Next Race: My Bariatric Solutions 300
The Place: Texas Motor Speedway
The Date: Saturday, April 8
The Time: 1:30 p.m. ET
TV: FOX, 1 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)
NXS Texas Quick Facts
Races: 32
Pole Winners: 21
Youngest Pole Winner: Erik Jones (04/10/2015 - 18 years, 9 months, 11 days)
Oldest Pole Winner: Mark Martin (11/04/2006 - 47 years, 9 months, 26 days)
Race Winners: 16
Youngest Winner: Chase Elliott (04/04/2014 - 18 years, 4 months, 7 days)
Oldest Winner: Jeff Purvis (04/06/2002 - 43 years, 1 months, 18 days)
Races Won from Pole (or 1st Starting Position): 4
Last Race Won from Pole (or 1st Starting Position): Kyle Busch (04/08/2016)
Race Record: Kyle Busch 151.707mph (04/05/2008)
Qualifying Record: Jeff Green 193.493mph (04/06/2002)
NXS News & Notes:
Texas Bound: JR Motorsports Holds Top Three Spots In The Standings
For the first time in NASCAR XFINITY Series history, a single organization holds the top three positions in the driver standings – JR Motorsports drivers Elliott Sadler (189 points, standings leader), William Byron (-17, second) and Justin Allgaier (-46, third) accomplished the historic feat following their performances at Auto Club Speedway. This weekend, they will look to hold on to the top three spots as the series returns to action at Texas Motor Speedway for the My Bariatric Solutions 300 on Saturday, April 8 at 1:30 p.m. ET (FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Sadler has been outstanding through the first five races of the season, posting two top fives and an average finish of 9.8. He also has two stage wins that have garnered him two playoff points. Sadler heads to Texas looking for his eighth consecutive top-10 finish at the 1.5-mile speedway. He finished fifth in this event last season.
Sunoco rookie sensation William Byron sits a mere 17 points back from his teammate Elliott Sadler through the first five races. Byron’s season has seen two top fives, four top 10s, a pole and an average finish of 7.8. While this will be his series track debut at Texas this weekend, he did make two starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in the Lone Star State in 2016, winning the spring race.
Of the three JRM drivers atop the standings, Allgaier is the only one who has cemented his place in this season’s playoffs after his big win at Phoenix earlier this season. Now just 46 points separate him from the standings lead. Through five races this season, Allgaier has posted one win, two top fives, three top 10s and an average finish of 14.8.
Allgaier has made 13 starts at Texas, posting an average finish of 12.3. Last season at TMS, he finished both races inside the top 10.
Stage Points Can Add Up To More Than You Think
NASCAR’s enhanced racing formats have seen some great on-track action throughout the first five NASCAR XFINITY Series races this season. With the addition of points being awarded for top-10 finishes in the first two stages of a race, taking advantage of the new system is starting to pay dividends for some championship contenders.
A total of 13 different NASCAR XFINITY Series championship contending drivers have earned points by finishing in the top-10 during the first two stages of a race this season.
Of the 13 stage point earners thus far this season, three drivers have earned 20% or more of their points total from stage points. Elliott Sadler leads the series with 53 stage points (28% of his 189 points total) earned through the first five races. Sadler has finished inside the top 10 of every Stage except the two at Las Vegas this season. Justin Allgaier has earned the second most stage points with 28 (20% of his 143 points total) through the first five races of the season. William Byron (26 stage points; 15%), Brennan Poole (17 stage points; 13%) and Daniel Hemric (17 stage points; 13%) round out the top five of stage point earners this season.
Tyler Reddick, on a part-time schedule this season, is the third driver with 20% of his points total earned with stage points (10 of 50 total points). Reddick returns to the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet Camaro this weekend after his teammate Kyle Larson drove it to Victory Lane at Auto Club Speedway a few weeks back. The No. 42 team also won at Texas last fall. This will be Reddick’s series track debut.
Darrell Wallace Jr. Looks To Extend Top 10 Streak This Weekend
In his last four starts, Roush Fenway Racing’s Darrell Wallace Jr. has posted four consecutive sixth-place finishes – the most consecutive top-`10 finishes of his career. If Wallace can finish in the top-10 this weekend he will extend his career record to five consecutive top 10s.
Wallace is currently fifth in the series championship standings with an average finish of 11.4 through the first five races of 2017.
In four career starts at Texas, Wallace has posted one top 10 – the spring race of 2015.
"It’ll be interesting to see how Texas is this weekend with the repave," said Wallace Jr. "I’m really looking forward to getting there after having a week off. I’m confident that we can unload with the same speed that we’ve had these last few weeks and have another really good run on Saturday with our Roush Fenway Racing Mustang."
21 Regular Season Races To Go: Playoff Bubble Bouncers A Bouncing
Rank
|
Driver
|
Points
|
From 12th
|
Next
|
10
|
Blake Koch
|
106
|
26
|
-5
|
11
|
Dakoda Armstrong
|
101
|
21
|
-5
|
12
|
Cole Custer
|
86
|
0
|
-15
|
13
|
Brandon Jones
|
80
|
-6
|
-6
|
14
|
Brendan Gaughan
|
78
|
-8
|
-2
|
15
|
Garrett Smithley
|
71
|
-15
|
-7
|
16
|
Harrison Rhodes
|
70
|
-16
|
-1
|
17
|
JJ Yeley
|
70
|
-16
|
0
|
With just 21 races left in the regular season, the standings points bubble around the playoff cutoff line has taken shape. Currently, five drivers sit within 16 points of the cutoff line; including two contenders who made the playoffs last season.
Stewart-Haas Racing’s Sunoco Rookie, Cole Custer, currently holds the 12th and final playoff position with a six-point advantage over 13th-place Brandon Jones, who made the playoffs in his rookie season last year. Close behind Jones is his Richard Childress Racing teammate, and former 2016 playoff contender, Brendan Gaughan, eight points behind 12th-place Custer. Garrett Smithley (-15), Harrison Rhodes (-16) and JJ Yeley (-16) are the remaining three drivers within striking distance of the playoff cutoff line.
Custer will be making his series track debut at Texas this weekend. Here are how the five drivers trying to catch Custer have performed at Texas from best to worst in average finish on the 1.5-mile track: Brandon Jones (14.0), Brendan Gaughan (19.0), Garrett Smithley (24.0), JJ Yeley (28.2) and Harrison Rhodes (30.5).
NASCAR XFINITY Series Etc.:
Five Different Winners Through First Five Races: This season marks the 14th-time in NASCAR XFINITY Series history the first five races of the season have been won by five different drivers. It’s been 11 years (2006) since the last time the series has seen the feat accomplished. Ryan Reed (Daytona), Kyle Busch (Atlanta), Joey Logano (Las Vegas), Justin Allgaier (Phoenix) and Kyle Larson (Auto Club) are this season’s five different winners. The NASCAR XFINITY Series record for most number of different winners in a single season is 18 – set back in 1988. Last season had 14 different winners.
Big Names Entered This Weekend: This weekend at Texas, seven Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers will attempt to compete in the My Bariatric Solutions 300 on Saturday, April 8 at 1:30 p.m. ET (FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio): 2013 NXS champ Austin Dillon (No. 2), Ty Dillon (No. 3), Joey Logano (No. 12), 2016 NXS champ Daniel Suarez (No. 18), Erik Jones (No. 20), Ryan Blaney (No. 22) and two-time series champion Kevin Harvick (No. 41).
Sunoco Rookie Standings Update: Following the fifth race of the season, William Byron extended his rookie standings points lead to 17 points over second-place Daniel Hemric. Standings following Auto Club Speedway: William Byron (72), Daniel Hemric (-17), Matt Tifft (-29), Cole Custer (-30) and Spencer Gallagher (-33).
Manufacturer’s Championship Update: Through the first five races of the season, Ford (185 points) holds a one-point lead over second-place Chevrolet (184) in the manufacturer’s standings. Toyota is ranked third in the standings with 163 points followed by Dodge with 14 points. Chevrolet and Ford each have two wins and Toyota has one win this season.
Owner’s Championship Update: Team Penske’s No. 22 Ford Mustang team continues to hold a 33-point lead over second-place Chip Ganassi Racing’s No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro team following the fifth race of the season at Auto Club Speedway. Both teams ran strong at Texas last fall, finishing 1-2 (Kyle Larson, followed by Brad Keselowski) and combining to lead 175 of the 200 laps.
NXS Milestones: This weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, veteran driver Morgan Shepherd will attempt to post the third oldest age of a driver to compete in a NASCAR national series race at the age of 75 years, 5 months and 15 days this Saturday. James Hylton currently holds the two eldest ages to start at NASCAR national series event at 76 years, 11 months and 12 days (NCWTS; Pocono, 2011) and 76 years, 8 months, 10 days (NXS; Darlington, 2011). … Blake Koch will attempt to make his 75th consecutive NASCAR XFINITY Series start this weekend at Texas. Koch is ninth on the active NXS consecutive starts list. … Joey Logano (28 wins) will attempt to tie Matt Kenseth (29 wins) for seventh on the NASCAR XFINITY Series all-time wins list this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.
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