2020 Shady Rays 200
The 2020 Shady Rays 200 was a NASCAR Xfinity Series race held on July 9, 2020 at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Kentucky. Contested over 136 laps -- extended from 134 laps due to an overtime finish -- on the 1.5-mile (2.4 km) speedway, it was the 14th race of the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. Team Penske's Austin Cindric won his first race of the season.[8]
| Race details[1][2][3][4][5][6] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 14 of 33 in the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series season | |||
 Layout of Kentucky Speedway | |||
| Date | July 9, 2020 | ||
| Location | Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Kentucky | ||
| Course | 1.5 mi (2.4 km) | ||
| Distance | 134 laps, 201 mi (323.48 km) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | JR Motorsports | ||
| Grid positions set by ballot | |||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Noah Gragson | JR Motorsports | |
| Laps | 87 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 22 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | FS1 | ||
| Announcers | Adam Alexander, Clint Bowyer, Chad Knaus | ||
| Nielsen Ratings | 514,000[7] | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | PRN | ||
The Shady Rays 200 replaced New Hampshire Motor Speedway's date for the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the first of two races for the Xfinity Series at Kentucky.[9]
Report
Background
Kentucky Speedway is a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) tri-oval speedway in Sparta, Kentucky, which has hosted ARCA, NASCAR and Indy Racing League racing annually since it opened in 2000. The track is currently owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports, Inc. and Jerry Carroll, who, along with four other investors, owned Kentucky Speedway until 2008. The speedway has a grandstand capacity of 117,000. Construction of the speedway began in 1998 and was completed in mid-2000. The speedway has hosted the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, Xfinity Series, IndyCar Series, Indy Lights, and most recently, the NASCAR Cup Series beginning in 2011.
The race was held without fans in attendance due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[10]
Entry list
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
- (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
Qualifying
Noah Gragson was awarded the pole for the race as determined by a random draw.[11]
Starting Lineup
- The No. 74 and No. 99 had to start from the rear due to unapproved adjustments.
- The No. 78 had to start from the rear due to stopping in its pit box during the pit road speed check.
Race
Stage Results
Stage One
Laps: 30
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | Noah Gragson | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 10 |
| 2 | 20 | Harrison Burton (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 9 |
| 3 | 22 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 8 |
| 4 | 10 | Ross Chastain | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 7 |
| 5 | 21 | Anthony Alfredo | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 6 |
| 6 | 1 | Michael Annett | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 5 |
| 7 | 11 | Justin Haley | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 4 |
| 8 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 3 |
| 9 | 39 | Ryan Sieg | RSS Racing | Chevrolet | 2 |
| 10 | 02 | Brett Moffitt (i) | Our Motorsports | Chverolet | 0 |
Stage Two
Laps: 30
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | Noah Gragson | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 10 |
| 2 | 22 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 9 |
| 3 | 98 | Chase Briscoe | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 8 |
| 4 | 10 | Ross Chastain | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 7 |
| 5 | 18 | Riley Herbst (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 6 |
| 6 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 5 |
| 7 | 1 | Michael Annett | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 4 |
| 8 | 39 | Ryan Sieg | RSS Racing | Chevrolet | 3 |
| 9 | 68 | Brandon Brown | Brandonbilt Motorsports | Chevrolet | 2 |
| 10 | 21 | Anthony Alfredo | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 1 |
Final Stage Results
Laps: 74
| Pos | Grid | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Laps | Points | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | 22 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 136 | 57 | Running |
| 2 | 23 | 18 | Riley Herbst (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 136 | 41 | Running |
| 3 | 2 | 10 | Ross Chastain | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 136 | 48 | Running |
| 4 | 7 | 98 | Chase Briscoe | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 136 | 41 | Running |
| 5 | 4 | 1 | Michael Annett | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 136 | 41 | Running |
| 6 | 11 | 21 | Anthony Alfredo | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 136 | 38 | Running |
| 7 | 9 | 11 | Justin Haley | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 136 | 34 | Running |
| 8 | 30 | 47 | Kyle Weatherman | Mike Harmon Racing | Chevrolet | 136 | 29 | Running |
| 9 | 8 | 39 | Ryan Sieg | RSS Racing | Chevrolet | 136 | 33 | Running |
| 10 | 13 | 02 | Brett Moffitt (i) | Our Motorsports | Chevrolet | 136 | 0 | Running |
| 11 | 1 | 9 | Noah Gragson | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 136 | 46 | Running |
| 12 | 20 | 51 | Jeremy Clements | Jeremy Clements Racing | Chevrolet | 136 | 25 | Running |
| 13 | 31 | 08 | Joe Graf Jr. (R) | SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 136 | 24 | Running |
| 14 | 14 | 4 | Jesse Little (R) | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 136 | 23 | Running |
| 15 | 28 | 93 | Myatt Snider (R) | RSS Racing | Chevrolet | 136 | 22 | Running |
| 16 | 32 | 13 | Chad Finchum | MBM Motorsports | Toyota | 136 | 21 | Running |
| 17 | 5 | 20 | Harrison Burton (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 136 | 29 | Running |
| 18 | 17 | 6 | B. J. McLeod | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 136 | 19 | Running |
| 19 | 22 | 90 | Ronnie Bassett Jr. | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 135 | 18 | Accident |
| 20 | 10 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 135 | 25 | Accident |
| 21 | 33 | 61 | Timmy Hill (i) | Hattori Racing | Toyota | 135 | 0 | Accident |
| 22 | 27 | 74 | Bayley Currey (i) | Mike Harmon Racing | Chevrolet | 135 | 0 | Running |
| 23 | 34 | 78 | Vinnie Miller | B. J. McLeod Motorsports | Chevrolet | 134 | 14 | Running |
| 24 | 16 | 36 | Alex Labbé | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 134 | 13 | Running |
| 25 | 25 | 52 | Kody Vanderwal (R) | Means Racing | Chevrolet | 134 | 12 | Running |
| 26 | 18 | 92 | Josh Williams | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 133 | 11 | Running |
| 27 | 19 | 68 | Brandon Brown | Brandonbilt Motorsports | Chevrolet | 132 | 12 | Running |
| 28 | 26 | 99 | Mason Massey | B. J. McLeod Motorsports | Toyota | 130 | 9 | Running |
| 29 | 24 | 0 | Jeffrey Earnhardt | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 129 | 8 | Suspension |
| 30 | 35 | 5 | Matt Mills | B. J. McLeod Motorsports | Toyota | 122 | 7 | Running |
| 31 | 15 | 07 | Garrett Smithley | SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 120 | 6 | Brakes |
| 32 | 21 | 15 | Colby Howard | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 119 | 5 | Accident |
| 33 | 36 | 44 | Tommy Joe Martins | Martins Motorsports | Chevrolet | 54 | 4 | Rear Gear |
| 34 | 3 | 8 | Jeb Burton | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 45 | 3 | Accident |
| 35 | 29 | 66 | Stephen Leicht | MBM Motorsports | Toyota | 21 | 2 | Electrical |
| 36 | 6 | 19 | Brandon Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 0 | 1 | Accident |
| Official race results | ||||||||
Race statistics
- Lead changes: 6 among 4 different drivers
- Cautions/Laps: 9 for 40
- Red flags: 0
- Time of race: 1 hour, 51 minutes, 31 seconds
- Average speed: 109.759 mph (176.640 km/h)
Media
Television
The Shady Rays 200 was carried by FS1 in the United States. Adam Alexander, Stewart-Haas Racing driver Clint Bowyer, and Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Chad Knaus called the race from the Fox Sports Studio in Charlotte, with Jamie Little covering pit road.
| FS1 | |
|---|---|
| Booth announcers | Pit reporter |
| Lap-by-lap: Adam Alexander
Color-commentator: Clint Bowyer Color-commentator: Chad Knaus |
Jamie Little |
Radio
The Performance Racing Network (PRN) called the race for radio, which was simulcast on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Standings after the race
- Drivers' Championship standings
| Pos | Driver | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
1 | Chase Briscoe | 597 |
|
2 | Noah Gragson | 581 (-16) |
 1 |
3 | Austin Cindric | 552 (-45) |
 1 |
4 | Ross Chastain | 549 (-48) |
|
5 | Justin Haley | 485 (-112) |
|
6 | Justin Allgaier | 459 (-138) |
|
7 | Harrison Burton (R) | 450 (-147) |
| 1 |
8 | Michael Annett | 414 (-183) |
| 1 |
9 | Brandon Jones | 384 (-213) |
|
10 | Ryan Sieg | 362 (-235) |
|
11 | Riley Herbst (R) | 339 (-258) |
| 1 |
12 | Myatt Snider (R) | 301 (-296) |
| 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
- "2020 NASCAR XFINITY Series Schedule". Jayski's NASCAR Silly Season Site. Retrieved 2020-09-18.
- "Kentucky Speedway". RacingCircuits.info. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
- "Entry List" (PDF). Jayski.com. July 3, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
- "Starting Lineup" (PDF). Jayski.com. July 8, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
- "Shady Rays 200 Results" (PDF). Jayski.com. July 9, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
- "Driver points" (PDF). Jayski.com. July 9, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
- "July 9, 2020 Cable Ratings". ShowBuzz Daily. Archived from the original on 2020-07-10. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
- "Austin Cindric wins NASCAR Xfinity race at Kentucky Speedway". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
- Mahoney, Larry (2020-06-05). "New Hampshire NASCAR Cup race moved August". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
- "No fans, but 5 races on tap at Kentucky Speedway". springfield-news-sun. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
- "Noah Gragson Secures Pole in Shady Rays 200 at Kentucky in First Race of Xfinity Doubleheader". Frontstretch. 2020-07-09. Retrieved 2020-09-22.