NASCAR XFINITY Series drivers will race 300 miles in 200 laps in the Drive for Safety 300 at Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday, September 17th. This is their final race before the inaugural Chase for the XFINITY Series title begins. Television coverage begins at 2:30 pm ET on NBC, with a green flag around 3 pm ET. Radio coverage is on MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio, channel 90. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Dale Earnhardt Jr
Elliott Sadler Motivated by Absence of Team Owner
Photo – Jonathan Moore/Getty Images
NASCAR XFINITY Series points leader Elliott Sadler is using the absence of his JR Motorsports team owner, Dale Earnhardt Jr., as a source of inspiration and motivation in his quest for a first championship.
“We’ve kind of been racing for him these last couple weeks … a month or so,” said Sadler, who leads the XFINITY standings by 47 points over second-place Daniel Suarez. “We kind of know what our boss is going through. We talk about it on our race team at the race track some. When you watch practice on TV, or the watch the (Sprint Cup) race on Sunday, and he’s not in the race car, it affects us.
“We want the best for him. He’s given all of us a great opportunity. We want him to enjoy the same fun, the same competitive spirit that we’re having week-in and week-out. So we definitely talk about it as a team and wish him nothing but the best coming back. And it definitely gives us some incentive to finish on a high note, now that he’s out of the car.”
Sadler is locked into the inaugural XFINITY Chase, and the veteran driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet got more recent good news—his primary sponsor, OneMain Financial, will return for another season on the car in 2017.
Sadler Holds Off Hamlin for Emotional XFINITY Win at Darlington
Elliott Sadler had a passenger for Saturday’s VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200 at Darlington Raceway—in spirit at least.
After a breathtaking battle against Denny Hamlin over the closing laps, Sadler crossed the finish-line 0.454 seconds ahead of Hamlin to win for the first time at the Lady in Black—and immediately dedicated the victory to JR Motorsports team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr., who announced on Friday he would sit out the remainder of the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup season because of a concussion. Continue reading
Strong Weekend for Ryan Blaney and Wood Brothers Racing at Michigan
Photo – Sean Gardner/Getty Images
After a few frustrating weeks for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rookie Ryan Blaney and his Wood Brothers Racing team, Michigan International Speedway brought the team a much welcomed fourth place finish in the Pure Michigan 400.
But, that fourth place finish wasn’t easily earned.
Blaney in his No. 21 Motorcraft / Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford Fusion reported a flat right-front tire going into turn one on lap 62. Thankfully, the problem occurred during a round of green-flag pit stops which sent the driver to pit road for service. Continue reading
Record Streak Comes to Crashing End for Kurt Busch at Bristol Motor Speedway
Photo – Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images
Kurt Busch’s impressive streak of finishing on the lead lap in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series came to an abrupt end at 22 in Sunday’s postponed Bass Pro Shops NRA Race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.
Busch, driver of the No. 41 Monster Energy / Haas Automation Chevrolet got loose on the backstretch and spun out of control entering turn three spawning a crash that eliminated Busch, Matt Kenseth, Ryan Blaney, Brad Keselowski and Paul Menard among others on lap 373. Continue reading