Roush Fenway Racing’s struggles in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series have been well-documented.
But the organization’s performance in NASCAR XFINITY Series has been a totally different story.
RFR is excelling in “the series where names are made” behind the talents of young drivers Chris Buescher, Ryan Reed and Darrell Wallace Jr., as well as wily veteran Elliott Sadler. All four sit in the top 10 of the series points standings heading into Friday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 (8:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1). Buescher, Reed and Wallace rank second, fourth and fifth respectively, while Sadler occupies the eighth spot.
Following a stellar rookie campaign where he won a race and placed seventh in the final points standings, Buescher trails Ty Dillon by a mere five points for the top perch on the circuit. The Prosper, Texas, native heads back to his home state with three top fives in five starts this season and the second-highest driver rating among full-time competitors (100.5).
Homecomings have not treated Buescher well in the past though. He will attempt to improve on his average finish of 19.0 in three previous starts at Texas Motor Speedway.
“I always look forward to going back racing in front of the home crowd,” Buescher said. “It has been a nice off weekend to sit and regroup, but our Safety-Kleen 60 team is ready to get back to the track. We had a solid top-five run in Fontana to build off of.”
Daytona-winner Reed has struggled at Texas as well with finishes of 17 and 20, but Wallace loves competing in the Lone Star State. Wallace will be making his first XFINITY Series start at TMS, but claims three top 10s there in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
“I’m excited to get back to one of my favorite places,” Wallace said. “I’m hoping for a little redemption, as I blew up in the fall Truck race. I’m really looking to building off our run in California and settling in these next few races.”
As thrilled as RFR’s young guns are to head to Texas, none of them should be more eager to take the 1.5-mile quad-oval than their seasoned leader Sadler, an established competitor at “The Great American Speedway.” The 39-year-old Virginian boasts a NSCS win at Texas (2004) and owns two XFINITY Series poles there.
“Texas has proven to be one of my best race tracks on the NASCAR circuit,” Sadler said. “Texas is a fast track with a ton of tire wear. As a team, we’ve been moving forward in the right direction. Each race we’ve finished better than the previous week. Hopefully the trend continues this Friday night and we’ll be celebrating our first win of the season in victory lane under the lights.
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