The NASCAR XFINITY Series rolls into the Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend for the Drive for the Cure 300 presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina. After this race, four drivers will be eliminated from the NXS playoffs and eight others will advance for another three-race challenge.
Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina will host it’s 72nd NXS race on Saturday. Of the 34 different winners here, Kyle Busch (5/2004, 18 years of age) has been the youngest and Harry Gant (10/1991, 51 years of age) has been the oldest. 11 times a NXS race has been won from the pole on this 1.5-mile tri-oval, with the last being Austin Dillon in October of 2015. The race record was set by Mark Martin in 1996 (155.799 mph). The qualifying record is held by Jimmie Johnson (187.735 mph), who set the record in 2005.
The round of 12 of the NASCAR XFINITY Series playoffs will come to a close with the conclusion of Saturday’s race. The 12 title contenders must gain as many points as possible or get a win to secure their spot in the round of 8.
Here is a brief look at how each of the 12 championship challengers hopes shape up going into the Drive for the Cure 300 presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina:
Justin Allgaier (2,107) – Justin currently holds a 54 point cushion over the driver holding the current cutoff position. Allgaier has an average finishing position of 11.8 in 14 series starts here in Charlotte. The driver of the JRM No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro can clinch a spot in the round of 8 with a win, scoring three points if there is a new winner or by scoring one point if there is no new winner.
William Byron (2,104) – William is currently in second place, 51 points above the driver currently in the cutoff position. Byron will need to pilot the No. 9 JRM Chevrolet Camaro to a win, seven points if there is a new winner and five points if there is no new winner to advance to the round of 8.
Elliott Sadler (2,094) – Holding third place, Sadler sits 41 points above the driver currently in the cutoff position. A win would automatically advance the driver of the No. 1 JRM Chevrolet Camaro to the round of 8, as would scoring 17 points if there is a new winner or scoring 15 points if there isn’t one. Elliott has a 17.1 average finishing position in 21 series starts in the NXS.
Cole Custer (2,093) – In fourth place is Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Cole Custer. He has the No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang 40 points ahead of the driver currently in the cutoff position. Cole can clinch a spot in the round of 8 by scoring 18 points with a new winner, 16 points without a new winner or by winning the race himself. Custer has two starts at Charlotte in the series with an average finish of 5.5.
Daniel Hemric (2,090) – The driver of the No. 21 RCR Chevrolet Camaro currently holds down the fifth position. He can advance by winning Saturday, scoring 21 points with a new winner or scoring 19 points with no new winner. Daniel is 29 points ahead of the driver in the cutoff position. Hemric started fourth and finished 13th in his only Charlotte start, which came this past spring.
Brennan Poole (2,082) – Poole sits 29 points ahead of the driver currently in the cutoff position. Brennan could secure a spot in the round of 8 by scoring 28 points if there is a new winner, 26 points if there isn’t or by winning the race himself. The driver of the No. 48 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet Camaro has four starts at CMS with an average finishing position of 14.0.
Matt Tifft – (2,067) – Just 14 points ahead of the driver in the cutoff position, Matt will need to win, score 44 points if there is a new winner or score 42 points if there is no new winner. Driving the No. 19 JGR Toyota Camry, Tifft has an average finish of 17.0 in two career Charlotte starts.
Ryan Reed (2,055) – Reed is only two points ahead of the driver currently in the cutoff position. The most likely scenarios for Reed to advance to the round of 8 are for him to win or to score 53 points. If there is a new winner, Ryan and the No. 16 Roush-Fenway Racing Team would need help from others currently ahead of him in the standings to advance. Reed’s eight series starts at CMS have resulted in an average finish of 13.9.
Brendan Gaughan (2,053) – Brendan currently holds the first position to be eliminated after the round of 12 is complete. The driver of he No.62 RCR Chevrolet Camaro is just two points for a position to advance. A win is Gaughan’s best shot at advancing, but help from tose ahead of him in the standings could get him above the cut line. Brendan has an average finish of 14.4 in 11 series starts at Charlotte.
Michael Annett (2,048) – The driver of the No. 5 JRM Chevrolet Camaro is 7 points behind the cutoff line. He needs help from those above him, or a win Saturday, to advance. Michael has 11 NXS starts at Charlotte, resulting in an average finish of 20.0.
Blake Koch (2,043) – Blake is currently in 11th place, just 12 points behind eighth place. The driver of the No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet Camaro will advance with a win, but could also advance if the drivers ahead of him in the standings can provide a lot of help. Koch has an average finish of 23.9 in eight series starts at this track.
Jeremy Clements (2,035) – Clements sits in the 12th spot in the playoffs, leaving him 20 points behind the driver in the last current advancing position. Clements would need to pilot his No. 51 Jeremy Clements Racing Chevrolet Camaro to a win to advance. Jeremy has an extremely small chance of advancing on points, given that he receives a tremendous amount of help from those currently ahead of him in the standings. In his 18 career NXS starts at CMS, Clements has an average finishing position of 21.8.
The NASCAR XFINITY Series competes in the Race for the Cure 300 presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina on Saturday, October 7th at 3 p.m. ET (NBSSN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
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