O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge Tag

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer  At the start of a typical race, a driver starts with four fresh tires. Saturday night’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway was anything but typical for NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Cole Custer. Early troubles left Custer scratching and clawing his way through the field to finish fifth. Race strategy by Custer’s Stewart Haas Racing crew chief Jeff Meendering helped Custer earn that top-five finish. At the end of Stage 1, the Meendering elected for his rookie driver to take the wave aroundRead More

By Toby Christie, NASCAR Editor FORT WORTH, Texas — After a crash on lap 130 of Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Matt DiBenedetto has been placed in concussion protocol. As a result, DiBenedetto will sit out Sunday’s AAA Texas 500, while he recovers from injuries sustained Saturday. BK Racing has announced via Twitter, that Jeffrey Earnhardt, who drove for the team a few weeks ago at Talladega, will be behind the wheel of the No. 83 ZAK ToyotaRead More

By Josh Farmer, IndyCar Reporter & NASCAR Contributor FORT WORTH, Texas — Blake Koch’s roller coaster weekend at Texas Motor Speedway ended with him still in contention for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Chase for the Championship following a 14th place finish in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway. The driver of the No. 11 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet Camaro qualified 12th this morning after crashing hard in the opening practice for the NASCAR Xfinity Series yesterday. He fell a lap down early in the 200-lap race asRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service FORT WORTH, Tex. – Grabbing the lead after a restart on Lap 171 of 200, Kyle Larson moved to the top of the track just in time to hold off polesitter Brad Keselowski for the victory in Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway. In a race that saw Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Erik Jones and Daniel Suarez open some breathing room in the inaugural NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase with respective fourth- and fifth-place finishes, Larson got a push from sixth-place finisherRead More

By Toby Christie, NASCAR Editor FORT WORTH, Texas — Daniel Suarez lined up fourth in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway, and on the initial start of the race he made a bold three wide move for the lead. Suarez would not get the lead, but the bold move cemented the fact that he was going to be a driver to deal with all day long. But around the mid-way point of the event, Suarez — who is one of eight drivers still in Chase contention —Read More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief FORT WORTH, Texas – Ryan Reed and Darrell Wallace Jr. find themselves on the outside of the Chase bubble with one race remaining in the Round of 8 following Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway. Wallace encountered a wealth of handling issues on his No. 6 Leidos Ford Mustang for much of the afternoon, managing to come home 11th and now sits seventh in the NASCAR Xfinity Series standings, 20 points out of the final transfer spot. “I actually thought we would beRead More

By Toby Christie, NASCAR Editor FORT WORTH, Texas — Usually race car drivers are a selfish lot. However when it comes to Justin Allgaier and Blake Koch there is nothing selfish about their friendship. The two drivers faced uncertain futures after the 2015 seasons, but they each landed new gigs in the Xfinity Series. Fast forward eight months and Allgaier and Koch are locked tight in a battle for the final transfer spot to the Xfinity Series championship race in Homestead. Heading into Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at TexasRead More

By Toby Christie, NASCAR Editor FORT WORTH, Texas — It’s been a frustrating season for Team Penske in the Xfinity Series. After an eight-win explosion a year ago, the team has only recorded two victories with just three races remaining in 2016. However, Texas will start with their car on the pole after Brad Keselowski grabbed his first pole of the year in the Xfinity Series in the closest possible margin. In the third and final round of qualifying, Keselowski actually tied Erik Jones for the top spot in the qualifyingRead More

By Josh Farmer, IndyCar Reporter & NASCAR Contributor FORT WORTH, Texas — While Brendan Gaughan is in need of a good run to stay in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Chase, he has a rather chipper attitude heading into this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Heading into Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge, the lone Richard Childres Racing driver in the Chase lies seventh in the Xfinity Series  standings, 18 points behind fourth place. He fell from sixth to seventh after crashing out of the Kansas Lottery 300 and finishing 31st. DespiteRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief FORT WORTH, Texas – Blake Koch’s championship hopes took a hit Friday afternoon at the start of opening practice for Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway. The 31-year-old Florida native was on his first lap at the 1.5-mile oval when the car veered right and hit the Turn 2 wall and severely damaging his No. 11 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet. “Something broke on the car,” Kock said about the incident. The damage was enough to warrant the team to bring out the backupRead More