NASCAR XFINITY Series
U.S. Cellular 250
Iowa Speedway
Saturday, August 1, 2015
Race Highlights:
Brian Scott finished third and was the highest finishing Richard Childress Racing driver in the U.S. Cellular 250 at Iowa Speedway. Ty Dillon finished fourth, Brendan Gaughan fifth and Brandon Jones 20th.
Richard Childress Racing driver Brendan Gaughan started third and was the highest qualifying NASCAR XFINITY Series driver in the RCR camp. Brandon Jones qualified fourth, Ty Dillon 10th and Brian Scott 11th.
Next up for the XFINITY Series is the Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen International. Catch all the action live on Saturday, August 8 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time on NBC Sports Network, broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio, channel 90.
Brian Scott Finishes Third at Iowa Speedway
Brian Scott and the No. 2 Shore Lodge Chevrolet qualified in the 11th position for the U.S. Cellular 250 at Iowa Speedway. The NASCAR XFINITY Series went 75 laps under green-flag conditions before being slowed for debris. To keep up with the changing track conditions going from daytime to nighttime, the Shore Lodge team utilized the first stop for four tires, fuel a wedge and track bar adjustment. Scott raced inside the top 10 for the majority of the first half of the scheduled 250-lap event. Two great pit stops on lap 146 and 205 put Scott in position to gain on the top-five position. With two attempts at a green-white-checkered finish, Scott battled for position in the closing and captured a third-place finish. The finish marks Scott’s third top five this season.
Start – 11 Finish – 3 Laps Led – 0 Points – 9
Brian Scott Quote:
“I’m so proud of this No. 2 Shore Lodge Chevrolet team tonight. We had a rough day and to bring home a third-place finish speaks to the hard work of the RCR team and our ECR Engines. We never gave up and kept getter better. I’m proud of this finish today.”
Ty Dillon and No. 3 Bass Pro Shops team Persevere to Fourth-Place Finish at Iowa Speedway
When the green flag waved for the scheduled NASCAR XFINITY Series 250-lap race at Iowa Speedway on Saturday night, Ty Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shop Chevrolet team were lined up in 10th place. Through the early stages, Dillon and team ran in the eighth position making only two pit stops under caution for fuel, tires and adjustments. Under the second caution on lap 146, crew chief Nick Harrison simply said, “We’re going to take a big swing with some changes here.” Dillon reported later in the race that he was loose on exit. Under the third caution on lap 204, more changes were made and the No. 3 Chevrolet responded to Dillon’s liking as he survived several late-race restarts to maintain his top-10 status. In the closing stages, Dillon was shuffled back to 13th at one point and quickly moved back into the top 10. He then drove back into the top five via two green-white-checkered finishes that extended the race for 10 extra laps. For the final restart, he and RCR teammate Brian Scott battled side-by-side for position with Dillon finishing fourth. The team earned their fourth top-five and 13th top-10 finish for 2015. Dillon remains third in driver points, but is now only one marker behind second place and 21 from the leader as the Series heads to Watkins Glen International this coming weekend.
Start – 10 Finish – 4 Laps Led – 0 Points – 3
Ty Dillon Quotes:
“We didn’t start the race where we wanted and I was fighting a loose condition really bad there in the beginning. Then Nick (Harrison, crew chief) made some good changes on the second and third pit stops and the Bass Pro Shops Chevy responded well. The pit crew did a great job tonight. Things got pretty wild there at the end and I’m glad we were able to capitalize on those restarts. We were strong at the end, which I like, and we made up some good points as we head to Watkins Glen next weekend.”
Brandon Jones Salvages a 20th-Place Finish at Iowa Speedway
Richard Childress Racing driver Brandon Jones finished 20th at Iowa Speedway after being involved in a late-race incident and sustaining damage to the No. 33 FVP/Menards Chevrolet. Jones, making his second-career NASCAR XFINITY Series start this season, started the scheduled 250-lap affair from the fourth position. The 18-year-old driver reported a loose-handling condition in the early stages, but remained a fixture within the top-10 positions. Crew chief Danny Stockman called the FVP/Menards Chevrolet to pit road on three separate occasions for four tires, fuel and a round of chassis adjustments to help improve handling. Jones was scored in the sixth position when he made contact with another competitor on lap 231, sustaining heavy right-side and front-end damage. The RCR team pitted multiple times during the caution period to make repairs. After falling two laps down to the leaders, Jones was able to receive both his laps back and survived three green-white-checkered finishes to finish in the 20th position.
Start – 4 Finish – 20 Laps Led – 0 Owner’s Points – 2
BRANDON JONES QUOTE:
“We definitely didn’t get the finish this team deserved. The FVP/Menards team worked really hard this weekend. They put together a fast car that had potential of finishing in the top five. We got caught up in a late-race incident and didn’t have enough time to recover. I learned a lot and will be able to use what I learned in my other races with the No. 33 team. We’ll get back at it in Mid-Ohio in two weeks.”
Brendan Gaughan Rallies to Fifth-Place Finish at Iowa Speedway
Brendan Gaughan tied his best qualifying effort of the season Saturday afternoon at Iowa Speedway, starting the U.S. Cellular 250 from the third position. The No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet raced in the top five for the majority of the scheduled 250-lap event. When the NASCAR XFINITY Series field reached the halfway mark, Gaughan reported his Chevrolet was handling loosely on exit of the corners. During the second pit stop of the evening, the Shane Wilson-led team elected to change four tires, fill up on fuel and make a track bar adjustment. When green flag was displayed for the restart, Gaughan had the adjustments he needed to battle through the field. In a caution-filled final 40 laps of competition, Gaughan raced his way to second place and put himself in position to contend for the win during the final laps. The Las Vegas native went for the lead on the first attempt of the green-white-checker, going into Turn One the South Point Chevrolet got loose pushing him back to the sixth position. The final caution flew on lap 255, resulting in a second green-white-checker attempt. Gaughan crossed the finish line in the fifth position, his third top-five and ninth top-10 finish of the season. Gaughan remains eighth in the NASCAR XFINITY Series driver point standings as the Series heads to the first road course of the season, Watkins Glen.
Start – 3 Finish – 5 Laps Led – 0 Points – 8
BRENDAN GAUGHAN QUOTE:
“It was my fault tonight. I saw the opportunity, went for it and just came up a little short. I would do it again in a heartbeat. On any given day I would go for the win every time. I’m very proud of my South Point team. They gave me a strong Chevrolet that could compete for a win and made great decisions on pit road all night.”RCR XFINITY Series Post Race Report – Iowa Speedway
