2025 Craftsman Truck Series Playoffs field set

Posted on August 15, 2025August 16, 2025 by Staff Report

Following Tricon Garage driver Corey Heim’s victory in Friday night’s regular-season finale at Richmond Raceway, the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Playoffs field was finalized with 10 drivers securing a spot to compete for a championship.

Heim enters the postseason as the top seed, having won this year’s Regular Season Championship and seven races.

Layne Riggs, Chandler Smith, Daniel Hemric, Tyler Ankrum and Rajah Caruth all locked up their respective playoff berths by winning at least one race.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos: Richmond

Grant Enfinger, defending series champion Ty Majeski, Kaden Honeycutt and Jake Garcia made the playoffs on points.

With ThorSport Racing’s Garcia being the 10th and final driver in the postseason, the first driver out was his teammate and two-time Truck Series champion Ben Rhodes.

An additional playoff spot opened up before Richmond, with Halmar Friesen Racing’s Stewart Friesen declining to pursue a medical waiver to retain his postseason eligibility that he earned after winning at Michigan International Speedway in June. Friesen continues to recover from pelvic and leg fractures suffered in a dirt modified wreck in late July, while Honeycutt pilots the No. 52 Toyota during his absence.

The Truck Series Playoffs kick off with the Sober or Slammer 200 on Saturday, Aug. 30, at Darlington Raceway (noon ET, FS1, NASCAR Racing Network Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

NASCAR Creative Design

Posted on August 15, 2025August 15, 2025 by Zack Albert

RICHMOND, Va. — Chase Briscoe went fishing last Saturday afternoon of Watkins Glen weekend, enjoying the tranquility of Seneca Lake after the rush of Cup Series qualifying. He paused briefly from wetting a hook to check on who had won the Xfinity Series race later that day, and the notifications on his phone made him think of the worst.

“All I saw was ‘prayers for Zilisch,’ so I started kind of panicking,” said Briscoe, driver of Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 19 Toyota. “I didn’t know what was going on.”

The picture became clearer once a replay of Zilisch’s Victory Lane tumble appeared, showing the Xfinity Series rookie sensation losing his footing as he stood atop the door and roof of his winning car. The 19-year-old driver hit the ground sharply, unable to slow his fall after his foot became entangled in the window netting. He was later transported to a local hospital for treatment of a broken collarbone. Briscoe, watching that celebration go awry, said he could sympathize.

“I’ve been close to doing that,” Briscoe said Friday at Richmond Raceway. “It’s easy to do, especially for me. I’ve got a size 13 foot, so just in general, my feet are kind of big for the door. I’ve even fell off in a sprint car before. My first sprint car win, I fell off the top, busted my butt. So I’ve kind of been conscious ever since then, but it is super easy to do, especially with the window net. Like it’s definitely one of those things I feel like you’re conscious of now more than ever, just because it’s so fresh in everybody’s mind. But yeah, I mean, it’s crazy to say it could have been a lot worse, but I mean, he’s lucky he didn’t break his leg, and obviously even do something with his head. He didn’t really have a chance to protect himself. So yeah, just crazy though. Crazy circumstance.”

How Saturday night’s celebration might go was a fresh topic, even before Saturday’s Cook Out 400 (7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App) sets sail at the 0.75-mile track. Several drivers shared their concerns for Zilisch’s health after his spill, but noted that the incident wouldn’t necessarily alter how they celebrate wins in the future.

A teammate of Briscoe’s, however, said the altercation gave him pause.

“No one’s told me that,” said JGR’s Christopher Bell, noting that team leadership had not given him a ‘best practices’ list for how to celebrate wins. “But I can promise you, I’ve done my last car-stand for a while, that’s for sure. That is, I mean, just so eye-opening and scary, and it’s bad.”

Victory Lane varies from track to track on the NASCAR schedule, but the managed chaos is a constant. Drivers tend to find a perch atop their cars to stand tall for photos, all while champagne corks fly and beverages spray. Cole Custer stumbled from his car door after an Xfinity Series win in 2019, Brad Keselowski sliced his hand on a champagne bottle after winning at Kentucky Speedway in 2014, and more recently and just as fluky, Layne Riggs dislocated his shoulder after winning Milwaukee last year — an injury that required offseason surgery.

Zilisch, a Trackhouse Racing prospect who drives full-time for JR Motorsports, has experienced the thrills of Victory Lane six times already in his first full Xfinity Series season. His slip, while dramatic, hasn’t prompted any bans from Trackhouse management, but caution may still be top of mind.

“We haven’t had a conversation specifically about it. Certainly no policy,” said Phil Surgen, crew chief for Trackhouse’s No. 1 Chevrolet. “I think back to Victory Lane celebrations, even from this year, and you can pick out a few instances where guys had unsure footing on the roof or on the door top, and they didn’t fall, of course. So we may have a conversation, but I’m sure all the drivers are going to be a little bit more careful where they make that step.”

Surgen’s own driver may need to take heed. Ross Chastain says he’s received no directives to curb his trademark celebration, smashing a homegrown watermelon on the track from high atop his No. 1 Chevy.

“It’s recommended to do that,” Chastain said. “… No hesitation here. If we’re smashing watermelons, we’re doing OK. It is a good reminder, but I mean, there’s dangerous things in life, everywhere we go.”

Posted on August 15, 2025 by Holly Cain

RICHMOND, Va. – With two races remaining to settle the 16-driver NASCAR Cup Series Playoff field, there are three drivers currently in title contention via points standings. But a new race winner in Saturday night’s Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway (7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App) or next week in the regular season finale at Daytona International Speedway changes the outlook dramatically.

23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick holds a 117-point advantage over the cutoff line and would only need to earn 30 points Saturday night to formalize his 2025 playoff opportunity.

RELATED: Weekend schedule | At-track photos

The other two drivers above the playoff elimination line include Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman, who holds a 60-point cushion to the good and Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing’s Chris Buescher, who is only 34 points up on his RFK teammate Ryan Preece. Their other RFK teammate, team co-owner and the 2012 series champion Brad Keselowski, is also in need of a victory to vie for another title.

“I think ideally we would have all liked to have either won by now and kind of locked ourselves in, but when you look at the past however many weeks, 24, to be right there with each other and both of us have penalties. …It’s not like one of us had a penalty and all that, where we’ve been neck and neck,” the driver of the No. 60 RFK Racing Ford, Preece, said of racing his teammate for that last points position.

“I’m just grateful to be a part of this opportunity or to have this opportunity because it’s been a lot of fun.”

“I think Chris and I are both trying to figure out what’s the best strategy for us,” Preece continued. “I know crew chiefs Scott (Graves) and Derrick (Finley) are working hard on that. I have really fast race cars and need to go execute great races. If you’re in a position for a green-white-checkered and you have an opportunity to win, when it comes Monday, I don’t think about what I should have done different.”

As with Preece, Buescher, driver of the No. 17 RFK Ford, tends to have a very easy-going personality. He said he wasn’t surprised either that, after two-thirds of the season, the final playoff position may ultimately come down to RFK teammates.

MORE: Clinching scenarios for Richmond

Keselowski and Buescher have previous wins at both Richmond and Daytona tracks. Keselowski won at Richmond in 2014 and 2020 and the summer Daytona race in 2016. Buescher won at both tracks in 2023.

“We’ve had some really good days and just needed to get the detail right really,” Buescher said of finding himself in this tenuous position. He said he genuinely does not spend time worrying or even thinking about it.

“There’s a whole lot of racing that got us to this point and a whole lot of racing left in the year,” Buescher said. “It’s a big part of our year and obviously the game we’re playing, but it’s not something you’re living in that little tiny box. It’s the same focus every week, figuring out how we can set ourselves up to win a race and be fast. Points come with all that stuff. It’s not that we’re just hyper-focused on it.”

“We plan on us being the new winner, that’s the first priority,” he added with a smile.

Posted on August 15, 2025August 15, 2025 by Holly Cain

RICHMOND, Va. — Ryan Preece has delivered in the clutch, claiming the second Busch Light Pole Award of his career Friday afternoon at Richmond Raceway as he tries to earn a playoff position with only two regular-season races remaining to set the 16-driver NASCAR Cup Series championship field.

It’s certainly a good omen for Preece heading into Saturday night’s Cook Out 400 (7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App) at the three-quarter mile track.

His No. 60 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford Mustang turned a fast lap of 121.381 mph, edging 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick by .087 seconds. The 34-year-old Connecticut-native Preece last led the field to green in 2023 at another Virginia short track, Martinsville Speedway.

“I felt like it was on my bingo card, I’m not sure about everybody else’s,” said a smiling Preece, who currently trails his RFK teammate Chris Buescher by 34 points for the final playoff points position.

“That Ford Mustang was really sporty. I felt good about it in practice and it showed up for qualifying. We have a great starting spot and tomorrow we’ve just got to go execute and hopefully we can win this race.”

“At a place like this, I would rather be out front. … I’d rather be the one leading. Tomorrow is about getting out front, getting the clean air and setting my pace.”

It was also a particularly good day for the small Kaulig Racing team, whose veteran driver, AJ Allmendinger, qualified third fastest (120.854 mph) for his best career start at the track. Virginia native and hometown favorite, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin (120.822 mph), will roll off fourth. Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott (120.746 mph) rounds out the top five.

Among those contending for the final three playoff positions. Reddick needs only to gain 30 points if there’s no new winner on Saturday night to finalize his spot. Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman, who holds a 60-point advantage inside the standings, will start ninth. Buescher, in the 16th and final playoff points position, qualified 12th.

Thirteen different drivers have claimed playoff positions with victories this season. A new race winner this week at Richmond or next week in the regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway would leap over Reddick, Bowman and Buescher in the playoff eligibility.

Cup Series points leader, Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron, qualified 14th. He holds a 42-point advantage over his teammate Elliott for the Regular Season Championship and the 15 bonus points that pay following the Daytona race.

Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon, the defending race winner, will start 11th.

Kyle Busch paces practice

No. 8 Richard Childress Racing wheelman and six-time Richmond winner, Busch turned the fastest lap in practice Friday evening, clocking in a lap of 118.172 mph in Group 1. He also had the best 5-, 10-, 15-, 20-, 25- and 30-lap averages.

John Hunter Nemechek (118.110 mph), Denny Hamlin (117.909 mph), Noah Gragson (117.889mph) and 23XI Racing part-time driver Corey Heim (117.575 mph) completed the top five.

Kyle Larson, Ty Dillon, Justin Haley, Cole Custer and Riley Herbst rounded out the top 10.

Two separate issues paused Group 2 practice. Joey Logano suffered a tire issue and hit the outside wall in Turn 4, and Carson Hocevar went for a spin in the final minute of the session. Logano placed last of 38 drivers in the session.

Posted on August 15, 2025August 15, 2025 by Zack Albert

RICHMOND, Va. — Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin both reviewed the final lap of last year’s NASCAR Cup Series showdown at Richmond Raceway in recent days, all as part of the customary prep work for this season’s running. It wasn’t any easier to stomach the second time around.

“I did. It made me mad again,” Logano said with a hearty laugh, one aided by the passage of time. A year ago, the immediate reflection was not nearly as good-natured, not after Austin Dillon bowled through both Logano and Hamlin in the 0.75-mile track’s final set of corners to grab the checkered flag. The victory stayed in the record books, but three days later after an extensive review, NASCAR officials stripped the Cup Series Playoffs eligibility that Dillon stood to gain.

Logano was among those with frayed emotions that Sunday night, and the recent revisit wasn’t the most pleasant.

“The result didn’t change, unfortunately,” Logano said, “but yeah, obviously, I have to rewatch things to prepare and things like that. But yeah, it’s a year ago, so you’ve got to move forward here at some point. So, just got to go get sweet redemption, right? Go out there and win the race that we had won.”

All the protagonists return to the scene for Saturday night’s Cook Out 400 (7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App), the next-to-last race of the Cup Series regular season. Hamlin and Logano have secured playoff berths with regular-season wins, while Dillon — 28th in points — would need another last-gasp run to clinch one of the remaining spots.

Logano was sent spinning out of victory contention here last year after Dillon rolled deep into Turn 3, dispatching the No. 22 Team Penske Ford. That opened the door — albeit briefly — for Hamlin to burst into the lead, until another bump from Dillon’s No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet caromed his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota into the wall.

MORE: Fantasy Fastlane: Richmond | Cup Series standings

Hamlin called his recent review of the final lap “just disappointing from my standpoint” and “just a wild moment,” but that the later ruling from NASCAR officials gave the drivers involved a better idea of which racing tactics remain above board, and which might cross the line into the realm of discipline and deterrence.

“I think NASCAR drew a line in the sand and said that was too far,” said Hamlin, a five-time winner at his home-state track. “I think that they have been better about drawing the line in the sand on certain things, like the right-rear hooks we have seen over the last year, them kind of drawing the line in the sand. They are not afraid to make hard decisions, and I think that is very, very important with the governing of the sport in general, so it is not a circus. I do feel a little bit better about it than we did 12 months ago.

“I just feel that I think certainly, that was the first time we’ve seen something like that happen and then NASCAR had a precedent to set in the sense that — what do you from here. If you let that go, then you open up a floodgate of crazy things that could happen that would be bad for the relevance and the legitimacy of the sport, and so I think everyone probably has a little better understanding now, because of the ruling. I’m not saying I agree or disagree with it, but you certainly have a better understanding.”

Wherever the sand-drawn line exists, Logano says the incident and the punishment have shaped how racing — especially in high-stakes situations on a tight, short track — goes forward.

“I’m not a big person that reads the rule book. I just look at how rules are enforced,” Logano says. “Well, if rules are enforced, then that’s a real rule. And NASCAR gets put in the spot occasionally to where they’re forced to enforce a rule, and depending on how they do that will set the tone for the future, whether that’s looking at restarts or looking at things like that. I think all of us drivers, all we want is consistency, right? And obviously that was pretty far last year, right? Both moves were — not just the first one but the second one. So I think every scenario is probably a little bit different. That one was pretty extreme, so probably pretty easy for them to make a call, but everybody, sometimes you wonder where the limits are, but you’ve also got to ask yourself, what’s your limits, right? What are you willing to do as a human in the race cars as well?”

Posted on August 15, 2025August 15, 2025 by Staff Report

See where your favorite NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers will pit this weekend at Richmond Raceway.

NASCAR Cup Series

Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).

RELATED: Richmond weekend schedule | How to watch NASCAR on USA Network

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

Eero 250 at Richmond Raceway on Friday (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1, NASCAR Racing Network Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

MORE: How to watch NASCAR on FS1

Posted on August 15, 2025August 15, 2025 by Staff Report

The No. 16 Kaulig Racing Cup Series team was penalized for failing pre-race inspection twice Friday afternoon at Richmond Raceway.

RELATED: Weekend schedule | Cup Series standings

NASCAR officials have ejected car chief Jaron Antley for the remainder of the weekend and the team will forfeit pit-stall selection for Saturday night’s 400-lapper in Virginia (7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).

Two races remain in the 2025 regular season, and entering Richmond, driver AJ Allmendinger sits 20th on the playoff grid, 129 points below the elimination line. The three-time Cup winner will need to win to secure a bid in the Cup Series Playoffs.

Posted on August 15, 2025August 17, 2025 by Staff Report

The NASCAR Cup Series and Craftsman Truck Series head to Richmond Raceway for a doubleheader weekend of short-track racing. Bookmark this page and come back often for your race-week essentials — from links to qualifying order, average practice speeds, results and more.

RELATED: Weekend schedule | TV listings

NASCAR Cup Series

Race day: Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on USA Network. The categories listed below will be filled out with links as the information becomes available.

Tires: Ten sets (eight new race sets plus one set transferred from qualifying). Teams will also have one set for practice and four sets of wet-weather tires, if needed.

Entry List
Qualifying Order
Practice Results
Practice Lap Averages
Practice Lap Times
Qualifying Results
Pit Stalls
Stage 1 Results
Stage 2 Results
Race Results

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

Race day: Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1. The categories listed below will be filled out with links as the information becomes available.

Tires: Six sets (four new race sets plus one set transferred from qualifying). Teams will also have one set for practice and three sets of wet-weather tires, if needed.

Entry List
Qualifying Order
Practice Results
Practice Lap Averages
Practice Lap Times
Qualifying Results
Pit Stalls
Stage 1 Results
Stage 2 Results
Race Results

Posted on August 15, 2025 by Nate Ryan

It’s been nicknamed the “Action Track,” but “The Monumental Oval” might have been the better moniker for Richmond Raceway.

Things just tend to happen here — and not necessarily because of the fireworks always associated with racing stock cars on short tracks.

Yes, there have been many combustible and controversial moments, and last year’s finish is a prime example. When Austin Dillon wrecked Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin through the final two corners to take the checkered flag (but not a 2024 spot in the playoffs), it established a new benchmark for roughing up the competition that has been commonplace for years at Richmond.

Jeff Gordon set a modern era record with 13 victories in 1998, but an indelible image from his third championship season remains the race he lost at Richmond after being shipped into the Turn 2 wall by Rusty Wallace.

Carl Edwards drove through Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch for a last-lap victory in 2016. Kyle Busch received death threats for spinning Dale Earnhardt Jr. while battling for the lead in 2008. Dale Earnhardt and Darrell Waltrip tangled at the front and handed Kyle Petty the first victory of his career in 1986 — one of Richmond’s many historical markers.

Kevin Harvick won the last race of his Cup career at Richmond three years ago, and it’s been nearly 26 years since Tony Stewart won his first at the track (which also was the site of Kasey Kahne’s Cup breakthrough in 2005).

The inaugural regular-season finale that set the field of what was then known as “the Chase” happened at Richmond in 2004. For years afterward, the 0.75-mile oval became the scene of many highlights — and some lowlights — relative to the championship.

Gordon made the 2012 playoffs by eliminating Busch with a miracle second-place finish after falling a lap down (and being saved by a midrace rain delay). A year later, one of the ugliest chapters in NASCAR history unfolded under a dark cloud of race manipulation and massive penalties that led to the permanent closure of a race team.

In 2017, Martin Truex Jr. and the No. 78 team gritted through being crowned as the first “official” Regular Season Champion — shortly after a caution erased a massive lead with three laps remaining of a race he’d lose in overtime.

Other unfortunate developments at Richmond were the impetus for a groundbreaking step forward.

After a series of brutal wrecks from 2002-03, culminating in the practice crash that ended Jerry Nadeau’s career, Richmond became the first NASCAR track fully outfitted with a SAFER barrier for its September 2003 weekend.

As NASCAR returns to the historic venue in 2025, there’s hope again for a negative to beget a positive. In this instance, it’s a case of literal addition by subtraction.

MORE: All-time Richmond winners | Memorable Richmond moments

The most recent NASCAR weekend at Richmond was more than a year ago. From 1959 to 2024, across multiple layouts and a surface that changed from dirt to asphalt, the track made famous by Paul Sawyer enjoyed the constant of two annually scheduled Cup races (losing one in 2020 to the pandemic).

This season, Richmond will join the list of tracks that have dropped to one event. In the case of Pocono Raceway and Michigan International Speedway, the reduction has resulted in sold-out infield campgrounds and crowded grandstands for the remaining event.

It’s been 17 years since the last sellout of Richmond Raceway. Local reports suggest that Saturday night will draw the biggest crowd in recent memory. Expectations will be high that something memorable will happen.

But at Richmond, something usually does.

Posted on August 15, 2025 by Cameron Richardson

Shane van Gisbergen’s road-course dominance continued last weekend at Watkins Glen International — matching Denny Hamlin with a Cup Series-best four wins in 2025.

Playoff Probabilities provided by Racing Insights (entering Richmond)

Chris Buescher was in the mix at the New York road course, but he could only settle for a top five as a regular-season victory continues to evade the No. 17 RFK Racing driver.

With just two races remaining before the 16-driver playoff field is set, it’s still Buescher and teammate Ryan Preece sitting on opposite sides of the elimination line — separated by 34 points. However, as Richmond proved last summer, a shock could be waiting to throw a late twist into the postseason picture before the ultimate wild card of Daytona awaits in the regular-season finale.

Using predictions from Racing Insights, let’s take a look at who’s primed to put themselves in a position to lock into the playoffs Saturday at the Virginia short track (7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).

RELATED: Richmond schedule | Cup Series standings

GREEN FLAG [Who’s in a great spot for Richmond]

You cannot talk about Richmond’s history now without last year’s edition, where Austin Dillon won in controversial fashion in overtime. The No. 3 Richard Childress Racing driver drove deep into Turns 3 and 4 on the final lap, punting leader Joey Logano and then turned down the track toward Denny Hamlin, putting the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the wall before crossing the start/finish line as the leader. Dillon was awarded the victory, but penalized for his actions, with his playoff spot taken away.

A year later, Dillon can flip the narrative and walk out of Richmond with a clean victory. What goes overlooked is that the five-time Cup Series winner was the car to beat that night, leading 35 laps and cruising to victory before Ryan Preece and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. got together in Turn 1 just in front of the No. 3 driver to send the race to overtime.

Dillon enters with the fifth-lowest probability [0.37%] in the field, but smaller tracks have favored the 35-year-old wheelman this year. Between Phoenix, Martinsville, Bristol, Dover and Iowa, Dillon’s worst finish was 18th, plus he’s coming off a top-10 run at Iowa. The odds aren’t in Dillon’s favor, but there’s been a lull in big surprises this year. Another Dillon victory would have bubble drivers in a panic heading to Daytona.

Brad Keselowski [6.95% playoff probability] also needs to be on your radar Saturday after his third-place run at Iowa two weeks ago. He had the best car throughout the race and likely would’ve clinched a playoff berth had it not been for a conglomeration of cautions that scrambled strategy and the field. The No. 6 Ford driver also ranks ninth in most points scored over the last 10 races, according to NASCAR Insights.

YELLOW FLAG [Who’s on the fringe for Richmond]

Alex Bowman [93.64% playoff probability] is a past Richmond winner and could lock into the postseason with some help Saturday, but his recent performances at the short track don’t bode well for a successful points outing this weekend. The No. 48 driver has finished 17th or worse in four of the last five Richmond events.

What Bowman is doing right is racking up points over the last month. The lowest amount he’s scored over the last four races was 30 at Watkins Glen. Despite finishing 20th last Sunday, he maximized his day by claiming 13 stage points at the road course. If Bowman can get some favorable track position early at Richmond, there’s a playoff ticket waiting with his name on it.

RACING INSIGHTS: Full race projections for Richmond | Clinching scenarios for this weekend

RED FLAG [Who I’m concerned about heading to Richmond]

As was the case last year for Buescher [69.22% playoff probability], top fives won’t cut it when it comes to making the playoffs and a buffer over the elimination line is only good if someone doesn’t pull off an upset over the next two Saturdays. The No. 17 RFK driver has struggled on the slower-paced short tracks this year, finishing 22nd at Iowa and 24th at Martinsville back in the spring. His Richmond numbers have been pedestrian outside of his 2023 summer win and just one other top five coming in 2022.

Buescher ranks third in most points scored over the last 10 races [321], but there’s still the chance a new winner emerges, and it would make the strong efforts of the No. 17 team obsolete. The Prosper, Texas native will be the first to tell you that he “hates points racing,” and a victory would certainly do wonders for a driver who made the semifinal round of the postseason just two years ago.