NXS Race Preview: Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas

NASCAR XFINITY Series
Next Race: Kansas Lottery 300
The Place: Kansas Speedway
The Date: Saturday, Oct. 21
The Time: 3 p.m. ET
TV: NBC, 2:30 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 300 miles (200 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 45),
Stage 2 (Ends on lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on lap 200)

NXS Kansas Quick Facts:

Races: 16
Pole Winners: 12
Youngest Pole Winner: Parker Kligerman (10/03/2009 - 19 years, 1 months, 25 days)
Oldest Pole Winner: Matt Kenseth (10/17/2015 - 43 years, 7 months, 7 days)
Race Winners: 12
Youngest Winner: Joey Logano (10/03/2009 - 19 years, 4 months, 9 days)
Oldest Winner: David Green (10/04/2003 - 45 years, 8 months, 6 days)
Races Won from Pole (or 1st Starting Position): 2
Last Race Won from Pole (or 1st Starting Position): Kyle Busch (10/15/2016)
Race Record: Jeff Green 129.125mph (09/29/2001)
Qualifying Record: Matt Kenseth 184.906mph (10/17/2015)

NXS News & Notes:

NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoff Round of 8 Begins At Kansas Speedway

With an exhilarating Round of 12 completed in the 2017 NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoffs, the remaining title contenders have turned their attention to the Round of 8. Kansas Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway are the three tracks that make up the round, and the Playoff drivers that win the next three races, or are in the top four on the leaderboard at the conclusion of the race at Phoenix, will advance to the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The action gets rolling for the NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoff Round of 8 this Saturday, October 21, at Kansas Speedway for the Kansas Lottery 300 at 3 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. 

Below are the seedings for the eight drivers who advanced to the Round of 8 in the NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoffs:

Rank	Driver	Points	Leader	Cutoff	Race Wins	Stage Wins	Playoff Pts
1	William Byron	3,026	0	19	3	3	26
2	Justin Allgaier	3,023	-3	16	2	3	23
3	Elliott Sadler	3,020	-6	13	0	5	20
4	Daniel Hemric	3,009	-17	2	0	2	9
5	Cole Custer	3,007	-19	-2	0	2	7
6	Brennan Poole	3,006	-20	-3	0	0	6
7	Ryan Reed	3,005	-21	-4	1	0	5
8	Matt Tifft	3,004	-22	-5	0	0	4

2016 Playoff Race Quick Recap 
Last season’s Playoff race at Kansas Speedway was won by Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Busch led 150 laps of the 200 lap of the event. It was his third consecutive NASCAR XFINITY Series victory at Kansas Speedway. Busch leads the series in wins at Kanas with four wins. The highest finishing 2016 Playoff contender in the event was Elliott Sadler, who finished second.  Elliott Sadler and Daniel Suarez were tied for the Playoff points lead after the 2016 Kansas race.

NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoff Contenders: Round Of 8

The tension continues to heighten with each round in the NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoffs. Below is a look at the eight drivers who are still in contention for a title this weekend:

William Byron (No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet) enters the Round of 8 as the No. 1 seed with 3,026 points. During the Round of 12, he posted one top five and an average finish of 12.3. Byron also accumulated 35 stage points in the Round of 12 – the series-most. Byron will be making his series debut at Kansas this weekend, a track he won at last season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

2017 Performance Stats Rundown

·         Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 95.7 (third-best)

·         Three wins, nine top fives, 18 top 10s and two poles

·         Led 228 laps

·         Average Finish of 11.2

Justin Allgaier (No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet) enters the Round of 8 as the second seed with 3,023 points. During the Round of 12, he posted two top fives and an average finish of 12.7. Allgaier also accumulated 22 stage points in the Round of 12 – the fifth-most in the series. Allgaier has made six series starts at Kansas, posting one top five, four top 10s and an average finish of 8.3. He started fifth and finished 14th in last season’s Playoff race. 

2017 Performance Stats Rundown

·         Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 97.6 (second-best)

·         Two wins, nine top fives, 15 top 10s and one pole

·         Led 495 laps

·         Average Finish of 13.5

Elliott Sadler (No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet) enters the Round of 8 as the third seed with 3,020 points. During the Round of 12, he posted three top 10s and an average finish of 8.3. Sadler has made seven series starts at Kansas, posting three top fives, five top 10s and an average finish of 11.4. In last season’s Kansas Playoff race, he started eighth and finished second. 

2017 Performance Stats Rundown

·         Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 98.4 (series-best)

·         11 top fives, 22 top 10s and one pole

·         Led 123 laps

·         Average Finish of 9.4

Daniel Hemric (No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet) enters the Round of 8 as the fourth seed with 3,009 points. During the Round of 12, he posted three top 10s and an average finish of 6.0 – second-best. Hemric also accumulated 29 stage points in the Round of 12 – the third-most in the series. Hemric will be making his series debut at Kansas this weekend, a track he finished third at in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series last season.

2017 Performance Stats Rundown

·         Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 88.7 (sixth-best)

·         Six top fives, 15 top 10s and one pole

·         Led 70 laps

·         Average Finish of 12.6

Cole Custer (No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford) starts the Round of 8 as the fifth seed with 3,007 points. During the Round of 12, he posted one top five, three top 10s and an average finish of 6.3. Custer also accumulated 32 stage points in the Round of 12 – the second-most in the series. Last season, Custer made his series track debut at Kansas with JR Motorsports; he started 19th and finished 35th due to an incident.

2017 Performance Stats Rundown

·         Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 89.4 (fifth-best)

·         Five top fives and 16 top 10s

·         Led 119 laps

·         Average Finish of 14.1

Brennan Poole (No. 48 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet) enters the Round of 8 as the sixth seed with 3,006 points. During the Round of 12, he posted three top fives (most among Playoff contenders) and an average finish of 4.0 – series-best. Poole has made two series starts at Kanas, posting one top-10 finish. In last season’s Playoff race at Kansas, he started 12th and finished seventh. 

2017 Performance Stats Rundown

·         Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 88.5 (seventh-best)

·         Four top fives, 15 top 10s and one pole

·         Led 14 laps

·         Average Finish of 13.2

Ryan Reed (No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford) starts the Round of 8 as the seventh seed with 3,005 points. During the Round of 12, he posted one top 10 and an average finish of 12.7. Reed has made three series starts at Kansas, posting an average finish of 15.0. In last season’s Playoff race at Kansas, he started 22nd and finished 16th.

2017 Performance Stats Rundown

·         Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 76.7 (ninth-best)

·         One win, two top fives and six top 10s

·         Led 16 laps

·         Average Finish of 18.0

Matt Tifft (No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) starts the Round of 8 as the eighth seed with 3,004 points. During the Round of 12, he posted three top 10s and an average finish of 8.0. Tifft will be making his series track debut this weekend at Kansas, though he is no stranger to the 1.5-mile track. He made two starts there in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, posting a best finish of 14th last season.  

2017 Performance Stats Rundown

·         Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 83.6 (eighth-best)

·         Two top fives and 10 top 10s

·         Led 11 laps

·         Average Finish of 14.3

NASCAR XFINITY Series Etc.

Christopher Bell Hopes To Play Spoiler at Kansas: The recently announced full-time Joe Gibbs Racing NASCAR XFINITY Series driver for 2018, Christopher Bell, is looking to win this weekend at Kansas Speedway and play the spoiler. Series Playoff contenders need a win to advance to Championship 4, but Bell, a full-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver for Kyle Busch Motorsports, is not going for the NXS title this season, and therefore showcasing his skills and getting his first series win are all that matters to upcoming star from Norman, Oklahoma. Bell has made four NASCAR XFINITY Series starts this season for JGR, posting a pole, a top five, two top 10s and an average finish of 11.2. This will be his series track debut at Kansas this Saturday.  

Jennifer Jo Cobb Returns To NASCAR XFINITY Series: BJ McCleod Motorsports will have NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Jennifer Jo Cobb behind the wheel this weekend as she will attempt to make her series season debut at Kansas Speedway. Cobb will become the second female competitor to make a start this season in the NASCAR XFINITY Series alongside Angela Ruch, who made three starts for BJ McCleod Motorsports earlier this year. Jennifer Jo Cobb is from Kansas City, Kansas and has a total of eight series starts at Kansas Speedway in her career, posting an average finish of 29.6. 

Monsters Competing In XFINITY: This weekend the NASCAR XFINITY Series will have six Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers competing in the Kansas Lottery 300 on Saturday, October 21 at 3 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio – Austin Dillon, Ty Dillon, Gray Gaulding, Reed Sorenson, Ryan Blaney and Erik Jones. Interestingly, none of the MENCS drivers entered this weekend are former series race winners at Kansas Speedway. 

NASCAR XFINITY Series And Kansas: The NASCAR XFINITY Series has held 16 races in the state of Kansas and all were at Kansas Speedway. The first series race at Kansas Speedway was on September 29, 2001, and the event was won by former series champion Jeff Green driving the No. 10 Ford for car owner Greg Pollex. … A total of 17 drivers who have made at least one start in a NASCAR national series race have their home state recorded as Kansas. Of the 17 Kansas drivers, only six have made a start in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, led by Clint Bowyer (Emporia) with 181 starts. Bowyer also leads Kansas drivers in series wins with eight.

NXS Race Preview: Drive for The Cure 300 at Charlotte

NASCAR XFINITY Series
Next Race: Drive for The Cure 300 Presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina
The Place: Charlotte Motor Speedway
The Date: Saturday, Oct. 7
The Time: 3 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN, 2:30 p.m. ET
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 300 miles (200 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 45),
Stage 2 (Ends on lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on lap 200)

NXS Charlotte Quick Facts:

Races: 71
Pole Winners: 46
Youngest Pole Winner: Chase Elliott (10/10/2014 - 18 years, 10 months, 12 days)
Oldest Pole Winner: Harry Gant (10/08/1988 - 48 years, 8 months, 28 days)
Race Winners: 34
Youngest Winner: Kyle Busch (05/29/2004 - 19 years, 0 months, 27 days)
Oldest Winner: Harry Gant (10/05/1991 - 51 years, 8 months, 25 days)
Races Won from Pole (or 1st Starting Position): 11
Last Race Won from Pole (or 1st Starting Position): Austin Dillon (10/09/2015)
Race Record: Mark Martin 155.799mph (05/25/1996)
Qualifying Record: Jimmie Johnson 187.735mph (10/14/2005)

NXS News & Notes:

Round Of 12 Cutoff Race: Last Chance For Contenders To Move On In The Playoffs

As the Round of 12 of the NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoffs comes to a close this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, time is of the essence for the 12 contenders to either win their way into the next round or score as many points as possible to secure a spot. Below is the current NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoff standings heading into this weekend for the Drive for the Cure 300 presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina this Saturday, October 7 at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Rank	Driver	Points	Leader	Cutoff	Race Wins	Stage Wins	Playoff Pts
1	Justin Allgaier	2,107	0	54	2	3	23
2	William Byron	2,104	-3	51	3	3	26
3	Elliott Sadler	2,094	-13	41	0	5	20
4	Cole Custer	2,093	-14	40	0	2	7
5	Daniel Hemric	2,090	-17	37	0	2	9
6	Brennan Poole	2,082	-25	29	0	0	6
7	Matt Tifft	2,067	-40	14	0	0	4
8	Ryan Reed	2,055	-52	2	1	0	5
9	Brendan Gaughan	2,053	-54	-2	0	1	3
10	Michael Annett	2,048	-59	-7	0	0	1
11	Blake Koch	2,043	-64	-12	0	2	5
12	Jeremy Clements	2,035	-72	-20	1	0	5

Playoff Contenders In Position To Advance To The Round Of 8
Eight drivers are currently in position to move on to the NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoffs Round of 8. Below is a quick look each driver’s performance at Charlotte and what they will need to do to advance this weekend.

Justin Allgaier (No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet) currently holds the Playoff standings lead with 2,107 Points; 54 points ahead of Brendan Gaughan in the first cutoff spot (ninth in the standings).  Allgaier can clinch a spot in the Round of 8 on points with 3 points and a new winner, otherwise he would clinch on points with 1 point scored.  He can also clinch a spot with a win this weekend. Allgaier has made 14 series starts at Charlotte, posting three top fives, eight top 10s and an average finish of 11.8.

William Byron (No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet) is second in the Playoff standings following Dover with 2,104 points; 51 points ahead of Brendan Gaughan in the first cutoff spot (ninth in the standings). Byron can clinch a spot in the Round of 8 on points this weekend with 7 points and a new winner, otherwise he would clinch on points with 5 points. Byron can also clinch a spot in the next round with a win this weekend. Byron made his series track debut at Charlotte Motor Speedway earlier this season; he started 13th and finished 14th.

Elliott Sadler (No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet) sits third in the Playoff standings with 2,094 points; 41 points ahead of Brendan Gaughan in the first cutoff spot (ninth in the standings). Sadler can clinch a spot in the Round of 8 this weekend on points with 17 points and a new winner, otherwise he would clinch on points with 15 points.  He can also advance with a win this weekend. Sadler has made 21 series starts at Charlotte, posting five top fives, nine top 10s and an average finish of 17.1.

Cole Custer (No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford) sits fourth in the Playoff standings with 2,093 points; 40 points ahead of Brendan Gaughan in the first cutoff spot (ninth in the standings). Custer can clinch a spot in the Round of 8 this weekend on points with 18 points and a new winner, otherwise he would clinch on points with 16 points. He can also advance to the next round with a win this weekend. Custer has made two series starts at Charlotte, posting one top five and two top 10s. His average finish at Charlotte is 5.5.

Daniel Hemric (No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet) is currently fifth in the Playoff standings following Dover with 2,090 points; 37 points ahead of Brendan Gaughan in the first cutoff spot (ninth in the standings). Hemric can clinch a spot in the Round of 8 this weekend on points with 21 points and a new winner, otherwise he would clinch on points with 19 points. Hemric can also advance to the next round with a win this weekend. Hemric made his series track debut at Charlotte earlier this season; he started fourth and finished 13th.

Brennan Poole (No. 48 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet) is sixth in the Playoff standings with 2,082 points; 29 points ahead of Brendan Gaughan in the first cutoff spot (ninth in the standings). Poole can clinch a spot in the Round of 8 this weekend on points with 28 points and a new winner, otherwise he would clinch on points with 26 points. Poole can also clinch a spot in the next round with a win this weekend. Poole has made four starts at Charlotte, posting two top 10s and an average finish of 14.0.

Matt Tifft (No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) is currently seventh in the Playoff standing with 2,067 points; just 14 points ahead of Brendan Gaughan in the first cutoff spot (ninth in the standings). Tifft can clinch a spot in the Round of 8 this weekend on points with 44 points and a new winner, otherwise he would clinch on points with 42 points.  Tifft can also advance to the next round with a win this weekend. Tifft has made two series starts at Charlotte posting one top 10 and an average finish of 17.0.

Ryan Reed (No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford) is currently in the eighth and final transfer spot of the Round of 12 Playoff standings with 2,055 points; just two points ahead of Brendan Gaughan in the first cutoff spot (ninth in the standings). Reed’s best chance to clinch a spot in the Round of 8 this weekend is with a win. Otherwise, he can clinch a spot in the Round of 8 on points with 53 points.  He could also clinch on points with a new winner and help. Reed has made eight series starts at Charlotte posting an average finish of 13.9.

Contenders Outside Playoff Cutoff And Looking In

Charlotte Motor Speedway is the host of the NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoff Round of 12 cutoff race, making this weekend an ‘all or nothing’ scenario for the following Playoff contenders that are currently outside the cutoff to advance to the next round. Below is a quick look at what they will need to do to advance to the Round of 8, and their series career performance at Charlotte.

Brendan Gaughan (No. 62 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet) is currently the first Playoff contender outside the cutoff to advance to the Round of 8, in ninth, with 2,053 points. Gaughan is only two points behind eighth-place Ryan Reed in the final transfer position.  Gaughan can advance with a win, but can only clinch on points with help. Gaughan has made 11 series starts at Charlotte posting one top five, three top 10s and an average finish of 14.4. He finished ninth at Charlotte earlier this season.

Michael Annett (No. 5 JR Motorsports Chevrolet) sits 10th in the NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoff standings with 2,048 points; seven points behind eighth-place Ryan Reed. Annett can advance to the Round of 8 with a win, but can only clinch on points with help. Annett has made 11 series starts at Charlotte posting two top 10s and an average finish of 20.0.

Blake Koch (No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet) is 11th in the NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoff standings with 2,043 points; 12 points behind eighth-place Ryan Reed in the final transfer position. Koch can advance to the Round of 8 with a win, but will need help to clinch on points.  Koch has made eight series starts at Charlotte posting an average finish of 23.9. Koch posted his career-best finish at Charlotte (12th) in last season’s Playoff race, ultimately advancing him to the next round.

Jeremy Clements (No. 51 Jeremy Clements Racing Chevrolet) is currently ranked 12th in the NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoff standings with 2,035 points; 20 points behind eighth-place Ryan Reed in the final transfer position. Clements is not out of it yet, he can advance with a win, and still could clinch on points with help. Clements has made 18 series starts at Charlotte posting an average finish of 21.8.

NASCAR Fitness Challenge At NASCAR Hall of Fame

Racing doesn’t end on the track as athletes from top teams in NASCAR will go head-to-head in the NASCAR Fitness Challenge powered by Lilly Diabetes for charity Wednesday on the NASCAR Hall of Fame Plaza. Among the more than 50 participants are NASCAR XFINITY Series driver Ryan Reed, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Michael McDowell, former Wake Forest University defensive lineman and current jack man at Joe Gibbs Racing Nate Bolling, as well as rear tire carrier on Germain Racing’s No. 13 and former Bowling Green linebacker Paul Swan.

NASCAR XFINITY Series Etc.:

Angela Ruch Returns: Angela Ruch is the only female competitor to make a start in the NASCAR XFINITY Series this season, and is returning this weekend to attempt to qualify for the Drive for the Cure 300 presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It will be her third start of the season for B.J. McLeod Motorsports in the No. 78 Chevrolet. Though Ruch’s average finish is a 31.0, in each of her first two starts at Kentucky earlier this season she has posted positive place differentials of +10 and +3. Ruch is one of seven women all-time to compete at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the NASCAR XFINITY Series; the other six female competitors were Patty Moise, Danica Patrick, Johanna Long, Shawna Robinson, Jennifer Jo Cobb and Tammy Jo Kirk.

Sunoco Rookie of the Year Standings Update Following Dover: William Byron holds the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings lead with 286 points, and has a 40-point gap between himself and Daniel Hemric in second with 246 points. Cole Custer is currently third in the rookie standings with 229 points; followed by Matt Tifft (200), Spencer Gallagher (137) and Ben Kennedy (134). This weekend the rookies will showcase their skills at Charlotte where Custer leads the young pack with an average finish of 5.5; followed by Hemric (13.0), Byron (14.0), Tifft (17.0), Kennedy (25.0) and Gallagher (30.0).

Monster Energy Drivers To Watch For: This weekend there will be eight Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers attempting to qualify for the Drive for the Cure 300 presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina this Saturday at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio – Austin Dillon, Ty Dillon, Reed Sorenson, Daniel Suarez, Erik Jones, Ryan Blaney, Corey LaJoie, and Alex Bowman are all entered. Ryan Blaney will looking to make it two in a row after winning at Dover last weekend. The Drive for the Cure 300 will be Alex Bowman’s series season debut this weekend, and his team debut with Chip Ganassi Racing; driving the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet.

NXS Race Preview: Virginia529 College Savings 250 at Richmond

NASCAR XFINITY Series
Next Race: Virginia529 College Savings 250
The Place: Richmond Raceway
The Date: Friday, Sept. 8
The Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN, 7 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 187.5 miles (250 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 75),
Stage 2 (Ends on lap 150), Final Stage (Ends on lap 250)

NXS Richmond Quick Facts
Races: 67
Pole Winners: 36
Youngest Pole Winner: Kyle Busch (05/14/2004 - 19 years, 0 months, 12 days)
Oldest Pole Winner: Harry Gant (09/10/1988 - 48 years, 8 months, 0 days)
Race Winners: 33
Youngest Winner: Kyle Busch (05/14/2004 - 19 years, 0 months, 12 days)
Oldest Winner: Harry Gant (03/07/1992 - 52 years, 1 months, 26 days)
Races Won from Pole (or 1st Starting Position): 14
Last Race Won from Pole (or 1st Starting Position): Denny Hamlin (04/24/2015)
Race Record: Denny Hamlin 108.415mph (04/29/2011)
Qualifying Record: Kyle Busch 129.348mph (05/14/2004)

NASCAR XFINITY Series

Two Races To Go And Plenty Of XFINITY Playoff Spots To Fight For

Following the 24th race of the 2017 NASCAR XFINITY Series season at Darlington Raceway, six drivers – William Byron, Justin Allgaier, Ryan Reed, Elliott Sadler, Brennan Poole and Daniel Hemric - have all clinched a spot in the postseason on either wins or points.

Though Jeremy Clements has a win, he has not yet clinched a Playoffs spot because he hasn’t clinched a top 20 spot in the standings. Clements is currently 18th in the standings, 101 points ahead of 21st, and can still possibly fall out of top 20 in the next two races.  If Clements was to fall out of the top 20 in the standings, even though he has a win, he would be ineligible for the postseason. Clements can lock himself into the top 20 and the playoffs with 17 points this weekend. 

Rank	Driver	Race Wins	Playoff Pts	Pts	Pts from Cutoff
1	William Byron	3	17
2	Justin Allgaier	1	8
3	Ryan Reed	1	5
4	Jeremy Clements	1	5
5	Elliott Sadler	0	5
6	Brennan Poole	0	0
7	Daniel Hemric	0	2
8	Cole Custer	0	0	590	123
9	Matt Tifft	0	0	558	91
10	Blake Koch	0	2	511	44
11	Michael Annett	0	0	490	23
12	Brendan Gaughan	0	1	487	20
13	Dakoda Armstrong	0	0	467	-20
14	Ross Chastain	0	0	432	-55
15	JJ Yeley	0	0	429	-58
16	Ryan Sieg	0	0	413	-74
17	Brandon Jones	0	0	388	-99

With two races to go and several NASCAR XFINITY Series playoff spots still up for grabs in Friday night’s Virginia529 College Savings 250 at Richmond Raceway (on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio at 7:30 p.m. ET) here are the clinch scenarios for this weekend.

Cole Custer (0 Wins, 590 Points, +316 Points Ahead of 21st) – Custer can clinch on points with 11 points and a new winner.  If there is a repeat winner, he would then clinch on points with eight points. He can also clinch a playoff spot with a win.

Custer has made two series starts at Richmond, posting one top 10 and an average finish of 9.5.

Matt Tifft (0 Wins, 558 Points, +284 Points Ahead of 21st) – Tifft can clinch on points with 43 points and a new winner.  If there is a repeat winner, he would then clinch on points with 40 points.  He can also clinch a playoff spot with a win.

Tifft has made two series starts at Richmond, posting a best finish of 14th earlier this season. His average finish at RIR is 23.5.

Blake Koch (0 Wins, 511 Points, +237 Points Ahead of 21st) – Koch can clinch a spot with a win. He could also clinch on points, but would need help.

Koch has made 12 career starts at Richmond posting one top 10 and an average finish of 24.2.

Michael Annett (0 Wins, 490 Points, +216 Points Ahead of 21st) – Annett can clinch a spot in the playoffs with a win. He can also clinch on points with a repeat winner and help.

Annett has made 10 series starts at Richmond posting one top five, three top 10s and an average finish of 16.6.

Brendan Gaughan (0 Wins, 487 Points, +213 Points Ahead of 21st) – Gaughan can only clinch a spot in the playoffs this weekend with a win.

Gaughan has made 11 series starts at Richmond posting two top 10s and an average finish of 18.0.

The remaining drivers in contention to make the NASCAR XFINITY Series playoffs can only clinch a spot in the postseason this weekend with a win:

Dakoda Armstrong (0 Wins, 467 Points, +193 Points Ahead of 21st)
Ross Chastain (0 Wins, 432 Points, +158 Points Ahead of 21st)
JJ Yeley (0 Wins, 429 Points, +155 Points Ahead of 21st)
Ryan Sieg (0 Wins, 413 Points, +139 Points Ahead of 21st)
Brandon Jones (0 Wins, 388 Points, +114 Points Ahead of 21st)

Impossible to Clinch: Joey Gase (0 Wins, 274 Points, 13 Points Behind 20th In Points) - Even with a win, he would not clinch a Top 20 spot, so he cannot clinch a Playoff berth at Richmond.  If he can't clinch a Top 20 with a win, no driver below him in the standings could clinch either.

Outside Looking In: JGL Racing’s Dakoda Armstrong Has Two Races Left To Make The Playoffs

JR Motorsport’s Michael Annett and Richard Childress Racing’s Brendan Gaughan have no room for mistakes in the next two races as JGL Racing’s Dakoda Armstrong is within striking distance of knocking one of two from the Playoffs in the upcoming final two races of the regular season (Richmond and Chicago).

Armstrong is currently 13th in the series driver standings, the first spot outside the Playoffs, a mere 23 points back from Michael Annett and just 20 points behind Brendan Gaughan in the final postseason spot heading into this weekend’s race the Virginia529 College Savings 250 (Sept. 8 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Richmond Raceway.

Armstrong has made seven series starts at Richmond, recording one top 10. Richmond is one of Armstrong’s better tracks and battling for the final Playoff spot could get interesting this weekend as all three drivers have fairly similar average finishes at RIR – Annett (16.6), Armstrong (16.8) and Gaughan (18.0).

Virginian Elliott Sadler Comes Home To Lock-Up Regular Season Title

JR Motorsport’s Elliott Sadler, from Emporia, Virginia, returns to his home state hoping to not only get his first win of the 2017 season, but also lock up the NASCAR XFINITY Series Regular Season championship this Friday at Richmond Raceway in the Virginia529 College Savings 250. To clinch the regular season title, Sadler will need a 61-point lead over second-place in the driver standings following Richmond; he is currently 91 points ahead of second.

The NASCAR XFINITY Series Regular Season championship is more than just an accomplishment with a title, it also comes with 15 playoff points; which equals three wins’ worth of playoff points to take to the postseason.

Though Sadler has yet to win in 2017, he has been a dominant competitor on the track. Not only has he posted the series-most in top fives (9) and top 10s (17), but he has also been the points leader following every race but two this season.

Sadler is not only looking for his first win of the season, but also his first win of his career at Richmond Raceway. In 28 series career starts at Richmond, he has posted four top fives, 13 top 10s and an average finish of 13.8.  He finished seventh in the spring race earlier this season.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Leads A Cavalcade Of Stars Competing In The Virginia529 College Savings 250

The sport’s most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and five other Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series competitors - Paul Menard, Ty Dillon, Reed Sorenson, Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski – will be pulling double duty this weekend at Richmond Raceway in the Virginia529 College Savings 250.

Earnhardt Jr. has been quite successful at Richmond in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. In six series career starts, he has four wins (2016 spring, ’02 fall, ’99 fall and ’98 fall), five top fives and an average finish of 6.3. Among drivers with multiple series wins at Richmond, Earnhardt Jr. has the highest winning percentage at 66.7%; followed by Harry Gant with a 36.4% winning percentage after winning four races in 11 starts at Richmond. Earnhardt will be driving the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet with crew chief Scott Radel.

Joining Earnhardt this weekend is the series’ all-time winningest driver and defending Richmond Fall race winner, Kyle Busch (91 wins), who returns to Richmond Raceway looking to tie Kevin Harvick (seven victories) for the series-most wins at the track. In 21 series starts at Richmond, Busch has posted six wins (2016 fall, 2014 fall, 2011 fall, 2009 spring, 2007 fall and 2004 spring), 15 top fives, 18 top 10s and an average finish of 5.5. Three of his six wins came from the pole. He hasn’t finished worse than fourth in his last seven series starts at Richmond.

Brad Keselowski is also a former Richmond Raceway winner who will be pulling double duty this weekend. He has made 16 starts at Richmond posting three wins (2013 sweep, 2010 Spring), eight top fives and nine top 10s.

Post-Race Fast Facts: Zippo 200

Race Fast Facts
Watkins Glen International
23rd Annual Zippo 200 at The Glen

Race Winner: Kyle Busch
Age: 32
Team: No. 18 - NOS Rowdy Toyota
Owner: J.D. Gibbs
Crew Chief: Eric Phillips

Kyle Busch won the 23rd Annual Zippo 200 at The Glen, his 90th victory in 336 NASCAR XFINITY Series races. This is his fourth victory and seventh top-10 finish in 2017. This is his first victory and seventh top-10 finish in ten races at Watkins Glen International.

Joey Logano (second) posted his seventh top-10 finish in ten races at Watkins Glen International. It is his seventh top-10 finish in 2017.

Brad Keselowski (third) posted his eighth top-10 finish in nine races at Watkins Glen International.

William Byron (10th) was the highest finishing rookie.

Elliott Sadler leads the point standings by 52 points over William Byron #.

NXS Race Preview: U.S. Cellular 250 at Iowa

NASCAR XFINITY Series
Next Race: U.S. Cellular 250
The Place: Iowa Speedway
The Date: Saturday, July 29
The Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBC, 3 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 218.75 miles (250 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 60),
Stage 2 (Ends on lap 120), Final Stage (Ends on lap 250)

NXS Quick Facts:

Races: 15
Pole Winners: 9
Youngest Pole Winner: Trevor Bayne (07/31/2010 - 19 years, 5 months, 12 days)
Oldest Pole Winner: Elliott Sadler (08/04/2012 - 37 years, 3 months, 5 days)
Race Winners: 10
Youngest Winner: William Byron (06/24/2017 - 19 years, 5 months, 26 days)
Oldest Winner: Elliott Sadler (08/04/2012 - 37 years, 3 months, 5 days)
Races Won from Pole (or 1st Starting Position): 1
Last Race Won from Pole (or 1st Starting Position): Elliott Sadler (08/04/2012)
Race Record: Elliott Sadler 115.622mph (08/04/2012)
Qualifying Record: Austin Dillon 136.737mph (06/09/2013)

NXS News & Notes:

JR Motorsport’s Rising Star William Byron Returns To Iowa Looking For The Sweep

JR Motorsport’s William Byron is quickly becoming one of the most popular rising stars in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, and this weekend the young juggernaut returns to Iowa Speedway looking to become just the second driver in series history to sweep both Iowa Speedway races in a single season; joining former series champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (who won three straight - 2011 sweep and 2012 June race).

Byron broke into the win column for the first time in his NASCAR XFINITY Series career when he first visited Iowa back in June. Since then the 19-year-old from Charlotte, North Carolina has added two more wins to his resume – at Daytona International Speedway (July race) and last weekend’s victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

"I haven’t seen a driver win in everything he gets in like (William) Byron is doing right now since Jeff Gordon," said NBC analyst and former driver Kyle Petty following Byron’s victory at Indianapolis.

The high praise isn’t surprising considering the Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender has posted one pole, three wins, seven top fives, 12 top 10s and an average finish of 9.5 in 18 NASCAR XFINITY Series starts this season. But to put his ascension into success in even more perspective, consider this: In 42 NASCAR national series starts he has 10 wins (three NXS, seven NCWTS) – a 23.8% winning percentage (tied with Greg Biffle for the ninth-most wins all-time in a driver’s first 42 NASCAR national series starts).

Byron is not only exceptional on track, he also understands what it took to get where he is. 

"Great people," said Byron. "You have got to have good people around you, and Rudy Fugle (Byron’s crew chief last season in the NCWTS) is a pretty awesome guy, and he taught me a lot last year. We had a really good combination, and we took what we learned and applied it to this year and Dave (Elenz, this season’s NXS crew chief) is excellent. Dave is a great engineer and great crew chief that makes excellent pit strategy calls. I feel like we are starting to get that confidence up between the two of us, and that is starting to lead to a lot of success," Byron said.   

This weekend will be Byron’s second series start at Iowa Speedway, in his series track debut earlier this season on the 0.875-mile track, he started sixth, led 78 laps and won with a driver rating of 131.2.

If Byron pulls off the sweep this weekend at Iowa, he will be one win closer to the series’ rookie season record for wins of five; held by Greg Biffle (2001), Carl Edwards (2005) and Kyle Busch (2004). Erik Jones posted four wins in his rookie season last year.

NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoffs Are Inching Ever Closer

Another weekend in the books, and now the NASCAR XFINITY Series turns to Iowa Speedway for the U.S. Cellular 250 Presented by American Ethanol (Saturday, July 29 at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio); which means just eight races are left for the championship contending drivers to guarantee themselves a spot in the post-season.

Rk	Driver	Points	Race Wins	Playoff Pts	Pts from Cutoff
1	William Byron	625	3	17	311
2	Justin Allgaier	532	1	7	218
3	Ryan Reed	408	1	5	94
4	Elliott Sadler	665	0	5	351
5	Brennan Poole	473	0	0	159
6	Daniel Hemric	458	0	1	144
7	Cole Custer	435	0	0	121
8	Matt Tifft	414	0	0	100
9	Dakoda Armstrong	368	0	0	54
10	Michael Annett	367	0	0	53
11	Blake Koch	344	0	1	30
12	Brendan Gaughan	329	0	1	15
13	Ryan Sieg	314	0	0	-15

Regular Season Winners

Three series contenders have posted wins this season. Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender William Byron has tallied three victories (Iowa-1, Daytona-2 and Indianapolis) this season, and currently holds the No. 1 seed in the NASCAR XFINITY Series playoffs.

Byron’s JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier (won at Phoenix) and Roush Fenway Racing’s Ryan Reed (season-opening victory at Daytona) are the other two title contenders with regular season wins this season. 

Earlier this season at Iowa Speedway (July) - Byron won, Allgaier finished ninth and Reed finished 19th.

Winless Playoff Contenders

Elliott Sadler leads the cavalcade of nine drivers who are currently winless in the 2017 regular season, but are trying to hang on to their playoff contention with their driver standings points.  All nine drivers are looking for their first win of the season this weekend at Iowa Speedway. Of the nine, Sadler is the only former Iowa winner (2012 from the pole). 

·         Elliott Sadler (No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet) currently has the largest sum of points (351) separating himself and the playoff cutoff (13th position in the points). Sadler has made 13 starts at Iowa, posting three poles, one win (2012), seven top fives and 13 top 10s. His average finish on the 0.875-mile track is a stellar 5.4.

·         Brennan Poole (No. 48 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet) has the second biggest points cushion (159) ahead of 13th in the driver standings following Indianapolis. Poole has made five starts at Iowa, posting one top five and two top 10s.

·         Daniel Hemric (No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet) currently sits 144 points ahead of 13th in the driver standings following Indianapolis. Hemric made his series track debut at Iowa earlier this season; starting 11th and finishing 21st.

·         Cole Custer (No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford) is currently 121 points ahead of 13th in the driver standings after the 18th race of the season. Custer made his series track debut earlier this season at Iowa starting 24th and finishing 24th. 

·         Matt Tifft (No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) has a 100-point cushion over 13th in the driver standings following Indianapolis. Tifft also made his series track debut at Iowa earlier this season, starting ninth and finishing 22nd.

·         Dakoda Armstrong (No. 28 JGL Racing Toyota) is just 54 points ahead of 13th in the driver standings following Indianapolis. Armstrong has made seven series starts at Iowa posting two top fives and an average finish of 15.1.

·         Michael Annett (No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet) is just 53 points ahead of 13th in the driver standings following Indianapolis. Annett has made nine series starts at Iowa posting one top five, three top 10s and an average finish of 12.1. 

·         Blake Koch (No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet) is a mere 30 points ahead of 13th in the driver standings following Indianapolis. Koch has made 12 series starts at Iowa posting an average finish of 26.7.

·         Brendan Gaughan (No. 62 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet) currently holds the final playoff spot by just 15 points over Ryan Sieg in the 13th position. Gaughan has made 11 starts at Iowa, posting one top five, three top 10s and an average finish of 15.4.

Quick Facts: NASCAR And Iowa

This weekend’s U.S. Cellular 250 Presented by American Ethanol (Saturday, July 29 at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) will be the 16th running of the event at Iowa Speedway. The state of Iowa has been very welcoming to NASCAR, and here are some of the highlights and quick facts about the two over the years.

In total, there have been 27 NASCAR national series races held in the state of Iowa (MENCS 1, NXS 15 and NCWTS 11).

The very first NASCAR national series race held in the state of Iowa was a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race on August 2, 1953 at Davenport Speedway in Davenport, Iowa. The 200-lap race was won by Herb Thomas in a Hudson. The event still is the only Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race held in the state of Iowa.

The first of 15 NASCAR XFINITY Series races held in the state of Iowa was on August 1, 2009 at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa. Brad Keselowski won the inaugural event driving for JR Motorsports (Chevrolet).  Every NASCAR XFINITY Series event held in the state of Iowa has been at Iowa Speedway.

Iowan Drivers In NASCAR

A total of 30 drivers that have made at least one start in a NASCAR national series have their home state recorded as Iowa. 25 of the 30 (83.3%) Iowan drivers have made at least one start in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.  Only eight of the 30 Iowan drivers have made a start in the NASCAR XFINITY Series; led by Michael Annett with 181 starts. Seven of the 30 Iowan drivers have competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Of the 30 drivers, only three have won in NASCAR national series competition; none in the NASCAR XFINITY Series – Dick Hutcherson from Keokuk, Iowa has 14 MENCS wins; Johnny Beauchamp from Harlan, Iowa has one MENCS win and Brett Moffitt from Grimes, Iowa has one NCWTS win.

Three Iowa natives will be attempting to compete this weekend: Michael Annett (Des Moines), Brett Moffit (Grimes) and Joey Gase (Cedar Rapids) are entered in Saturday’s race.

Iowa Speedway Is The Perfect Stage For A Series Part-Timer

Several series part-timers will try their hand at taking the checkered flag in Iowa.

Richard Childress Racing:
Brian Scott returns from a six-month retirement to make his season series debut in the No. 3 RCR Chevrolet with crew chief Matt Swiderski this weekend at Iowa. Scott’s last NASCAR XFINITY Series start was at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2015; where he started, and finished, fourth. He has made 11 series starts at Iowa, posting two top fives, five top 10s and an average finish of 12.6.  

Ben Kennedy, great-grandson of Bill France Sr. and grandson to Bill France Jr., will be making his 10th start of the season this weekend at Iowa and his fifth for Richard Childress Racing in 2017. Kennedy has made two career series starts at Iowa posting one top 10 and an average finish 15.0.  Kennedy started 21st and finished 20th at Iowa for RCR earlier this season. Kennedy will be strapping into the No. 3 RCR Chevrolet this weekend at Iowa with crew chief Randall Burnett. 

Joe Gibbs Racing:
Ryan Preece returns to the series for his second start of the season for Joe Gibbs Racing. Preece’s series season debut at New Hampshire a few weeks ago was quite impressive, as he started sixth and finished runner-up to the series wins leader Kyle Busch. Preece has two series starts at Iowa driving for Johnny Davis, but both resulted in incidents relegating him to finishes outside the top 30. Preece will be in the No. 20 JGR Toyota with crew chief Chris Gabehart this weekend.

Kyle Benjamin is also back, hoping to get a solid finish this weekend as his first three results don’t show how well the young talent has been running this season. With an average starting position of 1.7, but an average finish of 26.3, Benjamin is looking for his first good finish and is hoping Iowa Speedway will give it to him.  Earlier this season, Benjamin qualified second at Iowa, but was caught in an accident that put him nine laps down and ultimately relegated him to a 31st-place finish. Benjamin will be in the No. 18 JGR Toyota with crew chief Eric Phillips this weekend.

Team Penske:
Sam Hornish Jr. heads to Iowa with the best chance of winning amongst the series part-timers this weekend. Hornish has made 10 series starts at Iowa, posting two wins (2014, 2016), six top fives, seven top 10s and an average finish of 9.4. He will be in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford with crew chief Greg Erwin this weekend.

Chip Ganassi Racing:
Tyler Reddick has made 10 starts this season, posting one top five and three top 10s driving the No. 42 CGR Chevrolet. Reddick made his series track debut at Iowa earlier this season and, in impressive fashion, drove from a 15th starting position to a third-place finish (his only top-five finish of 2017). Reddick will be working with crew chief Mike Shiplett this weekend.

Roush Fenway Racing:
Ty Majeski will be making his second start of the season for Roush Fenway Racing at Iowa Speedway this weekend. Majeski made his series debut at Iowa earlier this season in the No. 60 Roush Fenway Racing Ford, starting 10th but was caught in an accident that forced him finish 34th. Majeski will be working with Seth Barbour as crew chief.