NASCAR heads to Texas for weekend of racing; rain won't be a factor

Ray Slover

NASCAR heads to Texas for weekend of racing; rain won't be a factor image

Other than rain on Thursday when Truck Series drivers practice, it appears this weekend's NASCAR schedule at Texas will be dry and comfortable.

Just don't hang around too late, because showers might arrive after Sunday's Sprint Cup race.

MORE: Updated Chase standings | Texas schedule | Drivers in Chase trouble

Bring your cowboys hats.

All three series see the track at Texas in the second legs of their semifinal rounds in Chase competition. The highlight is Sunday's Sprint Cup race, with a lineup set on Friday evening. The weekend Truck Series race is Friday night; the Xfinity Series race is on Saturday afternoon.

Sunday's Cup race, the AAA Texas 500, begins after 2 p.m. ET.

Temperatures all weekend should top out in the upper 70s, with lows in the 50s on Friday and Saturday.

Here is the preliminary entry list for Sunday's Sprint Cup race. Chase drivers marked as (C).

No. Driver/
Hometown
Brand Sponsor/
Owner
1 Jamie McMurray
Joplin, Mo.
Chevy Sherwin Williams
Chip Ganassi Racing
2 Brad Keselowski
Rochester Hills, Mich.
Ford Alliance Truck Parts
Team Penske
3 Austin Dillon
Welcome, N.C.
Chevy Realtree/Bad Boy
Richard Childress Racing
4 Kevin Harvick (C)
Bakersfield, Calif.
Chevy Busch Beer Chevrolet SS
Stewart-Haas Racing
5 Kasey Kahne
Enumclaw, Wash.
Chevy AARP Drive To End Hunger
Hendrick Motorsports
6 Trevor Bayne
Knoxville, Tenn.
Ford Advocare Ford Fusion
Roush Fenway Racing
7 Regan Smith
Cato, N.Y.
Chevy Nikko RC / Toy State Chevrolet
Tommy Baldwin Racing
10 Danica Patrick
Roscoe, Ill.
Chevy TaxACT Chevrolet SS
Stewart-Haas Racing
11 Denny Hamlin (C)
Chesterfield, Va.
Toyota FedEx Office
Joe Gibbs Racing
13 Casey Mears
Bakersfield, Calif.
Chevy GEICO
Germain Racing
14 Tony Stewart
Columbus, Ind.
Chevy Bass Pro/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS
Stewart-Haas Racing
15 Clint Bowyer
Emporia, Kans.
Chevy 5-Hour Energy
HScott Motorsports
16 Greg Biffle
Vancouver, Wash.
Ford Performance Plus Motor Oil Ford Fusion
Roush Fenway Racing
17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Olive Branch, Miss.
Ford Fastenal Ford Fusion
Roush Fenway Racing
18 Kyle Busch (C)
Las Vegas, Nev.
Toyota M&M's Core
Joe Gibbs Racing
19 Carl Edwards (C)
Columbia, Mo.
Toyota Sport Clips
Joe Gibbs Racing
20 Matt Kenseth (C)
Cambridge, Wis.
Toyota DeWalt Flexvolt
Joe Gibbs Racing
21 Ryan Blaney
High Point, N.C.
Ford Virgina Tech
Wood Brothers Racing
22 Joey Logano (C)
Middletown, Conn.
Ford AAA
Team Penske
23 David Ragan
Unadilla, Ga.
Toyota Dr Pepper
BK Racing
24 Chase Elliott
Dawsonville, Ga.
Chevy Kelley Blue Book
Hendrick Motorsports
27 Paul Menard
Eau Claire, Wis.
Chevy Schrock/Menards
Richard Childress Racing
30 Josh Wise
Riverside, Calif.
Chevy Curtis Key Plumbing
The Motorsports Group
31 Ryan Newman
South Bend, Ind.
Chevy Grainger
Richard Childress Racing
32 Joey Gase
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Ford Donate Life Texas
GO FAS Racing
34 Chris Buescher
Prosper, Texas
Ford Love's Travel Stops
Front Row Motorsports
38 Landon Cassill
Fairfax, Iowa
Ford MDS Transport
Front Row Motorsports
41 Kurt Busch (C)
Las Vegas, Nev.
Chevy Haas Automation/Monster Energy Chevrolet SS
Stewart-Haas Racing
42 Kyle Larson
Elk Grove, Calif.
Chevy Kleenex
Chip Ganassi Racing
43 Aric Almirola
Tampa, Fla.
Ford Smithfield
Richard Petty Motorsports
44 Brian Scott
Boise, Idaho
Ford Albertsons/Tom Thumb Ford
Richard Petty Motorsports
46 Michael Annett
Des Moines, Iowa
Chevy Pilot Flying J
HScott Motorsports
47 AJ Allmendinger
Los Gatos, Calif.
Chevy Bush's Chili Beans
JTG Daugherty Racing
48 Jimmie Johnson (C)
El Cajon, Calif.

Chevy
Lowe's
Hendrick Motorsports
55 Reed Sorenson
Peachtree City, Ga.
Chevy TBD
Premium Motorsports
78 Martin Truex Jr.
Mayetta, N.J.
Toyota Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats
Furniture Row Racing
83 Matt DiBenedetto
Grass Valley, Calif.
Toyota ZAK Backs the Blue Toyota
BK Racing
88 Alex Bowman
Tucson, Ariz.
Chevy Nationwide
Hendrick Motorsports
93 Ryan Ellis
Ashburn, Va.
Toyota ScienceLogic
BK Racing
95 Michael McDowell
Glendale, Ariz.
Chevy Thrivent Financial
Circle Sport-Leavine Family
98 Cole Whitt
Alpine, Calif.
Chevy TBD
Premium Motorsports

After this weekend, one race remains in each of the three Chase series. Those races will be held at Phoenix, setting the final four for races at Homestead-Miami on Nov. 20.

Ray Slover