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  • Erik Jones Fastest at Kentucky in Second XFINITY Practice

    Erik Jones Fastest at Kentucky in Second XFINITY Practice

    SPARTA, Ky. — Erik Jones topped the chart in second XFINITY Series practice at Kentucky Speedway.

    The driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 28.994 and a speed of 186.245 mph. Daniel Suárez was second in his No. 19 JGR Toyota with a time of 29.247 and a speed of 184.634 mph. Kyle Busch was third in his No. 18 JGR Toyota with a time of 29.291 and a speed of 184.357 mph. Brad Keselowski was fourth in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford with a time of 29.475 and a speed of 183.206 mph. Austin Dillon rounded out the top-five in his No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet with a time of 29.476 and a speed of 183.200 mph.

    Justin Allgaier was sixth in his No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. Cole Custer was seventh in his No. 88 JRM Chevrolet. Ryan Blaney was eighth in his No. 12 Team Penske Ford. Brennan Poole was ninth in his No. 48 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet. Blake Koch rounded out the top-10 in his No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet.

    Justin Marks, who’s fastest single lap was 18th fastest, was the only driver to post a 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 179.116 mph.

    The XFINITY Series is back on track later this afternoon at 4:00.

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  • Austin Dillon Fastest in First XFINITY Practice at Kentucky

    Austin Dillon Fastest in First XFINITY Practice at Kentucky

    SPARTA, Ky. — Austin Dillon topped the chart in first XFINITY Series practice at Kentucky Speedway.

    The driver of the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 28.761 and a speed of 187.754 mph. Kyle Busch was second in his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with a time of 28.882 and a speed of 186.958 mph. Erik Jones was third in his No. 20 JGR Toyota with a time of 28.892 and a speed of 186.903 mph. Ty Dillon was fourth in his No. 3 RCR Chevrolet with a time of 28.962 and a speed of 186.451 mph. Daniel Suárez rounded out the top-five in his No. 19 JGR Toyota with a time of 29.018 and a speed of 196.091 mph.

    Cole Custer was sixth in his No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. Brennan Poole was seventh in his No. 48 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet. Brandon Jones was eighth in his No. 33 RCR Chevrolet. Elliott Sadler was ninth in his No. 1 JRM Chevrolet. Justin Allgaier rounded out the top-10 in his No. 7 JRM Chevrolet.

    Ty Dillon was the only driver to post a 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 183.382 mph.

    The XFINITY Series is back on track Thursday afternoon at 1 p.m. for their second of four practice sessions.

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  • Changes Made to Kentucky Speedway

    Changes Made to Kentucky Speedway

    SPARTA, Ky. — The repave wasn’t the only change made to the racing surface at Kentucky Speedway.

    It was announced back in early-January that the 1.5-mile facility would undergo its first repave in its 17-year history. In addition, they changed the degree of the banking in Turns 1 and 2, narrowed the width of the turns, improved drainage and added over 3,000 feet of SAFER barrier.

    The repave was completed in May. In total, 17,000 tons of asphalt was poured to form the new surface by Ohio Valley Asphalt. The asphalt used is a “standard” racing asphalt mix that’s been tweaked to “age the track” faster.

    The finished product was 29,700 feet of added drainage pipes, an addition of 3,200 feet of SAFER barrier for a total of 11,300 feet, all added by Southern Bleacher and Seal Pro. The pit exit lane and apron in Turns 1 and 2 were widened from 14 to 30-feet, Turns 1 and 2 were narrowed from 74 to 56 feet and banking increased from 14 to 17 degrees both of which were done by Baker’s Construction Services.

    The changes in Turns 1 and 2 were done because the previous pit exit lane was very narrow and made merging back onto the racing surface difficult.

    “Modifying Turns 1 and 2 will present an exciting challenge to the drivers while addressing issues of the track surface, SAFER barrier, and drainage will improve safety, which is always our  paramount concern,” said Mark Simendinger, general manager of Kentucky Speedway.

    After blistering was seen during a tire test held at the track in mid-June, Goodyear has decided to bring harder tires for use during the race weekend.

  • Almirola Edges out Allgaier in Overtime at Daytona

    Almirola Edges out Allgaier in Overtime at Daytona

    As hell broke loose on the backstretch at the “World Center of Racing,” Aric Almirola found himself just barely ahead of Justin Allgaier when the caution waved to score the victory in the Subway Firecracker 250.

    “It was an emotional last few laps,” Almirola said in victory lane. “I thought I had a shot to win but wasn’t sure I would get it done. I got a big push from the 7 and then he pulled out and the 18 came and gave me a good push. I am really thankful for that. It is a huge night for me to get back to victory lane in the XFINITY Seires. I didn’t feel like I truly won in the XFINITY Series before but tonight was my night. Now I can truly say I have truly won in every series in NASCAR.”

    This is the second career victory in 93 XFINITY Series for the driver of the No. 98 Biagi-DenBeste Racing Ford and first since Milwaukee in 2007. It’s his third top-10 finish of 2016 and third in eight races at Daytona International Speedway.

    Allgaier led three laps on his way to a runner-up finish in his No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. It’s his 12th top-10 finish in 2016 and sixth in 12 races at Daytona. Ryan Sieg rounded out the podium in his No. 39 RSS Racing Chevrolet. It’s his third top-10 finish in six races at Daytona.

    Joey Logano led 46 laps, most of any driver, on his way to a fourth-place finish in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford.

    “We had such a fast Discount Tire Ford and it just goes to show with how many laps we led,” Logano said. “Toward the end of the race we just made a bad call. Went to the top to block and the bottom was coming with momentum and I didn’t get there in time and we got shuffled down the middle and lost 10 or 15 spots. We recovered to finish third. We will take it.”

    Brendan Gaughan led one lap on his way to rounding out the top-five in his No. 62 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.

    Ryan Reed earned his first top-10 finish with a sixth-place finish in his No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford. Jeff Green finished seventh in his No. 17 Rick Ware Racing Toyota. It’s his first top-10 finish since Richmond in 2005. Spencer Gallagher finished eighth in his No. 23 GMS Racing Chevrolet. Chase Elliott led five laps on his way to a ninth-place finish in his No. 88 JRM Chevrolet. Erik Jones rounded out the top-10 in his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

    “Just really up and down day…Not really sure – we just got drug down at the end,” Jones said. “We had a lot of right rear damage and knew it wasn’t going to be too good by ourselves there but just had a tandem at the end and tried to give yourselves the best shot to get out and break away from the field but we just couldn’t do it. Too bad. I feel bad for the 18 (David Ragan) car. We both got drug back together.”

    Twenty-two cars finished the race on the lead lap and 27 were running at the finish.

    The race lasted two hours, seven minutes and 29 seconds at an average speed of 121.192 mph. There were 19 lead changes among 12 different drivers and eight cautions for 33 laps.

    Daniel Suárez leaves Daytona with a six-point lead over Sadler in the points standings.

    Next up for the XFINITY Series is Kentucky Speedway next Friday.

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  • Hornish reigns victorious in the heartland

    Hornish reigns victorious in the heartland

    You would never have guessed this was the first time Sam Hornish Jr. had been in a car this season with his dominant performance and victory in America’s heartland.

    The driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota led 183 of the 250 laps on the way to winning the American Ethanol E15 250 at Iowa Speedway.

    “It doesn’t get much better than that,” Hornish said of his win. “I’ve just got to thank Toyota and everybody from Joe Gibbs Racing for getting me out here and giving me this opportunity. Got my wife and kids here and it’s the first time the kids have got to be here for one of dads wins so — I can’t tell you what this means to me. You work so hard to try to get a win when I have my kids here and the fact of how all of this went on and I’ve just got to thank God. He makes things happen. I was so nervous on Friday getting into the car thinking I’m going to make a mistake and man, to go out there and win the way we did I just can’t say anything more about it. Thank you TRD (Toyota Racing Development). I hope Matt (Tifft) is doing well. I definitely want to thank the fans and happy Father’s Day to everybody. This is definitely one of the best ones I’ve ever had I can guarantee you that.”

    It’s his fourth career win in the XFINITY Series in 111 starts, first of 2016, second at Iowa and first since May 2014.

    “Anytime you get an opportunity to strap into a JGR car you know that you’ve got an opportunity and the car they told me as soon as I got here they’ve done a lot of work since we were here last time and man, this car was so good over the long run,” Hornish added. “I’d be remised if I didn’t thank Brad Keselowski because I picked both lanes that I could to get in front of him on those restarts because I knew that’s one guy that would give me a push. I was just happy about that – thanks to him. And, just man, I just can’t believe it. You always wait for when you have a car that’s this good for something to happen — run over a piece of debris or whatever. I love coming here to Iowa – the fans. I was worried it was going to be too hot and I was going to get all sweaty in the car, which I did, but man it was just put it on cruise once we got about 40 laps into a run. Car was good and I got a good idea of what it takes to be fast around here to keep the tires underneath it. Just fantastic day.”

    Ty Dillon finished runner-up in his No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.

    “I gave it just about everything I could there at the end,” Dillon said. “We had a heck of a battle for second place with Brad (Keslowski) and I felt I could have run down the 18 car if we hadn’t of had that late caution. Wow what a race. Second place is still a great finish and I know our guys worked hard. They earned it. On Friday in practice we were not where we wanted to be, but we made some great adjustments and moved forward. Today was an overall great day for us, and even better, we got American Ethanol and Kum & Go a solid finish in their home state.”

    It’s his ninth top-10 finish of the season and fourth in five starts at Iowa.

    Brad Keselowski rounded out the podium in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford. It’s his sixth top-10 finish in six starts at Iowa.

    Daniel Suárez led 62 laps on his way to a fourth-place finish in his No. 19 JGR Toyota.

    “We just needed a little bit better long run right there,” Suárez said of his performance. “At the beginning of the race we were super strong for 10 or 15 laps and for the second part of the race we had to start making bigger changes and adjustments to try to help the long run but we ended here on the short run. That’s part of racing. We’ll keep working and come back in a couple weeks.”

    Alex Bowman rounded out the top-five in his No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet.

    Elliott Sadler finished sixth in his No. 1 JRM Chevrolet. Justin Allgaier finished seventh in his No. 7 JRM Chevrolet. Brennan Poole led one lap on his way to an eighth-place finish in his No. 48 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet. Darrell Wallace Jr. led four laps on his way to a ninth-place finish in his No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford. In his XFINITY Series debut, Ben Kennedy rounded out the top-10 in his No. 2 RCR Chevrolet.

    “Man, this was a blast,” Kennedy said. “I had so much fun. We had a fast Ruud Chevrolet. My goal at the beginning of the weekend was to finish in the top 10 and we achieved that. We were just a little too tight there at the end. I learned a ton on those restarts, what to expect throughout the run and how the lines change during the race. We could really utilize that top line as the run went on. I think we were one of the first teams to make that work. Overall, it was a great learning experience and I’m happy to go home with a top 10 finish. I can’t thank everyone at Richard Childress Racing and Ruud enough for this opportunity. It’s been a great weekend.”

    Drew Herring, Ryan Preece and Derrick Cope retired from the race due to accidents. Jeff Green retired from the race due to transmission issues. Timmy Hill retired from the race due to engine issues. Dexter Bean retired from the race due to vibration issues. Morgan Shepherd, Carl Long and Tyler Young retired from the race due to brake issues. Josh Reaume retired from the race due to electrical issues.

    Thirty of the 40 cars finished the race and 16 finished on the lead lap.

    The race lasted two hours, seven minutes and 51 seconds at an average speed of 102.659 mph. There were 10 lead changes among four different drivers and six cautions for 33 laps.

    Suárez leaves Newton, Iowa still the points leader.

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  • Daniel Suárez Earns Win #1 in Michigan

    Daniel Suárez Earns Win #1 in Michigan

    Overjoyed with emotion in scoring his maiden victory at the NASCAR level, Daniel Suárez said, “I just have no words. I don’t think I could speak English or Spanish right now.”

    “This machine is unbelievable and it was unbelievably fast,” he went on to say. “Everyone on this 19 car, this Toyota Camry, did an amazing job. Definitely the fastest car out there. I just have no words to describe what I’m feeling right now. It’s just unbelievable and to win this weekend with my friend Erik Jones and for the loss of his Dad, it’s just unbelievable. I would like to dedicate this win to him.”

    Suárez, a NASCAR Drive for Diversity and NASCAR Next alum, also took a moment to mention teammate Erik Jones, whose father passed away on Tuesday at the age of 53, after losing a battle to cancer.

    “I would like to dedicate this victory to Erik and his family,” he said.

    After being busted for speeding early on in the race, the driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota overcame being sent to the rear, passed his teammate Kyle Busch with two laps to go and scored the victory in the Menards 250 at Michigan International Speedway.

    “That was a very, very fast race car,” Suárez said of Busch’s car in the closing laps. “We had a penalty at the beginning of the race and that was my bad. Then since practice we had a little issue with the clutch and we thought we fixed it and then in the second half of the race it came back again, but that will happen when you have a really fast car. Everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing and everything they’ve been doing to build really fast race cars and I’m just very proud to be part of this family and this organization.”

    It’s his first win in 48 starts in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, 11th top-10 finish in the 2016 season and first top-10 finish in two starts at Michigan. He’s the first Mexican national to win a national-level NASCAR race, sixth foreign-born driver to win a race in the XFINITY Series, second to win one on an oval track and first to do so since Canadian national Larry Pollard at Langley Speedway in 1987.

    Busch led a race-high of 88 laps on his way to a runner-up finish in his No. 18 JGR Toyota.

    “You never want to get beat, but its cool when you get beat fair and square,” Busch said of coming in second to Suárez. “He did a really good job. He ran me down and had a really good car there at the end and passed me and did everything he needed to do, so congratulations Daniel Suarez, that’s pretty awesome. First win here, and to beat us – to beat a car like, a guy like me. Kyle Busch charm school finished one, two, four today. I’ll take what we can get with our NOS Energy Drink Camry. Obviously we want to win and thought we had the best car the majority of the race, just last 20 laps or so, got really loose on me. I wasn’t able to hold the corners like I needed to in order to maintain the lead I needed to stay in front.”

    It’s his eighth top-10 finish in nine races at Michigan and eighth of 2016.

    Paul Menard led one lap on his way to rounding out the podium in his No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. It’s his ninth top-10 finish in 11 starts at Michigan.

    Erik Jones, whose No. 20 Toyota carried the name of his father, Dave Jones, above the window of his car, led 18 laps on his way to a fourth-place finish in his JGR Toyota.

    “Just missed it,” Jones said of his performance in the latter half of the race. “I don’t know, we were way too tight at the end. The Reser’s Camry just wasn’t good enough today. It’s unfortunate, but we just struggled all day with it being too tight and it got worse and worse as the race went on. We couldn’t keep up with adjustments, but we’ll work at it to get better and we’ll get another one soon.”

    Elliott Sadler got around Kyle Busch in the closing laps of the race for two laps before getting loose in turn 1 and losing the lead. He would settle for rounding out the top-five in his No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet.

    Joey Logano finished sixth in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford.

    “Man, there is not much good I can say about that,” Logano said. “I don’t know how we finished sixth. We were missing it everywhere. Everyone made a mistake. It is hard to be positive. I made a mistake leaving the pit box and we had bad pit stops and needed more speed in the Mustang today. Nothing good happens when you have all three of those things going wrong for you. I don’t know.”

    Alex Bowman led the opening 11 laps, but lost the lead to Jones and finished seventh in his No. 88 JRM Chevrolet. Justin Allgaier finished eighth in his No. 7 JRM Chevrolet followed by Darrell Wallace Jr. who finished ninth in his No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford.

    “It is hot, I will tell you that,” Wallace said. “Man. It was a solid day for us really. From how we started and how we practiced we shouldn’t have had any speed with our LoudMouth Exhaust Ford Mustang. I didn’t think we would finish in the top-10 with how bad it was but we kept after it. I keep saying over and over again that when we have these headaches of a day, practice day and qualifying runs, I keep telling myself that we will race better and we always do. I am glad that nothing freaky happened and we were able to come away with a solid top-10 and this has been one of the hardest seasons for all of us but we are still in it. Our heads are still up. I may be a little more sweaty than others, though.”

    Brandon Jones rounded out the top-10 in his No. 33 RCR Chevrolet.

    JJ Yeley, who led one lap, finished 20th.

    Thirty-one cars finished the race and 19 finished on the lead lap. Chris Cockrum exited the race after his car rear-ended the wall with 39 laps remaining. Jeff Green and BJ McLeod both had transmission issues and were unable to finish the race. Mario Gosselin exited the race with a vibration and Morgan Shepherd had an early exit after an oil leak. John Jackson exited the race with clutch issues. Josh Williams exited the race due to overheating. Josh Wise and Matt DiBenedetto exited the race due to rear gear failure.

    The race lasted one hour, 36 minutes and 11 seconds at an average speed of 155.952 mph. There were 11 lead changes among seven different drivers and three cautions for 14 laps.

    Suárez leaves Michigan with an 18-point lead over Sadler and Ty Dillon.

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  • Was the XFINITY Series Event at Pocono Necessary?

    Was the XFINITY Series Event at Pocono Necessary?

    First things first; I just want to say I love the NASCAR XFINITY Series. I believe it has potential to return to its former glory and I have no problem with Cup drivers winning the occasional event (emphasis on occasional). I’m also a fan of Pocono. It’s a big, unique, historic track that’s been in NASCAR for many years and has a list of winners that reads like a Who’s Who of the sport; Gordon, Earnhardt, Petty, Bonnett, Allison.

    Putting the two together had the potential to make another summer tradition, but after today’s events, was it really even necessary to hold a XFINITY event at Pocono? As much as it pains me to say this, no it wasn’t. Pocono’s June event did nicely as a standalone Sprint Cup event.

    That seems like too much to say after one event, sure. But it would take a blind man to miss the barely filled grandstands. For that matter, the racing wasn’t all that great either. The only things that filled me as the viewer with excitement and anticipation were Erik Jones’ run to the front after that last round of pit stops, and wondering whether Ty Dillon was going to be turned by whoever he was blocking on the restarts.

    It’s good to see Kyle Larson in Victory Lane, considering his run of luck on the Sprint Cup side of things. He needs some success, and this is a win he’ll gladly take. But with lackluster racing and inclement weather along with a small turnout of fans, this event was forgettable if anything.

    LONG POND, PA - JUNE 2: Kyle Larson, driver of the #42 Cessna/NTT Data Group Chevrolet, practices for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Pocono Green 250 at Pocono Raceway on June 2, 2016 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
    Kyle Larson practices at Pocono Raceway. Photo Credit: Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

    That carries over to another issue that the XFINITY Series is facing. In the beginning of this year, it was a matter of Cup dominance. Now, it’s a matter of companion events. The NASCAR XFINITY Series is supposed to be a springboard to the Sprint Cup Series. The season-opener at Daytona, spring and summer events at Bristol and companion events during Cup race weekends, all of it makes sense in that it prepares the future stars for the spotlight of the Cup cars.

    But that takes away from the significance of some of these venues. Back when the XFINITY Series was the Busch/Nationwide Series, racing at Indianapolis Raceway Park seemed like a rite of passage on the way to taking the green flag at the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was like a WWE NXT wrestler cutting his teeth on the way to WrestleMania, if that’s a better analogy. But once the cars took to IMS in 2012, it canceled out that feeling of prestige, of majesty, that had taken place for 30 years on the IRP oval.

    Just like with Cup dominance and the excessive night races on the schedule, there are getting to be too many companion events. There should be more standalone events like Iowa and Road America. The Busch Series of the early 00’s and 90’s did just fine with Milwaukee, Gateway, and Hickory. That’s not belting out the rallying cry of “Bring ’em back!” that most fans shout. Rather, that’s just letting it be known that those events were successful, had large turnouts, and had personality.

    As previously mentioned, not every companion event is a good idea. Not all will bring in excellent exposure, not all will produce great racing, and not all will be excellent learning experiences for young drivers (just ask Ryan Reed following his disastrous outing Saturday). Sometimes, it’s best just to leave well enough alone.

  • Brandon Gdovic Brings Travel Bug to Pocono

    Brandon Gdovic Brings Travel Bug to Pocono

    XFINITY Series racer Brandon Gdovic has been throughout the United States and Europe to race, but he is excited that his travels have brought him to Pocono Raceway to participate in the inaugural Pocono Green 250.

    Although Gdovic has traveled the world, he has had to rely on technology to get prepared for this first-ever race at the ‘Tricky Triangle.’

    “I’ve done a bunch of I-racing to prepare, Gdovic said. “That’s really the only thing I can do before I figure it out on the track. I’ve also been doing a lot of YouTube stuff, watching videos from past races, including Cup and ARCA.”

    “When I’m doing that online, I’m trying to get used to the track characteristics, the braking zones. Even with the track not being updated on I-racing with the new paving, it still seemed pretty accurate with the ways the track felt in the game compared to how I felt it on the track.”

    “The reality is that I couldn’t look up any XFINITY races obviously because the Series has never been here before.  But I think I’m as prepared as much as I could be coming into the race weekend.”

    Gdovic is also grateful that his travels to Long Pond have allowed him to participate in making history with the XFINITY Series’ first foray into Pocono Raceway.

    “I think it’s pretty cool,” Gdovic said. “Pocono is always somewhere that I have wanted to go. It’s kind of weird but it’s one of those places where I always wanted to race. It seemed like it would be somewhere that I liked and I really love it.”

    “I think it’s great to bring the XFINITY Series here.”

    While Gdovic is focusing this weekend on Pocono, the driver has also been traveling the world driving some other racy cars.

    “I’ve mainly just done NASCAR up until last year when I got into the Lamborghinis,” Gdovic said. “Once I got a chance to do some road racing in the K&N Series, I loved it and wanted to do some more of it.”

    “The Lamborghinis kind of fit with the team being close to me and it’s been a good option and choice for it. It’s also a good fit schedule-wise and I’ve had pretty good success last year. So, we’re doing a full season this year.”

    “With all the road racing, I’ve gotten some cool opportunities. I have gone to Spain and Italy and got to race in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series. That has been really cool.”

    Gdovic also fulfilled a dream, traveling to Daytona to compete in the prestigious Rolex 24.

    And I also got to do the Rolex 24 this year. That was cool getting to do the Rolex 24 this year,” Gdovic said. “I got to do it in one of the open cockpits and I thought I would never do that in my entire life.”

    “But when they asked if I wanted to drive it, I said, ‘Yep I’m there.’”

    Whether Daytona or across the pond, Gdovic’s heart is competing in the world of NASCAR. His struggle is one that is common with most young racers, finding the sponsorship relationships to sustain him.

    “Right now, being a family funded team, small sponsorships help,” Gdovic said. “But we want to look for larger sponsorships to allow us to run the full season in XFINITY. We’re limited to a partial season right now.”

    “Our goal is to take advantage of every race we’re in and to have the best performances we can. We know we’re one of the Tier 2 teams, not Cup affiliated. But in the two races we have done with me driving, I felt like we’ve done pretty well.”

    “This will be my third race and I’m hoping to have a good run, as well as impress folks with what we have. That’s my goal and all we can do right now.”

    “My team, Precision Performance Motorsports is owned by my dad,” Gdovic said. “My dad is a racer as well. He started it as a hobby and that’s how I got into it. He still races a little bit now and again but the focus has now been on me.”

    So, where will Gdovic’s travels take him next after competing in the Pocono Green 250?

    “I love to travel and I love the travel part as much as love the racing part,” Gdovic said. “All the places I’ve gotten to go, including other countries, has been great.”

    “I’ve been to 35 of the 50 states so far. That’s one of my goals is to hit all of the 50 states. And I want to go to all sorts of other countries just for personal gain and to learn other cultures.”

    “There’s not enough time to go to all the places I want to go. I’m a traveler and a real explorer.”

     

  • Erik Jones takes the XFINITY pole at Charlotte

    Erik Jones takes the XFINITY pole at Charlotte

    CONCORD, N.C. — Erik Jones will lead the field to the green flag for this afternoon’s XFINITY Series race in the Queen City.

    The driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota scored the pole for the Hisense 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway with a time of 29.261 and a speed of 184.546 mph. It’s his seventh career pole in the series and fourth of the 2016 season.

    Teammate Daniel Suárez will start second in his No. 19 JGR Toyota after posting a time of 29.273 and a speed of 184.470 mph. Denny Hamlin will start third in his No. 18 JGR Toyota after posting a time of 29.473 and a speed of 183.219 mph. Austin Dillon will start fourth in his No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet after posting a time of 29.567 and a speed of 182.636 mph. Kyle Larson will round out the top-five in his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet after posting a time of 29.597 and a speed of 182.451 mph.

    Elliott Sadler will start sixth in his No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. Joey Logano will start seventh in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford. Justin Allgaier will start eighth in his No. 7 JRM Chevrolet. Darrell Wallace Jr. will start ninth in his No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford. Ty Dillon will round out the top-10 in his No. 3 RCR Chevrolet.

    Cole Custer will start 11th in his No. 88 JRM Chevrolet. Brandon Jones will round out the 12 drivers that made the final round of qualifying.

    TJ Bell and Morgan Shepherd were the two drivers that failed to make the race.

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  • Ty Dillon Fastest in Final XFINITY Practice at Charlotte

    Ty Dillon Fastest in Final XFINITY Practice at Charlotte

    CONCORD, N.C. — In case you missed it, Ty Dillon topped the chart in final XFINITY Series practice at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

    The driver of the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 29.778 and a speed of 181.342 mph. Daniel Suárez was second in his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with a time of 29.825 and a speed of 181.056 mph. Erik Jones was third in his No. 20 JGR Toyota with a time of 29.937 and a speed of 180.379 mph. Austin Dillon was fourth in his No. 2 RCR Chevrolet with a time of 29.965 and a speed of 180.210 mph. Brennan Poole rounded out the top-five in his No. 48 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet with a time of 30.007 and a speed of 179.958 mph.

    Brendan Jones was sixth in his No. 33 RCR Chevrolet. Denny Hamlin was seventh in his No. 18 JGR Toyota. Elliott Sadler was eighth in his No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. Jeb Burton was ninth in his No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford. Kyle Larson rounded out the top-10 in his No. 42 CGR Chevrolet.

    Suárez posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 178.085 mph. Hamlin was second at an average speed of 177.253 mph. Austin Dillon was third at an average speed of 176.652 mph.

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