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  • Sheldon Creed to make 100th Xfinity start at Las Vegas

    Sheldon Creed to make 100th Xfinity start at Las Vegas

    With four races remaining on the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule, Sheldon Creed is scheduled to achieve a milestone start. By competing in this weekend’s Xfinity Playoff event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Supra will make his 100th career start in the Xfinity circuit.

    A native of Alpine, California, Creed made his inaugural presence in the Xfinity Series at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in August 2017. By then, he had achieved back-to-back Stadium Super Truck championships (2016-17) and transitioned to stock car racing following his early success in SST and off-road competition. He had also made select starts within the ARCA Menards Series East and West divisions for MDM Motorsports and Jefferson Pitts Racing. Driving the No. 01 Chevrolet for JD Motorsports, Creed started 32nd and finished 34th in his Xfinity debut. He would return two races later at Road America, where he ended up in 38th place following an early vibration issue.

    From 2019 to 2021, Creed, who won the 2018 ARCA Menards Series championship, competed on a full-time basis in the Craftsman Truck Series for GMS Racing, where he won the 2020 series’ championship, accumulated eight victories and made the Playoffs during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. During the three-year span, he made two starts in the Xfinity Series. The first occurred at Daytona International Speedway in July 2019, where he drove the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro for JR Motorsports and ended up in 34th place after being involved in two separate multi-car wrecks. He then competed for BJ McLeod Motorsports during the 2021 finale at Phoenix Raceway, where he collected his first top-10 career finish by finishing in 10th place.

    In 2022, Creed graduated to the Xfinity Series on a full-time basis, where he replaced Myatt Snider as the driver of the No. 2 Chevrolet Camaro for Richard Childress Racing (RCR). Finishing sixth in his first start with RCR at Daytona in February, the Californian recorded nine top-10 results through 24 regular-season events as he spent the majority of the stretch mired outside of the top-12 cutline to make the 2022 Xfinity Series Playoffs. At Darlington Raceway in September, Creed attempted to pull a “video game” move on the final lap by scraping his No. 2 Chevrolet against the outside wall at full speed, but his momentum got stalled entering the frontstretch, which allowed Noah Gragson to overtake him for the victory as Creed, who had been battling Gragson and Kyle Larson for the victory, settled in a career-best runner-up result. After finishing 11th and 37th during the final two regular-season events on the schedule, he was unable to mount his way into the Playoffs. Recording another runner-up result at Martinsville Speedway in October along with a total of three top-10 results throughout the seven-race Playoff stretch, Creed ended up in 14th place in the final standings. Overall, he recorded four top-five results, 13 top-10 results, 155 laps led and an average-finishing result of 17.5 throughout his first full-time Xfinity campaign.

    Returning for a second full-time Xfinity campaign with RCR in 2023, Creed finished 34th and 23rd in the season’s first two events before notching five top-10 results, including a runner-up result at Talladega Superspeedway in April, during the next 10 events on the schedule. At Portland International Raceway in June, he notched his first career pole position and led a race-high 47 laps before ending in seventh place despite being spun by John Hunter Nemechek prior to the second stage’s conclusion and getting shuffled while battling for the lead amid a two-lap shootout. Despite finishing no higher than eighth during his next nine starts, Creed then recorded back-to-back runner-up results while contending for the victory. The first runner-up result occurred at Watkins Glen International in August after he assumed the lead during an overtime shootout before losing the lead to Sam Mayer after slipping out of the racing groove before the final lap. The second occurred at Daytona after he was edged by Justin Allgaier by 0.005 seconds. Concluding the regular-season stretch with an eighth- and third-place finish in two races, Creed earned a spot into the Xfinity Series Playoffs for the first time in his career.

    After finishing no lower than 11th throughout the Round of 12, he was able to earn the eighth and final transfer spot into the Round of 8 by two points over Daniel Hemric and four over Parker Kligerman. Then coming off a 15th- and 26th-place finish during the first two Round of 8 events, Creed placed himself in another opportunity to claim his first series victory during the Round of 8 finale at Martinsville Speedway. During an overtime shootout, however, Creed, who bumped and rubbed fenders with teammate Austin Hill on the final lap and entering the final two turns, managed to take the lead from Hill in Turn 3 before he locked up the tires and briefly fell off the pace, which resulted with Hill ramming into the rear of Creed’s No. 2 entry as Hill was involved in a last-lap multi-car wreck. Amid the carnage, Creed was then edged at the finish line by Allgaier by 0.032 seconds, which marked his sixth runner-up result in the Xfinity circuit, as both Creed and Hill were unable to transfer into the Championship 4 round. Despite receiving harsh comments and criticisms from Hill and the RCR organization, Creed proceeded to finish in the runner-up spot for a seventh time during the finale at Phoenix in November, which resulted in the Californian settling in seventh place in the final standings. By then, Creed had earned three additional top-five finishes and two additional top-10 results compared to the 2022 season. He had also led 35 extra laps from the previous season and improved his average finishing result from 17.5 to 13.5.

    After announcing his departure from Richard Childress Racing a month before the 2023 season’s conclusion, Creed was announced as the driver of the No. 18 Toyota Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing for the 2024 Xfinity season in December. He commenced his first season with team owner Joe Gibbs by finishing in second place behind former teammate Hill. Despite enduring a winless stretch throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch, the Californian notched two poles, a total of six runner-up results, 13 top-five results and 17 top-10 results, which were enough for him to make the 2024 Playoffs. Despite finishing fifth and fourth, respectively, during the first two events of the Round of 12, Creed was involved in a multi-car wreck just shy of the Round of 12’s finale at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course. While trying to finish the event, Creed’s car stalled on the course and he retired in 35th place. As a result, he fell short of transferring into the Round of 8 by seven points.

    As Creed continues his pursuit for his first elusive victory in the Xfinity Series for the remaining four races on this year’s schedule, he is set to join Haas Factory Team, an organization rebranded from Stewart-Haas Racing, in 2025.

    Through 99 previous Xfinity starts, Creed has achieved three poles, 26 top-five results, 48 top-10 results, 453 laps led and an average-finishing result of 15.1. To date, he holds the record for the most number of runner-up results without an Xfinity victory at 13. Currently, Creed’s 2024 stats in top fives (15), top 10s (19) and average-finishing result (12.3) are his best as he is also scored in 10th place in the standings.

    Sheldon Creed is scheduled to make his 100th Xfinity Series career start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the Ambetter Health 302. The event is scheduled to occur this upcoming Saturday, October 19, and air at 7 p.m. ET on the CW Network.

  • Several Cup and Xfinity drivers performing double duty roles at Sonoma

    Several Cup and Xfinity drivers performing double duty roles at Sonoma

    For a second consecutive season, Sonoma Raceway is in for a delightful treat as NASCAR makes its annual return to the 12-turn circuit in Sonoma, California, on June 9-11, 2023.

    In a similar approach from last year, two of NASCAR’s top three national touring series will run on the same weekend in conjunction with the ARCA Menards Series West at Sonoma. Compared to a year ago, where the Craftsman Truck Series competition made its return to the circuit for the first time in 24 years, the NASCAR Xfinity Series competition will experience its first taste of the twists and turns in Wine Country this upcoming Saturday, June 10, with DoorDash returning as a title sponsor of the 250-mile event.

    With the return of the highly anticipated racing weekend in Northern California, a host of NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series stars will be attempting to pull double duty efforts within all three series.

    The driver who headlines the double duty role for this weekend’s Xfinity-Cup doubleheader feature is Kyle Larson. The 2021 Cup Series champion and 21-race Cup winner from Elk Grove, California, is scheduled to make his first of two starts this season in the No. 17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro for Hendrick Motorsports. His Xfinity start will occur a day prior to climbing aboard his iconic No. 5 Valvoline Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the Cup division.

    Aside from being a hometown hero, Larson is no stranger to achieving success at Sonoma. He notched a Cup victory at the circuit in 2021 after leading a race-high 57 of 92 laps and has started on pole position in the last five consecutive Cup events at Sonoma. He has also achieved his share of success on road course venues after winning the last two Cup events at Watkins Glen International, the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course venue in October 2021 and his first Xfinity road course victory at The Glen last August.

    While this weekend is set to mark his first Xfinity start of this season in HMS’ No. 17 entry, Larson has already made one start in the series in May. There, he piloted Kaulig Racing’s No. 10 Chevrolet Camaro entry to a thrilling last lap victory over John Hunter Nemechek at Darlington Raceway. With the Darlington victory being the first for him ever in NASCAR, Larson aims to achieve another accomplishment by adding a Xfinity victory at Sonoma to his racing resume.

    Speaking of the No. 10 Kaulig Racing entry, AJ Allmendinger returns to pilot the entry for a second time this season. The 41-year-old veteran from Los Gatos, California, will be receiving sponsorship support from Gabriel Glas for this weekend’s Xfinity and Cup rides, where he currently drives the No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry for Kaulig in NASCAR’s premier series.

    Of his 16 career victories in the Xfinity circuit, 11 of them have occurred on road course venues, which makes Allmendinger the winningest competitor on road courses in the series. Despite winning on seven different road courses between the Xfinity and Cup levels, including his two Cup victories at Watkins Glen International and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course venue, Allmendinger has yet to achieve a win at Sonoma. In 11 previous starts at Sonoma in the Cup Series, he has led a total of 65 laps, but has only managed to finish in the top 10 twice, with his best result being seventh in 2009. He has managed to start on the front row three times between 2014-16, including on pole position in 2015. With his most recent victory in the series occurring this past March at Circuit of the Americas, Allmendinger strives to extend his road course dominance by checking off another road course venue off his bucket list.

    Photo by Chad Wells for SpeedwayMedia.com.

    Joining the list of double duty competitors between the Xfinity-Cup action is Ross Chastain, who drives the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing in the Cup Series. The 30-year-old Chastain from Alva, Florida, is scheduled to drive the No. 91 Chevrolet Camaro for DGM Racing sponsored by Skip Barber Racing School, with the event set to mark his third series start of this season after competing at Auto Club Speedway in February and at Darlington in May.

    In three career starts at Sonoma in the Cup Series, Chastain has notched two consecutive seventh-place results, including this past season. He was one of five Cup competitors who competed in last year’s Truck Series event at Sonoma, where he led 19 of 75 laps before finishing fourth while driving for Niece Motorsports. Chastain also has one road course victory stored in his resume, which occurred at Circuit of the Americas in March 2022 on a day where he also notched the first Cup career win for himself and Trackhouse Racing. On the Xfinity side, his best series’ result on a road course venue was at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course circuit, where he finished fourth.

    Ironically, a year after making his 100th Truck career start overall at Sonoma, Chastain is also primed to achieve another milestone start in Northern California. By qualifying and taking the green flag in this Saturday’s event, he will make his 200th career start in the Xfinity circuit. Through 199 previous Xfinity starts, the Floridian has achieved two career victories, one pole, 23 top-five results, 49 top-10 results, 961 laps led and an average-finishing result of 16.7. His best points result in the series is seventh place, which occurred in 2020. During that season, he notched career-high stats in top-fives (15), top-10s (27), laps led (553), overall average-starting result (7.7) and overall average-finishing result (8.2) despite going winless and while driving for Kaulig Racing.

    Veteran Aric Almirola from Tampa, Florida, is also scheduled to pull double duty efforts as he will be piloting the No. 28 Michael Roberts Construction Ford Mustang for RSS Racing on Saturday before driving the No. 10 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing on Sunday. The Xfinity event is set to mark Almirola’s 104th career start in the series and second of the season after he competed at Circuit of the Americas this past March, where he finished 24th while competing for SS-Green Light Racing.

    Through 10 Cup career starts at Sonoma, Almirola has achieved two top-10 results, with his best result being eighth in June 2018. While this weekend is set to mark his first Xfinity start at Sonoma, it will mark his third different series where he has competed at the circuit. In June 2018, Almirola competed in the ARCA Menards Series West event at Sonoma for Stewart-Haas Racing, where he finished second after leading 23 of 64 laps. With his last Xfinity victory occurring at Talladega Superspeedway in May 2017 and his best road course result in the Xfinity circuit being a fifth-place run at Watkins Glen in August 2018, a first road course victory is still something Almirola continues to pursue.

    Photo by Bruce Nuttleman for SpeedwayMedia.com.

    Another competitor attempting to participate in double duty efforts is Ty Dillon, who will be piloting the No. 4 Chevrolet Camaro for JD Motorsports. The 31-year-old Dillon and grandson of championship-winning owner Richard Childress from Welcome, North Carolina, is coming off his recent series start at Darlington in May, where he finished 19th while driving the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Camaro.

    Dillon has made a total of four Cup starts at Sonoma, with his best result being 23rd a year ago while driving for Petty GMS Motorsports. Like Almirola, he has yet to achieve a road course victory to his resume. The closest Dillon came to winning on a road course circuit was during the inaugural Truck Series event at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in September 2013, where he was leading on the final lap until he got wrecked by Chase Elliott entering the final corner. His best Xfinity result on a road course venue is third, which was achieved at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in August 2015. With his latest Xfinity victory spanning back to July 2014 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Dillon, who currently competes full time in the Cup Series and in the No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Spire Motorsports, aims for a momentous boost to his racing career as he fights his way back to championship-caliber form.

    In a youthful career highlighted with an abundance of success and a rapid ascend to the Cup Series level, Ty Gibbs is set to experience another first to his career as he prepares to tackle Sonoma Raceway for the first time ever and twice in one weekend. The 20-year-old reigning Xfinity Series champion and grandson of championship-winning owner Joe Gibbs from Charlotte, North Carolina, will return as the driver of the No. 19 Toyota Supra sponsored by The He Get Us campaign for his third series start of this season.

    While racing on Sonoma’s surface will be new for Gibbs, racing on road courses is something he is familiar with, with some of his success occurring on road course venues. He achieved his first Xfinity career victory in his series debut at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course in February 2021. He then proceeded to win at Watkins Glen in August 2021 before winning at Road America last July following a last lap battle against Kyle Larson. With 11 Xfinity victories achieved, three on road courses, in 53 series career starts, Gibbs, who earned top-five results in two Xfinity starts this season at Circuit of the Americas in March and at Charlotte in May, aims to extend his top-five streak to three and potentially, emerge victorious while continuing his pursuit of claiming this year’s Cup Rookie-of-the-Year title behind the wheel of JGR’s No. 54 Toyota TRD Camry in the Cup circuit.

    Lastly on the Xfinity side, Daniel Suarez becomes the seventh Cup participant for the inaugural Xfinity event at Sonoma as he will be piloting the No. 07 Chevrolet Camaro for SS-Green Light Racing. The 2016 Xfinity Series champion from Monterrey, Mexico, enters the Sonoma weekend with high momentum after notching his first Cup Series career victory at the circuit a year ago and becoming the first Mexican-born competitor to win in NASCAR’s premier series.

    While this season marks his third as a full-time Cup Series competitor in the No. 99 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing, this Saturday’s Xfinity event is set to mark Suarez’s first start in the Xfinity circuit since racing at Chicagoland Speedway in June 2018. Suarez, though, made his name made within the Xfinity circuit with 84 career starts in the series, a Rookie-of-the-Year title from 2015 and three career victories, including the 2016 championship as he became the first Latin American competitor to win a title across NASCAR’s top three national touring series. His highest Xfinity result on road courses stands at fourth place, which he achieved twice at Watkins Glen and at Road America in August 2016.

    For Sonoma, Suarez returns to the circuit with vast experience. In conjunction with his five total Cup Series start, he competed in two consecutive ARCA Menards Series West events at Sonoma, where he finished 11th and fourth, respectively, in 2017 and 2018. Suarez also competed as a relief competitor for the injured Carson Hocevar and Niece Motorsports during the Truck Series’ Sonoma event a year ago, where he rallied from two laps down after relieving Hocevar early in the event to finish sixth. Given his strength of the circuit, Suarez aims for a repeat victory while pursuing his first Cup victory of the 2023 campaign.

    Photo by David Myers for SpeedwayMedia.com.

    A day prior to the Xfinity Series’ inaugural event at Sonoma, the ARCA Menards Series West division will make its return to the circuit for the 44th time overall as General Tire retains its right of sponsoring the 200-mile event. The lone Cup Series competitor who is entered for the event is Ryan Preece, who drives the No. 41 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing. The 32-year-old Preece from Berlin, Connecticut, will be piloting the No. 9 Ford for SHR in the ARCA West region, which will mark his second career start in the series. His lone start in the series occurred at Sonoma in June 2019, where he led a race-high 33 of 57 laps and was in position of winning until he was penalized for a late restart violation and demoted to the last competitor running on the lead lap in 20th place. A former winner across the Truck and Xfinity circuits, Preece has also made two previous starts at Sonoma in the Cup Series in 2019 and 2021, with his best result being 21st from the 2021 season. His best results on road courses within NASCAR’s top three national touring series are a pair of fourth-place runs at Watkins Glen and the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course in 2018.

    For Friday’s ARCA West event at Sonoma, Preece will be competing alongside a host of Xfinity Series regulars that include Cole Custer, Riley Herbst, Parker Retzlaff, Kyle Sieg and Sammy Smith, all of whom will receive a head start to their weekend prior to their series’ debut at the Northern California circuit.

    Custer, a former Cup Series Rookie-of-the-Year recipient from Ladera Ranch, California, will retain driving responsibilities of the No. 55 Ford for High Point Racing for a second consecutive week after competing in last weekend’s event at Portland International Raceway. Custer is also coming off a dramatic weekend at Portland, where he notched his first Xfinity victory of the season during an overtime shootout. Herbst, Custer’s Xfinity teammate at Stewart-Haas Racing from Las Vegas, Nevada, will also be returning to the series for a second consecutive week as he will be driving the No. 5 Jerry Pitts Racing Ford.

    Photo by Patrick Sue-Chan for SpeedwayMedia.com.

    Retzlaff, a Xfinity rookie competitor from Rhinelander, Wisconsin, who currently competes for Jordan Anderson Racing, will be piloting the No. 02 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet for a second consecutive week while Kyle Sieg, a full-time Xfinity competitor for RSS Racing from Tucker, Georgia, will be assuming the No. 46 Ford for Lowden Jackson Motorsports.

    Lastly, Sammy Smith, a Xfinity rookie from Johnston, Iowa, who currently competes for Joe Gibbs Racing, will be joining Hattori Racing Enterprises for a one-race effort in the No. 81 Toyota. Smith, who notched his first Xfinity career victory at Phoenix Raceway in March, has not yet competed at Sonoma throughout his youthful racing career, but he has achieved an abundance of success within the ARCA divisions, with six victories in the ARCA Menards Series, two consecutive ARCA East titles and a single ARCA West victory that occurred at Phoenix last November.

    With Sonoma Raceway serving as the next scheduled event on the 2023 NASCAR schedule and with the drivers’ roster for this weekend’s events set, the weekend commences with the ARCA Menards Series West running the General Tire 200 on Friday, June 9, at 6:30 p.m. ET as the event will air live on FloRacing. The Xfinity Series’ inaugural DoorDash 250 at Sonoma will occur the following day on Saturday, June 10, at 8 p.m. ET on FS1. The Cup Series’ Toyota Save/Mart 350 will cap off the weekend as the series’ top premier competitors compete on Sunday, June 11, at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

  • Brennan Poole to make 100th Xfinity career start at Richmond

    Brennan Poole to make 100th Xfinity career start at Richmond

    Competing in his fifth season with at least one start in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Brennan Poole is within reach of a milestone start. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s event at Richmond Raceway, the driver of the No. 6 Chevrolet Camaro will reach 100 career starts in the Xfinity circuit.

    A native of The Woodlands, Texas, and the 2011 UARA-Stars champion, Poole made his inaugural presence in the NASCAR Xfinity circuit during the 2015 season when he joined HScott Motorsports with Chip Ganassi to pilot the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro for 15 events. By then, he had made a total of 35 starts in the ARCA Menards Series while garnering six victories. Making his debut at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March, Poole started 16th and finished ninth, which would be his best result of the season. He went on to make a total of 17 starts throughout the 2015 Xfinity season, where he notched another top-10 result at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July by finishing 10th. He also achieved 10 top-15 results and an average-finishing result of 12.4.

    In 2016, Poole campaigned in the Xfinity circuit on a full-time basis behind the wheel of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro for Chip Ganassi Racing. Commencing his rookie season by finishing 27th at Daytona International Speedway in February, Poole notched two 10th-place results during the first eight events on the schedule. Then at Talladega Superspeedway in April, he dodged a last lap carnage involving leaders Joey Logano and Elliott Sadler to edge Justin Allgaier in a photo finish and notch what would have been his first career victory in NASCAR. Poole, however, was relegated back to third place in the final running order after NASCAR awarded the win to Sadler by virtue of being in first place when the caution for the final lap wreck was displayed and since Poole had assumed the lead after the caution was displayed. Despite falling short of winning at Talladega, the Texan notched another third-place run at Road America in August along with an additional three top-five results and nine top-10 results during the final 17 regular-season events on the schedule before claiming a spot to the inaugural 2016 Xfinity Series Playoffs. With his title hopes evaporating despite claiming three consecutive top-20 results during the Round of 12, Poole earned three top-11 results during the final four events on the schedule before finishing in eighth place in the final standings. Overall, he achieved four top-five results, 17 top-10 results, 11 laps led and an average-finishing result of 12.4 during his first Xfinity season.

    Remaining at CGR for the 2017 season, Poole’s sophomore season commenced with a 26th-place run at Daytona after being involved in a late wreck. He rallied by posting four eighth-place runs during the following nine events. At Daytona in July, Poole notched his first career pole in the series and was running towards the front until he was bumped by William Byron and wrecked with Ty Dillon on the fronstretch. He rallied by finishing seventh. Throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch, Poole’s highest on-track result was a fourth-place run at Iowa Speedway in July as he recorded 12 top-10 results before making his second consecutive appearance in the Xfinity Playoffs. During the Playoff opener at Kentucky Speedway in September, the Texan notched a career-best runner-up result after finishing 14.5 seconds behind teammate Tyler Reddick. He then claimed back-to-back fifth-place results before transferring to the Round of 8. Following two consecutive top-12 results during the Round of 8, Poole entered the round’s finale at Phoenix Raceway in November with a five-point advantage over the fourth and final transfer spot to the Championship 4 finale. During the 23rd lap at Phoenix, however, Poole’s hopes of transferring to the finale evaporated after he collided with Caesar Bacarella in Turn 1, which sent Poole’s No. 48 Chevrolet into the outside wall with a blown right-front tire and significant damage that terminated his run. He went on to finish sixth in the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway and in a career-best sixth place in the final championship standings. Ironically, Poole achieved the exact number of top-five runs (four) and top-10 results (17) from his rookie season while capping off the season with 14 laps led and an average-finishing result of 13.5.

    The following season, Poole lost his ride at CGR, but sued the team in June and alleged that the organization along with agency Spire Sports + Entertainment breached his contract by moving his sponsor DC Solar to sponsor CGR’s NASCAR Cup Series operations. With the settlement between all three parties being disputed out-of-court at the conclusion of the season, Poole proceeded by making a total of 27 starts in the NASCAR Truck Series from 2018 to 2021. He also campaigned in his first full-time season during the 2020 Cup season, where he finished 32nd in the final standings while competing for Premium Motorsports.

    This past season, Poole returned to the Xfinity circuit with the intention of competing in the series’ three West Coast events for Mike Harmon Racing. He failed to qualify at Auto Club Speedway in February and at Phoenix in March, but managed to compete at Las Vegas in March, where he finished 37th following an early engine failure. Ultimately, Poole attempted to compete in 21 additional events with MHR, Jimmy Means Racing and JD Motorsports throughout the season, but successfully qualified for nine, beginning at Richmond Raceway in April and concluding at Phoenix in November. In a total of 10 starts, his best on-track result was a 14th-place run at Homestead with JD Motorsports in October.

    Through 99 previous Xfinity starts, Poole has achieved a pole, eight top-five results, 36 top-10 results, 31 laps led and an average-finishing result of 16.7 while he continues to pursue his first victory across NASCAR’s top three national touring series. He has racked up an average-finishing result of 27.7 through the first six Xfinity events on this year’s schedule, with his best on-track result being a 13th-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway two races ago, and is ranked in 27th place in the driver’s standings.

    Poole is scheduled to make his 100th career start in the Xfinity Series at Richmond Raceway on Saturday, April 1, with the event’s coverage scheduled slated to occur at 1 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • Cassill to make 200th Xfinity career start at Darlington

    Cassill to make 200th Xfinity career start at Darlington

    In his 13th season with at least one start in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Landon Cassill is primed to reach a milestone start of his own in the series. By competing in this weekend’s Xfinity event at Darlington Raceway, the driver of the No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet Camaro will make his 200th career start in the Xfinity circuit.

    A native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Cassill’s racing career began at age three on a quad before evolving to go-karts, midgets, the ASA Late Model Series, legends, modified, the American Speed Association and the CRA Super Series. In 2006, he was discovered by NASCAR through the GM Racing Development competition and signed by Hendrick Motorsports for the 2007 season. Making his debut at Gateway International Raceway in July and in HMS’ No. 24 Chevrolet, Cassill finished 32nd after being involved in a multi-car wreck past the halfway stage. He returned for five additional events in 2007, where he earned a season-best result of 18th place at Dover Motor Speedway in September.

    The following season, Cassill campaigned in 19 of the 35-race Xfinity schedule. During the season, he made 16 starts in the No. 5 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports while his other three scheduled starts at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and Watkins Glen International occurred in the No. 4 Chevrolet for Jay Robinson Racing. Throughout the season, he notched his first career pole at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in June along with a total of five top-10 results, with his best on-track result being sixth place at Gateway International Raceway in July and at Phoenix International Raceway in November. At the season’s conclusion, Cassill was named the 2008 Xfinity Rookie-of-the-Year recipient.

    From 2009 to 2011, Cassill made a total of eight starts in the Xfinity Series between Phoenix Raceway, JR Motorsports and RAB Racing. During this stint, he notched a strong third-place result during the 2011 Xfinity opener at Daytona while driving the No. 1 Chevrolet for Phoenix Racing. The result occurred after he drafted Tony Stewart to a photo finish victory over Clint Bowyer.

    After competing for BK Racing during the 2012 Cup Series season, Cassill returned to the Xfinity Series in 2013, where he competed in the No. 4 Chevrolet for JD Motorsports. Campaigning in 23 of the 33-race schedule, he earned five top-20 results, including two season-best results of 17th place at Talladega Superspeedway in May and at Watkins Glen International in August.

    Cassill remained at JD Motorsports for the 2014 Xfinity season, where he competed in all 33-scheduled events. Compared to his previous season at JDM, he achieved three top-10 results, including two season-best eighth-place results at Talladega in April and at Road America in June. He returned for a third season at JD Motorsports in 2015, where he competed in all but four of the 33-race schedule and earned a season-best eighth-place finish at Darlington Raceway in September. By then, he surpassed 100 career starts in the Xfinity Series.

    After spending the 2016 and 2017 seasons in the Cup Series with Front Row Motorsports, Cassill scaled back to a part-time role in the Cup circuit with StarCom Racing in 2018. He also made select Xfinity starts between JD Motorsports, MBM Motorsports and Shepherd Racing Ventures. In five scheduled starts, his best results were a pair of fifth-place results at Darlington Raceway and at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in September.

    Following a 17-race Xfinity schedule in 2019 between JD Motorsports and Shepherd Racing Ventures, where he earned two top-10 results with JDM, followed by four starts with Shepherd Racing Ventures throughout the 2020 season, Cassill rejoined JD Motorsports as a full-time NASCAR Xfinity competitor between the Nos. 4 and 6 Chevrolets in 2021. Throughout the 33-race schedule, he achieved 15 top-20 results, including three season-best 12th-place results at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course in February, Darlington in May and at Martinsville Speedway in October.

    In December 2021, Cassill was signed by Kaulig Racing along with sponsor Voyager Digital for the 2022 Xfinity season. Piloting the No. 10 Chevrolet Camaro, he has achieved three top-five results and nine top-10 results, with his highest on-track result being a runner-up result at Martinsville Speedway in April, through the first 23-scheduled events. He is currently ranked in 11th place in the regular-season standings and is above the top-12 cutline to make the 2022 Xfinity Series Playoffs by 12 points with three regular-season events remaining.

    Through 199 previous Xfinity starts, Cassill has achieved one pole, four top-five results, 23 top-10 results, 34 laps led and an average-finishing result of 21.9 while he continues his pursuit for his first victory across NASCAR’s top three national touring series.

    Cassill is scheduled to make his 200th Xfinity Series career start at Darlington Raceway on Saturday, September 3, with the event’s coverage to start at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.

  • Jeffrey Earnhardt to make 100th Xfinity start at Texas

    Jeffrey Earnhardt to make 100th Xfinity start at Texas

    A significant milestone is in the making for Jeffrey Earnhardt, driver of the No. 0 Chevrolet Camaro for JD Motorsports with Gary Keller in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s event at Texas Motor Speedway, Earnhardt will achieve his 100th career start in the Xfinity Series.

    A fourth-generation competitor from Mooresville, North Carolina, and grandson of the late NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt, Jeffrey made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Watkins Glen International in August 2009. By then, he had competed in the NASCAR Busch East Series and what is now the ARCA Menards Series East for the last two seasons for Dale Earnhardt Inc. before being released. 

    Driving the No. 40 Key Motorsports Chevrolet at Watkins Glen, Earnhardt started 36th and finished 24th in his series debut. He ended up competing in another Xfinity race in 2009 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec, where he finished 31st. 

    After competing in select NASCAR Truck Series races for Rick Ware Racing in 2010, Earnhardt was set to compete in the series on a full-time basis with RWR as a rookie contender. Following the first four races of the season, however, Earnhardt’s full-time ride was cut and he ended up competing in one additional Truck race and two Xfinity races for the remainder of the season. In the Xfinity Series, he drove for RWR in two races at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May and at Daytona International Speedway in July, where he notched a 19th-place result.

    In 2012, Earnhardt competed on a full-time basis in the Grand Am Series in the Rolex GT Class for Rick Ware Racing. He also competed in a total of six Xfinity races, four with RWR while making one with Go Green Racing and one with Randy Hill Racing. His best result during his six-race slate in 2012 was 21st at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July.

    Earnhardt’s racing schedule in 2013 expanded as he made 17 starts throughout the 33-race Xfinity Series schedule. During the season, all but one of his 17-race Xfinity schedule occurred with Go Green Racing, where he finished no higher than 16th place. His lone start outside of Go Green Racing was with JR Motorsports and for his nephew, Dale Earnhardt Jr., at Richmond Raceway in April. Driving the No. 5 Keen Parts/CorvetteParts.net Chevrolet Camaro for JRM, Earnhardt started 22nd and finished 17th.

    In 2014, Earnhardt competed on a full-time basis in the Xfinity Series with JD Motorsports and in the No. 4 Chevrolet Camaro. Throughout the season, his best result was 12th place at Bristol Motor Speedway in August. He was able to capture six top-20 results and an average result of 26.3 throughout the 33-race schedule before finishing in 18th place in the final standings.

    Throughout the 2015 season, Earnhardt made a total of six Xfinity starts in the No. 55 Chevrolet Camaro for Viva Motorsports. His best on-track results were 15th at Bristol in April and 12th at Talladega in May.

    From 2016 to 2018, Earnhardt competed in a total of 73 races in the NASCAR Cup Series as he drove for teams that included Go Fas Racing, BK Racing, Circle Sport-The Motorsports Group, StarCom Racing, Premium Motorsports and Gaunt Brothers Racing. His best result in NASCAR’s premier series during the three-year span was 11th place at Daytona in July 2018.

    A week before the 2018 season concluded, it was announced that Earnhardt will be returning to the Xfinity Series and join Joe Gibbs Racing to drive the No. 18 Toyota Supra sponsored by Xtreme Concepts/iK9 for nine races in 2019. A few days before the 2019 Xfinity Series commenced, Earnhardt’s part-time 2019 schedule expanded when Xtreme Concepts Inc. formed Xtreme Concepts Racing (XCI Racing) with intentions of competing in five Xfinity races and two Cup races with Earnhardt driving throughout the season. 

    Earnhardt made his first start with JGR in the 2019 season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway. During the event, Earnhardt finished in the top five in both stages and led 29 laps before being shuffled back to a 15th-place result. The following race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Earnhardt restarted on the front row alongside teammate Christopher Bell on a three-lap shootout and was in position to win his first NASCAR career race. His chances of winning, however, evaporated when he struggled to pick up speed on the outside lane and was shuffled back. Nonetheless, he was able to finish in sixth place and achieve his career-best result within NASCAR’s top three major division series. 

    Four races later, Earnhardt made his first start with XCI Racing at Texas Motor Speedway, where he finished in eighth place. Another five races later, Earnhardt rallied from a spin with 58 laps remaining to make a late charge and notch a career-best third-place result at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The result marked Earnhardt’s first top-five career result across NASCAR’s top three major division series and it was also meaningful for Earnhardt, who sported a special patriotic scheme to his No. 18 Toyota during the Charlotte race while paying tribute to Mooresville, North Carolina, Officer Jordan Sheldon, who died in the line of duty during a traffic stop earlier in May. 

    In August, Earnhardt announced that he and XCI have parted ways, which ended Earnhardt’s 2019 season early and the end of his partnership with XCI and Joe Gibbs Racing. By then, he had made five Xfinity starts with JGR, two Xfinity starts with XCI Racing and one Cup start with XCI, which occurred at Talladega Superspeedway in April.

    In February 2020, Earnhardt rejoined JD Motorsports with Gary Keller and started the season with plans on competing in 12 Xfinity Series races. He made his first start of the season at Darlington Raceway in May, where he finished 23rd. He went on to finish 25th the following week at Charlotte before he notched a 15th-place result the next week at Bristol.

    Since Darlington in May, Earnhardt ended up competing on a full-time basis with JDM and he has driven the No. 0 Chevrolet Camaro in all but two races, where he drove the No. 15 Chevrolet for JDM. Through last weekend’s event at Kansas Speedway, Earnhardt has achieved 13 top-20 results, a best result of 11th place at Charlotte in October and an average result of 22.3.

    Catch Earnhardt’s milestone start at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday, October 24, at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Chastain to reach 350 starts across NASCAR at Darlington

    Chastain to reach 350 starts across NASCAR at Darlington

    A significant milestone is in the making for Ross Chastain, a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series competitor for Kaulig Racing and part-time competitor in the NASCAR Cup and Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series. By the time Chastain completes this weekend’s Xfinity and Cup doubleheader events at Darlington Raceway, he will achieve 350 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series (Truck, Xfinity and Cup Series).

    A native of Alva, Florida, who grew up as a watermelon farmer for his family’s farm and started racing after watching his father hobby racing, Chastain started his career by winning in late models and Fastruck Series races. His first start within NASCAR’s three major division series occurred at Lucas Oil Raceway in July 2011, where he drove the No. 66 Chevrolet Silverado for Turn One Racing in the NASCAR Truck Series. Starting 15th, Chastain finished 10th in his series debut. He went on to compete in four additional Truck races with Turn One Racing.

    In 2012, Chastain was named a full-time competitor of the No. 08 Toyota Tundra for SS-Green Light Racing as he entered the Truck Series as a Rookie-of-the-Year contender. Throughout the 22-race season, Chastain achieved four top-10 results, a career-best third-place run at Bristol Motor Speedway in August and he concluded the season in 17th place in the final standings. He made one start in the No. 07 Chevrolet Silverado for SS-Green Light Racing at Phoenix, where he finished 33rd.

    The following season, Chastain competed in 14 Truck races with Brad Keselowski Racing and in the No. 19 Ford F-150 led by Chad Kendrick. His first start with the team was at Daytona International Speedway in February, where he finished 14th. He went on to finish 20th at Martinsville Speedway in April and ninth at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May. He achieved his first top-five result of the season at Pocono Raceway in August. Two races later at Iowa Speedway, Chastain was dominant as he started on pole position and led a race-high 116 of 212 laps, only to be overtaken by James Buescher on a late restart and settle in a career-best second place. He went on to finish third at Talladega Superspeedway in October and second at Phoenix in November following a late battle with eventual winner Erik Jones. He finished in eighth place in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway and capped off his 14-race stint at BKR with four top-five results, seven top-10 results and his first two career poles.

    In 2014, Chastain competed in his first seven NASCAR Xfinity Series races along with three Truck Series races. He competed between Viva Motorsports, Hattori Racing Enterprises and TriStar Motorsports in the Xfinity circuit, with his best result being 10th place at Kentucky Speedway in September. He competed between RBR Enterprises and Win-Tron Racing in the Truck Series, with his best result being 11th place at Homestead in November.

    For the 2015 season, Chastain was named a full-time competitor for JD Motorsports in the Xfinity Series. Making 31 starts in JDM’s No. 4 Chevrolet Camaro and two in JDM’s No. 01 Chevrolet Camaro, Chastain achieved four top-10 results and a career-best result of ninth place at Daytona in February. He concluded the season in 15th place in the final standings.

    Between 2016 and 2017, Chastain continued to drive for JD Motorsports and the No. 4 Chevrolet on a full-time basis in the Xfinity Series. Following the 2016 season, he surpassed 100 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series. He finished 15th in the final standings in 2016 and 16th in 2017. Between June and July 2017, Chastain achieved back-to-back top-10 results, which included a career-best fourth-place result at Iowa Speedway. He also made a total of eight starts in the Truck Series with Bolen Motorsports, where his best result was seventh place at Martinsville Speedway in April. In addition, he made his first two NASCAR Cup Series career starts in both Dover International Speedway races while driving for Premium Motorsports. He finished 20th in his debut at the Monster Mile in June and 38th in his second start in October.

    The 2018 season was an eventful season for Chastain, who made 34 starts in the Cup Series, 33 starts in the Xfinity Series and seven starts in the Truck Series. In the Truck circuit, he made a total of seven starts between Beaver Motorsports, Premium Motorsports and Niece Motorsports. His best result was seventh place at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in September. In the Cup circuit, he competed in 34 of 36 races with Premium Motorsports. His best results were an 18th-place result at Texas Motor Speedway in April and a 20th-place result at Las Vegas in September.

    For the first 23 Xfinity Series of the season, Chastain recorded one top-five result and six top-10 results, all while during his fourth season with JD Motorsports. Then, in September, Chastain made his first of three starts in the No. 42 DC Solar Chevrolet Camaro for Chip Ganassi Racing led by crew chief Mike Shiplett at Darlington Raceway. During the main event, Chastain started on pole position for the first time in his career, led a race-high 90 laps and won the first two stages. His strong run, however, was spoiled following a late on-track incident with Kevin Harvick as Chastain ended his race in 25th place. Competing the following race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for JD Motorsports, Chastain returned to the No. 42 team at Las Vegas in September seeking redemption. During the main event, Chastain dominated again as he won the first two stages and led a race-high 180 laps. This time, Chastain sealed the deal after beating Justin Allgaier to achieve his first career win across NASCAR’s three major division series. His first Xfinity career win, which occurred in his 132nd series start and also occurred in the regular-season finale at Vegas, was enough for the Floridian to secure a spot in the 2018 Xfinity Playoffs as he introduced his celebratory trademark by smashing a watermelon.

    During his first run in the Xfinity Playoffs, Chastain went on to finish in second place at Richmond in September, which also marked his final start with Chip Ganassi Racing. Returning to JD Motorsports, he finished 12th at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval and 13th at Dover. When the dust settled, Chastain was beaten by Matt Tifft for the final transfer spot to the Round of 8 by three points. He went on to conclude the season in a career-best 10th place in the final standings as he also achieved a career-high three top-five results, eight top-10 results and 272 laps led. Following the 2018 season, he surpassed 200 career starts across NASCAR.

    In November 2018, it was announced that Chastain would compete in the No. 42 DC Solar Chevrolet Camaro for Chip Ganassi Racing on a full-time basis for the 2019 Xfinity Series season. The announcement came a month after Chastain revealed plans to compete in the Cup Series for Premium Motorsports. However, the team ceased operations in January when DC Solar was raided by the FBI. Fortunately, Chastain was picked up by Niece Motorsports to compete in the Truck Series on a part-time basis led by crew chief Phil Gould and by JD Motorsports for 30 Xfinity races. In addition, he signed a three-race deal to pilot the No. 10 Nutrien Ag Solutions Chevrolet Camaro for Kaulig Racing.

    Competing in all three series’ openers at Daytona International Speedway, Chastain finished third in the Truck Series with Niece Motorsports, 13th in the Xfinity Series with Kaulig Racing after winning the second stage and 10th in his first Daytona 500 start with Premium Motorsports. Through the beginning of June, Chastain competed in the first 12 Xfinity races and recorded a best result of seventh place at Las Vegas in March. He also competed in the first eight Truck races with Niece Motorsports, achieving top-10 results in all of his starts and collecting his first Truck career win at Kansas Speedway in May following a late pass on Stewart Friesen. To cap off his eventful start to this season, he competed in the first 14 Cup races with Premium Motorsports.

    On June 4, Chastain declared himself a full-time Truck Series competitor to contend for points and the series title with Niece Motorsports. In order to achieve his goal of making the Playoffs, he would have to win again throughout the regular-season stretch and be scored inside the top 20 in the standings. After finishing in 10th place at Texas Motor Speedway following his announcement, Chastain achieved his second victory of the season at Iowa Speedway following a dominating performance. Following the race, however, Chastain was disqualified due to his truck failing post-race technical inspection and NASCAR awarded the win to runner-up finisher Brett Moffitt. Chastain’s disqualification from winning was a first in NASCAR since Emanuel Zervakis was disqualified from winning at North Carolina’s Wilson Speedway in April 1960 due to an oversized fuel tank.

    Chastain rebounded the following race with vengeance after scoring a late win at Gateway’s World Wide Technology Raceway and collecting a $50,000 for winning a Triple Truck Challenge race. This time, Chastain’s win at Gateway was ruled official. After finishing seventh at Chicagoland Speedway and fourth at Kentucky Speedway the following two races, Chastain made himself Playoff eligible after moving into the top 20 in the standings. The following race, he achieved his third victory of his career/season at Pocono Raceway and he entered the postseason as a title favorite. During the Playoffs, Chastain achieved three top-five results and five top-10 results as he made the Championship Round at Homestead-Miami Speedway. During the finale, however, he finished fourth at Homestead and fell short of his first NASCAR championship to Matt Crafton. Despite the final outcome, he logged in a successful season in the Truck circuit, where he recorded three wins, a pole, 10 top-five results, 19 top-10 results, an average result of 8.6 and 591 laps led before concluding the season in a career-best second place. In the end, he was named the 2019 Truck Most Popular Driver.

    Chastain’s on-track success in 2019 did not only come from the Truck Series. At Daytona in July, while piloting Kaulig Racing’s No. 16 Ellsworth Advisors Chevrolet Camaro, Chastain led a 1-2-3 finish for the team across the line as he achieved his first victory at Daytona, second of his Xfinity career and the first NASCAR win for Kaulig Racing. Despite teammate A.J. Allmendinger being disqualified from third place for failing post-race technical inspection, Chastain’s victory and teammate Justin Haley’s runner-up result were deemed official by NASCAR. He made a total of seven additional Xfinity starts since June, where he also finished in second place at Texas in November behind Christopher Bell while driving for Kaulig. Overall, he capped off the 2019 Xfinity season with a win, a pole, two top-five results and eight top-10 results between JD Motorsports and Kaulig Racing.

    On the Cup side, Chastain made 35 starts in the No. 15 Chevrolet for Premium Motorsports. His best results were a 10th-place result at the Daytona 500 in February and a 12th-place result at Talladega Superspeedway in October.

    In total, Chastain made 77 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series in 2019. Early into the season, he broke Kyle Busch’s record in competing in the most consecutive races across all three series to start a season. Following the 2019 season, he surpassed 300 career starts across NASCAR.

    Three months after winning at Daytona, Chastain was named a full-time competitor of the No. 10 Nutrien Ag Solutions Chevrolet Camaro for Kaulig Racing led by crew chief Bruce Schlicker for the 2020 Xfinity Series season. Prior to the 2020 season, he also planned to compete in select Truck Series races with Niece Motorsports and in the No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE sponsored by AdventHealth in the Cup Series for the Daytona 500 and the Coca-Cola 600. His No. 77 ride was under a partnership between Spire Motorsports and Chip Ganassi Racing.

    Chastain started the 2020 season by finishing in eighth place in the Truck opener at Daytona with Niece Motorsports. For the Xfinity opener, however, he initially failed to qualify for the event, along with teammate A.J. Allmendinger, due to mechanical issues. Nonetheless, he was able to compete when veteran Jeff Green relinquished his seat at RSS Racing. Chastain went on to finish 22nd in the Xfinity opener. For the Daytona 500, he made a late charge to the front until he was involved in a multi-car accident and settled in 25th place.

    Through September 2, Chastain has made eight starts in the Truck Series with Niece Motorsports and has recorded one top-five result and five top-10 results. He has also made seven Cup starts between Spire Motorsports and Roush Fenway Racing, where he served as an interim competitor for the injured Ryan Newman. His best results in the series include a 16th-place run at Daytona in August and a pair of 17th-place results at Auto Club Speedway in March and at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July.

    Through the first 22 Xfinity Series races of this season and as a full-time competitor, Chastain has recorded one stage win, two Dash 4 Cash $100,000 bonuses, nine top-five results and 19 top-10 results. He is currently in third place in the Xfinity regular-season standings and is 420 points above the top-12 cutline to make the Playoffs and with four regular-season races remaining. Thus far, his average result is 8.8.

    While Chastain is set to compete in this weekend’s Xfinity and Cup races at Darlington, he will also be sporting a special white, red, blue and gold paint scheme to his No. 77 Spire Motorsports/Dirty Mo Media Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE on the Cup side while paying tribute to the late NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt and his 1976 Hy-Gain Chevy.

    Catch Chastain’s milestone start on Sunday, September 6, at Darlington Raceway for the Cook Out Southern 500, which will occur at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Clements to make 350th Xfinity start at Road America

    Clements to make 350th Xfinity start at Road America

    A lot is on the line for journeyman Jeremy Clements and his family-owned team approaching the final nine NASCAR Xfinity Series regular-season races of this year. For this weekend’s race at Road America, a track where he won at in upset fashion and secured his spot to the Playoffs in 2017, Clements aims to repeat the competitiveness, the pace and the road course magic he and his team exhibited from three seasons ago to propel himself back into title contention this season. Also in the midst of his battle for a postseason berth is the fact that he will making his 350th career start in the Xfinity Series (the only major division series in NASCAR he has ever raced in) when the green flag waves at Road America on Saturday, August 8.

    A native of Spartanburg, South Carolina, and who started his racing career by driving go-karts, Clements worked his way up in racing modifies and stock cars, winning feature events and track championships, before racing in Late Models and the ARCA Series. The 2003 season was where he made his first start within NASCAR’s three major division series at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colorado, and in the No. 71 Chevrolet for Young Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He started 35th and finished 31st in his series debut.

    It was not until 2007 when Clements returned to the series and competed in the final five races of the season, driving the No. 36 Chevrolet for McGill Motorsports. His best finish within his five starts was 23rd at Charlotte in October. Throughout the 2008 and 2009 racing seasons, Clements made select Xfinity starts in his family-owned team, Jeremy Clements Motorsports, while practicing and qualifying cars for Joe Gibbs Racing, notably at Kentucky in 2008 and at Iowa in 2009. Late in the 2009 season, Clements competed in six races in the No. 0 Chevrolet for JD Motorsports, where he earned a best result of 12th at Auto Club Speedway in October.

    Clements started the 2010 Xfinity Series season with plans of competing in the opening three races in the No. 0 Chevrolet for JD Motorsports. After failing to qualify for the season opener at Daytona, Clements scaled back to the No. 04 Chevrolet for JD Motorsports. Throughout the 2010 season and the 35-race schedule, he made 16 starts and failed to qualify for seven races. At Gateway in October 2010, Clements notched his first top-10 career result (10th place).

    For the 2011 season, Clements competed on a full-time basis with his family-owned team, Jeremy Clements Racing, and sporting the No. 51 alongside his car. He recorded nine top-20 results with a best finish of 14th in September. The following season, Clements returned for another full-time racing role. All of his starts came while driving for JCR, but his car number was 4 for Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July and at Richmond Raceway in September. During the two races where Clements ran the No. 4 car, Ty Dillon sported the No. 51 alongside his car under the Richard Childress Racing banner during his developing races in the series. Clements’ best results in 2012 were a pair of 10th-place finishes at Dover International Speedway in June and at Indianapolis. After the season concluded, Clements surpassed 100 career starts in the Xfinity Series.

    Clements started the 2013 season by finishing 33rd in the season opener at Daytona, but he was suspended indefinitely for using a racial slur during an ESPN interview. Missing the next two events, where Ryan Sieg drove Clements’ No. 51 car, Clements returned the following race at Bristol Motor Speedway in March and competed the rest of the 33-race schedule. His best results were a ninth-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway in May and a 10th-place finish during the inaugural race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

    From 2014 to 2016, Clements remained as a full-time Xfinity Series competitor for his family-owned team and he notched a total of six top-10 results between the three seasons. His best runs were a fourth-place finish at Talladega in April 2016, a sixth-place result at Road America in June 2014 and a sixth-place result at Bristol in August 2016. His best points result between the three seasons was 14th in 2015. By then, he surpassed 200 Xfinity career starts.

    For the first 22 races of the 2017 Xfinity Series season, his seventh as a full-time competitor, Clements had recorded only one top-10 result, which was a seventh-place result at Iowa Speedway in June. The following race at Road America was where Clements rose to the occasion and shined under the spotlight as he was closing in towards race leader and rookie Matt Tifft in the final laps. Through Turns 12 and 13, Clements gained a big run to draw himself right to the rear bumper of Tifft’s No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry. In Turn 14, Clements attempted to pass Tifft for the lead when he got loose and collided into Tifft as both spun through the turn. With no caution falling, Clements was able to quickly straighten his No. 51 Chevrolet Camaro, take the lead and bolt away from the field for one final lap to achieve his first NASCAR triumph in his 256th career start. Of all the achievements that came with Clements’ victory, the biggest one of all was that the win clinched the journeyman and his team a spot in the 2017 Xfinity Series Playoffs with an opportunity to win his first NASCAR championship. For the remainder of the season, however, he finished no higher than 16th and settled in a career-best 12th place in the final standings.

    In 2018 and 2019, Clements achieved a total of six top-10 results, a best finish of fourth place at Bristol in August, and he missed the Playoffs during both seasons. His best points result was 14th in 2019. By then, he surpassed 300 career starts.

    This season, through the first 17 Xfinity Series races, Clements has achieved three top-10 results with a best result of third place at Pocono Raceway in June. With 11 top-15 results in total, Clements and his family-owned No. 51 Chevrolet team are currently 32 points below the top-12 cutline to secure a spot into this year’s Playoffs and for the second career time.

    Catch Clements’ milestone start at Road America on August 8 at noon ET on NBCSN.

  • Vargas to return to JD Motorsports at Kansas

    Vargas to return to JD Motorsports at Kansas

    Coming off a career run at Pocono Raceway, Ryan Vargas announced via Twitter that he will return as driver of the No. 15 Chevrolet Camaro for JD Motorsports with Gary Keller in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Kansas Speedway on Saturday, July 25.

    A two-time Wendell Scott Trailblazer Award winner and a NASCAR Next alumnus, the 19-year-old native from La Mirada, California, made his NASCAR national touring series debut in 2019 after previously racing in Super Stock and super late models and the 2018 ARCA Menards Series East season for Rev Racing, where he finished sixth in the final standings and achieved six top-10 results in the 14-race schedule. Driving the No. 15 Chevrolet for JD Motorsports with Gary Keller in the Xfinity Series, Vargas finished 17th in his series debut at Iowa Speedway on July 27. He returned for two more races with the team and in the No. 4 Chevrolet. He finished 18th at Road America in August and 26th at Phoenix’s ISM Raceway in November to attain an average result of 20.33 in his three-race Xfinity slate. When he was not competing in NASCAR, he was contending for the 2019 Irwindale Track Championship.

    On June 22, Vargas and JDM reached a multi-race agreement for the 2020 NASCAR season. Last weekend at Pocono Raceway, Vargas had a career run in the making as he dodged a series of late carnages to place himself in contention for a top-five run. On the final lap during an overtime restart, Vargas was running inside the top 10 when he made contact with the outside wall and the incident dropped him to 13th in the final running order. The top-15 result, nonetheless, was Vargas’ best in his fourth Xfinity career start and he was one of four JDM competitors to finish in the top 20 as teammates Jesse Little, B.J. McLeod and Jeffrey Earnhardt finished 10th, 14th and 16th. Following the Xfinity Series’ last race at Pocono, JDM entries have recorded a combined 27 top-20 results with its four-car operation through the first 12 races.

    While Vargas does not have a current full-time ride in NASCAR, he continues to pursue sponsorship availabilities and enough financial support that would enable him to gain more seat time in the sport and compete against NASCAR’s elite along with his fellow competitors.

    Catch Vargas’ second Xfinity Series race of 2020 with JDM at Kansas Speedway on July 25 at 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Jeffrey Earnhardt ready to put on ‘one hell of a show’ when NASCAR racing resumes

    Jeffrey Earnhardt ready to put on ‘one hell of a show’ when NASCAR racing resumes

    While everyone in the NASCAR community was disappointed to learn that the current race season has been put on hold due to the Covid-19 outbreak, it was particularly disheartening for Jeffrey Earnhardt.

    After parting ways with sponsor iK9 and Joe Gibbs Racing in Aug. 2019, Earnhardt was set to make his Xfinity Series comeback this year after reuniting with JD Motorsports with Gary Keller for at least 12 races.

    He previously drove for JDM in 2014, competing in a full Xfinity Series season, and is excited to team up with them again.

    “Well the biggest thing is what they can offer,” Earnhardt explained. “It was the chance to run the most races and be competitive. Seeing what they were able to do with Ross (Chastain) showed they can do it if the funding is there.”

    His first race was scheduled for Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 14 but it was postponed indefinitely until the current health crisis has resolved.

    “It was heartbreaking, honestly,” he admitted. “I have been itching to get back behind the wheel and we were so close to doing so and then this happened. It just really sucked for everyone honestly and now it’s became a bigger struggle for all these teams to figure things out financially but also the sponsors that were promised these races are also on our minds.

    “We have great sponsors that are very understanding. I think the effects of this mess have touched everyone and because of that I feel it’s only gonna make everyone stronger and more understanding. At the end of the day we will still try to always over deliver on any expectations and make all our partners proud.

    “I just hope a cure comes soon and people remain safe.  It’s been very sad to see what’s been happening with the virus.”  

    There is no timetable for when the drivers will be able to get back to racing but NASCAR has mentioned the possibility of racing mid-week and double-header weekends.

    Earnhardt and JDM are open to all of the options and the demands it may place on the organization.

    “I’m all about it because I want to race every day I can,” he emphasized. “The stress comes from being a smaller team and having to have cars ready to go. Its gonna be a challenge but I know the guys at JD Motorsports can handle it.”

    In the meantime, Earnhardt is focused on staying motivated and healthy.

    “I try to be around the shop as much as I can and help out. Outside of that, like everyone, recently iRacing has become a big tool and trying to stay physically fit as well. Of course, getting outdoors and hunting when I can to keep my sanity.” 

    He is also taking advantage of iRacing, but says, “I’ve got to practice up because these guys are good and some have a lot of time on there.”

    Earnhardt’s last race in the Xfinity Series was nine months ago at Chicagoland Speedway but he doesn’t think there will be much of a learning curve when racing resumes. If anything, he welcomes the challenge.

    His goal for the season is to “back up and exceed what they did with Ross (Chastain), results wise.”

    “Some of the guys at JD Motorsports I have worked with but it’s always a challenge in a new atmosphere. That being said, last year was all new to me and we came out of the gates swinging. I like that style.”

    Earnhardt also had a message for his fans.

    “We will always love their loyalty and support and when we get to go back racing there are gonna be some hungry drivers just waiting to put on one hell of a show for all the fans.”

    Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

  • Jeffrey Earnhardt reunites with JD Motorsports to compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series

    Jeffrey Earnhardt reunites with JD Motorsports to compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series

    GAFFNEY, SC – JD Motorsports with Gary Keller (JDM) is pleased to announce the return of Jeffrey Earnhardt to the driver lineup for the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) season. The grandson of legendary driver and NASCAR Hall of Fame member Dale Earnhardt reunites with JDM after running a full season with the team in 2014.

    While racing for JDM full time, Earnhardt was able to capture seven Top 20 finishes, placing 18th in the final drivers’ points standings.

    Last season, Jeffrey Earnhardt proved that he is capable of running with the best, notching one Top 5 and three Top 10 finishes in just seven starts. With more races on his plate this season, he is expected to continue to shine on track.

    JDM & Earnhardt have 12 races on the schedule and are working on additional sponsorship to increase his opportunities to compete this season.

    The North Carolina native is eager to return behind the wheel, saying this, “I am really thankful to Johnny Davis and the JD Motorsports with Gary Keller team for having me on board this season. These guys work hard every week and they’ve demonstrated the ability and desire to compete. I am looking forward to getting back on track this season.”

    Earnhardt’s car number will be announced at a later date, along with sponsor information. Stay tuned to our social media channels for more information regarding this season’s latest news.

    Though the NASCAR Xfinity Series season kicks off from Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, Feb. 15th, Jeffrey Earnhardt’s season kicks off at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday, March 14th. To keep up with Jeffrey Earnhardt as he prepares for the start of the season, follow along on his social media pages @JEarnhardt1 on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For all things JDM, follow along on our social media pages @JDMotorsports01. #TeamJDM