Editor’s Note: This story was written prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
CONCORD, N.C. — The NASCAR Xfinity Series is perhaps the most interesting of NASCAR’s three national touring divisions as of this writing.
The three drivers who have dominated the series the last two seasons — Tyler Reddick, Christopher Bell and Cole Custer — have all graduated to the NASCAR Cup Series. As a result, the battle for supremacy in the NASCAR Xfinity Series is as wide open as it has been in years.
Three potential stars found victory lane in the first three races of the season — Noah Gragson at Florida’s Daytona Int’l Speedway, Chase Briscoe at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and rookie Harrison Burton at California’s Auto Club Speedway.
Gragson’s victory in the opener at Daytona was the Nevada driver’s firstin the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Driving for JR Motorsports, many have identified Gragson as a top contender for the series championship.
In order to meet those expectations, Gragson will have to race at the front of the field on a regular basis. Last year, he didn’t do that, only earning nine top-five finishes. A win at Daytona is a good way to start, but he’ll need to do more winning — especially at the intermediate tracks — to be a contender.
Briscoe’s win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was his third series victory. Driving for Stewart-Haas Racing, Briscoe has had flashes of brilliance in the last few seasons, though he has never truly established himself as a contender. This could be the year for the 2016 ARCA Menards Series champion.
Briscoe was among the most consistent drivers in the Xfinity Series last year, earning 13 top-five results and 26 top-10 finishes in addition to a victory. He’ll need to step up his performance even more if he hopes to continue his rise up the ranks.
Burton’s victory at Auto Club Speedway, in some ways, could be considered a surprise. He underperformed last year in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series while driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports, going winless and missing the playoffs.
However, a victory in the third race of the year at Auto Club Speedway could serve as a preview of things to come for the 19-year-old second-generation racer. Driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, Burton will need to perform in order to keep his seat. If he doesn’t, there is no doubt JGR and Toyota will look for someone who can do the job. With that said, Burton’s off to a very strong start.
There are a number of other drivers who could take the proverbial brass ring this year, including Austin Cindric, Brandon Jones, Ross Chastain, Riley Herbst and Justin Allgaier.
Cindric got his first two Xfinity Series victories last year on the road courses at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) Int’l and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. While that’s a great first step, it’s no secret Cindric is a road course expert. If he hopes to have any shot at being a championship contender, he’ll have to find a way to win on the ovals.
Jones also earned his first Xfinity Series victory last season. He’s the senior driver on a very young Joe Gibbs Racing Xfinity Series roster, meaning he should be the man to lead the team. However, much like the previously mentioned Gragson, Jones will need to race his way to the front more frequently if he hopes to be a regular visitor to victory lane.
Chastain is one of the hottest young talents in NASCAR. He has two Xfinity Series victories to his credit in addition to the three Truck Series races he won a year ago. He’s driving for Kaulig Racing for the entire season, which gives him his best shot to date at the series title.
Herbst is a teammate to Burton and Jones at Joe Gibbs Racing. Other than an ARCA win at Pocono Raceway in 2017, Herbst has flown under the radar during his young career. He was impressive at Auto Club Speedway early this year, finishing second to Burton, but the real question will be if the rookie can consistently run at the front.
Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, we have the elder statesman of the Xfinity Series, Allgaier. The 11-time series race winner is part of the JR Motorsports stable and from an experience standpoint, he has the upper hand on most of his younger counterparts. But can he turn that experience into results?
The departure of Reddick, Bell and Custer from the Xfinity Series also opens the door for drivers from smaller teams to make some noise. One of those is Ryan Sieg and the RSS Racing team.
Early this year, Sieg scored a pair of top-five finishes — a third-place effort at Las Vegas and a fourth-place result at Auto Club Speedway. The third-place run in Vegas was particularly impressive as he battled for the lead late in the race before settling for the show money. Don’t be surprised if he wins a race this year.
Which of these drivers will emerge as the man to beat this year in the NASCAR Xfinity Series? Stay tuned.