XFINITY SERIES Notes And News 4/23/15

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES

Dead Locked: Buescher, Dillon Tied Atop The NASCAR XFINITY Series Standings

Seven races into the 2015 NASCAR XFINITY Series season and Roush Fenway Racing’s Chris Buescher and Richard Childress Racing’s Ty Dillon are tied atop the points standings at 258 points each. The tie-breaker rule – best finish – officially give Buescher the points lead, thanks to his runner-up finish at Daytona. Dillon’s best finish is third, at both Daytona and Atlanta.

Buescher’s third-place finish this past weekend at Bristol was his fourth top five and fifth top 10 of the season. In the season-to-date Loop Data, Buescher ranks third in Average Running Position (8.958), third in Driver Rating (100.5), and third in Percentage of Laps Run on the Lead Lap (94.3%). His average finish this season is 7.3 – tied with Dillon as the best among the NXS championship contenders.

And he’s done it while running double duty, starting the last four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford. He’ll skip the NSCS at Richmond this weekend, choosing to solely concentrate on the NXS event – and championship.

Buescher has made three starts at Richmond International Raceway posting two top 10s and an average finish of 11.3. Buescher finished seventh in the Spring Richmond event last season.

Dillon’s consistent performance this season has him contending for a title; in seven starts he has posted three top fives, four top 10s and an average finish of 7.3. Dillon’s season-to-date Loop Data further explains his 2015 success; he is ranked sixth in Driver Rating (97.3), fourth in Average Running Position (9.133) and first in Percentage of Laps Run on the Lead Lap (98.2%).

Dillon could bounce back to his series point leading ways at Richmond. Dillon has made four series starts at RIR posting two 10s and an average finish of 11.5. He finished ninth at Richmond last fall.  

Sunoco Rookie Daniel Suarez Showcasing His Skills Early

The spotlight has turned and focused on Monterrey, Mexico native and Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Daniel Suárez following his runner-up finish this past weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. Suárez’s success should come as no surprise; he is a graduate of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program and a ‘NASCAR Next’ alum.

The 23 year old has posted one top five, two top 10s and an average finish of 15.3 in seven starts this season. Suárez has consistently improved as the season has progressed; his season-to-date Loop Data has him ranked 11th in Driver Rating (82.9), 11th in Average Running Position (14.277) and 10th in Laps Run in the Top 15 (69.8% of his laps run).

Suarez is currently 10th in the overall NASCAR XFINITY Series driver championship standings, three points behind ninth-place Brian Scott and 56 points back Chris Buescher in the series lead.

Suarez is also second in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings, four points behind the standings leader Darrell Wallace Jr. 

Suarez made his series career debut at Richmond in this event last season; he started 12th and finished 19th.

Youth Brigade Keeps Pounding The Drum Atop The Championship Standings

Since the third race of the season (Las Vegas), the NASCAR XFINITY Series top five in the championship standings has an average age of 21.2.  Over the last six weeks the next generation of drivers has proven they belong and this weekend at Richmond you should expect nothing but a great show Friday night in the ToyotaCare 250 on FOX Sports 1 at 7:30 p.m. (ET).

Below are the top-five in points and their age:

1.         Chris Buescher (22 years old)

2.         Ty Dillon (23)

3.         Chase Elliott (19)

4.         Darrell Wallace Jr. (21)

5.         Ryan Reed (21)

Penske’s No. 22 Team Looks Unbeatable At Times

Untouchable.

That’s exactly what Joey Logano was in the Team Penske No. 22 Ford last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway when he led all three hundred laps en route to the win and the third perfect driver rating (150.0) performance of his career and second of 2015 (Dover-2012 and Phoenix, Bristol-2014).

In three series start in 2015, Logano has posted two wins, three top fives, two poles and an average finish of an astounding 1.3.

Roger Penske’s No. 22 now leads the NASCAR XFINITY Series car owner championship standings by 20 points over the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet team. Penske is hunting for his third consecutive career NXS owner title with a driver lineup that touts Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney.

Logano will be back in the No. 22 Ford this weekend at Richmond where he has made four series starts posting three top 10s and average finish of 9.3. 

Virginia Natives: Sadler, Hamlin, McClure, Gdovic and Sellers Are Happy To Be Home

The Commonwealth of Virginia is the home to some of NASCAR’s most talented drivers, and this weekend the local fans will have the chance to cheer for five drivers entered in the ToyotaCare 250 that have their home state recorded as Virginia – Elliott Sadler, Denny Hamlin, Eric McClure, Brandon Gdovic and Peyton Sellers.

Sadler, currently sixth in series championship points, hails from Emporia, Virginia and has posted two top 10s and average finish of 13.3 in his first seven starts of 2015. Sadler has made 23 starts - the most of his career at a single track -at Richmond International Raceway posting two top fives and 10 top 10s. Though he has yet to win at RIR he has an average finish of 14.5.

Friday night will be Hamlin’s fifth series start of the season. The Chesterfield, Virginia native has made 13 starts at Richmond in his career, posting two wins, five top fives, nine top 10s, two poles and an average finish of 11.2. Both of his series wins were during the spring races (2008, 2011) at RIR.

McClure, currently 20th in the series standings, is from Chilhowie, Virginia. McClure has started all seven races this season and has posted one top-20 finish. His average finish in 2015 is 26.6. McClure has made 13 starts at Richmond with an average finish of 31.2.

Brandon Gdovic, from Yorktown, Virginia, will be in the No. 55 Viva Motorsports Chevrolet this weekend at Richmond International Raceway. Gdovic made his NASCAR national series debut two weeks ago at Texas where he started 29th and finished 26th. This weekend at Richmond, Gdovic will attempt to make his second start and series track debut.

Sellers calls Danville, Virginia home. Sellers joined newly formed Obaika Racing at Phoenix earlier this season and has since started the last four races, posting an average finish of 31.8. Sellers has one series start at Richmond (2009); he started 12th and finished 19th.

NASCAR XFINITY Series Etc.:

Reed’s Extra Passenger: Roush Fenway Racing driver Ryan Reed will have a special dedication to Eli Hopkins, American Diabetes Association Youth Ambassador, during Friday night’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Richmond. The No. 16 Lilly Diabetes American Diabetes Association Ford will carry Hopkins’ name above the passenger-side window in dedication to Hopkins for all the great work done in the name American Diabetes Association. Hopkins was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of seven.

Johanna Long Returns: Pensacola, Fla., native Johanna Long will attempt to make her first start this season in the NASCAR XFINITY Series this weekend at Richmond International Raceway. Long has 41 series career starts to her name, posting an average finish of 23.5. Long has made four series starts at Richmond posting an average finish of 21.5.

Big Names On Tap For Double Duty: 2014 NASCAR XFINITY Series champion Chase Elliott will be making his second career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start this weekend. Elliott will be joined by Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin, Aric Almirola, Landon Cassill, Brendan Gaughan, JJ Yeley, Jeff Green, Joey Gase and Austin Dillon in pulling double duty this weekend competing in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series races at Richmond.

Milestones Watch: Jeremy Clements will attempt to post his 175th NASCAR XFINITY Series start this weekend at RIR. Clements (174) is tied with Justin Allgaier for 68th on the NXS all-time starts list. … Brendan Gaughan will attempt to make his 125th NASCAR XFINITY Series start this weekend at RIR. Gaughan (124) is tied with Terry Labonte for 100th on the all-time NXS starts list. … Joey Logano can tie Tommy Houston (24) for ninth on the NXS all-time wins with a victory this weekend at RIR. Logano (23 wins) is currently tied with Dale Earnhardt Jr. for 10th on the all-time NXS wins list. … Kevin Harvick will attempt to post his 175th NASCAR XFINITY Series top-five finish. If he can accomplish the feat he will tie Kyle Busch (175) for first on the NXS all-time top-five finishes list.