Smith, Elliott On Tap To Capture JR Motorsport’s Elusive First Title

Hard to imagine, especially when you hear it for the first time; but JR Motorsports has yet to win a NASCAR Nationwide Series championship.

At first thought, most would say “That can’t be right.”

Notables like Brad Keselowski, Aric Almirola, Danica Patrick, Mark Martin, Cole Whitt and many others have driven for car owner Dale Earnhardt Jr., but all have fallen short of the elusive championship title.  Still, all that might change come November. JR Motorsports’ full-time series drivers are in championship form this season, as veteran Regan Smith and Sunoco Rookie standout Chase Elliott have led the point standings the entire 2014 season. So, title guaranteed, right? Not so fast.

Smith, the defending Michigan winner and current series standings leader, is staring at the same conundrum he faced in 2013. He heads to Michigan, the first of a grueling 18-race stretch of the schedule. This time last season, he won, but followed it up with two finishes of 30th or worse at Road America and Kentucky, ultimately unraveling his championship hopes. But in 2014, Smith has set the stage for redemption. He kicked the season off with a big win at Daytona and since has finished in the top-ten in each of his 12 starts. His consistency has garnered an average finish of 7.1 this season, and a four-point lead over second-place Elliott Sadler in the series driver standings. Smith’s season-to-date Driver Rating is 99.8. In three starts at Michigan, Smith has posted an average finish of 17.3 which includes last season’s victory.

Smith’s JR Motorsports teammate, Chase Elliott, is third in the driver standings and is making his series début at MIS this weekend. Elliott has posted two wins, six top-fives and nine top-tens this season.

Bayne, Dillon On The ‘Next To Win’ Short List

The top-three in point standings, Regan Smith, Elliott Sadler and Chase Elliott have all won this season, begging the question, ‘Who’s next?‘

The first driver that quickly comes to mind is Trevor Bayne. Roush Fenway Racing’s hottest NNS driver is fourth in the standings, just 27-points behind standings leader Regan Smith. Bayne heads to Michigan riding the momentum of his second-place finish (best of 2014) at Dover International Speedway and his tenth top-ten finish of the season two weeks ago.

The 23-year old straps into his Ford Mustang this weekend having made four previous starts at Michigan, posting two top-fives and an average finish of 12.8. Don’t be surprised if Bayne is smiling extra big at the track this weekend, he just celebrated his one year wedding anniversary with his wife, Ashton, while the series was on break this past weekend. This time of year has been fruitful for Bayne; he won at Iowa on June 9 last season. Bayne has a pre-race Driver Rating of 97.1 and an Average Running Position of 9.2 at Michigan. His Roush Fenway Racing team leads the series in wins at MIS with five.

Not far behind Bayne is Richard Childress Racing’s Ty Dillon. The Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate came into the series with a mountain of expectations, driving the famed No. 3 car that brought his brother Austin a championship last season. He is fifth in the standings, 34 points behind leader Regan Smith. Dillon has posted one Coors Light Pole (Las Vegas), nine top-ten finishes and an average finish of 9.7 this season. This will be Dillon’s series début at Michigan, though he has been successful in the NCWTS at the two-mile track, posting an average finish of 4.5 in two truck starts.

Big Timers:Michigan Entry List Boasts Some Of NASCAR’s Most Famous

To the fans delight, some big names from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series are entries in this weekend’s Ollie’s Bargain Outlet 250 at Michigan International Speedway, including Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Kyle Larson and Paul Menard.

It’s always something special when two-time NASCAR Nationwide Series champion and two-time NNS Michigan race winner Earnhardt joins the party. This weekend will be Earnhardt’s fourth start of the season; in his previous three starts he has posted two top-fives and an average finish of 6.7.

Earnhardt has made four series starts at Michigan posting two wins (1999, 2006), three top-fives and an average finish of 3.5 (his second-best average finish among active NNS tracks). He also leads all drivers entered this weekend in pre-race Driver Rating (122.2).

The winningest driver in series history (66 wins), Busch is coming off his most recent victory in the series at Dover two weeks ago. Busch, no stranger to Michigan, has made six starts at MIS, posting one win (2004), five top fives and an average finish of 4.7.

Logano, a former winner at Michigan (2012) for Joe Gibbs Racing, returns to the speedway driving for Team Penske this weekend. Logano has made five starts at Michigan posting one win and four top-fives.

Larson continues to show why he is one of the hottest prospects in the sport. In his 11 series starts this season he has two wins (Auto Club and Charlotte) and an average finish of 6.4. He has made one series start at Michigan and finished second.

Menard will be making his series season début this weekend driving for Richard Childress. Menard has made eight series starts at MIS posting three top-fives and an average finish of 8.5 (his second-best average finish among active NNS tracks).

Worthy of Nationwide Series Mention

Sam Hornish Jr. returns to the series, driving the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in his third start of the season. Hornish won in his last series appearance at Iowa (May 18, 2014). He has made four series starts at Michigan posting one top-ten finish.

James Buescher is now eighth in the standings. He won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Michigan last season. He has one series start (2012) at Michigan where he finished second.

Joe Nemechek is attempting to make his 425th career NASCAR Nationwide Series start this weekend at MIS. Nemechek is fourth on the list of all-time starts in the NNS series.