they will know their donation will
make an impact in our community. Thanks to our partner Virginia Credit Union
for their support of the Children’s Hospital of Richmond and Richmond
Raceway Cares.”
Cup
Competition Highlights Through 31 Races – The racing in the NASCAR Cup
Series has been action-packed this season despite all the challenges. Below
are some stats that highlight all the great racing this season thus far.
-
The 2020 season had produced the series-most green flag passes for the
lead (1,071) through 31 races in the last 14 seasons (2007-2020). The
2010 season has produced the second-most at 1,037.
-
The 2020 season has seen a year-over-year increase of green flag passes
for the lead of +6.89% compared to 2019 (1,002) through 31 races.
-
The 2020 season had produced the seventh-most green flag passes
(100,774) in the last 14 seasons (2007-2020); just slightly under
(-0.75%) the 2019 season (101,539).
-
The average number of lead changes per race (20.13) through the first 31
events are the most since 2014 (21.00).
-
The average number of leaders per race (9.23) through the first 31
events are the most since 2014 (9.77).
-
18 of this season’s 31 races have had a margin of victory of less than a
second – the most since 2013 (18). The average margin of victory for the
first 31 races of 2020 is 1.373 seconds.
-
The 2020 season has produced 12 different race winners, led by
Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick with nine victories.
-
Ford leads the series in wins in 2020 with 17 victories.
Cup’s Road Course Ringers – A total of nine active drivers
this weekend have won at least one race on a road course in the NASCAR Cup
Series. Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott and Martin Truex Jr. lead all active
drivers in NASCAR Cup Series road course wins with four victories each.
Elliott is the only one of the three drivers to win on more than two
different road course tracks (chart below).
|
Kyle Busch |
4 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
Martin
Truex Jr |
4 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Chase Elliott |
4 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
Kevin
Harvick |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Clint Bowyer |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Jimmie
Johnson |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Joey Logano |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Kurt Busch |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Ryan Blaney |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Historically, no
one can touch NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon in road course wins. He leads
the NASCAR Cup Series in overall road course victories with nine (five at
Sonoma and four at Watkins Glen). Fellow NASCAR Hall of Famer, Tony Stewart,
has the second-most road course wins all-time in the series with eight (five
at Watkins Glen and three at Sonoma).
NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison holds the series record for the most wins
at a single road course track with six victories at Riverside International
Raceway.
|
Harrison Burton Wins NASCAR
Xfinity Race at Texas with Thrilling Pass
Chris Graythen | Getty Image
By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire
Service
With a dramatic pass of the
final corner in Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas
Motor Speedway, Harrison Burton stole the victory from Noah
Gragson, who would have clinched a spot in the NASCAR
Xfinity Series Championship 4 Round with a win.
Having recovered from a spin
that caused the sixth of 10 cautions on Lap 107, Burton
passed Anthony Alfredo for the second position on Lap 198 of
200 and took off in pursuit of Gragson, who had taken the
lead on Lap 186.
Burton, who had run down
Gragson to win the second stage of the race—his first stage
victory of the season—closed quickly on the final lap and
shot past Gragson’s No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet off Turn
4. Burton’s No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota streaked across
the finish line .445 seconds ahead of Gragson’s Chevy.
“We had such a fast race car,”
Burton said after climbing from his car on the frontstretch.
“I’ve never driven anything harder than that last corner in
my life. I don’t know how it stuck. I lost my voice—I was
screaming. Gosh, that’s special. I’ve never spun out and
come back and won, so that’s cool.
“We were obviously pushing the
limits all day… of speed. That’s kind of what we came to do,
to be fast, to win our first stage of the year, which was a
good sign, and our speed—what we did on that last lap was
incredible. I don’t know how it happened, but I’m pretty
damn glad it did. What a cool place to win. We’re going home
with cowboy hats.”
After a four-car wreck that
KO’d the entries of Playoff contenders Justin Allgaier,
Brandon Jones and Ross Chastain, Gragson grabbed the lead
from Austin Cindric on the restart lap when Cindric’s No. 22
Ford broke loose in the outside lane. Alfredo took second
and Burton followed into third.
Though Burton, who was
eliminated from the Xfinity Playoff in the Round of 12, had
the fastest car on the track at the time, he had difficulty
overtaking Alfredo. But once he took second with two laps
left, he closed rapidly on Gragson.
“I feel like we had a fast car
there,” said a dejected Gragson. “I was a little tight on
exit all day. Just frustrated at myself. I was pretty tight
there at the end. I saw Alfredo holding Harrison off and
thought we were getting away, I saw the 20 get by the 21
(Alfredo) and he ran me down in like two laps.
“I knew he was coming. I just
didn’t expect him to get there. I don’t know. Frustrated.
But thankful for my guys, (crew chief) Dave Elenz, and the
rest of this team. We’ll go to Martinsville (next Saturday),
I like that track. It had to be make or breaking your season
right there.”
The race fell apart for
Allgaier, Jones and Chastain after the Lap 186 restart. Six
Playoff drivers restarted in the top six positions, but,
moments later, they were strewn through the field after
Allgaier broke loose underneath Chastain to start a wreck
that also collected Jones and Jeremy Clements.
“I tried to leave the 10
(Chastain) as much room as I could, but when he got to my
quarter panel, I got loose, said Allgaier, who has had an
antagonistic relationship with Chastain in the past. “(Then)
he just decides to hang a left because he’s aggravated and
wrecks the whole field.”
Jones and Allgaier were
eliminated from the race and finished 25th and 26th,
respectively. Chastain was able to continue and came home
16th.
But the wreck had a dramatic
effect on the Playoff standings.
Allgaier in third place is just
eight points ahead of Jones in fifth, with seventh-place
finisher Justin Haley between them. Chastain is 15 points
below the cut line in sixth.
Chase Briscoe, who secured a
spot in the Championship 4 with his win last week at Kansas,
finished 24th after a shock mount broke on his No. 98 Ford.
Gragson is seventh, 24 points behind Haley, likely needing a
victory in the elimination race at Martinsville. Ryan Sieg,
who suffered suspension problems and finished 31st, is 43
points behind Haley.
Cindric finished fourth behind
Burton, Gragson and Alfredo, with Brandon Brown rolling home
in fifth. Michael Annett, Haley, Ryan Vargas, Josh Williams
and Tommy Joe Martins completed the top 10.
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Race – 16th Annual O’Reilly Auto Parts 300
Texas Motor Speedway
Fort Worth, Texas
Saturday, October 24,
2020
- (12) Harrison Burton #,
Toyota, 200.
- (9) Noah Gragson (P),
Chevrolet, 200.
- (18) Anthony Alfredo,
Chevrolet, 200.
- (7) Austin Cindric (P),
Ford, 200.
- (15) Brandon Brown,
Chevrolet, 200.
- (10) Michael Annett,
Chevrolet, 200.
- (2) Justin Haley (P),
Chevrolet, 200.
- (31) Ryan Vargas,
Chevrolet, 200.
- (13) Josh Williams,
Chevrolet, 200.
- (17) Tommy Joe Martins,
Chevrolet, 200.
- (20) Alex Labbe,
Chevrolet, 200.
- (24) Bayley Currey(i),
Chevrolet, 200.
- (26) Matt Mills, Toyota,
200.
- (11) Brett Moffitt(i),
Chevrolet, 200.
- (27) Jesse Little #,
Chevrolet, 200.
- (6) Ross Chastain (P),
Chevrolet, 200.
- (30) BJ McLeod,
Chevrolet, 199.
- (21) Jeffrey Earnhardt,
Chevrolet, Rear Gear, 197.
- (36) Kyle Weatherman,
Chevrolet, 197.
- (34) CJ McLaughlin,
Toyota, 197.
- (29) Kody Vanderwal #,
Chevrolet, 196.
- (28) Joe Graf Jr #,
Chevrolet, 194.
- (32) Jesse Iwuji(i),
Chevrolet, 190.
- (1) Chase Briscoe (P),
Ford, 184.
- (3) Brandon Jones (P),
Toyota, Accident, 177.
- (5) Justin Allgaier (P),
Chevrolet, Accident, 175.
- (16) Jeremy Clements,
Chevrolet, Accident, 175.
- (33) Colby Howard,
Chevrolet, Accident, 169.
- (22) Myatt Snider #,
Chevrolet, Accident, 168.
- (8) Jeb Burton,
Chevrolet, Accident, 158.
- (4) Ryan Sieg (P),
Chevrolet, Driveshaft, 136.
- (19) Riley Herbst #,
Toyota, Accident, 132.
- (14) Austin Hill(i),
Toyota, Suspension, 107.
- (35) Chad Finchum,
Toyota, Fuel Pump, 55.
- (23) David Starr,
Chevrolet, Engine, 40.
- (25) Timmy Hill(i),
Toyota, Engine, 6.
Average Speed of Race Winner:
115.867 mph.
Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 35 Mins,
21 Secs. Margin of Victory: 0.445 Seconds.
Caution Flags: 10 for 51 laps.
Lead Changes: 19 among 10
drivers.
Lap Leaders: C. Briscoe (P)
1-34;B. Jones (P) 35-47;H. Burton # 48-51;N. Gragson (P)
52;H. Burton # 53;N. Gragson (P) 54-81;H. Burton # 82-98;J.
Allgaier (P) 99-132;R. Chastain (P) 133;J. Williams 134;J.
Burton 135-137;H. Burton # 138;J. Burton 139-142;R. Chastain
(P) 143-160;J. Haley (P) 161-163;R. Chastain (P) 164-174;J.
Allgaier (P) 175;A. Cindric (P) 176-185;N. Gragson (P)
186-199;H. Burton # 200.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times
Lead, Laps Led): Noah Gragson (P) 3 times for 43 laps;
Justin Allgaier (P) 2 times for 35 laps; Chase Briscoe (P) 1
time for 34 laps; Ross Chastain (P) 3 times for 30 laps;
Harrison Burton # 5 times for 24 laps; Brandon Jones (P) 1
time for 13 laps; Austin Cindric (P) 1 time for 10 laps; Jeb
Burton 2 times for 7 laps; Justin Haley (P) 1 time for 3
laps; Josh Williams 1 time for 1 lap.
Stage #1 Top Ten:
19,7,18,51,10,22,11,74,39,20
Stage #2 Top Ten:
20,7,9,1,22,21,10,18,11,19
Briscoe secures Championship 4 spot
with Xfinity win at Kansas
Chris Graythen | Getty Image
Chase Briscoe led a dominating 159 of 200 laps to win his record
ninth NASCAR Xfinity Series race Saturday night, the Kansas Lottery
300 at Kansas Speedway. And while the 25-year old Hoosier turned in
a dominating effort, the race – a crucial chapter in the 2020
Playoff run – was dramatic in multiple ways.
Briscoe’s No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford ultimately edged Daniel
Hemric’s No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet by 1.199-seconds to earn the
win – his nine-trophy single season tally the most ever by an
Xfinity Series regular. Just as importantly, the victory gives
Briscoe an automatic position in the Championship 4 round to decide
the season title on Nov. 7 at Phoenix Raceway.
“Super happy to lock into Phoenix, it’ll be a lot less stressful
the next two weeks,” Briscoe said smiling. “That’ll be nice. Can’t
say thank you enough to everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing, this Ford
Performance Racing School Mustang was lights out.”
Fellow Playoff driver Ryan Sieg, driving for his family-owned
team, finished third, leading the race with 23 laps remaining and
making a bold Playoff statement in his first appearance in this
round of championship competition.
Justin Haley and Austin Hill rounded out the top five. Josh
Williams, Brett Moffitt, Michael Annett, Brandon Jones and Justin
Allgaier completed the top 10. It was certainly an overall
impressive night for Moffitt, who won the NASCAR Gander RV &
Outdoors Truck Series race at the 1.5-mile Kansas track an hour
before the Xfinity Series green flag dropped.
While Playoff drivers such as Briscoe, Sieg, Haley, Jones and
Allgaier turned in a productive opening race to the Round of 8, it
was a much different night for fellow title contenders Ross Chastain
(finished 12th), regular season champion Austin Cindric (finished
28th) and Noah Gragson (finished 36th).
Chastain’s effort was inspired considering his No. 10 Kaulig
Racing Chevrolet was dinged up in several incidents on the night.
Cindric and Gragson were involved in a large multi-car accident
while the field was racing three and four-wide at the beginning of
the race. Cindric’s Team Penske team was able to repair his No. 22
Ford Mustang enough to continue to turn laps, albeit well out of
contention. Gragson’s No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet was too heavily
damaged to continue.
The result is a massive turnaround in the Playoff points
standings. Cindric and Allgaier came into Saturday night’s race
ranked second and fourth among the eight championship-eligible
drivers, but their misfortune at Kansas cost them significantly.
Cindric is now fourth, with only a slight two-point advantage
over Haley. Gragson fell to eighth among the eight drivers and is
now 33 points before the cutoff line as the series heads to Texas
Motor Speedway for next week’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 (4:30 p.m.
ET, NBCSN, PRN SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Allgaier moved to second place – just behind Briscoe and has an
11-point edge on fifth place. Jones, the two-time defending Kansas
winner, is now ranked third, nine points up on Haley. Chastain
(-12), Sieg (-17) and Gragson (-33) round out the Playoff standings
heading to the Lone Star state.
“We were in the middle, four-wide and it’s tough,” Gragson said
after being checked in the track’s Infield Care Center. “We all get
crowded off Turn 2 on the restart. It’s a bummer and definitely
frustrating. But we were racing for the lead, just a racing deal.
“We’ve got good speed at Texas in the past so I’m confident about
that and we are extra motivated,” he added. “That’s the good thing
about these Xfinity Playoffs. You don’t want to have a bad race but
if you do, it allows you to rebound. We’re going to have our heads
held high this week.”
One of the most dramatic parts of the race involved a multi-car
accident on a restart with 28 laps remaining. While racing among the
top-10 for position RCR driver Anthony Alfredo’s No. 21 Chevrolet
took a tumble on track and ended up upside down. The race was
red-flagged as the NASCAR safety crew immediately came to Alfredo’s
rescue, carefully righting the car and helping Alfredo out. He
walked to the ambulance and spoke to reporters minutes later.
“That was the craziest thing I’ve ever experienced and definitely
shows how fast things happen in racing,” Alfredo said. “I’m just
glad to be okay and first off, I’ve got to thank the NASCAR safety
crew for being there immediately before I even realized it was
[flipped] over.
“It was just racing hard. We had an extremely fast Chevrolet
Camaro tonight.
“I’m very thankful for the safety team, our safe race cars and
all the safety equipment that goes into keeping drivers safe in the
race cars.”
NASCAR Xfinity
Series Race Results Kansas Lottery 300
Kansas Speedway
Kansas City, Kansas
Saturday, October 17, 2020
1. (6) Chase Briscoe (P), Ford, 200.
2. (3) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet, 200.
3. (8) Ryan Sieg (P), Chevrolet, 200.
4. (9) Justin Haley (P), Chevrolet, 200.
5. (29) Austin Hill(i), Toyota, 200.
6. (23) Josh Williams, Chevrolet, 200.
7. (27) Brett Moffitt(i), Chevrolet, 200.
8. (11) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 200.
9. (5) Brandon Jones (P), Toyota, 200.
10. (7) Justin Allgaier (P), Chevrolet, 200.
11. (18) Harrison Burton #, Toyota, 200.
12. (4) Ross Chastain (P), Chevrolet, 200.
13. (16) Brandon Brown, Chevrolet, 200.
14. (22) Tommy Joe Martins, Chevrolet, 200.
15. (13) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 199.
16. (34) Dexter Bean, Chevrolet, 198.
17. (20) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet, 198.
18. (32) Bayley Currey(i), Chevrolet, 197.
19. (30) Jesse Little #, Chevrolet, 197.
20. (14) Jeffrey Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 197.
21. (15) Myatt Snider #, Chevrolet, 197.
22. (31) Timmy Hill(i), Toyota, 197.
23. (10) Alex Labbe, Chevrolet, 197.
24. (21) David Starr, Chevrolet, 195.
25. (24) Matt Mills, Toyota, 193.
26. (26) Kody Vanderwal #, Chevrolet, 191.
27. (35) Jesse Iwuji(i), Chevrolet, 190.
28. (2) Austin Cindric (P), Ford, 173.
29. (25) Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, Accident, 172.
30. (12) Riley Herbst #, Toyota, Accident, 172.
31. (28) Vinnie Miller, Toyota, 169.
32. (19) Joe Graf Jr #, Chevrolet, Rear Gear, 158.
33. (36) Josh Reaume(i), Chevrolet, Brakes, 101.
34. (17) Ryan Vargas, Chevrolet, Power Steering, 81.
35. (33) Stephen Leicht, Toyota, Fuel Pump, 59.
36. (1) Noah Gragson (P), Chevrolet, DVP, 16.
Average Speed of Race Winner: 112.735 mph.
Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 39 Mins, 40 Secs. Margin of Victory: 1.199
Seconds.
Caution Flags: 10 for 45 laps.
Lead Changes: 10 among 6 drivers.
Lap Leaders: N. Gragson (P) 1-13;A. Cindric (P) 14;R. Chastain
(P) 15-20;C. Briscoe (P) 21-55;R. Chastain (P) 56;C. Briscoe (P)
57-147;A. Alfredo 148;R. Sieg (P) 149-157;C. Briscoe (P) 158-168;R.
Sieg (P) 169-178;C. Briscoe (P) 179-200.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Chase Briscoe
(P) 4 times for 159 laps; Ryan Sieg (P) 2 times for 19 laps; Noah
Gragson (P) 1 time for 13 laps; Ross Chastain (P) 2 times for 7
laps; Anthony Alfredo 1 time for 1 lap; Austin Cindric (P) 1 time
for 1 lap.
Stage #1 Top Ten: 98,19,20,21,10,18,7,39,68,11
Stage #2 Top Ten: 98,19,21,20,10,18,7,39,02,61
Allmendinger Splashes His Way to a
Charlotte ROVAL Xfinity Win
Jared C.
Tilton/Getty Images)
By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service
A.J. Allmendinger prevailed in a
hard-fought NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff race that ended in
overtime on the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL Saturday evening.
After a long afternoon negotiating the road course in rainy
weather against a field of drivers with championship hopes on
the line, the veteran edged 22-year old Noah Gragson by a mere
.446-seconds in a rooster-tail run to the checkered flag.
It marked the second win of the
season for Allmendinger in the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
and his second career win on the ROVAL.
Daniel Hemric, Alex Labbe and Ross
Chastain rounded out the top five. Team Penske’s Austin Cindric,
Cody Ware, Jade Buford, Michael Annett and Brandon Jones
completed the top 10.
The Drive for the Cure 250 was the
final race in the Round of 12 of the NASCAR Xfinity Series
Playoffs with Chase Briscoe, Cindric, Justin Allgaier, Gragson,
Justin Haley, Jones, Chastain and Ryan Sieg advancing to the
next three-race round of Playoff competition that begins next
week at Kansas Speedway.
Drivers Harrison Burton, Brandon
Brown, Michael Annett and Riley Herbst were eliminated from
Playoff contention at Charlotte.
With the challenging weather
conditions – heavy rain and high winds – it was a victory
Allmendinger conceded he would remember for a while – a race the
whole field will remember for a while.
“I don’t know what we just
witnessed,” Allmendinger said with a smile. “I was complaining
the whole race. Crazy. The 98 Chase Briscoe was doing a
fantastic job. I didn’t really have anything for him after a
couple laps but I knew that final restart I was going to do
everything I could.”
Allmendinger and Briscoe, the
driver of the No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, were vying for
the win, door-to-door, corner-by-corner in the closing laps
which featured five lead changes between the two in just the
final 17 laps of the 68-lap overtime thriller.
Briscoe was leading with three laps
remaining when a caution flag came out for Brown, whose car was
precariously disabled alongside the track. Racing side-by-side
for the lead on the ensuing restart, Briscoe spun out in Turn 1,
allowing Allmendinger the opportunity to take control of the
race and navigate the wet track to victory. Briscoe, who led a
race best 23 laps, instead finished 18th.
“Driver just made a mistake,” said
Briscoe, who with eight wins is still the top-seeded Playoff
driver heading into the next round.
“In conditions like this you’ve got
to be at 100 percent and I tried going 110 and it bit me. Very
unfortunate. That one’s going to sting for a long time. I feel
like I did my job for about 95 percent of the day, right.”
That was a familiar refrain on
Saturday in a rare NASCAR road course event that called for rain
tires, drivers’ patience and resolve. Gragson, for example, was
involved in multiple incidents on track.
He and fellow Playoff contender
Herbst collided only 28 laps into the race, and later contact
between the two further damaged Gragson’s No. 9 JR Motorsports
Chevrolet. Still he was able to come back and turn in a
podium-worthy finish.
The Joe Gibbs Racing rookie Herbst
was one of the four Playoff drivers who needed to gain massive
points or straight out win the race for an opportunity to
advance to the next round. He led seven laps, but finished 12th
– ultimately recovering from a spin in overtime as well.
Fellow rookie Harrison Burton, a
two-race winner this season and Herbst’s JGR teammate, also
looked strong early in the race contending among the front of
the field, even if he didn’t lead laps. His No. 20 JGR Toyota
had a transmission problem and he was scored 33rd of the 38
drivers.
The Georgia native Sieg, who drives
the No. 39 RSS Racing Chevrolet for his family-owned team, was
able to take advantage of others misfortune Sunday and continue
what’s been a career season for the 33-year old. He ranks eighth
heading to the next Playoff round. His previous best series
career championship finish was ninth place in 2016. He was 11th
last year.
While Sieg and certainly
Allmendinger were on the upside of fortunate, all the drivers
climbed out of their cars with a similar refrain.
“It’s nothing like I’ve ever done
before,” Hemric said. “I’m going to sit back with a cold one and
watch [the NASCAR Cup Series race at the ROVAL] tomorrow.”
The Xfinity Series resumes the
Playoff schedule next Saturday, Oct. 17 at Kansas Speedway (7
p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). With the
points reset for this round, Briscoe takes a 10-point lead over
regular season champion Cindric and is 27 points up on third
place Allgaier.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Race
– 39th Annual Drive for the Cure 250 presented by Blue Cross and
Blue Shield of North Carolina
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Road Course
Concord, North Carolina
Saturday, October 10, 2020
- (22) AJ Allmendinger,
Chevrolet, 68.
- (1) Noah Gragson (P),
Chevrolet, 68.
- (3) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet,
68.
- (16) Alex Labbe, Chevrolet,
68.
- (5) Ross Chastain (P),
Chevrolet, 68.
- (11) Austin Cindric (P),
Ford, 68.
- (38) Cody Ware, Ford, 68.
- (24) Jade Buford, Chevrolet,
68.
- (14) Michael Annett (P),
Chevrolet, 68.
- (4) Brandon Jones (P),
Toyota, 68.
- (26) Jeffrey Earnhardt,
Chevrolet, 68.
- (13) Riley Herbst # (P),
Toyota, 68.
- (32) Josh Bilicki, Toyota,
68.
- (21) Myatt Snider #,
Chevrolet, 68.
- (31) Joe Graf Jr #,
Chevrolet, 68.
- (18) Jeremy Clements,
Chevrolet, 68.
- (25) Ryan Vargas, Chevrolet,
68.
- (8) Chase Briscoe (P), Ford,
68.
- (20) Timmy Hill(i), Toyota,
68.
- (34) Kody Vanderwal #,
Chevrolet, 68.
- (6) Ryan Sieg (P), Chevrolet,
68.
- (29) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet,
68.
- (10) Justin Allgaier (P),
Chevrolet, 68.
- (28) Stephen Leicht, Toyota,
68.
- (23) Matt Mills, Toyota, 67.
- (7) Brandon Brown (P),
Chevrolet, Accident, 63.
- (17) Tommy Joe Martins,
Chevrolet, 63.
- (33) Gray Gaulding(i),
Chevrolet, Electrical, 60.
- (36) CJ McLaughlin,
Chevrolet, 54.
- (37) Jesse Little #,
Chevrolet, Engine, 48.
- (12) Kaz Grala, Chevrolet,
Suspension, 44.
- (30) Preston Pardus,
Chevrolet, Ignition, 41.
- (9) Harrison Burton # (P),
Toyota, Transmission, 37.
- (15) Josh Williams,
Chevrolet, Accident, 36.
- (2) Justin Haley (P),
Chevrolet, Accident, 34.
- (27) Austin Hill(i), Toyota,
Accident, 13.
- (35) Kyle Weatherman,
Chevrolet, Accident, 13.
- (19) Brett Moffitt(i),
Chevrolet, Accident, 2.
Average Speed of Race Winner:
58.041 mph.
Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 43 Mins, 5
Secs. Margin of Victory: 0.446 Seconds.
Caution Flags: 10 for 24 laps.
Lead Changes: 14 among 6 drivers.
Lap Leaders: N. Gragson (P)
1-4;J. Haley (P) 5-6;N. Gragson (P) 7-13;J. Haley (P) 14-18;N.
Gragson (P) 19;K. Grala 20-22;N. Gragson (P) 23-26;R. Herbst #
(P) 27-33;A. Allmendinger 34-35;C. Briscoe (P) 36-50;A.
Allmendinger 51-55;C. Briscoe (P) 56-60;A. Allmendinger 61-63;C.
Briscoe (P) 64-66;A. Allmendinger 67-68.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times
Lead, Laps Led): Chase Briscoe (P) 3 times for 23 laps; Noah
Gragson (P) 4 times for 16 laps; AJ Allmendinger 4 times for 12
laps; Riley Herbst # (P) 1 time for 7 laps; Justin Haley (P) 2
times for 7 laps; Kaz Grala 1 time for 3 laps.
Stage #1 Top Ten:
21,9,36,11,7,10,8,92,90,68
Stage #2 Top Ten:
98,10,36,22,9,8,68,7,74,07
Justin Haley Racks Up Third Straight
Superspeedway Win at Talladega
Chris Graythen | Getty Images
By Reid Spencer,
NASCAR Wire Service
Justin Haley led two laps in
Saturday’s Ag-Pro 300, but one of them was the one that counted.
Grabbing the lead on Lap 112 of 113, Haley
earned a spot in the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series
Playoffs with the victory in the second Round of 12 race, his third
of the season, the third of his career and his third straight in an
Xfinity superspeedway event, a streak matched only by the late Dale
Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Haley won the race under caution, thanks to a
multicar wreck on the final lap. The victory was the fourth for
Kaulig Racing in the last five superspeedway contests.
Haley finished .234 seconds ahead of Michael
Annett, with Ryan Sieg trailing by .595 seconds in third. Annett,
however, was disqualified after post-race inspection for a
ride-height violation. His No. 1 Chevrolet was too low in the left
front. The disqualification elevated Sieg to second place.
In preserving his streak on the big tracks
(Daytona and Talladega), Haley had to overcome a penalty for pitting
too soon in the wake of a Lap 76 wreck, with pit road closing after
he had committed to enter.
“We had that penalty there and we struggled
to get back—just bunny-hopping,” Haley said. “Thankfully, Kevin
Hamlin, my spotter, was able to guide me through the bunny-hops and
be able to go from the bottom (lane),” Haley said.
“We were so far back with 10 to go. Matt
Kaulig (team owner), we love you. Three in a row. I guess I told you
earlier I wasn’t saying it’s luck, but three in a row is pretty hard
to do on luck. “Just super thankful. This is such a blessing.”
Xfinity Series leader Chase Briscoe dominated
the race almost to the finish, leading 73 laps and winning the first
two stages, but his attempt to block eventual third-place finisher
Noah Gragson went awry with two laps left. An eight-time winner this
season, Briscoe brushed the outside wall and fell back to an
eventual 19th-place finish, as Haley charged into the lead.
“Yeah, at the end, you’re doing everything
you can to protect the runs, and he’s doing everything he can to
make moves,” Briscoe said. “It’s just part of racing here. It was
exciting, at least on my end. I about wrecked two or three times
trying to block.
“It was cool. He (Gragson) had talked to Dale
(Earnhardt Jr.) about how to run this place, and I had talked to
Dale about how to run this place, and it was weird, because I knew
what he was trying to do every time so I was trying to protect it.”
It didn’t help that Briscoe had lost his
drafting partner, fellow Ford driver Austin Cindric, who slammed
into the inside wall off Turn 4 as a pack of cars was attempting to
enter pit road on Lap 76. That left Briscoe in a difficult position,
trying to win the race as the only Ford driver on the track.
“It looked like the whole pack was going to
try to stop there, and I felt like that was chaos, especially with
how far back in the pack we were,” Cindric said of the wreck that
eliminated him in 34th place. “I just got smoked from behind. I had
no chance of making it to pit road. It’s really unfortunate.
Obviously, we hit the wall a ton.”
Neither of the Ford drivers, however, was
devastated by the ill fortune. Briscoe already had secured his
ticket into the Round of 8 with last weekend’s victory at Las Vegas
Motor Speedway.
Cindric, a road course ace, likewise is in a
comfortable position heading to next Saturday’s Round of 12
elimination race at the Charlotte Roval. Second in the standings,
the driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford holds a 46-point edge over
ninth-place Annett. Gragson also has a nice cushion—43 points above
the cut line.
A victim of the last-lap crash, Harrison
Burton, fell seven-points behind eighth-place Ross Chastain in the
battle one of the final spots in the Round of 8. Chastain recovered
to finish sixth after clobbering the outside wall when Burton turned
his No. 10 Chevrolet sideways in a chain-reaction wreck as the cars
approached the start/finish line for a restart on Lap 47.
Calamity found Joe Gibbs Racing driver Riley
Herbst on Lap 42, when contact from the No. 61 of Austin Hill sent
him sliding into the inside wall off Turn 4. Now 11th in the
standings, two points ahead of Annett, Herbst either must win at the
Charlotte Roval or leap-frog above three other drivers by erasing a
36-point deficit.
“It just sucks when a Truck Series guy comes
in here to have fun,” Herbst said. “I’m really good friends with
Austin, so I just hate to see that. If I went into the Truck Series
and wrecked his Playoff hopes, he would be upset with me. I’m a
little upset. We’re not out of it yet. It’s going to be tough at the
Roval, but we’ll see what we will have with the Monster Energy
Supra.”
NASCAR Xfinity Series Race – Ag-Pro 300
Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega, Alabama
Saturday, October 3, 2020
1. (8) Justin Haley (P),
Chevrolet, 113.
2. (7) Ryan Sieg (P),
Chevrolet, 113.
3. (2) Noah Gragson (P),
Chevrolet, 113.
4. (10) Brandon Jones
(P), Toyota, 113.
5. (5) Daniel Hemric,
Chevrolet, 113.
6. (13) Ross Chastain
(P), Chevrolet, 113.
7. (17) Josh Williams,
Chevrolet, 113.
8. (26) Garrett Smithley,
Chevrolet, 113.
9. (14) Brandon Brown
(P), Chevrolet, 113.
10. (23) Alex Labbe,
Chevrolet, 113.
11. (32) Chad Finchum,
Toyota, 113.
12. (6) Anthony Alfredo,
Chevrolet, 113.
13. (33) Caesar Bacarella,
Chevrolet, 113.
14. (37) Timmy Hill(i),
Toyota, 113.
15. (21) Tommy Joe
Martins, Chevrolet, 113.
16. (34) Joe Nemechek(i),
Chevrolet, 113.
17. (31) Mike Harmon,
Chevrolet, 113.
18. (35) Josh Bilicki,
Chevrolet, 113.
19. (1) Chase Briscoe
(P), Ford, 113.
20. (16) Jeremy Clements,
Chevrolet, 113.
21. (27) Matt Mills,
Chevrolet, 113.
22. (28) Vinnie Miller,
Toyota, 113.
23. (11) Harrison Burton
# (P), Toyota, 113.
24. (36) AJ Allmendinger,
Chevrolet, Accident, 112.
25. (20) Jesse Little #,
Chevrolet, Accident, 112.
26. (19) Myatt Snider #,
Chevrolet, Accident, 112.
27. (15) Brett Moffitt(i),
Chevrolet, Accident, 112.
28. (30) Kody Vanderwal
#, Chevrolet, 100.
29. (4) Justin Allgaier
(P), Chevrolet, Engine, 95.
30. (29) Ryan Vargas,
Chevrolet, Suspension, 92.
31. (25) Joe Graf Jr #,
Chevrolet, Engine, 77.
32. (24) Jeffrey
Earnhardt, Chevrolet, Accident, 76.
33. (18) Austin Hill(i),
Toyota, Accident, 75.
34. (3) Austin Cindric
(P), Ford, Accident, 75.
35. (12) Riley Herbst #
(P), Toyota, DVP, 48.
36. (22) Colby Howard,
Chevrolet, Accident, 45.
37. (9) Michael Annett
(P), Chevrolet, 113.
Average Speed of Race Winner: 140.458 mph.
Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 8 Mins, 24 Secs. Margin
of Victory: Under Caution Seconds.
Caution Flags: 7 for 25 laps.
Lead Changes: 13 among 9 drivers.
Lap Leaders: N. Gragson (P) 1;J. Allgaier
(P) 2;C. Briscoe (P) 3-26;C. Howard 27;C. Briscoe (P) 28-29;B. Jones
(P) 30;C. Briscoe (P) 31-51;A. Allmendinger 52-75;J. Little #
76-80;B. Brown (P) 81-84;C. Briscoe (P) 85-110;N. Gragson (P) 111;J.
Haley (P) 112-113.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps
Led): Chase Briscoe (P) 4 times for 73 laps; AJ Allmendinger 1 time
for 24 laps; Jesse Little # 1 time for 5 laps; Brandon Brown (P) 1
time for 4 laps; Noah Gragson (P) 2 times for 2 laps; Justin Haley
(P) 1 time for 2 laps; Colby Howard 1 time for 1 lap; Brandon Jones
(P) 1 time for 1 lap; Justin Allgaier (P) 1 time for 1 lap.
Stage #1 Top Ten: 98,22,19,11,21,18,39,20,8,7
Stage #2 Top Ten: 98,22,8,11,7,20,19,39,68,9
|
NASCAR
Xfinity Series
Next
Race: O’Reilly Auto Parts 300
The
Place: Texas Motor Speedway
The
Date: Saturday, October 24
The
Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
TV:
NBCSN, 4 p.m. ET
Radio:
PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 300 miles (200 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 45),
Stage 2
(Ends on Lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200)
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Briscoe brings home another win, advances
to Championship 4
Chase Briscoe was victorious for the ninth
time this season last weekend at Kansas Speedway. He swept both stages and led
159 of 200 laps total and punched his ticket to the final round of the NASCAR
Xfinity Series Playoffs.
Finishing second to Briscoe was Daniel
Hemric in the No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, a driver who is fighting for a
ride for the 2021 season. Ryan Sieg, another Playoff driver and a considerable
“underdog” in the series, finished third.
Playoff driver Justin Haley finished
fourth, NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series regular and Playoff driver
Austin Hill finished fifth. Josh Williams had a career day at Kansas to finish
sixth, while Brett Moffitt, another Gander Trucks Playoff driver, finished
seventh. Michael Annett was eighth and Playoff drivers Brandon Jones and Justin
Allgaier rounded out the top 10.
There were 10 caution flags in the intense
battle in the Heartland for 45 laps with 10 lead changes among six different
drivers.
Playoff drivers Noah Gragson and Austin
Cindric were involved in an early on-track incident, ending Gragson’s day early
and resulting in a 28th-place finish for Cindric.
Looking ahead to this weekend, the series
will hit Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday afternoon for the O’Reilly Auto Parts
300 at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Cindric took home the win earlier this
season at Texas and Christopher Bell won this race last season for Joe Gibbs
Racing.
The race will be 300 miles and 200 laps
with Stage 1 ending on Lap 45 and Stage 2 ending on Lap 90. Briscoe will lead
the field to green on Saturday with Haley joining him on the front row.
Jones, Sieg, Allgaier, Chastain, Cindric,
Jeb Burton, Gragson and Annett will start in the top 10.
Howdy, Texas!
There are only two races left to see who
will be fighting for a Championship at Phoenix Raceway. Chase Briscoe is the
only driver currently locked in with his win last week at Kansas Speedway.
This will be the second time this season
that the series takes on Texas Motor Speedway. The track is 1.5-miles with 20
degrees of banking in corners one and two and 24 degrees of banking in corners
three and four. The dogleg has five degrees of banking as well as the
backstretch. The frontstretch is 2,250 feet and the backstretch is 1,330 feet.
Kyle Busch holds the race record at the
track from April 5, 2008 at 151.707 mph. Busch also holds the record for the
most wins (9), most poles (4), most top fives (16) and is tied with Kevin
Harvick and Matt Kenseth for the most top 10s (17).
Ford and Toyota are tied for the most wins
by a manufacturer with 13. Only six of the 38 Xfinity races run at Texas have
been won from the pole.
Earlier this season, Austin Cindric won
the race and led 44 laps. Justin Allgaier won both stages and ended up finishing
third. Briscoe finished second.
The race had nine cautions for 29 laps and
15 lead changes. The Margin of Victory was .949 seconds.
Texas stats for Playoff drivers
Below is a look at the NASCAR Xfinity
Series Round of 8 Playoff drivers at Texas Motor Speedway (in order of seeding):
Chase Briscoe heads to the race at Texas
in the most comfortable spot of everyone with a lock in the Championship 4 at
Phoenix. Briscoe has four starts at the track with two top fives and two top
10s. His best finish came earlier this season, finishing runner-up to his Ford
teammate Austin Cindric. He has an average start of 13.2 and average finish of
9.8 at the track.
Justin Allgaier had a good performance at
Kansas last weekend and jumped up one spot in the standings. He now sits in
second with 3,068 points and is 11 points above the cutline. Allgaier will make
his 21st start on Saturday at the track. He has two top fives and 10 top 10s at
the track. His best finish also came earlier this season, finishing third. He
has led 135 laps total at the track and has an average start of 12.8 and average
finish of 12.2.
Brandon Jones made a huge jump in the
standings after his performance at Kansas. Heading into Kansas, he was below the
cutline and now he is sitting nine points above it in third in the standings.
Jones has nine starts at Texas with one top five and four top 10s. Earlier this
season, he finished seventh, but he has a best finish of fourth at this same
race in the 2019 season. He has an average start of 8.7 and average finish of
17.9.
Austin Cindric fell in the standings after
his early incident with fellow Playoff driver Noah Gragson at Kansas. However,
he is taking the final spot above the cutline right now, two points to the good.
What better racetrack to come to than Texas where he won earlier this season?
This will be his sixth start at the track with one win, three top fives and four
top 10s. He has an average start of 10.0 and an average finish of 5.4. He has
also led 82 laps.
Justin Haley is sitting in fifth in the
standings with 3,057 points and is only two points below the cutline. Saturday
will be Haley’s fourth start at Texas. He has two top 10s and finished eight at
the race earlier this season. His first start was in 2019 and he finished
seventh.
Ross Chastain heads to Texas in sixth
place in the standings. He has 11 starts at Texas and one top five and two top
10s. Earlier this season, he finished ninth and his best finish came at this
race in 2019, finishing runner-up to Christopher Bell. He has an average start
of 17.6 and average finish of 17.0. He is currently 12 points below the cutline
with 3,042 points.
Ryan Sieg jumped up one spot in the
standings and is now in seventh with 3,042 points. His third-place finish last
weekend but not enough to jump ahead of the cutline. He is currently 17 points
below the cutline. He has made 13 starts at Texas in his career and has three
top 10s. He did not have a good run earlier this season because of a suspension
issue and ended up finishing 29th.
Noah Gragson took a huge hit last weekend
and plummeted from above the cutline to the last spot in the Round of 8
standings. He is in a must-win situation at this point when it comes to Texas
and Martinsville. He is 33 points below the cutline heading to Texas. This will
be his fourth start at the track. Unfortunately, he did not finish the race in
his last two starts because of crashes. His best start came at his debut in
2019, starts 16th and finishing 13th. He will have to fight for points and a
good finish on Saturday.
Clinch Scenarios: Lone Star State edition
Chase Briscoe has clinched a spot in the
final four while the other three spots are up for grabs. Here are the clinch
scenarios for this weekend’s race at Texas, with a reminder that any driver can
clinch a Championship 4 berth with a win:
Can Clinch via Points
If there is a new winner, the following
driver could clinch by being 56 points above the second winless driver in the
standings.
-
Justin Allgaier: Could only clinch
with help
If there is a repeat winner, the following
drivers could clinch by being 56 points above the third winless driver in the
standings. They would also clinch if there was a new winner among Justin
Allgaier and Brandon Jones and being 56 points above the second winless driver
in the standings.
-
Justin Allgaier: Could only clinch
with help
-
Brandon Jones: Could only clinch with
help
NASCAR Xfinity Series, Etc.
Haley back in the No. 11: Justin Haley and
Kaulig Racing announced that Haley will be back in the No. 11 Chevrolet for the
2021 season. He will be the first driver to return for a third season with the
team. Haley has earned three wins, 38 top 10s and 13 top fives with Kaulig
Racing. He also added his name to an elite list with Dale Earnhardt and Dale
Earnhardt Jr. as a driver to win three superspeedway races in a row. Haley, 21,
became one of 34 drivers, and the second youngest, to record a win in all three
NASCAR national series.
Movin’ on up: Chase Briscoe and Stewart-Haas Racing announced that Chase Briscoe
is being promoted to the No. 14 Ford in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2021. As he
competes for the Xfinity Series title, the 25-year-old will be readying for his
Cup Series debut in 2021. HighPoint, a sponsor that joined Briscoe in 2019, will
serve as the primary sponsor for the No. 14.
NASCAR
Xfinity Series
Next
Race: Kansas Lottery 300
The
Place: Kansas Speedway
The
Date: Saturday, October 17
The
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV:
NBCSN, 6:30 p.m. ET
Radio:
MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 300 miles (200 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 45),
Stage 2
(Ends on Lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200)
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Wet & Wild: Charlotte
ROVAL eliminations, Kansas starts the Round of 8
It was a rainy and crazy race on Saturday
for the NASCAR Xfinity Series at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL. The 68 lap,
157.76-mile race marked the last event of the Round of 12 and the final chance
for the Playoff drivers to secure a spot in the Round of 8.
AJ Allmendinger, who is not in Playoff
contention as he runs part-time for Kaulig Racing, won the race, and went
back-to-back at the ROVAL (2019, 2020). The race had 10 cautions for 24 laps and
14 lead changes among six different drivers.
Noah Gragson was the highest-finishing
Xfinity Playoff driver in second. Daniel Hemric finished third, Alex Labbe
fourth and Ross Chastain closed out the top five in fifth. Kaz Grala, also on a
part-time schedule this season for Richard Childress Racing, won the first stage
and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Chase Briscoe grabbed the additional Playoff point by
winning the second stage.
Harrison Burton, Riley Herbst, Michael
Annett and Brandon Brown ultimately were the four drivers eliminated from the
Playoffs following the Round of 12.
As the NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to
Kansas Speedway this weekend to kick off the Round of 8, the remaining drivers
fighting for a spot in the Championship 4 are:
Chase Briscoe
Austin Cindric
Justin Allgaier
Noah Gragson
Justin Haley
Brandon Jones
Ross Chastain
Ryan Sieg
The Kansas Lottery 300 will be at 7 p.m.
ET on Saturday, October 17 on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The race
will be 300 miles and 200 laps with Stage 1 ending on Lap 45 and Stage 2 ending
on Lap 90.
Gragson will lead the field to the green
flag on Saturday evening with Cindric joining him on the outside front row.
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Brandon Jones was
victorious earlier this season at Kansas Speedway, locking himself into the
Playoffs with the win. It was also his second win in a row at the track as he
won his first career Xfinity Series race at Kansas back in 2019. Jones is not
only looking to win this weekend to get the automatic bid to the Championship 4
round, but also because he would like to join his fellow JGR teammate Kyle Busch
(2014, 2015, 2016) as just the second driver in series history to win three
consecutive races at Kansas Speedway.
Who’s good and who’s
not so good at Kansas?
Just three races to decide who will battle
it out in Phoenix for the title, but the Round of 8 starts at Kansas this
weekend in the Kansas Lottery 300 at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR
Radio.
Kansas Speedway is a 1.5-mile track with
17-20 degrees of variable banking in corners, 10 degrees of banking on the
frontstretch and five degrees of banking on the backstretch. The frontstretch is
2,685 feet and the backstretch is 2,207 feet.
Kyle Busch holds the record for the most
NASCAR Xfinity Series wins at Kansas Speedway with four and Matt Kenseth holds
the record for the most poles with three. Busch also has the most top fives
(eight) and most top 10s (10) at the 1.5-mile track.
In 2010, the race had 21 lead changes, the
most in history at the track and in 2015, there were only seven lead changes
(the fewest). Two times in history the race winner led only four laps, most
recently in 2017. Toyota has the most Xfinity wins at Kansas of any manufacturer
with nine.
Joe Gibbs Racing is the winningest
organization in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Kansas with nine victories. JGR
driver Brandon Jones is the only driver entered this weekend with a win at
Kansas Speedway in the Xfinity Series.
Earlier this season, the series competed
at Kansas Speedway in July. There were five cautions for 22 laps and nine lead
changes. Jones won the race and Austin Cindric finished second.
Kansas numbers for
Playoff drivers
Below is a look at the NASCAR Xfinity
Series Round of 8 Playoff drivers at Kansas Speedway (in order of seeding):
Chase Briscoe heads to the Round of 8
seeded first in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff standings with 3,060 points.
Briscoe is currently 37 points above the Championship 4 round cutoff. He has
made three starts at Kansas posting one top-five finish. He finished 14th at
Kansas earlier this season.
Austin Cindric rolls into the Round of 8
seeded second in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff standings with 3,050 points.
Cindric is currently 27 points above the Championship 4 round cutoff. He has
made three starts at Kansas posting one top-five finish. He finished runner-up
at Kansas earlier this season.
Justin Allgaier arrives in the Round of 8
seeded third in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff standings with 3,033 points.
Allgaier is just 10 points above the Championship 4 round cutoff. Among the
remaining Playoff contenders Allgaier has the most experience at Kansas having
made 10 series starts putting three top fives and seven top 10s. He finished
10th at Kansas earlier this season.
Noah Gragson heads to the Round of 8
seeded in the fourth and final transfer spot to the Championship 4 round in the
NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff standings with 3,025 points. Gragson is just two
points above the Championship 4 round cutoff. The Las Vegas native has made two
starts at Kansas posting an average finish of 14.0. He finished 15th at Kansas
earlier this season.
Justin Haley jumps into the Round of 8
seeded fifth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff standings with 3,023 points.
Haley is a mere two points back from JR Motorsport’s Noah Gragson in the fourth
and final transfer spot to the Championship 4 round. Haley has made two starts
at Kansas posting two top-10 finishes. He finished sixth at Kansas earlier this
season.
Brandon Jones arrives in the Round of 8
seeded sixth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff standings with 3,020 points.
Jones is currently five points back from JR Motorsport’s Noah Gragson in the
fourth and final transfer spot to the Championship 4 round. He has made five
starts at Kansas posting two wins (2019, 2020) and three top 10s.
Ross Chastain heads to the Round of 8
seeded seventh in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff standings with 3,010 points.
Chastain is 15 points behind the Championship 4 round cutoff. The Florida
native, Chastain, has made six starts at Kansas posting one top five and two top
10s. He finished fifth at Kansas earlier this season.
Ryan Sieg hangs onto the Round of 8 seeded
in the eighth and final position in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff Round of 8
standings with 3,002 points. Sieg is currently 23 points back from the
Championship 4 round cutoff. He has made eight series starts at Kansas posting
one top-five and four top-10 finishes. He finished fourth at Kansas earlier this
season.
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Next Race: Drive for the Cure
250 presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina
The Place: Charlotte Motor
Speedway ROVAL
The Date: Saturday, October 10
The Time: 3 p.m. ET
TV: NBC, 3:30 p.m. ET
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR
Radio
Distance: 155.44 miles (67
Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 20),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 40),
Final Stage (Ends on Lap 67)
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Wild
Card: Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL up next
The NASCAR
Xfinity Series Playoffs kicked off at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where Chase
Briscoe was victorious and took home his eighth win of the season and
punched his ticket to the Round of 8.
Last weekend,
Justin Haley got another superspeedway win at Talladega Superspeedway,
punching his ticket to the Round of 8, as well. In a wild race from start to
finish, Haley led the final two laps of the race en route to the win.
Haley’s win
marked his third superspeedway victory of the season and put him on a list
of elite company, joining Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr. as the only
drivers in NASCAR to win three consecutive superspeedway races.
Playoff drivers
took the top four finishing positions on Saturday with Ryan Sieg snatching a
career-best finish of second. He’s now +27 points above the cutline after
accumulating many points throughout the race. Noah Gragson finished third
and Brandon Jones finished fourth. Ross Chastain finished in the sixth
position and Brandon Brown finished ninth. Chase Briscoe, who led a majority
of the race and looked like he was going to be victorious once again, got
involved in a late-race scuffle and finished 19th. Harrison Burton finished
23rd, Justin Allgaier 29th, Austin Cindric 34th, Riley Herbst 35th and
Michael Annett finished 37th. Annett was originally scored as finishing
second, but was disqualified during post-race inspection after the No. 1 car
failed heights for being too low in the left front.
This weekend,
the series heads to the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL for the Drive for the
Cure 250 presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (3:30 p.m. ET
on NBC, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) on Saturday, October 10, to conclude
the Xfinity Series Playoffs Round of 12.
As if Talladega
Superspeedway wasn’t crazy enough last weekend, the Charlotte road course is
another wild card race that could potentially shake up the Playoff
standings.
This will be
only the third race in Xfinity Series history at the Charlotte ROVAL.
Briscoe won the inaugural race in 2018, which also marked his first career
win, and last season, AJ Allmendinger took home the victory for Kaulig
Racing.
Cindric and
Briscoe, two Ford teammates, have been seemingly the best drivers on road
courses this season. However, this race is really anyone’s to win. But, if
the drivers not locked into the Playoffs want to make it to the Round of 8,
they need to get as many points as possible and a decent finishing position.
Saturday’s race
will be 155.44 miles and 67 laps. Stage 1 will end on Lap 20 and Stage 2
will end on Lap 40. Gragson will lead the field to green.
Eyeing the Charlotte Road Course
The Charlotte
Motor Speedway ROVAL is a 2.280-mile road course with 17 turns. The
frontstretch is 1,580 feet and the backstretch is 1,500 feet. In the
corners, the banking varies from two to 24 degrees and on straights it
varies from zero to five degrees.
The race is
155.55 miles and 67 laps with Stage 1 ending on Lap 20 and Stage 2 ending on
Lap 40.
Since this is
only the third race at the track, it’s difficult to really nail down who has
the best chances on taking home the trophy. Aside from Briscoe winning in
2018, every driver in the Playoffs (other than the rookies), has the same
amount of experience on the track.
Austin Cindric
is the only driver in the series to have finished in the top five in both
races and only four drivers finished in the top 10 in both races.
Neither of the
two races run on the track were won from the pole position. In 2019, there
were 14 caution laps and in 2018 there were five. In 2019, there were seven
lead changes and the most leaders at six. Briscoe led 33 laps in 2018.
Since Briscoe
and AJ Allmendinger are the only two past winners at the track, they have
the two best driver ratings. But, Cindric has the third-best driver rating
at the track followed by Daniel Hemric and Noah Gragson. Justin Allgaier has
the sixth best driver rating.
Cindric has run
117 total laps in the top 15, the most of any driver and has led the
third-most laps (14) below the two previous winners.
Road
Course results in 2020
The NASCAR
Xfinity Series has visited three road courses so far this season. As they
head to the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, let’s look back at the results
from the previous two.
The first road
course for the series was the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course for
the first time in series history, running a 151.2-mile race on the
2.439-mile road course. The race had five cautions for 15 laps with 13 lead
changes. Chase Briscoe took home the victory with Justin Haley, Noah
Gragson, AJ Allmendinger and Austin Cindric rounding out the top five.
Cindric won the
first stage and Briscoe won the second stage. The race was a total of 62
laps.
The series then
went to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, to run at Road America, a 4.048-mile road
course. The race was 45 laps for 182.2 miles. Cindric won the race with
Allmendinger, Briscoe, Kaz Grala and Andy Lally rounding out the top five.
There were seven
cautions for 15 laps and 13 different lead changes throughout the race.
Haley and Allmendinger each took home a stage win.
The week after,
the series went to the Daytona International Speedway Road Course, also for
the first time in series history. The Daytona Road Course race was 52 laps
on a 3.610-mile road course for 187.7 miles. Cindric was victorious, once
again, leading 21 of 52 laps and grabbing his second win in a row. Brandon
Jones, Gragson, Allmendinger and Lally rounded out the top five. There were
seven cautions for eight laps and seven lead changes. Cindric and Briscoe
each took home a stage win at Daytona, too.
Looking back,
it’s obvious that there are a handful of drivers with consistent strength at
road courses – Cindric, Briscoe, Allmendinger, Haley, Gragson. Those are the
most common names that we see up front for each of them. It’s possible we’ll
see the same thing this weekend, but with Playoff spots on the line, there
may be a bit more chaos before the checkered flag.
Clinch Scenarios: Road course racing in Charlotte
It’s the final
race of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Round of 12 and one more chance to drivers
to make their way to the Round of 8. Only two drivers have officially made
it to the next round with wins. Chase Briscoe won at Las Vegas Motor
Speedway and Justin Haley won at Talladega Superspeedway, punching their
tickets to the next round. Here are the clinch scenarios for this weekend at
the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL:
Possible to Clinch (Note – for all, a win would clinch a spot in the Round
of 8):
-
Austin Cindric (0 Wins, 2114 Points) - Would clinch on points with 13
points and a new winner. If there is a repeat winner (or a win by Noah
Gragson, Brandon Jones, Ryan Sieg, Justin Allgaier or Ross Chastain), he
would clinch on points with six points.
-
Noah Gragson (0 Wins, 2111 Points) - Would clinch on points with 15
points and a new winner. If there is a repeat winner (or a win by
Austin Cindric, Brandon Jones, Ryan Sieg, Justin Allgaier or Ross
Chastain), he would clinch on points with eight points.
-
Brandon Jones (0 Wins, 2098 Points) - Would clinch on points with 29
points and a new winner. If there is a repeat winner (or a win by
Austin Cindric, Noah Gragson, Ryan Sieg, Justin Allgaier or Ross
Chastain), he would clinch on points with 22 points.
-
Ryan Sieg (0 Wins, 2091 Points) - Would clinch on points with 35 points
and a new winner. If there is a repeat winner (or a win by Austin
Cindric, Noah Gragson, Brandon Jones, Justin Allgaier or Ross Chastain),
they would clinch on points with 28 points.
-
Justin Allgaier (0 Wins, 2083 Points) - Would clinch on points with 44
points and a new winner. If there is a repeat winner (or a win by
Austin Cindric, Noah Gragson, Brandon Jones, Ryan Sieg or Ross
Chastain), they would clinch on points with 37 points.
-
Ross Chastain (0 Wins, 2071 Points) - If there is a repeat winner (or a
win by Austin Cindric, Noah Gragson, Brandon Jones, Ryan Sieg or Justin
Allgaier), he would clinch on points with 49 points. Could clinch on
points with a new winner and help.
-
Harrison Burton (0 Wins, 2064 Points); Brandon Brown (0 Wins, 2052
Points); Riley Herbst (0 Wins, 2035 Points); Michael Annett (0 Wins,
2033 Points) - Could clinch on points with help.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff Outlook following Talladega-2:
|
Rank |
Driver |
Points |
Race Wins |
Stage Wins |
Playoff Pts |
Pts from Cutoff |
|
1 |
Chase Briscoe |
2,148 |
8 |
9 |
59 |
In On Wins |
|
|
2 |
Justin Haley |
2,108 |
3 |
3 |
23 |
In On Wins |
|
|
3 |
Austin Cindric |
2,114 |
5 |
10 |
50 |
50 |
|
|
4 |
Noah Gragson |
2,111 |
2 |
8 |
25 |
47 |
|
|
5 |
Brandon Jones |
2,098 |
3 |
2 |
20 |
34 |
|
|
6 |
Ryan Sieg |
2,091 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
27 |
|
|
7 |
Justin Allgaier |
2,083 |
3 |
12 |
33 |
19 |
|
|
8 |
Ross Chastain |
2,071 |
0 |
2 |
10 |
7 |
|
|
9 |
Harrison Burton# |
2,064 |
2 |
0 |
14 |
-7 |
|
|
10 |
Brandon Brown |
2,052 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
-19 |
|
|
11 |
Riley Herbst # |
2,035 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
-36 |
|
|
12 |
Michael Annett |
2,033 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
-38 |
|
Charlotte ROVAL numbers for Playoff drivers
Below is a look
at the NASCAR Xfinity Series Round of 12 Playoff drivers at the Charlotte
ROVAL (in order of seeding):
Chase Briscoe has one win at the track in two starts. He won the inaugural
race in 2018 from the ninth position. Last season, he started from the pole
and finished ninth. He has an average start and finish of 5.0 and has led 54
laps total.
Justin Haley made his first start last season at the Charlotte Road Course.
He started in ninth and finish 31st after only completing 61 of 67 laps.
Austin Cindric is the only driver to have finished in the top five in both
races run at the Charlotte Road Course so far. He started from the pole in
the inaugural race and finished third and last season he started third and
finished third. He has also led 14 laps at the track.
Noah
Gragson will make his second career start at the track this weekend. His
first came last season, he started 12th and finished fifth.
Brandon Jones will make his third start at the track this weekend with hopes
of a better finish than his last two. In 2018, he started 22nd and finished
22nd and last season he started 15th and finished 16th. He has an average
start of 18.5 and average finish of 19.0 in his two starts.
Ryan
Sieg has also not had great results in his two starts at the road course. He
started 27th in 2018 and finished 36th because of a suspension issue. Last
season, he started 25th an finished 30th. He’s only completed 102 of 122
laps attempted and has an average start of 26.0 and average finish of 33.0.
He’ll look to make a better run at it this weekend.
Justin Allgaier is usually one of the driver in the series with the most
experience at a track but he’s in the same boat as the other drivers this
weekend as he makes his third start. In the track debut, he started 12th and
finished 15th. Last season, however, he had much better results, starting
seventh and finishing fourth. He has an average start and finish of 9.5.
Ross
Chastain is the last driver above the cutline heading into this weekend’s
race at the road course. He has one Xfinity Series start at the track and it
was in 2018. He started 16th and finished 12th.
Rookie Harrison
Burton will make his second career start on Saturday. His debut was last
season and he started 22nd and finished 13th.
Brandon Brown’s first start at the Charlotte Road Course was last season. He
started 35th and finished 17th. He made a big jump at Talladega in the
Playoffs standings and a good finish and a lot of points might keep him
above the cutline.
Rookie Riley
Herbst had a tough day at Talladega after being involved in an incident
early in the race. This weekend will be his debut at the Charlotte Road
Course.
Michael Annett will make his third start this weekend at the road course.
His in debut, he started 23rd and finished 20th and last season, he started
23rd and finished 15th. He has an average start of 23.0 and an average
finish of 17.5.
Competition highlights: Xfinity Series
The 2020 Xfinity
Series season has produced some great racing and exciting finishes.
Here’s a look at
some of the most impressive competition statistics:
-
The 2020 season had produced the fourth-most green flag passes for the
lead (534) through 28 races in the last 14 seasons (2007-2020). The
2011 season has produced the series-most at 687.
-
The 2020 season has seen a year-over-year increase of green flag passes
for the lead of +21.9% compared to 2019 (438) through 28 races.
-
The 2020 season had produced the 10th-most green flag passes (40,945) in
the last 14 seasons (2007-2020); up +15.3% from the 2019 season through
28 races (35,498).
-
The average number of lead changes per race (12.18) through the first 28
events are the most since 2012 (13.00).
-
The average number of leaders per race (6.71) through the first 28
events are the most since 2013 (6.71).
-
12 of this season’s 28 races have had a margin of victory of less than a
second. The average margin of victory for the first 28 races of 2020 is
1.501 seconds.
-
The 2020 season has produced nine different winners, led by Stewart-Haas
Racing’s Chase Briscoe with eight victories.
-
Ford leads the series in wins in 2020 with 13 victories.
|
Creed Puts Second GMS Racing
Truck into Championship Race with Texas Win
Chris Graythen/Getty
Images
By Reid
Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service
Brett Moffitt
gave GMS Racing teammate Sheldon Creed a forceful invitation
to the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series championship
party.
Already qualified for the
Championship 4 race at Phoenix, Moffitt pushed Creed’s No. 2
Chevrolet clear of Austin Hill’s Toyota as the trucks
approached the start/finish line for the white-flag lap in
overtime. That was the impetus Creed needed to win Sunday’s
SpeedyCash.com 400 at Texas Motor Speedway and join Moffitt
in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway with a chance to win
the title.
“Man, what a good truck my guys
put together,” said Creed, who picked up his fourth win of
the season, the fourth of his career and his first at the
1.5-mile Fort Worth Track. “We’ve been inconsistent here,
but we’ve always had speed, and today, man, just awesome. I
finally won in front of my mom and dad. They’re here today…
“Two trucks locked in for the
organization—that’s awesome—and hopefully we can get the
other two (Zane Smith and Tyler Ankrum) or at least one more
next weekend. Hard racing today. Man, it’s crazy. We’ve just
been working for this all year, and I feel like I’ve
improved so much and put so much work into this. Man, going
to Martinsville stress-free is so nice.”
Ben Rhodes’ retaliation against
Christian Eckes on Lap 146 of a scheduled 147 forced the
overtime and sent the race five laps beyond its scheduled
distance. Miffed that Eckes had forced him up the track in a
battle for position late in the race, Rhodes clipped the
right rear quarter of Eckes’ Toyota as the trucks entered
the tri-oval and sent Eckes spinning hard into the wall.
Rhodes simultaneously threw
away his winning chances and now must win next Friday at
Martinsville to secure a spot in the championship race. GMS
Racing’s Ankrum is in the same position after running 16th
at Texas.
In a race that produced 10
cautions, there was action throughout, but none more
dramatic than the catastrophic battle for the lead between
Stewart Friesen and Johnny Sauter, both of whom are winless
this year.
After a restart on Lap 125,
Friesen forced Creed up the track and grabbed the lead on
Lap 127, with Johnny Sauter following into second place.
Three laps later, Sauter tried a similar move on Friesen,
with disastrous results.
Sauter’s No. 13 Ford broke
loose under Friesen’s No. 52 Toyota and carried both trucks
into the outside wall, adding misery to star-crossed seasons
for both drivers. The wreck restored Creed to the lead for a
restart on Lap 136.
Creed won the first stage
wire-to-wire, but three-time series champion Matt Crafton
passed him for the lead with five laps left in Stage 2 and
held the top spot to the finish of the 35-lap segment.
The first Playoff driver to
suffer serious issues was ThorSport Racing’s Grant Enfinger,
whose engine expired in a cloud of smoke on Lap 92. Enfinger,
who entered the race seven points below the cut line, now
must claim victory in next Friday’s night race at
Martinsville to advance to the Championship 4.
“We just blew up,” Enfinger
said. “It just wasn’t meant to be. On to Martinsville next
week—must-win. Looking forward to the challenge.”
Hill held the runner-up spot at
the finish, followed by GMS Racing’s Zane Smith. Those two
Playoff drivers remained above the current cutoff for the
Championship 4. Raphael Lessard ran fourth, followed by
Moffitt.
Crafton, Austin Wayne Self,
Dylan Lupton, Derek Kraus and Tanner Gray completed the top
10. Crafton remains 12 points below the cut line heading to
Martinsville.
In his first race in more than
five years, 2012 series champion James Buescher went a lap
down during the first 35-lap stage but recovered to finish
15th in his debut in the No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet.
NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Race – 24th Annual
SpeedyCash.com 400
Texas Motor Speedway
Fort Worth, Texas
Sunday, October 25, 2020
- (1) Sheldon Creed (P),
Chevrolet, 152.
- (3) Austin Hill (P),
Toyota, 152.
- (6) Zane Smith # (P),
Chevrolet, 152.
- (20) Raphael Lessard #,
Toyota, 152.
- (2) Brett Moffitt (P),
Chevrolet, 152.
- (7) Matt Crafton (P),
Ford, 152.
- (18) Austin Wayne Self,
Chevrolet, 152.
- (29) Dylan Lupton, Ford,
152.
- (11) Derek Kraus #,
Toyota, 152.
- (23) Tanner Gray #, Ford,
152.
- (16) Tyler Hill,
Chevrolet, 152.
- (28) Chase Purdy,
Chevrolet, 152.
- (25) Jordan Anderson,
Chevrolet, 152.
- (22) Spencer Boyd,
Chevrolet, 152.
- (36) James Buescher,
Chevrolet, 152.
- (9) Tyler Ankrum (P),
Chevrolet, 152.
- (19) Danny Bohn, Toyota,
152.
- (26) Dawson Cram,
Chevrolet, 152.
- (32) Josh Bilicki(i),
Toyota, Accident, 151.
- (8) Ben Rhodes (P), Ford,
151.
- (5) Chandler Smith,
Toyota, 151.
- (30) Ray Ciccarelli,
Chevrolet, 151.
- (15) Johnny Sauter, Ford,
150.
- (31) Jennifer Jo Cobb,
Chevrolet, 149.
- (10) Christian Eckes #,
Toyota, Accident, 145.
- (35) Norm Benning,
Chevrolet, 143.
- (34) Josh Reaume, Toyota,
Brakes, 131.
- (21) Stewart Friesen,
Toyota, Accident, 129.
- (13) Trevor Bayne,
Chevrolet, Engine, 118.
- (27) Natalie Decker,
Chevrolet, Vibration, 115.
- (12) Todd Gilliland,
Ford, Accident, 105.
- (4) Grant Enfinger (P),
Ford, Engine, 91.
- (17) Tate Fogleman #,
Chevrolet, Accident, 51.
- (14) Ryan Truex,
Chevrolet, Suspension, 49.
- (24) Clay Greenfield,
Toyota, Accident, 42.
- (37) Trey Hutchens III,
Chevrolet, Ignition, 36.
- (33) Tim Viens,
Chevrolet, Accident, 29.
Average Speed of Race Winner:
106.875 mph.
Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 8 Mins, 0
Secs. Margin of Victory: Under Caution Seconds.
Caution Flags: 10 for 49 laps.
Lead Changes: 14 among 6
drivers.
Lap Leaders: S. Creed (P)
1-47;B. Rhodes (P) 48;S. Creed (P) 49-56;M. Crafton (P)
57;S. Creed (P) 58-64;M. Crafton (P) 65-72;S. Creed (P)
73;M. Crafton (P) 74-77;S. Creed (P) 78-93;D. Kraus #
94-95;S. Creed (P) 96-125;S. Friesen 126-129;S. Creed (P)
130-149;A. Hill (P) 150;S. Creed (P) 151-152.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times
Lead, Laps Led): Sheldon Creed (P) 8 times for 131 laps;
Matt Crafton (P) 3 times for 13 laps; Stewart Friesen 1 time
for 4 laps; Derek Kraus # 1 time for 2 laps; Austin Hill (P)
1 time for 1 lap; Ben Rhodes (P) 1 time for 1 lap.
Stage #1 Top Ten:
2,16,23,99,88,51,18,21,98,38
Stage #2 Top Ten:
88,2,99,21,19,51,18,16,98,23
Brett Moffitt Gets First Win of the
Season in Playoff Race at Kansas
Chris Graythen
| Getty Images
By Holly
Cain, NASCAR Wire Service
After four runner-up
finishes on the season, former NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors
Series champion Brett Moffitt earned his first victory of 2020
in the Clean Harbors 200 at Kansas Speedway Saturday evening.
And while that first win came 20 races into the season, it was
particularly impactful – officially landing Moffitt in the
Championship 4 that will compete for the series title Nov. 6 in
Phoenix.
Moffitt, 28, held off his GMS
Racing Chevrolet teammate Sheldon Creed by a mere .111-seconds
for the overtime victory. The race went into extra laps just
after Moffitt took the lead from another teammate, and fellow
Playoff driver Zane Smith on Lap 132 of the scheduled 134-lap
race.
The two made contact while racing
side-by-side and Smith spun out, recovering to finish 11th with
seven laps of overtime.
“It’s pretty incredible, such a way
to turn the season around for our 23-team,” said Moffitt, who
raced in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Kansas following his
victory. “It’s been a long time since I got in victory lane in
Iowa, pretty incredible there on the backstretch.
“Thanks to everyone at GMS and the
Gallagher family. I’ve got to apologize to the 21 [Zane Smith]
there for trying to block him. But we were racing hard for a
championship spot and that’s what you got to do.
“A bad block by me, it’s my fault …
we’re racing for everything right now, I apologize to Zane.”
Austin Hill rallied from a mid-race
setback to finish third, followed by Grant Enfinger and Chandler
Smith. Rookie Christian Eckes, Timothy Peters, reigning series
champion Matt Crafton, rookie Derek Kraus and Trevor Bayne
rounded out the top-10.
Hailee Deegan finished 16th – the
best ever showing for a female driver in her truck series debut.
“Oh man, I think my goal was just
to finish the race,” a smiling Deegan said. “It’s crazy compared
to ARCA racing how intense this racing is, how competitive it
is. You’re trying to block one guy while pass another and next
thing you know, you’ve got two guys blowing by you if you don’t
make a successful pass. It’s a lot tougher racing, but I think
we definitely had a successful day.”
Creed, who led a race best 61 laps,
won both Stages, increasing his series best mark to nine stage
wins on the season.
With the victory, Moffitt, the 2018
Gander Trucks champion, earns his shot at a second title in the
Phoenix season finale. Creed’s runner-up effort gave him the
points lead by seven points over the regular season champion
Hill. Smith’s impressive recovery from the late race spin kept
him ranked fourth with a seven-point edge over Enfinger. Crafton
is ranked sixth, followed by Ben Rhodes and Tyler Ankrum, who
both had troubles on Saturday.
The four drivers who will race for
a championship include any Playoff driver who wins one of these
three final round races – as Moffitt did. At least one position
will go to the driver with the highest points tally after that
Oct. 30 race at Martinsville, Va.
Deegan’s history-making finishing
was only part of a huge career day for the 19-year old
Californian.
Shortly before the green flag, Ford
Motor Company announced Deegan will drive fulltime in the series
in 2021 competing for Rookie of the Year honors driving the No.
17 Ford for the DGR-Crosley Racing team. Deegan competed in the
ARCA Menards Series fulltime this season, with a sixth-place
finish at the Kansas Speedway season finale on Friday. She was
the series’ Rookie of the Year, finishing third place in the
standings with a best showing of runner-up twice.
The Gander Trucks next race, the
SpeedyCash.com 400, is Sunday at noon at Texas Motor Speedway
(FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Race – Clean Harbors
200
Kansas Speedway
Kansas City, Kansas
Saturday, October 17, 2020
- (3) Brett Moffitt (P),
Chevrolet, 139.
- (4) Sheldon Creed (P),
Chevrolet, 139.
- (8) Austin Hill (P), Toyota,
139.
- (6) Grant Enfinger (P), Ford,
139.
- (1) Chandler Smith, Toyota,
139.
- (14) Christian Eckes #,
Toyota, 139.
- (28) Timothy Peters, Toyota,
139.
- (5) Matt Crafton (P), Ford,
139.
- (12) Derek Kraus #, Toyota,
139.
- (11) Trevor Bayne, Chevrolet,
139.
- (9) Zane Smith # (P),
Chevrolet, 139.
- (21) Ryan Truex, Chevrolet,
138.
- (17) Todd Gilliland, Ford,
138.
- (22) Tyler Hill, Chevrolet,
138.
- (35) Parker Kligerman,
Chevrolet, 138.
- (34) Hailie Deegan, Ford,
138.
- (23) Tate Fogleman #,
Chevrolet, 138.
- (13) Johnny Sauter, Ford,
138.
- (18) Austin Wayne Self,
Chevrolet, 137.
- (2) Ben Rhodes (P), Ford,
136.
- (24) Danny Bohn, Toyota, 136.
- (31) Spencer Boyd, Chevrolet,
135.
- (33) Dawson Cram, Chevrolet,
135.
- (20) Colin Garrett(i),
Chevrolet, 135.
- (16) Clay Greenfield, Toyota,
134.
- (36) Ray Ciccarelli,
Chevrolet, 133.
- (29) Josh Reaume, Toyota,
133.
- (30) Josh Bilicki(i), Toyota,
132.
- (27) Jennifer Jo Cobb,
Chevrolet, 130.
- (15) Jordan Anderson,
Chevrolet, 127.
- (26) Norm Benning, Chevrolet,
Vibration, 108.
- (32) Tim Viens, Chevrolet,
Fuel Pump, 91.
- (10) Raphael Lessard #,
Toyota, Accident, 39.
- (7) Tyler Ankrum (P),
Chevrolet, Accident, 38.
- (25) David Gravel, Chevrolet,
Accident, 37.
- (19) Tanner Gray #, Ford,
Accident, 37.
Average Speed of Race Winner:
119.942 mph.
Time of Race: 1 Hrs, 44 Mins, 18
Secs. Margin of Victory: 0.111 Seconds.
Caution Flags: 4 for 24 laps.
Lead Changes: 13 among 9 drivers.
Lap Leaders: C. Smith 0;S. Creed
(P) 1-33;A. Hill (P) 34-46;Z. Smith # (P) 47-53;S. Creed (P)
54-81;Z. Smith # (P) 82-103;G. Enfinger (P) 104;C. Smith 105;C.
Eckes # 106-112;J. Sauter 113;T. Gilliland 114-116;B. Moffitt
(P) 117-123;Z. Smith # (P) 124-131;B. Moffitt (P) 132-139.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times
Lead, Laps Led): Sheldon Creed (P) 2 times for 61 laps; Zane
Smith # (P) 3 times for 37 laps; Brett Moffitt (P) 2 times for
15 laps; Austin Hill (P) 1 time for 13 laps; Christian Eckes # 1
time for 7 laps; Todd Gilliland 1 time for 3 laps; Chandler
Smith 1 time for 1 lap; Grant Enfinger (P) 1 time for 1 lap;
Johnny Sauter 1 time for 1 lap.
Stage #1 Top Ten:
2,51,16,21,88,18,98,13,23,38
Stage #2 Top Ten:
2,21,51,18,16,88,38,13,23,98
Raphael Lessard Gets First NASCAR Truck Series Win in Talladega
Elimination Race
Chris Graythen | Getty Images
By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service
In a wild two-lap shootout
that ended prematurely with a multicar wreck near the entrance to
Turn 3, 19-year-old Canadian Raphael Lessard earned his first NASCAR
Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series victory in Saturday’s Chevrolet
Silverado 250 at Talladega Superspeedway.
Lessard had nosed ahead of runner-up Trevor
Bayne while Stewart Friesen’s Chevrolet spun into the outside
backstretch wall on the final lap, causing the caution that froze
the field. The yellow made a winner of Lessard, but what was
euphoria for one Kyle Busch Motorsports driver was heartbreak for
another.
With Playoff spots in the elimination race
still on the line for the final restart on Lap 93 of 94 at the
2.66-mile superspeedway, Christian Eckes was a victim of the final
wreck that also left Playoff driver Austin Hill hustling out of his
No. 16 Toyota, which sat on the apron with flames shooting from
underneath the hood.
With the Round of 10 completed, Eckes was
eliminated by eight points, as Tyler Ankrum, another victim of the
last-lap wreck, advanced to the Round of 8 in the Playoff by that
margin. Hill already had secured a spot in the next round with last
weekend’s win at Las Vegas.
Those two drivers are joined by Sheldon Creed
(12th Saturday), Ben Rhodes (fourth), Brett Moffitt (seventh), Matt
Crafton (eighth), Grant Enfinger (13th) and Zane Smith (33rd).
Crafton took the green flag on the final restart below the Playoff
cut line but avoided the final wreck to finish the day fifth in the
Playoff standings.
But the big winner was Lessard, who did not
qualify for the Playoff but earned a significant consolation prize
on Saturday, with a strong push from Rhodes.
“Oh, my gosh, that was awesome,” said Lessard,
who moved to Mooresville, N.C., from Quebec this year. “First of
all, I just want to thank everyone at home, my team—Kyle Busch
Motorsports. I can’t believe it. It’s just my second superspeedway
race.
“To get my first Truck Series win here is
amazing. I don’t know who was behind me, but he gave me a heck of a
push. I can’t thank him enough. He pushed me as hard as he could,
and I was just along for the ride. The caution came out at the right
time. I’m so happy. I got to do a burnout after the win. I’m hoping
I can do some more.”
Smith avoided elimination despite being swept
up in an 11-car wreck on Lap 13. He spent the rest of the race
waiting anxiously to learn whether he would advance to the Round of
8.
“It sucks, for sure,” Smith said after the
accident. “They just kept getting bunched up. My teammate (Chase
Purdy) got all out of shape, and I was just kind of an innocent
bystander.”
Also exiting the Playoff was Todd Gilliland,
whose No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford retired from the race after
47 laps because of engine issues. Gilliland had finished second in
Stage 1 (won by Hill) and seventh in Stage 2 (won by Derek Kraus)
before the mechanical failure.
Chandler Smith ran third, giving non-Playoff
drivers the top three positions. Rhodes was fourth, followed by
Codie Rohrbaugh, Jordan Anderson, Moffitt, Crafton, Kaz Grala and
Kraus.
NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Race
– 15th Annual Chevrolet Silverado 250
Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega, Alabama
Saturday, October 3, 2020
1. (15) Raphael Lessard #,
Toyota, 94.
2. (25) Trevor Bayne,
Chevrolet, 94.
3. (5) Chandler Smith,
Toyota, 94.
4. (11) Ben Rhodes (P), Ford,
94.
5. (34) Codie Rohrbaugh,
Chevrolet, 94.
6. (26) Jordan Anderson,
Chevrolet, 94.
7. (8) Brett Moffitt (P),
Chevrolet, 94.
8. (7) Matt Crafton (P),
Ford, 94.
9. (28) Kaz Grala(i),
Chevrolet, 94.
10. (17) Derek Kraus #,
Toyota, 94.
11. (14) Johnny Sauter, Ford,
94.
12. (1) Sheldon Creed (P),
Chevrolet, 94.
13. (4) Grant Enfinger (P),
Ford, 94.
14. (22) Clay Greenfield,
Toyota, 94.
15. (21) Bayley Currey,
Chevrolet, 94.
16. (9) Tyler Ankrum (P),
Chevrolet, 94.
17. (13) Stewart Friesen,
Toyota, 94.
18. (6) Christian Eckes #
(P), Toyota, Accident, 93.
19. (2) Austin Hill (P),
Toyota, Accident, 93.
20. (19) Austin Wayne Self,
Chevrolet, 93.
21. (38) Bryan Dauzat,
Chevrolet, 93.
22. (36) Norm Benning,
Chevrolet, 93.
23. (32) Josh Reaume, Toyota,
93.
24. (31) Jennifer Jo Cobb,
Chevrolet, 92.
25. (30) Jason White, Toyota,
92.
26. (37) Robby Lyons(i),
Chevrolet, 92.
27. (27) Ray Ciccarelli,
Chevrolet, 88.
28. (10) Todd Gilliland (P),
Ford, Engine, 47.
29. (12) Tanner Gray #, Ford,
Accident, 47.
30. (23) Gus Dean, Chevrolet,
Accident, 36.
31. (16) Tate Fogleman #,
Chevrolet, Accident, 19.
32. (18) Chase Purdy,
Chevrolet, Accident, 12.
33. (3) Zane Smith # (P),
Chevrolet, Accident, 12.
34. (20) Danny Bohn, Toyota,
Accident, 12.
35. (33) Dawson Cram,
Chevrolet, Accident, 12.
36. (29) Korbin Forrister,
Ford, Accident, 12.
37. (35) Joe Nemechek, Ford,
Accident, 12.
38. (24) Spencer Boyd,
Chevrolet, Accident, 12.
Average Speed of Race Winner: 129.424 mph.
Time of Race: 1 Hrs, 55 Mins, 55 Secs.
Margin of Victory: Under Caution Seconds.
Caution Flags: 5 for 24 laps.
Lead Changes: 14 among 10 drivers.
Lap Leaders: S. Creed (P) 1;A. Hill (P)
2;S. Creed (P) 3-4;A. Hill (P) 5-12;C. Eckes # (P) 13-18;S. Creed
(P) 19;A. Hill (P) 20-21;D. Kraus # 22-40;C. Smith 41;B. Moffitt (P)
42-54;J. Sauter 55-65;J. Cobb 66-81;S. Creed (P) 82-87;S. Friesen
88-93;R. Lessard # 94.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps
Led): Derek Kraus # 1 time for 19 laps; Jennifer Jo Cobb 1 time for
16 laps; Brett Moffitt (P) 1 time for 13 laps; Johnny Sauter 1 time
for 11 laps; Austin Hill (P) 3 times for 11 laps; Sheldon Creed (P)
4 times for 10 laps; Christian Eckes # (P) 1 time for 6 laps;
Stewart Friesen 1 time for 6 laps; Raphael Lessard # 1 time for 1
lap; Chandler Smith 1 time for 1 lap.
Stage #1 Top Ten:
16,38,18,2,99,51,56,26,23,19
Stage #2 Top Ten:
19,13,51,16,23,99,38,2,26,88
|
NASCAR
Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series
Next
Race: Speedycash.com 400
The
Place: Texas Motor Speedway
The
Date: Sunday, October 35
The
Time: 12 p.m. ET
TV: FS1,
11 a.m. ET
Radio:
MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 220.5 miles (147 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 35),
Stage 2
(Ends on Lap 70), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 147)
NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series
Truckin’ in Texas
The NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck
Series heads to Texas Motor Speedway for some Sunday afternoon action in the
Lone Star State.
The Gander Trucks will be the first of two
races on Sunday, opening for the Cup Series later in the afternoon.
Last weekend, the series took on Kansas
Speedway, where Brett Moffitt was victorious for the first time this season and
punched his ticket to the Championship 4 in Phoenix.
Moffitt’s GMS Racing teammate and fellow
Playoff driver Sheldon Creed finished in second and Austin Hill, another Playoff
driver, finished in third. Grant Enfinger finished fourth and Chandler Smith
rounded out the top five.
Creed swept both stages and led 61 laps,
but Moffitt was able to hold on for the most important ones at the end.
The race had four cautions for 24 laps and
13 lead changes among nine different drivers.
This weekend, the Speedycash.com 400 will
be at 12 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and is one of two chances
left for the Playoff drivers to secure their place in the Championship 4. With
only three spaces left, more and more is at stake.
Kyle Busch won the Gander Trucks race
earlier this season at Texas. Christian Eckes, who was eliminated in the first
round of the Playoffs, finished second and Playoff driver Matt Crafton finished
third, the highest-finishing driver still fighting for the championship.
The race at Texas in July had five
cautions for 26 laps and 15 lead changes. The Margin of Victory was .777
seconds.
Crafton is the only current Playoff driver
with a previous win at the track. Crafton and his ThorSport Racing teammate and
veteran Johnny Sauter are the only two active drivers with any win at the track.
Sunday’s race will be 220.5 miles and 147
laps. Stage 1 will end on Lap 35 and Stage 2 will end on Lap 70.
Creed will start on the pole on Sunday
with Moffitt joining him on the front row. Hill, Enfinger, Chandler Smith, Zane
Smith, Crafton, Rhodes, Ankrum and Eckes will start in the top 10.
NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series
Playoff Outlook Following Kansas-2:
Texas numbers for Gander Trucks Playoff
drivers
Below is a look at the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Round of 8
Playoff drivers at Kansas Speedway (in order of seeding):
Brett Moffitt still wants to have a good
day at Texas even though he’s already locked into the Championship 4. Sunday
will be his fifth start at Texas. He has two top fives and two top 10s in those
starts and an average start of 5.0 and average finish of 11.2. He has a best
finish of third that came in 2018 and earlier this season, he finished fifth.
He’s led 40 total laps at Texas.
Sheldon Creed is sitting in second in the
standings right now, 26 points above the cutline with 3,083 points. He will make
his fifth start at Texas on Sunday, too. He has one top 10 at the track and it
came at this race in 2019. Earlier this season, he started on the pole but
finished 16th. He has an average start of 4.5 and an average finish of 17.2.
Austin Hill is sitting in third in the
Playoffs standings, 19 points above the cutline. Hill has eight starts at Texas
with one top fives and two top 10s. He has an average start of 14.2 and an
average finish of 16.0. Earlier this season, he didn’t finish the race due to an
engine issue and finished 30th. In 2018, he got his best finish at the track in
fifth.
Zane Smith will make his second start at
Texas on Sunday. His first start at the track came earlier this season and he
started sixth and finished 19th. Smith currently occupies the final spot above
the cutline, seven points to the good with 3,064 points.
Grant Enfinger is the first driver below
the cutline with 3,057 points. He will make his eighth start at the track and
has four top fives and six top 10s in his seven total starts. He has never
finished worse than 12th and his best finish came in his debut in 2017,
finishing third. Earlier this season, he started second and finished eighth. He
has an average start of 7.3 and average finish of 6.0.
Matt Crafton is 15 points below the
cutline in sixth currently but heads to Texas with the most success of any other
Playoff driver. He will make his 40th start at Texas on Sunday. He has two wins,
17 top fives and 28 top 10s in those starts. He has an average start of 12.5 and
an average finish of 8.6. He’s led 431 laps and has completed 97.7% of laps
attempted. Most recently, he finished third earlier this season.
Ben Rhodes is 33 points below the cutline
and currently seventh in the Playoff standings. Sunday will mark his 10th start
at Texas. He has two top fives and four top 10s in those starts. He has an
average start of 11.4 and an average finish of 11.9. Earlier this season, he
started 10th and finished ninth. He has a best finish of runner-up at this race
in 2018.
Tyler Ankrum is currently taking the
eighth and final spot in the Playoff standings, 56 points below the cutline.
This weekend will mark his fourth career start at Texas. He has one top fives
and has finished in the top 10 in all of those starts. He could definitely use a
track with some good performances as it’s looking more and more like a must-win
situation for Ankrum to make the Championship 4. He has an average start of 7.7
and an average finish of 5.0. Earlier this season, he finished sixth.
Clinch Scenarios: Lone Star State edition
Brett Moffitt has clinched a spot in the
final four while the other three spots are up for grabs. Here are the clinch
scenarios for this weekend’s race at Texas, knowing that any driver could clinch
a shot at the championship with a win:
Can Clinch via Points
If there is a new winner, the following
driver could clinch by being 56 points above the second winless driver in the
standings.
-
Sheldon Creed: Could only clinch with
help
If there is a repeat winner, the following
drivers could clinch by being 56 points above the third winless driver in the
standings. They would also clinch if there was a new winner among Sheldon Creed
and Austin Hill and being 56 points above the second winless driver in the
standings.
-
Sheldon Creed: Could only clinch with
help
-
Austin Hill: Could only clinch with
help
NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series,
Etc.
James Buescher returns: NASCAR Gander RV &
Outdoors Truck Series champion James Buescher will make his Gander Trucks return
at Texas motor Speedway for Niece Motorsports. Buescher, who is from Texas, has
10 starts at the track with five top 10s and has never finished outside of the
top 20 in those starts. Buescher will race with support from FHE, a manufacturer
of FracLock. Buescher won the championship in 2012 and has 119 Gander Trucks
starts, most recently in 2015. In total, he has six career wins, five poles and
31 top-five finishes.
Hailie Deegan moving to full-time Gander
Trucks in 2021: Hailie Deegan made her NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series
debut last weekend at Kansas Speedway in the No. 17 Ford for DGR-Crosley. She
took home a 16th-place finish in her debut. During the race, it was announced
that she will transition to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2021 with
DGR-Crosley fulltime. Deegan joined the Ford Performance family in December 2019
and was also named the 2020 ARCA Menards Series Bounty Rookie of the Year. She
finished third in the ARCA Championship standings and made her debut in a Ford
at Daytona, finishing runner-up. She accumulated 17 top 10s and four top fives
in 20 races this season. All other details on her 2021 season will be announced
at a later date.
NASCAR
Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series
Next
Race: Clean Harbors 200
The
Place: Kansas Speedway
The
Date: Saturday, October 17
The
Time: 4 p.m. ET
TV: FOX,
3:30 p.m. ET
Radio:
MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 201 miles (134 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 30),
Stage 2
(Ends on Lap 60), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 134)
NASCAR Gander RV &
Outdoors Truck Series
Reset: Round of 8 kicks
off for Gander Trucks at Kansas
The NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck
Series had an off-week last weekend as the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Cup
Series took on the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL. After a weekend of recouping
and preparing, the series now heads to Kansas Speedway to kick off the next
round of the Gander Trucks Playoffs.
Prior to the series’ weekend break, the
Gander Trucks took on Talladega Superspeedway in an intense battle between the
entire field, specifically the Playoff drivers as the Round of 8 was on the
line.
Two drivers were eliminated after
Talladega – Christian Eckes in the No. 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota and Todd
Gilliland in the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford.
Raphael Lessard, the 19-year-old Canadian
and non-Playoff driver, won the Talladega elimination race in a wild, two-lap
shootout that ended early because of a wreck in Turn 3. Lessard, driver of the
No. 4 Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports, had never won a race before and called
his first career win “amazing”.
Saturday’s race at Kansas Speedway, the
Clean Harbors 200 (4 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), will be 134
laps and 201 miles and will kick off a full weekend of racing.
The series already visited Kansas once
this season for the first-ever doubleheader of the series. Austin Hill (7/24)
and Matt Crafton (7/25) were both victorious.
Crafton, the reigning champion, has 21
starts at Kansas Speedway, the most of any other active driver in the series. He
also has three wins (2013, 2015, 2020).
Hill, Crafton and Johnny Sauter are the
only three drivers in the field with wins at the track.
Chandler Smith in the No. 51 Kyle Busch
Motorsports Toyota will start on the pole on Saturday afternoon with Ben Rhodes
in the No. 99 ThorSport Racing Ford joining him on the front row.
NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series
Playoff Outlook Following Talladega:
Kansas stats for
Xfinity Playoff drivers
Below is a look at the NASCAR
Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Round of 8 Playoff drivers at Kansas Speedway
(in order of seeding):
Austin Hill has made four starts at Kansas
Speedway posting one win, two top fives and three top 10s. His win at the track
came earlier this season in the first race of the doubleheader in July. In the
second race of the doubleheader, he started 15th and finished sixth. Hill has
led 85 laps at Kansas and has an average start of 9.2 and average finish of 5.8.
Sheldon Creed will make his fourth start
at Kansas on Saturday. He has one top 10 in those starts and has led 30 total
laps. He has an average start of 9.0 and an average finish of 17.7.
Zane Smith made his Kansas Speedway debut
earlier this season during the doubleheader weekend. He finished in the top-10
in both of those starts. He has an average start of 8.5 and average finish of
7.5.
Grant Enfinger has made five starts at
Kansas in his Gander Trucks career. He has two top fives and four top 10s. Both
of his top fives came earlier this season, finishing third in both races of the
doubleheader weekend. He has led 61 laps at the track and has an average start
of 10.6 and average finish of 6.4.
Brett Moffitt has made five starts at
Kansas posting one top five and three top 10s. Moffitt’s best finish came
earlier this season, starting second and finishing in the same position. He has
an average start of 7.4 and average finish of 12.0. He has also led 36 laps at
the track.
Ben Rhodes will make his seventh start at
Kansas on Saturday. In his previous six starts, he has two top fives and three
top 10s. He’s led 36 laps and has an average start of 8.8 and an average finish
of 12.2.
Matt Crafton has made 21 starts at Kansas
Speedway, the most of any active driver in the series. He has three wins, seven
top fives and 12 top 10s. He’s led a total of 143 laps and has an average start
of 11.8 and average finish of 11.2. He is also the most recent winner at the
track, taking home the victory in the second race of the doubleheader earlier
this season.
Tyler Ankrum will make his fourth start at
Kansas this weekend. He has a best finish of 11th at the 1.5-mile speedway back
in his series track debut in 2019. He has an average start of 14.7 and an
average finish of 24.0.
Hailie Deegan to
make NASCAR national series debut at Kansas
The rising star from California,
Hailie Deegan, will be making her NASCAR national series debut this weekend in
the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series in the Clean Harbors 200 at Kansas
Speedway (4 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Deegan’s Gander Trucks start this weekend
will make her the 44th different female driver to compete in a NASCAR national
series event and the 21st different female to compete in the NASCAR Gander RV &
Outdoors Truck Series. Plus, she will be just the third female competitor to
make her Gander Trucks series debut at Kansas Speedway; joining Jennifer Jo Cobb
(April 28, 2006) and Michelle Theriault (April 28, 2006).
The first female to compete in NASCAR
national series competition was Sara Christianson in the NASCAR Cup Series at
Charlotte (Old) Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina on June 19, 1949 – she
started 13th and finished 14th in a field of 33 cars. Christianson only made
seven starts in her NASCAR Cup Series career but to this day still holds the
record for the best finish by a female in NASCAR Cup Series competition with a
fifth-place finish at Heidelberg Raceway in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on October
2, 1949.
The first female driver to compete in the
NASCAR Xfinity Series was Diane Teel back in 1982 at Martinsville Speedway. Teel
started the race 32nd and finished 26th. The best finish by a female in the
NASCAR Xfinity Series and all of NASCAR national series competition is Danica
Patrick’s fourth-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 5, 2011 – she
started the race from the 22nd starting position.
The first female driver to make a start in
the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series was Tammy Jo Kirk at Walt Disney
World Speedway on January 19, 1997 – she started ninth and finished 24th. The
best finish by a female in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series belongs
to Natalie Decker who finished a career-best fifth in the 2020 season-opener at
Daytona International Speedway.
Deegan has already accomplished a lot
cutting her teeth in the ARCA Menards Series and the ARCA Menards Series East
and West. The youngster has already posted three wins in the ARCA Menards Series
West in her career and this season in the ARCA Menards Series she has put up
four top fives, 16 top 10s and is ranked third in the championship standings.
This weekend at Kansas, Deegan will become
the second youngest female driver to make a start in the NASCAR Gander RV &
Outdoors Truck Series at the age of 19 years, 2 months and 30 days just behind
Johanna Long, who at the age of 18 years, 1 month, 28 days made her series debut
at Lucas Oil Raceway Park on July 23, 2010.
Making
Gander Trucks history at Kansas
This weekend will be the first time
the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series has competed three times at a
single track in a single season as the series heads to Kansas Speedway this
weekend for the third time in 2020.
NASCAR has raced three times or more at a
single track in a single season in the Modern Era twice in the NASCAR Cup Series
at Riverside in 1981 and at Darlington in 2020.
It has happened 21 times in the NASCAR
Xfinity Series from 1982 to Present; the Xfinity Series holds the record for the
most events a track in one season with six races at Hickory in 1982.
Prior to 2020, the last time a NASCAR
national series raced three or more times at a single track in a single season
was at Martinsville Speedway in 1990, when the NASCAR Xfinity Series competed
three times at the track that season.
NASCAR Gander RV &
Outdoors Truck Series, Etc.
Zane Smith returning to GMS Racing in
2021: GMS Racing announced that Zane Smith will return to the team in 2021 to
pilot a Chevrolet full-time. The team will announce the crew chief and
sponsorship at a later date. This season is Smith’s first full-time season in
the Gander Trucks, and he has put up some pretty good numbers. He has two wins,
four top fives and 10 top 10s. Smith is a current Round of 8 Playoff driver
fighting for a championship at Phoenix.
Bayne finishing out Gander Trucks season:
Trevor Bayne finished second last weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, a
much-needed finish in the hunt for a job next season. Bayne, who won the 2011
Daytona 500, had been working on his own car to do some local races before Al
Niece, owner of Niece Motorsports, asked him to pilot the No. 45 truck for his
team. After his finish last weekend, he announced that he will finish out the
rest of the year for the team and hopes that some more finishes like that one
will land him somewhere in 2021.
ASCAR
Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series
Next
Race: Clean Harbors 200
The
Place: Kansas Speedway
The
Date: Saturday, October 17
The
Time: 4 p.m. ET
TV: FOX,
3:30 p.m. ET
Radio:
MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 201 miles (134 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 30),
Stage 2
(Ends on Lap 60), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 134)
NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors
Truck Series
Reset: Round of 8 kicks off for Gander
Trucks at Kansas
The NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck
Series has an off-week this weekend as the Xfinity Series and Cup Series take on
the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL.
Last weekend, the Gander Trucks took on
Talladega Superspeedway in an intense battle between the entire field,
specifically the Playoff drivers as the Round of 8 was on the line.
Two drivers were eliminated after the
Talladega – Christian Eckes in the No. 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota and Todd
Gilliland in the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford.
So, the Round of 8 field is set and after
their weekend break, Kansas will be their first race of the round.
Raphael Lessard, the 19-year-old Canadian
and non-Playoff driver, won the Talladega elimination race in a wild, two-lap
shootout that ended early because of a wreck in Turn 3. Lessard, who driver the
No. 4 Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports, had never won a race before and called
his first career win “amazing.”
Next Saturday’s race at Kansas Speedway,
the Clean Harbors 200 (4 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), will be
134 laps and 201 miles.
The series already visited Kansas once
this season for the first-ever doubleheader of the series. Austin Hill and Matt
Crafton were both victorious that weekend and will head into next weekend with
that momentum on their side.
Crafton, the reigning champion, has 21
starts at Kansas Speedway, the most of any other active driver in the series. He
also has three wins.
Hill, Crafton and Johnny Sauter are the
only two drivers in the field with wins at the track.
Currently, the seedings heading into
Kansas are as follows:
Austin Hill – 3028 points
Sheldon Creed – 3028 points
Zane Smith – 3022 points
Grant Enfinger – 3019 points
Brett Moffitt – 3016 points
Ben Rhodes – 3014 points
Matt Crafton – 3009 points
Tyler Ankrum – 3003 points
Competition highlights: Gander Trucks
The 2020 Gander Trucks season has proved
to be one of the strongest field of drivers so far with high intensity racing
each week and excitement at various tracks.
Here’s a look at some of the standout
competition statistics so far this year:
-
The 2020 season had produced the
third-most green flag passes for the lead (452) through the first 19 races
in the last 14 seasons (2007-2020). The 2011 season has produced the
series-most at 502.
-
The 2020 season has seen a
year-over-year increase of green flag passes for the lead of +13.0% compared
to 2019 (400) through 19 races.
-
The 2020 season had produced the
second-most green flag passes (27,569) in the last 14 seasons (2007-2020);
up +54.3% from the 2019 season through 19 races (17,866).
-
The average number of lead changes per
race (11.53) through the first 19 events are the most since 2018 (12.05).
-
The average number of leaders per race
(6.84) through the first 19 events are the most since 2018 (6.89).
-
12 of this season’s 19 races have had
a margin of victory of less than a second. The average margin of victory for
the first 19 races of 2020 is 1.472 seconds.
-
The 2020 season has produced 11
different winners, led by ThorSport Racing’s Grant Enfinger, GMS Racing’s
Sheldon Creed and Kyle Busch Motorsport’s Kyle Busch with three victories
each.
-
Chevrolet and Toyota lead the series
in wins in 2020 with seven victories each.
NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series,
Etc.
Bayne
finishing out Gander Trucks season:
Trevor Bayne finished second last weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, a
much-needed finish in the hunt for a job next season. Bayne, who won the 2011
Daytona 500, had been working on his own car to do some local races before Al
Niece, owner of Niece Motorsports, asked him to pilot the No. 45 truck for his
team. After his finish last weekend, he announced that he will finish out the
rest of the year for the team and hopes that some more finishes like that one
will land him somewhere in 2021.
|
|
Finalists Announced for The
NASCAR Foundation’s
10th Annual Betty Jane France
Humanitarian Award
-
Online Fan Voting to Run Through November 4
-
Winner’s Charity to Receive $100,000 Donation from The NASCAR Foundation
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 11,
2020) – The NASCAR Foundation announced today the four finalists for its
10th Annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award, initiating a nearly
month-long online fan vote to determine the award winner. The finalists were
introduced on FOX Sports Race Hub during its pre-race coverage of the Bank
of America ROVAL 400, the finale of the “Round of 12” in the NASCAR Cup
Series Playoffs.
The award,
named in honor of the foundation’s late founder and chairwoman, is presented
to a NASCAR fan who has done exceptional volunteer work on behalf of
children in their community. This year marks the 10th annual presentation of
the award, which to date has recognized 36 finalists with a total of
$1,575,000 in contributions to the causes they represent.
The 10th annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award
finalists include:
·
Daryl Farler of Franklin, Tennessee, a NASCAR fan for 35
years, represents Amputee Blade Runners of Tennessee, an organization that
provides free running and sports prosthetics to lower-limb amputees seeking
a more active lifestyle. He is a founder and volunteer for 10 years helping
interview and mentor the children who seek their services.
·
Charlene Greer of Ormond Beach, Florida, a lifelong NASCAR
fan, represents the Boys and Girls Clubs of Volusia / Flagler. Greer has
volunteered and advocated for the organization for nine years and now serves
on its Board of Directors. She helps to organize and fund its annual Honor
Roll Banquet and Christmas celebration.
·
Larry Jordan of Dacula, Georgia, a NASCAR fan for 21 years,
represents Angel Flight Soars, Inc., the original volunteer pilot
organization that helps to strengthen families in crisis by eliminating the
transportation concern for necessary medical care. Jordan has donated his
time as a volunteer pilot for 21 years and flown over 115 mission flights
for children and adults needing distant, specialized medical treatment.
·
Rich Langley of Virginia Beach, Virginia, a NASCAR fan for
over 45 years, represents Roc Solid Foundation of North Carolina, an
organization devoted to use the power of ‘play’ to defeat pediatric cancer.
Langley has volunteered and led fundraising efforts for nine years while
building 120 playsets and completing 25 travel projects across the U.S.
“Each of
this year’s Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award finalists stand out as
amazingly kindhearted people who are avid NASCAR fans,” said Mike Helton,
The NASCAR Foundation Chairman. “They each embody Betty Jane France’s
compassionate spirit and mission to improve the lives of children.”
“These
finalists are incorporating NASCAR and the excitement of the sport into the
important work they do – enriching children’s lives. Each one of them is
exceptional and I think our fans will have a tough choice voting for just
one.”
Results of the
fan vote – which begins today and runs through Nov. 4
at 12 p.m. (ET), conducted at
NASCARfoundation.org/Award
– will be announced
virtually.
Each of the finalists is guaranteed a minimum donation of
$25,000 from The NASCAR Foundation with the overall winner receiving a
$100,000 donation from The NASCAR Foundation.
To learn
more about The NASCAR Foundation’s Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award and
the 2020 finalists, visit
NASCARfoundation.org/Award.
NASCAR Hall of Fame to Postpone Class of 2021 Induction
Ceremony
Inductees Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Red Farmer, the
late Mike Stefanik and Landmark Award recipient Ralph Seagraves to be
honored in ceremony slated for 2022
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (October 8, 2020) — The
NASCAR Hall of Fame announced today that it will postpone the Induction
Ceremony and Induction Week events for the Class of 2021. The decision was
made in partnership with NASCAR after very thorough and thoughtful
conversations regarding how best to plan and execute one of the sport’s most
cherished moments while facing the ongoing uncertainties of the COVID-19
pandemic.
The Induction Ceremony, which was set
to take place on Friday, February 5, 2021, is now anticipated for early
2022. The Class of 2021 consists of Dale
Earnhardt, Jr., Red Farmer, the late Mike Stefanik and Landmark Award
recipient Ralph Seagraves.
"Without question, the safety of our inductees, our guests and our staff is
the highest priority for us," said Winston Kelley, NASCAR Hall of Fame
Executive Director. "The ongoing public health crisis prohibits our ability
to plan for and celebrate these honorees' landmark achievements as
originally scheduled to the fullest extent – with their families, friends
and fans present – and in a manner that’s representative of their incredible
accomplishments in NASCAR and their contributions to the sport."
The celebration
annually draws fans, members and visitors from across the country to a
variety of special events throughout the week at the NASCAR Hall of Fame,
leading up to the official Induction Dinner and Ceremony. In addition to
class Inductees and the Landmark Award recipient, the Squier-Hall Award for
NASCAR Media Excellence is also recognized during the week’s events.
It is anticipated
that the new date for the Class of 2021 Induction Ceremony and Induction
Week events will be announced sometime in summer 2021. In addition, events
celebrating both the class of 2020 and 2021 are hopeful for later in 2021.
The Class of 2020 exhibit in the museum’s Hall of Honor will
remain on display until the Class of 2021 is enshrined in 2022. The NASCAR
Hall of Fame recently reopened its doors to the public with enhanced safety
measures following six months of closure due to COVID-19 restrictions.
To learn more about the NASCAR Hall of
Fame, the Class of 2021 and current exhibits visit nascarhall.com.
|
NASCAR Drive for
Diversity Awards Celebrate Leaders Championing Inclusion
Virtual Event
Recognizes 10 Diversity Trailblazers Across the NASCAR Industry
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.
(October 8, 2020) – NASCAR will host the 13th annual NASCAR Drive
for Diversity Awards today in celebration of the sport’s diversity and
inclusion trailblazers. A special virtual ceremony will honor industry
members whose pioneering efforts are making a difference both on and off the
racetrack.
NASCAR executives,
drivers, pit crew members, partners and other industry leaders will gather
virtually to recognize the contributions of 10 deserving awardees who are
setting an example by advocating for diversity and inclusion across the
NASCAR industry.
“As we continue in our
mission to enhance diversity across this great sport, we are inspired by the
stories and efforts of so many leaders within the industry who are setting
positive examples and driving meaningful change,” said NASCAR President
Steve Phelps. “We are proud to recognize these 10 individuals and
organizations whose hard work and accomplishments are having a profound
impact and contributing to a more diverse and inclusive NASCAR.”
The NASCAR Drive for Diversity Awards are traditionally held
in the spring and recognize winners for their efforts and contributions the
previous year. The 2020 event, postponed due to the impact of COVID-19, will
mark the first live-stream of the awards.
The 2020 NASCAR Drive
for Diversity Award recipients are as follows:
Diverse Driver Award: Hailie Deegan, DGR-Crosley – Deegan became the first
female to win a race in the former NASCAR West Series and the first female
to earn Rookie of the Year (2018). Her third-place finish among 2019
championship standings was the highest for a female driver in series
history. In the ARCA Menards Series this season, Deegan has already matched
the highest finish in a race by a female (second, twice) and currently leads
the series’ Bounty Rookie of the Year standings. Off the track, Deegan is
constantly engaging with fans on social media to grow her following and
overall brand.
Young Racer Award: Isabella Robusto, Rev Racing –
Robusto is in her fourth season with Rev Racing and the NASCAR Drive for
Diversity Program. She competed as a youth driver in the Legends division
during her first three seasons with the team. Robusto currently competes
full-time in a Late Model Stock car. She uses her voice and position
to support The NASCAR Foundation, most recently by participating in the #GivingTuesdayNow
campaign to bring awareness for efforts to help children dealing with the
effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Crew Member Award:
Brehanna Daniels, Independent Contractor - Daniels made history in 2019 when
she became the first female African-American graduate of the NASCAR Drive
for Diversity Pit Crew Development Program to pit in the DAYTONA 500 at
Daytona International Speedway. Daniels currently works with aspiring pit
crew members as a mentor and coach helping them to pursue their career
dreams. Daniels has been featured on national morning shows and The Titan
Games on NBC.
Outstanding Intern
Award: Monon Rahman, Rick Ware Racing - Rahman was a member of the 2019
NASCAR Diversity Internship Program class working at the NASCAR Research &
Development Center in Concord, N.C. Upon completing his internship, he was
hired as lead engineer at Rick Ware Racing working on the NASCAR Cup Series,
NASCAR Xfinity Series and IMSA teams. Monon graduated from the University of
Kentucky at age 19 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Partner Award: The
Coca-Cola Company - In
2019, Coca-Cola brought together a collective of industry partners to
establish Daniel’s Amigos, a fan-facing initiative to welcome new fans into
NASCAR by connecting around shared cultural passion points of sports,
racing, music, family, food and togetherness. This initiative strives to
create deep and meaningful at-track experiences to increase the sport’s
connection and interest within the Hispanic community.
Institution Award:
Urban Chamber of Commerce, Las Vegas – The Urban Chamber of Commerce in Las
Vegas is being recognized for its efforts to help educate the local
community about NASCAR and its diversity and inclusion initiatives. Urban
Chamber members helped turn their memorable experience during a 2018 NASCAR
Cup Series race – part of a NASCAR Opinion Leader Initiative activation at
Las Vegas Motor Speedway – into a three-day outreach event surrounding the
race weekend a year later.
Industry Ambassador
Award: Jennifer Satterfield-Siegel, Rev Racing – Satterfield-Siegel is the
first African-American female team owner and sponsor in the NASCAR Touring
Series. She and her husband, Max Siegel, co-own and manage Rev Racing. An
Indianapolis native, Satterfield-Siegel has made a national impact with her
involvement in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program.
National Series Driver Award: Jimmie Johnson, Hendrick
Motorsports -
On the track, Johnson is known as a seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion,
tying NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. He has also
spent his career pursuing excellence off the racetrack as a philanthropist,
triathlete, businessman and father. More than a decade ago, Jimmie and his
wife established the Jimmie Johnson Foundation which has impacted diverse
youth and communities through $12 million in support to various
organizations.
Track Award: World Wide
Technology Raceway (WWT)– The raceway partnered on a youth outreach program
with the Jackie Joyner Kersee Foundation (JJK), NASCAR Diversity & Inclusion
and NASCAR Acceleration Nation. During the summer of 2018, WWT Raceway
personnel visited JJK’s center along with NASCAR drivers, and have also
assisted with an iRacing program at JJK. More than 120 children and their
families were treated to a day at the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck
Series race.
Team Award: Richard
Childress Racing (RCR) - Richard Childress Racing is a team that engages
drivers, manufacturers and sponsors to effectively reach fans on and off the
track in support of NASCAR’s diversity and inclusion goals. Several pit crew
members who have trained with the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Pit Crew
Development Program now pit for RCR. Additionally, the team recently named
its first woman vice president and currently has a total of four women
serving in director-level or higher roles within the marketing and
communications departments.
The NASCAR Cup Series’
Bank of America ROVAL 400 will be broadcast live from Charlotte Motor
Speedway Road Course on Sunday, October 11 at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC and
SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
|
|
 cup series |
 afinity
series |
|
Date |
Race |
Track |
| 2/9 |
Busch Clash at
Daytona |
Daytona
International Speedway |
| 2/13 |
Bluegreen Vacations
Duel at Daytona |
Daytona
International Speedway |
| 2/16 |
Daytona 500 |
Daytona
International Speedway |
| 2/23 |
Pennzoil 400 |
Las Vegas Motor
Speedway |
| 3/1 |
Auto Club 400 |
Auto Club Speedway |
| 3/8 |
FanShield 500 |
Phoenix Raceway |
| 3/15 |
Folds of Honor
QuikTrip 500 |
Atlanta Motor
Speedway |
| 3/22 |
Dixie Vodka 400 |
Homestead-Miami
Speedway |
| 3/29 |
O’Reilly Auto Parts
500 |
Texas Motor Speedway |
| 4/5 |
Food City 500 |
Bristol Motor
Speedway |
| 4/19 |
Toyota Owners 400 |
Richmond Raceway |
| 4/26 |
GEICO 500 |
Talladega
Superspeedway |
| 5/3 |
Dover 400 |
Dover International
Speedway |
| 5/9 |
Martinsville 500 |
Martinsville
Speedway |
| 5/16 |
NASCAR All-Star Race |
Charlotte Motor
Speedway |
| 5/24 |
Coca-Cola 600 |
Charlotte Motor
Speedway |
| 5/31 |
Kansas 400 |
Kansas Speedway |
| 6/7 |
FireKeepers Casino
400 |
Michigan
International Speedway |
| 6/14 |
Toyota/Save Mart 350 |
Sonoma Raceway |
| 6/21 |
Chicagoland 400 |
Chicagoland Speedway |
| 6/27 |
Pocono Race #1 |
Pocono Raceway |
| 6/28 |
Pocono Race #2 |
Pocono Raceway |
| 7/5 |
Big Machine Vodka
400 at the Brickyard |
Indianapolis Motor
Speedway |
| 7/11 |
Quaker State 400 |
Kentucky Speedway |
| 7/19 |
Foxwoods Casino 301 |
New Hampshire Motor
Speedway |
| 8/9 |
Consumers Energy 400 |
Michigan
International Speedway |
| 8/16 |
Go Bowling at The
Glen |
Watkins Glen
International |
| 8/23 |
Drydene 400 |
Dover International
Speedway |
| 8/29 |
Coke Zero Sugar 400 |
Daytona
International Speedway |
| 9/6 |
Southern 500 |
Darlington Raceway |
| 9/12 |
Federated Auto Parts
400 |
Richmond Raceway |
| 9/19 |
Bass Pro Shops NRA
Night Race |
Bristol Motor
Speedway |
| 9/27 |
South Point 400 |
Las Vegas Motor
Speedway |
| 10/4 |
Alabama 500 |
Talladega
Superspeedway |
| 10/11 |
Bank of America
ROVAL 400 |
Charlotte Motor
Speedway Roval |
| 10/18 |
Hollywood Casino 400 |
Kansas Speedway |
| 10/25 |
Texas 500 |
Texas Motor Speedway |
| 11/1 |
Martinsville 500 |
Martinsville
Speedway |
| 11/8 |
Phoenix 500 |
Phoenix Raceway |
|
| 2/15 |
NASCAR Racing
Experience 300 |
Daytona
International Speedway |
| 2/22 |
Boyd Gaming 300 |
Las Vegas Motor
Speedway |
| 2/29 |
Production Alliance
Group 300 |
Auto Club Speedway |
| 3/7 |
LS Tractor 200 |
Phoenix Raceway |
| 3/14 |
Atlanta 250 |
Atlanta Motor
Speedway |
| 3/21 |
Homestead-Miami 300 |
Homestead-Miami
Speedway |
| 3/28 |
My Bariatric
Solutions 300 |
Texas Motor
Speedway |
| 4/4 |
Alsco 300 |
Bristol Motor
Speedway |
| 4/25 |
MoneyLion 300 |
Talladega
Superspeedway |
| 5/2 |
Dover 200 |
Dover International
Speedway |
| 5/23 |
Alsco 300 |
Charlotte Motor
Speedway |
| 5/30 |
Mid-Ohio 170 |
Mid-Ohio Sports Car
Course |
| 6/6 |
Lti Printing 250 |
Michigan
International Speedway |
| 6/13 |
Iowa 250 |
Iowa Speedway |
| 6/20 |
Chicagoland 300 |
Chicagoland
Speedway |
| 6/28 |
Pocono Green 250 |
Pocono Raceway |
| 7/4 |
Pennzoil 150 at the
Brickyard |
Indianapolis Motor
Speedway Road Course |
| 7/10 |
Alsco 300 |
Kentucky Speedway |
| 7/18 |
New Hampshire 200 |
New Hampshire Motor
Speedway |
| 8/1 |
U.S. Cellular 250 |
Iowa Speedway |
| 8/8 |
Henry 180 |
Road America |
| 8/15 |
Watkins Glen 200 |
Watkins Glen
International |
| 8/22 |
Dover 200 |
Dover International
Speedway |
| 8/28 |
Coca-Cola 250 |
Daytona
International Speedway |
| 9/5 |
Sport Clips
Haircuts VFW 200 |
Darlington Raceway |
| 9/11 |
GoBowling 250 |
Richmond Raceway |
| 9/18 |
Food City 300 |
Bristol Motor
Speedway |
| 9/26 |
Las Vegas 300 |
Las Vegas Motor
Speedway |
| 10/10 |
Drive for the Cure
250 |
Charlotte Motor
Speedway Road Course |
| 10/17 |
Kansas Lottery 300 |
Kansas Speedway |
| 10/24 |
O’Reilly Auto Parts
300 |
Texas Motor
Speedway |
| 10/31 |
Xfinity Series Race
at Martinsville |
Martinsville
Speedway |
| 11/7 |
Phoenix 200 |
Phoenix Raceway |
|
 gander
mountain truck series |
|
| 2/14 |
NextEra Energy
Resources 250 |
Daytona
International Speedway |
| 2/21 |
Strat 200 |
Las Vegas Motor
Speedway |
| 3/14 |
Georgia 200 |
Atlanta Motor
Speedway |
| 3/22 |
Homestead-Miami 200 |
Homestead-Miami
Speedway |
| 3/27 |
Vankor 350 |
Texas Motor
Speedway |
| 4/18 |
ToyotaCare 250 |
Richmond Raceway |
| 5/1 |
Dover 200 |
Dover International
Speedway |
| 5/15 |
NC Education
Lottery 200 |
Charlotte Motor
Speedway |
| 5/30 |
Kansas 250 |
Kansas Speedway |
| 6/5 |
SpeedyCash.com 400 |
Texas Motor
Speedway |
| 6/12 |
Iowa 200 |
Iowa Speedway |
| 6/19 |
Chicagoland 225 |
Chicagoland
Speedway |
| 6/27 |
Pocono 150 |
Pocono Raceway |
| 7/9 |
Buckle Up In Your
Truck 250 |
Kentucky Speedway |
| 7/30 |
Eldora Dirt Derby |
Eldora Speedway |
| 8/8 |
Michigan 200 |
Michigan
International Speedway |
| 8/21 |
Gateway 200 |
World Wide
Technology Raceway at Gateway |
| 9/6 |
Chevy Silveradao
250 |
Canadian Tire
Motorsport Park |
| 9/17 |
UNOH 200 presented
by Ohio Logistics |
Bristol Motor
Speedway |
| 9/25 |
World of Westgate
200 |
Las Vegas Motor
Speedway |
| 10/3 |
Sugarlands Shine
250 |
Talladega
Superspeedway |
| 10/30 |
NGROTS Race at
Martinsville |
Martinsville
Speedway |
| 11/6 |
Lucas Oil 150 |
Phoenix Raceway |
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