NASCAR Nationwide Series
EnjoyIllinois.com 300
Chicagoland Speedway
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Race Highlights:
Brian Scott qualified on the pole for the EnjoyIllinois.com 300 at Chicagoland Speedway. Richard Childress Racing teammate Ty Dillon started on the outside pole position in second, followed by Brendan Gaughan and Cale Conley wrapping up the ninth and 10th-place starting positions, respectively.
Brian Scott Collects $100,000 Dash4Cash Bonus at Chicagoland Speedway
Brian Scott started the weekend off right at Chicagoland Speedway by collecting his fourth career NASCAR Nationwide Series pole and second at the 1.5-mile speedway for the EnjoyIllinois.com 300. Scott would lead the opening 20 laps before reporting his Shore Lodge Chevrolet was tight in the center of the corners. The Phil Gould-led team visited pit road three times under green-flag conditions to make the necessary adjustments on the No. 2 Camaro. Scott, a qualifier for the Nationwide Series Dash4Cash, battled against three other competitors for the highest finishing position for a $100,000 bonus. The team crossed the finish line in the sixth position and earned the Dash4Cash bonus at Chicagoland Speedway. With the highest finishing Dash4Cash position, the Shore Lodge team qualifies for the third round of the program next weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Start – 1st Finish – 6th Laps Led – 20 Pts – 5th
BRIAN SCOTT QUOTE:
“This was a nice bonus for our Shore Lodge team today. We battled tight in the corners, but I was loose in dirty air. The track didn’t really change until the end of the race. I think we can come back in the fall in the day-time conditions and have a shot at the win. We can keep chipping away at the championship with our consistency.
Start – 2nd Finish – 5th Laps Led – 0 Points – 4th
Ty Dillon Quote:
“Heck of a finish tonight for our No. 3 Red Kap Chevrolet Camaro. This is where we need to run each weekend and I think we are getting to that point. I thought this car was good enough to win tonight. We were chasing the track conditions at the end, but we seemed to be just a half of a step behind. I’m excited to be a Dash4Cash contestant next week in Indianapolis, one of my favorite race tracks.”
Cale Conley Earns a 12th-Place Finish at Chicagoland Speedway
Cale Conley earned a 12th-place finish in his 1.5-mile debut at Chicagoland Speedway in the EnjoyIllinois.com 300. The Vienna, W. VA native took the green flag from the 10th position in the Saturday evening Nationwide Series stand-alone event. Conley battled tight conditions early in the 200-lap event as crew chief Nick Harrison called the driver of the No. 33 IAVA Chevrolet to pit road on lap 51 under green-flag conditions for fuel and four-fresh tires. As the laps wound down, Conley battled to stay inside the top-15 ultimately earning a 12th-place finish. The 22-year-old driver will be back behind the wheel of the No. 33 Chevrolet at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Start: 10th Finish: 12th Laps Led: 0 Points: N/A
CALE CONLEY QUOTE:
“We had a really strong weekend from practice all the way through the race. Nick and the guys brought a fast car. I know the more seat time I get, the more comfortable I’ll be behind the wheel. I can’t wait to get back to Bristol and see how we can follow up our 11th-place finish from the spring.”
Brendan Gaughan Muscles his way to an 11th-place finish at Chicagoland Speedway
After an eventful qualifying session for Brendan Gaughan and the No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet, the team was forced to relegate its ninth-place starting spot to the tail of the field after contact with the wall forced some necessary body work on the right rear. After the green-flag dropped, Gaughan quickly flexed the ECR Engine horsepower up to 12th-place after only 32 laps. As the run progressed, a tight-handling condition began to surface, so crew chief Shane Wilson formulated a series of adjustments that would help keep the No. 62 Richard Childress Racing driver from abusing the right front tire. Green-flag stops started on lap 51, and the crew made only a track bar adjustment for a quick fix. Shortly afterwards, a debris caution waved on lap 68 and presented the opportunity for a left rear spring rubber to be pulled for the next run. The Georgetown Hoya graduate took the next green flag in 10th-place while gaining a few extra laps of gas on the next sequence. On lap 110, Gaughan made the call to come in early for four fresh Goodyear tires and more adjustments from the sixth spot under green. Another quick caution after the pit cycle, and he restarted 13th beginning to set his sights on breaking in to the top-10. The Las Vegas-native brought home an 11th-place finish and remains seventh in the Nationwide Series driver point standings.
“Hats off to my guys today. We all dug in deep for this one. We had a great South Point Chevy Camaro this weekend, and just needed maybe one or two more stops to get the tightness out of it. We passed the most cars tonight and we’ll take that positive into next week at Indy.”