SANDUSKY, Ohio — Fielding the No. 13 Liberty Tax Ford F-150 for ThorSport Racing, Myatt Snider will round out a quartet of entries vying for victory as the 2018 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season kicks off at Daytona International Speedway.
Previously competing in NASCAR’s Whelen All-American Series, CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour, ARCA Racing Series and part-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the 23-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina, native has accumulated two wins, 13 top-five and 26 top-10 finishes and three pole awards, including winning his debut race in the ARCA Racing Series at Toledo Speedway in 2016.
ThorSport Racing
“To be a part of a team with a winning pedigree like Duke and Rhonda [Thorson] have built over the years is an absolute blessing,” exclaimed an excited Snider. “After getting to know the organization over the past month, I’m even more excited to get to Daytona, and to join ThorSport in 2018.
“I’m really looking forward to working with my new teammates, as there is a lot of knowledge to tap into going into my rookie season. Switching to a new manufacturer, it seems things have come full-circle, with Ford being a part of some of the biggest highlights in my racing career, including my ARCA win at Toledo.”
David Pepper, general manager at ThorSport Racing, echoed Myatt’s excitement saying, “He is an exceptional young man and talented driver. With him, I feel we’ve really rounded out our four-truck lineup and this, to me, is the strongest driver lineup we’ve ever had. We’re going to be very competitive this season, starting with Daytona.”
Snider and ThorSport Racing’s NCWTS teams take the green flag for the NextEra Energy Resources 250 Friday, Feb. 16, broadcasting live at 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) and the Motor Racing Network (MRN) from Daytona Beach, Florida.
Editor’s note: This is the sixth in a series of 14 team previews on NASCAR.com. Next up: Richard Childress Racing on Feb. 8. A list of team previews already published is at the bottom of this story.
Crew chiefs: Brian Pattie (Stenhouse Jr.), Matt Puccia (Bayne)
2017 standings: Stenhouse Jr., 13th in final standings (eliminated in Round of 12); Bayne, 22nd in final standings
What’s new: Not a lot, a welcome change for Roush Fenway Racing which has undergone organizational-wide tweaks in recent years. No new drivers, no new crew chiefs and no change in the number of full-time vehicles in the team fleet. In fact, the only real change here is a positive — Roush enters 2018 on the heels of a multi-win season, with Stenhouse Jr. winning twice in 2017 and advancing to the Round of 12 in the Playoffs.
What to watch: How Roush Fenway builds off the success of 2017. The team won for the first time since 2014 with Stenhouse Jr. emerging as one of NASCAR’s best drivers at Daytona and Talladega. The team’s superspeedway cars are among the fastest in the garage, thanks to the work done at the shop by Jimmy Fennig and his team. Roush is as stable as it has been in a long time.
Key question(s): Can Stenhouse Jr. and the No. 17 team show the ability to win at tracks that don’t require restrictor plates? How can Bayne and the No. 6 team break through for more top-five finishes and be in contention more for victories?
DRIVERS
Trevor Bayne, No. 6 AdvoCare Ford: Bayne’s third full-time season driving the No. 6 in 2017 didn’t produce the same jump in numbers he saw between Year 1 and Year 2. Two top-five finishes and six top-10 finishes wasn’t what Bayne or his team had in mind; neither were the five DNFs by way of crash, a four-time increase from 2016.
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
A key to watch for Bayne is the midseason stretch. The 26-year-old logged seven top-15 finishes in the first nine races last year, but then just one of the next 13. The success of teammate Ricky Stenhouse Jr. brings added optimism to the No. 6 group.
“Last year, we went into the season with a lot of changes and we had a lot of goals on the board to try to make the Playoffs,” Bayne said. “I think where we fell short were playoff points. So we kind of look and say, ‘You’ve got to get at least five playoff points per race if you’re gonna be a (playoff) contender without a win.’ That was a lot more than kind of what we anticipated, so that’s where we fell short. The way you get those is by running in the top 10 and by being faster and more competitive.”
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 17 Fastenal Ford: Last year was the breakout season Stenhouse Jr. had been building toward since his first full-time season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2013. With an assist from Jimmy Fennig managing and molding the team’s superspeedway program into one of the best in the sport, Stenhouse posted career-highs in wins, top-10s, laps led, average start and average finish in 2017. He will be a favorite to win both races at Daytona and the spring race at Talladega prior to the Playoffs beginning in September.
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
It’s the intermediates that remain a question, however.
“I think there’s a lot of things that are looking good for us in 2018,” Stenhouse Jr. said. “I think my team has confidence in what we’re gonna be able to do. Not looking for our first win is nice, not having that riding on your back. That seemed pretty tough to deal with for a long time and now I don’t have to answer those questions, but now it’s, what other race tracks are we gonna win at? I definitely want to win at other race tracks, but going into the (Daytona) 500 I feel a lot more confident than I ever have.”
Ty Dillon is feeling content on an island — but he’s not stuck in the sand on this one.
The island is Germain Racing, which houses Dillon’s No. 13 GEICO Chevrolet, while the mainland is Germain’s allied team of Richard Childress Racing.
To Dillon, being on an island doesn’t mean isolation; it means a chance to do something unexpectedly great, like reigning champion Martin Truex Jr. did with Furniture Row Racing. In 2014, Furniture Row led a lone lap with Truex and collected zero wins. Last season — just three years later — he earned eight wins and a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series title with the same Denver, Colorado-based team.
That improvement is inspirational for Dillon.
“I think the island’s a good place to be,” Dillon said at the 2018 NASCAR Media Tour presented by Charlotte Motor Speedway. “You look at Furniture Row and that’s the gold standard right now for teams like ours. We’ve got to do it in our own way and use our resources the right way, but I think that’s kind of the approach that we’re taking …
“Somebody’s done it as a small team that uses technical alliances and can win a championship. We can do that. The opportunity is there; now it’s about us making the most of it. And I think that’s what we’re going to do and I think you kind of embrace that island-y feel and go to work with it.”
Ty Dillon (right) poses with Richard Childress and Austin Dillon after winning a Texas Camping World Truck Series race in 2013.
This marks Dillon’s second season with single-car Germain Racing, a team that he plans to stick with despite his deep roots with Richard Childress Racing (his grandfather is team owner Richard Childress while his older brother is driver Austin Dillon). While he started out at Richard Childress in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2012, the 25-year-old driver prefers the new path that he’s carved for himself now that he’s reached the sport’s top level.
“I think there was something inside of me that wanted to break out of that a little bit,” Dillon said. “As much as I love having … my family in the sport and my grandfather is an owner and how much I would love to win races and championships for him, I think I needed to break out of that grandson-brother shadow that I had. … There are a lot of things my brother and I can do that are great and I still want to work with my grandfather. But I want people to know me … and who I am.
“I want to race for Germain Racing and GEICO my whole career and win races and championships and build my own brand like Kobe Bryant and the (Los Angeles) Lakers.”
That brand starts with openness off the track; in the early months of 2018, Dillon has taken action to improve and increase his communication with fans.
He will video blog his entire year and hired someone to attend 36 events — both races and other happenings — with him throughout the season to capture behind-the-scenes content.
“I have such a platform and I don’t think a lot of people realize what we have,” Dillon said. “… Something that has bothered me about our sport in the ‘90s and 2000s everybody said they could relate so well to Dale Earnhardt. That’s why they loved him. He’s obviously the top level of fandom in our sport. Everybody could relate to him so well and he did such a great job of making people feel they are just like Dale Earnhardt, even though he’s a race car driver. I feel like I can do that.”
On the race track, Dillon also looks to improve after one year in the Monster Energy Series. He finished 24th in the standings last season, leading 40 laps. He wasn’t able to secure any top-10 finishes, but he did improve from his qualifying position in 27 of his 36 finishes.
The final two races in particular, Dillon saw improvements in his performance; he finished a season-best 11th at Phoenix and was running 13th at Miami before he was lumbered with a flat tire in the final laps.
“I think our goal is to more or less, run more consistently – inside the top 15, top 10 – and I think that’s a very achievable goal,” Dillon said. “We do that, we’re going to get more opportunities. I feel like we did a great job … getting great finishes on days when we ran 25th all day. We would turn those days into 18th, 17th-place finishes.
“You do that running 15th, you’re going to have chances to win. You do that running 10th, you’re definitely going to have chances to win.”
But one of the biggest lessons his rookie season taught him wasn’t a complicated racing maneuver or trick to saving fuel. It was patience.
“I get pissed when I’m not in the top 10 or first every time and that affected me a lot this previous year,” Dillon said. “The last couple of races I just let that go and let that emotion in practice go and just mainly focus on the process of getting the race car driving the way I need it to drive to be able to do what I’m confident in myself to do and that’s go win races.”
Aiding in life lessons was the newest addition to the Dillon family; he and wife Haley welcomed their first child together — a baby girl named Oakley — on Nov. 21, 2017.
“Having my little girl in the offseason helped put some things in perspective in my life,” Dillon said, a smile brightening his face when the conversation turns to his daughter. “… I let the sport get me a little down, which sounds ridiculous in your rookie season because I never really struggled in any of my previous rookies seasons. … I hope to take what I’ve learned from being her father for two months and kind of adapt it to every aspect of my life and the appreciation for what I have and what I am and who I am.”
Perspective comes into play both on and off the track; during his press conference, Dillon looked across the room at Ryan Blaney, who was also holding his own media availability.
The crowd around Blaney was noticeably larger.
“Having everybody over there (with Blaney) and me being over here, I love that,” Dillon said, who stressed the importance of “loving a loss.”
“Because this whole year, I’m going to do everything I can to make sure I have that crowd. I think last year, that would just make me mad and I would just stew on it all day and not really make anything out of it.
“But (now) I think it’s a great opportunity. I know what I have to offer.”
“Happy Hours” is back on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio in 2018, and host Kevin Harvick wasted no time discussing a juicy topic with special guest Jeff Gordon on the Tuesday kick-off show.
The Stewart-Haas Racing veteran and Gordon, a 93-time winner at NASCAR’s top level and current analyst for FOX Sports, recounted the memorable post-race brawl at Texas Motor Speedway in 2014, a fight in which Harvick, Gordon and Brad Keselowski all played prominent roles.
“It was definitely not one of my better decisions,” Harvick said of the incident.
Egged on by questioning from co-host Matt Yocum, the two — with perhaps the benefit of hindsight — jointly discussed the incident more than three years after it happened.
Tensions were high at Texas that fall. It was the first year of the elimination-style Playoffs format, and late contact between Keselowski’s No. 2 and Gordon’s No. 24 resulted in a cut tire for the Hendrick Motorsports driver. The two were battling for the lead and a spot in the inaugural Championship 4 field.
Gordon attempted to approach Keselowski on pit road post-race, but crews kept the two separated. Harvick, walking by the fray, gave Keselowski a healthy nudge, Gordon grabbed his collar and … well, see for yourself.
“I was standing at the back of the car watching this whole thing kind of go on and really, it was supposed to be a shoulder tap. ‘Hey man get in there and fight your own fight,’ ” Harvick said. “Next thing I know it was just a little bit of a nudge about 4 feet forward.”
“I didn’t even know at the time you were pushing him,” Gordon chimed in. “I just knew he came close to me and my arm reached out and got hold of his collar, and it was, ‘I’m not letting go.’ ”
Harvick noted Gordon was “breathing-fire mad,” who admitted after watching the video of the on-track incident … well, maybe Keselowski was on to something when he told Gordon he “left a hole.”
“I look back on it, I can’t say (Keselowski) did too many things wrong in that situation,” Gordon said. “But I was mad the way it turned out.”
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 6, 2018) – NASCAR® and Digital Ally®, Inc., a company with the mission to provide law enforcement agencies, emergency management, and commercial companies with the highest quality video solutions and software management, announced today a multi-year official partnership, naming Digital Ally “A Preferred Technology Provider of NASCAR.”
As part of the new relationship, Digital Ally will provide cameras that will be mounted in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series garage throughout the season, bolstering both NASCAR’s commitment to safety at every race track, as well as enhancing its officiating process through technology.
“NASCAR takes seriously its role in providing a safe environment for its fans and competitors, and this partnership with Digital Ally is the next step in that commitment,” said Scott Miller, NASCAR Senior Vice President, Competition. “In addition, this partnership is the latest example of NASCAR implementing technological advancements to officiate, and continuing to provide the best racing for our fans.”
Digital Ally is the leading provider of mobile video systems used by thousands of companies and governmental entities in all 50 states and around the world. The company is a pioneer in the design and development of dashboard and body cameras that are utilized across multiple industries and municipalities. Digital Ally has been developing, engineering, and supporting its video technology for more than a decade.
“It’s our goal to provide our customers with video solutions that are customized to meet their unique business needs,” said Stanton Ross, chief executive officer, Digital Ally. “NASCAR has its own unique set of challenges and it was important to design a durable and reliable solution that will stand up to the demanding environment at-track.”
Tune-in to the DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 2:30 p.m. on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Sherry Pollex reported a bit of joyful news from the NASCAR offseason, indicating Tuesday that she has completed her final round of chemotherapy treatment for ovarian cancer.
Pollex, the longtime girlfriend of reigning Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr., tweeted out an update on her treatment along with the hashtag #SherryStrong.
Pollex was diagnosed with Stage 3 ovarian cancer in 2014. She revealed last summer a recurrence of the disease that necessitated surgery to remove her spleen.
Pollex and Truex have fought through their adversity with a major push toward philanthropic efforts. The Martin Truex Jr. Foundation has used its annual “Catwalk for a Cause” charity event to raise funds and awareness in the fight against the disease. Last year’s event raised more than $500,000 for the cause.
Pollex and Truex have also rallied support each September for National Ovarian Cancer Awareness and Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. The foundation made its second annual campaign last year to battle ovarian and childhood cancer, with 29 drivers contributing custom steering wheels, autographed and trimmed in teal and gold for charity.
The couple received the 2017 National Motorsports Press Association’s Myers Brothers Award, presented to individuals and/or groups who have provided outstanding contributions to the sport of stock-car racing.
MOORESVILLE, NC –TriStar Motorsports will continue competition in NASCAR’s premier series fielding one full-time entry in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series for the 2018 season.
The No. 72 Chevrolet will compete with collective efforts of two drivers. TriStar welcomes the return of Cole Whitt and proudly announces the addition of Corey LaJoie to the driver lineup. Corey LaJoie will fill the seat of the No. 72 for the majority of the schedule including the season opener at Daytona International Speedway. Whitt returns to TriStar after a solid effort in No. 72 in 2017. With intentions to shift focus, Whitt has elected to decrease his racing commitments and has requested a limited schedule.
Whitt’s NASCAR career includes seven years on the circuit and races in which he has competed in NASCAR K&N Pro Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and the Monster Energy Cup Series. He completed the full 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in the TriStar Motorsports No. 72 securing three top-20 finishes and one top-15 being his best finish of 12th place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“I want to thank TriStar and the Smith family for allowing me to do something I feel is the right decision for me and my family,” said Whitt. “I am excited and a little nervous to say that I will be racing a limited schedule this year. I am looking forward to taking the next step in my life and trying to spend most of my time with my family. Stepping back from racing is a hard choice but I strongly believe this is the right path. TriStar has been an amazing blessing to me and my family and I look forward to what the future holds for both of us.”
Corey LaJoie, a third generation racer, is very well-known name in the racing community. He is the son of Randy LaJoie, 1996 and 1997 NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion. Already having an impressive racing career that includes six wins in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and three wins in the ARCA Series, LaJoie was selected as a member of the 2012 NASCAR Next Class, an industry platform to help spotlight NASCAR’s rising stars and bolster fan recognition initiative cultivating Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) mainstays. In 2016, LaJoie competed in ten Xfinity Series races and earned two top-ten finishes. He made the leap to the MENCS in 2017, earning the highest finish of his rookie year campaign; 11th place, in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway.
“It’s such a great opportunity to work with TriStar Motorsports,” said Corey LaJoie. “I hope to use the learning experiences from my 2017 Rookie Season and work hard for some great finishes this year. It’s my goal to continue building a successful team with Bryan, while honoring the legacy his dad, Mark left behind.”
“We are taking a different approach with our competitive platform for 2018 by utilizing two drivers”, said Bryan Smith, owner of TriStar Motorsports. “It is an opportunity we feel is the best direction for this season and accommodates the goals of both drivers as well as the team. We are more than pleased with Cole’s efforts in 2017 and are extremely glad to have him back this season. He has been an integral part of our return to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and we appreciate his contributions to our team. We are equally as pleased to add Corey to our driver roster. His attitude, desire and ability are a welcomed addition and we feel he will be a great fit. We feel both drivers embody the core elements of who we are as a team and are confident each will contribute to the betterment of our program.”
TriStar Motorsports has acquired a charter from Front Row Motorsports for the 2018 season and will continue competitive efforts under the direction of Crew Chief Frankie Kerr.
Sponsorship details for the MENCS No. 72 are forthcoming in addition to plans for the TriStar NASCAR Xfinity Series program.
Editor’s note: This is the fifth in a series of 14 team previews on NASCAR.com. Next up: Roush Fenway Racing on Feb. 7. A list of team previews already published is at the bottom of this story.
Germain Racing
Manufacturer: Chevrolet
Engine: ECR Engines
Driver: Ty Dillon, No. 13
Crew chief: Matt Borland
2017 standings: Dillon competed in his first full season at the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series level and finished 24th in the standings.
What’s new: Germain Racing enters the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season with sophomore driver Ty Dillon. Dillon will have a new crew chief in Matt Borland, who signed a multiyear agreement in November. Germain Racing also will field (along with the other Chevrolet teams) a new Camaro in the upcoming season.
What to watch: Dillon finished his first full-time season at the sport’s highest level with an average finish of 20.7, but the driver of the No. 13 understands he has to be more consistent if he hopes to notch his first career top 1o or even a celebration in Victory Lane. A new crew chief usually means a new approach, and with the new over-the-wall pit crew rules going into effect in 2018, Borland has a lot to work out with his young driver and his team. However, Dillon is hungry for success and that can go a long way when trying to be aggressive during a race.
Key question(s): It’s no secret that both Ty — and his older brother Austin — have a spotlight on their careers thanks to the their grandfather Richard Childress’ history in the sport. Yet, during NASCAR Media Tour Presented by Charlotte Motor Speedway, Ty Dillon made it clear he wanted to build his own legacy. That starts with making a splash on-track. Can Dillon use the new Camaro body to his advantage as a young driver? Will a new crew chief give him the confidence he needs to stay calm under pressure? How can he avoid the infamous ‘sophomore slump?’
DRIVER
Ty Dillon, No. 13 Geico Chevrolet: In November, Dillon and his wife Haley welcomed their baby girl and perspective quickly changed for the 25-year-old driver. Using that ‘new dad’ mindset, Dillon spoke in-depth on how he felt he improved toward the end of the 2017 season, especially when pressure began to mount.
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Having early success in both the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and Xfinity Series caused for an adjustment period during Dillon’s rookie season. A pair of 11th-place finishes in the fall (Talladega, Phoenix) were two of his best performances of the season, and he also led 27 laps at Dover in the spring. Those are small victories that can lead toward momentum in 2018.
Another stat that Dillon can use to his advantage? He averaged nearly six spots better at the end of a race than where he qualified. Being able to advance that position even higher at the beginning can only mean good things for the No. 13 team.
The Can-Am Duels are a pair of qualifying races that will determine the bulk of the field and starting lineup for the 2018 Daytona 500 (Feb. 18, 2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). NASCAR.com offers a look at how the twin qualifying races (Feb. 15, starting at 7 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) work and how they impact the Daytona 500.
Programming info for Can-Am Duels:
When: Feb. 15, starting at 7 p.m. ET Where: Daytona International Speedway TV: FS1 Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
What is the format? There are two 60-lap, 150-mile races. The drivers in each Duel are determined based on qualifying speeds from single-lap qualifying runs on Sunday, Feb. 11 (12:15 p.m. ET, FOX).
How do the Duels set the Daytona 500 lineup? While the Feb. 11 single-car qualifying speeds determine the top two starting spots in the Daytona 500, the Duels determine who will line up in the majority of spots on the starting grid for the “Great American Race.”
Drivers in the first Duel race will line up on the inside row for the Daytona 500 (odd-numbered starting position), based on the order in which they finish the first Duel race. Drivers in the second Duel race will line up on the outside row for the Daytona 500 (even-numbered starting positions), based on the order in which they finish the second Duel race. Remember, all Charter teams are guaranteed spots in the Daytona 500.
How can Open Teams make the Daytona 500?
Two Open Teams will make the field as a result of being the best finishing Open Team in each Duel. Open Teams that have not yet become eligible for a Daytona 500 starting grid position will become eligible for remaining starting grid positions, if any, based on final qualifying results, per the rule book.
How important are the Duels for drivers locked into the front row? While a Duel win doesn’t put you in the Playoffs, the top 10 drivers in each Duel will earn points heading into the Daytona 500.
Drivers locked into the front row of the Daytona 500 need to avoid any sort of calamity in the Duels to keep their starting spot. With qualifying day so early in Speedweeks and a multitude of practices leading up to the Daytona 500, wrecks resulting in backup cars, engine changes and more are all likely to pop up at some point to affect the green-flag order once on the grid.
How are points awarded?
It’s similar to stages in the 36 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series points races. The winner of each Duel will get 10 points, down to the 10th-place driver, who will get one point. Two drivers — each Duel winner — will head into the Daytona 500 with a share of the points lead.
Place in Duels
Points awarded
First
10 points
Second
Nine points
Third
Eight points
Fourth
Seven points
Fifth
Six points
Sixth
Five points
Seventh
Four points
Eighth
Three points
Ninth
Two points
10th
One point
What if the Duels are rained out? If both Duels are canceled due to weather, officials will use qualifying results to determine the four Open teams that would advance.
Should only the second Can-Am Duel be canceled due to weather, the highest finishing Open team from the first Duel would earn a starting berth, with the remaining three positions determined based on qualifying results.
In the event of a complete rainout of the Duels where the event is not rescheduled, the full field will be set according to the NASCAR Rule Book.
Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a series of 14 team previews on NASCAR.com. Next up: Germain Racing on Feb. 6. A list of team previews already published is at the bottom of this story.
JTG Daugherty Racing
Manufacturer: Chevrolet
Engine: ECR Engines
Drivers: Chris Buescher, No. 37; AJ Allmendinger, No. 47
Crew chiefs: Trent Owens (Buescher), Tristan Smith (Allmendinger)
2017 standings: Buescher, 25th in final standings; Allmendinger, 27th in final standings
What’s new: Namely a technical alliance with Hendrick Motorsports, which JTG Daugherty Racing officials confirmed in November 2017. The aim? Improve the team’s simulation abilities and aero development. The No. 37 team also has a charter of its own after leasing one last year; the organization purchased it from Furniture Row Racing in the offseason. That brings added stability to an organization that grew to two teams in 2017 and rotated three crews chiefs on the flagship No. 47 Chevrolet. And of course, the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is a new — and welcome — addition for all teams that run Chevrolets.
What to watch: If a more consistent operation brings more consistency to results. It’s Year 2 for Buescher with JTG, and he enters the season more comfortable in his ride and with the team’s personnel. For Allmendinger, having Smith return as crew chief brings stability he didn’t have last year.
Key question(s): Will AJ Allmendinger return to his road-course ace form at Sonoma and Watkins Glen? Those road courses likely represent the team’s best shot at winning and advancing into the playoffs … where another road course, at Charlotte, looms as the Round of 16 elimination race.
Chris Buescher, No. 37 Kroger ClickList Chevrolet: One year after joining JTG Daugherty Racing on loan from Roush Fenway Racing to help the team launch its second-car operation, Buescher is fully under contract for his sophomore season with the team. Coming off a win during his rookie year in 2016, Buescher didn’t get back to Victory Lane last year, but he quietly made noticeable gains.
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
His average finish jumped five positions to 21.4, and his top-10 finishes doubled to four. Improving those numbers even more is the goal for 2018. “I feel like we’re making really good progress in the offseason,” Buescher said. “We’ve been in a place where we’ve made our alliance with Hendrick on the simulation and some of the aero development is very promising. … At times last season we didn’t have the performance that we wanted, and that’s frustrating. … We feel like we’ve come a long way through 2017 and the offseason.”
AJ Allmendinger, No. 47 Kroger Chevrolet: Allmendinger had more crew chiefs than top-five finishes in 2017, starting the season with Randall Burnett, before Ernie Cope replaced him atop the box … before eventually giving way to Tristan Smith. It was difficult to meet performance goals with that turnover (Allmendinger’s top-five finishes dropped from two to one, and his top-10 finishes fell from nine to five), but the team hopes it is now better positioned for 2018. Allmendinger remains one of the series’ best road-course racers.
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Sneaking a win at Sonoma or Watkins Glen brings added meaning this year as the playoffs add a road course in the first round at Charlotte, where Allmendinger could shine. Allmendinger’s prowess at Martinsville is an under-the-radar talent.
He said that he and Buescher have a fantastic relationship that should continue to grow.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better teammate than Chris,” Allmendinger said. “He’s got so much talent. I’ve learned a lot from him. But more importantly, he was just easy to work with. And we are able to bounce ideas off each other and feed info to figure out where we needed to get better. Having a full year under our belt, I think that’s something that’s going to allow us to really make both of these teams work together and be one big team and go out there.”
“I think our goal is to more or less, run more consistently – inside the top 15, top 10 – and I think that’s a very achievable goal,” Dillon said. “We do that, we’re going to get more opportunities. I feel like we did a great job … getting great finishes on days when we ran 25th all day. We would turn those days into 18th, 17th-place finishes.
