This Week in Motorsports: August 23-30, 2021
· NCS/NXS: Daytona International Speedway – August 27-28
· ARCA/ARCA East: Milwaukee Mile – August 29
PLANO, Texas (August 25, 2021) – The regular season concludes for NASCAR Cup Series drivers as this weekend event at Daytona International Speedway sets the Playoff field. They will be joined by the NASCAR Xfinity Series, while the ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards Series East run a combination event in the series’ return to the Milwaukee Mile.
NASCAR National Series – NCS| NXS| NCWTS
Playoff field set… The NASCAR Cup Series sets its Playoff field this weekend at Daytona International Speedway and four Toyota drivers – Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr. and Christopher Bell – have already clinched their spots. Bubba Wallace can claim his first Playoff berth with a win this weekend.
Hamlin looks to add another Daytona win… Hamlin has been the king at the Daytona 500 recently – winning three of the last six – but surprisingly is looking for his first win in Daytona International Speedway’s second annual event. Hamlin hopes to score his first 400-mile Daytona victory and close the gap on Kyle Larson, whom he trails by 28 points for the regular season championship.
Wallace wants to be one spot better… Bubba Wallace heads back to the site of his career-best Cup Series finish – a runner-up – which he scored at the Daytona 500 in his 2018 rookie season. Wallace earned the result in a side-by-side battle to the line with now-team owner Hamlin.
Two chances for a win for Bell… Bell will get two chances for victory this weekend as he is back behind the wheel of the No. 54 Toyota Supra this weekend for the second time this year. Bell won his other Xfinity Series start this season at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and came just one spot short of the weekend sweep, finishing second in the Cup Series event there on Sunday.
Season-best for Jones… Brandon Jones tied his season-best finish with a runner-up result on Saturday in Michigan. The four-time Xfinity Series winner is looking for his first Daytona victory. He scored a third-place finish at the track in 2019.
Back-to-back for Garrett… For just the second time in his young career, Colin Garrett will get to run consecutive races as he is back behind the wheel of the No. 26 Supra this weekend. Garrett will make his first start at Daytona, but his team – Sam Hunt Racing – scored a season-best eighth-place finish at Daytona with Brandon Gdovic in February.
NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA| ARCA East
One point… After trading victories this past weekend, just one point separates Ty Gibbs and Corey Heim in the ARCA Menards Series championship battle. Both had dominating performances with Gibbs scoring the pole, leading the most laps and winning at Michigan International Speedway, and Heim doing the same at Illinois State Fairgrounds on Sunday. Both are making their track debut at the Milwaukee Mile this weekend.
ARCA East Combination Event… This weekend’s race is a combination race with the ARCA Menards Series East as they compete in their second-to-last race of their season. Toyota development driver Sammy Smith is the championship leader by 19 points over Mason Diaz.
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