NASCAR News

NASCAR news and notes for the week of 11-18

November 21, 2019
Sarah Handy
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By Sarah Handy, Staff Writer

There’s a chance you may have missed some news the weekend of the 2019 NASCAR season finale races at Homestead-Miami Speedway, as well as this week in general. If so, we’re here to get you up to speed on anything you may have missed.

NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series:

Veteran driver Matt Crafton claimed the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Championship on Friday evening with a second-place finish in the Ford EcoBoost 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Crafton earned his third series Championship after not winning a race all season in the series.

“One step closer to what Hornaday’s done, and they called us the underdog,” said Crafton post-race.

While Crafton went winless this season, he still went on to earn seven top-five and 18 top-ten finishes. In addition, Crafton completed 96.9% of this season’s laps attempted in the series.

Read More: Matt Crafton strikes a blow for veteran drivers with Gander Trucks title: https://kickinthetires.net/matt-crafton-strikes-a-blow-for-veteran-drivers-with-gander-trucks-title/

DGR-Crosley’s Tyler Ankrum went on to win NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Rookie of the Year honors. Ankrum scored his first career victory in the series at Kentucky Speedway earlier in the season. In addition, Ankrum earned three top-five and nine top-ten finishes in his first full-time season in the Truck Series.

It was announced earlier in the week that Ankrum will make the move to GMS Racing for the 2020 truck season.

“We had a really great season I thought,” Ankrum said. “I think it composed mostly of lows, but we were able to bounce back almost every single week.  When we had highs, they were really, really high highs.”

“So, I’m really proud of my guys.  I learned a lot this year.  I’m sad to leave them, but you know, I think maybe it’s for the best to learn.”

Read More: Tyler Ankrum awarded rookie-of-the-year, looks forward to 2020 https://kickinthetires.net/tyler-ankrum-awarded-rookie-of-the-year-looks-forward-to-2020/

NASCAR announced on Tuesday that it’s renaming the Truck Series for the 2020 season. It will now be known as the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series. In addition, the new series logo pictured below was also released.

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It was announced on Tuesday that Zane Smith will join GMS Racing’s 2020 Truck Series driver lineup. Smith will work alongside two-time Xfinity Series Championship crew chief Kevin ‘Bono’ Manion. In 2019, Smith competed part-time for JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series competing in 10 races, earning two top-five and seven top-ten finishes.

Read More: GMS Racing adds Zane Smith to their 2020 Truck line up: https://kickinthetires.net/gms-racing-adds-zane-smith-to-their-2020-truck-line-up/

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Tyler Reddick went on to win back-to-back Xfinity Series Championships after scoring the victory in Saturday’s Ford EcoBoost 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Reddick led the events final 19 laps after he passed fellow championship contender Cole Custer twice on the same lap around the 1.5-mile track in South Florida. In addition to his win in South Florida and his second Xfinity Series Championship, Reddick earned six wins, 24 top-five, 27 top-10 finishes and led for 568 laps. Furthermore, Reddick completed 99.0% of this season’s laps in the series.  

See Photos: Tyler Reddick NXS Championship Gallery: https://kickinthetires.net/tyler-reddick-nxs-champion-gallery/

The victory was also Reddick’s sixth of the season as he makes the move from the Xfinity Series to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2020. Reddick will race the No. 8 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing next season and compete for Rookie of the Year honors with Christopher Bell and Cole Custer who will also make the move to the series with Leavine Family Racing (Bell) and Stewart-Haas Racing (Custer) in 2020.

Chase Briscoe earned NASCAR Xfinity Series 2019 Rookie honors following Saturday’s season finale Ford EcoBoost 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Briscoe finished the 2019 season with one win, 13 top-five and 26 top-ten finishes. In addition, Briscoe led of 197 laps and completed 98.9% of the season’s laps in the series.

Read More: Chase Briscoe earns rookie-of-the-year honors at Homestead: https://kickinthetires.net/chase-briscoe-earns-rookie-of-the-year-honors-at-homestead/

GMS Racing announced on Thursday that the team will not return to the NASCAR Xfinity Series for the 2020 season. In an official team press release, President Mike Beam said in part, “We have decided that in the best interest of the organization we will put our complete focus on our Gander Trucks and ARCA Racing Series programs in 2020.”

NASCAR Cup Series

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch won the Ford EcoBoost 400 on Sunday evening at Homestead-Miami Speedway en route to his second Cup Championship. Busch’s season ending stats for the 2019 season include five wins, 17 top-five and 27 top-10 finishes with 1,582 laps led. Furthermore, he completed 99.1% of this season’s laps in the series.

Busch won the Championship in 2015 as well despite missing 11 races that season after breaking his right leg and fracturing his left foot in a wreck during the closing laps of the season-opening NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway. NASCAR granted the driver a waiver allowing him to still be championship eligible that season.

See Photos: Kyle Busch MENCS Champion – Gallery: https://kickinthetires.net/kyle-busch-mencs-champion-gallery/

Daniel Hemric won 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Rookie honors with a 12th place finish in the season-finale Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday. Hemric had an up and down season, going winless and earning just one top-five and two top-ten finishes in 36 starts.

Hemric won’t return to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2020 after it was announced that Tyler Reddick would move to the RCR’s Cup program next season. With that announced, Hemric was left without a ride until it was announced about a week ago that Hemric will join JR Motorsports for 21 races in 2020, sharing the ride with Dale Earnhardt Jr., who will compete in one race and Jeb Burton who will compete in the remaining 11 races on the schedule.

Read More: Daniel Hemric wins 2019 Cup Series Rookie of the Year: https://kickinthetires.net/daniel-hemric-wins-2019-cup-series-rookie-of-the-year/

Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson announced on Wednesday that the 2020 NASCAR Cup season would be his last racing full-time in the series. 2020 will mark Johnson’s 19th full-time season, all of which he has spent with Hendrick Motorsports.

Read More: Jimmie Johnson announces 2020 as final year racing full-time: https://kickinthetires.net/jimmie-johnson-announces-2020-as-final-year-racing-full-time/

Other news:

NASCAR announced on Monday that two-time Daytona 500 Champion, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been named the Honorary Starter for the 62nd running of the “Great American Race” which will take place on Sunday February 16, 2020 at Daytona International Speedway.

Earnhardt won the famed race in 2004 and 2014, respectively and competed in his last full season of Cup Series competition in 2017. This season, Earnhardt served as the Official Pace Truck Driver and in 2018 he served as the race’s Grand Marshall.

Earnhardt now is a commentator for NBC Sports and has since competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, most recently a one-off race in this season’s Xfinity Series event at Darlington Raceway during throwback weekend where he was credited with a fifth-place finish.

Penalty report following Homestead-Miami Speedway: NASCAR issued four fines and one suspension during Championship weekend in South Florida.

Cup Series: Mike Wheeler the crew chief for Matt DiBenedetto’s No.95 Toyota for Leavine Family Racing was fined $10,000 for one unsecured lug nut.

Xfinity Series: Mike Shiplett, crew chief for Cole Custer’s No. 00 Ford was fined $5,000 for an unsecured lug nut.

Truck Series: Steve Lane, who owns On Point Motorsports and crew chief on Danny Bohn’s No. 30 Toyota was fined $5,000 and suspended one points race for two unsecured lug nuts. The team said they will not appeal the penalty.

Trip Bruce III who is the crew chief on Stewart Friesen’s No. 52 Chevrolet was fined $2,500 for one unsecured lug nut.

Other: NASCAR indefinitely suspended Jeffrey Schmidt for violating its substance abuse policy.

In case you missed any of our recent articles from Homestead-Miami Speedway race weekend they’re provided below, so you are able to catch up!

MENCS:

NXS:

NGOTS:

Other

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