NASCAR Nationwide Series at Charlotte 2014: Full Schedule, Rankings and Preview
Dominance by Kyle Busch is nothing new, but his recent stretch has given even experienced drivers headaches. Earning his 69th Nationwide victory in Kansas was his second straight and sixth of the year.
Busch followed that up with a strong race at the Sprint Cup level, shaking woes he had at the track dating back several years. Meanwhile, fellow Nationwide drivers were pondering how they could overcome Busch in Charlotte.
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Along with Busch, another Kyle might be one to watch in Concord. Kyle Larson has been fighting every week in the Sprint Cup for a victory and won the last Nationwide event at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Below is a look at the full schedule, standings and preview of the Drive for the Cure 300.
Race Information
Where: Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, NC
When: Friday, Oct. 10, at 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN2
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Radio: Performance Racing Network
| 1 | Chase Elliott | 1068 | 3 | 15 | 23 |
| 2 | Regan Smith | 1030 | 1 | 7 | 24 |
| 3 | Ty Dillon | 1028 | 1 | 6 | 22 |
| 4 | Brian Scott | 1011 | 0 | 6 | 19 |
| 5 | Elliott Sadler | 1008 | 1 | 6 | 21 |
| 6 | Trevor Bayne | 971 | 0 | 5 | 19 |
| 7 | Chris Buescher | 874 | 1 | 4 | 12 |
| 8 | Brendan Gaughan | 846 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 9 | Ryan Reed | 791 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | James Buescher | 779 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Race Preview
Buschwhackers at the Nationwide level are always controversial, but they serve a purpose. For Busch, it appears the success at the lower circuit is finally leading to strong runs in the Sprint Cup.
After holding off the likes of Kevin Harvick and Paul Menard on Saturday, he wound up coming away with yet another checkered flag. The veteran driver spoke about how the Nationwide race prepared him for Sunday, per ESPN.com:
"Some good things happened today that I was able to pick upon. Just the way the car drove, and the way we were able to make different lanes work, whether it was on restarts or whether it was during the race, picking off traffic. Just things like that. …
I feel like if we can pass through this challenging round, then it's going to be a positive for us come the next round.
"
Kansas was a rough track for several drivers, but Busch wound up finishing third in the Sprint Cup race. In 2013, he swept both of the Nationwide events held in Concord.
The driver to snap that streak for Busch was Larson, who enters Charlotte on a roll at the premier level. Not a contender for the title in the top circuit, he has earned the second-most points behind Joey Logano during the Chase.
Jim Utter of The Charlotte Observer offered his take on the young driver:
"Larson won the Nationwide Series race at Charlotte in May and will pull double-duty again this weekend, racing in Friday night’s Drive for the Cure 300 and Saturday night’s Bank of America 500.
With third- and second-place finishes in the two races held on 1.5-mile tracks in the Chase so far (Chicago and Kansas), Larson should be confident this week as well, even if he isn’t racing for a championship.
"
Outside of the top Sprint Cup drivers, one competitor to watch will be Ty Dillon. The rookie has been one of the hottest at the lower level for the last 12 races.
Here's a look at Dillon's results since July 19 in comparison to his first 17 events of the 2014 season:
| Before July 19 (17) | 0 | 0 | 11 | 10.23 |
| After July 19 (12) | 1 | 6 | 11 | 7.08 |
Thanks to those outstanding numbers, Dillon has slowly climbed his way into serious contention for the title. Just two points behind Regan Smith for second, the young driver needs to make up a 40-point lead held by Chase Elliott.
Luckily for Dillon, Elliott had his worst result of the season at Charlotte. Finishing 37th—his lone result outside of the top 20—the JR Motorsports driver can't afford another disappointing run in Concord.
If Elliott falters, that leaves a slight window of opportunity for Dillon. After seeing his brother, Austin Dillon, win the championship last season, this might finally be his chance to do the same.
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