SMITHLEY FINISHES 20th AT TMS

FORT WORTH, Texas – Garrett Smithley scored a 20th-place finish in Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 Xfinity Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. 

Smithley was involved in a seven-car accident in the final laps of the race but continued to roll home 20th. 

“A tough, tough track, and today was even tougher with all the cautions,” Smithley said. “We could have had a better finish, but it was a decent day, all things considered.” 

The race was slowed by a record 13 cautions. 

Cole Custer won the 300 as the series playoffs continue. 

The series will race at ISM Raceway in Phoenix Nov. 10.

HOUFF 26th AT TEXAS

FORT WORTH, Texas – Quin Houff continued his late-season run through the Xfinity Series schedule Saturday, finishing 26th in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway. 

Houff signed on with JD Motorsports with Gary Keller and is making gains in the closing weeks of the season. 

“I would say we had another successful weekend at the track,” Houff said. “The team did a great job all weekend working with me to get me up to speed at another new track for me. I wish we had a little better luck on the way the cautions fell so that we had a chance to race up in the top 20 where I felt we should have been speed-wise. 

“However, there wasn’t a scratch on the car, I learned a lot, and I improved in categories I set out to improve on. We will build on it and continue to strive for better. I can’t wait to go to Phoenix and learn yet another new track. I can’t thank JD Motorsports and everyone involved for making this happen.”  

Houff is scheduled to drive the JD Motorsports No. 15 Chevrolet in the final races of the season at Phoenix and Homestead, Fla. 

Cole Custer won the race. 

The series will race at ISM Raceway in Phoenix Nov. 10.

CHASTAIN ROLLING INTO TEXAS

FORT WORTH, Texas – Approaching the end of his most successful season in NASCAR, Ross Chastain is ready for Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway. 

Chastain will drive the JD Motorsports with Gary Keller No. 4 Chevrolet in Saturday’s 200-lap race. After Texas, races at Phoenix and Homestead, Fla., remain on the schedule. 

Chastain is out of the playoff picture but sits in ninth place in points and is shooting for a top-10 seasonal finish. 

“Texas is a big, fast, tough track, but we’ll be ready this week,” Chastain said. “We’ve got a lot of incentive to try to hold onto our spot in the standings, so we hope to be competitive with the fast group this week. Not a lot of time left in the season, and we want to make the most of it.” 

Chastain has raced in seven Xfinity races at TMS with a top finish of 16, in 2015. 

Practice is scheduled at TMS at 3:05 p.m. (ET) and 5:35 p.m. Friday. Qualifying is set for 1:40 p.m. Saturday, with the race to follow at 4:30.

HOUFF SET FOR SEASON’S FINAL WEEKS

FORT WORTH, Texas – Quin Houff is more than ready to start the three-week run to the end of the NASCAR Xfinity Series season. 

Houff will drive again this week at Texas Motor Speedway for JD Motorsports with Gary Keller, beginning a three-week stretch of races to close out the year. 

Houff is optimistic after finishing a strong 14th recently at Kansas Speedway. 

“After the result we got in Kansas, I could not be more eager to start the three straight weeks of racing beginning at Texas,” he said. “I think our number 15 crew and all of JD Motorsports caught some attention at Kansas. Not only do I have confidence coming off a solid finish, but I know we have things we can work on to be better as a team to improve even more. 

“I look forward to continuing to build my relationship with the team and run all the laps I can each and every weekend in order to maximize what I learn with this opportunity.” 

Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 will be the eighth race of Houff’s Xfinity career and his third in JD Motorsports cars this year. 

Practice is scheduled at TMS at 3:05 p.m. (ET) and 5:35 p.m. Friday. Qualifying is set for 1:40 p.m. Saturday, with the race to follow at 4:30. 

SMITHLEY LOOKS FORWARD TO TMS

FORT WORTH, Texas – Garrett Smithley hopes to improve on his best Texas Motor Speedway finish in Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 Xfinity Series race at the 1.5-mile track. 

Smithley, driving the JD Motorsports with Gary Keller No. 0 Chevrolet Saturday, has raced at TMS five times and has a best finish of 23rd, in 2016. 

“Texas has been a rough track for us, but I’m anxious to get back there and put some of the things we’ve learned there to use,” Smithley said. “We’re getting close to winding up another year. It’s been fun and I’ve learned a lot, and I want to finish strong for all the guys.” 

After Texas, the season will close with races at Phoenix and Homestead, Fla. 

Practice is scheduled at TMS at 3:05 p.m. (ET) and 5:35 p.m. Friday. Qualifying is set for 1:40 p.m. Saturday, with the race to follow at 4:30.

SMITHLEY POSTS 13th AT KANSAS

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Garrett Smithley turned in one of his best finishes of the Xfinity Series season Saturday, scoring a 13th in the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway. 

The finish was Smithley’s best at the fast 1.5-mile track. 

“We always want more, but that was a decent finish for us,” Smithley said. “We had a good car and were able to race around the top group. It’s going to help us next time we come here.” 

Smithley was involved in a three-car accident on lap 91, a crash that caused the race’s sixth caution. 

John Hunter Nemechek won the race, and Daniel Hemric has the series point lead by nine. 

The series moves on to Texas Motor Speedway for a Nov. 3 race.

HOUFF IMPRESSES WITH 14th AT KANSAS

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Quin Houff turned in an impressive performance in only his second Xfinity Series race at Kansas Speedway Saturday. 

Houff, a 21-year-old driver from Weyers Cave, Va., rolled home 14th in the Kansas Lottery 300, his seventh appearance in an Xfinity race. Last year in his first run at Kansas, Houff finished 22nd. 

Saturday’s race was Houff’s second in a JD Motorsports with Gary Keller Chevrolet. The finish was his best in an Xfinity superspeedway race and his second best finish ever in the series. 

Houff is scheduled to complete the Xfinity season with JDM. 

John Hunter Nemechek won the race, and Daniel Hemric has the series point lead by nine. 

The series moves on to Texas Motor Speedway for a Nov. 3 race.

CHASTAIN 25th AT KANSAS SPEEDWAY

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Ross Chastain finished 25th Saturday in the Kansas Lottery 300 Xfinity Series race at Kansas Speedway. 

Chastain ran in mid-pack much of the race, and his finish kept him in ninth place in the Xfinity driver standings. 

“It wasn’t our best run at Kansas, and we were looking to finish quite a bit better,” Chastain said. “But we got the car home in one piece and learned a bunch for next time.” 

Chastain drove the JD Motorsports with Gary Keller No. 4 Chevrolet. 

John Hunter Nemechek won the race, and Daniel Hemric has the series point lead by nine. 

The series moves on to Texas Motor Speedway for a Nov. 3 race.

HOUFF RETURNS TO JD MOTORSPORTS AT KANSAS

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Virginia driver Quin Houff will return to the JD Motorsports with Gary Keller team for Saturday’s Kansas Lottery 300 Xfinity Series race at Kansas Speedway. 

Houff, who will be driving in his seventh career Xfinity race, will pilot the No. 15 Chevrolet for JDM. He raced in September for the team at Richmond Raceway, finishing 31st, and now will finish the season in the car. 

“I am very excited to have the opportunity to get back in a car with JDM,” Houff said. “Kansas will be a great track to start our four-race spurt together since I ran there last year. I am eager to learn on track and continue to build a relationship with the race team. I can’t thank all those who helped me get here and JDM enough for the opportunity.” 

Houff, 21, started racing Limited Late Models at the age of 13 and advanced into Super Late Models and then into the Automobile Racing Club of America series. 

Practices are scheduled at Kansas at 3:05 p.m. (ET) and 5 p.m. Friday. Qualifying is set for 11:40 a.m. Saturday, with the race to follow at 2:55 p.m.

CHASTAIN ROLLS ON TO KANSAS

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Ross Chastain is set for his fourth Xfinity Series race at Kansas Speedway. 

Rolling into the final weeks of the season, Chastain sits ninth in Xfinity points entering Saturday’s Kansas Lottery 300 and will be trying to protect a spot in the top 10. 

Chastain’s best finish at Kansas is 13th, in 2016. 

“Kansas is a really fast track but also one where you have to be alert about picking lanes and picking the best places to pass,” Chastain said. “It’s always fun to race there. I’m sure we’ll have a fast Chevrolet this week.” 

Chastain will drive the No. 4 Chevy for JD Motorsports with Gary Keller. 

There are four races remaining in the 2018 season. 

Practices are scheduled at Kansas at 3:05 p.m. (ET) and 5 p.m. Friday. Qualifying is set for 11:40 a.m. Saturday, with the race to follow at 2:55 p.m.