NATIONWIDE SERIES NEWS AND NOTES

NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES

Back … And Better Than Ever?

It sounds odd to say that Richard Childress Racing is “back.” After all, the program has four NASCAR Nationwide Series championships overall – two unified driver/owner titles and two owner championships. But this is a quick resurgence for RCR since 2010.

Elliott Sadler, driver of the No. 2 Chevrolet, is leading the points and secured his first series win since 1998 last week at Phoenix. Rookie Austin Dillon – winner of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship in 2011 – is second in the standings, 10 points behind Sadler. Dillon, Childress’ grandson who drives the popular No. 3 Chevrolet, sits atop the Sunoco Rookie of the Year board as well.

After winning the series driver title with Clint Bowyer in 2008, RCR scaled down. The organization ran only for the driver championship in 2009, and then in sporadic races the following two seasons before resurfacing this year after a merger with Kevin Harvick Inc., and now once again is racing under the RCR banner.

Vegas A Springboard For Danica?

It’s early, but Danica Patrick could certainly use some luck. Perhaps it’s the perfect time for her arrival in Las Vegas.

One year ago, Patrick made NASCAR history with a fourth-place finish at LVMS. That result was her career best and also was the highest finish ever by a female in NASCAR’s three national series.

Two weeks ago, her confidence was brimming after winning the pole for the season-opener at Daytona. But her race results haven’t been as stout. Patrick – who is competing in her first full-time NASCAR Nationwide Series season – was the victim of an accident at Daytona that also involved her JR Motorsports teammate Cole Whitt. She did return to the track and finished 38th. Last week, following a drastic difference in venues, she improved to 21st at Phoenix’s new one-mile configuration.

Patrick comes to Las Vegas 21st in the standings and is within 12 points of 10th.

Reversal Of Fortune?

Mark Martin has won at Las Vegas four times, most of any NASCAR Nationwide Series driver. Three of those wins have come for different owners. Saturday, he’ll go for a fifth win for a fourth different owner.

Fans will have to do a double-take as they watch Martin, who will drive the No. 18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. The driver who made that car famous – Las Vegas native Kyle Busch – also is entered, but will be running in his own No. 54 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota.

In true Alice in Wonderland fashion, what’s backward is forward in this case. Martin long held the NASCAR Nationwide Series all-time wins record (he currently has 49) until Busch, the 2009 series champion, surpassed him last year with win No. 50. Thirty-eight of Busch’s 51 series wins came in the No. 18 JGR Toyota, including his last 36. Now, it’s Martin’s turn in the flagship Gibbs car. Busch is still seeking his first win at his home track in what will be his ninth try.

NNS ETC: Dillon (second) is joined by Whitt (fourth) as rookies in the top 10 this week. … Johanna Long, 19, another Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender, returns to race this week at Las Vegas after a solid series debut at Daytona where she finished 21st. Long drives for Indiana-based and female-owned team ML Motorsports. … Brendan Gaughan will pull double-duty at his home track, running in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races for RCR. … Dillon’s crew chief Danny Stockman landed his first job in NASCAR as a 19-year-old mechanic with Gaughan’s family-owned Orleans Racing, which is based in Las Vegas. Ten years later, Stockman graduated to the NASCAR Nationwide Series with Dillon after winning the 2011 truck title as crew chief. He also was truck chief for two of Ron Hornaday Jr.’s truck titles. … This is the first season since 1995 that double-duty NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers have not won the first two races of the year. Chad Little, full-time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, won the series’ first two events in 1995.