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  • Dominique Van Wieringen tops final test session in preparation for ARCA Lucas Oil 200

    Dominique Van Wieringen tops final test session in preparation for ARCA Lucas Oil 200

    When you hear the name Dominique Van Wieringen, you normally associate her with what was formerly named the NASCAR K&N Pro Series. Van Wieringen has made 15 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East starts with four top-fives and six top-10 finishes, along with one NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series start.

    She made her ARCA debut this weekend by competing in the two-day test session ahead of the Lucas Oil 200.

    The Ontario native placed quickest on the last day of testing with a time of 49.615 seconds with a speed of 181.397 mph. Van Wieringen, competing in the No. 30 Rette Jones entry, was surprised to find that she was at the top of the charts at the end of the day.

    “I was really surprised when Mark (Rette) said we went to the top of the charts,” Van Wieringen said. “I was practicing trying to time the draft for qualifying and I didn’t get it times just right. Hopefully, when we come back for the race I can time it out a little better in qualifying and get even more.”

    It was the first time the Rette Jones driver completed any laps at the iconic Daytona International Speedway. Despite the history surrounding the place and the legendary names that have won and competed at the speedway, Van Wieringen says she was calm.

    “It’s been a good experience. It’s really intimidating because you go really fast and when things go wrong they go wrong really fast. For the first time out, it was better than I thought it would be. It was actually really relaxing. I don’t know how to explain it, it was just really relaxing.”

    Testing out his experience in the stock car world was a usual name in the World of Outlaws, David Gravel. Gravel was second in the No. 28 KBR Development Chevy with a time of 49.659 seconds at 181.236 mph. The Sprint Car driver is supposed to make select starts in the Truck Series and will compete in the ARCA season opener.

    Rounding out the top five in the final test session was Sean Corr with the Empire Racing Group, ARCA Menards Series Championship runner-up Michael Self and Drew Dollar, along with Ryan Repko as Venturini Motorsports makes its name heard once again in the ARCA world.

    Official Test Results

    1. Dominique Van Wieringen- Saturday Test Session
    2. David Gravel- Saturday Test Session
    3. Sean Corr- Saturday Test Session
    4. Michael Self- Saturday Test Session
    5. Drew Dollar- Saturday Test Session
    6. Ryan Repko- Saturday Test Session
    7. Bret Holmes- Saturday Test Session
    8. Connor Hall- Friday Test Session
    9. Ronnie Osmer- Friday Test Session
    10. Jacob Heafner- Friday Test Session
    11. Ty Gibbs- Friday Test Session
    12. Riley Herbst- Saturday Test Session
    13. Andy Seuss- Friday Test Session
    14. Gus Dean- Friday Test Session
    15. Tristian Van Wieringen- Friday Test Session
    16. Ryan Vargas- Saturday Test Session
    17. Tanner Gray- Saturday Test Session
    18. John Ferrier- Saturday Test Session
    19. Hailie Deegan- Saturday Test Session
    20. Dave Mader III- Saturday Test Session
    21. Harold Crooms- Saturday Test Session
    22. Tom Hessert- Saturday Test Session
    23. Willie Mullins- Saturday Test Session
    24. Kieth McGee- Saturday Test Session
    25. Sebastian Airias- Saturday Test Session
    26. Jason Kitzmiller-Friday Test Session
    27. Derek Kraus- Saturday Test Session
    28. Chuck Walker- Friday Test Session
    29. Gabe Sommers- Friday Test Session
    30. Chuck Hiers- Friday Test Session
    31. Ryan Huff- Saturday Test Session
    32. Greg Van Alst- Saturday Test Session
    33. Jason White- Friday Test Session
    34. Ruben Garcia- Saturday Test Session
    35. Benny Chastain- Saturday Test Session
    36. Sean Corr- Friday Test Session
    37. Dawson Cram- Saturday Test Session
    38. Chandler Smith- Friday Test Session
    39. Sam Mayer- Saturday Test Session
    40. Doug Herd- Saturday Test Session
    41. Ed Pompa- Saturday Test Session
    42. Scott Reeves- Friday Test Session
    43. Jared Irvan- Friday Test Session
    44. Tim Richmond- Friday Test Session
    45. Rick Tackman- Saturday Test Session
    46. Eric Caudell- Saturday Test Session
    47. Mike Senica- Saturday Test Session

    Up Next: With the annual two-day test session complete, the ARCA Menards Series drivers will now focus on next month’s Lucas Oil 200 season opener.


  • Chad Bryant Racing leads the way in ARCA Preseason test at Daytona

    Chad Bryant Racing leads the way in ARCA Preseason test at Daytona

    The ARCA Menards Series returned to on-track action for the annual preseason test at Daytona International Speedway. Rain showers interfered in today and shortened testing on day one. Despite the limited test, one driver was still smiling at the end of the session and that was Chad Bryant’s Connor Hall in the No. 22C Ford with a time of 49.711 seconds equaling 181.046 mph.

    There was also a morning test, which accompanied the afternoon test session. Hall said, they did some single-car runs throughout the morning and was somewhat pleased the way things went on day 1 of testing.

    “We were working on single-car runs this morning,” Hall said. “We had a game plan to work on the car and getting air where we wanted it. We made some gains and learned some things we liked and didn’t like. That’s what testing is all about. We were focused on what we needed to be better on last year. We have a great racecar. We are happy but not totally happy so we’ll get back to work tomorrow.”

    Following in Hall’s footsteps was Jacob Haefner, who placed third fastest in the test session. Haefner piloted the No. 77H Chad Bryant Racing Ford and laid down a lap of 49.767 seconds, 180.843 miles per hour. This was the first time Haefner got on-track at Daytona and while he was excited in the beginning, the Chad Bryant Racing driver was able to calm his nerves.

    “It was a learning curve at the beginning,” Haefner said. “I calmed myself down and got to driving. It is a big change coming from late models on short tracks. We worked a little on single-car runs and then got out there in the draft a little. We’re learning a lot and ready to come back in February.”

    Splitting the Chad Bryant Racing team was the No.02O Chevrolet of Ronnie Osmer for Our Motorsports. Osmer’s lap placed him second on the charts with a time of 49.754 seconds at 180.890 mph. Rounding out the top five was Ty Gibbs in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, with Andy Seuss completing the top five in the No.02S Our Motorsports Chevrolet.

    All in all, just 37 drivers took part in the first day of ARCA testing at Daytona right before the rains came and shortened testing. There will be another day of testing with day two taking place tomorrow morning/afternoon. However, should the rain interfere in that session and wash it completely out, there is a reserve date set for Sunday, January 12.

    Official Results

    1. Connor Hall
    2. Ronnie Osmer
    3. Jacob Heafner
    4. Ty Gibbs
    5. Andy Seuss
    6. Gus Dean
    7. Riley Herbst
    8. Dominique Van Wieringen
    9. Tristian Van Wieringen
    10. Bret Holmes
    11. David Gravel
    12. Dave Mader III
    13. Jason Kitzmiller
    14. Drew Dollar
    15. John Ferrier
    16. Harold Crooms
    17. Tanner Gray
    18. Hailie Deegan
    19. Kieth McGee
    20. Michael Self
    21. Chuck Walker
    22. Gabe Sommers
    23. Chuck Hiers
    24. Jason White
    25. Tom Hessert
    26. Willie Mullins
    27. Sean Corr
    28. Sebastian Airias
    29. Chandler Smith
    30. Sam Mayer
    31. Scott Reeves
    32. Jared Ivan
    33. Ryan Vargas
    34. Ed Pompa
    35. Dawson Cram
    36. Tim Richmond
    37. Doug Herd

    Tomorrow’s test session resumes at 9:00 a.m./ET lasting until 5:00 p.m./ET with an hour for lunch at 12:00 p.m./ET.

  • Hailie Deegan Signs With Ford Performance; Will Compete in Multiple Series During 2020 Season

    Hailie Deegan Signs With Ford Performance; Will Compete in Multiple Series During 2020 Season

    • Hailie Deegan, who made NASCAR history when she became the first female driver to win a race in what is now known as the ARCA Menards Series West (formerly K&N Pro Series West) in 2018, has signed a development contract to drive with Ford Performance.
    • Deegan will compete in multiple series with Ford as part of its Driver Development program, including NASCAR and IMSA.
    • She will make her Ford competition debut at Daytona International Speedway on Jan. 24, 2020 in a Mustang GT4 as part of the Michelin Pilot Challenge endurance race.

    DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 17, 2019 – Hailie Deegan, who made NASCAR history when she became the first female driver to win a race in what is now known as the ARCA Menards Series West (formerly K&N Pro Series West) in 2018, has signed a development contract to drive with Ford Performance.

    The announcement was made during a press conference today at the Ford Performance Technical Center in Concord, NC.

    Deegan, 18, will be competing in multiple series during the 2020 season as part of the DGR-Crosley race team, which announced it was moving to Ford Performance last week. She will run all 20 races in the ARCA Menards Series with that organization and also select events in the Mustang GT4 with Multimatic Motorsports in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.

    “Hailie has shown in her brief time behind the wheel of a stock car that she’s got what it takes to be successful,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports. “Our goal is to put her on a path to realize our shared goal of winning championships and part of that is gaining experience on tracks such as road courses and superspeedways. We feel this year will serve as a good foundation for what lies ahead.”

    Deegan, who registered three ARCA Menards Series West (formerly NASCAR K&N Series West) victories in two full seasons, is coming off a 2019 campaign that saw her win twice and finish third in the final point standings. In 14 starts, she registered three poles, eight top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. In addition, she made six ARCA Menards Series starts with her best finish being fifth at Lucas Oil Raceway.

    “I could not be more excited to join Ford Performance and DGR-Crosley,” said Deegan. “It became clear quickly that I align with the Ford Performance vision of driver development and our shared drive to win. It is also extra special to get to race with Ford, a family company, that already had ties to my family. Growing up watching my dad race a Ford, and now to be able to do the same thing is very cool.

    “It’s also important to me to be teamed up with a hardworking group such as DGR with like minded vision and goals,” continued Deegan. “We are all committed to work as hard as it takes to finish on top. I look forward to the upcoming season and learning as much as possible to get me closer to accomplishing my goals of winning races.”

    This will mark Deegan’s first venture with Ford, but she’s no stranger to the Blue Oval. Her father, Brian, drove a Ford Fiesta in the Global Rallycross Championship and won a gold medal in the Rallycross competition at X Games 17 in 2011. He has also driven a Ford Raptor as part of the Lucas Oil Off-Road Series.

    “We are very excited to have Hailie join the Ford Performance Team,” said Rob Johnston, global marketing manager, Ford Performance. “She is a rising star in motorsports with a new and already large fan base that we are looking forward to engaging with through her talent and personality.”

    Hailie Deegan is scheduled to make her debut behind the wheel of a Mustang GT4 at the upcoming IMSA Roar Before the 24 test session at Daytona International Speedway on January 3, 2020. That will serve as preparation for her first event, which will be in the Michelin Pilot Challenge opener at Daytona on Friday, Jan. 24, 2020, where she will partner with fellow Ford Performance development driver Chase Briscoe..

    About Ford Motor Company

    Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 202,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.

  • Justin Allgaier wins Most Popular Driver Award in Xfinity Series

    Justin Allgaier wins Most Popular Driver Award in Xfinity Series

    By Staff Report | NASCAR.com

    The fans have spoken. Justin Allgaier has been named the NASCAR Xfinity Series Most Popular Driver for the first time.

    Allgaier, 33, takes the mantle from former teammate Elliott Sadler, who had won the fan-voted honor for three consecutive years. Sadler retired from full-time racing following the conclusion of the 2018 season, paving the way for Allgaier’s ascension in the voting this year.

    The driver of the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet finished fourth in the final Xfinity Series standings after making it to the Championship 4 for the third time in four years. His victory in the penultimate race of the year at ISM Raceway in Phoenix clinched a spot in Miami, where he finished 14th.

    Allgaier is known for his affable attitude and fan-friendly demeanor. He often is surrounded by wife Ashley and daughter Harper on pit road before strapping in.
    The veteran finished the year with that one win in Phoenix, 16 top-five finishes and 24 top 10s in 33 races. He’s up to 11 wins all time in the Xfinity Series.

    The award for Allgaier continues an eight-year run for JR Motorsports drivers. Other former JRM drivers to earn the honor during that time include Sadler (2016-18) Chase Elliott (2014-15), Regan Smith (2013) and Danica Patrick (2012).

  • Ross Chastain wins Most Popular Driver Award in Gander Trucks

    Ross Chastain wins Most Popular Driver Award in Gander Trucks

    By Staff Report | NASCAR.com

    Ross Chastain, the breakout star of the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series season, has claimed one final honor: 2019 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Most Popular Driver.

    Chastain didn’t even plan to even be a full-time Gander Trucks driver in 2019, but he quickly became the busiest driver in NASCAR after his 2018 plans fell through, driving as many races as he could in all three NASCAR national series.

    The fans took notice as Chastain won the award for the first time, with the news coming on his 27th birthday.

    In June, Niece Motorsports – which supplies the No. 45 Chevrolet for Chastain – announced Chastain would change his points declaration from the Xfinity Series to Gander Trucks, allowing the driver to compete for the series championship … and the Most Popular Driver in this series.

    While Chastain fell short of lifting the big trophy, he provided a summer stretch for the ages that saw him grow into one of NASCAR’s most successful drivers on any level, and introduced a new celebration in the process – smashing a watermelon to smithereens.

    Chastain won three Gander Trucks races this season (plus one for good measure in the Xfinity Series) while logging 10 top-five finishes and 19 top 10s in 23 starts. He advanced to the Championship 4, finishing second on the season to champion Matt Crafton.

  • Stewart-Haas Racing announces 2020 Crew Chief lineup for NASCAR Cup Series teams

    Stewart-Haas Racing announces 2020 Crew Chief lineup for NASCAR Cup Series teams

    Mike Shiplett Promoted to No. 41 Team Crew Chief; Mike Bugarewicz Moves to No. 10 Team and John Klausmeier Moves to No. 14 Team; Rodney Childers Remains with No. 4 Team for Seventh Straight Season

    Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) has announced the 2020 crew chief lineup for its four NASCAR Cup Series teams.

    The most notable change is the promotion of crew chief Mike Shiplett to the No. 41 team. SHR brings Shiplett up from its NASCAR Xfinity Series program where he spent the 2019 season guiding Cole Custer to a career-high seven wins and six poles with a runner-up finish in the championship standings. Shiplett will be paired with Custer again in 2020, as the 21-year-old Custer runs for rookie-of-the-year honors.

    Crew chiefs John Klausmeier and Mike “Buga” Bugarewicz will swap teams, with Klausmeier going to the No. 14 team of Clint Bowyer and Bugarewicz going to the No. 10 team of Aric Almirola.

    Klausmeier has been the No. 10 crew chief since 2018, where he and Almirola combined for 29 top-10 finishes, highlighted by a victory on Oct. 14, 2018, at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. The duo made the NASCAR Playoffs in each of their two seasons together, with Almirola finishing a career-best fifth in the 2018 championship.

    Bugarewicz has led the No. 14 team since 2016, where he was Tony Stewart’s crew chief for his last NASCAR season before being paired with Bowyer in 2017. Bugarewicz helped Stewart secure his 49th and final NASCAR Cup Series victory at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway and continued winning with Bowyer, securing two victories in 2018 – March 26 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway and June 10 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn – as part of a three-year stint that garnered 47 top-10s and two appearances in the NASCAR Playoffs.

    Rodney Childers returns as Kevin Harvick’s crew chief with the No. 4 team for the seventh straight year. Since joining forces in 2014, Childers and Harvick have combined to produce 26 victories, 25 poles, 106 top-five finishes and 153 top-10s. They have led 9,608 laps and made the Championship 4 five times in the last six years. They won the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series title and have finished runner-up twice, to 2015 champion Kyle Busch and to 2018 champion Joey Logano.

    “Our biggest asset at Stewart-Haas Racing is our people, and we strive to put each person in the best position to succeed,” said Greg Zipadelli, Vice President of Competition, SHR. “Our driver/crew chief pairings for next season reflect this ideology, and we believe this lineup provides the best opportunity to win every time we unload our Ford Mustangs at the racetrack.”

    About Stewart-Haas Racing:

    Stewart-Haas Racing is the title-winning NASCAR team co-owned by three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart and Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation – the largest CNC machine tool builder in North America. The Kannapolis, North Carolina-based organization has won two NASCAR Cup Series titles, one NASCAR Xfinity Series championship and more than 70 NASCAR races, including such crown-jewel events as the Daytona 500, Brickyard 400 and Southern 500. For more information, please visit us online at www.StewartHaasRacing.com, on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/StewartHaasRacing, on Twitter @StewartHaasRcng and on Instagram @StewartHaasRacing.

  • Corey LaJoie wins fourth quarter NMPA Pocono Spirit Award

    Corey LaJoie wins fourth quarter NMPA Pocono Spirit Award

    DARLINGTON, S.C.- Corey LaJoie, driver of the No. 32 Go FAS Racing Ford, has been named the Fourth Quarter NMPA Pocono Spirit Award recipient for his generosity in donating a month’s salary this past August to charity. LaJoie and his wife Kelly teamed up with Samaritan’s Feet, an organization founded in 2003, to provide shoes to children and individuals in need to inspire hope and encouragement. With help from GO FAS Racing, $100,000 was raised through names placed on his car to support Samaritan’s Feet during the Cup race at Watkins Glen International.

    Also receiving votes were the Denny Hamlin Foundation and Speedway Children’s Charities-Texas Motor Speedway.

    Hamlin’s foundation raises awareness and funds for the specific needs of children with cystic fibrosis. Speedway Children’s Charities and Texas Motor Speedway held an online auction allowing fans to purchase special access passes during their November Cup series race weekend benefitting children in need across north Texas.  

    The NMPA Pocono Spirit Award is designed to recognize character and achievement in the face of adversity, sportsmanship and contributions to motorsports. The NMPA membership selects quarterly recipients as well as an overall winner each year. The award is sponsored by Pocono (Pa.) Raceway and has been presented annually since 1992.

    The overall winner of the NMPA Pocono Spirit Award will be presented Feb. 1, 2020, at the NMPA Awards Ceremony.

  • Seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson to close full-time NASCAR career following 2020

    Seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson to close full-time NASCAR career following 2020

    CONCORD, N.C. (Nov. 20, 2019) – Jimmie Johnson, the seven-time NASCAR champion and one of the most successful drivers in auto racing history, will compete in his 19th and final full-time Cup Series season in 2020.

    Johnson confirmed the news today on social media. The 83-time Cup Series race winner will discuss his decision in a press conference on Thursday. He will be joined by Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick, for whom Johnson has driven for his entire Cup career.

    The 44-year-old Johnson is one of the greatest champions in sports. His record-tying seven Cup titles, which include five straight from 2006-2010, are equaled only by NASCAR legends Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. In 2009, Johnson became the first race car driver to be named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year. The elite list of sports legends who have received the honor include icons such as Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan and Tom Brady.

    All 83 of Johnson’s points-paying Cup wins have come in the No. 48 Chevrolet of Hendrick Motorsports. They include two victories in the prestigious DAYTONA 500, four at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a record 11 at Dover International Speedway, nine at Martinsville Speedway and eight at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He has led nearly 19,000 career laps and qualified for NASCAR’s playoffs in 15 of the 16 seasons since the format’s inception in 2004.

    A native of El Cajon, California, Johnson began racing motorcycles at age 5 followed by off-road trucks and eventually cars on pavement. At 25, he made his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Charlotte on Oct. 7, 2001, and this past Sunday recorded his 651st career start in the 2019 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. His 19th and final full-time season will open with the DAYTONA 500 on Feb. 16, 2020.

    Hendrick Motorsports will announce plans for its 2021 team alignment at a later date.

    JIMMIE JOHNSON FACTS:

    · Jimmie Johnson bio
    · 18 full-time NASCAR Cup Series seasons (2002-2019)
    · Seven-time Cup Series champion (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2016)
    · Seven championships tied with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for most all-time
    · Only driver to win five consecutive Cup Series championships (2006-2010)
    · 651 career points-paying Cup Series starts
    · 648 consecutive starts; tied for sixth-most all-time
    · 16 consecutive seasons with a win (2002-2017); tied for third-longest all-time
    · Cup Series record 15 playoff appearances, all consecutive (2004-2018)
    · First Cup Series win: Auto Club Speedway on April 28, 2002, in 13th career start
    · 36 Cup Series pole positions
    · 46 Cup Series runner-up finishes
    · 227 Cup Series top-five finishes (35%)
    · 364 Cup Series top-10 finishes (56%)
    · 18,834 Cup Series laps led
    · Led in 346 of 651 starts (53%)
    · 83 career Cup Series wins; tied for sixth-most all-time with Cale Yarborough
    · 47 wins from 2002-2009; winningest driver of the decade
    · 36 wins from 2010-2019; third-winningest driver of the decade
    · Won on 20 of 25 Cup Series tracks where he has raced
    · 28 career Cup Series wins on 1.5-mile tracks; most all-time
    · Two or more Cup Series wins at 17 different racetracks
    · Cup Series “Crown Jewel” wins: DAYTONA 500 (2006, 2013), Charlotte 600 (2003, 2004, 2005, 2014), Brickyard 400 (2006, 2008, 2009, 2012) and Southern 500 (2004, 2012)
    · Won Hendrick Motorsports’ 200th race at Darlington in 2012
    · Has competed against 262 different drivers over 651 career Cup Series starts
    · Leads all drivers in wins at Dover (11), Charlotte oval (8), Texas (7), Auto Club (6), Las Vegas (4) and Kansas (3; tie)

    ABOUT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS:
    Founded by Rick Hendrick in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports has earned 256 points-paying race victories and a record 12 car owner championships in the premier NASCAR Cup Series. The organization fields four full-time Chevrolet teams on the Cup circuit with drivers Chase Elliott, William Byron, Jimmie Johnson and Alex Bowman. Headquartered in Concord, North Carolina, Hendrick Motorsports employs more than 600 people. For more information , please visit HendrickMotorsports.com or interact on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

  • Briscoe locks up 2019 Rookie of The Year

    Briscoe locks up 2019 Rookie of The Year

    The 2019 Xfinity Series season was a great season to look back on for Chase Briscoe and the No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing team, especially after winning Rookie of the Year honors. There were a couple of rocky starts at Daytona and Atlanta, finishing 12th and 15th, respectively. However, from Las Vegas to Dover, the team finished mainly in the top five. There were some issues later such as Charlotte in May when Briscoe finished 19th, one lap down. There were a few more including Chicago in July with a 15th place result and a DNF at Daytona.

    But the team got right back on track the following week at Kentucky with a top-five finish. Then at Iowa, Briscoe had a great car and secured his first win of the season, his first since the victory at the Charlotte Roval. With the win, he was able to lock the No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing team into the Playoffs.

    The team started off the Playoffs at Richmond Raceway with another top-five finish. Then two weeks in a row at the Charlotte Roval and Kansas, Briscoe qualified the No. 98 on the pole. The Playoffs were looking up for the Stewart-Haas driver, however, a wreck at Texas prior to ISM Raceway hurt their chances to advance. Briscoe finished 22nd and was in a must-win situation going into the final race in the Round of 8.

    An eighth-place finish wasn’t enough to push the team for the Championship 4 and they were left to battle for a top-10 position. Even though he could not win the championship, Briscoe still had an opportunity to win the race at Homestead and he certainly had the car capable of doing so. He started fifth and won the first stage. The No. 98 team remained consistent for a finishing position of fifth for Stage 2.

    Briscoe never fell out of contention in spite of bringing out the caution on Lap 124. He bounced off the wall off Turn 1 and eventually had a flat tire. Even with the incident, new tires helped the team and in the end, he came home with a third place finish after leading 14 laps.

    “Yeah, I think if I had to read it on a 1 to 10 scale, I would say it was like a 6 1/2,” Briscoe said.  “I felt like at the beginning of the year I kind of struggled to understand what I needed in these race cars, and truthfully how to drive them and the feel I was looking for.  I just struggled to find ‑‑ the biggest thing was I couldn’t feel the right rear ever. As the season went on, we kind of switched from trying to say do what Harvick ran the year before and what Cole was running and just try to build more of a setup to what I felt better about.”

    “Iowa was really the first race that we decided to do that, and that was the race we won.  It seemed like from then on out we were a serious contender every week. Felt like the second half of the year was a lot better than the first half of the year, but we definitely ‑‑ looking back at these playoffs, especially, I felt like we could have realistically won three or four of the races, and weird stuff happens. The Kansas deal, the Roval was one where I felt like I could have ran down Allmendinger. Dover, I think we led the most laps and didn’t catch a caution, and then tonight just getting into the wall.”

    “I think the end of the year was definitely better than the first part of the year, but overall we definitely have more to improve on and I can get way better as a driver I feel like.”

    While winning Rookie of The Year may help his resume, Briscoe currently has no plans for 2020 and does not know if he will be back with Stewart-Haas Racing next year.

    “I know they’re still working on trying to find funding to make it happen, but as of right now I don’t have anything,” Briscoe added.

    “Obviously I was wanting to win the race tonight. I feel like if I did that, it would have made everything a lot easier. But I felt like we showed speed and I feel like if we do get to go back next year, I feel like we could be serious championship contenders, and hopefully, they can and we can work together and try to figure something out.  But yeah, right now they’re still working on it.”

    Briscoe finishes the 2019 season with one win, 13 top fives, 26 top-10s and 197 laps led along with an average finish of 8.2.

  • Bell and Allgaier end up short of championship

    Bell and Allgaier end up short of championship

    After coming up short in last year’s Championship 4 race, Christopher Bell and the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing team were back for another chance at the Xfinity Series championship. This would be Bell’s last opportunity for the foreseeable future as he goes Cup Series racing next year for Leavine Family Racing. Already being an emotional week for the Oklahoma native, Bell had hopes of bringing home a championship to the No. 20 team.

    Bell qualified seventh at Homestead-Miami Speedway and had a great car early on, finishing 12th in Stage 1 and second in Stage 2. He even had the lead multiple times throughout the race and at one point he led 23 laps out front. However, the last time we would see Bell at the front was right before green flag pit stops. A miscommunication call between the driver and spotter had Bell staying out instead of coming in to pit road.

    Even with a fast car, Bell was unable to catch the other two championship drivers. There were no late-race cautions and the Oklahoma native had to settle for a disappointing fifth-place finish and third in the championship after a strong season with eight wins.

    “Yeah, it was just a miscommunication,” Bell said describing the incident. “I don’t know if my spotter didn’t get told what our cue word was, but I told, got the cue word to pit, and then all of a sudden, I started pitting and he said, not now, not now.  But that didn’t matter whenever you get beat by 17 seconds. I’m glad that didn’t have an effect on the outcome of the race.”

    Even after the incident, Bell was making up ground but was just too far back in order to make anything happen.

    “Well, that second to last run, I don’t know if I just did a better job blocking or what, but we definitely seemed to maintain a little bit better, and then whenever we pitted, I didn’t know ‑‑ you don’t know how many laps that we pitted earlier than the other two guys, but I was pretty happy whenever I drove by them because I think we only had 30‑something laps to go at that point, and my car had been okay for that distance.”

    Bell ends his full-time Xfinity Series campaign with 16 wins, 41 top-fives and 46 top-10 finishes along with 12 poles.

    Justin Allgaier, on the other hand, had a more disappointing race. The eventful weekend started out with practice when the No. 52 of David Starr came up when he was not clear and made slight contact with Allgaier off Turn 1. Rain showers came and washed out the practices for the rest of the day on Friday. Coming back on Saturday afternoon for qualifying, Allgaier struggled with a 16th place starting effort.

    While it wasn’t a pretty Stage 1, Allgaier managed a third place for the second stage. However, after Stage 2, it was like you didn’t see the No. 7 team for the rest of the race. A major moment came late in the final stage, where Allgaier almost spun coming down to pit road. He held onto the car and made it to pit road for adjustments.

    Despite those adjustments, the car continued to struggle in the remaining laps. With no late-race cautions, Allgaier finished 14th, one lap down and fourth of the four Championship 4 drivers.

    “Yeah, I mean, that was probably the hardest one,” Allgaier said. “Chase sitting here probably got in the wall less than we did, and the caution came out, and it didn’t for us.  So I was pretty bummed in that.  But on the flip side of it, once this didn’t come out, there was no reason to try to cause a caution. We weren’t fast enough really to be in that position anyway and it ‑‑ at the end of the day, I probably could have done something to benefit ourselves there.”

    “The unfortunate part is you’ve got a long way to go to get back to pit road at a slow speed and that ended up putting us two laps down, which we were able to drive our way back to one lap down, but the time that we lost just trying to get back to pit road really, really affected the outcome of where we finished tonight, which didn’t matter, but just for going into the off‑season you’d rather have a better finish than where we finished, 14th, 13th, 15th, something like that.  Disappointing.”

    Allgaier ends the 2019 Xfinity Series season with one win, 16 top fives and 24 top-10 finishes.

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