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  • NASCAR Xfinity Series Power Rankings-Texas

    NASCAR Xfinity Series Power Rankings-Texas

    The NASCAR Xfinity Series came to Texas Motor Speedway Saturday afternoon for the 16th race of the season.

    The all-time wins list leader Kyle Busch was back in the field and as expected, he originally won the My Bariatric Solutions 300. Unfortunately, he failed post-race tech inspection due to the ride height rule and had his win taken away. Instead, the win was given to the second-place finisher Austin Cindric, who picked up his third consecutive win of the year. Even though Cindric was given the win, the victory shouldn’t come as a surprise to race fans as he led 44 laps in pursuit of victory.

    While Cindric continued to enjoy some late-season momentum, Noah Gragson had his work cut out for him after he made contact with competitor Riley Herbst. The contact sent Herbst out of the race and he was credited with a 36th place position. Gragson would continue on for a few more laps, but coming out of the care center, Herbst noted ‘he (Gragson) has one coming to him.’ When the Playoffs start, Gragson will have to work harder to make it to the Championship 4 since previous drivers he has had run-ins with could make it that much more difficult on him. Gragson’s day would eventually come to end early on Lap 118 when he crashed in Turn 3.

    Despite Gragson’s misfortune, we’ll take a look at drivers in this week’s Power Rankings and analyze if any of them capitalized on the race.

    1. Austin Cindric – Another week, another win, for Cindric who became the eventual race winner. The Team Penske driver has been on fire as of late after securing his first oval wins at Kentucky Speedway the week before. In Saturday’s event, Cindric led 44 laps and finished third in Stage 1 and second in Stage 2. After the running, Cindric picked up 57 points overall, which could come in handy when the chase for the championship rolls around.

      Previous Week Ranking – First
    2. Chase Briscoe – Briscoe scored a second-place finish after 300 miles. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver finished fourth in Stage 1 and fifth in Stage 2. He did manage to lead 15 laps before having to pit during a green flag pit cycle and gave up track position. But Briscoe caught a lucky break with a late-race caution and had another opportunity to earn a better finish. Ultimately, the top-five finish was Briscoe’s 10th of the year.

      Previous Week Ranking – Second
    3. Justin Allgaier – Allgaier stays in the third spot again this week after bringing the No. 7 JR Motorsports machine to a third-place finish. The Illinois native led 98 laps (a race high) and won both of the stages. While Allgaier couldn’t get the win, Saturday’s outing is an example of what will get you through to the Playoffs, being up front, leading laps and winning the stages. It was a great points day for Allgaier.

      Previous Week Ranking – Third
    4. Harrison Burton – Burton shined a couple of times before settling in the fourth position. The finish was much needed after Kentucky the week prior to Texas. Burton led 17 laps and earned stage finishes of fifth and sixth, respectively. By placing in the top five, Burton grabbed his eighth top-five of the year. He currently sits seventh in the championship points standings.

      Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked
    5. Noah Gragson – Before Gragson’s day got cut short, he did have a respectable run and finished sixth in Stage 1 and fourth in Stage 2. Though Gragson is not making too many friends out on the track, as it appears he’s having a run in with someone every week. If Gragson can focus on the Playoffs and winning the championship without the contact on track, he could be a threat for the championship. But drivers like Myatt Snider, Riley Herbst, or Harrison Burton could make that tough on him as the season wears on.

      Previous Week Ranking – Third

    Fell Out

    1. Anthony Alfredo – He had a 27th place outing after hitting the wall and bringing out the seventh caution of the day. Before that point, Alfredo was running solidly in the top 10 and even finished ninth in Stage 1 and 10th in Stage 2. It seemed as though the Richard Childress Racing driver would have another strong finish. But Alfredo will have to wait another week to rebound for a good finish.

      Previous Week Ranking – Fifth
  • 2020 Xfinity Series Playoff outlook after Texas

    2020 Xfinity Series Playoff outlook after Texas

    The NASCAR Xfinity Series recent race, Saturday’s My Bariatric Solutions 300 at Texas Motor Speedway, featured another repeat winner this season in an unexpected outcome, where it took approximately an hour after the race concluded for the official race winner to be declared. The battle for the final spots to the Playoffs, however, continued to tighten up with several key contenders struggling in the Lone Star state.

    With his third consecutive Xfinity Series victory of the season, Austin Cindric and the No. 22 Team Penske Ford Mustang team are establishing themselves as a potential championship threat for this season. Cindric’s victory was awarded to him following post-race technical inspection, when initial winner Kyle Busch was disqualified. With his third consecutive win, which was last made in the series in 2018 from Christopher Bell, Cindric joins Chase Briscoe as the only Xfinity competitors that have won three or more races this season. Both Ford competitors also remain as two of six drivers currently guaranteed a spot in the Playoffs by virtue of a regular-season win(s), a list that include Justin Haley, Brandon Jones, Noah Gragson and rookie Harrison Burton, who rallied from a five-race stretch of finishing no higher than 12th to post a top-five result.

    With six of 12 spots to the Playoffs still vacant, Ross Chastain retains one of the spots as the highest-winless competitor this season. A ninth-place result, to go along with a handful of stage points, and his 14th top-10 result has Chastain and the No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet team 297 points above the cutline while the Floridian attempts to make his second series postseason appearance.

    For Justin Allgaier, the majority of Saturday’s race at the Lone Star state had Allgaier and his No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet team scored as the leader. After leading a race-high 98 laps and winning both stages, it appeared that Allgaier would record his first victory of the season. His race-winning hopes, however, were dashed when he was penalized for a blend-rule violation in the final stage. Nonetheless, he was able to race his way back to a third-place result for his fourth top-five result, which keeps the Illinois veteran 228 points above the top-12 cutline.

    Teammate Michael Annett also had a decent run at Texas, where he collected stage points from both stages and settled in fifth when the checkered flag flew. With his third top-five result and his fifth consecutive top-10 result in recent weeks, Annett is 164 points above the cutline to make the Playoffs for the second consecutive year.

    While it was a good race for some, it was not the case for rookie Riley Herbst. Coming off two strong results at the Kentucky Speedway doubleheader, Herbst’s run was cut short early on the fourth lap when he was battling Gragson and made contact with the Turn 4 outside wall, an incident that would end his run in the garage. With a 36th-place result, the Las Vegas rookie and his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team went from 69 points above the top-12 cutline to 60.

    Following an up-and-down doubleheader at Kentucky, Ryan Sieg’s race at Texas concluded midway due to suspension issues. The Tucker, Georgia, native and his No. 39 RSS Racing Chevrolet team remain inside the cutline by 58 points despite posting their seventh result outside the top 20.

    With last week’s doubleheader at Kentucky produced up-and-down results for Brandon Brown, Saturday’s run at Texas was a run that stabilized his position within the top 12. A 10th-place result, his fourth of the season, allowed the Woodbridge, Virginia, native to retain the 12th and final spot to the Playoffs by 31 points while he aims to make his first postseason appearance.

    If there is a competitor making recent strides and gaining ground towards the cutline to the Playoffs, it is Jeremy Clements and his family owned team based in Spartanburg, South Carolina. With an 11th-place result, his ninth top-15 finish of the season and fifth in a row, Clements trails Brown for the final Playoff spot by 31 points in his quest to qualify for his second postseason, first since 2017.

    Coming into Texas Motor Speedway and being 14 points below the cutline, Myatt Snider received an opportunity to race his way back into the top-12 cutline on the strength of eight top-15 results in his rookie Xfinity Series season. The Charlotte native, however, was involved in an early incident and could not recover as he settled in 34th place. In losing a spot in the standings to Clements along with a handful of points, Snider trails the cutline by 38 points.

    Other competitors who remain in contention for the Playoffs include rookie Jesse Little, Alex Labbe, Josh Williams, B.J. McLeod, rookie Joe Graf Jr., Chad Finchum and Vinnie Miller.

    The NASCAR Xfinity Series will run its next scheduled race of the season at Kansas Speedway on July 25, which will air at 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Kaulig Racing records a pair of top-10 results at Texas

    Kaulig Racing records a pair of top-10 results at Texas

    Coming off strong back-to-back races at Kentucky Speedway, Kaulig Racing rolled into Texas Motor Speedway looking to extend their performances and momentum throughout the regular season and towards the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs. When the checkered flag flew on Saturday’s My Bariatric Solutions 300, Justin Haley rallied from early handling issues to finish ninth while Ross Chastain, who ran upfront at the start of the final stage, made a late charge to finish in 10th.

    Based on a random draw, Chastain, who sported a new white and purple paint scheme while featuring Titan XC on his No. 10 Nutrien Ag Solutions Chevrolet Camaro, started eighth while Haley started 11th.

    When the green flag waved and the race started, both Kaulig Racing competitors raced within the top 10 and 15. Following an early caution for an incident in Turn 4, the ensuing restart was where things nearly got dicey as Chastain made minimal contact with Jeb Burton entering Turn 3, a contact that nearly turned Burton sideways. Nonetheless, both competitors were able to proceed with no damage. Following the contact, Chastain fell back to ninth while Haley moved up to seventh.

    By Lap 15, Chastain worked his way back up to eighth while Haley fell back to 11th as he was reporting steering grip issues to his No. 11 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet Camaro. Two laps later, a single-car wreck on the backstretch drew a competition caution, where both Kaulig competitors remained on track and retained their track positions.

    Following the first 30 laps, Chastain was scored in seventh while Haley was back in 12th. Once the first stage concluded on Lap 45, Chastain settled in ninth as he collected a handful of points towards his quest in making the Playoffs. Haley, however, had fallen back to 16th while continuing to deal with steering issues towards the left front of his car. Under the stage break, both pitted along with the field as Chastain exited ninth while Haley was back in 19th.

    For the start of the second stage, Chastain was able to carve his way up to sixth. Not long after, he made a bold three-wide move on the backstretch against his fellow Xfinity Series contenders to move into fourth as he made his first appearance in the top five. Just past the 60-lap mark, the caution waved due to debris. With Chastain in fourth, Haley pitted from 15th place for adjustments and to have his No. 11 Chevrolet loosened up.

    The race proceeded with 18 laps remaining in the second stage. Shortly after the restart, Chastain received a bump from Chase Briscoe entering Turn 4, which caused Chastain to slip as he made contact with the outside wall and lost his momentum. Following the contact, Chastain fell from fourth to 18th. A few laps later, the caution fell due to another single-car wreck. Under caution, Chastain made a pit stop for fresh tires and to have the damage repaired. Haley, who was in 14th, also pitted for more adjustments to his car.

    With 12 laps remaining in the second stage, both Kaulig Racing competitors restarted outside the top 20. When the racing under green proceeded, both wasted no time methodically working their way back towards the top 10. Ultimately, they could not keep pace with the leaders as Haley was scored in 14th while Chastain was in 16th when the second stage concluded. Under the stage break, Haley pitted while Chastain remained on track and moved into the runner-up spot, where he started alongside rookie Anthony Alfredo.

    When the final stage commenced under green, Chastain moved into the lead as he led three laps before he was overtaken. Three laps later, he was back in seventh, reporting tight conditions to his Camaro, while Haley moved up to ninth. Through another caution for another single-car incident and the ensuing restart, both Kaulig competitors remained on track inside the top 10. Less than 90 laps remaining, Haley overtook teammate Chastain for position when another caution for another incident flew, an incident that occurred just in front of both Haley and Chastain. Under caution, they pitted and Haley moved into third while Chastain fell back to 20th.

    With 78 laps remaining, the race restarted and Haley, who was in the top five for the first time all afternoon, was in fourth. As the race progressed, he fell back to 10th while Chastain was able to work his way back to ninth. Both were among 14 competitors running on the lead lap with less than 45 laps remaining. Then, pit stops under green commenced when Haley veered his No. 11 Chevrolet to pit road for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. By the time his service was complete and he returned to the track, he was in 16th and a lap behind the leaders. Chastain, however, continued to run and stretch his fuel to its fullest.

    With 20 laps remaining, Chastain was in the runner-up spot and trailing Briscoe by more than 23 seconds, both of whom needing a final pit stop to complete the race. Five laps remaining, Chastain made his pit stop under green. When he returned, he was back in 12th while Haley raced his way back to eighth despite reporting tight conditions to his car.

    Both Kaulig competitors appeared to have top-15 results wrapped up when the caution flew with six laps remaining for a single-car incident in Turn 1. At the time of caution, Haley received the free pass to return on the lead lap after being posted the first car a lap down. Chastain, however, was still trapped a lap behind the leaders, but in position to gain a handful of positions for a top-10 result.

    With the race restarting into overtime, both Kaulig competitors proceeded to finish in the top 10. For the final two laps, Haley settled in ninth while Chastain, a lap behind, was able to pass Brandon Brown and Jeremy Clements to finish 10th when the checkered flag flew.

    Nearly an hour after the race was complete, where initial winner Kyle Busch was disqualified for failing post-race inspection and Austin Cindric was declared the official winner, both Kaulig competitors moved up a spot in the scoreboard. With that, Haley moved up to eighth while Chastain ended up in ninth.

    The Texas race marked the 10th time this season where both Chastain and Haley finished in the top 10. The top-10 result was Haley’s 11th of this year’s Xfinity Series season. With his 14th top-10 result of this season, ninth in a row, Chastain remains in fourth place in the regular-season standings and is 297 points above the top-12 cutline towards making the Playoffs.

    Chastain and Haley, along with their fellow Xfinity Series competitors, will return for the next Xfinity Series scheduled race at Kansas Speedway on July 25, which will air at 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Kyle Busch DQ’d, Cindric declared Xfinity Series race winner

    Kyle Busch DQ’d, Cindric declared Xfinity Series race winner


    It was a hot day in Texas for the Bariatric Solutions 300 at Texas Motor Speedway for the NASCAR Xfinity Series race today. What a day it has been as race winner Kyle Busch was disqualified and Austin Cindric in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford has been declared the race winner. This is Cindric’s third win in a row. Chase Briscoe finished in second and Justin Allgaier brought home third.

    “I’ll take it,” Cindric said. “It’s great to be able to capitalize on fast race cars. I said that last week and I’ll say that again. I didn’t think this weekend we were quite as good as what we had in Kentucky but overall being able to run up front all day and get great stage points was great and we’ve just got to keep building on that.”

    Stage 1 started out with some very aggressive driving causing two cautions. One was for Riley Herbst hitting the wall and the other for Myatt Snider who also hit the wall. Cindric had the lead early on along with some great battles, but on Lap 35 Allgaier would get the lead and not look back easily winning the stage.

    Stage 2 began with Busch in the lead but he was penalized for speeding and sent to the rear of the field. There were two cautions, one for debris and one when Kody Vanderwal tapped the wall. Allgaier again couldn’t be caught and would take the win for this stage. He definitely had one of the cars to beat today.

    The final stage had three cautions. One occurred when Anthony Alfredo tagged the wall and the second when Noah Gragson also tapped the wall. Joe Graf Jr. would bring out the third caution. The biggest oops of the day goes to Allgaier for going over the blend line too soon and receiving a penalty putting him behind in the field. The only one who had a shot at catching Busch was Cindric.

    Harrison Burton and Michael Annett would round out the top five. Jeb Burton, Brandon Jones, Justin Haley, Ross Chastain, and Brandon Brown finished sixth through 10, respectively.

    Briscoe leads the Xfinity Series Standings with 688 points, Cindric is in second with 661 points, Gragson is in third with 641 points, Ross Chastain is in fourth with 612 points, and Justin Haley rounds out the top five with 549 points.

    The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads next to Kansas Speedway on July 25.

    Official Results:

    1. Austin Cindric
    2. Chase Briscoe
    3. Justin Allgaier
    4. Harrison Burton #
    5. Michael Annett
    6. Jeb Burton
    7. Brandon Jones
    8. Justin Haley
    9. Ross Chastain
    10. Brandon Brown
    11. Jeremy Clements
    12. Jeffrey Earnhardt
    13. David Starr
    14. Jesse Little #
    15. Tommy Joe Martins
    16. Brett Moffitt (i)
    17. Timmy Hill (i)
    18. Stefan Parsons
    19. Bayley Currey (i)
    20. BJ McLeod
    21. Joe Graf Jr #
    22. Josh Williams
    23. Colby Howard
    24. Chad Finchum
    25. Vinnie Mille
    26. Matt Mills
    27. Anthony Alfredo
    28. Kyle Weatherman
    29. Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet
    30. Noah Gragson
    31. Alex Labbe
    32. Kody Vanderwal #
    33. Dexter Bean
    34. Myatt Snider #
    35. Stephen Leicht
    36. Riley Herbst #
    37. Kyle Busch (i)
  • Weekend schedule for Texas Motor Speedway

    Weekend schedule for Texas Motor Speedway

    All three national series will compete at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend. First up is the Xfinity Series race Saturday afternoon followed by the Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series race at 8 p.m.

    The NASCAR Cup Series will close out the weekend’s events with the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 on Sunday at 3 p.m. With the completion of this race, the series will have reached the halfway point of the 2020 season. Jimmie Johnson has the most Cup Series wins of active drivers at Texas with seven, followed by Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch with three victories each.

    All times are Eastern.

    Saturday, July 18

    3 p.m.: My Bariatric Solutions 300 Xfinity Series race (200 laps/300 miles) (Stages 45/90/200 Laps) NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    2019 Race Winner: Kyle Busch

    8 p.m.: Vankor 350 Truck Series race (167 laps/250.5 miles) (Stages 40/80/167 Laps) FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    2019 Race Winner: Kyle Busch

    Sunday, July 19

    3 p.m.: O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 Cup Series race (334 laps/501 miles) (Stages 105/210/334 Laps) NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    2019 Race Winner: Denny Hamlin

  • Bowman to make 100th start with Hendrick Motorsports at Texas

    Bowman to make 100th start with Hendrick Motorsports at Texas

    When the green flag waves in the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 19, Alex Bowman will reach a significant milestone in his racing career. By starting this Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at the Lone Star state, Bowman will make his 100th Cup start in the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro.

    When the 2015 season concluded, Bowman had competed in his first two full-time seasons in the Cup Series between BK Racing and Tommy Baldwin Racing. His best finishes between the two seasons was 13th at Daytona in July 2014 and 16th at Talladega in May 2015. Prior to the 2016 season, however, Bowman was left without a full-time ride after Tommy Baldwin Racing decided to replace Bowman with Regan Smith for the upcoming Cup season. All the Arizona native had in his racing schedule for 2016 was a nine-race stint in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports.

    Through July and following his first five races with JRM, Bowman finished in the top 10 in all of his starts, which included a third-place result at Dover in May. Then, an opportunity made way for him when Dale Earnhardt Jr., two-time Daytona 500 champion and one of NASCAR’s most popular drivers, experienced concussion-like symptoms and did not participate in the upcoming Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July 2016. During the race, Bowman had a strong run in his first Cup race in Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 Nationwide/Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS led by crew chief Greg Ives. Despite running in the top 10 the majority of the run, he cut a tire on Lap 272 of 301 and finished 26th, but he still left New Hampshire satisfied with his run while receiving the opportunity to compete alongside NASCAR’s elite. Bowman and four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon would, ultimately, fill in the No. 88 Chevrolet for the remainder of the 2016 season when the concussion symptoms sidelined Earnhardt Jr. Competing in nine of the remaining 13 Cup races, Bowman recorded three top-10 results, including a career-best sixth place at Phoenix in November on a weekend where he recorded his first Cup career pole. He also competed in four more Xfinity races with JR Motorsports and earned two more top-10 results.

    Based on winning the pole position at Phoenix, Bowman piloted the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet in the Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona in February 2017, where he finished third after battling Kyle Busch on the final lap. While Earnhardt Jr. returned to racing full time for the 2017 season, Bowman, again, was left without a full-time ride within NASCAR’s three major division series, making only one start in the NASCAR Truck Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway with GMS Racing in February, where he finished sixth. In April, Earnhardt Jr. announced his retirement from racing full time in the Cup Series and was a leading advocate for Bowman to replace him. On July 20, Bowman was officially named the driver of the No. 88 Nationwide/AXALTA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports for the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season. For the remainder of the 2017 season, Bowman competed in two Xfinity Series races in the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro for Chip Ganassi Racing. In October at Charlotte Motor Speedway, he notched his first Xfinity career victory after leading the final 32 laps. He finished eighth in his other start at Phoenix in November.

    In his first run in the No. 88 Chevrolet in 2018, Bowman won the pole position for the 60th running of the Daytona 500 with a pole-winning speed at 195.644 mph in 46.002 seconds. Leading 13 laps, he finished 17th in the 500 after being involved in a late multi-car wreck. Finishing no higher than 13th in the first five races of the 2018 season, Bowman recorded his first top-10 result, seventh, the following race at Martinsville Speedway. Two races later, he recorded his first career top-five result, fifth, at Bristol Motor Speedway. For the remaining 18 races of the regular season, Bowman recorded seven more top-10 results, including a career-best third place at Pocono Raceway in July, to make his Playoffs. With finishes of 19th, 12th and fourth in the three races of the Round of 16 in the Playoffs, he advanced to the Round of 12. The following round, he recorded finishes of 28th, 33rd and ninth, and was eliminated from title contention. Ultimately, he concluded the season in 16th in the final standings. During his first full-time season racing for Hendrick Motorsports, Bowman recorded three top-five results, 11 top-10 results and an average result of 17.0. In May, he competed in the Monster Energy Open at Charlotte Motor Speedway and won the first segment to advance to his first All-Star Race, where he finished last of the 21-car field following an accident in the third stage.

    Bowman started the 2019 Cup season by qualifying on the front row for the Daytona 500, starting alongside teammate and pole-sitter William Byron, and finishing fifth in the rain-shortened Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona. For the first nine races of the season, he finished no higher than 11th. By then, he surpassed 50 starts with HMS. In April at Talladega Superspeedway, Bowman notched a career-best second place behind teammate Chase Elliott. He went on to finish in the runner-up spot the following two races at Dover and at Kansas. The following week, he finished third in the Monster Energy Open, but he advanced to the All-Star Race after winning the Fan Vote, where he finished eighth. For the next four races, he finished no higher than seventh. In June at Chicagoland Speedway, Bowman prevailed in a late battle with Kyle Larson to score his first NASCAR Cup Series career win. With the victory coming in his 134th series career start, Bowman became the 18th competitor to win driving for Hendrick Motorsports and the 192nd competitor to win a Cup race. He also recorded the first victory for the No. 88 HMS Chevrolet team led by crew chief Greg Ives since November 2015 at Phoenix, an accomplishment last made by Earnhardt Jr. The win at Chicagoland guaranteed the Arizona native a spot for the 2019 Cup Playoffs. In the three races featured in the Round of 16 in the Playoffs, Bowman recorded finishes of sixth, 23rd and second to advance to the Round of 12. For the second round, however, he recorded finishes of third, 37th and 11th, and was eliminated from championship contention. He went on to finish 12th in the final standings while recording seven top-five results, 12 top-10 results and an average result of 14.4.

    This season, Bowman recorded his second Cup career victory at Auto Club Speedway in March after leading a race-high 110 of the event’s 200-scheduled laps. He has also recorded two top-five results, five top-10 results and an average result of 16.9 through the first 17 Cup races of the 2020 season. He is coming off an eighth-place result in the All-Star Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, which occurred on July 15, and is ninth in the regular-season standings, trailing points leader Kevin Harvick by 177 points. He is, nonetheless, guaranteed a spot in the 2020 Playoffs by virtue of his victory at Auto Club. He is also scheduled to remain as driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Hendrick Motorsports after signing a one-year contract extension with the 12-time championship-winning team in May.

    Catch Bowman’s milestone start with Hendrick Motorsports in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas on July 19, which will air at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Harvick to reach milestone start at Texas

    Harvick to reach milestone start at Texas

    When the green flag waves for the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 19, Kevin Harvick will achieve a milestone start in his Cup career. By competing in Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at the Lone Star state, Harvick will become the 17th competitor to reach 700 starts in NASCAR’s premier series.

    Entering the 2001 season, Harvick was initially slated to compete in select Cup races for Richard Childress Racing while competing for the team on a full-time basis in the Xfinity Series. Everything, however, changed in February when an accident on the final lap and final corner of the Daytona 500 claimed the life of seven-time Cup champion Dale Earnhardt. The following week, Harvick was promoted to a full-time racing schedule in the Cup level and in the No. 29 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet, renumbered from 3. He made his series debut at Rockingham’s North Carolina Speedway, where he finished 14th. Two races later, Harvick edged Jeff Gordon by 0.006 seconds to score his first Cup career win at Atlanta Motor Speedway in his third series start. By then, Harvick became the fastest first-time Cup winner in the modern era. The win was well received from the crowd and in the NASCAR community as Harvick paid tribute to Earnhardt by performing a victory lap the opposite direction of the track while saluting three fingers to the crowd.

    Harvick went on to clinch his second Cup career victory in the inaugural race at Chicagoland Speedway in July. When the 2001 season concluded, he recorded six top-five results and 16 top-10 results in 35 of the 36-race schedule, and he settled in ninth in the final standings. In addition, Harvick was named the recipient of the 2001 Cup Rookie-of-the-Year award. Ironically, Harvick would also win his first Xfinity Series championship.

    In 2002, his sophomore Cup season, Harvick recorded two top-10 results in the first seven races of the season. The following week in April, Harvick was suspended for the Cup race at Martinsville Speedway for rough driving in the Truck Series at Martinsville a day earlier, where he intentionally spun Coy Gibbs during the race. Kenny Wallace drove Harvick’s No. 29 car, where he finished 32nd. Though Harvick returned the following week, his next nine finishes were outside the top 10, with a best result coming at Daytona in July, where he won his first Cup career pole and finished 11th. By then, his crew chief, Kevin Hamlin, was replaced by Gil Martin. The following race at Chicagoland, Harvick rallied from a spin to beat Jeff Gordon and claim his first victory of the 2002 season. Despite scoring his third Cup career win, Harvick achieved five top-five results and eight top-10 results throughout the 2002 season as he concluded the season in 21st in the final standings.

    Harvick and the No. 29 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet team rebounded in 2003 by winning the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway from the pole in August. He also achieved 11 top-five results and 18 top-10 results while leading a career-high 569 laps and settling in fifth in the final standings. He started the season working with Gil Martin, but concluded the season with Todd Berrier. By then, Harvick had surpassed 100 Cup career starts.

    After going winless in 2004 and winning once in 2005, finishing 14th in the final standings in both seasons, Harvick’s first breakout year came in 2006, where he won five races at four different tracks, including Phoenix, Watkins Glen, Richmond and New Hampshire. Making his first Chase appearance, he concluded the season in fourth in the final standings while achieving a pole, 15 top-five results and 20 top-10 results along with 895 laps led. To go along with his successful 2006 campaign in the Cup Series, where he surpassed 200 series starts, Harvick also won his second Xfinity Series championship.

    In 2007, sporting the Shell/Pennzoil colors on his No. 29 Chevrolet, Harvick kickstarted a new season of racing by edging Mark Martin by 0.020 seconds to win the 49th running of the Daytona 500. He went on to win his first All-Star Race at Charlotte’s Lowe’s Motor Speedway in May while cashing in one million dollars. Harvick went on to record four top-five results and 15 top-10 results throughout the 2007 Cup season, which he concluded in 10th in the final standings.

    Harvick went winless the following season, but achieved seven top-five results and 19 top-10 results to conclude the season in fourth in the final standings. In 2009, Harvick won the non-point Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway in February and finished second in the rain-shortened Daytona 500 to Matt Kenseth a week later. The season, however, was mired with inconsistent runs for Harvick and the No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet team as Harvick only achieved five top-five results and nine top-10 results before concluding the season in 19th in the final standings. Early in the season, Todd Berrier was replaced by Gil Martin as Harvick’s crew chief. By then, Harvick had surpassed 300 Cup career starts.

    Harvick rallied the following season by winning three races at three different tracks, including Talladega, Daytona and at Michigan. With 16 top-five results, 26 top-10 results and serving as the points leader for the majority of the regular season, Harvick remained in title contention through the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where he concluded the season in third in the final standings and 41 points shy of the title to Jimmie Johnson.

    In 2011, Harvick welcomed Budweiser and Jimmy John’s as his new Cup primary sponsors when Shell/Pennzoil left Richard Childress Racing for Penske Racing. Harvick achieved four wins in 2011 at four different tracks, including Auto Club Speedway, Martinsville, Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600 and at Richmond. He achieved nine top-five results and 19 top-10 results throughout the season before concluding the year in third in the final standings. In 2012, Harvick surpassed 400 starts in the Cup level. During the season, he achieved his lone victory at Phoenix, the penultimate race of the year, to go along with five top-five results and 14 top-10 results. He finished the season in eighth in the final standings.

    In 2013, Harvick’s final year racing for Richard Childress Racing, he achieved four victories, nine top-five results and 21 top-10 results while also recording his first pole award since 2006. He remained in contention through the finale before he concluded the season in third in the final standings, 34 points shy of the title to Johnson.

    The 2014 season came with a fresh start for Harvick, who moved to Stewart-Haas Racing to drive the No. 4 Chevrolet SS while paired with crew chief Rodney Childers, but having familiar sponsors like Budweiser and Jimmy John’s supporting him. After finishing 13th in the Daytona 500 while being involved in a wreck on the final lap, Harvick led a race-high 224 laps and recorded his first victory with SHR at Phoenix the following week in March. He would record his second victory of the season at Darlington Raceway, the Southern 500, in April. The two victories throughout the regular season were enough for him to qualify for the Playoffs. In October, Harvick scored a win at Charlotte Motor Speedway to advance to the Round of 8. A week after making his 500th Cup start at Texas Motor Speedway in November, Harvick recorded a clutch win at Phoenix to advance to the Championship Round with an opportunity to win his first Cup title. During the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Harvick benefited late on fresh tires to beat Ryan Newman, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano, and claim his first NASCAR Cup championship by winning the finale. With the title, Harvick became the 30th Cup competitor to win a championship in NASCAR’s premier series as he also recorded the second title for Stewart-Haas Racing and the first for crew chief Rodney Childers.

    Between 2015 and 2016, Harvick recorded seven victories, three poles, 40 top-five results, 55 top-10 results and led a combined 3678 laps with a best points result of second in 2015 to Kyle Busch. In 2017, Harvick remained with Stewart-Haas Racing, but was racing in Fords when SHR decided to field Fords in NASCAR following a longtime partnership with Chevrolet. Throughout the season, Harvick recorded two victories at two different tracks, Sonoma and Texas. To go along with four poles, 14 top-five results and 23 top-10 results, Harvick raced his way to the Championship Round, but concluded the season in third in the final standings. By then, Harvick had surpassed 600 Cup starts.

    The 2018 season was a career year for Harvick and the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford team, where the driver won a career-high eight races while also achieving four poles, 23 top-five results and 29 top-10 results, stats that allowed Harvick to make the Championship Round at Homestead. Harvick, however, concluded the season in third in the final standings for the second consecutive year.

    Last season, Harvick won four races at four different tracks, including New Hampshire, Michigan, Indianapolis and Texas. To go along with six poles, 15 top-five results and 26 top-10 results, Harvick made the Championship Round for the fifth time in the last six years. For the third consecutive year, Harvick concluded the season in third in the final standings.

    This season, in his 20th full-time season in the Cup Series, Harvick has achieved four Cup victories, the wins coming at Darlington, Atlanta, Pocono and at Indianapolis, to tally his win total in the Cup Series to 53. He has also recorded 10 top-five results and 14 top-10 results as he leads the regular-season standings by 88 points over Brad Keselowski.

    Prior to the 2020 Cup season, only 15 competitors had achieved 700 starts in NASCAR’s premier series. Harvick is set to become the second competitor to reach the 700-mark start in the Cup level. On July 5, Kurt Busch, a former teammate to Harvick at Stewart-Haas Racing, made his 700th career start in his 20th full-time season of racing.

    Catch Harvick’s milestone start in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas on July 19 at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Logano to reach 600 starts across NASCAR at Texas

    Logano to reach 600 starts across NASCAR at Texas

    When Joey Logano takes the green flag for the upcoming O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 19, he will reach a significant milestone of his racing career. By starting this weekend’s race at the Lone Star state, Logano will reach 600 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series, (NASCAR Cup, Xfinity and Truck Series).

    A native of Middletown, Connecticut, Logano’s racing career started at age six when he was racing quarter midgets. After racing in Late Models and various stock cars series throughout his early youth, he competed in the Camping World East Series, (known today as ARCA Menards Series East), in 2007. He ended up winning the series championship in a season where he won five races, including the Toyota All-Star Showdown at California’s Irwindale Speedway in October.

    The 2008 season would serve as Logano’s breakthrough year, which started when he won his first ARCA Series race in his series debut at Rockingham Speedway in May. More than three weeks later, he made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Dover International Speedway. Driving the No. 20 GameStop Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing, he finished sixth in his series debut. The following race at Nashville Superspeedway in June, Logano recorded his first career pole. During the race at Nashville, Logano led 64 laps before he was involved in a wreck shy of the halfway mark and he settled in 31st. The following race at Kentucky Speedway, Logano started on pole for a second consecutive race and this time, he led 76 laps and scored his first Xfinity career win in his third series start. With his victory, Logano became the youngest winner in the Xfinity Series at age 18 years and 21 days, (surpassing Casey Atwood’s record of 18 years, 10 months and nine days old accomplished in 1999). He competed in 16 more Xfinity races in 2008, where he recorded 12 top-10 results, a pair of runner-up results at Milwaukee and Gateway in June and two more poles at Richmond in September and at Homestead in November. By finishing 10th in the finale at Homestead, Logano also delivered Joe Gibbs Racing’s first owners’ title in the Xfinity Series. He also competed in one NASCAR Truck Series race at Talladega Superspeedway in October, where he finished 26th while driving for HT Motorsports.

    In August 2008, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Logano will be moving up to the NASCAR Cup Series to drive the iconic No. 20 Home Depot Toyota Camry in 2009, replacing Tony Stewart, who was set to form and drive for Stewart-Haas Racing. Prior to his rookie Cup season, he made his series debut at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September 2008, driving the No. 96 Home Depot/DLP HDTV Toyota Camry for Hall of Fame Racing in a technical partnership with JGR. Finishing 32nd in his Cup debut, he qualified for two more Cup races at Kansas Speedway in September with Hall of Fame Racing and at Texas Motor Speedway in November with JGR. His finishes were 39th and 40th.

    Entering the 2009 season as a Cup Rookie-of-the-Year candidate, Logano made his first Cup start in the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota in the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway in February, where he finished last of the 28-car field after being involved in an early multi-car wreck. He rebounded by finishing fourth in the first Gatorade Duel at Daytona, but finished last of the 43-car field in the rain-shortened Daytona 500 after being involved in a single-car wreck near the midway point of the race. After finishing no higher than 13th in the first eight Cup races of 2009, Logano recorded his first top-10 result at Talladega Superspeedway in April. The following month at Darlington Raceway, he had a stellar performance, where he led 19 laps and finished ninth. He would record another ninth-place result in the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte’s Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The previous week, he won the Fan Vote and made his All-Star Race debut, where he finished eighth. In June at New Hampshire, Logano’s home track and the same racetrack where he made his Cup debut the previous season, he rallied from a midway spin to stretch his fuel cell to the fullest and emerge with the lead over Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch when the caution fell due to rain. Shortly after, the race was declared official due to weather and Logano was awarded his first Cup win in his 20th series start. With the victory, he became the youngest Cup winner at age 19 years, one month and four days old. For the remainder of his rookie Cup season, he recorded three more top-10 results, including a fifth-place result at Charlotte in October and a third-place result at Talladega in November, and he claimed the Rookie-of-the-Year title over Scott Speed despite finishing 20th in the final standings.

    Throughout the 2009 season, Logano also competed in 22 of 35 NASCAR Xfinity Series races. He won five races in five different tracks that included Nashville, Kentucky, Chicagoland, Kansas and at Auto Club Speedway. He also recorded four poles, 13 top-five results and 16 top-10 results, all while driving Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 GameStop Toyota Camry.

    In 2010, Logano went winless, but he recorded his first Cup career pole at Bristol Motor Speedway in March. He recorded seven top-five results and 16 top-10 results while concluding the year in 16th in the standings, four spots better than his rookie season. He also competed in 25 of the 35-race schedule in the Xfinity Series, where he won two races and eight poles while recording 15 top-five results and 24 top-10 results. By then, Logano had surpassed 100 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series.

    The year 2011 was one of Logano’s disappointing years, though he reached 200 division starts in NASCAR. In the Cup Series, he went winless again, but he recorded two poles, four top-five results and six top-10 results while concluding the season in 24th in the final standings with no opportunity in making the Chase and competing for the title. In the Xfinity Series, Logano recorded a single victory at Daytona International Speedway in July. He also recorded a pole, eight top-five results and 15 top-10 results in 22 starts.

    The following season, Logano was paired with veteran crew chief Jason Ratcliff when longtime crew chief Greg Zipadelli left JGR for Stewart-Haas Racing. In his first 13 Cup races with Ratcliff, Logano’s only top-10 results came in the season-opening Daytona 500 in February and at Dover in June. Shortly after, Logano dominated and prevailed over a late battle with his childhood hero, Mark Martin, to notch his second NASCAR Cup career win at Pocono Raceway, first since winning the rain-shortened event at New Hampshire in 2009. With the breakthrough win, Logano became the first Cup competitor to win a race from the pole in 30 races as he also claimed his first Cup victory in a race spanning through its scheduled distance. The victory was also the first in the Cup Series for crew chief Ratcliff. Throughout the 2012 Cup season, however, he recorded two poles, two top-five results and 12 top-10 results while concluding the season in 17th in the final standings, missing the Chase in his fourth season in the series.

    The 2012 Xfinity Series season was Logano’s breakout year, where he won a season-high nine races in eight different tracks, among which included Auto Club, Talladega, Darlington, Dover, Michigan, Bristol, Charlotte and Phoenix. Throughout the 33-race Xfinity schedule, he competed in 22 races and along with his nine victories, he recorded six poles, 12 top-five results and 17 top-10 results, all while serving as one of many competitors who contributed to delivering the fourth Xfinity owners’ title to Joe Gibbs Racing.

    The 2013 season came with a fresh start for Logano when he was released from Joe Gibbs Racing and the Connecticut native joined forces with team owner Roger Penske to drive the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Fusion led by crew chief Todd Gordon while paired with the reigning Cup champion Brad Keselowski. In his first Cup season with the Penske organization, Logano won at Michigan in August 2013, recorded two poles, a career-high 11 top-five results, a career-high 19 top-10 results and a career-high 323 laps led, all while making his first Chase appearance and finishing eighth in the final standings. He also competed in 15 Xfinity Series races in the No. 22 Hertz/Discount Tire Ford Mustang for the Penske organization, where he won three races and was one of four competitors who contributed to delivering the first Xfinity owners’ championship for Roger Penske by a single point. In addition, he made three NASCAR Truck Series starts in the No. 19 Reese Towpower/Draw-Tite Ford F-150 for Brad Keselowski Racing. His best result was a runner-up finish at Rockingham Speedway in April behind rookie Kyle Larson. By then, he had surpassed 300 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series.

    The following season, Logano recorded five wins in the NASCAR Cup Series in five different tracks that included Texas, Richmond and Bristol in the regular season, and New Hampshire and Kansas in the Chase. To go along with a pole, 16 top-five results, 22 top-10 results and 993 laps led throughout the season, Logano was one of four competitors vying for the 2014 Cup title in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. During the finale, a late pit road error, where the jack dropped and the driver lost numerous spots on pit road, cost Logano and the No. 22 Penske team a shot for the title as he settled in fourth in the final standings. Throughout the 2014 season, Logano competed in 10 Xfinity races, where he went winless despite recording three poles and nine top-10 results, and serving as one of five competitors who contributed to achieving the second consecutive owners’ title for Team Penske in the Xfinity Series. He also made two Truck starts for Brad Keselowski Racing, finishing third and 18th in his two races.

    In 2015, Logano won a season-high six races, including the Daytona 500, Watkins Glen International following a last-lap pass on Kevin Harvick, a victory in the Bristol Night Race for the second consecutive year and three consecutive races in the Round of 12 in the Playoffs at Charlotte, Kansas and Talladega. Logano’s championship hopes, however, came to an end during the Round of 8, starting at Martinsville Speedway in November when he was deliberately wrecked out by Matt Kenseth as a result of retaliation when Logano spun Kenseth for the win at Kansas a couple weeks earlier. The following week at Texas, Logano’s blew a tire and spun while damaging his car, where he ended up in 40th. Despite finishing third the next week at Phoenix, Logano was eliminated from title contention as he concluded the season in sixth in the final standings and in a year where he recorded six poles, 22 top-five results and 28 top-10 results. He also made 11 starts in the Xfinity Series, where he won four races, and one start in the Truck Series at Martinsville Speedway in March, where he won for the first time in the series. To July 2020, Logano is one of 33 competitors to win across NASCAR’s three major division series. At the time the 2015 season concluded, Logano had also surpassed 400 starts across the three division series.

    In 2016, Logano won three races, including the All-Star Race at Charlotte and the penultimate race of the season at Phoenix that enabled him to secure a spot in the Championship Round at Homestead. At Homestead, he rallied from a late restart incident, where he made contact with title contender Carl Edwards, to finish fourth in the finale, but runner up in the title battle behind Jimmie Johnson. He also made 13 starts in the Xfinity Series and won twice.

    Following a dismal 2017 season, where he won a single race at Richmond that was encumbered due to a violation discovered during post-race inspection that prevented him from making the Playoffs, Logano had surpassed 500 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series. In 2018, he won three races and claimed his first Cup championship with a victory in the finale at Homestead. With the championship, Logano became the 34th competitor to win a Cup title as he also recorded the second Cup championship for Team Penske and the first for crew chief Todd Gordon.

    Following a productive 2019 season, where he won two races and finished fifth in the final standings, Logano started the 2020 Cup season by making his 400th series start in the Daytona 500, his first race paired with veteran crew chief Paul Wolfe. After finishing 26th due to being involved in a late accident, Logano rebounded by winning at Las Vegas Motor Speedway following a late restart. Two weeks later, Logano won for the second time of this season at Phoenix.

    Through the first 17 Cup races of this season, Logano has recorded three top-five results and seven top-10 results. He is ranked fifth in the regular-season standings, trailing points leader Kevin Harvick by 111 points, but is guaranteed a spot in the 2020 Playoffs by virtue of his two recorded wins this season.

    In his previous 599 division starts in NASCAR, Logano has won 25 Cup races, 30 Xfinity races and one Truck race.

    Catch Logano’s milestone start in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on July 19 at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • 2020 Xfinity Series Playoff outlook after Kentucky

    2020 Xfinity Series Playoff outlook after Kentucky

    For the second time this season, the NASCAR Xfinity Series ran a doubleheader feature on two consecutive dates, this week being at Kentucky Speedway. When both races were complete, the series featured a new winner to this season as Austin Cindric rallied from a season highlighted with near misses to win his first two races of 2020.

    For Cindric and his No. 22 Team Penske Ford Mustang team, it all started on Thursday, July 9, when he outlasted fellow competitor Chase Briscoe through a handful of late restarts and cautions to record his elusive first victory of this year’s Xfinity season and his first on an oval-shaped circuit. Then, he came roaring back on Friday, July 10, with a dominating victory, leading more than half of the 200-scheduled laps and the final 43, to win his second consecutive race in a similar fashion to his first two career victories in August 2019 between Watkins Glen International and at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. 

    Cindric’s breakthrough win at the Bluegrass State, now, guarantees six regulars into the 2020 Playoffs, a list that include points leader Chase Briscoe, Noah Gragson, rookie Harrison Burton, Justin Haley and Brandon Jones. The second half of the 12-car Playoff field remains to be determined with the Playoffs within sight, though not scheduled.

    With solid third- and fourth-place finishes at Kentucky, Ross Chastain and his No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet Camaro team are the highest of those above the cutline with no recorded victories through the first 15 races of this season. The results, nonetheless, have Chastain with six top-five results and 276 points above the cutline.

    Behind, Justin Allgaier rallied from a harrowing last-lap accident in the first Kentucky event that sent him to the hospital to post a strong fifth-place result the following day. While he, too, continues to pursue his first win of the year and since November 2019 at Phoenix, Allgaier and his No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro team are 184 points above the cutline.

    The two Kentucky races produced strong results for Michael Annett and rookie Riley Herbst. For Annett, it started with a fifth-place result on Thursday and he came back the following race to finish eighth. The results kept Annett and his No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro team 136 points above the cutline. For Herbst, a pair of top-10 results were much needed for the Las Vegas rookie, who has had an up-and-down season prior to Kentucky. It all started on Thursday, where Herbst made a late charge to finish in the runner-up spot, which tied his best result in the series since finishing second to teammate Harrison Burton at Auto Club Speedway on Leap Day. For Friday, Herbst was in position for another strong run when he was hampered with a late pit road speeding penalty. His 10th-place result was not only the eighth of this season, but it was also enough to keep him and his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Supra team 69 points above the cutline.

    That leaves Ryan Sieg and Brandon Brown in sole possession of the final two spots to the Playoffs. For Sieg, it was an up-and-down week that started with a ninth-place result on Thursday. The ninth-place result marked his first top-10 result since Darlington Raceway in May followed by eight consecutive results of results outside the top 10, finishing no higher than 12th during the eight previous races and despite winning two stages in two consecutive races at Homestead-Miami Speedway in June. Everything, however, changed the following Kentucky race on Friday, when suspension issues and a 35th-place result has Sieg and his No. 39 RSS Racing Chevrolet Camaro team just 57 above the cutline. For Brown, finishes of 27th and 13th have him 14 points above the top-12 cutline.

    The first trailing outside the cutline is Myatt Snider, who finished 15th on Thursday but 31st the following race at Kentucky after a crash. With a full season under his belt between RSS Racing and Richard Childress Racing, Snider remains in contention and within sight of the top-12 cutline by 14 points. Behind, Jeremy Clements recorded strong results in both Kentucky races, where he finished 12th on Thursday and came back to finish 11th on Friday after leading the first 11 laps. The top-10 results in both Kentucky races have the South Carolina native trailing the top-12 cutline by 30 points and with an opportunity to reach his second career Playoffs since 2017. The top-10 results at the Bluegrass State have tallied Clements’ top-15 results of 2020 to nine as his average result of 18.1 through the first 15 Xfinity races is his personal best. In addition, through the first 15 races, Clements has led a total of 12 laps, which ties his most laps led in a season, (2011 and 2017), with an opportunity to surpass the mark and establish a new record of laps led in a season.

    Among those still pursuing the cutline include Alex Labbe, rookie Jesse Little, Josh Williams, B.J. McLeod, rookie Joe Graf Jr. and Vinnie Miller.

    The NASCAR Xfinity Series will return for its upcoming race at Texas Motor Speedway on July 18, which will air at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Cindric sweeps at Kentucky Speedway

    Cindric sweeps at Kentucky Speedway


    The Xfinity Series held their second race of Kentucky Speedway’s doubleheader tonight for the Alsco 300 and Austin Cindric swept the races. Last night saw him win his first-ever race on at an oval track and tonight he won the second in his No. 22 Penske Racing Ford. It was also the first time he led so many laps in a race.

    “I hope I laid enough rubber down to make up for Watkins Glen last year, that was pathetic.” Cindric said, “I’m just so excited this is a credit to my team. What we did tonight was really impressive because we ran one setup last night and won the race.” He added, “We came with another setup for tonight and won the race again.” He explained, “ I trust my man, it’s difficult but he made the right call and that’s why he is on the pit box and I’m in the car.”

    The runner-up spot went to Chase Briscoe in his No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford. Following Briscoe in third spot was Justin Haley in his No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevy.

    Stage 1 started with Myatt Snider on the pole position. There were only two cautions in this stage, one for Ryan Sieg who went around and tapped the wall and the other was a scheduled competition caution. Harrison Burton and Noah Gragson were the front runners in the stage with Gragson taking the stage win.

    Stage 2 started with Gragson and Harrison Burton battling for the top spot. Around Lap 63 Cindric took over the lead and didn’t look back. There weren’t any cautions in this stage and Cindric took the easy stage win.

    The final stage had Cindric still at the front while Riley Herbst and Gragson tried to catch him. Fan-favorite Justin Allgaier who lost a lap early in the race due to a tire going down finally got his lap back. The epic save of the night went to Jesse Little whose car was sideways but he managed somehow not to spin. With laps winding down Brandon Jones hit the wall hard setting up for a short shootout. Cindric won the race easily, but the fireworks happened while he was celebrating. Burton and Gragson had made slight contact towards the end of the race and were having a discussion about it and then fists started flying between the two until they could be separated.

    Ross Chastain and Allgaier would round out the top five finishers. Anthony Alfredo, Gragson, Michael Annett, Daniel Hemric and Riley Herbst finished sixth through 10, respectively.

    Briscoe leads the Xfinity Series Standings with 643 points, Gragson is second with 624 points, Cindric is in third with 610 points, Chastain is in fourth with 583 points, and Haley rounds out the top five with 521 points.

    The Xfinity Series will head next to Texas Motor Speedway on July 18.

    Complete Results:

    1. Austin Cindric
      2. Chase Briscoe
      3. Justin Haley
      4. Ross Chastain
      5. Justin Allgaier
      6. Anthony Alfredo
      7. Noah Gragson
      8. Michael Annett
      9. Daniel Hemric
    10. Riley Herbst
    11. Jeremy Clements
    12. Harrison Burton
    13. Brandon Brown
    14. Jesse Little
    15. Josh Williams
    16. Garrett Smithley
    17. Brett Moffitt
    18. Jeffrey Earnhardt
    19. Matt Mills
    20. BJ McLeod
    21. Colby Howard
    22. Joe Graf Jr
    23. Mason Massey
    24. Alex Labbe
    25. Bayley Currey
    26. Timmy Hill
    27. Tommy Joe Martins
    28. Vinnie Miller
    29. Kody Vanderwal
    30. Brandon Jones
    31. Myatt Snider
    32. Ronnie Bassett Jr
    33. Chad Finchum
    34. Stephen Leicht
    35. Ryan Sieg
    36. Kyle Weatherman