With only three races remaining to set the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff field, Saturday’s Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 (4 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) presents a great opportunity and an equally great challenge for the group of drivers still on the postseason brink.
And if that innate excitement weren’t enough, some of NASCAR’s biggest names will be joining the race field this week, including longtime Most Popular Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr, who is making only his second NASCAR national series start since retiring from full-time competition in 2017. And it comes only two weeks after he and his family survived a plane accident near Bristol, Tenn.
Now an NBC television analyst, Earnhardt had a pair of top-10s in four previous Xfinity Series starts at Darlington. His best career finish in this race was runner-up in 1998.
“The Xfinity Series has been competitive this year with the young talent that is in the series right now,” Earnhardt said. “We’ll see how things go during practice and hope to be running with those guys on Saturday.”
Five-time race winner Denny Hamlin (No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) and Ryan Blaney (No. 12 Team Penske Ford) are the other Cup regulars entered this week and join Earnhardt on the grid for this race – one of the most highly anticipated of the season.
Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick – a four-race winner this year and the defending series champion – arrives in Darlington with a 45-point edge on Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell. The two drivers have only three starts between them at Darlington. Reddick finished third last year and Bell qualified on the outside pole position but crashed and finished 34th. Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer remains third in the standings with five victories – completing a triad of domination this season between the championship leaders.
Bell, who earned his first win on a road course at Road America last week, has a series-best six wins on the season. His latest triumph put him in elite company – tying him with Sam Ard for the most wins for a driver in his first 64 series starts. Bell has 15 top-five and 16 top-10s in 23 races so far and his 13 stage wins are most in the field.
This triumphant trio has set a high bar for sure. And while seven drivers have already clinched a spot in the 12-driver Playoff field, there is a lot of competition for the remaining five positions. Only JR Motorsport’s Noah Gragson and Kaulig Racing’s Justin Haley can possibly clinch a postseason position this week on points.
Among those still vying for a Playoff spot are rookie John Hunter Nemechek, who along with Gray Gaulding, and Haley will be making their Xfinity Series debut at Darlington.
Source: Holly Cain | NASCAR Wire Service
