NASCAR’s top three national series are all in on track this weekend with Sprint Cup and Camping World Trucks at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and the XFINITY Series at Kentucky Speedway. Weekend storylines follow… Gordon Set To Become NASCAR’s All-Time Consecutive Starts Leader When Jeff Gordon starts his engine in Sunday’s Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (2 p.m. ET on NBCSN), he will pass Ricky Rudd as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series consecutive starts leader by beginning his 789th straight race. NASCAR’s new Iron Man has not missed a start since making his NSCS debut at Atlanta on Nov. 15, 1992 – a span of 22 years, 10 months and 12 days. NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee Rudd’s streak began on Jan. 11, 1981 and ended on Sept. 20, 2005. Over the stretch, he amassed a 23 wins, 194 top fives, 375 top 10s and 29 Coors Light Pole Awards. While impressive, his stats pale in comparison to Gordon who boasts four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships, 92 wins, 323 top fives, 467 top 10s and 80 Coors Light Pole Awards. Gordon cannot afford to get overly sentimental on Sunday because he has a fifth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title to earn. He sits in the 12th and final Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup transfer spot, three points above Jamie McMurray on the cutoff line. But remember, a win gets a driver into the next round and Gordon boasts three victories at New Hampshire – tied for the lead among active drivers. No ACL, No Problem: Hamlin Advances To Challenger Round With Chicagoland Victory Denny Hamlin, competing with a torn ACL, became the first driver to advance to the Contender Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup by winning Sunday’s MyAFibRisk.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. The victory was the 26th of Hamlin’s career, tying NASCAR Hall of Famer Fred Lorenzen for 27th on the all-time list. No matter where Hamlin finishes in the next two Challenger Round races, he automatically transfers to the Contender Round, which contains races at Charlotte, Kansas and Talladega. Maybe more impressive than Hamlin’s win is the bet he won with arguably the fiercest competitor in sports – his pal Michael Jordan. After the race, Hamlin explained: “Well, I know one thing for sure. The first thing I’m going to do is text Michael Jordan. He texted me on Wednesday. He said he was in Monte-Carlo. I popped in his head like I always do, which I thought was a little odd. He says, I know you’re about to head into the playoffs. I just want you to know I’ve never admitted to anybody that anyone is better than me at anything my whole life. But if you win this race this weekend, I will admit that you’re a better driver than I am. “I thought, Wow! That would be awesome. I just thought of that just now. So the first thing I’m going to do is text him and say, ‘Admit it, I’m better than you, and I want everyone to know.’” Keselowski Joins Elite Company With 10th Straight Top-10 Finish With his eighth-place finish at Chicagoland, Brad Keselowski became the fifth driver in the Chase Era (2004-present) to record 10 straight top-10 finishes – a club that only includes NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions. Others to achieve the feat include Kevin Harvick (2015), Tony Stewart (twice 2005 and 2009), Jeff Gordon (2007) and Jimmie Johnson (2005). Ninth on the Chase Grid following his eighth-place showing at Chicagoland, Keselowski heads to New Hampshire where he owns one win, five top fives, eight top 10s and three Coors Light Pole Awards in 12 starts. Harvick Hobbles To New Hampshire, In Trouble Following Chicagoland For the second straight season, Kevin Harvick has his back up against the wall in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. He wrecked at Chicagoland after continuing to race following a bump from Jimmie Johnson, finishing 42nd. He is now 22 points behind Jeff Gordon on the cutoff line with two races left to get to the Challenger Round. He likely needs a win to advance. Last season, Harvick found himself in a similar situation after placing 33rd at Martinsville to open the Eliminator 8. He won one race later at Phoenix in a do-or-die situation to salvage his championship run. The difference between now and then is that Harvick owns Phoenix (he’s won the last four races there). At New Hampshire and Dover – the sites of the next two Chase events – Harvick has only visited Victory Lane once (fall 2006 at New Hampshire). Harvick has placed third in the last two races at New Hampshire. Although he only has one win at The Magic Mile, his loop statistics there indicate a strong finish is likely. Harvick’s New Hampshire peripherals include the sixth-best average running position (11.931) and the eight-best driver rating (94.6). Logano Lobbies For Another Lobster At New Hampshire Joey Logano hopes to lift another lobster in Victory Lane as he tries to defend his New Hampshire Motor Speedway fall win from last year. Logano, who grew up roughly 2.5 hours away from The Magic Mile in Middletown, Connecticut, claims two wins, four top fives and six top 10s at the place he considers his home track. He ranks third on the Chase Grid after placing sixth in NASCAR’s playoff opener at Chicagoland. The 25-year-old Team Penske driver earned his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory as a member of Joe Gibbs Racing at New Hampshire on June 28, 2009. Busch Can Bust Out Brooms At New Hampshire Kyle Busch will attempt to become the first driver to sweep a track this season in Sunday’s Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. “Rowdy” roared to Victory Lane at New Hampshire in July leading 95 laps on the way to his third of four wins this season. Since his triumph at the 1.058-mile track, Busch has six top 10s in eight starts, including one win and two runner-ups. Overall, Busch has two wins at New Hampshire and has finished first, eighth, second, second and second in his last five starts there. He ranks fourth on the Chase Grid following his ninth-place finish at Chicagoland. Chase Update: 2 Races To Go In Challenger Round Two races remain in the Challenger Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. When the round ends, the four winless drivers with the least points will be eliminated. At the moment, Jeff Gordon sits in the 12th and final transfer spot ahead of Jamie McMurray (-3 points). Denny Hamlin has already advanced to the Contender Round with a win and will be joined in it if another Chase-eligible driver wins at New Hampshire. Drivers who are a part of the 16 challengers with a win at New Hampshire are: Jimmie Johnson (3), Ryan Newman (3), Kurt Busch (3), Gordon (3), Bowyer (2), Hamlin (2), Kyle Busch (2), Brad Keselowski (1) and Kevin Harvick (1). It is in Hamlin’s best interest to win again because it would block a potential chance to transfer from Harvick, who is the defending series champion and led the circuit in points earned in the regular season. Non-Chase-eligible drivers in the field who have won at New Hampshire and can block a transfer spot with a visit to Victory Lane include: Tony Stewart (3), Greg Biffle (1) and Kasey Kahne (1). There are scenarios where a Chase driver can clinch a spot in the Contender Round without a win this weekend – though it’s a long shot. A driver can clinch without a win if they have a 45-point lead (or a 44-point if they own the tie-breaker) over the 10th-highest non-winning Chase driver if a Chase driver that’s not Hamlin wins at New Hampshire, or a 45-point lead over the 11th-highest non-winning Chase driver if a non-Chase driver or Hamlin wins at New Hampshire. Beast Of The Northeast: Ryan Preece To Make Sprint Cup Series Debut At New Hampshire Anyone who follows motorsports in the Northeast knows the name Ryan Preece. The NASCAR Next alum won the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship in 2013, placed runner-up in the series in 2012 and 2014 and leads its standings this year with four wins, six top fives and 12 top 10s in 12 starts. On Sunday, Preece will make his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut in the No. 98 Tommy Baldwin Chevrolet at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, located just under 180 miles from his hometown of Berlin, Connecticut. Preece has made three NASCAR national series starts in his career – all in the XFINITY Series with a high finish of 14th at New Hampshire last summer. He finished better than he started in every race. Pressure Mounts To Keep Standings Lead For Chris Buescher With just seven races left on the schedule, the pressure to stay consistent with solid finishes is mounting for standings leader Chris Buescher as the NASCAR XFINITY Series heads to Kentucky Speedway for the final standalone race of the season – Saturday’s VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300 (NBCSN at 8 p.m. ET). “It is going to be a tough race to the end of the season, but we feel really good about where we are at,” Chris Buescher said. Buescher holds a 25-point lead over second-place Ty Dillon and a 28-point lead over third-place Chase Elliott following his 16th top-10 finish of the season last weekend at Chicago. Over the last ten races, dating back to the 17th race of the season at New Hampshire, Buescher has held an average points lead of 23.4 over second place in standings. Buescher’s 2015 season is the best of his NASCAR career; in 26 starts he has posted two wins (Iowa and Dover), 11 top fives (series-most) and 16 top 10s. His average finish this season is 8.230 – the best among championship contenders. Buescher has made three starts at Kentucky Speedway posting a best finish of 10th in this event last season. He started 15th and finished 11th at Kentucky earlier this season. Roush Fenway Racing has four drivers that could finish the season in the top 10 in points; they are currently ranked first (Buescher), fifth (Elliott Sadler), sixth (Darrell Wallace Jr.) and 10th (Ryan Reed). Seven To Go: Dillon and Elliott Need To Win Time is running out for aspiring 2015 NASCAR XFINITY Series title hunters, Ty Dillon and Chase Elliott, as the season nears its conclusion. Just seven races remain in 2015 and with how consistent points leader Chris Buescher has been it looks as the only way Dillon and Elliott are going to catch him is win. Only once in the last seven XFINITY Series seasons (2008 – 2014) has a driver not leading the points with seven races to go come back to take the lead in the standings and win the title – Austin Dillon, 2013. With seven races to go in 2013, Dillon was 15 points behind then points leader Sam Hornish Jr.; Dillon overcame the deficit to take standings lead with four races to go. He then held on to the points lead and won the title by three points. Richard Childress Racing is looking for the organization’s fifth XFINITY Series driver championship this season with Ty Dillon currently second in the series standings. RCR leads the series in wins at Kentucky with four, including Brendan Gaughan’s victory in this event last season. Dillon won the Coors Light Pole and finished third in this race in 2014. Dillon has made three starts at Kentucky, posting one top five, two top 10s and an average finish of 8.3 – fourth best among championship contenders. Chase Elliott has the chance to become just the sixth driver in series history to win back-to-back titles, much like his JR Motorsports owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. did in 1998-99, but Elliott is currently third in the standings, 28 points Buescher with just seven races to go. Elliott is on the rebound this weekend after slipping in the points to third following his 14th-place finish this past weekend at Chicago. This season Elliott has posted one win (Richmond), 10 top 10s and a series leading 20 top 10s. Elliott has made three starts at Kentucky, posting one top five and an average finish of 9.7 – fifth best among championship contenders. Gaughan Looks To Defend Last Season’s Kentucky Win Brendan Gaughan rides back into the rolling grassy hills of Kentucky to defend his win at Kentucky Speedway and score his first victory of 2015 this weekend. Richard Childress Racing’s Gaughan is having one of the best seasons of his career. In 26 starts this season, he has posted three top fives and a career-best 12 top 10s. He is currently ninth in points with an average finish of 13.5 with just seven races to go. When it comes to Gaughan, Kentucky is more than lucky. In six starts at the 1.5-mile track, the Las Vegas native has posted one win (2014), four top fives, six top 10s and a series-leading average finish of 4.5. Double Duty: Erik Jones Is Working Overtime This Saturday will be one of the busiest of Erik Jones’ young career. Not only will he be competing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the afternoon, but then flying to Kentucky to compete in the NASCAR XFINITY Series race for Joe Gibbs Racing that night. Jones is one of the highest touted new drivers in the garage this season despite his limited series schedule. In 18 starts this season, he has two wins (Texas-1, Chicago-1), nine top fives, 12 top 10s and an average finish of 10.6. Jones will be strapped into the JGR No. 54 Toyota this weekend; the same team that has won three of the last nine races, including last weekend at Chicago. Expect Jones to continue to the team’s recent momentum this weekend, in his lone start at Kentucky earlier this season Jones started seventh and finished second. Sunoco Rookie Update: Suarez Still On Top But Wallace Is Reeling Him In The two Drive for Diversity alums, Daniel Suarez and Darrell Wallace Jr. continue to be the preeminent drivers of the 2015 Sunoco Rookie of the Year class after 26 races. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Suarez leads the Sunoco Rookie standings by 26 points over second-place Wallace Jr as the series heads to Kentucky Speedway this weekend. Suarez has put the pedal to the floor the last 13 races of this season, posting eight top 10s during that stretch. Suarez made his series debut at Kentucky earlier this season, driving from 10th to fourth and ultimately posting one of his six top-five finishes of 2015. Wallace gained four points on Suarez in the rookie standings following his best finish of the season (third, Chicago-2) this past weekend. In 26 starts this season, Wallace has posted three top fives, 10 top 10s, one Coors Light pole and an average finish of 12.1. Heading to Kentucky Speedway this weekend, a track Wallace has made but one start, expect him to build on his recent success. Wallace started eighth and finished seventh at the 1.5-mile speedway earlier this season. Blaney Tapped To Complete The Team Penske Season Sweep Of Kentucky With the opportunity to sweep both races at a single track in the NASCAR XFINITY Series only happening 10 times in 2015 it comes as no surprise to see that Team Penske has tapped Kentucky Speedway winner Ryan Blaney to pilot the NASCAR XFINITY Series car owner points leading No. 22 Ford this weekend. The tracks the NASCAR XFINITY Series visits twice during the season are Daytona, Phoenix, Texas, Bristol, Richmond, Iowa, Charlotte, Dover, Chicago and Kentucky. Of the ten, four have hosted the series twice thus far this season and only one has been swept – Chicago by Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 54 Toyota team: Erik Jones Chicago-1 and Kyle Busch Chicago-2. Earlier this season Brad Keselowski wheeled the No. 22 Team Penske Ford to Victory Lane at Kentucky Speedway giving Blaney the chance to cap off the sweep this weekend. Blaney has made 10 series starts this season, posting one win (Iowa), six top fives and seven top 10s. He has made four starts at Kentucky, posting one win (2013; series-career first win), two top fives and three top 10s. Last Standalone Gives Part-Time Drivers Time To Shine When the NASCAR XFINITY Series is not hosting an event in conjunction with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, it gives the chance to some aspiring full-time drivers to fill in for the Sprint Cup drivers. Shining in the spotlight are names that are not rolling off the tongues of the commentators each week. Below is a look at some of the part-time drivers competing this weekend at Kentucky. Ben Rhodes (JR Motorsports, No. 88 Chevrolet), a Louisville, Kentucky native, will be making his eighth start of the season this weekend at Kentucky Speedway. In Rhodes’ previous seven starts, he has posted two top 10s and an average finish of 21.0. This will be Rhodes’ series debut at Kentucky. Brennan Poole (HScott Motorsport with Chip Ganassi, No. 42 Chevrolet) will be attempting to make his 15th start of the season this weekend. Poole has posted two top 10s and an average finish of 17.9 in his previous 14 starts this season. Poole competed at Kentucky in the XFINITY Series earlier this season; he started 17th and finished 12th. Matt Tifft (Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 20 Toyota) will be making his NASCAR XFINITY Series career debut this weekend at Kentucky Speedway. Tifft has competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on a part-time basis over the last two seasons. Prior to the NCWTS, Tifft cut his teeth in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West. Brandon Jones (Richard Childress Racing, No. 33 Chevrolet) returns to pilot the No. 33 for the fifth time this season. Jones, 18, hails from Atlanta, Georgia and has made four starts already this season, posting one top 10 and an average finish of 17.5. This will be Jones series debut at Kentucky and series debut on a 1.5-mile speedway. Ryan Truex (Biagi DenBeste Racing, No. 98 Ford), younger brother of Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Challenger Martin Truex Jr., will be making his second start of the 2015 season this weekend at Kentucky. Truex’s lone start this season was at Richmond two weeks ago. Unfortunately, he was caught in an accident and finished 31st. This weekend will be Truex’s series debut at Kentucky. Will We See A Sixth? First-Time Winners Happen At Kentucky In the last 17 NASCAR XFINITY Series races at Kentucky Speedway there have been five first-time series winners – Ryan Blaney (2013), Austin Dillon (2012), Joey Logano (2008), Stephen Leicht (2007) and David Gilliland (2006). That’s a first-time winner winning percentage of 29.4%; which begs the question will we see a sixth this weekend? Twenty-six of the 41 drivers (63.4%) entered this weekend have yet to win a race in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. Only two former Kentucky winners are entered this weekend: Ryan Blaney and Brendan Gaughan. NASCAR XFINITY Series Etc.: Celebrity Spotlight: Three-time Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight titleholder Rich Franklin will lead the NASCAR XFINITY Series field to the green September 26 for the VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300 at Kentucky Speedway. “This is a first time experience for me in a pace vehicle and I’m really excited! I appreciate the Kentucky Speedway involving me and I’m ready to lead the field,” Franklin said. Before competing in UFC for nearly 12 years, Franklin was a former high school math teacher in the Cincinnati, Ohio area. NASCAR In Kentucky: The state of Kentucky has hosted a total of 49 NASCAR national series events (NSCS 6, NXS 20 and NCWTS 23) among three tracks (Kentucky Speedway, Corbin Speedway and Louisville Speedway). The first NASCAR national series event held in the state of Kentucky was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in 1954 in Corbin, Kentucky at Corbin Speedway (dirt track) – the race was won by Lee Petty (63.080 mph, 1:35:07, 08/29/54). The first NASCAR XFINITY Series race held in the state of Kentucky was in 1988 in Louisville, Kentucky at Louisville Motor Speedway – the race was won by Tommy Ellis (63.217 mph, 1:11:18, 06/25/88). Of the 20 NXS races held in Kentucky, 18 of them have been at Kentucky Speedway. The first NXS race held at Kentucky Speedway was in 2001 and the event was won by two-time series champ Kevin Harvick (118.590 mph, 2:31:47, 06/16/2001). Kentucky Drivers In NASCAR: 42 drivers that have their home state recorded as Kentucky have competed in a at least one NASCAR national series race. Of the 42 Kentucky drivers that have competed in NASCAR, 29 have competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and 14 have competed in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. Of the 14 that have competed in the NXS, only three have won in the series – Jeff Green (16 wins), Michael Waltrip (11 wins) and David Green (nine wins). David Green (1994) and Jeff Green (2000) are also former NASCAR XFINITY Series champions. Truck Series Set To Run 500th Race The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will run its 500th race this weekend – Saturday’s UNOH 175 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (1 p.m. ET on FS1). The NCWTS began in 1995 and is in its 21st season of operation. Ron Hornaday Jr. has won the most NCWTS championships (4) and races (51). Mike Skinner earned the first series title driving for legendary owner Richard Childress. Throughout its existence, many NASCAR stars have matriculated in the NCWTS, including Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Challengers Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Jamie McMurray and Brad Keselowski. Custer Back At Site Of First Stand Last September, Cole Custer made the first of what looks to be many stands in his racing career when he became the youngest NASCAR national series winner at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (16 years, 7 months, 28 days). Just one year later, the JR Motorsports driver returns to the site of his first win, celebrating his own milestone on a day that also marks the landmark 500th race for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Since capturing his first win at NHMS, Custer has gone on to visit Victory Lane at Gateway Motorsports Park in 2015. In seven starts this season, he claims one top five and three top 10s. Custer has an average start of 7.9 and an average finish of 13.4. Nemechek It Out: Second-Generation Driver Captures First Win NASCAR Next driver John Hunter Nemechek captured his first NASCAR win in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Chicagoland Speedway, 16 years to the day that his father, “Front Row” Joe Nemechek, won his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. John Hunter moves on to NHMS this weekend where he has quite the family history. Not only was New Hampshire the first NSCS win for his father Joe, it was also the track where Joe logged his first premier series start in 1992. With Joe carrying a NSCS and NASCAR XFINITY Series win at NHMS, John Hunter can complete the family trifecta with a truck win there this weekend. In 11 starts this season, Nemechek claims one win, three top fives (27.3%) and five top 10s (45.5%). He has an average start of 9.7 and an average finish of 12.2. With his victory at Chicagoland, Nemechek became the fourth-youngest winner in NCWTS history (18 years, 3 months and 8 days). Teenage Dream: Youngsters Jones and Reddick Lead The Championship Points Standings Erik Jones maintained the top spot in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship points standings, increasing his lead to 10 points over fellow 19-year-old Tyler Reddick after finishing sixth on Saturday at Chicagoland. Two-time defending series champion Matt Crafton, who entered the race trailing Jones by three points in second, finished 14th and now ranks third in the standings – 11 points behind Jones. Reddick passed Crafton by placing runner-up. Jones enters Saturday’s UNOH 175 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway riding a streak of eight consecutive top 10s. He made his first and only start at NHMS last year, finishing seventh. Reddick made his lone New Hampshire start last season as well, placing sixth. In 12 career starts at The Magic Mile, Crafton boasts three top fives and seven top 10s. He finished third in last season’s race. Hemric To Sport Throwback Paint Scheme From Inaugural Truck Race This weekend at New Hampshire, Daniel Hemric will run the same paint scheme that NTS Motorsports general manager and spotter Rick Carelli drove in the inaugural NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Phoenix International Raceway in 1995. Carelli made 134 starts in the Truck Series, tallying four wins, 22 top fives and 60 top-10 finishes in his tenure. Dubbed early in his career as the “High Plains Drifter,” the Colorado native was inducted into the NASCAR West Coast Racing Hall of Fame in 2009. Carelli also won the very first NCWTS exhibition race at Tucson Raceway Park in 1994. Hemric, a Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate, ranks fifth in the NCWTS standings on the strength of four top-five and 10 top-10 finishes in 16 starts. KBM’s Showalter Competing In 500th NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race Calling Kyle Busch Motorsports No. 51 truck chief Chris Showalter a veteran of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race is an understatement. He has competed as a crew member in all 499 NCWTS races and will try to help field the fastest truck for a 500th time in Saturday’s UNOH 175 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. In order to make it to every race, he has survived a couple of near misses. During the 2004 season, he had ACL surgery on Tuesday and was at the track on Thursday. In 2013, he passed a kidney stone the morning of the race at Bristol Motor Speedway and still was able to make it to the track that day. Jones Attempts To Join Owner Kyle Busch As Same Day Double-Duty Winner Similar to Ernie Banks, Erik Jones will “play two” on Saturday. The No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports driver will pull double-duty this weekend, hopping on a plane to Kentucky for the Saturday night NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Kentucky following his afternoon NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competition at New Hampshire. Jones’ owner, Kyle Busch, is the only driver to win races in two different NASCAR national series races on the same day. He visited Victory Lane in both the Camping World Truck Series and the XFINITY Series on Feb. 21, 2009 at Auto Club. source – NASCAR communications
