RHODES ROLLS INTO LOUDON

LOUDON, N.H. – Harrison Rhodes will tackle the tough one-mile track at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the fourth time in Saturday’sOverton’s 200 Xfinity Series race.

       Rhodes has raced in two Xfinity Series and one K&N Pro Series East race at NHMS.

       “The flat nature of the track makes it really tough,” Rhodes said. “You have to pick your places to pass and then be really aggressive to make them work. You have to be on your toes all the time.”

       Rhodes sits 24th in Xfinity driver points entering the season’s 17th race.

       Practice is scheduled at NHMS at 1 and 3 p.m. Friday. Qualifying is set for 11:05 a.m. Saturday, with the race to follow at 4 p.m.

SANEL AUTO PARTS, PARTS PLUS SPONSORING CHASTAIN

GAFFNEY, S.C. – Sanel Auto Parts and Parts Plus will sponsor driver Ross Chastain and the No. 4 JD Motorsports with Gary Keller Chevrolet in Saturday’sOverton’s 200 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon.

         One of the most talented young drivers in the series, Chastain has gained renewed attention with finishes of fourth and sixth in recent Xfinity races.

         “We are thrilled to have the folks at Sanel and Parts Plus on board with us this week,” said team owner Johnny Davis, a veteran of the Xfinity Series. “We show up at the track every week with our cars at their very best, and I know Sanel and Parts Plus look at their business exactly the same way. We’re looking forward to a big weekend at Loudon with them.”

         Sanel Auto Parts has 38 locations in New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine. The company’s headquarters is in Concord, N.H.

Sanel Auto Parts is a leading auto parts, heavy-duty truck parts and body shop supplies distributor  delivering quality parts, automotive paint and body supplies, and tools and equipment that are durable, dependable and long-lasting. Sanel employs a knowledgeable, professionally trained team of automotive experts that assist professional mechanics, service garages and individual customers with finding the right products and solutions that fit their needs. We are an auto parts store that is dedicated to honesty and integrity from our products to our services, right down to our commitment to high customer service standards.

         Parts Plus has a successful history in motorsports sponsorship with an active role in the National Hot Rod Association.

         “It’s great to have an area sponsor involved when we race,” said driver Ross Chastain. “We’re proud to carry the colors of Sanel Auto Parts and Parts Plus this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.”

CHASTAIN HAS STRONG RUN AT KENTUCKY

SPARTA, Ky. – The race was a day late, but Ross Chastain was right on time.

       Chastain ran with the front pack and finished on the lead lap in 20th place in Saturday’s Alsco 300 Xfinity Series race at Kentucky Speedway. The race was delayed a day because of rain.

       “We had a good car and kept up with the front part of the field,” Chastain said. “It helped that I’ve run a lot of races (nine) at this track. It’s tough and fast.”

       Chastain, who raced in the AE Door and Window Chevrolet Saturday, has scored four straight top-20 finishes.

       Kyle Busch won the race, and Elliott Sadler kept the point lead.

       The series moves on to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for a July 15 race.

SMITHLEY 26th AT KENTUCKY

SPARTA, Ky. – Garrett Smithley advanced through the field to finish 26th in Saturday’s Alsco 300 Xfinity Series race at Kentucky Speedway.

       The race was scheduled Friday but was postponed by rain to Saturday.

       Smithley qualified 32nd in the NKYFAME/Mark Spaulding Construction/AE Door and Window Chevrolet.

       “We had a pretty good race,” Smithley said. “We would have liked to finish up a little higher, but we got some good laps in and will be improved here next time.”

       Kyle Busch won the race, and Elliott Sadler stayed in first place in points.

       The series moves on to New Hampshire Motor Speedway July 15.

RHODES FINISHES 28TH AT KENTUCKY

SPARTA, Ky. – Harrison Rhodes finished 28th Saturday in the Alsco 300 Xfinity Series race at Kentucky Speedway.

       Rhodes started 33rd in the Ken Houston Electric Chevrolet.

       “It was a tough race,” Rhodes said. “We toughed it out and got a pretty good finish. We’ll be back here strong.”

       Kyle Busch won the race, and Elliott Sadler kept the point lead.

       New Hampshire Motor Speedway will host the next Xfinity race July 15.

CHASTAIN RED HOT AS KENTUCKY LOOMS

SPARTA, Ky. – Ross Chastain is on a roll.

       The Florida driver has put together back-to-back finishes of fourth (at Iowa) and sixth (at Daytona) entering Friday’s Alsco 300 Xfinity Series race at Kentucky Speedway.

       “It was really cool to have two strong back-to-back finishes on very different race tracks,” Chastain said. “It shows the strength of our team and what our guys can do when everything works right and we have strong cars. I’m looking forward to what we can do at Kentucky.”

       Chastain has a history at the 1.5-mile Kentucky track. He has raced in five Xfinity and three Camping World Truck Series races at Kentucky, scoring a 10th place in an Xfinity run in 2014.

       Chastain will drive the A&E Door and Window Chevrolet at Kentucky.

       The series reaches the halfway point of its season with the Friday night run. Kentucky’s second race (Sept. 23) will begin the playoffs.

       Practice is scheduled at Kentucky at 2, 4 and 6 p.m. (ET) Thursday. Qualifying is set for 4:30 p.m. Friday, with the race to follow at 8 p.m.

SMITHLEY READY FOR KENTUCKY

SPARTA, Ky. – Garrett Smithley will race at Kentucky Speedway for the fourth time in Friday night’s Alsco 300 Xfinity Series race.

       Smithley has driven in two Xfinity and one Camping World Truck Series event at the tough 1.5-mile track. Last year, he finished 24th and 17th in Xfinity races at Kentucky.

       “I feel like I’ve gotten used to the ins and outs of the track,” Smithley said. “It’s a little bit quirky, but if you have a good car you can move around and find the best groove.”

       Smithley, who will drive the KY FAME/Mark Spaulding Construction/A&E Door & Window No. 0 Chevrolet Friday, sits 23rd in Xfinity driver points entering the race.

The series reaches the halfway point of its season with the Friday night run. Kentucky’s second race (Sept. 23) will begin the playoffs.

       Practice is scheduled at Kentucky at 2, 4 and 6 p.m. (ET) Thursday. Qualifying is set for 4:30 p.m. Friday, with the race to follow at 8 p.m.

RHODES ‘VETERAN’ AT KENTUCKY

SPARTA, Ky. – Harrison Rhodes knows his way around Kentucky Speedway.

       Rhodes has raced in six Xfinity Series races at the 1.5-mile track.

       “I think I know more about Kentucky than maybe any other Xfinity track,” Rhodes said. “Having a history at a place gives you a leg up going there. I’m hoping that will give us somewhat of an advantage Friday night.”

       Rhodes is 24th in the Xfinity driver standings entering Friday’s 200-lapper.

The series reaches the halfway point of its season with the Friday night run. Kentucky’s second race (Sept. 23) will begin the playoffs.

       Practice is scheduled at Kentucky at 2, 4 and 6 p.m. (ET) Thursday. Qualifying is set for 4:30 p.m. Friday, with the race to follow at 8 p.m.

CHASTAIN SIXTH AT DAYTONA

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Ross Chastain drove his G&K Services Chevrolet to a sixth-place finish in Saturday’s Coca-Cola Firecracker 250 Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway.

       NASCAR’s original race report listed Chastain in 26th, but officials corrected the report after the race and moved the G&K Services Chevrolet into the sixth spot.

       Chastain qualified 20th. He raced in the first wake of the lead pack much of the race, maintaining a consistent speed and setting up for the finish.

       “I’m happy to see they put us where we finished,” Chastain said. “We were up there with the front group and had a spectacular night. It’s been a great two weeks for this team.”

       The race was the second straight great run for Chastain, who finished fourth at Iowa Speedway last week.

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

       The race was completed Saturday after rain interrupted the event on Friday.

       Kentucky Speedway will host the next Xfinity race July 7.

SMITHLEY 28th AT DAYTONA

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Garrett Smithley finished 28th in Saturday’s Coca-Cola Firecracker 250 Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway despite being involved in a crash as the race finished in overtime.

       Smithley crashed along with four other cars as a tight pack raced toward the finish. He hit the outside wall on the backstretch and bounced into traffic.

       “Not a good way to end the race but we ran pretty well otherwise,” Smithley said. “We were sort of just taking our time and cruising around, and then we got in that mess at the end.”

       Smithley is 23rd in Xfinity points.

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

       The race started on Friday, as scheduled, but was completed Saturday after rain hit the track Friday.

       The series moves to Kentucky Speedway for a July 7 race.