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  • Ty Gibbs storms to a final lap Xfinity victory at Atlanta

    Ty Gibbs storms to a final lap Xfinity victory at Atlanta

    In the first NASCAR Xfinity Series event at the newly reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway that featured close-quarters competition from start to finish, including through two overtime attempts, Ty Gibbs used a bold crossover move on Ryan Sieg on the final lap to win the Nalley Cars 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday, March 19.

    The 19-year-old grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs from Charlotte, North Carolina, survived a chaotic afternoon featuring nine cautions as he only led the final lap and became the first repeat winner of this year’s Xfinity Series season.

    The starting lineup for the event was determined through the Performance Metrics formula based on four statistics: drivers’ results, owners’ race and points results and the fastest lap from the previous Cup event. With that, Noah Gragson, winner of last weekend’s Xfinity event at Phoenix Raceway, started on pole position. Joining him on the front row was teammate Josh Berry.

    The use of the Performance Metrics formula occurred after rain cancelled all on-track activities on Friday, which resulted with the Xfinity competitors receiving a single practice session on Saturday in place of on-track qualifying.

    Prior to the event, Matt Mills, Jeffery Earnhardt, Loris Hezemans, Ryan Sieg and Stefan Parsons dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustment to their respective machines. In addition, Riley Herbst pitted prior to the start due to a tire issue.

    When the green flag waved and the race started, Gragson took off with an early advantage followed by teammate Josh Berry, Ty Gibbs, Brandon Jones, Trevor Bayne and Justin Allgaier.

    By the fifth lap, Gragson was leading by over Brandon Jones followed by Trevor Bayne, Ty Gibbs, AJ Allmendinger and the field.

    Through the first 10 laps of the event, Gragson continued to lead by more than a tenth of a second over Jones while Allmendinger, Daniel Hemric and Gibbs were in the top five. Bayne was back in sixth followed by Justin Allgaier, Brandon Brown, Berry and Brett Moffitt were in the top 10.

    When the competition caution flew on Lap 20, Gragson fended off Allmendinger to retain the lead and the field. Under the competition caution, some led by Allmendinger pitted while the rest led by Gragson remained on the track. Following the pit stops, Hemric, who initially pitted under the completion caution, pitted again.

    On Lap 26, the race restarted under green. At the start, Brandon Jones peaked ahead before Gragson reassumed the lead on the inside lane and when the field returned to the start/finish line. 

    By Lap 30, Gragson was leading by more than a tenth of a second over Jones followed by Gibbs, Allgaier, Berry and the field. 

    Shortly after, Berry used the inside lane to his advantage as he challenged Jones for the runner-up spot before teammate Gragson moved to the inside lane to retain the lead. That, however, allowed Jones, who was the lead competitor on the outside lane, to challenge Gragson for the lead. 

    As the field continued to battle dead even towards the front, Gragson continued to lead followed by Jones and Berry as teammate Sam Mayer joined the battle for the lead.

    When the first stage concluded on Lap 40, Berry managed to overtake and edge teammate Gragson to claim the stage victory, which was also his first of the season. Behind Berry and Gragson were teammates Justin Allgaier and Sam Mayer while Trevor Bayne settled in the top five. Austin Hill, Jeb Burton, Brandon Brown, Brandon Jones and Brett Moffitt were scored in the top 10.

    Under the stage break, some led by Allmendinger remained on the track while the rest led by Berry pitted.

    The second stage started on Lap 47 as Allmendinger and teammate Landon Cassill occupied the front row. At the start, the Kaulig Racing teammates battled dead even until Allmendinger pulled ahead through the frontstretch. With Allmendinger ahead by a narrow margin, Cassill battled Jade Buford for the runner-up spot followed by rookie Austin Hill and Daniel Hemric. 

    Just past the Lap 50 mark, Gragson, who was trying to carve his way back to the front, pitted under green after making contact with the outside wall. Not long after, Riley Herbst pitted to address an overheating issue to his Ford.

    Back on the track, Allmendinger was leading ahead of teammate Hemric while Jade Buford, Tommy Joe Martins and Sage Karam were in the top five. 

    On Lap 60, Allmendinger continued to lead by more than a tenth of a second over teammate Hemric followed by Buford, Martins, Karam, Brandon Brown, Bayne, Allgaier, Jeb Burton and rookie Sheldon Creed.

    Ten laps later, Allmendinger remained in the lead ahead of teammate Hemric, Buford, Martins, Karam and the field, with the top-15 competitors separated by less than two seconds. 

    When the second stage concluded on Lap 80, Allmendinger retained the top spot as he claimed his first stage victory of the season. Teammate Hemric settled in second followed by Buford, Martins, Karam, Creed, Brown, Hill, Jeb Burton and Cassill.

    Under the stage break, the leaders pitted for adjustments as Creed emerged with the top spot.

    With 75 laps remaining, the final stage started under green. At the start, Creed received a push from teammate Hill to lead ahead of Allmendinger while the field jostled for positions.

    Five laps later, Creed was leading followed by teammate Hill, Jones, Bayne and Buford while Allmendinger, Mayer, Allgaier, Myatt Snider and Gibbs were in the top 10.

    Another six laps later, Bayne stormed to the front followed by Snider and Gibbs while Creed and Hill were left battling with Gragson in the top five. Then, an intense side-by-side battle for the lead ignited between Snider and Bayne while Gibbs, Gragson, Creed and Hill were left battling in the top six. 

    Under the final 60 laps of the event, the top-15 competitors were separated by a second as Bayne was out in front followed by teammate Gibbs and Gragson. 

    Then with 57 laps remaining, the caution flew when Jade Buford spun and wrecked in the backstretch as he also collected Jeremy Clements, Jeb Burton and Anthony Alfredo. The incident spoiled Buford’s strong run towards the front as he parked his car in the garage.

    Under caution, some led by Bayne remained on the track while others led by Gragson pitted.

    With 51 laps remaining, the race restarted under green as Bayne and Hill battled dead even for the lap. Just as the field returned to the start/finish line, the caution returned when Hemric, who battling Joe Graf Jr. and Brandon Brown in a three-wide battle, slid in front of Joe Graf Jr. and made hard contact against the Turn 4 outside wall.

    Following an extensive clean-up session, the race restarted under green with 41 laps remaining. At the start, Hill battled for the lead on the inside lane, but Bayne used the outside lane to fight back on the outside lane. 

    During the following lap, Bayne received a push from his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Gibbs and Brandon Jones to storm clear with the lead as Brandon Brown moved into fourth place while Hill was left battling Allmendinger for fifth place.

    A few laps later, Hill slipped back to eighth place in front of teammate Sheldon Creed as the front-runners settled in a long single-file line towards the outside wall. By then, Bayne remained as the leader followed by teammates Gibbs and Jones.

    Then with 34 laps remaining, the caution flew when Sam Mayer spun across the frontstretch and near the pit road entrance. 

    Four laps later and with darkness looming over the track, the race restarted under green. At the start, Bayne rocketed with the lead followed by teammates Gibbs and Jones. Soon after, Brown moved up to fourth followed by Hill while Allmendinger launched a challenge as the lead competitor on the inside lane. Hill, however, moved to the inside lane as he then made a bid for the lead against Bayne.

    With 25 laps remaining, the caution flew when Brandon Brown spun in Turn 1 after making contact with Creed, which Brown barely clipped Berry before he spun below the apron. At the moment of caution, Hill emerged with the lead over Bayne. During the caution period, Allgaier pitted while the rest of the field pitted.

    Down to the final 20 laps of the event, the race restarted under green as Hill and Gibbs occupied the front row. At the start, Bayne gave Hill a shove for the latter to lead and clear the field. 

    With 15 laps remaining, the top-nine competitors were separated under a second as Hill was leading ahead of Allmendinger, Cassill, Berry, Gibbs, Brandon Jones, Kyle Weatherman, Bayne and Ryan Sieg. 

    Then with 11 laps remaining, Bayne, who was trying to overtake Hill for the lead on the outside lane, made contact with the outside wall in Turn 1. With the field scrambling and moving to the inside lane, Bayne made contact with Berry in Turn 2, which sent Berry and teammate Gragson around as a multi-car wreck ensued. Among those involved included Allgaier, Mayer, Jeb Burton, Alex Labbe, Martins, Karam, Gibbs and Parsons.

    Following another extensive clean-up period, the race restarted with three laps remaining. Just as Hill started to peak ahead of Snider with drafting help from Ryan Sieg, the caution flew and the race was sent into overtime when Riley Herbst clipped and turned Myatt Snider in Turn 1.

    During the first overtime attempt, Sieg briefly battled against Hill for the lead when the caution flew due to a three-car wreck that involved Matt Mills, Stefan Parsons and Tommy Joe Martins. The wreck placed the competition in a red flag period before the competitors were sent into a second overtime attempt.

    At the start of the second overtime attempt, Hill and Sieg battled dead even through the first two turns and the backstretch before Sieg pulled ahead in Turn 3. 

    When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Sieg was out in front until a strong crossover move by Gibbs enabled the No. 54 Sport Clips Toyota Supra to storm to the lead entering Turn 1. Meanwhile, Sieg was being overtaken by the field as he received no drafting help to return back to the lead. As the battles continued behind him, Gibbs was gone as he returned to the finish line uncontested and claimed his second checkered flag of this season.

    In addition to claiming his second victory of the 2022 Xfinity season, Gibbs recorded his first win in his first NASCAR national touring series start at Atlanta and his sixth career victory in his 23rd series start.

    “First of all, I wanna say all glory to God!” Gibbs exclaimed on FS1. “I wanna say thank you for letting Him be able to get me in these moments. Second of all, I wanna say thank you to my team. What the heck? Oh my gosh. I did not expect this at all. That was one of those where I learned a big lesson. Just never give up. Let’s go!”

    Hill, who notched his first Xfinity career win at Daytona International Speedway in February, settled in second place followed by AJ Allmendinger while Herbst and Landon Cassill finished in the top five.

    Mason Massey, a 25-year-old native from Douglasville, Georgia, notched his first top-10 career result in sixth place while Brandon Jones, Kyle Weatherman, Creed and Sieg completed the top 10 on the track.

    There were 11 lead changes for 10 different leaders. The race featured 10 cautions for 56 laps.

    Despite finishing 26th, Gragson retains the lead in the regular season standings by 19 points over Ty Gibbs and AJ Allmendinger with Justin Allgaier trailing by 51, Josh Berry by 59 and Brandon Jones over 70.

    Results.

    1. Ty Gibbs, one lap led

    2. Austin Hill, 27 laps led

    3. AJ Allmendinger, 41 laps led

    4. Riley Herbst

    5. Landon Cassill

    6. Mason Massey

    7. Brandon Jones, one lap led

    8. Kyle Weatherman

    9. Sheldon Creed, 15 laps led

    10. Ryan Sieg, six laps led

    11. JJ Yeley

    12. Ryan Vargas

    13. Jeffrey Earnhardt

    14. Brett Moffitt

    15. Jeb Burton

    16. Anthony Alfredo

    17. Shane Lee

    18. Brandon Brown

    19. Alex Labbe

    20. Tommy Joe Maartins

    21. Sam Mayer

    22. Josh Williams

    23. Joe Graf Jr.

    24. Kyle Sieg

    25. Stefan Parsons

    26. Noah Gragson, 38 laps led

    27. Jesse Iwuji

    28. Trevor Bayne, 38 laps led

    29. Bayley Currey

    30. Myatt Snider, one lap down, two laps led

    31. Matt Mills – OUT, Accident

    32. Sage Karem – OUT, Accident

    33. Josh Berry – OUT, Accident, three laps led

    34. Justin Allgaier – OUT, Accident

    35. Daniel Hemric – OUT, Accident

    36. Loris Hezemans – OUT, Accident

    37. Jeremy Clements – OUT, Accident

    38. Jade Buford – OUT, Accident

    Next on the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the series’ second trip to Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. The event is scheduled to occur on Saturday, March 26, at 4:30 p.m ET on FS1.

  • Gragson shines with a dominant victory at Phoenix

    Gragson shines with a dominant victory at Phoenix

    Following three consecutive top-three results three races into the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, Noah Gragson broke through the win column after scoring a dominant victory in the United Rentals 200 at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday, March 12.

    The 23-year-old Gragson from Las Vegas, Nevada, started on the front row before leading seven times for a race-high 114 of 200 laps en route to his first Xfinity victory of the season after beating runner-up Brandon Jones by more than two seconds and becoming the fourth different winner through the first four scheduled events of the 2022 Xfinity season.

    With on-track qualifying occurring on Saturday, Trevor Bayne notched his first Xfinity pole since Iowa Speedway in August 2014 after posting a pole-winning lap at 131.839 mph. Despite enduring a kill switch issue while trying to roll his car off of pit road, Bayne’s crew was able to repair the issue as he retained the top starting spot. Joining him on the front row was Noah Gragson, who posted a fast qualifying lap at 131.565 mph.

    Prior to the event, Sam Mayer, Ryan Vargas, Justin Allgaier, Josh Berry and Stefan Parson dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments to their respective machines. In addition, Anthony Alfredo took his No. 23 Our Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro to the garage due to an early mechanical issue.

    When the green flag waved and the race commenced, the field fanned out through the dogleg turn as Bayne retained the lead and led the first lap ahead of Gragson, Brandon Jones and Ty Gibbs.

    Through the first five laps of the event, Bayne continued to lead by half a second over Gragson followed by Jones, Gibbs and John Hunter Nemechek. Behind, Daniel Hemric was in sixth ahead of Ryan Sieg, rookie Sheldon Creed, AJ Allmendinger and Parker Retzlaff. 

    Five laps later, Bayne stabilized his advantage to eight-tenths of a second over Gragson while Jones, Gibbs and Nemechek remained in the top five.

    By Lap 20, Bayne extended his advantage to more than a second over Gragson, who was fending off Jones for the runner-up spot. Gibbs and Nemechek continued to run in the top five followed by Hemric, Allmendinger, Creed, Landon Cassill and Ryan Sieg. Meanwhile, Justin Allgaier, who started at the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments to his No. 7 BRANDT Chevrolet Camaro, was up in 12th behind Jeb Burton.

    A lap later, the first caution of the event flew when Riley Herbst spun and pounded the Turn 3 outside wall after his brake pedal fell to the floor, thus destroying his No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang as his event came to an early end. 

    When the field restarted on Lap 33, Gragson challenged and emerged with the advantage over Bayne as the field fanned out and battled for positions. Meanwhile, John Hunter Nemechek, who made a bold move below the dogleg during the the restart, was in third ahead of Brandon Jones.

    By Lap 40, Gragson stabilized his advantage to three-tenths of a second over Bayne while Jones, Nemechek and Gibbs were in the top five. 

    Shortly after, a side-by-side battle for the lead occurred between Bayne and Gragson as Bayne challenged to reassume the top spot while Gragson refused to relinquish the lead. As they battled, Brandon Jones started to join the battle.

    When the first stage concluded on Lap 45, Bayne edged Gragson to claim the stage victory and his second of his part-time campaign. Jones settled in third followed by Nemechek, Gibbs, Allgaier, Landon Cassill, Allmendinger, Josh Berry and Sam Mayer while Daniel Hemric fell back to 11th.

    Under the stage break, the leaders pitted and Jones emerged with the lead after exiting pit road first followed by JR Motorsports’ Gragson, Allgaier and Mayer while Bayne came out in fifth ahead of Gibbs. Following the pit stops, however, Mayer and Brandon Brown dropped to the rear of the field after both were busted for speeding on pit road.

    The second stage started on Lap 54 as Jones and Gragson occupied the front row. At the start and with the field fanning out, Jones and Gragson battled dead even for the lead before Gragson peaked ahead. Just then, Gibbs, who was in the top five, spun after Josh Berry clipped Gibbs’ No. 54 Sport Clips Toyota Supra in Turn 2. As the field scattered to avoid hitting Gibbs, the caution returned.

    When the race restarted on Lap 61, Josh Berry engaged in a battle with teammate Allgaier for third place as Brandon Jones used the outside lane to his advantage as he assumed the lead for the first time ahead of Gragson. 

    Nine laps later, Gragson reassumed the lead after closing in and persevering in a battle with Jones while Allgaier settled in third. 

    Through the first 75 laps of the event, Gragson was leading by less than three-tenths of a second over Jones while Allgaier, Bayne and Berry were in the top five. Behind, Allmendinger was in sixth ahead of Nemechek, Ryan Sieg, Hemric and Cassill while Sheldon Creed, Jeb Burton, Brett Moffit, Mayer and rookie Austin Hill were in the top 15. Meanwhile, Gibbs was mired in 26th ahead of JJ Yeley.

    Despite encountering lapped traffic, Gragson was able to extend his advantage to more than a second and claim the second stage victory on Lap 90, thus claiming his third stage victory of the 2022 season. Behind, Allgaier overtook and fended off Jones to settle in second followed by Bayne, Berry, Nemechek, Allmendinger, Hemric, Cassill and Mayer, who rallied from speeding on pit road prior to the start of the second stage,

    Under the stage break, the leaders returned to pit road and Allgaier emerged with the lead followed by Jones, Gragson, Allmendinger and Mayer. Following the pit stops, Bayne and Mayer were both busted for speeding on pit road and sent to the rear of the field.

    With 101 laps remaining, the final stage started. At the start and with the field fanning out, Allgaier went wide and got loose through Turns 1 and 2 as Jones moved into the lead ahead of Nemechek and Gragson. Shortly after, Jones was being challenged by John Hunter Nemechek before the latter took over with 98 laps remaining.

    With 90 laps remaining, Nemechek was leading by nearly half a second over Gragson while Jones, Allgaier and Berry were in the top five. Allmendinger was in sixth ahead of Kaulig Racing’s Hemric and Cassill while Gibbs was back up in ninth ahead of Ryan Sieg.

    Three laps later, Gragson reassumed the lead over Nemechek.

    Down to the final 75 laps of the event, Gragson extended his advantage to more than a second over Jones while Nemechek fell back to third. Teammates Allgaier and Berry were in the top five followed by Allmendinger, Hemric, Gibbs, Cassill and Bayne, who was trying to work his way back to the front. 

    Fifteen laps later, Gragson stabilized his advantage to less than two seconds over Jones while Allgaier, Berry and Nemechek remained in the top five. Meanwhile, Bayne carved his way up in sixth place followed by teammate Gibbs while Allmendinger slipped back to eighth ahead of teammates Hemric and Cassill. Mayer was in 12th in between Ryan Sieg and Creed while Austin Hill was in 16th behind Jeb Burton.

    Another 10 laps later and with the teams plotting their final scheduled pit stops of the event, Gragson continued to lead by more than two seconds over Jones.

    With less than 40 laps remaining, pit stops under green commenced as Austin Hill pitted. Soon after, Allmendinger pitted along with Allgaier, Mayer, Creed, Berry, Jones, Bayne, Nemechek, race leader Gragson, Gibbs and others. During the pit stops, Mayer was busted twice for speeding on pit road on two separate occasions: once during his scheduled stop and again while serving his first penalty. In addition, Allgaier was penalized for running over an air hose on pit road.

    Back on the track and with less than 30 laps remaining, Brandon Jones cycled to the lead by more than a second over Gragson. 

    With 20 laps remaining, Jones, who encountered lapped traffic, continued to lead by half a second over Gragson, who continued to narrow the deficit behind Jones’ No. 19 Menards Toyota Supra.

    Six laps later and following a close side-by-side battle with Jones amid lapped traffic, Gragson reassumed the lead.

    Down to the final 10 laps of the event, Gragson started to extend his advantage to more than a second over Jones while third-place Berry trailed by more than three seconds. Bayne was up in fourth followed by Nemechek. Meanwhile, Kaz Grala scrapped the outside wall in Turn 4, but the race proceeded under green.

    With five laps remaining, Gragson stabilized himself to more than a second over Jones with victory in sight.

    When the white flag waved and the final lap commenced, Gragson extended his advantage to more than two seconds over Jones while Berry trailed by five seconds. Having no challengers narrow the gap between himself and victory, Gragson cycled his way back to the finish line as he claimed his first checkered flag of the season.

    With the victory, Gragson, who blew both of his rear tires during his victorious burnout before climbing the fence and saluting the fans, claimed his first win at Phoenix, the first win of the 2022 season for JR Motorsports and his sixth NASCAR Xfinity Series career triumph in his 106th series start. In addition, Gragson claimed his first win with new crew chief Luke Lambert, who joined JR Motorsports prior to the season and claimed his first Xfinity victory as a crew chief since 2012. 

    “It feels great to get the 50th anniversary Bass Pro Shops Camaro in Victory Lane,” Gragson said on FS1. “Most importantly, thank you all you race fans for coming out. You guys are awesome. You guys are loud. We love you. Thanks for coming to Phoenix. This team, the pit crew, everybody who makes this possible…The pit crew executed great. This team’s been on a roll so far this year. All top three finishes [through the] first four races. [I] Can’t thank everybody enough for all their hard work and try to keep in going.

    Jones, a former winner at Phoenix, claimed his first top-five result of the season after finishing in second place followed by Berry, who claimed his third consecutive top-five result of this season.

    “This is, first off, exactly what this No. 19 team needed,” Jones said. “To kind of turn the season around. We’ve had speed at all these race tracks so far. Just haven’t quite got finishes yet that we need. It’s really early in the season still. I thought when we came out of the pits there and came ahead of [Gragson] there that it was gonna be pretty good because aero situations were pretty tough today. It seemed like whoever was leading the race kind of was difficult to pass…Still all in all, really happy to come home second. I think this is the right momentum we need to turn this deal around.”

    Trevor Bayne recorded his second top-five result in his second start of this year’s Xfinity season in Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 Toyota Supra by finishing fourth while Nemechek came home in fifth place while driving Sam Hunt Racing’s No. 26 Toyota Supra.

    Gibbs, Allmendinger, Hemric, Cassill and Allgaier completed the top 10 on the track as the top-10 competitors were the only competitors to finish on the lead lap.

    Notably, Creed and Austin Hill finished 14th and 17th while Mayer, who was busted with four pit road speeding penalties, settled in 22nd place.

    There were 16 lead changes for six different leaders. The race featured four cautions for 33 laps.

    With his victory, Noah Gragson continues to lead the regular season standings by 39 points over Ty Gibbs, 42 over Justin Allgaier, 43 over AJ Allmendinger and 53 over Josh Berry.

    Results.

    1. Noah Gragson, 114 laps led, Stage 2 winner

    2. Brandon Jones, 30 laps led

    3. Josh Berry

    4. Trevor Bayne, 38 laps led, Stage 1 winner

    5. John Hunter Nemechek, 11 laps led

    6. Ty Gibbs

    7. AJ Allmendinger

    8. Daniel Hemric

    9. Landon Cassill

    10. Justin Allgaier, five laps led

    11. Ryan Sieg, one lap down, two laps led

    12. Jeb Burton, one lap down

    13. Brandon Brown, one lap down

    14. Sheldon Creed, one lap down

    15. Brett Moffitt, one lap down

    16. Ryan Ellis, one lap down

    17. Austin Hill, one lap down

    18. Jeremy Clements, one lap down

    19. Alex Labbe, one lap down

    20. Bayley Currey, one lap down

    21. Stefan Parsons, two laps down

    22. Sam Mayer, two laps down

    23. Mason Massey, two laps down

    24. Myatt Snider, two laps down

    25. JJ Yeley, two laps down

    26. Nicholas Sanchez, two laps down

    27. Joe Graf Jr., three laps down

    28. Jade Buford, three laps down

    29. Ryan Vargas, three laps down

    30. Kyle Weatherman, three laps down

    31. David Starr, four laps down

    32. Kyle Sieg, four laps down

    33. Kaz Grala, four laps down

    34. Jeffrey Earnhardt, four laps down

    35. Josh Williams – OUT, Ignition

    36. Parker Retzlaff – OUT, Fuel Pump

    37. Anthony Alfredo, 53 laps down

    38. Riley Herbst – OUT, Accident

    Next on the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the series’ first of two visits to the newly reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway. The event is scheduled to occur on Saturday, March 19, at 5 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • Trevor Bayne begins comeback effort with top-five at Auto Club Speedway

    Trevor Bayne begins comeback effort with top-five at Auto Club Speedway

    Trevor Bayne finished third Saturday in the Xfinity Series Production Alliance 300 at Auto Club Speedway. It was the first of seven Xfinity Series races currently scheduled with Joe Gibbs Racing and the beginning of a new opportunity.

    With sponsor Devotion Nutrition on the No 18 Toyota, his focus is on running competitively in an effort to renew his career in NASCAR. He started the race strong with a dominant car and won the first stage but lost momentum after a slow pit stop, eventually working his way back toward the front for a top-five.

    After winning the 2011 Daytona 500 with Wood Brothers Racing in only his second Cup Series start, it looked as though Bayne’s future in NASCAR was secure. In 2015, he signed with Jack Roush to run full-time in the Cup Series.  But, after four years, Bayne’s performance fell short of Roush’s expectations and his contract was not renewed after the 2018 season.

    His current alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing is a dream come true for Bayne.

    “I don’t know what comes of this,” Bayne continued. “I don’t know if I end up back in a Cup car full-time or an Xfinity car contending for championships. That’s what I would love to see happen, but I feel like, in seven races, I need to go win three to five races if I’m going to have a shot at a comeback. That’s my goal. That’s what I told Jason Ratcliff (crew chief). We’ve got seven – let’s go win five. Maybe it only takes one or two, I don’t know, but to have a shot in the 18 car, that’s my goal.”

    Bayne’s third-place finish at Auto Club was not the win he was looking for but it was an impressive performance and a confirmation of his commitment to making the most of this second chance

    “I got to race for wins today. Didn’t get it done, unfortunately, but I’m not going to get greedy with our first one back. We won the first stage, had a pit stop that got us behind and it just drove different in traffic. Once I got back to the front, it was pretty racy – really just too tight to have a shot to run with the 07 (Cole Custer). He could get through the corner really good, but I’m back in a race car, battling for wins. I was talking with Noah (Gragson) about which lane I ran in (turns) one and two there. To me, second or third don’t matter, I’ve got to win races, so I tried to go below the 07, didn’t work out, but super pumped to be here with Devotion, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing.”

    While his future in NASCAR may be uncertain, Bayne’s passion and desire to succeed are unshakable. His next race will be at Phoenix Raceway on March 12 and the goal remains the same.

    “It really feels like one of the best opportunities I’ve ever had outside of getting in that Wood Brothers car in Daytona. To me, this feels like the reset,” Bayne said. “I need to go win three to five races if I’m going to have a shot at a comeback.”

  • Custer grabs a dominant Xfinity win at Fontana

    Custer grabs a dominant Xfinity win at Fontana

    Cole Custer rallied from two slow pit stops and through three overtime restarts to score a dominant win in the Production Alliance 300 at Auto Club Speedway on Saturday, February 26.

    The 24-year-old native from Ladera Ranch, California, led five times for a race-high 80 of 165 laps to beat Noah Gragson by half a second in his first of select NASCAR Xfinity Series starts this season with SS-Green Light Racing, which achieved their first career victory in NASCAR.

    Qualifying on Saturday determined the starting lineup for the event. AJ Allmendinger, coming off his runner-up result at Daytona International Speedway, started on pole position after posting a pole-winning lap at 179.829 mph. He was joined on the front row with Cole Custer, who qualified with a fast lap at 179.793 mph.

    Prior to the event, Jeffrey Earnhardt, Jeb Burton, Jesse Iwuji, Joey Gase, Tommy Joe Martins and Josh Williams dropped to the rear for unapproved adjustments. Kyle Sieg also dropped to the rear of the field due to an engine change along with Joe Graf Jr. due to a driver change after he replaced Timmy Hill.

    When the green flag waved and the race commenced, Allmendinger and Custer battled dead even ahead of the field before the former cleared the latter through the backstretch and went on to lead the first lap. 

    During the following lap, Allmendinger continued to fend off early challenges from Custer to retain the top spot. Behind, Austin Hill, coming off his first Xfinity career victory at Daytona, made an unscheduled pit stop after sustaining right-side damage to his No. 21 Bennett Transportation and Logistics Chevrolet Camaro due to contact with Josh Berry through the backstretch. 

    By the fifth lap, Allmendinger and Custer continued to battle for the lead followed by Trevor Bayne, Noah Gragson and Brandon Jones. Ryan Sieg was in sixth ahead of Daniel Hemric, Ty Gibbs, Josh Berry and Justin Allgaier. 

    A lap later, the first caution flew when flames erupted out of the No. 10 Carnomoly Chevrolet Camaro piloted by Landon Cassill, who was running in 11th place. Cassill, though, was able to park his car below the apron in Turn 1 as he exited his flaming car. 

    Following an extensive cleanup, the race restarted on Lap 13. During the following lap, Trevor Bayne, making his first of select starts in Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 Devotion Nutrition Toyota Supra, flexed his muscles as he moved into the lead followed by Allmendinger, Custer and the field.

    On Lap 19, the caution returned when Mason Massey cut a left-front tire and shredded debris in Turn 2.

    When the race restarted on Lap 24 and as the field fanned out, Noah Gragson peaked ahead with the lead followed by Bayne, Custer and the field. When the field returned to the frontstretch, however, Bayne retained the lead followed by Custer, Gragson, Gibbs and Allmendinger.

    By Lap 30, Bayne was leading by a tenth of a second over Custer. Gragson was in third followed by teammate Justin Allgaier and Gibbs while Allmendinger, Hemric, Berry, Sieg and Sam Mayer were in the top 10.

    In the closing laps of the first stage, Custer started to close in and challenge Bayne for the top spot while Gragson was trailing by more than two seconds. 

    When the first stage concluded on Lap 35, Bayne, making his first start in NASCAR in two years, claimed his first career stage victory. Custer settled in second while Allgaier overtook teammate Gragson in Turn 3 after Gragson scraped the wall to settle in third. Gibbs, Allmendinger, Berry, Sieg, Hemric and Mayer rounded out the top 10.

    Under the stage break, the field pitted and Hemric utilized the first pit box to his advantage to move into the lead. Gibbs followed in second along with Gragson, Berry, Allgaier and Custer while Bayne dropped to 10th following a slow pit stop. During the pit stop, Ryan Sieg missed his pit box and had to return to pit road for service.

    The second stage started on Lap 42 as Hemric and Gibbs occupied the front row. At the start, Gibbs challenged Hemric for the top spot through the backstretch while Gragson, Custer and Allgaier battled ahead of the field that was fanning out. Then in Turn 4, Gibbs, who battled dead even with Hemric, bumped against Hemric’s No. 11 Poppy Bank Chevrolet Camaro before he spun wildly across the frontstretch and through the infield grass, all while sustaining no significant damage to his No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Supra.

    On Lap 48, the race restarted under green as Hemric and Gragson occupied the front row. At the start, Hemric retained the top spot until Custer stormed back to the lead during the following lap. With Hemric back in second, Gragson challenged for second ahead of Brandon Jones, Allgaier and Berry.

    By Lap 50, Custer was leading by a second ahead of Gragson while Hemric, Brandon Jones and Allgaier were in the top five. Allmendinger was in sixth ahead of Berry, rookie Sheldon Creed, Riley Herbst and Sam Mayer. Behind, Bayley Curry pitted under green after sustaining a flat right-rear tire.

    Five laps later, Custer stabilized his advantage to more than a second over Gragson while third-place Allgaier trailed by more than three seconds. 

    Another lap later, Brandon Jones, who was running in sixth place, spun his No. 19 Menards Toyota Supra in Turn 4.

    When the field restarted under green on Lap 60, the field battled through two lanes entering the first turn before fanning out to multiple lanes entering the backstretch. In the midst of the battles, Custer retained the lead and Gragson was in second ahead of teammate Allgaier, Allmendinger, Hemric, Berry and Mayer.

    Five laps later, Custer remained as the leader by a second and a half over Allgaier while Gragson, Allmendinger and Hemric were in the top five. 

    When the second stage concluded on Lap 70, Custer claimed his 17th career stage victory. Meanwhile, Brandon Jones, who made a late charge on fresh tires following his spin, settled in second followed by Allgaier, Gragson, Gibbs, Hemric, Allmendinger, Mayer, Berry and Riley Herbst.

    Under the stage break, the leaders returned to pit road and Brandon Jones exited with the lead followed by Allgaier, Gragson, Berry and Hemric while Custer, who endured a slow pit stop, dropped to eighth.

    With 74 laps remaining, the final stage started under green. At the start, Jones powered ahead with a brief advantage on the outside lane as the field fanned out entering the first two turns. When the field returned to the frontstretch, Custer, who restarted eighth, used a fast race car to his advantage by barreling his way back to the lead as Gragson challenged Brandon Jones for the runner-up spot.

    With less than 70 laps remaining, Allmendinger pitted under green to address a potential loose wheel to his No. 16 Nutrien Ag Solutions Chevrolet Camaro as he lost a lap to the leaders.

    Back on the track, Custer was leading by more than a second over Gragson. Brandon Jones was in third, trailing by more than two seconds, while Allgaier was in fourth. Meanwhile, Gibbs, who rallied from his early spin, was in fifth ahead of Hemric, Trevor Bayne, Berry, Mayer and Creed.

    Ten laps later, Custer extended his advantage to more than two seconds over Gragson while Allgaier, Brandon Jones and Gibbs were in the top five. Behind was Hemric, who had Berry, Bayne, Creed and Mayer battling behind him.

    Another 10 laps later, Custer’s advantage narrowed to less than two seconds as he continued to lead ahead of Gragson while Allgaier, Jones and Hemric were in the top five. Gibbs, Berry, Bayne, Creed and Herbst were scored in the top 10.

    With 48 laps remaining, Brandon Brown spun in Turn 2 as he drew the caution. Under caution, the field pitted and Justin Allgaier exited with the top spot followed by Jones, Gragson, Berry and Herbst. Meanwhile, Custer, who endured another slow pit stop, fell back to seventh.

    With 42 laps remaining, the race restarted under green. At the start, Allgaier retained the top spot through the first two turns as the field jostled for positions. Not long after, Gragson muscled to the lead while Allgaier was back in second ahead of Berry and a hard-charging Custer.

    Down to the final 35 laps of the event, JR Motorsports’ competitors occupied four of the top-five spots as Gragson was leading by more than a second over teammate Berry while teammate Allgaier trailed by more than two seconds. Custer was back in fourth while Mayer, the fourth JRM competitor, was in fifth.

    Then with 27 laps remaining, the caution flew when Jade Buford wrecked in Turn 2 after getting loose before being hit by Creed. Under caution, some led by Gragson pitted while Gibbs and Anthony Alfredo remained on the track. During the pit stops, Gragson slid through his pit box and ran over his air hose as he exited pit road out of the top 10 while Allgaier was the first competitor on fresh tires and fuel to exit pit road.

    With 22 laps remaining, the race restarted under green. At the start and with the field fanning out to multiple lanes, Allgaier reassumed the lead through Turn 1 while Bayne moved into second along with Berry.

    During the following lap, a five-car battle for the lead ensued as Allgaier led ahead of Bayne, Gragson, Berry and Custer. Soon after, Gragson muscled his way back to the lead. Not long after, Custer moved into second. By then, Myatt Snider fell off the pace after he lost an engine to his car.

    Back on the track, Gragson continued to lead, but he had Custer narrowing the advantage to less than three-tenths of a second. 

    Then with 15 laps remaining, Custer stormed back to the lead beneath Gragson.

    Just then, the caution flew with 10 laps remaining due to debris in Turn 1 as Mason Massey lost a left-front tire. At the time of caution, Custer had extended his advantage to more than a second over Gragson, more than two seconds over Josh Berry, more than three seconds over Bayne and more than four seconds over Allgaier.

    With six laps remaining, the race restarted under green. At the start, Gragson mounted a brief challenge on Custer before the latter cleared the field through the backstretch. Behind, Bayne challenged Gragson for the runner-up spot as Custer started to pull away.

    During the following lap, the caution returned due to an incident involving Creed and Brett Moffitt in Turn 1.

    With the field set to overtime, Custer and Gragson occupied the front row as the race resumed to green flag conditions. At the start, Custer, who spun the tires, managed to retain the lead ahead of Bayne and Gragson as the field fanned out to multiple lanes. Then in Turn 1, Hemric made contact with Brandon Jones as Jones spun across the track and dodged by the oncoming field. The incident, however, sent the race into another overtime attempt.

    At the start of the second overtime attempt, Custer received a strong start to retain the lead as the field fanned out. Then entering Turn 4, a multi-car wreck struck that involved Creed, Stefan Parsons and Brandon Jones, who spun down to the infield and collided against the sand barriers near the pit road entrance, which destroyed the barriers in a sandstorm. The incident occurred before Custer could start the final lap of the event as the race was sent into third overtime attempt.

    Prior to the overtime attempt, the red flag was displayed for 23 minutes for repairs towards the pit road entrance. When the red flag was lifted and the third overtime attempt commenced under green, Custer received another strong start to retain the lead while Gragson and Bayne moved up to second and third followed by Alfredo, who restarted on the front row. 

    When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Custer was leading by nearly four-tenths of a second over Gragson and the field. With a fast race car, Custer was able to circumnavigate his way around the circuit for a final time and cycle back to the finish line to grab the victory.

    With the victory, Custer claimed his 10th Xfinity Series career win in his 106th series start, his second at Fontana and his first since winning at Dover Motor Speedway in September 2019.

    “Man, it was just an awesome car,” Custer said on FS1. “That [car] was just a rocket ship all day. I can’t thank [owner] Bobby Dotter enough, everybody who was involved on this car. It was just unreal how fast we were. Production Alliance Group, this is awesome, it’s [Dotter’s] race. It’s the Production Alliance Group 300 and we got him to Victory Lane. It’s awesome to win at home, so [I] can’t wait for tomorrow. ”

    Gragson settled in second place while Bayne notched a strong third-place result in his first Xfinity start in six years. 

    “We had the lead there and then came down pit road, slid through the pit box and then, had a really good restart from 11th, got back up to the lead in like a lap or two,” Gragson said. “I felt like the Bass Pro Shops Camaro was really close all day. Just struggled with the cloud cover and the temperature change, being too loose or too tight. Hats off to all the guys on the No. 07 car and Cole Custer. He was really fast today. We finished third last weekend, finished second here this weekend. Hopefully, [we] got some good points. This is not one of my good tracks, so I’ll take a second-place finish…Came up short today, but hey, top threes through the start of two races this season, I’ll take it.

    Josh Berry grabbed his first top-five result of the season by finishing fourth and Anthony Alfredo made the late decision to remain on old tires work to perfection as he finished in fifth place.

    Mayer, Allmendinger, Allgaier, Herbst and Ryan Sieg finished in the top 10.

    There were 19 lead changes for eight different leaders. The race featured 12 cautions for 58 laps.

    After rallying for a top-10 result, Allmendinger continues to lead the regular-season standings by a single point over Gragson, three over Allgaier and 19 over Herbst, Ryan Sieg and Gibbs.

    Results.

    1. Cole Custer, 80 laps led, Stage 2 winner

    2. Noah Gragson, 25 laps led

    3. Trevor Bayne, 24 laps led, Stage 1 winner

    4. Josh Berry

    5. Anthony Alfredo

    6. Sam Mayer

    7. AJ Allmendinger, 13 laps led

    8. Justin Allgaier, seven laps led

    9. Riley Herbst

    10. Ryan Sieg

    11. Brandon Brown

    12. Daniel Hemric, 10 laps led

    13. Ty Gibbs, three laps led

    14. Jeb Burton

    15. Joe Graf Jr.

    16. Kyle Weatherman

    17. Jeremy Clements

    18. Kyle Sieg

    19. Brett Moffitt

    20. Joey Gase

    21. Josh Williams

    22. JJ Yeley

    23. Matt Mills

    24. Alex Labbe

    25. Kaz Grala, two laps down

    26. Myatt Snider, two laps down

    27. Austin Hill, three laps down

    28. Mason Massey, three laps down

    29. Jeffrey Earnhardt, four laps down

    30. Stefan Parsons – OUT, Accident

    31. Tommy Joe Martins, seven laps down

    32. Sheldon Creed – OUT, Accident

    33. Brandon Jones – OUT, Accident, three laps led

    34. Bayley Currey, 11 laps down

    35. Ryan Vargas – OUT, Accident

    36. Jesse Iwuji, 34 laps down

    37. Jade Buford – OUT, Accident

    38. Landon Cassill – OUT, Engine

    The 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series season proceeds with its second of a three-race West Coast swing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which will occur on Saturday, March 5, at 4:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • Bayne joins Joe Gibbs Racing for seven-race Xfinity schedule in 2022

    Bayne joins Joe Gibbs Racing for seven-race Xfinity schedule in 2022

    For the first time in six years, Trevor Bayne will be returning to the NASCAR Xfinity Series after it was announced that the 2011 Daytona 500 champion from Knoxville, Tennessee, will be campaigning in seven Xfinity events in Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 Toyota Supra sponsored by Devotion Nutrition this upcoming season.

    Bayne’s first run with Joe Gibbs Racing will occur at Auto Club Speedway on February 26 followed by Phoenix Raceway on March 12. Following a one-month break, he will return at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 28 before competing at Nashville Superspeedway on June 25, New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 16, Las Vegas Motor Speedway on October 15 and at Homestead-Miami Speedway on October 22. Veteran Jason Ratcliff will return to JGR to serve as crew chief for Bayne and the No. 18 Toyota Supra that will be piloted by multiple competitors throughout the 2022 Xfinity Series season.

    The news comes as Bayne returns to NASCAR following a one-year absence. His last campaign in the sport was during the latter half of the 2020 Camping World Truck Series season, where he competed in eight of the final nine events with Niece Motorsports. During this stint, he recorded a season-best runner-up result at Talladega Superspeedway along with a 10th-place result at Kansas Speedway, both in October.

    “Returning to NASCAR with Devotion Nutrition and Joe Gibbs Racing is beyond huge for me,” Bayne said. “Devotion is a super passionate family-run business with a mission to help people live a healthy lifestyle. Their passion is something I certainly relate to. Over the past three years, I didn’t know if I’d ever get an opportunity to race for wins again, but my desire to do so never faded. I’m so excited to have this opportunity to work with Jason [Ratcliff] and everyone at JGR. I want nothing more than to come back stronger than ever and put that Devotion Nutrition GR Supra into victory lane.”

    Bayne’s last recorded start in the Xfinity circuit was at Watkins Glen International in August 2016, where he piloted Roush Fenway Racing’s No. 60 Ford Mustang to a fifth-place result. Since making his series debut at Bristol Motor Speedway in March 2009 through Watkins Glen in 2016, Bayne has made a total of 152 career starts in the Xfinity circuit. During this span, he has achieved two career victories while driving for Roush Fenway Racing (Texas Motor Speedway in November 2011 and Iowa Speedway in June 2013). He has also recorded seven poles, 25 top-five results, 73 top-10 results, 485 laps led, an average-finishing result of 13.5 and two career-best sixth-place results in the final standings (2013 and 2014).

    In addition to the Truck and Xfinity circuits, Bayne has made a total of 187 career starts in the NASCAR Cup Series, where he drove between Wood Brothers Racing and Roush Fenway Racing (2010-2018). In just his second Cup career start, he claimed his first victory in the 2011 Daytona 500 while driving for the Wood Brothers and became the youngest competitor to win the Great American Race at age 20 years. He has also recorded five top-five results, 16 top-10 results, 71 laps led, an average-finishing result of 23.3 and a career-best points result of 22nd place (2016 and 2017).

    “We are proud to be a part of Trevor’s return to the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Joe Gibbs Racing,” Dana Lynn Kaye, owner of Devotion Nutrition, said. “We are extremely passionate about our brand and excited about the platform JGR and NASCAR provides to reach new consumers and educate them on how Devotion Nutrition can become an easy part of a daily healthy lifestyle.”

    Additional details regarding additional competitors and sponsors for the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Supra team have yet to be determined.

  • Roush Fenway Racing’s No. 6 to reach 1,000 starts at Kansas

    Roush Fenway Racing’s No. 6 to reach 1,000 starts at Kansas

    A significant milestone is in the making for one of NASCAR’s and Roush Fenway Racing’s iconic numbers this week at Kansas Speedway. When the green flag waves for the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series race, the Super Start Batteries 400, at Kansas, the No. 6 will reach 1,000 starts under the Roush Fenway Racing banner in NASCAR’s premier series.

    The No. 6 car was the first car that team owner Jack Roush fielded in the NASCAR Cup Series in 1988, the year Roush Racing was founded and made its debut in the 1988 Daytona 500 with Batesville, Arkansas, native Mark Martin serving as the team’s first driver led by crew chief Robin Pemberton. In the team’s first full-time season in the Cup circuit, Martin recorded a pole at Dover in September along with three top-five results and 10 top-10 results before concluding the season in 15th in the standings.

    The following season, Martin and Roush’s No. 6 Ford team rebounded by starting on the pole six times along with finishing in the top five 14 times and in the top 10 18 times. In October, Martin recorded the first Cup victory for himself and for Roush at Rockingham’s North Carolina Speedway. Ultimately, he concluded the season in third in the final standings.

    Starting the 1990 season fresh with new sponsor Folgers, Martin won three races, three poles and finished in the top 10 in all but six of the 29-race schedule. Though he led the points standings for the majority of the season, he was penalized 46 points following the second race of the season, which he won, due to a rules violation. The penalty cost Martin and Roush the overall championship by 26 points to Dale Earnhardt.

    From 1991 to 2000, Martin and Roush’s No. 6 team won 28 Cup races. He also achieved 27 poles, 148 top-five results, 214 top-10 results and over 8,000 laps led. His best points results during the ten years were a pair of runner-up results in 1994 and 1998, though he finished no lower than eighth during those years. By then, Valvoline was his primary sponsor. From 2001 to 2004, Martin only won two races. He also achieved two poles, 30 top-five results, 62 top-10 results and over 1,100 laps led. His best points results during the four years were a runner-up result in 2002 and a fourth-place result in 2004. By then, Viagra was his primary sponsor and Roush’s No. 6 car had surpassed 500 starts in the Cup level. In addition, owner Jack Roush notched his first two NASCAR Cup championships with Matt Kenseth in 2003 and Kurt Busch in 2004.

    The 2005 season started as Martin’s final full-time season of Cup racing while launching the “Salute to You” tour to thank his fans. Throughout the season, Martin won once at Kansas in October as he also achieved 12 top-five results, 19 top-10 results and led 324 laps before concluding the season in fourth in the final standings after making the Chase. One of Martin’s highlights during the season was winning the All-Star Race at Charlotte’s Lowe’s Motor Speedway in May while sporting a retro 1993 Valvoline scheme to his No. 6 car. Following the departure of Kurt Busch and Roush needing a driver for the No. 6 car in 2006, Martin agreed to return for another full-time season of racing. In 2006, while sporting the AAA logos on the car, Martin did not record a win, but he made his third consecutive Chase appearance while logging in seven top-five results and 15 top-10 results before concluding the season in ninth in the final standings.

    Following Martin’s departure to Ginn Racing, Roush hired Unadilla, Georgia’s David Ragan as driver of the No. 6 AAA Ford led by veteran crew chief Jimmy Fennig. By then, Roush Racing became Roush Fenway Racing when John W. Henry, owner of the Fenway Sports Group, purchased half of the team’s stake with Jack Roush still overseeing daily operations of the organization. Ragan kicked off his rookie Cup season by finishing fifth in the Daytona 500 after dodging a last-lap accident. Throughout the season, however, Ragan struggled with consistency. He recorded two more top-10 results throughout the season before settling in 23rd in the final standings and falling short of the Rookie-of-the-Year title to Juan Pablo Montoya. Ragan rebounded the following season by recording six top-five results and 14 top-10 results before concluding the season in 13th in the final standings, the highest of the non-Chase contenders.

    Between 2009 and 2010, while sporting the UPS colors on the No. 6 Ford, Ragan struggled with consistency as he logged five top-10 results between the two seasons with a best points result of 24th in 2010. In 2011, with the No. 6 UPS team led by Drew Blickensderfer, Ragan started the season by nearly winning the Daytona 500 until he was penalized for switching lanes prior to reaching the start/finish line and ultimately, finishing 14th. For the first 16 races of the season, Ragan recorded four top-10 results and his first career pole at Texas in April. He also won the Sprint Showdown at Charlotte in May to transfer to his first All-Star Race, where he finished eighth. In July, Ragan survived a wild night of carnage to score his first Cup career win at Daytona International Speedway. The victory marked the first time since 2005 where Roush’s No. 6 car won a race in NASCAR’s premier series. For the remainder of the season, Ragan recorded another pole at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and three more top-10 results before finishing 23rd in the final standings.

    Following the 2011 season and Ragan’s departure from Roush Fenway Racing, the No. 6 car only made four starts throughout the 2012 Cup season with the reigning Xfinity Series champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Stenhouse made his first start in the No. 6 Ford at the Daytona 500 in February, where he rallied from being involved in a late accident to finish 20th. He went on to finish 12th at Dover in September, 35th at Charlotte in October and 39th at Homestead in November. Stenhouse also competed the entire Xfinity race schedule in Roush’s No. 6 Ford Mustang, which he won and defended his series title. In 2013, Stenhouse graduated to the Cup Series on a full-time basis, replacing Matt Kenseth as driver of the No. 17 Ford while the No. 6 car was not fielded for the first time throughout a racing season since the team’s inception.

    Following a two-year hiatus, the No. 6 car made its return to the track for the 2015 Cup season with the 2011 Daytona 500 champion Trevor Bayne set to pilot the car with sponsorship support from AdvoCare and the team led by veteran Bob Osborne. Throughout the 2015 season, however, Bayne struggled with consistency as he finished in the top 10 twice and concluded the season in 29th in the final standings. The following season, paired with crew chief Matt Puccia, Bayne recorded two top-five results and five top-10 results while leading a career-high 34 laps and winning a stage in the All-Star Open at Charlotte in May to transfer to the All-Star Race, where he finished seventh. Ultimately, he concluded the season in 22nd in the final standings. In 2017, Bayne finished 22nd in the final standings again while recording two top-five results and six top-10 results. The closest he came to winning a race in Roush’s No. 6 car was the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis in July, where he had a potential late-race winning strategy spoiled by a late caution that later led to him being involved in a multi-car wreck.

    Throughout the 2018 season, the No. 6 car was split between Bayne and Matt Kenseth, who reunited with Roush Fenway Racing in an effort to help strengthen the performance of the team following recent on-track struggles. For Bayne, who competed in 21 Cup races, his best result was an 11th-place finish at Bristol in August while finishing 12th at Texas in April and 13th on three occasions. For Kenseth, who made his first start at Kansas in May, he recorded a pair of top-10 finishes in the final two races of the season and he picked up a stage win at Indianapolis in September.

    For the 2019 season, Roush Fenway Racing shifted gears and welcomed the 2008 Daytona 500 champion Ryan Newman to pilot the No. 6 Ford Mustang led by crew chief Scott Graves. Throughout the season, Newman recorded three top-five results, 14 top-10 results and 57 stage points as he made the Playoffs before he concluded the season in 15th in the final standings.

    This season, Newman and Roush’s No. 6 team appeared to start the season off by winning the 62nd running of the Daytona 500 until the veteran was involved in a harrowing accident on the final straightaway, an accident that left Newman injured and out of the racing seat for three races. During the three races that Newman was out, Ross Chastain piloted the No. 6 Ford as his best result was a 17th-place finish at Auto Club Speedway in March. Following a two-month hiatus of on-track racing amid the COVID-19 pandemic, when NASCAR returned at Darlington Raceway, Newman was cleared to return to drive Roush’s No. 6 car.

    Since May, Newman has recorded seven top-15 results with a best result of 12th at Martinsville Speedway in June. He is ranked 26th in the regular-season standings and is 127 points below the top-16 cutline to make the Playoffs in his second season as driver of the No. 6 Ford for Roush Fenway Racing. Though he missed three races to start this season, he is granted a waiver to qualify for the Playoffs should he win and gain enough points to make the cutline.

    Catch Roush Fenway Racing’s No. 6 car’s milestone start in the Super Start Batteries 400 at Kansas Speedway on July 23 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Hot 20 of the NASCAR season that was

    Hot 20 of the NASCAR season that was

    Another season has come and gone, along with a few more drivers and fans, to be honest. However, there are some things I have noticed that are on the positive side, though not all would agree.

    I like stage racing. I was not sure to start with, but I like it now. It helps chronicle who mattered early and it informs us as to who mattered throughout. It even tells us who won, and it rewards that winner is a meaningful way.

    As a traditionalist, I was dead set against the playoffs. I have changed my mind. Logically, it makes no sense to have the pretenders still on the same competitive field as the contenders. Yet, it has not much affected the action, other than for one understandably upset Matt Kenseth. In this snowflake influenced world of ours, sometimes vengeance can still be had.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. was not missed on the track due to his excellence in the NBC broadcast booth alongside Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte, Rick Allen and a very stout track-side team. They were entertaining, informative, and sounded like they were excited being there. That is all it takes, but it took a long, long time for some to figure that out. I am not sure FOX has yet.

    NASCAR boss man Brian France left the scene in August after being tagged with charges of aggravated driving while intoxicated and criminal possession of a controlled substance. Replaced by his uncle, I think most think that was a positive step. At least Jim France bothers to show up at the track every week.

    The France family is looking to fold its 13 track International Speedway Corp., which includes Darlington, Daytona, Martinsville and Talladega, into a merger with NASCAR itself. One can speculate as to the reasons, be it to lay out “a more unified strategic approach”, as Jim France says, or to package it all up for sale. Time will tell.

    Sometime over the past decade, the “How bad have you got it” mantra went out the window, along with the fans they were asking. Most of the races this season had a dip in ratings, with at least 26 being seen as having their worst of the past decade, if not of all time. Most of the celebrities are gone, we produce fewer gear heads these days, and the good ole boys and girls like Bo, Luke, and Daisy have been replaced in society by those who know more about tissues than issues.

    It appears Jamie McMurray is leaving the driver’s seat, at least on a full-time basis. Kurt Busch could be his replacement with Chip Ganassi. Kenseth is set to step back from even doing that after spelling off Trevor Bayne. Ryan Newman will take their place at Roush-Fenway, with newcomer Daniel Hemric taking his former ride with Richard Childress. Furniture Row is now gone, as Martin Truex Jr. heads over to Joe Gibbs, bumping Daniel Suarez possibly over to replace the elder Busch at Stewart-Haas. A.J. Allmendinger will be without a ride, giving up his seat to rookie Ryan Preece. Kasey Kahne has called it a career, and the 17-year combination of Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus comes to an end.

    Changes. Some we like, some we will not, at least to start with. Will fans come back in droves? Nope. Why should they? Give them a reason, give them entertainment, give them a reason to care.

    All they have to do is figure out what that is. Over the course of the past decade, they have not.

    1. JOEY LOGANO – 5040 POINTS (3 Wins)
    This is not “fake news.” Logano is a deserving, even if not an overly popular, champion.

    2. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 5035 POINTS (4 Wins)
    If we could ignore the facts for our own biases…but we can not. Now he is off to join the Coach.

    3. KEVIN HARVICK – 5034 POINTS (8 Wins)
    If he could win all those he dominated for a period of time, he would have gone double figures.

    4. KYLE BUSCH – 5033 POINTS (8 Wins)
    Great seasons can be spoiled by the uncertainty of a playoff. Case in point…

    5. ARIC ALMIROLA – 2354 POINTS (1 Win)
    Not everyone is moving on. Then again, he was one of those movers not so long ago.

    6. CHASE ELLIOTT – 2350 POINTS (3 Wins)
    The future of Hendrick has already arrived.

    7. KURT BUSCH – 2350 POINTS (1 Win)
    If he wants to race Indy, his rumored new boss might have a few options open to him.

    8. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2343 POINTS (3 Wins)
    “I’m going to say it again. I did not intentionally spin out that driver, Mr. Suarez.”

    9. KYLE LARSON – 2299 POINTS
    If your business is named “Hi-Line”, I have a marketing opportunity for you.

    10. RYAN BLANEY – 2298 POINTS (1 Win)
    Like Chase, he is one of the positives NASCAR can showcase for the future.

    11. DENNY HAMLIN – 2285 POINTS
    As with Johnson, a years-long streak of wins in a season comes to an end.

    12. CLINT BOWYER – 2272 POINTS (2 Wins)
    Light-hearted and funny. Plus, if you ever find yourself in a ditch, he has connections.

    13. AUSTIN DILLON – 2245 POINTS (1 Win)
    That win was nice, but the iconic number was not so iconic after Daytona.

    14. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2242 POINTS
    The marriage with Chad lasted longer than a vast majority of Hollywood relationships.

    15. ERIK JONES – 2220 POINTS (1 Win)
    At 22, That Jones Boy is making Joe Gibbs feel pretty good about the future.

    16. ALEX BOWMAN – 2204 POINTS
    Driving a car once driven by an Earnhardt is not an easy act to follow.

    17. RYAN NEWMAN – 769 POINTS
    Off to become one of the guys over at the House that Jack built. Maybe even his bodyguard.

    18. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 701 POINTS
    After five years, the storyline changed in 2018, along with a downturn in performance

    19. PAUL MENARD – 692 POINTS
    Will be around as long as a certain home improvement company markets its wares on a stock car.

    20. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 683 POINTS
    If this marks the end of the line, he finishes it up among those who mattered.

  • Keeping the faith with Trevor Bayne

    Keeping the faith with Trevor Bayne

    After covering NASCAR for 10 years I have come to the realization that there are some drivers that you feel an almost instant connection with, despite your best efforts to remain impartial. For me, that driver is Trevor Bayne – my first NASCAR interview.

    Since team owner Jack Roush announced on September 12 that Bayne would not return to drive the No. 6 car in 2019, my memories of that interview in 2009 have been foremost in my mind. And while I’m certain that he probably has no recollection of that day, it was a pivotal moment for me as I began my foray into the world of NASCAR.

    I remember this particular interview as if it was yesterday. Even though I had spent hours researching and taking notes, I wasn’t prepared for the awkwardness I would feel as I walked into his hauler. And, I didn’t anticipate the various crew members who were also there, especially the ones sprawled on the floor that I had to step across, or the accompanying noise level that I feared would be distracting.

    Bayne, however, was anything but awkward.

    He quickly put me at ease with his thoughtful and articulate answers and I soon forgot my surroundings. I was impressed with this 18-year-old although, at the time, I didn’t realize that he had set such a high bar. I would soon learn that not all interviews would go as smoothly and that some drivers would not be as well-spoken or as open. But Bayne’s interview instilled in me a confidence that I would carry with me moving forward.

    During his career, Bayne has experienced the highs and lows of a sport that can be rewarding one moment and devastating the next. He went from being part of the Dale Earnhardt Inc. driver development program in 2008 to find himself out of a ride due to lack of funding the following year.

    “It’s devastating to see what can actually happen,” he told me. “You know, I was kind of put in a bubble growing up my whole life because everything went so smooth. We were always running good in races, and that just created more opportunity. And then, the economy, when that happened, it didn’t matter the amount of talent that you had, or the ability, because nobody could fund it at that point.”

    Bayne, however, used that disappointment to fuel his desire and propel him to the next level. A meeting with Gary Bechtel (former owner of Diamond Ridge Motorsports) led to a racing deal in the Xfinity Series with Michael Waltrip Racing on a part-time schedule in 2009 that continued through September 2010.

    “We were able to prove ourselves in that amount of time,” Bayne said. “It’s drawn a lot of opportunity and I’m really appreciative for that chance to show what we can do. I would say that’s been the biggest turning point, just being able to get back in a race car and show what we can do and help create that interest.”

    Bayne also relied on his faith during the difficult times.

    “God’s got a plan for my life and he’s shown that. Every time that I’ve been in a tough spot, he’s always prevailed and pulled me through. I know that he has a plan for everything. And at the time it seemed like the worst thing in the world that could possibly happen, losing the deal at DEI. But now, the opportunities that have been created, it’s been amazing to me. To see the plan going into action that God has laid out for my life, it’s pretty awesome.”

    The next stage of his journey came in October 2010 after forming an alliance to compete for Roush Fenway Racing in the Xfinity Series and his debut Cup Series race with Wood Brothers Racing at Texas Motor Speedway on Nov. 7, 2010. Bayne remained with Wood Brothers Racing on a limited schedule through 2014.

    And who could forget his astonishing Daytona 500 win in 2011? He scored the victory in only his second Cup Series start and became the youngest driver to win NASCAR’s premier event. It was the highlight of his career.

    This memory is as vivid for me as that first interview, but not for the reasons you might think.

    A few weeks earlier I had lost my brother in a tragic accident and I was struggling to find my way out of the fog of grief that had enveloped me. NASCAR was the last thing on my mind. But old habits die hard and I found myself in front of the television watching the race.

    As I watched the final laps of the race unfold, I couldn’t believe this 20-year-old kid might actually win. When he crossed the finish line and I heard him scream, “Are you kidding me?” I remember laughing out loud. It was exhilarating to see how far he had come since that 2009 interview.

    Bayne’s Daytona 500 win came one day after his 20th birthday on February 19, ironically a birth date he shared with my brother.

    For the first time in weeks, I had completely forgotten everything else and was lost in that moment. And even though the excitement soon faded, for those few minutes, I had forgotten my sorrow and had taken the first small step in beginning to heal.

    As Bayne celebrated that day, little did he know that he would face his own challenges as unexpected health issues took center stage.

    Bayne began experiencing various symptoms including fatigue, nausea and blurred vision. Although he underwent extensive tests, doctors were unable to determine the cause of his illness. As a result, he competed in only a partial schedule that year. Although he didn’t experience any more symptoms, Bayne continued to search for an explanation and finally, in June 2013, his doctors confirmed a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.

    In 2015 he began competing for Roush Fenway Racing full-time in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with a partial schedule split with Matt Kenseth in 2018. In 187 Cup Series starts, he has one win, five top fives and 16 top 10s.

    His last race for RFR was at Texas Motor Speedway where his Cup career had begun in 2010. Bayne described the experience on Instagram.

    “Surreal feeling this weekend. Not sure to be sad about it potentially being the last one, or excited about what God will have next for us. I’m feeling a lot of both to be honest.”

    Shortly after his release from Roush Fenway Racing, Bayne expressed his determination to continue his racing career, saying, “First of all, my health is 100 percent. I am as fit physically, mentally, spiritually as I have ever been to do my job well. The second part is that my desire is still as it has always been since I was five-years-old, to come to the race track every weekend and contend for wins, championships and be a driver at the top level in the Cup Series. Nothing in that has changed.”

    Whatever the future holds, Bayne will undoubtedly embrace it with the same conviction and heart that has exemplified his life and career. And, hopefully, destiny will intervene and our paths will cross once again.

    Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

     

  • Bayne Crosses Line 21st at Texas

    Bayne Crosses Line 21st at Texas

    FORT WORTH, Texas (November 4, 2018) — A promising start to the day for Trevor Bayne at Texas Motor Speedway ended in a 21st-place finish Sunday afternoon in his No. 6 AdvoCare Rehydrate Ford Fusion.

    The 2011 Daytona 500 Champion rolled off the grid 14th after a strong qualifying effort on Friday. Bayne quickly broke into the top-10 just 10 laps in, with a scheduled competition caution upcoming at lap 30, and the stage break at lap 85. Bayne ran 12th at the first yellow, reporting he was free in and off.

    The team went to work for the first time under the break, as he would restart 11th at lap 36th. The Knoxville, Tennessee, native crossed the line 12th in the opening stage, as the crew again went to work trying to fine tune his Ford Fusion.

    After rolling off 19th in the second stage, he quickly jumped back to 15th by lap 100. From there the race would go green for an extended period of time, meaning he would pit under green at lap 132. After falling to 23rd, one lap off the leader, he climbed back to 18th to end the second stage, setting up the final 164-lap segment.

    Bayne restarted the final stage in 24th, working his way back into the top-20 by lap 225. A series of late-race cautions were displayed, before Bayne eventually crossed the line 21st in his AdvoCare Ford.

    The No. 6 returns to the track next weekend at Phoenix with Matt Kenseth back behind the wheel.

    Race coverage begins next Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC and MRN.

  • The Final Word – A Saturday night to get reacquainted with the Big Three at Richmond

    The Final Word – A Saturday night to get reacquainted with the Big Three at Richmond

    Richmond, the second race of the opening rung of the championship ladder. Only four storylines awaited to be written.

    Who would win, and would it be Brad Keselowski for a fourth straight contest?

    Who could keep out of danger from falling out of the top dozen as they search for a berth in the second leg?

    Who could move up from the next four, already in danger to being eliminated, to challenge for one of those top dozen spots after having some hard luck at Las Vegas?

    Finally, who outside of our drivers of interest could make themselves relevant? The best of last week, Jamie McMurray, got wrecked before it was all over. Would someone outside the top sixteen manage to finish the event and make us notice they were even there?

    None of the outsiders showed up by the time that opening stage completed. Often it is too early to tell much, but Martin Truex, Jr. and Kevin Harvick dominated while Keselowski showed up late for third. No one else was even close. Chase Elliott was fourth, making us wonder if he was going to erase the nine point gap between himself and those above the cut off line when this one came to a conclusion. Clint Bowyer was the man in his sights, who started with an ill handling car that gave him no breaks in that opening run. As for as those who had to pass a lot of cars in that initial run, both Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin seemed prepared to put forth a good argument before it was all over.

    Stage two provided more of the same. Truex ran away with it, with Harvick next up. Keselowski was fourth, so still in the hunt. To this point, the question remained if Elliott would move into the top dozen and replace Bowyer, or not. As for an also ran, Ryan Newman was in the distant conversation. He was also a hot topic before the race. Newman will be leaving Richard Childress to take the ride split between Matt Kenseth and Trevor Bayne this season for Jack Roush.

    Just to make things interesting, the pit stops brought some interesting events. First, Truex got tagged with tire violation to set him back. Elliott went to the front, moving up three spots, thanks to his crew. That left us watching and wondering how things might shake out when they took the green.

    The “Baby” Busch soon rejoined the party, and soon was in front. He had the best car in the end, and won it to get his free pass to the next round. Harvick had the most steady car in the event, and was the runner-up. Like Busch, Truex had a nice comeback, making up nearly twenty spots from is pit miscue to come home in third. All three join Keselowski, who was ninth on that night, locked into the next round of three races based on wins and points. Up next, though, is the Roval in Charlotte next weekend.

    Elliott was fourth on Saturday night, and now is ten to the good. Bowyer and Jimmie Johnson are outsiders, yet the pair are within seven points of Ryan Blaney and Alex Bowman. Erik Jones and Hamlin, who wound up 16th,  damn near need a win to be in. As for the 24 other boys out on the track for this one, none were among our Top Ten.

    The Roval. That is a track that makes Talladega look downright tame. For you and I, a very entertaining race to watch. For the crews, an absolute nightmare to navigate. Let the good times roval next Sunday in Charlotte.