NASCAR Xfinity Series: Chad Finchum talks first Darlington race

Chad Finchum finished in 32nd place in the 2018 Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200. Afterwards, he talked with me about his first NASCAR race at Darlington Raceway.

Chad Finchum competed in seven NASCAR Xfinity Series races in 2017. This season, he competes full-time in the Xfinity Series for MBM Motorsports driving their #40 car. On Labor Day Weekend, he raced at Darlington Raceway for the first time in the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200. Darlington Raceway track is unique with its layout, driving style, throwback weekend, etc.

Finchum qualified in 37th place for the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200. Early in the race, he came into the pits because he felt a problem in the car. He then pulled it into the garage to diagnose the problem. When the car returned to the track, Timmy Hill drove it all the way to the finish. At the end of the race, Finchum was classified in 32nd. He currently sits in 32nd in the championship standings. After the race, I spoke with Chad Finchum about his Darlington race weekend.

Q: When NASCAR races at Darlington Raceway, many cars in the races feature throwback paint schemes. These schemes celebrate different people and eras throughout motorsports. Why did your #40 Chevrolet not have a throwback paint scheme?

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A: Yes, there were some good-looking cars this weekend. We were actually on track to run a throwback paint scheme. We planned on running a throwback paint scheme honoring the #40 car driven by Sterling Marlin. We’re both from Tennessee, so that’s a neat connection. However, when the Jacksonville tragedies occurred, it meant more to me to run that paint scheme. I play Madden a lot. It hit home for me. This paint scheme made more sense because I wanted to honor those involved in the incident.

NOTE: Here is a video where Finchum explains why he ran this paint scheme

Q: That’s a noble cause. Now, tell me your thoughts about your first race at Darlington Raceway.

A: It was a rough race to say the least. Darlington is a very different driving style track. Due to various mishaps earlier this season, I ran the backup car. Unfortunately, it was not 100% correct mechanically. It never responded well to adjustments. We tried to diagnose the problem in practice, but unfortunately, I ran less than 10 laps in practice. Because of this trouble, it was a struggle to run my race. I quickly lost laps. I could not as easily stay out of the leader’s way. It felt like there was a mechanical issue. The right front tire corded only 15 to 20 laps in the race. We pitted and put new tires on the car. Yet there was no difference. So I brought it into the garage. We inspected the car, fixed what we could, and Timmy Hill drove it to give us his opinion.

Q: Yes, I noticed on Twitter that Timmy Hill drove the #40 Chevrolet for part of the race. Tell me about that decision.

A: Timmy has more NASCAR experience and experience at the track. When he hopped in the car, it was to give a second opinion. Once Timmy took over, we initially did not plan on running the car for the rest of the race. The car was still too tight. The team made adjustments and he limped it to the finish. I stayed at the track in the garage area and listened to the radio to see what was going on with the car.

Q: Your crew chief Brian Keselowski has raced at Darlington before. In his two NASCAR Xfinity Series races there, he has two 24th place finishes. How does his experience help you?

A: It is 100% helpful! It’s always good when a crew chief is a former driver. First of all, I’m able to lean on him for driving tips. As the crew chief, he knows what adjustments will help at that track. He has a good idea of what adjustments are needed for the car. Brian is a great crew chief. He came on board at Chicagoland, and he has been a good fit for our team. He’s helped build our program. We’ve really made progress with him as the crew chief. This season, we had several good races, then a bad race. Since he has been the crew chief, he has definitely helped us maximize the good races and minimize the bad races. I’m looking forward to what we can do for the rest of this season.

Q: How did you prepare for your first race at Darlington?

A: Well, I don’t have iRacing. So I prepared for it just like I have for the other race tracks where I’ve never competed. I watch old film, especially last year’s race. I study it to have some idea of how to race it. At the track, I talk to experienced drivers. With their insight, I was confident I could perform well, or at least to the best of my abilities, in the race. It’s a steep learning curve though.

Q: Tell me about the atmosphere at Darlington Raceway.

A: Darlington is a special place on the NASCAR schedule. It was really cool being around the throwback cars. Although I’m a driver, I grew up as a NASCAR fan. Darlington is such a historic track. Darlington has seen legends race there. It is one of those places where you have to step back as a driver and enjoy it all as a fan. All those drivers, such as Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, the Labonte brothers, etc., bring back old memories. Those guys made it possible for this weekend. As a fan of NASCAR, I remembered the good old times. It was cool to see Keselowski win both races. His #2 Team Penske Ford in Victory Lane honoring Rusty Wallace, that’s special. My two favorite throwback paint schemes were Austin Dillon’s #3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet and Joey Logano’s #22 Team Penske Ford.

Q: After a rough weekend, as owner Carl Long recapped on the team’s Facebook, tell me something good.

A: Sure! The progress we’ve made is promising. Like I said in our previous conversation, more seat time for me is beneficial for our team. There are some tracks coming up on the schedule where I have raced before. Indianapolis Motor Speedway is next on our schedule. Last year was my first race there. It was all new racing there. This year, I’m comfortable racing at Indy. As a team, we hope to execute, build off last year’s performance, and end up with a good finish.

NOTE: In the 2017 Xfinity Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Chad Finchum started 39th and finished in 32nd place, two laps down.

Thank you Chad Finchum for another interview! I wish you good luck in the upcoming NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. There, Finchum and the other Xfinity Series drivers are set to drive in the Lilly Diabetes 250 on Saturday, September 8. The 100-lap race is set to be televised on NBC Sports Network beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET.