PREVIEW: Non-Playoff storylines converge in all three Homestead entry lists
 |
| Mason Maggio's XFINITY entry, part of a planned Saturday double-header. IMAGE: @MasonMaggio1 |
by Brock Beard
LASTCAR.info Editor-in-Chief
Saturday, October 21, 2023 (12:00 P.M. ET, FS1)
TRUCKS Race 22 of 23
Round of 8: Race 3 of 3
Baptist Health 200 at Homestead
2022 Last-Place Finisher: Spencer Boyd
LASTCAR CHAMPIONSHIP SCENARIOS
With two races to go, the 2023 LASTCAR Truck Series Championship remains wide open. Current leaders Josh Reaume and Keith McGee could have taken a step toward locking up the title on Saturday, but neither are interested. This opens the door for many of the one-time last-place finishers to take the lead heading into Phoenix, including Dean Thompson, Lawless Alan, and Colby Howard. The other one-time last-place finishers can take the title by sweeping both last-place runs at Homestead and Phoenix.
ENTRY LIST
There are 35 trucks entered for 36 spots, meaning all will qualify. It’s the series’ fourth short field of 2023 and first since Gateway, ten races ago.
MISSING: #1-TRICON Garage
Among the entries not making the trip to south Florida is TRICON’s “all-star” #1 entry, which team owner David Gilliland finished next-to-last in Talladega after a multi-truck pileup.
RETURNING: #7-Spire Motorsports
One team that is returning is the Spire #7, which will enter Marco Andretti in each of the season’s final two races. Andretti made his series debut at Mid-Ohio this past summer, finishing 19th, and this week carries kin.com as sponsor. He has five IndyCar starts on this Homestead track, the best of which a runner-up finish to Scott Dixon in 2008.
MISSING: #10-Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing
Jennifer Jo Cobb will not run this week after she failed to qualify in Talladega.
DRIVER CHANGE: #20-Young’s Motorsports
A brutal crash in Talladega capped what has been – other than his emotional ARCA Menards Series win at Daytona – a downright frustrating season. A fractured vertebra has cut his Truck Series campaign two races short, leaving a “TBA” next to the #20 until midweek. Stepping aboard for both this week and the Phoenix finale is Nick Leitz, who seeks his sixth series start and first since he drove this same #20 entry to a career-best 19th at Nashville. Precision Measurements returns as sponsor.
DRIVER CHANGE: #22-AM Racing
Mason Maggio will begin a Saturday double-header in both Trucks and XFINITY by reuniting with AM Racing for his tenth series start, his first since a 35th-place showing with this same team in Kansas. Maggio carries sponsorship from ACE Hardware Hobe Sound as he takes the place of Canada’s Jason White, who finished 27th last time out in Talladega.
DRIVER CHANGE: #25-Rackley-W.A.R.
Another ride that remained a question mark for much of the week was the Rackley-W.A.R. effort, with which XFINITY Series Playoff contender Chandler Smith claimed a 4th-place finish one year after their former driver Matt DiBenedetto earned his first win. The ride has since gone to Trevor Bayne, whose return to NASCAR continues to build intrigue. Saturday will be only his ninth series start, his first since the 2020 championship race at Phoenix where he ran 18th for Niece Motorsports. That year also saw him finish 2nd in Talladega, coming up just short to KBM’s Raphael Lessard. This remains a one-off for Bayne as the team has also announced that Stefan Parsons will drive in Phoenix.
MISSING: #28-FDNY Racing
While Bryan Dauzat and the Rosenblum team are not entered this week, the team has confirmed they will return to action in Daytona in 2024.
DRIVER CHANGE: #30-On Point Motorsports
As Ryan Vargas continues his adventures in the Whelen Euro Series with 3 Friends Racing, the 17th-place finisher in Talladega will be replaced this week by Jonathan Shafer with his returning Osgar’s Autobody sponsorship from his late model. This would be just the third series start for Shafer following a 29th-place debut in Martinsville and a 24th his last time out in Nashville, both with this On Point team.
MISSING: #32-Bret Holmes Racing
It’s been a difficult year for Bret Holmes, who in his first full-time campaign has run most of the season without a sponsor on his #32 Chevrolet. Just days after a 16th-place finish at Talladega – a race he would have won a year earlier had the caution come out moments later – the #32 wasn’t on the preliminary entry list, and it was confirmed he wouldn’t run at Phoenix either. Holmes is already making preparations for 2024, and word is he will again seek a full-time effort.
DRIVER CHANGE: #33-Reaume Brothers Racing
The fourth career start for Memphis Villarreal will come this week, his second for the Reaume Brothers team, with whom he made his most recent run under the lights at Bristol, taking 33rd. Villarreal, an employee of G2G Racing, will take the place of LASTCAR Truck Series championship contender Keith McGee, who missed the cut last time out in Talladega.
MISSING: #34-Front Row Motorsports
Speaking of Talladega, the team’s second entry – which won in its debut with Brett Moffitt – will not be running this week. It’s likely all hands on deck for the FRM group behind their full-time driver Zane Smith. After sliding into a member of his pit crew and suffering a mechanical failure, Smith finds himself in a practical must-win scenario in Saturday’s penultimate race if he hopes to have a chance at defending his 2022 title.
TEAM UPDATE: #35-McAnally-Hilgemann Racing
Another bit of “silly season” news came from the second McAnally team, where driver Jake Garcia will not be racing in 2024. Garcia will still run the season’s final two races, looking to improve after a 3rd-place qualifying run at Talladega went sour with mechanical issues before the race even started.
RETURNING: #46-G2G Racing
G2G Racing returns to action for the first time since IRP – where they failed to qualify – and will start for the first time since Mid-Ohio, where Dale Quarterley ran well before overheating issues left him 35th. Returning to the driver’s seat is Armani Williams, who attempted to qualify at IRP, and in his most recent start at Charlotte had a frightening accident on pit road. This will be Williams’ first start at Homestead.
MISSING: #75-Henderson Motorsports
The Charlie Henderson team will not be running this week following Parker Kligerman’s Stage 2 win in Talladega, where his bid for the win left him in 9th place. Kligerman instead focuses on the next-to-last round of his first year with Big Machine Racing’s XFINITY effort.
MISSING: #95-GK Racing
Clay Greenfield will not attempt this weekend’s race after the team’s switch from Toyota to Chevrolet was followed by mechanical issues in qualifying that kept them out of the field.
DRIVER CHANGE: #02-Young’s Motorsports
Still another entry with “TBA” on the preliminary entry list was filled in dramatic fashion as Brad Perez was signed to drive, bringing with him sponsorship from Apex Coffee Roasters and Space Beans. After originally tweeting that his 2023 season had wrapped, Perez will now make his own first start at Homestead, his home track, where he watched his first race as a young fan. Making his fifth series start and first since Milwaukee, where Greg Van Alst’s stuck throttle put him out of the race in 35th, Perez takes the place of Garrett Smithley, who ran a solid 15th in Talladega.
DRIVER CHANGE: #04-Roper Racing
The Roper team will make the trip to Homestead. After Cory Roper finished 22nd in Talladega, then broke up an infield fight between Nick Sanchez and Matt Crafton, the ride goes to a returning Spencer Davis, who never quite got to race in his lone start at Kansas. A practice crash resulted in damage the team scrambled to repair, only to result in an early exit. Davis now seeks his first Homestead start since 2020, when he finished 11th for his family’s team.
CUP INVADERS: None
Saturday, October 21, 2023 (3:00 P.M. ET, USA)
XFINITY Race 31 of 33
Round of 8: Race 2 of 3
Contender Boats 250 at Homestead
2022 Last-Place Finisher: J.J. Yeley
ENTRY LIST
There are 41 drivers entered for 38 spots, meaning three will fail to qualify.
DRIVER CHANGE: #4-JD Motorsports
On Saturday, defending last-place finisher J.J. Yeley will attempt his 384th XFINITY Series start, and for the first time in that 19-year career will drive for Johnny Davis. Yeley’s double-duty effort with the Cup Series begins by taking the place of Garrett Smithley, who failed to qualify last week in Las Vegas.
DRIVER CHANGE: #11-Kaulig Racing
After Layne Riggs finished 10th in only his second career XFINITY Series start, Kaulig’s “all-star” #11 entry goes back to Derek Kraus, who last competed in the night race at Bristol and came home 12th. Kraus’ season-best 8th-place finish came in the previous round. Kraus has two Truck Series starts at Homestead, finishing 15th in both 2020 and 2022.
DRIVER SWAP: #19-Joe Gibbs Racing
DRIVER CHANGE: #29-RSS Racing
DRIVER SWAP: #38-RSS Racing
Mason Maggio completes his Saturday doubleheader in RSS Racing’s #29 with Flitz Polish as sponsor of his Ford. Maggio takes the place of 18th-place Las Vegas finisher Kyle Sieg, who moves over to the #38 in place of 37th-place Joe Graf, Jr. Graf returns to Joe Gibbs' #19 and shares the WaWa sponsorship with Natalie Decker in the #07 (see below). Graf takes the place of Myatt Snider, who's not entered after an 11th in Vegas.
DRIVER SWAP: #35-Emerling-Gase Motorsports
DRIVER CHANGE: #53-Emerling-Gase Motorsports
In a season that has seen him earn some solid finishes with Kyle Busch Motorsports’ Truck Series team – soon to be absorbed into Spire – Matt Mills returns for only his fifth series start of 2023 and first since Kansas, when he ran a season-best 19th. As in the previous four, Mills drives for Emerling-Gase Motorsports in the #53, this time taking the place of Las Vegas last-place finisher Patrick Emerling. Emerling will also run on Saturday, taking the place of team co-owner Joey Gase in the 32nd-place #35.
DRIVER CHANGE: #44-Alpha Prime Racing
After Daniel Dye finished 21st in his second XFINITY Series start last time out in Vegas, Jeffrey Earnhardt will run the #44 with returning sponsorship from ForeverLawn. This will be Earnhardt’s 22nd series start of the season and first since Texas, where he finished 32nd after a mid-race crash. Pending qualifying – which has been an issue for the #44 team in recent weeks – this will be Earnhardt’s first Homestead start since 2021, when he ran 22nd for JD Motorsports.
DRIVER CHANGE: #45-Alpha Prime Racing
Seeking his eighth series start is Leland Honeyman, who we last saw in action on the Charlotte “Roval,” finishing a season-best 21st with this same #45 team. Honeyman takes the place of Rajah Caruth, who finished 23rd despite losing a crush panel in Las Vegas.
DRIVER CHANGE: #66-Motorsports Business Management
Back in a Ford after the team swap with Ryan Ellis at Alpha Prime Racing for Las Vegas, team owner Carl Long has welcomed fellow 2002 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year contender Ryan Newman, who also runs double-duty with the Cup Series. Should he qualify, this will be Newman’s first XFINITY Series start since November 3, 2012, when he finished 19th for Turner Motorsports at Texas, and his first in a XFINITY race at Homestead since November 21, 2009, when he finished 7th for Kevin Harvick, Incorporated. Newman will carry MBM’s returning sponsor Generx Generators on the team that finished last in this race last year with J.J. Yeley.
RETURNING: #88-JR Motorsports
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. electrified the crowd at Bristol when he challenged for the lead during the closing laps, only to fall out due to a cockpit fire that charred the ankle of his uniform. Junior returns for his second planned start of the year, this time in the Bass Pro Shops colors. Junior last ran a XFINITY race here in 2020, when buoyed by his runner-up finish to Denny Hamlin in the eNASCAR Pro Invitational Series race, he finished 5th.
DRIVER CHANGE: #07-SS-Green Light Racing
Natalie Decker brings back the sponsorship from WaWa Recharge from the Daytona night race – her most recent start - this time taking the place of Las Vegas DNQ Gray Gaulding in the #07 Chevrolet.
DRIVER CHANGE: #08-SS-Green Light Racing
The second Dotter entry goes to Mason Massey, who seeks just his fifth start of the season and first since a 16th-place finish at Kansas that followed his career-best 10th in New Hampshire. Massey looks to keep the streak going as he takes the place of Stefan Parsons, who finished 26th in Las Vegas.
CUP INVADERS: None
Sunday, October 22, 2023 (2:30 P.M. ET, NBC)
CUP Race 34 of 36
Round of 8: Race 2 of 3
4EVER 400 presented by Mobil 1 at Homestead
2022 Last-Place Finisher: Chase Briscoe
ENTRY LIST
Sunday’s Playoff race marks the 21st of the year’s 34 Cup races to include only the 36 Chartered entries. The Daytona 500 remains the only race with a “full” 40-car starting grid.
DRIVER CHANGE: #15-Rick Ware Racing
DRIVER CHANGE: #51-Rick Ware Racing
Sunday will see Ryan Newman make his 21st Cup start at Homestead, scene of his runner-up finish to Kevin Harvick for the 2014 Cup Series Championship, in the race named for Harvick near the conclusion of his own #4EVER retirement tour. This time around, Newman will drive Rick Ware’s #51, taking the place of 29th-place finisher J.J. Yeley. Yeley will also run, moving to the #15 in place of 30th-place finisher Brennan Poole, and after a video he tweeted regarding recent events in the Middle East will carry logos for the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.
DRIVER CHANGE: #42-Legacy Motor Club
As Jimmie Johnson announced on Monday, John Hunter Nemechek will get a chance to run the #42 before their upcoming switch to Toyota in 2024. Nemechek takes the place of Carson Hocevar, who finished last after Ryan Blaney’s disqualification at Las Vegas was rescinded. Nemechek’s lone NextGen start came in this race last year, when he filled in for the suspended Bubba Wallace at 23XI Racing, and finished 27th after qualifying a strong 4th. Hocevar will return to run the season’s final two races at Martinsville and Phoenix before he jumps to Spire Motorsports in 2024.
DRIVER CHANGE: #78-Live Fast Motorsports
Josh Bilicki steps in for current LASTCAR Cup Series championship leader B.J. McLeod with Zeigler Auto Group as returning sponsor. It will be Bilicki’s 10th series start of the year and first since the Charlotte Roval, where contact from Corey LaJoie left him 26th. With McLeod not in the field, Ty Dillon could take the lead from him if Dillon finishes last in Spire’s #77 on Sunday.
TODAY IN LASTCAR HISTORY (October 20, 2002): Kevin Lepage picked up the 4th last-place finish of his NASCAR XFINITY Series career in the Sam’s Town 250 Benefiting St. Jude at the Memphis Motorsports Park when his #37 Timber Wolf Chevrolet had engine trouble after 8 laps. It was Lepage’s first last-place finish since May 5, 2000 at Richmond and his last until July 8, 2006 at Chicagoland.
