NASCAR Nationwide Series at Kentucky 2014 Results: Winner, Standings, Reactions
On Sunday, Brendan Gaughan used a dramatic late push to snatch victory away from Chase Elliott at the VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300 in Kentucky.
Elliott had led 20 laps with most of his edge taking place in the last 20 trips around the track. Gaughan pressed Elliott and Ty Dillon around the third turn with seven laps to go. He took over with six laps remaining and held off his challengers to claim the victory.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Late restarts jumbled things a bit down the stretch, but Gaughan clearly adjusted best to the change.
Dillon had led 155 laps before relinquishing the lead to Elliott, but Gaughan would be the man in front for the final six trips around the oval track. The win was his second on the Nationwide series.
"It's a clean sweep for @RCRracing as Brendan Gaughan, Brian Scott and Ty Dillon take the top 3 at Kentucky with Chase Elliott fourth.
— NASCAR on ESPN (@ESPNNASCAR) September 21, 2014"
Here's a look at the final results.
Click here to see the entire list of results.
Here are the updated standings after Saturday's race.
| 9 | 992 | Leader | 27 | 3 | 13 | 21 | 0 | |
| 7 | 972 | -20 | 27 | 1 | 7 | 23 | 0 | |
| 3 | 954 | -38 | 27 | 1 | 5 | 20 | 0 | |
| 2 | 937 | -55 | 27 | 0 | 6 | 17 | 1 | |
| 11 | 931 | -61 | 27 | 1 | 5 | 19 | 1 | |
| 6 | 900 | -92 | 27 | 0 | 5 | 17 | 2 | |
| 60 | 817 | -175 | 26 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 1 | |
| 62 | 798 | -194 | 27 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 2 | |
| 16 | 739 | -253 | 27 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 99 | 727 | -265 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Click here to see the full standings.
Still the Leader...for Now
Despite his painful loss on Saturday, Elliott is still atop the Nationwide Series standings. The second- and third-place finishers, Brian Scott and Dillon, gained some ground, but Elliott will still be the man to beat when the series heads to Dover next week.
Elliott will need to find another checkered flag at some point. He's holding on to the lead, but he hasn't won a race since July. With drivers like Scott and Dillon as hungry as ever, Elliott must break out of his slump.
Still Chasing the "W"
Scott can't seem to catch a break. Again, he looked to be in position to grab his first win but couldn't overtake Dillon, Elliott or Gaughan to grab the top spot.
He never led in Saturday's race and instead had to settle for second place and his sixth top-five finish. That is the most for any driver in the series who hasn't captured a victory.
You could see the frustration on his face after the race. All he can do is continue to put himself in position to win—as he did on Saturday—and hope that he gets the breaks he needs.
Much Needed Win
Gaughan had already won this year, but it's been feast or famine for him all season. His only top-five finishes have been wins, and his six top-10s are far fewer than the drivers ahead of him in the standings.
He still sits 194 points behind Elliott, but nothing helps make up ground like a win. Gaughan will need a few more if he's to make himself a factor when all is said and done.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
