MILLER HAS ROUGH DAY AT DARLINGTON

DARLINGTON, S.C. – NASCAR’s toughest track was tough on Vinnie Miller.

Miller, driving the Flex Glue Chevrolet for JD Motorsports with Gary Keller, parked his car with suspension issues and finished 37th in Saturday’s Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 at Darlington Raceway.

“We had a good day of practice yesterday (Friday), and today was rough,” Miller said. “Thank you to my Flex Glue JD Motorsports with Gary Keller team for getting the backup ready in time for the race. Wasn’t the day we wanted, but it didn’t go without a lot of effort. Looking forward to Indy.”

Miller is 26th in Xfinity Series points with two races remaining in the regular season.

Brad Keselowski won the race, and Justin Allgaier kept the point lead.

The series rolls on to Indianapolis for a Sept. 8 race.

JD MOTORSPORTS HONORS THE PAST ON DARLINGTON’S THROWBACK WEEKEND

DARLINGTON, S.C. – Team owner Johnny Davis of JD Motorsports with Gary Keller has a special fondness for NASCAR history, and his cars entered in Saturday’s Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 at Darlington Raceway will showcase that fact.

Darlington’s Throwback Weekend, an annual celebration at the sport’s oldest superspeedway, will honor the seven decades of NASCAR racing as many teams will have special paint schemes celebrating past cars and drivers.

JD Motorsports will participate by celebrating its history and those of drivers who have been special to the team over the years.

Garrett Smithley’s No. 4 Chevrolet will carry the name of James Hylton, a long-time friend of the team and of team owner Davis. Hylton, a pioneer of sorts and a winner in the Cup Series, died in a highway accident this year.

The No. 0 car of Vinnie Miller will carry the name of Charlie Blanton, a short-track ace from Gaffney, S.C.

JD Motorsports’ No. 15 Chevy, to be driven this week by B.J. McLeod, will honor driver Michael Waltrip, a close friend of the team and a driver of many No. 15 cars over the years.

And Landon Cassill returns to the team this week to drive the No. 01 car, sporting the same colors and number that he carried while driving for the team for several years.

“It’s a big weekend for us,” Davis said. “It’s fun to look back over the years and honor some of the special people who have been associated with the team or who were great friends across the years. It makes us all feel good to play a role in honoring these folks.”

CASSILL, JD MOTORSPORTS REUNITE AT DARLINGTON

DARLINGTON, S.C. -- Landon Cassill has good reason to be excited about rejoining the JD Motorsports with Gary Keller team for Saturday’s Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 at Darlington Raceway.

Cassill scored an excellent finish – eighth – at Darlington while driving for JD Motorsports in 2015.

Cassill and the team are reuniting this week as part of Darlington’s annual “throwback” weekend. Cassill will be driving the team’s No. 01 Chevrolet with Flex Seal colors similar to what he drove during his tenure with the Gaffney, S.C.-based team.

“It will be like a reunion,” Cassill said. “The whole throwback idea at Darlington is a great one, and it’s made for something like this. To be back with Johnny (team owner Johnny Davis) and the guys and to do it at a great track like Darlington with the Flex Seal colors on board is going to be a blast.”

Practice is scheduled at Darlington at 1:05 and 3:05 p.m. Friday. Qualifying is set for 12:35 p.m. Saturday, with the race to follow at 3:30 p.m.

SMITHLEY READY FOR DARLINGTON

DARLINGTON, S.C. -- Garrett Smithley will tackle Darlington Raceway for the third time Saturday in the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 Xfinity Series race.

Every lap at the old Darlington track is an education, Smithley said.

“It’s one of the toughest places we race,” he said. “The speeds are really fast, and every turn is different, and the passing lanes are tight. But that makes it a lot of fun. I’m anxious to get back there.”

Smithley will be driving the JD Motorsports with Gary Keller No. 4 Chevrolet with sponsorship from the South Carolina Education Lottery. As part of Darlington’s Throwback Weekend, his car will honor the late driver James Hylton, a close friend of the JD Motorsports team.

Practice is scheduled at 1:05 and 3:05 p.m. Friday. Qualifying is set for 12:35 p.m. Saturday, with the race to follow at 3:30.

DARLINGTON A CHALLENGE FOR MILLER

DARLINGTON, S.C. -- Vinnie Miller is ready to take on storied old Darlington Raceway in Saturday’s Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 Xfinity Series race.

NASCAR’s oldest superspeedway, Darlington’s fast speeds and odd design have challenged drivers since its opening in 1950. The weekend will celebrate NASCAR’s seven decades as many teams “throwback” with paint schemes from across NASCAR history.

“I am really looking forward to going to the historic Darlington Raceway this weekend,” Miller said. “I’m sad that we don’t have a throwback scheme but can’t wait to see all of them. The car may not be a throwback scheme, but I planning on being a little ‘throw-back’ myself while sporting my new Pit Viper sunglasses.”

Miller will be driving the No. 0 Flex Glue Chevrolet. The car will honor Charlie Blanton, a popular racer from team owner Johnny Davis’ hometown of Gaffney, S.C.

“Bryan (Berry), my JD Motorsports with Gary Keller crew chief, told me the track is really worn out and the tires fall off quick,” Miller said. “I’ve been preparing on my SIM all week with my Oculus Rift virtual reality system my sponsor, Tony Freeland from JAS Expedited Trucking, gave me for my 21st birthday. Hopefully, we will avoid the Darlington Stripe and come home with a solid finish.”

Practice is scheduled at 1:05 and 3:05 p.m. Friday. Qualifying is set for 12:35 p.m. Saturday, to be followed by the race at 3:30.

JD MOTORSPORTS ‘THROWS BACK’ WITH CASSILL

GAFFNEY, S.C. – JD Motorsports with Gary Keller is celebrating NASCAR’s Throwback Weekend at Darlington Raceway in a big way.
 
The team announced Wednesday that Landon Cassill, one of the most successful drivers in JD Motorsports’ history, will return to the team to drive in Saturday’s Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 at Darlington.
 
Cassill will drive the team’s 01 car, returning to the number he campaigned over two seasons at JD Motorsports, and the racer will carry the colors of Flex Seal, a long-time team sponsor. The car design scheme will duplicate that raced formerly by Cassill.
 
NASCAR and Darlington are celebrating seven decades of the sport at one of motorsports’ most famous venues this weekend. Special paint schemes honoring the sport’s past will be the order of the weekend.
 
“I am beyond excited to be back with Johnny and his guys on this special weekend,” Cassill said. “It’s a great opportunity to drive a good car in the Xfinity Series and to bring back some great memories we had on the circuit for several years. Having Flex Seal and my old number along for the ride just makes it that much more special.”
 
Team owner Johnny Davis said it was a natural move to put Cassill back in the 01.
 
“We like participating in this special weekend, and I was happy to get Landon back to do this with us,” Davis said. “We had a lot of great runs and fun times with Landon. It will be special to relive some of those times this weekend.”
 
Cassill drove JD Motorsports’ No. 4 car in 2013 before moving over to the 01 for 2014 and 2015. He had three top-10 runs in 2014 and finished twice in the top 10 in 2015.

SMITHLEY GOES RACING WITH S.C. EDUCATION LOTTERY

GAFFNEY, S.C. – Garrett Smithley will have a new car and a new mission in Saturday’s Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 Xfinity Series race at Darlington Raceway.

JD Motorsports with Gary Keller announced Wednesday that Smithley, who has driven for the team for three seasons, will move into the team’s lead car, the No. 4 Chevrolet, for Saturday’s race. The car will carry sponsorship from the South Carolina Education Lottery.

“What a great weekend it’s going to be at Darlington,” Smithley said. “Johnny Davis and his guys have been great working with me, and we hope to take it to another level at old Darlington in the 4 car. To have the South Carolina Education Lottery on board just makes it that much more special.”

Team owner Davis said putting Smithley in the car for one of the season’s biggest races was a no-brainer for him. 

“Garrett has made steady progress since he’s been with our team, and it’s a great opportunity for him to drive this car at Darlington and partner with the South Carolina Education Lottery,” Davis said. “We’re looking for a great weekend all around. We always look forward to going to Darlington, and this will all make the race that much more special.”

The South Carolina Education Lottery’s mission is to enhance educational funding in South Carolina through fun and entertaining games and products offered to adults. Since the Lottery launched in 2002, more than $1.8 million in scholarships has been awarded to South Carolina students, and millions have gone to support K-12 and community education programs.”

Smithley, a Georgia native, has scored nine top-15 finishes in JD Motorsports with Gary Keller cars. Saturday’s race will mark his 100th NASCAR national-series start.

“That hardly seems possible,” Smithley said. “I kind of still feel like I’m a newcomer, but I’ve been around the block a few times now and have gotten a good feel for all the tracks. Darlington is a favorite of mine. We’ll give it our best shot this weekend.”

CHASTAIN ROARS AT ROAD AMERICA

ELKHART LAKE, Wisc. – Ross Chastain, rolling toward sealing a spot in the Xfinity Series playoffs, scored one of his best runs of the season Saturday, finishing seventh in the Johnsonville 180 at Road America.

The strong finish kept Chastain solidly in the running for the series playoffs. He is 12th and in the final playoff position, an impressive 49 points ahead of 13th-place Michael Annett with three regular-season races to go.

“What a great day for the team,” Chastain said. “A solid car and a really good finish. This keeps us on target for the playoffs. I appreciate what everybody contributed to this finish.”

The finish was Chastain’s sixth in the top 10 this season.

Justin Allgaier won the race and leads the point standings.

The series moves on to Darlington Raceway for a Sept. 1 race.

MILLER ENJOYS ROAD AMERICA RUN

ELKHART LAKE, Wisc. – Vinnie Miller finished 27th in Saturday’s Johnsonville 180 Xfinity Series race at Road America.

The outing on the tough 14-turn course was a highlight for Miller, who had had problems in earlier road-course events. He finished on the lead lap in the JD Motorsports with Gary Keller No. 01 Chevrolet.

“We finally got a road-course finish with not a scratch on the JAS Expedited Trucking Camaro,” Miller said. “For me and all these guys on the No. 01 JD Motorsports with Gary Keller team, a P27, lead-lap finish feels like a win. We’ve had a bad last three or four weeks and needed a strong day. As for road courses, so far Road America is my favorite one on the circuit.”

Miller started 38th but moved through the field to finish strong and gain one spot in the Xfinity point standings to 25th.

Justin Allgaier won the race and leads the point standings.

The series moves on to Darlington Raceway for a Sept. 1 race.

SMITHLEY POSTS 15TH AT ROAD AMERICA

ELKHART LAKE, Wisc. – Garrett Smithley turned in a fine performance Saturday in the Johnsonville 180 at Road America, bringing the JD Motorsports with Gary Keller No. 0 Chevrolet home 15th.

The finish was Smithley’s best in the past dozen races and lifted him to 19th in Xfinity points.

“A nice run today,” Smithley said. “The guys gave me a great car, and we were able to stay out of trouble and move up through the field. It was a fun day all around.”

Justin Allgaier won the race and leads the point standings.

The series moves on to Darlington Raceway for a Sept. 1 race.