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Tag: NASCAR Xfinity Series

  • Allmendinger nabs a win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

    Allmendinger nabs a win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

    The NASCAR Xfinity Series held their event today at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the Alsco Uniforms 300. Throughout the race, it seemed as if there were several cars that were capable of dominating and winning the race however only one driver got it done. AJ Allmendinger, driving his No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet, took advantage of a late-stage caution to get the lead and stay there taking the checkered flag.

    Allmendinger stated after the race, “First off, it’s great to have you all back in the grandstands, that’s the most important thing. Without you and all of you at home we can’t do this, thank you so much for showing up and packing this place.” He continued, “I’m just emotional, this could be the last win, I don’t know. I hope not, I think we can do a lot more.”

    Daniel Hemric brought his Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 home in second place, also having a great race.

    Hemric said, “First off, I’m so proud of the rebound of my pit crew this week.” Adding, “You hate to give one away like that but you know we wanted to have more speed to lead laps and win stages and we did that today. I lined up the shot there I just got beat. Congratulations to A.J.”

    Brandon Jones didn’t have the win but came in at a respectable third in his Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19 Toyota.

    Stage 1

    Stage 1 would only have one caution for the spinning car of Stefan Parsons. Hemric and Austin Cindric had really strong cars. Cindric led a good majority of the stage but, had to make a last-lap pass to win it which he did.

    Stage 2

    Stage 2 was rather chaotic at times having three cautions. Cindric cut a tire but was saved from losing a lap when the caution came out for Riley Herbst and Ty Dillon when they got together. Hemric dominated this stage and went on to win it with ease.

    Stage 3

    The Final Stage saw several great battles on the track, Hemric, Allmendinger, B.Jones, and Cindric were swapping the lead but it would be Allmendinger bringing home the prize. He took the lead with 62 laps to go and pretty much never looked back.

    Hemric, B. Jones, Cindric and Noah Gragson would round out the top five. Michael Annett, Josh Berry, Justin Haley, Harrison Burton, and Jeb Burton finished sixth through 10, respectively.

    Cindric leads in the Xfinity Series points standings with 191 points, second is Hemric with 170 points, third is Brandon Jones with 140 points, fourth is Ross Chastain with 133 points, and rounding out the top five is Justin Haley with 128 points.

    The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads next to Phoenix Raceway on March 13.

  • Weekend schedule for Las Vegas

    Weekend schedule for Las Vegas

    All three national series travel to Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend. There will be no practice or qualifying sessions due to COVID-19 protocols established by NASCAR.

    Denny Hamlin leads the Cup Series standings but is still looking for his first victory of the season. If successful, it would also be his first win at the 1.5-mile track.

    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.

    Friday, March 5

    9 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Bucked Up 200
    FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    201 miles (134 Laps)
    Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 30), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 60), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 134)
    Pole: Ben Rhodes

    Saturday, March 6

    4:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Alsco Uniforms 300
    FS1/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    300 miles (200 Laps)
    Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 45), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200)
    Pole: Myatt Snider

    Sunday, March 7

    3:30 p.m.: Cup Series Pennzoil 400 Presented by Jiffy Lube
    FOX/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    400.5 miles (267 laps)
    Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 80), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 160), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 267
    Pole: Kevin Harvick

    Statistical highlights for the NASCAR Cup Series Pennzoil 400

    Las Vegas Motor Speedway Data:
    Season Race #: 4 of 36 (03-07-21)
    Track Size: 1.5-miles
    Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 20 degrees
    Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 20 degreesBanking/Frontstretch: 9 degrees
    Banking/Backstretch: 9 degrees
    Frontstretch Length:  2,275 feet
    Backstretch Length:  1,572 feet
    Race Length: 267 laps (400.5 miles)
    Stage 1 & 2 Length: 80 laps (each)
    Final Stage Length: 107 laps

    Las Vegas Qualifying Data:
    Track qualifying record: Kurt Busch, Chevrolet (196.328 mph. 27.505 secs. 03-04-16)
    2020 pole winner: Kyle Busch started from the pole.  Qualifying canceled due to weather. (Feb. 23, 2020)
    2020 pole winner: Kevin Harvick – the race starting lineup set by Metric Qualifying (Sept. 27, 2020)

    Las Vegas Race Data:
    Track race record: Joey Logano, Ford – 154.849 mph, (2:35:11), March 3, 2019
    2020 race winner: Joey Logano, Ford – 134.861 mph, (2:58:11), Feb. 23, 2020
    2020 race winner: Kurt Busch, Chevrolet – 131.420 mph, (3:03:32), Sept. 27, 2020

    Top 10 Driver Ratings at Las Vegas:
    Kevin Harvick – 104.8
    Joey Logano – 104.6
    Kyle Busch – 100.5
    Chase Elliott – 99.2
    Martin Truex Jr. – 98.0
    Ryan Blaney – 96.1
    Brad Keselowski – 94.4
    Kyle Larson – 93.9
    Denny Hamlin – 85.0
    Kurt Busch – 83.2
    Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2020 races (19 total) among active drivers at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

    There have been 26 NASCAR Cup Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Kevin Harvick leads the series in starts with 23.  Joey Logano leads the series among active drivers in average starting position at 8.4.

    Five manufacturers have won a pole, led by Ford (11), Chevrolet (4), Dodge (4), Toyota (3) and Pontiac (1). 

    Eight drivers have multiple NCS wins at Las Vegas: Jimmie Johnson (four), Matt Kenseth (three), Brad Keselowski (three), Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., Joey Logano (two) and Carl Edwards (two).  Las Vegas native Kyle Busch is the youngest race winner (March 01, 2009, at 23 years, 9 months, 27 days) and became the first and only driver to win from the pole.

    Four manufacturers have visited Victory Lane at Las Vegas.  Led by Ford (13), Chevrolet (8), Toyota (4) and Dodge (1).

  • Myatt Snider claims his first Xfinity Series win at Homestead

    Myatt Snider claims his first Xfinity Series win at Homestead

    Myatt Snider in his No.2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet brought his car to the Checkered Flag in first place, winning it the hard way, in double overtime, in his 39th start. For two consecutive weeks, the NASCAR Xfinity Series has had first-time winners.

    Snider said, “I guess I learned my lesson on the first restart because I spun the wheels.” adding, “I saw Tyler (Reddick) spin his wheels on the next one so I kind of figured I might have a chance.” He stated, ”Shout out to all those RCR guys and these people supporting me all these years. It’s been a journey but we’re here to win and I can’t complain.”

    Tyler Reddick brought his Richard Childress Racing No. 23 Chevrolet home in second but was disqualified after failing the rear height requirement in post-race inspection, relegating him to a 40th place finish.

    Brandon Jones was originally credited with a third-place result in his No.19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota but moved up to earn a runner-up finish with Reddick’s disqualification.

    Jones stated, “I think compared to last year this is already a better start to our year. I know we’ve had our ups and downs, but our performance is really close. All in all a pretty solid day, third (his original finish) is good and we’ll take the points and push for a win here.”

    Stage 1:

    Stage 1 was relatively uneventful with only one caution.

    A.J. Allmendinger was up front for most of the stage and when it came down to it, he got a late-stage lead and went on to win Stage 1 of the race.

    Stage 2:

    Stage 2 only had one caution as well, for fluid on the track. Things didn’t go as smoothly as they had for Allmendinger in this stage but Josh Berry had a really nice run today. At the end of the stage, it would be Austin Cindric winning Stage 2.

    Stage 3:

    Stage 3 saw a little more trouble. Riley Herbst and Justin Allgaier tangled up with each other. The worst moment was when David Starr had tire problems and shot up the track right where race leader Noah Gragson was running. Gragson couldn’t react fast enough and hit him pretty hard. The last actual caution came out for the spinning car of Allmendinger. The race went into double overtime and it came down to Reddick and Snider, with Snider taking the win.

    With Reddick disqualified, Daniel Hemric, Jeb Burton and Austin Cindric would round out the top five. Justin Haley, Brett Moffitt, Ryan Sieg, Jeremy Clements and Josh Berry finished sixth through 10, respectively.

    Austin Cindric leads the Xfinity Series standings with 147 points. Myatt Snider is second with 118 points, Daniel Hemric has 117 points, Jeb Burton is in fourth with 106 points and Brandon Jones rounds out the top five with 93 points.

    The NASCAR Xfinity Series goes next to Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sat. March 6.

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








  • Weekend schedule for Homestead-Miami Speedway

    Weekend schedule for Homestead-Miami Speedway

    The NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series travel to Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend. The Camping World Truck Series will not compete but returns next week when all three series head to Las Vegas.

    NASCAR 2021 pole winners 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, Feb. 27

    4:30 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Contender Boats 250 – FS1/ MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    Distance: 250.5 miles (167 Laps)
    Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 40), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 80), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 167)
    TV coverage: 4 p.m. NASCAR RaceDay on FS1
    Pole: Austin Cindric

    Sunday, Feb. 28

    3:30 p.m.: NASCAR Cup Series Dixie Vodka 400 – FOX/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    Distance: 400.5 miles (267 laps)
    Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 80), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 160), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 267)
    TV coverage: 3 p.m. NASCAR RaceDay on FOX
    Pole: Denny Hamlin

    Noteworthy:

    The first two races of the Cup Series this season have been won by two first-time winners, a feat that hasn’t been accomplished since the series’ inaugural season in 1949 and again in 1950. Only once, in 1949, has the series begun the year with three consecutive winners. However, Homestead-Miami Speedway has never had a first-time winner in the Cup Series.

    Statistical highlights for the NASCAR Cup Series Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway Data – Race # 3 of 36

    Track Size: 1.5-mile
    Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 18-20 degrees
    Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 18-20 degrees
    Banking/Frontstretch: 4 degrees
    Banking/Backstretch: 4 degrees
    Frontstretch Length: 1,760 feet
    Backstretch Length: 1,760 feet
    Race Length: 267 laps / 400.5 miles
    Stages 1 & 2 Length: 80 Laps (each)
    Finale Stage Length: 107 Laps
    Top 10 Driver ratings at Homestead-Miami Speedway
    Tyler Reddick – 115.5
    Kyle Larson – 107.0
    Kevin Harvick – 106.8
    Martin Truex Jr – 105.9
    Kyle Busch – 102.1
    Denny Hamlin – 100.1
    Chase Elliott – 96.9
    Joey Logano – 91.6
    Brad Keselowski – 89.0
    Austin Dillon – 83.4
    *Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2020 races (16 total) among active drivers at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

    Homestead-Miami Speedway race info & stats

    2020 pole winner: Denny Hamlin
    Track qualifying record: Brad Keselowski – 181.238 mph, 29.795 secs. (11-14-14)
    2020 race winner: Denny Hamlin
    Track race record: Kyle Busch, Toyota – 142.654 mph, 02:48:47 (11-17-19)

    A total of 14 different drivers have won at least one race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Six of the 14 drivers are active this weekend. Denny Hamlin (2009, 2013, 2020) leads the active drivers in wins at Homestead-Miami Speedway with three. No driver has scored their first career Cup win at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

    Active driver race winners (wins)

    Denny Hamlin (3)
    Kyle Busch (2)
    Joey Logano (1)
    Kevin Harvick (1)
    Kurt Busch (1)
    Martin Truex Jr (1)

    Homestead-Miami organization wins (wins)

    Joe Gibbs Racing (8)
    Roush Fenway Racing (7)
    Hendrick Motorsports (2)
    Stewart-Haas Racing (2)
    Furniture Row Racing (1)
    Richard Petty Motorsports (1)
    Team Penske (1)

  • Movers and Shakers – 2021 driver and crew chief updates

    Movers and Shakers – 2021 driver and crew chief updates

    NASCAR accomplished the improbable and what some deemed the impossible task of completing a full season of racing in 2020. Their innovation, perseverance, and adherence to safety protocols led the way in the sports world.

    We celebrated new champions and said goodbye to old friends, reminding us that change is inevitable.

    As we anticipate another exciting season in NASCAR, here is your guide to partnerships continued and new alliances formed in preparation for the 2021 season.

    This list of driver and crew chief changes will be updated as new information becomes available.

    Anthony Alfredo:

    2020 – Part-time in the No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series

    2021 Status – Alfredo moves to Front Row Racing to run full-time in the Cup Series in the No. 38 Ford. He replaces John Hunter Nemechek who signed with KBM to run full-time in the Truck Series in 2021.

    Justin Allgaier:

    2020 – No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series

    2021 Status – Allgaier will return to JR Motorsports in 2021 for his sixth full-time season with the team in the Xfinity Series.

    AJ Allmendinger:

    2020 – Allmendinger competed in 11 Xfinity Series races in the No. 16 Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing.

    2021 Status – Kaulig Racing announced that Allmendinger will return next season to race full-time in the Xfinity Series in the No. 16 Chevrolet with crew chief, Jason Trinchere (Haley’s lead engineer last year.) He will also compete on the Daytona road course on Feb. 21 for Kaulig Racing.

    Aric Almirola:

    2020 – No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford in the Cup Series

    2021 Status – On Sept. 1, Almirola confirmed that he will return to drive the No. 10 Ford full-time for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2021.

    Jordan Anderson:

    2020 – No. 3 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet full-time in the Truck Series

    2021 – Anderson will compete full-time in the Xfinity Series as a rookie with his team Jordan Anderson Racing in the No. 31 Chevrolet. They will field cars acquired from Richard Childress Racing with ECR engines and Artie Haire will serve as crew chief.  The team will also continue to compete in the Truck Series with various drivers, to be announced later. Anderson will drive in the Truck Series season opener at Daytona on Feb. 12.  

    Tyler Ankrum:

    2020 – No. 26 GMS Racing Chevrolet full-time in the Truck Series

    2021 Status – In October, GMS Racing announced that Ankrum would return for a second full-time season with the team. He will be paired with Charles Denike as crew chief.

    Michael Annett:

    2020 – No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet full-time in the Xfinity Series

    2021 Status – Annett will return to drive the No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevy full-time in 2021, his fifth season with the organization.

    Christopher Bell:

    2020 – No. 95 Leavine Family Racing Toyota in the Cup Series

    2021 Status – Christopher Bell is moving to Joe Gibbs Racing to drive the No. 20 car in the Cup Series in 2021. He replaces Erik Jones in the No. 20 as Jones moves on to Richard Petty Motorsports. LFR made the decision to leave NASCAR at the end of the 2020 season, selling the team and its assets. Adam Stevens will move from the No. 18 Kyle Busch team to serve as crew chief for Bell in 2021.

    Josh Berry:

    2020 – JR Motorsports Late Model Program

    2021 Status – Josh Berry will run a partial Xfinity Series schedule next year in the No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, competing in approximately 12 races in the first half of the 2021 season.

    Ben Beshore:

    2020 – Crew chief for the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the Xfinity Series

    2021 Status – Beshore will move to the Cup Series as crew chief for the No. 18 JGR Toyota driven by Kyle Busch in 2021. For the past two years, he worked as an Xfinity Series crew chief for various drivers, most recently, Harrison Burton. Before moving to the Xfinity Series Beshore was an engineer for the No. 18 team.

    Josh Bilicki:

    2020 – 22 Cup Series starts last year for various teams, including Rick Ware Racing, Tommy Baldwin Racing and Spire Motorsports along with seven Xfinity Series starts and five Truck Series starts.

    2021 – Bilicki will compete full-time for Rick Ware Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2021 in the No. 52 entry.

    Ryan Blaney:

    2020 – No. 12 Team Penske Ford in the Cup Series

    2021 Status – Blaney will return to Team Penske after signing a multi-year contract extension on March 6.

    Alex Bowman:

    2020 – No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in the Cup Series

    2021 Status – Bowman will remain with Hendrick Motorsports in 2021, moving to the No. 48 Chevrolet to replace Jimmie Johnson who retired from full-time competition at the end of the 2020 season. The 88 will not be used by HMS in 2021. After signing Kyle Larson, they announced that he will drive the No. 5 Chevrolet.

    Clint Bowyer:

    2020 – No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford in the Cup Series

    2021 Status – On Oct. 8, Bowyer announced that he would retire from full-time competition in the Cup Series at the conclusion of the 2020 season. He will join the FOX broadcast booth in 2021.

    Spencer Boyd:

    2020 – No. 20 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet in the Truck Series

    2021 Status – On Nov. 25, Young’s Motorsports announced that Boyd’s contract has been extended through 2021 and he will continue to compete in the No. 20 Chevrolet.

    Chase Briscoe:

    2020 – No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford in the Xfinity Series

    2021 Status – Briscoe will move to the Cup Series in 2021. He will drive the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 14 Ford vacated by Clint Bowyer. Johnny Klausmeier will continue as crew chief.

    Jade Buford:

    2020 – Xfinity Series, three starts with Bobby Dotter (No. 07 Chevrolet), one with JD Motorsports (No. 6 Chevrolet)

    2021 Status – Buford will compete full time in the Xfinity Series for the new, Big Machine Racing Team, owned by Scott Borchetta’s Big Machine Records company, in the No. 48 Chevrolet with crew chief Patrick Donohue. Buford, however, has not been cleared to race at the Daytona oval.

    Harrison Burton:

    2020 – No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the Xfinity Series

    2021 Status – Burton will return to drive the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the Xfinity Series with Jason Ratcliff as crew chief.

    Jeb Burton:

    2020 – Part-time in the No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series

    2021 status – Burton will run a full-time Xfinity Series schedule in 2021 with Kaulig Racing and Bruce Schlicker as crew chief. He replaces Ross Chastain who is moving to the Cup Series.  

    William Byron:

    2020 – No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in the Cup Series

    2021 Status – Byron will continue to compete in the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet after signing a contract extension through the 2022 season. As noted below, Rudy Fugle will partner with Byron as crew chief.

    Landon Cassill:

    2020- Four starts in the No. 89 for Shepherd Racing Ventures in the Xfinity Series

    2021 – Cassill will compete full-time in the Xfinity Series for JD Motorsports in the No. 4 Chevrolet.

    Ross Chastain:

    2020 – No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series

    2021 Status – Chastain will advance to the Cup Series to drive the Chip Ganassi Racing No. 42 Chevrolet full-time. He will replace Matt Kenseth who filled in for the suspended Kyle Larson in 2020.

    Austin Cindric:

    2020 – No. 22 Team Penske Ford in the Xfinity Series

    2021 Status – In October, Team Penske announced that Cindric had signed a contract extension. He will continue to drive in the Xfinity Series in 2021 and will also run some Cup races as he prepares for a move to the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Cup Series team in 2022.

    Sheldon Creed:

    2020 – No. 2 GMS Racing Chevrolet in the Truck Series

    2021 Status – Creed will return to GMS Racing for his third full-time season in the Truck Series next year. Jeff Stankiewicz will also return as crew chief for his second full-time season with Creed. 

    Bayley Currey:

    2020 – No. 74 Chevrolet for Mike Harmon Racing in the Xfinity Series

    2021 Status – Currey will return to race the No. 74 Chevrolet for Mike Harmon Racing.

    Cliff Daniels:

    2020 – Crew chief for the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in the Cup Series.

    2021 Status – Following Jimmie Johnson’s retirement from full-time competition, Daniels will be paired with Kyle Larson as crew chief of the No. 5 HMS Chevrolet.

    Spencer Davis:

    2020 – No. 11 Toyota for Spencer Davis Racing in the Truck Series, part-time

    2021 – After three part-time seasons in 2018-2020, Davis will compete full-time this year in the No. 11 Toyota for Spencer Davis Racing in the Truck Series and compete for Sunoco Rookie of the Year.

    Hailie Deegan:

    2020 – No. 4 DGR-Crosley Ford in the ARCA Menards Series

    2021 Status – Deegan will move up to the Truck Series and run a full-time schedule in the No. 17 DGR-Crosley Ford. Mike Hillman Jr., (Raphael Lessard’s former crew chief at KBM) will be Deegan’s crew chief.

    Matt DiBenedetto:

    2020 – No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford in the Cup Series

    2021 Status –DiBenedetto signed a one-year contract extension to return for his second season with Wood Brothers Racing in 2021. He will be replaced by Austin Cindric in 2022.  

    Ty Dillon:

    2020 – No. 13 Germain Racing Chevrolet in the Cup Series

    2021 Status – Dillon will attempt to qualify for the Cup Series Daytona 500 with Gaunt Brothers Racing and secure one of four open spots in the event. On Jan. 27, it was announced that Dillon will drive the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 54 Toyota in select NASCAR Xfinity Series races. His first race will be in the season opener at Daytona on Feb. 13. His current schedule also includes races at Homestead on Feb. 27, Las Vegas (March 6) and Talladega Superspeedway (April 24).

    Drew Dollar:

    2020 – Full-time in the ARCA Menards Series, finishing fourth in the standings

    2021 – Drew Dollar will make eight starts in the Kyle Busch Motorsports Truck Series No. 51 Toyota with Mardy Lindley as crew chief. He will compete at the Daytona oval and Charlotte in May, Texas and Nashville in June, Bristol and Las Vegas in Sept., Talladega in Oct. & the season finale at Phoenix in Nov.

    Jeffrey Earnhardt:

    2020 – Earnhardt competed in 29 races last season for JD Motorsports with Gary Keller in the Xfinity Series.

    2021 Status – On Dec. 21 it was announced that Earnhardt will return to drive the No. 0 Chevrolet full-time in the Xfinity Series for JD Motorsports with Gary Keller.

    Christian Eckes:

    2020 – No. 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota

    2021 Status: Eckes confirmed on Dec. 7 via social media that he will not return to KBM in 2021 and has not announced his future plans.

    Ryan Ellis:

    2020 – Ellis did not compete in the Xfinity Series in 2020 but has 50 combined starts in the series from 2012-2019, including a partial schedule in 2016 of 16 races.

    2021 – Ellis will drive a part-time Xfinity Series schedule in the No. 99 Chevrolet for BJ McLeod Motorsports. His current confirmed race schedule includes Darlington, Mid-Ohio, Road America and Kansas.

    Santino Ferrucci:

    2020 – NTT IndyCar Series

    2021 – Ferrucci will drive a limited schedule for Sam Hunt Racing in the Xfinity Series competing in the No. 26 Toyota with Andrew Abbott as crew chief.

    Rudy Fugle:

    2020 – Crew chief for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Truck Series

    2021 Status – Fugle will move up to the Cup Series as crew chief for William Byron’s No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. He will replace Chad Knaus who will leave the pit-box after being promoted to vice president of competition at HMS.

    Joey Gase:

    2020 – Primarily in the No. 51 Ford full-time in the Cup Series with Rick Ware Racing

    2021 – On Jan. 15 it was announced that Gase will return to Rick Ware Racing in the Cup Series and will kick off his season at the Daytona 500. The number of races in which he will compete was not specified in the press release.

    Brandon Gdovic:

    2020 – Competed in two Xfinity Series races for Sam Hunt Racing

    2021 – Gdovic will return to the Xfinity Series with Sam Hunt Racing on a limited schedule, focusing primarily on oval tracks. His first race will be at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 13.

    Ty Gibbs:

    2020 – Ran a partial schedule in the No. 18 Toyota in the ARCA Menards Series and earned six wins

    2021 – Gibbs will run full-time in the ARCA Menards Series and compete for the championship in the No. 18 Toyota. He will also make his debut in the Xfinity Series in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 54 Toyota with his first race at the Daytona Road Course on Feb. 14. On Feb. 23, the following 14 races were confirmed for Dillon’s Xfinity schedule: March 13–Phoenix, April 9–Martinsville, May 8–Darlington, May 15–Dover. May 29–Charlotte, June 5–Mid-Ohio, June 27–Pocono, July 3–Road America, Aug. 7–Watkins Glen, Aug. 14–Indianapolis road course, Aug. 21–Michigan, Sept. 11– Richmond, Oct. 9–Charlotte Roval, Oct. 23–Kansas

    Todd Gilliland:

    2020 – No. 38 Ford full-time for Front Row Racing in the Truck Series

    2021 – Gilliland will return to drive the No. 38 Ford full time in the Truck Series for Front Row Racing.

    Noah Gragson:

    2020 – No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series

    2021 Status – On Aug. 27, it was confirmed that Gragson will return to JR Motorsports for the 2021 Xfinity Series season.

    Justin Haley:

    2020 – No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series

    2021 Status – Haley will return to drive for Kaulig Racing in the Xfinity Series in 2021. It is his third season with the team and will be his second year with Alex Yontz as crew chief. 

    Daniel Hemric:

    2020 – No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet part-time in the Xfinity Series

    2021 Status – Hemric will move to Joe Gibbs Racing to drive the No. 18 Toyota full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with crew chief, Dave Rogers.

    Riley Herbst:

    2020 – No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the Xfinity Series

    2021 Status – Herbst is moving to the No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford in 2021 and will compete full-time in the Xfinity Series.

    Austin Hill:

    2020 – No. 16 Hattori Racing Enterprises Toyota in the Truck Series

    2021 Status – Hill will return to Hattori Racing for a third season in 2021.

    Carson Hocevar:

    2020 – Part-time in the Truck Series for Niece Motorsports

    2021 Status – Hocevar will drive full-time in the Truck Series for Niece Motorsports in 2021.

    Bret Holmes:

    2020 – No. 23 full-time in the ARCA Menards Series for Bret Holmes Racing

    2021 – Holmes will run part-time in the Truck Series No. 32 Chevrolet for Bret Holmes Racing. His Truck Series debut will be at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March with additional races to be announced. He will also compete in several ARCA Menards Series events.

    Colby Howard:

    2020 – No. 15 JD Motorsports with Gary Keller Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series, part-time

    2021 Status – Howard will run a full-time Xfinity Series schedule in the No. 15 JD Motorsports Chevrolet. Wayne Carroll will replace his former crew chief, Mark Setzer, who has teamed up with Jeremy Clements for the 2021 season.

    Joe Gibbs Racing:

    2021 Xfinity Series – JGR will field a fourth Xfinity Series car, the No. 54, that will rotate different drivers throughout the season. Chris Gayle will serve as the crew chief for the No. 54. The drivers and schedule for this car will be released at a later date.  

    Jimmie Johnson:

    2020 – No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in the Cup Series

    2021 Status – Johnson retired from full-time competition in the Cup Series at the end of the 2020 season. The seven-time champ has indicated that he may run select NASCAR races in the future but for now, IndyCar seems to be his main focus for 2021. 

    Brandon Jones:

    2020 – No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the Xfinity Series

    2021 Status – In October, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Jones would return to drive the No. 19 Toyota in 2021 with crew chief Jeff Meendering.

    Erik Jones:

    2020 – No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the Cup Series

    2021 Status – After being notified that JGR would not renew his contract for next year, Jones signed a multi-year deal to drive in the Cup Series for Richard Petty Motorsports in the No. 43 Chevrolet. The opportunity arose after Bubba Wallace signed with 23XI Racing to drive the No. 23 next year.  

    Matt Kenseth:

    2020 – No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet in the Cup Series

    2021 Status – Kenseth came out of retirement to take over as driver of the No. 42 after the suspension of Kyle Larson in 2020. On Sept. 21, CGR signed Ross Chastain as the driver of the No. 42 for 2021. Kenseth currently has no plans to return to full-time racing.

    Brad Keselowski:

    2020 – No. 2 Team Penske Ford in the Cup Series

    2021 Status – On Aug. 3, Team Penske renewed Keselowski’s contact and confirmed that he will return as the driver of the No. 2 Ford in 2021. The announcement did not state if the contract extended beyond next season.

    Chad Knaus:

    2020 – Crew chief for the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in the Cup Series

    2021 Status – Knaus will leave the pit-box after being promoted to vice president of competition at HMS.

    Derek Kraus:

    2020 – McAnally-Hilgemann Racing No. 19 Toyota Tundra in the Truck Series

    2021 Status – On Dec. 22 the team announced that Kraus will return for his second full-time season with McAnally-Hilgemann Racing in the No. 19 Toyota. Matt Noyce will join the team as crew chief (former crew chief at ThorSport Racing for Ben Rhodes in 2019, 2020).  

    Corey LaJoie:

    2020 – No. 32 Go Fas Racing Ford in the Cup Series

    2021 Status – Announced on Nov. 30 on his “Sunday Money” podcast, Lajoie has signed a multi-year agreement with Spire Motorsports to drive the No. 7 Chevrolet in the Cup Series. Ryan Sparks, former crew chief for LaJoie at Go Fas Racing, will make the move with LaJoie to serve as the crew chief for the Spire No. 7 team.

    Kyle Larson:

    2020 – Previous driver of the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet in the Cup Series. Larson was suspended in April and fired from CGR after using a racial slur during an iRacing event. He was reinstated by NASCAR in October and is eligible to return to racing on Jan. 1, 2021.

    2021 Status – Larson was signed by Hendrick Motorsports to a multi-year deal on Oct. 28. He is slated to drive the No. 5 Chevrolet in the Cup Series in 2021 with Johnson’s former crew chief, Cliff Daniels, on the pit box. Tyler Monn has been named as Larson’s spotter.

    Raphael Lessard:

    2020 – No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota in the Truck Series

    2021 Status – GMS Racing announced on Jan. 7 that Lessard will compete full time in the Truck Series in the No. 24 Chevrolet Silverado with Chad Walter as crew chief.

    Jesse Little:

    2020 – No. 4 JD Motorsports Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series

    2021 – Little will drive full-time in the Xfinity Series with BJ McLeod Motorsports in the No. 78 Chevrolet in 2021.

    Mason Massey:

    2020 – 10 Xfinity Series races with BJ McLeod Motorsports, Inc. in the No. 99 Toyota

    2021 – Massey will return to BJ McLeod Motorsports to drive the No. 99 Toyota for 12 Xfinity Series races.

    Sam Mayer:

    2020 – Part-time in the Truck Series (six races) and competed in select races in the ARCA Menards Series for GMS Racing

    2021 Status – Mayer will move to JR Motorsports and drive the second half of the Xfinity Series season in 2021. He will drive full-time in the series in 2022. He will also compete in six ARCA races and five Truck Series events for Bret Holmes Racing in 2021.

    Michael McDowell:

    2020 – No. 34 Ford Mustang full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series

    2021 Status – McDowell will return to Front Row Racing in the No. 34 Ford to compete full-time in the Cup Series.

    BJ McLeod:

    2020 – Part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series primarily as a driver/owner

    2021 Status – McLeod will drive the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Ford in the NASCAR Cup Series full-time next year. He is a co-owner of Live Fast Motorsports with Matt Tifft. The team will have a partnership with Stewart-Haas Racing.

    Matt Mills:

    2020 – Full-time in the No. 05 Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series for BJ McLeod Motorsports

    2021 Status – On Dec. 16 the team announced that Mills will return to drive the No. 05 full-time in the Xfinity Series for BJ McLeod Motorsports in 2021.

    Brett Moffitt:

    2000 – No. 02 Our Motorsports Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series/No. 23 GMS Racing Chevrolet in the Truck Series

    2021 Status – Moffitt will drive full-time in the No. 02 Chevrolet for Our Motorsports in the Xfinity Series and will also run a full-time schedule in the Truck Series in the No. 45 Chevrolet for Niece Motorsports. He will declare for points in the Truck Series and compete for the Truck Series championship.

    John Hunter Nemechek:

    2020 – No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford in the Cup Series

    2021 Status – Announced on Nov. 23, Nemechek will drive the Kyle Busch Motorsports No. 4 Toyota in the Truck Series. He replaces Raphael Lessard. Nemechek will also compete in select Xfinity races this year for Sam Hunt Racing in the No. 26. His first start with the team will be at Dover in May.

    Miguel Paludo:

    2020 – Paludo competed in Brazil in the Porsche GT3 Carrera Cup Series. He also has two previous Xfinity Series starts (2012) and 73 Truck Series starts (2010-2013).

    2021 – Paludo will drive the JR Motorsports No. 8 Chevrolet in three Xfinity Series road course events in 2021. His first event will be the second race of the season at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course on Feb. 20. His schedule also includes the races at Circuit of the Americas (May 22) and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on June 5.

    Chase Purdy:

    2020 – Part-time in Truck Series for GMS Racing

    2021 Status – Purdy will compete full-time with GMS Racing next year in the Truck Series with Jeff Hensley as crew chief.

    Tyler Reddick:

    2020 – No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet in the Cup Series

    2021 Status – Reddick will return for his second season in the Richard Childress Racing No. 8 Chevrolet in the Cup Series next year.

    Mark Setzer:

    2020 – Crew Chief for JD Motorsports w/Gary Keller

    2021 Status – Setzer will serve as crew chief for the No. 51 Jeremy Clements Racing Chevrolet next season, replacing Andrew Abbott.

    Chandler Smith:

    2020 – No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota in the Truck Series, part-time

    2021 Status – Announced Dec. 7, Smith will compete full time in the Truck Series in the Kyle Busch Motorsports No. 18 Tundra next year, replacing Christian Eckes.

    Zane Smith:

    2020 – No. 21 GMS Racing Chevrolet in the Truck Series

    2021 Status – Smith will return to GMS Racing for a second season with Kevin “Bono” Manion as crew chief.

    Garrett Smithley:

    2020 – Cup Series with various teams, primarily with Rick Ware Racing

    2021 – Smithley will run a partial Cup Series schedule for Rick Ware Racing. The races in which he will compete will be announced at a later date.

    Adam Stevens:

    2020 – Crew chief for the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the NASCAR Cup Series.

    2021 Status – Stevens will move to the No. 20 JGR team as crew chief for Christopher Bell next season. He worked with Kyle Bush from 2015–2020, winning two championships.  

    Daniel Suarez:

    Current ride – No. 96 Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota in the Cup Series

    2021 Status – Suarez will compete full-time in the No. 99 Chevrolet with the newly formed Cup Series team of Trackhouse Racing with owner Justin Marks and musical artist, Pitbull (Armando Perez), who announced his partnership with the team on Jan 15. Ty Norris will serve as president of race operations and Travis Mack joins the team as crew chief. Mack is the former crew chief for the No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

    Ryan Truex: 2020 – No. 40 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, part-time

    2021 Status – Announced on Nov. 24, Truex will return to drive the No. 40 Niece Motorsports Chevy in the Camping World Truck Series but will upgrade to a full-time season. It will be his first full-time ride in the series since 2017.

    Ryan Vargas:

    2020 – No. 15 Chevrolet (two starts) and No. 16 Chevrolet (seven starts) with JD Motorsports w/Gary Keller

    2021 – Vargas will run a full schedule in the JD Motorsports w/Gary Keller No. 6 Chevrolet and compete for Sunoco Rookie of the Year in the Xfinity Series.

    Bubba Wallace:

    2020 – No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet in the Cup Series

    2021 Status – On Sept. 21, Wallace and Denny Hamlin announced that Wallace would drive the No. 23 car for 23XI Racing in 2021, a new team formed by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan, to compete in the NASCAR Cup Series. Freddie Kraft will transition from RPM to continue as spotter for Wallace at 23XI Racing with Mike Wheeler as crew chief.

    Cody Ware:

    2020 – Competed in one race in the Xfinity Series and one race in the Cup Series for Rick Ware Racing. He has 23 career Cup starts and 21 Xfinity starts.

    2021 Status – Ware will run a full schedule in the Cup Series for Rick Ware Racing.

    Kyle Weatherman:

    2020 – No. 47 Chevrolet for Mike Harmon Racing in the Xfinity Series

    2021 – Weatherman will return to drive the No. 47 Chevrolet for Mike Harmon Racing in the Xfinity Series full-time.

    Mike Wheeler:

    2020 – Competition director for Leavine Family Racing in the Cup Series.

    2021 Status – Wheeler will join 23XI Racing to serve as the crew chief for Bubba Wallace and the No. 23 team.

    Kris Wright:

    2020 – He competed in one race in the No. 24 Chevrolet for GMS Racing in the Truck Series at the Daytona Road Course. Wright also ran select races in the ARCA Menards Series, CARS Super Late Model Tour Series and one race in the
    Weathertech SportsCar Championship Series. In 2018, he won the IMSA Prototype Challenge LMP3 championship.

    2021 – Wright will compete in seven Xfinity Series road course events for Sam Hunt Racing. His schedule includes the Daytona Road Course, COTA, Mid-Ohio, Road America, Watkins Glen, Indianapolis Road Course and the Charlotte ROVAL.

  • Ty Gibbs’ full 2021 Xfinity schedule revealed

    Ty Gibbs’ full 2021 Xfinity schedule revealed

    Coming off an historic debut and victory at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course, Ty Gibbs will return for an additional 14 NASCAR Xfinity Series races throughout the 2021 season for Joe Gibbs Racing.

    The 18-year-old grandson of NASCAR Hall of Famer and team owner, Joe Gibbs, from Charlotte, North Carolina, will make his second career start in the Xfinity circuit at Phoenix Raceway on March 13.

    He will then compete at Martinsville Speedway on April 9 followed by Darlington Raceway on May 8, Dover International Speedway on May 15, Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 29, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on June 5, Pocono Raceway on June 27, Road America on July 3, Watkins Glen International on August 7, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course on August 14, Michigan International Speedway on August 21 and at Richmond Raceway on September 11. During the 2021 Xfinity Series Playoffs, he will also compete at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval on October 9 and at Kansas Speedway on October 23.

    JGR took to social media to reveal the announcement and Ty Gibbs’ schedule.

    With Gibbs’ full part-time Xfinity schedule revealed, he will also continue to pilot Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 54 Toyota Supra led by crew chief Chris Gayle.

    Gibbs made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut last weekend at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course, where he led 14 laps and outlasted the field through two overtime attempts to record his first victory across NASCAR’s top three national touring series. By winning at Daytona in his debut, he became the sixth competitor to win in their series debut but the first to do so without a prior Cup start. He also became the 165 different competitor to record an Xfinity Series win and the 18th to do so while driving for his grandfather’s organization.

    In addition to a part-time Xfinity schedule, Gibbs currently competes as a full-time competitor in the ARCA Menards Series for JGR and in the No. 18 Toyota Camry led by crew chief Mark McFarland.

    With Gibbs’ next event on the schedule at Phoenix in March, Ty Dillon will return for the following two NASCAR Xfinity Series races with JGR at Homestead-Miami Speedway on February 27 and at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 6.

  • Ty Gibbs nabs his first win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series

    Ty Gibbs nabs his first win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series

    The NASCAR Xfinity Series held the Super Start Batteries 188 At Daytona Presented by O’Reilly Saturday for some road course racing. It was an extremely exciting race, and one driver got his first win in his first-ever Xfinity Series start. That driver was 18-years-old Ty Gibbs in his No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

    “You know, can’t thank everyone right now. This is like a dream come true for me.” Gibbs said, “I can’t do burnouts, that’s one thing I cannot do at all.” An emotional Gibbs added, “This is just a dream come true to me. I really didn’t think I had it there. Kind of fought back and won.”

    Austin Cindric tangled with A.J. Allmendinger in the first stage and it looked like he wasn’t going to be a front runner. Cindric managed to fight back and bring his No. 22 Penske Racing Ford home in second place. He was hoping for a win for his team owner Roger Penske’s 84th birthday.

    Cindric stated, “Obviously I don’t want to be racing to a stage that aggressively. I’d love to see the replay on that. Congrats to Ty.”

    Coming in third was Daniel Hemric who was up in the mix of things the whole race, but couldn’t catch Gibbs and Cindric.

    Stage 1:

    Stage 1 only had one caution and that was for fluid on the track. The excitement was at the end when Allmendinger and Cindric got together coming to caution. Cindric held on to win the stage.

    Stage 2:

    Stage 2 started with Harrison Burton at the lead but six laps later Gibbs would take the top spot away. There were no cautions in this stage and Gibbs took the stage win easily.

    Stage 3:

    Stage 3 had Hemric, Gibbs and Cindric vying for the top spot. There were a couple of cautions that slowed the race some but nothing too serious. Restarts were the most interesting having cars spin off the track and back on. There were two NASCAR overtimes due to spinning cars. In the end, no one could touch Gibbs, giving him his first win in his first-ever Xfinity race. That is quite an accomplishment.

    Brandon Jones and Jeb Burton would round out the top five. Harrison Burton, Miguel Paludo, Brandon Brown, Justin Haley, and Jeremy Clements finished sixth through 10, respectively.

    Cindric leads the Xfinity Series standings with 105 points. Harrison Burton is in second with 81 points, Hemric is third with 75 points, fourth is Brandon Brown with 72 points and rounding out the top five is Myatt Snider with 69 points.

    The NASCAR Xfinity Series will head next to Homestead Speedway on Feb. 27.

    Official Results:
    1. Ty Gibbs
    2. Austin Cindric
    3. Daniel Hemric
    4. Brandon Jones
    5. Jeb Burton
    6. Harrison Burton
    7. Miguel Paludo
    8. Brandon Brown
    9. Justin Haley
    10. Jeremy Clements
    11. Brett Moffitt
    12. Landon Cassill
    13. Myatt Snider
    14. Jesse Little
    15. Michael Annett
    16. Kyle Weatherman
    17. Josh Williams
    18. Kris Wright
    19. Matt Mills
    20. Joe Graf Jr.
    21. Gray Gaulding
    22. Alex Labbe
    23. Colby Howard
    24. Tommy Joe Martins
    25. Cody Ware
    26. Justin Allgaier
    27. Ryan Sieg
    28. Noah Gragson
    29. Stephen Leicht
    30. Jeffrey Earnhardt
    31. Andy Lally
    32. Bayley Currey
    33. Preston Pardus.- Transmission
    34. Timmy Hill
    35. AJ Allmendinger
    36. Jade Buford – Suspension
    37. Ryan Vargas
    38. David Starr – Transmission
    39. Riley Herbst – Accident
    40. Natalie Decker – Accident


  • Jeremy Bullins to call 200th Cup race as crew chief at Daytona road course event

    Jeremy Bullins to call 200th Cup race as crew chief at Daytona road course event

    Following a productive 2020 season with former NASCAR Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski, crew chief Jeremy Bullins is set to achieve a milestone start in his sixth full-time season in NASCAR’s premier series. By calling the shots atop the pit box for this weekend’s event at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course, Bullins will call his 200th Cup race as a crew chief.

    A native of Walnut Cove, North Carolina, Bullins grew up working with his father on dirt late model cars from the race shop to the tracks. After graduating from North Carolina State University with a degree in mechanical engineering, Bullins’ career in NASCAR commenced with Wood Brothers Racing in 1999.

    He went on to work for organizations like ST Motorsports, Robert Yates Racing and Richard Childress Racing, where he was an engineer.

    Prior to the 2012 NASCAR season, Bullins departed RCR and joined Team Penske to serve as crew chief for the No. 22 Dodge team competing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with names like Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney, Sam Hornish Jr., Parker Kligerman and Jacques Villeneuve. In his first season as a crew chief, Bullins achieved his first three Xfinity career victories with Keselowski. In addition, the No. 22 team achieved a pole, 12 top-five results, 23 top-10 results and a sixth-place result in the final owner’s standings.

    In 2013, Bullins achieved 12 Xfinity wins with Keselowski, Blaney, Joey Logano and A.J. Allmendinger, all of whom shared Penske’s No. 22 Ford Mustang throughout the season. The victories along with three poles, 20 top-five results and 25 top-10 results were enough for the No. 22 team to capture the first NASCAR Xfinity Series’ owner’s championship for team owner Roger Penske by a single point over Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 54 Toyota team.

    The following season, Bullins, who remained as a full-time Xfinity Series crew chief for Team Penske, made his NASCAR Cup Series debut as a crew chief at Kansas Speedway in May for Ryan Blaney, who was also making his debut in the sport’s premier series. Starting 21st, Blaney finished 27th. The duo returned at Talladega Superspeedway in October, where Blaney finished 22nd of the 43-car field. Bullins went on to lead Penske’s No. 22 Ford team to its second consecutive owner’s championship while also winning six races between Blaney and Keselowski. Bullins also worked with Logano, Michael McDowell and Alex Tagliani throughout the 2014 Xfinity Series season.

    In 2015, Bullins moved up to the Cup Series to serve as a crew chief for Blaney and the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford team, which competed in 16 of the 36-race schedule. Together, Bullins and Blaney achieved a season-best result of fourth place at Talladega in May along with two top-10 results.

    In 2016, Bullins embarked on his first full-time season in the Cup Series as a crew chief with Blaney and the Wood Brothers Racing. At the conclusion of the season, Blaney achieved three top-five results, nine top-10 results and a 20th-place result in the final standings.

    The following season, Bullins achieved his first career win in the Cup Series as a crew chief at Pocono Raceway in June, which also marked Blaney’s first Cup career victory following a late battle against names like Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick. Together, they recorded the 99th Cup victory for the Wood Brothers Racing. Bullins and Blaney went on to capture two poles, four top-five results and 14 top-10 results throughout the season. They also made the 2017 Cup Playoffs and all the way to the Round of 8 before finishing in ninth place in the final standings.

    In 2018, Bullins and Blaney departed the Wood Brothers Racing and moved back to Team Penske in the Cup circuit. Together, Bullins and Blaney recorded a thrilling win at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval in September during the Playoffs. They also achieved three poles, eight top-five results and 16 top-10 results. Though they qualified for the Playoffs, Bullins and Blaney were eliminated from title contention following the Round of 12 and went on to finish in 10th place in the final standings. By then, Bullins surpassed 100 career starts in the Cup Series.

    The following season, Bullins and Blaney recorded another thrilling victory at Talladega Superspeedway in October during the Playoffs. To go along with a pole, 11 top-five results, 18 top-10 results and a third consecutive appearance in the Playoffs, the duo made it all the way to the Round of 8 before being eliminated from championship contention. Nonetheless, they ended up with a seventh-place result in the final standings.

    Despite a productive 2019 season, Team Penske decided to reshuffle its entire Cup driver-crew chief pairing for the 2020 season. The move ended up with Bullins being paired with Brad Keselowski and the No. 2 Ford Mustang team while Todd Gordon took over as Blaney’s new crew chief.

    Seven races into the 2020 season and amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Bullins achieved his first Cup victory with Keselowski in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway following a late restart. Two races later, the duo won again at Bristol Motor Speedway, where Keselowski dodged a late incident involving teammate Joey Logano and Chase Elliott.

    Bullins and Keselowski went on to claim dominating victories at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in August and at Richmond Raceway in September during the Playoffs. They made it all the way to the Championship Round at Phoenix Raceway, but ended up finishing in the runner-up spot on the track and in the final standings behind Elliott and crew chief Alan Gustafson.

    This season, Bullins and Keselowski are coming off a 13th-place result in the Daytona 500 following a vicious multi-car accident on the final lap, where Keselowski was in prime position of winning his first 500 title.

    In 199 previous starts in the Cup Series, Bullins has achieved seven career victories, six poles, 40 top-five results and 83 top-10 results, all while working with Blaney and Keselowski.

    Catch Bullins’ milestone start in the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series event at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course on Sunday, February 21, at 3 p.m. ET on FOX.

  • Nemechek joins Sam Hunt Racing for part-time Xfinity campaign

    Nemechek joins Sam Hunt Racing for part-time Xfinity campaign

    Sam Hunt Racing announced that John Hunter Nemechek will be competing in select NASCAR Xfinity Series races for the organization this season, beginning at Dover International Speedway in May.

    The 23-year-old native from Mooresville, North Carolina, is currently competing on a full-time basis in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for Kyle Busch Motorsports. He is coming off a seventh-place result in the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway.

    Nemechek, the son of NASCAR veteran Joe Nemechek, will be making his first start in the Xfinity Series since 2019, where he competed as a full-time competitor for GMS Racing. Through 51 career starts in the Xfinity Series, he has recorded one victory, which occurred at Kansas Speedway in October 2018 while driving for Chip Ganassi Racing. He has also recorded a pole, 12 top-five results and 30 top-10 results. He made the Xfinity Playoffs in 2019 and went on to finish in seventh place in the final standings.

    “I’m so excited for the opportunity to be able to run some races for [team owner] Sam Hunt,” Nemechek said. “It’s awesome to see what he’s done in such a short time, being such a young team owner in the sport. I think my experience and this team can accomplish a lot and I’m excited to see what happens! I can’t thank Sam, Toyota, and all of our partners enough for this opportunity and helping us put this together.”

    Sam Hunt Racing, which started as DRIVE Technology and competed in several seasons in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, made its first appearance in the Xfinity Series in the 2019 season-finale event at Homestead-Miami Speedway, with Colin Garrett behind the wheel of the team’s No. 26 Toyota and Brian Keselowski serving as crew chief. Starting 15th, Garrett went on to finish 21st of the 38-car field.

    In 2020, SHR moved up to the Xfinity Series on a part-time basis, fielding the No. 26 Toyota Supra. Garrett returned and competed in five Xfinity races for the team, Brandon Gdovic competed in two and Mason Diaz campaigned in the final two races of the season. The team’s best results were 12th place with Gdovic at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course and 14th with Garrett at Homestead-Miami Speedway during the series’ doubleheader feature in Miami.

    This season, SHR is coming off its first top-10 career result in the Xfinity Series, which was an eighth-place result in the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway accomplished by Gdovic.

    Nemechek is set to join names like Gdovic, Kris Wright and Santino Ferrucci as competitors slated to drive for SHR throughout this year’s Xfinity Series season.

    “I’m excited to have John Hunter come back to his roots and drive for our young team in 2021,” Hunt added. “He’s always been a mutual friend of mine, always been extremely friendly, and has always shown that he can maximize his equipment and represent his sponsors. Working with so many rookies this year, his experience and feedback will be invaluable to our program’s growth. I know he can help us just as much as we can help him, and I think it’s cool to see a guy like him so excited about joining our small team with intentions to improve it as a whole. The entire shop is extremely excited about it and I know he’ll be able to help us improve our cars throughout the year.”

    With Nemechek’s return to the series three months away, Sam Hunt Racing is set to compete in the upcoming NASCAR Xfinity Series event at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course with Kris Wright. The event will occur on Saturday, February 20, at 5 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • Austin Cindric wins the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300 at Daytona

    Austin Cindric wins the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300 at Daytona

    The NASCAR Xfinity Series held their season opener at Daytona International Speedway Saturday evening and if you wanted excitement it did not disappoint. Neither did Austin Cindric, reigning Xfinity Series Champion. He drove his No. 22 Penske Ford into Victory Lane. Not only did he win the race but he did it from the pole position but it was also his first-ever superspeedway win.

    “Oh my goodness what an awesome race!” he exclaimed, “ What a really fast ride, the 5G Mustang. Unbelievable effort by team Penske,” he smiled and said, “ I’m gonna try to do it again tomorrow!”

    Brett Moffitt tried his best to catch Cindric, but in the end, he just wasn’t able to get there. He brought his No. 02 Our Motorsports Chevy home in second place.

    “Once the 22 got up front, anytime I got within a car’s length, it just pushed him further forward,” said Moffitt, “Everyone on this team has worked very hard to make a small team into a successful team in a short amount of time.”

    Driving home in third place was Harrison Burton in his No.20 Joe Gibbs Toyota. Jeb Burton and A.J. Allmendinger would round out the top five. Brandon Brown, Myatt Snider, Brandon Gdovic, Daniel Hemric, and Jason White finished sixth through 10, respectively.

    Stage 1 only had a handful of cautions and most were single-car incidents. When it came down to the end of the stage Brandon Jones beat everyone to the line, winning the stage.

    Stage 2 had no caution laps and they pretty much all stayed in their line until it was the last lap of the stage which Moffitt would win. On the last lap a couple of cars got together as the stage was ending.

    Stage 3 is where you got your money’s worth.

    A few laps after the start Ty Dillon spun and caught Justin Allgaier. Lap 75 saw several cars get tangled together. Justin Currey, Noah Gragson, Michael Annett, along with a few others, were caught up in it with 14 cars in total either wrecked or with some damage. ‘The Big One’ didn’t happen until 11 laps to go and that net tangled a lot of fish. Allgaier, J. Burton, Brandon Jones, Chad Finchum, Daniel Hemric, included, just to name a few. The stage went into overtime and Cindric took the checkered flag to win the race.

    The NASCAR Xfinity Series will head to the Daytona Road Course, on Saturday, Feb. 20, for the second race of the season.

    Official Results:

    1. Austin Cindric
    2. Brett Moffitt
    3. Harrison Burton
    4. Jeb Burton
    5. AJ Allmendinger
    6. Brandon Brown
    7. Myatt Snider
    8. Brandon Gdovic
    9. Daniel Hemric
    10. Jason White
    11. Joe Graf Jr.
    12. Caesar Bacarella
    13. Stefan Parsons
    14. Ty Dillon
    15. Kyle Weatherman
    16. Matt Mills
    17. Jesse Little
    18. Ryan Vargas
    19. Danny Bohn
    20. Timmy Hill
    21. Josh Williams
    22. Jeremy Clements
    23. Landon Cassill
    24. Tommy Joe Martins
    25. Robby Lyons
    26. Riley Herbst
    27. Josh Berry
    28. Justin Allgaier
    29. Justin Haley
    30. Chad Finchum
    31. Ryan Sieg
    32. Noah Gragson
    33. Bayley Currey
    34. Gray Gaulding
    35. Colby Howard
    36. Michael Annett
    37. Jeffrey Earnhardt
    38. Brandon Jones
    39. Cody Ware
    40. Alex Labbe