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Byron to surpass 150 starts across NASCAR following Michigan

In the midst of his battle for a postseason berth this season, William Byron is also set to achieve a significant milestone of his racing career. By competing in the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series doubleheader races at Michigan International Speedway, Byron will reach and surpass 150 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series (Truck, Xfinity and Cup Series).

A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, and a student at Liberty University, Byron’s debut within NASCAR’s three major division series came in November 2015 at Phoenix Raceway and in the No. 9 Liberty University Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the NASCAR Truck Series. By then, he had achieved the 2015 NASCAR K&N Pro Series (ARCA) East championship and was named as a full-time driver for KBM for the 2016 Truck Series season. Byron’s Truck debut at Phoenix in 2015 was cut short six laps into the event following a multi-truck wreck.

Byron started the 2016 campaign with a 13th-place result at Daytona, which was followed by a 32nd-place result at Atlanta due to an engine failure and a third-place result at Martinsville Speedway. At Kansas Speedway in May, Byron benefitted from an accident on the final lap and final corner involving leaders Johnny Sauter and Ben Rhodes to achieve his first Truck Series career win in his fifth series start. Following his first victory, Byron’s season skyrocketed with sensational results that included wins at Texas Motor Speedway, Iowa Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Pocono Raceway and at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. By then, he was a member in the postseason and deemed a title favorite. Everything, however, came to a crushing defeat at Phoenix in November when Byron’s engine blew up and the mechanical issue prevented the Charlotte native and his No. 9 Toyota team from transferring to the Championship Round with an opportunity of winning the title. Despite the misfortune, he rebounded by winning the finale at Homestead and concluding the season in fifth in the final standings. Overall, Byron concluded the season with seven victories (the most among a Truck rookie candidate), three poles, 11 top-five results, 16 top-10 results, 727 laps led and an average result of 9.2. In addition, he was named the 2016 Truck Rookie of the Year as he also recorded the owners’ title for Kyle Busch Motorsports.

In August 2016, Byron signed a multi-year contract with Hendrick Motorsports that included an opportunity for him to race in the 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series season with JR Motorsports. Driving the No. 9 Liberty University/AXALTA Chevrolet Camaro led by crew chief Dave Elenz, Byron commenced his rookie Xfinity season with a ninth-place result at Daytona. Twelve races into the season, he finished in the top 10 six times. At Michigan in June, Byron was edged by Denny Hamlin by 0.012 seconds. The following race at Iowa Speedway, Byron was not to be denied as he scored his first Xfinity triumph. He responded again the following race by achieving his second series career victory at Daytona International Speedway. Three races later, Byron recorded another win of the season at Indianapolis Motor Speedway following an intense battle with Paul Menard. Through 31 of 33 Xfinity races, Byron recorded three victories, two poles, 10 top-five results and 20 top-10 results as he was also a member of the Playoffs. At Phoenix in November, Byron benefitted from a late two-tire pit stop to win and clinch his spot to the Championship Round at Homestead. During the finale at Homestead, Byron made a late pass on teammate and championship rival Elliott Sadler to finish in third place and achieve his first NASCAR Xfinity Series championship over Sadler, teammate Justin Allgaier and Daniel Hemric. In addition to achieving his first NASCAR Xfinity title and becoming the second rookie candidate to win the series title, Byron recorded the second championship for JR Motorsports.

The 2018 season provided a new start of Byron’s racing career as he graduated to the NASCAR Cup Series to pilot the iconic No. 24 AXALTA/Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 led by crew chief Darian Grubb. Byron started his rookie Cup season on a down note, finishing 23rd in the Daytona 500 and achieving one top-10 result through the first 18 races of the season. The end of July and beginning of August provided Byron’s highest moments of the season as he achieved back-to-back top-10 results at Pocono Raceway and at Watkins Glen International. Overall, Byron wrapped up his rookie Cup season with four top-10 results, 61 laps led and an average result of 22.1. He was also able to wrap up the 2018 Cup Rookie-of-the-Year title over Bubba Wallace.

In 2019, Byron was paired with seven-time championship-winning crew chief Chad Knaus, who was formerly with seven-time series champion Jimmie Johnson. The Charlotte native started a new season of racing on a high note by winning his first Cup career pole position for the 61st running of the Daytona 500. With his accomplishment, Byron became the third competitor to win the pole for the 500 driving the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. He led 44 laps throughout the 500 and was in position of posting a strong result until a late wreck left him in 21st place in the final running order. Byron’s highest result for the following five races was 15th at Auto Club Speedway in March. At Texas, where he made his 100th across NASCAR’s three major division series, Byron recorded his first top-10 result of the season (sixth). For the remaining 20 regular-season races, Byron achieved three top-five results, eight top-10 results and three additional poles as he made his first appearance as a Cup postseason contender. He went on to achieve four more top-10 results and another pole before concluding the season in a career-best 11th place in the standings. Though he did not win a race, Byron notched career-high stats that included five top-five results, 13 top-10 results, five poles, 233 laps led and a best average result of 14.9. His other highlight to the season was winning the first stage of the All-Star Open at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May in a photo finish over Bubba Wallace, a win that transferred Byron and the No. 24 team to the All-Star Race. He finished ninth in the main event.

This season, Byron started off with early momentum by winning the second Duel qualifying race at Daytona International Speedway and to line up in fourth place for the Daytona 500. He, however, finished last of the 40-car field following a wreck past the one-quarter mark of the race. Through the first 20 races of this season, he has achieved six top-10 results and an average result of 17.6. He is 15 points above the top-16 cutline with six regular-season races remaining until the 2020 Cup Playoffs field is determined.

In his 149 previous starts across NASCAR’s three major division series, Byron has achieved 11 wins, 10 poles, 28 top-five results, 61 top-10 results and over 1,300 laps led.

Catch Byron’s milestone start at Michigan on August 8 at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

August 5, 2020
Bell to reach 150 starts across NASCAR following Michigan

A significant milestone is in the making for Christopher Bell as the NASCAR Cup Series enters its upcoming doubleheader feature at Michigan International Speedway. By the time the Cup Series completes its two races at Michigan on back-to-back dates, Bell will achieve 150 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series (Truck, Xfinity and Cup Series).

A native of Norman, Oklahoma, who started his racing career on dirt and won the 2013 USAC National Midget Series title, Bell made his debut within NASCAR’s three major division series at Iowa Speedway in June 2015, driving the No. 51 Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports. Finishing in fifth place in his Truck debut, Bell returned for the upcoming races at Kentucky Speedway and at Eldora Speedway in KBM’s No. 54 Toyota Tundra. After finishing 17th at Kentucky, Bell achieved his first NASCAR Truck career win at Eldora after leading a race-high 106 of 154 laps and prevailing over a late battle with Bobby Pierce. He made four more Truck starts for the remainder of the 2015 season, notching one top-10 result at Texas Motor Speedway in November.

The following season, Bell was promoted as driver of the No. 4 JBL Toyota Tundra for KBM led by Jerry Baxter for the 2016 Truck Series season. In his first race in the No. 4 truck at Daytona International Speedway in February, Bell was involved in two separate incidents. He rallied from his incidents and was in position of recording a strong result until he was involved in a frightening accident on the final lap, where he barrel rolled nearly a dozen times past the start/finish line before coming to rest on all four wheels. He survived the incident and was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation. The following race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bell was leading in the closing laps until he blew a right-front tire and smacked the outside wall in Turn 4 at full speed. Despite the accident, Bell emerged uninjured. It took until June, nine races into the season, for Bell to achieve his second Truck Series career win, first on a paved track, at Gateway. In addition to winning at Gateway, Bell racked up nine top-five results, 17 top-10 results, 197 laps led and an average result of 9.5. He qualified for the postseason and made it all the way to the Championship Round at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where he settled in third place in the final standings.

In 2017, Bell remained with KBM but was paired with Ryan “Rudy” Fugle. Following an eighth-place finish at Daytona, Bell recorded his first victory of the season at Atlanta. Through 22 of 23 Truck races, Bell achieved five victories, five poles, 14 top-five results and 20 top-10 results. The results allowed Bell to make the postseason and all the way to the Championship Round at Homestead. At Homestead, Bell finished in the runner-up spot and clinched his first NASCAR Truck Series championship over Johnny Sauter, Austin Cindric and Matt Crafton. In addition to recording his first NASCAR title, he also recorded the second championship for Kyle Busch Motorsports. Throughout the 2017 season, Bell also made his eight NASCAR Xfinity Series career starts between the No. 18 and No. 20 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing. During the eight races, he recorded his first Xfinity career win at Kansas Speedway in October following a late dust-up with teammate Erik Jones. He also achieved three top-five results and five top-10 results.

The following season, Bell graduated to a full-time driving role in the Xfinity Series and in the No. 20 Rheem/GameStop Toyota for JGR led by crew chief Jason Ratcliff. Following the first seven races of the season, Bell recorded his first win of the season at Richmond in April following a late battle with Noah Gragson. In July, Bell made history as he notched three consecutive Xfinity wins at Kentucky Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and at Iowa Speedway. Thus, he became the first Xfinity competitor to win three consecutive races in a season since Dale Earnhardt Jr. made the last accomplishment in 1999. Qualifying for the Playoffs on the strength of his victories and consistent runs throughout the regular season, Bell achieved wins at Richmond Raceway, Dover International Speedway and at Phoenix Raceway to make the Championship Round at Homestead with an opportunity of winning his first Xfinity championship. For the finale, however, Bell suffered a flat right-rear tire in the final laps and finished 11th, thus finishing in fourth place in the final standings and missing the Rookie-of-the-Year title to the eventual champion Tyler Reddick. Nonetheless, Bell concluded the season on a positive note with seven wins, five poles, 18 top-five results, 20 top-10 results, 759 laps led and an average result of 11.1.

Bell remained in the Xfinity Series with JGR for the 2019 season. At Auto Club Speedway in March, Bell reached 100 starts between the Xfinity and Truck Series. Throughout the season, Bell was dominant as he earned victories at Atlanta, Bristol, Dover, Iowa, New Hampshire, Road America, Richmond and Texas, all while making the Playoffs and earning a spot for the Championship Round at Homestead. Though he came into the finale with momentum, he finished fifth at Homestead and concluded the season in third place in the final standings. Despite the result of not achieving his first Xfinity title, Bell recorded career-high stats that included eight wins, six poles, 20 top-five results, 21 top-10 results, 2,005 laps led and an average result of 9.1.

This season started off on a fresh note for Bell, who graduated to the NASCAR Cup Series to drive the No. 95 Toyota Camry for Leavine Family Racing led by Ratcliff. Through last weekend’s Cup race at New Hampshire, the first 20 races of his Cup career, Bell has achieved one top-five result, five top-10 results, four laps led and an average result of 20.4. He is currently ranked in 23rd in the regular-season standings and is 129 points below the top-16 cutline with six regular-season races remaining until the 2020 Cup Playoffs field is determined.

All told, Bell has recorded 23 wins, 18 poles, 68 top-five results, 92 top-10 results and over 4,100 laps led in his previous 148 starts between NASCAR’s three major division series.

Catch Bell’s milestone start at Michigan on August 9, which will occur at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

August 5, 2020
Austin Dillon to surpass 250 Cup starts following Michigan

When Austin Dillon completes this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series doubleheader races at Michigan International Speedway, he will achieve a significant milestone of his racing career. By taking the green flag for the first Michigan race on Saturday, August 8, Dillon will reach 250 starts as a Cup competitor. He will then surpass his 250th start the following day on Sunday, August 9.

A native of Welcome, North Carolina, and the eldest grandson of NASCAR championship owner and Hall of Famer Richard Childress, Dillon made his debut in NASCAR’s premier series at Kansas Speedway in October 2011, driving the No. 98 Curb Agajanian/Reagan Centennial/Camping World/Curb Records Chevrolet. By then, he was a full-time NASCAR Truck Series competitor for Richard Childress Racing and vying for the championship in the iconic No. 3 Chevrolet Silverado. He started and finished 26th in his Cup debut.

The following season, Dillon made one Cup start at Michigan International Speedway in June. By then, he had achieved the 2011 Truck Series championship and was a rookie Xfinity Series competitor for RCR in the No. 3 Chevrolet Impala. Driving the No. 33 American Ethanol Chevrolet for RCR and led by veteran crew chief Gil Martin, Dillon started 22nd and finished 24th.

In 2013, while entered as a full-time Xfinity Series competitor, Dillon made his first Daytona 500 career start in February. Driving the No. 33 Honey Nut Cheerios/Kroger Chevrolet SS for RCR, Dillon started in eighth and finished 31st. Over the course of the season, he competed in four more Cup races in RCR’s No. 33 Chevrolet and in four races in Phoenix Racing’s No. 51 Chevrolet. He also made two starts in the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing as an interim competitor, filling in for the injured Tony Stewart. His best Cup result throughout the 2013 season was an 11th-place run at Michigan in June. At Talladega Superspeedway in October, while driving Stewart’s No. 14 Chevrolet, Dillon was running in third place on the final lap and was prepared to establish a race-winning move until he was involved in an accident on the final lap, where he was launched in the air after being hit by Casey Mears before he landed on the ground on all four tires. He ended his race in 26th place.

In December 2013, a month after winning his first Xfinity Series championship, Dillon was named driver of the No. 3 Dow Chemicals/Cheerios/Bass Pro Shops/American Ethanol Chevrolet SS for the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series season led by Gil Martin. Dillon’s entrance as a rookie Cup candidate also marked the return of the No. 3 car in NASCAR’s premier series since the 2001 Daytona 500, where the sport’s icon Dale Earnhardt lost his life following an accident on the final lap and where Childress opted to retire the number following the race.

Dillon’s first run in the No. 3 Chevrolet in the Cup Series started off on a high note by winning the pole position for the 2014 Daytona 500 with a pole-winning lap at 196.019 mph. Dillon’s accomplishment marked the first time the No. 3 car started on pole for the Daytona 500 since 1996 as he also became the 40th competitor to start on pole position for the 500, fourth to do so driving the No. 3 car. He also became the fifth rookie candidate to start on pole position for the Daytona 500 and the youngest pole winner of the 500 at age 23 years, nine months and 27 days old (a record that was supplanted in 2016 by Chase Elliott). During the main event, Dillon rallied from being involved in a late multi-car wreck to finish ninth. Throughout his rookie season, Dillon achieved one top-five result, four top-10 results, 10 laps led and an average result of 17.5. He concluded the season in 20th in the final standings and fell short of the Rookie-of-the-Year title to Kyle Larson.

For the first 15 races of the 2015 season, Dillon achieved only one top-10 result and was situated in 23rd in the regular-season standings. The following race at Sonoma Raceway, veteran Richard “Slugger” Labbe replaced Gil Martin as Dillon’s crew chief. The following race at Daytona International Speedway, Dillon was involved in a harrowing accident on the final lap on the frontstretch, when he was launched into the air past the finish line and smashed into the catchfence before coming to rest on his roof and being hit by a spinning Brad Keselowski. Despite the accident that demolished the No. 3 Chevrolet, Dillon emerged with a bruised tailbone and forearm. Amazingly, he was able to finish in seventh place before the wreck. Finishing the year with Labbe, Dillon recorded a top-five result, four more top-10 results and an average result of 21.0. He concluded the season in 21st in the final standings.

Dillon started off the 2016 on a strong note, finishing ninth in the Daytona 500 before achieving two back-to-back top-10 results at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and at Phoenix. He went on to achieve his second Cup career pole at Auto Club Speedway in March before finishing fourth at Martinsville Speedway in April. By then, with four top-10 finishes under his belt, Dillon was ranked in seventh in the regular-season standings. Dillon went on to record six additional top-10 results and enough consistent results to make his first appearance in the Playoffs. By then, he also surpassed 100 Cup career starts. Dillon would conclude the season in 14th in the final standings, but he achieved a career-high four top-five results, a career-high 13 top-10 results, two poles and a best average result of 15.9.

For the first 11 races of the 2017 Cup season, Dillon achieved only one top-five result and was situated in 22nd in the regular-season standings. For the upcoming race, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Justin Alexander replaced Slugger Labbe as Dillon’s crew chief. In his first race with Alexander, Dillon survived on low fuel to achieve his elusive first Cup career win at his home track and in his 133rd series start. To August 2020, Dillon is one of 33 competitors to win across NASCAR’s three major division series. The victory marked the first since October 2000 where the No. 3 car won a Cup race and it guaranteed Dillon’s team a spot in the 2017 Playoffs. Finishing the year off with Alexander, Dillon achieved three top-five results, four top-10 results and an average result of 18.6 before concluding the season in a career-high 11th place.

The 2018 season started off on a high note for Dillon, where he dodged a late carnage and took the lead on the final lap following an incident with Aric Almirola to win the 60th running of the Daytona 500. In addition to achieving his second Cup career win and becoming the 39th driver to win NASCAR’s prestigious event, Dillon’s first Daytona 500 triumph came on the 20th anniversary where the late Dale Earnhardt won his first and only Daytona 500 in 1998. The 500 win was also the first for RCR since 2007 and in the first Cup race for the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. For the remainder of the season, Dillon achieved another top-five result and seven more top-10 results along with an average result of 17.5 before he concluded the season in 13th in the final standings.

In 2019, Dillon reunited with crew chief Danny Stockman Jr., whom he won the 2011 Truck and 2013 Xfinity titles with Dillon. Following the first seven races of the year, Dillon reached 200 Cup career starts at Texas Motor Speedway in March. Though he won three poles, he achieved six top-10 results and an average result of 19.5. Missing the 2019 Playoffs, Dillon concluded the season in 21st in the final standings.

This season, reuniting with Alexander, Dillon has achieved two top-five results, five top-10 results and an average result of 16.7 through the first 20 Cup races. He has also recorded a win, third of his career, at Texas Motor Speedway in July and is one of 10 competitors to be guaranteed a spot for the 2020 Playoffs.

Catch Dillon’s milestone start in the first Michigan International Speedway race on August 8, which will air at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

August 5, 2020
Greg Ives to reach 200 Cup starts as crew chief following Michigan

A significant milestone is in the making this weekend for Greg Ives, crew chief of the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE driven by Alex Bowman in the NASCAR Cup Series. When the Cup Series completes its upcoming doubleheader races at Michigan International Speedway, Ives will achieve 200 starts in NASCAR’s premier series as a crew chief.

A native of Bark River, Michigan, Ives graduated from Michigan Technological University with an engineering degree in 2003 and joined Hendrick Motorsports as a mechanic for the No. 24 Chevrolet team driven by Jeff Gordon the following year. As a lead engineer for the No. 48 Chevrolet team driven by Jimmie Johnson and led by crew chief Chad Knaus, Ives was part of Johnson’s historic run of winning five consecutive Cup championships from 2006 to 2010.

Following the 2012 season, Ives spent the next two seasons in the NASCAR Xfinity Series as a crew chief for Regan Smith in 2013 and rookie Chase Elliott in 2014. In his two-year role as crew chief, Ives achieved his first five career wins, two poles, 23 top-five results and 44 top-10 results. In addition, he achieved his first NASCAR championship in 2014 with Elliott.

In July 2014, Ives was named crew chief for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS team for the 2015 NASCAR Cup Series season following the departure of veteran Steve Letarte, who joined NBC Sports as an analyst. Nine races into his rookie season as a Cup crew chief, Ives notched his first career win with Earnhardt Jr. in May 2015 at Talladega Superspeedway, the same venue where he also achieved his first Xfinity career win in 2013 with Regan Smith. Throughout the 2015 season, the combo also won at Daytona International Speedway in July and at Phoenix Raceway in November while racking up 16 top-five results and 22 top-10 results. When the final checkered flag of the 2015 Cup season waved, they concluded the season in 12th in the final standings.

The 2016 season was an eventful season for Ives and the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team. For the first 18 races, Earnhardt Jr. drove the No. 88 car to five top-five results and six top-10 results, and they were situated in 13th place in the regular-season standings. The following race, however, Earnhardt Jr. was sidelined due to suffering concussion-like symptoms. When Earnhardt Jr. opted out of racing for the remainder of the 2016 season, Ives worked with Alex Bowman and Jeff Gordon for the final 18 races. With Gordon, the No. 88 team achieved two top-10 results and seven laps led. With Bowman, the team achieved a pole position at Phoenix in November along with three top-10 results and 200 laps led.

In 2017, Ives reunited with Earnhardt Jr. with Earnhardt receiving medical clearance to return to racing. Following the first eight races of the season, where the combo only achieved one top-five result, Earnhardt Jr. announced his retirement from full-time NASCAR racing following the 2017 season. Three months later, Bowman was named as Earnhardt Jr.’s successor of the No. 88 Chevrolet with Ives to continue to lead the team. Throughout the 2017 season, though he was absent for two races, Ives achieved one top-five result, eight top-10 results and two poles with Earnhardt Jr. before concluding the season in 21st in the final standings. By then, he surpassed 100 Cup starts as a crew chief.

In 2018, following Earnhardt Jr.’s retirement and with Bowman behind the wheel of the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro, the combo started off on a high note by winning the pole position for the Daytona 500. Throughout the season, however, Bowman and Ives achieved three top-five results and 11 top-10 results. Though they made the Playoffs, they concluded the season in 16th in the final standings.

The following season, it took until the first 16 races into the new season for Bowman to achieve his first Cup career win at Chicagoland Speedway in June. Bowman’s victory also snapped a three-year winless drought for Ives and the No. 88 team since their last victory in November 2015. Throughout the 2019 season, the two achieved seven top-five results and 12 top-10 results as they made the Playoffs again before concluding the season in 12th in the final standings, four spots higher than the previous season.

Through the first 20 races of this season, Bowman and Ives have achieved one victory at Auto Club Speedway in March. They have also achieved two top-five results and six top-10 results, and they are one of 10 teams to be guaranteed a spot in the 2020 Cup Playoffs. Heading into this weekend’s doubleheader races at Michigan, Ives’ home track, the U.P. native has achieved five career wins, four poles, 34 top-five results and 70 top-10 results in his sixth year as a Cup crew chief for Hendrick Motorsports.

Catch Greg Ives’ milestone at Michigan on August 9 at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

August 5, 2020
NASCAR Xfinity Series Power Rankings-Kansas
The Xfinity Series drove to the heartland this past weekend in an unexpected trip to Kansas Speedway in the middle of July. The series is normally used to racing there in the fall on a normal schedule. However, due to rising cases in Chicago, Saturday’s race replaced the canceled Chicago race.

While it was unexpected for Xfinity Series drivers, the slick track conditions and hot temperatures allowed series regulars to have a great showing. Even though Austin Cindric led the most laps, consistent battles took place behind him, and numerous pit strategies were all over the place. But a late race caution flew that jumbled the field. At one point it looked as though Harrison Burton would come home with the checkered flag, but the win actually went to his teammate Brandon Jones who passed Cindric on a late race restart.

With Jones earning his second win of the season, he now has some solid points to push him through at least the first couple of rounds of the Playoffs. As Jones celebrates, we’ll highlight other Xfinity Series regulars in this week’s Power Rankings.
1. Austin Cindric – A late race caution ruined his chance of winning for the fourth consecutive time this season but you can’t overlook the effort. The Team Penske driver dominated by leading a race high of 131 laps and sweeping both stages. Had it not been for the late caution or getting passed by Harrison Burton, Cindric could very well have his fourth win of the season. He’ll have another chance to get a checkered flag in his wheelhouse at Road America in a couple of weeks.
  
  Previous Week Ranking – First
2. Harrison Burton – Once the final round of green flag pit stops cycled out, Burton chased down Cindric for the lead and more than likely could have taken home the checkered flag if it wasn’t for the late caution. Still, Burton wound up third on the leaderboard at the end of the day after leading eight laps, and a solid outing of third and second in both stages, respectively.
  
  Previous Week Ranking – Fourth
3. Ryan Sieg – Sieg played pit strategy by staying out when the caution came late. He was scored as the race leader when the overtime restart occurred. By not having new tires, the cautions saved the team and allowed them to achieve their third top five of the year. In addition, the Georgia team led 25 laps. Not bad for Sieg and the No. 39 team.
  
  Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked
4. Ross Chastain – Chastain came home with his seventh top five of the 2020 Xfinity Series season last Saturday. The Floridian couldn’t win a stage but gained points by finishing second and fourth in both stages. Chastain had a couple of chances to score the victory but was unsuccessful in doing so.
  
  Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked
5. Justin Allgaier – A 10th place finish might be disappointing for Allgaier and the No. 7 JR Motorsports entry but the effort was there throughout the race. He was pretty much quiet and didn’t make much noise, however, Allgaier capitalized on the stages with finishes of fifth and third before winding up with his ninth top 10 of the year.
  
  Previous Week Ranking – Third
Fell Out:
1. Noah Gragson – Gragson had a forgettable 15th place finish following his run at Kansas. He was only able to earn a stage finish of 10th in Stage 2 before pit strategy and late yellows ruined any chances of gaining a respectable finish. The last two weeks have not been kind to the Las Vegas native after crashing at Texas and placing 30th.
  
  Previous Week Ranking – Fifth
2. Chase Briscoe – It was a disappointing finish for Briscoe who came home in the 14th position due to slightly brushing the Turn 3 and 4 wall with just a few laps remaining in Saturday’s event. On the upside, the Stewart-Haas driver did gain stage points by placing seventh in Stage 2.
Previous Week Ranking – Second
July 28, 2020
Brandon Jones makes last-lap pass for the win at Kansas

The NASCAR Xfinity Series was at Kansas Speedway today for the Kansas Lottery 250. Today’s race proved that it’s not over until the Checkered flag waives. The two dominant cars all day were those of Austin Cindric and Harrison Burton, however, neither of them were victorious. On what would be the last caution, Brandon Jones drove by them all in his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and took the win. This is his third career win and his second consecutive win at Kansas Speedway.

“That’s what I love about these guys, they keep their head in the game and don’t get too excited,” Jones said. “We continued to make changes, my feedback I think was pretty good all day.” He added, “It’s good to get back to victory lane I’m looking forward to celebrating with these guys. This shows how we’ve been running good a lot.”

Cindric who dominated the race leading 132 laps of 147 finished in the second spot.

“I think to give credit when it’s due and H. Burton was the fastest guy today. He ran me down twice under the green flag, I hate for him to lose.” He continued, “It’s like that, but that’s racing and there’s going to be late cautions. Brandon did everything right. I got too caught up in clearing the 39.” He sighed and said, “I really wanted to get four in a row, overall it was a really solid day.”

Burton who came in third place after battling with Cindric all day long, said, “It’s frustrating, I feel like our team did everything right. I learned a lot from Denny Hamlin on what you try to do mentally and tried to use some of that on Cindric. I messed up on the last restart we were in a bad situation behind the 39.” He added, “I need to do better to take advantage of the situation and still get a win. I’m really proud of our speed, just wasn’t enough.”

Stage 1 only had one caution and that was the competition caution at Lap 20. There was some great racing between Cindric and Burton but it was Cindric who would win the stage.

Stage 2 went flag to flag without any cautions. Once again it was Cindric and Burton in a battle for first. Once again Cindric won the stage.

Stage 3 seemed like a repeat of stages 1 & 2 but down to the wire, the caution flag flew putting the race into overtime. When the race restarted another minor caution occurred and got everyone lined up but Sieg who stayed out on old tires. They were four and five wide trying to get to the front and seemingly out of nowhere came Jones to take the win.

Ryan Sieg and Ross Chastain would round out the top five. Justin Haley, Daniel Hemric, Michael Annett, Riley Herbst and Justin Allgaier finished sixth through 10, respectively.

Cindric leads the Xfinity Series Standings with 722 points. Chase Briscoe is in second with 718 points, Noah Gragson is in third with 666 points, Chastain is in fourth with 662, and Justin Haley rounds out the top five with 592 points.

The Xfinity Series heads next to Road America on August 8.

July 25, 2020
Lally to run two Xfinity road course races in August

Veteran sports car competitor Andy Lally announced that he will return to compete in two NASCAR Xfinity Series races this season. Lally, who will be driving the No. 02 Our Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro, will be racing at Road America on August 8 followed by the Daytona International Speedway Road Course on August 15. Joe Williams will serve as his crew chief.

Lally is a five-time Rolex 24 at Daytona class winner, where he has also won the 2001 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series SRPII class championship, the 2004 Grand Am SGS class title and the 2006 Grand AM GT class title. He has won 27 Rolex Grand-Am Sports Car Series races, none since 2013, and two American Le Mans Series races, both in 2010. To July 2020, he races in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for Magnus Racing.

Lally has made 63 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series, (Cup, Xfinity and Truck Series), and he won the 2011 Cup Rookie-of-the-Year title, with a best result of 19th at Talladega Superspeedway during his rookie Cup season. His best result in NASCAR was a fifth-place result at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in the Xfinity Series while driving for team owner Bobby Dotter. He has also recorded top-10 results in the series at Watkins Glen in 2017, Road America in 2014, Mid-Ohio in 2016 and at Road America in 2018.

The last time Lally raced in the NASCAR Xfinity Series was in 2018, where he competed at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Road America and the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval for team owner Mario Gosselin. He finished 15th at Mid-Ohio and 10th at Road America before finishing 37th at the Roval due to a crash.

In addition to his return, Lally is also set to become the fourth competitor to pilot the No. 02 Chevrolet Camaro for Our Motorsports, which made its debut as a full-time Xfinity team this year. The 2018 NASCAR Truck Series champion Brett Moffitt has competed with the team in 14 of the 16 races this season, having scored four top-10 results and a career-best finish of fifth place at Talladega in June. He is set to start in 23rd place on Saturday, July 25, at Kansas Speedway for the Kansas Lottery 250. Patrick Emerling and Jairo Avila Jr. have also made a start for the team at Bristol Motor Speedway and at Homestead-Miami Speedway in June.

Catch Lally’s return to NASCAR at Road America on Saturday, August 8, at noon ET on NBCSN followed by the inaugural Xfinity Series race at Daytona’s Road Course on Saturday, August 15, at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

July 22, 2020
Annett to start on pole at Kansas

For the second week in a row, Michael Annett and his No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro will start on pole position by virtue of a random draw for a NASCAR Xfinity Series race. With his sixth top-five starting spot since May amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Des Moines, Iowa, veteran will lead the field to the start of the Kansas Lottery 250 at Kansas Speedway on Saturday, July 25.

Annett, who is currently in his fourth season driving for JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series, becomes the third series competitor to start on the pole in multiple races by virtue of a random draw since May. He also retains one of six vacant spots to the 2020 Xfinity Playoffs by 164 points.

Joining Annett on the front row is Brandon Jones, who recorded his first Xfinity win at Kansas last October. Kaz Grala, who will make his first start of this season, will start third followed by Austin Cindric, winner of the last three Xfinity races. Rookie Harrison Burton will start fifth followed by regular-season points leader Chase Briscoe. Ross Chastain, rookie Riley Herbst, Daniel Hemric and teammate Noah Gragson will start in the top 10 followed by teammate Justin Allgaier and Justin Haley.

Starting in positions 13-25 are Jeffrey Earnhardt, rookie Jesse Little, David Starr, Ryan Sieg, Jeremy Clements, Dexter Bean, Alex Labbe, B.J. McLeod, Timmy Hill, Brandon Brown, Brett Moffitt, Josh Williams and Stephen Leicht.

Starting in positions 26-37 are Ja Junior Avila, Bayley Currey, Tommy Joe Martins, rookie Kody Vanderwal, Ryan Vargas, Chad Finchum, Matt Mills, rookie Myatt Snider, rookie Joe Graf Jr., Kyle Weatherman, Vinnie Miller and Colin Garrett.

The Kansas Lottery 250 at Kansas Speedway will commence on July 25 at 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

July 22, 2020
Jones to make 250th start across NASCAR at Kansas

When the NASCAR Cup Series competes in the Super Start Batteries 400 at Kansas Speedway on Thursday, July 23, Erik Jones will reach a significant milestone of his racing career. By starting this week’s race at Kansas, Jones will reach 250 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series.

A native of Byron, Michigan, Jones’ racing career started at age seven in quarter-midget racing. From quarter midgets to Late Models, the CRA All-Star Tour and the ARCA Racing Series, Jones gained the attention of NASCAR Cup Series competitor Kyle Busch in December 2012, whom Jones beat to win the Snowball Derby. The following season, Jones made his first appearance within NASCAR’s three major division series when Kyle Busch Motorsports signed Jones to a five-race Truck Series deal in the No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota Tundra. Racing at Martinsville Speedway, Rockingham Speedway and in two Iowa Speedway races, Jones achieved top-10 results in all of his starts. In November, Jones prevailed in a late battle with Ross Chastain to record his first Truck Series career win at Phoenix International Raceway. Prior to September 2014, Jones was the youngest winner across NASCAR’s major series at age 17 years, five months and eight days old. Jones’ win at Phoenix contributed to KBM’s No. 51 Toyota team winning the owners’ championship in a tie-breaker against eventual champion Matt Crafton and ThorSport Racing.

In 2014, Jones competed in 12 Truck races with KBM and made his first three NASCAR Xfinity Series starts in the No. 20 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing. In the Truck Series, Jones won three races and recorded two poles, five top-five results and eight top-10 results as he contributed to winning the second consecutive Truck owners’ title for KBM. Racing at Chicagoland Speedway in July, Bristol Motor Speedway in August and at Phoenix International Speedway in November, all in the Xfinity Series, Jones finished in the top 10.

In 2015, Jones expanded his racing schedule by competing the entire 23-race schedule in the Truck Series for KBM and in 23 Xfinity Series races for JGR. In the Xfinity Series, Jones recorded his first career win at Texas Motor Speedway in April after beating Brad Keselowski and Dale Earnhardt Jr. He won his second race at Chicagoland in June and went on to record three poles, 13 top-five results and 17 top-10 results. In the Truck Series, Jones achieved three wins, five poles, 11 top-five results and 20 top-10 results as he beat Tyler Reddick and Crafton to win the 2015 Truck Series championship. With his title, Jones became the youngest Truck Series champion at age 19 years, five months and 20 days old as he also recorded the first drivers’ title for Kyle Busch Motorsports.

To go along with his eventful 2015 schedule, Jones turned in his first laps in the NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol in April, where he served as a relief competitor for Denny Hamlin, who relinquished his seat to Jones due to neck spasms. While Jones finished 26th, Hamlin was credited with the result and the points since he started the race. Jones made his official Cup debut at Kansas Speedway in May, driving the No. 18 M&M’s/Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry as an interim competitor for the injured and eventual series champion Kyle Busch. Despite having a strong run, where he ran within the top five, Jones was involved in a late single-car incident in Turn 4 and settled in 40th. In November, Jones competed in two races in JGR’s No. 20 DeWalt/Dollar General Toyota Camry at Texas Motor Speedway and at Phoenix, replacing Matt Kenseth, who was suspended for deliberately wrecking Joey Logano the previous race at Martinsville Speedway. Jones finished 12th at Texas and 19th at Phoenix.

The following season, Jones moved up to the NASCAR Xfinity Series in Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 Toyota Camry. Throughout the 33-race schedule, Jones won four races, two Dash 4 Cash bonuses and nine poles as he also achieved 15 top-five results and 20 top-10 results. He made the inaugural Championship Round, but finished fourth in the final standings after finishing ninth in the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Though he did not achieve his first Xfinity title, he was named the 2016 Rookie-of-the-Year in the series. By then, he had surpassed 100 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series as he also made one Truck start at Gateway Motorsports Park in June for Kyle Busch Motorsports, where he finished fifth.

In 2017, Jones graduated to the Cup Series and was named driver of the No. 77 5-Hour Energy Toyota Camry for Furniture Row Racing, which marks the first and only time FRR expanded to a two-car operation. Throughout his rookie Cup season, Jones recorded his first career pole along with five top-five results and 14 top-10 results. His best performances were at Michigan International Speedway and at Bristol in August. He finished third at Michigan, his home track, and dominated the following race at Bristol, leading a race-high 260 laps from the pole before he was overtaken by Kyle Busch in the closing laps and settled in second. Despite not recording a win throughout the season nor making the Playoffs, Jones beat Daniel Suarez to claim the Rookie-of-the-Year title. With his accomplishment, Jones also became the first NASCAR competitor to achieve the Rookie-of-the-Year title across NASCAR’s three major division series. He also competed in 18 Xfinity races for JGR, where he won three races and swept both Texas races.

The following season, Jones replaced Matt Kenseth as driver of the No. 20 Toyota Camry for JGR. Through the first 17 races, Jones finished in the top 10 seven times and was ranked in 14th in the regular-season standings. The following week in July, Jones survived a carnage-filled night to beat former teammate/reigning champion Martin Truex Jr. and achieve his first NASCAR Cup career win at Daytona International Speedway. To July 2020, Jones is one of 33 competitors to record a victory across NASCAR’s three major division series. At the time of his win, he also became the ninth Cup competitor to win driving for Joe Gibbs Racing. The victory guaranteed a spot in the Playoffs for Jones, crew chief Chris Gayle and the No. 20 team. Jones, however, achieved one pole and 10 top-10 results for the remainder of the season as he concluded the year in 15th in the final standings. While he did not compete in any Xfinity race, he made one start in the Truck Series at Pocono Raceway in July as a relief competitor for Noah Gragson. He finished in the runner-up spot following a late battle with Kyle Busch.

Jones remained with JGR in the Cup Series for the 2019 season. Throughout last season, Jones recorded his second Cup career win in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway in September, a victory that guaranteed the Michigan native a spot in the Playoffs for the second consecutive year. In addition, Jones recorded 10 top-five results and 17 top-10 results before concluding the year in 16th in the final standings. When the 2019 season concluded, Jones had surpassed 200 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series as he also made one Xfinity start during the season at Bristol in August, where he finished 37th in XCI Racing’s No. 81 Toyota Supra after being involved in an early accident.

Through the first 18 Cup races of this season, Jones has recorded four top-five results and seven top-10 results. He is ranked 18th in the regular-season standings and is 24 points below the top-16 cutline in an effort to make his third consecutive Cup Playoffs appearance. His lone highlight to this season has been winning the non-points Busch Clash at Daytona in February, where he rallied from being involved in three multi-car wrecks to receive a push from teammate Denny Hamlin on the final lap and pull away to win with a wrecked car.

Catch Jones’ milestone start in NASCAR in the Super Start Batteries 400 at Kansas on July 23 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

July 21, 2020
Matt McCall set for 200th Cup race as crew chief at Kansas

When the green flag waves on Thursday, July 23, for the Super Start Batteries 400 at Kansas Speedway, Matt McCall will achieve a significant milestone of his racing career. McCall, who currently serves as crew chief for Kurt Busch and the No. 1 Monster Energy/Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE team, will reach 200 starts as a Cup crew chief.

A native of Denver, North Carolina, and a graduate from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a major in mechanical engineering, McCall started his racing career at age nine as a go-kart driver. He would go on to win the 2004 Super Sport track championship at Hickory Motor Speedway. He also achieved two UARA-Stars titles in 2005 and 2009. In October 2003, he made his NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series debut at Martinsville Speedway. Driving the No. 56 Denver Marine/Hot Wheels Chevrolet for Danny McCall, Matt McCall finished 21st, two laps behind, in his series debut.

In 2006, McCall competed in five NASCAR Xfinity Series races and two ARCA Menards Series races. In February, driving the No. 55 CitiFinancial Ford for Yates Racing, McCall started and finished in the runner-up spot behind veteran Bobby Gerhart at Daytona International Speedway in his ARCA debut. His other ARCA start was at Kentucky Speedway in May, where he started fifth and finished third. McCall’s first Xfinity race was at Bristol Motor Speedway in March, where he qualified 21st and finished 24th in Yates Racing’s No. 90 CitiFinancial Ford. His other four Xfinity starts came at Nashville Superspeedway in April, Dover International Speedway in June, Nashville in June and at Martinsville Speedway in July, where his respective finishes were 42nd, 41st, 34th and 26th.

After being released from Yates Racing, McCall joined Richard Childress Racing as a race engineer. In July 2013, McCall served as an interim crew chief for veteran Jeff Burton and the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet team in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In McCall’s first NASCAR race as a crew chief, Burton finished 43rd, last place, due to a mechanical issue. McCall also made one Truck start at Bristol Motor Speedway in August and in the No. 92 BTS Tire & Wheel Distributors Chevrolet for team owner Ricky Benton, where he started 27th and finished 22nd.

Following the 2014 season, McCall departed RCR and joined Chip Ganassi Racing to serve as a Cup Series crew chief for Jamie McMurray and the No. 1 McDonald’s/Cessna Chevrolet team. In McCall’s first full season as crew chief, McMurray achieved four top-five results, 10 top-10 results and made his first Chase for the Cup before settling in 13th in the final standings and despite achieving no wins throughout the season. Between 2016 and 2017, McMurray and McCall did not win, but they achieved a combined five top-five results, 29 top-10 results and made the Chase in both seasons, finishing 13th in the 2016 standings and 12th in the 2017 standings. In 2018, McMurray and McCall did not win and they did not make the Playoffs as they only achieved two top-five results, eight top-10 results and a final points result of 20th.

In 2019, McCall remained with Chip Ganassi Racing, but was paired with the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kurt Busch, who replaced McMurray as driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet with Monster Energy sponsoring him. For the first 17 Cup races of the season, McCall and Busch achieved four top-five results, two runner-up results, nine top-10 results. The following race at Daytona International Speedway, Busch and McCall were in position to win before they, along with others, decided to pit late in the race for tires and fuel. The strategy, however, did not fall into the favors for Busch when a lightning strike near Daytona paused and eventually, made the race official as Busch was scored back in 10th.

The following race at Kentucky Speedway, McCall achieved his first NASCAR Cup Series win as a crew chief when Kurt Busch held off brother, Kyle, in a two-lap shootout to grab a thrilling win, a victory that guaranteed Busch and the No. 1 team a spot in the 2019 Cup Playoffs. Busch and McCall would record seven more top-10 results for the remainder of the season before settling in 13th in the final standings. The combo also achieved three stage wins throughout the 2019 season.

Through the first 18 Cup races of this season, McCall and Busch have achieved a pole, a stage win, four top-five results and 11 top-10 results. They are ranked ninth in the regular-season standings and are 108 points above the top-16 cutline to the Playoffs.

Catch McCall’s milestone start in the Super Start Batteries 400 at Kansas Speedway on July 23 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

July 21, 2020