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NASCAR Xfinity Series: Race reports for top teams at Texas Motor Speedway

By Kyle Funderburk

FORT WORTH, TX - MARCH 30: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 iK9 Toyota, poses with the trophy after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series My Bariatric Solutions 300 at Texas Motor Speedway on March 30, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TX - MARCH 30: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 iK9 Toyota, poses with the trophy after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series My Bariatric Solutions 300 at Texas Motor Speedway on March 30, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /
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FORT WORTH, TX – MARCH 30: Chase Briscoe, driver of the #98 Nutri Chomps Ford (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TX – MARCH 30: Chase Briscoe, driver of the #98 Nutri Chomps Ford (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /

Stewart-Haas Racing

Saturday was atypical for Stewart-Haas Racing. Normally, Cole Custer leads the race for the team (6.00 average through the first five races, including a win at Auto Club Speedway). But he was at the wrong place at the wrong time when Brandon Jones got loose. Custer fell back to 34th place and failed to finish the race. This finish was his first finish outside of the top 30 since he finished in 39th in the February race at Atlanta Motor Speedway last season.

Chase Briscoe shined, however, thanks to a really good long-run car, sound strategy, one speedy pit stop and a good restart. With more time, Briscoe could have moved his #98 Ford up into the top three.

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Instead, he settled for fourth place finish, marking a big leap from his 15th place starting position. His finish might even give Stewart-Haas Racing Cup Series teammates Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer some hope after their poor qualifying efforts for Sunday afternoon’s race at Texas Motor Speedway.

Briscoe is quietly putting together a great season and he keeps getting better. He’s improved his finishing position in every race since finishing in 15th place in the race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, which was the season’s second race. Even more impressively, he has finished every race and has improved from his starting position in five of his six starts. To be exact, he is averaging an 8.17-position improvement (16.50 to 8.33) this season. Are you impressed yet?

Team Penske

Saturday was rough for Team Penske. Brad Keselowski started the race in the #12 Ford, but he fell victim to another driver getting loose. His car sustained too much damage to salvage a good finish and he retired after 68 laps.

Austin Cindric fell out of the top 10 and settled for an 11th place finish, ending his short streak of top 10 finishes at two races. He never seemed to have the speed to stay in the top 10, as there was a clear discrepancy between the top seven or eight and the pack that included drivers shuffling from ninth through 13th. Cindric was in the latter pack and was unable to lead that group.

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The Alsco 300 is the next race on the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule. This race, which is the seventh of 33 races on this year’s schedule, is scheduled to take place at 1:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 6, and it is set to be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 from Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee.

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