Tag: NASCAR Xfinity Series

Berry captures his first NASCAR Xfinity Series win at Martinsville

Josh Berry held off his JR Motorsports (JRM) teammate in Sundays’ rain-delayed NASCAR Xfinity Series(NXS) Cook Out 250 race at Martinsville Speedway. Berry, who is running a partial schedule for JRM, led four times for 95 laps in his No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet en route to his first NXS career win and a grandfather clock trophy.

“Oh, gosh, I have so many people I could thank I could be here until tomorrow morning,” Berry said after the race. “Just Dale, L.W. (Miller), Kelley, everybody for believing in me, everyone on this No. 8 team.

“Man, they’ve been through a lot the last couple of years. Had a ton of different drivers. Man, I wanted to win so bad for these guys. They’re such a great group. I knew this would be a good opportunity to win. (Crew chief) Taylor (Moyer) called a perfect race. The car was good, and we just kept tweaking on it. The tires were pretty worn out there at the end. I was struggling a little bit with wheel-hop.

“This is just unbelievable.”

The race was stopped on Lap 91 of 250 laps on Friday night. The remainder of the race was postponed until Sunday at noon ET due to persistent rain.

JRM teammate Noah Gragson won stage one and finished second. With the runner-up finish, Gragson captured a $100,000 payday for being the top finisher among the four eligible drivers for the Dash 4 Cash bonus.

“One hundred thousand dollars richer,” Gragson said. “I’m pumped up. Great 1-2 finish for our team at JR Motorsports.”

Other dash participants Harrison Burton finished seventh as Justin Allgaier finished ninth and AJ Allmendinger finished 13th. Berry and Gragson will advance to the next round at Talladega Superspeedway on April 24 along with Daniel Hemric and Brandon Jones.

Hemric won stage two and finished third, Ty Gibbs placed fourth and Jones rounded out the top five.

“This Poppy Bank Toyota Supra was so fast and it was cool to get that second stage win. Dave Rogers (crew chief) and the guys are bringing incredible cars to the race track,” said Hemric.

Burton started on the pole and led 53 laps before the race was halted.

“I thought we were going to win the race, and it just got away from everybody.” said Burton. “Tough day. You have high expectations any time you go back somewhere you’ve won in the past.”

The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Talladega Superspeedway on April 24 at 4 p.m. ET with coverage by FOX, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Number 7
Race Results for the Cook Out 250 – Friday, April 9, 2021
Martinsville Speedway – Martinsville, VA – 0.526 – Mile Paved
Total Race Length – 250 Laps – 131.5 Miles

Fin	Str	No	Driver	Team	Laps	S1Pos	S2Pos	S3Pos	Pts	Status
1	29	8	Josh Berry #	Chevrolet Accessories Chevrolet	250	0	10	0	41	Running
2	8	9	Noah Gragson	Bass Pro Shops/True Timber/BRCC Chevrolet	250	1	2	0	54	Running
3	4	18	Daniel Hemric	Poppy Bank Toyota	250	0	1	0	44	Running
4	16	54	Ty Gibbs #	AutoByNelson.com Toyota	250	4	0	0	40	Running
5	24	19	Brandon Jones	Toyota Toyota	250	0	0	0	32	Running
6	6	22	Austin Cindric	Menards/Richmond Ford	250	2	0	0	40	Running
7	1	20	Harrison Burton	DEX Imaging Toyota	250	0	0	0	30	Running
8	5	11	Justin Haley	LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet	250	3	0	0	37	Running
9	2	7	Justin Allgaier	Walmart Fight Hunger Chevrolet	250	0	0	0	28	Running
10	10	1	Michael Annett	Pilot Flying J Chevrolet	250	0	4	0	34	Running
11	13	10	Jeb Burton	PurYear Tank Lines Chevrolet	250	0	3	0	34	Running
12	27	2	Brett Moffitt(i)	Destiny Homes Chevrolet	250	0	0	0	0	Running
13	3	16	AJ Allmendinger	Ellsworth Advisors/Hyperice Chevrolet	250	0	0	0	24	Running
14	11	51	Jeremy Clements	First Pacific Funding Chevrolet	250	7	5	0	33	Running
15	9	2	Myatt Snider	TaxSlayer Chevrolet	250	6	0	0	27	Running
16	15	92	Josh Williams	DGM Racing Chevrolet	250	0	0	0	21	Running
17	25	26	Brandon Gdovic	SnapMobile.Shop Toyota	250	0	0	0	20	Running
18	37	90	George Gorham Jr.	Blackburns BBQ/Franciscos Chevrolet	250	0	9	0	21	Running
19	30	48	Jade Buford	Big Machine Spike Coolers Chevrolet	250	0	0	0	18	Running
20	38	99	Stefan Parsons	SOKAL Digital Toyota	249	0	7	0	21	Running
21	39	52	Gray Gaulding	Panini America Chevrolet	249	0	0	0	16	Running
22	34	61	David Starr	MBM Motorsports Toyota	249	0	0	0	15	Running
23	12	39	Ryan Sieg	CMR Construction & Roofing Ford	249	0	0	0	14	Running
24	33	17	JJ Yeley	Alcova/DBAutomotive.com Chevrolet	249	8	8	0	19	Running
25	31	47	Kyle Weatherman	LOF Defence Systems LTD Chevrolet	249	0	0	0	12	Running
26	26	74	Bayley Currey	JM Steel Chevrolet	249	10	0	0	12	Running
27	19	68	Brandon Brown	Original Larry’s Hard Lemonade Chevrolet	248	5	0	0	16	Running
28	40	13	Matt Jaskol	Auto Parts 4 Less Toyota	248	0	0	0	9	Running
29	7	98	Riley Herbst	Monster Energy Ford	248	0	0	0	8	Running
30	20	66	Timmy Hill	LiftKits4Less Toyota	248	0	0	0	7	Running
31	22	36	Alex Labbe	Larue Industrial Snowblowers Chevrolet	248	0	0	0	6	Running
32	21	78	Jesse Little	Tufco Flooring Chevrolet	245	0	0	0	5	Running
33	36	5	Matt Mills	J.F. Electric Chevrolet	241	0	0	0	4	Running
34	17	44	Tommy Joe Martins	Diamond Gusset Jeans Chevrolet	231	0	6	0	8	Running
35	32	23	Blaine Perkins	Raceline Chevrolet	226	0	0	0	2	Running
36	18	0	Jeffrey Earnhardt	KSDT CPA Chevrolet	213	9	0	0	3	Suspension
37	14	4	Landon Cassill	511 Auction Chevrolet	197	0	0	0	1	Engine
38	28	7	Joe Graf Jr.	Responsible Gold Chevrolet	179	0	0	0	1	Accident
39	23	15	Colby Howard	Project Hope Foundation Chevrolet	153	0	0	0	1	Suspension
40	35	6	Ryan Vargas #	SEM Products Chevrolet	97	0	0	0	1	Accident

April 11, 2021

Xfinity Series race at Martinsville postponed to Sunday finish

By Staff Report – NASCAR.com

Nagging rain has forced NASCAR officials to postpone Friday night’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Cook Out 250 to a Sunday finish at Martinsville Speedway.

The race will resume Sunday at noon ET with coverage on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Brandon Jones is scored as the leader with 91 of a scheduled 250 laps complete.

RELATED: Race leaderboard | Martinsville schedule

Noah Gragson won Stage 1 of the race, and the second stage was near its halfway mark when a rain shower halted the event at 9:32 p.m. ET. Track-drying efforts continued until storms intensified late in Friday evening. The start of the race was also delayed roughly a half-hour due to an early evening shower at the track.

The race at the 0.526-mile track marks the seventh Xfinity race of the season and the first in the 2021 Dash 4 Cash program. Justin Allgaier, AJ Allmendinger, Harrison Burton and Gragson are the four drivers competing in the race within a race. The highest finishing driver among those four takes the $100,000 prize. The winning driver also advances on to compete for the prize with the three highest finishing drivers running for Xfinity points in the next event at Talladega Superspeedway on April 24.

Burton, who won last fall in the first Xfinity race here since 2006, started on the pole with Allgaier lined up along side of him. Burton led the first 53 laps at Martinsville. Allmendinger had an issue early in the race and had to pit under green, leaving him a lap down.

April 10, 2021
Weekend schedule for Martinsville – updated

This year in the Cup Series we’ve seen seven races and seven different drivers in Victory Lane. Will the streak continue as NASCAR travels to Martinsville Speedway?

Denny Hamlin leads all active drivers with five wins at “The Paperclip” and is the top contender to score his first victory this season. Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, and Martin Truex Jr. have two wins each while Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick and Ryan Newman have one win at Martinsville.

The racing action begins Thursday at 8 p.m. when the Whelen Modifieds hit the track. Notables on the entry list include JTG-Daugherty Cup Series driver Ryan Preece, Roush Fenway Racing’s Ryan Newman and 2000 Cup Series champion Bobby Labonte.

Friday evening features the Xfinity Series Cook Out 250 and the Cup Series closes out the weekend Saturday with its first night race of the season. It will also be only the second night race hosted by the track in Cup Series history.

The Camping World Truck Series does not compete this weekend but will return next week at Richmond Raceway.

All times are Eastern.

Thursday, April 8

2:30 – 4 p.m.: NWMT Practice
6 p.m.: NWMT Qualifying (Impound) Two laps, All positions
7:45 p.m.: NWMT Driver Intros (with drivers standing by their cars)
8 p.m.: Whelen Modified Virginia Is for Racing Lovers 200 (200 Laps, 106.6 Miles) MRN/TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold (Live)

Friday, April 9

7:40 p.m.: Xfinity Driver Intros (with drivers standing by their cars)
8 p.m.: Xfinity Cook Out 250 (Stages 60/120/250 Laps = 131.5 Miles) FS1/MRN/TSN/ SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Pole: Harrison Burton
Postponed – The Xfinity race is scheduled to resume on Lap 92 of 250 at noon ET Sunday on FS1.

Saturday, April 10

7:25 p.m.: Cup Series Driver Intros (with drivers standing by their cars)
7:30 p.m.: Cup Series Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 (Stages 130/260/500 Laps = 263 Miles) Start time delayed due to rain
FS1/MRN/TSN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Pole: Joey Logano
Postponed – The Cup Series race will resume Sunday at 4 p.m. ET on FS1.

Notes:

2021 Cup Series winners:
Michael McDowell – Daytona 500
Christopher Bell – Daytona Road Course
William Byron – Homestead-Miami
Kyle Larson – Las Vegas
Martin Truex Jr. – Phoenix
Ryan Blaney – Atlanta
Joey Logano – Bristol Dirt

Martinsville Speedway Data

Season Race #: 7 of 36 (04-10-21)
Track Size: 0.526-mile
Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 12 degrees
Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 12 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 0 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 0 degrees
Frontstretch Length: 800 feet
Backstretch Length: 800 feet
Race Length: 500 laps / 263 miles
Stage 1 & 2 Length: 130 laps (each)
Final Stage Length: 240 laps

Martinsville Speedway Qualifying Information:

2020 pole winner: None – Starting Lineup was decided by a random draw: Ryan Blaney started on the pole.
Track qualifying record: Joey Logano, Ford (100.201 mph, 18.898 secs. on 03-28-14)

Kurt Busch leads the NASCAR Cup Series(NCS) in starts among active drivers with 41 starts, followed by Kevin Harvick with 39, and Ryan Newman with 38. NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the NCS with 67.

Joey Logano leads all active drivers in the NCS in average starting position with a 7.917 in 24 starts at Martinsville. Logano leads the series among active drivers with the most poles with five (2015 sweep, spring 2016, fall 2017 and spring 2019).

Martinsville Speedway Race Information:

2020 race winner: Martin Truex Jr., Toyota (77.378 mph, (03:23:56), on 06-10-20)
Track race record: Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet (82.223 mph, (3:11:55), on 09-22-96)

Denny Hamlin leads the NCS among active drivers in wins at Martinsville Speedway with five (2008, 2009, 2010 sweep, 2015). Martin Truex Jr. was the most recent driver to win consecutive NCS races (Oct. 2019; June 2020).

Hendrick Motorsports leads the NCS in wins with 25 wins. Jeff Gordon (nine), Jimmie Johnson (nine), Darrell Waltrip (four), Geoffrey Bodine (one), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (one), and Chase Elliott (one).

Hamlin leads the NCS among active drivers in average finishing position of 9.933 in 30 starts, followed by Brad Keselowski at 10.182 in 22 starts. Hamlin also leads all active drivers in the series in laps led with 1,608 (11%).

A total of 11 manufacturers have won in the NCS at Martinsville Speedway. Led by Chevrolet (57), Ford (30), Plymouth (12), Dodge (10), Toyota (9), Pontiac (8), Oldsmobile (8), Buick (3), Chrysler (3), Hudson (2), and Mercury (2).

Top 12 Driver Ratings at Martinsville

Denny Hamlin – 105.0
Kyle Busch – 102.7
Brad Keselowski – 99.8
Ryan Blaney – 98.5
Joey Logano – 97.3
Chase Elliott – 95.3
Kevin Harvick – 93.8
Martin Truex Jr – 84.4
Ryan Newman – 83.8
Kurt Busch – 82.0
William Byron – 74.9
Kyle Larson – 73.6

Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2020 races (32 total) among active drivers at Martinsville Speedway.

April 8, 2021
Martinsville to host rain-tire testing for use at select short tracks

NASCAR will hold a test session Thursday at Martinsville Speedway to look at the possibility of using rain tires on NASCAR’s shorter ovals. They are not discussing racing in the rain but being able to race on a wet track which should shorten rain delays.

Officials for NASCAR are already at the Martinsville track testing the Next Gen car with Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota manufacturers.

Kyle Larson will participate in the test with the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and Chris Buescher will drive the No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford. The test will be conducted on a dampened track.

Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer, described the purpose of the test as a step toward determining if the use of rain-tires can decrease the length of rain delays.

“I think the overall goal is anything we can do to speed up the drying process, regardless of the technology, to allow us to get back to racing more quickly is a benefit to the fans,” O’Donnell said. “We’re always trying to innovate, and you saw that with what we’ve done around the track-drying system and that’s worked out well. We’ve always looked at what’s the next iteration. If you’ve looked at what the teams have been able to do with more road racing coming into the fold, the idea of short tracks and could we work with Goodyear to find a tire that would allow us to get back to racing sooner under wet-weather conditions.”

O’Donnell emphasized that the intent is not to be able to race in the rain but to be able to shorten lengthy rain delays and return to competition quicker.

“I think at this point, we’re not talking about if it’s actually raining, “he said. “It’s more so, can we get back more quickly than the track being completely dry, which is what we require now. That’s part of the test, looking at where’s the limit, where we would feel comfortable for the drivers. We want this to be safe, so that will be part of this test — talking to the drivers, what are they comfortable with — then obviously talking to Goodyear and (director of racing) Greg Stucker and his team about how they feel and how the tire performs, what if any tweaks we could make to that tire coming out of Martinsville, so there’s a lot that we’re hoping to learn here in terms of grip levels. Each track is unique, so this is something we’ll have to look at for multiple venues.”

There is no timetable for how quickly the use of these rain-tires could be implemented at various short tracks as the decision will not be made solely by NASCAR but will be discussed with the team owners, drivers and Goodyear.

“Too early to tell, but I would say if this worked and we felt comfortable with it — and that would be both Goodyear and reaction from the drivers and teams — this is something we would look to implement as quickly as we could,” O’Donnell said. “We all know that if we can deliver a race on time or shorten those delays, that’s a benefit to the entire industry.”

March 31, 2021
NASCAR missed chance to humble Gragson following “no penalty” call after Atlanta

On Sunday NASCAR released a statement that they will not be penalizing Noah Gragson following his actions on pit road during Saturday’s XFINITY event when he backed into Daniel Hemric’s No. 18 Toyota on pit road during a live pit stop. After the conclusion of the event, Hemric confronted Gragson on pit road, which led to a brief fist fight before both drivers were separated.

Gragson claimed that due to Hemric being in the No. 9’s pit box, albeit briefly, he had to reverse the car in order to pit properly. However, cameras showed that Hemric had parked awkwardly due to the No. 99 of Mason Massey attempting to pull out of his pit box as Hemric was entering his. Although Gragson maintains plausible deniability, cameras on the No. 18 showed Gragson reaching out of his window and flipping off Hemric and the No. 18 team before plowing into them.

If this were an isolated event, it’d be one to briefly muse and speculate on while Gragson received a warning to keep his temper in check on a live pit road. However, this isn’t an isolated incident; Gragson has had a long line of erratic behavior both on-and-off track, leading to speculation that it is high time that Gragson needs to humble himself.

There’s the matter of last season when he dumped Myatt Snider at Las Vegas and tried to pass it off as his car getting tight as opposed to a deliberate dump after getting blocked. There’s the matter of Kentucky later in the season when Gragson and Harrison Burton came to blows after Burton confronted him about consecutive weeks of contact between the two. Then there’s the publicized matter of Gragson lashing out at David Starr and MBM Motorsports after a tire on Starr’s car let go at Homestead collecting Gragson. Gragson’s remarks even drew the ire of announcer Mike Joy, who said in a tweet that drivers who came in on their father’s money needed to learn to earn respect. Gragson’s team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. even said on the next episode of the Dale Jr. Download that although he didn’t want to be a helicopter owner, guys like Starr and MBM team owner Carl Long deserved some respect.

It’s common knowledge that if there’s a common denominator in a series of incidents, it’s a good chance that said denominator (in this case, Gragson) may be a guilty party. That’s a conclusion that could be come to pretty easily with just a little “Maybe it’s me” introspection. Sure, Gragson is a wheelman. Sure, Gragson has that drive to win (does anyone remember the 2018 Camping World Truck Series race at Dover?). All of this could almost be forgivable and chalked up to his “competitive fire,” if it weren’t for the way he handles himself off of the track.

There’s the time he was kicked out of the GoPro Motorplex in 2018 for repeatedly breaking their rules during a visit, where he took to Snapchat afterward in anger. But then, there’s the matter of hitting on Executive Vice President Steve O’Donell’s daughter Shannon on Twitter. Sure, that was all in “good fun” and shows that Gragson has a “personality.” Then there’s the matter of his making a move on a Snowball Derby beauty queen only to get shut down in epic fashion.

Okay, so the guy is trying too hard to be Tim Richmond. He’s trying to be a “heel.” He’s trying to be “old school cool.” But what would you call zooming in and filming a random woman from behind, catcalling her, and posting it to Snapchat without their permission? Is that “Old School Cool,” or is it creepy and disgusting behavior? Is that okay behavior?

It’d be so easy to call this a smear piece on Noah, but all this is doing is trying to point out that Noah has been a regular problem for NASCAR in varying degrees. Supporters are quick to say that “Noah has a personality! Noah is playing up being a heel! Noah is refreshing!” No, that’s not it. Kyle Busch has a personality. Kyle Busch is great a being a heel. Kyle Busch has also earned respect on and off the tracked because Kyle Busch earned his spot at the table (and doesn’t record himself leering at random women).

Can the same honestly be said about Gragson? He’s never driven for an MBM or a Spire Motorsports. When he joined the Camping World Truck Series, he jumped on board with Kyle Busch Motorsports – the best in the division. When he went full-time in the XFINITY Series, he went to JR Motorsports – one of the best in the division. He hasn’t been humbled on the track, and for that matter, his off-track antics show that he hasn’t been humbled there either.

NASCAR missed a chance to humble Gragson. As any kid out there, Gragson could use some humble pie. There’s a line of problems here that will only build up if unaddressed, and the question is now a matter of what line will be crossed for NASCAR, Johnny Morris, or even Dale Jr. to say enough is enough and have a “Come to Jesus” meeting with Gragson? He’s a consistent driver; not exactly setting the world on fire with his four national series wins (two truck, two XFINITY), but his record isn’t enough of an insulation for his antics.

Either the powers that be sit Noah down and humble him, or he could fall victim to his own hubris. Either way, he can’t go on like this and properly represent the sport.

March 22, 2021
Allgaier prevails to win Xfinity Series race at Atlanta

Justin Allgaier had the dominant car when it mattered most, holding off Martin Truex Jr. to capture the EchoPark 250 Xfinity Series race win at Atlanta Motor Speedway Saturday evening.

Truex won the first two stages and led 103 laps but a pit road speeding penalty resulted in Truex having to restart at the back of the field on Lap 118 and ultimately cost him the victory.

Allgaier took advantage of the mistake and though Truex was able to work his way back to the front, he came up short and had to settle for a runner-up finish.

It was his first win this season, his first victory at Atlanta and his 15th career win.

“We have had a rough go at it,” Allgaier said. “Today was more about digging deep and persevering. I knew Martin was going to be coming at the end of the race there.

“It’s really special. I’m just proud of the guys. We had great pit stops all day and made great adjustments all day. At the end, we put ourselves in the right spot.”

“We didn’t start out the day like we wanted to—these guys persevered behind it,” Allgaier continued. “They pushed and made great adjustments on pit road—(crew chief) Jason Burdett and all the guys on the team did a great job. My wife and daughter are here. They may not be able to come out here (to Victory Lane), but I get to go celebrate with them. Just proud of the effort that we put in today.

“Martin had a great race car. They definitely had the car to beat at the beginning. We made good adjustments, and that’s what it came down to at the end.”

It was Truex’s first Xfinity Series race since 2010.

“We got back up there, but obviously, we were kind of out of tires at that point, champion who was racing in the series for the first time since 2010. “Got close, and then the last 10 (laps), the right rear was completely smoked off. Just had to use too much to get there.

“Thanks to (sponsor) Stanley and everyone else at JGR for letting me go do this. It was fun until I screwed it up. Just came up a little short at the end there.”

Harrison Burton, Noah Gragson and AJ Allmendinger rounded out the top-five. Riley Herbst, Michael Annett, Justin Haley, Daniel Memric and Ryan Seig finished sixth-10th, respectively..

After the race, Gragson and Daniel Hemric, who finished ninth, were involved in an altercation. The incident stemmed from an incident on pit road when Gragson backed into Hemric’s car.

Hemric confronted Gragson after the race and punches were thrown before they were quickly separated by NASCAR officials. Gragson was later called to the NASCAR hauler. If NASCAR decides to penalize Gragson for his actions, it will likely be announced next week.

Austin Cindric leads the points standings with 277 points followed by Hemric (-46), Burton (-65), Allmendinger (-83) and Justin Haley (-84).

The Xfinity Series will have the next two weeks off, returning to competition on Friday, April 9 at Martinsville Speedway.

Official Results:

1. Justin Allgaier
2. Martin Truex Jr.
3. Harrison Burton
4. Noah Gragson
5. AJ Allmendinger
6. Riley Herbst
7. Michael Annett
8. Justin Haley
9. Daniel Hemric
10. Ryan Sieg
11. Myatt Snider
12. Jeremy Clements
13. Austin Cindric
14. Landon Cassill
15. Santino Ferrucci
16. Josh Williams
17. Alex Labbe
18. Tommy Joe Martins
19. Jeffrey Earnhardt
20. Timmy Hill
21. Colby Howard
22. Jesse Little
23. Cody Ware
24. Bayley Currey
25. Jeb Burton
26. Jade Buford
27. David Starr
28. Kyle Weatherman
29. Joe Graf Jr
30. Blaine Perkins
31. Ryan Vargas
32. Mason Massey
33. Brandon Brown
34. Matt Mills
35. Dexter Bean
36. Gray Gaulding
37. Brandon Jones
38. Josh Berry
39. Chad Finchum
40. Brett Moffitt

March 20, 2021
Weekend schedule for Atlanta
NASCAR heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend. With five different winners in five races, the Cup Series has consistently provided diverse results. The Xfinity Series has had four different winners in five races, with Austin Cindric winning at Daytona and Phoenix. The Truck Series is back after a two-week break for the fourth race of their season.

There will be no practice or qualifying sessions due to COVID-19 protocols established by NASCAR.

The starting lineups are determined by the following metrics formula:
- 25 percent: Driver’s finishing position from the previous race
- 25 percent: Car owner’s finishing position from the previous race
- 35 percent: Team owner points ranking
- 15 percent: Fastest lap from the previous race
All times are Eastern.

Saturday, March 20

2:30 p.m.: Truck Series Fr8Auctions 200 race (Stages 30/60/130 Laps = 200.02 Miles) FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Pole: John H. Nemechek

5 p.m.: Xfinity Series EchoPark 250 race (Stages 40/80/163 Laps = 251.02 Miles) FS1/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Green flag: 5:13 p.m.
Competition caution: Lap 20
Pole: Austin Cindric

Sunday, March 21

3 p.m.: Cup Series Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 race (Stages 105/210/325 Laps = 500.5 Miles) FOX/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Green flag: 3:19 p.m.
Competition caution: Lap 25
Pole: Denny Hamlin

Georgia native Jeff Foxworthy is bringing his popular comedy act during a pre-race performance on Sunday. Admission to Foxworthy’s show is included with every grandstand ticket for the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500.

Atlanta Motor Speedway Information:
Season Race #: 6 of 36 (03-21-21)
Track Size: 1.54-miles
Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 24 degrees
Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 24 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 5 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 5 degrees
Frontstretch Length: 2,332 feet
Backstretch Length: 1,800 feet
Race Length: 325 laps / 500.5 miles
Stage 1 & 2: 105 Laps (each)
Final Stage: 115 Laps

Atlanta Motor Speedway Qualifying Information:
2020 pole winner: None – Starting Lineup set by Metric Qualifying; Chase Elliott started on the pole.
Track qualifying record: Geoffrey Bodine, Ford (197.478 mph, 28.074 secs. 11-15-97)

Ryan Newman leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series(NCS) in the average starting position at Atlanta with a 7.429 in 28 starts. Newman and Buddy Baker are tied for the NCS most poles with seven each.

Atlanta Motor Speedway Race Information:
2020 pole winner: Kevin Harvick, Ford (142.966 mph, (03:30:03), 06-07-20)
Track race record: Bobby Labonte, Pontiac (159.904 mph, (03:07:48), 11-16-97)

Chase Elliott leads all active drivers in the NCS in average finishing position at Atlanta with a 10.0 in five starts. The Georgia native and series champion returns home this weekend. The Hendrick Motorsport’s driver has the opportunity to become the second driver in series history from the state of Georgia to win at Atlanta. Elliott could join his father, NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott (a.k.a. Awesome Bill from Dawsonville) with five Atlanta Cup wins.

Kevin Harvick leads all active drivers in laps led with 1,197 in 29 starts. Atlanta is one of Harvick’s best tracks having won in all three NASCAR national series. Harvick leads all active drivers with 30 starts, wins (three tied with Kurt Busch), top fives (nine), top-10s (15 tied with Kyle Busch), and laps led (1,348).

Nine different manufacturers have won in the NCS at Atlanta. Led by Chevrolet (40), Ford (33), Pontiac (11), Dodge (nine), Mercury (eight), Buick (four), Plymouth (four), Toyota (three) and Oldsmobile (one).

Top 10 Driver Ratings at Atlanta
Kevin Harvick – 102.2
Brad Keselowski – 96.9
Martin Truex Jr – 96.9
Kurt Busch – 96.7
Denny Hamlin – 94.7
Kyle Busch – 94.0
Chase Elliott – 93.1
Kyle Larson – 90.2
Joey Logano – 83.6
Ryan Blaney – 83.6
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2020 races (22 total) among active drivers at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
March 19, 2021
Cindric nabs his second win of the season at Phoenix Raceway

One driver was better than the rest Saturday during the NASCAR Xfinity Series Before You Dig 200 presented by Arizona 811 and that was Austin Cindric in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford.

He spent most of the race up in the front and led the most important lap, the last one. It was a battle for the lead and it bit some drivers, but it was Cindric bringing home the trophy.

Cindric stated, “I think it was a role reversal from the last time we were here. He (Justin Allgaier ) obviously got a good restart and stuck on top of three there fighting for track position. I came away with a win here with Carshop Ford Mustang.” He added, “It’s awesome to have them on board for this season, keep pink and white colors in Victory Lane.”

Coming in second with another great run was Ty Gibbs in his No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Ford. Having a great finish in third was Brandon Brown in his No. 68 Brandonbilt Motorsports Chevrolet.

Stage 1:

Stage 1 was rather uneventful with no actual cautions. However, on the last lap, Josh Berry had issues and Jesse Little smacked into the wall, but the stage was already over. Cindric would win this stage.

Stage 2:

Stage 2 had a couple of incidents that pretty much involved only one car such as Dexter Bean hitting the wall and Noah Gragson, who had a fire underneath his car. Daneil Hemric won the stage.

Stage 3:

Stage 3 is where chaos would hit but again in mostly one car incidents. Harrison Burton spun and then Brett Moffitt spun. Brandon Jones hit the wall and Alex Labbe also spun. One thing never changed though and that was the leader. The last lap had cars bouncing off the wall and each other, but Cindric made it through with no issues after battling with Ty Gibbs who finished second.

Brandon Brown, Riley Herbst and AJ Allmendinger rounded out the top five. Jeb Burton, Bayley Currey, Justin Allgaier, Brett Moffitt and Jeremy Clements finished sixth through 10, respectively.

In the NASCAR Series standings, Cindric leads with 248 points, Hemric is second with 201 points, in third is Jeb Burton with 172 points, in fourth is Allmendinger with 162 points, and rounding out the top five is Harrison Burton with 162 points.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series head next to Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sat., March 20.

March 13, 2021
Weekend schedule for Phoenix Raceway
The NASCAR Cup Series and the Xfinity Series head to Phoenix Raceway this weekend for the fifth race of the season while the Camping World Truck Series has a week off from competition.

Both series have had four different winners in each race for what is shaping up to be an exciting season. There will be no practice or qualifying sessions due to COVID-19 protocols established by NASCAR.

The starting lineups are determined by the following metrics formula:
- 25 percent: Driver’s finishing position from the previous race
- 25 percent: Car owner’s finishing position from the previous race
- 35 percent: Team owner points ranking
- 15 percent: Fastest lap from the previous race
All times are Eastern.

Saturday, March 13

5:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Call 811 Before You Dig 200 presented by Arizona 811
FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
200 miles (200 Laps)
Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 45), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200)
Pole: Daniel Hemric

Sunday, March 14

3:30 p.m.: Cup Series Instacart 500
FOX/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
312 miles (312 laps)
Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 75), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 190), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 312)
Pole: Brad Keselowski

Phoenix Raceway Information:

Season Race #: 05 of 36 (03-14-21)
Track Size: 1-mile
Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 9 degrees
Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 11 degreesBanking/Frontstretch: 3 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 9 degrees

Phoenix Raceway Qualifying Information – Cup Series:

Track Qualifying Record: Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet (143.158 mph, 25.147 seconds on 11-13-15)
2020 Pole Winner: Chase Elliott, Chevrolet (138.116 mph, 26.065 seconds on 03-07-20)

Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman lead the NASCAR Cup Series in starts at Phoenix with 36 starts each. Chase Elliott leads the series in average starting position with a 4.6 in 10 starts. Ryan Newman (2002, 2003, 2004, 2008) and Kyle Busch (2006, 2012, 2016, 2019) lead the NASCAR Cup Series in poles with four each. Five different manufacturers have won at least one Busch pole award led by Chevrolet (18), Ford (15), Toyota (7), Dodge (4) and Pontiac (4).

Phoenix Raceway Race Information – Cup Series:

Track race record: Tony Stewart, Pontiac (118.132 mph, 02:38:28 on 11-07-99)
2020 race winner: Joey Logano, Ford (94.407 mph, 03:20:50 on 03-08-20)

Kevin Harvick leads the series in wins with nine victories at Phoenix (2006 sweep, 2012 Playoff race, 2013 Playoff race, 2014 sweep, 2015 Spring race, 2016 Spring race, 2018 Spring race). Four different manufacturers have won at Phoenix, led by Chevrolet (24), Ford (17), Toyota (6) and Pontiac (2).

Top-10 Driver Ratings at Phoenix Raceway – Cup Series:

Kevin Harvick – 110.6
Chase Elliott – 108.4
Kyle Busch – 104.7
Denny Hamlin – 98.4
Brad Keselowski – 95.0
Kurt Busch – 94.5
Joey Logano – 93.1
Kyle Larson – 93.0
Ryan Blaney – 89.4
Martin Truex Jr – 88.5

(Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2020 races (32 total) among active drivers at Phoenix Raceway).
March 11, 2021
Annett to make 300th Xfinity start at Phoenix

A significant milestone start is in the making for Michael Annett, driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro for JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s event at Phoenix Raceway, Annett will achieve 300 starts in the Xfinity circuit.

A native of Des Moines, Iowa, Annett made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in the 2008 season-finale event at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November. Driving the No. 03 Toyota Camry for Germain Racing, Annett started 29th and finished 36th in his series debut.

The following season, Annett entered the Xfinity Series as a full-time competitor in Germain Racing’s No. 15 Toyota Camry and as a rookie contender. Throughout the 35-race schedule, Annett achieved a season-best sixth-place result at Auto Club Speedway in October, a total of four top-10 results and a 10th-place result in the final standings.

Throughout the 2010 season, Annett only managed two top-10 results (ninth at Nashville Superspeedway in April and seventh at Iowa Speedway in July) and a 13th-place result in the final standings.

After two seasons with Germain Racing, Annett joined forces with Rusty Wallace Racing for the 2011 season as he piloted the No. 62 Toyota Camry. Throughout the 34-race schedule, Annett achieved two season-best sixth-place results, a total of seven top-10 results and a ninth-place result in the final standings. By then, he surpassed 100 career starts in the Xfinity Series.

When Rusty Wallace Racing shut down due to a lack of sponsorship, Annett joined Richard Petty Motorsports and drove the iconic No. 43 Ford Mustang. While Annett did not record a single victory throughout the season, he achieved his first six top-five career results, including a pair of career-best third-place results (Daytona International Speedway in July and Dover International Speedway in September). He also took home the Dash 4 Cash bonus following a sixth-place result at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July and a total of 17 top-10 results. When the 2012 Xfinity season concluded, he ended up in a career-best fifth place in the final standings.

During the 2013 Xfinity Series season-opening event at Daytona, Annett was involved in a late multi-car accident and ended up dislocating and fracturing his sternum. He ended up missing the following eight Xfinity events as he recovered while Aric Almirola and Reed Sorenson filled in as interim competitors. Returning for the final 24 events of the 2013 season, Annett managed to earn a season-best fifth-place result at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July, a total of four top-10 results and a 15th-place result in the final standings.

After spending the following three seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series, where he competed for Tommy Baldwin Racing and HScott Motorsports, Annett returned to the Xfinity Series as he teamed up with JR Motorsports as driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro. Throughout the 2017 season, Annett notched a career-best runner-up result at Road America in August. He also achieved a total of seven top-10 results and qualified for the Playoffs based on points before settling in ninth place in the final standings.

Returning for a second full-time season with JRM in the Xfinity Series, Annett struggled with on-track consistency as he only managed a total of three top-10 results throughout the 33-race schedule, including a season-best seventh-place result at Bristol Motor Speedway in August. He ended up missing the Playoffs and finishing in 14th place in the final standings. By then, he surpassed 200 Xfinity career starts.

Despite the struggles from the previous season, Annett remained at JRM for a third full-time season in the Xfinity Series. Only this time, he sported the number 1 alongside his Chevrolet Camaro. In his first race in the No. 1 car, Annett claimed his first elusive victory in NASCAR in the season-opening event at Daytona after leading a race-high 45 of 120 laps and holding off teammate Justin Allgaier in the final laps. Annett’s first career victory in the Xfinity circuit came in career start No. 230.

Along with his maiden victory in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the 2019 season was a successful one for Annett, who went on to achieve a total of six top-five results and 19 top-10 results. He also made the Playoffs for the second time in three seasons and remained in title contention through the Round of 8, where he was eliminated prior to the finale. Nonetheless, he concluded the season in ninth place in the final standings.

Annett opened the 2020 Xfinity season with an 11th-place result in the season-opening event at Daytona after being involved in a multi-car wreck on the final lap. While he did not record a single victory throughout the season, he achieved four top-five results and a career-high 22 top-10 results. He made the Playoffs for the third time in four seasons, but was eliminated from title contention early. He settled in ninth place in the final standings for a second consecutive season and for the third time in four seasons.

This season, which marks his fifth with JRM, Annett has recorded results of 36th, 15th, 13th and sixth through the first four Xfinity scheduled races. He and his No. 1 JRM Chevrolet team are ranked in 11th place in the regular-season standings.

Through 299 previous starts in the Xfinity level, Annett has achieved a victory, a pole, 18 top-five results, 86 top-10 results and an average result of 15.8.

Catch Annett’s milestone start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday, March 13, at 5:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

March 10, 2021