PREVIEW: Sieg, Bilicki, and Kligerman among those returning to action at Indy
 |
| PHOTO: @StarcomRacing |
XFINITY Race 25 of 33
Indiana 250 at Indianapolis
2018 Last-Place Finisher: Jeff Green
ENTRY LIST
There are 38 drivers entered for as many spots, meaning no drivers will fail to qualify.
DRIVER SWAP: #4-JD Motorsports
DRIVER SWAP: #15-JD Motorsports
DRIVER SWAP: #01-JD Motorsports
The Johnny Davis team has swapped its drivers around again this week. Landon Cassill moves from the #01 to the #4, moving B.J. McLeod to the #15 and Leicht back to the #01 in place of Cassill. Garrett Smithley is the only of the quartet to remain in his same ride, staying in his “Number Nuthin” #0.
DRIVER CHANGE: #8-JR Motorsports
It was a crowd-pleasing effort last Saturday in Darlington as Dale Earnhardt, Jr. took fifth place in his first XFINITY start of the season. This week, the car goes to Jeb Burton, who last ran the #8 in the Bristol night race, where brake issues left him a frustrating 32nd. State Water Heaters will back his third series start at Indianapolis and first since 2017.
RETURNING: #10-Kaulig Racing
The second Kaulig entry returns from a one-week hiatus, and it’s Cup regular Austin Dillon behind the wheel. Ellsworth Advisors will sponsor the effort.
MISSING: #12-Penske Racing
Penske has not entered the #12 this week following Ryan Blaney’s 3rd-place showing at Darlington.
DRIVER SWAP: #13-Motorsports Business Management
DRIVER CHANGE: #61-Motorsports Business Management
DRIVER SWAP: #66-Motorsports Business Management
Austin Hill returns to the #61 for the first time since his DNQ in the July race at Daytona, and will this time run a car entered by Carl Long’s MBM team. This bumps Chad Finchum back to the #13, which moves Tommy Joe Martins to the #66 in place of Timmy Hill, who isn’t entered.
DRIVER CHANGE: #17-Rick Ware Racing
While no driver was mentioned on the preliminary entry list for the #17 team, by Wednesday Kyle Weatherman was named to make his fourth XFINITY start of the season and first since a 34th-place run for Mike Harmon at Michigan. He takes the place of Joe Nemechek, who ran 34th at Darlington.
DRIVER CHANGE: #18-Joe Gibbs Racing
One week after Denny Hamlin was disqualified, cutting short the celebrations of a sixth victory in twelve starts at the track, Kyle Busch will run the #18. Combos will sponsor Busch, who has won three of his previous six XFINITY starts this season.
MISSING: #28-H2 Motorsports
One week after Shane Lee was released and the Circuit City throwback to Hut Stricklin was withdrawn, the H2 team is not entered this week. Further details on the team’s future are still to be announced.
TEAM UPDATE: #74-Mike Harmon Racing
As of this writing, no driver has been listed in place of Mike Harmon, who drove to a 32nd-place finish at Darlington after early radio issues. UPDATE: Mike Harmon remains in the car.
TEAM UPDATE: #89-Shepherd Racing Ventures
Morgan Shepherd is entered in his own car as he recovers from bronchitis suffered leading into Darlington.
DRIVER CHANGE: #90-DGM Racing
Ronnie Bassett, Jr. rejoins the circuit for the first time since Bristol last month, where he ran 33rd after a crash. He takes the place of Alex Labbe, who traveled from Mosport the previous week with the Pinty’s Series to run 17th in the #90 at Darlington.
DRIVER CHANGE: #93-RSS Racing
Josh Bilicki is another driver rejoining the series this week, his first XFINITY race since a 20th-place finish at Road America. Bilicki takes the place of Camden Murphy, who also ran 20th at Darlington for a new career-best.
CUP INVADERS: #10-Austin Dillon, #18-Kyle Busch
Sunday, September 8, 2019
CUP Race 26 of 36
Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis
Regular Season Finale
2018 Last-Place Finisher: Martin Truex, Jr.
ENTRY LIST
For the first time since the July race at Daytona, eight races ago, and for just the sixth time all season, there are exactly 40 cars entered for as many spots in this Sunday’s Cup race.
DRIVER CHANGE: #27-Premium Motorsports
Ryan Sieg in for Joe Nemechek; Sieg to make first Cup start since July 16, 2017, his fifth and final run for BK Racing. Incidentally, Sieg was also entered at Indy that year, only to be the wrong side of the #83 team’s first withdrawal of the season. Sci Aps is the sponsor.
DRIVER SWAP: #52-Rick Ware Racing
DRIVER SWAP: #54-Rick Ware Racing
J.J. Yeley and Garrett Smithley have swapped rides this week with Yeley going to the #54, entered as a Ford, and Smithley to the #52. Smithley’s car will carry a new sponsor for the Ware team as Honest Abe Roofing will back his Indy run.
RETURNING: #53-Rick Ware Racing
The Ware team has also entered their #53 car, but had no driver named on the preliminary list. That changed by Wednesday as Josh Bilicki will pull double duty, and carry sponsorship from AQRE.app. Bilicki’s most recent Cup start was in the #53 at Bristol, finishing 35th due to exhaustion.
MISSING: #66-Motorsports Business Management
Not making the trip north is Carl Long’s Cup car, which Joey Gase dusted off from May and brought home in 34th, 18 laps down.
RETURNING: #96-Gaunt Brothers Racing
Parker Kligerman returns for his tenth Cup start of the season and first since Watkins Glen, where he finished 26th. This will be Kligerman’s first start in the Brickyard 400, where Jeffrey Earnhardt wrecked in the team’s Indy debut with six laps to go.
SPONSOR UPDATE: #00-StarCom Racing
Derrike Cope’s team has brought still another sponsor into the fold this weekend as Sherfick Companies will back Landon Cassill’s #00 Chevrolet this Sunday.
Friday, September 13, 2019
TRUCKS Race 19 of 23
Race at Las Vegas
Round of 8 – Race 3 of 3
2018 Last-Place Finisher: Tanner Thorson
The Truck Series returns next week to decide who will advance past the first round of the Playoffs.
LASTCAR STAT OF THE WEEK
Today in LASTCAR history (September 5, 1983): Bobby Hillin, Jr. picks up the first last-place finish of his Cup Series career in the Southern 500 at Darlington when the engine fails on his #8 Trap Rock Industries Buick after 11 laps. The finish came in Hillin’s fifteenth start, and in the very race where he was honored by Kyle Busch through his third-place finishing “throwback scheme” this past Sunday.
