NASCAR’s Nationwide Series teams will take on the always challenging Texas Motor Speedway this Saturday in an event that is appropriately named the O’Reilly Challenge. The focal points for the teams are both obvious and simple: earn the right to wear the cowboy hat, and fire off the six shooters in victory lane and find a way to beat Joe Gibbs Racing so you can go to victory lane.
THE STORY BREAKDOWN
One of the better story lines, attached to the Nationwide Series at Texas, involves first time NASCAR championships for a future superstar and his high profile team owner. With three races left in the current season, Brad Keselowski can mathematically wrap up the Nationwide Series championship at Texas. It will be his first ever NASCAR title.
Of equal importance is the fact that it will be the first ever NASCAR title for Roger Penske Racing. It’s hard to imagine that a NASCAR title has eluded this prolific team owner all of these years. That’s especially true in light of the fact when you consider his massive numbers associated with the Indy Racing League.
There are four different scenarios that will allow Keselowski to clinch the Nationwide Series title this Saturday at Texas. First, he needs to have a points lead of at least 391 after the race. That’s extremely doable because he currently holds a 485 points advantage going into the race.
Regarding the other scenarios, Keselowski can clinch the title Saturday with a 21st place or better finish, 22nd after leading at least one lap of the race or 24th after leading the most laps during the race. All of these scenarios are very doable. Keselowski has eight previous starts at the Texas Motor Speedway and has compiled an average finish ratio of 14.0.
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Then there’s the presence of Kyle Busch who once again will be spending his time during a Nationwide Series event chasing numbers in an attempt to break yet another series record. Busch is currently in a three way tie for the series record for most consecutive wins at the same race track. He’s won the last five Nationwide Series events at the Texas World Speedway in a row. He’s sharing the record with some very high profile drivers. The late Dale Earnhardt Sr won five Nationwide races in a row at the Daytona International Raceway. Two time series champion Jack Ingram accomplished the same feat at the Virginia based South Boston Speedway.
Busch will also be looking to pad the lead his team holds over Keselowski’s team in the series owner’s points championship. The #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota presently holds a 71 point advantage over the #22 Penske Racing Dodge. If they can win this title then Joe Gibbs Racing will tie a series record of three consecutive owner’s championships.
Also from the NASCAR numbers department, Kyle Busch will be making his 200th official start in the Nationwide Series this Saturday. Only 47 other drivers in the entire history of the series can make that claim.
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THE RACE BREAKDOWN
The O’Reilly Challenge is 200 laps/300 miles around the Texas Motor Speedway’s 1.5 mile tri oval.
The race has a very healthy 51 entries vying for the 43 starting positions. 15 of these entries are double duty drivers or those who will be racing in both the Texas Nationwide and Sprint Cup events.
19 of the entries are on the go or go home list. These teams are not guaranteed a starting berth in the race because they are currently outside of the Nationwide Series’ top 30 in owner’s points. That means they will have to rely on their qualifying speeds to make the race.
Two of the drivers on the go or go home list, Steve Grissom and Jeff Green, are past series champions. That means they can use their past champions provisional to earn a berth in the race in replacement of a slow qualifying time.
The O’Reilly Challenge will be broadcast live Saturday afternoon by the ESPN2 Network beginning at 12 pm eastern time. .
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