XFINITY CONTENDERS TO APPLY ROUND OF 12 LESSONS AT KANSAS

RELATED: Chase Grid

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – The first round of the first Chase for NASCAR's XFINITY Series trimmed the field of championship hopefuls from 12 to eight.

The three-race subset also served as a learning tool for those who advanced to the second round, which begins Saturday with the Kansas Lottery 300 (3 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) here atKansas Speedway.

"I learned that in the first race of the first round the intensity level was very high,"Daniel Suarez (Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19 Toyota) said Friday. "It was definitely more high than what I was expecting."

Elliott Sadler (JR Motorsports No. 1 Chevrolet) won the Chase opener held atKentucky Speedway. Suarez was a close second, won the following week at Dover and finished third last weekend at Charlotte, unofficially taking the mantle of Chase favorite with four races remaining.

"I thought everyone was going to go out there to try to be consistent and to try to make it for the next round and that wasn't the case," Suarez said. "Everyone was going for the win and everything got a little crazy in the first race in Kentucky.

"But, honestly I'm very proud of everyone …. We had three races with three top-three finishes which I think is something really good for the first round. We have to do exactly the same thing for the second round and after that try to put ourselves in a good position for Homestead and pull everything we have for that last race and the most important race of the year."

Sprint Cup Series regular Joey Loganowon the Charlotte event, the only race not won by an XFINITY Series regular in the Round of 12. 

Suarez, 24, said he expects the level of intensity seen in that opening race to return here this weekend as drivers and teams try to knock out an early win and qualify for the Round of 8.

"For some reason everyone – I thought everyone was going to be more relaxed in the first race but for some reason everyone was very, like I said, the intensity level was very high," he said. "And, then for the second race it was lower and everyone was more relaxed because everyone was a little bit too crazy in the first one. I wouldn't be surprised if it was the same in this second round.

"I don't think that I was myself, I don't think I got super crazy in Kentucky and we ended up with a pretty good result. Actually I felt like we should've won that race, we just came up one lap short.

"I felt like everything that we learned the whole year we are trying to put that in the most important part of the year in the Chase in the first round and second round in order to get to the last race at Homestead and so far it's been working out. So, hopefully we can keep it up and move forward."

Justin Allgaier (JRM), Erik Jones (JGR),Brendan Gaughan (Richard Childress Racing), Ryan Reed (Roush Fenway Racing), Darrell Wallace Jr. (RFR) andBlake Koch (Kaulig Racing) complete the Round of 8 for the XFINITY Series Chase.

Suarez, Sadler and Jones are the only drivers in the postseason with victories this season.

Gaughan, who has 15 top 10s, including a season-best runner-up at Road America, said the first round taught his team that "organizationally, to make sure we are prepared. 

"Make sure … we have everything kind of set and ready.

"Another thing Shane (Wilson, crew chief) and I learned was (we) still are clowns that do it our way. It works for us. We don't scream and yell. … He doesn't get down on me when I hit a wall twice at Kentucky. And I don't bark at him when I think he makes the wrong call on pit road or we unload and it doesn't handle quite the way I want.

"We're going to do it the way we think it needs to be done, stay patient and stay on each other’s team. A lot of pressure comes on these guys … and a lot of people succumb to that pressure."

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers have won the last three XFINITY Series races at Kansas.

Jeb Burton back in No. 98 for Xfinity Series race at Charlotte

Jeb Burton will compete in his 14th Xfinity Series race of the year this weekend in the Drive for the Cure 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Burton, the son of former Sprint Cup driver Ward Burton, will make his third start in the No. 98 Ford Mustang of Biagi-DenBeste Racing. Burton drove the No. 43 for Richard Petty Motorsports in the first 11 races of the year. For Biagi-DenBeste Racing he has started at Indianapolis and Richmond, with a best finish of 12th at Indy.

“Our goal this weekend is to maintain good track position and get another top-10 finish,” Burton said in a press release. “I’m ready to be back racing and bring home a top finish for the whole organization.”

Biagi-DenBeste Racing has one win this year. Aric Almirola took the No. 98 to victory lane in the July race at Daytona International Speedway for the team’s second win in the Xfinity Series in 210 starts.

Burton will be making just his 16th career Xfinity start. His last start for Richard Petty Motorsports came in the May race at Charlotte, where he finished 11th.

Preliminary entry list for Xfinity Chase race at Charlotte

There are 45 cars on the preliminary entry list for the Xfinity Series’ Drive for the Cure 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Five cars will not qualify for the race.

The race is the first cutoff event in the inaugural Xfinity Chase and will whittle the Chase grid to eight drivers.

There are seven Sprint Cup drivers in the field: Austin Dillon, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Matt DiBenedetto and Kyle Larson.

The defending winner of the race is Austin Dillon, who swept the 2015 races. Denny Hamlin won the May race this year after leading 76 laps.

Click here for the entry list for the Drive for the Cure 300.

BRUCE: XFINITY CHASE INTENSITY RATCHETS UP AGGRESSION

SPARTA, Ky. -- Was Saturday night's opening Chase race for NASCAR’s XFINITY Series an example of good, hard racing or a case of folks driving over their heads?

That depends on who one asked afterward.

Race winner Elliott Sadler wasn’t pointing fingers, and race winners have rarely been heard to utter a discouraging word. But the JR Motorsports driver said he did notice an uptick in intensity during the VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300 at Kentucky Speedway.

"About halfway through the race, it was 'note to self; you can tell it's the Chase because it was caution after caution after caution," Sadler said afterward. "People were tense, eager, frustrated, nervous. A lot of different things going on with drivers right now ... trying to make it to the second (round).

"I think people are giving each other less room. Restarts are crazy in the back."

They were crazy up front, too. The race, which kicked off a seven-race, two-round elimination playoff for the series, saw the caution flag fly a track record 12 times. More than one-fourth of the race (64 laps) was run under the yellow. Yes, there was even a brief (5 min., 34 sec.) red-flag period.

Erik Jones, the top seed and regular-season leader in race wins, got crossed up while racing with Ty Dillon and both the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Toyota and the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet ended up in the wall.

RELATED: See the wreck the caught two title contenders

Each is now outside eighth place in points with two races to try and improve their standing; only the top eight (with the exception of a Chase race winner that might be 9th-12th) advance to the second round.

Not surprisingly, Jones wasn't particularly pleased with the early ending to his night and said later that the aggressive driving does cause one to approach the race differently.

"Yeah, it makes me try to stay out of trouble," he said. "I didn't want to have something like that happen. ... You try to play defense some. I was for sure."

Of course, there was the matter of a reconfigured track that sports new asphalt and distinctly different turns. That, too, played a role in the difficulties for some.

And that was to be expected, said Brendan Gaughan, driver of the No. 62 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing.

"It didn't seem like it was any more aggressive than normal," Gaughan said after finishing sixth.

"It's a very narrow race track here right now. That Turn 3 is treacherous, man. There's no grip on the entry, there's no width on the entry. It's a treacherous, treacherous place at the moment. ...

"It's still Kentucky. I love it."

The fight to advance into the next round began early, but it's not the only battle going on and Saturday night's race brought some of that to light.

In addition to the driver's championship, there's an owners title at stake and a couple of teams didn’t forget about that.

At the end of the regular season, the No. 2 team of RCR was atop the owners' standings, followed by the No. 18 of Joe Gibbs Racing, the No. 1 of JRM with Sadler behind the wheel, and the No. 22 of Team Penske.

Chevy, Toyota, Chevy and Ford. You think those folks aren't paying close attention?

RCR brought in Sam Hornish Jr. to keep the No. 2 team in the hunt; Penske handed the reins to Sprint Cup driver Ryan Blaney.

Sadler got the win, but a solid fifth-place run by Matt Tifft put the JGR No. 18 atop the owners' standings. JRM (No. 1) now sits second thanks to the victory while Hornish, who finished fourth, kept the RCR entry in the mix -- it's now third.

Blaney did not fare badly but the way it all shook out left him third on the track and the team now fifth in the owners' battle.

Dover, a fast, unforgiving mile of concrete, is up next. Some folks will be looking to rebound, some looking to continue to ride a hot start.

If Kentucky was any indication, they better hope they can just hang on.

Brandon Jones returning to RCR’s No. 33 Xfinity car in 2017

The driver roster for Richard Childress Racing’s Xfinity Series operation in 2017 continues to fill out with the announcement that Brandon Jones will return to the No. 33 car next season.

The news comes with Jones set to begin the inaugural Xfinity Chase as one of its 12 members.

It also joins the announcement from last weekend that Camping World Truck Series driver Daniel Hemric has signed with RCR to drive in the Xfinity Series next year.

Jones enters the Chase with 11 top-10 finishes in 26 starts, but no top fives. The only time he’s led a race was 36 laps at Talladega Superspeedway in April. His average finish is 12.9. His only top five in Xfinity competition came at Kentucky in 2015, when he made five starts.

“Brandon has shown he has the talent behind the wheel to run up front and compete for championships in the Xfinity Series, and we are pleased he will continue to do so in an RCR Chevrolet,” said Richard Childress in a press release. “We are proud of everything he has accomplished this season, including leading laps, making the inaugural Xfinity Series Chase and contending for the Rookie of the Year title. Brandon has also been an excellent spokesman for our sponsors and does an exceptional job representing our brand.”

Jones, 19, is a native of Atlanta. He’s made 30 starts in the Camping World Truck Series since 2013, recording five top fives and no wins. His only win in NASCAR competition came in the K&N Pro Series East at Iowa Speedway in 2014.

“I am honored to return to Richard Childress Racing for the 2017 season,” said Jones in a press release. “RCR is such a storied NASCAR organization and it’s a great opportunity to be a part of the team. Racing full-time in the Xfinity Series this season has been a valuable learning experience. I believe we have what it takes to compete for the championship throughout the Chase this season and make another run at the title in 2017.”

During the Hemric announcement on Saturday, Childress said his grandson Ty Dillon would run “almost a full” Xfinity season next year. Dillon is expected to run full-time in the Sprint Cup Series as well.

Entry list for Xfinity Series’ first Chase race at Kentucky Speedway

There are 39 cars on the preliminary entry list for the Xfinity Series’ Chase opening VisityMyrtleBeach.com 300 at Kentucky Speedway.

Ryan Blaney is the only Sprint Cup driver in the field, driving the No. 22 for Team Penske. Blaney is the defending winner of the race.

Matt Tifft will drive Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18. It will be Tifft’s first Xfinity start since undergoing brain surgery on July 1. Tifft made his first NASCAR start since the surgery last weekend in the Camping World Truck Series.

Only one car, the No. 72, does not have a driver attached to it.

Ty Dillon leads NASCAR Xfinity practice at Richmond

Ty Dillon posted the fastest lap in Friday’s lone Xfinity practice session at Richmond International Raceway with a lap of 122.144 mph.

The top seven on the speed chart are full-time Xfinity Series drivers.

Dillon was followed by Daniel Suarez (121.212 mph), Blake Koch (121.190), JJ Yeley (120.984), Ryan Reed (120.805), Brandon Jones (120.741) and Jeremy Clements (120.719). Brad Keselowski, who was eighth, was the first full-time Cup driver on the speed chart at 120.697 mph.

Jeb Burton had the best 10 consecutive lap average at 118.043 mph. He was followed by Justin Marks (117.805 mph) and Erik Jones (117.107).

Austin Theriault had the only significant contact with the wall, hitting it with less than 20 minutes left in the 1-hour, 55-minute session.

Xfinity qualifying is scheduled to begin at 4:15 p.m. ET with the race set to take the green flag at 7:44 p.m. ET. Both can be seen on NBCSN.

Elliott Sadler extends Xfinity points lead after Darlington win

Elliott Sadler extended his points lead to 54 points after his victory in Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Darlington Raceway.

Daniel Suarez remains second in the season standings. The top 26 drivers did not change positions in the points after the race.

Xfinity and Truck Series warning and penalty report

NASCAR has fined Camping World Truck Series driver Spencer Gallagher $5,000 following the series’ race at Michigan International Speedway for approaching the track surface after exiting his wrecked car.

Gallagher left his No. 23 truck after a Lap 76 incident with Christopher Bell, whose truck he approached. Gallagher said he was concerned for Bell’s safety.

NASCAR also issued a written warning to the No. 18 Xfinity series team of Joe Gibbs Racing during the race weekend at Road America.

The No. 18, which was driven by Owen Kelly, failed pre-race laser inspection twice and received its fourth warning. A team loses pit selection after a fourth warning. There was only one inspection period prior to qualifying before cars were impounded.

Preliminary Xfinity entry list for Road America

Forty-one cars are entered for Saturday’s Road America 180 Fired Up by Johnsonville Xfinity race at Road America.

Michael McDowell is the only Sprint Cup driver doing double-duty between Michigan and Road America this weekend. Justin Marks, who won in the rain at Mid-Ohio two weeks ago, is entered. Team Penske will have Alex Tagliani in the No. 22 car.

Results and stats for the Xfinity Series race at Mid-Ohio

The NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course saw the second first-time winner of the season in Just Marks, who led 43 laps on the rain soaked road course.

After eight cautions, the race finished with a top five of Marks, Sam Hornish Jr., Ryan Blaney, Ty Dillon and Justin Allgaier.

Here are the results and stats for the race.

Israel native Alon Day impresses in NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Mid-Ohio

Even thought he was half a world away from his native Israel, Alon Day felt right at home in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

In making his Xfinity debut, Day became the first Israeli-born driver to compete in a NASCAR race in the United States, finishing a respectable 13th, including challenging for the lead at one point.

Part of the reason Day seemed so comfortable behind the wheel of the No. 40 Dodge is his past experience in road course racing as well as racing in the rain overseas. When the rains came early in Saturday’s race and again heavier late in the event, it actually played to Day’s experience and skill set.

“I knew the rain would come and I could get some spots (to challenge),” Day said. “The moment the rain hits and I realized we would change to rain tires, I knew I had the speed and would attack as soon as possible.

“On the first restart and attacking immediately, I knew some guys would be slow in the rain. I have experience on the rain in Europe, I used to drive in the rain all the time, so I’m really happy. I can’t imagine how excited I am.”

Alon Day finished an impressive 13th during the 4th annual NASCAR XFINITY Series Mid-Ohio Challenge at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Saturday.
Day, who is part of the NASCAR Next program, potentially could have finished with a top 5, maybe top 10.

“It was fun until the second rain,” he said. “When the second rain came, someone spun and hit my front suspension and damaged the car and, unfortunately, it was almost impossible to drive the car.

“I knew I had a shot for top-five, but it was impossible to drive from that moment. I just tried to survive and unfortunately it wasn’t the same.”

Day, who previously dabbled briefly (six races in 2012) in the Indy Lights Series, plans to drive in several more Xfinity races between now and the end of the season. His next race is in two weeks at Road America.

He’s also still in a heated championship battle in the NASCAR Euro Series.

“I’m hoping that at Road America, I can do the same – maybe even better,” Day said. “We expect to do five more races, but it all depends on sponsorship and finding the budget.

“My expectation wasn’t that high, to be honest. If I finished 25th, I’d be super high for that. Suddenly, I find myself fighting for the lead, and that’s not bad, you know?”

Who’s Hot, Who’s Not among Xfinity regulars heading into Mid-Ohio

It doesn’t happen that often during a season, so savor it.

This weekend’s Xfinity Series race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course will feature just one Sprint Cup regular in the starting lineup: Ryan Blaney.

Blaney will be driving Team Penske’s No. 22 Ford in the race at the 2.258 mile, 13-turn track.

It will be only the third time through 21 races that there’s just one Cup regular in a Xfinity race. The other two races were at Iowa Speedway, where Brad Keselowski drove the No. 22.

Saturday’s race will feature a first-time winner at the track as the victors of the first three races at Mid-Ohio – AJ Allmendinger, Chris Buescher and Regan Smith – are not entered into it.

Chances are good that the 75-lap event will feature a win by a Xfinity Series regular, which has only occurred five times in 20 races so far.

Here’s a look at Who’s Hot/Who’s Not among Xfinity drivers heading to the Lexington, Ohio, road course.

Who’s Hot:

Elliott Sadler  – Seventeen top-10 finishes in 2016 (most of all drivers) including eight of the last nine races. Finished in the top 10 in all three past races at Mid-Ohio. Ten top 10s in the last 11 road course races (finished 12th at Road America last year ending a streak of nine straight top 10s on road courses).

Justin Allgaier  – Finished in the top 10 in seven of the last eight races including two top fives. Finished in the top 10 in his last eight starts on road courses including a win at Montreal in August 2012 (most recent win). Finished eighth at Mid-Ohio in 2013 in his only start there.

Daniel Suarez – Has finished in the top five in nine races in 2016; only drivers with more are Erik Jones and Kyle Busch with 11 each. Five top fives in the last eight races. Finished fourth at Watkins Glen, his only top 10 in four races on road courses. Finished 11th in this race last year in his only Mid-Ohio start.

Brennan Poole – Finished in top 10 in five of the last seven races including a fourth at Iowa and a 10th at Watkins Glen last week in his first road course start.

Erik Jones – Eleven top fives in 2016 are tied with Kyle Busch for the most in the series and are two more than any other driver; finished top five in three of the last five races. Six poles and three wins in 2016. Finished 12th last week at Watkins Glen in his only Xfinity road course start (ran out of fuel mid-race).

Ty Dillon – finished top-10 in only four of the last eight races. Finished 11th at Watkins Glen, ending a streak of three straight top-10 finishes on road courses. Finished 19th and third in his two Mid-Ohio starts.

Who’s Not:

Darrell Wallace Jr. – One top-10 finish in the last six races and none in the last four. Finished
29th last week at Watkins Glen. Two top-10 finishes in four Xfinity road course starts. Finished eighth in this race last year in his only Mid-Ohio start.

Brandon Jones  – Only one top 10 in the last seven races (10th at Indianapolis). Started 19th, finished 29th at Mid-Ohio in August 2015 and finished 13th last week at Watkins Glen in only other road course start.

Other interesting notes entering this weekend:

Four drivers fighting for the bubble in the Chase are within 14 points of each other: Ross Chastain (-2), Dakoda Armstrong (-9), Jeremy Clements (-14) and Blake Koch (+2).
Team Penske has an average finish of 2.75 at Mid-Ohio and has led 44 percent of the laps raced there (114 of 259).
Mid-Ohio is one of four tracks Joe Gibbs Racing hasn’t won at in the Xfinity Series (Pocono, Watkins Glen and Road America).

Rookies make NASCAR history with weekend sweep of national series

If it wasn’t for quite a bit of fog, last weekend’s slate of NASCAR action likely wouldn’t have been that different from many race weekends the last two decades.

Fog forced NASCAR to halt the Sprint Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway 22 laps from its scheduled distance, giving the win to Chris Buescher, one of the Rookie of the Year contenders. That sealed a milestone that had never been accomplished since the Camping World Truck Series debuted in 1995.

Buescher’s win meant Rookie of the Year contenders in all three national series – Sprint Cup, Xfinity and the Camping World Truck Series – swept the weekend.

The feat was started by William Byron, who won in the Truck series. It was his fifth win of the year, which set a Truck series record for rookies. Later Saturday night, Erik Jones led 154 laps at Iowa Speedway en route to winning his third race of the year.

Then Buescher’s team gambled on Monday during pit stops, putting his No. 34 Ford out front just in time for fog to cover all of Turn 1.

Buescher was the first rookie contender to win a Sprint Cup race since Joey Logano did at New Hampshire in 2009. Before that it had only been four times since 2005: Kyle Busch at Phoenix (2005), Denny Hamlin in Pocono I and II (2006) and Juan Pablo Montoya at Sonoma (2007).

Buescher’s win was also his first Sprint Cup top-10 finish, which came a week after his career-best finish of 14th at Indianapolis. The Prosper, Texas, native is one of just five drivers to have earned their first top 10 via a win.

Before him it was Trevor Bayne (2011), Brad Keselowski (2009), Jamie McMurray (2002) and Mark Donohue (1973).

Results from Friday’s Xfinity Subway Firecracker 250 at Daytona

Aric Almirola won by less than a nose on the front end of his Ford Mustang, capturing Friday night’s Subway Firecracker 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway.

Justin Allgaier finished second. Here’s the finishing order:

Suarez remains in Xfinity Series points lead after Daytona

Even though he was involved in a late wreck and finished 32nd in Friday’s Subway Firecracker 250 at Daytona International Speedway, Daniel Suarez remains atop the NASCAR Xfinity Series point standings.

But things remain tight between Suarez, second-ranked Elliott Sadler (just six points behind) and third-ranked Ty Dillon (16 points behind Suarez).

Here’s how the standings stack up as the series leaves Daytona:

Friday’s Xfinity, Sprint Cup schedule at Daytona

Friday marks the midpoint of the three-day racing weekend at Daytona International Speedway.

Because of Thursday’s rainout, the Sprint Cup Series will have a 45-minute practice session from 9:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. ET.

Later, both the NASCAR Xfinity Series and Sprint Cup Series have qualifying sessions.

Then, the first race of the weekend — the Xfinity Series Subway Firecracker 250 — is slated to take the green flag at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Here’s how today’s schedule shapes up:

(All times Eastern)

8:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. – Sprint Cup garage open

9:45 – 10:30 a.m. – Sprint Cup practice (NBCSN)

Noon – Xfinity garage opens

2:10 p.m. – Xfinity qualifying; single car/two rounds (NBCSN)

3:45 p.m. – Xfinity driver-crew chief meeting

4:10 p.m. – Sprint Cup qualifying; single car/two rounds (NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

7 p.m. – Xfinity driver introductions

7:30 p.m. – Firecracker 250 Xfinity race; 100 laps, 250 miles (NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Tonight’s Xfinity race at Daytona: Start time, weather, TV/radio info and lineup

After enjoying last weekend off, the Xfinity Series returns to action tonight with the Subway Firecracker 250 at Daytona International Speedway.

It will be the 15th race of the 2016 season for the circuit and the 50th Xfinity race at one of NASCAR’s signature tracks.

Here’s all the info you need for today’s race.

(All times are Eastern)

START: Subway Franchisee and retired U.S. Air Force Sgt. Kelly Miller will give the command for drivers to start engines at 7:38 p.m. Green flag is set to wave at 7:50 p.m.

DISTANCE: The race is 100 laps (250 miles) around the 2.5-mile oval.

PRERACE SCHEDULE: The Xfinity garage opens at noon. The driver/crew chief meeting is at 3:45 p.m. Driver introductions are at 7 p.m.

NATIONAL ANTHEM: Musician First Class David Kraftchak, vocalist of the U.S. Navy Band of the Southeast, will perform the anthem at 7:31 p.m.

TV/RADIO: NBCSN will broadcast the race with its coverage beginning at 7:30 p.m. (NBCSN Countdown to Green airs at 7 p.m.). Motor Racing Network’s radio broadcast and at MRN.com will begin at 7 p.m. SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will carry the MRN broadcast.

FORECAST: The wunderground.com stie predicts a temperature of 82 degrees at race time with a 60 percent chance of rain.

LAST TIME: One day before he’d be involved in a horrific wreck in the Coke Zero 400 Sprint Cup race, Austin Dillon won the Subway Firecracker 250 on July 4, 2015. Dillon led just nine of 104 laps. Elliott Sadler finished second, followed by Chase Elliott, Kasey Kahneand Benny Gordon. Brian Scott dominated the race, leading 84 laps but was involved in a 11-car race on Lap 97 and finished 23rd, three laps off the pace.

STARTING LINEUP:

Qualifying is set for Saturday afternoon.

Follow the leader: JR Motorsports carries Dale Jr.’s mantle in Xfinity plate races

The last time the Xfinity Series visited Daytona International Speedway, the race ended in the familiar sight of a bunch of drivers trying – and failing – to chase down a car with the No. 88 on its side.

But for once, the driver who emerged from the car wasn’t Dale Earnhardt Jr., who has won 10 times at Daytona in the Sprint Cup and Xfinity Series. It was Chase Elliott, who got to celebrate with Earnhardt the team owner.

Elliott’s win – his first on a restrictor-plate track – was the third JR Motorsports triumph at Daytona in five starts. It followed a sweep of the 2014 races by Regan Smith and Kasey Kahne.

In addition to his win in February, Elliott also earned the pole in both Sprint Cup plate races.

Like its owner, JR Motorsports’ restrictor-plate success is not limited to the Florida coast. The team has returned from Talladega Superspeedway victorious twice since 2013. Elliott Sadler claimed the win in May’s race after he was ruled to be the leader when the caution came out on the final lap.

“Our restrictor-plate program is very good right now,” Sadler said in a press release. “We had the lead at Daytona on the last lap to start the season and we just won Talladega a few weeks ago. We’re in a position, being locked in the Chase, where we can go down this weekend and be aggressive and do everything we can to just focus on winning the race.”

Sadler’s win gives JRM five in the last 10 races on plate tracks with four different drivers. The team’s avg finish of 4.57 in the first two plate races of 2016 is five positions better than any other team.

JRM will have Elliott, Sadler and Justin Allgaier on the track for this weekend’s Firecracker 250. The three drivers combined have three plate wins. Allgaier has three top fives in 17  Xfinity starts at plate races.

If one of them winds up in victory lane, it would make JR Motorsports the third team to sweep the Xfinity Series’ three plate races. The last two were Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008 and Dale Earnhardt, Inc. in 2003.

That year, Earnhardt pulled the feat off himself, leading 227 laps on the way to three wins.

Results from Sunday’s American Ethanol E15 250 Xfinity race at Iowa

Sam Hornish Jr. took a one-off race opportunity and made the absolute best of it, dominating en route to a win in Sunday’s American Ethanol E15 250 Xfinity Series race at Iowa Speedway.

It was Hornish’s first win since May 2014, which ironically enough also came at the .875-mile track in Newton, Iowa.

Here’s the results of Sunday’s race: