LEXINGTON, Ohio – As race weekend approaches at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for the NASCAR XFINITY Series, teams and competitors have been paying close attention to the local weather for Saturday’s Mid-Ohio Challenge.
To the disappointment of some, maybe many, the forecast this weekend at the 2.25-mile road course is showing nearly a 100 percent chance of rain from Friday to Saturday which means the XFINITY Series could partake on the road course in rain tires.
For Stanton Barrett, driver of the No. 15 Ford Mustang in a collaborative effort between B.J. McLeod Motorsports and Rick Ware Racing, the veteran NASCAR driver is eager to participate in the rain as feels the less-than-ideal conditions will actually play into his favor.
“I’m looking forward to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this weekend,” said Barrett. “As everyone knows, I love road racing, I have a passion for it. But, when you bring weather into road racing, it changes the dynamic of the race completely and I think provides an advantage for myself.
“You have to be incredibly careful, but you also have to be able to carry that speed and finesse that you can utilize the condition to stay ahead of your competition. There’s a light rain, a moderate rain and a heavy rain. The heavy rain can certainly make it impossible for us to drive on a road course, but if we can get a solid steady rain – it will make things interesting, but hopefully for us, provides an opportunity to shine in the spotlight.”
On the heels of a 19th place finish on the road course at Watkins Glen last weekend for MBM Motorsports, Barrett is eager to produce a similar type run for B.J. McLeod Motorsports and Rick Ware Racing who last week saw rookie Scott Heckert deliver a solid 17th place finish in the Zippo 200.
For Barrett, a native of Bishop, California, his first top-20 finish in nearly two years on a limited XFINITY Series schedule has him hungry for more.
“I can’t thank MBM Motorsports for the opportunity last weekend at Watkins Glen, but I’m very antsy to get things going in the No. 15 XCaliber Pit School / Lilly Trucking Ford Mustang this weekend at Mid-Ohio. I was impressed with what the team did last weekend with Scott (Heckert) and I think we can equal or better than performance on Saturday. I haven’t had the best results at Mid-Ohio, so I’m looking to change on Saturday.”
McLeod, who pilots the No. 78 Ford Mustang full-time in the XFINITY Series is eager to work with Barrett, especially considering his hone for road course racing.
“I can use all the help I can get on a road course,” McLeod said. “It’s a new type of racing for me and we made the best out of it last weekend at Watkins Glen. That’s one down, two more to go. But having the chance to work and bounce ideas off with someone like Stanton is a good deal for me. He can help our team expand on our road course knowledge and that’s the bigger picture.”
In 25 years of XFINITY Series competition, Barrett has 201 starts to his credit with a career-best finish of fifth at Atlanta Motor Speedway driving for car owners Kenneth and Dan Shaver. He has two starts at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 2013 and 2014 respectively.
Follow Stanton Barrett on Twitter @stantonbarrett or like him on Facebook.
The Mid-Ohio Challenge (75 Laps / 169.35 Miles) is the 21st of 33 NASCAR XFINITY Series on the 2016 schedule. Practice begins Friday, August 12 from 9:00 a.m. – 10:25 a.m., with a second session etched in from 11:35 a.m. – 12:55 p.m. Qualifying is set for later in the day beginning at 6:15 p.m. The 40-car field will take the green flag shortly the next day,Saturday, Aug. 13 after 3:30 p.m. with live coverage on USA Network, NBC Sports Live Extra (Online), Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Satellite Radio, Channel 90).
PHOTO CAPTION: Stanton Barrett, driver of the No. 15 XCaliber Pit School / Lilly Trucking Ford Mustang in the NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) for B.J. McLeod Motorsports and Rick Ware Racing. (Photo Credit: Bobby Ellis for Getty Images).
