Herring running first Nationwide race of year: Saturday will be driver #18-Drew Herring’s first NASCAR Nationwide Series start of the 2012 season. The 25-year-old Benson, N.C. native has eight Nationwide Series starts under his belt with a career best finish of seventh at Nashville Superspeedway in July 2011. This weekend will be Herring’s first time competing on Kentucky Speedway’s 1.5 mile oval. September has been an eventful month for Herring. The young driver scored a seventh place finish at Iowa Speedway last week in his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start, and he’s recently been behind the wheel as a test driver with JGR’s Sprint Cup Series teams. Herring came to Joe Gibbs Racing with a recommendation from driver Denny Hamlin in 2011, and in only four Nationwide Series starts with the team he has an average finish of 9.5. This weekend’s 200 lap Kentucky 300 will be Herring’s fifth career Nationwide Series start with both Joe Gibbs Racing and sponsor Sport Clips. (Joe Gibbs Racing)(9-17-2012)
