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Tag: Food City 300

  • Gaughan Takes Playoff Hit at Bristol

    Gaughan Takes Playoff Hit at Bristol

    BRISTOL, Tenn. — While Brendan Gaughan still occupies a playoff spot with two races remaining in the 2017 NASCAR XFINITY Series regular season, his late wreck in the Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway did him no favors.

    Gaughan was part of a three-wide row of cars exiting Turn 4 with 17 laps to go with him up against the wall, Jeb Burton driving the 24 car in the middle and Garrett Smithley on the bottom. Something broke on the right-front of Burton’s car (evidenced by the fire that broke out in the wheel well a few minutes later), leading to him drifting up into the left-rear of Gaughan. Burton hit and sent him spinning backward into the wall, making contact with his right-rear corner.

    He then comes down and makes contact with Ray Black Jr. Moments later, his left-rear tire goes flat and he spins up towards the wall. He makes slight contact with the wall again, with his front bumper, before doing a full 360° spin, coming to a stop and pulling down onto the apron.

    Gaughan finished the race 30th, and he wasn’t happy with Burton after what transpired.

    “We had a decent South Point Chevy. We were gonna sit there in the top-14, top-12 for the most part, and then we have the loose wheel. It’s just racing man. That happens. But two weeks in a row. I know he don’t have many races and I like him a lot normally, but right now, I’m gonna knock the hell out of him. The first time, he gave me a flat. The second time, he says he blew a tire, but if you know you got a tire blowing, don’t drive underneath somebody.”

    Burton later responded, saying he never meant “to get into him” and that he “just got tight.”

    Gaughan leaves Bristol 12th in points, maintaining a 43-point edge over Ross Chastain for the final playoff spot.

  • Kyle Busch Puts on Clinic in Bristol XFINITY Race

    Kyle Busch Puts on Clinic in Bristol XFINITY Race

    BRISTOL, Tenn. — It was another Kyle Busch showcase, as he led a race-high of 186 to win the NASCAR XFINITY Series Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

    He led the field to the green flag at 7:45 and led the first 16 laps, before Justin Allgaier powered by him, on the high side, on the Lap 16 restart to take the lead. Busch drove underneath him exiting Turn 2 on Lap 33 and drove on to win the first stage.

    He was busted for speeding and restarted the second stage from the tail-end of the field. However, he methodically worked his back to the head of the field on Lap 157, just in time for him to win the second stage.

    From there, while he briefly lost the lead to Daniel Suarez and Elliott Sadler, it was all Rowdy’s with 98 laps to go, who drove right on to his 91st career victory.

    Suarez finished second and Sadler rounded out the podium.

    Ty Dillon and Allgaier rounded out the top-five.

    Brennan Poole, Daniel Hemric, Austin Dillon, Joey Logano and Cole Custer rounded out the top-10.

    CAUTION SUMMARY

    Caution first flew on Lap 12 for David Starr when he slammed the wall in Turn 1. The second flew when Aric Almirola and Ryan Reed crashed in Turn 3 on Lap 29. The third flew on Lap 39 when Reed slammed the wall in Turn 4. The fourth flew for the end of the first stage on Lap 86. The fifth flew for Brandon Jones spinning out on the front stretch on Lap 124. The sixth flew for the end of the second stage. The seventh flew for Tommy Joe Martins slamming the wall in Turn 1 with 84 laps to go. The final caution flew with 23 to go when Brendan Gaughan got turned into the front stretch wall.

    NUTS & BOLTS

    The race lasted one hour, 48 minutes and 30 seconds, at an average speed of 88.424 mph. There were 11 lead changes among four different drivers and eight cautions for 46 laps.

    Sadler leaves with a 110-point lead over William Byron.

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  • Kyle Busch Fastest in Final XFINITY Practice at Bristol

    Kyle Busch Fastest in Final XFINITY Practice at Bristol

    BRISTOL, Tenn. — Kyle Busch topped the chart in final NASCAR XFINITY Series practice at Bristol Motor Speedway.

    The driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was the fastest with a time of 15.435 and a speed of 124.315 mph. Joey Logano was second in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford with a time of 15.491 and a speed of 123.865 mph. Brennan Poole was third in his No. 48 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet with a time of 15.526 and a speed of 123.586 mph. William Byron was fourth in his No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet with a time of 15.553 and a speed of 123.372 mph. Justin Allgaier rounded out the top-five in his No. 7 JRM Chevrolet with a time of 15.561 and a speed of 123.308 mph.

    Daniel Hemric, Cole Custer, Elliott Sadler, Matt Tifft and Daniel Suarez rounded out the top-10.

    Allgaier posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 122.516 mph.

    First XFINITY Series Practice Results

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  • Allgaier Fastest in First XFINITY Practice at Bristol

    Allgaier Fastest in First XFINITY Practice at Bristol

    BRISTOL, Tenn. — Justin Allgaier topped the chart in first NASCAR XFINITY Series practice at Bristol Motor Speedway.

    The driver of the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet was the fastest with a time of 15.306 and a speed of 125.363 mph. Kyle Busch was second in his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with a time of 15.334 and a speed of 125.134 mph. Blake Koch was third in his No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet with a time of 15.396 and a speed of 124.630 mph. Elliott Sadler was fourth in his No. 1 JRM Chevrolet with a time of 15.397 and a speed of 124.622 mph. Austin Dillon rounded out the top-five in his No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet with a time of 15.407 and a speed of 124.541 mph.

    Brennan Poole, Aric Almirola, William Byron, Brandon Jones and Joey Logano rounded out the top-10.

    Allgaier posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 122.152 mph.

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  • Austin Dillon Survives Late Race Carnage to Win in XFINITY at Thunder Valley

    Austin Dillon Survives Late Race Carnage to Win in XFINITY at Thunder Valley

    BRISTOL, Tenn. — Austin Dillon wasn’t in the dominant car of the night nor near the front most of the night, but he was in front when it counted and he scored the victory in the Food City 300 at Thunder Valley.

    Brad Keselowski took the lead late n the race from Kyle Larson, who led a race-high of 200 laps, and had the win in check following Kyle Busch’s late-race wreck as he would’ve restarted the race with two laps to go and with the lane choice. He didn’t have the gas to make the finish, however, and the driver of the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet drove on to win the Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

    “I feel like the fans had to have loved that race,” Dillon said. “It was interesting to have another lane down at the bottom of the track and it ended up being a race on those last two restarts. At the end of the race, I listened to the advice of my grandfather on what lane to choose to restart and I’m glad I did. It really worked out. The more and more I learn about these races it’s a battle of attrition and it’s about who can survive. I’m proud of Justin Alexander. This is his first win as a crew chief in the NASCAR XFINITY Series and this is our first win together in our first race together so it’s a great way to start.”

    It’s Dillon’s eighth victory in 111 career XFINITY Series starts, his second of the season, the 12th top-10 finish of 2016 and his first win at Bristol.

    Justin Allgaier brought his No. 7 JR Motorsports home to a runner-up finish. Larson rounded out the podium in his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet. Elliott Sadler finished fourth in his No. 1 JRM Chevrolet. Brendan Gaughan rounded out the top-five in his No. 62 RCR Chevrolet.

    Jeremy Clements finished sixth in his No. 51 Jeremy Clements Racing Chevrolet. Darrell Wallace Jr. led four laps on his way to a seventh-place finish in his No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford. Blake Koch finished eighth in his No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet. Brandon Jones finished ninth in his No. 33 RCR Chevrolet. Corey LaJoie rounded out the top-10 in his No. 24 JGL Racing Toyota.

    Eight drivers finished the race on the lead lap and 30 cars were running at the finish.

    The race lasted one hour, 56 minutes and seven seconds at an average speed of 84.827 mph. There were 16 lead changes among seven drivers and eight cautions for 54 laps.

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  • Erik Jones Nabs the XFINITY Pole at Bristol

    Erik Jones Nabs the XFINITY Pole at Bristol

    BRISTOL, Tenn. — Erik Jones will lead the field to the green flag of tonight’s XFINITY Series race at Thunder Valley.

    The driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota scored the pole for the Food City 300 after posting a new track record time of 15.002 and a speed of 127.903 mph. It’s his 10th pole in 48 career XFINITY Series starts, seventh of the season and third in four starts at Bristol Motor Speedway.

    Kyle Busch will start second in his No. 18 JGR Toyota after posting a time of 15.041 and a speed of 127.571 mph. Daniel Suarez will start third in his No. 19 JGR Toyota after posting a time of 15.173 and a speed of 126.461 mph. Brandon Jones will start fourth in his No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet after posting a time of 15.191 and a speed of 126.312 mph. Austin Dillon will round out the top-five starters in his No. 2 RCR Chevrolet after posting a time of 15.244 and a speed of 125.872 mph.

    Darrell Wallace Jr. will start sixth in his No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford. Kyle Larson will start seventh in his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet. Justin Allgaier will start eighth in his No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. Regan Smith will start ninth in his No. 88 JRM Chevrolet. Ty Dillon will round out the top-10 starters in his No. 3 RCR Chevrolet.

    Brad Keselowski will start 11th. Jeremy Clements will round out the 12 drivers that made the final round of qualifying.

    With 41 cars entered, Timmy Hill was the lone driver that failed to qualify.

    Twenty-five Chevrolet’s, one Dodge, six Ford’s and eight Toyota’s will comprise the 40-car field for tonight’s race.

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  • Suarez Fastest in First XFINITY Practice at Bristol

    Suarez Fastest in First XFINITY Practice at Bristol

    BRISTOL, Tenn. — Daniel Suarez topped the chart in first XFINITY Series practice at Bristol Motor Speedway.

    The driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 15.223 and a speed of 126.046 mph. Regan Smith was second in his No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet with a time of 15.255 and a speed of 125.782 mph followed by Kyle Busch who was third in his No. 18 JGR Toyota with a time of 15.263 and a speed of 125.716 mph. Austin Dillon was fourth in his No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet with a time of 15.310 and a speed of 125.330 mph while Erik Jones rounded out the top-five in his No. 20 JGR Toyota with a time of 15.346 and a speed of 125.036 mph.

    Brad Keselowski was sixth in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford and Justin Allgaier was seventh in his No. 7 JRM Chevrolet. Ty Dillon was eighth in his No. 3 RCR Chevrolet. Blake Koch was ninth in his No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet as JJ Yeley rounded out the top-10 in his No. 44 TriStar Motorsports Toyota.

    Busch posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 124.005 mph. Suarez was second at an average speed of 123.858 mph. Jones was third at an average speed of 123.654 mph.

    The XFINITY Series is back on track later today at 3:30 p.m. for final practice.

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  • Kyle Busch Dominates Qualifying for Food City 300

    Kyle Busch Dominates Qualifying for Food City 300

    When any NASCAR series travels to Bristol Motor Speedway, everyone automatically says Kyle Busch is the guy to beat. He once again lived up to that hype on Friday afternoon in qualifying for the Food City 300.

    Busch turned in a lap of 125.142 mph to score his fifth pole of the season and his fourth career pole at Bristol Motor Speedway. It is also his 41st career Nationwide Series pole.

    Busch will be driving the No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing.The No. 54 is currently second in owner’s points, 21 points behind the No. 22 Penske Racing Ford, driven this week by Ryan Blaney, who qualified second. Blaney posted a lap of 124.339 mph edging out Kyle Larson, who qualified third.

    With Busch, Blaney and Larson locking down the top three spots, it is a recipe for excitement. Blaney will be pushing hard to hold or extend the owner’s points lead over the No. 54 of Busch. Larson and Busch have a fantastic history at Bristol as they were involved in one of the most exciting finishes in Nationwide Series history.

    All three drivers perform well at the World’s Fastest Half-Mile nestled in the hills of northeast Tennessee. Busch has won the last three races here, Larson has three starts and three top-five finishes, and Blaney has two starts with two top-10s.

    Points leader, Chase Elliott, will take the green in fourth in his NAPA Chevrolet. Elliott Sadler rounds out the top five in the No. 11  Sport Clips Toyota.

    Milka Duno will have to wait to make her NASCAR debut. Duno ran 48 laps in the first round of qualifying, but only managed a lap of 116.566 mph, almost two mph slower than the 40th place qualifier.

    Other notables: Ty Dillon 7th, Regan Smith 8th , Kevin Harvick 13th, Chris Buescher 23rd

    The green falls on the Food City 300 at 7:30 pm local time.

  • NNS Notebook – Food City 300

    NNS Notebook – Food City 300

    The NASCAR Nationwide Series travels to the World’s Fastest Half-Mile this week for the 23rd race of the 33 race season. Bristol Motor Speedway has long been considered a “wildcard” race on the schedule. Wildcard … because anything can happen here.

    This year at Bristol we have the Food City 300. No, that’s not a typo, 50 extra laps have been added to the race (just like in the spring race) this year to give drivers a few more laps to battle and, of course, to give fans a few more laps of excitement. Just imagine what could happen with an additional 50 laps!

    JR Motorsports sits atop the points standings with two drivers, Chase Elliott and Regan Smith. Currently, Elliott leads Smith by 10 points. It is then an additional 16 points back to Elliott Sadler in third.

    Given how fast Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson were in practice, we may very well see another Kyle vs. Kyle show. Busch competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on Wednesday night. Busch ran strong leading 81 laps, but cut down a tire late in the race and finished 24th.

    It’s also great to see another female racer working her way up the ranks in NASCAR. The fact that she is from Venezuela, is an additional bonus. NASCAR is becoming more and more diverse every day.

    Ryan Blaney is behind the wheel of the No. 22 Penske Racing Ford this week. The No. 22 is leading the owner’s standings with a 21 point lead over the No. 54 fielded by Joe Gibbs Racing. This battle will definitely be one to watch on Friday night. With Kyle Busch piloting the No. 54, Blaney will have a tough job stretching that points lead.

     

    Here are your quick notes for the event:

     

    • Chase Elliott has just one start at Bristol. He started 15th and finished ninth.
    • Regan Smith has nine starts at Bristol with two top-10’s and zero laps led.
    • Kyle Busch has won the last three races at Bristol
    • Kyle Larson finished second to Busch in the last race.
    • Larson was fastest in final practice. . .  Busch was second fastest.
    • Larson has three starts at Bristol and has scored three top five’s
    • 45 cars are attempting to make the field this week. 40 will start.
    • Milka Duno is attempting to make her first start in NNS. She was 36th fastest in final practice.
    • Duno, the forty-two year old from Venezuela, has 47 ARCA starts, as well as 43 starts in the Verizon Indycar Series and 44 starts in the Grand-Am Series.
    • Ryan Blaney is driving the No. 22 for Penske Racing this week. Blaney was fourth fastest in practice.
    • Chris Buescher, the most recent winner in the series, was 28th fastest in practice.
    • Phil Parsons won the first NNS race at Bristol in 1982.
    • This week’s race will be the 65th NNS race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
    • The green flag drops on the Food City 300 at 7:30pm local time on Friday night.