XFINITY: Vinnie Miller’s early charge halted after tangle with Earnhardt at Dover

SCREENCAP: @NASCARONFOX

Vinnie Miller picked up the 2nd last-place finish of his NASCAR XFINITY Series career in the Drydene 200 Race 2 at the Dover International Speedway when his #78 GlassSkinz Chevrolet was involved in a two-car accident after 11 of 200 laps.

The finish, which came in Miller’s 87th series start, was his first of the season and first since November 17, 2018 at Homestead, 54 races ago. In the XFINITY Series’ last-place history, it was the 7th for the #78, the 334th from a crash, and the 553rd for Chevrolet. Across NASCAR’s top three series, it was the 36th for the #78, the 1,220th from a crash, and the 1,736th for Chevrolet.

Following point finishes of 27th and 23rd in his first two full-time XFINITY seasons the last two years, Miller has run all but one race in the series this year, excepting only the Daytona infield road course just last week, where road course competitors Scott Heckert and Josh Bilicki joined teammate Matt Mills at the B.J. McLeod Motorsports effort. Miller enjoyed a solid start to the year, finishing 14th in the Daytona opener, 15th two rounds later in Fontana, and a season-best 12th in the seventh round in Bristol. But coming into Dover, he’d scored just one top-twenty finish since.

At Dover, Miller welcomed his first new primary sponsor since the start of the season as GlassSkinz.com backed his #78 for both races in Dover. The GlassSkinz company sells stylish rear window skins for current-model sports cars, including the production version of the Camaro like the one his #78 was modeled after. After finishing 28th, four laps down, in Saturday’s first round of the double-header, Miller would start 29th in the Sunday race.

Miller would also incur a tail-end penalty for unapproved adjustments, which would also drop to the rear 18th-place Alex Labbe in the #90 Prolon / VRVictoriaVille.com Chevrolet and Jeffrey Earnhardt in the #0 Drydene Chevrolet. Daniel Hemric, set to start 9th, would drop to the back after taking the place of Saturday’s driver Jeb Burton along with his sponsor in the #8 Poppy Bank Chevrolet while 6th-place Chase Briscoe in the #98 Highpoint.com Ford was docked for running the only backup car.

These penalized drivers shuffled the lineup for the tail end of the field, where Saturday’s last-place finisher Timmy Hill was set to start 36th in the #66 Jani-King Toyota. Not dropping to the rear was 5th-place Anthony Alfredo, who discovered a power steering issue during the pace laps on the #21 ADS / Footing First Chevrolet. 

On Lap 4, Miller climbed to 32nd, dropping Korbin Forrister to last in the #36 Nursing Home Heroes Chevrolet. On Lap 7, Miller climbed to 30th and was reeling in 29th-place Jeffrey Earnhardt. Two laps later, he completed the pass, but Earnhardt continued to contest the position. On Lap 11, the two were side-by-side off the second corner when Miller crossed Earnhardt’s nose, slamming the #78 hard into the outside wall. Miller rolled down the backstretch with heavy right-front damage before the right-front tire failed, putting him into the Turn 3 wall. The caution fell for the accident as Miller reached the stripe, debris from his fender still in Turn 3. He pulled behind the wall, done for the day. Miller promptly took last from teammate Matt Mills, whose J.F. Electric Chevrolet was still on the lead lap in last place on Lap 10.

The 35th spot fell to Kyle Weatherman, who cited suspension issues on the #47 Thin Blue Line USA Chevrolet. As of this writing, the Mike Harmon Racing team is still trying to recover the truck, hauler, and Weatherman’s road course car that were stolen from a parking lot following last week’s race in Daytona. With the help of several partners, the initial $5,000 reward has increased to $20,100. Bayley Currey, Weatherman’s teammate in the #74 Chevrolet, finished 33rd with engine trouble.

Timmy Hill took 34th, though he nearly returned to the track after Jeffrey Earnhardt’s damaged car hit the wall when they were in the garage. As Earnhardt kept rolling, the Motorsports Business Management crew elected to pull out of the race. Completing the Bottom Five was Korbin Forrister, who dropped out with brake issues after briefly holding last place in the early laps.

Coming home an impressive 10th was Brett Moffitt in Our Motorsports’ #02 Robert B. Our, Inc. Chevrolet. Moffitt, who ran a “throwback” scheme honoring Jimmie Johnson and his “red vest” Lowe’s paint job, inherited the pole after the field inversion from Saturday. He led the opening 24 laps, then once more, appropriately, on Lap 48. These were the first laps led by the #02 this season, and was Moffitt’s fifth top-ten run in 2020.

LASTCAR STATISTICS

*This marked the first XFINITY last-place finish for the #78 since September 28, 2019, when J.J. Yeley’s run in the BringYourBible.org Toyota ended after 5 laps with a crash during the Drive for the Cure 250 on the Charlotte “Roval.”

*The number hadn’t finished last in an XFINITY race at Dover since May 30, 1998, when Loy Allen, Jr. scored his first series last-place finish due to rear end trouble on his Mark III Financial Chevrolet after 18 laps of the MBNA Platinum 200. This also happened to be the first last-place run for the #78 in series history.

THE BOTTOM FIVE

36) #78-Vinnie Miller / 11 laps / crash

35) #47-Kyle Weatherman / 23 laps / suspension

34) #66-Timmy Hill / 59 laps / overheating

33) #74-Bayley Currey / 106 laps / engine

32) #36-Korbin Forrister / 167 laps / brakes

2020 LASTCAR XFINITY SERIES OWNER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

1st) Motorsports Business Management (5)

2nd) Joe Gibbs Racing (3)

3rd) JD Motorsports, Jimmy Means Racing, Mike Harmon Racing, Shepherd Racing Ventures (2)

4th) B.J. McLeod Motorsports, Jeremy Clements Racing, JR Motorsports, Kaulig Racing, SS-Green Light Racing (1)

2020 LASTCAR XFINITY SERIES MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

1st) Chevrolet (13)

2nd) Toyota (8)

2020 LASTCAR XFINITY SERIES DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

CUP: Early contact hands Kurt Busch first last-place finish of the season

SCREENSHOT: NBC Sports

Kurt Busch picked up the 7th last-place finish of his NASCAR Cup Series career in the Drydene 311 Race 1 at the Dover International Speedway when his #1 Gearwrench Chevrolet was involved in a multi-car accident after 6 of 311 laps.

The finish, which came in Busch’s 708th series start, was his first of the season and first since September 15, 2019 at Las Vegas, 33 races ago. In the Cup Series’ last-place history, it was the 36th for the #1, the 602nd from a crash, and the 792nd for Chevrolet. Across NASCAR’s top three series, it was the 66th for the #1, the 1,219th from a crash, and the 1,735th for Chevrolet.

Coming into Dover, the site of his Cup Series debut in the fall of 2000, Kurt Busch had been a model of consistency. Through still without a win since last summer at Kentucky, he’d finished no worse than 18th since the season’s second race of the year in Las Vegas, locking him in a tight points battle with his brother Kyle. In all, he’d scored four top-five finishes and 14 Top Tens, earning an average finish of 11.4. His season-best runs were a pair of 3rd-place finishes back in the spring, both at Fontana and the Sunday round in Darlington. But while the Ganassi team had won the most recent Cup race at Dover last fall with Kyle Larson, Busch hadn’t taken the checkered flag in a Cup race there since 2011, when he drove for Team Penske.

Busch drew the 9th starting spot, and carried sponsorship from Gearwrench for the first time since Homestead.

Drawing the 40th and final starting spot was B.J. McLeod, who brought to the Cup Series his leased Chevrolet from Rick Ware Racing for the first time since Kansas. This time, he drove an all-black car with sponsorship from Royal Teak, a frequent backer of Jay Robinson’s team before the Premium Motorsports merger with Rick Ware Racing. “Keep him safe,” said the crew, “bring this thing back in one piece, and tomorrow we'll get a little more grip.” Dropping to the rear was another Ware / Premium entry, the #15 Remember Everyone Deployed Chevrolet of Brennan Poole. Poole was slated to start 30th, but dropped back alongside McLeod.

When the race started, both McLeod and Poole made quick work of 39th-place starter Garrett Smithley in the #7 Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet. Smithley incurred a pass-through penalty for an impound rule violation, requiring him to serve the penalty after taking the green. Smithley lost a lap during the stop and was back up to speed on Lap 3. Meanwhile, McLeod had climbed to 36th, passing both Joey Gase in the #51 Race For Relief / Gift of Life Donor Program Ford and Quin Houff in a Harry Gant “throwback” paint scheme on his #00 Eagle Rock Wealth Chevrolet.

Busch, meanwhile, had fallen into the clutches of 13th-place starter Erik Jones in the #20 DeWalt Atomic Toyota. As the two came off the second corner, Jones looked to the inside, then made light contact with Busch’s left-rear, immediately hooking the #1 into the inside wall. Busch made hard contact with the left-front corner. Jones also suffered damage in the incident after he was immediately rear-ended by the #88 Acronis Chevrolet of Alex Bowman. All three made it to pit road.

“It’s gonna have to be cut off,” said Busch, who also reported he lost oil pressure. “It hit way too hard not to be.” By Lap 8, Busch had lost two laps, and took last from Smithley. “10-4, it’s done,” said someone on Busch’s crew. The team debated about whether to push the car or get a wrecker. It wasn’t until around Lap 12 that Busch was able to be pushed to the infield, at one point wondering if they would have to wait until a later caution. As they did, the team said they gave Jones “just enough room, but he just barely clipped us.”

Finishing 39th was Reed Sorenson, who endured a difficult afternoon in the #77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet. With six laps to go in Stage 1, his car started trailing smoke from the right-front, and he pulled to the high lane. The crew believed he was dropping oil, so he pulled to the apron. Joey Logano was among the drivers to break loose in the fluid, though the field avoided any accidents. With four to go, Sorenson pulled down pit road with an even larger plume of smoke. Sorenson remained on pit road until Lap 74, when a wrecker pushed him to the garage. The crew discovered a wiggins clamp had come loose, causing an oil leak. He returned to action on Lap 149, 86 laps down, and ran just 83 laps in total before he pulled out a second time.

Finishing 38th was B.J. McLeod, who turned 166 laps before he pulled behind the wall. Smithley took 37th with Poole rounding out the Bottom Five.

LASTCAR STATISTICS

*This marked the first last-place finish for the #1 in a Cup race at Dover since October 2, 2016, when Jamie McMurray had engine trouble after 192 laps.

*This was also Kurt Busch’s first last-place finish in a Cup race at Dover.

THE BOTTOM FIVE

40) #1-Kurt Busch / 6 laps / crash

39) #77-Reed Sorenson / 83 laps / handling

38) #78-B.J. McLeod / 166 laps / handling

37) #7-Garrett Smithley / 241 laps / battery

36) #15-Brennan Poole / 286 laps / rear end

2020 LASTCAR CUP SERIES OWNER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

1st) JTG-Daugherty Racing (6)

2nd) Motorsports Business Management (3)

3rd) Chip Ganassi Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, Penske Racing, Rick Ware Racing (2)

4th) Beard Motorsports, B.J. McLeod Motorsports, Front Row Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Leavine Family Racing, StarCom Racing, Tommy Baldwin Racing (1)

2020 LASTCAR CUP SERIES MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

1st) Chevrolet (16)

2nd) Toyota (5)

3rd) Ford (3)

2020 LASTCAR CUP SERIES DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

XFINITY: Timmy Hill scores first XFINITY last-place finish in nearly four years

PHOTO: Hunter Martin, Getty Images (Thank you to @ARRacing7CR)

Timmy Hill picked up the 3rd last-place finish of his NASCAR XFINITY Series career in Saturday’s Drydene 200 Race 1 at the Dover International Speedway when his #66 Jani-King Toyota fell out with a vibration after 55 of 200 laps.

The finish, which came in Hill’s 202nd series start, was his first of the season and first in the series since October 15, 2016, 122 races ago. In the XFINITY Series last-place rankings, it was the 11th for the #66, the 140th for Toyota, and the 140th from a vibration. Across NASCAR’s top three series, it was the 75th for the #66, the 214th for vibration, and the 342nd for Toyota.

Dover proved to be one of the most challenging weekends for Hill as he’d enter all five combined Cup, XFINITY, and Truck Series races held on three consecutive days. He’d also start the weekend as both owner and driver while competing against his brother Tyler Hill. Timmy drove his family’s #56 Chevrolet while Tyler took the place of Ray Ciccarelli in his #49 Back the Blue Chevrolet. Timmy prevailed in the race, taking 21st over Tyler in 30th.

Timmy would continue to race for Carl Long’s team Motorsports Business Management in both Cup and XFINITY. On the XFINITY side, where he hadn’t finished last since back-to-back races in 2016, he had driven all three of Long’s cars this season with a season-best 3rd in the season opener at Daytona, driving the #66, an 8th at Pocono and 14th at Bristol in the #61, and a 19th in his one-off in the #13 at the Indianapolis Grand Prix Circuit. Dover would mark his first time in the #66 XFINITY car since Charlotte in May, and he’d share sponsorship from Jani-King with teammate Stephen Leicht in the #61.

Hill drew the 36th and final starting spot, but had radio issues on pit road as the crew couldn’t hear the driver’s voice. Sitting 25th on pit road, Matt Mills also had radio trouble on the #5 J.F. Electric Chevrolet, and was about to be pushed to his pit stall before the crew raised the window net. Mills and Hill joined the field along with Korbin Forrister, whose #36 Nursing Home Heroes Chevrolet needed a push off pit road. Forrister ultimately dropped to the rear along with 33rd-place Colby Howard, whose team made unapproved adjustments to the #15 Project Hope Foundation Chevrolet. 

When the race started, Howard and Forrister were about five seconds back of the lead, but weren’t racing for last place. That spot fell to Mills, who missed the start due to additional issues on the #5. “When I turn the wheel, it keeps undoing the belts,” said Mills on Lap 3. He finally pulled onto the track on Lap 11, but was furious on the radio. According to the driver, something was dangling from the roof of the car, blocking his view of the track and touching the steering wheel, and at least one pair of vice grips was left on the floor of the cockpit. “I don't know if we're meeting minimum speed because I can't see the goddamned race track,” shouted Mills.

On Lap 23, Mills returned to pit road, but missed the garage entrance. He was behind the wall by Lap 26, when NASCAR confirmed he’d pulled alongside the infield care center. At the time, he’d completed just nine laps. He didn’t return to action until Lap 42, when he was now 34 laps down. This time, he was told not to blend into traffic, and instead run the apron as he waited for the end of Stage 1. By then, Mills also reported his tachometer had stopped working. While a pit road speeding penalty was expected, he instead incurred a tail-end penalty for the crew coming over the wall too soon on Lap 49.

Hill didn’t enter the last-place battle until Lap 60, when NASCAR reported the #66 was behind the wall with a mechanical issue. At the time, he was listed five laps down, and Mills had nearly 30 laps to close the gap. On Lap 69, NASCAR reported Hill was out with a vibration, and Mills now had just 22 laps to catch and pass him. On Lap 92, under the caution to end the second stage, Mills finally caught and passed Hill, putting the #66 in last place. Mills only gained two more spots before taking the checkers in 33rd, 39 laps down.

Taking the 35th spot was Bayley Currey, whose #74 Mutt & Jeff Porkskins Chevrolet lost fuel pressure. B.J. McLeod took 34th after his #6 Drydene Chevrolet suddenly slowed in the high lane of Turn 4 on Lap 150, then pulled into the garage area entering Turn 3. Suspension issues were the listed cause of McLeod’s issue. Rounding out the Bottom Five in front of Mills was Korbin Forrister, who finished nine laps down.

Brandon Brown finished just 14th in his #68 Jabs Construction Chevrolet, but turned heads with some pit strategy that gave him the lead on Lap 93. Brown led four laps under caution, and while Justin Allgaier took the lead on the restart, he hung on to a Top 10 spot well past Lap 127. Most critically, the run kept him 27 points ahead of 13th-place points man Jeremy Clements, who finished one spot ahead of Brown in 13th.

LASTCAR STATISTICS

*This marks the first last-place finish for the #66 in an XFINITY Series race at Dover.

THE BOTTOM FIVE

36) #66-Timmy Hill / 55 laps / vibration

35) #74-Bayley Currey / 92 laps / fuel pressure

34) #6-B.J. McLeod / 146 laps / suspension

33) #5-Matt Mills / 154 laps / running

32) #36-Korbin Forrister / 185 laps / running

2020 LASTCAR XFINITY SERIES OWNER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

1st) Motorsports Business Management (5)

2nd) Joe Gibbs Racing (3)

3rd) JD Motorsports, Jimmy Means Racing, Mike Harmon Racing, Shepherd Racing Ventures (2)

4th) Jeremy Clements Racing, JR Motorsports, Kaulig Racing, SS-Green Light Racing (1)

2020 LASTCAR XFINITY SERIES MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

1st) Chevrolet (12)

2nd) Toyota (8)

2020 LASTCAR XFINITY SERIES DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

TRUCKS: Tire-blistering pace the last straw for Norm Benning at Dover

PHOTO: Jared C. Tilton, Getty Images

Norm Benning picked up the 16th last-place finish of his NASCAR Gander Outdoor & RV Truck Series career in Friday’s KDI Office Technology 200 at the Dover International Speedway when his #6 H&H Transport Chevrolet fell out with brake issues after 56 of 200 laps.

The finish, which came in Benning’s 223rd series start, was his second of the season and first since Kentucky, six races ago. In the Truck Series’ last-place history, it was the 15th for the #6, the 26th from brake issues, and the 391st for Chevrolet. Across NASCAR’s top three series, it was the 63rd for the #6, the 162nd for brake issues, and the 1,734th for Chevrolet.

The finish gave Benning the overall lead in the 2020 LASTCAR Truck Series Championship standings and extends his all-time record for most last-place finishes in the Truck Series. He now leads runner-up Johnny Chapman by two finishes.

Coming into the Dover race, the popular underdog bounced back from four DNFs in his first five starts to finish under power in three consecutive races. The turning point came in the second round of the Kansas double-header, where he engaged in a spirited battle with fellow owner-driver Ray Ciccarelli. What began as a race for last place in Stage 2 later became a race for 24th, with Ciccarelli taking the spot by one lap.

Benning’s season-best 25th in Kansas was followed by a 31st-place run on the Michigan oval, then a recovery from a spin on the Daytona infield road course to take 27th. Benning endured through the Florida heat that day, an effort made more difficult after he lost the straw for the drink the crew handed him late in the race.

The improved performance helped Benning’s metric for qualifying as he drew the 27th spot in a field of 35, a list reduced from 36 after the withdrawal of Dauzat’s ride with FDNY Racing.

Drawing the final spot on the grid was Dawson Cram, who after reporting he had parted ways with Boyd Long elected to make one final start in the #55 Chevrolet for the Dover race. The only driver sent to the rear to join him was Tate Fogleman, who pitted his #02 Solid Rock Carriers Chevrolet from the 18th spot before the start of the race. Benning also appeared to drop back from his 27th spot at the start, and had taken last from Fogleman by the time FS1 first showed the final position on Lap 5. At that moment, Benning was 16.99 seconds back of the lead, and nearly two full seconds behind Tim Viens in the #83 Trump 2020 Patriotic Chevrolet. Viens’ truck needed a paint scheme adjustment as NASCAR took issue with the roof numbers.

On Lap 7, Fogleman spun out of the 28th spot in Turn 4, drawing the first caution. Fogleman avoided contact with the wall, but took last from Benning, who had dropped more than 20 seconds back of the lead at the time. Fogleman lost a lap in the process, and remained last on the restart. With 16 laps to go in Stage 1, Fogleman had lost a second lap, and Benning his first, the #6 now running 34th. With three to go, GMS Racing teammates Tyler Ankrum and Zane Smith were seen speeding past Benning in the high lane, and Benning soon pulled low on the frontstretch to let more of the faster traffic by.

On Lap 60, just after he was lapped once again by Chandler Smith, Benning reported his tires were “terrible,” and the crew informed him that NASCAR said his #6 was running too slow. While radio communications seemed to indicate he’d try to come back out, the team’s day was done.

Finishing 34th was Parker Kligerman, who lost the engine on the #75 Food Country USA Chevrolet after 94 laps. Bryant Barnhill took 33rd in his return to the Reaume Brothers team, eliminated by ignition failure on the #33 Crowe Equipment Toyota. Clay Greenfield struggled to keep pace along with Benning in the early stages, and ultimately cited suspension as the reason for his exit after 133 laps in the #68 Rackley Roofing Toyota. Tim Viens rounded out the group as the last driver under power, a full 20 laps down to the race leaders.

Making just his fourth series start and his first ever at Dover, Carson Hocevar turned heads with a solid 12th-place finish for Al Niece in the #40 Scott’s / GM Parts Now Chevrolet. The run came just one week after his season-worst finish on the Daytona road course, where a late-race wreck left him 28th.

LASTCAR STATISTICS

*This marked Benning’s second-straight last-place finish in a Truck Series race at Dover. Last year, on May 3, 2019, he was flagged off the track for not maintaining minimum speed.

*Benning is just the second driver to finish last in the Truck Series race at Dover due to brake issues. The first was Camden Murphy on June 2, 2017.

THE BOTTOM FIVE

35) #6-Norm Benning / 56 laps / brakes

34) #75-Parker Kligerman / 94 laps / engine

33) #33-Bryant Barnhill / 109 laps / ignition

32) #68-Clay Greenfield / 133 laps / suspension

31) #83-Tim Viens / 180 laps / running

2020 LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES OWNER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

1st) Reaume Brothers Racing (3)

2nd) Norm Benning Racing (2)

3rd) CMI Motorsports, DGR-Crosley, FDNY Racing, Halmar Friesen Racing, Niece Motorsports, Spencer Davis Motorsports, ThorSport Racing (1)

2020 LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

1st) Chevrolet (7)

2nd) Ford, Toyota (3)

2020 LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

PREVIEW: Five races at Dover make Indianapolis 500 weekend even busier

IMAGES: @OurMotorsports

Friday, August 21, 2020

TRUCKS Race 13 of 23

KDI Office Technology 200 at Dover

2019 Last-Place Finisher (May): Norm Benning

ENTRY LIST

There are 35 entries for 40 spots in Friday’s Truck Series race, down three entries from the Daytona road course event.

MISSING: #8-NEMCO Motorsports

The NEMCO team isn’t entered this week after Mike Skeen finished a quiet 23rd in his return to the series.

MISSING: #9-CR7 Motorsports

MISSING: #30-On Point Motorsports

MISSING: #04-Roper Racing

Perhaps most significantly, this weekend’s action in Dover will mark the first time in 2020 that each of these three teams are not entered. Of the group, On Point’s #30 finished best on the Daytona road course with Scott Lagasse, Jr. taking 9th place ahead of Cory Roper’s #04 in 26th and Codie Rohrbaugh’s #9 in 29th.

DRIVER CHANGE: #24-GMS Racing

Sam Mayer returns to the Truck Series for the first time since his three-race debut with GMS Racing last fall, where he ran 21st at Bristol, 28th at Martinsville, where he led 33 laps, and 19th at Phoenix. At Dover, he takes the place of Kris Wright, who finished 25th in his series debut last week in Daytona. All Weather Armour is Mayer’s listed sponsor.

WITHDREW: #28-FDNY Racing

It’s been a difficult few days for Bryan Dauzat, who last week in the ARCA race never completed a lap after his only car was destroyed in a practice crash. He was entered in Friday’s race, and slated to start 35th in the field of 36, but that changed by Wednesday as the team withdrew.

DRIVER CHANGE: #33-Reaume Brothers Racing

Bryant Barnhill returns for his third series start of the season and first since Kentucky, where he ran 33rd. He again drives for Josh Reaume, this time in place of 57-year-old Bryan Collyer, who ran a solid 18th in his first-ever NASCAR start last Sunday.

MISSING: #42-Niece Motorsports

Al Niece has not entered the #42 this week, a truck that spun and stalled with Mark Smith behind the wheel before brake issues ultimately left Smith 36th of the 38 starters.

DRIVER CHANGE: #44-Niece Motorsports

Just days after driving in relief of J.J. Yeley in Sunday’s Cup Series race, Bayley Currey will return to the Truck Series in place of Natalie Decker, driving the #44 Chevrolet. Currey will run double-duty along with his full-season XFINITY ride with Mike Harmon Racing.

DRIVER CHANGE: #49-CMI Motorsports

DRIVER SWAP: #56-Hill Motorsports

For the first time, brothers Timmy and Tyler Hill will race against each other in a Truck Series race. Tyler Hill takes the place of Roger Reuse, who was unable to start the Truck Series race in Daytona after clutch issues during the pace laps. Timmy will take Tyler’s place in the #56 the brothers both own, running a black paint scheme this week. Timmy will also run all three series this weekend, participating in all five events (see below).

DRIVER CHANGE: #51-Kyle Busch Motorsports

Chandler Smith makes only his third Truck Series start this year and first since his pole position in Michigan, taking the place of Alex Tagliani, who ran 22nd in Daytona.

RETURNING: #55-Boyd Long Motorsports

Despite Dawson Cram’s earlier tweet that he had parted ways with Boyd Long’s team, driver and team are again entered in this Friday’s race, where Cram will start from the last position.

DRIVER CHANGE: #68-Clay Greenfield Racing

Following the team’s withdrawal from Daytona that led to Roger Reuse running the XFINITY Series instead, Clay Greenfield returns to the driver’s seat this week.

DRIVER CHANGE: #00-Reaume Brothers Racing

J.J. Yeley makes his first Truck Series start since last summer at Bristol, and will again race for the Reaume Brothers. This time, he takes the controls of the #00, replacing Bobby Kennedy, who had to be relieved by Josh Reaume during last Sunday’s race.

CUP INVADERS: None

Saturday, August 22, 2020 (12:30 P.M. Eastern)

XFINITY Race 20 of 33

Drydene 200 Race 1 at Dover

2019 Last-Place Finisher (May): Josh Bilicki

ENTRY LIST

There are 36 drivers entered for 40 spots, down two entries from the Daytona road course. This will begin a challenging pair of double-headers for both the XFINITY Series and the Cup Series on Saturday and Sunday.

DRIVER SWAP: #0-JD Motorsports

DRIVER CHANGE: #15-JD Motorsports

Colby Howard returns to the XFINITY Series for the first time since Texas, where he ran 23rd. He drives the #15, taking the place of Jeffrey Earnhardt, who returns to Johnny Davis’ #0 in place of Mike Wallace, who isn’t entered after a 25th-place run in Daytona.

DRIVER CHANGE: #8-JR Motorsports

Jeb Burton and the State Water Heaters sponsorship are back on the #8 this week, the pair last entered in the Texas race where Burton finished 6th. He takes the place of Daniel Hemric, who wrecked out early at Daytona, but will hand the wheel back to Hemric for the second round of the Dover double-header (see below).

DRIVER CHANGE: #13-Motorsports Business Management

Chad Fichum returns to the #13 in which he was originally entered for last week’s Daytona race before Bobby Reuse took his place. Garrison Homes is the listed sponsor for Finchum’s #13 Toyota.

DRIVER CHANGE: #21-Richard Childress Racing

Earl Bamber ran strong at Daytona before he twice found trouble on the road course, cutting short his NASCAR debut. This week, Anthony Alfredo returns to the driver’s seat for his 11th series start and first since Texas. ADS / Footing First are his listed sponsors for the #21 Chevrolet.

MISSING: #26-Sam Hunt Racing

Brandon Gdovic is not entered after a late-race crash left them a disappointing 28th in Daytona.

DRIVER CHANGE: #36-DGM Racing

Korbin Forrister is set to make his fifth XFINITY Series start and first since September 23, 2017 at Kentucky, where he ran 33rd. This week, he drives for Mario Gosselin, taking the place of Preston Pardus, whose top-ten streak ended at two after he was collected in a crash at Daytona. Nursing Home Heroes is Forrister’s listed sponsor.

TEAM UPDATE: #47-Mike Harmon Racing

As of this writing, Mike Harmon's team is still searching for the truck, trailer, and car that Kyle Weatherman raced last week in Daytona after they were reported stolen Sunday in Kingsland, Georgia. Just yesterday, sponsor Repairables.com doubled the $5,000 reward. Rick Ware, Josh Reaume, and Johnny Davis have also offered help to MHR as they prepare both cars for this weekend. Full details in this article.

DRIVER CHANGE: #66-Motorsports Business Management

Timmy Hill returns to MBM’s #66 in place of road racer Harold Crooms, who fell out with brake issues and finished 35th in Daytona. Both Hill and teammate Stephen Leicht in the #61 are listed with the same sponsorship from Jani-King.

DRIVER CHANGE: #78-B.J. McLeod Motorsports

Vinnie Miller returns to the XFINITY Series after taking the Daytona week off, and is back in the #78 for the first time since Kansas. He takes the place of Scott Heckert, who flirted with a strong finish before late issues left him 19th. Glasskinz is listed as Miller’s sponsor.

DRIVER CHANGE: #99-B.J. McLeod Motorsports

Rich Mar Florist, which sponsored Garrett Smithley earlier this year (including in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series) is the listed sponsor for Stefan Parsons, who returns to the #99 in place of Josh Bilicki, 12th in Daytona. Rich Mar will also sponsor Spencer Boyd in the Truck Series race on Friday. Parsons has four previous XFINITY starts this year, most recently a season-best 18th in Texas.

DRIVER CHANGE: #02-Our Motorsports

Andy Lally turned heads with back-to-back 5th-place finishes in a Mark Martin throwback on the road courses. This week, Brett Moffitt will do the same in a throwback scheme to Jimmie Johnson’s “red vest” paint scheme on his #02 Chevrolet.

DRIVER CHANGE: #07-SS-Green Light Racing

David Starr jumps aboard the #07 for the first time since Kansas, where he ran 24th, taking the place of road racer Jade Buford, who ran 16th last week in Daytona. ATS and Jacob Construction are the listed sponsors.

CUP INVADERS: None

Saturday, August 22, 2020 (4:00 P.M. Eastern)

CUP Race 24 of 36

Drydene 311 Race 1 at Dover

2019 Last-Place Finisher (May, 400 miles): B.J. McLeod

ENTRY LIST

There are 40 teams entered for as many spots, the first full field since Kansas, and the 13th in 24 races this season.

DRIVER CHANGE: #3-Richard Childress Racing

Austin Dillon is expected to return from his one-week hiatus following a positive COVID-19 test, an incident which led to Kaz Grala’s impressive 7th-place finish in his series debut. Dow / Behr Ultra Scuff Defense is the listed sponsor for Dillon’s return.

RETURNING: #7-Tommy Baldwin Racing

DRIVER SWAP: #53-Rick Ware Racing

Garrett Smithley hops from Rick Ware’s #53 to the returning #7 fielded by Tommy Baldwin, Jr. This leaves open the #53 for Josh Bilicki, who isn’t running XFINITY this week as he takes a turn in the Insurance King / The Wounded Blue Chevrolet.

DRIVER CHANGE: #51-Rick Ware Racing

Joey Gase drives the #51 for the first time since Loudon, and makes his first Cup start since his own turn in the TBR #7 in the first race of the Michigan double-header earlier this month. Gase is listed as driving a Ford this week. He takes the place of James Davison, who isn’t entered following a 30th-place run in Daytona.

MISSING: #62-Beard Motorsports

Brendan Gaughan will not run in Dover after his last-place finish due to transmission issues on the tight Daytona road course. Gaughan is expected to return next week on the Daytona oval, which will be the penultimate round of his retirement season.

DRIVER CHANGE: #77-Spire Motorsports

Reed Sorenson is back in the Cup Series for the first time since his filming duties in the “Fake Steak” #74 at Michigan, taking the place of Stanton Barrett in the #77 Chevrolet. Barrett struggled with brake issues and at least two off-course excursions en route to a 38th-place finish.

RETURNING: #78-B.J. McLeod Motorsports

In addition to his XFINITY Series duties as both driver and owner, B.J. McLeod fields his own Cup car for the first time since Kansas. After his last-place finish in the spring Cup race here last year, he rebounded with a 29th-place run in the fall, his best in four starts at the track.

Sunday, August 23, 2020 (1:00 P.M. Eastern)

XFINITY Race 21 of 33

Drydene 200 Race 2 at Dover

2019 Last-Place Finisher (October): Harrison Burton

ENTRY LIST

Unfortunately scheduled at the same time as the 104th Indianapolis 500, this second round of the XFINITY Series double-header will see the same 36 teams entered with just one driver change.

DRIVER CHANGE: #8-JR Motorsports

As indicated above, Daniel Hemric and his Poppy Bank sponsorship will return to the #8 team, looking to rebound from their disastrous outing in Daytona.

CUP INVADERS: None

Sunday, August 23, 2020 (4:00 P.M. Eastern)

CUP Race 25 of 36

Drydene 311 Race 2 at Dover

2019 Last-Place Finisher (October, 400 miles): Chase Elliott

ENTRY LIST

The same 40 teams are entered for the second round at Dover with no yet reported driver or team changes. The only changes are a crew chief swap for the #7 team (Tommy Baldwin, Jr. in place of Patrick Donahue) and a few primary sponsor changes: #9 Chase Elliott (Mountain Dew / Team Rubicon on Saturday; NAPA Auto Parts on Sunday), #17-Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. (Fastenal; SunnyD), #19-Martin Truex, Jr. (SiriusXM; Bass Pro Shops), #20-Erik Jones (DeWalt Atomic; Reser’s Fine Foods), #21-Matt DiBenedetto (Menards / Monster Energy; Menards / Richmond), and #43-Bubba Wallace (Columbia; Doordash).

TODAY IN LASTCAR HISTORY (August 20, 1955): Fred Johnson picked up the first last-place finish of his NASCAR Cup Series career in a 100-lap race on the one-mile paved Raleigh (North Carolina) Speedway. Johnson started 17th in the 29-car field driving a 1955 Cadillac fielded by Jim Lowe and Carl Beckham, a #56 sponsored by B & L Motors, a dealership near the North Wilkesboro Speedway. Johnson lasted just 27 laps before a burned piston ended his day. This was the second and final last-place finish for Cadillac in NASCAR history. The other occurrence was just six days earlier, when Gwyn Staley’s run with the same team resulted in a bearing issue after 3 laps of the Mid-South 250 at the Memphis-Arkansas (Arkansas) Speedway. Incidentally, this same team fielded a 1955 Oldsmobile for one Junior Johnson, who scored his first five career wins with the team.