The Race: Bank of America 500 The Place: Charlotte Motor Speedway The Date: Sunday, Oct. 8 The Time: 2 p.m. ET TV: NBC, 1 p.m. ET Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Distance: 501 miles (334 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 90), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 180), Final Stage (Ends on lap 334) Round Of 12 Starts At Charlotte The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs opens its Round of 12 with Sunday’s Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (2 p.m. ET on NBC, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The following drivers advanced following last weekend’s cutoff race at Dover: Martin Truex Jr. (enters Sunday’s race 51 points ahead of Ryan Blaney on the cutoff line), Kyle Busch (+33), Kyle Larson (+26), Brad Keselowski (+12), Jimmie Johnson (+9), Kevin Harvick (+7), Denny Hamlin (+5), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (+2), Ryan Blaney (two points behind Stenhouse on the cutoff line), Chase Elliott (-4), Matt Kenseth (-5) and Jamie McMurray (-7). Jimmie Johnson is the defending race winner. The Playoffs drivers who have visited Victory Lane at Charlotte in the past are: Johnson (eight wins, track record), Harvick (three), Kenseth (two), McMurray (two), Keselowski (one), Truex (one). Busch Goes For Third Consecutive Win And A Victory At All Active Tracks If Kyle Busch wins Sunday’s Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, not only will he earn his third consecutive victory and an automatic berth in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 8, but he’ll also become the first driver to boast a checkered flag at every active Cup track. Despite never winning a points race at Charlotte, Busch has quality Loop Data stats at the 1.5-mile track. His average running position (9.7) and driver rating (105.6) ranks second best among active drivers at Charlotte. In 27 Queen City starts, Busch owns 11 top fives, 16 top 10s and a 15.0 average finish. He placed runner-up in this year’s Coca-Cola 600. The last driver to record three consecutive victories was Joey Logano in 2015 when he won three straight playoff races in a sweep of the Round of 12. Busch also won three races in a row in 2015. Johnson Attempts To Add To Record 8 Charlotte Wins Jimmie Johnson will attempt to add to his record of eight Charlotte wins in Sunday’s Bank of America 500. The No. 48 Chevrolet driver has taken the checkered flag in the Queen City fall race four times, including last season. In 32 career starts at Charlotte, Johnson also claims 15 top fives, 19 top 10s and a 12.7 average finish. He owns the top Charlotte driver rating (110.4) and average running position (8.0) of all Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers. Johnson’s third-place finish at Dover last weekend marked his first top-five showing since his win at Dover in June. Larson, Blaney, McMurray, Stenhouse Advance To Round Of 12 For First Time The Round of 16 of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs was no problem for postseason first-timers Ryan Blaney and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Both drivers navigated their way into the Round of 12. Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Kyle Larson and Jamie McMurray made it to the Round of 12 for their first time in their second and third Playoffs, respectively. The Round of 12 will likely be much tougher. Larson sits 26 points above Blaney on the cutoff line, but Stenhouse only has a two-point edge over Blaney for the final transfer spot entering the Round of 12. McMurray starts the Round of 12 facing a seven-point deficit for the final transfer berth. In eight career starts at Charlotte, Larson has one top five, two top 10s and a 19.8 average finish. Blaney has never finished better than 14th at Charlotte in his five career races there, while Stenhouse owns a high finish of 13th in 11 Queen City appearances. McMurray has had the most success at the 1.5-mile track. In 30 career starts, he claims two wins, seven top fives, 11 top 10s and a 16.2 average finish. He also won the non-points-paying All-Star Race at Charlotte in 2014. Another Runner-Up For Elliott Chase Elliott relinquished the lead to Kyle Busch just before the final go-around of last Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover, finishing second despite leading a race-high 138 laps. The finish marked the fifth runner-up of Elliott’s career. He continues to hunt down his first win. Still, Elliott produced a strong Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 16 with two runner-ups (one encumbered at Chicagoland) and an 11th-place finish. He advances to the Round of 12 opener sitting 10th on the Playoff leaderboard – a mere four points behind Ricky Stenhouse Jr. for the final transfer spot. Plenty of notable drivers recorded more runner-ups than Elliott before their first win, including NASCAR Hall of Famers Bill Elliott (Chase’s father, eight runner-ups), Glenn Wood (six) and Mark Martin (six). NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip logged four second-place showings before his first victory. In four career starts at Charlotte, Elliott has a high finish of eighth. He crashed out of his last two races at the 1.5-mile track after starting both third. He led 103 laps in last year’s Bank of America 500. A Spoiler At Charlotte? As has been mentioned many times before, a driver doesn’t need to be a Playoffs contender to win a race. Many drivers who are not championship-eligible have won in the past at Charlotte. The group includes: Kasey Kahne (4), Clint Bowyer, Kurt Busch, Joey Logano and Austin Dillon. The Race: Drive for The Cure 300 Presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina The Place: Charlotte Motor Speedway The Date: Saturday, Oct. 7 The Time: 3 p.m. ET TV: NBCSN, 2:30 p.m. ET Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Distance: 300 miles (200 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 45), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on lap 200) Round Of 12 Cutoff Race: Last Chance For Contenders To Move On In The Playoffs As the Round of 12 of the NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoffs comes to a close this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, time is of the essence for the 12 contenders to either win their way into the next round or score as many points as possible to secure a spot. Below is the current NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoff standings heading into this weekend for the Drive for the Cure 300 presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina this Saturday, October 7 at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Playoff Contenders In Position To Advance To The Round Of 8 Eight drivers are currently in position to move on to the NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoffs Round of 8. Below is a quick look each driver’s performance at Charlotte and what they will need to do to advance this weekend. Justin Allgaier (No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet) currently holds the Playoff standings lead with 2,107 Points; 54 points ahead of Brendan Gaughan in the first cutoff spot (ninth in the standings). Allgaier can clinch a spot in the Round of 8 on points with 3 points and a new winner, otherwise he would clinch on points with 1 point scored. He can also clinch a spot with a win this weekend. Allgaier has made 14 series starts at Charlotte, posting three top fives, eight top 10s and an average finish of 11.8. William Byron (No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet) is second in the Playoff standings following Dover with 2,104 points; 51 points ahead of Brendan Gaughan in the first cutoff spot (ninth in the standings). Byron can clinch a spot in the Round of 8 on points this weekend with 7 points and a new winner, otherwise he would clinch on points with 5 points. Byron can also clinch a spot in the next round with a win this weekend. Byron made his series track debut at Charlotte Motor Speedway earlier this season; he started 13th and finished 14th. Elliott Sadler (No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet) sits third in the Playoff standings with 2,094 points; 41 points ahead of Brendan Gaughan in the first cutoff spot (ninth in the standings). Sadler can clinch a spot in the Round of 8 this weekend on points with 17 points and a new winner, otherwise he would clinch on points with 15 points. He can also advance with a win this weekend. Sadler has made 21 series starts at Charlotte, posting five top fives, nine top 10s and an average finish of 17.1. Cole Custer (No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford) sits fourth in the Playoff standings with 2,093 points; 40 points ahead of Brendan Gaughan in the first cutoff spot (ninth in the standings). Custer can clinch a spot in the Round of 8 this weekend on points with 18 points and a new winner, otherwise he would clinch on points with 16 points. He can also advance to the next round with a win this weekend. Custer has made two series starts at Charlotte, posting one top five and two top 10s. His average finish at Charlotte is 5.5. Daniel Hemric (No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet) is currently fifth in the Playoff standings following Dover with 2,090 points; 37 points ahead of Brendan Gaughan in the first cutoff spot (ninth in the standings). Hemric can clinch a spot in the Round of 8 this weekend on points with 21 points and a new winner, otherwise he would clinch on points with 19 points. Hemric can also advance to the next round with a win this weekend. Hemric made his series track debut at Charlotte earlier this season; he started fourth and finished 13th. Brennan Poole (No. 48 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet) is sixth in the Playoff standings with 2,082 points; 29 points ahead of Brendan Gaughan in the first cutoff spot (ninth in the standings). Poole can clinch a spot in the Round of 8 this weekend on points with 28 points and a new winner, otherwise he would clinch on points with 26 points. Poole can also clinch a spot in the next round with a win this weekend. Poole has made four starts at Charlotte, posting two top 10s and an average finish of 14.0. Matt Tifft (No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) is currently seventh in the Playoff standing with 2,067 points; just 14 points ahead of Brendan Gaughan in the first cutoff spot (ninth in the standings). Tifft can clinch a spot in the Round of 8 this weekend on points with 44 points and a new winner, otherwise he would clinch on points with 42 points. Tifft can also advance to the next round with a win this weekend. Tifft has made two series starts at Charlotte posting one top 10 and an average finish of 17.0. Ryan Reed (No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford) is currently in the eighth and final transfer spot of the Round of 12 Playoff standings with 2,055 points; just two points ahead of Brendan Gaughan in the first cutoff spot (ninth in the standings). Reed’s best chance to clinch a spot in the Round of 8 this weekend is with a win. Otherwise, he can clinch a spot in the Round of 8 on points with 53 points. He could also clinch on points with a new winner and help. Reed has made eight series starts at Charlotte posting an average finish of 13.9. Contenders Outside Playoff Cutoff And Looking In Charlotte Motor Speedway is the host of the NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoff Round of 12 cutoff race, making this weekend an ‘all or nothing’ scenario for the following Playoff contenders that are currently outside the cutoff to advance to the next round. Below is a quick look at what they will need to do to advance to the Round of 8, and their series career performance at Charlotte. Brendan Gaughan (No. 62 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet) is currently the first Playoff contender outside the cutoff to advance to the Round of 8, in ninth, with 2,053 points. Gaughan is only two points behind eighth-place Ryan Reed in the final transfer position. Gaughan can advance with a win, but can only clinch on points with help. Gaughan has made 11 series starts at Charlotte posting one top five, three top 10s and an average finish of 14.4. He finished ninth at Charlotte earlier this season. Michael Annett (No. 5 JR Motorsports Chevrolet) sits 10th in the NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoff standings with 2,048 points; seven points behind eighth-place Ryan Reed. Annett can advance to the Round of 8 with a win, but can only clinch on points with help. Annett has made 11 series starts at Charlotte posting two top 10s and an average finish of 20.0. Blake Koch (No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet) is 11th in the NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoff standings with 2,043 points; 12 points behind eighth-place Ryan Reed in the final transfer position. Koch can advance to the Round of 8 with a win, but will need help to clinch on points. Koch has made eight series starts at Charlotte posting an average finish of 23.9. Koch posted his career-best finish at Charlotte (12th) in last season’s Playoff race, ultimately advancing him to the next round. Jeremy Clements (No. 51 Jeremy Clements Racing Chevrolet) is currently ranked 12th in the NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoff standings with 2,035 points; 20 points behind eighth-place Ryan Reed in the final transfer position. Clements is not out of it yet, he can advance with a win, and still could clinch on points with help. Clements has made 18 series starts at Charlotte posting an average finish of 21.8. NASCAR Fitness Challenge At NASCAR Hall of Fame Racing doesn’t end on the track as athletes from top teams in NASCAR will go head-to-head in the NASCAR Fitness Challenge powered by Lilly Diabetes for charity Wednesday on the NASCAR Hall of Fame Plaza. Among the more than 50 participants are NASCAR XFINITY Series driver Ryan Reed, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Michael McDowell, former Wake Forest University defensive lineman and current jack man at Joe Gibbs Racing Nate Bolling, as well as rear tire carrier on Germain Racing’s No. 13 and former Bowling Green linebacker Paul Swan. NASCAR XFINITY Series Etc.: Angela Ruch Returns: Angela Ruch is the only female competitor to make a start in the NASCAR XFINITY Series this season, and is returning this weekend to attempt to qualify for the Drive for the Cure 300 presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It will be her third start of the season for B.J. McLeod Motorsports in the No. 78 Chevrolet. Though Ruch’s average finish is a 31.0, in each of her first two starts at Kentucky earlier this season she has posted positive place differentials of +10 and +3. Ruch is one of seven women all-time to compete at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the NASCAR XFINITY Series; the other six female competitors were Patty Moise, Danica Patrick, Johanna Long, Shawna Robinson, Jennifer Jo Cobb and Tammy Jo Kirk. Sunoco Rookie of the Year Standings Update Following Dover: William Byron holds the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings lead with 286 points, and has a 40-point gap between himself and Daniel Hemric in second with 246 points. Cole Custer is currently third in the rookie standings with 229 points; followed by Matt Tifft (200), Spencer Gallagher (137) and Ben Kennedy (134). This weekend the rookies will showcase their skills at Charlotte where Custer leads the young pack with an average finish of 5.5; followed by Hemric (13.0), Byron (14.0), Tifft (17.0), Kennedy (25.0) and Gallagher (30.0). Monster Energy Drivers To Watch For: This weekend there will be eight Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers attempting to qualify for the Drive for the Cure 300 presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina this Saturday at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio – Austin Dillon, Ty Dillon, Reed Sorenson, Daniel Suarez, Erik Jones, Ryan Blaney, Corey LaJoie, and Alex Bowman are all entered. Ryan Blaney will looking to make it two in a row after winning at Dover last weekend. The Drive for the Cure 300 will be Alex Bowman’s series season debut this weekend, and his team debut with Chip Ganassi Racing; driving the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet. Next Race: Fred’s 250 Powered by Coca-Cola The Place: Talladega Superspeedway The Date: Saturday, Oct. 14 The Time: 1 p.m. ET TV: FOX, 12:30 p.m. ET Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Distance: 250.04 miles (94 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 20), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 40), Final Stage (Ends on lap 94) source – NASCAR communications
