N/A
Most NASCAR fans knew Chase Elliott had a bright future ahead. Still, it was hard to imagine the son of Bill Elliott would rise to the top of a national series this quick.
Mostly because, well, no other driver had ever done it before Elliott.
The 18-year-old capped off a phenomenal season behind the wheel in the Nationwide Series by already clinching the title. In doing so, he became the youngest driver to ever win a championship in a long history of the sport.
NASCAR's official account captured the moment in two different pictures that are telling about Elliott:
Though all the excitement of the points race has ended, there's still one more event taking place this weekend. Homestead will be the site for the finale, with several other drivers looking to finish off the season with a strong finish.
Ahead of the final race of the year, here's a look at the schedule, standings and preview for the Ford EcoBoost 300.
Race Information
Where: Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, Florida
When: Saturday, Nov. 15
Start Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN2
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Radio: Motor Racing Network
| Pos. | Driver | Points | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chase Elliott* | 1185 | 3 | 16 | 26 |
| 2 | Regan Smith | 1133 | 1 | 7 | 25 |
| 3 | Brian Scott | 1120 | 0 | 6 | 22 |
| 4 | Elliott Sadler | 1119 | 1 | 7 | 24 |
| 5 | Ty Dillon | 1111 | 1 | 7 | 23 |
| 6 | Trevor Bayne | 1052 | 0 | 5 | 21 |
| 7 | Chris Buescher | 975 | 1 | 4 | 13 |
| 8 | Brendan Gaughan | 939 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| 9 | Ryan Reed | 872 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | Dylan Kwasniewski | 842 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Race Preview
brightcove.com/?flashVars='videoId=3882872371001Having the championship already solidified, Elliott can simply race for pride on Saturday against some of the best Sprint Cup drivers.
After capturing his first title, there was a slew of famous drivers that congratulated Elliott. JR Motorsports owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his Hendrick teammate Jeff Gordon passed along their thoughts:
It seems the young driver is destined to make his way into the Sprint Cup level as a full-time driver at some point in the future. There's no timetable for Elliott at this point, but his rise to fame this season makes him a hot commodity.
Hendrick owner Rick Hendrick spoke about when he feels Elliott will be at the premier level, via Jenna Fryer of The Associated Press:
Ironically enough, Kasey Kahne's contract with Hendrick expires at the end of the 2015 season. That's a point Nate Ryan of USA Today brought up earlier this year, and it seems even more pressing after the title win for Elliott.
Outside of the victory lap for Elliott, there will be a race on Saturday night. Oh, and there will be plenty of actual Sprint Cup full-timers in the running.
Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson, Matt Kenseth and Brad Keselowski are all on the entry list with all out of the Chase. Busch will finish the season with the most Nationwide wins with seven already, but Keselowski has wins (five) in half of his starts (10) this year.
Dustin Long of MRN points out how dominant Kes has been in Nationwide this year:
Both drivers also finished 1-2 last weekend with Keselowski beating out Busch. The Penske driver replaces his teammate Joey Logano, who will be driving for a championship on Sunday, per Bob Pockrass of Sporting News:
In the last five races, Keselowski has won two in Homestead, while Busch has two checkered flags at the Nationwide level. Needless to say, they have blistered the field on a routine basis when they head to Miami.
The only other driver to win during that span? Regan Smith, who is still sitting on one win this season from Daytona. Given a chance to begin and close the season with a checkered flag, Smith would be able to put another feather in the hat of JR Motorsports this year.
Follow @RCorySmith on Twitter.
The annihilation of the Nationwide Series continued in Texas for Kyle Busch as he secured his 100th lower-level victory. NASCAR fans might be growing tired of seeing the Joe Gibbs Racing driver at the top, but Busch is looking for another checkered flag in Phoenix.
While Busch drives the No. 54 car on Saturdays, his magic number this weekend will be eight. Currently holding seven Nationwide wins this season, he'll be searching for his series-leading eighth trip to Victory Lane and eighth overall in Avondale.
brightcove.com/?flashVars='videoId=3870544206001Of course, one main story this weekend will be Busch, but Chase Elliott's stranglehold over the series will be another one to watch. Already collecting a top-10 result at Phoenix earlier this season, another consistent race would all but clinch the title heading into Miami.
Leading up to another critical race on the Nationwide circuit, here's a look at the schedule, standings and preview ahead of the DAV 200.
Race Information
Where: Phoenix International Raceway, Avondale, Arizona
When: Saturday, Nov. 8
Start Time: 4 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Radio: Motor Racing Network
| Pos. | Driver | Points | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chase Elliott | 1146 | 3 | 15 | 25 |
| 2 | Regan Smith | 1098 | 1 | 7 | 24 |
| 3 | Brian Scott | 1083 | 0 | 6 | 21 |
| 4 | Elliott Sadler | 1078 | 1 | 6 | 23 |
| 5 | Ty Dillon | 1071 | 1 | 6 | 22 |
| 6 | Trevor Bayne | 1017 | 0 | 5 | 20 |
| 7 | Chris Buescher | 943 | 1 | 4 | 13 |
| 8 | Brendan Gaughan | 903 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 9 | Ryan Reed | 847 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | Dylan Kwasniewski | 813 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Race Preview
brightcove.com/?flashVars='videoId=3870544210001Heading into Phoenix, Busch's brilliance is likely to shine through yet again. Despite not being in the Chase at the Sprint Cup level, the JGR driver has continued to make his mark in Nationwide.
Not only was the win a memorable one for Busch in Texas, but he also made history for Gibbs, as the Nationwide account notes:
Having Sprint Cup drivers like Busch on the track each week might be frustrating for fans of the series, but it serves a purpose. Younger drivers like Elliott and Ty Dillon gain valuable experience, while the Sprint Cup drivers see how they perform on the track prior to Sunday.
Notable names on the track from the Sprint Cup also help ratings for NASCAR, as Dustin Long of MRN notes:
Outside of Busch looking for win No. 71, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Larson will also be in the running. With 13 total wins between the three, each of them will have a huge impact on how the race finishes Saturday evening.
In terms of the battle for a championship, it's down to Elliott to maintain his lead. Currently holding a 48-point edge over any other driver, Elliott simply needs another solid finish to have the points race wrapped up next weekend.
At 18 years old, Elliott would become the youngest driver to win a title across the three NASCAR national series. The rookie spoke about what a championship would mean to him, via NASCAR.com:
It would be phenomenal. It would mean the world to me, and not just me, but our team and our sponsors, NAPA and everybody that makes it happen. We'll give it our best shot to do so. We'd still like to have another win or two before the year is out, so that's our main goal. …
So we'll give it our best shot each week and hope for the best and wherever it unfolds, it unfolds.
Regardless of who ends up winning the title, it would appear a JR Motorsports driver will likely hoist a trophy at the end of the season.
Regan Smith has also been a juggernaut on the track this year, but he has been just behind Elliott the last several weeks. As the situation with Dillon in Charlotte proved, no driver should ever be comfortable with his position with more races to come.
Between the points race and Sprint Cup drivers adding more talent to the event, Phoenix will be yet another intriguing one to watch.
Follow @RCorySmith on Twitter.
Three races remain in the Nationwide Series, but the suspense is all but gone in the points chase.
Chase Elliott continued to thrive with yet another top-10 result last time out in Charlotte, while his closest competition continued to fall behind. A three-week hiatus will finally come to an end when Elliott looks to continue his run to a title on Saturday.
Outside of Elliott, myriad Sprint Cup drivers will also be eyeing an early victory before Sunday. Chase contenders Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth and Joey Logano will all be looking to hold off the young talent in Texas before contending for a Sprint Cup title.
Prior to the green flag waving in Texas, here's a look at the Nationwide schedule, standings and preview for the O'Reilly Auto Parts Challenge.
Race Information
Where: Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas
When: Saturday, Nov. 1
Start Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN2
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Radio: Motor Racing Network
| Pos. | Driver | Points | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chase Elliott | 1106 | 3 | 14 | 24 |
| 2 | Regan Smith | 1064 | 1 | 7 | 24 |
| 3 | Brian Scott | 1045 | 0 | 6 | 20 |
| 4 | Elliott Sadler | 1043 | 1 | 6 | 22 |
| 5 | Ty Dillon | 1042 | 1 | 6 | 22 |
| 6 | Trevor Bayne | 1008 | 0 | 5 | 20 |
| 7 | Chris Buescher | 912 | 1 | 4 | 13 |
| 8 | Brendan Gaughan | 875 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 9 | Ryan Reed | 820 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | James Buescher | 792 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Race Preview
Sitting comfortably on top of the points standings, Elliott now returns to the site of his first Nationwide win.
Holding off Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson, Kevin Harvick and car owner Dale Earnhardt Jr., Elliott came away with his first statement of the season. He has since won two more races, and finishing near the top has become more of an expectation for him.
In fact, even after an eighth-place result at Charlotte, Elliott voiced his frustration over his restarts, per Jeff Gluck of USA Today:
That seems eerily similar to Earnhardt earlier this season when he was consistently in the top 10. Now, a weekend after Junior took his first win in Martinsville, his JR Motorsports driver can secure his second checkered flag in Texas.
If hard times for Elliott mean missing out on the top five, rival Ty Dillon had a disastrous day the last time out.
Dillon was making a charge toward contending for the title prior to Charlotte, but he was unable to overtake Regan Smith for second. The fellow rookie was caught up in a wreck that ultimately dropped him too far out of the points race to catch up without help.
Dustin Long of Motor Racing Network notes exactly how far the accident dropped Dillon:
Meanwhile, Regan Smith remains the only driver within striking distance of his JRM teammate. Elliott would need a woefully bad day for Smith or Brian Scott to jump him on Saturday, and his recent results show that's not likely.
Prior to Elliott's win in April, no other full-time Nationwide driver had won at the track since 2012. With Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick winning the previous races, it's likely that a Sprint Cup racer will finish in Victory Lane.
Between the race for a points title and the full cast of Sprint Cup drivers on the track, Saturday's race promises to be another wild one in Texas.
Follow @RCorySmith on Twitter.
Kyle Busch reigned supreme at Dover on Saturday at the Dover 200. The victory was Busch's fifth of the season, and it marked the fifth time he's won at Dover International Speedway. Toyota Racing shared a tweet of Busch following his win:
BURN OUT! @KyleBusch lights up his @GoodyearRacing tires after winning the @NASCAR_NNS race at the @MonsterMile! pic.twitter.com/Txv0imO9ka
— Toyota Racing (@toyotaracing) September 27, 2014
When it was over, Busch said this, per Reid Spencer of NASCAR.com:
I knew we had a good car. I was just kind of biding my time -- I was just chillin.' … The second half of the race, when we beat the 22 (Joey Logano) off pit road—these guys here, they did a great job on that pit stop.
It was good for us to get out front like that, get in clean air and show what this car had for speed. This Monster Energy Toyota Camry was really, really fast. It was awesome.
Here's a look at the official results.
| Pos. | Car | Driver | Started | Laps | Laps Led |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 54 | Kyle Busch | 5 | 200 | 101 |
| 2 | 22 | Joey Logano | 1 | 200 | 95 |
| 3 | 9 | Chase Elliott | 2 | 200 | 1 |
| 4 | 60 | Chris Buescher | 6 | 200 | 0 |
| 5 | 11 | Elliott Sadler | 10 | 200 | 0 |
| 6 | 42 | Kyle Larson | 4 | 200 | 0 |
| 7 | 2 | Brian Scott | 7 | 200 | 3 |
| 8 | 7 | Regan Smith | 8 | 200 | 0 |
| 9 | 6 | Trevor Bayne | 13 | 200 | 0 |
| 10 | 3 | Ty Dillon | 3 | 200 | 0 |
Busch led 101 of the 200 laps in the race. His lead began just after the 100th lap when Busch's pit crew helped him blast through the pit stop to overtake Logano.
Busch would never relinquish the lead. Logano's second-place finish had to be frustrating, especially when you consider he won the pole position and Busch victimized him in a similar way back in May at the Buckle Up 200. In that race, Logano wound up falling back to third. On Saturday, he stayed right behind Busch, but he could never regain control of the race. Lee Spencer of Motorsport.com shared Logano's comments about Talladega:
Rookie and current points leader in the Nationwide Series Chase Elliott overcame an early crash to still finish third. NASCAR on ESPN shared Elliott's self-assessment of his performance:
"I'm really, really proud, and frustrated at the same time," says @chaseelliott, who blames himself for following two drivers too closely.
— NASCAR on ESPN (@ESPNNASCAR) September 27, 2014
As the highest finisher whose total goes toward the Nationwide series, Elliott was able to extend his lead in the standings. Here's a look at the latest Nationwide series standings:
| Pos | Driver | Points | Behind | Starts | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
| 1034 | Leader | 28 | 3 |
| 2 |
| 1008 | -26 | 28 | 1 |
| 3 |
| 988 | -46 | 28 | 1 |
| 4 |
| 975 | -59 | 28 | 0 |
| 5 |
| 970 | -64 | 28 | 1 |
| 6 |
| 935 | -99 | 28 | 0 |
| 7 |
| 857 | -177 | 27 | 1 |
| 8 |
| 814 | -220 | 28 | 2 |
| 9 |
| 759 | -275 | 28 | 0 |
| 10 |
| 756 | -278 | 28 | 0 |
Chris Buescher was the next closest Nationwide driver in fourth place. The 21-year-old gained ground on Regan Smith, Ty Dillon, Brian Scott, Elliott Sadler and Trevor Bayne, but he'll need a lot more to put serious pressure on Elliott. Spencer gave "props" to Buescher:
Elliott's three wins and 14 top-10 finishes lead the series by a mile.
Next up for the Nationwide series is a trip to the Kansas Speedway for the Kansas Lottery 300. With just five races left in the season, contenders hoping to thwart Elliott must make a move really soon.
The names at the top are the same, but they've shifted around slightly. In fact, a JR Motorsports driver remains atop the rankings for yet another week, but it's no longer Chase Elliott.
A familiar face in Kyle Larson, who has made his mark in the Sprint Cup this season, took the checkered flag. What was talked about following the race was less about the winner and more about the notable Nationwide contenders near the top of the pack.
After a down week for Elliott, the 18-year-old took a slight tumble in the standings down to third. As for teammate Regan Smith, he navigated the No. 7 machine to a seventh-place finish and now leads in points.
While multiple bushwackers like Larson, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch cluttered up the top of the pack in Charlotte, Smith was one of the lone full-time Nationwide drivers to finish in the top 10.
Another strong showing from Trevor Bayne also helped his case. The Ford driver finished just behind Smith in eighth and also moved up to fourth in the Nationwide standings.
With the series now heading to Dover along with the Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck Series, here is a look at the full schedule, standings and preview for the Buckle Up 200.
Buckle Up 200 Information
Where: Dover International Speedway, Dover, Delaware
When: Saturday, May 31, 2:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Radio: MRN
| Pos. | Driver | Points | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Regan Smith | 414 | 1 | 3 | 11 |
| 2 | Elliott Sadler | 409 | 1 | 5 | 8 |
| 3 | Chase Elliott | 386 | 2 | 5 | 8 |
| 4 | Trevor Bayne | 379 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| 5 | Ty Dillon | 378 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 6 | Brian Scott | 354 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| 7 | Brendan Gaughan | 309 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 8 | James Buescher | 303 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Chris Buescher | 295 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 10 | Dylan Kwasniewski | 285 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Buckle Up 200 Preview
Though he is no longer a full-time Nationwide driver, Joey Logano is the clear favorite coming into Dover.
Since 2012, no other driver has won a race at the track, with Logano sweeping all four events in Delaware. The Sprint Cup racer has four top-10 finishes at Dover in the premier series, but no one can touch his dominance at the track in NNS.
Logano spoke about his superiority at the track following his latest win, via Mike Hembree of USA Today:
This is such a great racetrack. It's so much fun to run around it. You feel the speed throughout the whole race. It's such a physical racetrack. To sweep the last two years (two races per season) in the Nationwide series is really cool. ... These Nationwide races are short. You have to make big swings at it real early. We got it pretty close, and we had one more stop to fine-tune it.
That win for Logano didn't come without controversy, though. The normal Sprint Cup driver was measured too low in post-race inspections on both sides of his car but did not lose the win, per Hembree.
While every driver is hoping to contend with Logano, it might be Elliott who can contend on The Monster Mile. The first-year Nationwide driver finished 37th in Charlotte with a day that was summed up simply by his NAPA sponsor on Twitter:
Last season, Elliott ran up near the front in the truck series at Dover. The 18-year-old led 15 laps and captured a fourth-place finish after starting on the front row in second.
After coming up well short of his mark in CLT, another top-five finish in Dover would do wonders for the young driver's season.
Another driver to watch might be one that appears to be on the rise in recent weeks in Nationwide. The aforementioned Bayne not only posted a notable finish at Charlotte, but also has a great track record at Dover.
Here's a look at the 23-year-old's career results in Delaware:
| Date | Start | Finish | Laps Led | Status | Driver Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 28, 2013 | 18 | 9 | 0 | Running | 90.2 |
| June 1, 2013 | 12 | 4 | 5 | Running | 104.1 |
| Oct. 1, 2011 | 9 | 6 | 0 | Running | 103.6 |
| Sept. 25, 2010 | 8 | 6 | 0 | Running | 102.6 |
| May 15, 2010 | 23 | 29 | 0 | Accident | 74.1 |
Given his record at the track over the years, expecting another top-10 result for Bayne seems reasonable.
Outside of the two young racers, experienced vets like Elliott Sadler and Brian Scott will also be two drivers to watch in Dover. Scott has two top 10s, while Sadler has two top fives at the difficult track.
Regardless of where some of the top drivers wind up, The Monster Mile is always an intriguing race to watch. If Logano falters for the first time in two years, expect any of the young crop of racers to pounce in Delaware.
Follow R. Cory Smith on Twitter:
In the end, it was all rather elementary for Kyle Larson, who took the lead on the 118th lap and never relinquished it, as he won this year's History 300.
From Fox Sports NASCAR on Twitter:
Here are the top 10 finishers:
| Place | Racer | Laps Led |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kyle Larson | 82 |
| 2 | Brad Keselowski | 22 |
| 3 | Kyle Busch | 27 |
| 4 | Kevin Harvick | 0 |
| 5 | Brian Scott | 0 |
| 6 | Matt Kenseth | 67 |
| 7 | Regan Smith | 0 |
| 8 | Trevor Bayne | 0 |
| 9 | Chris Buescher | 0 |
| 10 | Ty Dillon | 0 |
And here's how they looked coming down the stretch:
Meanwhile, JR Motorsports provides an update on the points race:
Though Matt Kenseth led for 67 laps, he was overtaken by Brad Keselowski with just over half of the race remaining, via Fox Sports NASCAR:
That wouldn't last long, however, as Larson would take the lead 21 laps later. Keselowski was finding the going a bit tough by that point, as he could be heard saying on the broadcast.
Keselowski figured it all out, however, finishing in second. Kenseth couldn't keep up the pace, though, dropping to sixth.
Neither could Kyle Busch. Though he led the opening 23 laps and has quite the history at this track (eight overall victories, including the past three Nationwide Series races at Charlotte), he couldn't keep up and finished third on the day.
The win was big for Larson, as it was his second of the year (he also won at Fontana). It was a rougher afternoon for Chase Elliott, who found the wall after blowing a tire 87 laps in. His 37th-place finish vaulted Regan Smith into first place in the points standings, while Elliott fell to third.
The Nationwide Series now turns to Dover International Speedway next Saturday for the Buckle Up 200 (2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). While there is plenty of racing left in this season, Elliott—among others—will want to improve upon Saturday's performance and return to the top of the points lead.
At only 18 years of age, of course, Elliott has plenty of great racing ahead of him, and he'll look to prove that next week. This week, however, was all about Kyle Larson, who dominated the field at Charlotte to take home a well-earned win.
It's getting awfully tight at the top in the Nationwide Series. After 11 races in the season, three drivers are separated by just two total points in the standings as the circuit heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Chase Elliott is still the only driver to win multiple races this season, but experienced driver Elliott Sadler and teammate Regan Smith are just behind him. The Rookie of the Year candidate has a shot at a points championship but will need to continue his great racing in Charlotte.
Fellow rookie Ty Dillon moved up in the points standings this week after another top-10 finish but once again had to look up at Elliott and the other top drivers in the top five.
With the History 300 set to start on Saturday at 2:45 p.m. ET on ABC, here's a look at the full information, standings and preview ahead of the Charlotte race.
History 300 Information
Where: Charlotte Motor Speedway, Charlotte, North Carolina
When: Saturday, May 24, 2:45 p.m. ET
TV: ABC
Live Stream: Watch ESPN
Race Preview
brightcove.com/?flashVars='videoId=3575595835001One thing is guaranteed this weekend: There will not be a repeat winner after Iowa. Sam Hornish Jr., who won the Get to Know Newton 250, doesn't have a full-time ride and won't be participating in the Charlotte race.
While Hornish certainly wants a full sponsorship for the year, he's at ease with his current standing, per the Associated Press, via FoxNews.com: "It felt pretty darn good, I'll tell you that much. I saw Kyle win so much last year in the car, and he's a great talent. I felt like, if I could put myself in the same equipment and go out there and win, I deserve it and I belong doing this. If I can't win, I need to figure something else out."
As for the drivers who will be in the running, Elliott might once again be a contender. While he has never raced in Charlotte in the Nationwide Series, the rookie took a top-five finish away from Charlotte last year in the Camping World Truck Series.
The race also comes just days after his father, Bill Elliott, was named to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, per Alan Cavanna of NASCAR.com:
As for Elliott's teammate, Smith also comes in with a good record at the track. Smith has multiple top-15 results and even finished eighth in the Sprint Cup series.
In his two races last year in Charlotte on the Nationwide Series, Smith pulled off a top-10 finish and even led 28 laps in the final running of the year. Smith will also have a fresh new car for the race, as he noted on his personal Twitter account:
As both Dillon and Elliott continue to battle it out for Rookie of the Year, either could make a huge statement in front of a national audience.
With other veterans such as Sadler and Trevor Bayne also contending for a huge win in Charlotte, this is anyone's race to win. On a monumental weekend for NASCAR, the History 300 will serve as a great lead-up to the main event on Sunday night.
Follow R. Cory Smith on Twitter:
After another wild finish at the famed Talladega Superspeedway, Elliott Sadler won the NASCAR Nationwide Series' Aaron’s 312 after taking and holding the lead on a late restart.
POPULAR SPEED summed up the close to this action-packed race:
In order, Chris Buescher, Regan Smith, David Ragan and Sam Hornish Jr. rounded out the top five. Sadler beat Buescher by 0.124 sec.
Sadler took the win with an average speed of 131.224 mph, and the race lasted two hours, 22 minutes and 18 seconds.
Sadler became the seventh different winner this Nationwide season on Saturday, and the No. 11 Toyota is just one point behind series leader Chase Elliott. After joining Joe Gibbs Racing prior to the last Nationwide season, this is Sadler's first win in the series for JGR.
AP Sports caught the moment:
Elliott followed his own pre-race words, via StartnParkblog.com, while running to the win:
Talladega is considered a wildcard on the NASCAR schedule. One of the main goals of the race is to stay out of the inevitable “Big Ones.” We hope to stay out of the way and be there at the end to compete for the win.
Have a look at the top 20 from this race, or you can view the full results at ESPN.com.
It is always an entertaining day of racing at this superspeedway. Just ask NASCAR legend Darrell Waltrip:
Hornish Jr. began the day on the pole. It was his first NNS start of the season and also his first Nationwide start for JGR. Hornish was feeling good coming into the race, and NASCAR on ESPN shared this pre-race Hornish quote on his new team:
Hornish was strong all day and finished fifth, but he wasn't a serious threat for the win at the end. Instead, it was his JGR teammate who stormed to the victory. Still, it was a different team that dominated most of the day.
JR Motorsports did not take the checkered flag, but it looked like it was headed toward another win this Nationwide season.
Regan Smith (No. 7), Kasey Kahne (No. 5) and Chase Elliott (No. 9) were trading the lead for a good stretch of racing as the drivers closed in on the checkered flag.
The Twitter account for JR Motorsports took a moment to note their dominance with this tweet picturing the leaderboard:
Unfortunately for the team, the late restarts did not go well.
With fewer than 10 laps to go, Chase Elliott had the lead. He was starting on the outside lane, and the outside was not working on this day.
From the inside lane, Ryan Blaney bump-drafted David Starr to take the lead. Blaney overtook Starr but got pushed back to the high line by Elliott Sadler. Blaney, trying to catch the side draft, got into Sadler and found the wall. The big one ensued.
It brought out a red flag with five laps to go. The NASCAR Country was not surprised:
Racing was stopped for roughly nine minutes as the the track was cleared.
On the final restart, Sadler had the lead. He held onto it, and although guys were pushing their cars to the limit, it was a surprisingly uneventful finish.
The Nationwide Series will now take a week off before returning to a short-track race at the Iowa Speedway on May 18. Sadler's win certainly cements his position for the series championship. With the early-season dominance of JR Motorsports, however, Chase Elliott will not surrender his lead easily.
Meanwhile, race fans will firmly fix their gaze to Sunday when the Sprint drivers take on this epic track.
There was a time, not so long ago, when the Nationwide Series featured young drivers that were mastering their craft for a year or two before making the jump to the next level.
Those days seem like a distant memory. More and more, Sprint Cup regulars and former Cup stars that are unable to latch on to a ride in the premier division fill the Nationwide Series races.
The question is, is it fair for the Sprint Cup drivers to run in the Nationwide Series?
Ultimately, the easy answer is no, it is not fair. Unfortunately, it is far more complicated than just disallowing Sprint Cup drivers to participate.
NASCAR is an expensive sport, and the best way to cover some of the costs of racing is to win. In a series where the prize money is far inferior to that in the top division, many owners depend on the talent and experience of Sprint Cup veterans to bring in as big of a payday as possible.
Then there are the sponsors. More and more, sponsors are only willing to back drivers that are already well established in the sport.
Just as it costs teams a lot of money to go racing, the costs for sponsors are not cheap, and businesses want to get the most return on their investments. The best way to do that is with drivers already established at the top level.
Forget about the financial and sponsorship side of things. One potential drawback to Nationwide Series races littered with Sprint Cup talent is that it puts a big concern on the future of the sport.
Instead of a series where young drivers have the opportunity to make a name for themselves and grow into future stars, NASCAR's second-tier division has become nothing more than an opportunity for the top drivers to add to their extensive trophy collections.
Looking at the recent Rookie of the Year Award winners in the Sprint Cup Series, one realizes that the Nationwide Series is not producing new stars like it once was.
Prior to Ricky Stenhouse Jr. winning the award in 2013, Stephen Leicht, Andy Lally and Kevin Conway were the last three drivers to win the prestigious award for first-year drivers.
None of those three drivers currently drives in any of NASCAR's top divisions and only Conway competed in any races (three to be exact) following his rookie season.
When Sprint Cup regulars compete in the Nationwide Series events, it is nearly a foregone conclusion that one of them will win.
In 2013 alone, Sprint Cup drivers accounted for 28 wins out of 33 races, and two of the five races won by Nationwide Series regulars were events that did not coincide with a Sprint Cup race, so no Cup drivers entered.
In the last five seasons, non-Sprint Cup drivers won only 29 of 168 races, a win percentage of just 17 percent for the Nationwide Series regulars.
Sprint Cup regulars competing in the Nationwide Series is not a new trend. However, with so few competitive rides available in NASCAR's second-tier division, their dominance has grown increasingly.
In the last three years alone, Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano have scored a combined 48 victories in Nationwide competition out of a possible 100 events.
It would be nice to see the Nationwide Series return to a time when it was not completely overrun and dominated by the premier division's competitors. Then, maybe winning the championship would be meaningful, and new stars would have a better opportunity to be born.
Unfortunately, there is not much that NASCAR can do about it. Sponsors want the top drivers and the drivers love the opportunity to go out and race in cars that are capable of winning every week.
The Nationwide Series was once a place to see NASCAR's next generation. Now, it is nothing more than a lead-in to the Sprint Cup Series event featuring the same drivers.
While those races give a handful of Cup stars the opportunity to pad their stats by scoring countless victories, Sprint Cup drivers competing in the Nationwide Series does nothing good for the sport.
