NASCAR XFINITY Series O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at Texas Preview

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OReillyChallenge_2011

NASCAR XFINITY Series teams are racing 300 miles over 200 laps in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday, November 5th at 3:30 pm ET. Television coverage is on NBC with radio coverage on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

 

What to Watch For: Texas marks the penultimate race of the NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase Round of 8. Elliott Sadler (12 points above Erik Jones on the cutoff line) leads the Chase Grid, followed by Daniel Suarez (+12), Blake Koch (+5), Justin Allgaier (0, currently holds tiebreaker over Erik Jones), Erik Jones (0), Ryan Reed (-2), Brendan Gaughan (-17) and Darrell Wallace Jr. (-18).

The Round of 8 drivers’ career average finishes at Texas: Erik Jones (2.3), Elliott Sadler (12.1), Justin Allgaier (12.5), Daniel Suarez (13.3), Darrell Wallace Jr. (13.3), Ryan Reed (16.2), Brendan Gaughan (19.4) and Blake Koch (31.5). Jones is the lone Chase contender who has won at Texas Motor Speedway (2015). Continue reading

Jones Hopes to Capture Championship 4 Berth at Texas

rik Jones, driver of the #20 Reser's Main Street Bistro Toyota, looks on prior to the NASCAR XFINITY Series Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway on October 15, 2016 in Kansas City, Kansas. Photo - Jeff Curry/Getty Images

#rik Jones, driver of the #20 Reser’s Main Street Bistro Toyota, looks on prior to the NASCAR XFINITY Series Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway on October 15, 2016 in Kansas City, Kansas. Photo – Jeff Curry/Getty Images

Texas Motor Speedway is the site of many memories for Erik Jones.

In 2014, he received his diploma on the driver introductions stage prior to the June NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at the 1.5-mile track. Last season, he won his first career NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Texas and took the checkered flag again when he returned for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race in November.

Jones will try to make another Lone Star state memory by winning Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway at 3:30 pm ET on NBC. In three career NASCAR XFINITY Series starts at TMS, Jones has finished first (spring 2015), fourth (fall 2015) and second (spring 2016). Continue reading

TOYOTA 1000th NASCAR National Series Race By-The-Numbers

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HOMESTEAD, FL - NOVEMBER 22: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Crispy Toyota, celebrates winning the series championship and the race with a burnout after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 22, 2015 in Homestead, Florida. Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

HOMESTEAD, FL – NOVEMBER 22: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s Crispy Toyota, celebrates winning the series championship and the race with a burnout after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 22, 2015 in Homestead, Florida. Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

The Hellmann’s 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race is the 1000th national series race for Toyota.
Here’s a By The Numbers look at the manufacturer’s presence in NASCAR. All stats are as of races prior to this weekend at Talladega.

1 – Number of Toyota driver championships in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (Kyle Busch, 2015) and the NASCAR XFINITY Series (Kyle Busch, 2009).

4 – Number of car owner titles Toyota has won in the NASCAR XFINITY Series (Joe Gibbs: 2008, ’09,’10 and ’12). 

6 – Number of driver titles Toyota has won in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (Todd Bodine, 2006 and 2010; Johnny Benson, 2008; Matt Crafton, 2013-2014; and Erik Jones 2015). Continue reading

Kyle Busch Wins at Kansas as XFINITY Chasers have Issues

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Kyle Busch’s domination of Saturday’s Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway was about the only predictable thing that happened in the first race of the Round of 8 in the inaugural NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase.

In winning his fourth XFINITY race at the 1.5-mile track, his ninth of the season and the 85th of his career—extending his own series record—Busch led 150 of 200 laps, passing Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Daniel Suarez after a restart with 13 circuits remaining.

“It was a hard-fought battle,” said Busch, who had surged to a lead of 7.961 seconds before the first caution slowed the field on lap 57. “Seemed like it was going to be easy for us. We had a super-fast car, and when we were out front, I could take it easy on those long runs and we could drive away.

“The car would turn so well. A lot of things were trying to work against us at the end of the race. We were able to persevere and do the right things and have lucky restarts and be in the right grooves and not get caught up in the mêlée that was happening.”

Continue reading

NASCAR XFINITY Series, Kansas Lottery 300 Preview

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KSL 300 on white

NASCAR XFINITY Series teams will race 300 miles over 200 laps in the Kansas Lottery 300 on Saturday, October 15th at 3 pm ET at Kansas Speedway. Television coverage begins on NBC at 2:30 pm ET with radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.

What to Watch For: The NASCAR XFINITY Series kicks off the Round of 8 of its inaugural Chase. The eight drivers remaining are Daniel Suarez, Elliott Sadler, Justin Allgaier, Erik Jones, Brendan Gaughan, Ryan Reed, Darrell Wallace Jr. and Blake Koch. Continue reading