NASCAR Weekly: Jennifer Jo Cobb to make Cup Series debut
After currently 216 Truck and 31 Xfinity races, Jennifer Jo Cobb will make her Cup debut at Talladega Superspeedway – Truex and Berry won at Martinsville
NASCAR Cup Series (by: André Wiegold)
Jennifer Jo Cobb will fulfill a dream at the NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway on April 25. The 47-year-old truck team owner and driver has 216 truck races and 31 Xfinity races under her belt, but a Cup race was missing on her resume so far. Jo Cobb will step into a Cup car for the first time at Talladega and race for Rick Ware Racing.
Another debutant at Talladega will be Harrison Burton, who will get into the action for Gaunt Brothers Racing. Currently, the 20-year-old son of Jeff Burton races for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Xfinity Series. Burton has competed in 38 Truck and 49 Xfinity races so far in his career.
But before heading to the high-speed oval in Alabama, the next Cup race will be at Richmond Raceway next Sunday. The third short-track race in a row is part of Austin Cindric’s part-time schedule as he defends his Xfinity Series title. At Richmond, he will again drive the fourth #33 Penske Ford.
Most recently, the NASCAR Cup Series started on the short track in Martinsville, Virginia. The race was won, appropriately enough, by Martin Truex Jr. in the Gibbs Toyota. The 2017 champion was unbeatable in the final stages and also benefited from a penalty against Ryan Blaney during the final pit stop. The Penske driver was the favorite to win for a long time, but drove over an impact wrench hose during the stop and was given a penalty for it.
NASCAR Xfinity Series (by: André Wiegold)
Josh Berry celebrated the first NASCAR national victory of his career in the JR Motorsports Chevrolet at Martinsville. The 30-year-old from Hendersonville in Tennessee held off title contender Noah Gragson, Daniel Hemric and youngster Ty Gibbs to win the race on the short track.
Gragson claimed the Dash4Cash at Martinsville and bagged the $100,000 (about 83,500 euros) prize money. There was also a tussle between Gray Gaulding and Joe Graf Jr. as the two clashed in the race.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (by: Simon Mones and André Wiegold)
Actually, 16-year-old Taylor Gray – brother of Tanner Gray – was supposed to make his debut for DGR Crosley in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series this weekend but it was postponed after a car accident last week.
According to ‘Motorsport.com,’ Gray and his female passenger were admitted to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem following the accident. The DGR driver underwent surgery there for a fractured L4 vertebra.
Gray is scheduled to undergo surgery again for a fracture in his left foot and ankle. The team expects the 16-year-old ARCA pilot to make a full recovery. There is no information on the health of his co-driver. It is not yet clear when Gray will make his Truck Series debut.
Ryan Reed will make his comeback at the Truck Series’ race in Richmond. The 27-year-old will compete for CMI Motorsports. For the dirt track race in Knoxville on July 10, Kyle Busch Motorsports has secured the services of Brian Brown. The 42-year-old has already racked up over 200 victories on the track and won various championships.
