Nationwide Series

Every aspect of society has a cycle of life, in which various individuals fill certain roles with degrees of expectations. Some are expected to immediately find success at a young age while others persevere through difficult times, either excelling years down the road or struggling in their efforts.

NASCAR's no different in that it has its share of superstars, decent fillers, and underdog occupants who captivate the few or experience the wrath of others.

Since 1948, the highest form of stock car racing is susceptible to cycles in its sport, with talents changing in as little as a few races to years down the road.

One look at the roster of full-time, championship gunning teams tells the tale of how the series has finally reached the point in which most of its stars are aging.

They're not terribly old but circumstances, such as family life, the dangers on the track, to declining skills, are critical and at the very least, something to think about.

While retirement is not something in the vocabulary of Jeff Gordon or Mark Martin, it's not foolish to think that both successful racers are thinking about their long-term future and their roles in the sport.

Do they keep on pressing for full-season campaigns until they reach the point of obscurity or hang up the helmet with their tremendous abilities behind the wheel that's sufficient for wins and titles?

Before the "New Wave" of NASCAR, which I coin as the period since Gordon entered the Cup series in 1992, the sport wasn't exactly a young lion's wilderness or Madison Avenue on four wheels and 750 horsepower.

Rather, it was a hotly contested game of wild-eyed Southern "boys," if you will, with drivers ranging from anywhere in their late 20s to early 60s going at it, beating the hell out of each other if it meant going for victories.

Guys like Bill Elliott, Harry Gant, Darrell Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt, Ricky Rudd, Dale Jarrett, Rusty Wallace, and Geoff Bodine were your typical contenders, sprinkled in with hot shoes like Davey Allison, Kyle Petty, Mark Martin, and Ernie Irvan.

Each of those racers weren't exactly screaming the looks and youthfulness of Kasey Kahne, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Kyle Busch, or Denny Hamlin, but they were certainly the prominent figures of the time.

Everyone who was a part of the circuit during that era knew all too well that a new revolution of racers were going to make their way into the sport, in which NASCAR would also change too in terms of its complexity, dynamics, and persona with the fans and media.

Today, it's a mini-concert, a circus, soap opera, game show, and billboard contest of four hours with some of the young guns of the 1990s now serving as the ambassadors into a sport that's changed tremendously.

No longer is Jeff Gordon considered "The Kid," now fathering daughter Ella Sofia and a son whom wife Ingrid is expecting this August.

For some new-school fans, Jeff Burton's the politician, if you will, of the sport, who doesn't mind venting or speaking his concerns about the latest changes to the sport.

While he errs on the side of non-confrontation, the passionate South Boston, Va., native isn't one to easily fall into the category of an oldie, as he's one of the most aggressive and tenacious drivers on the circuit.

Years down the road, when the calendar displays years like 2012 and beyond, this sport will undoubtedly have a far different feel and aura.

Will it continue to be the expensive yet maddeningly popular sport that still rebuilds and rebrands itself during its struggles or will it return to its prominence of the 1990s?

Certainly, the Cup series will be stacked with talent, as Nationwide regulars and hot shoes like Justin Allgaier, Colin Braun, Landon Cassill, Parker Kligerman, Brian Scott, Jason White, Timothy Peters, and James Buescher looking to take aim at the upper echelon of closed-wheel motorsports.

Whether all of these names comprise the circuit in the long-term scheme of NASCAR remains to be seen, but just imagine any of these prospects racing in established rides?

Allgaier and Kligerman are currently under the tutelage of Roger Penske, who certainly knows a thing or two about winning in all kinds of racing series, be it the IZOD IndyCar ranks or sports car divisions across the globe.

There's no doubt that either of these two talents will see action in the Sprint Cup Series at some point in the decade.

Braun's had somewhat of a learning experience in the Nationwide division for Roush-Fenway Racing's No. 16 Con-Way Freight Ford Fusion entry, seeing his highlight reels more for wrecks than great performances.

Still, the road racing sensation and stock car apprentice has the potential to become quite the star when one of those seats with the perennial organization opens up sometime down the road.

Cassill has been somewhat bounced around as a Chevy Racing talent, never seemingly able to find a true home in the "AAA" of NASCAR. Perhaps with some races under the JR Motorsports banner, the 20-year-old racer may impress his current employer or another team on the circuit that he'll carry them to Victory Lane.

NASCAR's certainly in good hands when it comes to churning up fresh, young talents who may certainly become superstars in their own right.

If the sport truly lives up to its reputation as progressing in all aspects, that may open the doors for a racer like Sergio Pena, Darrell Wallace Jr., Caitlin Shaw, Tiff Daniels, or Shannon McIntosh to see the asphalt arenas of America.

Progress isn't certainly a bad thing, despite the sentimental values each cycle carries with its legions of audiences, essayists and participants.

While we tend to look back and appreciate the "good old days," the future, despite a somewhat stormy present, looks about as bright as the sunrise hovering over the aging asphalt on the high banks of Daytona International Speedway.

It may be "Surf's Up" (a nod to a Brian Wilson/Van Dyke Parks song for the Beach Boys) for Gordon, Martin, Burton, and others down the line, but it'll be "Surfin' USA" (for all you Mike Love fans) for the unknown rookies, winners, and champions just waiting for their moment to arrive.

Bringing new drivers to NASCAR’s top level is what’s required to continue overtime and grow. Teams are always out there looking for the next big star, whether it is looking at the local short track or in the lower tier divisions.

One of the teams on the cutting edge of this and who has a recognized background with the process is ARCA team Venturini Motorsports.

Venturini Motorsports started their Driver Develop Program in 2007 as a result of connection with Nationwide team CJM Racing. CJM Racing was looking for a program they could put young drivers into, test them out and get them ready for the highest levels.

After creating that connection, Joe Gibbs Racing joined in the program to develop their up-and-comers, most notably Joey Logano.

Since then, the program has grown to include other teams and is one of the most known programs in all ranks of racing. They also have grown to create connections with not only the above two mentioned teams, but also Xpress Motorsports and TD Racing Development (ASA Late Model team).

The two most notable drivers who have made it to the NASCAR ranks via the program are Logano and Justin Allgaier.

Logano, now driving in the Cup Series for Joe Gibbs Racing, has been dubbed the nickname “Sliced Bread” as everybody says he’s the next big talent. So far in his Cup career he has only one win, though he impressed the world as he came up through the ranks. Some notable career highlights including a Camping World East Series win in his first start, the Camping World East Series championship as a rookie, winning in his first ARCA start and he won in his third Nationwide start at Nashville to become the youngest Nationwide Series winner.

Allgaier got his chance to run in the Nationwide Series for Penske Racing after winning the 2008 ARCA Series championship. Allgaier is having a stand-out year as he got his first career Nationwide win at Bristol, sits top five in points and is arguably the best non-Cup driver in Nationwide. Allgaier looks to move up to Sprint Cup in the coming years as he tested the Cup car at the Charlotte Motor Speedway spoiler test.

Other drivers who have come through the program include Scott Lagasse Jr. (No. 43 NNS car for Baker Curb Racing), Brian Scott (No. 11 NNS car for Braun Racing), Sean Caisse (No. 2 NNS car for Richard Childress Racing), Justin Marks (No. 10 NNS car for Braun Racing), Marc Davis (No. 10 NNS car for Braun Racing) and John Wes Townley (No. 21 NNS for Richard Childress Racing).

Their current stable of ARCA Series drivers for 2010 includes Steve Arpin, Mikey Kile and Alli Owens.

Arpin has impressed this season as he has won back-to-back ARCA races and leads the points standings, looking for the championship. He has impressed at every level that he has so far raced at as he set numerous Late Model records. He was so impressive on dirt that Mark Martin said that he’d put anybody up against him. Arpin could soon to be considered a graduate of the program as JR Motorsports has signed him to run the No. 7 car in the Nationwide Series at Talladega Superspeedway and Richmond International Raceway.

Kile has also has ran strong this year, running in the top 10 each week so far this year and sits seventh in points. He has had past success as he has four go-karting championships and has run some truck races for Brad Keselowski Racing.

Last but not least, Owens is in her third ARCA season and has experienced success this year with a top 10 finish at Salem Speedway. She looks to continue to advance her career as the potential and how much she’s grown as a driver is high.  

Other development drivers that Venturini Motorsports is bringing up through the ranks include Josh Richard (World of Outlaw Late Model), Jake Crum, Pete Shephard III, Johanna Long, Alex Yontz (UARA), Alison MacLeod and Logan Ruffin (No. 55 UARA).

So when it comes to seeing who the next up-and-coming driver is, check out the ARCA Series and Venturini Motorsports. You may see the next Sprint Cup champion winning a race for them.

Braun Racing rookie Brian Scott will have Dollar General back on his No. 11 Toyota for Saturday afternoon's O'Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Scott's excited about making his Nationwide debut at the track in the Nationwide Series and hopes to have another good finish.

He's made five previous starts at Texas in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Picking up two top-10 finishes, he has an average start of 20th, an average finish of 13th and completed 99.4% laps attempted.

Scott's truck experience should help him with being familiar with what to expect handling-wise.

It's also a track where a rookie like Scott will benefit from having a veteran crew chief like Bill Wilburn calling the shots.

Texas is a fast, multi-grooved track that makes for some great passing; the racing is always good and a good handling car is the key to a good finish.

Scott and his No. 11 team will need to focus on getting the handling just perfect on his Camry.

"The track surface has gotten considerably rougher over the years so you have to have a good handling package with a sleek car and some power under the hood to get you down the straightaways," said Scott.

Scott will be racing chassis No. BR51 this weekend at Texas. In its last race at Nashville it finished 15th.

He should have another fast ride. I feel he'll run a smart race, and set himself up for another top-15 or better finish.

Scott should qualify top-15. I feel he'll run most of the race 12th to 13th and in the closing laps he'll battle his way to the best possible finish.

It all depends on how well his No. 11 Dollar General Toyota handles after that final pit stop as to how well he'll finish.

Source for quote and photo credit: braunracing.com

The Keselowski brothers, Brad and Brian, are at the top of their games heading into the Nationwide race at Texas Motor speedway this weekend. 

Brad, the most visible brother, has just garnered the top spot in the points standings in the Nationwide Series.  Keselowski, in his No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge, has moved ahead of nemesis Carl Edwards to lead the drivers’ standings for the first time ever in his career.

Keselowski claimed the top spot after his third place finish this past weekend at Phoenix International Raceway.  He now leads Edwards by just four points.

Keselowski has climbed in the points standings from 12th place after the first Nationwide race in Daytona, where he finished 13th.  He has led at least one lap in all of the six races to date, including a high of 72 laps at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Keselowski has put Dodge into the top dog status for the first time in the Nationwide points standings for only the third time ever.  The other drivers to accomplish this feat were Jamie McMurray and Reed Sorenson.

Brad’s brother Brian Keselowski is also at the top of his game, albeit for other reasons.  Keselowski, driving the No. 26 Stubb BBQ Dodge, moved into the top 35 in owners points, guaranteeing him a starting spot in the Texas Nationwide race.

This Keselowski brother is now 30th in points, a great improvement from the previous race where he did have to make it in on time.  Keselowski had been out of the top tier in points since the fifth race of the season.

In addition to the Keselowski top dogs, another racer Kyle Busch is also at the top of his game heading into the Texas Nationwide race.  In fact, the Series reigning champ could go to the top of the record books with a win, which would tie Busch with Jack Ingram and Dale Earnhardt for five consecutive wins at the same track.

Busch has won four straight at the Texas Motor Speedway.  With a win, Busch would join Ingram, who won five-in-a-row at South Boston Speedway, as well as Earnhardt, who won five in a row at Daytona International Speedway at the top of the charts.

Bush is also top dog in the loop data at Texas Motor Speedway.  In the 181 NASCAR Nationwide races run at Texas, only 16 races have been won with a perfect driver rating of 150.0.

Eight of these 16 races have been won by Busch.  Edwards, with his runs at Kentucky and Dover, was the only other driver to have multiple 150.0 ratings.

While Busch has won the past four races at the Lone Star track, in the last three of those races Busch scored a perfect driver rating of 150.0.  Busch not only has the top driver rating but also leads in the average running and fastest lap statistics at that track.

Another Nationwide driver Scott Lagasee Jr. is in the top ten going into the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas.  Lagasee is currently in the top ten in the points standings, in fact smack dab in the 10th spot. 

Lagasee is the latest driver to occupy the 10th place spot.  He moved past Michael Annett, driver of the No. 15 Pilot Travel Centers Toyota, to snag that top 10 slot after finishing eighth at Phoenix.

Lagasee is a member of one of four teams to have two drivers ranked in the top 10 this week.  His Baker Curb Racing teammate Greg Biffle, driver of the No. 27 Red Man Moist Snuff, is in the eighth position.

The other teams with two drivers in the top ten this week include Penske Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing and Roush Fenway Racing.   Keselowski, the points leader and his Penske teammate Justin Allgaier, who is fifth, are in that Top 10 leader board.

Also in the Top 10 are Gibbs teammates Kyle Busch, who is third, and Joey Logano, who sits in the seventh spot.  The other team combo in the top ten is Paul Menard and Carl Edwards, who sit sixth and second in points respectively, for Roush Fenway Racing.

There is one top streak, however, that will not be broken at Texas.  Morgan Shepherd’s record of 11 consecutive Top 10s to start the season is safe for at least another year.

Shepherd established this record in 1990.  He has been driving for three straight years full-time in the Nationwide Series.

The top dog in the manufacturer’s standings coming into the Texas race is Chevrolet.  While they may have the advantage, they will have a fight from Toyota, who has won the last four races at Texas.

The O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 will run at the 1.5 mile oval on Saturday, April 17th.  The race will air on ESPN2 at 3:30 PM ET and will be broadcast on PRN/Sirius NASCAR Radio.

Chad McCumbee, veteran of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and driver for a few Cup starts for Richard Petty Motorsports, is set to make his Nationwide Series debut at Texas Motor Speedway in the O’Reilly 300. 

McCumbee will be driving in a one-race deal for RAB Racing in the No. 09 Ford Fusion.

“I’ve known Robbie Benton and the guys at RAB Racing for a few years now,” McCumbee said.  “We’ve been talking about trying to get together and the opportunity came about to put it together this weekend.”

“Texas has been one of my better race tracks,” McCumbee said.  “I’ve had a lot of success there.  So what better place to make a debut than a place like that.”

McCumbee has eight starts at Texas Motor Speedway.  His best start at TMS was second in 2007 and his best finish was sixth in 2008, both in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

“I’ve been really fast there,” McCumbee said of Texas Motor Speedway.  “The track has been a place full of milestones in my career and a place that has propelled me up where I’ve been able to go.”

McCumbee is also excited to work with his new crew chief Ben Gable, as well as the new team.  “There’s a bunch of young guys over there and it’s exciting to be a part of something where you have a crew that’s eager to go out there and show what they’ve got,” McCumbee said.  “There is a lot of motivation and a lot of ‘want to’ at RAB.”

McCumbee is relieved that RAB’s previous drivers, including Scott Riggs and most recently Jason Bowles at the Phoenix race last weekend, have kept the car high enough in the points that he does not have to qualify in on time.

“When I was with Petty and we had to qualify in, we made some and we missed some,” McCumbee said. “It was a pressure cooker.”

While the car is guaranteed a place in the show, unfortunately the hood will be bare, as there is no primary sponsor.  McCumbee is committed to changing that in whatever way possible.

“I’m going to work as hard as I can to keep something going,” McCumbee said of the sponsorship search.  “The goal is to run good enough that we will get some attention.  I feel like if we can go out there and have a good showing in Texas that we may turn some heads.”

McCumbee has experienced sponsorship woes in the past.  In fact, he lost his most recent Truck Series ride due to the downturn in the economy and the drying up of sponsorship dollars.

“It’s the way things are going right now with this economy,” McCumbee said.  “This season’s been tough.  We are looking hard and trying to find something each week.”

Although McCumbee started racing at the age of 10 in go karts and has steadily worked his way up through ARCA and the Truck Series, he still feels he has to prove himself each and every race.  But he also feels there is no better place to do that than in Texas.

“I feel like going someplace that I’ve had so much success and feel comfortable at makes it easier,” McCumbee said.  “When you come out of the box fresh and perform well, it gets people’s attention.”

Although McCumbee would like to get people’s attention with a win, he is also realistic about his chances.  “I want to complete every lap, and if we do that, a top-15 isn’t out of the question,” McCumbee said.  “If we can get up there and finish, I think we can finish well.”

While McCumbee is in Texas this weekend, his off-track activities also involve racing, although of a different sort.  McCumbee owns a late model stock car team that races at Myrtle Beach Speedway in South Carolina.

In addition to his racing, McCumbee also loves the beach and the coastal area that is his home.  He and his wife, who is a teacher working on her Master’s degree, go there along with their "baby," an English bulldog, as often as they can when not on the track.

But for this weekend, Chad McCumbee has just one thing in mind: making his Nationwide debut.  “This is a great opportunity for me,” McCumbee said.

“RAB has had a successful start in 2010 and I’m blessed to be able to do something with them,” McCumbee continued.  “I really want to thank them and I can’t think of a better team to make my first Nationwide start with.”

McCumbee will make his debut along with the other Nationwide Series drivers on Saturday, Apr. 17 at 3:00 PM ET.  The race will be broadcast live on PRN and Sirius Satellite Radio.

Justin Allgaier, driver of the Penske Racing No. 12 Verizon Dodge in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, appeared to be headed for a top-five finish in Friday night’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Phoenix International Raceway.

After picking up his first career win at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 30, a pit road incident in the latter stages of the 200-mile event left the 23-year-old driver with his first finish outside of the top 10 in 2010.

The disappointing finish dropped Allgaier two positions, to fifth, in the NASCAR Nationwide Series driver point standings.

“It’s frustrating to plug away like we did tonight and then have a good result taken away from us. It’s tough to swallow,” said Allgaier when talking about the pit road incident that ended a good run on the night.

Six races into the 2010 season, Allgaier trails point leader and Penske Racing teammate Brad Keselowski by 51 points.

The Riverton, Illinois native who started the race seventh, quickly advanced his Verizon Dodge to the fifth position, and ran as high as second by lap 21.

As the sun began to set over the desert oval, Allgaier developed a loose condition in the center of the turns.

Crew chief Chad Walter called for adjustments that kept the Verizon Dodge in tune with the changing track conditions, and flawless work by the Verizon pit crew helped Allgaier maintain a position inside the top 10 over the course of the event.

As the race neared its conclusion, debris on the track brought out the caution flag at lap 189. Hoping to give his driver an opportunity to gain positions over the final laps, Walter called Allgaier to pit road to take on four tires.

The Verizon crew performed a lightning-fast stop, but as Allgaier attempted to leave pit road, the No. 88 of Kelly Bires made heavy contact with the driver’s side door, resulting in both cars spinning and flat leftside tires on the Verizon Dodge.

“We were just minding our own business and I think somebody was trying to play a little strategy at the end of the race by taking two tires and swung his car out of the pits and destroyed our night,” said Allgaier while talking about the contact on pit road.

Allgaier was forced to return to pit road, which would drop him to a 14th-place position for the final restart at lap 192.

With little time to make up his lost ground, and a severely damaged race car, the 2009 Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year was able to persevere to bring home a 13th-place finish.

“The Verizon Wireless Dodge was good tonight,” said Allgaier. “We worked on it all night. The crew did an awesome job in the pits. They picked us up spots on every stop.”

Allgaier also added that, “We got the car pretty decent and moved our way into the top five, but I got caught up in a tough deal there on the last caution.”

Country music and NASCAR have found a strong partnership the last couple years.

Last weekend the NASCAR Nationwide Series and Nashville Super Speedway were celebrating 10 years of racing.

NSS has seen multiple first-time winners, from Greg Biffle to Brad Keselowski. On Saturday, would a first-time winner leave the track with the coveted trophy?

Check out the winners and losers of the Nashville 300.

Winners

Kevin Harvick

This season, if you’re going to win a race, you are going to have to beat Kevin Harvick. Saturday he had a good car, but he did not have the best car. That being said, he still found his way to victory lane.

He ran in the top 10 for most of the day, following the dominant cars of Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski. He was always within a few seconds of the lead, but a late pit stop and strategy for two tires only had Harvick out front. Harvick was able to hold off a hard-charging Reed Sorenson for the win.

It has been impressive what he has done this season. Also you can factor in that he is not even running the entire season in the NNS.

Points: Fifth

Reed Sorenson

It was a rough offseason for Reed Sorenson. He lost his NASCAR Sprint Cup ride, and with no guaranteed NNS ride, he was on the sidelines. Just prior to the start of the season he was named a part-time driver for Braun Racing and the No. 32.

He had a great run on Saturday. He was running in the top 10 all day long. He was really giving great feedback, and his team was getting it done on pit road. They got cycled around with the caution just after the green flag stops on lap 105; he was just outside the top 10.

What a great run for Sorenson today. They had a great car, and he was really proving why he deserves to be in a car. He finished an impressive second. Sorenson is auditioning for not only a full-time ride in the NNS but also a ride in the NSCS. Runs like he had on Saturday only help his cause.

Points: 34th

Michael Annett

In case you did not know it, Michael Annett had a very good day. In fact, he probably ran one of the best races in his career. He really did a great job on the track, struggling with at times a very loose race car.

Annett ran in the top 10 all day long. He fell behind on the final restart with guys with just a little bit faster cars, but he finished ninth.

It was a great run for Annett on Saturday. He has had a few runs like this last season. He really has developed into a solid driver. Now they need to put it together and run in the top 10 on a more consistent basis.

Points: 10th

Losers

Steve Wallace

Steve Wallace was looking to rebound after the accident at Bristol Motor Speedway. He was running well early in the race but got shuffled back with green flag pit stops and then when the caution came out during the stops.

On the restart he got caught three wide when his teammate Brendan Gaughan got loose underneath him and sent him into the wall. The wreck took out five cars and sent Wallace limping back to pit road. It was a tough break for this team after what happened at BMS. He finished 36th.

Wallace has never been shy about how he feels or just how aggressive he is on the race track. In this case he was doing the right thing in trying to give guys room, and he got caught up in the wreck. They will have to regroup for next weekend.

Points: 11th

Jason Leffler

It has been a difficult start to the season for Jason Leffler. His only top-10 finish was a ninth at Bristol Motor Speedway. They just cannot seem to put together consistent runs.

On Saturday Leffler and James Buescher were battling for position when Buescher got loose underneath and tagged Leffler. Leffler spun hard into the wall and suffered severe damage to his car and went to the garage to make repairs. They were trying to make repairs on the car to get back out there and get as many points as possible.

They did get back on the track, but on lap 145 he came up on Buescher and put him in the wall. NASCAR saw it as overaggressive driving and parked Leffler. He finished 39th.

Not the start they were looking for, especially at a track where Leffler has found past success. The team will have to regroup and head to Phoenix.

Points: 15th

Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.

When Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. was picked to run the No. 6 car this season, there were a lot of expectations for him. The team, though, did not have a full season of sponsorship, and they could not buy a break this season. Saturday was no different for them.

He was running mid pack for most of the day, and after making contact with a runaway tire on pit road, with a tire rub he was trying to come back to pit road when he got run over by Joe Nemecheck. Stenhouse spun hard into the wall. His day was over; he finished 31st.

This team was on the bubble of the top 30 in the standings. This was a tough pill to swallow heading into next weekend at Phoenix.

Points: 32nd

Final Lap...

Well, Saturday’s race was pretty good. There was plenty of drama to go along with it. NASCAR's announcement this week of a three-race probation for Leffler was consistent with what they did with Carl Edwards. Leffler says there are no hard feelings and what happened last weekend is over.

This weekend they head to the flat, one-mile track in Phoenix. It drives like a short track, and the changing track conditions will really have the crew chiefs on the box all night long.

The Bashas Supermarkets 200 is Friday, 9 ET on ESPN2.

Braun Racing rookie Brian Scott will have BigSpot.com on his No. 11 Camry at Phoenix, for Friday night's Bashas Supermarkets 200.

Scott and his No. 11 team, led by Bill Wilburn, is excited that they can just focus on his race setup and no longer have to worry about qualifying.

After Nashville, the 2010 owner points kicked in and all the teams hardwork paid off with him sitting 17th in those points.

It's a track were Scott has racing experience. In his Nationwide Series debut he started 23rd and finished 15th.

Now in the Camping World Truck Series, he's run three races picking up a top five in 2008 and finished 11th in last year's race.

Scott has completed 100 percent of those laps with an average start of 12th and a average finish of 11th.

His experience with trucks, nearly winning in 2008 if not for a bad pit stop, will help him know what to expect from the track and boost his confidence.  

"It's a place that I get around pretty well. The entry speeds to the corner are so fast and modulating the brake takes a lot of finesse. I have a lot of fun hustling the car into the corner and getting it to turn for a good drive off," Scott said.

"There's usually a lot of side-by-side racing for the fans as it's pretty wide and the second groove gets worked in well by mid-race."

Scott always likes racing on the West Coast, since he has family and friends who make the trip from Boise to see him race and normally has a good night in those events.

This week he'll be racing chassis No. BR42 at Phoenix and it's a completely rebuilt chassis for the team to race.

I'm excited for Scott and his Wilburn led No. 11 BigSpot.com team as they only need to focus on his race setup. He should have a very fast Camry because of this.

Scott should be close to the top-five in both practices, should qualify in the top-10 and I won't be surprised to see him put the No.11 on the front row.

While I think Scott will run the majority of the race in the top-15, he'll battle hard to top his career best finish of 10th and will finish top-five.

Quote Source and Photo Credit: braunracing.com

Track Stats:

Name: Phoenix International Raceway

Race Date: April 9, 2010

Location: Avondale, AZ

Length: One mile

Banking in turns One and Two: 11 degrees

Banking in turns Three and Four: Nine degrees

Banking on the front-stretch: Three degrees

Banking on the backstretch: Nine degrees

Grandstand Seats: 76,800

Tickets/track info: http://www.phoenixraceway.com/ or (623) 463-5400

 

 

Last year’s Top 10:

1. Greg Biffle

2. Jason Lefler

3. Brad Keselowski

4. Joey Logano

5. Kevin Harvick

6. David Ragan

7. Brendan Gaughan

8. Justin Allgaier

9. Mike Bliss

10. Kyle Busch

November Winner: Carl Edwards

Interesting Stats:

In the last two races, Harvick has gathered the most points at Nashville with a total of 325, followed by Keselowski (320) and Ragan (300).

If you continue to look further back combining race totals, Harvick has gathered the most points when you total the last three, four, six, seven, eight, nine and 10 races there.  

The only other person to join the statistics of gaining the most points in a period is Busch. He has gained the most when you combine the last five races.

Good Picks:

 

Kevin Harvick

After looking at the previous section, Harvick should be one of the drivers that automatically pops into your mind.

In his 15 starts, he has won once, 11 top fives, 12 top 10s and an average finish of 8.1.

 

Carl Edwards

Although Harvick leads in gaining the most points, his overall average finish doesn’t beat Edwards.

In his 10 starts, he has won three times, seven top fives, nine top 10s and an average finish of 6.6, leading all of those entered.

 

Kyle Busch

As stated above, Busch is the only driver to lead a sector of gaining the most points besides Harvick and his stats back him up.

In his nine starts, he has won two times, four top fives, seven top 10s and an average finish of  9.7.

 

Mike Bliss

When you combine the last two races, Bliss is the highest Nationwide regular in gaining points.

Though be careful on picking him as in his nine starts, he has four top 10s and an average finish of 16.4.

 

Justin Allgaier 

When you look at the average finishes, Allgaier is the highest ranking Nationwide regular with an average finish of 11.7.

In his three starts at Phoenix, he has only one top 10, coming last year in April, though he has been on a role this year so look for that to continue,

Story to Watch —Landon Cassill

Landon Cassill will be making his first start of the year for JR Motorsports in the No. Seven with the Go Daddy sponsorship.

Landon has had success with JR Motorsports in the past, he was the 2008 Rookie of the Year, on a limited schedule.

Look to see if he can carry the momentum that Scott Wimmer has brought that team with back-to-back top 10 finishes.

Thanks to Racing-Reference.info for the Stats

Steve Wallace has joined the ranks of the NASCAR walking wounded, confirming via father and team owner Rusty Wallace that he has suffered two broken toes and a broken bone in the top of his foot.

Unlike NASCAR's other wounded drivers, from Carl Edwards, who suffered his own fracture in a Frisbee accident, to Denny Hamlin, who had to have surgery to repair a torn ACL after playing basketball, Wallace suffered his injury the old-fashioned way, in a spectacular and somewhat frightening crash this past weekend in the NASCAR Nationwide race.

The whole mess started when the caution flew in the midst of green flag pit stops during the Nationwide Nashville 300.  After the caution, several drivers took advantage of the wave-around rule, attempting to gain back their laps lost.

Unfortunately, between the chaos of the wave-around and the frantic restart, many of the Nationwide drivers pushed the limit, racing four-wide to the green flag, which is simply not possible at Nashville Superspeedway.

Steve Wallace, in addition to his Rusty Wallace Racing's teammate Brendan Gaughan, went side by side in the low lane of the track.  But Wallace drifted up, making contact with Jason Keller, and the wreck was on.

Wallace and Keller slammed hard into the outside wall.  Colin Braun, Mikey Kile, and Michael McDowell were all involved in the melee.

Steve's father, Rusty, admitted that he was scared for his son, likening the crash to the one that took the life of Dale Earnhardt. 

"Wow, that was a bad one right there," said Wallace of his son's hit into the wall.

“There’s a lot of different opinions, but these guys have to have a lot more sense than to make it four-and-five-wide going down the backstretch at Nashville," Steve Wallace said after the crash. "Nashville isn’t a big track, and it’s stupidity."

"You get paid to finish good and you have to take a lot of chances," Wallace continued. "That’s just part of it, but we were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

As Wallace exited his severely damaged race car, he limped as he was assisted to the waiting ambulance.  Wallace tried to put on a brave face in spite of the pain, even telling ESPN's Jamie Little that he had stepped on his foot by accident.

"He said he was good inside the care center, but when we walked outside he grabbed my shirt," Wallace said of his son. "He said his foot really hurt and he thought he'd broken it."

The diagnosis of the fractures were then confirmed once the racer left the track, flew home, and went to the hospital in North Carolina. 

"We went to the hospital as soon as we flew back into Charlotte and sure enough, there were three clean breaks," Rusty Wallace said of his son. "Two of his toes were broken off and half of his foot, on the top, was broke."

Steve Wallace just seemed disgusted with the whole wreck and his resultant injuries.

"It sucks," Wallace said. "I was able to get in and out of the car pretty good, but it's so darned sore, it's hard to move."

Wallace was also dejected with another poor finish on the race track in addition to his injured toes and foot.

Wallace was in the sixth position in the points standings coming into the Bristol race but was knocked down to 11th in the drivers' standings due to the wreck, his second in a row.

"He'd gotten so much momentum going, with all these top-10s and top-fives and he was pumped up; and then he goes to Bristol, and they wipe out in front," Rusty Wallace said. "Steve gets involved in that one, we lose a lot of points and he's really dejected."

In spite of the injury, Rusty Wallace has confirmed that Steve will race in the Nationwide event this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway.  He will be taking some lessons learned from Carl Edwards as far as some adaptive equipment to keep his foot immobile.

Wallace's team has developed some adaptive supports as well, with new sole supports to accommodate Wallace's swollen foot, which has ballooned a full shoe size due to the injuries. 

He is also using crutches, as well as a special golf cart with an elevated platforms so he can keep his foot up.

In spite of Steve's pain and injuries, Rusty Wallace advises that his son is tough.

"The driver mind-set, when you're young like he is, he'll shake it off," Wallace said of Steve. "He won't even think about it."