NASCAR Xfinity Series: David Starr talks first Charlotte roval race
By Mark Kristl
David Starr finished 27th in the 2018 Drive for the Cure 200 at the Charlotte roval. He spoke to me about the inaugural NASCAR Xfinity Series race there.
Although NASCAR signed five-year sanction agreements with race tracks in 2015, the 2018 NASCAR season featured a new wrinkle in the schedule. Instead of the playoff race at Charlotte Motor Speedway talking place at the 1.5-mile oval track, it took place on the track’s roval.
The Xfinity Series race at the roval was a 55 lap-race around the 2.28-mile course. The roval combines much of the oval course with the infield road course.
I met NASCAR veteran David Starr at Chicagoland Speedway when I attended the Xfinity Series race as a guest on behalf of Brandon Hightower. Starr jokingly remarked to Hightower that he has competed in NASCAR for 21 years, which is older than Hightower himself.
Of those 21 years racing in NASCAR, Starr has four career NASCAR Truck Series victories. In 2017, he earned his best career NASCAR Xfinity Series finish when he finished in fifth place in the Coca-Cola Firecracker 250 at Daytona International Speedway.
Starr joined Jimmy Means Racing for the 2018 Xfinity Series season. Jimmy Means Racing are a long-time Xfinity Series team that have competed in 408 Xfinity Series races. Entering the race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway roval, Starr sat 23rd place in the championship standings.
I had the opportunity to interview Starr both before and after the 2018 Drive for the Cure 200 at the Charlotte roval.