Regan Smith Wins Nationwide Race as Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. Clinches Second Championship

In a stellar debut with his new team of 2013, Regan Smith and JR Motorsports showed the NASCAR Nationwide Series just what they were in for next year by winning the series final race of 2012 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

While it was Kyle Busch who dominated early in the race, it was Smith who dominated the second half of the Ford EcoBoost 300 to score his first career win in the Nationwide series.

It has been a roller coaster of a year for Smith, who started the season in the Sprint Cup Series driving for Furniture Row Motorsports only before losing his job to Kurt Busch before Talladega in October. JR Motorsports hired him shortly after and even granted Hendrick Motorsports the opportunity to use the driver as a substitute for Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who was sidelined in late October with a concussion.

“I can’t wait to get to Daytona. I wish we could start tomorrow,” Smith said.

Stenhouse needed to only finish in the top 16 to clinch a win, and he did a little better than that, bringing home a sixth-place finish.

By winning the championship, Stenhouse becomes the sixth driver in series history to win consecutive championships, joining Sam Ard, Larry Pearson, Randy LaJoie, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and Martin Truex, Jr.

“It’s really neat to go back-to-back. It really makes me see how hard that No. 48 team works (in the Cup series). Five in a row is crazy,” Stenhouse said.

But that isn’t the only awards being handed out at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday evening. The No. 18 of Joe Gibbs Racing, on the strength of Joey Logano’s nine win season, captured the Nationwide Series Owner’s title; while 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion, Austin Dillon, officially won the Sunoco Rookie of the Year.

Race Results:

1. Regan Smith
2. Kyle Busch
3. Brendan Gaughan
4. Sam Hornish Jr.
5. Austin Dillon
6. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
7. Brian Scott
8. Ryan Blaney
9. Elliott Sadler
10. Cole Whitt
11. Justin Allgaier
12. Michael Annett
13. Danica Patrick
14. Joey Coulter
15. Kenny Wallace
16. Joey Logano
17. Brad Sweet
18. Joe Nemechek
19. Mike Bliss
20. Scott Lagasee Jr.
21. Kevin Swindell
22. Jeremy Clements
23. Jeffrey Earnhardt
24. David Starr
25. Dakoda Armstrong
26. Mike Wallace
27. Eric McClure
28. Andrew Ranger
29. Jason Bowles
30. Hal Martin
31. Danny Efland
32. Joey Gase
33. Robert Richardson Jr.
34. Johanna Long
35. Erik Darnell
36. John Blankenship
37. Juan Carlos Blum
38. Ryan Truex
39. Blake Koch
40. Jeff Green
41. Chase Miller
42. Josh Wise
43. Dexter Stacey