PREVIEW: A series of driver swaps shake up both grids for Kansas
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| PHOTO: @RickWareRacing |
XFINITY Race 30 of 33
Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas
Round of 8 – Race 1 of 3
2018 Last-Place Finisher: Michael Annett
ENTRY LIST
There 39 drivers entered for 38 spots in Saturday’s return of the XFINITY Series, including the late addition of Mike Harmon Racing (see below).
DRIVER SWAP: #4-JD Motorsports
RETURNING: #10-Kaulig Racing
DRIVER CHANGE: #15-JD Motorsports
Tyler Matthews is back in action for the seventh time this year and the first since a one-off for Mike Harmon at Richmond. He drives the #15, bumping B.J. McLeod to the #4 in place of Ross Chastain, who on Saturday drives for the returning Kaulig Racing #10. It was leaked Monday and confirmed Tuesday that Chastain will drive the #10 full-time in 2020. As of Thursday, however, both the team's hauler drivers are recovering in the hospital following an accident on the I-40 that left the trailer on its side off an embankment. Both drivers were alert after the wreck, and both Kaulig cars are still slated to run Saturday.
DRIVER CHANGE: #8-JR Motorsports
Ryan Truex prepares for his sixth XFINITY start of the season and first since the Charlotte Roval, where he finished 10th. Marquis returns as sponsor. He takes the place of Zane Smith, who ran 9th in Dover.
DRIVER SWAP: #13-Motorsports Business Management
DRIVER CHANGE: #66-Motorsports Business Management
Welcome back Bobby Dale Earnhardt, who we haven’t seen in the series since last November at Texas. Then as now, he drives for Carl Long in the #66, bumping Timmy Hill to the #13 in place of Long himself. Long isn’t entered as a driver this week and will oversee both his XFINITY effort and Joey Gase’s double-duty in Sunday’s Cup race.
DRIVER SWAP: #17-Rick Ware Racing
DRIVER SWAP: #74-Mike Harmon Racing
Mike Harmon’s #74 team wasn’t on the preliminary entry list but was confirmed by the team’s PR to be running at Kansas. It was then shown that Harmon himself would be driving the team car, the #17 fielded under Rick Ware Racing, bumping Joe Nemechek to Harmon’s #74. This marks the first time Harmon has driven the #17 since he shook it down at Bristol in August following Bayley Currey’s brief suspension.
DRIVER SWAP: #38-RSS Racing
DRIVER CHANGE: #93-RSS Racing
C.J. McLaughlin is back for the first time since Richmond. This time, he drives Rod Sieg’s #93, bumping J.J. Yeley to the #38 in place of Bayley Currey, who isn’t entered. McLaughlin’s season-best 23rd-place finish at Bristol this August was his only start in 2019 for a team other than RSS, that one coming for B.J. McLeod in the #99.
DRIVER CHANGE: #90-DGM Racing
RETURNING: #92-DGM Racing
Alex Labbe steps in for Dillon Bassett, who will move to the returning #92 team. The #92 hasn’t entered or started a race since Charlotte in May, when Ronnie Bassett, Jr., originally listed to drive in place of his brother this Saturday, finished 25th. Down Syndrome Awareness and Bassett Gutters and More return as sponsors.
DRIVER CHANGE: #99-B.J. McLeod Motorsports
Josh Bilicki pulls double-duty this weekend in Kansas, and starts by replacing Stefan Parsons in B.J. McLeod’s #99 Toyota. Furniture Mall of Kansas will back the effort.
Sunday, October 20, 2019
CUP Race 32 of 36
Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas
Round of 12 – Race 3 of 3
2018 Last-Place Finisher: Timmy Hill
ENTRY LIST
There are 40 drivers entered for as many spots in this Sunday’s Cup race, marking the first back-to-back 40-car fields this year since May, during the spring race at Kansas and the Coca-Cola 600.
DRIVER SWAP: #27-Premium Motorsports
DRIVER CHANGE: #77-Spire Motorsports
The preliminary entry list had no driver listed in the #27 to take the place of Reed Sorenson, who was slotted into the #77 in place of Blake Jones. By Wednesday, however, Sorenson was moved back to the #27 once more and Timmy Hill, for the first time in 2019, will drive for Spire Motorsports. Hill had himself been listed as this week’s driver of Motorsports Business Management’s #66, but that also changed Wednesday as Joey Gase was set to drive for a second-straight week, moving Hill to the open #77.
TEAM UPDATE: #37-JTG-Daugherty Racing
On Wednesday came news that Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., fresh off his strong performance in Talladega, will take over Chris Buescher's ride in 2020. Though Buescher had previously been announced as Stenhouse's replacement next year, this was not intended to be a trade as each decision was made separately. Reports indicate it is likely this team will also carry a new number next season, though using the 2019 Owner Points.
DRIVER CHANGE: #51-Rick Ware Racing
DRIVER SWAP: #52-Rick Ware Racing
J.J. Yeley returns to the #51 after he wasn’t entered in Talladega, bumping Austin Theriault to the #52 in place of Spencer Boyd, who isn’t entered after his last-place run on Monday. Bangor Bank rejoins Theriault as sponsor of the #52, and the bank looks to promote the Travis Mills Foundation in the upcoming season finale at Homestead. UPDATE: On Thursday, Theriault tweeted he has not been cleared to race Sunday following his wreck in Tallafega, but still intends to return at Homestead. Garrett Smithley will run in his place at Kansas.
RETURNING: #53-Rick Ware Racing
Joining Yeley and Theriault will be Josh Bilicki, who brings back Rick Ware’s third team for the first time since the Charlotte Roval. Insurance King continues their developing partnership with Bilicki and has a new paint scheme on the #53 this week. It will be Bilicki’s first Cup start at Kansas.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
TRUCKS Race 21 of 23
Hall of Fame 200 at Martinsville
Round of 6 – Race 2 of 3
2018 Last-Place Finisher: Chad Finley
The Truck Series takes the week off and returns to action for the short track in Martinsville.
LASTCAR STAT OF THE WEEK
Today in LASTCAR history (October 17, 1998): Curtis Markham picks up the 2nd last-place finish of his NASCAR Busch Series career in the Carquest Auto Parts 250 at Gateway when his #64 Schneider National Chevrolet overheated after 78 laps. Markham shared the Dennis Shoemaker-owned Chevrolet with Cup Series veteran Dick Trickle, who took that year’s LASTCAR championship.
