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  • Chris Gayle to call 150th Xfinity race as crew chief at Atlanta

    Chris Gayle to call 150th Xfinity race as crew chief at Atlanta

    A significant milestone start is in the making for Chris Gayle, crew chief for Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 54 Toyota Supra team piloted by multiple competitors in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. By participating in this weekend’s event at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Gayle will call his 150th Xfinity career race as a crew chief.

    A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Gayle spent two years as a student at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville before transferring to the University of North Carolina in Charlotte, where he earned a degree in mechanical engineering in 2002. Not long after, he joined Joe Gibbs Racing to work as a race engineer.

    Eleven years later, Gayle, who was a senior engineer for Kyle Busch in the NASCAR Cup Series, was promoted to the crew chief role, where he was paired with veteran Elliott Sadler and JGR’s No. 11 Toyota Camry team for the 2013 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. Throughout the 33-race Xfinity schedule, Gayle and Sadler earned nine top-five results and 20 top-10 results before finishing in fourth place in the final standings.

    Eight races into the 2014 Xfinity season, Gayle earned his first NASCAR career victory as a crew chief at Talladega Superspeedway in April, where Sadler held off the field in a three-lap shootout to return to Victory Lane following a one-year winless season. They went on to earn a pole, seven top-five results and 25 top-10 results before settling in third place in the final standings.

    Prior to the 2015 season, Sadler departed JGR and the team shuffled its crew chief lineup, placing Gayle as crew chief for the team’s No. 54 Toyota Camry piloted by multiple competitors, starting with Kyle Busch for the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway in February. The season, however, started off on a harrowing note when Busch was involved in a late multi-car accident that saw his car make head-on contact into a concrete wall installed with no SAFER barriers and the driver being transported to a local hospital, where he suffered a massive compound fracture to his right leg and a fractured left foot.

    With Busch absent and recovering from his injuries, Gayle spent the following 11 Xfinity events working with Erik Jones, Denny Hamlin and Boris Said. When Busch returned at Michigan International Speedway in June, he and Gayle went to Victory Lane after Busch completed a late pass on Chase Elliott en route to his first win of the season and in his first Xfinity start since the Daytona accident. A week later, Gayle went to Victory Lane with Erik Jones at Chicagoland Speedway. 

    In total, Gayle achieved seven Xfinity victories in 2015, six with Kyle Busch and one with Erik Jones. In addition, he notched five poles, 17 top-five results and 23 top-10 results throughout the 33-race schedule for JGR’s No. 54 Toyota team, which settled in the runner-up position behind Team Penske’s No. 22 Ford Mustang team in the final Xfinity owners’ standings.

    Gayle remained as JGR’s Xfinity “all-star” crew chief in 2016, where he worked with Dakoda Armstrong, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Drew Herring, Sam Hornish Jr., Owen Kelly, Bobby Labonte, David Ragan and Matt Tifft, all of whom took turns piloting the No. 18 Toyota Camry throughout the season. Throughout the 33-race schedule, Gayle earned 11 victories (10 with Kyle Busch and one with Hornish), 11 poles (nine with Kyle Busch, one with Ragan and one with Tifft), 19 top-five results and 23 top-10 results. When the final checkered flag of the season flew, JGR’s No. 18 Toyota team ended up in fourth place in the owners’ standings.

    Following the 2016 Xfinity season, Gayle moved up to the NASCAR Cup Series, where he worked as a crew chief for Erik Jones and the No. 77 Furniture Row Racing Toyota Camry team. After a four-year run in the Cup Series, where Gayle earned two career victories between 2018 and 2019 with Erik Jones, Gayle returned to the Xfinity Series for the 2021 season, where he was assigned to JGR’s No. 54 Toyota Supra team piloted by multiple competitors, starting with Ty Dillon for the season-opening event at Daytona in February. 

    Following a 14th-place result with Dillon at Daytona, Gayle returned to Victory Lane the following weekend at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course with Ty Gibbs, grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs, winning his first Xfinity race in his series’ debut. Since then, Gayle has achieved four additional victories this season, three with Kyle Busch and another with Ty Gibbs. Currently, with seventeen races of the 2021 season complete, JGR’s No. 54 team led by Gayle is ranked in second place in the owners’ standings.

    Through 149 previous Xfinity appearances, Gayle has achieved 25 victories, 20 poles, 63 top-five results and 102 top-10 results while working with 15 different competitors.

    Gayle is primed to call his 150th Xfinity race as a crew chief at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday, July 10, with Kyle Busch scheduled to drive the No. 54 JGR Toyota Supra and with the race scheduled to start at 3:30 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.

  • Despite rumors, Nemechek to Front Row Motorsports could be needed change for entire organization

    Despite rumors, Nemechek to Front Row Motorsports could be needed change for entire organization

    With the Cup Series returning to Texas Motor Speedway this weekend, one of the biggest headlines heading into Sunday’s AAA Texas 500 is the debut of John Hunter Nemechek. He will be filling in for Front Row Motorsports rookie Matt Tifft, who has been sidelined for the remainder of the 2019 season with medical issues.

    Although Nemechek’s primary obligation is finishing up his rookie XFINITY Series campaign with the No. 23 GMS Racing Chevrolet group, there are rumors circulating that this could be a tryout for the 22-year-old driver since he has no plans for next season. FRM staple David Ragan is set to retire after this season, leaving one of the three seats open in the organization.

    At this moment, Nemechek has made it clear that all he wants to do is go out and earn the respect of the other Cup drivers, telling SiriusXM Speedway’s Dave Moody:

    “The storyline is we want to go and have a quiet weekend for us, just run as many laps as we possibly can and gain as much experience and just have a solid weekend. That’s our goal. It’s all new for me, I’ve never driven a Cup car before so it’s going to be a whole new process and whole new learning curve.”

    However, should Nemechek go and do just that in the final three races, he could be a possible option for a vacant seat in an FRM Ford. That would mean that FRM would have two drivers under 25-years-old, and with Michael McDowell planning on being at FRM in 2020 despite the plan not being set in stone just yet, the organization may very well be on a renewed path instead of just being a home for drivers late in their Cup career.

    Granted, that may not have been the case. But since the team’s inception in 2005, they’ve only won two events. At Talladega Ragan led a 1-2 finish in the 2013 Aaron’s 499 with David Gilliland close behind. Chris Buescher won a fog-shortened Pocono event in 2016 and made one Playoff appearance. This is after the team had been home to drivers such as Gilliland, Travis Kvapil, Josh Wise, and John Andretti.

    But as in Buescher’s case, FRM has shown itself to be a good place for drivers looking to learn the rank-and-file of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup racing. Buescher has gone on to record strong runs with JTG-Daugherty Racing and now finds himself going to the No. 17 Roush-Fenway Ford in 2020. Tifft has established himself as a solid driver in the No. 36 with a top-10 at Daytona in July and 15 top-25 finishes in 32 starts.

    Adding Nemechek to the FRM stable could put the team into a renewed position, where instead of being an organization housing Cup drivers who weren’t established as well elsewhere, they could become an organization that builds (or rebuilds) itself around the future stars of the sport. FRM has become an organization that continues to grow over the years, and not even the expansion to three full-time teams is enough to slow the team down.

    Should Nemechek go for a full rookie campaign with FRM in 2020, there’s going to be no guarantee of success with the team. But there will be ample opportunity for both Nemechek and FRM to continuously grow in Cup racing, and FRM may be the step Nemechek needs to take to earn both respect and success as he advances in his NASCAR career.

  • Bell Wins at ISM Raceway, Xfinity Championship 4 Field Set

    Bell Wins at ISM Raceway, Xfinity Championship 4 Field Set

    Christopher Bell fought his way into the Championship 4 finale, winning the Whelen Trusted to Perform 200 at ISM Raceway in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Cole Custer, Tyler Reddick and Daniel Hemric will join him for the 2018 Xfinity Championship at Homestead Miami Speedway.

    “We’re going to Homestead baby!” Bell exclaimed over the radio in celebration with his team.

    Bell started the day by failing inspection three times during qualifying. According to the NASCAR rule book, the No. 20 Gamestop Toyota would lose their car chief and be forced to start in the rear. They did not get a qualifying time set, and started 38th for the race. However, they did not give up and took the lead just past halfway through the race, easily becoming the car to beat. It was Bell’s seventh win in his rookie season, a new Xfinity Series record.

    “Man, that’s never sounded sweeter before in my life,” Bell said with a feeling of relief on the frontstretch in front of all the fans. “I’ll be honest, after Kansas and Texas, I accepted that we weren’t going to be able to get there [to the Championship 4]. I knew this thing was fast. It feels good to give Gamestop a win.”

    The early parts of the race saw Justin Allgaier winning both stages, but a late-race collision with John Hunter Nemechek forced his team to make repairs, blocking the brake ducts. Later in the final run, Allgaier’s right front caught fire and he lost a lap, and eventually, his spot in the Championship 4.

    ”Disappointment,” Allgaier shared. “At the end of the day we did everything right this year. We had a great season. Today we did everything right at the beginning part of the race. That was probably the most frustrating part. We led a lot of laps. We won both stages. All things considered, it was going to be a great day. Ultimately at the end, getting ourselves in that bad position, getting caught up in that little of a crash and losing brakes. At that point it was survival, gain as many points as we can gain.”

    Elliott Sadler, Austin Cindric and Matt Tifft were the others eliminated from the Playoffs for the Xfinity Series.

    Field Fights for Every Spot in Stage 1

    John Hunter Nemechek and Cole Custer battle for position in the Whelen Trusted to Perform 200 at ISM Raceway. Photo by Rachel Schuoler for Speedway Media.
    John Hunter Nemechek and Cole Custer battle for position in the Whelen Trusted to Perform 200 at ISM Raceway. Photo by Rachel Schuoler for Speedway Media.

    As the field took the green flag, they were put under yellow for the third race in a row. Akinori Ogata in the No. 66 Toyota lost a deck lid and spun before the field could complete a lap. The team for the Japanese rookie was able to make repairs and continue in the race.

    On the restart, Justin Allgaier and Ryan Preece were able to get by the outside rows and put themselves into the second and third positions respectively. Further along in the run, Preece’s car fell off pace with the leaders, but Allgaier was able to get by about 30 laps into the race.

    With about five laps to go, Elliott Sadler made slight contact with the No. 40 Toyota of Chad Finchum. There was no visible tire smoke or rub, but Sadler did lose a few spots. While his teammate Allgaier would go on to win the stage, Sadler would be the only Playoff driver to finish outside of the top-10 and not collect any stage points.

    Sadler would spend a lot of time on pit road as his team made repairs. He would stay on the lead lap. Austin Cindric beat Allgaier and Nemechek off pit road to claim the lead starting the second stage. Matt Tifft was caught speeding on pit road, and Brandon Jones was penalized for an uncontrolled tire violation. Both drivers had to restart at the rear.

    Allgaier Makes a Statement, Sweeps Both Stages

    On the restart, Cindric chose the outside. As we saw in most cases during yesterday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck series, the inside was the preferred line with the extra room of the dogleg and the least risk going into Turn 1 fighting a 3-wide move. Allgaier was able to get by easily and reclaim the lead. He would lead all the laps and take the win in the second stage in a yellow-free stage.

    However, it was not uneventful. With a handful of laps left, Bell was attempting to pass Cindric when the two made slight contact multiple times. The last bit of contact was coming out of Turn 2. Bell was not happy, shaking his fist out the window net at Cindric, and said over the radio to his team, “I so wanted to wreck him!”

    During pit stops, Allgaier lost four positions as Nemechek reclaimed the lead.

    Championship Hopes Flip in Final Stage

    Bell clawed his way to the front and with 100 laps to go, claimed the top spot. Allgaier made a few adjustments on pit road to make his car a little faster, but lost track position and ran in the fourth position at this time.

    During the run before their potential last pit stop, Cindric drove hard into Turn 1 but slid up in Turn 2, colliding into Allgaier. It was the second time Cindric collided into a Playoff drive. Allgaier held his hand out the window net, palm up, but was able to stay focused and drive forward to get around Nemechek for the third position. Cindric lost his fifth position to Matt Tifft, fighting his way back to the front after a pit road speeding penalty after Stage 1. By this time, the bottom four drivers were now in a must-win situation, so nerves and aggression were starting to get the best of some of those drivers.

    With about 65 laps to go, Tyler Hill in the No. 13 spun right in front of a few championship drivers, but no other cars were collected. The yellow flag was displayed, and everyone came down pit road for what may be the final time. Bell won the battle off pit road and all Playoff contenders were in the top 11 at this point.

    Tifft fought his way up into the second position on the restart, but a few laps into the run, there were two separate incidents. Ty Majeski spun in Turn 3 to officially bring out the yellow, but Nemechek got loose on the exit of Turn 4. Tyler Reddick inadvertently helped spin out Nemechek with slight contact, but the heaviest contact actually corrected his car when he dove to the inside and hit Allgaier, causing massive damage to the right front fenders. During the yellow, Allgaier came to pit road and his crew made repairs, and surprisingly, it did not affect the handling.

    The field took the restart, and Allgaier was able to climb back up into the top-10. Tifft and Bell were both in must-win scenarios, and with both drivers running up front for the potential win, that forced Allgaier to start considering a must-win situation to ensure a chance for the championship at Homestead. With about 48 laps to go, the No. 8 Chevrolet of Tommy Joe Martins went up in smoke to bring out the yellow. He would retire from the race, as no front runners elected to visit pit road.

    The Xfinity Series drivers would see yet another restart where most of the field panned out through the dogleg to fight for as many positions as possible. With some contact and beating and banging, Bell emerged as the leader with a hungry and hard-chargin Tifft.

    With about 25 laps remaining, Allgaier had a fire in the right-front corner as he lost brakes, making his championship hopes go up in smoke. There was no damage to the tire, so he was able to continue without visiting pit road, but was much slower having no brakes in the right front. No other incidents occurred in the closing laps, as Bell secured his spot for the Championship 4 at Homestead.

    The final championship race will be held at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Coverage for the Ford EcoBoost 300 begins at 3:30pm ET on Saturday, November 17.

    NASCAR Xfinity Series Race
    Unofficial Race Results for the 20Th Annual Whelen Trusted To Perform
    200 – Saturday, November 10, 2018
    ISM Raceway – Avondale, AZ – 1 Mile Paved

    Pos St Car Driver Team Make
    1 38 20 Christopher Bell # (P) GameStop Just Cause 4 Toyota
    2 8 21 Daniel Hemric (P) South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet
    3 10 2 Matt Tifft (P) Go Green Chevrolet
    4 3 22 Austin Cindric # (P) Discount Tire Ford
    5 5 18 Ryan Preece Rheem/Smurfit Kappa Toyota
    6 14 9 Tyler Reddick # (P) BurgerFi Chevrolet
    7 7 19 Brandon Jones Toyota Service Centers/Mobil 1 Toyota
    8 2 00 Cole Custer (P) Haas Automation Ford
    9 1 42 John Hunter Nemechek Fire Alarm Services Inc. Chevrolet
    10 11 23 Spencer Gallagher ISM Connect Chevrolet
    11 6 1 Elliott Sadler (P) Hunt Brothers Pizza Chevrolet
    12 12 16 Ryan Reed Drive Down A1C Lilly Diabetes Ford
    13 15 11 Ryan Truex LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet
    14 9 3 Shane Lee CIPT/Race to Give Chevrolet
    15 23 4 Ross Chastain Flex Seal Chevrolet
    16 13 5 Michael Annett Pilot Flying J Chevrolet
    17 18 51 Jeremy Clements RepairableVehicles.com Chevrolet
    18 39 60 Ty Majeski Ford Ford
    19 16 39 Ryan Sieg Lombard Brothers Chevrolet
    20 17 36 Alex Labbe # Can-Am/Wholey/Cyclops Gear Chevrolet
    21 19 38 JJ Yeley Iron Mountain Data Centers Chevrolet
    22 21 35 Joey Gase Donate Life Arizona/Sparks Chevrolet
    23 28 01 BJ McLeod Flex Glue Chevrolet
    24 4 7 Justin Allgaier (P) BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
    25 26 90 Donald Theetge Mercedes-Benz St. Nicolas/Circuit Acura Chevrolet
    26 27 0 Garrett Smithley Flex Tape Chevrolet
    27 24 52 David Starr Whataburger Chevrolet
    28 32 76 Spencer Boyd # Grunt Style Chevrolet
    29 29 15 Quin Houff teamjdmotorsports.com Chevrolet
    30 34 55 Bayley Currey(i) Rollin Smoke Barbeque/Touched by Pros Toyota
    31 31 13 Tyler Hill OCR Gaz Bar Dodge
    32 36 74 Mike Harmon Veterans 4 Child Rescue Chevrolet
    33 33 66 Akinori Ogata Toyota
    34 40 45 Josh Bilicki # Prevagen Toyota
    35 20 8 Tommy Joe Martins Chevrolet
    36 37 78 Vinnie Miller # CorvetteParts.net/JW Transport LLC Chevrolet
    37 22 40 Chad Finchum # Smithbilt Homes Toyota
    38 30 99 Stephen Leicht Chevrolet
    39 35 89 Morgan Shepherd Visone RV Chevrolet
    40 25 93 Jeff Green RSS Racing Chevrolet
  • John Hunter Nemechek Earns First Career Pole in NASCAR Xfinity Series

    John Hunter Nemechek Earns First Career Pole in NASCAR Xfinity Series

    John Hunter Nemechek claims his first career pole in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at ISM Raceway, setting a time of 26.970 seconds at 133.482 mph.

    Nemechek edged Cole Custer by 17-thousandths of a second, as both drivers were the only two to run in the 26-second bracket. Austin Cindric, Justin Allgaier and Ryan Preece completed the top-five.

    “It feels good,” Nemechek told NBCSN. “We came here with the mindset to try and qualify on the pole. We unloaded not really good yesterday so we only got to do one mock (qualifying) run and it wasn’t that great.”

    Most of the other Playoff drivers will start in the top-10. Elliott Sadler qualified in sixth, Daniel Hemric in eighth and Matt Tifft in 10th. Tyler Reddick had a slip in the second round, preventing him from putting down a fast enough lap to get into the final round. He will start 14th. The biggest news with those in the championship hunt was Christopher Bell failing inspection three times. He will start 38th.

    Round one had about half of the Playoff contenders waiting until the last few minutes before turning a lap. Austin Cindric was fastest and most Playoff contenders held top-15 lap times. All but one made it through to the second round. Christopher Bell and Ty Majeski failed inspection three times, so they will start at the rear of the field. Neither was able to turn a lap, along with Josh Bilicki.

    “Well the good thing is (Miami) doesn’t decide on where we start, it decides on where we finish,” Bell told NBCSN. “We got 200 laps, which is an eternity, especially from what I grew up doing in sprint car racing. Got a bunch of pit stops in there and a fast car to make it up. We’ll be fine.”

    Bell also shared that this was the same car that won both times at Richmond Raceway.

    “This is probably the fastest car we’ve brought to the race track all year-long compared to the field,” Bell said.

    In round two, one more Playoff contender was eliminated. Tyler Reddick car got loose in Turn 4, which hurt his first and second attempts at improving his qualifying time. He will start 14th in the afternoon’s event. John Hunter Nemechek was fastest over Cole Custer, as the two were the only drivers to run just one lap in qualifying.

    For the final round, the remaining Playoff drivers hold top-10 starts, and despite some last second laps by Cindric, Nemecheck was the one holding the top starting position, ahead of Custer, Cindric, Allgaier and Preece. Coverage for the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at ISM Raceway will begin at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday afternoon on NBC.

    Starting Line Up
    ISM Raceway
    20th Annual Whelen Trusted To Perform 200

    Pos Car Driver Team Make
    1 42 John Hunter Nemechek Fire Alarm Services Inc. Chevrolet
    2 00 Cole Custer (P) Haas Automation Ford
    3 22 Austin Cindric # (P) Discount Tire Ford
    4 7 Justin Allgaier (P) BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
    5 18 Ryan Preece Rheem/Smurfit Kappa Toyota
    6 1 Elliott Sadler (P) Hunt Brothers Pizza Chevrolet
    7 19 Brandon Jones Toyota Service Centers/Mobil 1 Toyota
    8 21 Daniel Hemric (P) South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet
    9 3 Shane Lee CIPT/Race to Give Chevrolet
    10 2 Matt Tifft (P) Go Green Chevrolet
    11 23 Spencer Gallagher ISM Connect Chevrolet
    12 16 Ryan Reed Drive Down A1C Lilly Diabetes Ford
    13 5 Michael Annett Pilot Flying J Chevrolet
    14 9 Tyler Reddick # (P) BurgerFi Chevrolet
    15 11 Ryan Truex LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet
    16 39 Ryan Sieg Lombard Brothers Chevrolet
    17 36 Alex Labbe # Can-Am/Wholey/Cyclops Gear Chevrolet
    18 51 Jeremy Clements RepairableVehicles.com Chevrolet
    19 38 JJ Yeley Iron Mountain Data Centers Chevrolet
    20 8 Tommy Joe Martins Chevrolet
    21 35 Joey Gase Donate Life Arizona/Sparks Chevrolet
    22 40 Chad Finchum # Smithbilt Homes Toyota
    23 4 Ross Chastain Flex Seal Chevrolet
    24 52 David Starr Whataburger Chevrolet
    25 93 Jeff Green RSS Racing Chevrolet
    26 90 Donald Theetge MercedesBenzStNicolas/CircuitAcura FALSE
    27 0 Garrett Smithley Flex Tape Chevrolet
    28 01 BJ McLeod Flex Glue Chevrolet
    29 15 Quin Houff teamjdmotorsports.com Chevrolet
    30 99 Stephen Leicht Chevrolet
    31 13 Tyler Hill OCR Gaz Bar Toyota
    32 76 Spencer Boyd # Grunt Style Chevrolet
    33 66 Akinori Ogata Toyota
    34 55 Bayley Currey(i) RollinSmokeBBQ/TouchedbyPros Toyota
    35 89 Morgan Shepherd Visone RV Chevrolet
    36 74 Mike Harmon Veterans 4 Child Rescue Chevrolet
    37 78 Vinnie Miller # CorvetteParts.net/JWTransport FALSE
    38 20 Christopher Bell # (P) GameStop Just Cause 4 Toyota
    39 60 Ty Majeski Ford Ford
    40 45 Josh Bilicki # Prevagen Toyota
  • Christopher Bell wins at Richmond, advances to next round of playoffs

    Christopher Bell wins at Richmond, advances to next round of playoffs

    The NASCAR Xfinity Series held their first race of the championship Playoffs at Richmond International Raceway Saturday night for the Go Bowling 250, and one driver got one step closer to the championship trophy.

    Christopher Bell, piloting his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, captured the win and earned that first Playoff spot moving him on to the second round. Bell took the lead from fellow championship contender Matt Tifft late in the race on what was the final restart of the night.

    “It’s not very often you get to win with a car that’s not a winning car, so we’ll take it,” Bell commented. “Just thank you to my pit crew for the awesome pit stops tonight. I’m just pumped. I couldn’t be happier.”

    Last week’s winner, Ross Chastain, had another great run in his final race driving the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet. He finished the night in the runner-up spot.

    “I just wanted to come in and do my job, I hope I did enough. That’s the scariest thing not knowing where this leads, but I know I’ve got a great group of people behind me in Florida,” Chastain stated. “I’ll let them keep guiding me through this crazy NASCAR world.”

    Coming in third place was fan favorite driver Daniel Hemric in his No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.

    “I’m proud of how I executed here in the first race, first round Playoffs,” Hemric said, “We had a ton of speed from the time we unloaded it. We knew this was a really good opportunity race track for us, it’s one of my favorite race tracks if not the favorite race track I get to come to.”

    Making the night of racing even more exciting was the return of Dale Earnhardt Jr. to the track. Earnhardt Jr. came out of retirement to run tonight and dominated much of the race, even capturing his first Xfinity stage win in Stage 2 of the event. He brought his No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet home in fourth.

    “It got my expectations all messed up,” Earnhardt said after the race. “Man, I’m like, ‘Dang, I’ve got to win now.’ But we didn’t have the car at the end. We started on the outside (on the final restart), which was kind of tough. Just didn’t have what we needed at the end. But I’m glad that we got to lead a lot of laps. We ran really good for all the people that came down to watch us.”

    Rounding out the top five was Tifft as Elliott Sadler, Tyler Reddick, Brandon Jones, Shane Lee, and Reed finished sixth through 10th, respectively.

    Stage 1 ran flag to flag without any cautions. Regular season champion Justin Allgaier proved strong as he, Hemric, and Bell all battled for the lead. Bell would come out on top and win the stage.

    Stage 2 slowed the pace for one caution period when Ryan Reed got into the bumper of teammate Ty Majeski sending him hard into the wall. Bell and Hemric fought each other for the lead, however, late in the stage, Earnhardt Jr. took the lead from Bell to score the stage win. The driver on the move was Chastain after his pit crew told him that it was time to go.

    The final stage had a few caution periods, most of which were minor. However, the race end came a little early for Allgaier after Cole Custer got into the back of him and spun him around. Earnhardt Jr. saw his win slip away when he lost the lead on the final pit stop of the night. Bell took the lead with 13 laps to go and didn’t look back until he took the checkered flag.

    The Playoff leaderboard has Bell in first place with 2090 points, and moving on to round two with his win. Hemric is in second with 2062 points, Allgaier is third (2056) and Chastain is fourth with 2053 points. Elliott Sadler (2051), Tifft (2047), Tyler Reddick (2046) and Brandon Jones (2035) round out the top eight Playoff contenders.

    The Xfinity Series heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway next week on Saturday, Sept. 29.

    NASCAR Xfinity Series Race
    Unofficial Race Results for the 38Th Annual Gobowling 250 – Friday, September 21, 2018
    Richmond Raceway – Richmond, VA – .75 Mile Paved

    1 1 20 Christopher Bell # (P) Rheem Toyota
    2 3 42 Ross Chastain (P) DC Solar Chevrolet
    3 6 21 Daniel Hemric (P) South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet
    4 2 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr Hellmann’s Camaro Chevrolet
    5 10 2 Matt Tifft (P) Anderson’s Pure Maple Syrup Chevrolet
    6 13 1 Elliott Sadler (P) OneMain Financial Chevrolet
    7 14 9 Tyler Reddick # (P) Nationwide Children’s Chevrolet
    8 9 19 Brandon Jones (P) Juniper Toyota
    9 8 3 Shane Lee Childress Vineyards Chevrolet
    10 21 16 Ryan Reed (P) Drive Down A1C Lilly Diabetes Ford
    11 7 11 Ryan Truex (P) LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet
    12 16 23 Spencer Gallagher Allegiant Chevrolet
    13 11 22 Austin Cindric # (P) MoneyLion Ford
    14 17 5 Michael Annett Pilot Flying J Chevrolet
    15 4 00 Cole Custer (P) Go Bowling Ford
    16 20 51 Jeremy Clements RepairableVehicales.com Chevrolet
    17 18 39 Ryan Sieg Larry’s Hard Lemonade Chevrolet
    18 12 18 Ryan Preece Craftsman Toyota
    19 22 90 Mason Diaz Solid Rock Carriers Chevrolet
    20 27 52 David Starr Extreme Kleaner Chevrolet
    21 19 36 Alex Labbe # sticky-stuff.com/James Carter Attorney Chevrolet
    22 23 35 Joey Gase Donate Life Virginia Chevrolet
    23 26 8 Ray Black II  ISOKERN Chevrolet
    24 29 0 Garrett Smithley teamjdmotorsports.com Chevrolet
    25 28 38 JJ Yeley RSS Racing Chevrolet
    26 34 40 Chad Finchum # Smithbilt Homes Toyota
    27 25 78 Matt Mills # JF Electric Chevrolet
    28 32 15 Katherine Legge BUBBA burger Chevrolet
    29 31 55 Bayley Currey Rollin Smoke Barbeque/Touched by Pros Toyota
    30 39 45 Josh Bilicki # Prevagen Toyota
    31 24 4 Quin Houff BEATINCANCERWITHDUKE.ORG Chevrolet
    32 5 7 Justin Allgaier (P) BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
    33 30 76 Spencer Boyd # Grunt Style Chevrolet
    34 15 60 Ty Majeski Ford
    35 38 74 Mike Harmon The Journey Home Project Chevrolet
    36 40 66 Carl Long CrashClaimsR.Us Dodge
    37 37 01 Vinnie Miller # JAS Expedited Trucking Chevrolet
    38 36 13 Timmy Hill CrashClaimsR.Us Toyota
    39 35 93 Jeff Green RSS Racing Chevrolet
    40 33 89 Morgan Shepherd Visone RV Chevrolet
  • Brad Keselowski finally tames ‘The Lady in Black’

    Brad Keselowski finally tames ‘The Lady in Black’

    The Xfinity Series took the Darlington Speedway by storm today for the VFW Sport Clips Help A Hero 200. It was a sunny warm day for the drivers and for some the heat was on. It looked as if Ross Chastain was going to take the win easily however one driver had his car in the right place at the right time.

    Brad Keselowski in his No. 22 Penske Racing Ford took the lead after an exciting incident between race leader Chastain and Kevin Harvick took them both out of contention. Keselowski captured his first win at Darlington Speedway and the 39th of his career.

    “Yeah, we had a really great Snap-On Ford Mustang and I could keep up with Ross (Chastain), but I couldn’t pass him. I tried to make the move to get by him and I just brushed the wall and him and Kevin got back by me and then they had their issue off of two and were just so strong that we pounced on it and took advantage of the opportunity. That’s a testament to this team. I drove five races this year and we’ve won three of them. That’s pretty darn good and I’m really proud of that,” Keselowski said.

    Stage 1 had one incident on Lap 2 when Austin Cindric wrecked after contact with Ryan Truex. Cindric sustained heavy damage to his race car and was unable to continue in the race. Chastin, who started from the pole position, led every lap of the first stage.

    During Stage 2 Harvick took the lead on the restart and led several laps of the stage. Fan favorite, Christopher Bell brought out the caution when he hit the wall with a cut tire and got a piece of Daniel Hemric’s car. The only other incident of the stage was for Brandon Jones who spun his car around. Chastain came out of the pits in the lead for the restart and won Stage 2 of the race.

    The final stage of the race brought out excitement, tempers, and a few tears. With 33 laps to go in the race, Harvick saw his opening for the lead when he and Chastain came up on a lapped car. Harvick and Chastain went for the same space and Chastain ended up into the wall, then came down and spun Harvick. Harvick showed his displeasure with the incident by stopping in Chastain’s pit stall. Harvick in his post-incident interview referred to Chastain as an “inexperienced driver” putting the blame on Chastain for the incident. However, Chastain in his post-race interview saw the incident a little differently.

    “I’m just trying to race and I’ll have to see the film, you know, and if I made a mistake it’s on me. Being the leader there I felt like I’m just trying to race, man, and we’ve been giving each other room all day.” With tears of frustration in his eyes, he added, “It’s unfortunate.”

    Cole Custer stayed in the top of the field all day and came home second in his No.00 Stewart Haas Racing Ford.

    “We just had a great Haas Automation Mustang. I can’t thank everybody in the shop enough,” he said, “Everybody at Ford Performance, they’ve given us great tools all year so I’m looking forward to the rest of the year.”

    Tyler Reddick had a great run today in his No.9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet and crossed the finish line third. Denny Hamlin and Elliott Sadler rounded out the top five. Justin Allgaier, Matt Tifft, Ty Dillon, and Michael Annett finished sixth through 10th, respectively.

    Allgaier leads the Xfinity Series point standings with 888 points, Sadler is in second with 872 points, Custer is in third with 871 points, Bell is in fourth with 852 points and Hemric rounds out the top five with 844 points.

    The Xfinity Series heads next to Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday, September 8.

  • Future Stars Unveiled During NASCAR Next Announcement

    Future Stars Unveiled During NASCAR Next Announcement

    Three Different Countries Represented in 2016-17 Class

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 17, 2016) – Two are following in the footsteps of their former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driving fathers. One is a long-time racer who competed on the reality television show “Survivor,” and later added a degree from Stanford University. Another is one of the fastest rising stock car drivers in the Midwest. There is even a pair of international phenoms.

    From Charlotte to New York City, and from Quebec to Israel, the 11 drivers who were announced as the 2016-17 NASCAR Next class today are primed for a successful and impactful future in NASCAR. This is the sixth edition of NASCAR Next, an industry-wide initiative designed to spotlight to best and brightest rising young stars in racing.

    “The NASCAR Next program has introduced current stars such as Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney to the NASCAR fan, and we believe this year’s class has the same potential,” said Jill Gregory, NASCAR senior vice president of marketing and industry services. “These drivers have shown the talent and intangibles to climb the NASCAR ladder, and we look forward to watching their careers grow.”

    This year’s NASCAR Next class was selected through an evaluation process that included input from industry executives, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Drivers Council and media. Drivers must be between the ages of 15-25, have tangible and expressed goals in eventual competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and demonstrate the potential to realize that goal.

    The following drivers have been selected to the 2016-17 NASCAR Next class:

    Harrison Burton (@HBurtonRacing) – The 15-year-old from Huntersville, North Carolina, is the son of former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver, Jeff Burton. He has climbed to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series after setting the record last year as the youngest Division I race winner in NASCAR Whelen All-American Series history.

    Collin Cabre (@CollinCabre12) – In his second season driving for Rev Racing and the NASCAR Drive for Diversity in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, the 22-year-old from Tampa, Florida, captured his first career win last October after making the successful move from racing sprint cars.

    Spencer Davis (@SpencerDavis_29) – The 17-year-old Dawsonville, Georgia, driver has shown a proficiency in nearly everything he’s raced. After winning the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award last season in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour, Davis has transitioned to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, where he has established himself as a championship contender with top-six finishes in his first seven series starts dating back to last season.

    Alon Day (@Alon_Day) – One of two international drivers on the list, Day is the first NASCAR Whelen Euro Series driver to earn a NASCAR Next recognition. Day, 24, from Ashdod, Israel, completed his first full season in the Whelen Euro Series as championship runner-up. Including the final two rounds of 2015, Day has won four of the last eight Elite 1 races and is again a threat win the title.

    Tyler Dippel (@Tyler_Dippel) – An accomplished dirt racer, the 16-year-old from Wallkill, New York, has already scored his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series East victory in March. Dippel previously competed in the DIRTcar Racing Series in the northeast, earning the rookie of the year title and becoming the youngest race winner in that series.

    Todd Gilliland (@ToddGilliland_) – The son of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series veteran David Gilliland, the 16-year-old from Sherrills Ford, North Carolina, made NASCAR history by winning his first four career NASCAR K&N Pro Series starts. He became the youngest winner in series history with his victory last fall and has followed it up with wins in both the K&N Pro Series East and West season openers this year.

    Noah Gragson (@NoahGragson) – The 17-year-old from Las Vegas finished second in the championship standings last year in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, collecting the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award in the process. Gragson followed the path set by Kyle and Kurt Busch, learning his trade in the Legends and Bandolero Divisions at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He earned a pair of K&N Pro Series West wins in 2015 and is again a championship contender.

    Gary Klutt (@Garyklutt) – The second Canadian to be named to the program and the first full-time driver from the NASCAR Pinty’s Series, Klutt represents a crop of young drivers making an impact on Canada’s championship stock car series. The 23-year-old from Halton Hills, Ontario, earned his first career pole and win last year en route to being named the Jostens Rookie of the Year. He finished fifth in series points and will be among the title contenders when the series opens later this month.

    Julia Landauer (@julialandauer) – Landauer, 24, from New York City, got her start racing a variety of cars – from Formula BMW to Ford Focus Midgets to stock cars. The versatile Landauer was a contestant on the hit reality show ‘Survivor’ before graduating from Stanford in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Science, Technology, and Society. She became the first female to win a Limited Late Model division championship at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Virginia, last year before graduating to the K&N Pro Series West this season.

    Ty Majeski (@TyMajeski) – The 21-year-old from Seymour, Wisconsin, showcased his ability with a dominating display at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway in February, collecting three wins and earning the 2016 Super Late Model championship in the 50th Annual World Series of Stock Car Racing. Majeski added a NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model track record and victory in the FrostBuster at Wisconsin’s LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway in April.

    Matt Tifft (@Matt_Tifft) – A development driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, the 19-year-old from Hinckley, Ohio, is driving part-time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series for JGL Racing as well as JGR, and racing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for Red Horse Racing. He earned his first career pole in the NASCAR XFINITY Series at Talladega earlier this month.

    Since its inception in 2011, 27 of the 35 drivers who have been selected as part of the program have gone on to compete in one of NASCAR’s three national series. Nearly a third of the drivers have made a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start, with nine drivers winning a NASCAR national series race.

    The last two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sunoco Rookies of the Year have been NASCAR Next alum, as are the top two contenders for this year’s award: Blaney and Elliott. The last three Sunoco Rookie of the Year winners in both the NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series were also part of the NASCAR Next program.

    For more information, visit NASCARNext.com and make sure to follow the drivers on Twitter and on the track.

    About NASCAR

    The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States. NASCAR consists of three national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™, NASCAR XFINITY Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), four regional series, one local grassroots series and three international series. The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit http://www.NASCAR.com and http://www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).

     

  • Tifft on the XFINITY Pole at Talladega

    Tifft on the XFINITY Pole at Talladega

    TALLADEGA, Ala.– Matt Tifft will lead the field to the green flag for this afternoon’s race at Talladega.

    The driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota scored the pole for today’s NASCAR XFINITY Series Sparks Energy 300 at Talladega Superspeedway with a time of 52.857 and a speed of 181.168 mph.

    It’s the first career pole for the 19-year old of Fairfax, Virginia.

    Daniel Suárez will start second in his No. 19 JGR Toyota after posting a time of 52.951 and a speed of 180.846 mph. Austin Dillon will start third in his No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet after posting a time of 53.051 and a speed of 180.506 mph. Erik Jones will start fourth in his No. 20 JGR Toyota after posting a time of 53.092 and a speed of 180.366 mph. Ty Dillon will round out the top-five in his No. 3 RCR Chevrolet after posting a time of 53.136 and a speed of 180.217 mph.

    Brendan Gaughan will start sixth in his No. 62 RCR Chevrolet. Ryan Reed will start seventh in his No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford. Joey Logano will start eighth in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford. Elliott Sadler will start ninth in his No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. JJ Yeley will round out the top-10 starters in his No. 44 TriStar Motorsports Toyota.

    Derrick Cope, Mike Harmon and Josh Reaume were the three drivers that failed to make the race.

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  • Tifft Fastest in Final XFINITY Practice at Talladega

    Tifft Fastest in Final XFINITY Practice at Talladega

    TALLADEGA, Ala.– Matt Tifft topped the chart in final XFINITY Series practice at Talladega Superspeedway.

    The driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 52.639 and a speed of 181.918 mph. Ty Dillon was second in his No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet with a time of 52.756 and a speed of 181.515 mph. Brandon Jones was third in his No. 33 RCR Chevrolet with a time of 53.098 and a speed of 180.346 mph. Daniel Suárez was fourth in his No. 19 JGR Toyota with a time of 53.110 and a speed of 180.305 mph. Jeremy Clements rounded out the top-five in his No. 51 Jeremy Clements Racing Chevrolet with a time of 53.259 and a speed of 179.801 mph.

    Ray Black Jr. was sixth in his No. 07 SS-Green Light Racing Chevrolet. Austin Dillon was seventh in his No. 2 RCR Chevrolet. Erik Jones was eighth in his No. 20 JGR Toyota. Jeb Burton was ninth in his No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford. Elliott Sadler rounded out the top-10 in his No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet.

    No driver posted a 10 consecutive lap average during the session.

    The next time the XFINITY Series is back on track is tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. ET for qualifying for the Sparks Energy 300.

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