This Weekend in NASCAR – Charlotte/ Iowa Storylines

This weekend sees the first split of the season for NASCAR’s three national series.

Charlotte Motor Speedway will host the NC Education Lottery 200 the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (Friday) and the annual no-holds-barred, no-points Showdown/All-Star Race for the Sprint Cup Series (Saturday); on Sunday Iowa Speedway will host the 3M 250 for the NASCAR XFINITY Series.

With all three national series in action there are a multitude of storylines, including…

He Called Game: Johnson’s Late-Race Heroics Help Him Pick Up Series-Best Third Win

Late Saturday night, Paul Pierce threw up a shot at the buzzer.

He called “Game,” banking it in from the left elbow to break a 101-101 tie, giving the Washington Wizards an NBA playoff victory.

In the early hours Sunday morning, a NASCAR driver with same-letter initials followed suit.

Jimmie Johnson – already virtually locked into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and interested in nothing but a win – decided to stay on the track while the leaders pitted under caution with 10 laps left in the SpongeBob SquarePants 400 at Kansas Speedway. He led the field to green and held off defending NSCS champion Kevin Harvick for his series-best third victory of the season.

Johnson now has nine bonus points for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Challenger 16 Round (three per victory). In his last five races, he has finished first, second, third, second and first, respectively – good for an average finish of 1.8.

The six-time series champion currently occupies the third spot in the driver standings – 48 points behind Harvick – and claims Harvick is still the driver to beat.

“I still think he’s the car to beat right now,” Johnson said. “I mean, he qualifies better than we do. We’re finding ways to win races, but I just think that they have a bit more control of their own destiny right now.”

No Slowing Down: Harvick Continues Torrid Run, Ties NASCAR Hall Of Famer For Top-Two Mark

Eleven races into the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, Kevin Harvick already has eight top-two finishes.

No driver has had more top twos through the first 11 races of a season. The only other driver to record eight top twos through the first 11 races was NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough in 1977.

Harvick has built up a 46-point lead over Martin Truex Jr. in the point standings. The defending NSCS champion claims two wins and leads the series in average finish (6.2), average running position (5.7) and driver rating (126.7). His 574 fastest laps run are more than double than the total of the next-best competitor (Jimmie Johnson, 201).

He’s Back: Rowdy Returns For Sprint All-Star Race

“I’m back. #Rowdy Returns,” Kyle Busch tweeted Tuesday morning, confirming he would participate in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race after missing the first 11 races of the season due to injuries suffered from a crash in the Daytona NASCAR XFINITY Series race.

The No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing driver also posted a video of himself – strapping into his firesuit and exiting a hauler – with the closing message “#RowdyReturns May 16.”

Of the drivers currently eligible for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Busch has the most starts in the event without a win (nine). Despite never winning the all-star race, Busch’s 212 laps led in the contest are second-most among active drivers, only trailing Jimmie Johnson’s 219.  In fact, Busch leads active drivers with a 108.1 driver rating in the all-star race. His top finish in the event was a runner-up showing in 2011.

In Busch’s absence, Matt Crafton (one start), David Ragan (nine) and Erik Jones (one) have piloted his Toyota Camry. The Joe Gibbs Racing car ranks 23rd in the NSCS owner standings.

Jeff Gordon Making Final Sprint All-Star Race Start

“Star light, star bright,” Jeff Gordon hopes to win Saturday night when he makes the final NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race start of his career. The No. 24 Chevrolet driver owns three all-star race victories, tied with Dale Earnhardt for the second-most in history. Jimmie Johnson claims the all-time mark with four victories.

A four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, Gordon has captured the title in the three seasons he’s won the All-Star race (1995, 1997, 2001).

Mega Star: Johnson Tries To Increase All-Star Wins Record

Jimmie Johnson does something in NASCAR’s all-star event that athlete’s in most other sports don’t.

He shows up.

In 13 Sprint All-Star race starts, Johnson owns a record four wins. He also ranks first among active drivers in average finish (6.2), average running position (6.9), number of fastest laps led (219).

Don’t Forget To Cast Your Ballot In The Sprint Fan Vote

There are roughly 18 months left to vote in the 2016 presidential election.

There are only three days left to cast your ballot in the next-most ballyhooed election – The Sprint Fan Vote.

The winning driver gets to compete in Saturday’s night’s Sprint All-Star Race. Some notables on the ballot include: Clint Bowyer, Danica Patrick, David Ragan, Greg Biffle, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Larson. Last year’s winner was Josh Wise. The only driver to visit Victory Lane after getting voted into the All-Star Race was Kasey Kahne in 2008.

A favorite isn’t always the winner – as the Sprint Fan Vote’s history suggests. In the last 10 seasons, fans have voted 10 different drivers into the Sprint All-Star Race.

Voting closes at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, one day before the green flag.

McMurray Attempts To Become All-Star Race’s Seventh Multi-Time Winner

As one would imagine, the list of multi-time Sprint All-Star race winners contains some of the greatest drivers to ever wheel a car around an oval: Jimmie Johnson (4), Dale Earnhardt (3), Jeff Gordon (3), Davey Allison (2), Terry Labonte (2) and Mark Martin (2).

Jamie McMurray will attempt to etch his name on that list in Saturday’s Sprint All-Star Race as the defending event winner. He led 31 laps and outdueled Carl Edwards to take the $1 million-prize in last year’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. The other drivers in the field who have won at least one all-star race are Gordon, Johnson, Edwards, Ryan Newman, Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch. Johnson (2012-13) and Allison (1991-92) are the only drivers to win consecutive all-star races.

Truex, Elliott Headline Sprint Showdown Participants

Drivers who have not qualified for the Sprint All-Star Race have one final chance to get into the drive for $1 million by winning one of two segments in Friday’s Sprint Showdown (7 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1).

Occupying the second spot in the standings after racking up 10 top-10 finishes in the first 11 races of the season, Martin Truex Jr. is seemingly the driver to beat. Truex previously won the Sprint Showdown in 2010 and will be challenged by other past Showdown winners Clint Bowyer (2014), David Ragan (2011) and Sam Hornish Jr. (2009).

Defending NASCAR XFINITY Series champion Chase Elliott is slated to race in the Sprint Showdown as well.

Sunday Showcase: Future Stars On Display In Iowa

Don’t fret sports fans. Even though you’re regularly scheduled points-paying NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race will be off this Sunday, the NASCAR XFINITY Series will offer some of the sport’s brightest future stars in the 3M 250 at Iowa Speedway (Sunday, May 17 on FOX Sports 1, 2 p.m. ET). Iowa marks the first of six NASCAR XFINITY Series standalone events this season and this weekend touts a star-studded lineup of rising talent including: Ty Dillon, Chris Buescher, Chase Elliott and Erik Jones.

Just nine points separate series standings leader Ty Dillon and second-place Chris Buescher through the first nine races of the season. Third-place Chase Elliott lost some ground on Dillon (-37 points back) and Buescher (-28) with his poor finish (37th) at Talladega, but Elliott might be able to rebound this weekend as he has the best average finish at Iowa (6.0) of the three – Dillon (6.5) and Buescher (13.5).

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Erik Jones returns to the No. 20 Toyota with crew chief Michael Wheeler this weekend after he put on an impressive display of talent in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series last weekend at Kansas subbing for his then injured teammate Kyle Busch. Jones has been busy this season competing in all three of NASCAR’s national series. In Jones’ nine XFINITY Series starts, he has posted one win (Texas), five top fives, three poles and an average finish of 11.9. This will be his series debut at Iowa.

Open Lane: Who Can Take The Crown At Iowa?

Among the 10 NASCAR XFINITY Series races at Iowa Speedway, there have been six different winners. Of those six, only one is entered this weekend – Elliott Sadler. One out of 40 is pretty good odds that we will see a new winner at Iowa this weekend, but Sadler’s success at the 0.875-mile track might make you second-guess counting him out.

Sadler has made eight series starts at Iowa, posting a win in 2012, a series leading six top fives, eight top 10s and three poles. He also leads active drivers with a 4.6 average finish at Iowa.

Sadler will have his work cut for him to become the third driver in series history to win multiple races at Iowa (Brad Keselowski and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. each have three wins). Five other drivers entered this weekend have average finishes at Iowa inside the top 10: Chase Elliot (6.0), Ty Dillon (6.5), Regan Smith (6.7), Ryan Blaney (7.0) and Darrell Wallace Jr. (8.0).

Ben Rhodes Graduates to XFINITY Series

Instead of walking across the stage in a cap and gown this weekend, Ben Rhodes will be whipping around The Fastest Short Track on the planet in his No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. The 18-year-old NASCAR Next alum has decided to forego attending his high school graduation in order to make his first-ever NASCAR XFINITY Series start in Sunday’s 3M 250 at Iowa Speedway.

Despite being a stranger to the XFINITY Series, Rhodes has already made himself quite comfortable at Iowa Speedway. The Louisville, Kentucky native finished third in the 2013 K&N Pro Series combo race at the 7/8 mile track, and in 2014 he took home the checkered flag in the K&N Pro Series East race en route to winning the 2014 series championship. He has since spent his free time that season testing his skills against the competition in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Rhodes earned one top-five and three top-10 finishes in his four NCWTS starts in 2014.

Sunoco Rookie Update: Points Battle Reaches Surface Of The Sun Hot

Among the seven drivers in this season’s Sunoco Rookie of the Year class, two have risen above their competition – Darrell Wallace Jr. and Daniel Suarez. Wallace and Suarez currently sit 1-2 in the Sunoco Rookie standings, separated by the sliver of one point, raising the temperature of this season’s rookie battle to white hot.

Roush Fenway Racing’s Darrell Wallace Jr. holds the point in the rookie standings this season after retaking the lead from Suarez following Talladega. Wallace has posted two top 10s and an average finish of 11.9 in 2015. He is also ranked fourth in the series driver standings, 37 points behind leader Ty Dillon.

Wallace’s loop data is also encouraging. In nine starts, he is ranked eighth in driver rating (93.1) and fifth in average running position (9.923).

Expect Wallace to stay hot this weekend at Iowa. He has made two starts at the 0.875-mile speedway posting two top 10s and an average finish of 8.0.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Daniel Suarez might still lead the rookie standings had it not been for a multi-car accident at Talladega that collected the young Monterrey, Mexico driver relegating him to a 31st-place finish a few weeks back. But it did, and now Suarez sits second in the rookie standings one point back from Wallace. Suarez has posted one top five, three top 10s and an average finish of 16.0 this season. This weekend’s 3M 250 will be Suarez’s series debut at Iowa.

Team Penske’s No. 22 Steamrolling 2015 So Far

Team Penske’s No. 22 Ford team is on a record-setting pace this season in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. Roger Penske’s driver lineup of Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney has set an all-time record for the best team average finish with a 2.667 in the first nine races of an XFINITY Series season; surpassing the previous record of 2.778 (2014) held by Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 54 team with drivers Kyle Busch and Sam Hornish Jr.

Penske’s No. 22 Ford team has posted three wins and seven top-two finishes in the first nine races this season. Its early success has nearly gone unmatched, opening the XFINITY Series owner standings lead to 62 points over second-place Richard Childress Racing’s No. 3 Chevrolet team.

This weekend, 21-year-old Ryan Blaney will make his second start of the season in the No. 22 Ford with crew chief Greg Erwin. Blaney’s lone start this season came at Las Vegas where he started fourth and finished second. Blaney is no stranger to Iowa Speedway; he has made three starts on 0.875-mile track, posting one top five, three top 10s and average finish of 7.0.

Double Up: Five Drivers Dabble In Charlotte And Iowa This Weekend

Five drivers will be dabbling in double duty this weekend, making the trek from Charlotte Motor Speedway to Iowa Speedway. Three of the five – Brandon Jones, Erik Jones and Jon Wes Townley – are entered in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race and the remaining two – Chase Elliott and Landon Cassill – are entered in the Sprint Showdown.

Charlotte Motor Speedway is a little over 1,000 miles from Iowa Speedway about 15:49 driving or 2:25 by plane.

Home Sweet Home, Iowa

Two NASCAR XFINITY Series drivers that are extra glad the series is heading back to Iowa are Fairfax native Landon Cassill and Cedar Rapids native Joey Gase.

Landon Cassill is currently 15th in points after posting one top 10 (Richmond), four top 20s and an average finish of 22.2 this season.

His hometown of Fairfax is about 80 miles from Iowa Speedway; which happens to be his best track on the NASCAR XFINITY Series schedule. In two starts at Iowa, he has posted one top 10 and his career-best average finish at a single track (11.5).

Joey Gase is coming off his NASCAR XFINITY Series career-best finish (fifth, Talladega) a few weeks ago. It not only was a career milestone for Gase but also marked the first time in over 30 years of competing that his owner Jimmy Means posted a top five in NASCAR national series competition. Gase is currently 21st in points after posting one top five and an average finish of 26.3 this season.

His hometown of Cedar Rapids is about 90 miles from Iowa Speedway; which happens to be tied with Michigan and Mid-Ohio as his fourth-best track he competes on in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. In seven starts at Iowa, he has an average finish of 27.0.

NASCAR XFINITY Series Etc.

Milestones: Dakoda Armstrong will attempt to make his 50th NASCAR XFINITY Series start this weekend at Iowa Speedway.

More To See And Do Than Just Racing: Iowa Speedway is hosting the NAPA Auto Parts Concert Series this season and fans will have the pleasure of watching country star John Michael Montgomery perform Friday night (May 15) following NASCAR XFINITY Series qualifying and the NASCAR K&N Pro Series race.

Crafty Crafton: No. 88 ThorSport Driver Off To Torrid Start

Matt Crafton zipped past Erik Jones, Tyler Reddick and Daniel Suarez – who all ran out of fuel on the closing laps of last Friday’s Toyota Tundra 250 – to reach Victory Lane for the second time this season.

Just four races into the 2015 campaign, Crafton has matched his career-best total for wins in a season and seems well on his way to becoming the first driver in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series history to win three straight championships. The No. 88 ThorSport driver increased his points standings lead to 17 points over Tyler Reddick and 18 points over Erik Jones.

A main key to Crafton’s supremacy in the Truck Series has been his dominance at 1.5-mile tracks. He has notched a top-10 finish in his last 10 races on intermediate courses. Included in his streak are three wins (Texas-1 in 2014 in addition to Atlanta and Kansas in 2015), three runner-ups and a 3.2 avg. finish.

Crafton will attempt to continue his reign at 1.5-mile tracks in Friday’s NC Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (8:30 p.m. ET). The Tulare, California native earned his first-career win at Charlotte in 2008.

Jones Focused On Getting First Wins

It’s been four races since Erik Jones last visited Victory Lane in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – tying his longest winless drought since he began racing on the circuit in 2013.

Jones looked well on his way to his first win of the season, leading a track record 151 laps in last Friday’s Toyota Tundra 250 before running out of fuel with six to go.

Already the owner of four NCWTS wins and a record five NASCAR national series victories before the age of 19, the NASCAR Next alumnus will compete at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the first time in Friday’s NC Education Lottery 200.

Kahne Insane In Camping World Truck Series, Draws Start For JR Motorsports At Charlotte

Five starts. Four victories. One runner-up.

That’s Kasey Kahne’s insane line in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competition.

Kahne will make his first NCWTS start since he won in 2012 at Rockingham, piloting the No. 00 Haas-Automation Chevrolet for JR Motorsports in Friday’s NC Education Lottery 200.

Kahne’s start marks the second for JR Motorsports this season. Cole Custer, NASCAR Next member and youngest winner in NASCAR national series history, piloted the No. 00 truck to a 16th-place finish at Martinsville. The youngster led in the final laps, but a spin ended any hopes for victory No. 2.

Kahne is one of 26 drivers to win in all three of NASCAR’s national series. In addition to Rockingham, he has visited Victory Lane in NCWTS races at Darlington (2004, ’11) and Homestead (2004).

Triple Threat: ThorSport Places Three Trucks In Top Five For First Time In Team History

In the spirit of the ongoing National Hockey League playoffs, ThorSport Racing had a hat trick of sorts in last Friday’s Toyota Tundra 250, placing all three of its drivers in the top five for the first time in team history. Matt Crafton placed first, followed by Johnny Sauter (third) and Cameron Hayley (fifth).

Crafton (seven-career wins) and Sauter (10) are established in NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series, while NASCAR Next alum Hayley is attempting to earn the respect of the garage. Hayley’s fifth-place finish was the highest of his career (seven starts) and his third top-10 finish. The Canadian occupies the fifth spot in the driver standings, 52 points behind Crafton, and ranks second in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Standings.

Sauter is fourth in the driver standings, 22 points behind Crafton, as he chases his first NCWTS championship. The No. 98 Toyota Tundra driver was series runner-up in 2011 and has placed fourth in the final standings his last two seasons.

NEMCO Never Stops: Notches First Top-Five Finish Of 2015

NEMCO Racing earned its first top-five finish of the season at Kansas Speedway last Friday behind the efforts of Ryan Newman, who piloted its No. 8 Chevrolet to a runner-up result.

The truck will be back in the family the rest of the year though. Joe Nemechek will drive in Friday’s NC Education Lottery 200 before giving way to his son – NASCAR Next member John Hunter Nemechek – for the rest of the season. John Hunter turns 18 on June 11 and will be allowed to race on all NASCAR tracks. Before, he could only compete on road courses and tracks 1.25 miles or less. John Hunter placed 29th at Martinsville in his lone race this season and compiled one top-five and six top-10 finishes in 10 starts last year.

Young And Gettin’ It: Sunoco Rookies Fill Standings Top 10

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is filled with young drivers, who despite their inexperience get how to rack up strong finishes. Five Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidates rank in the top 10 of the NCWTS driver standings: Erik Jones (third), Cameron Hayley (fifth), Justin Boston (eighth), Ray Black Jr. (ninth) and Spencer Gallagher (10th). Hayley and Boston posted career-best finishes at Kansas Speedway last weekend, finishing fifth and seventh, respectively, in the Toyota Tundra 250.