“Today was an action packed day for our No. 1 OneMain Financial Ford Mustang,” Sadler said after the race ended.  “We qualified in the middle of the field, worked forward a few spots, experienced a pit road penalty, dodged a few wrecks on our way back to the front and through quality passes and our off schedule fuel strategy, we were about to put ourselves up front in the closing laps. With only one practice yesterday, my guys worked their tails off to get my car race ready. We definitely had a fast car today and I’m glad we were able to get our first Top-5 of the season.”

Sadler started from the 16^th position for the NXS race on Saturday afternoon. The competition yellow came out on Lap 26 and Sadler entered pit road 11^th. The team added four tires, fuel and made a small adjustment to the track bar. However, Sadler was penalized for too many crew members over the wall. When tire carrier rolled the old tire off to the side, another crew member reached out to grab the tire and fell over the wall. Sadler was penalized for this error and had to go to the back of the field.

After the competition caution, the race went back to green for only a few laps until the next caution came out. Since Sadler was still in the back of the field, it didn’t hurt to come down pit road to top off with fuel. Plus, the team had time for a crew member to place a small piece of tape on the grill for more downforce. After the restart, Sadler battled back to 15^th by Lap 40. 

At the halfway point, Sadler radioed to the team that the car was really loose and he’d like help with right rear grip. On the following pit stop, the crew made the right adjustments to the track bar and helped tighten up the car to Sadler’s liking.

With 39 laps remaining in the race, Sadler entered pit road 10^th and the crew added four fresh tires, fuel and made a small wedge adjustment in the left rear.

On Lap 111, the yellow flag waved again for a big multicar wreck on the front stretch. At the time of the wreck, Sadler was scored in fifth.

Race Highlights: 

David Starr qualified 21^st for the Great Clips 250, followed by Blake Koch in 25^th, Cale Conley in 29^th and Eric McClure in 32^nd.

The 125-lap race included eight cautions for 26 laps and thirteen lead changes among seven drivers.

Eric McClure finished the 125-lap race 23^rd, followed by Cale Conley in 26^th, David Starr in 33^rd and Blake Koch in 36^th.                       

Eric McClure Finishes 23^rd in the Great Clips 250

The 24th Annual Great Clips 250 Benefiting Paralyzed Veterans of America, served as the third start in five years for Eric McClure. Starting the 125-lap event from the 32nd position, McClure and the Hefty®/Reynolds Wrap® team knew they had some work ahead of them. An early caution allowed McClure to maneuver down pit road for a track bar adjustment. To the team's despair the No. 24 was penalized for entering too many pit boxes, which resulted in the Toyota Camry restarting at the tail end of the field. During the events third caution, McClure was running in the 30th position when radio communication began to cut out. Making an additional track bar adjustment and changing out the driver's radio, the Hefty® Camry restarted 33rd. McClure's team began discussing a green flag stop with 35-laps to go. Hearing chatter about a caution, Crew Chief Wes Ward instructed McClure to stay out and coincidently the caution flag flew the next lap. The final 30-laps were action packed and caution filled, ultimately helping McClure capitalize on the field. Jumping three spots after the last caution, McClure rallied to finish 23rd earning his career best NASCAR XFINITY Series finish at Michigan International Speedway. 

Start- 32^nd        Finish- 23^rd       Laps Led- 0      Points- 21 points

Driver QUOTE: "I am very proud of my race team.  They worked hard all weekend, allowed me to get better at Michigan, and helped me learn what I need to be better here [Michigan] next season. We fought through a couple of small issues, kept ourselves clean and came away with a respectable finish." 

Cale Conley finishes 26^th in the Great Clips 250

Cale Conley turned his first ever laps at Michigan International Speedway in a rain-shortened practice before qualifying his Toyota Camry in the 29th position. As the race got underway, Conley began to advance position, quickly breaking into the top 20. Unfortunately, he got loose after getting too close to a competitor and spun out, bringing out the caution. Luckily, Conley was able to save the car, avoiding contact and any damage. He came down pit road for four new tires and restarted 34th. As he was making his trek back through the field, a multi car incident began in front of him. He was unable to avoid it and suffered damage to the left front fender of his Camry. The IAVA crew made swift work of repairs and he finished the 250-mile event in the 26th position.

Start- 29^th    Finish- 26^th     Laps Led -0      Points- 18 points

Driver QUOTE: "My IAVA Camry was the best it's been in a while and that's what makes this weekend so frustrating. But I appreciated team working hard and not giving up."

David Starr Finishes 33^rd in the Great Clips 250

The luck of the rolling Irish Hills ultimately did not fair well for David Starr at Michigan International Speedway. Starr qualified 21st for the Great Clips 250 in his first XFINITY Series race at the two-mile oval. Early in the race, Starr reported the car had decent handling but was loose on entry. During the competition caution on lap 25, running in the 25th position, the Zachry Toyota Camry pitted for four tires, fuel and a track-bar adjustment. The requested changes by Crew Chief Greg Conner helped with entry and Starr advanced to 16th position. As the race progressed, the car once again became loose on entry. More adjustments were made to the No. 44 during a green flag caution on lap 87 and cycled back through the field to 28th. As the caution flagged waved on lap 91, Starr was posted as 27th and radioed the car was handling fine but he was seeking input on gaining momentum. With the concern of a potential electrical issue, Starr was directed to turn off all fans in the car and through the guidance of Spotter Keith Barnwell, Starr advanced to 20th. On lap 106, the No. 44 Zachry Camry sustained heavy damage in the rear, which ended the day for Zachry team. Starr departed the Irish Hills as 33rd in the Great Clips 250.

Start- 21^st        Finish- 33^rd       Laps Led- 0      Points-11 points

Driver QUOTE: "Our Zachry Toyota Camry wasn't bad today at Michigan. Unfortunately our day ended with a crash but when the race started our Zachry Toyota Camry was pretty good. We were a little loose into the corners and my Crew Chief, Greg, made an adjustment. It felt like it really helped the car. We were good through the corners and seeking momentum. I thought we would at least come home with a top-15 finish. The 62 car was spinning out. There was a car in between us. I checked up and just got taken out from behind. A good effort by Greg Conner and the Zachry team. It's just unfortunate but this is the ugly side of our sport to wreck. I really hate to wreck. I always want to finish the race and it's disappointing when you don't see the checkered flag but we will go to Chicago and give it all we've got again."

Blake Koch Finishes 36^th in the Great Clips 250

Blake Koch and the No. 8 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Camry started the Great Clips 250 from the 25th position Saturday afternoon. An early caution flag waved and Koch reported that his Camry was in need of a big adjustment. He brought his Camry to pit road for a track bar adjustment and returned to the track. On lap 19, Koch was running 29th and reported that his Camry was loose tight off turn four. Under the competition caution, Koch brought his Camry to pit road for four tires, fuel and another round of adjustments. After the halfway point in the 125-lap event, Koch reported smoke inside the car and brought his Camry to pit road. Due to an electrical issue, Koch was scored in the 36th position.

Start -25^th       Finish- 36^th      Laps Led- 0      Points- 8 points

Driver QUOTE: "This was not the day we wanted in Michigan. My guys worked hard all weekend and I hate that our day ended early. We will move onto Chicago next week. I can't thank LeafFilter Gutter Protection enough for coming on board this weekend."


TMI PR

“We started out pretty decent and this was actually the best car I’ve ever had at Michigan,” said Reed. “It’s a shame we didn’t get to use the speed we had. We’ll regroup for Chicago next week and try to make up some ground in the points.”

After starting 19^th, Reed quickly made his way through the field and was up to the 13^th position by Lap 10. He had no complaints about the car other than it was a little loose on entry into the corners. Ten laps later, Reed reported that he felt a vibration in the right front of the car that felt similar to a tire going down.

Reed held on to the car until the Lap 25 competition caution. Crew Chief Seth Barbour brought Reed down pit road and the team determined that the car’s splitter had come loose.  Initially, the team made two stops to attach a bracket to the splitter and the front of the car. The team used the next several caution periods to continue repairs and re-attach the splitter. Reed held on to the 32^nd position by the Lap 32 restart.

By the halfway point of the race, the team continued to make adjustments on each pit stop and Reed reported that the car was getting better. By the Lap 90 caution flag, Reed was up to the 20^th position and fighting his way back through the field.

After a brief caution flag on Lap 108, the field took the green on Lap 110. Soon after, several cars in the field were involved in an incident. Reed was clipped in the right front and went spinning through the grass. The team brought Reed down pit road to move the fender away from the wheel and clean grass out of the grille of the car.

Reed restarted in the 23^rd position and used the last 10 laps of the race to make his way into the top-20, eventually finishing the race in 19^th.

Race Highlights: 

• Brian Scott finished ninth in the Great Clips 250 Benefiting Paralyzed Veterans of America and was the highest finishing Richard Childress Racing driver. Brendan Gaughan finished 12^th, Ty Dillon 13^th and Paul Menard 18^th.
• Brian Scott qualified second, Pau Menard fifth, Brendan Gaughan sixth and Ty Dillon ninth.
• Next up for the NASCAR XFINITY Series is the Chicagoland 200 at Chicagoland Speedway. Catch all the action live on Saturday, June 20 at 9:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Fox Sports 1, broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio, channel 90.  

         

Brian Scott Leads Early at Michigan International Speedway, Finishes Ninth

 

Brian Scott and the No. 2 Shore Lodge Chevrolet qualified in the second position for the fourth time this season on Saturday afternoon at Michigan International Speedway. Scott took over the NASCAR XFINITY Series race lead early on, leading 10 laps within the first 30 laps of competition. Strategy was the name of the game for the 125-lap race at the two-mile track. A fuel only stop restarted the Shore Lodge Chevrolet in the 13th position on lap 48. Within five laps, Scott raced his way back inside the top 10 and stayed there until green-flag pit stops began on lap 74. The No. 2 Chevy came in for service including four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment and was scored ninth when the caution was displayed on lap 91. After multiple caution periods within the last 40 laps and a red flag with 13 laps to go, Scott remained inside the top 10 and went on to finish ninth.

 

Start - 2       Finish - 9             Laps Led - 10         Points - 7

 

BRIAN SCOTT QUOTE:
"I think we missed it a little on the tight side, staying too tight early and late. We were unable to overcome on the restarts today. We'll go get them at Chicagoland."

 

Ty Dillon Finishes 13th at Michigan International Speedway

Ty Dillon drove Richard Childress Racing's No. 3 Red Kap / Arrow Uniform Chevrolet Camaro to a 13^th-place finish Saturday afternoon at Michigan International Speedway in the Great Clips 250. Dillon who qualified ninth earlier in the afternoon, raced in and around the top 15 for a majority of the 125-lap event. Despite battling a tight-handling race car, Dillon raced up to fifth place and battled with the leaders. The team struggled on green-flag restarts, but managed to gain track position on longer green-flag runs. Four pit stops allowed the No. 3 team to make adjustments to the Chevrolet Camaro, the last coming on lap 109. In the end, Dillon battled to a 13^th-place finish and remained second in the NASCAR XFINITY Series driver point standings.  

Start - 9        Finish - 13       Laps Led - 0       Points - 2

TY DILLON QUOTE:

"We made a few mistakes today and struggled to make the bottom line work on restarts. Our team will bounce back and make the proper adjustments for next week's race at Chicagoland Speedway."

 

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet, drove to a second-place finish in Saturday’s Great Clips 250 at Michigan International Speedway.  Elliott and the No. 9 team pieced together a masterful race, positioning themselves in the top three late in the race.  The team’s running position left them in perfect position to pounce on the lead with eight laps to go.  In the end, Elliott was unable to hold off a hard-charging Kyle Busch.  The strong finish marks Elliott’s sixth top-five effort of the season and leaves him third in the championship points standings, 35 markers behind leader Chris Buescher.

Elliott took the green flag in 12^th and made a quick climb through the field, finding sixth by the competition caution on lap 25. As the race wore on, Elliott begin experimenting with different lines around the track while battling a tight condition.  With handling conditions fluctuating, Elliott’s tight car turned loose around the halfway point. 

Elliott brought the No. 9 to pit road on lap 85 for a four-tire stop, and once back up to speed, reported the handling was much improved.  Then when a caution slowed the field on lap 93, crew chief Ernie Cope elected to not pit and Elliott lined up for the ensuing restart in third.  Elliott hung on to a position inside the top five, but found third again by lap 115 and fell in line behind leader Joey Logano and second-place runner Kevin Harvick.  Moments later, Harvick made contact with Logano in turn four and the two slid up the racetrack, opening the door for Elliott to grab the lead.  Elliott settled in with the lead, but Kyle Busch mounted a hard charge at the top spot in the closing laps.  Elliott made a valiant effort to hold off Busch, however Busch made a pass on Elliott with three to go and raced to the victory. 

Following Busch and Elliott to the line were the cars of Kyle Larson, Chris Buescher and Elliott Sadler.

Chase Elliott, driver No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS team

After advancing to the final round of knockout qualifying on Saturday morning, Wallace posted the third quickest lap.  As the 125-Lap race took the green, Wallace settled into the top-five, informing crew chief Chad Norris that he was a little free in traffic, but that his Mustang was very fast overall.

Wallace visited pit road for the first time of the day under the competition caution on Lap 25.  Norris opted for right side tires and fuel.  He lined up third on the ensuing restart, advancing to second by the time the caution waved again on Lap 30.

As the run progressed, Wallace radioed to the team that his Mustang was starting to get too loose, especially in turns three and four.

On Lap 45, Wallace visited pit road for left side tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment to help his loose Mustang.  The No. 6 Ford EcoBoost Mustang lined up 10^th for the restart on Lap 48, but dropped a couple positions after the restart as Wallace thought he had a flat tire or that something had broken in the car.

Wallace raced right around the top-15 for remainder of the race, sustaining damage with less than 20 laps remaining, after contact with the wall.  The No. 6 Ford Mustang came down pit road for tires and to assess the damage.  Wallace gained one position in the closing laps of the race to finish 15^th.