NASCAR Xfinity Series Power Rankings – Talladega II
The NASCAR Xfinity Series was in town this past weekend at Talladega Superspeedway for the final race in the Round of 12.
Justin Haley walked away with his third straight superspeedway victory, leading just two laps once the dust settled. By securing the victory, Haley also picked up an additional five playoff points to his credit to carry over to the next round.
While Haley found success again at the superspeedways, Michael Annett was hit with a disqualification by having the car too low on the left-front. Annett originally finished third in the running order but was credited with a last-place finish instead. He is now is in a must-win situation heading into the Charlotte Roval this Saturday.
Next, we’ll take a look at how other Xfinity Series drivers did this past weekend for a rare second race at Talladega Superspeedway.
- Chase Briscoe – Despite getting in the wall late in the going while leading, Briscoe was class of the field and had control of the whole race. The Indiana native won both stages and led 73 laps, before ultimately finishing a disappointing 19th after slightly scraping the wall.
Previous Week Ranking – First - Noah Gragson – Gragson finished third in the running order, continuing his superspeedway dominance. There were some hairy moments including getting Briscoe sideways at one point off Turn 4 and nearly causing a wreck. Thankfully for Gragson, he continued on and earned his 13th top five of the year.
Previous Week Ranking – Fifth - Austin Cindric – Like Briscoe, Cindric had a great race going before he ended up wrecked entering pit road. Cindric was on task for a top-five after finishing second in both stages to his Ford Performance teammate Briscoe. Unfortunately, due to the accident, the Team Penske driver was relegated to a 34th place finish in the running order.
Previous Week Ranking – Second - Ross Chastain – It was a hard-fought sixth-place outing after what could have been a dismal day. The Kaulig driver was involved in an incident of his own making when he got turned around coming to a Lap 47 restart. Despite the incident, Chastain continued his rally toward the front and earned his 24th top 10 of the year, good enough to move on to the next round of the playoffs.
Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked - Justin Haley – It was a picture-perfect day for Justin Haley who was one of the few that came out unscathed from all the accidents that took place Saturday afternoon. Haley finished fourth in both stages before gaining the third Xfinity Series victory of his career.
Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked
Fell Out
- Justin Allgaier – Engine troubles plagued Allgaier to a 34th place outing after finishing Top 10 in both stages early.
Previous Week Ranking – Third
Harrison Burton – It was a disappointing 23rd place for Burton after some crash damage to his No. 20 DEX Imaging Toyota. The North Carolina native now finds himself outside looking in as the series moves on to the next round.
Previous Week Ranking – Fourth
Bubba Wallace and NASCAR’s Past, Present, and Future
Most people consider NASCAR to be one of the most niche American sports. It does not appeal to as many individuals as football, baseball, basketball, and hockey. These are the “Big Four,” with soccer, NASCAR, tennis, and golf lagging somewhere behind them.
Some people even question NASCAR’s legitimacy as a sport. What it boils down to is a few cars driving around and around in a circle. This is dismissive, though.
When you talk about NASCAR that way, you discount the skill it takes to drive a high-powered vehicle over a hundred miles per hour. You ignore the concentration it requires to safely navigate precision machinery while surrounded by other daredevils jockeying for position.
This year, a new NASCAR star emerged: Bubba Wallace. People who didn’t know the first thing about the sport heard about him earlier in 2020. We’re going to take a moment to examine the question of whether Bubba Wallace’s rise is a positive or negative for the sport, as well as where NASCAR goes from here.
Bubba Wallace’s Spotlight Moment
A NASCAR fan can immediately tell you why you don’t lane split if you’re going faster than 30 miles per hour. A non-NASCAR fan wouldn’t even know what that means.
This is the divide between the fan base and those outside of it. People who have contempt for NASCAR feel like:
- It’s just “a Southern thing”
- It’s a trashy sport, with an inherently racist history and fans
You can certainly debate whether those things are true or not, but that’s the perception among some Northerners. They probably learned more about NASCAR in 2020 than they ever previously knew, and Bubba Wallace was the reason for that.
Bubba is the only prominent African-American driver on the NASCAR circuit. People consider NASCAR to be competitive racing’s major leagues, the same as with MLB. There are the minors with racing just as there are single-A through AAA baseball teams.
Wallace’s Stand Against the Confederate Flag
The reason why many Northerners scorn NASCAR is that, before 2020, if you looked at the tailgating parties that sprung up around the Daytona 500 or other big racing venues, you’d see tons of Confederate flags. That’s not a good look.
While some people insist that flag is about heritage and Southern pride, most of the country knows and accepts that it means racism. Anyone who claims otherwise is deliberately obtuse.
As a black man, Wallace didn’t like to see those flags flying around the venues where he raced. You have to assume:
- They made him uncomfortable
- They reminded him of an awful time in American history
A Moment to Speak Out
Wallace’s moment to speak about what was bothering him came amid the protests and rioting following George Floyd’s death. Floyd died while in police custody when an officer knelt on his neck. The smartphone video showed his dying moments while he begged for mercy.
The Black Lives Matter movement rose again after a dormant period. People of all races marched and demonstrated, sometimes clashing with police and earning stern rebukes from President Trump and other high-ranking politicians.
Wallace chose this moment to speak out against the Confederate flag, and, to their credit, NASCAR agreed with him. Perhaps they did so purely to protect their image. They realized they could never expand to a broader audience if, every time they did big race lead-ins, you could see the Confederate flag flying all over the parking lot.
The “Noose” Incident
What followed NASCAR banning the flag was predictable enough. Some fans pushed back, bringing up the familiar arguments about Southern pride and heritage. Northern dwellers sneered.
Then, NASCAR employees found a “noose” in Bubba Wallace’s garage. The incident got national attention, and rightly so. However, it turned out that the noose was simply a rope that was in that garage for months.
Some claimed that Wallace staged the scene to gain sympathy for his cause, which he vehemently denied. The incident died down after a while, and now, as we near 2020’s end, you have to wonder about NASCAR’s future.
Where Does NASCAR Go from Here?
If you were someone who knew virtually nothing about NASCAR going into 2020, what would you take from this year’s events? Let’s say you’re already a sports fan. You like the “Big Four” that we mentioned earlier, sports with universal appeal.
If the reason you didn’t watch NASCAR is that you felt like it was just a Southern thing, maybe you’ve changed your mind. After all, NASCAR did listen to Wallace and banned fans from flying Confederate flags from their venues.
Also, there were few more powerful images this year than Bubba Wallace driving slowly down the track alongside all the other drivers and pit crews, who showed solidarity when they felt someone had hung up a noose in his garage as a threat. It turned out that was not the rope’s intention, but still, that was a compelling scene.
Have Some People Changed Their Minds?
It’s interesting to speculate about whether some people who wouldn’t give NASCAR a try will change their minds based on what they saw this year. Maybe racing still doesn’t appeal to them.
However, it’s worth mentioning that NASCAR handled Wallace’s protesting much better than the NFL did Collin Kaepernick kneeling during the National Anthem. Roger Goodell has since said he was wrong for statements that he made then.
You can’t deny, though, that it was NASCAR, that some people consider so niche, that reacted to a black athlete protesting better. They heard and understood his complaint, and they found it valid. They changed, and that’s great publicity and something that should have happened a long time ago.
Bubba Wallace seems to be a thoughtful young man, and he’s an emerging superstar on the national stage. He became a household name in 2020 for all the right reasons. Perhaps his ascendence represents NASCAR’s turning point as well, and the “Big Four” US sports could become the Big Five.
CHEVROLET RACING: Chase Elliott and Jordan Taylor Teleconference Transcript
NASCAR CUP SERIES/CORVETTE RACING
CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY ROAD COURSE
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
OCTOBER 5, 2020
TEAM CHEVY’S CHASE ELLIOTT, DRIVER OF THE NO. 9 HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE, AND CORVETTE RACING’S JORDAN TAYLOR, DRIVER OF THE NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R, met with media via teleconference to discuss the anticipation going into the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship and NASCAR Cup Series doubleheader this weekend at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course, the sharing of technology and information across multiple programs within Chevrolet to prepare, and more. Full Transcript
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE:
OBVIOUSLY, YOU’VE ALREADY HAD SOME SUCCESS ON THE ROAD COURSE THIS YEAR AT DAYTONA, WHERE YOU RECEIVED SOME HELP AND FEEDBACK FROM JORDAN (TAYLOR) AHEAD OF THAT AT THE CHEVROLET SIMULATOR IN CHARLOTTE. HOW HELPFUL WERE THOSE SESSIONS TO YOU AHEAD OF THAT RACE?
Chase Elliott: “Yeah, it was a big help for us and for me, personally. That was obviously a very unique thing, with not having any practice and then going into a race like that. I talked to Jordan (Taylor) a lot. He was kind enough to share a lot of his notes and things from his past experience at the track, which I found to be helpful. He shared a lot of rain insight too, which I’m kind of glad we didn’t have to tackle that hurdle during that weekend for the first time. But, nonetheless, it worked out. I really appreciated the help from him and everybody that contributed. Obviously, there was a lot of effort that went into that, being such a green situation for most drivers in the field. It was a fun challenge. I enjoyed it and glad it worked out the way it did. Definitely a lot of prep work went into it and I think that showed.”
WITH THE ROVAL COMING UP THIS WEEK, I WAS JUST CURIOUS TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS ON HOW YOU ATTACK A ROVAL-STYLE COURSE VERSUS A TRADITIONAL-BUILT ROAD COURSE, SAY LIKE WATKINS GLEN OR SONOMA. WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES THAT YOU NOTICE FROM THE SEAT?
Chase Elliott: “Yeah, I think Jordan (Taylor) touched on it. I think what makes the Roval really unique is it’s kind of like trying to fit a whole bunch of stuff in a very small area, I feel like. The place just does not flow very good. That thing probably wasn’t meant to be a road course, I would say, when they built it. It’s just unique and there’s just a lot of places around the racetrack that are really tight with not a lot of flow. I feel like most road courses around the country, that I’ve been to at least, have a flow to them. You kind of get in a groove and it’s really hard to find that groove, I feel like, at the Roval. I even think going back there this time, it’s going to be a challenge to find it. I felt like last year, throughout practice and throughout the weekend, I never felt like I got into a flow very well. I felt like our car was driving pretty good, but I just could never find a groove to get in and find any consistency. It really wasn’t until that very last run in practice and then when the race started, I felt like I found some consistency to be able to back things up and do it over and over again. So, I think to me, the key for myself personally is going to be finding that and trying to get that dialed in. Hopefully, it’s good enough.”
IN THE DAYTONA ROAD COURSE RACE THIS YEAR, YOU PROVED THAT IF YOU’RE FAST ENOUGH, IT IS POSSIBLE TO COMPETE FOR BOTH STAGE WINS AND THE OVERALL RACE WIN. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT IS A DUAL-FOCUS, SOMETHING THAT OTHER PLAYOFF TEAMS ARE GOING TO ATTEMPT TO REPLICATE THIS WEEKEND OR DO YOU THINK THAT WAS SOMETHING ISOLATED TO THE DAYTONA ROAD COURSE?
Chase Elliott: “That’s such a tough thing – I don’t really know that you can ever plan for that or know exactly how to attack it. I think once the race starts, you kind of have to feel out who the players are and how fast or slow you are, kind of compared to the competition, and figure it out from there. And two, I think it depends on what position you’re in from a points-perspective on how you want to approach the race. It’s tough and like I said, I don’t really know that you can plan for that ahead of time until you start the race, kind of see where you stack up, and get a first-look at what your day is looking like. And then, make that decision, as far as how you want to attack it from there.”
SCHEDULES PERMITTING, WOULD YOU WELCOME THE CHANCE TO JOIN CORVETTE RACING FOR AN ENDURANCE EVENT?
Chase Elliott: “Yeah, I think it would be a blast. I’ve always enjoyed watching the 24-hour race. I know that’s one of their bigger events every year and it kind of kicks off the racing season, so that’s always an exciting one. Yeah, I think it’d be fun to give it a shot sometime down the road. If the opportunity ever presented itself, I think I would enjoy the challenge, for sure.”
TAKE ME THROUGH LAST NIGHT. FIRST, YOU GETTING PENALIZED – YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE FACT THAT NASCAR RESCINDED IT. SECOND, THE DIFFERENCE OF 17-POINTS GOING INTO THIS WEEKEND FOR YOU AFTER RESCINDED THAT PENALTY, I’D ASSUME, IS HUGE.
Chase Elliott: “Yeah, for sure. Obviously, that’s a huge deal for us. I credit Jay, NASCAR and those guys for taking another look at it. I think the tough thing, for me in that situation, is your kind of a put in a position where you either cause a wreck or don’t cause a wreck and that’s a tough spot to be in. I feel like we wrecked enough throughout the day – I’m not sure that I felt like we needed to wreck once more because that’s what was going to happen had I not driven where I did. So, I appreciate them looking at it from that point of view and understanding that. It’s so tough because everybody is put in such a tough situation racing in the guidelines we have and we had already crashed enough as it is, like I said. They’re in a tough spot – that’s a tough call to make on either side. But, like I said, I think just from my position, it was a big deal obviously to go from finishing 5th or 6th to the last car on the lead lap. That’s massive when you’re talking these three-race rounds and where we are in the points situation. So, to your point, yeah a very big deal and I do feel like they got it right. Obviously, it was me and I’m biased, but I do think that when you’re put into a position where you have to decide whether or not to cause a wreck, that’s a tough one to be in.”
WHEN IT COMES TO THE ROVAL, WHAT DO YOU FEEL LIKE IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE?
Chase Elliott: “What Jordan (Taylor) and I touched on a few minutes ago, I just think the track is really kind of choppy, doesn’t flow very good and it’s a really hard thing to find a rhythm at that track. I feel like road racing is a lot about rhythm and a lot about consistency – finding your markers, pushing yourself to go to those markers each lap and things of that nature. So, when you have a hard time finding a flow, it’s hard to continue to repeat and repeat, and do things consistently lap after lap.”
LAST YEAR, YOU WON, BUT IN A BIT OF A DRAMATIC FASHION WITH GETTING INTO THE TIRE BARRIER THERE. TALK ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND AT THAT POINT AND THROUGH YOUR WAY BACK THROUGH.
Chase Elliott: “Yeah, just a crazy event, for sure. A lot of good fortune. Obviously, a big mistake on my end and we were fortunate that our car wasn’t tore up very bad, somehow, and was able to fight back up through there. We had just enough time to kind of get back to the front and have a shot at it. First off, I had a really fast car. And, secondly, I made a really big mistake. Third, our car wasn’t tore up as bad as I thought it should have been. So, just had a lot of things go in our favor with the way the rest of the race went – the cautions how they fell, a couple of good restarts, and things just went our way. I’m glad it did, for sure. I’d like to eliminate running into the tire barriers if we have a fast car like that again.”
IN YOUR CAR AROUND THE ROVAL, DO YOU FIND YOURSELF HAVING TO BABY THE BRAKES A LITTLE BIT TO MAKE IT LAST THROUGH THE ROVAL RACE? DO THEY FADE AS THE RACE PROCEEDS AND HOW DO YOU MANAGE THAT?
Chase Elliott: “I feel like the race last year, I don’t remember us having a ton of brake fade. A little bit – I felt like the worst spot was probably into that backstretch chicane. That was probably about as hard as we would brake in a straight line. The rest of the track is kind of just awkward. The turn four area coming into that little chicane on the frontstrech is kind of curved, so it’s hard to use max brake pressure through that section. The rest of the track is just really kind of slow, to be honest. So, that backstretch deal was the worst spot I remember. Best I recall, I don’t remember having a bunch of brake fade issues last year, so hopefully not.”
NOW THAT YOU HAVE THE POINTS BACK, YOU’RE PLUS 44 GOING INTO THIS RACE. HOW DO YOU VIEW WHAT YOU WANT TO DO? I KNOW YOU WANT TO WIN THE RACE, BUT PLUS 44, DOES THAT GIVE YOU A CUSHION TO BE AGGRESSIVE?
Chase Elliott: “Yeah, I don’t know. It’s such a tough thing. I feel like when you get in these rounds and whatnot, I feel like the worst thing you can do is just sit there and play the numbers game. It’s like I had a teacher tell me in high school one time – don’t come into my final exam just figuring out what you have to make to pass. I feel like that’s what I’m doing when I start sitting here and thinking about what to do on points. So, I’m going to take her advice and try not to do that this week and just focus on trying to run good. If you’re going to go out and beat the people that are champions and who’ve been running well – we see the same five or six people in the Final Four every year, so unless you want to run behind them like we have been doing, we need to focus on trying to beat them. To get there, you’ve got to be amongst them and put yourself in position to win because they are winning every week – one of just a handful it seems like. So, we need to be amongst them more often. I think we’re very capable of doing that. I think we’ve shown that this year, especially at times. We just need to do it more often and we don’t need to treat this week any different.”
AFTER YOU HAD THE SITUATION LAST YEAR WHEN YOU RAN INTO THE BARRIER, HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO FIGURE OUT THE CAR WASN’T HURT BAD? WERE YOU SURPRISED?
Chase Elliott: “Yeah, it was I don’t know, eight or 10 laps I guess after we went back green, and it was OK. It definitely hurt it, but it was still very good. So, just very fortunate there. I feel like a mistake of that magnitude, you deserve to not only destroy your car, but probably not keep going at the same time. I’m not sure what I did that week to earn that gift, but I certainly appreciated it.”
LET’S SAY THIS WEEKEND GOES ACCORDINGLY – WHAT TRACK IN THIS NEXT ROUND ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING TO?
Chase Elliott: “Heck, I don’t know. We need to focus on this week and I feel like much like the final exam example I used, I think worrying about next week is also a no-no. So, let’s just worry about Charlotte right now and we’ll see where we stack up after that.”
WHAT DO YOU VIEW ARE YOUR CHAMPIONSHIP CHANCES IN COMPARISON TO THE COMPETITION RIGHT NOW, KNOWING HOW YOU GUYS HAVE PERFORMED THIS YEAR?
Chase Elliott: “I feel like when we’ve been at our best, I feel like we run with the guys that have been winning a lot and are in great positions. So, I feel like when we bring our A-game and things are where they need to be, we’ve competed and I think that’s the main thing. I hope we can continue to bring that A-game all the time and try to get a little more consistent. I feel like the past four or five weeks have been a little more consistent for us. We’ve had some better runs and been doing a better job – having more pace in our cars and being up towards the front. I think if we can keep doing that, I feel confident that we can run with whoever.”
WITH YOU GUYS HAVING SO MANY MORE ROAD COURSES NEXT YEAR, WOULD YOU BE COMFORTABLE IF NASCAR STARTED USING LOCAL YELLOWS INSTEAD OF FULL-COURSE YELLOWS ON A ROAD COURSE?
Chase Elliott: “Yeah, that’s a really good question. I do feel like sometimes the full-courses are probably a little unnecessary. I know that’s a NASCAR thing versus a typical road race style. I don’t know – I don’t know what the right thing is to do there. I feel like there’s times in the past where it’s worked in my favor to have a full-course yellow. And there’s time in the past where I wish it would have just gone green. So, I feel like it can go either way. I’m not sure – I feel like it’s all discretionary, I guess, on how bad a wreck is and whether or not they have to put out a full-course or not. But, I don’t know – that’s a great question, but I’m not sure I’m the right person to answer it.”
WITH YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE PLAYOFFS, HOW DOES THAT EXPERIENCE HELP AND WHAT YOU’VE LEARNED FROM YOUR PREVIOUS PLAYOFF EXPERIENCES IN THE POSITION YOUR IN AT THIS TIME?
Chase Elliott: “I definitely don’t think it hurts anything, you know as you go through these situations. I feel like we’ve been through some tough situations in the Playoffs over my first handful of years – been in some tight scenarios, been in some tough losses and I think all of those situations help you learn and kind of help you just keep a middle ground through a lot of it, which I think is really helpful. I definitely don’t think it hurts. I still think we’re going to be faced with challenges and things I’ve never seen before and, as you do that, you just have to be dynamic and learn through those as well. But I do think having a little experience in seeing some of those tough days in these final races can help you just have a better mindset and understand that anything can happen and nothing is really over until it’s over. I think that’s something you always have to keep in mind as we go through these last 10 races.”
JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R:
YOU WERE PART OF A SINGLE-DAY TEST PROGRAM AT CHARLOTTE ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THE GTLM CARS HAVE BEEN ON THE TRACK THERE. HOW QUICKLY WERE YOU AND THE REST OF THE CORVETTE PROGRAM ABLE TO GET UP TO SPEED DURING TESTING? AND, DID THOSE FINDINGS FROM THE NASCAR SIDE OF THE HOUSE HELP YOU AS DRIVERS AND THE ENGINEERS IN GETTING TO A STARTING POINT?
Jordan Taylor: “Yeah, it definitely was a big help. We were able to do it in the simulator for one day before that test. So, Antonio and Tommy (Milner) and I were able to do some laps and got a feel for the track. It’s a very unique layout. Some sections don’t flow super-well. It’s just the way it kind of decreases at apex. So, the flow of it was kind of difficult to figure out. But, I think having a day at the simulator to kind of figure that out definitely sped up the learning process by the time we did get to the track; in understanding what kind of curbs you can and what curbs you can’t use and where you kind of want to line up and set up for other corners. So, it was definitely a big help. I think that’s kind of been a big part of our whole season this year is having the Chevy simulator to use. It’s a brand-new car. In going to a lot of these tracks that we’ve never been to for testing and having a shortened weekend with less practice really puts a lot of emphasis on preparation leading into these weekends well-prepared. The best case was this last race for us at Mid-Ohio, where we had not tested the car and rolled off the truck super-strong. We got the pole and won the race. So, it says a lot about the team, and I think leading into Charlotte and having that simulator usage is pretty crucial again.”
HOW HAS THE SIMULATOR BENEFITTED THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE C8.R IN A YEAR WHERE ON-TRACK TESTING AND TRACK TIME IS MORE LIMITED THAN USUAL FOR OBVIOUS REASONS?
Jordan Taylor: “It’s been huge. I was kind of in a simulator through the development process of it through the C7.R. Then a lot of the C8.R was designed through simulation before the car hit the track. Having all that data and development from the simulator was pretty incredible. My first impressions of the C8.R came last year on the simulator leading into Daytona. We did some differential changes in the simulator and then I gave my feedback, and then a month later when we were at the track, we did those same exact changes. Obviously, I had forgotten what my feedback was the month prior, but my feedback was identical. So, the correlation between the two are extremely accurate, which is really nice now that we’re in the meat of the season where you aren’t getting that testing time that we’re used to getting and going to tracks we’re not used to being at, like the ROVAL and some of these other races that have popped up on our schedule where we can’t test. It’s been important from the engineering side, but also from the driver’s side just to get that feel and understanding what it’s going to take to be competitive at these tracks.”
WITH NASCAR INCREASING THE NUMBER OF ROAD COURSES ON THE CUP SCHEDULE TO SIX, DOES THAT LEND ITSELF ANY MORE TO AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A GUY LIKE YOU TO PITCH RUNNING ALL SIX?
Jordan Taylor: “I’d like to say yes but I think it’s going to be the same story as whether there’s one road course or 10 road courses. I think it’s going to be difficult to get in a car, especially a competitive one. But yeah, I’m going to keep trying. I think I’ve tried the last five or six years to get in a Xfinity ride at Road America or Mid-Ohio. Now they’re doing Daytona and COTA and Road America. They’re all great tracks that obviously we have a lot of history at. I’d love to get the opportunity but it’s going to take a good opportunity to get that chance.”
ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE THE CHANCE TO DO ANY SIMULATOR WORK BEFORE THE RACE AT CHARLOTTE THIS WEEKEND?
Jordan Taylor: “Yeah, we’ll be in there Thursday and Friday, I think. Antonio and I are there most of Thursday and then Oliver (Gavin) and Tommy will come in Friday and then we actually practice Friday night. It’s nice to get a little refresher course right before the weekend as a driver. And then as a team, I’m sure after our last on-track test, they’ve got a lot of items that we’re going to see how to properly optimize the setup; whether it’s geometry changes or springs, downforce levels, toes and camber. So, I’m sure there will be a lot of laps in the simulator, but hopefully it will all pay off in the weekend.”
CHASE MENTIONED THAT THE TWO OF YOU WERE TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEKEND. WHAT WAS THE INTERACTION LIKE BETWEEN YOU TWO BEFORE TODAY AND ALSO GOING BACK TO AFTER THE DAYTONA RACE?
Jordan Taylor: “I don’t know if we’ve talked much between the events, but I think we talked a little bit about the ROVAL when I was there at the simulator working for Daytona just because their focus was all on Daytona that weekend. It was good, I’m sure. Chase had a big part in developing the ROVAL stuff on the simulator, which was a big help to us just getting the track grip level correct so that when we go there, everything is kind of in-tune and on-pace where it’s going to be in real life. So, I’m sure as the weekend unfolds for us, we’ll have some questions and maybe we can play on top of those guys and vice-versa.”
YOU TALKED ABOUT MAYBE WANTING TO FIND A NASCAR OPPORTUNITY. ONCE UPON A TIME, ROAD RACING SPECIALISTS COULD FIND HALFWAY DECENT RIDES IN THE CUP SERIES. DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU NEED TO FIND A COMPETITIVE RIDE ON THE XFINITY SERIES AND THEN MAYBE GET A CUP OPPORTUNITY?
Jordan Taylor: “Yeah, I just think it would be important to get in the right car and the right opportunity. I’ve spoken a lot with Jeff Gordon about it. I’ve had a couple of opportunities to do some of the road courses in the past, but he’s steered me away from it just from the equipment point of view just explaining how important it is and it might not be worth just jumping in to be in the race, but you want to be competitive and at the front to at least show well to have a second chance at it. We’ve had a long relationship with Childress. We used their engines in all my prototype career pretty much and we’ve won a couple of championships together and a lot of Rolex 24s. So, they’ve definitely been at the top of my list for Xfinity. I think Cup is a different animal completely. They guys there are definitely all switched on. They might not be like road course guys, but whenever they come over and do the Rolex 24, they are definitely competitive in anything they jump in. So, for sure, for Cup, you’re definitely going to want to be in the right equipment to be anywhere near the front, no matter how good you are.”
HOW CONFIDENT ARE YOU THAT YOU COULD DO IT?
Jordan Taylor: “I’d like to think I’d do well. But, at the same time, I’ve never driven a stock car like that. The closest thing I’ve driven was a V8 Supercar. But I love that style of racing; and sport cars now are having so much development with traction control and such higher levels of downforce and the Michelin tires we use now are so impressive. I enjoy that kind of old-school driving style where it’s no ABS, no traction control, no driver aids; it’s all down to what you can do with the pedals and steering wheel. I think my driving style kind of suits that so I’d like to think that it would suit me somewhat well, but you never know until you get that opportunity.”
Like Father, Like Son: Harrison Burton Making His Own Opportunities
- Nineteen-year-old Harrison Burton has taken lessons he learned from his father, accomplished racer and current NBC broadcaster Jeff Burton, to heart as he’s embarked upon his own racing career
- Burton, a NASCAR Xfinity Series rookie, will compete to earn his spot in the Round of Eight this Saturday, Oct. 10 at the Drive for the Cure 250 at America’s Home for Racing
CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 5, 2020) – From the outside, it may seem as though Harrison Burton’s road to the NASCAR Xfinity Series has been an easy one. However, just because his father – accomplished racer and current NBC broadcaster Jeff Burton – enjoyed a fruitful NASCAR career, there was no guarantee Harrison Burton would enjoy that same success. The younger Burton will look to continue to build a name for himself this weekend, seeking his third win of the season at the Drive for the Cure 250 presented by BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina on Saturday.
“I think everyone has to work super hard. You don’t get to the Xfinity Series, Truck Series or Cup Series without being really, really darn good,” the younger Burton said. “I think the thing that taught me that was watching my dad do it growing up.
“He was always at the shop. He was always working out. He was always, always working to be a better race car driver. That was really something I was proud of as a kid, watching my dad do his thing and be who he was. That was something I wanted to be like when I got bigger.”
Harrison Burton, who will turn 20 on Oct. 9, started in quarter midgets and progressed up the ranks, finding success at nearly every level. He’s won multiple times in asphalt late model competition, claimed the ARCA Menards Series East championship in 2017 and earned three ARCA Menards Series victories by the time he turned 18.
“If you go back and look at his whole career, he’s never really had a chance to just sit back, settle in and spend two or three years doing something,” Jeff Burton explained. “I think it has made him better. I think it has made him appreciate opportunities. I think it’s put him in situations where he has had a chance to learn.”
When Harrison Burton was announced as part of the Joe Gibbs Racing Xfinity Series team prior to this season, some questioned his selection. They pointed to his lackluster 2019 season driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series. Entering the season, he was considered a title contender, but he failed to win or make the Truck Series playoffs.
The haters were quickly silenced early this year when Burton claimed his first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at California’s Auto Club Speedway. He backed it up by collecting another victory a few months later at Florida’s Homestead-Miami Speedway.
So why is Harrison Burton so good behind the wheel at such a young age?
“Number one, he has talent, right? Talent can be nurtured to a point, but there’s also a certain amount of talent that where you’re not able to be competitive as you step up through the ranks,” Jeff Burton explained. “He’s fortunate enough to have some talent that God gave him. He doesn’t have that without also appreciating and understanding that if he doesn’t work really hard every day, he won’t be successful.”
Harrison Burton’s work ethic has gotten him this far. As a rookie, he qualified for the NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs, which gives him a shot at winning the series championship. If he’s going to do that, he’ll first need to survive the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL™.
Lucky for Burton, he competed on the ROVAL™ last year in the Xfinity Series, so he’s not entering the Oct. 10 Drive for the Cure 250 presented by BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina completely green.
“That’s an advantage I think, just knowing the racetrack and being on kind of a level playing field with the guys you’re racing against to try to win a championship,” Burton said. “I think I’ve learned a lot from then until now, and I’m excited to go back and try it again.”
Burton enters the race 10th in the Xfinity Series Playoffs standings, just six points below the cutline to advance to the second round.
TICKETS:
Tickets are just $50 for the racing doubleheader on Saturday, Oct. 10, featuring the Drive for the Cure 250 presented by BlueCross and BlueShield of North Carolina and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Series’ MOTUL 100% Synthetic Grand Prix. Kids 13 and under get in free. For details or to purchase, visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or call 800-455-FANS (3267).
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NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Talladega
Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.
1. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin won at Talladega in a wild finish, the result not determined until the third overtime. Hamlin officially qualified for the next round of the playoffs.
“And I got boo’ed for my effort by many of the 15,000 fans in attendance,” Hamlin said. “You’d think masks would have muffled that, but it is Alabama, so apparently not.
“Michael Jordan is in NASCAR. I assume this means there will be an ‘Aero Jordan’ product line out soon.”
2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished 20th in the YellaWood 500 at Talladega.
“I’m not sure what ‘YellaWood’ is,” Harvick said. “I hear it’s treated with something; I’m guessing it’s penicillin.”
3. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished fifth at Talladega and was the only playoff driver other than Denny Hamlin to crack the top 10.
“Chad Knaus is leaving the pit box to become Hendrick Motorsports Vice President Of Competition,” Elliott said. “‘VP Of Competition’ is probably code for ‘Finder Of Ways To Cheat Without Getting Caught.’ But if they gave Chad that job title, it would look very suspicious.”
4. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 18th in the YellaWood 500 at Talladega.
“The race was pure chaos from the start,” Keselowski said. “We had a caution before one lap was completed. And from there, the attrition was constant, and that includes the race’s flag man, who suffered a torn rotator cuff.”
5. Kurt Busch: Busch was ousted at Talladega in a Lap 110 crash in which his car went airborne. He finished 32nd.
“Luckily,” Busch said, “I stuck the landing.
“Even though I was in it, I didn’t have to worry about the ‘Big One’ at Talladega, because the Monster Energy Chevy was the ‘Big 1’ last week at Las Vegas.”
6. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished 23rd at Talladega.
“You always have to expect the unexpected at Talladega,” Truex said. “Like, for example, it was not expected that you’d have to switch channels from NBC to NBC Sports Network to see the conclusion of the race. The notion that this helped ratings is ‘remote.'”
7. Joey Logano: Logano finished 26th at Talladega, as Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott were the only playoff drivers in the top 10.
“This race took over four hours to complete,” Logano said, “and the margin of victory was a mere .086 seconds. And that’s the long and short of it.”
8. Alex Bowman: Bowman finished 14th at Talladega and is seventh in the points standings.
“The 2021 NASCAR schedule is out,” Bowman said, “and there’s a race at Bristol on dirt. It’s the first Cup race on dirt since 1970. So fans, get your tickets now, else you’ll be left out of the dust.”
9. Aric Almirola: Almirola was knocked out of the race while leading in a wreck with three laps to go in Stage 1. He finished 37th and will need a win at Charlotte to advance.
“I guess I’m putting all my eggs in one basket,” Almirola said. “And when I get to Charlotte, I’m gonna throw all the eggs in that basket at Alex Bowman for wrecking me.”
10. Kyle Busch: Busch’s rough day at Talladega involved several wrecks, blown tires, and various damages to his No. 18 Toyota. He completed 188 laps before his day was mercifully ended.
“My day at Talladega,” Busch said, “not to mention my year in general, has me thinking ‘early retirement.”
NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Power Rankings – Talladega
Talladega Superspeedway marked the final race in the Round of 10 Playoffs for the NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series. Ten drivers had the same goal in mind and that was to advance to the Round of 8, but only eight drivers could move on leaving two in the dust.
Those two drivers were Christian Eckes and Todd Gilliland who were both eliminated from the Truck Series Playoffs after having disastrous days. Gilliland was running inside the Top 10 before his engine let go on the backstretch while Eckes failed to finish due to being in the last-lap crash. Gilliland was credited with a 28th place finish and Eckes an 18th place finish, but not good enough to advance into the next round.
Despite two drivers not having a fun Saturday, one driver enjoyed his first career series win, Canadian and Kyle Busch Motorsports driver Raphael Lessard. Lessard was ahead at the time the caution flew and nabbed his first victory in just his 24th Truck Series start and his first-ever Truck Series track debut at Talladega.
With the Candian soaking in his first victory, other drivers had solid days and did what they needed to do to advance.
Here are this week’s Power Rankings following the Chevrolet Silverado 250 at Talladega Superspeedway.
- Matt Crafton – Crafton was back and forth with the points Saturday afternoon. There were numerous moments where the ThorSport driver was either below the cut line or above the cut line. Fortunately for Crafton, he was one of the lucky ones to avoid the carnage during the race and move on to the Round of 8 after finishing eighth. Previous Week Ranking – Second
- Grant Enfinger – A hard-fought 13th place finish by Enfinger and the No. 98 team. Enfinger suffered a flat right-rear tire as early as Lap 8 and spent most of the race two laps down. The Alabaman caught a couple of breaks and was back on the lead lap when a caution flag threw in the final stage. Like his teammate Crafton, Enfinger was also below the cut line, but with hard work, Enfinger brought home the No. 98 truck to a 13th place finish. That’s a day well spent. Previous Week Ranking – First
- Ben Rhodes – Rhodes quietly finished fourth following the hectic Talladega truck race. In addition, the Kentucky native placed fifth and sixth in both stages. The ThorSport driver is moving on to the next round as well. Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked
- Sheldon Creed – Even though Creed was shuffled back to 12th in the running order when the checkered flag flew on Lap 94, the Californian had a decent run in the No. 2 GMS Racing Chevrolet. Creed led early on in the event but then settled in, running inside the Top 10 or Top 15. At one point with 12 to go, Creed caught race leader Jennifer Jo Cobb (who was using a different strategy by staying out in hopes of a caution) and retook the lead. While it looked as though he could go on to win his fourth race of the season, Creed suffered a flat tire and brought out the caution on Lap 90. Despite finishing 12th, the GMS driver was able to clinch a playoff spot after the completion of Stage 1. Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked
- Austin Hill – It was an up and down day for Austin Hill’s No. 16 Hattori Racing team. Hill claimed the Stage 1 victory and finished fourth in Stage 2. Unfortunately, his day started to go south just a tad when the final green-flag pit stops started to take place with 30 to go. That was when Hill was busted for being too fast on pit road after making his final stop and had to serve a pass-thru penalty. Hill’s day ultimately ended prematurely on the last lap a few yards before the finish, when he was caught up in the wreck on the backstretch. His No. 16 Toyota Tundra was on fire, but fortunately for Hill, he was able to walk away with no injuries and was credited with a 19th place finish after leading 11 laps. Previous Week Ranking – Third
Fell Out
- Christian Eckes – Eckes was involved in the last-lap wreck, and out of the playoffs due to his finishing position of 18th. Previous Week Ranking – Fourth
- Tanner Gray – After having momentum the last few weeks of finishing third, Tanner Gray was caught up in an accident on Lap 49 when the No. 15 went sideways and hit the inside backstretch wall. Gray was credited with a 29th place outing. Previous Week Ranking – Fifth
Four Takeaways from the NASCAR Truck Series race at Talladega
Talladega Superspeedway was the third race in the Round of 10 for the Truck Series Playoffs Saturday afternoon in Talladega, Alabama.
While there were 10 drivers vying for eight playoff spots for the Round of 8, 28 other Truck Series drivers were also trying to make a name for themselves, knowing that it’s one of the few races for the year where they also have a shot at winning with the draft playing as an equalizer.
You could say Raphael Lessard was somewhat of an “upset winner” but Lessard has had his moments this year. He shined at the Daytona Road Course where he finished third and led three laps. Other notable finishes for Lessard include a seventh at Michigan the week prior to the Road Course and sixth at Gateway. The Canadian broke through at Talladega after Kyle Busch Motorsports drivers formed a plan after Stage 2 to ride around in the back of the field and wait for their moment. Unfortunately for Eckes who crashed on the last lap, the team’s plan somewhat came to fruition with Lessard getting the win and his teammate Chandler Smith finishing third in the running.
With Kyle Busch Motorsports somewhat enjoying their Talladega success, we’ll take a look at other stories you might have missed from the Chevrolet Silverado 250.
- Two Crew Chiefs Ejected – Quite possibly one of the most newsworthy stories prior to the race getting underway, two Truck Series crew chiefs were ejected for violating vent holes in the prerace inspection. Those crew chiefs were Trip Bruce for the No. 52 of Stewart Friesen and Doug George for the No. 9 of Codie Rohrbaugh. Both crew chiefs were fined and replaced by personnel within the race team.
- Trevor Bayne Close To Victory – Had the caution not come out for the crash occurring behind the race leaders, we most likely would have been talking about a different race winner which could have been Trevor Bayne. Bayne was close to victory but missed out by .006 seconds to Lessard once the caution had flown. However, if the Niece Motorsports driver had won the race, the victory would have been Bayne’s first since 2013 in the Xfinity Series at Iowa, the site of his last NASCAR career victory. The second-place finish was Bayne’s best since the Chicago Xfinity Series race back in 2014. Nonetheless, Bayne also had news of his own, as he will pilot the No. 45 Niece Motorsports Chevy for the remainder of the 2020 Truck Series season.
- Rohrbaugh and Anderson Continue Superspeedway Success – It seems as though we keep seeing the names of Jordan Anderson and Codie Rohrbaugh at the end of the superspeedway races this season. That continued on Saturday afternoon when Rohrbaugh scored a fifth-place finish, his second top-five of his career, while Anderson finished sixth, his second Top 10 finish of the year. Both Rohrbaugh and Anderson finished second and third, respectively, earlier this year at the season opener at Daytona.
- Other Drivers Have Career Best Day At Talladega – With the focus on the Truck Series playoff drivers, there were numerous other Truck Series regulars who enjoyed their best finish of the season to date. Chandler Smith placed third, his best finish of the year, while Clay Greenfield finished 14th in the running order where his former best was 21st at Darlington. Norm Benning earned a 22nd place in his outing and Josh Reaume matched a 23rd place finish.
Harvick, Keselowski, Truex and Logano remain above the cutline following eventful runs at Talladega
Following a long, eventful and controversial run of the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, October 4, there were two things that Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr. and Joey Logano all concurred on. The first was making the most of their long runs at Talladega despite being involved in separate incidents of their own and emerging with battered race cars. The second was setting their sights on next Sunday’s Playoff elimination race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval with stable points cushions above the top-eight cutline as all four try to retain their titles hopes for this season.
For Harvick, he started in fifth place and led a total of two laps throughout the race, but he kept his No. 4 Jimmy John’s Ford Mustang towards the rear of the field to avoid the carnage ensuing throughout the race. It was not until the race was sent into overtime where Harvick was in position to notch a strong result within the top 10 and place himself in a comfortable cushion for next weekend’s race at Charlotte. His conservative race went away during the first overtime attempt, however, when he was collected in a multi-car wreck. Despite the damage, he continued. Settling at the rear of the pack for a third overtime attempt, Harvick limped across the line in 22nd place, but he gained two spots to 20th place after Matt DiBenedetto and Chris Buescher were both penalized and demoted from top-10 runs due to double yellow line penalties.
With his 20th-place result, Harvick is 68 points above the top-eight cutline entering the second Playoff elimination race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, thus giving him a stable cushion of transferring to the Round of 8 in the Playoffs.
“We tried to take care of our Jimmy John’s Ford Mustang most of the day and wound up starting fourth on one of the restarts toward the end and wound up part of the attrition for the day,” Harvick said on NBC. “Looking up and down pit road, it doesn’t look like there’s very many cars that don’t have damage. We need to try to run well just to put ourselves in a good position for next year since we’re gonna come back with the same rules package and things. Obviously, you want to run good. Winning the race would be great as well, so that’s always the goal.”
For Brad Keselowski, he started in seventh place and he led two laps early in the race while he contended towards the front of the pack. His race nearly took a turn for the worse when he was involved in a multi-car wreck on the frontstretch on Lap 109. With little damage reported to his No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang, Keselowski rallied and went on to lead four additional laps for the remainder of the race. He also racked up a bevy of stage points by finishing in the top five in both stages. Despite having a car in contention of winning while battling with his Penske teammates, he was involved in a late incident during the second overtime attempt after being hit by a spinning Bubba Wallace and he spun out on the final lap following contact with former teammate Tyler Reddick.
Despite being scored in 18th place on the final scoreboard and with a damaged No. 2 Ford, Keselowski is 41 points above the top-eight cutline entering next weekend’s race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval.
“I hope Tony Stewart is watching because he would be proud,” Keselowski said on NBC. “We wrecked every car in the field and I wrecked four times in somebody else’s mess. This rules package just has everybody so on top of each other. Runs are just so fast and everybody wants to block and the runs are too fast to block and causes a lot of wrecks, but we made it through somewhat okay, I guess. We finished 18th and scored a lot of stage points, got a decent points cushion going into the Roval, but that’s gonna be a madhouse because there are a lot of cars next week that are gonna need a big race. Hopefully, we just get through there with a solid day with the Discount Tire Ford and move on.”
For Martin Truex Jr., who started in third place, the majority of Sunday’s race at Talladega went well for him as he led a total of six laps and won the second stage. Despite having a car to contend for the win in the final laps and while racing with his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates, Truex’s race went away during the first overtime attempt when he was involved in a multi-car wreck along with teammate Kyle Busch, Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick. Though he lost two laps in the process of having the damage to his No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry repaired, Truex was able to cross the finish line in 23rd place.
With his 23rd-place result, Truex is 32 points above the top-eight cutline entering next weekend’s race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, an event where he nearly won in 2018 until he was involved in a final lap altercation with Jimmie Johnson.
“It was textbook, as perfect as Talladega could go for us,” Truex said on NBC. “Just nowhere to go obviously in that last wreck. Proud of the effort, strong car. We wanted to get stage points and we got a stage win, that was a nice little bonus. Had fun up until the crash. Just wrong place, wrong time. Wish we could have ran until the end. We had a really fast Bass Pro Toyota…Go to the Roval and have some fun next week. I feel like we can go there and win. That’s what we’re gonna try to do.”
For Logano, who started in eighth place, the majority of his run on Sunday at Talladega went very well as he led three laps and finished in second place in the first stage. In the second stage, however, he was assessed a penalty prior to the stage’s conclusion following contact with Matt DiBenedetto, where he forced DiBenedetto below the double yellow line on the backstretch. Despite the penalty, Logano muscled his way back to the front and kept himself in contention at the front as he led a race-high 45 laps. While Logano appeared to have a race-winning car established as he prevented runs from overtaking him on both lanes, his race went away during the first overtime attempt when he forced Chase Elliott below the double yellow line entering Turn 4, though Elliott was able to take the lead. Placed in a three-wide situation and getting shuffled back entering the tri-oval, Logano’s chances of winning all but evaporated when he was clipped by Kyle Busch and was involved in a multi-car wreck. Shortly after, Logano was informed that he was being penalized a second time for forcing Elliott below the double yellow line. Following a red flag period due to the wreck, however, Logano was unable to continue as he was pushed back to the garage by a wrecker.
Despite concluding his run in 26th place and with a DNF, Logano retains the eighth and final transfer spot to the Round of 8 by 21 points over Kyle Busch and Austin Dillon entering next weekend’s Playoff elimination race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval.
“We had a lot of speed in our Shell/Pennzoil Mustang car,” Logano said in the infield care center on NBC. “It was fast and it was up towards the front the whole race, leading a lot of laps. We were right where we wanted to be at the end of the race and [Elliott] had a huge run. I probably shouldn’t have tried to block it. He was so fast and I lost a lot of momentum when I tried to block that, and that gave [William Byron] a big run and then I got in the middle and then I got in the soup and the next thing that happens is they all crashed, so it’s gonna be a tough week next week.”
Harvick, Keselowski, Truex and Logano, along with their fellow Cup Series competitors, will return for next weekend’s series race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval on Sunday, October 11, at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
Dillon and Bowman rally for top-15 runs at Talladega
If there were two competitors who experienced on-track trials and challenges throughout the recent NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, October 4, but persevered and made it to the finish for top-15 results, they were Austin Dillon and Alex Bowman.
Since the closing laps of the first stage through the final lap of the overall race at Talladega, Dillon and Bowman, both of whom are among the remaining 12 Playoff contenders in contention for this year’s championship battle, were surrounded by and even involved in carnages of their own. By refusing to retire and opting to nurse their patched-up cars to the finish, both enter next weekend’s Playoff elimination race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval with a fighting chance of retaining their title hopes of this season and advancing into the Round of 8.
For Austin Dillon, who started in 12th place, his issues started on Lap 58 when he sustained damage in a multi-car wreck that involved a handful of Playoff contenders. Though Dillon sustained little damage to his No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, he was able to settle in third place when the first stage concluded under caution as he collected a bevy of stage points. Moments after, however, he limped back to pit road in a cautious pace due to cutting a left-rear tire.
Despite recovering from his early issues and damage in the first stage, Dillon encountered issues again on Lap 109 when he made contact with Daniel Suarez in a midst of another multi-car pileup that involved Jimmie Johnson, Cole Custer, Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch, who went for a wild ride in the air. Following repairs to his car, the Welcome, North Carolina, native went on to finish in 18th place in the second stage.
Prior to the final stage, however, Dillon took his No. 3 Chevrolet to the garage for further repairs needed. When he returned to the track, he was scored two laps behind the leaders. Over the next 60 laps, Dillon kept his car intact from further incidents and benefitted from two late incidents to return on the lead lap. During the second overtime restart, however, Dillon was involved in another multi-car incident involving Bubba Wallace. Though he spun his car in Turn 4, he was able to continue without any serious damage. In the midst of a wild conclusion to the race in a third overtime attempt, Dillon was able to cross the finish line in 14th place. With Matt DiBenedetto and Chris Buescher being penalized and sent further down the final scoreboard due to double yellow line penalties on the final lap, Dillon was credited with a 12th-place result.
Dillon’s 12th-place result marked his 19th top-15 result of this season as he also rebounded from a 32nd-place result in last weekend’s Playoff race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. With his result, Dillon is ranked in 10th place in the Playoff standings and is 21 points below the top-eight cutline to advance to the Playoff’s Round of 8. Being the lone Richard Childress Racing competitor in contention for this year’s Cup title, he will receive a final opportunity to race his way into the Round of 8 next Sunday at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval and keep his title hopes alive.
“Just a never-give-up-attitude,” Dillon said on NBC. “Last week was a real bummer, but these guys kept fighting. We changed an oil cooler behind the wall and only lost two laps. Last week, we lost eight doing the belt, so this guys are special. They are true professionals. I gotta thank Bass Pro Shops, Dow, everybody that helps out with our program, Chevrolet. That was a lot of fun. We got our stage points in the first stage even with a little bit of damage. In the second stage, we just couldn’t keep up with the damage we had gotten, but to come back to 12th, this car is killed. I had a huge run down the backstretch at the end of the race. I pushed [Brennan] Poole way up there. Once I shoved him, I got to the bottom and then I don’t know what happened. [Keselowski] came across my nose and we lost a couple more spots at the end. It was fun. It was probably a wild race for the fans to watch. I hope that we can make something happen at the Roval. We’re a little too far back in points, but we’ll see what we can do.”
For Bowman, who started in fourth place, his issues also started on Lap 58. Unlike Dillon, Bowman sustained more damage to his No. 88 Truck Hero/Patriot Foundation Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE due to a multi-car accident occurring in front of him when he made contact with race leader and Playoff contender Aric Almirola while receiving a run and a push from Joey Logano. The wreck occurred as the Hendrick Motorsports driver from Tucson, Arizona, was having a strong run towards the front prior to the incident. While Almirola retired, Bowman was able to continue, though he was mired at the back of the pack and with a damaged race car. Through the first two stages, he was unable to work his way back into the top 10 and he failed to collect valuable stage points.
Throughout the race, nonetheless, Bowman was able to avoid sustaining more damage to his car through more incidents occurring towards the front of the pack as he slowly made his way back towards the front. With 45 laps remaining, he had worked his way back into second place behind Bubba Wallace. By then, he had pitted a total of 11 times and was still in contention for a potential win with a patched up front nose to his car. He eventually got shuffled back into the top 15 and despite making runs into the top 10, he never worked his way back towards the front.
Following a late pit stop due to a flat tire, Bowman dodged a number of late incidents and worked his way from being outside the top 20 on the track to restart and nurse his No. 88 Chevrolet across the finish line in 16th place following three overtime attempts. With Matt DiBenedetto and Chris Buescher being penalized and shuffled back due to double yellow line penalties on the final lap, Bowman was able to gain two spots on the track to settle in 14th place on the final scoreboard.
Bowman’s 14th-place run marked his 17th top-15 result of this season and coming off a fifth-place result last Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Overall, Bowman made 16 trips to pit road, most due to repairs needed. With his result, Bowman is 22 points above the top-eight cutline entering next Sunday’s Playoff elimination race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, an event where he has finished in the top five twice the previous two seasons.
“This group of guys worked their butts off on pit road – very thankful for their hard work,” Bowman said on NBC. “Our Truck Hero Camaro, with Patriot Foundation on the side of it, was not really where we wanted it be to start the race. We made some changes, got it better and then I became a Ford sandwich there getting off turn two. I got pushed into [Almirola] there – that was a bummer. If that was my fault, apologies to the 10. I felt like I got shoved into him, but it’s one of those deals you never want to be in that situation and crash somebody or cause a crash like that. So, bummed out about that. It was a really long day, lots of trips down pit road. We crashed like three times after that…Just glad we finished. We have a little bit of a buffer. We’re going into a wild card race, but should have a good week ahead of us.”
Dillon and Bowman, along with their fellow Cup Series competitors, will return for the next series race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval on Sunday, October 11, at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
