PREVIEW: Changes abound on all three Chicagoland entry lists
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| Chris Buescher's Maxwell House scheme for this Sunday. PHOTO: @JTGRacing |
TRUCKS Race 12 of 23
Camping World 225 at Chicagoland
2018 Last-Place Finisher: Mike Harmon
ENTRY LIST
A triple-header weekend begins with 33 drivers entered for 32 spots, meaning one team will miss the show. UPDATE: With the withdrawal of Ted Minor's #25 (see below), all 32 remaining trucks will start the race.
DRIVER CHANGE: #0-Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing
Joey Gase returns to the Truck Series and once again drives for Jennifer Jo Cobb. He replaces Greg Rayl, who finished last in Gateway after a crash ended his series debut.
DRIVER CHANGE: #1-Beaver Motorsports
Bayley Currey was originally slated to run a Truck Series race for the first time since Kansas, taking the place of Cody McMahan, who the team reported broke something in the right-front when he wrecked out of his own series debut at Gateway. But on Wednesday, it became B.J. McLeod, who will run all three races this weekend. The truck will be a Toyota with VIPRacingExperience.com as sponsor.
NEW TEAM: #5-DGR-Crosley
Welcome back Dylan Lupton, who this week debuts a new fourth team for DGR-Crosley. If he qualifies, it will be Lupton’s third series start and first since November 11, 2016, when he drove this same truck number to a 19th-place finish for the Townley team. His series-best finish is a 12th at Talladega that same year. UPDATE: Team's number is 5, not 05.
DRIVER CHANGE: #13-ThorSport Racing
Johnny Sauter returns to the #13 truck following his one-race suspension for the incident at Iowa. Myatt Snider finished 10th in Sauter’s truck last Saturday.
RETURNING: #15-DGR-Crosley
DRIVER CHANGE: #17-DGR-Crosley
DRIVER CHANGE: #87-NEMCO Motorsports
Chicagoland will be one of the races where Tyler Ankrum has full sponsorship from Railblaza for his now part-time effort with DGR-Crosley. Ankrum resumes his ride in the #17 following two “start-and-park” races in NEMCO Motorsports’ #87, which Joe Nemechek will drive on Friday. Ankrum’s return to the #17 moves Anthony Alfredo to DGR-Crosley’s returning #15 following a 12th-place showing in Gateway.
WITHDREW: #25-Ted Minor Motorsports
Ted Minor will attempt to qualify his own #25 for the second time this year following a DNQ in Texas. As at Texas, the truck will be sponsored by Xtreme Air and Phoenix Roofing, as well as ERO Exteriors. UPDATE: The team has withdrawn as of Thursday.
DRIVER CHANGE: #32-Reaume Brothers Racing
Daniel Sasnett finished 26th in the debut of Josh Reaume’s new third team at Gateway, but no driver was named for the truck on the preliminary entry list. Mason Massey was then listed by Wednesday, following his 21st-place finish in the Reaume #34 at Iowa.
DRIVER CHANGE: #33-Reaume Brothers Racing
Josh Bilicki will race in place of Josh Reaume, who ran 23rd in Gateway. Bilicki finished 18th in Reaume’s #34 at Kansas earlier this year, his series debut, then failed to qualify at Charlotte. Insurance King joins the effort as sponsor.
DRIVER CHANGE: #34-Reaume Brothers Racing
Jesse Iwuji was in Sonoma last week, and this week will be in Chicago to take over for Bryant Barnhill in the #34. After a DNQ in his only previous series attempt, Barnhill finished 22nd at Gateway, best of the three Reaume trucks that night. Iwuji seeks his fifth Truck Series start and third of 2019 following a career-best 17th his last time out in Texas.
DRIVER CHANGE: #44-Niece Motorsports
T.J. Bell was originally listed to rejoin the Al Niece team for the first time since a 26th-place finish at Kansas, where he drove the #38. But on Wednesday, Spencer Davis was entered in his place. Davis' only previous start this year was at Martinsville, where he put Mark Rette's #11 in the show and finished 20th. He replaces Kyle Benjamin in the #44 following Benjamin’s 13th-place showing after leading three laps in Gateway.
MISSING: #46-Kyle Busch Motorsports
KBM has not entered the #46 truck this week, nor does Chandler Smith have a ride after finishing 4th in Gateway.
DRIVER CHANGE: #51-Kyle Busch Motorsports
Christian Eckes will also not be in Friday’s race following his 14th-place finish after starting on pole in Gateway. In his place will be Brandon Jones, who brings his Menards sponsorship to the #51. Jones finished 13th at Dover and 5th at Kansas in his prior two series starts this year.
RETURNING: #56-Hill Motorsports
The Hill brothers are back in Trucks again with Timmy taking the controls of their Chevrolet sponsored by Southern Freight Services. Hill will run double-duty with the XFINITY Series for Motorsports Business Management (see below).
MISSING: #74-Lou Goss Racing
Lou Goss and his #74 will not be making the trip to Chicago after he finished 31st in his series debut.
MISSING: #97-JJL Racing
Also not entered are Jesse Little and the #97 Ford, which drove to a 21st-place finish at Gateway.
CUP INVADERS: None.
Saturday, June 29, 2019
XFINITY Race 15 of 33
Camping World 300 at Chicagoland
2018 Last-Place Finisher: Kaz Grala
ENTRY LIST
There are 40 drivers entered in Saturday’s XFINITY Series race, meaning two teams will miss the show. UPDATE: Make that 41 with the return of the #17 (see below).
DRIVER SWAP: #4-JD Motorsports
DRIVER SWAP: #01-JD Motorsports
Stephen Leicht moves from Johnny Davis’ #4 back to his familiar #01 this week, taking the place of Ryan Repko, who ran 22nd in his series debut at Iowa. Taking Leicht’s place in the #4 is Cup regular Landon Cassill, who runs double-duty this weekend. Both cars are sponsored by Gerber Collision and Glass.
RETURNING: #10-Kaulig Racing
Ross Chastain returns to triple-duty this week as Kaulig Racing brings back their second car back for the seventh time this year and first time since Pocono. Chastain last drove this car at Talladega, where a busted gear cooler left him 30th. It will be his third start of the year in the Nutrien Ag Solutions Chevrolet.
RETURNING: #12-Penske Racing
Defending Cup Series champion Joey Logano makes his first XFINITY start of the season as the #12 team makes its fourth start of the year and first since Michigan. Logano is a two-time XFINITY winner at this track in 2009 and 2013.
DRIVER SWAP: #13-Motorsports Business Management
DRIVER SWAP: #66-Motorsports Business Management
In addition to his Truck Series effort on Friday, Joe Nemechek will again drive for MBM, taking over the #13 ride for Timmy Hill. Hill moves to the team’s #66, taking the place of Stan Mullis, who isn’t entered after a 28th-place finish in Iowa.
DRIVER CHANGE: #15-JD Motorsports
B.J. McLeod is back behind the wheel of an XFINITY Series car for the first time since Michigan, and takes over the #15 from Tyler Matthews, 20th in Iowa.
RETURNING: #17-Rick Ware Racing
Bayley Currey is entered in what was originally a driver TBA car. The #17 team returns following their withdrawal in Iowa.
DRIVER CHANGE: #18-Joe Gibbs Racing
Riley Herbst and the Monster Energy branding are back on Joe Gibbs’ #18 for the fourth time this year and first since a disappointing 37th-place showing in Michigan. Herbst takes the place of Harrison Burton, 4th in Iowa.
MISSING: #21-Richard Childress Racing
RCR has not entered the #21 team which Joe Graf, Jr. steered to a 19th-place finish in Iowa.
SPONSOR UPDATE: #39-RSS Racing
As the XFINITY Series nears the Playoffs, Ryan Sieg secured another new sponsor this week as Big Green Egg backs his #39 Chevrolet.
DRIVER CHANGE: #74-Mike Harmon Racing
Camden Murphy will drive NEMCO’s #8 Chevrolet on Friday in the Truck Series race, and also rejoin fellow owner-driver Mike Harmon to run the #74 Chevrolet on Saturday. Harmon finished 27th last time out in Iowa.
RETURNING: #81-XCI Racing
XCI Racing is back in action for the first time since their team debuted with an 8th-place finish at Texas. Jeffrey Earnhardt is again the driver of the Toyota.
DRIVER CHANGE: #99-B.J. McLeod Motorsports
Tommy Joe Martins resumes driving duties in the #99 Diamond Gusset Jeans / The Podgoats Toyota, taking over Ryan Ellis, 23rd after a start violation penalty in Iowa. Ellis will return to the car in Road America in two months. Martins finished a season-best 18th his last time out at Michigan.
CUP INVADERS: #4-Landon Cassill, #10-Ross Chastain, #12-Joey Logano
Sunday, June 30, 2019
CUP Race 17 of 36
Camping World 400 at Chicagoland
2018 Last-Place Finisher: Timmy Hill
ENTRY LIST
There are 38 drivers entered for 40 spots in Sunday’s Cup event. This marks the fourth consecutive short field in 2019 and the twelfth out of seventeen races.
SPONSOR UPDATE: #32-Go FAS Racing
Another new look for Corey LaJoie's car this week as Coinlotto has signed as sponsor for this weekend.
DRIVER CHANGE: #51-Rick Ware Racing
When interviewed at Sonoma following a last-place finish, J.J. Yeley indicated he would be driving for Rick Ware at Chicagoland and next week in Daytona, but the preliminary entry list had no driver listed for either the #51 or #52. On Wednesday, the Ware team announced Yeley will drive the team's #52 at Daytona as part of a new multi-race sponsorship deal with DriveSmart Warranty. UPDATE: B.J. McLeod, originally entered in the #53, will instead drive the #51 this week.
DRIVER CHANGE: #52-Rick Ware Racing
The entry blank was also left open for the #52, which Cody Ware steered to a 36th-place finish before carbon monoxide poisoning forced him out of the race. Monarch Crypto Wallet was later added as the listed sponsor, a company that backed TriStar Motorsports' #72 last summer. UPDATE: Bayley Currey, originally entered in the #1 truck, will drive the #52.
RETURNING: #53-Rick Ware Racing
Ware’s third team returns with B.J. McLeod as the driver once again, a pairing we last saw in the team’s debut at Charlotte, where McLeod ran 29th. UPDATE: Josh Bilicki will go triple-duty this week as he takes over for McLeod in the #53.
DRIVER CHANGE: #77-Spire Motorsports
Quin Houff is back for his ninth Cup start of the year and first since Michigan, where he ran 32nd. Sleep6 is the listed sponsor. Houff takes the place of Justin Haley, who ran 34th last week in Sonoma.
MISSING: #96-Gaunt Brothers Racing
Neither Parker Kligerman nor the #96 team are entered this week after a 30th-place showing on the road course.
LASTCAR STAT OF THE WEEK
Today in LASTCAR history (June 27, 2014): Matt DiBenedetto was the Cinderella story of last Sunday’s Toyota / Save Mart 350. His 4th-place finish brought focus to his challenging journey that brought him to the Leavine Family Racing team. On this day just five years ago, DiBenedetto picked up the first last-place finish of his NASCAR XFINITY Series career at Kentucky, driving one of the “start-and-park” efforts fielded by Curtis Key’s The Motorsports Group. DiBenedetto joined TMG in 2012, two years after he was running part-time in the series for Joe Gibbs Racing. The #95 now has a technical alliance with JGR, a reunion of both driver and team.
