Monday, May 31, 2021

Charlotte #NASCAR Weekend Recap

Charlotte #NASCAR Weekend Recap

Winners: Kyle Larson (Cup); Ty Gibbs (Xfinity) (ARCA); John Hunter Nemechek (Truck)

Kyle Larson Wins; Hendrick Motorsports Breaks NASCAR Record

Kyle Larson Wins; Hendrick Motorsports Breaks #NASCAR Record

 

Kyle Larson dominated Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway to give Hendrick Motorsports and team owner Rick Hendrick the most wins by a race team in NASCAR history.

 

Larson led 327 of 400 laps in NASCAR’s longest race of the season, securing Hendrick Motorsports its 269th Cup Series win. It broke a tie with Petty Enterprises atop the all-time win list for team owners.

 

As part of a special annual Memorial Day weekend tribute known as 600 Miles of Remembrance, the names of U.S. Armed Forces members who sacrificed their lives were proudly displayed on the windshields of each car.

 

NASCAR also briefly halted the race following Stage 2 for a moment of remembrance to honor those who’ve given the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

 

 

Ty Gibbs Converts Spin-And-Win, Lands 2nd Xfinity Victory

Ty Gibbs Converts Spin-And-Win, Lands 2nd Xfinity Victory

 

Ty Gibbs won his second NASCAR Xfinity Series victory in the sixth start of his career, recovering from a spin off Turn 4 to take the checkered flag in Saturday’s Alsco Uniforms 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

 

The grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs led the final 20 laps, surviving two eventful restarts during that stretch to beat series leader Austin Cindric to the finish line by .437 seconds.

 

Gibbs, who won’t turn 19 until Oct. 4, is the youngest winner at Charlotte in any of NASCAR’s top three national divisions.

 

 

John Hunter Nemechek Nets Camping World Trucks Win

John Hunter Nemechek Nets Camping World Trucks Win

 

With his third victory of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season, John Hunter Nemechek reaffirmed Kyle Busch Motorsports’ mastery of 1.5-mile intermediate tracks Friday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

 

Nemechek held off Sunoco rookie Carson Hocevar over a closing 10-lap green-flag run after a violent crash at the entrance to the tri-oval stripped the body off Johnny Sauter’s No. 13 Toyota and slowed the race for nine caution laps. 

 

The victory was Nemechek’s first at Charlotte and the ninth of his career. It came after the driver of the No. 4 KBM Toyota clipped the wall early in Friday’s practice and ran just 10 circuits in the session.

 

“Hats off to all my guys, (crew chief) Eric Phillips , all my guys, everyone who works on this thing — everyone at KBM, the chassis shop, the fab shop… (owner) Kyle (Busch) for this opportunity,” said Nemechek, who beat a fast-closing Hocevar to the finish line by .419 seconds. “I’m so blessed to be in this spot.

 

 

Ty Gibbs Wins General Tire 150 (ARCA)

Ty Gibbs Wins General Tire 150 (#ARCA)

 

Driving the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Gibbs led all 100 laps of the General Tire 150 hours after he took the checkered flag in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the 1.5-mile quad oval in Concord, North Carolina.

 

Gibbs now has won four of the six races the ARCA Menards Series has contested in 2021. He won his second Xfinity Series race in his sixth series start.

 

The Saturday sweep makes Gibbs the first driver two win both an ARCA Menards Series race and a NASCAR national series race since Sam Mayer did so with ARCA Menards and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series wins at Bristol Motor Speedway last season.

 

 

 

source: NASCAR Media

Sunday, May 30, 2021

NASCAR Cup News & Notes – Charlotte Motor Speedway

NASCAR Cup News & Notes – Charlotte Motor Speedway

Coca-Cola 600 highlights action-packed Memorial Day Weekend at Charlotte

NASCAR Cup News & Notes – Charlotte Motor Speedway
  • Next Race: Coca-Cola 600  
  • The Place: Charlotte Motor Speedway  
  • The Date: Sunday, May 30  
  • The Time: 6 p.m. ET  
  • TV: FOX, 5:30 p.m. ET  
  • Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio  
  • Distance: 600 miles (400 laps)
    • Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 100)
    • Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 200)
    • Stage 3 (Ends on Lap 300)
    • Final Stage (Ends on Lap 400)

 

Another fun-filled weekend is on deck for the NASCAR Cup Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway with the 62nd running of the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

 

 

Charlotte Motor Speedway is one of the most historic venues on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule. The famous facility is a 1.5-mile, paved oval with 24 degrees of banking in the turns and is located just outside Charlotte, North Carolina.

 

This weekend’s scheduled procedures will be action-packed, with practice and qualifying taking place, making Charlotte the fourth of eight race weekends this season with designated practice and qualifying.

 

Charlotte Motor Speedway has hosted 122 NASCAR Cup Series races all-time – the fourth most in series history behind Daytona (148), Martinsville (145) and Richmond (129). The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway was on June 19, 1960 and the event was won by driver Joe Lee Johnson driving a Chevrolet for car owner Paul McDuffie.

 

Charlotte’s 122 Cup races have produced 47 different pole winners, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson with 14 poles (1961, 1972, 1973, 1974 sweep, 1975 sweep, 1976 sweep, 1977 sweep, 1978 sweep, 1982). Roush Fenway Racing’s Ryan Newman leads all active drivers in poles at Charlotte Motor Speedway with nine (2001, 2003 sweep, 2004, 2005, 2007 sweep, 2009 and 2010). Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kurt Busch is the most recent pole winner at Charlotte, winning the pole for last season’s Coca-Cola 600 with a speed of 181.269 mph (29.790 secs.).

 

Charlotte Motor Speedway has also produced 52 different race winners in the 122 Cup Series races, led by Jimmie Johnson with eight victories (2003 summer, 2004 sweep, 2005 sweep, 2009 Playoffs, 2014 summer, 2016 Playoffs). Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick lead all active drivers in Charlotte wins with three each. Eight of the 52 former Cup Charlotte winners are entered this weekend, with three of the eight still looking for their first victory of the 2021 season – Kevin Harvick, Austin Dillon and Kurt Busch.

 

Active Charlotte Motor Speedway Drivers (#NASCAR)

 

Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski is the defending winner of the 2020 Coca-Cola 600 will look to become the seventh different driver to win back-to-back Coke 600s; joining Buddy Baker (1972-‘73), Darrell Waltrip (twice: 1978-’79 and 1988-’89), Neil Bonnett (1982-’83), Dale Earnhardt (1992-’93), Jeff Gordon (1997-‘98) and Jimmie Johnson (2003, ’04, ’05) – Johnson leads the series in consecutive Coca-Cola 600 wins with three straight. A win this weekend would also tie Keselowski with Truex and Harvick for most wins among active drivers on the 1.5-mile track.

 

 

NASCAR Salutes the Military and Their Families in Coca-Cola 600

Now in its seventh year, NASCAR Salutes Together with Coca-Cola began at Kansas Speedway on May 2 and concludes this weekend with the return of 600 Miles of Remembrance during the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway taking place Memorial Day weekend (May 30, at 6 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

 

600 Miles of Remembrance is an annual honor held at the Coca-Cola 600 in which all cars in the field for the race feature the name of a fallen soldier on the windshield. The honor first began in 2015 and has been featured in every Coca-Cola 600 since.

 

“The NASCAR industry takes tremendous pride in honoring those who serve our country, along with their families and communities,” said Michelle Byron, vice president of partnership marketing, NASCAR. “It’s impossible to describe their sacrifices to protect and support our communities throughout the past year during the pandemic – it’s our privilege to recognize them through NASCAR Salutes annually.”

 

Hendrick Motorsports on the Cusp of History

With Chase Elliott grabbing the win in the rain-shortened NASCAR Cup Series race at Circuit of The Americas, Hendrick Motorsports has tied Petty Enterprises for the series-most wins by a single organization with 268 victories each. This weekend, Hendrick Motorsports has the chance to surpass Petty Enterprises and become the sole leader in wins by a single organization in the NASCAR Cup Series.

 

 

Top 10 All-Time NASCAR Cup Series Organization Wins

Top 10 All-Time #NASCAR Cup Series Organization Wins

 

Petty Enterprises and Hendrick Motorsports are the class of the field in their respective eras. Petty Enterprises won its first of their 268 wins in the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series season (1949) with NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Lee Petty taking the checkered flag at Heidelberg Raceway in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Petty Enterprises led eight different drivers to Victory Lane in the NASCAR Cup Series to reach 268 wins; including the series all-time winningest driver and NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty with 196 of his record 200 victories coming under the Petty banner. Petty Enterprises secured their final NASCAR Cup Series win on April 18, 1999 at Martinsville Speedway with driver John Andretti. In total the organization competed in the NASCAR Cup Series for more than 50 years bringing home not only wins but also 10 NASCAR Cup Series titles (Lee Petty: 1954, 1958, 1959 and Richard Petty: 1964, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975 and 1979).

 

Hendrick Motorsports since coming on the NASCAR Cup Series scene in 1984 (originally called All-Star Racing) and ever since have been a force to reckon with. Hendrick Motorsports scored their first NASCAR Cup Series victory with driver Geoff Bodine at Martinsville Speedway on April 29, 1984; just the organization’s eighth start in the series. Since entering the NASCAR Cup Series, Hendrick Motorsports has led 20 different drivers to Victory Lane; including their winningest driver and NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon with 93 Cup victories. Hendrick Motorsports already leads the series in championships with Chase Elliott securing their record 13th NASCAR Cup Series title, the most all-time (2020, ‘16, ’13, ’10, ’09, ’08, ’07, ’06, ’01, ’98, ’97, ’96, ’95) last season.

 

Hendrick Motorsports / Petty Enterprises (#NASCAR)

 

Elliott is also the most recent series winner at Charlotte Motor Speedway, grabbing the victory last season (5/28/20). A win this weekend at Charlotte could have them celebrating the milestone 269th victory in front of a home town crowd. Hendrick Motorsport’s drivers are hot right now putting up five wins this season; including winning the last two races on the 2021 schedule (Alex Bowman, Dover and Chase Elliott, COTA). And to boot, all four drivers have secured wins this season and are locked into the Playoffs.

 

With A Win This Weekend Denny Hamlin Could Join Elite Club

Three major pillars within the NASCAR Cup Series schedule, some even refer to them as the ‘Crown Jewel events’ of the series – the Daytona 500, the Southern 500 and this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway – are all extremely difficult to win by themselves, but even more so, is conquering all three. In NASCAR Cup Series history only 11 drivers have won all three major events, and with a win this weekend, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin could be the 12th.

 

NASCAR Hall of Famer and current FOX Sports TV Analyst Jeff Gordon leads the series in ‘Crown Jewel’ wins with a combined 12 victories across the three events – three Daytona 500 wins (1997, 1999, 2005), six Southern 500s (1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2007) and three Coca-Cola 600s (1994, 1997, 1998). Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick is the only active driver to already accomplish the feat with five combined victories across the three historic events – one Daytona 500 (2007), two Southern 500s (2014, 2020) and two Coca-Cola 600s (2011, 2013).

 

NASCAR Cup Series Drivers With Wins In All Three Events

#NASCAR Cup Series Drivers With Wins In All Three Events

 

Denny Hamlin is one of 10 active drivers that have already won at least one of the three events – the Daytona 500, Southern 500 or Coca-Cola 600 – and leads all active drivers in combined wins of the races with five victories – three Daytona 500s (2016, 2019, 2020) and two Southern 500s (2010, 2017).

 

Active NASCAR Cup Series Drivers With Wins In At Least one Of The Three Events

Active #NASCAR Cup Series Drivers With Wins In At Least one Of The Three Events

 

Hamlin is joined by Team Penske’s Joey Logano, Front Row Motorsport’s Michael McDowell, Roush Fenway Racing’s Ryan Newman and Richard Petty Motorsport’s Erik Jones as the drivers with wins in at least one of the three events that are still looking for a Coca-Cola 600 win.

 

Hamlin has made 29 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway posting two poles, 10 top fives and 18 top 10s; including three runner-up finishes. Hamlin finished second to Chase Elliott in the most recent race at Charlotte (5/28/20) last season.

 

Elliott Adds Name to Wins List Last Week, to Make 200th Milestone Start This Week

It took 14 races into the 2021 season by the defending NASCAR Cup Series champion (2020) Chase Elliott to grab his first win of the year in the rain-shortened inaugural event at the Circuit of the Americas. But with the win, Elliott has locked himself into the Playoffs for the sixth consecutive season in his career (2016-2021) and now turns his attention to and making his 200th NASCAR Cup Series career milestone start this weekend at Charlotte.

 

In his first 199 NASCAR Cup Series career starts Chase Elliott has put up a series championship (2020), 12 wins, 65 top fives, 104 top 10s and nine poles. Plus, let’s not forget he comes from racing royalty, the Elliotts joined the Pettys (Lee: 1954, ‘58, ‘59 and Richard: 1964, ‘67, ‘71, ‘72, ‘74, ‘75, ‘79), and the Jarretts (Ned: 1961, ‘65 and Dale: 1999) as just the third father-son combo to win NASCAR Cup Series titles. In addition, Chase Elliott, from Dawsonville, Georgia, is the third NASCAR Cup Series champion from the state of Georgia; joining his father NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott (1988) from Dawsonville as well and NASCAR Hall of Famer Tim Flock, a two-time series champion (1952, 1955) from Atlanta. Oh, and the fans like him too, as he became the first series’ Most Popular Driver to win the NASCAR Cup Series championship since 1988 (Bill Elliott).

 

Heading to Charlotte this weekend, expect Elliott to contend for the win. He has made nine starts on the Charlotte 1.5-mile track posting one win (2020), four top fives and five top 10s. He finished second in the Coca-Cola 600 last season.

 

 

source: NASCAR Media

Saturday, May 29, 2021

Multiple ARCA Drivers Set For Busy Weekend

Multiple ARCA Drivers Set For Busy Weekend

Charlotte Motor Speedway "General Tire 150" #GeneralTire150

Ty Gibbs, driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, and Drew Dollar, driver of the No. 15 Sunbelt Rentals Toyota, in action during the Dutch Boy 150 for the ARCA Menards Series at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas, on May 1, 2021.

 

With the exception of Ty Gibbs, everybody in the field for the General Tire 150 at Charlotte Motor Speedway is hoping Saturday night’s race does not play out in a manner similar to the last time the ARCA Menards Series raced on a 1.5-mile tri-oval.

 

Earlier this month, Gibbs led every lap at Kansas Speedway. On top of that, he recorded the best lap in an ARCA Menards test session at Charlotte on May 11.

 

So yes, the 18-year-old driver who leads the ARCA Menards Series with three wins in 2021 will be among the favorites to emerge victorious again at Charlotte. And in this case, a win in the ARCA Menards Series could mark his second trip to Victory Lane in one day. The General Tire 150 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the sixth race of the 2021 ARCA Menards Series season, is scheduled for Saturday, May 29, with a start time of 7 p.m. ET.

 

The race will broadcast live on FS1 with a live stream available on Fox Sports Go. A radio broadcast also available on MRN and SiriusXM (XM channel 391, online channel 981).

 

Click here for Entry List


Thursday, May 27, 2021

Todd Gilliland and Ford join 2021 Winners List

Todd Gilliland and Ford join 2021 Winners List

 

As the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series made its debut at Circuit of the Americas last weekend, Front Row Motorsport’s driver Todd Gilliland and Ford joined the list of 2021 race winners as they captured the victory in the first NASCAR national series ever run on the 20-turn road course in Austin, Texas.

 

 

The victory in the rain-soaked race not only got Gilliland the trophy but also the second $50,000 bonus in the 2021 edition of the Triple Truck Challenge presented by Womply. Sheldon Creed won the opening round at Darlington.

 

Gilliland became the sixth different winner in nine races this season – Ben Rhodes, John Hunter Nemechek and Kyle Busch each have two wins, Martin Truex Jr. and Sheldon Creed each have one. And the win was Ford’s first of the year after Toyota won the opening seven races before Chevrolet ended the streak at Darlington.

 

It was the first win for Gilliland since Martinsville in October of 2019, and the first win for Ford since Grant Enfinger won at Martinsville in October of last year.

 

 

source: NASCAR Media

Avid Gamer Bubba Wallace Will Promote the Logitech

Avid Gamer Bubba Wallace Will Promote the Logitech

G Line Of Gaming Wheels And Simulation Products

Avid Gamer Bubba Wallace Will Promote the Logitech

 

Logitech G, a brand of Logitech (SIX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI) and leading innovator of gaming technologies and gear, will partner with NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace to promote its line of simulation racing gear, as well as other advanced gaming products.

 

“The first steering wheel I used in gaming was Logitech’s G27,” said Wallace, driver of the No. 23 Toyota Camry for 23XI Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. “Today, I use the Logitech G923 wheel and pedals and the Driving Force Shifter when I race in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series. The racing sim market is only growing, and I’m ready to get to work to help Logitech continue to dominate this space.”

 

Avid Gamer Bubba Wallace Will Promote the Logitech

As a part of the multi-year partnership, Logitech G will become the exclusive partner of simulation products for Wallace, and the Logitech G logo will don the sleeve of his NASCAR Cup Series uniform.

 

“In addition to being an amazing racing talent, Bubba is a champion for continuing to advance diversity, equality and inclusion in racing and in society,” said Ujesh Desai, General Manager of Logitech G. “We are excited by the opportunity to partner with Bubba and engage race fans and gamers alike.”

 

Logitech has been a part of the racing scene since the introduction of the first sim racing steering wheel, the Logitech G25, and continues to introduce race fans and gamers to the world of sim racing with products like the G923 racing wheel with TRUEFORCE technology. In addition the company created G Challenge, the largest sim racing competition for amateur drivers, and motorsport enthusiasts, celebrating the world of e-racing.

 

 


source: NASCAR Media

Wednesday, May 26, 2021

#NASCAR at Charlotte Motor Speedway Schedule

#NASCAR at Charlotte Motor Speedway Schedule

May 28-30 Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Triple Header Weekend Plus ARCA

FRIDAY – May 28

  • 11:35 a.m. NC Education Lottery 200 Practice
  • 3 p.m. Parking Lots Open
  • 4 p.m. Fan Assistance Trams Running
  • 4:30 p.m. Fan Zone Open
  • 4:35 p.m. Alsco Uniforms 300 Practice
  • 5:30 p.m. Speedway Club Open
  • 5:35 p.m. NC Education Lottery 200 Qualifying
  • 6:30 p.m. Fan Assistance ADA Golf Carts Running
  • 6:30 p.m. Spectator Gates & Suites Open
  • 7 p.m. Coca-Cola 600 Practice
  • 8:10 p.m. NC Education Lottery 200 Driver Introductions
  • 8:30 p.m. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series NC Education Lottery 200

 

 

SATURDAY – May 29

  • 8:30 a.m. Parking Lots Open
  • 9 a.m. Fan Assistance Trams Running
  • 9 a.m. Fan Zone Open
  • 10:05 a.m. Alsco Uniforms 300 Qualifying
  • 11 a.m. Fan Assistance ADA Golf Carts Running
  • 11 a.m. Spectator Gates & Suites Open
  • 11:05 a.m. Spectrum Qualifying for the Coca-Cola 600
  • 11:30 a.m. Speedway Club Open
  • 12:40 p.m. Alsco Uniforms 300 Driver Introductions
  • 1 p.m. Alsco Uniforms 300
  • 4:45 p.m. General Tire 150 Practice
  • 6:40 p.m. General Tire 150 Driver Introductions
  • 7 p.m. ARCA Menards Series General Tire 150

 

 

SUNDAY – May 30

  • 12 p.m. Parking Lots Open
  • 2 p.m. Fan Zone Open
  • 2 p.m. Fan Assistance Trams Running
  • 3:15 p.m. Speedway Club Open
  • 4 p.m. Fan Assistance ADA Golf Carts Running
  • 4 p.m. Spectator Gates & Suites Open
  • 5 p.m. Pre-Race Military Appreciation Show
  • 5:45 p.m. Coca-Cola 600 Driver Introductions
  • 6 p.m. NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600

*SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Exclusive Club - Alsco Uniforms 300 & Xfinity Championships

Exclusive Club - Alsco Uniforms 300 & Xfinity Championships

Will a Driver Join Rob Moroso (1989) and Tyler Reddick (2019)?

 

Tyler Reddick

Only two drivers – Rob Moroso* (1989) and Tyler Reddick (2019) – have won the Alsco Uniforms 300 and the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship in the same year.

 

Defending series champion Austin Cindric and Justin Allgaier who finished second to Cindric in the title chase a year ago, are among those who could make that select group a trio.

 

 

Cindric has two top-10 finishes in three Alsco Uniforms 300 starts.

 

Allgaier has recorded top-five finishes in the two most recent Alsco Uniforms 300s. He was second to Reddick in 2019 and came home fifth behind Kyle Busch last year.

 

*Robert James Moroso was a NASCAR racing driver who was champion of the NASCAR Busch Series in 1989, and was posthumously awarded the 1990 NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year award. A promising young driver, he and another driver were killed in a traffic accident on roads near his hometown of Terrell, North Carolina.

 

 

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

Charlotte Motor Speedway
NCWTS The Door’s Wide Open

Charlotte Motor Speedway / NCWTS The Door’s Wide Open
Charlotte Motor Speedway / NCWTS The Door’s Wide Open (#NASCAR)

 

Kyle Busch, an eight-time winner of the North Carolina Education Lottery 200, is not scheduled to participate in this year’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event at Charlotte Motor Speedway

 

 

Busch’s absence substantially increases the probability of the race having a new winner as veterans Matt Crafton (2008 & 2016) and Johnny Sauter (2018) are the only current Truck Series regulars who have visited Victory Lane at the storied 1.5-mile superspeedway. 

 

Will John Hunter Nemechek Capture His First Charlotte Motor Speedway Truck Win?
 

However, that new winner could be one of Busch’s drivers, as Kyle Busch Motorsports will field Toyota Tundras for John Hunter Nemechek, Chandler Smith, and Drew Dollar.

 

 

Monday, May 24, 2021

COTA #NASCAR Weekend Recap

COTA #NASCAR Weekend Recap

Winners: Chase Elliott (Cup); Kyle Busch (Xfinity); Todd Gilliland (Truck); Ty Gibbs (ARCA)

 

Chase Elliott Wins Rain-Shortened Echopark Automotive Texas Grand Prix

Chase Elliott Wins Rain-Shortened Echopark Automotive Texas Grand Prix

 

Chase Elliott was declared the winner Sunday in a rain-shortened EchoPark Automotive Texas Grand Prix in the NASCAR Cup Series’ inaugural visit to the challenging Circuit of The Americas road course. With Elliott leading, NASCAR officials called the race due to inclement weather with 14 laps remaining in the 68-lap race.

 

Elliott, the defending series champ, took the lead from Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman and his No. 48 Chevrolet at lap 50 and led five laps before a caution came out on lap 53 for weather. Elliott, driving the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, secured his sixth career road course win and his fifth in the last six road course races. It also marked his first victory of this season and the milestone 800th NASCAR Cup Series win for Chevrolet.

 

“I couldn’t be more excited. I’ve never won a rain race before, so it’s kind of cool,” Elliott said. “And I’m just super proud of our team for just continuing to fight. We started the day, and we weren’t very good. I just kept pushing myself and we kept making some good changes throughout the day and got to where I thought we were on pace with those guys there at the end. So, I’m really proud of that… I’m looking forward to next week and trying to keep it rolling.”


 

 

 

Kyle Busch Races to Pit Boss 250 Victory

Kyle Busch Races to Pit Boss 250 Victory

 

Kyle Busch essentially went to school Saturday afternoon in the NASCAR Xfinity Series to learn the challenging Circuit of The Americas road course in preparation for Sunday’s much-anticipated NASCAR Cup Series race there. The result, however, was that Busch absolutely schooled the field – earning an 11-second victory in the Pit Boss 250, NASCAR’s Xfinity Series debut on the famed 3.41-mile, 20-turn circuit in the Lone Star State's capital city.

 

It marked the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion’s record 98th win in the Xfinity Series. His No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota led a race-best 36-of-46 laps. No other driver led more than three laps.

 

“It’s really really cool to come here for the first race at a new track and to win,’’ Busch said. “Real proud of the effort.

 

“I think the biggest thing is just all the resources and stuff we have and being able to get laps on the track today, feel the tire, everything like that and then being able to get back out there tomorrow and do everything all over again with the Cup car,’’ the Las Vegas native added. “Thanks to Toyota and TRD, we’ve got some really cool tools we’ve been able to use and I feel like it was a plus for us today.’’

 

 

 

Todd Gilliland Wins Truck Series Toyota Tundra 225

Todd Gilliland Wins Truck Series Toyota Tundra 225

 

Todd Gilliland was so fast and so determined out front in Saturday’s Toyota Tundra 225 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race his own team had to remind him to slow down and take care of his tires in the closing laps of the series debut at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) race.

 

Despite receiving the cautionary advice, Gilliland, 21, did not ease off and raced to a hefty 7.941-second margin of victory to earn his second career series win and first since 2019. His No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford set the fastest lap of the race with two laps remaining.

 

“I definitely did a lot of stuff wrong but that’s what I love about road course racing, there’s 20 turns here, 20 opportunities to pass, but also make mistakes,’’ Gilliland said, thanking his Front Row Motorsports team.

 

“Last year we didn’t quite have the season we knew we could and just to come out here and win early, we’ve been building momentum and for my team to get this win is just amazing.’’

 

 

 

Ty Gibbs Charges To Victory At Toledo Speedway

Ty Gibbs Charges To Victory At Toledo Speedway

 

Ty Gibbs won Saturday night’s Herr’s Potato Chips 200 at Toledo Speedway to pick up his third ARCA Menards Series victory of the 2021 season.

 

In a way, the 18-year-old’s performance at the half-mile oval in Toledo, Ohio, was more impressive than his leading every lap in each of his prior two ARCA Menards starts, at Kansas Speedway on May 1 and last weekend at Dover International Speedway. This time, he faced some adversity.

 

Gibbs led the first 131 laps at Toledo before his top rival in the 2021 championship race, Corey Heim, nudged him up the race track and out of the lead with 68 laps to go. Gibbs dropped back to third.

 

The slip did not matter. The driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota charged back to Heim’s bumper and, on Lap 179, took back P1 for good.

 

“We had a really good night,” said Gibbs. “Had issues there at the end, kind of getting moved. That’s just racing hard there. I can’t thank my guys enough for working on this thing so much and loving racing. These guys put in a lot of work. All the credit to them.”

 

 

 

source: NASCAR at COTA Communications

Sunday, May 23, 2021

Circuit of The Americas NASCAR Cup Series

Circuit of The Americas NASCAR Cup Series

Notes and News – Fun Facts and Stats

Circuit of The Americas #NASCAR Cup Series
  • Next Race: EchoPark Texas Grand Prix  
  • The Place: Circuit of The Americas  
  • The Date: Sunday, May 23  
  • The Time: 2:30 p.m. ET  
  • TV: FS1, 1 p.m. ET  
  • Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio  
  • Distance: 231 miles (68 laps)
    • Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 15)
    • Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 32)
    • Final Stage (Ends on Lap 68)

 

NASCAR to make debut at Circuit of The Americas

The anticipation has been building and the time has come for the NASCAR Cup Series to make its debut at the Circuit of The Americas this Sunday, May 23 for the EchoPark Texas Grand Prix at 2:30 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.



The Circuit of The Americas (COTA) is a multi-elevational, 20-turn, 3.41-mile, paved road course located just outside Austin, Texas, and will be the stage for this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race. The Circuit of The Americas is the second of seven road course tracks on the Cup Series schedule this season – Daytona RC (won by Christopher Bell, 2/21), COTA (5/23), Sonoma (6/6), Road America (7/4), Watkins Glen (8/8), Indianapolis RC (8/15) and Charlotte ROVAL (10/10).

 

This weekend’s procedures will be action packed, with practice and qualifying taking place over the weekend. This will be the third of eight race weekends this season with designated practice and qualifying

 

The lone NASCAR Cup Series Practice will take place at 10:05 a.m. ET – 10:55 a.m. ET (Saturday, May 22) and can be viewed on FS2 from 10-11 a.m. ET.

 

The Busch Pole Qualifying will be held on the same day as the race at 11:00 a.m. ET (Sunday, May 23) and can viewed on FS1 from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. ET followed by NASCAR Race Day (1 p.m. ET).

 

Expect the drivers and teams to soak up every bit of the extra time on track because very few of the competitors in the field have any experience in a stock car at the road course. Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champ Kyle Busch participated in a FOX Sports production day at COTA back in April, where he got to drive production cars around the 3.41-mile course.

 

“It’s definitely an interesting place,” said Busch. “It’s a long course – a lot of corners, a lot of high-speed straightaways, heavy braking zones, so it’s definitely going to have its challenges for the drivers as well as the equipment.”

 

This weekend’s event, the EchoPark Texas Grand Prix is scheduled for 68 laps (231 miles). The race will be broken up into three stages. The first stage is 15 laps, the second stage is 17 laps, and the final stage will be 36 laps in length. 

 

 

2021 NASCAR Cup Series season embraces road racing

For the first time in a NASCAR Cup Series season (1949-2021) the schedule calls for the series to visit seven different road course tracks – Daytona International Speedway Road Course, Circuit of The Americas (COTA), Watkins Glen International, Sonoma Raceway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course (ROVAL) and Road America.

 

The previous most road courses the NASCAR Cup Series competed on in one season was four back in 1964 and 1957. 

 

The previous most road courses the NASCAR Cup Series competed on in one season was four back in 1964 and 1957.

 

Road Warriors: Cup Series best on the road courses

With so many unknowns for the teams this weekend, a lot of eyes will be on the known road course ringers in the NASCAR Cup Series, specifically 2020 series champion Chase Elliott who leads all active drivers in road course career wins with five victories. But Elliott isn’t the only active driver entered this weekend with road course wins on his resume, a total of nine drivers entered this weekend have a former NASCAR Cup Series road course victory.

Active Cup Drivers With Road Course Wins & Where

 

Active Cup Drivers With Road Course Wins & Where

 

Three drivers thirsty for a win this season, Kevin Harvick (nine wins), Denny Hamlin (seven wins) and Chase Elliott (five wins), led the series in wins last season scoring victories in 21 of the 36 races. But this season all three have goose eggs in the win’s column, but this weekend that could all change.

 

If Elliott secures his sixth NASCAR Cup Series road course victory this weekend, he will become the seventh driver all-time with six or more road course victories, joining the all-time series leaders and NASCAR Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon (nine road course wins), Tony Stewart (eight wins), Bobby Allison (six), Richard Petty (six), Rusty Wallace (six) and Ricky Rudd (six). Elliott almost got his sixth at the Daytona Road Course earlier this season, leading a race high 44 laps but was shuffled in a late restart that took him off the course, he rebounded to finish 21st.

 

Expect the former road course winners to contend for the victory this weekend as well. Six of the nine former Cup road course winners entered this weekend finished in the top-10 at the Daytona Road Course earlier this season: Christopher Bell (first), Joey Logano (second), Denny Hamlin (third), Kurt Busch (fourth), Kevin Harvick (sixth), and AJ Allmendinger (seventh).

 

Several of the Cup drivers will be pulling double duty this weekend, to log those much-needed extra laps, one such driver is Kevin Harvick who will be in both Cup and Xfinity races this weekend.

 

“I want to make sure we’ve hit most of the curbs and know where you can take a risk making a pass and where to make time and how to get on and off pit road in a live situation, because the practices are short,” said Harvick. “The Xfinity car is going to be the best tool, and just being able to make laps is the most important thing.”

 

Harvick will be joined by fellow Cup drivers – Austin Dillon, Kyle Busch, Cole Custer and Tyler Reddick – in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday.

 

 

Called Up: Road Aces join the fun on Sunday

Three drivers that have been tapped to showcase their road racing skills this weekend that are worth keeping an eye on are Team Penske’s Austin Cindric, Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger and Live Fast Motorsport’s Kyle Tilley.

 

Team Penske’s 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, Austin Cindric, will be piloting the No. 33 Ford this weekend and will have to qualify on time to make the race, but if he does, he anticipates quite the event.

 

“I think the restarts are gonna be wild,” said Austin Cindric in his media availability this week. “You have a very wide inviting front straightaway. You even see it in the F1 races there. I mean, guys will drive it off in there and collect three or four cars, so I think restarts are definitely going to pretty crazy in all three series -- a lot of opportunities to pass at this racetrack, a lot of tire fall off, which obviously provides a bit of a dynamic to the race, whether if it’s on strategy or on the racetrack, so, otherwise, you kind of have every type of corner at this racetrack. There’s a lot to look forward to, I think for the NASCAR fans and a lot of unknowns for us as drivers.”

 

Cindric has made four Cup starts this season for Team Penske posting an average finish of 21.8. Before competing in the NASCAR, Cindric learned the ropes in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship from 2017-2019 gaining valuable road racing skills. Plus, the up-and-coming star has posted four of his 11 career NASCAR Xfinity Series wins on road courses.

 

Kaulig Racing has entered their part-time No. 16 Chevrolet team with road ace AJ Allmendinger behind the wheel this weekend. Allmendinger’s lone NASCAR Cup Series career victory came at Watkins Glen International (2014). He also has four road course wins in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Allmendinger also has road course wins in CART and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (2021 Rolex 24). He competed in the first road course on the schedule this season at Daytona and started 34th due to Metric Qualifying and raced his way up to a seventh-place finish. He will also be competing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday.

 

Last but not least is Live Fast Motorsport’s pick for the inaugural Circuit of The Americas event, driver Kyle Tilley. Tilley is an accomplished road racer from Bath, England, that will pilot the No. 78 Ford this weekend at COTA. Tilley currently competes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in the Era Motorsport’s ORECA LMP2 07. Tilley alongside drivers Dwight Merriman, Ryan Dalziel and Paul-Loup Chatin finished sixth overall and won the LMP2 class in this season’s Rolex 24 at Daytona. This will be Tilley’s NASCAR national series debut this weekend.

 

 

Joe Gibbs Racing looks to ring the ‘Bell’ at COTA

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell surprised many of the critics with his early season win at the Daytona Road Course, but now the 26-year-old from Norman, Oklahoma has the opportunity to continue to prove the win was not a fluke as he goes for back-to-back road course wins this weekend in the EchoPark Texas Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas.

 

Bell led twice for five laps en route to his first career NASCAR Cup Series win at the Daytona Road Course back in February. Bell passed Joey Logano with just two laps remaining to take the win in a wild, rain-filled event.

 

Bell is no stranger to running well at road courses. In the NASCAR Xfinity he also has a victory at Road America (2019).

 

Bell is currently 12th in points having posted one win (Daytona RC), two top fives and five top 10s this season. 

 

Road Courses are a great place for a driver looking for his first win

With all the unknowns and the outstanding unpredictability of the competition this season, this week’s new venue – the Circuit of The Americas – could offer a great opportunity for a driver to grab a first-time win.

 

Road course events are notorious for granting drivers their first career win in the NASCAR Cup Series. The most recent example of that was at the Daytona Road Course earlier this season when Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell grabbed his first Cup career victory. Even the sport’s ‘Most Popular’ driver Chase Elliott, now considered a road course favorite, grabbed his first career NASCAR Cup Series win at Watkins Glen International in 2018. In total, 16 different drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series have earned their first NASCAR Cup Series career victory on a road course.

 

First #NASCAR Cup Series career victory on a road course.

 

This weekend, 19 different drivers entered at the Circuit of The Americas are looking for their first career NASCAR Cup Series win.

Playoff Bubble: New venue provides new opportunity to win

With 10 drivers already locked into the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs and one spot reserved for the points leader without a win (currently Denny Hamlin), that leaves just five spots still up for grabs by virtue of a win or on points as the series heads to the Circuit of The Americas this weekend. The NASCAR Cup Series has reached the halfway point in the 2021 regular season schedule and time is of the essence for teams to solidify their position in the postseason.

 

One driver along the Playoff cutline riding the momentum right now is Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick. After dropping as far as 28th in the points following Atlanta (3/21), the 25-year-old from Corning, California has put up five of his six top-10 finishes this season and has clawed his way back up to 16th in the series driver standings – the final transfer spot for the Playoffs. With his eighth-place finish at Dover last weekend, Reddick is now 17 points up on Matt DiBenedetto in 17th in the driver standings – the first spot outside the postseason cutoff.

 

Of the drivers not already locked in to the Playoffs by wins or being the points leader but are above the postseason cutline - Kevin Harvick (+151 above Playoff cutline), Chase Elliott (+146), Austin Dillon (+60), Chris Buescher (+28) and Tyler Reddick (+17) – getting that first of 2021 season is crucial with the parity of the competition this season. With 13 races left in the regular season and already 10 different winners in the first 13 races of the season, the odds of five more different winners happening are not that farfetched. Though it would be the first time more than 15 drivers have won in the NASCAR Cup Series since going to the elimination-style format in the Playoffs (2014-2021), the previous record for most wins during that time was 15 different winners in 2017. Last season the NASCAR Cup Series produced 13 different winners, led by Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick with nine victories. Harvick is still looking for his first win of the 2021 season; he finished in the top-10 (sixth) at the Daytona Road Course earlier this season.

source: NASCAR Media

Saturday, May 22, 2021

Circuit of The Americas NASCAR Xfinity Series

Circuit of The Americas NASCAR Xfinity Series

Notes and News – Fun Facts and Stats

  • Next Race : Pit Boss 250
  • The Place : Circuit of The Americas
  • The Date : Saturday, May 22
  • The Time : 4 p.m. ET
  • TV : FS1, 3:30 p.m. ET
  • Radio : PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
  • Distance : 156 miles (46 Laps)
    • Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 14)
    • Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 30)
    • Final Stage (Ends on Lap 46)

 

Circuit of The Americas #NASCAR Xfinity Series

 

Standings leader Austin Cindric adds to his victory total

Team Penske’s Austin Cindric was victorious last weekend at Dover International Speedway for the third time this season in the No. 22 Ford. The reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion took the lead from Justin Allgaier with 51 laps remaining in the race at Dover and took home another checkered flag.

 

Josh Berry passed his JR Motorsports teammate Allgaier with only 28 laps to go to finish second in the race and win the fourth and final Xfinity Dash 4 Cash $100,000 bonus prize. Allgaier finished third after a dominating day followed by Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger in fourth and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs in fifth. Gibbs had a strong weekend at Dover, leading all 125 laps on Friday night to win the ARCA Menards Series East race prior to his fifth-place finish on Saturday in the Xfinity race.

 

Allgaier and Berry ran out front for most of the race with Allgaier winning the first stage and Berry winning the second stage. But Cindric, who finished eighth at the end of Stage 1 and third in Stage 2, rallied to the front for his series’ best third victory. His 3.786-second margin of victory showcases what he was able to accomplish in his Ford.

 

Harrison Burton, Michael Annett, Ryan Sieg, Daniel Hemric and Brandon Brown rounded out the top 10 at Dover.

 

This weekend the NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Circuit of The Americas (COTA) for the inaugural Pit Boss 250.

 

This will be the first time the NASCAR Xfinity Series visits the Austin, Texas track. The race will be 46 laps and 156 miles with Stage 1 ending on Lap 14 and Stage 2 ending on Lap 30.

 

Road Course ringers ready for COTA

NASCAR Xfinity Series driver standings leader Austin Cindric is known for running well on road courses, but he’s not alone in that. The Xfinity Series has a lot of talented drivers on road courses and this weekend will be no different.

 

Cindric has 11 total Xfinity Series wins in his career and four of those have come at road courses. His first-ever win was at Watkins Glen International in 2019. Earlier this season, Cindric finished runner-up at the Daytona Road Course after winning the season-opener at Daytona.

 

AJ Allmendinger, who won at the Charlotte ROVAL last season, finished fourth last season at the Daytona Road Course. Of Allmendinger’s six Xfinity Series victories, four of them were at road courses.

 

Andy Lally is joining Our Motorsports this weekend, chasing a victory on the road course. Lally finished fifth at the Daytona Road Course last season. He also has more than 30 wins in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

 

Miguel Paludo will be behind the wheel of the No. 8 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports on Saturday. This will be his fourth Xfinity Series start. Earlier this season, he ran in the No. 8 at the Daytona Road Course and started 35th and finished seventh.

 

Preston Pardus will also be back behind the wheel this weekend for DGM Racing. Pardus has seven starts in the Xfinity Series, all coming on road courses since 2019. He has a best finish of eighth at Road America last season. Most recently, he finished 33rd at the Daytona Road Course earlier this season.

 

Spencer Pumpelly will make his Xfinity Series debut with JD Motorsports with Gary Keller on Saturday. Pumpelly is a twenty-year veteran of professional sportscar racing, and holds multiple victories in IMSA, World Challenge, and Continental Challenge. He is a two-time class winner in the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 2016 Continental Sportscar Challenge ST champion. Also noteworthy, Spencer has competed in the 24 Hours of LeMans four times.

 

Kris Wright will make his second career Xfinity Series start for Sam Hunt Racing this weekend at COTA. His first came at the Daytona Road Course where he started 19th and finished 18th.

 

Said heads can rejoice, their favorite driver is returning to NASCAR. Boris Said will run this Saturday at COTA for MBM Motorsports in the No. 13. His last Xfinity starts was back in 2015. This will be his 29th career start in the Xfinity Series with his first coming in 1998. He has one win that came in 2010 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Canada driving for RAB Racing. He also has seven top fives that all came at road courses. Most recently, he finished fourth in 2015 at Watkins Glen.

 

Xfinity Sunoco Rookie Update

Josh Berry continues to lead the NASCAR Xfinity Series Sunoco rookie standings after his runner-up finish last weekend at Dover International Speedway.

 

#NASCAR Xfinity Series Sunoco Rookie Standings

 

JR Motorsport’s Josh Berry took the lead in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings after Darlington Raceway. And extended his lead over Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs, who had been in the lead since his win at the Daytona Road Course early in the season, to +35 points.

 

In nine starts so far this year, Berry got his first-ever Xfinity Series win at Martinsville and has three top fives and five top 10s to his name. He’s also led 151 laps this season and has an average start of 14.9 and average finish of 17.1.

 

Ty Gibbs is running a part-time schedule for Joe Gibbs Racing this season and in his first-ever start at the Daytona Road Course, he won after starting 15th. He’s made five starts so far in 2021 and has four top-five finishes and four top 10s. His average finish is 6.0 and average start is 20.2.

 

JD Motorsport’s Ryan Vargas is still sitting in third in the rookie standings with 89 points. In nine starts so far this season for JD Motorsports, Vargas has a best finish of 18th from the season-opener at Daytona. Most recently, he finished 26th at Dover.

 

Bubble Trouble: Who’s in, out in Xfinity Playoffs?

Points leader Austin Cindric got his third victory of the season at Dover International Speedway last weekend. He holds onto the Playoff standings points lead with Justin Allgaier, AJ Allmendinger, Jeb Burton and Myatt Snider all in on wins with him.

 

Two drivers without wins yet this season that are comfortable in the points right now are Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Daniel Hemric and Harrison Burton. Hemric continues to be the highest ranked driver without a win in sixth with a 144-point cushion ahead of the Playoff cutoff. And Harrison Burton is behind him in seventh 132 points ahead of the cutline.

 

The next five drivers in the Playoff outlook are all within 75 points of the postseason cutoff – Noah Gragson (+69 points), Justin Haley (+61), Jeremy Clements (+46), Michael Annett (+13) and Brandon Jones (+9).

 

Gragson’s rough start to the 2021 season has come full circle after a couple strong finishes in a row and winning the three Dash 4 Cash installments so far. After Dover, he jumped another spot above the cutline to eighth.

 

Clements has been in the Playoff standings for the entire season, showcasing the consistency and talent of his small family-owned race team. Clements has posted four top-10 finishes this season and is riding a string of six top-15 finishes into this weekend.

 

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Brandon Jones has had an up-and-down season so far, with four DNFs of 30th or worst; including a 35th-place finish at Dover last weekend. The Georgia native’s Playoff hopes are on life support with him dropping to 12th – the final postseason transfer spot just nine points above the cutline.

 

Following Darlington Brandon Brown fell out of the top 12 in the driver standings but has been hanging on to 13th the first spot outside the postseason cutoff. Heading to Circuit of The Americas this weekend, Brown is looking to get back in Playoff contention. Brown has put up four top 10s this season; including an eighth-place finish at the Daytona Road Course earlier this season.

 

NASCAR Xfinity Series Driver Playoff Outlook Following Dover:

NASCAR Xfinity Series Driver Playoff Outlook Following Dover

 

NASCAR Xfinity Series, Etc.

Manufacturer standings heading to COTA: Chevrolet is leading the manufacturers championship standings right now with six wins and 376 points. With Austin Cindric’s win last weekend, Ford’s gap in points became smaller with 345 points and three wins. Toyota has one win this season so far and 341 points.

 

Reddick running for Jordan Anderson Racing at COTA: Jordan Anderson Racing announced that Cup Series driver Tyler Reddick will drive the No. 31 Bommarito Automotive Group Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series race at COTA on Saturday. Reddick, who is the back-to-back Xfinity Series champion in 2018 and 2019, will use his time behind the wheel on Saturday to help him prior to the start of Sunday’s Cup race. Jordan Anderson Racing will compete in the Xfinity races that they are eligible for in the current COVID-19 qualifying protocol with cars from RCR and engines supplied by ECR.

 

Cindric pulling double duty in TX: Austin Cindric will make his fifth Cup Series start of 2021 at COTA this weekend. Cindric has a road racing background and is always out front at road courses in the Xfinity Series. He will pilot the No. 33 Team Penske Ford on Sunday with sponsorship from Pirtek. In his four starts in the Cup Series, he has an average finish of 21.8 with a best finish of 15th at the Daytona 500 in February.

 

Harvick doubling down at COTA: Kevin Harvick will pull double duty this weekend. It was announced on Monday that Harvick will run the No. 5 Ford for BJ McLeod Motorsports in Saturday’s Xfinity race sponsored by Rush Truck Center. Harvick hasn’t competed in the Xfinity Series since 2018. But Harvick is the 2014 Cup Series champion and can use the additional laps to prepare for the inaugural Cup Series race on Sunday. B.J McLeod Motorsports has competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series since 2016, the organization’s best finish in the series is fifth at Daytona with driver David Starr in 2017. Harvick is a two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion with 47 career Xfinity victories.

 

100th start for Tommy Joe Martins this weekend: Tommy Joe Martins will make his 100th NASCAR Xfinity Series start this weekend at COTA. Diamond Gusset Jean Co. will service as the primary sponsor of the No. 44 Chevrolet. This is the first ever company that sponsored Martins. Martins Motorsports is sitting in the top 20 in owners points following a top-20 finish at Dover.

 

source: NASCAR Media