The Race: AAA Texas 500 The Place: Texas Motor Speedway The Date: Sunday, Nov. 5 The Time: 2 p.m. ET TV: NBCSN, 1:30 p.m. ET Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Distance: 501 miles (334 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 85), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 170), Final Stage (Ends on lap 334) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Turbos Into Texas One week after the dramatic Round of 8 opener at Martinsville, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Texas Motor Speedway for Sunday’s AAA Texas 500 (2 p.m. ET on NBCSN). Kyle Busch has locked up a berth in the Championship 4 with his win at “The Paperclip.” The Playoff leaderboard shakes out as follows: Johnson won the Texas spring race. Of the contenders, only Johnson (six wins), Busch (2) and Hamlin (2) have won at Texas. Retired Carl Edwards is the defending race winner, while Johnson took the checkered flag at the spring race earlier this year in Fort Worth. The top-10 finishers in this year’s Texas spring race: 1. Johnson 2. Kyle Larson 3. Joey Logano 4. Kevin Harvick 5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 6. Brad Keselowski 7. Jamie McMurray 8. Martin Truex Jr. 9. Chase Elliott 10. Kurt Busch Seven-Time Champ Goes For Record Seventh Texas Win, Championship 4 Berth Superman wears Jimmie Johnson pyjamas. While we don’t have proof of that, we do know Johnson is Superman at Texas Motor Speedway – the site of Sunday’s AAA Texas 500 NASCAR Playoffs race. He holds the all-time track records for wins (7), top fives (15) and top 10s (21). Among active drivers, Johnson boasts the top driver rating (107.3), the second-best average finish (8.2) and the third-best average running position (10.3). Johnson, who won the spring race at Texas, sits three points below Kevin Harvick for advancement to the Championship 4 race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He’s won four of the last six races in the Lone Star State. Elliott Attempts To Rebound From Disappointment With Texas Win In the closing laps of Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs race, Chase Elliott looked like he was going to get his first career win and a berth in the Championship 4. Instead, he wrecked in the closing laps and is now 26 points below the cutoff line for advancement to the title race. The No. 24 Chevrolet driver essentially needs to win one of the next two races (Texas or Phoenix) to join the Championship 4. He’ll get his first shot at Texas where he’s run strong in his first three races at the 1.5-mile track. In the three starts, he’s placed fifth (spring 2016), fourth (fall 2016) and ninth (spring 2017). Among active Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers at Texas, Elliott ranks first in average finish (6.0), second average running position (9.6) and fourth in driver rating (98.3). Blaney Tries To Pull Off Another Strong Texas Performance In this year’s spring Texas race Ryan Blaney led an event-high 148 laps and won the first two stages, but couldn’t close the contest out with a victory. He finished 12th. He’ll try to close the deal in Sunday’s AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Blaney enters the race six points behind Kevin Harvick on the cutoff line to advance to the Championship 4. He’s coming off a third-place finish at Kansas and an eighth-place showing at Martinsville. In five starts at Texas, Blaney has never finished better than 12th (twice). He did not finish his first two races at the 1.5-mile track. Plenty Can Play Spoiler At Texas Again, just because a driver is not in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs doesn’t mean he/she can’t win a postseason race. Six non-Playoff drivers have won at Texas Motor Speedway previously: Matt Kenseth (twice), Kurt Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne, Joey Logano and Ryan Newman. The highest finishing non-Playoff drivers in this year’s Texas spring race were Kyle Larson (second), Logano (third), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (five), Jamie McMurray (seven) and Kurt Busch (10th). Matt Kenseth Set To Run XFINITY Team USA Paint Scheme Matt Kenseth will drive the No. 20 XFINITY Team USA Toyota Camry during Sunday’s AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. The car celebrates Comcast’s official partnership with the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). The No. 20 will feature Comcast’s Xfinity brand and USOC logo lock-up on the hood of Kenseth’s Toyota Camry to commemorate the 100-day milestone from the start of the Olympic Winter Games 2018. “Being able to feature XFINITY and Team USA aboard our No. 20 Camry this weekend is really exciting,” Kenseth said. “The Games give our country and the world a way to unite in competitions through sport and I always enjoy getting to watch these athletes do what they do best.” The Race: O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 The Place: Texas Motor Speedway The Date: Saturday, Nov. 4 The Time: 8:30 p.m. ET TV: NBCSN, 8 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) XFINITY Series Playoff Challengers Prepare For Texas Motor Speedway Following the final off-week of the 2017 season, the NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoff contenders head to Texas Motor Speedway for the second race of the Round of 8 (Charlotte, Texas and Phoenix). The top four drivers at the conclusion of the Round of 8 advances to the Championship 4 for a shot at the title in Homestead-Miami. Below is the latest Playoff leaderboard following the race at Kansas: None of the current Playoff contenders have won at Texas in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, but here are their career average finishing positions – Cole Custer (5.0), William Byron (7.0) Elliott Sadler (11.6), Justin Allgaier (12.4), Matt Tifft (12.7) Ryan Reed (14.9), Brennan Poole (19.3) Daniel Hemric (32.0). 2017 Could See An Impressive Seven First-Time Winners Following Christopher Bell’s win at Kansas two weeks ago, the 2017 season is now tied with seven other seasons (1987, 1989, 1991, 1996, 2002, 2004 and 2006) for the second most first-time winners behind the inaugural series season, 1982, which saw 14 first-time winners. So, will we see a seventh? There is a good chance. Of the 40 drivers entered this weekend, 21 (52.5%) have yet to win in the NASCAR XFINITY Series; including four of the Playoff contenders – Cole Custer, Matt Tifft, Brennan Poole and Daniel Hemric. Texas Motor Speedway has produced five first-time NASCAR XFINITY Series winners (all-time) – Erik Jones (2015), Chase Elliott (2014), Trevor Bayne (2011), Kurt Busch (2006) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (1998). Plus, since 2007 (last 10 seasons), there have been 35 first-time winners fielded by 12 different organizations in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. Of the 12 organizations since 2007, Joe Gibbs Racing has produced the most first-time winners (six; Christopher Bell, Ryan Preece, Erik Jones, Daniel Suarez, Aric Almirola and Joey Logano); followed by Chip Ganassi Racing and Roush Fenway Racing (with five each). The Race: JAG Metals 350 The Place: Texas Motor Speedway The Date: Friday, Nov. 3 The Time: 8 p.m. ET TV: FS1, 7:30 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) Gragson Grabs First Career Win At Martinsville NASCAR Next (Class of 2016) and Kyle Busch Motorsports driver Noah Gragson captured his first career NASCAR national series victory when he won the Texas Roadhouse 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway. On a restart with 10 laps remaining, Gragson took the lead over two-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Matt Crafton and never looked back. After taking the checkered flag, Gragson’s enthusiasm couldn’t be contained as he climbed up the frontstretch catchfence to celebrate. Gragson added his name back to the Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors contention with the win and now sits in third place behind leader Grant Enfinger and second-place Chase Briscoe. Former Champions Score Top Martinsville Finishes Even though Noah Gragson came away from Martinsville Speedway the victor of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, former series champions Matt Crafton and Johnny Sauter showed they have their sights set for the Championship 4 at Homestead. Crafton, the only driver in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series history to win back-to-back championships (2013 and 2014), led 102 laps at Martinsville and won Stage 2 on his way to a runner-up finish. Sauter, the defending NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion, won Stage 1 of the race and led 33 laps as he finished third. Both former champions sit top-three on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs leaderboard right now and look to be serious contenders in reaching the Championship 4 for the second consecutive season. Sauter (second in Playoffs standings), is three points back of leader Christopher Bell. And the three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series tracks remaining might as well be considered Sauter’s playground. He won at Texas Motor Speedway last year, finished runner-up at Phoenix Raceway and then scored a third-place finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway to win the 2016 championship a year ago. Crafton (third in Playoffs standings), is 12 points back from Sauter and 15 from Bell. Crafton also has championship-caliber experience at the three remaining Playoff tracks. He’s won at Texas twice (spring 2014 and spring 2015), he’s finished top-five or better in three of his last four races at Phoenix and won at Homestead in 2015. Both will officially look to punch their return ticket to the Championship 4 this week at Texas Motor Speedway. Nemechek Entering Must-Win Situation NEMCO Motorsports’ and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs contender John Hunter Nemechek was struck with bad luck at Martinsville Speedway. He crashed out his No. 8 Chevrolet after 37 laps at Martinsville – resulting in him finishing 30th. The finish put Nemechek last in the Round of 6 Playoffs standings and 62 points behind current leader Christopher Bell. The good news? Nemechek has two chances left with Texas Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway to win a race and advance to the Championship 4. Nemechek has four top 25s in four career starts at Texas and has finished inside the top seven in three consecutive races at Phoenix. Nemechek currently sits 28 points behind Ben Rhodes, who right now would be the fourth transfer driver into the Championship 4 from the Round of 6. We’ve seen Nemechek make magic happen already this season. After struggling in his opening race in the Round of 8, Nemechek was able to string together strong finishes at Las Vegas and Talladega to advance to the Round of 6. He will need some help, and similarly good luck, to advance to the Championship 4 in the next two races. source – NASCAR communications
