Quick links: NASCAR America | NASCAR on NBC Podcast | NASCAR

Getty Images

A.J. Allmendinger joins Kaulig Racing for multiple Xfinity races

By Daniel McFadinMar 21, 2019, 4:52 PM EDT
1 Comment

A.J. Allmendinger will return to NASCAR competition this year in multiple Xfinity Series races for Kaulig Racing, the team announced Thursday.

Allmendinger, who serves as an analyst for NBC Sports’ motorsports coverage, will drive the No. 10 Chevrolet in an undisclosed amount of races. Kaulig Racing fields Justin Haley full-time in the No. 11 Chevrolet.

Allmendinger joins a growing list of drivers who are scheduled to pilot the No. 10 this year, including Ross Chastain, Austin Dillon and Elliott Sadler.

“I am excited for the opportunity to hop back into a Xfinity Series car,” Allmendinger said in a press release. “I look forward to helping Kaulig Racing build their program, as well as fight for wins with them.”

Allmendinger has one win and 11 top-five finishes in Cup and two Xfinity wins. All three wins were on road courses.

Allmendinger last made laps in NASCAR in the 2018 Cup finale in Miami. He also competed in the Rolex 24 at Daytona earlier this year.

Cole Custer wins Xfinity race at Auto Club Speedway

Getty Images
By Daniel McFadinMar 16, 2019, 7:39 PM EDT
3 Comments

Cole Custer won Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Auto Club Speedway, beating Kyle Busch for his third career Xfinity win.

Custer, a native of Ladera Ranch, California, led the final 19 laps, scoring his first victory since last fall’s playoff race at Texas Motor Speedway.

“It means a ton,” Custer told Fox Sports 1. “To start the year off with a new crew chief in Mike (Shiplett) and a new engineer in Davin (Restivo), they just did a good job in coming over here, just trying to work through all the things. We’ve been a little frustrated with ourselves, we’ve been wanting to run better than fourth and top five. But today we accomplished that.”

Custer is the first non-Cup competitor to win at ACS since Scott Riggs in April 2002 (23 races).

“Kyle Busch is one of the legends of our sport,” Custer said. “To keep him … from getting 200 (NASCAR wins) means a lot. I am sure he is probably a little frustrated but we have a great time racing him and hopefully we do it more in the future.”

Busch, who led 98 of 150 laps, finished second after he bounced back from an uncontrolled tire penalty on pit road in the middle of the final stage. That forced him to restart 13th with 33 laps to go. Busch will have to wait at least one more day to earn his 200th national NASCAR series win.

“I just wasn’t fast enough,” Busch said. “At the end there, he (Custer) was really good and really fast and had a good car. They got better throughout the day and got closer to our rear bumper there on that second-to-last run before we had our pit road problems and dropped us back in the pack. Obviously, we were able to rebound, but when you have a fast guy out front and a fast guy in second, they run the same times and they stay the same distance apart. We just weren’t quick enough there at the end to chase them down.”

The top five was completed by Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick and Chase Briscoe.

Reddick fought back from an unscheduled pit stop for a cut tire on Lap 108 to earn his top five.

Austin Cindric (sixth), Brandon Jones (seventh) and Ryan Preece (eighth) all bounced back from spins to place in the top 10.

STAGE 1 WINNER: Kyle Busch

STAGE 2 WINNER: Kyle Busch

Click here for race results

Click here for the point standings.

WHAT’S NEXT: My Bariatric Solutions 300 at Texas Motor Speedway at 1 p.m. ET on March 30 on Fox Sports 1

Tyler Reddick wins Xfinity pole at Auto Club Speedway

Getty Images
By Daniel McFadinMar 16, 2019, 2:34 PM EDT
Leave a comment

Tyler Reddick won the pole for today’s Xfinity Series race at Auto Club Speedway.

Reddick posted a top speed of 179.861 mph around the 2-mile track to claim his second pole of the season.

Reddick will be joined on the front row by Kyle Busch (179.654 mph).

Busch is attempting to win his 200th NASCAR national series race today.

Reddick claimed the pole a day after he was involved in two single-car incidents in practice.

“I unfortunately made our day very, very long for all our guys at RCR, getting in the wall, spinning out and having to fix a lot of things,” Reddick told Fox Sports 1. “They worked really hard into the evening last night. … I’m trying to give them a little bit back for how hard they’ve been working, especially this weekend getting this car back to 100 percent.”

The top five was completed by Cole Custer, Christopher Bell and Noah Gragson.

Caesar Bacarella crashed in Turn 3 during his qualifying run in Round 1.

The green flag is scheduled for 5:16 p.m. ET on FS1.

Click here for qualifying results.

 

NASCAR’s Saturday schedule at Auto Club Speedway

Getty Images
By Daniel McFadinMar 16, 2019, 8:30 AM EDT
Leave a comment

Day two of the Auto Club Speedway race weekend is here and will see two Cup practice sessions and the Xfinity Series race.

Below is the day’s full schedule with TV and radio info:

(All times are Eastern)

9:30 a.m. – Xfinity garage opens

10:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. – Cup garage open

12:05 – 12:55 p.m. – Cup practice (Fox Sports 1, Motor Racing Network)

1:10 p.m. – Xfinity qualifying; single car/two rounds (FS1)

3:15 p.m. – Xfinity driver-crew chief meeting

3:30 – 4:20 p.m. – Final Cup practice (FS1, MRN)

4:30 p.m. – Xfinity driver introductions

5 p.m. – Production Alliance Group 300; 150 laps/300 miles (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Friday schedule for NASCAR at Auto Club Speedway

Getty Images
By Daniel McFadinMar 15, 2019, 8:30 AM EDT
Leave a comment

NASCAR begins its race weekend in Fontana, California, today as Cup and Xfinity teams are in action at Auto Club Speedway.

There are three practice sessions and Cup qualifying scheduled

Here’s the day’s schedule with TV and radio info:

(All times are Eastern)

10 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. – Cup garage open

11 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. – Xfinity garage open

1:05 – 1:55 p.m. – Cup practice (NASCAR.com/live, Motor Racing Network)

2:05 – 2:55 p.m.  – Xfinity practice (NASCAR.com/live)

4:35 – 5:25 p.m. – Final Xfinity practice (Fox Sports 1)

5:40 p.m. – Cup qualifying; multi-car/three rounds (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)