Ford Championship Weekend to be held November 17-19
MIAMI – This weekend, champions in each of NASCAR’s three national series – Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – will be crowned during Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, November 17-19. Following the penultimate races of the NASCAR playoffs at Phoenix Raceway, the Championship 4 field in each of those national series has now been determined, and discussions about who will take home the coveted trophies can now begin in earnest.
In each of the series, there are fascinating narratives that will help set the stage for one of the most intriguing race weekends NASCAR fans have ever seen. The following is information on the Championship 4 drivers from each of NASCAR’s three national series:
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400
Sunday, November 19, 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
Kyle Busch, driver of the No.18 car for Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
· Third consecutive year in Championship 4
· Won 2015 Ford EcoBoost 400 and 2015 Monster Energy Series championship
· Accumulated five victories this season, including three in the playoffs
· Compiled 13 top-5 and 20 top-10 finishes this year
Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 car for Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
· Third appearance in Championship 4 (2014-15, 2017)
· 2014 Ford EcoBoost 400 winner and 2014 Monster Energy Series champion
· Visited Victory Lane twice this season, including a playoff win at Texas Motor Speedway
· Posted 12 top-5s and 21 top-10s this season
Martin Truex Jr., driver of the No. 78 car for Furniture Row Racing (Toyota)
· Series-leading seven victories in 2017, including three in the playoffs
· Amassed 17 top-5 and 24 top-10 showings this season
· Second year competing in Championship 4 (2015, 2017)
· Earned three top-5 and seven top-10 showings in 12 starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Best finish of second in 2006.
Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 2 car for Team Penske (Ford)
· Won 2012 Monster Energy Series championship
· Collected three victories in 2017, including one in the playoffs
· Posted 15 top-5 and 20 top-10 finishes this season
· First appearance as part of Championship 4
NASCAR XFINITY Series Ford EcoBoost 300
Saturday, November 18, 3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.
Elliott Sadler, driver of the No. 1 car for JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
· Second consecutive year competing in Championship 4
· Posted 12 top-5 and 24 top-10 finishes in 2017
· Accumulated five top-10 showings in 11 starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Best finish of third in 2016
· Compiled 13 career wins in XFINITY Series
Justin Allgaier, driver of the No. 7 car for JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
· Second straight appearance in Championship 4
· Won two XFINITY Series races this season
· Earned 10 top-5 and 16 top-10 finishes in 2017
· Best career finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway is sixth in 2016
William Byron, driver of the No. 9 car for JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
· XFINITY Series rookie with a series leading three victories in 2017
· Amassed 10 top-5 and 20 top-10 showings this season
· Won 2016 Ford EcoBoost 200 in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
· Awarded 2016 Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year (seven wins)
Daniel Hemric, driver of the No. 21 car for Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet)
· Compiled seven top-5 and 16 top-10 showings this season
· Earned one pole in 2017
· Led a total of 70 laps this season
· 2017 XFINITY Series rookie
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Ford EcoBoost 200
Friday, November 17, 8:00 p.m. ET on FS1
Johnny Sauter, driver of the No. 21 car for GMS Racing (Chevrolet)
· Second straight year competing in Championship 4
· Won 2016 Camping World Truck Series championship
· Earned three wins in 2017
· Winner of the 2011 Ford EcoBoost 200
Matt Crafton, driver of the No. 88 car for ThorSport Racing (Toyota)
· Second consecutive appearance in Championship 4
· Won 2013 and 2014 Camping World Truck Series championships
· Winner of 2015 Ford EcoBoost 200
· Posted five top-5 and 15 top-10 showings this season, including one victory
Christopher Bell, driver of the No. 4 car for Kyle Busch Motorsports (Toyota)
· Second straight appearance in Championship 4
· Series-leading five wins this season
· Compiled 14 top-5 and 19 top-10 finishes in 2017
· Best finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway is eighth in 2016
Austin Cindric, driver of the No. 19 car for Brad Keselowski Racing (Ford)
· Claimed one victory this season
· Accumulated seven top-5 and 15 top-10 showings in 2017
· Earned one pole in 2017
· Led a total of 106 laps this season
Tickets for 2017 Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway are available and can be purchased by calling (866) 409-RACE (7223) or visiting www.HomesteadMiamiSpeedway.com.
About Homestead-Miami Speedway
Homestead-Miami Speedway has been open since 1995 following an initiative to spur economic recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew. The Speedway is a 650-acre facility that features a 1.5-mile oval and 2.21-mile road course. The Speedway hosts on-track events nearly 300 days per year and generates more than $301 million annually for the region. In 2016, NASCAR celebrated its 15-year anniversary (2002-16) of crowning champions in all three of its national series at Homestead-Miami Speedway during Ford Championship Weekend. Champions crowned at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2016 were Jimmie Johnson (Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series), Daniel Suarez (NASCAR XFINITY Series) and Johnny Sauter (NASCAR Camping World Truck Series). 2017 Ford Championship Weekend will be held November 17-19.
About “Driving for a Cause”
“Driving for a Cause,” the charitable arm of Homestead-Miami Speedway, operates under the auspices of the NASCAR Foundation as a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization. Homestead-Miami Speedway will continue each of its charitable activities, including its in-kind donations to local groups, support of Homestead Hospital’s Speediatrics unit, and its program where organizations can work track events in exchange for a donation to their group or cause.
