What to watch for in 2015 season
With the NASCAR Nationwide Series officially becoming the NASCAR XFINITY Series on Jan. 1, here's a primer for this season:
About
XFINITY, a Comcast brand, signed a 10-year agreement that officially begins Thursday. XFINITY will become only the third title sponsor in the program's history, following Anheuser-Busch (1982-2007) and Nationwide ('08-14).
XFINITY is the cable and broadband division of Comcast, providing video, high-speed Internet and phone service to residential customers.
Comcast also owns NBC and NBC Sports Network, which will broadcast the final 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events next season as well as the final 19 races of what will be the XFINITY Series. FOX and FOX Sports 1 will televise the first 14 races of the XFINITY season.
Aligning with such a recognized, technologically driven company will help NASCAR continue to innovate in the future, Chief Operating Office Brent Dewar said.
"It's a great fit. ... We're looking for great innovative companies, whether they are innovating like our great automotive partners or our auto supply companies that work with us, or packaged goods," he said. "It's about innovation, and that's what we're looking at. We've got a great successful product, but we're not resting on our laurels to say everything is just perfect. We want to continue to innovate; we want to grow with our fan base. We want to bring our fan base with us."
Returning contenders
Chase Elliott, who last year won both the series championship and Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award, returns in the No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. Those who gave Elliott his stiffest competition will also be back.
Teammate Regan Smith returns in the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet after finishing second in the standings last year, and Richard Childress Racing teammates Brian Scott (No. 2 Chevy, fourth in points last year) and Ty Dillon (No. 3 Chevy, fifth in points) are also back in their respective rides.
Elliott Sadler is a familiar returning face, but he'll be in a new car. Sadler signed with Roush Fenway Racing and will drive the No. 1 Ford. Sadler finished third in the standings last year for Joe Gibbs Racing, meaning the entire top five will be back.
Young faces; new places
Among the new faces, Darrell Wallace Jr. will have more XFINITY Series races after leaving Joe Gibbs Racing for RFR last month. He will drive the No. 6, vacated when Trevor Bayne got the bump to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, in a schedule that has yet to be announced.
Daniel Suarez has a full-time ride with JGR in the No. 18 Toyota with sponsorship from ARRIS. Other notables:
• Ben Rhodes, the reigning K&N Pro Series East champion, will drive in 10 races in the No. 88 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports.
• Cale Conley will drive a full slate for TriStar Motorsports, although in which car has not yet been announced.
• Erik Jones, who had spot duty in 2014, will have a part-time role with Joe Gibbs Racing in the upcoming season.
• Brandon Jones will have select races, which have not yet been announced, in the No. 33 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. Jones will turn 18 in February.
The XFINITY Series mirrors the new Sprint Cup Series schedule, with Atlanta moving to the second race of the season, Bristol now falling in April and Darlington going to Labor Day weekend.
The first off-weekend of the season again comes in late March, but it'll be two consecutive weeks off this year instead of one because Easter weekend follows the off-weekend.
Iowa Speedway again hosts the first stand-alone event in May, and a tweaked summer stretch will include three road courses (two of which are stand-alones) in four races from Aug. 8-29.