The NASCAR Xfinity Series moves to one of the country’s most iconic road courses, Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisc. for Saturday afternoon’s Henry 180 (12 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) with nine races remaining to set the 12-driver Playoff field.
Historically the road course races have been a competitive highlight on the Xfinity Series schedule and as often the case, a group of “ringers” or road course experts such as 2013 Elkhart Lake race winner A.J. Allmendinger and IMSA champion Andy Lally are entered among a field of Xfinity championship seekers that have noticeably raised their own road course game with each passing season.
Defending race winner Christopher Bell is now a NASCAR Cup Series rookie leaving only three former winners in Saturday’s field – Justin Allgaier (2018), Jeremy Clements (2017) and Allmendinger (2013).
The Xfinity Series championship leaders – five-race winner Chase Briscoe and four-race winner Austin Cindric, former Elkhart Lake winner Allgaier and two-race winner Noah Gragson have proven themselves especially top-line on road courses. Briscoe already has a win on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and Cindric won two of the series’ four road course races in 2019.
And with no practice or qualifying in 2020, experience will be key.
Certainly, Cindric’s recent work – three wins and a runner-up finish in the last four races – combined with his road course prowess makes him a well-deserved favorite. He was runner-up to Bell last year at Elkhart Lake after winning back-to-back road course races at Watkins Glen, N.Y. and Mid-Ohio. The 21-year old led laps in all four 2019 road course races (also including the Charlotte ROVAL in the Playoffs). He finished fifth at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course this year after a thrilling final laps battle with Allmendinger. The driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford arrives in Elkhart Lake with a four-point edge over Briscoe atop the standings.
The Indiana-native Briscoe, however, has certainly raised his own road course game. He earned his first road course victory at Indy overtaking the dueling Allmendinger-Cindric duo with a dramatic pass with two laps remaining. There’s every reason to believe that kind of must-see action will return this weekend. His five wins are most in the series and with Cindric’s recent rise, especially, Road America looks to be a fantastic match between the season’s two title favorites. Briscoe, driver of the No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, scored top-10 finishes in all four road course tests last year. And he is in the midst of a strong run – finishing first or second in four of the last six races.
The veteran Allgaier is also poised to play a big role in any road course event. He’s earned five top-10 finishes in the last six races at Elkhart Lake, including a runner-up finish in 2013 to complement his 2018 victory.
He also finished top-10 in all four road course races last year with a best of third at Watkins Glen. A hard-luck 2020 has frustrated the driver of the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, but despite it all he’s scored top-10 finishes in five of the last six races. He was fourth at the season’s first road course race at Indianapolis. A win this week would certainly be the perfect uptick for the team’s title outlook.
“I’m really looking forward to heading to Road America and getting back to some road course racing,” said Allgaier, who won two of the series road course races in 2018.
“This BRANDT Professional Agriculture team continues to put together fast Camaros each week and we’ve proven to be really strong on road courses over the years. There are definitely some guys each week who will be tough to beat, but if we can avoid the chaos and keep our car on the track, we’ll have a great shot at battling for the win.”
Source: Holly Cain | NASCAR Wire Service
