Xfinity Series News (7052)
NASCAR Xfinity Series News
Katherine Legge is anxious to drive in NASCAR circles.
Legge, a veteran of and winner in IMSA’s SportsCar Series, is scheduled to make her NASCAR oval-track debut in Friday’s Go Bowling 250 Xfinity Series race at Richmond Raceway.
The 250-lap, 187-mile race will be Legge’s first on a NASCAR oval. She has raced for JD Motorsports with Gary Keller in a pair of Xfinity road-course events this year, finishing 30th at Mid-Ohio and 14th at Mid-America. She will drive the JD Motorsports No. 15 Chevrolet again Friday.
Legge, a British driver, will race with sponsorship from BUBBA Burger.
“Richmond is going to be a big test for Katherine,” said team owner Johnny Davis. “Running these big cars on an oval for the first time is quite the task. But she has performed great in our cars so far, and there’s no reason to think she won’t do well in a new environment.”
Practices are scheduled at Richmond at 8:30 and 10:10 a.m. Friday, with qualifying set for 4:35 p.m. The race is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.
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Garrett Smithley is virtually a veteran at Richmond.
Friday’s Go Bowling 250 Xfinity Series race at Richmond Raceway will mark Smithley’s sixth Xfinity run at the .75-mile track. And he’s looking for better numbers this visit.
Smithley’s best finish at Richmond is a 20th, in his first race there with the JD Motorsports with Gary Keller team. He also has finished 31st, 29th, 32nd and 27th (in this year’s spring race).
“We haven’t had the kind of finish we want at Richmond,” said Smithley, who will drive the JD Motorsports with Gary Keller No. 0 Chevrolet Friday as the Xfinity Series opens its playoff run. “I like the track, but we just haven’t hit it right there yet. We’re looking for a boost in performance Friday night.”
Smithley is 18th in Xfinity driver points.
Practices are scheduled at Richmond at 8:30 and 10:10 a.m. Friday, with qualifying set for 4:35 p.m. The race is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.
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Virginia driver Quin Houff will be going “home” Friday night as he drives for the JD Motorsports with Gary Keller No. 4 team in the Go Bowling 250 Xfinity Series race at Richmond Raceway.
Houff will race at Richmond for the second time and will be in an Xfinity car for the sixth time in his young career. He is from Weyers Cave, Va.
“I am extremely eager to get to Richmond and race Friday,” Houff said. “I’m ready to get back in these Xfinity cars for the first time this year and couldn’t be more excited than to do that with JD Motorsports. This is a full-time team, and I know they expect good finishes.
“I am up for this challenge and know it’s a good thing to have that experience to lean on. This being my second time back to Richmond, my home track, I’m ready to see how I have developed as a driver since my first time there, which was only my second Xfinity race.”
Houff will race with sponsorship from Beatin Cancer With Duke.org on the team Camaro.
Houff started racing Limited Late Models at the age of 13 and advanced into Super Late Models and then into the Automobile Racing Club of America series.
Practices are scheduled at Richmond at 8:30 and 10:10 a.m. Friday, with qualifying set for 4:35 p.m. The race is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.
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| NASCAR Xfinity Series | ||||||
| Infraction Date | Track | Team | level | Infraction | Penalty | |
| 9/15/2018 (pre-race inspection) | las Vegas | No.2 | L1 | Section 8.7.b Vehicles/Equipment/Parts Failing to Meet Specification Note: Vehicle failed inspection multiple times. | Team has been assessed with the loss of 10 driver points and 10 owner points. | |
Sports car veteran Katherine Legge is returning to NASCAR – and bringing BUBBA Burger along for the ride.
JD Motorsports with Gary Keller announced Thursday that BUBBA Burger will sponsor Legge’s No. 15 Chevrolet in Friday’s GoBowling 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Richmond Raceway in Virginia.
BUBBA Burger is a sponsor in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Series, where Legge is a regular competitor. Andy Stenson, BUBBA Burger’s vice president of marketing, said the company is thrilled to be involved with Legge as she continues her NASCAR journey.
“We want to support Katherine and JD Motorsports any way we can,” Stenson said. “Katherine is a strong and accomplished driver, as was proven again this month by her win at Laguna Seca. We’re happy to encourage her entry into NASCAR racing and excited about what she can do going forward.”
The British driver has raced in two other Xfinity events this year, finishing 30th on the road course at Mid-Ohio and 14th in another road-course race at Mid-America. Both races were in JD Motorsports with Gary Keller cars.
Friday night’s race will be her first NASCAR oval attempt.
“Katherine has been great to work with,” said team owner Johnny Davis. “We’re looking forward to seeing what we can do in her oval debut. It’s a different kind of racing, of course, but she has proven she can adapt quickly. Having BUBBA Burger along for the ride will make it even more special.”
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Go Green Racing Heads to Virginia for a Friday Night Showdown at Richmond Raceway
19 Sep 2018 Written by Steven B. WilsonAfter the race getting washed out until Monday in Indy and then having to head out west to the hot desert sun in Las Vegas; it's definitely been a crazy couple weeks for Gase and the Go Green Racing team. However, they've made the most of it by putting together two straight top 15's matching their season best finishes. Now the team is preparing their Donate Life Virginia Chevy for a Friday night showdown at Richmond Raceway. The team returns to Richmond after finishing 22nd at the track back in April.
Gase announced yesterday that Donate Life Virginia is coming on board as the primary sponsor for the Go Bowling 250. Gase has worked with Donate Life Virginia the past six years when the series has come to town. "I’m excited to have Donate Life Virginia on board with us again this weekend. They are a great partner of ours but most importantly they do a GREAT job of raising awareness for donation and honoring all of those affected by it," Gase commented in a previous release.
It's also a big weekend for one of Gase's associate sponsors, Eternal Fan, as they launch their new Fan Memories program at the track. They will be unveiling the World's Largest Racing Piston Thursday morning in which Gase will be in attendance to sign autographs and meet fans. Gase added, "It's going to be a great weekend for us and our friends at Eternal Fan as they launch their new Fan Memories program. We're excited to be apart of the unveiling of the Piston and the launching of their new Fan Memories program."
This weekend will be a one day show for the NASCAR XFINITY Series at Richmond Raceway. First practice begins Friday morning at 8:30 a.m. ET with final practice beginning at 10:10 a.m. ET. Live coverage of both practice sessions will be streaming on the NBC Sports App.
TV/Radio:
The Go Bowling 250 can be seen live on Friday, September 21st on NBCSN. Race coverage will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET. You can also listen in live on MRN Radio, as well as SiriusXM Radio, channel 90.
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Mason Diaz hasn’t been behind the wheel of a race car much this season. Graduating High School, serving as Assistant GM at Southern National Motorsports Park and getting ready to go to college at Old Dominion University kept Diaz busy this year but he’s ready to make his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Richmond Raceway on Friday in the GoBowling 250.
Diaz made his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series last fall at Martinsville Speedway. He did so in grand style qualifying ninth and running up front in the race finishing eighth in the first stage before finishing 23rd in the final rundown after a left rear tire went down running 12th.
The experience was invaluable to a driver who previously had only raced Late Model Stock Cars and Super Late Models throughout the southeast. He won the 2017 Southern National Motorsports Park track championship and rookie of the year in Late Models as well as the North Carolina state and Florida state NASCAR rookie titles.
This season he picked up a Pro Late Model victory at New Smyrna Speedway during the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car racing. Then he followed that up by leading 45-laps in the Baby Rattler at South Alabama Speedway before settling for a second place finish.
Now he has his sights set on making laps and gaining experience in a new car that he’s never raced and on a track he’s never turned a lap on.
“It’s always exciting getting a chance to run a new higher series,” said Diaz. “I’m going in with tempered expectations. I’m looking to qualify solidly, run all the laps and keep the fenders on the car. If we can do that, that’ll be a good weekend for us.”
Diaz, 18, from Manassas, Virginia, will make his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut with the same team that he made his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut with last October, Brandonbilt Motorsports.
“I can’t thank Jerry Brown enough for giving us this opportunity at Richmond,” Diaz commented. “His team gave me a great truck at Martinsville last year and I expect nothing less at Richmond this weekend.”
Diaz’ car will adorn sponsorship from Solid Rock Carriers, Prince William Marina, Old Dominion University Batten College of Engineering and Technology Racing Virginia, DC Trails, Best Bus.com, Grafix Unlimited and The Sign Shop.
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Comcast to Host NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion at Universal Orlando Resort to Celebrate Championship
18 Sep 2018 Written by Steven B. WilsonComcast today announced that this year’s NASCAR Xfinity Series™ champion will celebrate at Universal Orlando Resort™ on Tuesday, Nov. 27 in a series of activities that include fan meet-and-greets, a parade appearance and experiencing some of Universal’s most thrilling attractions, like Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion will take part in a full day of activities that will bring the world of NASCAR front-and-center for park guests, including:
- A fan meet-and-greet and autograph signing at the iconic Universal Orlando globe
- Taking on some of the park’s most thrilling attractions
- Serving as grand marshal in Universal’s Superstar Parade
The NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion will be crowned on Saturday, Nov. 17 after the Ford EcoBoost 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. An elimination-style Playoffs format over the course of seven races will leave four drivers vying for the championship title in Miami. Fans can tune in to the action on NBCSN beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs kick off with the GoBowling 250 at Richmond Raceway on Friday, Sept. 21 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
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Vinnie Miller rallied from a late-race spin to finish 26th in Saturday’s DC Solar 300 Xfinity Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Miller spun in turn three on lap 177 (of 200), bringing out the race’s sixth caution, but there was no damage to the JD Motorsports with Gary Keller No. 01 Chevrolet and he held on to finish the race.
“We were able to salvage a decent finish in the race for JAS Expedited Trucking after struggling in practice yesterday,” Miller said. “I got the air taken off me from another car and spun in the race, but we didn’t have any damage on the JD Motorsports with Gary Keller Camaro. A big thank you to all the guys that work so hard on this team.”
The race ended the Xfinity Series’ regular-season schedule. First-year driver Miller is 27th in points.
The Xfinity playoffs open Sept. 21 at Richmond Raceway in Virginia.
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Landon Cassill’s second run this season for JD Motorsports with Gary Keller produced a 14th-place finish in Saturday’s DC Solar 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Earlier this month, Cassill, who has a long history at JD Motorsports, returned to the team at Darlington Raceway and scored a 14th.
He drove the team’s No. 4 Chevrolet to a lead-lap finish Saturday.
“It’s always fun to be back with Johnny (team owner Johnny Davis) and the guys,” Cassill said. “We had a solid car today and were able to stay in the lead group. I appreciate this team and what they’re able to do.”
The race ended the Xfinity regular season. The playoffs are scheduled to begin Sept. 21 at Richmond Raceway in Virginia.
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Garrett Smithley ended the Xfinity Series regular season with a solid run, finishing 18th in the DC Solar 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Smithley stands 18th in points after the close of the regular season.
He improved his Vegas finish by five spots over the spring race at the 1.5-mile track.
“We were hoping for more, but we had a pretty decent run,” Smithley said. “We made some progress here from the spring race. Every lap gives you a little more knowledge.”
Smithley drove the No. 0 Chevrolet for JD Motorsports with Gary Keller.
The Xfinity Series playoffs are scheduled to begin Sept. 21 at Richmond Raceway in Virginia.
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