Glitter Abounds Under The Friday Night Lights

Glitter Abounds Under The Friday Night Lights

Turn those cameras on because the NASCAR Nationwide Series returns for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway. This weekend boasts a Friday night showdown under the lights with one of the more star-studded fields seen thus far in 2012. Joining series regulars like standings leader Elliott Sadler, Danica Patrick, Sam Hornish Jr., reigning series champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and talented Sunoco rookies Austin Dillon and Cole Whitt are eight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series double-duty drivers.
Leading the double-duty group is two-time series champion Dale Earnhardt Jr. (who also is Patrick and Whitt’s team owner at JR Motorsports). Earnhardt has made four starts at Texas, posting one win (1998) and three top 10s. His pre-race Driver Rating is 94.3 and his Average Running Position is 14.7.
The last driver to win a series event at Texas entered this weekend is Kurt Busch (spring 2006 winner), making his second series start of the season, but first driving for his brother/team owner Kyle Busch. Kyle Busch Motorsports is seeking its first NNS victory and Kurt, the 2004 NSCS champion, will have some serious expectations to match. Kyle won five straight races at Texas from 2008-10 but Kurt should be up to the task. He has made two series starts at Texas, posting one win and two top 10s. He leads the series among entered drivers in average finish with a 4.5.
    Kasey Kahne, Denny Hamlin, Paul Menard, David Ragan, Joey Logano along with former series champions Joe Nemechek – a winner at Texas in 2003 – and Brad Keselowski round out the double-duty field.

Series Regulars Ready To Continue Their Winning Ways

As the NNS returns from its two-week hiatus, fans and media alike are looking forward to non-fulltime NSCS drivers not only contending with, but beating some of the finest drivers the NSCS has to offer. Dating back to November, the last time the NNS raced at Texas, six of the eight series races have been won by drivers not running for NSCS championship points.
The 2011 Daytona 500 champion, Trevor Bayne won his first NNS race last November at Texas before Sam Hornish Jr. won the season’s second-to-last event at Phoenix. To kick off 2012, James Buescher, championship points-eligible in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and in line to run 14 NNS races this year, won at Daytona. Elliott Sadler won at Phoenix and Bristol while Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won at Las Vegas. Joey Logano finally chalked up one for the Cup regulars at Auto Club Speedway. Bayne’s win last fall made him the first series regular – and third overall – to win at Texas dating back to 1998. Earnhardt Jr. won that year and Jeff Purvis was the winner in 2002.
This weekend at Texas, the pre-race Loop Data stats point to Stenhouse as the one to watch among the series regulars. He has a Driver Rating of 99.5, an Average Running Position of 8.5 and has spent 93.5% of his laps completed in the top 15.
Standings leader Sadler has made eight starts at Texas, posting two Coors Light poles and five top 10s. Sadler was a guest on this week’s NASCAR Teleconference. Click here to listen to audio and review the transcript.

Top 30 Brings Focus To Other End Of Points Scale

With the first five races of the season in the books, the top-30 tide will turn starting at Texas. For the first five races of the year, the top 30 cars via 2011 owner points were locked in to each event. At Texas – and for the remainder of the year – the current top 30 in owner points will be locked in each week.
That scenario came close to presenting a nerve-racking qualifying session for Johanna Long, a Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate and Pensacola native. Long, 19, will be making her series debut at Texas and came close to having to qualify her No. 70 ML Motorsports Chevrolet on speed. The No. 70 is listed 31st in the owner standings but has made all five attempts this year. Long’s ride will move up at least one spot since the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota has made three attempts thus far in 2012.

NASCAR Nationwide Series, Etc.

Texas is a home race for Turner Motorsports owner Steve Turner (Hallettsville) and Robert Richardson Jr. (McKinney), driver of the No. 23 R3 Motorsports Chevrolet … Steve Arpin is back in the series for the first time in two years while Kelly Bires also returns. … Ryan Truex, two-time NASCAR K&N Pro Series East champion, will be in the No. 09 for RAB Racing at Texas. Kenny Wallace returns at Talladega. … JR Motorsport’s crew chief Bruce Cook has moved to the No. 88 of Cole Whitt while Tony Eury Sr. now leads the No. 5 Chevrolet of Dale Earnhardt Jr. … Tayler Malsam, currently eighth in points, will throw out the first pitch at the April 11 Texas Rangers vs. Seattle Mariners game at The Ballpark at Arlington. … Justin Allgaier and Jeremy Clements visited schools in Darlington County on April 10 in support of the May 11 race at Darlington Raceway. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. travels to Montreal on April 11 to help promote the Aug. 18 race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. … Manufacturer Spotlight: Each manufacturer has won at least one of the last eight NNS races dating back to the last three events of 2011 (Ford – 2, Dodge – 2, Chevy – 3, Toyota – 1).