With 11 races remaining in the NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season and five Playoff-eligible positions still to be decided, Saturday’s SciApps 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (3:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) could play a big role in setting the title vibe.
Only two drivers in the field – Justin Allgaier and NASCAR Cup Series regular Christopher Bell – have won at New Hampshire previously. Allgaier scored his win in 2022 and has an impressive nine top-10 finishes in 12 starts and hasn’t finished worse than seventh since 2018. The driver of the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet is fourth in the championship with a victory at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.
Bell, a two-time winner in the NASCAR Cup Series this season, is looking to improve on an already stellar Magic Mile resume – winning the Xfinity race in all three of his starts (2018, 2019 and 2021). He will be driving the No. 20 Toyota this weekend for his NASCAR Cup Series team, Joe Gibbs Racing.
Saturday’s race marks a chance at redemption for JGR’s Chandler Smith, who finished runner-up last year at New Hampshire. The JGR team has won seven of the last eight races, including John Hunter Nemechek’s victory last season. Smith is one of four drivers with two wins this season and sits only a single-point behind championship leader Cole Custer in the standings.
The reigning series champion Custer, driver of the No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, is still competing for his first win of the year, but certainly has a good history at this New England track. He became the youngest winner in NASCAR’s national series history (16 years, 7 months, 28 days) when he claimed a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race win at the track in 2014. He’s earned three top-10s in four NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at New Hampshire with a best showing of runner-up in 2019.
Chandler Smith leads the Playoff picture, followed by two-time winners Austin Hill, Sam Mayer and Shane van Gisbergen. Allgaier and rookie Jesse Love also have secured a shot at the 2024 title with a win this year.
In addition to Custer, drivers also currently Playoff bound based on points are Sheldon Creed, Riley Herbst, A.J. Allmendinger, Parker Kligerman and Sammy Smith.
This weekend the series regulars will have some added competition with three-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Justin Bonsignore set to make his series debut driving for JGR.
Practice for the SciApps 200 is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. ET Friday followed by qualifying at 4:45 p.m. ET. All the on-track action will be televised on USA Network and streamed on the NBC Sports App.
Source: Holly Cain | NASCAR Wire Service
