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  • On old rubber, Kyle Busch continues phenomenal roll at Brickyard

    On old rubber, Kyle Busch continues phenomenal roll at Brickyard

    By Reid Spencer

    SPEEDWAY, Ind. – About the only thing Kyle Busch didn’t win on Saturday was the one prize he wasn’t eligible for.

    But the driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota won everything else, capping a phenomenal day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a victory in the Lilly Diabetes 250 NASCAR XFINITY Series race—and he did so with tires that were 23 laps older than those of his pursuers.

    Busch led 62 of 63 laps but had to hold off Kevin Harvick on a two-lap dash in overtime to win for the third time at the Brickyard, the seventh time in 11 starts this season and the 83rd time in his career, extending his series record.

    The XFINITY race was actually the fourth competition Busch won on Saturday. First, he won the top starting spot for the Lilly Diabetes 250, the 54th pole of his career. Next, he won the pole position for Sunday’s Crown Royal 400 (3 p.m. ET on NBCSN), one of the marquee NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events of the season.

    After that Busch led all 20 laps and took the checkered flag in the first heat race under the XFINITY Series’ final Dash 4 Cash event of the season.

    Busch didn’t win the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus, a prize available only to series regulars. That check went to Justin Allgaier, who rolled home in fifth place, the highest finisher among the four drivers who earned eligibility in the heat races.

    Busch, however, has one more mountain to climb. On Sunday, he’ll attempt to complete his second straight weekend sweep at the vaunted Brickyard.

    Busch held off Harvick, third-place finisher Paul Menard and fourth-place Kyle Larson even though Busch had stayed out on old rubber while those behind him pitted for new tires under the first caution on Lap 50.

    “The new tires for those guys were good for them but not so good for us,” Busch said. “I just dug in deep and gave it everything I had. I knew I had to get really good restarts. On the second-to-last one (on Lap 54), I got a really good one, and then the last one (on lap 62 in overtime), it was OK.

    “I got an OK one, and I saw Harvick pull out… but he never got alongside of me. I never felt him close enough that he was going to pull alongside. … It’s a pretty awesome feeling to be able to go back to Victory Lane here this year. We’re sitting on the pole tomorrow, and hopefully, we can have another sweep here.”

    Busch had a lead of more than eight seconds on Lap 48 of a scheduled 60 when JGR teammate Erik Jones, the wire-to-wire winner of the second heat race, blew a right rear tire entering Turn 1 and spun, causing the afternoon’s first caution.

    While Busch and series leader Daniel Suarez stayed out on old tires, the remaining eight lead-lap cars came to pit road. Busch survived the restart on lap 54, but a lap later, ay Black Jr. and Harrison Rhodes wrecked off Turn 2 to bring put the second yellow and force the overtime.

    On the Lap 62 restart, Harvick pushed Larson, then ducked to the inside but was reluctant to take a bad angle into the first corner. As Harvick and Larson battled briefly for second, Busch pulled away and ultimately crossed the finish line .411 seconds ahead of Harvick’s No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet.

    “I really thought I could beat him down the backstretch if I got off of (Turn) 2 well and could clear the 42 (Larson),” Harvick said. “I got to the inside and kind of hit the chip and decided to hold the line up a little bit and try to get a run, and the 42 got stuck on the outside and that ruined my plan.

    “But our goal was to overachieve today, and we did that and capitalized on some situations and had a couple of good restarts and wound up second. All in all, it wasn’t a bad day.”

    Just nowhere near as good as the one Busch had.

    NASCAR XFINITY Series Race – Lilly Diabetes 250
    Indianapolis Motor Speedway
    Speedway, Indiana
    Saturday, July 23, 2016

    1. (1) Kyle Busch(i), Toyota, 63.
    2. (4) Kevin Harvick(i), Chevrolet, 63.
    3. (8) Paul Menard(i), Chevrolet, 63.
    4. (3) Kyle Larson(i), Chevrolet, 63.
    5. (6) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 63.
    6. (9) Elliott Sadler, Chevrolet, 63.
    7. (7) Daniel Suarez, Toyota, 63.
    8. (5) Joey Logano(i), Ford, 63.
    9. (12) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 63.
    10. (13) Brandon Jones #, Chevrolet, 63.
    11. (10) Brennan Poole #, Chevrolet, 63.
    12. (11) Jeb Burton, Ford, 63.
    13. (15) Ryan Reed, Ford, 62.
    14. (14) Darrell Wallace Jr, Ford, 62.
    15. (17) Blake Koch, Chevrolet, 62.
    16. (16) Brendan Gaughan, Chevrolet, 62.
    17. (19) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 62.
    18. (18) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 62.
    19. (21) JJ Yeley, Toyota, 62.
    20. (20) Dakoda Armstrong, Toyota, 62.
    21. (22) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 62.
    22. (2) Erik Jones #, Toyota, 62.
    23. (25) Garrett Smithley #, Chevrolet, 61.
    24. (30) David Starr, Chevrolet, 61.
    25. (27) Ryan Preece #, Chevrolet, 61.
    26. (28) BJ McLeod #, Ford, 61.
    27. (26) Brandon Gdovic, Chevrolet, 60.
    28. (38) Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 60.
    29. (32) Mario Gosselin, Chevrolet, 60.
    30. (34) Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, 60.
    31. (31) Stanton Barrett, Chevrolet, 59.
    32. (36) Derrike Cope, Chevrolet, 58.
    33. (24) Ray Black Jr #, Chevrolet, Accident, 52.
    34. (29) Harrison Rhodes, Toyota, Accident, 51.
    35. (33) Mike Harmon, Dodge, Too Slow, 32.
    36. (23) Jeff Green, Toyota, Rear Gear, 31.
    37. (35) Morgan Shepherd, Chevrolet, Handling, 17.
    38. (39) Matt DiBenedetto(i), Toyota, Brakes, 13.
    39. (37) Timmy Hill(i), Dodge, Vibration, 9.
    40. (40) Todd Peck, Ford, Engine, 0.

    Average Speed of Race Winner:  136.298 mph.

    Time of Race:  01 Hrs, 09 Mins, 20 Secs. Margin of Victory:  0.411 Seconds.
    Caution Flags:  2 for 10 laps.
    Lead Changes:  2 among 2 drivers.
    Lap Leaders:   K. Busch(i) 1-27; B. Gaughan 28; K. Busch(i) 29-63.

    Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  K. Busch(i) 2 times for 62 laps; B. Gaughan 1 time for 1 lap.

    Top 10 in Points: D. Suarez – 608; E. Sadler – 594; T. Dillon – 558; J. Allgaier – 542; E. Jones # – 539; B. Gaughan – 535; B. Jones # – 520; B. Poole # – 519; D. Wallace Jr – 486; R. Reed – 433.

     

  • Kyle Busch Claims XFINITY Pole at Indianapolis

    Kyle Busch Claims XFINITY Pole at Indianapolis

    Kyle Busch took the pole for Saturday’s Lily Diabetes 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, his fourth straight pole in five XFINITY Series events at the track. Busch, a two-time XFINITY winner at Indy, exceeded 181 mph to circle the track at 49.467 seconds. Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Erik Jones took the second spot on the charts, circling the speedway at 49.469 seconds in his No. 20 Hisense Toyota.

    Kyle Larson, who won at Eldora in the truck series on Wednesday, posted the third-fastest time on the grid, taking a lap of 49.695 seconds in his No. 42 Chevy. Kevin Harvick took the fourth position in his No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevy, laying down a 50.030-second lap while Daniel Suarez was the third JGR Toyota in the top-five, with his No. 19 circling the track in 50.031 seconds.

    Rounding out the top-10 was Justin Allgaier in the No. 7 JRM Chevy, who battled a loose condition to take the sixth spot, while Joey Logano, Paul Menard, Ryan Reed, and Brennan Poole took positions seventh through 10th. Notables who didn’t make it past the first round of qualifying include Darrell Wallace Jr., who took the 14th spot on the grid, and Ty Dillon took the 16th spot.

    Saturday’s race will be divided into three heats, a format first adopted earlier this year at Bristol as part of the XFINITY Series Dash 4 Cash program. Jones has won the Dash 4 Cash twice this season (Bristol and Dover) while Dillon was the Dash 4 Cash winner at Richmond. Odd-numbered qualifiers will race in the first heat while even-numbered qualifiers will compete in the second heat.

    The front row of the main would be the winners of the two heats with lane choice going to which driver was fastest during qualifying. The odd-numbered starting spots would be based on the finishing order of the first heat while the even-numbered starting spots would be based on the finishing order of the second heat.

  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for Indianapolis

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for Indianapolis

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and XFINITY Series head to Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend. Please check below for the complete schedule of events.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, July 22:

    On Track:
    Noon-1:25 p.m.: XFINITY Series First Practice – NBCSN
    1:30 p.m.-2:55 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series First Practice – NBCSN
    3-3:55 p.m.: XFINITY Series Final Practice – NBCSN
    4-5:25 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Final Practice – NBCSN 

    Garage Cam: (Watch live)
    11:30 a.m.: XFINITY Series
    1 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    10:30 a.m.: Jeff Gordon
    11 a.m.: Wood Brothers
    11:30 a.m.: Kyle Busch
    11:45 a.m.: Roush Fenway Racing
    12:15 p.m.: Ryan Newman
    12:30 p.m.: Jimmie Johnson
    12:45 p.m.: Tony Stewart

    Saturday, July 23:

    On Track:
    11:45 a.m.: XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBCSN
    1:45 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBCSN
    3:30 p.m.: XFINITY Series Lilly Diabetes 250 Heat #1 (20 laps, 50 miles) – NBCSN
    4:25 p.m.: XFINITY Series Lilly Diabetes 250 Heat #2 (20 laps, 50 miles) – NBCSN (time approx.)
    5:05 p.m.:  XFINITY Series Lilly Diabetes 250 Main (60 laps, 150 miles) – NBCSN (time approx.)
    Radio: SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and IMS Radio Network

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    12:15 p.m.: Danica Patrick 
    3 p.m.: Sprint Cup Post-Qualifying
    6 p.m.: XFINITY Post-Race

    Sunday, July 24: 

    On Track:
    3 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Crown Royal Presents The Combat Wounded Coalition 400 at the Brickyard (160 laps, 400 miles) – NBCSN
    Radio: SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and IMS Radio Network

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    6:30 p.m.: Sprint Cup Post-Race

    Race Notes via NASCAR:

    7 To Go: Only 5 Chase Berths Remain With 7 Races Left Until NASCAR’s Playoffs

    Only seven races remain for drivers to lock up one of the final five Chase berths.

    A visit to Victory Lane gets a winless driver into the Chase as long as he/she is in the top 30 of the points standings.

    The drivers who likely would get into the Chase because of wins are: Brad Keselowski (4 wins), Kyle Busch (3), Carl Edwards (2), Jimmie Johnson (2), Matt Kenseth (2), Kevin Harvick (1), Kurt Busch (1), Joey Logano (1), Martin Truex Jr. (1), Denny Hamlin (1) and Tony Stewart (1).

    McMurray, Menard and Newman are the only currently winless drivers who have visited Victory Lane at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – the site of Sunday’s race.

    Below are the remaining tracks after Indy and winless drivers who have visited Victory Lane at them:

    Pocono: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne, Greg Biffle, Ryan Newman
    Watkins Glen: AJ Allmendinger
    Bristol: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne
    Michigan: Greg Biffle, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne
    Darlington: Greg Biffle, Regan Smith

    *Complete NASCAR TV Schedule*

  • Bowman’s Loudon Performance Proof of Driver Talent

    Bowman’s Loudon Performance Proof of Driver Talent

    It’s an unspoken opinion among many NASCAR pundits and competitors: Alex Bowman is a talented, capable driver. Granted, there’s been an absence of trophies in his record, with a 13th-place at Daytona in 2014 being his career-best finish. But with the right equipment, Bowman could very well pull off some strong performances.

    Case in point, Sunday at Loudon. Subbing for Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bowman posted a 20th-place qualifying effort and marched his way steadily to the front. Before tangling with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott, Bowman had reached the top-10 in the No. 88 and was in position to take a top-five spot at race’s end. The record books will show a 26th-place finish, which is pretty standard for Bowman’s Sprint Cup efforts. What the record books won’t show is how well he was performing beforehand.

    Bowman has had a NASCAR career built around subpar equipment and lesser-funded teams. So by driving the No. 88 for JR Motorsports in the XFINITY Series, Bowman’s talents have been on full display in 2016, as he has scored a pole, two top-fives and five top-10s in five starts. It hasn’t been a fluke at all; Bowman is an excellent driver in need of a full-time ride, especially with JRM. If that’s accomplished, then wins and title runs would be within grasp for that organization.

    So look more into Bowman’s performance on Sunday. He ran better than he ever had in his Sprint Cup career and was on pace for a career-best day. Even with the accident, his race was something for other team owners to look at and see that Bowman holds a lot of untapped potential. His XFINITY efforts this season have backed that up.

    Bowman can put a car in the top-10 if he has the right equipment. He’s very good about taking care of his equipment and has the right amount of discipline to not get himself into a situation that he can’t get out of. Put him on a good car with a team that can be built around him. He’ll be a contender in no time.

     

  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for New Hampshire

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for New Hampshire

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and XFINITY Series will compete at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend. Please check below for the complete schedule of events.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, July 15:

    On Track:
    11:30 a.m.-12:55 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series First Practice – NBCSN
    1-1:55 p.m.: XFINITY Series First Practice – NBCSN
    3-4:25 p.m.: XFINITY Series Second practice – NBCSN
    4:45 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBCSN

    Garage Cam: (Watch live)
    11 a.m.: Sprint Cup Series
    2:30 p.m.: XFINITY Series

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    10:15 a.m.: Ty Dillon
    10:30 a.m.: Ryan Newman
    10:45 a.m.: Kyle Busch
    1 p.m.: Carl Edwards 
    1:20 p.m.: Kyle Larson
    1:50 p.m.: Joey Logano
    6 p.m.: Post-NSCS Qualifying (time approx.)

    Saturday, July 16:

    On Track:
    10-10:55 a.m: Sprint Cup Series Second practice – CNBC
    11:15 a.m.: XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBCSN
    12:30-1:25 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Final Practice – NBCSN
    4 p.m.: XFINITY Series AutoLotto 200 (200 laps, 211.6 miles) – NBCSN
    Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio – Green Flag: 4:16 p.m. (time approx.)

    Press Conferences:
    6 p.m.: Post-XFINITY Race (time approx.) (Watch live)

    Sunday, July 17:

    On Track:
    1:30 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series New Hampshire 301 (301 laps, 318.46 miles) – NBCSN
    Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio – Green Flag: 1:44p.m. (time approx.)

    Press Conference: (Watch live)
    5 p.m.: Post Sprint Cup Race (time approx.)

    *Complete NASCAR TV Schedule*

     

  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for Kentucky Speedway

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for Kentucky Speedway

  • The View from My Recliner – Thoughts from Daytona

    The View from My Recliner – Thoughts from Daytona

    Let it be known that I hate restrictor plate racing.

    Between the XFINITY and Cup races, it was pile up after pile up. If you’re a fan, you might as well save the money, go to the County Fair and go see the demolition derby.

    If I am a car owner, I would really think hard about even entering my car into a race at Daytona and Talladega. You might as well consider that car a known loss and be surprised if the car survives. The investment for four restrictor plate races isn’t worth it.

    It was great to see Roger Penske in victory lane celebrating the 100th victory for Team Penske. The Captain has been the center of Indy Car racing for years and in the past 20 plus years, has been a force in NASCAR. He has his team poised to be in contention for years to come with younger drivers like Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano driving the Penske cars and Ryan Blaney driving for the Wood Brothers. The three drivers are lined up with three crew chiefs in Paul Wolfe, Todd Gordon and Jeremy Bullins which will add to team chemistry and continuity.

    Tony Stewart made it into the top-30 in points even though he wrecked out of Daytona. Look for Stewart to go hard for another win to solidify his spot in the Chase. I have the feeling Smoke will be a big factor at Indy. He was part of the tire test and would love to get his 50th Cup win at home.

    Kudos to Ryan Newman who called out NASCAR in the drivers meeting. I can see a fine coming, but his comments were on target. With the way the XFINITY race ended on Friday night, Newman calling into question how NASCAR officiated the race was on the money.

    Right now, there have been 11 winners in the Cup series. The five who are in on points right now are Chase Elliott, Austin Dillon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ryan Newman and Ryan Blaney. After Richmond, unless someone like A.J. Allmendinger grabs a win at The Glen, the only driver in this group I don’t see in the Chase is Austin Dillon. The Slugger Labbe-led team hasn’t been consistent lately and I could see them dropping out of the Chase race and their spot taken by Jamie McMurray on points or Kyle Larson with a win.

    Kentucky will be interesting to see if it is a follow the leader like most re-paves turn out to be.

    Enjoy the racing this week and that is the View from My Recliner.

  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for Daytona

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for Daytona

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and XFINITY Series head to Daytona International Speedway this weekend while the Camping World Truck Series is off. Please check below for the complete schedule of events.

    All times are Eastern.

    Thursday, June 30:

    On-Track:
    2-2:55 p.m.: XFINITY Series First Practice – NBCSN
    3-3:55 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series First Practice – NBCSN
    4-4:55 p.m.: XFINITY Series Final Practice – NBCSN – Canceled Due to Rain
    5-5:55 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Final Practice – NBCSN – Canceled Due to Rain

    Garage Cam: (Watch live)
    1:30 p.m.: XFINITY Series
    2:30 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    12:15 p.m.: Joe Gibbs Racing
    2:15 p.m.: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
    4:20 p.m.: Denny Hamlin

    Friday, July 1:

    On-Track:
    9:45 – 10:30 a.m.: Sprint Cup Series Final Practice – NBCSN
    2:10 p.m.: XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBCSN
    4:10 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBCSN
    7:30 p.m.: XFINITY Series Subway Firecracker 250 Powered by Coca-Cola (100 laps, 250 miles) – NBCSN

    Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    12:45 p.m.: Bobby Labonte
    1:35 p.m.: Aric Almirola
    5:15 p.m.: Post-Sprint Cup Qualifying (time approx.)
    9:45 p.m.: Post-XFINITY Series Race (time approx.)

    Saturday, July 2:

    On-Track:
    7:45 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola (160 laps, 400 miles) – NBC

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    11 p.m.: NBC America Post-Sprint Cup Race Show (time approx.)

    *Complete NASCAR TV Schedule*

     

    NOTES – NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES:

    NASCAR to Honor Victims of Orlando Tragedy

    Following the recent attack in the Orlando community, NASCAR has shared plans to remember the victims of this tragedy during the race weekend at Daytona International Speedway.

    An #ORLANDOUNITED decal will be placed on the A-Post of all cars in the NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

    NBC to Air First NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Broadcast of Season

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to NBC for the second straight season of NASCAR and NBC’s 10-year landmark broadcast agreement on Saturday, July 3 with the airing of the Coke Zero 400 presented by Coca-Cola.

    Coverage starts with the pre-race show at 7 p.m. ET and the race broadcast begins at 7:45 p.m. ET.

    Rick Allen (play-by-play), 21-time NSCS winner Jeff Burton (analyst) and Daytona 500-winning crew chief Steve Letarte (analyst) will commentate from the booth while Dave Burns, Mike Massaro, Marty Snider and Kelli Stavast will report from pit road.

    Krista Voda will host the pre-race show with NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett and eight-time NSCS winner Kyle Petty providing analysis.

    NASCAR: An American Salute™

    (#NASCARSalutes) is the industry’s collective expression of reverence, respect and gratitude for those who have served and continue to defend the United States today.

    “NASCAR’s long-standing tradition of honoring the U.S. Armed Forces will never waver – it is woven into the fabric of our sport,” said Brent Dewar, NASCAR chief operating officer. “We have a unique opportunity with the NASCAR XFINITY Series to pay tribute to the military units and bases integral to preserving our country’s freedom.”

    The race track will again host and recognize three recipients of the Medal of Honor, the highest award given to military service members, continuing a tradition dating back several years. The Medal of Honor recipients in attendance this weekend will include Staff Sergeant Ty Carter, Command Sergeant Major Gary Littrell and Captain Florent Groberg, each representing the U.S. Army.

    NASCAR together with Daytona International Speedway and race teams will host hundreds of active military and veterans, and their families, during the race weekend. Among them will be the 65th Infantry Regiment of the U.S. Army, nicknamed “The Bourinqueneers,” a Puerto Rican regiment that was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal in April.

    Several active military members present for Saturday’s Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola will take part in a special moment of recognition for the U.S. Armed Forces before the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

    Pre-race activities will also feature a flyover of four F-16s from the 93rd Fighter Squadron from Homestead Air Reserve Base during the national anthem, which will be performed by the U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence Band from Fort Benning, Georgia. The national anthem will be performed as 200 military members unfurl a giant American flag in the infield.

    Retired U.S. Air Force Sergeant Kelly Miller will be grand marshal for Friday’s Subway Firecracker 250 Powered By Coca-Cola. A Subway franchisee, Miller served as an aeromedical service specialist, responsible for the healthcare of Air Force pilots and flight crews. Retired Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Fred Gardner, also a Subway franchisee, will serve as the honorary starter. Gardner operated the Terrier missile first control system during Mediterranean tours.

    Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Telvin Smith will serve as the race’s honorary pace car driver. A former Florida State standout, Smith owns the NFL’s longest active streak of 16 straight games with six-plus tackles.

    NOTES – NASCAR XFINITY SERIES

    NASCAR XFINITY Series Salutes U.S. Military Units With Tribute At Daytona

    In a show of appreciation for the United States Armed Forces, NASCAR XFINITY Series drivers will bear the names of active military units and installations on their race car windshields during Friday’s Subway Firecracker 250 Powered By Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN)

     

  • Ryan Preece – Fueling his Passion to Win

    Ryan Preece – Fueling his Passion to Win

    Ryan Preece is the consummate racer. It’s not only his career choice, it’s the driving force that fuels his passion for winning.

    The NASCAR Next alum began racing full-time in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in 2007. The following year, he became the youngest driver in the series history to capture a pole. Preece won the championship in 2013 and claimed another first as the youngest champion in NWMT history. No stranger to winning, he moved up to the NASCAR XFINITY Series in 2016, driving the No. 01 Chevrolet for JD Motorsports, where he faces the biggest challenge of his career.

    Accustomed to winning, he moved up to the NASCAR XFINITY Series in 2016, driving the No. 01 Chevrolet for JD Motorsports, where he faces the biggest challenge of his career.

    His season has been one of ups and downs and Preece is currently 18th in the XFINITY Series point standings. In 12 starts, his best finish was at Talladega where he finished 15th. It was his fourth top 20 finish this year.

    I spoke to Preece about the different aspects of transitioning from the NWMT to competing in the XFINITY Series and why he still continues to race modifieds at every opportunity.

    The trick, he says, is “managing expectations. Every week, we’re pretty much in that bubble where it’s 24th–18th. When you’re racing against teams that have quite a huge budget, our goal is, with everything we’re doing, maximizing what we can.“

    “That’s why I still race my modifieds quite often, to manage the part of me that’s a racer and wants to win races. At the end of the day, racing against JGR, Roush and a lot of teams that have a lot of manufacturer support; I wouldn’t say we don’t have manufacturer support because we do. Chevy’s been really great to us, but their budgets are probably 10 times what ours is. It’s kind of hard to race against that.

    “But like I said, that’s why I race modifieds, to fuel the fire in me that wants to win.”

    Preece also explained how racing modifieds is a way for him to keep his confidence level high.

    “Because it’s my first year full time, every time you get out of the car you’re looking at the speed charts and saying ‘hey, what can I do here? What am I doing wrong?’ Every race car I’ve ever been in my entire life, it’s usually been one of the quicker cars to winning races. Right now, not having that, you sit back, you look back and wonder, ‘Where are we missing this, what am I doing wrong?’

    “That’s why I have to keep racing. I have to keep racing modified, I’ve got to keep racing whatever I can to keep winning races because it’ll mentally beat me up if I don’t.”

    While racing on a limited budget against cars with more horsepower is not ideal, Preece maintains that being competitive on the track is a combination of several factors.

    “To be honest with you,” he says, “I’m more of a person that’s going to say car goes 100 times further than motor. With the tapered spacer they run, horsepower is almost irrelevant. You’re on the throttle for so long especially with how much aero plays, you’re not out of the gas very much so that’s really the big thing.

    “These cars have come so far as far as how they’re set up. Ten years ago, 15 years ago, everybody used to call them taxi cabs because they used to roll over, drive different. Now they’re pretty immaculate right off the truck. You’re really nitpicking for everything you can get.

    “These cars that are top five, they’re nearly perfect. When you got a perfect race car, it’s hard to beat them. It’s the little things you got to start looking for.”

    Preece compares it to a puzzle and he’s quickly learning how all the pieces fit together.

    “There are always things I need to work on. I’d say right now it’s a lack of going to the racetracks experience. Even though I’m getting better with mile-and-a-half tracks, that’s something I’ve probably only gone to about six or seven times my entire racing career. I like them a lot but right now it’s just trying to find the feel we need. We’re getting closer, still just trying to find that feel because if you can’t find that feeling, if you don’t know what you’re searching for, it’s a struggle to find what you want and what you need.

    “I’m starting to learn that with these cars. The way these cars are set up, how I would go about it in my modifieds is totally different than this. So understanding the pieces of the puzzle, to break down what I’m feeling on the racetrack and relate it to what Zach (McGowan, crew chief) needs to do in the garage, you’ve got to break through that barrier and understand all the different pieces of the puzzle.”

    This year will certainly be a season of learning and growth for Preece and his team. But there should be little doubt that Preece will return to his winning ways; he simply won’t accept anything less.

  • Ben Kennedy Leads Both XFINITY Series Practices in Iowa

    Ben Kennedy Leads Both XFINITY Series Practices in Iowa

    By Staff report | NASCAR.com | June 17, 2016

    Practice 1 results | Practice 2 results

    Ben Kennedy topped the leaderboard in Friday’s final XFINITY Series practice at Iowa Speedway at 133.809 mph in the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.

    Kennedy, who is making his XFINITY Series debut in Sunday’s American Ethanol E15 250 (1:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), also led Friday’s first practice, for a practice session sweep.

    In the final practice, Brendan Gaughan was second-fastest in the No. 62 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet at 132.542 mph.

    Rounding out the top five were Sam Hornish Jr. in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Erik Jones in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, and Alex Bowman in the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet.

    Teammates Suarez and Jones made contact about midway through the second practice, causing some damage to both the front bumper of Suarez’s No. 19 Toyota and to the rear bumper of Jones’s No. 20 Toyota. Both were able to continue.

    Just a couple hours earlier, Kennedy led the first practice at 132.448 mph, followed by Hornish Jr. at 131.772 mph.

    Rounding out the top five in that session were Jones, Elliott Sadler in the No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet and XFINITY Series points leader and recent race winner Daniel Suarez in the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.