Nationwide title contenders are flight buddies

• Stenhouse Jr. is going for his second straight title in NASCAR's mid-tier series
• He will move up to the Cup level with Roush Fenway Racing in 2013
• Sadler, Dillon drive for Richard Childress Racing

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- It won't get the attention of the Brad Keselowski-Jimmie Johnson battle for the Sprint Cup championship, but today's Nationwide Series championship race might be the better story.

The three contenders – Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Elliott Sadler and Austin Dillon –often fly together to races, along with their crews from Richard Childress Racing and Roush Fenway Racing.

Sadler and Dillon are teammates at RCR, while Stenhouse, who is leading the standings heading into the Ford EcoBoost 300, drives for Jack Roush's team.

"This year has been fun with these guys," Stenhouse said. "It's just been a regular relationship. I guess you'd call it a friendship."

Stenhouse leads Sadler by 20 points, with Dillon 25 back. Stenhouse will join Roush's Sprint Cup team next year, replacing Matt Kenseth in the No. 17 car, a decision that has alleviated some of the pressure of running for a second Nationwide title.

"It's comforting to know when you have that in place," Stenhouse said. "Last year I came into Homestead and we won the championship and still didn't know if we were running Cup or Nationwide until the end of December. That is always nerve-wracking."