By @GucciardoJoey
Please note that much of the following information comes from Jayski.
Just two races remain until the NASCAR XFINITY Series champion is crowned for the 2015 season.
Current standings leader, Chris Buescher can clinch the title this weekend if he leaves Phoenix 49 points ahead of second-place in the standings. Buescher is currently 24 points up on second-place Chase Elliott.
If he doesn’t reach the magic number of 49 points ahead following Phoenix, he can still win the title no matter what any other driver does if he finishes seventh or better without leading a lap, eighth or better leading at least one lap or ninth or better leading the most laps in the final two races.
“We just need two more solid races to wrap this thing up,” Buescher said. “Phoenix is a unique race track that I really want to have a good race at. I like short track racing and feel that this will be a good weekend for us.”
Buescher has made 31 starts this season, posting two wins (Iowa, Dover), 11 top fives, 20 top 10s and an average finish of 8.2.
Buescher will have his work cut out for him this weekend though. In three starts at Phoenix he has an average finish of 13.7 and has yet to finish inside the top 10.
Does Buescher have anything to worry about? Well, he has three things to worry about.
The three drivers who have not been mathematically eliminated from the title hunt in 2015 are second-place Chase Elliott (-24), third-place Ty Dillon (-30) and fourth-place Regan Smith (-31).
Please note that much of the following information comes from Jayski.
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| Chris Buescher, as seen in this photo on May 17th, 2015, driving his No. 60 Ford Mustang NASCAR XFINITY Series car at Iowa Speedway, has three drivers chasing him for this year's XFINITY Series championship. (PHOTO: Charlie Neibergall/AP) |
Current standings leader, Chris Buescher can clinch the title this weekend if he leaves Phoenix 49 points ahead of second-place in the standings. Buescher is currently 24 points up on second-place Chase Elliott.
If he doesn’t reach the magic number of 49 points ahead following Phoenix, he can still win the title no matter what any other driver does if he finishes seventh or better without leading a lap, eighth or better leading at least one lap or ninth or better leading the most laps in the final two races.
“We just need two more solid races to wrap this thing up,” Buescher said. “Phoenix is a unique race track that I really want to have a good race at. I like short track racing and feel that this will be a good weekend for us.”
Buescher has made 31 starts this season, posting two wins (Iowa, Dover), 11 top fives, 20 top 10s and an average finish of 8.2.
Buescher will have his work cut out for him this weekend though. In three starts at Phoenix he has an average finish of 13.7 and has yet to finish inside the top 10.
Does Buescher have anything to worry about? Well, he has three things to worry about.
The three drivers who have not been mathematically eliminated from the title hunt in 2015 are second-place Chase Elliott (-24), third-place Ty Dillon (-30) and fourth-place Regan Smith (-31).
If Elliott were to have his best two performances at Phoenix and Homestead by winning both events and leading the most laps he would total out at 1,198 points on the season. To win the title, Elliott would still need Buescher to falter and finish eighth or worse in both of the final two races.
Elliott has made three starts at Phoenix posting one top five, three top 10s and an average finish of 7.0.
Last year, at Phoenix, Elliott was celebrating his XFINITY Series championship at the track instead of Homestead-Miami Speedway. That was because Elliott had clinched the 2014 NASCAR Nationwide (now XFINITY) Series championship a race early.
Last year, at Phoenix, Elliott was celebrating his XFINITY Series championship at the track instead of Homestead-Miami Speedway. That was because Elliott had clinched the 2014 NASCAR Nationwide (now XFINITY) Series championship a race early.
But what about Ty Dillon? If he were to have the best case scenario for him at Phoenix and Homestead by winning both events and leading the most laps, he would total out at 1,192 points on the season. To win the title, Dillon would still need Buescher to struggle and finish 12th or worse in both of the final two races to catch him.
Dillon has made three starts at Phoenix posting one top five, three top 10s and an average finish of 6.7.
If Smith were to win both Phoenix and Homestead, while leading the most laps in each, his season point total would be 1,192 points. Smith would still need Buescher to finish 13th or worse in the next two races to win the title.
Smith has made nine starts at Phoenix, tallying one top five, five top 10s and an average finish of 14.4.
Now, let's move on to a smaller story.
Ross Kenseth, son of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Matt Kenseth, will be making his career NASCAR XFINITY Series career start this weekend in the XFINITY Series.
Kenseth made his first career start earlier this season for Joe Gibbs Racing at Chicagoland Speedway. He drove the No. 20 Toyota from a second-place starting position to a sixth-place finish. He started second in the race, and managed to lead all but one lap.
This weekend the 22-year-old Appleton, Wisconsin native will be attempting to qualify at Phoenix in the No. 80 Toyota for car owner Shigeaki Hattori. This will be the first car Hattori has attempted to field this season.
Last season Hattori gave Ross Chastain, Johnny Sauter and Alex Bowman chances to compete in the XFINITY Series. Chastain has posted the best finish for Hattori as a car owner, finishing 10th at Kentucky last season.
Two Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series contenders will be competing in the XFINITY Series event this weekend, Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski. The remaining Sprint Cup drivers entered this weekend are Kasey Kahne, Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon.
2014 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series champion Anthony Kumpen will attempt to qualify for his second NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Phoenix in the No. 55 Chevrolet. He placed 28th at Iowa in August after starting 35th. Kumpen’s United States schedule is part of the Nexteer Road to Daytona program designed by Nexteer and the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series to get European drivers to race in the U.S.
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| Ross Kenseth, as seen in this photo on June 19th, 2015 at Chicagoland Speedway, will be making his second-career NASCAR XFINITY Series start this weekend. (PHOTO: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images North America) |
Ross Kenseth, son of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Matt Kenseth, will be making his career NASCAR XFINITY Series career start this weekend in the XFINITY Series.
Kenseth made his first career start earlier this season for Joe Gibbs Racing at Chicagoland Speedway. He drove the No. 20 Toyota from a second-place starting position to a sixth-place finish. He started second in the race, and managed to lead all but one lap.
This weekend the 22-year-old Appleton, Wisconsin native will be attempting to qualify at Phoenix in the No. 80 Toyota for car owner Shigeaki Hattori. This will be the first car Hattori has attempted to field this season.
Last season Hattori gave Ross Chastain, Johnny Sauter and Alex Bowman chances to compete in the XFINITY Series. Chastain has posted the best finish for Hattori as a car owner, finishing 10th at Kentucky last season.
Two Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series contenders will be competing in the XFINITY Series event this weekend, Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski. The remaining Sprint Cup drivers entered this weekend are Kasey Kahne, Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon.
2014 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series champion Anthony Kumpen will attempt to qualify for his second NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Phoenix in the No. 55 Chevrolet. He placed 28th at Iowa in August after starting 35th. Kumpen’s United States schedule is part of the Nexteer Road to Daytona program designed by Nexteer and the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series to get European drivers to race in the U.S.
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