NASCAR Nationwide Series
Blue Jeans Go Green 200
Phoenix International Raceway
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing drivers Brian Scott qualified 2nd, Ty Dillon 3rd and Brendan Gaughan 14th for the Blue Jeans Go Green 200.
The race was shortened by 32 laps because of rain with Ty Dillon finishing 10th, Brian Scott 11th and Brendan Gaughan in 16th place.
The three drivers of Ty Dillon currently sit fourth, Brendan Gaughan sixth and Brian Scott eighth in the NASCAR Nationwide Series point standings.
Next up for the Nationwide Series is the Boyd Gaming 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Catch all the action live on March 8 at 4:15 p.m. Eastern Time on ESPN2.
Brian Scott Finishes 11th in Rain Shortened Race at Phoenix International Raceway
Brian Scott qualified on the outside pole for the NASCAR Nationwide Series Blue Jeans Go Green 200 at Phoenix International Raceway missing the top speed by only two one thousands of a second. The No. 33 Whitetail Chevrolet battled tight-and-loose conditions for the majority of the race and was looking for more rear grip throughout. The team took four tires, fuel and made a chassis adjustment during the only green-flag stop of the race and were scored in 14th-place at the halfway mark of the 200-lap event. Scott reported his Chevrolet was still tight and wasn’t handling well in dirty air. The field was brought down pit road on lap 167 for an accident on the back stretch in addition to rain that started to dampen the asphalt surface. It continued to fall ending the NNS race, despite a valiant effort by NASCAR and the track crews to dry the surface. The 11th-place finish moves Scott up three positions in the driver point standings to eighth heading into next Saturday’s NNS race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Start – 2nd Finish – 11th Laps Led – 0 Points – 8th
BRIAN SCOTT QUOTE:
“Your car just develops a lot of issues when you get behind a couple of people racing. You just develop issues and start to fight tight and loose conditions. In clean air, my Whitetail Chevrolet was a little snug but in dirty air I was loose in, plowing tight. It was really hard to pinpoint what adjustments you need to make.”
Ty Dillon Finishes 10th in rain-shortened race at Phoenix International Raceway
Ty Dillon drove Richard Childress Racing’s No. 3 WESCO Chevrolet Camaro to a 10th-place finish Saturday afternoon in a rain-shortened race at Phoenix International Raceway. The No. 3 team made a four-tire, fuel and track bar adjustment pit stop on lap 83, followed by a two-tire and fuel pit stop on lap 136, keeping the No. 3 team in the top 10 for most of the day. Dillon made a move on lap 157 to crack the top-10 before a caution and red flag on lap 168. After nearly a two-hour rain delay, NASCAR officials called off the remainder of the race giving the No. 3 WESCO Chevrolet its second top-10 finish of the season. Dillon finished second of the seven rookies eligible for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year award and currently sits fourth in the driver point standings.
Start – 5th Finish – 10th Laps Led – 0 Points – 4th
TY DILLON QUOTE:
“Our guys did an unbelievable job today giving me the fastest race car possible. We made a few adjustments on pit road that really helped our No. 3 WESCO Chevrolet. I really wanted to get back out on the track after NASCAR red flagged the race on lap 168 – I felt we could have picked up a few more spots with the speed we were gaining.”
Brendan Gaughan Leaves Phoenix International Raceway with a 16th-Place Finish
Brendan Gaughan drove the No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet Camaro to a 16th-place finish in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Phoenix International Raceway. Gaughan started in the 14th position and battled a tight racecar for most of the race. During the first caution on lap 21, the Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet team elected to make a track bar adjustment and take two tires returning to the track in 17th place. The Las Vegas-native reported that it was difficult to pass, but was able to work his way up to fifth while green-flag stops commenced. When the second caution of the Blue Jeans Go Green 200 fell on lap 91, Gaughan pitted for chassis adjustments to his tight South Point Hotel and Casino Chevrolet and four Goodyear tires. The No. 62 team’s hard work on pit road put Gaughan back on track in seventh position. On lap 135, the No. 62 team was penalized for speeding on pit road and served a pass-through penalty. A red flag for rain on lap 168 put a damper on the team’s rebound from the penalty and ended their day with the 16th-place finish. The result places the No.62 South Point Hotel & Casino driver sixth in the championship point standings.
Start – 14th Finish – 16th Laps Led – 0 Points – 6th
BRENDAN GAUGHAN QUOTE:
“The No. 62 team and I really wanted to go back green here at Phoenix International Raceway, but the rain had different plans. We were ready to throw the kitchen sink at it and get back out there. We were hoping to watch the leaders beat and bang, so we could come out of today with a top-10 finish. We don’t always get what we want. I’m excited and look forward to my home track next week in Las Vegas.”