This Week in Motorsports: August 15-21, 2022
· NCS/NXS/ARCA: Watkins Glen International – August 19-21
· ARCA: Illinois State Fairgrounds – August 21
· NHRA: Brainerd International Raceway (Minnesota) – August 21
PLANO, Texas (August 17, 2022) – It’s a return to road course racing for the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and ARCA Menards Series as they compete at Watkins Glen International in New York this weekend. The ARCA Menards Series has two events this weekend as they also race on the dirt in Illinois, while the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series competes at Brainerd International Raceway in Minnesota.
NASCAR National Series – NCS | NXS
Kyle Busch makes milestone Toyota start… Kyle Busch is making his 900th career start aboard a Toyota this weekend. Since joining Toyota in 2008, Busch has won 56 races each in both the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Truck Series and has earned a record 91 victories in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Busch won Toyota’s first Cup Series race at Watkins Glen in 2008, and added an NASCAR Xfinity Series triumph in 2017.
Bell nearly added another win… Christopher Bell battled back after a mid-race spin to nearly win at Richmond Raceway on Sunday, coming up less than half-a-second short to race winner Kevin Harvick. It was Bell’s third top-five finish in the last five events as the Oklahoma-native has officially clinched his second Playoff berth in just his third full-time season on Sunday.
Reigning winner… Ty Gibbs continued to show his road course prowess as he drove to a dominating victory at Watkins Glen International last season to earn his third NASCAR Xfinity Series win. Gibbs led 43 laps (of 82). He also won the last time the series ran on a road course as he scored an impressive win in the Xfinity Series race at Road America over reigning Cup Series champion Kyle Larson.
Jones, Smith double-duty at the Glen… Brandon Jones and Sammy Smith are scheduled to compete in both Friday’s ARCA Menards Series event and Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race. On Saturday, they will run as teammates in Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) Toyota GR Supras, but on Friday, Smith will continue his run for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the No. 18 Toyota Camry, while Jones will look for his third ARCA win of the season in just his fourth start aboard JGR’s No. 81 Toyota Camry.
Another start for Mosack… After making his debut for JGR at the series’ first race in Portland earlier this summer, Connor Mosack will compete for Sam Hunt Racing at Watkins Glen this weekend as he makes his second series start. Mosack ran strong in Portland – earning a third-place finish in the first stage – before being caught up in an accident late in the event.
NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA
Double for Breidinger, Love… It is a big weekend for the ARCA Menards Series as they compete on the Watkins Glen road course on Friday, before turning to the dirt on Sunday at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Two Toyota drivers will compete in both events on the diverse weekend, including Toyota development driver Jesse Love and his teammate, Toni Breidinger. Seventeen-year-old Love has seven starts this season, with a season-best runner-up finish at Elko Speedway in June, while Breidinger sits fifth in the point standings on the strength of four top-10 finishes.
NHRA – Top Fuel | Funny Car
Brown returns to the winner’s circle, top-10… Antron Brown had a triumphant return to the top-10 in the point standings with his first win of the season, and first win for AB Motorsports, in Topeka. Brown went through a tough line-up, as he faced four of the top five in the point standings, to score the victory. Brown last won in Brainerd in 2011.
Ashley continues to impress… Justin Ashley continues to impress in his first season with Team Toyota. Ashley sits third in the standings and has been to the semi-finals or better in five of the last seven events, including a Father’s Day win in Bristol.
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