TIRE ISSUE SIDELINES SMITHLEY

NEWTON, Iowa – A blown tire ended Garrett Smithley’s race early Saturday.

       Smithley’s Flex Shot Chevrolet blew a right front tire in turn two, forcing him to the garage on lap 240 of 254. He completed 218 laps and finished 35th.

       “A tough afternoon for us,” Smithley said. “So close to the finish, but the tire wouldn’t let us bring it home. We’ll be stronger next week.”

       Smithley is 22nd in Xfinity driver points.

       Ryan Preece won the race, and Elliott Sadler kept the point lead.

       The series moves on to Watkins Glen International for an Aug. 5 race.

RHODES STRONG 15th AT IOWA

NEWTON, Iowa – Harrison Rhodes moved through the field to score a 15th-place finish in Saturday’s U.S. Cellular 250 Xfinity Series race at Iowa Speedway.

       The run was Rhodes’ second-best of the season.

       He started 26th but quickly moved into the front group and finished on the lead lap as the race went to overtime. The finish was particularly pleasing for Rhodes because he failed to finish in the series’ first race at Iowa last month.

       “It felt good to show what we could do here after what happened in June,” said Rhodes, who drove the Flex Tape Chevrolet. “This track is tough, but we had a good car and I was able to move around people and get in some fast laps.”

       Ryan Preece won the race, and Elliott Sadler kept the point lead.

       The series moves on to Watkins Glen International for an Aug. 5 race.

CHASTAIN MORE THAN READY FOR IOWA RETURN

NEWTON, Iowa – Ross Chastain is ready to race again at Iowa Speedway, and understandably so.

       In the Xfinity Series’ last visit to Iowa, in June, Chastain had one of the best runs of his NASCAR career, finishing fourth.

       “We had a great day that day, and there’s no reason we can’t run that well again this week,” Chastain said. “We love Iowa.”

       Chastain will drive the No. 4 JD Motorsports with Gary Keller Chevrolet in Saturday’s U.S. Cellular 250 race on the seven-eighths-mile track.

       Chastain has a strong history at Iowa Speedway. He has two top 10s in five Xfinity races and a top five in four Camping World Truck Series events.

       Practice is scheduled at 5 and 6:30 p.m. (ET) Friday. Qualifying is set for 12:05 p.m. Saturday, with the race to follow at 3:30 p.m.

SMITHLEY LIKES IOWA TRACK

NEWTON, Iowa – One of the highlights of Garrett Smithley’s Xfinity Series season occurred last month at Iowa Speedway.

       The Georgia driver scored his second-best run of the season – a 10th – in the series’ first visit to Iowa this year.

       Smithley will return to the seven-eighths-mile track in the No. 0 JD Motorsports with Gary Keller Chevrolet in Saturday’s U.S. Cellular 250 Xfinity race.

       “It’s always fun to go back to a track after you’ve had a good run there,” Smithley said. “We had everything set up right for Iowa last month, and I’m sure we’ll have another good car this time around. It’s a short but fast track and one I really enjoy racing on.”

       Practice for the 218-mile race is scheduled at 5 and 6:30 p.m. (ET) Friday. Qualifying is set for 12:05 p.m. Saturday, with the race to follow at 3:30 p.m.

RHODES LOOKING FOR IOWA REBOUND

NEWTON, Iowa – Harrison Rhodes’ last race at Iowa Speedway was much shorter than he anticipated.

       An engine problem forced Rhodes to park near the race’s halfway point last month at Iowa. He finished 36th.

       Rhodes will be looking for a much better performance in Saturday’s U.S. Cellular 250 at the seven-eighths-mile track.

       “We’re ready to give Iowa another shot,” Rhodes said. “Last month we never really had a chance to show what we could do. I really like the track – just want a solid shot at it.”

       Rhodes has raced in five Xfinity events at the track.

       Practice sessions are scheduled at 5 and 6:30 p.m. (ET) Friday at Iowa. Qualifying is set for 12:05 p.m. Saturday, with the race to follow at 3:30 p.m.

CHASTAIN STRONG 16th AT INDY

  INDIANAPOLIS – Ross Chastain continued his hot summer run through the Xfinity Series by finishing 16th on the lead lap in Saturday’s Lilly Diabetes 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

       Chastain has now scored six straight finishes in the top 20, including a fourth and a sixth.

       Saturday’s finish was particularly impressive given the day’s circumstances. The race was run under remarkable new rules, with splitter, spoiler and air duct changes putting a new spin on things. Competition was tighter, and drivers were blocking left and right.

       “It was a great day to finish so strong,” Chastain said. “No one really knew what to expect from the changes, and our guys did a great job reacting to them. We hope to keep this thing rolling.”

       Chastain, in the Illiana Watermelon Association Chevrolet Saturday, remained 16th in Xfinity points.

       Rookie William Byron won the race, and Elliott Sadler kept the point lead.

       The series returns to Iowa Speedway, where Chastain finish fourth on the last visit, for a July 29 race.

SMITHLEY 21st AT INDIANAPOLIS

  INDIANAPOLIS – Garrett Smithley rallied to score a 21st-place finish in Saturday’s Lilly Diabetes 250 Xfinity Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

       Smithley, who started 33rd, spun out after an altercation with Mario Gosselin midway through the race. He returned to the track after a pit stop for fresh tires and climbed to 21st, one lap behind the leaders.

       “It was a good day all-around,” Smithley said. “To come back from that spin and finish so well was strong. The guys had a great day in the pits.”

       Smithley, driving the Indiana FAME Chevrolet, jumped a spot in Xfinity driver points to 21st. It was only his second race at IMS.

       William Byron edged Paul Menard to win the race, and Elliott Sadler kept the point lead.

       The series moves on to Iowa Speedway for a July 29 race.

RHODES COMES HOME 22ND AT IMS

  INDIANAPOLIS – Harrison Rhodes gained seven positions through the race to finish 22nd in Saturday’s Lilly Diabetes 250 Xfinity Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

       Rhodes qualified 29th in only his third race at Indy. He finished a lap behind the leaders and one spot behind JD Motorsports with Gary Keller teammate Garrett Smithley. Both Rhodes, who drove the Ken Houston Electric Chevrolet, and Smithley led a lap in the race.

       “It was a tough race with a lot of cars moving up and down and around as they tried to find traction,” Rhodes said. “We kept our nose clean and raced around the top group. We’d always like more, but it was a pretty good finish.”

       The race was run under new rules, making it especially difficult for smaller teams. Cars used modified spoilers and splitters and new air ducts, changing the nature of the competition.

       William Byron won the race, and Elliott Sadler kept the point lead.

       The series next races July 29 at Iowa Speedway.

CHASTAIN READY TO HIT THE BRICKS

 INDIANAPOLIS – NASCAR’s Xfinity Series rolls into the most famous speedway in the world Saturday.

       The Lilly Diabetes 250 is scheduled Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the world-famous Brickyard that has hosted Xfinity racers five times. Ross Chastain has competed in a pair of those races.

       “You automatically get excited just thinking about racing at Indy,” Chastain said. “There’s so much history there and so many great drivers that have turned laps there. It’s an honor to be in the field.”

       Chastain will drive the Illiana Watermelon Association No. 4 Chevrolet Saturday.

       The race is expected to have a different flavor from previous Xfinity events at IMS. Teams will race with 2016 spoiler and splitter sizes and with new aero ducts, plus a 7/8-inch restrictor plate. The changes are designed to spice competition.

       Practice is scheduled at 1 and 3 p.m. Friday. Qualifying is set for 12:45 p.m. Saturday, with the race to follow at 3:30 p.m.

SMITHLEY READY FOR SECOND IMS RUN

   INDIANAPOLIS – Garrett Smithley will race for the second time Saturday at the world’s top motorsports track – Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

       Smithley finished 23rd in his Indy debut last year.

       He will drive the Indiana FAME No. 0 Chevrolet in Saturday’s Lilly Diabetes 250.

       “Driving at Indy last year was a lot of fun,” Smithley said. “It really made me appreciate the history of the track and how difficult it is to do well there. It’s a very tough track to drive.”

      Saturday’s field will be facing a new challenge. NASCAR has instituted new rules for the race. Cars will run with 2016 spoiler and splitter sizes, new aero ducts and a 7/8-inch restrictor plate. The changes are expected to improve drafting and, thus, competition.

       Practice is scheduled at 1 and 3 p.m. Friday. Qualifying is set for 12:45 p.m. Saturday, with the race to follow at 3:30 p.m.