This Weekend in NASCAR – Storylines: All-Star Race

• Race #1: NASCAR Open
• The Place: Texas Motor Speedway
• The Date: Sunday, June 13
• The Time: 6 p.m. ET
• TV: FS1, 5 p.m. ET
• Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
• Distance: Three Segments: 20 laps / 20 laps / 10 laps

• Race #2: NASCAR All-Star Race
• The Place: Texas Motor Speedway
• The Date: Sunday, June 13
• The Time: 8 p.m. ET
• TV: FS1, 7:30 p.m. ET
• Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
• Distance: Six Rounds: Rounds 1-4: 15 laps; Round 5: 30 laps; Round 6: 10-lap shootout

Get ready for Texas-sized NASCAR All-Star Race weekend

For the first time in the prestigious event’s history, the NASCAR All-Star race and NASCAR Open will take place at Texas Motor Speedway this Sunday, June 13. The NASCAR Open is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. ET and the NASCAR All-Star race will follow at 8 p.m. ET (on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) with over a million dollars up for grabs.

The NASCAR All-Star Race was introduced in 1985, and the first event was held at Charlotte Motor Speedway and the race was won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip and crew chief Jeff Hammond. Waltrip led 27 laps in the 70-lap inaugural All-Star race en route to the win driving the No. 11 Junior Johnson & Associates Buick. It was Waltrip’s only career All-Star win. 

This weekend’s NASCAR All-Star Race will be the 37th running of the prized exhibition race and Texas Motor Speedway will become the fourth different track to host the event; joining Charlotte Motor Speedway (34 All-Star races: 1985, 1987-2019), Atlanta Motor Speedway (1986) and Bristol Motor Speedway (2020).

The second NASCAR All-Star Race in 1986, was held at Atlanta Motor Speedway and the event was dominated by NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott, who set the record for the most laps led in a NASCAR All-Star Race by a driver that won the event, leading 82 of the scheduled 83 laps (98.8%). Elliott started the event in the second starting position. Twice the NASCAR All-Star Race has been led by one driver flag-to-flag both at Charlotte, Dale Earnhardt led all 70 laps in 1990 and Davey Allison led all 70 laps (100%) in 1991.

The next 33 All-Star events would be held at Charlotte Motor Speedway until last season due to the restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic the race was rescheduled and moved to Bristol Motor Speedway. For the first time since 2013, the NASCAR All-Star Race winner went on to win the NASCAR Cup Series Championship in the same season when Chae Elliott grabbed his first All-Star win at Bristol and the series title in Phoenix later that year. The feat has occurred 11 times since the inception of the All-Star race in 1985 by six different drivers – Darrell Waltrip (1985), Dale Earnhardt (1987, 1990, 1993), Rusty Wallace (1989), Jeff Gordon (1995, 1997, 2001), Jimmie Johnson (2006, 2013) and Chase Elliott (2020). Elliott’s win gave Hendrick Motorsport’s their series leading ninth NASCAR All-Star race victory – Jimmie Johnson (four: 2003, 2006, 2012, 2013), Jeff Gordon (three: 1995, 1997, 2001), Terry Labonte (1999), Chase Elliott (2020).  

In total, the 36 NASCAR All-Star Races have produced 25 different winners, led by the recently retired Jimmie Johnson with four All-Star wins (2003, 2006, 2012 and 2013). Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick leads all active drivers in NASCAR All-Star Race wins with two (2018, 2007). In total, eight former NASCAR All-Star Race winners are entered this weekend – Harvick (two wins), Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, and Ryan Newman (each have one).

The 36 NASCAR All-Star Races have also produced 20 different pole winners; four of the 20 are active this weekend – Kyle Busch (three All-Star poles), Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr and Kyle Larson (each have one prior to this weekend).

By virtue of random draw this week, Hendrick Motorsport’s driver Kyle Larson will start from the pole on Sunday (June 13) at Texas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR All-Star Race. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch will join Larson on the outside front row. The NASCAR All-Star Race has been won from the pole or first starting position five times by four different drivers, the first three came in consecutive years – Dale Earnhardt (1990), Davey Allison (1991, 1992), Kurt Busch (2010) and Denny Hamlin (2015). For the entire NASCAR All-Star Race Stat Package on NASCARMedia click this link.   

The best in the Lone Star state

Since this weekend will be the first time the NASCAR Cup Series has held the NASCAR All-Star Race and Open at Fort Worth’s Texas Motor Speedway the best data to look at heading into Sunday is how drivers have performed in points-paying races at the famed 1.5-mile Texas track.

Seven former NASCAR Cup Series Texas Motor Speedway winners are entered this weekend and all seven are already in the NASCAR All-Star Race. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch leads the series among active drivers in points-paying race wins at Texas Motor Speedway with four victories; including the series’ most recent visit to the track last season (2013, 2016, 2018, 2020). Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon also grabbed a win at Texas Motor Speedway last season.

Besides Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick are the only other active drivers with multiple wins at Texas.  

• Next Race: Alsco Uniforms 250
• The Place: Texas Motor Speedway
• The Date: Saturday, June 12
• The Time: 4 p.m. ET
• TV: FS1, 3 p.m. ET
• Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
• Distance: 250.5 miles (167 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 40), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 80), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 167)

Howdy, Texas!

The NASCAR Xfinity Series is heading to the Lone Star state for some doubleheader action on Saturday, June 12 at 4 p.m. ET for the Alsco Uniforms 250 on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will kick off the weekend on Saturday, June 12 at 1 p.m. ET with the SpeedyCash.com 220 prior to the green flag for the Xfinity Series.

The series heads to Texas Motor Speedway coming off an exciting weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, making left and right turns. AJ Allmendinger got his second win of the season on Saturday after an impressive run from the back of the field in the final stage. His win tied him with Marcos Ambrose for the most NASCAR Xfinity Series road course wins all-time. Allmendinger’s first career Xfinity win came at Mid-Ohio in 2013 in the inaugural race at the track.

Last weekend’s race had seven cautions for 23 laps with seven lead changes and a margin of victory of .809 seconds. Kaulig Racing swept the first two positions with Justin Haley coming in second to Allmendinger.

Ty Gibbs finished third, Brandon Jones fourth and Andy Lally rounded out the top five.

It looked like road course ace Austin Cindric was going to pull off the victory after leading 30 of the 78 laps but lost the lead after taking the outside on one of the final restarts and being shuffled off course. He ended up finishing 14th in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford.

Brandon Brown finished sixth, Michael Annett finished behind him in seventh, Josh Berry in eighth, Ryan Sieg in ninth and Josh Williams rounded out the top 10.

By virtue of Metric Qualifying, AJ Allmendinger will start on the pole this weekend for the Alsco Uniforms 250 at Texas Motor Speedway. His teammate Haley will join him on the front row. Jones, Cindric, Daniel Hemric, Annett, Brown, Jeb Burton, Sieg and Alex Labbe will be starting inside top 10.

Everything’s Bigger and Better in Texas

For the NASCAR Xfinity Series, this weekend will be the 41st race at Texas Motor Speedway. There have been 21 different race winners and 24 different pole winners in the first 40 races at the 1.5-mile track.

Erik Jones holds the Xfinity record for the youngest pole winner at 18 years, 9 months, 11 days in April of 2015. NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin holds the record for the oldest Xfinity pole winner at Texas at 47 years, 9 months, 26 days from November 2006.

Only six races have been won from the pole position or first starting position in Xfinity Series history at Texas and the last driver to accomplish the feat was Ryan Blaney in 2018.

2014 Xfinity Series champion, Chase Elliott, holds the record for the youngest winner in Texas history in the series at 18 years, 4 months, 7 days in 2014 and Jeff Purvis holds the record for the oldest Xfinity Texas winner at 43 years, 1 month, 18 days in 2002.

The race record is held by Kyle Busch at 151.707 mph (April 5, 2008) and Jeff Green holds the qualifying record at 193.493 mph (April 6, 2002).

This race last season was won by Team Penske’s Austin Cindric. He led 44 laps en route to the victory. Chase Briscoe finished behind him in second and Justin Allgaier finished third. Allgaier led a race-high 98 laps and swept the first two stages.

Jeremy Clements will make his 25th Xfinity Series start at Texas on Saturday, the most of any active driver.

Texas has been a place of first for many. Kurt Busch (2006), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (1998), Chase Elliott (2014) and Erik Jones (2015) all got their first Xfinity Series win at Texas Motor Speedway. Alex Bowman (2013), Denny Hamlin (2006) and David Ragan (2007) all got their first Xfinity pole at Texas.

• Next Race: SpeedyCash.com 220
• The Place: Texas Motor Speedway
• The Date: Saturday, June 12
• The Time: 1 p.m. ET
• TV: FS1, 12 p.m. ET
• Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
• Distance: 220.5 miles (147 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 35), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 70), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 147)

Camping World Truck Series back in action in Texas

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series took last weekend off but returns to action this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway for the SpeedyCash.com 220 on Saturday, June 12th (1 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The race will be the first in a double-header that day, with the NASCAR Xfinity Series wrapping up the day at 4 p.m. ET.

Former series champion and current FOX Sports NASCAR analyst Todd Bodine leads the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in wins at Texas Motor Speedway with six victories (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010). ThorSport Racing’s Johnny Sauter leads all active NASCAR Camping World Truck Series drivers in wins at Texas with five victories (2012 sweep, 2016, 2017, 2018). Sauter’s ThorSport Racing teammate, Matt Crafton, is the only other active driver with multiple wins there with two (2014, 2015). In fact, only one other entered driver has a win in the Trucks on the 1.5-mile track – Sheldon Creed, who won the most recent Texas race last fall.

The series has raced 47 times at Texas Motor Speedway with the first race being run in 1997. There have been 24 different drivers to visit Victory Lane over the years. Todd Bodine is the all-time wins leader on the circuit with six wins. Brendan Gaughan has four wins, Ron Hornaday Jr. has recorded three, and Greg Biffle, Dennis Setzer and Jack Sprague have two apiece.

Of note, nine times a Texas race winner has gone on to win the Camping World Truck Series championship that season. The first to do it was Greg Biffle in 2000. The most recent was Creed last year. In fact, in five of the past seven years, a Texas race winner has won the title.

2020 – Sheldon Creed

2017 – Christopher Bell

2016 – Johnny Sauter

2015 – Erik Jones

2014 – Matt Crafton

2010 – Todd Bodine

2006 – Todd Bodine

2001 – Jack Sprague

2000 – Greg Biffle

How they will line up

By virtue of Metric Qualifying, the most recent race winner, Kyle Busch Motorsport’s driver John Hunter Nemechek, will start from the pole in Saturday afternoon’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race the SpeedyCash.com 220. And he’ll be joined by another Toyota on the front row in ThorSport Racing’s Ben Rhodes.

Niece Motorsport’s Carson Hocevar’s impressive runner-up performance at Charlotte netted him a spot on the second row, as he’ll start third. Todd Gilliland starts alongside him in fourth.

Austin Hill, Stewart Friesen, Zane Smith, Chandler Smith, Derek Kraus, and Drew Dollar will complete the top 10.

None of the drivers starting in the top 10 for Saturday’s race have a win at Texas Motor Speedway. But Austin Hill (2020) Stewart Friesen (2019) and Ben Rhodes (2018) have come the closest of the 10 drivers with all three posting runner-up finishes at Texas recently.

Ten down, five to go in regular season

With five races remaining in the regular season, not too much has changed from three weeks ago. John Hunter Nemechek, Ben Rhodes, Sheldon Creed and Todd Gilliland are still the only drivers to have secured spots in the Playoffs by virtue of wins. That currently leaves six spots to be filled by points, guaranteeing at least one will be transferring to the Playoffs on points.

Five-time Texas winner Johnny Sauter still holds the 10th and final spot based on points, now just two points ahead of Austin Wayne Self, who is the first driver on the outside looking in.

Another previous Texas winner, Matt Crafton, dropped to seventh on the Playoff grid, but is still comfortably in position to advance to the postseason.

The remainder of the field currently in the Playoff picture (Austin Hill – moved up to third in points, Zane Smith – sixth, Stewart Friesen – eighth, Carson Hocevar – ninth on the Playoff grid) are all looking for their first win at Texas Motor Speedway.

Although Grant Enfinger is currently ninth overall in points, he’s not eligible for the Playoffs after missing the race at the Daytona Road Course early in the season.

Hill has nine starts at Texas with a pair of top-five finishes, including a runner-up result last year.  Smith has two starts, both last season, and finished third in his second race. Friesen has a trio of top-five and four top-10 results, including a best of second in the first race there in 2018. Sunoco Rookie points leader Hocevar will be making his track debut this weekend.

source – NASCAR communications