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Author: Briar Starr

  • ARCA Menards Series Preview – Talladega

    ARCA Menards Series Preview – Talladega

    The ARCA Menards East Series action returned to the track last Saturday at Toledo and the ARCA Menards Series is set to return this Saturday at the 2.66 mile Talladega Superspeedway, after three and a half months off from the track.

    Just 21 cars are expected to take the green flag at 1 p.m./Central time and some drivers have not been able to race since March at Phoenix Raceway.

    For Venturini Motorsports, the team is bringing three of its normal drivers down, hoping to take another win for 2020. One of them, Michael Self, has surprisingly not scored a victory yet at Talladega despite being close multiple times. Self has just two starts at the superspeedway and earned a best finish of third in 2018 when he led 21 laps in the event.

    “I can’t believe it’s finally race week again,” Self said. “I feel like it’s been forever since we’ve been on track and I know I speak for everyone on the No. 25 Sinclair Oil, Champion Power Equipment Toyota team when I say we can’t wait to get going again. With that being said, we’ve got to go in and be smart and try to execute just like we did at Daytona (International Speedway). I’ve been fortunate to have some solid top-five runs at Talladega, be we have to be patient and not force anything and play whatever card we’re dealt to try and keep things clean and do it again.” 

    As for his teammates, Ryan Repko and Drew Dollar, who are both rookies will be making their first Talladega start. However, Dollar and Repko have made starts at Daytona earlier this year, where Dollar finished third and Repko was regulated to a 22nd place finish after a crash took him out at the halfway point.

    “I’m excited to finally get back in the ARCA car and get back to work with my Venturini Motorsports team,” Dollar said. “Talladega (Superspeedway) is a race that I’ve been looking forward to since I ran at Daytona (International Speedway) earlier this season. Shannon (Rursch) and the team brought an amazing car to Daytona, so I know our Toyota Camry will be fast this weekend. I’m confident about getting back on trac and competing for the win.” 

    “Talladega Superspeedway is one of the tracks that I’ve been looking forward to because of its rich history within our sport,” Repko said. “I am hoping I can add to that history this weekend with my Venturini Motorsports team and our No. 20 Toyota Camry.”

    As for DGR-Crosley, the same can be said for most of its drivers who will make their first Talladega start this weekend. Hailie Deegan almost pulled off the upset at Daytona in February where she finished second. Deegan notes she enjoyed for her first Daytona start and looks forward to making another superspeedway start.

    “After Daytona, I didn’t realize how much fun superspeedway racing was going to be,” Deegan said. “I really loved it. Everyone always talks about how not fun and boring it is, but I had so much fun. It think having a good car made it a lot more fun too. Racing is always better when you have a good car! The guys at DGR-Crosley gave me a really good Ford Fusion to work with, so that always makes it a lot easier, a lot more fun and creates a lot of positive energy. They’ve been giving me really good stuff and I think that we can just go out there and hopefully expect to have another good run. I’ve been waiting to race for way too long, so hopefully we can get back to racing, have some good finishes and get the season back on track.”

    Tanner Gray will be back in the ARCA car this weekend, sporting the No. 17 Ford Performance machine. The New Mexico native has some experience racing at superspeedways. After all, he made one ARCA and Truck Series start at Daytona. Unfortunately, an oil leak regulated and took Gray out of contention to a 16th place position, just 10 laps shy of the finish. On the Truck side, he did not find much luck there either, as a crash took Gray out and placed him 23rd. Even though, those finishes may not show what Gray is capable of, he is excited to get back in the ARCA car.

    “I’m excited to be back in the ARCA car and working with Blake (Bainbridge, crew chief) and the 17 team again this weekend,” Gray said. “We have a weekend off on the truck side, so it’s always nice to be able to stay in the car and get some experience at tracks that we will be visiting later in the season. I learned a lot at Daytona in February, so I’m looking forward to another superspeedway race. I’ve never been to Talladega, but I’ve been watching film with my spotter (Kevin Hamlin) and listening to his advice. Thad (Moffitt) ran there in the ARCA race last year, so he will be a good resource too. Hopefully the three of us (teammates Moffitt and Hailie Deegan) can work together throughout the race and all end up fighting for the lead at the end.”

    Thad Moffitt has just one start at the superspeedway, which came in last years race. The North Carolina native finished 25th after an oil leak ended his day early. However, at Daytona, Moffitt was able to place the No. 46 Ford fifth in the running order.

    “I’m really excited to get back to racing,” Moffitt said. “I felt like we had a lot of positive momentum after the first two races and then everything kind of stalled out with the Coronavirus. I think that we can still carry that momentum and confidence into Talladega. I like the fact that we are taking three cars again and I think we (DGR-Crosley teammates Hailie Deegan & Tanner Gray) will work very well together. I think we have shot for sure to win this race, and if not, run in the top five, or top 10.”

    Someone who does have experience more than some of the field is Gus Dean, who has four starts including one win that came back in his first outing in 2016. Since then, his best finish has been six (twice, 2017 and 2019). Dean’s team has managed to lead 25 laps in four of those starts, which has earned him a average finish of 6.2.

    “I feel very blessed to have another opportunity to come back to Talladega and race and try and get another ARCA win,” said Dean. “I’ll never forget April 2016, but its time to make new memories with new people in 2020 and I hope we can do that on Saturday. I always run well at the superspeedway tracks, but Talladega has certainly been kinder to me over the years. I’ve been super blessed to drive fast race cars and have great spotters and teams who have put me in the same position year after year.”

    Jason Kitzmiller and the No. 97 Codie Rohrbaugh own team are set for another superspeedway start in 2020. Kitzmiller recently competed at Daytona, but engine troubles on lap 11, forced the team to retire from the event and was credited with a 32nd place finish. This time, the West Virginia native is ready for Talladega, but notes it will be a fast schedule with just a one day show and not much track time to get suited.

    “Pretty thankful to Codie, Doug and the entire CR7 Motorsports team for working hard to put this car together for this weekend,” said Kitzmiller. “It’s no secret that Daytona didn’t go as we hoped it would, but Talladega is another race full of opportunity and I hope we can execute on that. There was a lot of time to prepare for everything in Daytona with the open test and all, but Talladega is going to be really quick with a short practice and then the race.”

    Normally, Chad Bryant Racing, is the team to beat at superspeedways fielding a two car team. For Saturday’s event, Paul Andrews is fielding just one car, which will be the No. 22 driven by Brandon Lynn. Lynn brings superspeedway experience to the team, as five of his 11 starts came at Talladega. Most recently, Lynn competed for Venturini Motorsports the last two times and earned a best finish of third in 2019 after qualifying on the pole. With that said, Lynn hopes to bring those competitive finishes to Chad Bryant Racing on Saturday afternoon.

    “I’ve been ready to get to Talladega,” said Lynn. “I’ve been staying busy with work but have been checking in with the team and doing what I can to prepared myself for the race on Saturday. Honestly, I just feel lucky to be able to race this weekend at Talladega considering all that has transpired in 2020. I feel like I have some unfinished business at Talladega, and I would like to finish what I started last year in a couple weeks. I know the circumstances will be different with limited on-track activity – but I think the years of experience between myself and the team will pay off.”

    As for other notable drivers, they include Riley Herbst in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Bret Holmes in the No. 23 Chevrolet, Con Nicolopoulos in the Wayne Peterson Racing entry, Tim Richmond in the No. 06, Eric Caudell in the No. 7, Sean Corr in the No. 8, Tommy Vigh Jr in the No. 01, Willie Mullins in the No. 11, Ed Pompa in the No. 12, Brad Smith in the No. 48, and Scott Melton in the No. 69. All have made at least one start at Talladega.

    Ryan Huff, in the No. 10 Andy Hillenburg Toyota, is another driver who will also be making his first start Saturday.

    In the past five races, there have been five different winners. Those include Blake Jones in 2015, Gus Dean in 2016, Justin Haley in 2017, Zane Smith in 2018, and previous race winner Todd Gilliland in 2019.

    Toyota has won the last three races dating back to 2017. Overall, they have earned six wins, with their first victory coming in 2007 with Michael Annett. Other manufacturers, who have won include Buick, Pontiac, Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Ford, and Dodge.

    This race weekend was originally scheduled for April, but COVID-19 pandemic altered those plans, which saw the race shifted to June. And with that, the schedule is condensed to limit overexposure.

    Originally, there was going to be no practice sessions. However, series officials, have decided to grant teams one practice session that is slated for 30 minutes, lasting from 10-10:30 central time. There will be no group qualifying as qualifying is based on random draw. Drivers will report to their cars at 12:50 p.m./Central with the green flag scheduled for 1 p.m..

    As there will be no qualifying and limited track time, the General Tire 200 will be split into two segment, allowing teams to have time to make adjustments on their cars. The halfway break which will signify the segment, is expected to occur on lap 38.

    The General Tire 200 can be seen on Fox Sports 1.

  • ABB FIA Formula E Set For Return With Six Race Schedule

    ABB FIA Formula E Set For Return With Six Race Schedule

    On Wednesday afternoon, series officials announced a six race condensed schedule to complete the 2019/20 season of Formula E, which are scheduled to take place in the city of Berlin at the TempelHof Airport. All six races will also take place behind closed doors with no spectators in attendance. There will also be three double header races scheduled for August 5 and 6, August 8 and 9, and August 12 and 13, with different types of track layouts.

    Even though fans are not able to attend these races, there are still strict guidelines implemented for personnel at track side, set by the German government officials. One of those guidelines includes only a maximum of 1,000 people allowed at the events. Those allowed at the track are local suppliers and a medical crew, while everything else will be done remotely.

    Like other Motorsports leagues, there will be required temperature checks as well as mandatory coronavirus testing and social distancing measures rules being enforced. Personnel are required to wear masks while they are at the track. In addition, series officials are also only allowing very little movement for work spaces.

    With the regulations and requirements announced for Formula E’s return, the track configurations and race starts times will be seen at a later date on social platforms.

    Jamie Reigle, Chief Executive Officer of Formula E, says they worked hard to get the season back on track.

    “Since taking action to suspend our season in March, we have emphasized a revised calendar which places the health and safety of our community first, represents Formula E’s distinct brand of city-centre racing and offers an exciting conclusion to the compelling season of racing we had seen so far,” Reigle said. “We’re heading to Berlin Tempelhof, a venue that our teams, drivers and fans love, to stage a nine-day festival of racing with three back-to-back double-headers. “The festival will feature three track layouts, presenting a new challenge and creating the conditions for an unpredictable and drama-filled climax to our season. The team at Formula E has been working incredibly hard over the past weeks to enable us to go racing again in Berlin. I’d like to thank the FIA, our manufacturers, teams and partners for their continued support, the city of Berlin for their cooperation and flexibility and our fans for their patience.”

    By completing the six race schedule, this should complete the 2019/20 season.

    When the drivers were last on track, it was Antonio Felix da Costa who last took the victory at Marrakesh. At Berlin, drivers Lucas di Grassi, Sebastien Buemi, and Jerome D’Ambrosio have all won races at the Templehof Airport.

  • Four Takeaways From The Baptist Health 200 At Homestead Miami Speedway

    Four Takeaways From The Baptist Health 200 At Homestead Miami Speedway

    For the first time in nearly 19 years, the NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series visited Homestead Miami Speedway on a non-championship weekend. 

    It was unusual for sure, as we are normally used to talking about the four drivers who are running for a championship, the Championship 4. But this time it wasn’t just about the championship drivers, the event was treated like another normal race and without the championship pressure. 

    What was normal was Kyle Busch, who was back in the field and was back to his normal dominance that is usually the case whenever he enters a Truck Series event. The All-Time wins list leader found his way back to victory lane after a couple of dull races over the last two weeks. 

    Despite Busch getting the victory, there were some noticeable things we may have missed and that were quite unusual. 

    Here are this week’s Four Takeaways following Round No. 5 of the 2020 season. 

    1. Sheldon Creed Plows Into Pit Road Barriers- In what is to be remembered for a longtime and unfortunately for the wrong reason, Sheldon Creed plowed into the water/sand barriers prior to pit road entry. This isn’t the first time this kind of circumstance has happened, nor will it be the last. But, it sure created quite the buzz on Twitter. In fact, a popular account on social media going by the name of nascarcasm, provided us with an entertaining meme that was Days of Thunder esque.

      https://twitter.com/nascarcasm/status/1271986909296963586
    2. Raphael Lessard Continues To Impress– In the recent few weeks, Truck Series rookie, Raphael Lessard has seen moderate success. At Charlotte, the Canadian was able to lead his first laps as a rookie. Saturday night at Homestead, Lessard showed his talents again being consistent. He was able to place the No. 4 Toyota Tundra eighth in Stage 1 and 10th in Stage 2. Lessard even ran as high as fourth at one point during the race, but just barely missed out on a top 10 finish, where he placed 11th.
    3. Spencer Davis Enjoys Top 15 Outing- Spencer Davis has been quietly consistent over the last few weeks, which sometimes is a good thing. Ever since taking ownership of the No. 11 Toyota at Charlotte, the Georgia native has had its fair share of success. Davis finished 12th at Las Vegas and excluding the finishes of Charlotte and Atlanta, he has been able to place his Toyota in the top 15. If Davis can catch a few breaks later this season, we’ll be able to see this take place more often. A solid job by Davis and his team.
    4. Tough Night For Some GMS Trucks- While Tyler Ankrum and Chase Elliott were able to enjoy top five finishes, Brett Moffitt and Zane Smith did not enjoy the race as much as their teammates did. On lap 21, Moffitt and Smith were taken out of the race due to an accident in Turn 4. Both drivers had a hard hit, but were thankfully okay as they were released from the infield care center. However, both were regulated to a 36th and 37th place finish, respectively. Here’s hoping Pocono will be a better outing for them in a couple of weeks. 
  • NASCAR Xfinity Series Power Rankings-Homestead

    NASCAR Xfinity Series Power Rankings-Homestead

    For the first time in nearly 30 years, back to back races took place on the same weekend at Homestead Miami Speedway in NASCAR’s Xfinity Series.

    It was a nutrition race as the teams and drivers battled the Florida heat and sun. But there was two great races in two days that provided quite possibly some of the most entertaining races of the weekend. In the end, Harrison Burton and Chase Briscoe persevered through the two long days at Homestead to capture the victories. 

    But, there were other drivers in this event who also did well. Here are this week’s Power Rankings following the two-day event at Homestead Miami Speedway. 

    1. Noah Gragson- Gragson continued his recent success this weekend at Homestead by finishing in the top five in both races. In Saturday’s race, he led a race high 83 laps before settling in the third position after scraping the wall. The next day on Sunday, Gragson had to work his way from the back for unapproved adjustments prior to the race to fix that damage. It didn’t take him long though, as the Las Vegas native was able to finish sixth in the first stage. Gragson continued to have a great car throughout the remaining laps by placing the No. 9 to a stage win in the second stage. Sunday’s run might have been a bit disappointing compared to Saturday, but Gragson still ended up in the top five by finishing fifth.

      Previous Week Ranking- First
    2. Chase Briscoe- It had sure been a hell of a weekend for Briscoe and the No. 98 Stewart Haas Racing Team. In Saturday’s race, the ballast had come out the back of the car, which caused trouble for the team as Briscoe had to come down pit road for the team to fix it. As Briscoe sat on pit road, the race went green and he had to watch the cars go on by. When he returned to the track, he was six laps down to start the event. Eventually, with the cautions, Briscoe rallied back to being on the lead lap again. No stage finishes in Saturday’s race, but the No. 98 team gets an A for effort, as they rebounded to a seventh place finish. Unfortunately, due to the ballast coming out, this caused NASCAR to suspend Briscoe’s crew chief, car chief, and race engineer for four races as part of the rulebook. With that said, this saw race winning crew chief, Greg Zipadelli return to call the shots in Sunday’s race. And as Zipadelli returned to call the shots, he never missed a beat. Briscoe managed to place fourth in the second stage, while being in contention late for the victory. It wasn’t easy as a late race caution was flown, but the Indiana native came back to win Sunday’s race. A statement definitely made by the No. 98 team.

      Previous Week Ranking- Fell Out
    3. Harrison Burton- There was quite the tale of two stories for the 19-year old Burton. He was there when it counted at the end, as a late race restart  occurred. Burton was three wide with multiple drivers coming to the white flag. Fortunately for Burton, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver picked up his second victory of the 2020 season in a race where he only led the last two laps. As far as Sunday’s race goes, the No. 20 team piloted to seventh and sixth place positions in both stages. Burton suffered a flat tire late in the run, which put him a lap down. However, two cautions near the end put him back on the lead lap and back in contention. After an overtime restart, Burton came home to an eighth place finishing position and on the lead lap.

      Previous Week Ranking- Fourth
    4. Brandon Jones- Like Burton, his teammate, Brandon Jones also had two interesting races in back to back days. For starters, Saturday’s race saw the No. 19 team had a good solid car that was good enough for a top 10 outing, potentially top five if things fell into the team’s favor. Jones actually found himself with an opportunity to win the event on the late race restart, before getting shuffled back and finishing eighth. On Sunday, he was in position to win again with another late race restart and started on the outside front row. Ultimately, Jones fell short of race winner Briscoe by .072 seconds. All in all, it was a big weekend for the No. 19 team, as they were able to get stage points in both events.

      Previous Week Ranking- Not Ranked
    5. Ryan Sieg– Continuing to outshine the bigger teams and impressive, was the No. 39 Team of Ryan Sieg Racing. Sieg, the Georgia native, saw great success this past weekend at Homestead. He was able to win the first stage in Saturday’s event after making a late race pit stop under caution before the stage ended. WIth fresher tires, that propelled Sieg to the lead and Stage 1 winner. In the second stage, he still was able to finish in the stage, placing ninth. Sunday’s outing was somewhat the same, as far as stages go. Sieg once again picked up the Stage 1 victory and gained his team 10 stage points by doing so. The team was unable to get any stage points in the second stage, but finished a disappointing 19th after finding success early.

      Previous Week Ranking- Not Ranked 

    Fell Out 

    1. Austin Cindric- Cindric had a great Saturday, as he finished runner up to Harrison Burton and led 24 laps. However, the Team Penske driver got  caught up in an incident of his own after blowing a tire and hitting the Turn 4 wall bringing out the yellow. Despite the incident, Cindric was able to rebound to a top 10. But, somewhat disappointing after finishing second the day before.

      Previous Week Ranking- Second
    2. Daniel Hemric- After his bossman Dale Earnhardt Jr had a good showing in the No. 8 car Saturday finishing fifth, expectations were high for Daniel Hemric and his team, who had to turn the car around to his liking in less than 24 hours. Unfortunately, Hemric was involved in an incident late in the race on lap 172, when he got collected in a crash on the backstretch with Riley Herbst, and teammate Michael Annett. Due to the incident, Hemric was credited with 31st.

      Previous Week Ranking- Third
    3. Justin Haley- Haley had okay days in the No. 11 Kaulig machine, but certainly was hoping for something better. He finished outside the top 10 in Saturday’s race by placing 13th after finishing eighth in Stage 1 and sixth in Stage 2. For Sunday’s finale, Haley rebounded to a respectable sixth place, thus earning sixth top 10 of the year. Despite those finishing positions, things could have been a bit better for Haley as he finished third at Atlanta the week prior to Homestead.

      Previous Week Ranking- Fifth
  • NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Power Rankings-Homestead

    NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Power Rankings-Homestead

    Coming off a thriller at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series visited Southern Florida and Homestead Miami Speedway, another 1.5 mile track. 

    Last week’s winner, Grant Enfingerhad had momentum on his side rolling into Homestead and looked to capture a victory at a track that he had not won at. Austin Hill, who was runner-up at Atlanta, knew Homestead would be his best shot as the team won there the last two trips.

    However, “Rowdy” (Kyle Busch) was back in the field, and after a few weeks of rough races of not finishing where he normally does, it was going to be hard to bet against Busch. After prerace troubles in tech, serving a pass through penalty at the start, Busch rallied his way through the field and took home the victory for the second time this season. 

    Busch dominated the majority of the race, but there were plenty of other series regulars who shined as well. 

    Here are this week’s Power Rankings following the Baptist Health 200. 

    1. Austin Hill- It shouldn’t be a surprise that Hill comes at the top spot again. Sure, he didn’t dominate the race like the others do, but remained consistent in the 134 lap event to stay in the top 10. There were really no issues on the No. 16 team, other than a tight truck that pursued throughout the night. Despite the handling issue, Hill had a good enough truck to lead all but one lap in Stage 1 and finished third after a late pass for the lead. The Georgia native also finished third in the second stage. Hill did lead laps, but just 29 of them occurred in the first stage. By finishing seventh, Hill has not finished outside the top 10 through the first five races.

      Previous Week Ranking- First
    2. Tyler Ankrum- Ankrum had a quiet Homestead race, but got his best finish of 2020 so far when he finished second. The GMS driver was never really a contender until the last portion of the race, when late race yellows occurred and bunched everyone back up again for restarts. Ankrum was unable to gain stage points or lead any laps, but he gets an atta boy for placing the No. 26 Chevy second, after not having the greatest luck to start the first four races. Here’s hoping this gives some momentum to the team and get some good finishes to carry that momentum throughout the rest of the season.

      Previous Week Ranking- Not Ranked
    3. Todd Gilliland- Another solid week for the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Team, who finished sixth after drawing 18th in qualifying. Gilliland also piloted the No. 38 Ford to a sixth place finish in Stage 1 and a fifth place in Stage 2. While the North Carolina native didn’t get to challenge for the lead or victory, Gilliland has been consistent over the last couple of weeks, which could be a boost for the team as we get closer toward the playoffs.

      Previous Week Ranking- Third
    4. Johnny Sauter- Johnny Sauter sure has had a wild week with the No. 13 ThorSport team. From being disqualified at Atlanta for tire infringement, Sauter and the crew came back for redemption at Homestead, a place where the Wisconsin native has enjoyed success before. Sauter started 10th based on a draw and had a decent race. He barely missed out on getting stage points, finishing 12th in Stage 1 and 13th in Stage 2, but rallied in the top 10 late in the race. Sauter managed his pace and kept the Ford F-150 out of trouble, and brought home a fifth place finish. A nice rebound for Sauter and the No. 13 team at Homestead.

      Previous Week Ranking- Not Ranked
    5. Matt Crafton- Crafton had an up and down night at the 1.5 mile track, but mainly resulting in up. First, he was able to get stage points when he finished fifth in Stage 1. However, things somewhat went downhill through the majority of Stage 2. During the second stage, Crafton had suffered a flat tire and had to come to pit road under green to fix the issue, which put him a lap down and eventually finishing 31st in Stage 2. But, the California native got a lucky break when a caution was thrown and received the free pass. Ultimately, Crafton earned a ninth place finish Saturday night in Southern Florida.

      Previous Week Ranking- Fourth 

    Fell Out 

    1. Christian Eckes- Saturday night could be a disappointment if your Christian Eckes. At Atlanta, he got his best finish of the season so far, finishing third. At Homestead, the Kyle Busch Motorsports driver finished eighth after drawing fourth for a starting position. Eckes did manage to finish seventh in Stage 1 and fourth in Stage 2. But, Eckes finished in the eighth position for a top 10 finish. It is a better result than what the finishes looked liked earlier in the season, but could be a potential disappointing result after getting some momentum on your side the previous week.

      Previous Week Ranking- Fifth
    2. Grant Enfinger- Enfinger had a good race going until a slow late race pit stop, which saw him restart mid-pack. This saw the ThorSport driver finish 17th after placing fourth in Stage 1 and ninth in Stage 2.

      Previous Week Ranking- Second
  • Kyle Busch victorious again at Homestead

    Kyle Busch victorious again at Homestead

    After a rough stretch of races, Kyle Busch piloted his No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota Tundra back to victory lane again at Homestead Miami Speedway, but it wasn’t all that easy for the Las Vegas native.

    Prior to the event going green, Busch had prerace inspection issues and had to drop to the rear and serve a pass-through penalty. It wasn’t until Lap 39 when the KBM driver would get back to the front to take the lead which he held for 58 laps, taking the Stage 2 victory. In the end, Busch had to persevere through a red flag and a late-race restart to take home his second victory of the year.

    “You’re always concerned about tires being better and having the opportunity to out-show you, but I felt like six laps was just the right amount, any more than that and it probably would have been a different outcome,” said Busch.

    “I knew the Cessna Beechcraft Toyota Tundra here was going to be awesome. Thanks to TRD and Rowdy Energy, everybody that helps us here and makes us so fast and want to say thanks to Big Machine Hand Sanitizer as well, they were on the quarter panel the last two weeks and we didn’t win and now they’re not here and we won.”

    Stage 1: Lap 1 – Lap 30

    When the race went green, not only the drivers were racing to the checkered flag, but NASCAR was as well due to potential impending weather in the area. With weather in the area, there was a lot of thrilling action from the start.

    Sheldon Creed would make slight contact with the wall early on, while the leaders battled with each other. Despite Creed hitting the wall, there would be no caution and last week’s runner-up Austin Hill led the field to the mandatory competition caution on Lap 15.

    After the caution, five laps later, another one ensued as a major wreck broke loose between Brett Moffitt and Zane Smith. Brennan Poole and Chase Elliott were also involved, albeit with slight damage to their vehicles. Unfortunately for Moffitt and Smith, their night was done early for too much damage and they were relegated to finishing 36th and 37th.

    A late-stage restart was seen and Niece Motorsports driver, Ross Chastain, passed Hill just before the stage completed. Chastain would end up winning the stage with Ben Rhodes, Hill, Grant Enfinger, Matt Crafton, Todd Gilliland, Christian Eckes, Raphael Lessard, Stewart Friesen, and Creed the top-10 finishers.

    Under the stage caution, several trucks stayed out including Eckes, Majeski, Ankrum, Poole, Kraus, Greenfield, Fogleman, Elliott, and Busch. Dawson Cram was too fast on pit road.

    Stage 2: Lap 35 – Lap 60

    Once Stage 2 began, Busch took the lead on Lap 39, which was the first time in the race for Busch to be out front.

    Other than a piece of debris out of the racing groove, Matt Crafton in the wall in Turn 4 with five to go in the stage and losing a tire, Stage 2 was caution free.

    With Stage 2 going caution free, Busch would take his first stage win of the night. Chastain, Hill, Eckes, Gilliland, Rhodes, Elliott, Kraus, Enfinger, and Lessard rounded out the top-10

    Stage 3: Lap 66 – Lap 134

    The third and final stage saw more action than the other previous stages.

    Beginning with Lap 69, Poole had a tire go down which brought out the caution. Charlotte winner, Elliott, was in the wall slightly but no caution.

    As a green flag run took place, green flag pit stops began with 39 to go. Eckes, Crafton and Poole played pit strategy during the normal cycle of stops. In order for the strategy to work, a caution had to be flown within their pit window. Alas, a caution was flown with 30 to go for Korbin Forrister who had problems with his No. 7 machine. Under the yellow, Eckes, Busch, Crafton and Rhodes among a few others came on to pit road to pit.

    During the pit stops, we saw a bizarre incident that occurred when Sheldon Creed in the No. 2 got called to pit road at the last second. However, it was too late for Creed to make a left-hand turn to pit road, which caused him to hit the water/sand barriers. As water and sand went everywhere, a 15-minute red flag was displayed.

    Once the red was lifted, a restart came with 24 to go. Busch would eventually take the lead a lap later and set the pace. But, the last caution flew with 12 to go for the No. 3 of Jordan Anderson, which set up a seven-lap dash to the finish.

    It only took Busch a couple of laps before he cleared the field and once he did so, he set sail to his 58th career victory in the Truck Series, and his third victory at Homestead, the first time in seven years.

    When asked if Busch would retire from the Truck Series as he approaches 100 in that series, he said it wouldn’t be that easy to kick him out.

    “If my name is on the door, I’ll run as many as I’ll possibly can,” Busch said. “You can’t get rid of me that easily. Maybe one day, they’ll fix the rules where I will run more or I can be like Mark Martin and run Trucks full time (after I retire from Cup). Perhaps one day, I’ll go Trucks full time and run for a championship. Who knows?”

    There were seven caution for 34 laps and six leaders among eight lead changes. Busch led twice for 82 laps.

    Official Results

    1. Kyle Busch, led 82 laps, won Stage 2
    2. Tyler Ankrum
    3. Ross Chastain, won Stage 1
    4. Chase Elliott
    5. Johnny Sauter
    6. Todd Gilliland
    7. Austin Hill
    8. Christian Eckes
    9. Matt Crafton
    10. Ty Majeski
    11. Raphael Lessard
    12. Tanner Gray
    13. Spencer Davis
    14. Stewart Friesen
    15. Derek Kraus
    16. Austin Wayne Self
    17. Grant Enfinger
    18. Ben Rhodes
    19. Brennan Poole
    20. Sheldon Creed
    21. Cory Roper
    22. Spencer Boyd
    23. Tate Fogleman
    24. Angela Ruch
    25. Tyler Hill, one lap down
    26. Gray Gaulding, one lap down
    27. Jennifer Jo Cobb, two laps down
    28. Codie Rohrbaugh, two laps down
    29. Ray Ciccareli, three laps down
    30. Clay Greenfield, 12 laps down
    31. Jordan Anderson, OUT, Crash
    32. Dawson Cram, OUT, Transmission
    33. Korbin Forrister, OUT, Crash
    34. Norm Benning, OUT, Handling
    35. T.J. Bell, OUT, Crash
    36. Brett Moffitt, OUT, Crash
    37. Zane Smith, OUT, Crash
    38. Bryant Barnhill, OUT, Transmission

    Up Next: The NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series will take a few weeks off before returning to action at Pocono Raceway Saturday, June 27.

  • Beitske Visser Grabs First Race In Virtual W Series

    Beitske Visser Grabs First Race In Virtual W Series

    With no real racing scheduled for 2020, W Series went virtual racing Thursday night for the Italian Grand Prix at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza.

    There were many unknowns for this event, but for the most part, it went as smooth as you could hope for. The race format was laid out well ahead of time, with three races taking place in one event.

    In the first race, 20 minutes made up the total length while the second feature was 15 minutes but in a reverse grid. The main event was another 20 minutes.

    Race No. 1

    Australian’s Caitlin Wood set the pace in qualifying by qualifying on pole position. Visser also made her name known too, as she would place her car in second right behind Wood.

    As the first virtual went green, Visser edged out Wood going into and coming out of Turn 1. Visser set the pace with Wood trying to catch her in the remainder of the 20-minute event. However, it was 16-year-old Irina Sidorkova who impressed many early on by jumping to third and passing Nerea Marti. Sidorkova took it one step further and climbed to second in the middle of the event at the 15-minute mark.

    As Sidorkova settled in second, Visser continued at a dominating pace, making it difficult for her other competitors to catch her. Pole sitter, Wood, fell back to the sixth position 13 seconds from the race leader. Visser went onto take the first checkered flag of the three race venture over Sidorkova and Marti. Visser also set the fastest lap for this race as well.

    Official Race 1 Results

    1. Beitske Visser
    2. Irina Sidorkova
    3. Nerea Marti
    4. Tasmin Pepper
    5. Gosia Rdest
    6. Caitlin Wood
    7. Jessica Hawkins
    8. Marta Garcia
    9. Jamie Chadwick
    10. Belen Garcia
    11. Ayla Agren
    12. Sabre Cook
    13. Abbie Eaton
    14. Alice Powell
    15. Sarah Moore
    16. Vicky Piria
    17. Naomi Schiff
    18. Bruna Tomaselli
    19. Fabieene Wohlend, one lap down
    20. Emma Kimilainen, one lap down
    21. Miki Koyama, Did Not Star

    Race No. 2

    The second race featured a reverse grid which meant that the last-place finisher in race No. 1 sat on the pole along with everyone else moving up from the back. This would mean, Emma Kimilainen, who finished last and one lap down, would start first and race winner Visser, would start last.

    As race two ensued, there was major chaos when the field piloted into Turn 1. Many of the competitors wrecked but Kimilainen made it through with the lead.

    Amidst the early wreck were Bruna Tomaselli and Naomi Schiff who were both sent to the back early on. With the first turn accident, a few drivers were able to take advantage. Gosia Rdest went from 16th to third, and Sidorkova from 19th to sixth, while Visser started last and fought back to 10th.

    As the time of the event began to wind down, the battle for the lead started to heat up. Fabienne Wohlwend started to reel in the leader, Kimilainen. Despite a few challenges from Wohlwend, Kimilainen took the race victory 1.7 seconds over Wohlwend. Race No. 1 winner, Visser would finish ninth on the grid.

    Official Race No. 2 Results

    1. Emma Kimilainen
    2. Fabienne Wohlwend
    3. Gosia Rdest
    4. Irina Sidorkova
    5. Jamie Chadwick
    6. Marta Garcia
    7. Sarah Moore
    8. Ayla Agren
    9. Beitske Visser
    10. Alice Powell
    11. Abbie Eaton
    12. Tasmin Pepper
    13. Nerea Marti
    14. Caitlin Wood
    15. Vicky Piria
    16. Sabre Cook
    17. Jessica Hawkins
    18. Belen Garcia
    19. Naomi Schiff, one lap down
    20. Bruna Tomaselli, one lap down
    21. Miki Koyama, Did Not Start

    Race No. 3

    Caitlin Wood would sit on the pole once more for the beginning of race three, while Beitske Visser took second in qualifying.

    When the final race went green, Nerea Marti who started fourth and Ayla Agren who started third, had a solid start, more so than the leaders. Unfortunately, Agren spun in Turn 1, which saw Visser move into second.

    Visser continued to move forward and passed Marti for the lead, as the race hit the 13 minute mark. Visser went on to her second checkered flag, as Marti and Sidorkova rounded out the top three finishers.

    Official Race No. 3 Results

    1. Beitske Visser
    2. Nerea Marti
    3. Irina Sidorkova
    4. Tasmin Pepper
    5. Alice Powell
    6. Gosia Rdest
    7. Sarah Moore
    8. Caitlin Wood
    9. Ayla Agren
    10. Abbie Eaton
    11. Marta Garcia
    12. Bruna Tomaselli
    13. Emma Kimilainen
    14. Naomi Schiff
    15. Fabienne Wohlwend
    16. Jamie Chadwick, one lap down
    17. Vicky Piria, one lap down
    18. Sabre Cook, one lap down
    19. Jessica Hawkins, one lap down
    20. Belen Garcia, four laps down
    21. Miki Koyama, Did Not Start

    Beitske Visser who won two out of the three races said that her race went okay but learned to hopefully have a better mindset for upcoming reverse grid races.

    “In the first race I got off to a good start, got into the lead and pulled away,” Visser said. “The second race was more chaotic. I had to line up last on the grid and didn’t have a very good start. I had damage so I wasn’t very fast, but I managed to get some points. In the last race, Caitlin [Wood] outqualified me again so I have to work on that. We both messed up the start and were five-wide into turn one, but luckily we survived. In the first few laps Nerea [Martí] was very fast but then I could catch up, overtake her and pull away. The aim is to maintain this form in Austin and hopefully survive the reverse-grid race a bit better.”

    On the other hand, Emma Kimiläinen who won the reverse grid, was very excited about claiming the victory.

     “I can’t believe I won the reverse-grid race – it’s crazy!,”Kimiläinen said. “This is completely new to me – the last time I raced cars on a computer I just used the keyboard. It was so nerve-wracking. I’ve never felt like that in a real race because I know what I’m doing, but I have no experience of this so I don’t trust myself under braking. My heartrate was around 140bpm throughout the race, but I didn’t make any mistakes and I’m so happy. What a great experience! I tried to improve after the first race and I’m so grateful to the other girls for helping me with my set-up.”

    Impressing many viewers and even at one point leading the championship standings, Irina Sidorkova says she was happy with the results.

    “I’m not used to racing on the sim, so it was great to see all the drivers on the grid and I’m very happy with the results,” Sidorkova said. “Before the races in Austin I’ll prepare hard to be a winner, but I know all the girls will do the same so it will be difficult.”

    Chief Executive Officer of the W Series, Catherine Bond Muir, was pleased with how the first virtual event turned out.

    “In the absence of on-track racing, we’re delighted to have launched the W Series Esports League. The first races, which were run on the fast and historic Autodromo di Monza, were successful and entertaining, and it’s clear that Beitske [Visser], who won a W Series race on track last year [Zolder], is every bit as competitive on an eracing rig as she is in a real race car. Congratulations to her for winning two of the three races at Monza.

    “Congrats also to Emma [Kimiläinen], who won the reverse-grid race despite not being a practiced eRacer and therefore not having as much relevant experience as most of her rivals. We’re already looking forward to the next round of races, which will be run on the Circuit of the Americas [Austin, Texas, USA] and will be streamed/broadcast on Thursday, June 18th.

    “Many thanks to our eracing partners Logitech, iRacing and Beyond Entertainment, our broadcast partners the BBC and Whisper, our streaming partners YouTube, Twitch and Facebook, our eracing photographic partner Getty Images and of course our global partner ROKiT: a seriously impressive team.”

    Up Next: The W Series will virtually travel to Austin, Texas for Round No. 2 Thursday, June 18 at the virtual Circuit of the Americus.

  • Brock Zearfoss Notches First Victory of 2020 In All Star Circuit of Champions

    Brock Zearfoss Notches First Victory of 2020 In All Star Circuit of Champions

    Heading to Southern Oklahoma Speedway Thursday night, many competitors were hoping to stop the recent dominance of Kyle Larson’s winning streak dating back to last Sunday.

    Jonestown, PA native, Brock Zearfoss was one of the competitors who was able to stop Larson’s reign but it wasn’t easy with an event filled race.

    In fact, race fans didn’t see Zearfoss took control of the race until 10 laps to go, as Skylar Gee and Dominic Scelzi would trade the lead multiple times in the first 14 laps. Gee leading the first five laps and Scelzi leading laps six to 14. At lap 15, Zearfoss used the high side and used that momentum to keep his competitors at bay.

    Up until Zearfoss took the lead on lap 15, there were a large number of yellows and a red flag periods. Early on, this gave Zearfoss a couple of chances to eventually lead the pace. After Zearfoss was in the top position, he had to maintain his pace, but more cautions fell which at one point allowed the field to have a refuel session. Even with those instances, Zearfoss still held onto take the victory at Southern Oklahoma Speedway over Danny Dietrich and Dominic Scelzi.

    Greg Wilson who picked up nine positions, won the Hercules Tire Hard Charger Award.

    Official Results

    1. Brock Zearfoss, led 10 laps, won Heat Race No. 3
    2. Danny Dietrich
    3. Dominic Scelzi, led 8 laps, won Heat Race No. 1
    4. Cory Eliason
    5. Justin Sanders
    6. Justin Peck
    7. Paul McMahan
    8. Zeb Wise
    9. Aaron Reutzel
    10. Greg Wilson
    11. Skylar Gee, won Dash No. 1
    12. Jake Bubak
    13. Sam Hafertepe Jr
    14. Kasey Kahne
    15. Kyle Clark
    16. Harli White
    17. Brian Bell
    18. Scott Bogucki
    19. John Carney
    20. Blake Hahn
    21. Danny Smith
    22. Tony Stewart
    23. Josh Baughman, won Heat Race No. 2
    24. Robbie Price

    Up Next: The All Star Circuit of Champions will visit Monarch Motor Speedway Friday night June 12 with racing starting at 8 p.m./local time.

  • NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Preview-Homestead

    NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Preview-Homestead

    Coming off a thrilling finish last Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series heads back to South Florida and Homestead-Miami Speedway carrying some momentum.

    It’s an unusual trip for not only the Truck Series but the other two series, as this will be the first time in quite some time, the series will be racing in the middle of the summer compared to racing in November. For the longest time, the Truck Series finale was slated at Homestead dating back to 2002. You have to go back 19 years ago in the year 2001 when the series did not compete in November. In ’01, the Truck Series competed in March. The earliest the series ever competed at the track was February of 2000. So yes, there have been races at Homestead where it was not scheduled for November, but a very long time ago.

    Coming back to the present, racing in the middle of summer will create some very hot and slick conditions at the 1.5-mile speedway, which, for some drivers, will play into their favor.

    Last week, ThorSport Racing driver, Grant Enfinger, in slick conditions, scored the victory for the second time this year and now comes to Homestead hoping to click off another victory. Though there will be 38 other drivers competing for the victory and one of them hopes to keep Enfinger’s momentum in the rearview by getting a victory for themselves.

    Here is this week’s preview for the Baptist Health 200.

    1. Austin Hill – This may be an obvious pick to some of you but hear me out. After falling short by a matter of seconds last Saturday, the Georgia native is hungry for a race win and has the truck/team capable to do it. Last November, the No. 16 Hattori Racing Team scored the victory by sweeping both of the stages, leading the majority of the race (56 laps) and taking the checkered flag. Not only does Hill have a good chance from a statistical standpoint, but HRE will bring back the race-winning truck, hoping to do the same thing they did in November, which is to win. Hill was solid last November and crew chief, Scott Zipadelli, has been with three different drivers going back to 2017. Zipadelli also won the race/championship with former team driver Brett Moffitt back in November of 2018. This team and driver will be tough to beat come Saturday. Hill also is starting on the pole.
    2. Brett Moffitt – Moffitt has had solid success in the past two races at Homestead, including a victory and winning the championship back in 2018. In the 2019 event, Moffitt competed with his new team, GMS Racing. The Iowan native started fourth and nabbed a fifth-place finish back in November. Moffitt also was able to lead three laps and placed the truck fourth in both stages. When Moffitt won the ’18 race, he led 59 laps en route to victory in just his first Truck start at the track. Despite having limited Truck experience, Moffitt does have other series starts, such as competing in the Cup Series several years ago. With that in mind, it’ll be hard to stop the momentum of Moffitt at Homestead. The team is still searching for their first victory of the year. and that just might come Saturday night.
    3. Matt Crafton – Speaking of experience, Matt Crafton has the most starts of all active drivers, with 13 dating back to 2001. Since that debut, Crafton has had a mixed bag of results at the 1.5-mile speedway but has also enjoyed recent success. Homestead has been the site where the California native has collected three Truck Series championships. The first one was in 2013 and he went back to back in 2014. Crafton also took the title home in last year’s event after placing runner up and leading nine laps. It wasn’t until 2015 however, when the ThorSport driver scored his first victory at Homestead. In total, Crafton has scored four top fives and 11 top-10 finishes with 154 laps led which has produced an average finish of 10.4. In the 2019 event, Crafton finished sixth in Stage 1 and second in Stage 2. Should Crafton pull off the win, it would be a special victory, as he celebrated a birthday Thursday.
    4. Christian Eckes – By finally scoring a top-five finish last week at Atlanta in 2020, Eckes is rolling into Homestead hoping to grab another top-five finish. The Kyle Busch Motorsports driver does have one start at the 1.5-mile speedway, which came a few months ago in November. Eckes started second and finished third after leading 26 laps in his first outing. He was unable to score any stage points, but finishing second was a goal achieved for that night. This time around, it wouldn’t be shocking should Eckes pull off the victory this Saturday. The No. 18 team will be using a chassis that Noah Gragson used to score his first victory at Kansas in 2018. Cup Series regulars William Byron and Christopher Bell have also won with this truck. Eckes will roll off in the fourth position on the starting grid.
    5. Sheldon Creed – After having a couple of rough results at Las Vegas and last week at Atlanta, Creed and the No. 2 GMS Racing team will hope to turn things around with a great finish this weekend. The Alpine, California native has made two starts with finishes of fifth and ninth. Not only has Creed been able to finish inside the top-10 in both races, but he has also piloted the No. 2 Chevy to stage finishes in both races as well, with an average finish of 7.0. Creed starts eighth on Saturday and has a decent chance to win.

    Since 1996, Homestead-Miami Speedway has been host to 24 Truck Series races with many different winners. Some of those winners include Dave Rezendes, Kenny Irwin Jr, Mike Wallace, Andy Houston, Ted Musgrave, Ron Hornaday Jr, Bobby Hamilton, Kasey Kahne, Todd Bodine Mark Martin, Johnny Benson Jr, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Johnny Sauter, Cale Gale, Bubba Wallace, Matt Crafton, William Byron, Chase Briscoe, Brett Moffitt and Austin Hill.

    Kyle Busch and Todd Bodine have the most victories with two apiece. This weekend, Sauter, Crafton, Moffitt, and Hill have a chance to tie that feat set by Busch and Bodine.

    Toyota has 10 victories, Ford 6 victories, Chevrolet 5 wins and Dodge has just two wins.

    Caution flags have been hit or miss at Homestead for a Truck Series race. The most ever flown was back in 1997 when 11 cautions flew for 52 laps. The fewest amount of cautions ever seen was one caution for four laps in 2002. The most ever lead changes was 17, three times, in ’97, ’99, and ’10. The fewest ever lead changes were five also set in the 2002 race.

    In addition, the race winner has come from the pole four times (2003, 2015, 2016, and 2017). The lowest a race winner has ever started to win was 18th set by Bodine in 2008.

    Since stages were implemented in 2017, Christopher Bell, Ben Rhodes, Grant Enfinger, Brett Moffitt, and Austin Hill have all won stages. Hill has been the only driver who has swept both stages, which occurred in last year’s event.

    Stages will be broken into 30/60/134 to make up the 201-mile race.

    The Baptist Health 200 can be seen on Fox Sports 1 and heard on MRN Radio Saturday, June 13 at 6 p.m. ET.

  • Kyle Larson Scores Another Consecutive Win in All Star Circuit of Champions

    Kyle Larson Scores Another Consecutive Win in All Star Circuit of Champions

    After winning at 81 Speedway on Sunday night and Lawton Speedway Monday night, Kyle Larson rolled into town at Devils Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas Wednesday night.

    Larson had been carrying tons of momentum at those two victories and looked to carry that to Devils Bowl. Just like, Tuesday night, the victory didn’t come without challenges. The 27-year old had to fend off rival competitor Kasey Kahne, who was entered in the race. Kahne had a strong No. 9 machine after qualifying second, but it was Larson who had the fastest car and beat Kahne by one position for the pole in the A-main.

    Kahne had led the 14 laps of the event, but as lap cars got in the way, this allowed Larson to capitalize and take the lead from Kahne off Turn 4. By taking the lead on lap 14, Larson just barely edged Kahne at the line by .03 seconds. From there, Larson was able to put Kahne in the rear view, and manage his the pace.

    Despite a caution flying, that still didn’t stop Larson as he went onto take the victory for the third consecutive time in a row, after fending off Kahne.

    “I was trying to be patient, but it got to the point where I told myself ‘it’s only a 25-lap race, so I’m probably being a little too patient.’ It was time to go,” Kyle Larson said, who now owns 13 All Star Circuit of Champions victories, this being the first in Texas. “I ran a few really hard laps there and ended up getting by Kasey (Kahne) just before the caution came out. I felt really good. Honestly, I think the car got better and better every time we hit the track and I feel like we definitely learned a lot tonight. Hopefully we can carry this momentum into the rest of the year.”

    “A big thanks to Paul Silva and Doug. They’ve been logging a lot of hours up and down the road this week and a lot of late nights and early mornings. We’ve had so many supporters step up and help us out and that means the world to me. To all of the fans, thank you so much for supporting local racing and staying up late to watch us race. It means the world to us.”

    By gaining seven positions, Dominic Selzi earned the Hercules Tire Hard Charger Award.

    Official Results

    1. Kyle Larson, fastest in Warm Ups, and qualified on pole, led 11 laps
    2. Kasey Kahne, won Dash 1, led 14 laps
    3. Scott Bogucki, won Heat Race 1
    4. Cory Eliason
    5. Aaron Reutzel
    6. Sam Hafertepe Jr
    7. Paul McMahan, won Heat Race 3
    8. Brock Zearfoss
    9. Justin Peck
    10. Josh Baughman
    11. Danny Dietrich
    12. Brian Bell
    13. Dominic Scelzi, Hard Charger Award
    14. John Carney
    15. Greg Wilson
    16. Tony Stewart
    17. Zeb Wise
    18. Justin Sanders
    19. Blake Hahn
    20. Skylar Gee, won Heat Race 2
    21. Robbie Price
    22. Chris Tarrant
    23. Danny Smith
    24. Kyle Clark

    Up Next: The All Star Circuit of Champions continue their week of racing, by visiting Ardmore, Oklahoma at Southern Oklahoma Speedway Thursday night June 11. Racing is slated to get underway past 8:00 p.m./local time. The action can also be seen on http://www.floracing.com/.