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  • Travis Mack named crew chief for Trackhouse Racing Team in 2021

    Travis Mack named crew chief for Trackhouse Racing Team in 2021

    Trackhouse Racing Team announced that Travis Mack will be serving as crew chief for the team’s No. 99 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE team and driver Daniel Suarez for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season.

    The announcement comes approximately a week after the 2020 NASCAR season concluded, where Mack is coming off his second full-time season as an Xfinity Series crew chief for Michael Annett and the No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro team.

    Mack, a native from Louisville, Kentucky, joins Trackhouse Racing with an extensive resume of working on race cars and for racing teams. Starting his career working as a car chief for 10-time ARCA Racing Series champion Frank Kimmel in the early 2000s, Mack joined Hendrick Motorsports in 2005 and worked as a shock specialist. From there, his career blossomed as he was also a member of Hendrick Motorsports’ Nos. 24 and 88 teams before becoming a car chief for JR Motorsports and HMS in 2012-2017, working with names like Regan Smith, Chase Elliott and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

    Mack made his first two appearances as a crew chief late in the 2017 Cup Series season for Earnhardt Jr. and the No. 88 Chevrolet SS team before being announced as a full-time crew chief for Kasey Kahne and the No. 95 Leavine Family Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team for the 2018 Cup season. Midway through the 2018 season, Mack returned to JR Motorsports to serve as crew chief for Michael Annett and the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro team.

    In February 2019, Mack achieved his first win as a crew chief when Annett also achieved his first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at Daytona International Speedway in February after leading a race-high/final 45 laps of the race. They went on to achieve a total of six top-five results and 19 top-10 results along with a pole as they made the Playoffs, where they concluded the season in ninth place in the final standings.

    This past season, Annett and Mack achieved four top-five results and 22 top-10 results as they made the Playoffs before concluding the season in ninth place in the final standings.

    The move to Trackhouse Racing will mark Mack’s return to the Cup Series as a crew chief since June 2018 when he was with Kasey Kahne and Leavine Family Racing.

    Trackhouse Racing Team is a newly formed NASCAR Cup Series team created by Justin Marks, an entrepreneur and former competitor, that announced its entrance into the sport in October. During the announcement, the team revealed that Daniel Suarez, the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion and Cup Series veteran from Monterrey, Mexico, will be serving as their driver for the 2021 season. The team will be technically aligned with Richard Childress Racing and operate in Welcome, North Carolina. The team is also guaranteed an entry for every Cup race next season after being leased a charter from Spire Motorsports.

    Catch Mack’s return and Trackhouse Racing Team’s debut at Daytona International Speedway for the 63rd running of the Daytona 500 on February 14, 2021.

  • Moffitt to compete full 2021 Xfinity schedule with Our Motorsports

    Moffitt to compete full 2021 Xfinity schedule with Our Motorsports

    Following a productive 2020 season, Brett Moffitt will be moving up to the NASCAR Xfinity Series and drive a Chevrolet Camaro on a full-time basis with Our Motorsports for the 2021 season.

    Moffitt, a 28-year-old native from Grimes, Iowa, is coming off his second full-time season in the NASCAR Truck Series with GMS Racing, where he recorded a single victory (Kansas Speedway in October), 10 top-five results, 16 top-10 results and an average result of 9.7. He was one of four competitors to make the Championship 4 round at Phoenix Raceway, where he finished in fourth place in the final standings.

    In addition, Moffitt competed in 29 Xfinity Series races with Our Motorsports in 2020, where he recorded one top-five result, seven top-10 results and an average result of 18.3, with a best on-track result of fifth place at Talladega Superspeedway in June. He contributed to the team’s final owners’ points result of 15th place.

    The 2021 season will mark Moffitt’s first full-time campaign in the Xfinity Series after spending the last three seasons as a Truck Series competitor, where he won the 2018 championship with Hattori Racing Enterprises and made the Championship 4 round in his last two seasons with GMS Racing.

    Moffitt’s move to full-time racing with Our Motorsports means that he will not be returning to GMS Racing next season.

    “[Year] 2020 was a learning year for the entire Our Motorsports operation and the program is now ready to step up to another level,” Moffitt said. “I’m thankful for the last two seasons with GMS Racing and the support Maury Gallagher, Spencer Gallagher, Ron Booth, Mike Beam and the entire team gave me.”

    “Brett has been instrumental in helping us build this team from scratch and be competitive,” Chris Our, Owner of Our Motorsports, said. “We’ve challenged each other to turn Our Motorsports into a race-winning organization and we have some exciting things in the works that will help us accomplish that goal together.”

    With Moffitt confirmed as a full-time driver for Our Motorsports, Joe Williams will also remain as crew chief for the organization in 2021.

    “Our Motorsports has made great strides in 2020 and I’m really excited to carry that momentum into 2021 with Brett Moffitt behind the wheel,” Williams said. “Brett is the kind of driver that makes us better as an organization and I am confident in what we can accomplish together next year.”

    Additional details regarding Moffitt’s sponsors and the organization for next season will be announced at a later date.

  • Hemric lands full-time ride with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2021

    Hemric lands full-time ride with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2021

    Daniel Hemric has a team to call home for the 2021 NASCAR season. That team is Joe Gibbs Racing after it was announced that Hemric will be joining the organization and drive the No. 18 Toyota Supra on a full-time basis in next year’s NASCAR Xfinity Series season.

    Hemric, a 29-year-old native from Kannapolis, North Carolina, is coming off a part-time season with JR Motorsports, where he recorded seven top-five results, 12 top-10 results and an average result of 16.2 in 21 starts throughout the 33-race schedule. He also earned a pair of runner-up finishes last season and contributed to JRM’s No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro team finishing in ninth place in the 2020 Xfinity Owners’ standings.

    Hemric’s move to JGR next season will mark the third different team he has driven for in the past three seasons. It will also mark his first full-time season in NASCAR since the 2019 Cup Series, where he captured the Rookie-of-the-Year title, and first in the Xfinity Series since 2018.

    In two previous full-time seasons in the Xfinity Series with Richard Childress Racing (2017 and 2018), Hemric earned a combined 23 top-five results and 39 top-10 results. He also made the Championship 4 round in both seasons, finishing fourth in the 2017 final standings and third in the 2018 final standings.

    With a combined 175 starts across NASCAR’s top three national touring series (50 in the Truck Series, 87 in the Xfinity Series and 38 in the Cup Series), Hemric is still pursuing his first victory.

    “It’s been quite a roller coaster ride for me over the last few years, but I can’t say how thankful I am for the opportunity to drive for Joe Gibbs Racing,” Hemric said. “Their reputation speaks for itself. I know they have high expectations for me, as I do as well, and I could not be more excited to chase the Xfinity Series championship with them next season.”

    With Hemric set to join JGR, he will be a teammate to Brandon Jones, a three-time race winner of the 2020 Xfinity Series season, and Harrison Burton, the 2020 Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year who won his first four races this past season. This also completes JGR’s full-time Xfinity Series lineup for the 2021 season.

    We’re excited to have Daniel join our Xfinity Series team,” Steve de Souza, Executive Vice President of Xfinity Series and Development for Joe Gibbs Racing, said. “He has proven the ability to run up front and we believe his experience and consistency will be a benefit to our overall program. We look forward to him competing with Brandon [Jones] and Harrison [Burton] for wins and contending for a championship.”

    Riley Herbst, who drove the No. 18 Toyota full-time in 2020, will be departing the organization and pursue another opportunity in racing to be announced.

    Sponsorship and crew chief details for Hemric will be announced at a later date.

  • David Gilliland Snaps winless streak, Jesse Love Jr. collects 2020 ARCA Menards Series West Championship

    David Gilliland Snaps winless streak, Jesse Love Jr. collects 2020 ARCA Menards Series West Championship

    On the final race day of the year for the 2020 ARCA Menards Series West, just 100 laps separated championship contenders Blaine Perkins and Jesse Love Jr. for the title. There were multiple championship scenarios in play, but the end goal was simple. Love Jr. had to finish eighth or better than Perkins, no matter what Perkins did.

    Love Jr. prevailed as the Bill McAnally Racing driver had already collected the ARCA West title with 30 laps to go.

    Perkins, in the No. 9 Ford was, out of the race early due to engine issues that relegated him to a 25th place outing and ultimately giving Love Jr. the title for the first time in his career. The title was a huge accomplishment for the 15-year-old Californian as he replaced Hailie Deegan’s old No. 19 ride coming into the 2020 season.

    “I just knew when the race started I had to control everything I could control,” said Love. “Kind of put my pride aside and just try to race the nine car and not put myself in any situations. If I could find a gap, I would drive forward to get to that gap, or I would just back off to get to that gap so I could just be by myself and not have to get in any dog fights or anything like that.

    “Had to be smart about it. It was killing me. I wish I could have been more aggressive, been able to race really hard. But one of those deals, but obviously it’s cool. Paid off in a championship.”

    Despite there being a championship on the line, a race winner was also to be decided. David Gilliland, the 44-year-old team owner of DGR-Crosley earned his first checkered flag since 2012 at Sonoma in what was then called the 2012 NASCAR K&N Pro Series.

    Gilliland qualified on the pole with a time of 27.452 seconds and 131.138 mph to set his No. 4 Ford on the front row.

    The race wasn’t all that easy for the former Cup Series driver, as three cautions occurred during the first 12 laps. Gilliland kept himself in contention by staying up front but unfortunate circumstances came at the Lap 54 restart following the halfway break. The Riverside, California native was penalized for a restart violation, changing lanes too soon by diving to the bottom of the track. Gilliland had to serve a pass-through penalty and was mired deep in the 27-car field.

    Meanwhile, Ty Gibbs in the No. 18 Monster Energy Toyota, was dominating the race but things began to go south with cautions late in the race. The opportunity for Gilliland came with nine laps to go when race leader Gibbs slid up the track and was slightly into the Turn 1 wall. Gilliland’s car was like a rocket and it didn’t take him long to grab the top spot with his son Todd and competitor Sam Mayer, following in suit. However, Gilliland had to wait one more time due to a caution coming out for Mayer when the GMS driver suffered a left-rear flat after contact with Todd.

    The final restart came with three to go, and surprisingly, after the contact a few laps earlier, Ty Gibbs was back on the front row with Gilliland. Fortunately for (David) Gilliland, he was able to keep Gibbs at a distance and win for the fifth time in his West Series career, the first checkered flag for him under the ARCA Series banner.

    “It’s always fun racing with Todd, and to be able to race with your son is actually a dream come true for me,” said Gilliland. “[It] tops anything. Tops sitting here in victory lane and winning, winning as an owner or a championship — it tops everything, racing with him.

    “And to be able to do that today was very special.”

    There were seven cautions for 29 laps, and six lead changes among two different leaders.

    The 2020 ARCA West Series champion, Jesse Love Jr., ends the season with three West Series victories, nine top fives and 10 top-10 finishes along with four poles. The other two victories for Love Jr. came at Irwindale and Utah Motorsports Campus.

    Official Results following the Arizona Lottery 100 at Phoenix International Raceway.

    1. David Gilliland
    2. Ty Gibbs
    3. Taylor Gray
    4. Todd Gilliland
    5. Drew Dollar
    6. Justin Lofton
    7. Trevor Huddleston
    8. Corey Heim
    9. Gracie Trotter
    10. Keith Rocco
    11. Howie DiSavino III
    12. Joey Iest
    13. Alex Sedgwick, 1 lap down
    14. Jesse Love, 2020 ARCA West Series Champion, 1 lap down
    15. Chris Hacker, 2 laps down
    16. Devin Dodson, 2 laps down
    17. Todd Souza, 3 laps down
    18. Kris Wright, 4 laps down
    19. Cody Erickson, 5 laps down
    20. Bobby Hillis Jr, 5 laps down
    21. Sam Mayer, OUT, Crash
    22. Bridget Burgess, 9 laps down
    23. Tauma Koga, 22 laps down
    24. Jack Wood, OUT, Crash
    25. Blaine Perkins, OUT, Engine
    26. Zane Smith, OUT, Crash
    27. Gio Scelzi, OUT, Crash

    Up Next: The 2020 ARCA Menards West Series season is now complete. Next for the series is the end of the year award banquet for the ARCA brand, which is currently slated for Tuesday night on Nov. 17. The event can be seen live on arcaracing.com and the ARCA Racing’s Facebook page.

  • CHEVY AT PHOENIX 2: Sheldon Creed Wins NASCAR Truck Series Championship

    CHEVY AT PHOENIX 2: Sheldon Creed Wins NASCAR Truck Series Championship

    NASCAR TRUCK SERIES
    LUCAS OIL 150
    PHOENIX RACEWAY
    TEAM CHEVY RACE NOTES & QUOTES
    NOVEMBER 6, 2020

    SILVERADO POWERS SHELDON CREED TO CHAMPIONSHIP VICTORY
    Wins First Truck Series Title

    AVONDALE, Ariz. (November 6, 2020) – Sheldon Creed, driver of the No. 2 Chevy Accessories Silverado, claimed the 2020 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series (NGROTS) championship with a victory in the season-finale Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix Raceway. The title is the first NGROTS career title for Creed, and second in the division for GMS Racing. It also marks Chevrolet’s 14th Driver’s Championship, and 252nd Chevy Silverado win since the inception of the series in 1995.

    “Congratulations to Sheldon Creed, Jeff Stankiewicz, and the entire No. 2 Silverado team for winning the NASCAR Truck Series championship,” said Jim Campbell, U.S. Vice President of Performance and Motorsports. “Sheldon had an incredible final restart and drove to the front on four-fresh tires to bring home his first championship. What a spectacular season!”

    Creed joins Johnny Sauter, who won the NGROTS championship in 2016, as the second GMS driver to win in the division.

    “Also, congratulations to Maury Gallagher Jr., Spencer Gallagher and Mike Beam on earning a second NASCAR Truck Series championship,” added Campbell. “GMS Racing is recognized as one of the leading organizations in the division, and we are proud to be associated with them.”

    During the 2020 NGROTS season of 23 races, the 23-year old Alpine, CA native piloted his Chevy Accessories Silverado to five victories.

    “I thought my teammate was going to win the championship and we were going to run third,” Creed said as he exited his title-winning No. 2 Silverado. “We were just too loose there as we went on. The caution came out and Jeff (Stankiewicz, crew chief) and I were talking, and we had nothing to lose. The worst we’re going to run is fourth, here. Let’s put tires on it. I pride myself on my re-starts week-in and week-out, and just nailed that restart right there. They were racing really hard. I was driving as hard as I could. I want this so bad. I was just driving as hard as I could and I knew if I did, I’d have a shot. My guys and Chevy Accessories and everyone who helps us; and my grandfather is the one that makes this deal happen.”

    Creed is now the eighth Team Chevy driver to record this achievement. In addition to Sauter (2016), those include: James Buescher (2012), Austin Dillon (2011) Ron Hornaday, Jr. (1996, 1998, ‘07, & ‘09), Travis Kvapil (2003), Mike Bliss (2002), Jack Sprague (1997, ’99, & ‘01), and Mike Skinner (1995).

    Chevrolet returns to competition in the NASCAR Truck Series with the NextEra Energy 250 season-opener at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, February 12, 2021.

    About Chevrolet
    Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

  • Cindric to make 100th Xfinity Series start at Phoenix

    Cindric to make 100th Xfinity Series start at Phoenix

    While Austin Cindric is set to contend for his first NASCAR Xfinity Series championship this weekend at Phoenix Raceway, he is also set to achieve a milestone start in his third full-time season in the series. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s Xfinity season finale at Phoenix, Cindric will reach 100 starts in the Xfinity level.

    A native of Columbus, Ohio, Cindric made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Road America in August 2017. By then, he was a full-time NASCAR Truck Series competitor for Brad Keselowski Racing. Driving the No. 22 Discount Tire Ford Mustang for Team Penske, Cindric started on pole position and he finished in 16th place after making a late pit stop under green due to cutting a left-rear tire. 

    Three months later and three days after Cindric concluded the 2017 Truck Series season in third place in the final standings, Roush Fenway Racing announced that Cindric will be splitting driving duties of the No. 60 Ford Mustang for Roush Fenway Racing along with Chase Briscoe and Ty Majeski for the 2018 Xfinity Series season.

    In February, nearly a week before the 2018 season commenced, Cindric’s racing schedule became a full-time schedule when it was announced that he will be driving the Nos. 12 and 22 Ford Mustangs for Team Penske along with his part-time racing role with Roush Fenway Racing’s No. 60 Ford, thus making him eligible for the 2018 Xfinity Playoffs and the Dash 4 Cash events.

    Cindric’s 2018 season started off on a low note when he was involved in an early multi-car wreck at Daytona International Speedway and finished in last place of the 40-car field while driving Roush’s No. 60 Ford. He rallied the following week at Atlanta Motor Speedway by collecting his first top-10 result, seventh place, while driving the No. 12 Ford for Team Penske. 

    Throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch, Cindric recorded a total of three top-five results, eight top-10 results and his first two career poles. By then, his best on-track result was second place at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, where he started on pole position, led a race-high 59 of 75 laps and was leading in the closing laps before being overtaken by eventual winner Justin Allgaier. Despite being involved in a rollover accident at Daytona in July, losing 35 points following Bristol in August due to a lug nut infraction and posting three consecutive DNFs near the conclusion of the regular season that dropped him to 12th place in the standings, Cindric was able to claim a spot in the Playoffs. By then, his part-time stint with Roush Fenway Racing concluded as he transitioned to the No. 22 Team Penske Ford Mustang for the Playoffs.

    In the first round of the Playoffs, spanning three races, Cindric posted results of 13th, third and eighth to advance into the second round. In the first Playoff race of the second round at Kansas Speedway, he was involved in a multi-car wreck at the start of the race and finished in 39th place. Despite finishing third and fourth the following two races, he was one of four competitors who were eliminated from title contention. He went on to finish fifth in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway and conclude his first full-time Xfinity season in eighth place in the standings.

    A week before the 2018 season concluded, Team Penske announced that Cindric will be remaining in the Xfinity Series for the 2019 season and drive the No. 22 Ford Mustang on a full-time basis with MoneyLion to sponsor him for 18 races and Brian Wilson to serve as his crew chief. It was all in part of a new multi-year deal.

    Cindric started the 2019 Xfinity season on a strong note at Daytona by finishing in fifth place. Through the first 19 races of the season, he posted one pole, five top-five results, 13 top-10 results and 30 laps led, with a best on-track result of second place at Richmond Raceway in April behind Cole Custer. By then, he was in fifth place in the regular-season standings.

    The following race at Watkins Glen International, Cindric made a late charge on fresh tires and outlasted a late battle against road course ringer A.J. Allmendinger to score his first Xfinity Series career victory in his 54th series start. He backed it up the following race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, his home track, by leading a race-high 46 laps and running away from the field to claim his second consecutive victory of the season and of his career.

    Following his first two career victories in the Xfinity Series, Cindric posted two additional top-five results, including a runner-up finish at Road America behind race winner Christopher Bell, and three additional top-10 results for the remaining five regular-season races before entering the Playoffs and with another opportunity to win his first Xfinity title. 

    In the first round of the 2019 Playoffs, Cindric recorded podium results in all three races and advanced into the Round of 8. Like last season, Cindric ran into on-track issues during the first Round of 8 Playoff event at Kansas. Starting third, he fell behind early due to a loose wheel. Near the halfway point, he suffered a pair of cut tires on the right side of his No. 22 Ford Mustang, which cost him six laps behind the leaders. When the checkered flag flew, he finished in 25th place, six laps down, and was scored 77 points below the top-four cutline.

    Cindric and the No. 22 Penske team rallied the following two Playoffs races by finishing third and sixth. The results, however, were not enough for him to transfer into the Championship 4 round for the second consecutive season. After finishing in seventh place in the season finale at Homestead, Cindric concluded his sophomore Xfinity Series season in sixth place in the final standings.

    Returning for a second full-time season with Team Penske, Cindric started the 2020 season on a low note at Daytona by being involved in a late multi-car accident and finishing in 25th place. He rallied with three consecutive top-10 results the following three races, with a best result of second place at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in February behind race winner and former teammate Chase Briscoe. 

    When NASCAR returned to on-track racing at Darlington Raceway in May amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Cindric finished fourth. The following race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, he led 30 laps and was leading on the final lap when he was overtaken by Kyle Busch on the final corner. He ended the race in third place after being overtaken by runner-up Daniel Hemric.

    Since Darlington Raceway in May through the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Grand Prix Circuit, Cindric and the No. 22 Team Penske Ford team achieved five top-five results and were ranked in fourth place in the regular-season standings.

    The following two races at Kentucky Speedway, Cindric claimed his first elusive pair of victories of the season. It all started on Thursday, July 9, when he emerged with the lead in the late stages. Leading a total of 41 laps, Cindric pulled away from Chase Briscoe on an overtime restart and under caution on the final lap to collect his third series career win and first on an oval-shaped venue. For the second Kentucky event on Friday, July 10, he led a race-high 130 of 200 laps and beat Briscoe by more than two seconds to score his second victory of the season and to sweep both Kentucky races.

    Cindric’s momentum throughout the summer months continued as he was awarded his third consecutive victory of the season the following race at Texas Motor Speedway when initial winner Kyle Busch was disqualified due to his car failing post-race technical inspection. After leading 131 laps and finishing second the following race at Kansas, Cindric notched back-to-back victories for the second time this season after winning at Road America and NASCAR’s first event at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course. 

    Cindric went on to post four additional top-five results and six additional top-10 results for the remainder of the regular-season stretch. When the 2020 Xfinity Playoffs started, he finished in sixth place at Las Vegas. He was involved in a late accident the following week at Talladega, where he finished 34th, but he collected a bevy of stage points prior to the wreck, which kept him above the top-12 cutline entering the first Playoff elimination event at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course. For that event, he finished sixth and transferred into the Round of 8.

    Cindric’s title hopes were put on jeopardy during the first Round of 8 event at Kansas when he was involved in an early multi-car incident involving Playoff contenders Ross Chastain and Noah Gragson. Despite sustaining substantial damage, Cindric’s crew repaired the car and the driver was able to maintain minimum speed to continue. When the checkered flag flew, he finished in 28th place, 27 laps behind the leaders. Nonetheless, he remained above the top-four cutline to the finale by two points. 

    After finishing fourth the following Playoff race at Texas, he remained 14 points above the cutline to the finale entering the final elimination event at Martinsville Speedway, which occurred last weekend. At Martinsville, he started on pole position and led the first 42 laps before he got shuffled out of race-winning contention. While racing conservatively around the pack, he finished in 10th place and locked himself a spot to the Championship 4 round for the first time in his career, where he will contend for his first NASCAR Xfinity Series title against Chase Briscoe, Justin Allgaier and Justin Haley this weekend at Phoenix Raceway, the season finale.

    In 99 Xfinity Series career starts, Cindric has won seven races. He has also achieved seven poles, 39 top-five results, 62 top-10 results, three Playoff appearances, over 1,200 laps led and an average result of 11.7.

    Cindric is set to return for his fourth full-time season in the Xfinity Series in 2021 with Team Penske. In addition, he plans to compete in select NASCAR Cup Series races with Penske next season before driving in the premier series full-time and in the iconic No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford in 2022. 

    Catch Cindric’s milestone start and pursuit of his first NASCAR Xfinity Series championship at Phoenix Raceway, the site of the finale, on Saturday, November 7. The event will start at 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Elliott awarded final Cup Series pole of 2020

    Elliott awarded final Cup Series pole of 2020

    Chase Elliott will start on pole position for the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season finale at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, November 8.

    Elliott, who won last weekend’s event at Martinsville Speedway and led a race-high 236 of 500 laps, was awarded the pole for Phoenix based on four stats: current owner points standings, the driver’s results from a previous Cup race, the owner’s results from a previous Cup race and the fastest lap established from a previous Cup race.

    This marks Elliott’s first appearance in the Championship 4 round in his fifth full-time season in NASCAR’s premier series, all with Hendrick Motorsports, as he will contend for his first Cup Series championship.

    Joey Logano, the 2018 Cup champion who won at Phoenix in March, will start alongside Elliott on the front row. Brad Keselowski, the 2012 Cup champion, will start in third and Denny Hamlin reigning three-time Daytona 500 champion, will start in fourth, with the final four contenders occupying the top-four starting spots.

    Ryan Blaney, who finished in the runner-up spot last weekend at Martinsville, will start in fifth place. Alex Bowman, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Clint Bowyer and teammate Aric Almirola will start in the top 10. Bowyer is set to make his 541st and final career start in the NASCAR Cup Series.

    Starting in positions 11-26 are Kevin Harvick, Matt DiBenedetto, Martin Truex Jr., Erik Jones, Cole Custer, Matt Kenseth, Christopher Bell, Austin Dillon, Ryan Newman, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Tyler Reddick, Ty Dillon, Bubba Wallace, Ryan Preece, William Byron and teammate Jimmie Johnson, who will be making his 686th and final start in the NASCAR Cup Series.

    Starting in positions 27-39 are John Hunter Nemechek, Corey LaJoie, Michael McDowell, Daniel Suarez, Chris Buescher, J.J. Yeley, Timmy Hill, Quin Houff, Brennan Poole, James Davison, Joey Gase, Josh Bilicki and Garrett Smithley.

    The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season finale at Phoenix Raceway will occur on Sunday, November 8, at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Allgaier awarded final Xfinity Series pole of 2020

    Allgaier awarded final Xfinity Series pole of 2020

    Veteran Justin Allgaier will start on pole position for the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series season finale at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday, November 7.

    Allgaier, who finished in the runner-up spot in last weekend’s Xfinity Playoff event at Martinsville Speedway, was awarded the pole for Phoenix based on four stats: current owner points standings, the driver’s results from a previous Xfinity race, the owner’s results from a previous Xfinity race and the fastest lap established from a previous Xfinity race.

    This marks the second time this season where Allgaier will start on pole position. In addition, Allgaier enters the finale as one of the final four Playoff contenders who will compete for this year’s Xfinity Series championship. Allgaier, who is in his 10th full-time season in the Xfinity level and in his fourth appearance in the Championship 4 round, is set to return to JR Motorsports in 2021.

    Chase Briscoe, who has won nine races this season and is set to graduate to the NASCAR Cup Series with Stewart-Haas Racing in 2021, will start alongside Allgaier on the front row. Austin Cindric and Justin Haley will start in third and fourth, with the final four title contenders occupying the top-four starting spots.

    Rookie Harrison Burton, who won last weekend’s event at Martinsville, will start in fifth place. Noah Gragson, Ross Chastain, Brandon Jones, Riley Herbst and Michael Annett will start in the top 10.

    Starting in positions 11-24 are Ryan Sieg, Brett Moffitt, Jeremy Clements, Brandon Brown, Myatt Snider, Josh Williams, Tommy Joe Martins, Daniel Hemric, Timmy Hill, Jesse Little, Alex Labbe, Jeffrey Earnhardt, Joe Graf Jr. and Mason Diaz.

    Starting in positions 25-37 are Colby Howard, Donald Theetge, B.J. McLeod, Ryan Vargas, David Starr, Kody Vanderwal, Kyle Weatherman, Matt Mills, Bayley Currey, J.J. Yeley, C.J. McLaughlin, Jesse Iwuji and Stan Mullis.

    The 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series season finale at Phoenix Raceway will occur on Saturday, November 7, at 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Power Rankings – Martinsville II

    NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Power Rankings – Martinsville II

    With just one race left before the Championship 4 event at Phoenix International Raceway, Truck Series drivers and teams were vying for the final two spots in the Playoffs. Two of those spots were already claimed by GMS Racing drivers Sheldon Creed and 2018 Truck Series Champion Brett Moffitt.

    Positions third and fourth were up for grabs as six drivers were desperately trying to lock themselves in to fight for a championship spot with only two still available. At some points during the race it looked as though Austin Hill would race his way in, but due to engine woes, the Georgian would be out of the race early and his championship hopes were eliminated, as well. Despite six cautions making up the final stage, at the conclusion of the 200 laps, it was rookie Zane Smith and race winner Grant Enfinger who took the last two spots and earned a shot to win the championship.

    However, there were other drivers like Austin Hill who was once inside the cut line but now find themselves having to wait until next year to try again. We’ll take a look at this week’s Power Rankings following the Martinsville Truck Series race.

    1. Grant Enfinger – After years of trying, Grant Enfinger finally can make a bid for the Truck Series championship after being so close to advancing when the Championship 4 format was implemented. Enfinger was in a must-win situation heading into Martinsville, or in a worst-case scenario, needed a lot of help from other playoff drivers who experienced trouble throughout the night. Fortunately for Enfinger, he didn’t have any trouble at all in the race, aside from lining up behind the race leaders at one point during one of the late cautions. The Alabaman reclaimed the lead with just two laps to go, and never looked back, and ultimately advanced to the Championship 4 for the first time in his career. In addition, he led 49 laps and finished eighth and third, respectively, in Stage 1 and 2.

      Previous Week Ranking – Third
    2. Zane Smith – Smith led 20 laps before coming home with his sixth and most important top-five of the season. His finish was enough to get him locked into the Championship 4 at Phoenix. Smith was in a position to possibly win the race at some points. But his main objective was to fend off Matt Crafton to get the position, which he did, as Crafton finished behind Smith in the running order. Now, Smith will have to overcome his biggest challenge yet and that is to win the championship over his GMS Racing teammates at Phoenix.

      Previous Week Ranking – Fourth
    3. Sheldon Creed – Despite bringing out the caution at Lap 176, Creed rebounded to an eighth-place finishing position for his 12th Top 10 of the year. Creed won the first stage and led 65 laps en route to his eighth-place position. He will also be racing for his first championship alongside his teammate Zane Smith.

      Previous Week Ranking – First
    4. Matt Crafton – While it was a disappointing finish in Crafton’s eyes, it could have certainly been worse, such as not finishing the race. The ThorSport driver had the lead at certain moments in the race, including at one point when he was one of the four hopefuls to fight for the championship. He led six laps and finished second in both stages before finishing fifth in the running order for his ninth top-five of the season. Unfortunately for Crafton, he finished behind Zane Smith and that was not good enough to move on to defend his 2019 Truck Series Championship.

      Previous Week Ranking – Fifth
    5. Ben Rhodes – Rhodes came home in the second position after starting seventh. He was one of the unlucky ones that did not advance to the Championship 4, missing the position by one spot. Despite not advancing, the Kentucky native collected his ninth top-five of the year.

    Fell Out

    1. Austin Hill – Engines woes eliminated Austin Hill from championship contention and he was credited with a 35th place finish. Hill was above the cut line heading into the race and most likely would have been racing for the championship, had the engine not expired on his No. 16 Toyota. However, like many others, he will have to wait until next year to try again for the championship.

      Previous Week Ranking – Second
  • Mike Wheeler to crew chief Bubba Wallace and 23XI Racing in 2021

    Mike Wheeler to crew chief Bubba Wallace and 23XI Racing in 2021

    Veteran Mike Wheeler will be serving as crew chief for Bubba Wallace and the newly formed 23XI Racing for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season.

    Wheeler, a native from Southold, New York, and a graduate of Michigan’s Kettering University with a degree in mechanical engineering, currently works as a competition director for Leavine Family Racing, which is set to cease operations following this season. He carries an abundant of experience as a crew chief as he has called 148 Cup Series races and 33 Xfinity Series races atop the pit box. He made his debut as a crew chief for Denny Hamlin and the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team on a six-race interim role in 2014, served his first full-time season as a Cup crew chief in 2016 with Hamlin and last served as crew chief for Matt DiBenedetto with Leavine Family Racing in the 2019 Cup season. He also served as a full-time crew chief in the 2015 Xfinity Series season for Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 Toyota team that was piloted by eight different competitors.

    The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season will serve as Wheeler’s fifth full-time season as a crew chief in the sport’s premier series.

    The move for Wheeler to 23XI Racing reunites him with Denny Hamlin, whom Wheeler worked with as a crew chief at Joe Gibbs Racing for 112 races in the Cup Series (2014, 2016-2018) and six races in the Xfinity Series (2015). Together, Wheeler and Hamlin have won five Cup races, the 2016 non-point Sprint Unlimited at Daytona International Speedway and three Xfinity races, with a best points result of sixth place occurring twice in the 2016 and 2017 Cup Series seasons. Their biggest accomplishment was winning the 2016 Daytona 500 following a photo finish, where Hamlin edged Martin Truex Jr. at the finish line by a nose to claim one of NASCAR’s crown-jewel events. They also won the 2017 Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.

    23XI Racing is a newly formed NASCAR Cup Series team owned by three-time reigning Daytona 500 champion Denny Hamlin and NBA legend Michael Jordan that is set to make its debut in 2021, beginning at Daytona International Speedway for the 63rd running of the Daytona 500 on February 14, with Bubba Wallace, NASCAR’s lone African-American competitor, to serve as the team’s driver. Plans of the team’s formation was first announced on September 20 and the team name, 23XI Racing, was revealed on October 22 as Wallace is set to sport the No. 23, Jordan’s number in NBA, on his car next season.

    The announcement of Wheeler joining 23XI Racing served as one of two major announcements for the team on Friday, October 30. Earlier, Toyota announced their support for the team along with Joe Gibbs Racing, which will be forming a technical alliance with 23XI Racing.

    Catch Wheeler’s return and 23XI Racing’s debut at Daytona International Speedway for the 63rd running of the Daytona 500 on February 14, 2021.