Brad Keselowski won the Pocono Green 250 after making a last lap pass on Kyle Larson down the backstretch. It is Keselowski's 35th career win in the Xfinity Series and it snapped a race win-less streak dating back to Texas Motor Speedway in 2015.
Rookie Kyle Benajmin was on the pole, alongside was another rookie Daniel Hemric. 25 laps made up stages 1 and 2, while 50 laps made up the final stage.
When stage 1 began, Benajmin set the world on fire before handing the lead to Brad Keselowski on lap 22, as Benjamin encountered lap traffic. Keselowski went on to win stage 1.
Stage 2 took place on lap 31 with Cole Custer, who pitted toward the end of stage 1 and Benjamin who won the race off pit road on the front row. Custer immediately jumped out front leading for ten laps, until Benjamin re-took the lead on lap 57. Keselowski was able to run down the leaders and take the lead on lap 39. Keselowski once again had a strong performance and went on to win stage 2.
The final stage was set on lap 56 with Benjamin out front. Keselowski resumed the lead on lap 62. He would remain the leader until pit stops started with 36 laps to go. This would begin a series of pit stops and varying strategies. Justin Allgaier and Brendan Gaughan stayed out hoping the race would remain green all the way. However, a caution came out on lap 78 for Brandon Jones, who blew a tire on the frontstretch.
With 16 laps to go for the restart, Custer and Keselowski regained the lead after their pit strategy played out. After the restart, Elliott Sadler pushed Keselowski up the track, causing the 22 (Keselowski) to loose the lead and drop several spots. Thus allowing Kyle Larson to take the lead after that.
Keselowski rebounded and drove all the way up to third. With four laps to go, there was a three way battle for the win. Keselowski was able to get by Allgaier. However, Keselowski had to keep chipping away Larson for the win lap by lap.
Keselowski made a last lap pass on Larson down the back straight. Keselowski held on and won the Pocono Green 250 at Pocono Raceway.
There were six leaders among 13 lead changes, with three cautions for 15 laps.
Keselowski led five times for 29 laps.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series head to Michigan International Speedway Saturday June 17.
Saturday, June 10, 2017
Saturday, June 3, 2017
Matt Tifft Rebounds To A Top Ten Finish At Dover
After starting in the sixth position in qualifying, Matt Tifft driver of the no.19 Tunity Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing was looking for a solid finish at the "Monster Mile." However, it would come with challenges in the early parts of the race.
In the late going of stage 1, Tifft experienced tire troubles forcing him to come down pit road and go one lap down. This meant Tifft missed out on playoff points in the first stage.
It would take several laps for Tifft to get back on the lead lap. His big break would come on a lap 91 caution, as he would receive the free pass to get back on the lead lap. Another break came on lap 111, where a caution allowed Tifft to pit.
As Stage 3 began, the top six cars stayed out including Tifft. Tifft was in the top five before falling back again. He eventually rebounded and finished in the ninth positing, giving him his third top 10 of the year.
"It was a solid day for us. We had to play a strategy card before the start of the third stage just because Daniel (Suarez) and I both had the right fronts go consecutive laps, so it was great to fight back from two laps down to get to that point, but I think those guys just had a little bit fresher tires there at the end which helped them a little bit, but we just got a little bit too tight on the longer run."
"Overall, it was a good day for Tunity Camry. We needed these days each and every weekend and hopefully we can just build from this and try to do the same thing every week, but it's good to have a day where we're running up front and competing up front and, yeah, things kind of played out to where we had to fight back, but it could have been a whole lot worse, so glad to have a good solid day."
In the late going of stage 1, Tifft experienced tire troubles forcing him to come down pit road and go one lap down. This meant Tifft missed out on playoff points in the first stage.
It would take several laps for Tifft to get back on the lead lap. His big break would come on a lap 91 caution, as he would receive the free pass to get back on the lead lap. Another break came on lap 111, where a caution allowed Tifft to pit.
As Stage 3 began, the top six cars stayed out including Tifft. Tifft was in the top five before falling back again. He eventually rebounded and finished in the ninth positing, giving him his third top 10 of the year.
"It was a solid day for us. We had to play a strategy card before the start of the third stage just because Daniel (Suarez) and I both had the right fronts go consecutive laps, so it was great to fight back from two laps down to get to that point, but I think those guys just had a little bit fresher tires there at the end which helped them a little bit, but we just got a little bit too tight on the longer run."
"Overall, it was a good day for Tunity Camry. We needed these days each and every weekend and hopefully we can just build from this and try to do the same thing every week, but it's good to have a day where we're running up front and competing up front and, yeah, things kind of played out to where we had to fight back, but it could have been a whole lot worse, so glad to have a good solid day."
Kyle Larson Wins OneMain Financial 200 At Dover
Kyle Larson won the OneMain Financial 200 at Dover International Speedway. It was his third Xfinity Series win of the 2017 season and seventh career win.
It was the eleventh race of the 2017 season for the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The race had three stages. 60 laps made up stages 1 and 2, while 80 laps made up the final stage. Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney made up the front row in qualifying.
When stage 1 began, Larson set sail and checked out early. However, the first caution slowed the paced on lap 5 where Ryan Seig and Brendan Gaughan got together. After the early caution, Larson started to check out again, but another caution took place on lap 26 for Brandon Jones, who spun off of turn 4. Two more cautions would take place on lap 33 and 41, but Larson was able to hang on and win stage 1. Right before the stage ended, however, both Matt Tifft and Daniel Suarez had a flat tire and pitted. William Byron and Brennan Poole transferred for Dash 4 Cash.
Stage 2 took place on lap 67. Austin Dillon stayed out due to not having enough set of tires, therefore assuming the lead, along with Larson on the front row. With crash damage from the lap 41 caution, Dillon could not hang on and this saw Larson take the lead. Just eight laps later, a caution came out for Spencer Gallagher who stalled in turn 2, Daniel Suarez caught a break and received the free pass.
After the restart, Ryan Blaney took the lead on lap 88. Two laps later, Harrison Rhodes brought out another caution, this time Matt Tifft was back on the lead lap after having problems in stage 1.
Blaney remained in the lead until a caution came out on lap 111 for debris from Erik Jones car, which blew up a few laps earlier. After a restart, Darrell Wallace Jr took the lead on lap 116 and would hang on to win stage 2. He and Elliott Sadler would round out the Dash 4 Cash transfer spots.
When the race restarted with 73 laps to go for stage 3, the top six stayed out, including Suarez and he would end up being the race leader. Suarez would lead for 19 laps until Larson took the lead down the backstretch with 54 laps to go. As Suarez began slipping back, Blaney came back in to picture with 47 laps to go by taking second place.
However, Larson would remain the race leader all the way to the checkered flag, with Blaney finishing in second.
William Byron won the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash.
There were ten cautions for 45 laps with six leaders among nine lead changes. Larson led three times for 137 laps.
The next scheduled NASCAR Xfinity Series is Saturday June 10 at Pocono Raceway.
It was the eleventh race of the 2017 season for the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The race had three stages. 60 laps made up stages 1 and 2, while 80 laps made up the final stage. Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney made up the front row in qualifying.
When stage 1 began, Larson set sail and checked out early. However, the first caution slowed the paced on lap 5 where Ryan Seig and Brendan Gaughan got together. After the early caution, Larson started to check out again, but another caution took place on lap 26 for Brandon Jones, who spun off of turn 4. Two more cautions would take place on lap 33 and 41, but Larson was able to hang on and win stage 1. Right before the stage ended, however, both Matt Tifft and Daniel Suarez had a flat tire and pitted. William Byron and Brennan Poole transferred for Dash 4 Cash.
Stage 2 took place on lap 67. Austin Dillon stayed out due to not having enough set of tires, therefore assuming the lead, along with Larson on the front row. With crash damage from the lap 41 caution, Dillon could not hang on and this saw Larson take the lead. Just eight laps later, a caution came out for Spencer Gallagher who stalled in turn 2, Daniel Suarez caught a break and received the free pass.
After the restart, Ryan Blaney took the lead on lap 88. Two laps later, Harrison Rhodes brought out another caution, this time Matt Tifft was back on the lead lap after having problems in stage 1.
Blaney remained in the lead until a caution came out on lap 111 for debris from Erik Jones car, which blew up a few laps earlier. After a restart, Darrell Wallace Jr took the lead on lap 116 and would hang on to win stage 2. He and Elliott Sadler would round out the Dash 4 Cash transfer spots.
When the race restarted with 73 laps to go for stage 3, the top six stayed out, including Suarez and he would end up being the race leader. Suarez would lead for 19 laps until Larson took the lead down the backstretch with 54 laps to go. As Suarez began slipping back, Blaney came back in to picture with 47 laps to go by taking second place.
However, Larson would remain the race leader all the way to the checkered flag, with Blaney finishing in second.
William Byron won the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash.
There were ten cautions for 45 laps with six leaders among nine lead changes. Larson led three times for 137 laps.
The next scheduled NASCAR Xfinity Series is Saturday June 10 at Pocono Raceway.
Saturday, May 27, 2017
Christopher Bell Finishes Top Five In NASCAR Xfinity Series Debut
Christopher Bell was making his first NASCAR Xfinity Series start today at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Needless to say, it was an impressive debut, but it didn't come without adversity.
On the second lap, Bell was turned by Ryan Reed, therefore causing him to spin out on the front stretch. The no.18 Sirius XM Toyota went sliding through the grass. With some concern, the team thought there would be damage to the splitter. However, there was no damage done to the splitter, but Bell had to rebound from the back.
Bell would fight tight conditions all day long after being in the back. With multiple cautions late, Bell was able to catch up toward the front end of the pack. Late in the going, Bell was in the top 10, before eventually getting in the top five.
Nonetheless, after being the first caution early, Bell rebounded and finished fourth in his Xfinity Series debut at Charlotte.
Christopher Bell Quote
"JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) brought a really fast SiriusXm Camry today, just really thankful to be in this No.18 car. We had to fight through a lot of adversity there, we had a lot of issues there. We would start passing guys and we'd have to go back and start at the tail. I'm glad it was 200 laps because we used every single bit of it. We didn't have a lot of luck on the restarts at the beginning of the race starting on the bottom, but we got the luck when we needed it at the end."
Bell's next race is slated for Iowa in June.
On the second lap, Bell was turned by Ryan Reed, therefore causing him to spin out on the front stretch. The no.18 Sirius XM Toyota went sliding through the grass. With some concern, the team thought there would be damage to the splitter. However, there was no damage done to the splitter, but Bell had to rebound from the back.
Bell would fight tight conditions all day long after being in the back. With multiple cautions late, Bell was able to catch up toward the front end of the pack. Late in the going, Bell was in the top 10, before eventually getting in the top five.
Nonetheless, after being the first caution early, Bell rebounded and finished fourth in his Xfinity Series debut at Charlotte.
Christopher Bell Quote
"JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) brought a really fast SiriusXm Camry today, just really thankful to be in this No.18 car. We had to fight through a lot of adversity there, we had a lot of issues there. We would start passing guys and we'd have to go back and start at the tail. I'm glad it was 200 laps because we used every single bit of it. We didn't have a lot of luck on the restarts at the beginning of the race starting on the bottom, but we got the luck when we needed it at the end."
Bell's next race is slated for Iowa in June.
Austin Dillon Rebounds After A Start Violation
After starting on the front row, Austin Dillon came across some controversy on the start. It was ruled a violation by NASCAR. This meant Dillon had to be sent to the back, however, a caution that came out on lap two saved him. He still had to be sent to the rear before the restart.
With a strong car, Dillon worked his way up to 13th midway during the first stage. Although, another break for Dillon came on lap 20 where a caution came out once again. Dillon came back from the rear to finish seventh in stage one.
Dillon stayed up front for majority of stage two. He would end up finishing third. When the caution came out with 42 laps to go, most of the field came down pit road for tires and fuel, including Dillon. Dillon was able to win the race off pit road.
Dillon and Kevin Harvick would be on the front row for the restart with 37 laps to go. He held on to the lead before the restart with 14 laps to go, where the car began to slip a bit. However, Dillon rebounded after a start violation to finish in the third position.
Austin Dillon Quote
"We did a really good job adjusting the car over the course of the race. The Rheem Chevrolet really came to us at the end when the clouds came in. I hate that we weren't able to visit Victory Lane today for our pit crew, especially. They did such a good job today. So did my crew chief, Randall Burnett. We had a few restarts there but we were in a Penske sandwich and couldn't do much about it. I got hit on the restart and it just wasn't enough to carry me in Turn 1. I had a lot of fun today. I'm proud of this RCR XFINITY Series program."
Dillon led once for 20 laps in today's race.
With a strong car, Dillon worked his way up to 13th midway during the first stage. Although, another break for Dillon came on lap 20 where a caution came out once again. Dillon came back from the rear to finish seventh in stage one.
Dillon stayed up front for majority of stage two. He would end up finishing third. When the caution came out with 42 laps to go, most of the field came down pit road for tires and fuel, including Dillon. Dillon was able to win the race off pit road.
Dillon and Kevin Harvick would be on the front row for the restart with 37 laps to go. He held on to the lead before the restart with 14 laps to go, where the car began to slip a bit. However, Dillon rebounded after a start violation to finish in the third position.
Austin Dillon Quote
"We did a really good job adjusting the car over the course of the race. The Rheem Chevrolet really came to us at the end when the clouds came in. I hate that we weren't able to visit Victory Lane today for our pit crew, especially. They did such a good job today. So did my crew chief, Randall Burnett. We had a few restarts there but we were in a Penske sandwich and couldn't do much about it. I got hit on the restart and it just wasn't enough to carry me in Turn 1. I had a lot of fun today. I'm proud of this RCR XFINITY Series program."
Dillon led once for 20 laps in today's race.
Kevin Harvick Finishes Runner Up In Hisense 4K Tv 300 At Charlotte
Before entering Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kevin Harvick was 0 for 27 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Harvick was looking to pick up his first win at the track. After starting in the fifth position there was some hope that he may finally get his first checkered flag at Charlotte.
After early cautions in stage one, Harvick dominated the stage by leading the majority of the laps. In fact, after surviving wild excitement, Harvick went on to win stage one. Harvick continued to dominate early in the race by winning the race off pit road.
When stage two began, Harvick was not the leader as Denny Hamlin and eventual race winner Ryan Blaney stayed out. By not making much noise in stage two, Harvick did finish in the top five in the stage.
It wasn't until 71 laps to go where Harvick was on the front row with Blaney for the restart. Blaney was able to jump out front, while Harvick slipped back just a bit, but kept close behind the leader in case anything should happen. With 55 laps to go, Harvick began reeling in the race leader Blaney. It wasn't until 42 laps to go, where a caution came out and gave Harvick a chance to come down pit road for adjustments.
Harvick would restart on the front row alongside Austin Dillon with 37 laps to go. Like there was early in the race, cautions once again became an issue late in the race with 25 laps or less remaining. With 14 laps to go for a restart, Harvick jumped to the lead and started to check out just a tad. However, with seven laps to go, a caution came out once again to bunch the field up.
The race went back green with three laps to go and Harvick needed to fend off a strong car of Ryan Blaney. He did so for a lap, until Blaney took the lead from Harvick in turn two. After leading the race three times for 58 laps, Harvick had to settle for a runner up spot.
Kevin Harvick Quote
"If I could do the (final restart) again I would probably do it differently. I felt like the 12 (Blaney) had the best car on the restarts. He was the one who helped us get the lead. Just wasn't able to get going through one and two. I needed to be clear by the time I got to three and four. I hadn't been taking the top but I felt if the 12 and 22 got paired on the top, I would be in double trouble. I had a heck of time today. All in all, I just got beat there by the 12. He did a good job all day there on the restarts. I'm really proud of everybody on the team. We ran well and lead a bunch of laps."
Harvick now has 181 top five's.
His next race is currently scheduled for Kentucky Motor Speedway in July.
After early cautions in stage one, Harvick dominated the stage by leading the majority of the laps. In fact, after surviving wild excitement, Harvick went on to win stage one. Harvick continued to dominate early in the race by winning the race off pit road.
When stage two began, Harvick was not the leader as Denny Hamlin and eventual race winner Ryan Blaney stayed out. By not making much noise in stage two, Harvick did finish in the top five in the stage.
It wasn't until 71 laps to go where Harvick was on the front row with Blaney for the restart. Blaney was able to jump out front, while Harvick slipped back just a bit, but kept close behind the leader in case anything should happen. With 55 laps to go, Harvick began reeling in the race leader Blaney. It wasn't until 42 laps to go, where a caution came out and gave Harvick a chance to come down pit road for adjustments.
Harvick would restart on the front row alongside Austin Dillon with 37 laps to go. Like there was early in the race, cautions once again became an issue late in the race with 25 laps or less remaining. With 14 laps to go for a restart, Harvick jumped to the lead and started to check out just a tad. However, with seven laps to go, a caution came out once again to bunch the field up.
The race went back green with three laps to go and Harvick needed to fend off a strong car of Ryan Blaney. He did so for a lap, until Blaney took the lead from Harvick in turn two. After leading the race three times for 58 laps, Harvick had to settle for a runner up spot.
Kevin Harvick Quote
"If I could do the (final restart) again I would probably do it differently. I felt like the 12 (Blaney) had the best car on the restarts. He was the one who helped us get the lead. Just wasn't able to get going through one and two. I needed to be clear by the time I got to three and four. I hadn't been taking the top but I felt if the 12 and 22 got paired on the top, I would be in double trouble. I had a heck of time today. All in all, I just got beat there by the 12. He did a good job all day there on the restarts. I'm really proud of everybody on the team. We ran well and lead a bunch of laps."
Harvick now has 181 top five's.
His next race is currently scheduled for Kentucky Motor Speedway in July.
Ryan Blaney Wins Hisense 4K TV 300 After Starting In The Back
The NASCAR Xfinity Series returned to action at Charlotte Motor Speedway after two weeks off. 45 laps made up stage one and two, while 110 laps made up the final stage.
Justin Allgaier and Austin Dillon were on the front row after qualifying earlier this morning. Ryan Blaney and Brad Keselowski was sent to the rear after unapproved adjustments.
After three early cautions in stage one, the race finally got a long green flag run after lap 25 restart. Harvick, with a strong car, held on to the lead and won the first stage. Blaney was fourth, Austin Dillon after a start violation was seventh and Keselowski was ninth. Harvick won the race off pit road after pit stops.
Stage two began on lap 52 with Denny Hamlin and Ryan Blaney on the front row. After the restart, Blaney was able to get the lead from Hamlin. On lap 68, however, Blaney started to report there was a "loose wheel." Although, with those tire reports, Blaney held on and went on to win stage two.
Lap 97 began stage three with Hamlin and Blaney again out front. After the restart, Darrell Wallace Jr jumped to second. With just a few laps of green, a caution came out on lap 107 for Spencer Gallagher, who spun around in turn two. Another restart came with 93 laps to go, this time Wallace Jr took the lead away from Blaney. Howver, Blaney retook the lead on lap 112.
Another caution prompted the field to slow once again on lap 123. This made the drivers come down pit road for adjustments. With a fast pit stop, Blaney was able to win the race off pit road.
With 71 laps to go, Blaney and Harvick were leading the field. Blaney checked out early, but Harvick began reeling him in with 55 laps to go. Denny Hamlin who was up toward the front earlier in the race, had started to report that his car was "blowing up."
A big break came for most of the field, as a caution came out with 42 laps to go for Brennan Poole that hit the wall off turn four. This time Austin Dillon won the race off pit road.
Like it was at the start of the race, there were plenty of cautions toward the end of the race. Though, the race winning restart came with three laps to go. Ryan Blaney and Kevin Harvick, the two that were up front all race long were one-two. The field was side-by-side all the way until turn three one lap later. This saw Blaney take the lead in turn two and held off Kevin Harvick to win his fourth career NASCAR Xfinity Series win.
Ryan Blaney Quote
"It's pretty neat to win here... We had a really awesome car all day. We had to start in the back and I thought that was pretty impressive thing to do get up front. After we got the lead, we were able to control the race. I lost the lead there on the last pit stop. We had a good pit stop, I just kind of got boxed in. We didn't get the angle there and that was on me. Luckily, we were able to get back up front and give ourselves a shot. Starting third, we only had a couple of laps to get back up front and try and make it happen. We were really good on restarts all day. So, my hat's off to the Penske group."
There were 13 lead changes among seven leaders.
There were 12 cautions for 52 laps.
Blaney led four times for 107 laps.
This was his fourth career NASCAR Xfinity Series win and his first of the season.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series continues next week by going to Dover International Speedway for the running of the OneMain Financial 200.
Justin Allgaier and Austin Dillon were on the front row after qualifying earlier this morning. Ryan Blaney and Brad Keselowski was sent to the rear after unapproved adjustments.
After three early cautions in stage one, the race finally got a long green flag run after lap 25 restart. Harvick, with a strong car, held on to the lead and won the first stage. Blaney was fourth, Austin Dillon after a start violation was seventh and Keselowski was ninth. Harvick won the race off pit road after pit stops.
Stage two began on lap 52 with Denny Hamlin and Ryan Blaney on the front row. After the restart, Blaney was able to get the lead from Hamlin. On lap 68, however, Blaney started to report there was a "loose wheel." Although, with those tire reports, Blaney held on and went on to win stage two.
Lap 97 began stage three with Hamlin and Blaney again out front. After the restart, Darrell Wallace Jr jumped to second. With just a few laps of green, a caution came out on lap 107 for Spencer Gallagher, who spun around in turn two. Another restart came with 93 laps to go, this time Wallace Jr took the lead away from Blaney. Howver, Blaney retook the lead on lap 112.
Another caution prompted the field to slow once again on lap 123. This made the drivers come down pit road for adjustments. With a fast pit stop, Blaney was able to win the race off pit road.
With 71 laps to go, Blaney and Harvick were leading the field. Blaney checked out early, but Harvick began reeling him in with 55 laps to go. Denny Hamlin who was up toward the front earlier in the race, had started to report that his car was "blowing up."
A big break came for most of the field, as a caution came out with 42 laps to go for Brennan Poole that hit the wall off turn four. This time Austin Dillon won the race off pit road.
Like it was at the start of the race, there were plenty of cautions toward the end of the race. Though, the race winning restart came with three laps to go. Ryan Blaney and Kevin Harvick, the two that were up front all race long were one-two. The field was side-by-side all the way until turn three one lap later. This saw Blaney take the lead in turn two and held off Kevin Harvick to win his fourth career NASCAR Xfinity Series win.
Ryan Blaney Quote
"It's pretty neat to win here... We had a really awesome car all day. We had to start in the back and I thought that was pretty impressive thing to do get up front. After we got the lead, we were able to control the race. I lost the lead there on the last pit stop. We had a good pit stop, I just kind of got boxed in. We didn't get the angle there and that was on me. Luckily, we were able to get back up front and give ourselves a shot. Starting third, we only had a couple of laps to get back up front and try and make it happen. We were really good on restarts all day. So, my hat's off to the Penske group."
There were 13 lead changes among seven leaders.
There were 12 cautions for 52 laps.
Blaney led four times for 107 laps.
This was his fourth career NASCAR Xfinity Series win and his first of the season.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series continues next week by going to Dover International Speedway for the running of the OneMain Financial 200.
Saturday, May 13, 2017
Top Five NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rankings After Kansas
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returned to Kansas Speedway last night after a five week hiatus. As always, the truck series didn't disappoint. There was drama and action all night long. There were 11 cautions for 46 laps, with six of them coming in stage one. After all said and done in the heartland, who topped this weeks top five?
1. Ben Rhodes- Oh so close, but not close enough. It was a should've, would've, could've night for Rhodes. Rhodes pulled away from Kyle Busch on a restart late in the going and started to pull away for the win. However, it was heartbreak for Rhodes as his engine blew up with eight laps to go. Rhodes ended up 23rd after leading four times for 25 laps.
2. Kyle Busch- Busch had the truck to win but he had to work hard for it, especially late in the going. If it wasn't for Rhodes' motor problem, Busch would not have won the race. However, Busch got lucky in Kansas and won his 47th career truck series win. His second track win at Kansas Speedway.
3. Christopher Bell- Bell had a great truck in the early run but couldn't rally late. After starting on the pole and leading the race four times for 37 laps, Bell ended up finishing fourth.
4. Johnny Sauter- Sauter was quietly racing in the top 10 all night and was in position for the win, after Rhodes blown an engine. Had a caution come out with three to go, Sauter might've gotten around Busch for the win, but had to settle for second place. Nonetheless, a great night for Sauter and the GMS Racing Team.
5. John Hunter Nemechek- After a top 10 run at Daytona, Nemechek crashed out at Atlanta and had problems at Martinsville regulating him to a 28th place finish. Nemechek had a great run last night at Kansas by coming home in third. A much needed top five after two bad races this season.
Honorable Mention- A shout out to Ryan Truex and the Hattori Racing Team. Truex scored another top 10 finish this season, his second last night at Kansas.
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday May 19th for the N.C. Education Lottery 200.
1. Ben Rhodes- Oh so close, but not close enough. It was a should've, would've, could've night for Rhodes. Rhodes pulled away from Kyle Busch on a restart late in the going and started to pull away for the win. However, it was heartbreak for Rhodes as his engine blew up with eight laps to go. Rhodes ended up 23rd after leading four times for 25 laps.
2. Kyle Busch- Busch had the truck to win but he had to work hard for it, especially late in the going. If it wasn't for Rhodes' motor problem, Busch would not have won the race. However, Busch got lucky in Kansas and won his 47th career truck series win. His second track win at Kansas Speedway.
3. Christopher Bell- Bell had a great truck in the early run but couldn't rally late. After starting on the pole and leading the race four times for 37 laps, Bell ended up finishing fourth.
4. Johnny Sauter- Sauter was quietly racing in the top 10 all night and was in position for the win, after Rhodes blown an engine. Had a caution come out with three to go, Sauter might've gotten around Busch for the win, but had to settle for second place. Nonetheless, a great night for Sauter and the GMS Racing Team.
5. John Hunter Nemechek- After a top 10 run at Daytona, Nemechek crashed out at Atlanta and had problems at Martinsville regulating him to a 28th place finish. Nemechek had a great run last night at Kansas by coming home in third. A much needed top five after two bad races this season.
Honorable Mention- A shout out to Ryan Truex and the Hattori Racing Team. Truex scored another top 10 finish this season, his second last night at Kansas.
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday May 19th for the N.C. Education Lottery 200.
Friday, May 12, 2017
Kyle Busch Wins Toyota Tundra 250 After Ben Rhodes Has Trouble Late
Whenever, Kyle Busch is entered in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, you expect him to get win. Sometimes the driver dominates the race or gets lucky and stills one away. This time Busch was lucky enough to steal one away.
Christopher Bell earned the pole while Matt Crafton was alongside in second.
40 laps made up stage one, 80 laps in stage two and race ended on lap 167 in stage three.
It was a slow start for the first stage of the night. Six cautions slowed the race in the early going, in fact there was only five laps of green flag racing. Busch started third and led majority of the stage before finally win the first stage. Christopher Bell, Johnny Sauter, John Hunter Nemechek, Matt Crafton, Ryan Truex, Ben Rhodes, Chase Briscoe, Grant Efinger and Brett Moffitt rounded out the top 10 to earn playoff points.
The green flag went back out on lap 47 for the start of stage two. After a caution filled race in stage one, there were some green flag laps ran until lap 53, where a tire carcus came off Noah Gragson's no.18 Kyle Busch Motorsports truck to bring out another caution.
Christopher Bell and Grant Enfinger took the restart on lap 57. It wasn't until lap 71 where Busch retook the lead from Bell in turn four. Busch held on to win stage two.
Stage three began on lap 86. It didn't take long for a caution to come out as Travis Miller spun in turn two one lap later. With 76 laps to go for the restart, Ben Rhodes and Kyle Busch were on the front row. Busch grabbed the lead before heading down the backstretch.
Busch continued to lead until 66 laps to go, when Rhodes started to battle side-by-side with the leader. Pit stops began, however, as Busch pitted with 41 laps to go. On the same lap, a caution was brought out by Ross Chastain when his right front tire went down and he smacked the wall. Rhodes would bring down the other lead lap trucks who did not pit and made a pit stop. This meant Kyle Busch would be the leader for the restart.
With 36 laps to go, Busch and Rhodes were on the front row. Both of them were battling hard, before Matt Crafton spun off turn four in to the grass to bring out the caution with 34 laps to go.
The race started to heat up with 29 laps to go for the restart. The leaders continued to battle side-by-side before Rhodes took the lead from Busch with 25 laps to go. Drama was heated up even more as Matt Crafton had a right rear tire go soft with eight laps to go.
As it looked liked Rhodes had this race won, his truck would blow up as a piece of debris went through the radiator with seven laps to go. After the heart breaker for Rhodes, Busch inherited the lead with five laps to go and stole the win away.
There were four leaders among 15 lead changes.
There were 11 cautions for 46 laps.
Busch led seven times for 91 laps.
Busch also swept all three stages.
This was Busch's first truck win of the year and his 47th career win in the series.
This was Busch's second career track win at Kansas Speedway.
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series continues next week as the series heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday May 19th for the N.C. Education Lottery 200.
Saturday, April 29, 2017
Elliott Sadler Questions NASCAR For A Late Race Caution
Elliott Sadler was looking for his first win of the season, his last coming at Darlington Raceway last year. Although, some confusion questions Sadler, for the caution coming late in the going.
Sadler made a risky move by pitting and taking his last set of fresh tires on lap 185. He would then restart in the 19th position. Sadler started working his way up and began passing cars like no tomorrow. He caught second place runner, Ty Dillon, with 22 laps to go. After Sadler completed the pass for second, he set his eyes on leader and teammate Justin Allgaier.
In order for Sadler's strategy to work, the race needed to remain green to the checkered. However, a questionable caution came with 12 laps to go, when NASCAR threw the yellow for B.J. McLeod who might have had possible fluid from his car. Although, Sadler was not pleased with the call from NASCAR, as this would ultimately cost him the race.
"Yeah, I want to see a replay of the caution, where all the oil and whatever went down," Sadler said. I did not see any speedy dry put down, so I just don't understand the caution. Not where we wanted to be, but we took a chance and had a chance to win race at our home track."
"Thank you to Golden Corral," Sadler added. We did finish in the top 10, which means kids eat free on Monday (May 1st). It's a shame, we had a chance at $100,000, but I still don't why the caution came out. I'm gonna have to look at replay and see if the cars were tore up, or oil was laid down. No speedy dry was down, so I just don't know what the caution was for."
Sadler made a risky move by pitting and taking his last set of fresh tires on lap 185. He would then restart in the 19th position. Sadler started working his way up and began passing cars like no tomorrow. He caught second place runner, Ty Dillon, with 22 laps to go. After Sadler completed the pass for second, he set his eyes on leader and teammate Justin Allgaier.
In order for Sadler's strategy to work, the race needed to remain green to the checkered. However, a questionable caution came with 12 laps to go, when NASCAR threw the yellow for B.J. McLeod who might have had possible fluid from his car. Although, Sadler was not pleased with the call from NASCAR, as this would ultimately cost him the race.
"Yeah, I want to see a replay of the caution, where all the oil and whatever went down," Sadler said. I did not see any speedy dry put down, so I just don't understand the caution. Not where we wanted to be, but we took a chance and had a chance to win race at our home track."
"Thank you to Golden Corral," Sadler added. We did finish in the top 10, which means kids eat free on Monday (May 1st). It's a shame, we had a chance at $100,000, but I still don't why the caution came out. I'm gonna have to look at replay and see if the cars were tore up, or oil was laid down. No speedy dry was down, so I just don't know what the caution was for."
Justin Allgaier Finishes A "Disappointing" Second At Richmond
Justin Allgaier, was looking to bring home another win for JR Motorsports in 2017. However, late race controversy, would halt him to a second place finish.
Allgaier led the majority of the race, but teammate Elliott Sadler brought some strategy on pit road during the caution on lap 185. Sadler, pitted for his last set of four fresh tires. While Allgaier continued to the fast pace, like he had all afternoon, Sadler began to reel him in with 22 laps to go. Sadler would catch his teammate, although, a caution came out with 12 laps to go for B.J. McLeod when fluid came from his car.
During the pit stops, Allgaier dropped his lead to Ty Dillon, who took only two tires while Allgaier took four. More trouble came for Allgaier, as Dillon jumped the gun on the restart and Allagier became frustrated for the restart. NASCAR, initially, black flagged Dillon for jumping the restart and sent him to the rear of the field.
A restart came with two laps to go, where Allgaier was on the front row with Kyle Larson. The problems came on the backstretch, however, when Ryan Reed and others got collected in a crash. The leader, Larson, had already crossed the overtime line, which means the race is official no matter what happens. But, Allgaier, was a little bit unhappy with NASCAR's decision making on when the caution came out.
"Unfortunate there at the end, the best car doesn't always win the race," Allgaier said. "The Brandt Agriculture Chevy was awesome today and I really hate it for the guys. The restart before the last one, got taken away from
us and unfortunately there at the end, there were so much confusion on the last
green, white, checkered that the caution lights were on, and we were still
racing back to the line. It’s just really disappointing. The guys at JR
Motorsports don’t deserve that. Hat’s off to the guys and the crew, they have
done a great job all weekend."
"You know, it's very bittersweet today," Allgaier added. I'm very dejected, I won't lie to you. This one is going to hurt for a long time."
Allgaier collected his second Dash 4 Cash of the season.
Kyle Larson Wins Dramatic Finish In Toyota Cares 250
The NASCAR Xfinity Series headed to Richmond International Raceway for race number eight of the season. It also marked another Dash 4 Cash event for the series.
Daniel Hemric and Kyle Benjamin set the front row in qualifying earlier in the morning on Saturday.
75 laps made up stages one and two, while 150 laps made up the last stage. This would make up the 250 scheduled lap race.
Hemric set the pace early in the going, before Justin Allgaier took the lead on lap 27 on the fronstretch. Allgaier held on to the lead for 13 laps, as Austin Dillon takes the lead on lap 40. Dillon would stay as the leader until the end of stage one, where Dillon won the first stage. Justin Allgaier and Daniel Hemric transferred for Dash 4 Cash.
Stage number two began on lap 86, with Dillon and Allgaier as the leaders on the front row. On the restart, Allgaier retook the lead from Dillon. The race was remained green until lap 115, where Dakoda Armstrong spun around in turns one and two to bring out the second caution.
The restart came back out on lap 125, which thus, saw Allgaier drive away with the lead and would hang on to win stage number two which ended on lap 150. Kyle Benjamin and Elliott Sadler clinched the final Dash 4 Cash spots. However, Austin Dillon would win the race off pit road, with Allgaier loosing one spot on pit road.
The final stage began on lap 164, where Allgaier would regain the lead from Dillon. Another caution came out on lap 180, when fluid came from the back of J.J. Yeley's car. A risky move was made by Elliott Sadler, where he came down pit road for four fresh tires.
This setup a restart with 64 laps to go. Allgaier continued to set the pace like he did all afternoon, but with four fresh tires, Elliott Sadler began to reel in the leader with 22 laps to go. Sadler caught Allgaier with 14 laps to go, but a caution came out two laps later for B.J. McLeod. This would ultimately end Sadler's chances at a win. Under this caution, the leaders came down pit road, where Ty Dillon won the race off pit road by taking two tires only. Rookie, Kyle Benjamin, lost his shot at a top 10 when he went too soon on his pit stop.
A restart came with four laps to go, however, a wreck in turn four once again brought out another caution. William Byron's car went up the track and accidentally got in to Daniel Suarez, which caused the big pileup in turns three and four. On the restart, there were some controversy as Ty Dillon jumped the gun, which then saw him get black flagged for the restart. Dillon would have to drop to the tail end of the field.
Kyle Larson and Justin Allgaier were on the front row for the two lap dash for the finish. This saw NASCAR's overtime rule come in to place. Both drivers got a clean restart, but problems came on the last lap on the back straightaway when a crash broke out to bring out a caution.
While the last lap caused some controversy for the leaders, the replays did indeed show that Kyle Larson had crossed the overtime line to make the race official and declared him the winner.
This is Larson's second career NASCAR Xfinity Series win this season.
Larson led once for 10 laps.
There were five leaders for nine lead changes.
There were eight cautions for 50 laps.
Justin Allgaier collected his second $100,000 Dash 4 Cash.
Quote- "The 3 (Ty Dillon) took off early on the one restart, so I don't know if I was clear or not," Larson said. Anyways, he jumped the start and I was able to be the leader for the last restart. Justin (Allgaier), took off way better than I had wanted him too. I'm surprised I had cleared him off (turn) two, I thought he (Allgaier) would hang on my outside, if not pass me. Thankfully we were able to clear him and they crashed, NASCAR threw the caution and got the overtime win."
The NASCAR Xfinity Series head to Talladega Superspeedway next Saturday for the Sparks Energy 300.
Daniel Hemric and Kyle Benjamin set the front row in qualifying earlier in the morning on Saturday.
75 laps made up stages one and two, while 150 laps made up the last stage. This would make up the 250 scheduled lap race.
Hemric set the pace early in the going, before Justin Allgaier took the lead on lap 27 on the fronstretch. Allgaier held on to the lead for 13 laps, as Austin Dillon takes the lead on lap 40. Dillon would stay as the leader until the end of stage one, where Dillon won the first stage. Justin Allgaier and Daniel Hemric transferred for Dash 4 Cash.
Stage number two began on lap 86, with Dillon and Allgaier as the leaders on the front row. On the restart, Allgaier retook the lead from Dillon. The race was remained green until lap 115, where Dakoda Armstrong spun around in turns one and two to bring out the second caution.
The restart came back out on lap 125, which thus, saw Allgaier drive away with the lead and would hang on to win stage number two which ended on lap 150. Kyle Benjamin and Elliott Sadler clinched the final Dash 4 Cash spots. However, Austin Dillon would win the race off pit road, with Allgaier loosing one spot on pit road.
The final stage began on lap 164, where Allgaier would regain the lead from Dillon. Another caution came out on lap 180, when fluid came from the back of J.J. Yeley's car. A risky move was made by Elliott Sadler, where he came down pit road for four fresh tires.
This setup a restart with 64 laps to go. Allgaier continued to set the pace like he did all afternoon, but with four fresh tires, Elliott Sadler began to reel in the leader with 22 laps to go. Sadler caught Allgaier with 14 laps to go, but a caution came out two laps later for B.J. McLeod. This would ultimately end Sadler's chances at a win. Under this caution, the leaders came down pit road, where Ty Dillon won the race off pit road by taking two tires only. Rookie, Kyle Benjamin, lost his shot at a top 10 when he went too soon on his pit stop.
A restart came with four laps to go, however, a wreck in turn four once again brought out another caution. William Byron's car went up the track and accidentally got in to Daniel Suarez, which caused the big pileup in turns three and four. On the restart, there were some controversy as Ty Dillon jumped the gun, which then saw him get black flagged for the restart. Dillon would have to drop to the tail end of the field.
Kyle Larson and Justin Allgaier were on the front row for the two lap dash for the finish. This saw NASCAR's overtime rule come in to place. Both drivers got a clean restart, but problems came on the last lap on the back straightaway when a crash broke out to bring out a caution.
While the last lap caused some controversy for the leaders, the replays did indeed show that Kyle Larson had crossed the overtime line to make the race official and declared him the winner.
This is Larson's second career NASCAR Xfinity Series win this season.
Larson led once for 10 laps.
There were five leaders for nine lead changes.
There were eight cautions for 50 laps.
Justin Allgaier collected his second $100,000 Dash 4 Cash.
Quote- "The 3 (Ty Dillon) took off early on the one restart, so I don't know if I was clear or not," Larson said. Anyways, he jumped the start and I was able to be the leader for the last restart. Justin (Allgaier), took off way better than I had wanted him too. I'm surprised I had cleared him off (turn) two, I thought he (Allgaier) would hang on my outside, if not pass me. Thankfully we were able to clear him and they crashed, NASCAR threw the caution and got the overtime win."
The NASCAR Xfinity Series head to Talladega Superspeedway next Saturday for the Sparks Energy 300.
Saturday, April 22, 2017
Erik Jones Goes Back To Back In The NASCAR Xfinity Series
After a off-week for the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the series returned to Bristol Motor Speedway on a Saturday afternoon. Victory lane saw a similar sight like it did two weeks ago in Texas.
With weather threatening in the area, the race shortly got underway with Austin Dillon and Kyle Larson on the front row. Larson got off to a strong start and checked out early. Texas winner, Erik Jones, started to reel in Larson on lap 17. Two laps later, Jones took the lead from Larson. Larson rebounded, however, as he would regain the lead on lap 28.
The race went clean and green until the first caution on lap 79 for Ryan Reed, who got in to the wall in turn 2. Kyle Larson held on to the lead and went on to win stage 1. Cole Custer and Justin Allgaier qualified for the Dash 4 Cash.
Stage number 2 got underway on lap 95, with Larson and Ryan Blaney as the leaders. Not much action happened in this stage until lap 162, where the red flag was displayed for rain. Finally, after a one hour and 38 minute delay, the race went back to yellow with five laps remaining in the stage.
The leaders came down pit road and made their scheduled pit stops, including Larson. However, Daniel Hemric and Blake Koch stayed out to take the top spots. With the right strategy of staying out, Daniel Hemric won stage 2 and collected 10 championship playoff points. Brendan Gaughan, along with Hemric, were the last drivers to qualify for the Dash 4 Cash.
Stage 3 took place on lap 177, with Ryan Blaney and Daniel Saurez on the top spot. Blaney took the lead, before Suarez took command on lap 188 in turn 4. It didn't take long for Larson to regain the lead, as he went took control of the field on lap 205. The next caution flag flew on lap 219 for Ray Black Jr as spun off turn 4 and David Starr runs in to him as well.
During the caution, Blaney won the race off pit road and Erik Jones was caught for speeding. This would send Jones to the rear of the field.
With 66 laps to go, Brandon Jones and Ryan Blaney were the leaders as the race went back to green. Shortly after the start, Gaughan was turned by Darrell Wallace Jr on the frontstretch and brought out another caution.
Blaney and Saurez had the top spot for a race restart with 41 to go, however, Darrell Wallace Jr and Garrett Smithley collided hard on off turn 4. This would end both of the driver's day at Bristol.
The race was slowed again by the second to last caution with 30 laps to go. This saw Ross Chastain pound the outside wall and end his day. Kyle Larson also had problems with his car as the right rear tire went down, after making contact with Brandon Jones. More problems continued for Larson as he had a commitment cone violation and was sent to the rear.
Blaney was the leader at the restart with 23 laps to go, but two laps later, Erik Jones took the lead and went on to win his second race of the 2017 season.
This would be Erik Jones's eighth career win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
This is Erik Jones's second consecutive win in the series.
There were 7 leaders among 15 lead changes.
There were 11 cautions for 85 laps.
Daniel Hemric won the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series continues to do short-track racing as they head to Richmond International Raceway next Saturday.
With weather threatening in the area, the race shortly got underway with Austin Dillon and Kyle Larson on the front row. Larson got off to a strong start and checked out early. Texas winner, Erik Jones, started to reel in Larson on lap 17. Two laps later, Jones took the lead from Larson. Larson rebounded, however, as he would regain the lead on lap 28.
The race went clean and green until the first caution on lap 79 for Ryan Reed, who got in to the wall in turn 2. Kyle Larson held on to the lead and went on to win stage 1. Cole Custer and Justin Allgaier qualified for the Dash 4 Cash.
Stage number 2 got underway on lap 95, with Larson and Ryan Blaney as the leaders. Not much action happened in this stage until lap 162, where the red flag was displayed for rain. Finally, after a one hour and 38 minute delay, the race went back to yellow with five laps remaining in the stage.
The leaders came down pit road and made their scheduled pit stops, including Larson. However, Daniel Hemric and Blake Koch stayed out to take the top spots. With the right strategy of staying out, Daniel Hemric won stage 2 and collected 10 championship playoff points. Brendan Gaughan, along with Hemric, were the last drivers to qualify for the Dash 4 Cash.
Stage 3 took place on lap 177, with Ryan Blaney and Daniel Saurez on the top spot. Blaney took the lead, before Suarez took command on lap 188 in turn 4. It didn't take long for Larson to regain the lead, as he went took control of the field on lap 205. The next caution flag flew on lap 219 for Ray Black Jr as spun off turn 4 and David Starr runs in to him as well.
During the caution, Blaney won the race off pit road and Erik Jones was caught for speeding. This would send Jones to the rear of the field.
With 66 laps to go, Brandon Jones and Ryan Blaney were the leaders as the race went back to green. Shortly after the start, Gaughan was turned by Darrell Wallace Jr on the frontstretch and brought out another caution.
Blaney and Saurez had the top spot for a race restart with 41 to go, however, Darrell Wallace Jr and Garrett Smithley collided hard on off turn 4. This would end both of the driver's day at Bristol.
The race was slowed again by the second to last caution with 30 laps to go. This saw Ross Chastain pound the outside wall and end his day. Kyle Larson also had problems with his car as the right rear tire went down, after making contact with Brandon Jones. More problems continued for Larson as he had a commitment cone violation and was sent to the rear.
Blaney was the leader at the restart with 23 laps to go, but two laps later, Erik Jones took the lead and went on to win his second race of the 2017 season.
This would be Erik Jones's eighth career win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
This is Erik Jones's second consecutive win in the series.
There were 7 leaders among 15 lead changes.
There were 11 cautions for 85 laps.
Daniel Hemric won the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series continues to do short-track racing as they head to Richmond International Raceway next Saturday.
Saturday, April 15, 2017
"The Big Cat" Brad Sweet Claims Night Two At Devil's Bowl Speedway
The World Of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series was at Devil's Bowl Speedway for the sprint car finale. After coming up short on Friday night, Brad Sweet claimed redemption and won night number two at Devil's Bowl.
Sweet's night started off in qualifying where he lad down a lap time of 13.771, which put Sweet in second place after qualifying was over. This ultimately, put Sweet in heat race number two. With a fast car, he would win the second heat race and was put in the World Of Outlaws Craftsman Dash. The field was inverted with six cars in the dash, with David Gravel starting on the pole. Sweet's run wasn't that great, however, as he would finish in the fourth position.
After finishing fourth in the dash, Sweet started fourth in the 30 lap A-Main feature that would pay $20,000 to win. Just like last night, there would be a caution in the early going with 23 laps to go, as Brady Bacon went sideways on the frontstretch. After the caution, Gravel set the pace and started to pull away from Sweet. However, lap traffic began to come in to play with 16 laps to go and this allowed Brad Sweet to pull in closer to the leader.
Finally, with four laps to go, Sweet passed Gravel for the lead and ultimately the race win.
This would Brad Sweet's second World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series win of the year.
Heat Race #1 Results
1. Danny Lasoski
2. Greg Wilson
3. Jason Sides
4. Jason Johnson
5. Kraig Kinser
6. Joey Saldana
7. Shane Stewart
8. Logan Schuchart
9. Danny Wood
Heat Race #2 Results
1. Brad Sweet
2. Sheldon Haudenschild
3. Brent Marks
4. Daryn Pittman
5. Donny Schatz
6. Cap Henry
7. Parker Price-Miller
8. Clyde Knipp
Dash Results- 6 inverted- David Gravel started on the pole
1. David Gravel
2. Sheldon Haudenschild
3. Christopher Bell
4. Brad Sweet
5. Danny Lasoski
6. Greg Wilson
Last Chance Showdown
1. Logan Schuchart
2. Tony Stewart
3. Shane Stewart
4. Parker Price-Miller
5. Gary Taylor
6. Clyde Knipp
7. Danny Wood- Did Not Finish
A-Main Results- Paid $20,000 to win
1. Brad Sweet
2. David Gravel
3. Danny Lasoski
4. Christopher Bell
5. Sheldon Haudenschild
6. Jason Johnson
7. Brent Marks
8. Jason Sides
9. Greg Wilson
10. Donny Schatz
11. Logan Schuchart
12. Daryn Pittman
13. Paul McMahan
14. Kraig Kinser
15. Cap Henry
16. Kasey Kahne
17. Jacob Allen
18. Shane Stewart
19. Joey Saldana
20. Parker Price-Miller
21. Gary Taylor
22. Tony Stewart
23. Brady Bacon
24. Clyde Knipp
The next World Of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series event is Friday April 21st at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, Ark for the Bull Ring Outlaw Blitz.
Sweet's night started off in qualifying where he lad down a lap time of 13.771, which put Sweet in second place after qualifying was over. This ultimately, put Sweet in heat race number two. With a fast car, he would win the second heat race and was put in the World Of Outlaws Craftsman Dash. The field was inverted with six cars in the dash, with David Gravel starting on the pole. Sweet's run wasn't that great, however, as he would finish in the fourth position.
After finishing fourth in the dash, Sweet started fourth in the 30 lap A-Main feature that would pay $20,000 to win. Just like last night, there would be a caution in the early going with 23 laps to go, as Brady Bacon went sideways on the frontstretch. After the caution, Gravel set the pace and started to pull away from Sweet. However, lap traffic began to come in to play with 16 laps to go and this allowed Brad Sweet to pull in closer to the leader.
Finally, with four laps to go, Sweet passed Gravel for the lead and ultimately the race win.
This would Brad Sweet's second World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series win of the year.
Heat Race #1 Results
1. Danny Lasoski
2. Greg Wilson
3. Jason Sides
4. Jason Johnson
5. Kraig Kinser
6. Joey Saldana
7. Shane Stewart
8. Logan Schuchart
9. Danny Wood
Heat Race #2 Results
1. Brad Sweet
2. Sheldon Haudenschild
3. Brent Marks
4. Daryn Pittman
5. Donny Schatz
6. Cap Henry
7. Parker Price-Miller
8. Clyde Knipp
Dash Results- 6 inverted- David Gravel started on the pole
1. David Gravel
2. Sheldon Haudenschild
3. Christopher Bell
4. Brad Sweet
5. Danny Lasoski
6. Greg Wilson
Last Chance Showdown
1. Logan Schuchart
2. Tony Stewart
3. Shane Stewart
4. Parker Price-Miller
5. Gary Taylor
6. Clyde Knipp
7. Danny Wood- Did Not Finish
A-Main Results- Paid $20,000 to win
1. Brad Sweet
2. David Gravel
3. Danny Lasoski
4. Christopher Bell
5. Sheldon Haudenschild
6. Jason Johnson
7. Brent Marks
8. Jason Sides
9. Greg Wilson
10. Donny Schatz
11. Logan Schuchart
12. Daryn Pittman
13. Paul McMahan
14. Kraig Kinser
15. Cap Henry
16. Kasey Kahne
17. Jacob Allen
18. Shane Stewart
19. Joey Saldana
20. Parker Price-Miller
21. Gary Taylor
22. Tony Stewart
23. Brady Bacon
24. Clyde Knipp
The next World Of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series event is Friday April 21st at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, Ark for the Bull Ring Outlaw Blitz.
Friday, April 14, 2017
Jason Johnson Sweeps Night One At Devil's Bowl Speedway
The World Of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series headed to Devil's Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas on Friday night for race number one of two for the weekend.
In qualifying, Jason Johnson set the fastest lap, which put him in heat race number one.
Johnson would continue to set the pace, as he would lead every lap and win heat race number one. This would put Johnson on the pole for the dash inversion.
As the dash got underway for six laps, Johnson continued to show the field who's boss and go on to lead every lap, ultimately winning the dash. By winning the dash, this gave Jason Johnson a front row starting spot in the 25 lap A-Main feature.
The 25 lap A-Main feature eventually got underway, but shortly after the green flag, Travis Rilat's machine went upside down in turn two. The driver walked away from the incident ok. Turn two was another trouble spot as Christopher Bell went sideways with 22 laps to go, and brought out another caution.
After a messy start, there was some intense racing action in the closing laps. Johnson was getting in to heavy lap traffic, which thus allowed Jason Sides and Brad Sweet to close in on the leader. With eight laps to go, Sweet passed Sides for second and set his eyes on Johnson. However, after Sweet's battle with Sides, Johnson was able to pull away from that battle and went on to sweep night one at Devil's Bowl Speedway.
Heat Race #1 Results
1. Jason Johnson
2. Logan Schuchart
3. Wayne Johnson
4. Donny Schatz
5. Danny Lasoski
6. Parker Price-Miller
7. Jacob Allen
8. Sheldon Haudenschild
9. David Gravel
10. Gary Taylor
1. Jason Johnson
2. Logan Schuchart
3. Wayne Johnson
4. Donny Schatz
5. Danny Lasoski
6. Parker Price-Miller
7. Jacob Allen
8. Sheldon Haudenschild
9. David Gravel
10. Gary Taylor
Heat Race #2 Results
1. Jason Sides
2. Brad Sweet
3. Shane Stewart
4. Brent Marks
5. Daryn Pittmann
6. Brady Bacon
7. Tony Stewart
8. Greg Wilson
9. Skylar Gee
10. Scott Bogucki- Did Not Start
1. Jason Sides
2. Brad Sweet
3. Shane Stewart
4. Brent Marks
5. Daryn Pittmann
6. Brady Bacon
7. Tony Stewart
8. Greg Wilson
9. Skylar Gee
10. Scott Bogucki- Did Not Start
Heat Race #3 Results
1. Christopher Bell
2. Joey Saldana
3. Kasey Kahne
4. Kraig Kinser
5. Paul McMahan
6. Danny Wood
7. Travis Rilat
8. Cap Henry
9. Clyde Knipp
1. Christopher Bell
2. Joey Saldana
3. Kasey Kahne
4. Kraig Kinser
5. Paul McMahan
6. Danny Wood
7. Travis Rilat
8. Cap Henry
9. Clyde Knipp
Dash Race
1. Jason Johnson
2. Jason Sides
3. Christopher Bell
4. Logan Schuchart
5. Brad Sweet
6. Joey Saldana
1. Jason Johnson
2. Jason Sides
3. Christopher Bell
4. Logan Schuchart
5. Brad Sweet
6. Joey Saldana
Last Chance Showdown Results
1. Jacob Allen
2. Tony Stewart
3. David Gravel
4. Sheldon Haudenschild
5. Cap Henry
6. Travis Rilat
7. Skylar Gee
8. Greg Wilson
9. Gary Taylor
10. Clyde Knipp
1. Jacob Allen
2. Tony Stewart
3. David Gravel
4. Sheldon Haudenschild
5. Cap Henry
6. Travis Rilat
7. Skylar Gee
8. Greg Wilson
9. Gary Taylor
10. Clyde Knipp
11. Scott Bogucki
25 Lap A-Main Feature Results
1. Jason Johnson
2. Brad Sweet
3. Logan Schuchart
4. Joey Saldana
5. Kraig Kinser
6. Shane Stewart
7. Daryn Pittman
8. Jason Sides
9. Brent Marks
10. Danny Lasoski
1. Jason Johnson
2. Brad Sweet
3. Logan Schuchart
4. Joey Saldana
5. Kraig Kinser
6. Shane Stewart
7. Daryn Pittman
8. Jason Sides
9. Brent Marks
10. Danny Lasoski
11. Kasey Kahne
12. Brady Bacon
13. Wayne Johnson
14. David Gravel
15. Paul McMahan
16. Donny Schatz
17. Sheldon Haudenschild
18. Christopher Bell
16. Donny Schatz
17. Sheldon Haudenschild
18. Christopher Bell
19. Cap Henry
20. Parker Price-Miller
21. Danny Wood
22. Tony Stewart
23. Jacob Allen
24. Travis Rilat
Monday, April 10, 2017
Opinion: Top 5 From The NASCAR Xfinity Race At Texas
1. Erik Jones- Jones was impressive at Texas on Saturday. Winning stage one and finishing sixth in stage two. He would led three times for 112 laps. This would also be his second career Texas win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. A dominating showing by Jones on Saturday.
2. Ryan Blaney- Blaney had a strong car but not the winning car. He would lead twice for 43 laps.
3. Kevin Harvick- Harvick qualified 14th early Saturday morning, but worked his way up through the field. He would ultimately finish in the third position, to improve his average finishing position at Texas in the Xfinity Series.
4. Cole Custer- After a slow start to the season, Custer finally posted his best finish of the year so far (fifth). This was much needed after wrecking out at Daytona and Fontana. A solid points day for the no.00 Stewart-Haas Racing team.
5. Darrell Wallace. Jr- He's done it again folks. This is the sixth straight time that Wallace.Jr has finished sixth in the last six races. Coincidence? I think note.
Note: The NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers and teams enjoy a much needed off week this weekend. The racing action returns for the series on April 22.
2. Ryan Blaney- Blaney had a strong car but not the winning car. He would lead twice for 43 laps.
3. Kevin Harvick- Harvick qualified 14th early Saturday morning, but worked his way up through the field. He would ultimately finish in the third position, to improve his average finishing position at Texas in the Xfinity Series.
4. Cole Custer- After a slow start to the season, Custer finally posted his best finish of the year so far (fifth). This was much needed after wrecking out at Daytona and Fontana. A solid points day for the no.00 Stewart-Haas Racing team.
5. Darrell Wallace. Jr- He's done it again folks. This is the sixth straight time that Wallace.Jr has finished sixth in the last six races. Coincidence? I think note.
Note: The NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers and teams enjoy a much needed off week this weekend. The racing action returns for the series on April 22.
Saturday, April 8, 2017
Erik Jones Wins My Bariatric Solutions 300 At Texas
The NASCAR Xfinity Series headed to Texas Motor Speedway for the first time this season. Xfinity Series drivers were unsure what the new repave would bring.
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup stars Erik Jones and Joey
Logano set the front row in qualifying earlier Saturday morning. 45 laps made
up stage one and two, and 110 laps in the final stage.
In the early laps of the race, Logano set the pace
early by jumping to the lead. However, it didn’t take long for a caution to
come out on lap 11 for Daniel Hemric, who got loose and hit the wall in turn
two.
The race went back green on lap 15 with Logano again
out in front. But new challenger, Erik Jones, came to battle for the lead on
lap 18. Just two laps later, Jones was able to take the lead and hold on to win
stage one. William Byron was the highest Xfinity Series regular.
Stage Two got underway on lap 57, with Byron and Ryan
Reed on the front row. There were at least three different lead changes in one
lap, until Ryan Blaney finally took the lead for good. But, a caution came out
on lap 61 for Daniel Suarez, who got loose and spun out off turn two.
Team Penske cars of Blaney and Logano led the way for
the lap 65 restart. Logano got loose on the start and this allowed Blaney to
get ahead with a big run. A caution came out, however, one lap later for a
small wreck in turn three. This saw Darrell Wallace. Jr, Justin Allgaier, Tyler
Reddick and Brennan Poole all get involved. Poole suffered the most damage and
was done for the day.
Stage three got underway on lap 97 with Erik Jones to the point. Jones
stayed there until 70 laps to go where Ryan Blaney took the lead in turn three.
10 laps later, pit stops started to begin with Ty Dillon being the first one to
pit. Jones pitted one lap earlier before Blaney did, thus allowing him to
recycle in to the lead with 45 laps to go.
From there, Jones set smooth sailing on the field and
held on to win his second career NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Texas Motor
Speedway.
There were seven leaders among 11 lead changes.
There were also seven cautions for 31 laps.
Jones led three times for 112 laps.
This was Erik Jones’s seventh career NASCAR Xfinity
Series and his first of the season.
Looking ahead: The NASCAR Xfinity Series has a week
off for Easter next weekend, before returning to Bristol Motor Speedway on April
22.
Sunday, March 26, 2017
NASCAR Xfinity Series News And Notes From Auto Club
The 19th annual NASCAR Xfinity Series Service King 300 took place on Saturday March 25th. It was the fifth race of the season.
Joey Logano started on the pole, his first of the year. Logano led six times for 70 laps before finishing second.
Kyle Busch started 16th, but won stage one and two. Busch ended up with a third place finish after brushing the wall. It was Busch's 205th top 5 of his career.
Kyle Larson rebounded from a speeding penalty and won the race. It was his second career track win at Auto Club and the sixth of his NASCAR Xfinity Series career. He led four times for 21 laps en route to victory lane.
Darrell Wallace Jr- Finished sixth in the Service King 300, it would be his fourth straight sixth place finish of the season. Note: Wallace Jr's car was found to have one missing lugnut. This could lead to a $5,000 fine.
Erik Jones scored his second top 5 of the year and his 30th of his career.
William Byron finished fifth, making it his second straight top 5 of the season.
Elliott Sadler earned his second top 5 in 2017. He was the highest Xfinity regular in stage one and two, before finishing in the seventh position.
Brennan Poole bested his Auto Club finish with a track best of eighth.
Justin Allgaier continued his momentum off last weeks win to finish ninth. His third top 10 of the year.
Ty Dillon finished 10th and posted his second top 5 of 2017.
Daniel Hemric scored a point when he finished 10th in stage one. Hemric finished 11th.
Casey Mears finished 14th in his race back since 2010.
Brandon Jones brought out the final caution with nine to go after hitting the wall.
Cole Custer bad luck continued after hitting the wall hard with contact from Ryan Seig. It wasn't all bad for Custer as he finished in the top 10 in both stages.
Paul Menard was wrecked accidentally by Erik Jones on the frontstretch to end his strong run. Menard wounded up with a 36th place finish.
The Sunoco Rookie Of The Race award went to William Byron.
The Mobil 1 Driver Of The Race went to Kyle Busch.
The Mahle Clevite Engine Builder Of The Race went to Roush Yates Engines.
Looking ahead to Texas Motor Speedway, JR Motorsports continues to lead the way in the series point standings, with Elliott Sadler leading William Byron by 17 points.
Roger Penske continued to lead the owner points standings over the 42 of Chip Ganassi by 33 points.
The next scheduled NASCAR Xfinity Series race is Saturday April 8 at Texas Motor Speedway.
Joey Logano started on the pole, his first of the year. Logano led six times for 70 laps before finishing second.
Kyle Busch started 16th, but won stage one and two. Busch ended up with a third place finish after brushing the wall. It was Busch's 205th top 5 of his career.
Kyle Larson rebounded from a speeding penalty and won the race. It was his second career track win at Auto Club and the sixth of his NASCAR Xfinity Series career. He led four times for 21 laps en route to victory lane.
Darrell Wallace Jr- Finished sixth in the Service King 300, it would be his fourth straight sixth place finish of the season. Note: Wallace Jr's car was found to have one missing lugnut. This could lead to a $5,000 fine.
Erik Jones scored his second top 5 of the year and his 30th of his career.
William Byron finished fifth, making it his second straight top 5 of the season.
Elliott Sadler earned his second top 5 in 2017. He was the highest Xfinity regular in stage one and two, before finishing in the seventh position.
Brennan Poole bested his Auto Club finish with a track best of eighth.
Justin Allgaier continued his momentum off last weeks win to finish ninth. His third top 10 of the year.
Ty Dillon finished 10th and posted his second top 5 of 2017.
Daniel Hemric scored a point when he finished 10th in stage one. Hemric finished 11th.
Casey Mears finished 14th in his race back since 2010.
Brandon Jones brought out the final caution with nine to go after hitting the wall.
Cole Custer bad luck continued after hitting the wall hard with contact from Ryan Seig. It wasn't all bad for Custer as he finished in the top 10 in both stages.
Paul Menard was wrecked accidentally by Erik Jones on the frontstretch to end his strong run. Menard wounded up with a 36th place finish.
The Sunoco Rookie Of The Race award went to William Byron.
The Mobil 1 Driver Of The Race went to Kyle Busch.
The Mahle Clevite Engine Builder Of The Race went to Roush Yates Engines.
Looking ahead to Texas Motor Speedway, JR Motorsports continues to lead the way in the series point standings, with Elliott Sadler leading William Byron by 17 points.
Roger Penske continued to lead the owner points standings over the 42 of Chip Ganassi by 33 points.
The next scheduled NASCAR Xfinity Series race is Saturday April 8 at Texas Motor Speedway.
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Joey Logano Comes Up Short At Auto Club
Joey Logano was looking for his second win in the 2017 NASCAR Xfinity
Series today at Auto Club Speedway. His previous win came at Las Vegas Motor
Speedway, where Logano started fourth and won. However, Logano hasn’t visited
victory lane at Auto Club since 2012, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing.
Problems came early in the race for Logano after leading most of stage one. He was caught speeding on pit road and was sent to the rear. After a one lap restart, Logano ended up in the 35th position to end stage one.
Logano spent most of stage two rallying from behind and passing cars all over the place. It wasn’t until lap 70 where he rebounded from 35th to finish second in stage two.
Problems came early in the race for Logano after leading most of stage one. He was caught speeding on pit road and was sent to the rear. After a one lap restart, Logano ended up in the 35th position to end stage one.
Logano spent most of stage two rallying from behind and passing cars all over the place. It wasn’t until lap 70 where he rebounded from 35th to finish second in stage two.
This set up a lap 77 restart, where Logano and Busch
were the front runners. Logano took the lead from Busch on the same lap off
turn four. Logano held on to the lead until a lap 81 caution for Ross Chastain.
After the restart on lap 88, Busch took the lead until lap 91 where Logano passed
him for the top spot.
However, things started to go better to worse for
Logano during a lap 94 caution. The leaders, along with Logano came down to pit
under caution. When the no.22 Discount Tire crew were changing tires, the jack
came off the car and caused Logano to lose several positions. He was able to
stay on the lead lap but restarted 26th for stage three.
Just like in stage two, Logano had to make up a lot of
ground and this is where he showed his true talent. With 33 laps to go, Logano
ran down race leader Kyle Busch and passed him for the lead. While it
looked-liked Logano’s race to win, there was another challenger, and his name
was Kyle Larson.
Larson was chasing down Logano with 23 laps to go.
Logano held on to the lead until 11 laps to go where Larson passed him for
first. The big break came for Logano when the caution came out two laps later. He
and a few other leaders pitted for four fresh tires and fuel, except for
Spencer Gallagher who only took two tires.
With five laps to go for the restart, Logano restarted
behind Gallagher who got a bad start and checked everyone up. Logano had to
spend the rest of those remaining laps playing catch up. On the last lap,
Logano gave Larson one last challenge for the lead but was unsuccessful, and
came up .127 seconds short.
It was Logano’s 86th top 5 in the NASCAR
Xfinity Series.
It was his fourth career top 5 at Auto Club Speedway.
Kyle Larson Wins Service King 300
The NASCAR Xfinity Series continued to stay out west
this week, only this time it was at Auto Club Speedway. It would be the final
stop on the NASCAR Goes West tour.
Joey Logano, who has already won an Xfinity race
earlier this season at Las Vegas, won the pole in qualifying early Saturday
morning. Alongside him, was 26-year old Richard Childress Racing driver Daniel
Hemric. 35 laps made up stage one and two, with 80 laps in stage three which
made up the 150 laps overall.
The race shortly got underway with Joey Logano
clearing the field on lap 1. Kyle Busch, who started 16th, was
already up to third on lap 20. Just two laps later, Busch was up to second. The
race was clean and green until lap 29, where Matt Tifft spun on the backstretch
to bring out the first caution.
Under a pit stop, Logano was caught speeding on pit
road which set him back to 35th position for the restart. There was
a one lap restart to end stage one, and this saw Kyle Busch held off Elliott
Sadler to win stage one. Sadler was the highest Xfinity Series regular in stage
one. Logano finished 35th after the penalty.
The green flag came back out on lap 41, with Busch and
Sadler being the leaders. Kyle Larson took the lead on the restart after being
in third. Busch rebounded and took the lead back on lap 48. Busch held the lead
for the final 22 laps to win stage two. Elliott Sadler, was once again the
highest Xfinity regular in this stage. The leaders came down pit road and
Larson was busted for speeding on pit road. Busch was able to remain the leader
after pit stops.
Kyle Busch and Joey Logano took the green flag to
begin stage three on lap 77. On the same lap, Logano took the lead off turn
four. The lead, however, was only for a short while as the caution was brought
out on lap 81 for Ross Chastain, who had cut down a left rear tire.
The race restarted on lap 88 with Logano and Busch as
the leaders. Busch took the lead until lap 91 where Logano retook the top spot.
On lap 94, a caution was brought out for Paul Menard after Erik Jones
accidentally came down and turned Menard hard into the frontstretch wall. There
were some problems on pit road as the jack came off Logano’s car. Logano was
able to stay on the lead but restarted in the 26th position.
Busch and William Byron were the front runners for the
restart on lap 103. On lap 105, Cole Custer was sent spinning into the fence in
turn one after contact with Ryan Seig. Kyle Busch stayed out under caution, while
Larson and others pitted.
Busch and last week’s winner Justin Allgaier was up
front on lap 113. After the restart, Busch cleared the field down the
backstretch. With 33 laps to go, Logano passed Busch for the lead off turn two.
Busch slipped back to fifth after brushing the wall. With 23 to go, Larson
began rallying Joey Logano for the race lead. After a couple of laps chasing
the leader, Larson caught Logano with 19 to go.
It wasn’t easy for Larson as he would hit the wall
after taking the lead. This allowed Logano to go by him for the lead. Larson
rebounded and took the lead with 11 laps to go. The race changed pace with 9 to
go, when Brandon Jones brought out the final caution of the race. Larson won
the race off pit road after the whole field pitted.
It still wasn’t easy for Larson as he had to hold off
a strong car of Joey Logano, and 2015 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Champion
Kyle Busch for the final restart. Logano gave Larson one last run and challenge
to the checkered flag, but it was Kyle Larson’s race to win as he would win the
Service King 300.
There were 6 leaders among 20 lead changes.
There were 7 cautions for 43 laps.
This was Larson’s second career win at Auto Club
Speedway.
It would be Larson’s sixth career NASCAR Xfinity
Series win.
Larson led four times for 21 laps.
This also continued a 24-race win streak by a Cup
regular, who has visited victory lane in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
The series takes a few weeks off before heading to Texas
Motor Speedway on Saturday April 8.
Monday, March 20, 2017
NASCAR Xfinity Series Preview For Auto Club
The NASCAR Xfinity Series stays west this week, but
only this time it’s California. It also marks the return of the Monster Energy
NASCAR Cup Series stars like Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Paul Menard, Erik Jones,
Kyle Larson, Ty Dillon and Corey Lajoie.
In the past four races, there has been four different
winners. All of which are cup drivers. 2015- Kevin Harvick, 2014-Kyle Larson,
2013-Kyle Busch and 2012-Joey Logano.
Last year’s winner Kevin Harvick is not scheduled to compete on
Saturday.
However, the stats show if you’re going to win, you
have to beat a cup driver or be the cup driver that’s racing in it.
Let’s breakdown driver by driver stats that are
entered in the Service King 300.
There are 42 drivers entered on this year’s
preliminary list.
Garrett Smithley- Smithley made his at track debut
last year, where he started 27th and finished 23rd.
Cole Custer- Making track debut.
Harrison Rhodes- Has two starts at Auto Club, with the
best finish of 25th in 2015. Rhodes blew an engine in last year’s
race.
Elliott Sadler- Sadler has 12 starts at this race
track dating back to 1997. But recently, Sadler has had strong showing in the
no.1 One Main Financial Chevy. In 2014, Sadler started on the pole and finished
fifth. He has finished in the top 10 in the last six races. His best finish of
fifth (three times, 2016, 2014, and 2011). Also, has four top fives’ and eight
top 10’s finishes, 60 laps led.
Paul Menard- If you want to put Menard on your Xfinity
fantasy this weekend, don’t. The last time Menard competed in the Xfinity
series at Auto Club was 2010, where he finished 19th driving for
Jack Roush. However, on the cup side of things, Menard placed fourth in 2015
and 15th in 2016.
Ty Dillon- Ty is doing double duty this weekend in
Fontana. In three races, Ty finished eighth in 2014, 14th in 2015
and 17th in 2016. He has only one top 10 that came in 2014.
Ross Chastain- Chastain has two starts, with a best
finish of 17th coming in 2015.
Michael Annett- The last time Annett competed at this
track in Xfinity was 2012 for Richard Petty Motorsports. Annett has one top 10
coming in 2009.
Darrell Wallace Jr- Wallace Jr, has two starts, with
one top 10 and one top five finish. He has a best finish of third that came
last year.
Ray Black Jr- Made his track debut last year last
year, but crashed early in the going. Black Jr finished 37th.
Justin Allgaier- Allgaier, who won last week at Phoenix is looking to
keep the momentum going and go two-for-two. Allgaier has eight starts at Auto
Club, his best finish in 2010 (8th) driving for Team Penske. Last
year, he finished in the top 10 driving for Jr Motorsports.
Jeff Green- Green made a total of 11 starts at Auto
Club, but recently has become a start and park driver the last few years. We’ll
see if he can turn that around last year.
William Byron- Making track debut.
Blake Koch- Koch’s made six starts, but has two DNF’s.
In the 2016 race, Koch placed his best finish of 12th.
J.J. Yeley- 11 starts for Yeley at Auto Club, but most
of these were for Joe Gibbs Racing from 2004-2006. In the previous years, Yeley
has a mixed bag of results, with the best one coming in 2014 (19th).
Carl Long- Long’s got four starts, however, he’s had
tough outings recently. The only race Long finished was in 2013 (30th).
Ryan Reed- Three starts dating back to 2014 track
debut. Reed’s finished 17th, 11th and 14th
respectively.
Kyle Busch- Busch is the one to beat not only in the
Xfinity Series but at Auto Club in general. Busch has six career wins, 11 top
fives’ and 14 top 10’s finishes and 745 laps led. Pretty good, huh?
Matt Tifft- Making track debut, but stats show that if
you want to win, be in a Joe Gibbs Racing entry.
Erik Jones- Jones is impressive at this track. Two
starts, one pole (2015), he also placed his best finish that year of third.
Expect Jones to be strong again this year.
Daniel Hemric- Making track debut, but a Richard Childress Racing driver won last year in a last lap pass.
Joey Logano- Another cup regular who is strong at Auto
Club. Two wins in eight starts, with six top fives’ and eight top 10 finishes.
Logano will sure be a contender this weekend.
Spencer Gallagher- One start (2016) where he finished
24th.
Dakoda Armstrong- Four starts at Auto Club but in the
recent outing, Armstrong finished 22nd.
Brandon Jones- One start coming last year and finished
ninth.
Ryan Sieg- Three starts with a best finish of 20th
in 2015.
Timmy Hill- Last Xfinity start came in 2011, where he
finished 32nd.
Kyle Larson- If anyone can beat Busch this weekend,
its Larson. Larson ran down Busch in the closing laps in 2014 for the race win.
Otherwise, Larson has placed a 5.5 average finish with 22 laps led.
Brennan Poole- Poole is still searching for his first
career win. Could it come this weekend? In his only start in 2016 at Auto Club,
Poole finished 13th.
Jeremy Clements- Clements made seven starts at Auto
Club, however, his best finish came in 2009 (12th). The last few
years, though, Clement finished 24th and 21st,
respectively.
Joey Gase- Gase has five starts with the best finish
of 23rd in 2012.
Brendan Gaughan- Gaughan is decent at best. In nine
starts, he has one top 5 and five top 5 finishes. His best finish of second in
2015.
John Jackson- Making track debut.
Mike Harmon- Harmon’s got eight starts at Auto Club,
but lately, it’s been boom or bust. Five DNF’s and only finished two races
(2013 and 2016).
Stephen Leicht- Four starts for Leicht, but his last
one came in 2008 where he finished 10th for Richard Childress
Racing.
B.J. McLeod- One start that came in 2016, where McLeod
finished in 38th.
Mario Gosselin- Gosselin has two starts at Auto Club,
with a best finish of 27th in 2015.
Jordan Anderson- Making track debut.
Josh Bilicki- Making track debut. Bilick announced via twitter today that, "he will not compete this weekend at Auto Club."
Casey Mears- It’s been a long time since Mears
competed in the Xfinity event at Auto Club. In fact, it was back in 2007, where
he drove for Rick Hendrick and finished second.
David Starr- In three starts, Starr has the best
finish of 15th in 2015.
On track action starts Friday at 3pm/et for the first
practice on FS1. Final practice coming at 5pm/et and qualifying is set for
Saturday at 12:30pm/et
Saturday, March 18, 2017
Opinion: My Top 5 NASCAR Xfinity Series Drivers From Today's Race At Phoenix
1. Justin Allgaier- Allgaier was strong throughout the race and remained in the top 5 for most of the going. Only slipping back in the top 10 due to pit stops. Otherwise, Allgaier was a contender and led five times for 85 laps. A strong showing today for Allgaier, who picked up the Dash 4 Cash bonus.
2. Erik Jones- If Allgaier didn't win then it should have been Erik Jones. Jones started second and was up front all day, only to slip back from handling issues late in the going. Jones led four times for 65 laps. We'll see if Jones can carry this momentum for tomorrow's cup race at Phoenix.
3. Ryan Blaney- Blaney was another contender for the win. He was fast throughout all practice sessions on Friday, even set the pace in one of the practices as well. However, Blaney had qualifying tech inspection problems, which didn't allow him to qualify. Although, that didn't stop him from having a great outing in Phoenix. Blaney led once for 15 laps and finished second. Not bad after not getting to qualify.
4. William Byron- Had a decent performance at Phoenix. Started on the pole but slipped back on the initial start. Byron rebounded and came home in the fourth position.
5. Elliott Sadler- Sadler had a quiet day in the desert sun. Was in the top five for most of the day and finished in the top five for all stages. A decent point day for the no.1 crew.
Honorable Mention- Darrell Wallace Jr- After being under the weather last week at Las Vegas, Wallace Jr turned in a impressive sixth place finish.
2. Erik Jones- If Allgaier didn't win then it should have been Erik Jones. Jones started second and was up front all day, only to slip back from handling issues late in the going. Jones led four times for 65 laps. We'll see if Jones can carry this momentum for tomorrow's cup race at Phoenix.
3. Ryan Blaney- Blaney was another contender for the win. He was fast throughout all practice sessions on Friday, even set the pace in one of the practices as well. However, Blaney had qualifying tech inspection problems, which didn't allow him to qualify. Although, that didn't stop him from having a great outing in Phoenix. Blaney led once for 15 laps and finished second. Not bad after not getting to qualify.
4. William Byron- Had a decent performance at Phoenix. Started on the pole but slipped back on the initial start. Byron rebounded and came home in the fourth position.
5. Elliott Sadler- Sadler had a quiet day in the desert sun. Was in the top five for most of the day and finished in the top five for all stages. A decent point day for the no.1 crew.
Honorable Mention- Darrell Wallace Jr- After being under the weather last week at Las Vegas, Wallace Jr turned in a impressive sixth place finish.
Justin Allgaier Pursues In Phoenix
On a hot sunny afternoon at Phoenix International
Raceway, it was the site of the fourth NASCAR Xfinity Series race of the year.
Two young guns set the front row in qualifying for today’s race. Rookie of The
Year contender William Byron won the pole, and 20-year old Erik Jones was on
the outside pole.
It also marked the return of the famous Dash 4 Cash
event. The award goes to the highest finishing Xfinity regular throughout the
four races this season, with the winner receiving $100,000. If the same driver
wins the four races, Xfinity then will pay an additional $600,000 that would
equal a million-dollar payout. The four races are Phoenix, Bristol, Dover, and
Richmond.
The race was broken into three stages with 60 laps in
the stage one, 60 laps in stage two, and 80 laps in the final stage which made
up the 200 laps overall.
Erik Jones took the lead on the initial start as Byron
slipped behind and lost several spots. Didn’t take long for contact as Daniel
Suarez and Jeremy Clements make contact on lap seven. On lap 11, Suarez’s right
rear tire went down and made hard contact with the wall. This brought out the
first caution of the day.
The green flag went back out on lap 18 with Justin
Allgaier taking the lead in turn three and four. However, (Erik) Jones battled
back to have a side-by-side battle with Allgaier for several laps. Jones
finally took the lead on lap 28. Allgaier began slipping back as Byron was
trying to pass him for third on lap 43. As Byron was able to get around
Allgaier, JR Motorsports teammate Elliott Sadler came into the mix. Sadler
passed Allgaier for the Dash 4 Cash transfer spot on lap 58. Erik Jones ended
winning stage one.
Austin Dillon and Jones took the restart on lap 70.
Dillon maintained the lead, but Allgaier stayed close behind. Allgaier charged
hard 10 laps later and took the top spot before turn three. Stage two was clean
and green until lap 84, where Matt Tifft and Brendan Gaughan made contact off
turn four. Tifft got into Gaughan, which caused Gaughan’s car to stick to Tifft’s
splitter.
After a lap 90 restart, Allgaier continued to set the
pace until lap 105, where Ryan Blaney started to challenge for the lead on lap
105. Blaney then took the lead on 110. Blaney held on and won stage two with
Allgaier and Tyler Reddick getting the final Dash 4 Cash transfer spots.
The green came back out on lap 129 with Austin Dillon
and Ryan Blaney as the leaders. Dillon got in front and maintained the lead
until a caution came out on lap 132. David Starr and Mario Gosselin wrecked
going into turn three.
A restart came with 63 laps to go, Dillon and Allgaier
battled for the lead until lap 156 where Joey Gase’s right front tire went down
in turn three. This brought out another caution and slowed the field one more
time.
Matt Tifft stayed out and took the lead on a lap 162
restart. The lead didn’t last long for Tifft, however, as Jones passed him for
fist. Not long after that, Allgaier came charging hard and took the lead one
lap later. He would hang on until Drew Herring spun out on lap 169 to bring out
another caution.
The race went back green with 29 laps to go. Allgaier
and Jones were the class of the field for the moment. Jones took the lead with
a stronger car as Blaney and Allgaier battled hard for position. Allgaier
rallied back to the lead with 19 laps to go. With just 16 laps to go, Blake
Koch and Brandon Jones made contact in turn two to bring out the caution.
Allgaier and Jones led the field to a restart with 11
laps to go. The race went green for two laps until Cole Custer clipped Austin
Dillon and sent Dillon into the wall. Dillon retaliated by slowing down and
turning into Custer. NASCAR parked Dillon for the rest of the race and was called
to the hauler. The red flag came out with 9 laps to go for cleanup.
After a little cleanup, Allgaier came back to the line
with four laps remaining. He was able to hold on and win his fourth career
NASCAR Xfinity Series race. Allgaier also won the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus.
This was Justin Allgaier’s fourth career win in the
NASCAR Xfinity Series.
There were 7 leaders among 15 lead changes.
There were 10 cautions for 55 laps.
The next scheduled NASCAR Xfinity Series race is next Saturday March 25th at Auto Club Speedway.
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