Dillon Scores Charlotte Sweep in XFINITY Series

Austin Dillon's Camaro

(CONCORD, NC – 9 OCT, 2015 – RIS) Austin Dillon swept pole and race wins at both NASCAR XFINITY Series races at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the 2015 season.

After a burning piece of prerace fireworks landed between Dillon and his car, scorching his firesuit, Dillon started on the pole, aiming at a sweep of the XFINITY Series races at Charlotte for 2015. Running from the pole, Austin Dillon led the first five laps before Kasey Kahne swept into the lead, with Kyle Busch moving low and around Dillon a few laps later. A caution at lap 48 for debris in Turns 3 & 4 allowed Jeremy Clements back on the lead lap, a position he didn't hold onto for long.

Busch ran away into the lead until another debris caution on lap 141 brought everyone into the pits within a potential window to run to the checkered flag. Chris Buescher lost four positions with a slow pit stop after the air hose got caught under the right front fender, slowing the tire changer and jack man. Buescher restarted in tenth, with Kyle Busch, Erik Johnes, Austin Dillon, Kasey Kahne and Daniel Suarez in the top five. Jones and Dillon moved into the lead as Busch had a slow restart and then Dillon moved into the lead in Turns One and Two.

Just a few laps later, Busch and Kahne got together in Turn Four, bringing out the third caution after the Monster Energy Drink Toyota smacked the wall after the pair battled for position, then Kahne appeared to tap the rear bumper of Busch's car and both of them tapped the wall with Busch getting more damage out of the contact. He spent several laps in the pits with the team working over the car before Busch pulled to the garage.

Pole winner Austin Dillon led the field to the restart with 45 laps left to run. Kahne's car trailed smoke from damage to the car as he ran in tenth place, with Jones second, Keselowski third, Suarez fourth and Dover winner Regan Smith fifth.

Dillon went on to dominate the final laps of the race, leading 61 of the 150 laps, to sweep the XFINITY series races at Charlotte.

The top three finishers, Dillon, Erik Jones and Brad Keselowski, are all ineligible for XFINITY Series points. The top series regular finisher, fourth place Daniel Suarez, was also the top rookie contender.

"The good thing is we gained a couple points, so there is that, said seventh finisher and points leader Chris Buescher. "Our guys have done a really nice job and this is by far the best car I’ve had here at Charlotte, so I’m really proud of that. I had a good time, so I like Charlotte a little bit better now."

Unofficial Race Results: 34th Annual Drive for the Cure 300 presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, Charlotte Motor Speedway

Fin, Str, Driver, Car, Lap, Pts, BPts, Status, TLd, LLd
1) 1, Austin Dillon(i), No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet, 200, 0, , Running, 3, 61
2) 3, Erik Jones(i), No. 20 GameStop/Skylanders Superchargers Toyota, 200, 0, , Running, ,
3) 13, Brad Keselowski(i), No. 22 Discount Tire Ford, 200, 0, , Running, ,
4) 7, Daniel Suarez #, No. 18 ARRIS Toyota, 200, 41, 1, Running, 1, 1
5) 12, Regan Smith, No. 7 Dale's Pale Ale Chevrolet, 200, 39, , Running, ,
6) 8, Ty Dillon, No. 3 WESCO Chevrolet, 200, 38, , Running, ,
7) 4, Chris Buescher, No. 60 Zest Ford, 200, 37, , Running, ,
8) 9, Darrell Wallace Jr. #, No. 6 Ford EcoBoost Ford, 200, 36, , Running, ,
9) 17, Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet, 200, 35, , Running, ,
10) 10, Elliott Sadler, No. 1 OneMain Financial Ford, 200, 34, , Running, ,
11) 11, Ryan Reed, No. 16 Lilly/American Diabetes Association Ford, 200, 33, , Running, ,
12) 2, Kasey Kahne(i), No. 88 Great Clips Chevrolet, 200, 0, , Running, 1, 34
13) 6, Brian Scott, No. 2 Shore Lodge Chevrolet, 200, 31, , Running, ,
14) 14, Ryan Sieg, No. 39 Pull-A-Part Chevrolet, 200, 31, 1, Running, 1, 2
15) 15, Brendan Gaughan, No. 62 South Point Chevrolet, 199, 29, , Running, ,
16) 18, Dakoda Armstrong, No. 43 WinField Ford, 199, 28, , Running, ,
17) 16, Ryan Truex, No. 98 Carroll Shelby Engine Company Ford, 199, 27, , Running, ,
18) 20, Landon Cassill, No. 01 Flex Seal Chevrolet, 199, 26, , Running, ,
19) 21, JJ Yeley, No. 28 Toyota Toyota, 198, 25, , Running, ,
20) 23, Jeremy Clements, No. 51 AllSouthElectric.com/RepairableVehicles.com Chev, 198, 24, , Running, ,
21) 22, Brennan Poole, No. 42 DC Solar Chevrolet, 197, 23, , Running, ,
22) 26, John Wes Townley(i), No. 25 Zaxby's Chevrolet, 196, 0, , Running, ,
23) 28, Ryan Ellis(i), No. 97 Vroom Brands Chevrolet, 195, 0, , Running, ,
24) 19, Ross Chastain #, No. 4 G&K Services / Black's Tire Chevrolet, 194, 20, , Running, ,
25) 27, David Starr, No. 44 Zachry Toyota, 194, 19, , Running, ,
26) 40, Cale Conley #, No. 14 IAVA Toyota, 193, 18, , Running, ,
27) 31, Joey Gase, No. 52 Honeyman Racing Chevrolet, 192, 17, , Running, ,
28) 32, Eric McClure, No. 24 Reynolds Wrap Toyota, 191, 16, , Running, ,
29) 38, Mike Harmon, No. 74 Dodge, 187, 15, , Running, ,
30) 25, Jimmy Weller, No. 90 Engine Parts/GLS Chevrolet, 164, 14, , Drive Shaft, ,
31) 5, Kyle Busch(i), No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota, 153, 0, , Accident, 2, 102
32) 34, Derrike Cope, No. 70 Alegria Shoe Shop Chevrolet, 150, 12, , Running, ,
33) 24, Blake Koch, No. 8 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Toyota, 149, 11, , Running, ,
34) 39, Harrison Rhodes #, No. 13 Industrial Piping Dodge, 90, 10, , Ignition, ,
35) 35, BJ McLeod(i), No. 15 BYB Chevrolet, 59, 0, , Engine, ,
36) 30, TJ Bell(i), No. 26 JGL Racing Toyota, 56, 0, , Electrical, ,
37) 33, Morgan Shepherd, No. 89 Chevrolet, 46, 7, , Fuel Pressure, ,
38) 37, Josh Reaume #, No. 0 teamjdmotorsports.com Chevrolet, 31, 6, , Vibration, ,
39) 36, Timmy Hill(i), No. 40 Braille Battery/Grafoid Chevrolet, 16, 0, , Steering, ,
40) 29, Jeff Green, No. 19 Premier Barter Exchange Toyota, 3, 4, , Vibration, ,

Fin = Finish, Str = Start, Pts = Total Points, BPs = Lap Leader Bns Pts, TLd = Times Led, LLd = Laps Led.
# = Rookie, (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series

Average Speed: 152.027 MPH
Time of Race: 1 Hrs, 58 Mins, 24 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 2.809 Seconds
Lead Changes: 7 among 5 drivers
Three cautions for 13 laps

John Davison

Long-time RIS staffer, beginning in the mid-80s. Charlotte, NC area local contact.

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Volume 2015, Issue 10, Posted 11:28 PM, 10.09.2015