Young Erik Jones is Driving an Amazing Journey in NASCAR History

Photo - Sarah Glenn/Getty Images

Photo – Sarah Glenn/Getty Images

Setting Himself Apart, Teenage Prodigy Erik Jones Is Sports’ Latest Rising Star 

Young athletes have been the talk of the sports world the last week.

Notably, 21-year-old golf phenom Jordan Spieth won The Masters and 22-year-old NBA All Star Anthony Davis put his New Orleans Pelicans team in contention for a Western Conference Playoff berth. Even 23-year-old baseball player Mike Trout, already a three-time All Star and winner of the 2014 American League MVP award, kicked off his season in the sport in which he is widely recognized as the best player.

And who knows, once Erik Jones hits his early 20s, he might have that kind of stature in his sport.  Continue reading

Texas Tussle of Champions: Jimmie Johnson Outduels Kevin Harvick to Win Duck Commander 500

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Jimmie Johnson continued his recent domination of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Texas Motor Speedway Saturday night, rallying after a late pit stop for a victory in the 19th annual Duck Commander 500.

Johnson, the six-time Sprint Cup Series champion, took the lead on lap 321 of the scheduled 334 when he drove under and past Jamie McMurray and Kevin Harvick exiting the dogleg of Texas Motor Speedway’ high-banked, 1.5-mile quad-oval. The last 14 laps featured a battle between Johnson and Harvick, the reigning Sprint Cup Series champion, who finished second despite scraping the turn four wall on lap 331. Continue reading

Sprint Cup Series at Texas Motor Speedway Preview and Fantasy Picks

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Check out my Sprint Cup Series at Texas Motor Speedway Preview and Fantasy Picks.  Watch the Duck Commander 500, April 11th at 7:30 pm ET on FOX.

Contenders

Jimmie Johnson – The winner of the fall race in 2014, Jimmie Johnson is someone interesting to watch Saturday night as he and Chad Knaus had issues with each other at Martinsville. I still believe this team is strong and will have my eye on the No. 48 throughout the race. Continue reading

Jones speeds to first XFINITY Series victory at Texas

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Teenager Erik Jones turned his first NASCAR Xfinity Series pole  at Texas Motor Speedway into his first series victory Friday night, schooling NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stars Brad Keselowski and Dale Earnhardt Jr. en route to the checkered flag in the 19th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts 300.

Jones, 18, held off Keselowski on a restart on lap 175 of the scheduled 200 around Texas Motor Speedway’s high-banked, 1.5-mile quad-oval for a margin of victory of 1.624-seconds in the first night race of the season. Jones’ first series win came in his ninth start. In the process Jones became the second-youngest series winner at Texas at 18 years, 10 months, 11 days—a record set last year by Chase Elliott at 18 years, 4 months and 7 days when he scored his first series victory in this event. Continue reading

Big Names Competing in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300

Photo - Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Photo – Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Nothing gets the fans more excited than seeing their favorite drivers and this Friday they will get the chance to see all the NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers and some of the top NASCAR Sprint Cup Series contenders competing at Texas Motor Speedway Friday night in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300.

NASCAR’s most popular driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be back in the JR Motorsports No. 88 Chevrolet this weekend. Earnhardt has made two starts this season posting one top-ten and an average finish of 11.0. He has made seven starts at Texas, posting one win (first series career win; 1998), three top-fives, five top-tens and an average finish of 8.7. He finished fifth in this race last season.

2010 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, Brad Keselowski will drive the No. 22 Ford this weekend with crew chief Greg Erwin. Team Penske’s No. 22 Ford now leads the car owner standings by eight points over JR Motorsports’ No. 88 Chevrolet. This will be Keselowski’s third start of the season. Keselowski has made 14 series career starts at Texas posting one win (2013), eight top-fives, ten top-tens and an average finish of 11.4.

2013 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Austin Dillon will be in the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet at Texas. The No. 33 is now fifth in the owner standings 37 points back from the lead. Dillon has made five series starts at Texas posting threetop-fives and an average finish of 5.2.

Sam Hornish Jr will drive the No. 98 Ford owned by Fred Biagi this weekend. Hornish has made eight series starts at Texas posting one top-five, three top-tens and an average finish of 16.0.

Denny Hamlin will be in the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in place of the injured Kyle Busch. Hamlin has 11 Xfinity Series starts at Texas with six top-fives and eight top-tens.

Watch the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway, Friday, April 10th at 8:30 pm ET. Fox Sports 1 begins their pre-race coverage at 8 pm ET.