This weekend sees the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with time off while the XFIBITY Series is at Chicagoland Speedway for a Saturday evening race and the Camping World Truck Series are at Iowa Speedway for a Friday night race. Storylines for the two series in action this weekend follow… Off this week – return to racing June 28 at Sonoma Raceway… Father’s Day Weekend A Highlight For NASCAR XFINITY Series’ Family Values NASCAR has always treasured the family aspect of the sport and this Father’s Day weekend the sport shines a bright light on the relationships between fathers and their children. Below is a look at some of the active drivers this weekend at Chicago and their fathers that have also participated in NASCAR (also, click here for an infographic detailing that very thing). One of the most famous father-son duos in the NASCAR XFINITY Series today is JR Motorsports driver Chase Elliott and his father NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott. Both have had careers that are quite impressive, though Chase is the only one with a NASCAR XFINITY Series title. Bill Elliott’s career was primarily focused on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series but he did moonlight in the NASCAR XFINITY Series 43 times, posting one win (Watkins Glen), eight top fives and 18 top 10s. In Chase Elliott’s short career he has started in 46 series races posting three wins (Texas, Darlington and Chicago), 22 top fives and 37 top 10s. Or how about Richard Childress Racing and how they have made competing in NASCAR a family affair. Richard Childress is the grandfather of drivers Austin Dillon and Ty Dillon and the father-in-law to Mike Dillon, Austin and Ty’s father. All four men have competed in NASCAR’s national series competition and continue to work in the organization today. Richard Childress made 285 starts in the NSCS and Mike Dillon has made 154 NASCAR XFINITY Series starts, posting three top fives and 15 top 10s. Austin Dillon has made 88 NASCAR XFINITY Series starts, posting one championship (2013), four wins, 38 top fives, 62 top 10s and 14 poles. He also won the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series title. Ty Dillon is currently second in the NXS standings. His series-career has seen 58 starts with one win (Indianapolis), 11 top fives and 37 top 10s. Another driver following in his father’s footsteps is Ryan Blaney. Ryan’s father, Dave Blaney is a renowned dirt racer that has competed in all three NASCAR national series (just like his son). Dave Blaney has made 121 NXS starts posting one win (Charlotte) and 31 top 10s. Ryan Blaney will be back in the No. 22 Ford for Team Penske this weekend. Blaney has made 34 NASCAR XFINITY Series starts, posting two wins and 26 top 10s. The newest duo to the father-son NASCAR group are the Kenseths. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Matt Kenseth will get the chance to watch his son Ross Kenseth make his series debut this weekend at Chicago. Matt Kenseth has made 289 starts in the NXS posting 29 wins, 137 top fives, 200 top 10s and 16 poles. Buescher’s Points Lead Grows Winston Churchill once said, “History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it.” And that’s kind of what Roush Fenway Racing’s Chris Buescher is doing this year. With two wins and three top fives in the last four races, Buescher has seen his points lead grow to 25 points ahead of second-place Ty Dillon 13 races into the 2015 NASCAR XFINITY Series season. Buescher has held the points lead for the last four consecutive races. As the series heads to Chicagoland Speedway this weekend for the Owens Corning AttiCat 300 on Saturday, July 20 (FOX Sports 1 at 9:30 p.m. ET) for the 14th race of the season, Buescher boasts the two wins (Iowa and Dover) and a series-leading seven top fives. He also holds the best average finish through the first 13 races among championship contenders with a 7.5. But Buescher’s ascension to a possible Title Town residency might be tempered this weekend due to his moderate success at Chicago. In two starts at the 1.5-mile speedway he has posted one top 10 and an average finish of 10.0. His pre-race loop data suggest he will have another solid race this weekend, among championship contenders he is ranked fourth in average running position (9.553), and fifth in driver rating (94.2). His nearest competitors in points, Dillon and Chase Elliott, are ranked higher in both categories. Defending Winner Elliott Returns To Chicago Looking For First Win Of 2015 Last season’s NASCAR XFINITY Series champ Chase Elliott returns to Chicagoland Speedway to defend his win at the 1.5-mile track and score his first trip to Victory Lane in 2015. At this time last season, he had already posted two wins (Texas and Darlington) and was on top of the series standings. This season has been a different story though; Elliott has climbed from 20th in the standings to third in the last 12 races and has done so without a win. In Elliott’s first 13 starts he has posted six top fives, 11 top 10s and an average finish of 9.5. He now sits 10 points behind second-place Ty Dillon in the series standings and 35 back from points leader Chris Buescher. Elliott looked as though he might win last weekend’s race at Michigan, leading during the closing laps. He was ultimately passed by Kyle Busch, relegating him to a runner-up finish – his second of the season. This weekend at Chicago could be the one Elliott breaks through. In two starts at Chicago, Elliott has one win (2014), two top 10s and an average finish 5.5. He also leads the series in pre-race Driver Rating with a 126.9. Ross Kenseth, Son Of Matt Kenseth, To Make His Series Debut When you hear the name Kenseth, the 2003 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Matt Kenseth usually comes to mind, but that could all start to change come Saturday, June 20 when Matt’s son Ross makes his NASCAR national series debut. Ross Kenseth hails from Little Chute, Wisconsin, and is at the ripe age of 22 years-old. Just like his father, Ross Kenseth will be driving for Joe Gibbs Racing in the No. 20 Toyota with crew chief Michael Wheeler. Prior to this opportunity the young Kenseth has been cutting his teeth on local short tracks around the country and has made three ARCA Series starts. He won last weekend at Michigan International Speedway in the ARCA Series after starting second and leading a race-high 51 laps. It will be interesting to see if Ross Kenseth can do better than his father did in his series debut. Matt Kenseth’s series debut came back in 1996 at Charlotte Motor Speedway driving for car owner Carl Wegner. He started 37th and finished 31st. Erik Jones Pulling Double Duty This Weekend Erik Jones will be pulling double-duty this weekend, competing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Iowa Speedway on Friday night (July 19) and the NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday night (July 20). On Saturday, Jones will be climbing in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 54 Toyota at Chicago; which just so happens to be the car that won last weekend at Michigan in a triumphant return for driver Kyle Busch. Jones has made 12 series starts this season for JGR posting one win (Texas), six top fives, seven top 10s and three poles. Expect another solid performance from the 19 year-old this weekend; in Jones’ lone start at Chicago he finished seventh. Sunoco Rookie Update: Wallace Continues To Hold Slight Edge Over Suarez After 13 races, Daniel Suarez sits 11 points behind Darrell Wallace Jr. in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings as the series heads to Chicagoland Speedway. Both standout rookies have been impressive this year but Wallace continues to hold a slight edge over Suarez. Wallace has accumulated one top five and four top 10s this season. Ironically, so has Suarez, but they differ in the amount of DNFs. Suarez has one; Wallace has none. Suarez’s experience might give him an opportunity to close the points gap this weekend. It will be Wallace’s series debut at Chicagoland Speedway this weekend; a track Suarez started 18th and finished 15th at last season. NASCAR XFINITY Series Etc.: Celebrity Grand Marshall: New England Patriots All-Pro tight end and Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski will kick off Father’s Day weekend alongside his four brothers and father at Chicagoland Speedway. It will be a family affair as Rob and his brothers; Gordie Jr., Chris, Dan, and Glenn serve as co-Grand Marshals for the NASCAR XFINITY Series race. Rob’s father, Gordy Sr. will serve as the race’s Honorary Starter, and Rob will then lead the field to green as the official pace car driver for the Owens Corning AttiCat 300. Cassill Out For Triathlon, Chastain In: After 46 consecutive starts in the NASCAR XFINITY Series Landon Cassill will be taking one off to participate in a triathlon this weekend, opening up his seat in the No. 01 to Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Ross Chastain. Cassill tweeted Chastain about this weekend … @LandonCassill: “Enjoying this week off with my family for Ironman 70.3 Mont Tremblant. Take care of my 01 ride in Chicago @RossChastain! You’ll do great!” Milestones: Ryan Sieg will attempt to make his 50th NASCAR XFINITY Series career start this weekend at Chicago. … Brian Scott will attempt to become the first driver in series history to post three consecutive Coors Light poles at Chicagoland Speedway. … JR Motorsports (2014 sweep) is looking to become the second team in series history to post three consecutive wins at Chicagoland Speedway, joining Joe Gibbs Racing (2008, 2009 and 2010). Jones Starts Weekend Of Double-Duty in Corn State Erik Jones returns to Iowa Speedway for Friday’s American Ethanol 200 (8:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1) as the defending race-winner and continues to search for his first victory of 2015. Jones’ 2014 triumph at the short track was his first of three wins last season. The 19-year-old Michigan native has a busy weekend ahead. He will run at Iowa before heading to Chicagoland Speedway for Saturday’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race. Jones led the most laps at Gateway (84) after starting from the pole, but had another tough-luck finish when electrical issues caused him to place 23rd. On the season, Jones leads the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in average start (2.5), average mid-race position (2.1), average running position (3.8), number of fastest laps (333), laps led (480) and driver rating (124.7). Despite his statistical dominance, he ranks fourth in the NCWTS standings, 33 points behind Matt Crafton. Custer Tries To Muster The Speed For A Second Straight Victory Cole Custer’s performance at Gateway was the opposite of lackluster. The 17-year-old NASCAR Next driver won his first race of the season after he cleared Tyler Reddick on a restart with five laps left at the 1.25-mile track and sped away to Victory Lane. Custer will try to muster enough speed for his second straight win in Friday’s American Ethanol 200 at Iowa Speedway. The race marks the youngster’s fourth of the season on his limited schedule for JR Motorsports. Custer finished eighth in his lone NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Iowa last year, but captured a NASCAR K&N Pro Series East victory at the 7/8-mile track in 2013. Hawkeye: Timothy Peters Has Sights Set On Third Iowa Victory The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ only two-time winner at Iowa, Timothy Peters looks to tie Brad Keselowski and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. for the most wins (three) at the track in a NASCAR national series. Peters captured victories at Iowa in 2012 and 2013, but claims only one top 10 in his other six starts there – an eighth-place finish in 2009. Peters is coming off a sixth-place showing at Gateway as he tries to improve his ninth-place standing in the NCWTS standings. He sits in a tight pack making up the fifth-10th spots: John Wes Townley, Cameron Hayley (-6), Spencer Gallagher (-9), Daniel Hemric (-14), Peters (-15) and Ben Kennedy (-22). Ray Black Jr. Readies To Give 100 Percent For Dad On Father’s Day Ray Black Jr. became interested in racing after playing video games on PlayStation at the age of 14. Ray’s dad, “Captain” Ray Black helped his son get started in racing once he realized Ray was serious about getting involved with the sport. The Floridians spent an abundance of time together researching Sunshine State racing series, visiting local tracks and gaining knowledge from people involved with motorsports. Together, they both went to driver/crew chief school to learn even more about racing. Captain Black served as crew chief in Ray’s first race, an event they ended up winning. Following the race, Captain Black wanted someone to know exactly what he/she was doing as crew chief and moved into a supportive role. “I definitely would not be where I am in racing without my dad,” Black said. “Right from the start, he supported me and did everything he could to help me get started in the sport. “He only had one rule for me when it came to racing – do it with 100 percent effort. I’d like to think his philosophy still sticks with me today.” Belldozer: Highly Touted Christopher Bell Set To Make Truck Series Debut The populace of Norman, Oklahoma is familiar with former OU Football standout and current San Francisco 49ers tight end Blake “Belldozer” Bell. Soon it will be familiar with a NASCAR driver who “Belldozes” to victory lane, hometown prospect Christopher Bell (no relation), who makes his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut with Kyle Busch Motorsports in Friday’s American Ethanol 200 at Iowa Speedway. In seven starts in KBM’s No. 51 Late Model this season, Bell has collected four victories and a pair of runner-up finishes en route to an average finish of 1.7. The 20-year-old driver won the prestigious Rattle 250 at South Alabama Speedway, leading 203-of-250 laps and dominating a field which included defending NASCAR XFINITY Series champion Chase Elliott. An open-wheel dirt standout, Bell earned the 2013 United States Auto Club National Midget championship. In preparation for his NCWTS debut, Bell competed in two NASCAR K&N Pro Series West races. He finished 15th at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway in April and moved all the way up from the 18th starting position to place fifth at Iowa Speedway in May. Like Father, Like Son: Nemechek Hopes To Give Dad Father’s Day Win The Nemechek’s will spend Father’s Day Weekend at their favorite place in the world – a race track. John Hunter Nemechek will try to capture his family’s NEMCO Motorsports team a victory in Friday’s American Ethanol 200 at Iowa Speedway, one week after taking over permanently for his father Joe in the No. 8 Chevrolet. John Hunter will make the 16th start of his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career after recording a career-best fourth-place finish at Gateway on Friday. He placed 10th in his lone start at Iowa last year and will try to give Joe a win for Father’s Day. Nemechek, a NASCAR Next member, has a promising career ahead of him, but has a ways to go to catch up with some of the numbers Joe has posted. Joe Nemechek boasts 20 career NASCAR national series wins in 1,115 starts and was the 1992 NASCAR XFINITY Series champion. Reddick Gains Ground In Points Championship Race To win a championship, a driver must capitalize on the misfortune of others. Tyler Reddick did just that last Saturday night at Gateway. Going into the race, Reddick trailed Crafton in the standings by 25 points. Now, he only sits 12 points behind Crafton. Crafton was well on his way to another top-three finish when John Hunter Nemechek got loose, made contact with Crafton and sent him into the wall. Crafton ended the night with a 21st-place finish. Reddick – whose stated pre-season goal was to win the championship – coasted to an eighth-place finish, taking advantage of Crafton’s tough luck. In eight starts this season, Reddick boasts two wins, five top fives and six top 10s. He leads the NCWTS with a pass differential of 61. Rookies Run Wild At Gateway Last Saturday’s race marked a banner day for many of the Sunoco Rookies in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Spencer Gallagher and John Hunter Nemechek both posted career-best finishes with respective showings of second and fourth. Fellow rookie Daniel Hemric continued his hot streak with a ninth-place result – his third consecutive top-10 finish. Austin Theriault came in 10th for his third top 10 in four starts. Despite his disappointing finish, Erik Jones won the 21 Means 21 Pole Award and led a race-high 84 laps. Jones continues to lead the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Standings with 110 points, followed by Cameron Hayley (-28), Hemric (-37), Gallagher (-38) and Justin Boston (-44). source – NASCAR communications
