The 2020 Cheddar's 300, branded as Cheddar's 300 presented by Alsco, was a NASCAR Xfinity Series race held on June 1, 2020—postponed from May 30 due to weather—at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. Contested over 303 laps—extended from 300 laps due to an overtime finish, on the 0.533-mile (0.858 km) concrete short track, it was the seventh race of the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. Additionally, it was the qualifier for the season's first Dash 4 Cash race. JR Motorsports driver Noah Gragson took home his second win of the season.[7]
| Race details[1][2][3][4][5][6] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 7 of 33 in the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series season | |||
 | |||
| Date | June 1, 2020 | ||
| Location | Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee | ||
| Course | 0.533 mi (0.858 km) | ||
| Distance | 300 laps, 159.9 mi (257.3 km) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Joe Gibbs Racing | ||
| Grid positions set by ballot | |||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | |
| Laps | 156 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 9 | Noah Gragson | JR Motorsports | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | FS1 | ||
| Announcers | Adam Alexander, Kurt Busch, and Kyle Busch | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | PRN | ||
| Booth Announcers | Doug Rice and Mark Garrow | ||
| Turn Announcers | Rob Albright (Backstretch) | ||
The race was originally scheduled to be held on April 4, but was rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In turn, the race was postponed from May 30 due to inclement weather.[8]
Report
editBackground
edit
Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway, is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961. Despite its short length, Bristol is among the most popular tracks on the NASCAR schedule because of its distinct features, which include extraordinarily steep banking, an all concrete surface, two pit roads, and stadium-like seating.
The race was held without fans in attendance due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[9]
Dash 4 Cash
editThe Dash 4 Cash is a series of four races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, preceded by a qualifying race. The top four points-eligible drivers in the previous race are eligible to win a $100,000 bonus on top of their race winnings if they win the race. Cup Series regulars are not permitted to compete in the races.
The Cheddar's 300 served as the qualifier for the season's first Dash 4 Cash race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on June 6.
Entry list
edit- (R) denotes rookie driver.
- (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
Qualifying
editHarrison Burton was awarded the pole for the race as determined by a random draw.[10]
Starting Lineup
edit- The No. 07 of Carson Ware had to start from the rear due to unapproved adjustments. The No. 99 of Mason Massey also had to start from the back.
Race
editRace results
editStage Results
editStage One
Laps: 85
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | Noah Gragson | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 10 |
| 2 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 9 |
| 3 | 98 | Chase Briscoe | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 8 |
| 4 | 11 | Justin Haley | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 7 |
| 5 | 8 | Daniel Hemric | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 6 |
| 6 | 18 | Riley Herbst (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 5 |
| 7 | 19 | Brandon Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 4 |
| 8 | 16 | A. J. Allmendinger | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 3 |
| 9 | 39 | Ryan Sieg | RSS Racing | Chevrolet | 2 |
| 10 | 21 | Myatt Snider | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 1 |
Stage Two
Laps: 85
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 10 |
| 2 | 9 | Noah Gragson | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 9 |
| 3 | 11 | Justin Haley | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 8 |
| 4 | 20 | Harrison Burton (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 7 |
| 5 | 98 | Chase Briscoe | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 6 |
| 6 | 19 | Brandon Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 5 |
| 7 | 8 | Daniel Hemric | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 4 |
| 8 | 21 | Myatt Snider | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 3 |
| 9 | 18 | Riley Herbst (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 2 |
| 10 | 16 | A. J. Allmendinger | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 1 |
Final Stage Results
editLaps: 130
| Pos | Grid | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Laps | Points | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | 9 | Noah Gragson | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 303 | 59 | Running |
| 2 | 11 | 98 | Chase Briscoe | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 303 | 49 | Running |
| 3 | 2 | 19 | Brandon Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 303 | 43 | Running |
| 4 | 1 | 20 | Harrison Burton (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 303 | 40 | Running |
| 5 | 22 | 21 | Myatt Snider | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 303 | 36 | Running |
| 6 | 8 | 8 | Daniel Hemric | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 303 | 41 | Running |
| 7 | 21 | 68 | Brandon Brown | Brandonbilt Motorsports | Chevrolet | 303 | 30 | Running |
| 8 | 29 | 51 | Jeremy Clements | Jeremy Clements Racing | Chevrolet | 303 | 29 | Running |
| 9 | 23 | 92 | Josh Williams | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 303 | 28 | Running |
| 10 | 27 | 16 | A. J. Allmendinger | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 303 | 31 | Running |
| 11 | 24 | 6 | B. J. McLeod | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 303 | 26 | Running |
| 12 | 14 | 78 | Vinnie Miller | B. J. McLeod Motorsports | Chevrolet | 303 | 25 | Running |
| 13 | 36 | 08 | Joe Graf Jr. (R) | SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 303 | 24 | Running |
| 14 | 25 | 61 | Timmy Hill (i) | Hattori Racing | Toyota | 303 | 0 | Running |
| 15 | 18 | 0 | Jeffrey Earnhardt | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 301 | 22 | Running |
| 16 | 5 | 39 | Ryan Sieg | RSS Racing | Chevrolet | 300 | 23 | Running |
| 17 | 4 | 11 | Justin Haley | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 299 | 35 | Running |
| 18 | 10 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 297 | 38 | Accident |
| 19 | 26 | 15 | Colby Howard | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 296 | 18 | Running |
| 20 | 33 | 74 | Bayley Currey (i) | Mike Harmon Racing | Chevrolet | 295 | 0 | Running |
| 21 | 30 | 52 | Kody Vanderwal (R) | Means Racing | Chevrolet | 293 | 16 | Running |
| 22 | 13 | 07 | Carson Ware | SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 289 | 15 | Running |
| 23 | 35 | 44 | Tommy Joe Martins | Martins Motorsports | Chevrolet | 284 | 14 | Running |
| 24 | 17 | 13 | Chad Finchum | MBM Motorsports | Toyota | 277 | 13 | Running |
| 25 | 31 | 5 | Matt Mills | B. J. McLeod Motorsports | Chevrolet | 268 | 12 | Clutch |
| 26 | 15 | 4 | Jesse Little (R) | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 260 | 11 | Running |
| 27 | 7 | 18 | Riley Herbst (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 256 | 17 | Accident |
| 28 | 6 | 10 | Ross Chastain | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 255 | 9 | Running |
| 29 | 20 | 02 | Patrick Emerling | Our Motorsports | Chevrolet | 140 | 8 | Accident |
| 30 | 34 | 99 | Mason Massey | B. J. McLeod Motorsports | Toyota | 111 | 7 | Running |
| 31 | 19 | 90 | Ronnie Bassett Jr. | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 77 | 6 | Engine |
| 32 | 28 | 47 | Joe Nemechek (i) | Mike Harmon Racing | Chevrolet | 69 | 0 | Accident |
| 33 | 32 | 36 | Alex Labbé | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 41 | 4 | Overheating |
| 34 | 37 | 66 | Stephen Leicht | MBM Motorsports | Toyota | 23 | 3 | Suspension |
| 35 | 16 | 93 | Jeff Green | RSS Racing | Chevrolet | 19 | 2 | Ignition |
| 36 | 3 | 22 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 8 | 1 | Accident |
| 37 | 12 | 1 | Michael Annett | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 5 | 1 | Accident |
| Official race results | ||||||||
Race statistics
edit- Lead changes: 10 among 6 different drivers
- Cautions/Laps: 12 for 85
- Red flags: 1
- Time of race: 2 hours, 19 minutes, 3 seconds
- Average speed: 69.687 mph (112.150 km/h)
Media
editTelevision
editThe Cheddar's 300 was carried by FS1 in the United States. Adam Alexander and the Busch brothers (Kurt & Kyle Busch) called the race from the Fox Sports Studio in Charlotte, with Regan Smith covering pit road.
| FS1 | |
|---|---|
| Booth announcers | Pit reporter |
| Lap-by-lap: Adam Alexander
Color-commentator: Kurt Busch Color-commentator: Kyle Busch |
Regan Smith |
Radio
editThe Performance Racing Network (PRN) called the race for radio, which was simulcast on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Doug Rice and Mark Garrow anchored the action from the booth and Rob Albright called the race from the backstretch. Brad Gillie, Brett McMillan, and Wendy Venturini provided reports from pit road.
| PRN Radio | ||
|---|---|---|
| Booth announcers | Turn announcers | Pit reporters |
| Lead announcer: Doug Rice
Announcer: Mark Garrow |
Backstretch: Rob Albright | Brad Gillie
Brett McMillan |
Standings after the race
edit- Drivers' Championship standings
| Pos | Driver | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 | Chase Briscoe | 300 |
 3
|
2 | Noah Gragson | 291 (-9) |
| 1
|
3 | Harrison Burton (R) | 274 (-26) |
| 2
|
4 | Justin Allgaier | 256 (-44) |
 2
|
5 | Ross Chastain | 248 (-52) |
| 4
|
6 | Austin Cindric | 244 (-56) |
| 1
|
7 | Brandon Jones | 229 (-71) |
| 1
|
8 | Justin Haley | 221 (-79) |
| 2
|
9 | Ryan Sieg | 215 (-2) |
| 1
|
10 | Riley Herbst (R) | 177 (-123) |
| 2
|
11 | Daniel Hemric | 176 (-124) |
|
|
12 | Brandon Brown | 174 (-126) |
| Official driver's standings | |||
- Note: Only the first 12 positions are included for the driver standings.
- . – Driver has clinched a position in the NASCAR playoffs.
References
edit- ^ "2020 NASCAR XFINITY Series Schedule". Jayski's NASCAR Silly Season Site. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- ^ "Bristol Motor Speedway". RacingCircuits.info. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- ^ "Entry List" (PDF). Jayski.com. May 31, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- ^ "Starting Lineup" (PDF). Jayski.com. May 31, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- ^ "Cheddar's 300 Results" (PDF). Jayski.com. June 1, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- ^ "Driver points" (PDF). Jayski.com. June 1, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- ^ Haas, Jared (June 1, 2020). "Noah Gragson Moves Teammate Justin Allgaier for Cheddar's 300 Victory at Bristol". Frontstretch. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- ^ Kaplan, Phil. "NASCAR postpones race weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, plans to reschedule". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
- ^ "N.C. Gov. Says NASCAR Can Hold Race in May Without Fans". Sports Illustrated. Associated Press. April 28, 2020. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- ^ "Harrison Burton Draws Pole Position for Monday Night's Cheddar's 300 at Bristol". TobyChristie.com. May 29, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.